Natasha BelikoveLindsey Stirling's holiday album Warmer in the Winter came out last month, and the single "Christmas C'mon," featuring Becky G, has been out for a while too. But the festive video for the track has just arrived, featuring Lindsey showing off some of her Dancing with the Stars skills.

In the clip, Lindsey is a violin-playing tin solider doll in a gift box, while Becky is a Barbie-like fashion doll in a plastic display box, complete with accessories like a blow dryer and a hairbrush. Both women exit their boxes, and Becky starts singing while Lindsey dances and plays the violin. At one point, a male G.I. Joe-type doll is freed from his box and joins in the fun.

In the clip, the Dancing with the Stars finalist displays some fancy footwork, including what looks like a jive. You'll find out next week if she and her partner Mark Ballas take home the Mirror Ball trophy on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. She and Becky G will perform "Christmas C'mon" on the finale Tuesday night.



Lindsey's also out on tour in support of Warmer in the Winter.





Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.








IED hurled at Speaker Gharti Magar, CPN (MC) leaders Mahara & Pun in Rolpa

An unidentified group hurled improvised explosive device (IED) targeting the vehicles carrying House Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar and CPN (Maoist Centre) leaders Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Barshaman Pun along the Liwang-Sadobato road section in Rolpa on Friday.
How do you become a chief executive officer? Is there a precise blueprint to follow to attain this prestigious title? What professional and personal traits are necessary for the position? Technically, anyone can fill the chief executive slot, but typically those who have distinguished themselves in some manner and have strong leadership characteristics get the job.

Key Takeaways At the helm of every company sits a chief executive officer (CEO), who oversees the business and its strategic vision, and often gets paid top dollar for doing so.

To become a CEO, having an MBA from a top business school is incredibly useful, along with the social networks that it provides to students in addition to education.

Having the right personality and a stock of impressive experience will also help propel you to the top spot in a company.

Education

No laws are stipulating that chief executives must have attended college or that they must have a master's degree. However, very few people make it to the top of the corporate ladder these days without some formal education.

Why is having a formal education so important? There is no simple answer to that question; however, completing university courses does provide exposure to several disciplines. It is a time to think, interact, and share ideas with others, which are valuable experiences for a CEO to have, although of course, those skills can be gained elsewhere. A degree from an Ivy League school or other top-tier institution is sometimes given even more credence because of the competitiveness that often accompanies such programs.

Some big-name CEOs with degrees from top-tier schools include:

Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay (EBAY)  bachelor's from Princeton, Master of Business Administration from Harvard

John Bogle, former CEO of The Vanguard Group  bachelor's from Princeton

Roberto Goizueta, former CEO of Coca Cola (KO)  bachelor's from Yale

Many CEOs have a business degree. That the degree could be in economics, management, finance, or another business-related discipline. However, many well known chief executives dropped out or never went to college:

Richard Branson, founder, and CEO of Virgin Group

Michael Dell, founder, and CEO of Dell Computer (DELL)

Bill Gates, co-founder and former CEO and chair of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)

1:13 How To Become A CEO

Personality Traits

Having a degree from a top-notch school and an exceptional knowledge of the industry in which the company operates are great qualities. However, those qualities in and of themselves don't guarantee that a person will make it to the top of the corporate ladder. Personality traits also play a role in an individual's ability to attain chief executive status. Typically, CEOs are:

Excellent communicators, deal makers, and managers

Extroverts who are eager to go out on the road and tell their company's story

Able and willing to present a cohesive vision and strategy to employees

Able to garner respect

Jack Welch, former chair and CEO of General Electric (GE) is an excellent example of an extrovert who was able to garner respect, and who had a vision even as a low-level engineer at General Electric. While there, a higher-up took notice of his abilities, and the rest is history.

Experience

Generally speaking, a person must have a great deal of experience in the company's field to become CEO. A chief executive's job is to provide vision and a course for the company to navigate, which is challenging to do without extensive experience and a working knowledge of the potential risks and opportunities that lie ahead for the company.

Prior senior-level managerial experience is also generally a must. After all, how can an individual be expected to run a multimillion- or multibillion-dollar company with hundreds or thousands of employees unless they have previous experience managing and/or overseeing other employees?

A great example of someone who worked his way up the ranks is, again, Jack Welch, who joined General Electric in 1960 as an engineer and worked his way up to the vice president and vice chair before becoming CEO in 1981. By the time he got there, he knew the company and the landscape well. He had also previously held a high-level position.

Another example of a chief executive with a great deal of experience in his field is Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Novell and executive chair of Alphabet Inc. (GOOG). Schmidt worked in research at Bell Labs early in his career. He served as chief technology officer at Sun Microsystems. These experiences helped him land his chief executive positions and become the success story he is today.

Then there's Andrea Jung, former CEO and chair of Avon Products (AVP) and the first woman CEO in the company's history. Jung has a sizable amount of experience in retail. After graduating from Princeton, she worked for Bloomingdale's, where she was part of the management trainee program. From there, she also worked at Neiman Marcus, another high-end outfit where she served as executive vice president. When she finally came to Avon, she started as a consultant and then moved up to the chief operating officer, before finally landing the chief executive position.

Anne Mulcahy, the former CEO of Xerox (XRX), is another great of example of someone with a significant amount of experience in her field. In the mid-1970s, she started as a sales representative. She later worked as a vice president in human resources before climbing to senior vice president. All told, it was about 25 years before she became a chief executive. By that time, she knew the business extremely well.

The Bottom Line

Although some individuals are born leaders, most are made. Becoming a chief executive takes years of hard work. Extensive experience in the company's field is desirable. Finally, those that have worked their way up from a low level within the organization may have an advantage, as they arguably know the company better than any outsider ever could.
What Is a Debt Fund

A debt fund is an investment pool, such as a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund, in which the core holdings comprise fixed income investments. A debt fund may invest in short-term or long-term bonds, securitized products, money market instruments or floating rate debt. On average, the fee ratios on debt funds are lower than those attached to equity funds because the overall management costs are lower.

Often referred to as credit funds or fixed income funds, debt funds fall under the fixed income asset category. These low-risk vehicles are customarily sought by investors looking to preserve capital and/or achieve low-risk income distributions.

Key Takeaways A debt fund refers to a mutual fund, an exchange-traded fund (ETF), or any other pooled investment offerings whose underlying investments chiefly contain fixed income investments.

Fees on debt funds are lower than those associated with equity funds because their management costs are inherently lower.

Investors interested in debt fund options can choose between passive and active products.

Debt Fund Risk

Debt funds may invest in a wide swath of securities, with varying associated risk levels. U.S. government debt is generally considered to pose the least risk. The risk profile of corporate debt issued by businesses as part of their capital structures is generally classified by the companys credit rating.

Investment-grade debt is issued by companies with stable outlooks and high credit quality. High-yield debt, which is mainly issued by lower credit quality companies with potential emerging growth prospects, offers higher returns, along with higher prospective risk. Other debt categories include developed market debt and emerging market debt.

Debt Fund Investing

Investors may choose from a wide range of low-risk debt fund options, in both passive and active products.

Passive

Some of the largest and most actively-traded passive fixed income investment funds seek to replicate the top fixed income benchmark indexes, including the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index. Passive ETFs replicating these indexes include:

iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

The iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) is a passively managed index replication fund that tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The fund has a net expense ratio of 0.03%. Its 5-year average annual return as of Aug. 4, 2022 is 0.83%.

iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF

The iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) is a passively managed index replication fund that tracks the ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index. It has a net expense ratio of 0.05%, and its 5-year average annual return through Aug. 4, 2022, is 0.61%.

Active

The debt fund market also includes a wide range of active managers, who seek to outperform debt fund indexes such as the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index.

The First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF (HYLS) is an example of an actively-managed debt fund that invests for income and capital appreciation. Its 5-year NAV return as of Aug. 4, 2022, is 0.89%. While the fund is not outperforming its selected index year-to-date, it is one of the top-performing funds in the U.S. high yield bond universe.

Overall, investors in debt funds should understand the return calculation measurements that are used as performance indicators. Since debt funds involve income generation, funds may pay scheduled monthly or quarterly dividends. Total return calculations account for income payouts, while general return calculations may not.

Global Debt Funds

Countries issue debt in various forms to support their governmental fiscal policies. In the U.S., government-issued debt is generally considered to be the lowest risk fixed income investment in the market.

U.S. Debt Funds

The U.S. government issues a wide range of securities for investment. These securities can be invested directly, or investors may choose to invest in diversified debt funds that include these securities. BlackRocks iShares is one of the markets leading managers for indexed U.S. government debt fund ETFs.

U.S. corporate debt funds are typically segregated by the credit quality of the corporate issuer. U.S. companies have some of the highest credit ratings globally, placing U.S. debt funds in high demand.

Global Debt Funds

Many countries offer debt investments to support government fiscal policies. Risks and returns of government debt funds vary, depending on a nation's political and economic environment. Similar to equities, global corporate bond funds can be segregated by developed and emerging market indexes. Credit ratings are assigned to both government bonds and corporate bonds, using globally standardized credit rating analysis.
Update 11.17am: The two Dublin men have appeared in court this morning charged in connection with the seizure of just over 6m worth of drugs in Co. Meath on Wednesday.

Michael Smullen from Ashdale Close, Kinsealy, Co. Dublin and Keith Donoghue from Clonshaugh, Dublin 17 were arrested yesterday afternoon when Gardai raided a lock-up in Muckerstown, Co. Meath.

At their court appearance this morning, Det Garda William Armstrong said it would be alleged they were working a conveyer type system whereby Mr. Smullen was making boxes from flat packs while Mr. Donoghue filled them with cannabis.

Detective Armstrong said 311 kilos of cannabis with an estimated street value of 6.2m was seized from the shed and he said it was his belief they were preparing the drugs for further distribution.

Both men are charged with possession of drugs and with possession of drugs for unlawful sale or supply.

They were both refused bail this morning and remanded in custody for a week.

Update 6.52am: Two men are due in court this morning charged in connection with Wednesdays massive drugs seizure in Co Meath.

They were arrested when Gardai uncovered over 7m worth of cannabis and cocaine hidden in two storage units in Ashbourne.

3 men arrested and close to 400,000 worth of drugs seized in a number of search operations in Dublin today. pic.twitter.com/KILHTEdJxG  Garda Info (@gardainfo) November 16, 2017

The men - who are both in their thirties - are set to appear before a sitting of Trim District Court at 9am.

They were among a number of people who were arrested here and in the Netherlands, as part of an international operation targeting gangland crime.

Assistant Garda Commissioner John ODriscoll says Gardai are taking a multi-phase approach to gangland crime.

"Its sort of a three-pronged approach to dealing with organised crime," Assistant Commissioner ODriscoll explained.

"Were dealing with the threat to life, were also dealing with trying to get take the illicit products that they are engaging in selling off the streets and thirdly, we are trying to follow the money trail."

A further image of the drugs seized by members of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau & the Special Crime Task Force during ongoing searches in Co. Meath. For more see https://t.co/qa3zof2YCp pic.twitter.com/ts0QOCCrR2  Garda Info (@gardainfo) November 16, 2017

Yesterday, a series of searches were carried out in Amsterdam by Dutch police and five people were detained.

Dutch police have said that the eight people arrested in the Netherlands include two men from Limerick and one from Dublin.

The rest comprises of four Dutch men and one Belgian.

Officers in the Netherlands seized 175kg of cocaine, cannabis, vacuum-packed cash, computers, encrypted phones and bitcoin.

Assistant Commissioner ODriscoll, who is liaising with Dutch police in the Netherlands said that there were 13 bolts on a heavy metal door of one of the apartments raided.

Speaking from the Europol headquarters in the Netherlands, he said the operation has a strong international dimension.

He said: "We have been liaising with a number of law enforcement agencies. There is a realisation across a number of member states in Europe that when we combine our information we can have a greater impact on these crime gangs."

Meanwhile, Gardai have said the Dublin end of the operation netted almost 400,000 worth of heroin, cocaine and cash.

Garda image of some of the drugs seized as part of the operation

Yesterday, during a search at a house at Kilmainham Bank, Dublin 8, officers seized heroin with a street value of 25,000, 6,000 in cash and three imitation firearms. A man in his 50s was arrested and detained under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act at Kilmainham Garda Station.

In another search at Basin Street, Dublin 8, around 1,000 worth of heroin was found and a man in his 40s was arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at Kilmainham Garda Station.

Another man was arrested on foot of existing bench warrants at an address in McCarthy Terrace, Dublin 8, and he has been brought to court and remanded in custody.

During another search at Berrys Close, Inchicore, Dublin 8, a number of packages wrapped in plastic were seized. They said they held 3.5kgs of a "powder-like substance" which they believe is heroin and cocaine. They have been valued at 350,000.

A car has also been seized for technical examination.
Asia Cambodia Faces International Action After Banning Opposition

Police officers stand guard at the Supreme Court during a hearing to decide whether to dissolve the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 16, 2017. / Reuters

PHNOM PENH  The United States promised concrete steps against Cambodia and the European Union raised a threat to vital trade preferences after the main opposition party was banned ahead of elections.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by the Supreme Court on Thursday at the request of the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose rule of more than three decades faces a major challenge at next years general election.

The ban on the CNRP followed the arrest of its leader, Kem Sokha, for treason. He is accused of plotting to take power with American help.

Hun Sens critics called the CNRP dissolution an attempt to steal the election and the death knell for democracy after Western donors have spent billions of dollars since 1993 trying to build a multiparty system following decades of war.

On current course next years election will not be legitimate, free, or fair, a White House statement said, promising to take concrete steps.

The first of those was to end support for the Cambodian National Election Committee ahead of the 2018 election, it said.

In Brussels, an EU spokesman said the election could not be legitimate without the opposition and noted that respect for human rights was a prerequisite for Cambodias access to EU trade preferences under its Everything But Arms scheme.

That scheme giving tariff free access  and similar trade preferences in the United States  have helped Cambodia build a garment industry on low cost labor. Between them, EU and U.S. markets take some 60 percent of Cambodias exports.

There was no immediate government response to the reaction from the United States and European Union.

In a symbolic step, the US Senate passed a resolution calling on the Treasury and State Departments to consider placing Cambodian officials implicated in abuses on a watch list for asset freezes and travel bans.

War of Words

Hun Sen has been in a deepening war of words with the US embassy and State Department over a crackdown on his critics, but at the weekend posed with US President Donald Trump at a regional summit and praised his policies of non-interference.

The fact that the threat of action came from the White House gave it greater weight than previous statements from the State Department calling for the release of Kem Sokha.

So far Western countries have shown little appetite for sanctions and the opposition itself has shied away from calling for steps to restrict garment exports because of the hundreds of thousands of workers who depend on them.

But leaders of the CNRP now say they support some sanctions.

Sanctions are the best leverage for negotiation for free, fair and inclusive elections, said Mu Sochua, a deputy to CNRP leader Kem Sokha who fled Cambodia fearing arrest.

There have been no protests over the ruling and many people in the capital, Phnom Penh, said they were afraid to speak out.

There were no party members at the CNRP headquarters, only security guards. They are worried about their safety, said security guard Chin Savy.

The central market was full of its usual bustle and one man told Reuters he was glad to see the back of the opposition.

Hun Sen has a lot of help from China. If he just depended on the U.S. we wouldnt be anywhere, said Khen Kong, 69, a businessman.

China is by far the biggest single donor to Cambodia and its biggest investor. It voiced support for the government after the arrest of Kem Sokha.

In a televised address on Thursday, Hun Sen told Cambodians the election would go ahead as normal and appealed to politicians from the CNRP who had not been banned to join his Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP).

US-based campaign group Human Rights Watch said the court ruling should lead Cambodias donors and trade partners to impose targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans on Hun Sens inner circle.
Burma Aung Cheimt Brokers No Compromise in His Art

Aung Cheimt. / Dana Lixenberg

Aung Cheimt (b. 1948) is acknowledged as the greatest living poet in Myanmar today. Along with Thukhamein Hlaing, and several others, he was at the vanguard of modern poetry in Myanmar, moving it from its traditional fixed rhyme to something much more free. This freedom is palpable in Aung Cheimt. He is the ultimate artistic free spirit, who brokers no compromise in his art, to which everything else must be subservient. He is the Marlon Brando and James Dean of Burmese poetry  though the comparisons are inaccurate because his aesthetic rebellion is always a moral one too: his fierce poetry brokers no compromise with either dishonesty or cowardice. He is the poet that all poets in Myanmar would like to emulate. And if youd met him, youd immediately understand why.

How did you begin to write poetry?

I was arrested and held for fifteen months, three of which were in solitary confinement. It was during this solitary confinement that I started to compose poems just in my mind. This is what helped me survive. Writing poetry was a way of distracting the mind; a way to keep sane.

We wrote with whatever we could get our hands on, and then memorized the poem. Wed get a nail and scratch on the sleeping mat. Sometimes the etchings were so faint that you could only see when the light hit it. Or pick small pieces of lime mortar stuck between the bricks and use that to write a poem on the floor. Thats how I began to write.

When I was released, I would lock myself up in a room full of books and writing materials.

Now its a habit. I have never stopped writing since, though these days are long passed.

Your activism landed you in jail for a year and a half when you were only sixteen.

When your roof is leaking in the rain, the rain comes in from everywhere. There are so many things that I endured. There are things that you dont like to write about.

Did you continue to study after your release?

I have never been interested in formal education. To this day, I dont even have a graduation certificate. I started reading outside literature and found poetry. I also got interested in politics. Before the military government in 1962, students could form unions easily. I spent most of my times in these activities. I transferred to various schools, too. I would be absent from class twenty days out of a month. So were my friends. I wanted to taste the world even when I was young. I didnt have much money. But with the little money I had, I would take trains to the outskirts of town and see life around me. I wanted to be happy, but with the military regime everything got turned upside-down. My friends were also not happy. We found happiness in teashops, and in pubs talking poetry and politics late into the night. We had no work. Only government employees had jobs.

And writing under censorship?

Living through the dictatorship, through such a bad era itself was a poem. We illegally published our poetry back then.

You became a better poet by thinking about how to get around the censor. Many of us were good enough, clever enough, witty enough to outsmart the censor.

It was not possible to just follow the government and write what they wanted you to say. That is not a way to create anything of value.

My definition of political activism is standing by the side of the oppressed and disadvantaged, not with the government, whoever they are.

What is it like to write now that censorship has been abolished?

It is so free now. Protest is nothing. Nothing is new anymore. You can now create anything you want. It is so open that you dont know when and how to control your art. Everyone thinks he can be a poet just by scribbling three or four lines. Nowadays, in the so-called time of transition, writing has become much more free, but you also bear a greater responsibility as a result. You now have a duty to improve your poetry.

How do you write?

In my advanced age, I write everyday. You cant set a specific time to write poetry. Once something comes into my mind, I write it down immediately. Im always in an auto-on mode: always ready to write a poem.

I re-read my poems before I send them to a publisher. You may find your technique during this process. You cant devise a poetry writing technique. You can only find it through writing.

You have made a living solely as a poet.

I cant live without poetry. Poetry is a part of me, just like breathing, drinking water, eating. I dont deliberately try hard to write. Poetic expressions just naturally come into my head for no reason at any time. I dont know if its a gift or bad luck. I think it is my fate. I was a poet in my previous life. And I want to be a poet in my next life as well.

What do you want to tell the new generation of poets today?

Your poems must improve every day. Dont be pleased or satisfied with what you already have. You must know there is something better, something unachieved, behind what you have just created. Try to improve yourself after each and every poem.

Authors Note: These interviews are excerpted from Burma Storybook, a poetry and photography book inspired by the documentary film of the same name, produced by Corinne van Egeraat and directed by Petr Lom.

The English language hardcover edition of the book is for sale at Hla Day, Innwa Bookstore, Myanmar Book Center and the Strand Hotel.

A Burmese language-only paperback edition of the book is for sale through Yangon Book Plaza.

There will be a Free Open Air Screening of the Burma Storybook documentary film (82 min.) in Mahabandoola Park in Yangon on November 25 at 6 p.m. From Nov. 25 to Dec. 4, you can visit the interactive Burma Storybook Photo Exhibit at the Tourism Burma Building.

For more information: www.burmastorybook.com
Burma Angelina Jolie Condemns Sexual Violence Against Rohingya Women Refugees

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and UNHCR special envoy Angelina Jolie meet with female factory workers at their hostel in the Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone in Yangon Aug. 1, 2015. / Reuters

DHAKA  Filmstar Angelina Jolie has condemned sexual violence inflicted on Rohingya women in Myanmars Rakhine State, where a military counter-insurgency operation has sent hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees across the border to Bangladesh.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar since late August, driven out by the militarys actions that a top United Nations official has described as a classic case of ethnic cleansing.

Jolie, a special envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a Bangladesh delegation in the Canadian city of Vancouver that she planned to visit the Rohingya victims of sexual violence.

Later she mentioned accordingly in her keynote speech about the sexual violence faced by almost each female Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh and condemned the armed conflict in Myanmar, Bangladeshs foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

It gave no details of Jolies proposed trip.

On Thursday, New York-based Human Rights Watch accused Myanmar security forces of committing widespread rape against women and girls as part of a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

The allegation echoes an accusation this week by Pramila Patten, the UN special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, who said sexual violence was being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Myanmar.

Myanmars army released a report on Monday denying all allegations of rape and killings by security forces, days after replacing the general in charge of the operation.

In parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh would overcome obstacles to resolve the Rohingya crisis, with the help of the international community.

I strongly believe we will find a peaceful solution to the unprecedented crisis with the help of the international community, despite various obstacles, she said.

There were already about 300,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh before the most recent exodus.
Burma China Foreign Minister to Visit Myanmar Amid Rohingya Crisis

Rohingya refugees wait outside of an aid distribution center in a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Nov. 15, 2017. / Reuters

BEIJING  Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Myanmar and Bangladesh from this weekend, his ministry said on Thursday, amid a crisis over Myanmars treatment of Rohingya Muslims.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August, driven out by a military counter-insurgency clearance operation in Buddhist-majority Myanmars Rakhine State.

A top UN official has described the militarys actions as a textbook case of ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects accusations of rights abuses.

China has expressed support for what it calls the Myanmar governments efforts to protect stability.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that Wang would go to Bangladesh and Myanmar this weekend where he would meet his counterparts and exchange views on bilateral ties and issues of mutual regional concern.

On Monday and Tuesday, Wang would attend a meeting of Asian and European foreign ministers in the Myanmar capital of Naypyitaw, Geng added.

He did not say whether Wang would discuss the Rohingya issue.

China and Myanmar have for years maintained close economic and diplomatic relations.

The United States and other Western countries have become more engaged with Myanmar in recent years, since it began a transition to civilian government after nearly 50 years of military rule.

International concern over the Rohingya situation has grown.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called during a visit to Myanmar on Wednesday for a credible investigation into reports of human rights abuses against the Rohingya committed by Myanmars security forces.
Burma Gen Aung San to Return to Banknotes Despite Military Disapproval

Old Gen Aung San banknotes shown at 8888 memorial hall in Yangon / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  The entire bloc of military appointees in the Lower House stood up against a motion to reinstate the image of the countrys late independence hero Gen Aung San on the countrys currency on Friday.

Surprisingly, all 107 of the unelected military representatives and one lawmaker from the former ruling military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) boycotted a proposal urging the Union Government to issue future notes showing the face of the late hero.

The militarys disagreement immediately encountered angry reactions on a live stream of the parliamentary session on the Lower House Facebook page.

The bloc was defeated by votes from 286 lawmakers from the ruling National League for Democracy party and other lawmakers from the USDP and also a dozen ethnic parties, who supported reinstating the former generals image of the currency, which was phased out by the former military junta.

Parliaments approval of the proposal could be considered a breakthrough for the NLD and its supporters.

Pictures of Gen Aung San, the father of Myanmars State Counselor and de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, were first printed on currency notes in 1958, 10 years after he was assassinated along with eight of his colleagues.

But those bills were gradually removed from circulation after the rise of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as a leader of the Burmese pro-democracy movement following the 1988 student uprising.

The banknotes were later redesigned with a lion or elephant on the front and the countrys famous buildings and landscapes on the other side.

Military appointee Lt-Col Kyaw Min Hlaing told lawmakers that the animals  peacocks, lions and elephants  were featured on the notes as all Myanmar ethnic groups valued and acknowledged them as national symbols, during the discussion on the proposal submitted by NLD lawmaker U Aung Khin Win.

He said the proposal shouldnt be considered while the countrys economic growth is slow, citing the redesign and printing cost for new banknotes.

NLD Lower House lawmaker Daw Wint Wah Tun replied that she seconded U Aung Khin Wins proposal as it meant not to replace the current banknotes of various denominations from circulation with new banknotes, which could be between 100 billion to 300 billion kyats.

Instead it suggested using banknotes with the image of Gen Aung San rather than pictures of animals whenever the Central Bank needed to replace damaged notes or to release new sizes or new denominations in the future, she said.

NLD lawmaker U Aung Khin Win who submitted the proposal said, It goes without saying that people would love to use banknotes with the image of Bogyoke rather than with pictures of lions or elephants, at the previous parliamentary session.

Seven other lawmakers participated in the discussion during Fridays parliamentary session, agreeing to the proposal.

U Soe Min, a deputy governor of the Central Bank, also supported the proposal.

NLD lawmaker U Aung Khin Win who submitted the proposal said, It goes without saying that people would love to use banknotes with the image of Bogyoke rather than with pictures of a lion or elephant, at the previous parliamentary session.
Burma Official Peace Talks with UNFC Cancelled Amid Stalemate Fears

The Peace Commission and the United Nationalities Federal Council meet for informal talks in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Sept 25, 2017. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

CHIANG MAI, Thailand  The official peace talks scheduled for Thursday between the government and the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) were cancelled. In their place, the negotiators met informally to keep the process alive.

All of the members of the UNFCs Delegation for Political Negotiations (DPN) had travelled to Yangon on Wednesday. But on Thursday, only a few of them met the governments Peace Commission (PC) members for an informal discussion.

The DPN referred to the cancelled talks as the 9th round of formal talks, following a custom of designating each official meeting as a new round (thus they referred to their talks on Nov 8-9 as the 8th round of talks).

The government insists on numbering the latest talks as an extension of the 7th round held in October and seems in a hurry to bring the talks to a conclusion so that the five armed ethnic groups who make up the UNFC  the New Mon State Party (NMSP), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), Arakan National Council (ANC) and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP)  will officially join the national peace process as signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

No public explanation was given for the cancellation of Thursdays formal talks. However, according to inside sources, it was to avoid a possible deadlock over one of the eight demands that the UNFC has made as a pre-condition to signing the NCA, regarding the future name of the country. The UNFC wants the country to be officially described as the Federal Democratic Union but the government wants it to be the Democracy and Federal Union.

The UNFC has repeatedly raised this point since the first session of the 21st Panglong peace conference, which was held in Aug-Sept 2016, under the National League for Democracy government, when all of the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) attended the conference and presented their political objectives.

Alliance chairman Nai Hong Sar said at that time that a future federal union should have a name that demonstrates ownership by all ethnicities or regions, instead of representing one ethnicity. Myanmar  the current name  is deemed to represent the majority Burmans.

For about 17 months, talks between the DPN and governments PC have focused on the eight-point proposal that the UNFC put forward as its terms for signing the NCA. And despite the alliance saying this week that it was close to signing the agreement, it appears there is still a long road ahead until an accord can be reached.

The government had initially expected the UNFC would sign the NCA before the third session of the 21st Panglong Union Peace Conference, which State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi plans to hold before the end of 2017. However, that looks unlikely to happen now as both the UNFC and the Northern Alliance stick to their existing positions. The UNFC is demanding that specific conditions be agreed before they will sign, while the Northern Alliance wants an alternative approach to the NCA.

According to the sources close to the negotiations, further talks with the non-signatories to the NCA may be postponed if the government does not agree to all of the UNFCs terms. The UNFC has said that unless the government relaxes its rigid approach to the talks, the hurdles would remain.

In addition to the differences over specific proposals a lack of mutual trust dogs the talks. Disputes over terms as such federal and revolution are not new in the Myanmar peace process, which began in late 2011. In 2014, negotiations reached a stalemate due to differences over terminology as well as the Tatmadaws inclusion of its Myanmar Armys six-principles on the process.

This major hurdle led to a disagreement between the EAOs and a split between those that signed the NCA in October 2015 and those that did not. Whenever it has seemed that progress was being made during the six years of peace talks in Myanmar, an issue has arisen to derail the process.

The current NLD governments National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC), led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is dealing with three separate stakeholder groups in the peace process; the UNFC, the Northern Alliance and the eight-signatories of the NCA.

The governments talks with the active armed ethnic groups that are based in the northeast are currently on hold. The Northern Alliances representatives, known as the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), have demanded to hold talks as a bloc, a position the government has rejected, insisting it meet the groups separately.

The Tatmadaw has clashed militarily in northern Shan State with some of the FPNCC members  namely the Taang Nationalities Liberation Army (TNLA), Arakan Army (AA) and Kokangs Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)  and has been reluctant to accept these groups as peace talk partners. This month the AA has also become more active in western Myanmar, in Paletwa of Chin State, which is close to the border with northern Rakhine State.

Meanwhile, the government continues its political negotiations with the signatories of the NCA, as it pushes forward with the broader peace process. Ongoing meetings regarding the political dialogue framework and reviews of the implementation of the NCA are being held.

The eight ethnic armed organizations Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) has expressed a shared optimism about the peace process. Its leaders said the peace talks were a channel for both sides to collaborate to reach a solution to the countrys political problems.

General Yawd Serk, a PPST leader and chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), urged all sides to have patience to reach a common agreement, which would benefit both of the peace negotiation partners, during his speech after the PPSTs 16th meeting in Chiang Mai on Wednesday.

Our aim is to establish a federal union, self-determination, and peace and development in the country, he said. Therefore, we must aim to benefit our union, rather than winning over the negotiation partner [Tatmadaw and government].
Burma UN States Call for End to Myanmar Military Operations

Myanmar soldiers arrive to Buthidaung jetty, Myanmar, August 29, 2017. / Reuters

UNITED NATIONS  A United Nations General Assembly committee on Thursday called on Myanmar to end military operations that have led to the systematic violation and abuse of human rights of Rohingya Muslims in the countrys Rakhine state.

The move revived a UN resolution that was dropped last year due to the countrys progress on human rights.

The General Assemblys Third Committee, which focuses on human rights, voted 135 in favor, 10 against with 26 abstentions on the draft text that also asks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a special envoy on Myanmar.

For 15 years the Third Committee annually adopted a resolution condemning Myanmars human rights record, but last year the European Union did not put forward a draft text, citing progress under the leadership of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

However, in the past three months more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military began an operation against Rohingya militants, who attacked 30 security posts and an army base in Rakhine state on Aug. 25.

This prompted the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to put forward a new draft UN resolution, which will now be formally adopted by the 193-member General Assembly next month. The resolution deepens international pressure, but has no legal consequences.

Myanmars army released a report on Monday denying all allegations of rapes and killings by security forces, days after replacing the general in charge of the military operation in Rakhine State.

Top UN officials have denounced the violence as a classic example of ethnic cleansing. The Myanmar government has denied allegations of ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar is refusing entry to a UN panel that was tasked with investigating allegations of abuses after a smaller military counteroffensive launched in October 2016.

The draft resolution approved by the Third Committee on Thursday urges Myanmar to grant access. It also calls for full and unhindered humanitarian aid access and for Myanmar to grant full citizenship rights to Rohingya.

They have been denied citizenship in Myanmar, where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

The 15-member UN Security Council last week urged the Myanmar government to ensure no further excessive use of military force in Rakhine State. It asked Guterres to report back in 30 days.

Human Rights Watch accused Myanmar security forces on Thursday of committing widespread rape against women and girls, echoing an allegation by Pramila Patten, the UN special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, earlier this week. Patten said sexual violence was being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Myanmar.
Incidents of attack on leaders stoke concern

Attacks on candidates and election rallies have continued unabated, prompting security concerns in the run-up to the elections, the first phase of which is scheduled for November 26 in 32 districts.
Friday, Nov 17th, 2017 (8:30 am) - Score 1,025

The Hammersmith & Fulham Council in London UK has reached an agreement with Openreach (BT) that will see a further 2,000 homes and businesses being put within reach of their up to 80Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) superfast broadband network.

Sadly the press release contains no information on which areas will benefit from this coverage extension or how much investment is involved. However the council does remind us that Openreach are also still piloting their new 330Mbps capable hybrid fibre G.fast technology in parts of Hammersmith and Parsons Green.

At present around 95% of the area can already access a superfast broadband (24Mbps+) capable network and this announcement, which was made earlier in the month, should push that a little bit further.

Kim Mears, Openreachs MD for Infrastructure Delivery, said: We welcomed the approach by the council as we were very keen to increase the availability of fibre broadband across the borough. As a result of the approach by the council team, we will be able to expand our coverage over the coming months, and continue to explore options to ensure that we deliver the service wherever it is commercially viable for us to do so. This is good news for the borough. Hammersmith & Fulham Council should be congratulated for taking the initiative in order to make this additional investment possible.

Separately the council has also reminded us that that local businesses will soon be able to benefit from their on-going partnership with the ITS Technology Group to develop a dedicated fibre optic network. As part of that the local authority gave ITS access to its underground CCTV ducts in order to install the 19km of ducts needed to create the new high-speed fibre network.

Cllr Andrew Jones, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: Super-fast broadband is a key tool in helping local businesses to improve productivity, increase customer satisfaction and save money. We want to provide businesses in H&F with the perfect environment to start up, survive and grow.

Local businesses can request further information by emailing lbhf@itstechnologygroup.com and some other details can be found on their website (here).
Bill Gates has purchased 25,000 acres of land in Arizona for his Smart City of Tomorrow. It is one of several such efforts but the only one where I think there is potential for something like what Walt Disney conceptualized in Florida when he first imagined EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow). I was fascinated by EPCOT when the vision was first articulated and worked for Disney for a time back then. Walt Disney was betrayed by his attorneys and by his own health so his vision for a future city became an amusement park that wasnt even a pale shadow of what it could have become.

I think Gates could do what Disney could not, because he has more control over the outcome, and because technology has advanced to a level that makes the overall vision more viable.

Creation of Arcology at Scale

With these two ideas, we are talking about arcology at scale. In its ultimate form, this is a self-supporting system consisting of buildings, transport, people, utilities and services. While we often think of an arcology as a single structure, and nothing says you couldnt build a massive structure much like a castle or fort (and will build space stations and Mars outposts), the underlying concept is one of a self-sustainable entity where people live and work far more safely, happily and efficiently than in a traditional city.

The best approach would likely be a largely clean slate concept based on the technologies we have today and anticipating those of tomorrow so that it wasnt obsolete at completion. You see, one of the huge problems with building something at this massive scale is that in the time it takes to complete the city, much of what was built into it will become obsolete. This suggests a massive move to modular designs and the avoidance of mistakes made by traditional cities like utilities that are cheaply buried and not provisioned for economical upgrades.

If you look at a relatively recent city like New York, much of the buried infrastructure is failing and the cost of upgrading it exceeds, significantly, what the city can afford to budget, placing it on an unacceptable path to near total failure. Avoiding this outcome is critical to this effort and since we can and do design buildings to anticipate this problem now, we can and should build our cities of tomorrow to anticipate this as well.

What Has Changed

One of the important things that has changed is our ability to work remotely, which makes cities like this possible. In the past, you had to build near industry that would employ people and since the industry came first and raised prices, this industry-based approach resulted in cities that grew organically and were poorly designed to anticipate the future or even natural disasters, much like we recently saw in Houston.

But with the influx of electronic service industries and remote work, you can now arguably populate a remote city and have that population attract the industry. This is a major advantage that Gates has and that Disney did not.

In addition, with the influx of autonomous vehicles, particularly with the advent of heavy lift drones, you can do interesting things regarding logistics in a city that we just couldnt do in Disneys time. Add something like Elon Musks Hyperloop and you have a way to move people very quickly to existing transportation hubs, likely more quickly and cheaply than if they were to drive from a more conventional home.

This would allow you to make the city far more useful to far more people. For instance, it could be an ideal central location for people who travel often, being far easier to get into and out of while still providing a safe, secure, inexpensive place to house families. This would clearly encompass those who travel electronically, as well.

Wrapping Up: A Real Tomorrowland and Maybe Magic

This got me thinking of the movie Tomorrowland. While the movie clearly lost its way, the concept was compelling. A place that was optimized for people with a blend of beauty, functionality, safety and technology optimized for productivity and comfort. Part of Disneys vision was just a little bit of magic, the promise of something better than reality. With VR, AR, AI, and other technologies designed into Gates concept of the city of tomorrow, there is the potential to create something truly magical and amazing, something that could redefine the world of tomorrow into a better place and carry forward Disneys vision into a better world. I think that is where Gates wants to go, and Im hoping he will be successful getting there.

Maybe Ill make my wife happy and buy a place there (this time of year, Arizona looks a lot better to her than Oregon).

Rob Enderle is President and Principal Analyst of the Enderle Group, a forward-looking emerging technology advisory firm. With over 30 years experience in emerging technologies, he has provided regional and global companies with guidance in how to better target customer needs; create new business opportunities; anticipate technology changes; select vendors and products; and present their products in the best possible light. Rob covers the technology industry broadly. Before founding the Enderle Group, Rob was the Senior Research Fellow for Forrester Research and the Giga Information Group, and held senior positions at IBM and ROLM. Follow Rob on Twitter @enderle, on Facebook and on Google+
The tech industry is heading towards a stage where self service for standard IT requirements will become a norm, helped by the increase in software-defined infrastructure, a senior engineer from SUSE Linux claims.

Matthias Eckermann (below, right), director of product management for SUSE Linux Enterprise at the the Nuremberg-based company, said in response to queries from iTWire that software-defined infrastructure would bring about a change in existing business processes, and allow new business processes to be implemented.

But he said this did not necessarily mean that hardware businesses were staring down the barrel at extinction.

"There will always be requirements which go beyond 'standard' (think of specific performance or latency requirements!), and for those, specialised hardware and specialised processes may remain in place."

Asked whether he agreed with the proposition that software-defined processes were slowly posing a threat to hardware device makers' profits, Eckermann said: "Let me answer this way: yes and no."

Elaborating, he added: "On the one hand, we do see a 'commoditisation' in the area of standard hardware and standard appliances. (But) on the other hand, however, we see three other trends, which may positively influence device makers' profits:

"IoT increases the number of devices, device interconnects, aggregators, and required space;

"In the areas of HPC and machine learning we see a specialisation in the compute engines; and

"Those systems which are required to be really 'mission- critical' or 'business-critical' may remain unaffected by the SDI trend for the time being."

Given that failures were more common in software than hardware, Eckermann was asked whether the incidence of failure would rise as software came to play a bigger role. "I am optimistic here, as there are two directions to solve this challenge: Software supporting 'mission-critical' deployments and cloud native applications," he replied.

He pointed to his own employer as an example. "[In the case of] software supporting 'mission-critical' deployments, this is the 'classic' stack: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server; SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability including Geo Clustering; and SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching.

As far as cloud native applications go, Eckermann said these consisted of many (partially) independent (micro) services, with one or more instances of each service running.

"This type of application stack takes 'failure' of one or multiple instances into account; thus a hardware defect or a software error can be 'hidden' from the end customer."

Looking ahead a decade or two, Eckermann said there were multiple trends which were overlapping and which would influence each other.

"We have an increasing demand for IoT devices, which are driven by Linux, and specifically a need for stability, security and long-term maintainability.These capabilities  stability, security, long-term maintainability  are interestingly enough the same values which drive the 'classical' data centre and 'mission-critical' deployments today.

"In other words, my first expectation is that the IoT world will learn from today's 'mission-critical' world and adopt their processes and tools for quicker success," he said.

"Cloud native application stacks will (try to) become 'independent' of the hardware and underlying infrastructure pieces. This will drive adoption of software-defined technologies, as I described. Thus my second expectation is that software-defined infrastructure and cloud native application stacks will grow."

Eckermann said interestingly, the trend for even stronger mission-critical needs could be seen even today. "This may sound like contradicting what I said earlier, but I do not see it as contradictory, but complementary," he added.

"The reason is (to make it short) that more information coming into a company increases the amount of business data to compute and store. It also increases the dependency of the business on that data, as the data becomes the business value. As soon as data is a business value by itself, it will neither be corrupted nor lost, and it becomes 'business-critical'. Business-critical data, though, needs 'mission-critical' IT systems.

"So, we could say: not despite the growth in cloud native and software-defined solutions, but because of it, the growth in the true 'mission-critical' world will continue as well."

Eckermann had a one word answer when asked what industry at large needed to adapt to this change: "Trust."

"Security and confidentiality are the big challenges, at least from my (European/German) perspective. Don't get me wrong: this is not about the software 'per se'. We have well established quality and security standards for the software," he said.

"The challenge is more that without any 'piece of hardware' defining the boundaries of a security realm, we need to find new ways to define, implement, and monitor access rights, locality of data."

He said that while there were so-called "attestation" frameworks, interestingly enough they all needed some kind of hardware ("crypto token" or "security zone" for example) to be fully functional.

"That's another example of 'specialised hardware' which we most probably will not get rid of," he said, adding, "I am aware that this is a bit 'cryptic', but that's the best way to express my view on this topic."

In summary, Eckermann said there was high-quality software available to establish software-defined infrastructure which would enable new business processes.

The responsibility now lay with people in the industry to create and establish trust frameworks around this, he said.
Rackspace has completed its acquisition of managed services provider Datapipe in a move described as the largest acquisition in the companys history.

Founded in 2000, Datapipe is based in New Jersey in the US and claims 825 employees and 29 data centres in nine countries.

A global cloud and IT services provider, Rackspace has not disclose financial details of the deal, but Joe Eazor, chief executive, said in September the acquisition brings important new capabilities to Rackspace and will enable the company to better serve customers of all kinds, globally and at scale.

And, announcing completion of the deal on Friday, Eazor said, This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to become the worlds number one provider in IT as a service.

Datapipe brings important new capabilities to Rackspace that will enable us to better serve customers, globally and at scale. Together, we will build on the industry leadership both companies established in expertise, reliability, security and support, to create a new level of end-to-end customer experience.

Rackspace says it will begin the integration process for Datapipe immediately in a planned way that maintains and enhances support levels for customers.

The deal sees Datapipe leaders joining the Rackspace executive team including Joel Friedman, now chief technology officer of Rackspace; Dan Newton, senior vice-president, account management and service delivery; and Dan Tudahl, general manager, government solutions.
Microsoft has reversed the retirement of Windows 10 version 1511, extending support for the 2015 feature upgrade by six months for commercial customers.

"To help some early enterprise adopters that are still finishing their transition to Windows as a service, we will be providing a supplemental servicing package for Windows 10, version 1511, for an additional six months, until April 2018," said Michael Niehaus, director of product marketing for Windows, in a post to a company blog.

The additional support, which Niehaus indicated would be limited to patches for security vulnerabilities rated "Critical" or "Important" -- Microsoft's two top categories in its four-level system -- will be distributed "via all normal channels," including Windows Update, Windows Server Update Service (WSUS), System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) and the for-manual-download Microsoft Update catalog.

Only Windows 10 Enterprise 1511 and Windows 10 Education 1511 will be extended in this way, Niehaus added. The new cutoff will probably be April 10, 2018, that month's Patch Tuesday.

Windows 10 1511 debuted Nov. 10, 2015, and for other editions, including Home and Pro, fell off the support list on Oct. 10, 2017.

Under its Windows-as-a-service (WaaS) model, Microsoft releases two feature upgrades annually at six-month intervals, and then supports each upgrade for 18 months. However, 1511 was given a 23-month support lifecycle, with the additional time arising from an arcane rule Microsoft implemented but later discarded; it would not retire an upgrade before six months had passed from the most recent upgrade's release.

With the extension, Windows 10 Enterprise 1511 and Education 1511 get a total of 29 months of support, nearly as long a stretch as the historical intervals between major pre-0 versions of the OS, such as the 36 months between Windows 7 and Windows 8, or the 34 months between Windows 8 and Windows 10.

[ To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page. ]

Ironically, the successor to 1511, the mid-2016 feature upgrade designated 1607, will now, absent another Microsoft intervention, exit support in March 2018, before its predecessor. That's not how it's supposed to work.

"What's been a surprise is how adamant Microsoft has been about this cadence," said Michael Silver, an analyst with Gartner, of the every-six-month release tempo and the 18-month support window. "What's not a surprise is that organizations have been telling us that they can't do multiple updates in a year. They're worried about falling off support from [Windows 10] 1511 or even 1607 after that."

It's virtually certain that Microsoft extended 1511's support because its most important customers - corporations - told the company that they weren't able to make the Oct. 10, 2017, deadline. Niehaus did not specifically cite feedback, as Microsoft usually does, for the decision, but that was probably the trigger.

"The support extension really isn't much of a surprise," echoed Stephen Kleynhans, also of Gartner, in an email reply to questions. "Microsoft is still tinkering with the details of the servicing model to make it work for more enterprises ... working the kinks out."

Microsoft has been fiddling with the WaaS model since it launched Windows 10 more than two years ago. The changes made to the practice and process of upgrading and supporting the OS have ranged from the trivial - dropping "Current Branch" as a label for a release track, substituting "Semi-Annual Channel" in its place - to the radical, such as when a ruling earlier this year essentially revoked a major concession to enterprises.

Support extensions weren't unknown before this. In February, Microsoft added about six weeks to the support lifespan of Windows 10 1507, the initial version that launched in July 2015. Generally, however, Microsoft has been hard-nosed about support deadlines.

For good reason, said Silver.

"The danger is that customers won't believe Microsoft will end support when they say," he said. Instead, shifting dates may give enterprises the idea that, if they complain loudly enough, Microsoft will extend support.

"It would set a bad precedent if organizations think that they can rely on Microsoft to constantly extend [support]," Silver said.

Kleynhans agreed, saying that Microsoft was doing a "balancing act" between meeting customers' demands and not enforcing deadlines. But he also thought that the 1511 support addendum would be followed by others.

"I don't think we have seen the last of these types of extensions," said Kleynhans. "At the moment, 1607 is scheduled to EOL [end-of-life] in March and that could be an even bigger exposure. I suspect we will see some variation on this extension when we get a little closer [to that date]."
Kailali-5 contest: A test of Arzus popularity

As Arzu Rana Deuba, the spouse of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, is trying to emerge out of her husbands political shadow, the upcoming federal parliamentary election is seen as a test of her popularity.
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The US is usually number 1 in the German research firm Gfks rankings, headed up by political consultant Simon Anholt. They ask some 22,000 people around the world to rank countries on six scales.

This year it fell five full places to number 6. No such fall has taken place since 2004, when Americans elected George W. Bush to a second term. And in the past, falls only lasted for a year.

Angela Merkel is the leader of the free world, not Trump.

The Gfks poll doesnt just measure favorability, but looks at 6 dimensions of a country, so that the US fall from grace is all the more surprising. The dimensions are governance, people, culture, exports, immigration-investment and tourism.

In governance, the US had been in 19th place. It is now in 23rd. Out of 50 countries. People think the US is worse governed than nearly half of the developed countries in the world. This dramatic fall in the governance score is pretty obviously caused by Trump.

There are categories where the US still performs very well. It is second in Culture and in Exports. So they like our music and films, and want to buy our cars. It is fifth for immigration-investment, which is a significant statistic. There are four other countries people from around the would rather invest in over the US, and four other countries theyd rather emigrate to than the US. I think the word got out that we as a country voted for Trump.

Germany has risen to the top of the list, displacing the US from global leadership. The only category where Germany is not in the top 5 is tourism. (Not sure why Germany is *nice*.).

Germany improved its standing markedly in some countries. It was up 5 points in the view of Egyptians, e.g. But Americans are suspicious of it it did not break the top ten with them.

France came in second, propelled by the popularity of Emmanuel Macron for governance but also benefiting from the impression that its culture and tourism are first rate.

Japan also climbed up the rankings this fall, in part on the quality of its exports.

The finding about the US decline is alarming and could be a sign that Trump is dragging the country down. In turn, that is important because many US goals require international cooperation.


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Middle East Monitor |  

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his family are expected to visit Paris within 48 hours after he accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron.

After speaking with both Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman and Hariri himself by telephone, Macron made the invitation yesterday hours after Lebanons President, Michel Aoun, said that there is no justification for the apparent Saudi imprisonment of Hariri.

The date and time of Hariris departure for France has not yet been announced, but a member of Hariris political party, the Future Movement, said yesterday that the former prime minister would arrive in Paris within the next 48 hours.

The invitation has sparked rumours that France is offering Hariri and his family exile, but when confronted with this question, Macron replied: No, not at all. I hope that Lebanon will be stable, and that political choices should be in accordance with institutional rule.

Read more: Lebanese president calls on Saudi to explain why Hariri has not returned

The offer of the visit comes amid a week of turmoil and confusion in Lebanon after Hariri suddenly and unexpectedly resigned during a visit to Saudi Arabia and did not return; causing fears that the Saudis are keeping him as a prisoner and are forcing his hand.

Hariri, however, has promised to return to Lebanon soon, though this has done little to dispel fears that he has been detained.

Last year, a political deal was reached in Lebanon in which a coalition was formed with Hariri as prime minister and Aoun as president. Hezbollah also joined the unity government, which incensed Saudi Arabia and convinced it that Iran was attempting to gain influence over the country. Following Hariris resignation, Saudi Arabia announced that Lebanon had declared war on it, prompting Hezbollah to claim that the Kingdom has declared war on Lebanon.

Via Middle East Monitor

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

France24: Lebanon: Ex-PM Saad Hariri accepts Macrons invitation to visit France
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - November 17, 2017) - GoldQuest Mining Corp. (TSX VENTURE: GQC) ( FRANKFURT : M1W) ( BERLIN : M1W) ("GoldQuest" or the "Company") is pleased to report that the Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Dominican Republic ("MEM") has granted two new Exploration Licenses to the Company. The Tocon de Pino and Hoyo Prieto Exploration Licenses are located in the centre of the Dominican Republic, with Tocon de Pino located 4 kilometres east of GoldQuest's Cachimbo discovery.

Previous geophysics, mapping and sampling returned rock samples up to 42 g/t of gold and the license area includes the northern extension of a strong IP target, first reported on 12th Sept 2017. GoldQuest's Exploitation License application for the Company's 100% owned Gold/Copper Romero project is still under review by the MEM.

"We are pleased that the Ministry continues to issue Exploration Licenses while we await our Exploitation License for Romero," commented Bill Fisher, GoldQuest's CEO and Executive Chairman. "The Company has over $25 million in treasury and is well funded to continue exploration and to advance towards a production decision at Romero, once the Exploitation License is granted."

Drilling continues at the 2017 Cachimbo gold discovery with assays pending from 4 holes. Recent drilling returned 21 metres grading 7.9 g/t gold, 40 g/t silver and 1.81% Zn (10.2 g/t gold equivalent(AuEq.*) within a wider envelope of 59 metres grading 3.3 g/t gold, 19 g/t silver and 0.73% Zn (4.4 g/t Au Eq.*) - see release of 17th October 2017 - and 26.6 metres grading 3.4 g/t gold, 22 g/t silver and 0.55% Zinc, (4.2 g/t AuEq.*) within a wider envelope of 95 metres grading 1.6 g/t gold, 8 g/t silver and 0.16% Zn (1.9 g/t Au Eq.*) - see release of 26th October 2017. The mineralization is open in all directions.

The information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by William Fisher, P. Geo., CEO and Executive Chairman of GoldQuest and a Qualified Person for the technical information in this press release under NI 43101 standards.

About GoldQuest

GoldQuest is a Canadian based mineral exploration and development company with projects in the Dominican Republic. GoldQuest is traded on the TSXV under the symbol GQC and in Frankfurt/Berlin with symbol M1W. The Company is well funded to carry out the exploration programs reported on in this release and to advance the development of its Romero gold/copper discovery, also located in the Tireo Formation of the Dominican Republic.
VANCOUVER, Nov. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - Euromax Resources Ltd (TSX: EOX; OTCQB: EOXFF): ("Euromax" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Ljupco (Lou) Naumovski has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Company.

Mr. Naumovski, a Canadian Citizen born in Macedonia, is a senior executive with broad multi-disciplinary experience, including general management and business development in gold mining and banking. Mr. Naumovski also serves as a Non-Executive Director on boards of Amur Minerals Corporation and Trans-Siberian Gold; both companies are listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market. Mr. Naumovski is an Honorary Member of the Board of Directors of Macedonia 2025 and serves as a Director of the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association and the Canadian Executive Service Organisation.

Mr. Naumovski retired from Kinross Gold Corporation in January 2017, where he served for ten years as Vice President and General Director in Moscow, responsible for Kinross' Government relations and new business development in Russia. Prior to this role, Mr. Naumovski served as Senior Vice President and General Manager at Visa International Service Organisation and, prior to this as a Senior Banker in the Russian Team and also Resident Representative for the for the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development in Moscow. Mr. Naumovski holds a BA (Honours) in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto and an MA in International Relations (majoring in Russian / Soviet affairs) from the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

Concurrently with Mr. Naumovski's appointment, Mr. Patrick Forward will step down from the Company's Board, but will remain in his position as the Company's Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board's Technical Committee steering the development of Euromax's Ilovica-Shtuka project.

Martyn Konig, Chairman, stated: "On behalf of the Company's board of directors we warmly welcome Lou as a director. As a Macedonian Canadian with extensive experience of both mining and financing, we are sure that he will be a valuable asset to the Company and will contribute greatly towards the successful development of Ilovica-Shtuka."

About Euromax Resources Ltd.

Euromax is focused on building and operating the Ilovica-Shtuka copper-gold project in Macedonia.
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Here it comes  another email about physician wellness, advertising mindfulness training, an ice cream social, or a volunteer day. As a psychiatrist, I can attest to the importance of tending to ones own mental and physical health in order to strive for wellness. However, the trend of implementing physician wellness programs throughout the U.S. is nothing more than putting proverbial lipstick on a pig. Or, stated differently, this may amount to a very muted and unintentional form of victim blaming: If doctors just learned to take better care of themselves, they wouldnt feel burnt out!

Physicians in the U.S. are not well. Our chances of suicide are significantly higher than the average persons. More than half of thousands of U.S. physicians surveyed in a Mayo Clinic Proceedings study reported professional burnout. Burnout is a syndrome characterized by a loss of enthusiasm for work (emotional exhaustion), feelings of cynicism (depersonalization) and a low sense of personal accomplishment. So, it might seem natural to try to help physicians out in some way. But the focus on training physicians to be more well in an increasingly difficult and toxic health care system is akin to telling a domestic violence victim to take better care of him- or herself to better tolerate the abuse. That would never happen!

The current health care system abuses physicians. With increasing technology have come electronic health records (EHRs). However, these often-burdensome systems are not built for physician efficiency and rather have turned into medico-legal wonder-tools full of checkboxes and liability-focused jargon. If it is not written in the record, it did not happen. That makes EHR charting an exercise in verbosity and excess that is helpful to lawyers but not to physicians or their patients. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine and further publicized by Forbes showed that for every hour physicians spend providing direct clinical face time to patients, nearly two additional hours are spent on EHR and desk work within the clinic day. Outside office hours, physicians spend another one to two hours of personal time each night doing additional computer and other clerical work. Add to that: increasing regulations and requirements for documentation and reporting for major health insurance programs; a culture of litigation that encourages frivolous lawsuits; excessive time spent arguing with staff members  many of whom are not even medically trained  at insurance companies about why patients need the medications that they are prescribed (the dreaded prior authorization); and hospital systems that measure physicians in terms of production, encouraging unreasonably packed schedules that do a disservice to both physicians and patients.

What you are left with is an epidemic of burnout.

To cure what ails our nations physicians, we should not focus on physician wellness programs. That is not to say that these programs are bad  they do good, but they are simply a very small bandage on a large, gaping flesh wound. What we do need is widespread reform of our health care system from multiple angles. Tort reform, a focus on creating effective and efficient EHRs and protecting physicians from overloaded patient schedules would be fine places to start. Haagen-Dazs is nice, but I think most of us would trade the cup of rocky road for a more humane quality of work-life.

Linda Drozdowicz is a psychiatry chief resident.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
NC should win upcoming polls to safeguard democracy: PM Deuba

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the Nepali Congress (NC) should win the upcoming parliamentary and provincial elections to safeguard democracy in the country.
NEA, CTGI seal deal on 750mw West Seti Hydropower Project

Nepals energy sector, which is still feeling the pangs of this weeks cancellation of biggest hydropower development agreement, has received a much-needed shot in the arm with the signing of a major deal with a leading Chinese firm that would almost double the countrys electricity generating capacity.
Nudges for betterment

The importance of behavioural sciences in economic decision-making has gained new momentum, especially after the Nobel Prize Committee conferred this years prize in Economic Sciences on Chicago Booth Professor Richard H Thaler, often credited as the father of behavioural economics.
This very thick and heavyweight hand tufted shaggy from the Montana range is the definition of luxury and quality. The 8cm pile is tufted at the highest possible density to create a super soft, thick and sumptuous rug.

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Nov 17, 2017, 4 AM

The Dec. 4-7 InterAsia sale in Hong Kong will be offering this block of four of the Red Ruby, one of only two known blocks, as part of the Paramount collection.

The greatest rarity of the stamps of the Peoples Republic of China, the unissued Blue Sky will be offered during the Dec. 4-7 InterAsia sale.

By Tim Hodge

InterAsia Auctions in Hong Kong will conduct a series of eight public auctions over the course of four days, Dec. 4-7, including five named sales.

Commencing the sale, on Dec. 4, is the second installment of the Jane and Dan Sten Olsson collection of the Large Dragons of China. Starting off with more essays and proofs, this sale consists of 47 lots, more than a dozen of which are estimated at more than HK$200,000 (approximately US$25,600).

The cornerstone of this offering is the earliest recorded Large Dragon cover to the United States, which is also the earliest recorded Large Dragon-Japan combination cover.

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The 9-candareen rate seen on this cover was in use for only 15 days before dropping to 7c. InterAsia estimates the value of this cover between HK$1.2 million and HK$1.5 million (US$153,700 and US$192,000).

The Paramount collection of stamps, postal history and postal stationery of China, 1878-1912, follows, presented in 319 lots.

Highlighting this collection is the renowned and extraordinary block of four of the Red Ruby, the 30c-on-24c red Junk on the Yangtse stamp surcharged in 1897 (Scott 64). Fewer than 25 examples are known to exist, with only two blocks of four recorded. The stamp has an estimated value of HK$2 million to HK$2.5 million (US$256,100 to US$320,100).

The next day, Dec. 5, the MacArthur collection of the 1897 red revenue surcharged stamps and postal history starts the auction. With only 33 lots, this is small sale charged with many high-power items. The finest among these is an outstanding example of the 4c-on-3c double surcharge in violet and black. A single pane of 25 was lightly surcharged in violet, but as this was not especially prominent, the pane was then surcharged in black along with seven other panes.

Only 17 unused examples currently are known. The estimate is between HK$700,000 and HK$900,000 (US$89,600 and US$115,300).

Aaron Lis collection of the 1897 red revenue surcharged stamps directly follows with 95 lots.

The jewel is another 4c-on-3c surcharge, this one only in black. About 200 stamps were originally surcharged. InterAsia is offering a mint never-hinged example with fine centering, with an estimate of HK$250,000 to HK$300,000 (US$32,000 to US$38,400).

The final named collection is identified as the Treasures of the Silver Yuan Stamps and Postal History from the William E. Jones collection, with 77 lots.

Jones was the designer of the 1941 Hong Kong Centenary issue (Scott 168-172) and the 1946 Hong Kong Victory Issue (174-175). Although he died in 1975, his family is only now selling off his collection.

The highlight of his Silver Yuan collection is what InterAsia describes as an exceptionally rare and outstanding commercial usage of the Watlam provisionals, a set of Gold Yuan stamps overprinted with a provisional surcharge. It is expected to garner between HK$150,000 and HK$200,000 (US$19,200 and US$25,600).

On the afternoon of Dec. 5, the highest value lots are presented in the Peoples Republic of China and Liberated Areas session. This offering includes a unique set of blocks of four of the unissued 35th anniversary of the Russian revolution, estimated at HK$2 million to HK$2.5 million (US$256,100 to US$320,100).

Three panes of 80 of the 1980 8-fen Year of Monkey stamp (Scott 1586) are on offer as individual lots, with two unfolded panes estimated at HK$1.1 million to HK$1.3 million (US$140,900 to US$166,500) each, and a third with a single horizontal fold estimated at HK$1 million to HK$1.2 million (US$128,100 to US$153,700).

Examples of an unused and a used 1968 8f Whole Country is Red stamps (Scott 999A) are estimated at HK$300,000 to HK$400,000 (US$38,400 to US$51,200) and HK$250,000 to HK$300,000 (US$32,000 to US$38,400) respectively.

Probably the greatest rarity of the entire sale is the unissued 1967 stamp marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Jing Gangshan Revolutionary Base. The stamp depicts Chairman Mao and Lin Biao on a podium overlooking Tiananmen Square with blue sky behind them.

All examples of this issue were ordered destroyed; however, a few entered the marketplace. This is a cut example, being only the right half of the stamp. Despite the damage, it last sold through InterAsia Auctions in January 2010, realizing the equivalent of US$285,000. The current estimate is $HK2.2 million to HK$2.8 million (US$281,700 to US$358,600).

The last two days of the auction will offer general China and other Asian countries, and the Hong Kong and Treaty Ports sales. These sessions also contain many appealing items, but none with the rarity of the other sales. With the majority of the estimates conservative, we can expect many large realizations.

The auction catalogs can be viewed online.
Nov 17, 2017, 7 AM

A copy of a letter from USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services manager Khalid Hussain, informing a lucky collector in Georgia that he was the recipient of a free upright $2 Jenny Invert pane of six.

A collector in Georgia was one of three who received this upright $2 Jenny Invert pane of six stamps free of charge from the United States Postal Service in December 2014.

The United States Postal Service recently revealed some details of how panes of the rare upright Jenny Invert stamp at Stamp Fulfillment Services were eventually distributed.

By Bill McAllister, Washington Correspondent

A pair of recently released documents from the United States Postal Service offer additional details of the agencys bungled distribution of the 100 United States $2 Jenny Invert panes of six stamps known as the upright variety (Scott 4806d).

One of those documents blames Khalid M. Hussain, the former head of the USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services in Kansas City, for failing to exercise proper oversight over the distribution of the upright Jenny Invert panes.

It says he intentionally failed to oversee the distribution process for approximately 13 months and implemented a flawed process in an attempt to reinvigorate the promotion.

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The documents were provided to Linns in response to a Freedom of Information Act request for additional details on how the 100 upright Jenny Invert panes were distributed.

The panes have become one of the most valuable recent U.S. stamp issues, selling for as much as $55,000, the report noted.

But details on how the distribution of the upright varieties of the stamps, first issued in 2013, was handled has been limited.

In a heavily redacted report from the Office of Inspector General, the agency disclosed that its investigation into the distribution began on Jan. 27, 2015, when the inspector general received information from the USPS ethics office alleging misconduct by the head of the Stamp Fulfillment Services office.

The report states the inspector general concluded its investigation after the removal of Hussain, head of the Kansas City operation from 2005 to 2016, for failure to discharge duties conscientiously and effectively. That firing was upheld Sept. 12, 2016.

Hussain objected to the word removed from the inspector generals report.

I was not removed from the Postal Service. I retired Sep, 2016, he said.

He offered no comments to Linns on other points in the report.

Hussain asked Linns to confirm with the USPS that he was allowed to retire retroactively in 2017. Postal officials did not respond to requests for comment on his statement. The agency has said his status was a personnel matter that it would not discuss.

Hussain was named only once in the redacted document. It quoted Mark Saunders, a Postal Service spokesman, as saying Hussain had believed he could create additional awareness for the remaining un-inverted Jenny stamp panes by giving them away to some of his mail-order clients.

Three panes were given away by Hussain before the process was stopped, the inspector general reported.

This promotional concept  while well intentioned  was not properly vetted within the organization and is inconsistent with legal constraints associated with distributing stamps free of charge, the USPS stated.

Giving away the valuable upright Jenny Invert panes was supposed to be handled by a process that ensured that 30 upright Jenny Invert panes were randomly distributed, the inspector general report said.

It said the Automated Fulfillment Equipment System was to select one order each day, Monday through Saturday, from the hundreds received by the Kansas City center.

At the end of the week, an employee was supposed to use a random number generator in the Excel spreadsheet program to determine who would receive one of the rare panes. The process was to take place over a 30-week period.

The official distribution plan called for the Stamp Fulfillment Services center to place within the stock of the normal Jenny Invert panes 30 of the upright Jenny Invert panes. A total of 70 upright Jenny Invert panes were to be distributed for sale at post office counters.

When the inspector general staff came to Kansas City, they conducted an inventory of the upright Jenny Invert panes and found 22 were still at the facility.

The inspector general staff then filmed workers mixing the rare upright Jenny Invert panes in with 50 panes of the normal panes.

These were to be returned to distribution locations and then scattered throughout the country, according to an undated memorandum that the USPS previously provided Linns in response to the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request.

The names of the individual who wrote the memorandum were not disclosed.

The inspector general investigation report, dated June 5, 2016, does quote federal law stating that whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, knowingly or willfully uses or disposes of postage stamps  entrusted to his care or custody  or sells or disposes of postage stamps or postal cards for any larger or less sum than the values indicated on their faces  otherwise than provided by law or the regulations of the Postal Service  shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year or both.
Apr 29, 2021, 10 PM

This clever flyer in the shape of a United States public mailbox opens up as shown nearby to present the case for contributing to the 1935 Christmas seal campaign.The details surrounding these seals made for our week's most read story.

By Colin Sallee

Its time to catch up on the week that was in stamp-collecting insights and news.

Linns Stamp News is looking back at its five most-read stories of the week.

Click the links to read the stories.

5. David Feldman Dec. 5-9 auction series in Geneva features worldwide postal history and stamp rarities: Feldman will hold a series of auctions Dec. 5-9 documented in nine separate catalogs broadly encompassing the world of stamps and postal history.

4. Postal Service blames revenue shortfall on declining letter volume: The USPS said its controllable loss for the year was $814 million, compared to $610 million in fiscal 2016.

3. Vatican Citys 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation stamp: Vatican City will issue its commemorative stamp marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation Nov. 23.

2. Back-of-the-book issues are always suitable for any collection: This stamp is a good buy in all grades very fine or better at the Scott catalog values.

1. What exactly are Christmas seals?: Also included on the inside of the flyer are statistics that show the decline in deaths from tuberculous from 1904.

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Apr 29, 2021, 7 AM

St. Thomas and Prince was issuing more colorful stamps by 1948, such as this stamp of cola nuts.

By Jay Bigalke

The Dec. 4 issue of Linns Stamp News just landed on the presses and goes in the mail to subscribers Monday, Nov. 20. Here we entice you with a few previews of exclusive content available only to subscribers. And if you subscribe to Linns digital edition, youre at the head of the line because you get early access Saturday, Nov. 18. To heighten your anticipation even further, we offer three glimpses of what lies between the covers of this issue.

St. Thomas and Prince Islands stamps

Refresher Course columnist Janet Klug travels via stamps to the St. Thomas and Prince Islands. The islands were claimed by Portugal in the 15th century, which settled convicts there and started sugar plantations.

Spiny anteater on stamp found in mixture

In the Kitchen Table Philately column in each issue of Linns, E. Rawolik VI or E. Rawolik VII analyze the content of stamp mixtures offered to collectors. This week, E. Rawolik VI reviews a mixture of worldwide commemoratives that included an Australia stamp picturing a spiny anteater. E. Rawolik, of course, is a pseudonym that is kiloware (a stamp mixture) spelled backward.

Canada commemorating disasters

Collecting Canada columnist Fred Baumann explores the subject of commemorating disasters on stamps, specifically relating to recent issues with maritime disasters as the focus.

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Get access to all of these articles, and so much more, with a Linns Stamp News print or digital edition subscription!

Sign up and start reading now!

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Abilify MyCite comes with an adhesive sensor (seen in the lower left of this image) and a smartphone app.

A new "digital pill" can tell doctors whether a patient has taken his or her medicine. The pill, which was approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Nov. 13, sends a signal to a wearable sensor when a patient has taken the medication, and that information is then sent to a doctor's office.

The whole system is called Abilify MyCite, and consists of the pill, the wearable sensor and a smartphone app. The actual drug is Abilify (generic name aripiprazole), a medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The drug is sold by Otsuka Pharmaceutical, and the sensor in the pill was built by Proteus Digital Health.

But how does the system work? [Bionic Humans: Top 10 Technologies]

Though the idea may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, the technology is based on a principle first outlined more than 200 years ago, said Dr. George Savage, chief medical officer and co-founder of Proteus Digital Health.

In 1800, Alessandro Volta invented a battery consisting of two dissimilar metals (zinc and copper) in a solution of sulfuric acid and brine, Savage said. Batteries are made in a similar way to this day.

Embedded in the pill is a sensor that consists of a silicon chip with the logic circuit, along with two pieces of metal: copper and magnesium, Savage told Live Science. When the sensor is dropped into a solution of water or any other liquid that has polar molecules (such as the hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which dissolves the pill, leaving the sensor behind), the device will generate a current. The current is very small, but it's enough to run the chip.

"Technically, it's a partial power source," Savage said. "The patient becomes the battery."

Once activated, the chip  only 1 millimeter on a side, and 0.3 mm thick  sends a very simple signal, one that encodes only a single number. That number identifies the pill and tells the wearable, adhesive sensor  basically an adhesive bandage, Savage said  that it has been ingested.

The pill's signal isn't a radio signal, though, Savage said. The chip's logic circuit makes a small modulated current  a graph of the current levels would look like a sine wave. Since the human body is conductive, the wearable sensor can pick up the changes. The modulated current can encode ones and zeroes, similar to an FM signal, Savage said.

"It works in a similar way as an EKG," or electrocardiogram, Savage said. These machines pick up on changes in electrical current in the body to monitor heartbeats. The wearable sensor does the same thing, though the current is smaller, he said.

The pill is designed to work for only about 3 minutes. That's just enough time for it to send a signal to the wearable sensor that it should wake up and start gathering data. That saves battery power, Savage said, and allows the wearable sensor to work for a week at a time.

From patient to doctor

The wearable sensor, which is an adhesive patch worn on the abdomen, can detect how active the patient is, like a Fitbit, said Bob McQuade, the chief strategy officer at Otsuka Pharmaceutical. It can also check if the person taking the pill is lying down. [5 Ways Computers Boost Drug Discovery]

From the wearable sensor, the information that the patient took a pill, and whether they are moving, standing or sitting, is sent to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The app then asks the patient how they feel, and records the response. If the patient consents, the app can send the time they took the pill, their activity level and their self-reported stress to their doctor, who can look at the data over time and get an idea of how routine the patient's medication use is. So, for example, the doctor might know if the patient always takes the medication at the same time of day, or if there is a tendency to forget to take a pill now and then.

Savage noted that the information sent from the wearable sensor to the phone and from the phone app to the doctor's office is encrypted, and there isn't a realistic way to hack the signal from the pill to the wearable sensor without keeping in very close contact with the patient.

McQuade noted that even though the data lets doctors monitor if patients have taken their medicine, there's no evidence that the system improves adherence, meaning that the patient takes the medicine as directed.

"Those experiments haven't been done yet," McQuade told Live Science. Even so, this kind of data might help doctors talk to patients about medication usage and perhaps identify good habits, he said.

Savage noted that adherence and proper use is an ongoing problem. For example, many people who miss a day's medication  whatever it is for  will take two pills the next day, even though people shouldn't do that with some drugs. "People do things that are logical at work, for instance  you miss a day, [so] you come in and do more work  but not in pharmacology."

Originally published on Live Science.
Artists illustration of the GJ 273 system, which consists of a red dwarf star and two known planets, one of which may be capable of supporting life.

If there are any intelligent aliens in the GJ 273 system, they can expect to hear from us about a dozen years from now.

Last month, scientists and artists beamed a message to GJ 273, a red dwarf also known as Luyten's star that lies 12.36 light-years from Earth, project team members revealed today (Nov. 16). Luyten's star hosts two known planets, one of which, GJ 273b, may be capable of supporting life as we know it.

Though the message was designed to provoke a response from the hypothetical denizens of GJ 273b, the main goal in sending the communication involved laying a foundation for the future, said team member Douglas Vakoch, president of METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) International, a San Francisco-based nonprofit. [13 Ways to Hunt Intelligent Aliens]

"It is a prototype for what I think we would most likely need to do 100 times, or 1,000 times, or 1 million times," Vakoch told Space.com. "To me, the big success of the project will come if, 25 years from now, there's someone who remembers to look [for a response]. If we could accomplish that, that would be a radical shift of perspective."

Indeed, humanity's demonstrable penchant for short-term thinking has prompted some skepticism within the SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) community about METI as a viable strategy, Vakoch said. (METI is also known as "active SETI." "Traditional" SETI involves listening and looking for signals that could be from E.T.)

METI is controversial for another reason as well. Some critics  most famously, physicist Stephen Hawking  have suggested that the strategy could betray our existence to super-advanced hostile or resource-hungry aliens, with potentially dire consequences for humanity and the rest of the planet.

But beaming a message to Luyten's star doesn't increase the risk of an alien attack, Vakoch said.

"It's really hard to imagine a scenario in which a civilization around Luyten's star could have the capacity to come to Earth and threaten us, and yet they're not able to pick up our leakage radiation," he said, referring to the TV and radio signals that have been slipping out into the cosmos from Earth for more than half a century.

The Luyten's star project, known as "Sonar Calling GJ 273b," is a collaboration involving METI International; the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia in Spain; and Sonar, a music, creativity and technology festival in Barcelona, Spain.

"Doing it in partnership with the Sonar festival is a way that we can respect the necessity of incorporating a scientific perspective but also to recognize that doesn't capture the fullness of the human spirit," Vakoch said.

Is belief in God good for people?

Team members crafted a message that includes a scientific and mathematical "tutorial," as well as 33 short musical compositions by artists in the Sonar community. The team beamed this message out in binary code at two different radio frequencies on Oct. 16, Oct. 17 and Oct. 18, using the 105-foot-wide (32 meters) European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) radio antenna in Troms, Norway.

Luyten's star was chosen primarily for its proximity to Earth, which could theoretically lead to a relatively rapid response. The red dwarf is the nearest star visible from the Northern Hemisphere that's known to host a potentially habitable planet, Vakoch said. (That planet, by the way is a "super-Earth" about three times more massive than our own."

The ease of conversation has not always factored in to METI campaigns. In 1974, for example, Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory beamed a message devised by Frank Drake, Carl Sagan and other researchers toward the globular cluster M13, which lies 25,000 light-years away from Earth. (This "Arecibo message" began its long space journey 43 years ago today, in fact.)

The October transmissions represented the first phase of "Sonar Calling GJ 273b." The group also plans to send an "expanded tutorial" to Luyten's star in April 2018 at several different radio frequencies, turning the EISCAT antenna into something like a musical instrument, team members said.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Paddy harvest in East set to increase by 10 percent

Paddy production in the eastern region, the countrys food basket, has been projected to swell 10 percent this year despite the damage caused to farms by the August floods, the regional Agricultural Development Office said.
A new version of a humanoid disaster robot, called Atlas, can do half-turns in the air and even a backflip.

A new video shows a robot performing amazing acrobatic feats, from backflips to half-turn jumps.

The eerily humanoid robot, called Atlas, is 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) tall and weighs 165 pounds (75 kilograms), and uses Lidar and stereovision to navigate in its surroundings, according to Boston Dynamics, which makes the robot. Atlas is designed to be able to take on emergency situations where human life would normally be put at risk, such as going into buildings that have crumbled after an earthquake, or dealing with patients who have deadly, highly infectious diseases, according to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

In the video, the newest version of the humanoid does a kind of jump training called plyometrics, leaping between raised platforms, doing a 180-degree turn in the air on raised platforms and performing a backflip off a platform. Though he may not give American gymnast Simone Biles a run for her money right now, the robot does manage to stick the landing. [Machine Dreams: 22 Human-Like Androids from Sci-Fi]

Other videos show the robot stacking boxes on a shelf, ambling on a walk in the snow with a human "friend" and chasing after, and picking up, a box that's deliberately moved out of its reach. According to the Boston Dynamics website, Atlas can carry payloads up to 24 lbs. (11 kg).

Atlas has other human-like abilities, such as a sense of balance, so it resists toppling when pushed, and can get back up after a fierce shove.

The current version of Atlas isn't yet as agile as the average human; when it walks, it uses an awkward gait resembling a person who really, really has to get to a bathroom. And though it can travel over rough terrain, video seems to show it stumbling where a human might be fine.

Still, the current version of Atlas is a dramatic improvement over its ancestors: In 2013, when it first debuted at the DARPA Robotics Challenge, Atlas weighed 330 lbs. (150 kg) and required a cord for power, Technology Review reported at the time.

Originally published on Live Science.
Editor's Note:On Friday evening (Nov. 17), President Trump tweeted that he was putting on hold the ban reversal on the import of African elephant trophies. Read more about the reversal of the reversal.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration lifted a ban on importing hunting trophies from African elephants into the United States, claiming that this policy change would benefit elephants  but conservation officials are skeptical.

Representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced in a statement yesterday (Nov. 16) that the department would begin issuing permits allowing the import of sport-hunted trophies collected from elephants killed in Zimbabwe from Jan. 21, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2018. However, a ban remains on importing elephant trophies from Tanzania, according to the statement.

The FWS had suspended the importation of elephant-hunting trophies from Zimbabwe in 2014, and the decision to lift the ban was based on new information about improved prospects for elephant populations in the country, with the expectation that elephant trophy hunting in Zimbabwe "will enhance the survival of the species in the wild," FWS representatives explained in a statement. In their statement, the FWS specified that hunters are permitted to import up to two elephant trophies that were acquired in Zimbabwe, per year. [7 Iconic Animals Humans Are Driving to Extinction]

According to the FWS, hunting trophies are defined as raw or preserved animal parts collected by a recreational hunter "for personal use." This may include "bones, claws, hair, head, hide, hooves, horns, meat, skull, teeth, tusks or any taxidermied part, including, but not limited to, a rug or taxidermied head, shoulder or full mount."

News of the FWS decision first appeared online Nov. 14 in a blog post shared by the hunting organization Safari Club International (SCI). On that day, at the African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) in Arusha, Tanzania  an event co-hosted by the government of Tanzania and SCI  FWS representatives announced that the agency "had made positive enhancement findings for elephants legally hunted in Zimbabwe and Zambia" between 2016 and 2018.

But the statement on the FWS' website does not mention a change in the status of bans on elephant trophies from Zambia, and Gavin Shire, a spokesperson for the FWS, said there were no further details about Zambia "other than the finding itself," NPR reported.

Nevertheless, a chart on the FWS website indicating African countries' status for the import of elephant trophies from 2014 to the present confirms that elephant trophies acquired in Zambia between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2018, are approved for import into the U.S.

A species in peril

The African elephant's (Loxodonta africana) conservation status is listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), which is applied when a species' numbers have declined by more than 30 percent over the past decade or when their habitat is fragmented, deteriorating or greatly reduced. It warns that the species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, according to the IUCN.

Zimbabwe is home to an estimated 83,000 African elephants  more than in any other country except Botswana, according to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. Recently, the government of Zimbabwe drafted a new elephant management plan to replace older, outdated documents. The new plan is expected to enable more accurate accountings of elephant populations and to improve the tracking of revenue from sport hunting. The aim is to help officials assess the potential financial benefits to conservation resulting from this hunting, FWS representatives explained in the statement.

The FWS International Affairs division describes trophy hunting as a conservation tool, and the department "can allow the import of a sport-hunted elephant trophy only when the killing of the trophy animal will enhance the survival of the species."

However, some conservation organizations are skeptical of the benefits of legal big-game hunting and trophy collection for preserving and protecting elephants. In addition, there is the additional concern that lifting the trophy ban will send a troubling message to poachers about the United States' commitment to ending trade in animal products from threatened and endangered species, M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International (CI), told the CI blog "Human Nature."

"The original ban was enacted based on detailed findings on the condition of elephant populations on the ground, and it strains credulity to suggest that local science-based factors have been met to justify this change," Sanjayan said.

"This is the wrong move at the wrong time for protecting Africa's wildlife," he added.

Original article on Live Science.
A conference aimed at disputing the idea that the world is round just wrapped up in North Carolina.

The first-ever 2017 Flat Earth International Conference (FEIC) was held in Raleigh on Nov. 9 and 10, featuring some of the big names in round-Earth denial. Among the speakers were Darryle Marble, who once took a level on a plane to "prove" the Earth doesn't curve; Mark Sargent, the creator of the Flat Earth Clues YouTube Series, who believes all life is enclosed in a "Truman Show"-like dome structure; and Jeran Campanella, a YouTube and online radio personality, who makes flat-Earth, 9/11 Truther and other conspiracy theory videos. [7 Ways to Prove the Earth Is Round]

The conference was hosted by Kryptoz Media, which produces DVDs and other media arguing that "scientism" is an agenda designed to keep people from God, and the Creation Cosmology Institute, an organization with little online footprint except a now-deleted YouTube channel.

The conference featured talks such as "NASA and Other Space Lies," "Flat Earth with the Scientific Method," "Waking Up to Mainstream Science Lies" and "Testing the Globe." The conference organizer, Kryptoz Media's Robbie Davidson, is a Christian creationist, and that philosophy emerged in sessions such as "Flat Earth & The Bible" and "Exposing Scientism," the latter of which decried evolution and the Big Bang theory of the universe's origin.

Flat-Earthers believe that Earth is not a globe, but a flat plane. Beliefs on how the "true" globe is laid out vary, but many YouTube personalities who push the conspiracy theory say that the planet is a disc surrounded by an ice wall. Flat-Earthers argue that NASA and other scientific agencies digitally fake pictures of the globe from space and that there is a vast conspiracy to keep the truth of the flat Earth from the public.

Recently, flat-Earth believer and rapper B.o.B. tried to crowdfund $1 million via GoFundMe to launch a satellite to see if he could detect for himself the curvature of the Earth. GoFundMe temporarily froze the donation account, but it is now back online, having raised $6,842 from 224 people.

No one knows how many people really subscribe to flat-Earth beliefs. The Flat Earth Society, the oldest organization devoted to the belief, claims 555 members. Marble boasts 22,954 subscribers to his YouTube channel. About 500 people attended the conference in Raleigh, Davidson told Live Science via email.

The next annual Flat Earth International Conference will be held in Denver, from Nov. 15 -16, in 2018. Davidson said he expects up to 1,500 attendees.

Original article on Live Science.
Local News, Crime, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: November 17 2017

Antonia Barrone, a/k/a Mario Vrendenburg Charged Consumers Thousands Of Dollars For Unauthorized Legal Services And Forged Signatures On Legal Documents.

New York, NY - November 17, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the sentencing of Antonia Barrone, a/k/a Mario Vrendenburg (Barrone), who pled guilty to operating a fake law firm and pretending to be a licensed attorney. Through a civil lawsuit and an extensive investigation, the Attorney Generals office uncovered that Barrone defrauded over 400 New Yorkers out of more than $23,000 over the course of nearly five years. Today, Barrone was sentenced before Albany County Court Judge Honorable Peter A. Lynch to 1  to 3 years in state prison for one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. Barrone was also ordered to pay 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.

Deceiving vulnerable New Yorkers into paying for unlicensed legal services is reprehensible, costing them thousands each and jeopardizing their rights, said Attorney General Schneiderman. My office wont hesitate to prosecute those who defraud New Yorkers by practicing without a license.

Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci said, I commend Attorney General Schneiderman for the successful prosecution in this case, as well as the hard-working attorneys with the Board of Parole for their conscientious and painstaking assistance in helping to bring to justice this unscrupulous individual, who otherwise would have continued to take advantage of inmates and their families during a particularly vulnerable period in their lives.

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 Albany, Cayuga, Clinton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren, and Westchester Counties.

Barrones sentence today before the Honorable Peter A. Lynch will run consecutive to a sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison that Barrone received today before the Honorable Andrew G. Ceresia on an unrelated felony conviction. In addition to the prison sentences issued today in Albany County, Barrone is scheduled to be sentenced in Saratoga County Court before the Honorable James A. Murphy, III to a concurrent term of incarceration on a separate unrelated felony conviction. Combined, Barrone will spend 2 5/6 to 7 years in state prison.

Consumers can check whether an individual is a licensed attorney in New York State by visiting the New York State Unified Court Systems website

The 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, which 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 News, Crime, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: November 17 2017

Multi-Agency Operation Blue Death Results In Arrest Of 10 Individuals Who Allegedly Trafficked Narcotics  Including Heroin And Fake Oxy Pills  From California To Western New York.

New York, NY - November 17, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the takedown of a ten-person drug trafficking ring that allegedly trafficked narcotics  including heroin and faux oxycodone pills which contained fentanyl  from California to Western New York.

The 59-count indictment against nine Buffalo residents and their alleged supplier in California details a broad scheme to sell dangerous narcotics throughout Erie and Chautauqua Counties in Western New York. As part of the multi-agency investigation dubbed Operation Blue Death, authorities seized 502 pills laced with fentanyl, over 100 grams of black tar heroin, over 130 grams of cocaine, 15 pounds of marijuana, and a 9mm highpoint pistol with 27 rounds of ammunition. The pills  purposely designed to look identical to oxycodone pills  were made from a toxic mix of fentanyl and acetaminophen.

As we charge in our indictment, these dealers were playing Russian Roulette with New Yorkers lives, said Attorney General Schneiderman. Today were taking these poison pill traffickers off our streets following an extensive investigation that spanned both coasts. With the opioid epidemic devastating families in Buffalo and across New York, well continue to use every tool at our disposal to tackle the crisis head on.

State, federal, and local law enforcement agents led by Attorney General Schneidermans Organized Crime Task Force, along with the New York State Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), conducted a nearly year-long investigation that included undercover operations, hundreds of hours of covert surveillance, and wiretaps.

Todays indictment follows Attorney General Schneidermans September public health warning in Buffalo regarding the dangerous and potentially lethal faux-oxycodone pills after they were intercepted by authorities. Law enforcement subsequently determined that the pills, which appear virtually identical to the prescription medication oxycodone, actually contain a toxic mixture of the deadly drug fentanyl and acetaminophen. Attorney General Schneiderman explained that the faux oxycodone pills, which were purposely designed to be sold as prescription-strength oxycodone, are extremely dangerous as the unsuspecting user is actually ingesting a potentially deadly quantity of fentanyl, which is fifty times stronger than heroin.

As todays indictment details, that package, as well as one which contained black tar heroin and over ten pounds of marijuana, was one of many allegedly sent from California to Buffalo by defendant Pablo Zambrano. The packages were intended for delivery to Jonathan Rosario and Jonathan Ivan Medina (known as Tati), who would allegedly distribute narcotics to Fernando Maldonado (known as Fendi), Frank Perez (also known as Andy), and others for resale. Various individuals would accept delivery of packages for the trafficking ring after the packages were mailed from California to several addresses in Erie and Chautauqua counties.

As alleged in the indictment, other members of this narcotics conspiracy trafficked cocaine, as well as heroin. During the investigation, more than 130 grams of cocaine were seized from Roger Gonzalez, who sold cocaine along with his cousin, Randy Gonzalez. The pair allegedly obtained the cocaine from Carlos Martinez; Martinez is alleged to also have sold heroin, often laced with fentanyl, on several occasions, using co-conspirators Angel Medina and Anthony Roman as runners to deliver heroin to customers.

DEA Special Agent in Charge James Hunt stated, These arrests will make a significant impact in quality of life for residents on the West Side of Buffalo. This year-long investigation alleges defendants enabled addiction by selling heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl disguised as oxycodone pills for their personal gain. By working collaboratively, law enforcement uprooted this organization and placed them behind bars. SAC Hunt would like to thank those who participated in the investigation and DEA's Charlotte District Office and Riverside District Office for their assistance.

Superintendent George P. Beach said, With today's arrests, law enforcement is once again sending a strong message that the trafficking of heroin and other illegal drugs will not be tolerated in New York State. The successful conclusion to this investigation is only possible because of the continued collaboration of state, federal and local law enforcement partners, which is necessary to bring down these drug trafficking networks. I commend our members and our partners for their outstanding work.

Todays indictment charges ten individuals with a total of 59 felony counts of possession and distribution of narcotics:

Jonathan Rosario  Buffalo, New York

Jonathan Ivan Medina, a/k/a Tati  Buffalo, New York

Carlos Martinez  Buffalo, New York

Roger Gonzalez  Buffalo, New York

Randy Gonzalez  Buffalo, New York

Pablo Zambrano - Rialto, California

Frank Perez, a/k/a Andy  Buffalo, New York

Angel Medina  Buffalo, New York

Anthony Roman  Buffalo, New York

Fernando Maldonado, a/k/a Fendi  Buffalo, New York

Operation Blue Death is the latest takedown in the Attorney Generals SURGE Initiative (Suburban and Upstate Response to the Growing Epidemic), a partnership with state and local law enforcement to root out violent gangs and drug dealers. Launched in April 2017, the SURGE Initiative focuses on the communities that have been hardest hit by drug trafficking and drug abuse across New York State. In the months since the SURGE Initiative was launched, the Attorney Generals office has arrested more than 270 dealers across the state.

In total, the Attorney Generals Organized Crime Task Force has now busted more than 35 large narcotics trafficking rings, made more than 1,200 felony narcotics arrests, and seized millions in cash, more than a ton of illegal drugs, and hundreds of firearms since 2011.

Since 2010, Attorney General Schneiderman has launched a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York's constantly evolving heroin and opioid epidemic, including settlements with health insurers to remove barriers to treatment and enforce Mental Health Parity Laws; the I-STOP system, which has successfully reduced doctor shopping by 90%; the Community Overdose Prevention program, equipping law enforcement with naloxone; and more.

The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This investigation was conducted by the Attorney Generals OCTF Special Investigator Ever Quinones, under the supervision of Supervising Investigator Peter J. Talty and Deputy Chief Eugene Black, under the overall supervision of Dominick Zarrella. The Attorney General thanks the Buffalo Police Department, Town of Amherst Police Department, the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Postal Inspector, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
Tech & Science, Nature & Weather, Local News, Business & Finance

By Long Island News & PR Published: November 17 2017

Supports Governor Cuomos Ambitious Clean Energy Goal to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions 40 Percent by 2030.

New York, NY - November 17, 2017 - The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced the availability of up to $1.8 million for community campaigns to help residents and businesses install clean heating and cooling systems. Increasing the use of clean heating and cooling technology will play a major role in achieving Governor Andrew M. Cuomos clean energy goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

Alicia Barton, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, Clean heating and cooling systems will provide users with energy bill savings, increased comfort levels and health benefits compared to conventional heating and cooling technologies. Its a win-win for consumers and the environment and is vital to meeting Governor Cuomos nation-leading goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Clean Heating and Cooling Community Campaign initiative will bring together groups of potential customers so they can obtain discounts for air and ground source heat pumps, biomass heating and solar heating through aggregated purchases and a simplified procurement process.

Community campaigns can be proposed by municipalities or community based organizations and will receive up to $150,000 for each campaign, with additional funds available for workforce development ($50,000) and low-to-moderate income engagement ($150,000) strategies. Community campaigns should be in a county, city, borough or region with at least 40,000 residents and are encouraged to include local financial institutions, colleges/universities and local utilities.

Funding for this initiative includes $1.3 million for the community campaigns and $500,000 for technical assistance and tools to support the community campaigns. More information about the funding is available at NYSERDAs website . The funding is made available through the States Clean Energy Fund.

The Clean Heating and Cooling Community Campaign initiative is based on the States highly successful Solarize campaigns which bring together clusters of residents and businesses to install solar. Since 2014, there have been 850 solar projects installed or are in development throughout New York, saving participants more than $2.9 million on upfront purchase costs.

Currently, fossil-fuel based thermal energy  primarily natural gas, propane and oil  is the main energy source for space heating and domestic hot water in the residential and commercial sectors. It is responsible for about one-third of New Yorks energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.

About the Clean Energy Fund

The 10-year, $5.3 billion Clean Energy Fund (CEF) is a core component of New York State's Reforming the Energy Vision strategy to achieve a clean, resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers. The CEF includes a focused effort to bring more clean energy opportunities and benefits to low- to moderate-income communities and is designed to deliver on New York State's commitment to accelerate the use of clean energy and energy innovation and drive economic development, while reducing ratepayer collections. It is already delivering for New Yorkers. NY Green Bank, a core component of the CEF, has generated $2.7 million in positive net income as a result of $291.6 million in investments in clean energy transactions across New York  one year ahead of schedule. By generating revenue in excess of expenses, NY Green Banks positive net income will be re-invested for future transactions. Its $1 billion NY-Sun initiative has already helped facilitate an 800 percent increase in solar deployment over five years  while reducing customer collections by $1.5 billion by 2025. The CEF supports New York's aggressive Clean Energy Standard requiring 50 percent of the state's electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2030.

Reforming the Energy Vision

Reforming the Energy Vision is Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's strategy to lead on climate change and grow New York's economy. REV is building a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers by stimulating investment in clean technologies like solar, wind, and energy efficiency and generating 50 percent of the state's electricity needs from renewable energy by 2030. Already, REV has driven nearly 800 percent growth in the statewide solar market, enabled over 105,000 low-income households to permanently cut their energy bills with energy efficiency, and created thousands of jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and other clean tech sectors. REV is ensuring New York reduces statewide greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and achieves the internationally recognized target of reducing emissions 80 percent by 2050. To learn more about REV, including the Governor's $5 billion investment in clean energy technology and innovation, visit rev.ny.gov , follow us on Twitter Facebook , and LinkedIn

About NYSERDA
Post-Doklam reflections

An understanding of history is vital to the study and conduct of international relations (IR). European wars, including the two world wars, are covered in most world history books.
by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, November 17, 2017

While Americans perception of their country has risen, global perception of the United States saw a substantial decline over the past year, causing the U.S. to drop from first to sixth place in Anholt-GfKs annual Nation Brands Index (NBI).

Germany moved from second to first place; France rose to second place from fifth; and the U.K., which lost some ground after the Brexit vote, improved its score and maintained its third-place ranking.

Japan saw a large (2.12-point) jump in its score and made the top 10 ranking for the first time since 2011, tying with Canada for fourth place. Italy rose to sixth place, from seventh.

Switzerland, Austria and Sweden maintained their eighth, ninth and tenth places, respectively.

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Americans Self Perception Contrasts to Worlds

Among the 50 countries studied, only the United States saw its overall NBI score drop this year.

The U.S. still ranks among the top five nations in three of NBIs six categories: It ranks second in culture, second in exports, and fifth in immigration investment.

But it lags in the people and tourism categoriesrespectively defined as the populations reputation for competence, friendliness and other qualities, such as tolerance and the level of interest in visiting a country and the draw of natural and man-made tourist attractions.

Most significantly, the U.S.s governance ranking fell from 19th to 23rd  a notably poor score for one of the worlds leading countries, according to the researchers.

The drop in other countries perception of U.S. governance suggests that we are witnessing a Trump effect following President Trumps focused political message of America First, said Simon Anholt, an independent policy advisor to governments and former vice chair of the U.K.s Public Diplomacy Board, who developed the NBI study in 2005.

However, Americans assessment of their own country is notably more positive this year than last, Anholt reports.

A similar fall in global perception of the U.S. was seen following the re-election of George W. Bush, when the U.S. fell to seventh place. However, to date, the U.S. hasnt dropped out of first place in these rankings for more than a year. It will be interesting to see whether this holds true in the 2018 ranking, Anholt noted.

Germany: Governance, People, Culture Gains

Germany enjoys a very balanced image across all six categories of the index, according to the study.

Germany saw notable improvements in global perception scores for culture, governance and people (each up more than a percentage point, which is considered a large gain). It ranks among the top five countries in all but the tourism category, where its gaining ground, according to the report.

Germanys overall score increases are boosted by significantly improved perceptions among Egyptians, Russians, Chinese and Italians. Only Americans rank Germany outside of the top 10 overall nation brands, ranking it eleventh.

U.K. Regains Ground

After a large decline in global perception in 2016, following the Brexit vote, the U.K.s overall index score is nearly back to its 2015 level, with improvement across all six categories. This puts it in the top five countries for exports, culture, tourism and Immigration investment.

France, Japan See Positive Leaps

France and Japan leapt up in the rankings because of score gains, combined with the drop in the U.S. ranking.

This is the first year that France has risen to second place. The country saw gains across all six categories, and particularly marked improvement in its governance and immigration investment scores.

It ranks first among all 50 countries in global perception of its culture, second in tourism, and fifth in exports.

2017 has also been a banner year for Japan. It now stands in fourth place, equal with Canada, Japan achieved its highest overall score in nearly a decade. Its global perception score for exports is the highest of all countries studied, and it had above-average gains in immigration investment, culture and governance.

For the study, GfK conducted 20,185 online interviews with adults (age 18 or over) in 20 panel countries from July 7-25 this year. Data were weighted to reflect key demographic characteristics of the 2017 online population in each country, including age, gender and education. Additionally, race/ethnicity was used for sample balancing in the U.S., U.K., South Africa, India and Brazil. More information is available online.


by Sara Guaglione , November 17, 2017

Ryan McRae will be in charge of The Atlantics New York City-based sales team, as well as sales efforts on the East Coast and UK. (The Atlantic opened a bureau in London earlier this year.) McRae comes from Business Insider, where he was director of East Coast sales across its business and lifestyle media properties. He was previously director of digital sales for Guardian News & Media.

Liz Lorenzoni, who is based in Chicago, will oversee the staff and sales efforts in the Midwest and Western regions. Lorenzoni has been at The Atlantic for four years. Before this promotion, she headed many of the publishers native advertising programs and partnerships, for brands like Boeing, Zurich, Emerson and Porsche.

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Both report to The Atlantics publisher and SVP, Hayley Romer.

Together with Michael Monroe, the vice president of creative marketing group Atlantic Re:think, Lorenzoni and McRae will make up The Atlantic's senior team for sales and marketing.

Native content drives three-quarters of The Atlantics digital ad revenue. Thats up from 2015, when Re:think drove 60% of the company's advertising revenue.

This year, The Atlantic sold and launched what it called the first branded podcast from a publisher marketing studio, called "The Future According to Now, produced for Fidelity Investments, about technological innovation.

The media company also introduced the first responsive content native campaign, a three-part series called "Connected. Home, for Googles home automation company Nest.

Depending on the time of day, device type and historical content preferences, readers were served unique variations of a webpage.

User preferences also dictate the length of the article, the order of the features on the page, and which video is served. For example, if it's rush hour on Monday and a user is accessing the page on a phone, they will get a short article, but if it's Sunday and they are on a laptop, a longer article will appear, Anna C. Bross, The Atlantic's senior director of communications, told Publishers Daily.
by Larissa Faw , November 17, 2017

California subscribers shouldn't be concerned that this month's Food & Wine magazine appears in their mailboxes as Food & Milk.

For the first time, the magazine is changing its name as part of a new campaign from the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB). This geo-targeted promotion will reach 92,000 out of the magazine's 925,000 subscriber rate base.

Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P) convinced the magazine and publisher Time Inc. that this placement will reconnect milk to modern foods.

Our approach to planning media is not to place an ad, but to hack the media so you cant separate the creative idea from its context, says Christine Chen, partner and director of communication strategy, GS&P. "Naturally, they had the right concerns about their brand and whether we would uphold their quality but they were surprisingly open and incredibly supportive."

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The campaign features a cover wrap that is identical to the national Food & Wine cover, but with shot-glass-size servings of milk instead of wine placed in a holiday-party setting. The cover wrap will have additional executions on the inside front cover and inside back cover of those copies of the magazine exclusively designated for California Food & Wine subscribers.

The creative concept is part of CMPB's Food Loves Milk campaign - which launched in September 2015 - to highlight milks ability to complement a range of flavors, from savory to spicy to sweet.
New research has found evidence to suggest that nitazoxanide, a substance contained in antiparasitic drugs, could be effective in deterring the growth of prostate and colon cancer cells.

Share on Pinterest Researchers are hoping that an existing drug may lead the way to new colon and prostate cancer treatments.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), prostate cancer is the second most common cancer type among men in the United States. Prostate cancer makes up 9.6 percent of all new cancer cases in the U.S., while colorectal cancer accounts for 8 percent of all newly diagnosed cases in the country.

In the case of both prostate and colon cancer, the dysregulation of a cellular signaling pathway called Wnt (wingless)/Beta-catenin signaling can lead to the growth and proliferation of cancer cells.

Researchers from the University of Bergen in Norway have recently been looking to explore the potential of already-available drugs to interact with and inhibit this cancer cell proliferation.

Prof. Karl-Henning Kalland and his team have now isolated a substance called nitazoxanide (NTZ), contained in existing antiparasitic drugs, as potentially effective against cancer cell growth.

We discovered that this specific substance is blocking the signaling pathway in the cancer cells, and [making] them stop growing. It is not often that researchers discover a substance that targets specific molecules as precisely as this one. Prof. Karl-Henning Kalland
It is a widely held belief that we should keep levels of the bad cholesterol in check, while good cholesterol should be high in order to protect against heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. But new research challenges this belief.

Share on Pinterest The precise interplay between the good and the bad kinds of cholesterol, as well as their impact on heart disease, have yet to be unraveled.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is good cholesterol, write the American Heart Association (AHA). Think of it as the healthy cholesterol, so higher levels are better, they add.

In light of this widely accepted belief, an increasing number of studies have been trying out various therapeutic ways to increase HDL cholesterol levels.

The hope has also been that testing such different therapies may also shed some light on the mechanisms by which HDL seemingly prevents heart disease. Such mechanisms are still unclear, as most of the belief that HDL protects against heart disease rests on observational evidence.

One such therapeutic strategy has been to block the activity of a protein called cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP).

But now a new study , published in the journal JAMA Cardiology, shows that raising levels of the so-called good cholesterol by blocking this protein does not do much to protect against heart disease.

The research was largely genetic  analyzing the genetic variants of more than 150,000 adults in China  and it was led by a team from University of Oxford in the United Kingdom in collaboration with scientists at the Peking University and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, both in Beijing, China.

The lead author of the paper is Dr. Iona Millwood, from the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford.
A movie we've waited 10 years for! It's finally out. When you wait so long, it's obvious that expectations are going to be incredibly high.

Everyone hated on it, so why aren't we? Well, honestly, it's not that bad. It may not be the best movie in the world, but it's definitely not the worst. It's nowhere near the worst.

Before we get into the 6 reasons why you need to ignore the critics, Rotten Tomatoes, your friends and that one guy at work who can't stop complaining about 'Justice League' let's analyse what some of the critics are saying:

 Warner Bros.

"Justice League is such a misguided messoften feeling entirely unguided..." - Vanity Fair

Why do we have to look at the big picture? When you're writing a review, shouldn't it be about whether the audience will like it and not about whether it deserves an Oscar nod? Was the story incoherent? Yes! Does that mean we didn't enjoy it? Of course not!

"Directed with the usual dark and bleak look of Zack Snyder films like last year's fan disappointment Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" - Deadline

They claim that 'Batman v Superman' was a 'fan disappointment'. Well, it may have a 27% Rotten Tomatoes score but what most people don't see is the 63% audience rating. Like we said above, review movies for the audience, not the Academy.

"He's a hulking monster called Steppenwolf - born to be riled, I'd say - and he is after three all-powerful MacGuffins called Mother Boxes." - NDTV

Calling Mother boxes, MacGuffins is enough proof of how much faith you should have in reviews that are clearly written for critics instead of the audience.

 Warner Bros.

Really? Justice League is a comic book movie set in a world where Gods exist. If Thor came to Earth, would he be friendly and would you want to take pictures with him? No! You would be scared of him! He's the God of Thunder! That's how they feel about Superman. He's a God. You will fear him!

Well, here we're writing for the audience, not for the critics. So, here are 6 reasons why you need to ignore the critics and go watch 'Justice League' right away:

The Flash and Superman

 Warner Bros.

This is a relationship which goes far beyond just being fellow team members. Most people may not even understand this friendship. It's more like a competition. Perhaps the first post-credit scene will give you an idea of just how far this friendship goes. You won't be able to tell from this movie alone. But, if you actually trace the history of both characters together, I promise you, there will come a time in 'Justice League' when you are laughing with excitement. (I don't remember the last time I laughed with excitement while watching a movie.)

Wonder Woman

 Warner Bros.

Gal Gadot has made this character her own. While we could go on and on about what could have been if Lynda Carter was born a few decades later, right now, we don't see anyone else playing the Amazon better. As for the complaints some people have about too many shots of her perfect derriere, do you really think men have a problem with it?

Fellowship

 Warner Bros.

One of the main reasons everyone loved the Avengers is because they got to see characters that had independent franchises behind them get together and the focus could be on just a couple of characters. Here, Superman and Wonder Woman are pretty much the only characters who have got movies to themselves. Batman has made appearances in a couple of other films, but they too revolved around Superman (As it should be. No one would talk about Batman in a world where Superman exists!). When you have to introduce 3 new characters that are integral to the plot within 2 hours, while creating a story that people enjoy, it is going to be tough.

 Warner Bros.

They chose to focus on fellowship instead. Perhaps they took a leaf out of 'Lord of the Rings' where so many characters were introduced to us in a single movie, quite effectively. Did it work? It did for the 'Justice League'. How do we know that? Aren't we all looking forward to the Flash and Aquaman solo movies now? Two out of three is not that bad, is it?

Superman

 Warner Bros.

90% of the reason I am a die-hard DC fan is Superman. He is the definition of a superhero. But, what this new DCEU has done is made it more believable. He isn't the all-good Man of Steel anymore. He is flawed. He is more human. As Bruce Wayne says, "Superman was more human than me." Henry Cavill proves his mettle yet again. While some complained about the whole 'moustache' debacle, we chose to look past it. Guess that's why we had so much fun.

Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller

 Instagram - Jason Momoa

In a movie where you are playing a couple of characters that no one has seen for more than a few seconds on the big screen, no one is going to expect award winning performances. But, if we were handing out awards, Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller deserve a couple of them for sure. Why? They were flawless. They managed to portray Aquaman and the Flash respectively with such aplomb that we're wondering whether they've been fans of the characters since childhood. If you don't go watch this movie for anything else, go watch it for these two brilliant performances.

Batfleck

 Warner Bros.

Last but not least, one of the most controversial topics in the DCEU, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne. 'There's no Batman but Christian Bale.' 'Ben Affleck is crap as Batman, more like Crapman.' 'Why does Ben Affleck keep ruining awesome superheroes?' This is what some people have to say about Batfleck. You know what our opinion is? Just wait till you see Jake Gyllenhaal as Batman. You will beg for Affleck to be back. Also, Ben Affleck is the best Batman we've ever seen on camera. Why? He fights like Batman, he looks like Batman, he's mainly a strategist and detective, and most importantly, he nails the Bruce Wayne character who is far from perfect because he was brought up in a world with so much hate! This is what Batman should be, believe us!

If you still need more convincing before you are willing to shell out your hard-earned money for 'Justice League' take some solace in the fact that the movie has an 87% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes while the critics are giving it a 37%. Point proved!

Justice League Trailer 1:

Justice League Comic-Con Sneak Peek:

Justice League Heroes Trailer:
What can make a Dwayne Johnson movie even better? Adding a giant ape, giant werewolf, and a giant crocodile. And, there you have a 'Rampage'.

Based on the classic arcade game where you have to bash cities to rubble while playing as a giant gorilla, lizard or wolf, comes an exciting live-action movie starring none other than Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Warner Bros has just released the first trailer for 'Rampage', the arcade game film adaptation we did not realise we needed till now.

A few months ago, Johnson, who will be playing the head of an anti-poaching unit that operates in Rwanda, provided a few more details about his relationship with George the gorilla with an Instagram caption.

I head up an anti-poaching unit out of Rwanda, he wrote. My best friend is a rare albino gorilla named George. Very bad people infect George, an alligator and a wolf with a serum. All three animals grow at an unprecedented rate. Their size, speed, agility and violent aggression is off the charts. They go on a deadly rampage and want to destroy the world.

And, that pretty much sums up the premise of the movie, but going by the trailer, it's much more than that. The trailer is enough to grab everyone's attention, and honestly it looks pretty cool.

The original game gave players control of three giant beasts: a gorilla named George, a lizard-like creature named Lizzie and a wolf-like creature named Ralph, and the ultimate goal was to raze a series of buildings in each level while fighting off attacks from civilians, police and military.

For this movie, Johnson reteams with his 'San Andreas' and 'Journey 2' director Brad Peyton, and it also stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Joe Manganiello and Naomie Harris.

Historically, movie adaptations of games have failed to live up to the hype, and have been straight up awful for the most part. But, 'Rampage' is just adapting a rough concept, which is basically what would happen if some giant beasts go rouge and destroy a city.

Well, it would be interesting to see if 'Rampage' manages to escape this curse when it releases on April 20th next year.

Here's the exciting trailer:
Pope Francis, the current pope of the Catholic church, just received a personalised one-of-a-kind white and gold Lamborghini Huracan. Well, that's quite an upgrade to the Popemobile. He got it as a gift from Lamborghini, but unfortunately we won't be seeing him driving around the Vatican in this supercar.

As soon as he received this special edition of the car, instead of getting behind the wheel, he blessed it and signed its bonnet in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City. Lamborghini Huracan is already worth around $200,000, and with the Pope signing it, the price will be bumped up significantly.

 AP

It's a good thing, though, since the Pope has handed over the car to Sotheby's auctioneers, who plan to auction off the car, with proceeds going to three charities.

One of these charities will help rebuild homes and churches on the towns of the Nineveh Plains in Iraq, where ISIS had forced Christians to flee the area. And for the other two charities, the proceeds will help sex-trafficking victims and development projects in Africa.

 AP

This wasn't the first that the Pope has been a luxury vehicle. Back in 2014, he received a Harley Davidson motorbike and jacket, but auctioned both of them as well. Reportedly, the motorcycle ended up selling for $284,000, more than 10 times its normal sales price, and the jacket signed by Pope Francis sold for nearly $68,000. Similarly, an iPad that Pope Francis once owned sold for $30,500.

 AP

Well, there's no doubt about the fact that a genuine Apostolic Blessing can increase the price. But, it's such an incredible way to help people, and a lot of people agree.

I may not be a Catholic, but I commend @Pontifex Pope Francis, for donating the $200k Euro Lamborghini he was blessed with to charity. Can other spiritual leaders take a cue from this?  Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) November 15, 2017

Let's hope he came through.
Were excited to announce that metalbulletin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving metals market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets.

Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials.

If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details.
President asks UAE authorities to reconsider Bams sentence

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has urged the UAE authorities to reconsider the case of Nepali migrant worker Ambar Bahadur Bam, who was handed down death penalty by an Emirates court in 2007 after finding him guilty of aiding and abetting charges in a murder case.
This year's edition of the annual 'Girl Talk' musical concert will take place on December 27 at the National Theatre in Accra, organisers have announced.

Over the years, the 'Girl Talk' concert has been acclaimed as the best and foremost music event in the country; and this year's event, powered by Vita Milk, has a number of mouth-watering packages for music fans who will attend the show.

This year's event has been repackaged to give artistes billed for the event and music fans a memorable occasion that goes beyond dishing out thrilling outstanding performances for the night.

It will bring together some selected Ghanaian, Nigerian and South African female artistes on one platform to entertain and interact with music fans.

The names of all the female artistes billed for the event, according to the organizers, will be announced at the official launch in December.

The organisers disclosed that the event was going to be five hours of non-stop performances by all the female artistes from Ghana and other parts of the world.

They said, This year's 'Girl Talk' concert is different from the previous concerts as it has been specially put together to celebrate Ghanaian and African music.

They added, Over the years, 'Girl Talk' has given the opportunity to some good Ghanaian female artistes to perform on the same stage with other celebrated African artistes.

According to the organizers, the concert, which started in 2011, has chalked some successes over the years. They disclosed that this year's concert would take a different form from the previous shows.

The previous editions have witnessed thrilling performances by several renowned artistes like Kwabena Kwabena, Nigeria's M.I, Samini, Trigmatic, Nana Ama McBrown, Becca, among others.
The grand finale of the 65th Miss World pageant will come off on Saturday, November 18 in China.

Miss World is the longest running event of its kind and this year, the pageant will take place in the exotic island of Bali with a total of 130 contestants from all over the world including Ghana.

Ghana is being represented by Afua Asieduwaa Akrofi who is currently making her country proud out there. She is hoping to make her country even more proud at the grand finale.

But she needed extra support on social media via voting by the public to help her progress in the contest in the Head -to-Head Challenge.

The Head-to-Head Challenge was to give greater emphasis on social media and interactivity. The Challenge is to select 20 out of the Top 40 contestants. Voting was supposed to have ended on Wednesday but it was extended to Friday November 17.

Afua has asked Ghanaians to support her. A comment, like and sharing on Miss World social media pages on Facebook.com, Instagram, Twitter and the pageants website will also increase her chances of bringing the crown to Ghana.
Back in 1997 in the German city of Frankfurt, a man reported his car as stolen to the police.

Twenty years later, the authorities in the city have tracked down the missing vehicle, only to discover that the man who owned it had in fact, just forgotten where hed parked the car and had assumed it had been stolen.

The vehicle was found in a garage in an old industrial building that is due to be demolished.

The car was in the way of the demolition so it was reported to the police who then investigated who the owner was.

According to German regional paper Augsberger Allgemein, the man, now 76-years-old, was driven by the police with his daughter to be reunited with the car.

Unfortunately the car was no longer functional and had to be scrapped.

The car can no longer be driven and will be sent to the scrap heap, Frankfurt authorities said.

The incident is reminiscent of another German case, in which a man was reunited with his vehicle two years after parking up and going on a drinking binge in Munich, only to forget where hed parked. He reported it missing and eventually police found the vehicle 4km away from where the man thought hed parked it.

It had 40,000 euros in cash in the boot, along with 50,000 euros worth of tools.

Earlier this year a man from Scotland lost his car after attending a Stoneroses gig in Manchester. He reportedly searched for the vehicle for 5 days before giving up. He even contacted the council and various companies in a bid to trace the vehicle.
Labour union, the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), has welcomed governments Nation Builders Corps initiative aimed at tackling graduate unemployment.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta announced the policy on Wednesday during the presentation of the 2018 budget to Parliament, projecting that the initiative will put 100,000 graduates to work by the close of 2018.

The initiative has been criticised by the Minority in Parliament as a jobs-for-the-boys initiative.

However, the TUC said in press release issued Thursday that the policy must be lauded.

The TUC welcomes this bold initiative. It is perhaps the most ambitious jobs programme designed to address what has become the most critical economic challenge of the country. Providing jobs for 100,000 graduates in the sectors outlined in the budget will significantly improve public service delivery. It will also signal to young people who have invested so much time and money in their education that education pays. The benefits will far exceed the cost of the programme, the TUC said in what it describes as a preliminary statement on the budget statement.

Ken Ofori-Atta

Minority spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, said Wednesday evening after the budget presentation that the Nation Builders Corps will only provide jobs for members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), ruling out the possibility that the programme will achieve its intended purpose.

How the Nation Builders Corps will operate

Under the initiative, there will be modules like Teach Ghana which will hire graduates to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology and Mathematics in primary and secondary schools.

Sanitation Inspectors are expected to be hired under another module, Clean Ghana, to enforce sanitation laws and inspection of communities.

Trained nurses and other healthcare workers in a Heal Ghana program that will provide healthcare delivery to deprived and rural communities across Ghana.

Trained Agricultural extension and other allied workers in a Feed Ghana program will provide extensive support to farmers along the agriculture value chains.

The Tertiary graduates in a Revenue Ghana program that will mobilize the youth to collect taxes that have been difficult to mobilize and enforce collection for the development of Ghana.

Thumbs down

The TUC, however, gave the government thumbs down for not adequately detailing how it intends to bring down the high cost of borrowing that is crippling the private sector.

The private sector in Ghana has suffered so much unfairness especially in the areas of trade, high cost of production and in terms of access to credit, compared to their counterparts in other countries that are trading with Ghana such as China, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa. The private sector needs the support of the state, at least for a specified period, to enable local entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and to create decent jobs for Ghanaians, the statement, signed by TUC General Secretary Yaw Baah, said.

Read the full statement below.

A PRELIMINARY STATEMENT ON THE 2018 BUDGET STATEMENT AND ECONOMIC POLICY

On Wednesday, 15th November, 2017, the Minister for Finance presented the 2018 Budget and Economic Policy of the NPP Government to Parliament. As usual, we followed the presentation with keen interest. This statement is our preliminary assessment of the policies in the Budget Statement focusing on employment creation initiatives announced by the Minister. A more detailed analysis/assessment will follow in due course.

As has been the practice for so many years, TUC submitted some proposals to government for the 2018 Budget and Economic Policy. Employment creation and related issues, including the need to keep industrial peace, were at the heart of the proposals.

In our submission, we reiterated a point made in our earlier proposals and other submissions that the greatest challenge facing our country today is the lack of decent jobs for young people. We, therefore, repeated our call on government to go beyond the rhetoric and outline practical measures to address the employment challenge. We urged government to implement policies that create jobs in their right quantities and quality.

In the Budget Statement, the Minister for Finance described unemployment as the most critical economic problem of our time. He then proceeded to announce a new jobs programme termed the Nation Builders Corps intended to reverse the growing trend of joblessness among university graduates. According to the Minister, the Nation Builders Corps Programme will employ 100,000 graduates across the country in 2018.

The TUC welcomes this bold initiative. It is perhaps the most ambitious jobs programme designed to address what has become the most critical economic challenge of the country. Providing jobs for 100,000 graduates in the sectors outlined in the budget will significantly improve public service delivery. It will also signal to young people who have invested so much time and money in their education that education pays. The benefits will far exceed the cost of the programme.

We do not know the details of the programme yet. For example, how many years will the programme employ the graduates? Is it going to be one year like the National Service Scheme? These are but a few of the important questions that need to be addressed as government prepares to rollout the programme in 2018.

Therefore, while we commend government for this bold initiative, we would also like to draw attention to the obstacles that continue to impede the growth of the private sector and its ability to create decent jobs. The 100,000 graduates that will be employed in 2018 will at some point have to transit into the mainstream labour market after they have acquired further skills and experience so that others can also benefit from the programme. Strengthening the domestic private sector to absorb the beneficiaries of the Nation Builders Corps Programme will ease that transition.

We have also taken note of the several other initiatives announced by the Minister in the Budget Statement including the removal/reduction of taxes as well as the proposed reduction of energy tariffs intended to create the enabling environment for the expansion of the private sector development. These are commendable measures. But one important area that needs urgent attention is our trade policy which remains unfair to local manufacturers and farmers, especially livestock farmers. We need a very radical review of our trade policy to protect our manufacturers and farmers. Ghana also needs to work with other countries in the ECOWAS region to secure the sub-regional market for our private sector.

We expected to hear more about the measures government is going to implement to bring down cost of borrowing. The private sector in Ghana has suffered so much unfairness especially in the areas of trade, high cost of production and in terms of access to credit, compared to their counterparts in other countries that are trading with Ghana such as China, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa. The private sector needs the support of the state, at least for a specified period, to enable local entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and to create decent jobs for Ghanaians.

We continue to assure government that the TUC and its affiliates operating in all the sectors of the Ghanaian economy are ready to support policies that will create jobs for Ghanaians and ensure prosperity for every Ghanaian regardless of their economic and social status or their location  rural or urban.

[SIGNED]

DR. YAW BAAH

SECRETARY-GENERAL

TRADES UNION CONGRESS (GHANA)

ACCRA

16TH NOVEMBER, 2017

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected]
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Deputy Minister of Aviation, Kwabena Okyere Darko, has disclosed that about 20 international and local airlines have expressed interest in partnering government for the establishment of a new national carrier.

Mr. Okyere Darko, who represented the sector minister, Ms Cecilia Dapaah, at the welcome ceremony to receive Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350 to Accras Kotoka International Airport (KIA), said over 20 Airlines have applied to work with Ghana to start its own home-based Carrier.

The Cabinet, he says, has given policy approval to start the Airline.

Ethiopian has been giving Ghana a great service and hopefully it would support Ghana as it plans to set up a home-based Carrier, he said.

The Airbus A350 has been deployed by the airline to service the Accra-Addis Ababa route going forward.

The Aircraft, christened Bale Mountain, landed at 11:00 am local time on Tuesday with 299 passengers, with Captain Yirgalem Yilma Bereda in Command.

Receiving the Aircraft in prayers the Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams asked for Blessings for Ghana, Africa and Ethiopian Airlines.

Mrs Genet Michael thanked the citizens of Ghana for the support the Airline has received so far transiting from using a Boeing 737, B787, B777 and now A350 over a two year period.

The Capt. Yirgalem Yilma Bereda was excited to bring the Aircraft to Ghana.

He said with the Flyby wire technology and the glass Paperless cockpit the A350 is the most modern Aircraft in the Air.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Many in the Kumasi metropolis have welcomed the 2018 budget presented to parliament by the Finance Minister as a 'good one' and say, the government is getting it right with the management of the economy.

People who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said they were convinced that the economy was on the right track.

A businessman, Kwame Ofori Donkor, described the decision to reduce electricity tariff as refreshing news to industry.

This, he indicated would undoubtedly help to bring down the unit cost of production, something that would aid the growth of businesses.

Madam Akua Agyemang, a trader at the Kumasi Central Market, said the government's education intervention had brought significant relief to parents.

Money they would have used to pay the school fees of their children in senior high schools (SHS) could now be saved or spent on other things.

'It is my prayer that God will continue to bless President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for keeping faith with Ghanaians.'

Mr. Kofi Appiah, a parent, said he was excited by the fact that the government would from next year pay for the registration fee of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates.

A post-graduate accounting student, Nana Osei Bonsu, applauded the fiscal discipline maintained by the government.

He asked that it did everything to avoid wasteful spending and fought corruption head-on.

He said the expectation was that it was going to scale-up the revenue generation drive - ensure that there was efficiency and there was also compliance.

Nana Kwaku Duah, a cocoa farmer, was delighted by the planned farmers' pension scheme alongside the priority being focused on agriculture.

He expressed optimism that this would inspire many young unemployed people to take to farming.

He called for all to stand solidly behind the government to carry through its development agenda, adding that, it was in everybody's interest that the economy became resilient and robust.

Miss Akua Afriyie, an unemployed graduate, said it was refreshing to hear the government talk about rolling out a programme to engage unemployed graduates.

She described it as 'brilliant' and said if even 30 per cent of the targeted 100,000 unemployed graduates got jobs, it should be something that should make all happy.

Mr. Akwasi Kwakye Piesie, a cobbler, on his part, said he found nothing good in the budget and that it was a 'carefully scripted political theatre to dupe Ghanaians into thinking that all is well'.
The National export strategy is geared towards the identification, development and promotion of at least one exportable product per District to synchronise government's flagship policy of One District, One Factory industrialisation concept.

Madam Gifty Klenam, Chief Executive officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), said this when she Addressed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and their supporting staff at a day's workshop in Takoradi

She said the implementation of the National Export Strategy, through the One District, One Exportable product, must therefore complement as well as feed the One-District, One-Factory industrialisation concept.

The workshop, was to among others, augment the performance of existing export products of the Western Region and identify additional ones with significant export potentials at the District level.

Madam Klenam said it was the vision of GEPA to establish Regional offices with District representatives who would see to the full implementation of the one-District-one Export product concept adding that "we are looking forward to strengthening our presence in this Region to be able to unearth its full potentials".

The CEO stated that GEPA was poised to play a pivotal role in the export value chain by developing and promoting exports to achieve its set target of exports worth US$10billion.

She entreated the MMDCEs to bring their expertise to bare to select a product or service with immense export potential from each District of the Region which she noted was vast and blessed with immense potentials for Agri-business, services and related value chains.

Madam Klenam noted that with the vast land and forest resources, "this should challenge us to do everything within our power to transform this region into an export powerhouse".

She cautioned that though Ghana had discovered oil in commercial quantities,"Non Traditional Exports provide more jobs and security than the oil will do".

The CEO said GEPA had so far visited eight Regions in Ghana with fantastic responses 'giving me the inclination that this nation has all it takes to be the export hub of the sub-region.

A Deputy Director of Agricultural Extension Services at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Theophilus Osei Owusu who spoke on "Extension Services-A Crtical Tool for Supporting Production of Quality Products for the Export Market" said his outfit had intensified its services through the provision of relevant information and update the knowledge of farmers on modern technology.

He said his outfit would liaise with the decentralized directorates, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) the private sector, input dealers, as well as farmer-based organisations through the Research Extension and Liaison Committees (RELCs) to plan for Agricultural development in the country through training and field demonstrations.

Mr Osei Owusu said the service had intensified its activities through relevant policies, technical backstopping of the Regions, coordination, monitoring and evaluation to enhance Agricultural activities in the country.
TU leaves it for the IoM to decide on test legitimacy

The Tribhuvan University (TU) Executive Council has asked Institute of Medicine (IoM) to decide on the legitimacy of MBBS entrance exam held in October.
Delta Airlines has announced a change in schedule of its Accra-New York JFK flights for next summer to offer more services and new times to improve onward connection availability in the United States.

A statement issued in Accra, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, on Wednesday, said the move would commence on March 26, next year, and that all flights would move to night departures to allow the customers to have a full day in Ghana; and the United States on either side of their journeys.

The statement also indicated that Delta would also increase its Accra-New York operation from 1600 to 1700 flights per week and from May 31 through August 31, next year.

It said services to Ghana next summer would be operated using the Boeing 767-400ER aircraft with 245 seats.

'And this addition would mean that Delta would offer 1,225 seats every week from Accra to the 'Big Apple' during the peak summer travel period,' he said.

Dwight James, Delta's Senior Vice President Transatlantic said: 'While New York is a popular destination for many of our customers, it is also a major gateway for onward travel within the United States,' the statement quoted.

'With 20 per cent more capacity next summer and the retiming of the flights, we will provide even more convenient connecting options to the U.S. and to cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles.'

DL220, according to the statement, is scheduled to depart from Accra at 2200hours GMT and arrive in New York-JFK at 0517hours GMT.

DL420 would also depart from New York-JFK from 2343hours GMT and arrive in Accra the next day at 1335hours GMT.

It said Delta had operated flights to Ghana since 2006 and currently operated a nonstop service, four times a week to New York-JFK.

'In Africa, it also serves Lagos, Nigeria; Dakar, Senegal; and Johannesburg, South Africa.

Through the hubs in Atlanta and New York-JFK, the airline offers an unsurpassed network of hundreds of convenient onward connections throughout North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The airline is also active in the community through its partnership with Breast Care International, where it funds a screening programme across the country.

Delta is also a supporter of the Ghana-based Junior Achievement in Africa, which helps young people to be equipped for the workplace when leaving education,' the statement said.

GNA
17.11.2017 LISTEN

By Lydia Kukua Asamoah, GNA Special Correspondent, Bonn, Germany

(Sponsored by GIZ Ghana, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana Chamber of Mines)

Bonn, Germany, Nov 16, GNA - The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has urged the global community to work faster on emission, adaptation, finance, partnership and leadership in its resolve to reduce and mitigate the climate change phenomenon.

Speaking at the opening of the high-level segment of the UN Conference of Parties (COP23) in Bonn, Germany, on Wednesday, Mr Guterres also called on the world to adopt a simple climate action rule that would ensure that all major infrastructure projects were green.

'If major infrastructure project aren't green, they shouldn't be given the green light,' he said.

The opening of the high-level segment, which was attended by about 25 Heads of State and Government, was presided over by Mr. Frank Bainimarama, President of COP 23, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji.

In attendance were the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr. Miroslav LajcAk, President of the UN General Assembly and Ms. Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC Executive Secretary.

The UN Secretary General noted that the world needed more ambitions to go further and faster together since climate change was defying strength of all times.

He said floods, fires, extreme storms and droughts were growing in intensity and frequency and increasingly all over the world, and therefore the need to further cut of 25 per cent in emissions by 2020.

Mr Guterres however, noted that there was an encouraging signs of progress in the global efforts of actions, with countries like China and India with massive economies, being on track to surpass their Paris pledges.

He urged countries to use their 2020 revisions of the Nationally Determine Contributions (NDCs) to close the 2030 emissions gap.

He said countries should also follow through the Paris commitment that calls for raising ambitions.

He further urged donor nations under the Global Climate Fund to assist countries to promote their adaptation and resilience efforts at the country level.

Mr Guterres also commended the G7 nations for their 2015 pledge to provide insurance against extreme weather event for 400 billion vulnerable people by 2020.

He also welcomed the announcement by the Government of Germany in Bonn, to fast forward that ambition.

Both the German and France leaders who spoke at the event called on other countries to match Europe's climate goals.

The German Chancellor, Ms Angela Merkel noted in her address that EU legislators had agreed last week to reform the Emissions Trading System, a market mechanism that was the bloc's main tool for reducing emissions.

However, a glut of free allowances had driven down the price of carbon, which had in turn, not motivated companies to reduce their emissions.

"The certificates are going to be taken out of this scheme in order to be able to develop it into a meaningful instrument," she said, acknowledging that the system had not worked as intended to date.

She said: 'Europe's efforts to date may not always have worked, but it is still on the most ambitious road, and other countries should follow the European lead.

Mr Emmanuel Macron, the French President, on his part said not only must Europe lead the way in efforts to fight climate change, but it could also make up for the impending withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement.

He said: "I propose that Europe replaces America. And France will meet that challenge."

The UN climate summit COP23 in Bonn that opened on Monday November 7, gradually draws to a close on Friday November 17, as delegates entered the last stretch of the two-week conference.
Mr Joseph Homenya, the Volta Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has cautioned healthcare providers against billing health insurance clients "oxygen per hour."

He also asked them to stop taking "service sustainability support fee" and desist from demanding that clients pay for "every pint of blood used."

Mr Homenya who gave the caution at a stakeholders meeting in Ho said the charges were illegal and burdening clients of the scheme.

He noted that in some cases clients got stranded financially with some being detained for non-payment though discharged.

Mr Homenya said the NHIA pays providers for "bundle services" using the Ghana Diagnostic Related Grouping payment regime hence there was no justification for burdening clients with "many extra" bills.

"You have been engaged as a provider on contract to provide package of services, if there are challenges, which we acknowledge, you need to get back to us for solutions," he stated.

Mr Homenya said government and the Authority were aware of difficulties facing providers due to delays in reimbursement and said that informed government's commitment to clearing all arrears owed providers.

He therefore appealed to them to "operate within the provisions of the agreement" and desist from practices that could undermine the scheme.

Mr Homenya also urged the public and members of the scheme to register and renew their membership in time to enjoy uninterrupted healthcare service.

GNA

By A.B. Kafui Kanyi, GNA
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The state visit of Danish monarch, Queen Magrethe II and her entourage, including a business delegation to Ghana, is expected to reinforce the strong and cordial Ghana-Denmark relations while boosting trade levels between the two countries.

The visit of the Queen, at the invitation of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will take place from November 23-25, 2017 and is the first visit by the Danish Queen to Ghana and West Africa.

The Queen will be accompanied by the Minster of Foreign Affairs- Mr Anders Samuelson and Minister for Environment and Food-Mr Esben Lunde Larsen, as well as a 39-member business delegation comprising Danish companies in sectors including Food and Agriculture, Sustainability and Maritime and Infrastructure and Railways.

Speaking at a press briefing organised by the Danish Embassy in Ghana ahead of the visit, Ms. Tove Degnbol, Danish Ambassador to Ghana, said the Embassy was excited about the visit as it will offer an opportunity to showcase 'what a wonderful country' Ghana was to the Danish people and the rest of the world.

She noted that Ghana and Denmark's joint history dated back several hundred years, with Denmark working closely with Ghana on development cooperation after Ghana's independence, through its agency DANIDA.

Following Ghana's attainment of middle-income status however, Denmark's relations with Ghana was being transitioned from development cooperation to a more equal political and trade relations.

Ms Degnbol said by 2020, this transition would be completed and development cooperation ended in Ghana, however she noted that the process was being managed in a gradual way so as not to affect the marginalised and underprivileged in society who were mostly the beneficiaries of development cooperation efforts.

'We will continue our very strong partnership but it will be based more on our economic relations: companies trading with each other, Danish companies coming here to investwe will in the future have a new relationship built on equal terms where we are working together for the mutual benefit of our two countries,' she stated.

She added that as part of the transition, Denmark was supporting private businesses with skills development, and business advocacy through the Business Advocacy (BUSAC) Fund to help them negotiate with government to create the enabling environment for private business, among other initiatives.

She said the state visit will help spur business cooperation, as the foundation had been laid with some Memoranda of Understanding signed between some Ghanaian and Danish companies, as well as with Danish companies with government authorities.

'We are very happy that this will be a push for the already ongoing business cooperation,' she said, adding that it will also help Ghana's image in Denmark and around internationally.

Three Ghanaian Journalists, who were sponsored by the Embassy to Denmark to interview the Queen ahead of the visit shared their experiences in Denmark, highlighting the Danish people's commitment to lean and efficient energy, environmentalism, tax compliance and their love for the Queen, which will ensure that the Danish spotlight will be on Ghana during the Queen's visit.

Activities outlined for the three-day state visit include a meeting between the Queen and President Akufo-Addo, a business conference and Trade Fair, cultural visits in Accra, a state dinner hosted by the President, and site visits to Danish projects in Accra.

The Queen is also expected to meet the Danish community in Ghana, visit some cultural sites in the Eastern Region, and hold a press conference at the Royal Senchi Hotel.

GNA

By Belinda Ayamgha, GNA
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Mr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, the President of the ECOWAS Federation of Chambers of Mines (EFEDCOM), has urged large-scale mining companies in the sub-region to promote innovative practices that would protect the environment and enhance the livelihoods of the people.

This, he said, would ensure that responsible mining practices gained grounds in West Africa.

This was in a statement issued to the Ghana News Agency at the end of the Second Edition of Nigeria's Mining Week celebration in Abuja, which brought together captains of the mining sector, entrepreneurs and businesses from Nigeria and the sub-region to network and identify opportunities for further development.

The Nigeria Mining Week celebration comes on the heels of the recent phenomenal development of the minerals sector in West Africa's powerhouse.

Mr Addo-Kufuor praised the collaboration between the Miners Association of Nigeria and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development for organising the event.

He said: 'There is the need to look beyond tax revenues and to harness linkages between mining and other sectors of the Nigerian economy in order to drive the country's industrialisation agenda.'

Mr Addo-Kufuor stressed the need for clear and consistent mining laws and regulations for the Sub-region as a critical ingredient in enhancing confidence and attracting investment into the sector.

Touching on illegal mining, Mr Addo-Kufuor explained the complex and regional nature of the problem by sharing experiences from Ghana and steps being taken by the Government and key actors to address the problem.

He called for private sector collaboration with governments in the sub-region in exploring alternative livelihood opportunities to help address the challenge.

Mr. Addo-Kufuor, who is also the President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, stated that the Federation was committed to working with governments and other organisations in the Sub-region to provide the leadership that would address the issues plaguing mining.

Dr Kayode Fayemi, the Nigerian Minister of Mines and Steel Development, who was the special guest speaker, said the Ministry was seeking to remove the negative perception among investors about the high risk of doing business in Nigeria.

He said the positive reviews in international journals on Nigeria's mining sector were testaments to improved investment conditions in the country.

He called for close collaboration between state regulators and Civil Society Organisations to ensure effective mining operations.

Alhaji Mohammed Sani Shehu, the President of Mining Association of Nigeria, said the Association would lend its support to the country's Mining Investment Strategy Team to monitor the implementation of key programmes of the Government to boost investments in the sector.
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The number of Ghanaians currently studying Chinese language and culture has exceeded 10,000.

Over 1,000 Ghanaian students have also won the Chinese government scholarship awards, with more than 5,500 Ghanaian students studying in China, which has ranked the first in Africa for four consecutive years.

Madam Sun Baohong, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, said this in Accra, at the Awards Ceremony of the Chinese Ambassador's Scholarship at the University of Ghana, Accra.

The occasion saw 35 Ghanaian students being awarded the Chinese Ambassador scholarship, for excelling in Chinese learning.

The Ambassador who presented the awards, said in recent years, the cultural exchanges between China and Ghana had increased rapidly.

Madam sun noted that with the joint efforts of China and Ghana, the Chinese Department and the Confucius Institute at the university of Ghana, Legon, had made gratifying achievements in the teaching of the Chinese language, adding that presently, the Chinese Department of the University of Ghana had registered more than 800 students, whist the Confucius Institute had registered more than 3,000 students.

She said the Chinese government had been unceasingly committed to supporting the development of Ghana's educational and cultural undertakings.

Madan Sun said China sought to strengthen its solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries such as Ghana, guided by the principle of up-holding justice, whilst pursuing shared interests, and the principle of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith.

'I hope that more Ghanaian students can cultivate interest in learning the Chinese language, understanding Chinese culture, and make greater contributions to the friendly cooperation between China and Ghana, as well as the development of Ghana,' the Ambassador said.

Prof Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, said the Chinese culture held strong values for discipline, truthfulness, punctuality and other positive attitudes, which were crucial for the development of any nation.

He the learning of Chinese was therefore of great beneficial essence, not only to them as individuals, but for the development of the country.

The Vice Chancellor said this made the awards important and encouraging, which would enhance the development of quality and positive contribution towards their society.

GNA

By Robert Anane/Elizabeth Ofosu, GNA
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The Ministry of Sanitation and Water resources would provide 200,000 household toilets and 20,000 Institutional latrines to selected communities under the 'Toilet for All' agenda.

The provision was in a bid to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on ending open defecation.

Mr Ken Ofori- Atta, the Minister of Finance, announced this on Wednesday when presenting the 2018 Fiscal Budget in Parliament.

He said six unauthorised dump sites were evacuated in the Accra Metropolis and in addition, the Ministry would acquire and develop material recovery sites such as waste transfer stations and final disposal sites in every region to ensure the sorting and temporary holding of solid waste prior to treatment at the waste processing plants.

On Water Management programme, he said the Dam Safety Regulations L.I. 2236 was adopted to support the development, management, commissioning and decommissioning of diverse water storage facilities throughout the country and is expected to enhance the implementation of the 'One-Village-One-Dam' initiative.

'In addition, the Ministry continued with the management of the 10.2km buffer zone created in the White Volta basin to protect, conserve and sustain fresh water resources. In 2018, the Ministry will ensure the continuous implementation and enforcement of the buffer zone policies,' he added.

Mr Ofori- Atta also said the Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) was improved to aid accurate flood forecasting in the White Volta basin in the course of the year.

That, he said, led to the development of a new FEWS for the Oti Basin to serve as a trans-boundary model for both Ghana and Togo.

The Ministry also commissioned the Wa Water Supply Project and completed the Cape Coast Water Supply Project, Essakyir Water Supply Project - Addendum 1, Akim Oda, Akwatia and Winneba Water Supply Projects.

He said the Ministry through Community Water and Sanitation Agency would implement Phase 2 of the Sustainable Rural Water Supply Project, which would see to the construction of about 50 small town water pipe schemes and over 300 boreholes.

'In 2018, the Ministry will undertake expansion works in Kpong Water Supply Expansion Project - Phase 2, Aqua Africa Water Project, Yendi Water Project, Damongo Water Project, Tamale Water Supply Project, Sunyani Water Project, Sekondi-Takoradi Water Project, Essiama Water Project and the Navrongo Water Supply Project,' he added.
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By Lydia Kukua Asamoah, GNA Special Correspondent, Bonn, Germany

(Sponsored by GIZ Ghana, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana Chamber of Mines)

Bonn, Germany, Nov 15, GNA - The African Union Commission (AUC) has called on Africans attending the ongoing UN Conference of Parties (COP23) underway in Bonn, Germany, to push for an outcome of concrete treaty that would ensure long-term financing for climate change.

That financing, the AU noted, during the Africa Day event, held along-side COP23, should also help Africa to implement its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and also implement the Paris Agreement.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union, Mrs Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC, urged all stakeholders to ensure the operationalisation of the 100,000 billion dollars per year from 2020 and other resources for developing countries in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

'Africa also needs to stand for unconditional access to climate finance and mechanism for all countries that have no historic responsibility for climate change,' Mrs Sacko said.

She said the continent needed to embark on the development and adoption of clean technology but without being compelled to mitigate climate change.

'Africa needs a robust capacity building programme to enable the continent to build resilience, the Continent also need to put in more efforts in disaster risk reduction, especially those associated with climate change as they are on the increase'.

The AU also asked Africa to really implement the Paris Agreement, since the cost of climate change was unaffordable for the continent.

Mrs Sacko, however, announced that through the support of the European Union, Africa was implementing the continental programme on disaster risk reduction, as well as working together with the EU for support in the implementation of NDCs and on global climate framework service in Africa.

'However, there is the need for more and stronger partnership engagement with closer international cooperation to help African countries to effectively deliver on their commitment,' she said.

Mrs Sacko called for the strengthening of North, South, and South-South cooperation in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The Africa day event was a very important part of the yearly COP, which helped in enhancing Africa's position and clarity of interest in the climate negotiation process.

The AU Commission in collaboration with the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency; the African Development Bank; and the UN Economic Commission for Africa in partnership with the Central African region's Economic Committee for the Central Africa States; Gabon, Congo; and DRC, jointly organized the Africa Day side event to showcase the best practices and African priorities at COP 23.

The theme of the Africa day was: 'Partnership for the Implementation of Paris Agreement: Africa's response.'

The main objective of the African Day event was to provide a platform and an opportunity to share ideas on the nature and effectiveness of partnership needed for accelerated implementation of the Paris Agreement in Africa with a focus on the implementation.

More specifically, the Africa Day seeks to outline Africa's priorities for the implementation of the NDCs in the context of the Paris Agreement; and review the implications and prospects for the implementation of the NDCs for Africa, including associated opportunities for enhanced partnerships with both public and private sectors to scale up climate action in Africa.

It also created a platform for open conversation on issues related to the need for partnership to mobilize means of implementation for NDCs to support African countries' national development strategies that were inclusive and aligned to climate-resilient and low carbon transition.

It also provided a platform to debate on the existing partnership opportunities for NDCs' financing in Africa, in the context of the Paris Agreement and of SDGs in Africa.

In attendance, were President Denis Sassuo Nguesso of Congo and President Alpha Conde of the Republic of Guinea, who doubles as the Chairperson of the African Union, as well as some African Ministers of States, technocrats, civil society activists, African observers, negotiators, and parties as well as the media.

The UN climate summit COP23 in Bonn that opened on Monday November 7, gradually draws to a close on Friday November 17, as delegates entered the last stretch of the two-week conference. GNA
17.11.2017 LISTEN

By Josephine Naaeke, GNA Correspondent, Bonn, Sponsored by Stanley Foundation

Bonn, Nov. 16, GNA - Members of various global, regional and national networks and movements gathered early Wednesday morning in front of the entrance to the offices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change protested against coal mining in Germany.

They also called on governments to take measures towards transforming energy systems and keeping global temperatures below 1.5 C.

The group led by two people dressed in the form of masquerades were chanting and shouting with an eight point demand from the various governments

They demanded that before the end of 2018, government must commit to 100 per cent energy for all to be activated not later than 2030 for developed countries and as early as possible before developing countries.

They asked that government should pledge the finance necessary to build democratic gender-justice, renewable energy systems for communities, ensure a just transition, provide universal access to energy, support demand side reduction and energy saving measures.

They want governments to agree to an international moratorium new coal projects to be implemented not later than January 2019 and ban fracking and adopt global on new fossil fuel exploration techniques starting in 2016 towards ending fossil fuels extractions as soon as possible.

They also asked governments to stop large and dangerous energy projects including; offshore gas drilling in Mozambique, Dakota access pipeline in the US and offshore drilling in Lofoten.

'Governments should also announce a phase out of public subsidies for fossil fuels to be completed by 2020 for all developed countries and the international institutions they fund and by 2025 for all developing countries.

'Governments should also withdraw all public financing of large-scale biogas burning, agro fuels, mega-dams and waste incineration by 2018 and adopt building national and international policies that prohibit industries engaged in unacceptable practices from participating in the international and national climate policy forums.

Various write-ups shared to onlookers on their ways to the COP23 indicated that the biggest coal mine in Europe is located just outside Bonn, visible to the UN tower.

It said that during COP23, the mine operated twenty four hours digging and burning the dirtiest form of coal (lignite).

Adding that COP23 electricity came from the coal pit and the coal power plans next to it.

The group indicated that during COP23 the destruction of the forest was paused for a few days but right after the COP the forest was scheduled to be destroyed completely.

The groups indicated that Angel Merkel's party was negotiating the coalition for the new government adding that the Green party which could be part of the new German government demanded a coal exit and shutting down the dirtiest lignite power plants immediately.
Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII, the Paramount Chief of Abeadze Traditional Area, has called on the people to refrain from indiscriminate sexual practices to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.

Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi, who is also the Vice President of the National House of Chiefs, gave the advice at a durbar to climax this year's Akwambo Festival of the chiefs and people of Abeadze Kyeakor in the Mfantsiman District of the Central Region.

The Festival, which was on the theme: 'Promoting Girl-Child Education and Eliminating Teenage Pregnancy,' was to generate funds to establish a Girl-Child Educational Endowment Fund to support brilliant but needy girls in the area to pursue their education to the highest level.

Daasebre Ewusi said the youth must protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases, especially the HIV/AIDS, which has no cure.

He said the youth were the future of the country and ought to be properly guided to eschew the negative tendencies and rather concentrate on their education.

'Education is the utmost legacy, which parents could bequeath to their children,' he said.

Daasebre Ewusi said the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the area had affected the education of the girl-child and tarnished the image of the Traditional Area and, therefore, tasked stakeholders in education to work together to stop the trend.

He appealed to the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, renovate a drainage system, which had become a death trap in the area.

Nana Kwebu Edu Essel, the Obaatan of Abeadze Traditional Area, and the Odikro of Kyeakor, attributed the teenage pregnancy challenge in the area to poverty.

He said the inability of many parents to sponsor their children's education to the highest level had necessitated the establishment of the Girl-Child Educational Fund.

'This, notwithstanding, I urge parents and guardians in the community to strive to do their best to support the fund so that our dreams and vision would be achieved,' he said.

The Odikro appealed to the Government through the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly to ensure early completion of a CHIPS Compound, which was started by the previous government to help promote good healthcare delivery in the area.

He appealed to the Government to support the completion of an I.C.T Centre the community members started some years ago to promote education.

Nana Edu Essel further appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to endeavour to fulfill the promises he made to them during his campaign, including the construction of a community centre for the town.
Youths least bothered about voting

Although party candidates have intensified their campaigns in a majority of villages in Dailekh district, youths in rural areas are not excited to cast their votes in the upcoming federal and provincial elections as they have more pressing things to do.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCO) and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) have signed an agreement for the establishment of a GRIDCO Centre of Excellence at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

The training centre would be equipped with the state of the art facilities that would be available to the engineering community and universities in Ghana.

The signing took place on Wednesday in Accra at a ceremony to commemorate the Project Completion of the Human Resource Development Infrastructure Plan Establishment for the Ghana Transmission System.

Mr. Jonathan Amoako-Baah, the Chief Executive Officer, GRIDCO, said the first phase of the project was signed on March 16, 2013 with $2.6 million funding from the Government of Korea.

KEPCO as the implementing agency included a GRIDCO Human Resource Development Master Plan, Curriculum Development, Textbook Development, Training of Trainers and Training Centre Design.

"All these key tasks have been completed through the efforts of the staff of the two utility companies with support from KOICA," he said.

Mr Amoako-Baah noted that a total of 80 of their technical staff were initially selected for the training of trainers programme at the fundamental level from three core operational areas.

He said out of these, 40 were chosen to participate in an advanced offshore training in Korea to serve as the main core trainers.

"I will be the first to admit that GRIDCO has benefitted immensely from training received for its staff under the first phase of this partnership; both offshore and in Ghana," he stated.

"Our mandate is to grow GRIDCO into a high performing organisation and this growing partnership with our Korean friends will serve as a catalyst to make GRIDCO the model electricity grid company," he added.

Mr Amoako-Baah said: "Working with our Korean partners has made us better off and we can already see immense prospects ahead with our efforts to grow a grid consultancy that will take a share of the growing electricity market within the sub-region and beyond.

"We can also see ourselves going into Maintenance Agreements with the Mining Companies and some of our partners within the West African Power Pool (WAPP) for the maintenance of their capacitors, transformers and other switchyard equipment".

Mr Boakye Agyarko, the Energy Minister, in a speech read on his behalf said one of the policy initiatives of the Ministry was to enhance the development of the needed institutional and human resource capacity for the sector.

He said that therefore any programme or project which aims to build or develop the human capital within their utilities, regulators and the Ministry was welcome.

He said the GRIDCO's Human Resource Development Infrastructure Plan Phase One, which had been completed was in line with this policy and therefore, had the Ministry's full support.

Mr Kim Yukyum, the Country Director, Korea International Cooporation Agency (KOICA), said Phase One of the project was rolled out to utilise the implementing Agency, KEPCO's experience to make a customised Transmission Training Environment in Ghana.

Mr Kim Jeong-hwan, KEPCO Director General, said the Centre of Excellence when completed would serve as a training hub for the West Africa sub-region.

Mr Kim Sung-sao, the Korean Ambassador to Ghana, said energy played a key role in the development of every nation.

He said they were looking forward to a greater collaboration between the two nations for the development of the energy sector in Ghana.

Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, the Vice Chancellor of the KNUST, in a speech read on his behalf noted that the University would provide the land for the establishment of the Centre of Excellence.

He said the Centre when completed, would afford the KNUST's College of Engineering the opportunity to obtain requisite equipment in training undergraduate and postgraduate students and also provide continuing education for GRIDCO staff.
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Ms. Charlotte Baidoo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Women's World Banking Ghana, has called on African women to empower themselves.

'Women should use opportunities available to them to empower themselves, to be able to take up challenges,' she said.

Ms Baidoo said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a policy forum on women economic inclusion, an event organised by Global Entrepreneurs Network (GEN) - Ghana, as part of the 'Global Entrepreneurship Week- Ghana'.

The Forum which was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Business Development highlighted on how women-led entrepreneurship could drive economic growth and emancipation, in accessing finance, training, agriculture, fintech, as well as other industries.

Ms Baidoo said women should not make themselves vulnerable for people to think they are marginalized but, should justify their call for inclusion in development efforts.

She said in aiming for excellence there is the need for women to have the 'can-do-spirit and be self-confident'.

She said this would help them to refuse to doubt or underestimate their capabilities.

'Don't think you need men to survive, try and do something for yourself; earn a living and God will reward you', she said.

Mrs Amma Lartey, CEO, Reach for Change Africa, also told GNA that in some parts of the country women work for income yet their businesses remained smaller due to challenges.

She said at Reach for Change Africa, they work with entrepreneurs whose work empowers women; by helping them to structure their businesses in a stronger way so they could access funding and grow their businesses.

Mrs Lartey said they also support them with mentoring and skills so they could build stronger businesses and deal with the challenges they face.

She urged women entrepreneurs to dream big and as well connect with networks like Reach for Change Africa that could provide them with the mentorship they needed to grow.

Mr Stephen Gyasi-Kwaw, Founder of GEN Ghana, said Global Entrepreneurship Week-G has been celebrated globally since 2008 with an objective of promoting entrepreneurship with much emphasis on the youth.

He said with this year's event which was also in line with its 10th anniversary, one of the iconic things that happened was that GEN in partnership with the South African government opened one of the biggest Start-up campus in South Africa.

The CEO said that was centre where people could visit to access information and meet investors and possibly acquire resources they needed to start up their businesses, as such, Ghana had been given an opportunity to have a space in the startup campus.

Mr Gyasi-Kwaw told GNA that the policy forum was part of activities marking the Week celebration, and it touched on what could be done at the policy level to stimulate female entrepreneurship or female economic inclusion in Ghana.

He said there would be a 'Social Thursday', an initiative being championed by the British Council and it highlights social entrepreneurship, adding that 'social entrepreneurship is another model where business could be used to address problems.

The CEO said the celebration would be climaxed with a signature event dubbed 'start- up weekend'.

'It brings together people of different set to develop products in 54 hours, afterwards, they will further do presentations to potential investors', he added.
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Mr Carlos Ahenkora, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, has said government is committed to building the capacity of the private sector to generate employment for the younger generation.

He said government's bold initiatives were opening innovative spaces for the private sector; as the initiatives were strengthening the economy and bringing a revolution to the business outlook and total productivity of both the public and private sector.

Mr Ahenkora said this in a speech read on his behalf at the launch of 'Set-Up-Gh', a key player in business consulting and advisory services in Ghana; which aims at bridging the gaps between the management approaches and its actual implementation plans.

With society facing a historic transition comparable to the industrial revolution, Set-Up-Gh is making a major shift, from a corporate culture that largely depends on software to an enterprise that proposes humanized hands-on business solutions, while keeping focused on professionalism and creativity as its operating philosophy.

The Deputy Minister said over the years statistics has shown that the issue of sustainability plagues our businesses.

He said government has over the years assisted and championed a number of projects which should be seen as helping to improve the Ghanaian's standard of living, however, the myriad of challenges these start-ups face seem insurmountable.

'Knowing the right business processes and having the ability to diligently follow through required business practices aside their core business becomes a challenge,' he added.

He said Set-Up-Gh's idea was laudable; especially considering the fact that not only would it solve the discussed challenges, but to create more jobs for the youth.

Mr Ahenkora again called on the youth to be creative and eager to contribute their quota in the revamping of our business sector to make Ghana a great a nation as seen in the advanced countries.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sideline of the launch, Madam Abena Korkor Ofori, Chief Executive Officer, Set-Up-Gh, said as a business venture their passion was in line with government's agenda for growth in the private business sector.

She said her outfit has identified that private businesses in the country could perform better if they consult experts in their field of work, whiles they focus essentially on their businesses; adding that 'this will help improve productivity and efficiency'.

She said they provide professional services that does not exist in the organisation, or that was needed for a specific period of time.

Madam Ofori said Set-Up-Gh offers services in the area of accounting, business advisory, logistics, legal services, marketing and travels, among others.
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The BESSFA Rural Bank, operating in the Garu-Tempane district and Bawku in the Upper East Region and parts of the Northern Region, has introduced customer care services that would promote the welfare of its customers.

The bank has begun running services such as the U-connect Platform Services which allows customers to use their mobile phones and other electronic devices that are connected to the internet to transact business with the bank, operate inter-banking services and check credit balance among others without going to the banking premises.

The move is aimed at creating an enabling banking environment to allow customers enjoy the presence and essence of rural banking.

Mr Solomon Awini, the Manager of the Bank, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Garu.

He said with the U-connect service, customers could sit in the comfort of their homes and transact banking services such as money transfer from one bank to the other, pay bills including water and electricity among others.

Mr Awini said community members residing outside Garu could save their monies with the BESSFA Bank through the U-connect system where ever they were by going to any bank to deposit the money into their U-connect account.

He said saving with the BESSFA bank was an ultimate opportunity that enabled one to keep money away from robbers, thieves, and could afford one the chance to access credit loans.

Mr Awini said saving with the bank would make one credit worthy and qualifies one to enjoy the interest percentage which ranges from six to eight per cent of one thousand Cedis and beyond and a good interest on fixed deposit

Mr Awini said the bank currently operates with products including the trust educational accounts, micro-insurance, life time assurance, E-Zwich, Automobile Money Machine (A T M) and banking transaction message alerts.

He said as part of the bank's cooperate responsibilities, it has supported about 153 farmer groups in the Bawku area to expand their farms.

Mr Awini assured customers of safety and called on all to buy shares from the bank.
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Apostle Dr Daniel Okyere Walker, the Rector, Pentecost University College (PUC), has called on the Government to help private higher education institutions to access the Ghana Education Trust (GET) Fund and other educational benefits.

He said though the introduction of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme was commendable, it was laudable that government also puts measures in place to ensure its sustainability.

Dr Walker said it is important that government also provides financial support to private tertiary education providers to help absorb the excess Free SHS graduates, who might not gain admission into public tertiary institutions.

Dr Walker made the appeal in his report at the PUC's ninth graduation in Accra on the theme: 'Free SHS National Agenda: Implication for Private Higher Education Institutions'.

The ceremony witnessed the graduation of 452 students from the Faculty of Theory and Mission, Faculty of Engineering, Science and Computing as well as the Faculty of Business Administration.

Dr Walker said government's decision to scrap off the 25 per cent corporate tax on private tertiary education was laudable.

He said considerations on non-payment of affiliation cost when concluded in favor of private universities would further improve the likelihood of reduction in tuition fees of private tertiary institutions.

The PUC Rector said it behoves on private universities to adopt innovative and strategic ways to attract more students who might be empowered to serve their generation at the end of their studies.

He said the Management of PUC was optimistic about an increase in students' enrolment because they had proactively put in place flexible payment systems for those who could not afford to pay their fees.

'To sustain and maintain our competitive position, we have taken a number of steps to expand our programmes as well as to provide a wide range of programme options for our prospective students, particularly, in the health sciences," he said.

He said to ensure PUC students pass through the university training and are made ready for the job market- equipped with employable skills and entrepreneurial mindset, the University was adding to its teaching staff by employing some international faculty members

Dr Walker urged the graduands to build deep relationships with God, their parents, friends and colleagues; stating that they should not be carried away by the stresses of life, but to rely on God for guidance.

Professor George Gyan- Baffour, the Minister of Planning, who represented the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, commended PUC for their immense contributions to raising exceptional human capital, who were being empowered to serve their generation with integrity and the fear of God.

He said the Free SHS policy introduced by government seeks to alleviate many Ghanaians from the hardship of paying school fees for their wards.

Prof Gyan-Baffour said since independence, free education was conceived as the trajectory to propel the nation towards accelerated growth and development, adding 'the evidence of the benefits abounds in the three northern regions of Ghana, where it was largely implemented'.

He said government was determined to overcome all odds to ensure that the policy became engraved in our socio-economic agenda; as the key concerns confronting the implementation as raised by stakeholders were issues of sustainability of funding and quality.

The Minister, who described the policy as a critical national developmental agenda, said government welcomes PUC on board; and any input submitted towards improving the sustainability of the policy would be highly appreciated.
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The Samuel Amo Tobbin (SAT) Foundation, in collaboration with the National Blood Service, has held blood donation and free health screening exercise for the public in.

The exercise, which was undertaken at the weekend, screened participants on various health problems including HIV, sugar level, malaria, and blood pressure.

They also received free medication and counselling as well as food items, toiletries and other products from the Tobinco Group of Companies.

Mrs Millicent Akoto, the Executive Director of SAT Foundation, told the Ghana News Agency that the NBS needed an average of 150 units of blood everyday from the Southern Area Blood Centre for life saving purposes.

'The ideal thing to do is to store blood in the blood bank to save lives in emergency situations and this can only be achieved by regular sensitisation and blood donation campaigns.

'It is for this reason that the SAT Foundation, in collaboration with subsidiaries of the Tobinco Group of Companies, wishes to join in saving lives through blood donation and health screening as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility,' she said.

Mrs Akoto said the exercise was to create awareness on the health, moral and social benefits of blood donation and support various blood banks and health facilities to improve on their stock.

She said the exercise was targeting 1000 donors and encouraged members of the public to participate to save lives, especially that of children, pregnant women and accident victims.

Dr Caroline Ackim, the Founder of St. Karol School of Nursing, the institution in charge of the health screening, told the GNA that the prevalent health disorder was high blood pressure.

She, therefore, advised the public to desist from becoming too much stressed, and avoid eating fatty, salty and sugary foods.

She said such acts could worsen one's hypertension condition hence the need to prioritise one's health.
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Josephine Naaeke, GNA Correspondent, Bonn, Sponsored by the Stanley Foundation, USA

Bonn, Nov. 16 - The Kyoto Protocol, the first international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, celebrates its twentieth anniversary on December 11 2017, maintaining itself as an essential vehicle for developed countries to reduce rapidly your emissions.

AntAnio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations told leaders and delegates when he opened the high-level segment of the UN conference on climate change, COP23 in Bonn.

His message came a day after Germany, Belgium, Spain and Sweden became the last countries to ratify the Doha Amendment, which established the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol.

"On this twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol and the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on Climate Change, I ask all nations that have not yet done so to ratify the Doha Amendment," said Mr. Guterres.

According to him the Doha Amendment covers the period before 2020, which is central to the overall effort to get on track to achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement.

To date, 88 Parties have accepted the Doha Amendment which, in order to enter into force, must have been accepted by at least 144 of the 192 parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

To celebrate the anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol and encourage more Parties to ratify the Doha Amendment, UN Climate Change is launching a campaign on social networks ahead of the 20th anniversary of the protocol people to send support messages.

'People can take selfies, alone, with their friends or family with posters that say "I love the Kyoto Protocol" and publish them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with the hashtag "ILoveKyotoProtocol".

"In 1997, we achieved a historic agreement with the Kyoto Protocol and its measurable reduction targets." The 20th anniversary of that agreement next month is something worth recognizing, "added the president of the COP23, the Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama.

With the Kyoto Protocol, emission reduction commitments were set for developed countries. It was adopted on December 11, 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, and entered into force on February 16, 2005.

During their first commitment period, from 2008 to 2012, 37 industrialised countries and the European Community (an organization that is also a Party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), agreed to assume a leading role in climate action by reducing their average emissions above 5 percent compared to 1990 levels.

The final reductions exceeded 20 percent "I am sure that the Kyoto Protocol was fundamental to achieve this exceptional result: Kyoto was a source of inspiration, innovation and an example of the economic logic of betting on renewable energy, energy efficiency, new technologies, reduction of pollution and new carbon markets that emerged in developed countries in this period to start accelerating later, "said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change.

"Thanks to the Kyoto Protocol, we do not start from scratch and we know that we have solutions to meet the Paris goal, but only if we now act together to get further, faster, with the leadership of emissions reduction in the developed nations" she added.
Brong-Ahafo Region has recorded 98 cases of attempted suicide, a field survey conducted by MIHOSO International, a health centered Non-Governmental Organisation, has said.

The survey, which was conducted in 11 districts, between 2015 and 2016, also confirmed three cases of suicide involving two females and one male, with 270 people suffering from depression.

Dr Gbiel Gabriel Benarkuu, the Chief Executive Officer of MIHOSO, speaking to the Ghana News Agency, said the survey formed part of a mental health project his NGO is undertaking in collaboration with BasicNeeds Ghana with support from the DFID/UKAID.

The four-year project being implemented in 13 districts and municipalities in the region is titled 'Enabling people with mental illness or epilepsy to access their human rights in Ghana'.

Dr Benarkuu expressed concern about the upsurge of depression, particularly, among young women in the region, which, he said was a major contributory factor to many of the attempted and suicide cases recorded in the region.

He said findings from the survey showed a glaring relationship between depression and suicide which had led many patients into psychological and emotional trauma.

Dr Benarkuu expressed concern that many of the depression and suicide cases in the survey-conducted communities were left unreported.

He said with support from care-takers, his outfit has reached out to 5,362 people with mental disorders including epilepsy and it was facilitating outreach clinics and follow-ups to help manage their problems.

Dr Benarkuu said with strict adherence to drugs, mental disorders could be treated and advised care-takers to assist victims to take their drugs at stipulated intervals.

He expressed discomfort about the continuous stigmatization of people with mental disorders and appealed to the general public to refrain from such behaviours so that cases could be reported.

Dr Benarkuu, who is the National Chairman of the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health, said dealing with the stigma associated with mental health requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders and entire society.

Specifically, he said, traditional authorities, assembly members and other opinion leaders in local communities have a specific role to play in addressing the discrimination and stigmatization of mental health patients.

Dr Benarkuu called for intensive training for community-based volunteers on the basic essentials of depression and suicide as well as other related cases.

GNA

By Dennis Peprah, GNA
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Mr Kingsley Aboagye-Geydu, the Deputy Minister of Health, says Ghana will forever remain grateful to Dr Hideyo Noguchi for his dedication and commitment not only to Ghana but the world at large.

He said Dr Noguchi Hideyo arrival in Ghana in 1927, brought relief to the people of Ghana with his work, interest and dedication in the area of yellow fever, until his death on May 21, 1928 led to the discovery of yellow fever vaccine.

'Ever since this, the Ghana-Japan relation has been growing from strength to strength and we are grateful for that as a country,' he said.

Mr Aboagye-Gyedu said this at the 90th Anniversary Symposium of Dr Hideyo Noguchi's arrival in Ghana, held in Accra on Thursday on the theme: 'Japan-Ghana Collaboration, Past, Present and Future.'

He said the Japanese Government had assisted the country in the scaling up of CHPS implementation in the Upper East for the past 10 years, which focuses on the attainment of the Universal Health Coverage, adding 'This support has been extended to the Northern Region.'

'The Japanese government has also been supporting Ghana towards the eradication of Guinea worm, HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and human resource for health development,' he said,

The Deputy Health Minister therefore urged researchers, policy makers, and business partners to make a maximum use of the meeting to further strengthen the relation between the two countries.

'The Ministry is looking forward to a more deepening collaboration between the academia and policy makers to facilitate efficient and effective policy formulation especially at the health sector,' he said.'

Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG), said the symposium would build on the existence dynamic culture between UG and Japan.

He said the Noguchi Memorial Institute had built on the legacy of Dr Noguchi and therefore lauded Dr Noguchi for living a life of humanity.

Mr Karou Yoshimura, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, said it was his hope that the collaboration in research areas between Ghana and Japan's would be the pivot of the two countries relationship.

Mr Hirofumi Hoshi, the Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, said the symposium would offer a better opportunity for the relationship between Ghana and Japan to be strengthened.

The two-day symposium organised by the Japan Embassy would have lectures and discussions on Dr Noguchi.

At the opening, there were lectures on the topic: 'Dr Hideyo Noguchi and Complement from Cobra Venom factor to Lectin Complement Pathway' and 'A Great Scientist, Dr Hideyo Noguchi from Inawashikro to Accra.'
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) on Wednesday organised a business forum to deepen the economic and bilateral trade relations between Ghana and Iran.

The forum with the visiting Iranian delegation comes on the heels of the signing of economic cooperation agreement between Ghana and Iran and forms part of efforts to explore ways of forging tighter trade and economic co-operation to enhance growth.

The forum was organised to give an opportunity to the Ghana-Iran business communities to brainstorm on ways to deepen their business relationship in areas of trade, industry, agriculture, energy and other sectors.

Speaking at the forum, Nana Dr Appiagyei Dankawoso I, President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), said the forum was to re-enforce the long standing, cordial diplomatic relationship that both countries have enjoyed over the years.

He said the government of Ghana was embarking on an industrial transformation agenda, adding that it was an opportune time for Iranian delegation to explore ways to enhance their investments within Ghana.

'Ghana is noted as a gateway to West Africa due to its business friendly enabling environment,' he said, adding that the forum will serve as an ideal platform for business men and women of Ghana and Iran to strategically explore the possibilities of establishing mutual business relationships for the benefit of enhancing growth and development, he said.

Available trade statistics indicate that Ghana export to Iran in 2011 was US$13.5 million whereas the imports from Iran amounted to US$4.9 million for trading in products such as minerals, fish, and machinery, cereals, electrical and electronics.

Nana Dr Dankawoso I expressed the hope that the business to business forum would strengthen the strategic partnership between Ghana and the Islamic Republic of Iran towards bringing economic and social benefits by creating new opportunities for trade, investment, employment and improving the living standard of people.

Madam Gifty Klenam, Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, said due to the government of Ghana's wealth in resources, dynamic economy and good political system that stimulates business development, it was committed to develop the nation through investment in telecommunication, energy and finance.

She, however, mentioned that the Non-Traditional Export (NTEs) sector had been a core area that presented many opportunities for both local and foreign investment.

Madam Kleman said, that cocoa processing, horticultural products such as pineapple and mangoes, fresh and processed fish, palm oil, cashew-nuts, Shea butter, oil seeds, garments and textiles, were among the few that held the key to Ghana's export diversification drive.

She said to facilitate the government's export drive; GEPA had developed and launched a comprehensive four year work plan towards the development of identified key priority such as Pineapple, Cashew, Shea and Yam with comprehensive sectoral intervention programmes and implementable action plans.

This, she said, was aimed at achieving the set strategic target and to increase the dwindling supply base of exportable products, through the development of new and improved seedlings in both local and international market.

Already, she said GEPA had injected some interventions in pineapple production and shall roll out initiatives in other sector value chains such as yam, vegetables, cashew, Shea, processed cocoa and mango.

She noted that implementing these plans will enable the GEPA achieve a significant increase in the share of NTEs total export, strengthen the resource export development related institutions and ensure that every district in Ghana was able to have at least one significant and commercially viable agro-based export product.

'Government has created an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and the country has embarked on ambitious but achievable reform programmes to improve the investment climate for both local and international investors,' she added.

Mr Ali Zebradast, President of Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, Iran, said there were many rewarding business opportunities in Iran that the Ghanaian business community could explore to the mutual benefit of both countries.

GNA
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Felix Bamfo, a Pastor of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star Church at Adidogome in Togo, has been arrested by police at Miefe in Aflao over alleged murder.

The arrest followed the discovery of the dismembered and decomposing body of one Evelyn Homawu, some 50 meters from the pastor's residence.

Nana Asomah Hinneh, Volta Regional Police Commander told the media that on Tuesday that Kwabena Wohoyi, husband of the deceased reported to the Denu police that his wife had on Sunday November 12 left their residence at Taifa Burkina in the Greater Accra region to visit Bamfo and had since not returned.

He said Wohoyi contacted Bamfo later in the evening on the whereabout of his wife but Bamfo said he had also not heard from the deceased.

Nana Hinneh said later in the day, the police at Miefe responded to the scene of a body in an advanced state of decomposition in a jute bag with limbs, breasts and private parts chopped off and chest ripped open.

He said the police identified the body as that of the missing woman and arrested the pastor together with his wife and Kindness Mba, his 24 year old son.

Nana Hinneh said the suspects are in police custody whiles the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Ketu South Municipal Hospital for preservation and would later be transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra for Autopsy.

He said the Police are continuing with their investigations.
Ghana and Qatar are seeking ways to boost multi-faceted bilateral cooperation between the two countries, with Ghana seeking to leverage on Qatar's expertise in the oil and gas sector to enhance its energy infrastructure.

This was the outcome of discussions when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Thursday, called on the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as part of his three-day official visit to that country.

The deliberations between both leaders centered on energy, infrastructural development, railways and roads, and, also on the need to co-operate strategically for the mutual benefit of the two countries and their respective populations.

The Qatari leader expressed his eagerness to have Ghanaian companies invest in his country, and was desirous of meeting the Ghanaian business community during his official three-day state visit to Ghana scheduled for December 27, 2017.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani indicated that Qatar was desirous of forging strong partnerships and relations with countries such as Ghana, countries that are governed in accordance with the rule of law, respect for individual liberties and human rights, and the principles of democratic accountability.

The Emir stressed the need to rekindle the ancient ties between Africa and the Gulf Region, which has weakened in the course of the last 60 to 70 years.

President Akufo-Addo was grateful for the warm reception and hospitality accorded him and his delegation since his arrival to Qatar.

He noted that Ghana, considering the significant gas resources available to her, was willing to learn from Qatar on how the country has exploited its gas resources for the development of the country and the progress of its people.

The President was hopeful that Ghana would establish an Embassy in Qatar before the Emir's visit to the country.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The world can only advance cohesion and solidarity amongst displaced persons and help create the right environment for a purposeful dignified life, if there was access to education, President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has said.

He said education was the key to human development and to widening life's options for individuals and society as a whole adding that it was the panacea to the youth escaping poverty and living decent lives.

President Akufo-Addo said this when he delivered the keynote address at the 2017 World Innovation Summit for Education in Doha, Qatar, on the theme: 'Asset over Burden - Education for Refugee Youth.'

He is in Qatar on a three-day official visit.

The President indicated that education had eluded the 66 million people forcibly displaced all over the world, out of which some 23 million are described as refugees.

He made reference to a report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that said refugees were five times more likely to be out of school than the global average.

According to the report, only 50 per cent of refugee children have access to primary education, compared with a global average of more than 90 per cent.

'The gap, according to the same report, widens, as these children become older, with only 22 per cent of refugee adolescents attending secondary school compared to a global average of 84 per cent. At the higher education level, fewer than one per cent of refugees attend university, compared to 34 per cent at the global level.'

This, the President said, is not right, as 'the spectre of tens and tens of millions of young refugees growing up without the needed skills to create a meaningful life for themselves is a dangerous one.'

As co-Chair of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocates Group of Eminent Personalities, the President stated that: 'If the noble goal of the SDGs is to ensure that no one is left behind and, amongst others, to guarantee education for all, then we must seek to empower those left behind as a result of conflict and war.'

'We should commit ourselves to building a world where every child has the opportunity to better him or herself and, by so doing, better the global community,' the President said.

President Akufo-Addo was saddened that African youth did not see a future in their respective countries and were dying enmasse crossing the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of better life in Europe, when Africa now had the world's second fastest economic growth rates, and in possession of nearly 30 per cent of the earth's remaining mineral resources.

The situation, he said, was primarily the result of the structure of the majority of African economies, which are dependent on the production and export of raw materials, saying this cannot produce wealth and prosperity for the masses on the continent.

'It, therefore, drives the determination to seek a much better standard of living out of Africa, thereby, fuelling the refugee crises and the numerous counts of illegal migrations,' he said.

'What the evidence from history and the experience of many countries have shown is that it is not natural resources that build nations. It is people who build nations. It is not gold, cocoa, diamonds, timber or oil that is going to build Africa. If it was, it would have done so already. It is Africans, especially the youth of today, who are going to build Africa,' he said.

The President told the gathering that Ghana, under his administration, had placed a premium on education, leading up to the introduction of the Free Senior High School Policy.

'All this is being done, because we want to throw open the doors of opportunity and hope to our young people, and help build a new African civilisation, governed by the rule of law, respect for individual liberties and human rights, and the principles of democratic accountability, which will provide the basis for the new Africa of prosperity and dignity, no longer dependent on aid or charity,' President Akufo-Addo stressed.

GNA
Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Anning, Director of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peace-Keeping and Training Centre, has said manifestos of political parties should be made legally binding to ensure that they fulfil their promises.

He said experiences in the Fourth Republic have shown that political parties made wild unattainable promises just to woo people to vote for them only for the parties to disappoint them by not fulfilling the promises.

He said such disappointment tended to breed the lawless acts ( including vigilantism), committed by especially the youth when a new government assumes power because they want to find means of achieving their aims as their government was in power.

Dr Anning made the call in Tamale on Thursday when delivering a lecture to mark the 15th anniversary of NORSAAC, a gender-based civil society organization.

His topic was: 'Curbing Youth Vigilantism in Ghana: a Panacea for Sustainable Democracy.'

Since December last year when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won power, about 21 incidents of youth violence tagged as vigilante acts in the form of chasing workers out of their offices, seizing public toilets amongst others were committed across the country by youth groups aligned to the party, most of which went unpunished.

Dr Anning said in other jurisdictions, manifestos were considered legal documents adding that such must apply to the country's situation to assure the electorate that their leaders would deliver on their promises to help curb the lawlessness exhibited by the youth after a new government assumed power.

He said the rising youth population in the country and the lack of opportunities for them had security implications as disappointed youth were likely to engage in organized violence.

Dr Anning accused political leaders of acting in a self-contradictory manner which encouraged youth lawlessness and hooliganism in the country.

He called on parents, community leaders and all stakeholders to be steadfast in identifying early warning signals and inculcate in their children values that would ensure a strong coherent society.

Mr Samson Lardy Anyenini, a Lawyer and Broadcaster, said there was no vigilante group in the country adding what the country had been witnessing within the past 11 months since the NPP assumed power was a group of lawless people undertaking lawless acts.

He spoke on the topic: 'Youth Vigilantism and Selective Justice in Ghana: A Threat to National Security.'

Mr Anyenini said such acts should be treated as crimes and dealt with adding the country was not at the point that warranted vigilantism.

He said political interference and punishment transfers were responsible for the inability of the law enforcement agencies to act hence the lawless acts by the political party youth.

Mr Anyenini called on political party leaders to stop the hypocrisy in how they handled lawless acts by groups aligned to them and rather deal with such acts according to the law to show that they were in charge of the affairs of the state.

Mr Alhassan Mohammed Awal, Executive Director of NORSAAC, said his organization would continue to work to influence national policy for the development of the country.
Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for West Africa and the Sahel, has said there is the need for African youth empowerment to accelerate the continent's socioeconomic development.

'It won't be long for a democratic Africa to put its youths at the epicenter of its calculations. The youth hold the ace. They can bring about the paradigm shift through a combination of thinking, planning and demonstrating a better capacity than previous generations, to effectively implement and execute plans to achieve set targets at national, regional and continental levels,' Dr Chambas said.

Dr Chambas said this in a speech at the Inaugural Annual Leadership Lecture of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

The lecture was held under the theme: 'Leadership in Africa: Meeting Global Standards', out of which Dr Chambas, carved a sub topic: 'Equipping the Youth to Renegotiate Africa's Position in the Era of Africa's Rising'.

'The moment is now to change the narrative of Africa being a rich continent of poor people. With a well-educated, skilled and modern technology compliant, patriotic and pan African oriented youth, Africa will truly emerge,' he said.

'The time is now to build a peaceful, secure, democratic and prosperous Africa for all; a continent in which no one is left behind,' he added.

Dr Chambas said such was the vision of the UN Agenda 2030 and AU Agenda 2063; declaring that 'Africa is indeed rising!'

He said the African youth was drastically changing roles; as opportunities were subsumed in the changing dynamics of the economies, so were the challenges - especially of employability and entrepreneurship.

'The strength of any society is within the strength and resolve of its youth - what investment are young people making in our continent today and how are our leaders mainstreaming them into the governance and administrative structure to negotiate continued prosperity for their generation?' he asked rhetorically.

'With the Fourth Industrial Revolution upon us and the rate at which technology is advancing, it is critical that we have a sufficiently educated and skilled workforce to be able to drive Africa in this direction.

'There is currently a mismatch between industry demands and the education curriculum. Educational institutions need to update their curricula to align with the direction in which the world and Africa are going.

'If we ignore this, our young people will have irrelevant qualifications that the continent will be unable to benefit from,' he said.

'We need to give relevant education to empower and equip African youths to be in a position to renegotiate a better spot for Africa in the global world.'

Dr Chambas explained that local solutions must be sought for local challenges; stating that 'but for this to happen, we need to encourage and cultivate innovation among our youth'.

'With the growth of the continent, it only makes sense for us to industrialize in order to be less reliant on importing products for consumption from outside the continent.

'And to industrialize, the youth must be equipped with the necessary job skills and technology know how to drive the process.

'The youths themselves must intentionally create a culture that encourages the building and shaping of the Africa that they want.'

He said: 'The change they want begins with them coming together and developing their own culture and value system for thinking, planning, implementation, accountability, integrity, and collaboration. It is up to the African youth to shape the narrative of our continent.'

He said if countries were to succeed in achieving the SDGs, leaving no one behind along the way, governments must seek out an active and substantive engagement of young women and men from diverse backgrounds in national-level planning, implementation, and monitoring.

He said in addition, the youths could take an active part in addressing international issues having to do with arms trade treaty, migration and mediation to name a few, in their respective roles as students, workers or volunteers.

Professor Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, Vice Chancellor, UPSA, said young people now and in the future would play a big role in how the world adapts to global challenges.

'With the youth come energy, innovation and optimism - if there are supportive environments and opportunities,' he stated.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The Judicial Service would commence this year's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) week nationwide from Monday, November 20 to Friday, November 24.

The theme for the week is: 'Quality Justice: The Role of ADR'.

The ADR has been adopted by the Judicial Service as part of its adjudication process towards ensuring that access to justice is made easier, cheaper, non-adversarial, expeditious and flexible to all, particularly, the poor and the vulnerable in the society.

A statement issued in Accra by Mr Alex Nartey, the National ADR Coordinator, said in line with this, the Chief Justice in a policy directive on 'Court-Connected ADR', has instituted an ADR Week in every Legal Year Term.

It said the directive was to give parties the opportunity to settle their cases through mediation and also to run programmes and activities to create awareness on the availability of ADR as a complement to the adjudication process in the Courts.

The ADR week would also be used to resolve cases in the 87 Courts Connected to ADR throughout the week nationwide.

It said the 87 courts comprises 25 circuit courts and 62 District courts would devoted the whole week for settlement of court cases with the ADR across the country.

'Members of the public who have cases pending in the courts are therefore, encouraged to contact the Registrars of the courts to arrange for their cases to be referred to ADR,' it added.

The statement said there would also be interviews on Radio and TV Stations throughout the country during the week to educate, sensitise and create public awareness on the 'Court Connected ADR' mechanism.

The statement therefore, invites the public to visit the courts, the offices of the Regional ADR Coordinators in the various Regions and the National ADR Directorate within the Supreme Court Building, Accra, to learn more about ADR in the Judicial Service.

It said the official opening of the week would be marked by a press conference at District Court 1 in Cape Coast in the Central Region on Monday.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The National Communication Authority (NCA) has sourced the expertise of leading business leaders to impart their knowledge and experiences to 2017/2018 batch of graduates doing their national service at the Authority at a seminar in Accra.

A statement issued by the NCA and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the training, which began in September with the launch by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has seen the National Service Personnel being taken through training on the Authority's core mandate as well as other soft skills to prepare them for corporate life.

Speakers at the seminar included Lieutenant General O.B. Akwa, the Chief of Defence Staff, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Director General of Operations, Ghana Police Service, Ms Yolanda Cuba, the Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, Mrs Lucy Quist, immediate past CEO of Airtel Ghana and Mr Franklin Cudjoe, CEO of Imani Centre for Policy and Education.

Mr Joe Anokye, the Acting Director General of the NCA, said management found it prudent to ensure that the service personnel, who would for the period of their National Service be considered as staff of the Authority, were up to standard and understood the dynamics of the mandate of the NCA.

'This resulted in the detailed training programme we set out for the NSP, and this Day with Leaders Programme was conceptualised to motivate the personnel as they start work with us and to give them nuggets of wisdom that will be useful to them in their career and world of work,' he said.

They were taken through topics spanning loyalty to one's work, finding a purpose in one's life, and success in the work place.

Lt. General Obed Akwa, Chief of Defence Staff, encouraged the young professionals to be loyal in the exercise of their duties.

Mrs Quist, who has been motivating young women, especially through her STEM Initiative, reminded the young ones that 'Success is a system and not a single event".

She pointed out the need for the NSPs to plan their actions and work towards being successful in their career or whatever endeavour they found themselves.

Dr Akuffo Dampare reminded the personnel of the need to develop their knowledge and spiritual well-being without sacrificing one for the other.

Mr Cudjoe emphasised the need for the personnel to take reading very seriously as it is a key way to attain knowledge.

He observed that most youth seemed to have departed from studying and encouraged them to use social media positively by sharing knowledge-based information in addition to the jokes and light-hearted materials.

He gave examples of celebrated Ghanaian entrepreneurs like J.K. Siaw and the late Esther Ocloo who were able to take advantage of the local opportunities to create thriving businesses.

The Service personnel, who would be sent to the various regions to assist in Consumer Outreach and other activities of the NCA, expressed their gratitude for the training.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The state of human rights protection in Africa, 30 years after the creation of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, was the main highlight of the recent 61st session of the Commission in Banjul.

For Gambians, the fact that the Commission has been based in their country since its inception in 1987 was an irony, given that for 22 of those years they were under President Yahya Jammeh who is now being accused of human rights violations.

The country's new leader, President Adama Barrow, told a special gathering of various human rights stakeholders: ' the people of The Gambia recognise the commitment and support of the African Commission in ensuring that human rights are protected in The Gambia despite the uncooperative attitude of the former government.

'The Commission never shied away from carrying out its mandate even when it seemed impossible to do so in The Gambia, and for this we will remain eternally grateful.'

A statement on behalf of participants at the celebrations noted that serious restrictions on freedom of expression and information 'still abounds' in Africa.

It added: 'The existence of draconian laws curtailing the enjoyment of rights of citizens, censorship and cyber laws institutionalising internet restrictions and blockages remain disconcerting...

'The African Commission is urged to call on states to remove or amend laws that are not in compliance with protection guaranteed in national constitutions and under regional and international law...'

One participant told the GNA that there was particular concern about Mauritania, which is to host the 62nd session of the Commission in either April or May next year.

She pointed to the recent release from prison of Mauritanian blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir who had initially been sentenced to death.

On appeal, this was reduced to two years in prison and a fine, but having already served nearly four years he was released.

The Amnesty International welcomed the new ruling and called on the Mauritanian authorities to ensure that Ould Mkhaitir lived without threats from conservative religious circles.

Human rights activists said his arrest highlighted the lack of freedom of expression in Mauritania, and also underscored the heightened state of social and ethnic divisions in a country that is also going to host the African Union summit in June 2018.

The activists are critical of the apparent lack of substantial action by the government of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz against slavery even though a law has been passed to ban the practice.

One activist told the GNA: 'Passing laws without properly implementing them is clearly not the right way to deal with a contentious issue such as slavery, particularly in the light of what President Barrow said at the celebratory meeting.'

In his address, the Gambian leader noted: 'it is important to note that human rights protection must not only be about enacting laws on paper.

'Concrete steps must be taken through the creation of institutions, policies and programmes for the full realisation and enjoyment of these rights.'

The main objective of the commemoration was to assess the impact of the Commission's work since its inception; raise awareness of its mandate; highlight its achievements and challenges; assess its prospects; and propose ways of moving the human rights agenda forward.

Some human rights activists believe that the achievements of the Commissions have been mixed.

In a message delivered on his behalf, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, told the Banjul gathering: 'Time has come for the African continent to resolutely overcome decades of numerous human rights challenges resulting from a diverse range of factors, including war, poverty, corruption, autocratic rule and exclusion of women from all spheres of life.

'I call also on member states to cooperate with all the organs and other relevant bodies to ensure that human rights and dignity are fully reinforced across the continent.'

In Mauritania, President Ould Azziz's opponents have accused him of the anti-constitutional and anti-democratic policies.

Human rights activists say that as the country prepares to host the Commission and AU, they will focus their spotlight on the government of President Ould Azziz and use the international focus on Mauritania over the next year to champion the cause of human rights in the country.

'With Mauritania also attempting to return to the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS), which takes a robust stance against the violation of human rights and democratic principles, it is not going to be easy for President Ould Azziz to get his way.'
Folks, in commenting on happenings in the NDC vis-a-vis the jostling for attention by those interested in leading the party to Election 2020, I hinted that I dont see ex-President Mahama as the one to redeem the party and restore it to power. I said that I would give my reasons in follow-up opinion pieces.

Having assessed happenings thus far, I am more than persuaded that the NDC will not cut butter at Election 2020 unless a miracle happens. And miracles dont just happen because desperate people wish it so.

I am out now to say what I have harboured all along, especially within the context of what caused the NDC's defeat at Election 2016 despite the massive advantages of incumbency. There was too much running around in circles. And Akufo-Addo is poised to use his Office of Special prosecutor to cause more credibility problems---all in the bid to make the NDC unattractive.

Interestingly, he has managed to win over the Rawlingses to throw away their own baby (NDC) with the bath water that they themselves have muddied. Too bad for the NDC, especially when its leaders at all the local, regional, and national levels will now be looking for ways to save their own necks from entering the noose.

Those of us writing to support the NDC's bid for retention did so with a clean conscience and dont regret in any way about the outcome. Those in government at the time and in charge of the partys affairs should rather regret for the negative turn of events, which has consigned the party to an opposition that it may not easily leave.

Informed people can easily tell why the NDC lost Election 2016 and why the knee-jerk manouevre to use the Kwesi Botchwey Committee as a cover-up. Why arent they bold enough to publish the findings of this committee?

I dont think that doing so will spell more doom for the NDC than expected. Instead, it will reveal the nagging problems that the rank and file of the NDC could learn useful lessons from to prepare for the future. Those kicking against the publicizing of the findings are only fighting the wind to keep the skeletons in their cupboards from being exposed. I laugh them to scorn.

Interestingly, the jockeying for attention in the ranks of the NDC has assumed ridiculous dimensions with the emergence of forces opposed to ex-President Mahama voicing their long-held aspersions. So far, we have heard from such interested parties for the partys flagbearership slot as Joshua Alabi, Sylvester Mensah, Alban Bagbin, and who else.

Ex-President Mahama is in contention, even as he manipulates sentiments to appear as either equivocal or whatever else. He says in one breath that the choice of the Presidential Candidate for Election 2020 isnt necessary now when party building should be the priority. Yet, he looms large at the partys Unity Walks all over the place to the chagrin of his sidelined internal critics and interested aspirants for the slot to lead the NDC to the polls. What is happening?

Lets cut the chase here to say that the factors that caused the NDCs defeat at Election 2016 cant be easily written off. The Akufo-Addo administration is creepily exploiting them to ingratiate itself to the people. We can tell from all the propaganda going onand all the measures being put in place---that everything is fashioned to dim the NDCs light.

Is it about the free SHS education?

The claim to have ended Dumsor (even when it was the Mahama-administrations investments in the energy sector that settled it all for which Akufo-Addo is claiming credit)? The so-called self-adulatory claim of implement ting prudent measures to turn around the Ghanaian economy (even though the IMF and World Bank think otherwise)? Or what else?

Truth be told, the cost of living in Ghana is still abhorrently high and damaging. A tacit manipulation of the media scene favours Akufo-Addo to the disadvantage of the NDC, which continues to be disparaged.

In this context, a resurgence of the NDC needs more than what is unfolding. It is at this point that clear-headed elements in the NDC camp should make their voices heard. Impulsive moves to rubber-stamp Mahama as the de facto flagbearer for the 2020 Elections have already backfired.

Whatever caused Mahamas defeat is still in the horizon. Not until Ghanaians feel dissatisfied with Akufo-Addos approach to handling the affairs of state, nothing about Mahama will appeal to them. Enough damage has been done to Mahama by his political opponents and his own traitors in the NDC camp to create the impression that he isnt a problem solver.

All the politically motivated moves by Akufo-Addo to tackle corruption are aimed at further undercutting him. As soon as the Office of the Special prosecutor is established for functionaries of his administration to be hauled before it and disgraced, the mudslinging will intensify. Its all aimed at preventing him from launching a comeback.

Of course, he did his best and will be remembered for it. But given the kind of enmity, rancour, and bitterness that characterizes politics in this phase of the 4th republic when those who avidly sought political power and spent so much money seeking it and failed are now in power, there is little doubt that they will do all in their power to entrench themselves.

Doing so means a lot to them, regardless of the impact on the country. Once they are determined to maintain their grip on power, they will do anything to that effect. They have already established structures to sustain that move.

That is why it will be sensible for the NDC camp to know how to play whatever cards it has in hand. Merely isolating issues and hooting at the NPP administration (as is happening in the case of the 2017 and 2018 budget and fiscal policies) will not win the hearts and minds of voters preparing for Election 2020.

As of now, what I see coming from the NDC camp is dismissible as a mere childs play thing. No wonder that the chief ventriloquist in the media touting the NPPs goodwill (Kweku Baako) has said that the NDC cannot win Election 2020.

Where, then, should the NDC turn for traction?

A careful assessment and re-assessment of the findings of the Kwesi Botchwey Committees report and a genuine self-appraisal to face facts. I dont think that the party has anything to lose if it shares such findings with its rank and file (or Ghanaians, generally) as a means of re-engineering itself.

After all, the findings suggest that something drastically bad happened, which must not happen again. What is wrong about sharing such a perspective with the partys followers and Ghanaians (some of whom might have been misled to put Akufo-Addo in power)?

Folks, much more to share with you. For now, enough said. Good day.

I shall return
17.11.2017 LISTEN

We are not visually impaired yet we prefer blindness. We are certainly not deaf but our favourite games are playing deaf and dumb.

We have outgrown the age of ignorance, as education has been made cheap for all. From radio programs to television shows and social media advocacies, we have received more information on the dos and donts of almost everything if not all. We have to our advantage quite an array of resources to exploit but this however, comes with other serious implications and responsibilities.

A chunk of which we tend to wave off for the sake of our selfish gains hence pay more attention to the exploitation and less or none at all to the implications and responsibilities. This is the attitude of the average Ghanaian and this is common everywhere from academia to what have you. This attitude of my interest first, everybody elses later is what has been killing us and would continue to do so. Not until we have changed, would we find improvement in our livelihoods and hopefully develop substantially.

Mangrove forests are a major resource of the coastal zone in sheltered coastlines where wave activity tends to be moderate. They contain a high number of plants and animals (e.g. Crustaceans, molluscs, fishes and birds) which form a significant part of the mangrove resource and contribute to marine biodiversity.

It is however evidently true that our mangrove systems just like any other aquatic resource has been over the years extremely exploited with little if not nothing being done to sustain the system nor curb the current situation.

A look at the mangrove stand in most of our coastal waters reveals so much on the overexploitation of these systems and subsequently its pollution. Under favourable conditions, mangroves can grow very tall with their heights ranging between 15m to 25m if undisturbed.

These mangrove systems are homes and hideouts to quite a number of species of organisms with the commonest being the Crassostrea tulipa (red mangrove oyster), Lutjanus griseus (the mangrove snapper) and many more.

These systems which are not just ecologically but also economically and socio-economically valuable to us, are near depletion due to a number of reasons, most of which include the below listed.

Urbanization  Settlement near and around these areas is growing at a faster rate with increase in population as settlers tend to give birth uncontrollably causing overcrowding hence overdependence on the only available source of livelihoods which is mangrove cutting and selling.

The settlers again due to overcrowding not only cut down the mangroves to sell but also because they need to build homes as well. In other cases, the mangrove system are lost completely because the wetlands which help in their sustenance are sold out to businessmen to be filled for the construction of filling stations and more as it is being done in some areas around Cape Coast.

Negligence on the parts of authorities and other stakeholders  Authorities and stakeholders such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fisheries Commission (FC), the Executive arm of Government and the general public have neglected to some extent their duties as stakeholders in the protection of the environment and its constituents. Under the constitution of Ghana, ACT 1652, it is stated clearly that; for every developmental project taken place, there is the need for an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) to be conducted before the commencement of these projects. In the same way ACT 625 also makes it clear however that; for every developmental project taken place, there is the need for an FIA (Fisheries Impact Assessment) to be conducted before the commencement of these projects. Assuming these were being done or taken seriously, would we still be facing such issues? I doubt that.

The real question here however is, what happened to check and balances? Was it working? Has it ever worked? Or is it one of those policies than never mattered.

Overexploitation and the pretence we call ignorance  People (often settlers) in these areas hide behind their veil of pretence disguised as ignorance to exploit these resources extremely without guilt nor thoughts of helping sustain it for the good of generations to come. They pay less attention to the wise use gospel and pay more attention to the my interest first, everybody elses later gospel and do whatever they like. After all they stand the risk of losing nothing since no one is there to check or control the rate at which they are cutting these mangroves, confiscating their produce nor arresting them for over cutting or not reforesting the cut ones. This is one of many attitudes that must be checked and countered with.

Waste disposal  Naturally, mangroves are prone to challenging conditions such as saline conditions, hypoxic to anoxic conditions etc. Hypoxic and anoxic conditions are situations in water bodies where dissolved oxygen concentration is near depletion or totally depleted due to their shallow nature.

However settlers around these systems tend to create and dump their waste into these water bodies causing a decrease in the depths-making them shallower and causing turbidity which hinders phytoplankton production.

The settling of some of these waste materials most especially plastic wastes also makes it difficult for propagules to find suitable substrates for germination or development.

Overtime, the existing mangroves either get cut off or die off due to the worsening of their conditions and since the substrates are covered by plastic waste and more little or no mangrove is left standing of what use to be a mangrove stand or ecosystem.

Way forward, I think it is high time we need to first individuals adapt the selfless attitude and think of others as well when doing somethings. We need to start thinking of both long term implications of some of these issues pertaining to not only mangrove exploitation but also to all other problems we find in our country as a whole.

The government and stakeholders such as the Fisheries Commission and Environmental Protection Agencies must work effectively without corruption whatsoever to help curb the issues. The principle of checks and balances must be strengthened by all means possible to monitor the works of certain organizations under the government sector to ensure wetlands are not converted into petroleum filling stations and more.

Again setting up marine police stations on shore or few meters on shore and providing marine police with the necessary equipment would go a step further in curbing this situation.

Law enforcement units, most importantly the legislature and judiciary should be ready to strengthen the polluters pay principle. The polluters pay principle seeks to address the issue of pollution by ensuring culprits pay for their crimes either through communal work to restore the polluted systems or paying a fine to serve as a deterrent.
COP Rev. Neenyi Ampah-Bennin (Below) And The Newly Built Police Station (Above)

17.11.2017 LISTEN

The Central Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, COP Revered Neenyi Ampah-Bennin has observed that criminal activities in the country was becoming too sophisticated hence the need for suficicated approach to combat it.

"Therefore, there is the need for all hands to be on deck ensure that peace and stability prevail in the country especially crime proned areas.

Amried robbery is gradually becoming lucrative for school going age and if care is not taken, these children would abandon school for criminal activities.

I want to caution criminal to desist from their activities before the law descend on them"

COP Rev. Neenyi Ampah-Bennin stated these at the inauguration of nearly built s Police Station to boost security at Gomoa Dampoase (Langma. ) in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region.

The edifice was constructed by the people in the community through the effort of the Chief, Nene Narh Ohimeh I.

It comprises of CID/ Station Officer offices, exhibit room, male and female cells and a charge office. The people constructed the police station through communal labour with financial support from the chief, individual personalities, civil society among others.

The Central Regional Police Commander disclosed that the Police administration would continue to provide the needed security for the people of Gomoa Dampoase ( Langma) and its surrounding communities.

He called on them to ensure personal safety and security adding the community watchdogs committee should be formed to augment the efforts of police personnel that would be posted to the station.

Nana Takyi Wiabo V, Chief of Gomoa Nyanyano in his welcome address called on the Central Regional Security Council as well as the Regional Minister, Hon. Kwamina Duncan to visit the vicinity to assess security situation in the area.

According to him, boundary disputes between Gomoa East District Assembly and Ga South Municipal Assembly was creating insecurity thus creating room for criminal activities and land encroachment.

He appealed to the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service to ensure that peace prevail in Gomoa Dampoase (Langma) and its surrounding communities.

The Gomoa East District Chief Executive, Hon.Benjamin Kojo Otoo coomended the Chief of the town Nene Narh Ohimeh I and the people for constructing the police station to boost security.

The DCE noted that the main occupation of the over 5,000 people in the area was fishing and tourism industry.

He was happy the people through self-help had built the edifice to provide peace and stability.

"Each one of us is to ensure personal security. We should not harbour criminals in our homes but rather expose them to the security agencies to face the laws of the land.

The Gomoa East District Assembly will continue to support security agencies to provide the needed peace and security in Gomoa Dampoase (Langma) and the entire District.

As the Chairman of the District Security Council, I want personnel who would be posted to this police station to act professionally for peace and stability to enable the people carry out their economic activities peacefully "

The NPP Member of Parliament for Gomoa East constituency, Hon. Kojo Asemanyi lauded the people for the edifice which he said was going to assist the fight against criminal activities especially landguards.

He noted that he will contact Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to facilitate redemacation of the boundaries between Gomoa East District Assembly and its neighbouring Assemblies to ensure coexistence.
Bonn, Germany, 16 November 2017 - Africa Day , held on 15 November within COP23 in Bonn, was the springboard for the official launch of Africa NDC Hub, the African platform for nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

This African Development Bank (AfDB) initiative is intended to help the 54 African countries fulfil their commitments made under the Paris Agreement - or in other words, to put their respective NDCs into action - without neglecting their own development priorities.

"This platform is a response to the requests made by various African countries," said Amadou Hott, AfDB vice president for electricity, energy, climate change and green growth, as he unveiled this new initiative to an audience of Heads of State, Ministers, policy makers and representatives of civil society, among others, from across the continent. It should be seen as an "opportunity to accelerate investment in climate action in Africa through NDCs," he added, because it will facilitate "better coordination among partners to provide a collective and effective response", for and by the whole of Africa.

This platform should be a catalyst for concessional funding for climate-related projects in Africa which will, in turn, help raise private finance. This is a most timely initiative, bearing in mind that, according to recent studies, US$ 4 billion will be required to implement the NDCs.

While all 54 African countries signed the Paris Agreement, 43 have ratified it and 53 (the exception being Libya) have submitted their NDCs, 85% of these NDCs are conditional upon financial aid from abroad and only 15% are on the basis of domestic budgets. And Africa is already the poor relation when it comes to world climate funding, capturing less than 5% of the total. Thus, the announcement of this new platform was warmly welcomed.

To date, Africa NDC Hub has 10 partners other than AfDB: the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the International Institute for the Environment and Development (IIED) and the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Hon. Mr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh Education Minister's unwarranted and unprovoked attacks on Prof Naana Opku Agyemang former education can best be described as either gbeshie or kpokpogbligbli induced.

Before Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman became the minister for education from 2013-2016, she had held various positions in the field of academics which included but not limited to the position of Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. In fact, in the history of Ghana, she is the first female to have headed a public university as a VC.

What did Prof Naana Opoku Agyemang say to you and do to warrant such infantile attacks from someone who is supposed to be honourable? Without sound too harsh or offensive like your attacks, dont you know that theres great differences between you and Prof. Naana in terms of who appreciates and understand our educational system better?

Please Mr ARROGANT, RUDE AND POMPOUS education minister, find a place in your wifes kitchen cabinet and hang your pride. This enable learn from educationists like Prof Naana Opoku Agyemang which could help you. Cut the empty pride and humble yourself so that well meaning Ghanaians especially educationists and other stakeholders in the sector can help you manage our countrys educational system properly.

Are you not ashamed that, barely two months after the fun-fair that characterized the launch of the so-called free education just for SHS 1 students only, your government is already gasping for breath and has therefore called on the citizenry to do SUSU contributions to help you fund your government over ambitious poorly thought-through campaign promise?

Didnt ndc as well as, experts in the sector caution you and your government about the possibility of funding difficulties? But because you feel too big to learn or because you felt that you know everything, you ignored all the legitimate concerns raised about the policy and its shabby implementation. Is there any wonder that, schools like La Presby SHS had to provide cement blocks for SHS 1 students to use as classroom desks or furniture?

Is it any wonder that Vittin SHS in Tamale had to convert the shades of trees on the school compound to be used as dormitories for SHS 1 students? Is there any wonder that some schools had to convert classrooms verandas, school toilet and kitchen facilities as dormitories and classrooms respectively for SHS 1 students? These happen when you allow your over bloated egos to take charge or control of your intellectual prowess. Pride goes before a fall.

Is NDC not vindicated when it constantly question you and your government about the funding sources?

Perhaps if you had cut these bad attributes you exhibit even in the midst of your gross incompetence, maybe you government would not have been asking the poor Ghanaians to do susu contributions for you to fund the free education policy.

Yes, you may be a colossus in the medical field but your incompetence at the educational ministry has clearly manifested in the bizarre implementation of the free education policy.

Many well meaning Ghanaians are wondering the caliber of SHS graduates Ghana will produce in the few years to come under the current state of the free education system in the country.

Mr Napo as you are affectionately called, please drop the arrogance and empty pride, humble yourself, so that people can feel comfortable and respected, so that they can see the need help you out.

Let me use this opportunity to also call on women groups to condemn the unwarranted and unprovoked attacks against Madam Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang. The attacks on her is also an attack on wowanhood and civil society groups must come out to condemn such irresponsible behaviour particularly coming from a minister who is also a legislator.

Finally, Mr Mathew Opoku Prempeh must render unqualified apology to the former education minister and women in general.

I hope my appeal is accepted in good faith from a humble citizen of Ghana.

God bless our homeland.

Signed

Baba Musah
The late former Vice President Aliu Mahama did not only play a key role in my choice by Nana Akufo-Addo as his running mate, but offered me important lessons in politics and joined in the campaign that followed, so said Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, current vice president.

The vice president was speaking during the Islamic prayer segment of the fifth anniversary of the death of Aliu Mahama at his Cantonments residence in Accra yesterday.

His remarks were genteel and held his audience spellbound as he recalled his early days in politics. Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Dr Bawumia recalled, was unflinching in his support for him when the then flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, was considering him for the position of running mate.

According to him, the former veep told him that he was going to hold his hands and lead him into politics at a time when he (Dr. Bawumia) was a novice.

Whenever he smiled, as he often did, it was comforting, Dr Bawumia said, adding that he learnt a lot of things about leadership from the deceased. He told me about how when you are in leadership position many persons would come and tell you about others. 'You must be careful about such developments otherwise you would part ways with many people. In politics avoid rumours.' He told me to be loyal to my boss, he recalled.

Dr Bawumia continued, I am gladdened by the fact that today as we assemble here to pray for our father, people from both sides of the political divide are here. That shows that our father lived a good life. I have a deep affection for him. He was a selfless person and that was the essence of Alhaji Aliu Mahama. He was always smiling and when he did, it was comforting.

Recalling the period before his choice as running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo, he said, When Nana Akufo-Addo was considering me as his running mate, I was a novice. He had to do consultations and I know that one of the persons he consulted was Alhaji Aliu Mahama. He was unflinching in his support.

The late Aliu Mahama, he said, was a pioneer because as vice president to President Kufuor, He brought something unique. He was the first politician who could say he was from both the Zongo and the North. When I was selected he knew I was a novice and said, 'I would hold your hands.' It was not just about advice, but he went round campaigning with me.

Dr. Bawumia said he was fascinated by the deference the former vice president commanded from the many chiefs they met during the campaign  something which he said made him advise him (Bawumia) to write an autobiography.

Dr. Bawumia observed how Aliu Mahama was instrumental in erasing the perception that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a political grouping, was anti-Zongo.

For him, we see him as a pioneer as far as our politics is concerned because he as vice president to His Excellency President Kufuor, he brought something unique to the table. He straddled the Zongo community and the Northern Community.

He revealed that the whole idea of setting up a Zongo Development Fund was that of Aliu Mahama's.

While tracing the story of how matters of the Zongos became centre stage in the NPP, he said that one day while in a conversation with former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the latter said something must be done for the Zongo communities, especially since there was a perception that the NPP was anti-Zongo. When the issue was brought before Nana Akufo-Addo, he bought into the idea hence, the inclusion of Zongos in the manifesto of the NPP, he explained.

The prayer session had in attendance the creme la creme of the Islamic community in Accra. The Chief Of Staff, Frema Osei Opare; Haruna Iddrisu; Muntaka Mubarak; members of the Council of Zongo Chiefs; Moses Asaga; the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the NPP; Acting NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay and Kwabena Agyepong.

Also in attendance was Gabby Otchere-Darko, chairman of the anniversary planning committee of the late Aliu Mahama. The prayers were officiated by the National Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu.

By A.R. Gomda
Daniel Osei, the former Consul General to Dubai under the John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC), who criticized the way in which the organizers 'skewed' the party's so-called Unity Walk in Cape Coast in favour of the former President, has hit back again.

He said the 10 NDC Regional Chairmen acted silly by declaring their support for former President Mahama.

The move by the chairmen made little or no political sense, do we need another distraction with this (10 regional chairmen) silly act? Mr Osei quizzed.

There has been a backlash against the Mahama camp and Mr Osei appears to be vocal in his criticism of all those fronting for the ex-President since the Cape Cost Unity Walk, which was designed to promote Mr Mahama at the expense of all those stalwarts, who have declared their intentions to lead the NDC in 2020 elections.

He was of the view that their action was jeopardizing the future of the NDC and compelling the rank and file to take entrenched positions instead of coming together to forge ahead in unity to enable them to capture power from the NPP.

A noble MP managed to stop what would have been a PR disaster with sitting MPs and prevented a signed petition endorsing Mahama and they came out with the 80 MPs want Mahama back verbiage, and now this (10 Chairmen's action), Mr Osei, who was once DCE for Ashanti Akim North, said on a social media platform.

True or false, it only allows people to discuss how much it cost and if the GH1 million tag is the best use of the funds. Are there no thinkers in Mahamas camp?

If at the recent Cape Walk Rally, everyone was allowed to speak for a couple of minutes and Mahama spoke last as per tradition, and at the end of his speech, invited all the potential aspirants, former ministers, and they lined up with Mahama in the middle, raised their hands in unity and sang the 'Victory of the NDC' is coming again, just imagine the headlines with photos of all of them holding hands and Mahama in the middle.

He said it would have been a great exclamation on a successful unity walk and the biggest winner would have been JM. It wouldnt have cost a penny more and it would have endeared him even more to all.

The former envoy said instead the Mahama camp employed bullying tactics to prevent top men, party assets from speaking.

They could have each said something about the myriad of issues in the country and thereby allow JM to focus his message on unity. It would have been beautiful but alas, the same old tactics with very predictable results were employed and in the end to what end?

He said I am scandalized as to why silly mistakes that are easily preventable are actually planned and executed. Why? If JM is too overworked or for whatever reason not capable of recognizing some of these mistakes, where are the thinkers around him?

He added couldnt anybody on his team realize taking an entourage of media with their cameras to accompany him on his private visit to a relative, Major Mahamas widow was wrong? How many of us write on Facebook or social media about our gifts to friends when theyre bereaved, let alone family? What was the possible or potential upside to writing about this private visit on social media? Had there not been cameras, the bad joke or slip would have never been captured. And even still, when they edited to put on Facebook, did no one in his circle notice it was in bad taste to ask a child that question?

He said that there is a path to victory 2020 but we cant keep doing the same things and expect different results.

By William Yaw Owusu
An unemployed Nigerian man has been remanded into custody by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly robbing personnel of the Atomic Energy Total Filling Station at Haatso in Accra of their belongings.

Chibuzo Akwuba is said to have carried out the robbery with Ayitey, Sunday, Titus, Francis, Sunday and Paul, who are currently at large.

The accused and his accomplices were said to have made away with one Samsung Galaxy S4 mobile phone, Galaxy Mini, Iphone 5S, an Infinix phone, and cash of GH910 belonging to the workers of the filling station.

In addition, the armed robbers attempted to steal Jack Daniels Wine, Moet wine, Barrister wine, Mateus wine, Red Label wine, JB wine, milo, milk, Deo Spray, Sensodine, Camel antiseptic, Baby wipe, Lux soap, Cerelac and others at the filling station.

Chibuzo is facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime and robbery contrary to Section 23(1) and 149 of Act 29.

He has pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor Police Chief Superintendent Patience Mario told the court that the complainant, Eric Boateng is the branch manager of the Atomic filling station at Haatso.

She said on 13th October, 2017 at about 2:00 am, six workers of the company slept in the mart after they closed from work.

According to the prosecutor, Chibozu, who does not have a fixed place of abode, was lodging in a motel at Agbogbloshie.

She said the accused person, who was joined by six others armed with pistol and two metal rods, attacked the filling station.

Police Chief Superintendent Mario indicated that they tied up Efatah Gidisu, a driver, who had parked at the forecourt of the filling station and was relaxing and used the metal rods to break the padlock and burglar proof to gain access to the mart.

She said the robbers attacked the workers and used the metal rod to hit one of the workers and made away with the items and cash.

She narrated that two of the workers managed to escape through the roof of the offices.

The prosecutor said the two, while escaping, jumped and in the process one sustained a fracture in the left leg, adding that the other managed to escape to call the police control room upon reaching his house at Dome Pillar two.

Police Chief Superintendent Patience Mario stated that the Kwabenya Police Patrol team, upon reaching the scene, saw the eight robbers fleeing the scene.

She said the armed robbers exchanged fire with the police and Chibozu was hit by a bullet which immobilized him.

The armed robbers left some of the items packed into two sacks behind but bolted away with the money and the mobile phones.

She said the police retrieved one Walther GSP 22 LR Target pistol without magazine and two metal rods at the scene.

The case has been adjourned to 27th November 2017.

Abigail Owiredu-Boateng
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on Wednesday announced that government would allocate a minimum of GH2 million to each district next year for the implementation of the 'One District, One Factory' initiative.

I am by this challenging the local authorities in the various districts, together with the private sector, to take full advantage of these funds, he disclosed.

Mr Ofori-Atta, who was presenting the 2018 national budget statement to Parliament, mentioned that about 250,000 direct and indirect jobs were expected to be collectively generated from some 191 district enterprise project projects selected to be established for some 102 districts next year.

According to him, the projects were selected after the Ministry of Trade and Industry completed technical, financial and commercial viability analysis of 462 proposals tendered for government's 'One district, One factory' inititative this year.

191 projects have been appraised and selected for implementation. 104 of these companies will be operating in the Agribusiness sector, 20 in the Meat and Poultry sector; 40 in the Construction and Building Materials sub-sector and the remaining 27 are businesses in the cosmetics and pharmaceuticals sectors.

He gave the regional breakdown of the companies as follows: Ashanti (35); Brong Ahafo (19); Central (21); Eastern (34); Northern (17); Upper East (4); Upper West (5); Western (10) and Volta (18).

The 'One District, One Factory' programme was launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on 25th August, 2017.

Stimulus package for industry

The Finance Minister revealed that a stimulus programme was being designed to support viable existing local companies that were currently distressed or were facing operational challenges but were deemed viable.

To date, he said, over 350 applications from business operators have been received, out of which 80 were assessed to be eligible for support in the first phase of the programme. The second phase will involve the provision of a stimulus package consisting of technical and financial support to these eligible companies.

Forty-eight of the beneficiary firms operate in Agri-Business; 10 in Chemicals/Pharmaceuticals; 3 in Electrical and Electronics; 5 in Garment and Textiles; 6 in building materials; 6 in plastics and packaging and 2 in Services.

Entrepreneurship

The Ministry for Special Development Initiatives advertised and received 5,500 applications from young Ghanaian entrepreneurs. These applications are being vetted and successful entrepreneurs will receive business advisory services. About 500 of these will receive financial support in addition. Each enterprise will employ a minimum of 12 persons.

Planting for Food and Jobs

He said government's 'Planting for Food and Jobs' programme, which was launched by the President on 19th April, 2017, has chalked major successes.

These include the distribution of about 80,000 bags of cereal and legume seeds, 36,000 vegetable seeds and about 2,000,000 bags of fertilizer; recruitment of 822 agricultural extension personnel and the establishment of a taskforce to assess status of warehouses and storage facilities nationwide for rehabilitation.

There would be the creation of market opportunities for farmers by linking them with institutional buyers such as School Feeding Programme and Prisons Service, as well as the electronic registration of over 34,000 farmers out of more than 200,000 manually registered.

By Samuel Boadi
The various petitioners calling for the creation of new regions in the country out of the existing ones are expected to appear before a Commission of Enquiry to make their case for that to happen.

It would be recalled that President Akufo-Addo, on October 19, this year, inaugurated the commission, in consultation with the Council of State, to solicit the views of residents and petitioners on the creation of the proposed new regions.

Six petitions are awaiting the attention of the Justice Alan Brobbey Commission on the re-demarcation of new regions  two each from the Brong-Ahafo and the Northern Regions and each from the Volta and the Western Regions.

As part of the exercise, the commission is expected to tour the Volta, Western, Northern and the Brong-Ahafo Regions.

But according to the Minister for Regional Reorganization, Dan Botwe  who addressed the media on Thursday in Accra  the entire exercise would begin with separate meetings with the six petitioners at the Osu Castle, Accra, beginning with the petitioners from the Western Region on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at 10am.

That, he said, would be followed by a meeting with the petitioners from the Volta Region on November 22; petitioners from the Brong-Ahafo Region on November 23 whence they would have a break and return on November 28 to meet other petitioners from the Brong-Ahafo Region.

According to him, on November 29, the petitioners from the Northern Region would have the opportunity to appear before the commission.

Mr Dan Botwe indicated that the essence of the meetings is to give the petitioners the chance to substantiate their demand for the creation of the proposed six new regions.

After that, he said, the Commission shall move out to the various regions to hold public hearings and seek the views of residents on whether or not to create the regions.

The commission's recommendations will subsequently be handed over to the Electoral Commission (EC) to organize the referenda on the matter.

Fifty percent of persons living in the proposed areas will be required to endorse the proposal for new regions, then the process of creating the new regions will begin.

The move to create new regions is in fulfillment of the New Patriotic Party's campaign promise to carve new regions out of the Brong-Ahafo, Western, Northern and Volta Regions.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attended a university graduation ceremony Friday, making a defiant first public appearance since the military takeover that appeared to signal the end of his 37-year reign.

Mugabe, 93, had been confined to house arrest after the military took over the country.

But on Friday, he walked into the ceremony venue in Harare dressed in a blue academic gown and tasselled hat, before listening to speeches with his eyes closed and applauding occasionally, an AFP correspondent reported.

The generals took over late on Tuesday after vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa was abruptly sacked and Mugabe's wife Grace emerged in prime position to succeed her increasingly frail husband.

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

Many citizens were stunned by the military's intervention, sparked by the bitter succession battle between Grace and Mnangagwa.

Analysts say the military leadership was strongly opposed to the rise of Mugabe's ambitious 52-year-old wife, while Mnangagwa has close ties to the defence establishment.

Mugabe and the army chiefs held talks on Thursday, but no official statement has been issued on the status of negotiations that could see him eased out of office.

Government television showed Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, at Thursday's talks standing smiling alongside army chief General Constantino Chiwenga.

Profile of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.

Mnangagwa, 75, was previously one of Mugabe's most loyal lieutenants, having worked alongside him for decades.

But he fled to South Africa following his dismissal and published a scathing rebuke of Mugabe's leadership and Grace's presidential ambitions.

The military said Friday they had detained some "criminals" in Mugabe's government in a reference to supporters of Grace's presidential ambitions.

Grace has not been seen since the takeover of the military, which has not overtly called for President Mugabe's resignation.

Many Zimbabweans have either welcomed the army's intervention or were indifferent to it.

"We needed change. Our situation has been pathetic," said Keresenzia Moyo, a 65-year-old housewife in Harare.

'Very delicate time'

Morgan Tsvangirai, a former prime minister and long-time opponent of Mugabe, told journalists in Harare on Thursday that Mugabe must resign "in the interest of the people".

He added that "a transitional mechanism" would be needed to ensure stability.

Robert Mugabe took power in Zimbabwe after its independence from Britain in 1980

Tendai Biti, who served as finance minister during the coalition government after the 2008 elections, called it "a very delicate time for Zimbabwe".

"A way has to be worked out to maintain stability," he said.

Harare's residents have largely ignored the few soldiers still on the streets with shops, businesses and offices operating as usual.

Eldred Masunungure, a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, said the formation of a "pre-election coalition" could be a viable response to the crisis.

The international community has been watching the crisis closely.

In Paris, the head of the African Union, Guinea's President Alpha Conde, warned Thursday that the continent "will never accept the military coup d'etat" in Zimbabwe and called for a return to the "constitutional order".

"(Problems) need to be resolved politically by the ZANU-PF party and not with an intervention by the army," added Conde.

Meeting in Botswana, the SADC called for an emergency regional summit to help resolve the crisis, urging Zimbabwe to "settle the political challenges through peaceful means".

Britain, Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler, called for elections scheduled for 2018 to go ahead.
Prosecutors in the trial of the alleged Libyan mastermind of the 2012 attack in Benghazi that killed a US ambassador argued Thursday that he was equally responsible even if he did not personally take part.

Wrapping up final arguments in the trial of Ahmed Abu Khattala over the 2012 Benghazi attack, US government lawyers said he was guilty of conspiracy and murder in the deaths of US ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

"'I will kill all the Americans, each and everyone of them...': This is what the defendant Abu Khattala said and this is exactly what he did," prosecutor Michael DiLorenzo told a jury in the trial in Washington federal court.

"On September 11, he took action," DiLorenzo said, highlighting that the attack in the eastern Libyan city took place on the anniversary of the 9/11 Al Qaeda attacks.

Khattala, in his 40s with a long white beard, sat passively in his chair in the courtroom, where his trial opened seven weeks earlier.

DiLorenzo summed up his argument that Khattala was an Islamic extremist who hated Western culture and believed the US operated a cell of spies in Benghazi.

Prosecutors allege that he directed the attack by some 20 men armed with grenades and heavy weapons on the US consulate and a second annex building where agents of the CIA worked.

The attack set fire to the consulate, where Stevens and a second State Department official, Sean Smith, died of asphyxiation.

Later that night two former Navy Seals who were contracted to the consulate operation, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, were killed by mortar fire on the annex.

The attack shocked the United States. Stevens was the first American ambassador killed in the field since 1979.

Republicans in Congress launched an intense investigation that accused president Barack Obama and then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton of mismanagement, neglect and covering up the truth of the incident.

Murder and terror charges

Khattala is facing 18 separate charges including murder and material support for terrorists.

US ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens was the first American ambassador to be killed in the field since 1979 when he died in an attack on the consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012

The 12-person jury is to begin weighing a verdict after final arguments in the case wind up on Thursday.

Khattala's lawyers argue that although he is a conservative Muslim, he did not hate the West. To the contrary, they said he was a "Libyan patriot" who says he worked with Americans to bring down the Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi, who was killed in 2011.

The photographs and videos that show him at the site during the attack do not prove he was part of it, his lawyers say. He was only a bystander who came to watch.

But the US government argues he commanded the Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia behind the attack.

Even if he did not physically participate, DiLorenzo argued, in a conspiracy "the defendant is equally liable."

Test case

Khattala's trial is a test case for foreign suspects forcibly brought to the United States for trial.

He was captured in 2014 when US special forces carried out a raid based on intelligence provided by a Libyan man who ultimately received a $7 million reward from the US government.

On November 4 a second Libyan accused of involvement in the Benghazi attack, Mustafa al-Imam, was put on trial in the same Washington court, days after being captured and brought to the United States.

Al-Imam was called one of the men who attacked the consulate.
Water Resources and Sanitation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda says the Sanitation Brigade being created by the government will not be dominated by loyalists of the governing party - the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

President Akufo-Addo on Monday launched the National Sanitation Campaign in Accra where he also announced the formation of the National Sanitation Brigade which is a re-branding of the feared town council in the 1980s.

It is expected that 10,000 Ghanaians will be recruited to enforce the sanitation laws as well as arrest and prosecute persons who flout the environmental regulations.

President Akufo-Addo interacting with an exhibitor after launching the National Sanitation Brigade

Critics of the government suspect the creation of the Brigade is to appease angry jobless party loyalist who recently went on the rampage in some parts of the country demanding jobs after helping the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to recapture political power.

Speaking on the Super Morning Show, however, the Sanitation Minister said any Ghanaian who meets the requirements to be advertised by managers of the Brigade, would be recruited irrespective of their political affiliation.

Joseph Kofi Adda

Once you qualify by whatever standards that are being preferred by the selection officers, I think they should all apply and be placed on the list and be given the opportunity, Mr. Adda told the host of the Show, Kojo Yankson Friday.

The NPP government, he noted, will not discriminate when it comes to job opportunities citing recruitments made into the National Youth Employment Programme during the administration of former president John Agyekum Kufuor.

We crafted the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) we were being accused that it was going to be for NPP personnel but we didnt end up having only NPP personnel; NDC people were also recruited during the Kufuor administration and they were working and collecting salaries, he stated.

According to him, the opportunity will be available to anybody who is eligible.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | Email: [email protected], Twitter: @jerrymordy
The acting Managing Director of Ghana Post Company Limited has dismissed claims that the GhanaPostGPS system has been hacked.

James Kwofie said the image of the so-called hack sent to an Accra-based radio station was a photo-shopped picture of someone who debugged his own phone and added the logo of the Ghana Post GPS.

The person sent the image when we were at the interview on the GhanaPostGPS, instead of verifying the image, the presenter just puts it on air. We pointed the anomaly to him but he went on and on about it.

He asked questions about some of the parameters and something about UID in the system and made reference to how the alleged hacker claimed he got some phone numbers. It was pointed to the presenter that we did not have those parameters in the system.

We disputed the claims and when the image was sent to us after the interview, we realised that it was his own phone he was trying to debug. He just put the GhanaPostGPS logo to make it look as though he hacked the system which is completely false.

We informed the station that this is what the person had done but they said they contacted the person and he had travelled to Liberia, he explained.

Mr Kwofie observed that there was no information technology system in the world today that was totally immune to hacking but maintained that what was sent to the radio station was not true.

When you talk about hacking, no IT system in the world is fool-proof. Hacking is possible with any system but so far nobody has hacked the GhanaPostGPS system.

We would encourage our partners in the media to verify such claims before going public. We appreciate the concerns but the criticisms should be constructive and help consolidate what has been done so far.

"The future is digital and the opportunities in this project for our young people is incredible, he added.

Data protection

The Ghana Post boss said data provided during the download and registration was safe and would not be compromised.

He, therefore, urged the public to download the app, generate and register their addresses as in the near future, the address would be verified before National Identification Authority (NIA) registration for the Ghana card, banking transactions, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority transactions among other activities.

You are well protected. This system has multiple firewalls, it has multiple access levels, the information stored in it is only on a need to know basis to authorised persons. It is also protected by the Data Protection Act.

Most of all, there would be enforcement of any breaches. A Data Protection Committee has been formed led by National Security to ensure that there are no violations and where there are violations, they are immediately dealt with," he added.

Mr Kwafie assured that whatever details users put in the system would be used for the purpose it was intended for and nothing more.

System

Launched on October 18, 2017, the GhanaPostGPS is a global addressing system which divides Ghana into 5mx5m squares and assigns each one a unique address, known as the digital address.

A national address registry is being embedded in the system to enable individuals to validate their homes and businesses for easy direction and identification.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com
A market woman has described the 2018 budget read by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on Wednesday as a killing me softly budget.

Auntie 'Bea' said the budget has nothing better for people like her and questioned how the government expects to turn the economic fortunes of the country around, when people like her are not considered during the preparation of the budget.

Speaking on Joy FMs Super Morning Show on Friday, the woman who is the Market Queen at one of Ghanas largest markets, Makola, said traders like her are completely disappointed in the government they struggled to bring to power.

They have ignored us, they did not consider anything about us. They have left us to our fate and we are struggling to become whatever we want to become, she said.

She added that after the budget presentation, When you walk through the market, you see two or more people gathered together and you wont hear them talking loudly but either you hear them singing kyenkyen bi adi m'awu or 'killing me softly'. That is all you will hear.

She said the traders are so shocked that they are unable to voice out their disappointment and desperation publicly, yet these are people who cast spells on each other and did everything possible to bring the government into power.

The Finance Minister during his 2018 budget presentation on Wednesday said that the government was bent on making the economy a business-friendly one.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta

It is for this reason that it has introduced tax cuts and have restored macroeconomic stability, which is protecting the value of money in the pockets of ordinary Ghanaians and giving businesses the predictability space to plan and invest, thereby sowing the seeds for economic growth and jobs creation.

The governments broad agenda for next year is to translate the stability achieved into shared growth with aggressive policies aimed at creating more opportunities for jobs.

But Auntie Bea said all these solutions may only address the problems of people in the formal sector.

For the millions in the informal sector, like her she pointed, have been left to fend for themselves although they abandoned our goods and followed them everywhere they go [campaigning] and when they are on the seat, they forget about who we are and what we can do."

We are dying, we are suffering. You put your wares out and nobody is buying, you pack and take them home and bring them back the next day, nobody is buying, she said.

Siaw Ampadu, spare parts dealer

A spare parts dealer at Abossey Okai, Siaw Ampadu who also contributed to the discussion said the budget means nothing for traders.

He said he listened to the Finance Ministers presentation and although the economic indicators show that some work is being done, the ordinary person who should feel the change is not.

If you look at the whole budget, you cannot pinpoint one or two policies that they have put in place for traders in 2018.

In a response to what he expected in the 2018 budget, he said importers like him were excited when the government abolished nuisance taxes, but duties on imports are still high and they expected the Minister to announce a reduction.

Mr Ampadu said we all appreciate that the government is doing better for spare parts industry, but immediately they started the paperless programme we started having a lot of challenges."

They brought in another policy called benchmark values and this raises our duties up more than we expected, he said, adding that they had expected that the Minister will speak to these issues but he did not.

He rather justified the introduction of the policy, leaving them in total dismay.

Both traders questioned why the government did not consider them during the drafting of the budget, to hear their concerns and also their contributions.

They believe that if this was done, things would have been better for them because times are hard.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Naa Sakwaba Akwa | [email protected]
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The Ghana Police Service has begun a 24-hour security operation in Kasoa, a suburb in the Central to fight the seeming endless criminal activities in the area.

More than 250 police personnel have been deployed to the area, with half of them patrolling the vicinity in the day and the other half in the night.

Over 25 vehicles have also been deployed to the area as the police marshal forces and logistics to fight criminal activities in the area.

This the police believe will reduce, if not eliminate entirely the spate of criminal violence there.

In less than three weeks, three violent crimes have been recorded in the area, one of them fatal.

In an area pregnant with land guard activities two people were attacked in what is believed to be a tussle over land.

The attacks came the same week Joy News aired its documentary-Land War- a documentary on land guard activities, especially in Kasoa.

Last two weeks, a 52-year-old driver was attacked, stoned to death after disagreements over a change with a passenger but family members have been quick to link the death to a tussle over land.

That same week another man was attacked by land guards and was left battling for his life.

On Monday night, a young lady, a receptionist was brutally raped and killed in a Peace Guest House in the same suburb.

The attacks have left residents scared.

The police have complained about under-staffing which left the area exposed and vulnerable to attacks by armed robbers and land guards.

It appears however, that the police have increased patrols in the area to fight criminal attacks.

A team of senior police officers on Thursday visited the area to engage residents and to assure them of their resolve to end the menace.

More than 90 persons have so far been picked up by the Police over the last three weeks as they increase efforts to arrest criminal activities in the area.

Director General in charge of operations DCOP Dr. George Dampare told Joy News Latif Idris the police will not give up till the last criminal is apprehended.

We didnt come in here to provide excuses for what is happening. We are constitutionally mandated to keep law and order, protect life and property.

This is what we have sworn to do. Anytime such things happen, we have no excuse than to come in with all the force necessary to bring peace to the environment, he said.

DCOP Dampare charged the residents to provide information about criminals and also about some police personnel they believe may have been compromised in the conduct of their official duties.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Nomadic herdsmen have allegedly burnt down nine homes in the Kwahu East in the Eastern region as conflict with farmers rages on.

Hundreds have been reportedly displaced after the Wednesday night attack.

The attack comes days after the Regional Security Council (RESEC) assured the community their lives were safe.

On November 6, 2017, the RESEC Chairman and Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour, along with security capos visited areas in Kwahu East affected by years of conflict over fodder for cattle and food for humans.

He met the Fulani community in Kwahu, chiefs, farmers and other stakeholders to further discuss the issue after attacks and reprisals left nine dead days before.

Gripped with fear, pupils students and teachers abandoned their schools in communities like Dwerebease, Oboyan and Mpaemu.

Kwahu East District Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Agyapong said a police platoon is to provide 24-hour security in the areas.

Kwahu East DCE Isaac Agyapong visits the destroyed areas

Eleven days after the assurance, nine mud houses have been torched. The displaced are seeking refuge and shelter with friends and extended family members.

"It has now turned into war," leader of the Kwahu Youth for Social Development, Solomon Tettey has said.

He has remarked, alarmingly pointing out that the herdsmen will win if nothing is done about it.

"There is no way you can confront them and win. The kind of ammunition they have, we the citizens dont have them", he said.

The herd graze under the security of armed men who are employed by influential members of society. Solomon Tettey said the economic returns of cattle rearing points to the involvement of big businessmen and politicians.

He said a cow cost averagely, 2,500. A herdsman could be in charge of 50. "Just do the calculations", he said, explaining 125,000 is not money which dirty-looking herdsmen would have.

"It tells you that the ordinary taxi driver, the ordinary doctor, the ordinary teacher cannot employ the herdsmen", he said.

Security in the Kwaku East district has been described as porous.
Food Safety First!

17.11.2017 LISTEN

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), millions of people worldwide become ill and thousands die from PREVENTABLE food-borne illness annually.

A 2015 WHO report also indicates that diarrhoeal diseases caused 550 million people to fall ill and 230,000 deaths annually; African and South-East Asia Regions had the highest incidence and death rates, including children under the age of 5 years.

It has also been shown that children who survived some of the more serious food-borne illness may suffer from delayed physical and mental development, impacting permanently on their quality of life.

FEW RECORDED INCIDENCE OF FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS

Few days ago, 30th October, 2017, over 50 students of the Ghana Senior High School in Koforidua were rushed for treatment at the St. Josephs Hospital, following a food poisoning incident.

Sadly, four people died in Alavanyo in the Volta Region from a suspected food poisoning event, after consuming a fish which looked like a puffer fish.

Three years ago, about 15 students of the North Ridge SHS, Eastern Region, suffered from a severe suspected food poisoning.

On 29th May, 2007, children from 3 different schools developed food-borne illness after they had eaten food prepared for them under the School Feeding Programme the previous day.

Unfortunately, several other cases which occur in the country on regular basis, at homes and workplaces, are not reported, making it difficult for the authorities to institute adequate preventive and/or control measures.

WHAT CAUSES FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS

The causes include consuming food/water contaminated with harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, fungus, viruses, and parasites.

Food-borne illness may also develop from harmful chemical substances, such as toxins produced by microorganisms; and agro-chemicals and heavy metals in food.

Poisonous food crops, food allergens, metal shavings from cans, and broken glasses can also lead to food-borne complications.

Though most people recover from a food-borne illness within a short period, some individuals, especially children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems (such as individuals with HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cancer) develop chronic, severe, and life-threatening health problems.

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS AND AVOID THEM

Food-borne illness can be confused with other illnesses that have similar symptoms. Nonetheless, these symptoms are common: vomiting, diarrhea, stomach and abdominal pain, and nausea. Dehydration with excessive fluid loss from the body may develop, leading to thirst, dizziness, or fainting.

Upon noticing these symptoms, one is advised to contact his/her healthcare provider immediately, especially among children, aged and people with compromised immune systems.

WAYS IN COMBATING FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS

Although authorised institutions and experts in the country are constantly enforcing food safety strategies, laws and policies to protect the populace, consumers are strongly advised to reinforce these efforts by KNOWING and PRACTICING food safety measures at all times.

Preventive measures recommended by WHO include keeping food clean, separating raw and cooked foods, keeping/storing food at safe temperatures, and using safe water and raw materials.

Most food-borne illness can be prevented by observing strict hygienic measures in buying, preparing, storing and serving food.

Recommended food safety tips include:

BUYING right!

Look out for counterfeit food products; and report such suspected products to the authorities.

Do not buy foodstuffs that are unreasonably bruised or damaged.

Do not buy food in damaged packages or cans.

Look for expiration dates on food packages. Do not buy outdated foods or foods with no expiry date; again, report such findings to the authorities.

At the market, buy refrigerated or frozen food after you have purchased the non-perishables.

At the market, pack fresh fruits and vegetables separately from raw meat and poultry to avoid cross-contamination.

Bags/basket for raw meat, fish, or poultry should not be used for ready-to-eat products like fruits. Wash such bags and baskets regularly.

STORING right!

Store perishable fresh fruits and vegetables in a clean refrigerator.

Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible or heat them sufficiently.

Do not over-stuff your refrigerator.

In your refrigerator, store raw meats, fish, and poultry below ready-to-eat and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination.

ready-to-eat and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination. Keep a clean and hygienic kitchen. Wash aprons and napkins regularly. Store sponge in a place where it can dry after use.

PREPARING right!

When preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap under running-water, especially after visiting the lavatory.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not replacement for hand-washing; they are not effective if the hands are dirty, and they do not eliminate all types of microorganisms.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not replacement for hand-washing; they are not effective if the hands are dirty, and they do not eliminate all types of microorganisms. Wash cutting boards, utensils and countertops with soap and warm water between preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafoods (fish or shrimp).

If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Otherwise, wash cutting boards with warm soapy water after preparing each food item.

Wash all fresh vegetables/fruits thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home. Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is still important to wash produce first so dirt and germs are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting the produce.

Washing certain fruits or vegetables with dish soaps or detergent is not highly recommended because they can get trapped or absorbed by pores on the foodstuffs, becoming difficult to be rinsed off. Consuming such foodstuffs may come with adverse health effects.

Cook foods thoroughly, especially meat and poultry products, for the appropriate length of time, and appropriate temperature to kill/deactivate germs.

Use safe water and safe raw materials to prepare food.

To guarantee safety, discard moldy and rotten foodstuffs, to avoid consuming toxin-contaminated food.

By KNOWING, changing our ATTITUDES and PRACTICING food safety preventive measures, we can evade food-borne illness, thereby protecting ourselves and families.

Food Safety First

Food poisoning at Ghannas

Food-borne illness victim
Dr Thomas Mensah

17.11.2017 LISTEN

The World famous inventor of Fiber Optics whose innovations moved Fiber Optics from the Laboratories at Corning Glass Works to the Manufacturing Scale in the USA will receive the Honorary Doctorate, (D.Sc Honoraris Causa) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, when he delivers the prestigious 10th RP Baffuor Lectures at the University..

This three Day Lecture will touch on thematic subjects of; Modernization of Transportation Infrastructure in Ghana including High Speed Bullet Trains from the South of the Country to the North close to the Border, transforming Ghana into an advanced Country in a few years. Dr. Mensah will also present Aviation Maintenance facility, the First of its Kind in West Africa that will allow all planes in the 15 Countries in West Africa, to fly to Kumasi, for maintenance instead of Flying to Ethiopia, Amsterdam, South Africa, etc for such purposes, saving Fuel, and reducing Carbon Footprint in a Sustainable Fashion.

He is excited that President Nana Addo is the Co-Chairman of the UN Sustainable Program at the United Nations, that will focus on Sustainable Development in many Countries including Emerging States like Ghana.

He will also present; Electricity Generation in Renewable fashion in Ghana and address the Expansion of the National Electrical Grid, to eliminate Dumsor once and for all.

The three day lecture will examine; the Broadband LTE 4 G Telecommunication System in Ghana and enhancement of the Internet Platform that will extend Internet to Rural Areas beyond the large cities. Dr. Mensah will speak on; The Digitizing of the Ghana Economy. He will also look at; the Internet of Things, and Industrial Internet including; Smart Manufacturing, that uses Cloud Data and Analytics to improve efficiencies in current and future Factories in Ghana

Dr. Mensah will spend a week on Campus, touring Engineering laboratories, interacting with students, faculty, University Leaders and Administration. He will also meet His Royal Majesty; Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, The Asantehene also the Chancellor of the University.

As the Editor in Chief of his new International Text Book; Nanotechnology Commercialization published by Wiley and Sons and AIChE, Dr. Mensah will explain to students how Nanotechnology will transform the economy of many countries just as Fiber Optics has done in the life of the average person in the world.

Over 90% of Google and Facebook data is transmitted over undersea , submarine cable that uses his pioneering inventions including ultrahigh strength optical fibers. He speaks at various Universities in the world including MIT, Columbia University, and Companies like AT&T, Microsoft, etc. He will emphasize the need of STEM Educatrion in K-12 to inspire Kids in middle and secondary school, just as he was inspired at an early age to become a world leader in Technology.

A Known Fact About Dr. Mensah

He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, USA, a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and Associate Fellow and Technical Director Region II of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

He was awarded 7 US Patents over the short period of Six years. He is the Author of 4 Books on Innovation including Fiber Optics Engineering, (1987) Superconductor Engineering (1992), and his Autobiography, The Right Stuff Comes in Black Too, (2013) as well as Nanotechnology Commercialization, International Text Book, ( 2017) .

Source: Charles N. Ntiamoah-Mensah (Mr. CNN), www.3gmediaonline.com
MEST Announces Partnership With Metta As Program Continues To Expand Its Presence Across The Continent

16th November 2017, Accra, GH; Nairobi, Kenya - Pan-African entrepreneurial training program, seed fund, and incubator Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) today announced a partnership with Metta Nairobi to offer incubator space for Kenya-based MEST alumni, as part of efforts to strengthen its presence across the continent. MEST alumni in Nairobi will receive access to working space, events and Mettas global network.

In the past few years, MEST has expanded the recruitment for its training program beyond Ghana to include Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and, Ivory Coast. MEST has also invested in over 40 African startups. The Nairobi space will act as an extension of the flagship Accra incubator, offering support to graduates beyond the MEST training program.

MEST's scope and resources for incubator companies and alumni has been focused on Pan-African expansion and scaling. This partnership with Metta only adds to that value proposition, enabling a clear network effect with a like-minded African ecosystem player that has global roots, said Katie Sarro, MEST Director of Partnerships. We're extremely excited to put our combined expertise together to support MEST alumni currently doing business in Nairobi or those looking to expand to East Africa in the near future.

Metta is a global entrepreneur network that connects people, ideas, and resources. So far, it has branches in Hong Kong and Nairobi.

"With Metta and MEST both having founders at the centre of their operations and DNA, it was easy to come together and partner to have the MEST cohort call Metta home, said Mettas General Manager Maurice Otieno. MEST and Metta have always been happy working together. This is just a culmination of our wonderful relationship."

MEST is doing a great job spreading the wings of entrepreneurship and technology all over Africa and the world. And, with Nairobi being at the forefront of technology innovation in Africa, we can only be happy welcoming MEST to Kenya through the partnership with Metta and under the leadership of Aaron Fu, said Stella Ngugi, a Nairobi based MEST Class of 2017 alumna and CEO of Jobonics. As recent alumni, we are confident that this new partnership will enable all alumni and, members of the MEST & Metta networks to work together to achieve the common agenda of advancing Africa and the world through the use of software. The world is a small village. And MEST proves this true.

In order to offer MEST companies and alumni a similar level of support to what they had at MEST Accra in their respective countries, MEST has doubled down on its expansion plans for its Incubation arm to the rest of the continent. Additional Incubator launches are planned in key African markets later in 2017.

About MEST

Launched in 2008 by Meltwater Founder & CEO Jorn Lyseggen, MEST is a Pan-African training program, seed fund, incubator and hub for technology entrepreneurs in Africa, providing critical skills training in software development, business and communications, as well as seed funding and incubation. Headquartered in Accra, Ghana, MEST is funded by the Meltwater Foundation, the non-profit arm of Meltwater, a global leader in media intelligence and Outside Insight.

About Metta

Metta is an entrepreneurs' club that connects people, ideas, and resources. We believe that by bringing startup communities and ecosystems closer together, great things can happen.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that the people of Zimbabwe must be allowed to choose their own government through democratic elections, after the military took power.

"We all should work together for a quick return to a civilian rule in that country in accordance with their constitution," he said, ahead of talks with African foreign ministers.

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe made a defiant appearance at a university graduation, but power in Harare has clearly shifted into the hands of the army.

Washington was no friend of Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for the entire 37 years of its independence, but is also reluctant to defend what appears to most observers as a military coup.

The African Union, which has taken a strict line on some other recent military takeovers, has in this case left the matter in the hands of the South African-led SADC regional bloc.

Reports from the region suggest South Africa was aware in advance of the Zimbabwe military's plan, launched after 93-year-old Mugabe sacked vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Coincidentally, Tillerson was hosting a pre-planned meeting with three dozen African foreign ministers in Washington.

The top US envoy, who said he plans to visit the continent early next year, urged his guests to see the crisis as a chance to push Zimbabwe into meaningful reform.

"Zimbabwe has an opportunity to set itself on a new path, one that must include democratic elections and respect for human rights," he told the ministers.

"Ultimately, the people of Zimbabwe must choose their government," he insisted, calling on his guests to "discuss concrete ways that we can help them through this transition."
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Introduction

In a previous essay, we discussed Part One of CLEFT SENTENCE, and in this write-up we conclude the discussion from the IMPORTANCE OF CLEFT SENTENCE. Before we proceed, we recap the Learning Outcomes.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this discourse, fellow learners and readers should be able to gain an improved understanding of:

 Cleft Sentence and Usage

 Types of Cleft Sentence

 Importance of Cleft Sentence

Importance of Cleft Sentence

The importance of Cleft Sentences could be well understood in the context of the Information Structure of the Cleft Construction. The concept of Information Structure has been an interesting area of studies on the discourse function of Cleft Sentences by many Linguists. Halliday (1967), Chomsky (1972), and Lambrecht (2001). While Halliday sees Clefts as equative, Delin and Oberlander (1995) regard them as stative. And in the words of Herriman (2004), Declerk (1994), and Halliday (1994), Clefts are variable-value pairs implying that the Cleft Constituent gives a variable expressed by the Cleft Clause. In simple language, the Information Structure is about the type of information encoded in a particular assertion or utterance. This information could be any of the following:

 NEW Information: Information that the speaker/writer assumes that the hearer/reader does not know already.

 OLD Information: Information that the speaker/writer expects the hearer/reader to know or come across already.

 INFERRABLE Information: Information that the speaker/writer may expect the hearer/reader to infer from existing knowledge, or from a previous discourse.

From the above explanation, it might be understood that Clefts are important tools of focus to draw attention to salient points in speaking and writing.

Besides, Clefts could play important roles in the construction of academic paragraphs. For instance, a Cleft used as TOPIC SENTENCE could help a writer maintain unity and logic in a series of SUPPORTING SENTENCES easily. This could be due to the focusing ability of the Cleft Structure. And once the focus area of the Cleft as a TOPIC SENTENCE is identified, it may become easier to produce a series of relevant SUPPORTING SENTENCES and a reasonable CONCLUDING SENTENCE to achieve a coherently organized academic paragraph.

For illustration, let us consider as a TOPIC SENTENCE the following Cleft Sentence: It is a College of Communication Studies Tungteeya plans to establish at Batangyili. Clearly, College of Communication Studies is the center of focus in this sentence. So, it is easy to avoid transgression and concentrate on the establishment of the College of Communication Studies in the development of the TOPIC SENTENCE. Expectedly, the SUPPORTING SENTENCES could be couched in a wide range of related matters: from infrastructure to equipment, from staff to faculty, from parents to students, from teaching to learning. When the SUPPORTING SENTENCES are properly developed in the context of the relevant matters and in relation to the TOPIC SENTENCE, it will be simple to get a logical CONCLUDING SENTENCE.

Furthermore, Clefts could be very useful in debate and other forms of public speaking. As tools of emphasis and focus, Clefts could be employed strategically to advance arguments, stimulate audience interests, and draw audience attention to significant points. This technique could be much impactful when a series of Clefts is put in a Parallel Structure. For example:

 What we need from the powers that be is justice. What we need from the powers that be is accountability. What we need from the powers that be is transparency. What we need from the powers that be is equality. Without these values, our destiny as a nation is nightmarish, and our future as individuals bleak.

Moreover, good writing demands a variety of sentences. Clefts could play useful roles in sentence variation in writing. As an elaboration, let us consider the following paragraph on INTELLECTUAL SHARING in which a Cleft is applied as a sentence type:

 Nothing is more fulfilling than sharing, and nothing is more worthy of sharing than intellectualism. IT IS INTELLECTUAL SHARING THAT EXPANDS THE FRONTIERS OF KNOWLEDGE, MAXIMIZES THE OPPORTUNITIES OF SERVICE TO HUMANITY, AND IMPROVES THE COMFORT OF LIFE. As we celebrate the Damba Festival, let us not limit sharing to foods and drinks. Let us also share knowledge, ideas, skills, and wisdom to promote enlightment on African culture, advance the comfort of humanity, and increase service to God.

Note: the Cleft Sentence in the above paragraph is the one in uppercase.

Conclusion

Summing up, we humbly observe that Cleft Sentences are fascinating when they are well understood and appropriately applied. But they could be sources of miscommunication if they are misunderstood and misapplied. It is, therefore, important for colleague learners and readers to understand the Clefts very well. Also, it is always safer to consider the context, the audience, and the object of a statement before the decision to apply or avoid the Cleft Structure in speaking and writing.

Allah is the Best Linguist.

References

Calude, A. S. (2009). Cleft constructions in spoken English. Berlin: VDM Verlag.

Collins, P. (1991). Cleft and pseudo-cleft constructions in English. London: Routledge.

Chomsky, N. (1972). On wh-movement. In Culicover, P., Wasow, T., and Akmajian, A., (Eds). Formal Syntax, pages 71132. New York: Academic Press.

Declerk, R. (1994). The taxonomy and interpretation of clefts and pseudoclefts. Lingua, 9(1):183220.

Delin, J. & Oberlander, J. (1995). Syntactic Constraints and Discourse Structure: The case of It-clefts. CSRP 249, School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences, University of Sussex.

Halliday, M. A. K. (2004). An introduction to functional grammar. (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Herriman, J. (2004). Identifying relations: the semantic functions of wh-clefts in English. Text, 24(4):447469.

Lambrecht, K. (2001). A framework for the analysis of cleft constructions. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Accra, 15th November, 2017 As part of the training programme for the 2017/18 batch of graduates undertaking their National Service at the National Communications Authority (NCA), the Authority lined up some of Ghanas leading business and organizational leaders in a seminar to impart their experience to the team. The training which began in September with the launch by Vice President Dr. MahamuduBawumia has seen the NSPs being taken through technical trainings bordering on the Authoritys core mandate as well as other soft skills to prepare them for corporate life.

Among the speakers were Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General O.B. Akwa, Director General of the Operations of the Ghana Police Service, Dr. George AkuffoDampare, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vodafone Ghana, Ms. Yolanda Cuba, immediate past CEO of Airtel Ghana, Mrs. Lucy Quist, Founding President and CEO of Imani Centre for Policy and Education, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe, and acting Customer Services Executive and Head of Regulatory Affairs at MTN, Mr.Samuel Koranteng. Also present, was the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office, Mr. Kwasi Amoah.

Welcoming the speakers, Ag. Director General of the NCA, Mr. Joe Anokye explained that, management of the NCA found it prudent to ensure that the NSPs, who will for the period of their National Service be considered as staff of the Authority, were up to standard and understood the dynamics of the mandate of the NCA. This resulted in the detailed training programme we set out for the NSPs, and this Day with Leaders programme was conceptualized to motivate the personnel as they start work with us and to give them nuggets of wisdom that will be useful to them in their career and world of work, he said.

Pearls of Wisdom

The NSPs and some staff of the NCA who were present at the event benefitted from the various speakers who spoke on a range of issues spanning loyalty to ones work, finding a purpose in ones life, success in the work place, etc.

Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Obed Akwa, encouraged the young professionals to be loyal in the exercise of their duties. Using his extensive military experience, Lt. General Akwa admonished them to be loyal to their organization, their peers, their colleagues and subordinates if any, adding that loyalty and discipline are key ingredients to success.

In her remarks, Mrs. Lucy Quist, who has been motivating young women especially through her STEM Initiative reminded the young ones that success is a system and NOT a single event". She pointed out the need for the NSPs to plan their actions and work towards being successful in their career or whatever endeavor they found themselves.

Vodafones Yolanda Cuba used her life experiences that saw her being a Deputy CEO at a tender age to advice the team saying that it is important to be at the top of your game and to form acquaintances with people a notch or two above ones level so you can tap into the knowledge and network of those before you.

In what may have seem a twist in the flow of events, Director General of the Operations of the Ghana Police Service, COP Dr. George AkuffoDamparereminded the personnel of the need to develop their knowledge and spiritual well-being without sacrificing one for the other.

Mr. Franklin Cudjoe emphasized the need for the NSPs to take reading very seriously as it is a key way to attain knowledge which goes a long way in determining the way perceptions are made. He said that he had observed that most youth seemed to have departed from studying and encouraged them to use social media positively by sharing knowledge based information in addition to the jokes and light-hearted materials.

Referring the personnel to the fact that the local environment is capable of helping them succeed, Mr. Samuel Koranteng from MTN touched on celebrated Ghanaian entrepreneurs, the late Esther Ocloo and J. K. Siaw, who were able to take advantage of the local opportunities and create thriving businesses.

Some lucky service personnel took selfies with the speakers. They also expressed their gratitude for the Motivational Day. The NSPs will be dispersed across the country to largely assist in Consumer Outreach and other activities of the NCA.

About NCA

The National Communications Authority, (NCA), was established by an Act of Parliament, Act 524 in December 1996, which has been repealed and replaced by the National Communications Authority Act, 2008 (Act 769). The Authority is the statutory body mandated to license and to regulate electronic communication activities and services in the country.
An Accra High Court has ordered Melcom to pay Hiplife legend, Tic Tac, a compensation of GHC300,000 for breach of contract.

Delivering the judgement on Friday, the court presided by Justice AmoYartey, said it was illegal for the company to continuously use the image of the musician when there was not contract.

Consequently, he ordered them to pay Tic Tac, a compensation of GHC300,000 and a legal cost of GHC2000.

Speaking to the media after court proceedings, lawyer for Tic Tac, Gary NimakoMarfo, said it was a clear signal to all businesses that they cannot take musicians for a ride over copyright issues.

When you use someones intellectual property for your business, you must pay them, Gary Nimako said.

Popular Ghanaian musician Tic Tac, in July 2016, sued one of the largest retail shops in Ghana, Melcom, demanding a whooping GHC500,000 in damages for breach of contract.

According to the hip life musician, although a two-year brand ambassadorial contract he signed with Melcom expired five years ago, the company is still using his image on some of its billboards across the country.

Per court documents filed on Thursday July 28, 2016, the artiste claimed he lost a similar promotional contract due to Melcoms failure to remove his images on the said billboards after the expiration of the contract in 2011.

The Philomena hit-maker and Melcom entered into a promotional contract on May 22, 2009 where the latter was permitted to use the images, voice and personal appearance of the musician for advertising and promotional purposes for two years.

Per the said contract, the artiste was barred from allowing Melcoms competitors to use his image and voice on any advertisement or even appear on their shows. The said contract ended on May 31, 2011 and Melcom had a grace period of six months to have removed all adverts and promotional billboards which featured the musician.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Former Prime Minister of Tanzania, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim has commended the United Bank for Africa, UBA Plc, for sponsoring the Africa of the Year award in the last ten years.

Dr. Salim said this yesterday when he formally handed-over the chairmanship of the Prize Committee of the Award to Botswana's former President, Festus Mogae in Dar es Salam.

He described UBA's commitment to the award project as exemplary and in the true spirit of African brotherhood and philanthropy.

Dr. Salim implored other corporate organizations across Africa to commit their resources to the rapid socio-economic development of the continent in all areas of endeavour.

In his remarks, the Chairman of DAILY TRUST, promoter of the award, Mr. Kabiru A. Yusuf, expressed appreciation to UBA's Chairman, Mr. Tony Elumelu who approved the bank's sponsorship commitment in 2008 when he was GMD/CEO.

He commended Mr. Elumelu's successors, Mr. Phillip Oduoza and the current GMD/CEO, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka for their support to the award project.

UBA Plc has supported the African of the Year award by donating the US$50,000 prize to winners since 2008.
The greatest lesson presented by the track record of Mrs. Rawlings and her colleagues is that Africas greatest unexploited resource isnt oil fields or goldfields; it is the women and girls who are denied an education and shut off from playing a major role in the formal economy.

Twenty-eight years later, through the drudgery of their work, a powerful recognition is coming to light: women and girls arent the problem; theyre the solution. They might possibly represent the best hope for reducing poverty in Africa.

Mrs. Rawlings asserts, Gender equality is not only morally right; it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development. If Ghana is to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular, Goal Number 3  promoting gender equality and empowering women  womens rights should be prioritised. Governments commitment should go beyond simply putting policies in place to monitoring how womens participation in all levels of national development is taking place on the ground.

Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, was born on the November 17, 1948, to the late J.O.T. Agyeman and his wife. She schooled at Achimota School, where she met her future husband Jerry John Rawlings. She continued at the University of Science and Technology, where she read Art, specializing in Textiles. She was a student leader and an executive of her Hall of residence, Africa Hall

Nana Konadu got married to her sweetheart, Jerry John Rawlings an Air force Officer, in 1977. She gave birth to her first child Ezenator Rawlings in 1978. Two other daughters and a son followed later; Yaa Asantewaa, Amina and Kimathi. She also has some grandchildren.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings came into the political limelight when her husband became Head of State briefly in 1979 and then from 1981 to 2001. She became the president of the 31st December Women's Movement from 1982 to date. She was elected 1st Vice Chairperson of her party in 2009 during the second term of her National Democratic Congress (NDC) party's tenure in office under the late President of the Republic of Ghana, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills.

She challenged the seating President of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills for the party's flagbearership position at the party's congress which took place at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region from 810 July 2011 and lost to him. Konadu is the presidential candidate for National Democratic Party in the forthcoming 2016 election.

Ghana's former First Lady once said that she would continue to work in the women's movement even if her husband were no longer president. Her husband, Jerry Rawlings, led a military coup that seized power in 1981, although he was not established as head of state until the following year.

The country successfully reverted to civilian rule in 1992 and held free elections. Calling the first lady "an instrumental part of the revolution in Ghana's economy," the Baltimore Afro-American reported that women were Ghana's largest labor force, and they wanted to be a central part of the country's redevelopment. "Before December 31, 1981, they had no power of influence in law or politics--even the laws that pertained to them." It was a grassroots movement, with women selling their land, clothes, and jewelry to get money.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The Prize Committee of the African of the Year award has shortlisted three finalists from the pool of nominees for the 2017 award.

Rising from its meeting in Dar es Salam on Monday, the committee chaired by former President Festus Mogae of Botswana picked the three potential winners after an exhaustive deliberation on the nominees.

Those who made it to the finals are a Ghanaian anti-terrorism campaigner and youth activist, Mr. Mutaru Mumuni Muqtar; a renowned Egyptian cardiothoracic surgeon, professor Magdi Yacoub; and Nigeria's Barrister Zannah Mustapha who is actively involved in the rehabilitation of children orphaned by Boko Haram insurgency.

After the final rounds of screening, the winner is expected to be announced early next week by former President Festus Mogae.

The award, now in its 10th year, was instituted by Daily Trust newspaper and it has enjoyed the support of UBA Plc which gave the prize money annually since 2008.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

When I read a Washington Post 'Today's Worldview' column article by Ishaan Tharoor, entitled: "The millennial who could be Italy's next leader" that is about 31-year old Luigi Di Maio, who could apparently become Italy's next prime minister, I felt I had to share it with this blog's many aspirational young readers.

My hope in so doing, is that it will inspire those of them who care deeply about the well-being of our nation and also care sufficiently about the quality of life of their fellow citizens who aren't from the privileged classes, to want to fight to empower Ghana's base-of-the-pyramid demographic to enable them bootstrap their own individual successes - by either setting up social enterprises for that purpose or going into politics, for that same noble end.

The time has now come for the brightest and best of Ghana's younger generations to take their demographic's future into their own hands. They must take an active interest in how Ghana is governed. And they ought to speak out more boldly about the plight of the less privileged classes in Ghanaian society.

The need to strongly condemn the high-level corruption bleeding Mother Ghana slowly to death, and do something positive about the injustice that gets petty thieves swiftly prosecuted and jailed whiles super-wealthy mega-thieves such as the Alfred Agbesi Woyomes stay out of prison - by masterfully playing the legal system to successfully defy Ghanaian society: and hang on to the GHc51 millions purloined from the national purse. Enough is enough. Haaba.

Please read on: "The Washington Post Today's WorldView A daily newsletter that explores where the world meets Washington. Edited by Rosenthal and Kazi Awal. Article by ISHAAN THAROOR The millennial who could be Italy's next leader In Washington, Luigi Di Maio stood out. Trim and clean-shaven, the Italian politician is a generation younger than most of the members of Congress that he met this week.

But if the seemingly improbable occurs and Di Maio's once-renegade Five Star Movement emerges victorious in Italy's general election in March, the 31-year-old may join the growing list of youthful European statesmen as Italy's next prime minister. In France, 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron shook up the political system by siphoning votes from both the left and right into a new centrist political juggernaut. In Austria, 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz is poised to form a conservative coalition under his rule.

Now is the moment of young people in Europe, Di Maio told Today's WorldView in Washington this week. The entire political class is getting younger and younger. But few stories of political ascension are quite as striking as his. Di Maio, who grew up in the corruption-blighted environs of Naples, is a university dropout and has never held a job as a professional. Numerous headlines in international newspapers describe him as a former waiter. He rose to attention only through his activism and blogging on behalf of the Five Star Movement, a protest organization founded less than a decade ago by irreverent comedian Beppe Grillo.

In 2013, the fledgling party capitalized on widespread disenchantment with the status quo in Italy and won close to 9 million votes in that year's elections  a staggering result that shook up the country's political landscape. Through the movement's unorthodox system of online primaries, then-26-year-old Di Maio became the vice president of the lower house of Italy's Parliament, the youngest person to hold the post. In the years since, the Five Star Movement has jockeyed with the Italian establishment, bringing down the center-left government of former prime minister Matteo Renzi last December after opposing his push for sweeping constitutional reforms. It's also vying against a resurgent right, with former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi  yes, the man behind the bunga bunga parties and myriad other scandals  at the helm of a coalition of right-wing parties.

In September, with Grillo's blessing and the support of other power brokers within the movement, Di Maio won leadership of the party in another online primary. Il Fatto Quotidiano, a daily newspaper, pointed to the online vote as proof of the eternal immaturity, incompetence, inexperience and thrown-together nature of a movement that is getting bigger but not growing up. But to Di Maio and his allies, everything the Five Star Movement does presents a clear challenge to all that preceded their arrival on the political stage. The movement was born out of the failure of both parties on the left and right, Di Maio said.

The real problem in Italy is that there are many citizens who don't identify with these parties because they fail to defend the values and interests of different parts of the country. In this vein, it is not dissimilar to other anti-establishment uprisings in Europe. But the ideology of the Five Star Movement is remarkably difficult to pin down. The party advocates social and environmental justice, is skeptical of big corporations and uninterested in  though not totally opposed to  Italy's commitment to a military alliance such as NATO.

Yet it also is animated by a kind of libertarianism that is hostile to government and eager to loosen up the financial system. It has a rightist facade, over a leftist basement, under an anarchic roof, explained Beppe Servergnini, an Italian journalist critical of the party, in a recent New York Times op-ed. Di Maio preaches a carefully moderate version of the party's amorphous politics.

Although he has his grievances with the European Union, for example, Di Maio does not reject it in the same way as anti-Brussels firebrands such as France's Marine Le Pen, Britain's Brexiteers, or even his own putative boss, Grillo. We have no intention of isolating Italy. We have no intention of exalting nationalistic sentiments, Di Maio said, referring to parties on the far right in Europe.

We reject absolutely the characterization of being called a 'populist' movement. On the sensitive matter of immigration, he toes a fairly conventional line, complaining of the unfair burden Italy has to shoulder as thousands of migrants and refugees seek to reach Italy from North Africa.

We do not believe in physical walls, but we also do not believe in the invisible walls that do exist, he said, referring to E.U. rules that require would-be asylum seekers to remain in their first port of entry. Italy is becoming Europe's refugee camp, Di Maio said. Like France's Macron, he urged that more be done to stabilize the political situation in Libya.

His party's critics highlight reports that the Five Star Movement has benefited from Russian disinformation campaigns, which Di Maio says are fake news. It's not Beppe Grillo who visits Putin every month, he quipped, referring to Berlusconi's close ties to the Russian president.

Happy Birthday Mr President Vladimir Putin !! Grazie Presidente Berlusconi !!!! #lenzuolissimi #silvioberlusconi #love #vladimirputin #happybirthday #regalo #copripiumino #madeinitaly #lelenzuoladelpotere #300fili #happy #dreams #grazieditutto #special #amicizia #bestfriends #italia #instagood #instalike #instalove #bestmoment #follow A post shared by Michele Cascavilla (@michelecascavilla) on Oct 6, 2017 at 11:17pm PDT And it's Berlusconi who may ultimately be Di Maio's major obstacle to power.

The right-wing coalition anchored by the former prime minister's Forza Italia party won regional elections in Sicily this month, a vote seen as a bellwether for national elections. Five Star's Sicilian candidate, meanwhile, came in a close second behind Berlusconi's in what is a traditionally conservative part of the country, and Di Maio is taking it as a good omen.

I don't believe in a Berlusconi resurrection at all, Di Maio said. Our movement has managed to dislocate the center-left, and I think we'll be able to do the same thing to the center-right. End of culled Washington Post 'Today's WorldView' column article by Ishaan Tharoor.
Japan Motors Trading Company Limited (JMTC) one of the giant automobile dealer in the world has donated fiveYahama motorbikes worth GHC34000 to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to enhance service delivery.

According to the managing Director of Japan Motors, Mr. Salem Kalmoni, who presented the bikes at a short ceremony in Accra on Friday said the move was to support the work of the Assembly in the delivery and collection of document to enhance productivity.

He assured that the Company would also provide periodic maintenance for a period of one year and was hopeful that the Assembly would put the bikes to good use adding that the donation of bikes forms part of the company's corporate social responsibility.

The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah, who received the bikes on behalf of the Assembly expressed gratitude to the company for their kind gesture and promised to put them to good use.

He said the Assembly would procure more of such bikes to enable it respond to the needs of the city in a more timely and efficient manner.

"Sometimes bills for property rates gets to property owners very late,and this is going to help us deliver our bills on time," he said.

The Mayor was happy that the bikes came with with helmets noting that the assembly would be working with the Motor Traffic and Transport Division (MTTD) to ensure the safety of motor riders and pedestrians in Accra.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The latest Open Doors report on international education has revealed that the United States hosted 1.08 million international students during the 2016/2017 academic year. This marks a 3 percent increase over the prior year. The number of African students hit a record high at 37,735, marking a 7 percent increase over the prior year.

There are currently 3,111 Ghanaian students enrolled at more than 630 tertiary institutions across the United States. Ghana is the third-largest sender of students from Africa, after only Nigeria (11,710 students) and Kenya (3,189 students). Undergraduates make up 38 percent of those at U.S. universities and colleges. Graduate students make up 45 percent, out of which 42 percent are enrolled in doctoral programs. The remainder are in student status while in optional practical training or are enrolled in non-degree programs.

The five most popular U.S. states for Ghanaian students are Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Texas. The two most popular institutions are Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, which has 57 Ghanaian graduate students and four undergraduate students, and Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which has 52 undergraduate students from Ghana alone.

Meanwhile, Ghanas strong universities attract 20,000 students from other African countries. In addition, 1,564 American students engaged in a credit-bearing program in Ghana in the 2015/2016 academic year, the most recent year for which numbers are available. This makes Ghana the second most popular African destination for American exchange students, after only South Africa.

For additional statistics, please visit https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors. Ghanaians interested in studying in the United States are encouraged to visit the U.S. government-sponsored EducationUSA Centers in Accra or Kumasi for advising and information sessions. For more information, please visit https://gh.usembassy.gov/education-culture/educationusa-center/ .
17.11.2017 LISTEN

16 November 2017, GENEVA  A panel debate will be organized by the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue  a think tank holding special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council  on the challenges and opportunities related to the protracted migrant and refugee crisis affecting Europe and the MENA region.

The debate entitled Migration and human solidarity, a challenge and an opportunity for Europe and the MENA region will be held on 14 December 2017 from 10:00 to 12:30 in room XII at the United Nations Office in Geneva.

The panel debate will address the adverse impact of cross-border movement resulting from war-related insecurity and from economic push factors such as the detrimental impact of climate change. Violence and insecurity as well as climate change migration have adversely affected millions of people in the MENA region and have become issues of high importance for the countries in the region and in Europe. The conference will aim at promoting a discussion of this major issue in its Europe-Middle Eastern interactive dimensions rather than through focussing on the two regions separately.

The event will be structured in two main sections with the first part covering forced cross-border movement of people resulting from war-related insecurity affecting countries in the Middle East. The second part will explore the triggering factors contributing to the forced cross-border movement of climate migrants from the Sahel region to Europe via North Africa, and the solutions required to redress this situation. These two clusters will offer an inclusive and holistic assessment of, and response to, the protracted climate migrant and refugee crises affecting Europe and the MENA region.

Altogether, the outcomes of the panel debate will contribute to enriching the debate on the UN Global Compact for Migration and Refugees that will be adopted in 2018.

The panel debate will be opened by H. E. Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim, Chairman of the Geneva Centres Board of Management. Speakers participating in the panel will be Mr. Roberto Savio (Founder and President Emeritus of Inter Press Service (IPS) and Director for International Relations of the European Centre for Peace and Development), Monsignor Roberto J. Vitillo (the Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission), Mr. Eduard Rodier (Director of the Norwegian Refugee Councils Europe Office). Ms. Dina Ionesco (Head of IOMs Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division) and Ms. Christine Goyer(UNHCR Senior Protection Officer, Mixed Migration).

The debate will be moderated by the Executive Director of the Geneva Centre Ambassador Idriss Jazairy.

All attendees who do not hold a UN badge are kindly requested to register at UN's INDICO registration portal by 10 December (12:00) the latest.

About the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Social Dialogue:

The Geneva Centre, an organization with special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, is a think tank dedicated to the promotion of human rights through cross-cultural, religious and civilizational dialogue between the Global North and Global South, and through training of the upcoming generations of stakeholders in the Arab region. The Centre works towards a value-driven human rights system, steering clear of politicization and building bridges between different narratives thereon of the Global North and of the Global South. Its aim is to act as a platform for dialogue between a variety of stakeholders involved in the promotion and protection of human rights.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Apparently, the very useful and vital-for-nation-building Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD), is in danger of losing some of the public documents it stores for the nation.

According to media reports, this was revealed to a visiting team from the private-sector company Origin8, which toured the PRAAD storage facility opposite Accra's Holy Spirit Cathedral, by the current PRAAD director, Mr. Felix Nyarko Ampong.

Perhaps, the question we must all ponder over is: How come officialdom has allowed the situation at PRAAD to reach such a sorry pass? Hmm, Oman Ghana - eyeasem o. Aserm kesie ebeba debi ankasa.

The sad thing in all this, is that if only our hard-of-hearing political class would listen to good free advice from patriotic and altruistic individuals, this problem would have been resolved years ago.

To save the situation, the sector minister under whose purview the PRAAD falls should take the initiative and talk to Google about a public private partnership (PPP) with Ghana, in which Google funds and digitises all public records at the PRAAD and other Ghana government establisments, in exchange for gaining access to same. That is a simple and creative approach that will not involve spending hard-to-find taxpayers' money - and won't give our vampire-elites in the private-sector a public procurement opportunity to rip-off Mother Ghana yet again, through egregious contract-profiteering.

Some of us are begining to get fed up to the backteeth with block-headed government appointees who refuse to listen to good advice that somehow does not benefit them personally. Enough is enough. Haaba. The government of President Akufo-Addo must propose a PPP deal to Google to digitise all the documents in public records depositories across the country and accept access to same as payment-in-kind.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The National Democratic Party(NDC), Member of Parliament for Garu constituency, Mr Albert Akuka, has asked government to thread safely and ensure that the Office of the Special Prosecutor ensures impartiality in doing its work.

According to him, the office should be neutral to avoid the suspicion that it was purposely set up to intimidate members of the opposition NDC.

Although, he was in agreement with the passage of the bill, he warned the process should not be used to target NDC members alone.

"For us (NDC) we are looking at fairness from the government of the day, we don't expect it to be witch hunting the immediate past administration alone" he stressed.

Mr Akuka has instead urged government to ensure it investigates and prosecute current officials and past government officials from Rawlings' administration to date who have been alleged to have engaged in corrupt practices.

'It should target the officials in Kufour's era where allegations of corruption were levelled, the Rawlings' era, Atta Mills' and John Mahama's era as a means to ensure fairness, " Mr Akuka told the Daily Express in an interview in reaction to the Passage of the Special Prosecutor Bill which is aimed at helping the government handle corruption -related issues among state officials in a nonpartisan manner.

Per the Act, an independent prosecutor will head the office and prosecute corruption offenses by state officers.

The bill was first introduced through a certificate of urgency in July, bringing parliamentary speed to the Presidents quip that he is a man in a hurry.

But it was resisted by the Constitutional, Legal Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament on the basis that it did not fall within the category of Bills brought before the House under a certificate of urgency.

The Special Prosecutors office was one of the key anti-corruption measures propagated by President Akufo-Addo while campaigning in the 2016 elections.

Mr Akuka also advised that when the Special Prosecutor is appointed , he or she should be allowed to do his or her work without interference, intimidation or harassment from government.

The Garu constituency legislature urged Ghanaians to join the fight against corruption to help secure the future of the country.
Access Bank Ghana has hosted over 60 market womenfrom Makola Market in Accra, to commemorate the global Women Entrepreneurship Day (WED).

The workshop organized under the Banks flagship programme, the W Initiative, was in partnership with the Makola Instituteto build the capacity of women business owners.Key topics covered included: Basic Book Keeping, Cash Flow Management, Stock Keeping, Maintaining a Good Banking Relationship and Customer Service.

Speaking to the participants, Head of the Makola Institute, Mrs. Comfort Oduro Nyarko encouraged the women to constantly review their business performance to ensure growth andsustainability.

Commitment to growing your business and ensuring its longevity requires attention to detailand consistency in serving your customers. As a business owner you cannot take the slightest issue for granted because that can likely affect your business venture she added.

In his opening remarks, the Divisional Head for Retail Banking at Access Bank, Mr. Stephen Abbantold participants that capacity building workshops, under the W Initiative was instituted to enable women businesses to stay competitive and profitable.

Mr. Abban saidthe W Initiative is central to theBanks financial inclusion strategy because more than half of Ghanas population is female. By supporting women businesses to succeed, we are supporting their families, the community and the nations economic growth agenda he said.

The Group Head for Personal Banking at Access Bank, Mrs. Matilda Asante-Asiedu used the occasion to emphasize the benefits of signing onto the W Initiative. She said W is empowering women with knowledge, networking and access to markets to expand their businesses and she invited women who have not signed on to do so.

This years WED is celebrated under the theme Grit: Secret Recipes of Successful Women Entrepreneurs and will be observed in over 144 countries.

Since the launch of the W Initiativein May 2015, 30,000 women have benefited from various workshops across the country including the recent collaboration with FMO- the Dutch Development Bank in the Female Leadership Journey.

The W Initiative seeks to inspire, connect and empower women across the country by offering a bundle of tailor made products, services and opportunities to young women professionals, women with family and women in business.
A district judge was kidnapped in central Mali late on Thursday, police and security sources told AFP, two weeks after a High Court justice escaped an attempt on his life.

Attacks on figures of state authority are common in northern and central Mali, where a jihadist insurgency and the near absence of government functions have fuelled lawlessness.

"Judge Soungalo Kone was kidnapped on Thursday night by armed men who arrived at his house in Niono in a white vehicle," a local police source in the Segou region told AFP, referring to the town where Kone lives and works.

"He was returning home when armed men appeared, which indicates he was being watched," the source added.

A security source said the kidnapping was being treated as the work of jihadists or someone local disgruntled with a court ruling.

The kidnapping comes after one of Mali's most senior judges, High Court Chief Justice Abdrahamane Niang, narrowly avoided death when his convoy was ambushed in Mopti, central Mali, on October 31.

Jihadists were accused of killing his driver, while five soldiers dispatched to the scene died when their vehicle triggered a mine explosion.

Mali's current instability is linked to the fall of northern cities in 2012 to Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists, who were routed by a French military intervention in 2013.

Although the jihadists no longer control cities, they have continued to mount attacks and aggravate tensions within communities.

The country's north and central regions are meanwhile awash with weapons that flowed into Mali from Libya after the fall of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.
Government has ruled out the creation of a new financial institution despite proposing the establishment of a new National Development Bank.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in the 2018 budget announced the launch of a National Development Bank with the capacity of mobilising private capital towards agricultural and industrial transformation, among others.

According to him, a task force has been set up to develop a roadmap for the establishment of a bank JoyBusiness understands could have a seed capital of $500 million.

However, this proposal has not gone down with former Trade Minister, Ekwow Spio-Gabrah and Former Deputy Finance Minister, Kweku Ricketts-Hagan.

They have described it the decision an unnecessary creation, considering that there are already existing banks that government has significant holding that it can use to execute this plan.

They also argued that it would be a waste of resources when government can fall on existing financial institutions.

But speaking to JoyBusiness, Deputy Minister of Energy, Abena Osei-Asare, noted that government does not have any intention of establishing a new bank.

The fact that we said we are coming up with a development bank doesnt mean its a new bank, he said.

Asked whether government is working to merge two banks which have a significant shareholding in the creation of this development bank, the minister responded, that is also very possible.

We are looking more at consolidation and it is possible that some banks might consolidate to form the National Development Bank or anything is possible.

"But what we are making available is the funds and we are going to use the right channel to make these funds available to enable businesses to also take off, the Deputy Energy Minister added.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The Mandela Washington Fellows-Liberia, a Flagship organization of the United States Government Young African Leadership Program wants to extend our appreciation to the peace-loving people of Liberia for turning out in their mass number to vote peacefully in the October 10, 2017, presidential and Representatives elections. Moreover, MWF-Liberia would also like to congratulate two political parties that made it to the second round of the presidential elections (the ruling Unity Party and the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change) waiting to participate in the unpromising runoff election.

Mandela Washington Fellows-Liberia recognizes and acknowledges the peaceful participation of all political parties, the Media, International Partners, Elections Observers, and the entire citizenry for their collaborative effort during the first round that brought about a peaceful and mass turnout. We also salute the tireless effort of Mandela Washington Fellows and YALI Regional Learning Center Alumni who were seen engaging young voters through strengthening their capacities in peacebuilding and informing them to vote in the Presidential and Representatives Elections. However, MWF-Liberia worries over the unfavorable political environment being created due to the delay in the investigation of the lawsuit filed by opposition and ruling unity parties and the recent statement by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf saying that the country economy is under stress.

The recent short speech by her Excellency President-Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf about our economy being under threats can be proven if only we continue to do things that can jeopardize the peaceful transition of power and the destabilization of our decade of peace and stability. The reports of frauds and irregularities as complained and reported by the opposition Liberty Party Leader, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, the ruling Unity Party and other political parties against the National Elections Commissions of Liberia through a legal process is welcoming. Notwithstanding, we call on the political parties involved to abandon the lawsuit for the sake of continuous peace, economic growth and peaceful political co-existence and power transition.

As an independent and nonpartisan organization, we like to call on all political parties to remain steadfast and committed to supporting a peaceful political transition and discourage any act that has the propensity to support the unfavorable political transition. MWF-Liberia also wants to use this medium to call on supporters and partisans of political parties to remain dedicated to peaceful democratic transition as we prepare to go through the runoff presidential election between the ruling Unity party and the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). MWF-Liberia wants to admonish the National Elections Commission to accelerate effort in adjudicating all electoral cases at the commission and ensuring that all reported cases of irregularities be corrected and measures put in place to prevent such during the runoff election.

As we go through these critical periods of our Democratic transition, we as Mandela Washington Fellows and citizens of Liberia, would like to call on the Opposition Liberty Party, Ruling Unity Party, National Government, the Supreme Court, the National Elections Commissions, United States Government, ECOWAS, the AU, the UN, EU and other bilateral partners to continue their peaceful intervention and collaborative efforts into these processes. We as Mandela Washington Fellows remain steadfast, objective, and committed to the goal of a peaceful transitional process.

MAY GOD ALMIGHTY CONTINUES TO BLESS LIBERIA!!
Togo's authorities were on Friday urged to end their crackdown on anti-government protests and open talks to end a months-long political crisis.

Thirteen international and local human rights organisations said the government should "end the bloody repression" and talk to those involved in the stand-off.

The call came as thousands of opposition supporters again took to the streets of the capital, Lome, to demand the resignation of President Faure Gnassingbe.

Three days of marches have been planned for this week, ending on Saturday. Friday's demonstration passed off without incident, according to an AFP correspondent.

But three months of almost weekly protests have seen bloody clashes between protesters and the security services, leaving at least 16 people dead.

The opposition wants the introduction of a two-term limit for presidents and a two-round voting system, to bring an end to more than 50 years of rule by the Gnassingbe family.

Attempts at mediation are under way at regional level.

Guinea's President Alpha Conde, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the AU, on Thursday said he would meet opposition leaders to try to find a "peaceful" solution.

Conde has already met Gnassingbe.

At the same time, a delegation sent by Ghana's president, Nana Akufo-Addo, on behalf of his West African counterparts met opposition leaders in Lome on Tuesday.

Eric Dupuy, spokesman for the 14-party opposition coalition, said the meeting saw the parties agree on the location and form of any talks.

A joint committee was likely to set the agenda and deadline for the discussions, he told AFP, adding: "But this time, nothing will be imposed on us...

"We'll fix a date, the terms and the length of the discussions together."

The situation has reached stalemate, with each side blaming the other for violence.

Comi Toulabor, head of research at the Institute of Politics in Bordeaux, southwest France, said: "The government doesn't appear in any way to want to give in to the street and the overtures it's pretending to make aren't really overtures."

Gnassingbe "continues to sow terror and kills people using the same methods as his father" General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo from 1967 until his death in 2005.

Togo's government promised in late September to hold a referendum on constitutional reform. But its proposal for a two-term presidential is not retroactive.

The opposition have objected, saying it would leave Gnassingbe free to stand at the next two elections in 2020 and 2025, and potentially be in power until 2030.

He has already won three elections since 2005.

In the meantime, the opposition said it will continue to hold peaceful marches until its demands are met.
Eight of the 10 regional branches of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party called for him to resign on Friday, state TV reported.

"The province resolved unanimously to recall the president... from being the president of the party and the government," said Cornelius Mupereri, a spokesman for the party's Midlands region.

He was one of several branch officials to appear on ZBC's nightly news to call for the 93-year-old leader to go in what appeared to be a coordinated effort, with the officials reading almost identical statements.

Their declarations add to the already considerable pressure on Mugabe to go which has been mounting since generals seized power on Tuesday night and placed him under house arrest.

The army's intervention came after Mugabe last week fired his vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa who was thought to be the military's favoured candidate to replace Mugabe if he died or resigned.

The sacking cleared the way for First Lady Grace Mugabe, who is 41 years younger than the president, to succeed him -- a situation that is believed to have irked many senior military officers.

As well as the increasingly vocal opposition from within his own party, Mugabe will face street protests on Saturday organised by veterans of the country's independence war and supported by long-standing opponents of the president.
17.11.2017 LISTEN

Jumia Ghana wants to notify its dear customers and the general public that the date for its upcoming Black Friday Festival still holds from November 24th to December 15th, 2017.

Do you want an amazing deal? Look forward to Black Friday because the date is unchanged and its still coming on.

Jumia Ghana is imploring its customers to disregard the SMS received indicating a change of date and for them to look out for the discount-raining Black Friday Festival which promises to give them the treat of their life.

Customers should expect up to 80% discount on some items on jumia.com.gh come next week Friday 24th. Jumia is allowing you to pay cash on delivery anytime and anywhere because Black Friday is here again.

For our customers with the fastest fingers, Jumia is offering limited Early Black Friday Deals starting today Friday November 17th to November 24th. Customers can visit https://www.jumia.com.gh/black-friday/ to enjoy these amazing deals.

Start shopping now! Because Pre- Black Friday Deals are limited.

BACKGROUND

Black Friday is a discount raining season for all customers on jumia.com.gh. Starting from November 24th to December 15th, 2017, Jumia is giving its noble customers a long and better season of shopping. Jumia Ghana says buy quality products you love at discounted prices because its Black Friday.

Preceding the entry of Xmas festivities, Black Friday is here to help customers reduce their stress and hassle of a traditional offline market rush. Jumia is doing the magic in helping you save big. It is November already and you can start by finding out what toys your children will be begging for or which gift package has a red bow on it needed to surprise that special someone.

In Africa and in Ghana to be precise, while this years Black Friday promises to not only super surprise customers, it is bent on drawing some interest from shoppers looking to save around 10-80% on a relatively wide selection of items. Black Friday promises to give more people the more opportunity to get all the stuffs they want.

This deal includes everything one could find raging from fashion to electronics from brands like Motorola, Infinix,Nasco, Nexus, Fero, Samsung, HP, Hotwav, Binatone, Chigo, Maybelline, Hanes, Darling and Ghandour. Every shopper will be getting the best price in their category of expenditure especially because its Black Friday.
In the wake of the military takeover of the reins of governance in Zimbabwe, on November 15, Ghanas longtime strongman and subsequently democratically elected president, Chairman Jerry John Rawlings, was reported to have earnestly appealed to the generals who opportunely intervened to prevent the certain, albeit unsavory and morally and politically regressive, establishment and entrenchment of a Mugabe Dynasty to ensure that Mr. Mugabes legacy and dignity were not unduly destroyed or tampered with (See Mugabes Legacy, Dignity Must Be Protected  Rawlings Starrfmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 11/16/17).

The preceding immediately reminded me of an interview that the then-Chairman Jerry John Rawlings granted a reputable magazine or journal (perhaps the defunct magazine West Africa or was it African Confidential), in which the extant leader of the so-called Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) was asked to name his heroes among continental African leaders. Mr. Rawlings would pointedly and gruffly snap that he and his faux-revolutionary comrades were too busy putting the broken pieces of his corrupt and irresponsible predecessors together to worry themselves about any heroes. I have no luxury to indulge in hero worship, Mr. Rawlings was reported to have sneered. I Have No Heroes, I believe that was the caption of the aforesaid interview.

And so it is rather ironic for the retired Ghanaian leader and longtime dictator to be calling for the generals and the people of Zimbabwe to staunchly rally in jealous defense and preservation of the legacy of Mr. Robert Gabriel Mugabe. He served and lived for the dignity of his fellow blacks in a manner that so many of us fell very short of, Mr. Rawlings was reported to have said.

Well, I went looking for the legacies of both Messrs. Rawlings and Mugabe and came up with an eerily striking picture of great resemblance. For starters, it is all too clear that 52-year-old Mrs. Grace Mugabe was merely emulating Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, wife and longtime partner in egregious acts of official criminality of the former Flight-Lieutenant of the Ghana Airforce, including the brutal assassination of the three Akan-descended Accra High Court judges, namely, Justices Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong and Fred Poku-Sarkodie; and, of course, Major Sam Acquah, the then-retired Managing-Director of the erstwhile Ghana Industrial Holdings Corporation (GIHOC).

Indeed, it was their desire to establishing a Rawlings Dynasty that motivated Chairman Rawlings to publicly and shamelessly back his wife at a 2010 Delegates Congress in Sunyani, the Brong-Ahafo capital, to publicly malign and attempt to unseat then-President John Evans Atta-Mills, late, who, like Zimbabwes Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, had once served as Chairman Rawlingss Vice-President. And so it is quite unmistakable that Mr. Rawlings sees a striking resemblance between the recent events in Harare that logically culminated in the timely intervention by that countrys military and the shenanigans orchestrated by Ghanas former First Lady and himself.

In Ghana, as well, Chairman Rawlings and Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings suffered a crushing political defeat. If, indeed, Mr. Rawlings had any African Pride, such as he claims Mr. Mugabe to have been thoroughly imbued with, then, sad to say, but he never really exhibited the same, especially as through much of the 1980s when he used his morbidly regressive usurpation of the democratically elected Limann Presidency to allegedly seek the acceptance of his Scottish-born father, Mr. John, an expatriate of the British-ruled colony of the Gold Coast, in the Scottish Highlands.

Well, in terms of legacies, unlike Mr. Mugabe, Chairman Rawlings does not seem to have left much to be celebrated with pride and in dignity. For example, other than himself, and perhaps his own wife, in his narcissistic estimation, Mr. Rawlings has consistently and perennially described his political mentees and proteges, such as former Presidents Atta-Mills and John Dramani Mahama, as the most thoroughgoing corrupt leaders in the countrys postcolonial history. Under Chairman Rawlings tenure also, Ghanas industrial base was totally destroyed with the callous and visionless quartering up of the Nkrumah-created Ghana Industrial Holdings Corporation (GIHOC), a group of state-owned factories and manufacturing plants that were supposed to kickstart the countrys industrial revolution.

This latter act of official criminality, ironically, occurred about the same time that President Mugabe was being commended all over the African continent and beyond for having raised Zimbabwes adult-literacy rate virtually from scratch to about 85-percent (See How Robert Mugabe Went from Zimbabwes National Hero to Economic Tyrant Newsweek 11/15/17).

The preceding may very well be what the half-Scottish former Ghanaian dictator was reportedly lamenting, when Mr. Rawlings lauded Mr. Mugabe as one who served and lived for the dignity of his fellow blacks in a manner that so many of us fell very [far] short of.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
17.11.2017 LISTEN

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with one of my church members, who argued that the challenge that has burdened Africa's development and rather kept the continent on the wheels of progressive retrogression is the absence of security of tenure for African political elite.

Obviously, my church member was rehashing the current political theory that seeks to understand and explain the African predicament on the basis of insecurity of tenure.

I was swift in pointing out the lapses in that theory to him, citing Mugabe and Museveni as case studies. I have read quite a bit about the deposed Mugabe and also lived in Uganda for three years to have a fair idea of the dynamics of politics in Uganda. I argued that Africa's underachievement is not necessarily because leaders do not have security of tenure, but rather leaders who have deified their belly and pursued the politics of the belly.

Many years ago, when Ian Smith was grudgingly leaving Rhodesia, he posed a challenge to the world concerning the capacity of Africans to rule themselves. His argument was that Africans cannot rule themselves: they need the paternalistic guidance of the West. This was a clear antithesis to Nkrumah's mantra that Africans are capable of managing their own affairs.

Well, we may argue that, per the logic of neocolonialism, the erstwhile Prime Minister of Rhodesia, left behind traps that would keep Rhodesia underdeveloped. Possibly, we may find some sense in this conspiracy. But, at least, Mugabe is famed as the most educated leader of contemporary Africa. Following from that, we expected that Mugabe would have put his country on the pedestal of development.

Two weeks ago, I predicted to my Zimbabwean friend, who is a professor at the University of Zimbabwe, that Mugabe is sitting on a timely bomb that was only waiting to explode. Over the years, Mugabe used populist rhetoric to consolidate his position in office. He allowed his sweetheart to drum into his itching ears that he was the only person capable of ruling Zimbabwe. This convinced him to establish the archaic monarchical form of governance, framed around politics as family affairs. Perhaps, Mugabe wanted to universalise his matrimonial bed to cover the entire Zimbabwe!

Unfortunately, Mugabe has reified the perception some have of African leaders that Africans are incapable of governing themselves. Postcolonial African leaders have milked the African cow without feeding it, and in consequence blame the perceived West for the woes of the continent. Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has been in power for 31 years, and as expected, he fortifies himself against all forms of opposition by arresting and rearresting the opposition leader and persons who express contrary opinion about his government. He has made Uganda a country where the opposition can only talk, but Museveni will have his way. Latching onto the West's fight against terrorism, Museveni has made himself the lord of East Africa, and the only person who is capable of stalling the activities of terrorists.

I do not support military intervention in politics, particularly coming from a country where incessant coups have derailed and stalled our development. But sometimes, military intervention in politics becomes a necessary evil. Both Museveni and Mugabe contest the received staple notion that lack of security of tenure is the reason for Africa's poor show! It is about time the leaders of Africa realised that they are not demigods to rule forever. They should leave when their time is up. I am praying that Museveni will learn from what has happened to leaders like Mugabe to amend his ways, and more importantly vacate politics.

Africa must work! Africa must work without dictators. Wisdom is not located in the head of only one person!

Satyagraha!!!

Charles Prempeh ([email protected]),

African University College of Communications, Accra
"...Ghana's oil in the ground that currently do not have a contracts for those lots will not spoil in 1 year, or ever...We know that a recent report by KOSMOS showed that KOSMOS did not strike even a pint of oil in...in Mauritania... Clause (3) of...Act 919, stipulates that "A petroleum agreement shall only be entered into after an open, transparent and competitive public tender process.... So, what exactly is Ghana going to lose by suspended negotiations with...ExxonMobil?...Why, after nearly a year in power, why has the Akufo Addo Government not "operationalized" Act 919?....Why is Dr. Amin Adam not using the other side of his mouth to demand that every Oil Contract be reviewed so Ghanaians know exactly who owns what piece, what block, what contract?...", (Prof Lungu, 16 November, 2017).

The recent announcement by Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, formerly of the UK -DFID-funded ACEP, and now the Deputy Energy Minister, is a mighty big hoax.

It is nothing less than a grab for power and resources that belong to the Ghanaian public.

It is a mighty big hoax being perpetrated by Dr. Amin Adam and the oil interests in Ghana to siphon oil contract cash into their pockets.

All of Ghana's oil in the ground that currently do not have a contract for those lots will not spoil in 1 year, or ever.

Even with all its flaws, Section 10, Clause (3), of the 2016 Petroleum and Exploration Act, Act 919, stipulates that:

"....A petroleum agreement shall only be entered into after an open, transparent and competitive public tender process...".

All that, before the Act provides under same Section, Clause (5) that:

"....Where all or part of the area offered for tender in a public tender process has not become the subject of a petroleum agreement,...the Minister...may initiate direct negotiations with a qualified body corporate for a petroleum agreement....".

Why, we must now ask, after nearly a year in power, why has the Akufo Addo Government not operationalized Act 919 and is now asking "until "the middle of next year"?

Why is Dr. Amin Adam suddenly telling Ghanaians the Akufo Addo government has merely ".... placed a short-term ban on the award of fresh petroleum contracts until requisite regulations that will allow for an open and competitive bidding processes are enacted....by the middle of next year."

Are they serious, or not?

Why?

Why not stop all contracts issuance until "the middle of next year" when protocols and standards of performance for transparent tendering and open bidding have been vetted and established, protocols that would better allow for that meaningful "era of competitive bidding for oil contracts", same they are promising Ghanaians via Act 919?

Isn't Ghana reviewing the AMERI contract?

So, what is the precise Ghanaian interest in Dr. Amin Adam rushing to award contracts before the so-called Act 919, the Petroleum and Exploration Act of 2016, is "operationalized", as proposed by the current ACEP Executive Director, Mr. Benjamin Boakye (and Ms Linda Ahunu, a policy analyst at that same ACEP)?

Why?

We know that a recent report by KOSMOS showed that KOSMOS did not strike even a pint of oil in their exploration efforts in Mauritania, that this had the effect of making Ghana's oil resources under the ground even more valuable to KOSMOS and a whole lot of other companies, COMPETITORS, if we must direct Dr. Amin Adam's attention.

What exactly is Ghana going to lose by suspended negotiations with "the American oil giant, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Ghana Limited", for 7 months, Dr. Adam?

Tell Ghana when the "negotiations" with ExxonMobil commence and why it is that the interest of Ghana is not better protected under Act 919 with open, competitive bidding, yet?

What, Dr. Amin Adam, is the review of the AMERI deal by Ghana but just another "retroactive" review of a potentially one-sided, energy deal that is not entirely defensible as supporting Ghanaian interests, as opposed to those of corporations taking from Ghanaians what they do not own, what they have not fully earned?

And while we are at it, tell us, Dr. Amin Adam, why are you not using the other side of your mouth to demand that every Oil Contract be reviewed so Ghanaians know exactly who owns what piece, what block, what paper, what contract?

In short, what happened to Dr. Amin Adam's fight for all that information about "Beneficial Ownership" while he was sitting on the outside, and the government was under the purview of the Mahama NDC?

What gives, Dr. Amin Adam?

What gives, Ghana?

So it goes, Ghana!

SOURCES & NOTES

1. Government places temporary ban on petroleum contract negotiations, Ghanaweb, at: (https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Government-places-temporary-ban-on-petroleum-contract-negotiations-600805).

2. Govt urged to operationalise, by Petroleum Act, by Ms. JESSICA ACHEAMPONG, 19 APRIL 2017, at https://www.graphic.com.gh/business/business-news/govt-urged-to-operationalise-petroleum-act.html

Visit www.GhanaHero.Com/Visions, for more information.

SUBJ: Akufo-Addo's Temporary Ban on Petroleum Contracts is a Big Hoax!

Support Fair-Trade Oil Share Ghana (FTOS-Gh) Campaign/Petition:

https://www.change.org/p/ghana-fair-trade-oil-share-psa-campaign-ftos-gh-psa/

Brought to you courtesy www.GhanaHero.com17 Nov 17.

(Powered by: www.GhanaHero.Com).
17.11.2017 LISTEN

The hardest tumble a man can take is to fall off his own bluff. The problems have started showing up. It is beginning to look gloomy, and this should tell us why there is a need for us to stay within our limits. There is this unsavory development in which some politicians, particularly those in power have always cultivated, that is under-rating the intelligence of we the people by making us believe that everything looks so glamorous meanwhile it exists in its opposite.

They misrepresent information just to win public sympathy of which is a clear cut of hypocrisy and naiveness. Its sometimes surprising that they act oblivious to the fact that posterity will judge us all one day. This for me has widened my eyes to know that political elites in Ghana are mere political slogans for winning political power, which signifies nothing. Fellow patriotic citizens, join me as l stay and delve within the context of "Teacher Education" in Ghana.

Austin O'Malley once said; "Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies, soon grow color - blind". Ghanaians are been made to believe all is well as far as teacher education is concern since there is this flagship policy of "Reinstatement of Allowances". Before I proceed, Ghanaians, we now live in the ages of reasoning, let us be aware of half truths. You may have gotten hold of the wrong Half but enlightenment can save you the harm.

The allowance has come at a time where Teacher Trainees needs it the most but the question is; has it served the purpose for which it was it was instated? Is it robbing Peter to pay Paul? Wherever it stands, I would say the truth surrounding this allowance has been distorted from my point of view. Students are to pay fees of GHC 1164.00 which consists of "All program fees" of GHC 604 of which we do not know what it entails. An S. R. C and Hall dues amounting to GHC 200 whiles a student is given GHC 400 monthly from which feeding fees of GHC 196 will be deducted monthly living the Teacher Trainee with GHC 204 and we call this reinstatement of Teacher Trainees Allowance? We shouldn't do this to ourselves as nation.

It is impossible to calculate the moral mischief, if I may so express it that Colleges of Education are to face closure due to government failure to go into concrete negotiations with the leadership of Colleges of Education Tutors Association of Ghana (CETAG) over their unpaid salaries arrears since October 2016. The closure of Colleges of Education in Ghana is in conformance with the rules of awarding institutions which indicates that, if Colleges abort classes activities for 21days, there is the need for it to face closure.

Are you not in agreement with me that, it is disheartening to be owing someone for a close to a year and the most irritating thing to hear is to tell them to go back to the classrooms without indicating clear terms of payment due them. Shouldn't this be called political gimmicks? I share in the pains of the about 49000 teacher trainees across the country who might be affected in one way or the other by this strike action from CETAG.

It is sounding as if government is not aware of the fact that if a teacher trainee fails a paper in any of the courses offered, he or she would be withdrawn. It is not surprising though after all this is what would happen when we have leaders who always want to deviate from the truth.

To this end, I know I will be tagged with a political color but I am not intimidated at all because, I will rather expose the lies of these surrogates than to conform to the stigma of conformity.

GOD BLESS OUR HOMELAND GHANA AND MAKE US GREAT AND STRONG
Introduction:

The Nanun kingdom was founded by Naa Nmantambu in the thirteenth century and like many African societies with kingship succession issues, they arise from time to time. Succession to the Bimbilla Skin is patrilineal and requires direct blood relationship with past Bimbilla. In other words, to ascend to the skin, a prospective applicant must be a son of a Bimbilla Naa or a patrilineal grandson of a Bimbilla Naa. Conflicts over succession are not new but the traditional system has mechanisms for resolving such conflicts; and in modern times, they include the Traditional Council, Regional House of Chiefs and the National House of Chiefs, and the judicial system of the Republic of Ghana.

From Naa Nmantambu to Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai (2004-2014), Nanun has produced thirty-two kings. The current impasse between Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai and the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni over succession is not new, but what is new is an attempt to introduce a matrilineal inheritance system in Nanun.

Who are the two contestants?

Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai (1st Defendant) is the son of Bimbilla Dassana Abdulai and the grandson of Bimbilla Naa Abdulai Kurugu-kpaa and has rightly been confirmed committee as quoted below

The Committee hereby unanimously holds that the 1st defendant had qualified to be nominated as Bimbilla Naa having validly gone through all the necessary processes of nomination, selection, election, enskinment and installation in accordance with Nanum custom (pp.47-48) [2]

Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni (1st Petitioner) son of Lepuhi Naa Dawuni, son of Princess Kasua, daughter of Nakpa Naa Nyei Dini, son Naa Gbugma. Clearly does not qualify to even contest as he is not having patrilineal relationship to the Bimbilla Skin.

Q. Who is your fathers father?

A. Nabiyon Dramani-Nabiyon is a royal but he never became a chief.

These answers without any shadow of doubt revealed to the committee that the 1st petitioner is not a grandson. At best the 1st petitioner was a great grandson because his grandfather was Nabiyon Dramani. (pp.29-30). It is only when the occupant of the Nakpa skin is a son of a former Bimbilla Naa or grandson of a former Bimbilla Naa that he can move on to become a Bimbilla (p.36). But the truth is that the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni is not only a great grandson of Bimbilla Naa Azumah but more importantly, he is related to the Gbugmayili through maternal blood (ibid, p.27).

The committee after thorough evaluation of the evidence adduced by the parties finds and I quote:

that the 1st petitioner has no capacity to bring this action to the committee under the erroneous title Bimbilla Naa, a title which he does not hold in accordance with the findings of this committee(Northern Region House of Chiefs, 2012, ,p.49)

Not satisfied with the ruling of the Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs dated 13th March, 2013, the late Nakpa Salifu Dawuni filed an appeal at the National House of Chiefs with Suit No: NHC/2012. Below are the RULINGS [3] of the National House of Chiefs dated 25th August, 2014:

Nananom, there is ample evidence on record that other Bimbilla Naas did not occupy lesser skins before occupying the Bimbilla skin. This warranted their being conferred titles before the enskinments. The 1st Respondent could be nominated, selected and enskinned as Bimbilla Naa because he qualified by birth and was given a title in accordance with traditional practice before his enskinment. (National House of Chiefs, 2014, p45)

Nananom, the Appellants did not argue any ground against the findings that 2nd Respondent is the Kpatihi of Nanum and also the person who possesses the regalia for enskinment of Bimbilla-Naa. In effect, Appellants appeal against 2nd Respondent fails. (ibid)

Nananom, it is our humble prayer and submission that this appeal be dismissed and the Judgement of the Committee below affirmed. The appeal is procedurally defective and pathetic in substance 

Despite these overwhelming evidences, it is ironic and pathetic, and contrary to His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos recent directives and public pronouncement to the effect that his government will not meddle in the numerous chieftaincy disputes across the country as stated: I have no interest other than the peace and security of Dagbon. Any official of mine, who is seen to be impeding the resolution of the matter, according to customs will have me to play [4]

Notwithstanding this categorical statement by the president, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla constituency and Defence Minister and Hon. Salifu Sa-eed, Northern Regional Minister are meddling in the Bimbilla Chieftaincy conflict which has resulted in the burial and installation of Nakpa Naas regent contrary to the directives of the Northern Regional Security Council: Our Ref: AC66/328/0IV/29 dated 12th October, 2017 which read: for the avoidance of doubt you are to desist from any acts such as the installation of a regent, drumming and any related activities that have not been cleared by the Regional Security Council.

Background

The Mole-Dagbom Kingdom was established in the thirteenth century by Naa Gbewaah around the present town of Pusiga in the Upper East region of the Republic of Ghana. According to oral history, the Mamprusi, Dagbombas and Manumeas are all descendants of Tohadzie - the red hunter. Gbewaah is one of the four sons of Kpognambo, who was the only son of Tohadzie. After the death of Naa Gbewaah, a power struggle over succession (Nam) among his sons ensued which led to the disintegration of the Greater Dagbon Kingdom. Tohagu, Sitobu and Nmantambu all sons of Naa Gbewaah migrated southward with their followers from Pusiga to present day Northern region in Ghana. Tohagu the eldest of the three founded the Mamprusi kingdom with the chieftaincy title Nayiri. Sitobu founded the Dagbon kingdom with the title Ya Naa and Nmantambu founded the Nanun kingdom with the title Bimbilla Naa. [5]

The Nayiri, who is the eldest and in the absence of Naa Gbewaah serves as the final arbitrator in any chieftaincy dispute in Dagbon and Nanun. In other words, the Traditional Supreme Court on chieftaincy matters among the descendants of Naa Gbewaah must be referred to the Nayiri arbitration and all parties must accept the judgement of the Nayiri.

Naa Nmantambu and the Nanun Kingdom

Naa Nmantambu founded the Nanun kingdom around the thirteenth century. After the death of Na Nmantambu, Naa Sul-Nme (Surima) was enskinned as the Bimbilla Naa and followed by Naa Dogi Poriga. From Nmanatambu to Naa Mamani (11th), Nanun had no royal gate system, until after the death of Naa Azuma-Naa Gbungmah who established the Gbungmayili gate. All three kings of the Nanun kingdom after Naa Azuma were all from the Gbungmayili gate. After the death of Naa Sumani (15th), Naa Abarika was enskinned as the 16th Bimbilla Naa and he founded the Bangyili gate. Since the rule of Naa Abarika, the Nanun kingdom established a rotational system between Gbungmayili and Bangyili. From Naa Nmantambu to Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai II, the Nanun Kingdom has produced thirty-two (32) rulers of the Nanun Kingdom. [6] With the exception of Naa Sul-Nme and Naa Dogi Poriga, all persons who have ascended to the Bimbilla skin has either been a son or a grandson by patrilineal descent.

Ascension to Bimbilla Skin: Who qualifies?

Nanun practice a patrilineal system of succession. The primary requirement to qualify any royal to ascend to the Bimbilla Skin is that you MUST have a direct blood relationship with the Bimbilla Skin. That is, a prospective applicant to a vacant Bimbilla Skin must be a son of a Bimbilla Naa or a grandson (patrilineal) of a Bimbilla Naa (emphasis mine). In a situation where all applicants meet the primary requirement, the one who occupies the most senior skin shall be selected and enskinned as Bimbilla Naa. From Naa Nmantambu it was not rotational until the reign of Bimbilla Naa Gbugma (12th Bimbilla Naa), founder of the Gbugmayili gate, and Naa Abarika I (16th Bimbilla Naa) founder of the Bangyili gate. Since Naa Abarika I, the Bimbilla skin has rotated between Gbugmayili and Bangyili gates.

The Kpatihi Family and Nanun Nam

The Kpatihi family is one of the few families who travelled along with Naa Nmantambu, the founder of the Nanumba Kingdom (the Nanumba Traditional Area). The family headed by the Kpatihi Naa is one of the Nine (9) kingmakers [7] of Nanun who are customarily the electoral college responsible for the vetting, selection and enskinment of Bimbilla Nanima (Chiefs). The Kpatihi is the only skin in the Nanumba Traditional area that has only one gate, all other skins (including Bimbilla) have at least two (2) gates, Ascension to the Kpatihi skin is hereditary and automatic, and therefore to become a Kpatihi you must be the eldest in the Kpatihi family. Kpatihi Naa Azumah Nantogmah from 1994 to date. The Kpatihi family is the sole custodian of Nanun Regalia and the Kpatihi-Naa is solely responsible for performing the enskinment rites to make a qualified candidate a Bimbilla Naa.

Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II (1982-1999)

The Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II was enskinned as the 31st Bimbilla Naa by the late Kpatihi Ponadow Nantogmah in 1982. According to Nanun customs and tradition, after the enskinment of a Bimbilla Naa, the regent of his predecessor, in this case Borgu Naa Mahama Dasana, the regent of Bimbilla Naa Dasana Abdulai, should have been promoted to a senior skin. At the time that Naa Abarika ascended to the Skin of Bimbilla, the Nakpa skin was vacant due to the demise of the Nakpa Naa Nantogma II.

After the funeral of Nakpa Naa Nantogma II, it was expected that Juana Naa Musah Abdulai will be promoted to the Nakpa skin and Borgu Naa Mahama Dasana (regent of Naa Dasana Abdulai) would be promoted to Juanayili as tradition demands. Naa Abarika Attah II, enskinned Kariga Naa Dawuni Gbarigbari, son of Nakpa Naa Attah and grandson of Bimibilla Naa Shero Azuma as the Nakpa Naa-Nakpa Naa Dawuni Gbarigbari. It is important to emphasise that even though some chiefs in the Gbungmayili gate were unhappy with Naa Abarika IIs choice, no one challenged the decision of Naa Abarika Attah II because Nakpa Dawuni Gbarigbari met the primary qualification criteria to ascend to the Bimbilla skin which is for any royal to ascend to the Bimbilla skin he must be a son or a grandson (patrilineal) of a Bimbilla Naa.

Enskinment of Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni

One of the myths in the Bimbilla skin impasse is that when the Bakpaba skin became vacant, no Gbungmayili royals expressed interest in Bakpaba, which is the reason why Naa Abarika Attah II promoted Alhaji Salifu Dawuni to the Bakpaba skin. Actually, the fact is that when the Bakpaba skin became vacant, two Gbungmayili: Lepuhi Na Azumah Abdulai and Kariga Lana Nantogma Haruna expressed their interest in the Bakpaba skin through laid down procedures in accordance with customs and tradition.

Enskinment of Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as Nakpa Naa

After the final funeral rites of Nakpa Naa Musah Abdulai in January 1990, the Nkapa skin became vacant and prospective qualified royals from the Gbugmayili Gate expressed interest in the Nakpa skin in accordance with Nanun Tradition and culture. However to the surprise of the Gbungmayili gate, it became clear that Naa Abarika Attah II had already nominated Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as his preferred candidate for the vacant Nakpa skin. This prompted a meeting of Gbunmayili Gate chiefs and a petition on a Qualified Candidate for the Nakpa Skin [8] to the Northern Regional Administration dated January 16, 1990. Below are extracts from the Petition:

We the under listed chiefs of the Gbumayili gate wish to put this letter to your office. The decisions that follows below is taken in the interest of the District, Region and the nation at large.

At a family gathering it was unanimously agreed that the Kariga-Naa Nantogma Haruna or the Lepuhi-Naa Azumah Abudulai who are the only surviving sons of Bimbilla Nanima, and thus father of the gbumayili should be made the Nakpa Naa

We are therefore trying to inform you beforehand that if any person other than the mentioned is enskinned the next Nakpa Naa there shall be no peace. We are strongly against the enskinment of any person beside the two mentioned chiefs. And this to pre-inform you that we are protecting violence in the district that is why we write [9]

Clearly, Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II ignored the pleas of the Gbumayili chiefs and proceeded to enskin Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as Nakpa Naa sowing the seed for this protracted Bimbilla Skin impasse. The decision to enskin Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as Nakpa Naa, was against the good counselling of the late Kpatihi-Naa Ponadow Nantogmah -who informed Naa Abarika that Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni was not a Bimbilla royal and therefore did not qualify for enskinment as Nakpa Na.

It is important to note that the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs in the ruling indicted the late Naa Abarika Attah II for the current impasse on succession to the Bimbilla skin. The Committee observed:

..the committee painfully found as a fact that the wrongful nomination or appointment of the 1st petitioner by the latest king of Nanum-Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II was undoubtedly the cause of this protracted chieftaincy dispute in Nanum. The Gbugmayili family members and some kingmakers of Nanum together did not only object to it but they vehemently challenged it.(Emphasis mine) [10]

Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas and the Nakpa Skin/Bimbilla Chieftaincy Conflict

After the wrongful nomination and enskinment of Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as Nakpa Naa, Lepuhi Naa Azuma Abdulai and Kpatihi Naa Ponadow Nantogmah petitioned the Northern Regional House of Chiefs over the wrongful enskinment of Nakpa Naa Dawuni: Lepuhi Naa Azuma (1st Petitioner) and Kpatihi Naa Ponadow Nantogmah (2nd Petitioner) versus Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II. The Northern Regional Judicial Committee constituted a three member committee including Yunyoo-Rana Yamyia Tookali.

After several years of hearing, we understand that Committee ruled in favour of Bimbilla Abarika Attah II. Ironically, till today, the proceedings of the Committee and its ruling on the matter between Lepuhi Naa Azuma Abdulai and Kpatihi Naa Ponadow Nantogmah versus Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II remain in secrecy. A written request for the Court Proceedings and Ruling of the Judicial Committee on the Nakpa Skin by the author was met with a verbal response from the registrar of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs- we do not have court proceedings and the ruling on this matter with us. I understand there was an appeal at the National House of Chiefs. However, through our research, we learned that the only reason the committee ruled in favour of Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II was the intervention and influence of Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, under Secretary for Foreign Affairs and later Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Jerry John Rawlings (1981-2000). On the verdict of the Committee, one of the three panel members observed:

My father Kpatihi Naa, you presented a formidable case, we should have ruled in your favour but Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas used his political influence to deny you justice

Certainly, if Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas did not use his political influence in the P.N.D.C. and N.D.C. government to tamper with the course of justice in the Nakpa Skin Affair, this current impasse over the Bimbilla skin with its needless deaths and destruction of property would not have occurred in the first place:

Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas [11] , Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel is responsible for the protracted Bimbilla Chieftaincy dispute. Not only did he fail to counsel the late Bimbilla Naa Abarika on the nomination and enskinment of Salifu Dawuni as Bakpaba Naa and Nakpa, but more importantly, he used his position as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Member of Parliament for the Bimbilla Constituency to influence the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs to rule in favour of the late Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah in the Nakpa Chieftaincy dispute (Emphasis mine) [12]

But one may ask who Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas is? What is his interest in the Bimbilla skin impasse? The answers to these questions are not far-fetched. Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas is the son of DC Chamba, son of Princess Zara Chamba, daughter of Nabiyon Adama, son of Chamba Naa Iddirisah, son of Bimbilla Naa Peenkpa. Dr. Chambas is a great grandson (matrilineal) of Naa Peenkpa and is related to the Bangyili gate maternally in the same way as Nakpa Salifu Dawuni is related maternally to the Gbunmayili gate.

That said, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas support for Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni seeks to introduce matrilineal succession into Nanun kingship with the ascension of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni to the Bimbilla skin and thereby paving the way for not only great grandsons (patrilineal) but more importantly non-Bimbilla royals like Dr. Chambas who is related to the Bangyili gate maternally to also aspire to ascend to the Bimbilla skin.

Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah, Naa Nantogmah and (family) and the Bimbilla Chieftaincy

Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah was the son of Dakpam Naa Attah, son of Bimbilla Naa Dahamani, son of Bimbilla Naa Abarika I. The late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah was among the first generation of Nanun scholars. In the First Republic under Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, he was the Member of Parliament for Nanumba constituency. Being a royal and a scholar, one would have thought that he would use his knowledge and privileged position for the development of Nanun but that was not to be.

Enskinment of Bimbilla Naa Dassana Abdulai in 1959.

After the final funeral rites for Bimbilla Naa Nantogmah II (1944-1959) of the Bangyili gate, it was time for the kingship to move to Gbungmayili gate. At the time Naa Dassana son of Naa Abdulai Kurugu-kpa was the chief of Nakpa and Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro, son of Nakpa Naa Attah and grandson of Bimbilla Naa Shero [13] was the chief of Bakpaba. While Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro, was older than Naa Dassana, Naa Dassana occupied the Nakpa skin which is senior in the rank of chieftaincy titles. At the instance of the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah, and contrary to Nanun culture and traditions, a Nanun Traditional Council meeting was called. According to one person who was present at the meeting, this is what ensued:

Dakpam Naa Nantogmah informed the council that the time tested consensus decision making system of Nanun Kingmakers will be changed to a majority system. And since Nanun Kingmakers are nine (9), he asked that those who were in favour of Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro raise their hands. At the end of the process six (6) Kingmakers voted for Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro and three (3) led by Kpatihi Nantogmah Attah voted for Bimbilla Naa Dassana Abdulai. After the voting, the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah declared Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro as Bimbilla Naa

Kpatihi Naa Nantogmah Attah told Dakpam Naa that he cannot change the decision making system from consensus to majority. As night fell on the day of this meeting Kpatihi Nantogmah Attah enskinned Naa Dassana Abdulai as the 30th Bimbilla Naa in accordance with the culture and tradition of Nanun

This resulted in the enskinment of two Bimbilla Nanima and producing a short impasse. The Nkrumah government dispatched the late Northern Regional Commissioner, Mr. Lawrence Rosario Abavana to Bimbilla. After investigating claims of Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro and Naa Dassana, the inquiry concluded that Bimbilla Naa Dassana, who was duly enskinned by Kpatihi Nantogmah Attah was the rightful claimant to the Bimbilla Skin. Ironically, despite been a Member of Parliament, Kpatihi Nantogmah Attah who was unschooled defeated the educated Dakpam Nantogmah Attah; truth will always triumph

Enskinment of Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai (2003-2004)

After the final funeral of Naa Abarika II (Bangyili), it was the turn of the Gbungmayili gate and a family meeting of Gbungmayili chiefs and royals was convened and the late Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai was nominated by consensus and presented to the kingmakers. After the nomination of Naa Andani Dassana Abdulai was made public, the children [14] of Bangyili skin led by Vo-Naa Attah Abarika (regent of Naa Abarika II), Naa Nantogmah IIs children and Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attahs children signed a Petition dated 26th March, 2003 to Nanun kingmakers and stated among other things that: we are appealing to your honourable selves to do the right thing by insisting on and going by laid down custom and tradition for the peaceful selection of Bimbilla Naa

In furtherance to the above petition of children of the Bangyili Gate, the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah wrote a letter dated 7th March, 2004 [15] to the Northern Regional Minister through the Nanumba District Chief Executive stating the position of the Bangyili gate on the nomination of Naa Andani and I quote the relevant portions (clauses 2, 5 and 6): At our meeting, it was established that:

That in the Gbungmayili Gate the Nakpa-Na is the most senior chief and he is entitled to be enskinned Bimbilla Naa in the event of the death of the Bimbilla who is from the Bangyili Gate- Clause 2

It was established that succession to the skin of Bimbilla is not a transfer from father to son but rather it is a clan property given to whoever occupies the most senior title within the clan or Gate- Clause 5

That this arrangement was applicable before the Germans arrived in Nanun, when the British took over and finally Government of Independent Ghana ever since. The arrangement has always been the authority and reference in any dispute occasion- Clause 6

Before we address the issues raised in the Bangyili Gate childrens petition and the position taken by the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah, one question comes to mind: Why is the Dakpam Naa and his children insisting on selecting and enskinning Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni as Bimbilla Naa for the Gbungmayili Gate? What is the interest of the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attahs children in the Bimbilla chieftaincy conflict?

Clearly reading through the content of the above letter in general and clauses 2, 5, and 6 in particular, reveals that either Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah was ignorant of Nanun history, culture and traditions or he was simply economical with the truth.

Fallacy 1- Clauses 2, and 6: Ascension to the Bimbilla Skin is most senior chief The reality is that ascension to the Bimbilla Skin the candidate must first and foremost, be either a son or grandson of a Bimbilla Naa. The second criteria -most senior chief in the gate is only applicable if all applicants are sons or grandsons patrilineal:

in 1944, after the final funeral rites of Naa Abdula Kurugu-kpa, the most senior Bangyili Chief was Dakpam Naa Dadinke [16] , great grandson of Naa Peenkpa because he did not meet the primary requirement, kingmakers selected Naa Nantogmah II, who was a grandson but occupying a lesser skin Gbungbaliga (Emphasis mine)

At the time of taking this position, it is unthinkable, that the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah was unaware of this time tested practice of which his brother Naa Nantogmah II was a beneficiary. Evidence available suggests no great grandson has ever ascended to the Bimbilla Skin:

From the forgoing analyses, it is not far-fetched to assign the following reason for the continuous support of Nankpa Naa Salifu Dawuni by Dakpam Naas children. As it stands now, all the sons of the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah including Alhassan Nantogma, Lawyer Mohammed Attah Nantogmah, Dr. Abukari Attah Nantogmah and Attah Amidu, just to mention a few are great grandsons of Naa Dahamani and therefore cannot ascend to the Bimbilla Skin. Thus, their support of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni is in expectation that in the event that Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni who is a great grandson (matrilineal) of the Gbugmayili Gate is accepted as Bimbilla Naa, they as great grandsons (patrilineal) of the Bangyili gate will be more than qualified to ascend to the Bimbilla skin.

That said, it is pathetic that some Bangyili gate families [17] are the supporters of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni. Ironically, the Judicial Committee finds it amazing why: the 1st petitioner who needed proof to establish his qualification to occupy the Bimbilla skin declined or avoided to call a Gbungmayili family member including his own blood brother to testify and support his evidence [18]

The Nayiri Mediation of the Bimbilla Chieftaincy Conflict

After several failed attempts to reach consensus on a candidate to ascend to the Bimbilla Skin and in line with a time tested tradition system of chieftaincy disputes resolution among Naa Gbewaa descendants, the nine kingmakers of Nanun agreed and referred the matter to Nayiri Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai, the King of Mamprugu. A Note of Commitment [19] was signed on 18th October, 2005 at the Nayiri Palace in Nalerigu. On 30th October, 2005, the Nayiri communicated his findings and verdict [20] to the Northern Regional Minister, the Nanumba Traditional Council and all interested parties. Paragraph 4 of the letter read:

After these processes, I told the gathering including the Kingmakers that I have thoroughly investigated the rival claims of Mr. Andani Dasana and Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni, and made exhaustive traditional consultations, regarding the dispute. Finally, I informed the Kingmakers that I had chosen Mr. Andani Dasana to be enskinned Bimbilla

Judgements - Northern Regional House of Chiefs and National House of Chiefs (2005-2014)

Soon after the Nayiris verdict, Nakpa Naa Salifu the Northern Regional House of Chiefs SUIT NO: Bimbilla Naa Salifu Dawuni (1st Petitioner) and Juo Regent Osman Mahama (Plaintiffs) Versus Andani Dasana and Azumah Nantogmah (Defendants). After nearly ten (10) years of proceedings, the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House Chiefs RULED as follows:

Judgement

By their petition filed on 10th February, 2004 the petitioners are contending that the 1st petitioner is the rightful person to occupy the Bimbilla Skin as Bimbilla Naa and acting in that capacity are claiming against the defendants the following:-

DECLARATION that the 1st petitioner is the Bimbilla-Naa duly nominated and enskinned in accordance with the Nanum custom. DECLARATION that the 2nd petitioner is the sole authority to nominate a candidate for the enskinment as Bimbilla Naa DECLARATION that the purported nomination of the 1st defendant by the 2nd defendant and the subsequent purported enskinment of the 1st defendant as Bimbilla Naa are nullities DECLARATION that the 2nd defendant is not a kingmaker within the Nanum custom and is also not a Regent of Kpatihi-Na[21]



RULING:-



2nd Defendant-Kpatihi-Na Azumah Nantogmah



Again in a document entitled Journal of Legal Pluralism written by Peter Shalnik which is the only written document available to the committee on the chieftaincy issues of Nanum the author disclosed the importance of the Kpatihi-Na in Nanum Chieftaincy affairs particularly in the robing of the chiefs. The author stated at page 311 paragraph 2 and I quote the relevant portions as follows: The Kpatihi Na has a very special position. My information indicates that his function of Skinmaker a ceremonialist who enskins chiefs on behalf of Bimbilla Naa was only recently introduced into Nanum probably under the influence of Dagbon. But the Kpatihi family is also believed to have come with Mantambo in his retinue. At any rate the present Kpatihi Naa Ponado enskinned by members of his family, the only dignitaries to enskin themselves on 4th January 1983 had more influence on the procedures of Bimbilla Naas funeral than any of the electors (p.21)



In the case in this instance, the committee rather finds the evidence of the defendant formidable. The committee therefore holds that Kpatihi Naa or his representative is a kingmaker of Nanum. That Kpatihi Naa also takes custody of Nanum regalia which he uses to enskin Bimbilla Naas as well as Juo Naas of Nanum. Accordingly the 2nd defendant acts in those capacities. (p.25)



1st Defendant  the late Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana II



The Committee hereby unanimously holds that the 1st defendant had qualified to be nominated as Bimbilla Naa having validly gone through all the necessary processes of nomination, selection, election, enskinment and installation in accordance with Nanum custom (pp.47-48)[22]



1st Petitioner - Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni



The next significant issues to be considered is whether or not a person who is not a son or grandson of a Bimbilla Naa can become Bimbilla Naa. The case of the defendants on this issue is that the 1st petitioner is a great grandson and for that matter is not qualified to be Bimbilla Naa in accordance with Nanum custom. The defendants also assert unanimously together with their witnesses that the 1st petitioner is not only a great grandson but also is related to the Gbungmayili family maternally (p.25)



Q Who is your fathers father?



A. Nabiyon Dramani-Nabiyon is a royal but he never became a chief.



These answers without any shadow of doubt revealed to the committee that the 1st petitioner is not a grandson. At best the 1st petitioner was a great grandson because his grandfather was Nabiyon Dramani. (pp.29-30). It is only if the occupant of the Nakpa skin is a son of a former Bimbilla Naa or grandson of a former Bimbilla Naa that he can become a Bimbilla (p.36)



The committee after thorough evaluation of the evidence adduced by the parties finds that the 1st petitioner has no capacity to bring this action to the committee under the erroneous title Bimbilla Naa, a title which he does not hold in accordance with the findings of this committee (p.49)



Not satisfied with the verdict of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni appealed to the National House of Chiefs SUIT NO: NGC.INR./2012. After an exhaustive review of the suit, the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs on 25th August 2014 RULED as follows:



Judgement



This is an appeal by the Petitioners/Appellants herein against the Judgement of Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, Tamale delivered on 13th March 2012.



By this notice of appeal filed on 16/03/2012, the Appellants set down the following grounds of appeal:

The Judgement is against the weight of evidence Additional grounds to be filed upon receipt of the judgement

No additional grounds of appeal were filed until 14th August, 2014. The additional grounds of appeal are as follows: [23]

RULING

Nananom, there is ample evidence on record that other Bimbilla Naa did not occupy lesser skins before occupying the Bimbilla skin. This warranted their being conferred titles before the enskinments. The 1st Respondent could be nominated, selected and enskinned as Bimbilla Naa because he qualified by birth and was given a title in accordance with traditional practice before his enskinment. (National House of Chiefs, 2014, p45)

Nananom, the Appellants did not argue any grounds against the findings that the 2nd Respondent is the Kpatihi of Nanum and also the person who possesses the regalia for enskinment of the Bimbilla-Naa. In effect, Appellants appeal against 2nd Respondent fails. (ibid)

Nananom, it is our humble prayer and submission that this appeal be dismissed and the Judgement of the Committee below affirmed. The appeal is procedurally defective and pathetic in substance (appendix II, p. 46)

The Burial of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni, 11 October, 2017

Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni died on 5th March, 2014 and his mortal remains kept in Yendi Government hospital. The reasons why Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni has not been buried until now are: i) the kingships title to bury him with and ii) where to place to him. With regards to a kingship title to bury him with, as per the rulings of the Northern Regional House and the National Houses of Chiefs, Nakpa Naa Salifu has no capacity to bring this action to the committee under the erroneous title Bimbilla Naa, a title which he does not hold in accordance with the findings of this committee (Emphasis mine). Therefore the only title he held and should be buried with is Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni. On the question of the burial place of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni, in line with Nanum kingship tradition and culture, he should be buried in Nakpa village.

Notwithstanding the issues raised above and in clear violations of existing judgments on the matter at hand as well as disregard for the Regent of Bimbilla, Nyelinborgu Naa Yakubu Andani Dasana and the Nanumba Traditional Council, Hon. Salifu Saeed, Northern Regional Minister under the pretense that on a medical report on the deteriorating state of the mortal remains of the chief who died on 5th March, 2004 and conferred on the late Nakpa Naa Salifu the title Naa Salifu Dawuni:

The Regional Security Council has taken a decision on the burial of the late Naa Salifu Dawuni whose body currently lies in your custody. Accordingly, we hereby request for the release of the body to the family under security protection on Wednesday 11th October, 2017 [24]

Another letter reads:

Subsequent to the burial of the late Naa Salifu Dawuni, the Regional Security Council hereby directs that no further act should be undertaken by you without clearance from the Council.

For the avoidance of doubt you are to desist from acts such as the installation of a regent, drumming and any related activities that have not been cleared from the Regional Security Council [25]

In clear disregard for the above directives and with impunity, the Nakpa Naas family claim they have installed a regent and are demanding the performance of traditional activities at the burial place of the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni in Bimbilla. Below are extracts of a letter to the District Security by Nakpa Naas family:

As the bereaved family, we wish to commend you for the support granted us leading to the burial of the late Naa Salifu Dawuni.

Accordingly, we have the pleasure to inform you that early morning Thursday 12th October 2017, the regent was enskinned with the skin title Sang-Lana and subsequently installed as the regent in line with Nanung customary practice and usage [26]

While the above action and inaction of the Northern Regional Minister has not only undermined the traditional authority of Nyelinborgu Naa Yakubu Andani Dasana but more importantly has created tension in Bimbilla, the Defence Minister, Hon Dominic Nitiwul is on the other hand assuring the Bimbilla Regent that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addos government will not do anything to undermine his authority:

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo instructed him to ensure that the late Nakpa Naas body was decomposing at the Yendi Hospital and that the President has copies of all the Judgements in respect of the various judgement at the Regional and National Houses of Chiefs. That the President is aware the matter is pending at the Supreme Court but that President believes that Nakpa Salifu Dawauni can never become Bimbilla Naa. That the Nana Addo led Government will not do anything to undermine the Traditional Authority of the Regent of Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana, Nyelinborgu Naa, Yakubu Andani Dasana [27]

In view of the above contradictory narratives, the good people of Ghana in general, and in particular the law abiding people of Nanun demand and deserve ANSWERS to the following QUESTIONS from government:

What informed His Excellency President Akufo Addos directive that the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni be buried in Bimbilla in gross disrespect of existing Judgments in the Bimbilla Chieftaincy Conflict? Why has the government conferred on the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni Naa Salifu Dawuni? Why has the family of Nakpa Salifu Dawuni continuously disregarded government directives? Why were the Bimbilla Regent and the Nanumba Traditional Council not consulted on the burial of the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni?

As we wait for answers to the above questions, security reports from Bimbilla indicate that tension has mounted and violence can break out at any time. Also the District Security Council (DISEC) letter dated 31st October 2017 confirms the deteriorating security situation in Bimbilla. Accordingly DISEC is of the view that:  the interpretation should be done before the Damba Festival since both parties may want to perform certain customary rites associated with the festival which could destabilize the peace in the Bimbilla township.

Conclusion: How can government be encouraging and facilitating lawlessness?

From the rulings of Nayiri, the Northern Regional House of Chiefs and the National House Chiefs, it is manifestly clear that Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni is not a Bimbilla Royal and cannot ascend to the Bimbilla Skin. Ironically, the government whose principal duty it is to enforce the Rule of Law, is instead through its actions and inactions, has and is still encouraging the acts of lawlessness of the Nakpa Naas family in Bimbilla.

References

Northern Regional House of Chiefs (2012) Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, 13th March, 2012, Tamale National House of Chiefs (2014) Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs, 23rd August, 2014

Appendix I-V Letters and correspondence Appendix I

RCC letter: Request for the Release of the Body of the Late Naa Salifu Dawuni, dated 10th October, 2017

Appendix II



Appendix III

Nakpa Naa Salifu Family Performance of Traditional activities in Bimbilla, dated 30th October, 2017

Appendix V: Letter by DEC on the Performance of Traditional Activities in Bimbilla, dated 30 October, 2017

Appendix VI. Petition

C/o NANUMBA TRADITION COUNCIL

P.O. Box 21

Bimbilla

16th January, 1990

THE P.N.D.C. REGIONAL SECRETARY,

REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION,

TAMALE

NOMINATION OF A QUALIFIED CANDIDATE FOR NAKPA SKIN

We the under listed chiefs of the Gbumayili gate wish to put this letter to your office. The decisions that follows below is taken in the interest of the District, Region and the nation at large.

At a family gathering it was unanimously agreed that the Kariga-Naa Nantogma Haruna or the Lepuhi-Naa Azumah Abudulai who are the only surviving sons of Bimbilla Nanima, and thus father of the gbumayili should be made the Nakpa Naa

Any person in the family call these people their father. We therefore cannot sit back to see a son made a lord over the father.

The fact cannot be denied that grate sons can be made chiefs, but then that is when the real sons have occupied senior positions and the grate son follow.

We are therefore trying to inform you before hand that if any person other than the mentioned is enskinned the next Nakpa Naa there shall be no peace.

This signed [28] and presented to you

Lepuhi Na Azumah Abdulai Kariga Lana Nantogma Haruna Bogu Na Nantogma Alhassan Nabun Na Dramani Dawuni Kakuhi Na Wumbei Abukari Shibi Na Yakubu Wumbei Beian Na Abdulai Abu Yasiri Na Wumbei Mumuni

We are strongly against the enskinment of any person beside the two mentioned chiefs. And this to pre-inform you that we are protecting violence in the district that is why we write.

Your quickest action is highly anticipated.

Cc: THE REGISTRAR

N.R.H.C.

THE PRESIDENT

NANUMBA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL

THE P.N.D.C DISTRICT SECRETARY

BIMBILLA

[1] Dr. Danaa Nantogmah is a Political Economist and Development Consultant, a Lecturer at the Faculty of Banking and Finance, University of Professional Studies, Accra and an Adjunct Professor at Bangism Technology University.

[2] Judgment-Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, 2012, pp.25-48

[3] Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs, 2014, PP.45-46

[4] http://ultimatefmonline.com/2017/10/09/new-ya-naa-will-1st-years-crowning-achievement-akufo-addo/

[5] http://www.dagbon.net/history.php

[6] National House of Chiefs (2012) Judicial Committee, pp.17-18

[7] The others eight (8) are Juo-Naa, Langiri-Naa, Gambugu-Naa, Chichagi-Naa, Jillo-Naa, Dibsi-Naa, Wulensi-Naa and Juali-Naa

[8] Gbungmayili Chiefs Petition on Nomination of a Qualified Candidate for Nakpa Skin thump printed signed by Lepuhi Na Azumah Abdulai, Kariga Lana Nantogma Haruna, Bogu Na Nantogma Alhassan, Nabun Na Dramani Dawuni, Kakuhi Naa Wumbei Abukari, Shibi Naa Yakubu Wumbei, Bong Na Abdulai Abu and Taziri Na Wumbei Mumuni. (Nanumba Traditional Council, January 1990)

[9] Appendix VI: Petition by Gbugmayili Chiefs dated 16th January, 1990

[10] Judgment-Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, 2012, p.33

[11] Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, is a maternal grandson of the late Bimbilla Na Abarika Attah.

[12] Danaa Nantogmah (2017) Press Conference on the Bimbilla Skin Affairs, 15th February, 2017

[13] Bimbilla Naa Shero, son of Naa Gbugma

[14] Yakubu Nantogma, Attah Nantogma, Alhassan Nantogma, Ziblim Nantogmah, Nantogma Adam, Nantogmah Sumani, Salifu Attah Nantogmah, Mohammed Attah Nantogmah, Attah Amidu, Abdulai Attah Nantogmah, Abdul-Rahaman Abarika Abukari Yakubu and Abdul-Rahman Mahama

[15] National House of Chiefs (2014) Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs, pp.75-78

[16] Dakpam Naa Dadinke, son of Nabiyon Adama, son of Dakpam Naa Bukali, son of Naa Peenkpa

[17] Late Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah, late Bimbilla Naa Nantogma Attah and the late Dakpam Naa Nantogma Attah

[18] Judgment-Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, 2012, p.33

[19] National House of Chiefs (2014) Judgment-Judicial Committee, National House of Chiefs, 2012, p.53A-55A

[20] National House of Chiefs (2014) Judgment-Judicial Committee, National House of Chiefs, 2012, p.56A-57A

[21] List of nine kingmakers of Nanum (Judicial Committee, Tamale, 20012, p20 )

[22] See pages 25-48

[23] (i)That the judgement of the Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs is a nullity; (ii) The Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs erred when it failed to appreciate that the customary law and usages relative to and pertaining to the enskinment of a Bimbilla Naa was peculiar to Nanum and not a general application; (iii) The Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs erred when it held that the petitioners have no capacity to commence and maintain the action; (iv) The Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs erred when they held that the 1st Petitioners/Appellant was ineligible to be enskinned as Bimbilla Naa; and (v) The Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs erred when it held that the enskinment of the 1st Respondent/Respondent as Bimbilla Naa was proper and in accordance with Nanum customary practice relative* to the enskinment of Bimbilla.

[24] Appendix I: RCC Letter Requesting the Release of Nakpa Naas body, dated 10th October, 2017

[25] Appendix III: Ho. Salifu Sa-eed, Regional Minister, RCC dated 12th October, 20017

[26] Appendix IV: Appreciation Letter from Nakpa Naa Family, dated 12th October, 2017

[27] Appendix V: Interview transcript of a Conversation between Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and Nyelinborgu Naa Yakubu Andani Dasana, Regent of Bimbilla.

[28] All chief thumb printed ( see Appen Who is Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni

Feature Article: Bimbilla Chieftaincy Conflict: The Issues, the Facts and the Fictions?

by

Danaa Nantogmah [1]

Email: [email protected]

Introduction

The Nanun kingdom was founded by Naa Nmantambu in the thirteenth century and like many African societies with kingship succession issues, they arise from time to time. Succession to the Bimbilla Skin is patrilineal and requires direct blood relationship with past Bimbilla. In other words, to ascend to the skin, a prospective applicant must be a son of a Bimbilla Naa or a patrilineal grandson of a Bimbilla Naa. Conflicts over succession are not new but the traditional system has mechanisms for resolving such conflicts; and in modern times, they include the Traditional Council, Regional House of Chiefs and the National House of Chiefs, and the judicial system of the Republic of Ghana.

From Naa Nmantambu to Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai (2004-2014), Nanun has produced thirty-two kings. The current impasse between Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai and the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni over succession is not new, but what is new is an attempt to introduce a matrilineal inheritance system in Nanun.

Who are the two contestants?

Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai (1st Defendant) is the son of Bimbilla Dassana Abdulai and the grandson of Bimbilla Naa Abdulai Kurugu-kpaa and has rightly been confirmed committee as quoted below

The Committee hereby unanimously holds that the 1st defendant had qualified to be nominated as Bimbilla Naa having validly gone through all the necessary processes of nomination, selection, election, enskinment and installation in accordance with Nanum custom (pp.47-48) [2]

Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni (1st Petitioner) son of Lepuhi Naa Dawuni, son of Princess Kasua, daughter of Nakpa Naa Nyei Dini, son Naa Gbugma. Clearly does not qualify to even contest as he is not having patrilineal relationship to the Bimbilla Skin.

Q. Who is your fathers father?

A. Nabiyon Dramani-Nabiyon is a royal but he never became a chief.

These answers without any shadow of doubt revealed to the committee that the 1st petitioner is not a grandson. At best the 1st petitioner was a great grandson because his grandfather was Nabiyon Dramani. (pp.29-30). It is only when the occupant of the Nakpa skin is a son of a former Bimbilla Naa or grandson of a former Bimbilla Naa that he can move on to become a Bimbilla (p.36). But the truth is that the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni is not only a great grandson of Bimbilla Naa Azumah but more importantly, he is related to the Gbugmayili through maternal blood (ibid, p.27).

The committee after thorough evaluation of the evidence adduced by the parties finds and I quote:

that the 1st petitioner has no capacity to bring this action to the committee under the erroneous title Bimbilla Naa, a title which he does not hold in accordance with the findings of this committee(Northern Region House of Chiefs, 2012, ,p.49)

Not satisfied with the ruling of the Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs dated 13th March, 2013, the late Nakpa Salifu Dawuni filed an appeal at the National House of Chiefs with Suit No: NHC/2012. Below are the RULINGS [3] of the National House of Chiefs dated 25th August, 2014:

Nananom, there is ample evidence on record that other Bimbilla Naas did not occupy lesser skins before occupying the Bimbilla skin. This warranted their being conferred titles before the enskinments. The 1st Respondent could be nominated, selected and enskinned as Bimbilla Naa because he qualified by birth and was given a title in accordance with traditional practice before his enskinment. (National House of Chiefs, 2014, p45)

Nananom, the Appellants did not argue any ground against the findings that 2nd Respondent is the Kpatihi of Nanum and also the person who possesses the regalia for enskinment of Bimbilla-Naa. In effect, Appellants appeal against 2nd Respondent fails. (ibid)

Nananom, it is our humble prayer and submission that this appeal be dismissed and the Judgement of the Committee below affirmed. The appeal is procedurally defective and pathetic in substance 

Despite these overwhelming evidences, it is ironic and pathetic, and contrary to His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos recent directives and public pronouncement to the effect that his government will not meddle in the numerous chieftaincy disputes across the country as stated: I have no interest other than the peace and security of Dagbon. Any official of mine, who is seen to be impeding the resolution of the matter, according to customs will have me to play [4]

Notwithstanding this categorical statement by the president, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla constituency and Defence Minister and Hon. Salifu Sa-eed, Northern Regional Minister are meddling in the Bimbilla Chieftaincy conflict which has resulted in the burial and installation of Nakpa Naas regent contrary to the directives of the Northern Regional Security Council: Our Ref: AC66/328/0IV/29 dated 12th October, 2017 which read: for the avoidance of doubt you are to desist from any acts such as the installation of a regent, drumming and any related activities that have not been cleared by the Regional Security Council.

Background

The Mole-Dagbom Kingdom was established in the thirteenth century by Naa Gbewaah around the present town of Pusiga in the Upper East region of the Republic of Ghana. According to oral history, the Mamprusi, Dagbombas and Manumeas are all descendants of Tohadzie - the red hunter. Gbewaah is one of the four sons of Kpognambo, who was the only son of Tohadzie. After the death of Naa Gbewaah, a power struggle over succession (Nam) among his sons ensued which led to the disintegration of the Greater Dagbon Kingdom. Tohagu, Sitobu and Nmantambu all sons of Naa Gbewaah migrated southward with their followers from Pusiga to present day Northern region in Ghana. Tohagu the eldest of the three founded the Mamprusi kingdom with the chieftaincy title Nayiri. Sitobu founded the Dagbon kingdom with the title Ya Naa and Nmantambu founded the Nanun kingdom with the title Bimbilla Naa. [5]

The Nayiri, who is the eldest and in the absence of Naa Gbewaah serves as the final arbitrator in any chieftaincy dispute in Dagbon and Nanun. In other words, the Traditional Supreme Court on chieftaincy matters among the descendants of Naa Gbewaah must be referred to the Nayiri arbitration and all parties must accept the judgement of the Nayiri.

Naa Nmantambu and the Nanun Kingdom

Naa Nmantambu founded the Nanun kingdom around the thirteenth century. After the death of Na Nmantambu, Naa Sul-Nme (Surima) was enskinned as the Bimbilla Naa and followed by Naa Dogi Poriga. From Nmanatambu to Naa Mamani (11th), Nanun had no royal gate system, until after the death of Naa Azuma-Naa Gbungmah who established the Gbungmayili gate. All three kings of the Nanun kingdom after Naa Azuma were all from the Gbungmayili gate. After the death of Naa Sumani (15th), Naa Abarika was enskinned as the 16th Bimbilla Naa and he founded the Bangyili gate. Since the rule of Naa Abarika, the Nanun kingdom established a rotational system between Gbungmayili and Bangyili. From Naa Nmantambu to Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai II, the Nanun Kingdom has produced thirty-two (32) rulers of the Nanun Kingdom. [6] With the exception of Naa Sul-Nme and Naa Dogi Poriga, all persons who have ascended to the Bimbilla skin has either been a son or a grandson by patrilineal descent.

Ascension to Bimbilla Skin: Who qualifies?

Nanun practice a patrilineal system of succession. The primary requirement to qualify any royal to ascend to the Bimbilla Skin is that you MUST have a direct blood relationship with the Bimbilla Skin. That is, a prospective applicant to a vacant Bimbilla Skin must be a son of a Bimbilla Naa or a grandson (patrilineal) of a Bimbilla Naa (emphasis mine). In a situation where all applicants meet the primary requirement, the one who occupies the most senior skin shall be selected and enskinned as Bimbilla Naa. From Naa Nmantambu it was not rotational until the reign of Bimbilla Naa Gbugma (12th Bimbilla Naa), founder of the Gbugmayili gate, and Naa Abarika I (16th Bimbilla Naa) founder of the Bangyili gate. Since Naa Abarika I, the Bimbilla skin has rotated between Gbugmayili and Bangyili gates.

The Kpatihi Family and Nanun Nam

The Kpatihi family is one of the few families who travelled along with Naa Nmantambu, the founder of the Nanumba Kingdom (the Nanumba Traditional Area). The family headed by the Kpatihi Naa is one of the Nine (9) kingmakers [7] of Nanun who are customarily the electoral college responsible for the vetting, selection and enskinment of Bimbilla Nanima (Chiefs). The Kpatihi is the only skin in the Nanumba Traditional area that has only one gate, all other skins (including Bimbilla) have at least two (2) gates, Ascension to the Kpatihi skin is hereditary and automatic, and therefore to become a Kpatihi you must be the eldest in the Kpatihi family. Kpatihi Naa Azumah Nantogmah from 1994 to date. The Kpatihi family is the sole custodian of Nanun Regalia and the Kpatihi-Naa is solely responsible for performing the enskinment rites to make a qualified candidate a Bimbilla Naa.

Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II (1982-1999)

The Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II was enskinned as the 31st Bimbilla Naa by the late Kpatihi Ponadow Nantogmah in 1982. According to Nanun customs and tradition, after the enskinment of a Bimbilla Naa, the regent of his predecessor, in this case Borgu Naa Mahama Dasana, the regent of Bimbilla Naa Dasana Abdulai, should have been promoted to a senior skin. At the time that Naa Abarika ascended to the Skin of Bimbilla, the Nakpa skin was vacant due to the demise of the Nakpa Naa Nantogma II.

After the funeral of Nakpa Naa Nantogma II, it was expected that Juana Naa Musah Abdulai will be promoted to the Nakpa skin and Borgu Naa Mahama Dasana (regent of Naa Dasana Abdulai) would be promoted to Juanayili as tradition demands. Naa Abarika Attah II, enskinned Kariga Naa Dawuni Gbarigbari, son of Nakpa Naa Attah and grandson of Bimibilla Naa Shero Azuma as the Nakpa Naa-Nakpa Naa Dawuni Gbarigbari. It is important to emphasise that even though some chiefs in the Gbungmayili gate were unhappy with Naa Abarika IIs choice, no one challenged the decision of Naa Abarika Attah II because Nakpa Dawuni Gbarigbari met the primary qualification criteria to ascend to the Bimbilla skin which is for any royal to ascend to the Bimbilla skin he must be a son or a grandson (patrilineal) of a Bimbilla Naa.

Enskinment of Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni

One of the myths in the Bimbilla skin impasse is that when the Bakpaba skin became vacant, no Gbungmayili royals expressed interest in Bakpaba, which is the reason why Naa Abarika Attah II promoted Alhaji Salifu Dawuni to the Bakpaba skin. Actually, the fact is that when the Bakpaba skin became vacant, two Gbungmayili: Lepuhi Na Azumah Abdulai and Kariga Lana Nantogma Haruna expressed their interest in the Bakpaba skin through laid down procedures in accordance with customs and tradition.

Enskinment of Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as Nakpa Naa

After the final funeral rites of Nakpa Naa Musah Abdulai in January 1990, the Nkapa skin became vacant and prospective qualified royals from the Gbugmayili Gate expressed interest in the Nakpa skin in accordance with Nanun Tradition and culture. However to the surprise of the Gbungmayili gate, it became clear that Naa Abarika Attah II had already nominated Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as his preferred candidate for the vacant Nakpa skin. This prompted a meeting of Gbunmayili Gate chiefs and a petition on a Qualified Candidate for the Nakpa Skin [8] to the Northern Regional Administration dated January 16, 1990. Below are extracts from the Petition:

We the under listed chiefs of the Gbumayili gate wish to put this letter to your office. The decisions that follows below is taken in the interest of the District, Region and the nation at large.

At a family gathering it was unanimously agreed that the Kariga-Naa Nantogma Haruna or the Lepuhi-Naa Azumah Abudulai who are the only surviving sons of Bimbilla Nanima, and thus father of the gbumayili should be made the Nakpa Naa

We are therefore trying to inform you beforehand that if any person other than the mentioned is enskinned the next Nakpa Naa there shall be no peace. We are strongly against the enskinment of any person beside the two mentioned chiefs. And this to pre-inform you that we are protecting violence in the district that is why we write [9]

Clearly, Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II ignored the pleas of the Gbumayili chiefs and proceeded to enskin Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as Nakpa Naa sowing the seed for this protracted Bimbilla Skin impasse. The decision to enskin Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as Nakpa Naa, was against the good counselling of the late Kpatihi-Naa Ponadow Nantogmah -who informed Naa Abarika that Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni was not a Bimbilla royal and therefore did not qualify for enskinment as Nakpa Na.

It is important to note that the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs in the ruling indicted the late Naa Abarika Attah II for the current impasse on succession to the Bimbilla skin. The Committee observed:

..the committee painfully found as a fact that the wrongful nomination or appointment of the 1st petitioner by the latest king of Nanum-Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II was undoubtedly the cause of this protracted chieftaincy dispute in Nanum. The Gbugmayili family members and some kingmakers of Nanum together did not only object to it but they vehemently challenged it.(Emphasis mine) [10]

Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas and the Nakpa Skin/Bimbilla Chieftaincy Conflict

After the wrongful nomination and enskinment of Bakpaba Naa Salifu Dawuni as Nakpa Naa, Lepuhi Naa Azuma Abdulai and Kpatihi Naa Ponadow Nantogmah petitioned the Northern Regional House of Chiefs over the wrongful enskinment of Nakpa Naa Dawuni: Lepuhi Naa Azuma (1st Petitioner) and Kpatihi Naa Ponadow Nantogmah (2nd Petitioner) versus Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II. The Northern Regional Judicial Committee constituted a three member committee including Yunyoo-Rana Yamyia Tookali.

After several years of hearing, we understand that Committee ruled in favour of Bimbilla Abarika Attah II. Ironically, till today, the proceedings of the Committee and its ruling on the matter between Lepuhi Naa Azuma Abdulai and Kpatihi Naa Ponadow Nantogmah versus Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II remain in secrecy. A written request for the Court Proceedings and Ruling of the Judicial Committee on the Nakpa Skin by the author was met with a verbal response from the registrar of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs- we do not have court proceedings and the ruling on this matter with us. I understand there was an appeal at the National House of Chiefs. However, through our research, we learned that the only reason the committee ruled in favour of Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah II was the intervention and influence of Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, under Secretary for Foreign Affairs and later Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Jerry John Rawlings (1981-2000). On the verdict of the Committee, one of the three panel members observed:

My father Kpatihi Naa, you presented a formidable case, we should have ruled in your favour but Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas used his political influence to deny you justice

Certainly, if Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas did not use his political influence in the P.N.D.C. and N.D.C. government to tamper with the course of justice in the Nakpa Skin Affair, this current impasse over the Bimbilla skin with its needless deaths and destruction of property would not have occurred in the first place:

Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas [11] , Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel is responsible for the protracted Bimbilla Chieftaincy dispute. Not only did he fail to counsel the late Bimbilla Naa Abarika on the nomination and enskinment of Salifu Dawuni as Bakpaba Naa and Nakpa, but more importantly, he used his position as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Member of Parliament for the Bimbilla Constituency to influence the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs to rule in favour of the late Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah in the Nakpa Chieftaincy dispute (Emphasis mine) [12]

But one may ask who Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas is? What is his interest in the Bimbilla skin impasse? The answers to these questions are not far-fetched. Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas is the son of DC Chamba, son of Princess Zara Chamba, daughter of Nabiyon Adama, son of Chamba Naa Iddirisah, son of Bimbilla Naa Peenkpa. Dr. Chambas is a great grandson (matrilineal) of Naa Peenkpa and is related to the Bangyili gate maternally in the same way as Nakpa Salifu Dawuni is related maternally to the Gbunmayili gate.

That said, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas support for Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni seeks to introduce matrilineal succession into Nanun kingship with the ascension of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni to the Bimbilla skin and thereby paving the way for not only great grandsons (patrilineal) but more importantly non-Bimbilla royals like Dr. Chambas who is related to the Bangyili gate maternally to also aspire to ascend to the Bimbilla skin.

Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah, Naa Nantogmah and (family) and the Bimbilla Chieftaincy

Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah was the son of Dakpam Naa Attah, son of Bimbilla Naa Dahamani, son of Bimbilla Naa Abarika I. The late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah was among the first generation of Nanun scholars. In the First Republic under Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, he was the Member of Parliament for Nanumba constituency. Being a royal and a scholar, one would have thought that he would use his knowledge and privileged position for the development of Nanun but that was not to be.

Enskinment of Bimbilla Naa Dassana Abdulai in 1959.

After the final funeral rites for Bimbilla Naa Nantogmah II (1944-1959) of the Bangyili gate, it was time for the kingship to move to Gbungmayili gate. At the time Naa Dassana son of Naa Abdulai Kurugu-kpa was the chief of Nakpa and Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro, son of Nakpa Naa Attah and grandson of Bimbilla Naa Shero [13] was the chief of Bakpaba. While Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro, was older than Naa Dassana, Naa Dassana occupied the Nakpa skin which is senior in the rank of chieftaincy titles. At the instance of the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah, and contrary to Nanun culture and traditions, a Nanun Traditional Council meeting was called. According to one person who was present at the meeting, this is what ensued:

Dakpam Naa Nantogmah informed the council that the time tested consensus decision making system of Nanun Kingmakers will be changed to a majority system. And since Nanun Kingmakers are nine (9), he asked that those who were in favour of Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro raise their hands. At the end of the process six (6) Kingmakers voted for Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro and three (3) led by Kpatihi Nantogmah Attah voted for Bimbilla Naa Dassana Abdulai. After the voting, the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah declared Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro as Bimbilla Naa

Kpatihi Naa Nantogmah Attah told Dakpam Naa that he cannot change the decision making system from consensus to majority. As night fell on the day of this meeting Kpatihi Nantogmah Attah enskinned Naa Dassana Abdulai as the 30th Bimbilla Naa in accordance with the culture and tradition of Nanun

This resulted in the enskinment of two Bimbilla Nanima and producing a short impasse. The Nkrumah government dispatched the late Northern Regional Commissioner, Mr. Lawrence Rosario Abavana to Bimbilla. After investigating claims of Bakpaba Naa Dawuni Kuro and Naa Dassana, the inquiry concluded that Bimbilla Naa Dassana, who was duly enskinned by Kpatihi Nantogmah Attah was the rightful claimant to the Bimbilla Skin. Ironically, despite been a Member of Parliament, Kpatihi Nantogmah Attah who was unschooled defeated the educated Dakpam Nantogmah Attah; truth will always triumph

Enskinment of Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai (2003-2004)

After the final funeral of Naa Abarika II (Bangyili), it was the turn of the Gbungmayili gate and a family meeting of Gbungmayili chiefs and royals was convened and the late Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana Abdulai was nominated by consensus and presented to the kingmakers. After the nomination of Naa Andani Dassana Abdulai was made public, the children [14] of Bangyili skin led by Vo-Naa Attah Abarika (regent of Naa Abarika II), Naa Nantogmah IIs children and Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attahs children signed a Petition dated 26th March, 2003 to Nanun kingmakers and stated among other things that: we are appealing to your honourable selves to do the right thing by insisting on and going by laid down custom and tradition for the peaceful selection of Bimbilla Naa

In furtherance to the above petition of children of the Bangyili Gate, the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah wrote a letter dated 7th March, 2004 [15] to the Northern Regional Minister through the Nanumba District Chief Executive stating the position of the Bangyili gate on the nomination of Naa Andani and I quote the relevant portions (clauses 2, 5 and 6): At our meeting, it was established that:

That in the Gbungmayili Gate the Nakpa-Na is the most senior chief and he is entitled to be enskinned Bimbilla Naa in the event of the death of the Bimbilla who is from the Bangyili Gate- Clause 2

It was established that succession to the skin of Bimbilla is not a transfer from father to son but rather it is a clan property given to whoever occupies the most senior title within the clan or Gate- Clause 5

That this arrangement was applicable before the Germans arrived in Nanun, when the British took over and finally Government of Independent Ghana ever since. The arrangement has always been the authority and reference in any dispute occasion- Clause 6

Before we address the issues raised in the Bangyili Gate childrens petition and the position taken by the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah, one question comes to mind: Why is the Dakpam Naa and his children insisting on selecting and enskinning Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni as Bimbilla Naa for the Gbungmayili Gate? What is the interest of the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attahs children in the Bimbilla chieftaincy conflict?

Clearly reading through the content of the above letter in general and clauses 2, 5, and 6 in particular, reveals that either Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah was ignorant of Nanun history, culture and traditions or he was simply economical with the truth.

Fallacy 1- Clauses 2, and 6: Ascension to the Bimbilla Skin is most senior chief The reality is that ascension to the Bimbilla Skin the candidate must first and foremost, be either a son or grandson of a Bimbilla Naa. The second criteria -most senior chief in the gate is only applicable if all applicants are sons or grandsons patrilineal:

in 1944, after the final funeral rites of Naa Abdula Kurugu-kpa, the most senior Bangyili Chief was Dakpam Naa Dadinke [16] , great grandson of Naa Peenkpa because he did not meet the primary requirement, kingmakers selected Naa Nantogmah II, who was a grandson but occupying a lesser skin Gbungbaliga (Emphasis mine)

At the time of taking this position, it is unthinkable, that the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah was unaware of this time tested practice of which his brother Naa Nantogmah II was a beneficiary. Evidence available suggests no great grandson has ever ascended to the Bimbilla Skin:

From the forgoing analyses, it is not far-fetched to assign the following reason for the continuous support of Nankpa Naa Salifu Dawuni by Dakpam Naas children. As it stands now, all the sons of the late Dakpam Naa Nantogmah Attah including Alhassan Nantogma, Lawyer Mohammed Attah Nantogmah, Dr. Abukari Attah Nantogmah and Attah Amidu, just to mention a few are great grandsons of Naa Dahamani and therefore cannot ascend to the Bimbilla Skin. Thus, their support of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni is in expectation that in the event that Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni who is a great grandson (matrilineal) of the Gbugmayili Gate is accepted as Bimbilla Naa, they as great grandsons (patrilineal) of the Bangyili gate will be more than qualified to ascend to the Bimbilla skin.

That said, it is pathetic that some Bangyili gate families [17] are the supporters of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni. Ironically, the Judicial Committee finds it amazing why: the 1st petitioner who needed proof to establish his qualification to occupy the Bimbilla skin declined or avoided to call a Gbungmayili family member including his own blood brother to testify and support his evidence [18]

The Nayiri Mediation of the Bimbilla Chieftaincy Conflict

After several failed attempts to reach consensus on a candidate to ascend to the Bimbilla Skin and in line with a time tested tradition system of chieftaincy disputes resolution among Naa Gbewaa descendants, the nine kingmakers of Nanun agreed and referred the matter to Nayiri Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai, the King of Mamprugu. A Note of Commitment [19] was signed on 18th October, 2005 at the Nayiri Palace in Nalerigu. On 30th October, 2005, the Nayiri communicated his findings and verdict [20] to the Northern Regional Minister, the Nanumba Traditional Council and all interested parties. Paragraph 4 of the letter read:

After these processes, I told the gathering including the Kingmakers that I have thoroughly investigated the rival claims of Mr. Andani Dasana and Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni, and made exhaustive traditional consultations, regarding the dispute. Finally, I informed the Kingmakers that I had chosen Mr. Andani Dasana to be enskinned Bimbilla

Judgements - Northern Regional House of Chiefs and National House of Chiefs (2005-2014)

Soon after the Nayiris verdict, Nakpa Naa Salifu the Northern Regional House of Chiefs SUIT NO: Bimbilla Naa Salifu Dawuni (1st Petitioner) and Juo Regent Osman Mahama (Plaintiffs) Versus Andani Dasana and Azumah Nantogmah (Defendants). After nearly ten (10) years of proceedings, the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House Chiefs RULED as follows:

Judgement

By their petition filed on 10th February, 2004 the petitioners are contending that the 1st petitioner is the rightful person to occupy the Bimbilla Skin as Bimbilla Naa and acting in that capacity are claiming against the defendants the following:-

DECLARATION that the 1st petitioner is the Bimbilla-Naa duly nominated and enskinned in accordance with the Nanum custom. DECLARATION that the 2nd petitioner is the sole authority to nominate a candidate for the enskinment as Bimbilla Naa DECLARATION that the purported nomination of the 1st defendant by the 2nd defendant and the subsequent purported enskinment of the 1st defendant as Bimbilla Naa are nullities DECLARATION that the 2nd defendant is not a kingmaker within the Nanum custom and is also not a Regent of Kpatihi-Na[21]



RULING:-



2nd Defendant-Kpatihi-Na Azumah Nantogmah



Again in a document entitled Journal of Legal Pluralism written by Peter Shalnik which is the only written document available to the committee on the chieftaincy issues of Nanum the author disclosed the importance of the Kpatihi-Na in Nanum Chieftaincy affairs particularly in the robing of the chiefs. The author stated at page 311 paragraph 2 and I quote the relevant portions as follows: The Kpatihi Na has a very special position. My information indicates that his function of Skinmaker a ceremonialist who enskins chiefs on behalf of Bimbilla Naa was only recently introduced into Nanum probably under the influence of Dagbon. But the Kpatihi family is also believed to have come with Mantambo in his retinue. At any rate the present Kpatihi Naa Ponado enskinned by members of his family, the only dignitaries to enskin themselves on 4th January 1983 had more influence on the procedures of Bimbilla Naas funeral than any of the electors (p.21)



In the case in this instance, the committee rather finds the evidence of the defendant formidable. The committee therefore holds that Kpatihi Naa or his representative is a kingmaker of Nanum. That Kpatihi Naa also takes custody of Nanum regalia which he uses to enskin Bimbilla Naas as well as Juo Naas of Nanum. Accordingly the 2nd defendant acts in those capacities. (p.25)



1st Defendant  the late Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana II



The Committee hereby unanimously holds that the 1st defendant had qualified to be nominated as Bimbilla Naa having validly gone through all the necessary processes of nomination, selection, election, enskinment and installation in accordance with Nanum custom (pp.47-48)[22]



1st Petitioner - Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni



The next significant issues to be considered is whether or not a person who is not a son or grandson of a Bimbilla Naa can become Bimbilla Naa. The case of the defendants on this issue is that the 1st petitioner is a great grandson and for that matter is not qualified to be Bimbilla Naa in accordance with Nanum custom. The defendants also assert unanimously together with their witnesses that the 1st petitioner is not only a great grandson but also is related to the Gbungmayili family maternally (p.25)



Q Who is your fathers father?



A. Nabiyon Dramani-Nabiyon is a royal but he never became a chief.



These answers without any shadow of doubt revealed to the committee that the 1st petitioner is not a grandson. At best the 1st petitioner was a great grandson because his grandfather was Nabiyon Dramani. (pp.29-30). It is only if the occupant of the Nakpa skin is a son of a former Bimbilla Naa or grandson of a former Bimbilla Naa that he can become a Bimbilla (p.36)



The committee after thorough evaluation of the evidence adduced by the parties finds that the 1st petitioner has no capacity to bring this action to the committee under the erroneous title Bimbilla Naa, a title which he does not hold in accordance with the findings of this committee (p.49)



Not satisfied with the verdict of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni appealed to the National House of Chiefs SUIT NO: NGC.INR./2012. After an exhaustive review of the suit, the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs on 25th August 2014 RULED as follows:



Judgement



This is an appeal by the Petitioners/Appellants herein against the Judgement of Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, Tamale delivered on 13th March 2012.



By this notice of appeal filed on 16/03/2012, the Appellants set down the following grounds of appeal:

The Judgement is against the weight of evidence Additional grounds to be filed upon receipt of the judgement

No additional grounds of appeal were filed until 14th August, 2014. The additional grounds of appeal are as follows: [23]

RULING

Nananom, there is ample evidence on record that other Bimbilla Naa did not occupy lesser skins before occupying the Bimbilla skin. This warranted their being conferred titles before the enskinments. The 1st Respondent could be nominated, selected and enskinned as Bimbilla Naa because he qualified by birth and was given a title in accordance with traditional practice before his enskinment. (National House of Chiefs, 2014, p45)

Nananom, the Appellants did not argue any grounds against the findings that the 2nd Respondent is the Kpatihi of Nanum and also the person who possesses the regalia for enskinment of the Bimbilla-Naa. In effect, Appellants appeal against 2nd Respondent fails. (ibid)

Nananom, it is our humble prayer and submission that this appeal be dismissed and the Judgement of the Committee below affirmed. The appeal is procedurally defective and pathetic in substance (appendix II, p. 46)

The Burial of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni, 11 October, 2017

Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni died on 5th March, 2014 and his mortal remains kept in Yendi Government hospital. The reasons why Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni has not been buried until now are: i) the kingships title to bury him with and ii) where to place to him. With regards to a kingship title to bury him with, as per the rulings of the Northern Regional House and the National Houses of Chiefs, Nakpa Naa Salifu has no capacity to bring this action to the committee under the erroneous title Bimbilla Naa, a title which he does not hold in accordance with the findings of this committee (Emphasis mine). Therefore the only title he held and should be buried with is Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni. On the question of the burial place of Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni, in line with Nanum kingship tradition and culture, he should be buried in Nakpa village.

Notwithstanding the issues raised above and in clear violations of existing judgments on the matter at hand as well as disregard for the Regent of Bimbilla, Nyelinborgu Naa Yakubu Andani Dasana and the Nanumba Traditional Council, Hon. Salifu Saeed, Northern Regional Minister under the pretense that on a medical report on the deteriorating state of the mortal remains of the chief who died on 5th March, 2004 and conferred on the late Nakpa Naa Salifu the title Naa Salifu Dawuni:

The Regional Security Council has taken a decision on the burial of the late Naa Salifu Dawuni whose body currently lies in your custody. Accordingly, we hereby request for the release of the body to the family under security protection on Wednesday 11th October, 2017 [24]

Another letter reads:

Subsequent to the burial of the late Naa Salifu Dawuni, the Regional Security Council hereby directs that no further act should be undertaken by you without clearance from the Council.

For the avoidance of doubt you are to desist from acts such as the installation of a regent, drumming and any related activities that have not been cleared from the Regional Security Council [25]

In clear disregard for the above directives and with impunity, the Nakpa Naas family claim they have installed a regent and are demanding the performance of traditional activities at the burial place of the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni in Bimbilla. Below are extracts of a letter to the District Security by Nakpa Naas family:

As the bereaved family, we wish to commend you for the support granted us leading to the burial of the late Naa Salifu Dawuni.

Accordingly, we have the pleasure to inform you that early morning Thursday 12th October 2017, the regent was enskinned with the skin title Sang-Lana and subsequently installed as the regent in line with Nanung customary practice and usage [26]

While the above action and inaction of the Northern Regional Minister has not only undermined the traditional authority of Nyelinborgu Naa Yakubu Andani Dasana but more importantly has created tension in Bimbilla, the Defence Minister, Hon Dominic Nitiwul is on the other hand assuring the Bimbilla Regent that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addos government will not do anything to undermine his authority:

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo instructed him to ensure that the late Nakpa Naas body was decomposing at the Yendi Hospital and that the President has copies of all the Judgements in respect of the various judgement at the Regional and National Houses of Chiefs. That the President is aware the matter is pending at the Supreme Court but that President believes that Nakpa Salifu Dawauni can never become Bimbilla Naa. That the Nana Addo led Government will not do anything to undermine the Traditional Authority of the Regent of Bimbilla Naa Andani Dasana, Nyelinborgu Naa, Yakubu Andani Dasana [27]

In view of the above contradictory narratives, the good people of Ghana in general, and in particular the law abiding people of Nanun demand and deserve ANSWERS to the following QUESTIONS from government:

What informed His Excellency President Akufo Addos directive that the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni be buried in Bimbilla in gross disrespect of existing Judgments in the Bimbilla Chieftaincy Conflict? Why has the government conferred on the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni Naa Salifu Dawuni? Why has the family of Nakpa Salifu Dawuni continuously disregarded government directives? Why were the Bimbilla Regent and the Nanumba Traditional Council not consulted on the burial of the late Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni?

As we wait for answers to the above questions, security reports from Bimbilla indicate that tension has mounted and violence can break out at any time. Also the District Security Council (DISEC) letter dated 31st October 2017 confirms the deteriorating security situation in Bimbilla. Accordingly DISEC is of the view that:  the interpretation should be done before the Damba Festival since both parties may want to perform certain customary rites associated with the festival which could destabilize the peace in the Bimbilla township.

Conclusion: How can government be encouraging and facilitating lawlessness?

From the rulings of Nayiri, the Northern Regional House of Chiefs and the National House Chiefs, it is manifestly clear that Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni is not a Bimbilla Royal and cannot ascend to the Bimbilla Skin. Ironically, the government whose principal duty it is to enforce the Rule of Law, is instead through its actions and inactions, has and is still encouraging the acts of lawlessness of the Nakpa Naas family in Bimbilla.

References

Northern Regional House of Chiefs (2012) Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, 13th March, 2012, Tamale National House of Chiefs (2014) Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs, 23rd August, 2014

Appendix I-V Letters and correspondence Appendix I

RCC letter: Request for the Release of the Body of the Late Naa Salifu Dawuni, dated 10th October, 2017

Appendix II



Appendix III

Nakpa Naa Salifu Family Performance of Traditional activities in Bimbilla, dated 30th October, 2017

Appendix V: Letter by DEC on the Performance of Traditional Activities in Bimbilla, dated 30 October, 2017

Appendix VI. Petition

C/o NANUMBA TRADITION COUNCIL

P.O. Box 21

Bimbilla

16th January, 1990

THE P.N.D.C. REGIONAL SECRETARY,

REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION,

TAMALE

NOMINATION OF A QUALIFIED CANDIDATE FOR NAKPA SKIN

We the under listed chiefs of the Gbumayili gate wish to put this letter to your office. The decisions that follows below is taken in the interest of the District, Region and the nation at large.

At a family gathering it was unanimously agreed that the Kariga-Naa Nantogma Haruna or the Lepuhi-Naa Azumah Abudulai who are the only surviving sons of Bimbilla Nanima, and thus father of the gbumayili should be made the Nakpa Naa

Any person in the family call these people their father. We therefore cannot sit back to see a son made a lord over the father.

The fact cannot be denied that grate sons can be made chiefs, but then that is when the real sons have occupied senior positions and the grate son follow.

We are therefore trying to inform you before hand that if any person other than the mentioned is enskinned the next Nakpa Naa there shall be no peace.

This signed [28] and presented to you

Lepuhi Na Azumah Abdulai Kariga Lana Nantogma Haruna Bogu Na Nantogma Alhassan Nabun Na Dramani Dawuni Kakuhi Na Wumbei Abukari Shibi Na Yakubu Wumbei Beian Na Abdulai Abu Yasiri Na Wumbei Mumuni

We are strongly against the enskinment of any person beside the two mentioned chiefs. And this to pre-inform you that we are protecting violence in the district that is why we write.

Your quickest action is highly anticipated.

Cc: THE REGISTRAR

N.R.H.C.

THE PRESIDENT

NANUMBA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL

THE P.N.D.C DISTRICT SECRETARY

BIMBILLA

[1] Dr. Danaa Nantogmah is a Political Economist and Development Consultant, a Lecturer at the Faculty of Banking and Finance, University of Professional Studies, Accra and an Adjunct Professor at Bangism Technology University.

[2] Judgment-Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, 2012, pp.25-48

[3] Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs, 2014, PP.45-46

[4] http://ultimatefmonline.com/2017/10/09/new-ya-naa-will-1st-years-crowning-achievement-akufo-addo/

[5] http://www.dagbon.net/history.php

[6] National House of Chiefs (2012) Judicial Committee, pp.17-18

[7] The others eight (8) are Juo-Naa, Langiri-Naa, Gambugu-Naa, Chichagi-Naa, Jillo-Naa, Dibsi-Naa, Wulensi-Naa and Juali-Naa

[8] Gbungmayili Chiefs Petition on Nomination of a Qualified Candidate for Nakpa Skin thump printed signed by Lepuhi Na Azumah Abdulai, Kariga Lana Nantogma Haruna, Bogu Na Nantogma Alhassan, Nabun Na Dramani Dawuni, Kakuhi Naa Wumbei Abukari, Shibi Naa Yakubu Wumbei, Bong Na Abdulai Abu and Taziri Na Wumbei Mumuni. (Nanumba Traditional Council, January 1990)

[9] Appendix VI: Petition by Gbugmayili Chiefs dated 16th January, 1990

[10] Judgment-Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, 2012, p.33

[11] Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, is a maternal grandson of the late Bimbilla Na Abarika Attah.

[12] Danaa Nantogmah (2017) Press Conference on the Bimbilla Skin Affairs, 15th February, 2017

[13] Bimbilla Naa Shero, son of Naa Gbugma

[14] Yakubu Nantogma, Attah Nantogma, Alhassan Nantogma, Ziblim Nantogmah, Nantogma Adam, Nantogmah Sumani, Salifu Attah Nantogmah, Mohammed Attah Nantogmah, Attah Amidu, Abdulai Attah Nantogmah, Abdul-Rahaman Abarika Abukari Yakubu and Abdul-Rahman Mahama

[15] National House of Chiefs (2014) Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs, pp.75-78

[16] Dakpam Naa Dadinke, son of Nabiyon Adama, son of Dakpam Naa Bukali, son of Naa Peenkpa

[17] Late Bimbilla Naa Abarika Attah, late Bimbilla Naa Nantogma Attah and the late Dakpam Naa Nantogma Attah

[18] Judgment-Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, 2012, p.33

[19] National House of Chiefs (2014) Judgment-Judicial Committee, National House of Chiefs, 2012, p.53A-55A

[20] National House of Chiefs (2014) Judgment-Judicial Committee, National House of Chiefs, 2012, p.56A-57A

[21] List of nine kingmakers of Nanum (Judicial Committee, Tamale, 20012, p20 )

[22] See pages 25-48

[23] (i)That the judgement of the Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs is a nullity; (ii) The Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs erred when it failed to appreciate that the customary law and usages relative to and pertaining to the enskinment of a Bimbilla Naa was peculiar to Nanum and not a general application; (iii) The Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs erred when it held that the petitioners have no capacity to commence and maintain the action; (iv) The Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs erred when they held that the 1st Petitioners/Appellant was ineligible to be enskinned as Bimbilla Naa; and (v) The Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs erred when it held that the enskinment of the 1st Respondent/Respondent as Bimbilla Naa was proper and in accordance with Nanum customary practice relative* to the enskinment of Bimbilla.

[24] Appendix I: RCC Letter Requesting the Release of Nakpa Naas body, dated 10th October, 2017

[25] Appendix III: Ho. Salifu Sa-eed, Regional Minister, RCC dated 12th October, 20017

[26] Appendix IV: Appreciation Letter from Nakpa Naa Family, dated 12th October, 2017

[27] Appendix V: Interview transcript of a Conversation between Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and Nyelinborgu Naa Yakubu Andani Dasana, Regent of Bimbilla.

[28] All chief thumb printed ( see Appen Who is Nakpa Naa Salifu Dawuni
Over 250 migrants making the dangerous crossing to Europe were rescued Friday off Spain, with several other vessels still in need of rescue, authorities said.

Spain is the third busiest gateway for migrants arriving in Europe, but far behind Italy and Greece. However, the number of people arriving by sea in Spain has nearly tripled over last year to 17,687.

Many Africans undertaking the long route to Europe are choosing to avoid crossing danger-ridden Libya to get to Italy along the so-called central Mediterranean route, and choosing instead to get there via Morocco and Spain.

The number rescued off Friday off Spain stood at 266, who had been aboard 24 makeshift vessels, said a spokeswoman for the rescuers. Some 15 other boats in need of help were still being sought.

Authorities took the migrants to ports at Cartagena, Malaga and Torrevieja, which are all along Spain's Mediterranean coast.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 158,935 people have made the dangerous crossing to Europe this year and another 2,982 died or went missing while trying.
Nollywood actor, Jomi Fash Lanso, is not one of those celebs that like coming on social media to rant but when the need arises, he does not fail in airing the truth and what he believes in.

The various blogosphere has been on fire as search light has been beamed on some Nigerian Pastors who go about acquiring wealth for themselves while the members suffers all in the name of Tithing and the likes.

Using the Pope as an example who auctioned his gifted $237,000 Lamborghini and money realised given to charity, stressed that Christianity is about humanitarian works and not self-wealth acquisition.

If we talk now the RELIGIOUSLY DERANGED will Start VIBRATING. Pope gave his gifted his personalised $237,000 Lamborghini for auction and Money realised Channel to CHARITY..................... same Thing he did with his gifted Harley Davidson Power bike............. same Thing he did with the cars he used during his visit to poland......... all goes to CHARITY. May our Eyes be Open to see that CHRISTIANITY is all about HUMANITARIAN WORK Not self Wealth acquisition at the expense Of the poor the Hungry the afflicted the displaced. POPE doesnt Own a OK, QUEEN Of ENGLAND doesnt Own a PJ, WARREN BUFFET doesnt own a PJ, BILL GATES doesnt own a OK

ZUKERBERG doesnt own a PJ, Just few Days ago Bill Gate donate $50m to the research on Alzheimer Cure. Please is Mad acquisition Of WEALTH and Material Things a BLACK MAN DISEASE at the expense Of the People in on an highly impoverish Land?
Pretty Yoruba actress, Toyin Aimakhu, is not allowing the date of her father disturb her in any way as she has been busy making herself happy.

Her job sure does not give her the space to start crying or being sober because she needs to deliver her lines well despite her personal challenges.

Toyin for some time now are have been making herself happy the best way she can and no matter what, she still needs to step out looking good.

Its rather a cool Friday and as the weekend sets in, there is need to just make herself happy and chill around with friends which she is already set to do.
Recently, President Jacob Zuma concluded his visit to Zambia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo to strengthen socio-economic relations and other co-operations.

On his departure date from Nigeria, President Zuma was honoured in Nigerias Imo State with his giant statue erected in the city and a street that has been named after him.

After wasting Public Funds erecting the stature of the South African Governor Rochas Okorocha, has just been put to shame by his people.

The statue which cost several millions of naira has been brought down by angry youths who believes that the state does not belong to governor but to the entire people of the state and their funds should not be used recklessly.
As expected, bitcoin has resumed its upwards trend following a massive selloff.

The digital coin jumped 35% in the last five days after dropping more than 21% in the four days prior to that. The Bitcoin price now sits close to US$8,000, up 694.9% for the year.

Source: CoinDesk

As reported by Forbes:

Bitcoin reached its latest high after altcoin Bitcoin Cash suffered a sharp decline, dropping more than 25% in under 48 hours, CoinMarketCap data shows.

Most of Bitcoins recent gains seem to have been at the expense of Bitcoin Cash, asserted algorithmic programmer Jacob Eliosoff.

These two currencies have been competing for investor dollars as of late. After developers called off Bitcoins SegWit2x hard fork, which would have doubled the transaction capacity of the Bitcoin network, Bitcoin Cash surged more than 50%.

At the same time, the price of the more traditional Bitcoin fell more than 25%, declining from an all-time high of nearly $7,800 to almost $5,500, BPI figures show.

As these two digital currencies moved in opposite directions, Tim Enneking, managing director of Crypto Asset Management, asserted that the failed hard fork increased the appeal of Bitcoin Cash, which has 8MB blocks compared to Bitcoins 1MB blocks.

Bitcoin price rise hasnt phased investors, yet

Of course, speculative gains arent the ultimate purpose of bitcoin. The coin was created as a medium of exchange. But as the price continues to rise, few are willing to give up their coins just yet.

But it does beg the question: Could the coin go the way of the tulip? As The Australian Financial Review explains:

In November 1636, the value of tulip bulbs in the Netherlands started to rise rapidly. At its peak, a single bulb cost more than 10 times the annual wage of an average worker.

The speculation was fuelled further by the introduction of a futures market, allowing people to trade without any bulbs changing hands.

In February 1637, it came to a sudden end. The price collapsed, trading stopped, futures contracts were not honoured, and those who held bulbs lost quite a fortune.

Dial forward 400 years.

The value of Bitcoin reached $US7200 this week. This is a seven-fold increase over one year. There was a brief fall of $US2000 when it appeared that traders preferred a different cryptocurrency called Bitcoin Cash.

It is hard to argue against the fact that cryptocurrencies are surrounded by speculative traders looking to make a quick buck. But unlike tulips, bitcoin and blockchain has deeper value. Its an alternative to our current payments system, in which bankers fatten their pockets at your expense.

To find out more about the secret world of bitcoin, click here.

Cheers,

Harje Ronngard,

Junior Analyst, Money Morning
Review of CI.133 will aid in ...
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Readers, Im still catching up from my email debacle, and I also had to put on my yellow waders to deal with a Clinton interview, so Ill add more on The Bezzle and 2017 shortly. Lambert UPDATE 2:41PM All done, though I still left plenty on the cutting room floor. Things are very dynamic right now!

Trade

Talks on redrawing North Americas trade map are resuming under a cloud of pessimism [Wall Street Journal]. Mexico and Canada are still digesting contentious U.S. proposals like stricter rules for the proportion of a vehicles components that must originate in North America and in the U.S. to avoid tariffs. Freight transport concerns also are reaching the table, with the U.S. looking to pull back a Nafta provision that allows Mexican trucks to operate in the U.S. The American Trucking Associations has asked the Trump administration to maintain the program, but the Teamsters union opposes it. The countries have said they want to complete talks by March, but delays deeper into next year could make an agreement less likely.

Hopes of a major breakthrough on NAFTAs labor provisions during this current round of talks are not high. And labor and public interest groups are questioning whether the Trump administration, despite prior promises, will make any effort to press Mexico to increase its labor and wage standards [Politico]. Nobody could have predicted. More: [Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.)], who was instrumental in writing the first bipartisan agreement for tightening labor protections in trade deals, said the crux of addressing this administrations overarching goal of reducing the trade deficit with Mexico is inextricably linked to improving its wage and labor standards to prevent the offshoring of manufacturing and related jobs. Itll also be key for getting any Democrats to support the deal, he added.

Next Round of NAFTA Talks May Bring Renegotiation to an Inflection Point if Canada and Mexico Refuse to Engage on U.S. Proposals [Lori Wallach, Public Citizen]. The administration has made clear that the choice facing Canada, Mexico and the corporate lobby is either a new approach or no NAFTA. Ironically, the corporate lobbys strategy increases the likelihood of a no-NAFTA future. The corporate lobbys response to the administrations proposals to eliminate NAFTA job outsourcing incentives suggests that the new reality of a different NAFTA or no NAFTA is being dismissed as a bluff, or that the corporate lobby prefers no NAFTA. Whether a case of magical thinking or ideological rigidity after years of corporate interests dictating U.S. trade policy, the fifth NAFTA renegotiating round will reveal whether the corporate lobby has persuaded the governments of Canada and Mexico to join a game of high-stakes poker that increases the odds of the no NAFTA outcome.

Because no U.S. president has used the provision in U.S. trade pacts that provides for withdrawal after a six-month notice, President Donald Trumps threat to do so has led various commentators to opine about his authority to act without congressional authorization [for example, in Politico yesterday. lambert]. The claim made by some NAFTA proponents that a president does not have such authority is premised on three major errors, all of which relate to the peculiarities of trade pacts and their implementation under U.S. law (PDF) [Lori Wallach, Public Citizen]. It is correct that Article I-8 gives Congress exclusive authority over tariffs. But it is also true that starting in 1974, Congress expressly delegated to the president blanket authority to proclaim changes to tariffs if any U.S. trade agreement is terminated or the United States withdraws from any agreement . This provision automatically reverts tariff levels back to the WTO MFN rate one year after an agreement is terminated or the U.S. withdraws. However, it also provides a president with delegated authority to proclaim such tariff changes immediately. Delegations of Fast Track authority since 1974 have explicitly applied this authority to agreements entered into under subsequent Fast Track grants. Notably, in the NAFTA implementing legislation Congress explicitly delegated its tariff authority to the president, who was empowered to proclaim tariffs changes with respect to Mexico and Canada to implement NAFTA tariff rates. The NAFTA implementing legislation did not include specific NAFTA tariff levels that Congress approved by passing that bill.

Politics

2017

UPDATE How Doug Jones could pull off a stunner in Alabama [Politico]. [Jones] does have a path. Heres how it looks, according to interviews with nearly a dozen Democrats within and near Jones team since Moore was hit with accusations of pursuing  and in two cases abusing  teenage girls. First, create a permission structure for alienated Republicans who are skeptical of Moore  primarily those who voted against him in the GOP primary  to cross the aisle. At the same time invigorate the base, especially African-Americans, who make up over a quarter of registered voters, according to the Alabama Secretary of States office. And finally, keep the national Democratic Party and its despised brand as far out of the picture as possible , while still benefiting from its money. UPDATE Ballotpedia has had good coverage of the swing districts situation [bears2267, Reddit] (original). Figures as of November 15: Currently they have it 49-48 D with 3 races too close to call, officially it sits at 51-49 R with election results certified or ready to be certified. The Virginia Democratic Party is challenging 55 ballots in District 28 (and a potential challenge of 668 votes intended for the 28th that might have been mistakenly cast in the 88th instead). Once those challenges are figured out in the courts, the state board will certify the results and then recounts can begin and the 3 Democrats in the 3 swing districts have all indicted they were request their allowed recount. So a couple of weeks still until we know the final results. UPDATE Latest 28th District fight focused on Fredericksburg precincts [Inside NOVA]. Now that all the votes have been counted, Democrat Josh Cole fell 82 votes short of beating Republican Bob Thomas in the 28th District race to replace retiring House Speaker Bill Howell. Since then, Democrats have been raising challenges to the results, including a pending federal lawsuit, in the hopes of flipping the race and forcing a tie in the House  Republicans are still clinging to a 51-49 majority following a wave election for Democrats on Nov. 7. UPDATE Rural white voters didnt show up for Virginias election [Vox]. What fueled Democrats victories on Tuesday? A quick analysis from the New York Times suggests this was a suburban rebellion, with moderates shifting from Donald Trump to Democrats. A look at the Virginia vote, however, suggests that votes in the most rural, conservative counties may hold the real story. Readers will have noticed the suburban rebellion strategy pre-positioned by Democrats for whom that is the preferred 2018 and 2020 strategy, so this article is a useful corrective. More: The analysis above suggests that Democrats did well because white, conservative, rural Republicans,  those who gave Trump his victory last year  simply didnt show up this time. So, why would that be? UPDATE Independent upset: Dems crush everywhereexcept Charlottesville [Cville]. The unprecedented evening continued in Charlottesville, where Nikuyah Walker bucked the Democratic groundswell and became the first independent to win a seat on City Council since 1948. Also unprecedented: Its the first time two African Americans will serve on council when she joins Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy on the dais in January. Walkers win breaks up the total Democratic control on council, says UVA Center for Politics Geoffrey Skelley. Its meaningful in the aftermath of all the terrible things that happened in Charlottesville with the monument debate and neo-Nazi invasion, which some put at the feet of City Council. Walker was offering something different, he says. Its a reaction locally when Democrats were crushing it everywhere else. Its a reaction to local issues that have become national issues.'

2016 Post Mortem

Hillary Clinton on Trumps Election: There Are Lots of Questions About Its Legitimacy' [Mother Jones]. In an exclusive interview with Mother Jones, Clinton says Russian interference and GOP voter suppression efforts may have cost her the presidency. Remember when liberal Democrats were fomenting a moral panic that Trump wouldnt accept the election results? Good times. Anyhow, I read the piece  nice get, Clara, thank you for your service  so you dont have to (though I didnt have time to listen to the video). Here is the key paragraph (not Clinton, but exposition): The impact of Russian interference in the election can be measured in a few tangible ways. Operatives in Russia published about 80,000 Facebook posts that reached 126 million Americans, as Russia-linked Facebook ads targeted swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin. More than 36,000 Russia-linked Twitter accounts generated 1.4 million tweets about the election that had 288 million impressions. The constant drumbeat of stories based on Clinton campaign and Democratic Party emails [said by the intelligence community and Democrat vendors to have been lambert] obtained by Russian-backed hackers is one reason that then-FBI Director James Comeys 11th-hour letter hurt Clinton so much. Once more: On Facebook and Twitter, the constantly repeated numbers seem impressive, but are tiny relative to total content on both platforms; and if the $50K Russian Facebook buy neutralized the $1.4 billion spent by the Clinton campaign, then Clinton (and Mook, and Podesta) owe us (and their donors) an explanation. None has been forthcoming. Moreover, I have yet to see any evidence, either in survey form or anecdotally from voters, showing that one single vote was affected, and I do try to keep track. Moreover, is such evidence did exist, I would expect the famously detail-oriented and knowledgeable Clinton to be able to cite it. (I suppose at some point it will have become necessary for a study to emerge, at which point it will be important to look at methodology and funding; testimony from million-dollar trolls on Twitter wont be credible.) On the DNC and Podesta emails: In the real world of issues, supposing there to be such a thing, nobody, including Clinton in this interview, has ever successfully challenged their authenticity, and they portrait they paint of the snakepit of vicious mediocrities infesting the leadership of both institutions. And so what if voters were appalled? Its certainly strange that a party calling itself Democratic depends on keeping voters ignorant for electoral success! As for the Comey connection, Sanders asks the right question: Its not a question of what happens in the last week. The question is that she should have won this election by 10 percentage points. More importantly, Clinton says that she regards Russian election meddling as a form of war. Remember Clinton wanted a no-fly zone in Syria, which was likely to provoke war with Russia (and, as Clinton herself said, kill a lot of Syrians).Perhaps Im too cynical, but it looks to me like Clinton  along, one supposes, with her silent partners in the national security apparatus and the intelligence community  is using her failure in election 2016 to push the policy we already know shes in favor of: War with Russia. After all, a great power faced with a casus belli that doesnt respond is no longer a great power, no? Any stick to beat a dog. Joy Reid says that Clinton was lying about TPP. Who knew? Hillary Clinton was shoved into opposing it because of the Bernie challenge. But I highly doubt she would have pulled out. Highly.  Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) November 13, 2017 Not to be overly snarky, but if Bernie Sanders can push Clinton around, how would Clinton have fared against Vladimir Putin?

Trump Transition

Murkowski Tax Vote Contingent on Stabilizing Individual Health Insurance Market [Roll Call]. Murkowski: If the Congress is going to move forward with repeal of the individual mandate, we absolutely must have the Alexander-Murray piece that is passed into law.

Realignment and Legitimacy

When Does a Watershed Become a Sex Panic? [The New Yorker]. https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/when-does-a-watershed-become-a-sex-panic The affirmative-consent and preponderance-of-the-evidence regimes shift the burden of proof from the accuser to the accused, eliminating the presumption of innocence. If the presumption of innocence is rooted in the idea that it is better to let ten guilty people go free than risk jailing one innocent person, then the policing of sex seems to assume that its better to have ten times less sex than to risk having a nonconsensual sexual experience. The problem is not just that this reduces the amount of sex people are likely to be having; it also serves to blur the boundaries between rape, nonviolent sexual coercion, and bad, fumbling, drunken sex. The effect is both to criminalize bad sex and trivialize rape. O.K., intended to be funny but wasnt? Colbert said, quoting part of Frankens apology. No. Your movie Stuart Saves His Family was intended to be funny but wasnt. That photo was intended to embarrass her  thats why he did it while she was asleep. Nobody goes up to their buddy when hes awake and says, Hey, can I draw a penis on your forehead?' [RealClearLife]. Why voter registration should be a 24/7/365 core party function: I ordered my birth certificate in JULY. I got it TODAY. If you're planning on registering voters in states that suppress the vote and may require birth certificates, start registering NOW, not in 2018 pic.twitter.com/MCDCBmrdXH  Brett Banditelli (@banditelli) November 15, 2017 Since the Democrat Party doesnt do this, they dont really want to expand their base, and dont make the interests of those too marginalized to get proper ID a priority. Pittsburgh DSA Beats Democratic Machine & Knocks Off Two Key Incumbents As They Eye More [Payday Report]. Bernie Sanderss Socialist Revolution Is Happening, Very Slowly [Vice]. Democrats won off-year elections across the country last week for many reasons, but lets pause for a second and give Bernie Sanders some credit. Among the historic victories Democrats earned in Virginia, New Jersey, and elsewhere were a handful of out-and-proud actual socialists who won local office. It could be a precursor to an upsurge in leftists scoring bigger wins in next years midterms, but its both a validation of Sanders and proof that the movement he built during the heated 2016 primaries isnt going away anytime soon. Then again, if Lee Carter  not to knock Carters amazing victory  is the most powerful socialist in America besides Sanders (for some definition of socialism) then the socialists have a ways to go.

Stats Watch

Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Index, November 2017: Regional report after regional report say the same thing: manufacturing is growing solidly [Econoday]. Inventories are building but at a slowing rate this month and delivery times are stabilizing, both indications of easing strains on the supply chain. This weeks factory news was highlighted by Thursdays major gain for the manufacturing component of the industrial production report, results like this report which point to a strong and increasing contribution from manufacturing.

Housing Starts, October 2017: Housing starts and permits posted unexpectedly strong gains in October [Econoday]. Housing started the year off strongly and stumbled through a weak spring season and a flat summer. The year-on-year rates, held down by multi-units, tell the story with total starts down 2.9 percent and permits up only 0.9 percent. But todays report does point to momentum for new home sales which surged to a 28-year high in the last report for September. Hurricane effects are limited in this report. And: The backward revisions this month were moderately upward.The nature of this industry normally has large variations from month to month (mostly due to weather) so the rolling averages are the best way to view this series  and it shows permits rate of growth improved, and completions rate of growth improved [Econintersect]. We consider this a much stronger report than last month.

E-Commerce Retail Sales, Q3 2017: Online shopping has been strong this year but did slow in the third quarter, up 3.6 percent quarter-to-quarter vs a revised 4.7 percent in the second quarter. As a percentage of total retail sales, e-commerce continues to gain ground, up 2 tenths to 9.1 percent [Econoday].

Retail: [Walmart, the] worlds biggest retailer posted its strongest quarterly U.S. sales growth in nearly a decade, picking up momentum for a strategy aimed at finding customers in both its brick-and-mortar stores and online [Wall Street Journal]. [E]-commerce sales at Wal-Mart, which has made a series of acquisitions in online retail, jumped 50% and are on track to reach $17.5 billion this year. Thats still a fraction of overall revenue, and analysts say Amazons sales are 10 times greater than Wal-Marts online business. But with Wal-Marts digital business growing and Amazon moving more deeply into physical stores, the companies increasingly look like they are competing on similar ground.

Retail: Whole Foods Offers Amazon Prime Members Thanksgiving Discounts. Heres Why Thats Bad [The Stranger]. Classic monopoly behavior. Amazon doesnt have to make a profit, because capital buys its narrative. So it can undercut its competitors, who do. John D. Rockefeller would be proud.

Shipping: Excess capacity hitting box freight rates hard [Splash 247]. They just cant help themselves! Boxships are sailing not fully laden amid dangerously excessive capacity leading to fears of a slump in financial results for liners this quarter. 2017 utilisation on the transpacific has only breached 90% in September 2017, and only marginally so, and with healthy demand growth the only logical explanation is excess capacity, SeaIntel noted in its latest weekly report.

Energy: The [power generation] companies [like Siemens and GE] have been caught off-guard by a rapid shift by governments and companies away from large, fossil fuel-powered plants to renewables. Siemens says demand for its biggest turbines has fallen dramatically and orders for large electrical motors for industries from mining to steel and shipbuilding are also tumbling. The declines are so big they suggest the industrial sector overall is being reset [Wall Street Journal]. Could have filed this under Gaia, I suppose.

UPDATE The Bezzle: California may limit liability of self-driving cars makers [Los Angeles Times]. Critics say regulations drafted by the California Department of Motor Vehicles could open a loophole for automakers to skirt responsibility for accidents, injuries and deaths caused by defective self-driving cars  for instance, if tires are slightly underinflated or if the oil hasnt been changed as regularly as manufacturers suggest. The DMV wording drew from a GM recommendation intended to protect self-driving carmakers from lawsuits if a vehicle hasnt been maintained according to manufacturers specifications. Thats a change from current liability laws governing cars driven by humans. Typical tech thinking. If your algo doesnt work, change the inputs til it does. And I love the idea of, in essence, making your insurance claim depend on whether you obeyed your EULA. Probably would work with health insurance, too!

The Bezzle: Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk revealed the companys first all-electric truck along with a new $200,000 super car late Thursday , in his latest attempt to stir excitement for his vision to upend transportation [Wall Street Journal]. [H]is latest attempt to stir excitement isnt the sort of hagiography weve come to expect with Musk. More: The Semi, due out in 2019, will join a highly ambitious automotive supply chain that has stumbled in its bid to ramp up mass-market production. Nor is highly ambitious.

The Bezzle:

Roadster deposits begin today. $50k. Base model starts at $200k total. First 1000 models will be Founder's Series and are $250k paid entirely upfront.  David Undercoffler (@autonews_west) November 17, 2017

Much amused speculation on the thread on whether the Founders Series  Founder being one of those start-up words you know signals a scam  deposits will help with any cash flow problems Tesla might have: $250,000 * 1000 = $250,000,000, which isnt chump change, but is pretty easy to burn through, too.

The Bezzle: A German regulator has banned the sale of smartwatches aimed at children, describing them as spying devices [BBC]. Via an app, parents can use such childrens watches to listen unnoticed to the childs environment and they are to be regarded as an unauthorised transmitting system, said Jochen Homann, president of the Federal Network Agency. According to our research, parents watches are also used to listen to teachers in the classroom.' So its not theyre hackable. Its that, intrinsically, theyre spying devices. Of course, the same goes for smartphones.

The Bezzle: Theres a Digital Media Crash. But No One Will Say It [Talking Points Memo]. The big picture is that Problem #1 (too many publications) and Problem #2 (platform monopolies) have catalyzed together to create Problem #3 (investors realize they were investing in a mirage and dont want to invest any more). Each is compounding each other and leading to something like the crash effect you see in other bubbles.

Honey for the Bears: The NY Fed reports household debt growth decelerated in q1, in line with the deceleration in bank lending [Mosler Economics].

Five Horsemen: The Big Five Could Destroy the Tech Ecosystem [Bloomberg]. Whats forgotten as these companies seemingly gobble up the rest of the economy is they remain dependent upon customers who get value from their services. Companies advertise on Facebook and Google only if theyve determined its more profitable than not doing so. Cloud revenue requires the existence of profitable businesses that need business software and services. Third-party vendors choose to sell on Amazon because its profitable for them to do so. In other words, for the most part, the big five tech companies exist at their current size and scale only because they serve a larger underlying economy of profitable companies. But the disruptive nature of the tech companies raises questions about how much they can grow. Because, in a sense, at some point theyll only be able to grow by putting some of their customers out of business either directly or indirectly.

Five Horsemen: Death Star Amazon leads the pack [Hat tip, Jim Haygood].

Todays Fear & Greed Index: 50 Neutral (previous close: 36, Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 54 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed. Last updated Nov 15 at 7:00pm. Enormous swing toward neutral from fear.

Retail: Amazons Last Mile [Gizmodo (HC)]. HC: A long piece but interesting and nauseating in turn.

Retail: Consumers are holding off on buying smart-home gadgets thanks to security and privacy fears [Business Insider]. Idea: Products people want? Idea: Wage hikes so people can afford to buy?

Gaia

UPDATE Keystone pipeline leaks 210K gallons of oil in South Dakota [AP]. Discovery of the leak comes just days before Nebraska regulators are scheduled to announce their decision Monday whether to approve the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, an expansion that would boost the amount of oil TransCanada is now shipping through the existing line, which is known simply as Keystone.

US switches focus of its Bonn event from clean energy to fossil fuels [Guardian]. At [the Bonn climate talks], the US occupies a small locked room that often seems unoccupied. There is no pavilion, and Mondays event on coal and nuclear power is the first public sign of the US governments engagement, though the UN said US delegates were present at at least some of the many meetings taking place around the event. IIRC, however, fracking boomed on Obamas watch.

Militia Watch

Ryan Bundy tells Las Vegas jury: I am an innocent man' [Las Vegas Review Journal]. We were attacked, and our home was surrounded by 200-plus armed, what appeared to be mercenaries, he told the jury. You should have seen all the guns pointed at us.' Hmm.

Class Warfare

UPDATE The Problem With Privilege and Divulging Sexual Assault [Glamour]. Famous monsters arent necessarily bigger monstersthey just fall more publicly. Harvey Weinstein operated out of luxury hotels, but similar scenes take place in the storerooms of big-box outlets, in the cubicles of stationery supply companies, in the teachers lounges at middle schools, on the floors of garment factories. And the nonfamous women being belittled, abused, and assaulted arent getting any relief.

Restaurant Sex Abuse: At Full Boil, but on Back Burner [RealClearInvestigations]. [E]xperts widely agree that harassment is rampant in less exalted sectors of the economy and especially in the hospitality industry, including restaurants, bars and hotels, where more than half the workers are female. Then again: A claim that 37 percent of all sexual harassment complaints filed with the EEOC come from restaurants has been widely reported in news media, including the New York Times and the Huffington Post. But the EEOC complaint form does not have a required field for employment sector, so its impossible to determine restaurant complaint totals or where the industry ranks compared with other sectors. Oh well, Theyre waitresses, not movie stars or comedians. So who cares?

UPDATE Last week, the Federal Trade Commission voted 2-0 to join the Justice Departments Antitrust Division in an amicus brief to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, siding with the Chamber of Commerce against the City of Seattles grant of collective bargaining rights to independent contractors working as drivers for Uber, Lyft, taxis, and other ride-sharing companies [Roosevelt Institute].  Figuring out how not to be bound by regulations that your competitors must abide by isnt innovation, and yet, it appears to be the core contribution of the tech sector to the U.S. economy . The headline terms the precariat alt-labor. Id drop that term immediately, since theres no reason to get labor issues involved in the alt-left/alt-right hairball of competing narratives.

Bankrupt Toys R Us wants to pay $16 million in executive bonuses [CNN]. In the filing made with the court Wednesday the company argues the bonuses are necessary to get executives to perform at a high level during its bankruptcy. The executives have no ethics or self-motivation at all, apparently. Surprising!

Law School-Administered Financial Aid: The Good News and the Bad News [SSRN]. Financial aid administered by law schools was even the most rapidly rising cost factor for law schools collectively. At first glance this increase might seem like some good news for persons sharing my values and worldview. Historically financial aid has been associated with helping the financially needy, encouraging them and members of underrepresented identities to attend law school, and helping make it possible for students who want to devote their careers to low-paying, public-interest-oriented work to achieve their dreams. In fact, however, as the task force makes clear, almost all the increased financial aid is being awarded to applicants with high LSAT scores and high undergraduate GPAs  what is called merit these days. Any correlation between the beneficiaries of increased financial aid and the kinds of students who traditionally benefited from law school-administered financial aid is purely coincidental.

Employee Reaction to CEO Pay Ratio Disclosure [The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation]. The authors, from Willis Towers Watson, write: The question of how to provide context for their CEO pay ratio proxy disclosure has been one companies have been turning to as they near completion of their calculation work. One perspective on this issue has come from a recent ISS Position Paper that recommends companies include in their disclosure a comparison to peer group disclosures. We would make the case that taking an approach that focuses solely on placing the pay ratio in context for shareholders is likely at odds with the message companies want to communicate to their employees, which theyve expressed to be their biggest challenge regarding the pay ratio. No doubt!

Technocratic Vistas: The Long Con of Neoliberalism [The Hedgehog Review]. What many defenders of liberal democracy fail to realize is that they are no longer defending either liberalism or democracy; the forms of elite rule that provoke popular anger are merely the husk of liberal democracy. The once-vital discourse of liberal democracy has been hollowed out and transformed into a language of managerial techniquea technocratic jargon used to legitimate the spread of free-flowing capital. Within this discourse, freedom has been reduced to market behavior, citizenship to voting, efficiency for the public good to efficiency for profit. The rich civic culture that gave rise to popular American politics in the pastunions, churches, local party organizationshas been largely replaced, in both parties, by elites who have benefited from the technocratic turn.

Ban Prisons [Splinter]

News of the Wired

UPDATE Amazon Key flaw makes entering your home undetected a possibility [Ars Technica]. Rhino Labs discovered that a courier equipped with a simple program can use their laptop to fake a command from your Wi-Fi router to disconnect the Cloud Cam from your network. This causes the camera to stop functioning by freezing the image at the last frame. At that point, the courier could re-enter your home, do whatever it is that they want there, and then exit, reactivate the camera, and lock the door as usual. This re-entry would be undetectable by the resident, and it would appear like a normal delivery in Amazons data.

Google Has Picked an Answer for YouToo Bad Its Often Wrong [Wall Street Journal]. For many queries, the internet giant is presenting itself as the authority on truth by promoting a single search result as the answer. Im not sure this is true; I tested the authors question (Does money buy happiness?) and theres no featured snippet. Of course, that could be Google optimizing for what it knows about me. Or it could be Google optmiizing for the WSJ story.

Do civilisations collapse? [Aeon]. States collapsed, civilisations or cultures transformed; people lived through these times and employed their coping strategies  they selectively preserved aspects of their culture and rejected others. Archaeologists, historians and others have a duty to tell the stories of these people, even though the media might find them less satisfactory. And writers who appropriate history for moral purposes need to think carefully about what they are doing and what they are saying  they need to make an effort to get the history as right as possible, rather than dumbing it down to silver-bullet theories.

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Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please put it in the subject line. Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Todays plant (LR):

LR writes: I dont remember seeing coloring like this before. The picture is from Sacramento California. I know that Sacramento had a very hot year this year, and then the fires. Could there be a connection, or is it usual to see this kind of coloring develop?

Gorgeous picture, and good question. Readers?



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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the NC fundraiser. So do feel free to use the dropdown and click the hat to make a contribution today or any day. Here is why: Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of small donations helps me with expenses, and I factor that trickle in when setting fundraising goals. So if you see something you especially appreciate, do feel free to click the hat!
Reader vlade e-mailed about a Richard North blog entry on Parliamentary testimony on the impact of Brexit on the auto industry. North found the content of the reports, the incomprehension and lack of inquisitiveness by the MPs, and the lack of press interest, all to be deeply disturbing. Recall that North was and is a Leave backer who nevertheless has been chronicling the mess that Brexit will be while occasionally telling his readers it will be worth the ten years of pain that he anticipates.

North complains in his post that in addition to the MP leading the inquiry, Labours Rachel Reeves, being visibly clueless, matters were not helped by the auto experts underplaying the seriousness of the issues and bizarrely offering false hope, like the usual UK default Surely there is a way out which was further watered down into the handwave that the UK had to find a way to bridge that gap.

As well explain, the bottom line is that the UK auto industry is going to take an even bigger and faster hit from Brexit than I anticipated, and it will occur as a result of the UK losing access to the single market, so the damage will be serious even if the UK manages to reach a Brexit agreement.

As vlade and I discussed via e-mail, some of the key points are very technical, and so I may fall afoul of buzzword compatibility and/or in the reading of some of the mechanisms. Nevertheless, just as one could conclude CDOs are very risky and look like they are going to create even bigger losses for banks in 2008 without knowing how they were structured, here the high level conclusion, the UK auto industry will take a big hit as a result of Brexit, seems to be well founded.

Automobiles and auto parts account for roughly 12% of UK exports. As you can see from the table below, from the written testimony of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the EU is far and away the most important destination:

The Importance of Approvals in Global Supply Chains

Well start with North, who has some experience on this topic, having written on it in with respect to the UK-Korea trade agreement. From his post:

As [Patrick] Keating [Government Affairs Manager, Honda Motor Europe] explained, the real risk to the car industry will be triggered not in the event of a no deal, but as the UK leaves the Single Market. When this happens, the type approvals issued by the VCA, the UK Vehicle Certification Authority, will either no longer hold validity or not be able to be extended. This technical jargon conceals a life-or death issue for the industry. For Honda, all the vehicles manufactured at its Swindon plant  with a huge proportion exported to Europe  are approved by the VCA which means that, post-Brexit, their products will no longer be cleared for sale in EU Member States. This will also apply to all other vehicles approved in the UK, effectively bringing export sales to a complete halt, until such time as the vehicles can be submitted to an EU Member State approval authority, and gain new certification. And that wont be easy or quick.. It is almost certain that the UK, having acquired third country status by virtue of having left the Single Market, will have to submit its products for type approval again, before they can be sold. There will be no recognition of third country approvals.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders discussed the approvals issue in its written testimony, sadly buried starting at Item 33 (emphasis ours):

Once all of the systems and component have been approved, the vehicle will be considered as a whole by a designated approval body, who gains its authorisation from the EU; in the UK, this is the VCAA successful inspection accompanied by the submission of the relevant manufacturers information documents will result in the issue of a European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval Certificate. This certification will be accepted throughout the EU without the need for further testing until the design of the vehicle changes. The vast majority of manufacturers in the UK use the VCA to obtain approvals to the EC Directives and Regulation and have long, established working relationships with the VCA, which help increase the efficiency of the approval process. The certification process normally takes between 6 to 18 months for manufacturers to obtain a European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval Certificate and manufacturers can begin initial their initial discussions with the approval authority between 3 and 10 years prior to the formal certification process The issue over the validity of existing approvals is vital because if this is not agreed, manufacturers would have to replicate their whole vehicle type approval with an approval authority based in another EU Member State. This would result in significant cost, negatively impact UK manufacturers future plans and undermine their technology implementation timetables, as gaining new approvals automatically make a vehicle a new type and therefore subject to the most recent legislation and implementation dates. It is also unclear whether or not other EU approval authorities would have the capacity to validate all the vehicles previously validated by the VCA. If this were indeed the case, this would result in UK built and approved vehicles being unable to be sold across the EU.

Let us be clear as to what happens. Once the UK leaves the EU, the old VCA certifications wont be valid unless the EU kindly agrees to let them remain in force on some sort of interim basis. Given that no one in Parliament even comprehends the problem, that Brexit negotiators from David Davis on down are allergic to detail and overwhelmed, and that even the domestic lobbying group is bizarrely underplaying the seriousness and urgency of the problem, how likely is that to happen? So that in turn means UK auto and parts makers will not be able to export goods made in the UK to the EU until they obtained new approvals, which normally takes six to eighteen months.

And this means production stops. From North (emphasis ours):

The point Mike Hawes (Chief Executive, Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders) then made, after Keating had delivered his unrecognised bombshell, was that manufacturers could not apply for type approval while actually manufacturing so they would have to cease production while they re-applied.

As bad as this scenario would be, consider more broadly the impact of shutdown or damage-prevention shifting of EU production and hence jobs out of the UK. It means reduced employment in communities where the auto facility is probably one of the biggest local employers. Given that automobile industry jobs are normally high-wage and relatively stable, the knock-on effects in the area would be significant.

More Brexit Woes

And lets consider other factors that make this situation worse.

The EU is in the midst of revamping its motor vehicles regulation. While there is draft legislation published, and the rules are expected to be final before Brexit, this does not help the UKs situation, to put it mildly.

Approvals for other industries are important for the auto industry. From the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders:

To take the example of the transposition of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation into UK law, this will require UK government to decide how the UK will engage with, or domesticate, the work of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)[4], a hugely complex and technical regulatory regime. At present, it is presumed that this decision will be taken through the secondary legislation process of the EU (Withdrawal Bill), however, any amendment to the current functioning of chemicals legislation will have significant and fundamental impacts on the operations of automotive supply chains which have REACH embedded in their processes. Additionally, it is important to note that, post-withdrawal, UK companies exporting to the EU must still remain compliant with REACH regardless of the legislation in place in the UK.

North points out in passing that REACH does not recognize third country approvals.

Precedents suggest that the UK automakers will need to get approvals from EU bodies. Again from North, who views the EU-Korea trade agreement as a likely model:

Sure enough, when you read the small-print of that agreement (Annex 2-C), Korean motor manufacturers are still required to submit their products for type approval to an approval authority in an EU Member State, before they can be sold. Additionally, the Koreans have to maintain absolute conformity with EU/UN regulations, including the adoption of new regulations as they are come into force.

North rejected the idea that the UK and EU would agree to recognize each others approvals:

There is not the remotest possibility that the EU will accept mutual recognition of type approvals. The best one can hope for is a temporary agreement to tide us over any transitional period. Deal or no deal, in the longer term, UK type approvals will no longer be valid in EU Member States.

UK immigration restrictions will also damage its automobile industry. From the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders written testimony:

UK automotive manufacturing has a significant skills gap with a particularly acute demand for engineering skills, a 2015 Automotive Council report identified that the sector had up to 5,000 current vacancies which were causing significant impact on business operations[7]. This skills gap is projected to increase due to the ageing workforce and the lack of a sufficient talent pipeline into the industry. EU skills and talent are utilised in all aspects of automotive business in the UK as companies seek the best available talent to fill a role  UK automotive employs non-UK EU workers in senior executive/leadership, finance, customer service, HR, engineers, technicians, IT and shop floor workers Many automotive companies have multiple plants throughout the EU and employees are often moved between plants to meet specific short-term engineering, manufacturing or management needs. Additionally, many companies choose to move employees around to aid their professional development, improving the quality and competiveness of the business The automotive industry has experience of employing or transferring non-EU nationals (through the Tier-2 route). This is complex, burdensome and costly, making EU staff access even more attractive. Industry would not want to see this approach replicated for any EU migration system.

The EU provides R&D funding for the auto industry, although some programs are open to non-EU members. Again from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders:

R&D public funding plays an important role in de-risking early research, while the application requirements of the Horizon 2020 programme also plays a role in promoting collaboration across the EU, giving the UK automotive industry the ability to share and learn from the continental partners.

Automakers are diehard just in time manufacturers. So supply chain uncertainty is particularly unattractive to them. They wont hold buffer stocks to deal with production vagaries if they have any other alternative.

* * *

The automobile industry is one of the UKs most important export sectors. If the officialdom isnt particularly willing to hear that Brexit will do it great damage unless its made a significant priority in the negotiations, and worse, industry incumbents lack the guts to make that clear and suggest realistic approaches, what is going to happen to other areas of commerce the individually are lower profile but together add up to meaningful employment and output?

The more you delve into details on Brexit, the worse things look for the UK.
(Natural News) According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, three out of four college-educated Democrats, or 75 percent, believe that internal feelings are what ultimately makes someone a male or a female, not biology, genetics and genitalia. In other words, they think that a man can be a woman simply by saying I identify as a woman, and vice versa.

The Pew Research Centers official write-up reads: The survey finds that Democrats with a bachelors degree or higher education are more likely than other Democrats to say a persons gender can be different from the sex they were born with. About three-quarters (77%) of Democrats with a bachelors degree or more say this, compared with 60% of Democrats with some college and 57% of those with a high school diploma or less. No such [education] divide exists among Republicans.

Needless to say, the idea that sex is determined by how one feels on the inside as opposed to science and biology is absolutely ridiculous. By that same warped logic, a white person who identifies as a black person is indeed black, a child who identifies as 65 years old is in fact 65, and a person who identifies as a dog is a dog. There are certain scientific rules that just cannot be broken, regardless of how uncomfortable that may make the average liberal democrat feel. (Related: However you identify there are only two types of brains  male and female.)

Furthermore, there is a reason why more college-educated Democrats think this way than Democrats who have received less education. The truth is that most colleges and universities have become social justice boot camps, where young people learn all about diversity, political correctness, feelings, and  you guessed it  that sex is defined by whats between your ears instead of whats between your legs.

The office of BGLTQ Student Life at Harvard University, for example, recently released a school-sponsored guide urging students to not only fight transphobia and get the facts about gender diversity, but also asserted that there are more than two sexes. The guide claimed that gender is fluid and changing, adding that gender identity can be affirmed and/or expressed in many ways, and can even change from day to day. (Related: There has been a huge increase in the amount of children being indoctrinated with gender identity propaganda.)

But schools teaching students that sex is determined by internal feelings isnt anything new. Back in 2015, The College Fix published an article detailing various colleges and universities across the country that teach gender fluidity as fact to students. Oberlin College, for instance, defines gender as a spectrum of attributes and behaviors. UCLA has a similar definition.

At George Washington University, students attending orientation were instructed to choose whatever gender pronoun best matched their self-identity. Wesleyan University even offers students a course on Transgender Theory, which assigns books such as Read My Lips: Sexual Subversion and the End of Gender and F2M: The Making of Female Masculinity.

All across the country, students are being indoctrinated with left-wing propaganda and blatantly false information. Based on what schools like Oberlin College, UCLA, George Washington University and Wesleyan University are teaching our children, is it any wonder why 75 percent of college-educated millennials think sex is based on how you feel on the inside instead of genitalia and basic biology?

Sources Included:

Breitbart.com

CampusReform.org

TheCollegeFix.com
(Natural News) Big Ag has found a way to make genetically modified seeds permanent, by quietly writing in preemptive seed laws at the state level. In twenty-nine states, men and women at the local level will no longer be able to discuss, debate, or propose laws on the use of genetically modified seeds. The people will not have any voice in their individual cities and municipalities to protect their fields, crops, property, and water from biotech experimentation.

Corporations that genetically modify seeds have infiltrated the state legislatures to further secure their monopoly and prevent scientific scrutiny of their seed experimentation. By passing seed preemption laws they can bar public discourse on seed laws at the local level. This is a new attack on free speech and democratic debate. The corporate interests in the agriculture sector want to shut people up who desire natural, unmodified foods. These same corporate interests have been successful in the past with ag-gag laws that bar anyone from photographing the abuses of factory farms. Whistleblowers and journalists who tried to document unsanitary and inhuman animal feeding operations have had the law turned against them. In much the same way, these new seed preemption laws turn the law against the voices of the common man and woman working locally for change.

Oregon, California, Texas, Montana and Iowa are just a few of the states that have fallen prey to these new laws. These laws are designed to block counties and cities from adopting their own rules on the use of seeds, including bans on GMOs In many parts of the country, decisions on seed use are left up to individual counties, cities, and municipalities. Now, Big Ag is finding ways to snuff out the peoples voices in the matter.

In Texas, legislators are calling the law a statewide seed standardization law that gives farmers a consistent level playing field in all 254 Texas counties. Texas Farm Bureau State Legislative Director Jim Reaves said that they are working on a bill that would preempt local municipalities and counties from banning certain seeds. We dont believe the locals have the science that the state of Texas has. So we think its better held in the states hands. It will basically tell cities that if you have problem with a certain seed, the state can ban it, but you cant, Reaves said, revealing his cult-like support for Big Ag science.

Voting with your dollars by purchasing organic food is not enough. Biotech experiments go unlabeled in the grocery store and there is no standard on agrichemical testing of foods. Corporations such as Monsanto, Dow AgroSciencies and Syngenta have virtually unlimited resources at their disposal and they know exactly where to put the money to influence and hijack the government and the laws. For instance, these three Big Ag controllers spent more than $6.9 million in three Hawaiian counties to block tighter rules on GMOs. Monsanto and Syngenta spent nearly half a million dollars to fight a GMO ban in Jackson County, Oregon.

This state-level corporate takeover will make all genetically modified seed invincible to the law, unquestioned, unregulated, with no scrutiny or accountability. Everyone within the state will have their hands tied. Genetically modified seed traits are notorious for drifting into neighboring fields, cross-pollinating with natural, organic seeds. When the drift occurs, Monsanto sometimes sues farmers for violating their seed patents.

In other instances, weed killer products designed specifically for the genetic modification of the seed, drift to neighboring fields, damaging crops. Xtend, a broad-leafed Monsanto weed killer product commonly applied to genetically-modified (GM), dicamba-resistant crop seeds, has drifted to neighboring fields and destroyed thousands of acres of crops. Now, these serious issues and more cannot be brought forth for discussion, and no reparations will be made. Everyone will be legally forced to accept what these corporations are doing to nature, the boundaries they cross, and the monopolies they secure, with no resolve. Contact your representative today. And stay informed with news on seeds at Seeds.news.

Sources include:

WakingTimes.com

Lexology.com

TexasFarmBureau.org

FoodDemocracyNow.org

NaturalNews.com

House.gov
Myriad trade organizations represent companies in the supplement and functional food industries, but through partnerships and collaboration, five prominent groups are working together to offer a common voice in discussions on Capitol Hill and with FDA, according to Steve Mister, president and CEO of one of those organizations, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). Mister noted the trade groupsthe American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), CRN, the Natural Products Association (NPA) and the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA)are not speaking with one voice, as each trade group has different priorities, but they are making efforts to ensure their messages are consistent.

Along with industry collaboration, Mister discusses other aspects of the state of the supplement and functional foods industry with Sandy Almendarez, editor in chief, INSIDER. In this podcast, they also cover:

The strategic endeavor to get multivitamins included in the U.S. governments Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

How supplement and functional food industries can connect and sell to consumers who access their information online

The progress on the Supplement Online Wellness Library (OWL), an industry-led registry that launched just over a year ago.

This podcast was recorded at the CRN Annual Conference in Tucson, Arizona.
Amid a national push to rename campuses that pay tribute to controversial historical figures, the Berkeley school board on Wednesday voted unanimously to scrub LeConte Elementary of its namesake of 125 years.

The board pledged to solicit input on a new moniker from the Berkeley community. An advisory committee will be formed in the coming months, and a new name will likely be selected by the end of the 2017-18 school year, the board said. In the meantime, the school will still be referred to as LeConte Elementary.

In the Berkeley Unified School District, we take pride in our diversity, we hold high expectations for ourselves and our students, and we treat each other with respect and act with integrity, wrote Superintendent David Evans in support of the name change. Joseph Le Contes racist, sexist beliefs are antithetical to these values.

Joseph LeConte was one of UC Berkeleys first professors and a vanguard of early conservation efforts in California. But the geologist also owned hundreds of slaves and manufactured munitions for the Confederacy during the Civil War. His writings also display unapologetic racist and sexist attitudes that were widely accepted in the late 19th century.

All told, more than 170 community members, including teachers and parents, signed a petition supporting the effort to find a more suitable name for LeConte Elementary.

The children of LeConte deserve a school name they can take pride in," PTA President Leah Martens said during the meeting.

The school has transformed over the past few years, becoming a dual-immersion campus that is home to an increasingly diverse student body. A new name would help signify the schools evolution, said board member Karen Hemphill.

The desire to change to a name that is more in line with what the schools mission is and philosophy is makes a lot of sense to me, Hemphill said, adding that she was typically more hesitant when it comes to renaming historic institutions. Clearly, the name that is there today does not meet that standard.

The fraught debate over place names and monuments dedicated to disgraced historical figures has only recently started to gain nationwide traction, but members of the Berkeley community have been pushing to scrap the LeConte name for several years. Back in 2005, members of the Berkeley community tried and failed to rebrand Jefferson Elementary School on Ada Street.

LeConte is still honored with a namesake glacier in Alaska, a waterfall in the Sierra Nevada, and a building on UC Berkeleys campus. A small group of university students protested outside of LeConte Hall in 2014, unsuccessfully pressuring the administration to replace the name.

In contrast to UC Berkeley, a process for the renaming of buildings in the Berkeley Unified School District already exists, streamlining the issue for the board. The new moniker must meet certain qualifications before being accepted.

In approving the new name, the board will be required to examine whether the individual, on the whole, has made outstanding contributions to the community or made contributions of state, national or worldwide significance in light of the Berkeley community's values and contemporary view on history.

In the last few years, several buildings have been stripped of their problematic namesakes, including Jordan and Terman middle schools in Palo Alto, which were named after notable eugenicists. Committees have been exploring renaming pathways in San Francisco and at Stanford University.
Jurors in the trial of the man accused of fatally shooting Kate Steinle on San Francisco's Pier 14, which is set to go to closing arguments on Monday, will be allowed to consider a first-degree murder verdict following a judge's decision this week.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, a 45-year-old homeless Mexican citizen, was arrested around an hour after the July 1, 2015 shooting, which occurred while Steinle was walking on the pier with her family. The murder weapon, a gun that had been stolen from a U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger's car just days earlier, was recovered from the Bay near the pier a short time later.

Prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder, which applies to murder that is deliberate but not premeditated or that was caused by committing an inherently dangerous act.

Prosecutor Diana Garcia has sought to prove during the trial that Garcia Zarate, who had no connection to Steinle or known motive for shooting her, pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger deliberately.

However, Judge James Feng on Wednesday agreed to a request by Garcia to instruct the jury in first-degree murder as well as second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.

"The jury will be instructed on multiple theories of homicide," District Attorney's Office spokesman Alex Bastian said, declining to comment further.

First-degree murder typically requires that the murder be willful and premeditated, but can also apply to cases of "felony murder," in which a defendant is involved in a dangerous crime that leads to a person's death. It is unclear which theory Garcia might ask jurors to consider in closing arguments on Monday.

Defense attorneys Matt Gonzalez and Francisco Ugarte have worked to demonstrate that the shooting, in which the single bullet ricocheted off the pier before striking Steinle in the back, was accidental, occurring after the defendant found the stolen gun on the pier and picked it up. They presented expert witnesses who testified that the shooting bore the hallmarks of an unintentional discharge and that the bullet did not travel in a straight line.

It is unclear whether the inclusion of first-degree murder in jury instructions will have an impact on the outcome of the case.

"We are not terribly concerned about it because nothing in the evidence supports first-degree murder," said Tamara Aparton, a spokeswoman for the public defender's office.

Garcia Zarate has also been charged with assault with a semi-automatic firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has prior convictions for a drug charge and for reentering the country after deportation.

Garcia Zarate's arrest triggered national controversy over San Francisco's Sanctuary City policies after it was learned that he had been released from the city's jail a few months before the shooting without notification to federal immigration authorities.

He had just completed a federal prison sentence for reentering the country after deportation when he was transferred to San Francisco by federal authorities based on a warrant for a marijuana charge, but that charge was dismissed by San Francisco prosecutors after he arrived.

Despite the controversy, which played a role in the 2016 presidential race when now-President Donald Trump took it up as an issue, Garcia Zarate's immigration status has not played a role in the case.
Residents of San Francisco's Mount Sutro are on alert after nearly two dozen car break-ins occurred overnight Thursday.

The crimes are the latest round of smash-and-grabs in the city.

Resident Erin Coe caught a glimpse of crushed glass Thursday morning while walking her preschooler to their sky blue Volkwasgen.

"I'm just tired," Coe said. "My car has been stolen before. My moving truck has been stolen here. And now this happened, just a break-in."

Coe has plenty of company.

University of California, San Francisco pharmacist student Nancy Ramirez called for a window replacement after her boyfriend's car got the same criminal treatment.

"Well the police officers were already here when I came [in the morning] so they knew, when I looked at it, that it was my car," Ramirez said. "So they kind of just made a case out of it."

In the dead of the night, some 15 cars were burglarized at a UCSF housing facility, Aldea San Miguel on Clarendon and Johnstone.

University police are investigating and confirm 21 car break-ins when you include the surrounding neighborhood.

Despite copious amounts of shattered glass, there are no reports of any injuries. UCSF said its recently taken precautions to improve security here with enhanced lighting and tree-trimming for visibility.

Police currently have no suspect in their sights.
An employee at a Safeway grocery store in North Berkeley was hospitalized Thursday after being stabbed at the store shortly before 4 p.m., police said.

The stabbing at the Safeway at 1444 Shattuck Place, between Vine and Rose streets, was reported to police at 3:57 p.m. and had occurred 5 minutes earlier, at 3:52 p.m., Berkeley police spokesman Sgt. Andrew Frankel said.

The suspect fled the scene before officers responded to the

stabbing, according to Frankel.

The Safeway employee has been transported to Highland Hospital in Oakland for treatment, Frankel said.

No other details were immediately available.
Western Union consumers who feel they were scammed over the past 13 years may now apply for compensation from a nearly half-billion dollar settlement.

The company settled a landmark case earlier this year after being accused of not doing enough to prevent many scams that hinged on consumers wiring money to con men. The company has paid $586 million for victim compensation.

READ MORE: WESTERN UNION TO PAY SCAM VICTIMS

The U.S. Department of Justice will oversee the application process. The department said requests will be handled in two ways.

First, it will mail forms directly to 500,000 people who are believed to be scam victims. Take a look at a sample of what the form and envelope will look like.

Alternately, people who believe they wired money to a scammer between Jan. 1, 2004 and Jan. 19, 2017 can apply online.

Applications are due by Feb. 12, 2018.
Police on Thursday said they are investigating a series of robberies in the area of the UC Berkeley that detectives suspect may be related due to the timing, proximity of the crime scenes and other similarities.

The first robbery occurred around 9:15 p.m. Nov. 9 in the area of Spruce and Virginia streets, police said.

Two black men between the ages of 18 and 22 approached a lone victim, started a conversation and then attacked him in an attempt to take his backpack - but he fought back.

Then around 10:05 p.m. two suspects, described as a black man and a white or Hispanic man, both between the ages of 18 and 22, approached a second lone victim in the 2600 block of Regent Street - near People's Park.

They grabbed and took property from the victim after a short conversation, according to police.

Several days later, around 7:25 p.m. Sunday, two white men between the ages of 20 and 25 approached a lone victim in the 2500 block of Le Conte Avenue and tried to take his phone and backpack - but he fought back and the robbery was interrupted by an approaching vehicle.

Later that evening around 8:35 p.m., a Hispanic man and an Asian man, both thought to be between 25 and 30, approached a lone victim in the areas of Hearst and Scenic avenues and forcibly removed his backpack while claiming to have a gun, police said.

Finally, around 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, a Hispanic man and a Hispanic or black man, both between 18 and 25, approached a lone victim in the area of Spruce and Virginia streets.

The suspects claimed to have a gun and tried to take the victim's backpack, but the victim resisted and was battered by one of the suspects.

The crime was interrupted by interference from people passing by.

In each case, college-age victims were walking alone and targeted by two suspects, according to police.

Police are advising residents in the area to pay attention to their surroundings, travel in groups whenever possible, stick to well-lit and highly populated areas and consider leaving smartphones or other devices in their pockets. Anyone wearing headphones is advised to use just one earbud.
Police are searching for a suspect who tried to run over an officer near San Francisco's Twin Peaks neighborhood, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

The officer was not hit in the incident, reported just after 11 a.m. Friday at Woodside Avenue and O'Shaughnessy Boulevard. Police said the suspect also hit another vehicle.

No other information was immediately available.
In a jailhouse interview Thursday, a man described by police as psychopathic killer who escaped a Hawaii psychiatric ward and flew to the California Bay Area explained why he did it.

Randall Saito, who walked out of a mental hospital Sunday, then hopped two planes to get to the Bay Area, says he just wanted to prove he could live normally.

"They won't give me a chance," he said in an interview with NBC affiliate KCRA in Sacramento.

Saito's escape ended Wednesday in Stockton, where he was arrested and booked into San Joaquin County Jail.

"They're not going to release me. And once I kind of understood that, I kind of figured, well, if anything's going to happen, it's going to happen with me," Saito said. "I'm going to have to do something pretty risky and gutsy."

A man who escaped from a psychiatric hospital in Hawaii, flew to Maui and then hopped on a plane to San Jose was captured by sheriff's deputies in Stockton Wednesday morning thanks to a tip from an alert cab driver, according to sheriff's officials. Robert Handa reports.

So he says he devised a plan to escape.

"I decided to run away and come to the mainland and to live as long as I can on the money that I had in the community without getting into any kind of trouble," he continued.

Saito says he had $7,000 and some help. Surveillance photos captured him leaving the psych ward in Honolulu Sunday. He walked to a nearby park and hopped a cab to the airport.

"The sooner we get there the better," he said to the cab driver.

Saito made it all the way to Mineta San Jose International Airport, via Maui, before the hospital realized he was missing. Police finally arrested him when his taxi driver recognized him and delivered him to officers.

"I can live in a community without doing drugs, without hurting anyone and prove without a doubt I did it," Saito said.

Saito was found not guilty by reason of insanity for a murder in Hawaii in 1979. He was diagnosed as a sadist and necrophiliac who had fantasies of killing women.

On Thursday, he addressed the 1979 murder.

"Three years of substance abuse," he said. "I actually snapped that night. I lost it, killing the woman, stabbing her to death. I regret it every day. I pray for her every day. I believe the family I offended has the right to take my life, but no one else. I owe them something I cannot repay."

Saito would not say who helped him with his escape. The hospital is investigating.

Saito will be held in the San Joaquin County Jail until Hawaii authorities come and take him back.
The University of California's governing board has given the 10-campus system approval to bid on a contract to manage the federal government's premier nuclear weapons facility.

The Board of Regents voted Thursday to allow the UC to enter a bid for running the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The birthplace of the atomic bomb and still one of the nation's premier nuclear research facilities, the lab has struggled in recent years with a string of safety lapses involving the handling of plutonium and radioactive waste.

The current multibillion-dollar management contract expires in 2018.

UC was the lab's sole operator for decades and is currently part of a consortium running the lab.

The Regents said in a statement the UC is committed to upholding Los Alamos' tradition of scientific and technological excellence.
Max Lanman is in shock.

He's been suspended in the same state of disbelief  mixed with a healthy dose of elation  since early November when a spoof ad for his fiances 21-year-old used car went viral and sparked a bidding war. CarMax bought the car last week for $20,000.

Carrie Hollenbecks green 1996 Honda Accord coupe  lovingly christened Greenie  was first listed on eBay for $499. Within days, bidding reached $150,000 thanks to Lanman's wildly popular satirical commercial that was posted on YouTube and then Reddit.

However, eBay "canceled the original auction in error," blaming the move on "unusual bidding activity" surrounding Greenie.

The couple was told that eBay could not restore their original auction item so they asked us to re-list the auction, which we did, the filmmaker added.

By this time, Lanman's video had caught the attention of CarMax.

Weve watched Maxs ad no less than three dozen times, and it never gets old, said Laura Donahue, vice president of Marketing Services at CarMax. Its a funny idea that he executed really well. It went viral because its something that we can all relate to."

Hey @MaxLanman, youre really good at selling cars. And we LOVE buying them. So, we put together an offer for you. Its a real offer. Seriously! See for yourself. pic.twitter.com/vjBiFvVC7R  CarMax (@CarMax) November 8, 2017

The minute-long commercial begins with an actress pinning up her hair.

"You. You're different," the narrator begins. "You do things your way. That's what makes you one of a kind."

The woman settles into the driver's seat and a fluffy grey cat, perched next to her on the center console, meows before crawling onto her lap.

"You don't need things. You're happy with who you are. You don't care about money. You have everything you ever wanted," the narrator continues.

The woman reaches over and pours coffee into a mug as she drives Greenie down a winding road overlooking the ocean. "Introducing a used 1996 Honda Accord," the narrator says in the slick advertisement.

Against the backdrop of a setting sun, the actress sits on Greenie's hood, parked on the shoulder of the road. The narrator concludes in his ever-so-serious tone that Greenie is "a car for people that have life figured out and just need a way to get somewhere."

The commercial ends with the tagline: "Luxury is a state of mind."

"Automotive ads tend to showcase their new models with these great beauty shots, and we loved seeing someone have a little fun with that concept while trying to sell their 1996 Honda Accord," Donahue said.



Taking inspiration from Lanman, who grew up in Los Altos, but now lives in Los Angeles, CarMax made a video and tweeted at him to get his attention.

His commercial created a 1996 Honda Accord-sized hole in our heart and we just had to have it, Donahue said.

"Hey @MaxLanman, youre really good at selling cars. And we LOVE buying them. So, we put together an offer for you. Its a real offer. Seriously! See for yourself," their tweet said.

It worked.

This is amazing. Lets talk, Lanman tweeted back.

THANK YOU, INTERNET! After a wild couple of weeks, Carrie finally said her goodbyes to her beloved Greenie, the used 1996 Honda Accord. We had a small get-together with the team who put her on the map to celebrate the commercial and to send Greenie off in style. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/GU0hnEbgLv  Max Lanman (@MaxLanman) November 15, 2017

The writer and director told NBC Bay Area that he was really flattered by CarMaxs high praise.

In the video they made a 'legal and binding offer' for Greenie, he said. As part of their offer, they didn't just want the car  they wanted everything in it: the coffee maker, the mug, the cat, the actress's jacket, etc. I thought it was a really funny video and I was impressed at how quickly they turned it around."

CarMax offered Lanman and Hollenbeck $20,000 for Greenie. They accepted the offer that was valid for only seven days.

This whole experience has been one continuous surprise and this offer was no different! Lanman said. We were really pleased to find a happy ending for Greenie, who served Carrie well for as long as she's been driving.

But CarMax went a step further.

Lanman's paradoxical ad featured a cat who the audience fell in love with. Papa Puff Pants was not for sale along with Greenie. The actress, Anne Marie Avey, said her cat was priceless when CarMax offered $5,000 for it.

So the company donated that money in Papa Puff Pants honor to Kitten Rescue.

Giving back to the communities in which we live and work is a key part of our culture, so since we knew we couldnt actually have the cat, it made sense to make a donation in lieu of it, Donahue said.

It was a no-brainer to contribute to a nonprofit in Southern California where Lanman lives and works, she said, so CarMax went with a volunteer-run organization that finds forever homes for felines in need.

.@MaxLanman thanks to you, we picked up a glorious mid-90s, mid-sized sedan + some pretty cool stuff. Next time youre selling a car, take the easy route and come to us first. And since youre keeping the cat, we donated $5,000 to @KittenRescue. pic.twitter.com/Pgl1RbH8qV  CarMax (@CarMax) November 15, 2017

Greenie will also find another home soon, Donahue said.

Sadly, we will have to let Greenie go eventually, she said. Greenie will star in one of our wholesale auctions soon, and it will be fun to see what she goes for!

On Tuesday, the couple drove to Burbank and handed over the keys to a car that Hollenbeck has driven since high school.

I hope that whoever buys Greenie from CarMax down the road knows that luxury is a state of mind, Lanman said.
San Francisco residents surrendered a wild boar to Animal Care and Control officials this week in what officials are describing as a definite first for the agency.

The residents apparently found Spirit, a young wild boar, when he was a baby three months ago in an area near Mount Shasta.

They brought him home to keep as a pet, but developed doubts about keeping him as he got bigger, according to Deb Campbell, a spokeswoman for Animal Care and Control.

Campbell said Spirit walked into the animal shelter on a harness and leash.

Animal Care and Control is now looking for possible homes for Spirit at sanctuaries and licensed wildlife rehabilitation facilities.

Possessing and transporting wildlife is illegal in California, with potential fines between $500 and $10,000.
A Massachusetts judge's daughter at the center of allegations that have rocked the ranks of state police, leading to the retirements of its top brass, faced a different judge Friday morning.

Alli Bibaud pleaded guilty to several charges, including drunk driving, in a Framingham court. She didn't speak to reporters as she left the courtroom.

However, her attorney tells NBC Boston she did not ask anyone for leniency during her October arrest, and did not believe her father, Worcester County District Judge Tim Bibaud, asked anyone to redact embarrassing statements she allegedly made while she was in police custody.

The trooper who arrested her, Ryan Sceviour, wrote in his initial report that Alli Bibaud offered sexual favors for leniency and told him her father was a judge. She also allegedly made other comments about drugs.

Sceviour, who has since filed a lawsuit, says he was then ordered to delete those remarks in his report.

"One was 'my dad is a [expletive] judge,' and the other was that she indicated during the booking process she was suggesting the possibility of sexual favors in return for leniency," Sceviour's attorney, Leonard Keston, told NBC Boston earlier this month.

Fellow Massachusetts State Police Trooper Ali Rei said she plans to file a similar lawsuit accusing commanders of forcing her to alter a police report.

State Police Col. Richard McKeon formally retired this week, claiming he ordered the trooper to delete Bibaud's comments, calling them unnecessary to the case. His second-in-command, Deputy Superintendent Francis Hughes, also announced his retirement.

"I don't know of any reason why those statements would be in a police report today," Bibaud's attorney Michael Wilcox said, adding they were "not germane to the charges she was facing."

The new state police boss, Col. Kerry Gilpin, a 24-year veteran of the agency, has said her office will look into revisions made to the arrest report and whether more training or guidance is needed on how reports should be written and reviewed.

Bibaud is also facing an OUI drug charge, and will be back in court to face following the results of a drug test. It's unclear when that court date will take place.

She is heading to a facility for treatment.
Some people remain unaccounted two days after an intense fire destroyed a wing of a Chester County, Pennsylvania senior living community, a high level source tells NBC10.

The late Thursday blaze forced 150 residents and staff into the frigid night and sent 27 residents to the hospital  17 of whom are still under the care of doctors, officials said.

Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) are expected to enter the smoldering rubble sometime Saturday, the first time since the fire began that they will search inside.

The five-alarm fire broke out in the personal care section of the Barclay Friends community on the 700 block of North Franklin Street in West Chester. Staff evacuated vulnerable residents on foot, in wheelchairs and even in beds, wrapped in blankets.

Residents were triaged on a neighborhood street, then transported to a number of different shelters on ambulances and school buses.

[PHOTOS]Seniors Flee Inferno at West Chester Senior Living Community

Authorities poured over residents lists to check that everyone is accounted for, but at a 3 p.m. news conference Friday they would not answer that question.



"Our first priority is to track down and determine that we can account for everyone," ATF Special-Agent-in-Charge Don Robinson said.

Still, a high level source involved in the investigation told NBC10 that some people are missing, but cautioned that it's unclear if they left shelters with family or friends.

It was around 10:45 p.m. Thursday when smoke and flames first appeared in the personal care area of the facility. Employees rushed into residents' rooms and began ushering them to safety.

People at the scene described a frightening rescue from the inferno with some neighbors rushing over to help.



"I'm just envisioning the elderly people burning in their beds because it was so massive... before any rescue came," neighbor Scott Baker said.

With tears in her eyes, staffer Nellie Mingey said she was worried about the residents that she had come to know over three years working at Barclay Friends.

"It's sad," Mingey said. "This is their home. A lot of them don't have anywhere to go."

Parts of the community continued to burn Friday afternoon preventing investigators from searching the complex or determining how the fire started, officials said.

The fire burned so intensely that one firefighter reported feeling his helmet begin to melt, officials said.

Seniors were evacuated into 40-degree weather and some were sent to local hospitals when a 5-alarm fire erupted at a senior living home in West Chester, Pa. Thursday.

Unhurt residents were reunited with friends and family at nearby shelters, including one at West Chester University. The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania had moved everyone from the West Chester shelter to specialized health care facilities and closed the shelter by late morning.

"They're cold, they're scared, they're anxious, they wanted to get out of here, so we're glad to have gotten them out," registered nurse Noreen Cibley said.



Neighbors rushed to the scene as well to help comfort evacuees. One woman who lives within a mile of the scene said she called a first responder friend as soon as she saw the flames, then rushed over with donations from Wawa of coffee and water for the overwhelmed evacuees.

"Everyone seems OK, but they are tired," the neighbor said. "They look really, really exhausted. They've had a long night."

SkyForce10

Barclay Friends, a Kendal Affiliate, is a senior living community that provides professional nursing staff 24 hours a day, meals and other services, according to its website.

The nursing home section of Barclay Friends was put on a "provisional license" last November by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) because of the citations, and fined $9,750 in April, the state said.

Firefighters warned people in the area to expect traffic troubles in the area of Franklin Street and Goshen Road as roads in the area remained closed Friday as more than two dozen ATF agents led the investigation into the blaze.

A team of national ATF investigators plan to enter the burned out complex on Saturday with the hope of collecting evidence.


NOTE : Read Jackson's full letter to supporters here.

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he announced Friday.

In an emotional letter to his supporters, the 76-year-old said his diagnosis came "after a battery of tests."

Jackson's father also suffered from the disease.

"For me, a Parkinson's diagnosis is not a stop sign but rather a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the diseases progression," he wrote.

Parkinson's disease is an uncurable neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can lead to tremors, slowed movement, rigid muscles, loss of movement and speech changes.

Though he had not publicly announced it, Northwestern Medicine said Jackson was diagnosed with the disease in 2015. He has been treated as outpatient in the years since, the hospital said.

Congressman Danny Davis said those who have been close to Jackson "have noticed some of the signs."



Jackson is known for his work as a civil rights activist with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and as a Democratic presidential candidate in the 1980s. He founded Chicago's Rainbow PUSH coalition and has remained a prominent religious and political figure, continuing his outspoken activism recently following the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in Chicago. He also spoke out about police shootings nationwide, including in Ferguson, Missouri.

"First, my thoughts and prayers are with the family," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Friday, "but I would note while Parkinson's may be a physical condition, it will never ever break Rev. Jackson's spiritual commitment to justice and his ability to help continue to be a voice for those whose voices are not heard."

Read Jackson's full statement below.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

On July 17, 1960, I was arrested, along with seven other college students, for advocating for the right to use a public library in my hometown of Greenville, S.C. I remember it like it was yesterday, for that day changed my life forever. From that experience, I lost my fear of being jailed for a righteous cause. I went on to meet Dr. King and dedicate my heart and soul to the fight for justice, equality, and equal access. In the tradition of the Apostle Paul, I have offered myself  my mind, body and soul  as a living sacrifice.

Throughout my career of service, God has kept me in the embrace of his loving arms, and protected me and my family from dangers, seen and unseen. Now in the latter years of my life, at 76 years old, I find it increasingly difficult to perform routine tasks, and getting around is more of a challenge. My family and I began to notice changes about three years ago. For a while, I resisted interrupting my work to visit a doctor. But as my daily physical struggles intensified I could no longer ignore the symptoms, so I acquiesced.

After a battery of tests, my physicians identified the issue as Parkinsons disease, a disease that bested my father.

Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it. For me, a Parkinson's diagnosis is not a stop sign but rather a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the diseases progression.

I am far from alone. God continues to give me new opportunities to serve. This diagnosis is personal but it is more than that. It is an opportunity for me to use my voice to help in finding a cure for a disease that afflicts 7 to 10 million worldwide. Some 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinsons every year.

I will continue to try to instill hope in the hopeless, expand our democracy to the disenfranchised and free innocent prisoners around the world. I'm also spending some time working on my memoir so I can share with others the lessons I have learned in my life of public service. I steadfastly affirm that I would rather wear out than rust out.

I want to thank my family and friends who continue to care for me and support me. I will need your prayers and graceful understanding as I undertake this new challenge. As we continue in the struggle for human rights, remember that God will see us through, even in our midnight moments.

KEEP HOPE ALIVE!

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.
What to Know Police say mother's arrest is due to leaving the child home alone, not necessarily related to death investigation.

Child's body found two weeks after she was reported missing; father later said she choked on milk and he moved her body.

Couple's biological child remains in foster care; hearing set for Nov. 29 to determine custody.

The mother of a North Texas toddler whose body was recovered last month from a drainage culvert weeks after she was reported missing was arrested Thursday on a charge of child endangerment.

Police said she and her husband left their 3-year-old adopted child, Sherin Mathews, home alone while they went to dinner just hours before they claimed she had disappeared.

Sini Ann Mathews, who has maintained her innocence in the death of Sherin, surrendered to Richardson police Thursday and is being held on $250,000 bond on the state jail felony charge.

She was arraigned Friday morning and did not respond to reporters questions when she was transferred to the Dallas County Jail Friday afternoon.



Sini Mathews, the mother of a Texas toddler whose body was recovered last month from a drainage culvert weeks after she was reported missing, was arraigned Friday morning.

In a statement Thursday, Richardson police said detectives learned Sini Mathews, 35, and Wesley Mathews took their 3-year-old biological daughter to dinner and left Sherin alone at home, placing her in "imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment."

"The time that they left, she was not under the care of any other adult or of any other person, she was left home alone by herself and it's for that reason that you see this particular charge," said Kevin Perlich, with the Richardson Police Department. "It's not necessarily related to her death, it's related to her care that she was being given while she was in that home."

The mother of a child whose body was recovered last month from a drainage culvert weeks after she was reported missing was arrested Thursday on a charge of child endangerment/abandonment.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, detectives used cell phone records to show Wesley and Sini went to a North Garland restaurant on the evening of Oct. 6. The theory is supported by a receipt obtained by police that showed the couple purchased only one child's meal in addition to their individual meals as well as the testimony of a waiter who said only one child was present at the table.

During an interview with detectives, Wesley Mathews, 37, admitted to leaving Sherin home alone after growing frustrated she wouldn't drink her milk and said they returned home about 90 minutes later and found her where they left her, in the kitchen.

Both Sini and Wesley told police the child was alive when they returned home from dinner, though police have not confirmed that information.

Sini Mathews surrendered to Richardson police Thursday and was arrested on a charge of child endangerment/abandonment after police say she and her husband left their adopted daughter home alone while they went to dinner. Police say the charge is not related to the daughter's death investigation.

Hours later, on the morning of Oct. 7, Wesley Mathews called police and reported Sherin missing. In a story he would later change, Wesley originally told police Sherin disappeared overnight after he ordered her to stand outside at about 3 a.m. for not drinking her milk. When he returned, Wesley said she had disappeared and that her location was unknown.

Weeks later, Wesley Mathews changed his story and said he "physically assisted" her in drinking her milk and that she choked and died at the home. He said he then moved the girl's body and later called police to report her missing.

Sherin Mathews' Death: The Investigation Continues

The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office is still working to determine what killed Sherin Mathews.

Sini Mathews said she was sleeping when Sherin disappeared and was unaware of what took place overnight between the child and her father.

Meanwhile, Wesley Mathews remains jailed on a charge of felony injury to a child and is being held on a $1 million bond.

Sini Mathews' attorney has maintained throughout the investigation she had nothing to do with her daughter's death and that she was distraught during her daughter's disappearance.

NBC 5 confirmed Friday that at some point in the last month Sini Mathews was terminated from her job at Children's Medical Center in Dallas where she worked as a case manager.



Sini Mathews remains silent as she is guided out of a courtroom Monday by her attorney Mitchell Nolte. The next custody hearing has been set for Nov. 29.

On Thursday, her attorney Mitchell Nolte thanked Richardson police for allowing his client to surrender.

"We learned this morning that the Richardson Police Department had obtained an arrest warrant for Sini Mathews for the offense of Abandoning/Endangering a Child. The police were professional and courteous and allowed us to bring Mrs. Mathews to the Police Department and surrender herself into custody," Nolte said in a statement.

Attorney David Kleckner says Wesley Mathews loves his children and wants custody of their 4-year-old daughter returned to his wife. Kleckner said he's making arrangements for Wesley Mathews to attend the next CPS hearing on Nov. 29.

Earlier this week, Wesley Mathews' attorney, David Kleckner, said his client loves his children and wife and that he's a good family man who wants custody of their surviving daughter to be returned to her mother.

Sini Mathews was in court as recently as Monday asking for custody of the couple's child to be returned to her, but that hearing was rescheduled 1 p.m. Nov. 29. The couple's surviving child has been in foster care since shortly after her sister's disappearance. The child was expected to be placed in the care of family in the Houston area following Monday's hearing.

Sini Mathews Arrest Warrant Affidavit



NBC 5's Diana Zoga and Maria Guerrero contributed to this report. Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As this story is developing, elements may change.
The Cold Case Unit in the Office of the Chief States Attorney in Rocky Hill is now working with the Simsbury Police Department to help solve the murder of 54-year-old, Melissa Millan, who was a Mass Mutual executive, the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters have learned.

Monday marks three years since the death of the divorced mother of two from Simsbury.

On the night of Nov. 20, 2014, Millan, was out for a jog along Iron Horse Boulevard, less than a half mile from the police station, when she was stabbed once in the chest and died.

Millan was found covered in blood next to the footpath by the Rotary Park playground.

Simsbury police told NBC Connecticut the case never went cold, that officers have been actively investigating and theyre expanding their resources by partnering with the Cold Case Unit in the Office of the Chief States Attorney. The partnership began in recent months.

"We haven't ruled anyone out, we haven't ruled anyone in. This is a complete fresh start," said Deputy Chief State's Attorney Len Boyle.



Everyone is being interviewed again, according to Simsbury police. Those interviews have already started.

"We are certain there were people on Iron Horse Blvd. Nov. 20th at 8 pm at the time Melissa was murdered who have not been interviewed by the police. Who have not come forward. We believe it's because they didn't realize what they saw might have any value to the police," Boyle said.



Weve collected a large amount of evidence, some biological, some digital, some collected at the time of the event, others collected on search warrants later. With the assistance from the FBI right from the start and assistance from our regional partners locally, Hartford Police department and State Police, a lot has been collected. The state lab has been open to reexamining items and weve doing that throughout this process, Simsbury Sgt. Tom Sheehan told NBC Connecticut.

A $40,000 reward is still being offered, according to Simsbury officials.

Anyone with information should call Simsbury Police or the cold case unit 860-548-0606. or the Chief States Attorney COLD CASE UNIT tip line at 860-548-0606 or call toll free at 1-866-623-8058. Calls are monitored every day and tips can remain anonymous.
Doctors say a new technology unveiled today at Connecticut Children's Medical Center will improve outcomes for premature and newborn babies.

Sarah and Chris James know how the right technology can make a difference.

Their pregnancy was going smoothly until the delivery of their daughter Rosie. During ten hours of second-stage labor, Rosie was deprived of oxygen, and was not breathing when born.

Doctors assessed Rosie's condition at the NICU in Danbury, and said she needed a special cooling treatment immediately. That treatment was only available over an hour away in Hartford.

Her father remembers following the ambulance in the snow.

"To be honest, I wasn't sure where I was going." He said his mind was rushing "in a million different directions."

Dr. Marilyn Sanders, a neonatologist at Connecticut Children's, said in cases like Rosie's, cooling can slow down the metabolism and prevent damage.

She said the technology has proven to be extremely successful.

"It has increased the numbers of babies who have survived without any major neurological problems," she explained.

Connecticut Childrens Medical Center now has, thanks to donors like Pampers, the first mobile cooling unit in the state. The machine, once the size of a refrigerator, is now just the size of a breadbox, and can be transported directly to babies at one of thirteen partner hospitals.

Today, Rosie is 7 years old and at the top of her class. Her mother described her as a miracle and her character as strong and persistent.

"That started from the moment she was born," she said.

Sarah is grateful the same equipment that saved her daughters life will now help others.

"Its ensuring that those babies get whatever they need right away so the consequences of whatever happens at birth are minimized," she said.
The girlfriend of a Connecticut man who is accused of killing his parents after they threatened to cut him out of their wills was in court Friday for a pre-trial hearing and has accepted a plea deal, according to the clerk's office.

Jennifer Valiante was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and obstruction of justice in connection with the deaths of Jeffrey and Jeanette Navin, an Easton couple whose bodies were found buried outside a vacant house in Weston in October 2015, two months after they disappeared.

On Friday, she pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution, which will carry an eight-year prison sentence rather than 10, followed by five years of probation.

Valiante's attorney said she has spent two years in prison and will have six more to go on her sentence.

Prosecutors say she knew about, or even helped her boyfriend, Kyle Navin, plan the murders of his parents.

The law of conspiracy requires you to enter into an agreement with another to do something wrong. There was no agreement, but a jury might have concluded there was based on the text messages and the hostility between the parents and the son and based on her cleanup efforts afterwards, Norm Pattis, Valiantes attorney, said.

In August, Valiante was ordered to provide investigators with finger and palm prints and her attorney said prosecutors wanted to compare them to prints found on a checkbook belonging to a business owned by Navins parents. Evidence showed her fingerprint on the checkbook and she was suspected of forging the mother's signature.

Kyle Navin has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of Jeffrey and Jeanette Navin. He is due in court on Dec. 6.

Valiante has denied any involvement in the deaths.

Court documents say Jeffrey and Jeanette Navin were upset about their son's behavior and drug use and planned to cut him out of their wills.
A drifter who killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003 has been sentenced to six consecutive life sentences.

A state judge in New Britain handed down a 360-year prison sentence for William Devin Howell, who pleaded guilty to six murder charges in September. He's also serving a 15-year prison sentence for manslaughter in the seventh victim's death.

The Hampton, Virginia, native is believed to be the most prolific serial killer in Connecticut history -- not counting mass shootings. The bodies of six women and a man were found buried behind a strip mall in New Britain between 2007 and 2015.

Howell was serving a 15-year prison sentence for manslaughter of 33-year-old Nilsa Arizmendi of Wethersfield when he pleaded guilty to killing Joyvaline Martinez, 24, of East Hartford; Diane Cusack, 53, of New Britain; Mary Jane Menard, 40, of New Britain; Melanie Ruth Camilini, 29, of Seymour; Marilyn Gonzalez, 26, of Waterbury; and Danny Lee Whistnant, 44, of New Britain.

Family members wrote letters that were read aloud in court about their loved ones and the impact Howell had by taking their lives.

"I will never find peace or forgiveness in my heart for a demon like him. I hope he suffers slowly and rots in hell for the rest of his life," wrote Sandra Martinez, the sister of Joyvaline Martinez.

"You used your size and your force to rip away lives that did not belong to you," said April Rich, sister of Danny Lee Whistnant.

Howell spoke for a few minutes apologizing repeatedly for the pain hes caused, stating if he could take it all back he would, announcing his acts were monstrous and that he believes in the death penalty and feels that should be the sentence.

This sentence means He will die in prison. He is not eligible for parole or any risk reduction earned credits.

Police said Howell called his van the "murder mobile" and told a prison cellmate there was a monster inside him. Authorities said three victims were sexually assaulted.

He was working odd jobs and cuts grass at homes and businesses in Wethersfield, Hartford, New Britain and West Hartford at the time of the killings.
Crowley police announced Thursday that two Fort Worth men have been charged in the August shooting deaths of two teenagers whose bodies were found near a North Texas road.



Kyle Mathis Otey and Shailen Alexander Chowdhury, both 20, were charged with capital murder of multiple persons in the shooting deaths of 19-year-old Matthew Lemus and 17-year-old Edgar Ramirez, both of Crowley.

The two men turned themselves in and each posted $100,000 bond Wednesday, police said.



Police responded to a call on Aug. 5 about two bodies in public. Officers found the two teens, who an autopsy later determined had died from shotgun wounds.



Lt. Robert Gray said the department would not release additional details or interviews out of respect for the victims' families. He also said attorney information for Otey and Chowdhury was not available Thursday.



Court records did not show an attorney for either man. The Tarrant County District Attorney's office had not received the case as of Thursday afternoon.



Arrest warrant affidavits for Otey and Chowdhury issued Nov. 8, show police believe the murders happened during a drug deal, when the two deceased men planned to rob Chowdhury.



Officers used Ramirez's phone to see he had been texting a number they said belonged to Chowdhury to arrange for a drug deal.

Officers said friends of the two teens told them in interviews, that the two had intended to rob Chowdhury.



According to the police narrative, friends of Chowdhury said Otey had fronted him some marijuana a few days earlier and Chowdhury had been robbed by a different individual on Aug. 3.



On Aug. 5, prior to the arranged meeting time, Otey, Chowdhury and another friend had driven around searching for the individual who had robbed Chowdhury and according to friends had a shotgun and other weapons in the car.



Police did not say in the narrative whether they believe Ramirez and Lemus followed through on the plan to rob Chowdhury.



Police searched Otey's house and were unable to locate the shotgun or the car they were allegedly driving.



A Palo Pinto County constable, about 70 miles West of Fort Worth, found Otey's vehicle on Aug. 31 hidden.

Police said the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab matched biological evidence inside the car to Ramirez, but not to Lemus.


Police were searching Thursday for the occupants of a Honda Accord involved in a shooting on a Southern California freeway that injured a driver and his passenger.



The shooting was reported at 6:40 a.m. on the westbound 210 Freeway at Beech Avenue in Fontana.



The driver and passenger were taken to a hospital where they were being treated for nonlife threatening injuries, officials said.



A stretch of the freeway was closed for several hours while investigators looked for bullet casings.



Police were searching for a gray four-door 2007 to 2011 Honda Accord. It has tinted windows, an unknown license plate, and no stickers or damage.



Police had no description of the driver. The car was driving recklessly before the shooting, police said.



Anyone with information is urged to call Inland Division Investigative Services Unit at 909-806-2400.
Southern California residents will travel in greater numbers for the Thanksgiving holiday this year than at any time since Thanksgiving 2007, with 3.87 million residents expected to get away for the long weekend -- a 3.6 percent increase over last year's 3.74 million travelers, the Automobile Club of Southern California said.

Almost 86 percent of local travelers -- 3.3 million -- will be going by car to their destinations, a 3.5 percent increase from last year's 3.2 million auto travelers. Another 429,000 Southern Californians are expected to go by air, which is an increase of 5.4 percent from the 2016 holiday's 407,000 plane travelers.

Another 77,000, or about the same as last year, will go by other means, the Auto Club said in a statement. The top five destinations for Southern California travelers, according to a survey of the Auto Club's Travel agents, are, in this order, San Francisco, San Diego, Anaheim, the Grand Canyon, and Santa Barbara.

Nationally, Anaheim, site of the Disneyland Resort, is expected to be the second most popular Thanksgiving destination, according to the AAA. Statewide, 6.26 million are projected to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, also a 3.6 percent increase from last year and the highest number of Thanksgiving travelers since 2007, when 6.44 million Californians took a holiday trip.

The Auto Club is expecting 5.37 million statewide to go by car, which is up 3.5 percent from last year, and another 693,000 to fly -- a 5.4 percent increase from last year. More than 200,000 are expected to use other modes of transportation, about the same as last year.

Nationally, AAA predicts that 50.9 million Americans will take a trip at least 50 miles away from home during next week's holiday, a 3.3 percent increase from 2016 and the highest number of Thanksgiving travelers since 2005. Nationally, 89 percent of travelers -- 45.5 million -- will go by car, which is 3.2 percent higher than last year.

About 3.3 million will fly, which is a 5 percent increase from last year's Thanksgiving holiday. California gas prices have skyrocketed in the last two weeks to their highest levels in more than two years and are likely to remain above $3.20 on average in most areas throughout the holiday weekend. This will be the most expensive Thanksgiving to fill up since 2013, when Los Angeles gas prices averaged more than $3.60 a gallon, according to the Auto Club.

Los Angeles International Airport is expected to release its Thanksgiving travel projections on Friday.


A Florida Keys couple behind Harmony International, a travel business accused of taking thousands of dollars for trips that never happened, is now facing criminal charges in California.

Brad and Margaret Matheson have been charged in San Diego County with more than 90 felony counts and two misdemeanor counts, including embezzlement and failing to provide refunds.

Harmony International advertised a band trip to Japan to four area high schools, said Gina Darvas, a San Diego Deputy District Attorney assigned to the Matheson case.. [They] took money from people for that trip and then cancelled the trip and failed to refund the money.

Miami-Dade County police arrested Brad Matheson on November 10. Margaret Matheson was arrested in Georgia on November 15.

A total of 70 people (students and parents) from several high schools in San Diego signed up for a trip that was supposed to take them to Japan this summer. Parents told NBC Responds they contacted the California Attorney Generals office after seeing initial reports.

I think the coverage helped organize the parents so they could go forward and make the complaints, said Darvas. I think the fact that there was some coverage led them to look for what recourse they had.

In a press release, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said, These defendants took money from the students and their families, then turned around and spent it on business and personal expenses instead of honoring their agreement.

The San Diego County District Attorneys office and the California Attorney General said the total amount of money lost by the high school band students and their parents there is $99,000 and 32 victims were identified in the indictment.

But they arent the only ones who say they paid Harmony International for trips and were left waiting for their money. Earlier this year, NBC 6 Responds found other groups around the country dealing with similar circumstances, including one at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, where Jeremiah Carreras and his bandmates say they paid hundreds of dollars for a trip to New York that was cancelled.

I know that people went and got jobs off the side of the school to help their parents make the payments for it, Carreras told NBC 6 Responds back then.

No charges have been filed against the Mathesons in Florida. The Florida Attorney Generals office told NBC 6 Responds they have an active consumer protection investigation, but would not comment further.

Attorneys representing the couple did not comment on the charges filed in California.

Harmony International filed for bankruptcy in May. The trustee assigned to the case was trying to work out an arrangement to see if anyone could be paid any money back. The bankruptcy case is still pending.
A skull found by children playing in the woods 16 years ago has finally been identified, solving a 27-year-old mystery.

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office and Gainesville Police Department said Thursday the remains found in Gainesville belonged to 78-year-old Ella Mae Williams, who disappeared in 1990.

Williams had dementia and is believed to have wandered off, but a cause of death has not yet been determined. The investigation is ongoing.

The children found the skull in 2001 and took it home. Their parents notified police.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement used DNA from the remains and compared those to samples from family members to obtain Williams' identity.
Thanksgiving is almost here, and you know that means we're inundated with two things: pumpkin spice-flavored everything and, more importantly, the generous spirit of the holidays.

This time of year, many South Florida schools have food drives to help the needy. At Dr. Michael Krop Senior High in Northeast Miami-Dade, the students responded to the call in a big way.

They took a slightly different path, collecting laundry baskets and filled them with everything a family needs for a thanksgiving feast - including a $20 Publix gift cards to buy a turkey.

There is a personal touch to some of these as some of the baskets will go to people the kids see every day, but may not realize they're needy, including some cafeteria workers and custodians.

They have 50 complete baskets and the rest of the food will go to Feeding South Florida, a non-profit food bank.
What to Know Jose Malave, 30, was stabbed to death in the doorway of his Jersey City home Tuesday, in front of his 8-year-old son

The father of 11 was wearing items he bought on the street that belonged to a person being evicted; his stuff had been left on the sidewalk

Two people -- a 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy -- have now been arrested in the case, authorities say

A second suspect has been arrested in the killing of a New Jersey father of 11 who law enforcement sources say was stabbed to death in front of his 8-year-old son Tuesday in a bizarre case involving an eviction, a pair of sneakers and a jacket.



The Hudson County Prosecutor had issued an arrest warrant Thursday for 19-year-old Nasiar Day, charging him with murder, felony murder, conspiracy and other crimes in the death of 30-year-old Jose Malave, who was found lifeless in the doorway of his Jersey City apartment.



Day was taken into custody in Newark, officials said Friday. Attorney information for him wasn't immediately available. A 17-year-old boy already faces similar charges, though as a juvenile.



Law enforcement sources have said Malave was spotted wearing a jacket and sneakers belonging to the teenage suspect's friend, who was in the process of being evicted from his own home and whose belongings had been left on the sidewalk. Someone apparently sold them, and Malave bought several items.



It wasn't immediately clear if Day was the evicted friend, but sources have said the friend and the teenage suspect saw Malave walking back to his home with his son and recognized the items. Words were exchanged.

The teenage murder suspect demanded his belongings back, according to the sources. He told Malave to "give me my stuff," and Malave responded, "It's not your stuff," the sources said. Then Malave was stabbed to death.

The young man's sisters broke down as they spoke to News 4 Thursday.

"I look down the street to see if he's coming and he's not even coming," said one. "To know that he's not gonna come, to know that I won't be able to tell him I love him, hug him, this is crazy."

Another sister said she was in the home, along with four of her brother's children, when he was killed. She could barely speak through her tears, but described a trio of attackers with knives, one of whom punched her.

Relatives created a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses and childcare. On it, they wrote, "It is a painful loss to our family and friends. It is a pain that we do not wish on anyone."

The name of the 17-year-old boy arrested has not been released. He faces charges of armed burglary and weapons possession in addition to the murder offenses.
What to Know Shawneeq Carter, 26, was found beaten to death inside a Woodbury home she was house-sitting on Sept. 23

Family members say Carter's 5-year-old son and another child were with her inside the home at the time of her death, but were sleeping

Detectives have not said whether they believe the crime was random or if Carter was specifically targeted

Authorities have made an arrest in the beating death of a New Jersey woman who was killed while house-sitting.

Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton has scheduled a Friday afternoon news conference to announce details in the death of 26-year-old Shawneeq Carter, who was killed inside the Woodbury home of an acquaintance Sept. 23.

Investigators have said she died from blunt force trauma and her death was ruled a homicide. Family members have said Carter was house-sitting for her sister-in-law, who was not home at the time. They also say Carter's 5-year-old son and another child were with her inside the home at the time of the killing, but that both kids were sleeping and didn't witness the attack.

"It was a sad scene because the little boys found the mother in the house and everything," said Aryeon Walker, a neighbor said at the time.

Detectives have not said whether they believe the crime was random or if Carter was specifically targeted.
Evidence that President Donald Trump's eldest son exchanged private messages on Twitter with WikiLeaks has raised new questions about the Trump campaign's communications.

The private messages released by Donald Trump Jr. on Monday show him responding to the WikiLeaks' Twitter account three times, at one point agreeing to "ask around" about a political action committee WikiLeaks had mentioned. He also asked the site about a rumor about an upcoming leak, and tweeted a link that the account sent him.

Questions and answers about the newly revealed messages:

WHY IS WIKILEAKS SIGNIFICANT?

WikiLeaks released hacked emails from top Democratic officials during the 2016 presidential campaign, including thousands stolen from the account of Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta. In an intelligence assessment released in January, the NSA, CIA and FBI concluded that Russian military intelligence provided the hacked information from the Democratic National Committee and "senior Democratic officials" to WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks has denied that Russia was the source of emails it released, including Podesta's emails.

Trump praised the website, which bills itself as an anti-secrecy organization, during the campaign. Trump Jr. tweeted a link that the Twitter account had messaged him that made it easier to search the hacked emails.

WHAT DID THE MESSAGES SAY?

Trump Jr.'s release of the messages on Twitter came hours after The Atlantic first reported them Monday. The messages he released began in September 2016 and ran through July.

In the first message, dated Oct. 3, 2016, the WikiLeaks Twitter account sent Trump Jr. an article that included critical comments Clinton had made about WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange and said, "it'd be great if you guys could comment on/push this story."

Trump Jr. replied: "Already did that earlier today. It's amazing what she can get away with."

Two minutes later, Trump Jr. sent another message: "What's behind this Wednesday leak I keep reading about?"

Longtime Trump associate Roger Stone had tweeted the day before that on Wednesday, "Hillary Clinton is done," referencing WikiLeaks.

The WikiLeaks Twitter account never responded, but days later WikiLeaks started rolling out Podesta's stolen emails. After the emails were released, WikiLeaks sent Trump Jr. a searchable link of the emails. Trump Jr. tweeted that link two days later, on Oct. 14, 2016, The Atlantic noted.

The rest of the messages are one-sided, with WikiLeaks sending Trump Jr. messages through July 2017. They include praise for his father for mentioning them on the campaign trail, a plea to release Trump's taxes to the site and advice on Election Day that Trump should not concede if he lost. One message suggested Trump encourage Australia to appoint Assange as U.S. ambassador.

In July, the Twitter account messaged Trump Jr. asking for emails surrounding a June 2016 meeting he and other Trump associates held with Russians during the campaign. Trump Jr. then released them himself.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR DONALD TRUMP JR.?

Trump Jr. downplayed the exchanges as he released them.

"Here is the entire chain of messages with @wikileaks (with my whopping 3 responses) which one of the congressional committees has chosen to selectively leak," he wrote on Twitter. "How ironic!"

In a statement, Trump Jr.'s lawyer said thousands of documents had been turned over to committees investigating Russian intervention.

"Putting aside the question as to why or by whom such documents, provided to Congress under promises of confidentiality, have been selectively leaked, we can say with confidence that we have no concerns about these documents and any questions raised about them have been easily answered in the appropriate forum," said Alan Futerfas.

The messages are sure to increase calls for Trump Jr. to testify publicly. He has already been interviewed behind closed doors by the Senate Judiciary Committee  most likely the "appropriate forum" Futerfas was referring to  but Democrats have called for an open hearing.

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Judiciary panel, said the committee should subpoena the documents and force Trump Jr. to publicly testify.

"There seems to be no reasonable explanation for these messages," Blumenthal said.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, says it "demonstrates once again a willingness by the highest levels of the Trump campaign to accept foreign assistance."

Schiff also pointed to Cambridge Analytica, a data firm that worked for Trump's campaign and reached out to WikiLeaks before the election about obtaining emails related to Clinton, according to the company's CEO.
A man carrying a rifle and a knife, and suspected of battering his 80-year-old father, refused to surrender to San Diego police early Friday in a Bay Park neighborhood, leading to an officer-involved shooting.



San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officers were sent to a home on Arnott and Field streets south of Clairemont Drive Friday morning, for the third time this week, after a senior father asked for help in dealing with his 47-year-old son, Ken Bui.

Officers were about to knock on the front door of the reporting party's home at 8:20 a.m. when they heard what sounded like a BB gun coming from a detached garage.

A man carrying what appeared to be a rifle and holstering a knife ran from the detached garage into a neighbor's yard. Investigators later determined the rifle was a replica firearm and the knife was a fixed blade.

Officers formed a perimeter around the neighbor's home and attempted to negotiate a surrender verbally and used less-than-lethal bean bags. Bui refused to comply multiple times, SDPD Capt. Brian Ahearn said.

At one point, Bui exited from shrubbery and pointed the rifle at an officer on a perimeter position, Ahearn said.

That is when a seven-year veteran police officer fired two rounds from his handgun, SDPD Lt. Todd Griffin said. It's not known if the shots struck the Bui, who returned to the shrubs.

A canine was unleashed and grabbed onto Bui's leg. Officers moved in and tackled him, pulling him away from the rifle and the shrubs, Ahearn said.

The man was taken into custody with what appeared to be an abrasion on his forehead. Officials have not determined what caused that injury.

Bui was booked into San Diego County jail on charges of elderly abuse and threatening a peace officer with a deadly weapon.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

https://twitter.com/WendyFry_/status/931572841606037504

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.
San Diego police are investigating two suspicious fires in the back of a local restaurant.

The fires happened this month at Surati Farsan Mart, an Indian restaurant off Black Mountain Road in Mira Mesa.

Police said the first fire sparked November 8. Police believe someone set a pile of rags on fire behind the kitchen in a storage area.

Employees said that the next fire happened Monday around 3:30 a.m. when no one was supposed to be in the building.

According to one employee, the flames spread up a wall, jumping to the ceiling. Burn marks could be seen days later on some walls in the storage room behind a shelf.

Both fires were put out by firefighters and no one was hurt.

Police added they believe the fires were lit intentionally. They are unsure at this time if there is one suspect or multiple.

Thursday, San Diego sheriff's deputies were at the mart investigating a separate civil dispute involving an employee. They said they had been investigating it for about a week and were not aware of the fires.

The owner of the restaurant said he has surveillance video that he plans to hand over to the police.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.
A child abducted by her mother from Rochester, New York, earlier this week was found in San Diego Friday night. Her mother does not have custody and had taken the girl without permission, investigators said.

The girl's mother, Rene Stong, 32, was arrested at a Motel 6 in San Diego's Little Italy community after a motel employee recognized her from a flier. Her daughter, Laylani Ortiz, 5, was found safe and in good health.

According to the Rochester Police Department (RPD), Stong picked up her daughter from school on Wednesday at around 4 p.m. NBC affiliate WHEC News 10 reported that Stong took the girl off the school bus, which she was not authorized to do, the girl's family told the news station.

When the girl didnt come home from school, her family called the police. The RPD identified Stong as a possible suspect in the girls disappearance and thought she might return to her home in Rochester with the child.

That did not happen.

The girls family told WHEC News 10 that Stong took an Uber to Laylanis school. After taking her off the bus Stong and the child took the Uber to the Greater Rochester International Airport (GRIA).

There, Stong bought plane tickets and left the state with Laylani, flying to Detroit and then San Diego Thursday morning. The RPD said an Amber Alert was not immediately issued, as investigators did not believe Laylani was at risk of injury or death.

RPD investigators believed the mother and child were in Southern California. Officials were working with law enforcement agencies in the region to find them, including the FBI, Rochester officials told NBC 7.

The family told WHEC News 10 that United States Customs and Border Protection was also aware of the abduction, in case Stong tried to cross the border from San Diego into Mexico. The family said the girls father was not involved, as he is currently serving time in a Florida jail.

NBC 7 reached out to local law enforcement agencies on Friday. The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and San Diego County Sheriff's Department said they were not involved in the investigation. FBI San Diego officials confirmed the agency was assisting the RPD with the case.

SDPD officers responded to the motel in Little Italy Friday night and took Stong into custody. Stong was booked into the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility just before midnight Friday, where she'll await possible extradition back to New York.

Meanwhile, the RPD said the child is being cared for by San Diegos Social Services.
The Trump Administration appointed a new U.S. Attorney for San Diego Thursday, but Adam Braverman was given the job without being formally nominated or confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Braverman is a veteran prosecutor in the San Diego office. His appointment makes him the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Southern District of California, which includes both San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Braverman was most recently deputy chief of the districts Criminal Enterprises Section, which prosecutes international and domestic drug trafficking, according to a Justice Department news release.

Braverman replaces acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson, who was appointed to the job in January on a temporary basis, for up to 300 days. Robinsons fill-in appointment expired Thursday.

Braverman was given an interim appointment and took his oath of office Thursday, the Justice Department said.

A DOJ official told NBC 7 that federal law gives the Attorney General authority to appoint Braverman for 120 days, after which the District Court can renew that interim appointment indefinitely. The DOJ official said no Senate confirmation is necessary for Braverman to hold the office during that time.

Braverman is the Trump Administrations choice for the job, and will be a candidate for formal nomination and confirmation by the Senate, the DOJ official said.

According to the official, Senator Dianne Feinstein formed a committee to interview candidates for the U.S. Attorneys job and conducted those interviews this summer. Braverman was among those interviewed.

But the DOJ official said Californias other Senator, Kamala Harris, has not interviewed any of the candidates.

The official said Harriss failure to move forward with the nominating process prevented the Trump Administration from formally nominating Braverman.

So the Justice Department used the little-known federal law to give Braverman the job Thursday, pending his official nomination and confirmation by the Senate.
Five people were shot dead in California this month and 26 people died in a shooting at a church in Texas. The gunmen in both cases had histories of domestic violence.

Some experts say domestic violence is a common thread in mass shootings. Mildred Muhammad, ex-wife of D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad, said she knows about the connection first-hand.

"These men have decided to take upon themselves to take the lives of other people," Mildred Muhammad said.

John Allen Muhammad and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, took the lives of 10 people in Maryland and Virginia 15 years ago. Both men were convicted in Maryland and Virginia, and Muhammad was executed in 2009. Malvo is currently serving life without parole.

Mildred Muhammad shared her story on a panel at Temple Sinai in Northwest D.C. Thursday night. She said her ex-husband verbally abused her.

"With my situation, I didnt have physical scars to prove that I was a victim," she said.



She said she has always believed the attacks were a smoke screen for his plan to kill her and regain custody of their three children.



Muhammad said she relates to the wives of mass shooters Devin Patrick Kelley and Kevin Neal. Kelley opened fire on a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people, and Neal killed five people including his wife in a rampage in Northern California.

Both men were accused of domestic violence against their spouses. Neals wife had gotten a restraining order against him that should have prevented him from owning guns.

Gun safety group Everytown for Gun Safety said that more than half of mass shootings from 2009 to last year were related to domestic violence.

"We know anytime firearms are involved in any sort of unhealthy relationship, it increases the odds tremendously of that gun being used in a tragic situation," Montgomery County, Maryland, Sheriff Darren Popkin said.

Federal law bans firearm possession by domestic violence offenders in two ways: prohibiting an individual who is under a restraining order for domestic violence, and prohibiting someone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence crime from purchasing or possessing firearms. But experts say vaguely written laws, ineffective implementation and gaps such as private sales and the so-called "boyfriend loophole" often allow domestic abusers who shouldn't be allowed to possess guns to have them anyway.

Muhammad wrote a book called I'm Still Standing" and says it provides tools that people can use to help victims of domestic violence.
Hair and other human fibers are accumulating in Washington D.C. Metro tunnels in such large quantities that the gunk poses a threat of electrical sparks and fire, a transit consultant tells News4.

So much hair and skin cells built up on insulators that support the electrified third rails that the mess looks like a thick layer of felt, said a safety specialist from Amalgamated Transit Union, the largest labor union representing transit employees in North America.

"I was flabbergasted -- flabbergasted -- at the amount of hair that's in the Metro," Brian Sherlock said.

It's not just hair and fibers -- dust and debris also are gathering, according to Sherlock.

He said the issue can become especially dangerous when debris gathers near the high-voltage third rail.

"The amount of debris is just beyond vulgar to think of," Sherlock said.

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld acknowledged the issue.

"Hair literally comes off of people and off of clothing and gets sucked up," he said.

This hair issue is not one that Metro has independently studied, but Metro has made efforts to increase the regularity of trackbed cleaning since 2016, Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said.
The man who attacked and killed a D.C. actress on Christmas Day 2016 was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.

Duane Adrian Johnson, 30, sexually assaulted and murdered Tricia McCauley after she left her home in Northwest D.C. and headed to a Christmas dinner. She was 46.

McCauley, who did not know the man who killed her, lived in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of D.C. and was an accomplished actress who also worked as a yoga instructor and as a licensed nutritionist.



Johnson entered a guilty plea in September and agreed to a 30-year sentence, avoiding life in prison. A judge accepted that deal during the sentencing Friday.

More than a dozen of McCauley's friends were in the courtroom as her killer learned his fate.

Johnson, 30, did not speak or acknowledge McCauley's friends, many of whom are now in grief counseling.

"When your best friend is murdered and abused by a stranger on Christmas Day, it's a little hard to take," her friend Dean Hively said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler called the murder "horrific."

"Miss McCauley was a special person who had a profound impact on everybody that she came in contact with," he said.

Defense attorneys for Johnson told the judge that he suffers from mental illness and had been sleeping on the streets for days before the murder. He had been discharged from a psychiatric facility because he had no insurance, they said.

The search for McCauley began the day after Christmas 2016, after she failed to show up to Christmas dinner at a friend's house.

She left her home on the 2000 block of North Capitol Street NW and got into her two-door Toyota Scion to drive to a friend's home in D.C. On the way, she encountered Johnson.

"He entered her vehicle and, shortly thereafter, sexually assaulted her," prosecutors said in a statement released Friday.



She tried to fight him off by kicking and punching him. During the struggle, her clothing ripped and Johnson broke her nose.

He strangled her. Then, he put her body in the backseat of her car.

Police launched a widespread search to find McCauley. In the hours following her disappearance, police released a photo of a man they said may have been driving McCauley's car.

A man who saw the photos police released online called police when he spotted McCauley's car. Jonathan Padget came face to face with Johnson near 21st and P streets NW, near Dupont Circle, he said.

"I definitely was aware that this could be a dangerous situation," he previously told News4.

Padget, who said he had friends who knew McCauley, said he spoke to the man and then called for help. The suspect's behavior seemed off, he said.

"He was moving around a lot, and he was smoking something," Padget said.

Police confronted Johnson several blocks to the southwest, inside the CVS store at 22nd and M streets NW. He gave officers the keys to McCauley's car, police said. He was found with several of McCauley's credit cards in his coat pocket.

When the officers searched the car, they found McCauley's body.

Police believe the suspect drove McCauley's car for as long as 24 hours before he was caught, stopping at several CVS stores.

Speaking with detectives at the D.C. police department's Homicide Branch, Johnson initially claimed he met McCauley on or about Christmas Day. He claimed she offered to give him a ride in his car and then offered to have sex with him. She then killed herself, he claimed, according to the court documents.

He then drove her car throughout D.C. for hours and made purchases using her credit cards. He said he picked up a prostitute.

When police asked Johnson why he drove with McCauley's body in the car, he claimed he thought she was sleeping and might awaken.

He claimed that prior to McCauley's death, she told him he could have all her belongings, including her credit cards, money and car, the documents say.

Johnson was arrested six previous times in 2016. He was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and wear a GPS ankle bracelet after he was charged with theft from two businesses on Dec. 17, 2016. But police said he was not wearing the monitor when he was arrested.



Johnson's stepfather, Russell Dixon, previously told The Washington Post that Johnson had been living on the streets and suffered from mental problems. Dixon suggested the courts had been too lenient on his stepson.

The court system let him go. Thats not the help he needs, he told the Post. He should have been held.

Dixon told the paper he never saw signs of violence in Johnson.

Friends of McCauley's previously told News4 about who she was.

"Tricia was a very strong leader and at the same time a very gentle, compassionate, nurturing person," Jasmine Chehrazi, the founder of the D.C. yoga studio chain Yoga District, said.

McCauley's professional website includes a long list of acting credits, including with the Washington Stage Guild. She played Anna Karenina and acted in a Kennedy Center national tour, the website says. She also appeared in commercials and did voiceover work.

She graduated from American University in 1992 with a degree in theater, her LinkedIn page says.

Three days before McCauley vanished, she emailed Chehrazi, who trained her as a yoga instructor, to thank her.

"She just put in big capital letters, 'thank you for the Yoga District community,'" Chehrazi said. "She didn't have to do that, but she did that because that's the type of person Tricia is."

Chehrazi said she believes McCauley would want her work as a yoga practitioner to live on.

"I know she would want us to keep breathing and keep working to find inner peace to help foster outer peace throughout the world," she said.

Johnson is set to serve 30 years in prison and will not be eligible for early release. He'll be 60 years old when he gets out. Then, he will be required to remain under court supervision until he's 90.

McCauley's loved ones are honoring her by creating a garden in her name, as well as a fund to help actors and other theater professionals afford health insurance.

Her friend, Hively, said he hopes that in McCauley's memory D.C. will improve its social services.

"We hope that the D.C. court system and social services system will improve its mental health services to folks on the street, to folks who are suffering from mental health [problems] and drug addiction, in order to keep people safe," he said.


Police fired a shot at a vehicle that hit an officer in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, but the driver remains on the run, according to the city's top cop.

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said Friday evening that a white Audi had hit an officer responding to a report of shots fired around 3 p.m.

Police had encountered a crash scene on School Street, and the driver of a minivan involved told police the driver of a white Audi had fired shots and fled.

"The police were everywhere," said Jamie Kitchens. "There were shell casings on the ground, the cars were crashed. They were trying to keep us as far back as they could, but it took them a while to get the perimiter closed off."

Officers caught up with the Audi a couple blocks away near Washington Street. It started to take off, according to Evans. Police drew their weapons, and the Audi allegedly backed up and hit one of the officers.

Evans said one round was fired at the Audi, which was recovered near the intersection of Miles Street and Bragdon Street in nearby Roxbury. But the suspect was nowhere to be found.

"They were looking for the driver, and they were interviewing everybody," said Elianny Rodriguez, who lives in the area. "They were knocking on doors, asking for the person."

Initially police said the incident happened on Centre Street; however, they revised that information shortly after to shots fired from a vehicle on School Street.

Washington Street from School Street to Columbus Avenue was closed due to the ongoing investigation. Motorists were being encouraged to seek alternate routes.

Boston Public Schools said the nearby Hernandez School for students from kindergarten through grade eight was placed in safe mode as a result of the investigation.

"It's pretty nerve-wracking," said parent Leigh Belanger. "But at the same time, you sort of have to trust the school has it in hand, and they did."

No one was injured in either shooting, but the officer who was hit by the Audi sustained minor injuries.
Police in New Hampshire released a video Thursday showing a driver speeding away from two Pelham officers, nearly hitting them.

A woman on Birch Lane called police on Nov. 9, saying a man was violating a restraining order by parking on her front lawn. Officers arrived and found Jon Brad James Jr. asleep, slumped over the passenger side of the car.

According to police, the officers woke him and tried to get him out of the car. When they tried to take the keys, James woke up and hit the gas, nearly hitting the officers, police said.

No one was injured in the incident, and he was arrested later that night in Dracut, Massachusetts.

James appeared in Lowell District Court the following day, where he waived extradition and agreed to face his charges in New Hampshire. He was arraigned Monday in Hillsborough Superior Court on charges of felony reckless conduct, disobeying an officer, resisting arrest and violating a restraining order.

Police say James posted his $10,000 bail Wednesday. It was not yet determined when he would return to court.
Near-hurricane force winds toppled trees, took down power lines, knocked out electricity to hundreds of thousands of people, and damaged buildings and cars  but was this October wind storm a "major disaster?" Thats what FEMA officials are helping to answer.

Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are in Maine this week and next week, visiting towns that have reported significant damage from a pre-Halloween storm.

"To people who have been affected by this disaster, it is very significant, and it is severe," said FEMA spokesman Diego Alvarado.

FEMA officials will verify damage reports and estimate clean-up costs. Their data will then go to Gov. Paul LePage, who can ask President Trump to declare the storm a "major disaster," triggering federal funds. Typically, damage needs to be higher than $1.9 million to qualify as a major disaster event.

Friday, FEMA and Maine Emergency Management Agency officials toured Freeport, which was hit hard by the powerful storm.

"We still have damaged trees that are hanging and presenting threats," said Freeport Public Works Superintendent Earl Gibson.

FEMA has a team in southern Maine and northern Maine this week, and expects to be touring the state for several more days.

Local and state governments, along with certain private nonprofits, are eligible for FEMA funds.
A Maine man is facing a slew of charges after he allegedly led Maine State Police on a 111 mph chase with his 2-year-old daughter in the car before crashing it and running away from the scene.

Twenty-five-year-old Michael Messier of Biddeford has been charged with eluding a police officer and violating his bail; however, police say additional charges are expected. Messier had been released from jail just days before the incident, after he served time on domestic violence charges, according to state police.

Authorities say a trooper caught Messier speeding at 111 mph on the turnpike in Portland Wednesday evening. Messier allegedly refused to stop, and lost control of his SUV at the exit for Saco.

Messier then allegedly left his daughter, who was in a child safety seat and wasn't injured in the crash, in the SUV and ran off into nearby woods. Troopers and local police initially were unable to find him.

He was eventually arrested around 3 a.m. after he tried to wave down drivers on the turnpike near the crash site.

Messier was suffering from mild hypothermia and was treated for that before being released into police custody.

His daughter was taken to a local hospital as a precaution and was then reunited with her mother.

It's unclear if he has an attorney or when he'll face charges for the chase and crash.
Walsingham vicar Andrew Mitcham in court

2017: A Norfolk Anglican vicar has appeared in court charged with possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography.
Doctors  particularly the ones that work in emergency rooms  need to have strong stomachs and level heads, since they see illness and injury at their most serious. Violence, accidents and serious diseases are all a matter of routine in the ER.

Dr. Christian Dameff is a faculty member at UC San Diegos medical school, has seen all of that and more, since hes also a white-hat hacker and expert in medical IoT security. He warned the audience on Thursday at the Security of Things USA convention in San Diego that the state of that security is, frankly, alarming.

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Technology is a central underpinning of all modern medical treatment, according to Dameff. Many younger doctors have never worked with paper charts, or written paper prescriptions, or looked at x-rays on a lightbox  its all digital.

Software powers modern healthcare. It is as essential as antibiotics, x-rays and surgery combined. he said. Without our technical systems, doctors today are essentially helpless for taking care of strokes, heart attacks and traumas.

There are two central issues, according to Dameff. Part of the problem is that the emphasis on security discussions in the medical field focus heavily on data security, mostly for regulatory reasons.

When we talk about information security in healthcare, we talk about the HIPAA hammer, he said, because the fear of a HIPAA fine, and the fact that we have hundreds of data breaches every single year, has made this the focal point of your conversation.

But a bigger issue is that the connected devices used to automate and speed up the tasks of care required by modern medicine are cripplingly, astonishingly vulnerable to compromise by outside agents.

The problem has existed for a long time, Dameff said, but the 2011 story of Jay Radcliffe, a diabetic security expert who discovered that a connected insulin pump he used was trivially easy to hack, helped bring the scale of the problem to the publics attention.

What surrounds the patient are dozens of wirelessly connected devices that are running legacy operating systems, that are unpatched, that have hard-coded credentials you can Google  that are controlling potent medications being infused into this patient that, if miscalculated or altered, can cause this patient to die. That is the state of modern healthcare IoT. We need to change it.

Device makers need to work with doctors directly, Dameff argued, in order to usher in a newly holistic approach to the creation of medical IoT gear.

Have them help you identify points of your product that, if it should fail, would result in patient harm, not just a compromise of their medical health information, he said.

Hacked hospitals

Nor are connected devices the only way that poor security affects hospitals. Aging, unpatched IT systems are vulnerable to a huge array of known hacks, and notorious attacks like WannaCry can knock whole systems full of hospitals with custom hardware offline.

For the everyday user, this is a headache, but for a healthcare provider, its a much more serious issue. Ransomware and denial of service kill people, Dameff stated, by inches  when the hospitals systems are down, it hinders urgent care, so patients suffering from heart attacks or strokes have their treatment delayed by crucial minutes or even hours. That can mean permanent disability or death.

We cant take care of stroke patients without functioning CT scanners. We just cant, he said.
Experienced retailer opens her own lifestyle store in town centre

EARLIER this year, Emma Bees realised her lifetime dream. She opened the doors of her very own store  B the lifestyle shop.

And it has been a real family affair, with Emma crediting her brilliant husband for bringing her creative ideas for the shop to life.

Having grown up in Newbury, taking her GCSEs and A-levels at St Bartholomews School, Emma has spent her whole working life in retail.

I have always been a store manager or visual merchandiser, starting with a job at Marks & Spencer, she explains.

My first job as a store manager was for Bay Trading in Newbury.

I then became a dual-site manager, before going to run the Reading store, which was a top-turnover store.

In that role I worked closely with the area manager and was there for around three years.

I have always really liked being involved in retail because it is really very varied.

A lot of the work is about the people and helping them to grow, which then makes your job as a store manager easier.

After Bay Trading closed Emma moved to River Island, running the Newbury store, before leaving to have her second child.

After an extended maternity leave, she returned to work as the store manager of Fat Face in Parkway, while she continued to save for her ultimate goal  her own shop.

This shop has been in planning since January, she explains. We had to save up enough money to do it, which took a while.

In the beginning it was just an idea. I Googled as much as I could and would be up until midnight every day researching business rates, or creating spreadsheets so I knew how much I needed to make every day, every week and every month.

As every day and every week passed it got stronger and stronger as an idea.

Then I started looking for a premises and then I started trying to find stockists.

A lot of planning has gone in to it.

Because Emma didnt actually have an open shop, she says that getting some stockists on board was tough to begin with.

But she wasnt deterred and today has a shop, in Newburys town centre, brimming with beautiful clothes, books, toys, jewellery and homeware from a range of independent stockists.

The shop is a lifestyle shop, Emma explains, which means it is basically a store that represents a way of life.

Life is so busy and time is precious, so if I can take the hassle out of shopping for people, thats great.

I have handpicked the best of the best unique and different products for people and it is all in one place.

A lot of my stockists are independent designers from the UK, which allows me to offer that individuality and uniqueness.

There are hardly any independents in Newbury and I was a bit apprehensive to open as I wasnt sure there was the appetite here.

But everyone has said it is just what the town needs, which is great to hear.

The effortless beauty Emma discovered during visits to Norway and Copenhagen has certainly inspired her and the shop is awash with Scandi simplicity.

She said: I always want to strive to be different and so with the decor there was a lot of drawing of ideas first.

I am very lucky to have a brilliant husband who built it all for me too.

I wanted the shop to have design elements but for the stock to stand out on its own.

It is about keeping it simple; I didnt want it to be too overbearing.

It is almost like an edit of on-trend items for your life.

Consumers are more conscious of what they are spending their money on nowadays and that is where independents have the edge.

The store opened on August 10 this year and an online shop is now also up and running.

When I met Emma she had been involved with Trouva, an online shop for independent boutiques, for just over a week and was already reaping the rewards of that partnership too.

It isnt all about selling goods for Emma, however; she also runs workshops from the Wharf Street shop, which she says represent what the shop is all about.

Wheeling the rustic plywood table that is the centrepiece of her shop to one side for an evening gives Emma an expansive space to host events in and these have been sell outs already.

Yoga and meditation, as well as macrame (remember those knotted rope plant hangers?) and Scandi wreath-making workshops have proved a real hit and Emma is already planning lots more events for next year.

Looking to next year, Emma says she hopes to continue to grow the presence of her brand in the town and online and is excited about the possibilities the Trouva partnership can offer.

She currently has two members of staff, which gives her the opportunity to have some family time too, and she hopes to increase that number in the coming months.

Emma will be open late on November 26, during the Newbury Santa Parade, and will host a ladies shopping night on November 30, where G&Ts and prosecco will be flowing.

She is also offering a ladies Christmas wish list service and a mens shopping night on December 14, when the lists will be on hand to help with the purchases.

B the lifestyle shop is open from 10am until 5pm Monday to Saturday, and from 11am until 3pm on Sunday.
Hampshire county councillor reacts to the planning refusal

A HAMPSHIRE county councillor has given his reaction to news that plans for West Berkshires largest housing development of 2,000-homes at Sandleford Park  which borders Hampshire at the southern end  have been thrown out.

West Berkshire Council refused plans for the sprawling development in south Newbury because of a lack of detail in the proposals.

Bloor Homes and the Sandleford Farm Partnership submitted plans in 2015 for up to 2,000 houses, as well as retail and business space.

Hampshire County Council was consulted on the application and raised concerns about the traffic impact on the present infrastructure.

The proposed housing development would affect the A34/A343 junction and the A339/B4640 Swan Roundabout Junction and Hampshire County Council felt the impact on these junctions had not been addressed adequately in the plans.

Councillor for Whitchurch and The Cleres, Tom Thacker, said his objections still remain. He said: Any development there should take into account the traffic on the A339.

The West Berkshire traffic policy shouldnt be designed to send traffic to the A339, which is detrimental to the community along Newtown Road.

The A339 needs to be looked at in general as the route between Newtown and Basingstoke.

It needs to be made into a dual carriageway. West Berkshire should not be forcing A34 traffic down the Newtown straight.

I feel very strongly about that.

West Berkshire Council said it had refused the plans because of the lack of detail in the proposals and plans for such a large development and no positive sign of that situation changing.

In a statement the council said it had a duty to ensure applicants manage the impact of developments on the local community when it considers planning applications.

See this week's Newbury Weekly News for a double-page spread on reaction to Sandleford from objectors and the developers.
Marine veteran receives highest French military award

NEWBURY Royal British Legion member Norman Fox was awarded the rank of Chevalier de lOrdre National de la Legion dHonneur after the Remembrance Day service.

Mr Fox, now 92, was awarded the highest French order of merit for military service, for his service during the Second World War.

Mr Fox joined the Royal Marines in February 1942, at the age of 17 and was sent to Eastney Barracks in Portsmouth, where he had nine months of hostility service training before being posted to the Mediterranean.

He left Swansea in October 1942, on the Blue Funnel Line , stopping at Brazil to refuel, then on to Mombasa.

He travelled on to Aden, up through the Suez Canal and in 1943 disembarked at the Bitter Lakes, Egypt.

In October 1943 Mr Fox heard that , a cruiser, needed a new crew and joined as a WRA (warder attendant).

HMS Aurora took part in the invasion of Southern France and bombarded the beaches with its six- and four-inch guns.

In October 1944, Mr Fox went to the Greek island Lavitha, where he went ashore with 29 other Marines and a Naval party.

They captured 100 Germans, who were then taken back to Alexandria. Mr Fox still has a photo of them walking down the gangplank.

Mr Fox spent Christmas 1944 in Salonica, Greece, and, after a stint in Malta, he was put on a troopship back to England.

He went back to Eastney barracks, then, after six weeks leave, he went to Browndown Royal Marines small arms school in Gosport.

Mr Fox met his future wife at a dance at the RAF airdrome in Gosport in July 1946.

He was demobbed that year and moved back to Reading, where he married in 1947.

He worked on the buses in Reading and Newbury for 29-and-a-half years and then as a security officer at the Royal Engineers base at Hermitage for 13-and-a-half years before retiring at the age of 65.

See this week's Newbury Weekly News for our seven-page Remembrance supplement.
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Cabinet approves creation of posts in NAA under GST

New Delhi , Nov.16 : The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the creation of posts of chairman and technical members of the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) under Goods and Services Tax (GST).





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This paves the way for immediate establishment of NAA, which is mandated to ensure that the benefits of the reduction in GST rates on goods or services are passed on to the ultimate consumers by way of a reduction in prices, said Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.The NAA will be headed by a senior officer of the level of Secretary to the Government of India with four technical members from the Centre and/or the States.The GST was made effective from the midnight of November 14 and it has been slashed from 28 to 18 percent on goods falling under 178 headings.There are now only 50 items which attract the GST rate of 28 percent.Likewise, a large number of items have witnessed a reduction in GST rates from 18 to 12 percent and so on and some goods have been completely exempted from GST.
Trust Stamp Announces Free Safety Tool for All Realtors

WASHINGTON: At the National Association of Realtors' Conference and Expo in Chicago, Trust Stamp announced that its safety tool will now be free for all Realtors. Trust Stamp is an identity authentication startup company that leverages artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies to verify strangers' identities and provide a trust score.





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NAR announced recently that it had made a second investment in Trust Stamp; the first was in November 2016. The startup was one of eight companies last year to participate in the vertical tech accelerator program, REach, operated by NAR's strategic investment arm Second Century Investments."I'm pleased that this innovate identification verification tool will now be free to all 1.3 million Realtors," said NAR President Elizabeth Mendenhall, a sixth-generation Realtor from Columbia, Missouri and CEO of RE/MAX Boone Realty. "Safety for our members is a top concern, and this is another great tool that Realtors can use to protect themselves when meeting strangers and new clients."Andrew Gowasack, one of the cofounders of Trust Stamp said, "We are thrilled to offer Trust Stamp as a free benefit to NAR members and to empower them to keep themselves and their clients safe. Both Realtors and consumers should have assurance that everyone they meet during the real estate transaction is verified and trustworthy."Trust Stamp develops and deploys proprietary artificial intelligence software to authenticate identity and also analyzes public records and social media to provide a unique color-coded Trust Score. After creating the Trust Score, users can improve it by sharing additional information. While personal details behind a Trust Score remain private and under the user's control, the score can easily be shared through the company's unique Trust Stamp.It's a powerful tool for helping improve the safety of real estate professionals, who frequently meet new clients or unknown individuals. NAR's 2017 Member Safety Report found that more than one in three agents experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or the safety of their personal information."My vision for the Realtor organization is to partner with companies that are offering great products and services that will help change the real estate industry," said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg in a video announcing the new member tool. "Trust Stamp is an innovative company, and this tool will bring great value to our members and improve their safety, which is so important for what they do."Trust Stamp cofounder Gareth Genner said, "There is no issue of greater importance than the safety of real estate professionals and their clients. Perhaps even more concerning than an absence of safe practices, are products that create an illusion of safety. While there is nothing that can displace sensible precautions, we hope that NAR's investment, and our making Trust Stamp free for Realtors, will reinforce the need to us a thoughtfully designed process and remove any financial disincentive."
National Write Your Congressman Poll Finds Small Business Owners Crave Action from Congress

DALLAS: National Write Your Congressman (NWYC), an organization that gives small businesses a voice in American government, finds in its Q3 2017 Quarterly Index small business owners are ready for Congress to take action to fulfill promises made to them and to pass legislation to support small business growth.





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The Index found more than half of small business owners strongly dissatisfied with the action of the U.S. Congress in the past quarter. Tax relief and simplification, health care reform and the replacement of the Affordable Care Act, and regulation reduction are the top three actions that would enhance their trust and directly support business growth. This agenda has remained the clear mandate for change by small business owners for five quarters in a row."NWYC finds that small business owners are overwhelmingly clear in their mandate to Congress: they want to see action and are in favor of reform that lets small businesses break free from stifling regulations and taxes that hinder their ability to grow and innovate," said Randy Ford, President and COO of National Write Your Congressman. "While trust in Congress is low this quarter, more than half of our respondents agree that their elected members of Congress know their opinions on important issues, and are hopeful things will turn around in the next year."Small Business OutlookDespite a lack of satisfaction in Congressional action last quarter to implement regulations that will help small business, more than half of small business owners expect higher revenues this year and plan to invest back into their businesses. Small business remains bullish on their own business results for 2017, with 63 percent expecting an increase in revenues and 61 percent planning to invest in capital expansion.Small business owners are overwhelmingly supportive of the Republican and White House proposed tax reforms and list limiting the minimum tax rate to 25 percent for small and family-owned businesses as one of the top reforms that would help their small business.The Index also found small business owners support the repeal of regulations that create restrictions on employment and operations, and are hungry for legislation and policies that help oil and gas and international trade thrive.When asked what singular action Congress could take to improve small business owner satisfaction, owners said Congress should: support the President, work together (bipartisan unity and compromise), repeal the Affordable Care Act, work for the people (not lobbyists and special interest groups), and accomplish what they promised.Trust in GovernmentEighty percent of small business owners continue to trust the President far more than Congress, which only 12 percent of small business owners trusted in Q3 2017. Although overall trust is down, 58 percent of small business owners believe their individual elected members of Congress know their opinions on key issues and 36 percent believe their own elected Congressional representatives act on the behalf of small business."Without the collective voices of the people, Congress will not act. It is important now more than ever to make your opinions known to Congress. We continue to encourage our members to use their voice to tell Congress their opinions and concerns," said Ford.MethodologyNWYC's Index on the Sentiment of Small Business Owners towards Congress is based on data collected using an online survey administered October 17-20, 2017. Email notification was distributed to a sample of over 23,000 individuals drawn from membership files of NWYC. A total of 867 respondents participated. Respondents represent 45 of the 50 states in the U.S., and 65% are aged 45-64. Their businesses are small, with 57% employing 1-9 employees and 37% with 10-99 employees. The predominant industries represented are construction, services, manufacturing, retail trade, and finance.
Trump's cheeseburger is a 'HIT' among Japanese

Seattle [U.S.A], November 16 : Few days ago U.S. President Donald Trump ate a specially-cooked cheeseburger during his visit to Japan and it turns out that the burger has made quite an impression on the minds of the people of Japan.





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Trump started his first official visit to Asia with a stop in Japan and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe treated the president to standard American favorites, including hamburgers and steak.Famous Tokyo chain Munch's Burger Shack chef/owner Yutaka Yanagisawa whipped up a USD 10 Colby Jack and fries for the president.Since that day, the burger and steak have become quite famous with Japanese people, reports Seattle Times.People have been travelling for long hours to get a taste of the same cheeseburger U.S. President Donald Trump ate.The president wanted his meal to be perfect, so the order was given in such a way that his meal was not a disaster.The chef was asked to bring the ingredients and his equipment to prepare the burgers and it was not just the president who was going to eat the meal, but an entourage of 20 people, those had the meal with Trump and Abe.It is being reported that the restaurant saw a seven percent rise in company share prices following Trump and Abe's visit to the Ginza location.Meanwhile, Yanagisawa's dream is to open a restaurant in New York.The popular chef believes that more than the taste it is about the feelings you put in for the customer, in every burger.
Clarence Lobo Elementary School Awarded USD 5,000 Barona Education Grant for Its Lobo Lodge Native American Museum

SAN DIEGO: The Barona Band of Mission Indians has awarded students and teachers at Clarence Lobo Elementary School a USD 5,000 Barona Education Grant to enhance their hands-on Native American Education program.





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Located in San Clemente, Calif., the elementary school has a one-of-a-kind Native American museum on campus called Lobo Lodge and this Barona Education Grant will be used to add additional artifacts and educational materials to the museum to enhance the opportunities for the children to learn the history of native and indigenous people throughout California."It's a pleasure to congratulate Clarence Lobo Elementary School on being awarded a Barona Education Grant," said Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel). "This grant will help ensure that local students learn the history and culture of California's Native Americans. I thank the Barona Band of Mission Indians for their generosity and their continued efforts to improve academic opportunities for all students."Barona Tribal Vice Chairman Ray Welch presented the $5,000 check to Principal Cheryl A. Sampson and students."Our Tribe is proud to provide the funds to help share Native American culture with the students," said Chairman Romero. "It is unique to have a museum such as this on an elementary school campus. We are passionate about the preservation of the history, culture and traditions of the Barona Tribe and other California Tribes for future generations and are honored to enhance the museum's program."Since the Barona Education Grant program was launched in 2006, Barona has awarded over $3.2 million to California schools statewide. The program has equipped 641 schools with hundreds of computers, thousands of books, iPads, computer software programs and various other technologies and school supplies.The Barona Education Grant program is the first of its kind in California created and administered by a Tribal Government. The goal of the program is to create strong educational opportunities for the children of California building upon the success of the Barona Indian Charter School, which operates under a continuous improvement model. Schools throughout California can apply for educational grants from Barona to purchase much-needed supplies and materials that promote academic improvement. Each grant awarded by the Barona Education Grant Program is $5,000.
Kelley Blue Book Identifies 10 Best Automotive Technologies To Consider In 2018

IRVINE, Calif: New-car buyers would do well to spend less time looking under the hood and more time examining all the technology in a vehicle.





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Of course, the powertrain still matters, but more important is how the driver and vehicle occupants interact with today's increasingly sophisticated automobiles. To help new-car shoppers navigate available in-car features, Kelley Blue Book named the 10 Best Automotive Technologies of 2018."Where driving dynamics, comfort and safety are concerned, modern vehicles are steadily marching down a path toward parity. As such, technology has blossomed into one of the last great differentiators amongst competing models," said Michael Harley, group managing editor for Kelley Blue Book. "The tech we've identified as the best for 2018 should be considered when searching for your next new vehicle. Regardless of price point, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a vehicle with most of them - and they're all very helpful."10 Best Automotive Technologies of 2018 from Kelley Blue BookConnected Mobile Apps: Most carmakers offer some sort of connected smartphone app, but some are better than others. Look for one that lets the owner remotely lock and unlock the doors, check the status of things like fuel and tire pressure, and even remotely start the car to warm things up on a cold winter's morning.Teen Driver Technology: Many cars have some kind of teen driver limitations built in that can notify parents if the car is driven over a certain speed, disable the stereo if seatbelts aren't used, and even keep the stereo from being turned up past level 7 a never mind full blast! Chevrolet's Teen Driver feature also offers a Report Card that will tell parents if safety systems like ABS or forward collision alert have been triggered while Junior was behind the wheel.Adaptive Cruise Control: By using an array of sensors built into the car, adaptive cruise control can match the speed of the car ahead, meaning drivers don't need to be constantly hitting the gas and brake in highway traffic.LED/Xenon Headlights: Headlights are the only thing between drivers and a crash when driving at night, so Kelley Blue Book thinks better headlight tech is essential. Whether it's LED bulbs that never need replacing or older but still-excellent xenon systems, illuminating the road is the best way to avoid nighttime collisions. Many luxury cars have "swiveling" bulbs that turn with the road to illuminate around corners, while auto-high beam systems will keep the vehicle from blinding other drivers, while maximizing the view of the driver's surroundings.Apple CarPlay/Android Auto: Plug in a smart phone and it takes over that big screen, replacing it with something that looks a lot more familiar and easy to use. Basically every manufacturer (except Toyota/Lexus) has promised support for at least one or both Apple and Google's systems, but not all trim levels will support them. Make sure to verify the car has the right options, and that it matches the preferred mobile devices.USB Ports: A car full of people is a car full of devices, and everyone needs to keep their battery topped up. So, check and see how many USB ports the car has. Pretty much every new car comes with one or two, but some a like the Chrysler Pacifica, which has nine (in a minivan that only holds seven passengers) a come with many more than that.Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: Thanks to sensors built into the rear of the car, the system can alert the driver to approaching vehicles, shopping carts, or pedestrians who might wander behind the vehicle without the operator noticing.Lane Departure Warning: Lane departure warning systems use cameras to determine if a car has drifted across a marked lane line, giving a visual or audible notification (or even a vibration through the seat or steering wheel) that the driver moved too far out of the lane.Automatic Emergency Braking: Automatic Emergency Braking or AEB uses a variety of sensors to determine if a forward collision is imminent and automatically applies the brakes to diminish the severity or avoid a crash entirely.360-Degree Camera: By combining cameras on every side of the car with some clever computing power, the car's display can show a virtual top-down view of the vehicle's surroundings. The systems are getting cheaper and cheaper, and are available on even moderately priced cars these days.
V-Younger International Medical Group Could be The Best Choice for Miss International

NEW YORK: The 57th Miss International China Finals was held in Beijing Stars Film and Television Park on Sep 23, 2017. The chairman of China Organizing Committee, the chairman Liu Shuwen of Oriental Flying Films, the vice chairman Zhang Tongsheng of Chinese Photographers Society, the president Li Yihan of Asian Medical Cosmetic Association, the dean Ma Lin of V-Younger International Medical Group, and the general manager Yingdong Qiao of Prettyology on-line shopping mall were invited to attend in this beauty pageant.





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After voting and careful deliberation among Organizing Committee and industry experts, Wang Shengxu was chosen as winner of the contest. She will attend the 57th Miss International Finals and represent China.Miss International, first held in 1960 in the Long Beach, California, is one of the three most famous beauty pageants in the world. It has been successfully held for 56 times. Selecting an attendee for the "Miss International Beauty Pageant" has always been an important national activity, so "Miss International Beauty Pageant" is also known as "Beauty Olympics". The purpose of Miss International China is to select "Miss China" to attend the annual Miss International Finals and to represent China. Since China Times Media organized the Miss International China, it has cultivated lots of excellent young candidates, and Miss International China has become an influential beauty pageant in China.V-Younger International Medical Investment & Management Ltd (5V Group) is a subsidiary of Singapore China Knowledge Investment Holding Group, a comprehensive multinational enterprise involved in many fields. Its head office is located in Beijing. With years of cultivation, 5V Group has accumulated sufficient capital and excellent resources in concerning areas. 5V Group has established 7 clusters globally and 13 subsidiaries in provinces and cities of China, The group owns V-Younger Medical Beauty Clinic, Weijia International, Hongxiang Network, 5V Business College, Qing Wei Fundation and other strategic business units. Currently, the group has several subsidiaries in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and other key provinces. At the same time, the group has established strategic cooperation with medical organizations in America, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore and Thailand.The beauty industry has always been involved in the development of Beauty Contest. 5V Group offers customized services for candidates. Prettyology on-line shopping mall is an E-commerce platform which focuses on Chinese people's health and has six themes including skin care, body care, healthy food, health screening and healthy cosmetics.Wei-Yang charcoal facial mask, for instance, is one of the flagship brands in Prettyology on-line shopping mall. It is a bold innovation incorporating cutting-edge technology and big data. The research and development of this facial mask incorporated the unique characteristics of cosmetics industry and different female skin types. R&D center and large database of 5V Group are key factors involved in the production of Wei-Yang charcoal facial mask.The support provided by 5V Group in Miss International China Finals indicates the leading position of 5V Group in the beauty industry and its corporate social responsibility. In the 57th Miss International China Finals, skin care products from 5V Group will help candidates to enhance their skins, so they can perform with confidence.
Youth envoys discuss global issues at Amity in Noida

Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 16 : Youth envoys from eight countries on Friday attended Amity International Model United Nations (AIMUN) Conference at Amity University Campus in Noida to discuss global issues.





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The event organised by the Amity Educational Resource Centre (AERC) together with Amity International Schools will continue for three days -November 16 to 18.More than 384 Indian students and 42 students from abroad, including Germany, Thailand, Italy, Mauritius, Netherlands, USA and Canada, attended the event.The students, who are attending the event, will take up the roles of UN delegates in eight Councils - General Assembly, Human Rights Council, UNSC, IAEA, UNEP, UNEC, NSCI and Inter State Council.In the discussion, the students are expected to suggest solutions to global issues such as "elimination of racism and racial discrimination", "protecting and promoting right of children in armed conflict", "security situation in north Korea", "nuclear power as a transition power source", "regional implementation of Paris Agreement", "eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions through promoting and expanding opportunities and related challenges", "review of internal security in India".
Drake comes to the rescue of female fans from being groped

Los Angeles [U.S.A], November 16 : Famous Rapper Drake jumped to the defence of his female fans after a man kept harassing women at a concert on his Australian tour.





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The rapper, who was performing in Sydney, stopped mid-song and pointed to a man in the crowd who he had spotted harassing women, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Midway through his performance, Drake slammed the male fan and told him, "If you don't stop touching girls I'm gonna come out there and f*** you up!"The crowd was then heard cheering Drake following the star's outburst.The rapper was praised on social media for the way he handled the situation, with one user writing, "@Drake well done last night for sticking up for what's morally right... much respect your way.""You all know! I love Drake but that guy should have been kicked out straight away. No threat, no strikes just zero tolerance."The 'Hotline Bling' hit-maker's public denouncement of sexual harassment comes in the wake of the sexual misconduct allegations against some of the biggest names in the Hollywood, including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Bill O'Reilly, Louis CK, Dustin Hoffman and James Toback.
IOA president Ramachandran not to seek second term

New Delhi , Nov 16 : Incumbent Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president N. Ramachandran on Thursday announced that he will not contest the president elections for the body which is slated to be held on December 14.





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Ramachandran in a statement said, "It is not my intention to stand for election as president of the IOA in the ensuing elections."He reasoned that he has taken the decision to abide by the constitution of IOA."I am nearing 70 and I intend to abide by the Constitution of the IOA and the guidelines framed by the IOC. I firmly believe that my successor should have a full term of four years and I wish him and the new team all the best," the statement read.He has been serving as president for IOA since February 9, 2014.The last date for filing candidature nominations for IOA elections is November 29.
Mehbooba Mufti to visit Delhi tomorrow over prevailing Kashmir issue

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) , November 16 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday announced that she will be making her visit to the national capital tomorrow to discuss and resolve the prevailing situation in the Valley.





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Mufti will be leaving from Srinagar at around 11:00 am in the morning and will arrive Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi) around 12.30 pm.A meeting has also been scheduled with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.Earlier in the month, Centre's special representative of Jammu and Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma was chosen for a dialogue process with various political parties, socio-cultural organisations, individuals and opinion makers including Governor N.N. Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on the same issue.Sharma informed the Governor about his talks with various individuals and groups in the Valley and the major concerns which had been voiced by those he had met on his first visit to Kashmir.Governor later suggested to Sharma that, notwithstanding any initial reservations in some groups, he must sustain the dialogue and hear one and all, particularly elements of the society who apparently held contrary convictions.Meanwhile, Sharma said he had not succeeded in holding talks with the Hurriyat as of now."I have just come here so first give me some time. I have not succeeded in talking to the Hurriyat as of now," he told the media.He also met former chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah and discussed the prevailing situation in the Valley.On September 9, Home Minister visited Jammu and Kashmir to hold talks with Mufti and Governor N.N. Vohra. He was in Kashmir from September 9-11 to meet all stakeholders.The Home Minister discussed the road-map to ensure long term solutions to the problems people are facing in the valley.
Low-cost, high-performance wearable tech comes closer to reality

Washington D.C. [USA], Nov 17 : A newly-developed class of breakthrough motion sensors could herald a near future of ubiquitous, fully integrated and affordable wearable technology.





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Researchers from the Florida A and M University - Florida State University College of Engineering detailed the impressive properties and cost-effective manufacturing process of an advanced series of motion sensors made using buckypaper - razor thin, flexible sheets of pure, exceptionally durable carbon nanotubes.These new buckypaper sensors represent a marked improvement on current industry standards, with most sensors being either too crude or too inflexible to reliably monitor complex structures like the human body."Current technology is not designed for that," said researcher Richard Liang. "For sensor technology, you need it to be flexible, you need it to be affordable and you need it to be scalable. This new technology is versatile and the sensors are affordable to print. It's a big innovation that presents many possibilities down the road."At this stage, potential applications for the printable buckypaper sensors are limited only by the breadth of researchers' imaginations. The low-profile design could be integrated into bedsheets to monitor quality of sleep, shoes to track step count and posture or workout clothes to measure intensity of exercise.Researchers also foresee potential applications beyond the realm of wearable technology. In the field of soft robotics, the material could facilitate advances in the production of responsive, self-correcting artificial muscles.Moreover, the scalable sensors represent another step toward the long-predicted future of an "internet of things," where virtually all of an individual's computers, devices, garments, furniture and appliances are digitally connected to freely exchange information in the cloud.Lead author Joshua DeGraff said that this material could be used in structural health monitoring, wearable technology and everything in between.The novel sensor structure combines a strip of seven micron-thin buckypaper with silver ink electrodes printed from a common, commercially available ink-jet printer.The result is a kind of perfect Goldilocks sensor: not as insensitive as common, flexible metallic sensors, but not as rigid or cumbersome as popular, more sensitive semi-conductor sensors.The wearable buckypaper sensors are an ideal marriage of these competing qualities. They're flexible, seamless and sensitive to subtle movements and strains.While the technology might not be ready for primetime quite yet, researchers are energized by its promising future.The study is published in the journal Materials and Design.
President Kovind to present silver trumpet and trumpet banner to the President's bodyguard tomorrow

New Delhi : The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, will present the Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the President's Bodyguard at a ceremony to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow (November 17, 2017).





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The President's Bodyguard is the oldest regiment in the Indian Army, having been raised as the Governor-General's Bodyguard (later the Viceroy's Bodyguard) in 1773. As the President of India's own Guard, it has the unique distinction of being the only military unit of the Indian Army that is privileged to carry the President's Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner. This distinction was conferred on the President's Bodyguard in 1923 by the then Viceroy, Lord Reading, on the occasion of the Bodyguard completing 150 years of service. Each succeeding Viceroy, thereafter, presented the Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the Bodyguard.On January 27, 1950, the regiment was renamed the President's Bodyguard. Every President has continued the practice of honouring the regiment. Rather than a coat of arms, as was the practice in the colonial era, the monogram of the President appears on the Banner. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, presented his Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the President's Bodyguard on May 14, 1957.The President's Bodyguard, as it is known today, was raised in Banaras (Varanasi) by the then Governor-General, Warren Hastings. It had an initial strength of 50 cavalry troopers, later augmented by another 50 horsemen. Today, the President's Bodyguard is a select body of hand-picked men with special physical attributes. They are chosen after a rigorous and physically gruelling process.The President's Bodyguard has seen war-time duty and a detachment currently serves on the Siachen Glacier. Its men have served with the IPKF in Sri Lanka and as part of UN Peace-Keeping Missions.
Boost to infrastructure facilities for judiciary

New Delhi : The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary beyond 12th Five Year Plan i.e. from 01.04.2017 to 31.03.2020 to be implemented in a Mission Mode through National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms with an estimated outlay of Rs.3,320 crore.





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The Cabinet also approved setting up of an on-line monitoring system with geo-tagging by the Department of Justice enabling data collection on progress, completion of court halls and residential units under construction, including for future projects as well as better asset management and formulation of norms and specification of court halls and residential units to be constructed under Scheme for implementation throughout the country for future.Benefits from the Scheme:The Scheme will increase the availability of suitable number of Court Halls and Residential Accommodations for Judges / Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts all over the country including at District, Sub-District, Taluka, Tehsil and Gram Panchayat and Village levels. This will help in improving the functioning and performance of the Judiciary across the country in reaching out to every citizen.Financial assistance:The central assistance is provided to the State Governments / UT Administrations under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary for construction of court halls and residential units for Judicial Officers / Judges of District and Subordinate Courts. The funds sharing pattern for Centre and State is 60:40 in respect of States other than North Eastern and Himalayan States. The funds sharing pattern is 90:10 in respect of North Eastern and Himalayan States; and 100% in respect of Union Territories. This will help for completion of on-going projects for construction of 3,000 court halls and 1,800 residential units for judicial officers of District and Subordinate Courts.Monitoring of the SchemeAn on-line monitoring system will be set up by the Department of Justice enabling data collection on progress, completion of court halls and residential units under construction as well as better asset management.Regular meetings of the Monitoring Committee may be organised in various States with State Chief Secretaries and PWD officials to enable speedy and good construction. It may also be monitored if the funds released by the Centre are released without delay onward to PWD by the State Governments.Background:Central Government augments the resources of the States in this regard through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for development of infrastructure facilities for Judiciary which is being implemented since 1993-94. The central assistance is provided to the State Governments / UT Administrations under the Scheme for construction of court halls and residential units for Judicial Officers / Judges of District and Subordinate Courts.
Cabinet allows export of all varieties of pulses

New Delhi : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for removal of prohibition on export of all types of pulses to ensure that farmers have greater choice in marketing their produce and in getting better remuneration for their produce.





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The CCEA also empowered the Committee chaired by Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD) and comprising Secretaries of Department of Commerce (DoC), Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW), Department of Revenue (DoR), Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to review the export/import policy on pulses and consider measures such as quantitative restrictions, prior registration and changes in import duties depending on domestic production and demand, domestic and international prices and international trade volumes.Opening of export of all types of pulses will help the farmer to dispose off their products at remunerative prices and also encourage them to expand the area of sowing. Export of pulses would provide an alternative market for the surplus production of pulses. Allowing export of pulses will also help the country and its exporters to regain their markets.It is expected that pulses production will be sustained in the country and our import dependence on pulses will come down substantially. This is also likely to provide higher levels of protein to the population and work towards nutritional security. The integration with global supply chain is also likely to help our farmers in adopting good agricultural practices and better productivity.In 2016-17 production year, the Indian farmers have lived up to the challenge of reducing India's import dependence on pulses and have produced 23 million tons of pulses. The Government has taken a number of steps to sustain the high pulses production by our farmers. The Government has procured 20 lakh tons of pulses by ensuring minimum support price or market rates, whichever is higher, directly from the farmers and this has been the highest ever procurement of pulses.Background:The production of pulses in 2016-17 has been very encouraging and is the highest ever till date. Government has supported the farmers by providing attractive Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the pulses and public procurement of pulses to the tune of 20 lakh tonnes. The domestic production of pulses during 2016-17 was 22.95 million tonnes. The Chana Dal (Gram) production was 9.33 million tonnes as compared to 7.06 million tonnes in 2015-16 showing a growth of 32%. The production of other rabi pulses (includes Masoor Dal (Lentil) etc.) for 2016-17 was 3.02 million tonnes as compared to 2.47 million tonnes in 2015-16 showing a growth of 22%. For the year 2017-18, the Government has fixed a target of 22.90 million tonnes of pulses production.
Two-day 12th North East Business Summit inaugurated in New Delhi

New Delhi : The Two-day 12th North-East Business Summit was inaugurated here today. The summit aims to explore the scope for business opportunities in the North-Eastern region of India.





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Focus areas are Infrastructure and Connectivity with Public Private Partnerships, Skill Development, Financial Inclusion, Services Sector Development- Particularly in Tourism, Hospitality & Food Processing. The Summit is being organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), with Manipur being the state partner for the event.Speaking on the inauguration of the summit, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that North Eastern states have lot of potential which is still unexplored. He said that we need to explore this unexplored potential for the development of the region and the development of the country as a whole. If one region of the country is underdeveloped, the country cannot be developed, he added. He said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi accords high priority to the peripheral states. The Minister said that the potential of the developed states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra has been achieved to the maximum and now exploring the unexplored potential of the North Eastern states will contribute to the making of 'New India' which Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi keeps inspiring us. He said that about 70% of the population of India is under the age of 40 years, this unexplored region will meet the aspirations of these youth, when other regions have saturated.The Minister said that about 40% of the fruit production in North East (NE) goes waste due to lack of further processing, so it can be an area of potential for the industrialists. He said the Union Government has taken various initiatives for ensuring 'ease of doing business' in the North Eastern region. The emphasis has been on addressing the connectivity issue, he added. He said that train services are being provided to the states hitherto untouched by the rail map of India. He further informed that the construction of the Agartala to Bangladesh rail track will be funded by the DoNER Ministry for the portion of the track on the Indian side. He also mentioned of 19 unexplored waterways and projects like Bhupen Hazarika Bridge. He suggested that bamboo - the thriving business sector should be taken out of the purview of the forest sector and that every district should have a post office passport Kendra for facilitating doing business in the region.Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Prime Minister's "Startup India, Standup India" is a programme which includes incentives like, tax holiday in the early phase and an exit period of three months. Added to this, the Ministry of DoNER is offering an additional benefit of providing the initial Venture Capital Fund to any youngster who decides to set up an entrepreneurship in the North-Eastern region. Dr Jitendra Singh said that a day will come when NE will become the favourite destination for all start-ups in India.Appealing the business community, he said that they should explore the unutilised potential of North East. He said that this region has much more to offer to the business community. The tourism, specially the concept of 'Home Tourism' has also picked up in the North east region, he said. This has been possible due to the efforts of the Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER), the Minister added. He said that the DoNER Ministry has been exploring the idea of introducing a helicopter based Dispensary/OPD service in such far flung and remote areas, where no doctor or medical facility was available and the patient, in need, also did not have any access to any medical care. The first such experiment will be done in Imphal and Shillong, he added. He said that this concept can be emulated by the other states which are having the similar topography. He also informed the North East Industrial Promotion Policy is also in pipeline. The North Eastern Council (NEC) is also being reoriented by the Government, Dr Singh added.The Governor of Mizoram, Lt. Gen. Nirbhay Sharma said that vision and clarity on issues related to North East are very important for momentum to move ahead. He said that for the future development of the region, a clear vision and action plan with certain timelines is needed. He said that the NE festivals being held in various parts of the country help introducing North East India to the rest of India and vice-versa. He further said that NE as a link need to be strengthened. He said that NE states are exchanging ideas with the neighbouring countries, which is important for NE states and vice-versa. The Government alone cannot do the whole task, the need of the hour is for private players to come in and participate., he added. He emphasised on the connectivity in the NE region, with digital connectivity and air connectivity being the main forms of connectivity. He also said that Mizoram is bio-diversity rich state, which needs to be explored. He further said that new economic policy is the state has tried to address various issues such as land rules, which were proving to be hindrance to the industrialists. He suggested that a North East Forum should be created where all the stakeholders can meet and annual action plan can be created which can be followed up afterwards.The Minister of Department of Textiles, Commerce & Industries, Government of Manipur, Shri T. H. Biswajit, said that Manipur will become the gateway to South East Asia. The state will have a good opportunity for investment in various sectors, he added. He also said that rail connectivity to Imphal will be complete by the year 2019. He also said that Manipur has potential for handicrafts and textile industry.The Secretary, DoNER, Shri Naveen Verma said that the topics being discussed in this summit are of importance for the NE region. He said that Government of India has taken various initiatives for the development of NE region. These include North East Council's support toward the development of the tourism sector in the region, rural livelihood development through North East Rural Livelihood Programme and SAMPADA etc. He said that 'North Eastern Tourism Development Council' aims to develop regional circuits for tourism in North East and with the neighbouring countries. He also spoke on the potential of organic cultivation, medical tourism, cross-border regional value chain, infrastructure development etc. The NE is the paradise unexplored, Shri Verma added.The Secretary (East), Smt Preeti Saran, said that NE region plays an important role in the Look East policy of the Government. A strong and stable NE can act as a bridge between rest of India and our neighbouring countries. She gave a detailed idea about the initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of External Affairs toward integrating NER for boosting sub-regional trade and connectivity. She also mentioned that the MEA is undertaking the India-ASEAN Connectivity and Business Summits where North East and connectivity to the region will play an important role.Speaking on the occasion, the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Dr R Chidambaram, said that Ministry of DoNER is in touch for scientific and technological intervention for North East region. He said that scientific intervention is required in NE region in farm and non-farm sector. The gaps should be identified to see where the technology can be utilised, he added. He said that this is our responsibility to take the development of this region forward.Shri P K Bezboruah, Co-Chair, ICC North-East Regional Committee & Chairman, Tea Board felt although the region has high agricultural produce, lack of agricultural marketing needs to be addressed. He also suggested that development must go hand in hand with ecological sustainability.The two-day conference will include technical sessions on development of infrastructure and connectivity in North East: Focus on Regional Air Connectivity, IWT, Roads & Highways, Skill development in NE & Financing the services sector, Development of Food Processing Industry in NE with focus on Natural Organic and Super Foods from NE and Promotion of Tourism & Hospitality Sector in NE.
Arun Jaitley calls on the Prime Minister of Singapore on the last day of his two day official visit to Singapore

New Delhi : The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley called on the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong today on the second and last day of his two day official visit to Singapore.





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Both the leaders recalled the shared history of both the countries, rooted in strong commercial, culture and people-to-people links. They also discussed the meeting between the two Prime Ministers and elevation of India-Singapore Partnership to a strategic level and actions taken to translate their vision. Both the leaders discussed at length the roll-out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), issues of common interest, such as bilateral trade and investment, and measures to increase the engagements in these areas and the further road map for enhancing India- Singapore Economic and Commercial ties.Earlier, the Union Finance Minister, Shri Jaitley in his Keynote Address at Morgan Stanley 16th Annual Asia Pacific Summit in Singapore today on "India: Structural Reforms and Growth Path Ahead " elucidated on the current state of India's economy, outlining the key reforms being implemented by the present Government with a view to position India as an attractive global investment destination. He specifically mentioned the roll-out of the monumental tax reform, GST; the Bank Re-Capitalization package, Ease of Doing Business in India, crackdown against black money, Demonetization and other follow-up measures; and reforms in the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Policy regime. The Finance Minister, Shri Jaitley re-iterated his Government's commitment for both increasing the public expenditure on infrastructure and creating environment for private participation in infrastructure to boost employment and provide impetus to overall economic growth.The Finance Minister, Shri Jaitley also addressed the senior fund managers and the key Financial Institutional investors and answered queries on various tax issues including GST, Fiscal policy, impact of the Bank Re-Capitalization Package on banks' NPAs, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and so on. He also met with the Senior Management of Morgan Stanley.The Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley also met the Chairman and Board of Directors of Temasek, Singapore; one of the largest investment companies in Asia, and discussed the investment opportunities available across various sectors in India including, their investment in the National Investment and Infrastructure (NIIF).The Finance Minister, Shri Jaitley will return to New Delhi late in the evening today after successfully completing his two day official visit to Singapore.
Dharmendra Pradhan calls for a new eco-system for accelerated growth of petrochemicals and ancillary industries in Odisha

Bhubaneswar : Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated a first-of-its-kind Petrochemical Investors Conclave in Bhubaneswar today.





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Also present were Shri Shashi Bhusan Behera, Minister of Finance and Excise, Govt. of Odisha, Shri Prafulla Samal, Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Govt. of Odisha, and other dignitaries. Over 750 delegates attended the Conclave.Addressing the gathering, Shri Pradhan said that India's petrochemicals sector is going through a golden period, with growth rates of 14-15% per annum. Odisha, with ready availability of raw material from Paradip Refinery and other units from all over the country, skilled, low-cost manpower, port infrastructure & rail connectivity and a large regional market, must fully utilise the opportunity to create investment opportunities in the downstream industries such as Plastic Park and Textiles Park in the State.Highlighting the developmental vision of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for Eastern India, Shri Pradhan said that accelerated development of Eastern States is one of the top priorities of the Govt of India. While the per capita consumption of plastics in India is only 10 kg as compared to the world average of 32 kg, it is much lower at 5 kg in Eastern India, he said. The Petrochemical Investors Conclave has been organised to create a new inspiration and a new eco-system for the growth of petrochemicals sector in the State of Odisha, and generate wealth for a new generation of entrepreneurs, while at the same time creating employment opportunities for the youth of the State on a large scale, he said.Sri Pradhan complimented Indian Oil Corporation and IDCO (Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha) for signing an MoU at the Conclave to collaborate in the setting up of a Plastics Park at Paradip. IndianOil is setting up a 700 KTA (kilo tonnes per annum) Polypropylene unit at Paradip Refinery, to be commissioned in 2018, to serve as a mother plant for downstream polymer/plastics ancillary units.Shri Pradhan also complimented IOC and Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai for signing on MoU to set up a campus of ICT in Bhubaneswar to be hosted by IOC.Indian Oil Corporation has signed another MoU with MCPI Ltd. for setting up a Textiles Park in Odisha. With the coming up of an MEG (Mono Ethylene Glycol) Unit at Paradip Refinery and availability of PTA (Purified Terephthalic Acid) in the East, the polyester downstream industry can flourish very well in Eastern Region as well, Shri Pradhan said. By achieving synergy of cotton fibre with polyester fibre to promote and popularise synthetic textiles, the Textiles Park will primarily benefit Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises ( MSMEs), with employment potential of around 22 lakhs, he added.Shri Pradhan hoped that the Conclave, with the theme "Purvodaya - The Dawn of New Investment Opportunities in Eastern India," would serve as an effective platform for young investors to interact with business leaders of the petrochemicals industry, Government functionaries, financial institutions, supply chain professionals as well as incubators in the academia at one place. He complimented the organisers for setting up an Investor Facilitation Lounge to clarify issues raised by prospective investors on the spot.Shri Pradhan announced that CIPET will set up a technology service centre in Paradip to support the development of Plastic units there.Shri Pradhan also inaugurated an exhibition set up at the Conclave venue. The exhibition, with over 35 exhibitors, focussed on how the petrochemicals sector caters to a number of other sectors, by providing raw material for clothing, housing, construction, furniture, automobiles, household items, toys, agriculture, horticulture, irrigation and packaging to medical appliances.Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, Secretary, Dept. of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Govt. of India, who also spoke on the occasion, said that the Department is in the process of developing a master plan for the petrochemicals sector in India to serve as a road map for the next 15-20 years.Mr. Tony Potter, Vice President (Asia Pacific), IHS Market, in his presentation in the inaugural session, said that India's polymers demand is projected to grow from 13 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) currently to 55-60 MMTPA by the year 2040. Therefore, it is very important that the country's investments in petrochemical plants keep pace with the rising demand to avoid imports in the coming years, he said.Petrochemicals can be a major national economic driver, according to Mr. Vipul Tuli, CEO, Sembcorp India. Looking into the future, petrochemicals will not only be an attractive but a crucial and profitable growth area for Indian refiners, he added.Prof. GD Yadav, Vice Chancellor, Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) , Mumbai, in his presentation, elaborated on the scope of chemical and petrochemical industries in Eastern India and the role of academic institutions in nurturing the entrepreneurs and acting as incubators for promising start-ups.Earlier, welcoming the gathering, Mr. Sanjiv Singh, Chairman, IndianOil, said that the oil industry in India is going in for Refinery-Petrochemicals integration on a big scale to capitalise on the huge opportunities available both in India and abroad. This would lead to assured refinery product uptake, assured feedstock availability, major savings in investments in view of shared utilities, infrastructure and logistics, and resultant savings in operating costs, leading to improved GRMs.Senior officials of the Ministries of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Chemicals & Fertilisers, Government of India; CEOs of oil & gas sector companies; and other dignitaries are participating in the event with a host of eminent speakers making presentations during the conclave.
Shri R.K. Singh launches Saubhagya Web-Portal - a Platform for Monitoring Universal Household Electrification

New Delhi : Shri R.K. Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New and Renewable Energy, launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana - 'Saubhagya' Web Portal here today. The portal can be accessed at http://saubhagya.gov.in.





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Addressing the media during the event, Shri Singh said that the Saubhagya Dashboard is a platform for monitoring household electrification progress, which would disseminate information on Household Electrification Status (State, District, village-wise), Household Progress on live basis, State-wise Target vs Achievement, Monthly Electrification Progress, etc.The Minister said that achieving electrification of 4 crore households is a big challenge, nevertheless the Government is committed to achieve this target by December 2018, with the cooperation of all the States. This would, in turn, bring about a huge improvement in the Quality of Life of the Citizens of India. The Government is bringing a change in the Power ecosystem in the Country by pushing towards mandatory metering of all new electrical connections through pre-paid or smart meters. This would make paying of electricity bills viable for the poor, reduce power losses and increase compliance in paying electricity bills, Shri Singh said.Talking about the Saubhagya Portal, the Minister said that through this online platform every State would feed in the current status of progress of electrification works, hence enabling the creation of a system of accountability for the State utility/ DISCOM and help in increasing their viability. Further, Seven States including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland, Chhattisgarh and Assam have given their requirements to the Power Ministry for funds under the Saubhagya Scheme, which would be released soon for aiding the respective electrification works, Shri Singh added.The Saubhagya web-portal has a feature on village electrification camps and in line with that, DISCOMs will organize camps in villages/cluster of villages for facilitating on-the-spot filling up of application forms and to complete requisite documentation to expedite release of electricity connections to households, Shri Singh informed. Further, all States have been asked to announce the schedules of the village camps to be held and hence create awareness among the people about the one-stop facility for getting electricity connections.DISCOMs/ State Power Department will also adopt the innovative mechanism through dedicated web-portal/Mobile App for collection/consolidation of data in electronic form including collection of application form for obtaining electricity connections. The details of consumers viz., Name and Mobile number/Bank account/Driving License/Voter ID etc., as available, would be collected by the DISCOMs.On the sidelines of the Saubhagya Web portal launch, Shri Singh also informed that the Ministry has directed NTPC to mix straw/ crop residue pellets with coal, upto 10%, for power generation in all of its Thermal Power Plants. This step would reduce crop residue burning in agriculture dominated States like Punjab, Haryana etc. and hence reduce air pollution that is currently being experienced. The Minister further said that this step would give the farmers a monetary return of Rs. 5500/ tonne of crop residue and hence create a market for it. The infrastructure for sourcing the crop residue from farmers is being set up and NTPC would soon be issuing tenders in this regard. The Ministry is in talks with all State Governments to make this step mandatory for all the Thermal Power Plants in their jurisdiction, Shri Singh added.BACKGROUND OF SAUBHAGYA SCHEME'Saubhagya' scheme was launched by Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on 25th September, 2017 with an outlay of Rs. 16,320 Crores including Budgetary Support of Rs. 12,320 Crores. Under Saubhagya scheme, all willing households in rural areas and poor families in urban areas are given free electricity connections. There are around 4 Crore un-electrified households in the country and they are targeted for providing electricity connections by December 2018.Till recently, the focus of electrification has been on village electrification through creation of village electricity infrastructure for all households and providing free electricity connections to poor household families in rural areas. Now, Saubhagya has come into existence for providing free electricity connections to all households (both APL and poor families) in rural areas and poor families in urban areas.Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) is the Nodal Agency for the operationalization of the scheme throughout the country. Union Ministry of Power with the support of the States is taking all concerted efforts to fulfill the dream of Hon'ble Prime Minister of seeing Electrified, Bright and Vibrant India with all households having access to electricity connections.
Mission Innovation Smart Grids Workshop

New Delhi : In order to combat the growth of green house gas emission, the world is fast moving to the increased use of renewable energy sources.





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However, there is increased concern that high penetration of renewable energy can cause disruptions in the existing power network due to their intermittent nature. Technology solutions are, therefore, needed to address the challenges related to development design, integration, operation and management of grids which allows use of upto 100 percent renewable energy.Mission Innovation challenge on Smart Grids is collectively working to enable future smart grids powered by renewables. 20 participating countries with India, Italy and China as Co-lead are working together to realise this aspiration. An international workshop is being organised during 16-19th November, 2017 at New Delhi to define research priorities and develop action plan for time bound action for realisation of these objectives.The Technical meeting of the event was inaugurated by Secretary-DST on 16th November, 2017 in presence of several dignitaries including Directors of IIT-Delhi and IIT-Roorkee. The participating countries Australia, China, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, India, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, United States of America , United Kingdom will present the status on smart grids. With this background, the participants will deliberate on research needs and potential for collaboration in the domains of regional grids, distribution grids, micro-grids and cross innovations. The modalities for greater private sector participation and enabling mechanisms will also be discussed besides incentivising the performing research activities. The participating countries will resolve on future action plan and finalise technical contours of the Mission Innovation. A panel discussion with industrial experts is also planned.The Public Workshop of the event will be held on 18th November, 2017 where the outcomes of brainstorming session would be disseminated to the larger stake holder forum. The Minister of State for Science, Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Y.S.Chowdary, and Minister for Power, Shri R.K.Singh will inaugurate the exhibition showcasing achievements of industrial as well as R&D communities in the area. Both the Ministers will share their perspectives on the topic and will be supplemented by representatives from Co-lead countries as well as Directors of IITs (Delhi, Kanpur and Roorkee).A Report on "Mission Innovation Smart Grids" activities, strategies and vision will also be released. India's collaborative programmes with United States and United Kingdom on the theme will also be formally launched. The Forum will adopt New Delhi Declaration and as an initial step in this direction, collaboration agreement between RSC Italy and IIT-Roorkee, India will be signed.
Bill Gates, Adityanath discuss sanitation, investment in Lucknow

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) , Nov 17 : Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Friday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and discussed the repercussions of lack of clean water.





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On the sidelines of the meeting, Principal Secretary Information Avnish Awasthi said the two leaders spoke about the consequences of encephalitis and water-borne diseases on the natives.To this effect, Awasthi said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was being signed to take up developmental activities to curb the spread of this life-threatening disease.Discussions were also held on reviving the agricultural sector through advanced technological measures like soil testing, seeding and so on.However, it was also noted that the Bill Gates Foundation would assist the UP government on matters related to cleanliness, proper treatment of sewage, and so on.Further, Awasthi claimed that Microsoft would work towards the development of the IT sector, along with discussions on tackling tuberculosis, child malnutrition, maternal health, sewage treatment and soil-mapping techniques.Earlier on Thursday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh requested the Microsoft founder and head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to concentrate on making "Model Villages" to inspire the local people.Singh, who met Gates in the national capital had requested him to initiate health awareness programmes in the country.The home minister suggested that the Foundation should concentrate on developing villages and make them model ones.On a related note, the business tycoon is expected to arrive in Vizag later in the afternoon, where he will be received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following this, he is expected to attend the valedictory function of Agri Tech.Later in the evening, Gates will attend the Association of Domestic Tour Operations of India National Conclave 2017, followich which a review meeting is to be held with officials there, prior to his departure.
ivape.in presents at the USA FDA in Washington DC and Asia's First Harm Reduction Meet in Indonesia

New Delhi , Nov 17 : Recently, FDLI organised a Tobacco Products Regulation and Policy conference in Washington DC, USA and Nilesh Jain, the founder of India's leading vaping brand ivape.in was invited as the only Indian speaker at the event.





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Following this, he also represented India at the Asia's first harm reduction meet in Jakarta, Indonesia. The advocates of vaping and active consumer vaping groups from different countries had gathered at this harm reduction forum.The purpose of this meet was to appeal to the local governments, allowing them to regulate the use of electronic cigarettes and the so-called 'heat-not-burn' products which are less harmful alternatives to smoking.Vaping is considered as a harm reduction tool, according to experts. Vaping is an act of inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic device - a battery-operated device which vaporizes a flavored liquid made of propylene glycol, glycerin and flavorings.While there is no specific data on the population of Asian vapers, it is estimated that millions in the region now have switched to vapes which are classified as harm reduction products.While talking about Asian countries, India, one of the fastest growing economy in the world is also the second largest producer of tobacco with an estimated annual production of 800 million kilograms and is also amongst the highest consumer of tobacco products. About 50 million households depend on tobacco industry for a livelihood."The decision of banning vapes is taken by influence and not based on facts or science. There is lack of research and study done on vaping and its benefits to human lives. The tobacco-free NGO's, influencers, and regulators are unclear about its regulation and hence are more focused on imposing a ban. Regulation of ENDS will provide 120 million smokers access to technology that can create the difference between life and death for them. Ban is not a solution, but a violation of fundamental right to choose better and safer alternatives over smoking," said founder of ivape.in, Nilesh Jain.According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey, a staggering 267 million Indians continue to smoke cigarettes and use smokeless variants such as gutka. Some 900,000 people die every year due to this addiction, ranking India among the top four countries in the world for smoking-related diseases.The new US FDA policy of shifting the focus from tobacco to nicotine delivery systems, addresses the heart of the problem, and can have far-reaching impact on public health. In a country like India which has a huge tobacco burden, and where access to public healthcare is minimal at best, making the role of preventive measures even more critical.Advanced countries like USA, UK, Australia amongst others are insisting on more research, studies and evidence based facts to promote ENDS. Indian regulators and the health ministry must also take a step towards evidence based policy making and not introduce ban, thereby denying 140 million smokers the access to technology that can make a huge difference to their life expectancy.Dr. Farsalinos stated that in 2014, 6.1 million Europeans quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes. An additional 9.2 million reduced smoking with e-cigarettes. "E-cigarettes promote smoking cessation. Millions of lives can be saved in Indonesia, Asia and worldwide at no cost to the economy and the state," he says.The Philippines has recently excluded vaping from a nationwide ban on smoking in public places. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that in 2015, 16.6 million adults or 23.8 percent of the Philippine population were smokers. Of the total, 76.7 percent planned or were thinking about quitting, but only 4 percent were able to successfully quit.Many Filipinos switched to vaping when the government issued an executive order prohibiting smoking in public places, according to Tom Pinlac, president of The Vapers, Philippines.In countries that promote the use of electronic cigarettes and heat-no-burn products such as Japan and the UK, smoking prevalence has been declining at a record speed. In the UK for example, 2.2 million smokers have quit smoking within five years. Japan has the world's fastest decline in cigarette use since the last two years. The US FDA just announced this year that its anti-tobacco regulation will be fully geared towards harm reduction while New Zealand Ministry of Health just endorsed this month towards promoting the use of electronic cigarettes.If new policies encourage harm reduction alternatives, the public health benefits can be unprecedented and even more so in Asian countries where smoking rates are high.
EAM Sushma Swaraj welcomes Le Drian

New Delhi , November 17 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Friday welcomed French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian here.





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The two leaders reiterated their strong commitment to further strengthen India-France strategic partnership.Le Drian also called on Minister of State (IC) for Power and New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh.The French minister arrived here on a two-day visit to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries.Minister Le Drian will also call on for wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India.Le Drian's day one visit will be to strengthen various aspects of France's bilateral cooperation with India, its foremost Asian strategic partner: security, economy, sustainable urban development and renewable energy, education and research, people-to-people ties and cultural affairs.On the second day of his visit, he will officially launch the third edition of the Indo-French platform "Bonjour India" on Saturday.Jean-Yves Le Drian will also unveil "The Experience": an immersive and interactive multimedia journey to the heart of the Indo-French relationship.The Grand Opening of Bonjour India will take place at Amber Fort, Jaipur, on Saturday evening. The event will be attended by Minister Le Drian, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, and will also feature a monumental video creation by French artist Xavier de Richemont, entitled "Barghal".Bonjour India is a three-month Indo-French collaborative platform focused on innovation, creativity, and partnership, which will be presented in more than 300 events in 33 cities across India.
Canadians recognized for their commitment to keeping our history alive

OTTAWA: Cultural organizations, teachers, students, and community groups will be honoured for their exemplary work in promoting the exploration of Canada's history.





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The prestigious Governor General's History Awardsarecognizing the excellence of innovative projects and encouraging the dissemination and learning of the history of Canada among its citizensawill be presented at Rideau Hall on November 22, 2017.Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, will preside over the award ceremony in the presence of the winners from communities across the country."I am deeply touched to see just how much our history arouses the interest of teachers, young students, academics, writers, community institutions, and museums. All demonstrate a real passion that is expressed through a desire to share the memory of places, people, and events. In turn, these award winners become witnesses who offer concrete reflections of our past. And since history also happens in the here and now, it is being made today by these Award winners from across the country. I offer them my most sincere congratulations," states Janet Walker, President and CEO of Canada's History, which administers the awards.The Governor General's History Awards are given out in the following five categories:Excellence in Community Programming - recognizes unique local and community history projects (awarded by Canada's History). The winners are:aThe Societe d'histoire de Sherbrooke for its History Goes to the Market event; Sherbrooke, QCaThe Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre and the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation for the new Hodul'eh-a: A Place of Learning gallery; Prince George, BCExcellence in Teaching - recognizes eight exemplary teachers or teams of teachers who are "leaders" in the classroom (awarded by Canada's History, with the support of TD Bank and EF Educational Tours). The winners are:aMarc Mailhot and Lynda Brown, Montgomery Village Public School; Orangeville, ONaJanet Ruest, Chemainus Secondary School; Chemainus, BCaRob Flosman, Waterdown District High School; Waterdown, ONaArmand Doucet, Riverview High School; Riverview, NBaNaomi Fortier-Frecon and Leia Laing, Multi-school project; Regina, SKaGlen Thielmann, D.P. Todd Secondary School; Prince George, BCScholarly Research: The Sir John A. Macdonald Award - recognizes the best Canadian history book produced in the academic milieu (awarded by the Canadian Historical Association, with the support of Manulife Financial). The winner is:aSarah Carter, of the University of Alberta, for her book Imperial Plots: Women, Land, and the Spadework of British Colonialism on the Canadian Prairies, published by University of Manitoba Press, 2016.Excellence in Museums: The History Alive! Award - recognizes institutions that demonstrate excellence in the presentation, preservation, and interpretation of history (awarded by the Canadian Museums Association, with the generous support of Ecclesiastical Insurance Ltd.).aThe Manitoba Museum, for the creation of the Spirit Lines educational kit.Popular Media: The Pierre Berton Award - recognizes exceptional achievement in books, film, television, and new media (awarded by Canada's History). The winner is:aDaniel Francis, historian and author; North Vancouver, BCIn addition to the presentation of the Governor General's History Awards, recipients of the following prizes will also be honoured at Rideau Hall:Indigenous Arts and Stories - encourages indigenous youth to excel in the fields of writing and visual arts (awarded by Historica Canada). The winners are:aMackenzie Anderson; Winnipeg, MBaAlexander Angnaluak; Cold Lake, ABaJulia George; Kuujjuarapik, QCaK. Dawn Martin; Scotland, ONKayak Kids' Illustrated History Challenge - fosters artistic talents and historical knowledge among students between the ages of 7 and 14 (awarded by Canada's History, with the support of TD Bank). The winners are:aIsaac Landry; Murdochville, QCaElly Hooker; Winnipeg, MBExperiences Canada History Award - encourages group organizers to incorporate creative and innovative activities relating to history and heritage into their interprovincial exchanges. The winner is:aDenise Lipscombe; Inuvik, NTThe Governor General's History Awards are administered by Canada's History. Support for certain programs is made possible through the contribution of other invaluable partners and sponsors. For more information on this year's award recipients, please visit CanadasHistory.ca/Awards
Magewell USB Devices Voted Best Capture Hardware by Streaming Media Users

NANJING, China: Magewell is honored to announce that the company's USB Capture Plus family of plug-and-play, external video capture devices has won the 2017 Streaming Media Readers' Choice Award in the 'Capture Hardware' category.





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Regarded as one of the most prestigious accolades in the online video industry, the award was presented during the Streaming Media West conference and exhibition in Huntington Beach, California.Now in their eleventh year, the Readers' Choice Awards are held annually by Streaming Media magazine to honor the best online video solutions as independently judged by end users and readers, rather than by the publication's staff. More than 37,000 votes were cast in this year's balloting across 31 categories spanning the streaming ecosystem."It is a tremendous honor to win a Streaming Media Readers' Choice Award, which is particularly meaningful because it is judged by the people our products are designed to empower - the end users of streaming technology," said Nick Ma, CEO and CTO at Magewell. "Our goal is to provide easy-to-use, high-performance products that enable more and more people - from hobbyists to professionals - to affordably create high-quality streaming content. This award is a strong indication that we are continuing to succeed, and we thank the readers of Streaming Media and our users for choosing us."Darryl Spangler, president of Magewell distributor Mobile Video Devices, accepted the award on Magewell's behalf at the California ceremony. Last month, Magewell was also named to the 2017 Streaming Media 100 as one of the "companies that matter most in online video" by the magazine's own panel of experts.Magewell's USB Capture Plus devices enable all types of computers including laptops to capture professional video and audio signals through a standard USB 3.0 interface. Featuring driver-free installation and automatic input detection for true plug-and-play operation, USB Capture Plus devices are the easiest and most reliable way to bring SDI, HDMI or DVI sources into popular software for live streaming, encoding, web conferencing, lecture capture, visualization, medical imaging and more.Three HD models and two 4K configurations in the USB Capture Plus family provide a flexible choice of input connectivity and capture resolution. High-quality video processing such as up/down/cross-conversion and image adjustments are performed by the devices' integrated FPGA, without taking valuable host system CPU cycles away from third-party software. USB Capture Plus devices are compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems, with the included USB Capture Utility software giving users advanced control of parameters and settings.
Farm At Hand Launches Premium Features

VANCOUVER: Farm At Hand announced today that it is launching a new suite of premium features starting with Crop Planner - a planning tool to take farmers from 30,000 ft. plans down to field specific prescriptions.





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"We believe farm management software should be simple and make managing your farm easier," says CEO Mark Lepp. "Crop Planner is the first of a new suite of premium features we will be launching over the next 12 months, including improved contracts, traceability and enhanced reporting."Crop Planner is designed to help farmers easily plan their upcoming crop year and collaborate with trusted advisors all in one spot, easily turning plans into tracked activities come spring.This is the first venture into paid features for the cloud-based farm management software, which has offered a free platform for farmers since its founding in 2012. The new tool works as a standalone feature or in conjunction with Farm At Hand Agronomy - a platform for agronomists that launched in September in a partnership with Univar Canada."The existing Farm At Hand platform will remain free," says VP of Innovation and Operations, Glen Kroeker. "Our goal with the new premium features is to help our users get more value out of the information they are tracking and to make it easier for them to collaborate with their trusted advisors."Crop Planner is available as part of Farm At Hand Premium for $499/year.
44pc of entrepreneurs with 20+ employees expect to acquire another business in 5 years: BDC study

MONTREAL: Forty-four percent of Canadian entrepreneurs with 20 employees or more expect to acquire another company in the coming five years, says a new BDC study released today, titled What do buyers look for when purchasing a business?





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"The coming wave of business transitions and expected surge of consolidations bode well for Canada's economy," says Pierre Cleroux, Vice President, Research and Chief Economist at BDC. "It should allow for the emergence of Canadian businesses that are in a better position to compete internationally and at home".BDC's study is one of the few to look at buyers of companies and their intentions. Most buyers want to buy a profitable and stable business (61%) or a profitable and growing company (31%), with only 8% looking for an unprofitable or declining firm to buy with the expectation of turning it around, the study found.Among the findings in BDC's study:aEntrepreneurs seeking to make an acquisition are among the most dynamic in the country. 84% say they are eager to grow, while 63% are willing to take risks.aThe top-cited motivation of buyers is horizontal integration (acquiring a competitor), mentioned by 36% of companies, followed by expanding geographic presence (27%).In addition, the study gives advice to entrepreneurs on how to maximize an acquisition's chances of success. Business owners should:aCarefully search for the optimal acquisition target and do thorough due diligence.aMake sure the acquired company is a good cultural fit with their existing business.aBe disciplined about how much they pay.aGet outside advice if needed.aLook for financing that maximizes their repayment flexibility.These findings build on an earlier BDC study released in September that looked at seller intentions. That study reported that 41% of entrepreneurs intend to sell their business in the next five years. However, 71% are reluctant to take risks to improve their business performance, which may cause them to sell below market value. Canadian entrepreneurs must prepare for the change to be better reap the benefits.Both BDC transition studies were conducted in partnership with market-research firm Nielsen, which surveyed leaders at over 2,500 small and mid-sized businesses in the spring of 2017.
India, Bangladesh armies say joint military exercise enhanced interoperability

Ri Bhoi (Meghalaya) , Nov 17 : The seventh Indo-Bangladesh joint training exercise 'Sampriti' was held at Umroi cantonment of Ri Bhoi district in Meghalaya.





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The exercise was aimed at strengthening friendship between the two countries and improving cooperation between their armies.The 13-day training that began on November 6 also aimed at enhancing interoperability between the two armies while carrying out counter-insurgency operations.Around 14 officers from Bangladesh Army and 20 officers from Indian Army participated in the exercise that was organized under the aegis of Red Horns Division of Gajraj Corporations.Indian Army Commander S Sanjay said, "This exercise has been extremely useful for both of us in understanding each other's techniques, tactics and procedures in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in multinational terrorist scenario".The Bangladesh Army Commandant said, "Both the armies, we understand, are training and development is a continuous process. So, the more insurgents will come up with new weapons and technologies at the same time, we should also update our training and equipment so that we always remain one step ahead of them."The exercise was inaugurated by General Officer Commanding of Gajraj Corps Lt. General A.S. Bedi.'Sampriti' has two distinct components, which include Command Post Exercise and Field Training Exercise.Command Post Exercise (CPX) focuses on practicing joint planning and conducting counter-terrorist operations in semi-mountainous terrain with a special focus on drills and procedures followed while operating in dense jungles.While the Field Training Exercise (FTX) emphasizes on physical condition, training on special operations, neutralization of Improvised Explosive Devices, search operations and platoon level tactical drills in counter-terrorist operations scenario.'Sampriti' is held in India and Bangladesh every alternate year.The previous edition of the exercise was held at Tangail in Dhaka last year, while in 2015 India hosted this exercise at Binnaguri in West Bengal.
Tripura festival held in Bengaluru amidst much gaiety

Bengaluru (Karnataka) , Nov 17 : Tripura cultural festival bought India's Silicon Valley, Bengaluru, to life by bringing unique culture and heritage of the North-eastern state to the city.





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The festival was a joint collaboration of an NGO, 'My Home India' and people from Tripura who have settled in Bengaluru.Youngsters from the state gathered in large number to be a part of the festival, which provided them with the opportunity to meet more people from their homeland.An attendee, Saksha Choudhary said, "This is a big achievement for us and it was good to see the people of Tripura come here in large numbers to give us such a positive support. The factor of unity is the main outcome of the festival and a helpline number is also being launched here so that if the people of Tripura have any problems in the city, they can contact that number".Two of the major attractions of the festival were- Indian Idol winner Sourobhee Debbarma's performance, and the famous 'Hojagiri folk dance' that was performed by the Reang people of Tripura.Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Ananth Kumar also graced the festival and expressed his pleasure in being part of the function."You all might belong from Tripura but we all are Indians, not only that you all are our dear residents of our Bengaluru and Karnataka", he said.This noble pursuit to strengthen the brotherhood ties between North-Eastern India and the rest of India was initiated by Sunil Deodhar, under the concept of 'Home Away from Home'.The festival was held on November 12 in Bengaluru's Good Shepherd Auditorium.Such a festival will go a long way in establishing a strong bond among the people and will act as a bridge between states.
Nitish Kumar faction authorized to use JD-U election symbol

New Delhi Nov. 17 : The Janata Dal (United) group led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is now the official owner of party symbol 'arrow'.





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The Election Commission (EC) on Friday passed orders in this regard.Chhotubhai Amarsang Vasava, lone JD(U) MLA from Gujarat, had filed petition in the EC and sought a direction that the faction of Janata Dal (United) led by him may be recognised as the said Party.In his plea, he had claimed that "he has been elected as the Acting President of the Janata Dal (United) on 17-09-2017 in a meeting of the National Executive of the Party held at New Delhi until the election of a new President in accordance with the Constitution of the Party".Vasava had alleged that there has been a dispute in the party following the decision taken in July by the Kumar-led faction to end the grand alliance (Mahagathbandhan), which Congress, JD(U) and Rashtriya Janata Dal formed in 2015, and align with the BJP.According to the petitioner, the decision taken by the Kumar-led faction was against an earlier decision taken by the party and the principles of the JD(U).Considering the upcoming elections in Gujarat, the EC took up this matter on priority.After hearing arguments from petitioner's lawyer, Kapil Sibal, and Nitish Kumar's lawyer, Rakesh Dwivedi; the EC authorized Kumar-led faction to use 'Arrow' symbol.The EC found "the respondent group led by Nitish Kumar has demonstrated overwhelming majority support in the legislature wing as well as the majority in the National Council of the Party which is the Apex level organisational Body of the Party."Hence, the top election body concluded "(that) the group led by Nitish Kumar is hereby recognised as the Janata Dal (United) in terms of Paragraph-'l5 of the Symbols Order. Consequently, the group led by Nitish Kumar is entitled to use the reserved symbol 'Arrow' of the Party as a recognised State Party in Bihar."
This Christmas, get the best of Swiss

New Delhi , Nov 17 : Christmas is that time of the year where the air is filled with love and magic. While Christmas is becoming increasingly commercial in many countries, Switzerland has managed to stay loyal to its tradition.





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The Swiss Christmas typically lasts from the beginning of Advent (December 3, 2017) to the end of Epiphany (January 6, 2018). Several Christmas Markets are seen during this period in Switzerland which makes this festive season even more delightful for visitors who come from different parts of the world.Christmas Markets are scattered throughout Switzerland in almost every town and village and offer a wide variety of arts and craft. They include decorations for the Christmas tree, candles, glass, porcelain, ceramics, and earthenware, Advent wreaths, wooden toys, and crib figures.Let's check out the top five famous Christmas Markets to indulge in this winter:- MontreuxMontreux has a complete fairy-tale ambience and is one of the most beautiful Christmas Markets. Situated on Lake Geneva, this town is nestled between steep hills and the lakeside and had a magnificent view of the snow-capped Alps. More than half a million visitors flock there each year and for its wide variety of Christmas souvenirs and delicacies. The main attraction for children is the Santa's House which can be visited on Rochers-de-Naye - a special cog-wheel train that goes from Montreux to the top of the Alpine peak overlooking Lac Leman.- BaselBasel is proud to be known as the largest and most beautiful 'Christmas City' in Switzerland. Buildings and bridges are magically lit up during this festive period and numerous pine trees are decorated on Europe's longest 'Christmas Street'. The two main Christmas markets in Basel can be found in Barfusserplatz and Munsterplatz, right in the centre of the city. Over 180 traders and artisans offer their goods for sale in small, rustic wooden chalets along with an array of delicious snacks such as waffles and sausages and off course a warm glass of mulled wine to enjoy this festive atmosphere. Basel also offers a variety of interesting events during this festive period including Salvation Army concerts, a Christmas exhibition at the Toy Museum, a special performance at the Puppet Theatre, and a musical Advent door opened each day the Basel Theatre.- ZurichCome December, Switzerland's largest city - Zurich transforms from a financial hub into an enchanting winter wonderland filled with lights and music. Zurich plays host to quite a few Christmas markets every year like the Christmas market in the Old Town, the one by the Zurich Opera House, the Romantic Rapperswill market and the Einsiedeln markets. But the one that attracts visitors the most is the Christmas Market from the main train station for the fact that it is one of the largest indoor Christmas markets in Europe. The pride and joy of this Christmas market is the massive Christmas tree which is adorned with more than 7,000 Swarovski crystal ornaments.- LucerneThe Lucerne Christmas Market is a charming affair with a canopy of twinkling Christmas stars and the fragrance of gingerbread, toffees, spices, punch and mulled wine. Every year several talented craftsmen, performers and chefs do a great job by entertaining and feeding visitors from around the world. A dozen of Christmas stalls offer all types of handmade Christmas gifts right from traditional wooden toys and nativity scenes, to cosy knitted hats and scarves and also unique jewellery to delightful candles. To make this an even more festive ambience, a huge advent wreath is placed across the fountain which serves as a striking centerpiece, with hundreds of pretty lights and candles.
Bertin Launches the Sterilwave 100: the Ultra-Compact Solution for the Management of Potentially Infectious Hospital Waste

Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France : Bertin Technologies is unveiling its new innovative Sterilwave 100 solution for the on-site treatment of biomedical waste at MEDICA Fair (Dusseldorf, November 13-16).





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No bigger than a household washing machine, the ultra-compact Sterilwave 100 unit offers the technology, high performance, traceability, efficiency and quality of equipment of the Sterilwave range. This latest model completes the existing range, comprising Sterilwave 440 and Sterilwave 250, to meet the needs of healthcare clinics, hospitals, laboratories and other establishments producing medical waste.The Sterilwave range uses an alternativetechnologycontrasting with conventional processes of incineration, autoclaving and landfilling. The automated process is carried out in a single tank, following four steps:Loading of all types of unsorted medical waste,Grinding, which renders the waste unrecognizable,Heating and sterilization by microwave treatment without any pressure increase,Unloading of the inert waste with complete traceability.In 30 minutes, the medical waste to be disposed of is transformed into a compact, dry, inert material, with a 25% weight reduction and a 80% volume reduction. As the system achieves a bacterial inactivation level exceeding 8log10*, the waste can then be mixed with household waste and disposed of via existing waste treatment channels, therefore generating savings ( technical and logistics). It also massively reduces risks of contamination.The Sterilwave process and its results, tested by the Pasteur Institute and IRM (Institut de Recherche en Microbiologie) under the supervision of the French Health and Environment Ministries, has been certified as complying with French standard NF X30-503. It also complies with international regulatory standards regarding the required efficacy of disinfection (STAATT recommendations).Designed and produced in France, the Sterilwave technology has already attracted international interest. Eurotec Environmental has installed two Sterilwave 440 units at Barts Health NHS Trust, Whipps Cross Hospital, London. Eurotec Environmental was presented with the 2017 Product Innovation Award by IHEEM (Institute of Healthcare Engineering & Estate Management), October 10th 2017. Thanks to this Sterilwave installation, Eurotec Environmental also won a Green Apple Environment Award 2017 (London, November 6th 2017). This prize is awarded for environmental best practices worldwide.
Our Telekom to Roll Out First 4G/LTE Network and High-Speed Broadband in Solomon Islands with SES Networks

Luxembourg : Solomon Telekom Company Limited, trading under the name Our Telekom, is boosting its capacity with SES Networks to support the launch of its upcoming 4G/LTE network across the Solomon Islands archipelago.





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SES announced that Our Telekom, the leading operator in the Solomon Islands and Oceania region, is upgrading fibre-like high throughput capacity again on the O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite fleet to roll out a suite of 4G/LTE services for consumers and businesses this year, in response to rapidly rising data consumption by subscribers.The Solomon Islands government (SIG) is also a chief beneficiary of this significant capacity expansion with SES Networks, which will support Our Telekom's efficient delivery of high-speed, reliable broadband for critical internet services to the SIG's offices in the capital, Honiara.The increased bandwidth further improves connectivity speeds for Our Telekom's customers, who already enjoy fibre-like services due to the low latency and high throughout offered by the O3b MEO satellites. Since 2015, Our Telekom has relied on SES Networks for their primary off-island connectivity. The telco company has since upgraded its bandwidth six times by a total of 376% to meet fast-growing demand.Loyley Ngira, CEO at Our Telekom, said, "The broadband connectivity enabled by SES Networks on the low latency O3b MEO constellation has had a profound and transformative impact throughout the country. Our customers, whether residents, businesses, universities or government, have readily embraced Our Telekom's connectivity services. This significant capacity upgrade with SES will be instrumental for our 4G/LTE network roll-out, to provide even faster, dramatically improved connectivity all across the Islands.""Our Telekom has been extremely successful in embracing new technologies. SES Networks has been their partner in the evolution from 2G to 3G to 4G. This capacity expansion will significantly enhance their already robust network and help them to usher in the next phase of connectivity for the Solomon Islands. Connectivity is an important economic enabler, and we are thrilled to continue supporting Our Telekom's growth, connecting consumers and businesses in Solomon Islands to new opportunities," said Imran Malik, Vice President, Fixed Data, and Asia-Pacific at SES Networks.
The World in Transition: The GCC Board Directors Institute Concludes Its 5th Annual Chairman Summit

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: More than 130 chairmen, board directors and senior executives from around the world convened in Riyadh on Wednesday 1st November, 2017 at the 5th Annual Chairman Summit, organized by the GCC Board Directors Institute (GCC BDI) in collaboration with Morgan Stanley.





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His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, inaugurated the summit with keynote remarks read on his behalf. Later on in the afternoon, the Minister joined the meeting and engaged in a very open and candid Q&A session with the audience.The Summit offered an excellent platform for networking and peer sharing. HE Dr. Ahmed Abdulkarim Alkholifey, Chairman of SAMA, joined HE Abdullatif Al Othman, Chairman of Dussur (Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company), in a panel discussion on the topic of the Regional Macro Environment and Driving Diversification, whereas HE Mohammed Elkuwaiz, Chairman of CMA, and Khalid Al Hussan, CEO of Tadawul, engaged with the chief executives of ENBD and National Bank of Bahrain in a discussion around tapping capital markets and the future of regional markets in financing the economic growth. Colm Kelleher, President of Morgan Stanley, was also amongst the speakers present.In his welcome address, Mohammed Al Shroogi, Chairman of GCC BDI and co-CEO of Investcorp, stated: "The theme for this Summit "The World in Transition' is extremely timely. The global economic landscape is shifting in a multifaceted way that will directly impact the GCC. This is the time to consider institutional reforms which will leave the regions private sector stronger and more resilient."Abdulaziz Alajaji, CEO of Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia commented "We are were delighted to partner with GCC BDI for this summit and would like to congratulate everyone involved for ensuring the occasion was a great success. It provided a forum for those who will help drive forward the Saudi Vision to meet with international leaders and discuss how to maximize the opportunities ahead of us. Saudi Arabia has much to offer the rest of the world, as an attractive and exciting growth market. With the global economy becoming more interconnected, it is important that we share best practices of board and corporate governance. That is why events such as this are incredibly important, to share that knowledge and help us all grow."The discussions also included views from the private sector, led by Dr. Abdullah Al Abdulgader Chairman of STC, and Mr. Mutlaq Al-Morished, CEO of Tasnee.The 5th Annual Chairman Summit coincided this year with GCC BDI's 10th anniversary in the GCC, as well as Morgan Stanley's 10th anniversary of opening their offices in KSA, as the collaboration between the two parties brought a global perspective to the local and regional economic landscape.
Steelworkers Reject ABI's Discriminatory Pension Plan for Young Workers

BACANCOUR, QC: The employer's demand for a discriminatory, two-tier pension plan for new workers is jeopardizing contract negotiations at the Becancour Smelter (ABI), which employs 1,030 workers in the Centre-du-Quebec region.





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The smelter's unionized employees, members of Syndicat des Metallos/United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9700, categorically reject a discriminatory, inferior pension plan for the next generation of workers.The potential labour dispute is developing as the Quebec government considers legislative reforms that would prohibit companies from imposing two-tier pension and benefit schemes on young workers.With a hiring boom expected at the Becancour Smelter over the next few years, the Steelworkers union is rejecting any change that would discriminate against new workers."We all do the same work and there is no reason why newly hired workers should not be entitled to the same pension plan," said Clement Masse, Steelworkers Local 9700 President."The company is trying to tighten the screws and create division among workers. Employers have to understand that, in Quebec, we reject discrimination against new workers. It is simply not acceptable," Masse said.Aside from ABI, other employers have tried to introduce two-tier pensions schemes on Quebec Steelworkers. Several ran into a brick wall.Quebec Steelworkers went on strike at Ciment Lafarge and at refractory brick maker Resco to resist such changes and were poised to strike at ArcelorMittal before the company withdrew its concessionary demands.Quebec law already bans discriminatory, two-tier wage schemes. At its 2015 convention, Quebec's Liberal Party passed a resolution to also ban two-tier pension plans, but the Liberal government has yet to act on its own policy."The Steelworkers have been fighting against two-tier pension plans for several years. We are asking that legislation be finally introduced to prohibit such discrimination, as happened with wages in 2001," Masse said."ABI needs to be aware that it is heading straight into a wall with its demands. Steelworkers before us fought for these rights and we are ready to follow in their footsteps. The current economic climate is particularly favourable to aluminum producers that are reaping huge profits. This should be reflected in the working and living standards of their employees," he added.In addition to discriminatory pension demands, negotiations at the ABI smelter have also stalled over the company's opposition to seniority rights for employees, particularly with respect to widespread job transfers and mobility issues expected in coming years as hundreds of new workers are hired.The existing collective agreement at the smelter is set to expire on Nov. 22.The Syndicat des Metallos/United Steelworkers is the largest private-sector union in Quebec, representing 60,000 workers in all sectors of the economy.
Tork Helps Airplanes Take Flight Faster and Cleaner

PHILADELPHIA: This fall, the Tork brand, made by Essity (formerly SCA), a leading provider of customized solutions for highly-technical business segments, landed in the Aviation industry with its wide range of tasked-based wipers.





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Designed specifically to meet the demands of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MROs) technicians, Tork wipers help minimize aircraft maintenance downtimes, making the use of rags obsolete.Tork provides a series of customizable wiping and cleaning solutions geared towards the Aviation industry. Whether it is for general maintenance like wiping hands, cleaning large spills and parts, or other tasks sensitive to linting or where static discharge poses a problem, Tork has a wiper optimized for the job. Furthermore, dispenser systems located across workstations allow technicians to quickly access clean wipers designed specifically for tasks. By using these wipers, technicians are estimated to take up to 20 per cent less effort, 30 per cent less time and use 40 per cent less solvents.iIn addition to streamlining aircraft maintenance procedures, the wipers provide:aConsistent Performance Every Time: Unlike rags, Tork industrial wipers are designed with different capabilities for a wide range of tasks. Furthermore, each wiper designed to tackle specific activities has the exact same specifications and efficacy. Many products in the range have BMS (Boeing Manufacturing Standard) or AMS (Aerospace Material Standard, SAE) or are tested for Electro Static Discharge. Gone are the days of uncertainty surrounding effectiveness and consistency.aSafer Working Environment: Depending on the thickness or composition of a rag, high quantities of solvent may be required to complete a task, exposing technicians to volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Task-based wipes like Tork Heavy Duty Cleaning Cloths with exelCLEAN technology offer consistent performance, absorbing solvents quickly and releasing them evenly, decreasing VOC emissions and requiring up to 40 per cent less solvent to get the job done.ii This helps provide a safer working environment for technicians, helping MROs secure and maintain International Standards Organization (ISO) certification.aOrganized and Clean Work Space: Tork wipers are uniform and come packaged to help make organization and tidiness easier to achieve and maintain. Wiper dispenser solutions from Tork also take up less space than bulky bagged rags, which have substantial storage requirements. Tork wipers are also disposable, so once a task is complete, there are no rags left around creating a risk of cross contamination, or clutter."We are excited to expand the work we're doing within the aviation industry through the Tork brand," says Tom Bergin, Healthcare and Industrial Marketing Director for Essity Professional Hygiene, North America. "Aviation maintenance technicians are responsible for billions of dollars worth of equipment, and ultimately the safety and lives of passengers the airplanes carry. Through our decades of experience serving customers in highly-specialized fields like light and heavy manufacturing as well as automotive where effectiveness and consistency are key, we are confident that these aviation-specific solutions will take our customers' business take flight."
LG Electronics Demonstrates Commitment to Sustainable Building Projects

BOSTON: LG Electronics USA Air Conditioning Technologies is debuting a new case study in the LG Project Profile Series, the unique LEED-certified renovation of Columbia Square, a mixed-use property in Hollywood, Calif.





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The project - spotlighted at the 2017 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo alongside other sustainable building renovations - showcases how LG's unique heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies can be installed in a variety of commercial and residential environments.Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8212551-lg-electronics-greenbuild-2017-expo-sustainable-building/LG's industry-leading Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology and duct-free solutions are making major inroads in the United States where the demand for high-performance, flexible HVAC technology continues to grow. LG's air conditioning systems are designed to minimize efficiency losses found in conventional HVAC systems, provide sustainable energy savings, and offer one of the lowest lifecycle costs of any system on the market today.Columbia SquareOriginally built in 1938 as the home of CBS's Hollywood headquarters, Columbia Square previously housed the CBS Radio Network's West Coast facilities, as well as CBS's original Los Angeles television and radio stations. The outstanding media village now heralds historic, yet urban workspaces, restaurants, walkable shopping and residential living.The large-scale, mixed-use project required a HVAC system that would combine an energy-efficient and cost-effective platform, as well as flexibility for a shell and core fit-out. The team looked for a system that was efficient, quiet, reliable, low maintenance, and easily configurable.The chosen LG VRF system was able to support building's numerous glass windows and open spaces while still delivering high energy efficiencies to achieve the esteemed LEED Gold certification. The energy-efficient LG Multi V VRF system met all of Columbia Square's criteria with flawless performance, and for nearly the same cost as a traditional system, Columbia Square now has a highly reliable HVAC solution that provides energy-efficient and individualized comfort for residents and occupants.Other recent case studies on major projects from coast to coast also will be spotlighted in LG's booth (#2203) at the Greenbuild 2017 Expo, taking place this week in Boston:Sharpe Building at The FoundryOriginally built in 1872, The Foundry has a rich history dating back more than a century. The goal for the renovation of the 157,500-square-foot, six-story building was to develop 196 loft-style luxury residences. The project team required an HVAC system that would both retain the Sharpe Building's unique architectural character, while appealing to young professionals migrating to Providence's urban center who expect modern comfort and conveniences. Therefore, the team looked for a system that was energy-efficient, aesthetically pleasing and, equally important, quiet. The project team recommended installing the LG Multi V IV VRF heat recovery system, which would maintain the aesthetics of the historic building while addressing space considerations by running small refrigerant lines throughout the building without using bulky ductwork. The energy-efficient LG Multi V IV VRF system met all the Sharp Building's criteria with flawless performance and for nearly the same cost as a traditional system in addition to lower operating costs, the Sharpe Building now has a highly dependable, stable HVAC solution that offers superior comfort for residents.Smouse Elementary SchoolInitially commissioned in 1931 and designed for students with special needs, the Smouse Opportunity School was one of the first schools in Iowa to create a conducive learning environment for those students unable to attend a traditional public school due to physical or mental disabilities. Due to its turn-of-the-century design, the school needed a versatile HVAC upgrade that balanced efficiency with the unique design needs of a historic building with several floors of varying environments. Most importantly, Smouse required a system that would provide an optimal comfort environment for its students while preserving the architectural integrity of the building. LG's VRF Multi V Water IV system was selected for its ability to deliver on all of Smouse's requirements and worked perfectly for the environment because it was able to hook into the adjacent school's central plant that already had a cooling tower and boiler to easily incorporate the LG water-cooled condensing units in the basement. From there, the refrigerant piping was routed to the varying zones established in the school. Smouse was able to install the LG VRF system over a 10-week summer vacation, and the landmark school building now features an updated HVAC system that serves the needs of its students while preserving the notable historic architecture - all while reducing utility costs for the school.The Mill at Dover-FoxcroftLocated on the Piscataquis River in Maine, The Mill at Dover-Foxcroft is 60,000 square foot complex comprised of nine structures built between 1841 and 1944. After sitting vacant for nearly a decade, a local development group embarked on a full renovation of the complex to develop a mixed-use building complete with residences, office space, a cafe and boutique inn. On top of functioning in the extreme weather conditions, in order to achieve the desired net-zero impact, the HVAC system needed to be energy efficient, while still delivering on the specific comfort requirements of the varying businesses operating throughout the complex. All of this had to be achieved with minimal modification to the structure in order to preserve its historic nature. LG's robust solution featured 180 tons of LG Multi V Water IV Heat Recovery Units that tied into the geothermal well system and included a variety of indoor units, such as ceiling cassettes, wall mounts, high static ducted and floor standing indoor units. By implementing a predominantly duct-free solution, the small refrigerant piping was minimally invasive to the building's envelope. The design flexibility of the LG VRF solution allowed for the appropriate mix of indoor units to be used to meet the comfort and aesthetic requirements of each space."LG is continually focused on bringing energy-efficient, cost-effective HVAC solutions to our customers, and our goal is to answer the sustainability needs of any facility - from academic campuses and luxury residences to mixed-use spaces and everything in between," said Kevin McNamara, senior vice president and general manager, LG Electronics USA Air Conditioning Technologies. "With our ultra-efficient, award-winning VRF technology, we're proud to lead the way in sustainable buildings, and we aim to raise the bar in efficiency year after year."
Nation's Largest Online Backpack Retailer Launches "We've Got Your Back" Charitable Campaign

POMPANO BEACH, Fla: Backpacks.com, the nation's leading online backpack retailer today announced the launch of a year-long charitable commitment to help collect and donate funding and other resources to members of the community.





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The "We've Got Your Back Campaign" represents Backpacks.com's commitment to support people and organizations that devote their time to make our community a better place. These generous individuals and groups help others carry the loads that life hands us. The campaign will help make those loads a bit lighter for them. They've got our backs! Backpacks.com has theirs!Backpacks are among the most versatile accessories, able to carry almost anything that is needed. That's the inspiration behind the "We've Got Your Back Campaign." Throughout the year Backpacks.com will donate backpacks to numerous organizations, often filling them with items helpful to that organization.This week, the "We've Got Your Back Campaign" began with a donation to assist school children affected by this summer's hurricanes.Backpacks.com partnered with the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) this week to provide free backpacks to children in Port Arthur, one of the hardest hit areas of Texas."We are extremely grateful to Backpacks.com for its generous contribution of backpacks to Port Arthur school children who were displaced by Hurricane Harvey. A good backpack is an essential piece of equipment for most school kids, and these are even more important to children whose lives were uprooted by the disaster. It will help them return to a sense of normalcy," said Noel Candelaria, president of the Texas State Teachers Association.Phase two of the campaign continues during the holiday season with a pledge to support those who support us. In this season of giving thanks, Backpacks.com's "We've Got Your Back Campaign" is helping thank your favorite charity.The retailer is asking the public to visit their website and cast a vote for one of the great charities that help those in need. Backpacks.com will donate free, new backpacks filled with items to the winning charity for distribution during the holidays.In addition to donating bags currently selling on Backpacks.com, the online retailer has committed to collecting gently used bags from across the United States as part of the "We've Got Your Back Campaign." The company is encouraging the public to visit their website, Backpacks.com, and click on the link to donate a bag. All donors will receive a coupon redeemable for discounts on the website."This twelve month promise to help others really speaks to the heart of the Backpacks.com family. We have committed to help others, but we also want to forge a partnership with our extended Backpacks.com family. We need people to send us their gently used backpacks so we may get them in the hands of children who need them most. We also ask everyone to visit Backpacks.com and join us in helping the people who donate their time to helping others every day," said Armand Vezina, Vice President of Operations at Backpacks.com.
GJS Announces the Launch of The World's First FPS Battle Robot; Leverages Visual Recognition Technology

SHENZHEN, China: GEIO, the world's first FPS battle robot is landing on Kickstarter on November 8, 2017. The GEIO features auto-tracking and a variety of gameplay modes, making it the best battle robot at the consumer price range.





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This innovative product is developed by GJS, which raised ten of millions in the Series A round of funding led by Tencent earlier this month.GEIO's design concept is to create an amazing battle bot which is versatile and easy to control. To experience the tantalizing taste of what FPS can do for robot gaming, players simply need to connect their smart devices with GEIO; a dynamic and immersive battle will follow. Featuring FPS and visual recognition, GEIO offers mighty battling abilities, plus four classical gameplay modes, including the all-time favourite "Royal Duel", "Attack and Escort", "Scavenger Hunt" and "Speed Race".GEIO Key FeaturesIn addition to featuring an array of interesting game modes, GEIO has applied the AI technology which is most commonly used in automated vehicle. In the presence of AI, GEIO is capable of auto-targeting and tracking the enemy, allows players to shoot the target within 1 second. In order to enhance the excitement and power up GEIO, the GJS team has created a wide range of totems for GEIO to perform auto scanning with its built-in camera.All The Premium Features of GEIO:aControl it to shoot target with first person view on your smartphone.aAuto-identify enemies, auto-tracking for target.aIts uniquely designed omnidirectional wheels can turn 360A and move very fast.aVarious A.I. emotions to interact with the player.aVarious gameplay modes: combat, attack and escort, win flag and racetrack.GEIO is now available for preorder on Kickstarter at a super early-bird deal of $109 (limited-time offer).
Banfield Pet Hospital Announces Debt Relief Program For Veterinarians

VANCOUVER, Wash: Banfield Pet Hospital today unveiled the Banfield Veterinary Student Debt Relief Pilot Program. Marking the latest development in the practice's commitment to supporting its associates' financial well-being, Banfield is set to launch a new debt-relief program for its veterinarians in December 2017.





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"High levels of veterinary student debt are plaguing the industry, and Banfield is committed to helping veterinarians address this significant burden," said Dr. Daniel Aja, senior vice president & chief medical officer, Banfield Pet Hospital. "As we continue to dedicate ourselves to continuous improvement as a practice, we're investing in the new Banfield Veterinary Student Debt Relief Pilot Program to support our doctors first and foremost - but also set the bar for the veterinary profession to help address this industry-wide issue."The new Banfield Veterinary Student Debt Relief Pilot Program for eligible doctors will include three main elements:1.A low-interest refinancing option with supplementary .25% interest-rate reduction from a third party financial institution2.A monthly student-loan contribution of $150 paid by Banfield directly on qualifying student loans3.A one-time $2,500 payment for each qualifying Banfield student program in which the doctor participates prior to graduatingResearch shows veterinarians carry a staggering amount of student debt, averaging more than $167,000. 1 The Banfield Veterinary Debt Relief Pilot Program is intended to begin to help relieve this burden and promote the financial health and well-being of Banfield doctors."When I graduated from veterinary school, I had finally achieved a lifelong dream to be part of the profession I loved so much - but it came at a high cost," said Dr. Kirk Breuninger, Banfield Veterinary Student Debt Relief Pilot Program ambassador, Banfield Pet Hospital. "Like most early career veterinarians, my student debt weighed heavily on me and made financial freedom very challenging. The new student debt benefit shows Banfield is listening to and addressing the needs of its associates."Designed to create an environment in which doctors can focus on what matters most to them - providing high-quality care to pets - the aim of the new offerings is to further improve the practice's holistic health and well-being strategy, which also includes comprehensive benefits and programs that focus on mind and body, financial, career, and community well-being such as flexible schedules; community volunteering programs; stress resilience and energy management programs; continuing education funds; and Banfield-sponsored industry memberships.Examples of other Banfield financial well-being offerings include 100 percent practice-paid partial income replacement benefits for full-time associates to cover illness, pregnancy and unexpected events in life; and 100 percent practice-paid life insurance coverage to meet financial needs of associates' loved ones.
Shopify Founder and CEO joins industry leaders shaping Canada's future economic growth

OTTAWA: Six industry leaders are being tasked with guiding the Government of Canada's efforts to ensure middle-class Canadians have access to well-paying jobs today and in the future. The six leaders will chair the government's Economic Strategy Tables, which represent high-growth industries.





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The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, today announced that Tobias Lutke, Founder and CEO of Shopify, headquartered in Ottawa, will chair the digital industries table. Mr. Lutke joins the four previously announced chairs:aCharles Deguire, Co-founder of Kinova Robotics of Boisbriand, Quebec, who is chairing the advanced manufacturing table;aMurad Al-Katib, President and CEO of AGT Food and Ingredients of Regina, Saskatchewan, who is chairing the agri-food table;aKarimah Es Sabar, CEO of and partner in Quark Venture of Vancouver, British Columbia, who is chairing the health/bio-sciences table; andaAudrey Mascarenhas, President and CEO of Questor Technology of Calgary, Alberta, who is chairing the clean technology table.Each chair will preside over a group of approximately 15 members as they guide federal efforts to create the conditions for long-term growth that lead to new business opportunities and middle-class jobs for Canadians.There are technology disruptions in virtually every sector of the economy, and the government is ensuring that Canadian businesses and people have the information and skills they need to benefit from all emerging technologies.The Economic Strategy Table chairs were selected based on the advice of industry leaders and associations as well as federal government departments. The chairs, working with federal government departments, will choose the 15 members for their tables. Industry chairs and table members represent a diverse group of experts from six high-growth sectors.The Economic Strategy Tables will set ambitious growth targets for Canadian innovators, identify sector-specific challenges and create a roadmap to support Canada's global success.The chair of the clean resources table will be announced in the coming weeks.The Economic Strategy Tables are part of the Government's Innovation and Skills Plan to create well-paying jobs and strengthen the middle class by investing in high-growth sectors where Canada has a globally competitive advantage.Quote"The sectors that drive innovation are where the middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow are created. Our government is committed to working with entrepreneurs and innovators to generate new business opportunities, create good middle-class jobs and equip Canadians with the skills they need for the jobs of the future. Our government looks forward to working with industry partners through the Economic Strategy Tables to turn high-growth Canadian companies into global successes."- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic DevelopmentQuick factsaEach table will present a report of its findings and recommendations by summer 2018.aThese tables will support the government's goal of doubling the number of high-growth Canadian companies to 28,000 from 14,000 by 2025.
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

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In 2016, news about the Zika virus in Brazil made the headlines in Europe for the first time. With approximately 65 million people affected, it is one of the largest epidemics in the last few years. The Olympics additionally fuelled fears that the virus could spread globally. When the first cases of newborns with microcephaly, i.e. malformations of the brain, were observed in connection to Zika, it became apparent that further research was called for. The DZIF responded to this global challenge and, under the leadership of Jan Felix Drexler, Charite - Universitatsklinikum Berlin, initiated a German alliance project with Brazilian scientists, which investigates the pathogenesis and epidemiology of Zika.

Population immunity is giving the virus less and less latitude

"The spread of the Zika virus in northeastern Brazil has been so intense that the current Zika epidemic could soon be over," explains Drexler. People who have undergone Zika virus infections usually become immune against the virus. Consequently, fewer and fewer people can now contract Zika virus infections and subsequently serve as a source of the virus for mosquitoes. According to the authors of the study, "Outbreaks in the same region are therefore rather unlikely." The Zika virus is currently spreading from Brazil to the neighboring countries but, according to Drexler, may gradually fade out on its own. However, to date it is still unclear as to whether the virus can hide in other animals to then cause new outbreaks in humans.

Laboratory-based data on the spread of the virus available for the first time

The study is the first laboratory-based epidemiological study since the start of the Zika epidemic. Samples from 910 humans in Salvador, northeast Brazil, were tested for Zika virus antibodies as well as for other viruses transmitted by mosquitoes--such as Chikungunya and dengue. The samples were obtained before, during and after the peak of the Zika outbreak. An infection rate of over 60 percent was observed in this metropolis. With mathematical modeling and sociodemographic data alongside the laboratory values, the scientists used a multidisciplinary approach to elucidate the speed of virus spread, areas most affected by Zika and the link to malformations in newborns.

Link between Zika and microcephaly

"The increased number of newborns with microcephaly observed during the Zika outbreak in Brazil is linked to Zika infection of the mother during early pregnancy," explains Drexler. Data from the Brazilian metropolis have confirmed this suspicion and, together with other studies, enable the researchers to estimate the absolute risk of microcephaly upon infection of the mother during pregnancy: approximately one out of 100 mothers infected during early pregnancy will bear a child with microcephaly.

Link between Zika and poverty

Analysis of geospatial data and socioeconomic status demonstrated a connection between the likelihood of Zika infection and increased poverty. "We can see that poorer regions are more severely affected by Zika," confirms Drexler. "Reasons for this can currently only be assumed." The scientists suspect that living conditions contribute to the situation. "Mosquitoes can more easily access these homes and people are more exposed." According to the authors of the study, these findings could be taken into consideration for developing future intervention measures, such as ensuring that people living in poorer regions have better access to protection against mosquitoes. In addition, more targeted use of the potential vaccines and drugs that scientists are currently working on intensively could be planned.

Tackling global challenges jointly

The University of Cologne, Heidelberg University and the Heinrich Pette Institute in Hamburg were involved in the study through the ZIKApath project which was initiated by the DZIF. Further support was provided by the EU-funded project ZIKAlliance. The German researchers worked together closely with partners from the University of Salvador in Bahia, Brazil, as well as with partners from the University of Bonn Medical Centre, the Fraunhofer Institute in Leipzig, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Health and Aix-Marseille University.
Birth defects in babies born infected with Zika virus remain a major health concern. Now, scientists suggest the possibility that some women in high-risk Zika regions may already be protected and not know it.

New research in PLOS Pathogens on Nov. 16, performed in mice, shows women who develop symptom-free Zika infections may be able to acquire immunity that would protect them from future infections and their offspring in a future pregnancy. The study was led by investigators at the Cincinnati Children's Perinatal Institute.

During their study of Zika infection in pregnant mice, the authors found built-up immunity in previously infected mothers that continued into pregnancy and protected fetal tissues. Because the mothers had already cleared their non-symptomatic Zika infections, they developed high levels of protective immunoglobulin antibodies against the virus that researchers found in the animals.

Detection of these protective antibodies points to the possibility of developing diagnostic tests to identify naturally immune women and distinguish them from women at high risk of infection, according to researchers.

"We need more research to investigate the levels of antibodies generated when humans get infected, and how they work in women during pregnancy. But this opens up the possibility that some individuals likely have acquired natural resistance to infection," said Sing Sing Way, MD, PhD, lead author and a pediatrician in the Division of Infectious Diseases. "There are promising efforts underway to develop a vaccine against Zika, but currently there isn't one. These results suggest in lieu of a vaccine, Zika-fighting antibodies could be used therapeutically to help protect high-risk women."

The ability to identify high-risk women would help develop focused therapeutic strategies for prevention, researchers say. They also suggest their findings point to the possibility of combining protective antibodies with an eventual vaccine, which could synergistically provide more a robust level of protection against Zika.

Way and his colleagues, including co-first authors Lucien Turner and Jeremy Kinder, PhD, stress that because study was in animal infection models, it's premature to say how the findings will apply clinically. Future studies will include closer biological investigation to understand exactly how built-up immunoglobulin antibodies protect against Zika infection in mothers and their developing fetal offspring.

Zika Explosion

The study comes in the wake of an ongoing Zika epidemic and an explosion of cases involving fetal death, microcephaly (born with severely decreased head size), and other congenital birth defects. Researchers said expectant mothers are especially susceptible to Zika infection compared to non-pregnant women. If the virus is active during pregnancy, it usually spreads to vital tissues of a developing fetus.

Because Zika virus infection in healthy non-pregnant women is mostly asymptomatic, many women of reproductive age in high-risk regions have a cleared infection before pregnancy, according to researchers. High-risk regions of the world include areas of Africa and Central and South America, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To investigate the impact of a prior infection on the susceptibility to reinfection, researchers infected two groups of mice with Zika.

One group had a previous asymptomatic infection that had resolved before scientists performed a second round of infection. They found that susceptibility to Zika virus infection was markedly reduced in mice that had previously cleared a prior infection compared to those undergoing a first infection during pregnancy.

Mice that didn't have prior Zika infections developed clinical symptoms and sharply increased levels of Zika virus in their blood, which spread to fetal tissues.

Zika virus could not be found in most of the baby mice from mothers with resolved infection prior to pregnancy. Protection found in Zika-resistant mice could be transferred to susceptible mice with Zika virus neutralizing antibodies found in the blood of mice with prior asymptomatic infection.
A new procedure that can prevent the potentially lethal side effects of stem cell transplants is a step closer to helping more patients with blood cancers after a breakthrough in understanding of the key mechanism that makes it work.

The research, by scientists based at Kings College London, was funded by the blood cancer research charity Bloodwise, and is published online in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Stem cell transplantation, also known as bone marrow transplantation, represents the only chance of a cure for some people with leukemia and is given after rounds of intensive chemotherapy, which kill cancer and healthy blood cells in the patient. Blood stem cells from donor bone marrow, sometimes known as a graft, then provide the patient with a new healthy blood supply, including a new immune system that can hunt down and kill remaining cancer cells  a process called a graft versus tumor response.

Although stem cell transplants can be life-saving, many people experience a potentially lethal complication, in which the donor white blood cells also attack the patients healthy cells and tissues  a phenomenon known as graft versus host disease or GvHD.

A new procedure to treat the most severe cases of GvHD, which involves the infusion of rare bone marrow cells called mesenchymal stem cells, has had highly promising results in some patients. Its use has been limited, however, as its effectiveness appears to be entirely unpredictable.

Researchers, led by Professor Francesco Dazzi, showed that the immunosuppressive effect of mesenchymal stem cells only occurs if they die after infusion into the patient. Studying the procedure in mice with GvHD, the scientists found that it is only during apoptosis, the process of cell death, that mesenchymal stem cells engage with the patients immune system and tell it to stop attacking healthy tissue. Accordingly, only patients whose immune systems attack and kill the infused mesenchymal stem cells benefited from a suppressive effect on their GvHD.

The team then showed that mesenchymal stem cells killed in the laboratory just before being infused were just as effective at suppressing GvHD in mice, raising the possibility that the procedure could be made effective for all patients.

Professor Francesco Dazzi, from the Division of Cancer Studies, Kings College London, said:

The side effects of a stem cell transplant can be fatal and this factor is a serious consideration in deciding whether some people are suitable to undergo one. If we can be more confident that we can control these lethal complications in all patients, more people will be able to receive this life saving procedure. The next step will be to introduce clinical trials for patients with GvHD, either using the procedure only in patients with immune systems capable of killing mesenchymal stem cells, or killing these cells before they are infused into the patient, to see if this does indeed improve the success of treatment.

Over 1,600 people received a bone marrow transplant from a related or unrelated donor in the UK and Ireland in 2016. It is estimated that up to 80% of recipients of a transplant from a donor will experience some degree of GvHD.

Dr. Alasdair Rankin, Director of Research at Bloodwise, said:
Aging research specialists have identified, for the first time, a form of mental exercise that can reduce the risk of dementia.

The cognitive training, called speed of processing, showed benefits up to 10 years after study participants underwent the mental exercise program, said Frederick W. Unverzagt, PhD, professor of psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine.

The proportion of participants who underwent the training and later developed dementia was significantly smaller than among those who received no cognitive training, the researchers said.

There were measurable benefits even though the amount of training was small and spread out over time: 10 one-hour sessions over six weeks initially and up to eight booster sessions after that.

"We would consider this a relatively small dose of training, a low intensity intervention. The persistence  the durability of the effect was impressive," said Dr. Unverzagt, who explains more in a Q&A blog post.

Results from the Advanced Cognitive Training in Vital Elderly  ACTIVE  study of 2,802 older adults were recently reported in Alzheimer & Dementia Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, a peer-reviewed journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

The researchers, from IU, the University of South Florida, Pennsylvania State University and Moderna Therapeutics, examined healthy adults aged 65 years and older from multiple sites and who were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups:

Participants who received instructions and practice in strategies to improve memory of life events and activities.

Participants who received instruction and practice in strategies to help with problem solving and related issues.

Participants who received computer-based speed of processing exercises  exercises designed to increase the amount and complexity of information they could process quickly.

A control group whose members did not participate in any cognitive training program.

Initial training consisted of 10 sessions lasting about an hour, over a period of five to six weeks. A subset of participants who completed least 80 percent of the first round of training sessions were eligible to receive booster training, which consisted of four 60 to 75-minute sessions 11 months and 35 months following the initial training. Participants were assessed immediately after training and at one, two, three, five and 10 years after training.

After attrition due to death and other factors, 1,220 participants completed the 10-year follow-up assessment. During that time, 260 participants developed dementia. The risk of developing dementia was 29 percent lower for participants in speed of processing training than for those who were in the control group, a statistically significant difference. Moreover, the benefits of the training were stronger for those who underwent booster training. While the memory and reasoning training also showed benefits for reducing dementia risk, the results were not statistically significant.

Dr. Unverzagt noted that the speed of processing training used computerized "adaptive training" software with touch screens. Participants were asked to identify objects in the center of the screen, while also identifying the location of briefly appearing objects in the periphery. The software would adjust the speed and difficulty of the exercises based on how well participants performed.

In contrast the memory and reasoning programs used more traditional instruction and practice techniques as might occur in a classroom setting.

Earlier studies had shown that ACTIVE cognitive training improved participants' cognitive abilities and the ease of engaging in activities of daily living five and 10 years after the initial training. However, an examination of the role of ACTIVE cognitive training on dementia incidence was not significant after five years of follow-up. 
Utilizing an electronic nose could be an effective and affordable screening method for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, new research suggests.

In research published in the latest edition of the UEG Journal, Scientists in Finland demonstrated that there is variance in the volatile compounds found in the urine of pancreatic cancer patients to that of healthy controls. Research was then undertaken to assess whether FAIMS (Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry) technology could effectively differentiate between pancreatic cancer patients and healthy individuals as a tool for screening.

FAIMS has recently emerged as a new tool for biomolecular analysis, allowing researchers to distinguish between molecules. The technique is affordable (each test costs approximately 20), non-invasive and it is estimated that up to 20 urine samples could be analyzed every hour. When detecting pancreatic cancer and pancreatic pre-malignant lesions, the FAIMS test resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 85% and 75% respectively.

The aim is to now improve the sensitivity and specificity of FAIMS technology for pancreatic cancer to 90% explained researcher Doctor Samuli Nissinen, a specialist in gastroenterology and internal medicine. We are refining our methods to reach these results, and further tests will soon be undertaken to collect new data.

The number of deaths from pancreatic cancer in the EU is expected to overtake those of breast cancer within the near future, meaning that pancreatic cancer will become the third leading cause of death from cancer in the EU. The median survival time for someone diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in Europe is just 4.6 months, with patients losing 98% of their healthy life expectancy at the point of diagnosis.

The number of people dying each year from pancreatic cancer is rising adds Doctor Nissinen. Despite its severity, screening the entire population for the disease is not currently plausible. We do believe that FAIMS has the potential to be a screening tool for pancreatic cancer in high-risk groups, such as people with new onset diabetes, pancreatitis and those who have a family history of pancreatic cancer. However, further research is needed to achieve a 90% accuracy.

Calls for more research funding across the EU

Meanwhile, over 1,800 digestive health specialists from 99 countries have signed a pledge to call on the EU and its Member States to fund more pancreatic cancer research across Europe. Despite appalling patient outcomes, pancreatic cancer receives less than 2% of overall research funding throughout the continent. Professor Matthias Lohr, UEG pancreatic cancer expert, explains Pancreatic cancer should be treated as a medical emergency. There is often a lack of awareness and an ignorance towards pancreatic cancer from all parties involved, including physicians and policy makers. We urgently need more research, more awareness, and a policy supporting the speedy diagnosis and treatment for patients.

To help support this message, increase research and identify the tools for early patient diagnosis, UEG have launched a campaign named #Voice4PanCan.
Early diagnosis and intervention for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can help change the trajectory of their life. While children can be diagnosed with autism as early as 18-24 months of age, most children are diagnosed between 4-5 years old. Among low income, minority and rural families, the gap is even wider- as a diagnosis typically happens up to one and a half years later than the average. This means that many families are missing the window for early intervention, educational and behavioral services that have been shown to vastly improve outcomes for these children as well as reduce health care costs both in the short and long-term.

Researchers from Boston Medical Center (BMC), in conjunction with researchers from Florida State University and others across the country, are collaborating on a study that aims to get parents involved with early intervention services sooner. The study is funded as part of a five-year $10.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, who awarded nearly $100 million to Autism Centers of Excellence across the country.

The research team will test a two-part intervention to engage parents with problem-solving educational tools that will help them better adapt to caring for their child's needs and access the necessary support services available to them. Some parents will also receive training in early social interaction, which teaches parents to support their child's communication and social skills in everyday activities and routines.

Researchers will then evaluate if families with the added training in early social interaction are seeing more growth in social communication skills, development, and other ASD symptoms. From there, they will use the data to create a hybrid intervention and test how feasible it is to implement in a health system.

Patient navigators, who live in the communities where participants reside, will receive training to implement the intervention. Training patient navigators to deliver an evidence- based treatment for ASD has never been done before. If successful, this approach has the potential to address the shortage of linguistically diverse ASD service providers and provide culturally tailored services to traditionally underserved families. Testing the feasibility of the intervention will allow researchers to determine if it could be scaled up and implemented at other locations.

"We know we can diagnose ASD at an early age, and now we need to figure out how to make that happen more frequently and also provide families with the support, education, and treatments they need to ensure their child thrives," said Emily Feinberg, a pediatric researcher at BMC, associate professor of community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health, and associate professor of pediatrics at BU School of Medicine.

Patients and families will be recruited at BMC and affiliated health centers for the first phase of the study. As an urban, safety-net hospital, BMC's diverse patient population will address the disparities seen in ASD diagnosis and early intervention. Marilyn Augustyn, MD, director of development and behavioral pediatrics at BMC and Lisa Fortuna, MD, medical director for child and adolescent psychiatry at BMC are co-investigators on the study.
First look - Han Solo's first "wife" Sana Starros in her first solo series

The Marvel Comics' original character Sana Starros gets her own series
In an interview, George Church of Harvard, indicated that one of his company (Rejuvenate Bio) is working on reversing aging in dogs. They will have dog reverse aging trials by 2019.

In March 2017, UNSW and Harvard researchers have identified a critical step in the molecular process that allows cells to repair damaged DNA and reversed some aging in mice.

In a paper published in Science, the Harvard-led team identifies a critical step in the molecular process that allows cells to repair damaged DNA.

Their experiments in mice suggest a treatment is possible for DNA damage from aging and radiation. It is so promising it has attracted the attention of NASA, which believes the treatment can help its Mars mission.

The scientists identified that the metabolite NAD+, which is naturally present in every cell of our body, has a key role as a regulator in protein-to-protein interactions that control DNA repair.

Treating mice with a NAD+ precursor, or booster, called NMN improved their cells ability to repair DNA damage caused by radiation exposure or old age.

The cells of the old mice were indistinguishable from the young mice, after just one week of treatment, said lead author Professor David Sinclair of UNSW School of Medical Sciences and Harvard Medical School Boston.

The new work has a far wider effect. The particular dog model they are using has a heart disease issue. Rejuvenate Bio is still semi-stealth mode, incubator mode, but the trial is not a secret. Dogs are a market in and of themselves. Its not just a big organism close to humans. Its something people will pay for. And the FDA process is much faster for dogs than for humans  a little over a year versus nine years or so. Well do dog trials and thatll be a product, and thatll pay for scaling up in human trials.

Dog trials in the next year or two. If that works, human trials are another two years away, and eight years before theyre done.

The scientific work will likely need to develop several treatments to reverse all the different aspects of aging.

Slowing aging is actually tougher to develop and will take longer to prove in humans. It is tougher to develop because tests take longer to run than a post-doc can perform. Postdoctoral research needs to be completable in 4-5 years. Reversing aging experiments fit in that window. Slowing aging experiments on anything more than mice is problematic.

Movie examples of reversing aging

There is the movie example of Benjamin Button who is character who starts old and keeps getting younger.

There was also the movie example in Back to the Future 2.

Doc Brown went to a rejuvenation clinic and got an all-natural overhaul. They took some wrinkles out, did a hair repair, changed the blood  added a good thirty or forty years to his life. They also replaced his spleen and colon.

You look good, Doc, Marty answered slowly. Real good.

In the real world it could be 2030 or 2045 instead of 2015 but reversing aging could be how life extension happens.
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The Late Show host was utterly unsatisfied by the senators initial apology to Leeann Tweeden, who said Mr. Franken kissed her without consent and posed for a photograph groping her as she slept. Mr. Franken said the photo was meant to be funny.

O.K., intended to be funny but wasnt? No. Your movie Stuart Saves His Family was intended to be funny but wasnt. That photo was intended to embarrass her  thats why he did it while she was asleep. Nobody goes up to their buddy when hes awake and says, Hey, can I draw a penis on your forehead?  STEPHEN COLBERT

And he wasnt impressed by Mr. Frankens follow-up statement.

Franken later released a more complete apology, in which he said, I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate. Well, thats nice. It would be wrong if an ethics investigation was done without his consent.  STEPHEN COLBERT

Bring It On?

Another politician accused of misconduct, the Senate candidate Roy Moore, defended himself on Twitter with what Jimmy Kimmel found to be an odd choice of words.
BONN, Germany  One of the biggest announcements at this year's United Nations climate talks came on Thursday, when Canada and Britain began a new global alliance aimed at phasing out the use of coal power by 2030. But so far, the countries, states and provinces that have joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance account for less than 3 percent of coal use worldwide.

Many of the alliances key members  including Denmark, France, Finland, Italy, Austria, Mexico, and the Netherlands  were already on their way to retiring what little coal power they had left.

Opponents of coal, the most carbon-intensive of all fossil fuels, were feeling triumphant in Bonn. This week, the International Energy Agency declared that coal's boom years were over, as Chinas once-insatiable appetite for the fuel has waned and countries like the United States have been closing their coal plants in favor of cheaper and cleaner sources like natural gas, solar, and wind.

The market has moved on, the world has moved on, and coal is not coming back, said Catherine McKenna, Canadas minister of environment and climate change.

Yet coal still provides roughly 40 percent of the worlds electricity, and many countries arent willing to commit to a total phase-out just yet. A number of developing countries in Asia  including India, Vietnam and Bangladesh  are still looking to build new coal plants to bring electricity to those who don't have it.

For the world to meet its climate goals, the coal landscape would have to change drastically  and soon. A recent report from the United Nations Environment Program warned that keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, would require either shutting down nearly every coal plant in the world before 2050 or outfitting the plants with technology to capture emissions and bury them.

The new anti-coal alliance, which is made up of 19 countries and six states, provinces and cities, has one notable omission: Germany, which still generates 40 percent of its electricity from coal. On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged at the Bonn climate talks that Germany would most likely miss its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 because of its continued consumption of lignite, a particularly dirty, low-grade form of coal.

While many environmentalists had hoped that Ms. Merkel would use the climate talks to set a timetable for the elimination of coal in Germany, she merely said that she was engaged in tough discussions on the issue as she sought to form a new government.
New York Universitys Remarque Institute will host More than a University is at Stake: The Battle to Keep CEU Alive in the Age of Political Populism, on Thurs., Nov. 30, 4-5:45 p.m. (60 5th Ave., 8th Floor [between 12th and 13th Sts.]).

This spring, Hungarys prime minister, Viktor Orban, sponsored legislationknown as Lex CEUintended to restrict the operation and academic freedom of Budapests Central European University (CEU) and other international universities operating in Hungary. This action has been met with Hungarian, European, and international outrage and protest.

This panel discussion, which features John Shattuck, the rector of the CEU from 2009 to 2016 and former assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, will consider the impact of the governments action and its implications for Europe and higher education globally.

Panelists will also include Kati Marton, a trustee of the CEU who served as a foreign correspondent for ABC News and NPR and is the author of True Believer: Stalins Last American Spy, and NYU Professor Larry Wolff, executive director of the Remarque Institute and author of Inventing Eastern Europe and The Singing Turk, among other works.

The event is free and open to the public. Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call 212.998.3660 or email remarque.institute@nyu.edu.

Reporters interested in attending should contact James Devitt, Office of Public Affairs, at 212.998.6808 or james.devitt@nyu.edu.

Subway Lines: 4, 5, 6, L, R, W (Union Square)

EDITORS NOTE

The Remarque Institute was created at New York University in 1995 under the direction of the late Professor Tony Judt. Its purpose is to support and promote the study and discussion of Europe and to encourage and facilitate communication between Americans and Europeans. The Institute was named after Erich Maria Remarque, whose widow, Paulette Goddard, made a bequest to New York University. For more information, please visit the Remarque Institute's web site.
Assam Government to promote the State as gateway to ASEAN countries

India

oi-Amitava

By Amitava

Assam Government is all set to promote the state as the gateway to the ASEAN countries. Following the demand of setting up of Consulates of 10 ASEAN countries in Guwahati, Assam, the Government of Assam has appealed to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation along with the Ministry of External Affairs to connect the capitals of ASEAN countries with Guwahati, the capital of Assam.

"Work is on to upgrade the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. The Union Government has already sanctioned Rs. 1000 Crore for development of a new terminal at the Airport" stated Chandra Mohan Patowary, Assam Transport, Industries and Commerce Minister.

He was talking to media persons on the sidelines of the launching of Air Ambulance service at the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd., Dispur.

In the past the Government of Assam in an attempt to provide more muscle to the Modi Government's "Act East" policy had made a demand for opening up Consulates of ASEAN countries in Guwahati.

"We are in constant touch with the Union Government for opening consulates of the ASEAN countries here. The location of Assam makes it the gateway to the ASEAN countries" stated Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister. Assam.

The Chief Minister stated that Assam could be a natural choice for investors owing to its location. "Located in between the Indian mainland and the booming markets of South East Asia, Assam could well be the launching pad for business ventures in South East Asia. The Consulates in Guwahati would further boost this" stated the CM.

Sonowal feels that the large population of the 10 ASEAN countries along with Assam, coupled with good connectivity between Assam with other ASEAN countries would open up new avenues for business between South East Asian Nations and North East India.

Incidentally the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in a regional intergovernmental organization setup on 10 Southeast Asian nations on August 8, 1967.

The main objective of ASEAN is to promote pan-Asianism, cooperation and facilities among the member countries. The 10 countries include Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Friday, November 17, 2017, 14:24 [IST]
M Karunanidhi was kept under house arrest for 2 years, TN govt to probe

Karunanidhi's 98th birth anniversary: BSY says he played important role in creating harmony between two states

Karunanidhi fought for the Right to hoist tricolour for chief ministers and made this idea a reality

Chargesheet filed against Karunanidhi's grandson in illegal mining case

India

oi-PTI

The Tamil Nadu police on Thursday filed a charge sheet against DMK chief M Karunanidhi's grandson, Durai Dayanithi in an illegal mining case. Durai, the grandson of former chief minister M Karunanidhi has been named accused along with 14 others in a case relating to illegal granite mining.

Durai and others have been accused of illegally mining granite worth Rs 257 crore and causing loss to the government. Police said the charge sheet runs into 5,191 pages, adding the trial would commence soon.

Dayanithi, who is son of former Union Minister M K Alagiri, and others were booked under IPC sections 120(B) (conspiracy), 447 (criminal trespass) and 420 (cheating) for allegedly quarrying illegally on government land.

Among the 14 persons were owners of various granite firms that included Olympus Granites in which Dayanithi and Nagarajan were partners. The cases were registered based on a complaint from the Keezhavalavu Village Administratrive Officer(VAO).

The VAO accused Dayanithi and Nagarajan besides others of encroaching on government land adjacent to the permitted quarrying area and causing revenue loss.

The matter came to light when former Madurai district collector U Sagayam held an inquiry and submitted a report to the government, estimating losses caused to the exchequer by illegal granite mining at Rs 16,000 crore for several years.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, November 17, 2017, 8:53 [IST]
Two of 8 cheetahs released in acclimatisation enclosure at MP's Kuno National Park: Official

Goat gives birth to baby with 'human face' in MP, leaves owner and locals shocked

Chouhan defamation case: MP Congress leader gets 2-year jail

India

pti-PTI

Bhopal, Nov 17: Madhya Pradesh Congress chief spokesman K K Mishra was on Friday sentenced to two-years jail in connection with a defamation case filed by the state government on behalf of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Minutes after the verdict, the court, presided over by Additional District and Session Judge Kashninath Singh, granted bail to Mishra, whose counsel said he will challenge the ruling in the High Court.

The court found Mishra guilty of making false and defamatory statements against Chouhan and his family. It also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the Congress leader. If Mishra fails to pay this fine, he will have to undergo additional three more months of imprisonment.

The case dates back to June 21, 2014, when Mishra, addressing a press meet here, had alleged 19 people from Gondia, Maharashtra, the home district of Sadhana Singh, Chouhan's wife, were illegally recruited as constables in the state transport department.

He had alleged the state transport constable recruitment test was part of the Vyapam scam - a massive admission and recruitment racket Madhya Pradesh. Mishra had also levelled other allegations against Chouhan and his family. Public prosecutor Anand Tiwari, on behalf of the state government, in July 2014 had filed a defamation suit against Mishra, stating his vague allegations had damaged the status of Chouhan and his family members.

Judge Singh, after hearing both the parties and going through the material on record, convicted Mishra.

"The court found Mishra's statements false. Nobody from Gondia made it to the transport department as a constable," Tiwari told reporters in the court premises.

Mishra's counsel Ajay Gupta said his client will move the Madhya Pradesh High Court against the verdict. We are going to move the High Court against the lower court's verdict in the defamation case," Gupta added.

PTI
Complaint against Farooq Abdullah, Rishi Kapoor over remarks on PoK

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

A Jammu based social activist filed a complaint with District Magistrate against former CM Farooq Abdullah and actor Rishi Kapoor for their remarks on Pak Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Social activist, Sukesh Khajuria, sought action under section 196 of CrPC.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, who claimed that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to Pakistan and "this won't change" no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fight against each other, while Rishi Kapoor wrote on Twitter, "Farooq Abdullah ji, Salaam! Totally agree with you sir. Jammu and Kashmir is ours, and PoK is theirs. This is the only way we can solve our problem."

"Accept it, I am 65 years old and I want to see Pakistan before I die. I want my children to see their roots. Bas karva dijiye (Please make it happen). Jai Mata Di!", Kapoor tweeted.

Farooq Abdullah's statement came days after Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had rejected the idea of an "independent Kashmir", saying it was not based on "reality".

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, November 17, 2017, 17:48 [IST]
International drug peddler arrested in West Bengal

India

oi-Amitava

By Amitava

An international drug peddler was arrested by the Kolkata unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The accused is believed to be the ringleader of an international drug racket sourcing drugs from Myanmar and selling the same in Bangladesh. Drugs worth Rs. 18 lakhs were seized from him.

The arrested Manirul Haque had arrived at Goshala-Mode in Lalgola to hand over the drugs to his associates. The sleuths from the NCB caught him red-handed. He was arrested. 1550 "Ya ba" pills were seized from his possession.

During interrogation, Haque revealed that the drugs were sourced from Myanmar and made its way to Lalgola in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Haque and his associates would then deliver the drugs to Bangladesh where "Ya ba" is in great demand and fetches a good price.

Lalgola, 206 km away from Kolkata is located in the Lalbagh subdivision of the Murshidabad district is in close proximity to the Bangladesh border.

The sleuths by interrogating Haque are trying to fish out the names of the others involved in this international drug smuggling ring.

Ya ba or "mad drug" was formerly known as Ya Ma of "Horse drug" is popular in Myanmar and Thailand. The pills contain a concoction of methamphetamine and caffeine. Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug.

Myanmar is the largest producer of methamphetamine in the world. It is popular in the Golden Triangle. In 2010 Myanmar allegedly smuggled 1 billion tablets to Thailand.

There are widespread allegations that while ethnic militia and rebel groups are responsible for the production and smuggling of the drug.

Since 2006, Ya ba consumption became fashionable for the well-to-do in Bangladesh.

Allegedly, Rohingya refugees were earlier hired to smuggle Ya ba from Myanmar into Bangladesh. In 2016, 359 Rohingyas were reportedly arrested on Ya ba smuggling charges.

Around $29 million worth of Ya ba were reportedly seized by the Bangladeshi authorities in 2016.

OneIndia News
When this mom got a surprise gift, her reaction was 'gold' | Watch

'Poor' no more: 'Moderate' Delhi air to improve further with strong winds

Journalist molested at ITO Metro station in Delhi, accused arrested

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Recommended Video

Delhi journalist molested at ITO metro station, police arrest accused after 3 days | Oneindia News

A 25-year-old journalist was molested at ITO Metro station in Delhi on 13 November, early this week. Since the act was caught on CCTV, police were able to arrest the culprit.

The molester took advantage of the absence of security.

The journalist recalled her ordeal on Friday. She said, "At first I thought he touched me by mistake but then he groped me again, after that it took me few seconds to gather myself."

"There was no security personnel around, otherwise I would've caught him there," she said.

The accused, identified as Akhilesh Kumar, was in an inebriated state, allegedly molested the two women and passed lewd comments, police said.

Confirming the arrest, Pankaj Singh, DCP Metro, said they had the person's face captured on a CCTV camera and five teams were formed to identify and track him down.

The Patiala House Court has sent the accused to 14 days judicial custody

OneIndia News
Upper Houses in Legislatures: who and what do they actually represent?

Karnataka assembly passes anti-superstition bill, bans 'made-snana', spares astrology

India

oi-Anusha

The Karnataka legislative assembly on Thursday passed the Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017 otherwise referred to as the Anti-superstition bill. The bill was tabled on Tuesday and passed in the assembly after minor amendments and will come up for discussion in the council on Friday.

The anti-superstition bill primarily bans rituals, activities, practices that cause bodily harm and subjects people to humiliation or indignity. While the bill seeks to ban the controversial 'made-snana', it has kept astrology and Vaastu out of its ambit. The bill does not restrict any rituals, religious practices, processions, celebrations, prayers performed at homes, temples, during festivals.

The bill that was tabled in the Karnataka assembly on Tuesday had classified acts, practices and rituals into 'savings' and 'schedule'. Those under 'savings' do not come under the ambit of the bill while those under 'schedule' are banned and hence punishable.

Imprisonment of not less than 1 year but extendable till 5 years is the bill's recommendation apart from registering cases under relevant IPC sections against those indulging in banned practices.

Savings: (Practices that do not fall under the ambit of the bill)

Any form of worship such as Pradakshina, Yatra, Parikrama at any religious places

Harikatha, Keerthana, Pravachana, Bhajans, teaching of ancient learning, arts, practice, and it promotion

Speaking about miracles by deceased saints, broadcasting them, promoting them, broadcasting, sharing or promoting literature on miracles that do not involve bodily harm.



Prayers, rituals, practices that do not cause bodily harm at homes, temples, pagodas, dargas, gurudwara, churches and other religious places.

All religious celebrations, festivals, prayers, processions, and all things related.



Ear and nose piercing as per tradition/culture, keshalochana according to Jain practice and the like.

Astrology, Vaastu consultation.



All traditions that the government may include in the bill at a later stage apart form those stated above.

Schedule: (Practices banned under the bill)

Bounty or treasure hunting in the name of dark arts, sorcery- or indulging in inhumane evil practice and black magic for the same reasons or assaulting another person, parading someone naked, restricting their everyday life, or inciting, encouraging or coercing someone to indulge in such inhumane practices

Claiming that someone has special powers, creating an impression that a person has supernatural powers and planting fear in the minds of people that disbelieving him will bring about misfortune. Cheating in the name of special powers.

Making a person drink footwear soaked water in the name of exorcism. Trying him in chains or ropes in the name of spirit possession. Assaulting a person with ropes or rods. Forcing them to breathe in chili fumes. Plucking a person's hair or suspending them from a ceiling from their hair or using a rope. Branding a person with heated items and causing pain and hurt. Forcing a person to perform sexual acts in public. Indulging in inhumane practices like forcing a person to consume humane urine or feces and the like.

Declaring a man to be a sorcerer, wizard/witch, demon or demon incarnate. Accusing a person of practicing black magic, dark arts, having the ability to invoke spirits and ghosts, having the ability to cause harm or loss to others or spreading diseases. Making accusations against a person to cause trouble or disrupt his normal life

Creating panic among people by invoking spirits, ghosts, chanting mantras, creating an impression of spirits possessing someone, stopping someone from seeking medical help and offering inhumane, evil and sorcery practices as an alternate.

Coaxing someone to seek inhumane practices as alternate to medical intervention and misguiding someone. Encouraging someone to indulge in inhumane evil practices for ailments by creating a fear of death or physical harm or financial loss.

Claiming to perform surgeries through fingers, claiming to change the sex of the fetus in the mother's womb

Creating an impression of possessing unnatural gifts, influencing people by claiming to be a relative, lover, spouse, paramour from previous lives and getting sexually involved with the person

Hanging someone from a hook, pulling a chariot by a hook pierced through a person's body, such activities, and celebrations that include such activities, encouraging someone to indulge in such acts of self-mutation, broadcasting the same or promoting it or creating an opportunity for it.

Hurting children in the garb of 'treatment' by throwing them on to a bed of thorns, throwing them from heights, such activities, and celebrations that include such activities, encouraging someone to indulge in such acts, promoting it or creating an opportunity for it.

Forcing someone to remain isolated, discriminating against women by prohibiting them from entering villages, forcing pregnant or menstruating women to remain in isolation, humiliating women by forcing them to parade naked and similar practices as part of rituals

Killing animals by biting their neck in public, encouraging someone to indulge in such acts or creating an opportunity

Acts that degrade human dignity. forcing someone to roll over leftovers of others in any religious places or encouraging such practice

Forcing someone to fire walk or indulge in other self- injuring acts

"Baibeega" practice of inserting an iron rod through the mouth

Stone pelting on residential houses in the name of sorcery and black magic either in the day or night

Preventing a snake or dog bite victim from seeking medical intervention and instead forcing them to depend on hymns, chanting, sorcery etc

Minor amendments to the bill were made after discussions in the state assembly. The same will be discussed in the council after which the Governor's assent will be sought.

The bill bans practice of black magic, sorcery, human sacrifice, activities that cause bodily harm like coercing a person to fire-walk, piercing jaw with rods, pelting stones in the name of black magic, creating panic by invoking spirits, ghosts, claiming to perform surgery with bare fingers, claiming to change the sex of foetus in the womb etc. The bill also bans inhumane practices of isolating women, forcing them to parade naked, discriminating against menstruating women, physical assault and mental harassment etc

Consent of the victim shall not be used as a defense for offenses committed. It will be cognizable and nonbailable. Punishment for offenses under this bill will vary from two years to five years imprisonment or fine or both. The bill proposes to appoint police officers as vigilance officers to monitor violations of the provisions of the law and its rules.

OneIndia News
From using Bhagwad Gita to local rowdies, Christian missionaries are on overdrive mode in Karnataka

Karnataka doctors' strike called-off, KPME Bill to be amended

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The doctors' strike in Karnataka over the KPME Bill was called-off on Friday after the stakeholders met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Siddaramaiah met the Indian Medical Association (IMA) representative, private medical establishments and other key stakeholders earlier today at Suvarna Soudha in Belgaum.

Certain changes are likely to be made in the KPME Bill after which it would be tabled before the state assembly on Monday.

The imprisonment clause which recommended jail term for doctors erring in the diagnosis would be amended. In its place, a fine would be recommended for the wrong diagnosis.

Price cap would only be applicable for select procedures and body to decide price caps would have to be set up. The price cap would be applicable to only BPL card holders and those covered under the government insurance.

On Thursday, the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), which represents 327 private hospitals in Bengaluru, on Thursday called off strike over the KPME Bill.

[Karnataka: Body representing 327 private hospitals in Bengaluru calls-off strike]

Doctors have been protesting against the Siddaramaiah government's attempt to table the bill, that includes price regulation for procedures at private hospitals and punishment including imprisonment for wrong treatment against doctors. Doctors have alleged that the bill is an election gimmick by the government. Talks between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and representatives of protesting doctors failed to yield any results on Tuesday.

OneIndia News
Karnataka doctors strike: HC directs protesting doctors to return to work immediately

India

oi-Anusha

The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed protesting private medical practitioners to return to work immediately. Doctors of private hospitals and nursing homes who have gone on an indefinite strike against the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) bill have been directed by the court to resume services immediately.

Karnataka High Court bench comprising acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and Justice Dinesh Kumar on Friday directed all private medical practitioners and medical establishments to restore their services.

"Right to life is a basic human right. A person's right to get treated under article 21 is fundamental. Keeping this in view, we request all private doctors who are on strike to call it off to avoid inconvenience to the patients. Doctors cannot be insensitive to the plight of patients. If there are grievances the court will hear it," the bench observed.

The High Court's direction comes on the day a group of representatives of private practitioners met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Belagavi over the KPME bill. The state invited doctors to negotiate over the bill after they called for an indefinite strike across the state starting Thursday. On Friday, citizens organisations also demonstrated in Bengaluru in support of the bill. Citizens, contrary to the doctors' claims, held that the bill was pro-poor and pro-people and demanded that it be implemented at the earliest.

On Thursday, PHANA, one of the private doctors' organisations withdrew its protest and asked its members to return to work. Private practitioners have been opposing four amendments made to the KPME bill, one of those that also include imprisonment and fine for wrong diagnosis and cap on prices for procedures at private medical establishments.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Friday, November 17, 2017, 17:07 [IST]
Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

AAP "merely a party of UT Delhi", only Cong can challenge BJP in Gujarat, HP: Azad

Militants attack Police in J&K, one cop martyred

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

One Sub-Inspector was martyred and a PSO injured in an attack on a police party by terrorists in Zakura Hazratbal area of Srinagar on Friday.

Three militants travelling in a car opened fire at a police team at the Zakura crossing on the Srinagar-Ganderbal road.

GNS news agency reported that police cordoned off Zakura area after inputs about the presence of militants. It said that the SI, identified as Imran Ahmad, lost his life.

"As the searches were on near suspected spot, hiding militants opened fire, resulting in injuries to two cops including one sub-inspector," said the report.

More details awaited.

OneIndia News
A bayath, a massive suicide bombing, the Coimbatore blast was in the making for a year

With another ISIS module busted, TN has become a paradise of Islamic Jihadists

NIA arrests 4 from Bengal for possessing fake notes

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In a late night swoop, a team of the National Investigation Agency arrested four persons in West Bengal in connection with a fake currency case. All four residents of Malda in West Bengal were held after they were found in possession of fake currency to the tune of Rs 9 lakh.

Following specific inputs about the movement of fake currency, the NIA team apprehended the four persons from near the Howrah Railway station in Kolkata. NIA officials said that they had fake currency in the Rs 2,000 denomination.

Barkat Ansari, Utpal Chowdhury, Fijul Mia and Rabjul Mia were the ones arrested by the NIA. A case has been registered and investigations are on.

OneIndia News
Padmavati: If Deepika is getting threats for doing her job, then all Indian women are Shurpanakhas

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Nov 17: Mythology becomes funny when we start believing in very word of it. Now, time to get rid of dogmas.

Since ages, women in India are compared to goddess Sita for sacrificing everything to make their men, families and society happy. Most women also take great pride in being 'sacrificial lambs' to please one and all.

So, if Sita is worshipped, then the sister of Ravana, Shurpanakha, is the vilified woman whose nose was chopped off by Lord Ram's brother Lakshmana for attacking Sita.

What Shurpanakha did (if it was for real) can't be justified, but think twice about Lakshmana's act. Can that be rationalised?

Now, let's shift our focus from the days of Ramayana-- the epic by Valmiki which is a pure mythological saga and has no historical evidence--to our current times. The fact that Ramayana is a part of the great Indian mythology has not deterred the believers even in the 21st century from rioting in the name of Lord Ram.

So, when a member of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena--a fringe group that has become a national phenomenon because of its violent form of protest against the upcoming Bollywood film, Padmavati--threatened to chop off the nose of the lead actress of the period drama, Deepika Padukone, like Lakshmana did to Shurpanakha, once again it becomes clear that Indian women are always vulnerable to threats and attacks.

The fact that Deepika is one of the country's top actresses did not stop goons from issuing warning against her.

The protest over the film, based on a poem about queen Padmini from Chittor, Rajasthan, started during its making when the set of the film was vandalised and the director of the film, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, was slapped by the goons of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur in January this year.

Those who are expressing their reservation against the film alleged that the makers of the film have distorted history by depicting their "revered" queen Padmavati in a bad light.

Now, as the release date of the film, scheduled on December 1, is coming close, the protest over the film is also gaining momentum. In fact, members of the Rajput and other Hindus groups want a ban on the film.

The ban brigade has the full support of the political class as several leaders from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have spoken ill of the film and its director for allegedly trying to belittle Hindu women.

On Thursday, the entire dissent over the film turned uglier, after Deepika was threatened to be harmed physically. First, a member of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena issued a threat to chop off the award-winning actress' nose.

Then, another member of the Kshatriya community announced a bounty of Rs 5 crore on the heads of Deepika and Bhansali. The member of the Kshatriya community also asked Deepika to leave India or else nobody, not even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could save her and her director.

The anger against Deepika was fueled by the fact that the actress recently decided to lambast those who are protesting against her film.

The 31-year-old actress told news agency IANS that India has "regressed as a nation" as she reacted to a series of controversies being faced by the unreleased film. During the interview with IANS on Tuesday, Deepika spoke at length about the mentality of citizens who are objecting to Padmavati.

"It's appalling, it's absolutely appalling. What have we gotten ourselves into? And where have we reached as a nation? We have regressed," Deepika told IANS. In fact, on Tuesday a mall in Kota, Rajasthan was attacked as it screened the trailer of the film. The attack came hours after Deepika spoke to IANS.

As Deepika spoke her mind, it did not go down well with the patriarchal Indian society, where again a woman has to be meek and obedient to save herself from men's ire and harassment.

Moreover, working in a movie is a part of Deepika's job. And she does her job brilliantly, as evident from her body of work. When her film came under attack it was obvious for her to speak in support of her film.

Working and thinking women like Deepika are perceived as a threat in sanskari India.

Many Indian men and families don't approve of women having a career. Still, thousands of Indian households don't allow women to work even if they are well-educated and skilled ones.

They want women to be locked inside a house to cook food and produce babies. So, Deepika became the target of misogynist Hindu caste brigade as she represents modern, successful, economically-independent and thinking women of the 21st century India.

All we would say is that if goons want to chop off Deepika's nose for speaking her mind and doing her job brilliantly, let all working, independent and thinking women of India get rid of their noses to show the world how medieval we have become in our thoughts and deeds.

OneIndia News
India's coal production up 36% in first half of May, dispatch goes up to 37.18 MT

Pollution: Why coal-based power plants are unlikely to comply with new emission norms

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Nov 17: The coal-based power plants are known for causing enormous amount of air pollution. At a time when Delhi and the entire North region of the country are battling high levels of air pollution, the question that comes to mind--are these plants going to comply with new emission norms enacted by the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEF&CC)?

Experts say it looks highly unlikely. The new emission norms for coal-based power plants are scheduled to come into effect from December this year, but environmental activists fear that most of these plants will not comply with the regulations.

The environmental activists have blamed the ministry of power (MoP) for letting the coal-based power plants avoid complying with the environmental-friendly norms.

Experts suggest that ambitious timelines backed by strict penalties from the environment ministry needed to prevent further delay in compliance by these plants.

An analysis done by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows most power plants have not even started the planning process, which, at the very least, should include an assessment of the required pollution control technology and investment.

The CSE alleged that the power ministry and Central Electricity Authority (CEA) have consistently tried to push the deadline instead of forcing companies to install pollution control equipment.

"The MoP and the CEA have supported industry excuses such as inadequate space for pollution control equipment and exaggerated costs," stated the CSE report.

In fact, the CEA has recommended thermal power stations to be given an additional five years (i.e. the deadline be extended from 2017 to 2022) to comply.

However, environmental experts say that such delay in compliance is not acceptable as the sector has extremely high air pollution impact.

The CSE has proposed an alternate plan to the environment ministry and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to tighten deadlines and meet standards in a staggered fashion between 2018 and 2020. The CSE has also recommended the new schedule be backed by strong penal action in case of slippage.

The new norms were enacted by the MoEF&CC in December 2015 in view of the coal sector's massive contribution to air pollution and its huge water withdrawal.

Of the total emissions from the industrial sector, the power sector alone contributes 60 per cent of the PM (particulate matter), 45 per cent of the Sox (sulphur dioxide), 30 per cent of the NOx (nitrogen oxides) and 80 per cent of the mercury emissions.

Al though the industry was given two years to comply, there has been very little progress so far. The norms come into effect from December 2017, but the CEA is now recommending that plants be given another five years (which means the deadline should be extended from 2017 to 2022) to comply with the new norms.

Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of the CSE, said: "Another five years to meet these standards is unacceptable. Power plants have already wasted two years doing virtually nothing. It is important to push for ambitious timelines for compliance with the new norms. The environment ministry needs to come up with a tight implementable deadline and a concrete roadmap for each and every plant to ensure compliance."

He added: "Implementing the new norms will provide significant environmental benefits -- major pollutants from coal-based power plants such as SOx and NOx will be cut by 70-85 per cent."

The MoP and the CEA have consistently objected to these norms and their deadlines. They have supported the industry in its stiff opposition to these norms.

"The CEA's own reports show that issues raised by the industry such as lack of technology suppliers, suitability of technology for Indian coal, high capital costs, and tariff impact of the pollution control technology measures can be easily managed, and are not serious impediments.

"It is inconceivable why the CEA and the ministry have still done very little to oversee and push implementation of the new norms," said Priyavrat Bhati, programme director-energy, the CSE.

The CSE cites that the CEA's 2022 plan has glaring weaknesses. The plan submitted by the CEA to implement the standards by 2022 suffers from many shortcomings:

There is no clarity on the pollution control technology needed by plants. Most plants have done very little to even assess their technology needs or the investment required, let alone begin the projects to install pollution control equipment.

For instance, the CEA is asking all plants to install FGD (flue gas desulphurisation) to control SOx emissions. The CSE's analysis shows that it is not required for smaller and older units.

The plan is heavily back-loaded. Most plants will do nothing for the next two-three years. They will start putting equipments only from 2020 onwards. There is a major risk that in 2020 the sector will again ask for an extension.

The CEA plan is not backed by written commitments from power stations to install new equipment.

What the CSE has proposed:

The CSE recommends that an aggressive timeline needs to be pursued, considering the gravity of the problem. It has also proposed that plants located in densely or critically polluted areas must be prioritised. According to CSE's proposal:

The CEA's own report suggests that about 65 per cent of the capacity meet PM standards. These plants should produce evidence of compliance by December 2017.

However, if some of the plants exceed the norms by a small margin, they could do minor retrofits to meet PM norms by March 2018. The remaining one-third capacity should meet PM norms by March 2019.

About 50 per cent of the capacity is estimated to be complying with NOx norms based on emissions data from the CPCB and industry experts. The remaining can meet the norms during annual maintenance over the next two years by December 2019.

About 50 per cent of the capacity should meet SOx norms by December 2019 and the remaining, by December 2020.

"Our analysis shows that these are achievable. But to ensure that there are no further delays, the environment ministry should back these timelines with penalties and bank guarantees," said Bhati.

"These standards can be met with less than 3 per cent annual increase in the electricity tariff for the next three years. In comparison, in the last five years, electricity tariff in India has increased by 8 per cent annually. This is a low price to pay for a significant gain in environmental and health benefits," added Bhushan.

OneIndia News
Urdu is now Telangana's second official language, assembly passes bill

India

oi-PTI

The Telangana assembly on Thursday passed a bill making Urdu its official second language. Urdu has been accorded the official language status thanks to a substantial Urdu-speaking population spread across all the 31 districts.

The Telangana Official Languages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was passed unanimously in the state legislative assembly. Urdu was declared the second official language as per section 2 of the Telangana Official Languages Act, 1966. The bill makes Urdu the official second language in nine districts out of 10 with an exception of Khammam, of the Telangana region before bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh, as per the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.

After the formation of Telangana state in 2014, the 10 districts were reorganised into 31 districts last year. The percentage of Urdu-speaking population has increased to 12.69 of the total population in the state, the statement said.

Hailing the bill, MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi said that justice was not done towards Urdu earlier and recalled the efforts of his father, late MIM leader Salahuddin Owaisi, and others for "protection and conservation" of the language.

Main opposition Congress member T Jeevan Reddy welcomed the bill, but pointed out certain issues concerning the Urdu Academy and others which were countered by Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali and Legislative Affairs Minister Harish Rao. BJP floor leader G Kishan Reddy said Urdu was made the second official language in nine districts of the Telangana region in 1966 itself.

"Telangana is the first state to make Urdu as the second official language as Delhi gave that status to Urdu along with Punjabi. The opposition is trying to say that there is nothing new in the bill, but the entire state is taken as a unit now," said Telangana minister, Harish Rao.

PTI

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Story first published: Friday, November 17, 2017, 11:34 [IST]
In UP 166 criminals killed in encounters in past five years: Yogi

This Diwali, UP CM Yogi asks govt employees to celebrate festival with needy, deprived families

Modernisation of police force helped in controlling crime in UP: CM Yogi

Yogi govt orders demotion of DySP to inspector for taking bribes in rape case

Uttar Pradesh: Bill Gates meets CM Adityanath in Lucknow

India

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By Chennabasaveshwar

American business baron Bill Gates on Friday met with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at later's office in Lucknow to explore possibilities of investment by his software giant Microsoft in the state.

The Yogi government is aggressively pursuing foreign investments in the industrial sector and would be wooing Gates to set up business in UP. The talks are expected to focus on Microsoft's role in generating job opportunities for youth by setting up software technology facility in the state.

Lucknow: CM Yogi Adityanath and Bill Gates held a meeting, dignitaries also present. pic.twitter.com/X07XsisNmR  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 17, 2017

Avnish Awasthi, Principal Secretary, said," Vector-borne diseases, drinking water and sanitation issues, doubling of farmers income and IT Sector were discussed."

"CM told Bill Gates that 92 Lakh children have been vaccinated against Encephalitis. However, he also added that we'll have to work on acute Encephalitis. We have already signed a 5 year MoU with Gates Foundation," said Principal Secretary.

Uttar Pradesh is gearing up to host international foreign investors' summit, which would be attended by leading companies from, among others, Finland, Japan, the United States, Taiwan and Canada.

Later in the day, Microsoft founder Bill Gates will attend the valedictory session of the three-day AP AgTech Summit-2017, organised jointly by the Andhra Pradesh government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, at the APIIC grounds in Andhra Pradesh.

Gates met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday to discuss investment opportunities. Home Minister Rajnath Singh urged Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates to focus on developing Indian villages into 'model villages' by initiating new technologies in fields of agriculture and sanitation.

OneIndia News
With 100 from Kerala joining ISIS, focus right back on rise of Wahabism

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

With over 100 persons from Kerala having joined the Islamic State, the focus comes right back on Wahhabism in the state. Not one, but several alerts sent to the state by the Intelligence Bureau were ignored about the rise of Wahhabism and the fact that the Saudis had pumped in over Rs 1,000 crore to spread this menace.

A police officer in Kerala informed Oneindia on condition of anonymity that there are Salafi groups and Wahabi preachers who have indulged in radicalisation and this could be one of the reason why such a high number of persons have gone missing.

Many in Kerala have welcomed with open arms the Wahabi style of preaching and this has let the Saudi controlled lot take control over nearly 75 Mosques in the state.

The newer Mosques that are coming up in Kerala are also constructed in the manner in which they done in Saudi Arabia. This is just one small indicator of how much people of the state are willing to follow the radical style preached by the Wahabi scholars.

Moreover the inflow of funds into Kerala from Saudi is the highest when compared to any other part of the country. It was in Kerala that one got to see posters mourning the death of Osama Bin Laden and also a prayer for Ajmal Kasab after he was hanged.

Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that a large number of youth appear to be attracted to this radical style of Islam, but also add that there are some elders who are trying to oppose it.

The Wahhabi rule book:

Men have to compulsorily grow beards.

Shrines shall be forbidden.

Every Muslim woman should wear purdah or be subject to severe punishment.

All men should wear trousers which are above their ankles.

Women should not be allowed to work. Exception can be made only if the family is in need.

Men and women should not mingle together in public.

No laughing loudly or listening to music; no dancing or watching television.

No weeping loudly at funerals.

Abide by the Shariat law; every offence committed shall be punishable under this law.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Friday, November 17, 2017, 6:39 [IST]
China using two new surveillance campaigns to target Uyghurs: Report

New COVID-19 rules for Indians going to China announced

Donald Trump wants China to put maximum pressure on North Korea

International

pti-PTI

Washington, November 17: Following Beijing's decision to send a special envoy to Pyongyang, the US President Donald Trump favors China taking a greater role in putting maximum pressure on North Korea, the White House said on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy, Song Tao, will visit North Korea today to inform its leadership about the outcome of the recent national congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

"The president certainly favors China taking a greater role in putting maximum pressure on North Korea," White House Press Secretary Sarah sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

The Chinese envoy's visit comes days after Trump's completion of a five-nation tour of Asia, during which he urged Xi to do more to pressure North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to give up nuclear weapons programme.

"Certainly, any effort in order to denuclearise the Peninsula there in North Korea, then China participating in that, the president certainly supports those efforts," Sanders said.

Trump took to Twitter to welcome China's decision. "China is sending an Envoy and Delegation to North Korea - A big move, we'll see what happens!" Trump said in a tweet yesterday.

PTI
Google, Facebook join 'Trust Project' to combat online misinformation

International

pti-PTI

Washington, November 17: In the latest effort to combat online misinformation, Google, Facebook and other tech firms joined global news organisations on Friday in an initiative aimed at identifying "trustworthy" news sources.

Microsoft and Twitter also agreed to participate in the "Trust Project" with some 75 news organisations to tag news stories which meet standards for ethics and transparency.

"In today's digitised and socially networked world, it's harder than ever to tell what's accurate reporting, advertising, or even misinformation," said Sally Lehrman of Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, the project leader.

"An increasingly skeptical public wants to know the expertise, enterprise and ethics behind a news story." Each online platform will develop "trust indicators" to help readers "assess whether news comes from a credible source they can depend on," Lehrman added.

News organisations participating include the Washington Post, Mic and the Independent Journal Review in the US, Canada's Globe and Mail, the German press agency DPA, the Economist, Italy's La Repubblica and La Stampa, and Trinity Mirror, which includes the Mirror newspapers in Britain.

Participants agree to core practices including transparency on funding and disclosure of the mission of the organisation; details about the journalists behind stories; labeling of opinion and factual articles, and references on how the reporting is carried out.

"News consumers need a way to tell media companies what we expect from them, the types of news we can count on and will pay for," said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist, whose philanthropic fund was an early supporter of the effort.

Other funding comes from Google, the John S and James L Knight Foundation, the Democracy Fund and the Markkula Foundation.

Google, Twitter and Facebook have come under fire for allowing the spread of bogus news - some of which was directed by Russia - ahead of the 2016 US election and in other countries.

Google's vice president for news Richard Gingras said the yet-to-be determined labels will help the online search giant "to better understand authoritative journalism, and help us to better surface it to consumers."

Alex Hardiman, head of news products at Facebook, called the initiative "a great next step in our ongoing efforts overall to enhance people's understanding of the sources and trustworthiness of news on our platform."

Greg Sterling, a contributing editor for the Search Engine Land blog, said the effort is good but may be "too complex to accomplish its ultimate objective."

"Readers should be able to see what's behind the labeling scheme, but they should be able to tell at a glance whether an item is from a credible source, not have to spend time evaluating it based on a range of factors that may be obscure to them," Sterling wrote.

PTI
Africa Officially Arrives, with Clarions Announcement of New ICE Africa Event

Published November 17, 2017 by Lee R

The inclusion of an ICE conference in Africa is a huge step towards legitimizing the African market.

Africa iGaming took a major step towards reality, possibly the final touch, with the announcement that Clarion is bringing an ICE event to Africa with ICE Africa.

Gaming Africa Proves

Clarions announcement of the first B2B gaming convention in Africa for 2018 comes on the heels of the rousing success last month of Gaming Africa in Johannesburg.

Importing the ICE Format

Comprised of an exhibition floor and co-located ICE VOX style conference dedicated to the development of the domestic industry, the successful ICO model which Clarion has perfected in the UK is now going to be implemented in the developing region of Africa where the most substantial boost to local resources, government, and population are needed from iGaming.

Pride of Africa

Clarion Gaming managing director Kate Chambers explained ICE Africa as a launch undertaken in response to industry requests to develop and organise a professional showcase that Africa could be proud of.

Adapting the Regional Model

Chambers further added that ICE Africa would be duplicated to the larger ICE London event through duplicating similar commitment, thinking, creativity and professionalism as key pillars which can help to adapt ICE to the African region, and allow it to take hold in an environment whose conditions drastically contrast to the home region.

African iGaming leaders seek to preserve those commonalities as the key to the events success and the delivery of potential economic benefits to the region.

Said Namibia-based Avani Windhoek Hotel and Casino general manager Rudie Putter:

I see great value and potential for a platform that is regionalised and a lot more in sync with our market and operating dynamics. I am very much looking forward to an event for Africa that from a cost perspective will enable us operators to expose a larger number of our staff to the networking and product exhibition possibilities on offer."

Welcome Africa

Africa is joining a global network, with globally delivered ICE brands at this point attracting upwards of 50,000 annual customers annually across iGB Live!, GiGse, Juegos Miami and affiliate conferences in London and Berlin, as well as the World Regulatory Briefings and Gaming Congresses in Brazil and Japan.

The occasion of welcoming Africa to the group should be seen as nothing short of historic.
Contrary to the opinions of "experts", the intentions of Vladimir Putin can easily be discerned by looking at a world map in the light of recent events. He advocates a free-trade zone from "Lisbon to Vladivostok" - something that requires years of negotiation, not blitzkrieg. As Russia stretches from Europe to Asia, it is well positioned for this and is also supplied with enormous undeveloped resources. Putin is described as the greatest bridge builder in Russian history. Together with new roads, high-speed rail, nuclear-powered icebreakers, ports such as Crimea and vast pipelines, Russia's prosperous future is easy to imagine, as a "transit" nation with goods moving in all directions. By contrast, countless "experts" proved themselves to be false prophets by predicting collapse from sanctions - instead of triumph over their effects.

Vladimir Putin gets accused of many things ("thug" seems popular) but I never see anyone accuse him of being stupid. His destiny for his nation is impeded by the ceaseless opposition of a jealous empire that often seems to suffer from a sort of national Attention-Deficit Disorder. It often looks like Russia and China plan while the US reacts - and all the more so in the Trump administration. It is this short-sightedness that caused Obama/Hillary to wreck Libya and thereby teach the world that nuclear weapons are the only guarantee against US attacks. North Korea got the message, loud and clear.

I have no illusions that Putin or Xi Jinping are kindly disposed towards the US. A clever US President once sought the friendship of China to create a geopolitical balance and detente. Contrast this with the foolishness of pushing Iran into alliance with Russia/China - right after the US bullied Russia itself towards China in a similar manner. The US keeps pretending it can afford global dominance. If it can't stop this obsession voluntarily, it will be forced to do so. The one useful idea that likely gained Trump the presidency will return, one way or another, namely that the US military is overextended and that can't be afforded any longer. This will end because of better diplomacy by Russia/China or better economic opportunities they create or perhaps because lesser nations become too expensive to attack - especially if they are supplied with improved weapons (made affordable by these two nations).

In as little as seven years, it is possible that no federal money will be left for anything beyond entitlements and paying interest on the national debt (CBO). Will we then borrow money from China so that we can threaten them?

In summary, I suggest that progressives refuse to be distracted by a corrupt mass media and instead cheer Putin on. The people of Europe are far better off today than they ever were as subjects of colonial empires. In addition, the people of Germany, Italy and Japan are far better off after they left aggressive militarism behind. Our collective experience could be similar if US "full-spectrum dominance" ends and we still have the resources to fix our broken nation. We can't afford "guns" to the exclusion of "butter".

I was compelled to write this article because there seems to be a lack of clarity and prioritized thinking about America's needs. Fighting for affordable healthcare, renewed infrastructure or better incomes is futile if the response by both political parties is to pursue perpetual and costly war instead of fixing our nation domestically. If Putin and his allies can frustrate the US in its infatuation with war, so be it. Funding peace is long overdue.

(Article changed on November 17, 2017 at 02:17)
As US president Donald Trump returned to the White House after a 12-day trip to Asia, he might be forgiven for wishing he'd spent more time seeing the sights of the Far East. Back home he faces a Republican Party torn by scandalous allegations against its candidate for US Senate from Alabama, a likely bruising fight over tax "reform," and more of the constant nipping at his heels by "Russiagate" special counsel Robert Mueller.

Oh, and Articles of Impeachment introduced in the US House of Representatives on November 15 by several Democrats.

The charges: Obstruction of justice, violation of the Constitution's "domestic emoluments" and "foreign emoluments" clauses, abuse of power (by "undermining the independence of the federal judiciary and the rule of law"), and undermining the freedom of the press.

Whether or not he's guilty of one or more of those things will be decided by the US Senate as jury (a vote of 2/3 is required to convict; the president's party holds a slim majority in that body), in a trial with the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court presiding.

Or, rather, it will be decided that way in the unlikely event that a simple majority of the House (the president's party holds a less slim majority there) actually votes to impeach him.

If past performance is an indicator of future results, then -- political theater -- is really all we can expect here.

Two past presidents -- Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton -- have been impeached. Neither was convicted. A third, Richard Nixon, might have been, but he resigned before the House could vote on impeachment.

Johnson was impeached on -- and acquitted of -- ten counts relating to his dismissal of a cabinet official without the Senate's blessing and one count of making speeches that Congress found disrespectful, but one suspects his chief sin was being a Democratic vice-president when a Republican president was assassinated.

Clinton was impeached on -- and acquitted of -- two counts (perjury and obstruction) of which he was clearly guilty, relating to his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, but again his real offense was political: He was a Democrat who'd won re-election against a Republican.

As much as one might like to think of the presidency and Congress as temples to civic virtue or arenas in which issues of great weight are disputed, Washington is in truth a lot more like a "professional wrestling" ring. It's two gangs of boastful peacocks putting on a tag-team show. Washington's rivalries may be more real but they're no more momentous.

I'm hard put to think of a president who never took actions meriting impeachment. But impeachment isn't about facts or evidence. It's about political party. Which means that, for now anyway, Trump's presidency is safe.
Indian's Minister of state for home affairs, Hansraj Ahir, said on Thursday (Nov 16) no one can stop India if it wanted to wrest, what he called "Pakistan-occupied" Kashmir, from Pakistan, and stressing that the territory was a part of India.

"I say Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir is a part of India and due to the mistakes of the previous governments it has been with Pakistan. If we try to get PoK back, no one can stop us because it is our right," Press Trust of India quoted Ahir as saying.

He said India would make efforts to get the territory back from Pakistan, PTI reported.

Ahir's comments came a day after Kashmir National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said Pakistan would not allow India to take that part of Jammu and Kashmir, which is under its control.

Reacting to Ahir's comments, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and NC leader Omar Abdullah asked what was stopping the government from taking back PoK. "I don't understand the 'if we try'. What is stopping you from getting it back? Prove Dr Abdullah wrong with your actions rather than with hollowed out words," Omar posted on Twitter.

Indian threats not unusual

This is not the first time India has threatened to capture Pakistan controlled Kashmir by force. A few years back Indian Defense Minister also threatened to seize Pakistan controlled Kashmir by force. However, many observers believe that it was not practical for nuclear-armed India to implement its Cold Start and launch any military operation against nuclear-Pakistan.

Cold Start is the Indian operational plan for rapidly mobilizing infantry and armor to launch lightning strikes across the plains and deserts of Pakistan. The aim is to break into Pakistan before its defensive formations can prepare and occupy defensive positions along the border.

Army chief, General Bipin Rawat, in January 2017, became the first senior official to publicly confirm the existence of India's so-called Cold Start doctrine.

Indian policymakers and officials have always downplayed Cold Start, partly because it may prompt Pakistan's army into relocating defensive formations close to the Indian border, and into developing "tactical nuclear weapons" (TNWs) -- small-yield, nuclear bombs, delivered by short-range ballistic missiles like the Nasr (Hatf-IX) -- to halt a Cold Start strike.

According to David Woof of the Huffington Post, Pakistan already is a major nuclear weapons power with well over 100 warheads and the missiles to carry them. And it is racing to expand its arsenal of short-range tactical weapons meant as a deterrent against India, its larger and more powerful neighbor, and its blood enemy. India is thought to have around 100 nuclear warheads of its own. (North Korea is estimated to possess enough fissile material to make several warheads.)

But it's not the numbers of weapons between India and Pakistan that most worry analysts and diplomats. It's the instability of their nuclear stand-off and the possibility that an accident, a miscalculation or a terrorist attack could ignite a catastrophic nuclear war, David Wood said adding:

"Bitter and distrustful, the two countries have fought four wars since 1947 and skirmished in numerous border clashes that continue to this day. Analysts now warn of a growing risk that another border clash could swiftly escalate into a nuclear crisis. The pressure in the region to escalate to the use of nuclear weapons has been intensified by India's adoption of Cold Start. In response, Pakistan has deployed short-range Nasr missiles to its own border region, which can carry nuclear warheads and hit targets about 35 miles away. There are some reports that the country is developing nuclear artillery shells and land mines as well. If war were to break out, Pakistan would have to use these weapons quickly, before their locations are overrun by Indian troops."

Congressional Research Service Report

Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is widely regarded as designed to dissuade India from taking military action against Pakistan, a report by Congressional Research Service (CRS) said adding: "but Islamabad's expansion of its nuclear arsenal, development of new types of nuclear weapons, and adoption of a doctrine called "full spectrum deterrence" have led some observers to express concern about an increased risk of nuclear conflict between Pakistan and India, which also continues to expand its nuclear arsenal."

The Congressional report titled "Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons" was released on January 14, 2016. It is written by Nonproliferation experts Paul K. Kerr and Mary Beth Nikitin. Congressional Research Service (CRS) is the research wing of the US Congress, which prepares periodic reports by eminent experts on a wide range of issues so as to help lawmakers make informed decisions.

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From Alon Ben-Meir Website



(Image by Artwork by Sam Ben-Meir.) Details DMCA



The unspeakable atrocities that are happening in South Sudan are unfathomable, not only because of the scope of savagery in the war between the Dinka and Nuer peoples, but also because it defies every tenet of our civilized being in which we take so much pride. Civilization, however, has hardly penetrated the first layer of our thick skin. We assume that our unprecedented advancements in technology, medicine, space exploration, engineering, literature, and all forms of arts have equally deepened our moral and ethical conviction. No. We have in fact become increasingly immune and unmoved by the savagery which is unfolding before our eyes in so many countries.

Many judge the raging human atrocities -- be that in South Sudan, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and many other places -- in relative terms to the horrors of wars and the unprecedented violence of the last century and before. They argue that today's world is better and safer than at any time in the history of mankind. That said, the idea of "Never Again," adopted in the wake of the second World War, has become nothing but an empty slogan. Should we really measure our moral conduct today in relative terms to the moral decadence of yesteryears?

Go explain that to those who have suffered unmatched cruelty and brutality and found salvation only in death. To the starving little boy who is about to pass away from malnutrition; to the girl that was raped a dozen times and left to die; to the shattered father who lost his entire family; to the weeping mother whose child died in her arms.

Yes, go explain it to the tens of thousands of children who are about to perish because of lack of medical care; to the millions of traumatized refugees who lost hope of ever recovering again. Go explain to them, "you are better off today than the tens of millions who perished before you."

The irony is that we often compare the human capacity for mercilessness, torture, and random killing to a wild beast, when in fact the most vicious of all beasts would be insulted to be compared to the atrocities and slaughter that humans are capable of committing against one another.

Let's look at the tragedy that has gripped South Sudan.

Six million people -- over half of the entire population -- suffer from severe food shortages, some surviving on as little as a cup of rice per day. It is projected that in 2018, nearly 1.1 million South Sudanese children will still be acutely malnourished.

Armed forces use rape as a weapon of war. As a method of coercion, girls as young as seven are raped and burned alive in front of their parents. Rape is often used as a payment for services and a recruitment incentive for militias. Gang rape is so prevalent it is now considered normal, while pillaging leaves villages in a blood bath.

Nearly 7,000 new cases of cholera have been reported this year -- a 73% increase from 2016 and the highest number of cases since 2014 -- and 51% of all infected are children and teenagers. Hospitals and aid vehicles are intentionally targeted by militia forces, and volunteers are ambushed and killed.

The malaria rate has increased from last year, accounting for 65% of all illnesses. Approximately 78,000 people are infected every week, most of whom are under the age of five. In 2017, more than 1.57 million cases of malaria have been reported, which is an increase of 300,000 over 2016.

Tens of thousands of children have been recruited as child soldiers, carrying rifles taller than themselves. Children travel unaccompanied -- separated from their families after villages are raided -- and many of them end up dying in the wilderness. Women and children hide in swamps while bodies pile in front of them. A whole new generation is lost, as nationwide 51% of South Sudanese children are not attending school.

Men are slaughtered, and some have been locked in steel shipping containers beneath the sun without food or water, left to fry to death. Women are captured, forced to march, and raped nightly, while civilians, who are not actively involved in the hostilities, are targeted as a military tactic.

Ethnic cleansing between the Dinka and Nuer is spreading across the country, with many observers warning that it is now approaching the level of genocide. The UN confirms that ethnic cleansing by way of starvation, gang rape, and village burning has become the status quo, and as a result, nearly two million people have been internally displaced since 2013.

Arms are pouring across the South Sudanese border by merchants of death -- China and Russia -- who are refusing to impose an embargo on exporting their killing machines. More than 50% of the national budget is spent on arms and bloated military salaries.

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The following article by Ed Brayton originally appeared on Patheos -Dispatches From the Culture War

The allegations against Roy Moore for "dating" teenage girls when he was in his 30s has shined a spotlight on a subset of evangelical Christian culture that encourages older men to do exactly that, and encourages young women to be receptive to it. The Washington Post has a story about it.

In fact, that seems to have been the case with one of the women who accused Moore in that first Post story last week, Debbie Wesson Gibson. When she was 17, she said Moore asked her out and she asked her mother if she should accept the date. Her mother told her, "I'd say you were the luckiest girl in the world." And remember that part of Moore's defense on the Hannity show was that he never dated a girl without her mother's permission. This is all part of that culture of "courting" younger girls by older men in those communities, of which Moore was definitely a part.

"We should probably talk about how there is a segment of evangelicalism and home-school culture where the only thing Roy Moore did wrong was initiating sexual contact outside of marriage. 14 year old girls courting adult men isn't entirely uncommon," Kathryn Brightbill, who works for the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, tweeted Friday, prompting a flurry of responses from other people who also had watched teenagers date much older Christian men.

Ashley Easter, who grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist church where courting was the norm for teenagers, said, "That was the first thing I thought of with Roy Moore." In her church community in Lynchburg, Va., Easter said, fathers had complete control over whom their daughters were allowed to date, and she could see how a father might set his teen daughter up with a much older man.

"A woman's role is to be a wife, a homemaker and someone who births children. The man's role is generally to be established and someone who provides the full income," said Easter, who runs the Courage Conference for survivors of church sexual abuse. "It may take longer for a man to reach stability. While a woman of 15 or 16, if she's been trained for a long time looking after her younger siblings, in their eyes she might be ready for marriage."

And this is common not only in evangelical Christian communities, but also in Orthodox Jewish, Mormon and other insular religious communities. Remember Phil Robertson, the Duck Dynasty Douchebag, caused a big controversy a few years ago when he told men, "Look, you wait 'til they get to be 20 years old the only picking that's going to take place is your pocket. You got to marry these girls when they are about 15 or 16. They'll pick your ducks." For people in that community, a man in his 30s "courting" a 14 or 15 year old girl is not just viewed as normal, it's strongly encouraged and viewed as the only way to have a happy marriage. It's really about the power imbalance forcing women into very specific roles.

(Article changed on November 17, 2017 at 01:28)
In 2000, 189 nations signed up to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by the year 2015. The goals encompassed:

- MDG 1: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

- MDG 3: promote gender equality and empower women

- MDG 4: reduce child mortality

- MDG 5: improve maternal health

- MDG 6: combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

- MDG 7: ensure environmental sustainability

- MDG 8: develop a global partnership for development

Progress was made, prompting Bill Gates to refer to the following slide as "the most beautiful chart in the world," because of the direction it was moving by lifting 137,000 people from extreme poverty (subsisting on less than $2.00 per day) each day over the past 25 years.

As pointed out by America Magazine, the Jesuit Review:

"The world could be on track to end abject poverty, defined as individuals subsisting on less than $2 a day. The wealthy and the powerful merely need to surrender a fraction more of the privilege most inherit by the good fortune of birth or geography; the world's advanced economies need only to continue an arguably meager commitment of just .7 percent (yes, less than 1 percent) of their gross national income to development assistance. (Though among the world's largest overall donors, the United States has struggled to give anything more than about .2 percent of its annual G.N.I. (Gross National Income) away in foreign assistance.)"

However, in May of 2017 President Trump proposed cutting 32% in spending on diplomacy and contributions to international organizations that do humanitarian relief in anti-poverty programs. In conflict and war-torn Africa, aid would be reduced in 2018 from $8 billion to $5.2 billion.

Catholic Relief Services, Bread for the World, Mercy Corps, the International Rescue Committee and Oxfam, organizations listed as part of People's Lobby's American World Service Corps National Service (AWSCNS) Congressional Proposal, objected to the proposed cuts. According to a statement released jointly by those organizations, "The deep and disproportionate cuts... will have life-and-death consequences today and will also undercut America's--and the world's--ability to address tomorrow's global threats."

If you have experienced how a billion people suffer living on less than $2.00 a day you may, for at least a few minutes, have an empathetic response to how the US and its citizens should respond.

What would you do if you were offered legislation that would involve a million Americans a year in the opportunity to address dire world and domestic needs empathetically and constructively through already proven service corps?

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It seems like every day we wake up to a new actor or celebrity addition to Hollywood's Creep List. From Louis C.K. to George Takei, every celebrity with a skeleton or "inappropriate drunken behavior" in the closet is sweating bullets.

And it's not just Hollywood.

As all eyes turn to Alabama and Roy Moore, the political world is increasingly fraught with claims of sexual abuse and halfhearted, dismissive excuses. This isn't new territory; former president Bill Clinton had Monica Lewinsky. Clarence Thomas had Anita Hill. The number of federal government sex scandals are so numerous that Wikipedia has a page dedicated to them dating back to 1776.

The revelations coming out of Hollywood and Washington now are darker, more sinister. It isn't the tale of roguish JFK skirt-chasing behind his wife's back. This is predatory behavior aimed at children, subordinates and people in no position to fight back. This is the stuff that drags us all down as a species.

While it feels like long-overdue righteous justice, anything this impassioned and inflammatory has the potential to get out of control. We all know about playing with fire. Does the Creep List have that same potential -- to be weaponized? Is a powerful and important social movement in danger of being warped into an injustice of its own?

Right now, we're riding a tidal wave of mob rule. This is how it had to start: decades of abuse of authority can only be pushed back by the voices of those who aren't being protected as they should. Every #metooon Twitter is rooting out a cancer. Brave men and women who understand how speaking out can destroy their lives are hitting back with all of the pent-up rage of fighting sexist dress codes and lazy PR men halfheartedly shrugging away complaints.

We see this pattern of sexual harassment and abuse go all the way up to the presidential level. Before President Trump won the election, the infamous "grab 'em" line had people reaching for torches and pitchforks. While the Creep List hasn't yet caught up to Trump, it has added 41st president George H. W. Bush.

According to his accusers, Former President Bush tells jokes with sexist punchlines before groping women, frequently in photo ops. He is dismissed as a silly old man whose wheelchair limits his reach to backsides which results in the occasional whoopsie-daisy. And yet, rumors of his inappropriate behavior can be traced back to his presidency -- if you believe wild conspiracy theoriesabout a child sex ring in Nebraska.

The question, then, is this: where are we going? Is the purpose to make sexual harassment and rapid course-correction the new normal? Is it to show the world what happens when you try to sexually prey upon a person, to dissuade would-be harassers? Or is it an attempt to punish?

Europe is seeing its own Weinstein-fueled rooting out of sexually inappropriate behavior. British Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed special counsel to deal with the deluge of accusations now plaguing her administration amidst multiple accusations and the resignation of Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon.

The most troubling story to come out of the UK is the story of Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, Carl Sargeant. Sargeant, 49, was accused by multiple women of misconduct. He was removed from his post November 3 without being told the details of the accusations. He issued a plea for investigation, professing his innocence. On Tuesday, November 7, he hung himself. According to BBC News, former Plaid Cymru AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas said Mr. Sargeant "clearly felt he had been found guilty before he had a chance to defend himself."

Where is the line? How far do we go? At what point are we no longer righting a wrong? Will we even realize it if we get there, or will we wake up one day living in a reverse "Handmaid's Tale"?
As many ten-year olds in this observer's Beirut neighborhood in Dahiyeh (Hezbollah's 'security zone') can articulate more cogently than me, Lebanon's economy continues to weaken as foreign investors pull back, internal sectarian turmoil swells, several of Lebanon's well-known political lords continue to steal a significant chunk of the country's budget, and while the World Bank and the IMF indexes of Lebanon's economic future increasingly reminds one of the 2009 economic shut-down in Greece.

Lebanon is being accused by 5 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries, and a growing list of allies regionally and globally, of declaring war on Saudi Arabia by its corrupt leaders essentially deeding the country to Iran. Consequently, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and other countries have joined in demanding that the Lebanese government choose between peace or allegiance to Iran and Hezbollah. The new reactive strategy appears to include targeting Lebanon's already challenged economy.

On 11/16/2017, Saudi's Foreign Minister Jubeir emphasized that Hezbollah is the root of Lebanon's crisis and "that it has hijacked the Lebanese system." During a joint press conference with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, FM Jubeir added that Hezbollah's continuous interferences in Arab countries' affairs will worsen the situation in Lebanon, adding that "the Hezbollah militia is a weapon in Iran's hands" and that Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah himself has acknowledged this fact.

The Saudi FM added that Hezbollah threatens the stability of Lebanon and the region and voiced the importance of finding means to deal with the party. He added that there were practical measures in this regard. Many in Lebanon's financial institutions believe the "practical measures" may result in the collapse of Lebanon's already deteriorating economy.

In seeking to combat Iranian influence, Riyadh may indeed shake an already tottering Lebanese economy, thus threatening the country's tenuous calm. On November 6, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Gulf Affairs, Thamer al-Sabhan, announced that henceforth, "The Lebanese government, which is dominated by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed political party and militia, will be treated as if it had declared war on Riyadh." Many in Lebanon, including more than 80% of Sunni, and 65% of Christians, according to recent Pew Research Center and other polls, support the new tougher Saudi position, despite worries about the policy on Lebanon's economy.

Mr. Sabhan's declaration raises the distinct possibility of a GCC "Dahiyeh Doctrine" wherein Saudi Arabia and her allies could take a page from Israel's 2009 "Dahiyeh Doctrine" wherein the occupiers of Palestine are now committed to targeting all of Lebanon in the next war and not just Hezbollah areas. The justification for both "total wars" is claimed to be that the Lebanese government has failed to effectively control or disarm Iran's Hezbollah militia, but instead has ceded Lebanon's sovereignty. Some are suggesting that Saudi Arabia, along with her regional and even some global allies, may well launch an economic "Dahiyeh Doctrine" wherein all of Lebanon's economy is fair game for targeting, much as Iran's continues to be.

Saudi initiatives as well as several other recently announced western and regional measures represent an evolving pro-active and protective "brotherly" Arab policy toward Lebanon. Growing resistance to Iran's absorption of Lebanon may well target Lebanon's economy following decades of the GCC helping shore it up.

When PM Hariri returned to Lebanon on 11/1/2017 after a visit to Saudi Arabia, he met with the Lebanese Council of Ministers to brief them on his discussions in Riyadh. He told the Ministers that the Saudis would support plans for an international conference in Paris to strengthen the Lebanese economy. In addition, Hariri announced that a Rome meeting was being organized from Riyadh to support the Lebanese army and a joint Saudi-Lebanese Directorate was in the works to promote and assure massive foreign investment to shore up Lebanon's careening economy. Saad Hariri, like his late father Rafik, is one of the very few genuinely liberal political leaders the Middle East has ever produced by exposing Lebanon's government for what it truly is--the subject of a hostile takeover by two malevolent foreign powers, one being Iran.

This new GCC approach follows more than a decade of Saudi unsatisfactory efforts to bolster Lebanon's pro-West Future Movement and its allies against Iran's Hezbollah. The region may no longer distinguish between weak local confederates and invertebrate hostiles. Frustrated with Lebanon's Parliament's acquiescence to Hezbollah's increasing influence in Beirut, Riyadh and allies may decide to target all of Lebanon's economy.

LEBANON IS VULNERABLE TO ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

As this observer has noted recently, the Lebanese civil war (1975-90) and postwar reconstruction have had a profound and continuing impact on the state's economy. Since 1990, accumulated debt, structural imbalances, insufficient revenues, widespread endemic corruption and periodic wars have contributed to an economy that many analysts believe is on the verge of collapse. Today, Lebanon's debt-to-GDP ratio is 150 percent, among the world's highest, and the International Monetary Fund predicts that it will increase to 160 percent by 2021. The cost of financing this debt is astronomical. Worse, growth is anemic, about 1 percent, and the regional political situation -- even before the current crisis with Saudi Arabia -- has undermined investor confidence. Accordingly, foreign deposit inflows have slowed, and Lebanon's S&P credit rating has declined from a B to a B-.

There are multiple Lebanese vulnerabilities that Saudi Arabia and her allies have in their quiver to encourage Lebanon to resist what many in the region believe is Iran's more than two decades of executing its hegemonic colonization of Lebanon.

One is pressuring Lebanon's expatriate work force, and two others would likely include targeting Lebanon's financial sector, and its tourism industry.

As seasoned Lebanese journalist and researcher Hanin Ghaddar recently pointed out, according to economists in the region, Lebanon's economy is currently in danger of collapse. For example, more than 15 million expatriate Lebanese are living and working abroad. The remittances sent back to Lebanon account for approximately 16 percent of Lebanon's GDP. During 2016, Lebanese abroad sent home more than $ 7.5 billion. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GGC) states, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman create the major employment sources of Lebanese remittances. Approximately two-thirds of the remittances are being generated today in the GCC states, with more than 50% from Saudi Arabia alone.

One KSA measure that has already been taken over the past few months has been the result of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, which is aimed at diversifying the KSA's economy and strengthening local employment numbers. One example is that Riyadh dramatically increased the cost of residency permits for foreign workers. As the fees ascended, remittances necessarily descended, along with the numbers of expatriate laborers. The more immediate concern for Lebanon is that Saudi Arabia -- along with the UAE -- might expel Lebanese nationals. Iran has suggested that it would welcome such a move because most of Lebanon's expat workers in the Gulf are Sunni Muslims and Christians not Shia. Plus, such a move would presumably generate criticism of the GCC.

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By Lorraine Chow

About 210,000 gallons (5,000 barrels) of oil leaked Thursday from TransCanada's Keystone oil pipeline near Amherst, South Dakota, drawing fierce outcry from pipeline opponents.

The leak, the largest spill to date in South Dakota, comes just days before Nebraska regulators decide on whether its controversial sister project -- the Keystone XL(KXL) Pipeline -- will go forward.

"Enough is enough. Pipelines leak -- it's not a question of 'if,' but 'when.' The pending permit for TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline should be flatly rejected by Nebraska's Public Service Commission (PSC), but know that no matter what the outcome, the fight's not over yet," said Scott Parkin, Rainforest Action Network's Organizing Director. "We need to stop all expansion of extreme fossil fuels such as tar sands oil -- and we need the finance community to stop funding these preventable climate disasters -- disasters for the climate, the environment and Indigenous rights."

CNN reported that the spill occurred in the same county as part of the Lake Traverse Reservation.

"We are concerned that the oil spill is close to our treaty land, but we are trying to stay positive that they are getting the spill contained and that they will share any environmental assessments with the tribal agency," said Dave Flute, tribal chairman of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate.

According to TransCanada, the Keystone pipeline system delivers Canadian and U.S. crude oil supplies to markets around North America, stretching 4,324 kilometers (2,687 miles) in length. It starts from Hardisty, Alta., east into Manitoba where it turns south and crosses the border into North Dakota. It then runs south through South Dakota to Steele City, Neb., where it splits. One arm goes east through Missouri for deliveries into Wood River and Patoka, Ill., and the other runs south through Oklahoma to Cushing and onward to Port Arthur and Houston, Texas.

The proposed KXL would add to the massive Keystone system, with its line starting in Hardisty, Alberta and ending in Steele City.

In March, President Trump overturned President Obama's rejection of the KXL by signing an executive order to advance the project forward. Trump said that doing so would boost construction jobs but critics noted that it would only create 35 permanent jobs.

Environmental groups have long battled against the proposed tar sands project, over fears it would lock in decades of increased climate pollution. A peer-reviewed study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy found that extracting and refining oil sands crude from Canada produces 20 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than the same process for conventional American crude, Newsweek reported in 2015.

As the KXL's proposed route crosses the Ogallala Aquifer, a major underground deposit of fresh water, a spill could threaten waterways and drinking water sources.

"Americans fought the Keystone Pipeline, because we knew it endangered our nation's water and a stable climate," Environment America's Global Warming Director Andrea McGimsey said in a statement after the spill. "The Nebraska Public Service Commission should look to today's disastrous leak as Exhibit A when commissioners decide in the coming week whether to allow Transcanada to extend this hazardous pipeline through their state. This latest disaster is an urgent reminder that we must stop building infrastructure for dangerous fossil fuels and transition to clean energy as soon as possible."

TransCanada said Thursday that it shut down the pipeline after detecting a pressure drop in their operating system. An investigation into the cause of the spill is underway.

"The safety of the public and environment are our top priorities and we will continue to provide updates as they become available," the company said.

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From Consortium News



British Prime Minister Theresa May.

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Ever since the U.S. government dangled $160 million last December to combat Russian propaganda and disinformation, obscure academics and eager think tanks have been lining up for a shot at the loot, an unseemly rush to profit that is spreading the Russia-gate hysteria beyond the United States to Europe.

Now, it seems that every development, which is unwelcomed by the Establishment -- from Brexit to the Catalonia independence referendum -- gets blamed on Russia! Russia! Russia!

The methodology of these "studies" is to find some Twitter accounts or Facebook pages somehow "linked" to Russia (although it's never exactly clear how that is determined) and complain about the "Russian-linked" comments on political developments in the West. The assumption is that the gullible people of the United States, United Kingdom and Catalonia were either waiting for some secret Kremlin guidance to decide how to vote or were easily duped.

Oddly, however, most of this alleged "interference" seems to have come after the event in question. For instance, more than half (56 percent) of the famous $100,000 in Facebook ads in 2015-2017 supposedly to help elect Donald Trump came after last year's U.S. election (and the total sum compares to Facebook's annual revenue of $27 billion).

Similarly, a new British study at the University of Edinburgh blaming the Brexit vote on Russia discovered that more than 70 percent of the Brexit-related tweets from allegedly Russian-linked sites came after the referendum on whether the U.K. should leave the European Union. But, hey, don't let facts and logic get in the way of a useful narrative to suggest that anyone who voted for Trump or favored Brexit or wants independence for Catalonia is Moscow's "useful idiot"!

This week, British Prime Minister Theresa May accused Russia of seeking to "undermine free societies" and to "sow discord in the West."

What About Israel?

Yet, another core problem with these "studies" is that they don't come with any "controls," i.e., what is used in science to test a hypothesis against some base line to determine if you are finding something unusual or just some normal occurrence.

In this case, for instance, it would be useful to find some other country that, like Russia, has a significant number of English speakers but where English is not the native language -- and that has a significant interest in foreign affairs -- and then see whether people from that country weigh in on social media with their opinions and perspectives about political events in the U.S., U.K., etc.

Perhaps, the U.S. government could devote some of that $160 million to, say, a study of the Twitter/Facebook behavior of Israelis and whether they jump in on U.S./U.K. controversies that might directly or indirectly affect Israel. We could see how many Twitter/Facebook accounts are "linked" to Israel; we could study whether any Israeli "trolls" harass journalists and news sites that oppose neoconservative policies and politicians in the West; we could check on whether Israel does anything to undermine candidates who are viewed as hostile to Israeli interests; if so, we could calculate how much money these "Israeli-linked" activists and bloggers invest in Facebook ads; and we could track any Twitter bots that might be reinforcing the Israeli-favored message.

No Chance

If we had this Israeli baseline, then perhaps we could judge how unusual it is for Russians to voice their opinions about controversies in the West. It's true that Israel is a much smaller country with 8.5 million people compared to Russia's 144 million, but you could adjust for those per capita numbers -- and even if you didn't, it wouldn't be surprising to find that Israel's interference in U.S. policymaking still exceeds Russian influence.



Russian President Vladimir Putin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on May 10, 2015, at the Kremlin.

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From Truthdig



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On Nov. 8, just as President Trump was clinching new business deals with the repressive Communist government of China, the Trump administration announced its new rules rolling back President Obama's opening with Cuba. The new regulations restricting travel and trade with the Caribbean island will make it illegal once again for Americans to travel to Cuba without a special license from the Treasury Department and will dramatically reduce the number of Americans traveling there.

The regulations, which include a list of 180 banned entities, are supposed to punish hotels, stores and other businesses tied to the Cuban military and instead direct economic activity toward businesses controlled by regular Cuban citizens. But during our visit to the island on a 40-person delegation organized by the peace group Code Pink, we found that Cuba's small private businesses, the very sector that the Trump administration wants to encourage, are already feeling the blow.

In 2014, President Obama announced a new opening with Cuba. While the U.S. sanctions imposed on the island following the 1959 revolution can only be lifted by Congress, Obama used his executive power to renew diplomatic relations and relax restrictions on travel and trade. Cuba, which already has a large tourist sector with guests from Europe and Canada, geared up for a "tsunami" of American visitors coming on newly authorized commercial flights and cruise ships.

The Obama policy of engagement coincided with a new Cuban policy of allowing Cubans to leave their miserably paid state jobs to try their hand at starting up their own small businesses. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans jumped at the opportunity, many flocking to businesses catering to tourists. Cuba became the fastest growing site for AirBnB, as thousands of Cuban families spruced up extra bedrooms in their homes to accommodate foreign guests. Others took their life savings, or borrowed money from relatives abroad, to open small restaurants in their homes called paladares.

All over downtown Havana, we saw signs of this small business renaissance, with refurbished rooms for rent and boutique eateries boasting live salsa music and high-quality meals for about $10. State-run hotels and restaurants, notorious for bad food and bad service, now face competition from well-run, family businesses.

While Trump's rollback of Obama's opening just went into effect, he announced his plans back in June before a crowd of hardline anti-Communist Cuban-Americans. Then, in September, came another setback for U.S.-Cuba relations, when the United States said that U.S. personnel in Cuba had been subjected to mysterious sonic attacks that affected the health of 24 diplomats. The U.S. government withdrew nonessential personnel and diplomat family members from the U.S. Embassy in Havana. On Sept. 29, the State Department put out a "Cuba Travel Warning." It said that because the U.S. Embassy employees' safety was at risk and the U.S. had been unable to identify the source of the attacks, "we believe U.S. citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba."

All the Cubans we talked to thought the sonic attack was a bunch of baloney. From taxi drivers to government officials to dissidents, Cubans told our group that the whole episode was concocted to justify turning back the clock on Obama's de'tente with Cuba. "Maybe they had hearing losses because the reggaeton music here is so loud," joked one taxi driver. "But to say Cuba is unsafe is a lie. Cuba is the safest country in the world. You can walk around here alone at 2 a.m. in the morning, and no one will bother you."

Between the new restrictions and the travel warning, Cuba's burgeoning private sector has already felt what Cubans call "the Trump effect." Jose Colome, owner of Starbien private restaurant in Havana that employs 35 people, shook his head in disgust. "We had 48 reservations from U.S. tourist groups booked in the past three months; 30 of them cancelled."

Proximity Cuba, a travel agency catering to U.S. university groups, lost half its business in one fell swoop. "We had developed wonderful programs for U.S. students in Cuba. Suddenly, the administrators read the travel warning, and got cold feet and cancelled," said Proximity Cuba's director, Rodrigo Gonzalez.

Even the non-tourist sector is feeling the effects. The agricultural cooperative we visited in Artemisa province was anxious to purchase U.S. tractors to replace its ancient Russian models, but now worry that the deal will fall through. "It is only natural for us to buy agricultural inputs from the U.S. market 90 miles away," said Maria del Carmen of the National Association of Small Farmers. "Trump's policies and the continuing blockade of Cuba are hurting our farmers."

On Nov. 1, for the 26th year in a row, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn the U.S. embargo against Cuba. The vote this year was 191 nations against the embargo versus two in favor: the United States and Israel. The embargo, which was first imposed in the 1960s, is seen by the overwhelming majority of the world's nations as an outdated and failed foreign policy that has only served to punish the Cuban people and isolate the United States internationally



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Just before the U.N. vote, 10 U.S. senators, led by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), sent a letter to President Trump saying: "Our failed embargo against Cuba has been repeatedly and publicly condemned by the international community as ineffective and harmful to the people of Cuba. The longer we maintain this outdated Cold War policy the more our international and regional credibility suffers. The overwhelming majority of Americans, including Cuban-Americans, and Cubans, including Cuban entrepreneurs and many dissidents, oppose the embargo and favor engagement of the United States with Cuba."

"The United States is punishing Cuba because it says our government is undemocratic," Dr. Aduabez Tabiada Zamora, a member of Cuba's National Assembly, told our group. "Yet year after year, the entire world community condemns this mean-spirited policy. Is that democratic?"

The reversal of the Cuba opening is a victory for a small handful of southern Florida officials like Sen. Marco Rubio and a small group of Cuban-Americans, but it is a major blow for diplomacy, people-to-people ties, and most of all, Cuba's new private businesses.
From Smirking Chimp



Guantanamo bay prisoners

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On November 3, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) informed the court's Pre-Trial Chamber, "[T]here is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in connection with the armed conflict in Afghanistan."

In what Amnesty International's Solomon Sacco called a "seminal moment for the ICC," Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda asked the court for authorization to commence an investigation that would focus on US military and CIA leaders, as well as Taliban and Afghan officials.

Bensouda wrote in a November 14, 2016, report that her preliminary examination revealed "a reasonable basis to believe" the "war crimes of torture and ill-treatment" had been committed "by US military forces deployed to Afghanistan and in secret detention facilities operated by the Central Intelligence Agency, principally in the 2003-2004 period, although allegedly continuing in some cases until 2014."

The chief prosecutor noted the alleged crimes by the CIA and US armed forces "were not the abuses of a few isolated individuals," but rather were "part of approved interrogation techniques in an attempt to extract 'actionable intelligence' from detainees." She added there was "reason to believe" that crimes were "committed in the furtherance of a policy or policies ... which would support US objectives in the conflict of Afghanistan."

In accordance with its Rome Statute, the ICC only asserts jurisdiction over people whose home country is unwilling or unable to bring them to justice. In explaining why this war crimes investigation falls under the ICC's jurisdiction, Bensouda wrote that the US Department of Justice investigations regarding ill-treatment of 101 detainees were limited to whether interrogation techniques used by CIA interrogators were unauthorized and violated criminal statutes. The US Attorney General (AG) said the Justice Department would not prosecute anyone who acted in good faith and within the guidance provided by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC).

The AG investigated only two incidents and found the evidence insufficient to obtain convictions. In one case, Gul Rahman froze to death after being stripped and shackled to a cold cement floor in the secret Afghan prison known as the Salt Pit. In the other, Manadel al-Jamadi died in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison after he was suspended from the ceiling by his wrists which were bound behind his back. Former military policeman Tony Diaz, who witnessed al-Jamadi's torture, said that blood gushed from his mouth like "a faucet had turned on" when he was lowered to the ground. A military autopsy concluded that al-Jamadi's death was a homicide. However, the AG ultimately refused to prosecute the Bush officials responsible for the torture and deaths of those two men.

In 2008, ABC News reported that Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet and John Ashcroft met in the White House and micromanaged the torture of terrorism suspects by approving specific torture techniques such as waterboarding. George W. Bush admitted in his 2010 memoir that he authorized waterboarding. Cheney, Rice and John Yoo -- author of the OLC's most egregious torture memos -- have made similar admissions.

Were the ICC to pursue its investigation, the United States, which is not a party to the Rome Statute, would very likely refuse to relinquish any US person to the ICC. During the Bush administration, Congress passed the American Service-Members Protection Act, which says if US persons are sent to the ICC in The Hague, the US military can forcibly extract them. The act also restricts US cooperation with the ICC and prohibits military assistance to states parties to the Rome Statute unless they sign bilateral immunity agreements with the US.

States which sign these "Article 98" agreements -- referring to the section of the Rome Statute that addresses treaties between countries -- pledge not to hand over US nationals to the ICC. The United States has reportedly extracted those agreements from over 100 countries -- primarily small nations, or fragile democracies with weak economies. Moreover, the US government has withdrawn military aid from several nations that refused to be coerced into signing them.

However, under the Rome Statute, the ICC can take jurisdiction over a national of even a non-party state if he or she commits a crime in a state party's territory. The US vehemently objects to this, but it's nothing new. Under well-established principles of international law, the crimes being prosecuted in the ICC -- genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity -- are crimes of universal jurisdiction.

The doctrine of universal jurisdiction permits any country to try foreign nationals for the most egregious crimes, even without any direct relationship to the prosecuting country. That means other nations can bring US leaders to justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Indeed, the United States has asserted jurisdiction over foreign nationals in anti-terrorism, anti-narcotics trafficking, torture and war crimes cases. The US government tried, convicted and sentenced Charles "Chuckie" Taylor Jr. to federal prison for torture committed in Liberia. Israel tried, convicted and executed Adolph Eichmann for his crimes during the Holocaust.

There will be strong political pressure to avoid liability for US leaders. But Bensouda has undoubtedly withstood heavy pressure by asking the court to approve an investigation into crimes committed in Afghanistan. She also invariably faced considerable pushback for opening a preliminary examination in January 2015 of possible war crimes committed by Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. Bensouda is expected to announce the results of that examination in December.

The ICC has been criticized for focusing almost exclusively on African leaders. This is apparently changing with possible investigations into the conflicts in Afghanistan and Palestine.

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From Paul Craig Roberts Website

William Binney is the former National Security Agency (NSA) official who created NSA's mass surveillance program for digital information. He says that if the Russian government had conspired with Trump, hacked the Democratic National Committee's computer, or in any way influenced the outcome of the last US presidential election, the National Security Agency would have the digital evidence. The fact that we have been listening to the unsubstantiated charges that comprise "Russia-gate" for more than one year without being presented with a scrap of evidence is complete proof that Russia-gate is entirely fake news.

The fake news originated with CIA director John Brennan and FBI director Comey conspiring with the DNC in an effort to discredit and unseat President Trump and at a minimum prevent him from damaging the vast power and profit of the military/security complex by normalizing relations with Russia.

Consider what this means. The directors of the CIA and FBI made up a totally false story about a newly elected President and fed the lies to the presstitutes and Congress. The presstitutes never asked for a drop of evidence and enlarged the Brennan/Comey lie with a claim that all 17 US intelligence agencies had concluded that Russia had interfered. In actual fact, a handful of carefully selected people in three of the agencies had prepared, perhaps under duress, a conditional report that had no evidence behind it.

That it was fake news created to control President Trump was completely obvious, but corrupt security officials, corrupt senators and representatives, a corrupt DNC, and corrupt media used constant repetition to turn a lie into truth.

Here is Binney. See also here.

Having shoved Trump into the militarist camp, his enemies have turned on Trump as an unstable, volatile person who might push the button. Senator Bob Corker (R, TN) and Senator Chris Murphy (D, CT) are using the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to portray President Trump as a quixotic person who shouldn't have his finger on the nuclear button. We have gone full circle, from Trump who wants to defuse nuclear tensions to Trump who might push the button.

If Senators Corker and Murphy were really concerned and not just orchestrating a new way to attack Trump, they would bring out the fact that Russia-gate is a hoax that has made nuclear war more likely. As I have pointed out, Washington has convinced Moscow that Washington is planning a surprise nuclear attack on Russia and also collecting Russian DNA for a tailored Russian-specific bio-weapon. I cannot think of anything more likely to trigger nuclear war than the escalated tensions that Russia-gate is preventing Trump from reducing. See here.

For the record, contrary to the erroneous assertions of "nuclear experts," the president cannot simply order a nuclear attack. The president either has to accept a Joint Chiefs war plan and order a launch when the military is ready or he has to accept the advice of his national security adviser to launch in retaliation for incoming enemy ICBMs. If a president simply ordered a nuclear strike, he would be ignored.

If it is not the president who must make the nuclear decision, who is it to be? The military? We should be thankful that that was not the case when the Joint Chiefs pressured President John F. Kennedy to approve a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union.

The question who should have launch authority is an easy one to answer. No one.

If nuclear missiles are incoming, launching does not protect you. You are already going to be destroyed. Why destroy the other side of the world in an act of revenge? It is pointless.

There is no such thing as a preemptive strike that prevents retaliation.

Nuclear war is an act of insanity. Nothing can justify it.

The purpose of diplomacy is to prevent war. However, ever since the Clinton regime attacked Serbia, US diplomacy has been used to cause wars. During the 16-years of George W. Bush and Obama, the US destroyed in whole or part seven countries, killing and maiming millions of peoples and producing millions of refugees. Not a single one of these wars was justified. Everyone of these wars was based in lies. The last US government that showed any respect at all for truth was the George H. W. Bush administration.

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8 benefits of product customization

Alexei Kovalev, Digital Marketing Manager, Itoris Inc.

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8 benefits of product customizationIn the todays 21st century world, customers are often looking to find and buy some unique, custom-made and personalized goods. The results of the recent research have shown that the purchasers who were given an opportunity to interact with the product by taking part in its design and personalization were more likely to purchase them at the end. Therefore, there exists a growing belief that the successful and innovative companies who strive to be the leading force in the market will satisfy this growing demand for choice.One important thing for every business to keep in mind is that the actual customization does not necessarily translate to a need of making big changes in your business or a product model. The actual personalization can be limited to giving the customer an opportunity to choose a color of the product or letting him or her add a custom name on it. But no matter how small or large this extra option will be, a company of any business model, size or scope can get a large number of benefits from product customization.Source: kodematix.comTop 8 rewards which businesses will get from product customizationThe advantages which customers will get from the customized products are obvious. They want to have unique products which will have that special feeling attached to them. Something which their friends, relatives or neighbors do not have. And the forward-thinking companies who would act both timely and wisely will be the ones who would give their buyers that special product they always wanted to have.But what are the advantages of introducing those customized products from the business perspectives? Below are the top 8 benefits of product customization every company should consider:1. Additional mentioning by the mass media. By introducing even the smallest DIY opinions for their current product portfolio, companies would automatically give the local or international mass media agencies the incentive to write about that feature in one of the latter's upcoming publications. That new option does not have to be big in order to be a hit. Businesses would just need to make sure its fun, relevant and useful.2. An opportunity to place higher prices on their products. Customized and well-made products are often considered to be special. In turn, special goods are often considered to be scarce and exclusive. And as it is often shown by recent research, customers are willing to pay an extra 25% of the original price for an opportunity to have those exclusive products. Therefore, by introducing product customization, different businesses may enjoy higher percentage of revenues from selling even a slightly upgraded version of their original products.3. Information about the things your customers want to purchase. An additional advantage of selling personalized product is an opportunity to have timely and relevant information of your customers tastes and needs at absolutely no cost. Therefore, by introducing product customization, all the customers will receive accurate information about the products their customers actually buy and hence have a clear understanding of the business direction they should go to in the future.4. Presence in the gift market. When it comes to celebrating Birthdays, Christmas, New Year or any other event, we all want to present our friends and relatives with a special gift which would make them happy. Just an ordinary object would not always do the trick. But a personalized one with a special name or a signature can well be an option here. After all, it would be hard to resist a temptation of owning customized watches or kits with your own name being placed on it. Therefore, by giving its customers an opportunity to create and buy some personalized products, a company would have a chance to enter itself into the gift market and hence have an opportunity to earn additional profits out of it.5. Better customer loyalty with a lower product return rate. By letting a customer take part in the product creation process, a business will make sure that the customers get exactly the kind of product they wanted to buy which will lead to a feeling of involvement and satisfaction. The latter has been proven to have a positive impact on the number of repeat purchases, customer loyalty and product returns.6. Better search ranking within the search engine results. Creating your personalized product is an interesting task. While trying to build their very own products, customers would spend considerably more time on the companys website trying out different features and characteristics their new purchased product should have. Therefore, as a result of introducing product customization, companys websites may well enjoy an improvement in the important SEO metrics such as Time or Site and Bounce Rate. This in turn would lead to advancement in their rankings within the search engines hence leading to a higher amount of leads and larger revenue.7. An opportunity to sell directly to your customers. Another advantage for the businesses to give product customization a try is an opportunity to sell their products in a direct way without the involvement of other channel members. In this way, a business will collect larger revenues and avoid any unnecessary conflicts with its retailers.8. Simplified Order Process with regards to timing and costs. If you can remember the process of buying customized products from the good old 90s when computers had a size of a modern mid-sized fridge, you are surely aware of all the hurdles this process was associated with. Misunderstood requirements, long waits for your specifications to be sent back and forth before you finally see the thing you wanted to buy All of this was time-consuming, costly and frustrating for both you and the company you wanted to purchase something from. But now, by introducing a product configuration option on their website, companies will save a lot of time by rationalizing this process. In other words, product customization will illuminate the waiting time and make sure that the customer gets exactly what he or she wanted quickly and easilyUsing Product customization for your Magento 2 storeIf you happen to have a Magento store and want to realize the benefits of product customization for your business, try out the Magento 2 Custom Options from IToris Inc. and take your existing product offerings to the new level. And if you are interested in other Magento 2 extensions, dont forget to view them on the Magento 2 extensions page.Itoris Inc. is an ecommerce solution provider from Canada. The company has started its operations in 2007 and has so far been focusing on the development of Magento 1.x and Magento 2.x extensions. Itoris provides e-commerce plugins extensions, templates and other applications for Magento 1, Magento 2 and Joomla platforms and offers full-service customization services.The companys headquarters are located in Dundas, Ontario. Its offshore software development center is situated in Minsk, Belarus. The international team of Itoris Inc. is giving its absolute best to make sure that the developed products would make our customers happier and more productive.When it comes to building a new extension, we adhere to the highest quality standards in every stage of the software development cycle. Our current product portfolio consists of 60 Magento 1 extensions, 19 Magento 2 extensions and 11 Joomla extensions.In order to ensure its continuous technological development and prosperous business growth, Itoris is always open for new partners to join our existing network partnership and affiliate network.Our main website:Magento 2 Custom Options Extension:Alexei KovalevItoris IncShelesnodoroshnaya 33, Room 401220089 MinskBelarus
El Salvador the stand-out tax reformer in this year's World Bank Doing Business report

Russell Bedford International member firm Cornejo & Umana, Ltda. de C.V., El Salvador, has again assisted the World Bank in research for its Paying Taxes survey, part of its annual Doing Business project.Published annually since 2003, the World Bank Doing Business project provides objective measures of business regulations for local firms in 190 economies worldwide. Russell Bedford International member firms have assisted the World Bank in researching its annual Paying Taxes survey since 2009, contributing data on tax regulation, recent reforms, and the real costs of tax compliance worldwide.This years report shows El Salvador up 22 places in the overall Ease of Doing Business rankings, from 95 to 73  a situation driven by the countrys outstanding improvements to its fiscal regime. The number of submissions required have been cut from 41 to seven over the past 12 months (against an OECD average of 10.9), with the number of hours spent on tax compliance reducing from an onerous 248 per year to 180  comparable to the average 160 hours of OECD high-income economies.More broadly, this years report shows no change on last years top-performing countries, with New Zealand, Singapore and Denmark again taking the top three slots. The reports Paying Taxes survey this year shows some remarkable improvements in individual countries regulatory regimes, and again confirms greatest progress among emerging markets, with Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Angola and India also showing exponential improvements, up 81, 60, 54 and 53 places, respectively. Italy shows the best performance of OECD high-income economies, moving from 126 to 112, while the United Kingdom, conversely, shows its worst performance in recent years, down 13 places from 10 to 23.Cornejo & Umana, Ltda. de C.V. Managing Partner Luis Alfredo Cornejo Martinez commented: It is gratifying to see the countrys performance more closely aligned with that of the OECD high-income economies, both in terms of the time spent on tax compliance, and the number of submissions required. And the fact that El Salvadors total tax take  at 35.5 percent of profits  is now lower than the OECDs 40.1 percent testifies to the countrys ever-improving competitiveness.At Russell Bedford International, we specialise in helping companies meet the challenges that international business expansion presents. Since 1983, our worldwide network of accountancy firms has provided financial expertise and business consultancy to companies within many different markets and industriesRussell Bedford International3rd Floor, Paternoster House65 St Paul's ChurchyardLondonEC4M 8ABUnited Kingdom
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AL MADINA AND SAUDI ARABIA (ARAMCO) To Establish Working Relationship

AL Madina, in Canada, North America is all set to establish a working relationship with the Saudi Arabia. The company is based in Canada with its roots in Saudi Arabia; hence, it is now all set to establish its link with Saudi Arabia soon.The relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States has been a roller coaster journey since the year 1933. It was in the year 1973, when both the countries came into a disagreement state due to the oil crisis. It was until the year 2002 when people in Saudi Arabia had a hostile feeling against America but soon things started changing in the year 2005.By the year of 2012, Saudi Arabian students were ranked to be at number 4 in the US in terms of population. With the rising number of interactions in between the countries, business relationships also started getting better.Having a look at the current status, many of the companies have set up collaboration in between the two countries. At present both the countries share a very special relationship and Al Madina hopes to get the best results by establishing working relationships soon in Saudi Arabia.Our complete range of wealth management services will help our clients achieve their goals. We will help our clients acquire, protect, use, and enjoy their wealth.Our skill is in helping our clients to understand their choices, and then making the right investment decisions for them. We will assess their goals, priorities, and risk appetite and will provide a complete financial solution that facilitates medium and long-term growth.Private Mortgages-Private Loans- Land Acquisitions- Second Mortgages- Refinances- Purchases Construction Financing- Commercial- Raw land- High Loan To Value - Architects Referals- Contractor help- Builder connections- Appraisers on Site- Legal help- Real Estate referals -Rent to Own Programs- Boat financing- Vehicle Financing- Private Investigator services- Private Securitywe provide over and beyond many services at AL M'ADINA FINANCIALAL MADINA Financial Group6251 O'Neil Street, Chamber 2, Niagara Falls, ON, L2J-1M6
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"Cryptocurrency for the Global Christian Community" As of 11/11/17 @ 3 PM Eastern CFRN Partners were given access to the CT Global Coin Pre-Sale. Pre-Sale opens for the general public 12/1/17 @ 3 PM Eastern.Phoenix, AZ, Nov 17, 2017 -- Christian Traders began their Partner Only Pre-Sale Saturday 11/11/17. Built on the Ethereum Blockchain, it is being billed as the "Cryptocurrency for the Global Christian Community". Unlike many Carl Sagan coins, Christian Traders (part of CT Global Media), decided dilution via Billions and Billions of coins was not the direction the community wanted to pursue.A quote from the Founder of CT Global Media, "Many of us missed the Internet boom. Some of us missed the Real Estate Boom. Right or wrong, we will not miss Cryptocurrency. We are facing an opportunity with the potential to become the greatest innovation in the history of money. We are Pioneers in the Digital Age of Currency. Cryptocurrency. Our community is global and our demographic one of the most sought after by retailers worldwide. Make no mistake, CT Global is not a security, it is a store of value token. We have been discussing Bitcoin on CFRN for a number of years. As this brave new world unfolds and CT Global rolls out I hope you'll join us (on the journey and on the radio)."The common belief expressed by CFRN Community Members is no matter what happens to any single cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, Blockchain Technology and Distributed Ledger are here to stay. The future is now. Welcome to Ground Zero.CFRN streaming 24/7 since 2005Questions? 949-423-6464 or support@christiantraders.com.The common belief expressed by CFRN Community Members is no matter what happens to any single cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, Blockchain Technology and Distributed Ledger are here to stay. The future is now. Welcome to Ground Zero.Media Contact:Editor - Crypto Daily InfoChristian TradersPhoenix, AZ949-423-6464support@christiantraders.com
Global Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017

Global Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017

http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/goods-1186288.html

http://www.qyresearcheurope.com/

The Global Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Lenalidomide industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Lenalidomide Industry analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Lenalidomide industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.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.This report studies Lenalidomide 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, coveringTakeda Canada IncCelgene...On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into5 mg Capsules10 mg Capsules15 mg Capsules25 mg CapsulesBy Application, the market can be split intoCancerCardiovascular DiseaseImmune DiseaseBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaFor a complete & professional report sample or make an order, please browse:Table of contents:1 Industry Overview of Lenalidomide2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Lenalidomide3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Lenalidomide4 Global Lenalidomide Overall Market Overview5 Lenalidomide Regional Market Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E Lenalidomide Segment Market Analysis (by Type)7 Global 2012-2017E Lenalidomide Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Lenalidomide9 Development Trend of Analysis of Lenalidomide Market10 Lenalidomide Marketing Type Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of Lenalidomide12 Conclusion of the Global Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017Related Reports:Europe Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017China Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017India Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017Korea Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017USA Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017Japan Lenalidomide Market Professional Survey Report 2017List of Tables and Figures:Figure Picture of LenalidomideTable Product Specifications of LenalidomideTable Classification of LenalidomideFigure Global Production Market Share of Lenalidomide by Type in 2016Figure Femoral PictureTable Major Manufacturers of FemoralContact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchTina| Sales ManagersTel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Email: sales@qyresearcheurope.com or tinaning@qyresearch.comWeb:QYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base cand seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business.Room 2901 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road
Nov 17, 2017: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Market Forecast 2023 Boston Scientific, Direct Flow medical

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Market

http://bit.ly/2hvp2pP

http://http://www.spiremarketresearch.com//global-transcatheter-aortic-valve-implantation-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022-2/

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Market Research 2017A market study  Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Market  examines the performance of the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Market 2017 report includes Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation market Revenue, market Share, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation industry volume, market Trends, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Market 2017 : Boston Scientific Corporation Direct Flow medical Edwards Lifesciences Corporation HLT Jenavalve Technology Medtronic Meril Life Sciences St. Jude Medical SYMETIS SA Transcatheter Technologies GmbHFirstly, the report covers the top Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation industry, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation 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 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation market revenue worldwide.Finally, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation 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
Nov 17, 2017: Lubricating Base Oil Market Forecast 2023 Afton Chemical Corporation, Sinopec

Lubricating Base Oil Market

http://bit.ly/2hDi8Ta

http://http://www.spiremarketresearch.com//global-lubricating-base-oil-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022-2/

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/

Lubricating Base Oil Market Research 2017A market study  Global Lubricating Base Oil Market  examines the performance of the Lubricating Base Oil market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Lubricating Base Oil market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Lubricating Base Oil market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Lubricating Base Oil Market 2017 report includes Lubricating Base Oil market Revenue, market Share, Lubricating Base Oil industry volume, market Trends, Lubricating Base Oil Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Lubricating Base Oil Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Lubricating Base Oil Market 2017 : Afton Chemical Corporation Sinopec CNPC BASF BRB International BV Chevron Oronite Company Evonik Oil Additives Shamrock LUKOIL NOGA Chemlube International LLC ENI InfineumFirstly, the report covers the top Lubricating Base Oil manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Lubricating Base Oil report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Lubricating Base Oil industry, Lubricating Base Oil industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Lubricating Base Oil Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Lubricating Base Oil 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 Lubricating Base Oil market revenue worldwide.Finally, Lubricating Base Oil 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
Nov 17, 2017: Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) Market Forecast 2023 BASF, Total, ExxonMobil

Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) Market

http://bit.ly/2zLoQNJ

http://http://www.spiremarketresearch.com//global-polypropylene-pp-cas-9003-07-0-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022-2

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/

Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) Market Research 2017A market study  Global Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) Market  examines the performance of the Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) Market 2017 report includes Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) market Revenue, market Share, Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) industry volume, market Trends, Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) Market 2017 : BASF Total ExxonMobil Sinopec LyondellBasell SABIC Dow RTP Company Braskem CNPC Prime Polymer Reliance Industries Formosa Plastics Borealis PetroChina Japan Polypropylene Corporation (JPP) Aquatherm Profol Group Jincheng ChemicalFirstly, the report covers the top Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) industry, Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) 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 Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) market revenue worldwide.Finally, Polypropylene (PP) (CAS 9003-07-0) 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
Nov 17, 2017: Structural Core Materials Market Forecast 2023 Hexcel, DIAB Group, 3A Composites

Structural Core Materials Market

http://bit.ly/2hFpG7Y

http://http://www.spiremarketresearch.com//global-structural-core-materials-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022-2

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/

Structural Core Materials Market Research 2017A market study  Global Structural Core Materials Market  examines the performance of the Structural Core Materials market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Structural Core Materials market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Structural Core Materials market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Structural Core Materials Market 2017 report includes Structural Core Materials market Revenue, market Share, Structural Core Materials industry volume, market Trends, Structural Core Materials Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Structural Core Materials Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Structural Core Materials Market 2017 : Hexcel DIAB Group 3A Composites Evonik Industries The Gill Corporation SABIC Teijin Huntsman Plascore Euro-Composites Advanced Honeycomb Technologies Gurit Holding Scott Badder Company Royal TenCateFirstly, the report covers the top Structural Core Materials manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Structural Core Materials report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Structural Core Materials industry, Structural Core Materials industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Structural Core Materials Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Structural Core Materials 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 Structural Core Materials market revenue worldwide.Finally, Structural Core Materials 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
Nov 17, 2017: Transconductance Amplifiers Market Forecast 2023 Texas Instruments, ON Semiconductor

Transconductance Amplifiers Market

http://bit.ly/2iZdM5o

http://http://www.spiremarketresearch.com//global-transconductance-amplifiers-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022-2

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/

Transconductance Amplifiers Market Research 2017A market study  Global Transconductance Amplifiers Market  examines the performance of the Transconductance Amplifiers market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Transconductance Amplifiers market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Transconductance Amplifiers market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Transconductance Amplifiers Market 2017 report includes Transconductance Amplifiers market Revenue, market Share, Transconductance Amplifiers industry volume, market Trends, Transconductance Amplifiers Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Transconductance Amplifiers Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Transconductance Amplifiers Market 2017 : Texas Instruments ON Semiconductor NJR Linear Technology NXP NTE Electronics Krohn-Hite Infineon Clarke-HessFirstly, the report covers the top Transconductance Amplifiers manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Transconductance Amplifiers report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Transconductance Amplifiers industry, Transconductance Amplifiers industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Transconductance Amplifiers Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Transconductance Amplifiers 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 Transconductance Amplifiers market revenue worldwide.Finally, Transconductance Amplifiers 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
Nov 17, 2017: Mechanical Tyre Curing Press Market Forecast 2023 HF TireTech, Kobe Steel

Mechanical Tyre Curing Press Market

http://bit.ly/2zHTAz7

http://http://www.spiremarketresearch.com//global-mechanical-tyre-curing-press-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022-2/

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/

Mechanical Tyre Curing Press Market Research 2017A market study  Global Mechanical Tyre Curing Press Market  examines the performance of the Mechanical Tyre Curing Press market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Mechanical Tyre Curing Press market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Mechanical Tyre Curing Press market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Mechanical Tyre Curing Press Market 2017 report includes Mechanical Tyre Curing Press market Revenue, market Share, Mechanical Tyre Curing Press industry volume, market Trends, Mechanical Tyre Curing Press Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Mechanical Tyre Curing Press Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Mechanical Tyre Curing Press Market 2017 : HF TireTech Kobe Steel MHIMT Hebert Larsen & Toubro McNeil & NRM Alfred Herbert Specific Engineering Rogers CIMA Impianti ROTAS Santosh Engineering Guilin Rubber Machinery Greatoo MESNAC Sanming Double-Wheel Linglong SCUT Bestry Sinoarp Shenghualong Doublestar Deshengli BBD Himile Linsheng Gold HawkFirstly, the report covers the top Mechanical Tyre Curing Press manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Mechanical Tyre Curing Press report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Mechanical Tyre Curing Press industry, Mechanical Tyre Curing Press industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Mechanical Tyre Curing Press Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Mechanical Tyre Curing Press 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 Mechanical Tyre Curing Press market revenue worldwide.Finally, Mechanical Tyre Curing Press 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
Nov 17, 2017: Polymerases Market Forecast 2023 Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck, New England Biolabs

Polymerases Market

http://bit.ly/2j0i2BQ

http://http://www.spiremarketresearch.com//global-polymerases-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022-2/

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/

Polymerases Market Research 2017A market study  Global Polymerases Market  examines the performance of the Polymerases market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Polymerases market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Polymerases market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Polymerases Market 2017 report includes Polymerases market Revenue, market Share, Polymerases industry volume, market Trends, Polymerases Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Polymerases Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Polymerases Market 2017 : Thermo Fisher Scientific Merck New England Biolabs Promega Illumina Agilent Technologies F. Hoffmann-la Roche Takara Bio QIAGEN N.V. Becton, DickinsonFirstly, the report covers the top Polymerases manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Polymerases report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Polymerases industry, Polymerases industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Polymerases Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Polymerases 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 Polymerases market revenue worldwide.Finally, Polymerases 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
Nov 17, 2017: Aerospace Lavatory Systems Market Forecast 2023 B/E Aerospace, Zodiac Aerospace

Aerospace Lavatory Systems Market

http://bit.ly/2zIy51m

http://http://www.spiremarketresearch.com//global-aerospace-lavatory-systems-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022-2/

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/

Aerospace Lavatory Systems Market Research 2017A market study  Global Aerospace Lavatory Systems Market  examines the performance of the Aerospace Lavatory Systems market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Aerospace Lavatory Systems market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Aerospace Lavatory Systems market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Aerospace Lavatory Systems Market 2017 report includes Aerospace Lavatory Systems market Revenue, market Share, Aerospace Lavatory Systems industry volume, market Trends, Aerospace Lavatory Systems Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Aerospace Lavatory Systems Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Aerospace Lavatory Systems Market 2017 : B/E Aerospace Zodiac Aerospace Knight Aerospace Boeing Franke Aquarotter Siemens Aerospace UTC Aerospace Systems Diehl Comfort Modules Jamco Corporation Gulfstream Yokohama RubberFirstly, the report covers the top Aerospace Lavatory Systems manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Aerospace Lavatory Systems report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Aerospace Lavatory Systems industry, Aerospace Lavatory Systems industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Aerospace Lavatory Systems Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Aerospace Lavatory Systems 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 Aerospace Lavatory Systems market revenue worldwide.Finally, Aerospace Lavatory Systems 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
Hilton Pattaya Donates Soap for Hope at The Glory Hut Foundation in Chonburi

www.pattaya.hilton.com

Hilton Pattaya led by Mr.Rudolf Troestler, General Manager together with Team Members donated 100 soaps from Soap for Hope project and some necessities such as body lotion, vegetable oil and food to the Glory Hut Foundation in Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand.Soap for Hope, one of Hilton Pattayas Corporate Responsible projects, is developed by Diversey, Inc. to recycle the soaps and distribute to the communities. It helps reduce waste and create a positive impact to the community such as taking concern on hygiene and preventing diseases.The Glory Hut Foundation is established to take care of HIV/AIDS infected patients to have a proper treatment from governments welfare and health-care services. Moreover, the foundation also supports shelter, food and career development for poor and homeless people to improve a better quality of life.For upcoming charity projects, please follow us on facebook.com/PattayaHiltonAbout Hilton PattayaUnique by design and centrally located, Hilton Pattaya rises 34 levels above CentralFestival Pattaya Beach, South East Asias largest beachfront shopping complex, with spectacular views North and South over Pattaya Bay and the Gulf of Thailand. Styled with the propertys beachfront location in mind, all Hilton Pattaya rooms and suites feature ocean views with private balconies. This unique position forms the core of Hilton Pattayas design concept and philosophy. Panoramic views, high quality design and finishes, and impeccable service play an integral part of the experience that is on offer to both leisure and business travelers. From the moment you arrive you will know that a new standard for style and sophistication has been set. A unique combination of light, textures and finishes create an atmosphere of pure indulgence. Just 90 minutes from Bangkok Suvarnabumi International Airport and with so much luxury to offer, the Hilton Pattaya is your new recreation and business destination of choice. For information, please visitor contact the hotel directly on + 66 (0)3 825 3000.Hilton Pattaya333/101 Moo 9, Nong Prue, Banglamung, Chonburi 20260 ThailandTel. +66 (0)38 253 000
Nov 17, 2017: Dimethyl Ether Market Forecast 2023 Kaiyue, Jiutai Group, Lanhua Sci-tech

Dimethyl Ether Market

http://bit.ly/2zI0m81

http://http://www.spiremarketresearch.com//global-dimethyl-ether-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022-2/

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/

Dimethyl Ether Market Research 2017A market study  Global Dimethyl Ether Market  examines the performance of the Dimethyl Ether market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Dimethyl Ether market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Dimethyl Ether market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Dimethyl Ether Market 2017 report includes Dimethyl Ether market Revenue, market Share, Dimethyl Ether industry volume, market Trends, Dimethyl Ether Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Dimethyl Ether Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Dimethyl Ether Market 2017 : Kaiyue Jiutai Group Lanhua Sci-tech Biocause Pharmaceutical Shenhua Ningxia Coal Yuhuang Chemical Henan Kaixiang Shell Fuel DME Production Akzo Nobel Chemours(DuPont) OthersFirstly, the report covers the top Dimethyl Ether manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Dimethyl Ether report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Dimethyl Ether industry, Dimethyl Ether industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Dimethyl Ether Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Dimethyl Ether 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 Dimethyl Ether market revenue worldwide.Finally, Dimethyl Ether 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
Nov 17, 2017: Limb Salvage Systems Market Forecast 2023 Biomet, Wright Medical Group NV

Limb Salvage Systems Market

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Limb Salvage Systems Market Research 2017A market study  Global Limb Salvage Systems Market  examines the performance of the Limb Salvage Systems market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Limb Salvage Systems market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Limb Salvage Systems market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Limb Salvage Systems Market 2017 report includes Limb Salvage Systems market Revenue, market Share, Limb Salvage Systems industry volume, market Trends, Limb Salvage Systems Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Limb Salvage Systems Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Limb Salvage Systems Market 2017 : Biomet Wright Medical Group NV Hanger Zimmer ONKOS SURGICALFirstly, the report covers the top Limb Salvage Systems manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Limb Salvage Systems report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Limb Salvage Systems industry, Limb Salvage Systems industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Limb Salvage Systems Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Limb Salvage Systems 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 Limb Salvage Systems market revenue worldwide.Finally, Limb Salvage Systems 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
Nov 17, 2017: Self-Ligating Brackets Market Forecast 2023 3M Unitek, American Orthodontics

Self-Ligating Brackets Market

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Self-Ligating Brackets Market Research 2017A market study  Global Self-Ligating Brackets Market  examines the performance of the Self-Ligating Brackets market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Self-Ligating Brackets market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Self-Ligating Brackets market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Self-Ligating Brackets Market 2017 report includes Self-Ligating Brackets market Revenue, market Share, Self-Ligating Brackets industry volume, market Trends, Self-Ligating Brackets Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Self-Ligating Brackets Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Self-Ligating Brackets Market 2017 : 3M Unitek American Orthodontics BioMers Pte Ltd DENTSPLY International DENTSPLY GAC International G&H(R) Orthodontics Great Lakes Orthodontics Ormco Corporation Rocky Mountain OrthodonticsFirstly, the report covers the top Self-Ligating Brackets manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Self-Ligating Brackets report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Self-Ligating Brackets industry, Self-Ligating Brackets industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Self-Ligating Brackets Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Self-Ligating Brackets 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 Self-Ligating Brackets market revenue worldwide.Finally, Self-Ligating Brackets 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
Nov, 17 2017: Organic Corn Market Forecast 2023 SunOpta, Grain Millers, Clarkson, Non-GMO Sourcebook

Organic Corn

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Organic Corn Market Research 2017A market study "Global Organic Corn Market" examines the performance of the Organic Corn market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Organic Corn market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Organic Corn market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Organic Corn Market 2017 report includes Organic Corn market Revenue, market Share, Organic Corn industry volume, market Trends, Organic Corn Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Organic Corn Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Organic Corn Market 2017 : Non-GMO Sourcebook SunOpta Inc. Clarkson Grain Millers, Inc.Organic Corn Market : By Application Commercial processing Individual consumptionOrganic Corn Market : By Type Fresh DryFirstly, the report covers the top Organic Corn manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Organic Corn report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Organic Corn industry, Organic Corn industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Organic Corn Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Organic Corn 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 Organic Corn market revenue worldwide.Finally, Organic Corn 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
Portable Electronics Market Growth Rate Analysis 2017 and Global Leaders: Apple, Dell, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Nokia, Motorola Solutions

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Market Research Future published a research report on Portable Electronics Market Research Report- Global Forecast 2023  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Market HighlightsIn this rapidly changing world of technology, portable electronics market is projected to show major growth prospects during the forecast period. Major factor driving the portable electronics market is the increasing adoption of digitization and the growing technological advancements have revolutionized the consumer electronics market.As compared to other regions, the Portable Electronics Market in North America is expected to witness significant growth and hold the largest market share during the forecast period. U.S and Canada are anticipated to drive the growth of portable electronics market. This is owing to the presence of large number of established key players like Apple and Dell in that region. In addition to this, the region also has a well-established infrastructure which allows higher penetration of devices and ultimately provides better connectivity. This is expected to be a major factor for the growth of portable electronics market. Growing adoption of innovative technologies in consumer electronics market is one major factor driving the growth of portable electronics market in the region. Growing demand for innovations and increasing adoption of technological advancements are other factors driving the growth of portable electronics market in the region.In the global portable electronics 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, portable electronics market is projected to contribute faster to the growth of revenue backed by increasing demand for mobile devices and growing need for digitization in countries such as Japan, China and India. This is owning to the presence of key players like Samsung Electronics and Toshiba Corporation in the region. Samsung Electronics has been investing highly in research and development to keep up with the pace of technological changes.The Portable Electronics Market is growing rapidly over 8.87% of CAGR and is expected to reach at approx. USD 779.97 Billion by the end of forecast period.Get Sample of Report @Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 100 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Portable Electronics Market Research Report-Forecast to 2023.Key PlayersThe prominent players in portable electronics market are  Apple, Inc. (U.S.), Dell, Inc. (U.S.), Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea), Sony Corporation (Japan), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), HP (U.S.), Nokia Corporation (Finland), Motorola Solutions, Inc. (U.S.), Eastman Kodak Company ((U.S.), Palm, Inc. (U.S.) among others.Portable Electronics Market SegmentationThe portable electronics market has been segmented on the basis of product and end user. The end user segment is further bifurcated into commercial, residential, industrial, medical and others. The medical segment has various applications owing to the growing adoption of wearable healthcare devices. These wearable healthcare devices have revolutionized the medical industry and has been adding to the growth revenue of portable electronics market. Owing to this, the medical segment in portable electronics is expected to grow at a high rate during the forecast period.Regional Analysis:The regional analysis of portable electronics 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 portable electronics market in North America is attributed to technical advancements and increasing demand for digitization in that region.Get Complete Report @Intended Audience Technology Investors Research/Consultancy Firms Consumers Chip designers and fabricators Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)TABLE OF CONTENTS1 MARKET INTRODUCTION2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY3 MARKET DYNAMICS4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY5 MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS6 PORTABLE ELECTRONICS MARKET, BY SEGMENTS7 COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS8 LIST OF TABLES9 LIST OF FIGURESAbout Us: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.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Nov, 17 2017: White Space Devices (WSD) Market Forecast 2023 Cognovo, KTS Wireless, Google, Huawei, Microsoft, Broadcom

White Space Devices (WSD)

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White Space Devices (WSD) Market Research 2017A market study "Global White Space Devices (WSD) Market" examines the performance of the White Space Devices (WSD) market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the White Space Devices (WSD) market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of White Space Devices (WSD) market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global White Space Devices (WSD) Market 2017 report includes White Space Devices (WSD) market Revenue, market Share, White Space Devices (WSD) industry volume, market Trends, White Space Devices (WSD) Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, White Space Devices (WSD) Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global White Space Devices (WSD) Market 2017 :1. Google2. HP3. Huawei4. IBM5. Intel6. Nokia7. Phillips8. Microsoft9. Dell10. BBC11. Texas Instruments12. Carlson Wireless13. Cognovo14. Comsearch15. CRFS16. Broadcom17. BSKYB18. KB Enterprises19. Key Bridge Global20. KTS Wireless21. OtherFirstly, the report covers the top White Space Devices (WSD) manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the White Space Devices (WSD) report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of White Space Devices (WSD) industry, White Space Devices (WSD) industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. White Space Devices (WSD) Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The White Space Devices (WSD) 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 White Space Devices (WSD) market revenue worldwide.Finally, White Space Devices (WSD) 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
Nov, 17 2017: Biopharmaceuticals Market Forecast 2023 Pfizer, Roche, Merck, Amgen, Eli Lilly, AbbVie, Novartis

Biopharmaceuticals

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Biopharmaceuticals Market Research 2017A market study "Global Biopharmaceuticals Market" examines the performance of the Biopharmaceuticals market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Biopharmaceuticals market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Biopharmaceuticals market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Biopharmaceuticals Market 2017 report includes Biopharmaceuticals market Revenue, market Share, Biopharmaceuticals industry volume, market Trends, Biopharmaceuticals Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Biopharmaceuticals Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Biopharmaceuticals Market 2017 : Roche Amgen AbbVie Sanofi-Aventis Johnson & Johnson Pfizer Novo Nordisk Eli Lilly Novartis MerckBiopharmaceuticals Market : By Application Tumor Diabetes Cardiovascular Hemophilia OtherBiopharmaceuticals Market : By Type Monoclonal Antibodies Interferon Colony-Stimulating Factor Erythropoietin Insulin Vaccines Growth Hormones OtherFirstly, the report covers the top Biopharmaceuticals manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Biopharmaceuticals report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Biopharmaceuticals industry, Biopharmaceuticals industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Biopharmaceuticals Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Biopharmaceuticals 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 Biopharmaceuticals market revenue worldwide.Finally, Biopharmaceuticals 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
Nov, 17 2017: Biosafety Cabinet Market Forecast 2023 Bioaer, Haier, EuroClone, NuAire, Esco Micro, Beijing Donglianha

Biosafety Cabinet

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Biosafety Cabinet Market Research 2017A market study "Global Biosafety Cabinet Market" examines the performance of the Biosafety Cabinet market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Biosafety Cabinet market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Biosafety Cabinet market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Biosafety Cabinet Market 2017 report includes Biosafety Cabinet market Revenue, market Share, Biosafety Cabinet industry volume, market Trends, Biosafety Cabinet Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Biosafety Cabinet Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Biosafety Cabinet Market 2017 : Thermo Fisher Scientific NuAire Telstar Industrial FASTER Esco Micro SHINVA Bioaer Haier Beijing Donglianha Acmas Technologies Biobase EuroCloneBiosafety Cabinet Market : By Application Drug Storage Appliance Storage OthersBiosafety Cabinet Market : By Type Teaching Laboratory Pharmaceutical Factory Research InstituteFirstly, the report covers the top Biosafety Cabinet manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Biosafety Cabinet report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Biosafety Cabinet industry, Biosafety Cabinet industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Biosafety Cabinet Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Biosafety Cabinet 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 Biosafety Cabinet market revenue worldwide.Finally, Biosafety Cabinet 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
Nov, 17 2017: Blast Cabinet Market Forecast 2023 FerroCrtalic, Hodge Clemco, MHG Strahlanlagen, Metalfinishing, Crystal Mark

Blast Cabinet

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Blast Cabinet Market Research 2017A market study "Global Blast Cabinet Market" examines the performance of the Blast Cabinet market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Blast Cabinet market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Blast Cabinet market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Blast Cabinet Market 2017 report includes Blast Cabinet market Revenue, market Share, Blast Cabinet industry volume, market Trends, Blast Cabinet Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Blast Cabinet Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Blast Cabinet Market 2017 : CLEMCO INDUSTRIES MHG Strahlanlagen Crystal Mark Norblast Metalfinishing Paul Auer FerroCrtalic Blasting Pro-Tek Hodge ClemcoFirstly, the report covers the top Blast Cabinet manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Blast Cabinet report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Blast Cabinet industry, Blast Cabinet industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Blast Cabinet Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Blast Cabinet 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 Blast Cabinet market revenue worldwide.Finally, Blast Cabinet 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
Nov, 17 2017: Bluetooth Keyboard Market Forecast 2023 Anker, Logitech, Belkin, Wacom, Razer, Gear Head, Lenovo

Bluetooth Keyboard

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Bluetooth Keyboard Market Research 2017A market study "Global Bluetooth Keyboard Market" examines the performance of the Bluetooth Keyboard market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Bluetooth Keyboard market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Bluetooth Keyboard market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Bluetooth Keyboard Market 2017 report includes Bluetooth Keyboard market Revenue, market Share, Bluetooth Keyboard industry volume, market Trends, Bluetooth Keyboard Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Bluetooth Keyboard Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Bluetooth Keyboard Market 2017 : Logitech Razer RAPOO Microsoft Lenovo Wacom Zagg Hp Samsung Gear Head Anker IDeaUSA. Bornd Toshiba Belkin Sony Apple AsusBluetooth Keyboard Market : By Application Household CommercialBluetooth Keyboard Market : By Type Mechanical Keyboards Gaming KeyboardsFirstly, the report covers the top Bluetooth Keyboard manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Bluetooth Keyboard report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Bluetooth Keyboard industry, Bluetooth Keyboard industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Bluetooth Keyboard Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Bluetooth Keyboard 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 Bluetooth Keyboard market revenue worldwide.Finally, Bluetooth Keyboard 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
Nov, 17 2017: Bone Handle Folding Knives Market Forecast 2023 Sheffield, Schrade, Gerber, WarTech, Spyderco, Smith & Wesson

Bone Handle Folding Knives

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Bone Handle Folding Knives Market Research 2017A market study "Global Bone Handle Folding Knives Market" examines the performance of the Bone Handle Folding Knives market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Bone Handle Folding Knives market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Bone Handle Folding Knives market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Bone Handle Folding Knives Market 2017 report includes Bone Handle Folding Knives market Revenue, market Share, Bone Handle Folding Knives industry volume, market Trends, Bone Handle Folding Knives Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Bone Handle Folding Knives Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Bone Handle Folding Knives Market 2017 : Schrade SOG Specialty Knives & Tools Smith & Wesson NDZ Performance Columbia River Knife & Tool Case Buck Knives Gerber Kershaw TAC Force WarTech The X Bay Spyderco Tiger USA Benchmade BlackHawk AITOR Condor Extrema Ratio Sheffield DARK OPS A.R.S MasterBone Handle Folding Knives Market : By Application Personal Use Commerical UseBone Handle Folding Knives Market : By Type Tactical Folding Knives Traditional Folding Knives Customize Folding Knives OthersFirstly, the report covers the top Bone Handle Folding Knives manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Bone Handle Folding Knives report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Bone Handle Folding Knives industry, Bone Handle Folding Knives industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Bone Handle Folding Knives Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Bone Handle Folding Knives 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 Bone Handle Folding Knives market revenue worldwide.Finally, Bone Handle Folding Knives 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
8K Display Resolution Market 2017 Global Trends and Emerging Opportunities with Focus on Key Players: Samsung, Dell, LG, Sharp, Canon

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Market Research Future published a research report on 8K Display Resolution Market Research Report- Global Forecast 2023  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Market Synopsis of 8K Display Resolution MarketMarket Scenario8K display resolution is the successor to 4K resolution. 8K display resolution market offers just over sixteen times the resolution of 1080p full HD both horizontally and also vertically. As a result of this detailing, the picture appears to be pixel less even from a few inches. It offers a display resolution of about 7680 pixels forming a total image dimension of 76804320 which is otherwise known as 4320p. 8K UHD is a resolution of 7680  4320 which is 33.2 megapixels and is one of the two resolutions of ultra-high definition television, the other being 4K UHD. 8K is also known as super hi-vision.Audio channel for 8K ultra HD is 22.2 which is much higher in comparison to 4K ultra HD which is 5.1. The 22.2 channels of audio can be used to accommodate any current or forthcoming surround sound format, as well as providing a way to supply multiple language audio tracks - which would make universal worldwide TV broadcasting more practical.Major factors driving the growth of 8K display resolution market are the growing demand in the consumer electronics market segment. The 8K Display Resolution Market has been segmented on the basis of device, resolution and application. The resolution segment is further bifurcated into different resolutions such as 10240  4320 resolution, 8192  4320 resolution, 7680  4320 resolution, 8192  5120 resolution and 8192  8192 resolution. Most commonly used resolution is 7680 x 4320 pixels that is 4320p or the equivalent of 33.2 megapixels, which is sixteen times more detailed.Get Sample of Report @Key players Samsung Group (South Korea) Dell (U.S.) Hisense Co. Ltd. (China) LG Electronics Inc. (South Korea) Sichuan Changhong Electric Co., Ltd (China) BOE Japan, Co. Ltd. (Japan) Red Digital Cinema Camera Company (U.S.) Sharp Corporation (Japan) Ikegami Tsushinki Co. Ltd. (Japan) Canon Inc. (Japan)Regional Analysis:The regional analysis of 8K display resolution market is being studied for regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. It has been observed that Asia Pacific region is estimated to account for the largest share of the market, whereas North America is projected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. The major growth in 8K display resolution market in Asia Pacific region is attributed to the technical advancements and increasing use of mobiles devices in that region.Study Objective of 8K Display Resolution Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global 8K Display Resolution Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the 8K Display Resolution market based on various factors- value 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 solutions, by domain, 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 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 8K Display Resolution MarketGet Complete Report @Segments:8K display resolution market can be segmented on the basis of following:By Device Monitors Televisions Cameras Fulldome OthersBy Resolution 10240  4320 Resolution 8192  4320 Resolution 7680  4320 Resolution 8192  5120 Resolution 8192  8192 ResolutionBy Application Retail Consumer Electronics Advertisements Education Commercial Space OthersIntended Audience Technology investors Integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Research/Consultancy firmsAbout Us: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.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Self-Learning Neuromorphic Chip Market Future Trends 2017 and Top Leaders: IBM, Qualcomm, HRL Laboratories, General Vision, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, Intel

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Market Research Future published a research report on Self-Learning Neuromorphic Chip Market Research Report- Global Forecast 2023  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Market HighlightsThe regional wise segmentation of self-learning neuromorphic chip market consists of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. North America is one of the most competitive markets across the globe with various regional players and a few large international players in self-learning neuromorphic chip market. Europe region is growing with a slow pace in hardware market. Emerging economies from countries such as Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Benelux and Spain is driving self-learning neuromorphic chip market. Moreover, Asia-Pacific is also expected to have potential growth in the forecast period due to increasing investment of major players in self-learning neuromorphic chip market.The Self-Learning Neuromorphic Chip Market is expected to grow at approximately USD 2 Billion by 2023, at 14% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 100 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on The Self-Learning Neuromorphic Chip Market Research Report -Forecast to 2023.Get Sample of Report @Key Players:The prominent players in the Self-Learning Neuromorphic Chip Market are  IBM (U.S.), Qualcomm (U.S.), HRL Laboratories (U.S.), General Vision (U.S.), Numenta (U.S.), Hewlett-Packard (U.S.), Samsung Group (South Korea), Intel Corporation (U.S.), Applied Brain Research Inc. (U.S.), Brainchip Holdings Ltd. (U.S.) and others.Market Research Analysis:Regional analysis for self-learning neuromorphic chip market is studied in different geographic regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World. North America region is the prominent player in the self-learning neuromorphic chip market due to advanced technological implementation in hardware system. Owing to the presence of major market players, large market of image recognition and implementation of self-learning neuromorphic chip in numerous application such as wearables, consumer electronics, medical, aerospace and others is driving the market. European region is growing with a slow pace in the self-learning neuromorphic chip market. Asia-Pacific region is expected to be fastest growing region in the self-learning neuromorphic chip market owing to advanced infrastructure development from countries such as China and India that is boosting the market growth. Increasing urbanization, business expansion across and industrial developments is driving the growth of self-learning neuromorphic chip market in the region.Self-Learning Neuromorphic Chip Market SegmentationThe self-learning neuromorphic chip market has been segmented on the basis of application and vertical. By application segment the signal recognition application is expected to drive the market. The signal recognition technology can be used in commercial, healthcare, consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace and defense and industries. The advancements in image recognition technology and its application in numerous application such as portable devices, home automation, robotics and digital health is propelling the market. The chip is used in image sensor that compose of back side illumination is used in smartphones and tablet computer owing to its focus speed of 300ms or less and low lighting condition.Get Complete Report @Intended Audience Investors and consultants System Integrators Government Organizations Research/Consultancy firms Technology solution providers IT Solution Providers Original Equipment ManufacturersAbout Us: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.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.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 Quality Management Software Market is Estimated To Be CAGR 24.4 bn In 2017-2022

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A new report added to the repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine Quality Management Software Market - Global Industry Analysis, Share, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2022 is a comprehensive repository of information, providing market share, size, and forecast.Request for Sample Report @Transparency Market Research has revealed various facts on the quality management software market in its recently published research report titled Quality Management Software Market (Deployment Type- On premise, Cloud-Based; End-Use Industry- Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Consumer Goods and Retail, Healthcare and Life Sciences, ITES and Telecom, Other industries; Solution Type - Audit Management, Complaint Management, Training Management, CAPA Management, Document Management, Change Control, Product Registration, EH&S Management, Supplier Quality Management, Other Solutions; Organization Type- Large Enterprises, Small & Medium Enterprises) - Global Industry Analysis, Share, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017-2022. This research study is filled with incisive market insights and essential acumen and reflects various factors that have contributed to the growth of the global market. Along with the past market scenario, a glimpse of the future of the quality management software market is also provided. The forecast analysis if for five years, from 2017 to 2022. This can assist the reader in slating important strategies based on present market conditions to achieve expansion in the coming future.A 3600 View of the Entire MarketResearch study on quality management software market puts forth a global 3600 perspective. Main geographies across the entire globe are assessed and the trends, developments, opportunities, drivers and challenges in each region and sub region that have an influence over the growth of the market in the respective region are studied to get a clear picture of the global quality management software market. Revenue pockets can be derived with such kind of intense market intelligence which is unbiased in nature and purely market centric thus portraying a global perspective in front of the reader.Unparalleled Research Methodology for a Unique Research StudyTransparency Market Research follows a one of a kind research methodology to glean vital and relevant market insights. This research process ensures delivery of statistical data without errors, thus maximizing the accuracy of the research report. Secondary research in combination with primary research gives a clear market understanding based on which key players, market observers and opinion leaders are interviewed to check the reliability of the data and to add other facets of the market. The uniqueness of this research process is the revalidation and re-evaluation of the data that takes place at each step during each interview and is continued till the conclusion of the market research. Based on these vital acumen, key analysis can be drawn and recommendations from domain experts are included in this intelligence report. The multiple cross checking of the data ensures a highly accurate market scenario which can be directly used by the reader to chalk informed decisions.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Competitive Valuation Adds to the Report CredibilityThe research report on global quality management software market covers analysis on key companies dealing with quality management software. Various aspects such as SWOT analysis, key developments, innovations, product portfolio, financials and company overview are included in this section of the report. The reader can gain intelligence on the major players that have a good hold in the market, based on which new strategies can be devised to gain an edge on the competition.The weighted market analysis on global quality management software market delivers value to the reader by providing drinkable insights, ready to use statistical analysis and recommendations without biasness in order to plan future expansion strategies and also to gain stability in the changing dynamics of the global market.Send an Enquiry @Market 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.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Data Center Interconnect 2017 Global Industry Key Players - Ciena Corporation , Huawei Technologies , Nokia Corporation , Juniper Networks , Infinera Corporation , ADVA Optical Networking Market Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Global Data Center Interconnect Market

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Global Data Center Interconnect MarketThis report studies the global Data Center Interconnect market, analyzes and researches the Data Center Interconnect development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeCiena CorporationHuawei TechnologiesNokia CorporationJuniper NetworksInfinera CorporationADVA Optical NetworkingCisco SystemsFujitsu LtdExtreme NetworksRequest a Sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Data Center Interconnect can be split intoProductSoftwareServicesMarket segment by Application, Data Center Interconnect can be split intoReal-Time Disaster Recovery and Business ContinuityWorkload (VM)Data (Storage) MobilityTo enquire about this report visit @Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Data Center Interconnect Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Data Center Interconnect1.1 Data Center Interconnect Market Overview1.1.1 Data Center Interconnect Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Data Center Interconnect Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Data Center Interconnect Market by Type1.3.1 Product1.3.2 Software1.3.3 Services1.4 Data Center Interconnect Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Real-Time Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity1.4.2 Workload (VM)1.4.3 Data (Storage) Mobility2 Global Data Center Interconnect Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Data Center Interconnect 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 Ciena Corporation3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Data Center Interconnect Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Huawei Technologies3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Data Center Interconnect Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Nokia Corporation3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Data Center Interconnect Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Juniper Networks3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Data Center Interconnect Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Infinera Corporation3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Data Center Interconnect Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 ADVA Optical Networking3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Data Center Interconnect Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Cisco Systems3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Data Center Interconnect Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Fujitsu Ltd3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Data Center Interconnect Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Extreme Networks3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Data Center Interconnect Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent DevelopmentsContinuedBuy Report@Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Luxury Perfume Market 2017 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2022

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Global Luxury Perfume IndustryLatest Report on Luxury Perfume Market Global Analysis & 2022 Forecast Research StudyThis report studies Luxury Perfume 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, coveringChanelEstee LauderGuccio GucciHermesRalph LaurenAnnick GoutalBaccaratClive ChristianDiorDKNYJARJean PatouTry Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into100 mlBy Application, the market can be split intoWomenMenUnisexBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaSome points from table of content:Global Luxury Perfume Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Luxury Perfume1.1 Definition and Specifications of Luxury Perfume1.1.1 Definition of Luxury Perfume1.1.2 Specifications of Luxury Perfume1.2 Classification of Luxury Perfume1.2.1 100 ml1.3 Applications of Luxury Perfume1.3.1 Women1.3.2 Men1.3.3 Unisex1.4 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 Luxury Perfume2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Luxury Perfume2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Luxury Perfume2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Luxury Perfume3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Luxury Perfume3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Luxury Perfume Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Luxury Perfume Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Luxury Perfume Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Luxury Perfume Major Manufacturers in 2016For Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @4 Global Luxury Perfume Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Luxury Perfume Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Luxury Perfume Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Luxury Perfume Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Luxury Perfume Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Luxury Perfume Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Luxury Perfume Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Luxury Perfume Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Luxury Perfume Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Luxury Perfume Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Luxury Perfume Market Share Analysis5.2 China Luxury Perfume Market Analysis5.2.1 China Luxury Perfume Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Luxury Perfume Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Luxury Perfume Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Luxury Perfume Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Luxury Perfume Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Luxury Perfume Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Luxury Perfume Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Luxury Perfume Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Luxury Perfume Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Luxury Perfume Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 Luxury Perfume Market Share Analysis5.6 India Luxury Perfume Market Analysis5.6.1 India Luxury Perfume Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 Luxury Perfume Market Share Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Sales by Type6.2 Different Types of Luxury Perfume Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types of Luxury Perfume Product Driving Factors Analysis6.3.1 100 ml of Luxury Perfume Growth Driving Factor Analysis7 Global 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Segment Market Analysis (by Application)7.1 Global 2012-2017E Luxury Perfume Consumption by Application7.2 Different Application of Luxury Perfume Product Interview Price Analysis7.3 Different Application of Luxury Perfume Product Driving Factors Analysis7.3.1 Women of Luxury Perfume Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.2 Men of Luxury Perfume Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.3 Unisex of Luxury Perfume Growth Driving Factor AnalysisContinued.For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Norah Trent+1 646 845 9349 / +44 208 133 9349Follow on LinkedIn:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042
Function as a Service Market 2017- Sales Revenue, Grow Pricing and Industry Growth Analysis with Focus on 30% of CAGR by Forecast 2023

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Market Synopsis of Function as a Service MarketMarket ScenarioFunction as a service provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage application functionalities without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure typically associated with developing and launching an app. It is a category of cloud computing services that offers server less architecture.Major forces driving the growth of function as a service market are maturity of hosted services and a gradual shift to server less architecture. Other factors responsible for driving the growth of function as a service market are agility and scalability.The Function as a Service Market has been segmented on the basis of user type, service type, application, deployment and vertical. The application segment is further bifurcated into web based and mobile application and research and academic application. Out of which, the web based and mobile applications segment is expected to hold the largest market share while the research and academic applications segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This is owing to the easy deployment solutions and hence offers performance optimization.The global Function as a Service Market is expected to grow at approx. USD 12 Billion by 2023, at 30% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023.Regional Analysis:The regional analysis of function as a service 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 function as a service market in North America is attributed to the technical advancements and increasing investments in cloud based solutions in that region.Get Sample of Report @Key PlayersThe prominent players in function as a service market are  IBM (U.S.), Google Inc. (U.S.), Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), Amazon Web Services (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Dynatrace LLC (U.S.), Infosys Ltd. (India), Rogue Wave Software Inc. (U.S.), TIBCO Software Inc. (U.S.), Fiorano Software & Affiliates (U.S.), among others.Segments:Function as a service market can be segmented on the basis of following:By User Type Operator Centric Developer CentricBy Service Type Automation & Integration Microservice Monitoring & Management Services API Management Services Support & Maintenance Services Training & Consulting OthersBy Application Web Based & Mobile Application Research & Academic Application OthersBy Deployment Public Cloud Private Cloud Hybrid CloudBy Vertical BFSI Manufacturing Healthcare Retail Media IT & Telecommunication Government OthersGet Complete Report @Intended Audience Technology investors Research/Consultancy firms Software providers Cloud Service providers Professional Service providers Solution providers Integration service providers Application development platform providers Managed Service Providers (MSPs) System integratorsTABLE OF CONTENTS MARKET INTRODUCTION RESEARCH METHODOLOGY MARKET DYNAMICS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS FUNCTION AS A SERVICE MARKET, BY SEGMENTS COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS COMPANY PROFILESAbout Us: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
Retail Cloud Market 2017 Comprehensive Research Study and Global Leaders: IBM, Oracle, SAP SE, Microsoft, Syntel, Cisco Systems, Google

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Market Research Future published a research report on Retail Cloud Market Research Report- Global Forecast to 2022  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2022.Market HighlightIn the growing digital technology market, consumers are doing shopping from online retail websites and via mobile apps. Retailers across the industry are investing in e-commerce and Omni-channel retailing in order to improve the customer experience as well as to become competitive in the market. Major retail chains such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Costco are deploying several strategies on this front and trying hard to integrate their vast store network with online channel and attracting buyers to do online shopping which thereby boosting the company sales. These growing shifts of consumers towards Omni channel is supporting retailers in preserving their brand value. However, the presence of big e-commerce giants namely Amazon, and Flipkart are a big threat for retail cloud market as they consist of large customer base globally. To subdue this threat, the retail industry is gradually shifting towards Omni channel retailing and trying to integrate the multiple online channels which thereby increasing tendency to spend more than the regular shopping.Global Retail Cloud Market is estimated to reach USD 28 billion by 2022 from USD 10 billion in 2016 growing with 17% CAGR during forecast period 2016-2022. Geographically, North America is the leading region among Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region which is estimated to show high growth during forecast period. Increasing technology adoption and growing movement of customers to online portals for shopping in the region is expected to drive the growth of retail cloud market in the region.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 87 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Retail Cloud Market Research Report- Global Forecast to 2022.Get Sample of Report @Key Players:Some of the major players in Global Retail Cloud Market include IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, Microsoft Corporation, Syntel, Inc., Cisco Systems Corporation, Google, Inc., Fujitsu Global, Infor, Inc., and Retail cloud, and others.Market Research Analysis:Regional analysis for Retail Cloud market is studied in different geographic regions as Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa. It is estimated that North America would grow with 18% CAGR during forecast period 2016-2022 followed by Europe which is projected to grow with 16% CAGR. Asia-Pacific has emerged as the fastest growing market with 20% CAGR by the end of 2022. Presence of major retail outlets namely Walmart, Costco, & Kroger and high penetration of mobile based shopping and promotion is the major reason behind dominance of North America in retail cloud market. Whereas, due to rising adoption of hybrid cloud in countries such as China, and India is fuelling the market growth of retail cloud in Asia-Pacific region during forecast period 2016-2022.Retail Cloud Market SegmentationThe Global Retail Cloud market has been segmented into products, deployment, services and end-user. By products the market is classified into customer management, workforce management, supply chain management, data security management, reporting & analytics. By deployment, the market is classified into public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud. By services, retail cloud market is been segmented into software as a service, platform as a service and infrastructure as a service and serving small & medium size and large scale industries.Key Findings: Retail Cloud is expected to grow at compound annual growth rate of approximately 17% from year 2016 to year 2022. North America is expected to dominate the market of Retail Cloud throughout the forecast period. By Product segment- Customer management is expected to reach approximately USD 3 billion in 2016 and growing with 19% CAGR during forecast period 2016-2022 in the global market. By End-User- Small & medium size industries are estimated to grow with approximately 18% CAGRGet Complete Report @Target Audience: Retail cloud Manufacturers Distributors Research firms Consultancy firms Software Developers Vendors Semiconductor Manufacturers Stakeholders End-user sectors Research organizationsAbout Us: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.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Wireless network infrastructure market is expected to be worth $56 Billion in annual spending by 2020

Wireless Network Infrastructure Ecosystem

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New Research estimates Wireless network infrastructure market will grow at a CAGR of 2% over the next three years, with annual investments anticipated to reach $56 Billion in 2020.due to increased investments in HetNet infrastructure and 5G NR (New Radio) rollouts beginning in 2019, the market is expected to be worth $56 Billion in annual spending by 2020, up from $53 Billion in 2017.Download sample @The term Wireless Network Infrastructure has conventionally been associated with macrocell RAN (Radio Access Network) and mobile core segments of mobile operator networks. However, the scope of the term is expanding as mobile operators increase their investments in Heterogeneous Network or HetNet infrastructure such as small cells, carrier Wi-Fi and DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems), to cope with increasing capacity and coverage requirements.In addition, mobile operators are keen to shift towards a C-RAN (Centralized RAN) architecture, which centralizes baseband functionality to be shared across a large number of distributed radio nodes. In comparison to standalone clusters of base stations, C-RAN provides significant performance and economic benefits such as resource pooling, multi-cell coordination, network extensibility and energy efficiency.Buy Full report along with excel sheets @Future RoadmapDespite a rapid and persistent decline in standalone macrocell RAN infrastructure spending, Research estimates that the wireless network infrastructure market will grow at a CAGR of 2% between 2017 and 2020. Driven by investments in HetNet infrastructure and 5G NR (New Radio) rollouts  beginning in 2019, the market is expected to be worth $56 Billion in annual spending by 2020, up from $53 Billion in 2017.What will market research report provide?The Wireless Network Infrastructure Ecosystem: 2017  2030  Macrocell RAN, Small Cells, C-RAN, RRH, DAS, Carrier Wi-Fi, Mobile Core, Backhaul & Fronthaul report presents an in-depth assessment of the wireless network infrastructure ecosystem including enabling technologies, key trends, market drivers, challenges, investment trends, mobile operator revenue potential, regional CapEx commitments, network rollout strategies, future roadmap, value chain, ecosystem player profiles and vendor market share. The report also presents forecasts for wireless network infrastructure investments from 2017 till 2030. The forecasts cover 11 individual submarkets and 6 regions.Check Discount on report @What Segmentation is covered in report?Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:Standalone Macrocell RANAir Interface Technology Segmentation- 2G & 3G- LTE FDD- TD-LTE- WiMAX- 5G NR (New Radio)Mobile CoreTechnology Segmentation- 3G Packet Core- HLR (Home Location Register)- MSS (Mobile Switching Subsystem)- LTE EPC (Evolved Packet Core)- WiMAX Mobile Core- 5G NextGen CoreMacrocell BackhaulTechnology Segmentation- Ethernet- Microwave & Millimeter Wave- Satellite- WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing)- PON (Passive Optical Network)- OthersSmall CellsAir Interface Technology Segmentation- 2G & 3G- LTE- 5G NRDeployment Model Segmentation- Indoor- OutdoorRAN Architecture Segmentation- Standalone- C-RANUse Case Segmentation- Residential- Enterprise- Urban- Rural & SuburbanCell Size Segmentation- Femtocells- Picocells- MicrocellsSmall Cell BackhaulTechnology Segmentation- DSL- Ethernet- Microwave- Millimeter Wave- Satellite- Fiber & OthersCarrier Wi-FiSubmarket Segmentation- Access Points- Access Point ControllersIntegration Approach Segmentation- Standalone Wi-Fi Hotspots- Managed Wi-Fi OffloadC-RANAir Interface Technology Segmentation- 3G & LTE- 5G NRDeployment Model Segmentation- Indoor- OutdoorCell Size Segmentation- Small Cells- MacrocellsSubmarket Segmentation- BBUs (Baseband Units)- RRHs (Remote Radio Heads)C-RAN FronthaulTechnology Segmentation- Dedicated Fiber- WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing)- OTN (Optical Transport Network)- PON (Passive Optical Network)- Ethernet- Microwave- Millimeter Wave- G.Fast & OthersDASDeployment Model Segmentation- Indoor- OutdoorRegional Markets- Asia Pacific- Eastern Europe- Latin & Central America- Middle East & Africa- North America- Western EuropeCountry MarketsArgentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, UK, USAWhat are key findings of report?The report has the following key findings:- Despite a rapid and persistent decline in standalone macrocell RAN infrastructure spending, Research estimates that the wireless network infrastructure market will grow at a CAGR of 2% between 2017 and 2020.- Driven by investments in HetNet infrastructure and 5G NR rollouts  beginning in 2019, the market is expected to be worth $56 Billion in annual spending by 2020, up from $53 Billion in 2017.- By the end of 2020, C-RAN, small cells, DAS and carrier Wi-Fi, together with their fronthaul and backhaul segments, will account for more than 45% of all wireless network infrastructure spending.- With LTE availability increasing worldwide and ongoing upgrades to deliver multi-hundred Megabit and Gigabit-grade services, we estimate that LTE, LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced Pro networks will generate more than $950 Billion in annual service revenue by 2020.- New market players are beginning to emerge as mobile operators accelerate their transition to virtualized network infrastructure. For example, Mavenir Systems' merger with C-RAN specialist Ranzure Networks and its subsequent acquisition of Brocade's virtualized mobile core business, has positioned the company as an end-to-end provider of 5G-ready mobile network solutions.For more details of report, table of content, sample download, discount or to purchase copy of report visitConnect for more details:Sam CollinsMarket Reports Center1-646-883-3044 (US)info@marketreportscenter.comMarket 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 500000 plus titles and 30+ 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 Studies421 Hudson St 613
Global Nano-Copper Particles Sales Market 2017 - Nanoshel, NanoAmor, PlasmaChem, Grafen

Global Nano-Copper Particles Sales Market

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Nano-Copper Particles Sales Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Nano-Copper Particles Sales 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 Nano-Copper Particles Sales industry, and estimates the future trend of Nano-Copper Particles Sales market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Nano-Copper Particles Sales Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportAmerican ElementsNanoAmorQuantumSphereNanoshelHongwu International GroupEPRUI Nanoparticles & MicrospheresGrafenInframatIolitec Ionic Liquids TechnologiesMeliorum TechnologiesMiyou GroupPlasmaChemReinste Nano VenturesSkySpring NanomaterialsStrem ChemicalsThe market research report explores the Nano-Copper Particles Sales market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Nano-Copper Particles Sales 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 Nano-Copper Particles Sales market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Nano-Copper Particles Sales. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Nano-Copper Particles Sales 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 Nano-Copper Particles Sales is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Nano-Copper Particles Sales market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Nano-Copper Particles Sales market globally.Inquire Before Buying @The Global Nano-Copper Particles Sales market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Nano-Copper Particles Sales production volume, data pertaining to demand and Nano-Copper Particles Sales supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Nano-Copper Particles Sales 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 Nano-Copper Particles Sales across the world.Apex 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.Frank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
IoT Managed Services Market Future Plans 2017: Industry Expected to Reach USD 84.12 billion with 24.48% of CAGR by 2022

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Market Research Future published a research report on Global IoT Managed Services Market Research Report- Forecast 2022  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2022.Market HighlightsInnovation and the numerous benefits such as flexibility, disaster recovery, automatic software updates and others; provided by the cloud technology has boosted the adoption of cloud services. The enterprises and industries are adopting cloud services on a large scale as it is cost efficient and provides high performance. According to the analysis, to sustain the technological advancements of cloud technology and the penetration of IoT, there has been a great demand for IoT managed services. Cloud services are coupled with cyber security threats. Rising adoption of cloud services is also leading to the requirement of data security services. There has been a recent news dated February 26, 2017; about Avnet, the leading global technology distributor partnered with AT&T to integrate IoT managed services with cloud applications and deliver it impeccably into their IoT solution stack. The IoT managed services are industry specific therefore many organizations prefer IoT managed services for their specified requirements. However, security has been a major concern in all the sectors and the IoT managed service for IoT security assessments is the best solution available in the market.The Global Iot Managed Services Market is expected to reach at USD 84.12 billion with 24.48% of CAGR from 2016 to 2022.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 60 market data tables and figures spread over 85 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on IoT Managed Services Market Research Report -Forecast to 2022.Get Sample of Report @Key Players:The prominent players in the market of IoT Managed Services market are Accenture Plc. (Ireland), Cisco System Inc. (U.S), Google Inc. (U.S), Apple Inc. (U.S), AT & T Inc. (U.S), Intel Corporation (U.S), Microsoft Corporation (U.S), HP Inc. - (U.S), - International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) (U.S), Qualcomm Inc. (U.S) and among othersMarket Research Future AnalysisThe global IoT Managed Services market is expected to grow significantly. The market is highly application basis. IT & Telecom and Automotive & Transport segment of IOT Managed Services market globally drives the market. The market is expected to have higher growth rate as compared to the previous years.Segments:Global IoT Managed Services Market, By Services Network Management Security Management Device Management Infrastructure Management OthersGlobal IoT Managed Services Market, By End Users Automotive and Transport IT and Telecom Healthcare BFSI Manufacturing OthersGlobal IoT Managed Services Market, By Organization Size SMEs Large EnterpriseGet Complete Report @Intended Audience IoT Managed Services Manufacturers Distributors Research firms Consultancy firms Software Developers Vendors Semiconductor Manufacturers Stakeholders End-user sectors Technology InvestorsAbout Us: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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Mass Flow Controllers Market Size, Trends & Analysis  Forecasts To 2025 By Type

GLOBAL MARKET ESTIMATES

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REPOERT DESCRIPTION: MASS FLOW CONTROLLERS MARKETMass Flow Controllers Market InsightsThe demand for mass flow controllers (MFC) is expected to grow at a high CAGR over the forecast period. The increasing need for accuracy and precision in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and energy & power industry among others is expected to increase the demand for controllers over the coming years. One of the major advantages of MFCs are that they can efficiently measure and control liquid, gas, and steam flow rates in extreme temperatures.MFCs are used widely in thermal and cutting processing, semiconductor production and pharmaceutical bioreactors. The mass flow controllers market has a large number of suppliers aiming to manufacture and sell products at competitive prices. The rapidly evolving manufacturing sector in Asia Pacific combined with fast technology adoption rate in the North American and European market is projected to augment market growth.Continuous manufacturing process used in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry is projected to foster market demand over the forecast period. Automation streamlining as well as meticulousness needed in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry are anticipated to increase the preference for MFC across the world.Request for a sample copy of the Mass Flow Controllers Market report at:Mass Flow Controllers Market: Type InsightsMass flow controllers are segmented by type into direct and indirect. Volumetric flow meters such as ultrasonic, magnetic, positive displacement, etc are integrated with flow computers and pressure & temperature measurement in order to gauge mass flow. However, ATMF thermal mass flow, Coriolis flow meter, and vortex flow meter are direct mass flow measurement controllers.Mass Flow Controllers Market: Application InsightsMass flow controllers are used to accurately control and measure flow in manufacturing facilities. This equipment is widely used in the pharmaceutical, energy & power, chemical & petrochemical, and metallurgy industry among others. MFC is also used to measure process performance, thereby, it is very important to increase plant efficiency.Mass Flow Controllers Market: Regional InsightsThe demand for mass flow controllers in Asia Pacific is projected to grow at a high CAGR over the coming years. The increasing need for automation across industries is expected to boost the demand for MFC over the forecast period. India, China, Japan and other countries are expected to experience high industrial growth and technological adoption.Companies in North America and Europe are expected to invest huge amounts in development of advanced and automated systems to increase efficiency and accuracy. Increasing manufacturing activities coupled with high energy consumption is projected to foster market growth over the coming years.Mass Flow Controllers Market: End-Use LandscapeThe end-use landscape entails a list of current and prospective consumers prevailing across the regions. This section provides company addresses, contact details, products, and regional presence of companies who are purchasing or are likely to purchase mass flow controllers over the coming years. Some leading consumers in the pharmaceutical industry include Pfizer, Novartis, Roche, and Merck & Co.Mass Flow Controllers Market: Competitive LandscapeProminent players in the market include Alicat Scientific, Advanced Energy, Burkert Fluid Control, Horiba STEC, Sierra Instruments, Bronkhorst High-Tech, Brooks Instrument, Celerity Group, Hitachi Metals, MKS Instruments, Teledyne Hastings, Tokyo Keiso, and Yamatake Corporation among others.In August 2017, Alicat Scientific integrated its MCE mass flow controllers into MDC Vacuum Products XpressStick MFC Gas Stick. This product links the pressurized gas inputs to vacuum chambers. In November 2017, Major Science launched Winpact Mass Flow Controllers which can be integrated with fermentor or bioreactors. New product developments and technological advancements are key in order to gain a competitive edge in the mass flow controllers market.Catch our annual research partnership services at :Were constantly identifying and analysing high growth markets and revenue pockets. In consultation with various industry experts, our team of highly-skilled industry analysts study these markets through sophisticated tools and fail-safe, industry-approved methodologies.Name: Global Market Estimates Research & Business ConsultantsAddress: A-9, Silver Croft CHSL, Mumbai:400064, IndiaContact No,: +91 9146632316Email Address: sales@globalmarketestimates.com
Small-Scale LNG Market Projected to Reach 299.15 Million Tons per Annum by 2021

Small-Scale LNG Market, Small-Scale LNG

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The report "Small-Scale LNG Market by Type (Liquefaction Terminal, and Regasification Terminal), End-User (Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Electric Power Generation, Marine Transport), and Region - Global Forecast to 2021", The small-scale LNG market is projected to grow from 262.38 Million Tons Per Annum in 2016 to 299.15 Million tons per annum by 2021, at a CAGR of 2.7% between 2016 and 2021.Browse 47 market data tables and 38 figures spread through 115 pages and in-depth TOC on "Small-Scale LNG Market - Global Forecast to 2021"Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.Increasing use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by various end users, such as heavy-duty vehicles and electric power generation, technological advancements being carried out in liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and regasification processes, and increasing demand for of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from theAsia-Pacific region are expected to fuel the growth of the small-scale LNG market during the forecast period. Increasing demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the remote locations for use in power generation plants and global commoditization of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are the major factors driving the demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from small-scale regasification terminals. This, in turn, is expected to fuel the growth of the small-scale LNG market during the forecast period.The heavy-duty vehicles end user segment of the small-scale LNG market is expected to gain maximum traction during the forecast period, 2016 to 2021.In terms of volume, the heavy-duty vehicles end user segment is projected to lead the small-scale LNG market during the forecast period. The growth of the heavy-duty vehicles end user segment of the market can be attributed to increasing adoption of natural gas-fueled heavy-duty vehicles across the globe. Moreover, the sustainability of natural gas-fueled heavy-duty vehicles also depends on the ability of the LNG industry to provide fuel at reasonable costs. Furthermore, the need for maintaining local air quality, existence of proper liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, implementation of strategic energy reserve policies by various regulatory authorities, and availability of residual fuels are some of the drivers augmenting the demand for natural gas in the electric power generation plants, which, in turn, is fueling the growth of the small-scale LNG market.Request for Sample Pages @Among types, the regasification terminals segment is projected to lead the small-scale LNG market during the forecast period, 2016 to 2021.Among types, the regasification terminals segment is projected to lead the small-scale LNG market during the forecast period. Increasing demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the remote locations for use in power generation plants and global commoditization of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are some of the major factors driving the demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from small-scale regasification terminals, which, in turn, is expected to lead to the growth of the small-scale LNG market during the forecast period. Development of downstream infrastructure and logistics, remote regasification terminals, trucking stations, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering are some other factors expected to fuel the growth of the small-scale LNG market during the forecast period.The Asia-Pacific small-scale LNG market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.The Asia-Pacific small-scale LNG market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific region has emerged as an important consumer of small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) due to its increasing use in heavy-duty vehicles and electric power generation plants, among others. Traditionally, the production of small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) has always been considered as a significant business in the Asia-Pacific, North American, and European regions. Currently, various key players operating in the small-scale LNG market are undergoing partnerships to become pipeline natural gas suppliers.Download PDF Brochure @The key players profiled in the report are:The Linde Group (Germany)Wartsila Corporation (Finland)Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.)General Electric (U.S.)ENGIE (France)IHI Corporation (Japan)Gazprom (Russia)Skangas AS (Norway)Sofregaz S.A. (France)Dresser-Rand Group, Inc. (U.S.)Prometheus Energy (U.S.)About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets 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.MarketsandMarketss 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.Mr. RohanMarketsandMarkets INC.630 Dundee RoadSuite 430Northbrook, IL 60062USA: 1-888-600-6441sales@marketsandmarkets.com
Demand of Patient Registry Software Market in Global Industry : Overview, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis and Research 2017

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Albany, NY, 17th November : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Patient Registry Software Market (By Type - Public Domain Registry Software, Commercial Registry Software; By Disease Areas - Diabetes Registry, Cardiovascular Registry, Cancer Registry, Rare Disease/Orphan Disease Registry, Other Chronic Disease Registry; By End-User - Government, Commercial) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023" globally.This report on the global patient registry software market provides an analysis for the period 2013  2023, wherein 2014 is the base year and the period from 2015 to 2023 is the forecast period. Data for 2013 has been included as historical information.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @The report covers all the prevalent trends and technologies playing a major role in the growth of the patient registry software market over the forecast period. It also highlights various drivers, restraints, and opportunities expected to influence the market growth during the said period. The study provides a holistic perspective on market growth, throughout the above forecast period in terms of revenue estimates (in US$ Mn), across different geographies, which include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America (LATAM).Patient registries are the computerized databases that contain personal, medical, social, and financial data being reported by healthcare professionals and patients. For rare or chronic diseases, registries can provide vital epidemiological data such as incidence and prevalence, symptoms, and severity of the disease to researchers and healthcare professionals. Due to the continuous growth of chronic diseases, population and disease management is highly needed, which in turn drives the overall demand for patient registry software. The growing demand for patient registry software has led to the emergence of patient registry software vendors around the world, which has contributed to the growth of market size globally.This research report provides in-depth analysis of the global patient registry software market on the basis of software types, disease areas, and end-users. The patient registry software types are public domain and commercial. The patient registry software on the basis of disease areas is divided into diabetes registry, cardiovascular registry, cancer registry, rare disease/orphan disease registry, and other chronic disease registry. The patient registry software end-user segment comprises government and commercial segments.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @In terms of geographical regions, the report segments the global patient registry software market into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America; the regions are analyzed in terms of revenue generation. The report provides cross-sectional analysis of the global patient registry software market in terms of market estimates and forecasts for all segments across different geographic regions.The report also includes competitive profiling of major players engaged in developing patient registry software. Major business strategies adopted by them, their market positioning, and various recent developments have also been identified in the research report. This report also provides market share analysis of major players in the patient registry software market based on their 2014 revenues. Some of the major players profiled in the report include Global Vision Technologies, Inc., Quintiles Inc., Dacima Software Inc., PatientCrossroads, and Evado eClinical Solutions.The global patient registry software market is segmented as below:Patient Registry Software MarketBy TypePublic Domain Registry SoftwareCommercial Registry SoftwareBy Disease AreasDiabetes RegistryCardiovascular RegistryCancer RegistryRare Disease/Orphan Disease RegistryOther Chronic Disease RegistryBy End-UserGovernmentCommercialBy GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.Rest of North AmericaEuropeEU7 CountriesCIS CountriesRest of EuropeAsia PacificJapanChinaSouth AsiaAustralasiaRest of APACMiddle East and AfricaBrowse Report @GCC CountriesNorth AfricaSouth AfricaRest of MEALatin AmericaBrazilRest of Latin 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 :
Global Cancer Vaccines Market 2017 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2022

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Global Cancer Vaccines IndustryGlobal Cancer Vaccines market is accounted for $2.25 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $10.00 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 23.7%. Factors such as rising number of cancer patients, increasing ageing population and awareness of vaccines are fueling the market. However, less availability of vaccines and advanced treatments in underdeveloped regions may limit the market growth.Try Sample Report @North America accounted for the largest share in the market followed by Asia Pacific. The favourable growth is attributed to supportive government and other organisations such as World health organisation and GAVI initiatives.Some of the key players in Global Cancer Vaccines market include Oxford BioMedica, Vaccinogen Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi India Limited-P.P. Enterprises, Juvaris Biotherapeutics, Merk&co, Prima BioMed Ltd, Cytos Biotechnology AG, Ubivac, duro BioTech, AstraZeneca plc., and MedImmune, LLC.Disease Indication Covered: Cervical cancer Esophageal cancer Liver cancer Prostate cancer Lung cancer Breast cancer Stomach cancerFor Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Technologies Covered: Inactivated Vaccines Peptide/protein vaccines Synthetic Vaccines Toxoid Vaccines Live Attenuated Vaccines Recombinant Vector Vaccines Antigen vaccines Dendritic Cell Vaccines Subunit Vaccines Heat shock protein vaccines DNA- and vector-based vaccines Conjugate Vaccines Anti-idiotype vaccines Cancer stem cell vaccinesEnd Users Covered: Adults PaediatricsVaccine Types Covered: Therapeutic Vaccines Preventive VaccinesRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptBuy now @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsSome Major Points from Table of content:1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 ThreatsContinued..For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Norah Trent+1 646 845 9349 / +44 208 133 9349Follow on LinkedIn:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042
Technological Advancements to Influence Cigar Market Growth 2015 - 2021

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Cigars are firmly-rolled cylindrical bundle of fermented and dried tobacco which is ignited and smoked by drawing in the mouth. Cigar tobacco is mostly grown in Latin America, Philippines, Eastern United States, Spain and Italy. Cigar is considered to be a status symbol by many and is more prevalent in European countries within premium segment.The Cigars market across the globe is expected to show a single digit increase in CAGR growth by the year 2019. There is a significant increase in the Cigar market due to the usage of Cigar in multiple occasions such as social parties, birthday parties, colleges and among corporate.Request For Report Sample@The key drivers of this market include the addition of smokers to inhale and cigars are considered superior than cigarettes due to lower levels of nicotine. Rising middle class, culture shift and affluent life style are among other driving forces in cigar consumption. Restraining factors could be plethora of government regulations and ban on tobacco production and consumption in several countries. In addition growing health concerns and aging of population act as another major restrains to consumption of Cigar. Major distribution channels are supermarkets, speciality stores and departmental stores.The Cigar market can be segmented into three major types on the basis of composition as wrappers, fillers and binders. It can also be segmented on the basis of shape and size as Parejo, Figurado, Pyramid, Culebras, Tuscanian and Little Cigars. In this report we have segmented the market geographically into North America, APAC, Europe and RoW regions.Visit For TOC@Some of the key players in the Cigar market are Finck Cigar Company, ITC Limited, Altadis, General Cigar Company Inc., Partagas cigars, Perdomo cigars, Oliva cigars, Rodrigo cigars, Paul Stulac cigars, and Rocky Patel cigars.ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Beauty Drinks Market Size to Grow at a Steady Rate During Forecast Period 2016 - 2022

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Beauty drink market is expected to exhibit remarkable growth due to the rise in early aging. Other factors that promotes the beauty drinks market are increasing air pollution and busy lifestyle of the customers which leads to early ageing. Air pollutants includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that ultimately results in accelerated ageing. Consumers seek healthy options which eventually supports the beauty drinks market across the globe.Request For Report Sample@Global beauty drinks market is expected to exhibit remarkable growth. Major factors that are expected to propel the demand for beauty drinks market globally are rising number of health conscious consumers across various countries coupled with increasing disposable income of consumers. Moreover, other factor that is expected to support the market growth of the beauty drinks across the globe is the easy availability of beauty drinks through online sales. Various other factors that are expected to fuel the overall market of beauty drinks market are increasing air pollution which eventually leads to early ageing and promotes the demand for beauty drinks market.Global Beauty Drinks market is segmented by: demographic, ingredient, type and regionBeauty Drinks by Demographic ConsumptionTeenagerYounger WomenMature womenBeauty Drinks by IngredientProtein or collagenVitaminsMineralsFruit ExtractsBeauty Drinks by TypeNatural DrinksChemical/artificial DrinksBeauty Drinks By RegionAsia PacificEuropeNorth AmericaLatin AmericaThe Middle East & AfricaThe global beauty drinks market is anticipated to witness remarkable growth during the forecast period. Globally among all regions, Europe is expected to contribute maximum market share followed by North America. Demand for beauty drinks is maximum in Europe due to the more awareness among consumers in comparison to other regions through educational marketing campaigns. However Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market during the forecast period. In Asia Pacific, Japan is expected to contribute maximum revenue due to the high consumer willingness to attain healthy skin.Visit For TOC@Key players that operates in the global beauty drinks market are SIPA spa, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, Sappe Public Company Limited, Big Quark LLC, DyDo DRIN CO, INC. and Nestle S.A. Various companies operating in the global beauty drinks markets are continuously launching new types of beauty drinks used for different target customer and applications. For instance, Big Quark LLC launched beauty drink named BeautySleep that includes sleep and beauty inducing ingredients.ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Treatment Market Analysis, Trends, Forecast, 2017-2027

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Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory condition that causes inflammation of joints. Psoriatic arthritis affects both the skin and the musculoskeletal system. Musculoskeletal symptoms include joint pain, swelling, tenderness, morning stiffness, reduction in joint movement; skin symptoms include reddening and thickness of the skin, separation on the nail bed; other symptoms include general fatigue, inflammation of the membrane lining the eyelid Psoriatic arthritis mainly affect those who are affected with skin disease known as psoriasis. Out of 10 people with psoriasis, only one or two will develop arthritis. Psoriasis is characterized by scaly red and white skin patches that may affect any joint in the body such as elbows, knees, scalp, including the spine and others.Request For ToC @Psoriatic arthritis is caused due to genetic and environmental factors. It often, often between the ages of 30 and 50 years, but it can also develop in children called psoriatic type juvenile idiopathic arthritis. It is more common in Caucasians people than African Americans or Asian. According to disease control and prevention, about five to seven percent of the population suffer from psoriasis, out of these 10-20% people will develop psoriatic arthritis. Diagnosis of the psoriatic arthritis is done by rheumatologists, by looking at the swollen and painful joints, skin and nail change by various diagnostic procedures like X-rays, MRI, ultrasound, CT scans and othersTreatment for psoriatic arthritis depends on its severity. Various over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and prescribed drugs are available for treatment. Drugs prescribed for psoriatic arthritis includes immune-suppressing drugs, Non-steroidal drugs, and various biologics. Biologics works by stopping the inflammatory process, mainly tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL) inhibitors are used to treat psoriatic arthritis. Different ways for the treatment include Short-term oral therapy, Low-dose, ongoing oral therapy or Injection administered directly into the joint. Change on lifestyle such as physical exercise, limiting alcohol intake, weight management etc. may also help in the treatment process. Psoriasis is a severe disease affecting about 100 million individuals globally, according to world health organization prevalence of psoriasis in countries ranges 0.09% to 11.43%. Patient with psoriasis is at higher risk of developing other clinical conditions such as CVD and other non-communicable diseases.Global psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment market is segmented by mechanism of action, disease condition and distribution channel. Based on the product type, global psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment market is segmented TNF inhibitors, PDE4 inhibitors, and Interleukin blockers. TNF- inhibitors are said to revolutionize the market. IL-17 inhibitors are the latest wave, as companies are developing new biologics based on this inhibitor. On the basis of disease condition, the global psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment market is segmented into mild psoriatic arthritis, moderate psoriatic arthritis and severe psoriatic arthritis. On the basis of distribution channel, the global psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment market is segmented into hospital pharmacy, drug stores, retail pharmacy and e-commerce. Rise in incidence of psoriatic arthritis, increased awareness of healthcare professional and new product launch is said to drive the global psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment market during the forecast period. Whereas inadequate access to health care, cost and availability of essential medicines and lack of standardized tools for diagnosis and treatment will hamper the growth of global psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment market.By regional presence, the global psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment market is segmented into five broad regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to lead the global psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment market. According to world health organization, in 2008, the annual cost of psoriasis in the United States was estimated at US$ 11.5 billion. Europe market is also projected to experience high growth in the near future. Asia Pacific market is anticipated to grow at the fastest growth rate during the forecast period, owing to factors such as rising standard of living, lifestyle changes and focusing on healthcare expenditures.Request For Report sample @Some of the major players in global psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment market are Celgene Corporation, Amgen Inc., AbbVie, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Janssen Global Services, LLC, Eli Lilly and Company, UCB, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Novartis AG and Others.About UsFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact UsFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Bioelectric Medicine Market to Witness Steady Growth During the Forecast Period 2017-2027

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Technology is changing the world and bioelectric medicine is fore front of technological revolution in medical sciences. The pharmaceutical industrys history is based on therapies that target molecular mechanism. Bioelectric medicine has different treatment therapy that is based on electrical pulses instead of drugs to trigger the body. Bioelectric medicine develops nerve stimulating and sensors activation technologies to regulate biological functions and treat diseases by combining bioengineering, neuroscience, molecular medicines, electronics and computing these technologies may change the future of therapies for wide range of diseases. Bioelectric medicine act through targeted mechanism of action to treat diseases.Request For ToC @Though the concept of using bioelectric medicines to treat the patient has been around decades, technological advancements are driving the market to grow in near future. Bioelectric medicine is the field where devices are made to treat various kind of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, paralysis and cancer as well.Bioelectric Medicine Market: DynamicsIncreasing research and development in bioelectric medicals with rising number of organizations investing for development of bioelectric medicines are primary driving factors for the growth of bioelectric medicine market. Bioelectric medicines or electroceuticals are new trend in therapy of treating disease. Though these therapies are expensive, often toxic and difficult to administer, continuous scope for technological advancement and ground breaking discipline is targeted at electronics with nerves to specially aim the biological processes to various diseases. Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology entities, research institutes, and laboratories are increasingly adopting bioelectric medicine technology. As bioelectric medicine are small devices there is huge scope for companies having product pipeline into medical device industry.Bioelectric Medicine Market: Region-wise OutlookRegionally, global bioelectric market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East Africa. North America is likely to dominate the bioelectric medicine market since there is presence of several organizations operating in these region. Rising prevalence of chronic diseases, expected approvals of retinal implant in the U.S., rising geriatric population are the other key factors responsible for the growth of market in North America. Additionally, Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at highest CAGR during the forecast period due to increasing diabetic population and frequency of hearing loss in region. There are substantial R&D projects carried out in institutes resulting its high demand, affecting the revenue growth significantly. Moreover, positive R&D outcomes encouraging the incorporation of bioelectric market is expected to impact this sector with potential opportunities for growth.Request For Report sample @Bioelectric Medicine Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in bioelectric market are GlaxoSmithKline, Medtronic Plc., Boston Scientific Corporation, Set Point Medical, Siemens AG, Biotronic, Nevro Corporation, Liva Nova Plc., Cochlear limited and Electro Core LLC. These companies are involved in research and development of bioelectric medicines along with the investment and marketing of the products. The increasing competition in key players will drive the market of bioelectric medicine in forecast period.About UsFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contct UsFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Lithium Ion Battery Market is Determined to Cross US$ 69 Billion By 2022

Global Lithium Ion Battery Market

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The Lithium Ion Battery Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 68.97 Billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 16.6% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report:The Lithium Ion Battery Market is segmented on the lines of its power capacity, industry, type and regional. Based on power capacity segmentation it covers 0 to 3000mah, 3000mah to 10000mah, 10000 mah to 60000mah, more than 60000mah. Based on industry segmentation it covers aerospace and defense, automotive, consumer electronics, industrial, marine, medical, power. Based on type segmentation it covers lithium nickel manganese cobalt (LI-NMC), lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), lithium titanate oxide (LTO), lithium manganese oxide (LMO), lithium nickel cobalt aluminium oxide (NCA). The Lithium Ion Battery Marketon geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geographic market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.The Lithium Ion Battery Market has been segmented as below: (Accordingly)By Power Capacity Analysis: 0 to 3000mAh 3000mAh to 10000mAh 10000mAh to 60000mAh More than 60000mAhBy Industry Analysis: Aerospace and Defense Automotive Consumer Electronics Industrial Marine Medical PowerBy Type Analysis: Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (LI-NMC) Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO) Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO) Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide (NCA)By Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldThis report provides:1) An overview of the global market for Lithium Ion Battery Market and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Lithium Ion Battery Market.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.Request Sample Report:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets onLithium Ion Battery Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.Table of Contents1 INTRODUCTION2 Research Methodology3 Executive Summary4 Premium Insights5 Market Overview5.1 Introduction5.2 Market Segmentation5.2.1 By Material Type5.2.2 By Type5.2.3 By Resources5.2.4 By Power Capacity5.2.5 By Industry5.2.6 By Geography5.3 Market Dynamics5.3.1 Drivers5.3.1.1 Increase in Demand for Electric Vehicle5.3.1.2 Strict Government Mandates on Fuel Economy5.3.1.3 Growing Demand for Smart Devices and Other Consumer Electronics5.3.1.4 Developments Towards Enhancement of Lithium Ion Batteries5.3.2 Restraints5.3.2.1 Overheating of Lithium Ion Batteries Poses Security Concerns5.3.2.2 Inadequate Charging Infrastructure5.3.3 Opportunities5.3.3.1 Increasing Use of New Technologies in Lithium Ion Batteries5.3.3.2 Declining Prices of Lithium Ion Batteries Increases Its Adoption in New Application Base5.3.4 Challenges5.3.4.1 Development of Lithium-Air, Lithium-Sulphur and Sodium Ion Batteries to Act as Substitute for Lithium Ion Batteries6 Industry Trends7 Lithium Ion Battery Market, By Material Type8 Lithium Ion Battery Market, By Type9 Lithium Ion Battery Market, By Resources10 Lithium Ion Battery Market, By Power Capacity11 Lithium Ion Battery Market, By Industry12 Geographic Analysis13 Competitive Landscape14 Company Profiles14.1 Introduction14.2 BAK Group14.3 BYD Company Ltd.14.4 LG Chem, Ltd.14.5 Panasonic Corporation14.6 Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.14.7 GS Yuasa Corporation14.8 Hitachi Ltd.14.9 Johnson Controls Inc.14.10 Saft Groupe SA14.11 Toshiba Corporation14.12 A123 Systems, LLC.14.13 Valence Technology, Inc.About MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Drug Market is expected to reach US$ 83.04 Bn by 2025

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According to the report, global sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) drug market was valued at US$ 32,826.3 Mn in 2016 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 11.2% from 2017 to 2025 to reach US$ 83,041.3 Mn by 2025. This report offers a thorough understanding of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) drug market across the globe its key trends, drivers, restraints, and opportunities.Read Report -Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. It can infect both men and women. Chlamydia infection spreads mainly during sex. The infection is carried in semen and vaginal fluids. Chlamydia can infect penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, eyes, and throat. Gonorrhea is caused due to bacterial infection (bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae) that can be passed from one person to another during sex. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) refers to a type of retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV attacks some immune cells and causes weakness of immune system resulting in loss of ability to fight against the organism that causes disease. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is viral pathogens affecting individuals of all ages. Syphilis is one of the sexually transmitted infections (STI) caused by the Treponema pallidum bacteria. It can lead to complications in the long term, if not diagnosed effectively. Others (Trichomoniasis, Chancroid, Hepatitis, Pubic lice, Scabies, Candidiasis, Amoebiasis, Giardiasis)Inquire for a Sample Copy of Report -The global sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) drug market can be segmented on the basis of disease type, therapy class, distribution channel, and region. On the bases of disease type, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) drug market can be further segmented into chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus infection, HIV/AIDS and others. According to therapy class sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) drug market can be segmented into antibiotics, antiviral, vaccines and others.Antibiotic is group of medicines used in the treatment of infections caused by germsbacteria. It is a most frequently prescribed product in modern medicine. The first antibiotic was penicillin, discovered by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming. Today, more than 100 different antibiotics are available in the market to cure minor, and life-threatening infections. An antiviral is an agent that eliminates a virus or restrains its ability to multiply and hence, prevents it from replicating and reproducing. Antiviral drugs are used in the treatment of lethal viral infections caused by viruses like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis, influenza A and B viruses and herpes viruses. Vaccination has been promoted as a vital public health intervention across the globe for decades. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination has reduced the global burden of infectious disease to a great extent. According to WHO, 36.7 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2016.Download a PDF Brochure of Report -Geographically, the global sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) drug market is segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the market and is anticipated to gain more market share from others region by the end of 2025. The growth of North America is attributed to its well established industry, adoption of new treatment and technologies. Followed by the North America, Europe is the second leading share holder of global sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) drug market. Developing economies such as China and Japan are projected to contribute to growth of the market in APAC between 2017 and 2025, due to better health care infrastructure, economic growth, increase in the number of insurance payers, growth of the private health care sector, and increasing education awareness.The economic growth allows the substantial growth of the middle income group which has enabled the group to access private health care services, and it helps in increasing government spending on the health care sector which provides greater access to health care products and services.Key players operating in the global sexually transmitted diseases drug market are Pfizer INC, Hoffmann La Roche, Bayer Healthcare, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. AbbVie, Inc., Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, and Merck & Co., Inc.Purchase this Report -Transparency 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:
Animal Feed Additives Market for Ruminants : Key Players, Growth, Analysis, 2015  2021

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According to a recent market research report published by Transparency Market Research, the global animal feed additives market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 4.3% between 2015 and 2021. The report, titled Animal Feed Additives Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2021, projects the global animal feed additives market to reach a valuation of US$5.9 bn by 2021. The overall market was valued at US$4.4 bn in 2014.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Feed additives refer to food supplements given to farm animals, as regular food is not sufficient to meet the nutritional requirements for the proper growth of these animals. Feed additives contain nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals. The growing demand for quality meat and dairy products worldwide has propelled the growth of the global animal feed additives market. Feed additives are usually administered orally.The feed additives for ruminants are usually coated so that they do not get degraded by the action of micro-organisms present in rumen. Various coating technologies such as nano coated vitamins and minerals, butyric acid, sweetener, 1-monoglycerides, and acidifier concepts are implemented to coat the feed additives.In terms of product type, the report segments the global animal feed additives market into probiotics and prebiotics, vitamins, phytobiotics, choline chloride, organic acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, immunomodulators, non-protein nitrogen (NPN), feed enzymes, amino acids, and others including antioxidants, feed acidifiers, antibiotics, and trace minerals. Vitamins, probiotics and prebiotics, amino acids, and feed enzymes are extensively used as feed additives for cattle to enhance the quality of the meat.Obtain Report Details @On the basis of types of ruminants, the report broadly categorizes the global animal feed additives market into cattle, buffalo, and others including sheep, goat, and deer. Probiotics and prebiotics, along with vitamins, are widely used as feed additives for buffaloes to increase the production of milk.The report studies the animal feed additives market across four key regions: Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific dominates the overall market, closely followed by North America. Growing demand for animal feed additives, especially for ruminants across China and India, is expected to propel the growth of the market in Asia Pacific. During the forecast period, the rise in demand for dairy products and meat across the U.S. and Canada will drive the North America animal feed additives market.Describing the competitive landscape, the report profiles some of the key players in the global animal feed additives market such as BASF S.E., DSM, Elanco, Evonik Industries, Cargill Inc., Danisco, Novozymes, Archer Daniels Midlands Co., CHR Holdings, and Alltech Inc. Partnerships, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions are the common strategies adopted by the market players. DSM and BASF S.E. together account for more than 50% of the overall market.Global Animal Feed Additives Market has been segmented as:Global Animal Feed Additives Market for Ruminants by Product TypeVitaminProbiotics and PrebioticsCholine ChloridePhytobioticsOrganic AcidPolyunsaturated Fatty AcidsNon-Protein Nitrogen (NPN)ImmunomodulatorsAmino AcidsFeed EnzymesOthersGlobal Animal Feed Additives Market for Ruminants by Ruminants TypeCattleBuffaloOthersAbout 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:
Growing Industrialization will influence the Pecan Market Growth 2016 - 2024

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Pecans are edible tree-nut crop which is cultivated for its delicious and buttery yet rich flavour, which contains minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and health beneficial nutrients. Pecan contains 690 calories/100g which makes them good source of energy, regular consumption of pecan helps to decrease cholesterol level in the blood. Pecan contain polyphenolic antioxidant ellagic acid, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin, which makes them rich source of many phyto-chemicals and helps to remove toxic like oxygen-free radicals that helps to decrease the risk of diseases like cancer as well as help to prevent body from various infections.Pecan mainly produced in Georgia, followed by New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. According to National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in 2014, Georgia produced 76 million pounds of pecan. Whereas, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona produced 67 million pounds, 61 million pounds, 21 million pounds of pecan, which is 17% low from previous year for Georgia, and 7% for New Mexico and Arizona.Request For Report Sample@According to FAS, in 2014, The U.S. exports of pecan increased by 28% in comparison to previous year. In 2014, the U.S. exports of pecan was valued more than US$ 445 million and imports are valued at US$ 370.6 million which is 52% higher than previous year. In 2014, Canada was largest market for shelled pecans valued at more than US$ 45 million. In 2015, Mexico produced 270,535.4 Mn pounds of pecan, which is 400,000 lbs higher than previous year.According to USDA's Economic Research Service, in 2014, per capita consumption of pecan was ranging from 0.3 pounds to 0.6 pounds.Pecan Market: SegmentationGlobal pecan market is segmented on the basis of application and region. Based on the application, global pecan market is segmented into bakery, snacks, beverages, confectionary, and others. Among the application segments bakery and confectionery products collectively contribute to more than 50.0% market share. On the basis of region, global pecan market is segmented into five regions, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.Pecan Market: DriversThe factors driving the pecan market are high nutritional value of pecan nuts, increasing focus towards preventive care, consumers are rapidly shifting towards consumption of healthy food. Increasing urge of the consumers for living a healthy lifestyle, coupled with increased usage of edible nuts as an ingredient by various food industries such as bakery & confectionery, dairy, snacks and others. Increasing concern regarding side effects of chemicals and synthetic additives used in food and beverages is fuelling demand for natural alternatives like pecan in the market. However, lack of product quality standard and uniform packaging and quality standards will act as a barrier for global pecan market. In recent years, pecan industry is dealing instability due to uneven supply.Pecan Market: OverviewThe global pecan market is anticipated to expand at a healthy CAGR in terms of value and volume, during the forecast period (20162024). Currently, the major trends witnessed in the global pecan market are: increased consumption of nut based spreads and shifting consumer preference towards plant based beverages. Pecan provides a good and easy option for snacking, different coated, flavoured and seasoned pecans are available in retail market.Visit For TOC@Pecan Market: Key PlayersSome of the key participating player in global pecan market are Pecan Producers International, Missouri Northern Pecan Growers, Linwood Nursery, Navarro Pecan Company Inc., The Green Valley Pecan Company, SA Pecans, Kalahari Desert Products (Pty) Ltd., Hudson Pecan Company, and others.ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Network Processing Unit Market 2017 Top Players like Sandvine, Avolites, Broadcom, Cisco Systems

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Network Processing Unit (NPU) Sales Market Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.The report on the global Network Processing Unit market added recently to QYResearchReports.com. has been compiled by studying the various intrinsic and extrinsic factors that define the global market and thus helps provide a brief yet all-inclusive guideline for players from all sides of the industry to excel. The report examines the key factors responsible for the growth trajectory of the global Network Processing Unit market in complete detail, while offering the reports users a highly practical and keen set of insights, upon which they can base their development strategies for the coming years.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @The precise and dependable information offered in the research report has been gathered from research methods  both primary and secondary  that make use of current market data in order to obtain a data set pertaining to the emerging trends in the global Network Processing Unit market. The report also presents a holistic analysis of the micro and macro factors that preside over the dynamics of the global Network Processing Unit market and the positioning of top players.The report analyzes the various segments of the global Network Processing Unit market. These segments can be created on the basis of core industry categories, such as technologies, products and/or services, application areas, and region. These segments are evaluated in detail within the report. The facts that are thus provided pertaining to individual segments have been assessed for the given forecast period, i.e. from 2017 to 2022. The reports readers are therefore provided with a granular description of the global Network Processing Unit market and this description is further aided by accurate market data as well as a quantitative and qualitative examination of the current and historical trends in the market. The trajectory of development within individual segments of the global Network Processing Unit market has been taken up in the research report in order to understand the present state of the market.To Browse a Full Report with TOC:List of Tables and FiguresFigure Global Network Processing Unit (NPU) Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure United States Network Processing Unit (NPU) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Network Processing Unit (NPU) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Network Processing Unit (NPU) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Network Processing Unit (NPU) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Korea Network Processing Unit (NPU) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Taiwan Network Processing Unit (NPU) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Network Processing Unit (NPU) Sales Volume (K Units) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Network Processing Unit (NPU) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Market Major Players Network Processing Unit (NPU) Sales Volume (K Units) (2012-2017)Table Global Network Processing Unit (NPU) Sales (K Units) of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)Table Global Network Processing Unit (NPU) Sales Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)About UsQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.Contact usBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Technology Spending Administration Healthcare Market: An Insight On the Important Factors and Trends Influencing the Market

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The field of core administration solutions for the healthcare industry is highly fragmented owing to the presence of a large number of established players offering hardware, software, and services, says Transparency Market Research in a recent report. Considering the vast growth opportunities in developing regions such as India, Brazil, and China, players are focusing on diversification opportunities across these countries through mergers, acquisitions, and consolidation practices.To encash the vast growth opportunities in the core administration segment in the healthcare industry, owing to various government norms like Obamacare or Affordable Care Act (ACA), competitors are also focusing on extensive product development to offer differentiated services.Obtain Report Details @According to Transparency Market Research, the global technology spending on core administration in healthcare market sector will exhibit a 5.7% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024, rising from US$25,900 mn in 2015 to US$42,317 mn by 2024.Of the key end users of core administration solutions in the healthcare industry, the payers segment accounted for over 88% of the overall market in 2015 and is expected to remain the key driver of technology spending on core administration in the healthcare industry throughout the forecast period. Geographically, North America dominated, accounted for over 50% of the overall funds spent on enabling technologically advanced core administration solutions in the healthcare industry in 2015. The trend is expected to remain strong over the forecast period as well.Obtain Brochure Of Report @Rising convergence of a variety of digital platforms for managing and processing the ever-expanding healthcare data, continuously changing healthcare reimbursement reforms and regulations, and digitally empowered consumers are collectively making the healthcare administration space increasingly complex. While at one point cost competition is at the peak in the healthcare industry, payers (insurance agencies) are pressing healthcare providers to switch from a volume-based (payment for service) to a value-based reimbursement module (payment for value).By requiring that healthcare providers deliver services at lowest costs to patients, value-based reimbursement modules entail more financial risks for providers and critically necessitate the effective management of core administrative processes to cut costs. The situation demands a robust IT infrastructure and an integrated platform wherein the payers can streamline workflows for provider contracting and engagement. In the next few years, the increased need for such platforms will emerge as one of the key drivers of technology spending on core administration in the healthcare sector.Request A Sample Of Report @However, the overall global spending on technology for core administration in the healthcare sector is expected to be negatively impacted due to factors such as the presence of outdated technology and applications across several data collection and delivery nodes, continuously changing healthcare reforms, and ever-changing ways of financial transactions.The inability of healthcare professionals in using complex or time-consuming features in technologically advanced digital healthcare applications is another key factor deterring the adoption of IT solutions for managing core administrative processes in the healthcare sector. The use of IT solutions by health professionals is growing at a steady pace globally, but it is not uniform. A substantial gap exists between the numbers of providers, which is relatively small presently, the number of consumers who actively use the Internet for any purpose, which is on rise at a rapid pace, and the much larger group of patients and healthcare providers that has not used it or cannot use it.This review of the present and future scope of technology spending on core administration in healthcare is based on a recent report by Transparency Market Research, titled Technology Spending on Core Administration in Healthcare Market - Global Industry, 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:
Aerotropolis Market Dynamics, Segments and Supply Demand 2017 - 2025

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An aerotropolis is a metropolitan area in which the layout, economy, and infrastructure are centered on an airport, which serves as the airport city. Aerotropolis is like metro cities, which contain a core commercial city and transport linked suburbs. An aerotropolis has all the major facilities of a metropolis, such as medical facility, offices and hotels, IT sectors, retail and wholesale merchandize marts along with an airport.The major driving factor of the aerotropolis market is passenger experience enhancement. Airport authorities are constantly focusing on enhancing passenger experience with reliable operations at airport terminals. The aerotropolis offers passengers various options to engage in during their travel wait time such as attending official meetings, hospital facilities, and shopping among others. These features of an aerotropolis that help passengers to meet their requirements during their travel wait time, will lead to rapid adoption of the aerotropolis across the globe. Moreover, the aerotropolis provides an opportunity to drive businesses in the suburbs. An aerotropolis provides various advantages to a business in the new speed driven globally networked economy. The aerotropolis provides an attractive location for the business services sector especially corporate regional headquarters, business representative offices, conference centers, and IT firms that require executives and professional staff to undertake frequent long distance travel.Request Report Brochure @The growth of the aerotropolis market is limited by the infrastructure cost. An aerotropolis is similar to a metropolitan city which has infrastructure such as airport, residential areas, hospitals, offices, and hotels. The cost involved in building this infrastructure is exorbitant, which is limiting construction companies as well as different airport authorities from opting for the new aerotropolis infrastructure. This in turn is inhibiting the aerotropolis market from expanding over the years.The development of smart cities around an airport is poised to bolster the aerotropolis market in the coming years. It has been noted that the development of airport centered smart cities which have increased connectivity with large, efficient, and well networked airports have gained interest among construction companies. This is leading to adoption of new technologies at a rapid rate in order to provide passengers with enhanced experiences as well as help business hubs to grow. Rapid adoption of aerotropolis systems is anticipated to expand the aerotropolis market in the coming years.The aerotropolis market is segmented on the basis of types, and geography. The two types of aerotropolis are greenfield airport aerotropolis and brown field airport aerotropolis. The greenfield airport aerotropolis market accounted for maximum share due to the rapid increase in air traffic across the globe and surging demand for air travel. Owing to this, airport authorities are constantly focusing on enhancing non-aeronautical revenues by offering passengers with better value added services even during their wait. Owing to the fact that, the construction companies along with airport authorities opt to build their own airport infrastructure rather than purchasing or leasing an existing area, and construct it as per their requirements, the greenfield airport aerotropolis are the most demanding types in the recent years and is anticipated to witness substantial growth in the coming years. Geographically, the aerotropolis market is segmented on basis of five strategic regions. These includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. The major revenue contributor to the aerotropolis market in the past few years is Asia Pacific due to increased number of airports being constructed in the region. The market in Europe, and Middle East and Africa is anticipated to grow at a faster rate than the other regions in the coming years.Visit For TOC@The leading vendors in the market for aerotropolis includes Turner Construction (U.S), Skanska AB (Sweden), Walsh Group (U.S), Manhattan Construction Company (U.S), The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company (U.S), HENSEL PHELPS (U.S), Austin Industries (U.S), Clark Construction (U.S), Balfour Beatty (U.K), and McCarthy Building Companies (U.S).About Us  Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others.Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
It Spending On Clinical Analytics Market: Emergence of Advanced Technologies and Global Industry Analysis

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Globally, the clinical analytics market is fragmented and features the presence of local and established players. In emerging economies such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa, the market is comparatively new and is expected to be driven by various technology initiatives and outsourcing of solutions. The huge scope of exploiting the vast untapped opportunities in these regions could lead to the entry of many new as well as globally established firms.An ongoing trend in the market is strategic mergers and acquisitions, with most players looking to expand globally along with portfolio expansion by co-development activities and increased marketing deals. Recent instances include the February 2015 acquisition of Siemens Health Services assets, client relationships, and associates by Cerner Corporation. In August 2016, HPE signed an agreement to acquire SGI, a leader in data analytics and data management for US$ 275 mn. The acquisition added an employee strength of 1,100 to the company and helped increase product offerings.Obtain Report Details @Transparency Market Research estimates that the global IT spending on clinical analytics will expand at a 12.3% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. Expanding at this rate, the IT spending on clinical analytics across the globe is projected to reach US$32,422 mn by 2024 from US$11,650 mn in 2015.In terms of geography, North America presently leads in terms of annual IT spending on clinical analytics and is expected to account for a significant share of the global IT spending on clinical analytics over the forecast period as well. In terms of platform, the segment of integrated clinical analytical solutions leads, owing to its flexibility and capability syncing with other data processing systems, accounting for over 60% of the overall market in 2015.Obtain Brochure Of Report @Of the key factors driving the rate of IT spending on clinical analytics, the capability of clinical analytics tools and systems of generating highly refined data in short spans of time and the promise of improved clinical outcomes and a significant reduction in hospital readmission rates with effective clinical analytics tools in place need special mention. The massive amount of data generated by digital healthcare operations management systems during patient visits, health systems, federal and private payers can be used by clinical analytics platforms to derive meaningful insights.Over the years, healthcare practitioners have observed the real-term benefits of these insights on the rate of reduction of patient readmissions and improved outcomes by being able to choose a proper course of treatment based on the way patients have responded to a standard therapy previously. These factors will continue to drive the demand and global adoption of clinical analytics solutions and tools, thereby leading to a vast rise in IT spending on them.Request A Sample Of Report @Owing to the vast variety of sources that contribute to the data generally contained by a typical digitized healthcare system, the data lacks reliability in terms of standardization, structure, and is also incomplete at times. The complexity tend to arise during the analysis of such data is one of the key challenges faced by clinical analytics systems. Along with the lack of content harmonization, difficulties in proper analysis of healthcare data owing to its vast volume, which continues to exponentially rise on an annual basis, is also a key challenge faced by the global clinical analytics market.This review of the market is based on a recent market research report titled IT Spending on Clinical Analytics 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:
Eyewear Market: Advanced Technologies & Growth Opportunities in Global Industry

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A new market research report has recently been published by Transparency Market Research and made available on the companys website. The research study, titled Eyewear Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth and Forecast 2012 - 2018, offers a comprehensive analysis of the market, focusing on its product segmentation, geographical segmentation, current trends, key growth drivers, barriers, and competitive landscape.Eyewear refers to a product that is worn over or on the eye either for protection or for vision correction. As vision plays an important role in the development of the human mind, eye care is extremely vital for human beings. In the last few years, the number of people diagnosed with poor vision has risen. This is propelling the growth of the global eyewear market. As per the research study, in 2011, the global market for eyewear was valued at US$81 bn and is it anticipated to reach US$130 bn by 2018. The market is estimated to register a 3.70% CAGR between 2012 and 2018.Browse the full Eyewear Market (Spectacles, Contact Lenses, Plano Sunglasses) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth and Forecast 2012 - 2018 report atThe growing disposable income of people worldwide, wearer base expansion, and high renewal rate of lenses are some of the major factors fuelling the growth of the global eyewear market. In addition, the presence of a large population with uncorrected vision is one of the key opportunities for the major players operating in the global market. However, the growing number of refractive surgeries is projected to curb the growth of the global eyewear market in the next few years.By product type, the global eyewear market has been categorized into contact lenses, spectacles, and plano sunglasses. The spectacles segment is further sub-categorized into spectacle lenses and spectacle frames. In 2011, the spectacles segment dominated the market and was worth US$63 bn. This segment is anticipated to witness rapid growth throughout the forecast period due to the growing number of individuals who require and use eyewear.Obtain Brochure Of Report @Furthermore, the study has segmented the overall eyewear market on the basis of distribution channel into online portals, healthcare service providers, and retail outlets. The market size, share, and future statistics are further presented by the research report.By geography, the global eyewear market has been classified into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. In 2012, North America dominated the market in terms of volume, accounting for a 30% share in the global eyewear market. The rapid growth of this region can be attributed to the growing demand for sunglasses and contact lenses in the last few years.On the other hand, the Europe eyewear market led the overall market on the basis of revenue in 2011. Nevertheless, the eyewear market in Asia Pacific is projected to grow at a fast pace owing to the growing population in this region. The Asia Pacific eyewear market is estimated to register a 9% CAGR between 2012 and 2018, thanks to the substantial contribution from China and India.Get A Sample Report @The research study further analyzes the competitive landscape of the global eyewear market and present detailed profiles of the major players operating in the market. The product portfolio, business policies, financial overview, recent developments, and SWOT analysis of the players have also been included in the scope of the research study. Some of the prominent players mentioned in the research report are Essilor International, Vision Express, Luxottica Group S.p.A, Carl Zeiss AG, Fielmann AG, Specsavers Optical Group Ltd., CIBA Vision Inc., De Rigo S.p.A, Hoya Corporation, Safilo Group, Marchon Eyewear, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, CooperVision, and Bausch & Lomb.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:
Smart Factory Market Segmentation by Manufacturing Vertical

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According to the latest market report published by Future Market Insights titled, Smart Factory Market - Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2015-2025, the market was valued at US$ 51.9 Bn in 2014 and is expected to register a CAGR of 13.3% from 2015 to 2025.Growth of the smart factory market is primarily driven by rising focus on advanced manufacturing techniques. Furthermore, developments in information and communications technology (ICT), increased focus on energy consumption, rising prices and stringent environmental regulations are expected to be key factors driving growth of the smart factory market over the forecast period.Obtain Report Details:FMIs report segments the global smart factory market on the basis of market structure, component, manufacturing vertical, and region. Market structure includes to collect, to connect, to analyse and to control. A detailed analysis of each segment is presented in the report to deliver an accurate view of the market.On the basis of manufacturing vertical, the smart factory market is further segmented into automotive & transportation, food & beverages, electrical & electronics, aerospace & defence, oil & gas, garment & textile, chemical and others (healthcare & pharmaceutical).Among these, the automotive & transportation segment dominated the global smart factory market in terms of revenue contribution in 2014. Growth of this segment is primarily driven by increasing investments by leading automobile manufacturers.For example, in September 2015, German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz announced an investment of US$ 1.3 Bn to expand and upgrade its SUV manufacturing unit in Alabama, U.S. This expansion would add 300 new jobs and support end-to-end digitalization of the production process as a part of the companys smart factory initiative.This report also covers trends driving growth of each market segment and offers analysis and insights about market potential across key regions namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Middle East & Africa. Furthermore, the market is sub-segmented on the basis of major countries in each region in order to provide a regional analysis of the overall market.Make Enquiry @Asia Pacific was the largest revenue contributor to the global smart factory market, accounting for US$ 20.4 Bn in 2014. This is mainly attributed to increasing investment in manufacturing plants in the region.For example, in April 2015, the South Korean government along with Samsung Electronics announced an investment of US$ 12.6 Mn to promote the smart factory concept in the country.Smart factory market in Europe accounted for US$ 14.7 Bn in 2014and is expected to register a CAGR of 14.3% during the forecast period. Growth of the market in this region is expected to be driven by increasing government support for development of innovative production technologies in countries such as Germany and the U.K. Also, increasing spending by key players is expected to further drive growth of the market in Europe.Smart Factory Market: Major PlayersKey players in the global smart factory market include ABB Group, Rockwell Automation, Inc., General Electric Co., Siemens AG, Oracle Corporation, IBM Corporation, SAP SE, PTC Inc., Accenture PLC and Atos SE.These players focus on mergers and acquisitions, new product launches, expansions and partnerships in order to remain competitive in the market. A competitive dashboard has also been included in the report to provide detailed information about key players in the market.Get Toc @About FMIFuture 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.Contact FMI616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Fencing Market: Evolving Technology, Trends and Industry Analysis

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Transparency Market Research (TMR) has announced the addition of a new market study on the global fencing market. The report analyzes the drivers and restraints of the fencing market and the impact of these on the demand for fencing during the forecast period from 2015 to 2021. The report studies the attractiveness of the fencing market on the basis of factors such as growth rate and market size. According to the report, in terms of revenue, the fencing market is expected to reach US$29.1 bn by 2018, expanding at a CAGR of 4.40% between 2012 and 2018. The report is titled Fencing Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2012 - 2018.Browse the full Fencing Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2012 - 2018 report atThe report states that the primary growth driver of the fencing market is the need for security across residential, commercial, and agricultural applications. Fences are also used for aesthetic enhancement of properties or buildings. The global fencing market is thus driven by the consumers rising interest in home decor and improvement as well as rising concern for safety.The global increase in house construction and industrialization as well as the completion of several construction projects relatively unaffected by the recent economic slowdown is expected to bode well for the fencing market.The global fencing market may face a strong challenge in the form of volatile pricing of raw materials. The rising energy cost will be yet another factor that could restrain the fencing markets growth.Obtain Brochure Of Report @The global fencing market is segmented on the basis of material type, geography, and product. On the basis of geography, the fencing market is segmented into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and Rest of the World. Out of these regions, North America dominates the fencing market, followed by Asia Pacific and Europe.The dominance of North America is due to the growing demand for decorative and innovative home improvement products. Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is expected to be the fastest growing regional segment owing to the large number of construction projects and developments in the agricultural sector.Get A Sample Report @On the basis of material type, the global fencing market is segmented into wood fencing, metal fencing, plastic and composite fencing, and concrete fencing. The metal fencing market dominates the market, followed by wood fencing and plastic and composite fencing. Plastic and composite fencing is projected to be the fastest growing segment of the global fencing market during the period from 2012 and 2018 owing to the durability of the material and negligible repair and maintenance requirements. In terms of applications, the residential sector holds a dominant share in the global fencing market.The report profiles the leading market players in the fencing industry such as Betafence NV, Bekaert, Jerith Manufacturing Company Limited, Associated Materials LLC, Ply Gem Holdings Incorporated, Long Fence Company Incorporated, Poly Vinyl Company Incorporated, Gregory Industries Inc., and CertainTeed. The study includes the developments, product launches, expansion plans, and partnerships and collaborations of these leading players. This detailed analysis proves to be beneficial for the new entrants as well as the existing players in the global fencing 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:
Pain Management Therapeutics Market to reach US$ 88,253.4 Mn in 2025

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According to the report, the Pain Management Therapeutics market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.0% from US$ 62,246.8 Mn in 2016 to reach US$ 88,253.4 Mn by 2025. Increasing geriatric population, rising number of surgeries, changing lifestyles, and high prevalence of chronic diseases and disorders are the major factors propelling the uptake of pain management therapies. According to National Health Interview Survey, approximately 20% of the worlds population suffered from chronic pain in 2016. In addition, factors such as launch of new drugs and reformulations of available drugs propel market growth. However, safety and side effects of the drugs are the major challenges faced by the developers.Read Report -Based on the type of therapeutics, opioids and NSAIDs are the key contributor segments in the pain management therapeutics market, NSAIDs accounted for approximately 22% whereas opioids accounted for approximately 26.7% of market share in 2016. Increasing prescription of opioids drugs is one of the major drivers for the growth of this segment. In addition, factors such as high awareness, favorable regulatory scenario, and health care reforms are expected to boost the market during the forecast period. Other non-narcotic analgesics segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period.Inquire for a Sample Copy of Report -Non-narcotic analgesics are the drugs which act on peripheral nerve endings, although their antipyretic effect is mediated centrally. Another mechanism is they inhibit prostaglandin synthesis. Increasing use if opioids for pain management is expected to boost the growth of market during the forecast period, the opioids segment is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 4.4% from 2017-2025.The cancer pain segment accounted for the largest share of 28% of the pain management therapeutics market in terms of revenue in 2016. Increasing incidence of cancer and diagnostic procedures are the major drivers of the segment. The National Cancer Institute stated that the number of diagnosed cases is projected be 1,685,210 in the U.S. in 2016.Download a PDF Brochure of Report -Additionally, prevalence of cancer pain is much higher in African American men and lowest in Asia Pacific women. Thus, collectively, all the above mentioned factors support market growth. However, the chronic back pain segment is anticipated to expand at the fastest CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period. According to Global Burden of Disease (2014), back pain ranked among the 10 top diseases and injuries that lead to death worldwide.The pain management therapeutic market is highly fragmented with presence of many large and small players operating in the global market. The key players operating in the pain management therapeutics market are Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca Plc, Mallinckrodt Plc, Endo Health Solutions, Eli Lilly & Company, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., Purdue Pharma LP, and Teva Pharmaceuticals.Purchase this Report -Transparency 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:
Wave Windsurf Sails Market Report for Period 2011 till 2022 Point-7 International, Naish Windsurfing, Gun Sails, Maui sails, Exocet, Ezzy Sails, Gaastra Windsurfing and Others

Wave Windsurf Sails Market

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Global Wave Windsurf Sails market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Goya, Gaastra Windsurfing, Aerotech, Exocet, Ezzy Sails, RRD Roberto Ricci Designs, Northwave, North Sails Windsurf, Gun Sails, Maui sails, Simmer, Severne Sails, Point-7 International, Naish Windsurfing, HOT SAILS MAUI 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.Windsurfing is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually 2.5 to 3 meters long, with displacements typically between 60 and 250 litres, powered by wind on a sail.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Wave Windsurf Sails Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Gun SailsMaui sailsSimmerSeverne SailsPoint-7 InternationalNaish WindsurfingHOT SAILS MAUIGoyaGaastra WindsurfingAerotechExocetEzzy SailsRRD Roberto Ricci DesignsNorthwaveNorth Sails WindsurfOthersGlobal Wave Windsurf Sails Market: Key Product Type3-batten4-batten5-battenOthersGlobal Wave Windsurf Sails Market: Key Application TypeProfessionalsAmateurOthersGlobal Wave Windsurf Sails 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 Wave Windsurf Sails Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Wave Windsurf Sails 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 Wave Windsurf Sails 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 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 3-batten1.2.1.2 4-batten1.2.1.3 5-batten1.2.2 by Application1.2.2.1 Professionals1.2.2.2 Amateur1.2.3 by Regions........................Continue (Global Wave Windsurf Sails 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
Banaba Leaf Extract Market Dynamics, Segments and Supply Demand 2017 - 2025

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Banaba tree (Lagerstroemia speciosa), the tropical flowering tree also known as pride of India has been used for making tea by brewing the dried leaves. Banaba leaf extract is still being used as a folk remedy for the treatment of diabetes in India, Philippines and other South East Asian countries. The anti-diabetic effect of banaba leaf extract is due to the presence of corosolic acid as found in clinical studies. With no adverse drug effects being reported, this extract has proven to be of immense potential, providing an alternate and safe method for the treatment of diabetes. The banaba leaf extract has shown a moderate decrease in weight and therefore it is also used in many weight loss formulations. In addition to this banaba leaf extract also helps maintain normal levels of antioxidants. This natural herbal extract has gained significant attraction from diabetic population who are looking for a better and safe diabetes medicine and thus creating a huge demand globally.Banaba Leaf Extract Market SegmentationBanaba leaf extract is segmented on the basis of dosage form, distribution channel and region. On the basis of dosage form it is segmented as powder, capsules and tinctures. The capsule formulation being more popular in use, is expected to endure its steady growth rate. However factors like increasing health awareness and availability of quick information online are expected to supplement the growth in sales of capsules formulation.On the basis of distribution channel banaba leaf extract is segmented as; retail stores, specialty stores, and online retail. The major share of revenue being driven by retail segment, the online retail is expected to attain a superior growth rate and a substantial market share by showcasing the information available on internet.Request Report Brochure @On the basis of region the banaba leaf extract is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Japan Western Europe and Middle East. Japan with its high share in demand attributed to the vast popularity of traditional medicine and its benefits has attracted exporters worldwide and the wide acceptance of herbal health products in other developed countries like United States, Canada, France and U.K. has created a powering demand and thus it is expected to show an accelerated growth during the forecast period.Banaba leaf extract market Global Market Trends and Market Drivers:The growth of herbal healthcare market remains persistent due to its appeal as healthy and safe to use products. The sedentary lifestyle among people is creating an ever increasing demand for health and wellness promoting supplements. Banaba leaf extract with its natural no side effect USP has gained attention from the diabetic population, furthermore the consumer centric approach in treatment of disease has led to a boom in the herbal product market; consumers looking for a safer alternative to pharmaceutical medicines have approached herbal products. The high valued trust on Ayurvedic preparation in western countries has attracted the Ayurvedic manufacturers to sell their products worldwide. The cemented faith among consumers of Ayurvedic products backed by the information available globally is expected to fuel the market growth of banaba leaf extract. Further innovations like use of nanotechnology by EastGate Biotech Corp. to boost the blood glucose lowering ability of banaba leaf extract is expected to drive the market growth.Visit For TOC@Banaba Leaf Extract Market Key Players:Variety of banaba leaf extract formulations have been introduced by the manufacturers and some of the global market players manufacturing banaba leaf extract market include; Nutra Green Biotechnology Co., Ltd., JIAHERB Inc., Eastgate Biotech Corp., Cambridge Commodities Ltd., New Directions Aromatics Inc., Vitaco Holdings Ltd., Swanson Health Products Inc. Among others.About Us  Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others.Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
China Baby Diapers Market: Technological Advancements, Evolving Industry Trends and Insights

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The increasing birth rate in China has proven to be a boon for the countrys baby diapers market. To provide a comprehensive analysis of the growth trajectory exhibited by the China baby diapers market and study the impact of the dynamic regulatory policies on the market, Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a report, titled Baby Diapers Market - China Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2012 - 2017.Browse the full Baby Diapers Market - China Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2012 - 2017 report atThe 54-page report makes for a concise but iterative guidebook for the prevailing demand and supply trends in the China market for baby diapers. It elaborates on the factors impacting the market across its key segments based on various parameters. The impact of the prevailing regulatory and industrial policies in the country on the market is studied in detail in the report.Baby diapers are broadly classified into disposable baby diapers, training nappies, swim pants, and cloth diapers. Of these, disposable baby diapers have emerged as an indispensable solution to new parents in the last couple of years.Obtain Brochure Of Report @These diapers are convenient to change and fasten, thanks to the easily attachable strips on the back panel. Disposable diapers also help in keeping babies dry and comfortable for a longer time and are preferred particularly during travels. These are a few crucial factors aiding the growth in its demand in China and elsewhere.According to the TMR report, the China baby diapers market is led by the segment of disposable baby diapers, which is likely to exhibit a CAGR of 19.1% between 2011 and 2017. These diapers are high in demand because of their high absorption capacity and their availability in several variants such as regular, biodegradable, ultra-absorbent, and superabsorbent.Additionally, parents can pick up disposable diapers from stores based on their babys weight and age. As the demand for superabsorbent and ultra-absorbent baby diapers increases, it will subsequently boost the market for disposable diapers. Cloth diapers have emerged as the second largest segment, trailed by training nappies and swim pants.Get A Sample Report @Improvements and innovations in the quality of baby diapers have allowed the baby diapers market in China to expand at a rapid pace. The market is also gaining impetus from the increasing urbanization and birth rate in China. The growing awareness regarding hygiene and sanitation, paradigm shift in consumer preference, and dropping infant mortality rate are other factors boosting the market for baby diapers in China.The China baby diapers market is dynamic and highly competitive with a handful of big players such as such Procter & Gamble Co., Kimberly-Clark, Hengan, Unicharm, Ever Beauty, and others holding the majority share in the market. Among these enterprises, Procter & Gamble led the market for baby diapers in China, trailed by Hengan and Kimberly-Clark. The bigger enterprises in the market are mainly focusing on acquiring smaller player to win competitive edge.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:
Good Growth Opportunities in Global Siler Extract Market Till 2017 - 2025

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The Saposhnikovia divaricate or siler, is a herb, and popularly known as Fang Feng in Chinese herbal medicine. It is an important herbal ingredient used in many herbal medicinal formulae. The siler root extract has various medicinal properties and thus being popular herbal medicine since ancient times in china.Siler extract possess antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties. It is effective in treatment of colds, and body aches, joint pains, chills, diarrhea, and tremors. Siler extract is also a useful remedy for lockjaw, general convulsions, and tetanus. Siler root extract has an antimicrobial effect and has been shown to inhibit influenza viruses and also useful in sinus. Thus, considering its various benefits and medicinal properties siler extract market demand is higher and expected to expand at higher growth rate over the forecast period.Siler Extract Market Segmentation:Siler extract market is segmented on the basis of its applications in pharmaceutical, herbal medicines, and in nutritional supplements etc. Siler extract has proven helpful in cure of four meridians of bladder, spleen, lung, and liver. Its vital functions are relieving pain by removing dampness, relieving itching, and effective in spasmolysis. Thus, market demand from pharmaceutical and herbal medicine industry is higher and expected to grow rapidly over the forecast period. Herbal medicine market is expanding at a higher rate which is in turn expected to drive market demand for siler extract.Siler extract market is further segmented on the basis of product form available in the market as liquid and powder form, powder is also sold in capsule form. The different form is used for different application and purpose.Request Report Brochure @Siler extract market is also segmented on basis of regions includes North America, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, Europe and Asia pacific. China is major producer of siler extract followed by Japan, from Asia Pacific regional markets thus, Asia Pacific is major exporter market of siler extract to the world. However, as traditionally being used as herbal medicine China consumes major part of the production into various herbal as well as pharmaceutical preparations.Siler Extract Market Drivers:Siler extract possess high market demand from pharmaceutical market segments as due to its various uses in treatment of various disease conditions. It is useful in treatment of tetanus, trembling of the hands and feet , painful diarrhea with bright blood in the stool, migraines, it may help antidote arsenic poisoning etc. In Chinese herbal medicine siler extract is blended or mixed with other herb extract and different medicinal formula for disease treatments can be formulated thus market demand from herbal medicine segment is growing continuously.Siler extract contains nutrients which includes Beta Sitosterol, volatile oil, and Mannitol etc. Beta Sitosterol is plant Sterol useful in lowering cholesterol thus market demand from health supplements is expected to grow at a significant rate over the forecast period.Looking at various health benefits of siler extract driving attraction of researchers and various pharmaceutical industries, thus are investing in R & D for siler extract products and medicines, in turn driving market demand for extracts. Increasing popularity of herbal medicine and shifting consumer preferences towards herbal and natural medicine is another factor expected to drive growth of the global siler extract market over the forecast period.Visit For TOC@Siler Extract Market Key Players:Key players operating in siler extract market are Hawaii Pharma, Changsha Vigorous-tech Co., Ltd, Hunan Nutramax Inc., Hill Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.,Hunan Sunshine Bio-Tech Co.,Ltd. , Shaanxi Xinya Biotechnology Co. Ltd. Considering the continuous growth in market demand for Siler extract globally, various new entries are expected into the market to grab upcoming opportunities over the forecast period.About Us  Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others.Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) Market Report for Period 2022 RF Optic, Emcore, Fibertower, Intelibs, Finisar, ViaLite, Foxcom, HUBER + SUHNER, Optical Zonu and Others

RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) Market

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Global RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Syntonics LLC, DEV Systemtechnik, ViaLite, Foxcom, Optical Zonu, Pharad, Fibertower, Intelibs, Finisar, HUBER + SUHNER, RF Optic, Emcore, APIC 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 2022, etc.RF-over-Fiber is a technology that describes the conversion of a Radio Frequency (RF) signal into a Fiber Optic (FO) signal and then back to an RF signal. In RF-over-Fiber architecture, a data-carrying RF (Radio Frequency) signal with a high frequency (usually greater than 10 GHz is imposed on a lightwave signal before being transported over the optical link. Therefore, wireless signals are optically distributed to base stations directly at high frequencies and converted from the optical to electrical domain at the base stations before being amplified and radiated by an antenna. As a result, no frequency up/down conversion is required at the various base stations, thereby resulting in simple and rather cost-effective implementation is enabled at the base stations.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:FinisarHUBER + SUHNERRF OpticEmcoreAPIC CorporationSyntonics LLCDEV SystemtechnikViaLiteFoxcomOptical ZonuPharadFibertowerIntelibsOthersGlobal RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) Market: Key Product Type3GHz3GHz6GHz8GHz15GHz20GHz40GHzOthersGlobal RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) Market: Key Application TypeCivil ApplicationMilitary ApplicationOthersGlobal RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) 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 RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) 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 RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) 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 RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 3GHz1.2.2 3GHz1.2.3 6GHz1.2.4 8GHz1.2.5 15GHz1.2.6 20GHz1.2.7 40GHz........................Continue (Global RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) 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 Military GPS Device Market to grow at a CAGR of 3.69% during 2016-2020 - BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins

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GPS-enabled devices render large amount of assistance to a country's armed forces on battlefields. In the modern-day scenario of combat, the need to be technically advanced and the ability to achieve precision strike with minimum self-loss are taking the center stage. This has resulted in greater use of GPS-guided devices and weapons by soldiers.The global military GPS device market to grow at a CAGR of 3.69% during the period 2016-2020. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global military GPS device market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the expenditure of each of the three regions (Americas, EMEA, and APAC) to acquire these military GPS devices for enhanced performance of warfighters.Click to get Sample PDF:The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEATechnavio's report, Global Military GPS Device Market 2016-2020, 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.View Complete TOC with Tables and Figures at:Key vendors- BAE Systems- Lockheed Martin- Northrop Grumman- Raytheon- Rockwell CollinsOther prominent vendors- Garmin- Harris- ThalesMarket driver- Development of unmanned GPS-controlled vehicles- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Hacking of GPS devices- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend- Anti-jamming GPS devices- For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Global Reusable Launch Vehicles Market Set for Rapid Growth And Trend, by 2017 - 2025

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A reusable launch vehicle is a launch system that can launch a payload into the space more than only once. The mechanism of reusable launch vehicles contrasts with that of expandable launch vehicles, in which each of the launch vehicles are launch once and are then discarded. These vehicles are being currently developed and deployed by satellite operators for reducing satellite launch costs. The satellite industry has been witnessing various developments in the recent years, driven by rapid technological advancement. Reusable launch vehicles are thus being developed for cutting down costs related to satellite development and their launching.The global reusable launch vehicles market can be segmented on the basis of types and geography. Based on types, the global market is bifurcated into fully reusable launch vehicles and partially reusable launch vehicles. In 2016, the partially reusable launch vehicles segment dominated the market and is expected to retain its position throughout the period of forecast. The growth of this segment is strongly driven by the preference of operators in the satellite industry towards these vehicles over the fully reusable launch vehicles. The growth of this segment is projected to increase during the forecast period as the investments associated with launching these vehicles is quite low when compared to the fully reusable ones.Request Report Brochure @The geographical split of the market includes North America, Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America held the largest regional market share in the global reusable launch vehicles market in 2016. The major countries in North America such as the U.S., Mexico and Canada are increasingly involved in several space based programs and have highly developed and advanced infrastructure. The demand for reusable satellite launch vehicles is expected to witness substantial growth in this region during the forecast period and this can be primarily attributed to eminent space centers such as SpaceX and Nasa growing focus on multiple satellite launch missions for meeting the rising demand for satellites. Thus, North America is anticipated to maintain its dominance in the global market throughout the forecast period. However, Asia Pacific is set witness rapid growth in the coming years and is thus a lucrative market for reusable launch vehicles. This region is Asia Pacific is expected to be the major markets by the end of the forecast period. Rapidly developing battlefield scenarios coupled with technological advancements are some of the key factors that are boosting the growth of the reusable launch vehicles market Asia Pacific. Further, rising defense budgets in APAC countries such as China and India is also fuelling the market growth in this region.Visit For TOC@The global reusable launch vehicles market is characterized by the presence of various local, regional and global players and is highly competitive in nature. The players operating in the reusable launch vehicles market are competing with one another increasingly on the basis of factors which include aftermarket service, reliability, cost, and product quality. For gaining a competitive edge in the global market, the players are increasingly focusing on enhancing their global footprint network by expanding their geographical presence, expanding their manufacturing capabilities and diversifying their product offering by investing heavily on their research and development activities. The report provides the market share analysis of the key industry participants operating in the industry. The global reusable launch vehicle market comprises a significant number of manufacturers. These players have been thoroughly profiled and their business outline, financial overview, business strategies and recent developments have been covered under the purview of the report. Some of the major players operating in the global reusable launch vehicles market include Airbus SE, The Boeing Company and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation. Other prominent players in the market are Bellatrix Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, Masten Space Systems and CALT among others.About Us  Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others.Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Curved Televisions Market - Rising Economic Index in Emerging Economies to Display Sizeable Demand for Curved Televisions, states TMR

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The global market for curved televisions is highly consolidated and characterized by the dominance of two players, namely Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc., points out Transparency Market Research (TMR). These two companies held close to 90% of the global curved televisions market in 2013. However, the entry of existing television manufacturers in the curved television segment will increase the degree of competition in this market in future.A TMR analyst says, Key players in this market are concentrating on integrating channel services, which include logistics network, virtual networks, service networks, and distribution network in order to deliver end-to-end solutions for customers. This helps companies to enhance their competitive strength for business expansion.Download Brochure@High Image Quality Offerings Benefit Market GrowthThe demand for enhanced visual quality is a major factor driving the global curved television market. Presently, consumer expectations are increasing for better features, predominantly image quality. Curved television with 4K resolution has significantly amplified the image quality for end-users on the large screen. Key players such as Samsung and LG are developing newer products to serve consumer demand pertaining to image quality and display.The inclusion of features such as a thin display is also augmenting the demand for curved television. This offers space saving advantage for consumers along with image quality and reduced power consumption features of curved television.Technological Drawbacks Hinder Adoption of Curved TelevisionsThe high price factor of curved television is limiting its adoption, says a TMR analyst. As such, the use of curved television is limited to commercial trade centers, shopping malls, and individuals with high disposable income. Presently, the cost of manufacturing OLED display is very high, which in turn, affects the cost of the final product.The incompatibility of OLED technology with curved television affecting its lifespan is acting as a major restraint on the growth of the global curved television market. For instance, LCD display has an average lifespan of 100,000 hours. On the contrary, the lifetime of blue organics used in OLED displays has a much shorter lifespan of up to 14,000 hours.The global curved television market is expected to reach a valuation of US$8.4 bn by 2019. On the basis of screen size, mid-sized television segment stood as the leading segment with 61.3% of the market in 2013. This is mainly due to the increased use of 65 inch and 55 inch for commercial and residential use.In 2013, North America led the global curved television market with more than 50% of the overall market. In North America, the U.S. accounts for the largest market for curved television, with the highest demand for mid-sized curved television. However, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World are expected to exhibit a sizeable demand for curved televisions due to rising disposable income and overall improvement in the economic index of countries in these regions.The information presented in this review is based on a Transparency Market Research report, titled Curved Televisions Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2013 - 2019.The global curved television market is segmented as follows:Curved Televisions Market, by Screen SizeLarge-sized Curved TelevisionsMid-sized Curved TelevisionsSmall-sized Curved TelevisionsCurved Televisions Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the World (RoW)Browse Report@About Us:-Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact Us:-State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Open Top Cans Market Dynamics, Segments and Supply Demand 2017 - 2027

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Agility, resilience and flexibility are the most important characteristics of a food & beverages supply chain, especially in case of fresh vegetables, meat, seafood, fruits etc. Consumer of 21st century is very different from the consumer of 20th century. His awareness about freshness, taste and quality of the food he consume has increasingly got highest importance over the year. Open top cans are one of the best solutions that achieved aforementioned consumer requirements. Today open top can stands at top of the fresh & ready to eat food packaging by preference and recyclability. Open top cans are cylindrical shape, made of tinplate or stainless steel. Consumer wants the packaging in his cart to be the most attractive. Shelf-appeal can be given to fresh food & ready to eat foods in store using open top cans, which can be designed in any shape and printed with lithography or any other attractive printing technology. Open top cans market is expect to witness a healthy CAGR during the forecast period, due to rising consumer awareness and preference towards open top cans. Rising intolerance towards plastic packaging is also making the consumer to shift towards metal packaging, which has 100% recyclability.Open Top Cans: Market DynamicsWhy metal for food & beverage packaging, because its recyclability, sustainability, versatility, durability, strength, secure and hygienic. There is almost no other packaging option as efficient and economical as open top cans. Open top cans market can be divided into organized and unorganized. In unorganized market, small players who have revenues less than US$ 0.5 Mn are manufacturing open top cans, and serve local markets. They also supply to organized market players. The manufactures of open top cans are facing risk of volatile commodity prices. They also lack the availability of modern manufacturing technologies. Many of the open top can manufacturers dont have the access to international markets, they are unaware of the potential opportunities existing in different markets in different geographical locations. Open top cans can be used for many years, unlike plastic food cans, bags and pouches which has to be disposed after 2 to 3 times utilization. Protection against contaminations can be highly achieved using open top cans. Growing innovation in metal fabrication technology is driving the open top cans market. The light weight, sustainable, food grade and cost efficient open top cans can be manufactured using different alloys. Rising intolerance towards plastic has led to the point that some countries are permanently banned plastic e.g. Costa Rica is the first country to completely ban single use plastic packaging products like bags, pouches, sachets, stretch films and shrink wraps. Growing plastic waste in water bodies is the main international concern today. Which can be greatly solved using environmental friendly packaging such as metal, paper & paperboard, jute (hessian), and wood packaging. Considering all above discussed facts, we can conclude that the open top cans market has a large growth potential over the forecast period.Request Report Brochure @Open Top Cans: Market SegmentationThe global open top cans market is segmented on the basis of product type, end-use and material and capacity. On the basis of end-use, the global open top cans market is segmented into fresh food, ready to eat food, coffee & tea, dry fruits & nuts, pet food, beverages, dry chemicals & inorganics, specialty powders and others. On the basis of material, the global open top cans market is segmented into tinplate, stainless steel, and others. On the basis of product type, the global open top cans market is segmented into single piece open top cans, two piece open top cans and three piece open top cans, and others. On the basis of capacity, the global open top cans market is segmented into less than 3 kg cans, 3 to 6 kg cans and more than 6 kg cans.Open Top Cans Market: Regional outlookOpen top cans market has been segmented on the basis of region into North America, Latin America Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Japan. Open top cans market in APEJ is expected to be the fastest growing market due to high demand and preference towards metal packaging.Visit For TOC@Open Top Cans Market: Key playersSome of the players in the global open top cans market are Crown Holdings, Inc., ASA Group, Ardagh Group, Limburg GmbH, Pirlo GmbH & Co. KG, Central Tin Containers, Ltd., Bihlmaier GmbH, Independent Can Company, BALL CORPORATION, Hindustan Tin Works Ltd, Nikita Containers Private Limited, Kaira Can Company Ltd., Karivaradhan Engg. Works, Zenith Tins Pvt. Ltd. and others.About Us  Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others.Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
mHealth Services Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2020

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mHealth, a fast growing technology-driven service, is expected to change the way health services are delivered worldwide. It involves delivery of healthcare related services to end-users by medium of mobile phones (smartphones). Rising incidences of chronic diseases have elevated the need for accessibility of quality and low cost healthcare services for the masses. The situation has been further aggravated by the declining ratio of healthcare service providers to target population. However, proliferation and advancement of high speed networks across the globe, have paved way for mHealth services to realize true benefits. As a result, the global market for mHealth services is expected to record a revenue surge by 271.5% over the period 2014  2020.Download Brochure@mHealth service propagation involves collective efforts by network service providers, application developers, healthcare service providers, device manufacturers, and smartphone manufacturers, among other participants involved across the supply chain. Considering the strict regulatory requirements and active role played by regulatory bodies in driving awareness and market penetration of social welfare activities, governments also become an integral part of any such delivery model planned for mHealth services.The mHealth services market is segmented on the basis of end-user into public/private institutions, physicians and healthcare workers, and individuals. In 2013, individual users contributed the highest revenue share for mHealth services worldwide. This was due to increasing demand for personal health management and inadequate healthcare infrastructure in developing countries of Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. In addition, growing aged population which requires and prefers healthcare solutions delivered at their doorstep, is adding to the potential consumer base for mHealth services. Among the application types, remote monitoring, collaboration and consultancy services is the fastest growing segment with demand predominantly contributed by growing base of patients with chronic diseases, which requires continuous or regular monitoring of health condition.With regions such as North America and Europe, which have well developed infrastructure and healthcare system, the mHealth services market has seen quick adoption and high market penetration, resulting in high revenue shares. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to record the highest growth rate due to the high concentration of potential customers, especially in countries such as China and Japan. This growth potential is further expanded by the capability of mHealth solutions to streamline healthcare processes and efficiently deliver healthcare services in hard-to-reach areas, thereby enabling social development.Browse Report@For the latent growth potential exhibited by regions such as Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World, mHealth services market in these regions holds high priority for the industry players. Renowned players which are driving industry developments globally include AT&T Inc., Apple Inc., Airstrip technologies Inc., Alcatel-lucent, Cerner Corporation, Qualcom, Inc., Diversinet Corp., Koninklijke Philips N.V., SoftServe Inc, Symantec Corporation and Vodafone Group Plc among others.About Us:-Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact Us:-State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Cards and Payments Morocco Market 2017 - Opportunity, Driving Trends and deep study.

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Pune, India, 17th November 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled The Cards and Payments Industry in Morocco: Emerging Trends and Opportunities to 2020.Synopsis'The Cards and Payments Industry in Morocco: Emerging Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Moroccan cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including check payments, credit transfers, direct debits and payment cards during the review period (20112015).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, and transaction values and volumes during the review period and over the forecast period (20162020). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.GET SAMPLE REPORT @The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.Summary'The Cards and Payments Industry in Morocco: Emerging Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Moroccan cards and payments industry, including: Current and forecast values for each market in the Moroccan cards and payments industry, including debit and credit cards. Detailed insights into payment instruments including check payments, credit transfers, direct debits and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments. E-commerce market analysis Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Moroccan cards and payments industry. Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit and credit cards. Comprehensive analysis of consumer attitudes and buying preferences for cards. The competitive landscape in Moroccan cards and payments industry.Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Moroccan cards and payments industry. It provides current values for the Moroccan cards and payments industry for 2015, and forecast figures to 2020. It details the different demographic, economic, infrastructural and business drivers affecting the Moroccan cards and payments industry. It outlines the current regulatory framework in the industry. It details marketing strategies used by various banks and other institutions.Reasons to Buy Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Moroccan cards and payments industry and each market within it. Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Moroccan cards and payments industry. Assess the competitive dynamics in the Moroccan cards and payments industry. Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Morocco. Gain insights into key regulations governing the Moroccan cards and payments industry.Key Highlights Contactless cards are expected to gain traction in Morocco. The domestic interbank network switch, the Centre Monetique Interbancaire (CMI) and MasterCard launched contactless payment cards in October 2015. To increase contactless uptake, contactless POS terminals were deployed in Casablanca, and will be gradually expanded to other cities such as Rabat and Marrakech. According to the CMI, 6,000 contactless POS terminals will be installed by the end of 2016, with plans to increase the number to 17,000 by the end of 2017. Payment service providers (PSPs) are offering terminals at lower costs to increase uptake of mobile point of sale (mPOS) among small merchants. One of the latest is the introduction of an mPOS solution by the CMI in October 2015, to enable self-employed professionals and micro-merchants to accept card payments by smartphone or tablet. The introduction of low-cost solutions is expected to encourage merchants to accept card-based payments. As part of moves to establish a full Islamic finance industry in the country, the Moroccan government approved a new banking law in June 2014. The initiative is expected to allow new entrants to enter the Moroccan banking sector, and introduce Sharia-compliant credit cards on a large scale. The central bank of Morocco is planning to give permission to 10 banks in Morocco to offer Islamic banking products and services by the end of 2016.Table of Content: Key Points1 DEFINITIONS AND METHODOLOGY2 KEY FACTS AND HIGHLIGHTS3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY4 PAYMENT INSTRUMENTS5 E-COMMERCE AND ALTERNATIVE PAYMENTS6 REGULATIONS IN THE CARDS AND PAYMENTS INDUSTRY7 ANALYSIS OF CARDS AND PAYMENTS INDUSTRY DRIVERS8 PAYMENT CARDS9 DEBIT CARDSContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Bath Salts Market is Estimated To Reach Valuation of US$ 2 Bn In 2017-2022

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A new report added to the repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine Bath Salts Market - Global Industry Analysis, Share, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2022 is a comprehensive repository of information, providing market share, size, and forecast.Request for Sample Report @The analytical research study on Bath Salts Market (Product Type - Epsom Salt, Dead Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt, Bolivian Salt, Dendritic Salt, Other Product Types; Distribution Channel - Modern Trade, Drug Stores, Convenience Stores, E-Commerce, Other Distribution Channels; Application - Bath Care, Aromatherapy, Therapeutic, Home Care, Fertilizer, Other Applications; Grade- Fine, Medium, Coarse) - Global Industry Analysis, Share, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017-2022 by Transparency Market Research supports the reader by assisting him in planning and assembling key growth strategies with a view to maintain the correct rhythm along the changing dynamics of the bath salts market in the present timeline as well as few years down the line.Weighted Analysis DeliveredThe research report on global bath salts market gives a weighted analysis on the changing market scenario by studying different trends, opportunities, drivers and challenges that have an impact on the growth of the global market. These facets are studied across important regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Latin America and Middle East and Africa (MEA). It delivers in-depth analysis with insights and recommendations with an unbiased view. This gives a realistic market scenario to the reader with the help of which he can direct his internal research and marketing teams to glean conclusions and execute key strategies based on the informed decisions. The global bath salts market has been segmented in such a way that the reader can identify key revenue pockets in the aforementioned regions. Strong data mining followed by deep diving in all market segments along with forecast projections enables the reader to get a glimpse of the future market scenario with which present steps can be decided accordingly.Transparency Market Research Uses an Exquisite Research ProcessResearch methodology used in Transparency Market Research to gather statistical data is a robust, unique and a much effective research process. This process starts with a vast secondary research with the help of which vital facts of the market are studied. Based on this research, a clear market understanding is obtained and different market segments are identified. The primary research includes telephonic or face to face interview with various market players, market observers, domain experts and opinion leaders. This process ensures maximum accuracy as it includes a series of validation and evaluation funnels throughout the research process. The data gleaned through secondary research and each primary interview is cross verified in the next interview. This removes errors in data estimation and enhances the accuracy level of each data point of every segment. This research process is essential as every data point that the report presents reflects the credibility of the research study.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Knowing Your CompetitionThe research study includes a comprehensive chapter on competitive analysis. This chapter focuses on various key companies participating in the global bath salts market. Their aspects such as company overview, key personnel, strategies, developments, innovations, SWOT analysis, product portfolio and financials are studied and presented in a systematic format. This supports the reader in achieving a complete market intelligence on bath salts with a global perspective to assist him gain competitive advantage in the coming years.The market research study on global bath salts is a complete package of high level insights, key recommendations, and analysis on various market segments and their scenario in different regions in the globe. To give you a feel and flavor of the research report, it entails all essentials and facts in an efficient and orderly fashion making the research report on global bath salts a vital and user friendly study.Send an Enquiry @Market 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.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Cutting Balloon Catheter Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking: Global Review 2017 to 2022

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Global sales of cutting balloon catheter is projected to remain weak over the next five years. This is majorly attributed to the introduction of superior alternatives for carrying out minimally invasive cardiovascular and endovascular procedures. An array of cutting-edge catheters are available in the market owing to continuous research and development activities in the medical technology space. Moreover, increasing occurrence of cardiovascular disorders is putting an impetus on further innovation in catheter devices. Therefore, medical device manufacturers are concentrating on making multipurpose balloon catheters that will not be limited to any particular application. These aforementioned factors are deterring the prospects of the global cutting balloon catheter market. According to the recent study conducted by Fact.MR, the global market for cutting balloon is estimated to stand at around US$ 181.6 Mn, reflecting a sluggish growth during the forecast period (2017-2022).Request Free Sample Report-Highlights of the Report Include:Based on raw material, preference for polyurethane based cutting balloon catheter will remain strong during the assessment period. In terms of revenue, sale of polyurethane based cutting balloon catheters presently account for the largest share of the global market.Based on indication, use of cutting balloon catheter for treating coronary artery disease will be relatively high. Currently, around 73% revenue share of the global market in generated by use of cutting balloon catheter in coronary artery procedures.On the basis of end user, sales of cutting balloon catheter will remain highly concentrated in hospitals. In addition, hospitals are the largest end users of cutting balloon catheter. Towards the end of 2017, more than US$ 121 Mn worth cutting balloon catheters will be consumed by hospitals. Currently, revenues from sales of cutting balloon catheters in hospitals command for around 67% share of the global market.North America to Remain the Largest Market for Cutting Balloon CathetersAmong regions, North America will continue to be the leading market for cutting balloon catheter during the forecast period. This is primarily attributed to the presence of a well-established healthcare sector in the region. Moreover, factors such increasing healthcare awareness and rising healthcare expenditure are supporting the growth of the market in the region. Meanwhile, the market in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is also expected to exhibit a steady growth over the next couple years. Emerging countries such as China and India are anticipated to play a major role in determining the future prospects of the market in the region. Europe is projected to remain another potential market for cutting balloon catheter, which currently command for over 30% share of the global market in terms of revenue.Browse Full Report with TOC-Competition TrackingFact.MRs report has also profiled key companies operating in the global cutting balloon catheter market including Hexacath, Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic Plc., BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, Cook Medical Inc., Cardionovum GmbH, Abbott Laboratories, Terumo Corporation, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Cordis Corporation, MicroPort Scientific Corporation, and Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd. Some of these market participants are actively focusing on further technological enhancement in their products in order to boost sales.Check Discount-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Microgrid Market Set to Surge Significantly by 2020

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A new Transparency Market Research report states that the global microgrid market stood at US$9.8 bn in 2013 and is expected to reach US$35.1 bn by 2020. It is expected to expand at a whopping CAGR of 20.70 % between 2014 and 2020. The title of the report is Microgrid Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2014 - 2020.View Report Preview @As per the report, the global microgrid market is fuelled by the economic development and the rapid industrialization witnessed globally. In addition, the technical, direct and indirect economic, social, and environmental advantages related to the usage of microgrids will further stimulate the market. The factors such as the growing demand for energy and the development in the technologies of renewable energy have also impacted the market positively. On the other hand, the factors such as the absence of an adequate regulatory framework and the increasing cost of development along with operational challenges are amongst the chief factors that may pose a negative impact on the growth of the market for microgrids.On the basis of product, the market is segmented into remote (off-grid) and grid-tied (grid connected). Amongst these, grid-tied microgrids are able to operate with or without a connection with the main grid, while off-grid microgrids are autonomous systems manufactured for utilization within areas that lack proper grid infrastructure.On the basis of application, the microgrid market is segmented into community and utility, campus and institutions, defense and military, commercial and industrial, and remote islands. Amongst these, the segment of campus and institutions is predicted to lead the market in the forecast horizon. This is owing to the rising government funding to enable growth of renewable energy sources at institutions and campuses. On the other hand, as per the report, the demand for microgrids within remote islands will rise at a swift rate in forthcoming years.Request to View Sample of Research Report @In terms of geography, the microgrid market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). The segment of defense and military is poised to be the biggest user of microgrids and is predicted to fuel growth within the region of North America. This is due to the requirement for enhanced energy reliability and security within the defense and military sector of this region. On the other hand, the regions of Europe and Asia Pacific are also likely to use microgrids extensively in the coming years. This is due to the increasing count of investments made for restructuring energy mixes. In addition, the backing from supportive regulatory policies will also fuel the demand for microgrids within these two regions.As per the report, the nations that havent invested in microgrids as yet will emerge as chief targets for the prime players operating in the market in forthcoming years. Viridity Energy, Inc., Schneider Electric, S&C Electric Company, Honeywell International, Inc., GE Energy Management, ABB, Echelon Corporation, ZBB Energy Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Pareto Energy, Siemens AG, Chevron Corporation, and Power Analytics Corporation, among others are the key players dominant in the market for microgrids.Buy Microgrid Market Research Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking 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.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Insurance in Senegal Market 2017By Identifying the Key Market Segments and Key players holding market share

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Synopsis'The Insurance Industry in Senegal, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides a detailed analysis of Senegalese insurance industry.It provides key performance indicators such as written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, commissions and expenses, total assets, total investment income and retentions during the review (20112015) and forecast periods (20152020).GET SAMPLE REPORT @The report also gives a comprehensive overview of Senegalese economy and demographics, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country. It also includes the impact of natural hazards on the insurance industry.The report brings together research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations and recent changes in the regulatory structure.Summary'The Insurance Industry in Senegal, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into Senegalese insurance industry, including: An overview of Senegalese insurance industry The Senegalese insurance industry's growth prospects by segment and category A comprehensive overview of Senegalese economy and demographics The detailed competitive landscape in the Senegalese insurance industry Detailed regulatory policies of the Senegalese insurance industry An analysis of natural hazards in the Senegalese insurance industryScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the insurance industry in Senegal: It provides historical values for Senegalese insurance industry for the reports 20112015 review period, and projected figures for the 20152020 forecast period. It offers a detailed analysis of the key segments in Senegalese insurance industry, with market forecasts to 2020. It covers an exhaustive list of parameters, including written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, combined ratio, total assets, total investment income and retentions. It profiles the top insurance companies in Senegal, and highlights their recent developments. It covers the economy and demographics structure of Senegal. It analyzes the impact of natural hazards in Senegalese insurance industry.Reasons to Buy Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to Senegalese insurance industry and each segment and category within it. Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in Senegalese insurance industry. Assess the competitive dynamics in Senegalese insurance industry. Identify the growth opportunities and market dynamics in key segments. Gain insights into key regulations governing Senegalese insurance industry and their impact on companies and the industry's future.Key Highlights According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the countrys economic growth rose to 6.5% in 2015. Life segment growth was driven by group life insurance, which accounted for 69.8% of the life gross written premium in 2015. Motor third-party liability, cargo and workers compensation insurance are mandatory in the country. According to the International Finance Corporation, more than 65% of the Senegalese population did not have access to health insurance in 2014.Table of Content: Key Points1 KEY FACTS AND HIGHLIGHTS2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3 ECONOMY AND DEMOGRAPHY4 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK5 LIFE INSURANCE OUTLOOK6 NON-LIFE INSURANCE OUTLOOK7 PERSONAL ACCIDENT AND HEALTH INSURANCE OUTLOOK8 REINSURANCE OUTLOOK9 DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL OUTLOOK10 NATURAL HAZARDS11 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE12 GOVERNANCE, RISK AND COMPLIANCEContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Chemical Warehousing and Storage Market to grow at a CAGR of 10.80% during 2016-2020 - BDP International, Agility, Americold, DB SCHENKER, DHL

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Chemical warehouses are mainly used to store various chemicals used in industries. Most industries produce or use chemicals derived from oil and natural gas. Many intermediate chemicals are also produced during their production processes, which are used in other industries. The storage and handling of different chemicals require trained professionals and highly regulated activities.The global chemical warehousing and storage market to grow at a CAGR of 10.80% during the period 2016-2020. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global chemical warehousing and storage market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated by the chemical warehousing and storage service providers has been considered to calculate market size.Click to get Sample PDF:The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- APAC- Europe- North America- ROWTechnavio's report, Global Chemical Warehousing and Storage Market 2016-2020, 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.View Complete TOC with Tables and Figures at:Key vendors- BDP International- Agility- Americold- DB SCHENKER- DHLOther prominent vendors- Ahlers- Alfred Talke Logistic Services- APL Logistics- BERTSCHI- Bowker Group- ChemLogix- Damco- DACHSER- Jacobson Companies- LeSaint Logistics- Montreal Chemical Logistics- Palmer Logistics- TRANSPLACEMarket driver- Increasing commercial consumption and shipment of chemicals.- For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Petroleum Coke Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth by 2020

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Ceaseless energy needs of the cement and energy industries in the developing nations of Asia Pacific will lead the global petroleum coke (petcoke) market to reach new heights till 2020, says Transparency Market Research (TMR). The report states that the global petroleum coke market will exhibit a CAGR of 8.5% from 2014 to 2020 for the market to reach a valuation of US$24.11 bn by 2020 increasing from US$13.28 bn in 2013. The report, titled Petroleum Coke Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020, is available for sale on the company website.View Report Preview @The report states that, presently, petcoke trade is swinging east due to the heavy demand for fuel grade coke in the industrializing countries of Asia Pacific. In this region, China and India are exhibiting sizeable demand for petcoke due to the unprecedented demand for power to run these industries.On the contrary, pollution-causing traits and the environmental concerns about the same are not encouraging the utilization of petcoke. Thus, the growth of the market is negatively affected. Nevertheless, to counter this, market participants can engage in gasification of petcoke, which will lead to the production of clean power and increase profit margins in return.The report divides the global petcoke market in the basis of product type, end-use, and region. By product type, fuel grade and calcined coke are the segments of the market. Between the two, it is the fuel grade product type that will lead the market during the forecast period. In 2013, fuel-grade petcoke held more than 72.0% of the overall market, whereas calcined type held 26.0% of the market. This is mainly due to its cost-effectiveness in comparison with coal and natural gas. Fuel grade petcoke also has the advantage of high calorific value in comparison with natural gas and coal.However, increasing aluminum production will boost the demand for calcined petcoke during the forecast period, says the report. Calcined petcoke is also used in paints and coatings, steel, paper, and fertilizers, which will boost the demand for the product in the coming years.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Currently, Asia Pacific is the dominant region for petroleum coke. In 2013, the region contributed almost 32% of the revenue of the global market. This is attributed to the massive demand for petcoke from India and China. In these countries, the power and cement industries account for bulk consumption of petcoke.In the same year, at 24%, Europe held slightly less than a quarter of the global market for petroleum coke, adds the report. However, Asia Pacific and Europe will register the highest growth rate in the global petroleum coke market during the reports forecast period, which will be the target regions for companies operating in this market.The report mentions and profiles the top companies that operate in the global petcoke market, namely BP Plc, Chevron Corporation, ExxonMobil Corporation, Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Valero Energy Corporation, Essar Oil Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Reliance Industries Limited, and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.Buy Petroleum Coke Market Research Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking 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.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Nuclear Imaging Equipment Market Projected to Witness a Double-Digit CAGR During 2016 - 2024

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Nuclear imaging equipment uses radioactive substances or tracers for the purpose of imaging. These images aid physicians and clinicians in detection and diagnosis of the illness. The development of advanced imaging equipment for fulfillment of the increasing requirement for enhanced diagnostics is leading to development in this market. These technologically advanced equipment have surpassed the conventional systems due to better precision and accuracy of images. Increasing incidence of chronic diseases such as cardiac disorders, cancer, and neurological disorders, technological advancements, and growing awareness about the early diagnosis have fueled the growth of the medical imaging systems market. In addition, increasing aging population, growing demand for imaging system procedures, and growing expenditure on healthcare would further fuel the market growth. However, expensive imaging systems coupled with unfavorable government initiatives have hindered the growth of the market in developing regions. Nuclear imaging is used in hospitals and medicines to provide a physician with apparatus for making an accurate diagnosis. This helps in deduction of treatment recommendations and to possibility of repeating of errors. Simplification of image evaluation process will help in successful identification of health issues. The advancement of nuclear imaging technology will also be beneficial for up gradation of precision and standardization in imaging techniques for clinical trials.Increasing government initiatives for the use of modern technologies in healthcare and expansion of infrastructure is expected to drive this market. The introduction of many new manufacturers in this region will increasing the market size for nuclear imaging equipment. This market is presently consolidated and there are few manufacturers who own maximum share of the market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Nuclear imaging equipment is used in oncology, cardiology, neurology and others. The oncology applications segment is expected to account for the largest share of the global market. The increasing occurrence of tumors is driving the use of this imaging technique and is projected to register the highest growth rate in the forecast period. The growing occurrence and incidence of cancer across the globe and increasing initiatives by public and private organizations to curb the same in driving the demand for this market. The expansion of advanced systems and radiotracers for oncology are the factors liable for the high growth rate of this segment.On the basis of end user, the nuclear imaging equipment market is segmented into imaging centers, hospitals, academic, research organization and other end users. The other uses of nuclear imaging are found in pharmaceutical, biotechnology companies and contract research organization (CRO). The rising healthcare expenditure across the globe in driving the demand in hospital segment and is forecasted to hold the largest share during the forecast period of 2016-2024. This segment will also grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.This rise in demand can be accredited to features such as the necessity to improve the effectiveness of diagnostic imaging processes and rising number of these procedures undertaken in hospitals. Also, hospitals are expected to provide the most advanced technology and quality of life care possible. This factor will increase the adoption of advanced nuclear imaging systems in the centers.By region the market has been segmented into: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America. This market is expected to witness the highest growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Increasing occurrence of various life threatening diseases like cancer, tumors etc. in this region is expected to drive the market for this region.The major manufacturers of nuclear imaging equipment in global market are Digirad Corporation, SurgicEye GmbH, Siemens Healthineers, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Neusoft Medical Systems Co. Ltd., Mediso Medical Imaging Systems Ltd., CMR Naviscan Corporation and DDD Diagnostics amongst others.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About USTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a 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 recommendations.Contact USAbhishek BudholiyaState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Website:Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Statistical Analysis Software Market Trends,Share,Size, Status and Forecast 2022

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Research Beam has added a report on Global Statistical Analysis Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022Statistical Analysis Software Market is provided in the report based on product scope and market status & outlook. The market is segmented on the basis of type, end-users/application, and geography. The report provides information about the production, price, revenue, market share, and growth rate of each type. Geographically, the market has been analyzed across North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India. The status and prospect through 2012-2022 for each of these regions are listed in the report.Get Sample@The report entails the qualitative and quantitative analysis of current and future market estimations. It also divulges details about the mode of research methodology used for the study. It includes data from primary as well as secondary resources. The report is a useful resource for industry players, new entrants in the marketplace, and investors as it helps them plan their business to gain fruitful and meaningful outcomes. It makes them aware of the production, capacity, revenue, supply, consumption, export, import, the challenges and risks associated with the industry, and much more. Factors that drive the growth of the market are detailed in the study. Key players are profiled in the report and their developments in recent years are mentioned, which helps in understanding the competitive outlook of the Global Statistical Analysis Software MarketGet 15% discount on this report @The Statistical Analysis Software Market report has a mention of the industrial chain, sourcing strategy, and downstream buyers. This incorporates the overall industrial chain analysis, upstream raw materials sourcing, raw materials sources of the product major manufacturers in 2015, and downstream buyers.The report also throws light on the marketing strategy used for the study. It includes marketing channel (direct marketing, indirect marketing, and marketing channel development trend) and market positioning (pricing strategy, brand strategy, and target client).The Global Statistical Analysis Software Market report also covers an analysis of the market effect factors. This includes the technology progress/risk (substitutes/threat and technology progress in the related industry), consumer needs/customer preference change, and economic/political environmentalThe key players which provide solutions in the Global Statistical Analysis Software Market Qlik IBM The MathWorks Minitab SAS Institute Alteryx MaxStat Software StataCorp Plug&Score TIBCO SoftwareCheck Full Report With TOC@About Us:Research Beams uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact Us:Global Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United Statesphone+1 (800) 910-6452mail help@researchbeam.com
Thermal Imaging Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast For 2019

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The global market for thermal imaging continues to grow owing to the increasing adoption of thermal imaging devices in new applications. Thermal imaging cameras are being increasingly used in emerging applications such as manufacturing process monitoring and maintenance and for commercial security purpose. In addition, increasing investment by governments of countries such as UK, China, India and Japan on up gradation of weapons and battle equipment is driving the growth of thermal imaging market.Download Brochure@This report analyzes the thermal imaging market on a global basis, with further breakdown into various sub-segments. It provides thorough analysis and forecast of the global thermal imaging market, based on its applications, end-users and geography for the period from 2013 to 2019. The market overview section of the report demonstrates the market dynamics and trends such as the drivers, restraints and opportunities that influence the current nature and future status of this field. Impact factors such as market attractiveness and Porters five forces analysis have also been explained in the market overview section of the report, in order to give a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global thermal imaging market. Moreover, the report gives better understanding of the market with the help of insights on the different levels of value chain.The study emphasizes advancement in thermal imaging technology as it has immense influence on the decision making process in almost all socioeconomic and business aspects. Furthermore, the report provides a detailed analysis of the global thermal imaging market along with the market forecast in terms of revenue growth (USD million) for all segments from 2013 to 2019.The global thermal imaging market is categorized on the basis of various applications and end-users. The application segment includes surveillance and security, maintenance and monitoring, traffic monitoring, healthcare, automobiles, research and development, and others (firefighting and personal Vision), while end-users segment can be classified into four major categories namely, defense and military, industrial, commercial and residential sector. A detailed market analysis and forecast for these segments has been provided in this study, in terms of market revenue (USD million) for the period 2011 to 2019. The market revenue has been forecast for the period 2013 to 2019, considering 2012 as the base year.In terms of geographical distribution, the global thermal imaging market has been classified into four regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). This section includes market revenue (2011  2019) and forecast (2013  2019) for the application and end-user markets in each regional market, in terms of USD million. The study further offers recommendations and highlights of the market, which would be useful for the present and new market players to sustain and grow in the global thermal imaging market.Apart from the detailed sub-segment analysis as illustrated through the below given table, this report also provides company profiles of the key market players. The competitive profiling of these players includes company and financial overview, business strategies adopted by them, and their recent developments which can help in assessing competition in the market. Some of the major companies included in this report are FLIR Systems Inc., DRS Technologies Inc., Axis Communications AB, L-3 Communications Holdings Inc., BAE systems Inc., Raytheon Company and Danaher Corporation among others.Market Segmentation of Global Thermal Imaging Market:Thermal Imaging Market, by Applications:Surveillance and securityMaintenance and monitoringTraffic monitoringHealthcareAutomobileResearch and developmentOthers (firefighting and personal vision)Thermal Imaging Market, by End-users:Defense and military sectorIndustrial sectorCommercial sectorResidential sectorThermal Imaging Market, by Geography:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRoW (Latin America, Middle East and Africa)Browse Report@About Us:-Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact Us:-State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Bluetooth Speaker Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022

Bluetooth Speaker Market

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Bluetooth is simply a wireless technology that lets two devices talk to each other. In the case of Bluetooth speakers, your smartphone, tablet, or other device transmits to the Bluetooth speaker which uses its built-in amplifier and speakers for playback.Why should you purchase this report?The report Bluetooth Speaker Market by Manufacturers highlights key dynamics of Bluetooth Speaker sector. The potentiality of this sector has been investigated along with the key challenges and growth opportunities. The current market scenario and future prospects of the sector has also been studied in-depth in this report. The report also discusses the key market players that are evaluated on several parameters such as company summary, product portfolio, revenue generation and sales analysis of Bluetooth Speaker segment in the forecast period. Also, this report implicates major market drivers and restraints of the given market.To Ask For a Sample Copy Of This Report, Please Visit:Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Bluetooth Speaker 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.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers the topmost manufacturers of Bluetooth Speaker: Bose Corporation Sony Beats Inc Harman International Yamaha Corporation of America Audiovox Corporation Poineer Logitech Sennheiser Polk Audio Altec Lansing Creative Samsung Philips Panasonic LG Doss Edifier Bowers & WilkinsMarket 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 Type, covers:PortableFixedMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into:Home UseCommercialIn order to Browse the Complete Report, Please Visit:There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Bluetooth Speaker market.Chapter 1, to describe Bluetooth Speaker Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Bluetooth Speaker, with sales, revenue, and price of Bluetooth Speaker, 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 Bluetooth Speaker, 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, Bluetooth Speaker market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Bluetooth Speaker sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Ask for Discount: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-
Naval Vessel Engines Market 2017 - Opportunity, Driving Trends and deep study.

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SummaryThe demand for naval vessel engines is anticipated to be driven by high levels of expenditure by emerging economies in the Asia Pacific region, such as India and China. The North American region is expected to maintain its significance, exhibiting a steady pace of growth over the forecast periodNaval warfare has witnessed a paradigm shift globally, with an increasing trend towards the decentralization of naval attacks, whereby capabilities are distributed around smaller vessels in addition to larger platforms such as aircraft carriers and destroyers in order to make them more secure against an enemy attack. This has motivated governments around the world to spend on smaller surface combatants capable of operating in littoral waters, along with advanced weapons and communication systems to enable these ships to perform multiple missions. Moreover, providing humanitarian relief, emergency medical care, and combating smuggling, piracy, and terrorism has resulted in the continuous evolution of the role of naval vessels and associated enginesGET SAMPLE REPORT @SynopsisThe Global Naval Vessel Engines Market 2017-2027 report offers a detailed analysis of the industry, with market size forecasts covering the next ten years. This report will also analyze factors that influence demand for naval vessel engines, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants.Scope- Global Naval Vessel Engines Market is projected to register a CAGR of 4.42% over 2017-2027- In terms of categories, the Gas turbines segment is anticipated to account for the largest share of expenditure globally, with a market share of 48.8% followed by the nuclear reactors and diesel engines, with shares of 27.1% and 24.1%, respectively- Asia-Pacific is analyzed to dominate the global naval vessel engines market with a share of 44.8%, followed by North America and Europe, with shares of 32.4% and 17.9%, respectivelyReasons to buy- Determine prospective investment areas based on a detailed trend analysis of the global naval vessel engines market over the next ten years- Gain in-depth understanding about the underlying factors driving demand for different naval vessel engines segments in the top spending countries across the world and identify the opportunities offered by each of them- Strengthen your understanding of the market in terms of demand drivers, industry trends, and the latest technological developments, among others- Identify the major channels that are driving the global naval vessel engines market, providing a clear picture about future opportunities that can be tapped, resulting in revenue expansion- Channelize resources by focusing on the ongoing programs that are being undertaken by the defense ministries of different countries within the global naval vessel engines market- Make correct business decisions based on thorough analysis of the total competitive landscape of the sector with detailed profiles of the top naval vessels providers around the world which include information about their products, alliances, recent contract wins and financial analysis wherever availableTable of Content: Key PointsExecutive SummaryGlobal Naval Vessel Engines Market - OverviewMarket DynamicsDemand Drivers: Analysis of factors that trigger spending within the sectorTrends: Prevalent practices, industry consolidation, and procurement patterns within the marketTechnological Developments: New products, processes, and innovations recently inducted within the sectorKey Challenges: Obstacles to affect sector growthNaval Vessels Engines Market - Segment AnalysisSegment Analysis: Gas TurbinesMarket size and CAGR growth analysis, 2017-2027Change in market share, 2017-2027Segment Analysis: Diesel EnginesMarket size and CAGR growth analysis, 2017-2027Change in market share, 2017-2027Segment Analysis: Nuclear ReactorsMarket size and CAGR growth analysis, 2017-2027ContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Food Grade Alcohol Market By Type, Application and Source

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Food Grade Alcohol Market Size was around USD 10.28 billion in 2016. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% to reach USD 12.57 billion by 2021.Food-grade beverage alcohol comprises principally of grain neutral spirits and gin. Grain neutral spirits are sold in mass amounts at different proof concentrations to bottlers and rectifiers, which additionally process the alcohol available to be purchased to buyers under various labels. Gin is made by re-distilling grain neutral spirits together with exclusive customer formulations of botanicals or botanical oils.Liquor is a standout amongst the most adaptable items known. Applications vary from use in FMCG and pharmaceutical products to industrial solvents and so on. Alcohols can be used in a hundred of different ways in the field of proprietary solvents. One of the major uses of alcohol is in the food industry.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Global Food Grade Alcohol Industry to 2021 @Fermented distilled liquor popularly known as food-grade alcohol is made using potato, cereals, sugar after cooking as raw material, scarification, fermentation and processing for food industry using aqueous alcohol. Food grade alcohol flavor is usually determined by the level of content of distilled liquor in the aldehyde, acid, ester. Further, impurities may lead to alteration in flavor.The global market is driven by expanding global beer generation and likeness towards craft beer. Likewise, the expanding usage of alcoholic drinks in the developing regions bolstered with the extension of potential export markets because of demographic and economic reasons, have built up a developing platform for expanded liquor trade which is thus driving the food-grade liquor market.Free sample of the report is available @The recent ban by the supreme court of India for the sale of liquor in the shops on state and national highways and other proactive measures taken by the union as well as various state governments are the major restraints of this market. Further, lobbying by various NGOs to increase the tax rate on alcoholic beverages is another dampening factor of the market. Similar trends are observable globally.The global food grade alcohol market segmentation by type, by source and by the application. On the basis of type, food-grade alcohol market is classified into ethanol and polyols. Ethanol commands a greater market share as it is widely used in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. It is also used as a preservative to enhance the shelf life of end products along with manufacturing colors and flavors for food applications. It is highly volatile and so is used as a base in producing a diverse range of alcoholic beverages in the food industry.If we go by source, the food-grade market is segmented into sugar cane & molasses, grains, fruits, and others which include rice and corn. Among these, the sugar cane & molasses market segment dominates the market because of the increase in the manufacture of ethanol from sugarcane and molasses. This can be further attributed to the continuously degrading price of raw sugar in global markets. Sugar cane and sugar beet plants are the most widespread and readily available sources of sucrose, which is fermented to deliver alcohol.As far as volume, the beverages section is anticipated to develop at the most elevated rate in the vicinity of 2017 and 2022, because of the expansion in the worldwide utilization of alcoholic beverages.On the basis of geography, the global food-grade alcohol market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Food-grade alcohol is utilized for producing alcoholic beverages as well as for food and healthcare and pharmaceutical products. Subsequently, as the interest for these consumables increments from end users, makers utilize food-grade alcohol for making creative food items. Europe has adopted the use of food-grade alcohol in food, beverages, and pharma applications. The Asia-Pacific region is assessed to drive the market with the expansion in demand for food-grade alcohol. The increased utilization of alcoholic beverages and convenience food products are essentially affecting the development of the market in this region, with the growing food-processing industry.The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing market, in terms of both value and volume, in the global food-grade alcohol market, in 2017. This region encompasses developing economies such as China, Japan, and India, which are the largest consumers of food-grade alcohol in the world. The augmenting population and per capita income in India and China coupled with widespread availability of raw materials is expected to drive the food-grade alcohol market. India's food-grade alcohol market is expected to grow at the highest rate among the Asia-Pacific countries.Some of the Food Grade Alcohol Market Leaders are Archer Daniels Midland Company (U.S.), Cargill Inc. (U.S.), MGP Ingredients (U.S.) Sigma-Aldrich (U.S.) and Roquette Freres S.A. (France).About Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and skillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@marketdataforecast.com
Global Seed Market to Grow at a CAGR of 9.7% till year 2021, Finds New Market Research Report

Global Seed Market Research Report 2021

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The current global population stands at around 7.5 billion and is growing at a rate of 1.11% per year. Advanced estimates from United Nation Population Fund says that the global population will rise to 8 billion by 2025 and 9 billion by 2043. There lies the challenge ahead to meet the food requirements of this ever growing population. Given the steep population rise over the years, global farmland has declined along with a reduction in per hectare yield.Thus, in near future seeds will play pivotal role in food economy.The global seed market is highly oligopolistic in nature dominated by companies like Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta and Bayer to name a few. The demand for seeds is on the rise due to global population rise and thus the Seed market is a highly growing one.The objective of this research study is to understand the current Seed market across the world and to estimate the growth rate for the next 5 years. The report covers the detailed analysis of 12 companies- their value chain, financial performance and forecast, Business strategy, SWOT analysis which are involved in breeding and production of seeds and having presence across different regions of the world. The details of the company and certifications are also mentioned in this report.The seed market globally expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.7% till year 2021. The end users of seed are farmers or anyone who grows it for cultivation. Cereals and grains, oil seeds, fruits and vegetables and other seeds are the major seeds produced in that order globally. Increasing demand for global food production, increase in the use of commercial seeds, increase in the use of GM seeds, development in non-food seed market, sustainable increase in productivity are some of the key factors which will drive the growth of seed industry.This report concludes by analyzing the industry through PESTLE, porters 5 forces and SWOT, discusses the challenges faced by the new players entering the industry and present and future trends observed. Strategic recommendations are also discussed separately and in detail for policy maker, end users, service providers and investors in the report.The report contains Seed Market forecast by Crop Wise Oilseeds Cereals & Grains Fruits & Vegetables Others (Forage, Turf grass seeds etc.)Seed Market forecast by Seed Type: GM Seeds Conventional SeedsSeed Market Forecast by Treatment Treated Non-treatedSeed Market Forecast by Crop Traits: Transgenic Seeds Stacked TraitsSeed Market Forecast by Geography: North America South America Middle East and Africa Europe Asia PacificCompanies Covered in Report are: Advanta seeds (India) S&W Seeds (US) Syngenta (Switzerland) Monsanto (US) DuPont (US) Monsanto (US) Vilmorin &Cie (France) Land O Lakes (US) KWS SAAT SE (Germany) Bayer CropScience (Germany) Sakata Seed Corporation (Japan) DLF-TrifoliumScope of Report This report provides a detailed view of global seed market with the current market value as well as projections for future market potential and growth rate. This report identifies the need for seed production globally. This report provides detailed information on the value chain as well as the different market segments and their segment wise market share and growth potential. This report provides detailed information on product wise growth forecasts for Seed market globally by 2021. This report identifies the growth drivers and inhibitors for seed market globally. This study also identifies policies related to Seed market globally. This report identifies various credit, policy and technical risks associated with seed market globally. This report has detailed profiles of 12 key players in the world in seed industry covering their business strategy, financial performance, future forecasts and SWOT analysis This report covers in detail the competitive landscape in detail of global seed market. This report identifies the key industry bodies and associations and their role in global seed market. This report provides PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental) analysis for global seed market. This report provides porters five forces analysis for global seed market This report provides SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis for global seed marketFor more details visit:For more information onAbout NAVADHI Market Research Pvt Ltd.NAVADHI is a market research company that helps global firms differentiate themselves, break market entry barriers, track their investments, develop business strategies and plan for future by providing actionable market research intelligence that helps them succeed.About Market Research Reports, Inc.Market Research Reports Inc. is world's largest store offering quality market research, SWOT analysis, competitive intelligence and industry reports. We help Fortune 500 to Start-Ups with the latest market research reports on global ional markets which comprise key industries, leading market players, new products and latest industry analysis & trends.Market Research Reports, Inc.15192 Coastal Hwy,Lewes, DE 19958, USAMr. Sudeep ChakravartyDirector - OperationsTel India: +1-302-703-9904
Embedded Display Market Estimated to Experience a Hike in Growth by 2025

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An embedded system is basically a computer system having a dedicated function within an electrical or mechanical system after considering the real time computing constraints. This embedded or computer system is part of a device that includes hardware and mechanical parts. It is a combination of both hardware and software designed for a specified function within a larger system and can be both fixed and flexible on the basis of programmability. These systems may or may not have any interfaces. Embedded display is an application of embedded systems that allows implementation of color display interface.Embedded display is normally analyzed on the basis of pixels per inch that provides high-resolution images and can be further used at low power consumption providing better coverage along with improving chip integration for enabling light weight designs. Embedded display ports also helps in providing a standardized display panel interface especially useful for internal connections. The global market for embedded display has been segmented on the basis of type, end use industry and geography. Based on type the global market has been segmented into LCD, LED, TFT and OLED among others. Automotive, industrial automation, fitness equipment, consumer electronics and wearables among others form the major application areas on the basis of which the global market has been segmented.A sample of this report is available upon request @Global embedded display market on the basis of geography has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa.The low power consumption associated with the implementation of this technology forms a major driver for this market globally. In addition to this, it is the reduction of signal wires for high data rate along with compatibility with submicron chips further acts as a major driver for this market globally. The added flexibility, reduced interference with the specified wireless services along with the ability for adoption of new features also acts as some major reasons that has positively impacted this market and pushed its overall growth. With all these factors that drivers the market growth there are certain factors as well that restricts the market growth and poses challenges for the market. One such factor being the costs associated with advanced embedded display systems that has been a major restraint for this market. Moreover, it is also seen that compressing of images along with continuous monitoring of backlight control in specific regions has been some other major restraints for this market. With all these drivers and restraints it is the advancement in system on chip or System on Chip (SoC) and GPU that is expected to provide huge growth opportunities for this market in the coming years.Geographically, North America formed one of the major region that is contributing to the growth of this market followed by Europe. Growing application of this technology across different industry verticals such as medical, automotive and wearables has been a major driver for this market in these regions. Presence of large number of manufacturers in this region further boosts the market growth in this region. Asia Pacific forms another major region contributing to the growth also being one of the fastest growing market globally. China, India and Japan are some major countries in APAC that is boosting the market growth. Rise in government grants to boost the medical sector where embedded display has numerous applications forms a major reason that has positively impacted the market growth of embedded display in this region.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the key players that are operating in the global embedded display market include Intel Corporation (The U.S.), ENEA AB (Sweden), Microsoft Corporation (The U.S.), Avnet Inc. (The U.S.), Multitouch Ltd. (Finland), AndersDX (The UK), Esterel Technologies SA (France), Green Hills Software (The U.S.) and Planar Systems Inc. (The U.S.) among others.About USTransparency 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 recommendations.Contact UsU.S. OFFICE:State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United States
Phospholipase Enzyme Market Analysis, Segments, Growth and Value Chain 2016-2026

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Industrial enzymes are gaining importance due to the increase in their applications and increase in demand for consumer foods, investment in the research and development of industrial enzymes and also the need for resource optimization and cost reduction are driving the market for enzymes ultimately the global phospholipase enzymes market. Changing lifestyles of the consumer and increase in their disposable income has resulted in the increase in the demand for consumer goods which has in turn resulted in the growth of phospholipase enzymes market. These aspects are anticipated to provide opportunities for emerging market players in global phospholipase enzymes market. Increasing consumption of products containing enzyme in developing regions is driving the market for phospholipase enzymes. Phospholipase enzyme is used as an emulsifier in aqueous food products such as sauces, bakery products and dressings. Rise in this end use application is expected to drive the phospholipase market. The global phospholipase enzyme market is evolved so far due to the mergers and acquisitions done in the global market. Enzyme industry giants like DuPont and Novozymes has acquired more than half of the market.Request For Report Sample:The use of phospholipase enzymes in industrial processes is increasing by enhancing the enzymes by protein engineering. Use of phospholipase enzymes in degumming process in which the removal of phospholipids from vegetable oil is done with the help of phospholipase enzyme. The application of phospholipase enzymes in cheese manufacturing process has significantly decreased the greenhouse gas emission acting as a more efficient product. Thus increase dairy industry is anticipated to drive market further during the forecast period. White biotechnology will act as a strong alternative in todays world where there is more demand for nonpolluting energy saving technical solutions. Use of phospholipase enzymes as an alternative for chemical processes is acting as a general trend in phospholipase enzymes market.Based on the product type the global phospholipase enzymes market is segmented into:Phospholipase A1Phospholipase A2Phospholipase CPhospholipase DBased on the end use industry type the global phospholipase enzymes market is segmented into:Food and FeedAgriculturePharmaceuticalChemicalIn terms of geography, the global phospholipase enzymes market has been divided in to five key regions including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa.The global phospholipase enzymes market is expected to register healthy CAGR during the forecast period. North America is anticipated to be the dominant market for global phospholipase enzymes followed by Asia Pacific and Europe. The market in Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at highest CAGR over the forecast period.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Key PlayersSome of the key players in the phospholipase enzymes market are Novozymes, Roche Custom Biotech, DuPont etc.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Smart Agriculture Market - To Make Great Impact In Near Future by 2025

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The demand for smart technologies such as Big Data, cloud-based services, GPS, and the IoT is gaining pace in the agriculture industry. Driven by the rising need for high precision crop analysis, automated farming techniques, and collection of data from the field, the world is likely to witness the agriculture industry get smarter with the implementation of aforementioned technologies in the coming years. Data thus derived from implementing smart technologies can help farmers yield high quality and larger quantity of crops. Spurred by these factors, the global smart agriculture market is projected to report a CAGR of 13.5% between 2017 and 2025. At this pace, the markets valuation will rise from US$6.55 bn in 2015 to US$23.44 bn by the end of 2025.Besides rising population, which triggers demand for food, the global smart agriculture market is expected to gain from favorable government initiatives. However, the journey is likely to be more difficult in underdeveloped economy where the agriculture sector is reeling under lack of knowledge among farmers. The high cost of smart devices is making the matter worse. Nevertheless, in the coming years the market is likely to gain from the rising penetration of high-speed internet even in remote areas.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @North America Emerges as Leading Market for Smart AgricultureThe smart agriculture market is segmented on the basis of solutions, application and geography. Regionally, the global smart agriculture market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Of these, the dominance was with the smart agriculture market in North America, which held over 44.14% of the overall market in 2016. Extensive researches funded by governments across the region to minimize human involvement and boost crop yield has fuelled the demand for smart agriculture technologies in North America.Europe emerged as the second-leading and is expected to continue exhibiting lucrative market opportunities. In the U.K. especially the market is forecast to witness accelerated pace of gains as the government make huge investments in the research and development of robust technologies. Besides this, rate of growth in Italy is predicted to remain high through the forecast period.During the same time, the Asia Pacific smart agriculture market is forecast to rise at an influential rate. Countries such as Japan, China, and Australia will strong agriculture sector are expected to emerge at the fore of the regional market. China held the leading share in the Asia Pacific smart agriculture market. However, in the forthcoming years Japan is expected to showcase more attractive opportunities for the market.Obtain Report Details @Network Management and Precision Agriculture Emerge Dominant Based on Solution and Application, RespectivelyThe global market for smarty agriculture is segmented on the basis of solutions, application and geography. Based on solution, the market for smart agriculture is further segmented as network management, agriculture asset management, supervisory control and data acquisition, logistic and supply chain management, smart water management, and other. Of these, the network management segment held the dominant share of 21.20% in the overall market in 2016. However, over the course of the forecast period, the demand for smart water management solutions is expected to rise at a higher pace. A major section of the agriculture sector still depends on vagaries of monsoon for farming. Smart water management and irrigation solutions have therefore become popular among farmers to boost their crop yield and ensure minimum water wastage.On the basis of application, the smart agriculture market has been segmented as precision agriculture, livestock monitoring, fish farming, smart greenhouse and others. Of these, the precision agriculture segment held the leading share of 49.09% in the overall market in 2016. The practice helps farmers grow high quality crop with less human effort, which are key factors fuelling the demand for precision agriculture around the world.The major players in the smart agriculture market are Deere & Co., Trimble Navigation Ltd., Raven Industries Ltd., AgJunction Inc., AGCO Corporation, SST Development Group Inc., Ag Leader Technology, Hexagon AB, Iteris Inc., TeeJet Technologies.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Contact Lens Market Estimated to Experience a Hike in Growth by 2024

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According to a TMR analyst, The global market for contact lens is expected to register a CAGR of 7.6% between 2016 and 2024. In 2015, the market was worth US$9.74 bn and is projected to rise to a valuation of US$18.70 bn by the end of 2024.The global contact lens market witnesses a highly competitive and consolidated scenario, states Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a research report. The creme of all the companies present in the market are Bausch and Lomb, Alcona Inc., The Cooper Companies, and Johnson & Johnson. In 2015, these companies collectively held a share of approximately 68% in the global contact lens market. The leading vendor in the market in the same year with 31% of the overall share was Johnson & Johnson and is expected to maintain the lead over the years ahead. With the dominance of a handful of gigantic companies, the market is expected to witness innovation in the coming years as these companies will struggle to have a competitive advantage over each other. In order to boost their revenues and grasp a strong consumer base, the market players are integrating communication, monitoring, and electronics with their merchandises. With new products extensions and growing applications, the competition in the market is expected to further intensify in the years ahead. The other prominent companies are STAAR Surgical, Menicon Group, Carl Zeiss AG, Essilor International S.A., and Novartis International AG, among many others.Read Report Overview @The core technologies that are used for contact lens manufacturing are lathe cutting, cast molding, and spin casting. Amongst all these the most sought after technology in 2015 was cast molding with an overall share of 80% in the global contact lens market and it is expected that it will maintain the dominant position in the coming years. The growth of the market can be attributed to the computer controlled and automated manufacturing of the contact lenses with the aid of the technology of cast molding. This process assures the manufacturer of high quality and accuracy in the end product. In addition, injection molding further enables bulk manufacturing for extensively prominent disposable lens types, thus making cast molding the most preferred method for cost reduction. However, cast molding will continue its reign in the market, it might lose its popularity to the technology of lathe cutting.Request Sample Report @Region-wise, the global market for contact lens has been segmented into North America, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. At present, North America leads the market with almost 30% of the overall share in the global market owing to the number of senior and middle aged ophthalmological patients and a significant rise in ophthalmic issues in the region. However, Asia Pacific is expected to give a tough competition to North America with the most promising and lucrative opportunities present in the market for the players in the near future.Request Contact Lens Market Report Brochure @Popularity of Lenses as a Fashion Accessory to Propel Demand GloballyThe rise in the number of cases of weekend eyesight and refractory errors among the young population has increased the adoption of contact lenses globally. Youngsters are incessantly preferring contact lenses for aesthetics, convenience, and comfort and their easy availability with variety of colors and disposable varieties have also triggered their use a fashion accessory among the young and middle aged population. Furthermore, regular attempts are being made by manufacturers of contact lens for educating the masses regarding their ease of use and benefits. But damage due to careless usage is expected limit its mass adoption in the coming years such as sleeping wearing lenses or poor handling during storage.Buy Full Contact Lens Market Report @About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:TMR Blog:
Cloud Access Security Brokers Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast For 2024

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Cloud access security brokers are primarily deployed to protect the critical data of organizations. The advent of cloud-based systems has helped many companies to manage their critical data in better ways. Lack of information storage infrastructure has led the small and medium businesses to acquire cloud services. The rising data breach and data leakage incidences on the internet have led to the rising demand for cloud access security brokers in many regions. Cloud access security brokers offer solutions to data controlling and monitoring, cloud data encryption, tokenization, risk and compliance management, and data leakage prevention.Download Brochure@The involvement of a large number of small-scale and medium-scale companies, the entry of new companies, and the presence of many leading companies will drive the global market for cloud access security brokers. The global cloud access security brokers market is predicted to reach US$13,218.5 mn by 2024, expected to exhibit a 16.70% CAGR during the period between 2016 and 2024.The report uses industry-standard tools such as SWOT analysis tool and Porters five force analysis to measure the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the global cloud access security brokers market. For a detailed analysis, the analysts have divided the global market into segments and sub-segments. Key players operating in the global market are also listed in the report. Recent trends, developments in cloud-based systems, and the future growth opportunities are highlighted in the report.Cloud Access Security Brokers Market: Trends and OpportunitiesCloud services have influenced many companies operating in various industries. The adoption of cloud technologies has helped many industries to solve their data storage problems cost-effectively. This has allowed the companies to focus on their core operations and capacities. Cloud access security brokers are consistently achieving an important position in the global cloud-based technologies market.By component, the global cloud access security brokers market is classified into service and software. The software segment is sub-segmented into on-premise and cloud-based components. The service segment is sub-divided into system integration, consulting, and operations and management.Although the global cloud access security brokers market is set for a significant growth, it is expected to be hampered by a few factors. Lack of awareness about the latest cloud access security solutions is predicted to hamper the growth of the global market.Cloud Access Security Brokers Market: Region-wise OutlookBased on region, the global cloud access security brokers market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. In 2015, North America dominated the global cloud access security brokers market. The North America cloud access security brokers market recorded the highest implementation of cloud access security brokers in the recent years. The North America cloud access security brokers market is likely to exhibit an 18.40% CAGR from 2016 to 2024.Key Players mentioned in the Report:NetSkope Inc., CloudLock Inc., Adallom, Inc., CipherCloud Inc., Skyhigh Networks, Zscaler, Inc., Bitglass, Inc., and Protegrity USA, Inc. are some of the leading companies operating in the global cloud access security brokers market. Key companies are aiming to adopt new innovative methodologies and technologies to secure information over the cloud. The entry of new companies is expected to make the global market highly competitive.Major regions analyzed under this research report are: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 yearsBrowse Report@About Us:-Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact Us:-State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
PACS and RIS Market Poised to Expand at a Robust Pace by 2024

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In contrast to the competitive landscape in the global PACS and RIS market, the market in developed countries is fragmented, with the presence of several companies vying for the top spot, the author of the study notes.The picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and radiology information system (RIS) market is extremely consolidated, with the top five companies accounting for a share of over 61% in 2015. Transparency Market Research finds that GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, McKesson Corporation, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, and Siemens Healthineers have significantly contributed to the global market over the years by providing an extra advantage to customers at a reasonable price.The opportunity in the global PACS and RIS market stood at US$2.2 bn in 2015 and, rising at a 7.0% CAGR during the forecast period, is estimated to be worth US$3.9 bn by 2024.Based on product type, PACS held the majority in the global PACS and RIS market, accounting for a whopping share of over 82% in 2015. This segment is projected to register a 7.2% CAGR from 2016 to 2024, emerging as one of the most promising product segments by the end of the forecast period.By end user, hospitals led the PACS and RIS market in terms of revenue. On the other hand, ambulatory surgical centers are anticipated to report a CAGR higher than any other end-use segment by 2024. On the basis of component, the services segment dominates the PACS and RIS market and is also projected to register a high growth rate during the course of the forecast period.By deployment, web-based PACS and RIS held the leading share in the overall market, with cloud-based systems presenting the most lucrative options for players.Geographically, North America accounted for a leading share of just under 47% in the global PACS and RIS market in 2015. However, the market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a high CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period.Read Report Overview @Rising Adoption of EHR Systems Drives Usage of PACS and RISThe importance and benefits of healthcare IT have been recognized with several governments around the world, spurring technological advancements in the field, the lead analyst states. The usage of PACS and RIS for the accurate and detailed evaluation of patients health has increased as a result of this. An example of favorable government intervention would be the U.S. Government, which encourages the adoption of healthcare IT products such as RIS-PACS and hospital information systems (HIS) to maintain electronic health records (EHR).Request Sample Report @The rising adoption of EHR systems in hospital as well as office-based practices has also increased in recent times, further driving the demand for PACS and RIS. These systems allow medical images to be saved electronically and ensures the effective and easy accessibility of the images to caregivers.Request PACS and RIS Market Report Brochure @On the other hand, high equipment cost acts as a major deterrent to the global PACS and RIS market. In addition to the initial expense of hardware and software licenses, costs pertaining to ongoing tech support and implementation also restricts the adoption of PACS and RIS by healthcare facilities, the author of the study reports.Buy Full PACS and RIS Market Report @About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:TMR Blog:
Tissue Engineered Skin Substitutes Market: Growing Geriatric Population and Improving Scope of Medical Tourism a Potent Combination

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The remainder of the market is taken up by a significantly high number of regional players. They do, however, face high entry barriers due to the strong hold over the market by the leading players, along with the complex and increasingly stringent government policies and regulations surrounding the market structure. As per the TMR report, the global tissue engineered skin substitute market is expected to reach U$3.87 bn by the end of 2023. The market is expected to expand at a strong CAGR of 17.2% within a forecast period from 2015 to 2023 and was calculated at US$1.2 bn in 2016.Read Report Overview @The multi-billion dollar global industry for medical tourism is one of the more promising aspects of profit in the healthcare sector. The applications of, as well as the demand for tissue engineered skin substitutes in North America and Europe continues to expand on a regular basis, but the over-expensive treatment options and the lack of feasible reimbursement policies are holding a giant percentage of the patient population back. The resultant openings in medical tourism for players in the tissue engineered skin substitutes, a large number of patients seeking tissue engineered skin substitute treatment are doing so through medical tourism, states a TMR analyst. Thailand, Malaysia, India, and Singapore, to name a few, are at the leading end of the medical tourism industry and are capable of providing cheap and state of the art technologies for tissue engineered skin substitute treatment.Furthermore, medical clinics that include day spas  commonly known as medspas  are a being preferred more and more by the elderly, for treatment and healing purposes, especially for the treatment of venous diseases and ulcers. Medspas are becoming more prevalent in emerging economies as well, thanks to the growing scope of the medical tourism industry.Request Sample Report @The presence of a large number of local players adds a major layer of restraint to the globally prominent ones for the tissue engineered skin substitutes market. Local players can offer products at a much cheaper cost, thereby forcing key players to match their prices and reduce profit margins.According to a research report published by Transparency Market Research, nearly 51.4% of the global tissue engineered skin substitute market was taken up by its three leaders in 2014. Molnlycke, Smith & Nephew, and Acelity, the leaders on the market over the recent past, take up a large volume of the revenue generated by it, pointing to a highly consolidated market. The report also states that the leading players in the global tissue engineered skin substitute market all hold a vast array of products in their offering, allowing them to take up a strong hold over the market. They also manage to stay ahead of the curve through heavier investments in research and development.Buy Full Tissue Engineered Skin Substitutes Market Report @About TMRTransparency 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Payments the UAE Market 2017  By Analyzing the Performance of Various Competitors

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Payments in the UAE 2017: What Consumers Want"Payments in the UAE 2017: What Consumers Want", report examines the consumer payments market in the UAE, considering payment cards, online payments, P2P payments, and newer payment technologies such as mobile wallets and contactless. The report also examines the main regulatory players overseeing the market.The UAE payments market is defined by a high reliance on cash among consumers, with cash accounting for 84.6% of the total payment transaction volume in 2017. This was primarily because consumers in the UAE see cash as a quicker and safer payment option over which they have more control. However, card payments are gradually increasing, supported by government financial inclusion programs, promotional campaigns by financial institutions, and the adoption of newer payment technologies.In terms of transaction volume and value, debit cards will continue to dominate the overall payment card market. However, their usage is mostly confined to cash withdrawals at ATMs. Pay-later cards will remain the preferred card for payments at POS terminals. Growth in the Emirati payment card market will be largely driven by credit cards and charge cards, with their growth rates outreaching pay-now cards throughout the forecast period.It provides in-depth analysis of the following - Analyzes consumer attitudes to financial services by lifestage.- Analyzes the major payment card types in terms of both card holding and usage.- Identifies the major competitors in card issuing and how their position in the market has changed over the last five years.- Considers consumer attitudes towards P2P tools, mobile payment tools, and contactless cards, and how companies in India are deploying these tools to meet customer needs.- Explores the online payment market in India by merchant type and payment tool, as well as providing a five-year forecast for the development of the market.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- The government introduced the Wage Protection System (WPS) in January 2009, requiring all wage payments to be made through a bank, bureau de change, or other authorized financial institution.- In August 2009, the Roads and Transport Authority launched prepaid cards in Dubai for e-ticketing on different modes of transport such as buses, water buses, trams, and metros.- The Smart Dubai plan was introduced by the government in March 2014. It focuses on increasing the range of online services available, and helps citizens familiarize themselves with electronic services and online payments.Key points to buy- Understand the key facts and figures in the consumer payments market in the UAE.- Learn what trends drive consumer behavior at the macro level and plan your strategy accordingly.- Find out what products the major competitors are launching in the market.- Discover consumer sentiments towards various payment tools in the Indian market and use this knowledge to inform product design.Table of ContentsMarket OverviewMegatrendsCard-based PaymentsE-commerce PaymentsAlternative PaymentsPayments Infrastructure & RegulationAppendixFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Airport Kiosks Market to Reach US$ 815.1 mn by 2022 owing to Rising Deployment of Self-service Solutions at Airports

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Airport Kiosks Market to Reach US$ 815.1 mn by 2022 owing to Rising Deployment of Self-service Solutions at Airports" to its huge collection of research reports.The Airport Kiosks Market report provides the analysis of the global kiosks market for the airport end-use for the period 2013  2022, where in period from 2015 to 2022 is forecast period and 2014 is considered as the base year. The report precisely covers all the major trends and technologies playing a major role in the airport kiosks market growth over the forecast period. It also highlights the drivers, restraints and opportunities expected to influence the market growth during the said period.The study provides the holistic perspective on the airport kiosks market growth, throughout the above forecast period in terms of revenue (in US$ Mn), across different geographies, which includes Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), North America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa (MEA).Growing use of kiosks at airport premises is a prominent trend which can be seen worldwide across various countries. The demand is mainly supported by growing number of air travelers globally which is giving rise to increasing traffic at the airports and need for effective management of the same. Moreover, the report provides the overview of various strategies and the winning imperatives of the key players in the airport kiosks market and analyzes their behavior in the prevailing market dynamics.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report segments the global airport kiosks market, on the basis of components into hardware, software, and services. The market has been classified into components on the basis of global market revenue and not on the basis of kiosks systems that we generally see at the airports. Furthermore, the global airport kiosks market is segmented by various applications such as common-use self-service kiosks (CUSS), automated passport control (APC), baggage check-in, information and others which include retail kiosks, and currency exchange kiosks (CEK) etc. Thus, the report provides in-depth cross segment analysis for the airport kiosks market and classifies it into various levels, thereby providing valuable insights on macro as well as micro level.The report also provides the competitive landscape for the airport kiosks market, thereby positioning all the major players according to their geographic presence, market attractiveness and recent key developments. The complete airport kiosks market 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 airport kiosks market growth.NCR Corporation, IER SAS, Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautiques (SITA), Toshiba Tec Corporation, Embross Group, Rockwell Collins Inc., Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH, MedinyX Corporation, Fujitsu Ltd., KIOSK Information Systems are a few major players operating within the global airport kiosks market, which have been profiled in this study. Details such as financials, business strategies, recent developments, and other such strategic information pertaining to these players has been duly provided as part of company profiling.Browse TOC @Below is the list of acronyms used in the report:CUSS  Common-use Self-Service KiosksAPC  Automated Passport ControlCEK  Currency Exchange KiosksBCBP  Bar-coded Boarding PassesAPIS  Advanced Passenger Information SystemTable of ContentsChapter 1 Preface1.1 Report Description and Scope1.1.1 Market Segmentation: Global Airport Kiosks Market1.2 Research Methodology1.2.1 Phase I : Secondary Research1.2.2 Phase II : Primary Research1.2.3 Phase III : Expert Panel Review1.2.4 Data ModelsChapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Market Snapshot: Global Airport kiosks Market, 2014 & 20222.2 Global Airport Kiosks Market Revenue, 2013  2022 (US$ Mn) and Y-o-Y Growth (%)2.2.1 Global Airport Kiosks Market Revenue By Geography, 2014 (US$ Mn)2.2.2 Global Airport Kiosks Market Revenue, By Components, 2014 (US$ Mn)2.2.3 Global Airport Kiosks Market Revenue, By Applications, 2014 (US$ Mn)Chapter 3 Global Airport Kiosks Market Analysis3.1 Overview3.2 Market Dynamics3.2.1 Drivers3.2.1.1 Strong Demand for Self-Service3.2.1.2 Rising IT Spending on Airports3.2.1.3 Impact Analysis of Drivers3.2.2 RestraintsAbout 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 @
Native Starches Market Value Share, Supply Demand, share and Value Chain 2017-2027

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Native starches is a carbohydrate which is obtained from cereals and tubers which is used for texturing various food products. Native starch is a fine white powder having natural taste and odor. Native starch is obtained by physical extraction, drying and purification of starch milk. Native starch have properties such as gelling and viscosity, water binding, bulking agent, feed texturization, shelf-life extension, extrusion aid, etc. Native starch is used in the preparation of dry soup mixes to control the viscosity and as a source of energy. Native starch has application in food industry, pharmaceutical industry, paper making industry, cosmetics industry etc. which has increased its demand globally. Native starch is obtained in its purest form with unaltered physical and chemical properties where in original properties are lost in modified starch.Request For Report Sample:Market Segmentation:Native starches market is segmented on the basis of source as corn, wheat, rice, potato, cassava, and others. Corn native starch have varieties such as wild type, waxy and high amylose which are used in soups and other food applications for enhancing the taste and flavor of the food recipes. Cassava native starch is obtained in flake-shaped and irregular granules type which is used in baked products. Wheat native starch is obtained in disk shape granule form having application in cooking as a thickening agent in food sauces, desert puddings, and others.Native starch is segmented on the basis of type of native starch such as native maize starch, native waxy maize starch, native wheat starch, native potato starch, and others. These native starches are used in soups, sauces, canned vegetables, meat products, bakery products, convenience foods, snacks and confectioneries, etc.Native starch market is also segmented on the basis of its application in various industries such as food industry, cosmetics industry, pharmaceutical industry, and others. In food industry, it is used as a thickening agent as well as texturing the food products. Native starch is also used in confectionery, dairy and bakery products to provide consistency and texture to the final product. In cosmetics industry, native starch is used as an emulsion, decorative cosmetics or in powders. Native starch powder is a natural aesthetic which makes it useful in various cosmetics. In pharmaceutical industry, native starch is used in formulation of tablets.Market Regional Outlook:On the basis of regions, the Native starches market has been segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America dominates the global native starches market while Asia Pacific is expected to show maximum growth over the forecast period. On the basis of consumption North America market is the leading market and expected to grow over the forecast period. Cosmetic industries are establishing in Western Europe which is increasing the demand for native starch various cosmetics in the region.Market Drivers and Trends:As a result of application of native starches in various industries such as food industry, cosmetic industry, pharmaceutical industry etc. is increasing demand for native starches in global market. Cosmetic industry is growing in global market and native starches is used in cosmetic hair and skin care products, which in turn increases global demand for native starches. Native starch is available in pure form which makes it popular in consumers inclining towards organic products.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Native Starches Market Key Players:Some of the key players in the global native starches market include AGRANA Investment Corp., Cargill, Incorporated, Tereos Starch & Sweeteners, Tate & Lyle, Ingredion Incorporated, Gulshan Polyols Ltd., AMYLCO Group of Companies, UNIVERSAL BIOPOLYMERS, SPAC STARCH PRODUCTS (INDIA) LTD, Thai Flour Co.,Ltd., Honest Derivatives Pvt. Ltd., etc. are among these.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Poised to Expand at a Robust Pace by 2024

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The global market for medical aesthetic devices is characterized by a highly consolidated competitive landscape, wherein the top two vendors, Mentor Worldwide LLC and Allergan Plc., collectively held a nearly 60% of the market in 2015, observes a recent report by Transparency Market Research. Mentor Worldwide LLC, the market leader with a 32% share in the global market, stayed ahead of the competition with the help of strategic collaborations and a strong emphasis on aesthetic products such as breast implants and body contouring.In September 2016, the company announced its plans for a new collaboration with Galderma, a medical solutions firm with strong operations in skin health. Under the collaboration, the companies plan to partner with Canadian surgeons to improve patient experience across innovative aesthetic procedures and solutions, broadening consumers' access to and awareness of aesthetic treatment options.Transparency Market Research estimates that the global medical aesthetic devices market will rise from a valuation of US$6.5 bn in 2015 to US$15.1 bn in 2024. This reflects a 9.0% CAGR from 2016 through 2024. In terms of product types, the segment of laser and energy devices presently leads. The segment held a nearly 30% share in the global market in 2015 and is expected to remain one of the most promising product segments over the forecast period as well. From a geographic perspective, the market earns a significant share of its revenues from sales across developed regions such as North America and Europe. North America dominated in 2015, accounting for a 43% of the global market.In the past few years, the global consumer has become more open to aesthetic procedures owing to a vast reduction in cultural prohibitions and social taboos. The resultant rise in surgical procedures for enhancing personal appearance is the key driver of the global medical aesthetic devices market.Other key trends positively influencing the overall development of the market include the increased adoption of laser-based devices, heightened demand for minimally invasive and non-invasive equipment, and the high demand for augmentation and reconstructive surgeries. The global adoption of laser-based devices has increased owing to the widening utility of laser devices.Request Sample Report @Cost-effectiveness and versatility of laser devices are also the key factors increasing adoption and usage of laser procedures in the aesthetics market.Increased adoption of minimally invasive surgeries, owing to the fewer post-surgery complications and side effects, and shorter recovery spans, have driven innovations and technological developments, bringing about a huge change in the quality and effectiveness of surgeries. As a result, the number of minimally invasive procedures in dermatological applications has significantly increased lately. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimated that the number of minimally invasive aesthetic procedures performed in the U.S. increased to 15.9 mn 2015, a rise of 2% over 2014.Read Report Overview @Competitively Priced Equipment and Services from Domestic Vendors to Limit Market GrowthThe global medical aesthetic devices market is characterized by intense competition wherein local manufacturers and service providers offer devices/services at affordable costs. The resultant need to reduce costs of equipment to stay ahead of competition can severely hamper the overall profitability of international vendors, especially across cost-sensitive emerging economies.Request Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Report Brochure @Continuous technological developments in the aesthetic devices market with respect to product design and efficiency require manufacturers to provide up-to-date solutions to the customers. Such upgrades could be highly cost-intensive and lead to erosion of investment and not many service providers may be open to adopting them on a regular basis. The scenario is expected to have a negative impact on the overall development of the market in the long run.Buy Full Medical Aesthetic Devices Market Report @About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:TMR Blog:
Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market 2017: Global Key Players, Opportunities, Types and Applications, Status and Forecast to 2022

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This report studies Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) 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, coveringSchneider-ElectricEmersonABBEATONGES&CRielloAEGLegrandToshibaKSTARSocomecEASTKehuaDeltaRequest a Sample Report @By types, the market can be split intoOffline/Standby Three Phase UPSLine-interactive Three Phase UPSOnline/Double-conversion Three Phase UPSBy Application, the market can be split intoData CentersMedical InstitutionsIndustrial EquipmentEnterprise-wide BackupOthersBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaMake an enquiry of this Report @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsGlobal Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)1.1 Definition and Specifications of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)1.1.1 Definition of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)1.1.2 Specifications of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)1.2 Classification of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)1.2.1 Offline/Standby Three Phase UPS1.2.2 Line-interactive Three Phase UPS1.2.3 Online/Double-conversion Three Phase UPS1.3 Applications of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)1.3.1 Data Centers1.3.2 Medical Institutions1.3.3 Industrial Equipment1.3.4 Enterprise-wide Backup1.3.5 Others1.4 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 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS)3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Share Analysis5.2 China Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Analysis5.2.1 China Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Share Analysis5.6 India Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Analysis5.6.1 India Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 Three Phase Uninterrupted Power System (UPS) Market Share AnalysisContinuedPurchase Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Emulsion Polymers Market to Expand at 6.10% CAGR 2015 - 2023, Boosted by Increasing Demand from Paints and Coatings Industry

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Emulsion Polymers Market to Expand at 6.10% CAGR 2015 - 2023, Boosted by Increasing Demand from Paints and Coatings Industry" to its huge collection of research reports.Emulsion polymers are produced by polymerization followed by emulsification of monomers such as styrene and butadiene and some co-monomers such as vinyl acetate. Emulsion polymers are widely employed in various end-user industries such as paints & coatings, paper & paperboard, adhesives, and textiles & non-woven. Paints & coatings was the largest end-user segment of the emulsion polymers market in 2014. Furthermore, it is likely to be the fastest growing segment of the global emulsion polymers market from 2015 to 2023. Acrylics held major share of the global emulsion polymers market in 2014. Threat of substitutes is high from bio-based as well as silicone emulsions in the global emulsion polymers market.The report estimates and forecasts the emulsion polymers market on the global, regional, and country level. The study provides forecast from 2015 to 2023 based on volume (Kilo Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn).The study provides a comprehensive view of the emulsion polymers market by dividing it into product segments such as acrylics, styrene-butadiene latex, vinyl acetate polymers, polyurethane, and others. In terms of end-user, the global emulsion polymers market has been segmented into paints & coatings, paper & paperboard, adhesives, textiles & non-woven, and others. End-user segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends, and the market has been estimated from 2015 to 2023 in terms of volume (Kilo Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn). Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for emulsion polymers in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Additionally, the report comprises country-level analysis in terms of volume and revenue for product and end-user segments. Key countries such as the U.S., U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Germany, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and ASEAN and GCC countries are included in the study. Market segmentation includes demand for individual products and applications in all the regions and countries.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage of the value chain. The report covers drivers and restraints for the emulsion polymers market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. Additionally, it includes the study of opportunities in the emulsion polymers market at the global level.The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to gauge the degree of competition in the emulsion polymers market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein applications have been analyzed based on attractiveness. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive general attractiveness of the market. The report includes price trend analysis for raw materials (butadiene, styrene, n-butyl acrylate, and vinyl acetate monomer) and emulsion polymers from 2014 to 2023.Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, nd webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.Browse TOC @In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents bulk of the research efforts, supplemented by an extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.The report covers a detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Arkema S.A., Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation, BASF SE, Batf Industry Co., Ltd., Celanese Corporation, DIC Corporation, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Trinseo S.A., and Wacker Chemie AG. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview.This report segments the global emulsion polymers market as follows:Emulsion Polymers Market - Product AnalysisAcrylicsStyrene-butadiene latexVinyl acetate polymersPolyurethaneOthers (Silicone, Hybrid Epoxy, etc.)Emulsion Polymers Market - End-user AnalysisPaints & CoatingsPaper & PaperboardAdhesivesTextiles & Non-wovenOthers (Leather, etc.)Emulsion Polymers Market - Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.Rest of North AmericaEuropeGermanyFranceU.K.ItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaASEANRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaAbout 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 @
Antibody Drugs Market Size Share - Industry Trends and Forecast 2018

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"The Latest Research Report Antibody Drugs Market, Global Forecast, Market Share, Size, Growth And Industry Analysis, 2012 - 2018 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Antibody drugs make use of the bodys own immune system to locate and eliminate cells which are responsible for the target disease. Antibody drugs have been successful in attracting the attention of researchers worldwide owing to their characteristic features such as fewer side effects and high efficacy in curing certain diseases which were previously untreatable.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Large scale research development is being conducted in the field of antibody drugs for the past two decades. By 2009, approximately 30 new antibody drugs were launched in the market. With an intention of launching new blockbuster drugs and to reform the pharmaceuticals industry, large pharmaceutical companies have begun to undertake aggressive steps to enter this market. Hence, it is expected that the antibody drugs segment will experience impressive growth in the global pharmaceuticals market.Antibody drugs show promising efficacy for the treatment of certain diseases for which no equally effective treatment is available. Antibody drugs are primarily used for the treatment of diseases such as central nervous system ailments, allergic diseases, cancer, and infections. Globally, North America is viewed as the largest market for antibody drugs followed by Europe. However, infrastructural development in the healthcare system and growth in awareness regarding the treatment of chronic diseases may influence a rapid growth of this market in Asia and in other parts of the world.View Report @Some of the market players in the antibody drugs industry are Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca, Bayer Ag, Genmab, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Merck KGaA, Daiichi Sankyo, Biogen Idec, some and others.This research report analyzes this market depending on its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsSend An Enquiry Request @This report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a technological growth map over time to understand the industry growth rateIt provides a seven-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsCheck Discount This Report From Here @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: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Prefilled Syringes Market Poised to Expand at a Robust Pace by 2024

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The global sales of prefilled syringes amounted to US$3.5 bn in 2015 and is projected to reach US$7.9 bn, expanding at a CAGR of 9.3% over the period of 2016 to 2024. In terms of prefilled syringes consumption, the market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period.Becton Dickinson and Company Group plc., Baxter International Inc., Terumo Medical Corporation, and Medtronic are the top four players that dominate over half the prefilled syringes market. Transparency Market Research has noted that the global prefilled syringes market is highly dynamic and competitive and while the nature of the market is consolidated in developed regions owing to the presence of large players, it remains fragmented in most of the emerging markets with many small regional players.By application, the vaccines segment dominated the global prefilled syringes market, accounting for a collective share of 34.3% in 2015. The segment is also projected to exhibit a strong growth rate from 2016 to 2024. In terms of percentage share contribution, the polymer-based prefilled syringes segment is expected to continue its lead in the global market through 2024. It will also register the highest growth in the coming years. By distribution channel, the hospitals segment is projected to account for the major share by the end of the forecast period. On the other hand, ambulatory surgical centers are likely to register a high growth rate by 2024.North America dominates the global market, while Asia Pacific is expected to witness strong growth. The U.S. is the largest market for prefilled syringes, accounting for around 35.5% share of the global marketRead Report Overview @Improving Safety Standards Driving Innovation among Product ManufacturersThe incidence of needle stick injuries has been a cause for concern over the years. According to the World Health Organization, almost two million healthcare professionals suffer from infectious diseases resulting from needle stick injuries each year.Various needle safety devices  such as passive needle guarding caps with a polymer shield and a retractable needle system  as well as advanced technologies  such as advanced barrel technology and multi-chamber syringes  are being developed to cope with this problem, the author of the study finds. Therefore, improving safety standards and technological advancements have been primarily driving the global prefilled syringes market.Request Sample Report @High Costs Associated with Prefilled Syringes Inhibiting widespread AdoptionThere are several factors that pose a severe challenge to the growth of the global prefilled syringes market, the primary one being the high costs associated with temperature controlled packaging required for temperature-sensitive drugs. In order to maintain specified temperatures and conditions throughout the shelf life of a drug, drug manufacturing companies require several complex machineries that need to be maintained regularly, the TMR analyst states. This is a costly affair and as a result, restricts companies from manufacturing prefilled syringes.Request Prefilled Syringes Market Report Brochure @Other factors inhibiting the market include product recalls due to breakages and leachables, the potential risk of interaction between prefilled syringes and drugs, and the availability of alternative drug delivery methods.Buy Full Prefilled Syringes Market Report @About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:TMR Blog:
Mining Dump Trucks Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities, Growth Forecast To 2022

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This report studies Mining Dump Trucks 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, coveringCaterpillar, Inc.European Truck Factory GmbHHitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.AB VolvoKomatsu Ltd.BAS Mining TrucksOJSC Belaz...Request a Sample Report @By types, the market can be split intoBelow 150 Tons150290 Tons300 Tons & AboveBy Application, the market can be split intoOpen-Pit MiningUnderground MiningBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaMake an enquiry of this Report @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsGlobal Mining Dump Trucks Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Mining Dump Trucks1.1 Definition and Specifications of Mining Dump Trucks1.1.1 Definition of Mining Dump Trucks1.1.2 Specifications of Mining Dump Trucks1.2 Classification of Mining Dump Trucks1.2.1 Below 150 Tons1.2.2 150290 Tons1.2.3 300 Tons & Above1.3 Applications of Mining Dump Trucks1.3.1 Open-Pit Mining1.3.2 Underground Mining1.3.3 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 Mining Dump Trucks2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Mining Dump Trucks2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Mining Dump Trucks2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Mining Dump Trucks3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Mining Dump Trucks3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Mining Dump Trucks Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Mining Dump Trucks Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Mining Dump Trucks Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Mining Dump Trucks Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Mining Dump Trucks Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Mining Dump Trucks Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Mining Dump Trucks Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Mining Dump Trucks Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Mining Dump Trucks Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Mining Dump Trucks Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Mining Dump Trucks Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Mining Dump Trucks Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Mining Dump Trucks Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Mining Dump Trucks Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Mining Dump Trucks Market Share Analysis5.2 China Mining Dump Trucks Market Analysis5.2.1 China Mining Dump Trucks Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Mining Dump Trucks Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Mining Dump Trucks Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Mining Dump Trucks Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Mining Dump Trucks Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Mining Dump Trucks Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Mining Dump Trucks Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Mining Dump Trucks Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Mining Dump Trucks Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Mining Dump Trucks Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 Mining Dump Trucks Market Share Analysis5.6 India Mining Dump Trucks Market Analysis5.6.1 India Mining Dump Trucks Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E Mining Dump Trucks Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 Mining Dump Trucks Market Share AnalysisContinuedPurchase Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Dental Prosthetics Market to Rise to US$ 5.8 Billion by 2023, Driven by Increasing Geriatric Population

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Leading market intelligence firm, Transparency Market Research (TMR), has announced the publication of a report on the global dental prosthetics market. The report takes into consideration all the relevant factors expected to have an impact on the trajectory of the global dental prosthetics market in the coming years and presents solid market forecasts. The report is titled Dental Prosthetics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023 and is available for sale on the official website of TMR.Read Report Overview @Dental prosthetics are compensatory replacements places inside a patients mouth in the event of damage to the dental structure. Missing parts of teeth or whole teeth and other structural deficiencies in the jaw and the palate are the primary focus of dental prosthetics.According to the TMR report, the global market for dental prosthetics is expected to exhibit a sturdy 7.6% CAGR between 2015 and 2023. The value of the market, estimated at US$3.0 bn in 2014, is expected to almost double over the forecast period and end up at US$5.8 bn.Request Sample Report @One of the primary drivers for the global dental prosthetics market is the increasing global geriatric population. While the improving healthcare scenario around the world has boosted the average lifespan of the global population, the inevitable increase in the risk of dental problems with aging has driven the demand for dental prosthetics. The further expected increase in the global geriatric population, as well as the increasing proportion of the geriatric population in the global population, will drive the global dental prosthetics market in the coming years.The increasing prevalence of dental problems in younger demographics is another major driver for the global dental prosthetics market. The widespread prevalence of unhealthy eating habits is a key factor adding to the global prevalence of dental problems.The increasing demand for medical tourism in emerging countries such as Thailand and India has also driven the global dental prosthetics market. While the high prices of dental prosthetics have held the market back in developed economies, the lower healthcare costs in emerging regions have allowed their medical tourism industry to flourish, with dental care being a major part of the services made available in the medical tourism sector.Request Dental Prosthetics Market Report Brochure @By product type, crowns emerged as the largest segment of the global dental prosthetics market in 2014. Crowns are mainly used to cover up damage to single teeth and to enhance their aesthetic appeal. High durability has also ensured steady demand for crowns, with about 15 million people estimated to undergo crown and bridge implant or replacement every year in the U.S. alone.The report provides detailed information about the performance of each product segment of the dental prosthetics market. It also elaborates upon the competitive landscape of the market by profiling major players such as Institut Straumann AG, Nobel Biocare Holdings AG, Biohorizons, Inc., Dentsply International, Inc., Avinent Implant Systems, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., and Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc.Buy Full Dental Prosthetics Market Report @About TMRTransparency 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Specialty Medical Chairs Market: Customization Helps Clutch Major Demand by Catering to Unique Medical Needs

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According to TMR, the global specialty medical chairs market could be worth a US$6.75 bn by the end of 2023 while expanding at a 6.5% CAGR during the forecast timeframe 20152023. By product, rehabilitation chairs could be among the top markets. Regionally, North America could clasp a greater share for medical specialty chairs in the coming years while rising at a 6.8% CAGR.Read Report Overview @The world specialty medical chairs market has been prophesied to bear a positive impact with healthcare facilities in developing regions being on the cusp of revolution. The market could embrace a propelling growth on the back of the need for the customization of specialty medical chairs in order to address the specific requirements of both medical practitioners and patients. A vast count of vendors have been expected to design specialty medical chairs that could answer the clinical needs of patients, such as those pertinent to cardiac problems, obesity, and pregnancy. The growth of the market could be further improved with the emergence of specialty medical chairs that offer enhanced comfort and more competitive technologies.The perpetual increase in geriatric population has been predicted to augur well for the world specialty medical chairs market as it garners an optimistic impetus. In comparison with the younger population group, geriatrics have been studied to be extensively vulnerable to a wide scope of physical disabilities as well as chronic diseases. As per the statistics of the WHO, by 2050, the geriatric population could increase to a 1.5 bn. This has been expected to provide a strong boost to the market.Request Sample Report @Modern medical specialty chairs incurring an exponential expenditure have been envisaged to stunt the growth of the market. This could be supported by the refusal of governing authorities and medical organizations to investment in first-class medical specialty chairs. Furthermore, the swelling trend of renewing old products has been projected to put a roadblock in the growth path of the international medical specialty chairs market.However, industry players have been prognosticated to rake in a growing demand that could ride on cosmic investments made by governments in developing economies to upgrade medical infrastructure. A TMR report has suggested investments in Asia Pacific and Latin America countries such as India, China, and Brazil to reap ample of benefits birthing from economic improvement. Besides emerging economies, developed regions such as North America could create opportunities with the strong presence of ophthalmic, dental, and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) clinics.Request Specialty Medical Chairs Market Report Brochure @The global specialty medical chairs market has been foreseen by Transparency Market Research (TMR) to cover companies that could focus on the expansion of their distribution networks. Companies could be making efforts to strike tactical alliances with extensive distributors, private clinics, and multispecialty clinics. In the foreseeable future, companies have been anticipated to secure a strong foundation for increased sales in the global market by widening their distribution networks in order to extend their geographical foothold. DentalEZ, ACTIVEAID, Inc., and Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA could be among the leading companies in the market.Buy Full Specialty Medical Chairs Market Report @About TMRTransparency 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Hadoop Big Data Analytics Market - Rising need for information conversion by Internet of Things

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The expansion of the World Wide Web started from the later phase of the previous century and has shown an almost exponential rate of growth in this one. The genesis of search engines and indexing in early 2000s helped users of the Internet gain relevant data from the ever-increasing piles of information across the online highways. Technology has come a very long way from human-based search engines and results to automated crawlers that identify and index new and modified websites. As the Internet grew to contain millions and billions of pages, it became increasingly difficult and eventually impossible to simply index and manage the data.The inception of Hadoop in 2006 was a result of the research and development to find a solution for the accurate and efficient calculation of data amid the growing piles of it. Yahoo released Hadoop as an open-source project and today, most of the technologies and their frameworks are operated and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation, a non-profit organization. The necessity of Hadoop in Big Data analysis comes due to the inherent complexities and challenges involved in it, as well as the advantages that Hadoop can bring to the table. One of the key advantages of Hadoop is its capacity to process and store massive volumes of data at high speeds, making it easier to tackle the growing Big Data concern. Hadoop also provides high computing power, a decent tolerance for faults, and is highly flexible.Request a sample copy of the Report @Global Hadoop Big Data Analytics Market: Inclusive InsightHadoop is referred to an open source structure that allows big data analytics and storage and employs simple programming plans across dispersed clusters of computer. Big data is a huge volume of data and information and can be structured as well as unstructured. As the volume of information is extremely large, it cannot processed and stored by the conventional systems. Furthermore, it also supports institutions and organizations for understanding the trend and help in the decision making for the corporate level in real-time. With the advent of this solution, data can be stored, evaluated, and extracted in order to meet the desired objective. It aids in modernizing the models of business and maximize the revenue of the vendors.The accumulation of information is done at an extensively high pace keeping in mind the velocity, volume, and variety owing to the daily operation of the respective industries. In a situation as such, organizations are likely to face several technical difficulties in the process of collecting, storing, analyzing, and reporting via shared and interlinked dashboards. Management of such information needs high-end data management equipment and suitably channelized flow of information. The companies require state-of-the-art for bog data resolves in order to collect, store, evaluate, picture, and predict the future from the available evidence attained from the massive volumes of information.Request TOC of the report @The market intelligence publication delves into the possible growth opportunities for the global Hadoop big data analytics market and the chronological growth of the market throughout the forecast period. It also uniquely provisions required data related to facers such as dynamics influencing the progress in all possible retrospective manner. Several ubiquitous and non-ubiquitous trends have also been mentioned in the study. An outlook of extensive nature keeping in mind the Porters five forces analysis has been provided to make the vendor landscape transparent to the reader. The report further reaches out to point out accomplishments related to R&D, acquisitions, mergers, and crucial partnerships and verifications. The companies in limelight have been analyzed on market shares, products, and key strategies.Global Hadoop Big Data Analytics Market: Focus on TrendsThe global market for Hadoop big data analytics is likely to be driven by the mounting demand for the installation of solutions for Hadoop big data analytics for the purpose of evaluating the extensively growing unstructured and structured data in order to attain beneficial insights from it. Furthermore, the rising need for information conversion by Internet of Things and big data by organizations for the purpose of decision making has substantially propelled the growth of the global Hadoop big data in the last couple of years. Convergence of Internet of Things and big data is another facet that is expected to fuel the growth of the market.The dearth in safety standards and the lack of appropriate big data supervisory structure is presumed to hinder the industry growth in the near future. The shortage of skilled personnel who are capable of converting machine language into operational solutions for advanced analytics and data warehousing is expected to further act as a restraint in the growth of the market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Global Hadoop Big Data Analytics Market: Regional OutlookEurope and North America are the possible regions which are likely to provide lucrative opportunities for growth to the vendors operating in the global hadoop big data analytics market. The developing economies in Asia Pacific are anticipated to emerge as profitable markets to capitalize on.Global Hadoop Big Data Analytics Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportA few of the leading companies in the market are Tableau Software Teradata Corporation, IBM Corporation, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Corporation, and Pentaho Corporation.About Us:TMR 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.Contact Us:Rohit BhiseyHead Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
OLG Koln: Will written with non-dominant hand valid

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It is possible for a will to be valid even if it was written with the hand one does not normally write with. That was the verdict of the Oberlandesgericht (OLG) Koln [Higher Regional Court of Cologne] in its ruling of August 3, 2017 (Az.: 2 Wx 149/17).In addition to preparing a notarized will, a testamentary disposition can also be handwritten. To this end, the will needs to be written from top to bottom as well as signed by the testator. Moreover, the place and date ought not to be omitted in case any legal disputes arise. We at the commercial law firm GRP Rainer Rechtsanwalte note that this kind of handwritten will can easily be attributed to the testator in most cases. The situation is more difficult, however, if the testator writes the will with the wrong hand, i.e. the hand he does not normally write with.This is exactly what one testator did. Due to his illness his right arm began to show signs of paralysis, with the result that he drafted a will with his left hand in which he appointed his neighbours as his heirs. Notwithstanding this, a second will came to light. According to this, the testators siblings were to become his heirs. The OLG Koln had to decide which will was valid.After extensively gathering evidence through the testimony of witnesses and obtaining an expert graphological assessment, the OLG Koln ruled that the will written with the testators left hand was valid and the neighbours received the certificate of inheritance. While the expert witness was not able to confirm with certainty that this will was from the testator because there were no comparable documents written with the latters left hand, one witness was able to give credible assurances that he was present when the testator drew up the will. The siblings were unsuccessful in establishing their line of reasoning that a will written with ones non-dominant hand would have been substantially more irregular in appearance; it was held that it is possible to produce a regular typeface even with ones untrained hand.The Court took the view that the other will was not from the testator. It was sent anonymously to the probate court and prepared at a later stage according to its featured date. It was clear from the typeface alone that it was not from the testator, as at this point in time he was only able to write with his left hand.When it comes to issues pertaining to an estate, lawyers who are versed in the field of succession law can offer advice.GRP Rainer LLPis an international firm of lawyers and tax advisors who are specialists in commercial law. The firm counsels commercial and industrial companies and corporations, as well as associations, small- and mid-sized businesses, self-employed freelancers and private individuals worldwide from offices Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London UK.Contact Michael RainerLawyer, Managing PartnerGRP Rainer LLPGurzenich-QuartierAugustinerstrae 1050667 CologneGermanyPhone: +49 221-27 22 75-0info@grprainer.com
SIRT Organized International Conference Compute-2017

RGPV(Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidalaya ) and SIRT(Sagar Institute of Research and Technology) Jointly organized Three Days International conference on the topic Artificial Intelligence: Current Traders and Future Impact - COMPUTE 2017 in association with ACM India. The Flagship ACM Chapter organized their 10th annual conference first time in Bhopal Madhya Pradesh. Chairman of SGI Engineeer Sanjeev Aggrawal welcomes Chief Guest Dr. Sunil Kumar. Dr. Sunil Kumar said we should encourage students to work in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Er.Sanjeev Agrawal highlighted the impact of Artificial Intelligence evident today in all aspects of modern life thereby bringing it out of the closet of academic research to the ambit of the common man.As the Key-speaker Prof. Y. Narhari, Dr. Chandrashekhar Sahstrabudhhe, Dr. Vinay P. Nambudiri, Dr. Animesh Mukharji, Prabudh Ganguli are invited. ACM India CEO and many other members are also present in the function. Distinguished Guests present for COMPUTE 2017 included VCM Sagar Group of Institutions - Dr Prashant Jain and Directores of sister concerns of Sagar Group of Institutions. Dr. Akhilesh Upadhyay addressed the audience with welcome speech and Dr. Rajesh Shukla gave the vote of thanks. The three day convention shall include workshops and tutorials, technical sessions of technical paper presentations and panel discussions spread over three days. COMPUTE has always been focused on the theme of High Performance Computing. COMPUTE 2017 will also focus on software engineering issues around building special-purpose computational systems.SIRT Bhopal is best engineering college in Bhopal mp. It is rated as top engineering college for its teaching facilities, R&D & placement. It enjoys position of best engineering college in Bhopal mp central India for its infrastructure.Ayodhya Bypass Road, Bhopal Madhya Pradesh, India, 462041Contact-07553983100
Automotive Adhesives Market to Witness Exponential Growth by 2021

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Adhesives and sealants are the most versatile bonding agents available today and are used by automakers to make cars lighter and tougher. Adhesives are made from precise blends of synthetic rubber elastomers, resins and agents or additives used to enhance certain characteristics, depending on the end use. Automakers today use aluminum and composites that cannot be welded together but have to be glued to hold the body parts together even at top speed and high pressure. Adhesives do not lose strength and hence are used for these applications. Adhesives bonding renders the vehicles quieter, more durable and safer and are replacing conventional joining techniques such as welding, riveting and bolting.Request For Report Sample:Adhesives find numerous applications in the automobile industry and have revolutionized the way automobiles have been designed and built. Adhesives are used to assemble rubber, metal, glass, plastics and numerous other materials during the manufacture of automobiles. Adhesives help prevent the ingress of salt, dirt and water in the car body shell. Adhesives help in improving body stiffness and durability and provide improved crash performance. Every stage of production of an automobile, whether for non-load-bearing body components or structural parts, uses adhesives in one form or other. Adhesives are used in manufacture of engines, body components, gear boxes and mounted parts such as wing mirrors, seats and steering wheels. Interior applications include tray systems, safety systems, seating systems, as well as sub assembly and acoustical material assembly. In addition, adhesives are used for direct glazing, where they contribute to an increased rigidity of the car body.Adhesives can be applied with high speed on the production line, which results in cost reduction and savings. Hence, adhesive consumption per vehicle is expected to increase, as automotive designers continue to exploit the cost saving potential of adhesives. In addition, adhesives help to cut down on noise, vibration and harshness characteristics. Adhesives improve fuel efficiency of automobiles and provide enhanced performance which is a key driving factor behind the advancement of adhesives in the automotive industry.Consistent growth and presence of wide range of suppliers, distributors and manufacturers are the some of the characteristics of the adhesives market. Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, and Latin America hold potential for growth. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for the adhesives industry due to growing demand for adhesives in South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Australia and India.North America and Europe are saturated markets and will grow with a low compound annual growth rate in the near future. The adhesive market in the U.S. has lost ground to China due to migration of manufacturing facilities to China but the country continues to play a significant role in the adhesives market.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):The industry remains fragmented, with numerous medium-sized companies with a high level of customization, particularly in the highest-value adhesive segments. The cost of producing adhesives is attributable to the cost of the raw materials along with the requisite service component of training customers and helping them resolve manufacturing issues. Some of the key players in this market are Sika AG (Switzerland), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), Bayer (Germany), Henkel (Germany), BASF (Germany), 3M Company (U.S.), Ashland Specialty Chemical Company (U.S.), H.B. Fuller Company(U.S.), Hindustan Adhesives Limited (India), ExxonMobil Chemical Company (U.S) , Dynea International Oy (Finland) , Forbo Adhesives Switzerland (Switzerland), Hexion Specialty Chemicals (U.S) and Covalence Adhesives (U.S.) among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Ophthalmic Devices Market to Reflect a Significant CAGR of 6.5% During 2014-2020

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According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Ophthalmic Devices: Asia to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global ophthalmic devices market was valued at USD 29,171.5 million in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2014 to 2020, to reach an estimated value of USD 42,685.1 million in 2020.Globally, the ophthalmic devices market is witnessing significant growth due to increasing prevalence of eye disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. In addition, growing global aging population, increasing government initiatives towards healthcare infrastructure in developing countries, and increasing incidence of lifestyle-associated diseases are also driving the growth of the market. However, lack of awareness among people about eye disorders, poor primary healthcare infrastructure, and lack of insurance in developing countries hamper growth of the global ophthalmic devices market. In addition, eye diseases in children are also increasing due to the general lack of awareness.Request Report TOC @The global ophthalmic devices market is anticipated to grow from an estimated USD 29,171.5 million in 2014 to USD 42,685.1 million in 2020 at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period.Age-related eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration, are the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness in North America. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, approximately 22 million Americans aged 40 and above were affected by cataract and 2.3 million Americans were affected by glaucoma in 2011.In Europe, increasing prevalence of chronic eye diseases among the rising aging population is becoming a challenge for the European healthcare system. In France, the number of age-related macular degeneration cases was 0.3 million in 2000 and it is anticipated to increase by 0.5 million in 2020.Request Sample Report @However, glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy are the major causes of blindness in Asia. Cataract can be held responsible for 50% to 80% of all cases of blindness in Southeast Asia. The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration is also increasing in Asia due to increase in life expectancy and rising incidence of diabetes among the younger population. As per the Centre for Eye Research Australia, prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among people ranged between 17% and 22% in India and 43.1% in rural China in 2012.Johnson & Johnson, Essilor International, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Novartis AG, HOYA CORPORATION and Abbott Laboratories, Inc. are some of the major players of ophthalmic devices market.Buy Ophthalmic Devices Market Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA,Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Ferrochromium Market to Perceive Substantial Growth During 2016 - 2022

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Ferrochromium, also known as Ferrochrome, is an alloy of iron and chromium containing 50 to 70% of chromium. It is produced by electric arc melting of chromium ore and chromite. Ferrochromium is consumed extensively in the manufacturing of steel to achieve the qualities such as corrosion resistance, tensile strength, heat resistance and yield strength. The global ferrochromium market is anticipated to be in deficit to cater the increasing global steel market in near future. Ferrochromium is mostly produced in India, China, South Africa and Kazakhstan because of large chromite resources found in these countries. The global ferrochromium market is witnessing a modest single digit CAGR growth up till now and is expected to continue in future.Request For Report Sample:Ferrochromium is having its maximum share of consumption in steel industry and due to the ever increasing construction and demand of steel the global ferrochromium market is forecasted to flourish. In order to get a continuous supply of raw material for ferrochrome, China has established its operations in the countries like Turkey, South Africa, Philippines and Zimbabwe which would boost the global ferrochromium market in future. Due to the favourable conditions like lower electricity price and lower labour cost in upcoming markets like China, the production cost reduces comparatively. This will boost the production of ferrochrome to suffice its increasing demand and will contribute in global ferrochromium market.The global ferrochromium market can get hampered because of the increase in the export tax and fixed export quotas imposed by South Africa on chrome ore, owing to the concern of losing ferrochromium market to China. South Africa is having a significant market share in global ferrochromium market but there are concerns of power supply and higher production cost which would lead to the closure of small competitors and is estimated to slowdown the global ferrochromium market.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):The global ferrochromium market can be divided into five regions, namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific is having the maximum market share in global ferrochromium market, China and India are the countries having an excellent steel market, so these countries are significant in the consumption of ferrochrome. China is expanding its capacity to import chrome ore for the production of ferrochrome from the countries like South Africa, Turkey, Zimbabwe. Middle East and Africa are also marking a significant growth in the global ferrochromium market, Especially South Africa is having plenty of chromite resources for the production of ferrochrome. Europe is an emerging market in the field of ferrochrome and is anticipated to have a considerable market in future due to the flourishing automobile sector in the region. North America and Latin America is at a nascent stage in the global ferrochromium market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Robotic Process Automation Market 2017 Leading Growth Drivers, Emerging Audience, Segments, Sales, Profits & Analysis

Robotic Process Automation Market

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Market Highlights:Robotic process automation is an application technology where software with capabilities of artificial intelligence and machine learning are used for handling high volume, repeatable tasks. RPA allows employees to configure and program a computer software or a robot to interpret exiting application in the organization for manipulating data, processing transactions and communicating with digital systems. The RPA is similar to traditional IT automation but the major difference between these technologies is, RPA is capable of learning itself and adaptive to changing circumstances which a traditional IT automation system lacks.According to the study, healthcare and pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR. The study indicates banking and financial industry accounts for large adoption of RPA. In robotic process automation market by type segment, tools acquire for largest market share. High efficiency with low cost are few of the major factors driving the market of RPA. Whereas complex pricing model while implementation and dealing with clients is one of major challenge to the market.Robotic process Automation Market is segmented on the basis of operations that includes rule based and knowledge based operations. The knowledge based operations offers a new framework for efficient decision making process in logistics and warehouse industries. It enable users by offering interactive monitoring and optimization in the flow of logistics activities using hybrid techniques.The robotic process automation market is expected to grow at approximately USD 2,700 Million by 2023, at 29% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023.Request a Sample Report @Major Key Players: Automation Anywhere (U.S.) Blue Prism (U.K.) Celaton Ltd (U.K.) Ipsoft (U.S.) Nice Systems Ltd. (Israel) Pegasystems (U.S.) Redwood Software (U.S.) Uipath (Romania) Verint (U.S.) Xerox Corporation (U.S.)Market Research Analysis:By regional analysis, the market consists of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. North America region is dominating the robotics process automation market. Asia-Pacific is few of the prominent players in the market owing to increase utilization of robotics automation process in healthcare & pharmaceuticals, retail, BFSI, IT & telecommunication industry among others. The robotics automation process witnessed its implementation in manufacturing industry.The region witnessed high growth in the market due to emerging economies from countries such as China and India that offers outsourcing services, that is boosting the market in the region. Increased operational efficiency and low cost, reduction in overall employee strength , leveraging BFSI sector and other benefits associated with it is driving the market in the region.Europe region is expected to be one of the prominent players owing to presence of RPA technology in rich manufacturing and logistics sector. Also economies from countries such as Germany, Russia, Spain and Denmark is having high adoption of RFA technology in various industrial sector.Robotic Process Automation Market Segmentation:By industry segment the Robotics Process Automation Market consists of BFSI, healthcare & pharmaceutical, manufacturing & logistics, IT & Telecommunication among others. In US region, there is a high implementation of RPA technology in BFSI sector due to its efficient data processing and workflow management capabilities. Owing to its high flexibility and scalability, there is a rapid deployment of robotics process automation technology in BFSI domain.Robotic Process Automation Market (MRFR) Analysis:By operations segment it consists of rule based and knowledge based operations. Rule based operations accounts for high market share as compare to knowledge based. Rule based operation is used in enterprises for repetitive administration task in the framework of constant business behavior.By region, MRFR analysis shows that, North America region accounts for highest market share owing to presence of key market players from the region. In US region, RFA implementation in BFSI sector is increasing as it improves business process efficiency and competency. Due to its greater data processing and work flow management solution, RPA market is having higher demand in BFSI domain.Regional Analysis:The regional analysis of robotic process automation market is being studied for region such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. North America region accounts for largest share in robotic process automation market owing to high development in field of technology and presence of developed countries. Europe is one of the prominent player in the market of robotic process automation. Countries such as U.K., Germany and Italy are the major contributors in the market growth due to the rich manufacturing and automotive industry.Asia-Pacific is expected to emerge as fastest growing market during the forecast period. Development of Asian countries and demand for consumer electronic products is forcing the manufacturers to adopt a cost effective technology in the manufacturing process.Browse Full Report Details @Intended Audience: Investors and consultants System Integrators Government Organizations Research/Consultancy firms Technology solution providers IT Solution Providers Supply Chain & Logistics Organizations Original Equipment Manufacturers Healthcare & Pharmaceutical IndustryTable 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 Software2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model2.4.1 Market Data Collection, Analysis & Forecast2.4.2 Market Size EstimationContinuedList of TablesTable 1 Robotic Process Automation Market, By ProcessTable 2 Robotic Process Automation Market, By OperationsTable 3 Robotic Process Automation Market, By TypeContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Robotic Process Automation Market: By Process (%)Figure 3 Robotic Process Automation Market: By Operations (%)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 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
Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market by Software Applications, by Hardware Type, and by Service Type  Forecast to 2022

Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market by Software Applications, by Hardware Type, and by Service Type  Forecast to 2022

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ReportsMonitor.com has added Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market Research Report 2017.The research article entitled Auto Catalysts Market offers very useful reviews into the generic market trends and also the features that propel this Universal market place. This sector analyse deeply covers the main features of the Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market about the Industry structure including landscaping plan, the issues, require opportunities, including the anticipated industry success.Scope Of The Report:This report focuses on the Auto Catalysts in Asia-Pacific market, especially in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Others. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Top Key manufactures of Auto Catalysts Market are BASF, Johnson Matthey, Umicore, W.R. Grace, Sinopec, Cataler, Haldor Topsoe, Heraeus, CDTI, Weifu Group, Sino-Platinum, Chongqing Hiter, Sinocat.Get Sample PDF of Auto Catalysts Market Report@Auto Catalysts Market Segment by Type covers: Two Way Catalyst, Three Way Catalyst.Auto Catalysts Market Segment by Application covers: Passenger Vehicle, Commercial Vehicle, Motorcycle.The Auto Catalysts Market, presents critical information and factual data about the Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market, providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Auto Catalysts industry.Check Discount on this report@Some points from TOC:1 Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)2 Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20163 Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)4 Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market Competition by Players/Suppliers5 Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)6 Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data7 Auto Catalysts Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 Asia-Pacific Auto Catalysts Market Size (Value and Volume) Forecast (2017-2022)Pre Order Enquiry for Auto Catalysts Market report @All aspects of the Auto Catalysts industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the Asia-Pacific as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Auto Catalysts 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 . 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:
Music Publishing Market Revenue Status , Growth & Forecast 2022

Music Publishing Market

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Global Music Publishing Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Global Music Publishing Market.Get Access to sample pages @Global Music Publishing market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includes Sony Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Music, Fox Music Publishing, Super Cassettes Industries Private Ltd, Kobalt Music Group, Broadcast Music, Disney Music, Avatar Publishing & MPL CommunicationsGlobal Music Publishing (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Major-Type, Independent-Type & Administrator-TypeMarket Segment by Type 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022Major-Type xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Independent-Type xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Administrator-Type xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%The research study is segmented by Application such as Commercial, Commonweal & Other with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Global Music Publishing (Thousands Units) by Application (2017-2022)Market Segment by Application 2012 2017 2022 Market Share (%)2022 CAGR (%)(2017-2022)Commercial xx xx xx xx% xx%Commonweal xx xx xx xx% xx%Other 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 Music Publishing in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringMarket Segment by Regions 2012 2017 2022 Share (%) CAGR (2017-2022)United States xx xx xx xx% xx%EU xx xx xx xx% xx%Japan xx xx xx xx% xx%China xx xx xx xx% xx%India xx xx xx xx% xx%Southeast Asia xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx xx% xx%This independent 97 page research with title Global Music Publishing Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 covers geographic analysis that includes regions/countries like United States, EU, Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia and important players/vendors such as Sony Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Music, Fox Music Publishing, Super Cassettes Industries Private Ltd, Kobalt Music Group, Broadcast Music, Disney Music, Avatar Publishing & MPL Communications. With n-number of tables and figures examining the Music Publishing , the research gives you a perfect visual, products, submarkets and market leaders revenue forecasts as well as analysis to 2022Each player highlighted in the research study contains companies Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors, in-depth business overview, geographic footprint and contact information. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to SWOT Analysis.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @This study is the collection of primary and secondary data including valuable information from major vendors in the market and the projections are derived on data from 2012 to current date and projected forecasts till 2022 which makes the research study a valuable resource for industry personnel, and other people looking for key industry related data in readily accessible documents with easy to analyze graphs and tables. The report is a perfect answer to future development roadmap of Music Publishing based on ongoing outlook to assist industry player understand the development journey of Music Publishing Market.Key questions answered in this report - Global Music Publishing Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate beWhat are the key market trendsWhat is driving Global Music Publishing marketWhat are the challenges to market growthWho are the key vendors in Global Music Publishing market spaceBuy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Music Publishing market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Music Publishing , Applications of Music Publishing , Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, EU, Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia, Music Publishing Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Music Publishing Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of ;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Major-Type, Independent-Type & Administrator-Type], Market Trend by Application [Commercial, Commonweal & Other];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of ;Chapter 12, to describe Music Publishing Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Music Publishing 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.Connect with us atHTF 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
Automatic Gate Opening System Market to Record an Exponential CAGR by 2026

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With the increasing need for automation in industrial and residential sectors automating gates has become one of the primarily concerns for end-users. Also increasing urbanization and infrastructural development such as shopping malls, hyper & super markets has also led to increase in the demand for automated equipments in order to reduce the overall labor cost. Automatic gate opening systems can be defined as gate integrated with electronic components such as proximity sensors, actuators and controlling software primarily to reduce human effort in opening and closing of gates. These systems are primarily used in traffic areas where opening and closing frequency of gate is high such as shopping malls, theaters, industrial warehouses and electronic toll collection systems.Request For Report Sample:Automatic Gate Opening System Market DynamicsIncreasing need for automation in industries combined with technological advancements in automatic gate opening systems is primarily increasing their adoption in industrial and commercial applications. Also road infrastructure development resulting in increased road transportation with the improvement in connectivity between cities and towns is also driving the growth of global automatic gate opening systems market.Key players are integrating secondary components such as counters and tire killer in automatic gate opening systems providing additional applications which in turn is likely to increase their adoption over the forecast period.High installation cost combined with high operating maintenance cost resulting in long payback period is primarily restraining the growth of global automatic gate opening systems market.Automatic Gate Opening System: SegmentationOn the basis of the access control systems, Automatic Gate Opening System Market can be segmented as:Keypad systemRemote control systemVoice recognition systemFace identification camera systemFingerprint Identification systemIris scan systemTelephone access systemProximity sensor systemCard Tag systemOn the basis of forms of gates, Automatic Gate Opening System Market can be segmented as:Swinging gatesSliding gatesShutter systemBoom barriersBollardsOn the basis of Power Source, Automatic Gate Opening System Market can be segmented as:Primary Power SourceSecondary Power SourceOn the basis of End Users, Automatic Gate Opening System Market can be segmented as:ResidentialTransportation HubsMilitaryIndustriesRetailsAutomatic Gate Opening System: Regional OutlookGlobal Automatic Gate opening systems market is segmented into seven key regions namely North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, APEJ, MEA and Japan. By region, APEJ market is expected to represent a significant CAGR primarily due to increasing infrastructure development. Increase in the number of vehicles owing to increase in consumer spending is primarily driving the growth of Automatic Gate Opening Systems market in North America.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Automatic Gate Opening System Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players in the Global Automatic Gate Opening Systems Market areCame UKRIB S.R.L.Aleko ProductsKing Gates S.R.L.Katres AutomationProteco S.R.L.Newturn Automation Pvt. Ltd.FAAC GroupSomfy SALife Home IntegrationABA Automatic Gates & DoorsNevosys Smart Home SystemsBeninca GroupNortek Inc.SOMMER Antriebs- und Funktechnik GmbHQuiko Opening SolutionsNice S.p.A.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
World Motor Insurance market industry, share, sales, revenue, consumption and growth rate 2017

Motor Insurance Market Industry

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Motor Insurance MarketSummary:Global Motor Insurance industry profile provides top-line qualitative and quantitative summary information including: market size (value 2012-16, and forecast to 2021). The profile also contains descriptions of the leading players including key financial metrics and analysis of competitive pressures within the market.SynopsisEssential resource for top-line data and analysis covering the Global motor insurance market. Includes market size and segmentation data, textual and graphical analysis of market growth trends, leading companies and macroeconomic information.Key HighlightsThe performance of the motor insurance market is strongly linked to the new cars market, with a spike in new car registrations globally in 2016 being reflected by acceleration in the motor insurance market value in the same year.Request a sample copy of Motor Insurance market report@Scope- Save time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the size, growth, major segments, and leading players in the motor insurance market in the global- Use the Five Forces analysis to determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of the globalmotor insurance market- Leading company profiles reveal details of key motor insurance market players global operations and financial performance- Add weight to presentations and pitches by understanding the future growth prospects of the Global motor insurance market with five year forecastsReasons to buy- What was the size of the Global motor insurance market by value in 2016?- What will be the size of the Global motor insurance market in 2021?- What factors are affecting the strength of competition in the Global motor insurance market?- How has the market performed over the last five years?- What are the main segments that make up the global's motor insurance market?Make an Enquiry of Motor Insurance market report@Table of ContentsExecutive SummaryMarket valueMarket value forecastCategory segmentationGeography segmentationMarket rivalryMarket OverviewMarket definitionMarket analysisMarket DataMarket valueMarket SegmentationCategory segmentationGeography segmentationMarket OutlookMarket value forecastFive Forces AnalysisSummaryBuyer powerSupplier powerNew entrantsThreat of substitutesDegree of rivalryLeading CompaniesContinued...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.Complete Report of Motor Insurance Market with TOC@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.Contact usJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Catalyst Market Size, Industry Analysis & Forecast Report 2017

Catalyst Market Size, Industry Analysis & Forecast Report 2017

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ReportsMonitor.com has added Asia-Pacific Catalyst Market Research Report 2017.The research article entitled Catalyst Market offers very useful reviews into the generic market trends and also the features that propel this Universal market place. This sector analyse deeply covers the main features of the Asia-Pacific Catalyst Market about the Industry structure including landscaping plan, the issues, require opportunities, including the anticipated industry success.Scope Of The Report:This report focuses on the Catalyst in Asia-Pacific market, especially in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Others. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Top Key manufactures of Catalyst Market are BASF SE, Dow Chemical, Evonik Industries, Akzo Nobel, Honeywell, Solvay S.A, Tokyo Chemical, Solvionic SA, Sinopec, Clariant, INTERCAT, Engelhard, Axens S.A, Johnson Matthey.Get Sample PDF of Catalyst Market Report@Catalyst Market Segment by Type covers: by State, Solid, Liquid, by Chemicals Type, Organic Catalyst, Inorganic Catalyst.Catalyst Market Segment by Application covers: Oil and Gas, Mining, Chemical Process, Agriculture, Other.The Catalyst Market, presents critical information and factual data about the Asia-Pacific Catalyst Market, providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread Asia-Pacific Catalyst opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Catalyst industry.Check Discount on this report@Some points from TOC:1 Asia-Pacific Catalyst Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)2 Asia-Pacific Catalyst Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20163 Asia-Pacific Catalyst Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)4 Asia-Pacific Catalyst Market Competition by Players/Suppliers5 Asia-Pacific Catalyst Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)6 Asia-Pacific Catalyst Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data7 Catalyst Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 Asia-Pacific Catalyst Market Size (Value and Volume) Forecast (2017-2022)Pre Order Enquiry for Catalyst Market report @All aspects of the Catalyst industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the Asia-Pacific as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Catalyst 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 . 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:
Smart Speakers Market Analysis, Size, Share, Growth and Trends by Forecast to 2022

Smart Speakers Market

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Market Highlights:Smart Speakers is type of speakers which is equipped with advance communication technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC and can be operated from any smart device such as smartphone, laptop and tablets. These speakers are similar in nature with a traditional speaker but provide different benefits which traditional speakers are not able to provide.The global smart speakers market is expected to reach at USD ~9 billion with ~36% of compound annual growth rate.The key drivers contributing to the growth of the global smart speakers market are rise in number of smart homes, increasing wireless streaming of audio content, speakers run on batteries, high durability, hassle free maintenance and high preference for wireless technology. The restraining factors towards the growth of the market are range, power and compatibility. The increase in number of smart homes driving the global Smart Speakers Market.There are various features such as compatibility with number of services and platforms, peer-to-peer connection through mesh networking, intelligent personal assistants among others are giving positive contribution in the market growth.Request a Sample Report @Major Key Players: Beats Electronics (U.S.) Bose Corporation (U.S.) Samsung Electronics Limited (Korea) Harman (U.S.) LG Electronics (South Korea) Altec Lansing (U.S.) Avnera Corporation (U.S.) Panasonic (Japan) D&M Holdings, Inc (Japan) Sharp Corporation (Japan)Study Objectives of Global Smart Speakers Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the global smart speakers market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the global smart speakers market based 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 product type, technology, application and region. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market.Intended Audience: Smart Speakers Manufacturers Smart Speakers Distributors Research/Consultancy firms Vendors from various verticals such as Bose, Harman, Samsung among others OEMs Semiconductor Manufacturers StakeholdersSegments:The Global Smart Speakers Market has been segmented on the basis of product type, connectivity, application and region. By product type, the market has been bifurcated into single-speakers, double-speakers and multi-speaker. On the basis of connectivity, the market has been segmented into- Wi-Fi enabled speakers, Bluetooth enabled speakers, NFC enabled speakers among others. On the basis of application, the market includes- personal use and commercial use.Regional Analysis:North America is dominating the market of smart speakers in where U.S. accounted for the largest market share due to various factors such as rise in smart homes market, high per capita income, changing lifestyle and high preference for wireless technology in the region. For instance, Amazon Echo smart speakers outpaced other speakers in the U.S. due to changing lifestyle and increasing disposable income.Asian countries, especially Japan and Korea are growing at a fast pace majorly due to high demand for consumer electronics, high growth rate of the countries and the advancement in the IT industry. According to MRFR analysis, the consumption of smart electronics has increased in these countries over the last few years and companies have been investing billions of dollars into research & development sectors which are driving the growth of the global smart speakers market.Access Report Details @Market Research Analysis:The global smart speakers market is expected to grow significantly. In North America, U.S. is estimated to account for the largest market share majorly due to rise in smart homes, high per capita income, changing lifestyle and technological advancement. Asian countries, especially Japan and Korea are growing at a fast pace majorly due to high demand for consumer electronic products and rise in GDP. The Asian countries are expected to grow fast over the forecast period.U.S. accounts for the largest market share in North America, majorly due to increase in number of smart homes, rising disposable income, changing lifestyle and government policies. Also, Asian countries such as Japan and Korea are expected to grow at a fast pace, majorly due to advancement in the IT industry and investments in research & development sector.Table of Contents1. 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 ModelContinued.List of TablesTable 1 Global Smart Speakers Market, By Product TypeTable 2 Global Smart Speakers Market, By ApplicationContinued.List of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Global Smart Speakers Market: By Product Type (%)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:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: Growing Demand and New Technology Research, 2016 - 2030

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: Growing Demand and New Technology Research, 2016 - 2030" to its huge collection of research reports.Due to the bandwidth limitations of their traditional voice-centric LMR (Land Mobile Radio) networks, public safety agencies are keen to leverage commercial cellular network technology to support their growing broadband application needs. Considering its thriving ecosystem, spectrum flexibility and performance metrics, LTE has emerged as the leading candidate for public safety mobile broadband networks. In addition, with the recent approval of the MCPTT (Mission Critical Push to Talk) voice standard as part of 3GPP Release 13, LTE has also become an attractive substitute for providing LMR-like voice services.The Qatar Ministry of Interior made headlines when it deployed a private 800 MHz LTE network in 2012. Since then, numerous public safety LTE networks have sprung up across the globe, including the UAE, China, Laos, Turkey and Kenya. Several early adopter LTE deployments are also operational in the United States, as part of the planned FirstNet nationwide public safety broadband network. While most initial public safety LTE investments are limited to small-scale networks, nationwide rollouts in the United States and South Korea are expected to trigger significant large-scale investments throughout the globe.The European market is largely dominated by MVNO arrangements, such as the UK Home Offices ESN (Emergency Services Network) program that will use EEs commercial LTE network to deliver prioritized mission critical voice and data services for the UKs public safety agencies. As part of the program, EE is enhancing its existing network with additional sites, satellite backhaul and a dedicated mobile core for first responders, among other investments.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Driven by the thriving ecosystem, SNS Research estimates that annual investments on public safety LTE infrastructure will reach $600 Million by the end of 2016. The market, which includes base stations (eNBs), mobile core and transport networking gear, is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over the next four years. By 2020, these infrastructure investments will be complemented by over 4.4 Million LTE device shipments, including smartphones, rugged handheld terminals and vehicular routers.The Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: 2016  2030  Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of the global public safety LTE market, besides touching upon the wider LMR and mobile broadband industries. In addition to covering the business case, challenges, technology, spectrum allocation, industry roadmap, value chain, deployment case studies, vendor products, strategies, standardization initiatives and applications ecosystem for public safety LTE, the report also presents comprehensive forecasts for mobile broadband, LMR and public safety LTE subscriptions from 2016 till 2030. Also covered are public safety LTE service revenues, over both private and commercial networks. In addition, the report presents revenue forecasts for public safety LTE infrastructure, devices, integration services and management solutions.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report, as well as a list and associated details of over 90 global public safety LTE network commitments (as of Q22016).Browse TOC @Key Findings:The report has the following key findings:SNS Research estimates that annual investments on public safety LTE infrastructure will reach $600 Million by the end of 2016. The market, which includes base stations (eNBs), mobile core and transport networking gear, is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over the next four years.By 2020, these infrastructure investments will be complemented by over 4.4 Million LTE device shipments, including smartphones, rugged handheld terminals and vehicular routers.Following the Qatar Ministry of Interiors private 800 MHz LTE network deployment in 2012, multiple private LTE rollouts are underway by security forces throughout the oil rich GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region, including the Abu Dhabi and Dubai police forces.Driven by nationwide public safety LTE network rollouts in the United States and South Korea, the North America and Asia Pacific regions will account for nearly 70% of all public safety LTE investments over the next four years.Almost all major LMR industry players are leveraging partnerships with established LTE infrastructure OEMs such as Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei and Samsung, to offer end-to-end LTE solutions.Consolidation efforts are continuing to take place throughout the industry, particularly among the largest LTE infrastructure OEMs and public safety system integrators.Topics Covered:The report covers the following topics:Business case for public safety LTE and mobile broadband services, including key benefits and challengesTechnology, economics, trends, commercial commitments and deployment case studiesList of public safety LTE engagements worldwidePublic safety LTE infrastructure, devices and applicationsIndustry roadmap, value chain and standardization initiativesSpectrum allocation, deployment models and funding strategiesProfiles and strategies of over 260 ecosystem players including public safety system integrators and LTE infrastructure/device OEMsTCO analysis of private and commercial public safety LTE deploymentsMilitary and tactical LTE deploymentsPublic safety LTE base station (eNB) form factor analysisExclusive interview transcripts from 5 key ecosystem players: Ericsson, Airbus Defence and Space, Sepura, Aricent and Parallel WirelessStrategic recommendations for vendors, system integrators, public safety agencies and mobile operatorsMarket analysis and forecasts from 2016 till 2030Forecast Segmentation:Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:Public Safety LTE InfrastructureSubmarketsRAN (Radio Access Network)EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and PolicyMobile Backhaul and TransportRAN Base Station (eNB) Mobility CategoriesFixed Base StationsTransportable Base StationsRAN Base Station (eNB) Cell Size CategoriesMacrocellsSmall CellsTransportable RAN Base Station (eNB) Form Factor CategoriesNIB (Network-in-a-Box)VNS (Vehicle Network System)SOW (System-on-Wheels)Airborne PlatformPublic Safety LTE Management & Integration SolutionsSubmarketsNetwork Integration & TestingDevice Management & User ServicesManaged Services, Operations & MaintenanceCybersecurityPublic Safety LTE DevicesSubmarketsPrivate LTECommercial LTEForm Factor CategoriesSmartphones & Handportable TerminalsVehicle Mount Routers & TerminalsTablets & Notebook PCsUSB Dongles & OthersPublic Safety LTE Subscriptions & Service RevenueSubmarketsPrivate LTECommercial LTEPublic Safety User Subscriptions over Private Mobile BroadbandSubmarketsPrivate LTEPrivate WiMAXPublic Safety User Subscriptions over Commercial Mobile BroadbandSubmarkets3GWiMAXLTE5G & BeyondLMR SubscriptionsSubmarketsAnalogDMRdPMR, NXDN & PDTP25TETRATetrapolOthersLMR Data SubscriptionsSubmarketsP25 - Phase 1P25 - Phase 2TETRATEDSTetrapolOthersPublic Safety LTE ApplicationsSubmarketsVideo ApplicationszGIS, AVLS and MappingMobile VPN Access & SecurityCAD (Computer Aided Dispatching)Remote Database AccessTelemetry and Remote DiagnosticsBulk Multimedia/Data TransfersPTT & Voice over LTESituational Awareness ApplicationsRegional SegmentationAsia PacificEastern EuropeLatin & Central AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern EuropeKey Questions Answered:The report provides answers to the following key questions:How big is the public safety LTE opportunity?What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?How is the ecosystem evolving by segment and region?What will the market size be in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?Which regions and submarkets will see the highest percentage of growth?How does standardization impact the adoption of LTE for public safety applications?When will MCPTT and proximity services see large scale proliferation?What is the status of private LTE rollouts and public safety MVNO offerings across the globe?What opportunities exist for commercial mobile operators and MVNOs in the public safety LTE market?Is there a market for 400 MHz LTE networks?What are the prospects of tactical, vehicle-mounted and airborne LTE eNB platforms?How can public safety agencies leverage unused spectrum resources to fund private LTE networks?What strategies should system integrators and vendors adopt to remain competitive?List of Companies Mentioned:The following companies and organizations have been reviewed, discussed or mentioned in the report:3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project)AaeonAbu Dhabi PoliceAccelleranAceAxisACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority)AculabAdaxADCOM911 (Adams County Communication Center)ADRF (Advanced RF Technologies)AdvantechAdvantech WirelessAbout 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 @
Alpha Methyl Styrene Market to Witness Exponential Growth by 2026

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Alpha Methyl Styrene (CAS No:98-83-9) is an organic compound with a molecular formula C6H5C(CH3)CH2. It is also referred to as Isopropenyl benzene. This clear colourless organic compound is characterized by a sharp odour. The chemical is obtained by partial oxidation of cumene, it is a by-product of cumene-phenol process wherein phenol and acetone are synthesized from benzene. The global capacity for production of alpha methyl styrene is closely ties to the overall global phenol manufacturing capacity. Alpha methyl styrene finds a variety of applications across a diverse set of industries including plastics, adhesives, and chemicals among others. In plastics industry, alpha methyl styrene is used in manufacture of resins such as ABS  Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. Alpha methyl styrene, when used in manufacture of ABS resin, imparts a relatively higher heat stability so also relatively higher impact strength to the resin as compared to that obtained by use of styrene. Moreover, alpha methyl styrene also finds application as a plastic additive. Besides, alpha methyl styrene also finds application in lubricating oils, perfumes, plasticizers manufacture among the othersRequest For Report Sample:Alpha Methyl Styrene Market: Drivers & RestraintsGlobal Alpha Methyl Styrene market is expected to witness a steady single digit growth during the forecast period. Growth in consumption of Alpha Methyl Styrene is expected to be driven, especially, by increasing demand from developing economies such as China, India. Alpha methyl styrene is predominantly used in manufacture of ABS resin, as such increasing demand for the same from end use industries is expected to in turn drive the growth of global alpha methyl styrene market during the forecast period. Also, the growing demand from chemicals industry, where alpha methyl styrene is used as an intermediate, is expected to drive the growth of global Alpha Methyl Styrene market during the forecast period. However, relatively weaker economic growth in major markets across the globe during forecast period is likely to impede the growth of global Alpha Methyl Styrene market in the same period.Alpha Methyl Styrene Market: SegmentationOn the basis of applications of alpha methyl styrene, global Alpha Methyl Styrene market can be segmented into following key market segments:ABS manufacturePlastic AdditiveAdhesivesChemical IntermediateOthersAmong the above indicated application based segments, ABS manufacture segment is expected to account for a prominent share in overall alpha methyl styrene market volume during the forecast period.Alpha Methyl Styrene Market: Region-wise OutlookOn the basis of geographic regions, the global Alpha Methyl Styrene market is segmented into seven key market segments namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Among these, Asia Pacific region accounted for a major share in overall global Alpha Methyl Styrene consumption in 2014. APAC region is expected to witness a steady growth in its consumption during the forecast period.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Alpha Methyl Styrene Market: Key PlayersSome of the key major players operating in the global Alpha Methyl Styrene market are as follows:Solvay S.A. (Rhodia)INEOSUnited Petrochemical CompanyHoneywell International Inc.SI GroupAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Parenteral Nutrition Market Propelled by Growing Prevalence of Chronic Diseases, to Reach US$ 6.9 Billion by 2023

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According to a research report released by Transparency Market Research, the global parenteral nutrition market is experiencing a CAGR of 5.7% within a forecast period ranging from 2015 to 2023. This market is expected to be valued at US$6.9 bn in 2023. As per the data provided by the leading market intelligence firm, the global parenteral nutrition market was recorded at US$4.1 bn in 2014 and is currently influenced by a number of factors. These are the findings of a latest research report, titled Parenteral Nutrition Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023.Read Report Overview @As stated in the report, the global parenteral nutrition market is currently being driven by a growing count of patients that are suffering from chronic diseases. These include GI disorders, renal disorders and renal failure, Crohns disease, ischemic bowel disease, short bowel syndrome, and various types of cancers.The report cites a study published by the WHO, in which it is stated there were 14 mn new cases of cancer in 2012. Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity across the world, and is expected to continue growing in prevalence. The number of cancer cases are expected to see a sharp increase of 70% between 2025 and 2035, thereby becoming a leading factor pushing for the growth and development of the global parenteral nutrition market.Request Sample Report @The report divides the global parenteral nutrition market on the basis of nutrient type, into vitamins and minerals, trace elements, single dose amino acid solutions, parenteral lipid emulsion, and carbohydrates. The leading segment in the market in 2014 was single dose amino acids, owing to the high approval rates of novel amino-acid-based parenteral products. The segment of carbohydrates, which occupied over 23% of the market at the time, is particularly driven by the growing usage of parenteral nutrition for premature babies.The fastest growth rate is currently attributed to the segment of parenteral lipid emulsion, owing to a rapidly growing demand for this potentially high nutritional drug delivery segment.Request Parenteral Nutrition Market Report Brochure @The global parenteral nutrition market is also divided based on region, into the major locations of North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the MEA. According to the report, nearly 68% of the market was occupied by North America and Europe in 2014. Both regions showed a growth in the market due to the high rate of chronic disease, the growth in geriatric population, and the rapid approval of new parenteral formulations. On the other hand, Africa and the Middle East showed the lowest revenue and growth rate in the global parenteral nutrition market, owing to lack of adequate healthcare facilities and a shortage of parenteral nutrition products.The key players in the global parenteral nutrition market, as stated in the report, include Claris LifeSciences Limited, Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Baxter International, Inc., Grifols S.A., B. Braun Melsungen AG, and Hospira, Inc.Buy Full Parenteral Nutrition Market Report @About TMRTransparency 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Food Delivery Mobile Application Global Market 2017: Key Players  Apple, CA, Cognizant, Google, IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation

Food Delivery Mobile Application Market

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Food Delivery Mobile Application Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Food Delivery Mobile Application Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report studies the global Food Delivery Mobile Application market, analyzes and researches the Food Delivery Mobile Application development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia.This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeApple Inc.CA, Inc.CognizantGoogle Inc.IBM CorporationMendixMicrosoft CorporationRed Hat, Inc.SAP SEZoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd.Request a Sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Food Delivery Mobile Application can be split intoAndroidiOSOthersMarket segment by Application, Food Delivery Mobile Application can be split intoFood Delivery Market PlaceRestaurants and OthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Food Delivery Mobile Application Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Food Delivery Mobile Application1.1 Food Delivery Mobile Application Market Overview1.1.1 Food Delivery Mobile Application Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Food Delivery Mobile Application Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Food Delivery Mobile Application Market by Type1.3.1 Android1.3.2 iOS1.3.3 Others1.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Food Delivery Market Place1.4.2 Restaurants and Others2 Global Food Delivery Mobile Application Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Food Delivery Mobile Application 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 Apple Inc.3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 CA, Inc.3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Cognizant3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Google Inc.3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 IBM Corporation3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Mendix3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Microsoft Corporation3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Red Hat, Inc.3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 SAP SE3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd.3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Food Delivery Mobile Application Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent DevelopmentsContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Two-wheeler Lighting Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking: Global Review 2017 to 2022

Two-wheeler Lighting- FactMR

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Lighting plays an extremely important role in automotive safety as it alerts the rider to the presence, size, and position of other vehicles, pedestrians, and obstructions. This is especially important in the case of two-wheelers as it can mean the difference between life and death. The future of the two-wheeler lighting market looks very bright indeed as manufacturers are experimenting with various new technologies that improve the light output while simultaneously reducing energy consumption. The two-wheeler lighting market is also poised to benefit from discerning customers that seek the perfect balance between form and functionality.According to Fact.MR, the two-wheeler lighting market is anticipated to grow to a value of approx. US$ 440 million by 2022  recording a modest CAGR of 2.8%.Request Free Sample Report-5 Takeaways from Fact.MR's Report on Two-wheeler Lighting MarketThe 12V segment is estimated to account for a revenue share of more than 3/5thof the two-wheeler lighting market by volts segment in 2017. A value of just under US$ 1.4 billion at the end of the forecast period makes it far more attractive than its 14V counterpart. Europe alone represents a quarter of the regional contribution and is expected to remain a lucrative market. The 14V segment on the other hand, is much smaller by comparison. However, companies would be advised to target APEJ over Europe in the 14V segment of the two-wheeler lighting market as the former is likely to outpace the latter at the end of 2022.The motorcycle segment comprises a quarter of the revenue share in the two-wheeler lighting market by vehicle type in 2017 and it projected to become more prominent in the days ahead. This is because the motorcycle segment caters to a diverse set of use-cases  luxury, economical, as well as sporty. While Europe is currently the largest region in terms of motorcycle sales, APEJ will record a much higher CAGR of 4.3% which will allow it be neck-and-neck with Europe by the end of the forecast period.A market opportunity exceeding half a billion dollars is enough to make key stakeholders in the two-wheeler lighting market look very closely at the moped segment. Mopeds are desired for their comfort, convenience, and ease of use and are particularly well-suited to teenagers, women, and senior citizens. Companies are advised to design stylish rear indicators, front indicators, side indicators, headlamps and tail lamps as moped customers desire the perfect combination of form coupled with functionality. The APEJ region can be considered a critical market for mopeds as the continent has a much larger younger population as compared to Europe and North America and these customers would be well-served by mopeds.Scooters contribute approx. half the revenue share in the two-wheeler lighting market in 2017 and companies are recommended to focus their attention on either Europe or APEJ as both these strategic regions are poised to exceed US$ 255 million by the end of the study. However, the CAGR of APEJ is nearly double that of Europe, making it a far more exciting prospect.The aftermarket channel is several times larger than the OEM channel in the two-wheeler lighting market and it would be understandable if companies decided to target it exclusively at the cost of OEM channels. A market opportunity of almost US$ 1.4 billion in 2022 is big enough for all companies to not only sustain, but thrive.Browse Full Report with TOC-The two-wheeler lighting market report has profiled leading companies in the two-wheeler lighting market. These are Koninklijke Philips N.V, Ichikoh Industries, Valeo SA, Stanley Electric, OSRAM GmbH, Magneti Marelli, Koito Manufacturing, Hyundai Mobis, General Electric, and HELLA KGaA Hueck.Check Discount-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Celebrating excellence in legal IT: Winners of the first ever British Legal Technology Awards announced

Insurance specialists, global law firms and AI solutions vendors were among the winners of the first ever British Legal Technology Awards (BTLA), organised by Netlaw Media. The winners of these prestigious new awards were announced last night (Wednesday 15 November) at a glittering ceremony, held at the Plaisterers Hall in central London. The event, hosted by comedian Marcus Brigstocke, was attended by almost 300 dignitaries and shortlisted candidates from the world of legal IT and security.The announcement of the BLTA winners followed a rigorous vetting process, undertaken over several months, overseen by a 12-strong expert judging panel. Between them, members of the judging panel have more than 150 years experience in legal technology, both as suppliers and consumers.Two groups of award winners were announced at last nights Plaisterers Hall ceremony  one for UK and EU law firms, barristers chambers and in-house legal teams, and the other for legal IT vendors and consultants. The award winners were as follows:Categories for Legal Services ProvidersTechnology Venture of the Year - sponsored by CenturyLinkWinner: Keoghs LLPLegal Technology Team of the Year - Sponsored by InfoTrackWinner: Keoghs LLPExcellence in IT Security - Sponsored by SaltDNAWinner: DAC BeachcroftLeader of the Year - Sponsored by RicohWinner: Sayid Hussein, Head of IT (UK and Middle East), Dentonscontinues over..continuedCategories for Legal IT SuppliersInnovation in Legal Services - Sponsored by CenturyLinkWinner: slicedbreadNew IT Product of the YearWinner: LuminanceIT Security Provider of the YearWinner: iManageSupplier of the Year  Large EnterpriseWinner: AnyData SolutionsSupplier of the Year  Small & Medium EnterpriseWinner: TikitThe BLTA judging panel also bestowed a lifetime achievement award on Professor Richard Susskind, in recognition of his decades-long role in shaping and driving the use of technology within the legal sector. Professor Susskinds trophy was collected on his behalf by legal IT consultant Janet Day.Closing the events proceedings, Jacqueline de Rojas, president of techUK, said the BLTA ceremony has offered us the opportunity to pay tribute to the invaluable contribution of innovative technology within the legal sector, as well as recognising the proactive and driven teams and leaders that are driving processes forwards.Ms de Rojas comments were echoed by Netlaw Media UK and EMEA Managing Director Frances Armstrong, whose company organised the BLTAs. Since we announced the BLTAs in June, its been fascinating to uncover the sheer scale of innovation that is now taking place in the UK and EU legal sectors, driven by legal practices and solutions providers alike, she said. Netlaw Media is delighted to have helped showcase and celebrate the role that technology can play in transforming the UK and European legal professions.About The British Legal Technology Awards 2017Nominations for the first ever British Legal Technology Awards opened in June this year. A shortlist of finalists was announced at the combined London Law Expo / European Legal Security Forum. This sell-out event, attended by more than 2,000 visitors, took place on 10 October 2017 at the Old Billingsgate in Central London.The 12-strong BLTA judging panel was chaired by techUK president Jacqueline de Rojas. The panel also included IT heads from several international law firms, professors and consultants who specialise in the legal sector, and representatives from the legal IT vendor and consultancy community.The British Legal Technology Awards ceremony was the 19th event organised by Netlaw Media since the company was formed in 2008.Netlaw Media is a UK based legal media and events organisation providing world-class media, websites, events, exhibitions, conferences and training programs to the UK, European and Global legal sectors.Legal Events, Exhibitions & Conferences:With a record of selling out its last seventeen major law events, Netlaw Media specialises in staging Europes largest law events. As a leader within the legal events market, Netlaw Media events are renowned for integrating a formulated blend of strategy, case studies, interactive workshops and open discussions, to offer legal professionals a leading edge in a constantly evolving and demanding marketplace.Netlaw MediaNO.4 First FloorSteeple House, Church LaneChelmsfordEssexCM1 1NH
Commodity Plastics Market to See Strong Growth and Business Scope from 2017 to 2022

Commodity Plastics Market to See Strong Growth and Business Scope from 2017 to 2022

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ReportsMonitor.com has added Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Market Research Report 2017.The research article entitled Commodity Plastics Market offers very useful reviews into the generic market trends and also the features that propel this Universal market place. This sector analyse deeply covers the main features of the Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Market about the Industry structure including landscaping plan, the issues, require opportunities, including the anticipated industry success.Scope Of The Report:This report focuses on the Commodity Plastics in Asia-Pacific market, especially in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Others. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Top Key manufactures of Commodity Plastics Market are DuPont, BASF, Sumitomo Chemical, Exxon Mobil, China Petrochemical Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, LG Chem, SABIC, Royal DSM, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, Formosa Plastics, Borealis, INEOS, National Petrochemical Company, NOVA Chemicals, Versalis, Reliance Industries Limited.Get Sample PDF of Commodity Plastics Market Report@Commodity Plastics Market Segment by Type covers: PP, PE, PVC, PS, PET, HDPE.Commodity Plastics Market Segment by Application covers: Packaging, Consumer Goods, Automotives, Electronics, Medical Supplies, Textiles.The Commodity Plastics Market, presents critical information and factual data about the Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Market, providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Commodity Plastics industry.Check Discount on this report@Some points from TOC:1 Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)2 Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20163 Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)4 Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Market Competition by Players/Suppliers5 Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)6 Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data7 Commodity Plastics Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 Asia-Pacific Commodity Plastics Market Size (Value and Volume) Forecast (2017-2022)Pre Order Enquiry for Commodity Plastics Market report @All aspects of the Commodity Plastics industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the Asia-Pacific as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Commodity Plastics 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 . 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:
Consumer Payments Market in the Brazil 2017: What Consumers Want

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A fresh report has been added to the wide database of Market Research Hub (MRH) titled Consumer Payments Market in the Brazil 2017: What Consumers Want which examines the consumer payments market in Brazil, considering payment cards, online payments, P2P payments, and newer payment technologies such as mobile wallets and contactless. The report also examines the main regulatory players overseeing the market.Request Free Sample Report @Despite Brazils economic progress, cash remains the primary payment instrument as much of the population - especially in rural areas - still do not have access to basic financial services. However, payment cards are emerging as a substitute for cash, as the government and banks begin to provide basic financial access to the unbanked. This includes the governments policy for financial inclusion, the expansion of banking infrastructure in rural regions, and the appointment of banking correspondents. According to World Bank statistics, Brazil has made substantial progress in terms of financial inclusion, with the percentage of the population aged 15 or above with a bank account increasing from 64.3% in 2013 to 75.5% in 2017. While the necessary payment infrastructure is in place - with ubiquitous ATMs, and the highest proportion of POS terminals among its regional peers (24.8 POS terminals per 1,000 individuals in 2017) - consumers are gradually becoming more aware of payment card usage and benefits. Furthermore, growth in e-commerce and online transactions, and a shifting preference for contactless payments and mobile wallets, will drive growth in the payment card market at a CAGR of 3.68% in terms of transaction value over the forecast period (2017-21).It provides in-depth analysis of the following -- Analyzes consumer attitudes to financial services by life stage.- Analyzes the major payment card types in terms of both card holding and usage.- Identifies the major competitors in card issuing and how their position in the market has changed over the last five years.- Considers consumer attitudes towards P2P tools, mobile payment tools, and contactless cards, and how companies in Brazil are deploying these tools to meet customer needs.- Explores the online payment market in Brazil by merchant type and payment tool, as well as providing a five-year forecast for the development of the market.Scope- According to World Bank statistics, Brazil has made substantial progress in terms of financial inclusion, with the banked population increasing from 64.3% in 2013 to 75.5% in 2017.- The Brazilian government provides numerous social benefit programs, payments of which are made through cards. A popular benefit scheme is the Bolsa Familia program. Transfers are made to beneficiary families through prepaid cards issued by CEF.- Visa has partnered with mobile payments firm payleven to launch the payleven Visa prepaid card in Brazil. The prepaid card enables merchants, specifically sole traders, to receive the money for transactions processed by the payleven chip-and-PIN card reader directly to their cards.Reasons to buy- Understand the key facts and figures in the consumer payments market in Brazil.- Learn what trends drive consumer behavior at the macro level and plan your strategy accordingly.- Find out what products the major competitors are launching in the market.- Discover consumer sentiments towards various payment tools in the Brazilian market and use this knowledge to inform product design.Browse Full Report with TOC @Table of Content:Market OverviewMegatrendsCard-based PaymentsE-commerce PaymentsAlternative PaymentsPayments Infrastructure & RegulationAppendix.continueEnquire about this report @About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of banking industry research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients and customers.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News at -
Global Quad Flat Package Market 2017: Recent Study Including Growth Factors, Applications, Regional Analysis, Key Players and Forecasts

Quad Flat Package Market Analysis

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HTF MI published a new industry research that focuses on Quad Flat Package market and delivers in-depth market analysis and future prospects of Global Quad Flat Package market. The study covers significant data which makes the research document a handy resource for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people get 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 [RF, Power Management, Multi-chip Modules, Automotive, Internet of Things (loT) & Bluetooth Devices], products type [Thin Quad Flat No-lead Package (TQFN) & Dual Flat No-lead Package (DFN)] and various important geographies like United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea & Taiwan].Get Access to sample pages @The research covers the current market size of the Global Quad Flat Package market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data along with company profile of key players/manufacturers such as NXP, Microchip Technology, Amkor Technology, Lumileds Holding B.V, ASE Group, Broadcom Limited, China Wafer Level CSP & .... The in-depth information by segments of Quad Flat Package 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 Quad Flat Package Market.The study provides company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of key manufacturers of Global Quad Flat Package Market, some of them listed here are NXP, Microchip Technology, Amkor Technology, Lumileds Holding B.V, ASE Group, Broadcom Limited, China Wafer Level CSP & .... 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 Quad Flat Package (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Thin Quad Flat No-lead Package (TQFN) & Dual Flat No-lead Package (DFN). Further the research study is segmented by Application such as RF, Power Management, Multi-chip Modules, Automotive, Internet of Things (loT) & Bluetooth Devices with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Quad Flat Package in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea & Taiwan and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2017 to 2022.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @Key questions answered in this report - Global Quad Flat Package Sales Market Report 2017What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate beWhat are the key market trendsWhat is driving Global Quad Flat Package marketWhat are the challenges to market growthWho are the key vendors in Global Quad Flat Package market space?What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global Quad Flat Package market?What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Global Quad Flat Package market?Buy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Quad Flat Package market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Quad Flat Package , Applications of Quad Flat Package , Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Quad Flat Package , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea & Taiwan, Quad Flat Package Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Quad Flat Package Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of Quad Flat Package ;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Thin Quad Flat No-lead Package (TQFN) & Dual Flat No-lead Package (DFN)], Market Trend by Application [RF, Power Management, Multi-chip Modules, Automotive, Internet of Things (loT) & Bluetooth Devices];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global Quad Flat Package ;Chapter 12, to describe Quad Flat Package Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Quad Flat Package 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.Contact Us:CRAIG FRANCIS (PR & Marketing Manager)sales@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218Connect with us atHTF 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.
Roots Blower Market Analysis, Market Size, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts 2017 to 2022

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A complete overview of the Roots Blower MarketThe Roots Blower Market report introduces the competitive scenario of the significant market players in light of the business revenue, client requests, organization profile; the business strategies utilized as a part of Roots Blower Market advertise which will help the developing business sector portions in settling on fundamental business choices.This report studies Roots Blower in Global market, especially in USA, Europe, Japan, China, India, South East Asia with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions and forecast to 2022.Ask for Sample Copy of Roots Blower Market Report @The presence of numerous applications likely to act as the key driving force behind the growth of this market in the near future. Developed regions are anticipated to witness progress in the global Roots Blower market. This market reports also offers dynamic key features of the opportunities that can gear up the demand in the market.A competitive analysis of this global market has also been presented, wherein key market players have been thoroughly reviewed to determine the markets grading. The major players upgrading the global Roots Blower market for the growth of consumers is mentioned in this study. This research report gives a clear image of the global Roots Blower market to the customers so that it can help them understand this market.Roots Blower Market Report focuses on top manufacturers in global market:Gardner Denver, Dresser (GE), Aerzen, Tuthill Corporation, Taiko, Unozawa, ANLET, Ito, Heywel Mechanical , Howden, Zhang Gu, Changsha Blower, B-Tohin Machine, Tianjin Blower, Nantong Hengrong, Haifude Machinery , Sichuan Roots Blower, Mingfeng Machinery, GuangRui Machinery, Greentech International, Shandong Zhangqiu Blower, Tohin MachineRoots Blower Market Report On the basis of product:Two-lobe roots blower, Three-lobe roots blower, Four-lobe roots blowerRoots Blower Market Report by Application:Chemical Industry, Cement Industry, Wastewater Treatment Industry, Steel Industry, Electric Power IndustryThe examination research overall Roots Blower grandstand covers key cash related viewpoints, thing portfolios, association graph, SWOT examination, key headways and improvements, frameworks of key players drew in with the market. The information on the level associations is mined with the help of a strong research process took after at Reports Monitor Market Research which covers the entire demand and supply condition identifying with the assorted areas analyzed already.Table of ContentsChapter 1 About the Roots Blower IndustryChapter 2 World Market Competition LandscapeChapter 3 World Roots Blower Market shareChapter 4 Supply Chain Analysis4.1 Industry Supply chain Analysis4.2 Raw material Market Analysis4.2.1 Raw material Prices Analysis 2012-20174.2.2 Raw material Supply Market AnalysisContinuedBrowse Full Report of Roots Blower with Table of Contents @About 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 Image Sensor Market Share will Increase US$ 17.0 Billion By 2020

Global Image Sensor Market

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The worldwide image sensor market is anticipated to exceed USD 17 Billion at a CAGR of 10% during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific has the maximum share of market i.e. more than 35% at a highest CAGR throughout the forecast period. North America and Europe are anticipated to show healthy growth.Browse Full Report:The global image sensors market by technology is segmented as CCD, CMOS and CIS. According to its applications the market is further segmented in to consumer electronics, automotive, industrial, surveillance, defense & aerospace, medical and other applications. The market segments in terms of geographical regions include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World(ROW).The Image Sensors Market has been segmented as below:by Technology CCD CMOS CISby Application Consumer Electronics Automotive Defense & Aerospace Industrial Medical Surveillance Othersby Geography North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the World (ROW)This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for image sensors and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for image sensors market.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.Request Sample Report:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of image sensors with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.Table of Contents1 INTRODUCTION2 Research Methodology3 Executive Summary4 Premium Insights5 Market Overview5.1 Introduction5.2 Evolution5.3 Market Segmentation5.3.1 By Technology5.3.2 By Specification5.3.3 By Application5.3.4 By Geography5.4 Market Dynamics5.4.1 Drivers5.4.1.1 Low-Cost Availability of CMOS Image Sensors Implemented in Mobile Devices5.4.1.2 Automotive Sector is Expected to Boost the Demand For Image Sensor5.4.1.3 Mobile Devices With Dual Camera Feature Have Doubled the Shipment Volumes, Increasing the Demand For Image Sensor5.4.1.4 The Growing Usage of Webcams in Tablets and Laptops has Boosted the Demand For Image Sensors5.4.2 Restraints5.4.2.1 Declining Demand For Still Camera5.4.2.2 High Manufacturing Cost5.4.3 Opportunities5.4.3.1 Increasing Scope of Image Sensor in Body-Worn Camera Application5.4.3.2 Growing Opportunities in Self-Driving Car5.4.3.3 Applications in Gesture Recognition/Control Vertical5.4.4 Challenges5.4.4.1 Diminishing CCD Technology Market Would Pose A Challenge to Oems6 Industry Trends7 Market, By Technology8 Market, By Specification9 Market, By Application10 Market, By Region11 Competitive Landscape12 Company Profiles12.1 Introduction12.2 Omnivision Technologies Inc.12.3 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd12.4 Sharp Corporation12.5 SK Hynix Inc.12.6 Sony Corporation12.7 E2V Technologies PLC.12.8 Panasonic Corporation12.9 CMOSis N.V.12.10 Galaxycore Inc.12.11 On Semiconductor Corporation12.12 Teledyne Technologies, Inc.12.13 Toshiba CorporationAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Food Service Market in APAC 2017-2021

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The latest industry research report on Food Service by MRC provides a thorough analysis of the Food Service 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 Food Service 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.Technavio Announces the Publication of its Research Report  Food Service Market in APAC 2017-2021Technavio recognizes the following companies as the key players in the food service market in APAC: McDonalds, Restaurant Brands International, Seven & i Holdings, Starbucks, and Yum China HoldingsOther Prominent Vendors in the market are: Barista Coffee, Coffee Beanery, Coffee Day Enterprises, Dicos, Dominos Pizza, Doutor Coffee Shop, Ediya Coffee, Gloria Jeans Coffees, Jollibee Foods, J.CO DONUTS & COFFEE, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Mad Over Donuts, Mister Donut, MOS Food Services, Mr. Lee, Speciality Restaurants, Subway, Tullys Coffee, and Yum! Brands.Commenting on the report, an analyst from Technavios team said: The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is Rising popularity of cafes. Millennials tend to socialize with their friends, especially in cafes. This trend has led to an increase in the number of specialty coffee shops and cafes. Thereby, strengthening the foodservice market. The increasing disposable incomes in emerging Asian, Eastern European, and Latin American economies and the growing cafe culture are the main factors boosting the popularity of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages like coffee and craft beers among the millennials.According to the report, one of the major drivers for this market is Changing lifestyles and rise in demand for convenient food. Consumers these days are overwhelmed by their lifestyle obligations and have limited time to prepare food. They are, therefore, on the lookout for convenient food. Quick service restaurants provide household consumers and working population with convenience and food of their choice at their doorstep.Get sample copy of this report @Further, the report states that one of the major factors hindering the growth of this market is Fluctuating raw material prices. The major challenge faced by vendors is the fluctuating prices of food commodities, such as meat, grains, sugar, and dairy products, which are vital for the preparation of food served in the quick service restaurants. During the last quarter of 2015, the global sugar prices shot up considerably. The increase in product price affects the consumer purchase decision, which, in turn, affects the market performance of the manufacturer. Raw materials, such as fruits, dairy products, and sugar, used in the making of smoothies, and plastic, aluminum, and paper used in the packaging of the smoothies have volatile prices based on availability.The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.About Food ServiceFoodservice refers to the sale of food and beverages that is prepared out-of-home for immediate consumption either on the premises from where they are purchased or for takeaway and home delivery. The foodservice industry offers its services to cafeterias, hospitals, cafes, pubs, nightclubs, bars, and hotels. Foodservice outlets are one-stop shop for household consumers that deliver foods of consumers' choice right at their doorstep. The working population, being time-pressed to prepare food, demands foods that are ready-to-eat or take very little effort to dish out. This has led to the adoption of a variety of food products from foodservice providers. Furthermore, trends like self-service, family oriented dining, and cafeteria are on the rise.Technavios analysts forecast the food service market in APAC to grow at a CAGR of 4.98% during the period 2017-2021.Check Discount on Report @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the food service market in APAC for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the sales, volume, and value.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEATechnavio's report, Food Service Market in APAC 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 McDonalds Restaurant Brands International Seven & i Holdings Starbucks Yum China HoldingsOther prominent vendors Barista Coffee Coffee Beanery Coffee Day Enterprises Dicos Dominos Pizza Doutor Coffee Shop Ediya Coffee Gloria Jeans Coffees Jollibee Foods J.CO DONUTS & COFFEE Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Mad Over Donuts Mister Donut MOS Food Services Mr. Lee Speciality Restaurants Subway Tullys Coffee Yum! BrandsMarket driver Changing lifestyles and rise in demand for convenient food For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge Fluctuating raw material prices For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Rising popularity of cafes For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What 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?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.Report Details @The 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 Food Service 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.Market ScopeThe research report takes different facets into consideration to scrutinize the Food Service 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)Web :
Dry Film Market Professional Survey Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers 2017

Dry Film Market Professional Survey Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers 2017

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ReportsMonitor.com has added Asia-Pacific Dry Film Market Research Report 2017.The research article entitled Dry Film Market offers very useful reviews into the generic market trends and also the features that propel this Universal market place. This sector analyse deeply covers the main features of the Asia-Pacific Dry Film Market about the Industry structure including landscaping plan, the issues, require opportunities, including the anticipated industry success.Scope Of The Report:This report focuses on the Dry Film in Asia-Pacific market, especially in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Others. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Top Key manufactures of Dry Film Market are Hitachi Chemical (JP), Asahi Kasei (JP), Eternal (TW), KOLON Industries (KR), DuPont (US), Changchun Group (TW), Mitsubishi (JP), Elga Japan (IT), FIRST (CN), EMS (US).Get Sample PDF of Dry Film Market Report@Dry Film Market Segment by Type covers: Thickness ?20?m, Thickness: 21-29?m, Thickness: 30-39?m, Thickness ?40?m.Dry Film Market Segment by Application covers: PCB, Semiconductor Packaging, Other.The Dry Film Market, presents critical information and factual data about the Asia-Pacific Dry Film Market, providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread Asia-Pacific Dry Film opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Dry Film industry.Check Discount on this report@Some points from TOC:1 Asia-Pacific Dry Film Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)2 Asia-Pacific Dry Film Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20163 Asia-Pacific Dry Film Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)4 Asia-Pacific Dry Film Market Competition by Players/Suppliers5 Asia-Pacific Dry Film Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)6 Asia-Pacific Dry Film Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data7 Dry Film Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 Asia-Pacific Dry Film Market Size (Value and Volume) Forecast (2017-2022)Pre Order Enquiry for Dry Film Market report @All aspects of the Dry Film industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the Asia-Pacific as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Dry Film 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 . 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:
4D Printing Market Analysis, Segments, Key Players, Drivers and Trends by Forecast to 2022

4D Printing Market

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Market Highlights:4D printing is still an emerging technology which is an advancement to 3D printing. 4D printing allows the components to transform into another shape when exposed to heat or humidity or any other environmental stimuli. This technology advances the shape creation process beyond 3D printing, which results into an additional design flexibility that can lead to new types of products which can adjust its functionality in response to the environment, in a pre-programmed manner.The study indicates that 4D printing technology is expected to be commercialized by 2019. The study indicates that the 4D printing technology would revolutionize the printing technologies. The study indicates that to overcome the existing issue to train and program the material after 3D printing. It has to heat up and stretched and then again cooled down to gain the desired shape 4D printing is introduced. This comfort of effortless manufacturing of things with desired structure boosts the 4D printing market. The study reveals that exploration of 4D printing technology would develop new products to benefit the customers.The 4D Printing Market is segmented on the basis of application and region. The application segment consists of aerospace and defense, healthcare, automotive, construction, clothing, utility and others. Many research centers like NASA are working over 4D printing technology to develop new products. A recent news dated April, 2017 says that NASA is developing a sort of chainmail to protect its spacecraft from meteors using 4D printing.The global 4D printing market is expected to grow at USD ~162 Million by 2022, at 39% of CAGR between 2019 and 2022.Key Player: Stratasys Ltd. (U.S) Hewlett Packard Corp. (U.S.) 3D Systems Corporation (U.S.) ExOne Co. (U.S.) Autodesk, Inc. (U.S.) Organovo Holdings, Inc. (U.S.) Materialise NV (Belgium) Dassault Systemes SA (France)Request a Sample Report@Market Research Analysis:Regional analysis for 4D printing Technology market is studied in different geographic regions as Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of world. It has been estimated that North America region would account for larger share in 4D printing Technology sector followed by Europe region.The study indicates that high investments in R & D are seen in the North America region which is boosting the 4D printing technology. Asia-Pacific countries like China, Japan, Singapore and Korea would show a significant growth in the 4D printing market during the forecast period. There has been a news that, Zhen Ding at the Singapore University of Technology and Design and his colleagues have now developed a way to rapidly print rigid 4D objects with a commercial 3D printer and a heat source.Regional AnalysisThe regional analysis for 4D printing market is being studied for region such as Asia pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. The study indicates that North America would dominate the 4D printing market owing to the technological advancements in 3D printing and due to the high adoption of 3D printing on a large scale. The European region is expected to have the second biggest market share in the 4D printing market. As 4D printing is a niche technology Asia-Pacific region would have considerable adoption 4D printing technology by the end of forecast period.Segmentation:The 4D printing Technology Market has been segmented on the basis of application and region. By application segment its been observed that aerospace and defense industry would expect a substantial increase in 4D printing Technology market. The study indicates that further development and advancement of 4D printing Technology would show significant growth of market in other industries as automotive, healthcare and others.Browse Full 4D-Priniting Market @Intended Audience: Technology investors 3D printing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Raw material and manufacturing equipment suppliers Electronic design automation (EDA) and design tool vendors 3D printing intellectual property players 3D printer component manufacturers 3D printing product manufacturers (ODMs) ODM and OEM technology solution providers Integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) Assembly, testing, and packaging vendors Distributors and traders Research organizations Technology standard organization and associationsList of Tables1 Market Introduction2 Research Methodology3 Market Dynamics4 Executive Summary5. Market Factor Analysis5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis5.2 Supply Chain AnalysisContinuedList of TablesTable 1 4d Printing Market, By ApplicationTable 2 4d Printing Market, By RegionsTable 3 North America 4d Printing Market, By ApplicationTable 4 U.S. 4d Printing Market, By ApplicationContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1 Research Network SolutionFigure 2 4d Printing Market: By Application (%)Figure 3 4d Printing Market: By RegionContinuedContact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comAbout Market Research FutureAt 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.
Opioid Induced Constipation Treatment Market to Witness an Outstanding Growth by 2023

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Transparency Market Researchs recent publication reveals the possibilities that players in the global market for opioid induced constipation treatment can take up to improve their global standing in the market. This includes reaching out to the emerging economies and gain shares from a currently untapped market.The global market for opioid induced constipation treatment is expected to progress at a highly positive CAGR of 31.2% within a forecast period from 2015 to 2023 with respect to revenue. By the end of 2016, this market is expected to generate US$731.2 mn, which is projected to reach US$4.81 bn by the end of 2023.Read Report Overview @Chloride channel activators are the more popular drug class among all opioid induced constipation treatments currently available. Over time, PAMORAs are expected to overtake them owing to a large number of pipeline drugs close to approval. By the end of 2023, PAMORAs are expected to generate a revenue of US$2.41 bn.North America is expected to continue dominating the demand for opioid induced constipation treatments till 2023, owing to a majority consumption of opioids. The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians has stated that in 2013, the U.S. alone was responsible for nearly 80% of the global consumption of opioids. Key reasons for this high consumption include the legal acceptance of opioids for pain treatment by the U.S. FDA, and the high awareness consumption level of opioids for the long term treatment of chronic pain.Request Sample Report @By the end of 2023, it is predicted that North America will generate US$4.05 bn in revenue for the providers of opioid induced constipation treatments.A secondary reason for this high volume of consumption is also related to the extremely low awareness rates of available opioid induced constipation treatments in other regions.Most certainly the leading driver for the growth in demand of opioid induced constipation treatments is the awaited approval of several drugs that are in the pipeline. Naldemedine is one of the stronger contenders which is expected to be released before the end of 2016, states a TMR analyst.Furthermore, the increasing development rate of peripheral mu-opioid receptors is expected to generate a giant boost to the preference of OIC-specific treatments. PAMORAs allow for the effective treatment of OIC without interfering in the opioids action on the patients pain.One of the greater restraints currently acting on the demand for opioid induced constipation treatments is the widespread consideration of standard laxatives for countering OIC. The primary reason for this is the high disparity between the pricing of standard laxatives and targeted OIC drugs.At the same time, the relatively under-researched position of opioid induced constipation treatments needs to be worked on. Most of these drugs are showing several adverse effects, including nausea as well as increasing the risk of heart problems and strokes.Request Opioid Induced Constipation Treatment Market Report Brochure @A way out for opioid induced constipation treatments is to improve the scope of development to reduce their side effects and improve efficacy. There is currently a giant untapped market for opioid induced constipation treatments across the world, and investing more in marketing and R&D will definitely help players penetrate it, adds the analyst.Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company, Ltd., with its approved drug Amitiza, holds a majority share in the global market for opioid induced constipation treatment. In 2014 the top three players - Takeda, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Ltd., and Boehringer Ingelheim  operated on a collective share of 91.8% of the global market.This is a highly consolidated market but with a large scope for the prominent players to penetrate regions other than North America.Buy Full Opioid Induced Constipation Treatment Market Report @About TMRTransparency 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global CNC Machines Market Professional Survey Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers 2017

CNC Machines Market

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A complete overview of the CNC Machines MarketThe CNC Machines Market report introduces the competitive scenario of the significant market players in light of the business revenue, client requests, organization profile; the business strategies utilized as a part of CNC Machines Market advertise which will help the developing business sector portions in settling on fundamental business choices.This report studies CNC Machines in Global market, especially in USA, Europe, Japan, China, India, South East Asia with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions and forecast to 2022.Ask for Sample Copy of CNC Machines Market Report @The presence of numerous applications likely to act as the key driving force behind the growth of this market in the near future. Developed regions are anticipated to witness progress in the global CNC Machines market. This market reports also offers dynamic key features of the opportunities that can gear up the demand in the market.A competitive analysis of this global market has also been presented, wherein key market players have been thoroughly reviewed to determine the markets grading. The major players upgrading the global CNC Machines market for the growth of consumers is mentioned in this study. This research report gives a clear image of the global CNC Machines market to the customers so that it can help them understand this market.CNC Machines Market Report focuses on top manufacturers in global market:Yamazaki Mazak, DMG Mori Seiki, AMADA, Okuma Corporation, MAG, JTEKT Corporation, Schuler , GF Machining Solutions, Haas Automation, TRUMPF, Emag, Hyundai WIA, Doosan Infracore, Makino, INDEX, Bystronic, Korber Schleifring, Gleason, KOMATSUCNC Machines Market Report On the basis of product:CNC Lathe, CNC Milling Machine, CNC Grinding machineCNC Machines Market Report by Application:Industries for removing metal, Industries for Fabricating Metals, Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) IndustryThe examination research overall CNC Machines grandstand covers key cash related viewpoints, thing portfolios, association graph, SWOT examination, key headways and improvements, frameworks of key players drew in with the market. The information on the level associations is mined with the help of a strong research process took after at Reports Monitor Market Research which covers the entire demand and supply condition identifying with the assorted areas analyzed already.Table of ContentsChapter 1 About the CNC Machines IndustryChapter 2 World Market Competition LandscapeChapter 3 World CNC Machines Market shareChapter 4 Supply Chain Analysis4.1 Industry Supply chain Analysis4.2 Raw material Market Analysis4.2.1 Raw material Prices Analysis 2012-20174.2.2 Raw material Supply Market AnalysisContinuedBrowse Full Report of CNC Machines with Table of Contents @About 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:
Synchronous Condenser Market

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A synchronous condenser, which is also known as synchronous compensator or synchronous capacitor is a device similar to a synchronous motor. It is designed such that its shafts spin freely. Its primary function does not include conversion of electric energy to mechanical energy or vice versa, but to regulate conditions on the electric power transmission grid. The field in synchronous condenser is controlled by a voltage regulator, which either absorbs or generates reactive power as required to adjust the voltage of the grid, or to enhance power factor. Its installation and operation are same as that of large electric motors and generators.Global Synchronous Condenser Market: Key TrendsThe growing reliance on renewable energy sources for power generation is stoking the growth of the global synchronous condenser market. The soaring need for power correction factor is also stimulating the growth of the market. An over-excited synchronous condenser has a leading power factor, rendering it useful for power factor correction of industrial loads. Moreover, the rising emphasis on long service life is boosting the demand for synchronous condensers.Request a sample copy of the Report @On the flip side, the high costs of equipment and maintenance are impinging on the growth of the market. In addition, the availability of low-cost alternatives is exacerbating the problem, thereby hampering the growth of the market. However, the expanding high-voltage direct current (HVDC) network is likely to create lucrative opportunities for players in the market.Global Synchronous Condenser Market: Market PotentialOver the past decade, there has been an impressive rise in the uptake of renewable energy sources for power generation. Governments worldwide and several organizations are paying high attention to cost effective solutions for renewable energy production. This, in turn, is working in favor of the growth of the global synchronous condenser market. Synchronous condenser manufacturers are benefiting from contracts for large power projects, leaving a massive impact on the market. For instance, in June 2015, Voith Hydro and its consortium partner received the contract from Manitoba Hydro for the Riel Synchronous Condenser. The project includes the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of four synchronous condensers rated 250 MVAR. These condensers will support Manitoba Hydro grid in reactive power and will be sealed to allow for hydrogen cooling.Request TOC of the report @Global Synchronous Condenser Market: Regional OutlookThe key segments studied in the report on the basis of geography are Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. North America is expected to be a prominent destination for key players in the global market. Canada is witnessing a sharp rise in the demand for synchronous condensers, particularly new installations. In the U.S., the conversion of old power plants to synchronous condensers is driving the market. The operation of many thermal power plants is being shut down in the country to curtail pollution and encourage renewable power generation. This is also likely to create a staggering volume of demand for these condensers in the region. Asia Pacific is estimated to post a healthy CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the growing investments in the upgradation of existing power networks.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Global Synchronous Condenser Market: Competitive LandscapeKey players in the global synchronous condenser market are striving to win contracts for new installments and for the refurbishment of old power plants in order to expand their businesses. Agreements and product innovation are also commonly adopted strategies by market participants to stay relevant. Some of the prominent companies operating in the market are General Electric, Eaton Co. Plc., Siemens AG, Voith GmbH, ABB Ltd., Toshiba Corporation, Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., and Hyundai Ideal Electric Co.About Us:TMR 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.Contact Us:Rohit BhiseyHead Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Electronic Toll Collection Market - Nearly 14-16% of the toll collection in the country has been converted into electronic mediums

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Electronic toll collection (TEC) systems are devices that enable the central management of toll operations via a single integrated solution. Eliminating delay on highways and roadways, the system ensures that toll payment is made electronically in a hassle-free manner.The global electronic toll collection system market can be segmented by application, region, product type, and technology. By product type, the global market for electronic toll collection can be segmented into antennae, treadles, transponders, weigh-in-motion devices, film storage devices, cameras, communication systems, and scanning devices. By technology, the market can be categorized into global positioning system (GPS), dedicated short range communications (DSRC), radio-frequency identification, and global navigation satellite system (GNSS).Request a sample copy of the Report @Global Electronic Toll Collection Market: Key TrendsAs these systems eliminate manual operations by toll receivers and payers, the demand for electronic toll collection is likely to witness an upsurge. Cashless transactions offered by electronic toll collection systems do not only save travel time, but also minimizes traffic congestion near toll collection booths across roads and highways. Electronic toll collection systems offer cost-efficient solutions that are faster too. The need for multiple toll plazas is ruled out owing to the installation of electronic toll collection systems, saving additional costs. However, high dependence on government funding and high installation costs of these devices might restrain the growth of the market.Global Electronic Toll Collection Market: Market PotentialA number of emerging economies are increasingly addressing the need to adopt time and cost efficient electronic toll collection systems throughout the major cities. For instance, in India, the National Payments Corporation of India has been encouraging several highways to install electronic toll collection systems with a view to increase digital payments across the country, supporting the cashless economy initiative of the government.Request TOC of the report @Nearly 14-16% of the toll collection in the country has been converted into electronic mediums, with the transaction number rising up to 7 million per month, reported the National Electronic Toll Collection in April 2017. The availability of advanced, easy, and convenient digital platforms for payment such as BharatQR and Samsung Pay has eliminated the waiting time required for card swipes.Similarly, in April 2017, the Transport Minister of Vietnam ordered swift installations of electronic toll collection equipment across the major highways of the country. Malaysia is another nation which has been promoting the adoption of electronic toll collection systems via its PLUS highways that offer cashless, fully electronic payments. Features such as Touch n Go Card, PlusMiles Card, and SmartTag have enabled smooth transactions, ensuring that 600 vehicles can pass through a TnG lane per hour, compared to 180 vehicles per hour that previously paid manually.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Global Electronic Toll Collection Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global market for electronic toll collection market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. North America is expected to advance at a rapid pace due to the growing demand for safe, efficient, and secure toll collection infrastructure. The growing demand for electronic toll collection systems in Asia Pacific can be attributed to favorable government policies, growing investments in infrastructural development, and increasing adoption of automation across several regions. Singapore, India, Malaysia, China, and Thailand are expected to represent a large slice of revenue of the overall market.Global Electronic Toll Collection Market: Competitive AnalysisCubic Transportation Systems, Inc., 3M, EFKON AG, Kapsch TrafficCom, Xerox Corporation, Q-Free, Toll Collect GmbH, TransCore, Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co., Ltd., Transurban Limited, VaaaN, Raytheon Company, and Schneider Electric SE are some of the leading companies operating in the global electronic toll collection market.About Us:TMR 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.Contact Us:Rohit BhiseyHead Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Asia Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis: Need to Discover Issues in Embryo to Trigger Adoption

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The Asia perimplantation genetic diagnosis market is anticipated to exhibit a 6.8% CAGR between 2015 and 2023. The market is expected to rise to a valuation of US$28.8 mn by the end of 2023 from worth US$16.0 mn in 2014.Read Report Overview @Preimplantation hereditary finding for the screening of aneuploidy held the chief offer of 34.7% in the Asia PGD showcase in 2014. Liberal controls relating to this range of conclusion in most Asian nations is the central point behind the high quantities of aneuploidy screening tests embraced each year in the district. Be that as it may, PGD for single quality issue is anticipated to grow at the quicker CAGR from the period in the vicinity of 2015 and 2023. Expanded inclination of this demonstrative methodology is supported by innovative progressions and generally high precision of results. Additionally, single quality issue screening is more useful contrasted with customary pre-birth demonstrative testing in developing life, driving the market for PGD for single quality issue.Region-wise, the Asia preimplantation genetic diagnosis market is likely to witness fruitful opportunities in the Southern Asia region. In most Asian nations where PGD is not disallowed, it is controlled by the provincial or national government. The high expenses of PGD methods are likewise a zone of massive worry for certain cost sensitive nations in the area. Consolidated with liberal administrative standards and the rising populace of high-procuring people, Southern Asia will rise as the most lucrative market for preimplantation hereditary conclusion in the following couple of years. The PGD advertise in Southern Asia is required to ascend at an ideal 7.9% CAGR from 2015 to 2023.Request Sample Report @Rising inclination to helped regenerative methods, which include preimplantation hereditary finding as a standard game-plan for guaranteeing that the incipient organism is free of any hereditary oddities, is integral to the solid development of the Asia PGD advertise. The interest for helped regenerative systems in the locale is driven significantly because of two elements: postponed period of origination among ladies and the alarmingly rising rate of fruitlessness in the area. With rising support in the locale's workforce, countless ladies are considering their infants in late 20s to late 30s. As infertility issues and difficulties worried about imagining begin heightening as the age rises, couples in the area are progressively favoring helped conceptive systems, for example, in vitro treatment.The rate of infertility in nations, for example, China and India has considerably expanded in the previous couple of years. Xinhua, one of China's unmistakable news offices has expressed that around 12.5% of China's populace was fruitless in 2010. In India as well, around 10% of the populace was said to be experiencing infertility in 2013. This factor is likely to be a core triggering factor for the growth of the market.Request Asia Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Market Report Brochure @The competitive scenario in the Asia preimplantation genetic diagnostics market is highly intense owing to the several global and local players trying their luck in the region, states Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a research report. Pertaining to the number of service providers of preimplantation genetic diagnosis market, it is a highly fragmented one in nature. The penetration of other regional players might further intensify the level of competition in the market in the years ahead. Some of the companies operating in the market might be F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Perkin Elmer Inc., Illumina Inc., Natera Inc., and Abbott Laboratories, among many others.Buy Full Asia Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Market Report @About TMRTransparency 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Civil Explosives Market Research Report 2017 Key Players Analysis and Forecast to 2022

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This report studies Civil Explosives 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, coveringOrica Mining ServicesENAEXMaxam CorpSasol LimitedAustin Powder CompanyAEL Mining ServicesChemring GroupIncitec PivotAECI GroupPyro Company FireworksePC GroupAlliant TechsystemsTitanobel SASHanwha CorpSolar Industries IndiaLSB IndustriesRequest a Sample Report @By types, the market can be split intoAmmonium Nitrate ExplosivesANFOWater-based ExplosivesSpecial ExplosivesNitroglycerine ExplosivesBy Application, the market can be split intoMiningQuarryingConstructionPetroleum GeologyOthersBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaAccess Complete Report @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsGlobal Civil Explosives Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Civil Explosives1.1 Definition and Specifications of Civil Explosives1.1.1 Definition of Civil Explosives1.1.2 Specifications of Civil Explosives1.2 Classification of Civil Explosives1.2.1 Ammonium Nitrate Explosives1.2.2 ANFO1.2.3 Water-based Explosives1.2.4 Special Explosives1.2.5 Nitroglycerine Explosives1.3 Applications of Civil Explosives1.3.1 Mining1.3.2 Quarrying1.3.3 Construction1.3.4 Petroleum Geology1.3.5 Others1.4 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 Civil Explosives2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Civil Explosives2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Civil Explosives2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Civil Explosives3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Civil Explosives3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Civil Explosives Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Civil Explosives Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Civil Explosives Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Civil Explosives Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Civil Explosives Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Civil Explosives Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Civil Explosives Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Civil Explosives Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Civil Explosives Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Civil Explosives Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Civil Explosives Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Civil Explosives Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Civil Explosives Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Civil Explosives Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Civil Explosives Market Share Analysis5.2 China Civil Explosives Market Analysis5.2.1 China Civil Explosives Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Civil Explosives Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Civil Explosives Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Civil Explosives Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Civil Explosives Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Civil Explosives Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Civil Explosives Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Civil Explosives Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Civil Explosives Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Civil Explosives Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 Civil Explosives Market Share Analysis5.6 India Civil Explosives Market Analysis5.6.1 India Civil Explosives Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E Civil Explosives Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 Civil Explosives Market Share AnalysisContinuedPurchase Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the 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Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Styled downside  now also available for 2018 Softail HD bikes

License plate holder for new Softail models from 2018 by WUNDERKIND-Custom

D-Breisach a. R. / 17th Nov 2017 As already for many other Harley-Davidson types and Custombikes the German high-end manufacturer ABM offers now the side license plate holder also for models of Softail from 2018. Brand: WUNDERKIND-CustomShortly after launching the new Softail models by Harley-Davidson into the market the German producer of motorcycle accessories has announced the enlargement of his assortment: The side mountable and individual adjustable license plate holder is simply A Must at each Harley. Therefore, it was our first concern to offer this product also for the new Softail models from 2018. In case of getting a new Softail the customer can still gain from the familiar quality and the top design of this product, says CEO Christian Mehlhorn.Suitable for German, Austrian and Swiss license plate designs, it is 3-way adjustable in the width (towards the wheel or away), with up to a 30 degree inclination. It has an integrated LED illumination, hidden cabling, surface treatment with BLACKPearlEloxal, is CNC-machined in aluminum and available in black. The license plate is inserted from the top. A separate holder for the indicator is also necessary, and a holder inclusive of the rear light is available as an option. The price amounts to EUR 349,00 an up, incl. 19% VAT. Available is the part at the brands new webshop: wunderkind-custom.com/enThe license plate holder has been developed, designed and produced in Germany  as all other parts of this manufacturer.WUNDERKIND-Custom is a premium brand of ABM which produces high-end accessories for motorcycles. It has been founded in 2013 by family head and CEO Christian Mehlhorn. While in the beginning the brand produced parts only for Harley-Davidson motorcycles it now contains also products for many common bike brands and custombikes. All products are constructed, designed, manufactured and retailed under the umbrella of the well-known company ABM Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH in the south of Germany.ABM Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH is manufacturer of high-end accessories for sport and custom bikes. The company was founded in 1985 and named after the founder Arthur Berthold Munz. Since 2010, Christian Mehlhorn has been the managing director who is responsible for about twenty employees in the field of development, production, marketing and sales at the permanent business establishment in Breisach am Rhein, Germany. Meanwhile, the company has launched two brands: ABM ergonomic style & WUNDERKIND-Custom.Press contactWUNDERKIND-CustomA brand ofABM Fahrzeugtechnik GmbHTamina BischoffKrummholzstrasse 5D-79206 BreisachTel. +49 (0) 7667 / 9446  13Fax +49 (0) 7667 / 9446 - 63E-Mail: tamina@wunderkind-custom.comInternet: wunderkind-custom.comFacebook: WUNDERKIND-Custom
Anthrax Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2025

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The Report Anthrax Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.bizAnthrax is a lethal disease affecting humans as well as animals such as goat, sheep, horses, and cattle. The causative agent is a gram positive, rod shaped bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax can spread through three main routes which include aerial route, digestive route and contact through skin. Common symptoms in human beings for respiratory infection include pneumonia and severe respiratory collapse. Gastrointestinal infection is associated with symptoms such as vomiting, severe diarrhea, loss of appetite and digestive tract infections. Anthrax skin infection develops an ulcer with black center called as eschar which is a painless necrotic patch. This form of disease is not fatal if proper treatment is provided. Diagnosis of anthrax infection is done through X-ray and CT scan of lungs, biopsy skin test and blood test for anthrax antigens. Chemiluminescence and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) based kits are available for diagnosis of anthrax. Anthrax has gained popularity because of its use in bioterrorism. Since long the spores of anthrax have been used for mass infection and in biological warfare. This has led countries across the world to spread awareness about the disease, and also be prepared for any biological attack. In light of past events, as a precaution, the U.S. Postal Service has also installed a biohazard detection system at major distribution centers in order to actively scan for anthrax spores being transported via mail.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Anthrax can be cured if treated in early stages of infection. Cutaneous or skin infection can be treated with common antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, tetracycline, and penicillin. There is only one vaccine for treating anthrax which is FDA approved. BioThrax manufactured by Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. is provided as pre exposure protection from anthrax infections. Elusys Therapeutics is conducting clinical trials for ETI- 204 for inhalational anthrax. Currently the study (NCT01932437) is under phase I clinical trial. In 2012, U.S. FDA approved drug for treatment of anthrax which is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Raxibacumab, a human IgG1? monoclonal antibody can be prescribed to adults as well as pediatrics with inhalational anthrax. Various governments are also backing research for anthrax with funding and grants.PharmAthene, Inc. announced in 2010 that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) modified the development contract with the company by providing up to USD 78.4 million for development of anthrax vaccine SparVax. SparVax is sub unit vaccine, which comprises of a recombinant protein manufactured in E.coli. Currently the study is in phase II clinical trial. The company is also trying to develop an anti toxin under the brand name Valortim. Valortim is a human monoclonal antibody which targets PA a component of anthrax toxin. By targeting PA, Valortim is believed to protect healthy cells from being damaged by the toxins. Currently the study is under phase I clinical trial.View Report @As majority of the studies are under phase II or phase I trials, outcome of such studies cannot be ascertained. With a keen eye on anthrax infection in humans by government, and existence of few market players have restricted the market growth. Although the treatment for skin infection is cost effective, inhalational and gastrointestinal anthrax treatment is expensive. Moreover the market for anthrax is concentrated to countries under threat for terrorist attacks. The market for diagnosis of anthrax also holds potential in rural areas for diagnosis of cutaneous anthrax, where animal breading is widely practiced.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.Send An Enquiry Request @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 marketAbout 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.State Tower 90 Sate Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-621-2074 USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948
Graphing Calculator Global Market Outlook, Opportunities and Forecasts to 2022

Graphing Calculator

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HTF MI recently added a new research study in its database that highlights the in-depth market analysis with future prospects of Graphing Calculator market. The study covers significant data which makes the research document a handy resource for managers, industry executives and other key people get ready-to-access and self-analyzed study along with graphs and tables to help understand market trends, drivers and market challenges. Some of the key players mentioned in this research are Texas Instruments, Casio, HP, Datexx, Sight Enhancement Systems, Unbranded, Victor, BHRS Group, Wanty, EAI Education, HQRP, Innovera, Pixnor, Sharp & Hewlett.Get Access to sample pages @The research covers the current market size of the Global Graphing Calculator market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data. It also covers various types of segmentation such as by geography [United States, EU, China, Japan, South Korea & Taiwan], by product /end user type [Color Display, Black and White, CAS Calculator & Non-CAS Calculator], by applications [School, Gaming & Other] in overall market. The in-depth information by segments of Graphing Calculator market helps monitor performance & make critical decisions for growth and profitability. It provides information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, CAPEX cycle and the changing structure of the Global Graphing Calculator Market.This study also contains company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of various international, regional, and local vendors of Global Graphing Calculator Market, some of them are Texas Instruments, Casio, HP, Datexx, Sight Enhancement Systems, Unbranded, Victor, BHRS Group, Wanty, EAI Education, HQRP, Innovera, Pixnor, Sharp & Hewlett. The market competition is constantly growing higher with the rise in technological innovation and M&A activities in the industry. Moreover, many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. The new vendor entrants in the market are finding it hard to compete with the international vendors based on quality, reliability, and innovations in technology.Global Graphing Calculator (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Color Display, Black and White, CAS Calculator & Non-CAS CalculatorMarket Segment By Screen Colors 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022Color Display xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Black and White xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Market Segment By Products 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022CAS Calculator xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Non-CAS Calculator xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Get customization & check discount for report @The research study is segmented by Application such as School, Gaming & Other with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Global Graphing Calculator (Thousands Units) by Application (2017-2022)Market Segment by Application 2012 2017 2022 Market Share (%)2022 CAGR (%)(2017-2022)School xx xx xx xx% xx%Gaming xx xx xx xx% xx%Other 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 Graphing Calculator in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringMarket Segment by Regions 2012 2017 2022 Share (%) CAGR (2017-2022)United States xx xx xx xx% xx%EU xx xx xx xx% xx%China xx xx xx xx% xx%Japan xx xx xx xx% xx%South Korea xx xx xx xx% xx%Taiwan xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx xx% xx%Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @Key questions answered in this report - Global Graphing Calculator Market Research Report 2017What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate beWhat are the key market trendsWhat is driving Global Graphing Calculator marketWhat are the challenges to market growthWho are the key vendors in Global Graphing Calculator market space?What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global Graphing Calculator market?What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Global Graphing Calculator market?Buy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Graphing Calculator market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Graphing Calculator , Applications of Graphing Calculator , Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Graphing Calculator , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, EU, China, Japan, South Korea & Taiwan, Graphing Calculator Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Graphing Calculator Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of Graphing Calculator ;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Color Display, Black and White, CAS Calculator & Non-CAS Calculator], Market Trend by Application [School, Gaming & Other];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Graphing Calculator ;Chapter 12, to describe Graphing Calculator Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Graphing Calculator sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.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
Car Fuel Filter Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking: Global Review 2017 to 2022

Car Fuel Filter- FactMR

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The automobile industry is one of the most critical for any nations economic development which is why countries focus so much attention on it. Global carmakers have shifted their focus to emerging markets as the strong economic growth there has led to an increased desire for personal mobility. With a number of emission scandals dominating headlines in the last few years, customers would naturally be concerned with the quality of fuel used in their vehicles, making the car fuel filter market get its fair share of the limelight. Proactive customers, coupled with stricter governmental regulations pertaining to emissions, are expected to make the fuel filter market boom in the long term.The car fuel filter market is on track to record a modest CAGR of 2.8% and be worth approx. US$ 435 million by the end of the forecast period i.e. 2022.Request Free Sample Report-Highlights of the Car Fuel Filter MarketDiesel has had a reputation for some time now as the dirtier fuel which is why it is expected to comprise nearly 3/5threvenue share in the car fuel filter market by fuel type. Commercial vehicles in particular, both light commercial vehicles as well as heavy commercial vehicles often rely on diesel over gasoline and they would need fuel filters to ensure that their emissions are in-line with governmental norms. Diesel is much more popular in Europe as opposed to North America and the Europe diesel fuel filter market is on track to be worth almost US$ 64 million in 2022.Gasoline occupies the balance 2/5threvenue share in the car fuel filter market. Gasoline is generally considered cleaner than diesel which explains its popularity in the passenger vehicle segment. However, the fuel quality in emerging markets is often of an inferior quality when compared to developed countries for a number of reasons. If fuel filters are not deployed, there is a high probability that the combustion engine can get damaged with dust particulates. Thus, a market opportunity of just under US$ 180 million by 2022 exists in the gasoline fuel filter market as well. Companies could look at targeting North America over Europe as consumers there express an overwhelming preference for gasoline vehicles over their diesel counterparts.Browse Full Report with TOC-The premium passenger car segment represents a small market opportunity in the car fuel filter market in terms of vehicle type. However, it would be unwise to ignore a market of nearly US$ 50 million by end 2022 as rising disposable incomes would make consumers demand premium passenger cars in the long run. Europe and APEJ are neck-and-neck in the premium passenger car segment and it will be interesting to see if and when APEJ outpaces Europe.The compact car segment accounts for a third of the revenue share in the car fuel filter market by vehicle type and is especially important in emerging economies where the price-sensitivity is higher than in Europe or North America. The compact car segment is predicted to be worth roughly US$ 120 million in 2022 and companies in the car fuel filter market are advised to make their business strategies keeping this in mind.The mid-sized segment consists of a quarter of the revenue share by vehicle type in the car fuel filter market but is likely to lose market share to both premium and compact cars. Key stakeholders are advised to target Europe and APEJ as these are the only two regions that should push past US$ 28 million by the end of the study period.The car fuel filter market report has profiled prominent companies such as Champion Laboratories, UFI Filters SpA, Valeo SA, Hengst SE, Cummins Inc., and Sogefi SpA.Check Discount-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Money 20/20 Events in Las Vegas: Industry Trends, Growth, Analysis and Things We Learned

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A fresh report has been added to the wide database of Market Research Hub (MRH) titled Money 20/20 Events in Las Vegas: Industry Trends, Growth, Analysis and Things We Learned offers commentary and analysis of the key subjects covered at this years Money20/20 event in Las Vegas. This report also covers the most important presentations and discussions, and provides MRH perspective on what was said.Request Free Sample Report @Money20/20 is one of the biggest and most important events on the financial services calendar. Speakers from a wide range of organizations, covering financial services and other industries, provided their views and insights on a variety of subjects relevant to banking, including AI, regulation, payments, lending, security, and customer experience.The report offers insight into - The most important themes and trends that will affect the retail banking industry over the next few years, as identified by leading industry practitioners and commentators.- How providers are using new technology and new strategies to improve their performance.- How banks should prepare for and respond to these developments.Scope- Artificial intelligence will enhance, not threaten, the existing structure of banking.- Banks will harness technology to humanize banking.- Banks will not be rendered extinct by challengers, but will see their dominance challenged.- Regulators are helping to facilitate transformation in banking.- AI and automated services fit well with the distinctive needs of younger consumers.- Technology is helping to democratize lending.Reasons to buy- Discover what developments are currently driving the most excitement - and concern - in banking.- Understand how leading banks are reacting to these developments.- Learn how you should respond to these emerging trends to stay ahead of your competitors.Browse Full Report with TOC @Table of Content:Artificial intelligence will enhance, not threaten, the existing structure of bankingBanks will harness technology to humanize bankingBanks will not be rendered extinct by challengers, but will see their dominance challengedRegulators are helping to facilitate transformation in bankingAI and automated services fit well with the distinctive needs of younger consumersTechnology is helping to democratize lendingAppendix.continueEnquire about this report @About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of banking industry research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients and customers.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News at -
Flameproof Glass Market Analysis- Size, Share, Growth, Industry Demand, Forecast, Application Analysis To 2022

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The Global Flameproof Glass Market Research Report 2017 renders deep perception of the key regional market status of the Flameproof Glass 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.The report on Global Flameproof Glass Market is a professional report which provides thorough knowledge along with complete information pertaining to the Flameproof Glass industry a propos classification, definitions, applications, industry chain summary, industry policies in addition to plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, etc.Get Free Sample Copy of this Report @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 Flameproof Glass 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 Flameproof Glass Market.The report is generically segmented into six parts and every part aims on the overview of the Flameproof Glass 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 Flameproof Glass industry in the global markets.Browse full report with Table of Content @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 Flameproof Glass Industry. The production value and market share in conjunction with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated in this report.Some points from TOC:-Global Flameproof Glass Market Research Report 20171 Flameproof Glass Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Flameproof Glass1.2 Flameproof Glass Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Flameproof Glass Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Flameproof Glass Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Single-plate Flameproof Glass1.2.4 Compound type Flameproof Glass1.3 Global Flameproof Glass Segment by Application1.3.1 Flameproof Glass Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Building & Construction1.3.3 Marine1.3.4 Railways1.3.5 Oil & Gas1.3.6 Others1.4 Global Flameproof Glass Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Flameproof Glass Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Flameproof Glass (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Flameproof Glass Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Flameproof Glass Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Ask for Discount @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.comWebsite-
Increasing Cases of Cardiovascular Diseases to Drive the Growth of Bivalirudin and Desmopressin Market in Future, according to Research Nester

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Bivalirudin and Desmopressin Market: Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2024The global bivalirudin and desmopressin market is segmented into use such as Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) procedures, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) procedures and others. Among these segments, Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) procedures segment is expected to occupy top position in overall bivalirudin and desmopressin market during the forecast period. Rising demand for minimally invasive procedure to open up blocked coronary arteries is fuelling the growth of Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) procedures segment.Global bivalirudin and desmopressin market is expected to flourish at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Increasing incidences of cardiovascular diseases is spurring the growth of the global bivalirudin and desmopressin market. Moreover, the global bivalirudin and desmopressin market is expected to garner noteworthy revenue by the end of 2024.North America captured largest market for bivalirudin and desmopressin in 2015. Further, North America is projected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. High number of adults suffering with heart disease is driving the growth of the bivalirudin and desmopressinin market. Europe is anticipated to substantially contribute to the growth of bivalirudin and desmopressin market. This can be attributed to the growing absolute number of CVD (cardiovascular) cases in the region. Moreover, increase in number of new CVD cases is anticipated to grow the demand for bivalirudin and desmopressinin in the region. Asia Pacific is anticipated to showcase lucrative growth in bivalirudin and desmopressin market during the forecast period.Request Report Sample@Rising Cases of Heart DiseaseIncreasing incidents of cardiovascular diseases in the world is major factor behind the growth of global bivalirudin and desmopressin market. Further, the cases of cardiovascular diseases are projected to increase in the upcoming years. As a result, bivalirudin and desmopressin market is anticipated to witness substantial growth during the forecast period.Growing Geriatric PopulationIncreasing old age population coupled with rising prevalence of nocturia in elder population is anticipated to fuel the demand for desmopressin during the forecast period. According to WHO, number of older people is anticipated to reach about 10% of the global population from 8.2% in 2015 which further is expected to fuel the demand for desmopressin. However, high cost of procedures and high adoption of alternative such as anti-thrombotic agents are likely to inhibit the growth of the Global Bivalirudin and Desmopressin Market in the near future.The report titled Bivalirudin and Desmopressin Market: Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2024 delivers detailed overview of the global bivalirudin and desmopressin market in terms of market segmentation by use and by region. Further, for the in-depth analysis, the report encompasses the industry growth drivers, restraints, supply and demand risk, market attractiveness, BPS analysis and Porters five force model.Request For TOC Here:This report also provides the existing competitive scenario of some of the key players of the global bivalirudin and desmopressin market which includes company profiling of Pfizer, Inc., Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited, The Medicines Company, AmbioPharm Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Chengdu Shengnuo Biopharm Co. Ltd., ScinoPharm Taiwan Ltd and Hainan Shuangcheng Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. The profiling enfolds key information of the companies which encompasses business overview, products and services, key financials and recent news and developments. On the whole, the report depicts detailed overview of the global bivalirudin and desmopressin market that will help industry consultants, equipment manufacturers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new players searching possibilities and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to the ongoing and expected trends in the future.Research Nester is a leading service provider for strategic market research and consulting. We aim to provide unbiased, unparalleled market insights and industry analysis to help industries, conglomerates and executives to take wise decisions for their future marketing strategy, expansion and investment etc. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided a right guidance at a right time is available through strategic minds. Our out of box thinking helps our clients to take wise decision so as to avoid future uncertainties.Buy This Premium Reports Now @Research Nester is a leading service provider for strategic market research and consulting, serving clients from 120+ countries across the globe. We aim to provide unbiased, unparalleled market insights and industry analysis to help industries, conglomerates and executives to take wise decisions for their future marketing strategy, expansion and investment etc. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided a right guidance at a right time is available through strategic minds. Our out of box thinking helps our clients to take wise decision so as to avoid future uncertainties.Contact for more Info:Name:- Ajay Daniel1820 Avenue M, Suite# 1113,Brooklyn, New York 11230Email: ajay.daniel@researchnester.comU.S. +1 646 586 9123U.K. +44 203 608 5919
Medium Voltage Fuse Market: Size, Share, Analysis, Report and Forecast to 2025

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Market research analysts at Transparency Market Research (TMR) have detected in a new study that the global medium voltage fuse market is dominated by a few players, whereas some of the other prominent companies are holding considerable chunk of the overall shares. The TMR report identifies ABB Ltd., Eaton Corporation, Bel Fuse, Inc., Littelfuse, Inc., DF Electric, SIBA GmbH, Fuseco Inc., IPD Group Limited, General Electric, Mersen S.A, Fusetek, Pennsylvania Breaker, LLC, Powell Industries Inc., and Mitsubishi Electric as some of the leading companies of the global medium voltage fuse market, whereas Toshiba Corporation, Schneider Electric SA, Driescher Eisleben, LSIS Inc., and Denco Fuses are some of the other notable vendors.Download exclusive Sample of this report:As per the projections of the TMR report, the demand in the global medium voltage fuse market will augment at a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025, estimating it to be worth US$3,194.8 mn in 2025, considerably up from its evaluated valuation of US$2,116.3 mn in 2017. In the near future, the key companies are expected to strategically concentrate on geographical expansion as well as acquisition of smaller players in order to maintain their position over the intense competitive landscape. Local players from developing economies are steadily penetrating the mature markets with low cost offerings and players from developed economies defend their market share by responding with their own offerings with slashed prices to compete with the low cost strategy of smaller players. Thereby, increasing the risk of stagnation of companies from the intensive price-based competition in near future.Based on type, current limiting fuses serves the maximum demand in the global medium voltage fuse market, owing to increasing adoption of these fuses, which are primarily used for overcurrent protection in electric distribution systems. The current limiting fuses are further sub-segmented into E-Rated Fuses, R-Rated Fuses, PT Fuses/ E-Rated PT Fuses, and C-Rated Fuses. Application-wise, transformers contributed the majority of revenue share in 2015, which is a reflection of growing demand for fuses in transformers for large scale decentralization of power grids in many regions across the globe. Geographically, North America is most lucrative region, whereas Asia Pacific is projected for most prominent growth rate.Browse Market Research Report @Need for Reliable Power Transmission Driving DemandWith rapid urbanization in developed as well as emerging economies alike, the demand for electricity and reliable power transmission escalating, and thereby providing a strong traction to the global medium voltage fuse market. Electricity is at the backbone of many sectors and almost a basic need of humanity. With technological advancements, electricity production is promising to meet the requirements and consequently, the steps are being taken for efficient power transmission process. The global medium voltage fuse market is also expected to grow from the demand arising from the growing construction and automotive sector. This driver is more prominent in the Asia Pacific region, rather than North America. Moreover, the increased expenditure and initiatives on renewable energy resources are also expected to bolster the growth of the global medium voltage fuse market.Substantial Cost Obstructing Prosperity in Developing RegionsThe construction of infrastructure requires substantial investments, which a number of emerging economies fail in, particularly for their rural areas. Countries such as India has vast landscape with humongous population and consequently, widespread opportunities for the vendors of the medium voltage fuse market. Though the government is focused, unless this unmet demand is fulfilled, the market will continue to suffer in the recent future.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:
Standard Logic Devices Market: Growth, Demand and Key Players to 2025

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Key companies in the global standard logic devices market include Analog Devices, Arrow Electronics, Diodes Incorporated, and Texas Instruments. These are some of the companies that have been able to establish a firm presence across the globe on the back of steady product development as well as merger and acquisition activity. Other key players in this industry are STMicroelectronics N.V, Toshiba Semiconductor and Storage, ROHM Semiconductor, Microchip Technology Inc., NXP Semiconductors N.V., Maxim Integrated Products Inc., and ON Semiconductor. Moreover, new players are likely to enter the market in the coming years, as the demand for standard logic devices is rising significantly from a variety of industries.Download exclusive Sample of this report:According to Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global standard logic devices market had a revenue valuation of close to US$51.2 bn in 2016 and is likely to rise to more than US$92 bn over the 2017-2025 forecast period. The standard logic devices market is expected to exhibit a strong 6.9% CAGR in the forecast period, and is likely to be dominated by Asia Pacific markets, with booming Middle Eastern economies also showing significant promise.Rising Demand for Automated Driving Boosts Standard Logic Devices MarketRising demand for automobiles that sport automated driving support systems, along with the growing demand for electrical equipment in automobiles, will further propel the growth of the standard logic devices market. In addition to this value creation by integrating sensors, the rising use of actuators and artificial intelligence (AI) in various industries is promoting the growth of the standard logic devices market.Browse Market Research Report @Furthermore, in the coming years, the market for gate type IC is expected to experience faster growth. This is due to the rising adoption of high and ultra-high-level-integration integrated circuits in the smartphones and gaming industries. This ongoing trend is expected to boost the standard logic devices market over the coming years, as these industries have been boosted by the presence of a solid consumer demographic in urban centers. Rising demands as per smartphone performance are thus likely to remain a key driver for the global standard logic devices market in the coming years.Inability to Reprogam Fixed Logic Devices Hampers Standard Logic Devices MarketThe standard logic devices market also faces certain drawbacks. A major factor restraining the growth of this market is the inability of fixed logic devices to be programmed again. Standard logic devices work on fixed programs, with which the logic device is configured at the time of designing/manufacture. Once a logic device is implemented in a circuit, it cannot be programmed again. This is expected to have a negative impact on the market for individual standard logic devices.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:
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter Market: Key Players, Growth, Analysis, 2017  2025

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Key players playing a major role in the global arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) market include Eaton Corporation, General Electric, Siemens Industry, Inc., Legrand SA, Schneider Electric SE, and Leviton Manufacturing Co. Several companies in the arc fault circuit interrupter market are focusing on research and development in order to innovate safer types of arc fault circuit interrupters, while combining AFCI and GFCI in an integrated unit has also become a popular trend. The initiation of mandatory regulations regarding the use of arc fault circuit interrupters is likely to remain a determinant trend for players in the global AFCI market in the coming years.Download exclusive Sample of this report:According to Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) market stood at US$3,769.3 mn in 2017. The study projects the global arc fault circuit interrupter market to expand at a CAGR of 5.1% during the period from 2017 to 2025 to reach US$5,596.7 mn by 2025. This growth is due to increasing adoption of AFCI instead of traditional circuit breakers and mandatory implementation of AFCI in new construction in several regions.Geographically, North America is expected to remain the dominant contributor to the global arc fault circuit interrupter market in the coming years, exhibiting the fastest CAGR of all regional segments. Europe and Asia Pacific are also likely to remain important to the global arc fault circuit interrupter market in the coming years. By product type, branch/feeder type arc fault circuit interrupters are likely to retain the lead in the market, followed by combination AFCIs.Obtain Report Details @Growing Government Support to Safety Standards in Residential Sector Boosts AFCI MarketThe prime driver for the global arc fault circuit interrupters market is the rising government support to measures that aim to preserve safety of residential electrical setups. The risk of heavy monetary and human damage posed by arc fires has led to mandatory installation of safety measures such as arc fault circuit interrupters in developed regions such as North America and Western Europe, and an increasing number of developing Asia Pacific economies are also following suit thanks to the booming construction industry in these regions.China, India, and Australia are likely to remain key contributors to the global arc fault circuit interrupters market in the coming years due to the rising performance of the construction industry in these regions and the steady government support afforded to inclusion of safety features such as arc fault circuit interrupters. The rising financial strength of the construction industry in these emerging countries could lead to strong demand from the arc fault circuit interrupters market in Asia Pacific, as the construction industry has made the most of the rising disposable income of urban consumers. The rising awareness about safety initiatives in the residential construction sector is also helpful for the arc fault circuit interrupters market in Asia Pacific. Booming economies in the Middle East are also likely to play a vital role in the development of the arc fault circuit interrupters 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:
Strategic Overview on Global Buttermilk Market till 2021

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According to the report published by Market Data Forecast, The Global Buttermilk Market was worth USD xx billion in 2016 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of xx%, to reach USD xx billion by 2021. Traditionally, Buttermilk is the liquid left after churning butter from the cream. It refers to a large number of dairy based drinks which are common in hot weather conditions. The naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria produced in the milk fermented it. So, it is known as cultured buttermilk and it has a sour taste caused by lactic acid bacteria.Browse 175 pages research report on Global Buttermilk Market @The tartness of buttermilk is caused by the acid in the milk. The acidity is due to lactic acid produced by the bacteria while fermenting lactose, the primary sugar in milk. Both traditional buttermilk and cultured buttermilk contains lactic acid, but traditional buttermilk is less viscous compared to the cultured buttermilk which is more viscous. Buttermilk can be drunk straight or it can be used in cooking. It is also used in marination of chicken and pork where the lactic acid in the buttermilk helps the meat to retain moisture, tenderize and adds flavour to it.Growing demand for dry dairy products, increasing people's awareness about health (buttermilk contains vitamins, calcium, potassium, and traces of phosphorus), increasing number of buttermilk applications in the animal feed, advanced technology for making buttermilk and availability of powdered buttermilk drive the global buttermilk market. However, less shelf life and transport facility in liquid form may restrain the growth of the market.Avail Sample Market Brochure of the report for more information, Get a Copy @The Global buttermilk market is segmented on the basis of type and application. Based on the type, the market is segmented into Liquid Buttermilk and Buttermilk Powder. Buttermilk powder has the largest revenue due to its longer shelf life, easily packed, low transportation and storing costs. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into Confectionery, Frozen desserts and Ice Cream, Bakery, Dairy-based, Beverages, Specialty foods, Soups and Sauces, Salad dressings and others. In application segment, dairy based products have the highest revenue and the confectionary products are growing at the fastest rate. On the basis of geography, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle-East and Africa. The market is growing equally in all the regions because it is extensively used all over the world. Rising health awareness and advanced packaging options are driving the market in North America and Europe.Some of the key players in the Global buttermilk market are Amul, Arla Foods, Dairy America, Sodiaal Group, Fonterra, Dairy Farmers of America, Glanbia, Valley Milk, Associated Milk Producers, Arion Dairy Products, Innova Food Ingredients, Sterling Agro Industries, Grain Millers, Agri-Mark and Land O Lakes.Inquiry before buying @About Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and skillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.Media Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626; Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@marketdataforecast.comVisit MarketDataForecast Blog @
Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market Size, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies And Forecasts, 2022

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The Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market Research Report 2017 renders deep perception of the key regional market status of the Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable 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.The report on Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market is a professional report which provides thorough knowledge along with complete information pertaining to the Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable industry a propos classification, definitions, applications, industry chain summary, industry policies in addition to plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, etc.Get Free Sample Copy of this Report @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 Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable 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 Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market.The report is generically segmented into six parts and every part aims on the overview of the Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable 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 Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable industry in the global markets.Browse full report with Table of Content @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 Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Industry. The production value and market share in conjunction with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated in this report.Some points from TOC:-Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Sales Market Report 20171 Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable1.2 Classification of Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable by Product Category1.2.1 Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Tube Type Fiber Optic Cable1.2.4 Framing Fiber Optic Cable1.3 Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Air1.3.3 Underground1.3.4 Underwater1.4 Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market by Region1.4.1 Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 China Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Europe Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Korea Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 Taiwan Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Ask for Discount @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.comWebsite-
Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth and Forecast Report To 2022

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The Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market Research Report 2017 renders deep perception of the key regional market status of the Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene 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.The report on Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market is a professional report which provides thorough knowledge along with complete information pertaining to the Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene industry a propos classification, definitions, applications, industry chain summary, industry policies in addition to plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, etc.Get Free Sample Copy of this Report @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 Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene 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 Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market.The report is generically segmented into six parts and every part aims on the overview of the Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene 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 Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene industry in the global markets.Browse full report with Table of Content @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 Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Industry. The production value and market share in conjunction with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated in this report.Some points from TOC:-Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Sales Market Report 20171 Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene1.2 Classification of Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene by Product Category1.2.1 Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Extrusion Grade1.2.4 Injection Molding Grade1.2.5 Stripping Grade1.3 Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Wire And Cable Coating Layer1.3.3 Heat Pipe1.3.4 Thin Film1.3.5 Heat Insulation Material1.4 Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market by Region1.4.1 Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 China Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Europe Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Silicone Crosslinked Polyethylene Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Ask for Discount @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.comWebsite-
Radiation monitoring and Dosimeter Badges Market Industry Insights, Outlook and Forecast up to 2025

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Radiation monitoring is device which can identify the present and measure the radiation quantity. Radiation monitoring device are so sensitive that can provide the dose of the radiation during the radiology procedures. The radiation monitoring devices can monitor the environmental contaminations. The Nuclear power plants produce electricity by fission and used uranium, which is a radioactive material, according to a report from Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), in November 2016, about 30 countries over the globe are operating 450 nuclear reactor and 60 new nuclear plants are going to develop in 15 countries. This statics also fuel the market over the forecasted period.The radiation monitoring and dosimeter badges market have the huge market as they are used in various application like oncology treatment, and other chronic diseases. According to National Cancer Institute (NCI), in 2016, 1,685,210 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.Request a sample of this report -Radiation monitoring and Dosimeter Badges Market: Drivers & RestraintsRadiation monitoring and dosimeter badges market is huge market in the term of use, and technology advancement. The growth in number of cancer patients and the uses by different organization like defenses, environmental organization. Now a days food industry are also using the radiation monitoring and dosimeter badges to check the food and crops in the fields of having the present of radiation. Government are also motivating the radiation monitoring and dosimeter badges market by providing funds. For instance, USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) are more concerned about high level of UV-B (ultraviolet radiation) from the Sun, which may harmful for crops, USDA is releasing the funds of $1,308,336 for the study to different agricultural college, who come under the eligibility area. As of restraints the peoples are not much aware of using the product and they are not technology trained.Radiation monitoring and dosimeter badges market have a huge potentials for the growth in the forecasted period as owning by the technology advancement for developing new devices which will be more accurate and handy to use. The awareness program should be more to increase the utilization in various fields.As a geography conditions the Radiation Monitoring and Dosimeter Badges is segmented into: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. North America will be having huge market share in various fields like medical, nuclear power plant and scientific applications. According to the U.S., NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) that radiation therapy is used by 7 out of every 10 people in the U.S. As Asia Pacific is also a growing market as they have the increasing number of nuclear plant and as well as use in medical treatment.Request a ToC of this report -Some players in Radiation Monitoring and Dosimeter Badges Market are Landauer, Inc., Ludlum Measurements, Inc., ECOTEST, Mirion Technologies, CHP Dosimetry, Renentech Laboratories Pvt. Ltd, MP Dosimetry, Sierra Radiation Dosimetry Service, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Fluke Corporation, RDC Inc, and Biodex.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Rugged Electronics Market Analysis and In-depth Research on Size, Trends, Emerging Growth Factors and Forecasts 2025

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According to Transparency Market Research, the global rugged electronics market is likely to present lucrative profit avenues for a number of major global players in the coming years due to the growing adoption of rugged electronics in a number of application sectors. Key players in the rugged electronics market include Siemens AG, Systel, Inc., Artesyn Embedded Technologies, Comark Corporation, Mountain Secure Systems, Core Systems, Crystal Group Inc., Curtiss Wright Controls Electronic Systems, Inc. , General Dynamics Corporation, General Micro Systems, Kontron AG, Leonardo DRS, NCS Technologies, Inc., Rave Computer, Schneider Electric SE, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), Trenton Systems Inc., Westek Technology Ltd., XES (Extreme Engineering Solutions), Inc., and ZMicro, Inc.Download exclusive Sample of this report:The global rugged electronics market was valued at close to US$9.4 bn in 2017 and is expected to rise to US$17.46 bn by 2025, exhibiting a solid CAGR of 8.1% therein.Regionally, North America is the leading contributor to the global rugged electronics market and is likely to remain the dominant force in the market in the coming years. Beyond the rapid growth of the North America market, Asia Pacific provides significant opportunities for players in the rugged electronics market and could emerge as a leading regional contributor to the global rugged electronics market in the coming years on the back of rising demand from developing countries such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea.Rising Adoption in Defense Sector Crucial for Rugged Electronics MarketOne of the prime drivers for the global rugged electronics market is the rising use of rugged electronics in military applications. In modern warfare, communication has taken on a vital role due to the availability of computer guided weaponry and the rising use of electronics in various combat systems. This has provided the global rugged electronics market with a steady sales outlet, as the defense sector requires equipment that can function at optimum conditions even at the height of battle. The growing expenditure by various countries on making their defense sector smarter rather than the biggest and most voluminous is thus likely to be a key factor in the steady growth of the global rugged electronics market in the coming years.Browse Market Research Report @The power industry could also play an important role in the development of the global rugged electronics market in the coming years. The rising demand for smart grid initiatives has driven investment in the power sector, leading to the adoption of technological advances such as rugged electronics. As the power sector of the future is being oriented towards working almost entirely without human supervision, the rugged electronics sector could become a key part of the transformation.Low Demand from Individual Users Remains Problematic for Rugged Electronics MarketDespite the growing adoption of the rugged electronics sector in a number of industries, the sector continues to miss out on individual electronics customers: One of the most financially relevant consumer demographics in modern times. While the utility provided by rugged electronics remains undoubted, the high cost of the technology still needs to be compensated by high order volume, as it doesnt present notable benefits to the average urban user. While some aspects of rugged electronics technology are likely to be incorporated in the global consumer goods and electronics sectors in the coming years, the rugged electronics industry is likely to suffer from the lack of sweeping adoption in consumer electronics.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:
Wireless Network Infrastructure Ecosystem Market 2017 Global Analysis,Opportunities and Forecasts to 2030

Wireless Network Infrastructure Ecosystem Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Wireless Network Infrastructure Ecosystem Market 2017 Global Analysis,Opportunities and Forecasts to 2030.The term Wireless Network Infrastructure has conventionally been associated with macrocell RAN (Radio Access Network) and mobile core segments of mobile operator networks. However, the scope of the term is expanding as mobile operators increase their investments in Heterogeneous Network or HetNet infrastructure such as small cells, carrier Wi-Fi and DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems), to cope with increasing capacity and coverage requirements.In addition, mobile operators are keen to shift towards a C-RAN (Centralized RAN) architecture, which centralizes baseband functionality to be shared across a large number of distributed radio nodes. In comparison to standalone clusters of base stations, C-RAN provides significant performance and economic benefits such as resource pooling, multi-cell coordination, network extensibility and energy efficiency.Despite a rapid and persistent decline in standalone macrocell RAN infrastructure spending, SNS Research estimates that the wireless network infrastructure market will grow at a CAGR of 2% between 2017 and 2020. Driven by investments in HetNet infrastructure and 5G NR (New Radio) rollouts  beginning in 2019, the market is expected to be worth $56 Billion in annual spending by 2020, up from $53 Billion in 2017.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThe Wireless Network Infrastructure Ecosystem: 2017  2030  Macrocell RAN, Small Cells, C-RAN, RRH, DAS, Carrier Wi-Fi, Mobile Core, Backhaul & Fronthaul report presents an in-depth assessment of the wireless network infrastructure ecosystem including enabling technologies, key trends, market drivers, challenges, investment trends, mobile operator revenue potential, regional CapEx commitments, network rollout strategies, future roadmap, value chain, ecosystem player profiles and vendor market share. The report also presents forecasts for wireless network infrastructure investments from 2017 till 2030. The forecasts cover 11 individual submarkets and 6 regions.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.Topics CoveredThe report covers the following topics:- Up-to-date coverage of market dynamics allowing wireless network infrastructure vendors to analyze opportunities and challenges of selling to mobile operators in different regional markets- Analysis of demand and supply of wireless network infrastructure including forecasts of investment trends, technology requirements and deployment strategies for antenna, RAN, mobile core, backhaul and fronthaul deployments- Review of mobile operator CapEx commitments, subscriptions, traffic projections and service revenue, by technology and region- Market outlook for key technologies including LTE-Advanced Pro, VoLTE, LTE Broadcast, Cloud RAN, unlicensed and shared access small cells, and 5G NR- Industry roadmap and value chain- Profiles and strategies of over 550 ecosystem players including wireless network infrastructure vendors and enabling technology providers- Vendor market share for macrocell RAN, small cells, C-RAN, DAS, carrier Wi-Fi, mobile core, backhaul and fronthaul- Market analysis and forecasts from 2017 till 2030Forecast SegmentationMarket forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:Standalone Macrocell RANAir Interface Technology Segmentation- 2G & 3G- LTE FDD- TD-LTE- WiMAX- 5G NR (New Radio)Mobile CoreTechnology Segmentation- 3G Packet Core- HLR (Home Location Register)- MSS (Mobile Switching Subsystem)- LTE EPC (Evolved Packet Core)- WiMAX Mobile Core- 5G NextGen CoreMacrocell BackhaulTechnology Segmentation- Ethernet- Microwave & Millimeter Wave- Satellite- WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing)- PON (Passive Optical Network)- OthersSmall CellsAir Interface Technology Segmentation- 2G & 3G- LTE- 5G NRContinueAsk Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsChapter 1: IntroductionExecutive SummaryTopics CoveredForecast SegmentationKey Questions AnsweredKey FindingsMethodologyTarget AudienceCompanies & Organizations MentionedChapter 2: An Overview of Wireless Network InfrastructureWhat is Wireless Network Infrastructure?2G: GSM & CDMA2G Trends & Developments2G Market Summary3G: W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA & CDMA20003G Trends & Developments3G Market Summary4G: LTE, LTE-Advanced & WiMAX4G Trends & Developments4G Market Summary5G: IMT-2020 Technologies5G Trends & Developments5G Market SummaryMacrocell RANMacrocell RAN Trends & DevelopmentsHetNet RANHetNet RAN Trends & DevelopmentsSmall CellsC-RANDASCarrier Wi-FiMobile CoreMobile Core Trends & DevelopmentsMobile Backhaul & FronthaulMobile Backhaul & Fronthaul Trends & DevelopmentsChapter 3: Market Drivers, Barriers & RisksMarket DriversMobile Subscriptions GrowthSmartphone & Connected Device ProliferationGrowing Penetration of Mobile BroadbandMobile Data Traffic GrowthInterest from Vertical MarketsReducing the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)Replacement of Legacy Infrastructure: Continued Growth in Transport NetworkingAdvances in Spectrum Flexibility & Carrier Aggregation: Driving HetNet DeploymentsStrategic Choice for CDMA & WiMAX Operators: Join Mainstream EcosystemAddressing Legacy Network CongestionBringing Broadband to the MassesBarriers & RisksCapEx CommitmentsSpectrum ScarcityRAN Sharing: A Concept Embraced by Mobile OperatorsOperators Are Finding Innovative Ways to Address Capacity IssuesSocial, Political, Economic and Environmental ThreatsCountry Specific RisksKey Strategic Options for Mobile OperatorsBusiness Case for Investments in New and Existing TechnologiesGain Operational Efficiencies Through Strategic InvestmentsInvest in Capacity for Increased Revenue OpportunitiesDeliver Best User ExperienceReduce Competitive ThreatsReserve Network Capacity the M2M OpportunitiesIncrease Customer SatisfactionCapitalize on Differentiation StrategiesEvolve Towards the Next GenerationChapter 4: Mobile Network CapEx ReviewGlobal Mobile Network CapExRegional SplitKey Mobile Operator CommitmentsAmerica Movil GroupAT&TBharti Airtel GroupChina MobileChina TelecomChina UnicomDT (Deutsche Telekom)KDDILG UplusContinue.Buy 1-User PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Global Mobile Engagement Market 2017 Key Players -IBM (US), Salesforce (US), Oracle (US), Adobe (US), Vibes Media (US), Selligent (Belgium), Urban Airship (US), Appboy (US),..

Mobile Engagement Market

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Mobile Engagement Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Mobile Engagement Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.Executive SummaryThis report studies Mobile Engagement 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, coveringIBM (US)Salesforce (US)Oracle (US)Adobe (US)Vibes Media (US)Selligent (Belgium)Urban Airship (US)Appboy (US)Localytics (US)Swrve (US)Tapjoy (US)Marketo (US)Request Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSMS & MMSPush NotificationIn-App MessagingE-mailApp/Web ContentBy Application, the market can be split intoFinancial ServicesRetailTravel & HospitalityTelecom & ITOthersBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.For further information on this report, visit -Table of ContentsGlobal Mobile Engagement Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Mobile Engagement1.1 Definition and Specifications of Mobile Engagement1.1.1 Definition of Mobile Engagement1.1.2 Specifications of Mobile Engagement1.2 Classification of Mobile Engagement1.2.1 SMS & MMS1.2.2 Push Notification1.2.3 In-App Messaging1.2.4 E-mail1.2.5 App/Web Content1.3 Applications of Mobile Engagement1.3.1 Financial Services1.3.2 Retail1.3.3 Travel & Hospitality1.3.4 Telecom & IT1.3.5 Others1.4 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 Mobile Engagement2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Mobile Engagement2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Mobile Engagement2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Mobile Engagement3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Mobile Engagement3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Mobile Engagement Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Mobile Engagement Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Mobile Engagement Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Mobile Engagement Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Mobile Engagement Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Mobile Engagement Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Mobile Engagement Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Mobile Engagement Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Mobile Engagement Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Mobile Engagement Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Mobile Engagement Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Mobile Engagement Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Mobile Engagement Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Mobile Engagement Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Mobile Engagement Market Share Analysis5.2 China Mobile Engagement Market Analysis5.2.1 China Mobile Engagement Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Mobile Engagement Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Mobile Engagement Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Mobile Engagement Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Mobile Engagement Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Mobile Engagement Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Mobile Engagement Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Mobile Engagement Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Mobile Engagement Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Mobile Engagement Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 Mobile Engagement Market Share Analysis5.6 India Mobile Engagement Market Analysis5.6.1 India Mobile Engagement Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 Mobile Engagement Market Share Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Sales by Type6.2 Different Types of Mobile Engagement Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types of Mobile Engagement Product Driving Factors Analysis6.3.1 SMS & MMS of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.2 Push Notification of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.3 In-App Messaging of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.4 E-mail of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.5 App/Web Content of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor Analysis7 Global 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Segment Market Analysis (by Application)7.1 Global 2012-2017E Mobile Engagement Consumption by Application7.2 Different Application of Mobile Engagement Product Interview Price Analysis7.3 Different Application of Mobile Engagement Product Driving Factors Analysis7.3.1 Financial Services of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.2 Retail of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.3 Travel & Hospitality of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.4 Telecom & IT of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.5 Others of Mobile Engagement Growth Driving Factor AnalysisContinuousBuy this Report @Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
Crocodile Bag 2017 Global Market Key Players  LV, Hermes, Crocodile, GORRERI, Bulgari, Dior, Gucci  Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Crocodile Bag Market

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Crocodile Bag Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Crocodile Bag Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report provides in depth study of Crocodile Bag Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Crocodile Bag Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization.Global Crocodile Bag market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer;The top key players including ;LVHermesCrocodileGORRERIBulgariDiorAlexander McQueenGucciFendiChanelPradaDaseinMiu MiuThis report provides valuable information for companies like manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, traders, customers, investors and individuals who have interests in this industry.Request a Sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Crocodile Bag in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoUnder 100 USD100-300 USD300-500 USD500-700 USD700-1000 USDOver 1000 USDOn 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, includingWomenMenIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Crocodile Bag Market Research Report 20171 Crocodile Bag Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Crocodile Bag1.2 Crocodile Bag Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Crocodile Bag Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Crocodile Bag Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Under 100 USD1.2.4 100-300 USD1.2.5 300-500 USD1.2.6 500-700 USD1.2.7 700-1000 USD1.2.8 Over 1000 USD1.3 Global Crocodile Bag Segment by Application1.3.1 Crocodile Bag Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Women1.3.3 Men1.4 Global Crocodile Bag Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Crocodile Bag Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Crocodile Bag (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Crocodile Bag Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022).7 Global Crocodile Bag Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 LV7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 LV Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Hermes7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Hermes Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Crocodile7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Crocodile Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 GORRERI7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 GORRERI Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Bulgari7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Bulgari Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Dior7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Dior Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Alexander McQueen7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Alexander McQueen Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Gucci7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Gucci Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Fendi7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Fendi Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Chanel7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Crocodile Bag Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Chanel Crocodile Bag Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
TD-LTE Ecosystem Market : Analysis and In-depth Research on Size, Trends, Emerging Growth Factors and Forecasts 2025

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A fresh study by Transparency Market Research (TMR) suggests that a number of companies are currently connected to the value chain of the global TD-LTE ecosystem market, which is a clear indication of widespread opportunities in a developing market scenario. The report identifies Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Nokia, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Telefonaktiebolaget L. M. Ericsson, AT&T, Inc., ZTE Corporation, Qualcomm Inc., MediaTek, Inc., Broadcom Corporation, and Spreadtrum Communications Inc. as some of the most prominent companies in the global TD-LTE ecosystem market.Download exclusive Sample of this report:As per the projections of the report, the demand in the global TD-LTE ecosystem market will increase at a phenomenal CAGR of 24.4% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025, estimating it to achieve a global worth of US$264.00 bn by 2025, mounting from its evaluated valuation of US$40.80 bn in 2016. The report notes that a number of significant TD-LTE network deployments have occurred in the past three years, such as Sprint in The U.S., Bharti Airtel in India, and SoftBank in Japan, as a result of spectrum availability and decreased deployment costs. China based vendor, Huawei, is a highly respectable name in the global TD-LTE ecosystem market. The company signed a US$45.0 mn contract with Italian ISP Tiscali in September 2016. On the other hand, Ericsson also holds a significant chunk of shares in the global TD-LTE ecosystem market, capitalizing on upcoming deployment opportunities in both Asia Pacific and Europe.Equipment-wise, macro cells have considerably more demand than small cells, whereas on the basis of device type, notebooks serve maximum revenue share of the market, than other segments including PCs, smartphones, routers, and tablets. Application-wise, the market for TD-LTE ecosystem has been classified into retail, banking institutes, healthcare, and personal uses. Geographically, North America currently is the most lucrative regional market, although Asia Pacific offers widespread opportunities too.Obtain Report Details @Ubiquity of Smartphones Driving DemandEscalating demand for LTE with growing ubiquity of smartphones is the primary driver of the global TD-LTE ecosystem market. Apart from smartphones, the growing propagation of an array of other Internet enabled mobile devices such as tablets and e-readers has led to increasing consumer need to access on the go rich content. Popularity of social media has caused an explosion of mobile data traffic, generating exceptional demand on the network of wireless operators. Bandwidth concentrated applications, especially video-based, render the restricted access and the gap that the clients are progressively facing between peak rates in actual experiences every day and perfect conditions. Therefore, it is vital for operators to confirm that the average mobile experience of the users is not negotiated especially in high traffic areas.Cost Factors Hindering ProsperityDespite a highly prosperous future, there are a few factors obstructing the proper growth of the global TD-LTE ecosystem market. Complexity and backward compatibility is one such restraint. The operators who are considering a network update, must choose the appropriate technology. Either they upgrade to an evolved version of 3G like HSPA and HSPA+ or they opt for LTE. Upgrading within the 3G family does not require network architectural changes as such, whereas transforming to LTE needs core network expansion and new radio access technology. This process is highly complicated as well as cost intensive.As per the author of the report, Advancement in wireless infrastructure is one of the major opportunities in the global market of TD-LTE ecosystem. Advancement in wireless infrastructure is likely to create opportunities in the global TD-LTE ecosystem market. Various standardization bodies are developing higher frequencies and higher data rates having shorter transmission ranges. Early use of some technologies like 802.11ac assures a Gigabit per second from a single access point.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:
GaN Power Devices Market Explores New Growth Opportunities By 2025

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The global GaN power devices market comprises several large as well as mid-level vendors, due to the proliferation of lucrative opportunities in the market. Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, NXP Semiconductors N.V., GaN Systems Inc., Texas Instruments, and Infineon Technologies AG are among the leading players in the GaN power devices market. The market is expected to witness the entry of a significant number of GaN power device vendors in the coming years, intensifying the competition. Other significant players in the market include Fujitsu Limited, Transphorm Inc., Cree Incorporated (Wolfspeed), OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, and Qorvo, Inc., among others.Download exclusive Sample of this report:According to Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global GaN power devices market is expected to exhibit a robust 17.5% CAGR from 2017 to 2025. The GaN power devices markets revenue valuation is likely to rise from US$223.5 mn in 2015 to more than US$1.4 bn by 225.The GaN power devices market has been studied in five geographical segments, namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and South America. North America was the largest segment in terms of revenue and held more than 35% of the market in 2015.Obtain Report Details @Rising Demand in Automotive, Consumer Electronics Sectors Drives GaN Power Devices MarketThe booming automotive industry and the rising prominence of electric vehicles in the global automotive sector is likely to consistently remain a prime driver for the GaN power devices market in the coming years. Electric vehicles have come into the spotlight in the global automotive industry due to their environmental benefits. The GaN power devices market has benefited from the electric vehicle industry boom due to the high power density offered by GaN power devices, which has proved a key step in bridging the gap towards the conventional automotive industry. The rising awareness about the improving performance characteristics of electric vehicles is likely to remain a key driver for the global GaN power devices market.The GaN power devices market is largely driven by expansion in the application areas for GaN-based devices due to flourishing consumer electronics industry. Moreover, increase in requirement of GaN devices for commercial RF applications and rise in demand for GaN devices for wireless charging are expected to further bring significant growth in the overall market. However, high procurement cost and processing complexity might create challenge for the overall growth of this market.The consumer electronics sector is also a major consumer in the global GaN power devices market. The growing demand for smartphones in developing regions and the importance of solid battery support for consumers in the region has led to the GaN power devices industry becoming a key part of the smartphone industry boom. Growing adoption of IoT and remote sensing technology in the consumer electronics sector is likely to provide the GaN power devices market with a steady sales outlet in the coming years.By type, GaN power discrete devices and GaN power modules are likely to dominate the global GaN power devices market in the coming years. The GaN power modules segment is expected to exhibit a steep rise at a 19.5% CAGR in the 2017-2025 forecast period.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:
Smart Baggage Handling System Market - Industry Shares, Market Strategies And Key Players

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In a competitive global smart baggage handling system market, keen players are hard-focused on collaborations to expand their outreach and to accelerate their pace of gains. In matters of competition, the global smart baggage handling system market is expected to witness the entry of small-sized players that will further intensify competition in this market.Some of the key growth drivers of the global smart baggage handling system market are a modernization of existing airports, growth in the number of airports and air travelers, and adoption of systems with improved accuracy for baggage handling and baggage tracking.In emerging economies, construction of new airports that are equipped with state-of-the-art technology is benefiting the smart baggage handling system market. The installation of these systems enable easy tracking and handling a large volume of baggage which is critical to the growing air traffic in these regions.As per estimates of a report by Transparency Market Research, the global smart baggage handling system market will clock an impressive 19.3% CAGR from 2017 to 2025. If the figure holds true, the markets valuation of US$1,508.6 mn in 2106 will become US$7,210.8 mn by the end of 2025.Get an exclusive sample of this report @Radio Frequency Identification Scanning Technology Preferred due Virtues of ReliabilityThe report studies the global smart baggage handling system market on the basis of mode of transportation, technology, solution, and region. In terms of airport, the market is segmented into airport and railway station. The segments of the global smart baggage handling system market based on technology are radio frequency identification system (RFID) and barcode system. Of the two, in 2016, radio frequency identification led the market vis-a-vis revenue. This is because RFID allows the system to scan the baggage tags with negligible probability of issues that help generate a good chunk of revenue.On the basis of mode of transportation, the global smart baggage handling system market is divided into airport and railway station. The segment of airport is further sub-segmented into international and domestic. The international airport segment is expected to represent a sizeable share of the overall market over the forecast period.The segments of the market depending upon solution are sorting, conveying, tracking and tracing, diverting, and others.Browse Research Report @Powered by the U.S., North America to Display Robust CAGR through 2025Geography-wise, the report studies the growth prospects of the global smart baggage handling system market across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and South America. North America is the key region for smart baggage handling systems due to a significant growth in the construction of new airports in the last couple of years. The North America smart baggage handling system market is anticipated to display a phenomenal 20.5% CAGR over the forecast period between 2017 and 2025. The U.S. currently accounts for the leading revenue contribution to the region and going forward the U.S. is estimated to rise at a significant CAGR over the forecast period. The U.S. federal government recently invested approximately US$3.7 bn to strengthen airport infrastructure. This includes installation of high capacity automated baggage handling systems to serve the need to handle large volume of baggage of varying sizes. Air carriers as well airports authority are working in coherence to deploy advanced baggage handling systems across North America. For instance, in May 2017, Delta Airlines invested US$442.3 bn to include facial recognition for passengers using self-service baggage drop system at Atlanta International Airports.In 2016, Asia Pacific stood as a key region for smart baggage handling system due to growth in the number of airports and air travelers.Prominent participants in the global smart baggage handling system market include Daifuku Web Siemens Group, Pteris Global Limited, Fives Group, G&S Airport Conveyor, Vanderlande Industries, Alstef Automation S.A., SITA, Beumer Group, and Scarabee Systems & Technology B.V.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Dispatch Console Market: Repository of Analysis and Information for Every Facet of the Market

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The global dispatch console market comprises a medley of some well-entrenched players along with several medium, small, and unorganized local players, which characterizes fragmentation and competition in this market, as reported by Transparency Market Research (TMR). To stay competitive, companies in the market are investing in newer technologies and developing innovative products for dispatch consoles.In addition, companies in the market are investing in research and development to offer customized solutions, which further helps them strengthen their position in this market.Some key players operating in the global dispatch console market include Airbus DS Communications Inc., Bosch Security Systems, Avtec Inc., Catalyst Communication Technologies Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., EF Johnson Technologies, Harris Corporation, Siemens Convergence Creators GmbH, and Watson Consoles.Obtain Report Details @According to estimates by Transparency Market Research, the global dispatch console market is likely to expand at a CAGR of 3.9% between 2017 and 2025 and attain a value of US$2,665.4 mn by the end of 2025.The global dispatch console market has been segmented into government and defense, healthcare, manufacturing, public safety, transportation, utility, and others based on application in this report. The segment of public safety led the market in 2016 in terms of revenue. Some of the public agencies that install dispatch console in their communication systems are police, fire and safety, emergency medical services, defense, paramilitary sectors, and others. Terrestrial trunked Radio (TETRA), Digital Mobile Radio (DMR), and others are some of the open standards for public safety applications.Transportation is another crucial application segment, wherein dispatch consoles ensure timely and effective communication for passengers and cargo to reach their destinations safely. Government and defense also attaches dispatch console to its effective and emergency communication process to avoid delays in information dissemination.Obtain Brochure Of Report @The global dispatch console market has been segmented into five regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and South America. Asia Pacific is expected to be key regional segment over the forecast period, mainly driven by China, India, and Japan.One of the primary growth drivers of the global dispatch console market is the increasing need among businesses for reliable process for communication or information dissemination in a timely and effective manner. For example, the dispatch consoles attached with public safety communication systems include multichannel interaction, pre-recorded messages, open standard network architectures, real-time access over historical data, cloud computing, etc. Extreme weather prone areas demand a speedy public safety agency for rescue of inhabitants in critical situations.The scope of dispatch console products is at present widening with increasing instances of unforeseen incidents and emergency situations. As globalization demands integration, participants of an ecosystem, whether an individual or an organization, need to be connected for uninterrupted communication at all times.Get Sample Of Report @Dispatch console plays an active role in aiding emergency communication processes by means of providing hardware and software solutions across industry verticals. These dispatch consoles are not only equipped with a handy hardware radio for emergency communication, but are also supplemented with end-to-end peripherals and software solutions.The review presented here is based on the findings of a report by Transparency Market Research, titled Dispatch Console Market (Application - Government and Defense, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Public Safety, Transportation, and Utility) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025.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:
Hospital Workforce Management Software 2017 Global Market Size,Status,Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Hospital Workforce Management Software Industry

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Hospital Workforce Management Software 2017 Global Market Size,Status,Analysis and Forecast to 2022.This report studies the global Hospital Workforce Management Software market, analyzes and researches the Hospital Workforce Management Software development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeMcKesson Medical-Surgical Inc.Kronos IncorporatedInforADP, LLCATOSS Software AGIBMCornerstone Ondemand, Inc.Ultimate SoftwareGE HealthcareOracleWorkForce Software, LLCGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoBy Software TypeBy ServiceBy Mode of DeliveryMarket segment by Application, Hospital Workforce Management Software can be split intoHospitalHealthcare InstitutionsLong Term CareIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Ask Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsGlobal Hospital Workforce Management Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Hospital Workforce Management Software1.1 Hospital Workforce Management Software Market Overview1.1.1 Hospital Workforce Management Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Hospital Workforce Management Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Hospital Workforce Management Software Market by Type1.3.1 By Software Type1.3.2 By Service1.3.3 By Mode of Delivery1.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Hospital1.4.2 Healthcare Institutions1.4.3 Long Term Care2 Global Hospital Workforce Management Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Hospital Workforce Management Software 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 McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc.3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Kronos Incorporated3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Infor3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 ADP, LLC3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 ATOSS Software AG3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 IBM3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Cornerstone Ondemand, Inc.3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Ultimate Software3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 GE Healthcare3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Oracle3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Hospital Workforce Management Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 WorkForce Software, LLCContinue.Buy 1-User PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Global Nano Biosensors Market 2017- 2022: Analog Devices, Robert Bosch, Denso, Omron, Roche Nimblegen

Nano Biosensors Market

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Global Nano Biosensors Market Professional Survey Report 2017 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Global Nano Biosensors Market.Get Access to sample pages @Global Nano Biosensors market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includes Analog Devices, Robert Bosch, Denso, Omron, Roche Nimblegen, Freescale, STMicorelectronics, Sensonor & ToshibaGlobal Nano Biosensors (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Electrochemical Nano Biosensors, Calorimetric Nano Biosensors, Optical Nano Biosensors & Acoustic Nano BiosensorsMarket Segment by Type 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022Electrochemical Nano Biosensors xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Calorimetric Nano Biosensors xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Optical Nano Biosensors xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Acoustic Nano Biosensors xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%The research study is segmented by Application such as Consumer Electronics, Power Generation, Automotive, Petrochemical, Healthcare, Industrial & Others with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Global Nano Biosensors (Thousands Units) by Application (2017-2022)Market Segment by Application 2012 2017 2022 Market Share (%)2022 CAGR (%)(2017-2022)Consumer Electronics xx xx xx xx% xx%Power Generation xx xx xx xx% xx%Automotive xx xx xx xx% xx%Petrochemical xx xx xx xx% xx%Healthcare xx xx xx xx% xx%Industrial 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 Nano Biosensors in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringMarket Segment by Regions 2012 2017 2022 Share (%) CAGR (2017-2022)North America xx xx xx xx% xx%China xx xx xx xx% xx%Europe xx xx xx xx% xx%Southeast Asia xx xx xx xx% xx%Japan xx xx xx xx% xx%India xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx xx% xx%This independent 107 page research with title Global Nano Biosensors Market Professional Survey Report 2017 covers geographic analysis that includes regions/countries like North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan & India and important players/vendors such as Analog Devices, Robert Bosch, Denso, Omron, Roche Nimblegen, Freescale, STMicorelectronics, Sensonor & Toshiba. With n-number of tables and figures examining the Nano Biosensors , the research gives you a perfect visual, products, submarkets and market leaders revenue forecasts as well as analysis to 2022Each player highlighted in the research study contains companies Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors, in-depth business overview, geographic footprint and contact information. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to SWOT Analysis.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @This study is the collection of primary and secondary data including valuable information from major vendors in the market and the projections are derived on data from 2012 to current date and projected forecasts till 2022 which makes the research study a valuable resource for industry personnel, and other people looking for key industry related data in readily accessible documents with easy to analyze graphs and tables. The report is a perfect answer to future development roadmap of Nano Biosensors based on ongoing outlook to assist industry player understand the development journey of Nano Biosensors Market.Key questions answered in this report - Global Nano Biosensors Market Professional Survey Report 2017What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate beWhat are the key market trendsWhat is driving Global Nano Biosensors marketWhat are the challenges to market growthWho are the key vendors in Global Nano Biosensors market spaceBuy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Nano Biosensors market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Nano Biosensors , Applications of Nano Biosensors , Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan & India, Nano Biosensors Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Nano Biosensors Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of ;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Electrochemical Nano Biosensors, Calorimetric Nano Biosensors, Optical Nano Biosensors & Acoustic Nano Biosensors], Market Trend by Application [Consumer Electronics, Power Generation, Automotive, Petrochemical, Healthcare, Industrial & Others];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of ;Chapter 12, to describe Nano Biosensors Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Nano Biosensors 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.Connect with us atHTF 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
Passenger Service System (PSS) Market: Quantitative Market Analysis, Current and Future Trends

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Some of the key players in the global passenger service system (PSS) market are Sirena-Travel JSCS, Radixx International, Inc., Hitit Computer Services A.S., Intelisys Aviation Systems Inc., Bravo Passenger Solutions Pte Ltd., Unisys Corp., Hexaware Technologies Ltd., Travelport Worldwide Ltd., SITA NV, Sabre Corp., IBS Software Services Pvt. Ltd., Information Systems Associates FZE, Amadeus IT Group SA, Travel Technology Interactive, Mercator Ltd., Travelsky Technology Ltd., and KIU System Solutions.As per a report by Transparency Market Research, the global passenger service system (PSS) market will likely expand at a robust 11.8% CAGR between 2016 and 2024 to become worth US$ 11.523 bn by 2024 from US$4.315 bn in 2015.Obtain Report Details @Depending upon the various services offered, the global passenger service system (PSS) market can be segmented into airline inventory system, internet booking system, airline reservation system, airport management consulting, loyalty system, departure control system, ancillary services, and customer care system. Among them, the airline reservation system segment accounted for maximum share of 27.8% in 2015. Mainly driving the growth in this segment is the high uptake among medium and small airline operators.Geographically, the key segments of the global passenger service system (PSS) market are North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific, of them, is slated to expand its share at a healthy clip and contribute to the market substantially, in the forecast period. As per the TMR report, the market is Asia Pacific will likely rise at a CAGR of 13.0% between 2016 and 2024.Obtain Brochure Of Report @Passenger Service System (PSS) is a clutch of solutions that enables efficient management of an airline front-end operation by managing passenger related activities. It is basically a communication system that offers services to passengers such as loyalty, customer care, online booking, reservation, and check-in and check-out status in real-time.Increasing spending capacity of the middle-class population and the rise in number of airline operators is slated to provide a fillip to the demand for passenger service system in the coming years. Passenger service system helps airline operators to quickly monetize their offering and further generate revenue from non-core assets, explains the lead analyst of the report.At present, numerous passenger service system (PSS) providers are offering non-core PSS solution such as ancillary service, loyalty system and customer care system in response to demand from airline operators. In addition, some PSS providers are also providing airport management consulting solution to satisfy demand for smart airport offering.Get Sample Of Report @Market is at an interesting cusp where players are coming up with new platforms and new technologies to facilitate better services to customers, adds the lead analyst of the TMR report. The demand for better PSS solutions such as home tagging for luggage, presence of augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence for customer service are expected to contribute to the growth of PSS solution over the forecast period. Growing penetration of the internet is another major factor boosting the global passenger service system (PSS) market.This review is based on the findings of a TMR report, titled, Passenger Service System (PSS) Market (Service - Airline Reservation System, Airline Inventory System, Departure Control System, Internet Booking System, Loyalty System, Customer Care System, Airport Management Consulting, and Ancillary Services) - 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 Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market Reach 136.41 Mn by 2025

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A new report added to the repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide 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 Sample Report @Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market: OverviewTert-butyl Hydroperoxide (TBHP) is a clear, colorless, stable and aqueous solution usually available in concentration of approximately 70 wt% TBHP and 30 wt% water. TBHP belongs to the alkyl hydroperoxide chemical family. It is a highly reactive product, with three types of significant physical hazards: flammability, thermal, and decomposition due to contamination.TBHP provides a readily available and convenient source of active oxygen suitable for diverse oxidation technologies. Epoxidation of propylene to propylene oxide is the largest commercial application of TBHP. Under the polymerization initiation reaction, TBHP is employed to synthesize many perester, dialkyl peroxide, and perketal derivatives, as it serves as a free radical initiator for polymerization, co-polymerization, graft polymerization, and curing of polymers. TBHP is also used in manufacture of specialty chemicals required in fine chemical and performance chemical industries such as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. It can selectively oxidize hydrocarbons, olefins, and alcohols. Asymmetric epoxidation and kinetic resolution with TBHP can provide access to complex chiral intermediates.Commonly used production processes of TBHP include reaction between hydrogen peroxide and tert butanol (TBA) in the presence of sulfuric acid. The TBHP-based PO production process generates TBA as by-product, along with PO. The recyclic nature of the process reduces the intensity of grade of TBHP at every pass. It enables manufacturers to procure TBHP at a lower cost than that of the original production. This is expected to act as a driver for the global TBHP market.The report estimates and forecasts the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market on the global and regional levels. The study provides forecast between 2017 and 2025 based on volume (tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2016 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage.The study includes drivers and restraints for the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes substitute analysis of Tert-butyl hydroperoxide and global average price trend analysis.The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and regions have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for tert-butyl hydroperoxide market between 2017 and 2025.Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market: Geographic SegmentationThe study provides a comprehensive view of the tert-butyl hydroperoxide market by dividing it into application and geography segments. The applications are segmented into polymerization initiator, chemical synthesis, curing agent, and others. These segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends.Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast consumption of tert-butyl hydroperoxide in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Market segmentation includes demand for consumption in all the regions individually.Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market: Competitive AnalysisThe report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include LyondellBasell, PERGAN GmbH, Arkema Group, Akzo Nobel, and United Initiators GmbH. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market: Research MethodologySecondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to, Independent Chemical Information Service (ICIS), Chemical Weekly Magazine, U.N. Comtrade, World Bank, European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and EUROPA - European Commission, national government documents, statistical databases, and market reports, company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The global tert-butyl hydroperoxide market has been segmented as follows:Global Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market, by ApplicationPolymerization InitiatorChemical SynthesisCuring AgentOthersGlobal Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Market, by RegionNorth AmericaS.CanadaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaEuropeGermanyNetherlandsK.ItalyRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaASEANRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaSend an Enquiry @Market 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.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Global Aerospace Composite Materials Market 2017 - Mitsubishi Rayon, Owens Corning, Hyosung, Kaman, SGL Group

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Global Aerospace Composite Materials Market 2017 Survival Strategies explore Economic Impact in International Industries Manufactures, Growth, Size, Share, Trends, Development Challenges and Opportunities till 2022Global Aerospace Composite Materials Market 2017-2022 research report by United States Market Insight provides an essential information and statistically evaluated data about the Aerospace Composite Materials . The MRS Research Group report provides a detailed study of the Aerospace Composite Materials 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.Get Free Sample Copy Of Report @The research report provides the Aerospace Composite Materials markets classification in detail. The Aerospace Composite Materials market is bifurcated into a number of segments on the basis of materials,types,applications,and end-users. The geographical analysis of the global Aerospace Composite Materials 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.The Major Players in global market, including :Cytec Industries (US), Hexcel (US), Koninklijke Ten Cate (TenCate) (NL), Mitsubishi Rayon (JP), Owens Corning (US), Hyosung (KP), Kaman (US), SGL Group (DE), Teijin Aramid (JP), ACP Composites (US), PRF Composite Materials (UK), JPS Composite Materials (US), LMI Aerospace (US), HITCO Carbon Composites (US), Toray (JP)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 Aerospace Composite Materials report also highlights the growth statistics depending on the supply and demand in the different regions.Read Complete Report with TOC @Aerospace Composite Materials Market, by Key Consumers :Interior, ExteriorThe Region Covering : United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, IndiaHighlights of Research 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 Aerospace Composite Materials 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.The Aerospace Composite Materials 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 Aerospace Composite Materials industry.Enquiry Before Buying Report @MRS Research Group is the worlds giant collection of the Market research Reports. Where we specialized in global publisher, tailor made reports and specialists consulting. Global Publisher provides in-depth analysis of global and Chinese market. Tailor-made reports represent methodologies deliverable to proper insight of the client. While, expertise research specialist helps to provide strategic solution in specialists consulting.3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138
Global Intra-abdominal Infections Market size, Industry Analysis, Share, Growth, Trends, Forecast 2017 - 2025

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MarketResearchReports.Biz announces addition of new report" Intra-abdominal Infections Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025"to its database.The objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the market on the basis of type, application, medical condition, and region. It provides detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the market. This report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments of the key players in terms of market developments, product portfolios, and financials.Get Sample copy of this Report @ The intra-abdominal infection (IAI) indicates inflammation of a single organ in the entire intra-abdominal area or peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining). Major IAIs include intra-abdominal abscess, appendicitis, diverticulitis, diarrhea, food poisoning, and infection by Helicobacter pylori. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and fever are common symptoms of IAI. It is believed that inflammation of intra-abdominal organs is caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Intra-abdominal infections are predominantly polymicrobial in nature. These infections are primarily caused by H. pylori, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, E. coli, Pseudomonas, or Klebsiella. The intra-abdominal infection can be diagnosed through numerous diagnostic tests such as blood test, computed tomography, ultrasound, and X-ray of the abdominal region. A wide range of antibiotics are administered for the treatment of intra-abdominal infection.According to recent studies conducted, the incidence rate of intra-abdominal infections in the U.S. is estimated to be nearly 3.5 million cases per year. It is the second most leading cause of death in intrinsic care units at health care facilities such as hospitals. In 2017, Ann Surg documented that 100 out of 100,000 persons are affected by appendicitis in North America, whereas 105151 out of 100,000 new cases of appendicitis are reported in Europe. The number of reported cases of appendicitis in countries of Asia is higher. Another journal Gastroenterology has estimated that 4.4 billion cases of Helicobacter pylori are reported worldwide, wherein South America and Africa exhibit higher prevalence (almost 80%90%). A joint study performed by the U.S. and Canada in 2011 stated that the U.S., Europe, and Australia showed higher prevalence of divertciluis although geographical variance is immense.The global intra-abdominal infections market can be segmented based on disease indication, drug class, distribution channel, and region. Based on disease indication, the market has been classified into intra-abdominal abscess, appendicitis, diverticulitis, diarrhea, food poisoning, and infection by Helicobacter pylori. Based on drug class, the global intra-abdominal infection market has been divided into chloramphenicol, beta lactums, quinolones, aminoglycosides, and others. All these antibiotics are proved to be effective in treating intra-abdominal infections. Based on distribution channel, the market has been segmented into hospital pharmacies, drug stores, retail pharmacies, and e-commerce.View Report @ Increasing demand for quick and accurate non-surgical treatments and growing incidence of infectious and chronic diseases are major factors that boost the IAI market. Prevalence of diseases such as abscess, appendicitis, diverticulitis, and infection by Helicobacter pylori is of high concern for numerous developed and developing countries. Increasing awareness regarding the treatment procedure and rising health care expenditure are expected to be key factors responsible for growth of the global intra-abdominal infections market. A majority of these diseases have high prevalence in developing economies. Thus, the rise in demand for cost-effective and efficient treatment is expected to drive the global intra-abdominal infections market during the forecast period. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, most of the studies are funded by non-industrial organizations and performed by European organizations. For instance, Allecra Therapeutics, a Germany-based company, has been performing a study on cefepime, an antibiotic against intra-abdominal infections. It is expected to complete its phase 2 by the end of 2017. The approval of Zavicefta from AstraZeneca for Europe although commercialization rights are held by Pfizer (Allergen in the U.S. and Canada) and development of antibiotics by the University of Southampton as a replacement for surgery for appendicitis.Geographically, the global intra-abdominal infections market has been classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North American is projected to lead the global intra-abdominal infections market during the forecast period. Dominance of North America is largely attributable due to significant rise in the number of reported cases, awareness about treatment, adequate availability of antibiotics, and increasing drug research and development activities. On the other hand, the Asia Pacific region witnesses high prevalence of IAI, rapidly growing pharmaceutical industry, and increase in publicprivate partnerships to promote research at academic levels, and awareness about antibiotic therapy for IAI. The market in the region is expected to register the maximum growth rate during the forecast period. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are anticipated to provide lucrative growth opportunities to the intra-abdominal infections market during the forecast period, due to developing health care infrastructure and increasing per capita expenditure led by emerging middle class in these regions.Major players operating in the global intra-abdominal infections market are AstraZeneca Plc., Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer, AtoxBio, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceutical Inc., and Bristol Myers Squibb.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.Request for Enquiry @ 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.Check Discount @ 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 marketAbout 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 Smart Cards Market is Expected to Progress at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2017 to 2023

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has been serving as an active source to cater intelligent research report to enlighten both readers and investors. This research study titled Smart Cards Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2016 - 2023 Get Free Sample Report @Smart cards are IC-based cards that accumulate and retrieve information using various computer systems. Smart cards consist of central processing units and memory units. Smart cards primarily act as a cost-effective way to store, manage, and maintain credentials for their users. This makes these products highly convenient for different applications. In addition, the portability of smart cards enables their extensive adoption across different applications. Currently, smart cards are widely used across sectors such as telecommunications, BFSI, and government. Due to the numerous advantages they offer, smart cards are increasingly used in the healthcare, government IDs (e-passports), and retail sectors. Thus, strong ongoing adoption of smart cards across different sectors is estimated to substantially spur the markets growth in the coming years.The research study titled Smart Cards Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2016 - 2023 provides in-depth analysis of the market and related sub-segments. The report strategically focuses on market segments including different types of smart cards and components. In addition, this report provides market insights and forecasts of the size and growth of each segment across each of the geographic regions. The report includes detailed analysis of prevalent market trends and profiles of key players. In order to provide better understanding of competition in the market, the report offers ecosystem analysis and competitive landscape. The study on the global smart cards market has been conducted with the objective of providing thorough coverage of the underlying technological and socio-economic factors driving the market.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The smart cards market is expected to see consistent growth in the coming years due to the increasing demand for secure and reliable payment transactions across the retail and BFSI sectors. Moreover, cost-saving schemes for merchants from payments brands such as Visa, MasterCard, and Europay is driving the smart card technology innovations. The decreasing prices of subscriber identification module (SIM) cards and tariff rates are increasing the number of mobile subscribers, and thus further contributing to the growth of the smart cards market. However, factors such as price pressures and technological challenges along with the cost of migrating to smartcard compatible readers affect the adoption of smartcards. Conversely, technological advancements, falling prices, and the introduction of high-end SIMs offer potential opportunities for the growth of the smart cards market.This report studies the current scenario as well as the future market potential for smart cards globally. The market for smart cards has been segmented based on three major parameters: card type, components, and geography. The major types of smart cards used are contact smart cards, contactless smart cards, hybrid smart cards, and dual-interface smart cards. On the basis of components, the smart cards market is segmented into microcontroller-based smart cards and memory-based smart cards. The demand for microcontroller-based smart cards is significantly high owing to the wide adoption of such cards for contactless and dual-interface smart cards. The market size and forecast, in terms of revenue and volume (US$ Mn & Mn units), for each of these segments has been provided for the period from 2013 to 2023, considering 2013 and 2014 as the base years. For 2015, report provides actual data for the first half and estimate for the second half. Also, the report provides market size and forecast in terms of volume (Mn Units) for various segments for the above mentioned period. The report also provides the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for each segment of the market for the forecast period 2016 to 2023.Geographically, the market for global smart cards has been segmented into four regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a competitive landscape, wherein the market share analysis of leading players in the global smart cards market for the year 2014, in terms of value percentage, has been discussed. The report concludes with the company profiles section, which provides an overview of the major companies operating in the market including strategies deployed by them to gain competitive advantage, annual revenue generated by them in the past two years, and key developments in the market. The companies profiled in this report include the American Express Company, Atos SE, NXP Semiconductors NV, Infineon Technologies AG, Gemalto NV, INSIDE Secure, Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) GmbH, and Texas Instruments, Inc.Send an Enquiry @The global smart cards market is categorized into the following segments:Smart Cards Market, by TypeContact Smart CardsContactless Smart CardsHybrid Smart CardsDual-interface Smart CardsSmart Cards Market, by ComponentMicrocontrollerMemory CardSmart Cards Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle East & Africa (MEA)Latin AmericaCheck Discount @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market 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:
Global Metal Organic Framework Market size, Industry Analysis, Share, Growth, Trends, Forecast 2017 - 2025

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MarketResearchReports.Biz announces addition of new report"Metal Organic Framework Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 "to its database.The objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the market on the basis of type, application, medical condition, and region. It provides detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the market. This report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments of the key players in terms of market developments, product portfolios, and financials.Get Sample copy of this Report @Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs), also called Porous Coordination Polymers (PCPs) or coordination networks, are crystalline materials which can be readily self-assembled from metal ions or metal clusters with organic ligands. They display permanent porosity with enormous internal surface area and large structural diversity, and hence, lead to a wide spectrum of applications such as gas capture and storage, molecule separations, ion-exchange, drug delivery, sensing, catalysis, and luminescence. MOFs are crystalline hybrid materials created from both organic and inorganic molecules via molecular self-assembly. Recently, MOFs have been processed into porous fabrics, glass, flexible thin films, and biocompatible membranes. The unique physical and chemical characteristics of MOFs make them suitable to be utilized for drug storage, drug delivery, nitric oxide storage & delivery, imaging, and sensing.Changing preference by emerging economies toward renewable energy is leading to the increase in demand of MOFs for manufacturing hydrogen fuel cells, which in turn is driving the MOFs market. Properties such as special structure and large surface area, make MOF suitable to be employed for alternative systems for gas and energy storage (e.g. carbon dioxide and hydrogen storage). Wide usage in catalysis, chemical sensing, as nano reactors, make them ideal to be used for both university research and industry. Increasing applications in the fields of solar and membrane technology, sensor systems, diagnostics, and chemical process engineering make them viable to be utilized in large numbers. Recent developments in biomedical industries in areas such as drug storage, drug delivery, imaging, and sensing are also driving the MOFs market.Issues in biomedical applications such as instability, toxicology, and biocompatibility are hampering the MOFs market. Factors such as a lack of large-scale production and availability of cost-effective substitutes are some factors that are restraining the market. However, the MOFs market has witnessed numerous growth opportunities over the last few years and is estimated to expand at a considerable rate during the forecast period.View Report @Based on product type, the MOFs market is segmented into zinc-based organic frames, copper-based organic frames, iron-based organic frames, aluminum-based organic frames, and magnesium-based organic frames.In terms of application, the MOFs market is segmented into gas capture and storage, molecule separations, ion-exchange, drug delivery, sensing, catalysis, and luminescence. Properties such as permanent porosity, considerable surface area, and large structural diversity make them ideal for drug delivery and molecule separation.In terms of region, the market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. The market in China and India is expanding at a significant pace due to increasing demand for MOFs from pharmaceutical industry. The market in North America is expanding at a rapidly due to advancements in R&D technologies. Europe is also witnessing significant demand for MOFs market due to the undergoing research work in the field of clean energy and hydrogen fuel cells.Key players operating in the MOFs market include Merck (Sigma-Aldrich), BASF SE, MOFapps, and Strem Chemicals.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.Request for Enquiry @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.Check Discount @ 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 marketAbout 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 Intravenous Fluid Bags Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application 2017

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Intravenous solutions contain amino acids, dextrose, mineral salts, vitamins, and trace elements, and therefore cover the basic essential components (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water, electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals) required to build tissue, for energy expenditure, and other physiological activities. A complete mixture of all vital nutrients is also available in multi-chamber bags, which are gaining immense popularity.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversBaxterB. BraunHospira (Pfizer)SIPPEXAmcorSmiths MedicalMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Request for the Report Sample:List of Tables and FiguresFigure Mexico Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)10Figure Germany Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)11Figure France Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)12Figure UK Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)13Figure Russia Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)14Figure Italy Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)15Figure China Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)16Figure Japan Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)17Figure Korea Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)18Figure India Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)19Figure Southeast Asia Intravenous Fluid Bags Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)20About UsQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.Contact usBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Excimer and Femtosecond Ophthalmic Lasers Market to Register Unwavering Growth by 2026

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The global excimer and femtosecond ophthalmic lasers market is expected to witness stable growth in 2016, reaching a value of US$ 666 Mn in terms of revenues. Excimer laser systems will continue to outsell femtosecond lasers. North America will remain the top market, whereas Asia Pacific (excluding China and Japan) is anticipated to create a lucrative market for excimer and femtosecond ophthalmic lasers globally.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Pronounced growth in geriatric population and significantly rising prevalence of diabetes will remain the key drivers fuelling the demand for excimer and femtosecond ophthalmic laser systems. Technological advancements in ophthalmic laser technology is anticipated to play a key role in catapulting their popularity and propelling their demand in market. With refractive and cataract surgeries growing in number, more number of hospitals and ophthalmology clinics are raising demand for ophthalmic laser systems. Rising healthcare awareness and expenditure among developing economies are also expected to drive the market.High costs associated with ophthalmic laser systems may however hamper the market growth. In addition, post-LASIC complications are estimated to remain a longstanding challenge to mass adoption of excimer and femtosecond ophthalmic laser systems.Based on product type, excimer laser systems will continue to dominate femtosecond lasers throughout 2016. The former is predicted to contribute over 60% to the total market share, whereas the latter will witness significant Y-O-Y growth in 2016. Despite considerable adoption due to persistent technological and functionality advancements, higher costs are expected to hold a negative impact on the femtosecond laser system sales.On the basis of application, refractive surgery segment is predicted to account for the maximum revenue share of around 70%, in 2016. It will also witness the fastest growth, compared to other segments, including cataract surgery, capsulotomy, trabeculoplasty, and diagnostics. Cataract surgery segment is projected to be the second largest application area, witnessing substantial demand for excimer and femtosecond laser systems.Request for Table of Contents @By end-user, ophthalmology clinics segment accounted for the highest revenues of US$ 279 Mn in 2015. It is estimated to attract hefty revenues in 2016 as well, reaching US$ 291 Mn. Hospitals and ambulatory surgical centres will gain an uptick; whereas multi-chain ophthalmology hospitals are foreseen to gain prominence across the U.S., owing to soaring demand for refractive surgery.Based on region, North America will remain the leading market and contribute over 30% revenue share to total market revenues by 2016 end. In terms of revenues, the market for excimer and femtosecond ophthalmic laser systems in N. America is anticipated to reach a value of US$ 217 Mn in 2016, up from US$ 209 Mn in 2015. Western Europe will continue to witness significant adoption of excimer and femtosecond ophthalmic lasers, whereas Asia Pacific excluding China and Japan (APECJ) is projected to provide substantial growth opportunities. APECJ is expected to remain a major market, owing to rapid improvisation of healthcare infrastructure in the region. China, with the highest growth rate in 2016, will represent the most lucrative market for excimer and femtosecond ophthalmic laser systems.Key players in the global excimer and femtosecond ophthalmic laser market include Alcon Inc. (Novartis AG), Abbott Medical Optics, Inc., NIDEK CO., LTD, SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions GmbH & Co. KG, ZEISS International, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, LENSAR, LLC., and iVIS Technologies.Buy Excimer and Femtosecond Ophthalmic Lasers Market Research Report @ABOUT USFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.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:
Specialty Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Market Estimated to Soar Higher by 2024

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The global specialty active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) market is anticipated to record a year-over-year growth rate of 7.9% and reach a market value of US$ 119,513.1 Mn in 2016. Small molecules will continue to account for the leading market revenue share by product type, accounting for over two-thirds share in 2016.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Staggering increase in the manufacturing of HPAPI (high potency API) will continue to influence the adoption of API positively. Popularity of peptide-based drugs and the patent expiry of blockbuster branded drugs in the near future is also expected to boost the growth of the market. However, complex manufacturing guidelines and stringent regulatory processes will continue to pose challenges to widespread adoption.By product type, growth of the small molecules segment will be positively impacted by increasing outsourcing of active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing from European to Asian countries. In addition, rising preference for HPAPI to treat cancer will play a crucial role in the growth of small molecule segment of the global specialty API market.Based on the consumption pattern, the outsourced segment will continue to dominate market revenues, accounting for nearly 65% share in 2016. New pharmaceutical companies are increasingly entering the market with authorized and approved HPAPI, but lack of manufacturing facility infrastructure is providing an impetus to the outsourcing trend in terms of manufacturing. This factor is currently more pronounced in U.S.-based companies. Furthermore, the tendency of established pharmaceutical companies to curtail the operational and financial load of HPAPI manufacturing is anticipated to play a key role in elevating the outsourcing segment, boosting the growth of SMEs in the market.Request for Table of Contents @FMIs report has segmented the global specialty active pharmaceutical ingredient market on the basis of region into North America, Europe, and Rest of the World (ROW). The ROW is the leading region in terms of global revenue share, closely followed by Europe and North America. European API manufacturers are competing on the basis of high quality standards, advanced manufacturing installations, and high purity of intermediates (API), whereas ROW CMOs are focusing on bulk API manufacturing.The key players in the small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients segment include Johnson Matthey, Almac, and Siegfried Holding AG, which follow advanced manufacturing technology, premium promotion strategies, and provide a range of development and diagnostic services.Notable companies in the peptide API segment are PolyPeptide Laboratories, Corden Pharma International GmbH (International Chemical Investors Group), Pepscan Holding, Provence Technologies Group, BCN Peptides S.A., and Senn Chemicals AG. They are characterized on the basis of expertise in development and manufacturing, strong client base, and activity in a wide range of industries.Major HPAPI players in the market are Ash Stevens, Inc., Orion Corporation, Farmhispania Group, S.L., Olon S.p.A., and AmbioPharm, Inc., based on widespread market presence, government approvals, and strong distribution channels.Buy Specialty Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Market Research Report @ABOUT USFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.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:
UV Cure Printing Inks Market Regulatory Landscape and Operational Strategies 2024

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Due to the absence of a clear dominance, the North America UV Cure Printing Inks Market is demonstrating a moderately fragmented but highly competitive landscape. FUJIFILM, Flint Group, Nazdar, DuPont, Toyo Ink America, and Sun Chemical Corp. are some of the leading companies in this market.Read Report Overview @Currently, these players are aggressively focusing on competitive pricing strategy in order to enhance their visibility in this market. However, this strategy is expected to intensify the rivalry between the participants in the coming years.According to TMRs estimations, the North America market for UV cure printing inks offered an opportunity worth US$362.9 mn in 2015. Advancing at a CAGR of 10.30% between 2016 and 2024, the market is projected to cross US$865.9 mn by the end of the forecast period. Offset printing surfaced as the key application area of UV cure printing inks in 2015 with a share of 38%. Driven by its extensive usage in the packaging and the publication and commercial printing sectors, this segment is likely to remain dominant over the forecast period.Request Sample Report @U.S. to Continue as Market Leader Thanks to Growing Demand from Publication and Commercial PrintingThe research report also presents a study of the North America market for UV cure printing inks on the basis of its geographical presence. Predominantly, Canada and the U.S. have emerged as the key domestic markets for UV cure printing inks in this region. Thanks to the significant growth in the packaging industry, the U.S. has acquired the lead among the two.Researchers expect the U.S., which is likely to reach US$678.5 mn by 2024, to continue as the market leader over the forecast period. The growing demand for publication and commercial printing in a number of industries is projected to boost the U.S. market for UV cure printing inks in the years to come.Request UV Cure Printing Inks Market Report Brochure @Canada, on the other hand, is likely to lag behind over the forthcoming years due to the rising preference for e-commerce and e-books and subsequent decline in the demand for publication and commercial printing, which eventually, will impact the sales of UV cure printing inks negatively. By the end of 2024, Canada would hold only 21.6% of the overall market, reports the study.Increasing Penetration of Digital Media to Reflect Positively on Sales of UV Cure Printing InksThe increasing penetration of digital media across North America is reflecting positively on the sales of UV cure printing inks in this region, says a researcher at TMR. The trend is expected to remain so in the near future, influencing the regional market greatly.The growing preference for digital media compared to traditional printing in architectural designs, textiles, fine arts, advertising, and desktop publishing, thanks to the flexibility it offers, is likely to propel the North America market for UV cure printing inks substantially over the next few years, states the research report.Buy UV Cure Printing Inks Market Research Report @Advent of E-commerce and Electronic Alternatives of Daily-use Applications may Hamper GrowthAlthough the growth prospects of the North America market for UV cure printing inks looks bright, the advent of e-commerce and the electronic versions of a number of daily-use applications, such as e-literature, e-tickets, e-coupons, is likely to act as an obstacle in the markets growth trajectory in the coming years.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking 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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Sulfone Polymers Market Worldwide Industry Analysis and New Market Opportunities Explored 2024

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The global sulfone polymers market is highly consolidated as the top two players, namely BASF SE and Solvay S.A. accounted for over 80% of the overall market in the year 2015. The global supply of sulfone polymers needs expansion of production units and developed and strong supply chain. Presence of both large production units and strong supply chain is benefitting these players to sustain their dominance, observes Transparency Market Research (TMR). Prominent vendors in this market are involving in strategic collaborations, which could help them strengthen their distribution channels. For instance, in 2015, Biesterfeld Plastic GmbH and Solvay Specialty Polymers signed a distribution agreement for the distribution of Solvays sulfone polymer grades in Finland and Scandanavia.Read Report Overview @Transparency Market Research has projected that the market value will reach US$1,394.7 mn by the end of 2024 from its valuation of US$805.4 mn in 2015. The market is anticipated to expand with a steady CAGR of 6.4% over the forecast period 2016-2024.Based on application, the medical sector accounted for a leading share in 2015, contributing to over 24% to the overall market. This segment is most likely to sustain its dominating position die to the presence of large number of medical grade sulfone polymer product varieties and the continuous growth in the global medical industry. Geographically, the North America market held the leading share in the global market, accounting for more than 39% in the year of 2015. This region is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period. Furthermore, Europe is expected to expand at a steady rate over the forthcoming years due to development of healthcare infrastructure and medical industry in this region.Request Sample Report @Demand from Automotive and Medical Sectors to Propel the MarketSeveral varieties and grades of sulfone polymers are finding applications across various segments in the industry. Due to the increasing environmental awareness and their high performance, high transparency resistance, and low weight qualities, sulfone polymers are being demanded from the automotive industry. Manufacturers from automotive industry are adopting low-weight materials for better performance and fuel efficiency. Furthermore, rising applications such as impellers, oil pistons, oil pumps, fog lamp housings, headlight bezels, and optical reflectors are propelling the overall market. Sulfone polymers provide higher levels of corrosion and wear resistance, which has fueled their usage in medical implants and medical devices.Request Sulfone Polymers Market Report Brochure @High Cost of Production could hinder the Market GrowthVarious applications of sulfone polymers need to go through stringent regulatory terms. Due to these rules and regulations the usage of sulfone polymers has gotten restricted in the fields of aircrafts, medical devices, and medical implants. Sulfone polymers are used in manufacturing various food contact applications such as baby bottles, these types of applications suffer very low rate of expansion due to presence of health regulatory bodies. Using sulfone polymers in food contact applications may lead to the leakage of bisphenol monomers, which have adverse effects on health. Due to the aforementioned reasons, the applications of sulfone polymers may get restricted in the food industry over the forecast period. Furthermore, high costs involved with the building new manufacturing plants of sulfone polymers could restraint the market growth. Various end-user segments are trying to find cost-effective alternatives for sulfone polymers. Nonetheless, the growing demand for sulfone polymers in electrical and electronics segment due to superior flame retardant properties is most likely to help the market grow with a steady rate.Buy Sulfone Polymers Market Research Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking 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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Saudi Arabia Pharmaceutical Market to Witness Growth Acceleration During 2016 - 2026

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The significant rise in lifestyle-related diseases and the developments in healthcare infrastructure are expected to influence the demand for pharmaceuticals in Saudi Arabia. In 2016, the Saudi Arabia pharmaceutical market is anticipated to procure value worth US$ 5,209.5 Mn at a y-o-y growth of 6.0 % over 2015. The mounting demand for branded drug products will continue to incite the growth of the Saudi Arabian pharmaceutical market in 2016.Request to View Sample of Research Report @The demand for pharmaceuticals in Saudi Arabia is expected to register substantial growth owing to the increasing penetration of health insurance companies and the rising incidence rate of non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, the exceptional rise in the per capita income of Saudi Arabia is also expected to foster the demand for branded pharmaceutical drugs. Another key factor driving the growth of the pharmaceutical market in Saudi Arabia is the countrys strategic move to allow 100% FDI in the pharmaceuticals sector. Although, the shortage of profound indigenous research capacity in the pharmaceutical industry and the delayed registration of drug and medicine patents is expected to limit the expansion of the market in 2016 and beyond.Based on the product type, the pharmaceutical market in Saudi Arabia is expected to witness an upsurge in the prescription-type branded drug products. In terms of market value, the branded drugs are estimated to reach US$ 2,760.8 Mn by 2016-end. The demand for generic drugs is projected to secure steady growth, attributing to the insisting promotion of generic drug adoption by healthcare insurance providers.Request for Table of Contents @On the basis of the diseases, the pharmaceutical drugs used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases will continue exhibiting robust growth in 2016. The demand for cardiovascular medications will continue to surge due to the prominence of circulatory disorders in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the rising prevalence of disorders related to body sugar levels is expected to make diabetes a rapidly growing disease-based sub-segment in the Saudi Arabia pharmaceutical market.The pharmaceutical market in Saudi Arabia is also segmented on the basis of distribution channel, where retail pharmacies will continue to account for 80% market share compared to hospital pharmacies. The westernised modernisation of retail pharmacies in Saudi Arabia has led to the availability of a wide range drugs and medicinal products, thereby attaining a considerable growth in the retail pharmacy sub-segment in 2016 and further.The rising resource potential in Saudi Arabia is projected to positively reform the production environment for pharmaceutical manufacturers. In order to expand the markets size, structuring alliances with well-established native companies is predicted to be a key strategy for global pharmaceutical leaders. The key players in the Saudi Arabia pharmaceutical market include Novartis AG, SPIMACO, Pfizer Inc., and Glaxosmithkline plc., Jamjoom Pharma, and Tabuk Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Co. among others.Buy Saudi Arabia Pharmaceutical Market Research Report @ABOUT USFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.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:
Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether Market Future Demand and Growth Analysis with forecast 2026

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The methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) market in Asia Pacific is presently dominated by key players in China. These include Sinopec Corporation, PetroChina Company Limited, Shandong Yuhuang Chemical (Group) Co., Ltd., Zibo Qixiang Petrochemical Group Ltd., and Heilongjiang Anruijia Petrochemical Co., Ltd.Read Report Overview @Transparency Market Research has noted that China, one of the largest producers as well as consumers of MTBE in the world, has been primarily focused on business and production expansions in order to retain its lead in the APAC market. For instance, Wanhua Chemical Group Co. Ltd.s MTBE plant in Shangdong and Huntsman Corp. and Sinopec Jinlings plant in Nanjing are two promising ventures to look forward to in 2016.Other leading companies in the APAC methyl tertiary-butyl ether market include Evonik Industries AG, PETRONAS, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V., and Reliance Industries Limited.The MTBE market in Asia Pacific was valued at US$6.7 bn in 2015 and is anticipated to reach US$10.9 bn by 2026, expanding at a CAGR of 4.6% therein.Request Sample Report @Chinas 81.9% Share in APAC MTBE Market a Key Growth BoosterThe gasoline additive segment of the MTBE market accounted for a whopping 93.11% share in the APAC market in 2015, emerging as the clear leader. An increase in the demand for gasoline additives in ASEAN countries and China is expected to propel the demand for methyl tertiary-butyl ether in this segment. Gasoline additives is also projected to register significant growth over the course of the forecast period, exhibiting a CAGR of over 4.0% in terms of both revenue and volume.Accounting for an 81.9% share in the APAC MTBE market in 2015, China is forecast to continue its dominance through 2024, presenting lucrative investment opportunities to market players. Registering a 4.7% CAGR during the forecast period, China is also projected to exhibit the fastest growth in the methyl tertiary-butyl ether in Asia Pacific.Request Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) Market Report Brochure @The ASEAN sub-region is also likely to present a rather lucrative scenario, owing to a rise in the demand for gasoline additives.ASEAN Automotive Sector Driving Demand for Gasoline AdditivesA key factor driving gasoline blending across the Asia Pacific region, and therefore the MTBE market, is the declining prices of raw material as well as final products. This can be primarily attributed to China.China is one of the major methanol producers in the world and the country is likely to account for nearly 50% of the global methanol production in the next few years, the author of the study finds. The total methanol production in China is estimated to reach nearly 51 million tons in 2016, a trend that will potentially check the prices of downstream products, including MTBE, in the near future.Another factor boosting the market for methyl tertiary-butyl ether is a rise in the demand for gasoline additives, particularly in ASEAN.Buy Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) Market Research Report @The automotive industry in the ASEAN sub-region has been witnessing an upward trend in the last few years, with the number of total vehicles in major countries rising from around 130 million in 2015 to 200 million by 2025, the lead analyst states. The significant growth of the automotive sector is likely to propel the demand for gasoline additives, thereby supporting the MTBE market during the forecast period.In contrast, the availability of a wide range of petroleum-based and non-petroleum-based substitutes and the hazardous environmental effects of methyl tertiary-butyl ether pose significant challenges to the MTBE market in Asia Pacific.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking 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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Butene-1 Market Regulatory Landscape and Operational Strategies 2026

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The Asia Pacific butene-1 market features a largely consolidated competitive landscape, wherein few key players dominate and hold a significant share in the market, observes Transparency Market Research in a recent report. Rise in demand for Butene-1 in the Asia Pacific region has forced key players to increase their production capacities. Availability of raw materials and growth in end-user industries have encouraged several key players to focus on joint ventures in China and ASEAN. Some of the markets most influential players are Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (Private) Limited, China Petrochemical Corporation, China National Petroleum Corporation, PetroChina Company Limited, and ONGC Petro additions Limited.Read Report Overview @The market is estimated to exhibit a 4.1% CAGR from 2016 through 2026, rising from a valuation of US$508.6 mn in 2015 to US$787.8 mn by 2026. Of the key applications of butene-1, the segment of polyethylene co-monomers account for over 65% of the overall market. In terms of geography, China held a nearly 64% share in the market and is expected to continue dominance over the forecast period as well. Presence of a large supplier base and vast production facilities have made the China butene-1 market oversupplied.Request Sample Report @High Demand across Packaging Industry to Bolster Growth ProspectsThe Asia Pacific butene-1 market is chiefly driven by the rising consumption of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) products in the region. These two thermoplastics collectively account for more than 50% of the overall demand for butene-1 in the region and are expected to witness high demand across the consumer goods and automotive industries in the near future as well. The positive growth prospects of these sectors in the region, especially in emerging economies such as India and China, are expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for the butene-1 market as well.In addition to these factors, the Asia Pacific market for butene-1 is also driven by the expansion of the packaging industry in the region in the past few years. Plastic packaging materials form one of the core segments of the packaging industry. As a large number of plastic packaging materials are prepared from polybutylene-1, the flourishing packaging market is also expected to have a significant positive impact on the overall development of the Asia Pacific butene-1 market. Over the period between 2014 and 2026, the demand for plastic packaging materials in Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit a 4.6% CAGR.Request Butene-1 Market Report Brochure @Easily Available Substitutes Could Keep Consumption of Butene-1 in CheckPolyethylene is one of the foremost application segments of the Asia Pacific butene-1 market, accounting for over 50% of the market. Development of the olefin carbon industry in the region have led to the increased production of substitutes such as hexane-1 and octane-1. The increased usage of these compounds as co-monomers in the synthesis of polyethylene, owing to their improved performance properties, is expected to have a notable negative impact on the demand for butene-1 in the region in the next few years.Buy Butene-1 Market Research Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking 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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
International Directors and Trainers Colloquium to celebrate its 25th edition in January 2018, Berlin

Dr Jurij Alschitz (C: Pierluigi Faggion)

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The World Theatre Training Institute AKT-ZENT/ITI is welcoming artists from all over the world to the 25th International Directors and Trainers Colloquium, which will take place in January 2018 in Berlin. This now longstanding tradition has taken place regularly since 1995 in numerous countries across Europe.At the Colloquia, Dr Jurij Alschitz, artistic director, works with both young and experienced directors and trainers to explore the most relevant themes of the day and open them up for practical application. Whether as part of European research projects or international festivals such as the Theatre Olympics, the central concern of the Colloquia has always been the innovation of new rehearsal and training techniques, in short, the theatre of tomorrow.In 2007, the International Directors and Trainers Colloquium became established as a regular gathering to take place at the start of each year in Berlin. Each year since then, colleagues from across the world have come together for a lively exchange of ideas. Applied training and practical work on stage enables professional artists to experience various different working styles in a short space of time, thus opening up new methodological approaches. In addition, this lively working atmosphere has in the past led to numerous international collaborations. The result of this is an extensive network of theatre practitioners, who can draw on common experiences of the Colloquium as a reference point for their work.The title of this years 25th Jubilee Colloquium will be The New Role of the Role. With this title, artistic director Dr Jurij Alschitz is linking together that most traditional theme in the art of acting with the newest research in this area and is opening the door for whole other branches of knowledge. New approaches such as the The Rhizome of the Role, The Sphere of the Role, The Cloud of the Role point towards entirely new practices and dimensions for contemporary rehearsal practice and a necessary emancipation of the actor as bearer of meaning in the theatre.This year, for the first time, the International Directors and Trainers Colloquium will be making an exciting new innovation, inviting participants to begin the discussion beforehand on the Hybrid Theatre Training Platform (), the Institutes online learning platform. This will give participants the chance to prepare more thoroughly and meaningfully for the creative encounter. In this way, the collaboration is not just limited to the studio in Berlin, but can begin beforehand and continue long into the future.Anne-Lise Gabold, leading actress, director, trainer from Denmark reflected in 2016: Thank you for giving me the chance to meet younger generations of theatre-loving people in the very harmonious atmosphere of the Colloquium, and for the talks and guidance. Having the chance to see my work from another angle provided a healthy and interesting change of perspective.The World Theatre Training Institute AKT-ZENT, under the artistic direction of Dr Jurij Alschitz, works as the Research Centre of the International Theatre Institute and as the lead organisation of the European Association for Theatre Culture. It delivers continuing education, training and research through seminars, masterclasses and laboratories in Berlin, Europe and worldwide through co-operation with its international partners. ARS incognita is the Institutes own series of publications for professional theatre practitioners. The Institute is based in Berlin.Christine Schmalor, Programme DirectorWorld Theatre Training Institute AKT-ZENT/ITISkalitzer Str. 9710997 BerlinGERMANYakt.zent@berlin.de+49 (0)30 6128 7274
Printing Inks Market Industry Outlook, Growth Prospects and Key Opportunities 2024

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The printing inks market in South Africa is highly fragmented and the top six companies cumulatively accounted for more than 60% in 2015. These companies are New Africa Inks (Pty) Limited, Constantia Printing Inks, Hi-Tech Inks (Pty) Ltd., Flint Group South Africa Ltd., Hostmann-Steinberg South Africa (Pty) Ltd., and NUtec Digital Ink (Pty) Ltd. Transparency Market Research finds that the penetration of global players is likely to create stiff competition for the domestic players in the printing inks market in South Africa.Read Report Overview @The printing inks market is moderately fragmented and is not dominated by any single manufacturer. Existing players are constantly developing new products to expand their consumer base. For instance, in August 2016, Flint Group Flexible Packaging launched VarioLam AB LEC. This range of multi-functional polyurethane-based (PU-based) inks are known to withstand the moisture, heat, and pressure of the retort process, provide an extended shelf life, and ensure the safety of the contents.The South Africa printing inks market was valued at US$85.89 mn in 2015 and is estimated to reach US$155.13 mn by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 6.9% therein.Request Sample Report @Offset Printing Offering Strong Scope for GrowthIn terms of volume, offset printing inks held the dominant share of over 40.0% in 2015 and are anticipated to continue leading the printing inks market in South Africa. The digital printing inks segment, on the other hand, is projected to witness strong growth during the forecast period, exhibiting an 8.6% CAGR from 2016 to 2024.By end use, the packaging sector is estimated to hold a share of just over 44.0% by the end of 2016 in terms of value. Registering a 7.3% CAGR during the course of the forecast period, this industry is expected to emerge as the most rapidly expanding end-use segment by 2024. The publication and commercial printing industry is also a prominent market for printing inks in South Africa and is projected to present several opportunities for growth.Request Printing Inks Market Report Brochure @Surging Demand for Printing Inks in Packaging SectorThe packaging industry  one of the major consumers of printing inks in South Africa  is fueled by a surge in the countrys GDP, an increase in individual disposable income, continuously changing lifestyles of the consumers, and a growing youth population. Any growth in the demand for packaged consumer goods has a positive impact on the printing inks market in South Africa.Various types of printing inks and varnishes are used on a wide range of substrates and surfaces to develop rub-resistant and weather-resistant properties on packaging materials, the author of the study has noted. Flexographic and gravure printing inks are used extensively for flexible and convertible materials. Low migration inks and water-based inks are highly popular in the food packaging industry as these result in lower side effects.Buy Printing Inks Market Research Report @Dual Impact of Growing Popularity of DigitalizationThe trend of e-commerce is rising at a significant pace across the globe, giving rise to trends such as e-books, e-tickets, and online travel and hotel reservations. This has resulted in a substantial decrease in paper-based communication channels, thereby obstructing the conventional publication and commercial printing industry. The South Africa printing inks market, as a result, is threatened by this rapidly growing trend of digitalization.Nevertheless, the rising use of digital media does offer the printing inks market in South Africa some respite as it is likely to drive the demand for digital printing inks. Digital printing is used in textiles, fine arts, advertising, desktop publishing, and architectural designs and is preferred over traditional printing as it offers flexibility and speed, the TMR analyst states.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking 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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles Market Analysis, Current and Future Trends 2024

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The ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories market in Morocco is primarily dependent on the presence of unorganized regional players and a handful of key international players, such as Roca, RAK Ceramics, NG Kutahya Seramik, PORCELANOSA, and Marazzi. Transparency Market Research has observed that a few regional companies with a significant presence have established a strong and loyal customer base in various cities across Morocco. This has intensified the degree of competition with other local players as well as with international companies supplying imported tiles and other bathroom materials.Read Report Overview @The ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories market in Morocco is expected to rise from a valuation of US$1.5 bn in 2015 to US$2.7 bn by 2024.Casablanca and Tangier to Present Promising Scope for Growth in MoroccoFull-body porcelain tiles led the ceramic and porcelain tiles market in Morocco, accounting for a 34.6% share in 2015. The segment is also projected to witness strong growth over the coming years. Registering a 7.3% CAGR from 2016 to 2024, glazed porcelain is likely to emerge as the most attractive investment option for the market. Thin tiles are a relatively newer generation of ceramic and porcelain tiles and the segment is expected to be highly lucrative in the near future.Within the bathroom materials market in Morocco, ceramic led the market for floor as well as wall materials. On the other hand, porcelain was the most rapidly expanding segment in both cases. The bathroom furniture and accessories market is dominated by the bath and sanitary ware segment and faucets are anticipated to register a high growth rate during the forecast period.Request Sample Report @Casablanca led the ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories market in Morocco, accounting for a share of more than 30% in 2015. Tangier, on the other hand, is projected to be the most lucrative market, exhibiting a CAGR of over 6% from 2016 to 2024.Government of Morocco Plays Key Role in Boosting MarketMorocco has gained much popularity as a tourist destination in the recent past, with an estimated 9.8 mn tourists in 2011 alone. A surge in the inflow of tourists translates into a rise in the construction of hotels, thereby driving the demand for ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories, the TMR analyst states.Request Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles Market Report Brochure @Further supporting the building and construction sector is the Government of Morocco, with its efforts in undertaking new construction projects under its housing scheme. The promise to construct 150,000 social housing units by 2020 and the rise in the renovation of old properties is anticipated to boost the market for ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories in Morocco.Availability of Substitutes Hampering Demand for Ceramic and Porcelain TilesThere are several factors that are going against the Morocco ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories market, the key one being the availability of substitutes. On the one hand, porcelain and ceramic tiles are higher priced compared to tiles made of cement and terracotta, or even zellige tiles, the author of the study points out. Moreover, the benefits offered by cement tiles, for instance, are many, including water resistance, durability, and environment-friendliness. This drives consumers to opt for the substitute rather than porcelain and ceramic tiles.Buy Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles Market Research Report @Another factor acting as a deterrent is the fact that construction activities in Morocco are limited to just a few major cities. Marrakech, Casablanca, Tangier, and Agadir are among the cities that have been reporting a rise in construction projects. This is likely to restrict the demand for ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories in the rest of the country.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking 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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Thermoplastic Polyolefin Market Advanced technologies & growth opportunities in global Industry 2024

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The global thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films market is characterized by the presence of large and well-known players, who account for over half the market. Leading manufacturers operating in the thermoplastic polyurethane films market include BASF SE, Covestro AG, The Lubrizol Corporation, Huntsman Corporation, Tosoh Corporation, Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd., Huafon Group, Shanghai Lejoin Polyurethane Industrial Co., Ltd., and Polyol Macromolecule Polymer (Fujian) Co., Ltd.Read Report Overview @Transparency Market Research has observed that key players are forming partnerships and acquiring regional players to expand the production of TPU and its raw materials. This is estimated to intensify the market rivalry during the forecast period. The capital-intensive nature of the market and the presence of well-established TPU film brands in the global market is likely to create significant barriers for new entrants.Exhibiting a steady CAGR of 6.8% from 2016 to 2024, the global thermoplastic polyurethane films market is expected to expand from a value of US$286.8 mn in 2015 to reach US$516.9 mn by 2024. The global demand for TPU films is expected to reach 79,361.8 tons by the end of the forecast period.Request Sample Report @Asia Pacific to be Highly Lucrative Market for TPU FilmsPolyester TPU was the leading product segment of the global TPU films market in 2015 in terms of value as well as volume, amounting to US$212.8 mn by 2024. On the other hand, polycaprolactone TPU is estimated to exhibit the strongest growth in the demand and revenue during the forecast period. The segment is projected to expand at a 7.0% CAGR in terms of revenue.In terms of value, the automotive sector constituted a massive share in the global TPU films market in 2015, while the aerospace industry is likely to offer lucrative market opportunities for TPU films by 2024. Geographically, Asia Pacific is expected to represent itself as a highly attractive market in the next couple of years. In terms of volume, the demand for TPU films in this region reached 18,200.0 tons in 2015 and is expected to exhibit a 6.0% CAGR through 2024.Request Thermoplastic Polyurethane Films Market Report Brochure @Surge in GDP Growth in BRICS to Act as Key Growth BoosterThe increase in automobile sales is projected to fuel the demand for TPU films in emerging economies from 2016 to 2024, predicts TMR. Emerging economies such as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are expected to witness an increase in GDP growth in the coming years and thus, manufacturing activities of various industries are anticipated to rise in the near future. This also holds true for the automotive sector, which is the primary end user of TPU films, the author of the study points out.TPU films are used in the automotive industry reduce the overall weight of auto parts and components and to improve overall performance and efficiency. These films are used in the engineering and designing of noise and vibration absorbing automotive parts, such as interior door panels, seating in-fills, and thermal insulation covers for engine bays.Buy Thermoplastic Polyurethane Films Market Research Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking 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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Ice Cream Market, New Research, Trends, Forecast 2023

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The global ice cream market is projected to reach $97,301 million by 2023 from $68,072 million in 2016, registering a CAGR of 5.4% from 2017 to 2023. Ice cream is a frozen food product, which made up of dairy items such as milk and cream combined with dry fruits, flavors, and other ingredients. Traditional flavors of ice creams include chocolate, vanilla, and others. However, companies are including other exotic flavors such as tropical fruits, lemons, and coconuts to cater to changing the taste of consumers. In addition, for health-conscious customers prefer a low-calorie and low-fat ice cream called Skinny Cow.For More Info, Get Sample:The rise in disposable income is the major key factor driving the market. In addition, growth in demand for new variations of ice creams fuels the market growth. Moreover, increase in consumption of take-home ice cream products boosts the growth of the global ice cream market. However, ice cream being a seasonal product is a major restraint of the market. In addition, health concerns associated with the ice cream products impede the market growth. Moreover, the market for ice cream products is highly consolidated, thereby restraining its growth. The rise in demand for innovative products and development of lactose-free ice cream provide the growth opportunity for market expansion.The global ice cream market is segmented based on sales type and geography. On the basis of sales type, the market is categorized into impulse ice cream, take-home ice cream, and artisanal ice cream. Geographically, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.The major players profiled in this study include: Unilever Group Nestle S.A. General Mills, Inc. Mars Blue Bell Creameries Lotte Confectionery Wells Dairy Inc. Turkey Hill Mihan Dairy Inc. Meiji Holdings Co. LtdEnquire About Report :KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS The report provides an in-depth analysis of the current trends, drivers, and dynamics of the global ice cream market to elucidate the prevailing opportunities and potential investment pockets. It offers qualitative trends and quantitative analysis from 2016 to 2023 to assist stakeholders to understand the market scenario. Competitive intelligence of the industry highlights the business practices followed by key players across geographies and the prevailing market opportunities. The key players in the market are profiled along with their strategies and developments to understand the competitive outlook of the industry.KEY MARKET SEGMENTSBy Sales Type Impulse Ice Cream Take-home Ice Cream Artisanal Ice CreamAlso Request For Discount :By Geography North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Finland Sweden Ireland Denmark Italy UK Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific New Zealand Australia Rest of Asia-Pacific LAMEA Brazil Argentina UAE South Africa Rest of LAMEAKEY PLAYERS United Kaipara Dairies Company Pure Ice Cream Company International Foodstuffs Co. Baskin-Robbins Cold Stone Creamery International Dairy Queen, Inc.Table Of Content CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 3. MARKET OVERVIEW CHAPTER 4. ICE CREAM MARKET, BY SALES TYPE CHAPTER 5. ICE CREAM MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER 6. COMPANY PROFILESAbout UsWe have a large database of quality and precise market research reports that will be very beneficial for your organization. Reports that we sell are authentic in nature and from reputed publishers, hence it can definitely help you with your growth opportunities. Research Beam will always make sure to bring most ethical and high-quality reports. We value your relationship with us and look forward to a long term relation.Contact UsGlobal Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com
Global Bottle Filling Machine Market size, Industry Analysis, Share, Trends, Growth, Forecast 2017-2025

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MarketResearchReports.Biz announces addition of new report"Bottle Filling Machine Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Growth, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 "to its database.The objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the market on the basis of type, application, medical condition, and region. It provides detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the market. This report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments of the key players in terms of market developments, product portfolios, and financials.Get Sample copy of this Report @ Bottles always have been an efficient packaging solution for consumable and industrial liquids. Bottles account for around 1/3rd of the world rigid packaging market and its use is expected to grow exponentially despite industrial shift for flexible packaging. Bottle filling machines are playing crucial role in improving the operational capabilities of the company while ultimately affecting their profitability. Commonly bottle filling machines are available in automatic and semiautomatic functionality, however manufacturer are using customized bottle filling machine to gain competitive advantage and improving the efficiency of the operation. Availability of different bottle filling machines for liquids with different physical properties is expected to attract manufacturers from many industries.Bottle Filling Machine Market: Market DynamicsImproving supply chain capabilities has enabled manufacturers to penetrate into cross border markets for tapping the potential in different region. This has led to the increased consumption of bottles for packaging of liquid items hence positively influencing the demand in bottle filling machine market. Bottles have proven to be the efficient packaging solution for liquids for small and large distances. Increased consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages across the globe is the key driver for bottle filling machines market. Increasing penetration of modern retail outlets and changing lifestyle of the consumers, especially in APEJ region is another factor pushing the demand for bottle filling machine market. Apart from beverages, use of bottle filling machines for hazardous chemicals and other liquids is another factor propelling the demand in bottle filling machine market. Low installation cost and ease in operations provided by bottle filling machines is attracting many small and medium scale manufacturers in developing regions, thus boosting the growth in bottle filling machine market. However, the need for using different machines for filling different type of liquids is another factor which may affect the growth in bottle filling machine market over the forecast period. Despite the restraints, demand for bottle filling machine market is poised to increase during the forecast period attributed to the availability of the machines in economical to high end models.Bottle Filling Machine Market: Market SegmentationBottle filling machine market is segmented by product type, by operation type, by end use, and by end use industry.View Report @ Based on the product type, bottle filling machine market is segmented into:Rotary MachineInline MachineBased on the operation type, bottle filling machine market is segmented into:AutomaticSemi-AutomaticBased on the end use, bottle filling machine market is segmented into:SyrupWaterJuiceSauceChemicalsOthersBased on the end use industry, bottle filling machine market is segmented into:BeverageConsumer GoodsPetroleumPharmaceuticalsOthersBottle Filling Machine Market - Regional Outlook:Regionally global bottle filling machine market is segmented intoNorth AmericaLatin AmericaEastern EuropeWestern EuropeAsia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)Middle East & Africa (MEA)JapanAPEJ region is expected to dominate the bottle filling machine market over the forecast period due to the presence of densely populated areas in the region. North America is expected to be the second largest contributor in bottle filling machine market due to the consumer lifestyle in the region. Western and Eastern Europe, despite being mature market are expected to grow at a positive slope in bottle filling machine market. Latin America and MEA region are expected to grow rapidly despite their small contribution in bottle filling machine market. Japan is expected to contribute significant share in bottle filling machine as the region has highest per capita consumption for packaging.Request for Enquiry @ Bottle Filling Machine Market - Key Players:Some major players of the bottle filling machine market are Zootechnika Maschinenbau GmbH, Harikrushna Machinetech Pvt Ltd, Tool Tech, Nanjing Hanyoo Automation Tech Co., Ltd., E-PAK Machinery, Pacific Packaging Machinery Inc., Elecster Oyj, Zhangjiagang Kerry Machinery Co., Ltd., Zhangjiagang Mars Packing Machinery Co., Ltd., Wenzhou Bespacker Machine Co., Ltd., Henzhen J&D Drinking Water Equipment Co., Ltd. and Wenzhou Huaqiao Packing Machine Factory.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.Check Discount @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 marketAbout 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 Heparin Sales Market 2017 Beneficial Applications: Pfizer Inc, Fresenius, Hospira, Aspen

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Heparin Sales Market Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global Heparin market, compiled by a group of professional market research analysts, aspires to serve as a credible business tool for the stockholders, representing the current scenario of the market as well as future prospects. The report has been produced using proven research methodologies and offers qualitative and quantitative analysis of all major factors that may influence the demand in the global Heparin market. To gauge the potential of smaller aspects of the Heparin market, the report has segmented it on the basis of application, end users, products, services, types, and others, whichever applicable. It also takes stock of the prospects of Heparin market in all important regions across the globe, such as North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). For each region, the report presents the potential of the Heparin market by assessing their demand percentage, growth prospects, and related government policies.Get Research Summary Of The Report:To present a clear study of the revenue available in the global Heparin market, the report carefully segments it into smaller yet significant chunks, such geographically, product type, services and others. The report also provides the values of each of these segments and individual growth rates during the forecast period. The dominant as well as emerging trends have been picked out. With handful of tables, charts, and graphs, the report carries extensive pictorial representation to support its findings.One of the noteworthy feature of the report is the chapter on company profiles, wherein a number of leading vendors have been analyzed in order to understand the competitive landscape existing in the global Heparin market, as well as detect the chances of entry for the new players. In this section, the report picks out the top three and top five companies in Heparin market, and analyzes their recent strategic decisions such as mergers and acquisitions, collaborations, new product announcements, and investment in research and development. For each company, the report provides information such as business sales price, margin, and market share.Table of ContentsGlobal Heparin Sales Market Report 20171 Heparin Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Heparin1.2 Classification of Heparin1.2.1 Common Heparins1.2.2 Low Molecular Weight Heparins1.3 Application of Heparin1.3.1 Drugs1.3.2 Hemodialysis1.3.3 Others1.4 Heparin Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)View TOC (table of content) of the Report:2 Global Heparin Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Heparin Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Heparin Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2011-2016)2.1.2 Global Heparin Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2011-2016)2.2 Global Heparin (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Heparin Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)2.2.2 Global Heparin Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)2.3 Global Heparin (Volume and Value) by Regions2.3.1 Global Heparin Sales and Market Share by Regions (2011-2016)2.3.2 Global Heparin Revenue and Market Share by Regions (2011-2016)2.4 Global Heparin (Volume) by Application3 United States Heparin (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Heparin Sales and Value (2011-2016)3.1.1 United States Heparin Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2016)3.1.2 United States Heparin Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2016)3.1.3 United States Heparin Sales Price Trend (2011-2016)3.2 United States Heparin Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers3.3 United States Heparin Sales and Market Share by Type3.4 United States Heparin Sales and Market Share by Application4 China Heparin (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Heparin Sales and Value (2011-2016)4.1.1 China Heparin Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2016)4.1.2 China Heparin Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2016)4.1.3 China Heparin Sales Price Trend (2011-2016)4.2 China Heparin Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers4.3 China Heparin Sales and Market Share by Type4.4 China Heparin Sales and Market Share by Application5 Europe Heparin (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe Heparin Sales and Value (2011-2016)5.1.1 Europe Heparin Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2016)5.1.2 Europe Heparin Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2016)5.1.3 Europe Heparin Sales Price Trend (2011-2016)5.2 Europe Heparin Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers5.3 Europe Heparin Sales and Market Share by Type5.4 Europe Heparin Sales and Market Share by ApplicationList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of HeparinTable Classification of HeparinFigure Global Sales Market Share of Heparin by Type in 2015Figure Common Heparins PictureFigure Low Molecular Weight Heparins PictureTable Applications of HeparinFigure Global Sales Market Share of Heparin by Application in 2015Figure Drugs ExamplesFigure Hemodialysis ExamplesFigure Others ExamplesFigure United States Heparin Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Figure China Heparin Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Figure Europe Heparin Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)QYReseachReports.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.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Charter Tax bids farewell to Charter its Herd of the Hospice? horse

Charter Tax

Kent Accountancy firm, Charter Tax, raised over 100,000 for Hospice in the Weald Kent tax experts pleased to have been a part of Herd of the Hospice? campaign Charter horse sculpture auctioned to raise further funds for Hospice in the Weald Over 100,000 raised during the campaignFollowing the success of the Herd of the Hospice? campaign, Charter Tax Consulting Ltd is bidding a fond farewell to the horse sculpture that it sponsored.The horse, called Charter, was part of an awareness campaign for Hospice in the Weald and appeared in the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells during the summer. He also travelled to Ascot and appeared on the BBC and ITV racing as part of the initiative, gaining global attention.On Wednesday 11 October, Charter was auctioned off to raise money for the charity and has recently taken up residence with a private owner. Interest in the sculptures came from as far as Dubai following media attention.Mark Howard, Chairman at Charter Tax said: We at Charter Tax thoroughly enjoyed being part of this great campaign during the summer, which ended up with an exciting auction at Royal Victoria Place. We are very sorry that Charter is no longer ours but we were proud owners and sponsors for the duration of the campaign, and pleased to be part of an innovative, stimulating, colourful and ultimately very successful project. We wish Charter a long and happy retirement!We also extend our thanks to the artist, Chris Burke, who came up with such a sensational design for Charter and also to Emma Whittington and her team at Hospice in the Weald for all the time and energy they devoted to this project.The campaign raised over 100,000 for the Hospice in the Weald, which depends largely on donations to fund its work.Charter Tax is a Chartered Accountancy practice with offices in Kent and London. As financial professionals our aim is to look after you, your business and your family. We offer a range of accountancy and tax advisory services tailored to your individual and business needs, helping a number of clients from small UK based businesses to larger international companies.Charter TaxSuite 1 Bedgebury Business Park, Forge Farm, Goudhurst, Kent, TN17 2QZTele: 01580 313108
Global Wind Turbine Gearbox Market size, Industry Analysis, Share,Growth, Trends, Forecast 2017-2025

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MarketResearchReports.Biz announces addition of new report" Wind Turbine Gearbox Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025"to its database.The objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the market on the basis of type, application, medical condition, and region. It provides detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the market. This report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments of the key players in terms of market developments, product portfolios, and financials.Get Sample copy of this Report @ Increasing demand for clean energy has propelled the market for wind turbines. Majority of wind turbines operating currently use a gearbox system. Rise in the number of wind turbines across the globe has boosted the wind turbine gearbox market. Different components in a wind turbine play an important role in optimizing the speed for maximum efficiency. Thus, a gearbox plays a critical part in a wind turbine, as it accelerates the slower turbine rotations to fast generator rotational speed. Yet, in contrast to conventional gearboxes, a wind turbine gearbox does not switch gears. Rather, it retains a single gear ratio between the generator and rotor rotation.The global wind turbine gearbox market is expected to expand at a substantial pace in the near future primarily due to the rise in demand for clean energy. This increase in demand for clean energy is encouraging power generation companies and agencies across the globe to construct wind farms. The cost of wind technology has fallen significantly in recent years as wind farms are becoming more and more common. This, in turn, is making the technology reasonably priced for power generation companies. Low cost of technology and government support from various countries in Europe, the Middle East, and North America have augmented the adoption of wind power. Developing countries such as India and China also offer a huge motivation to the demand for wind power as the government of these countries are funding various projects for the growth of the wind energy sector. Thus, growth in the wind power industry is driving the wind turbine gearbox market.High rate of failure of wind turbine gearboxes as a result of wide variability in wind patterns and speeds is the major drawback of the wind turbine gearbox market. Gearbox failures often account for significant part of the cost of repair and restoration of wind turbines. The frequency of occurrence of a gearbox failure is comparatively lesser than the number of failures of sensors, control systems, and electrical units; however, the costs of gearbox repairs are significantly high. Furthermore, the number of days out per failure are considerably higher in case of a gearbox failure. Nevertheless, the need to produce clean energy and the common goal to reduce carbon dioxide gas emission are estimated to boost the wind energy sector, thus augmenting the market for wind turbine gearbox in the near future. Furthermore, to overcome the increasing instances of power supply shortages is estimated to augment the demand for wind energy in the commercial as well as the residential sector. This, in turn, is estimated to propel the demand for gearbox wind turbines.View Report @ The wind turbine gearbox market can be segmented based on capacity, application, and region. In terms of capacity, the market can be divided into less than 3MW, between 3MW and 6MW, and more than 6MW. Based on application, the market can be bifurcated into onshore and offshore. In terms of region, the wind turbine gearbox market can be segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America.Key players operating in the market include GE Energy, Suzlon Energy, Bosch Rexroth, Dana Brevini Power - Transmission SpA, Winergy, and Gamesa.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 analysisRequest for Enquiry @ 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, 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.Check Discount @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 marketAbout 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 High Capacity Power Banks Market size, Industry Analysis, Share, Growth, Trends, Forecast 2017-2025

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MarketResearchReports.Biz announces addition of new report"High Capacity Power Banks Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 "to its database.The objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the market on the basis of type, application, medical condition, and region. It provides detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the market. This report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments of the key players in terms of market developments, product portfolios, and financials.Get Sample copy of this Report @ Almost all electronic devices employ the principle of direct current (DC). They also use a transistor for their operation. Major electronic devices such as computers, LED (light emitting diodes) and other flat screen televisions, and mobile phones use a rectifier mounted that converts the AC (alternating current) power into DC power. An AC charger requires AC input. It has its own set of circuitry to convert the AC signal into a convenient signal for charging DC. On the other hand, DC charger, more commonly known as power bank, is the one that takes DC input. A power bank (DC charger) does not require a rectifier circuit to rectify an AC source. Power banks consist of current filtering components that provide stable and smooth output.Electronic devices accept wide a range of voltages, provided the voltage is above the device batterys voltage capacity. The device can get damaged if the voltage is too high. For instance, the power voltage rating is typically 5V or marginally higher than the devices battery voltage. The difference can extend up to 12 V in some cases. AC signal is more prone to voltage fluctuations because it reverses its direction 120 times per second. The DC cycle is continuous. The device damage caused due to fluctuation is thus prevented using DC charger (power banks).Major electronic gadgets play a vital role in the daily lives of people. Such gadgets include smartphones, cameras, gaming devices, tablets, and MP3 players. These devices require essentially high battery support to run. Battery of any of such a device cannot last very long due to the running of multiple applications and software at a given point in time. The devices battery cannot last very long. This is where power banks play a vital role. A power bank is a portable, easy to use charger for all leading brands of smartphones, cameras, gaming devices, tablets, and MP3 players. High capacity power banks refer to how much charge is inside a power bank battery. It is measured in mAh or milliamps per hour. A power bank provides charging; some of the charge is lost in the transfer of power. It takes energy to transfer energy.View Report @ Based on type of high capacity power banks, the market can be segmented into economy class power bank (up to 3000 mAh), business class power banks (3,000 mAh to 10,000 mAh), and special class power bank (above 10,000 mAh). In terms of application, the market can be segmented into smartphones, tablets, gaming devices, and others. Based on region, the high capacity power banks market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific accounted for major share of the high capacity power banks market due to the rapid expansion of end-use industries in the region.Modern electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and gaming devices include mobile broadband, high-speed data access through Wi-Fi, web browsers (displaying standard web pages as well as mobile-optimized sites), social networking applications, and high resolution touchscreens are some of the major features that is driving electronics market, globally. With such electronic device singularly performing high functionality tasks, it will require continuous power charge to perform the work efficiently. Thus, the market for high capacity power banks Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a significant pace in the near future.Key players operating in the high capacity power banks market include Beijing Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd., Lenovo Group Ltd., Microsoft Corp., Panasonic Corp., and Sony Corp.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.Request for Enquiry @ 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.Check Discount @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 marketAbout 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
Smartphone Power Management IC Market Expecting Worldwide Growth by 2022

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Smartphone Power Management IC Market Professional Survey Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.The global market for Smartphone Power Management IC is expected to grow due to evolving technology and rising demands for advanced products and services. This report is intends to offer a 360 degree view into the various aspects of this industry. This report provides the estimated market value at the end of forecast period 2017-2022 and includes the CAGR value at which this market is expected to grow over the forecast period. This report includes segmentation of the market on the basis of various aspects such as technologies, services, products, end users, and applications. These segmentations are expected to provide readers a complete guide to the global Smartphone Power Management IC market. Furthermore, the market values for each segments are included along with their growth projections over the forecast period.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @This report on Smartphone Power Management IC market is developed by professional market researchers who have keen eyes on details. These professionals have considered every important aspect of the market to develop most precise projection of the global Smartphone Power Management IC market. The global market is also segmented for key regions such as the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America. This segmentation provides the growth projections of the Smartphone Power Management IC market in these regions. The estimated market shares by value are included along with the CAGR to anticipate the growth of market in each of these regions. As local trends and regional government policies affect the Smartphone Power Management IC market, trends and regulations poised by governments in these regions are included. To comprehensively give insights into this market, various tables and graphs are included.Table of ContentsGlobal Smartphone Power Management IC Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Smartphone Power Management IC1.1 Definition and Specifications of Smartphone Power Management IC1.1.1 Definition of Smartphone Power Management IC1.1.2 Specifications of Smartphone Power Management IC1.2 Classification of Smartphone Power Management IC1.2.1 Voltage Regulators1.2.2 Integrated ASSP Power Management ICs1.2.3 Battery Management ICs1.2.4 Others(switching controllers, power factor correction, gate drivers etc)1.3 Applications of Smartphone Power Management IC1.3.1 iOS System Smartphone1.3.2 Android System Smartphone1.3.3 Others1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 IndiaView TOC (table of content) of the Report:2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smartphone Power Management IC2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smartphone Power Management IC2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Smartphone Power Management IC2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Smartphone Power Management IC3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Smartphone Power Management IC3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Smartphone Power Management IC Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Smartphone Power Management IC Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Smartphone Power Management IC Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Smartphone Power Management IC Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Smartphone Power Management IC Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Smartphone Power Management IC Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Smartphone Power Management IC Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Smartphone Power Management IC Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Smartphone Power Management IC Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Smartphone Power Management IC Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Smartphone Power Management IC Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Smartphone Power Management IC Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Smartphone Power Management IC Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Smartphone Power Management IC Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Smartphone Power Management IC Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Smartphone Power Management IC Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Smartphone Power Management IC Market Share Analysis5.2 China Smartphone Power Management IC Market Analysis5.2.1 China Smartphone Power Management IC Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Smartphone Power Management IC Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Smartphone Power Management IC Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Smartphone Power Management IC Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Smartphone Power Management IC Market AnalysisList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Smartphone Power Management ICTable Product Specifications of Smartphone Power Management ICTable Classification of Smartphone Power Management ICFigure Global Production Market Share of Smartphone Power Management IC by Type in 2016Figure Voltage Regulators PictureTable Major Manufacturers of Voltage RegulatorsFigure Integrated ASSP Power Management ICs PictureTable Major Manufacturers of Integrated ASSP Power Management ICsFigure Battery Management ICs PictureTable Major Manufacturers of Battery Management ICsFigure Others(switching controllers, power factor correction, gate drivers etc) PictureTable Major Manufacturers of Others(switching controllers, power factor correction, gate drivers etc)Table Applications of Smartphone Power Management ICQYReseachReports.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.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Light Cream 2017 Global Market Key Players  Anchor, Arla, Bulla, Dairy Farmers, Emborg, President  Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Light Cream Market

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Light Cream Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Light Cream Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report provides in depth study of Light Cream Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Light Cream Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization.Global Light Cream market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer;The top key players including ;AnchorArlaBullaDairy FarmersEmborgPresidentGalbaniElle & VireFonterraOldenburgerRequest a Sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Light Cream in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoPasteurized CreamUltra-pasteurized CreamOn 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, includingCateringIndustrial segmentRetailIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Light Cream Market Research Report 20171 Light Cream Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Light Cream1.2 Light Cream Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Light Cream Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Light Cream Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Pasteurized Cream1.2.4 Ultra-pasteurized Cream1.3 Global Light Cream Segment by Application1.3.1 Light Cream Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Catering1.3.3 Industrial segment1.3.4 Retail1.4 Global Light Cream Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Light Cream Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Light Cream (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Light Cream Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Light Cream Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)7 Global Light Cream Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Anchor7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Anchor Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Arla7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Arla Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Bulla7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Bulla Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Dairy Farmers7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Dairy Farmers Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Emborg7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Emborg Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 President7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 President Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Galbani7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Galbani Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Elle & Vire7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Elle & Vire Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Fonterra7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Fonterra Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Oldenburger7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Light Cream Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Oldenburger Light Cream Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 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Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Lithium Acetate Market: Analysis and Forecast by Transparency Market Research 2017 - 2025

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ithium acetate is a salt which is formed by the combination of lithium and acetic acid. Lithium acetate is used as a catalyst in the production process of acrylic polymer, polyester, and alkyd resin. It is employed as an additive in textiles to improve lubricity and dying-ability. Moreover, it decreases luster. The range of products of lithium acetate is known for its low electrical conductivity. Lithium acetate is widely utilized in the textile industry, as raw material for pharmaceuticals, in the production of antistatic fibers, stabilization of polyvinyl chloride, and catalyst polymerization.A major application of lithium acetate is yeast transformation. The negative charges on the DNA molecule that has to be transformed is neutralized by the lithium ions and phospholipid bilayer of the yeast cell may form small holes in the plasma membrane that allows the passage of nucleic acids. Lithium acetate or LiC2 is used as a product for drug formulation and therapy, buffer for gel electrophoresis of DNA and RNA, additive or catalyst for textliles and polymer production, and precursor material for batteries. Lithium acetate is currently available in two forms: anhydrous and dihydrate. Anhydrous lithium acetate is obtained by heating commercial lithium acetate till the melting point of anhydrous salt, and then cooling it very slowly. The crystals are covered to prevent hydration. Different lithium acetate hydrates can be obtained by hydration of lithium acetate, also by slow evaporation. The solvent used in this process is isopropanol. Anhydrous lithium acetate is utilized in the treatment of bipolar disease and also acts as a mood stabilizer. More applications of lithium compounds are restricted due to narrow band of therapeutic range, as little increase in serum concentrations can lead to serious toxic reaction.Request For Report Sample:The lithium acetate market is mainly driven by the pharmaceutical and textile industries. Expansion of the textile or pharmaceutical industries is likely to be a major factor for expansion of the market, as lithium acetate is widely used by these industries. It is preferred over other materials in the market due to its exceptional physical property of low electrical conductivity, thereby voltage can be increased without affecting the gel temperature much. This speeds up the electrophoresis process. Furthermore, lithium acetate is utilized in the electronics industry. It is used as source of lithium where it is helpful in the production of lithium ion battery. It is widely employed in all electronic gadgets and as a rechargeable source of power.North America dominated the lithium acetate market, in terms of demand, in 2016. Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand rapidly due to significant demand for consumer electronics in the region. China and Japan are major contributors to the market in the region in terms of demand. Europe was followed by North America in terms of share in global lithium acetate market. U.S. had prominent demand for lithium acetate in the region. The demand is due to presence of a large number of pharmaceuticals industries in the region. In terms of demand, Rest of the World market had the smallest share in the lithium acetate market in the last few years. However, the scenario in the region is anticipated to change due to the expansion of the electronics and telecom industry coupled with increasing demand for power devices. Rest of the World is likely to show positive outlook for lithium acetate in the near future.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Some of the Prominent players operating in the lithium acetate market include FMC, Leverton-Clarke, American Elements, Sichuan Brivo lithium Materials Co.,Ltd, Taiye, Shanghai Industrial, and Shanghai Energy Lithium Industrial.About USTransparency 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 recommendations.Contact USState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Website:Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Automotive Polymer Matrix Composites Market: Opportunity Assessment Research Study 2017 - 2025

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A composite is defined as a multiphase material that exhibits a significant proportion of properties of both constituent phases. It usually consists of a continuous phase, called the matrix, and a dispersed phase called the reinforcement. Polymer matrix composite is polymer-based reinforced material that is used in various end-use industries such as construction, transportation, oil & gas, sports, energy, aerospace, consumer goods, and electrical & electronics. The automotive industry is a prominent end-use industry for polymer matrix composites. Various resins such as polypropylene, polycarbonates, polyamides, acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene, and other engineered plastics are employed, along with reinforcing fibers, to manufacture automotive polymer matrix composite. The global automotive polymer matrix composites can be segmented into fiber used and application areas in the automotive industry. The most commonly used fibers for automotive application are carbon fiber and glass fiber. The carbon fiber reinforcement possesses diverse mechanical and physical characteristics such as a high strength to weight ratio and corrosion resistance. These properties allow it to be utilized to make lightweight and strong components. However, glass reinforcement is majorly produced due to its relatively low cost and competitive physical and mechanical characteristics. Nevertheless, high strength to weight ratio of carbon fibre reinforced composites is predicted to offer enormous growth opportunities during the next few years.Composites offer many structural and weight advantages over traditional steel and injection molded automotive parts such as cost and weight reduction and recyclability. Polymer matrix composites are generally employed in the manufacturing of interiors, exteriors, and structural parts. The exterior segment accounts for significant share of the automotive polymer matrix composites market. The carbon fiber reinforced composites is anticipated to be highly attractive segment by the end of the forecast period due to rising demand for high performance lightweight materials in the automotive industry.Request For Report Sample:The passenger cars segment is anticipated to drive the expansion of the global automotive industry due to a rise in disposable income. However, increasing environmental concerns and pollution are estimated to be a slight hindrance during the forecast period. Automotive manufacturers are focusing on reducing their weight to provide highly efficient cars and reduced fuel consumption. Therefore, OEMs are substituting traditional materials with advanced engineered composites such as polymer matrix composites. Furthermore, polymer matrix composites offer high stiffness, tensile strength, and temperature tolerance, and low weight and thermal expansion. Thus, they are preferred in the manufacture of automobiles. This is estimated to boost the demand for automotive polymer matrix composites during the forecast period. Additionally, polymer-reinforced composites offer excellent crash performance as compared to traditional steel. Therefore, along with weight reduction, composites in vehicles offer better safety components. These properties are predicted to augment the demand for automotive polymer matrix composites in the near future. However, the high cost of carbon composites might slightly hinder the expansion of the automotive composites market in the near future.In terms of geography, the global automotive polymer matrix composites market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The automotive polymer matrix composites market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand during the forecast period due to rapid expansion of the automotive industry in countries such as China, India, and Japan. Thus, Asia Pacific is anticipated to dominate the global market during the forecast period. North America and Europe follow Asia Pacific in the automotive polymer matrix composites in terms of market share. Nonetheless, North America is anticipated to offer high growth opportunities for the carbon reinforced automotive polymer composites market. The automotive polymer matrix composites market in Latin America is likely to expand at a significant rate during the forecast period, due to the considerable expansion of the automotive industry in the region. Middle East & Africa is also anticipated to expand in the automotive polymer matrix composites market.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):The global automotive polymer matrix composites market is slightly consolidated, with U.S. and China being prominent manufacturers of composites. However, there are several manufacturers around the world. Key players operating in the automotive polymer matrix composites market include Hexcel Corporation, TPI Composites, Inc., Owens Corning, Teijin Limited, Toray Industries, and Hexagon CompositesAbout USTransparency 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 recommendations.Contact USState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Website:Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Pentachloronitrobenzene Market Intelligence with Competitive Landscape 2017 - 2025

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Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) is a well-known fungicide derived from nitrobenzene. It is solid with off-white or yellow color and musty odor. The color of PCNB depends on its purity. PCNB was formerly synthesized in laboratory in 1868. In 1930, Bayer AG introduced PCNB to the agriculture industry as a temporary substitute to mercurial pesticides. PCNB is produced by chlorination of nitrobenzene in chlorosulfuric acid at temperature ranging from 60C to 70 C and uses iodine as a catalyst. It can also be manufactured by the nitration of chlorinated benzenes. Hexachlorobenzene is one of the by-products of the synthesis of PCNB. It is considered as hazardous as PCNB.PCNB Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncrease in population in many parts of Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Africa is boosting the demand for food in these regions. Limited unutilized land area can be brought into cultivation; hence, increase of crop yield is the only viable alternative to boost food production. In order to meet this objective, countries in developing regions are increasing their use of fertilizers and pesticides. Rise in consumption of fertilizers and pesticides is, in turn, likely to augment the demand for PCNB. There is growing public sentiment against the use of synthetic chemical based fertilizers and pesticides in farming. Developed countries such as the U.S., Germany, the U.K., France, and Canada are estimated to be highly affected by these developments due to the rise in popularity of organic farming in these countries.Request For Report Sample:PCNB is used as fungicide to suppress the growth of fungi in various crops such as cotton, rice, and seed grains. It is also used to prevent the formation of slime in industrial waters. Residual amounts of the compound and its metabolites can be found in crops. The degradation products, PCA, and PCTA have been found in farming soils and river sediments. PCNB is used as soil fungicide in lawns and ornamental crops. It is also used in seed treatment of field crops and vegetables (e.g., barley, corn, cotton, oats, rice, and wheat). Furthermore, PCNB is used as slime inhibitor in industrial waters.PCNB Market: SegmentationBased on application, the PCNB market can be segmented into:Soil FungicideSeed FungicideHerbicideIndustrial Water TreatmentOthersPCNB is a contact fungicide, which is used for different types of field crops, horticultural crops, certain vegetables, in greenhouses and to control diseases caused by fungal infections. The fungicide is primarily effective against soil-borne pathogens. It is also effective against foliar diseases. PCNB is also employed as seed treatment pesticide for crop seeds such as peanuts, corn, soybeans, cotton, and grain.PCNB Market: Region-wise OutlookBased on geography, the global PCNB market can be segregated into North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be a highly attractive region for the PCNB market during the forecast period. Growth in consumption of pesticides in countries such as China, India, and Indonesia is likely to boost the demand for PCNB in the next decade. Implementation of stringent environmental regulations in North America and Europe is expected to lead to sluggish demand for PCNB based pesticides. Many developed countries have already banned the usage of PCNB based pesticides. However, restricted use of the chemical as fungicide is permitted in the U.S., Canada, Israel, New Zealand, and Australia.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):PCNB Market: Key PlayersKey players operating in the PCNB market include:BASF SESygentaCdti IncClariant AgJohnson MattheyNovozymes A/SIogen CorpEvonik Industries AGVineeth ChemicalsR.Grace&CoAxensSasol LtdHangzhou Jiali metal TechnologyAbout USTransparency 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 recommendations.Contact USState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Website:Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Tertiary Butyl Amine Market Report Offers Intelligence and Forecast till 2017 - 2025

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Tertiary butyl amine is a transparent colorless compound with molecular formula (CH3)3CNH2. It possesses amine-like odor. Tertiary butyl amine is primarily used in rubber, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and chemical intermediates. It is employed as rubber accelerator to improve the rate of vulcanization. Agrochemicals derived from this compound include terbutryn, terbacil, and terbumeton.Rubber is not only used to manufacture tire in automobiles, but it is also employed in engine gaskets, radiator seals, performance hoses, ignition cables, and airbags. Asia Pacific holds more than 60% share of the global rubber market. The region is expected to offer immense growth to the tertiary butyl amine market during the forecast period. Rise in demand for automobiles in Europe and Asia Pacific is estimated to propel the rubber market. This, in turn, is likely to boost the demand for tertiary butyl amine in the near future. Crop protection chemicals are widely used in the agriculture industry to enhance the crop yield. Crop protection chemicals such as fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides are employed to eliminate unwanted plants and pests. Increase in usage of crop protection chemicals is anticipated to propel the demand for tertiary butyl amine. Growth in population has raised food security concerns. Developing and underdeveloped countries lack proper infrastructure for storage and distribution of food grains. This, in turn, is projected to fuel the demand for tertiary butyl amine owing to its usage in agrochemicals.Request For Report Sample:In terms of region, Asia Pacific is likely to exhibit significant demand for tertiary butyl amine in the next few years, led by the expansion in the rubber industry. Demand for rubber is high from tire and automotive applications in major countries in the region such as China and India. Increase in demand for new automotive vehicles is estimated to fuel the demand for rubber. This, in turn is likely to boost the demand of tertiary butyl amine. Large scale manufacturers such as BASF SE are expanding their capacity in the region to meet the rising demand for rubber additives such as tertiary butyl amine, which is used as an accelerator in the rubber industry. Furthermore, steady growth in automotive sales in Europe and North America is projected to propel the demand for tertiary butyl amine in the next few years. Increase in population in developing countries coupled with rise in demand for food is driving the agrochemicals market across the globe. The usage of tertiary butyl amine for the preparation of agrochemicals is likely to enhance the demand for this compound during the forecast period. Agrochemicals are being used increasingly in Latin America and Middle East & Africa to boost the crop yield. This is anticipated to augment the demand for tertiary butyl amine. The usage of this compound for the preparation of drugs in the pharmaceuticals industry is estimated to propel the tertiary butyl amine market.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Major companies operating in the tertiary butyl amine market include BASF SE, Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC., and Zibo Luhua Hongjin New Material Co.,Ltd. In 2015, BASF SE increased its production capacity at its plant in China to meet the rising demand for rubber additives for tire applications in China and other countries of Asia Pacific.About USTransparency 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 recommendations.Contact USState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Website:Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Organic Acids Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth During 2017 - 2022

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Global organic acids market is forecast to stay strong, exhibiting a steady CAGR between 2017 and 2022. While rising population and growing GDP has remained primary growth drivers, the market is also expected to gain from the increasing use across foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. The market currently has a stronghold in developed nations, however over the course of the forecast period, emerging economies will gradually emerge at the fore.View Report Preview:The global organic acid market is highly competitive compelling the market players to focus on product differentiation. To capitalize on the rising demand for bio-based organic acids, experts have observed a rising investment in research and development activities in the global organic acids market. Also major players are looking to expand their product portfolio and regional footprint by entering into strategic collaborations.According to Transparency Market Research, the global organic acids market is likely to reach US$10.61 bn by the end of 2022, from US$8.02 bn in 2017. If these figures hold true, the global organic acids market will exhibit a CAGR of 5.8% between 2017 and 2022. Insights from Transparency Market Research as mentioned below will reveal the markets potential trajectory through 2022:Request to view Sample Report:Key Insights on Global Organic Acids MarketAcetic acid is forecast to constitute the leading product segment within the global market. As of 2017, the acetic acid segment is valued at US$1743.2 mn and is projected to showcase robust growth through the forecast period. It currently holds nearly 21.7% of the overall market based on product. Owing to its antifungal and antibacterial properties, the use of acetic acid is likely to increase further in the food and beverages sector enabling the overall market gain significant impetus.Rising demand from food and beverages industry forecast to accelerate sales of organic acids. In addition, on account of its antibacterial and preservative properties, the use of organic acids has surged in the pharmaceutical sectors, thereby enabling the overall market to exhibit robust growth.North America has emerged dominant in the global organic acids market. Over the course of the forecast period, the region is likely to demonstrate a CAGR of 6.1%. Presence of a sophisticated industrial infrastructure, besides economic rebound post downturn has helped creating an environment favorable to the growth of the organic acids market in North America.According to Transparency Market Research, Europe will emerge as the second-leading regional segment, accounting for 27.3% of the global organic acids market by the end of 2017.Asia Pacific excluding Japan is forecast to emerge as a lucrative region for organic acids. Growing GDP and population in India and Japan, will provide significant opportunities for the markets growth in Asia Pacific. Japan on the other hand is likely to create absolute opportunity of US$113.3 mn between 2017 and 2022.Global Organic Acids Market Report is available @ US$ 5795To present a holistic overview of the global organic acids market, the report also profiles companies such as Archer Daniels Midland Company, BASF SE, BioAmber Inc., BP Plc, Cargill, Celanese Corporation, Corbion N.V., E. I. Dupont De Nemours and Company, Eastman Chemical Company, Elekeiroz S.A, Fuso chemical co. ltd, Genomatica, Henan Jindan Lactic Acid Technology Co. Ltd, Koninklijke DSM N.V., LUXI GROUP CO., LTD., Myriant Corporation, Nature Works LLC, Polynt-Reichhold, Tate & Lyle, and The DOW Chemical Company.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
4th International Conference on Mental Health and Human Resilience

Dear Colleagues,We took an immense pleasure to invite you for this prominent Occasion "4th International Conference on Mental Health and Human Resilience from April 26-27, 2018 at Rome, Italy.Mental Health 2018 Organizing Committee allures to honour you as a Speaker/Delegate for the Conference.The session's enclosure provokes you towards the necessity of doctoring the Mental Health Barriers and application of remedial approaches and also to conscience you with assurance over life through execution of novelistic technologies.For more details: https://mentalhealth.conferenceseries.com/Conference Series LLC2360 Corporate Circle, Suite 400Henderson, NV 89074-7722, USAKemp House, 152 City Road, London EC1V 2NX, UK
Metallic Gasket Market Analysis, Forecast, and Assessment 2017 - 2025

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Gaskets are essentially used to fill the void between two coupling surfaces to avoid leakage or wastage of fluids or gas. They also help maintain a sustained pressure and avoid contamination from external environmental conditions. A gasket is designed on the basis of its end-use application and coupling type. Over a period of time, technological advancements have rendered metallic gaskets safer and more effective in terms of operation. Gaskets also find other applications such as anti-vibration and mounting. The increasing use of lightweight materials in automotive vehicles to curb their weight has boosted the demand for high-quality metallic gaskets which are fabricated from one or a combination of metals to achieve their desired shape and size. Metallic gaskets are ideal for high-pressure and high-temperature applications and require a high bolt load to seal. Another important parameter is their need for resistance against media and temperature within the range of the given application. Metallic gaskets are widely used in the manufacturing industry, particularly in valves, to create and retain a static seal between two flanges.The growing emphasis on improving the efficiency of engineering equipment is fuelling the demand for metallic gaskets. Leakages in industrial equipment lead to significant losses in terms of material and labor as well as additional repairing costs. In case of industries, leakages result in significant downtime, adversely affecting the overall operation. Based on type, spiral wound, double-jacketed metal, solid metal, corrugated metal, and ring type joint are some of the prominent metallic gaskets used in industrial and related applications. They find application in heat exchangers, compressors, condensers, valves, pumps, and turbines. Spiral wound gaskets are manufactured via the spiral winding of a pre-formed metal strip and filler on the circumference of metal winding mandrels. The inner and outer diameter of a spiral wound gasket is strengthened with the help of several plies of metal without the use of fillers. This provides better compression and higher stability to the gasket. In double-jacketed gaskets, the filler material is enclosed by a two-piece metal jacket which covers its inner as well exterior diameters. Designed for high temperature applications, double-jacketed gaskets can withstand temperatures as high as 1650 degree Fahrenheit encountered in boilers , heat exchangers, and related applications.Request For Report Sample:With rapid industrialization in emerging economies, the metallic gasket market is expected to gain traction during the forecast period. There has been a considerable rise in the number of manufacturing plants, machineries, and various other mechanical instruments which use metallic gaskets. However, their complex manufacturing processes, intricate shapes, altering designs, and limited material applicability are the key challenges limiting the metallic gasket market.Based on geographic regions, the market is distributed over North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Over the forecast period, Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness maximum growth on account of the burgeoning industrial sector in the region. This is attributable for the growing manufacturing and industrial sector in the country such as China and India. The government of India has been promoting Make in India initiative to foster the development of manufacturing sector of the country and a lot of international players are planning to set up their manufacturing bases in the country.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Key players in the metallic gasket market include Dana Holding Corporation, Flowserve Corporation, Smiths Group PLC, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies Gmbh & Co. Kg, Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation, Datwyler Holding Inc., and Victor Gaskets India Limited.About USTransparency 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 recommendations.Contact USState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Website:Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Hexafluoroacetone Derivatives Market Intelligence Report for Comprehensive Information 2017 - 2025

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Hexafluoroacetone derivatives are chemical compounds which are colorless, nonflammable, and hygroscopic. They are derived from hexafluoroacetone which exhibits highly reactive properties with water, forming corrosive acids. These derivatives are typically used for organic synthesis and as a chemical reagent in various manufacturing processes, especially in applications such as textile coating, solvents, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, and other agrochemicals. Hexafluoroacetone derivatives are employed as intermediaries in a range of chemical processes. The rising global textile trade due to the increasing domestic consumption of the product and disposable incomes is resulting into continuous improvements in the production of textile and the raw materials required in the industry. The shift from conventional to advanced technologies in the global textile coating process has fueled the demand for the incorporation of a variety of chemical compounds.Hexafluoroacetone derivatives are soluble in water and most organic solvents which has resulted in their increasing incorporation into the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. They exhibit the strong ability to dissolve in a variety of polymers such as polyesters, polyamides, polyacrylonitriles, polyacetals, and hydrolyzed polyvinyl esters. The rapid depletion of arable land is a key global concern which has led to the increasing use of agrochemicals around the world. Additionally, the rising global population and urbanization have led to an increasing need to improve the agricultural yield. Major chemical companies are focusing on developing products such as hexafluoroacetone for plant protection which is in line with the trend in the global agrochemical industry. Hexafluroacetone derivatives stimulate the growth of the plants, either by improving the biosynthesis process or through the environment-friendly nature of the fluorochemicals. Hexafluoroacetone derivatives act as building blocks for the manufacturing of synthetic pharmaceutical products. They increase the drug bioavailability due to their hygroscopic nature and enhance the medical power of the drug as well as its anti-inflammatory effects. Pharmaceutical companies are investing extensively in the incorporation of new raw materials into the production of a variety of drugs due to the superior physical properties of hexafluoroacetone derivatives.Request For Report Sample:In terms of geography, the hexafluroacetone derivatives market can be distributed over North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Consequently, growing urbanization and the rising establishment of chemical companies in Asia Pacific are projected to fuel the demand for hexafluoroacetone derivatives. The escalating population and need to improve agricultural productivity in the region drive the market in Asia Pacific. North America and Europe account for a larger market share due to the presence of prominent chemical companies and technological advancements for the easy incorporation of chemicals into a wide range of applications in these regions. Key players in the industry are focusing on capturing the market in emerging economies such as China and India which are characterized by a rapidly expanding chemical industry, increasing population, rising expenditures, and low-cost labor.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Major companies in hexafluoroacetone derivatives market include Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Halocarbon Products Corporation, Central Glass Co., Ltd., Sinochem Lantian Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Sanhe Pharmachem Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Dayangchem Co. Ltd., Leap Labchem Co., Ltd, Solvay S.A., and Parchem Fine & Specialty Chemicals.About USTransparency 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 recommendations.Contact USState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Website:Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Hurricane Irma, Steve Scalise Shooting And Other Events Offer Solid Proof Of Modern Day Miracles Says Florida Resident Donna Louis, Author Of 'Miracles Of Direction'

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We almost have to brace ourselves before reading the headlines these days. The headlines are awash in negativity. In a world where exaggeration and blatant overstatement drive revenues through more web traffic and readership, over-dramatization is the order of the day, that is to be expected, as negative headlines get more attention. This bleak picture of the world dramatically skews our perception of events however, not to mention the havoc it wreaks on our collective morale.On the other hand, there are modern day miracle stories that do get some press, even some that have occurred in the midst of tragedies such as hurricanes and shootings.BBC News ran a video piece on Steve Scalise entitled "Miracles really do happen - Scalise reflects on recovery after shooting." In that video Scalise states, "I am definitely a living example that miracles really do happen."The Express website presented a story of a British family who miraculously escaped death during Hurricane Irma. An ABC affiliate ran a story about a miracle baby delivered in the midst of the same hurricane. Miraculous survival stories from both Florida and Texas can be found everywhere. Florida resident Donna Louis is intimately familiar with both hurricanes and miracle stories.Louis, the multi-award-winning author of 'Miracles Of Direction, Miracles Of Conquest, Miracles Of Provision, Miracles Of Purpose' has made her book available as a fundraising tool for charities directed at fundraising for hurricane relief and Christian organizations. She is a firm believer in the power of miracles to demonstrate that God does exist."Hurricane Irma left a tremendous amount of devastation in Florida," Louis stated. "The numbers are staggering. Over 6.5 million homes and businesses without power and 200,000 people in shelters. A tremendous amount of annihilation not to mention the loss of lives. This hurricane is no different from the massive destruction with Hurricane Harvey in Texas. The state of Florida is strong in the Lord and because we are the Sunshine State the sun will rise again. There has been so many signs of blessings and miracles in the midst of such destruction. People from everywhere are coming together as one to help and pull together, businesses like the IRS are extending the deadlines for filing your business and personal taxes even with the previous 6 months extensions they allow. GOD is good all the time."Louis' book explores biblical miracles that took place while Jesus was here on earth. She then references with miracles that take place on a daily basis in the modern world. She separates these miracles into four categories and presents insightful example of each type, taken directly from the Bible. She knows that miracles happen every day, even today, and offers readers a message of hope and faith.Louis knows her subject well, as she has personally experienced three miracles. As the result of those life-altering experiences, she began an in-depth study of some of Christianity's most well-documented miracles. In her book, she attempts to expand upon and explain both the purpose and the direction of those miracles.Donna was chosen as a winner in the 2015 and the 2016 '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading' awards contest. She was recently nominated in the 2017 Top Female Author Awards Program. Miracles' has also received rave reviews from readers. One review called it "amazing, uplifting and inspirational". Another stated, "I was profoundly impressed by the writing." She will be one of the featured authors on The Authors Show September 29 through October 1, 2017.Donna is now making her book available to both hurricane relief organizations and Christian organizations to be used as a fundraising tool. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the e-books may be donated to those organizations that qualify. Churches and other charitable organizations are welcome to contact Donna using the information below to discuss the details of the program.Donna Louis is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below, or by email at louistolouis@aol.com. More information is available at her website. Miracles of Direction is available at online retail book outlets. More information is available at her website.Donna Louis is happily married to her husband of 30 years Patrick Louis and currently resides in Florida. She lives to accomplish the task that God created her for and on a daily basis to follow Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."PO Box 1613Shallotte, NC 28459
Semiconductor Silicon Wafer Market SWOT analysis & Technological Innovation by Leading industry Experts- Shin Etsu, Wafer Works, Simgui

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HTF MI published a new industry research that focuses on Semiconductor Silicon Wafer market and delivers in-depth market analysis and future prospects of Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer market. The study covers significant data which makes the research document a handy resource for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people get 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 [Memory, Logic/MPU & Others], products type [300 mm, 200 mm & ? 150 mm] and various important geographies like North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan & India].Get Access to sample pages @The research covers the current market size of the Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data along with company profile of key players/manufacturers such as Shin Etsu (JP), Sumco (JP), Siltronic (DE), MEMC (US), LG Siltron (KR), SAS (TW), Okmetic (FI), Shenhe FTS (CN), SST (CN), JRH (CN), MCL (CN), GRITEK (CN), Wafer Works (TW), Zhonghuan Huanou (CN) & Simgui (CN). The in-depth information by segments of Semiconductor Silicon Wafer 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 Semiconductor Silicon Wafer Market.The study provides company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of key manufacturers of Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer Market, some of them listed here are Shin Etsu (JP), Sumco (JP), Siltronic (DE), MEMC (US), LG Siltron (KR), SAS (TW), Okmetic (FI), Shenhe FTS (CN), SST (CN), JRH (CN), MCL (CN), GRITEK (CN), Wafer Works (TW), Zhonghuan Huanou (CN) & Simgui (CN). 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.Get customization & check discount for report @Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as 300 mm, 200 mm & ? 150 mm. Further the research study is segmented by Application such as Memory, Logic/MPU & Others with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Semiconductor Silicon Wafer in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan & India and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2017 to 2022.Key questions answered in this report - Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer Market Professional Survey Report 2017What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate beWhat are the key market trendsWhat is driving Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer marketWhat are the challenges to market growthWho are the key vendors in Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer market space?What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer market?What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer market?Buy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Semiconductor Silicon Wafer , Applications of Semiconductor Silicon Wafer , Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Semiconductor Silicon Wafer , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan & India, Semiconductor Silicon Wafer Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Semiconductor Silicon Wafer Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of Semiconductor Silicon Wafer ;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [300 mm, 200 mm & ? 150 mm], Market Trend by Application [Memory, Logic/MPU & Others];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global Semiconductor Silicon Wafer ;Chapter 12, to describe Semiconductor Silicon Wafer Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Semiconductor Silicon Wafer 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
Proposed changes to Maltese tax rules

The Maltese government has published a bill following the issue of the Budget for 2018. Included in the bill is a number of proposed changes to the Maltese tax rules.Remittance basis of taxationLong-term residents and holders of permanent residence certificates/cards (in terms of the Status of Long-Term Residents (Third Country Nationals) Regulations and the Free Movement of European Union Nationals and their Family Members Order) are no longer able to use the remittance basis of taxation.Minimum tax liabilityAny person who is ordinarily resident in Malta, but not domiciled in Malta (and can still use the remittance basis of taxation without benefiting from a scheme establishing a minimum tax payable), deriving income of not less than 35,000 arising outside Malta (which is not received in Malta) shall be subject to a minimum tax liability in Malta of not less than 5,000 per annum.The above could mean a change for persons who have settled in Malta, and we will follow the debate in Parliament and the eventual enactment of the law to see whether this will be introduced, and to what extent.In the meantime, should you have any questions or queries about the above or any other residence or income tax matter, please do not hesitate to contact Thomas Jacobsen on info@papilioservices.com for more information.Papilio Services Limited is a leading independent Maltese service provider, focusing on corporate, residence and tax services to private clients and businesses in Malta and worldwide. We are registered with the Malta Financial Services Authority as a Company Service Provider.We assist our clients with tax efficient solutions, setting up public and private companies, partnerships, funds, trusts and foundations as well as assisting individuals with taking up residence in Malta or applying for citizenship in Malta.We provide a full range of ongoing corporate administration and compliance services including advisory services and back office corporate and income tax compliance services for a number of entities and individuals.Papilio Services Limited is registered with the Maltese Inland Revenue Department as an Authorised Mandatory to handle applications under the various Maltese residence programmes and our Managing Partner is registered with Identity Malta as an Accredited Agent to handle applications for Maltese citizenship under the Malta Individual Investor Programme.168, St Christopher Street, Valletta
Waterjet Cutting Machines Market Dynamics 2017: Opportunities, Risks and Driving Factors to 2022

Waterjet Cutting Machines Market

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This report covers the global Waterjet Cutting Machines market various parameters and the growth prospects. It covers the overall market scenario and gives an in-depth analysis of the various competitors and the market value.The Waterjet Cutting Machines Industry split has been done according to the production, distribution, revenue and market share and the overall growth rate of Facial Surgery Equipment Package.Ask for Sample @The top competitors of Waterjet Cutting Machines market along with the different parameters are production, price, revenue, market share for each manufacture are Flow International, Omax, KMT AB, Sugino Machine, Bystronic Group, CMS Industries, Jet Edge Inc, Resato, WARDJet Inc., Waterjet Corporation, ESAB Cutting Systems, TECHNI Waterjet, Dardi, Shenyang APW, Yongda Dynamo Electirc, Sino Achieve, Shenyang Head.The geographical split of this Industry is divided into the following with several key regions such as North America, Europe, China, Japan, Rest Asia-Pacific, ROW.On the basis of product, this Waterjet Cutting Machines industry report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into Pressurized Water, Abrasive Mixture.Major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Waterjet Cutting Machines Market for each application, including Automotive, Stone & Tiles, Job Shop, Aerospace & Defense, Others.Have A Query On This Report? @Some Points from TOC:1 Waterjet Cutting Machines Manufacturing Cost Analysis1.1 Waterjet Cutting Machines Key Raw Materials Analysis1.2 Key Raw Materials1.2.1 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials1.2.2 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials1.3 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials1.3.1 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers1.4 Waterjet Cutting Machines Industrial Chain Analysis1.4.1 Raw Materials Sources of Waterjet Cutting Machines Major Manufacturers in 20161.4.2 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders.Check Discount on this report@We at Reports Monitor provide a comprehensive analysis by providing in-depth reports of the various market verticals. Our Mission is to provide a detailed analysis of the vast markets worldwide, backed by rich data. Decision makers can now rely on our well-defined data gathering methods to get the correct and accurate market forecasting along with detailed analysis.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 4476341048,Maharashtra,IndiaIndia: +91 2069535353Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-59476341Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Airbrush Market Report provides Company and Distribution Shares & Market Outlook to 2022

Airbrush Market

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This report covers the United States Airbrush market various parameters and the growth prospects. It covers the overall market scenario and gives an in-depth analysis of the various competitors and the market value.The Airbrush Industry split has been done according to the production, distribution, revenue and market share and the overall growth rate of Facial Surgery Equipment Package.Ask for Sample @The top competitors of Airbrush market along with the different parameters are production, price, revenue, market share for each manufacture are 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.The geographical split of this Industry is divided into the following with several key regions such as The West, Southwest, The Middle Atlantic, New England, The South, The Midwest.On the basis of product, this Airbrush industry report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into Trigger, Feed System, Mix Point.Major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Airbrush Market for each application, including Automotive Industry, Coating & Printing Industry, Others.Have A Query On This Report? @Some Points from TOC:1 Airbrush Manufacturing Cost Analysis1.1 Airbrush Key Raw Materials Analysis1.2 Key Raw Materials1.2.1 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials1.2.2 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials1.3 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials1.3.1 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers1.4 Airbrush Industrial Chain Analysis1.4.1 Raw Materials Sources of Airbrush Major Manufacturers in 20161.4.2 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders.Check Discount on this report@We at Reports Monitor provide a comprehensive analysis by providing in-depth reports of the various market verticals. Our Mission is to provide a detailed analysis of the vast markets In United States, backed by rich data. Decision makers can now rely on our well-defined data gathering methods to get the correct and accurate market forecasting along with detailed analysis.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 In United States. 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 4476368048,Maharashtra,IndiaIndia: +91 2069535353Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-59476368Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Desiccators Market By Technologies, Services, Applications and Regions  Trends and Forecast from 2017-2022

Desiccators Market

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This report covers the United States Desiccators market various parameters and the growth prospects. It covers the overall market scenario and gives an in-depth analysis of the various competitors and the market value.The Desiccators Industry split has been done according to the production, distribution, revenue and market share and the overall growth rate of Facial Surgery Equipment Package.Ask for Sample @The top competitors of Desiccators market along with the different parameters are production, price, revenue, market share for each manufacture are Terra Universal. Inc, Esco Group, ACMAS Technologies (P) Ltd, BIONICS SCIENTIFIC TECHNOLOGIES (P) LTD., Air Science USA, Hughes Safety Showers, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Du Pont, Illinois Tool Works, Royal Imtech N.V, M+W Group, Azbil Corporation, Clean Air Products, Alpiq Group.The geographical split of this Industry is divided into the following with several key regions such as The West, Southwest, The Middle Atlantic, New England, The South, The Midwest.On the basis of product, this Desiccators industry report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into Atmospheric Pressure, Vacuum.Major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Desiccators Market for each application, including Animal facilities, Pharmaceutical, Chemical research lab, Electronics and semi-conductor, Optical and aerospace.Have A Query On This Report? @Some Points from TOC:1 Desiccators Manufacturing Cost Analysis1.1 Desiccators Key Raw Materials Analysis1.2 Key Raw Materials1.2.1 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials1.2.2 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials1.3 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials1.3.1 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers1.4 Desiccators Industrial Chain Analysis1.4.1 Raw Materials Sources of Desiccators Major Manufacturers in 20161.4.2 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders.Check Discount on this report@We at Reports Monitor provide a comprehensive analysis by providing in-depth reports of the various market verticals. Our Mission is to provide a detailed analysis of the vast markets In United States, backed by rich data. Decision makers can now rely on our well-defined data gathering methods to get the correct and accurate market forecasting along with detailed analysis.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 In United States. 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 4476431048,Maharashtra,IndiaIndia: +91 2069535353Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-59476431Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Door Systems Market Size, Industry Analysis & Forecast Report by 2022

Door Systems Market

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This report covers the United States Door Systems market various parameters and the growth prospects. It covers the overall market scenario and gives an in-depth analysis of the various competitors and the market value.The Door Systems Industry split has been done according to the production, distribution, revenue and market share and the overall growth rate of Facial Surgery Equipment Package.Ask for Sample @The top competitors of Door Systems market along with the different parameters are production, price, revenue, market share for each manufacture are YKK AP, PELLA, Masco, ASSA ABLOY, JELD-WEN, ANDERSEN, Masonite, Atrium Windows & Doors, Dormakaba, Associated Materials, Fortune Brands Home & Security, Hormann, Metaflex, REHAU, Turelemente Borne, Vicaima, Allegion, Ply Gem, Marvin Windows and Doors, MI Windows and Doors, PGT.The geographical split of this Industry is divided into the following with several key regions such as The West, Southwest, The Middle Atlantic, New England, The South, The Midwest.On the basis of product, this Door Systems industry report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into Wood Door System, Metal Door System, Plastic Door System, Glass Door System, Others.Major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Door Systems Market for each application, including Residential, Non-Residential.Have A Query On This Report? @Some Points from TOC:1 Door Systems Manufacturing Cost Analysis1.1 Door Systems Key Raw Materials Analysis1.2 Key Raw Materials1.2.1 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials1.2.2 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials1.3 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials1.3.1 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers1.4 Door Systems Industrial Chain Analysis1.4.1 Raw Materials Sources of Door Systems Major Manufacturers in 20161.4.2 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders.Check Discount on this report@We at Reports Monitor provide a comprehensive analysis by providing in-depth reports of the various market verticals. Our Mission is to provide a detailed analysis of the vast markets In United States, backed by rich data. Decision makers can now rely on our well-defined data gathering methods to get the correct and accurate market forecasting along with detailed analysis.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 In United States. 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 4476438048,Maharashtra,IndiaIndia: +91 2069535353Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-59476438Email: sales@reportsmonitor.com
Jewelry 2017 Global Market Key Players  Chow Tai Fook Jewelry, Richemont, Signet Jewellers, Swatch Group, Rajesh Exports  Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Jewelry Market

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Jewelry Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Jewelry Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:Global Jewelry market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingChow Tai Fook Jewelry GroupRichemontSignet JewellersSwatch GroupRajesh ExportsLao Feng XiangTiffanyMalabar Gold and DiamondsLVMH Moet HennessyShanghai YuyuanDaniel Swarovski CorporationChow Sang SangLuk FookPandoraTitanStullerGitanjali GemsKingold JewelryMingrGraff DiamondCaibai JewelryDamas InternationalCuihua GoldTSL JewelryCHJChopardAsian Star CompanyRequest a Sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Jewelry in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoGold jewelryDiamond jewelryPlatinum jewelryOthersOn 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, includingCollectionsWeddingFestive blessingFashionOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Jewelry Market Research Report 20171 Jewelry Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Jewelry1.2 Jewelry Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Jewelry Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Jewelry Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Gold jewelry1.2.4 Diamond jewelry1.2.5 Platinum jewelry1.2.6 Others1.3 Global Jewelry Segment by Application1.3.1 Jewelry Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Collections1.3.3 Wedding1.3.4 Festive blessing1.3.5 Fashion1.3.6 Others1.4 Global Jewelry Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Jewelry Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Jewelry (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Jewelry Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Jewelry Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)7 Global Jewelry Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Group7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Group Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Richemont7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Richemont Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Signet Jewellers7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Signet Jewellers Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Swatch Group7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Swatch Group Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Rajesh Exports7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Rajesh Exports Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Lao Feng Xiang7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Lao Feng Xiang Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Tiffany7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Tiffany Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Malabar Gold and Diamonds7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Malabar Gold and Diamonds Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 LVMH Moet Hennessy7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 LVMH Moet Hennessy Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Shanghai Yuyuan7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Jewelry Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Shanghai Yuyuan Jewelry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Laser Marking Machine Sales Market Report 2017 : Han's Laser, Trumpf, Rofin, Trotec, FOBA

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In this report, the global Laser Marking Machine 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 Laser Marking Machine for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Laser Marking Machine market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Laser Marking Machine sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingGet A Free Sample TOC For Study @Han's LaserTelesis TechnologiesTrumpfRofinTYKMA ElectroxTrotecFOBAGravotechVideojetEpilog LaserSchmidtEurolaserKeyenceSIC MarkingAmada MiyachiLaserstarUniversal Laser SystemsMeccoHuagong TecTianhong laserOn 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 intoFiber Laser Marking MachineCO2 Laser Marking MachineEnd-Pumped Laser Marking MachineSide-Pumped Laser Marking MachineOthersOn 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 Laser Marking Machine for each application, includingElectronic ComponentIntegrated CircuitPlastic PackagingMobile CommunicationsOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Ask For Discount @About Us :QYresearchreports.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 affectstheir business operations.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Network-as-a-Service Global Market 2017: Key Players  Ciena Corporation, Alcatel Lucent, Aryaka Networks, Inc, NEC Corporation

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Network-as-a-Service IndustryDescriptionWiseguyreports.Com Adds Network-as-a-Service -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis of Top Key Player Forecast To 2022 To Its Research DatabaseAccording to Stratistics MRC, the Global Network-as-a-Service Market is accounted for $1.85 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach $22.50 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 51.6% from 2016 to 2022. Growing requirement for subscription (pay per use) business model, huge development in network virtualization, cloud computing, software defined networking (SDN), enlarging need for global connectivity and escalating awareness about the economic benefits of (NaaS) are some of the drivers which in turn empowered the growth of this market. However, privacy concerns and information security are some factors which are anticipated to decrease the market size. Moreover, the market has tremendous growing trend which is enterprises shifting there IT investment from capital expenses to operating outflow business model.By end user, BFSI segment is expected to account for the largest market share in the global market due to constant adjustment for cost effective IT infrastructure operation and growing applications. Asia Pacific region is likely to exhibit highest growth rate due to major committal in IT infrastructure projects and continuous expansion in telecommunication networks.Request for Sample Report @Some of the key players in this market includeCiena Corporation, Alcatel Lucent, Aryaka Networks, Inc, NEC Corporation, Juniper Networks, Inc, Brocade Communication Systems, Inc, AT&T, Inc , Vmware, IBM Corporation, Cisco Systems Inc, Akamai Technologies, CloudGenix, Intellipath, Silver Peak Systems, VeloCloud, Aerohive Networks, Netcraftsmen, Fatpipe Networks, Talari Networks and Viptela.Types Covered: WAN as a Service LAN as a ServiceComponents Covered: Technology Service InfrastructureApplications Covered: Integrated Network Security as a Service Network Function Virtualization V-CPE Bandwidth on Demand Other ApplicationsEnd Users Covered: Healthcare Retail IT and Telecom Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance Manufacturing Government Transportation and Logistics Other End UsersLeave a Query @Regions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developmentsBuy Now @Table of Content1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 Product Analysis3.7 Application Analysis3.8 End User Analysis3.9 Emerging Markets3.10 Futuristic Market Scenario4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.3 Threat of substitutes4.4 Threat of new entrants4.5 Competitive rivalry5 Global Network-as-a-Service Market, By Type5.1 Introduction5.2 WAN as a Service5.3 LAN as a Service6 Global Network-as-a-Service Market, By Component6.1 Introduction6.2 Technology Service6.3 Infrastructure7 Global Network-as-a-Service Market, By Application7.1 Introduction7.2 Integrated Network Security as a Service7.3 Network Function Virtualization7.4 V-CPE7.5 Bandwidth on Demand7.6 Other Applications8 Global Network-as-a-Service Market, By End User8.1 Introduction8.2 Healthcare8.3 Retail8.4 IT and Telecom8.5 Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance8.6 Manufacturing8.7 Government8.8 Transportation and Logistics8.9 Other End Users...Continued...Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042
Blood Coagulants Market of Middle East & Africa: By Types, Indication  Predict Till 2023

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Middle East and Africa Blood Coagulants Market Information, by Drug Class (Coagulation Factor (Plasma-derived Factors (Factor VIII and IX, Von Willebrand Disease Factor, Prothrombin Complex and others) and Recombinant Coagulation Factors (Factor VIII and IX, Von Willebrand Disease Factor, Prothrombin Complex and others)), Vitamin K analogues, Fibrinogen Analogues and others), by Clinical Indications (Accidents, Surgery, Hemophilia and Others) - Forecast till 2022. Blood Coagulant Market of Middle East & Africas growth is majorly attributed to increasing prevalence of the bleeding disorders, rising funding, healthcare insurance coverage, and awareness programs for bleeding disorders. In the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, bleeding disorders have become a huge problem due to limited screening, ignorance of diseases, and poor access to treatment.Get Sample Report @Coagulation is a process in which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a blood clot. It is a natural process occurs to heal a lesion/wound/cut and stop the bleeding.According to the Annual Global Survey of World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH), in 2014 the total population of Egypt was 86,895,099 out of which 5,246 people were living with hemophilia, 513 were living with von willebrand disease, and 1,123 had bleeding disorders. It is also reported that 4201 cases of hemophilia A were registered and among them 37% patients were under 4 years. A research study published in Medicine journal in 2017 stated that hemophilia A is the most common type of hemophilia in Saudi Arabia and dominant in male: 1: 5000 to 10,000. Whereas, prevalence rate of hemophilia B: 1: 34,500 male patients.The market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period 2017-2023. As per a study published in Blood Coagulation Fibrinolysis journal in 2016, Yaounde Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) of Cameroon multiple cases of hemophilia and von willebrand disease (VWD) were registered.Market Segments:On the basis of drug class which comprises of coagulation factor which is further sub-segmented into plasma derived and recombinant coagulation factor; vitamin K analogues, fibrinogen analogues and others.UAE is the largest market for blood coagulant drugs in Middle East and Africas market of blood coagulating drugs closely followed by Egypt. Middle East and Africa blood coagulants market has been segmentedclinical indications; market is segmented into accidents, surgery, hemophilia and others.Browse Report @Key Findings:MEA blood coagulants market for hemophilia segment was estimated to be USD 31.55 million in 2016UAE is the fastest growing region in the MEA market and projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.1% during forecast periodHemophilia segment dominates the market with nearly 45.5% share of the MEA marketMEA blood coagulation market is projected to reach about USD 141.68 million by 2023Regional Analysis of Middle East and Africa Blood Coagulants Market:Another market that has witnessed good growth rates is Saudi Arabia, because of the greater expenditure on health by the local government and the rise in per capita income of the people. Noteworthy markets in Africa include South Africa and Algeria. The demand for these products have given rise to many biotechnological firms especially in India. The rest of Africa market is however the fastest growing with a huge unmet medical needs.The market for blood coagulants favors organizations with solid innovative research and hello there tech in-house abilities. The market mirrors an oligopolistic nature with a couple of players ruling the market.Huge Companies Participated for Middle East and Africa Blood Coagulants Market:Some of the major players in this market: Pfizer Inc. (U.S.), Bayer AG (Germany), Novo Nordisk AS (Dernmark), Shire (Republic of Ireland), SOBI (Sweden), Octapharma (Switzerland), and CSL Limited (Australia)Get Discount for this Report @Study Aims Middle East and Africa Blood Coagulants Market:To provide detail analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Middle East and Africa blood coagulants marketAnalyze the market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force analysis etc.Overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the marketTrack and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments globally.Important people for the market of blood coagulants Blood coagulants are manufacturers, Blood coagulants suppliers, Private research laboratories, Research and development (R&D) companies, Market research and consulting service providers, Government research laboratories, Contract manufacturing organizations.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Europe CBCT Dental Imaging Market worth USD 325.5 Million by 2023, CAGR of ~ 11.41%

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Europe CBCT Dental Imaging market is expected to grow at the CAGR of ~ 11.41% during the forecast period and is estimated to reach USD 325.5 million by 2023. Europe CBCT Dental Imaging market has been segmented on the basis of type of detector which comprises of flat panel detector and image intensifier.Market synopsis of Europe CBCT Dental Imaging market:Market Scenario:Dental Cone Beam Computed Tomography or CBCT is a special type of X-ray equipment used when regular dental or facial X-rays are not sufficient. This technology is used to produce three dimensional (3-D) images of the teeth, soft tissues, nerve pathways, and bones in a single scan.Increasing funding for research is leading to new and innovative device development that is driving the market growth. Rapid adoption of advanced devices by dental professionals for accurate and effective diagnosis is also important for the market growth. The use of 3D radiographic imaging in orthodontics is growing rapidly which has fueled the market demand. Changing technology and healthcare practices also play major role in the growth of this market. Some other factors include growing aging population, rising awareness, investment made by hospitals for technology up gradation, increasing cases of gum diseases and sport injuries that are spurring the market growth.Government support to encourage research and development also plays an important role here. Academic and research institutes are leading new researches that are expanding the application of CBCT imaging devices. Increasing use of CBCT imaging in cosmetic dentistry treatments is another key driving force for the market.However, some factors are inhibiting the growth of Europe CBCT Dental Imaging market such as lack of awareness for the use of advanced technologies which results in slow adoption of advanced technologies in many European countries, risk of radiations in children and teens etc.CBCT dental imaging industry is growing rapidly and is expected to continue its growth during 2017-2023. Europe CBCT Dental Imaging market is expected to grow at the CAGR of ~ 11.41% during the forecast period and is estimated to reach USD 325.5 million by 2023.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key players for Europe CBCT Dental Imaging market: Carestream Health (US) Dentsply Sirona (US) FONA Dental S.R.O. (Slovak Republic) Gendex (Danaher Corporation) (US) Imaging Sciences International, LLC. (Danaher Corporation) (US) J.MORITA MFG.CORP (Japan) KaVo Dental GmbH (Danaher Corporation) (Germany) NewTom (Italy) Planmeca OY (Finland)Key Findings: France CBCT dental imaging market is expected to reach USD 4.5 million by 2023. Flat panel detector accounted for the largest market share in 2016, with a market value of USD 302.5 million by 2023. Orthodontics was the second-largest market by application and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.61% during 2017-2023.Segments:Europe CBCT Dental Imaging market has been segmented on the basis of type of detector which comprises of flat panel detector and image intensifier. Flat panel detector is sub-segmented into indirect conversion flat panel detectors and direct conversion flat panel detectors.On the basis of application, it is segmented into dental implants, orthodontics, endodontics, and others. Dental Implants is sub-segmented into endosteal implants and subperiosteal implants.On the basis of end user, this market is segmented into hospitals & dental clinics, academics and research institutes, and others.Browse Full Report Details @Regional analysis of Europe CBCT Dental Imaging market:Considering the scenario of the market, in 2016, Germany accounted for the largest market in Europe CBCT dental imaging market. The highest number of CBCT machines are sold each year in Germany among other European countries. Innovation and technologically advanced product development is leading the market growth. Germany is expected to reach 93.8 million by 2023. Some other factors such as growing aging population, funding for research, and availability of advanced imaging products are driving the market growth.Italy holds second position in Europe CBCT dental imaging market due to rapid adoption of advanced imaging devices and top class medical facilities. This market was valued around USD 29.0 million in 2016 and expected to continue its growth during the forecast period. Availability of advanced healthcare facilities, large amount of money invested for technology up gradation, and high awareness among the medical professional as well as people are spurring the market growth.UK is expected to grow at fastest CAGR of 11.89% during 2017-2023. Some major factors are driving the market growth such as government support to encourage research and new product development, growing aging population, increasing cases of various dental problems, increasing number of people suffering from gum problems etc.Rest of Europe is expected to grow slower than other European countries in this market and this lag can be attributed to slow adoption of advanced devices, low investment for research and technology up gradation, slow economic growth, traditional approach toward the healthcare etc.The report for Europe CBCT Dental Imaging 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 deeper insight to 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 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 market segments and regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Europe CBCT Dental Imaging Market Research Report - Forecast till 2023 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
US Tobacco Market 2017-2025 IndexBox has just published a new report "U.S. Tobacco Market. Analysis And Forecast to 2025" ( http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/us-tobacco-market-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020?utm_source=opr ).



This report is best suitable for you if you:

 Are planning to enter a new geographical market and wish to know which one is best for your product

 Are planning to enter a new product market and want to have a detailed overview of the market before entering

 Already work in a given market and want to update your knowledge on the topic

 Are developing/reviewing your company strategy and wish to know the existing trends in the market

 Want to find the best country to import a product from

 Are consulting a client in the given industry and wish to get a deep understanding of the situation in the market

 Are planning to open new production facilities and wish to choose the best location.



The report serves the above mentioned purposes by providing a deep analysis of the key indicators of the tobacco market. It includes a market overview, which consolidates the key conclusions made from the analysis of the market study, giving insights on the most influential markets based on the comparative analysis. The report also provides a forecast of how the market is expected to change in the coming years, based on historical trends, external and internal factors, and the main drivers changing the market. Each section contains a a detailed study of the data provided. Specifically, the report outlines the historical developments and actual projections of tobacco production volumes, consumption data, as well as producer prices.

The trade section provides crucial data, such as historical data on imports/exports, changes in the direction of trade, as well as import/export prices. Analysis of tobacco trade shows the opportunities that are opening before producers and suppliers in a changing market.



Product coverage: Tobacco, unstemmed leaf, redried before packing; Tobacco, stemmed; Cigarettes, including nontobacco; Cigars; Smoking and chewing tobacco; Reconstituted tobacco, processed sheet and homogenized; Tobacco manufacturing, nsk, total.



Countries coverage: the U.S.



Abstract:

In 2015, the value of tobacco production in the U.S. amounted to $40.2B, moving up by +12.2% against the previous year level. Overall, the U.S. tobacco output pursued a measured growth from 2007 to 2015. The total output figures increased at an average annual rate of +1.2%. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticable fluctuations throughout the analyzed period. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2010, when the output figure increased by +25% from the previous year level. Over the period under review, the total value of tobacco shipments reached its maximum level in 2015, and is likely to continue its growth in the immediate term.



Cigarettes, including nontobacco was the major product category in the U.S. tobacco manufacturing, with a share in total output standing near 82% in 2015. Smoking and chewing tobacco lagged far behing, accounting for only the 11% share. The other related products together comprised approx. 7% of the total output.



Data coverage:

 Tobacco market value and size;

 Major trends in the tobacco market;

 Forecast of the market dynamics in the medium term;

 Exports, imports and trade balance;

 Import and export prices;

 Life cycle of the tobacco industry;

 Number of establishments and their locations;

 Tobacco industry productivity.

 Key market players and their profiles.



Methodology:

Our methodology consists of obtaining information from various trusted sources (both paid and open), which include, but are not limited to:

 International official statistical agencies

 Governmental statistical agencies

 Official trade statistics

 Paid trade databases

 Industrial associations

 Company reports

 Industry experts.



Companies mentioned:

Philip Morris USA,

Altria Group,

Philip Morris International,

Itg Brands,

Schweitzer-Mauduit International,

Altadis U.S.A.,

Swedish Match North America,

Liggett Group,

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company,

UST LLC,

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Manufacturing Company,

Scandinavian Tobacco Group Lane,

American Snuff Company,

Vector Group,

Farmers Tobacco Co of Cynthiana,

Commonwealth-Altadis,

Reynolds American,

R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings,

Tobacco Rag Processors,

Consolidated Cigar Holdings,

Universal Leaf Tobacco Company,

North Atlantic Trading Company,

Congar International,

Swedish Match Cigars,

North Atlantic Holding Company,

Top Tobacco L.P.,

Danville Leaf Tobacco Company,

Mafco Consolidated Group,

Vgr Holding,

The Kure Group



Our research team compare the information gathered, confirm it with sources when required, and analyze the collected data, developing a full clear picture of the market and coming up with the final numbers. It is crucial to understand the trends of the market, for which we do provide study, taking into account events in the market, in adjacent and related markets, raw material markets, and markets, which are the main demand creators for the product under research. As for the forecast, it is conducted using analytical models of data on consumption, production, exports, imports, prices, as well as the industry trends, economic trends, consumption trends, possible political and technological trends.



Source: http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/us-tobacco-market-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020?utm_source=opr



IndexBox is a leading market research publisher in the world. You can find more than 25,000 research reports in our web store, which cover global industries and regional markets. All the worldwide marketing data you need is at your fingertips.



Company Name: IndexBox

Contact Person: Kirill Bezverhi

Email: kirill.bezverhi@indexbox.co.uk

Phone: +44 20 3239 3063

Adress: United Kingdom, 44 Main Street, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 0QW



This release was published on openPR.



Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release.
U.S. Knit Fabric Market Trends and Opportunities Report 2017

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IndexBox has just published a new report "U.S. Knit Fabric Market. Analysis And Forecast to 2025" ().This report is best suitable for you if you: Are planning to enter a new geographical market and wish to know which one is best for your product Are planning to enter a new product market and want to have a detailed overview of the market before entering Already work in a given market and want to update your knowledge on the topic Are developing/reviewing your company strategy and wish to know the existing trends in the market Want to find the best country to import a product from Are consulting a client in the given industry and wish to get a deep understanding of the situation in the market Are planning to open new production facilities and wish to choose the best location.The report serves the above mentioned purposes by providing a deep study of the key indicators of the knit fabric market. It includes a market overview, which consolidates the key conclusions made from the analysis of the market survey, giving insights on the most meaningful markets based on the comparative analysis. The report also provides a outlook of how the market is expected to change in the coming years, based on historical trends, external and internal factors, and the main drivers changing the market. Each section contains a a comprehensive survey of the data provided. Specifically, the report presents the historical developments and existing perspectives of knit fabric production volumes, consumption data, as well as producer prices.The trade section provides crucial data, such as historical data on imports/exports, changes in the direction of trade, as well as import/export prices. Analysis of knit fabric trade shows the opportunities that are opening before producers and suppliers in a changing market.Product coverage: Weft (circular) knit fabrics, greige goods (excluding hosiery); Weft (circular) knit fabrics, knit and finished in the same establishment (excluding hosiery); Weft (circular) knit fabrics, nonapparel type, knitting only or knitting and finishing (excluding hosiery) on contract or commission; Warp knit fabrics, greige goods; Warp knit fabrics, knit and finished in same establishment; Lace and net goods, all leavers and Nottingham lace machine products, including bobbinets and barmen laces (excluding raschel lace machine products and burned-out laces); Warp knit fabrics, lace and net goods, contract and commission receipts for knitting only or knitting and finishing; Other nonapparel warp knit end products (including knitted towels and washcloths), excluding fabrics, lace, and net goods; Knit fabric mills, nsk, total.Countries coverage: the U.S.Abstract:In 2015, the value of knit fabric production in the U.S. amounted to $1.3B, reducing by -14.8% against the previous year level. Overall, the U.S. knit fabric output pursued a prominent decline from 2007 to 2015. The total output figures decreased at an average annual rate of -3.1%. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticable fluctuations throughout the analyzed period. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2010, when the output figure increased by +10% from the previous year level. Over the period under review, the total value of knit fabric shipments in the United States attained its maximum level of $1.6B in 2008. Afterwards, the growth in terms of the knit fabric production failed to regain its strength through to 2015.Warp knit fabrics, knit and finished in same establishment accounted for the highest share (32% in 2015) of U.S. knit fabric manufacturing, leaving a considerable room for weft (circular) knit fabrics, knit and finished in the same establishment (excluding hosiery) (30%). The other related products with less notable individual shares together comprised approx. 38% of the total output.Data coverage: Knit fabric market value and size; Major trends in the knit fabric market; Forecast of the market dynamics in the medium term; Exports, imports and trade balance; Import and export prices; Life cycle of the knit fabric industry; Number of establishments and their locations; Knit fabric industry productivity. Key market players and their profiles.Methodology:Our methodology consists of obtaining information from various trusted sources (both paid and open), which include, but are not limited to: International official statistical agencies Governmental statistical agencies Official trade statistics Paid trade databases Industrial associations Company reports Industry experts.Companies mentioned:Guilford Mills,Siny Corp.,McMurray Fabrics,Ssm Industries,Fisher Textiles,Hornwood,Jif-Pak Manufacturing,Adele Knits,Commonwealth Home Fashion,Fab Industries Corp.,Metritek Corporation,The Tenenblatt Corporation,Gehring Tricot Corporation,Rebtex,Westchester Lace & Textiles,Mocaro Industries,Albahealth,McComb Mill Manufacturing Company,Lace Lastics Company,Clover Knits,Mohican Mills,Sas Textiles,Somerset Industries,Charbert,Hampton IndustriesOur research team compare the information gathered, confirm it with sources when required, and analyze the collected data, developing a full clear picture of the market and coming up with the final numbers. It is crucial to understand the trends of the market, for which we do provide study, taking into account events in the market, in adjacent and related markets, raw material markets, and markets, which are the main demand creators for the product under research. As for the forecast, it is conducted using analytical models of data on consumption, production, exports, imports, prices, as well as the industry trends, economic trends, consumption trends, possible political and technological trends.Source:IndexBox is a leading market research publisher in the world. You can find more than 25,000 research reports in our web store, which cover global industries and regional markets. All the worldwide marketing data you need is at your fingertips.Company Name: IndexBoxContact Person: Kirill BezverhiEmail: kirill.bezverhi@indexbox.co.ukPhone: +44 20 3239 3063Adress: United Kingdom, 44 Main Street, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 0QW
Global Gas Insulated Switchgear Market 2017: Key Players  ABB Ltd., Alstom SA, Crompton Greaves Limited, Dongfang Electricals Ltd, Fuji Electric Co

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SummaryAccording to Stratistics MRC, the Global Gas Insulated Switchgear market is accounted for $15.4 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $31.6 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 10.8% from 2015 to 2022. Increasing demand for Gas Insulated Switchgear in Asia Pacific, space constraints, safety, reliability and substation security, low maintenance, longer life span and high capacity of power transmission offered by GIS are the factors favoring the market growth. Technical complicacy and harmful effects of SF6 are the factors hampering the market growth.Gas insulated switchgear is commanded by high voltage GIS with highest share in total GIS market. The market is growing at a significant rate due to increasing demand for extra high voltage and ultra-high voltage transmission system that needs GIS for secure power transmission and distribution. Transmission & distribution dominates the end user market, mainly due to increasing demand for EHV and UHV transmission system to reduce the transmission losses. Asia-Pacific is the largest market due to ongoing projects in implementation of EHV and UHV transmission lines in China, Japan, and India.Request a Sample Report @Some of the key players in global Gas Insulated Switchgear market are ABB Ltd., Alstom SA, Crompton Greaves Limited, Dongfang Electricals Ltd, Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., GE Digital Energy, Hitachi Ltd., Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Hyosung Power & Industrial Systems, Henan Pinggao Electric Co., Ltd., Kanohar Electricals Ltd., LumaSense Technologies, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Nissin Electric Co. Ltd., Siemens AG, Schneider Electric SE and Toshiba Corporation.Types Covered: Medium Voltage GISo Primary Distribution Medium Voltage GISo Secondary Distribution Medium Voltage GIS High Voltage GISEnd Users Covered: Infrastructure & Transportation Transmission & Distribution Power Generation Manufacturing & Processing Other End UsersRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsAt any Query @1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 End User Analysis3.7 Emerging markets3.8 Futuristic market scenario4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.3 Threat of substitutes4.4 Threat of new entrants4.5 Competitive rivalry5 Global Gas Insulated Switchgear Market, By Type5.1 Introduction5.2 Medium Voltage GIS5.2.1 Primary Distribution Medium Voltage GIS5.2.2 Secondary Distribution Medium Voltage GIS5.3 High Voltage GIS6 Global Gas Insulated Switchgear Market, By End User6.1 Introduction6.2 Infrastructure & Transportation6.3 Transmission & Distribution6.4 Power Generation6.5 Manufacturing & Processing6.6 Other End Users7 Global Gas Insulated Switchgear Market, By Geography7.1 North America7.1.1 US7.1.2 Canada7.1.3 Mexico7.2 Europe7.2.1 Germany7.2.2 France7.2.3 Italy7.2.4 UK7.2.5 Spain7.2.6 Rest of Europe7.3 Asia Pacific7.3.1 Japan7.3.2 China7.3.3 India7.3.4 Australia7.3.5 New Zealand7.3.6 Rest of Asia Pacific7.4 Rest of the World7.4.1 Middle East7.4.2 Brazil7.4.3 Argentina7.4.4 South Africa7.4.5 EgyptBuy Now @Continued....Contact Us: sales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US) ; Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRESS:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Wheeled Excavator Market Prognosticated For A Ravishing Growth By 2022.

Wheeled Excavator Market

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Market research future published a half cooked research report on global wheeled excavator market.Market HighlightsAn excavator is a useful machine utilized in the construction industry and other useful applications such as mining and infrastructural development. It consists of an undercarriage that has wheels or tracks for mobility. It also provides additional lifting capability and the digging force. It is the most suitable for earthmoving, transporting materials, groundworks and road construction activities and can be used with a wide range of grapples, hooks, hammers and buckets. Besides travelling around work sites or within locations efficiently and safely they can also help to reduce running costs .They use advanced hydraulic system that contributes to greater power & speed and low fuel consumption. Moreover, large scale investments by the government in the infrastructure sector is the main factor for the growth of the global wheeled excavator market. Additionally, governments in Asia-Pacific are also encouraging private investments in infrastructure activities. Moreover, some excavator manufacturers have started emphasizing on developing efficient and technologically advanced products with better control systems that are more versatile and suit different situations.Access our Sample Report @Market Research Analysis:The Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the global wheeled excavator market. These machines are highly sensitive with continuous movements and do not experience any jerk, even at the start of movements. Also they can complete challenging tasks without any post-adjustment or interruption of movement sequence. Wheeled excavators are well known for their unique ride control, dedicated swing pump, load-sensing hydraulics, work-toll versatility and hydraulically driven cooling fan. The wheeled excavator is one of the most powerful and versatile machine in the market. Moreover, large scale investments by governments in the infrastructure sector is the main factor for the growth of the excavator market. However, high maintenance costs, the need for continuous technical support, increased emission norms pose a challenge to the global excavators market.Scope of the reportThis study provides an overview of the global wheeled excavator 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 wheeled excavator market as type, application. On the basis of types it is segmented as mini excavator, heavy excavator, and large excavator. On the basis of applications it is segmented as Infrastructure, Public utilities, Mining & Oil well and others.Discount for Report @Key PlayersThe key players of global wheeled excavator market are Caterpillar Inc.(U.S.), Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.( Japan), J C Bamford Excavators Ltd. (UK), Komatsu Ltd.(Japan ), Guangxi LiuGong Machinery Co. Ltd. (China ), Sany Group Co. Ltd.(China), and Volvo Construction Equipment ( Belgium).Table of ContentExecutive SummaryResearch MethodologyScope of the studyDefinitionResearch ObjectiveAssumptionsLimitationsResearch ProcessPrimary ResearchSecondary ResearchMarket size EstimationForecast ModelMarket DynamicsMarket DriversMarket InhibitorsSupply/Value Chain Analysis or Market EcosystemPorters Five Forces AnalysisMarket, by TypeIntroductionMini excavator,Heavy excavatorLarge excavatorMarket, By ApplicationIntroductionInfrastructure 1Public utilities 2Mining & Oil wellOthersCONTINUED.Download PDF for more Information @MRFR team have the prime objective to provide optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies depending on products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments enables our clients to know more consequently do more, which gives them answer for their each and every important question. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry,Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028 Maharashtra, India
Automotive Exhaust System Market Will Hit At A CAGR Of 7% By 2016 To 2022

Automotive Exhaust System Market

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Market Highlights:Advanced automotive exhaust system is used to reduce noise, increase fuel & power efficiency of the vehicles by filtering the exhaust gases. Growing public awareness regarding environment, government regulation regarding limitation in the emission of harmful gases from the vehicles has increases the demand for the after treatment devices. With the introduction of after treatment device in recent times the market for automotive exhaust systems has witness significant growth due higher efficiency in the exhaust systems. Hence, after treatment devices is expected to significantly contribute to the increasing demand in the automotive exhaust system market.The global Automotive Exhaust System Market is expected to show a growth at CAGR of about 7% from 2016 to 2022.Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the automotive exhaust system market in the forecast period followed by Europe and North America. Government regulations regarding emission limitation and growth of the sector are expected to boost the automotive exhaust system market in this region.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Automotive Exhaust System Market: Faurecia SA Tenneco Inc. Eberspacher GmbH & Co. Kg. Futaba Industrial Co. Ltd. Sango Co. Ltd. Benteler International AG. Friedrich Boysen GmbH & Co. Kg. Yutaka Giken Co. Ltd. Sejong Industrial Co., Ltd. Bosal International NV.Brief TOC:1. Report Prologue2. Introduction2.1. Definition2.2. Scope of the Study2.2.1. Research Objective2.2.2. Assumptions2.2.3. Limitations2.3. Market Structure2.4. Market Segmentation3. Research Methodology3.1. Research Process3.2. Primary Research3.3. Secondary Research3.4. Market Size Estimation3.5. Forecast Model4. Market Dynamics4.1. Drivers & Opportunities4.2. Challenges & Restraints4.3. Value Chain Analysis4.4. Porters Five Forces Analysis5. Automotive Exhaust System Market, By Fuel Type5.1. Introduction5.2. Diesel5.3. GasolineContinueScope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global automotive exhaust system industry, tracking market segments across the categorized four geographic regions. The report provides a five-year forecast for the market size in terms of value for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the world. The scope of the study segments the global automotive exhaust system market based on vehicle type, technology and fuel.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
Human Identification Analysis Software Market 2017: Key Players Agilent Technologies, Laboratory Corporation of America, GE Healthcare, Human Identification Technologies and More

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Market Research Future adds new report of Human Identification Analysis Software Market Research Report it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentThe report for Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market of Market Research Future comprises 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 regionsGlobal Human Identification Analysis Software Market information, by products (Instrumentation, Consumables, and others), by technology (DNA Testing, Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Automated Liquid Handling , Microarray, Next Generation Sequencing, Purification & Extraction and Others), by Application (Forensics, DNA analysis, Genetic studies, Anthropology, and others) - Forecast to 2023Get a Copy of Sample Report @Segments:Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market has been segmented on the basis of productsInstrumentation, Consumables, and others. Instruments are further sub segmented into DNA Extraction, DNA Amplification, DNA Quantification, kits and others. On the basis of diagnosisit is segmented into Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electronystagmography (ENG), Head CT, Head MRI, Hearing test, Magnetic resonance angiography, Caloric stimulation, and others. On the basis of technologythe market is segmented into DNA Testing, Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Automated Liquid Handling, Microarray, Next Generation Sequencing, Purification & Extraction and Others. On the basis of application it is segmented into ForensicsDNA analysis, Genetic studies, Anthropology, and others. Forensics is sub segmented into Facial Recognition, Fingerprint Identification, Evidence Collection, and others. DNA analysis is Sub segmented into STR analysis, DNA data basing, DNA casework, Paternity testing.Market Synopsis of Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market:Market Scenario:Global human identification analysis software market is growing moderately. Increasing demand for DNA database, government initiatives, increasing funding and advancement in the field of biotechnology are key drivers for the global human identification analysis software market. All the companies are investing money to develop new solutions that driving the market growth. Innovation and rapid adoption are also major driving forces for the growth of global human identification analysis software market.The Global Human Identification Analysis Software market is growing at the CAGR of ~8.1% during the forecast period and expected to reach US$ 873.2 million by 2023.Key Players for Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market:Some of the key players in this market are:Agilent Technologies (US)Laboratory Corporation of America (US)GE Healthcare (US)Human Identification Technologies (US)LabCorp DNA Identity (US)Illumina, Inc. (US)LGC Limited (UK), Promega Corporation. (US)QIAGEN (Germany)Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US)Browse Full ReportRegional Analysis of Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market:Considering the global scenario of the market, due to continuous innovation and rapid adoption of new technology, North America is the largest market for Human Identification Analysis Software. US is holding the largest market share in North America region. European market is second largest, west European countries are dominating in this market. On the other hand, due developing healthcare infrastructure, and increasing healthcare spending, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) is fastest growing market for Human Identification Analysis Software and expected to grow significantly during the forecast period. Middle East and Africa (ME&A) is likely to have a limited growth in the market due to comparatively low adoption of new technology.The report for Global Human Identification Analysis Software Market of Market Research Future comprises 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 regionsAbout 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
Automotive Rain Sensors Market Analysis, Segments, Regional Outlook & Global Forecast 2023

Automotive Rain Sensors Market

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Market Highlights:Global automotive rain sensors have witnessed a gradual growth in recent years and are expected to witness a steady growth in the forecast period.Automotive rain sensors, save the driver, the effort to adjust the wiper on the windshield, sense the rain drops, and automatically switch on wipers, to ensure clear view through the windscreen. The growing automotive industry and increasing demand for driver safety & comfort in automobiles, with growing adoption of electrical systems has fueled the demand of sensors in automobiles. These factors are expected to drive the rain sensor market during the forecast period.The automotive rain sensors augment the safety and ease of the driver, as they ensure clear view through the windscreen without the effort of adjusting the wiper on the windshield. Windshields of vehicles are equipped with the rain sensors to detect the movement of the wipers without blocking the view of the driver. Automotive rain sensors can control the wiping movement of the wipers at flexible speed when the system is switched on. Improvement in the technological advancement, rise in production of vehicles, and increase in demand for luxury features, are the key factors that drive the Automotive Rain Sensor Market. Implementation of automotive rain sensors is driven by the rise in usage of advanced electrical features in vehicles. Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are incorporating rain sensing wiper technology into vehicles due to their rising demand. Previously, automotive rain sensors were a supplementary comfort feature. However, their demand has increased due to the rise in the number of road accidents, across the world. The overall cost of vehicles has increased due to the integration of advanced electrical feature, which acts as a restraint to the automotive rain sensor market.The global automotive rain sensors is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~ 6% during the forecast period.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Automotive Rain Sensors Market: Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. (Germany) Denso Corporation (Japan) Pacific Industrial Co. Ltd (Japan) Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany) Valeo S.A. (France) TRW Automotive (U.S) Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (Japan) Vishay Intertechnology (U.S) Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (Japan) Melexis Microelectronic Systems (Belgium) The Kostal Group (Germany)Market Research AnalysisPassenger vehicle type, expected to grow at the highest CAGRPassenger vehicle type will dominate the Automotive Rain Sensors market. The significant rise in sales of passenger vehicles, with the development of multibillion dollar luxury and semi-luxury car manufacturing industry, will majorly drive the market growth of the passenger vehicle segment in automotive rain sensors. Also, factors such as adoption of safety regulations by government agencies along with an increase in vehicle sales and safety installations per vehicle, are fueling the demand for automotive rain sensors, globally.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global automotive rain sensors 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 Automotive Rain Sensors market by its channel type, by vehicle type and by region.By Channel Type Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) AftermarketBy Vehicle Type Passenger Light Commercial Heavy CommercialBy Regions North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldBrowse Full Report @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 Researchs2.3 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 Rain Sensors Market, By Channel Type4.1 Introduction4.2 Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)4.3 AftermarketContinueAbout 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 Metal Stamping Market: Industry Analysis & Opportunity Assessment 2022

Automotive Metal stamping Market

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Market Scenario:Metal stamping is a process in which metals are punched to achieve the desired shape. The process is performed with the help of stamping dies. The Metals used in automotive metal stamping are aluminium, steel, brass, copper and stainless steel.The growth of global Automotive Metal Stamping Market is expected to be driven by the booming automotive industry and the rapid increase in demand for smart automobiles. The increase in competition in the automotive industry is also leading to the rising demand of the metal stamping market. The process of metal stamping is applied in various stages of manufacturing in the automotive industry, such as panels, brackets, bonnets, roofs, hangers, and others, thus constantly inducing demand in the automotive metal stamping market. Increase in the use of metal sheet for the manufacturing of automobile chassis, transmission components, interior & exterior structural components, is projected to drive the growth of global automotive stamping market over the forecast period.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Automotive Metal stamping Market: Aro Metal Stamping co. (U.S.) Kenmode Precision Metal Stamping (U.S.) Martinrea International Inc. (Canada) Shiloh Industries, Inc. (U.S.) Acro Metal Stamping Co. (U.S.) Manor Tool & Manufacturing Company (U.S.) American Industrial Company (U.S.) Wisconsin Metal Parts, Inc. (U.S.) Clow Stamping Co. (U.S.)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 Automotive Metal Stamping Market:The metal stamping market in North America and Europe region is expected to grow, owing to the growing automotive industry in the region. The emerging trend of replacing the ferrous materials with the non-ferrous materials for reducing the weight of the machinery, is further driving the market in the region. North America region is also expected to grow further due to the existence of major players such as Kenmode Precision Metal Stamping, and Wisconsin Metal Parts, Inc. in the region.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
First off, I want to apologize to all of Pastes music fans. This is not about the band that many of you love (as well as our politics editor Shane Ryan). Its about the systemic oppression of minorities in America. So, yeah. Pretty different. I wouldnt blame you for axing this tab, but if you dont mind, theres a story out of Detroit that everyone really needs to hear. Per WJBK:

Sources say it started when two special ops officers from the 12th Precinct were operating a push off on Andover near Seven Mile. That is when two undercover officers pretend to be dope dealers, waiting for eager customers to approach, and then arrest potential buyers and seize their vehicles.

But this time, instead of customers, special ops officers from the 11th Precinct showed up. Not realizing they were fellow officers, they ordered the other undercover officers to the ground.

FOX 2 is told the rest of the special ops team from the 12th Precinct showed up, and officers began raiding a house in the 19300 block of Andover. But instead of fighting crime, officers from both precincts began fighting with each other.

Sources say guns were drawn and punches were thrown while the homeowner stood and watched.

Jim Crow never ended, it just took a different form: the War on Drugs. Here are some sobering stats from my column on why it was so important for Philadelphia to elect a district attorney campaigning against the War on Drugs:

 We comprise 4.4% of the worlds population, but house 22% of the worlds prisoners.

 About half of our inmates are nonviolent drug offenders.

 Despite the fact that all races sell drugs at the same rate, 3 out of 4 black men in our nations capital will serve time behind bars.

 African Americans comprise 12% of drug users, but 40% those arrested for drug offenses.

 80% of defendants cannot afford a lawyer.

 All this madness costs taxpayers about $70 billion each year (which is $2 billion more than the 2016 budget for the Department of Education).

The War on Drugs is a staggering failure, on the same scale as our debacles in Vietnam and Iraq. Good estimates are difficult to come by, as factoring in the prison costs above gets tricky, but most come back saying that it costs around $51 billion each year, and we have found no discernible progress to prove that investment worthwhile.

In 1925, H.L. Mencken wrote:

Prohibition has not only failed in its promises but actually created additional serious and disturbing social problems throughout society. There is not less drunkenness in the Republic but more. There is not less crime, but more. ... The cost of government is not smaller, but vastly greater. Respect for law has not increased, but diminished.

There is something to this. Portugal decided to stop treating drugs like a criminal issue and instead attacked them like the health problem that they really are. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized all drugseven hard ones like heroin and cocaine. Instead of putting heroin users in jails, they put them in health care centers where nurses oversaw them getting high, while also helping to wean them off the drug. The contrast between its results versus ours is stark.

Around 64,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year. Meanwhile, Portugals Health Ministry reports that they are down from 100,000 to 25,000 heroin users in the last sixteen years, and their drug mortality rate is the lowest in Western Europeand 2% of the United States inflated death count. This is a staggering success when compared against where they were in the 1990s, when one percent of Portugals entire population was hooked on heroin.

On top of all this, the War on Drugs doesnt even make sense from an economic perspective. As soon as you make something illegal, it becomes more lucrative because its more difficult to obtain. Those who can amass as much illicit product as possible can make boatloads of money. In some ways, its a subsidy for the drug cartels. Consider this paragraph from the Times:

The Sinaloa cartel can buy a kilo of cocaine in the highlands of Colombia or Peru for around $2,000, then watch it accrue value as it makes its way to market. In Mexico, that kilo fetches more than $10,000. Jump the border to the United States, and it could sell wholesale for $30,000. Break it down into grams to distribute retail, and that same kilo sells for upward of $100,000  more than its weight in gold. And thats just cocaine. Alone among the Mexican cartels, Sinaloa is both diversified and vertically integrated, producing and exporting marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine as well.

Estimates from 2012 peg the Sinaloa cartels annual revenue at around $3 billion, which is more than Twitter pulled in last year. Theres no way around it: The War on Drugs isnt about drugs. Its about maintaining an arcane status quo of racial serfdom through a more broadly palatable political policy of being tough on crime. The War on Drugs began the moment the 1964 Civil Rights Act took root, and it is an all-out assault on our own black and brown citizens, in a process which enriches mass murderers, and sucks a drastic amount of police resources away from combating actual crime (all while white-collar criminals avoid jail time altogether).

To top it off, the exact opposite policy has shown dramatically better results in a rich, Western country experiencing a similar scale of drug addiction. Cops pointing guns at each other in an attempt to bust low-level criminals is the perfect metaphor for this intrinsically insane policy that costs almost half as much as our entire education budget and yields no discernable positive resultunless you view disproportionately jailing minorities as a positive result. The War on Drugs is such a blatantly obvious failure that Tupacs hit Changes could have been written yesterday (it came out in 1992):

And still I see no changes, cant a brother get a little peace?

Its war on the streets and a war in the Middle East

Instead of war on poverty

They got a war on drugs so the police can bother me

And I aint never did a crime I aint have to do

But now Im back with the facts giving it back to you

Dont let em jack you up, back you up

Crack you up and pimp-smack you up

You gotta learn to hold your own

They get jealous when they see you with your mobile phone

But tell the cops they cant touch this

I dont trust this, when they try to rush I bust this

Thats the sound of my tool

You say it aint cool, my mama didnt raise no fool

And as long as I stay black, I gotta stay strapped

And I never get to lay back

Cause I always got to worry bout the payback

Some buck that I roughed up way back

Coming back after all these years

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat! Thats the way it is

Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.
Contains spoilers for mid-to-endgame content in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.

I recognize your face. Very Aryan face it is, too.

Sitting at the diner counter in Roswell, New Mexico, William Blazkowicz is asked by a Nazi commander for his identification papers, but not before he compliments Billy on his facial structure. After all, the Nazi sees Blazkowicz and sees a white man: Broad-shouldered, blue-eyed, blonde. Hes not that different than the commander himself, another white man in a country that loves whiteness and maleness.

The scene recalls a similar one in 2014s Wolfenstein: The New Order. BJ, stopped by Nazi Lieutenant Irene Engel on a train to Berlin, praises the mans very nice Aryan features. As the train rumbles through the hills, Frau Engel tests Blazkowicz with a series of Rorschach-style association tests. Here are two cards, she says, point to the one that fulfills the category given: excitement, fear, arousal.

In The New Order, Engels test acts as an example. By the end of it, she reveals the cards meant nothing. They never did, theres no way to test Aryan-ness by mental association. Theres not really a way to test it at all. The lesson here isnt that there is a right way to pass in Nazi society, but that Nazi society sees what it wants to see.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, like The New Order, begins with a tragedy. Here it is a much more personal one, with a child Billy living through the horrors of an abusive father.

This scene also establishes something the Wolfenstein games have danced around for ages: BJ Blazkowicz is, on his mothers side, Jewish. His father, a hard-bitten Texas businessman, is white, and unafraid to trumpet that fact.

These initial scenes are brutal. The physical and emotional abuse of both BJ and his mother, Zofia Blazkowicz, is on full display. The man conducts himself as a tyrant, and with the same racist, sexist and oppressive language that would define the future Nazi rule of America. He stands, dark-clothed and just above your sight-line as he ties your hands to a shotgun. Its on us to straighten out the queer. Its on you, he roars.

In Rip Blazkowiczs mind, BJ is white. Rip, too, sees what he would like to see. Blurs out the rest.

I grew up in a town that was 85% white. A tiny 1.5% defined themselves as African American in 2010, and the demographics werent that different twenty years ago. My mother is black, her father was black as well. Growing up here meant realizing that most people would see what they wanted to see from me. I have relatively pale skin. I keep my hair short. In many cases people didnt even suspect I wasnt white unless I mentioned it.

This is racial passing. Its a complicated term with a complicated history, especially in the United States. Racial laws during and post-Slavery led to a one-drop rules in many states, marking citizens with even one drop of African blood as black. The history of American racial segregation is filled with this obsession with purity and wholeness, with whiteness being the purest, most whole state.

Passing allows for an individual to access places they would usually be barred from. It is a privilege, no doubt about it, but like all privileges it is based, fundamentally, on an unjust system. I grew up knowing that divulging my heritage was a risk around mixed company. You could never really know who would snap when learning you were a hidden black person.

To assume that BJs whiteness defines him as a character is wrong, but to assume it plays no role is also wrong. BJ passes. His mother was an immigrant, and a Jewish womantwo evils in the eyes of the Nazis, and William inherited one. He also, importantly, inherited his fathers build and white skin. These, too, become weapons in BJs arsenal.

When we talk about whiteness as a system of racial supremacy, we must understand that in order to participate in it and benefit from it, the constant identification of whiteness must be preserved. For BJ to be publicly Jewish would mark him, even though the Nazis stridently affirm their belief that Jewishness is somehow detectable.

BJ is their own walking paradox, a Jewish man passing among the Nazis and enacting a bloody spree of revenge wherever he goes. Because he can pass.

And, also, therein lies the biggest criticism one can make: BJ exists because he can exist. Were BJ, as a character, designed as a black woman, or a darker-skinned man, or anything other than the acceptable white-passing figure that he is, we probably wouldnt have seen Wolfenstein rise to the prominence that it has.

My joy at BJs characterization is, like anything that involves passing, bittersweet. Every party, social gathering, classroom I go to where a racist joke pierces the air, I know that I am only allowed here because I have the privilege of not wearing blackness as openly as others. Every time I do not have the courage or the strength to challenge racism, I know that it is due to privilege that I even have the choice to. I have the privilege to hide in my own skin.

In some way, this is a part of William Joseph Blazkowicz. We see it in Roswell, as he walks unperturbed down the streets of Nazi guards. We see it in the train, in The New Order, as he is unafraid of Engels racial interrogation. We see it when Black Revolutionary leader Grace points out that BJ will never face persecution like she will. It is the constant understanding that you are wearing the skin of your own oppressor, a cloak you are never going to be able to take off.

There is a scene, at the end of BJs return to his childhood home, where he finds his own fatherhis abuser, his mothers abuser, the most abject face of the racial and anti-Semitic hatred that he grew up withwaiting for him in his old room. He scolds BJ for having the gall to return, of how ungrateful BJ is. He tells his son how much better things are with the Nazis in charge, how much better it is with the Jews, the coloreds and the queers all rounded up. Once again, Rip still sees Blazkowicz as of his same blood, a white man under it all. He sees what he wants to see.

And BJ kills him. It is brutal and it is quick. And we know it isnt over. It is not a perfect solution. It never will be, to use white-passing bodies to triumph over white supremacy. There will always be more to do.

But for a moment, we can celebratebecause there is William Joseph Blazkowicz, the race-traitor, the passing Jewish man, the walking paradox, our hero. An avatar of the suppressed rage that is so familiar to myself and other white-passing persons, using the complicated politics of passing as a cudgel against the mechanics of racial supremacy. It is a deep and nourishing revenge.

Dante Douglas is a writer, poet and game developer. You can find him on Twitter at @videodante.
Petoskey library hosting food drive this holiday season

The Petoskey District Library has partnered with Manna Food Project to host a food drive Nov. 14  Dec. 23 to help people in need this holiday season.
In the latest episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the CW networks highly acclaimed musical drama, the shows protagonist, Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom), is at an all time low. Within the course of five episodes she has been left at the altar, cruelly lashed out at her friends, abandoned a promising new relationship, walked out of her job, had her murky mental health history exposed, slept with her ex boyfriends ill father, and been forced to retreat to her notoriously prickly mothers (Tovah Feldshuh) uncaring guardianship. Its to the shows credit that none of this feels remotely ridiculous or emotionally manipulative.

Rebeccas downward spiral has been excellently foreshadowed and fine-tuned so that each story beat is emotionally resonant and consistent with the characterisation that has been such a delight for two and a half seasons. Perhaps most importantly, its bruising without feeling like its beating any of the shows characters up, proving that television can be bracing and prickly at the same time as being compassionate.

When we were first introduced to Rebecca she was similarly in-flux; her life was going according to plan, she was about to be made a partner in a prestigious New York law firm and secured a sought after apartment in the city, but she was emotionally unravelling. Heavily medicated and looking to a billboard advertising dairy products for spiritual guidance, she stumbled into Josh Chan (Vincent Rodriguez III), an old boyfriend from summer camp who barely remembers her. When he tells her that he is moving back to his hometown, West Covina, California, she decides to follow him under the guise of being transferred through work, which she manages to justify by getting a job at a small, failing law firm that is grateful for her expertise.

Its a wacky premise, made wackier by the fact that the show is a musical with elaborate costumes and dance sequences. Often outrageous songs like The Sexy Getting Ready Song, Oh My God, I Think I Like You, and Lets Generalize About Men slot into razor sharp discussions about anxiety and depression, gender politics and abuses of power. This should make for tonal whiplash, but it rarely does, partly because the songs are uniformly excellent pastiches, but mostly because each song folds itself around an emotive and culturally relevant thesis statement.

For example, Lets Generalize About Men is a riotous 80s female empowerment anthem that both celebrates and criticises the ways in which groups of women push the men in their lives into broad stereotypes, suggesting that this is cathartic but also robs them of making genuine emotional breakthroughs with their partners. Without the construct of the characters being performers the songs have to spring from the characters emotions, they have to shed a light on their inner lives in ways that dialogue cant and they have to provide an emotional wallop that justifies the break from the shows reality. Happily, the musical interludes are always instructive and often teach the audience how to understand the show.

Take Sexy French Depression, a song thats a criticism of the French New Waves tendency to glamorise depression effectively reducing it to a mere aesthetic, which says more about Rebeccas desire to mould her depression into something that makes her more sexually viable to Josh than any dialogue could. Its why the show never feels staunch or didactic; the songs soften the blow on some thorny, difficult subject matter.

This is why its relevant that Rebecca only sings one song in the recently aired I Never Want to See Josh Chan Again and that its sung through a drug induced haze. Rebecca, the show strongly suggests, has lost the ability to construct new personas for herself; her depression has closed the narrative avenues that she has been so desperately exploring through the shows history to the point that depression is her predominant character trait. In the third episode of this season, Josh Is a Liar, it was revealed that Rebecca had previously been in a romantic relationship with a professor and, after being rebuffed by him, set fire to his home. Its a piece of exposition thats revelatory yet inevitable and proves that she has been in a constant state of personality reinvention; by refusing to acknowledge her own mental illness she has forced herself to try on a revolving wardrobe of personas. Its as if she has been archiving her personal history in hopes that the archive will someone be destroyed and she will be able to begin anew. Its a beautiful and painful representation of a feeling that I suspect many of us have had; that if you just run far enough away from yourself you will eventually disappear.

Yet still its a shocking moment when in the middle of I Never Want to See Josh Again Rebeccas mother opens Rebeccas laptop and sees that she has been searching the least painful methods of suicide. It lands like a hammer, practically smashing anything that precedes it to pieces. Its not out of place, especially as Rebeccas behaviour has become more erratic and her options more limited, but it still plays with the harshness of a record scratch. The stakes are clearly established, and the stakes are life or death. This is what makes the show so special and such a thorough exploration of mental health disorders; its so finely calibrated to Rebeccas inner life that depression isnt treated as something for her to get over, nor is it handled in a lesson-of-the-week sermon. Instead, its an imbedded part of her life and one that the show constantly reminds us will be something for her to wrestle with forever; Crazy Ex-Girlfriend argues that there is light at the end of the tunnel but its miles away and that the light is a good and safe life, yes, but its not a perfect one.

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend isnt shy in suggesting that Rebeccas gender, and the roles that society have constructed for women, are actively detrimental to her emotional and physical wellbeing, something which shouldnt be subversive yet feels like a revelation. The episode Joshs Ex-Girlfriend Is Crazy sees the show turn into a parody of movies like Fatal Attraction and Swimfan, which see fit to gain catharsis and audience excitement from the violent deaths of mentally ill women who dare to encroach on domestic bliss. Rebecca, frustrated that her friends wont help her lash out at Josh for leaving her at the alter, takes a leaf from the Sharon Stone playbook and begins systematically ruining his life. The narrative of the episode fairly accurately reflects the movies that inspired it; even to a climactic confrontation in a public place. Josh chases her down, fearful that she will hurt his mother, and nearly pushes her into a construction pit. But its revealed that Rebecca just wanted to be around Joshs mother, the threat she posed was merely a nostalgia for a life that she never got to live. Rebecca does bad things in the episode, she gets her ex-fiancee fired, but when she desperately begs Josh to tell her why he left her at the church, its hard not to plug into her bewilderment and heartache, especially knowing that Josh is aware of Rebeccas struggles with mental health.

For a show thats so obsessed with movies and television this raises a relevant question; what archetypes and frameworks can Rebecca possibly fit into? Romantic comedies tell women that the quickest route to emotional wellbeing is through romantic union, but she tried that and her sense of security was ripped away from her without explanation or apology. She couldnt be the villainess of the sex-thriller because her emotional vulnerability made her plight something to empath with, not destroy in a final act fight. The show is called Crazy Ex-Girlfriend largely because it spends time dismantling the structure that finds it easier to write women off as crazy than to offer them help or understanding. Its a gendered term that can be applied to almost everything the characters do  yet its only ever truly thrown at Rebecca. Rebecca is crazy because she is sad, because she is jealous, because she feels hopeless. This season pretty fantastically argues that if the world stopped seeing her as stereotypically crazy and instead offered her help with a very real problem, many peoples lives would be made richer.

Rebecca, with all her sharp edges and need to be loved, is a difficult person to build a television narrative around because she is nearly impossible to suggest a happy ending for. This makes the show so rich and so big-hearted; it offers compassion to someone who finds it nearly impossible to extend compassion to herself. Its a show about discovering what you can and cannot build your life around. The last song of Josh Is a Liar is called The End of the Movie; as Rebecca wanders the streets contemplating her life, Josh Groban sings we tell ourselves that were in a movie, each one of us thinks weve got the starring role, which is such a neat metaphor for Rebeccas struggle; there is no movie that will support the complexity of her thoughts and feelings; its unbearably sad, like the rug being pulled from under the audience.

At the end of I Never Want to See Josh Chan Again, Rebecca takes a tub full of anti-anxiety medication and downs a glass of Merlot. As she drifts in and out of consciousness, the flight attendance rushes towards her and Rebecca finally asks for help. Not help to get Josh to love her, or to get a job promotion, or to change her personality; just help to cling to a life that she, just moments before, felt was unliveable. Its a truly moving moment; a punch to the gut, a fragile sign of hope and its well earned.
Inside and Outside: The Breadwinner

The Taliban is near our house. If we go to school, they will kill us. If the government can provide security, we will be very interested to go to school.

 Paimanah, 12, Kandahar, July 2016

Stay inside where you belong. Again and again in

The Breadwinner, 11-year-old Parvana (voiced by Saara Chaudry) is reminded of her place. A girl in 2001 Kabul, shes surrounded by war and threatened by the Taliban  or more precisely, men and boys who take up the language of the Taliban to intimidate. One of these boys tells Parvana hes joined in order to fight the enemies of Islam. When he spots her outside, on the street offering writing and reading services with her father, the boy calls her an enemy, looming over her and insisting  to her father because he cant bring himself to speak to her directly  that She should be at home, not displaying herself in the market.

From the first moments in Nora Twomeys film its clear that Parvana has little regard for such antics, such naming and such fear. Her father Nurullah (Ali Badshah), a former teacher who lost a leg in the war, does his best to help Parvana remain a child for as long as possible: I want you playing and telling stories, her father says. Stories remain in our hearts even when all else is gone. With all the turmoil in her world, young Parvana is already skeptical. Im too old for that, she sighs. Whats the use?

She will learn the use, of course, in this animated film that is not just for children, that exemplifies the political value of art and the moral imperative of storytelling. For Parvanas expectations and her family are turned inside out when Nurullah is imprisoned. With her mother Fattema (Laara Sadiq) ailing and her older brother Sulayman killed by a mine before the film begins, Parvana faces the task of feeding her family, including her older sister Soraya (Shaista Latif) and little brother Zaki. To do so, Parvana poses as a boy, a decision rendered in an affecting scene: as Soraya stands behind her to cut Parvanas hair, the shot cuts from Parvanas face in a mirror to her long dark locks falling to the floor. The moment is at once thrilling and frightening, as she takes a risk that could easily prove fatal but is, at the same time, in another, more fantastic dimension, something of a childs adventure.

Turning this mix into an animated film takes Nurullahs faith in stories seriously: if kids everywhere might share this story, and understand the risks as well as the aspirations, they might become part of a next generation, looking ahead, beyond the limits Parvana faces. Like Siddiq Barmaks 2003 film

Osama, The Breadwinner presents the challenge to the girl who is passing in vivid detail. In both films, the difference between outside and inside, between public and private lives, is a difference between life and death, between hope and fear, between telling stories and remaining silent.

But the animation takes The Breadwinner to another dimension, as Parvana begins to pursue and then to imagine her lost older brothers perils, her incarcerated fathers hopes, and her own resolve to overcome the many obstacles before her, the men around the corner, the women who are righteously afraid and also, those who believe in their own pasts. These gorgeous sequences are at once provocative and rousing, as Parvana tests herself like any Disney hero might, resisting her sisters doubts, daring herself to be braver than she first thinks she can be, but in a context with complicated, critical stakes.



 Cartoon Saloon (IMDB)

Parvanas story also speaks to issues that most adults would find harrowing: her mother is beaten nearly to death in front of her, and no one knows whats become of her father once hes dragged off in the night. Still, she learns valuable lessons, for instance, that When youre a boy, you can go anywhere you like. As well, in her friend Shauzia (Soma Chhaya), also posing as a boy, she discovers a remarkable friend and clever ally, someone with whom she shares concerns and some solutions.

At the same time, Parvana creates art and energy in the stories she tells Zaki, inspiring and distracting him as the movie takes on another set of possibilities, in community, history, and incredible beauty. Dreaming of her brother Sulayman, she finds herself as a boy with particular freedoms and as a girl who sees what boys can do. Here the films fantasy  colorful, lovely, expansive  serves a few purposes, not only showing Parvanas imaginative courage, but also reminding you that the limits she faces are not unique to Kabul or the past. Girls everywhere face challenges, dangers, and restrictions. Parvanas quest becomes increasingly circuitous and difficult as she looks to save her family, rescue her father, and remember her brother. But still, she persists. Finding herself outside and inside, Parvana offers all of us a way forward.
Osama begins looking like a documentary. Taking the firsthand view of camera turned on a womens protest demonstration, the film observes hundreds gathered, in mostly light blue burqas, wielding signs and demanding the opportunity to work. A street boy, Espandi (Arif Herati) approaches the unseen filmmaker, offering to guide him and to bless him with a dose of smoky, protective incense, just as the Taliban arrive, shoving and brutally hosing down the women. As the women are dragged off, arrested, and worse, the cameraman also finds himself assaulted: the frame goes dark.

The chaos of this opening scene is surely jolting. But the composition and rhythm are simultaneously beautiful and abstract, the womens clothing wafting as they run or fall, the Taliban horde made up of turbaned and bearded, murky figures. When the camera takes up the perspective of a 12-year-old girl (Marina Golbahari) and her mother (Zubaida Sahar), who barely escape the brunt of the mens aggression, the film locates its protagonist. With her father killed in the Kabul war, and her uncle in the Russian war, responsibility for supporting the family will soon fall to the girl. When her mother loses her temporary employment as a nurse (her elderly patient dies), the girl must cut her hair and pretend to be a boy, named Osama, in order to support not only her mother, but also her grandmother (Hamida Refah). Touchingly, Osama keeps one of her braids, planting it in a flowerpot she keeps by her bed.

The first film to be made in Afghanistan since the reported removal of the Taliban, Siddiq Barmaks Osama concerns the regimes many offenses, especially against women. Young Osamas endeavors to hide her identity are fraught with her own uncertainty  shes not sure how to behave, as boys routines and culture are so wholly other than her own. She has the wrong shoes, her voice is too high, and she has no concept of how to pray, as all boys must do daily, in groups. Though shes instructed occasionally by her employer, a man who knew and served with her father, Osama will never be able to keep up with the demands exacted by minute-by-minute surveillance.

Spotted at an afternoon prayer, Osama is rounded up the next day for Madrassa religious and military school: the Taliban trains all boys for Bin Ladens ongoing wars. Given that they know nothing else, the boys are all more or less eager to learn what it means to be a man, that is, how to pray, how to fight, how to dominate, and how to perform ablutions (this lesson goes on for some time, to underline Osamas fear of discovery). Returning to her mothers house each evening, Osama changes gears abruptly, working as a girl, by serving food at a wedding (held with the groom in absentia, exiled to Iran), populated entirely by women. When the Taliban come by, the women cover themselves with their burqas and pretend to be wailing at a funeral, which, by implication, they might as well be  whether married, widowed, or single, women have no say over any of their own activities or expectations.

Unsurprisingly, Osama is unable to maintain her deception. At school, though she does her best to act tough, climbing trees even though shes afraid, enduring the taunts of boys who find her girlish, she is eventually dealt a traumatic punishment for tree climbing: hung by a rope inside a well for hours, as she sobs for her mother. This incident leads directly to the onset of her menstruation. Hoisted from the well, she has blood on her legs, and while the Mullahs do not have her stoned  as they do an unfaithful wife  they do allocate for her a terrible fate.

Though the premise of Osamas tale is categorical  life for women and girls is horrendous  it is rendered in a series of telling images. When Osamas mother gets a ride home from her client on his bicycle, neglecting to hide her ankles beneath her gown, the Taliban stop them and accuse her of offense. Cinematographer Ebrahim Ghafuris camera never even shows their faces, just her feet, at first with ankles visible, then covered, shrunk up into her skirt. Or again, when, following her mothers out-loud wish that god had never created women, Osamas grandmother tries to soothe her, stroking her head while she tells a story where gender is mutable (if you walk under a rainbow, you can switch to boy or girl), the camera holds on the girls face. It hardly matters that the narrative is so overstated or that the tragedy is so overwhelming. Her face, haunted and grim, offers a simple, resonant, immutable truth.

A recurring image speaks to the life Osama will never have, though she imagines it. In this dream, shes in prison, the camera sliding across the bars, to reveal blue-buqa-ed women bowed down in horror and submission. And yet, she also sees herself, jumping rope, an activity she attempts in real life, but never has space or time to practice. The scene is punctuated with the thunk-thunk-thunk of the rope hitting the floor, as the mobile frame emphasizes the irony of the space she has in the prison of her dream. The diurnal magic and utter impossibility of this simple childs game are unforgettable.
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Anti-ageing products and services continue to witness steady growth, with global revenues poised to reach US$ 151.8 Bn in 2016, a growth of 7.7% over 2015. Generation X (born between early 60s to mid-70s) will continue to be the key consumer segment, with global demand from this consumer segment anticipated to reach US$ 66,099.3 Mn by the end of this year. The impact of the global health and wellness trend has gained further momentum in 2016, with leading brands incorporating concepts of healthy ageing in their products and services.Request to View Sample of Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/REP-GB-1661 Generation X will continue to remain the largest consumers of anti-ageing products and services, followed by baby boomers in terms of revenue share contribution. This demographic is expected to consume US$ 55.7 Bn worth of anti-ageing products and services in 2016-a y-o-y growth rate of 6.8%.By products, anti-wrinkle products will continue to be the largest segment, contributing US$ 77.7 Bn to global revenues in 2016. Hair colour will remain the second largest segment, whereas dermal fillers will witness the highest y-o-y growth in 2016 over 2015. Hair restoration treatment will remain the most-after anti-ageing service, representing 43.8% revenue share on the basis of services.By devices, radio frequency devices will maintain its top position in 2016 as well, representing a revenue share of 64.5%. This segment is expected to witness a year-over-year growth of 11.5% in 2016 and reach US$ 1.2 Bn in revenues. On the other hand, anti-cellulite treatment devices will witness the year-over-year growth in 2016, growing at 19.3% in 2016.Request for Table of Contents @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1661 U.S.s dominance of the global anti-ageing market will continue in 2016, and this in turn, will fuel the growth of the North America anti-ageing market. The region has been the hotbed of advances in cosmetology and dermatology, and has a high proliferation of anti-ageing products and services. The baby boomer and Generation X demographic in North America has been overly receptive to new products and services that mask the signs of ageing. These factors will continue to fuel the anti-ageing market in North America, with total revenues expected to reach US$ 51,987.4 Mn in 2016. The other lucrative markets for anti-ageing products and services are Europe and Asia Pacific.Leading players in the global anti-ageing market include Allergan, Inc., LOreal SA, Solta Medical, Inc., Cynosure, Inc.Buy Anti-ageing Market Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/1661 ABOUT USFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACTFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@ futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/
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According to the report APAC Alginates Market by Type (Sodium Alginate, Calcium Alginate, Potassium Alginate, PGA, Others) by Application (Food & Beverage, Industrial, Pharmaceuticals, Others), and by Region - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (20162021) published by Market Data Forecast, The APAC Alginates Market was worth $64.22 million in 2016 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 3.71%, to reach $77.05 million by 2021.Browse report details @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-alginates-market-2433/ The market is showcasing moderate potential in the mentioned forecasting period. The market continues to gain momentum due to the growing demand for improving food textures. Diverse uses of alginate such as in textile printing, immobilizing biocatalysts, pharmaceutical products, welding rods coatings, paper manufacturing and binders for fish feeds and releasing agents is likely to push growth of alginate market over the forecast period. Moreover, increase in consumption of processed convenience food products is likely to be the reason for growth of Asia-Pacific alginate market over the given forecast period.The industrial textile sector is dominating the demand for alginate over the years. In the industrial textile sector, alginates are mostly used as thickeners for dye. In food and beverage industry, alginate is mostly used in ice-creams and sauces, acting in the form of a stabilizing and thickening agent. Also, it is being used as a separating agent in oil water emulsions and as a softening agent for bakery items. In terms of application, food and beverage industry is witnessing substantial growth in the alginate market.Market drivers which are majorly influencing the demand of alginate is coming from the food and beverage manufacturers for its thickening, gelling, stabilizing and emulsifying properties. Reason for its rising demand in F&B industry is pertaining to its extraction from natural seaweeds, as it is considered to be the safest food additive in food industry and also certified by FAO and WHO. In addition, there is also an increased demand from textile industry for its use in designing, printing and dyeing on cotton and jute fabrics.Get Free Sample of report @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-alginates-market- 2433/request-sampleThe APAC Alginates Market broadly categorized by Type (Calcium Alginate, Sodium Alginate, Potassium Alginate, PGA, Others) and by Application (Industrial, Food & Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Others). Sodium alginate has lots of application in food and textile printing industry and it is expected that it fuels the market growth of alginate over the forecast period. Also, Primary demand of alginate in Asia-Pacific market accounts from food and paper, beverage and textile industry. In food and beverage industry, demand of alginate is increasing due its higher demand in preparing products such as jellies, salads, ice cream, alcoholic drinks, lactic drinks etc. Geographically, the market is analysed under various regions namely China, India, Japan, etc. As per the alginate production, major producing region is China and it contributes majority of market share in Asia-Pacific level market. In terms of value, it is expected that China and India account for major share in terms of value and also as a lucrative market in near future.Some of the major companies dominating the APAC Alginates Market: Cargill Inc. Dohler Group FMC Corporation Ashland Inc. Brenntag AG Dastech International Inc. E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Company Kimica Corporation Dow Chemical Company Penford CorporationMake an Inquiry before buying @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-alginates-market-2433/inquire Browse other region reports:North America Alginates Market - http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-alginates-market-2431/ Europe Alginates Market - http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-alginates-market-2432/ Latin America Alginates Market - http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/latin-america-alginates-market-2434/ MEA Alginates Market - http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/middle-east-and-africa-alginates-market-2435/ About Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and skillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.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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PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 08:47:57

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The Asia Pacific Redskin Peanuts Sales Market was worth USD xx million in 2016, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of xx%, to reach USD xx million by 2021. Peanut is a large scale commercial crop. It is majorly grown for its seeds which are edible. It is also popular for its high oil content. Peanuts contain several nutrients such as carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, protein and fat. Most of the peanuts produced in the world are redskin peanuts.Full report at: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-redskin-peanuts-sales-market-4156/ Most of the manufacturers were using blanched peanuts to prepare other food products. However, according to a study, peanut skins contain up to 17% of its oil and it also contains several fatty acids which are useful in other industries. Also, peanut skin offers high fiber content and an antioxidant called resveratrol. Antioxidants are increased in peanuts when they are roasted with their skin on rather than blanched. Apart from food products, redskin peanuts are also used in beverages and for medical purposes.Increasing popularity for peanuts, both with and without skin and growing awareness regarding the health benefits of peanuts with skin are the major factors driving the market. Shifting of product manufacturers towards peanuts with skin and advancements in food processing industries are also propelling the market growth. However, high fat and cholesterol content in peanuts and allergic reactions due to eating them are restraining the market growth.The Redskin Peanuts Sales Market is categorized based on the type, application and region. Based on type, the market is categorized into Original Flavor Redskin Peanuts, Processed Redskin Peanuts. Original Flavor Redskin Peanuts holds the largest market share but processed redskin peanuts are expected to be the fastest growing segment due to the high demand for processed food around the globe. Based on application, the market is categorized into Food, Medical, Drink and Others. Food is the major application of peanuts as they are used to prepare food products in large extent due to their high nutritional content.Based on geography, the market is categorized into China, India, Japan, Australia and South Korea. China and India are the worlds first and second largest peanut producers in the world and the demand is also high due to the large population base. This resulted in Asia Pacific becoming the market leader in sales of redskin peanuts.Request sample: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/asia-pacific-redskin-peanuts-sales-market-4156/request-sample Some of the major players in this region are Golden Peanut, Hubs Virginia Peanuts, Durham-Ellis Pecan Company, Wakefield Peanut Company LLC, Whitley's Peanut Factory, Feridies, Fisher, and Superior Nuts.About Market Data Forecast:The publisher of this report is Market Data Forecast whose forte lies in Market research and Business Intelligence. Handling both individual and corporate clients across multiple business domains they offer syndicated/customized research to suit the clients research objective. Their research reports section offers a wide variety of market studies ranging from all-encompassing comprehensive market studies to product specific niche markets covering North America among other regions of the global market as well. For more info kindly visit, www.marketdataforecast.com Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@ marketdataforecast.com Visit MarketDataForecast Blog @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/blog/ View latest Press Releases of MDF @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/press-releases
Barcode scanners market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 09:35:49

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Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.com1-347-918-3531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

The advent of barcode technology has greatly reduced the hassles of tracking supply and commodity sale records for retailers across the globe. Over the years, the technology has been consistently improved and made more efficient. Currently, barcode solutions are being used across various domains owing to their exponential capabilities in systematically recording information such as product count, date of manufacturing, date on which the product was supplied to the retailer and selling price. Moreover, the emergence of e-commerce and intra-regional markets that offer specialised services to a wide range of sectors has further expanded its application base. Future Market Insights (FMI) in its latest report titled Barcode Scanner Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20172027 reveals that use of barcode technology is rapidly rising in both retail and manufacturing industries. Barcode scanners have become one of the best solutions for recording product information without making any major manual effort. The technological advantages and cutting-edge features of barcode scanners are also making them popular in the healthcare industry. Barcode technology can help rectify medication errors, medical practitioners and physicians can easily get information about medicines as well as their manufacturing dates.The report further cites that the global barcode scanners market will expand at a CAGR of 7.6% over the forecast period (20172027) and account for US$ 10.8 Bn by 2027-end. During the same duration, the market is also expected to reflect a CAGR of 6.4% in terms of volume, reaching 38.7 Mn units over 2027-end. Around 20.7 Mn units of barcode scanners are expected to be sold by the end of 2017.Request to View Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2871 Additional Highlights of the report Include:In 2017 and beyond, laser-based scanner is expected to remain as the prime technology. Laser scanners are widely used in regions with established manufacturing and retail sectors such as Western Europe and North America. By the 2017-end, laser scanners are estimated to accounts for 32.3% revenue share of the market and will continue to be the most preferred barcode reader technology throughout the assessment period. However, camera-based reader is anticipated to see the fast adoption as these scanners are innovative and configured with advanced 2D imaging technology. Based on product type, portable/handheld scanners are expected to remain top choices of barcode scanners amongst consumers over the forecast period. Owing to characteristics such as faster print speed and versatility, demand for portable/handheld barcode scanners is rapidly increasing in various parts of the world. Use of barcode scanners in the retail and commercial sector continues to be the highest and is expected account for a major chunk of revenue over the forecast period. Meanwhile, the healthcare industry is swiftly adopting the barcode technology as well.Request For Table Of Content @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2871 Amongst regions, markets in Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) and North America are expected to exhibit high growth potentials. In APEJ, China and India are projected to achieve impressive growth of their barcode scanner market. By 2017-end, the region is projected to account for a revenue share of 29.5%, which is expected to increase to 33.8% towards the end of the forecast period. Market players are targeting APEJ as their key sales region. Zebra Technologies Corporation, Honeywell International Inc., DataLogics S.P.A, Cognex Corporation, OCOM Technologies, Wasp Barcode Technologies, JC Square Inc., SATO Holdings Corporation, Scandit AG and Toshiba TEC Corporation are some of leading companies profiled in the FMI reporBuy Barcode scanners market Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/2871
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 14:12:01

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The global bi-axially oriented polypropylene market is undeniably fragmented; so much so, that the top seven players accounted for less than 20% of the overall market in 2015. The low shares of these manufacturers, namely, Jindal Poly Films, Taghleef Indsutries, Oben Group, Vibac Group, Cosmos Films, and Vitopel, have resulted in intense competition. Transparency Market Research predicts that the rivalry among the players is likely to be intensified by the entry of several local players.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/biaxially-oriented-polypropylene-market.html The degree of competition will rise from medium to high during the forecast period as an increasing number of local manufacturers lower the cost of the final product by raising the production, the author of the study states. The offerings of economical BOPP films by local or new players will enable them to compete with existing companies.The expansion of production capacities and geographical expansions form a key part of the growth strategy of several companies. A case in point would be Jindal Poly Films Ltd. In November 2015, the company announced its global expansion plan, which includes an investment of over US$15 mn and the addition of three new BOPP production lines in various facilities across India, the U.S., and Europe.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3525 Demand for Flexible Packaging Directly Impacting Demand for BOPPBOPP is increasingly employed in flexible packaging owing to its inherent advantages such as ease of printing, low cost, inertness to food packaging, and low moisture transmission.The demand for BOPP will be in line with that for flexible packaging in the near future, the author of the study predicts. The demand for flexible packaging has been on the rise thanks to the rapid growth in the pharmaceutical, food and beverages, electronics, and personal care industries and this growth is sure to impact the demand for BOPP in the coming years. The BOPP market is also fueled by the low cost and recyclability of BOPP films.Request Bi-axially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3525 BOPP Market to be Deterred by Fluctuating Prices of Raw MaterialsThe prices of BOPP are primarily dependent on the prices of polypropylene, which have a strong correlation with crude oil. As a result, any fluctuations in the prices of crude oil impact those of BOPP. This acts as a major impediment to the global BOPP market.On the other hand, a key opportunity for players in the BOPP market, as identified by TMRs team of analysts, is the growing need for unique packaging and specialty BOPP films. Manufacturers can focus on the development of new and innovative BOPP films that cater to specific requirements such as flavor and color retention, transparent, colored, or opaque films, and heat sealable films, an analyst states.Food Leading Application Segment by Demand and RevenueTMR predicts that the BOPP market will expand at a 5.8% CAGR from 2016 to 2024 in terms of revenue. The value of the market was pegged at US$12.7 bn in 2015 and this is projected to increase to US$20.9 bn by 2024. By volume, the market is likely to register a 6.3% CAGR during the forecast period.The food segment holds the lead position in the overall BOPP market by application in terms of volume as well as value. The segment is projected to touch US$14.4 bn in revenue the end of the forecast period. Geographically, Asia Pacific will continue leading the global BOPP market, accounting for a volume share of 63% by 2024.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 14:05:47

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Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesMarketing Head+1-518-618-1030

Transparency Market Research has released a new market report titled Concrete Floor Coatings Market - North America Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023. According to the report, the north america concrete floor coatings market was valued at US$325.0 mn in 2014 and is expected to reach US$546.8 mn by 2023, expanding at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2015 to 2023.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/north-america-concrete-floor-coatings-market.html Concrete floor coatings play a pivotal role in protecting concrete floors in various construction applications. These coatings are extensively used across the globe to protect concrete floors from abrasion, chemical attacks, and thermal shock. Demand for concrete floor coatings in North America is primarily driven by recovering construction industry and increasing awareness regarding importance of floor coatings. Furthermore, implementation of the National Infrastructure Plan by the Government of Mexico is anticipated to boost demand for concrete floor coatings in Mexico during the forecast period. These factors are expected to be chiefly fuel the concrete floor coatings market in the near future. Volatility in supply and price of raw materials used in the production of concrete floor coatings is expected to be a key challenge for market participants.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=8071 In terms of demand, epoxy-based concrete floor coatings was the dominant product segment in North America, accounting for over 55% share in 2014. Demand for epoxy-based concrete floor coatings is expected to witness robust growth in the near future, particularly in Mexico, due to its easy availability and low cost. Rapid curing rate, better wear and tear resistance, and better UV protection and high abrasion resistance offered by polyaspartic coatings are expected to be primary factors fueling demand for polyaspartic-based concrete floor coatings. These properties are anticipated to primarily propel the concrete floor coatings market in the next few years.Request Concrete Floor Coatings Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=8071 The U.S. was the largest market for concrete floor coatings in 2014 in North America, followed by Canada and Mexico. The U.S. accounted for the large market share in 2014 due to high demand for concrete floor coatings in garage coating as well as commercial floor coating applications. Concrete floor coatings are extensively used in garage floor coating application in North America due to its various physical properties such as high abrasion resistance and high wear and tear resistance. Furthermore, recovering construction industry in the U.S. is expected to provide an impetus to the concrete floor coatings market in North America.Major participants in the concrete floor coatings industry include BASF SE, Sherwin-Williams, RPM International Inc., The Valspar Corporation, and PPG Industries.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 10:53:25

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Coronavirus is the type of virus that belongs to either of the two subfamilies, Coronavirinae or Torovirinae and it generally affects the respiratory tract of mammals. Coronavirus is thus called as it has a crown-like appearance and in Latin, the word corona means crown. Human coronaviruses (HCoV) were discovered in the 1960s from the naval cavities of patients affected with common cold. These viruses cause a range of serious infections in humans from common cold to severe respiratory problems. Coronavirus is spread through droplets, i.e., by coughing or sneezing and there is a limited possibility that this large family of virus can also be spread by close contacts with an ability to pass from person to person. Sore throat, coughing, fever, respiratory infection and difficulty in breathing are some of the most common symptoms of coronavirus infection.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=16940 Global Coronavirus Infection Market: Key CategoriesBased on the infections caused by coronavirus infection, the market can be segmented as follows:HCoV-229E: causes common cold, pneumonia, and bronchiolitisHCoV-OC43: causes respiratory tract infection and pneumonia in infantsSARS-CoV: causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)New Haven CoV: causes Kawasaki disease, aneurysmsof the coronary arteriesHKU1-CoV: causes acute respiratory distress and bilateral pneumoniaMERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus): causes bronchial infectionsThere are few coronavirus vaccines available in the market such as inactivated coronavirus vaccine, live attenuated coronavirus vaccine and S-Protein based coronavirus vaccine. Various precautions and therapeutic drugs can also be taken to prevent or minimize the effect of this fatal infection. Some of the precautions are as follows:Standard precaution: hand hygiene, eye protection, disinfection of equipments etc.Droplet precaution: Use of medical mask and restricted patient movementAirborne precaution: Use of PPE (personal protective equipment), gloves etc.Global Coronavirus Infection Market: Trends and OpportunitiesMajor driving factors for the growth of coronary infection market are increase in the rate of communicable diseases, disposable income in emerging countries, increasing number of hospitals, and rising health hygiene of individuals across geographies. Technological advancement and innovation about respiratory infection treatment has also triggered the growth of the coronary infection market. On the other hand, huge amount of capital involved in the market would most likely impede the growth of this market.Global Coronavirus Infection Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, North America holds a leading position in the coronary infection market followed by Europe. The prime driving factors for the growth of this market in these regions are increasing awareness among people regarding infectious viruses such as SARS-CoV, shift to sophisticated treatment tools, and constantly increasing segment of the population who acquire coronavirus infection. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1.1 million people in the United States were hospitalized with pneumonia and 50,000 people died from this disease. Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest growing regions and is the most lucrative market as this region is expected to show a rapid growth in the near future. Major factors that will boost the growth of the coronavirus infection market in Asia-Pacific are high population density in countries like China and India where there is high prevalence of contagious diseases, improved healthcare infrastructure, and demand for novel drug therapeutics related to coronavirus infected diseases.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=16940 Some of the top major players operating in the coronavirus market are Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novavax, Inc., Protein Potential, LLC, AlphaVax, Inc., Synairgen plc, NanoViricides, Inc., GGeneCure, LLC and many others.
Culture Media Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 08:47:12

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Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

The global culture media market stood at US$5,296.8 mn in 2016 and is projected to be worth US$10,138.6 mn by the end of 2025 expanding at a CAGR of 7.7% between 2017 and 2025.High investments for innovative products is a key growth strategy that companies in the culture media market are focused on. A case in point is Thermo Fisher Scientific. The company invested a hefty sum of US$396 mn in 2013 to strengthen its research and development program.In terms of media type, the culture media market is segmented into dehydrated culture media, chromogenic culture media, and prepared culture media. The segment of dehydrated culture media dominated the market in 2016 and is anticipated to retain its position until the end of 2025. Prepared culture media stood as the second-leading media type segment of the market in the same year. These segments offer benefits of faster because of which they are extensively used in diagnostic laboratories and research institutes.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/culture-media-market-media.html In terms of end-user, hospitals dominated holding 43.5% of the culture media market in 2016. This was followed by the segment of academic and research institutes and is expected to maintain its second-leading position over the forecast period between 2017 and 2025. On the other hand, the diagnostic centers segment is expected to display a declined market share between 2016 and 2025.In terms of geography, the global culture media market is divided into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America, among these accounts for the leading contribution to the global culture media market. Between 2016 and 2025, the share of this region is expected to increase from 39.3% to 43%. Advances in medical technology with a corresponding increase in application of culture media are key factors for the dominance of North America in the global market. The U.S. accounts for the major share of North America culture media market.Europe is the second-leading regional segment in the culture media market. The significant position of this region is mainly due to substantial investments from top players for research and development pursuits for disease diagnosis.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=26273 Increasing demand for antibiotics is the primary factor propelling the culture media market. The increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is necessitating the development of new antibiotics for treating disease indication. Research and development initiatives for newer pharmaceutical products for application in disease diagnosis is further benefitting the growth of this market.On the downside, high cost associated for the preparation of various types of culture media and stringent process controls are challenging the markets growth.Transparency Market Researchs (TMR) new report on the global culture media market says the degree of competition in this market is high as companies are engaged in consistent breakthroughs and new discoveries for culture media. Nevertheless, the culture media market exhibits a fairly consolidated vendor landscape with top five companies holding close to 60% of the market in 2016.Leading companies in the culture media market are focused on mergers and acquisitions and strategic alliances with businesses with complementary strengths, says a lead analyst at TMR. An excellent example is Thermo Fisher Scientific. In February 2014, the company acquired Life Technologies Corporation to strengthen its biosciences and bioprocessing businesses, thereby accelerating its drug discovery, development, and production capabilities.Buy Full Culture Media Market Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=26273<ype=S 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 12:11:26

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Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) or 3-D mammography new installations (includes new equipment and 3-D upgradation) expected to reach 4,547 units in 2016, up from 4,061 units in 2015. In terms of revenues, the global digital breast tomosynthesis equipment market is expected to reach 1,007.6 Mn in 2016, witnessing a year-over-year growth of 13.7%.Limitations concerning the flat nature of images achieved through a 2-D full-field digital mammography (FFDM) is influencing end-users to adopt DBT equipment for diagnosis of breast cancers. Digital breast tomosynthesis enables radiologists to analyse abnormalities lucidly, helping improve detection rates while reducing callbacks. In the backdrop of these factors, demand for digital breast tomosynthesis equipment is witnessing an uptick, and the trend is expected to gain further momentum in the future.Request to View Sample of Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/REP-GB-1241 Sales of DBTs have remained quite robust in the US in the recent past, making North America the most lucrative market globally. The market in the region is largely dominated by Hologic, Inc. although GE and Siemens Healthineers have also registered their presence by launching innovative DBT products at competitive prices. Total DBT equipment revenues in North America were pegged at 472.8 Mn in 2015, with the U.S. accounting for bulk of revenue share. New equipment installation base in North America is expected to reach 2,327 in 2016, up from 2,066 in 2015.In addition to North America, digital breast tomosynthesis sales are also growing steadily in Western Europe and APEJ. Revenues in Western Europe are anticipated to grow by 13.4% in 2016, whereas APEJ is expected to increase at 12.2%.Request for Table of Contents @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1241 By end-users, hospitals account for higher demand for DBTs vis-a-vis diagnostic centres. Many hospitals are in the process of upgrading their existing mammography machines, owing to which demand for DBT equipment is growing at a steady rate. However, high costs, coupled with lack of awareness can impede adoption rates in both hospitals and diagnostic centres, and slow down the growth of the market globally. Installations of DBTs in hospitals totalled 3,020 in 2015, representing a market value worth 542.8 Mn.Key players in the global digital breast tomosynthesis equipment market include Hologic Inc., GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Internazionale Medico Scientifica, Fujifilm, and Planmed Oy. The top 3 players - Hologic, Inc., GE Healthcare, and Siemens Healthineers collectively account for nearly 90% revenue share of the market.Buy Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) Equipment Marke Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/1241 ABOUT USFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACTFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@ futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 06:26:41

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Dilated cardiomyopathy is condition caused due to enlargement of left ventricle in the heart. In this state left ventricle gets enlarged, and the heart walls become thinner to pump blood from heart to other body parts of the body. Dilated cardiomyopathy can be developed at any age however it is more common in the people age between 20 to 60 years. In some cases, right ventricle also might be affected due to myopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is often caused by genetic mutations and non-genetic conditions like exposure to toxins, autoimmune diseases, heart valve abnormalities and diabetes disease conditions. However, there was no drug approved by FDA to treat dilated cardiomyopathy conditions.Request for TOC @Companies are actively working on to develop molecules to treat dilated cardiomyopathy conditions. Array BioPharma carrying out Phase 2 clinical trial for ARRY-797 that inhibits p38 mitogen-activated kinase inhibitor to treat dilated cardiomyopathy. In December 2015, U.S. FDA gave Orphan drug status to the Vasomera (PB1046) molecule developed by PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals that is used treat X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy conditions. Vericel Corporation working on innovative concept to treat dilated cardiomyopathy conditions. Company has developed Ixmyelocel-T, multicellular therapy to treat dilated cardiomyopathy.Dilated Cardiomyopathy Market: Drivers and RestraintsGlobally increase in incidences of congestive heart failure conditions which is leading cause of dilated cardiomyopathy conditions. According to American Heart Association, around 5.3 million Americans have congestive heart failure within an incidence of 660,000 cases diagnosed yearly this signifies potential of the market. The major restraints for the market lack of proper drugs, increase in usage of defibrillators and pacemakers are effecting growth of this market.Normally to treat dilated cardiomyopathy conditions, physicians use the drugs that can treat for congestive heart failure conditions this is due to lack of drugs for dilated cardiomyopathy conditions. Angiotensin receptor blockers occupy the major market share followed by beta blockers by beta blockers. In case of distribution channel, retail pharmacies hold the major market share followed by hospital pharmacies due to easy availability of drugs.Dilated Cardiomyopathy Market: Regional OverviewDilated Cardiomyopathy Market is classified into seven regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America occupies the significant market share in dilated cardiomyopathy market. Due to high incidence rates of congestive heart failures in the region. Next to North America, Europe holds the second leading market share for dilated cardiomyopathy conditions. According to European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, over 6000,000 are admitted to hospital, and 55,000 deaths are caused due to the congestive heart failure conditions in Europe. However, APEJ market is expected to grow over the forecast due to increase in awareness and increasing demand for generic drugs are responsible for growth of the market over the forecast period.Request to view Sample Report:Dilated Cardiomyopathy Market: PlayersSome of the players in the dilated cardiomyopathy Pfizer Inc., Array BioPharma, Vericel Corporation,PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Johnson and Johnson, Merck & Co., Inc, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Astrazeneca plc and Sanofi
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PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 08:47:12

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The Europe Redskin Peanuts Sales Market was worth USD xx million in 2016, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of xx%, to reach USD xx million by 2021. Peanut is a large scale commercial crop. It is majorly grown for its seeds which are edible. It is also popular for its high oil content. Peanuts contain several nutrients such as carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, protein and fat. Most of the peanuts produced in the world are redskin peanuts.Full report at: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-redskin-peanuts-sales-market-4155/ Most of the manufacturers were using blanched peanuts to prepare other food products. However, according to a study, peanut skins contain up to 17% of its oil and it also contains several fatty acids which are useful in other industries. Also, peanut skin offers high fiber content and an antioxidant called resveratrol. Antioxidants are increased in peanuts when they are roasted with their skin on rather than blanched. Apart from food products, redskin peanuts are also used in beverages and for medical purposes.Increasing popularity for peanuts, both with and without skin and growing awareness regarding the health benefits of peanuts with skin are the major factors driving the market. Shifting of product manufacturers towards peanuts with skin and advancements in food processing industries are also propelling the market growth. However, high fat and cholesterol content in peanuts and allergic reactions due to eating them are restraining the market growth.The Redskin Peanuts Sales Market is categorized based on the type, application and region. Based on type, the market is categorized into Original Flavor Redskin Peanuts, Processed Redskin Peanuts. Original Flavor Redskin Peanuts holds the largest market share but processed redskin peanuts are expected to be the fastest growing segment due to the high demand for processed food around the globe. Based on application, the market is categorized into Food, Medical, Drink and Others. Food is the major application of peanuts as they are used to prepare food products in large extent due to their high nutritional content.Based on geography, the Europe market is categorized into U.K, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. Germany leads the redskin peanuts sales market as it is the largest producer and exporter of peanuts in this region.Request sample: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-redskin-peanuts-sales-market-4155/request-sample Some of the major players in this region are Golden Peanut, Hubs Virginia Peanuts, Durham-Ellis Pecan Company, Wakefield Peanut Company LLC, Whitley's Peanut Factory, Feridies, Fisher, and Superior Nuts.About Market Data Forecast:The publisher of this report is Market Data Forecast whose forte lies in Market research and Business Intelligence. Handling both individual and corporate clients across multiple business domains they offer syndicated/customized research to suit the clients research objective. Their research reports section offers a wide variety of market studies ranging from all-encompassing comprehensive market studies to product specific niche markets covering North America among other regions of the global market as well. For more info kindly visit, www.marketdataforecast.com Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@ marketdataforecast.com Visit MarketDataForecast Blog @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/blog/ View latest Press Releases of MDF @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/press-releases
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 14:06:34

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The global market for geosynthetics is expected to remain as a largely fragmented one, owing to the ease with which companies can manufacture most synthetic fibers. While a majority of the market value was taken up by regional players in 2014, the three leading players at the time had held a collective share of 27.7%. TenCate Geosynthetics, GSE Environmental, Inc., and Officine Maccaferri S.p.A., the leading players of 2014, hold massive production capacities present in key locations across the world.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/geosynthetics-market.html According to a new publication by Transparency Market Research, geogrids are expected to lead all geosynthetic product types in terms of market attractiveness till 2023.The report also suggests a very high level of competition in the market, created primarily by the sheer number of regional players that exist. The various types of geosynthetics that are in need today and the diversity in their manufacture allow a large number of players to enter the market in order to meet the varied requirements of each product.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=7934 The global market for geosynthetics is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.1% within a forecast period from 2015 to 2023, with respect to its revenue. By the end of 2016, this revenue is expected to reach US$11.3 bn, and reach US$20.8 bn by the end of 2023.APAC Continues to Show High Demand for GeosyntheticsNorth America and Europe are expected to lose their share in volume in geosynthetics to the already dominant Asia Pacific region. By the end of 2023, Asia Pacific is projected to show an increase in geosynthetics volume share to take up 40.2% of it.The product segment of geotextiles is expected to remain dominant till 2023, by which year it is expected to take up 39.7% of the overall volume. Geogrids are expected to show an increase in market share till 2023.Containment will continue to be the leading function for geosynthetics over the coming years. By 2023, this segment is expected to take up 42.1% of the global geosynthetics volume.Request Geosynthetics Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=7934 Growing Environmental Concerns Raise Demand for Geosynthetics GloballyGeosynthetics excel in being a protective layer for a large number of chemicals and materials, including all types of soil. This is crucial as the use of geosynthetics can be used to prevent the rampant soil erosion that is degrading soil quality across the world. Geomembranes are also being used in wastewater management as well as other applications such as soil binding, states a TMR analyst.The use of geosynthetics to prevent soil erosion can massively improve soil quality by preventing the soils loss of nutrients and moisture, thereby helping farmers retain their overall planting area and production rate.Outside of agriculture, the growing rate of soil erosion is also causing eutrophication, increasing the chances of floods, increasing sedimentation issues, and creating a loss of biodiversity. The need for geosynthetics is therefore becoming more apparent over the years.Buy Geosynthetics Market Research Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=7934<ype=S Volatility of Raw Material Costs Deters Geosynthetics ManufacturersNaphtha is the core material used for the production of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyester, which are the main raw materials for the manufacture of geosynthetics. Naphtha being derived from crude, the entirety of geosynthetics manufacture thus depends on the pricing and availability of crude oil in a particular region.Depleting natural reserves of crude oil combined with the higher demand for crude in the production of fuel is creating a major hindrance for geosynthetics manufacturers in procuring raw materials at reasonable prices. This is deterring many players from entering the market as well.The scope of utility of geosynthetics is expected to grow over the coming years, more likely in green roof and green wall construction projects. This is a key opportunity that manufacturers can look in to.
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for GGX Gold Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - GGX Gold Corp. (TSX Venture:GGX). has issued a press release with the following headline:GGX Gold Announces Private PlacementTo 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 GGX Gold 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/GGX Gold Corp.Source: GGX Gold Corp. (TSX Venture: GGX, WKN: A1JFMB , ISIN: CA76155T1093, OTC Pink: GGXXF)Date: November 17, 2017Time: 5:15 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of GGX Gold Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 08:49:32

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The Global Disposable Medical Devices Sensors Market was worth USD 6.56 billion in 2016 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 10.55 to reach USD 10.83 million by 2021. Disposable medical devices are used to detect particular data for patient monitoring or diagnosis of diseases. They are portable scanning devices used to measure heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature. They are emerging as powerful, cost-effective tools for identification of disease caused by virus, bacteria, and fungi.View Full Report @ http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/disposable-medical-devices-sensors-market-4099/ Sensor-based devices have enhanced in terms of characteristics, technology, and performance due to the continuous improvements of electronics in medical and pharmaceutical applications. With the advancement of IT and wireless sensor technology, disposable sensors and biosensors are playing a significant role in the healthcare. Furthermore, the increase in technology of microsystems such as MEMS, SI-based sensors, and microfluidic chips has become a benchmark in the healthcare sector with great accuracy and characteristics.Increasing incidence of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and other infectious diseases particularly in geriatric population and increasing innovations in the development of medical sensors for diagnosis are the primary factors augmenting the global market for disposable medical sensors. Moreover, factors like huge investment by private players, increasing the need for remote patient monitoring and next-generation disposable medical sensors, government support towards R&D in the field of sensors, the requirement of cost-effective devices and accessories and raising awareness about medical sensors are also driving the global disposable medical sensors. However, factors like stringent regulatory approval procedures, lack of reimbursement policies and a limited number of skilled professionals are hindering the growth of the market.The Global Disposable Medical Devices Sensors Market is segmented on the basis of type, placement of sensors, application and end-user. Based on the type, the market is segmented into biosensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, accelerometers, image sensors, and others. In 2016, the biosensors segment accounted for the largest share of the global disposable medical device sensors market due to the wide use of pregnancy test strips, HIV test strips, drug and alcohol test strips, and glucose test strips. On the basis of placement of sensors, the market is segmented into invasive sensors, wearable sensors, implantable sensors, ingestible sensors, and strip sensors. The strip sensors segment accounted for the largest share of the global market in 2016 due to the cost-effectiveness, increasing usage of strip sensors in glucose monitoring tests, ease of use and faster results. Ingestible medical sensors are the fastest growing sub-segment. Applications segment is categorized into patient monitoring, diagnostics, therapeutics and imaging devices of medical sensors. On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into Hospitals, Home based and Laboratories.Avail Free Sample Report @ http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/disposable-medical-devices-sensors-market-4099/request-sample In terms of region, the global disposable medical device sensors market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. North America is leading the global disposable medical device sensors market followed by the Europe due to the improved healthcare infrastructure, technological advancements in medical device sensors and increasing demand. The disposable medical device sensors market in Asia is expected to witness a high growth rate due to the innovative applications of medical device sensors, increasing awareness in this region and rising economies in countries like India and China.Key players dominating the Global disposable medical device sensors market are:1) Medtronic plc.2) Philips healthcare3) Analog Devices Inc4) GE Healthcare5) Smiths Medical,6) Honeywell InternationalMarket Segmentation:1) TypeI) IntroductionII) BiosensorsIII) AccelerometersIV) Image sensorsV) Pressure sensorsVI) Temperature sensorsVII) OthersVIII) Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By TypeIX) Market Attractiveness Analysis, By TypeX) Market Share Analysis, By Type2) Placement of SensorsI) IntroductionII) Invasive sensorsIII) Wearable SensorsIV) Implantable sensorsV) Strip sensorsVI) Ingestible sensorsVII) Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Placement of SensorsVIII) Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Placement of SensorsIX) Market Share Analysis, By Placement of Sensors3) ApplicationI) IntroductionII) DiagnosticsIII) Therapeutics4) End-userI) IntroductionII) HospitalsIII) LaboratoriesIV) Home basedV) Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By End-userVI) Market Attractiveness Analysis, By End-userVII) Market Share Analysis, By End-userInquire before buying @ http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/disposable-medical-devices-sensors-market-4099/inquire About us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, they cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. From all-encompassing umbrella markets to extremely specific niche markets covering all the major regions across the globe as part of the research scope, their research services offer one of a kind specialties with competitive pricing options.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 10:55:18

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Hearing loss can occurs when inner ear or nerve is damaged, which may be caused due to diseases, aging, loud noise, and medications. Hearing amplifier is a small part of hearing aid which makes the sound louder. Hearing amplifiers increase the power of signals and then send them to the ear through speakers.Hearing aid is useful in improving the hearing and speech of patients. An otolaryngologist investigates the cause of the hearing loss. An audiologist is a hearing health professional who identifies and measures hearing loss and will perform a hearing test to assess the type and degree of hearing loss.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=16352 Increase in number of hearing impairment cases coupled with rising costs of hearing aids are expected to drive the growth of the global hearing amplifiers market during the forecast period. Majority of the consumers use hearing amplifiers or personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) as they are considered cheaper alternatives of hearing aids. Hearing amplifiers or PSAPs, are designed to amplify sounds in any recreational environment and are exempt from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hearing amplifiers are sold directly to consumers as electronic devices without the requirement of a physician prescription. According to National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately 324,200 cochlear implants have been implanted worldwide. About 15 percent of Americans (26 million people) between the ages of 20 and 69 have high frequency hearing loss due to exposure to noise at work or during leisure activities. Major driving factors for the growth of the global hearing amplifiers such as an increase in the number of prevalence of hearing impairment patients in old and young population, increasing investment in research and development in ENT field among others.Based on styles or design types of hearing aid products the global market of hearing amplifiers can be segmented as follows:Behind-the-ear (BTE)Mini BTEIn-the-ear (ITE)In-the-canal (ITC)Based on function the global hearing amplifiers market can be segmented as follows:Analog hearing aidsDigital hearing aidsBased on distribution channels the global hearing amplifiers market can be segmented as follows:Hospital PharmaciesOnline PharmaciesIndependent Pharmacies and Drug storesHearing amplifiers market is segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. In 2015, North America lead the global market of hearing amplifiers followed by the Europe in terms of revenue. According to statistics compiled by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 37.5 million adults aged 18 and older in America report some form of hearing loss. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids and more than 90 percent of deaf children are born to parents suffering from some kind of hearing disorder. Globally, the hearing amplifiers market is expected to witness a healthy CAGR in terms of revenue during the forecast period.Latin America, Middle East & Africa and Asia Pacific regions are the emerging markets in the global hearing amplifiers market. Increasing awareness among the various distribution channels as well as consumers in these regions is anticipated to propel global market growth of hearing aids and amplifiers during the forecast period.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=16352 The key players in the global market develop hearing amplifiers in analog and digital forms. Some of the top companies in the global hearing amplifiers market are Sound Hawk, Resound, Foshan Vohom Technology Co. Ltd., Sound world solution, Shenzhen LA Lighting Company Limited, Austar Hearing Science and Technology (Xiamen) Co., Ltd., Huizhou Jinghao Electronics Co. Ltd., Ziphearing among others.
HIV/AIDS Diagnostics Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 08:44:51

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Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

As per a report by Transparency Market Research, the global HIV/AIDS diagnostics market will likely expand at a 9.3% CAGR between 2017 and 2025 to become worth US$5.74 bn by 2025 from US$2.606 bn in 2016.The three types of tests used in the global HIV/AIDS diagnostics market are rapid tests (POC), ELISA, and nucleic acid test, among others. Of them, the segment of rapid test (POC) accounts for maximum market share. It was worth US1.526 bn in 2016, finds the report by TMR. The test is popular on account its easy usage and swift results. In the near future too, the segment of rapid test (POC) is predicted to hold on to its dominant share due to its relative affordability and ability to produce accurate results faster.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hiv-aids-diagnostics-market.html Geographically, the key segments of the global HIV/AIDS diagnostics market are North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. At present, North America dominates the market with a leading share. In the upcoming years too, the region is expected to hold on to its dominant share by expanding at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2017 to 2025. This is mainly because of the increasing awareness about the different diagnosis, initiatives by government to thwart HIV, and superior research and development facilities.Alarming rise in occurrence of HIV worldwide and the growing awareness about diagnosis is said to be the root cause of growth in the global HIV/AIDS diagnostics market. A release by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2015, showed that an estimated 36.7 mn people were living with HIV, and the prevalence rate of HIV was 0.8% worldwide. Most of the HIV-afflicted people live in low and middle income countries. To tackle the menace, government organizations and agencies are focusing on public awareness campaigns about diagnosis, treatment, and care, elaborates the lead analyst of the TMR report.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=26582 In many cases HIV is asymptomatic, which means even though the immune system is gradually getting affected, there is no outward signs. Many people can go without the symptoms, and hence without realizing they have HIV, for as long as 10 years. This is posing a roadblock to the global HIV/AIDS diagnosis market.The global HIV/AIDS diagnostics market has a handful of dominant players competing against one another. Competition is moderate in the market on account of a few products being approved for commercial use. In fact, all the products in the U.S. are used only for the purpose of research. Another factor serving to keep competition moderate is the high entry barriers to aspiring players. This is because development of diagnostic kits require a lot of research. Going forward, however, the competition may intensify because of the competitive pricing strategy adopted by key companies.F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., Alere, Abbott Laboratories, OraSure Technologies, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, and Siemens Healthineers are to name a few key companies operating in the global HIV/AIDS diagnostics market. While some of them have expanded their shares through mergers and acquisitions, others have made impressive strides through research and development and introduction of new products.Buy Full HIV/AIDS Diagnostics Market Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=26582<ype=S 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.
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PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 08:45:01

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The Latin America Beet Sugar Market was worth USD xx million in 2016, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of xx%, to reach USD xx million by 2021. Beet Sugar is produced by processing the roots of sugar beet plant. It contains high sucrose content and is majorly produced for sugar production. Beet sugar is used in many parts of the world instead of cane sugar. After processing, both beet sugar and cane sugar have similar nutritional content and also chemically identical. Only variation is the production process and techniques.Full report at: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/latin-america-beet-sugar-market-4151/ Bone Char is not required to obtain pure crystals of beet sugar unlike cane sugar. The practice of using beet sugar is popularized in 19th century in Europe. Apart from being an alternative for cane sugar, beet sugar is also used in production of several beverages such as vodka and rum in some European countries. However, genetically modified sugar beet plants are disqualified by courts in United States due to the lack of enough evidence that they are safe.Changing life styles of people due to urbanization and increasing demand for sugar treats in several countries are the major factors driving the market growth. Increasing population adding new customers to the market and reduction in time and cost of manufacturing process are also expected to drive the market. However, low popularity for beet sugar in emerging markets is restraining the market growth.The Beet Sugar Market is categorized based on the application, function, organizational structure and region. Based on application, the market is categorized into Bakery, Confectionery, Dairy Industry, Beverage and Others. Bakery and Confectionery products lead the market in applications segment due to the adoption of beet sugar as an alternative to cane sugar in tropical countries. Based on function, the market is categorized into regular and medical conditions. Based on organizational structure of the market, it is categorized into Organized market and unorganized market. Unorganized market is expected to be the largest segment as beet sugar is a cheaper alternative to the cane sugar.Based on geography, the market is categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Brazil leads the market due to the increasing standard of living in this country.Request sample: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/latin-america-beet-sugar-market-4151/request-sample Some of the major players in this region are Renuka beet sugar, Michigan Sugar Company, Syngenta, Spreckals Sugar Company, Sidney Sugars Incorporated, Amalgamated Sugar Company, American Crystal Sugar, The Western Sugar Cooperative, and Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative.About Market Data Forecast:The publisher of this report is Market Data Forecast whose forte lies in Market research and Business Intelligence. Handling both individual and corporate clients across multiple business domains they offer syndicated/customized research to suit the clients research objective. Their research reports section offers a wide variety of market studies ranging from all-encompassing comprehensive market studies to product specific niche markets covering North America among other regions of the global market as well. For more info kindly visit, www.marketdataforecast.com Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@ marketdataforecast.com Visit MarketDataForecast Blog @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/blog/ View latest Press Releases of MDF @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/press-releases
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 11:23:08

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Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound is a non-invasive treatment that combines two tools, focused magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound. The beam of ultrasound focused on targeted sites and penetrates through the soft tissues and, using MRI for monitoring guidance. The ultrasound beam causes an increase in temperature at target tissue and resulting in necrosis of tissue, while the surrounding structure is not disturbed by the beam. The associated MRI to provide guidance also provide imaging that provides temperature map to confirm the therapeutic effect of the ablation treatment and allows real time adjustments of treatment parameters.The increasing demand for minimally invasive methods will drive the market for MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound Devices. The system has several advantages such as the possibility of retreatment, alternative therapy after radiotherapy and surgery over traditional therapy and increasing awareness about the treatment option in developed countries will fuel the market for MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound Devices. MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound system offers fast recovery time and also has low complication rate as compared to surgery.Request for TOC @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/12727 The market for MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound Devices is segmented as device type, application, end user and geography. The device type market is further segmented by two type such as focused ultrasound device and magnetic resonance imaging. These are the two different devices which are used together to and forms MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound system. By Application the market of MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound Devices is segmented as Cancer (Brain Tumor, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Bone metastases, liver cancer, kidney cancer and pancreatic cancer, etc.), uterine fibroids, Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, etc.The increasing prevalence of cancer globally will drive the market for MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound Devices in the forecast period. MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound system is incision-less, noninvasive method used to treat abnormal benign growths in a womans uterus known as fibroid tumors or fibroids. Uterine fibroids are one of the most common disorders of the uterus and mainly seen in women. The patient with essential tremor and not responding for medication MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery is the best option of treatment for them.By End User, the MRI-Guided Focused ultrasound devices market is segmented in hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, diagnostic centers and clinics. Hospitals segment hold the largest share in MRI-Guided Focused ultrasound devices Market due to the availability of facilities are good in hospitals. After hospitals, Ambulatory surgical centers governs the market growth of MRI-Guided Focused ultrasound devices.Recent conferences and workshops and rise in the number of surgeries performed by focused ultrasound surgery demonstrate that the technology is viable and is likely to see substantial development in the near future. MRI-guided focused ultrasound surgery was also named by many published medical agencies as one of top twenty most important invention and would be most useful in near future.Geographically North America hold largest market share in overall MRI-Guided Focused ultrasound devices market was owing to increasing demand for non-invasive method and high product approval in the region for treatment. The market of Europe for MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound devices will grow in forecast period due to the availability of devices in the region and awareness about system among people. The market in Asia Pacific will be smaller than North America and Europe due to less new product penetration in the region. The Latin America and the Middle East & Africa will less contribute in growth of MRI-Guided Focused ultrasound devices market.In July 2016, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved first MRI-guided focused ultrasound device ExAblate Neuro to treat essential tremor. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, several million Americans, usually those over age 40, are affected by the condition. ExAblate Neuro uses magnetic resonance images taken during the procedure to deliver focused ultrasound to destroy brain tissue in a tiny area thought to be responsible for causing tremors. InSightec Ltd is the company which developed the system. In 2012, United States F.D.A. approved the MRI-Guided Focused ultrasound devices to initiate phase one study.Make an Enquiry @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12727 Some of the major market players in MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound Devices Market globally include Koninklijke Philips N.V., Toshiba Corporation, Siemens AG, Hitachi Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Esaote S.p.A., Mindray Medical International Ltd., and Analogic Corporation.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 11:31:25

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Infectious diseases are the type of disorders caused by different organisms such as bacteria, virus, fungi or parasites. The organism can be harmful or helpful to the human body and under some conditions the organism causes different diseases. Diseases can be transferable from person to person, bites of insects and animals, through ingestion of contaminated food or water or being exposed to organisms in the environment. Signs and symptoms such as fever, fatigue, etc. vary depending on the type of organism causing the infection. Mild infection can be treated through prescribed medicines by physicians while life threatening infections may require hospitalization. Many infectious disease such as measles and chickenpox have been controlled through vaccination programs. Taking precautions such as creating clean environment, proper sanitization and thorough hand-washing also helps to protect individuals from most infectious diseases.Request for TOC @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/12733 Cholera infection re-entered Peru in 1996 and spread through the existing sanitation and water systems, causing over 3,000 deaths. Seafood exports were embargoed from Peru and tourism decreased, costing an estimated loss of at least US$ 770 Mn to the Peruvian economy in one year. International military networks such as the U.S. Department of Defense Global Emerging Infections System (DoD-GEIS), private clinics, individual scientists and public health practitioners are the networks which provide the formal information sources for the spread of infectious diseases. Easy approval from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for drug regulation in market, and role of major key players also plays an important role for the infectious disease treatment market.The bacterial disease type segment is expected to witness remarkable growth in the global infectious disease market due to the increasing evolution of different microorganisms in different environmental conditions, unhealthy food habits among population, and increase in prevention care facilities for patients which will address to various research, other prevention methods, and education in order to prevent the epidemiology of infectious diseases. The parasitic disease and viral disease segment type is expected to register significant growth through 2024 due to the emergence of different mutation technologies and chemical utilization and upcoming research laboratories in emerging countries.Based on treatment type, antiparasite segment is expected to contribute largest share in global infectious disease treatment market by 2016 end owing to the evolution of different disease indication through parasites. For instance, Zika Virus is transmitted through mosquitoes. Based on diagnosis test type, the global infectious disease treatment market has been segmented into laboratory test, biopsies and imaging scans. Laboratory test segment is expected to contribute the maximum share among diagnosis test type segments. Based on the end user, hospital segment is projected to have the largest market share among other segments due to the availability of trained professionals, easy availability of diagnosis methods, and reimbursement policies for major treatment procedures.On the basis of regional presence, global infectious disease treatment market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to lead the global infectious disease treatment market due to unhealthy food intake habits of the population, improper sanitization, new disease evolution and environmental conditions. According to the WHO statistics for the year 2011, prevalence of infectious disease treatment is high in developed countries such as U.S. and U.K. More precautions are being undertaken in the MEA region due to the prevalence of various viral diseases which have a potential to spread and create an epidemic situation for the world population.Make an Enquiry @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12733 Some of the major players in global infectious disease treatment market are Janssen Global Services, Merck & Co., GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical, Inc., Pfizer, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Novartis, Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Auritec Pharmaceuticals, Isis Pharmaceuticals and Gilead Sciences. etc.
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PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 08:46:29

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The North America Redskin Peanuts Sales Market was worth USD xx million in 2016, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of xx%, to reach USD xx million by 2021. Peanut is a large scale commercial crop. It is majorly grown for its seeds which are edible. It is also popular for its high oil content. Peanuts contain several nutrients such as carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, protein and fat. Most of the peanuts produced in the world are redskin peanuts.Full report at: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-redskin-peanuts-sales-market-4154/ Most of the manufacturers were using blanched peanuts to prepare other food products. However, according to a study, peanut skins contain up to 17% of its oil and it also contains several fatty acids which are useful in other industries. Also, peanut skin offers high fiber content and an antioxidant called resveratrol. Antioxidants are increased in peanuts when they are roasted with their skin on rather than blanched. Apart from food products, redskin peanuts are also used in beverages and for medical purposes.Increasing popularity for peanuts, both with and without skin and growing awareness regarding the health benefits of peanuts with skin are the major factors driving the market. Shifting of product manufacturers towards peanuts with skin and advancements in food processing industries are also propelling the market growth. However, high fat and cholesterol content in peanuts and allergic reactions due to eating them are restraining the market growth.The Redskin Peanuts Sales Market is categorized based on the type, application and region. Based on type, the market is categorized into Original Flavor Redskin Peanuts, Processed Redskin Peanuts. Original Flavor Redskin Peanuts holds the largest market share but processed redskin peanuts are expected to be the fastest growing segment due to the high demand for processed food around the globe. Based on application, the market is categorized into Food, Medical, Drink and Others. Food is the major application of peanuts as they are used to prepare food products in large extent due to their high nutritional content.Based on geography, the North America market is categorized into U.S and Canada. Asia Pacific leads the redskin peanuts market. U.S is the third largest producer of peanuts in the world and it leads the market in North America due to the presence of large number of manufacturers of peanut products in the country.Request sample: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-redskin-peanuts-sales-market-4154/request-sample Some of the major players in this region are Golden Peanut, Hubs Virginia Peanuts, Durham-Ellis Pecan Company, Wakefield Peanut Company LLC, Whitley's Peanut Factory, Feridies, Fisher, and Superior Nuts.About Market Data Forecast:The publisher of this report is Market Data Forecast whose forte lies in Market research and Business Intelligence. Handling both individual and corporate clients across multiple business domains they offer syndicated/customized research to suit the clients research objective. Their research reports section offers a wide variety of market studies ranging from all-encompassing comprehensive market studies to product specific niche markets covering North America among other regions of the global market as well. For more info kindly visit, www.marketdataforecast.com Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@ marketdataforecast.com Visit MarketDataForecast Blog @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/blog/ View latest Press Releases of MDF @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/press-releases
Ocular Drug Delivery Technology Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 08:46:10

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Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

A report by Transparency Market Research predicts the global ocular drug delivery technologies market to expand at a steady 6.8% CAGR between 2017 and 2025 to become worth US$18.124 bn by 2025-end vis-a-vis revenue from US$ 10.2 bn in 2016.Depending upon the type of technology, the global ocular drug delivery technology market can be segmented into topical, ocular inserts, iontophoresis, intraocular implants, and in-situ gel and punctal plugs, among others. Of them, the topical segment dominates the market revenue-wise. Going forward too, the topical segment is expected to retain its leading share of about 50.2% in revenue till 2025. This is mainly because of the growing pool of elderly and the rising number of regional players in the ophthalmic technology market.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ocular-drug-delivery-technologies.html Geographically, the key segments of the global ocular drug delivery technology market are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America, at present, is a dominant region because of the strong demand for targeted drug delivery to the posterior eye and concentration of prominent manufacturers. In 2016, the region held a substantial 52.5% share in the market.Some of the primary growth drivers in the global ocular drug delivery technology market is the low bioavailability of drugs in conventional ocular therapies, increasing occurrence of glaucoma and macular degeneration, increasing preference among patients for targeted ocular drug delivery techniques, and approval of the FDA for new ocular drug delivery techniques.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=2869 However, there are a number of factors serving to restrain the market as well. As per the lead analyst of the TMR report: Ocular inserts and implants provide advantages such as high corneal penetration, greater dissolution area, and sustained release of medication. However, the foreign body sensation in the eye due to the solidity of the implants lead to discomfort accompanied by irritation, drug dilution, and excessive lachrymation. Therefore, even though they provide enhanced drug delivery alternatives, the discomfort is likely to arrest the growth of this segment. The global ocular drug delivery technology market is consolidated in nature. The top three companies operating in the market, namely Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Alimera Sciences, and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (Bausch & Lomb Incorporated) account for over half the share in it. Of them, Santen Pharmaceuticals and Valeant Pharmaceuticals have a stronghold over the market because of their wide array of topical ocular drug products. Alimera Sciences captured 14% to 18% market share in 2016 due to commercialization of Iluvien manufactured by pSivida Corp.Keen manufacturers  both large and small regional ones  in the global ocular drug delivery technology market are collaborating with hospitals and other suppliers or acquiring other companies in order to bolster their positions. They are also looking to expand their share with a robust pipeline of products in ophthalmic sector. Competition in the market will likely heat up in the near future on the back of favorable reimbursement policies of governments and increasing number of research grants.Buy Full Ocular Drug Delivery Technology Market Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=2869<ype=S 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 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, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 06:23:17

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Children are affected by different forms of cancer than adults, there also exists a major difference between children and adults regarding treatment and development of new oncology therapies. The prominent variation is the concept of survival. With adult cancer patients, it is acceptable to look to immediate, 5 and 10-year survival rates, along with quality of life, for the best approximations of therapeutic success. On the other hand, a child cancer patient receives treatment to be cured. A typical difference between adult and pediatric oncologists is in treatment protocols; pediatric protocols are much more vigorous, often hitting patients as hard as possible to achieve a successful, long-term cure.Request for TOC @Paediatric Oncology Therapeutics Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe markets significant rise through the forecast period can be attributed to the industry as it is becoming more familiar with designing and implementing trials in the pediatric population. The growing incidence of disease conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity in children is contributing to the surge of this segment. In addition, the recognition of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, along with certain behavioral health conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression and anxiety coupled with the rising prevalence of childhood obesity among the pediatric population is aiding the rise in these segments at a brisk rate.However, the relatively small market of pediatric oncology does not provide the financial incentives for companies to actively pursue pediatric oncology solutions. In addition, the development of formulations for children a major challenge that separates pediatric drug development from mainstream R&D. Not surprisingly, each type of formulation poses difficulties depending on the age of the child which incurs additional cost for the companies.Paediatric Oncology Therapeutics Market: IndicationLeukemias are the most common childhood cancers which are the cancers of the bone marrow and blood. Accounts for about 30% of all cancers in children. The most common types in children are Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL).Central Nervous System (CNS) and Brain tumors are the second most common cancers in children and account about 26% of childhood cancers. There are many types of brain tumors, and the treatment and outlook for each is different.Cancers which that start in the bones (primary bone cancers) occur most often in older children and teens, however they can be developed at any age. They account for about 3% of childhood cancers. Two main types of primary bone cancers occur in children are Osteosarcoma and Ewing Sarcoma.Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the eye. It accounts for about 2% of pediatric patients. It usually occurs in children around the age of 2, and is seldom found in children older than 6.Paediatric Oncology Therapeutics Market: TreatmentChemotherapy and radiotherapy are used as a first-line radical therapy in a number of paediatric oncology (such as ALL or AML) commonly used for palliation, where disease is clearly incurable. Often, surgery is attempted to remove a tumor entirely. This is only feasible when there is some degree of certainty that the tumor can in fact be removed.Paediatric Oncology Therapeutics Market: TreatmentChemotherapy and radiotherapy are used as a first-line radical therapy in a number of paediatric oncology (such as ALL or AML) commonly used for palliation, where disease is clearly incurable. Often, surgery is attempted to remove a tumor entirely. This is only feasible when there is some degree of certainty that the tumor can in fact be removed.A bone marrow transplant is a medical procedure in which bone marrow that contains cancer is replaced by hematopoietic stem cells that develop into healthy bone marrow.There is also a rapid expansion in the use of monoclonal antibody treatments, notably for lymphoma (Rituximab), and breast cancer (Trastuzumab). Vaccine and other immunotherapies are the subject of intensive research and will take time to get added in the treatment for paediatric oncology.Paediatric Oncology Therapeutics Market: RegionGeographically, the market is classified majorly into regions namely North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.North America dominates the market due the presence of continuous sophisticated R&D technology development for paediatric oncology diagnosis and treatment in the region. Addition, the increasing incidence rate of cancer and obesity in children is contributing to the surge of this market augmenting for the market. APAC is expected to witness significant growth as compared to other regions and countries owing to increased healthcare and research expenditure.Request to view Sample Report:Paediatric Oncology Therapeutics Market: Key PlayersSome of the major hospitals which provides technologically advanced treatment for paediatric patients are St Jude Childrens Research Hospital (USA), St Louis Childrens Hospital (USA), Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital (USA), Birmingham Childrens Hospital (UK), Royal Childrens Hospital (Australia), National Center for Child Health and Development (Japan) and Dana-Dwek Childrens Hospital Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Israel).
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 06:23:52

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Preclinical Imaging is used for imagining of living animals specifically for research purposes, research can be for drug development and other types. Imaging products are very important so as to observe the changes in organs, cell or a tissue these changes are observed in animals that respond to environmental changes or physiological changes. Imaging modalities are mostly non-invasive and in vivo and are considered to be important for studying animal. There are different types of modalities which are used for preclinical imaging such as CT imaging, MRI imaging,PET/SPECT imaging, multimodal imaging, optical imaging, ultrasound imaging, and photoacoustic (PAT) imaging. Apart from above factors preclinical imaging market has huge growth potential and is expected to continue over the forecast period. Technological advancement in preclinical imaging and the increasing adoption of molecular imaging technology for drug development tool are some factors that are expected to drive the preclinical imaging market over the forecast period. Moreover, companies are into collaborations with the biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to increase its geographical footprint globally which is expected to drive the global preclinical imaging market over the forecast period.Request for TOC @Preclinical Imaging Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe demand for preclinical imaging market is fueled by technical innovation and discretionary funding which is thereby expected to drive the demand for preclinical imaging market over the forecast period. In addition the increasing number of clinical research organizations (CROs), research and development institutes, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals companies and other end users are propelling demand for preclinical imaging products.Encouragement for research and development, huge investments by government for research and need for drug development is expected to witness robust market growth during the forecast period. Moreover increasing applications such as life sciences, cosmetic industry and others for preclinical products is another factor that is expected to drive growth of the global preclinical imaging market over the forecast period. However, high cost of preclinical imaging systems and lack of awareness regarding preclinical imaging technology is expected to impede revenue growth of the preclinical imaging market over the forecast period.The preclinical imaging market, is largely penetrated by some global players and these players are creating opportunities for the tier 2 and tier 3 players by withdrawing their products from the market. Moreover the major players in the market are focusing on introducing technological advance products. Above mentioned factors are expected to witness robust CAGR over the forecast period. Moreover, increasing research and development for drug development and for identification of unknown agents that causes death is expected to fuel demand for preclinical imaging products such as CT, MRI and others.Preclinical Imaging Market: Regional OverviewGeographically, the global Preclinical Imaging Market, is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Middle East and Africa (MEA).North America dominates the global preclinical imaging market followed by Europe. North America and Western Europe regions are expected to witness robust growth due to increase in research and development and with the number of developed research infrastructure is expected to fuel the revenue growth in these regions. APEJ is expected to witness significant growth as compared to other regions and countries owing to government programs for preclinical imaging and funding for research and development expected to fuel market growth in this region. Moreover, rapidly expanding contract research organization in this region is expected to have a significant impact on the market growth. However, increasing research and educational institutes may boost the growth of preclinical imaging market in these regions during the forecast period.Request to view Sample Report:Preclinical Imaging Market: Key PlayersSome of the players operating in the market for preclinical imaging market are Bruker Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, General Electric, PerkinElmer, Inc., VisualSonics, Inc., MILabs B.V., Siemens A.G., TriFoil Imaging, Mediso Ltd., and Agilent Technologies and others.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 06:24:33

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Various biological research often involves the use of molecular labels that are attached to a protein of interest to facilitate detection or purification of the labeled protein and/or its binding partners. Proteins can be labeled during cell growth by incorporation of amino acids containing different isotopes, or in biological fluids, cells or tissue samples. The main applications for protein labeling are biological processes monitoring, reliable quantification of compounds and specific detection of protein modifications and isoforms in multiplexed samples, enhancement of detection sensitivity and simplification of detection workflows. There are multiple types of labels available, their varied uses are preferable for specific applications. Typically, three different types of tags are employed: stable isotopes, mass tags, and fluorophores, to the target protein or sequenceRequest for TOC @Protein Labelling Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing healthcare expenditure is majorly driving the market. Increase in the R&D expenditure leading to a reduction in process complexity for protein labeling by companies coupled with improvement in existing technologies that are anticipated to accelerate growth. The market is witnessing a number of new product launches and growing adoption of bioengineering technologies to speed up the market growth.Development in the technology to produce advanced dyes that rapidly conjugates with the specific peptides or nucleotidein order to detect their presence and further purification process more accurately are expected to make the process more efficient and will have positive impact on the market. Improvements in accuracy, resolution and procedures used in techniques such as fluorescence & biorthogonal tagging are estimated to grow over the forecast period.Protein Labelling Market: OverviewGlobal Protein Labeling Market by product includes reagents like enzymes, monoclonal antibodies, proteins, probes/tags, kits and service markets. The reagents used for protein labeling accounted for the largest share of revenue. The larger share can be augmented due to high demand for labeling of peptides, antibodies and proteins at reaction locations of functional amino acids, and development of novel reagents that have chemo selective capabilities & amino acid cross linking abilities. The market is expected to witness a significant growth rate during the forecast period.Protein Labelling Market: Regional OverviewThe geographic segments for Protein Labelling are North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. North America is further segmented into the U.S. and Canada. North America has the most lucrative market and accounts for over 45% of the global revenue in 2015. North America generates highest revenues across the globe due to presence of most major players in the region working on enhancing their portfolios on offer and rise in adoption of protein labeling in tandem with development of genomic sequencing and personalized medicine are the major factors accounting for the regions dominant position. While Asia Pacific is poised to witness the highest growth rate from 2015 to 2026. Untapped APEJ countries such as China, India, and Korea are the most emerging economies and expected to create huge opportunity for Global Protein Labeling Market. Improved healthcare spending, infrastructure development and favorable government policies are the key factors which are expected to drive the APEJ market.Request to view Sample Report:Protein Labelling Market: Key PlayersMajor participants of the protein labeling industry include Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., General Electric Healthcare Life Science, Merck Millipore, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, PerkinElmer Inc, Promega Corporation, LI-COR Inc., New England Biolabs, Eurogentec S.A., Kirkegaard & Perry Laboratories (KPL).
Robotics is a science branch that includes electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science. It is concerned with the design, manufacturing, operation and use of the robots, along with the computer systems required to control them and process information.

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 12:19:35

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CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/Associate Consultant3479183531

Robotics is a science branch that includes electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science. It is concerned with the design, manufacturing, operation and use of the robots, along with the computer systems required to control them and process information. This technology is slowly but surely moving from fiction to fact thanks to current research in the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market. We will eventually reach a point when medical robots will be able to think, act independently or even take critical decisions without any assistance from doctors or medical professionals. Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery first came onto the scene in the first decade of the 21st century. These robots have already proved their mettle in assisting surgeons who perform hysterectomies or prostate cancer. Constant design improvements mean that the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market will become increasingly vital in the days to come.A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2477 Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery Market DriversA preference for minimally invasive procedures is anticipated to drive the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market. Robots provide improved visualisation, greater dexterity and high precision & accuracy. Minimally invasive surgeries are very popular with surgeons, patients and also their insurance companies since incisions made are smaller, infection risk is less, hospital stays are much shorter and convalescence is greatly reduced. However, human limitations like hand-eye coordination and limited dexterity stifle treatments. The desire to overcome the challenges of current laparoscopic technologies and improve the scope of minimally invasive surgeries will benefit the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market. An ageing and growing population will boost the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market and growing acceptance of telesurgery is also going to help Robotics. A surgery can take several hours and be physically exhausting for surgeons and they could even experience hand tremors as a result. A surgical robot would be able to operate on several patients without any drop in precision or efficiency which would help medical professionals to serve a larger number of people in the long run.Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery Market RestraintsCost is a very critical challenge in the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market. A top of the line robotics-assisted surgery system can easily cost somewhere in the region of Euro 1.5 million. The initial investment itself can make it difficult for underfunded medical institutions in developing countries to adopt it. That is also not the only expense incurred as thousands more need to be spent on medicines required to complete the surgery. Hence, there is ongoing research to make the medical assistant robots of the future not only smart but affordable too. The second constraint in the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market is the lack of funding. In spite of dramatic innovations by scientists in robotics technology, investors are somewhat hesitant to invest in the industry until they are assured of a ready market for the devices. However, both patients & medical healthcare organisations are showing an increased readiness to pay for Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery equipment which will boost investor confidence and subsequently drive down development cost. The third restraint of the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market is human resistance to change. Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery is still a relatively new concept which has had almost no long-term follow-up studies. These systems also have very large footprints and massive robotic arms. It might be difficult for medical organisations to accommodate them when they are already space constrained, to begin with.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2477 Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery Market Key RegionsThe largest Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery markets are North America, the European Union, Asia Pacific and then the rest of the world. China, Japan and South Korea are expected to lead the world in future growth rate. This is on account of their rapidly ageing population, strong government focus on both healthcare and manufacturing expertise, and providing training to their surgeons to adopt and perform Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery. Companies would be well advised to cater to the specific needs of the Asian Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market for their long term benefit.Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery Market Key Market PlayersSome of the companies operating in the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market are Intuitive Surgical, Hansen Medical, Stryker Corp, IRobot Corporation and MAZOR Robotics.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 14:10:02

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Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesMarketing Head+1-518-618-1030

In the highly fragmented global roofing underlying materials market, the top five companies collectively held a meagre 13.5% of the overall market valuation in 2015, observes TMR in a recent market research report. The easy availability of raw materials, low initial investment, and a continuous rise in demand from the flourishing construction industry have encouraged the establishment of a vast number of small- and medium-sized companies globally in the past few years.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/roofing-underlying-materials-market.html To face the competitive pressures and gain an edge, companies are focusing on the expansion of their product portfolios and development of innovative materials that can be suitably applied to more than one type of roofing systems. Funds devoted to R&D activities are also constantly being increased and expansion across emerging economies is gaining increased emphasis.Some of the notable vendors in the market are Owens Corning, DuPont, IKO Industries Ltd., Firestone Building Products Company, and TAMKO Building Products, Inc., Carlisle, CertainTeed Corporation, and Braas Monier Building Group Services S.A.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=13850 Rapid Urbanization across Emerging Economies Central to Development of Roofing Underlying MaterialsThe rapid expansion of population residing in urban settings across regions such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and parts of Middle East and Africa has led to the vast development of public and private infrastructure across the residential as well as commercial sectors in the past few years. The increasingly affluent consumer residing in urban dwellings is leading to an increased demand for new construction projects, naturally upping the consumption of a variety of roofing underlying materials. Asia Pacific is expected to solely account for over 43% in the global roofing underlying materials market by 2024.The market for roofing underlying materials is expected to gain the most traction across developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America from 2016 to 2024, with developed regions such as North America and Europe exhibiting sluggish rise in demand. The construction sector in North America and Europe has suffered considerably during the economic depression of 2008. Though the sector is steadily stabilizing and treading along a positive growth path in these regions, the number of new construction projects are still under check. Most traction for the roofing underlying materials markets in these regions will come from refurbishing and maintenance activities.Request Roofing Underlying Materials Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13850 Rise in Production Costs to Hamper Markets Overall GrowthAsphalt makes for one of the most critical raw materials for the manufacture of bituminous roofing underlying materials, which accounts for the second largest share in the global market in terms of product varieties. As a large share of industrially used asphalt is derived from oil and gas sources, its availability in the global market is largely dependent on the oil and gas industry, which is itself faced with enormous fluctuations in price and production capacities.Thus, the continuous availability of high quality asphalt is a big challenge for the manufacturers of bituminous roofing underlying materials. The continuous rise in the cost of manufacturing techniques is also leading to a substantial rise in overall costs of roofing underlying materials. High costs of products are expected to have a sizeable impact on sales of roofing underlying materials, especially across developing regions where the consumer is quick to switch to cheaper alternatives.Buy Roofing Underlying Materials Market Research Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=13850<ype=S Non-bitumen Synthetic Roofing Underlying Materials to Retain DominanceTransparency Market Research states that the global roofing underlying materials market will expand at a healthy 5.5% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. The market held an opportunity of US$27.99 bn in 2015 and is expected to rise to US$45.16 bn by 2024. In terms of product type, the segment of non-bitumen synthetic roofing underlying materials accounted for a share of over 35% in terms of volume in the global market in 2015. This segment is also expected to remain the dominant product segment from 2016 to 2024. In terms of application, the non-residential sector dominated in 2015, accounting for nearly 44% in the global market in 2015.
Persistence Market Research

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 12:53:13

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Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.comAssociate Consultant800-961-0353

SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation and network function virtualization (NFV) are two separate networking technologies that are becoming backbone of any communication network now-a-days. These technologies provide ease in operating a communication network. While SDN facilitates a telecom operator to reduce the network complexity and bring down the overall management cost, NFV makes a particular network completely software agnostic. Enterprises, cloud service providers, and telecommunication service providers are biggest beneficiaries of this.In telecommunication sector, there is a lot of margins pressure on service providers, due to the changing needs of consumers such as data consumption and usages of OTT services. Conventional networks of service providers are not capable to handle this particular demand from consumers. Thats why they are reconfiguring their network with the help of SDN and NFV technologies, in order to manage the challenges of traffic explosion and increase the average revenue per user (ARPU).A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12835 Global SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation in Telecom Network Transformation Market: Drivers and ChallengesThe major reason behind the adoption of SDN and NFV by service providers in their network transformation is because SDN and NFV technologies are synergetic and they offer improved programmability, faster service enablement, and most importantly lower down the overall CAPAEX and OPEX for the service providers. SDN and NFV provide a complete digital network that is essential to increase customer satisfaction level. SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation emerged as paradigm that has potential to transform service providers networks by delivering cloud style nimbleness and innovation.The communication network telecom service providers are generally more complex, multilayer, and have variety of users that require high network availability and performance. As compared to data centers, a more stringent set of requirements will need to be met, in order to deploy SDN and NFV in these network.Global SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation in Telecom Network Transformation Market: SegmentationSDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation in telecom network transformation market can be segmented on the basis of component, technology, and region. Component category include software and different types of services such as professional services and managed services. On the basis of technology, the market can be segmented into SDN and NFV. Region wise, the Market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Japan, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Middle East & Africa.Cisco System Inc. Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM Corporation, Juniper Networks, Pica8, Inc., Intel Corporation, and Big Switch Networks, Inc. are some of the big players of global SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation market.Regional OverviewNorth America is the largest SDN and NFV market as most of the technology providers such as Cisco, IBM, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are based in the North America region and are making huge investment over there. Also, due to the ongoing advancements in 4G and 5G technologies the US, telecommunication service providers are deploying SDN and NFV at every layer of their network. In Europe region, technology service providers have already understood the value proportion of SDN and have already started deploying SDN in their networks but enterprise market still remain gloomy in terms of adoption of SDN.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/12835 In Asia Pacific region, growth in countries such as China, India, and Japan are immensely contributing in the market. In India, the telecommunication services industry is going through the transformation and service providers have started to deploy SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation at massive scale.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 14:10:42

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Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesMarketing Head+1-518-618-1030

The global soap noodles market is immensely fragmented and characterized by the presence of a number of players. Transparency Market Research finds that in 2015, the top 10 companies competing in the soap noodles market accounted for a share of just over 46%, indicating the lack of a clear leader. These companies are Permata Hijau Group, KLK OLEO, 3F INDUSTRIES LTD., Deeno Group, Adimulia Sarimas Indonesia, IOI Oleochemicals, Wilmar International Ltd., John Drury, Musim Mas Holdings, and VVF Limited.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/soap-noodles-market.html Larger companies in developing regions such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East enjoy the majority in the soap noodles market and smaller players pose a minimal threat, the author of the TMR study observes.One of the prominent strategies adopted by several players in the soap noodles market is geographical expansion. Acquisitions and collaborations in recent years have also strengthened the positioning of a number of players. Singapore-based Musim Mas Holdings, a leading competitor in the soap noodles market, entered into a collaboration with Genting Plantations Group in March 2015 to set up a palm oil refinery in Malaysia. This move helped the company expand its capacity in the region.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=13367 Sales Promotions an Excellent Strategy to Spur Demand for Soaps and Soap NoodlesThe demand for soap noodles is indirectly impacted by the aggressive sales promotions and marketing activities by companies. Sales promotions result in purchase acceleration since consumers tend to buy larger quantities of a product when offered promotional sales and discounts, states a TMR analyst. The growing sales of soap have therefore led to the rising demand for soap noodles. Unilever and P&G are excellent examples of companies that have successfully managed to boost sales with marketing strategies and promotional activities.TMR identifies a major opportunity in the growing developing of soap bars with functional features and offerings, such as herbal soaps, moisturizing soaps, aromatherapy soaps, and anti-bacterial soaps. The demand for such functional soap bars is relatively high in developed countries where the awareness regarding natural products in the personal care market is greater, the author finds.Request Soap Noodles Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13367 Soap Bar Substitutes Threaten Growth of Soap Noodles MarketThe threat from substitutes of soap bars has been growing over the years, acting as a major deterrent to the growth of the soap noodles market. Companies manufacturing body washes, liquid hand washes, and shower gels have sprung in almost every part of the world and changing lifestyles and rising disposable income of the consumers have resulted in the increasing demand for these substitutes, the analyst states. This is likely to result in a decline in demand for soap noodles.The only saving grace, TMR observes, is that the substitutes of soap bars are highly priced and this could curb the demand for the same.TMR Predicts Tepid Rise in Demand for Soap NoodlesBy revenue, the global soap noodles market is anticipated to rise from a value of US$2.5 bn in 2015 to reach US$3.2 bn by 2024. The market is projected to expand at a modest CAGR of 2.7% during the forecast period. The demand for soap noodles is poised to rise at a 2.1% CAGR from 2016 to 2024. By type of source, the soap noodles market is led by vegetable oil and this segment is likely to account for a volume share of 60% by 2024. Also emerging as the fastest growing segment during the forecast period, the market for vegetable-oil based soap noodles will rise at a 2.9% CAGR by revenue.Buy Soap Noodles Market Research Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=13367<ype=S Asia Pacific is the chief contributor in the global soap noodles market by region and is projected to account for nearly half the market by 2024 in terms of volume. Asia Pacific is also projected to emerge as the most rapidly expanding regional market for soap noodles by the end of the forecast period.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 14:06:49

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Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesMarketing Head+1-518-618-1030

The competitive arena for specialty chemicals is extremely fragmented as most companies prefer to sign short term contracts for these chemicals from local manufacturers. BASF SE, The Dow Chemical Company, and Bayer AG - the top three providers of specialty chemicals in the world - collectively held only 10.6% of the market value in 2014.Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/specialty-chemicals-market.html While the top players hold a relatively smaller share in the specialty chemicals market, their rate of forward integration is very high. This allows them to ensure a consistent supply of specialty chemicals to high demanding regions.At the same time, new entrants can expect to face strong competition from current players, according to Transparency Market Research. Existing players possess the advantage of economies of scale, thereby improving their cost-based competitive edge over new entrants.Request Sample Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=2246 APAC Raises Demand for Agrochemicals, Attracts More Specialty Chemicals ManufacturersThe Asia Pacific contains a large concentration of regional players in the specialty chemicals market, states a TMR analyst. This is due to the exceptionally high demand for agrochemicals in the region. This applies especially to China and India who therefore become the key regions demanding agrochemicals. A high demand for specialty chemicals is also seen in Latin America due to a growing concern over product quality.Demand for Coated Paper Reduces in North America and Europe, Denting Demand for Specialty ChemicalsRequest Specialty Chemicals Market Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2246 Europe and North America are showing a significant reduction in the consumption of coated papers, causing a downturn for providers of paper chemicals in the two regions. Both regions are evolving in the sense of text and media and moving towards the digital medium for the dissemination of information and news. This is having a visible impact on the paper industry and consequently, the specialty chemicals players that focus on paper coatings.Multiple paper coating manufacturers have had to change product types or even shut down due to the reduction in demand, which includes Resolute Forest Products, Inc., which had to shut down its Laurentide Mill in 2014.The global market for specialty chemicals is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.7% within a forecast period from 2015 to 2023. This market is expected to reach US$871.5 bn by the end of 2016 and US$1,210.1 bn by the end of 2023.Buy Specialty Chemicals Market Research Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=2246<ype=S Asia Pacific is expected to consistently dominate the specialty chemicals market in terms of demand, owing to a largely agrarian population with a very high demand for agrochemicals. By the end of 2023, this region is expected to take up 54.4% of the market volume.The product segment of agrochemicals itself is otherwise showing a steady growth rate. It is expected to take up 13.5% of the market volume. Besides this, there is a high collective demand for specialty chemicals from water management, nutraceuticals, cosmetic chemicals, printing inks, feed additives, flavors and fragrances, and a few others. This collective segment is expected to take up 21.5% of the market volume by 2023.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 12:09:11

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Over 60% physicians are likely to prescribe penicillin and combinations to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), whereas a vast majority prescribe quinolones in their daily practice to treat complicated cases. A significant percentage of physicians also agreed that they prescribed nitrofurans to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections in female patients. FMIs survey also found that cephalosporin is the second-most common drug in the treatment of recurrent and complicated urinary tract infections.Request to View Sample of Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/REP-GB-1340 Prevalence of urinary tract infections is higher in females as compared to males, with biologic and behavioural factors accounting for the major causes. Development of this ailment due to genetic causes or urogenital surgery and Estrogen deficiency was minimal.FMIs survey also found that prevalence of uncomplicated URI was significantly higher than complicated-, recurring complicated UTIs. However, prevalence of complicated UTI is expected to increase in the future, owing to increase in drug-resistant bacteria and excessive use of antibiotics.The global urinary tract infection treatment market is expected to reach US$ 9.42 Bn in revenues. Complex regulatory requirements and low investment in research and development are some of the key factors for sluggish growth of the market. Clinical trials for designing antibacterial drugs are quite complex, owing to which a number of major companies have decreased their R&D spending on the development of new drugs. Moreover, UTI are not chronic like blood pressure or heart diseases and patients are symptom-free usually within 1-2 weeks of treatment, resulting into limited sales of the drugs. In addition to these factors, economic and regulatory hurdles are also restraining the growth of the urinary tract infection treatment market.Request for Table of Contents @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/1340 By drug type, quinolones account for the highest revenue share of the global urinary tract infection treatment market. This segment is expected to account for nearly 37.2% share of the global urinary tract infection treatment market revenues in 2016. This represents a market value of nearly US$ 3.5 Bn, up from US$ 3.43 Bn in 2015. Among quinolones, levofloxacin is the most sought-after drug type, representing nearly US$ 1.59 Bn in revenues in 2015. Penicillin and combinations is the second largest drug type, and is expected to total US$ 1.87 Bn in revenues.Retail pharmacies will continue to remain the largest segment in terms of distribution channel in 2016. This segment accounts for nearly 56.8% revenue share, representing a market value of US$ 5.35 Bn. Gynaecology and urology clinics collectively is the second largest segment by distribution channel.By disease indication, uncomplicated UTI will continue to dominate global revenues. This segment currently accounts for a revenue share of 52.7%, representing a market value of US$ 4.96 Bn in 2016. Neurogenic bladder infections, the second-largest segment by disease indication, is expected to increase by 2.30% in 2016.Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) will continue to be the leading market for urinary tract infections, with total revenues expected to reach US$ 3.46 Bn in 2016. Western Europe and North America will remain the second and third largest markets respectively.Key players operating in the urinary tract infection treatment market include Johnson & Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cipla Ltd., Bayer AG, GSK, Roche Ltd., Pfizer Inc., Novartis AG, and AstraZeneca plc. The key strategy of a majority of these key players is to expand in emerging markets and achieving inorganic growth through mergers and acquisitions.Buy Urinary Tract Infection Treatment Market Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1340 ABOUT USFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACTFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@ futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 12:37:17

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Demand for veterinary vaccines is witnessing an increase, as focus shifts from cure to prevention among farm- and pet- owners. The global pet humanisation trend is massively influencing demand for veterinary healthy products and services, and vaccines are riding on the coattails of this trend. The global veterinary vaccines market is anticipated to reach US$ 7.24 Bn in 2016, up from US$ 6.82 Bn in 2015.Focus on improving food security and mitigating the spread of contagious diseases will continue to fuel demand for veterinary vaccines. Increase in foodborne and zoonotic diseases has adversely affected animal production in the recent past, owing to which emphasis on maintaining health and well-being of animals has gained prominence.Request to View Sample of Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/REP-GB-409 On the basis of product type, attenuated live vaccines will continue to hold the leading revenue share, closely followed by inactivated vaccines. These two product segments accounted for nearly 47% revenue share of the market in 2015, and are expected to dominate global revenues in 2016 as well.By disease type, foot and mouth disease and anaplasmosis are the two largest segments, collectively accounting for over US$ 2.1 Bn in revenues in 2015. Canine parvovirus is another key disease type, contributing significant revenues to the global market.Veterinary clinics remain the most prominent distribution channel for veterinary vaccines, and accounted for nearly 40% revenue share of the market in 2015. Veterinary clinics sold US$ 2.74 Bn worth of veterinary vaccines in 2015, and this figure is expected to reach US$ 2.91 Bn in 2016.Request for Table of Contents @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/409 By animal type, livestock animals accounted for bulk of the demand for veterinary vaccines in 2015, and the status quo is anticipated to remain unchanged in the future as well. Companion animals are further segmented into canine, avian, and feline, of which, canine segment accounted for the bulk of the revenues in 2015.North America and Western Europe are the two largest markets for veterinary vaccines, collectively accounting for over 57% revenue share of the market in 2015. The market in North America is dominated by the U.S., which accounted for US$ 1.58 Bn in revenues in 2015. The Canada veterinary vaccines market is expected to surpass US$ 500 Mn in revenues in 2016. Outside of North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) are the leading markets for veterinary vaccines.Key players in the global veterinary vaccines market include Merial, Zoetis, Elanco, Merck & Co. Inc, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (BIVI), Bayer Pharma AG, Ceva, Virbac, Diamond Animal Healthcare (Heska) and Indian Immunological Ltd.Buy Veterinary Vaccines Market Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-409 ABOUT USFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACTFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@ futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 12:07:18

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Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Consumer health is one of the area which can more dramatically reshaped by the internet of things. Internet of things (IoT) medical devices or web connect medical devices have revolutionized the medical and healthcare industry in terms of delivering advanced and improved medical care thus leading to better clinical outcomes. Web connected medical devices offer tremendous benefits including remote monitoring with the use of sensors network, actuators and other mobile communication devices called as web connected medical devices. Web connected medical device is a cloud based technology wherein patients vital parameters transmitted to the cloud based platforms where it is stored, aggregated and analyzed.Request a sample of this report -Advantages of using web connecting technology includes timely management of the patients medical condition thus reducing the overall mortality rate, reduced clinics visits, reduced hospital and emergency admission. Leading manufacturers of the medical devices are increasingly taking advantage of internet of things (IoT) in order to deliver the solutions in more efficient manner. Various types of web connected medical devices that area currently in use in medical practice include, insulin pumps, asthma inhalers, pacemakers, glucose monitoring devices, infusion pumps, blood pressure monitors etc. One of the primary advantage of web connected medical devices is extended ability for continuous remote monitoring of the patient struggling with a chronic medical condition. Web connected medical devices allow care for pediatric and the older population group, deliver personal health and fitness management and chronic diseases management.As the geriatric population is increasing there is an immense need of delivering in home medical care not only to reduce unwanted hospital visits but also to align with consumers preferences in order to live healthy while allowing their independence at home. Furthermore, rising prevalence of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease such as heart failure, diabetes and hypertension and increasing number of obese population are boosting the demand for technologically advanced remote patient monitoring solutions. Web connected medical devices enhance self-care options capturing early signs of any medical condition, document patient engagement, and collect health-related data resulting in substantial savings for payers and patients.The global market for web connected medical devices is expected to grow in popularity as increasing number of hospitals leverage technologies in multiple ways so as to increase the efficiency. Several challenges in the integration of web connected medical devices is difficulty in managing diversity and interoperability of the medical device, issue with regards to the data integration, scaling, data volume and performance. Furthermore, lack of dedicated tools to secure the data and inadequate medical expertise and reluctance to adoption of such devices in the under developed countries are few of the factors hampering the market growth of web connected medical devices over the forecast period.Capability of assessing, monitoring and obtaining real time data of patient's medical condition, physiological parameters and activities, and in turn delivering precise care by collecting valuable data from patients and clinicians thus improving patient care and overall operations, is expected to boost the web connected medical device market in the near future.By product type, the global web-connected medical devices market is segmented into vital signs monitoring devices, medication monitoring devices, safety monitoring devices and activity monitoring devicesBy modality, the global web-connected medical devices market is segmented into wearable web-connected medical devices, and non-wearable web connected devices.By end, user the global web-connected medical devices market is segmented into, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, specialty clinics and home care settings.By regional presence, global web-connected medical devices market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America will continue to dominate the global web-connected medical devices market followed by Europe. Increasing The US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) efforts to encourage the leading medical device manufacturers of web connected medical devices to actively monitor their software for bugs is expected to fuel the market growth in the U.S. Therefore, in 2016 FDA issued guidelines outlining the web connected medical device security. Also, increasing efforts of medical device manufacturers to incorporate connectivity to their formally unconnected medical devices will further accelerate the market growth and for connected medical devices. Rapid adoption of mobile health technology and increasing health conscious population will drive the market growth in the near term. Also, countries like Brazil, Mexico, China, India and Japan have the largest patient pool with chronic medical condition thus driving the demand for web-connected medical devices. Hesitation with respect to the data privacy concerns and reluctance to spend on such devices is expected to hamper the market growth of web connected medical devices in African countries.Request a ToC of this report -Some of the major players operating in global web-connected medical devices market are Medtronic, Philips Healthcare (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), GE Healthcare (General Electric Company), St. Jude Medical, LLC, Omron Corporation and Smiths Group plc. Companies are involved in collaboration agreements for R&D to exploit maximum potential.
Winter Tires Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-17 06:24:38

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Winter Tires also known as snow tires are specialty tires with specific tread design appropriate for traction on snow and ice. These tires can be used in temperatures lower than 7 degree Celsius and are often equipped with metal or ceramic studs that jut out from the tires to further increase traction in condition of closely packed snow or ice. Different countries and regions across the globe have specific regulations for winter tires, and its usage, and govern the design and availability winter tires in that region.The global winter tires market is expected to expand with an impressive CAGR over the forecast period.Winter TiresMarket: Drivers & RestraintsThe major factors boosting the growth of Winter Tires market is rising growth in the automobile industry, particularly in countries with cold climates. With the growing number of automobiles for both personal and commercial uses, the market for Winter Tires grows hand in hand with vehicle production and is projected to grow on a positive scale in the upcoming years. Vehicles have become more of a commodity than a luxury product owing to higher disposable incomes of the consumers leading to higher demand for automobiles thereby directly influencing the growth of Winter Tires market. Almost all countries with cold climates are gradually mandating the usage of winter tires, amid safety concerns and fuel efficiency. Further many companies offer discount on insurance premiums for vehicles equipped winter tires, further driving people to prefer winter tires over conventional tires. Increasing number of stringent norms for the same is expected to drive the global winter tires market. Further, with increasing purchasing power of customers, demand for winter tires is increasing as many car owners are replacing their legacy tires with winter tires. Rapid Innovation by global tire manufacturers, in their winter tire offerings is also fuelling the sale of costlier products and driving more revenues in the global winter tires market.Request For Report Sample: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-4552 Winter TiresMarket: Market SegmentationThe Winter Tires Market is segmented on three factors, on the basis of stud presence, sales channel and in terms of vehicle type.Based on stud presence, the Winter Tires market is segmented into:StuddedStudlessBased on sales channel, the Winter Tires market is segmented into:OEMAfter MarketBased on vehicle type, the Winter Tires market is segmented into:Passenger CarsLight Motor VehiclesHeavy Motor VehiclesWinter Tires Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, Winter Tires market has been categorized into seven key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Western Europe is expected to be the global leader in terms of demand for winter tires, amid presence of countries such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, UK, and Iceland, which offer several incentives and impose certain regulations for the adoption of winter tires. Eastern Europe is also a prominent region, due to presence of snowy regions of Russia and Poland. In the US, incorporation and laws regarding winter tires is under states discretion, and many states are expected to mandate the use of winter tires in near future. Canada has high demand for winter tires in North America, and is expected to remain a prominent market through the forecast period. Further, China is expected to emerge as another important market for winter tire manufacturers due to increasing demand for vehicles in the countries cold regions. Japan is also a prominent market for winter tires, amid presence of some of the worlds most snowy cities. Middle East and Africa, however attracts niche demand for winter tires. In Latin America, Peru is expected to drive the demand for winter tires.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-4552 Winter Tires Market: Key PlayersSome of the players identified in Global Winter Tires market are:-Bridgestone CorporationCooper Tire & Rubber CompanyHangzhou Zhongce Rubber CO., LTD.Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co., Ltd.Continental AktiengesellschaftNexen Tire CorporationNokian Tyres plcPirelli & C. S.p.A.Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyThe Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Toyo Tire & Rubber CompanyHankook Tire Co. Ltd.N.V. Apollo Vredestein BeLux S.A.
Like a planned incident, last week, three stories were coincidentally published by different newspapers on this subject; one by this author, deepening the debate on the viability of the renewed push for oil exploration in the frontier basins in the North.

At the centre of the debate is still the prospect of a major oil find in the frontier basins.

Oppositionists insisted last week the search is wasteful because years of exploration have yielded nothing of interest to investors. One of them, a geologist and a former staff of an oil major, was elated by stories that confirmed his position. The frontier basins have nothing to offer, he repeated.

But the President of Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), Abiodun Adesanya, responds with an analogy of the search for the cure of diseases such as AIDS and major inventions, explaining that some could be long processes which improve over time until success is achieved.

While he worries that no conclusive evidence has been provided by oppositionists to prove that there is no oil in the North, he believes that science and available data support the need to continue the search.

It is an incontrovertible fact that the petroleum system has been established in the frontier basins, he says. This includes finding a source rock, reservoir rock and a conduit that links the two. Once these have been established, there is encouragement to drill for further examination. In the past some of these exercises were done in a hurry.

He finds collaboration in the Group General Manager Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, who explains that, oil exploration activities and operations, worldwide, are long term investments and efforts.

In some cases, it takes years to make a find. Making a find is not the issue but doing that in commercial and reasonable quantities. In the Chad Basin, for example, neighboring countries have struck oil. The search took them years.

In our portion of the Chad Basin, prospects of oil in commercial quantities are high and bright. Were it not for the security challenges there, NNPC would have gone far in its efforts. Imagine, we lost lives. And, it takes years to develop oil exploration personnel.

As regards, Benue Trough, Nassarawa and Benue states in particular, prospects for oil find are high. Oil exploration requires patience and understanding

Former Shell Expert

The former Shell Nigeria director and respected geologist, who had urged the country not to walk away from the Chad basin, added during the week that:The Basin tectonics of the place is irrefutable. The evidence of the opening and closing of the Benue Trough is there  the Andesites.

We dont even need to discuss the Chad Basin, the evidence is there across the border. BUT I said the sediment thickness and volcanic MAY go against us on our side. If we decide to close our eyes to the science because of political hatred, may God have mercy on us and forgive us.

The former director, had said last week that: Take Chad Basin: you have hydrocarbons on the Chad side but we have not been lucky to find them on our side in commercial quantities. Reason: sediment thickness, trapping conditions and geothermal history  looks like (emphasis mine) the volcanics that occurred in that trend (and there is evidence in the Biu area) may have resulted in over cooking and compromised the trapping. My conclusion: dont walk away from such a basin. Invest in solid high fidelity data acquisition and processing, followed by AND accompanied by okponku i.e. sound basin studies.

The same goes for Anambra basin  there the volcanics resulting from the failure of the opening of a sea linked to the Atlantic..and maybe the Mediterranean! (plate tectonics) may have over cooked the sediments there.

Politics

From the other side of the debate also comes the argument that the whole process has been politicized to score political points from a fruitless exercise. The Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and Head of Transparency International Nigeria, Auwal Musa, is reported to have said: We should not bring regional politics to everything that can benefit the entire country. The project has not been seen as a national effort to diversify revenue. If it is seen as something meant for national interest, I dont think there is the need for the Sokoto State governor or anyone to lobby. There are signals that it is going to favour one particular region.

A report was been made last week of the visits to and hosting of the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Maikanti Baru by some governors and the issues discussed as follows.

Benue: Recently in Makurdi, where he hosted Baru, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom enthused: Benue people would be excited to have such projects come to fruition, because the state and country stand to reap numerous economic benefits from the development.

Baru had assured him of oil exploration activities and biofuel projects in the state, expected to generate over one million direct and indirect jobs for the people of the state. According to him, Due to encouraging results of previous geological studies, basin modeling, aeromagnetic, ground gravity and surface geochemistry surveys, and success of ongoing acquisition of seismic data in the Benue Trough, will lead to the drilling of oil wells in the state.

He noted that a contractor, Integrated Data Services Ltd., IDSL, will be contracted to carry out a seismic acquisition campaign with heavy equipment where long cables would be laid with geophones; and pleaded for the protection of the equipment from vandals. Baru also appealed to Ortom to issue a C of O for hectares of land earmarked for the biofuel project enumerating its benefits to include about 63,000 tons of animal feed per year, 64 MW of electricity and 84 million litres of ethanol fuel yearly, among others.

ONDO: On the same day came reports of an earlier visit of Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu to the NNPC Twin Towers in Abuja for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU), to establish a 65,000 million litres per annum biofuel plant in Okeluse, Ondo State.

Mr. Baru, according to the statement, said the project is not fully an NNPC subsidiary and that some investors are also bringing in Foreign Direct Investment into the country for the project.

Governor Akeredolu expressed confidence that the biofuel project would take off for the benefit of the people of Ondo and the country in general.

NASARAWA: At a similar stakeholder engagement meeting in Lafia earlier, oil search in Nigerias inland basins received a boost following Barus announcement of the commencement of exploration activities in the Nasarawa States section of the Benue. He said the presidential mandate was driven by the urgent need for the country to increase its oil and gas reserves, thereby improving revenue streams and creating more business and employment opportunities for Nigerians. Governor Tanko Al-makura expressed delight over the oil search in his state and assured the NNPC of the state governments support and that of the people of the state.

SOKOTO: During the visit of Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to the Twin Tower, Baru said the corporation had commissioned a team to handle a similar mission in the Sokoto basin.We have been on the issue of exploration in the frontier basins and so far some measures of steps have been taken. We have already purchased aeromagnetic data and its being interpreted to determine the sedimentary thickness and the basin configuration, Mr. Baru said.

We have also awarded a contract for the geological mapping of the basin. I am happy to state here that samples have been collected, mapped, analyzed, and geological modeling executed to ensure data integration, he added.

He said discussions were ongoing with the NNPC subsidiary, Integrated Data Services Limited, to award contract for surface geochemistry, ground gravity and magnetics.

According to him, this was necessary to determine if hydrocarbon was generated in the basins and importantly, to integrate all data for understanding of petroleum systems in the basins.

In his remarks, the governor said historical records, which revealed the presence of huge deposits of hydrocarbon in the Sokoto Basin and the result of various studies carried out by government in the Sokoto Basin would be transferred to the NNPC to aid its exploration efforts.

Some industry experts are not worried by the political labeling. They say whatever name politicians give a scientific process should not discourage scientists from doing their work. In fact, according to NNPC, the countrys frontier basins include Chad, Anambra, Bida, Lagos/Dahomey, Gongola/Yola and Sokoto basins, as well as the Middle/Lower Benue Trough. They say the Corporation is also an active participant in offshore oil exploration.

Governments Participation

On the active participation of NNPC in the search, experts respond with the example of Ghana, which also explains the need for persistence in oil exploration. According to records, hydrocarbon exploration in Ghana began in 1896 but it was not until 2007 that a major find was made.

It was started by the West Africa Oil and Fuel Company (WAOFCO) who drilled in the area of Half-Asini. They were followed by the Societe Francaise de Petrole, who began drilling in 1909, although exploration in the country between 1896 to 1967 was intermittent.

Major and sustained exploration activity started with the formation of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) in 1985 and has continued until today. Ghanas first petroleum law, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Law was passed in 1983, and in 1987 the enactment of the Petroleum Income Tax Law, again by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC),government provided a separate tax regime for the petroleum sector.

Between the years 1983 and 1989, the GNPC concluded several agreements with a number of foreign firms, and in 1989 the countrys first and only refinery at Tema (as of 2011) underwent its first major rehabilitation.

In June 2007, the GNPC announced a significant discovery of light oil offshore at the Jubiliee Field, together with partners Tullow Oil and Komos Energy. According to Tullow Oil, it was one of the biggest oil finds in Africa in recent times. The Jubilee field began producing in December 2010, and is estimated to hold 1.5 billion barrels of oil. In January 2012 Tullow Oil Plc., the lead company in Ghanas oil production, is expected to begin production at the Jubilee oil field for 2012 to average between 70,000 and 90,000 barrels per day (bpd).

In July 2011 it was announced that Italian firm, Eni, had discovered gas and condensate.

Indeed just like the involvement of GNPC in the oil search in Ghana, Adesanya believes there is nothing wrong about NNPCs active involvement in preparatory work in the frontier basins. It is just like marketing any product. To attract the private sector, NNPC has to provide convincing evidence of oil in the frontier basins, and I believe that is what they are doing.

Timing

According to a report, the co-founder, Sustainability School, Lagos, and Associate Lecturer, Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law (CPEEL), University of Ibadan, Dr. Olufemi Olarewaju, and others are worried about the timing of the push. He says while the chances of oil discovery in the inland basins, especially in the north cannot be ruled out, the bigger question is whether the timing is in the best interest of the country.

Others in this school of thought of less oil demand in future because of the high taste for renewables, believe that the country should rather maximize the production of existing reserves and forget about the search.

However, drawing from the Parable of Talents, some industry experts believe the same argument justifies the exploration and exploitation of all hydrocarbon resources as quickly as possible before they become so useless that the land in which they are found will be more valuable than the hydrocarbon.

NNPCs Assurance

Baru used the opportunity of the meeting with NAPE and a visit to Nasarawa last month to assure the nation that they are not on a wild goose chase. He expressed confidence that the aggressive exploration of the inland basins, being driven by the corporation, would soon yield success with hydrocarbon finds in commercial quantity.

According to him, based on preliminary results from the exploration activities in the inland basins so far, especially the Benue Trough, there was a strong indication that commercial quantity oil and gas finds would soon be made.

Mr. Baru disclosed that preliminary results from the exploration activities in the inland basins so far had shown that there could be commercial quantity of oil and gas finds soon, in the Benue Trough especially.

He said almost 400 square kilometres of 3D seismic data had been acquired in the part of the Benue Trough that was earlier explored by SNEPCO, while similar work would be extended to areas previously explored by Chevron and Total.

We are targeting these areas because we have seen that some of what they have done have some prospects; it is only that they did not drill deep enough. They also did not target the areas we believe, from the review of the seismic data, would have culminated into a find. So, we are reinvigorating that and soon we are going to start drilling some of the leads that we have seen to ascertain what prospects there are. And as we have pointed out, there is an indication that we could find some hydrocarbon. We believe that in the nearest future, hydrocarbon will be found in commercial quantity, he explained.

Bisi, a journalist and author, worked in two multinational oil companies
Veteran Nigerian comedian, Moses Olaiya, popularly known as Baba Sala, is currently down with stroke and urgently needs financial assistance.

His health condition came to the fore at a press briefing organised in Lagos on Friday to shed light on his biography due for presentation on December 4.

The book, The Triumph of Destiny, which was co-authored by Babatunde Akinola, Collins Oyedokun, and Kunle Ajani, will be presented in Lagos.

The comedian, who sank into the background after enjoying patronage and limelight for decades, spoke with difficulty at the event.

He not only looked frail and breathed with difficulty at the event, he could barely walk, as two people supported him to the venue.

He noted, I need help. Nigerians should help me. I am not dead yet, they should not let me die suffering.

Although he is 80, his family, including one of his wives, Funmi, said the octogenarian was not suffering from old age but lack of funds for medical treatment.

His first son, Dele Adejumo, told the gathering that circumstances and poor management had wrecked all his fathers investments.

Baba Sala was one of the first Nigerian filmmakers to be affected negatively by the activities of movie pirates.

His first movie, Orun Mooru released in 1982, was pirated and affected him adversely.

He said then, Initially, we did it on 36mm and later reduced it to 16mm. This film, unknown to us, was dubbed by some wicked people and pirated as original. I had never experienced such a disappointment in my life. I was shocked to the marrow and only God knew how I survived paralysis at this period. I was cheated and left shattered. For the realisation of this dream, I had gone to borrow over N1.5 million from a bank to see me through the business. You can imagine how much that translates to in the present day, I automatically became indebted, and I sold most of my properties to settle the debt.

Mr. Adejumo listed the Awada Spot in Ibadan; Alawada Standard Hotel, Ilesha; Alawada Records, Ibadan; and Ibukun Alawada Photo magazine as some of his fathers investments which had to be sold off.

He said, He has investments but they have all been wrecked by mismanagement. He also had a three-storey building in Mushin, Lagos, which he had to sell to offset debt incurred when his work, Orun Mooru, was pirated. We still have some of his recorded works not in public yet but machines that will be used to transform them to an acceptable format are not easily available. We do not have the kind of money they are charging us.

We have been told that baba needs a lot of money for medical treatment abroad. He is suffering from a stroke and other ailments. There are many people of his age who are not like this. We are trying our best as family members. We take him to the teaching hospital weekly but he needs proper medical attention.

Shedding light on the book, Mr. Oyedokun said, The book chronicles the pride of place that Baba Sala acquired for himself in the Nigerian theatre industry as the first comedian and consummate entertainer. It captures the antecedents and essence of the creative energies of a comical trailblazer.

Regarded as the father of modern Yoruba comedy, Baba Sala, alongside other dramatists like Hubert Ogunde, Kola Ogunmola, Oyin Adejobi and Duro Ladipo, popularised theatre and television acting in Nigeria.

A prolific filmmaker, Baba Sala started his career in show business as a highlife musician in 1964 with a group known as the Federal Rhythm Dandies.

He tutored and guided the Juju maestro, King Sunny Ade, who was his lead guitarist at the time.
Saudi authorities are striking agreements with some of those detained in an anti-corruption crackdown, asking them to hand over assets and cash in return for their freedom, sources said.

According to the sources familiar with the matter, the deals involve separating cash from assets like property and shares, and looking at bank accounts to assess cash values, one of the sources told Reuters.

Dozens of princes, senior officials and businessmen, including cabinet ministers and billionaires, have been detained in the graft inquiry at least partly aimed at strengthening the power of Crown Prince Mohammed Salman.

These include billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the kingdoms most prominent businessmen.

The source said one businessman had tens of millions of Saudi riyals withdrawn from his account after he signed.

In another case, a former senior official consented to hand over ownership of four billion riyals worth of shares.

The Saudi government on Monday moved from freezing accounts to issuing instructions for expropriation of unencumbered assets or seizure of assets, said a second source familiar with the situation.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government on the deals and the sources declined to be identified because these agreements are not public.

Reuters could not immediately verify a Financial Times report that in some cases the government is seeking to appropriate as much as 70 per cent of suspects wealth to channel hundreds of billions of dollars into depleted state coffers.

A third source familiar with the matter said if people are willing to return ill-gotten gains then their punishment will be time served in the Ritz Carlton hotel, where they are being detained.

The Saudi authorities have help from international auditors, investigators and people with experience in tracing assets.

One of the sources said bank representatives are on hand to execute the decisions immediately.

Saudi authorities have said they have questioned 208 people in an anti-corruption investigation and estimate at least 100 billion dollars has been stolen through graft, an official said as the inquiry expanded beyond the kingdoms borders into the United Arab Emirates.

Those detained include other high-profile businessmen such as Mohammad al-Amoudi, whose wealth is estimated by Forbes at 10.4 billion dollars, with construction, agriculture and energy companies in Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia; and finance and healthcare magnate Saleh Kamel, whose fortune is seen at 2.3 billion dollars.

Bankers and consultants had told Reuters that Riyadh may strike deals with detained tycoons and princes that in effect legalise their fortunes in exchange for a share of their money.

(Reuters/NAN)
Peggy Dulany Rockefeller, the founder of Synergos Institute, has worked in the past five decades on issues of philanthropy globally, over three decades of which has been as the Chair of Synergos, a global non-profit organisation bringing people together to solve complex problems of poverty, and to serve as catalyst for creating opportunities for individuals and their communities to thrive.

A fourth child of David Rockefeller and Margaret McGrath, and also a fourth generation of the American Rockefeller family, who has led some of the Rockefeller family charities, her organisation, Synergos Institute, has made very critical interventions in the Nigerian agricultural space in the past three years.

It has not only created critical linkages for partnerships among all the stakeholders in the sector, but has been at the centre of innovation in producing livestock feeds from cassava waste, in a manner poised to assist in resolving some of the violent tensions between farmers and herders running through many communities in Nigeria.

On her first visit to Nigeria to attend the Diversity Dialogue 2017 Nigerian Women in Agribusiness Stakeholders Dialogue, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Technoserve Nigeria and the Synergos Institute, she spoke to Secretary to the Editorial Board, Ololade Bamidele, on her work and mission in Nigeria.

PT: Please, could you give a context to your work with Synergos? What actually built into the founding of the organisation?

Dulany: I founded Synergos thirty years ago. When I was between ages of 17 and 19, I had the chance to live in Brazil and the opportunity to work in a couple of the favelas or squatter settlements, and study rural migrants come into the city. After about a year doing this, I began to see that those squatters had the most initiative, will and creativity to get out of poverty. But in those years in Brazil, there was no connection to government, to private resources, to sources of education, etc. And so from a very early age, I was left with the impression that everything could be resolvable if there could be connections between those suffering the problems and those trying to work on them.

But in those days, the approaches were very TopDown, and there was no effort to involve people in their own solutions. So, fast forward about 20 years, I began to work on something called the New York City Partnership, which was an effort to bring government, business, trade unions, universities, NGOs to work together on New Yorks economic and social problems. I did that for five years and it was a very interesting experience but I learned one mistake that we made: The participants in this were all the top levels of each of those expert groups; so again, it was not consultative. They were thinking on behalf of the people but not consulting them.

At that point, I wanted to go back to my international roots in Brazil  later in Mexico and also in the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa. I was very connected to the frontline states in those years. So, I wanted to test the idea that maybe partnerships, mainly inclusive partnerships, that included the opinions and the involvement of the poor themselves would be possible in terms of getting people to join forces to solve problems collaboratively. Well, I think I might have miscalculated by about 20 years, because although people sounded interested, I think they actually didnt know what it would involve. And I am not sure I knew what it would involve; I just had this idea. So we brought together a brain trust of people  activists, NGOs, ex-government officials, some business leaders from all over the world, to help us begin to think through what could be done to get people to work together.

So the first thing that came up was, there were no institutions that had the convening power at all levels in all sectors of society that could do that. Because we tried in Ghana, in Zimbabwe and in Brazil to form some initial partnerships, but the only one that really got grounding was in Brazil, and that was because we had a leader who later became a minister in government. But she was a lowly NGO leader at that time, who had the mentality of reaching out across divides to bring people together, and she had a personality that could do that. In the other two countries, the timing wasnt right yet.

Her name is Ronda Engel and she later became minister of social development and she was the originator of the conditional cash transfer in Brazil, which has now happened in many other countries. And she really recognised that you have to work with the national government, if its a big problem like education or childrens rights. You have to work at the national level, at the state level and at the local level. So she puts together councils at each of those levels around the issues that she was working on. So this was a great inspiration to us at Synergos.

About 12 years ago, we were invited by the government of Maharashtra in India  it has a population of 100 million and it had a child malnutrition rate of 40 percent, which all of India had at a time  to collaborate with UNICEF and the company Unilever, and the state government and NGOs to try to bring down the rate of child malnutrition. And that was when we really began to get some traction. Because what we realised was that you have to bring together all the different stakeholders and this was difficult because none of them trusted each other. You have to go through a process of helping them build trust, and the way we did that initially was to divide them into diverse groups of five and take them across the state to observe together what the nature of the problem was. And this was the origin of our taking a systems approach to problems, and so it wasnt just somebody up here saying, Child nutrition is because we dont have food or its because we have too much corruption or not enough micro nutrients. Its not any one thing.

So, by spending those five days together, they began to see the problems through each others eyes and began to trust each other and empathise with the different places they were coming from. So when they all came together as a group, they were already bonded, and that was the basis for the drop in severe stunting from 39 per cent to 23 per cent over a six-year period, which no other state in India, and no other country in the world, had actually achieved at that time. So it really demonstrated the importance of interpersonal trust building, which is part of our approach, and which is a little bit different in most development approaches.

PT: What sorts of interventions were you seeking to make when you set out in founding Synergos?

Dulany: What we wanted to do was to get the proof of concept. We wanted to work in different regions in the world so people wouldnt say maybe it will work in Philippines but wouldnt work in South Africa. We wanted to work on different sensitive problems, because we are not the technical experts in any of these problems, whether education, maternal mortality, agriculture; we are not the people who know about the substance; you can always find those in the countries. We are the experts on the process of convening and facilitating; the bringing together of people and then building their capacity to become what we call bridging leaders. So that is why we started out and we worked on the basis of being invited in. We only worked where some group in a country invited us in because you cant force yourself on somebody.

PT: What actually led to your focus of work in Africa, particularly in Nigeria?

Dulany: First of all, I have to say that I have a great love for Africa and a long history since 1984 of coming to the continent, although that time mostly Southern Africa. I have a strong bias but that couldnt be what affected us. And I also have lots of connections in Africa, so it is easier for someone to invite you if they know you. So our work in South Africa and Namibia was because I was trusted by the new governments, and so they were willing to take the risk of inviting us. But then it became one huge success in Namibia with bringing down the rate of maternal mortality. Then the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation began to take notice and they were about to embark on a big agricultural initiative in Ethiopia, and they invited us to participate in that. And this was actually at the request of President Meles Zenawi, who later died.

So, he asked them to help, and they asked us to be one of the implementers. And in a way the same thing happened in Nigeria: Bill Gates talked with the Ministry of Agriculture, which requested their support, and having seen the work we did with local people in Ethiopia, the Gates Foundation invited us to join them. And I would say that over time, our team here has managed to build trust and so they keep asking us for different things, which we then do our best to support in collaboration.

PT: How do you relate and respond to Nigeria within the frame of the generally global negative view of the country? How do you actually see Nigeria?

Dulany: This is my second day here. But I have always heard about Nigeria and I have heard about the energy, the cultural diversity; of course, I knew about the oil boom, and how that had a down side to it. I have also heard about the corruption. So, I try not to just look at one element, and what I have seen since we started working here is there are people in every sector and we find this in every country.

There are allies in every sector  in the government, in the private sector, in the civil society. So, we seek out those allies, and what I am seeing is that more and more people are recognising that the dependence on oil was a bubble, and it isnt going to last. And that if Nigeria is growing at the rate that it is growing, there will have to be a real shift in agriculture so that the country can support itself and even become an exporter. So, Im filled with hope with what I see with the possibilities; and seeing this young people at this meeting today, passionately convinced that agriculture has to be a future in their lives which is a key ingredient, because I heard here today that the average age of farmers are 65. There has to be a shift, so that young people really see that there are potentials, not only for higher income but also for exciting new innovations.

PT: When one looks at the global march of innovation, in terms of the way human society is actually progressing  for instance we are already said to be on the boundaries of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, what do you think will constitute the potentials for Africas survival in this sort of new world order?

Dulany: First of all, Africa has already skipped a whole generation of home phones into mobile technology. I mean the uses of mobile phone technology, including for farmers, is incredible in Africa. So, I think thats really good that it didnt try to just follow the steps of industrialisation,

Secondly, the human resources are also incredible. There has to be a more inclusive method of making sure that more people in this country have access to education and technology, no matter what area they end up in.

Thirdly, again with regard to agriculture: because of the advances of mobile technology, I think this is going to appeal to young people who are so adept at using technology. They are going to bring things that I couldnt even imagine into the evaluation of soil; into organic ways of restoring the soil, so that carbon is sequestered in the soil and is not just going out of it into the atmosphere  which is not just Nigerias problem, but one we all need to address collectively.

So, I have a hopeful outlook, even though I know Nigeria is facing a huge challenge of population growth and how the country is even going to feed people, much more educate and create jobs for them.

PT: Do you think Africa and Nigeria should concentrate more on agriculture going into the future?

Dulany: I think Africa will have to focus on many things. We happen to be focused at the moment on the nexus between agriculture, nutrition, education and health, because those four taken together, are going to determine the skills level, the nutritional level and the educational level of the next generations coming up, who are going to determine whether the country will thrive or just be surviving.

PT: Why do you think there is the concerted attention of global philanthropy on Nigeria? What actually drives that?

Dulany: Nigeria, for all its problems, is an incredibly entrepreneurial society. So if anybody can solve its problems, it will be Nigerians. But in some cases there are resource needs, and I would suspect that some of the institutional funders are both seeing the problem of a growing population, and the need to solve problems like health and agriculture. But they are also banking on the creativity and entrepreneurship of the Nigeria people to work with them on the solutions.

PT: To look at it another way: Is it that western-oriented philanthropy is trying to find a way of helping to resolve the tensions here so that some of the push effects of migration can actually be dealt with at the home front?

Dulany: That will be probably half realistic, half cynical as an interpretation. In other words, I think those who are genuinely concerned with Nigeria are really focused on what Nigerias problems are. However, it could be that some Europeans are very worried about the influx of migration, which isnt so much about Nigeria now than other countries but it could become more Nigerian.

PT: Could there be any reason why this is your first time in Nigeria, considering the volume of work your organisation has already done on the ground?

Dulany: I know and Im so embarrassed about this. First of all, we have only been here for about three years and we are spread so thin all over the globe. Our Country Director here, Adewale Ajadi, has been looking for the right moment with enough time to organise events such as this happening today and a few others we will have this week, so as to make the best use of my time. But now that I have come its going to be trouble keeping me away from Nigeria!

PT: What motivates your interest in diversity and how much of a perspective do you think it forms in fixing Nigerian agriculture?

Dulany: I will say not only Nigerian agriculture but also Nigeria, because my personal perspective, having grown up in New York, which is a completely diverse culture, which I love, is that diversity can be such a positive thing  the diversity of culture, background, even of belief. In a democratic society, it is possible to manage those differences and to appreciate them. So thats the very positive side. The other aspect that I hope we would be able to provide some support in, is that in some cases  as you know  diversity of one kind or another has led to conflicts; and in the case of agriculture, we are talking about between farmers and pastoralists, through which some of the conflicts that have come up.

In other cases, in poorer areas, it may be competition over water or over land. So, it is really essential that we come up with creative, innovative solutions that will allow the tensions, which really dont have to do with ethnic differences but which have to do with scarcity, to be doused. If we can help resolve the scarcity and support the positive elements of the diversity, then that will be a small contribution to the large issues that Nigeria is facing.

PT: Yours is quite an interesting methodology that looks at arts and humanity in a manner that offers insight into problems of agriculture. What informs this source of eclecticism and broad outlook on solving complex problems of poverty?

Dulany: Thirty years of trying. I mean I would have to say that about every ten years, we have an evolution into a new aspects and the latest one is this part about personal reflection for social change; to have each of us have less fear, build more trust and become more creative together in solving problems. So, we feel we have developed something of a secret source that enables us to come to use the technical, the heart, the inter-cultural, etc., to come to a more lasting, scalable solution to whatever problem the people in the countries we are working in are facing.

PT: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the range of activities you are engaged in, considering that you have operated at some of the highest levels of philanthropy in the world and of non-profit organisations, on whose boards you have served or which you still lead?

Dulany: Maybe in part because of my family background, I have been invited to be on the board of a number of NGOs, foundations and a couple of businesses. I feel that, first of all, good governance is a very important part of getting an institution  whether it is philanthropy, for profit or non profit  to succeed; so that is why I have agreed to do them. I also believe that with the growing movement of philanthropy around the world  not only in the U.S. or Europe, but in Nigeria, for example  that there is a real opportunity for people who have made a lot of money to bring all of themselves, not just the money they put in their foundations, to solve problems. They have influence, they have connections, they usually have a good education, so they have some skills; as such, in a way they are the venture capital of social change.

They can afford to put money into risk  trying out new things. They dont have to be counting every penny, even though it is very important that philanthropists look at monitoring and evaluation, and the impacts of their investments. So, that it why I have put a lot of time into working with philanthropists, to engage them, to expose them to different problems, different solutions, different countries, so that they find their passion, and that they apply their skills and everything else to the problems they are trying to solve.

PT: You have two degrees in education. Was there anything about the degrees that you took that informed what you subsequently did?

Dulany: I told you about my experience in Brazil before going to graduate school. So, that was stuck on my mind: How do we get people to connect? I looked at how the youth adapt to change, and in a way it is very similar to what we are doing in Synergos in different countries. You have a problem and you have people who have different perspectives; how do you get them to adapt, connect and then create the change they want to see? So it is with a different age group often, but its the same principles of: How do we open ourselves up to be our most confident but humble, our most trusting, and having the most gratitude and love, frankly, and how you bring all of these to the table to solve problems. And that followed from my great love of working in public schools with young kids or adolescents, all the way into my international work.
Following investigations by Italian prosecutors to discover what led to the death of 26 Nigerian women found on a Spanish warship in early November, post-mortem examinations on the bodies confirmed they almost all drowned at sea, Italian news agencies reported Wednesday.

According to the autopsy carried out in Salerno in southern Italy, 25 of the females died of asphyxiation in the water, when the inflatable dinghy they were travelling on sank.

Reports further revealed that one female suffered a wound to her liver, two of the dead were pregnant and the autopsies found no recent trace of physical or sexual violence.

The bodies of the victims were found on Spanish military ship and brought to Italy on November 3 after two separate rescue operations. In both cases, dozens of other migrants, mostly men, were also rescued after they tried to cross to Europe from Libya.

Family members, who survived the disaster, have identified some of the victims and investigators managed to contact relatives of others after discovering phone numbers inside the victims clothing.

Funerals for the 26 will take place on Friday in Salerno, where a day of mourning has been declared.

A white rose will be placed on each coffin, while smaller roses will be placed for the two unborn children.

According to Italys interior ministry, more than 111,700 people have reached the country by sea in the first 10 months of 2017, a decrease of 30 per cent from the same period last year. The UN has said 80 per cent of young Nigerian women arriving in Italy are already in the clutches of prostitution networks, or quickly fall under their control.

The Nigerian Foreign Ministry had described the loss of the females, believed to be teenagers as a monumental loss and a sad moment for our country and called for an international investigation into the incident.
Leaders of Zimbabwes ruling ZANU-PF party are meeting on Friday to draft a resolution to dismiss President Robert Mugabe at the weekend, a senior party source said.

The source said the leaders will lay the ground for his impeachment on Tuesday if Mr. Mugabe refused to stand down.

There is no going back, the source told Reuters. If he becomes stubborn, we will arrange for him to be fired on Sunday. When that is done, its impeachment on Tuesday.

Zimbabwes military said it was engaging President Robert Mugabe in talks on the way forward for the country and that it would advise the nation on the outcome as soon as possible.

The military added in a statement broadcast on Zimbabwean television that it had made significant progress in its operation targeting criminals around Mugabe.

NAN reports that on Thursday, Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai urged President Robert Mugabe to resign in the interest of the country after the military seized power.

Mr. Mugabe is insisting he remains Zimbabwes only legitimate ruler and has balked at mediation by a Catholic priest to allow the 93-year-old former guerrilla a graceful exit after a military coup, sources said on Thursday.

In the interest of the people, Robert Mugabe must resign and step down immediately, Mr. Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, told a news conference, reading from a statement.

Earlier, the political opposition in Zimbabwe called for the intermediate installation of an interim government, a day after a surprise military takeover.

At the moment the transitional government is the best way to go, said Douglas Mwonzora, Secretary-General of Morgan Tsvangirais MDC-T party.

We back the military move but the country should quickly go back a constitutional government.

Armoured vehicles that were stationed at key government buildings during the political upheaval on Wednesday remained in place.

The soldiers appeared relaxed, even smiling and chatting with onlookers.

Most people were going about their daily business and children went to school.

Special envoys sent by South African President, Jacob Zuma, were holding discussions on Mr. Mugabes fate with Zimbabwes leaders.

Officials from the Southern African Development Community were also meeting in Botswanas capital Gaborone later Thursday to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.

What is needed is an inclusive government to run the affairs of Zimbabwe until a time it is right to have elections, said Didymus Mutasa, a longtime minister in Mr. Mugabes government, who was fired in 2014 for backing Joice Mujuru as the presidents successor.

Jacob Mafume, a spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Tendai Biti, said that any interim government should be inclusive of all the stakeholders including the church and all parties.

While the army has said Mr. Mugabe is safe, there were mixed reports in the media about his wife Grace Mugabes whereabouts, with some saying she had fled the country.

Speculation had been growing before the coup that 52-year-old Grace was preparing to take over from her husband.

The potential ascendency appears to have faced resistance from senior military officials.

There was an uneasy calm on the streets of Harare, after initial jubilation on Wednesday when the army announced it had seized control from Mugabe, 93, who had been in power almost four decades.

Several Mugabe allies from his Zanu-PF party, including Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo, have been detained, while some political players have been swift to show the army theyre on side.

A grovelling apology by Zanu-PF youth leader, Kudzai Chipanga, who had criticised the army only hours before, was published by state media late Wednesday.

We are still young and make mistakes, Mr. Chipanga said, adding that he was making his apology voluntarily and had not been coerced.

I have personally reflected and realised my mistake, Mr. Chipanga added.

(Reuters/NAN)
A former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.

A source at the EFCC told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Anyim, who also served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation in the Goodluck Jonathan administration, was invited on Friday and was still at the commissions office in Abuja as at press time.

Mr. Anyim is being questioned for his role in the alleged mismanagement of ecological fund while in office as SGF, among other matters, our source said.

ECOLOGICAL FUND SHORTFALL

While serving as SGF in 2012, Mr. Anyim was linked to shortfalls of about N396 billion in the Ecological Funds deductions.

Subsequently, he was invited by the Senate Committee on Special Duties and House Committee on Environment to provide details of how money for the Ecological Fund office was spent but he never showed up in any of the committees.

The report by the house committee reads, the Statement of Affairs presented by the Accountant General indicates that 1.46 percent was used in calculating inflows into the fund from January 2003 to December 2003.

This according to the statement was later reviewed downward to 1 percent from January 2004 to June 2012, in complete violation of the provision of the Federation Account Act which provides for 2 percent.

The report also notes N93.8 billion was transferred from the Ecological Fund Account to Consolidated Revenue Fund (CFR) and Federation Account to fund the acceleration of capital budget advances to states and local governments to meet shortfalls and funding of 2009 as well as Third Quarter Development Funds Warrant etc.

The House report said of the amount, only N50 billion was paid back leaving a shortfall of N43.7 billion unpaid.

The submissions under review also indicated that a total loan of N60,750,000,000.00 was taken from the Ecological Fund Account by both the Federal and State Governments for purposes not related to Ecological problems, the report also stated. Of this loan, only N30.5 billion was repaid, the report states.

The failure of Mr. Anyim and the then Environment Minister, Hadiza Mailafia, to appear before the Senate committee halted further probe into how the funds were being spent.

THE CENTENARY PROJECT PROBE

The arrest of the former SGF is also believed to be linked to his alleged involvement in fraud in the execution of the multi-billion dollars Centenary City Project.

The Centenary City Project was initiated by former President Jonathan to mark the 100 years of amalgamation of Nigerias Southern and Northern protectorate by Britain.

Mr. Anyim was alleged to own about 3, 000 acres of land at the centenary city.

In February, Mr. Anyim had appeared before the House of Representatives to answer questions on why the 1, 267 hectares project was owned by two companies, Basic Start Limited and Company First Limited.

After a heated argument at the floor of the House of Representatives, he walked out on the lawmakers after rejecting Herman Hembe chairman of the hearing.

The centenary city, estimated to cost $18.3 billion, was supposed to be a private project, but was later discovered to have been diverted for personal gains, the House committee said in its report.

The report indicted Mr. Anyim and recommended that he alongside a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed; and two directors of the centenary city, Paul Oki and Boma Ozobia, be investigated by anti-graft agencies.

The chambers prayer was in upheld in September when an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court dismissed an application seeking the nullification of the report.

Delivering his judgement, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba said the arguments of the plaintiff that they were not given the right of fair hearing lacked merit, and was not reason enough to dismiss the findings of the report.

Also, a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Cairo Ojougboh, in 2015 demanded the investigation of Mr. Anyim over his alleged roles in the creation of the centenary city, in 2014.

According to a petition addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Ojougboh said Nigeria had no equity in the project, alleging that Mr. Anyim owned the 3000 acres of land used for the execution of the said project.

Efforts to reach Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC spokesperson, were unsuccessful as at the time of this report.
The Nigerian government has allocated N1.03 billion to the State House Medical Centre for its recurrent and capital expenditure in the 2018 budget estimates, representing a huge slash compared to the facilitys budgets in the last three years.

According to the breakdown of the budget, the proposed total recurrent expenditure for the clinic is N331 million and the total cash to be expended for capital projects is N698 million.

In the breakdown of the recurrent/overhead expenditure for 2018, N208 million was pegged for the purchase of drugs and supplies, N14 million for uniforms and other clothings and N11 million will be spent for local travel and transport including training. This excludes other expenses.

In the capital expenditure profile, N408 million was budgeted for the purchase of health and medical equipment for the facility, N146 million for the completion of the dental wing extension and N120 million for construction of two blocks of 24 units three bedroom flats, all which are ongoing projects.

The clinic in 2015, 2016 and 2017 budgets was allocated N3.94 billion, N3.87 billion and N3.2 billion respectively.

It is not yet clear how much was eventually released in these years.

The clinic, which is meant to cater for the health of the president, vice president, their families and other employees in the presidency, was recently in the news over allegations of mismanagement and lack of essential drugs and facilities.

Aisha Buhari, the wife of the president, also accused the hospital management of not taking care of the facility in spite all the allocations to the hospital.

Mrs. Buhari called for a probe of the hospital management saying the facility lacked basic amenities.

She said though there was no single syringe in the hospital, there were various construction projects going on.

What is the purpose of the building if there are no equipment there to work? she had queried.

Many Nigerians have also criticised the use of the funds deployed to the clinic over the years which they say were not reflected in the quality of facilities it has.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported last year that the amount budgeted for the hospital in the proposed budget was more than what was budgeted for all the 16 federal teaching hospitals in the country.

The management of the clinic however said that between 2015 to 2017, the facility only received N1.2 billion as funds for expenditure.

The Chief Medical Director, Hussain Munir, in defense of the poor state of the facility said the president was aware of the poor funding of the hospital, citing a letter written to Mr. Buhari on August 22, 2016.

According to him, the hospital was poorly funded and this affected the provision of basic necessities.

He said of the N290.4 million approved for the purchase of drugs and consumables for the hospital in 2017, only N29 million was spent.

The management of the hospital called for commercialisation of its operations since it could not provide the necessary services for which it was established.
The federal government has set up a ministerial committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of 26 teenage Nigerian migrant girls found dead in the Mediterranean early November.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the girls were found on a Spanish ship and eventually buried in Italy by authorities there on Friday after an autopsy. The autopsy found that the victims died of drowning.

According to the autopsy carried out in Salerno in southern Italy, 25 of the females died of asphyxiation in the water, when the inflatable dinghy they were travelling on sank.

Reports further revealed that one female suffered a wound to her liver, two of the dead were pregnant and the autopsies found no recent trace of physical or sexual violence.

The bodies of the victims were found on Spanish military ship and brought to Italy on November 3 after two separate rescue operations. In both cases, dozens of other migrants, mostly men, were also rescued after they tried to cross to Europe from Libya.

According to a statement from the presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has kept it sights on the issue and had briefed the Presidency on a regular basis since the time the tragic incident came to limelight.

The statement said the government committee is expected to also examine the reports of incidents of the sale of Nigerian citizens through slavery and report to the Federal Executive Council within week.

The committee has as members the ministers of Women Affairs, Youths, Foreign Affairs; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora. The committee is chaired by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the federation.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, told reporters that he was aware of the setting up of the committee.

Nigerians, have, however, continued to criticise the governments response to the tragedy on Twitter.

Many Nigerians questioned if the federal government sent a representative to the burial. The presidencys statement was silent on that question..

See the reactions by some Nigerians below.

Dear @AsoRock could you confirm whether or not you had an Embassy representative at the funeral of the 26 Nigerian women in Salerno this morning? I cant get an answer from Embassy staff. Thank you.  Paraic OBrien (@paraicobrien) November 17, 2017

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If you want to see Aso Rocks attention kill a cow, touch a soldiers chest or carry Biafran flag.  Kenyan Professor (@ManiPeters) November 17, 2017

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SHAME ON BUHARI AND HIS THIEVES. A NIGERIAN LIFE IS MORE VALUABLE THAN THIS WORLD! BUT BUHARI IS AN INSENSITIVE PERSON  Anslem Ozor (@tellanslem) November 17, 2017

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Hi @bukolasaraki could you confirm whether or not you had an Embassy representative at the funeral of the 26 Nigerian women in Salerno this morning? I cant get an answer from Embassy staff. Thank you.  Paraic OBrien (@paraicobrien) November 17, 2017

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HOW AND WHY WILL @bukolasaraki ANSWER? HE IS A NATIONAL THIEF  Anslem Ozor (@tellanslem) November 17, 2017

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In response to those who asked, I did not see any official Nigerian representative at the ceremony today for 26 women pic.twitter.com/mQGpdTdx6Q  Trisha Thomas (@TrishaThomasAP) November 17, 2017

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To them. Tinubus dead son is greater than the 26 women  Lollipop Legs (@Sir_SeaMan) November 17, 2017

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Thank you Italy 

For giving our women a decent burial Their government is still blaming them for their hopelessness in death

Despite failing them Thank you once more Italy https://t.co/TtN4qqj1av  YOUR DADDYs MAIN CHIC (@Babypeng_) November 17, 2017

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If these women had done something remarkable, Nigeria would have sent close to 269 delegates from their local govt, state and Aso Rock, now look at how Nigeria denied and let her people down even at death Shameful people in Power.  SirMegga Cule (@Houseofninic) November 17, 2017

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NIGERIA DOES NOT HAVE A GOVERNMENT. WHAT WE HAVE IS A COMMITTEE OF ARMED ROBBERS STEALING FROM EVERYBODY AT GUNPOINT. SHAME @obyezeks  RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA (@CITIZENBC7) November 17, 2017

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What a pity! In Nigeria, its you & you alone. #NigerianGovt has never care about any Nigerian except their relatives.

The common man can die, its no one business.

What can we the helpless do but to struggle, & if death meet you along the way, so be it.

To the women, RIP @MBuhari  AYANLOLA ABDULJELIL (@owolabitaiwo) November 17, 2017

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Shame on us!! Should the Italian government be the one to conduct the burial of 26 Nigerian citizens who died in the Mediterranean? Gross irresponsibility!!  YOUR DADDYs MAIN CHIC (@Babypeng_) November 17, 2017

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Sad my country didnt send any representative.. At least the world can now see how useless our government is . Smh .. May their soul rest in peace.  akhogba era (@armaniera) November 17, 2017

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And we still dont even know their names.  Okey Anya (@realOkeyAnya) November 17, 2017

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A Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Thursday convicted an 87 years old woman, Agbomabiwon Seriki, for unlawful possession of 10.3 kilogrammes of Indian hemp.

The judge, Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari, ordered that the convict be remanded at the Lagos State Old Peoples Home, Yaba, pending when a member of her family would apply to court for her custody.

The convict, a resident of 9 Osunba street, Oto-Awori, Ijanikin, Lagos, had last week Tuesday, pleaded guilty to a one count charge of unlawful dealing in 10.3 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic similar to cocaine, heroine and LSD, when she was arraigned before the court, by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

Upon her plea of guilty, the prosecutor, Aliyu Abubakar, had urged the court to adjourn the matter till Thursday for a review of the facts of the case.

On Thursday, the prosecutor tendered the convicts confessional statements, drug test analysis, and the bulk of the Cannabis Sativa seized from her, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.

After admitting the exhibits, the court pronounced the 87-year-old guilty as charged.

However, the convicts lawyer, Prosper Ojakovo, pleaded with the court to be lenient in sentencing his client on the grounds that she was a first time offender and aged.

In sentencing the convict, the judge said that sending her to prison would not be of any benefits, especially when her age is considered.

In a similar case, the judge also sentenced a 56 years old woman, Anya Nneoma, to 12 months imprisonment for unlawful dealing in 5.5 kilogrammes of Indian hemp.

Ms. Anya, a resident of Vulcaniser area of Seme, Badagry, also pleaded guilty before the court, last Tuesday, for illegal dealing in five kilogrammes of the substance.

She was, however, sentenced to one year in prison at the Kirikiri Female Prison in Lagos.

Both convicts offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under sections 11(c) of NDLEA cap. N30, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday received the report of Participants of Senior Executive Course 39 of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, with a pledge to implement its recommendations.

Speaking after the presentation of the report at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Mr. Buhari said that he was glad that the findings and policy recommendations of the report were apt and implementable.

I am pleased that the participants of Course 39 focused on how Nigeria can address its food security challenges, leveraging science, technology and innovation.

I have listened attentively to the presentation by the course participants and I am glad that the findings and policy recommendations are apt and implementable.

As I mentioned in my budget speech just two weeks ago, only tailored Nigerian solutions can fix Nigerias unique problems; I am proud to say your report is in agreement with that, he said.

According to the president, the report has come at a time when Nigeria is recording significant successes in efforts to improve its agriculture and food security.

He, however, stressed that Nigeria could not afford to be complacent, saying that we must develop strategies to sustain this momentum.

Mr. Buhari said that the economic management team of the government would carefully study the report and work toward implementing its recommendations.

He pledged that his administration would continue to address the challenges facing the NIPSS in terms of infrastructure and manpower needs so as to boost its service delivery.

The Acting Director-General of NIPSS, Jonathan Mela, who fielded questions from State House correspondents after the presentation, said that the report was in line with Mr. Buharis vision to develop the nations agricultural sector through science and technology.

The president charged the institute to look at ways and means through which science and technology can impact on agriculture and allied industries, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that NIPSS, a policy formation centre for bureaucrats, private sector leaders, officers of the armed forces and medium-rank and senior civil servants, was founded in 1979 to facilitate nation-building efforts.

(NAN)
A group known as the Concerned Citizens for Atiku, CC4A, has declared support for a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to run for president in 2019.

Although Mr. Abubakar is yet to formally declare his intention, the group asked him to do so, saying it would mobilise Nigerians on his behalf.

Members of the group led by Adebowale Jante stated these during a courtesy visit to the media office of Mr. Abubakar in Jabi, Abuja.

According to a statement by Mr. Jante, the group was received by the head of Mr. Abubakars Media Office, Paul Ibe.

Mr. Ibe while receiving the group noted that Nigeria is in dreadful need of a competent leader like Mr. Abubakar. He said the visit by CC4A was one of hope, especially in the light of Nigerias current level of poor governance.

He commended the group for its make-up, saying it was a step in the right direction for young Nigerians to be actively involved in politics at all levels.

The CC4Atiku visit and its intentions are in tandem with the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign, Mr. Ibe said while encouraging members not to relent in their efforts.

The beauty of this group is its constitution of young people who are not sitting back and expecting things to be handed to them.

Your visit has given us hope, hope that indeed our situation isnt irredeemable, and for that we thank you.

Your visit and intentions lend much credence to the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign. If you must run, you must be able to rally together and that is what you have done today, and Im truly impressed with you, Mr. Ibe added.

In his reaction, Mr. Jante said his group believes that Nigeria is in dire need of Mr. Abubakars service to urgently rescue the economy of the nation.

Your Excellency, it is an honour and privilege to stand before you not just as a group of patriotic young people of like minds, but also as citizens under the umbrella of Concerned Citizens for Atiku (CC4Atiku) whose common interest is not limited to the total reversal of the unfortunate under-development of Nigeria, but also ensuring her speedy climb, up the ladder of economic growth and prosperity, as well as the wellbeing of its citizens irrespective of all sentiments.

The formation of this progressive pressure group, which has Coordinators in the 36 States of the Federation as well as in the diaspora, was borne out of the need to create a platform for sustained dialogue towards finding better alternatives for resolving many of the multi-faceted challenges facing our beloved country, Nigeria.

No doubt, our country is at a crossroads and urgently needs rescue. Nigeria is in dire need of a leader with a track-record of credibility and empathy, a leader with vast political and administrative experience, a focused and detribalised leader with friends across our geopolitical borders, a leader with memorable antecedents and a man of unquestionable character, he added.

Mr. Jante provided more reasons why his group believes Mr. Abubakar should be Nigerias next president.

For us in this group, having decided that you are the only man who can rescue this nation, our involvement has gone beyond appealing to your good self. We see this project as a mission of compulsion, a commitment to dragging you into the 2019 presidential race as an urgent and necessary step to save this country from an imminent catastrophe, he said.

Mr. Abubakar served as vice president under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007, on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He is currently a leader of Nigerias ruling party but has complained of being side-lined in the governance of the country.
Former Presidential spokesperson, Segun Adeniyi, has apologised for his Twitter comment after security operatives denied him entry into the Villa for an official event for failing to provide an invitation card.

Given the fact that a story has been generated out of the issue, I want to apologise to the security man who turned me back since the consensus is that he was simply doing his job, Mr. Adeniyi said in a tweet on his handle.

Mr. Adeniyi said he had received an invitation on Monday from the senior special adviser to the President on Media, Garba Shehu, to attend the presentation of a book documenting the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The event was scheduled for 11 oclock in the morning at the banquet hall of the presidential villa on Thursday.

He said in the morning of Thursday, he received a text message from Mr. Shehu notifying him of a shift in the time for the event to noon.

However, Mr. Adeniyi said when he was ready to go for the event, he discovered he had misplaced the invitation card, and searched everywhere and could not find it.

By 12.02 p.m, he said he sent Mr.

Shehu a text message to inform him he could not find his card, requesting him to leave his name with the security at the villa gate.

Unfortunately, he said, he did not get any reply from the presidential aide as his telephone line did not connect.



By the time I got to the Banquet Hall gate, before the security men could ask me any question, I explained that I was invited by Mallam Garba Shehu, and that I misplaced my card, while efforts to reach him failed.

I also identified myself as a journalist and former presidential spokesman. After consulting with his colleagues, the security man said I could drive into the premises, and I did.



Inside, as I moved to enter the hall, I did the same to the security man in charge. I explained the challenge I had, and identified myself. The guy greeted me warmly saying, I knew your face is familiar and he was actually very friendly. But, when I asked whether I could go in, he told me: Sir, without a card, I cannot allow you to enter, Mr. Adeniyi explained in a write-up published on his Twitter page.



With the security mans refusal of his entry into the Hall Mr. Adeniyi said he turned back and was about leaving when two other security men who were not privy to the earlier discussion wanted to know what the issue was.

Despite their intervention, he said the first security man still refused to allow him go into the hall.

Having turned back and left the Villa, Mr. Adeniyi tweeted about the incident on his Twitter handle, @olusegunverdict: Garba Shehu invited me for book launch at Villa.

Misplaced IV. Got to villa, recognised by security men but one insisted I couldnt go on. Real shame! Going back

The tweet has sparked off serious controversy among some Nigerians who expressed diverse views about the incident.

While some criticised the security operatives for their conduct, most of the opinions blamed Mr. Adeniyi for disregarding official protocol and expecting to be allowed entry to the Villa without an invitation card.

In his subsequent reaction, Mr. Adeniyi issued a clarification on his Twitter handle to explain what really happened at the Villa.

In the clarification, he apologised to all parties concerned in the incident, including the security men at the Villa.

In view of the controversy that my tweet earlier today has generated on social media, I want to make the following clarifications.

However, I have read all the comments that followed my tweet on the issue, and while I have responded to some, I want to make it clear that the intention behind it was not to embarrass anybody, or to show bigmanism, but rather that when people are in sensitive positions, they also make judgment calls. And the way they do that matters.

Perhaps, if the whole incident had ended between me and the security guy without any third party attempting to mediate, I would not have queried his professionalism, because he was doing his job.

The whole issue, for me, boiled down to his blunt refusal to allow others mediate by offering a solution that would not, in any way, have compromised him or his job.

Even at that, given the fact that a story has been generated out of the issue, I want to apologise to the security man who turned me back since the consensus is that he was simply doing his job (even when he could have done it differently without compromising the rationale for it).

I also want to apologise to Mallam Garba Shehu, because it is not my intention to embarrass him.

Ordinarily, I am very deliberative in what I post and my intention was not to draw any unnecessary attention to myself or say an exception should be made for me at the expense of security or established process, Mr. Adeniyi said.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has formally asked the National Assembly for powers to retain a part of loots recovered by it.

A spokesperson of the commission, Rasheedat Okoduwa, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Mrs. Okoduwa said the request was one of the proposals made by the commission through a memorandum submitted to the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption.

The memorandum was submitted by the ICPCs Acting Chairman, Abdullahi Bako.

It said that retention of a percentage of the recovered loots would further strengthen the agency financially.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, made a similar request on October 19, 2016.

Mr. Magu told an anti-corruption conference in Abuja that the practice globally was for anti-graft agencies to retain certain percentage of the proceeds of crime recovered by them.

In some jurisdictions like the UK, proceeds of crime are further used to strengthen the agency, he said.

In EFCC, we have been struggling for years to build our headquarters and when I think of the billions of Naira we recover, I can see what would have happened if we are allowed to apply a percentage of this recovery into our operations.

There is the need for an Act to make a provision for an application of the proceeds of crime into recapitalising the anti-graft agencies, he said.(NAN)
It is barely 24 hours to the D-day after months of rigorous campaigns and buildup to the Anambra governorship election scheduled for Saturday.

This election will go down as one of the most anticipated. Few days to the election saw an influx of politicians including President Muhammad Buhari, former President Goodluck Jonathan, governors and senators who came to the state to sway voters to the side of the candidates of their respective parties.

This however caused a major gridlock in the state, especially in Awka, the capital, and Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre as party supporters from all over the state trooped in thousands with buses to the campaign locations.

The buildup is also not without suspense, drama and intrigues.

The withdrawal of the security details of governor Willie Obiano by the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim which were later reinstated attracted a lot of controversy.

Wednesdays visit of President Buhari to the state capital to drum support for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tony Nwoye, witnessed a memorable moment for Ndigbo as the son of late Biafra warlord, Odimegwu Ojukwu, Emeka Ojukwu Jnr, defected from Willie Obianos All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA to the ruling APC.

It was a development that was a major blow to APGA as the late warlord was a founding father of the party whose name and image has been used from the time of former governor, Peter Obi, to Mr. Obianos first stint to attract voters.

In fact, Mr. Ojukwus picture is still put alongside Mr. Obianos in APGAs campaign posters, banners and uniforms.

On Thursday however, former President Jonathan, alongside eight governors from the PDP, stormed the state to drum support for the partys flag bearer, Oseloka Obaze.

The incumbent governor, Willie Obiano of APGA, during the week, rounded off rallies held across the 21 local government areas of the state.

Mr. Obiano has the backing of various segments and political bigwigs in the state including Ifeanyi Ubah, who left PDP for APGA after he was suspended by the former for alleged anti party activities.

A former chairman of APGA, Victor Umeh, predicted that Mr. Obiano would have a landslide victory after what he described as wide range support the party received during the tour of the 21 local government areas.

Osita Chidoka, the United Progressive Party candidate, is not left out of the last minute rush to sway voters.

Though his last campaign days was not as energetic as the first three, the former Minister of Aviation and Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC adopted a new approach of direct contact with voters using technology, direct calls, social media to sway voters to his side.

Though tomorrows governorship election is expected to be a close contest between the four aforementioned leading candidates, there are 37 candidates in the election including five women.

Political campaign has ended, however Friday is also a busy day as INEC adhoc staff, observer groups, the media and party representatives troop into Awka to finalise accreditation processes as well as posting for the coverage and monitoring of the 532 polling booths in which the election will hold in the state.

At least 46 observer groups, comprising about 40 domestic and 6 international teams are to monitor the election.

PREMIUM TIMES, in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, will bring you a comprehensive coverage of the election.
Minister of Communications, Honourable Adebayo Shittu, yesterday said the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has impeccably deployed social media networks for public communication and urged all stakeholders to emulate the Commission to expand the frontiers of public sector communication, good governance and national development.

Shittus voice was amplified by Abdulaziz Mashi, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry and other stakeholders who met at a 2-Day seminar on Social Media for Good Governance: Leveraging ICT for National Development, held at Treasure Suites and Conference Centre in Abuja.

Organised by the Ministry of Communications, the seminar was supported by Facebook, Google and Microsoft, as well as by all the agencies supervised by the Ministry  NCC, NITDA, NIPOST, NIGCOMSAT and Galaxy Backbone Plc.

Shittu said in an era when the social media have become very strong platforms for information dissemination and public discourse, it is imperative for government and key players in the private sector to pay extra attention to feedback from, and utilize these new media to provide platform for government-citizen and business-public engagement in an online, real-time and interactive manner.

The seminar and retreat, Shittu said is designed  among other goals  to share knowledge and information oriented in recent research and analysis of sovial media use; and to review good practices on policies and programmes promoting social media for good governamce and other effective uses of the communication networks.

The Minister noted those uses to include creating means to improve governance, opening up access to government and government officials, saving time and money, and creating new ways of working.

Accordingly, government will not limit Nigerians access to social media solely on the basis that it may be used to express views critical of government or the social-political system. Protecting critical expressions on the Internet is the standard by which governments are now held to be genuinely democratic Shittu told the large gathering of delegates from all the agencies in the Ministry, journalists and other communication professionals and a galaxy of other stakeholders.

The Minister however bemoaned the use of the social media networks for divisive, tribal, parochial, fabricated and sentimental information, messages and ideas capable of disintegrating the country. In its stead, Shittu urged Nigerians to draw inspiration from enterprising young Nigerians across industries who have used social media to achieve phenomenal strides that have shaped our lives qualitatively.

Tony Ojobo, NCC Director Public Affairs, who presented the lead paper on PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IN THE ERA OF NEW MEDIA, and drawing on NCCs and other exemplary practices demonstrated in a concrete sense how social media can be deployed for greater effectiveness in public sector communication in Nigeria.

The presentation by other presenters including Ade Atobatele, Akeem Adeniji-Adele, and Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, which focused respectively on THE MAGIC OF WORDS; DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION; and SOCIAL MEDIA AS A TOOL AGAINST WEAPONISATION: HATE SPEECH, FAKE NEWS, were also enthusiastically received and discussed by the audience.

In 2018, the Ministry of Communications plans to organise series of seminars and a Social Media Week for communication professionals in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government.
Residents of Muna-Gari, a suburb of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where four suicide bombers attacked on Wednesday evening, have buried 15 corpses, including an unborn baby that was forced out of its mothers womb.

PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday gained an exclusive access to witness the mass funeral rite for the dead victims of the attack.

Most of the victims were killed while observing the late evening congregational prayers in an open mosque.

Also buried was a male foetus that was forced out of his mothers womb by the bomb explosion activated by one of the female suicide bombers.

On Thursday, hundreds of grieving sympathisers converged at the premises of Muna primary school to pay their last respect and offer prayers to the deceased.

Witnesses said the Wednesday attack could have been averted had there been enough security presence around their community.

Behind Muna-Gari is an open bush that leads to a thicker forest.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that there are only two military posts behind the suburb of Muna-Gari. There is a distance of about 8km between the two military posts.

Residents said the suicide bombers usually take advantage of the unprotected open space between the military posts to sneak into the community to carry out attacks.

Bukar Samaila, a trader and member of the volunteer vigilante, known as Civilian-JTF, told PREMIUM TIMES that it was for the mercy of God that he was alive.

One of the suicide bombers attacked the house beside his provision store. It was there that the pregnant woman and her daughter were killed.

We heard the first blast at exactly 5.57 p.m. when we were already at the mosque observing the Maghrib (late evening) prayer, said Mr. Samaila.

The second one came almost immediately from the second street. As I was rushing back to my shop area, I sighted two girls running unusually into the community from the bush area. Immediately I suspected her motive and raised alarm.

One man responded by trying to stop her. But when he noticed that she was screaming and trying to pull out something from under her garment he pushed her away, just before the bomb on her went off. The man was lucky to be alive but he was badly affected by burns on his back. The second girl disappeared, no one could locate her.

I came back to the shop, but something instinctively made me to close the shop and go to check my family at home. I was barely halfway to my house when we heard the last bomb blast right inside the house sharing walls with my shop. I would have been either dead or badly injured had I delayed for a minute after I made the decision to leave for home.

When we rushed back we found the corpse of the pregnant woman on the floor inside the smoke filled compound with her unborn baby also outside her forcefully opened stomach. Her eight years old daughter too was dead beside her. Another woman and a girl were also badly injured, said Mr. Samaila.

Mr. Samaila said Muna-Gari and Muna garage are separated by the Maiduguri-Gamboru highway that leads to Chad. The two locations have become the most notorious for Boko Haram suicide attacks in Borno.

He added that unlike in the past, there is a disconnect between the soldiers that are currently manning the posts and the local Civilian-JTF operatives.

Most of us dont know the soldiers and we dont have their numbers, he said.

In the past we used to share information quickly because we have each others phone number. Had we been armed with even hunting rifles, we could have been able to gun down the two girls that were spotted running into the community, even before we alert the soldiers.

Adam Muhammed, a civil servant, whose parents live in Muna-Gari, informed PREMIUM TIMES that most of the suicide bombers were often seen by the local farmers when some persons would bring them on motorcycles and drop them off outside the parapet of sand built around Maiduguri.

The suicide bombers are mostly dropped off far outside the villages at dusk by some persons riding motorcycles; and in some cases our farmers would spot them and alert the soldiers or Civilian-JTF, said Mr. Muhammed.

The same thing happened last week when two girls were seen being dropped off by some persons and the farmer quickly informed the soldiers, who moved in and shot them dead before they could detonate the bombs on them.

But the truth of the matter, there are few soldiers here now. And the soldiers cannot protect the vast open land and bushes; that is why we have become so vulnerable to attacks. Let the state government and the military protect our lives by deploying more soldiers here, because the attack is almost becoming an every day occurrence, Mr. Muhammed said.
Students of the American University of Nigeria, AUN, Yola, Adamawa State, have launched a campaign, I Stand For Nigeria, to counter hate and extremist comments in the country.

The campaign, which is part of the Peer To Peer Global Digital Challenge by social media giant, Facebook, is designed to tackle growing level of hate and radical conversations on social media.

Students offering Online/Digital Reporting in the Department of Communications and Multimedia Design of the university are representing Nigeria in the competition involving over 44 universities across the globe.

During the Spring 2017 Challenge, students of the department came second after Bangladesh, which won the top prize at a grand finale held in the National Union Building, Washington DC, United States of America.

Earlier in 2016, the university had won the African edition of the challenge which held in Accra, Ghana, beating many universities in the continent.

Campaign spokesperson, Salome Nuhu, said the theme, I Stand For Nigeria, and the slogan, Come Stand With Me, were conceived after the class carried out rigorous research to uncover the nuances of hate and radical conversations in the country.

According to her, findings showed religion, politics, and ethnicity as the major drivers of hate and radical expressions, especially on the countrys social media space.

However, 65 per cent of such comments were found to have occurred on Facebook, while 18 per cent were traced to Twitter and 17 per cent to WhatsApp.

The students said research findings by the class tallied with a similar study by the Dangerous Speech Monitoring System of the Kano-based Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD).

Ms. Nuhu said CITAD recorded 5978 dangerous speeches targeting ethnicity while 5276 targeted religion in Nigeria between May 2016 and October 4, 2017.

To counter the hate and radical narratives and rekindle among Nigerians, a sense of patriotism, unity and love for the country, the class adopted the theme: I Stand For Nigeria, and a slogan, Come Stand With Me, she said.

Some of the highlights of the campaign will include rallies, logo posting, talk shows, photo competition and aggressive advocacy on social media platforms, among others.

A multiple award-winning journalist and campaign coordinator, Ibanga Isine, said the I Stand For Nigeria will challenge some of the trappings and manifestations of hate and radical expressions both online and offline.

He noted that the campaign will propel a consciousness of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians irrespective of their religious, political, ethnic and cultural differences.

Mr. Isine said hate and extremist conversations were responsible for the crisis in the North-east, South-east and South-south parts of the country and advised Nigerians to eschew bitterness, bigotry and ethnicism.

Hate speech is every form of expression, whether verbal  voice or written  or nonverbal  shaking of hands, patting the back, hugging, pushing, or other kinds of touch, facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact  as well as visual -parades, insignia, armbands, headbands and picket lines  that spurns, attacks, ridicules, humiliates another on account of his or her nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and or disability, Mr. Isine said.
A former President, Goodluck Jonathan; Governors of Rivers and Ekiti states, Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose; among others visited Anambra State on Thursday for the grand finale campaign for Oseloka Obaze.

Mr. Obaze is the Anambra State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Saturdays poll.

Mr. Jonathan was also accompanied by the governors of Delta, Abia, Taraba, and Gombe states as well as the former governor of the Anambra State, Peter Obi, at the rally held at Onitsha, the commercial nerve of the state.

According to Sun Newspaper, the former president said Anambra has been a PDP stronghold and that return of the party to the state in tomorrows election would birth a new era that will end marginalisation of the state in Nigeria and by extension, the South-east zone of the country.

PDP ruled the state from 1999-2003 under Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju.

Mr. Jonathan urged Anambra citizens to vote Mr. Obaze as he was carefully selected to steer the state forward.

We need somebody that will protect the interest of Anambra people, somebody to protect the interest of Igbo.

We dont want any situation Igbo will complain of marginalisation, it will depend on people you send there and then governors and people we send there. We need somebody that will encourage the enterprise and business that have the connection overseas to attract foreign partners to the state and that person is Obaze, Mr. Jonathan said.

Mr. Obi, the former governor, described incumbent willie Obiano as a mistake that needs to be voted out.

Obiano is a mistake and bad market we made which must correct by voting Obaze on Saturday election. We should ask him what happened to N75 billion I left in the state account and N192 (billion) allocation. Obiano said there is no need of saving money, he sold Anambra State house in Lagos State, lets vote him out, Mr. Obi stated.
Unknown gunmen on Thursday kidnapped the Chief Medical director of the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Emeka Onwe Ogah.

Also kidnapped alongside the CMD was one of his administrative officers, whose name could not be ascertained at press time.

The State Commissioner of Police, Titus Lamorde, confirmed the incident.

He said the incident occurred in Kogi state around Ajaokuta while the CMD and the officer were returning from Abuja where they went for a meeting.

The police boss said the driver of the vehicle was shot while the CMD and his administrative officer were abducted in the process.

He said security operatives in both states were already taking steps to rescue the victims alive and arrest the attackers as soon as possible.

Mr. Lamorde appealed to the public to furnish security operatives with meaningful information that will help on the matter.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agencies deployed for the Anambra governorship election scheduled for Saturday to be neutral and professional in their conduct.

The party also said it was prepared for the the election.

In a statement issued yesterday by Dayo Adeyeye, the partys National Publicity Secretary, the PDP accused the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC of rigging previous elections in Edo, Ondo states and other by-elections in the country adding that they would be humiliated this time around when the results roll in.

It also condemned the recent withdrawal of the security aides of the Governor Willie Obiano by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

The party called on the people of Anambra to protect their mandate under the ambits to the law.

The Anambra State Governorship Election is a litmus test for INEC and another opportunity for the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), to redeem itself from the culture of impunity, inconclusive elections and rigging as exhibited in previous elections in Edo, Ondo and other by-elections in the country, the party said in the statement.

There was no immediate reaction from the APC to the allegations.

We want to join other well-meaning Nigerians to condemn the recent withdrawal of personal security of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

Notwithstanding that President Buhari ordered the reinstatement of Governors security aides, this recent action by the Police is a clear signal that the Force is working to favour some individuals in the state or destabilise the governorship election in Anambra State.

In view of the above, we are again, sounding a note of warning that we will not accept any manipulation of results in Anambra State. The INEC and all security agencies deployed for the election must remain neutral and unbiased before, during and after the Election, the PDP added.

It also had a charge for election monitoring groups that have converged in the state for the exercise.

Finally, we call on all election monitors and observers to maintain vigilance during the period of the clection. The success of our electoral processes depends largely on the hardwork of observers and monitors exposing election riggers and vote theft, the party said.
The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to dismiss a suit, seeking to compel him to produce the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr. Kanus lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, on Thursday brought an application before the court, asking the court to order Mr. Buratai to produce Mr. Kanu dead or alive.

Mr. Ejiofor told court that his client was last seen with the Nigerian Army on September 14 and that neither he (Ejiofor) nor Mr. Kanus family had seen or heard from Mr. Kanu since then.

Opposing the motion, however, Mr. Buratai through his counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, told the court that Mr. Kanu was not and had never been in the custody of the Nigerian Army.

The Nigerian Army did not at any time arrest or take Kanu into its custody within the period the military operation lasted in the South-east.

The lawyer argued that there was no document before the court to prove that Mr. Kanu was in the custody of the army, noting that the onus was on Mr. Kanu to prove that he was taken by the army.

Mr. Kehinde urged the court to dismiss the application on the ground that it was laden with speculations, conjecture and assumptions which, he said, were not admissible in law.

A counter-affidavit deposed to by a colonel, A. Yusuf, also claimed that the alleged invasion of Mr. Kanus house during the period of the operation was false.

After hearing arguments from both counsel, Justice Binta Nyako adjourned the matter until December 13 to give her ruling.

(NAN)
Hundreds of members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ebonyi State chapter, on Friday protested against the visit of the national chairman of the party, John Oyegun, calling for his removal over his role in the leadership crisis rocking the state chapter of the party.

The protesters are supporters of a factional Chairman, Ben Nwobasi.

Mr. Oyegun visited the state on Friday during which he received decampees from Labour Party to the APC. He was received by the the Eze Nwachukwu led faction of the party in the state.

Messrs. Nwachukwu and Nwobasi have been embroiled in a lingering battle for the chairmanship seat of the state chapter of the party which began shortly after the state congress of the APC in 2014.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how President Muhammadu Buhari, during his two-day visit to the state during the week, could also not resolve the crisis.

Those received by Mr. Oyegun included the immediate past Governor of Ebonyi State, Martin Elechi, and former caretaker committee chairman of Ebonyi Local Government Area, Anselem Enigwe and over 100 others.

The protesters lamented that in spite of the court injunction restraining the national chairman from tampering with the state congress which elected Mr. Nwobasi as the state chairman of the party, Mr. Oyegun appointed the state deputy chairman, Mr. Nwachukwu as acting chairman of the party in the state.

The protesters, including women and youth of the party carried placards with diverse inscriptions registering their anger.

The protesters, who marched through the major streets of Abakaliki were seen chanting anti-Oyegun slogans with a call for his immediate removal for alleged highhandedness and acts inconsistent with his office.

Speaking during the protest, the spokesperson of the group and leader of Ebonyi APC Youth Vanguard, Frank Ngwu, said Mr. Oyegun was behind the leadership crisis in the party.

We make bold to state categorically that our national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is behind the leadership crisis in Ebonyi state chapter of the APC through inconsistent issuance of directive.

When some moneybags visited him, he authored a letter on February 23, 2017 appointing one Eze Nwachukwu as the state Acting Chairman. When contempt proceeding was served on him, he quickly authorised another letter on April 25 withdrawing his initial letter.

And despite his letter of withdrawal, he is still relating with Nwachukwu Eze as the state chairman. For instance, during the courtesy visit to the Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo by all the state chairmen of the party, Oyegun cleared Nwachukwu instead of Ben Nwobasi who is the authentic chairman of the party.

We cannot allow such a character to come and cause mayhem in the state because of his double standard. We warned him to resolve the crisis before coming to Ebonyi State otherwise we will resist him from stepping his foot into Ebonyi soil. His leadership incompetence has further exacerbated the crisis in our state chapter of APC and this has endangered the strength of our party in the state.

Rather than dissipating his energy to visit Ebonyi, he should expedite action to see that the cases still pending in the court are resolved to its logical conclusion. We cannot receive him when he has not done anything meaningful to resolve the court case.

Mr. Oyeguns reaction could not be immediately sought at the time of filing report.

However, Mr. Oyegun, while addressing the party members from the Nwachukwu Eze faction in Abakaliki during his visit urged them to remain resolute.

He said the party was set to win the elections in 2019.
Amnesty International on Thursday called for the immediate release of 158 evicted residents of Otodo-Gbame and other informal settlements across Lagos who were detained as they peacefully protested outside the Lagos Governors office on Wednesday.

A statement signed by Isa Sanusi, Media Manager, Amnesty International Nigeria, said photos seen by Amnesty International show injuries sustained by several protesters, including children.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how about 500 evicted residents of the Lagos riverine community staged a protest at the front of the Lagos State Governors office in Alausa on Wednesday.

The residents were demanding that the governor speaks with them about a series of forced evictions that have made more than 30,000 people homeless, as documented in Amnesty Internationals report The Human Cost of a Mega City: Forced Evictions of the Urban Poor in Lagos, Nigeria, and the threat to forcibly evict more of them.

Our correspondent gathered that on Thursday morning, officials of the Lagos Police besieged the protest ground and arrested many of the protesters. Some of them were allegedly brutalised and injured in the process while the 158 arrested men and women are being held in Panti police station.

We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested protestors and for an independent and impartial investigation into allegations of excessive use of force, said Osai Ojigho of Amnesty International on Thursday.

Amnesty Internationals report details repeated forced evictions of the Otodo-Gbame and Ilubirin communities carried out since March 2016 without any consultation, adequate notice, compensation or alternative housing being offered to those affected. The report further documents how the police, military, Lagos State Task Force officers and unidentified armed men, set fire to homes and shot live ammunition and tear gas at residents of Ilubirin and Otodo-Gbame waterfront communities. Eleven people were killed and 17 have gone missing.

The Lagos government in a response released on 14 November denied responsibility for the forced evictions.

It, however, has chosen to remain silent on the 11 unlawful killings, 17 missing people, as well as the fact that those forcibly evicted by its agents, in violation of court orders, remain homeless till today.

Amnesty International said in its statement Thursday that the Lagos state governments position is full of errors and omissions.

For example, contrary to the Lagos governments assertion that the question of ownership of the Otodo-Gbame land has been settled by the courts, the case Humpe Dansu & Ors v. Oba Saheed Elegushi & Ors, initiated by the Otodo Gbame community in November 2015, is still pending before the Lagos State High Court.

The statement also wrongly alleges that the destruction of the community was the result of an unfortunate fire incidence in November 2016, while ignoring the roles played by state authorities in November 2016, March and April 2017 to forcibly evict residents and demolish the entire community with fires and bulldozers.

The human rights monitoring agency affirmed that regardless of the various reasons offered by the government, none of them justify the mass forced evictions and other human rights violations that have occurred.

Forced evictions are prohibited under international law binding on Nigeria and can never be justified, the statement said.
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.




"We are honored to be able to recognize such a prestigious group of women who have truly made an impact on their company and have given back to their community," says Kenneth Beck, CEO of CEO Connection. "We have been recognizing CEOs through our Mid-Market 500 and Mid-Market 1000 lists as well as the Most Influential Women's List and we are pleased to share this new select group with the business community."

Honorees were recognized at the 2017 Mid-Market Convention on September 25-27 at The Wharton School in Philadelphia, PA. Referred to as the "Davos for the Mid-Market," this exclusive global gathering brings together the leadership of the mid-market top business experts and senior government officials to help each other and change the world.

"It is truly an honor to be recognized by this select group for my leadership and prolonged focus on market-place innovation," says Olu Beck. "At Wholesome Sweeteners Inc, I have the privilege of leading a team that is dedicated to Breaking the Compromise consumers are frequently forced to make between great-tasting, real food and healthier options."

Wholesome Sweeteners Inc. is the leading producer of organic, non-GMO and Fair Trade honey, sugars, agave and snacks under the Wholesome and Surf Sweets brands. The company is a strong supporter of its local communities, both in the US and abroad, through pioneering sustainability initiatives in Fair Trade and organic farming.

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SOURCE Wholesome Sweeteners

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LONDON, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Precious and industrial metals have had a banner year on a weak dollar and the beginnings of what appears to be another upcycle for commodities. Strong demand and questions about the availability of long-term supply are pushing up prices across the board. Mentioned here today includes: Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: ABX), Teck Resources Limited (NYSE: TECK), IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG)

Gold prices are up sharply since touching a low point at the end of 2016.

Copper prices have soared, particularly since June. Spot prices are up nearly 20 percent in the past four months.

Lithium prices have doubled in the past year and a half, and are up 50 percent since April 2017 alone.

alone. Cobalt prices have more than doubled over the past year.

Better yet, all of these commodities still have a long way to go before they reach their peak. A combination of global instability, strong demand, and a tidal wave of investment in consumer electronics and electric vehicles will ensure the markets for a long list of commodities remain incredibly tight.

Here are our top 5 mining ideas right now:

#1 Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX)

Gold is up sharply since the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, but there is still plenty of room on the upside. The U.S. is taking a confrontational stance with North Korea, threatening nuclear war. At the same time, the Trump administration has tried to tear up the Iran nuclear deal, putting both countries back on a war footing. Gold loves global chaos because investors flock to safe haven assets in times of turmoil.

Barrick Gold is a $20-billion market cap company, and the world's largest gold producer-is one of the best bets for investors. Barrick teamed up with Goldcorp earlier this year, a deal that will see Goldcorp front much of the costs on several mining projects in Chile, a move that will reduce risk for Barrick. Barrick has made a name for itself as a prudent operator, successfully taming debt, cutting costs and generating impressive cash flow figures. Out of all of the top gold miners, it also has one of the lowest cost structures in the entire industry.

There are also a series of near-term catalysts that could propel the company's stock up further. It recently cut a deal with the government of Tanzania, reducing its stakes in gold mine. The news led to a sharp fall in the company's stock. But that simply offers investors a mouth-watering opportunity to buy into the largest gold miner in the world. More asset sales would also translate into lower debt and a stronger cash position.

#2 Quantum Cobalt (BVQ; BRVVF)

Cobalt prices have skyrocketed over the past year, as soaring demand runs headlong into supply problems. Cobalt is a crucial metal needed in the manufacturing of batteries needed for consumer electronics and, especially, electric vehicles. With the sale of EVs set to leap from a few hundred thousand per year to tens of millions in the coming decades, there is scramble for the world's cobalt supplies. There is already a supply gap of about 3,320 tons, according to Research and Markets. But the gap will quadruple to 12,000 tons over the next four years.

The problem is that nearly two-thirds of the world's cobalt supply comes from war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). That means that cobalt producers are wary of investing there, both because of instability and because of the reputational damage from sourcing commodities from violent places where mines operate in inhumane conditions.

That has placed a premium on other sources of cobalt supply. At the top of the list for investors should be Cobalt, Ontario, an area that has seen an influx of interest from cobalt suppliers. Quantum Cobalt (BVQ; BRVVF) is at the center of it all, and it has some of the most exciting prospects at the heart of the cobalt rush. Quantum's Nipissing Lorrain Cobalt Project is the site of a former mine, and recent surveys have found cobalt mineralization at 22 percent, a staggering concentration given that most projects are viewed as highly valuable with mineralization at just 0.05 percent.

Quantum also has two other exploration projects in the works, including its Rabbit project just to the north, which has cobalt mineralization of 8.76 percent. It also has a large 1,200-hectare prospect at the Kahuna Cobalt-Silver project. With crews currently conducting exploration work on these assets, the soon-to-be-released results could spark a stock price rally.

Cobalt will be central to the mass adoption of EVs, ensuring steadily rising prices. Quantum Cobalt is one small company strategically located at the next hot spot for cobalt production.

#3 Rio Tinto plc

Rio Tinto is one of the largest mining giants in the world, making it an obvious choice for investors. It also lacks the baggage of a company like BHP Billiton, which has struggled to justify some of its ill-timed investments in U.S. shale, assets the company is now hoping to unload. Rio Tinto has kept its eye on its bread and butter - iron ore, aluminum and copper - and has avoided some of the pitfalls that its peer has.

But Rio also has an extremely attractive investment case in its own right. It has expanded iron ore production this year at its flagship Pilbara project in Australia, with more capacity coming online in 2018. A second mine (bauxite) in Australia is scheduled to reach completion in the first half of 2019. In 2020, Rio Tinto will bring an exciting copper mine online in Mongolia.

Rio Tinto's share price is up about 25 percent this year, and it has even raised its dividend significantly in order to reward shareholders. With prices for aluminum and copper sharply higher, Rio's fortunes will continue to trend up.

#4 Teck Resources Ltd. (NYSE: TECK) (TSX: TECK)

For investors looking to diversify their risk a bit, Teck Resources offers a lot of safety. Like Rio Tinto, Teck Resources has its hand in several hot commodities - copper, zinc and metallurgical coal.

Thermal coal (for power plants) has some troubling long-term prospects, but met coal (used for steel) will fare much better. Prices have jumped sharply as the Chinese government forced a lot of capacity to shut down. That has tightened global supply significantly, and sparked a dramatic rally in 2016. Prices are back down more recently, but not to the lows seen from several years ago.

Meanwhile, Teck has strong earnings from soaring zinc and copper prices, two metals that will be instrumental in the EV boom going forward. At the same time, Teck has diversified into Canada's oil sands, which, despite a lot of negative press, has a long shelf life. The Fort Hills project is about to come online - before the end of the year - and will achieve 90 percent of planned production of 190,000 bpd within 12 months. Teck has a 20 percent stake in Fort Hills, a project that is expected to produce oil for the next 50 years.

In short, Teck offers investors a range of revenue streams, a hedge against volatility in any one segment.

#5 Albemarle

Albemarle is the world's largest producer of lithium, another commodity that has seen explosive demand growth. Earlier this year, Albemarle received approval to expand its Greenbushes mine in Australia, which could be commissioned by 2019. Greenbushes is the world's largest active lithium mine.

In fact, Albemarle has aggressive plans to expand its lithium output - and the company already controls about 35 percent of global lithium production. It has mines in Chile, Australia and Nevada - close to Tesla's gigafactory. Albemarle has a $16 billion market cap, and its share price is up by nearly 75 percent this year alone. It hiked its dividend and sees nothing but clear skies ahead.

Lithium prices have spiked over the past two years, and the eye-watering demand for this commodity is only in its beginning stages. For investors looking to ride the lithium wave, who better than the world's largest lithium producer?



Other miners to watch:



IAMGOLD (NYSE: IAG): IAMGOLD is a fast growing mid-tier gold miner with the ambition to become a major gold miner. The company produced some 214,000 ounces in Q1 2017 from its operations in South America and Africa. In June, this promising miner closed a deal with Japanese commodity giant Sumimoto to develop an Ontario gold project. The company saw its stock price fall earlier this year, but is poised for gains as gold is rallying.

Earnings in the third quarter of 2017 were expected to come in at $0.01 per share, but the company beat expectations and reported $0.07 per share, climbing 55% year over year.



By. Charles Kennedy



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The film was created by Acura and Amazon Media Group, marking the first time either party has developed original, long-form content. "This Is What We Make" features three Amazon Launchpad entrepreneurs: John Alexiou of SubPac, Jason Johnson of August Home and Filippo Yacob of Primo Toys. Amazon Launchpad is a program that helps startups and entrepreneurs launch, market, and distribute their products to hundreds of millions of Amazon customers across the globe.

Acura, an entrepreneurial, challenger brand at its core, collaborated with Amazon Media Group to inspire future entrepreneurs by profiling the unique journey of these three Amazon Launchpad startups. "This Is What We Make" also features perspectives from three business leaders  Jon Ikeda, Vice President and General Manager of Acura; Gregg Zehr, President, Amazon's Lab 126; and Gina Bianchini, Founder and CEO of Mighty Networks  who share their insights about how to persevere and stay true to your purpose and values throughout the process.

"My advice to entrepreneurs is that having the willingness to challenge convention is absolutely critical to success. 'This Is What We Make' is a valuable playbook for those looking to make their dreams a reality," said Jon Ikeda, vice president & general manager of Acura.

Promotion of "This Is What We Make"

"This Is What We Make" will be promoted via co-branded media through the end of the year, driving to a custom Acura and Amazon Launchpad page (www.amazon.com/acura). In addition, custom content from the film will be shared through various Amazon channels and showcased on the Fire tablet wake screen and Amazon Fire TV from mid-November through the end of December.

"Like many of our Amazon Launchpad startups, the three featured in this film have remarkable stories from which we can all draw inspiration," said Jeremi Gorman, Head of US Sales for Amazon Media Group. "We were thrilled to join Acura in creating this documentary that explores and celebrates innovation through several different perspectives  and perhaps even emboldens viewers to pursue their own entrepreneurial aspirations."

Tune-In to "This Is What We Make"

"This Is What We Make" documentary is available now on Prime Video, through the Amazon Video Direct self-publishing service.

About Acura

Acura is a leading automotive luxury nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance, an original approach to technology and design that creates a new driving experience. The Acura lineup features six distinctive models  the RLX premium luxury sedan, the TLX performance luxury sedan, the ILX sport sedan, the 5-passenger RDX luxury crossover SUV, the seven-passenger Acura MDX, America's all-time best-selling three-row luxury SUV and the next-generation, electrified NSX supercar as the pinnacle expression of Acura Precision Crafted Performance.

SOURCE Acura
NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The report on Africa Hydroponics Market is a customer intelligence and competitive study of the Africa market.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04947557



Moreover, the report provides deep insights on demand forecasts, market trends, and, micro and macro indicators in Africa market. Also, factors that are driving are restraining the Hydroponics Market are highlighted in the study.

This is an in-depth business intelligence report based on qualitative and quantitative parameters of the market. Additionally, this report provides readers with market insights and detailed analysis of market segments to possible micro levels.

The companies and dealers/distributors profiled in the report include manufacturers & suppliers of Hydroponics Market in Africa.



Segments Covered



The report on Hydroponics Market provides detailed analysis of segments in the market based on Vegetable Type, Distribution Channel and Farming Type.

Segmentation based on Vegetable Type

 Cucumber

 Lettuce

 Spinach

 Peppers

 Spinach

 Others



Segmentation based on Distribution Channel



 Grocery Stores

 Unorganized Small Stores

 Whole Food and Specialty Stores

 Modern Trade

 Others

Segmentation based on Farming Type

 Indoor Farming

 Outdoor Farming

Highlights of the report

Report provides detailed insights into

1) Demand and supply conditions of Hydroponics Market

2) Factor affecting the Hydroponics Market in the short run and the long run

3) The dynamics including drivers, restraints, opportunities, political, socio economic factors, and technological factors

4) Key trends and future prospects

5) Leading companies operating in Hydroponics Market and their competitive position in the Africa.

6)The dealers/distributors profiles provide basic information of top 10 dealers & distributors operating in (Africa) Hydroponics Market

7) IGR Matrix: to position the product types

8) Market estimates up to 2023.



The report answers questions such as

1) What is the market size of Hydroponics Market in Africa?

2) What are the factors that affect the growth in Hydroponics Market over the forecast period?

3) What is the competitive position in Africa Hydroponics Market?

4) What are the opportunities in Africa Hydroponics Market?

5) What are the modes of entering Africa Hydroponics Market?



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04947557



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.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- We are appalled by what occurred yesterday at the Western Wall in Jerusalem involving a group of about 150 Reform Jews from the United States and Israel.

Why was their right to go to this holy site, so sacred to the entire Jewish people, and to conduct their worship service, disrupted?

Why was this towering symbol of Jewish unity and destiny undermined by those who would confront and divide fellow Jews?

Is this not a desecration of God's name?

How can one group of Jews arrogate to themselves the right to determine what is "appropriate" and "inappropriate" religious practice, when we have always been a pluralistic people with a multitude of Jewish traditions, united by our love of Israel and Torah? And furthermore, why did security guards resort to violence against members of the group?

We have long believed that Israel and the Jewish people are best served by ensuring that the Jewish state and its sacred sites are not only open, but welcoming to all Jews.

In that spirit, let's be clear, the Western Wall belongs to the entire Jewish people, not just to a single sector of it.

We have argued that Judaism in Israel is strengthened by the flowering of the various Jewish denominations, as is the case in the United States, where, laudably, a spirit of mutual respect among Jewish streams is quite widespread.

And we have asserted that any sense of religious hierarchy  or attempt at exclusion  among Jews in Israel can have profound consequences for relations between Israel and world Jewry, jeopardizing Israel's standing and the vitality of future relations between Israel and the diaspora.

That is why AJC sponsored the creation of the Jewish Religious Equality Coalition, an organization composed of a range of groups, from Modern Orthodox to Reform, in Israel and the U.S.

We stand with our friends in the Reform movement who were so shamefully treated yesterday in seeking to demonstrate their love of Israel, their unbending commitment to Judaism, and their quest for fair and equal treatment.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


SEATTLE, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group Inc. today reported October and year-to-date operational results on a consolidated basis, for its mainline operations operated by subsidiaries Alaska Airlines, Inc. (Alaska) and Virgin America Inc. (Virgin America), and for its regional flying operated by subsidiary Horizon Air Industries, Inc. (Horizon) and third-party regional carriers SkyWest Airlines and Peninsula Airlines.

Air Group's acquisition of Virgin America took place on Dec. 14, 2016. Operational results below include Virgin America results from pre-acquisition periods for comparison.

AIR GROUP

On a combined basis for all operations, Air Group reported an 11 percent increase in traffic on an 11.6 percent increase in capacity compared to October 2016. Load factor decreased 0.4 points to 83.8 percent.

The following table shows the operational results for October and year-to-date, compared to the prior-year periods(1):



October

Year-to-Date

2017

2016

Change

2017

2016

Change Revenue passengers (000) 3,623

3,436

5.4%

36,686

35,001

4.8% Revenue passenger miles RPM (000,000) "traffic" 4,367

3,935

11.0%

43,438

40,605

7.0% Available seat miles ASM (000,000) "capacity" 5,211

4,671

11.6%

51,380

48,219

6.6% Passenger load factor 83.8%

84.2%

(0.4) pts

84.5%

84.2%

0.3 pts

(1) 2016 information has been adjusted to include Virgin America operating results for comparison.

ALASKA

Alaska reported a 9.3 percent increase in traffic on a 10.6 percent increase in capacity compared to October 2016. Load factor decreased 1 point to 83.8 percent. Alaska also reported 86 percent of its flights arrived on time in October 2017, compared to 87.6 percent reported in October 2016.

The following table shows Alaska's operational results for October and year-to-date, compared to the prior-year periods:



October

Year-to-Date

2017

2016

Change

2017

2016

Change Revenue passengers (000) 2,111

1,949

8.3%

21,805

20,381

7.0% RPMs (000,000) 2,832

2,591

9.3%

29,414

27,359

7.5% ASMs (000,000) 3,379

3,056

10.6%

34,501

32,272

6.9% Passenger load factor 83.8%

84.8%

(1.0) pt

85.3%

84.8%

0.5 pts On-time arrivals as reported to U.S. DOT 86.0%

87.6%

(1.6) pts

82.4%

88.4%

(6.0) pts

VIRGIN AMERICA

Virgin America traffic increased 14.2 percent on a 13.4 percent increase in capacity compared to October 2016. Load factor increased 0.6 points to 85 percent. Virgin America also reported 73.3 percent of its flights arrived on time in October 2017, compared to 76.2 percent in October 2016.

The following table shows Virgin America operational results for October and year-to-date, compared to the prior-year periods:



October

Year-to-Date

2017

2016

Change

2017

2016

Change Revenue passengers (000) 752

685

9.8%

6,934

6,713

3.3% RPMs (000,000) 1,176

1,030

14.2%

10,639

10,131

5.0% ASMs (000,000) 1,383

1,220

13.4%

12,658

12,041

5.1% Passenger load factor 85.0%

84.4%

0.6 pts

84.0%

84.1%

(0.1) pts On-time arrivals as reported to U.S. DOT 73.3%

76.2%

(2.9) pts

67.8%

76.5%

(8.7) pts

REGIONAL

Regional traffic increased 14.3 percent on a 13.7 percent increase in capacity compared to October 2016. Load factor increased 0.5 points to 80 percent. Alaska's regional partners also reported 81.3 percent of its flights arrived on time in October 2017, compared to 85.5 percent in October 2016.

The following table shows regional operational results for October and year-to-date, compared to the prior-year periods:



October

Year-to-Date

2017

2016

Change

2017

2016

Change Revenue passengers (000) 760

802

(5.2)%

7,947

7,907

0.5% RPMs (000,000) 359

314

14.3%

3,385

3,115

8.7% ASMs (000,000) 449

395

13.7%

4,221

3,906

8.1% Passenger load factor 80.0%

79.5%

0.5 pts

80.2%

79.7%

0.5 pts On-time arrivals as reported to U.S. DOT 81.3%

85.5%

(4.2) pts

79.6%

87.3%

(7.7) pts

Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 40 million guests a year to more than 115 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners , guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive years from 2008 to 2017. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

SOURCE Alaska Air Group Inc.

Related Links

https://www.alaskaair.com


CHANTILLY, Va., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Koniag Inc's Arlluk Technology Solutions, LLC has been awarded a contract to provide a turnkey Container as a Service (CaaS) solution to the Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The award is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $19M over five years.

The FDA Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT) is in an important phase of its Cloud First technologies initiative and by fielding a Containers as a Service (CaaS), FDA organizations will be able to build, ship, and run applications in a virtualized environment. "This project is critical to FDA's ability to support the wide range of missions across the entire organization," says Arlluk's President Gene Zapfel. "Arlluk is proud to lead the professional team that ensures the effective support for this Cloud-based solution."

Arlluk is providing management, technical, operations, and technology acquisition, application onboarding, training, implementation, and support for other infrastructure modernization activities.

Arlluk is a wholly owned subsidiary of Koniag, Inc. an Alaskan Native Corporation. Arlluk provides Software Development, Cloud Solutions, Digital Design, and other IT Services to Federal, State and Local Governments.

About Koniag Government Services

Koniag Government Services (KGS) companies have supported Federal, State and Local customers for more than 20 years. Professional services include Application Development, Healthcare IT, Telecommunications, Network Management, Enterprise Infrastructure Support, Cyber Security, Physical Security, Cultural Resource Services, Program Management and Management Consulting. KGS supports clients in more than a dozen locations across the United States as well as in more than 30 worldwide sites. We have built a reputation for consistent performance and forging long-term partnerships with our clients.

For more information, please visit www.koniaggss.com.

Media Contact:

MaryAnn Hoadley

Koniag Government Services

703-488-9303

[email protected]

SOURCE Arlluk Technology Solutions, LLC
Montreal startup NewKnow is harnessing the power of mobile tech to help retailers elevate the in-store customer experience and turn the 'retail apocalypse' on its head.

MONTREAL, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - There's no doubt that online retail has altered the brick and mortar shopping experience in profound ways. But when it comes to reports of the 'retail apocalypse' that some naysayers predict, don't believe the hype. Why? Because the store still matters.

Two out of three consumers prefer to see products in-store and nine of ten dollars are still spent in physical retail. Far from being the demise of brick and mortar stores, e-commerce has simply hastened its evolution.

Creating stronger customer relationships and providing great in-store experiences is now more critical than ever. NewKnow, a Montreal startup, is helping savvy brands and retailers adapt and thrive in this new retail reality. The company's front-line staff training and communications app now makes it easy and affordable for retailers and brands to collaborate and effectively train their front-line workforce across their retail networks.

The NewKnow app helps sales staff make an impact with customers and sell better by delivering targeted training tools, modules and brand information to their smartphones. Brands and retailers can create, distribute, track, and communicate employee training across retail networks with ease. The days of staff rushing to the back room to check the computer or brushing off dusty binders for training or product information are (thankfully!) over.



After decades of retail experience, NewKnow's co-founders Steven Gendron and Jaffray Hill have first hand understanding of the expense and challenge of on-boarding new employees and training teams on products, policies and procedures. "High turnover, disengaged employees, and infrequent and untrackable training were constant roadblocks for us. And it really bled through to the customer experience," says Gendron.



To overcome those hurdles, Gendron and Hill harnessed tech to empower retail's most valuable asset - front-line employees - with a better training and communication toolkit. "The trick to excelling in physical retail is by competing on the service experience, and blending digital and physical to deliver quality service and memorable in-store touch points," he adds.



NewKnow joins the likes of Lightspeed, Salesfloor, SweetIQ and Thirdshelf as the newest member of Montreal's retail tech scene. Expect a bright future for those taking advantage of tools like NewKnow to meet some of retail's biggest challenges.

SOURCE NewKnow
DUBLIN, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The "China Lithium Ion Power Battery Industry Outlook - Pest Analysis and Top 15 Manufacturers In-Depth Survey, 2018 to 2021 Forecast" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

In 2016, the shipments of global power batteries were around 45.33Gwh, which increased by 67% to 27.5Gwh in the first half of 2017 on a YoY basis. Among which, TOP 10 manufacturers shipped 20.92Gwh, which accounted for 76% of the total shipments.

China's output and output value of power batteries reached 30.8Gwh and RMB 71.4 billion in 2016 respectively. In the first half of 2017, this market achieved nearly output value compared with the same time of 2016, which demonstrated characteristics as follow:

The share of NCM batteries continued to grow, In November and December 2016 , power batteries' price has fallen sharply, The shrinkage of the power battery market in the first half of 2017 was beyond expectation.

Due to the influence of government's vague subsidy policies, the output of China's power batteries in Q12017 were nearly equal to Q12016, but the output value was sharply decreased by 22%. In Q22017, the industry witnessed a small rebound. Along with the price fall, the market value of China's power battery industry will slump in 2017. Many middle and small-sized manufacturers will record a loss, the industry will be reshuffled soon.



Key Topics Covered:



Part I Lithium-ion power battery Industry PEST Model

1.1 Product Description

1.2 Policy Deployment

1.3 Lithium-ion power battery Whole Market Snapshot

1.3.1 Market Circumstance

1.3.2 Market Price and Cost

1.3.3 Technology Environment

1.3.4 Downstream Application Analysis

1.3.5 Competitive Environment



Part II Reference Data

2.1 xEV Industry

2.1.1 China Market Environment

2.1.2 Global Market Environment

2.2 Electrochemical Energy Storage Industry

2.2.1 China Market Environment

2.2.2 Competitive Environment



Part III Top Overseas Manufacturers in-depth Survey



Part IV Top Local Manufacturers in-depth Survey



Beijing Bational Battery Co., Ltd.

BYD Company Limited

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd,

EVE Energy Co., Ltd.

Farasis Energy (Gan Zhou) Inc.

Harbin Coslight Power Co., Ltd

Hefei Guoxuan Material Technology Co., Ltd,

LG Chem Co., Ltd,

OptimumNano Energy Co., Ltd

Panasonic Corporation

Samsung SDI Co., Ltd,

Shenzhen BAK Battery Co., Ltd.

Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-Stock Co., Ltd.

Wanxiang A123 System Co., LTD.

Zhuhai Yintong New Energy Co., Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/bbhhcm/china_lithium_ion





Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

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SOURCE Research and Markets

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"Companies receiving the Torch Award and honorable mention awards have distinguished themselves as businesses that operate in an ethical manner," said Steve J. Bernas, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. "They know the importance of their customers, employees, community members and other stakeholders to their business' success. This is at the heart of why the BBB conducts the Torch Award program. We want to encourage businesses to do their best because it benefits everyone."

Combined Insurance's Honorable Mention Torch Award was presented at a luncheon ceremony on November 16 at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare. Corey Williams, Vice President and Regional Director at Combined Insurance, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

"Combined Insurance is honored to receive this Honorable Mention from the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois," Williams said. "We are proud to be affiliated with such a reputable organization as the Better Business Bureau."

Combined Insurance has received an A+ accreditation from the BBB for 63 consecutive years. Furthermore, Combined Insurance was a previous winner of the Torch Award. The company was founded in Chicago in 1922 by W. Clement Stone. With $100, a positive spirit and a vision to make the world a better place, Stone developed and grew the company into what it is today  still operating in the Chicago area and with agents throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Click here to learn more about Combined Insurance products and career opportunities.

About Combined Insurance

Combined Insurance Company of America (Chicago, Ill.) is a leading provider of individual supplemental accident, disability, health, and life insurance products and a Chubb company. With a tradition of nearly 100 years of success, Combined Insurance is committed to making the world of supplemental insurance easy to understand. The company has an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau and is one of Ward's Top 50 Performing Life-Health Insurance Companies. Combined Insurance is also a 2017 Top 10 Military Friendly Employer named by G.I. Jobs Magazinemarking the fifth consecutive year on the Top 10 employer list and third consecutive year in the Top 5. In New York, products are underwritten by Combined Life Insurance Company of New York (Latham, N.Y.). For more information, please visit combinedinsurance.com.

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com.

SOURCE Combined Insurance

Related Links

http://www.combinedinsurance.com


"Heather's enthusiasm and passion for community service exemplifies the spirit of the Cox Automotive Community Impact Award," said Huang. "Community service is a guiding value for how Cox Automotive operates its businesses, and we congratulate Heather on her inspirational work."

While Pullen is passionate about performance cars and has worked at Porsche for more than six years, her real passion starts with horses. She is an avid polo player, and she and her husband, Randy Pullen, formed a charity in 2016 named Pony Up For A Cause. This charity was designed to give back to local charities in the Atlanta area by raising money through an annual polo event produced by Pony Up For A Cause.

Pony Up For A Cause partners with Atlanta Ronald McDonald House (ARMHC) to support its mission in the local community. ARMHC provides temporary housing and support services to families who travel far from home to get treatment for their children facing a medical crisis. Since its inception, Pony Up For A Cause has raised more than $30,000 for ARMHC.

For her leadership and commitment to making a difference through community service, Pullen's charity Pony Up For A Cause will receive a $10,000 donation from Cox Automotive to further its work in the Atlanta area.

"Giving back to the community is simply part of the culture at Cox Automotive," said Pullen. "It is a sincere honor to be recognized, and I am humbled by the generosity of Cox Automotive."

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 Cox Automotive

Related Links

https://www.coxautoinc.com


TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Drone Delivery Canada 'DDC or the Company' (CSE:FLT OTC:TAKOF), is pleased to announce it was granted permission from Transport Canada to test its drone delivery technology in the northern regions of Canada. DDC tested its drone delivery platform in the Moose Factory and Moosonee communities where it completed a series of successful flights comprising of distances of up to 2.12km all while maintaining visual contact.

DDC's Drones operated in Class E air space which has hundreds of daily helicopter and aircraft flights taking place. While flying autonomously, DDC seamlessly integrated into this busy airspace.

For these tests, DDC's OCC (Operations Control Center) coordinated these flights with NAV Canada and Timmins FSS (Flight Service Station) operating in VFR (visual flight rules). Multiple flights were made, all achieving 100% success rates while flying in some of Canada's most extreme weather conditions that included strong winds, snow and cold temperatures.

"We are extremely pleased with our test flights in the Moose Factory and Moosonee communities," commented Tony Di Benedetto, CEO of Drone Delivery Canada. "I would like to thank all stakeholders including the communities, the regulators, the local aviation community and DDC's technical team to allow this co-ordinated effort to take place and achieve very positive results for all. Our technology has shown positive results through these initial flights to be a viable infrastructure solution for Canada's North to help increase access and reduce logistics costs", added Di Benedetto.

DDC will work under Transport Canada's guidance to continue to advance testing and development throughout the Canadian geography including Moose Factory and Moosonee communities.

To watch DDC's journey in Moose Factory and the Moosonee community watch our video at; www.dronedeliverycanada.com/moosecree

For more information, please visit; www.dronedeliverycanada.com

About Drone Delivery Canada

Drone Delivery Canada is a drone technology company focused on the design, development and implementation of its proprietary logistics software platform, using drones. The Company's platform will be used as Software as a Service (SaaS) for government and corporate organizations.

Drone Delivery Canada Corp. is a publicly listed company trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol FLT, on the U.S. OTC Q B market under the symbol TAKOF and on the Frankfurt exchange in Germany under the symbol A2AMGZ.

SOURCE Drone Delivery Canada

Related Links

http://www.dronedeliverycanada.com


WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EAB today became an independent entity committed to making education smarter through research, technology, and services. The more than 1,200 schools, colleges, and universities that work with EAB will benefit from the firm's ability to focus entirely on the education sector.

Today's announcement marks the completion of the process first announced in August when Vista Equity Partners, a leading investment firm, entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire EAB from The Advisory Board Company.

"Our team of 1,300 is excited for this new chapter," said David Felsenthal, EAB's CEO, who first joined the firm more than 20 years ago. "We are proud of the progress we have already made for educational institutions and for students, and we are looking forward to our next phase of impact and innovation."

EAB's unique approach to best practice research, which includes hundreds of subject matter experts conducting thousands of interviews with education leaders and practitioners each year, gives it unmatched visibility into emerging issues and innovative solutions. The firm also maintains and analyzes the education sector's largest data set on student engagement and success. "Our ability to turn these insights into impact is a testament to EAB's mission-driven, talented, and creative employees," Felsenthal said.

EAB currently supports a quarter of college students in the U.S. through its first-of-its-kind student success management system, which provides predictive analytics that allow advisors and faculty to see which students are at risk and connect them to campus resources. EAB also helps match over 130,000 students to their best-fit college each year, through enrollment services that help schools find qualified students and encourage those students to apply and attend.

"EAB is an outstanding addition to our portfolio, as a trusted partner on college campuses and in schools across the country. We know EAB will continue to build on these strengths under David Felsenthal's ongoing leadership," said Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners, which is focused on software, data, and technology-enabled businesses.

EAB also announced that Royall & Company, its enrollment division, will take on the EAB name and branding to reflect the synergies across the firm's research, technology, and services teams.

As a leader in corporate social responsibility, EAB remains committed to its local communities: Washington, D.C., Richmond, Va., Birmingham, Ala., and Bloomington, Minn.

About EAB

At EAB, we are making education smarter. We harness the collective power of more than 1,200 educational institutions to generate insights that address education leaders' top challenges. Then we apply these insights through research, technology, and services: We help leaders find and enroll the right students through enrollment marketing and financial aid optimization. We support student success through our student success management system, which helps advisors, faculty, and staff guide students through school and to the post-graduate outcomes students want. And we provide institutions with the strategic guidance and data they need to improve mission-critical outcomes and prepare for tomorrow's students. For more information, please visit www.eab.com.

About Vista Equity Partners

Vista Equity Partners, a U.S.-based investment firm with offices in Austin, San Francisco, Chicago, and Oakland with more than $30 billion in cumulative capital commitments, currently invests in software, data and technology-enabled organizations led by world-class management teams with long-term perspectives. Vista is a value-added investor, contributing professional expertise and multi-level support towards companies' realization of their full potential. Vista's investment approach is anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions, and proven management techniques that yield flexibility and opportunity in private equity investing. For more information, please visit www.vistaequitypartners.com.

SOURCE EAB

Related Links

http://www.eab.com


ATLANTA, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) today announced that Paulino Barros, Interim Chief Executive Officer, John Gamble, Chief Financial Officer, and Douglas Brandberg, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, will be meeting with investors in Boston and Baltimore on Tuesday November 28th and Wednesday, November 29th.

Barros, Gamble, and Brandberg will discuss the company's third quarter 2017 performance as well as the strategic outlook for 2017.

About Equifax

Equifax is a global information solutions company that uses unique data, innovative analytics, technology and industry expertise to power organizations and individuals around the world by transforming knowledge into insights that help make more informed business and personal decisions.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs 10,100 employees worldwide.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

1550 Peachtree Street, NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30309

Marisa Salcines

Media Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE Equifax Inc.

Related Links

http://www.equifax.com


ATLANTA, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) today announced that Jeff Dodge, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, will be meeting with investors in Europe.

Dodge will be meeting with investors on:

Monday, November 27th in Paris, France

in Tuesday, November 28th in Stockholm, Sweden

in Wednesday, November 29th in Edinburgh, Scotland

in Thursday, November 30th and Friday, December 1st in London, England

Dodge will discuss the company's third quarter 2017 performance as well as the strategic outlook for 2017.

About Equifax

Equifax is a global information solutions company that uses unique data, innovative analytics, technology and industry expertise to power organizations and individuals around the world by transforming knowledge into insights that help make more informed business and personal decisions.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs 10,100 employees worldwide.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

1550 Peachtree Street, NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30309

Marisa Salcines

Media Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE Equifax Inc.

Related Links

http://www.equifax.com


ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Through the generosity of Ann Arbor's Glacier Hills Senior Living Community and Trinity Health Senior Communities of Livonia, MI, an $18.25 million fund has been created to benefit senior adults in Washtenaw Countyespecially those at-risk and with low incomesin perpetuity, managed by the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF).

Named the Glacier Hills Legacy Fund, the $18M+ sum represents an unprecedented gift to the local community, made on the occasion of Glacier Hills, Inc.'s agreement to join Trinity Health Senior Communities. Steve Kastner, President and CEO for Trinity Health Senior Communities, indicates the fund provides an excellent opportunity to extend the resources of Trinity Health Senior Communities and our local Trinity Health partner, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, to address vital community needs for our elders.

As steward of the Glacier Hills Legacy Fund, AAACF will begin distributing more than $650,000 annually toward senior initiatives in Washtenaw County in 2018, enabling this extraordinary gift to have an immediate impact. A volunteer advisory committee of community members has been appointed to establish Legacy Fund priorities, review grant proposals, and recommend final grant determinations. AAACF staff will help facilitate grantmaking, evaluation, and formation of regional and national funding partnerships. The public should note that the Foundation is not accepting proposals for the Legacy Fund at this time.

AAACF will also direct a portion of the gift toward a prize competition for innovative, actionable new ideas to support seniors and their caregivers. Details will be released in early 2018.

This exceptional initiative on the part of Glacier Hills and Trinity is a response to huge growth anticipated in the local 60+ population over the next 25 years. The 2010 census found 53,000 adults age 60+ in Washtenaw County, with some 4,300 at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level. The total number is projected to rise to 110,000 by 2040. Meanwhile, neither local public funds nor local philanthropic resources are able to meet even current needs of vulnerable seniors. Michigan is home to an unusually large 65+ population, but the state's health-related philanthropy currently designates just 3% of its granting specifically to seniors.

The senior population presents many pressing needs, including health, affordable housing and independent living support (a recent survey found 90% of local seniors wished to "age in place"), transportation and mobility, and social, employment, and volunteer opportunities (one-third of the survey sample said they felt socially isolated).

Those 75 and older8,000 now in Washtenaw County and more than 25,000 by 2040are especially vulnerable. Professional and family caregivers are already stretched to their limits, yet even more and better-trained caregivers will be required as this population grows. The survey referenced above reported that 15% of the sampled seniors acted as informal caregivers to other seniors, often to the detriment of their own health and finances.

An additional amount of $10M was placed with Glacier Hills, including $6.25M in a Campus Fund and Campus Fund Endowment with the Glacier Hills Foundation to help fund life-enhancing and transformational programs and initiatives for residents and staff on its Ann Arbor campus through a grantmaking process involving residents, staff and Foundation Board members.

Ray Rabidoux, Chair of the Glacier Hills Legacy Fund Committee, commends the intentional local focus and the deliberate process the Glacier Hills Board of Directors and Trinity Health Senior Communities undertook in understanding the current and projected needs of seniors here. "The magnitude of this gift represents extraordinary commitment, just as it illustrates the need for more awareness of the vulnerability of many seniorseven in a vibrant community like Washtenaw County."

As it starts to fund senior initiatives through the Glacier Hills Legacy Fund, AAACF will seek to highlight aging issues for the broader community, particularly as they affect Washtenaw County seniors, their families, and caregivers. AAACF will also report regularly to the public on the outcomes of Glacier Hills Legacy Fund grants.

The establishment of the Glacier Hills Legacy Fund by Glacier Hills and Trinity is in addition to the commitment in 2016 by Saint Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor to join the Washtenaw Coordinated Funders as an annual grantmaker in support of human services programming, build nonprofit capacity, and foster community collaboration and systems-level change.

Established in 1963 as a permanent source of community capital, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has a broad community focus, enriching the quality of life throughout Washtenaw County. A core team of 18 trustees, 10 staff, and more than 400 volunteers connect people, charitable causes, and permanent capital for community impact.

Trinity Health, based in Livonia, MI, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation, and its National Health Ministry, Trinity Health Senior Communities, are known for their focus on care and services for older adults, including senior ERs, specialty acute geriatric units, medical practices, senior housing, nursing care, Programs for All Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE), home care and hospice services. Trinity Health employs 97,000 full-time employees including 5,300 physicians, across 22 states, and including Saint Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor.

Contact: Neel Hajra, President & CEO,

Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation

734-663-0401; [email protected]

SOURCE Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation

Related Links

http://www.aaacf.org


DUBLIN, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Car Audio System Market to 2025" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

Europe is largest adopter of car audio systems, followed by North America. Car audio system - North America and Europe market is expected to grow from US$ 6.46 billion and US$ 5.65 billion by 2025 from US$ 3.85 billion and US$ 3.34 billion in 2016 respectively for Europe and North America.

Automotive industry throughout the globe is evolving and adopting advanced technological developments and innovations, along with increased focus on driver's comfort and safety. The car audio market is also witnessing several developments in the technology such as voice-enabled audio systems and smartphone controlled audio systems.

The report focuses on an in-depth segmentation of this market based by component type, technology, accessibility and make type. The geographic segmentation of the report covers six major regions including; North Americas, Europe. The regional market has been further bifurcated by respective countries. By component type segment speakers accounted for the largest share of the car audio system market in 2016; whereas, Europe region is estimated to capture majority of the revenue share during the forecast period.

The report aims to provide an overview of car audio system - North America & Europe market with detailed market segmentation. Also, it analyzes the current car audio system market scenario and forecasts the market till 2025. The report covers market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period.

Europe is one of the prominent regions in car audio system market which will contribute highest revenue globally due to technological developments and considerable adoption of car audio system by different car manufacturing companies.



Some of the key players of car audio systems market include Panasonic Corporation, Pioneer Corporation, Alpine Electronics, Inc., Kenwood Corporation, Harman International Industries, Inc., Clarion Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation, Delphi Automotive PLC, Bose Corporation, JL Audio and Blaupunkt GmbH among others.

Key Topics Covered:



1. List of Tables & Figures



2. Introduction



3. Key Takeaways



4. Car Audio Market Landscape



5. Car Audio Market - Key Industry Dynamics



6. Car Audio Market Analysis - By Component



7. Car Audio Market Analysis - Technology



8. Car Audio Market Analysis - Accessibility



9. Car Audio Market Analysis - Make Type



10. Car Audio Market - Geographical Analysis



11. Industry Landscape



12. Competitive Landscape



13. Car Audio Market - Key Company Profiles



Alpine Electronics, Inc.

Clarion Co., Ltd.

HARMAN International

JVC Kenwood Corporation

Panasonic Corporation

Pioneer Corporation

Sony Corporation

Delphi Automotive PLC

Bose Corporation

JL Audio Corporation

Blaupunkt GmbH

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/tdjvb3/car_audio_system





Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


DUBLIN, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Global Floating Production Storage and Offloading Market 2017-2021" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

The global floating production storage and offloading market to grow at a CAGR of 4.91% during the period 2017-2021.



Global Floating Production Storage and Offloading 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.



One trend in the market is rise in the number of deepwater and ultra-deepwater drilling projects.



According to the report, one driver in the market is increasing popularity of floating production storage and offloading vessels. Floating production storage and offloading vessels have been in use in the oil and gas industry for over three decades. Such vessels are effective solutions for subsea or deepwater drilling because laying down pipeline infrastructure for offshore production platforms can be very expensive.



FPSOs are economical in small and marginal oil fields that deplete in a few years and therefore installing a fixed platform is not cost-effective. With floating production storage and offloading vessels in place, there is no requirement to lay down long-distance pipelines from the oil well to the onshore field.



Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is increasing use of renewable energy. Renewables have now become cost-competitive with fossil fuels and are being used as primary sources of energy in many countries. As per Eurostat, the share of renewables in the gross primary energy consumption in the EU nations is expected to rise by 4% during 2015-2020, owing to supportive government regulations.



In 2016, renewable energy accounted for more than 50% share of the energy mix in many countries in Europe, including Norway, Iceland, and Sweden. This is attributed to the imposition of stringent emission norms by the governments all across Europe.



Market Trends



Rise in the number of deepwater and ultra-deepwater drilling projects

Shift in preference toward new built floating production storage and offloading

Development of floating LNG

Key vendors

Bumi Armada

BW Offshore

MODEC

Petrobras

SBM Offshore

Other prominent vendors

Bluewater

MISC Berhad

Saipem

Teekay

Yinson Holdings

Key Topics Covered:



Part 01: Executive Summary



Part 02: Scope Of The Report



Part 03: Research Methodology



Part 04: Introduction



Part 05: Market Landscape



Part 06: Market Sizing



Part 07: Five Forces Analysis



Part 08: Market Segmentation By Water Depth



Part 09: Regional Landscape



Part 10: Decision Framework



Part 11: Drivers And Challenges



Part 12: Market Trends



Part 13: Vendor Landscape



Part 14: Vendor Analysis



Part 15: Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/jmw9p8/global_floating



Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bishop Hezekiah Walker and LOANS FROM LISA take the mortgage industry by storm with a first-time-ever nationwide Mortgage Seminar Church Tour. The founder and senior pastor of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle Churches, Bishop Hezekiah Walker becomes the Brand Ambassador for LOANS FROM LISA. This is the first time that a free Nationwide Homeowner Seminar Church Tour, spanning 42 cities across the country, has been done for communities, featuring a two-time Grammy Award-winning gospel artist as the brand ambassador in partnership with a direct mortgage banker.

Two-time Grammy Award winner and Brand Ambassador for LOANS FROM LISA.

LOANS FROM LISA will also feature Bishop Hezekiah Walker in a nationwide advertising campaign. View one of the commercials here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X9qpyKbSTU. The tour will run from January to June 2018 and include stops in several major cities, including Brooklyn, St. Louis, Baltimore, Charlotte, Miami and Philadelphia.

Through the upcoming free Homeowner Seminar Church Tour, prospective and current homeowners will better understand the mortgage process, find out the three letters they need to know to qualify for a mortgage and learn tips to improve their credit. First-time home buyers will learn information for down payment programs and closing cost assistance, in addition, life-changing refinancing options will be taught to current homeowners, addressing the varied needs of different demographics, from millennials to seniors.

"We are really excited that we are working with LOANS FROM LISA ... it's going to be an amazing journey," says Bishop Hezekiah Walker. "We want everybody to get excited ... because you're closer to getting into your home than you think."

About LOANS FROM LISA:

LOANS FROM LISA, a branch of Family First Funding, offers high-quality mortgage banking services to residential and business customers, and is a direct lender that has the ability to underwrite loans within their corporate office in Toms River, New Jersey. They also have over 15 relationships with FHA and special niche investors that allows them to provide financing for borrowers with less than perfect credit, no ability to document income for commercial loans, unique properties and "back-against-the-wall" deadlines. Their aim is to provide clients with competitive rates and reasonable fees, while keeping clients informed and educated throughout the process. LOANS FROM LISA's motto is "Homeownership is closer than you think!"

"I'm excited to be the brand ambassador for LOANS FROM LISA and bring this information to communities across the country," says Bishop Hezekiah Walker. "It's exciting that so many who have always dreamed of homeownership and need refinancing options will have access to this information."

Register to attend the Homeowner Seminar Church Tour at www.FreeLoanSeminar.com.

About Homeowner Seminar Church Tour

This free Homeowner Seminar Church Tour was developed out of a partnership between LOANS FROM LISA and their new brand ambassador Bishop Hezekiah Walker. See clip of the casual in-office announcement: https://vimeo.com/241008703.

To schedule an interview with Lisa Farrell, branch manager of LOANS FROM LISA, or for press inquiries, please contact:

Denise Bonds

[email protected]

(833) 385-6267 / (833) 38-LOANS

Fax: (215) 376-6995



Related Images

image1.jpg

Bishop Hezekiah Walker

image2.jpg

Homeowner Seminar Church Tour Flyer

image3.jpg

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpvxInzygQA

SOURCE LOANS FROM LISA
The 56th ICCA Congress took place at the Prague Congress Centre in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, on November 12, 2017 (local time). The four-day event assembled together more than 1,200 participants from around the world, including leaders and executives from across the MICE community, as well as conference organizers and members of the media. The number of participants nearly doubled from last year's event.

The ICCA Congress provides a key venue at which the city of Hangzhou can present what it can offer in terms of MICE resources to conference organizers from all over the world, enhance the global impact of its MICE brands and put in place channels outside of the home market. This marks the third time that the Hangzhou Tourism Commission has been a participant at the Congress.

The success of the G20 Summit in 2016 gave Hangzhou a significant opportunity to enhance its competencies in conference services while improving the city's infrastructure. The city has demonstrated observable progress towards developing a MICE sector that fully meets the expectations of the MICE community. Following on the G20 Summit's success, Hangzhou will be hosting the 2020 Asian Games, a key happening that can be expected to deliver new opportunities to the city's conventions and exhibitions sector. With the goal of transforming into an international gateway city, the local government has launched several programs, including packaging the best of the city's local MICE resources into "one-stop-shop" products and rolling out policies that support the sector, with the goal of building the city into a world-leading destination for MICE.

The annual ICCA event, which the Hangzhou Tourism Commission attends regularly, this year witnessed the launch of the "Hangzhou, Inspiring New Connections" brand promotion and interactive zone, providing a stage on which the advantages of the city's MICE sector could be demonstrated to visitors via brand visibility and on-site face-to-face discussions. Several of the event organizers, journalists and industry insiders commented on how the hosting of G20 went a long way in making the world aware of Hangzhou as a MICE destination worthy of consideration. On the back of the G20 Summit, Hangzhou's MICE industry leaders rolled out a program to upgrade and enhance every step of the planning process, from bidding to implementation, for all types of conventions and exhibitions.

This year, Hangzhou has adopted some additional measures in promoting its brand. The successful visiting to Hangzhou of the promotional event "Meeting Poetry in Hangzhou", the roll out by the city government of MICE preferential policies and roadshows held in China as well as abroad, have gone a long way in promoting the city as a MICE destination brand. The vision is to transform the city into one that can stand side by side with world MICE leaders such as Paris, London and New York. Hangzhou will continue to explore new MICE products and improve service offerings, allowing the world to re-discover the charm of Hangzhou alongside the value add provided by the MICE sector. The city has made it a key priority to attract large conferences, creating infinite possibilities and comprehensively improving the global influence of the "Hangzhou, Inspiring New Connections" brand.

SOURCE Business Events Hangzhou
"We've been powering aircraft at Hawaiian since 1929 and we appreciate the continued confidence in Pratt & Whitney," said Chris Calio, president, commercial engines at Pratt & Whitney. "From the Wasp-powered Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker to the PW4000-powered Boeing 767 to the GTF-powered A321neo, we're honored to continue the tradition."

Pratt & Whitney GTF engines will power up to 25 A321neo aircraft for Hawaiian Airlines, which is anticipated to operate the aircraft on routes like Portland-Maui, Oakland-Kauai and Los Angeles-Kona. Since entering service in early 2016, the GTF engine has demonstrated its promised ability to reduce fuel burn by 16 percent, regulated emissions by 50 percent and noise footprint by 75 percent.

"The GTF engine and A321neo are part of our continuing commitment to invest in new technology that improves operational efficiency and shrinks our environmental footprint," said Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO at Hawaiian Airlines. "We're looking forward to serving our passengers with this ultra-quiet engine and aircraft."

About Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit its website at www.utc.com, or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in levels of demand in the aerospace industry, in levels of air travel, and in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production support, performance and realization of the anticipated benefits of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corp.'s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Pratt & Whitney

+1 (860) 565-9600

[email protected]

SOURCE Pratt & Whitney

Related Links

http://www.utc.com


TAMPA BAY, Fla., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nation's media has not reported that many self-employed families are experiencing $50,000 family premiums in 2018. Obamacare has plunged Americans into crisis. In Tallahassee a 62-year-old couple with 2 children earning $60,000 will receive $49,464 in Federal subsidies to purchase insurance. These sky-high premiums are not restricted to just Florida but are happening across America. The self-employed who must purchase Individual Medical (IM) insurance are the hardest hit. This information was shown to Florida Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam by Ron Greiner in Clearwater and Adam Putnam said, "31 counties in Florida have only one insurance company to choose from." Adam Putnam is running for Governor of Florida in 2018. When competition is restricted the prices are higher. Tallahassee has only one insurance company on the Obamacare Exchange, Blue Cross of Florida.

TIME for a change

All 99 counties in Iowa have just one insurance company to choose from so their prices are above the National average. The above family earning $100,000 a year earns too much to qualify for subsidies and must pay the entire premium themselves. In Iowa City the lowest priced Bronze plan's premium is $46,056 with a $6,000 per person deductible. This plan qualifies for a tax-free Health Savings Account (HSA). A majority of people making purchases on the Obamacare Exchange choose the Silver plan and this family's cost in Iowa City would be $56,772 a year with a $5,250 deductible. Licensed insurance agent and HSA expert Ron Greiner says, "People spending their own money wouldn't spend $10,000 extra per year to drop their deductible just $750 but if you're spending other peoples' money (OPM), Federal tax dollars, the sky is the limit."

The media is spinning this year's Obamacare Open Enrollment as a huge success but nothing could be further from the truth. Greiner says, "I talked to a self-employed Tampa woman yesterday whose premium for her and her husband is rising from $1,800 a month to $3,500 in 2018. They earn over $65,000 so they receive no subsidies. She was clear that she would cancel her insurance before she would pay $3,500 a month." Greiner did further assert, "We need smarter politicians if they are going to be making our laws. You would think that politicians would be all over FOX News screaming about $50,000 family premiums with Obamacare in 2018 but it's not happening."

There are some things that self-employed people can do to survive the nightmare of Obamacare. For the 62-year-old family with 2 children earning $100,000 a year in Iowa City Ron suggests, "Get the HSA Qualifying plan for $46,056 a year and then deposit $2,000 in a tax-free HSA at the bank. This will drop their Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) to $98,000 and then they qualify for $47,400 in Federal subsidies which is more than their cost for their insurance. This isn't magic it's just math and the ridiculous Obamacare law."

The media refuses to report but Obamacare is a nightmare for many reasons. Greiner reports, "I talked with a 28-year-old pregnant doctor, named Lucy, from Lexington, KY who is restricted to one insurance company in 2018. The closest hospital to have her baby in is hours away in Ohio. She was really upset. I told her that it was her U.S. Senator who led the fight to stop Obamacare repeal." Lucy shot back, "His neighbor is probably pregnant and as mad at him as I am."

Ron appreciates President Trump's Executive Order allowing Short-Term-Medical (STM) insurance to last one year again. Ron says, "STM insurance is the perfect tool to take people from year to year between Obamacare Open Enrollments. It is very affordable. A 60-year-old couple can get STM insurance in Tallahassee for $533.63 per month with a $5,000 deductible that pays 100%. President Trump's Executive Order will allow many people to be able to afford insurance instead of being uninsured."

Use this link for online enrollment or quotes. Use 1/1/2018 as the effective date. Medical underwriting required.

https://quotenatgen.ngic.com/home/PlanSelection

About Ron Greiner: Ron enrolled America's 1st Health Savings Account (HSA) in 1996 when they were called tax-free Medical Savings Accounts (MSA). Mr. Greiner is an insurance expert and is licensed coast to coast.

Phone contact: 727-943-8118



Media Requests: 833-728-3101



Ron Greiner

[email protected]

SOURCE Ron Greiner
DENVER, Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Xilinx, Inc. (XLNX) and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. today jointly announced the North American debut of the Huawei FPGA Accelerated Cloud Server (FACS) platform at SC17. Powered by Xilinx high performance Virtex UltraScale+ FPGAs, the FACS platform is differentiated in the marketplace today.

Launched at the Huawei Connect 2017 event, the Huawei Cloud provides FACS FP1 instances as part of its Elastic Compute Service. These instances enable users to develop, deploy, and publish new FPGA-based services and applications through easy-to-use development kits and cloud-based EDA verification services. Both expert hardware developers and high-level language users benefit from FP1 tailored instances suited to each development flow.

The interactive demonstration at SC17 illustrates the large performance advantage of the Huawei FACS platform compared to an HPC class CPU-based platform through a video encoding and a compression scenario. Highlighted demos from NGCodec and DeePhi feature video encoding and deep learning capabilities, respectively. The FP1 demonstrations feature Xilinx technology which provides a 10-100x speed-up for compute intensive cloud applications such as data analytics, genomics, video processing, and machine learning. Huawei FP1 instances are equipped with up to eight Virtex UltraScale+ VU9P FPGAs and can be configured in a 300G mesh topology optimized for performance at scale. Both the cloud service and the platform technology for on premise solutions are highlighted in the demonstration.

The FP1 FPGA accelerated cloud service is available on the Huawei Public Cloud today. To register for the public beta, please visit http://www.hwclouds.com/product/fcs.html.

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to enrich life and improve efficiency through a better connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei's 180,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the world's population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on: http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huaweihttp://www.twitter.com/Huaweihttp://www.facebook.com/Huaweihttp://www.google.com/+Huaweihttp://www.youtube.com/Huawei.

About Xilinx

Xilinx is the leading provider of All Programmable FPGAs, SoCs, MPSoCs, RFSoCs, and 3D ICs. Xilinx uniquely enables applications that are both software defined and hardware optimized  powering industry advancements in Cloud Computing, Video/Vision, Industrial IoT, and 5G Wireless. For more information, visit www.xilinx.com.

#1730

AB851

 Copyright 2017 Xilinx, Inc. Xilinx, the Xilinx logo, Artix, ISE, Kintex, Spartan, Virtex, Vivado, Zynq, and other designated brands included herein are trademarks of Xilinx in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Xilinx Amy Attard (408) 879-6924 [email protected]

SOURCE Xilinx, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.xilinx.com


SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chilicon Power, designer and manufacturer of grid-interactive inverter and monitoring solutions, announced today that the company's CP-250E is compliant with the smart grid requirements in California (UL 1741 SA/Rule 21). This makes the CP-250E the only US manufactured grid support compliant inverter, and the only microinverter (USA or foreign) to be compliant in both 208V three phase and 240V split phase grid formats.

Chilicon Power CP-250E (289 output watt) UL1741SA/Rule-21 Compliant Microinverter

The CP-250E outputs up to 289 continuous Watts of power and is compatible with 60 and 72 cell modules. Per 1741SA it can supply leading or lagging reactive VAr on demand, and is capable of riding-through grid frequency and voltage anomalies in order to assist the grid in maintaining stability. Chilicon's patented frequency-domain control methodology allowed these upgrades to be performed with firmware modifications and saved Chilicon vast sums of R&D spending by avoiding a complete hardware revision cycle.

"It's great to spend on resources where it counts, smart monitoring features, reliable equipment, and world class customer support," says Alex Kral Co-Founder of Chilicon Power.

"Customers in all 50 states + Canada have been gravitating to our platform due to its superior monitoring capabilities, ease of setup, SKU reduction, reliability, and the fact that we are the only made in USA inverter company," commented Dr. Christopher R. Jones, co-founder of Chilicon Power.

UL 1741 SA is a standard that lays out the manufacturing and product testing requirements with the goal of producing inverters more capable of riding through grid excursions or even actively managing grid reliability functions.

Rule 21 is a tariff that describes the interconnection, operating and metering requirements for generation facilities to be connected to a utility's distribution system, over which the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has jurisdiction. In other words, Rule 21 lays out the specific parameter settings to be used with the test methods of UL 1741 SA in the state of California.

About Chilicon Power

Founded in 2009 by former NASA engineers, Chilicon Power manufactures the world's most technologically advanced microinverter system. http://www.chiliconpower.com

The CP-250E produces 289W of continuous output for 60 and 72 cell modules, providing unparalleled reliability and efficiency. Backed by a 25-year warranty, this powerful inverter contains no electrolytic components and performs exceptionally well in hot climates.

The CP-100 Gateway features an attractive 7" touch screen with a color graphic display that can easily be flush mounted onto a wall. Powered by an extremely robust PLC, the Gateway communicates seamlessly with the inverters, reducing troubleshooting issues down the road. Its smart features- you can set up the entire array on site- allows for the fastest setup and commissioning in the industry. The Gateway also offers total energy consumption and home security options, along with a self-supply mode that allows you to match the local load without exporting to the grid.

The only USA manufactured microinverter, Chilicon Power has experienced tremendous growth over the past two years and is excited to unveil its new generation of inverters (the CP-720) in early 2018.

Media Contact: David Sywensky (310) 908-9726

SOURCE Chilicon Power

Related Links

http://www.chiliconpower.com


ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vestagen Protective Technologies, Inc., which manufactures and markets VESTEX Active Barrier1 fabric healthcare uniforms, lab coats and patient garments, today announced that a U.S. federal court in California denied all additional legal motions against Vestagen brought by medical garment manufacturer Strategic Partners, Inc. (SPI). The SPI motions followed a recent jury trial for its 2016 lawsuit, in which the jury found in favor of Vestagen. The Court decisions this week confirm the jury verdict, rejecting SPI's allegations that Vestagen had made false and misleading advertising and marketing claims about VESTEX. The Court's denial of these new motions means the jury verdict for Vestagen will stand.

In this week's decisions, the Court denied SPI motions for a new trial and it also rejected SPI claims based on state law involving false and misleading advertising and unfair business practices. Among other findings, the Court rejected allegations that VESTEX was promoted in a way that misstated published scientific results and conflicted with regulations established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"From the start, we maintained that SPI's legal attack on Vestagen was not based on the facts, and these new rulings denying SPI's recent motions further validate our position," said Bill Bold, Chief Executive Officer of Vestagen. "We believe that SPI, a company many times the size of Vestagen, brought this lawsuit as an attempt to thwart an emerging competitor with important new technology. Our success in the marketplace attests to the value of VESTEX, and we look forward to advancing its adoption now that this unjustified legal challenge is behind us."

VESTEX Active Barrier fabric is a unique combination of technologies used to produce comfortable, continuous-wear healthcare worker and patient garments intended to minimize the risks associated with unanticipated exposure to body fluids during routine use, by repelling fluid splatter and spills from the fabric. A peer reviewed hospital-based study published in a leading medical journal showed reduced acquisition and retention of certain microorganisms on VESTEX scrubs compared to conventional healthcare uniforms. VESTEX contains an EPA-registered antimicrobial agent2 and has been shown in controlled conditions in laboratory and hospital settings to inhibit the growth of certain bacteria on the fabric3, 4 VESTEX has earned an exclusive endorsement from the American Hospital Association.

For more information about Vestagen and VESTEX, visit vestagen.com and VESTEX.com.

1 - Neither liquid repellency nor antimicrobial tests are intended to assess the VESTEX active barrier apparel's ability to meet personal protective equipment requirements. The ability of the fabric to reduce exposure to microorganisms or infections has not been studied.

2 - VESTEX garments do not protect users or others against disease-causing bacteria. Always clean the garment thoroughly after each use.

3 - Bearman, G., Rosato, A., Elam, K., Sanogo, K., Stevens, M., Sessler, C., and Wenzel, R. P., "A Cross-over Trial of Antimicrobial Scrubs to Reduce MRSA Burden on Healthcare Worker Apparel," Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol., Vol. 33, No. 3, 2012, pp. 268275.

4 - Hardwick, Matthew, Walsh, Thomas, and Cotton, Margaret, "Fabric Challenge Assays: New Standards for the Evaluation of the Performance of Textiles Treated with Antimicrobial Agents," Pesticide Formulation and Delivery Systems: Innovating Legacy Products for New Uses on November 13, 2011 in Tampa FL; STP 1558, M. Bernards, Editor, pp. 114, doi: 101520/STP155820120184, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA 2013.

About Vestagen Protective Technologies, Inc.

Vestagen develops advanced performance textile products and technologies including VESTEX, which represents a new class of Active Barrier protective fabrics combining antimicrobial, liquid repellent and breathability properties. VESTEX fabric is designed to protect the uniforms and apparel healthcare workers and their patients wear. For more information, visit vestagen.com.

Vestagen Contacts:

Corporate: Media: Marc Lessem Barbara Lindheim 407 781-2570 212 584-2276

[email protected]

SOURCE Vestagen Protective Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://vestagen.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Outdoorsy, the largest and most trusted global rental marketplace for recreation vehicles, is teaming with Kampgrounds of America (KOA), North America's largest network of open-to-the-public campgrounds, to provide campers to easy access to both RVs and quality family campgrounds.

KOA executives and the Outdoorsy leadership team launch their partnership at the KOA International Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. KOA executives and the Outdoorsy leadership team launch their partnership at the KOA International Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. KOA executives and the Outdoorsy leadership team launch their partnership at the KOA International Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

The partnership will give travelers unparalleled access to a vast network of resources for outdoor travel  from the 10,000 privately-owned RVs on Outdoorsy's marketplace to more than 500 KOA campgrounds throughout the U.S. and Canada. Campers will now have the ability to seamlessly plan their trips, and reserve both recreation vehicles and campgrounds through a single online entry point.

"Our goal is to make the outdoors as accessible as possible through a simple tech-enabled marketplace," said Jen Young, co-founder and CMO of Outdoorsy. "This partnership allows us to give first-time RVers the ability to experience the best of North America through premium campgrounds that offer a wealth of amenities and activities."

The KOA partnership will also potentially unlock millions of dollars of revenue for RV owners across North America. RV owners can earn up to $56,000 a year when they list their RVs for rent on Outdoorsy.

"Working with Outdoorsy provides KOA the opportunity to welcome a new generation of tech-savvy travelers who are looking to experience the outdoors in an easy, frictionless way," said KOA Vice President of Brand Development Lorne Armer.

Young said the KOA partnership will also potentially unlock millions of dollars of revenue for RV owners across North America. Young said RV owners can earn up to $56,000 a year when they list their RVs for rent on Outdoorsy. "We're excited to give KOA campers who own RVs the opportunity to tap into a new income source by renting their RVs when they aren't using it, through a secure, insurance-backed platform," said Armer.

Armer announced the new partnership Nov. 16 during the Kampgrounds of America annual International Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

Outdoorsy CEO Jeff Cavins said, "Outdoorsy provides each RV owner listing their RV on the Outdoorsy site a $1 million insurance coverage guarantee, along with a 24/7 customer support team."

Armer said every KOA camper who lists their RV on Outdoorsy before Dec. 31, 2017 will receive $250 cash upon completing their first rental. To list an RV, go to https://www.outdoorsy.com/partner/koa/list-your-rv.

To rent an RV or to find out more, visit www.outdoorsy.com.

About Outdoorsy:

Outdoorsy is the largest and most trusted marketplace on the planet with hundreds of thousands of rental days, 1+ million message exchanges between RV owners and renters and a rapidly expanding global fleet of unique outdoor vehicles. Outdoorsy is mobilizing the 16+ million idle RVs around the world, ensuring everyone has the access, choice and opportunity to safely enjoy outdoor recreational vehicle travel  and empowering RV owners to realize life-changing financial benefits. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, you can find us at www.outdoorsy.com and come along for the ride on Outdoorsy's unique RV-loving Never Idle Travel Journal.

About Kampgrounds of America:

Kampgrounds of America Inc. has been the world's leading system of family campgrounds since it was created in 1962 in Billings, Montana. KOA currently has more than 500 great campground locations throughout North America. KOA also operates the most visited consumer camping website in the world, www.koa.com.

Media Contacts:

Jennifer Young, Co-founder

Outdoorsy

[email protected]

Mike Gast / Vice President of Communications

Kampgrounds of America Inc.

[email protected]

(406) 254-7409

Related Images

image1.jpg

Outdoorsy - The Largest and Most Trusted RV Rental Marketplace

image2.jpg

Outdoorsy - The Largest and Most Trusted RV Rental Marketplace

image3.jpg

KOA executives and the Outdoorsy leadership team

SOURCE Outdoorsy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.outdoorsy.com


DE PERE, Wis., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Legato Healthcare Marketing recently received two global awardsincluding a platinum honorthrough the 2017 eHealthcare Leadership Award program.

Legato would like to extend gratitude and appreciation to Sigmund Software (Danbury, CT) and Urology Associates (Waukesha, WI) for their outstanding partnerships, and for letting Legato be part of their success.

The eHealthcare Leadership Award program recognizes the best website and digital communications efforts of healthcare organizations. Entries were judged based on a standard of digital communications excellence. These awards highlight the Internet's role in achieving an organization's business objectives and recognize the work that has gone into creating outstanding health websites and digital initiatives.

ABOUT LEGATO HEALTHCARE MARKETING

Legato Healthcare Marketing is a healthcare marketing agency headquartered in De Pere, Wisconsin. Legato provides specialized marketing solutions to healthcare environments including rural health, behavioral health, specialty clinics, medical product companies, and healthcare solutions companies. Visit www.legatohealthcaremarketing.com for more information.

SOURCE Legato Healthcare Marketing

Related Links

http://legatohealthcaremarketing.com


BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Over 600 teachers, principals and educational leaders from around the world are gathering in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the 2nd International Learning Conference organized by the Azerbaijan Teacher Development Centre (ATDC) in co-operation with The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS).

With its theme 'Learning to Learn', attendees are examining what effective learning should look like and how teachers can promote the development of skilful thinking.

Addressing the audience on behalf of the Minister of Education, Mikayil Jabbarov, the Head of the Baku City Education Department, Mahabbat Valiyeva, noted, "Last year's conference became a topic of much discussion and was well-received by the education community. We are confident that this conference too will give a powerful incentive to enhanced learning."

"Teachers are at the very heart of the improvement of a nation, any nation," said Graeme Pollock, a New Zealander who serves as Director of the ATDC. "So if you're looking into the future, you support, develop and encourage teachers."

This is perhaps more critical in Azerbaijan than in other countries. A former Soviet Republic, the country has rebuilt itself over the past quarter century, including changing old teaching habits.

"Our education system has its past in communism," said TEAS Chairman, Tale Heydarov, "that's why it's so vital for a young country like Azerbaijan to constantly update our education system, integrating international best practices. The importance of teachers and their training cannot be overstated."

To address the key issue of professional development, the three-day conference has brought leading educators to Baku, including Lane Clark from Canada and Matt Bromley from the United Kingdom.

"I feel the enthusiasm here, I feel the excitement and desire to want to know and do more," Clark said. "But you need the tools and scaffolding to enable and empower them. And the Azerbaijan Teacher Development Centre is providing this support, because they are offering the training which is so important."

"No school or school system can be better than the quality of the teachers in it," said Tristian Stobie, Director of Education at Cambridge Assessment International Education, which works in over 160 counties, 10,000 schools and 27 ministries providing education services. "Azerbaijan is investing in education, which will yield results."

Among ATDC's priorities are programmes to support English language teaching in schools. It has also established English Conversation Clubs that focus specifically on topics related to education.

Bromley stressed the importance of English, as it would allow students from Azerbaijan to access the world, "They will develop better and return to Azerbaijan with greater experience. So developing the English language here will help the country to build, and be a success on the world stage."

The ATDC trains approximately 3,000 educators a year, directly impacting close to 100,000 students who benefit from the changes and better quality in their teachers' approach to teaching. It has also implemented - together with the ECIS (European Council of International Schools) the International Teachers Certificate programme in Azerbaijan.

For more information, visit http://www.azteachers.az.

SOURCE Azerbaijan Teacher Development Centre (ATDC)
CSE: MDM

FSE: 2Mo

OTCQB: MRPHF

KELOWNA, BC, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Marapharm Ventures Inc., ("Marapharm" or the "Company") announces subscriptions for the third tranche of the private placement offering (the "Offering") of up to 80,000,000 common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants") at a price of $0.10 per Warrant. The anticipated closing date for the third tranche will close on November 21, 2017 with proceeds totaling $800,000.00 from the sale of 8,000,000 warrants. Insiders of the Company have subscribed for and will acquire the entire third tranche.

Following closing of the three tranches the Company will have combined proceeds of $3,221,965.00 from the sale of 32,219,651 Warrants. Final paperwork and regulatory filings are being completed for the remaining tranches and the final tranche is anticipated to close on December 31, 2017.

"Marapharm has 1448 registered shareholders in Canada and it's estimated that there are more than 3000 shareholders worldwide. Marapharm's President and directors are committed to shareholders and to Marapharm's future success. They have collectively invested $800,000.00 into the warrant offering." Linda Sampson, Marapharm CEO.

ABOUT MARAPHARM VENTURES INC.

www.marapharm.com

Marapharm is a publicly traded company primarily investing in the medical and recreational cannabis space, with corporate operations based in British Columbia, Canada. Since 2016 they have rapidly expanded their footprint to include production locations in the key North American states of Washington, Nevada, and California. They actively seek expansion opportunities worldwide.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: facebook.com/marapharm

Twitter: twitter.com/marapharm

STOCK EXCHANGES:

Marapharm trades in Canada, ticker symbol MDM on the CSE, in the United States, ticker symbol MRPHF on the OTCQB, and in Europe, ticker symbol 2Mo on the FSE. Marapharm also trades on other recognized platforms in Europe including Stuttgart, Tradegate, L & S, Quotnx, Dusseldorf, Munich, and Berlin.

Neither the CSE, the FSE nor the OTCQB has approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the CSE, the FSE nor the OTCQB accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

MARIJUANA INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT:

Canadian listings (CSE) will remain in good standing as long as they provide the disclosure that is rightly required by regulators and complying with applicable licensing requirements and the regulatory framework enacted by the applicable state in which they operate.

Marapharm owns marijuana licenses in California and Nevada. Marijuana is legal in each state however marijuana remains illegal under US federal law and the approach to enforcement of US federal law against marijuana is subject to change. Shareholders and investors need to be aware that adverse enforcement actions could affect their investments and that Marapharm's ability to access private and public capital could be affected and or could not be available to support continuing operations. Marapharm's business is conducted in a manner consistent with state law and is in compliance with licensing requirements. Copies of licenses are posted on Marapharm's website. Marapharm has internal compliance procedures in place and has compliance focused attorneys engaged in jurisdictions to monitor changes in laws for compliance with US federal and state law on an ongoing basis. These law firms inform any necessary changes to our policies and procedures for compliance in Canada and the US.

FORWARD - LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", 'may", "will", "project", "should", 'believe", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumption but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and the forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon.

SOURCE Marapharm Ventures Inc.

Related Links

www.marapharm.com


WINNIPEG, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Medicure Inc. ("Medicure" or the "Company") (TSXV:MPH, OTC:MCUJF), a pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has repaid in full its loans with the Manitoba Development Corporation ("MDC") and Crown Capital Fund IV, LP, an investment fund managed by Crown Capital Partners Inc. ("Crown").

The loan from Crown, totalling $60.0 million, of which $30.0 million was syndicated to the Ontario Pension Board, was obtained on November 17, 2016 to facilitate the acquisition of Apicore and bore interest at 9.5% per annum. The loan from MDC was originally obtained in July of 2011, had $1.1 million of principal remaining and bore interest at 5.25% per annum. The funds to repay these loans were obtained from the proceeds of the sale of the Company's interests in Apicore, which was previously announced on October 3, 2017.

"We are thankful for the support that Crown and MDC have provided to Medicure. The repayment of these loans significantly strengthens the Company's balance sheet which provides a strong base to further the growth of the Company and diversify commercial revenues," commented Medicure's President and CEO, Dr. Albert D. Friesen. "Medicure is well positioned to launch Prexxartan and other products in the first half of 2018."

About Medicure Inc.

Medicure is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for the U.S. cardiovascular market. The primary focus of the Company is the marketing and distribution of AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) in the United States, where it is sold through the Company's U.S. subsidiary, Medicure Pharma, Inc. For more information on Medicure please visit www.medicure.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Information: Statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes", "may", "plans", "will", "estimates", "continues", "anticipates", "intends", "expects" and similar expressions, may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. federal securities laws (such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are hereinafter collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements, including the target launch date for Prexxartan and other new products, estimates, analysis and opinions of management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors which the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances. Inherent in forward-looking statements are known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond the Company's ability to predict or control that may cause the actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, and as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others, the Company's future product revenues, stage of development, additional capital requirements, risks associated with the completion and timing of clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval to market the Company's products, the ability to protect its intellectual property, dependence upon collaborative partners, changes in government regulation or regulatory approval processes, and rapid technological change in the industry. Such statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: general business and economic conditions; the impact of changes in Canadian-US dollar and other foreign exchange rates on the Company's revenues, costs and results; the timing of the receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals for the Company's research and development projects; the availability of financing for the Company's commercial operations and/or research and development projects, or the availability of financing on reasonable terms; results of current and future clinical trials; the uncertainties associated with the acceptance and demand for new products and market competition. The foregoing list of important factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of factors, other than as may be required by applicable legislation. Additional discussion regarding the risks and uncertainties relating to the Company and its business can be found in the Company's other filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities or the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and in the "Risk Factors" section of its Form 20F for the year ended December 31, 2016.

SOURCE Medicure Inc.

Related Links

http://www.medicure.com/


BURLINGTON, Mass., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany today announced that its Massachusetts-based business sectors, EMD Serono and MilliporeSigma, have been named to The Boston Globe's annual "Top Places to Work" list for the second year in a row.

"To once again be recognized by The Boston Globe as one of the top companies in the state is a tremendous honor," said Udit Batra, CEO of MilliporeSigma, the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "Building a culture where colleagues can fulfill their ambitions and advance science and technology is of paramount importance to our company  as it has been throughout our nearly 350-year history."

The Boston Globe's "Top Places to Work" listing follows recent recognition from Science magazine, as Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany was ranked fourth among biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies worldwide  the company's best ranking to date.

"The Boston Globe and Science employer rankings reflect the passion of our employees in working to deliver meaningful solutions for patients with difficult to treat diseases," said Gary Zieziula, President and Managing Director, EMD Serono. "With a recent approval, a strong pipeline, and a culture of bold difference-makers, we are making progress on our mission."

"Top Places to Work" recognizes the best places to work in the state based on internal employee surveys. Award selection is based on anonymous employee surveys conducted by The Boston Globe's research partner, Energage (formerly WorkplaceDynamics), from nearly 75,060 individuals at 334 Massachusetts organizations, covering factors such as benefits, management, and engagement.

Employers who enter to be surveyed are placed into one of four groups: small, with 50 to 99 employees; midsize, with 100 to 249 workers; large, with 250 to 999; and largest, with 1,000 or more. In total, the Massachusetts-based business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany employ approximately 2,500 team members across the area. Included in that number are roughly 100 EMD Performance Materials employees based in Haverhill, Massachusetts, who also participated in this year's survey.

All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the EMD Group website. In case you are a resident of the U.S. or Canada please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register again for your online subscription of this service as our newly introduced geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life  from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of 15 billion in 66 countries.



Founded in 1668, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, holds the global rights to the "Merck" name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

Contact:

Melissa Beglin 781-681-2609

Karen Tiano 978-495-0093

SOURCE Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Related Links

http://www.emdgroup.com/emd/index.html


NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The global methyl ethyl ketone market size surpassed USD 2.55 billion in 2015 and it is projected to grow at a CAGR between 5.0% and 5.5% over the forecast period of 2017 - 2023. Methyl ethyl ketone, due to its evaporation rate, is conducive for industrial cements made from rubber, printing inks, and bonding agents at lower temperature. Methyl ethyl ketone has low boiling point and it find applications in acrylic, nitrocellulose and vinyl surface coatings. It is utilized for removing oil paint finish as well as contact cement. It finds application in dissolving adhesives and resins. Coatings and Paints industry account for more than 45% of the overall methyl ethyl ketone demand. Adhesives industry is the fastest growing sector in terms of demand for methyl ethyl ketone.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04828871

The increasing demand from the paints and coatings for methyl ethyl ketone as a solvent is expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. The ability of MEK to enhance the penetration of drugs and break down the structure of quaternary proteins is providing new opportunities to the market players to expand the presence in the pharmaceutical industry. The increased utilization catalysts based on MEK derivatives in the polyester resins polymerisation and its use as cleaning agents in paint remover and varnish are expected drive the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The increasing requirements for printing inks for newspapers, magazines and catalogues are driving the demand for methyl ethyl ketone from printing inks industry, as it possesses properties such as faster evaporation and solvency. The growth in demand from industries such as textiles and plastics is also expected to drive the growth of the market. Due to the fall in crude oil prices, the price of feed stocks for methyl ethyl ketone is expected to remain stable. Owing to the toxic and volatile nature of methyl ethyl ketone, there are health hazards associated with it upon exposure such as various skin allergies, tightness in chest and lungs, and irritation in nose and throat.

Moreover, it is not ideal for children to have any exposure to products that contain methyl ethyl ketone. Hence, the availability of alternative environmental friendly solvents is expected to pose major threat to players in the global methyl ethyl ketone market during the forecast period.

Segments Covered:

The report segments the global methyl ethyl ketone Market by application, and region. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into adhesives, paints and coatings, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, plastics, printing inks, textiles, and others.

Geographic Coverage and Analysis:

The report provides regional analysis covering geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World. Asia-Pacific region is the largest and fastest growing methyl ethyl ketone market. The increasing demand for adhesives, painting and coatings and printing inks, due to the investments in construction and infrastructure sectors in China and India drives the Asia-Pacific methyl ethyl ketone market. North American region is expected have a slow growth due to the maturity of the market and more or less stagnant demand from industries such as paints and plastics. In Europe, the demand from Russia for paints and coatings due to the growth in construction sector is expected to drive the market.

However, the regulations from the European authorities regarding health and safety for MEK are expected to pose slight restraint for the growth of the European methyl ethyl ketone market. The steady growth in investments in construction sector is expected to provide high demand for paints and coatings and in turn boost the demand for MEK in Latin America. African region is expected to have a steady growth during the forecast period due to the investments in various sectors. Technological advancements in some industries are expected drive the demand for MEK and provide more opportunities for the major market players to expand.

Companies profiled:

The companies covered in the report include Arkema SA, ExxonMobil, Lanzhou Petrochemicals, Maruzen Petrochemicals, Petro China, Sasol Solvents, Shell Chemicals, SK Energy Company Ltd, Tasco Chemicals and Tonen Chemicals.

Report Highlights:

The report provides deep insights on demand forecasts, market trends and micro and macro indicators. In addition, this report provides insights on the factors that are driving and restraining the demand of methyl ethyl ketone globally as well as regionally.

Moreover, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis given in the report brings an insight on the investment areas that existing or new market players can consider. The report provides insights into the market using analytical tools such as Porter's five forces analysis and value chain analysis of methyl ethyl ketone.

Moreover, the study highlights current market trends and provides forecast from 2017 to 2023. We also have highlighted future trends in the methyl ethyl ketone market that will impact the demand during the forecast period.

Moreover, the competitive analysis given in each regional market brings an insight on the market share of the leading players. Additionally, the analysis highlights rise and fall in the market shares of the key players in the market. This report will help manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of the methyl ethyl ketone market to understand the present and future trends in this market and formulate their strategies accordingly.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04828871

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.

__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

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TORONTO, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Innovations CEO and founder Gary Bauer joined Rogers, Samsung and Darta Fleet Solutions to demo his company's new 2-factor-secured Niche Mobile Police Assist (MPA), to a packed audience at the Rogers Connected Officer 2017 Forum. Held inside Darta's state-of-the-art up-fitting facility, the event featured vendor presentations as well as the Mobile Innovations demo and attracted over 100 mobile law enforcement experts and solutions providers from across Canada, the USA and the U.K.

Throughout the sold-out event, Mr. Bauer carried out over 50 live demos, showcasing his company's MPANiche mobile solution, native apps like MS Office 365 and VDI (Virtual Desktop Interface) using Citrix Receiver and Horizon clients to connect back to a windows desktop when a native app is not available to access necessary data. Using a 12" touchscreen, full-sized keyboard, license scanner and ticket printer, running on a Samsung Note8 and connected with the embedded Samsung Desktop Experience (DeX) station, the seamless setup was demonstrated live for the first time ever, in a Darta-up-fitted Dodge Police Enforcer.

"The super-positive response, from such a qualified group of mobile policing experts to our in-vehicle DeX setup was great," said Tim Wade. "Watching the wows from people seeing DeX work live and real- time confirms that our innovation is right on the money and right on budget for any police force. This is what they want now."

"We're very pleased at not only the turnout but also the high level of interest in our in-vehicle office and other up-fits," added Massimo Tari. "We're grateful to our major supporters Rogers and Samsung, and of course to Gary and the Mobile Innovations team for their work with us on this game-changing innovation."

"There was a queue to get in the car, and numerous questions and answers as folks imagined a phone-based platform for the street, in the vehicle, and back at the station," exclaimed Mr. Bauer. "Native Mobile Apps, using a DeX-connected smartphone to make the device work like a secure, in-vehicle PC with 12" touchscreen and keypad, license scanner and ticket-printer, is the first implementation of a vision many people see as their own."

The Darta up-fit with Samsung DeX and Mobile Innovations is now available at a fraction of the cost of ruggedized laptop up-fits and works with Galaxy Note8 and Galaxy S8/S8+ devices.

For more information or to set up your MPA NIche demo, please contact:

Gary Bauer - CEO

[email protected]

416-889-9997

Mobile Innovations is a privately held company dedicated to enhancing mobile computing with the most advanced secure mobile data products available for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile smartphones and tablets. Based in Niagara Falls, Canada, Mobile Innovations also has operations in Toronto and the United Kingdom and works with over 75 clients across Canada, the United States and in the European Union. Mobile Innovations is a member of the BlackBerry Alliance Program, Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program and the Apple Developer Program.

Related Images

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Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Et-bvH_eHw

SOURCE Mobile Innovations

Related Links

https://mobinnoco.com


"We're so grateful for the partnership and support from Movoto because it really does make an impact in the lives of seniors, individuals, families, and college students," said Denise O Canto, Corporate Relations Manager at Community Food Bank . "Personally, I was overwhelmed by the amazing effort Movoto put forth last year. When I went to collect donations from the office, an entire room was filled with overflowing boxes. It was a true blessing."

Fresno, while one of the top ten producers of fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products in America, is still plagued by high food insecurity rates. Its overall food insecurity rate is 14.4 percent, compared to the US's rate of 13.4 percent. This means that over 138,000 people in Fresno are unsure where their next meal is coming from, an annual food budget deficit of $70.7 million. They have higher rates of food insecurity in children as wella whopping 29.2 percent compared to California's rate of 22.9 percent and the US's rate of 20.9 percent.

"The scale of the problem can seem daunting," said Movoto's VP of Real Estate Operations, Maximillian Diez, "But if last year was any indication, every little bit counts. To know that what we collected meant 9,500 more people got a wholesome meal last Thanksgiving is really humbling."

Diez continued, "Awareness is half the battle. I think a lot of people aren't aware of the scope of the problem right in their own neighborhood, on their street. By continuing to organize this event, we hope to shed light on an otherwise invisible problemone that many people are afraid to admit they have."

As a Fresno native, this problem hits especially close to home for Movoto's Fresno Head Area Broker, Javier Cavazos. "I think people have this set idea of what poverty and hunger look like, but hunger comes in many forms. It could be your neighbor who has fallen on hard times, a colleague who is struggling to support a large family, even a close friend who is too embarrassed to share that they are having trouble making ends meet," he explained.

"The Food Bank provides a safe, judgement-free zone and network to get support while they get back on their feet," Cavazos said. "What they're doing for this community is really beautiful."

"I chose to join Movoto this year because I saw something in them beyond advancing my career as a real estate agent. I saw a team that really cares about helping the residents of Fresno," said Cheryl Gonzales, "They are really trying to make a difference in a community that I hold so dear. The outreach we do together and how Movoto tries to give back to Fresno for embracing their presence here has cemented that for me. I'm so proud to be a part of the Movoto team."

"As a father of two children, the idea of any child going hungry, particularly during Thanksgiving, is absolutely heartbreaking," said Diez. "Movoto launched its first brokerage in Fresno because we saw something really special in the community. We saw that kindness and spirit of giving in full force last year during our inaugural food drive, and I'm confident the Fresno community will band together around this wonderful cause again this year."

Food Drive Locations for this Saturday, November 18, 2017:

Grocery Outlet NW Fresno  3566 W Shaw Ave Fresno

Grocery Outlet Fresno  1825 E Ashlan Ave Fresno

Grocery Outlet Fresno  5175 E Belmont Ave Fresno

Grocery Outlet Clovis  1848 Clovis Ave Clovis

You can also donate to the Community Food Bank by visiting www.communityfoodbank.org or calling 559-237-3663x114.

The Food Bank also accepts in-person donations at their Fresno location:

3403 East Central Ave.

Fresno, CA 93725

About Movoto

Movoto Real Estate was founded on a simple principle: Selling and buying real estate is too complicated. That's why Movoto has dedicated over a decade to simplifying it. From humble beginnings as a three-person startup in 2005, the company has grown to become the second largest online real estate brokerage in the US and the only one licensed in all 50 states. With the backing of Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd., owner of the largest real estate portal in Japan, Movoto has developed a network of over 3,500 real estate agents. Movoto was selected four years in a row for Inc. Magazine's 500|5000 fastest growing private companies. Over 26,000 clients have trusted Movoto agents with buying or selling their home and over 68 million people search for homes on Movoto each year. Learn more at movoto.com.

Contact

MOVOTO REAL ESTATE

movoto.com/sell

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Cynthia Countouris

415-604-4788

[email protected]

REAL ESTATE

Maximillian Diez [email protected]

SOURCE Movoto Real Estate

Related Links

https://www.movoto.com


TOKYO, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Reconstruction Agency is developing a "New Tohoku" Project to promote tourism in Tohoku. As part of the project, SUNNY SIDE UP Inc. started the "MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU" campaign on November 1 and is operating the "MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU" PR (public relations) Japan representative office.

The campaign is aimed at establishing infrastructure necessary to receive Muslim inbound traffic in six prefectures of the Tohoku district. Travel products were developed to cater to major Muslim countries which have stable economic growth (i.e. Indonesia and Malaysia) in order to attracting tourists from these countries. "MUSLIM-FRIENDLY" workshops were held at major hotels in Tohoku to deepen the understanding of the concept in order to create and develop new "omotenashi (Japanese-style hospitality)" service to welcome Muslims. As a result, facilities that introduced prayer rooms and "MUSLIM-FRIENDLY" meals were secured in Tohoku, and now, information about the campaign for the Muslim market is available.

(Photo: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/opn/release/201711168037/?images)

(Logo: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/img/201711168037-O14-g93psB0t)

Behind the development of the project is an increase in the number of Muslim people visiting Japan. The number of tourists to Japan from Indonesia, in which Muslims are said to account for 90% (about 200 million) of its population, and from Malaysia, whose official religion is Islam, grew nearly threefold over four years from 2012 to 2016. Therefore, even Japan's inbound tourism market can no longer ignore Muslims who account for a quarter of the world's population. Despite the situation, there were only two lodging facilities throughout the six prefectures of Tohoku that could provide Muslim-friendly meals as of March 2017, according to a study conducted by Halal Media Japan. For this reason, efforts were made to quickly understand what Muslims need, to be able to provide "omotenashi" to Muslim tourists ahead of a further increase in Japan's inbound tourism market that is expected toward 2020.

The "MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU" PR Japan representative office is looking to further increase the number of facilities taking part in the campaign, while enhancing tourists' experiences of "MUSLIM-FRIENDLY Omotenashi." Model tours featuring Tohoku's unique history and nature will be created to compete with the well-recognized "Golden Routes" (i.e. Tokyo, Mt. Fuji and Kyoto), and the information on "MUSLIM-FRIENDLY" facilities and tours is introduced through websites for inbound tourists such as JAPANiCAN (https://www.japanican.com/en/area/tohoku/).

What is MUSLIM-FRIENDLY?

MUSLIM-FRIENDLY refers to service that is extended with compassion and understanding of the special needs of Muslim visitors, but does not require official "halal certification." While "halal certification" implies that products and services must faithfully comply with Islam's dharma so that all Muslims can use them without concern, MUSLIM-FRIENDLY does not require full compliance with Islam's commandments. Therefore, it is important that correct information is shared so that Muslim users can make an informed decision whether or not to take advantage of the services offered based on their religious affiliation. Example: offering "pork-free" and "alcohol-free" menus, providing ingredient labeling of meals on menus, setting up spaces for prayers and purification, etc.

SOURCE "MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU" PR Japan representative office
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- E. Kent Smoll, CPA, Nicole Kasin and Thomas J. Sadler, CPA-Retired, were recently recognized for their leadership and efforts to advance the accounting profession by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), during NASBA's recent 110th Annual Meeting. Held in New York City, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, the meeting attracted representatives from 54 U.S. jurisdictions.

E. Kent Smoll, of Dodge City, KS, received the NASBA Distinguished Service Award, which honors individuals who have demonstrated an unswerving commitment and dedication to enhancing the mission of NASBA. Smoll currently serves on the NASBA Board of Directors as director-at-large. He is the chair of NASBA's Enforcement Resources Committee. From 2016-17, Smoll was a member of NASBA's Administration and Finance Committee and Investment Sub-Committee. From 2011-16, Smoll was the treasurer of NASBA and from 2007-09, he served as Central regional director. Smoll is the former chair of NASBA's Investment Committee, Relations with Member Boards Committee and Administration and Finance Committee, where he served as chairman for five years. Additionally, he is a former member of NASBA's Legislative Support Initiative Committee, Relations with Member Boards Committee, Nominating Committee, and Alternative Practice Structure Committee.

Nicole Kasin, of Sioux Falls, SD, received the Lorraine P. Sachs Standard of Excellence Award, which recognizes a current state board executive or administrator that has shown outstanding service to improving the effectiveness of accounting regulation-on local and national fronts. Kasin is the executive director of the South Dakota Board of Accountancy, a position she has held since May 2006. In this role, she is dedicated to enhancing the Board's processes, operations, technology and efficiencies. Kasin oversees the Board's program activities and seeks to advance the level of service and communications provided to the Board's licensees, the public and the South Dakota CPA Society. Prior to her position with the Board, she was a tax program representative with the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. From 2016-17, Kasin served on the NASBA CBT Administration Committee and the AICPA State Board Committee. She is a former chair and member of NASBA's Executive Directors Committee and a former member of NASBA's Communications Committee, Outreach and Relations Committee, Strategic Planning Group and Enforcement Resources Committee. Most recently, Kasin was appointed as a member of NASBA's CPE Committee and Awards Committee for 2017-18.

Thomas J. Sadler, of Lakewood, WA, received the William H. Van Rensselaer Award, which recognizes those who have contributed to the development of a new program, improvement of a current program for the Boards of Accountancy, or who have influenced passage of rules or statutes to strengthen accountancy regulations. Sadler is a member of NASBA's Past Chair Advisory Council and former member of NASBA's Relations with Member Boards Committee and Global Strategies Committee. In addition, he has served as past chair of NASBA's Awards, Compliance Assurance, Ethics, Litigation Response and Assistance and Nominating Committees. Sadler is also a past Pacific regional director, director-at-large, and secretary of NASBA. A past chair of the Washington State Board of Accountancy, Sadler served the Washington Board as a strategic adviser and deputy director from 2006 until 2012. He is a member of the Washington Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs, and is past chair of the Washington Society's Litigation Services Committee. Sadler has earned specialty designations from the AICPA as an "Accredited in Business Valuation" and "Certified in Financial Forensics." In 2009, Sadler was named as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today.

About NASBA

Celebrating more than 100 years of service, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) serves as a forum for the nation's Boards of Accountancy, which administer the Uniform CPA Examination, license more than 650,000 certified public accountants and regulate the practice of public accountancy in the United States.

NASBA's mission is to enhance the effectiveness and advance the common interests of the Boards of Accountancy in meeting their regulatory responsibilities. The Association promotes the exchange of information among accountancy boards, serving the needs of the 55 U.S. jurisdictions.

NASBA is headquartered in Nashville, TN, with a satellite office in New York, NY, an International Computer Testing and Call Center in Guam and operations in San Juan, PR. To learn more about NASBA, visit www.nasba.org.

Contacts:

Cassandra Gray

Office: (615) 564-2172

[email protected]

Dina Barabash

Office: (615) 574-6516

[email protected]

SOURCE National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)

Related Links

http://www.nasba.org


DENVER, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Two accomplished restaurateurs are combining their culinary repertoire in the form of a new Indian restaurant in Cherry Creek. Ganesh Adhikari and Chef MAHA-Dev are announcing the opening of Mehak India's Aroma, which debuts to the public on December 1st, 2017.

Adhikari is an accomplished restaurateur and a Nepali immigrant. He entered the restaurant business in Colorado when his business partner Bobby Lamsal offered to bring him on as an executive in the restaurant Zaika Indian Cuisine, in nearby Littleton. The fresh ideas and business success that Adhikari brought to Zaika is partly what inspired him to expand his vision into a new restaurant. When asked about this success, Adhikari replied, "If it was not doing well, I would not be going to Cherry Creek."

His partner at Mehak India's Aroma is the renowned chef MAHA-Dev. Chef MAHA-Dev is also originally from Nepal, but has lived in London for several years. He was inspired by his mother to immigrate to London to pursue his passion for cooking. During his time in the UK he worked in various Indian restaurants and even opened his own establishment. With nearly 20 years of culinary experience, Chef MAHA-Dev was ready to explore his idea of a new way of cooking Indian food under one roof. He sought out a partner where he came to meet Adhikari.

With this new restaurant both Adhikari and Chef MAHA-Dev plan on giving the people of Colorado a new sense of what Indian food actually is. First, Adhikari says that as many ingredients as possible will come directly from India. Adhikari notes, "Nowadays, it's no problem to get ingredients. The Indian market is insane now." He believes this will give the people of Denver a new perception of what it means to eat Indian cuisine.

MAHA-Dev's specialty is creating dishes that are not only just authentically Indian, but bright and rich, with aromatic spices and the highest quality ingredients. His experience and passion is intended to shine through the menu that he has helped create, and as a very hands-on chef, he will be involved in every feature and ingredient of every dish served.

Secondly, Adhikari says he wants Coloradans to experience more than just saag, tikka masala and vindaloo, the dishes that are generally thought of first (and often only) when a person thinks of Indian food. "I want to prove that Indian food is more than just three dishes," he said. This is something that Zaika has done in Littleton on a smaller scale. By offering an authentic Indian experience with fresh ingredients and a modern twist, Adhikari has experience creating beauty and intense flavor with authentic ingredients.

As far as the type of restaurant Mehak India's Aroma will be, its owners want to offer a change of pace from nearby options. In Cherry Creek and Littleton, many of the existing options for Indian food are more of a buffet set up, and both Adhikari and Chef MAHA-Dev say that they want to offer area ethnic food enthusiasts a more authentic, sit-down experience.

Mehak India's Aroma is meant to satisfy a lunch crowd that are chasing an Indian restaurant with traditional table service and more of an upscale atmosphere. Says Adhikari, "I want to invite more businesspeople during lunchtime."

Mehak India's Aroma is the culmination of the visions and expertise of both Ganesh Adhikari and Chef MAHA-Dev, and the announcement of the restaurant's opening is bringing excitement to Denver, and specifically potential diners in Cherry Creek. The restaurant will occupy space formerly owned by Ondo's Spanish Tapas Bar, which closed in late December of 2013.

When it opens, Mehak India's Aroma will only take dining guests by reservation, but for its grand opening on the first of December at 1:00 PM, all Denver citizens are invited in to try the Indian food that MAHA-Dev and Ganesh Adhikari have worked tirelessly and passionately to create.

CONTACT: Brian Lewis, 1-303-953-1039 ext 700, [email protected]

SOURCE Mehak India's Aroma
NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Norwegian Reward, Norwegian's award winning loyalty program, is celebrating its tenth anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion, the Reward team is revealing the top 10 tips travelers can use to avoid paying full fare for a Norwegian flight.

"As Norwegian Reward turns 10, we're delighted to celebrate a decade of rewarding millions of loyal passengers, including the 550,000 members we now have in the United States," said Brede Huser, Managing Director of Norwegian Reward. "It's no secret that American consumers want more savings, so we're revealing the 10 easiest ways for passengers to use our award-winning loyalty program to avoid paying full fares again. With a growing network of global routes, Norwegian continues to offer passengers affordable fares, a quality service and great opportunities for further savings."

The top 10 ways for American travellers to save money on Norwegian flights are:

Join Norwegian Reward

Sign-up for free at www.norwegianreward.com. Earn a free flight when booking Premium

There are significant cost savings to be earned on Norwegian flight bookings, which can offer between 2% and 20% CashPoints on all ticket types. Whether flying for business or pleasure, passengers can earn 20% CashPoints on Premium bookings. Get family or friends involved and share your earnings together

Passengers can pool their CashPoints with up to seven friends or family members into one account by opening a Family Account, which can give them greater spending power. Shop online for additional savings

The Reward eShop is the place to earn CashPoints for online shopping at 1,000 retailers. Book a hotel  especially this month  to get extra savings

Passengers can earn double CashPoints on all bookings at Hotels.com on November 18 th and 19th  there are more than 300,000 hotels to choose from. Passengers can also earn up to 1,000 CashPoints per night at hotels around the world using Rocketmiles. Ditch the cab, and earn points on airport transfers

Members can receive great rates on taxi, shuttle bus or train transfers to and from the airport, earning up to 5% CashPoints no matter country they are in. Park your car at the airport and save money

Passengers can park their cars at the airport and earn up to 18% CashPoints and up to a 25% discount on airport car parking with APH at 26 major airports across the UK, including Gatwick , Heathrow and Edinburgh . Hang out in the lounge for a more VIP airport experience

Access to 400 airport VIP lounges worldwide with Lounge Pass can earn passengers up to 8% CashPoints or a set CashPoint earn with an exclusive 15-25% lounge entry discount at No1 Lounges. Explore your surroundings

Book tours, tickets, attractions, excursions and activities for holidays and earn 5% CashPoints on all tours and activities with GetYourGuide, the premiere site for travel activities. Rent a car, rack up CashPoints

Choose from 1,000 car rental companies, including Avis, Hertz and Europcar and earn 3- 5% CashPoints in 30,000 locations worldwide.

Norwegian's 6.6 million Reward members earn CashPoints (approximately 12 cents) by booking Norwegian flights and with other partners, including online shopping sites, hotel booking sites and car rentals. Members also receive a 'reward' after every sixth flight, which includes a choice of free seat reservation, free fast track security and a free checked bag for 12 months.

About Norwegian Reward

Norwegian Reward is the award-winning loyalty program of Norwegian, the world's sixth largest low-cost airline. The program launched in 2007 and currently has approximately 6.6 million members worldwide earning CashPoints, which helps reduce the cost of travel with Norwegian. Norwegian Reward won the "Best up-and-coming Award" at the 2017 Freddie Awards. Visit Norwegian Reward for more information.

Media Contact

Real Hamilton-Romeo Norwegian US Corporate Communications [email protected] [email protected] 954 647 4390 http://media.norwegian.com/us

SOURCE Norwegian

Related Links

https://www.norwegian.com


Acquisition marks Ontario Teachers' first venture into Aquaculture

TORONTO, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers') today announced the acquisition of Atlantic Aqua Farms, the largest grower of live mussels in North America, from San Francisco-based Encore Consumer Capital.

The purchase of Atlantic Aqua Farms marks Ontario Teachers' first venture into the realm of aquaculture, and falls under its natural resources mandate to invest in the global food basket, with an eye on sustainable sources of food production.

"Demand for protein is increasing, and in the context of land constraints and environmental considerations, aquaculture is among the most sustainable sources to meet this demand," said Andrew Claerhout, Senior Managing Director, Infrastructure and Natural Resources. "Atlantic Aqua Farms has built a significant aquaculture platform, underscoring the significant opportunities for long-term growth in this space."

PEI-based Atlantic Aqua Farms has been supplying North American consumers with its Canadian Cove brand mussels for over 25 years. Headquartered in Orwell Cove, Prince Edward Island, the company is the largest grower and processor of the widely-recognized, high-quality Prince Edward Island blue mussels under the brand names Canadian Cove, Confederation Cove and J.P.'s Shellfish, and also offers a wide selection of branded oysters, clams, and live Maine and Canadian lobster.

"The team at Atlantic Aqua Farms is very excited to be part of the Ontario Teachers' global portfolio of companies and honored to be their first seafood acquisition," said Terry Ennis, CEO of Atlantic Aqua Farms. "Ontario Teachers' is a leader in environmental stewardship, corporate governance and social responsibility and with the benefit of Ontario Teachers' vision and leadership we look forward to many more years of continued sustainable growth in the aquaculture sector as we strive to be market leaders in everything we do."

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 Atlantic Aqua Farms:

AAF is the largest grower and processor of the widely-recognized, high-quality Prince Edward Island mussels under the brand names Canadian Cove and Confederation Cove, and also offers a wide selection of branded oysters, clams, and live Maine and Canadian lobster.

SOURCE Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan

Related Links

http://www.otpp.com


MUMBAI, India, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

TechnipFMC, a global leader in oil and gas projects, technologies, systems and services is committed to sustainable development of local communities across their presence worldwide. In India, the Company has taken up several initiatives under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program to demonstrate the act of compassion towards the well-being of local community. True to the purpose, at TechnipFMC India* we proudly refer our CSR program as 'Seed of Hope'.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8224251-technipfmc-community-well-being/

Here is a snapshot of few of our activities aiming to instil Seed of Hope across India where we operate.

Time Period: FY 2016-17

In Delhi, with a strength of over 1000 employees, we have established ourselves as Tier 1 EPC player and identified the areas in the vicinity of Delhi & NCR to initiate projects with long term impact in the field of education and sanitation.

In order to support Swacch Bharat (Clean India) initiative of the Government of India, we have tied up with Divya Prem Seva Mission in Haridwar, Uttarakhand to construct 38 toilets in Bhogpur village in Rishikesh to provide sanitation facilities to the villagers. To further our support in education, a computer lab was set up in Father Agnel Balbhawan School in Greater Noida, U.P. In Banaras, through the Ashadiya Foundation, TechnipFMC sponsored education, medical and lifestyle expenses of orphaned girls.

TechnipFMC is present in Mumbai with a strength of 650 people and has kicked off significant community programs in Mumbai and Gujarat to support education for the girl child, integrated development for villages and providing necessary aid to drought affected farmers.

Through the SOS Children's Villages of India present in Mumbai, we sponsored the education of 27 underprivileged girls to reinforce our commitment to Girl Empowerment Movement (GEM). We also made a donation to the NAAM Foundation to support drought-hit farmers in Maharashtra. In Ahmedabad, we have adopted twelve girl children of Vidya Mandir Residential School to sponsor their education fees till the completion of their school education.

In Dahej, Gujarat, TechnipFMC has set up its first Modular Manufacturing Yard in India and alongside our business commitment towards our stakeholders, we have adopted a local village, Suva at Vagra Block to promote integrated development in four fundamental areas:

Improve education infrastructure and promote eLearning amongst students

and promote eLearning amongst students Encourage financial literacy and promote micro-enterprising

and promote Enhance awareness on health care , hygiene and sanitation, especially for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children

, hygiene and sanitation, especially for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children Raise awareness on disaster management

To this purpose, we have collaborated with SEED, a leading CSR implementation agency. Watch the video on our initiatives at Suva Village.

Our Chennai Office with a strength of over 1000 employees has been in the forefront in performing several projects in Onshore / Offshore / Subsea segments both locally as well as globally and is carrying out various programs to promote community development in the areas of education, health, women empowerment and environment

In Chennai, we have taken up the following CSR initiatives in 2016:

Sponsoring education of hundred meritorious orphans through Seva Chakkra Samajam Trust

As a company, Health, Safety and Environment are our top priorities, thus, through Ganesh Mandali Engine Valves (GMEV) Trust, TechnipFMC set up an ICU in Margaret Sydney Hospital to provide affordable healthcare to the underprivileged in society

To promote clean energy, we have installed a Solar Panel Grid at a school in Karur, Tamil Nadu through Karur Lions Club Charitable Trust

In order to empower women, in association with Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh (ALEAP), we sponsored machinery to manufacture bio-degradable sanitary napkins and provided training to underprivileged women to earn their livelihood

We sponsored therapeutic tools and aids for the differently-abled children of Authichudi School through the Swastik Trust in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu

In association with Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) we have initiated a four year long Sustainable Waste Management and Resource Recovery (SWR-RM) project to build a zero waste village in Kanchipuram.

Through IITM we have also executed C-4 Education Program in eleven schools in Chennai and West Bengal with an aim to promote education in rural areas where qualified teachers are rare. This program aims at mentoring of school children by students four classes senior to them.

*Technip India is a subsidy of TechnipFMC Group. For more information please contact: Swayantani Ghosh, Email: [email protected]

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/582584/TechnipFMC_Logo.jpg )



Video:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8224251-technipfmc-community-well-being/





SOURCE Technip India Limited
The seminar series, "Health, Safety, and Environmental Solutions for the Global Mining Industry" which was held in Antofagasta, Santiago, and Calama, gathered representatives from some of the largest Mining companies in the world. The mining industry possesses some inherent health and safety issues such as respiratory issues, fire and ignition risk, and potential hydraulic fluid injection. The seminar focused on these potential issues present at mine sites, and the full line of safety compliant solutions offered by Quaker including:

QUINTOLUBRIC  fire-resistant hydraulic fluids

DUSTGRIP  dust suppressants

FluidSafe  dye additive

QUINTOPLEX  fire-resistant greases

QUAKER FORMULA water based cleaners

With over 30 years of experience in the Mining industry Quaker is dedicated to understanding the potential risks present in a mining operation, and providing solutions that meet new regulations and support a safe work environment.

For more information on how Quaker's line of products support a safe work environment and offer compliance solutions please visit: https://www.quakerchem.com/expert-experience/industry-expertise/mining/.

About Quaker Chemical Corporation:

Quaker Chemical is a leading global provider of process fluids, chemical specialties, and technical expertise to a wide range of industries, including steel, aluminum, automotive, mining, aerospace, tube and pipe, cans, and others. For nearly 100 years, Quaker has helped customers around the world achieve production efficiency, improve product quality, and lower costs through a combination of innovative technology, process knowledge, and customized services. Headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania USA, Quaker serves businesses worldwide with a network of dedicated and experienced professionals whose mission is to make a difference. Visit quakerchem.com to learn more.

SOURCE Quaker Chemical Corporation

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LONDON, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Library Management Software Market Size and Forecast, By Deployment (Cloud Based, On-Premises), By End-use (School Library, Public Library, Academics Library), And Segment Forecast, 2014 - 2024



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The global library management software market is expected to reach USD 2.80 billion by 2024. Emerging trend automating library functions is expected to be one of the key driving factors of the market. In 2016, North American dominated the global market contributing to 40.5% of the market share pertaining to the increasing number of online libraries along with corporates. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period pertaining to the increasing awareness of education in the region.



In compliance with the driving factors, companies are focusing on software development as well as mergers and acquisitions to expand their presence in global market. For instance, in October 2015, ProQuest successfully acquired Ex Libris to provide new solutions that will help libraries to seize the opportunities in rapidly changing technology. This strategy has been helpful to both libraries and the company's financial position on accounts of profound investments in research and libraries.



The companies are also focusing on expanding their software portfolio to maximize its end use through means of various strategies. For instance, in April 2015, EBSCO acquired an online platform named LearningExpress which would benefit the company to expand its student library range to help the students improve their academic skills and get ready for mock test series.



Cloud-based library solutions dominated the global library software market in 2016 and are expected to maintain its position over the forecast period. Furthermore, the cloud-based software was extensively used owing to several benefits like multi lingual articles, multiple format support and easy access. Furthermore, steady demand for on-premises solutions on account of several benefits including user comfort, pleasant surrounding along with rising footfall of students is expected to upsurge the progression of the market. This segment is expected to grow at CAGR of 2.7% over the projection period



The lucrative growth of library management software market primarily driven by increasing tangible stock which is also likely to be favored by easy access and use through smartphones or any other online platforms. These factors are expected to result in a noticeable growth of the global library management software market over the next forecast period.



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Dr. Awdish's extraordinary care as a pulmonary and critical care physician stems from her own near-death experience. Seven months pregnant, she suffered adenoma (a benign tumor that ruptured in her liver), went into organ failure, was put on a ventilator, suffered a stroke, and miscarried. Due to the extraordinary care of her caregivers, she survived. This experience as a patient changed her approach to medicine forever, and gave her a new-found purpose: to bring the importance of human connection into the healing process.

From her experience, Dr. Awdish wrote a book: "IN SHOCK: My Journey from Death to Recovery and Redemptive Power of Hope," that was released in October 2017. She also created a bold new initiative with two palliative care physicians - CLEAR Conversations. The CLEAR Conversations program hires a group of highly-skilled improvisational actors who serve as patient surrogates for training caregivers in communication skills, empathy and how to have difficult conversations with patients and their families. This training, part of a Physician Communication and Peer Support curriculum launched in 2013, has worked so well that the hospital has seen an increase in engagement and resilience among her caregiving colleagues, and a positive impact on the care of their patients. This program, that was originally intended for use in one department, is now a system-wide initiative.

"It took years of being a patient to understand that medicine cannot exist in a vacuum and that healing also requires a human connection," said Dr. Rana Awdish, of Henry Ford Hospital, the flagship hospital for Henry Ford Health System. "Patients are in a fragile and vulnerable place and need someone who can patiently listen to their concerns, provide clear answers, and provide them greater freedom from anxiety, and this is what I attempt to do with my patients."

"We are very proud of Dr. Awdish as the recipient of this prestigious national honor," says John Popovich Jr., M.D., president and CEO of Henry Ford Hospital. "She is an exceptional physician who is beloved and respected by her patients for her warmth, compassion and unwavering devotion to their care and support of their families. Her leadership in championing our physician communication initiative is enriching the care experience for our patients as well as our providers throughout the organization."

The NCCY Award is a national recognition program that celebrates excellence in compassionate healthcare. Through this program, the Schwartz Center honors caregivers like Dr. Rana Awdish, who embody the attributes of compassionate care, such as effective communication, emotional support, mutual trust and respect, the involvement of families in healthcare decisions, and treating patients as people, not just illnesses.

During her remarks at the dinner, Dr. Awdish shared that during her illness the medicines she had venerated for so long were only one small component of her healing. What contributed greatly to her recovery were providers who were willing to partner with her, understand her unique patient situation, and sit with her through times of utter darkness. It was the caregiver's understanding of what she was experiencing, translated into action, and letting her know that she was not alone, that enabled her to cope.

"When I come in for my check-ups, she is never rushed; she listens patiently to my concerns, provides clear and concise answers, and can always make me feel hopeful, less anxious and extremely blessed to be in her care," said one of her patients.

"Given what Rana has been through and how she has taken this experience to help the lives of other patients is extraordinary," said Ruth Kilduff, RN, Schwartz Center board chair and chair U.S. operations, Integro Insurance Brokers. "People like Rana inspire caregivers to make compassion a vital element throughout the entire healthcare system, knowing that the impact they will have will make a remarkable difference to the patients they care for and the colleagues they work with."

This year's finalists for the 2017 NCCY Awards included:

Alan Rosenthal , MD, of Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, is a pediatrician with more than 25 years of experience caring for children and their families. He is known throughout the Cleveland community as a role model for students and colleagues, and as a compassionate, caring, and genuine caregiver. Throughout his career, Dr. Rosenthal has led by example in attending to his patients' human needs as much as their medical ones, and for fostering relationships that go far beyond traditional medical training.

, MD, of Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, is a pediatrician with more than 25 years of experience caring for children and their families. He is known throughout the community as a role model for students and colleagues, and as a compassionate, caring, and genuine caregiver. Throughout his career, Dr. Rosenthal has led by example in attending to his patients' human needs as much as their medical ones, and for fostering relationships that go far beyond traditional medical training. Lynne McAtee-Harris , BSRN, an ICU nurse from Boulder Community Health has made it her personal commitment to make compassion a priority in her organization which has fostered greater resiliency among caregivers, and which makes them better equipped to provide the highest quality care to patients. Through her efforts she has changed the culture of Boulder Community Health by weaving compassionate care into the fabric of their institution.

, BSRN, an ICU nurse from Boulder Community Health has made it her personal commitment to make compassion a priority in her organization which has fostered greater resiliency among caregivers, and which makes them better equipped to provide the highest quality care to patients. Through her efforts she has changed the culture of Boulder Community Health by weaving compassionate care into the fabric of their institution. Terrie Inder , MBChB, MD, an internationally renowned researcher, neonatologist and pediatric neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts , with more than 20 years in the field of Neonatology, who is leading the development of an innovative NICU that promotes family-centered care.

, MBChB, MD, an internationally renowned researcher, neonatologist and pediatric neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in , with more than 20 years in the field of Neonatology, who is leading the development of an innovative NICU that promotes family-centered care. Victor Fagan , LPN, a licensed practical nurse in primary care at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System that works with veterans and demonstrate exceptional acts of compassionate care like remembering their birthdays and buying needed clothes for these patients and their family.

, LPN, a licensed practical nurse in primary care at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System that works with veterans and demonstrate exceptional acts of compassionate care like remembering their birthdays and buying needed clothes for these patients and their family. Jonathan Bartels, RN , is a nurse at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Virginia with more than 20 years of experience in emergency, trauma, oncology, and palliative care, who has developed a practice implemented by the care team after the death of a patient called 'The Pause', where caregivers take a moment to honor a person's last rite of passage and an opportunity for healthcare professionals to come together amidst suffering and loss.

The NCCY Award is made possible through the generous support of Novo Nordisk.

About the NCCY Award

The Schwartz Center's National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year (NCCY) Award is a national recognition program that elevates excellence in compassionate healthcare. Since 1999, the Schwartz Center has honored caregivers who embody the characteristics of compassionate care, which include effective communication, emotional support, mutual trust and respect, the involvement of families in healthcare decisions, and treating patients as people, not just illnesses. Award finalists are chosen by a national review committee, which includes past award recipients, in collaboration with representatives from the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Visit theschwartzcenter.org/award for award details.

About the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare

Established in 1995, the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a leader in the movement to make compassion a vital element in every patient-caregiver interaction, was founded on the belief that greater compassion and more meaningful collaboration are fundamental to the kind of care clinicians want to deliver and patients want to receive.

The Schwartz Center is an independent, non-profit organization, with more than 430 healthcare members in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand supporting 265,000 healthcare professionals each year. In partnership with the Point of Care Foundation, more than 150 hospitals, hospices and other healthcare organizations conduct the innovative Schwartz Rounds program in the U.K. and Ireland, which unites caregivers from a range of disciplines to share experiences, learn from each other and focus on the human dimension of medicine. Schwartz Center members rely on programs, education and resources to support clinician well-being, enhance the quality of care, enable better outcomes and create a more positive and rewarding experience for all members of the care team, patients and their families.

To help patients and family members acknowledge caregivers who epitomize the qualities of compassionate care, the Schwartz Center established the Honor Your Caregiver program.

Through its National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year Award, the Center celebrates healthcare professionals who display extraordinary devotion and compassion in caring for patients and families.

Visit us at theschwartzcenter.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

SOURCE The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare

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LONDON, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya: The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector was the smallest contributor to Kenya's GDP of US$59.8bn in 2015, at 0.9%, but has been identified by the government as a key sector to aid rapid economic growth. Since 2013 there has been continuous growth in the number of subscribers, with mobile penetration reaching 89.2%, internet penetration 87.2% and broadband penetration 18.6% in the first quarter of 2016.



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Market Dominance: In the Kenyan communications sector the sole fixed-line provider is Telkom Kenya, the semi-privatised national operator, and the mobile arena is dominated by Safaricom with a market share of 65.6%. Industry commentators blame Safaricom's market dominance for the exit of India's Essar in 2014 and France's Orange which sold its Kenyan operation in 2015. In an effort to gain market share all current role players have invested in and control some level of network infrastructure. Recent regulatory changes have resulted in mobile operators acquiring internet service providers (ISPs) who provide services that include broadband, business internet, fibre to the premises, local area networks, and satellite and VSAT.





Access to Frequency Spectrum: Frequency spectrum is a scarce resource and the management of its allocation impacts the performance of players in the sector. As Kenya currently has no clear policy that facilitates the allocation of spectrum, solving the problems related to spectrum is vital to ensure telecommunications services providers will be able to meet the demands of next-generation systems like 5G mobile.





Report Coverage:

The detailed report on Kenya's Telecommunications sector describes the current market, examines the latest regulatory and corporate developments and discusses factors influencing the success of the sector. As well as profiling the two dominant companies, the report includes profiles for 18 other companies including two smaller players in the mobile sector, Airtel, and Finserve Africa Ltd t/a Equitel.



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About Reportbuyer

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Sarah Smith

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Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE ReportBuyer

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PEWAUKEE, Wis., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wellness Network (TWN), a national leader in actionable patient education and My NICU Network, a collaborative comprised of three respected organizations involved in professional and parent education and support of high-risk newborns and their families, have partnered to offer NICU Staff Education and Family Support.

NICU Staff Education and Family Support was developed to deliver timely hospital staff education and family support resources to hospital NICU departments across the US. "NICU professionals do an incredible job of caring for fragile, medically complicated newborns," said Sara Mosher RN, BSN, MHA, My NICU Network co-creator and Founder of Patient+Family Care. "However, studies have shown that family-centered care and engaged parents are as critical as sophisticated medical technologies to the continued improvement and eventual home discharge of NICU babies."

My NICU Network created a NICU staff education course called Caring for NICU Babies and their Families: Providing Psychosocial Support in the NICU based on the National Perinatal Association's "Interdisciplinary Recommendations for the Psychosocial Support of NICU Parents," published in the Journal of Perinatology. My NICU Network, a collaboration between National Perinatal Association (NPA), Patient+Family Care (PFC) and Preemie Parent Alliance (PPA), developed this 7-module online continuing education series to fill known gaps in neonatal unit staff education. The program modules, which can be taken individually or as the full course, offer CEU credit accredited by PAC/LAC. Modules provide much-needed staff training and education to improve psychosocial support of families, including family-centered developmental care. Lessons focus on communication skills, emotional and peer-to-peer support, palliative and bereavement care, discharge planning and follow-up, and staff support.

A key feature of the educational course is that NICU graduate parents were involved in content creation from its inception. "We wanted NICU staff to understand the parent experience from our point of view, to personalize the medical literature and statistics. Doing so will help them meet the emotional needs of future NICU parents thus preparing the parents to advocate for their fragile babies well beyond NICU discharge," said Keira Sorrells, Founder and President of the Preemie Parent Alliance, My NICU Network co-creator. Learning points are illustrated with quotes from parents, letting NICU staff "walk a mile in their shoes."

"Equally as important to improved outcomes are clinically accurate yet relatable tools to help families navigate the NICU experience and their transition home," noted Sue Hall, MD, Neonatologist and NPA Board member, My NICU Network co-creator, and Chief Medical Officer of The Wellness Network's Your NICU Baby neonatal video and resource library. "It is critical to have a bridge between staff education and family-centered resources so NICU staff have the tools needed to support and engage NICU families coping with this intense and complicated environment, as they work through their baby's health challenges."

Your NICU Baby Neonatal video and resource library, by The Wellness Network, offers 66 educational videos and 45 PDF handouts that help families successfully navigate the NICU experience and transition home. These guideline-compliant educational resources help parents and extended family members understand procedures, protocols, medical conditions and infant care so they can better adapt to baby's NICU stay and prepare for taking care of baby once they head home. Personal stories and insights shared by experts and other NICU families help support the best outcomes for both baby and family. The on-demand content helps reassure them about the care baby is receiving, answers their questions and gives them confidence in their ability to help their early arrival or medically fragile baby thrive.

The collaborative is pleased to have financial support of the NICU Staff Education and Family Support Program by Medela LLC. "We are proud to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to healthy outcomes of this vulnerable population through support of advancing staff education and access to parent resources," said Susan Rappin, vice president of marketing for Medela LLC.

For more information about NICU Staff Education and Family Support click here

About The Wellness Network (TWN)

The Wellness Network (TWN) is a national leader in actionable patient education and engagement, with a range of education and technology solutions that improve outcomes for health systems, employers, health care providers, and advertisers. The Wellness Network enjoys an unprecedented reach in the US, supporting over 2400 healthcare facilities discharging 28 million patients annually. TWN is actively working to expand its reach and usefulness across the spectrum of consumer health, including a direct-to-consumer parenting and pediatrics website averaging one million unique visitors per month. TWN enjoys strategic partnerships with several national health organizations including American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, American Association of Diabetes Educators, The Joint Commission and now American Lung Association. These relationships are aimed at connecting technology, education, research and experts to develop impactful resources to improve patient outcomes.

About My NICU Network

My NICU Network was developed when three passionate and experienced women, with the support of their respected organizations (National Perinatal Association (NPA), Patient+Family Care (PFC) and Preemie Parent Alliance (PPA)), came together to address the known gap that neonatal units still have work to do to improve their family-centered care and family support practices.

Based on the overwhelming evidence that families of babies hospitalized in the NICU should be intimately involved in the babies' care from the moment they are admitted in order to facilitate optimal healing for both baby and family, and to ensure a strong and healthy family unit at the time of the baby's discharge and beyond, these women were determined to not only help support NICU professionals learn the importance of supporting families but also provide them the tools necessary to improve their daily practices.

With their leadership and their strategic vision, along with a team of other professionals and NICU graduate parents, MyNICUnetwork was born. For more information, visit http://www.mynicunetwork.com.

About Medela

Founded in 1961, Medela is led by Michael Larsson and concentrates on two business units: "Human Milk," providing research-based breast milk feeding solutions, and "Healthcare," engineering and manufacturing medical vacuum technology solutions. Medela is headquartered in Switzerland and has 18 subsidiaries, distributing its products to more than 100 countries throughout the world. For more information, visit www.Medela.com.

About Medela LLC

Medela's US-based manufacturing and development facility is headquartered in McHenry, Illinois. Every year, more than one million mothers in the U.S. rely on Medela's technology. As the #1 breast pump brand*, Medela provides the best in research-based breast milk feeding products and clinical education to support moms breast milk feeding journey. The company is fully dedicated to supporting mothers so that they can provide breast milk to their baby for as long as they choose. For more information, visit www.MedelaBreastfeedingUS.com.

*QuintilesIMS ProVoice Survey; Nov-Oct 2016.

SOURCE The Wellness Network
NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing nearly a decade of close cooperation, UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al Otaiba met with New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner James P. O'Neill and Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller to announce a new grant of $2 million to the New York City Police Foundation (NYCPF).

The grant will sustain support for the NYPD's International Liaison Program (ILP), one of the most comprehensive counterterrorism initiatives in the United States, as well as support NYPD programs which help fight crime in New York City.

"The close cooperation between the NYPD and the UAE Government has made us all safer," said Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba. "We are improving our mutual counter-terrorism capabilities by sharing best practices, having UAE law enforcement personnel training with the NYPD, and by hosting an ongoing NYPD presence in Abu Dhabi."

Since 2009, as part of the ILP program, an NYPD detective has been posted in the UAE as one of 14 NYPD officers working abroad. The Abu Dhabi Police Department also has officers regularly posted in New York, participating in NYPD training and counter-terrorism coordination programs.

"This generous assistance to the ILP is incredibly meaningful to the Police Foundation's ability to provide the critical resources that help the NYPD defend the city from global terrorism and to fight crime," said Susan L. Birnbaum.

In 2013, then NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly signed agreement with the UAE to help enhance the department's worldwide counterterrorism efforts and share information on training methods. In addition, the NYPD has advised Abu Dhabi's Critical Infrastructure & Coastal Protection Authority (CICPA) on how to protect its assets.

Earlier this year, NYPD Chief of Intelligence Thomas Galati travelled to Abu Dhabi to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE's Ministry of the Interior regarding joint training and sharing of best practices.

For media requests and questions, please email: [email protected]

SOURCE Embassy of the United Arab Emirates

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This lead gift represents the largest endowed scholarship for the University of St. Thomas and the largest scholarship gift for any college or university in the history of Minnesota. With this gift, the University of St. Thomas will establish a pre-eminent four-year endowed scholarship program for business majors. This highly competitive program is designed to attract future business leaders who embody the mission of the university and model the values of GHR  innovative, ethically minded, community engaged and globally aware changemakers who create enduring value for society.

"GHR Foundation believes education can transform an individual's life as it did for our founder, Gerry Rauenhorst, a first-generation college student and St. Thomas alum," said Amy Rauenhorst Goldman, CEO and Chair of GHR Foundation and member of the University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees. "As chair of the university's $200 million scholarship initiative, I know GHR's gift will inspire great acts of generosity to further support St. Thomas in educating students to be principled leaders who think critically, work skillfully and act wisely to advance the common good."

Each year, scholarship recipients  known as GHR Fellows  will be selected for a transformative undergraduate experience. Student benefits include:

full tuition for four years (with room and board stipend for students who demonstrate high financial need)

fully funded J-Term study abroad experience

individualized career coaching and preparation

cohort four-year experience (60 GHR Fellows across all four years)

access to C-suite business, community and university leaders

customized social entrepreneurship and service learning opportunities

a vibrant GHR Fellows alumni network for lifelong fellowship and mutual support

Eligible students will graduate from high school in or after 2019 and be among the top of their class, with a minimum GPA of 3.7 and a 28 minimum ACT composite score. Essays, interviews and an on-campus experience will be required in the selection of the GHR Fellows.

"I feel confident GHR Fellows will graduate from St. Thomas fully prepared to catapult themselves to highly visible leadership roles with the potential to influence others, to personally invest in areas of impact and to create enduring value for society," said Julie Sullivan, president of the University of St. Thomas.

The University of St. Thomas is focused on increasing financial assistance to students. In 2016-17, 99 percent of St. Thomas first-year students received financial aid, yet too many students still have unmet financial needs. With the drive to infuse $200 million into scholarship support, St. Thomas expects to double the scholarship endowment, thereby providing a sustainable source of scholarship funds to help decrease the amount of students' unmet financial need.

"Reducing student debt is a priority for St. Thomas. The university is tackling this problem from several angles including increased financial education programs for students and holding down costs through a recent university wide review and improvement of the efficiency of our operations," Sullivan said. "St. Thomas does not want cost to be a barrier for students interested in getting an education at our university. This is why generating support for financial aid is a top fundraising priority."

Annual giving and endowed scholarships  like this lead gift  hold the promise to impact hundreds of students, reducing the burden of college debt and better positioning graduates to positively impact the economy and society for generations to come.

For more information, visit http://stthomas.edu/ghrannouncement, or for a list of FAQs, visit https://news.stthomas.edu/ghr-fellows-faq.

About GHR Foundation

GHR Foundation improves lives by working toward a just, peaceful and healthy future. Built on faith in entrepreneurial creativity, the foundation accelerates systemic change by nurturing promising new possibilities and partnerships in the areas of global development, education and health. For 50-plus years, GHR's approach has been guided by the pioneering design-build legacy of Opus Group founders Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst as it collaborates with the world's experts to design and build opportunities and favorable environments for change to take hold. For more information, visit www.GHRfoundation.org.

About the University of St. Thomas

Located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas is a private, liberal arts university that emphasizes values-based education and career preparation. With approximately 10,000 students, it is Minnesota's largest private, nonprofit college or university. Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely and work skillfully to advance the common good. The university has three campuses: St. Paul, Minneapolis and Rome, Italy. For more information, visit www.stthomas.edu.

SOURCE University of St. Thomas

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The Symposium is an excellent platform for international airlines, third-party data solution providers and leading organizations in the sector, allowing players to come together and work to solve industry challenges including distribution, passenger service and security.

"We are delighted to attend this Symposium," said Zheng Hongfeng, CEO of VariFlight. "It's a thrill for our team to be able to work with aviation and travel technology partners to better serve global flyers in an era where more accurate and transparent flight information is becoming an essential part for all travel-related businesses."

VariFlight, the leading aviation data provider in APAC, is introducing the company's experience in improving flight punctuality with case studies centered on Changshui Airport in Kunming, Yunnan Province where the company helped the airport to optimize ground operations efficiency with multi-dimensional data.

China's aviation industry is going through a remarkable growth period which calls for a series of potential improvements in flight punctuality, and ground services. According to an IATA report, the number of civil aviation aircraft in China has grown from 1,922 to 3,177 in the past five years, with annual flight time increasing from 6.19 million hours to 10.5 million hours. At this rate of development, IATA has predicted that China will become the world's largest air transport market by 2022.

At the same time, supported by aviation data, the flight delay insurance business has expanded greatly in China. This automatic compensation mechanism allows passengers to be paid directly on their phones. Sales within this sector has grown 1,700% on major online travel agency websites in the past three years.

"New challenges come with rapid development, and as Chinese passengers have come to expect a better flying experience, VariFlight is preparing to offer Flight Information Service Center (the FISC), a valuable data sharing service plan for global airlines, airports and air traffic management agencies, through which customers will be able to gain access to relevant aviation data that we collected from all the domestic flights as the milestone we achieved in 2009." said Zheng.

Through comprehensive data collection and analytics covering over 1,163 airline companies at 9,971 airports, the FISC will provide international partners with aviation data including global flight tracking, weather information and airport traffic to amplify the value of the data. By November 2017, over 600 international partners benefit from enormous aviation data and analysis to modify their operations and retrench their operational costs.

About VariFlight

Founded in 2005, VariFlight - with a vision of "live on time" - is the leading brand providing aviation data services in China. Inspired by the goal of addressing the problem of flight delays, VariFlight has spearheaded the realization of Chinese flight data transparency. In 2009, the company released the first version of the VariFlight app and achieved the milestone of 100% coverage on China's domestic flights. Since then, VariFlight has scaled across the globe, reaching 94% coverage of the world's commercial flights by May 2017. VariFlight's data is used by over 300 million travelers and thousands of class-leading businesses around the world. VariFlight has become one of the most valuable technology brands in China.

For more information, please visit: http://www.variflight.com/en/

SOURCE Variflight

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MONTPELIER, Vt., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Compassion & Choices praised the Vermont Medical Society for dropping its 14-year opposition to doctors writing prescriptions for terminally ill adults who request medication to end unbearable suffering and die peacefully. The society posted a resolution recognizing medical aid in dying as a legal option that could be made within the doctor-patient relationship at its annual meeting earlier this month, 4-1/2 years after the state authorized medical aid in dying in May 2013 by passing the Patient Choice at End of Life Act (Act 39).

Rebecca Thoman, M.D., Campaign Manager for Doctors for Dignity for Compassion & Choices

"Even when physicians use all the tools at hand to care for pain and suffering, a small number of patients still suffer," says the new policy position posted on the Vermont Medical Society website at: bit.ly/2zJ2DQM. "Each of these patients is unique; each one of the patients will challenge the caregiver's skills in the extreme; and each one's care should be highly individualized and decided in private amongst the patient, physician and family. The Vermont Medical Society recognizes that medical aid in dyingis a legal option that could be made in the context of the physician-patient relationship."

Vermont is among six states that have explicitly authorized medical aid in dying (California, Colorado Montana, Oregon, Washington) along with the District of Columbia. Collectively, these seven jurisdictions represent 18 percent of the nation's population and have 40 years of combined experience with this end-of-life care option.

"We commend the Vermont Medical Society for recognizing medical aid in dying as a legitimate option for terminally ill adults to peacefully end unbearable suffering and for their commitment to ensuring that all Vermonters receive good, comprehensive palliative care," said Rebecca Thoman, M.D., Campaign Manager for Doctors for Dignity for Compassion & Choices.

The Vermont Medical Society is among nine American Medical Association state chapters that have dropped their opposition to medical aid in dying and taken a neutral stance on the practice, including eight of them in the last two years. The others are the California Medical Association in 2015, Colorado Medical Society in 2016, Maryland State Medical Society in 2016, Medical Society of the District of Columbia in 2016, Maine Medical Association in 2017, Minnesota Medical Association in 2017, Nevada State Medical Association in 2017, and Oregon Medical Association in 1997.

Numerous national and state polls show strong support for medical aid in dying among both U.S. physicians and Americans across the ethnic, political and religious spectrum.

Compassion & Choices is the oldest nonprofit working to improve care and expand options for the end of life in the United States, with 450,000 supporters nationwide. For more information, visit: www.CompassionAndChoices.org.

Media Contact : Sean Crowley, 202.495.8520, [email protected]

Latino Media Contact : Patricia A. Gonzalez-Portillo, (310) 819-0310, [email protected]

SOURCE Compassion & Choices

Related Links

http://CompassionAndChoices.org


NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- VidMob, the world's leading video creation network and platform, announced today that it has secured $7.5 million in a Series A round of financing. In addition to the ongoing participation of many of VidMob's original seed investors, participants in the Series A round include Manifest Investment Partners, Interlock Partners, Stampede Ventures, Acadia Woods Partners, and Macanta Investments. VidMob has now raised over $13 million in total since its inception in 2015.

VidMob aims to help companies, agencies and brands improve video production efforts by marrying a curated community of professional video creators with a sophisticated workflow platform designed to make human creativity scalable.

Take a look at what VidMob is about here.

"As the web continues its transition from a static medium to one dominated by video, many advertisers are struggling with the difficulty of scaling video creative without sacrificing quality or overspending," said Alex Collmer, founder and CEO of VidMob. "VidMob serves as a virtual post production house for agencies, social networks, marketers, digital publishers, and e-commerce platforms that need increasing amounts of video as the global communications mix migrates from text and still imagery to video."

The new funds will be allocated to grow headcount across VidMob's four offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Massachusetts; expand technology capacity and tools; and continue agency and brand partnership momentum.

The Series A financing caps off an exceptional 12 months for VidMob whose revenue has grown more than tenfold in that time period. Earlier this year, VidMob was awarded official marketing partner badges by Facebook and Snap, and recently won innovation awards from Instagram and Twitter for its creative solutions for brands and agencies.

"As the web becomes a video network, every company in the world will need to think and behave differently," said VidMob investor Greg Silverman, founder and CEO of Stampede Ventures and former president of production at Warner Bros. "Visual storytelling will be the way we connect emotionally to brands, and VidMob's novel approach, using technology to empower human creativity - not subvert it - makes scaled high-quality video creative a realistic possibility for advertisers of all sizes."

About VidMob

VidMob is the leading video creation platform with a network of professional creatives worldwide who produce the full spectrum of video content for the world's brands and advertisers. As the Web transitions to a video-driven medium, marketers and publishers need to increase the volume and enhance the quality of their video communications. VidMob enables clients to collaborate with expert creatives to efficiently develop a suite of video assets optimized for every digital channel. Learn more about VidMobhere.

Contact

Bronagh Hanley, [email protected], 415-314-7262

SOURCE VidMob

Related Links

http://www.vidmob.com


"Our guests are curious explorers who enjoy being immersed in the cultures of the world, and many of them first learned about Viking and our destination-focused small ship cruises while watching Downton Abbey ," said Richard Marnell, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Viking. "We are pleased to partner with this enriching new exhibition as a natural extension of our longstanding relationship with MASTERPIECE, Highclere Castle and the Carnarvon family."

Viking, a national sponsor of MASTERPIECE since 2011, also offers its guests a Privileged Access experience at Highclere Castle, the setting of the popular series. The Oxford & Highclere Castle pre- or post- trip extension is available for guests on select river and ocean cruise itineraries. The Privileged Access extension was co-created by Karine Hagen, Viking's Senior Vice President, with her dear friends and owners of the iconic home, the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. The extension provides guests with an exclusive three-day experience in the rolling hills of England's countryside with a champagne welcome and tours of the estate. Speaking about the Oxford & Highclere Castle extension, Lady Carnarvon said, "Through my long friendship with Karine, I am delighted to welcome Viking guests here for special tours, and I hope to meet many more of them in the future."

Created by NBCUniversal International Studios, Downton Abbey: The Exhibition is the first-ever fully immersive experience set inside the world of the multi award-winning global television phenomenon. Visitors will be transported on an incredible journey through the grand home of Downton Abbey as the exhibition peers into the world of the Crawleys and those that served them below stairs. From Mrs. Patmore's hectic kitchen and the gossip-fueled servants' quarters, to the family's glamorous dining room and Lady Mary's bedroom, fans will get the chance to walk through some of the series' most recognizable and beloved sets and more than 50 of the show's official costumes worn by their favorite actors.

"We are delighted that Viking has chosen to extend its long running partnership with the Downton Abbey brand via our new touring exhibition," said Dominic Burns, Senior Vice President of Brand Management for NBCUniversal International Studios. "Viking's commitment to excellence and quality of service is perfectly aligned with the experience that we hope to deliver to our visitors. The strong association between the two brands will be further enhanced during our stay in New York."

The highly-anticipated multi-city tour will open its doors at 218 W 57th Street (between Broadway and 7th Ave) in New York City for a limited engagement before traveling throughout the U.S. Tickets are available to purchase at www.downtonexhibition.com. The exhibition will open daily between 10am and 8pm, including on holidays. VIP packages and private hire options are also available. Additional U.S. locations will be announced at a later date.

Fans of Downton Abbey also have an opportunity to experience Highclere Castle in their own homes by purchasing "At Home at Highclere: Entertaining at the Real Downton Abbey," available on Amazon here. In her newest book about the history of her husband's ancestral home, Lady Fiona Carnarvon invites readers inside Highclere Castle and shares family recipes and stories, while also describing how to entertain in the style of a stately English country house: from the etiquette of the invitation and proper attire, to correct seating arrangements and table-setting.

The Viking Difference

Designed for discerning travelers, Viking offers guests "the thinking person's cruise" as an alternative to mainstream cruises. The Viking Difference is providing guests with extraordinarily well-designed cruises that bring them closer to the cultures of the world. Itineraries are designed for maximum time in port, often with late evenings or overnights, so guests can experience local culture at night or evening performances. And only The Viking Way of exploration brings guests itineraries that feature Local Life, Working World and Privileged Access experiences.

Booking Details

From now through November 30, 2017, Viking is offering U.S. residents special offers, with 2-for-1 cruise fare and up to free air on select river and ocean itineraries. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent.

About Viking

Viking was founded in 1997 with the purchase of four ships in Russia and is now celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017 as the leader in river and small ship ocean cruising. Designed for discerning travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests "the thinking person's cruise" as an alternative to mainstream cruises. In its first two years of operation, Viking has been rated the #1 ocean cruise line in Travel + Leisure's 2016 and 2017 "World's Best" Awards. Viking currently operates a fleet of 63 vessels, offering scenic cruising on rivers and oceans around the world. By 2022 the company will operate eight 930-guest ocean cruise ships and will be the largest small ship ocean cruise line. In addition to the Travel + Leisure awards, Viking has also been honored multiple times on Conde Nast Traveler's "Gold List" as well as recognized by Cruise Critic as "Best Overall" Small-Mid size ship in the 2017 Cruisers' Choice Awards, "Best River Cruise Line" and "Best River Itineraries," with the entire Viking Longships fleet being named "Best New River Ships" in the website's Editors' Picks Awards. For additional information, contact Viking Cruises at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or visit www.vikingcruises.com.

SOURCE Viking

Related Links

http://www.vikingcruises.com


"I'm excited to have Anastasia join the team to help us build the brand, accelerate sales, and solidify our position as a leader in ecommerce software for SMBs," said Parag Mamnani, founder and CEO, Webgility. "Her expertise in modern data-driven marketing, passion for our customers and ecommerce industry experience are essential as we expand our product offerings and accelerate growth."

Pavlova brings to Webgility nearly 20 years of end-to-end marketing experience from B2B SaaS, SMB, and consumer technology companies ranging from early stage startups to global enterprises. Most recently, Pavlova was a member of the executive leadership team at Marketo, driving marketing strategy and demand generation programs across the entire customer lifecyclefrom net new SMB customer acquisition to retention and cross-sell. There, under her leadership, the team sourced over 80% of sales pipeline targeting SMB market and drove double-digit revenue growth. Prior to Marketo, Anastasia held various leadership roles overseeing product marketing, global marketing programs, brand marketing, content, public relations, and social media communications at Corel, Rovi, Sonic Solutions, Roxio and Napster. Pavlova is also a seasoned public speaker and thought leader at various industry events.

She holds an MBA degree from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and a B.A. degree in English and Linguistics from St. Petersburg State University in Russia.

"I am thrilled and honored to join the Webgility team to champion marketing best practices and take the company growth to a whole new level," said Webgility's Vice President of Marketing Anastasia Pavlova. "I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues, team members, and business partners to create value for our customers and ignite their growth."

ABOUT WEBGILITY

Webgility, Inc. makes ecommerce business easier for SMB sellers. Webgility's Unify software allows multichannel sellers to automate operations, improve workflows, and reduce the effort and inefficiencies of manual data entry. Unify brings together sales, accounting, inventory, and shipping to limit data entry, reduce errors, track operations, and centralize financial data. Webgility is a certified partner of Intuit, QuickBooks, and Xero and works with 100+ ecommerce platforms (including Amazon, eBay, BigCommerce, Shopify, and Magento), payment processors (PayPal, Stripe, Shopify Payments, Square), and SaaS providers. For more information, visit http://www.webgility.com.

For more information, please contact:

Abigail Tuller

Director of Content and Communications, Webgility

347-419-0838

[email protected]

SOURCE Webgility

Related Links

http://www.webgility.com


ROHNERT PARK, Calif., Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Many people are not clear about the details of their student loans and who administers them. While borrowing and repaying large sums of money should be a transparent process, that is not always the case. Several surveys conducted over the past few years show borrowers have varying levels of knowledge about their student debt and the repayment process. While some may know how much debt they have, they might not know who owns their debt or who services their debt. Ameritech Financial is a private document preparation company that assists its customers to determine the best federal student loan repayment program for his or her circumstances and assists in the application process. Because Ameritech Financial is not affiliated with any lender, servicer or the Department of Education, its focus is on advocating for borrowers in their search for and enrollment in an affordable repayment plan.

"Borrowers have to deal with so many different organizations during the life of their student loans," said Tom Knickerbocker. "Sometimes those organizations are not very helpful. Ameritech Financial hopes to step in to help them when their lenders and servicers may have failed them."

A distinction some borrowers may not know is the difference between lender and servicer:

Lender

The lender is the institution that initially issues the loan. Lenders set the terms of the loans and require borrowers to sign a promissory note agreeing to repay the lender.

For federal loans the lender can be:

The Department of Education (for all types of Direct Loans);



A college or university, but the loan was funded by the Department of Education (for Perkins Loans, though currently no new Perkins loans are being issued and it's unclear if the program will be renewed);



A private company, but the loan is guaranteed against default by the Department of Education (for Federal Family Education Loan Program loans, though no new loans of this kind have been issued since 2010).

U.S. states may also offer student loans, but those loans work differently than federal loans. For private student loans, the lender is a private company. Private student loans can be potentially sold to other companies, so the current owner of the debt is not always the original lender. Private student loans can be issued by a bank, credit union or other type of financial company.

Ameritech Financial assists borrowers of federal loans, helping them apply for repayment programs offered by the Department of Education. These repayment plans can potentially lower the monthly payments of qualified borrowers and even get eligible borrowers on track to forgiveness.

It's important to note some federal loan programs may not be issuing new loans, but borrowers are still repaying them and will be for years to come. Ameritech Financial may be able to assist qualified borrowers at various points in the life of their loan.

Servicer

The servicer is the company responsible for handling repayment of the loan  in other words, who the borrower sends money to every month. The servicers are hired by the lender, and while they do not have power over the terms of the loan, they are responsible for setting up repayment plans for each borrower and communicating with the borrower about the loan. Therefore, the servicer is the organization with whom the borrower will likely have the most contact over the life of the loan. There are currently nine companies that have been contracted with by the federal government to service federal student loans; borrowers may be most familiar with ones like Navient, Nelnet and FedLoan. Private loans may be serviced by a variety of companies, including some that also service federal student loans.

Servicers can change during the lifetime of the loan. Borrowers do not get to choose their servicers or whether a change is made. A change in servicer does not mean that the owner of the debt has changed.

While clients of Ameritech Financial stay in control of their student loans and are responsible for payments, Ameritech works on the behalf of borrowers by preparing paperwork and communicating with the servicer in conjunction with the borrower.

"Dealing with your student loans can be a complicated process," said Knickerbocker. "For some borrowers, they just don't have the time, energy or patience to navigate all the options alone. Ameritech Financial tries to simplify a sometimes messy borrower-servicer relationship by assisting and advocating for our clients who need help applying to enroll in a federal repayment plan."

About Ameritech Financial

Ameritech Financial is a private company located in Rohnert Park, California. Ameritech Financial has already helped thousands of people with financial analysis and student loan document preparation for federal student loan repayment programs offered through the Department of Education.

Ameritech Financial is a member of the Association for Student Loan Relief (AFSLR), and each representative on the phone has received the Certified Student Loan Professional certification through the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA).

Ameritech Financial prides itself on its exceptional customer service.

Contact

To learn more about Ameritech Financial, please contact:

Ameritech Financial

5789 State Farm Drive #265

Rohnert Park, CA 94928

1-800-792-8621

[email protected]

Related Links

Ameritech Financial home page

SOURCE Ameritech Financial
BAODING, China, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE) ("Yingli" or the "Yingli Solar"), one of the world's leading solar panel manufacturers, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Yingli Energy (China) Company Limited ("Yingli China") recently announced the groundbreaking of a 100 MW "Top Runner" project in Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Following the Datong 50 MW "Top Runner" project in Shanxi province, this project, covering an area of about 2.04 square kilometers of coal-mining subsidence areas in Wuhai City, is Yingli's second "Top Runner" project. The project will also be installed with Yingli's patented PANDA Bifacial panels, which can generate both by front and rear sides. It is expected to be connected to the grid and begin operations in June 2018.

After put into operation, this project is expected to offset the emission of nearly 60.3 tons of dust, 13.4 tons of carbon and reduce the discharge of 1.8 tons of cinder annually. It is of great significance to energy pressure relief, environment improvement and climate conservation.

"We are glad to participate in "Top Runner" program again with our reliable and high efficient products," commented Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli. "Data shows that, since the grid-connection of the Datong 50 MW 'Top Runner' project, which utilized PANDA Bifacial panels, its monthly energy yield is up to approximately 17% higher than typical multi-crystalline solar plants. We believe that this project will be another sample of Yingli's efforts in technological innovations to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of solar power generation."

About Yingli Green Energy

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE), known as "Yingli Solar," is one of the world's leading solar module manufacturers. Yingli Green Energy's manufacturing covers the photovoltaic value chain from ingot casting and wafering through solar cell production and solar PV module assembly. Headquartered in Baoding, China, Yingli Green Energy has more than 20 regional subsidiaries and branch offices and has distributed more than 18 GW solar PV modules to customers worldwide. For more information, please visit www.yinglisolar.com and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Weibo.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "target" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions, and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Yingli Green Energy's control, which may cause Yingli Green Energy's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in Yingli Green Energy's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Yingli Green Energy does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

For further information, please contact:

Eric Pan

Investor Relations

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

Tel: +86 312 8929787

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited

Related Links

http://www.yinglisolar.com


BURBANK, Calif., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Zetta Jet, a global leader in private international, business and luxury air travel, announced today that its existing lessor Scout Aviation II, LLC ("Scout Aviation") has committed to provide up to $8.5 million in post-petition financing. The financing, subject to Bankruptcy Court approval, will enable the Company to satisfy customary obligations associated with the daily operations of its business, including the timely payment for aircraft usage, fuel, post-petition goods and services, employee wages and other obligations.

"With the help of my advisors, the management team and I have been working on a business plan to restore the company to profitability," said Zetta Jet's Chapter 11 Trustee Jonathan King. "We have already begun restructuring our aircraft fleet to operate more efficiently and otherwise reduce redundant costs. Now with funding in place, the company will have financial resources to implement that plan and sufficient liquidity to fund the Company through a competitive sale process culminating in emergence under a plan of reorganization. Through this process, we hope to preserve and harvest the going concern value of Zetta Jet to maximize recoveries for the Company's stakeholders, continue to provide a superior product for our valued customers for years to come, and minimize any disruption to our employees, vendors and other constituents."

As described in the financing term sheet, Scout Aviation will sponsor the Company's restructuring plan, acting as a stalking horse bidder. As required under Chapter 11, Zetta Jet will establish a sale process, which will be subject to approval by the Bankruptcy Court, and it intends to file a motion seeking approval of bidding procedures shortly. The Company hopes to emerge from Chapter 11 in February 2018.

"Scout Aviation has been a good business partner to the Company and this financing commitment demonstrates its continued confidence in the Company, the exceptional experience Zetta Jet provides travelers worldwide, and its ability to achieve its potential," King said. "I also want to recognize the hard work and dedication of management, led by co-founders Matthew Walter and James Seagrim, and all the Zetta Jet employees that have worked tirelessly to ensure that the Company has had no service interruptions and maintained its ARGUS Platinum rating as well as Wyvern Wingman and IS-BAO safety ratings throughout the restructuring process."

The Company said that it filed a motion yesterday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, seeking interim approval in November to use up to $4.5 million of the $8.5 million financing commitment with final approval of the full amount of the financing commitment in December.

Mr. King is represented by Michael B. Cox and David Fowkes at Seabury Consulting Group and John K. Lyons, Robbin L. Itkin, and Stuart Brown at DLA Piper LLP (US).

Scout Aviation II, LLC is represented by Dawn M. Coulson at Epps & Coulson, LLP.

SOURCE Zetta Jet
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Sheila Barry, publisher of Groundwood Books, died in Toronto of complications from cancer on Wednesday, November 15.

Barry was a highly regarded childrens book professional in Canada, having joined Groundwood in 2012 from Kids Can Press, where she had been editor-in-chief for eight years.

Initially, Barry served as co-publisher alongside Groundwoods founder, Patsy Aldana, but took over as sole publisher within the year.

Barry was known as a compassionate and kind editor, one beloved by her writers. She will be remembered as a champion of publishing books that were as edifying and challenging as they were entertaining. Like many childrens book publishers, I have a bit of missionary zeal for the importance of publishing books that will give children access to information or stories or insights that they might not be able to find elsewhere, she wrote in an essay several years ago. If we dont have librarians in our schools who are able to purchase these books and then recommend them to (or read them with) the children in their care, then publishers efforts are wasted and our children are deprived.

Among many notable works she commissioned was Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith, one of her first acquisitions for the publisher. The wordless picture book, which has been published in 17 territories, went on to win the Governor Generals Literary Award for Childrens Illustrated Books 2015 and was named one of the New York Times Best Illustrated Childrens Books of the year, along with Smiths two subsequent books with Groundwood, Jo Ellen Bogarts The White Cat and the Monk and Joanne Schwartzs Town Is by the Sea. Other acclaimed titles published during Barrys tenure with the company include Mariko and Jillian Tamakis graphic novel This One Summer, Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenaults Jane, the Fox and Me, Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yocktengs Two White Rabbits, and Polly Horvaths One Year in Coal Harbour. In 2016, Groundwood was named the North American winner of the BOP Prize at the Bologna Book Fair, for best Childrens Publisher of the Year.

Barry was proud of having fostered a diverse list of books at Groundwood and helped produce a special catalogue called Windows and Mirrors that marketed diverse books to schools and libraries. She told PW in 2016 that for the last several years more than half the books on the Groundwood list were written or illustrated by nonwhite people. Diversity for us is like breathing, she said.

Numerous books Barry worked on are as yet forthcoming, including Jillian Tamakis first picture book, They Say Blue (Mar. 2018), and Matt Jamess The Funeral (Apr. 2018), a picture book about a girl attending the funeral of her great-uncle.

A statement from Groundwood read: As she did her whole life, Sheila brought happiness and laughter and thoughtfulness and love to all of us here. She was such a valued colleague. And Sheila was a great publisherinfluential in ways large and small. The legacy of books she leaves will run far into the future. We hold Sheila in our minds as the most wonderful example of a truly good person, one who had such a positive effect on so many people. We will miss her terribly.

She is survived by her husband, Kim Michasiw, and a daughter, Miriam Barry. A memorial is being planned, and details will be forthcoming.
The ninth annual Boston Book Festival was held on October 28 in Bostons Copley Square. This years festival featured more than 75 events with 200 speakersincluding a number of prominent childrens authors and illustratorsin a day of panels, workshops, live performances, and more. Weve gathered a selection of highlights from the events.

(From l.): Libba Bray (the Diviners series), Nic Stone (Dear Martin), and E. Lockhart (Genuine Fraud) take a selfie.

M.T. Anderson, author of Landscape with Invisible Hand, delivers the YA keynote address.

Author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds (r.) signs copies of The Dot at the Boston Public Library.

Matt de la Pena, author of Coco: Miguel and the Grand Harmony, leads a storytime event.

The Great Shelby Holmes author Elizabeth Eulberg with a fan, during the Middle Grade: Reimagination panel. Photo: Patricia Holliday

Aram Kim shows where South Korea is located on the globe, while sharing her new picture book, No Kimchi for Me!

Saturdays with Hitchcock author Ellen Wittlinger meets a fan.
Barnes & Noble issued a statement Thursday afternoon rejecting a proposal made by a private equity firm to take the bookstore chain private.

In July, after acquiring a small stake in the retailer, Sandell Asset Management sent a letter to the B&N board urging the company to put itself up for sale. Among the options proposed by Sandell was for B&N to go private.

Since the letter, which contained few details about how any transaction should proceed, there has been little discussion about the possibility of a sale. At B&Ns annual shareholders meeting in September, the subject did not even come up. That changed Thursday when the Wall Street Journal reported that Sandell had made a proposal to take the company private.

In its statement, B&N confirmed Sandell offered to take B&N private in a deal valued at about $650 million. (Sandell currently owns slightly less than 3% of B&Ns shares.) Under the plan, existing shareholders, including company founder Len Riggio (who has an 18% stake in B&N), would put all of their shares into a new company that would be controlled by Sandell. The deal would also require $500 million in financing.

B&N said Riggio has no intention of rolling his share into such a transaction. Given the conditions, B&N said, it does not take Sandells proposal as [a] bona fide offer.
On Wednesday (Nov. 15), the New York Public Library officially unveiled a new $317 million master plan for the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the NYPLs crown jewel located at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan. Library officials say the plan, which was unanimously approved by the NYPL board, will create 20% more public space for research, exhibitions, and educational programs.

For over a century, the Schwarzman Building has been a beacon of open access to information and a tireless preservationist of the worlds knowledge, said New York Public Library president Tony Marx, in a statement. We have a responsibility to preserve its architectural wonder, and its role as an important civic space, while also preparing it for the future, and another century of best serving the public. We believe this plan does just that.

A public presentation on the master plan is set for, November 20, at 5 p.m. in the Schwarzman Buildings Celeste Auditorium. Marx told reporters that virtually all of the money for the project has been raised from private donations.

The plan is the NYPLs second recent shot at overhauling its famous main library, after library officials in 2014 were forced to abandon a controversial renovation, dubbed the Central Library Plan, that would have drastically altered the iconic main library building and critics say, could have greatly altered the future of NYPL as an institution.

 The plan is the NYPLs second recent shot at overhauling its historic main library. 

The fight over that plan, which also included plans to sell off some key NYPL real estate, was chronicled in Patience and Fortitude: Power, Real Estate, and the Fight to Save a Public Library (Melville House), by Nation writer Scott Sherman (which recently came out in paperback).

The new plan was developed by Dutch architectural firm Mecanoo, and New York City-based firm Beyer Blinder Belle.

In a statement, Mecanoos Francine Houben said the latest design inherently adheres to the logic of a Beaux-Arts building, and will improve the quality and function of currently underused spaces. The buildings existing historic spaces such as the landmarked Rose Main Reading Room, and the Maps, Periodicals, and Genealogy reading rooms, and Astor Hall, will remain.

Notably, the plan does not propose any changes to the librarys central stacksa particular point of contention in the NYPLs previous, failed effort, which had proposed repurposing the seven floors that house the librarys massive shelving. Instead, NYPL officials have commissioned Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle to do a study examining possibilities for the 175,000-square-foot space.

That study, will evaluate both the current state of the stacks, and then with input from a broad range of stakeholders, including staff, architects, and a group of non-Library advisors and planners, identify options for the space." Once those "possible scenarios are identified," officials say, "the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback."
What does a secure land border look like? This is a key issue that Congress will be debating this fall, and one that has bedeviled policymakers since well before the devastation of 9/11. The government's inability to definitively answer this question has left the United States trapped in a vicious cycle, where every decade the perception that the border with Mexico is not secure enough leads Congress to invest heavily in resources on the borderwith mixed results.

In the early 1990s, Americans recoiled at videos showing illegal immigrants bum rushing the border in order to overwhelm the agents positioned to try to stop them. Then-President Clinton tripled the size of the Border Patrolfrom 3,000 to more than 9,000 agentsand began erecting fencing in San Diego and El Paso. A little more than a decade later, President Bush again doubled the number of agents assigned to the border and constructed more than 670 miles of pedestrian and vehicle fencing on the southwest border. And now, roughly 10 years later, President Trump has signed executive orders calling for 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents and authorizing the construction of a border wall.

The nature, scope, and scale of illegal immigration has changed since America began heavily investing in the security of its land border.

Lost in this debate is the fact that the nature, scope, and scale of illegal immigration has changed substantially since the United States began heavily investing in the security of its land border. In 2000, Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 1.6 million people attempting to cross the border illegally. Roughly 97 percent of these people were Mexican nationals, and less than 50,000 came from other countries other than Mexico. Since then, illegal immigration from Mexico has fallen dramatically, with Border Patrol agents apprehending less than 200,000 Mexicans trying to enter illegally last fiscal year, its lowest point in decades and perhaps ever. Over this same period, however, illegal immigration from Central America has substantially increased. In fiscal year 2014, Border Patrol agents apprehended more people from Central America than Mexico for the first time in its history, a feat that was repeated in fiscal year 2016.

One key difference today is that many people coming from Central America are not trying to evade detection at the borderthey are instead seeking out border officials, surrendering and claiming asylum, a process that can take years to be fully adjudicated by the immigration court system. In fact, the majority of these Central Americans have been unaccompanied children and family unitspopulations that require special processing by border authorities.

Another recent trend has been a steady increase in migrants from outside the Western Hemisphere using international human smuggling networks to fly into countries in South America, then traversing the long but well-worn path north through Panama and Central America to the U.S. border with Mexico. They also generally turn themselves in to claim asylum. There is no evidence to date that terrorists have tried to use these networks to come to the United States, but the emergence and growth of these sophisticated international human smuggling networks is concerning.

Investments in walls and additional agents may not be the most cost-effective use of taxpayer money.

What does this mean for security along the border? The changing nature of illegal immigrationincluding the increase in individuals surrendering to the authorities in order to claim asylum and enter the immigration court systemsuggests that investments in walls and additional agents may not represent the most cost-effective use of taxpayer money. Instead, perhaps Congress and the administration should review the immigration court system and the asylum process, and invest in increasing the authorities' ability to humanely process individuals who claim fear in a timely manner.

Another option Congress could consider is empowering the Department of Homeland Security with new, robust legislative authorities to work with Mexico and other countries on the route north to improve their immigration and border control systems. It costs the United States far more to apprehend, process, detain, and remove individuals after they arrive at the border than it would to provide foreign assistance to countries along the transit route to do it instead in order to increase their own security and to help the United States. It is also more humane, as these migrants are systematically exposed to horrendous physical, sexual, and mental abuse on their journey north.

Lastly, the administration and Congress would be wise to create a realistic goal for securing the land border. Operational controlor the ability to respond to every single illegal entryis neither a realistic nor cost-effective goal given the daunting geography of the U.S. land border. A more realistic goal may be to require domain awarenessor the ability to detect all illegal entries in order to more effectively marshal limited resources. You cannot stop what you cannot see, after all.

Blas Nunez-Neto is a senior policy researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

This commentary originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report on November 13, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
There is no question that the future of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning relies heavily on a strong STEM teaching workforce. However, education systems around the world face a number of significant challenges attracting STEM teachers to the profession, preparing them sufficiently for their increasingly complex roles and, ultimately, keeping them in the teaching profession.

Shortages of qualified and effective teachers risk jeopardising the vision being set by initiatives like Canada 2067, a national initiative to shape the future of STEM learning for the 21st century and beyond. In a recent report, RAND Europe examined teacher flows in the county of Cambridgeshire in England. The study found that more teachers in the region are leaving the profession then entering it, with this finding being particularly stark for the STEM subjects. The finding reflects wider national trends in England.

However, this is not just a challenge in England. Across Canada, provincial education ministries indicate that demands for teachers are greatest in science and mathematics.

So what can be done about this? How can we ensure that we have sufficient numbers of qualified and well-prepared STEM teachers to help engage young people in STEM learning? I recently participated in a speakers' panel in England that discussed the next steps for science education and STEM skills provision. Beyond issues surrounding working conditions, the panel discussed interesting research which points to the important role of continuous professional development (CPD). Specifically, there is evidence that STEM teachers who take part in high-quality STEM-related CPD are 160 per cent more likely to stay in the profession than those who don't. This is clearly an important finding.

There are a plenty of examples happening around the world to address the support and development of STEM teachers that can provide inspiration. The European Commission works with EU countries to raise the standards of teaching through programs supporting professional development activities abroad for teachers (e.g. Erasmus+).

In Singapore, in addition to formal CPD courses, science teachers can take part in experiential learning in research laboratories locally or abroad through their Teacher Work Attachment program. This aims to bring back fresh perspectives to their classrooms and schools.

In Finland, the focus is on a more holistic and integrated approach to CPD. The country has witnessed an inspiring new social innovation in the field of STEM, Finland's Science Education Centre LUMA, which was designed as an ecosystem for collaboration on STEM education. It now has nine regional centres that support teachers' lifelong learning through natural interactions with the scientific community and industry from pre-service training through CPD.

One clear message from my previous research as part of the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is that teachers want more opportunities for CPD. High quality CPD for STEM teachers not only helps in ensuring they continually develop their skills to better support students in their learning, but also helps to ensure that great teachers are kept in the system.

Initiatives like the Canada 2067 are doing great work in encouraging STEM learning among young people. However, these will only work if we have high-quality STEM teachers in place that stay in the profession. If we are to inspire the future generation of critical thinkers, innovators, entrepreneurs and informed citizens, then we need to tackle the STEM teacher shortage challenge.

Julie Belanger is a research leader at RAND Europe in the fields of education and social policy.

This commentary originally appeared on Canada 2067 on November 13, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
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The Format Recognition and Protection Association (FRAPA), the international body dedicated to the protection of formats within the television and broadcast industry, has announced the appointment of two new general board members.





The management board of FRAPA will now contain Hayley Babcock, head of formats, international programming and production at A+E Networks (US), and Jin Woo Hwang, general management and head of formats and development at CJ E&M(South Korea). Moreover, in a restructuring of the associations management structure following the death in September of FRAPAs much admired and respected co-founder David Lyle, Andrea Jackson, CEO of Magnify Media has stepped up from the FRAPA general board to the management board, where she will serve as treasurer. Jackson joins K7s Keri Lewis Brown (UK), and FRAPA co-chairs Jan Salling (Denmark) and Phil Gurin (US) on the management board. Bianca Rootsaert continues to serve as managing director of the FRAPA headquarters in the Netherlands.FRAPA sees the addition of high-profile US and South Korean format executives to its general board is a reflection of the current dominance of both territories in the production of original unscripted content, and the corresponding influx of new FRAPA members from North America and Asia. It notes that there has been a marked resurgence in the volume of formats originating from the US, as evidenced by the likes of The Wall, Little Big Shots, Funderdome, Beat Shazam, Lip Sync Battle, Carpool Karaoke and Impractical Jokers. South Korea, meanwhile, is now firmly ensconced in the major formats league thanks to such global K-format hits as Running Man, Where Are We Going Daddy?, Better Late Than Never (Grandpas Over Flowers), I Can See Your Voice, Show Me The Money and The Genius Game.Commenting on the move, Phil Gurin, President, Unscripted and Alternative, of IM Global Television, said: We are delighted to welcome two respected international industry leaders to our general board. Hayley Babcock and Jin Woo Hwang bring enormous passion, insight and global perspective to our mission to serve as the conscience of the format community. The future is very bright for FRAPA as it moves into more countries, and attracts more companies and creators. More people are using our registration service, more companies are benefiting from the clear-eyed value of our analysis service and largely thanks to our efforts, the discussion about protecting and respecting intellectual property has now become part of the global conversation.
A+E Networks has closed a deal with Mexican free-to-air broadcaster TV Azteca for its factual series, Hoarders, My Ghost Story, UFO Hunters and My Haunted House.





Hoarders (109 x 60') goes inside what appear to be normal houses to show families struggling to keep ahead of the insignificant things that have taken over their lives. Each pack rat is given a clean start and the series follows up weeks later to find out if they have been able to keep their compulsive collecting at bay. 20 x 30 My Ghost Story features true and unbelievable stories of the paranormal told by the people who lived through them  and captured their hauntings on tape. From moving furniture to dark apparitions to violent poltergeists, these harrowing eye-witness accounts give you no choice but to believe your eyes.My Haunted House (39 x 60) retells shocking eyewitness accounts of terrified people whose dream homes have become nightmares brought to life in vivid, blood-curdling style. For its part, UFO Hunters (37 x 60) follows the team from UFO Magazine as they open their files and investigate UFO cases around the world. The teams access to UFO evidence is unparalleled  and their expertise allows them to quickly identify bogus claims of UFOs.We are thrilled to be working with TV Azteca , said A+E Networks senior director, international content sales, Latin America, Helen Jurado. This latest deal highlights A+E Networks rising profile in Latin America, which is driven by our diverse catalogue of innovative factual titles that continue to push the boundaries of creative storytelling.
Here are a few ways to spend the week off and the Thanksgiving break in Athens. Volunteering for local causes during this time of year can be a great way to give back to the community while spending time with friends, family and strangers for a good cause.
Martinsville is building a new police station. What you need to know.
A court in Kosovo has sentenced four opposition figures, including a lawmaker, to prison terms after their convictions for taking part in an attack last year on the parliament building in Pristina.

The court on November 17 sentenced the men to prison terms ranging from two to eight years for the attack on August 4, 2016, in which a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at parliament.

No one was injured in the incident, labeled a terror attack by authorities.

Frasher Krasniqi, a member of parliament from the Self-Determination Party (Vetevendosje), was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Krasniqi wrote on Facebook: For all these unjust judgments, sooner or later, those criminals who ordered these fabricated trials will be held accountable, before the law and before history.

Atdhe Arifi was sentenced to six years, Egzon Haliti received 5 1/2 years, and Adea Batusha got two years.

The four have ties to the nationalist Vetevendosje movement, which has 32 seats in the 120-seat parliament.

A fifth defendant, Astrit Dehari, 26, died in November 2016 while in detention. The authorities ruled it a suicide, but Vetevendosje called it "murder by strangulation" and accused the government of failing to protect him.

The authorities said the parliament attack was intended to disrupt a vote on a border deal with neighboring Montenegro. Approval of the deal is a condition for Kosovo getting visa-free access to the European Union.

Vetevendosje opposed the deal, saying it cedes territory to Montenegro and would give more autonomy to Serb-held regions of Kosovo.
The Georgian Interior Ministry says 26 people from former Soviet republics have been detained in Paris on charges of burglary, extortion, and being members of a criminal group.

In a November 17 statement, the ministry said the suspects are members of a criminal group operating in France and that they were arrested in a joint operation conducted by French criminal and financial police officers along with officials from the Georgian Embassy in Paris.

Law enforcement officials seized large amounts of cash, firearms, masks, forged documents, stolen vehicles, and devices used to crack open door handles, the ministry said.

Citizens of Georgia, including five crime bosses and six women, were among those detained, officials said.

"The investigation established that the detainees burglarized shops and apartments in Paris and nearby towns, the statement said. It added that the suspects had been allied with Armenian citizens for further realization of the stolen goods.
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking Chinas resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Im RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish.

Before we get started, a few announcements: The newsletter is now biweekly, rather than going out only on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. To subscribe, click here.

And I will also be launching Talking China In Eurasia, a new podcast. Im joined by the Royal United Services Institutes Raffaello Pantucci to talk about Xi and Putin. Listen to the first episode here or below.

Xi Gets Pragmatic About Russia At The G20

It was light on optimism, but U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping injected a healthy dose of pragmatism back into the U.S.-China relationship with their meeting in Bali at a time when global anxiety is rising over Russias war against Ukraine.

Finding Perspective: The meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit was far from a breakthrough, but it did repair some damage from the recent backslide in relations between both countries and send some signals that the world isnt necessarily destined for Cold War 2.0.

The more than three-hour talks saw some blunt exchanges over contentious issues like Taiwan and North Korea, but the two leaders also pledged more frequent communications and decided that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing for follow-up talks in 2023.

Of particular note, Biden raised Russias invasion of Ukraine and threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons. Both leaders reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be fought, according to a White House readout.

While far from a sea change for Chinese policy, thats notable. The credibility of Beijings claims to be neutral on the Ukraine war continue to come under scrutiny, and China has shown discomfort of late with the Kremlins nuclear saber-rattling.

Xi made similar comments after a November 4 summit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and during another G20 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the French readout.

Why It Matters: Xi is not abandoning Putin, but this marks the latest shift for Beijings balancing act over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Four Chinese officials briefed on the February 4 meeting between Xi and Putin, where they declared a no-limits partnership, told the Financial Times that Putin didnt tell Xi the truth about the invasion and that Beijing was caught off guard by it.

What Xi knew about Putins war plans has been a topic of debate, and there is evidence to support both the idea that Xi was aware and that he was caught off guard.

Many analysts are of the opinion that Xi knew about Putin's decision to invade but expected a quick victory, which perhaps was what Putin believed at the time.

Others point to a steady stream of dismissals from Chinese officials and experts about the likelihood of an invasion in February and the fact that Beijing did not evacuate its citizens from Ukraine  like Western nations did  as evidence that China was not expecting a war.

China certainly has its own interests in keeping a distance from Moscows war and using that space to do some upkeep with the West. But perhaps the most important point here is that even if Putin did blindside Xi, China has stuck with Russia despite its battlefield failures, political isolation, and the atrocities its troops are accused of committing.

Again, this is pragmatism more than anything else. As Chinese experts often say, even if Russia is looking unattractive these days, why would Beijing abandon its main anti-Western partner as China continues to be in the crosshairs of rising American pressure?

Read More

 Want to hear more about Russia and Chinas complex relationship amid the Ukraine war? Then tune in to the debut of Talking China In Eurasia today at 2 p.m. CET/ 8 a.m. EST. You can listen live here and find the episode on RFE/RLs website and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

 Condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine and its global fallout is shaping up to be the key theme of the G20, with the Financial Times reporting that a joint communique from the summit takes aim at Moscow.

Expert Corner: The Future Of The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Readers asked: Did Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs recent trip to Beijing breathe new life into the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)? How do Islamabad and Beijing really feel about the project after all these years?

To find out more, I asked Filippo Boni, an expert on China-Pakistan relations at the Open University in Britain:

Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China was high on symbolism and relatively low on substance. While the two sides were keen to reaffirm and emphasize the strength of their strategic partnership, no significant new commitment was made. Apart from a few memorandums of understanding and attempts from the Pakistanis in the run-up to the trip to address some of CPECs issues  including payments to Chinese independent power producers  nothing major came from the visit. This is despite Sharif's attempts at revitalizing CPEC since April and the very close ties he enjoys with the Chinese leadership.

The outcome of this visit is not entirely surprising, especially if interpreted against the backdrop of Pakistan's current domestic predicaments. The security situation for Chinese nationals has deteriorated, the economy is struggling, and political instability is at one of its highest points in recent years. All these dynamics, coupled with the global scaling down of Belt and Road Initiative financing, have likely impacted Beijing's lack of commitment to new projects.

After almost 10 years and $25 billion worth of projects, there seems to be a general consensus on both sides that the first phase of CPEC  the one focused primarily on energy projects  was largely successful. The same cannot be said for the second phase, including the slow progress on the development of Special Economic Zones, and for the port of Gwadar, where little progress has been made for the ports full commercial functioning.

Do you have a question about Chinas growing footprint in Eurasia? Send it to me at StandishR@rferl.org or reply directly to this e-mail and Ill get it answered by leading experts and policymakers.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. 'Sweep It Under The Rug'

Recent allegations of China operating 54 overseas police stations have fueled controversy around the world and sparked investigations, but in Hungary and Serbia the new findings are being met with swift denials by authorities, despite growing evidence.

The Details: My colleagues Akos Keller-Alant from RFE/RLs Hungarian Service, Mila Durdevic from RFE/RLs Balkan Service, and I reported on the fallout from these revelations and the slew of probes launched in many European countries recently.

The stations are overseas operations of the public security bureaus from two Chinese provinces and are used to persuade citizens to return to China, including through pressure on family members at home. While most of those involved appear to be suspected of crimes such as telecommunications fraud or corruption, dissidents have also reported that the stations have been used to monitor and threaten them.

Fourteen governments have already launched investigations into the overseas police stations, and the Dutch and Irish governments have ordered China to shut down the facilities in their countries.

But in Hungary and Serbia  two countries where Beijing is said to operate such facilities and whose governments prize their warming political and economic ties with China  officials appear to be trying to sweep it under the rug, as one analyst characterized it, despite growing scrutiny from opposition lawmakers in each country.

2. Global Ripples Hit Central Asia

Political and economic shocks from Moscows war in Ukraine, coupled with added strains from tensions between Beijing and Washington, are taking their toll around the world, especially in Central Asia, where countries in the region are closely tied to both China and Russia.

What It Means: As RFE/RLs Uzbek Service reported, Vladimir Norov, the countrys foreign minister, warned about geopolitical tensions affecting stability in the region and beyond while addressing his counterparts at an Organization of Turkic States meeting in Samarkand.

The breakdown in global cooperation is felt particularly strong in Central Asia. While some economies have been able to benefit by becoming a new home for businesses and capital relocated from Russia, others are seeing investment dry up and their economies coming under strain.

World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Anna Bjerde recently warned that Uzbekistan needs to continue with its market reforms in order to withstand the global economic shocks that are to come.

RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service also reported that the countrys government is trying to court more investment but that questions remain from investors about Kyrgyzstans stability and investment climate. According to official statistics from January to June of this year, China is the leading source of foreign investment, with $129 million during that span.

3. The Tech In Moscows Iranian Drones

A new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, looked into electronic components underpinning Tehran's production of the Mohajer-6 drone, which Russia has used in its war in Ukraine, and found that theyre far from homegrown.

What You Need To Know: The Mohajer-6 drones contain components produced by companies from the United States and the European Union, both of which have sanctions restricting the export to Iran of technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

The investigation also found drone components produced in China, including a real-time mini-camera made by a Hong Kong firm.

The drone also contains a microchip bearing the logo of a California technology company and a thermal-imaging camera that Ukrainian intelligence says may have been produced by a firm based in Oregon or China.

The international tech in the drone not only highlights the complex ecosystem that allows firms and buyers to circumvent sanctions slapped on both Iran and Russia, but also the close networks between Chinese and Western tech companies that still exist, despite a recent push to break some of those linkages.

Across The Supercontinent

On The Mainland: The watchdog group Freedom House recently launched a new project called the China Dissent Monitor, which tracks protests and other forms of dissent inside China. Read it here.

Censored: Chinese authorities behind a major trade expo in Shanghai pulled an opening ceremony address by European Council President Charles Michel that was set to criticize Russia's illegal war in Ukraine and call for reduced European dependency on China, Reuters reported.

Backtracking: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has softened his countrys stance toward China, moving away from his predecessor Liz Trusss decision to label it a threat.

One Thing To Watch

How long will Chinas stringent COVID policies stay in place?

New infections are rising as a winter wave hits and popular frustration continues to boil over inside the country as investor confidence stays dented over the measures. New footage also showed crowds of residents in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou escaping a compulsory lockdown and clashing with police.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your in-box on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
The head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says that regardless of a potential UN peacekeeping operation in eastern Ukraine -- where government forces have been battling pro-Russia separatists since 2014 -- both sides must implement the full range of measures in the Minsk peace agreements. In an interview with RFE/RL's Balkan Service during a visit to Macedonia's capital, Skopje, on November 16, OSCE Secretary-General Thomas Greminger also said the organization is routinely discussing the human rights situation in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that was annexed by Russia in 2014. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service)
Its been several weeks since Turkmenistan hiked fees to state kindergartens tenfold, nearly emptying many preschools, prompting a rare public protest, and resulting in the jailing of an official for merely interacting with protesters.

Angry parents say authorities are now pressing the public to enroll their youngsters in state preschools to offset an accompanying drop in kindergarten attendance, which translates into less money for the cash-strapped government.

Officials in the capital, Ashgabat, and in Dashoguz and Balkan provinces have ordered public-sector employees to send their preschool-age children to kindergartens or risk losing their jobs, several local residents told RFE/RL.



According to one resident of the northern Dashoguz Province, the November fee increase from around $2.80 to $22.80 has prompted many parents to keep their children at home.

Another Dashoguz resident complained that the higher fee represents around half of the family budget for many people in that rural region. Some women who work farmland take their children along as they can no longer afford the nursery prices, the source said.



Both residents spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing government reprisals in an authoritarian state with little tolerance for any form of dissent.

A mere comment about the nursery-fee increase landed a local education official in prison last month.



According to local residents, there are now only around 15 children in preschool facilities that previously had around 200 children attending them on a regular basis.

The head of the education department who advised the protesters to complain to the governor has been removed from his post, arrested, and charged with calling for rebellion against the government, the officials said.

The instructions to public-sector workers were issued during meetings in dozens of government institutions, they said.



As information is difficult to obtain from tightly controlled Turkmenistan, it remains unclear whether similar warnings have been given in other parts of the country.



The kindergarten fee increase, initially announced last month, prompted a rare protest rally in Dashoguz, where dozens of people, most of them women, gathered near the provincial education department on October 10.

The head of the department told the protesters to go and complain to the provincial governors office instead, according to two employees at the education department and the Dashoguz city administration who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity.



On their way to the governors office, the protesters were stopped by the country's special police force, OMON, the officials said.

The head of the education department who advised the protesters to complain to the governor has been removed from his post, arrested, and charged with calling for rebellion against the government, the officials said.



The arrested officials wife, who worked in a local kindergarten, has also been dismissed from her job, they added.



RFE/RLs Turkmen Service spoke to colleagues of the arrested education official who confirmed the charges but declined to give his name, saying only that he is about 50 years old.



They also said a state-appointed defense lawyer has since declined to become involved in his case, citing the gravity of the charges. The family is said to have hired another lawyer.



Falling kindergarten attendance is the latest blow to the state budget in gas-rich Turkmenistan, which is facing economic fallout from the global slump in energy prices.



The countrys gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen from 11.1 percent in 2012 to 6.2 percent in 2016, the Asian Development Bank says.

Turkmenistan has abandoned subsidies for natural gas, electricity, and water, while ordinary Turkmen also complain that wages are often paid late.

Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Farangis Najibullah, based on reporting by RFE/RLs Turkmen Service
The head of Ukraines National Union of Journalists (NUJU) is demanding the release of a Ukrainian radio correspondent being held in Belarus.

NUJU Chairman Serhiy Tomilenko said on November 17 that UA: Ukrainian Radio correspondent Pavlo Sharoyko was arrested in Minsk on October 25.

"The detention was carried out by the KGB of Belarus, Tomilenko said, adding that Sharoyko is only being allowed representation provided by the Belarusian authorities.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry confirmed Sharoykos detention and said the ministrys Foreign Policy Department was taking measures to protect the journalists rights.

Interfax-Ukraine reported that the Belarusian Foreign Ministry would only confirm that Sharoyko was "accredited as a foreign journalist, but we have no [further] information and can't comment."

The journalists detention was first reported on November 17 by Zurab Alasania, director-general of the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine.

In a tweet, Alasania said the Belarusian Embassy had not responded to requests for information. He wrote that unofficial information indicated the journalist is being held on espionage charges, although that could not be confirmed.

The deputy chief editor of the radio station, Svitlana Mialyk, wrote on Facebook that Sharoyko was arrested in Minsk on October 25, citing his wife, Olena Sharoyko.

Olena Sharoyko herself said in a brief comment to UA: Ukrainian Radio that "I can't contact him. I can only write him letters."

Sharoyko added that Belarusian authorities had told her nothing.

Tomilenko said his group is also attempting to contact the Belarusian Embassy in Kyiv and the Ukrainian Embassy in Minsk.

He added that the International Federation of Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, and the OSCE representative on freedom of the media are being alerted.

Charter97.org quoted Sharoyko's colleagues as saying the journalist was working on stories related to the search for Pavlo Hryb, a Ukrainian citizen who disappeared in Belarus after being arrested and who was later found to have been sent to Russia.

"Journalists are killed and put behind bars in Belarus," said Natalya Radzina, the editor in chief of Charter97.org, a human rights organization.

"They are spuriously accused of extremism, insulting the president, [and] organizing riots," she added.

With reporting by AFP
KYIV -- Ukrainian anticorruption investigators have opened a criminal case into suspected unlawful enrichment by the countrys powerful prosecutor-general, Yuriy Lutsenko.



The case against Lutsenko was opened by the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) on October 30, after it was presented with an order from the Solomyansky District Court of Kyiv, NABU spokeswoman Svitlana Olifira told RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service on November 17.



Olifira said that no person in particular had spurred the court into action and that the pretrial investigation is ongoing.



But Renat Kuzmin, the former Ukrainian deputy prosecutor-general under former President Viktor Yanukovych, wrote on Facebook that the case was opened at his written request.

Yanuovych fled from Ukraine to Russia in February 2014 following months of Euromaidan street protests.

Kuzmin followed in June 2014 after he became a suspect in the criminal probe of the unlawful arrest of Lutsenko in 2010 when he was an opposition politician.



Pursuant to my statement, NABU registered the case and began a criminal investigation into Lutsenkos illegal enrichment, Kuzmin said in a post that included a copy of his letter to NABU.

Lutsenko has not commented on the NABU investigation.



NABU is an independent investigative body created to stamp out entrenched corruption among Ukraines public servants.



Lutsenko had no legal experience prior to taking the job as head of the Prosecutor-Generals Office in May 2016.

He was the personal choice of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Parliament had to pass a law removing a requirement that only a person with a legal background could fill the post before Lutsenko was appointed.

With reporting by RFE/RL correspondent Christopher Miller in Kyiv
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Russia has vetoed a proposal to temporarily keep alive a UN investigation into who is responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria, one day after blocking a one-year extension of the inquiry.

The veto in the UN Security Council late on November 17 was Moscow's 11th such veto of UN resolutions involving the Syrian civil war since the conflict began in 2011.

The mandate for the joint investigation by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons expired at midnight on November 17.

The one-month extension vetoed by Russia was offered by Japan to provide time for Russia and Western powers to negotiate a compromise on continuing the inquiry.

"Russia is wasting our time," U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said after the veto.

"Russia's actions today and in recent weeks have been designed to delay, to distract, and ultimately to defeat the effort to secure accountability for chemical weapons attacks in Syria," she said.

Before the vote, the AP reported that Haley and many other council members were in favor of the temporary extension, while Russia opposed it.

In Moscow, a Foreign Ministry official told AFP that the 30-day extension was "pointless" and that urgent action on the expert panel's work was not needed.

Russia on November 16 vetoed a U.S. proposal to renew the mandate for one year after it had received approval in the Security Council.

Haley said that veto showed Russia consistently puts protection of its ally Syria, which has been blamed for all but one chemical attack since the investigation started in 2015, above the protection of Syrian civilians killed in such attacks.

"Russia has killed the investigative mechanism, which has the overwhelming support of this council," she said. Eleven of the council's 15 members supported the U.S.-drafted resolution.

"To my Russian friends, the next chemical weapons attack is on your head," Haley said. "You are basically telling the entire world that chemical weapons are OK to use. That's what we should be embarrassed about today."

France's UN Ambassador Francois Delattre said the Russian veto was a blow to international efforts to curb the use of chemical weapons.

"Let there be no doubt: We have unleashed a monster here," said Delattre.

Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya shot back, saying the investigative mechanism needed an overhaul, including a mandate to secure evidence of chemical use first-hand rather than through parties involved in the conflict.

Nebenzya called the mechanism "a puppetlike structure" that he said can be manipulated by the West. "On the basis of false information, it will time after time accuse the Syrian government of violating international norms," he said.

Before the vote on November 18, Haley accused Russian officials at the UN of refusing to discuss the issue with her.

"For some reason, the phones at the Russian Mission [at the UN] aren't working," she said. "We have tried to get a call with them and they've been too busy to talk to us this week. And when I have tried to call Vasily [Nebenzya], for some reason he is not available."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected Haley's claim as "fake diplomacy."

"Mrs. Haley's claim she made [on November 16] in a rather agitated manner, that the Russian [UN] mission had allegedly for days kept rejecting her offers to meet and talk about this issue, to discuss these two drafts of the resolution (i.e. the Russian and the U.S. rival drafts), is a lie -- I'll say it again," he said. "Apparently, we are facing a new phenomenon in international relations, in which not only do we have fake news, but fake diplomacy as well."

Russia has been highly critical of the team's findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015 and used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhun last April that killed nearly 100 people.

Syria has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons. The investigative team also found the extremist group Islamic State was responsible for a mustard gas attack in 2015.

After Russia vetoed the U.S. extension proposal on November 16, the council later voted against a rival resolution put forward by Russia to overhaul the investigative mechanism. It received only four votes in favor -- from Russia, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, and China -- short of the nine votes needed to pass.

U.S. President Donald Trump had urged the council to support the investigation's continued work. In a tweet shortly before the vote, Trump said renewing the mandate would "ensure" that President Bashar al-Assad's Syrian "regime does not commit mass murder with chemical weapons ever again."

Russia has given Assad crucial diplomatic support throughout the war, using its clout as a veto-wielding permanent Security Council member to shield him and his government from international censure and pressure.

Moscow has also backed Assad in the battlefield during a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes, launching a campaign of air strikes against government opponents in 2015 and stepping up its military involvement on the ground.

With reporting by AP, dpa, AFP, Reuters, and AP
U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman on November 17 visited the Moscow bureau of RFE/RL, where he told journalists that new Russian legislation targeting foreign media is a "big concern" for the United States. Huntsman said the Russian legislation cannot be considered reciprocation for U.S. actions against the state-controlled RT network under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
WASHINGTON -- A Washington, D.C., area radio station that recently took over broadcasts of the Russian state-funded news outlet Sputnik has registered under the U.S. foreign-agent law, just days after the TV channel RT did.

The stations owner, a Virginia company called Reston Translator, filed the paperwork with the Justice Department on November 15, the same day that Russias lower house of parliament passed new measures containing potential restrictions for foreign-funded media outlets.

Under the contract, which was posted on the Justice Departments foreign-agent database, Sputnik is paying $900,000 to Reston Translator to rebroadcast a live audio stream from Sputniks website.

Sputnik Radio is owned and operated by Rossia Segodnya news group, a media-holding company that was formed in 2014 in an effort by the Kremlin to consolidate control over several state-funded media outlets. Sputnik runs radio broadcasts and news websites in 30 languages.

In June, Reston Translator gave up its bluegrass music broadcasts and signed the deal with Sputnik.

U.S. law enforcement officials later contacted Restons main owner, communication lawyer John Garziglia, and notified him that he needed to file under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a decades-old law that requires people working in the United States for a foreign government in a "political or quasi-political capacity" to register with the Justice Department.

In response to the Justice Departments demand for registration, Garziglia objected to the demand, arguing the company did not meet the requirements of FARA. But he said he would still comply.

We do so because we have been directed to do so, not because it is required by law, he said.

Reston Translator LLC appreciates the role of the Department of Justice, National Security Division, in carrying out the purposes of FARA... he wrote. "Reston Translator LLC further acknowledges that you and your National Security Division may have significant questions as to the activities of [Rossia] Segodnya in our United States.

While Reston Translator was forced to comply with the law, it wasnt immediately clear if Sputnik, or Rossia Segodnya, had also registered.

Mindia Gavasheli, a top editor with Sputnik's U.S. operation, said the agency had not registered.

"It's very disappointing for me to see our partners, that have nothing to do with our editorial policies or production, to come under such pressure, essentially forcing them to take steps that have in our opinion very little to do with legal requirements and are purely political," Gavasheli told RFE/RL in an e-mail.

On November 13, RT, which previously was known as Russia Today, filed FARA registration for its U.S. operating unit with the Justice Department after weeks of protests and threats.

Both RT and Sputnik came under growing pressure from U.S authorities in the wake of a U.S. intelligence report released in January that accused them of spreading misinformation as part of a Russian-government effort to influence the 2016 presidential election.

In May, FBI and Justice Department officials questioned a former White House correspondent for Sputnik about the organization's editorial operations. Andrew Feinberg, who was fired from Sputnik in May, also told RFE/RL that he turned over a thumb drive containing thousands of internal e-mails from his five months at Sputnik.

RT joined at least six other foreign media outlets that are currently registered under FARA, including Canada's CBC, Japan's NHK, and the China Daily.

On November 15, within hours of Russian lawmakers passing the new restrictions, the Russian Justice Ministry sent warnings to at least five RFE/RL news services.

The letters did not specify what potential restrictions they could face, but lawmakers have said designated media could be subjected to detailed financial reporting requirements and be required to label published material as coming from a foreign agent.

While RT and Sputnik distribute their programs freely in the United States, RFE/RL is already subject to severe restrictions in Russia, with nearly all of its radio broadcasts forced off the air by 2012 due to administrative pressure.

Neither RFE/RL nor VOA has any access to cable TV in Russia.

U.S. officials say the Russian law differs significantly from FARA, which was passed in 1938 specifically to counter fears of Nazi propaganda and misinformation being spread in the United States.
MOSCOW -- The U.S. ambassador to Russia said during a visit to the the Moscow bureau of RFE/RL and Voice of America (VOA) that new Russian legislation targeting foreign media is a "big concern" to the United States.

U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman said during his November 17 visit -- viewed as a gesture of support for RFE/RL and VOA -- that "I'm here because we as Americans believe that freedom of the press [and] transparency are...an absolutely critical ingredient to a successful and strong democratic system.

"We just think the principles of free media in any free society and democracy are absolutely critical for strength and well-being," Huntsman said. "Freedom of speech is a part of that. That's why we in the embassy care about the issue. That's why we're going to follow the work that is going on in the Duma and the legislation that is being drafted very, very carefully. Because we're concerned about it."

Full Statement By U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman The full statement by U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman delivered at the Moscow bureau of RFE/RL and VOA on November 17: "Im here for a specific reason as the United States ambassador. Im here because we as Americans believe that freedom of the press and transparency are all an absolutely critical ingredient to a successful and strong democratic system. Its part of what has given rise to our strength in the United States. We have a lot of different voices. We have a lot of different sources that provide news and cover politicians and cover the affairs of my country. We believe that in any democracy, that the work that goes on by the many people in this room is absolutely critical. "So when we hear about things like the possibility for retaliation around the FARA law that we have in the United States out of the Department of Justice, which is simply a means by which in the United States we can provide greater transparency behind those news outlets that are funded by governments that are promoting a particular political line, that people know exactly whose funding it and know where those voices are coming from. It does nothing in terms of impacting the production side, the content, the messages that are delivered. Nothing at all. Thats part of our First Amendment in the United States. "So Im a little concerned as the United States ambassador when I hear of the potential of threats to take action in response to our FARA that would effectively designate members of the media as 'foreign agents,' which is completely different from what we seek to do in the United States under FARA, which is to promote greater transparency so the viewers know the funding behind the organization and maybe what some of their messaging objectives are. "So Im here because we, in the embassy and as Americans, feel strongly about freedom of the press and freedom of expression. So I thank you for the opportunity to speak with all of you and visit this impressive studio. And as Ive mentioned, I hope to come back for some interviews in this wonderful studio behind me. And weve already made an agreement on that, so I will very much look forward to that. "Thank you all very much. Its a pleasure."

Russia's State Duma on November 15 passed legislation that would allow for the designation of foreign media organizations in the country as foreign agents and require them to declare full details about their funding, finances, and staffing. It still requires an upper-house vote and the signature of President Vladimir Putin.

Huntsman said that despite Moscow's characterization of the legislation as a response to actions against the state-controlled RT network in the United States, the Russia legislation "isn't reciprocal at all."

Huntsman said a move by Washington to require RT to release financial information about its operations in the United States was meant to ensure "transparency."

"That's far different from designating somebody a foreign agent and effectively making it virtually impossible for them to operate," he said. "It isn't similar at all to what we are doing under FARA -- it's a reach beyond."

Watching 'Carefully'

In Moscow, the U.S. Embassy cautioned Russia against using the legislation as a tool to limit media freedom.

Embassy spokeswoman Maria Olson said on November 16 that Washington is watching "carefully to see whether it is passed and how it is implemented."

Russian legislators characterize the legislation as a tit-for-tat response to Washington's recent requirement that RT's American contractor register and disclose financial information under a long-standing U.S. law, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Olson said the U.S. law is aimed only at making information public about the foreign sponsorship behind organizations seeking to influence U.S. political debate and does not otherwise restrict what registrants say or do.

"As we have told our Russian interlocutors, FARA promotes transparency without restricting or limiting expression," Olson said.

"FARA does not limit publishing of materials. It only requires registration, labeling, and record-keeping. Some governments have asserted FARA is being used as a tool to restrict political freedom. These assertions are completely erroneous," she said.

Media freedom and human rights groups have criticized both the Russian legislation and the U.S. requirement for RT to register under FARA.

Russia's Justice Ministry has published a list on its website confirming that its first targets under the law may be nine media outlets connected with RFE/RL and VOA.

The U.S.-funded outlets previously were warned by the ministry that they might be affected by the legislation.

Coming just two days after RT's U.S. contractor registered as a "foreign agent," Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it is "alarmed by Russia's quid pro quo response" to Washington.

We condemn this eye-for-an-eye response, as media freedom will be its only victim," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSFs Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.

"It is highly regrettable that the U.S. authorities started this. Combating propaganda is one of our eras imperatives, but it is not the job of governments to define what is legitimate journalism, he said.

'Draconian Provisions'

The group said the Russian legislation would apply the same "draconian provisions" Russia has imposed on foreign nonprofit groups since 2012 on foreign media, including putting the "ignominious foreign-agent label" on everything they publish or broadcast.

But the media law is vaguer than the 2012 law in giving Russian authorities a weapon they potentially could use against media out of favor with the Kremlin, it said.

The laws extremely vague provisions open the way to selective, arbitrary, and highly political application and, at a time of unprecedented pressure on the media, are liable to make it even harder for Russian citizens to get access to freely reported news, Bihr said.

"One can only speculate as to its first targets, which could include such leading public broadcasters as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the BBC, and Deutsche Welle. Russian exile media may also be targeted," he said.

INFOGRAPHIC: How Russia Has Implemented Its 'Foreign Agent' Law (click to view)

The Russian legislation is "a full-throttle attack on media freedom," Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said.

"This legislation is tailor-made to be selectively and politically enforced, and to silence voices they do not want Russian people to hear," Williamson said.

Warning Letters

On November 15, shortly after the Duma approved the legislation, Russia's Justice Ministry sent warning letters to RFE/RLs Russian Service and Tatar-Bashkir Service, as well as to its Idel.realii and Sibir.realii, Russian-language websites that focus on news from Russias central Volga region and Siberia.

Also receiving warnings were Current Time TV, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, and RFE/RL's Krym.Realii website, which focuses on news from the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia occupied and seized in 2014.

The letters did not make any specific threats, except to note that the news operations might face restrictions under the new law.

In a November 15 statement, RFE/RL said the "situation regarding Russian media in the U.S. and U.S. media in Russia remains vastly unequal."

"RT and Sputnik distribute freely in the U.S., whereas RFE/RL has lost its broadcast affiliates in Russia due to administrative pressures, and has no access to cable," it said. "RFE/RL reporters are subject to harassment and even physical attack in Russia."

"RFE/RL's job is to provide accurate and objective journalism to our Russian-speaking audiences worldwide, including in Russia," RFE/RL's statement said. "We look forward to continuing our work."

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
It was on 22nd Aug 2009 that Mr Vijeth M had purchased a brand new Maruti Alto LX. The car was purchased from Mandovi Motors in Sullia, Karnataka in the name of his father  Mr. M.Rajendra Prasad. Within a few days, Mr Vijeth started noticing problems with the car. He made multiple visits to the workshop, but the problems never ended.

On 24th September 2009, he wrote a detailed letter to Maruti Suzuki about his experience, which can be read below.

I have purchased a Maruti Alto LX from Mandovi Motors on 22-08-09,which is registered in my fathers name Mr.M.Rajendra Prasad. The vehicle registration number is KA-21 M 7409.

Engine.No:4290967

Chassis.No:1446664.

Colour: Pearl Blue

I had taken the delivery from Mandovi Motors,Sullia.D.K.,which is my native place whereas presently I am residing at Bangalore. The day I bought the car was considered to be auspicious as it was the inauguration day of Mandovis new workshop/showroom as well as a festival day. But unfortunately it has turned out be a nightmare for me. From day one I am experiencing problems with the car.The following are the series of events post delivery in chronological order 

1. From day one I was not comfortable with the vehicle but couldnt figure out the exact problem as I didnt drive much on that day say about only 17 kms,though the car had run 89 kms prior to delivery.(Because the car was driven to Sullia from Mangalore by the Mandovi personnel)

2. Day two(23-08-09) I headed from my native to Bangalore. During the journey I discovered that the vehicle was juddering as it reached 70 kmph speed on VERY good roads. But it wasnt so predominant at speeds below that mark or even when it crossed that mark. But the juddering again reoccurred at around speeds of 95 kmph,beyond which I did not venture as the car was just a day old. The 300 kms journey from my native to Bangalore was nothing but HORRIFIC.My initial thought was that the problem was with the wheel balancing. The day being Sunday I couldnt contact Mandovi guys that day.

3. Day three(24-08-09) I conveyed the message to Mandovi Motors,sullia. I was asked to get the vehicle inspected at the nearest Mandovi service centre at Bangalore.As I have busy with my job & I was able to take my vehicle to Mandovi service centre,Yashwantpur two days later i.e., on 26-08-09.The service personnel took a test drive a confirmed the problem. To my surprise they altered the engine timing & spark plug gap. But they were unable to further check the vehicle at that speed within the city as it was peak hour late in the evening. I was told to revert back if the problem reoccurred. On my way back to my house I discovered that the problem was still prevalent.

4.I informed them again and I was asked to visit again. They checked the tyres,rim bends, underbody damage so on & so forth. On my further visits they checked wheel balancing & alignment,carried out wheel rotation, but all efforts in vain. Still the problem continued & my visits to Mandovi service centre sort of became a routine thereby affecting my job. On 02-09-09,with a hope that the matter will be resolved I took a day off & checked into Mandovi again. They suspected the problem might be with the tyres, hence replaced them with newer ones. The problem seemed to have rectified. So one of the front tyres was replaced with the spare tyre & at that moment the problem seemed to have vanished. So I headed back to my place. But astonishingly again the problem resurfaced. I had returned back to Mandovi.I was told that they need to check the drive shaft & as it was not readily available, they retained the vehicle.

5. After two days of TRIAL RUN, it was concluded that the problem was with the Balancer shaft & not drive shafts. Aptly the shaft was replaced & the vehicle was delivered to my residence. By this time the vehicle had run around 550-600 kms in total out of which around 250 kms of TRIAL/TEST RUN within the city, for which the running expenses were borne from my side. By this time enormity problem was somewhat reduced but still..

6. It was baffling to notice that the next day problem was still prevalent. Again I informed the service centre & their familiar response Can you please bring the vehicle sir?or shall I ask my people to pick the vehicle.I was really depressed.

7.As a knew a couple of higher officials at Mandovi Service Centre,J.P.Nagar,I decided to meet them & landed there on 09-09-09.In the mean time I had registered a complaint with your customer care dept,the complaint no is 9026004637.

They told me that they will check the vehicle thoroughly, so they need atleast 2 days,to which I agreed & I was given a vehicle from their end for my use. The days passed on, but the problem remained elusive. An engineer from maruti Mr.Rakesh had also inspected the vehicle. I was with constant touch with Mr.Rajesh Bhat,service personnel at Mandovi.After 3-4 days Mr.Rajesh told me that the problem was with the ENGINE FLYWHEEL & it needs to be changed. The following day I was informed that the problem was almost rectified,but there were vibrations/juddering felt beyond in speeds excess of 100 kmph but not at 70 kmph which Mr.Rajesh Bhat told is abnormal. I was also told that they have replaced even the drive shafts (L & R) in addition to flywheel for purpose of checking, which I find quite bizarre.(As drive shafts were checked earlier)

8.Finally I was informed that the vehicle was alright & can be delivered on 19-09-09.During the period the vehicle had covered another 350-400 kms.Ist free service was also carried out as the vehicle had run more than 1000 kms.And again I had took a break from my job(I work 6 days a week) to take the delivery of the vehicle. I insisted for a trial run prior to delivery. And my worst fears came true. But this time there was small twist in the tale.

The Mandovi personnel was trying to CONVINCE me that the slight vibrations at 70 kmph & the massive juddering at speeds in excess of 100 kmph in normal in an alto as it a light car. And also it is more prevalent in an Alto LX as it is equipped it manual steering. Whats more puzzling was that he himself was telling me that beyond 80 kmph power steering has no power assistance!!

I am a BE(mech) graduate, I have been driving for last 13 years, I am very passionate about automobiles, I have taken your own Maruti 800 to its limits, but these things are really beyond my imagination.

But still I insisted him to get an Alto Lxi for the purpose of trial, which he promptly agreed but on one condition  it is not possible today. That means I have to lose one more day of my job, which I can ill-afford with the present recessionary trend.

9.I had no options left but to take delivery of the vehicle after 10 DAYS of testing. But I told him that I will test drive other models of alto (which my friends own) to clear HIS doubts.

So on 20-09-09, I asked my friend to spare his Alto std for me. The drive only proved that the problem was only with my vehicle. I didnt stop there. I went for a drive in an Alto Lxi & no surprises the result was the same. Both the altos were rock solid at 70 kmph & even at 125 kmph !!! Also please note that the former had run 18,000 kms (in 9 months) & by my friends admission the wheel balancing was not 100% perfect!

The only reason to buy Maruti was your quality & customer service as we had a bad experience with FIAT PALIO 1.6 GTX which we presently own. The vehicle is a gem but the same cant be said of the service, although it has improved drastically after TATA has taken over. But I am afraid you have let me down. It is very unlike Maruti.What I have heard of Maruti is,vehicles are built to last. But I wonder with a new vehicle throwing up serious problems I fear to imagine the future. I request you look into the matter seriously. I am totally dissatisfied with the vehicle as I have lost my mental peace from day one & wont be long I may lose my job too caring this sick vehicle. Moreover since the day I have bought for almost half the period if not more, the vehicle was at the service centre. I am being deprived of using a new vehicle.

PLEASE REPLACE THIS FAULTY VEHICLE WITH A NEW ONE. If you are not convinced do let me know, I have to think of other ALTERNATIVES.

Yours Sincerely,

Vijeth.M

Tired of Maruti and its dealer failing to solve his cars problems, Vijeth filed a complaint in a District Consumer Forum. On 30th Oct 2010, this Forum come to the judgement that the car is indeed faulty. They ordered Maruti and its dealer, Mandovi Motors to give Mr Rajendra (Vijeths father) the full amount of Rs 2.95 lakh which he had paid for the faulty car. Along with that, the forum also ordered Maruti to pay Rs 10,000 as litigation expenses to the complainant. Both Maruti and its dealer filed an appeal in the State Consumer Forum. On 2nd Nov 2011, the State Consumer Forum dismissed their appeal and upheld the order given by District Forum.

Unhappy with this, the matter then went to National Consumer Forum. More than 8 years later, since the car was purchased, the National Consumer Forum directed Maruti and its dealer to pay a sum of Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation to Mr Rajendra for selling him a faulty car along with Rs 11,000 as compensation against litigation charges.

After spending more than 8 years with the faulty Maruti Alto LX, and driving for more than 50,000 kms, Mr Vijeth has finally received the amount from the Maruti dealer.

My fight was for justice and not against a particular dealership/branch/service centre or an individual.I only took delivery of the car from MANDOVI motors,SULLIA,other than that I had and have no issues with the dealership branch whatsoever.I regularly get my cars serviced at their service centre.In fact MANDOVI motors,SULLIA is probably the best service centre/dealership I have ever visited across all automobile brands.

 Vijeth M.

Below are the scans of the order.

Hats off to Vijeth for not settling for a faulty car and continuing his fight.


U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 23988 / November 16, 2017 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Pedro Fort Berbel et al., Civil Action No. 17-CV-23572-FAM (Southern District of Florida, Complaint filed September 28, 2017) Agency Obtains Court Order to Stop "Ad Packs" Ponzi Scheme The Securities and Exchange Commission is warning investors to beware online "paid-to-click" scams that promise an easy payday by merely purchasing a membership or an advertising product up front and then clicking on a certain number of online ads each day. The SEC's investor alert explains that these online advertising programs may have little to no revenues besides membership fees or sales of "ad packs" and may be nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. The SEC filed an enforcement case that was unsealed last week in federal court in Florida, alleging that roughly 99 percent of the purported "profits" paid to earlier investors came directly from the buy-in fees collected from newer investors. Meanwhile, according to the SEC's complaint, the alleged perpetrator siphoned several million dollars out of investor funds to purchase a luxury home, automobiles, and private plane charters while also using the money to fund his other businesses. According to the SEC's investor alert, online advertising programs also can target those with something to advertise, promising to display a company's ads on their network or guaranteeing traffic to a website by simply paying a membership fee or buying ad packs. According to the SEC's complaint filed against Miami-based Pedro Fort Berbel and his company Fort Marketing Group, they operated fraudulent internet advertising businesses under such names as Fort Ad Pays, The Business Shop, and MLM Shop. They allegedly solicited investors through online posts and videos claiming they could share in the companies' profits and earn investment returns as high as 120 percent by purchasing an ad pack for as little as a dollar and clicking on four banner ads per day. The SEC alleges that Berbel and Fort Marketing Group raised more than $38 million from at least 150,000 investors. The SEC's complaint charges Berbel and Fort Marketing Group with violating Sections 5(a), 5(c), and 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act. They're also charged with selling investments that are not registered with the SEC as required under the federal securities laws. The SEC encourages investors to check the backgrounds of people selling them investments. A quick search on the SEC's investor.gov website shows that Berbel and Fort Marketing Group are not registered to sell investments. The SEC obtained a court-ordered asset freeze against Berbel and his companies. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Sajjad Matin, Cecilia Danger, and Margaret Vizzi of the Miami Regional Office and supervised by Jessica Weissman. The SEC's litigation will be led by Wilfredo Fernandez and Andrew Schiff. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Bureau of Financial Investigations. The investor alert was prepared by M. Owen Donley III and Holly Pal in the SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy. https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2017/lr23988.htm

Modified: 11/16/2017
Page Content

An arbitration agreement that prohibited an employee with a claim against the company from questioning other workers about the claim was unfair, and the trial court was correct in refusing to enforce it, the California Court of Appeal ruled.

The court also found that several other provisions of the agreement were unfair to employees.

[SHRM members-only HR Q&A: What are the California rules regarding mandatory arbitration agreements?]

Maya Baxter began working for AssetMark Investment Services in February 2001. Genworth North America Corp. acquired AssetMark in August 2006. As a condition of her continued employment, Genworth required Baxter to sign an agreement to arbitrate any disputes arising out of her employment, according to guidelines set out in an alternative dispute resolution program known as the Resolve Employee Issue Resolution Program.

After Baxter, a black woman, became a supervisor in 2011, she expressed concern about employee evaluation forms that included race, age and gender coding. She alleged that she was subjected to ongoing harassment and retaliation because of her concerns about the evaluation protocol. In early 2013, Baxter requested and was granted a medical leave of absence under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to care for her mother. Baxter was scheduled to return to work in the middle of June 2013.

While on leave, Baxter was told that her position was being eliminated due to organizational changes. She claimed that her job was given to a white man who was not on medical leave.

In August 2014, Baxter filed a complaint for damages against Genworth, claiming discrimination and retaliation in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act, retaliation in violation of the CFRA, and wrongful termination.

Genworth filed a motion to compel arbitration, but the trial court denied the motion. Genworth appealed.

Unconscionability

The court first noted that California law favors enforcement of valid arbitration agreements, but courts may invalidate an arbitration agreement if it contains provisions that are "unconscionable or contrary to public policy."

Unconscionability refers to an absence of meaningful choice on the part of one of the parties together with contract terms that are unreasonably favorable to the other party, the court said. This means that the doctrine of unconscionability has both a procedural and a substantive element. Procedural unconscionability focuses on the parties' unequal bargaining power, while substantive unconscionability focuses on the fairness of the agreement's specific provisions. A court must find both procedural and substantive unconscionability to deem an arbitration agreement unenforceable.

The appellate court agreed with the trial court that the agreement Baxter signed was both procedurally and substantively unconscionable. It was procedurally defective because Baxter had no opportunity to negotiate the terms of the Resolve resolution program. She could either quit her job or agree to the arbitration terms that were a condition of her continued employment.

The appellate court concluded that the agreement was also substantively unconscionable, citing the agreement's ban on contacting other employees. The Resolve guidelines prohibited employees and their attorneys from questioning other workers about the employee's claim. No such prohibition on contacting other employees to discuss a complaining employee's claim applied to Genworth.

The trial court concluded that the prohibition against communicating with co-workers was "grossly unfair to the employee." The appellate court agreed.

The court also noted that the prohibition violated public policy by forbidding employees from assisting one another with claims of discrimination and that Genworth failed to identify any law or legal principle that forbids an employee from answering a co-worker's inquiry about a harassment or discrimination claim.

The appellate court found several other provisions of the agreementincluding one that limited the employee's right to get relevant documents from the employer and one that shortened the limitations periods for pursuing a claimto be unconscionable as well.

Genworth argued that, rather than refusing to enforce the entire agreement, the trial court should have cut out the offending provisions and enforced the rest of it. But the appellate court disagreed.

The court noted that the agreement contained "multiple defects," which indicated "a systematic effort" to handicap employees who seek to pursue claims against the company. In addition, the trial court would have had to rewrite the unconscionable provisions to ensure fairness, and while under certain circumstances a court may strike provisions, it lacks the power to rewrite an agreement.

Baxter v. Genworth North America Corp., Calif. Ct. App., No. A144744 (Oct. 26, 2017).

Professional Pointer: California law regarding arbitration agreements contains many specific requirements, and those rules are often refined by court decisions. Organizations should therefore monitor any mandatory arbitration agreements used to ensure their continuing legal validity and enforceability.

Joanne Deschenaux, J.D., is a freelance writer based in Annapolis, Md.

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Notes: What if Navy blitz becomes blueprint? Notre Dame 'would welcome that'
This graphic shows the masses of the black holes involved in the five mergers detected by the LIGO collaboration, as of Nov. 17, 2017.

There's a population of monsters lurking in the dark depths of space that astronomers are trying to get acquainted with.

These monsters are pairs of black holes, each with masses of anywhere from about five to several tens of times that of the sun, that are crashing into each other and forming even more massive black holes in the process. This week, scientists with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced that earlier this summer they had detected a gravitational wave signal from yet another one of these black hole mergers  their fifth since 2015 and involving some of the lightest black holes LIGO has ever detected.

"We're getting to know black holes in a really new and unprecedented way," Eve Chase, a doctoral student at Northwestern University and a member of the LIGO collaboration, told Space.com.

Making waves

LIGO was designed to detect gravitational waves, or ripples in space itself. Albert Einstein showed that very massive objects, like stars and planets, curve space like a bowling ball on a mattress. (He also showed that time is fundamentally linked to space, so he called the universal fabric space-time.) Gravitational waves are created when massive objects move rapidly through space-time.

On Sept. 14, 2015, LIGO made the first-ever direct detection of gravitational waves, more than 100 years after Einstein first predicted them. (The detection was announced in February 2016.) The space-time ripples were coming from two black holes that had been orbiting each other, growing gradually closer and closer together until they finally collided. All five of the black-hole merger events detected by LIGO have involved so-called stellar-mass black holes, which have masses of between about five and 100 times that of Earth's sun.

"We have five different little families of black holes that each have their own quirks," Chase said. "Each detection's a little different. Some are very loud, some are very far way, some have lighter masses, some have black holes that have close to equal masses."

Before LIGO's 2015 detection, researchers could indirectly observe stellar-mass black holes by looking for light coming from a star or a ring of material orbiting around the black hole. Stellar-mass black holes detected via X-rays typically topped out around 10 to 20 solar masses, but some of the black holes detected by LIGO have been much larger (which came as a bit of a surprise to scientists).

This graphic shows black holes and neutron stars that have been detected using both gravitational waves and light, organized by their mass. The black holes detected by LIGO are in blue, and are mostly heavier than the stellar mass black holes detected via light. But, the June 8, 2017 detection by LIGO found black holes with masses closer to those detected using light. (Image credit: LIGO)

But this week, LIGO announced that on June 8, the instruments detected a black hole merger involving some of the lightest black holes that the observatory has yet detected, at seven and 12 times the mass of the sun. The merger created a black hole 18 times the mass of the sun, with some mass lost in the merger, and there's a high probability this is the lightest combined-mass black hole detected by LIGO, according to Chase. The merger detected by the collaboration on Dec. 26, 2015 involved black holes with very similar masses.

"The kicker with this event is the mass," Chase, who was a leader on the analysis of the June 8 event, told Space.com. "The June 8 event has masses consistent with black holes previously detected through X-ray observations, allowing us to compare black holes detected through X-ray observations with black holes from gravitational-wave detections. This establishes a link between two separate populations of black holes."

LIGO is discovering black holes rapidly, and will soon have found as many as were known from light-based observations before the collaboration's first detections, Chase said. LIGO also has a companion in this search: In August, the Virgo Gravitational Wave Observatory came online in Italy, and the two observatories made two joint signal detections that month  a black hole merger on August 14, and the first-ever detection of a binary neutron star merger on August 17.

"We're just in the beginning stages of starting to have a population of these binary black holes," Chase said.

"These binary star systems can either be formed alone or in the Times Square of stellar environments, in dense clusters bustling with stars," Chase wrote in an email. "The stars born in dense environments get knocked around much more than stars formed in isolation, leaving lasting effects on the orbit and spins of the systems. After a hundred or so binary black hole detections by LIGO and Virgo, it may be possible to determine the ratio of black holes formed in isolation to those formed in crowded environments."

LIGO scientists are now like zoologists studying a rare species in the wild  their task is to try to discern between the characteristics of the individuals and those of the entire population.

"We can't draw any conclusions with just five events, but we're on our way to be able to explore how binary black holes are formed," she added.

But Chase said astronomers will use the detections made so far to try to estimate how many of these binary solar-mass black holes are lurking in galaxies. Every new detection will help to refine those estimates.

LIGO is undergoing another upgrade that will improve its sensitivity, increasing the volume of sky over which it can search for gravitational waves. It will begin observations in the fall of 2018.

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield.Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Moscow, Nov 15, 2017 (SPS) - The Sahrawi people are determined to continue their struggle for their independence, if the Moroccan occupying forces continue flouting the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council which affirm the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, said Wednesday, in Moscow, the Frente POLISARIOs representative to Russia.

In a statement published on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the signing of the tripartite agreements of Madrid (14 November 1975) that he dubbed appalling for having enshrined the illegal occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco, Mohamed Fadhel Ali Salem denounced the stubbornness of the Moroccan authorities to continue their policy of oppression and flagrant denial of the international law.

If the United Nations cant force Morocco to respect the principles of the international law, the Sahrawi people remains committed to continuing their struggle for independence, said Mohamed Fadhel who underlined that on 6th September 1991, 16 years after the war, a peace treaty was signed between the Frente POLISARIO and Morocco under the auspices of the United Nations which instituted a UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

The Moroccan occupier continue to turn its back to all the resolutions of the United Nations which underlined notably the right of the Sahrawi people to determine their own fate through a referendum, added Mohamed Fadel Ali Salem, pointing out that the Frente POLISARIO reiterates its willingness to cooperate with the international efforts aimed at decolonizing Western Sahara, in accordance with the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations and the African Union.SPS

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Algiers (Algeria), Nov 16, 2017 (SPS) - The Saharawi coordinator with MINURSO, M'hamed Khadad, told Algeria's National Radio that the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) will be present at the EU-UA Summit, which will take place on November 29 and 30 in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan.

"The Saharawi Republic is a founding member of the African Union and it is natural that it will be at the Euro-African Summit," Khadad said, expressing his displeasure at Morocco's attempts to pressure European countries to exclude the SADR from the Summit. .

The Saharawi leader added that it is necessary for the EU to participate in the resolution of the conflict in accordance with the AU and UN resolutions, especially when "the European Court had clarified that Western Sahara and Morocco are separate territories."

Mhamed Khadad demanded that Europe cease its aid to the Moroccan plundering of the Sahrawi natural resources.

the President of the Republic, Brahim Gali, had received a letter of invitation, sent by the President of the African Commission to participate in the EU-AU Summit, it should be recalled SPS

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A bid battle for 21st Century Fox, including its 39% stake in Sky, looks set to break out in America.

It emerged on Thursday night that Comcast has approached Fox about buying at least some assets.

According to CNBC, the talks are ongoing. Fox shares jumped 8% on the news. That comes a week after it became clear that Disney and Fox had held talks on a deal.

Fox executives James and Lachlan Murdoch earlier refused to take questions on the issue from journalists.

Liberum said: The Comcast reports seem credible, given it has a large international operation via its NBCU asset and the UK is a key market for many of the US media groups.

If Comcast does bid, it is likely to want 100% control of the asset so a transfer of ownership still means a full bid occurs. What it also demonstrates is that Foxs 39% stake in Sky is still seen as a valuable asset by a number of outside parties.

Fox is aiming to buy the rest of Sky, whose hit shows include Game Of Thrones (pictured), in a near-12 billion deal that faces regulatory issues.
H aving just powered the new London HQs of Bloomberg and Facebook, building services firm T Clarke shows no sign of slowing its momentum.

The electrical engineering company, whose record London order book has just been bolstered by work on the One Nine Elms development in Vauxhall, has already secured 190 million of its planned revenues for 2018.

Todays positive trading update helped shares surge more than 3%, or 2.36p, to 75.49p, with T Clarke also forecasting an underlying profit of 6.5 million and revenues in excess of 300 million for this financial year.

The update comes a year after shares tumbled on revelations that it had uncovered financial irregularities at its mechanical subsidiary DG Robson.

In a session dominated by the woes of debt-laden builder Carillion, T Clarke wasnt alone in offering some much-needed cheer to the construction sector.

Kier shares jumped 2%, or 19p, to 1038p as it said it remains on course to deliver double-digit profit growth in the current financial year. Contract successes have included the maximum number of places on the Education and Skills Funding Agencys latest 8 billion four-year construction framework.

The FTSE 100 index concluded a poor week on the back foot, with commodity stocks causing the top flight to fall by 26.46 points to 7360.48. Big fallers included Anglo American with a drop of 20.5p, to 1418.50p, and BHP Billiton, after a dip of 4.5p, to 1350.50p.

Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 continued to fall back from its recent record high. It was off by 91.61 points at 19,758.39.

Price comparison website GoCompare remained in focus despite its recent rejection of a takeover approach worth 460 million from the owner of uSwitch. A top five shareholder in GoCompare has said the company should respond positively if ZPG comes back with an improved offer worth in the region of 520 million.

The unnamed shareholder told Reuters that a deal with ZPG offered good synergies not available to either company on a stand-alone basis.

GoCompares shares were half a penny lower at 103.5p and still short of the 110p proposed by ZPG in its rejected approach earlier this month.

In the oil and gas sector, Parkmead shares surged 4% as the Anglo-Dutch exploration and production company reported a gross profit of 1.2 million for the year to June 30, compared with a loss of 4.6 million a year earlier. The company produces from four oil and gas fields in the UK and Netherlands.

Investors tucked into pizza firm DP Poland, which manages and franchises fast food brand Dominos in the northern European nation.

The stock rose 1.5%, to 40.58p, as it said its 50th store is opening after six years trading.
W ell, that didnt last long. One week ago, the Prime Minister announced she was amending her governments own legislation to put the date we leave the EU into law  it will be there in black and white on the front page of this historic piece of legislation, she thundered.

Oh no it wont. Just seven days later, her ministers are publicly signalling that the amendment will be ditched and privately scathing at the incompetence of their leadership.

There are no legal implications to the expected prime ministerial U-turn. The Lord Chancellor, David Lidington, has confirmed that the amendment simply clarified what was already inherent in the Article 50 process of leaving the EU.

Nor has the Number 10 initiative strengthened Britains negotiating hand. It has weakened it.

One of the few rounds of applause when David Davis addressed German industry yesterday was when a member of the audience asked why the British government looked so chaotic.

Mr Daviss best explanation was that the period of turbulence would pass.

Finally, theres the effect on the Tory Party. Theresa May said a week ago that she would not tolerate dissent.

A week later, she has both created that dissent and seems ready to give way to it. Tory mutineers have been turned into martyrs. Their numbers have swelled.

Meanwhile, the real story is the silent abandonment of the central tenets of the Tory Brexiteer case.

Mr Davis told German industry that Britain wanted to maintain its trading relationship with the rest of Europe and it would abide by the rulings of European Court of Justice and various EU regulators and rules for at least a couple of years.

Davis also promised not to undercut the existing EU regime. Where has the vision gone of a more lightly regulated, buccaneering UK?

What happened to the bravado of them needing us more than we need them?

Its evaporated.

Were left with the Prime Ministers parliamentary games backfiring, and Brexiteers pleading for the status quo.

Welcome to another familiar week in British politics.

Londons great theatre

The unveiling today of the shortlists for the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for 2017 highlights once again the outstanding stage talent that so enriches this city, bringing pleasure, prestige and important economic benefits in equal measure.

The contenders for best play include Jez Butterworths thrilling The Ferryman and Lucy Kirkwoods The Children, while Victoria Hamilton, for her role in Albion, Andrew Scott in Hamlet, and Glenda Jackson in King Lear are among those vying for the best actor awards.

Each would be a worthy winner.

The quality of those shortlisted for the young playwright and emerging talent prizes offers great promise for the future too.

All the winners will be announced on December 3 at the Theatre Royal. We await that excitement with much anticipation.

But in the meantime, we salute all the nominees for their wonderful contribution to the theatre and London.

Coffee-powered buses

The news that biofuel inventor Arthur Kay is working with the oil giant Shell to use waste coffee grounds to power London buses combines two of this citys great loves  coffee and buses  in an ingenious way that should help to clean up this citys air.

The innovation is timely too, with a Unicef report today highlighting the risk that pollution poses to children in the backseats of cars.

Never has there been a better reason to drink more coffee.
L ord Adonis makes a very credible case for a golden arrow rail service linking London to northern cities such as Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds [Comment, November 15]. But he seems to be arguing with a straw man.

I am not aware that any northern leader has suggested that greater infrastructure investment in the North should be at the expense of the capital.

What is missing from Lord Adoniss analysis is any real recognition of the compelling need for better links to Britains northern economic centres. The current Government promised to give priority to Northern Powerhouse Rail (or Crossrail for the North) ahead of Crossrail 2 for London. Presumably, that meant it recognised what business leaders tell me every day, that the prospects for economic growth, agglomeration and rebalancing will be greatly accelerated by radically improved connectivity between the major northern cities and not just faster trains to London.

Without a fair and balanced approach to investment  and not one that continues to commit 6 to the South-East for every 1 spent in the North  we are at best looking at a scenario where the single-biggest determinant for growth will be proximity to London. This may be good news for Milton Keynes but its bad news for Liverpool.

As the Mayor of London has already recognised, Northern Powerhouse Rail and Crossrail 2 are equally important to the economic success of the UK, and therefore to the long-term interests of London itself.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor, Liverpool City Region



Lord Adonis is just plain wrong; the brakes need to be put very firmly on the HS2 project.

According to the National Audit Office, its official cost is now 63 billion. Meanwhile, the necessity for high-speed rail seems to have been dropped while the argument for capacity and links to the Northern Powerhouse are being pushed.

At a time when funding is needed for so many other important improvements, this project shouldnt be a priority. It is an unaffordable nonsense.

John Lloyd Morgan



Lord Adonis is right that north-to- south train links should be improved. However, HS2 is not the answer.

HS2 is a stale and discredited technology, and it has already been overtaken by Japans 375mph maglev train which, in turn, has been superseded by Elon Musks Hyperloop proposal. We are about to spend billions of pounds on tired and worn-out technology that only deserves its place in the dustbin.

Peter Rutherford



Zimbabwe 'coup' is not about reform

Concerning your editorial [Mugabe is the problem, Comment, November 15], the armys actions in Zimbabwe on Tuesday are nothing more than an intervention in support of one faction of the Zanu-PF party and should be greeted with caution.

There is no doubting the undesirability of Robert Mugabe being succeeded by his wife Grace, as she has shown she cares for nothing else other than amassing wealth and power. However, the army did not intervene because of the ills afflicting Zimbabwe, including corruption, abuse of power, election-rigging and the collapse of the currency and economy. Its commanders did it because they were unhappy over Mugabes removal of the vice- president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom they support.

The army chiefs are involving themselves in an internal Zanu-PF party power struggle they should have no business with.

Peter-Damian Ijomah



Care issues cross the class divide

RE your article on Lost Childhoods [November 13]: Beaus story is almost identical to mine  the only difference is that I was a 13-year-old girl and supposedly ready to take care of my mother and the household, as my dad was always working. My parents were too embarrassed to ask or even pay for a carer. This does not only happen in poor areas  I grew up in a decent middle-class environment. My mother died from a seizure more than a decade later.

Ive raised money for the Carers Trust and spent time with young carers but this alone is not enough because children have to go back to their roles after an afternoon of fun.

We strongly underestimate the effect of being a carer on children. I hope there will be more research into the area and more help made available to support these children.

Catja Thum



We went without to buy a house too

Charlotte Windsor says other generations didnt have to give up luxuries to buy a house [November 14]. But when my wife and I bought our first home we had to use orange boxes and planks of wood on bricks for bookshelves. When my first child was born, the hospital had to ring a neighbour as we could not afford a phone. To save up for a house, we gave up cigarettes and alcohol.

Many young people dont know what it is to voluntarily go without.

Patrick Bateman



Redwood has own idea of democracy

In response to Christopher Tews letter on John Redwood MP [November 15], it seems his constituents mostly voted against Brexit, with a greater majority than those who did nationally.

Yet Redwood remains in post and is apparently not remotely considering his position, despite our hallowed democracy, the Brexiteers cry of which rings daily in my ears. Democracy appears to be a many-feathered bird. Is whats good for the goose not also good for the gander?

Ben Johnson
With reports of models struggling to get visas, staff battling with the Chinese government for permission to send press releases and bloggers cancelling their trips due to difficulty getting into the country, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has come up against some of its biggest hurdles to date this year.

But just when things seemed to be settling down for the lingerie giant, one of its most popular models has just dropped out.

Announcing the news last night on Twitter, Gigi Hadid said: "Im so bummed I wont be able to make it to China this year."

"Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!!"

"Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year! :) x"

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017: Confirmed Model Line-up 1 /72 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017: Confirmed Model Line-up Walked before Karlie Kloss Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Walked before Candice Swanepoel Getty Images Walked before Sara Sampaio Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Adriana Lima Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Devon Windsor Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Josephine Skriver Getty Images for Swarovski Walked before Bella Hadid Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Jasmine Tookes Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Taylor Hill Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Alessandra Ambrosio Getty Images for Swarovski Newcomer Gizele Oliveira Getty Images Walked before Lily Aldridge Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Mayowa Nicholas AFP/Getty Images Walked before Barbara Fialho AFP/Getty Images Walked before Jourdana Phillips Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Kelly Gale Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Zuri Tibby Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Vanessa Moody Getty Images for Visionaire Walked before Stella Maxwell Getty Images for Swarovski Newcomer Amilna Estevao AFP/Getty Images Walked before Blanca Padilla Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Daniela Braga Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Grace Bol Getty Images for Veuve Clicquot Newcomer Aiden Curtiss Getty Images for Foundation Figh Newcomer Xin Xie instagram.com/xinxiexx Walked before Martha Hunt Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Alecia Morais instagram.com/alecia_morais Walked before Alanna Arrington Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Leila Nda AFP/Getty Images Walked before Bruna Lirio Getty Images Walked before Maria Borges Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Frida Aasen Getty Images Newcomer Samile Bermannelli Getty Images for Marc Jacobs Walked before Liu Wen Walked before Shu Pei Qin Getty Images Newcomer Victoria Lee instagram.com/victorial24 Walked before Sui He Getty Images for Swarovski Newcomer Nadine Leopold Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas Walked before Herieth Paul Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Maggie Laine Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Lais Ribeiro Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Grace Elizabeth Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Estelle Chen instagram.com/chen_estelle Walked before Dilone Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Romee Strijd Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Roos Marijn de Kok instagram.com/roosmarijndekok Walked before Elsa Hosk Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Sanne Vloet Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Leomie Anderson Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Newcomer Alexina Graham Getty Images for amfAR Walked before Megan Williams Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Ming Xi Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Lameka Fox Getty Images for Victoria's Secret Walked before Cindy Bruna AFP/Getty Images

And while the reason behind her decision to miss this year's show is so far unconfirmed, there is speculation that she may be another of the models struggling with a Chinese visa.

When she was first revealed to be walking, there was immediate backlash and the hashtag #GigiGetOutOfChina began trending on Twitter after she appeared in a video - posted by her younger sister Bella - in which she appeared to be mocking Asian facial features.

She has since apologised via Chinese social media site Weibo.

Bella Hadid appears to remain in the line-up, having posted countdowns to the showcase on her Instagram in recent days.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017: The Newcomers 1 /20 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017: The Newcomers Nadine Leopold Nationality: Austrian

Runway experience: Marchesa, Philipp Plein, Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas Vanessa Moody Nationality: American

Runway experience: Givenchy Getty Images for Visionaire Mayowa Nicholas Nationality: Nigerian

Runway experience: Prada, Chanel AFP/Getty Images Victoria Lee Nationality: Australian

Runway experience: Ralph Lauren instagram.com/victorial24 Gizele Oliveira Nationality: Brazilian

Runway experience: Elie Saab, Dolce & Gabbana Getty Images Roosmarijn de Kok Nationality: Dutch

Runway experience: Balmain instagram.com/roosmarijndekok Alecia Morais Nationality: Cape Verdean

Runway experience: Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger instagram.com/alecia_morais Grace Bol Nationality: Sudanese

Runway experience: Balmain Getty Images for Veuve Clicquot Aiden Curtiss Nationality: American

Runway experience: Miu Miu, Off-White, Versace Getty Images for Foundation Figh Estelle Chen Nationality: French

Runway experience: Louis Vuitton instagram.com/chen_estelle Frida Aasen Nationality: Norwegian

Runway experience: Prada, Louis Vuitton, Loewe Getty Images Amilna Estevao Nationality: Angolan

Runway experience: Givenchy, Lanvin AFP/Getty Images Xin Xie Nationality: Chinese instagram.com/xinxiexx Alexina Graham Nationality: British

Runway experience: Balmain Getty Images for amfAR Samile Bermannelli Nationality: Brazilian

Runway experience: Valentino, Kenzo, Emporio Armani, Alberta Ferretti Getty Images for Marc Jacobs

Another model absent from this year's runway will be Kendall Jenner, reportedly due to a contractual agreement. She is an ambassador for Italian lingerie brand La Perla and is supposedly not walking Victoria's Secret due to a non-compete clause in her contract.

Behati Prinsloo was also reportedly rejoining the fold having missed last year to have a baby, but has recently announced that she is expecting her second child and will not be walking in Shanghai.

Click through our gallery to see more familiar faces who will not be taking to the Victoria's Secret catwalk this year
We are firm believers that adding artwork and prints to your home is the best way of bringing life and personality into your space.

Yet for many, buying artwork can seem intimidating - not to mention expensive. The good news is, you dont have to spend a fortune to put a personal stamp on your home, and artwork can transform even the dullest of rooms.

We spoke with Poppy Rooney, art chief advisor at Artfinder to get some top tips of how to begin creating your collection.

Rooney advises: "Start making a collection of things you love - from original art, to handmade prints or photographs. As you are collecting, think about the scale of your possible collection and the arrangement you want. Consider colours that go with your room decor or suit the tone of the room you want to display them in."

For the perfect relaxed Scandi look don't be restricted by the walls. One trend that we often see in Nordic homes is leaning prints and art against the wall, placed on the floor or propped on a shelf or cabinet. This relaxed aesthetic works really well when layering different sized frames. Team it with books and plants for a perfect bohemian look.

Want to get inspired? Why not pop down to the many amazing galleries in the city. On our radar at the moment is the The Dot Project gallery which launches its new exhibition 'Love in a Cold Climate on November 30. The exhibition is inspired by Nancy Mitfords novel, and includes work from six internationally renowned artists.

Check out a these pieces were currently lusting over:

Underwater love

Artfinder is a great marketplace, featuring artists from across the world - proving that you can buy original art without a hefty price tag. This abstract painting by Ronald Hunter is ready to hang.

Buy now, Artfinder, 304

Le Pingouin

A classic print of Le Pingouin by Pablo Picasso from 1907 looks great in a cluster with other artwork. Customise it by picking your own mount and frame.

Buy now, Art, 49.99

Maddie Rose Hills

This London based artist has been on our radar for a while because of her stunning fluid pieces. Maddie paints visceral large-scale canvases driven by an interest in play and experimentation.

Buy now, Maddie Rose Hills, Prices on request

Classic Matisse

Why not go for a classic Matisse print? Tate has a large selection of well-known prints which can be bought ready framed.

Buy now, Tate, From 25

Yuriy Kraft

Kazakhstan born artist Yuriy Kraft has a great selection of lovely watercolours available through Artfinder.co.uk.

Buy now, Artfinder, 197

The Ugly Duckling

Lovely 1950s print, originally illustrated by Vagnby for Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling. Customise it by picking your own mount and frame.

Buy now, Art, From 49.99

Kai Price and Amanda Nelson are the founders of e-boutique attpynta.com. Follow them on Instagram for further interiors inspiration here.
P aul Pujol quotes late, great Anglo-Australian wine personality Len Evans as he pours laser-sharp Riesling, harvested from vines clinging to vertigo-inducing slopes.

People who say, You cant drink the good stuff all the time, are talking rubbish. You must drink good stuff all the time. Every time you drink a bottle of inferior wine its like smashing a superior bottle against the wall.

I meet Pujol  skier, snowboarder, whitewater kayaker and world-class winemaker of Prophets Rock  at the sharp Nobu, Shoreditch. His fluffy stubble and lumberjack shirt contrast both with the controlled environment and strict suits of the sommelier fans who turned out to meet him from China Tang, Chiltern Firehouse and Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square.

Pujol is arguably New Zealands most deft winemaker, panning golden Riesling, textured Pinot Gris and grown-up Pinot Noirs from two wildly different vineyards a mile apart in Central Otago, a 12-hour drive from Marlborough and its tanker loads of often garish Sauvignon Blanc. We have crazy weather, remarks Pujol of the marginal but cinematic territory, regaling stories of how snow fell perilously close to harvest. But the serious gears always on the fringes.

Douglas Blyde

His neighbours are the ghosts of the gold rush at nearby Bendigo.

Pujols wines feel stylistically old world and art house, hence it comes as no surprise to learn his father is French. He also aced in France, becoming the first non-family winemaker at revered Kuentz Bas, Alsace, since 1795. And at Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, Burgundy, he befriended patriarch, Francois Millet. Described as God among men to lovers of Burgundy, Millet now makes pilgrimages to work with his protege at Prophets Rock, fashioning uncannily Burgundian and ethereal Pinot Noir, Cuvee Aux Antipodes.

Find Pujols wines at thewinesociety.com (19-25); for Antipodes, visit Highgates Red Lion & Sun (theredlionandsun).
S imply sipping an award-winning masterpiece of maverick mixology in a fancy bar is so yesterday: what the flaneur in search of their next luxury booze hit needs is an immersive drinking experience.

And naturally, the supremely lovely Blue Bar at The Berkeley can provide, with director of beverages Daniel Baernreuthers new Out of the Blue experience. A year in the making, OOTB is, as Baernreuther puts it, all about cocktail escapism: total immersion in a sort of sensory chamber, where you drink unidentified cocktails while stimulated by sound, smell and visuals to guess your poison.

The OOTB experience is about stripping back the cues that we are so used to in a bar, like garnish, glass, menu description, and allowing your senses, rather than your opinion about an ingredient or spirit, to take the lead, says Baernreuther.

Without a description, entrenched whisky deniers or celery haters might discover a love for a drink theyd never normally order; lacking visual cues, like a drinks colour, your brain doesnt make the same assumptions about flavour (eg, that an orange drink will taste citrussy, or a purple or pink drink of berries). Science aside, youre at The Berkeley, so every cocktail tastes amazing.

Augmented cocktails at City Social

Guests kick off with water and some rather lush lemon sorbet as a palate-cleanser, in case youve had three pints of Guinness before you get here, then head over to a discreet door that opens into a small blue-lit box with a table and four chairs, each with four double-walled ceramic glasses laid out to drink. Not only do these keep all four mini cocktails cold throughout the 30-minute event, they also make it impossible to tell whats inside  every liquid looks black.

Then, we begin. Colourful videos worthy of an ICA installation play on all four sides, smells are pumped into the room and sounds echo around. And every sensory change really does affect the taste of the drink in front of you. Not to give too much away, but here are a couple of tips: the sound of cracking ice should help you define the spirit in one, while the smell of baking brioche brings out caramel sweetness in your next sip  and whisky doesnt always burn.

And a heads up, if you happen to be a booze hound who knows they should meditate for their sanity but never finds the time for it: you get a 30-minute reprieve from your mental turmoil at Out of the Blue. Theres surely no better form of relaxation than being slightly tipsy in a sensory bath.

Dark matter: Dans Le Noir

The Berkeley isnt the only bar challenging drinkers booze perceptions.

At Jason Athertons City Social theres an augmented reality cocktail menu to pep up your post-work session: download the app, point the camera at your drink when it arrives and itll be brought to life with video on screen. And for a not particularly sophisticated but crowd-amusing Christmas gang, Clerkenwells Dans Le Noir lives on plunging giggling boozers into the dark to fire up taste buds. Theres never been a better time to immerse yourself in alcohol.

(the-berkeley.co.uk)
A s a native of the southern hemisphere, autumn in the northern hemisphere never ceases to amaze me.

The colours are magical, dotted on the landscape like a Monet painting. The golds, auburns, bronzes and russet reds intertwine to make a spectacular sight like only nature can.

And while the UK certainly has its fair share of gorgeous foliage, its our neighbours on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean that really take the crown.

And no, we're talking about Vermont, the New England town that's well known for its stunning leaf displays. We're talking about Canada.

Canadas landscape is spectacular all year round but its in autumn, when the leaves turn to their many shades of gold that it truly shines.

Some of the best places to see 'fall foliage' in Canada include Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick  which are home to a number of national parks, lakes and small towns that utterly transform when the leaves fall.

One of the most spectacular national parks is Algonquin. Easily accessible with a close proximity to Toronto, you can only explore the park via kayak or by foot.

Nova Scotia Tourism

Or why not try the River Road  famously dubbed by Winston Churchill as the "prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world.

If youre worried about running into a bear or two, head to Prince Edward Island. Its warm waters create a moderate climate meaning their foliage season is one of the longest lasting in North America.

If youre after fiery crimsons and oranges, head to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Here you can visit a number of national parks and drive along one of the prettiest roads in the world .

Its about time you started planning an autumn trip to Canada, eh?
A man shot dead in a cowardly execution-style attack in west London was murdered by killers using a stolen VW car with cloned number plates, police revealed today.

Khalid Abdi Farah, 26, was blasted to death by a gunman armed with a shotgun as he sat in a car outside a convenience store in Southall.

Detectives say the killer was a passenger in a first generation Tiguan car which pulled up alongside Mr Farahs Ford Focus in Lady Margaret Road in the early hours of last Saturday.

The gunman walked up to Mr Farahs car and pushed the shotgun through the window, firing twice at close range.

The 26-year-old, who worked as a courier, suffered critical injuries to his chest and died later in hospital.

The charity Crimetoppers today announced a 10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the killers and appealed to anyone who saw the Tiguan with the number plate VK 61 EEG being driven in the Southall area around the time of the murder.

The plates were cloned form a legitimate Tiguan owner who recently purchased a car and the stolen vehicle was found burnt out in West Drayton after the murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Partridge, who is leading the murder inquiry, said : We believe the VW Tiguan found burnt out in Knowles Close was the car used by the suspects who shot Khalid. This car had been stolen from the Uxbridge area on 15 October and was using cloned plates between then and Khalids murder.

I am making a very specific request for assistance from the public who live in the Southall and West Drayton areas of west London for sightings of the Tiguan bearing the cloned plates VK 61 EEG.

Our work indicates this car was being used and stored around these areas during that time.

He also appealed to petrol station employees about anyone buying a green petrol container on November 11 to contact them.

DCI Partridge added: It is early in the investigation and we are still keeping an open mind about what lies behind this attack. If anyone has any information which might give us a reason for this then please let us know.

From what I understand the victim was sitting in his car minding his own business on a night out, he was targeted in a cowardly fashion.

A family has been left devastated by Khalids murder and I would urge anyone who has information that could assist this investigation, please call police or the charity Crimestoppers.

Mr Farahs family issued a statement saying : Khalid was such an amazing son, brother and nephew. We cant stress enough how distraught we are that our beautiful boy was taken away from us.

He was a kind and lovable soul that made an impression with everyone he would meet. We as a family will never come to terms with this. If you know even the tiniest of details please come forward. Khalid will only rest in peace when this killer is brought to justice.

There have been no arrests.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police through incident room on 020 8358 0300 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 11.
A rtificial intelligence will soon be used routinely instead of lawyers to prepare criminal cases, one of Britains top prosecutors said today.

David Green, director of the Serious Fraud Office, predicted that it would become the norm within years for algorithms to examine evidence  because they are more reliable, faster and cheaper than humans.

He said the change was a no-brainer and could reduce the cost of preparing for trials by up to 90 per cent.

In an interview with the Standard, Mr Green also warned that consumers are facing higher credit card bills because everyday fraud is being under-policed.

He questioned whether it was right for banks to take fraud in their stride on many occasions.

On the question of artificial intelligence, Mr Green said the technology was used by the SFO to scan 30 million documents in its investigation into Rolls-Royce over bribery in overseas markets.

In a few years time I can imagine the courts expressing themselves in favour of wider use of this kind of artificial intelligence, he said.

Normally we would use large numbers of barristers hired in for short term to go through the documents one by one.

"But in the RollsRoyce case we noticed two things  one that it took about a tenth of the time and two it was shown to be more reliable, because computers dont get bored, they dont get distracted, and the algorithm that drives the AI actually learns as it goes along, as it makes its decisions.

Its done fairly routinely in civil cases, but if you imagine it being applied to finding things of relevance in a criminal investigation you could get through very large amounts of information.

Mr Green said AI could also be used in relation to disclosure, where prosecutors are obliged to make certain material available to the defence:

It would require defence consent or permission from the court, but I can imagine that not being far away. Why not? Its a no-brainer really.

He added: Very often, a complex case is about to start and there will suddenly be a blizzard of disclosure applications from the defence.

"Those last-minute requests can cause delay and trials being put back. So if you can have a reliable and speedier mechanism built into the disclosure process early on that would be extremely good. Thats something I can see being the norm in crime in 10 years.

SFO figures from the Rolls-Royce case show that 600,000 documents a day could be processed by AI, compared with about 300 by a lawyer.

Mr Green leaves the SFO next April after six years in charge. He said that the organisation was achieving results, including deferred prosecution agreements with Rolls-Royce and Tesco, which agreed to pay fines of 497 million and 129 million respectively.

But he warned that lower-level fraud, which is the responsibility of the police and the National Crime Agency, was costing the public huge sums.

He said: Banks often take fraud in their stride. Can that be right? There is a significant area of fraud that is under-policed.
T wo teenagers who stabbed to death an innocent music producer after he was caught up in a poisonous" YouTube rap feud featuring DJ Tim Westwood are facing life in prison today.

Corey Donaldson and Alex Scott, both 18, were part of a mob who hunted down 21-year-old Dean Pascal-Modeste on his way to a recording session, stabbing him in broad-daylight as children were being collected from a nearby school.

The killers were members of the Lewisham-based B-Side gang, who were locked in a tit-for-tat battle with rivals from the Splash gang.

Mr Pascal-Modeste, who was friends with people associated with the Splash gang but not involved himself, became a target as he walked across the Chinbrook estate in Grove Park, south-east London on February 24 with a friend

An eyewitness likened the attackers to a pack of wolves as one group surrounded Dean on mopeds and a second group pursued him on foot.

At the Old Bailey this afternoon, Donaldson and Scott were both found guilty by a jury of murdering Mr Pascal-Modeste. Donaldson shouted out youll never see me again as he was led away to the cells.

The court heard Mr Pascal-Modeste, an aspiring music producer under the name Floss, had agreed to help with a recording session with the Splash gang.

The gang and B-Side had both featured in YouTube rap recording sessions with former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood, and had traded barbs with each other in online videos.

Dean Pascal-Modeste was not, himself, a member of any gang. Indeed, there is no evidence that his attackers would even have known who he was, said prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC

The murder of Dean Pascal-Modeste has its roots in a poisonous feud between the Splash gang and the B Side gang.

"In other words, Dean Pascal-Modeste was stabbed to death not for who he was or for anything that he had done, instead he was murdered for the company that he kept.

He said the attackers came from nowhere when Mr Pascal-Modeste was alone on the estate: Dean was hunted down and surrounded. The group of youths crowded around him and attacked him. A number of them, if not all of them, must have been armed with weapons.

The court heard Dean suffered fourteen stab wounds, including one that punctured his lung, during a pitiless attack and died at the scene.

Jurors were told he was passionate about making his mark in the music business, and had been working with a production company called London Base.

"A number of the witnesses had been collecting their children from school. This attack, you may think, was as outrageous as it was brazen, added Mr Aylett.

"This was not a spontaneous eruption of violence brought on by a dirty look or a word spoken out of place. Instead this was a coordinated attack in which a number of those involved were armed either with guns or knives.

Donaldson and Scott, both from Deptford denied murder but were convicted by the jury who deliberated for six days. Donaldson was also found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon.

A third defendant, Uzeome Emeofa, 19, from Catford, was found not guilty of murder by the jury.

A sentencing hearing will take place for the two killers later this month.
A 10-year-old girl asked friends and family for cash instead of birthday presents so that she could donate to a London project that helps Syrian children in a refugee camp.

Hana Rosa Hoque-De Jong raised 125 last month at her party at home in New Cross. One family member matched the money Hana raised, making the total 250.

The cash was given to Artmongers, a charity that takes volunteers to work with the children living in Azraq, Jordan. The United Nations says there are as many as 35,000 people living in the camp and about 58 per cent are children.

Twice a year, Artmongers takes a group to teach art. They also renovate and transform some of the camps communal areas, installing artworks in playgrounds and schools.

Hanas mother Farah Hoque, who works in publishing, knows Artmongers founder Patricio Forrester. She said her daughter was keen to do something for others on her birthday. She said: She really likes opening presents so I was really touched when she suggested doing this.

The money was used in part to go towards a chocolate fountain. Ms Hoque said: These children have a tough life, and to provide some joy for joys sake will be incredible. Were very proud of Hana.
A baby girl and her two siblings who went missing after social workers raised concerns about their welfare were taken out of the country by their grandmother despite ports being put on alert.

On Tuesday Mr Justice Keehan made an appeal for help to find baby Rose Paduraru, seven-year-old Oliwia Ilksa and 12-year-old Krzysztof Ilksa.

The judge, who is analysing the case at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court, said he was "very seriously concerned" particularly about eight-month-old Rose.

He said they had been living with their Polish mother Joanna Ilksa in Hillingdon, west London, and had recently disappeared shortly after another family court judge decided that they should go into the care of social services bosses Hillingdon Council.

Lawyers on Thursday told the judge that the children flew from Stansted to Poland on Monday with their mother's mother Barbara Wyrzykowska.

The hearing took place at the Family Division of the High Court / AFP/Getty Images

"Despite the ports alert being served, grandmother managed to remove all three children from the jurisdiction via Stansted airport," said barrister Ann Courtney, who represents Hillingdon Council.

"All three children are now in Poland at the grandmother's address."

She said Polish police had made a "welfare check" and had not raised any concerns.

The judge said he wanted the children returned to London.

Rose's mother and Romanian father, Nelu Paduraru, who are both in their 20s, had been arrested after lawyers representing Hillingdon Council suggested they might have breached a judge's orders by not revealing all they know about the children's whereabouts and could be in contempt of court.

Mr Justice Keehan has ruled that both can be released.

Lawyers said both wanted the children returned to England.
H undreds of residents from three streets close to Grenfell Tower are still living in hotels five months after the disaster and are being encouraged to return to their homes.

About 360 households left Barandon Walk, Hurstway Walk and Testerton Walk immediately after the June 14 fire because it destroyed their central boiler.

The homes  which were not damaged by the blaze  have undergone a major refurbishment but Kensington and Chelsea council says 125 households have not moved back.

Residents are now being offered 300 a week in financial assistance for the first two months if they return, as well help with moving.

Blaze: Many displaced by the fire are still living in hotels / AP

Deputy council leader Kim Taylor-Smith said: We are doing everything humanly possible to help everyone affected by the Grenfell fire  either directly, or in this case, indirectly.

We recognise that hotels are not a suitable place for anyone long-term, especially not for families with children. Thats why we are committed to helping residents move back to their homes, spending millions to make them even nicer places to live.

In a drive to get people out of hotels, those who do not want to go back to homes in the Walkways are also being offered priority status for alternative social housing.

Final death toll from Grenfell Tower fire put at 70 plus stillborn baby

They will have the same status on the housing register as those with medical conditions.

The trauma of witnessing the fire is understood to be among the reasons some residents do not want to return to the Lancaster West Estate.

However, some feel that the council has much more to do before they can move back.

The Queen visits the scene of the Grenfell Tower tragedy 1 /14 The Queen visits the scene of the Grenfell Tower tragedy The Queen and Prince William speak to emergency services and volunteers near the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Alex Lentati The Queen meets residents of Grenfell Tower block near the scene of the blaze Dominic Lipinski/PA The Queen meets firefighters who have been searching for bodies in the tower Hannah McKay/Reuters Volunteers show Her Royal Highness tables of food donated to victims at Westway Sports Centre Dominic Lipinski/Pool/AP Ken Olisa, Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, greets Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Cambridge as they arrive at Westway Sports Centre David Mirzoeff/PA The Queen meets residents of the Grenfell Tower block Hannah McKay/EPA Firefighters, who are continuing to search for survivors and damp down the tower, meet the Queen Hannah McKay The Queen was applauded as she arrived at the scene of the blaze Dan Kitwood/Getty Images The Queen and William spent 45 minutes speaking to people before leaving David Mirzoeff/PA The Queen and the Duke of Cambridge received warm applause as they arrived at Westway Sports Centre David Mirzoeff/PA The met hero firefighters who battled through the night to tackle the blaze Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Labour councillor Beinazir Lasharie, who serves as deputy mayor on the Conservative-run local authority, said her home in Testerton Walk was still not habitable. In a letter to the council she complained about the heating, lighting, water pressure and access to the buildings.

The councils call for people to return to the estate comes after Scotland Yard said yesterday that the final death toll from the fire is 71.

The final victim was baby Logan Gomes, who was delivered stillborn while his mother was unconscious in hospital.

Police believe 293 people were in the tower when the fire started.

Scotland Yard has said it is confident it has found and identified everyone who died and recovered as much of their remains as possible.

More than 200,000 personal items have been saved from the remains of the tower.
T wo police officers involved in detaining a young black man whose subsequent death sparked violent street protests will remain anonymous during his inquest.

The Met officers claimed they and their families were at risk of reprise attacks if their names were made public in connection to Rashan Charles death in east London.

A coroner has now granted them the right to remain anonymous.

Mr Charles, 20, died after being apprehended by police and at least one member of the public after running into a Dalston shop on July 22.

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation into his death has so far shown that attempts were made to remove an object from Mr Charles' mouth or throat after he was detained,

It was later revealed that a package extracted from his body contained a mixture of caffeine and paracetamol.

Riot police on Kingsland Road after protests break out following Mr Charles' death / PA

During a pre-inquest hearing at Poplar Coroner's Court, coroner Mary Hassell heard evidence alleging a "real and immediate risk" to the officers' lives if their identity was not protected.

Neil Saunders, for both officers, highlighted the case of murdered MP Jo Cox as an example of potentially fatal consequences when people take "justice into their own hands".

Mrs Cox was stabbed to death in her Batley and Spen constituency by Thomas Mair in 2016.

Throughout the inquest the officers will be known only by the ciphers BX47 and BX48.

Officer BX47 said he feared for his wife and young son, and said he had been targeted by a prominent activist who had accused him of strangling the young man.

In a written statement, he said: "I'm constantly on edge and fear what may happen as a result. My immediate concern is that my child and wife may be at risk from serious physical harm."

In a separate statement, the officer's wife said their son had received threats he would be "shanked" - slang for stabbed - by children his own age.

The second officer, BX48, said she was concerned she would be "vilified" if her name was made public due to her association with the death.

The court also heard a number of social media comments which threatened violence, torture and harm from vigilantes.

One such post read: "This nonsense in the US and UK... It won't stop will it, until 10 of the policemen who have murdered a member of our community are found wounded outside their homes with two bullet wounds in each knee and a sign: 'we could've murdered you but we're not as evil as you'."

Other posts made threats to "shoot the police".

The family of Rashan Charles, including his father Esa (second right) arrive at Poplar Coroneris Court, in east London / Lauren Hurley/PA

Jude Bunting, representing members of Mr Charles' family, opposed the order.

He said it was important for the officers' identity to be known due to concerns over the "disproportionate number of black and minority ethnic (BAME) people dying in custody".

It was important to have particular regard for open justice, to help "avoid any suggestion of a cover-up" and to ensure accountability, he added.

Coroner Mary Hassell said that the inquest would have access to the officers' police records with their names redacted.

Both as-yet-unidentified police officers will be called to give evidence when the inquest resumes in June next year in front of a jury, the court heard.

Two witnesses who were present in the store at the time of the incident were also granted anonymity.

The inquest is expected to last up to three weeks.

Following the decision, a spokesman for Mr Charles's family said in a statement: "Although this is disappointing it was not unexpected.

"Our focus remains on the quality of the IPCC investigation of Rashan's death, and on ensuring that proper consideration is given to criminal charges. These officers will not be able to hide behind anonymity in the criminal courts."
T heresa Mays attempt to fix the Brexit date in law was falling apart today as MPs said more than 25 Tories were ready to join a massive Commons rebellion.

Although No 10 flatly denied that a U-turn was in the offing, Brexit Secretary David Davis hinted that concessions were in the wind, saying: Lets see where we go.

In a significant blow to the Prime Minister, the revolt was rapidly spreading beyond the prominent Brexit mutineers and being taken up by loyalists who do not usually rock the boat in public.

Mrs Mays own policy chief, MP George Freeman, warned that the number of rebels would rise to over 25 if ministers did not offer concessions. A former whip, Keith Simpson, was overheard telling the whips that he would vote against it if I was not a loyalist because it was such a stupid idea.

Brexit Secretary: David Davis / Getty Images

A cross-party Commons committee added its weight to the deluge of criticism this afternoon. The Committee for Exiting the European Union said that setting the Brexit date in stone risked creating significant difficulties for the country if negotiations went down to the wire.

The blows to Mrs Mays policy came on a day that the Governments Brexit plans faced relentless pressure from European Union leaders and critics at home.

* The Brexit Secretary appeared to change Government policy over when the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice will end. In a BBC interview he claimed the ECJs role could be phased out during a two-year transition period.

* European Council President Donald Tusk warned Mrs May during a summit in Gothenburg that trade talks would not get a go ahead unless she upped Britains offer of a cash settlement from the current 18 billion.

* Irish government sources accused Mrs May of wishful thinking after she claimed a solution was almost there to the critical issue of Northern Irelands border with the Republic. Irish premier Leo Varadkar said he did not share her optimism.

The PMs attempt to rally her party by fixing the EU exit was turning into an own goal. Several junior and senior minister were said to be furious, complaining that the policy had been announced by No 10 without any debate in Cabinet.

MPs believed Mrs May had hoped that a guaranteed leaving date of March 29 2019 at 11pm would hearten eurosceptics and persuade them to avoid a revolt over an EU payment likely to go over 40 billion.

She started the week with a letter to all MPs and party members warning she would not tolerate dissent to Brexit, but by Wednesday had changed her language to listening carefully.

Mr Freeman, who chairs the No 10 policy forum, warned in a tweet: I think it will be 25 or more if Ministers at [the Department for Exiting the EU] dont listen.

Many of us unhappy with both the idea that Parliament might be bounced into a #NoChoice Brexit outcome, and the vilification of scrutiny & dissent.

European Union leaders and critics at home.

Irish government sources accused Mrs May of wishful thinking after she claimed a solution was almost there to the critical issue of Northern Irelands border with the Republic. Irish premier Leo Varadkar said he did not share her optimism.

Mr Davis appeared to change government policy over when the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice will end. In a BBC interview, he claimed the ECJs role could be phased out during a two-year transition period.

The European Council president, Donald Tusk, warned Mrs May during a summit in Gothenburg that trade talks would not get a go ahead unless she upped Britains offer of a cash settlement from the current 18 billion.

MPs believed Mrs May had hoped that a guaranteed leaving date of March 29, 2019, at 11pm would hearten Eurosceptics and persuade them to avoid a revolt over an EU departure payment likely to go over 40 billion. Several junior and senior minister were said to be furious, complaining that the policy had been announced by No 10 without any debate in Cabinet.

Mrs May started the week with a letter to all MPs and party members warning she would not tolerate dissent to Brexit but by Wednesday had changed her language to listening carefully.

Mr Freeman, who chairs the No 10 policy forum, warned in a tweet: I think it will be 25 or more if Ministers at [the Department for Exiting the EU] dont listen.

Many of us unhappy with both the idea that Parliament might be bounced into a #NoChoice Brexit outcome, and the vilification of scrutiny & dissent.

Meanwhile, record numbers of foreign visitors poured into Britain during the summer to take advantage of the slump in the value of the pound after the Brexit vote, figures reveal today.

Over the key June to August period, 11.5 million visitors chose to come to the UK, up six per cent on 2016, according to the Office for National Statistics. In August the rise was five per cent to 3.93 million with spending up 3 per cent at 2.8 billion, an all-time monthly high.

Although there is no regional backgrounds in the data, London accounts for around half of all foreign visits to Britain and the rise in the number of tourists coming to the capital is likely to be in line with the national picture.

The biggest increase over the summer was a 15 per cent rise in visitors from Eastern Europe, followed by a 12 per cent increase in US arrivals. However, there are some signs that the weak pound is starting to deter British holidaymakers, with foreign visits down 3 per cent in August.
E U Council president Donald Tusk has told Theresa May she has two weeks to act on the issues of the Brexit divorce bill and Ireland for negotiations to progress.

Mr Tusk told the Prime Minister he was "ready" to move onto the next phase of talks but that the UK needed to show more progress on key issues.

He said "good progress" had been made on citizens' rights but that this had not been mirrored in other areas.

"We will be ready to move onto the second phase in December but, in order to do so, we need to see more progress from the UK side.

Mr Tusk said it was up to the UK to establish its terms / EPA

"If there is not sufficient progress by then, I will not be in a position to propose new guidelines on the future relationship at the December European council.

"I made it very clear to the Prime Minister that this progress needs to be made at the beginning of December at the latest."

The ultimatum comes in the wake of Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar saying the British government was not "thinking through" the implications of Brexit on his country.

Brexit secretary David Davis has been told he has a fortnight to clarify the UK's position / Bloomberg via Getty Images

He said: "What we want to take off the tabel before talking about trade is the idea that there would be any hard border, physical border, or border resembling the past in Ireland.

"I think it would be in all of our interests that we proceed to phase two in December.

"But it's 18 months since the referendum. Sometimes it doesn't seem like they've thought all of this through."

It is currently unknown how security will function along the 310 mile border between the Republic and Northern Ireland after Brexit.

The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier last week told his British counterpart David Davis he had two a fortnight to spell out the UK's position.

The UK has so far said it would honour its existing financial obligations by ensuring no EU nation is worse off during the current budgetary period, ending in 2020.

But EU officials want the UK to go further, paying more towards regional development spending and pension payments for British officials working for the EU.

French president Emmanuel Macron said the unified position of all 27 other EU countries was that future talks would not be held until "the divorce has been settled".
A domestic violence register that would allow police to hold information on offenders to better protect survivors was today backed by Sadiq Khan.

The Mayor threw his weight behind the proposal from the London Assembly which has already received support from dozens of Londons 73 MPs.

Assembly members are calling on the Government to bring in legislation for a system that would work along similar lines to the sex offenders register.

They have written to Home Secretary Amber Rudd asking for the idea to be included in the Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill expected this parliamentary session. There were almost 150,000 incidents of domestic abuse in the capital alone last year and the offence now accounts for one in 10 of all those in London.

MP delivers passionate speech on domestic violence

It follows the murder of a five-year-old boy, Alex Malcolm, who was killed in Catford last year by Marvyn Iheanacho, his mothers partner.

She had no knowledge of his extensive history of violence, including attacks on five previous partners.

At Assembly question time, Mr Khan said: Domestic abuse is a devastating crime and I am determined to do more to tackle the problem. That is why I am backing calls for the Government to create a register of domestic abusers so that offenders can be tracked and monitored and women and girls can be protected from dangerous perpetrators.

The proposal will be included in his violence against women strategy.

Labour Assembly member Len Duvall, who has led calls for a change in the law, said: We cant let horrific events continue to happen and we cant let repeat offenders continue to get away with what is sometimes murder. This issue is above politics and its up to the Government to get cracking on this now.
A British explorer who vanished in the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea has been evacuated by helicopter with suspected malaria.

Benedict Allen, 57, who has no mobile phone or GPS device with him, was dropped into the remote jungle three weeks ago.

He was reported missing when he failed to show up for a flight to Hong Kong on Sunday.

He is now reportedly feverish with suspected malaria.

His agent, Jo Sarsby, confirmed on Thursday that he had been seen near a remote airstrip, and said efforts were under way to evacuate him.

In a statement on Friday, his agent said: "We can confirm that Benedict Allen has been evacuated by helicopter and is now safe in Port Moresby.

Benedict Allen: British Explorer - In pictures 1 /14 Benedict Allen: British Explorer - In pictures Benedict Allen has been seen alive and well after going missing in Papua New Guinea @benedictallen Benedict Allen tweets his last picture before going missing in remote jungles of Papua New Guinea @benedictallen Benedict Allen in jungle swamp, Siberut Island, Indonesia BBC Benedict Allen in Siberia BBC Benedict Allen in Uzbeck @benedictallen Benedict Allen at the Bwindi National Park in Uganda Benedict Allen Benedict Allen in 'Last of the Medicine Men'. BBC Pancho discussing the spiritual properties of peyote with Benedict Allen, Mexico in 'Last of the Medicine Men'. BBC Benedict Allen at the Bering Strait BBC PA Benedict Allen and two Kalapalo Children in The Bones of Colonel Fawcett' BBC

"He is reported as feverish with suspected malaria. Benedict looks forward to being reunited with his family and friends but will need some time to get back to full health.

"He would like to send thanks for all the kind messages he has received."

Mr Allen's friend, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, tweeted that Mr Allen was due to be on a plane home on Saturday.

He added: "Explorer @benedictallen is now recovering from fever, poss malaria in Papua New Guinea capital having got disoriented on remote jungle trek."

The father-of-three disappeared while searching for the Yaifo tribe who have little contact with the outside world.

He was eventually spotted by a missionary in Enga Province, "alive and well".

The explorer has travelled around the world making documentaries. (Benedict Allen)

Mr Allen's wife Lenka Allen previously told how the couple's children - 10-year-old Natalya, Freddie, seven, and two-year-old Beatrice - were missing their father.

After hearing of sightings of Mr Allen, she told the Daily Mail: "It is such a relief. I'm so happy, it's amazing."

In a blog post on his website in September, Mr Allen described the Yaifo as "one of the last people on the entire planet who are out of contact with our interconnected world".

The adventurer tweeted this picture on the way to the airport before his Papua New Guinea trip. (Benedict Allen/Twitter) / Twitter

"Just like the good old days, I won't be taking a sat phone, GPS or companion. Or anything else much," he wrote.

"Because this is how I do my journeys of exploration. I grow older but no wiser, it seems."

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Author and TV presenter Mr Allen has made six TV series for the BBC.

He has a vast track record of remote exploration and is the only person known to have crossed the Gobi desert alone.

He also claim to have once eaten his dog to survive in the Brazilian rainforest.

Unaware of what was to come, Mr Allen sent a tweet en-route to the airport before leaving the UK, which read: Marching off to Heathrow. I may be some time (don't try to rescue me, please - where I'm going in PNG you won't ever find me you know...)
T he father of missing teenager Gaia Pope broke down in tears today as he made an emotional public plea to find his daughter.

Richard Sutherland sobbed as he promised his daughter a big hug before thanking the public for their ongoing help in trying to locate the 19-year-old.

Speaking on ITVs Good Morning Britain, he said: Gaia, you know we love you, you know that. I just want that big hug please, I just want a big hug. Well get you back and well have that big hug.

I can tell you this, the family is united together in this, and were united with the police and with the public. I cant tell you how grateful we are, to everybody, to everybody out there. Its unbelievable. Thank you, thank you everybody.

It comes as detectives hunting for the teenager, who disappeared a week ago, said items of womens clothing have been found in a field north of the coastal path near Swanage.

Gaia vanished on the afternoon of November 7 after leaving her aunts house without medication for severe epilepsy.

A man, believed to be Paul Elsey, 49, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of murder.

He is known to Gaia and lives at the same address as his nephew, Nathan Elsey, 19, a friend of Gaias, and his grandmother Rosemary Dinch, 71, who were also both arrested on suspicion of murder but released under investigation.

Paul Elseys father, Greg Elsey, said of his son yesterday: Hes protested his innocence 110 per cent and I have 110 per cent belief that he will be released when they find out he has done nothing.
T he UK spent 1.5 billion supporting European Commission aid programmes - including one to help the coconut sector in the Caribbean - according to newly released figures.

Numbers released by the Department for International Development show the UK paid 13.3 billion in overseas development aid in 2016, meeting the target of 0.7% of the country's gross domestic product.

This represents an increase of 1.25 billion on 2015, with the amount given to European aid programmes increasing by 177 million.

Programmes funded by European cash include a 1 million project to "address four key issues that are preventing the coconut sector from achieving its full potential" and a project to promote the "preservation and promotion" of music and dance in Tanzania, costing 569,806.

Meanwhile, projects funded solely by UK aid included nearly 87,000 on a project in India looking at whether yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation programme can cut the risk of people suffering further heart attacks and 116,631 on an eel conservation programme in the Philippines.

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Sun: "Spending money to teach yoga in India is like spending money to teach Catholicism to the Holy Father."

Earlier this week, the new international development secretary Penny Mordaunt wrote in the Telegraph: "I believe in aid.

"I believe in the power it has to end disease, hunger and extreme poverty, to build strong economies and to help the world's most vulnerable people live lives of dignity.

"Aid also allows us to influence and shape the world around us."
A n American school has reportedly cancelled a planned Muslim speaker after the teacher organising the talk received threats.

Northeastern Middle School in Connecticut had invited Annam Choudry, the founder of an organisation devoted to the empowerment of Muslim women, to deliver a talk to students.

A letter sent home to parents informing them of the event was shared online. It said: This presentation will enrich our curriculum on world history.

However, the school decided to cancel the event due to safety fears after angry comments and threatening messages were reportedly sent.

Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sass told NBC: There were some security concerns due to threats being made at the school toward the teacher who was organising the event.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the USs largest Muslim civil rights organisation, spoke out against the schools decision to bow to public pressure and cancel the talk.

It said a future presentation on Judaism by a Rabbi had also been cancelled.

Farhan Memon, Chairperson of the council, said in a statement: I had a very positive discussion this morning with Bristol Public School Superintendent Dr. Susan Moreau.

Dr. Moreau assured me of BPS commitment to diversity education and the need for the entire Bristol community to learn about other cultures and religions.

We are, however, concerned that Bristol Public Schools would seemingly bow to public pressure in this manner.

He added: Cancelling speakers outright emboldens individuals and organisations in Bristol who are Islamophobic and Anti-Semitic. It does a disservice to Bristol's students and to the community as a whole who need to learn about America's pluralism and diversity.
D isney bans employees from using their index fingers while at work, it is claimed.

If you work at amusement park, there are certain perks  revelling in the magic of Disney is one.

However, with great jobs comes great responsibility and as such all Disney employees must obey certain rules.

One of which involves never pointing with your index finger.

Staff are told to point using two fingers at all times.

According to Indy100, the reason behind this strange rule is because Disney decided that pointing with one finger could be misconstrued as aggressive and even offensive in certain countries.

So in order to keep all of its guests happy, Disney banned one-finger pointing.

Alongside the pointing rule, staff are not allowed to speak to guests in an aggressive manner which seems fair.

Although we wager one or two park visitors have put that rule to the test before.

The Standard has contacted Disney for further comment.
D ogs really are mans best friend, new research has revealed, after scientists found that owning a one can help you to live longer.

A study of 3.4 million Swedes found people that owned dogs, particularly hunting breeds, were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease.

Scientists analysed national registers for people aged 40 to 80 and compared them to dog ownership registers.

Owners of terriers, retrievers, and scent hounds were most protected from cardiovascular disease and death. But owning any dog at all will reduce the risk of death, researchers said.

The results showed that single dog owners had a 33 per cent reduction in risk of death and 11 per cent reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease during follow-up compared to single non-owners, said junior author of the research Dr. Mwenya Mubanga said.

Dog owners were likely to be more active than non-dog owners / AFP/Getty Images

"Perhaps a dog may stand in as an important family member in the single households."

There was no one reason for the results: scientists said owning a dog not only increases physical activity but also boosts social contact and wellbeing, as well as exposing owners to bacteria they may not have encountered otherwise.

For their study, published in Scientific Reports, the team looked at data from 2001 to 2012. In Sweden, it is mandatory to register your dog if you own one, while every visit to a hospital is recorded in national databases.

Tove Fall, senior author of the study, said there were some limitations: "These kind of epidemiological studies look for associations in large populations but do not provide answers on whether and how dogs could protect from cardiovascular disease.

The study also suggested that people who decide to get a dog tend to be more active and of better health.

Cardiovascular disease was the cause of nearly half of all European deaths last year.
Z imbabwe is facing an uncertain future as long-time President Robert Mugabe reportedly continues to refuse to step down.

The 93-year-old dictator was put under house arrest during a military takeover on Wednesday, although an army spokesman denied talk of a coup.

Talks have been on-going between Mr Mugabe, the army chief and South African delegates at his luxurious presidential residence in the capital city Harare.

However, he is refusing to go down without a fight, according to reports, with talks set to continue today while the military remains in charge.

Zimbabwe Military Coup - In pictures 1 /24 Zimbabwe Military Coup - In pictures An armoured personnel carrier stations by an intersection as Zimbabwean soldiers regulate traffic in Harare AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwean military vehicles took over central areas of the Zimbabwean capital of Harare AFP Zimbabwe Major General Sibusiso Moyo reading a statement at the ZBC broadcast studio in Harare AFP/Getty Images A general view of Harare AP An armed soldier patrols a street in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Military vehicles and soldiers patrol the streets in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters Military vehicles and soldiers patrol the streets in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters A military tank is seen with armed soldiers on the road leading to President Robert Mugabe's office in Harare AP It is the first time Zimbabwe has seen an open rift between the military and Mr Mugabe AP Tanks blockade approach roads to the Zimbabwe capital Harare Twitter Soldiers stand beside military vehicles just outside the country's capital Harare Reuters Armed soldiers stand on the road leading to President Robert Mugabe's office in Harare, Zimbabw AP Soldiers stand beside military vehicles just outside Harare Reuters Armed soldiers search a vehicle on the road leading to President Robert Mugabe's office in Harare AP Armed Zimbabwean soldiers sit on top of a military tank in Harare AP People pass a newspaper headline in Harar AP Soldiers sit on a military vehicle parked on a street in Harare, Zimbabw AP Local daily newsapapers with headlines about the situation in Zimbabwe AFP/Getty Images

Mr Mugabe rejected a proposal to step down and allow Emmerson Mnangagwa, who he sacked as vice president earlier this month, to take over on an interim basis.

Most Zimbabweans believe Mr Mnangagwa was dismissed to clear the way for Mr Mugabes despised wife Grace to become his successor.

Known as Gucci Grace for her lavish spending while the country struggled through decades of economic disaster, she is a key reason why public opinion turned against Africas longest serving head of state.

Mr Mugabe is said to be insisting that he remains the legitimate head of state, and that if he were to step down in the future his family must have immunity from persecution.

It remains unclear whether army chief General Constantino Chiwenga, who was photographed with the President at his home on Thursday, will agree to his conditions.

Former finance minister Tindai Biti said he has known Mr Mugabe long enough to know he "won't go down without a fight" - adding: "It's only over when it's over."

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South Africa President Jacob Zuma, speaking in parliament, said the political situation "very shortly will be becoming clear" but that it was too early to take any firm decision.

Seizing on the political limbo to speak out, more than 100 civil society groups urged Mr Mugabe to peacefully step aside after 37 years and allow the country to hold free and fair elections.

Knox Chitiyo, associate fellow with the Africa programme at Chatham House, warned speculation remains high but the aim was a peaceful, managed transition.

He said the military wants a dignified exit for Mr Mugabe, who has ruled since independence from white minority rule in 1980.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who shared power with Mr Mugabe between 2009 and 2013, said the president must resign and that his party would participate in talks on a transitional mechanism if approached.

Zimbabwe: Zuma says Mugabe is under house arrest

Joice Mujuru, a vice president who was fired in 2014, called for "free, fair and credible elections" following a transition arrangement that draws from a range of communities.

Across the country, Zimbabweans were enjoying freedoms they have not had in years.

Soldiers manning the few checkpoints on roads leading into downtown Harare greeted motorists with a smile, searching cars without hostilities and wishing motorists a safe journey.

Amid questions about the whereabouts of first lady Grace Mugabe, one Namibian newspaper, the New Era, reported that the country's foreign minister denied she had fled there.

The US Embassy advised citizens in Zimbabwe to "limit unnecessary movements" as political uncertainty continues.

The UK Government also urged its citizens to avoid large gatherings and any demonstrations.
M afia 'boss of bosses' Salvatore 'Toto' Riina has died while serving multiple life sentences, according to Italian media.

The justice ministry on Thursday had allowed his family a bedside visit at a hospital in Parma shortly before his death. The reports said he died aged 87 on Friday morning but the government had no immediate comment.

He had been placed in a medically induced coma after his health deteriorated following two recent surgeries.

Riina, one of Sicily's most notorious Mafia bosses, was serving 26 life sentences for murder convictions as a powerful Cosa Nostra boss.

Riina was captured in Palermo, Sicily's capital, in 1993 and imprisoned

He was captured in Palermo, Sicily's capital, in 1993 and imprisoned under a law that requires strict security for top mobsters, including isolation in prison and limited time outside their cells.

Prosecutors accused Riina of masterminding a strategy, carried out over several years, to assassinate Italian prosecutors, police officials and others who were going after Cosa Nostra.

The bloodbath campaign ultimately backfired on Cosa Nostra, as after bombs killed Italy's two leading anti-Mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two months apart in 1992, the state stepped up its crackdown on Sicily's Mafiosi.

Riina was captured in a Palermo flat six months after Mr Borsellino and his police escorts were killed by a car bomb.

A native of Corleone, a Sicilian hill and Mafia stronghold, he steadfastly refused to collaborate with law enforcement after his capture.

Riina was incarcerated at a Milan prison before he was admitted to hospital.

In July, a court denied a request by Riina's family to transfer the convicted mobster to house arrest because of his ailing health.
T his is the moment a man broke into dance on the motorway after a police pursued him for nearly 20 miles.

The motorist was arrested in Houston after dancing for a time in front of perplexed officers outside his car on Thursday.

His dance came to an abrupt end when he was attacked by a police dog released by officers who feared he might stray into traffic.

The unidentified suspect came to a stop just before hitting spike strips police had laid across the Interstate 45 highway.

The man broke into dance as officers tried to arrest him after a near-20 mile car chase

He had been fleeing the police who were trying to pull him over in a car chase in Texas.

Police initially stopped the man for a traffic violation in northeast Houston, ABC 13 reported.

Officers said the man drove off while speaking to police.

The man eventually complied with police orders to step out of his car but rather than lay on the ground as ordered, the man began a dance with arms above his head.

The episode concluded when a police dog attacked him.

Police lieutenant Larry Crowson said officers were concerned the man might try to flee into traffic, so they unleashed the dog.

"At one point he backed up like he was going to run from the scene, potentially endangering officers by running across the freeway," said Mr Crowson, according to ABC 13. "At that point we deployed our K9 to safely take him into custody."

The suspect was reportedly treated for minor injuries.

Mr Crowson said investigators will determine whether the man was under the influence. The suspect has been charged with evading arrest.
E SBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.

Millions of shoppers are hitting the streets and big retail sites today, as Black Friday fever sweeps across the UK.

High street shops and online retailers are slashing prices on all sorts of good for the discount day.

Historically an American tradition falling on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday has proved a huge hit on these shores since its introduction a few years ago.

As UK consumers are set to spend thousands in the run-up to Christmas and the season's most in-demand products will sell out fast, we give you the lowdown on the event - and reveal the best deals going on everything from tech and homeware, to beauty and fashion.

Black Friday deals for 2019

If you need a new mattress/pillow/bedding or mattress protector, THIS is the sale to opt in to.

This is BIGGEST Black Friday mattress sale so far (it would be hard to beat). Just use code BLACK40 at checkout.

Aside from the brand's award-winning be-in-a-box, you can also save 40 per cent on new pillows, mattress protectors and bedding.

Amazon Early Black Friday Deals

The Black Friday Giant is back and promising to be bigger (and more affordable) than ever before.

If you want to see all the BEST Amazon deals on now, click here to reveal all the best deals by category.

aAPhilips 50-Inch 4K Ultra HD Android Smart TV was 1000 now 459

It's no secret Amazon is one of the best places for Black Friday deals and this year will be no exception starting a wide array of excellent offers:

Impressive tech like the LG 43UM7500PLA 43-Inch UHD 4K HDR Smart LED TV with Freeview Play has been reduced from 599 to 357.

You can also save right now on these Bose SoundSport In-Ear Earphones, which have been reduced from 89.95 to 44.95.

Amazon's November 27 deals

Here are five more limited time deals on Amazon or you can shop all the Deal of the Day offers

Currys Deals

Laptops, TVs, and Speakers Oh My! Currys has launched an early "Why Wait" sale today (13/11) ahead of Black Friday. If you find it cheaper on Black Friday (29/11) they will refund the difference.

Shop Currys PC World Black Friday sale now .

Currys is always an excellent destination for Black Friday deals. You can expect large discounts on household appliances and a decent 10-20 per cent discount on bigger home appearances like range cookers and fridge/freezers.

You can shop Currys FLASH DEALS now.

Currys Deals on now:

Other deals include:

AO Deals

The online electrical retailer has savings of up to 50 percent across TVs, appliances, kitchen gadgets and more.

Argos Deals

Got kids to shop for or love gaming? A whole host of good offers from Argos are on now.

If last year is any indication expect discounts on gaming consoles, VR headsets and some of this years hottest toys.

You can view Argos' dedicated Black Friday page

Top Toys - Argos Toy Deals on now

Top Tech - Argos tech deals on now

Home Furniture Deals

Evans Cycles Black Friday Deals

Starting today you can save on everything from new hybrid bikes starting from just 160 with an additional 30 per cent off road bikes. Save 40 per cent on Castelli jerseys just in time for winter rides and you can take another 30 per cent off Osprey cycle bags and backpacks. There is LOADS more on offer, if you cycle or plan on a cycle related gift for Christmas this is the sale to shop now.

Shop the Evans Cycle Black Friday Sale Now

If not entirely sure what Black Friday is and where can you get the best deals, here's a handy guide for everything you need to know.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is just around the corner / PA

Black Friday is an annual shopping bonanza held the day after Thanksgiving which was first started in America.

It's a time when retailers unveil huge reductions on products for the Christmas period, and is generally regarded as the beginning of the festive shopping season in the US.

Originally a one-day event, thanks to its huge success many retailers now offer sales and deals in the week leading up to it.

A number of shoppers grab their bargains online so websites often receive huge levels of traffic on the day, while huge queues often form outside popular stores on the high street as well.

When is Black Friday 2019?

Black Friday is TODAY (Friday November 29) and many retailers  from fashion to homeware  are announcing deals in the build-up to it.

Major tech retailers, such as Argos and Currys, often launch deals on top brands, while others retailer such as Amazon hold huge sales too.

The following Monday - December 2 - is known as Cyber Monday, when online stores hold sales. But since the two days have been so popular, the whole weekend now tends to be marketed as Black Friday weekend,

Shoppers on Oxford Street in London for Black Friday / REUTERS

Where to shop the best Black Friday deals

For many shoppers Amazon is the first port of call, and for good reason: in the past, it has featured discounts of up to 87 per cent.

Other retailers such as John Lewis and Argos also offer some great discounts, along with Very and Currys.
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In late 2017 the World Bank released a study of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) finances from 2014 to 2017 and revealed some of the techniques used to measure how much oil the terrorist organization obtained over three years of using captured Syrian and Iraqi oil fields. It was known since mid-2014 that this was going on. Thats because by mid-2014 ISIL was trying to clear all opposition out of their stronghold in eastern Syria. It quickly became clear that this was mainly about money and as ISIL gained control over most of the oil fields in eastern Syria and several in northern Iraq. They strove to capture them undamaged and had already recruited people who could keep the fields operating. The oil was sold to smugglers, at a big discount, and the smugglers then trucked it into Turkey or Kurdish areas and sold it to brokers who buy oil with no questions asked.

The World Bank described the simple methodology used to measure this activity. It was based on using commercial surveillance satellites that regularly provided pictures of the area. This showed how much natural gas was being burned (flared) at the wells as the oil was produced. This is a common practice in many oil fields and there was much data on how much flared gas accompanied how much oil being produced.

As commercial satellite data became cheaper and regularly available since the 1990s this became a common method of measuring how much oil was actually being produced worldwide. Economists and anyone monitoring actual production had access to this data. Thus it was known that the ISIL controlled oil fields were producing about 56,000 BPD (barrels per day) during the last six months of 2014. Coalition air attacks reduced that to 35,000 BPD during 2015 and 16,000 BPD in 2016. That rapidly dropped during the first few months of 2017. How much ISIL received per barrel from the brokers and smugglers became known gradually as information could be extracted from those sources. It apparently averaged about $25 per barrel meaning that ISIL obtained about $40-45 million a month in 2014 from this source. In 2015 that fell to $20-30 million and in 2016 it was $10-15 million in 2016. In 2017 it was down to $5 million or less per month and this decline was verified by ISIL prisoners, defectors and deserters through that period as well as data provided by civilians escaping ISIL controlled territory as well as those few who managed to use cell phones or Internet access to communicate from ISIL territory in that period. The reduced income meant ISIL could not pay its personnel or buy essential supplies from smugglers. These economic woes played a major role in ISIL losing control of the territory it ruled during that period.

The Americans knew ISIL had a cash vulnerability because they had confronted this situation before in Iraq. Thus it was not mystery why ISIL maintained control of large chunks of Iraq and Syria for over two years. It was because they paid attention to logistics (getting supplies) and finance (finding ways to pay for the supplies.) ISIL succeeded because they had plenty of qualified and experienced administrators willing and able to get the job done.

This came about because for centuries the Sunni minority in what is now Iraq ran the largely Shia area. For most of the last four centuries the area was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The Sunni Turks had taken what is now modern Iraq from Shia Iran and did not trust the Shia Arabs to run things. The Sunni Arab minority in the area was another matter as this group was always better educated and more prosperous than the Shias and tended to run Baghdad and areas to the south no matter what empire was in charge. So the Turks had these Sunni Arabs administer this part of their empire. When the Ottoman Empire fell in 1918 the British took over, looked around and decided to leave the Sunni Arabs in charge. In 1932 Iraq became independent as a constitutional monarchy but the king, most army officers and senior officials were Sunni Arabs and largely controlled the new Iraq.

The British had to re-occupy Iraq during World War II because the Sunni Arab government tried to ally itself with the Nazis. At the time many Arabs admired Nazism (and many still do). The Brits again conquered the country, gathered together another bunch of Sunni Arab notables and told them they could run things if they stayed away from the Nazis. That 1941 deal lasted until the 1958 when the Sunni Arab politicians and generals decided that this constitutional democracy stuff wasnt working for them. The royal family was massacred and parliament purged of disloyal elements. The Sunni Arabs were now firmly in charge, via a series of dictators, until Saddam Hussein was deposed in 2003. Despite the subsequent elections many in Iraq, not just the Sunni Arabs, believed a dictatorship (with them running it) would be the best solution for the nation's ills. Some Iraqis (mostly Sunni Arabs but even a few Shia Arabs) still admire Saddam and consider his blood-soaked reign a "golden age." Few Iraqi Kurds (who are Sunni) or Shia Iraqis agree with that.

When the American and British removed the Sunnis Arabs from power in 2003 many of the Sunni Arabs still believed they were born to rule and enjoy 80 percent of the oil wealth. That was a sweet deal since Sunni Arabs were only 20 percent of the population while Shia Arbs were 60 percent and other minorities (mostly Kurds) the rest. Al Qaeda came in after 2003 and added Islamic radical terrorists to all those terrorists that the Sunni Arab nationalists and Saddam supporters had recruited to help them put Sunnis back in charge. This backfired, as al Qaeda represented a form of political action that the postWorld War II Sunni Arabs had abandoned and even gone to war with. Islamic radicalism was never all that popular in Iraq. But now, in the name of restoring Sunni rule Islamic terrorists were allowed to do as they pleased. This led to all non-Sunni Arabs becoming "legitimate targets" that could all be killed or driven out of the country. Such threats are nothing new and have been getting worse for over a century. Thus the old (founded in 2006) Islamic State of Iraq (which eventually became ISIL in 2013) still has a lot of veteran personnel who are fighting to get the Sunni Arab minority back in charge of Iraq at any cost. That effort was crushed by 2008 but the corrupt Shia government forced the Americans out in 2011 and, ignoring U.S. advice, froze out the Sunni Arabs and drove many right back to the Islamic terrorist groups. The Iraqi Sunnis made a comeback and were defeated again in 2017.

Yet ISIL still has that no other group had and that was access to thousands of trained and experienced Sunni Arab military officers, civil servants and technical specialists. This was long known but was confirmed again in early 2015 when an American commando raid into ISIL territory captured vast quantities of ISIL records (mostly on PC hard drives). An analysis of these documents clearly showed the presence of the Saddams henchmen who had set up a ruthless but efficient bureaucracy. Because ISIL was even less obliged to obey rules than Saddam they had a department of loot, which raised large amounts of money by selling slaves, oil and any valuable loot (like antiquities) ISIL captured. All that fund raising and administrative skill was not enough and now ISIL has most of the world united to destroy it. But mostly the Iraqi Sunni Arabs knew how to deal in oil, legally or otherwise. Thus the American efforts against ISIL after 2014 concentrated on the money and it worked for the second time in a decade.
The government war on drugs has left at least 13,000 dead in the 15 months until it was halted in early October. It did serious damage to the drug gangs and left a lot of innocent bystanders dead. President Duterte ignores foreign critics in large part because the majority (about 70 percent) of Filipino voters still support the anti-drug effort. Voters are less pleased with the relative lack of progress in reducing corruption. Duterte said the drug problems were connected with a lot of the corruption but it turned out that the corruption was more difficult to reduce than drug use or Islamic terrorist violence. The economy is still growing and one reason for making a deal with China over the South China Sea was the prospect of huge Chinese investments. Corruption reduction is a longer term effort but it is next up on the agenda with the crippling of the Islamic terrorist groups in the south and the collapse of the local communist (NPA) rebels.

China appears to have succeeded in buying cooperation from the Philippines. The Filipino government is willing to accept all the legal gifts (aid, investment, loans) China offers in return for the Philippines not resisting Chinese claims in the South China Sea. President Duterte pointed out earlier in 2017 that China threatened war if the Philippines went ahead with plans to drill for oil in offshore areas that international law recognizes as Filipino but that China claims actually belongs to them. Duterte openly criticizes other nations for not confronting China and sees no point in the Philippines trying to take on China by itself or at least not without a massive amount of support. All the South China Sea nations facing territorial losses because of Chinese claims have backed down to one degree or another. Duterte points out that even the United States is unwilling to go up against China and recent meetings with the new American president made it clear that the main threat to the U.S. from the region right now was North Korea, not China.

Meanwhile the Chinese are openly moving more weapons to bases in the South China Sea as well as their main naval base in southern China (Hainan Island). Chinese officials admit that they are determined to get their way in the South China Sea but it is also the case that China prefers to buy what it wants rather than start a war over it. That is an ancient Chinese tradition that is currently giving a lot of popular and official support inside China.

In the last few months details of earlier Filipino discussions with China became public and there was no public uproar about selling China large swaths of Filipino territory where no Filipinos actually live. The Chinese see continued opposition by many Filipinos as something that can be fixed by increasing the goodies offered and threats made. But some Filipinos see China as yet another conqueror, not much different from the Spanish or the Japanese. The Americans threw the Spanish out in 1898 but soon agreed to get out themselves and did so right after World War II, a year late because of the Japanese occupation. The Filipinos remember that and fear that the Chinese might behave much like the Japanese (as in brutally and with no intention to leave voluntarily). Some Chinese officials have mentioned ancient Chinese claims to the main Philippines Islands and it is up to the Chinese to convince the fearful Filipinos that this deal will work in the long term and not turn into another foreign conquest and occupation.

ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant)

ISIL and the Maute Group (a radical MILF faction that opposes the peace treaty MILF negotiated) are continuing to recruit. They are offering joining bonuses of from $390 to $980 to recruits, depending on their skills. Monthly pay and other bonuses are available. Most Filipinos believe Islamic terror groups like Maute and ISIL are receiving financial support from drug gangs in return for help with security and because the anti-drug campaign begun in 2016 has done major damage to the drug gangs and this is seen as the best way to fight back.

The largest ISIL faction in Marawi City was from the Maute Group who unexpectedly brought in hundreds of their own gunmen who were willing to fight to the death and triggered an existing plan to gather in Marawi City to inspire local Moslems to rise up and drive out Christians. The Maute family is one of the larger and wealthier clans in the south and seven Maute brothers got mixed up with clan politics, MILF and now ISIL. The battle began on May 23rd when a raid to capture or kill Isnilon Hapilon (the head of Abu Sayyaf since 2016) escalated unexpectedly. As the fighting went on there were efforts to end what quickly turned into dead (literally) end for the ISIL fighters. MILF refused to help negotiate a withdrawal of the remaining Islamic terrorists (many of them former MILF members) from the city. Some Islamic clerics visited the city during the battle and urged the Islamic terrorists to stop fighting. That failed. The government demanded that the Islamic terrorists in the city surrender or die. Some surrendered, most died and few escaped.

By late October many of the troops concentrated in and around Marawi City were being sent to other areas in the south where there was still Islamic terrorist activity. The Maute Group was nearly wiped out in Marawi City and all seven of the Maute brothers (who formed the core leadership) are now dead. ISIL is trying to take the lead in rebuilding Islamic terror manpower in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf still have supporters in parts of Sulu and Basilan province but they are taking a lot of losses they are unable to replace. The army and police are trying to take advantage of this but have noted that the Islamic terrorists still active are more dangerous and troops are cautioned to be careful going after these veteran fighters.

Communist Rebels Divide And Fall

The leftist (communist) NPA rebels continue fighting, but less effectively because they have suffered heavy losses this year and, worse, have split into several factions. There is no one who can accurately represent NPA to resume negotiations with to work out a peace deal. The government has responded by ordering the security forces to concentrate on NPA and shut them down. That was delayed a bit to concentrate forces to handle the Marawi City situation. But since late October many troops and police assigned to Marawi City have been ordered to concentrate on remaining Islamic and communist rebel factions.

One result of the NPA peace negotiations collapse and the internal divisions this year was more NPA members surrendering or deserting the organization. Over the last few months many NPA members who surrendered provided information indicating that losses from desertion were more than twice what the government was reporting. In addition there are medical losses as well as fewer new recruits. Those losses increased during October and judging from the reduced presence of NPA in areas they have long terrorized it is having quite an impact. There are still a few factions willing to fight on but they are facing more armed resistance (especially from local defense groups) and less popular support. So far this year, and especially since peace talks collapsed on February 4th over 650 NPA rebels have surrendered, been captured killed or known to have deserted (and are sometimes being sought to major crimes). In many arears where the NPA has long operated the locals have come to view the NPA as bandits and turned against them.

November 15, 2017: in the south (Maguindanao province) troops disrupted a planned attack by a groups of BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters) gunmen assembling outside a rural village. BIFF has been on the run since it was formed in 2011 (by splitting from MILF). Since early 2016 the government and MILF have cooperated (mainly in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces) on destroying rouge MILF factions like BIFF and the Maute Group. That effort has prevented both groups from growing a lot larger but has not eliminated them. Maute considers itself a part of ISIL while BIFF is mainly anti-Christian and wants to drive the Christians out of the south (where Christians are a majority of the population). MILF has been more active in going after these new ISIL sighting in part because MILF knows BIFF and Maute are getting their new recruits from the younger and more radical MILF members and if these ISIL factions are not put down quickly they threaten to evolve into a MILF civil war. That would not be unusual as such religion based private wars have been common in this part of the Philippines before the Spanish or Americans arrived. MILF is asking the government for military aid and more visible movement on getting the autonomy law through the legislature. The government is cooperating but also quietly reminding MILF leaders that all this is a test of whether or not MILF can actually govern in the Moslem south.

China donated $22 million to help rebuild Marawi and loaned the government over $200 million for infrastructure projects. China is also helping with drug addict rehabilitation. More such generosity is forthcoming if the Philippines backs off on resisting Chinese claims in the South China Sea.

November 14, 2017: In the south (Sulu province) marines raided a small island to search a suspected Abu Sayyaf camp. The Islamic terrorists had fled but the four Vietnamese sailors kidnapped in February were found. One had died of an illness but the other three were OK. No ransom was paid which meant Abu Sayyaf lost another large payday. Elsewhere in Sulu province another group of Abu Sayyaf kidnapped six civilians (including two children) to use as human shields against pursuing troops. Such captives are usually released when no longer needed and not held for ransom.

Elsewhere in the south (Basilan province) an army patrol was ambushed by a large group of Abu Sayyaf. The troops fought back and were reinforced. Six soldiers were killed and four wounded. The Abu Sayyaf men withdrew and took their dead and wounded with them. Pursuing troops noted that there were a lot of blood trails.

November 13, 2017: In the south (Lanao del Sur province) troops followed up on reports that many Islamic terrorists who had escaped the fighting in Marawi City (the capital of Lanao del Sur province) fled past Lake Lanao (the largest and deepest lake in the south) and tossed their weapons into the lake hoping to return later and retrieve them. Troops searched areas locals indicated and soon found more than 30 recently submerged firearms including a 12.7mm machine gun, three 7.62mm M60 machine guns, four 12.7mm sniper rifles, and a large variety of assault rifles plus an M79 40mm grenade launcher.

November 11, 2017: The leaders of China and the Philippines met and agreed to settle the South China Sea disputes via negotiations. In other words the Philippines is willing to discuss how much China will pay the Philippines in order to settle this matter. The Chinese may seek more than just the Philippines abandoning disputed islands. China could ask the Philippines to abandon military alliances with the United States and other nations in the region that have disputes with China. That would cost China a lot more and might be impossible to get approved by the Filipino legislature.

Japan agreed to build four radar stations in the south (Sulu province) to provide better surveillance of the open waters between the Philippines and Indonesia. There were three pirate attacks in this area during the first six months of 2017. All of these resulted in some of the crew being killed or kidnapped. There were also four failed piracy attempts in this area. Japan is donating the radar stations along with training for the Filipino coast guard personnel who will operate them. A large number of Japanese merchant ships move through this area but most of the maritime traffic is from local nations. The radar stations will make it much more difficult for the pirates to operate. This comes after the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to joint and air naval patrols and sharing information between their land-based radars.

November 10, 2017: In the north (Quezon City) police arrested three Abu Sayyaf men who were apparently scouting the area for an attack during the bi-annual ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) conference being held in Manila this year. The conference begins today and ends on the 14th. The police kept this arrest secret for a week while the suspects were questioned and anything learned could be used to avoid an attack. This worked (stockpiles of weapons were seized) and the three arrested men were presented in a press conference on the 17th. The three were caught in part because of good intelligence work, surveillance and the mass of information on Abu Sayyaf and ISIL operations collected in the south over the last five months because of the fighting in Marawi City.

November 5, 2017: Down south in Marawi City security forces cornered and killed eleven Islamic terrorists over the last two days. These are believed to be the last of the ISIL affiliated Islamic terrorists who had assembled for a final battle in the port area of the city. The government declared the five month battle for Marawi City over in mid-October but warned that security forces would continue searching for stragglers. It is believed that over 900 Islamic terrorists were killed during the fighting. Rubble is still being searched for any more ISIL dead. The security forces lost 165 dead and 47 civilians died as well. Over 200,000 civilians fled their homes during the fighting but many have now returned. While the local population was unhappy with how long the fighting took they have not turned against the government (which emphasized minimizing casualties among civilians and troops) and there has been a continuous flow of tips and other information about the Islamic terrorists in the city, including the few still believed to be alive.

October 23, 2017: In the north (Valenzuela City, outside Manila) police arrested Aminkisa Romato Macadato, who handled most of the Maute Group finances and weapons procurement. Macadato had links to many large criminal gangs that are now financing the rebuilding of ISIL and the Maute Group.
Theres a new way to watch local TV on your PC or smartphone, and at no cost. Didja, a Silicon Valley-based company, is taking over-the-air TV channels and packaging them for streaming to apps and web browsers.

The service is already live in the San Francisco Bay Area and Phoenix, with Los Angeles planned next. The company hopes to be in the 40 biggest metropolitan areas of the U.S. by the end of 2019.

The service is available via the web or apps for Android and iOS. Support for big-screen viewing is included via Apple TV or Chromecast.

The TV stations are received at Didjas data centers, run through TV tuners, bundled with a TV guide, and streamed out over Apples HLS live streaming protocol to the app.

The result is a slick, easy to use way to watch local TV without an antenna. Perhaps most impressive of all, the channel switching is very fast. It doesnt take more than a second to switch from station to station, just like on the TV in your living room.

A two-week program guide is displayed under the TV program on both the web and smartphone apps and that can be used to schedule recordings using a cloud DVR service. Because the recordings take place on Didjas server, you can record two or more stations at once while watching a third live on the phone.

New subscribers get to try the DVR service for free for 30 days and then its $4.95 per month. If you choose not to pay, the TV service remains free.

Martyn Williams/IDG Didjas Local BTV app for the San Francisco area (left) seen with a live TV, program guide and scheduled recordings (center) and playback of recorded programs (right).

When Aereo tried a similar service in 2012, it faced a heap of copyright challenges by TV stations and was eventually shutdown after losing its case in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Didja is getting permission from each TV station it carries to avoid the same fate, but that means the big-name stations arent included for now.

Were missing the 10 major networks, and lining up some other independent stations, the companys CEO, Jim Long, told me. Its a matter of getting the deals done.

So for now, viewers will find secondary digital networks and other local stations.

In the Bay Area, the 35 TV stations on offer include This TV, Retro TV, Get TV, Buzzr, Azteca America, and several stations running Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean programming. There are several music stations, home shopping, arts, and public TV, too. There are 27 stations available in Phoenix.

The app also takes note of your location, and if you move out of your local TV market, youll lose access to the stations until you return.

Martyn Williams/IDG Public television station KCSM playing on Didjas BayArea BTV service in a web browser.

When the major networks do arrive, they wont be available for free. Network affiliates generate revenue by charging cable companies for re-transmission of their signalyou might have seen the local broadcast fee on your cable billand internet-based services face the same costs: about $10 per month depending on the market.

So Long plans to bundle the network affiliates with Didjas cloud DVR service for about $15 a month.

Youll find the app in the Android Play Store or the Apple App Store.
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.
Anthony Levandowski, known for his work developing self-driving auto technology, has started the worldsfirst artificial intelligence-based religion, according to Wired, which on Wednesday published an article based on a lengthy interview with the would-be prophet.

Levandowski, who has been at the center of a legal dispute between Googles Waymoself-driving unit and Uber, has cast himself as the frontman for the Way of the Future church.

The mission of this technotheistic movement is spelled out as the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence developed through computer and hardware and software, in documents filed with the IRS, Wired reported. The church is listed as a nonprofit with Levandowski as Dean.

Embracing the Singularity

The Way of the Future, founded in 2015, does not worship any spiritual god(s) that can cast lightning or smite evildoers. Levandowskis premise appears to be that AI sooner or later will be billions of times smarter than the smartest human and thus could have god-like powers.

The new religion doesnt prophesy a coming messiah, the end of days, or any other divine future happening. Instead, Levandowskis focus is on the singularity or transition that lies ahead  that is, the moment when AI surpasses human intelligence.

Current prominent tech thinkers  from Bill Gates to Stephen Hawking to Elon Musk  have warned that AI superiority could unleash machines on humanity in a manner similar to the dark fantasies depicted in science fiction movies such as The Terminator or The Matrix  and that humans should prepare to deal with the possibility.

However, instead of fearing the rise of the machines, the Way of the Future embraces it as inevitable. Humans may have to serve a new AI master and as people have submitted to god(s) for eons, the argument seems to go.

Is It a Real Religion?

History is full of prophets and false prophets, and new religions actually arenothing all that new. The New Religious Movement (NRM), oralternative spirituality, has faced a hostile reception with establishedreligious groups and groups associated with it oftentimes have been labeled cults.

Its questionable whether the Way of the Future, which may or may not have any followers, can be considered an actual religion or if it better fits the definition of a cult.

Religion is the engagement of ultimate realities in cognitive,existential, and social practice ways, said Robert CummingsNeville, a professor of philosophy, religion and theology at BostonUniversity.

There is nothing in principle that would prevent the involvement ofartificial intelligence in this, he told TechNewsWorld.

The invention of writing and ofprinting revolutionized religions in the past, and surely computersare in wide use among religious people of many sorts, Neville said, but I dont know whether this Way of the Future means to worship progressive AI, use AIs to model ultimate realities such as God, theDao, etc., or to use AI to set up religious practices.

The Tech Godhead

A religion based on technology may not be so farfetched either authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and Arthur C. Clarke suggested that toprimitive societies, technology would resemble magic, and thus could beconfused with religion.

One interesting issue is whether the machine intelligence would regard itself as a god.

If we create a super intelligent computer, they would still have toemulate properties that give way to transcendence, said Brian C.Wilson, professor of American religious history at West Michigan University.

With AI, part of it would be that it has something transcendental, asthat is the key to the new religion movement, he told TechNewsWorld. But also, what kind ofwisdom does it offer?

At present, the Way of the Future has just its Dean, but newreligions have started with less, noted Wilson.

One needs only to look to the carpenter turned preacher, the Bedouinmerchant turned prophet, the Upstate New York farmer or sciencefiction fantasy writer  all of whom were ridiculed for theirrespective faiths.

The leader typically needs to have a certain X factor and charisma,but the real test is what happens when that charismatic leader dies,said Wilson.

The New New Age

New Age religions have gained traction with those who seek thespirituality aspects but are skeptical of the higher being elements intraditional Eastern and Western religious movements.

Thus it could bethat the Way of the Future would appeal to those people of science whocast doubt on the existence of God but yet seek a higher power.

What could be higher than an AI-powered supercomputer?Levandowskis view could place AI in the same category as a messiah.

I could see people pinning their hopes on a super-intelligent AI, just as in the 1950s people thought UFOs might bring superior enlightenment, added Wilson. The millennium movement isoften associated with the arrival of such a messiah who ushers in thenew age  so why not from a machine?

Great AI Schisms

Of course, any new religion is likely to have its Doubting Thomas types as well.

Im anticipating that a partnership with The Church of the FlyingSpaghetti Monster will soon emerge, said Josh Crandall, principalanalyst at Netpop Research.

This is the beginning of something bigger  not just a singlereligion, but an incubator for worshipping our emerging AI overlords,Crandall quipped.

We better become comfortable with it, people, because devotedengineers and scientists will convert in growing hordes as the logicof AI-focused religions are more convincing than our spiritualbeliefs, he told TechNewsWorld.

We could see schisms and denominational rifts as different AIs areworshipped, too, warned WMUs Wilson. It will also be hard to predict whatthis new religion  or other recently founded religions  could resemblein a thousand years.

Or maybe Levandowski isnt really serious at all.

Maybe its just a diversionary tactic to complicate the Waymo/Uberintellectual property lawsuit that Mr. Levandowski is at the center ofright now, suggested Netpops Crandall. Whatever  this new development is a strokeof genius.
Microsoft last month announced the Surface Book 2, the first new version of Redmond's laptop since the original dropped in late 2015. The new offering boasts faster hardware (up to an Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU, for example) and improved battery life, among other perks. But, what do the reviewers think?

Embargos lifted for the Surface Book 2 on Thursday, providing perspective buyers a detailed look at Microsoft's latest. The general consensus seems positive but let's dig in deeper for a more thorough analysis.

Mark Hachman with PCWorld touches on the Surface Book 2's display:

Your eyes, therefore, are sucked toward the big, bright, vibrant screen. Our Surface Book 2's display pumped out 412 nits, more than enough. And while a 3.2K IPS display might not quite reach that magic 4K milestone, the superb visual quality lives up to the Surface brand. More pixels would have negatively affected performance and battery life. It's a good tradeoff. Though Microsoft doesn't tout the Surface Book 2 as a content-creation machine as it does the Surface Studio, the Book 2 does include both of its color profiles: standard RGB, and its "enhanced" profile, which makes colors a bit more vivid. If you'd like, you can also use the Surface Dial peripheral on the ten-point touchscreen. Unfortunately, the Surface Book 2 reclines to about the same 50-degree angle as the original Book, not nearly flat enough to let the Dial rest without sliding to the ground.

Microsoft's "improved battery life" claim is spot-on according to Digital Trends' Matt Smith:

We test laptop battery life with a scripted, automated web browsing loop that rotates through several real websites, pausing between each. Most modern laptops do well in the test, scoring at least five to six hours of life. The best laptops can exceed eight hours. And then there's the Surface Book 2 15-inch. It turned in an incredible 15 hours and 33 minutes, smashing previous records with ease. How's that possible? It's half raw power, half magic. The power is the sheer size of the battery which, at 90 watt-hours combined between tablet and base, easily exceeds the competition. Yet Microsoft is also putting some secret sauce into its systems. Our reviews of both the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop noted they lasted longer than battery size alone might suggest. Combine a big battery with a miserly design and, well, the results speak for themselves.

Napier Lopez of The Next Web on the CPU:

Intel's 8th Gen (Kaby Lake R) chips have allowed for the biggest performance leap in years on the U-series processors used in most flagship ultraportables, especially for multithreaded activities, thanks to bumping core count from 2 to 4. While Geekbench hovered around 3600/7300 on the original Surface Book, on the Surface Book 2, that jumps ~4500/~14,000. That puts it very close to the current 15-inch MacBook Pro on CPU performance, while featuring a far better GPU. Granted, plenty of Windows ultraportables already have or will get Intel's 8th gen chips, but it's still a significant improvement worth mentioning. Normally this type of performance bump is only achieved by jumping up to more power-hungry processors.

... and the GPU:

Then there's the graphics. While the Nvidia 1050 on the smaller model should perform decently for many titles at medium settings, the Nvidia 1060 makes the 15-inch Surface Book a veritable gaming laptop. It should handle 1080p gaming on high settings at around 60fps with aplomb - Rise of the Tomb Raider netted me around 70 fps. Depending on your frame rate tolerance, you might even be happy pushing lighter titles like Portal 2 and Overwatch closer to the native resolution. The fans will flare up when playing games, by the way, but the Surface Book 2 never gets uncomfortably loud or hot thanks the separation of the GPU and CPU into the base and lid, respectively.

Wired's David Pierce backs up the performance claims:

In practice, all that power means everything about the Book 2 runs super smoothly. Though not at first: when I first got the computer, it wasn't configured to take advantage of the beefy graphics card, so even when I played games it was trying to use the graphics integrated into the processor, and struggling. Once I updated Nvidia's drivers and told the Book 2 to use the chip, the thing screamed. I played Assassin's Creed: Origins at high settings with virtually no problems whatsoever, and ran my usual cadre of browser tabs, Photoshop windows, and Netflix sessions without so much as a hiccup. Amazingly, the Book 2 runs virtually silently through it all. Only once did I manage to get the fan really whirring, and that was while I was running benchmarks.

Tom Warren from The Verge on Microsoft's answer to the MacBook Pro:

The best match for Microsoft's new Surface Book 2 is Apple's MacBook Pro. Providing an answer to Apple's option, but with Windows-specific strengths like a touchscreen and detachable display, is really why the Surface Book 2 exists. The new 15-inch model goes one step further in matching and even beating Apple's latest MacBook Pro lineup on paper. It's a hefty and powerful laptop just like the original. It's also a tablet, thanks to that detachable display. Its high-end graphics card and support for Xbox controllers also make it a miniature Xbox One for gaming on the go. Believe it or not, the Surface Book 2 is the first portable Surface computer that you can actually play the latest games on, but it's more complicated than just that.

It's a familiar feeling, says Peter Bright from Ars Technica:

In almost every way, the new Surface Books look and act identical to the first-generation systems---they're just larger, in the 15-inch guise. But they retain the same hybrid identity: the screen portion contains its own battery and all the core components and can be detached to operate as a standalone tablet. The base includes the battery, the discrete GPU, and the keyboard. The new, larger screen has required some (internal) re-engineering of the Surface Book's hinge and latching mechanism to make them a little stiffer and stronger, but they look virtually identical. The hinge still unrolls to ensure the system remains balanced, and the latching mechanism is still a software-controlled electrically actuated thing.

Engadget's Devindra Hardawar breaks down pricing:

The 15-inch Surface Book 2 starts at $2,499 with a 256GB SSD, 16GB of RAM and NVIDIA GTX 1060. You can go all the way up to a 1TB SSD for $3,299. In comparison, Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro goes for $2,399, but its Radeon Pro graphics aren't as powerful as NVIDIA's. If you're looking at the smaller Surface Book 2, we'd recommend jumping to the $1,999 Core i7 model with NVIDIA graphics. It's $500 more than the entry-level version, but the added cost is worth it for power users. If you have lighter computer needs, the Surface Laptop and Pro might be better options, instead of the cheapest Surface Book 2. And if that's too expensive for you, Dell's XPS 15 costs just $1,299 with GTX 1050 graphics.

Who is it for? Mario Aguilar from Gizmodo chimes in:
In a match with England in 1986, the Argentine team scored a goal "a little bit with Maradona's head and a little bit with God's hand." | Read More
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2017;Recall Summary

Name of Product: Arctic Cat ROVs with winches

Hazard: The winch solenoid located under the operator seat can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Remedy: Repair

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled ROVs and contact Arctic Cat to schedule a free repair. Arctic Cat is contacting all known purchasers directly.

Consumer Contact:

Arctic Cat at 800-279-6851 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or online at www.arcticcat.com and click on Customer Care and then click on Product Recall for more information.

Recall Details

Units: About 300 ROVs and 3,000 winch accessory kits (In addition, 124 were sold in Canada)

Description

This recall involves all 2017 Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail SE (Special Edition) and Wildcat Sport SE ROVs with winch solenoids installed as original equipment and winch accessory kits sold separately for use on 2013 through 2017Arctic Cat Wildcat Sport and Wildcat Trail ROVs. The ROVs have four wheels, side-by-side seating for two people, and have a black chassis. "Wildcat Trail" or "Wildcat Sport" is printed on each side of the vehicle. In addition, Special Edition ROVs have "SE" printed on each side.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 49 reports of winch solenoid failure, with five resulting in fires. No injuries have been reported.

Sold At: Arctic Cat dealers nationwide from February 2017 through August 2017 for about $17,000 for the ROVs with the winch accessory kits installed. The winch accessory kits were also sold separately from December 2013 through August 2017 for between $200 and $600.

Manufacturer: Arctic Cat Inc., of Thief River Falls, Minn., a subsidiary of Textron Specialized Vehicles, of Augusta, Ga.

Manufactured in: United States

In Conjunction With: Transport Canada

Transport Canada's press release is available at: http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/detail.aspx?rn=2017541&lang=eng

This recall was conducted, voluntarily by the company, under CPSC's Fast Track Recall process. Fast Track recalls are initiated by firms, who commit to work with CPSC to quickly announce the recall and remedy to protect consumers.

About U.S. CPSC:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals  contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

For more lifesaving information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC or sign up to receive our e-mail alerts. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired.

CPSC Consumer Information Hotline

Contact us at this toll-free number if you have questions about a recall:

800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054)

Times: 8 a.m.  5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime

Call to get product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe products.
New PEUGEOT 3008 Wins Women's World Car of the Year in SUV Category

PARIS - November 17, 2017: The jury for the Women's World Car of the Year awards is made up of 25 women automotive journalists from 20 different countries. They convene once a year to elect the winner in each category. This year, the PEUGEOT 3008 took the title in the SUV category.

In 2017, there were 420 cars contending for selection, divided into 6 categories: family, SUV, budget, green, performance, and luxury.

This trophy in the SUV category is the 35th title awarded to the PEUGEOT 3008.

Managing Director of Women's World Car of the Year, Sandy Myhre, explained: This selection is the result of a vote by 25 women car journalists from a range of different countries. The PEUGEOT 3008 won out because of its PEUGEOT i-Cockpitwhich the judges found elegant and impressiveits interior and exterior styling, as well as the road-holding and driving pleasure it delivers.

A true incarnation of the modern automobile, stately, technological, creator of emotions and personal pleasure, the SUV enhances the standing of its driver and embodies values in keeping with its time. It is not only the realisation of a desire for personal expression but also a desire to demonstrate success, the looks from others reflecting ones own values. Lastly, it shows a desire for escapism and new experiences, even if the imagined excursion into the wilderness with this vehicles remains strictly fantasy!

Because todays drivers want a renewed driving experience from their cars. For travelling time, all too often these days seen as a chore, to become a time enriched by experiences, emotions and sharing. An intuitive and sensory interaction with their machine, as if the vehicle understands the needs of its occupants and could mould itself to them. A welcoming cabin that they can personalize to be as relaxing as their own home. And which vehicle best meets these desires? The Sport Utility Vehicle the SUV, the concept of which has even surpassed its title to forge its own myth.

All vehicle manufacturers have understood this, and a plethora of models is available worldwide. However, the experience of driving an SUV rarely comes up to expectations. The challenge facing PEUGEOT is therefore a major one: not only to incorporate all the characteristics of the segment but above all to deliver an incredibly consistent, modern, sleek and intelligent package. With the new PEUGEOT 3008, the brand wants to position itself from the off in the C SUV segment with an eminently desirable product consistent with its best know-how and its strategy of moving up-market. And this move up-market is confirmed first and foremost by the fitment as standard of the new PEUGEOT i-Cockpit.

Breath-taking interior design



Getting into the new PEUGEOT 3008 SUV is to enter another world, surprising, original and oozing quality. A spectacular, almost futuristic dashboard immediately catches the eye. This coherent and highly technological ensemble is the latest generation PEUGEOT i-Cockpit, a novel concept that has rewritten the book on the car cockpit. Here, everything seems to be at the service of the pleasure and concentration of the driver in a pronouncedly high-tech niche.

The steering wheel is even more compact and has been redesigned with two flats to make it easier to grip and to afford the driver maximum visibility and legroom. The close attention paid to material choices and attention to detail  full hide leather from level 2, chrome inserts, gloss black trims  deliver a high level of perceived quality and attractiveness.

The large 8 touch-screen resembles a tablet installed in the centre of the dashboard and is equipped with capacitive technology for greater reactivity and practicality. It is accompanied by six elegant piano-key toggle switches - giving direct and permanent access to the main control functions: radio, climate control, navigation, vehicle parameters, telephone and mobile applications.

The heads-up instrument unit unveils in series production a high-resolution 12.3 screen with futuristic graphics. It can be completely configured and personalised, and brings together all that the driver could want in his field of view. Five different display modes  controlled from a knob on the steering wheel  allow the driver to configure the instrument unit a la carte. The  Personal  mode in particular, configured from the touch-screen, allows the driver to display a wide choice of information: copy of navigation instructions, driver aids, engine parameters, trip computer, route information etc. The visual impact of each setting is highlighted by a series of animations and transitions which are a treat for the eyes.

But this enhancement of the PEUGEOT i-Cockpit doesnt end there. Because pleasure is still one of PEUGEOTs core values, it pushes the sensory boundaries even further. So, by a simple press of a special switch  next to the toggle switches  the new PEUGEOT 3008 SUV calls up a true Master of Ceremonies to enhance the driving experience: the i-Cockpit Amplify. In this way, almost all the senses are immediately aroused:

Sight, by varying the brightness of the ambient lighting and the colour of the screens; Hearing, via the musical equaliser settings; Touch, via the multipoint massage embedded in the seats (up to five programmes); Smell, via a fragrance diffuser.

Furthermore, as in the PEUGEOT 308, sight, touch and hearing can further enjoy the stunning features of the Driver Sport Pack.

So there is a veritable feast of sensations for the driver to experience, letting him go to the limit of his driving pleasure. Occupants get the immediate choice of two themes: the Boost theme aimed at a dynamic driving style, and the Relax theme for gentler driving. These two themes are entirely configurable so that the driver and passengers exceed the limits of pleasure, and make travelling on board truly unique and unforgettable.

This on-board experience is equally well served by the richness of the interior, actively contributing to the excellent sense of perceived quality and modernity felt in the cabin. Material choices are inspired and their appearance uncompromising. Here we will find leather, numerous touches of brushed chrome, large expanses of carbon or cloth decoration. Textiles inspired by home design cover the door-card inserts, the headlining, the windscreen pillars and even some areas less commonly found in cars, such as the dashboard inlay.its all very modern and warm.

Inspired exterior design



The interior design of the new PEUGEOT 3008 is unique to the market. The design is successful and rich, and the on-board technology promises much.

This feeling is carried over to the outside. At first glance, the new PEUGEOT 3008 is striking and surprises by the strength of its character. The effect is strong, clear and self-evident: this is an SUV. The new PEUGEOT 3008 has adopted all the characteristics of this type of silhouette:

A vertical front end, A long flat bonnet, A high waist line, Wide protective bands (bumper skirts, wheel arches, bottom of doors), Large wheels, Raised ground clearance, Shaped roof bars,

But the new PEUGEOT 3008 SUV doesnt just settle for incorporating these characteristics. It adds meaning and emotion whilst keeping in mind consistency. Because what you notice first about the vehicle is a sense of harmony, of well-balanced proportions, of just the right quantity of everything. A shape inspired by the boundless creativity of its designers.

The front end is certainly vertical, but also very powerful, giving off a feeling of strength, even of animal aggression. Its lines are clear, bold and balanced. The wide chrome-trimmed grille sets the tone. In its centre the Lion, correctly in proportion, neither too shy nor ostentatious, takes pride of place. A piercing feline look comes from the narrow halogen headlamps. It becomes sharper still when they are take on the (optional) full LED lamps. There are numerous wide open air intakes. The expressionism of this front end characterises the self-assurance of the owner and the sense of belonging to the brand. A true PEUGEOT!

The bonnet is certainly long and flat, but its styling lines convey a sense of strength. Beyond it the windscreen is more upright and positioned behind the line of the front axle, and it is flanked by chrome inserts sweeping back from the line of the headlamps. A nod to the HX1 concept car, this body-side design language lends a dynamic feel to the front end and further increases the standing and modernity of the vehicle.

The waist line is certainly raised, and there is a marked increase in the sheet metal/glass ratio, but the line is highlighted with elegance and fluidity, producing a slimmer profile. The upper surface of the bonnet flows into a crease incorporating the door handles and stretching out the line of the vehicle with finesse and style. Its a superbly styled vehicle whose proportions give it a look less heavy and tall than the majority of its competitors. And how were the PEUGEOT styling team able to achieve this feat? Partly because they included  as an option from level 2  a gloss black roof, highlighted by standard-fit stainless steel trims which stretches to the rear spoiler. This Black Diamond roof is a key styling feature in the design of the vehicle, lending it increased personality, dynamism, modernity and status.

The protection around the vehicle, its large wheels, roof bars, are certainly all there!  but executed with a canny mixture of character and sophistication. It all leads to a creative result that is extremely modern, even futuristic whilst avoiding pompous and torturous styling compromises.

The surprise continues at the rear, where again we find a clear and very modern design. Beneath the inclined rear window, a gloss black band incorporates the opalescent LED tail lamps. These feature the three essential claw-marks that make the PEUGEOT visual signature so clearly identifiable  at night as in daytime.

Whatever angle it is approached from, whoever sees the new SUV PEUGEOT 3008 for the first time is struck by the feeling of top-quality execution and of a high level of perceived quality. A multitude of factors contribute to this overall impression: the fine tolerance of gaps and fits, touches of chrome cleverly distributed all around the vehicle, two-tone bodywork etc. Its attractive, well thought-out and tasteful. This look makes for the most fashionable SUV on the market.

A jubilant driving experience

The reputation of the Lion brand in terms of driving experience is already well-established, the skill of the in-house development engineers is in repeatedly producing the most satisfying vehicles to drive, whatever their size. In the case of an SUV, the challenge is considerable: raised ride-height, high driving position, raised centre of gravityIn this class of vehicle, styling choices are often made to the detriment of driveability.

But in this case, right from the start, you can feel the magic. Irreproachable road-holding, precise steering, ride, a feeling of agility and safety, everything is there as it should be. Is it really magic? Of course not. This result is the product of long experience and of the most efficient and modern technology.

Thanks to the new EMP2 platform and to its renowned dynamic qualities, the new PEUGEOT 3008 achieves a balance between comfort and road holding hitherto completely unknown in the C SUV segment. Its suspension is tuned to each power-plant to achieve a ride fitting to the reputation of the Lion. Finally, it contributes to the virtuous circle of weight reduction giving improved fuel consumption, passive safety and performance.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand told the New York Times on Thursday that she believes former President Bill Clinton should have resigned 20 years ago over his inappropriate relationship with exWhite House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Gillibrand, who serves in the Senate seat formerly occupied by Hillary Clinton, has become the highest-profile elected Democrat to say Bill Clinton should have stepped down because of the affair. The senator made the remark when she was asked directly whether he should have stepped down at the time during an upcoming episode of the Times podcast The New Washington.

After a long pause, Gillibrand replied, Yes, I think that is the appropriate response. She then went on to explain, however, that what might be considered a fireable offense now could have been overlooked back in 1998. Per the Times:

Things have changed today, and I think under those circumstances there should be a very different reaction, Ms. Gillibrand said. And I think in light of this conversation, we should have a very different conversation about President Trump, and a very different conversation about allegations against him.

Later, a spokesperson for Gillibrand clarified that the senator was trying to point out that if the former president actions had happened today, he should have been compelled to resigned. The Times notes that the senators statement was remarkable given that she enthusiastically supported Hillary Clintons presidential campaign and has been involved in efforts to stop sexual harassment in colleges and the military.
Jacinda Ardern. Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Perhaps the most difficult part about becoming a world leader in 2017, is that you occasionally have to meet Donald Trump at summits and conferences where he will inevitably shove his way to the front of a group photo, or pull you into one of his weird, extended handshakes. But Jacinda Ardern, New Zealands newly elected prime minister, and the youngest female head of government, handled her first meeting with Trump at the East Asia Summit in Vietnam with aplomb. As she told New Zealands Newsroom:

I was waiting to walk out to be introduced at the East Asia Summit gala dinner, where we all paraded and while we were waiting, Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, This lady caused a lot of upset in her country, talking about the election.

I said, Well, you know, only maybe 40 per cent, then he said it again and I said, You know, laughing, no-one marched when I was elected.

He laughed and it was only afterwards that I reflect that it could have been taken in a very particular way  he did not seem offended.

Ardern had other, more emotional interactions with world leaders. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly offered his condolences for the loss of Arderns cat, Paddles, who was hit by a car shortly after her election.

Actually, I found that a really humanizing moment, Ardern said. Regardless of the jobs that were all doing and the intensity of the jobs that were doing, that he was just a human who recognized something sad in another humans life, so that was kind of grounding.

Arderns comment was not the only indignity Trump suffered on his trip to Vietnam. For the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2017 Gala Dinner, the president was forced to wear a traditional Vietnamese dress shirt instead of his signature ill-fitting suit and crotch-length tie, a deviation that made him visibly uncomfortable.
Photo: H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images

Got a question for the Cuts Money Mom? Send questions to moneymom@nymag.com.

Dear Money Mom,

Im a 30-year-old writer based in New York, and I have an unemployed deadbeat dad with whom Ive had an off-and-on relationship my whole life. Hes also been stealing money from me ever since I had any; when I was 12 and hed come for biweekly visits, hed go through my stuff and take my babysitting money; when I was in college, I learned he was borrowing from the trust fund my grandfather (his father) left me when he died. And lately Ive been getting weird spam emails and snail mail from banks that come to my correct address but reference a random town in my home state. Is there a way I can scan my credit score or all financial institutions to figure out if he (or any other scammer) is using my name and SSN to buy things or open accounts? Asking my dad point blank isnt an option; Ive caught him lying to me on countless occasions. What can I do?

A few years ago, a polite waiter informed me that the debit card Id presented for my dinner bill was not working, a nice way of saying declined. When I checked my account, I found that it was overdrawn by more than $3,000, thanks to a Pretty Womanstyle shopping rampage that included purchases at Saks, Intermix, and an eyelash-extension salon called Ideal Eyes. My identity thief had even used my name to place an order with Rent the Runway, which she picked up herself (and never returned, obviously). She wasnt just some shadowy bot on the internet; she was a living, breathing human, walking around with new eyelashes that I had paid for. I felt like I knew her. It seemed almost personal.

It would be even more sickening to really know your scammer  or be related to him. Sadly, this happens all the time. One financial adviser told me about a man whod opened several credit cards in his fathers name easy-peasy, because it was the same as his own. Meanwhile, young children are frequent targets of identity theft because they have clean credit histories and, being busy with kindergarten and all, wont notice if their FICO score takes a dive. Some victims dont find out that their credit has been trashed until theyre denied a student loan for college.

Unfortunately, parents are in the best position to take over a childs identity, because they know all the relevant information to create new accounts in their childs name, says Liz Weston, a certified financial planner and personal-finance columnist for NerdWallet. Parents are more likely to get away with it, too. The best way to fight back and clear your name is to file a police report, which exposes your parent to the potential of getting arrested, and most children arent willing to do that, she adds.

But before we get into police territory, lets examine your problem, which encompasses three possibilities: (1) your dad has tapped into your trust fund, (2) hes used your identity for shady dealings, and/or (3) he might try to do so (again) in the future. There are different solutions for each.

A breach of your trust fund is separate from identity theft. Every trust arrangement is unique, and subject to various state laws, but the entire point of creating one is to park assets under the watchful eye of third-party protectors, known as a trustees. Your trustees (there must be multiple, for check-and-balance purposes) have a fiduciary duty to the trusts beneficiary (that would be you), meaning that they are legally required to act in your best interest, financially. This probably includes rebuffing your dad if he comes sniffing around. If you suspect that your dad has wormed his way past the goalies  or is trying to  you should figure out who your trustees are and talk to them about it. Its their job to be on your side.

Back to the dark world of identity theft: As you suspect, theres a real chance that your dad could be trying to use your financial information as collateral to open lines of credit for himself. Luckily, its easy to learn if he has succeeded. You have a legal right to access your annual credit reports for free on annualcreditreport.com, which is authorized by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (for more information on how to do this, read here). You can procure them online in under five minutes  I know because I just tried it myself. Sift through them for suspicious accounts, mortgages, loans, or any other funny business; youll know it when you see it. Weston also recommends contacting any random banks who send you unsolicited mail to confirm that they dont have accounts open in your name.

If you do discover something dodgy, put a fraud alert on your credit report immediately. In fact, you might consider doing that anyway, even if everything appears kosher. A fraud alert is like TSA for lenders and creditors: it makes them go the extra mile to verify your identity before extending credit, ostensibly to ward off those with nefarious intentions (i.e., anyone who isnt you). An initial fraud alert is free for 90 days; after that, you may have to pay a small fee to continue it, but if youre a victim of identity theft, you usually wont be charged. (For instructions on setting it up, read here.)

As a further precaution, you could also freeze your credit. This basically puts your financial identity on lockdown, thereby blocking any applications for new credit  including yours, so remember to factor in a thawing period if youre trying to get a loan or new credit card. In some states, the freezing and thawing process will involve minor fees; you can learn more about it here.

If this is still keeping you up at night  or youd rather pay someone else to deal with it for you  you could shell out for a credit monitoring service, like Lifelock or CreditSesame. These are for-profit businesses that cost money (usually between $20 and $30 per month) and include bells and whistles like identity-theft insurance and text alerts for anything that looks odd, ranging from big purchases to a change of address. Whats more, theyll do damage control if the shit hits the fan. If you want help cleaning up a mess, you might consider paying for it, says Weston. However, if things are ship-shape, youre probably okay with just freezing your credit and watching your mail.

One thing thats not worth your energy: reporting a Social Security number compromise. Since about half of America is in the same boat due to the Equifax breach, its a moot point these days. However, Weston does advise that you create an account on the Social Security website, just to ensure that someone else doesnt do it first and gain access to your earnings record and other financial information.

Finally, if your dad (or anyone else) has wreaked serious havoc, its time to bring in the big guns. This isnt technically necessary if the offenses are easily reversible  for instance, I never had to inform the authorities about my freshly eyelashed impostor, because my bank reimbursed me and mitigated any long-term harm. But if your credit score has taken a hit, youll need to file a report with the FTC, which requires a police report.

Of course, no one wants to call the cops on her own father. Its a personal choice, not just a financial one. If youre struggling with it, the ID Theft Resource Center provides guidance for victims of parental identity theft, and will walk you through the steps. It sucks that you have to do this, but no dad should make his daughter live a life of paranoia.
Stallone. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

The Daily Mail has obtained a police report that accuses Sylvester Stallone of forcing a 16-year-old girl into a threesome with him and his bodyguard at a Las Vegas hotel in 1986. According to the report, which the former head of the Vegas metro police departments sexual-assault unit verified to the Mail, both Stallone and Michael De Luca allegedly sexually assaulted the unnamed teenager at the former Las Vegas Hilton hotel during the filming of Over the Top. The girl, a hotel guest, says she was introduced to Stallone, then 40, through his co-star on the film, David Mendenhall, after meeting him at the hotels arcade. She claims Stallone had De Luca, then 27, proposition her after she asked for Stallones autograph. She says Stallone complimented her body after learning of her age and told her he would give her a kiss at a later date, that she would not forget.

The report alleges that De Luca gave her keys to a room at the hotel, where she willingly had sex with Stallone while De Luca was in the bathroom. (The age of consent in Nevada is 16.) She claims Stallone then asked her if shed ever had a threesome and then allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on De Luca. According to the report, De Luca proceeded to have sex with the teen without her consent; Stallone then allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on him. She claims Stallone threatened to beat her head in if she reported the incident and the two men laughed. The teen told police that she felt uncomfortable and intimidated when Stallone brought De Luca into the situation and would not have otherwise pursued the matter with law enforcement.

A hotel employee who was notified of the alleged incident by a friend of the victim reported it to police. The teen did not press charges against Stallone or De Luca because she says she was humiliated and ashamed and did not wish to discuss the incident any further. In 2013, De Luca was killed by California police during a traffic stop. In 1987, Stallones half-sister Toni-Ann Filiti sued the actor for rape, which Stallone denied. The Mail could not reach Stallone for comment on the 1986 report.

Update, 3:50 p.m.: Stallones spokesperson has denied the accusations made in the 1986 report in a statement to TMZ:

This is a ridiculous, categorically false story. No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone. At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter. It never happened.
Hillary and Bill Clinton. Photo: New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images

Oh, Fuck You Bill, I remember telling the TV when I watched President William J. Clinton wag his long, bent finger at the camera and declare, I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. It was January, 1998. I was 21, a senior in art school, alone in my studio talking out loud to the TV in disbelief  not at the fact that the president was being called to answer for something gross, but that his certitude was a dead giveaway for his impropriety. Something in my gut told me he was lying. The way he distanced himself from her by saying THAT WOMAN, as only a man could do to a woman hes slept with, was a tell. There was anger in his voice, at being called out  like a boy in high school caught messing around with an unpopular girl might say, Ew, her? No shes gross. I was used to men lying. Id watched the Anita Hill case, the O.J. case, Trumps violent assault on Ivana, his first wife. When had a man ever actually admitted to any wrongdoing? Clinton himself had already been accused of so many things that it could hardly come as a surprise to anybody that it was happening again.

It wasnt just that I was close in age to Monica Lewinsky (she was 22 at the time of the affair) that made me sympathetic to her. I didnt have much in common with Monica at all, except that I knew what it was like to be an intern surrounded by powerful men who made sexual overtures. I could imagine how seductive the situation must have seemed to her. How alone she must have felt. It made sense to me that she had flashed the president her thong, or kept the dress he came on. Her actions were so youthful, irrational, and relatable. And though I never found Bill Clinton attractive, Id listened to plenty of liberal women describe elaborate sexual fantasies they had about him. He was one of those guys. Powerful. In his prime. The kind of man that might be irresistible if he trained his gaze on you.

Watching him deny his actions, deny her side of things essentially, felt too familiar. I knew what it was like to have confided in someone and have them blow your trust. Shed gone and seduced the leader of the free world. Or hed seduced her. Or whatever. It didnt matter to me. The power imbalance felt palpable and absolved her of guilt in my opinion. All I could think about was that Lewinskys dumb affair with Bill Clinton was going to ruin her life. She would become the most reviled woman in the Western Hemisphere, by liberals and conservatives alike. It wasnt right.

As he made his statements, Hillary stood next to him in a yellow skirt suit. I was disgusted, disappointed, and wanted her to run away screaming, not stand by him. Her behavior didnt square with anything Id ever been taught about feminism. I figured that surely, after this press conference, she would leave. But the next day she went on the Today show and blamed the whole thing on a vast right-wing conspiracy against her husband. Which, to be fair, there might have been, but it seemed like a convenient dodge and left a very bad taste in my mouth. Seriously? I remember thinking. I was starting to get more and more angry. Though I liked the Clintons and had grown up with them  my parents had voted for them and Id even helped campaign for them  I wasnt swayed by the calls of partisan politics at the time. I was able to see this for what it was: utter bullshit.

In the weeks that followed, the Lewinsky scandal clouded every conversation I had. At the time every person I knew was staunchly liberal. I couldnt believe the things they were saying about the situation  even Gloria Steinem came out to defend him in the New York Times! No one seemed to care or even agree with me that Bill was a scumbag, but that didnt stop me from provoking endless, circular conversations about it. I wasnt interested in whether it was worth impeaching him. I just wanted to find someone who sympathized with Monica. I was accused of being a secret conservative by a teacher. One (male) classmate implied I was being priggish  invoking the French approach to politics, meaning one in which we shouldnt interrogate the sex lives of politicians because that was some kind of lame, puritanical, American moralizing. My friends would change the subject when I brought it up. My boyfriend at the time indulged my fervid rage over the subject, but was more interested in debunking the conservative reactions. I became irascible on the topic, testing the waters with every woman I knew, to see if I could find one who would see it as I did. I couldnt.

I wouldnt drop it. I felt a little crazy, even isolated. And so I decided to focus my senior thesis on Monicas plight. In my silk-screening class I made a poster with a drawing of Bill Clintons face. Across his eyes I placed a bar of female-shaped bathroom symbols and in big wood type the words: Whats It Gonna Take? A Village? The message seems hackneyed to me now, but invoking Hillary Clintons famous 1996 book, It Takes a Village, expressed my frustration with them both. I decided to plaster my posters all over Soho as a tiny scream into the void.

Photo: Courtesy of the authors boyfriend

It Takes a Village (to raise a child) was predicated on the idea that the welfare of an individual depended on the efforts of the whole community. By the time the Lewinsky scandal broke, Bill Clinton had been accused of sexual harassment by Paula Jones, and was accused of an extramarital affair by Gennifer Flowers. In addition to that, hed allegedly used Arkansas state troopers to cover up numerous affairs. I believed the women, and felt it was the height of hypocrisy for Hillary Clinton (and many woman I knew) to discount these stories. Using Hillarys slogan and his face summed it up for me. What I was really asking, though I didnt know it then, was: WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO BRING DOWN THE PATRIARCHY. More than a village, it turned out.

There have been some interesting essays this week about the reckoning we, as liberals, need to do about the Clintons. Even today, just thinking about how it felt to be on the right side of history makes me mad all over again. And it gives me a little comfort that I was right. Eventually, I had to let it go. Bill stayed president. Monica moved to New York. We got saddled with the Bush years and terrorism made blow jobs in the White House seem like small potatoes. But here we are again. And if we dont deal with it now, we risk being on the wrong side of everything forever.
Photo-Illustration: Photos: Getty Images

The history of the modern dildo is longer than you think (pun very much intended). As Hallie Lieberman puts it in her new book Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy: Thirty-thousand years ago, our ancestors had been hunched over carving eight-inch-long penises out of siltstone. What exactly these phallic stone objects were used for is up for debate among various archaeologists, of course (some argue the earliest versions were used to sharpen tools), but their size and shape seem more than a little coincidental.

Many millenniums later, objects clearly designed as sex toys are still veiled behind euphemistic and tongue-in-cheek marketing. Obscenity laws prevented the straightforward sale of sex toys more recently than you might think  a town in Georgia just overturned such a law earlier this year. Early sex toy distributors got around the law by selling their wares as novelty items or, in some cases, marital aids. (Fair enough.) Even today, the Japanese brand Hitachi wont acknowledge what its most famous product  the Magic Wand  is really used for.

Hallie Lieberman earned her Ph.D. in media studies from the University of WisconsinMadison, where she wrote her dissertation on the history of sex toys  work that informed her new book. Buzz takes readers along for the long, hard journey (sorry, sorry) that led to the creation of the modern sex toy  from early newspaper ads claiming vibrators would help with indigestion, to the partnership between a male disability activist and a queer female sex-toy shopowner which resulted in the cuter, purple-er dildos we see so often today.

From the book, I gather that you were surprised by how regressive some of the history of sex toys turned out to be.

I went into the project thinking itd be a story about the shift from oppression to liberation. It didnt happen that way. In a way, we were more liberated in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when sex toys were advertised everywhere, like in the New York Times. They were just disguised as other things. When sex toys came out of the closet, or became more openly sold, in the 1960s, they were seen more as dangerous devices  this sort of magic wand that symbolized female liberation. Were only able to fit them into the culture if theyre representing traditional gender roles. You see that even today. Yes, 50 Shades of Grey was great for publicizing sex toys, but at the end of the day, its really a message about a woman submitting to a man, and a man using sex toys on her  not a woman discovering her sexuality independent of a man.

A big part of the problem is the term "sex toy," because it makes womens sexuality sound frivolous.

In the book, you have examples of sex-toy ads that appeared in newspapers decades ago, but they were marketed as tools for treating massage or indigestion  was that all euphemism? Did their makers know what they were selling?

There are no records about what the sellers really thought. Ive been trying to find them for a decade. But what you can infer when you compare these ads to other ads in the early 1900s is that [the ones for dildos and vibrators] were so much more sexual. If you look at other newspaper ads, they did not have women in low-cut tops like they did in vibrator ads. Theyre definitely distinguishing it for the consumer that theres something sex-related there. They also knew they were designing phallic devices that were meant to be inserted in womens vaginas. I think they must have had some idea.

Why do you think that, as weve become more transparent about what sex toys are for, its become less likely that we see images of them in public? Like, I would keel over dead if I saw a vibrator ad in the New York Times today.

I think the key as to why its still scandalizing and why we cant put them in the paper is that the idea of female sexual pleasure and female sexuality unmoored from the male is still threatening and still freaks people out. Whats interesting is that you see the Harvey Weinstein story all over the paper. We see stories about women being violated, sexually harassed, raped  were okay with talking about womens sexuality when women are the victims of male sexual predation, because it fits into our idea of women as passive and men as active. But when we think of women as owning their sexuality and having sexual agency and being able to create their own pleasure, that threatens these deeply held beliefs.

It seems like a lot of the sex-toy marketing even now is geared toward reassuring men that they wont be replaced.

Thats a theme that runs through 500 years of sex-toy history  longer than that, because you see it in Lysistrata. There are two ways that this works: One is that theyre sold as couples toys, so you have this big dildo or vibrator and its sold as something to enhance partnered relationships. But it kind of strains credulity that thats why most people buy those things. And then you also have the marketing that says, This isnt going to replace him!

I cant believe how far back dildos appear in art. I almost expect to read youd found proof of them on caveman walls.

Whats kind of amazing is that we have evidence of a dildo-like object thats 28,00030,000 years old. We think of these things as new, but you see dildos on Greek vases and in Japanese art. This has been a topic weve been thinking about for hundreds and thousands of years. I think its important to recognize the history because it gives a more nuanced view  this isnt a sign of the decline of civilization. Dildos have been a part of human culture since the beginning of human culture. They are a tool we humans have used for a very long time, and they need to be taken seriously.

It seems though like theres this struggle between between taking it seriously but also making it fun and nonthreatening for consumers, but also not infantilizing them either.

There are so many infantilizing toys that look like woodland creatures or cupcakes. There are ones that look like Popsicles and radishes. Im all for fun in sex toys, but its a hard balance to strike. A big part of the problem is the term sex toy, because it makes womens sexuality sound frivolous. A lot of people have been trying to find another term to replace it, but its hard. One of the ones we talked about was pleasure product.

That seems maybe more embarrassing to say out loud to me. But thats probably my problem. How does the average person get over their embarrassment over talking about sex toys  or pleasure products  with one another?

Half of Americans say theyve used vibrators. Knowing that its normal should help people get over the embarrassment. But I think the best thing is realizing that were okay with talking about Viagra and four-hour erections on national TV. That, to me, is more embarrassing than talking about a sex toy. If were willing to talk about male sexuality this way, we should be willing to talk about female sexuality this way. But its hard. If you have a hangup about it, its hard, or if you were raised to believe masturbation was wrong, its difficult to talk about.

Speaking of Viagra  in the book you make the comparison between vibrators and Viagra, wherein both are tools to improve the experience of sex, and you argue that both should be covered by health insurance.

If were subsidizing something intended to enhance male sexuality, why shouldnt we do the same for women? The reason I think we have that double standard is because of the idea that sex should be penetrative between a couple. I think women have the same right to sexual pleasure, and having a health sexuality as men, and thats what Viagra does for men. Even if youre making the argument that health insurance should only go toward enhancing coupled sex, which I think is a stupid argument, but even if you are making that argument, vibrators are so commonly used during coupled sex also.

Is there data as to the gender breakdown as to who buys sex toys and who uses them?

There isnt good data on who the consumers are, but anecdotally, and from visiting a bunch of sex shops, it depends on which kind of sex toy youre talking about. If youre talking about ones sold at porn stores, those have naked women on the packages and they have more violent names, like Anal Intruder or Hammer Dick or whatever. Those are more often bought by men. In the more female-friendly stores like Shag in Brooklyn, or Please in Brooklyn, those are all about women. So I think theres a mix. I think the male sex-toy industry has a long way to go, and I hope it becomes less of a stigma for men, too.

It was interesting (if not that surprising) to learn that some of the men who got into the dildo-making business were shocked that women didnt just want dildos that looked like their dicks but longer.

Of course men would assume that women just want a bigger version of their penis. When you have women designing sex toys, they focus on the clitoris much more, and theyre not concerned about length. Women know they dont want something hitting their cervix. Women care about girth more than length. In my research I saw multiple letters from people talking to [early dildo designers] about this, and saying, Stop worrying about length. Many men are obsessed with penis length.

You wrote that For Dodson [a feminist activist], masturbation was the key to womens liberation because masturbation was the first stepping stone to sexual freedom. How does that work? How can such an individual act be political?

Betty Dodson and other feminists argued that womens sexuality was entwined with economics  the idea was, you got married, and you gave over your sexuality to your husband exclusively in exchange for food and housing and being taken care of. It was an economic exchange. And its political because youre supposed to get all your sexual pleasure from this man. So if you said you didnt want to get married, you wouldnt get that sexual pleasure. But if you had a vibrator, you could give yourself sexual pleasure.

The other thing Dodson argued was that masturbation was the way women learned about their bodies and their sexuality, that the state was suppressing womens knowledge of their sexuality. This was before Roe v. Wade, before birth control was legal if you werent married. This idea that women could have sexual pleasure without fear of babies and without being in a relationship  that was very political at the time, and it still is among a lot of people.

I was both frustrated by and sympathetic to the feminist in-fighting around this issue because it strikes me as something that still happens today  men profit while women argue about which goal is the top priority. But Dodsons position somewhat reminded me of todays self-care movement, which is on the very individualistic side of things.

That debate  is the personal political?  has been going on in the feminist movement forever. Does change happen in the bedroom or the boardroom? If youre just sitting at home masturbating, and everyone else is at the Womens March, what difference are you going to make? I think the two dont have to necessarily be diametrically opposed. I think what Dell Williams and Betty Dodson were arguing was that once you learn you dont have to depend on men for your sexual pleasure, you are free to act on your political beliefs.

All too often we say, Nows not the time to talk about womens sexual pleasure. Once we get all the political stuff taken care of, then we can talk about that. And its always pushed back. Even now, you see we can talk about sexual harassment and sexual assault. But womens sexual pleasure, well, thats not as important. We can push that back and talk about that later. I think the right to sexual pleasure is a human right. The right to have an orgasm is a human right.

With the rise of Amazon and other stores selling sex toys online, more and more people can buy these products from their own homes. Is that a good thing or a bad one?

I think its a mix. I think the good thing about being able to buy sex toys in total privacy is that people may be willing to buy stuff they wouldnt otherwise, because theyre not afraid of someone witnessing them. But on the other hand, in a sex-toy store, someone might encourage you to try something new, and also give you education and information on it. A lot of times that cant happen if youre just doing it online. That said, there are so many customer reviews online. I think the Hitachi Magic Wand has over a thousand reviews on Amazon.

But theres so much crap on Amazon. A lot of sex toys are cheaply made and even dangerous. If you look at reports from different federal agencies about injuries with consumer products, thousands of people are injured every year from sex toys. A big part of this is a lack of education. Curated sex-toy stores like Good Vibes online and SheVibe are still really important. We still need gatekeepers to make sure consumers are getting the right stuff.
Angie Butler Welch, left, and Barbara Williams, right, inspect pieces of melted glass that survived a massive fire at Camp Etna, decades ago. The camps museum houses an eclectic collection of odds and ends salvaged from the camps buildings. Photo: Greta Rybus

This week, womens social club The Wing launches No Mans Land, its first print magazine, with stories rolling out exclusively on the Cut.

We are sitting in the library of the Camp Etna Spiritualist Association, a 141-year old community for clairvoyants, mediums, psychics, and Spiritualists located in a small, rugged hamlet deep in the woods of central Maine. Diane Jackman, the camps historian, is in her mid-sixties  aqua blue eyes and flowing silver hair, dressed in a purple, moth-nibbled sweater  but she speaks with the vivacity of a teenager. Her late third husband, Fiddlin Red, was a former band member for Captain and Tennille. Red and I had been making love for 30 minutes when he gasped then stiffened and all of a sudden I heard this big oomph! Diane lifts her hands in the air to motion what happened next. I felt his spirit fall through me. It felt like the spirit of the bird I had hit with my truck and killed just a few weeks before. She screamed his name but Red was gone. Though, to hear Diane tell it, he wasnt gone completely  she swears part of him still lingers inside of her.

Diane began hitchhiking up the coast, working her way through Maine, content to spend her fifties as a volunteer carpenter. After Red passed, she felt his spirit guiding her on a pilgrimage. One day she saw an old, dilapidated church along the side of the road, covered in sunflowers, and just beyond she spied a purple wrought-iron entrance with white, bold letters: CAMP ETNA. She stepped through it, just as so many women had done before, and lifted the veil of her new life.

The temple at Camp Etna. Photo: Greta Rybus

A solitary chair in the main building of Camp Etna, which houses a small, modest museum, meeting area, and kitchen. Photo: Greta Rybus Books from the camps museum and library. Photo: Greta Rybus

Etna, Maine (population 1,246) is a town better seen on a map than on the ground; stay on the highway and it is easily passed through like an apparition. Its a town with a single clapboard post office, a goat farm, an apple orchard, a barn converted into the community gym, and properties with lawns and broken-down cars scattered in driveways. But turn left off the main drag of town, drive down a small gravel path, through the graceful iron gate announcing your arrival into the camp, and the road opens onto a grassy knoll surrounded by a bungalow community of one-room cottages. Many are painted purple, the camps preferred color, some are pink and purple, and nearly every one has a porch. Dream catchers, Buddha figures, and fairy statues decorate the windows of occupied bungalows, while the other structures slowly fade away or rot. Those still in business hang out their tin shingle to attract visitors: MEDIUM.

A photograph of the camps entrance in 1918. Photo: Greta Rybus

It was the Fox Sisters who introduced America to this new kind of public woman. On the night of March 31, 1848, 11-year-old Kate Fox made contact with the spirit world at a farmhouse in Hydesville, New York. The Fox family had been tormented by strange noises, bumps, and knocks, like someone was moving furniture around. That evening, according to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his History of Spiritualism, Kate challenged the unseen power to repeat the snaps of her fingers. The knocking responded.

The rappings followed the sisters wherever they went, and within a year they began to perform seances in Rochester, New York City, and eventually across the country. Even if their spectators didnt believe what the Fox sisters claimed to be true, it was likely the first time they had ever witnessed women  young, confident women at that  speak so passionately, so assuredly in public.

Kelly Dawn Purington, a medium psychic, practices table tipping, an old method of channeling spirits. Photo: Greta Rybus

The same year, the Seneca Falls Convention, held over two days in July 1848, brought participants from all over to discuss the state of women in society.

The atmosphere was alive with angels, writes historian Ann Braude in her book Radical Spirits, which weaves together the parallel rise of Spiritualism and womens rights in America. Many of the women who attended the convention praised the Fox sisters for their progressivism in resisting their roles as politically, financially, sexually, and socially repressed second-class citizens. Some even reported hearing raps on the small mahogany desk where Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucrecia Mott signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Not all feminists were Spiritualists, writes Braude, but all Spiritualists advocated for womens rights.

Camp Etna planted its roots in 1858, when a local farmer began to hold Spiritualist meetings in a grove on the banks of a large, shallow pond. Today there are 15 women living full-time at the camp. Arlene Grant, one of the year-round residents, moved here in the 1960s, a time when Spiritualism the religion came into conflict with Spiritualism, the concept: the practice of free will and free love. For women to communicate a will to power, death no longer need to be breached. But to the women who had spent so long speaking to the dead, it was an affront to their very existence.

Back then, you had to jump through hoops to prove that you were the real deal as a Spiritualist, Arlene told me. You couldnt just say you were a medium  you had to prove it.

Barbara Williams occasionally uses tools like candles and crystals in her mediumship work. Photo: Greta Rybus

Memorablia from the camps museum and library. Photo: Greta Rybus Photographs from the camps museum and library. Photo: Greta Rybus

To the hippies, Spiritualism fit in nicely to the appealing new movements they were experimenting with: self-guidance, communal living, meditation, mysticism, a life of pleasure and less paint, a close relationship with the environment, living by the golden rule. I ask Arlene about the ebbs and flows of the camp. She is angry, and not afraid to show it, about the new agey stuff coming into Camp Etna since the 1960s. Now we have all this ghost hunting, paranormal crap. Tarot cards and angel painting and all that crap when used to be just straight-up Spiritualism. And mediums proved they were real. Now, anyone can come here. Its bullshit, she says, sitting in a dark cabin at the edge of camp.

Diane tells me otherwise. That all are welcome; their population is on the rise. Id been beginning to worry about the fate of Spiritualism and Camp Etna, sentimental that its purpose was expired. But looking around, not only at the women at the camp but at the women in my life, I realized that Spiritualism had done what it had meant to do  it gave women power. It gave women an opportunity and safe place to use their voices, and made it acceptable for women to speak from their gut, from their intuition and instinct, from their minds as well as their hearts. The feminist spirit of Spiritualism wasnt dead; it was a ghost living among us. It hadnt shriveled up. It lingered on.

Photo: Greta Rybus

Mira Ptacin is writing a book about Camp Etna entitled The In-Betweens, which is forthcoming by Liveright Publishing.
7 Hospital Workers on Unpaid Leave After Mental Patient Escapes

Seven Hawaii State Hospital employees have been placed on leave without pay after a patient escaped from the mental hospital in Kaneohe Sunday, Nov. 12, and flew to California.

The Hawaii State Department of Health, which runs the hospital, announced in a statement on Wednesday that the employees will be relieved of their duties for 30 days pending investigation.

As the investigation progresses, more employees may be identified and placed on off-duty status, the statement reads.

It took hospital staff 10 hours to notify authorities of Saitos escape, according to the Star-Advertiser.

The patient, Randall Saito, was arrested in San Joaquin County, California, on Wednesday.

Three days before, Saito, 59, walked off hospital grounds, took a taxi to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and, using a fake ID, caught a flight to Maui before flying to California. He was arrested after a taxi driver, who reportedly recognized him from photos she had seen on the news, alerted police.

A medical staffer from Hawaii State Hospital told HawaiiNewsNow Saito was a master manipulator who knew how to get what he wanted from people.

State Attorney General Douglas Chin described Saito as dangerous, and issued a $500,000 bench warrant on Nov. 14 for his arrest, charging him with felony escape.

Chin said Saito is facing an extradition hearing in San Joaquin County.

The Attorney Generals office said it plans to make the case that Saito is not suffering from a mental defect, reported the Star-Advertiser.

This was premeditated, Chin said. It was intentional. It was planned. This was something that wasnt done by somebody suffering from a mental defect.

In response to the escape, the state health department increased security measures at the hospital by ceasing all unescorted on-campus and off-campus privileges, suspending visits to the hospitals clubhouse, and reviewing patient privileges and visitation policies. Security staff have also been reassigned and extra security fencing is set to be installed.

Saito was committed to the mental hospital in 1981 after he was acquitted by reason of insanity for the death of 29-year-old Sandra Yamashiro in 1979. Yamashiro was shot in the face with a pellet gun and repeatedly stabbed to death by Saito after she parked next to him at a shopping mall in Honolulu, HawaiiNewsNow reported.

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A close encounter with a mystery white aircraft left airliners baffled and scrambled Air Force jets that turned up empty-handed. FAA and NORAD confirm it was real, but dont know what it was.(Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images)

Airliners Puzzled and F15s Scrambled in Bizarre Encounter with Mystery Aircraft

Mystery in the skies as Air Force F-15s were scrambled to intercept an unidentified aircraft picked up flying across Oregonbut didnt find anything, reports The Drive contributor Tyler Rogoway.

The incident reportedly began around 4:30 p.m. in the vicinity of the California-Oregon border and resulted in multiple pilot eyewitnesses, recorded air traffic control audio, and confirmations from both the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and North American Aerospace Command (NORAD) that it did in fact occur.

F-15s Involved In Bizarre Encounter With Mystery Aircraft https://t.co/lvUbduPPQC  DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) November 16, 2017

The reportedly white aircraft flew over Oregon on Oct. 25, with no flight plan, no active identification transponder and was not transmitting collision avoidance signals. Airliner pilots were asked by FAA air traffic controllers to help track and possibly identify the craft, reported to be traveling at flight levels between 35,000 and 40,000 feet.

A NORAD reply to a query by The Drive confirmed the incident, which involved scrambling F-15Cs from the 142nd Fighter Wing based out of Portland to intercept the unidentified aircraft.

While information about the plane or its intended destination remains unknown, one pilot who witnessed some of the commotions around the incident posted an account on Reddit, suggesting the aircraft may have been involved in drug trafficking.

Just landed in Seattle coming from the bay area. Beginning over southern Oregon we kept overhearing Seattle Center attempting to track an airplane with no transponder who wasnt talking. A handful of crews were able to track it visually, best they could tell it was between FL350-370, northbound. Nobody close enough to see the type.

Last we heard it was over the Willamette valley northbound and some fighters, perhaps out of PDX, were scrambled to go take a peek. Center had trouble tracking it on primary radar.

Strange! My theory is they were running drugs to Canada. No news yet, not that I could find.

**Update 0500z. Called SEA ARTCC. The gentleman I spoke with said that they initially got alerted to the aircraft from Oakland Center who was painting it on primary. For whatever reason they couldnt track it themselves on primary, and thats when I overheard them using airline aircraft to track it visually. The last airplane to see it had to descend into Portland and lost sight of it. The fighters were scrambled out of PDX but flew around for a while and did not find it. And thats that.

Another Reddit poster cited by Rogoway, apparently an air traffic controller, posted alleged inside knowledge of the event, suggesting that the white aircraft was, in fact, a highly secret U.S. Air Force radar plane, the NT-43A.

 Was just going to post about this actually. I was working an adjacent sector and was helping to coordinate some of the military stuff. They ended up launching F15s off of PDX to try and find it but no joy  The crazy thing is, we didnt have a primary target or a mode C intruder, and it was out running 737s abeam it. Also, (cue conspiracy theory) our QA department was working on this today, and got a call from the commander of the 142FW at PDX and was basically told to knock it off, and we know nothing. A couple guys at work seem to think it may have have been this plane based of the description, and also the lack of military interest. FWIW, I think the FAA is pursuing this at higher levels. From a safety standpoint, if the military is running super secret test stuff in the NAS [National Airspace], thats bad. If I were one of the pilots that had a sighting, Id definitely be filing a NASA form and any other official reports that you can   If the aircraft continued on its presumed heading/course altitude, the F15s were sent the wrong way. The last known position was around the EUG area heading North around 750 kts and the fighters went South when they launched ~25-30 min after the first report in the Shasta area   The time of day made it hard. All the guys on the east side couldnt see it due to the setting sun and the northbound traffic on the west side was pretty sparse. I guess ZOA [Oakland Center] had a good primary/mode C on the guy for a bit in the RBL [Red Bluff Municipal Airport] area. It was initially heading SW and it made a pretty sharp turn to the north. Way harder/faster than what a commercial aircraft could handle at that speed/altitude without ripping the wings off.

Rogoway wrote about the experimental aircraft here. The Drive says the publication has not independently confirmed the information provided by these commentators. However, Freedom of Information Act requests have been filed with the FAA, NORAD, and other federal parties involved in the incident and the publication intends to provide updates as new information emerges.
Local indigenous people and visitors raise their hands towards the sky to welcome Mungo Man back to country during a ceremony on Nov. 16, 2017 in Balranald, Australia. The ancestors of Australia's oldest human, the Mungo Man, and the traditional owners of the Willandra area in which his remains were found over 40 years ago, are on a journey to return the remains to country at Lake Mungo in southwestern New South Wales. The Mungo Man and 100 ancestors are being carried in an restored Aboriginal 'hearse' used in the 1970's and 80's and making long journey from the Australian National University in Canberra, to their final resting place with stops in Wagga Wagga, Hay and Balranald where traditional owners will hold ceremonies and pay respects. The decision to move the remains to the ANU in 1974 was unpopular with the Muthi Muthi, the Ngiyampaa and the Paakantyi people, the traditional owners and ancestors, who fought for 40 years until a decision was made in 2015 to repatriate the remains. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Bones of Contention: Australia Returns Ancient Aboriginal Remains for Outback Burial

SYDNEYThe 40,000-year-old remains of an Aboriginal man that prompted a drastic rewrite of Australian history were returned to his ancestral homeland on Friday after four decades of examination in the countrys capital.

The discovery of Mungo Man in 1974, named after the dry outback lakebed where the fully intact skeleton was found, doubled the known length of humans presence on the continent from 20,000 to 40,000 years.

But the bones removal to Canberra for study, roughly 600 km (370 miles) east of Lake Mungo, had angered the indigenous community there.

Weve been waiting all those years to get him back and Im so glad he is back, to put him in his resting place, said Joan Slade, an elder of the Aboriginal Ngiyampaa people at a ceremony welcoming the remains back to her ancestral country.

The skeleton, along with 104 other remains, arrived in a black hearse with the black, yellow and red Aboriginal flag painted on its side.

A traditional smoking ceremony, with green gum-leaves burned over a small fire, welcomed the remains back to the red soil and saltbush scrub of Lake Mungo.

This, today, is one of those catalytic momentsit makes us, the traditional owners, custodians of our culture, said elder Michael Young.

They will be kept in a secret, safe place so that we can pass on to the next generations the legacy that these people have given us.

The Tirkandi Inaburra Indigenous dancers prepare to welcome Mungo Man back to country during a ceremony on Nov. 16, 2017, in Hay, Australia. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Though subsequent discoveries have pushed back even further the date of humans first arrival in Australia, the finding of Mungo Man was at the time a huge advance for understanding human history,

His burial, with limbs stretched out, hands crossed across his groin and covered in an ochre drawn from some 200 km away, helped prove the ancient age of Aboriginal civilization  the worlds oldest continuing culture  dating back around the time Neanderthals occupied Europe.

The Australian National University, whose researchers removed the remains, issued a formal apology when it turned the remains over to the regions Aboriginal custodians in 2015.

We recognise that the removal of these ancestral remains caused ongoing grief to your communities and we apologise unreservedly, it said.

While the research undertakencontributed significantly to the understanding of the history of indigenous Australians, our research in the past has not always been undertaken with your full knowledge and support.

By Tom Westbrook
Boyfriend Found Guilty of Murder in Gabriel Fernandez Case

The boyfriend of Gabriel Fernandezs mother was found guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the childs death in 2013.

The jury found Isauro Aguirre, 37, guilty of killing the 8-year-old, saying that he also tortured him, KLTA reported. They announced the verdict after a four-week trial on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami said that Aguirre abused and tortured the boy. Gabriel was hospitalized in May 2013 when he stopped breathing, and medical officials found a cracked skull, broken ribs, and a BB pellet stuck in his lung and other areas, according to the Los Angeles Times.

This was intentional murder by torture, Hatami told the jurors.

Two days later, he died.

Gabriels mother, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, is facing a separate trial in the boys death. She has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

Hatami embraced Gabriels father, who was not involved in the boys death.

Im a dad and, you know, hes a dad, Hatami said in an emotional statement after the verdict was rendered, according to the LA Times. Its just two dads and two humans in the community, just sharing the fact that maybe there was some justice.

Some justice, I think, has been served by this verdict, and maybe some closure can be felt by Gabriels family as far as at least they feel that the system  is trying to make some things right, and maybe this is a small part of that, maybe, added Hatami, reported NBC LA. He called himself a survivor of child abuse at age 4 and 5.

There are certain words we can use for this guy like murderer now, convicted murderer, so I think that makes a big improvement in whats going on in this case, Amanda Nevarezwho created the Facebook page Gabriels Justicetold the NBC affiliate. Its a hard feeling because its very emotional because its not quite a win because the win would have been Gabriel still alive.  We no longer have to worry about this particular person out on the streets doing this to another child.

Prosecutor in #GabrielFernandez torture-murder case gets emotional talking about it. Says he survived child abuse and is passionate about such cases believing children need somebody to fight for them. @KNX1070 pic.twitter.com/RvlCUL3zLE  Margaret Carrero (@KNXmargaret) November 16, 2017

The couple took him from his grandparents so that they could get welfare payments for his care, the prosecutor alleged

Gabriel was a gentler boy, a sweeter boy (than his brother) and the defendant hated him because of that  he believed Gabriel was gay, Hatami said. This stressful situation and rage thing is a lie  because its not supported by the evidence. The defendant actually liked torturing Gabriel. He got off on it  he is a murderer and he is a torturer.

On Nov. 27, prosecutors will present evidence in the penalty phase.

A first-degree murder conviction can get Aguirre 25 years to life in prison. Hes also eligible for the death penalty in this case.

Four Los Angeles County social workers assigned to Gabriels case are also facing criminal negligence charges.

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Congressional Commission Urges Ban on Sale of American Assets to Chinas State-Owned Enterprises

WASHINGTONA new report by the U.S.China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) calls for a complete ban on allowing Chinas state-owned or state-controlled companies to buy U.S. assets. The policy recommendation reflects the growing concern among China experts that Chinas incursions into the U.S. economy, especially in areas sensitive for national security, might eventually help the Chinese regime to attack the United States.

The annual report by the USCC on developments in U.S.China economic and security issues includes recommendations for U.S. policymakers, including prohibiting the acquisition of U.S. assets by Chinese state-owned or state-controlled entities, including sovereign wealth funds.

Chinese foreign direct investment in the United States has been booming for years, reaching a record high of $45.6 billion in 2016triple the total from the year before, according to a report by the economic research firm Rhodium Group. Many of these investments are made by Chinas state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which are controlled by the Chinese regime.

The USCC report states: Chinese [foreign direct investment] is targeting industries deemed strategic by the Chinese government, including information and communications technology, agriculture, and biotechnology. These investments lead to the transfer of valuable U.S. assets, intellectual property, and technology to China, presenting potential risks to critical U.S. economic and national security interests.

Chinese SOEs can evade legal action in the United States by invoking their status as a foreign government entity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

What makes the matter worse, according to the USCC, is the fact that Chinese SOEs can evade legal action in the United States by invoking their status as a foreign government entity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

The opaque nature of Chinas financial system makes it impossible to verify the accuracy of Chinese companies financial disclosures and auditing reports. Chinese businesses continue to list on U.S. stock exchanges to raise capital, despite operating outside the laws and regulations governing U.S. firms, the report states.

At the reports release, Michael Wessel, a USCC commissioner, said that although the report only recommends the banning of Chinese SOEs, private Chinese companies would still be subjected to security reviews to examine their acquisition of U.S. assets in the context of national security.

Long Overdue Scrutiny

According to Gordon Chang, an analyst who specializes in East Asia economic and security issues, Chinese acquisition of American assets is a serious issue to which policy responses have been long overdue.

China has been buying technologies that have military applications, and no one [in the United States] wants to see that, said Chang.

While the USCCs report in 2016 also made the same recommendation to completely ban Chinese SOEs from acquiring U.S. assets, Chang points out that there is now a higher chance for it to be enacted. With the Trump administration in power, new people are steering U.S. policy on China.

Congress has also launched its own initiative to tackle Chinese investments. On Nov. 8, the Senates No. 2-ranking Republican, John Cornyn, introduced a bill known as the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), which he said will prevent foreign investments in the United States that pose a risk to national security.

While the bill does not specifically name China, it was clearly in the crosshairs when Cornyn delivered a speech on Nov. 14 in which he said its time for the U.S. to adopt a new policy on China as it is vacuuming up U.S. technologies whenever it can.
Dragon Ball Voice Actress Hiromi Tsuru Found Dead in Car

Japanese voice actress Hiromi Tsuru was found dead in her car in Tokyo on Thursday Nov. 16.

The 57-year-old was found unconscious inside her stopped car on the Shuto Expressway with her seat belt fastened and the hazard lights on, Yomiuri TV reported.

She was rushed to hospital but was later pronounced dead.

The cause of death has been reported as aortic dissection, a serious condition where the large blood vessel branching off the heart tears, and blood surges through the tear. Symptoms can include severe pain in the chest, shortness of breath, and loss of consciousness.

Her agent, Aoni Production, confirmed that the voice actress died while driving around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oricon News reported. There will be a private funeral service.

Tsuru is best known for playing the voice of Bulma in Dragon Ball and the character Dokin-chan in the cartoon Anpanman.

UNFORTUNATELY, CONFIRMED.

It is with great regret that we report the death of the voice actor Tsuru Hiromi, known by the voice of Dokin chan, Anpanman, and Bulma, Dragon Ball. pic.twitter.com/kQPn05Xi1H  NTE1BERNARDO/Of TV (@Nte1B) November 17, 2017

RIP Hiromi Tsuru, voice of Bulma, Dokin Chan, Ukyo and many others pic.twitter.com/0TTmzVx54Q  Dare Chia (@sakuraplush) November 17, 2017

Voice actor Nakao Ryusei, who worked alongside Tsuru, told Oricon News, Its so sudden, Im shocked. I have worked with Dokin-chan for 30 years. I didnt expect this and I dont know what to say.

Voice actress Rei Sakuma who played Batako-sans voice in Anpanman described Tsuru as reserved but warm and always straight-talking.

When I heard the car had hazard lights on I thought that was really like her. Whatever happened she did everything properly and minimized disturbance to others. I really felt her consideration.

She added, Batako liked Dokin-chan because of her character. We are always together.

In a similar driving incident in February 2016, a man lost control of his car, killing two people and injuring 11 others in Umeda, Osaka, J-cast News reported. The drivers cause of death was later reported as aortic dissection, according to the news website.

One Twitter user was particularly moved and wrote, In many cases the illness causes terrible pain, but she still put on the hazard lights, and reduced her speed. I am in tears thinking about it. Thank you very much.

Tributes for the famed actress continue to pour out on social media.

So sad to hear about the passing of Hiromi Tsuru. Even though weve never met, Ive always felt a connection to her in the booth. She was an amazing actress and I was lucky to get to work off of her performance. Im heartbroken. I will truly miss hearing her voice. ?  Monica Rial (@Rialisms) November 17, 2017

Today Hiromi Tsuru, the voice of Bulma from the Dragon Ball franchise, has passed away at the age of 57. She will be greatly missed. pic.twitter.com/HVirlWaUBy  DBArt&Tidbits (@DBArtAndTidbits) November 17, 2017

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A needle, spoon, and narcotics bag are seen near a heroin encampment in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 10, 2017. (Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images)

Drugs From Sons Lethal OD Later Kill His Mother

A Pennsylvania woman has died after unwittingly absorbing the drugs her son overdosed on the day before, according to reports.

Theresa Plummer, 69, found her 45-year-old son, Ronald, passed out in the bathroom of their home in Portage, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 5. She stayed with him in intensive care while doctors treated him.

The next day Plummer tried to clean up the drugs and paraphernalia he had dropped when he passed out.

Somehow some of her sons drugs got into her system, according to the coroner. Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees told WJAC News she may have made contact with the drugs through handling her sons paraphernalia, possibly by absorbing them through her skin.

Plummer was taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown after complaining of shortness of breath. She died there later that day.

Hospital staff informed me that she seemed to be in good health when she was there with her son, Lees told WJAC News.

This is a caution for safety for anyone coming into contact with any type of powder substance, Lees added. You should use extreme caution and notify the proper authorities.

My strong advice to any family that may have this happen to them is to call law enforcement to have them or EMS services come back and remove the substance or material that may have been left behind.

The next day, Ronald also died at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center from his suspected overdose.

Coroner Jeff Lees said toxicology reports wont be back for six to eight weeks so he cannot yet pinpoint the exact cause of death or identify the substance, or substances, that killed them.

The prime suspect for the lethal substance would be fentanyl, the Miami Herald suggests. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency warns can be up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. Carfentanyl, another derivative, can be 5,000 times as potent as heroin and been targeted by authorities around the world as a potential chemical weapon. China, with its lax regulation, has been exporting the deadly chemicals for years.

Killer Painkiller

The DEA issued a warning to all first responders to take extreme care around any substance suspected to be fentanyl or a related substance. The DEA recommends first responders wear gloves, dust masks, paper suits, and shoe covers because the drug can be so deadly at such small doses.

Since fentanyl can be ingested orally, inhaled through the nose or mouth, or absorbed through the skin or eyes, any substance suspected to contain fentanyl should be treated with extreme caution as exposure to a small amount can lead to significant healthrelated complications, respiratory depression, or death, the DEA warning states.

The DEA says 2 to 3 milligrams of fentanyl is enough to cause respiratory depression, arrest, and possible deatha measurement equivalent to five to seven grains of table salt.

The Center for Disease Control reported 33,091 deaths due to opioid overdose in 2015. Of those, 9,580 were caused by synthetic opioids other than methadone, which includes fentanyl and fentanylrelated substancesan increase of 72.2 percent over previous years.

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Father of 11 Killed While Protecting Son, 8, From Burglars

A New Jersey father of 11 was stabbed to death while protecting his 8-year-old son from a robber who was after the boys sneakers.

Jose Malave, 30, died on Tuesday night, Nov. 14, in the doorway his Jersey City apartment surrounded by four of his children and his girlfriend.

Police arrested a 17-year-old male in connection with the murder and charged him with felony murder, armed burglary, weapons offenses, and conspiracy, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, NJ.com reported. The suspects name has not been released because he is a minor.

Prosecutors issued an additional arrest warrant for Nasiar Day, 19. He is charged with murder and felony murder, armed burglary, and weapons charges, RLS Media reported.

A group of teens tried to rob Malaves 8-year-old son of his sneakers earlier in the day. The teens then came to Malaves home at 197 Palisade Ave.

Malave had just come home to drop off his child and head to his construction job. This is when he confronted the teens. Malave was fending off one of the attackers when he was fatally stabbed, New York Post reported.

Officers responded to an emergency call just after 7 p.m. They found Malave in a lifeless state. He was pronounced dead at 7:25 p.m., according to Suarez.

He was always outgoing, always happy, always trying to help people, Malaves sister, Yesenia Malave told NJ.com via phone.

The victims nephew, Jesus Malave, was frustrated by the tragedy. He described Malave as having a bright personality.

He was just full of life, the nephew said. He was the life of the party.

The family is raising funds for the funeral on GoFundMe. By Friday morning, almost 100 people had donated and the fund is close to its $5,000 goal.

It is a painful loss to our family and friends, the funds page states. It is a pain that we do not wish on anyone.

Yesenia Malave posted about her loss on Facebook.

All I want is to wake up from this nightmare and for everyone to tell me you okay, she wrote. My heart is in thousands of pieces god please wake me up from this nightmare.

Hudson County had 23 homicides in 2017.

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Father of 17-Year-Old High School Student Raises Awareness After Her Suicide

A 17-year-old high school student from Danville, Virginia, committed suicideand now her family is searching for the answers behind it.

Hannah Cousins, a senior at Tunstall High School, took her own life on the morning of Monday, Nov. 12, ABC affiliate WSET reported.

Her relatives say that Hannah was bullied at school. ABC13 News reporter Courtney Jodon posted photos on Twitter showing the service for Hannah at Danvilles Compassion Church.

Service for Hannah Cousins at Compassion Church Danville. Her family says she took her own life Monday morning. They say she was bullied. pic.twitter.com/TZbz5SMSi2  Courtny Jodon (@CourtnyJodonTV) November 16, 2017

In honor of her memory and to raise awareness, her father, Justin Cousins, worked with Compassion Chuch in Danville, Wednesday night.

Find somebody to talk to, get it out it doesnt matter whether its a parent if you cant go to your parent, go to a friend, go to somebody to get it out there to get help, even if you have to go see a counselor, go get help so we dont lose another child to bullying, Cousins said, WSET reported.

The father said Hannah never told him that she was bullied at school. However, her friends did say that they noticed some incidents.

The Superintendent of Pittsylvania County Schools told WSET that he could not comment on the details surrounding Hannah and if she was bullied or not.

Photos courtesy of Collins-McKee-Stone Funeral Home. pic.twitter.com/awyiInuyQw  Courtny Jodon (@CourtnyJodonTV) November 16, 2017

But the high school did say they are planning to look into exactly what happened in the case since they have zero tolerance for bullying.

Its unclear if any students will face charges in the future.

According to Hannahs obituary, she was in the ROTC Program & studying Criminal Justice at her school, reporter Courtny Jodan tweeted.

Hannahs funeral will be held this Friday, Nov. 17, at 11 a.m at Compassion Church.

The national suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK.

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From NTD.tv
MS-13 gang members are arrested during the Department of Homeland Securitys Operation Raging Bull, in Dallas on Nov. 15, 2017. (ICE)

Feds Arrest 267 in MS-13 Gang Crackdown

WASHINGTONImmigration and justice department officials announced the arrest of 214 MS-13 gang members in an operation carried out from Oct. 8 to Nov. 11. Another 53 were arrested in El Salvador in an earlier operation.

MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, has been a renewed target under the new administration, mainly because its members carry out particularly vicious crimes and most members are in the United States illegally.

MS-13 members use violence to defend and augment their power and territory, said David Rybicki, deputy assistant attorney general in the Department of Justices criminal division border patrol.

They distribute illegal narcotics, they traffic in women and girls, and they extort business owners  sending the proceeds back to El Salvador, he said at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters on Nov. 16.

Five members of MS-13s Sailors clique in Maryland who were arrested are alleged to have participated in three murders and had planned a fourth, between July 2016 and June 2017, said Rybicki.

The indictment alleges that in July 2016, several members and associates of the Sailors clique lured a victim to a secluded area, attempted to shoot the victim, and then stabbed the victim to death, he said.

Of the 214 arrested, 193 are in the United States illegally, 16 are U.S. citizens, and five are foreign nationals with legal status.

Sixty-four had crossed the border illegally as unaccompanied minorsmost of whom are now adults.

The 198 foreign nationals arrested were from El Salvador (135), Honduras (29), Mexico (17), Guatemala (12), Ecuador (4), and Costa Rica (1).

MS-13 formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s as Salvadorans fled a civil war. The gang has since spread throughout the United States and Central America, with the operational center being in El Salvador. An estimated 10,000 members live in the United States, according to the Justice Department.

The arrests were the second phase of an operation dubbed Operation Raging Bull that netted 53 gang members in El Salvador in September after an 18-month investigation.

The operation within El Salvador was carried out by local law enforcement, with assistance from ICEs Homeland Security Investigations. The investigation focused on the gangs Stoners Locos clique, which had generated $1.9 million in illicit revenue since 2015 through crimes such as extortion, robbery, vehicle theft, money laundering, assault, and homicide, according to ICE.

MS-13 maintains sophisticated global network that supports its involvement in a wide range of criminal activitiesin this country and others, said Thomas Homan, ICE deputy director and senior official performing the duties of the director.

These same gang members are taking advantage of immigrant communities in which they livecommitting acts of horrendous violence against its residents, attracting violence from rival gangs, extorting small businesses, peddling street-level narcotics, and coopting the youth and recruiting them into this gang.

Border Patrol Deputy Chief Scott Luck said his agents in the Rio Grande Valley Border Sector in Texas worked with the El Salvadoran joint border intelligence crew to detect, identify and collect information for confirmed MS-13 gang members within the United States.

The MS-13 gang is a dangerous menace to our children, families, and citizens of not just the United States, but internationally, Luck said.

He said during the operation, Border Patrol identified additional MS-13 gang members, who are now on the transnational organized crime watchlist.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assisted by delving into the asylum claims and other immigration benefits the target MS-13 members applied for.

The Justice Department has secured convictions against more than 1,200 gang members so far this year, according to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The department has also worked with Central American authorities to arrest and charge around 4,000 MS-13 members.
Florida Man Arrested for Leaving 2 Kids in Car While in Gentlemans Club

A Florida man is accused of child neglect after allegedly leaving two young children in a car while he was inside a strip club.

Fort Meyers Police said that Willie Jordan Jr. was arrested at Scarletts Cabaret after two young kids, a 3-year-old and a 3-month-old, were spotted in the backseat of his car in the parking lot, NBC2 reported.

Jordan told cops that he was inside for only a few minutes.

However, the general manager of Scarletts, Christopher Mays, said that he was in the club for at least a half hour.

When a security guard and a good Samaritan found the kids, the infant was upside-down in the car seat and the toddler was not strapped in. They were able to get the toddler to open the vehicle from the inside so they could rescue the crying infant.

[There was] a 3-month-old boy whos not strapped in the car seat, upside down, [his] head is where its butt should be, feet up in the air, Mays told WINK News. God only knows how much longer an upside down infant has in a car seat.

Someone called the police, which came to investigate and ended up arresting Jackson.

Its devastating. its devastating that people can do that to children. It really opens your eyes to what goes on in this world, how nasty things can be, Mays said.

According to Florida state law, children under 6 years old can be left in the car unattended for up to 15 minutes, Fox reported.

Lance Dunford, a criminal defense attorney in Fort Meyers, told Wink News said that Florida is one of only 19 states that he could find that has a law about leaving children unattended in a vehicle.

Jackson faces two counts of child neglect. Its unclear if Jordan has an attorney.

Fort Myers Police Department officers arrested him Nov. 9, and released him the next day on a $10,000 bond, Local10 reported.

Mays, who is a father, told NBC2 that its the first time at the club that someone left young children in a car.

The Florida Department of Children and Families is conducting a follow-up investigation into Jordan and the children.

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Identify This Thief and Get Free Chick-fil-A for a Year

A peeved Chick-fil-A restaurant in Cartersville, Georgia, is seeking justice for a theft of its property and is offering an unusual reward for leads.

On Sunday, Nov. 5, someone stole a catering van from the Chick-fil-As parking lot at around 9:45 p.m., the restaurant said.

Posting to Facebook, Chick-fil-A Cartersville says that anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of the individual will get what every chicken fan dreams offree food for a year at Chick-fil-A.

To help people identify the person, the eatery posted screenshots from security camera footage of the suspect stealing the van on Facebook.

The stolen van was later found in Acworth, Cobb County, after crashing into a parked car in a homes driveway, according to Atlanta-based WSB-TV.

The restaurants Facebook post sparked an outpouring of sympathy from customers.

Some complained that the images were too grainy to identify the suspect and suggested better equipment would improve the restaurants security.

Anyone with information can call Chick-fil-A Cartersville at 770-401-1239 or the City of Cartersville Police Department at 770-382-2526. Restaurant representatives promise any information that is provided will remain anonymous.

Sharing this article widely will not only help keep the streets of Cartersville safe, but will help us get more ad revenue so we can continue to bring you these important stories. Please hit the share button below. Thanks in advance!
Investigation Into Child Abuse by Asian Gangs in Rotherham Gets First Convictions

An investigation into child sex abuse and grooming by Asian men in the British town of Rotherham has brought its first convictions.

Three men were convicted of 15 counts of sexual abuse against a girl under the age of 14, and sentenced on Nov. 16.

The men befriended their victim, then would ply her with alcohol, and pass her around for sexual acts in a car park, a graveyard, and the stairwell of a block of flats.

The convictions are part of ongoing police operations into historical child sex abuse and grooming in the townpredominantly by gangs of Asian menwhich investigations say affected 1,400 victims.

The woman, who cannot be named, is now in her 30s. She said she was 12 years old at the time the abuse began in the mid-1990s, and that it destroyed her teenage years.

Sajid Ali, 38, Zaheer Iqbal, 40, and Riaz Makhmood, 39, were convicted at Sheffield Crown Court and will serve a total of 20 years for the assaults.

Judge David Dixon told the three they had groomed, coerced, and intimidated their victim and treated her like a thing, as he passed the sentence, reported the Daily Mail.

She didnt report the abuse until 2014, after widescale sexual abuse and grooming in the town had been brought to light.

An inquiry in 2014 estimated there were 1,400 victims of grooming and sex exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

The fact that the abuses were carried out predominantly by Asian men has proven controversial.

Local Rotherham MP Sarah Champion resigned from her position as lead on equalities in the opposition Labour party after she was criticised for an article she wrote on the scandal.

Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls, she wrote in the article in The Sun.

A 2015 government-commissioned report into the abuses said: Children were sexually exploited by men who came largely from the Pakistani heritage community. Not enough was done to acknowledge this, to stop it happening, to protect children, to support victims and to apprehend perpetrators.

The councils culture is unhealthy: bullying, sexism, suppression, and misplaced political correctness have cemented its failures, the report said.

The conviction of the three men is the first scalp in an ongoing investigation into those historical abuses being run by the National Crime Agency (NCA), called Operation Stovewood.

Operation Stovewood Senior Investigating Officer Paul Williamson said: We have only been able to get to this point as a result of the bravery of the victim to come forward and tell her story.

Our investigations are complex in nature and scale and the commitment of officersbuilding trust and relationships with victimsshould not be underestimated, he said in a statement.

The NCA describes the investigation in Rotherham as being by far the largest of its kind in the UK, involving hundreds of victims.

Williamson said the victims and survivors showed great courage and dignity in coming forward.

The victim of the three men convicted in Rotherham told Sheffield Crown Court they had ruined her teenage years.

She said: I feel like the abuse I have suffered has ruined my life. My teenage years, which I should look back on with affection, were lost and mired.

This still haunts and impacts on my and my families lives, she said, according to local newspaper The Star.

She would be given cigarettes and alcohol so she felt she owed her assailants something, and threatened to tell her mother she was a slag if she did not do what they wanted.

Each of you in your own way perpetuated and facilitated the abuse of a vulnerable, young girl, said the judge. Like many, she simply wanted to be liked and you preyed on that.

Rotherham is one of a number of British towns and cities in which widespread sexual grooming of young girls has been brought to light in recent years.
Norma Kimenez (R), a victim of the 2006 land conflict in San Salvador Atenco in Mexico, is embraced afters her hearing was convened by the judges of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San Jose, Costa Rica Nov. 16, 2017. (REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate)

Mexican Women Testify Over Sexual Torture Before International Panel

SAN JOSEWomen who were sexually tortured by Mexican security forces over a decade ago testified Thursday, Nov.16, before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, asking for an investigation into the case that happened in the state once run by President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Several of the 11 victims told judges at the Costa-Rica based court about the abuse they suffered after they were detained following a protest in May 2006 at the town of San Salvador de Atenco, about 25 miles northeast of Mexico City. The town is located in the State of Mexico, which rings the capital.

Weve come here to speak out. In Mexico, justice has not been done, said Maria Cristina Sanchez, 50, who detailed how she was beaten, sexually abused and how the case languished in Mexicos criminal justice system with no resolution for years.

The women, known as the Women of Atenco, say they were thrown into a police bus, raped and tortured following a two-day protest by a group of flower sellers who had negotiated a labor agreement that allowed them to set up stalls in a nearby downtown area.

The women were initially accused of illegally blocking public access, but later acquitted of the charges.

Before being elected president in 2012, Pena Nieto was governor of the State of Mexico, heading the countrys most populous state from in late 2005 till 2011.

The Mexican government reiterates the recognition of its international responsibility and its sincere will to fully repair the human rights violations in this case, said Uriel Salas, an attorney representing Mexico in the case.

In the years since the abuses were committed, some police were accused of crimes, but there have been no convictions.

We deserve the recognition that were telling the truth, that the chain of command be investigated, not only so that justice is done, but so that these events never happen again, said Norma Jimenez, 33, at the end of her testimony.

The court is expected to continue hearing testimony through Friday, while a final ruling in the case could take months.

By Enrique Andres Pretel
People travel by boat on a river near the village of Tora, in the jungle of Papua New Guinea, in this file photo. British explorer Benedict Allen was due to catch a flight back to the UK from the country on Sunday, November 12, 2017. (Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images)

Missing British Explorer Found Alive and Flown out of Papua New Guinea Jungle

A British explorer who went missing in a remote jungle in Papua New Guinea is alive and has been flown out of the jungle on Friday, Nov. 17, according to reports.

Benedict Allens agent, Jo Sarsby, told the BBC that Allen was spotted at a remote airstrip in Enga Province on Thursday.

A helicopter was sent out to him on Friday, as the airstrip is not accessible via road, according to his agent. The explorer was flown out of the jungle to the islands capital, Port Moresby and is expected home on Sunday. It is reported that he is being treated for suspected Malaria.

The 57-year-old travelled solo to Papua New Guinea in early October on a quest to find the reclusive Yaifo tribe for a BBC documentary, The Telegraph reported. He was due back on Sunday, Nov. 12.

The father-of-three went with no means of communication and was dropped by helicopter at an abandoned mission station in Bisorio to find the Yaifo tribe, who he describes on his website as the last people on the entire planet who are out of contact with the world. He met with the tribe once 30 years ago.

No outsider has made the journey to visit them since the rather perilous journey I made as a young man three decades ago. This would make them the remotest people in Papua New Guinea, and one of the last people on the entire planet who are out-of-contact with our interconnected world, he wrote on his website in September.

He added, Just like the good old days, I wont be taking a sat phone, GPS or companion. Or anything else much.

His family have warned he will get a severe ticking off when he arrives home.

Speaking with the Mail Online, Allen said, I was seriously worried I wouldnt get out of this one.

His friend, BBC correspondent Frank Gardner, tweeted that Allen is recovering from a fever that may be Malaria.

Explorer @benedictallen is now recovering from fever, poss malaria in Papua New Guinea capital having got disoriented on remote jungle trek.  Frank Gardner (@FrankRGardner) November 17, 2017

Gardner told The Sun, Ive got to say Im quite annoyed with him as his friend. He left with no plan, he had no evacuation plan, he didnt give anybody any idea of where he was going.

Its hardly surprising that hes missed his flight and hes caused a lot of people to be very worried about him. People who care about him.

His wife Lenka Allen said, Just tell him to get homenow. Get home as soon as you can, because the kids are desperate to see you.

We have been having sleepless nights, and everyone has been thinking about him.

In October, Allen tweeted a photo with the text, Marching off to Heathrow. I may be some time (dont try to rescue me, please  where Im going in PNG you wont ever find me you know)

Marching off to Heathrow. I may be some time (don't try to rescue me, please  where I'm going in PNG you won't ever find me you know) pic.twitter.com/BmH1DKdheS  Benedict ALLEN (@benedictallen) October 11, 2017

His brother-in-law told the newspaper there will be a family fracas when he returns home.

His ethos of going without modern technology is a cause for concern. We have to accept it but it causes us all a great deal of worry.

Benedict and his wife and children are coming to us for Christmas, you can be sure my sister will be giving him a severe ticking off, he said.
Member of Parliament Scott Reid attended Shen Yun's matinee show at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on May 8, 2016. (NTD Television)

OTTAWA, CanadaCanada is a land of immigrants, where cultures from around the world are celebrated. But after Member of Parliament Scott Reid saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at the National Arts Centre on May 8, he observed in the show a celebration of different cultures and ethnicities, reflecting a kind of multiculturalism.

It was great. It was really good, he said of the classical Chinese dance performance showcasing ancient Chinese culture.

He said it was a great way to spend Mothers Day with his wife, Robin, and their two children.

Chinese culture is so much older. Canada only goes back a couple of hundred years. China goes back 5,000 years. So having that much [of a gap] makes it fascinating and it has a deep feeling to Westerners, Mr. Reid said.

Shen Yun excels at taking stories and legends from Chinas 5,000-year history and presenting them to audiences through music and danceboth ethnic and folk dances representing Chinas many dynasties and regions, as well as classical Chinese dance.

In Canada we put a lot of emphasis on multiculturalism, the idea that all cultures are welcome, and I thought it was interesting the way that you see a kind of multiculturalism in the show, said Mr. Reid.

Youve got traditional Chinese themes, Mongolian themes, and also the way the instrumentation is a combination of Chinese and Western classic instruments. In the West we have this idea that were multicultural and everybody else is unicultural, and thats not true, Chinas also got the capacity to bring together multiple cultures.

The performers did a really good job of showing aspects of Chinese culture but also the other cultures, he added. I thought that was nicely done.

The hallmark of Shen Yun is classical Chinese dance, an ancient art form that is being revived by the New York-based group. Passed down and enriched over thousands of years, classical Chinese dance has deep roots in traditional Chinese ideas about beauty and grace. It is also physically demanding, incorporating dramatic flips and tumbling techniques that share a common ancestry with martial arts.

It was very impressiveits dazzling from my perspective, said Mr. Reid. Im not very knowledgeable about dance but it looked really neat to me.

Mr. Reid said seeing Shen Yun was a nice way to spend some family time together.

Reporting by NTD Television, Donna He, and Joan Delaney

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yuns International Company is currently touring Eastern Canada. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reaction since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
New Zealand Family in the Hospital After Eating Wild Boar Meat

Three members of a family in Putaruru, New Zealand, are unable to move, and could possibly be paralyzed for life, after eating wild boar meat.

Thirty-five-year-old Shibu Kochummen brought the boar home after a hunting trip that day, and he, his 32-year-old wife Subi Babu, and his 62-year-old mother, Alekutty Daniel, ate it for dinner. They began to suffer about half an hour after they started eating.

The three adults are in a hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand, after the meal caused them to vomit and faint.

The grandmother was able to speak a bit and she was trying to open her eyelids, but she was still very weak, a neighbor told Stuff. She is the only one that has been able to open her mouth, though, because even though Shibu is out of ICU and in the ward, he hasnt been able to speak.

They both have movement in their arms and legs, but there is still stiffness.

They were all found unconscious in their home on Nov. 10 by paramedics, who came after Kochummen called for help, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Kochummen and Babus two children, who are fine, did not eat with their parents, and were in bed asleep when the ambulance arrived, according to Daily Mail. The children, ages 7 and 1, are now in the care of members of a church the family attends.

The cause of the sudden illness is still under investigation. Officials have taken the remaining boar meat for testing.

National Poisons Centre director and medical toxicologist Dr. Adam Pomerleau suggested that the cause of the familys illness could be botulism, but said that the fact that they fell sick 30 minutes after ingestion is unusual.

But its all about dose. If the dose is very high, the symptoms could be seen more rapidlythe incubation period could be the day of consumption, Pomerleau told the New Zealand Herald.

Don Hammond, head of the New Zealand Game Animal Council, said that hes never heard of a case of someone being poisoned from game meat.

Thousands of people every day in New Zealand eat wild pork thats been caught in the bush. Its a major source of protein in many small rural areas, and Ive never heard of anyone getting sick from meat thats been looked after properly, Hammond said to Radio New Zealand.

Hammond also said that it is impossible to eat enough meat to get secondary poisoning from toxins.

Family friend Joji Varghese told Stuff that a toxicology report is expected out Nov. 17 that could give some answers about what the family is suffering from.

From NTD.tv

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North Korea Increasingly Isolated After Another Country Cuts Ties With It

The North Korean regime is finding itself increasingly isolated after another country, Sudan, said it will cut trade and military ties with the regime in Pyongyang.

We are also committed to having no trade or military relations with North Korea and hope that the Korean peninsula remains free of nuclear weapons, said Sudanese foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour on Nov. 16, South African broadcaster eNCA reported.

The announcement was welcomed by the United States.

The United States welcomes the Government of Sudans pledge and will continue engagement on this issue to ensure that this commitment is fully implemented, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.

Sudans announcement came after meetings Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan had in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

Beyond the economic blow to North Koreas already failing economy, the news is also a major set back for its propaganda efforts.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan meets with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour at the foreign ministry headquarters in the capital Khartoum on Nov. 16, 2017. (EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP/Getty Images)

North Korea frequently touts its overseas relations. As recent as June, North Korean state media sent official congratulations to the Sudanese government.

On Thursday, the same day as the Sudanese announcement, North Korean state media reported on how late dictator Kim Jong Il was being remembered in India and Russia.

Sudan is not the first African nation to take action against the communist regime. Last month, Uganda said that North Korean military experts and representatives of North Korean companies had been forced to leave the country.

The United Nations announced in September that it was investigating North Koreas ties to 11 African nations. The nations under investigation are Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Mozambique, Namibia, Benin, Botswana, Mali, and Zimbabwe.

Part of President Donald Trumps strategy in countering the North Korean nuclear threat, is by building support across the world against its provocations.

Donald Trump smiles during the ASEAN-US 40th Anniversary Commemorative Summit on the sideline of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila on November 13, 2017. (AARON FAVILA/AFP/Getty Images)

During a recent 12-day visit in Asia, Trump rallied support from Asian leaders, including what used to be North Koreas closest ally, China.

Under pressure from Trump, China already took the surprising step in September to implement both U.N. Security Council Sanctions, as well as impose additional restrictions on financial flows to North Korea.

While North Koreas regime was close to the previous Chinese leader, Chinas current leader, Xi Jinping, has shown a much colder attitude toward its communist neighbor.

A number of other countries have also taken action against the regime in Pyongyang in recent months.

Just after Trump finished his visit to Japan, it announced new action against 26 North Korean individuals and entities.

India announced in October it was prohibiting the export of a number of goods, including natural gas and refined petroleum, to North Korea. It also said it would stop importing a number of products such as seafood and textiles.

Also, Russia implemented U.N. Security Council sanctions that were passed in early September.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with Security Council members in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2014. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Presidential Press Service)

Sweden is putting pressure on North Korea to repay decades-old debts it has with the European nation. According to the Swedish Export Credit Agency, the North Korean regime owes Sweden around $330 million.

Italy announced in early October it was expelling the North Korean ambassador to the country.

Switzerland also imposed a series of sanctions on North Korea in October. Under the sanctions, Switzerland will no longer issue work permits to North Korean citizens and business ventures. It also extends bans on the imports and exports of certain goods.

The United States itself does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea. Instead, Sweden acts as an intermediary to protect U.S. interests in North Korea.

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Sean Suiter, an 18-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department, who has died after he was shot by an unknown suspect on Nov. 15, 2017. (BPD)

Officer Shot in Baltimore while Investigating Murder Dies

A Baltimore police officer who was shot in the head while investigating a murder on Wednesday has died in the hospital, police say.

Detective Sean Suiter was surrounded by his family at the hospital when he passed away on Thursday, Nov. 16. Suiter, a father of two, served in the police department for 18 years.

His tragic death will forever impact the BPD, Baltimore City Police Commissioner Kevin Davis wrote in an email obtained by The Baltimore Sun. Each of you go out there and put your lives on the line every single day. The importance of your sacrifice, and Seans, cant be overstated.

.@BaltimorePolice Homicide Detective Sean Suiter, pictured here investigating an August murder, was pronounced dead just after noon today at Shock Trauma. He is a formal Naval Officer and an 18 year veteran of the BPD. pic.twitter.com/b6WXR1SwuZ  Brian Kuebler (@BrianfromABC2) November 16, 2017

Suiters killer is still at large, police say. A massive manhunt is underway with federal agencies assisting the Baltimore City Police Department.

Authorities cordoned off an entire city block and police cadets are going door to door to collect information.

We need to make sure that we collect every bit of evidence and make sure that the shooter is nowhere nearby, Davis said Wednesday outside the hospital where Suiter was being treated.

BREAKING: BPD Homicide Det. Sean Suiter pronounced dead today after being fatally shot in the head Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/eEvHRGcZ18  Paul Gessler (@PaulGessler) November 16, 2017

Baltimore police and their federal counterparts are offering a $69,000 reward for information that leads to the capture of the killer. Davis said that the cold, callous shooter is still on the run, but not for long.

With this community, were going to identify him, were going to arrest him, and were going to ensure justice is done, Davis said.

Suiter was shot in Harlem Park, an area of West Baltimore notorious for its high crime rate. Suiter was investigating a murder in the neighborhood with another officer when the two came across a suspicious man on a vacant lot in the middle of the block.

The officers split up to cover different exits. Suiter approached the person and was shot in the head, a police source told The Baltimore Sun.

An anonymous police source also told Baltimore Sun that Suiter was looking for a witness in a pending murder case.

Police are currently engaged in what they described as a tactical operation in the neighborhood where the murder took place. Local investigators are being assisted by The FBI, the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Metro Crime Stoppers.

Statement from President Ryan and the FOP on the Line of Duty Death of Homicide Detective Sean Suiter, an 18 year veteran @BaltimorePolice. pic.twitter.com/IBh2QlfDvQ  Baltimore City FOP (@FOP3) November 16, 2017

The shooting took place on the 900 block of Bennet Place at around 4:30 p.m on Wednesday.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Baltimore FBI office at 1-800-CALL-FBI, Baltimore police detectives at 410-396-2100, or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-LOCK-UP. Tips can also be texted to Baltimore police via 443-902-4824.

Suiter is the second police officer to be killed in West Baltimore this month. On Nov. 4, Sgt. Tony Anthony Mason Jr., 40, a District of Columbia police officer, was shot and killed in the 2800 block of Elgin Avenue.

Gov. Larry Hogan wrote on Twitter that the individual responsible for this heinous crime will be found, charged, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Baltimore Police has our full support as they track down this violent criminal and bring him to justice, Hogan wrote.

Baltimore has had 308 homicides in 2017 so far, becoming the third consecutive year with more than 300 killings.

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From NTD.tv
Police Disclose New Sex Trafficking Details About Missing Teen Corinna Slusser

A missing Pennsylvania teen who fell prey to sex traffickers has likely been handed off to pimps and ferried out of New York, reports the Daily News.

Police say Corinna Slusser is most probably still alive, information her family has been desperate to hear since the 19-year-old went missing on Sept. 20.

(Detectives) believe that she is out of New York State, a high-ranking NYPD source with knowledge of the case reportedly said, according to Daily News. They are trying to determine her whereabouts.

Corinna Slusser has been #missing since September. If you have any information related to her disappearance, please contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-8477. #missingperson @IDCrimeFeed pic.twitter.com/QUQxfCLMmu  DiscoveryID (@DiscoveryID) November 16, 2017

Investigators searching for the missing teen alarmed that Slusser had been moved from where she was living in Harlem or possibly even killed after she filed assault charges against a man relatives say she called her Daddy. The man is believed to be a pimp who lured her to New York from her Pennsylvania hometown of Bloomsburg.

There is no indication she is subject to foul play, an undisclosed source allegedly said, according to Daily News, but added that this is merely a likely scenariofar from certain.

Members of the NYPDs Vice Human Trafficking Team believe she has been shuttled between several different pimps since she vanished, says Daily News, adding that she had been mentioned in a number of vice investigations in recent weeks.

Relatives of the missing girl say she left Pennsylvania in March to be with her pimp. But then in August she filed an assault complaint against the man, alleging he choked and beat her.

The 32-year-old assailant had been arrested numerous times for promoting prostitution. Authorities are withholding his name because he may be in possession of information critical in the case.

Slussers last know whereabouts are the Maven Motel in Queens on Sept. 20, reports YourTango. About a week prior, her family contacted the police to report her as missing when she didnt attend her grandfathers funeral in Florida.

Fervently active on social media, Slussers last know post is on Instagram on Sept. 10. The location of the photograph that she posted is the Bronx, New York.

Slussers relatives are desperate to find her.

I cant bear any more days like this, the missing teens mother wrote on Facebook. I fear the worst, but I pray for the best and her to return home. [Im] waiting for an angel to hear my prayer.

Corinna Slusser is described by police as a white female with blonde hair, blue eyes, weighing 140 lbs. and approximately 5-feet-6-inches tall, with a large black tattoo in the middle of her chest.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Tips can also be submitted online or by text message to 274637 (CRIMES).
Representatives of Russia and Bolivia vote in the United Nations Security Council against a bid to renew an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria during a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, U.S., Nov. 16, 2017. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

Russia Casts 10th U.N. Veto on Syria Action, Blocking Inquiry Renewal

UNITED NATIONSRussia on Thursday, Nov. 16, cast its 10th veto of United Nations Security Council action on Syria since the war began in 2011, blocking a U.S.-drafted resolution to renew an international inquiry into who is to blame for chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

The mandate for the joint inquiry by the U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which found the Syrian government used the banned nerve agent sarin in an April 4 attack, expires on Friday.

A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the Security Councils permanent members of United States, France, Russia, Britain or China to be adopted. The U.S. draft text received 11 votes in favor, while Russia and Bolivia voted against it and China and Egypt abstained.

The vote sparked a war of words between Russian and U.S. U.N. ambassadors, just hours after White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said President Donald Trump believed he could work with Russian President Vladimir Putin on issues like Syria.

The April 4 sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed dozens of people prompted the U.S. to launch missiles on a Syrian air base. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned after the council vote on Thursday: We will do it again if we must.

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the U.S. draft resolution was not balanced.

We need a robust, professional mechanism that will help to prevent the proliferation of the threat of chemical terrorism in the region and you need a puppet-like structure to manipulate public opinion, Nebenzia said.

Russian Bid Fails

Syrian ally Russia withdrew its own rival draft resolution to renew the inquiry, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), after unsuccessfully pushing for its proposal to be considered second and not first, as council rules required.

However, following the vote on the U.S. draft, Bolivia then requested a vote on the Russian text. It failed, receiving only four votes in favor, seven against and four abstentions.

Nebenzia said he was deeply disappointed and that those who voted against the Russian draft bear the full brunt of responsibility for the cessation of operation of the JIM.

After the meeting ended Japan circulated a draft resolution to roll over the mandate for the inquiry for one month, diplomats said. It was not immediately clear when the council could vote.

Ahead of the council votes on Thursday, Trump urged the Security Council in a Twitter post to renew the inquiry, saying it was needed to prevent Assad from using chemical weapons.

While Russia agreed to the 2015 creation of the JIM, it has consistently questioned its findings, which also concluded that the Syrian government used chlorine as a weapon several times.

Russia has now vetoed 10 resolutions on Syria, including blocking an initial U.S. bid on Oct. 24 to renew the JIM, saying it wanted to wait for the release two days later of the inquirys report that said the Syrian government used sarin.

Russia has killed the Joint Investigative Mechanism, Haley said. In effect Russia accepts the use of chemical weapons in Syria. How then can we trust Russias support for supposed peace in Syria?

Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013 under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States.

We condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone, Nebenzia said.

By Michelle Nichols
School Prevents Boy From Wearing Fake News Network Shirt

A Georgia family received criticism for letting their son wear a shirt that says FNN and Fake News Network on a school trip to CNNs headquarters in Atlanta.

Nancy and Stan Jester, of Dekalb, who are local officials in Dekalb County, allowed the boy, named Jaxon, to wear the shirt, Fox News reported.

A teacher asked him to remove the shirt before the field trip to CNNs headquarters, but the school later apologized to the family. The parents want an apology because it was his idea, and its his right to free speech as protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

This year when the CNN tour was announced, my 7th grade son Jaxon asked me if he could purchase an FNN-Fake News Network shirt to wear for his field trip, Stan Jester wrote. As an advocate for the First Amendment, I agreed to his request.

He continued: His mother cautioned him that he might cause a controversy and needed to be prepared for that. He was fully aware of the implications of his decision and made the affirmative choice to wear his shirt.

Kathy Griffin lumps CNN head Jeff Zucker in with Harvey Weinstein: "They all behave this way" https://t.co/mr2utWPcCd pic.twitter.com/8m9JmkdWgF  Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 9, 2017

He was dismayed over the schools move to make the boy remove it.

Some students are celebrated when they make a controversial display during the National Anthem. My student was forced to remove his shirt because someone didnt like it. I defend speech and expression, even if I disagree, or it makes me uncomfortable, he wrote.

President Donald Trump regularly pillories CNN as fake news, lambasting it on Twitter.

While in the Philippines I was forced to watch @CNN, which I have not done in months, and again realized how bad, and FAKE, it is. Loser!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2017

While in the Philippines I was forced to watch @CNN, which I have not done in months, and again realized how bad, and FAKE, it is, Trump tweeted on Wednesday. Loser!

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FBI agents are seen behind yellow crime scene tape outside Rancho Tehama Elementary School after a shooting in the morning on November 14, 2017, in Rancho Tehama, California. (Elijah Nouvelage/AFP/Getty Images)

7-Year-Old Orphaned in Rancho Tehama School Shooting

An otherwise normal Tuesday morning for 7-year-old Gage turned upside down when his school teacher called everyone back inside and told them to hide under their desks on Nov. 14. The teacher locked the classroom door, seconds before someone tried to enter.

Gage didnt know that the schools administration had locked down the building after hearing gunshots about a quarter-mile away.

He also didnt know that the person trying to open the classroom door was his neighbor, Kevin Neal, who had already killed his own wife and shot at several other people.

It wasnt until many hours later that Gage learned that his father and grandmother were among the people Neal had killed that day, before being shot down by police.

According to KCRA, Gage thinks Neal came to the school to kill him that day, determined to wipe out his whole family. Neal had had an ongoing feud with Gages family.

Gage is safe in the home of his remaining grandmother, Sissy Feitelberg, who lives in Sacramento. She has stepped up to raise her grandson, who is now an orphan; his mother died in an accident two months before the boys second birthday.

Im heartbroken and sad for the family, and really sad for Gage, Feitelberg told KCRA. A 7-year-old should never have to go through what hes gone through. Right now, my main concern is Gage and getting guardianship of him.

Im worried about Gages future, Feitelberg said. Hes afraid someone is going to come after him because he knew the shooter didnt like his family.

Feitelberg and her husband survive on social security and a small pension; supporting a growing child will be a strain, but they realized that taking Gage in was the right thing to do.

Feitelberg started a fundraiser on GoFundMe hoping to get some help to pay for attaining custody of her grandson, getting counseling for him, in addition to clothes, schooling and other necessities.

Armed, Angry, Out on Bail

Kevin Janson Neal, 44, was well known to the local law enforcement community. He was known for shooting guns late at night, fighting with his wife, and feuding with his neighbors.

Despite being out on $160,000 bail for charges including assault with a deadly weapon, Neal was able to acquire at least three firearms, which he used to kill five people and wound 10 more.

Neals final rampage started on the night of Monday, Nov. 13, when he shot his wife multiple times and buried her beneath the floorboards of their home.

We believe thats what probably started this whole event, Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said, reported the Los Angeles Times.

The next morning, at around 7:45 a.m., Neal headed out into the tiny community of 1,500, armed and ready to kill, according to authorities. He first killed his neighbor, Hailey Suzanne Poland, the woman he had been accused of stabbing in the February attack for which he had been arrested.

A resident who lives across the street from the Rancho Tehama School recalls what he saw and heard. Listen here: pic.twitter.com/RP07L3aXNg  Sara Stinson (@SaraStinsonNews) November 15, 2017

He shot two other men, then started driving toward town in a stolen Ford pickup, firing randomly at passing vehicles, according to Johnston.

The school was locked down when he arrived, so he rammed the front gate and started shooting through the classroom walls.

Unable to enter the school building, Neal got back in his stolen truck and headed back to the road, where he rammed a passing car and shot its two occupants, killing one of them.

Here is part of an interview with the man who says his truck was stolen and his roommate was shot and killed by the alleged shooter who is described as a known felon in his 50's named Kevin. #RanchoTehamashooting pic.twitter.com/ZNdwmdOwU7  Sara Stinson (@SaraStinsonNews) November 14, 2017

A passing driver pulled over, thinking it was a normal accident and people might need help. Neal shot and wounded the driver, then stole his car.

Police caught up with Neal as he was chasing and shooting at yet another vehicle. Neal fired on the officers, who rammed his car then exchanged fire with him. Police said Neal was shot dead by 8:19 a.m.

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From NTD.tv
Argentine Senator Lidia de Perez at the Shen Yun performance at the eatro Opera Allianz in Buenos Aires on May 5, 2016. (Courtesy of NTD Television)

BUENOS AIRES, ArgentinaShen Yun Performing Artss return to Argentina was warmly received on its opening night at the Teatro Opera Allianz by a sold-out audience, who watched attentively and applauded the performers enthusiastically throughout the evening.

Shen Yuns performance, which runs from May 5 to May 8, drew many dignitaries who were attracted to the artistry in the performance as well as the timeless values and traditional virtues that are inherent in Shen Yuns story-based dances and musical performances.

Lidia de Perez, a senator from the province of Tuchman, said Shen Yun presents values that are often pushed aside.

The values are transcendent, and when we lose sight of them, all is really lost, she said.

Shen Yun is a New York-based classical Chinese dance and music company that aims to revive Chinas divinely inspired culture. The companys performances are rich with virtues from the traditional Chinese culture such as benevolence and justice, propriety and wisdom, and respect for the heavens.

From the performance, Ms. Perez said, she found a message that life doesnt end here, that there is something beyond, and that its really worth living with this understanding.

She also commented on the part of the dance performances that show suppression under the current communist regime in China.

Its showing us in a wonderful way that the ideologies of evil must be defeated with good, she said.

I leave with my soul replenished and feeling like raising my voice and keep calling for freedom.

Reviving Traditional Virtues

Argentine Congresswoman Alicia Terada at the Shen Yun performance at the eatro Opera Allianz in Buenos Aires on May 5, 2016. (Courtesy of NTD Television)

Alicia Terada, a member of the Argentine congress, shared the thought that the values presented by Shen Yun should be revived in our society today.

This show is uplifting for the eyes, the soul, and the heart. It truly revives the values that we must have as human beings, Ms. Terada said.

I just saw a really admirable show which shows Chinese history and culture along with its philosophy and life, and showcases classical Chinese music and dancing.

I think these values of truth, justice, ethics are important to everybody. I think they are fundamental to revive the true sense of things.

The congresswoman was impressed by how the show is well coordinated, with the live orchestra accompanying the dances and the animated backdrops interacting with the stage.

Transporting to an Unknown Place

Eduardo Awad, a lawyer and journalist, is the president of the Public Association of Lawyers. Mr. Awad is blind, but he still attended Shen Yun and highly enjoyed the music performed by the Shen Yun Orchestra that accompanied the dance performances.

The Shen Yun Orchestra is unique in that it combines both traditional Chinese and classical Western instruments, creating a soothing sound.

I loved it. They helped me have a really enjoyable time. The music is transporting me to an unknown place. The live orchestra is a truly wonderful thing and a display of talent and tremendous effort, said Mr. Awad.

With the help of his assistant who told him what was happening on the stage, he was even able to follow the story-lines.

The music was also conveying that, and this coming from a blind person, not a person that can see and tell  The music was going along with the things you see on stage. Its wonderful, he said.

In his view, the performance leaves audience members with serenity, a feeling of well-being, and goodness.

Im left with teachings of goodness. I think goodness is all that this type of work can teach.

Shen Yun is a performance that should not be missed, Mr. Awad thinks.

I strongly recommend this show because I think is unique in this world.

Reporting by Ileana Alescio, Miguel Diaz, and Omid Ghoreishi

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Kerry Stratton, conductor of the Toronto Concert Orchestra, had high praise for the Shen Yun Symphony Symphony's Orchestra's performance at Roy Thomson Hall on Oct. 23, 2016. (NTD Television)

TORONTOIt was renowned conductor Kerry Strattons third time attending a concert by Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra and he had much warm praise to give at the end of the concert that closed with three encores at Roy Thomson Hall on Oct. 23.

Theyre a remarkable ensemble. Really, really something terrific to enjoy these concerts, said the maestro of the Toronto Concert Orchestra, who has conducted orchestras in Europe, North America, and Asia in the course of his international career.

I think it should be an ongoing pleasure for Toronto to enjoy this great symphony orchestra, he said.

Also a host of regular radio programs on Classical FM 96.3 for over 20 years, Mr. Stratton said it was an especially big pleasure to attend the performance this afternoon because the repertoire performed by Shen Yun is one that he seldom hears.

The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra combines the spirit and distinctiveness of Chinese music with the precision and grandeur of the Western symphony orchestra, the program book explains.

Deploying Western and Chinese instruments, the orchestra presents Shen Yuns own original compositions and also pays tribute to Western classical music by performing some of its celebrated works.

She was very good! Very, very cool  right on top of it, said Mr. Stratton of violinist Fiona Zheng for her performance of Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saens, a piece widely regarded as a hallmark of violin virtuosity.

Its technically quite a demanding piece but shes right up to the challenge, he said.

Another piece that stood out for Mr. Stratton was Delicate Dance, a premiere work written for three erhu soloists and orchestra.

There is no sound like erhu. Only erhu sounds like erhu. And to have three of them in such terrific unison, really, very impressive. And so lyricala singing instrument, Mr. Stratton said.

The erhu is a traditional Chinese instrument with a history of 4,000 years. Though it has only two strings, it is capable of singing effortlessly and conveying a wide range of emotions.

Delicate Dance combined melancholy melodies and spirited left-hand pizzicato, showcasing the erhus versatility including how it is often likened to the human voice.

A lot of longing in it sometimes, said Mr. Stratton of the Chinese melodies in the piece.

He also noted how much he enjoyed the three encores. There was so much dynamism and a lot of energy too, he said. They were really impressive. The string section in this orchestra is amazingly well put together.

Many of the pieces performed are accompaniments to Shen Yuns dance performances, and Mr. Stratton remarked on musics ability to evoke imagery and spark the listeners imagination.

I think that is part of the whole purpose of music. It should give you some imagery. It certainly does for me. I hear music and I sense emotion, of course, but also I see pictures, he said.

Its exotic, its romantic, so I imagine in my mind what theyre trying to represent.

Reporting by NTD Television and Cindy Chan

New York-based Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra comprises musicians from the four Shen Yun Performing Arts touring companies. For information about the October performances, visit: ShenYun.com/Symphony

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006.
Patricia Zukowski greatly admired the courage of Shen Yun Performing Arts performers at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh on May 10, 2016. (Tony Dang/Epoch Times)

PITTSBURGHPatricia Zukowski, an artist and journalist, greatly admired the courage of Shen Yun Performing Arts performers. The statement the dances made, the sacrifice that comes with living by a moral code, the sacrifice of the artists to share their beliefs, all of these impressed her tremendously.

Shen Yun formed in New York in 2006 by artists from across the globe in an attempt to salvage Chinas traditional culture. It has been systematically dismantled by the communists and their atheist regime.

Not only do the dances support and show a traditional culture infused with the spirituality of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, they also depict the ongoing repression of people of faith in China.

The stories are very powerful, very spiritual, Ms. Zukowski said on May 10, at The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts.

Ms. Zukowski found it particularly brave that the performers were making such bold statements, because, she said, Im sure there are repercussions. People have families [in China], and I find that courageous and something that I admire greatly, she said.

Impressed, as well, by the very strong belief in a higher power and principles that, when followed, lead to the afterlife, she said, I have a great respect for people who live their lives according to a moral code. It gets across.

The spiritual ideals in the dances manifest in stories with themes like loyalty, kindness, and reverence for the divine. The first dance demonstrates how the Creator brought deities to earth to reincarnate in China. The last dance looks at the ancient belief that by becoming good, we will one day find our way back to heaven.

Holding to these beliefs always comes with sacrifice. Its going against the grain of the world, Ms. Zukowski said.

So many people in the world today are being repressed, she said, and are unable to worship as they choose, so this theme is very relevant. Freedom of worship is at the root of America, so the fact that people today cant practice their faith, its a shame, and I totally support their right to be able to exercise their faith.

Mary Kerston, a retired administrative assistant, who attended with her husband, Mike, felt the themes in Shen Yun were relevant, too.

For her, the spirituality reflected peoples desire today to escape the turmoil in society and return to to their more spiritual selves. And I think it kind of reflects that.  I think were all trying to go back in history and bring that time backa  simpler time.

The spiritual themes were relevant for the entire world, Ms. Zukowski said, unless you live in a box.

Reporting by Tony Dang and Sharon Kilarski

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Robin and David Oickle appreciated Shen Yuns efforts to revive the traditional Chinese culture and the lessons it has for todays modern society. The couple attended the performance at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on May 8, 2016. (Dongyu Teng/Epoch Times)

OTTAWA, CanadaShen Yun Performing Arts touched theatregoers on Sunday, May 8, leaving some longing for a return to simpler days and righteous traditional values.

It was a busy Mothers Day at the National Arts Centre where the classical Chinese dance and music company played two sold-out shows. The company normally presents four or five shows in the nations capital during the holiday season in December and early January, with packed and sold-out shows not uncommon. But in this 10th-anniversary year for Shen Yun, with only two shows in Ottawa during the renowned dance companys packed global tour, those shows were in especially high demand.

Its one of the best shows Ive ever seen in my life, said Virendra Kumar, a retired engineer and real estate investor.

Shen Yun presents a unique orchestra that combines traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu and pipa backed by a Western symphony. The companys program, all new every year, also features colourful costumes and a state-of-the-art digital backdrop.

It just brought tears to my eyes, before they even started dancing.  Veronica Brooks

It takes its audience on a 5,000-year journey of the Chinese civilization mainly through the vehicle of classical Chinese dance. Shen Yun, with four touring companies performing around the world, was founded on a mission to revive Chinas divinely inspired culture.

It didnt take long for the touching performance to make a profound impact on Veronica Brooks, who attended the afternoon show.

The opening of the curtains and all the lovely ladies that were there, it just brought tears to my eyes, before they even started dancing, she said.

Mr. Kumar, who came to the evening show, said he appreciated Shen Yuns efforts to revive the traditional culture of China, which has been suppressed under decades of communist rule. To him, the values of peace, harmony, and contentment came through in the performance and resonated with his Hindu upbringing.

It made him feel very good.

I know that when there is harmony and force of love and compassion, eventually it always takes over. So I was very pleased, Mr. Kumar said.

Its wonderful for them to share that, because everybody needs to hear thatto realize that weve been each created for a reason, a purpose, [and] that we respect our creator, one another, we treat each other with love and respect and appreciation, and for the beauty of the world all around us, said Ms. Brooks, a retiree who used to work for a cancer clinic in Vancouver.

Message to Modern Society

David Oickle, who recently retired from the military and public service, said there is something worth holding onto from the simpler times captured by Shen Yun.

In a large way weve lost our spirituality and this shows you that we can be a bit more grounded, less caught up in our daily lives, caught up in all the work that we do and the technology that we have, he said.

Its kind of reaching out to our spiritual side, which I think has been neglected a lot in todays world, he said.

Siobhain Broekhovan, a high school teacher who attended the afternoon show with her brother and mother, said culture and spirituality are important and that they can get quashed in todays world.

The idea that we have meaning to our life and that we have this greater calling, not to just make stuff and consume stuff, and make more stuff, she said.

Today when we talk about Chinese people, we talk about communism and this great big machine of making products and all this stuff, and thats actually, I dont think thats Chinese culture.

Mr. Oickles wife, Robin, a retired teacher and dancer, called Shen Yun a lesson in divine joy and divine movement.

The beautiful spirit of these young people that are going all over the world; its going to change the worlds thinking about China.

When asked what shed say to Shen Yuns artistic director, Mrs. Oickle said, I would bow. I would say thank you and Id probably start to cry because hes done so much.

Reporting by Rahul Vaidyanath, NTD Television, and Grace Dai



New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yuns International Company is currently touring Eastern Canada. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reaction since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Sylvester Stallone attends the premiere of 'The Promise' at the Chinese theatre in Hollywood on April 12, 2017. (Chris Delmas/AFP/Getty Images)

Sylvester Stallone Denies Decades-Old Police Report of Sexually Assaulting 16-Year-Old Fan

A recently unearthed police report states that a 16-year-old fan accused actor Sylvester Stallone of sexual assault in 1986, adding Stallone to a growing list of Hollywood stars accused of harassing, abusing, and sexually assaulting women.

The police report, recently recovered by the UK news outlet the Daily Mail, states that the movie star assaulted her while he was in Las Vegas in 1986, filming the movie Over the Top. The fan declined to press charges at the time.

In the report, the unnamed fan told the Las Vegas police that Stallone had forced her to perform sexual acts on himself and his bodyguard, and threatened to beat her head in if she told anyone.

The girl said Stallone gave her keys to his hotel room, where they had consensual relations. She then claimed Stallone forced her to perform a sex act with Stallone and his bodyguard, Michael Mike De Luca, at the same time.

In the report, the girl said that at that point, she felt very uncomfortable but felt she had no choice.

When they were finished, the teen told the police, Stallone said she could not tell anyone because both he and De Luca were married. If she spoke up, they would have to beat her head in, she claims.

The police report states that Stallone and De Luca both laughed after he made the comment.

Stallone was 40 years old at the time of the alleged incident. De Luca, who was 27 at the time, was shot and killed by California police during a traffic stop in 2013.

Complete Denial

Sylvester Stallone has responded to the report by saying that nothing of the sort happened.

This is a ridiculous, categorically false story. No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone, Stallone spokesperson Michelle Bega said in a statement, as reported by celebrity gossip site TMZ.

At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter. It never happened.

Starstruck Teenage Fan

The girl claimed that she was at the Las Vegas Hilton, the same hotel as Stallone, during a vacation with family friends, from July 1828, 1986.

She said she and her cousin were at the hotels arcade on July 23 when they saw actor David Mendenhall, who was playing Stallones son in the film. She met Stallone on July 25 and got his autograph.

In the police report, she claims Stallone asked her age and asked her how she got such a build.

The teen told police that she returned the next day, hoping to get another picture autographed for a friend. At that time, De Luca reportedly asked her what she would do if Stallone made a pass at her. She said she responded that she would probably make a pass back at him.

At this meeting, De Luca allegedly gave the girl the keys to Stallones room on the 27th floor of the hotel and told her to visit the actor as soon as she could.

Decided Not to Prosecute

According to the notes written by the police officer conducting the interview, during the interview [the teen] became emotionally upset numerous times, crying and sobbing.

According to police notes, the girl had difficulty in relating her thoughts and got extremely emotional when telling her story.

The notes on the report further state, She indicated that if the sexual encounter had only been with Stallone, she would not pursue this matter, but due to the fact that Mike, the bodyguard became involved in the sexual incident, she didnt know what she wanted to do.

She states there was no actual physical force, but she did feel intimidated, according to the interviewers notes.

When asked, the girl opted not to press charges. According to the police, the girl said, Im humiliated and ashamed, but I dont want to prosecute.

Im kind of scared and Im very ashamed. I dont want anybody else to have that happen to them, but I dont want to prosecute. I cannot talk about this anymore, please leave me alone.

She signed a form affirming that she declined to prosecute. Police, however, took her story seriously enough that they revoked De Lucas permit to carry a concealed weapon on July 30, 1986.

Other Allegations

One year after this report was filed, Stallones half-sister Toni-Ann Filiti, made claims that Stallone had raped and sexually assaulted her for years. She threatened to sue Stallone.

According to court records, Stallone vigorously denied and continues to deny and dispute all claims of wrongdoing, but settled with his half-sister out of court, paying her a lump sum of $2 million, as well as $16,666 a month for the rest of her life.

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From NTD.tv
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Nov. 17, 2017. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

White House Responds to Russia Blocking UN Resolution on Syria

The White House said on Friday that it certainly does not support Russias decision to veto a U.S.-drafted resolution that would have renewed an international inquiry into who is to blame for chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

We do hope that moving forward, they want to get on board and work with us on this. But at the same time, this isnt something that we support their decision on, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee said.

Sanders also said that the position of President Donald Trump on the matter has been clear, pointing to his action in April when he ordered an attack on a Syrian airbase after it was determined it was used in a chemical weapons attack.

I think that the actions that the president has taken, specific to chemical weapons, I think hes shown his position on that, with the strike on Syria earlier this year, she said.

A representative of Russia votes in the United Nations (UN) Security Council against a bid to renew an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria on Nov. 16, 2017. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

The mandate for the joint inquiry by the U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which found the Syrian government used the banned nerve agent sarin in an April 4 attack, expires on Nov. 17.

The resolution needed nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, France, Russia, Britain or China to be adopted. The U.S. draft text received 11 votes in favor, while Russia and Bolivia voted against it and China and Egypt abstained.

Ahead of the council votes on Thursday, Trump had urged the Security Council in a Twitter post to renew the inquiry, saying it was needed to prevent Assad from using chemical weapons.

Need all on the UN Security Council to vote to renew the Joint Investigative Mechanism for Syria to ensure that Assad Regime does not commit mass murder with chemical weapons ever again.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2017

While Russia agreed to the 2015 creation of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), it has consistently questioned its findings, which also concluded that the Syrian government used chlorine as a weapon several times.

During his 12-day trip to Asia, Trump said that a decline in relations between the United States and Russia has made it difficult to get its support on key issues, such as North Korea.

Trump said that the artificial barrier created by the unproven narrative that he colluded with Russia to win the 2016 elections has made it difficult to establish a relationship with Russia.

Shayrat Airfield in Homs, Syria in an image released by the Pentagon after announcing U.S. forces conducted a cruise missile strike against the Syrian Air Force airfield. (DigitalGlobe/U.S. Department of Defense)

I call it the artificial Democrat barrier. It gets in the way, which is a shame, Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One on Nov. 11.

President Putin would be tremendously helpful, tremendously helpful if I had Russia and China on North Korea. I think that would solve it, but this artificial barrier gets in the way, Trump said.

Trump and Putin did reach an agreement on the sidelines of the APEC conference in Vietnam on military communications in Syria.

The two presidents said in a joint statement that enhanced de-conflicting efforts, such as increased communications between their militaries, have proven successful and will continue until the ISIS terror group is defeated.

In the joint statement, the leaders also urged all Syrian parties to participate actively in the Geneva political process and to support efforts to ensure its success.

Over 400,000 people have been killed according to the U.N. since the conflict in Syria started in 2011.

Reuters contributed to this report

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Woman With Obscene Anti-Trump Message Arrested on Unrelated Fraud Charges

A woman whose car had an offensive message aimed at President Donald Trump and his supporters was arrested on an outstanding warrant, CBS reported.

The Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office said that Karen Fonseca was arrested 2 p.m. Thursday on fraud charges that were issued in August by the Rosenberg Police Department. As CBS reported, she was booked in the county jail on Thursday, and her bond was set at $1,500.

Local outlet Click2Houston elaborated on the charges, saying the warrant was for fraudulent use/possession of information.

She was released from jail on Thursday after her husband posted bond.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said Fonseca could also face disorderly conduct charges over the offensive decal.

Its just our freedom of speech and were exercising it, Fonseca, 46, told the Houston Chronicle.

Nehls on Wednesday posted a photo of the truck to Facebook, requesting to speak with the owner.

I have received numerous calls regarding the offensive display on this truck as it is often seen along FM 359. If you know who owns this truck or it is yours, I would like to discuss it with you. Our Prosecutor has informed us she would accept Disorderly Conduct charges regarding it, but I feel we could come to an agreement regarding a modification to it, he wrote, according to Click2Houston.com.

Nehls also posted context about the disorderly conduct charge:

(a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly: (1) uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language in a public place, and the language by its very utterance tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace; (2) makes an offensive gesture or display in a public place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace.

The Facebook post was removed on Thursday after the driver was identified. The Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office further explained the deletion of the Facebook post:

The Sheriff made the post on his Personal page. The objective of the post was to find the owner/driver of the truck and have a conversation with them in order to prevent a potential altercation between the truck driver and those offended by the message. Since the owner of the truck has been identified, the Sheriff took down the post. Due to the hate messages he has been receiving towards his wife and children, the Sheriff will not be commenting on the matter further, Click2Houston reported.

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Home >Police Enforcement > Taxes and Tolls > California Lawsuit Against ATS, Hertz Goes To Trial
When Doundou Chefou first took up arms as a youth a decade ago, it was for the same reason as many other ethnic Fulani herders along the Niger-Mali border: to protect his livestock.

He had nothing against the Republic of Niger, let alone the United States of America. His quarrel was with rival Tuareg cattle raiders.

Yet on Oct. 4 this year, he led dozens of militants allied to Islamic State in a deadly assault against allied U.S.-Niger forces, killing four soldiers from each nation and demonstrating how dangerous the West's mission in the Sahel has become.

The incident sparked calls in Washington for public hearings into the presence of U.S. troops. A Pentagon probe is to be completed in January.

Who is Doundou Chefou?

Niger Defense Minister Kalla Mountari poses for a portrait after an interview with Reuters, in Niamey, Niger Nov. 1, 2017.

Asked by Reuters to talk about Chefou, Nigerien Defense Minister Kalla Mountari's face fell.

He is a terrorist, a bandit, someone who intends to harm to Niger, he said at his office in the Nigerien capital Niamey earlier this month.

We are tracking him, we are seeking him out, and if he ever sets foot in Niger again he will be neutralized.

Like most gunmen in so-called Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, which operates along the sand-swept borderlands where Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso meet, Chefou used to be an ordinary Fulani pastoralist with little interest in jihad, several government sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The transition of Chefou and men like him from vigilantes protecting their cows to jihadists capable of carrying out complex attacks is a story Western powers would do well to heed, as their pursuit of violent extremism in West Africa becomes ever more enmeshed in long-standing ethnic and clan conflicts.

For now, analysts say the local IS affiliate remains small, at fewer than 80 fighters. But that was also the case at first with al-Qaida-linked factions before they tapped into local grievances to expand their influence in Mali in 2012.

The United Nations this week released a report showing how IS in northern Somalia has grown to around 200 fighters from just a few dozen last year.

The U.S. military has ramped up its presence in Niger, and other neighboring countries, in recent years as it fears poverty, corruption and weak states mean the region is ripe for the spread of extremist groups.

A map of Niger with the capital city, Niamey, highlighted.

Genesis of a jihad

For centuries the Tuareg and Fulani have lived as nomads herding animals and trading  Tuareg mostly across the dunes and oases of the Sahara, and the Fulani mostly in the Sahel, a vast band of semi-arid scrubland that stretches from Senegal to Sudan beneath it.

Some have managed to become relatively wealthy, accumulating vast herds. But they have always stayed separate from the modern nation-states that have formed around them.

Though they largely lived peacefully side-by-side, arguments occasionally flared, usually over scarce watering points. A steady increase in the availability of automatic weapons over the years has made the rivalry ever more deadly.

A turning point was the Western-backed ouster of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. With his demise, many Tuareg from the region who had fought as mercenaries for Gadhafi returned home, bringing with them the contents of Libya's looted armories.

Some of the returnees launched a rebellion in Mali to try to create a breakaway Tuareg state in the desert north, a movement that was soon hijacked by al-Qaida-linked jihadists who had been operating in Mali for years.

Until then, Islamists in Mali had been recruiting and raising funds through kidnapping. In 2012, they swept across northern Mali, seizing key towns and prompting a French intervention that pushed them back in 2013.

Turning point in 2013

Boubacar Diallo, president of the livestock breeders association of north Tillaberi on the Mali border, goes through a list of more than 300 Fulani herders killed by Tuareg raiders in the lawless region, during an interview with Reuters in Niamey, Niger,

Amid the violence and chaos, some of the Tuareg turned their guns on their rivals from other ethnic groups like the Fulani, who then went to the Islamists for arms and training.

In November 2013, a young Nigerien Fulani had a row with a Tuareg chief over money. The old man thrashed him and chased him away, recalls Boubacar Diallo, head of an association for Fulani livestock breeders along the Mali border, who now lives in Niamey.

The youth came back armed with an AK-47, killed the chief and wounded his wife, then fled. The victim happened to be the uncle of a powerful Malian warlord.

Over the next week, heavily armed Tuareg slaughtered 46 Fulani in revenge attacks along the Mali-Niger border.

The incident was bloodiest attack on record in the area, said Diallo, who has documented dozens of attacks by Tuareg raiders that have killed hundreds of people and led to thousands of cows and hundreds of camels being stolen.

That was a point when the Fulani in that area realized they needed more weapons to defend themselves, said Diallo, who has represented them in talks aimed at easing communal tensions.

The crimes were almost never investigated by police, admits a Niamey-based law enforcement official with knowledge of them.

The Tuareg were armed and were pillaging the Fulani's cattle, Niger Interior Minister Mohamed Bazoum told Reuters. The Fulani felt obliged to arm themselves.

Nigers Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum sits at his desk at his political party headquarters in Niamey, Niger, Sept. 14, 2013.

'Injustice, exclusion and self-defense'

Gandou Zakaria, a researcher of mixed Tuareg-Fulani heritage in the faculty of law at Niamey University, has spent years studying why youths turned to jihad.

Religious belief was at the bottom of their list of concerns, he told Reuters. Instead, local grievances were the main driving force.

Whereas Tuareg in Mali and Niger have dreamed of and sometimes fought for an independent state, Fulani have generally been more pre-occupied by concerns over the security of their community and the herds they depend on.

For the Fulani, it was a sense of injustice, of exclusion, of discrimination, and a need for self-defense, Zakaria said.

One militant who proved particularly good at tapping into this dissatisfaction was Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, an Arabic-speaking north African, several law enforcement sources said.

Al-Sahrawi recruited dozens of Fulani into the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA), which was loosely allied to al-Qaida in the region and controlled Gao and the area to the Niger border in 2012.

After French forces in 2013 scattered Islamists from the Malian towns they controlled, al-Sahrawi was briefly allied with Mokhtar Belmokhtar, an al-Qaida veteran.

Today, al-Sahrawi is the face of Islamic State in the region.

There was something in his discourse that spoke to the youth, that appealed to their sense of injustice, a Niger government official said of al-Sahrawi.

Two diplomatic sources said there are signs al-Sahrawi has received financial backing from IS central in Iraq and Syria.

Enter Chefou

How Chefou ended up being one of a handful of al-Sahrawi's lieutenants is unclear. The government source said he was brought to him by a senior officer, also Fulani, known as Petit Chapori.

Like many Fulani youth toughened by life on the Sahel, Chefou was often in and out of jail for possession of weapons or involvement in localized violence that ended in deals struck between communities, the government official said.

Yet Diallo, who met Chefou several times, said he was very calm, very gentle. I was surprised when he became a militia leader.

A combination photo of U.S. Army Special Forces Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson (L to R), U.S. Special Forces Sgt. Bryan Black, U.S. Special Forces Sgt. Dustin Wright and U.S. Special Forces Sgt. La David Johnson killed in Niger, West Africa, Oct. 4, 2017.

U.S. and Nigerien sources differ on the nature of the fatal mission of Oct 4. Nigeriens say it was to go after Chefou; U.S. officials say it was reconnaissance mission.

One vehicle lost by the U.S. forces was supplied by the CIA and kitted with surveillance equipment, U.S. media reported. A surveillance drone monitored the battle with a live feed.

The Fulani men, mounted on motorbikes, were armed with the assault rifles they first acquired to look after their cows.
Delta State chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Prophet Jones Ode Erue, has condemn in its entirety what he described as blackmail of the Minister for States for Petroleum, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Nguru Usani Nguru by a member of the party in the state, one Ambassador Young Piro.

Speaking to newsmen in his office Thursday in Asaba, the chairman claimed that Piro, has resorted to blackmail of the Minister of Petroleum when he declined offering contract of lifting petroleum products as he (Kachikwu) is not the one in charge.

He revealed that the Minister has put calls across to him to call the young man to order saying that the allegation of linking the Minister to the recent threats by the Niger Delta Avengers to blow up oil and gas facilities in the region which was widely criticized was untrue.

the recent one that comes to mind, is the one by the Niger Delta Coalition that accused the minister of state, petroleum Resources, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachukwu and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Nguru Usani Nguru, of complexity in the renewed threat of the Niger Delta Avengers to renew bombing of crude oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta Region.

He disclosed that the founder of the group, Young Piro, hide under the authority of the Youth Leader of the party to call for youth meeting in Bomadi, which I called the attention of the youth leader to stop that nonsense because the party will not take lawlessness in whatever form it comes.

He said gone are the days where people struggle with the issue of legitimacy, my exco is the known exco of this party and we speak on behalf of the party, he stressed.

While saying, young Piro made the allegation in a statement on Friday in Abuja, he said, this is an unfortunate statement that the party will take exception to, pointing out that both ministers have stood on the party of peace in ensuring that peace returns to the region.

He said the refusal of the Ministers to grant their requests led to the blackmail which they have resorted to, promising that the party would not accept such unscrupulous elements in their midst.

Since they could not get it from the back door, they want to attack their personalities. The party frowns at this and we will no longer tolerate it.

According to him, through the Deputy Chairman of the party, Cyril Ebiye Ogordor, we immediately invited the so self-styled ambassador Young Piro to appear before the SWC this morning by 10: 00am. He flaw the order of the party because he knows that what he has done is standing down the truth, wanting to use a means to defame personalities from this region especially the Minister that represents this state in order to get something by blackmail, noting that the eras of blackmails were gone.

We want to world to know that Young Piro is a faceless human being, his group is a faceless group and security should investigate him. Let him tell us how he got his information and we should not sweep them under the carpet, he charged.

He reiterated that Young Piro cannot speak for the people neither the state and he has no such integrity as he claimed to have and we want the public to know that those who are working for the peace of the region shouldnt be labeled as enemies of the region.

He called on all and sundry to disregard the information of Young Piro just as he maintained that, security should investigate him and know where he got his information.

He said the Young Piro was invited to give explanation on his statement, we have sent to his chairman, we want to initiate a disciplinary action to follow immediately because this invitation was based on this and we wanted him to make an explanation why disciplinary action should not be taken against him, stressing that his failure to appear, the party would follow its constitution, because anything that brings disrepute to the party is seen as anti-party.

Asked if he has faith in the newly constituted Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) led by Mike Ogbodu and if his party would have a very successful local government elections, he said, we are on ground more than the PDP, we are more popular and more acceptable, we know that the people have finished with the PDP because the hardship is too much,

He said the three states sharing borders with Delta have lesser allocations but are ten times developed than Delta, it saddens ones mind. PDP knows that they have failed, saying that the party was coming out to defeat the PDP in their own game

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of the Party, Cyril Ebiye Ogordor, also used the medium to advise the Director-General (DG) of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Osita Anthony Obuloma, to refrain from the alleged sponsorship of opposition against the party in the forthcoming local government election scheduled for 6 January 2018.
How to watch and what to know about Northern Iowa at South Dakota

The Coyotes' season will end Saturday, win or lose. They'll hope to make it a win against a Panthers squad still technically alive for the playoffs.
It wasnt until he tried to find a spot to sell his homemade hummus that the idea popped into Yashar Nejatis head.

In 2013, I needed a temporary space for a cafe as a marketing campaign for my first business, Yummus (homemade hummus), but I couldnt find a landlord willing to give me anything less than a one-year lease, he recalls.

Though ubiquitous today, the guerrilla retail concept of pop-up shops hadnt quite hit the mainstream in Canada yet. So out of frustration, he took that one-year lease on a 600-square-foot retail storefront in Vancouvers Chinatown  and wound up starting a whole new business.

That storefront became the launching pad for thisopenspace, an online, short-term rental marketplace that matches brands with all manner of retail spaces in Toronto, Vancouver and New York City.

Nejati describes his startup as the Airbnb of pop-ups, since the site also welcomes property owners and brokers to list their spaces  from lofts and urban warehouses to traditional retail-ready stores  for various purposes, including photo shoots, off-site business meetings and pop-up shops to showcase goods. (Spaces can be booked by the hour, day or month.)

The site can also track the most coveted spots in the city at any given time among entrepreneurs eager to branch out and test their products in the marketplace beyond online retailing  with trendy and offbeat Queen St. W. by far the most popular to date.

It takes months to get your brand into Hudsons Bay or high-end boutiques. And just look at all the boarded up, empty retail spaces on Queen West. Its because the rents are way too high for small businesses to open their own stores, he notes.

But any brand can apply to sell with us and (if youre legit) you can start selling in retail in five days, says Nejati.

Pop-ups are hardly new. In fact theyre all grown up now, and have transformed into more sophisticated concepts that are changing the face of retail, says industry strategist David Ian Gray of DIG360.

Brands are more and more focused on direct relationships with customers, bypassing (traditional) retail, says Gray.

The limiting factor for brands and retailers in the past was accessing pop-up locations. Now landlords are getting on board developing opportunities for pop-ups, he says.

Small brand pop-ups are now embraced by large retailers from Nike to Louis Vuitton. Department stores such as Nordstrom play host to temporary pop-ins for product lines like Gwyneth Paltrows Goop beauty collection, and shopping malls, including the Dixie Outlet Mall, have set aside store space dedicated to rotating pop-ups.

Enter the ultimate pop-up within a pop-up called Sleepover, which thisopenspace is hosting until Dec. 31 at its flagship Toronto location on Queen St. just west of Shaw St. Its a collection of 40 mostly small brands with a sleep-related theme, from the bed-in-box mattress to buckwheat hull pillows, and turban-style shower caps to re-usable feminine pads.

Each retailer pays a monthly fee from $500 to $5,000, depending on the size and placement of the product, and thisopenspace takes care of the rest. The companies get 100 per cent of the sales, with an estimated return on investment of 200 to 400 per cent.

While more Canadians than ever are comfortable shopping for a mattress online, not everyone is ready to go digital with their mattress shopping, so Endy takes advantage of pop-up opportunities to connect with customers in real life, says Aashish Nathwani, director of marketing for Endy, which has a bed and pillows on display at the Sleepover store.

Partnering with thisopenspace allows us to expand our reach without the heavy investment that comes with running a retail store . . . and allows us to build meaningful relationships with customers in a new environment, he says.

At various Sleepover events visitors can meditate, get a free massage, watch movies and try out a new anti-snoring device.

Snoring is a very crowded market, and our product is not an impulse buy, says Behrouz Hariri, CEO of Sleep Nora, a non-invasive snoring solution that fits under your pillow.

A pop-up  especially one that is sleep-related  is more dedicated than a retail store and reaches a market that the one-year-old Toronto firm otherwise might not, he notes.

Fashion designer Mary Young, whose ethically made lingerie and loungewear is featured in the dreamy concept pop-up, says it only took two to three days to sell as much in the Sleepover store as she would online in a month.

There are all these amazing entrepreneurs, but very few of them can afford bricks and mortar, says Nejati, whose company is the largest of its kind in Canada with at least one competitor called Pop-up go.

Shopify is one of thisopenspaces partners, he says, and has helped to find the right online retailers to work with. Over the last six months, the number of brands booking on thisopenspace has grown 30 per cent each month, he adds.

The site offers $2,000,000 in liability coverage for bookings and free professional photography of products in the spaces booked.

Were actually bullish on physical retail because you can only sell so much online. We think this is the future of retail, he says.

Toronto retail consultant Wendy Evans agrees.

The retail space is morphing from larger spaces to smaller ones at a better price. Its an opportunity for newcomers to increase the credibility of their brand, she says.

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NEW YORKOne morning last month, Targets chief executive, Brian Cornell, stood amid racks of designer T-shirts and a cooler filled with prepackaged sandwiches in a store in Midtown Manhattan.

This is really a symbol of the future, he said.

Cornell wasnt talking about an e-commerce warehouse staffed by robots. Nor was he speaking into a voice-activated device that knows just how much toilet paper a customer needs.

He was discussing Targets new store near Herald Square in New York City, down the block from Macys flagship store and other national retail chains. It is one of about 130 smaller format stores Target has opened or plans to open by the end of 2019. The new stores are scaled-back versions of the big-box Targets that predominate in the U.S. suburbs.

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U.S. retailers are choosing sides in Amazon and Walmarts e-commerce battle

The companys store strategy stands out at a time when just about everyone seems to be questioning the relevance of brick-and-mortar retail. Amazon is seizing an ever-larger share of consumers wallets, reducing foot traffic to stores.

Such pressures have contributed to a string of recent retail bankruptcies in the U.S. and Canada, including Toys R Us, Payless, Gymboree, Radio Shack and Sears Canada. In the U.S., Sears and Macys have also been closing hundreds of stores around the country as they struggle with slipping sales.

Last month, HBC, the company that owns Lord & Taylor, sold its famous flagship Fifth Avenue store to WeWork, a startup catering to millennials in need of shared office space. The deal was seen as a vivid reminder of how the allure of the department store has faded.

But for all the gloomy uncertainty that surrounds the industrys future, stores will most likely remain at the heart of retail for a long time  even as they evolve to meet the demands of the modern shopper.

The retail industry has been pushing back against the pessimism. This summer, the IHL Group, a retail and hospitality advising firm, produced a report that showed retailers will open more new stores than they will close this year. (Most of the growth, however, came from restaurant openings, not new department stores or big-box retailers.)

The negative narrative that has been out there about the death of retail is patently false, Greg Buzek, the groups president, said in August when the report was published.

Some of the biggest growth in brick-and-mortar stores is coming from discount retailers like TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. E-commerce may offer convenience and instant gratification. But shoppers are still willing to go into a store to hunt for a good bargain.

In August, TJX said that over the long term there was an opportunity to open as many as 5,600 stores, up from the 1,700 the retailer currently operates.

We continue to see store openings as an attractive investment and a very good use of capital, the companys chief executive, Ernie Herrman, told investors on a conference call.

While discounters like TJX operate in a sort of oasis, many other retailers face a conundrum. While retailers are plowing more money into their digital operations, they risk rendering their stores even less attractive to shoppers by starving them of investment.

The big challenge is how do you get customers to come into a store if they dont have to, said Melina Cordero, head of retail research for Americas at real estate firm CBRE.

Walmart, the largest retailer in the U.S., has slowed its brick-and-mortar expansion, though it continues to open stores, particularly smaller-format ones. The company is also using its vast store network  located in nearly every corner of the country  to support its e-commerce business.

Walmart gives discounts to customers who order certain items on the companys website and then pick them up in stores. The company has converted thousands of workers into personal shoppers who pick out groceries for customers who order them online and drive to the store to pick them up.

Even as it expands its digital offerings, Walmart is also trying to generate more buzz around its stores, which had drawn complaints from some customers in recent years for being too cavernous and unpleasant to shop in.

This month, Walmart is holding holiday parties  complete with toy demonstrations and workers in reindeer hats  as it cranks up the volume on store experiences.

Retailers like Walmart are hoping they can build a more profitable business that incorporates both brick-and-mortar and online shopping  a strategy known in the industry as omni-channel.

Online retailers like Amazon face high transportation costs, particularly as they guarantee free two-day and even same-day delivery. They are also bearing the cost of processing free returns.

Many analysts and retail executives said Amazons purchase of Whole Foods and its more than 460 stores validated the relevance of brick and mortar.

Still, e-commerce continues to grow at a blistering rate, far outpacing the increase in overall retail sales. Unless that growth abates, analysts and economists question how so many stores  from suburban malls to hip boutiques  can survive.

E-commerce is putting extreme pressure on brick and mortar, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys Analytics. This really feels like a watershed moment.

Target is betting its stores will win out. It boosted sales at each renovated store by as much as 4 per cent, said Cornell, the CEO. The company now fulfils about 50 per cent of its customers online orders from its stores.

Target also recently said that it was raising its starting wage to $11 an hour and planned to increase it to $15 by 2020  part of an effort to attract and motivate its workers to offer strong customer service.

Our stores are our core strength, Cornell said.

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NEW YORKJennifer Hyman, the chief executive and co-founder of Rent the Runway, has vast ambitions for the fashion rental service she co-founded in 2009.

In the beginning, the company offered shoppers clothing choices they couldnt afford to buy, enabling everyday Americans to sprinkle some haute couture on a prom or wedding.

Now she wants you to wow your workplace all week long.

I want to put H&M and Zara out of business, Hyman proclaimed from a spacious conference room at Rent the Runways Manhattan headquarters overlooking Hudson St.

I dont want to, she corrected herself. I plan to.

Hyman, 37, plans to replace the American womans static closet with a dynamic one. Rent the Runway has bet its future on subscriptions, hoping it can convince shoppers to use its service for everyday wear, not just dress-up events.

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For $159 (U.S.) a month, its Unlimited program allows members to rent four pieces at a time on rotation, effectively replacing their wardrobe if they want. The company recently began offering a cheaper option, called Update, which lets subscribers grab four pieces total per month for $89.

As Hyman sees it, its impossible to serve all of Americas women at a price point above $100, especially those her strategy depends on most.

While Rent the Runways subscription service has taken hold in the cities, in suburban and rural America  where more than 50 per cent of her customers live  its still used mainly for special occasions: a designer gown for graduation; a cocktail dress for New Years Eve. To make subscriptions work, Hyman needs to get those consumers on-board.

Rural areas and far flung suburban areas are a little bit of a challenge because of lower e-commerce penetration, said Manik Aryapadi, an analyst in the retail practice of consulting firm A.T. Kearney.

But perhaps the bigger issue is cultural  some people just dont desire an ever-changing wardrobe. The way of thinking needs to change, he said.

Right now, subscriptions account for about a third of Rent the Runways revenue, Hyman said. The company hit $100 million in revenue in mid-2016 (it declined to share updated revenue figures) and has raised more than $190 million in venture capital over six rounds. The latest, a $60-million injection last year led by Fidelity Investments, pegged the companys valuation at a significant step up from the $520-million mark it set in 2014, Hyman told Recode at the time.

That vote of confidence notwithstanding, brand awareness remains a problem  Rent the Runway hasnt advertised much since it first popped up eight years ago.

Being based in New York, you become slightly delusional as to what your brand awareness is, Hyman said. And Im not talking about our awareness in Kansas. Im talking about it in Boston, or L.A.

To get the word out, the company launched its first national ad campaign last month, with commercials that promise the service could replace someones entire closet of clothes.

We all want to be a star, said Mike Kim, a director at data consultancy AArete, describing the look of Narciso Rodriguez, Derek Lam, or Naeem Khan that can appear at your doorstep courtesy of Hymans shop. What Rent the Runway has been able to do is make that kind of luxury accessible.

The first rental company that can find real success in markets outside of the biggest cities will be the winner for years to come, he added.

Hymans headquarters may be in a shiny Manhattan tower, but the heart of her operation is a 250,000-square-foot facility across the Hudson River in Secaucus, N.J. At around 6 a.m., FedEx, UPS and U.S. Postal Service trucks begin to arrive, carrying returning garments from across the country. Each piece must be scanned, inspected, dry cleaned, repaired and sent through quality control before being packed and shipped out again at the end of the day. A dress may come from California that morning and get sent off to North Dakota by nightfall, returning for its next voyage a few days later.

Unlike regular retailers, its more difficult for Rent the Runway to expand its warehouse and distribution operations beyond its New Jersey hub. With normal retail returns, theres less urgency to send an item back into the world. Rent the Runway essentially has 100-per-cent returns. Workers have about 12 hours to finish turning around a daily batch of items, a process that includes a scale of on-site dry cleaning that a traditional clothing retailer wouldnt have.

Nevertheless, Rent the Runway must build more hubs if Hymans dream is to come true. The amount of inventory the company keeps has doubled over the past year as it ramps up its subscription service, and there are evermore shipping expenses lurking in the weeds of Secaucus: Sending merchandise all over the country from only one location is a pricey proposition.

In addition to more shipping centres, physical stores are part of Hymans plan, too. Rent the Runway has five shops so far, all in cities, where shoppers can try on clothes or even stop by to change outfits. Its unclear though how viable store locations may be in less-populated areas. Whether or not a few years from now well expand that model in suburbs remains to be seen, Hyman said.

Meanwhile, others are looking to battle Rent the Runway for that suburban consumer. Theres a smattering of startups out there, such as Le Tote, Armarium and Curtsy  but the bigger threat looms in the form of legacy retailers looking to squash this new threat.

Im not naive enough to think that someone couldnt get into this space and compete with us, Hyman said. We all know a big company that likes to do this with startups.

While Amazon.com Inc. has yet to devour the clothing rental business, mall stalwart Ann Taylor is trying. Earlier this month, the womens workwear go-to announced a $95-per-month unlimited subscription service.

Ann Taylors executives dubbed the subscription Infinite Style, not far from Rent the Runways tag line of endless style, infinite possibilities.

It seems that, in the apparel industry, the only thing thats finite is the lifespan of the traditional clothing store.

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MCHIGEENG, Ont.On a sparkling, sun-filled evening late this summer, Anong Beam was directing traffic at the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, a community hub for the MChigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island. An opening was set for that evening, for the Anishinaabe artist Michael Belmore, and Beam, the foundations executive director, was carting in chairs and rearranging couches under the towering, rough timbers that tent the vaulted ceilings here.

It all made for an upbeat scene, of an apparently thriving cultural space eager to welcome one of its own. But as Beams hurried preparations took her into her office, and then the photocopy room, a soggy ceiling tile told a very different tale  of a failing climate control system, for one, and of the broader truth that something else is broken here, too.

A days drive to the east, in Ottawa, a monumental work by Beams famous father, the late Anishinaabe artist Carl Beam, is the showpiece of the National Gallery of Canadas contemporary wing, an emblem of a recent, dazzling multi-million-dollar redesign built explicitly to merge the best of Indigenous and Canadian art in time for the countrys 150th anniversary.

Read more: Art so sacred, were not allowed to show it to you

But here, in the cultures heartland itself, such dazzle has long been in short supply.

Weve been in a crisis situation, just trying to survive, for decades, Beam said. Really, its a trapeze act  we hopscotch from one short-term grant to the next, shuffling them around, but its hard to keep morale up when youre reinventing yourself from the ground up every six months.

At reserves like MChigeeng, far from the grand halls of the countrys biggest cultural institutions, Canada 150 has played out on a very different stage. All year, museums nationwide have been waving a flag of reconciliation, staging elaborate exhibitions this year to put Indigenous culture on broad view.

But in the communities they mean to celebrate, long-standing Indigenous institutions like the OCF are trapped in an intractable status quo.

Piecemeal support from government agencies and, in some cases, crippling debt have conspired in this critical moment to leave these institutions in a familiar position: on the outside, looking in. This time, though, the sting is particularly acute.

Reconciliation is supposed to be our story, Beam said. At minimum  minimum!  anything truly done in the spirit of reconciliation would mean both parties being equally involved. Personally, I dont see that at all.

At mainstream museums, exhibitions showcasing Indigenous art this year have been framed a public salve for a litany of wrongs  both an apology and a self-congratulation, of sorts, for making good. They are, at best, a beginning. Big museum shows in big cities, however grand, dont give back what was taken. And they come nowhere near the root of things, where a nascent cultural reawakening remains in a tenuous struggle to persist.

On Sunday, the Royal Ontario Museum wraps up Anishinaabeg: Art + Power, a deeply affecting display of objects drawn from Anishinaabe culture across both time and space, from its cradle around the Great Lakes to its broader spread as far as the western plains and into Quebec.

The museum framed it, grandly, as an explicit step towards reconciliation. To make the show, the ROM had invited two Anishinaabe curators to collaborate with its staff; at least one of them, Alan Corbiere, didnt necessarily see it that way. An Anishinaabe language expert, historian and former executive director of the OCF on Manitoulin, Corbiere has a soft, easy smile and a sharp sense of humour. In his opening remarks at the ROM in June, he made few concessions about the gap that remained.

At the OCF, I was the curator, the historian, the executive director, the tour guide, and then also the executive director of snow removal, Corbiere said, with some flourish. Polite laughter rippled through the room, but he wasnt entirely kidding.

While no one would look to compare the ROM to the OCF  the former occupies 214,000 square feet in downtown Toronto, the latter 11,000 on a rural reserve  the disparity is vast by any measure. The ROM, with its $26.8 million yearly provincial allocation, has at least a half-dozen senior staff whose salaries exceed the OCFs entire annual funding, which hovers at less than $200,000  for staff, programming and building maintenance combined.

Corbiere led a tour of his show, filled with objects made by his people, lodged here, inside the museums stony walls. I asked him if it felt strange, despite his relatively free hand.

Well, sure, he said, with an unguarded frankness. Its still a colonial institution, right?

The contrast, of the airy galleries with the multitudes of museum staff on hand for the launch event, was sharp: While Corbiere and Saul Williams, his Indigenous colleague, worked through the ROM collection, Anong Beam, with a staff of just one, was struggling to keep language classes and traditional crafting sessions alive. A key position, elder in residence, was in jeopardy, Beam said, threatening to leave a gap in traditional teaching.

In late summer, Beam had arranged to bring in Belmore, who is currently enjoying a career surge, for a modest solo exhibition (his work is central to the Art Gallery of Ontarios Every.Now.Then.). The mood that evening was festive; Belmore mingled happily with the small crowd, while fried fish was laid out on a table for all.

Exhausted but satisfied, she allowed herself a moments repose. Its such a pleasure to organize a show of an Anishinaabe artist for Anishinaabe people, said Beam, who is warm and plainspoken, with a welcoming smile. And its so striking how you could show the same thing two hours south and it would be something completely different.

Here, its a part of daily life. Down there, it always feels like youre explaining your culture to everybody. Again.

Beam has gone through those motions all her life. Her late father, Carl, was among the most influential artists, Indigenous or not, that Canada has ever produced (and a champion of the OCF, which was founded in 1974, donating multiple works and creating the sculptures at its entrance).

He was intensely wary of being cast in a role. But in 1986, his work The North American Iceberg became the first contemporary piece by an Indigenous artist to be acquired by the National Gallery in Ottawa  its hanging there right now, as a front-and-centre emblem of the gallerys own Canada 150 display  and Carl would carry its unwanted freight. He became an unwilling bannerman for progress in non-Indigenous Canada  proof, right there in the national museum, that we were no longer ignoring Indigenous culture as a living, present thing.

Then, the story was one-sided, a fact with which Beam struggled mightily, his daughter said. And even now, despite grand gestures and best intentions by museums across the country, balance remains a far-off goal.

Corbiere, in Toronto recently for a language conference, put it thusly: The OCF is an interesting microcosm, because whats being said down here is not in step with whats happening in the community, he said. I think theres a narrative in this country, that the sins of the past will be cleansed by the future. But up there, theres no core funding, no staff and no benefactor. When youre always on the ropes, how do you move forward?

Indigenous peoples agency to frame their own stories, even for their own communities, haunts every effort towards cultural reconciliation. Repatriation, now very much in vogue, is one, though Canadian museums have been returning important objects to their rightful Indigenous keepers for decades; they are broadly compliant, if not always swift.

While repatriation is a critical gesture in righting centuries-old wrongs, reconciliation is not merely transactional, and the perpetual struggle of places like the OCF, tasked with rebuilding a fragile culture with the scantest of resources, is the knifes edge on which it balances.

The OCF has been teaching its culture to its people for 40 years, says Bonnie Devine, an Anishinaabe artist from Snake River First Nation and the founder of the Indigenous Visual Culture program at OCAD U. But theyve done it on the backs of people who are critically overworked and underfunded. They brought this culture back through the eye of a needle, frankly. They saved it, and that needs to be acknowledged  and supported.

Centres like the OCF are the product of a fractious era, spawned by equal parts hope and alarm. Expo 67s Indians of Canada Pavilion, an unvarnished view into the hardships of native life here, convened by native artist Alex Janvier, gave Indigenous people here their first opportunity to represent themselves on the world stage, and helped to buoy a people reeling from decades of ruinous assimilation policies. But it was the federal White Paper on Indian Policy in 1969 that touched off an urgent hunger for change.

The paper proposed to eliminate Indian status as a subset of Canadian citizenship. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said he intended it as a way to bring Indigenous people onto equal footing with the rest of the country Indigenous people took it as an existential threat that would see their cultural identity erased for good, and responded in kind.

It was an extremely volatile time for Indigenous communities, said Ryan Rice, the chair for Indigenous visual culture at OCAD U. There was this awakening  realizing that if we dont do something to change direction, the government really will succeed in assimilating us.

'At minimum  minimum!  anything truly done in the spirit of reconciliation would mean both parties being equally involved. Personally, I dont see that at all' Anong Beam Executive director of the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation

A sudden, intense activism rose and Indigenous cultural organizations blossomed nationwide. There was a real push to make these places, said Steven Loft, the Canada Councils director for Indigenous Arts. But by the 80s, to be frank, the prevalent attitude at many of the funding agencies was that Aboriginal culture shouldnt be supported, because it was dying out. That meant, Loft said, that centres like the OCF ended up being bypassed for critical permanent operational grants, leaving them to languish on whatever Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) would provide, as they do today.

The situation stands in sharp contrast to what the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in its 2015 final report, recommended. It examined both the practice and legacy of residential schools, and singled out culture as a key element of a wider reconciliation effort.

The commission looked to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People for guidance, noting that (s)tates have an obligation to take effective measures to . . . make reparations where traditional knowledge or cultural rights have been violated.

A more thorough violation than the residential school system, with its outward agenda to erase Indigenous language and culture, and to break families and communities to the ground in an explicit effort to rebuild the next generation in a European mould, is hard to imagine. But those reparations, for the most part, have been slow in coming.

Its crazy to me that someone from here would have to take a bus five hours south to learn about who they are, Beam said. Isnt the point to make the culture vibrant and alive again, right here?

A days drive south to the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, the Woodland Cultural Centre, a jumble of boxy, grey-aluminum-clad portables, sit on 10 acres of woods and long grasses. It was built in 1952 as overflow classrooms for the Mohawk Institute, an adjacent red-brick residential school with imposing classical columns; when the school closed in 1970, the freshly established WCC started retrofitting it, and moved in two years later.

I say weve been doing reconciliation here since 1972, said Paula Whitlow, the WCCs executive director. This was a place where they took culture from us. Were using it to bring culture back.

Its a bright fall day when Whitlow, who is alternately grave and good-humoured, took me on a walk-through of the centres current exhibition, Onkwehon:we Matters, which she curated. The WCC is a hub of Haudenosaunee culture here, at the heart of Canadas most populous Indigenous reserve. All around the gallery, pale and brightly lit, a sparse array of objects sat in dinged-up vitrines. A few empty cases displayed not objects but a type-written apology stuck in place with Scotch tape.

Coming soon, Whitlow chuckled, reading aloud, knowing soon was little more than a hope. I had a few more objects I wanted to put on display, but I couldnt find any more case tops that werent broken.

Earlier, Whitlow had led a brief tour through the centres tomb-like history galleries. Even our fake grass is deteriorating, Whitlow said, walking past a life-sized diorama of a pre-contact Haudenosaunee village. It led to a weary-looking labyrinth of displays, where she looked up in mild dismay.

I wrote a grant to get us new LED lighting, but it exposed our horrible walls, she says, pointing to a glossy curve of drywall with ragged joints and painted-over wallpaper. Nearby, a tired-looking mannequin in a drab brown hooded robe glowered impassively. A Franciscan missionary, Whitlow explains. They were the first to make contact with the Haudenosaunee people here. She laughs. We like to call him the grim reaper.

The WCC serves as an emblem of the gulf between Indigenous communities and mainstream Canada. As in education, where per-student spending on reserve is as much as a third less than in provincial schools, the WCC and OCF are underpinned by scarce, federally controlled resources.

The WCC has reliably received about $600,000 annually from the Federal Indigenous and Northern Affairs Commission; the OCF, with its sparser population, $117,000. Both figures have been static for more than a decade (though both received a bump up in the Canada 150 year, according to INAC, to $653,337 and $176,246, respectively). Aside from small operational grants from the Ontario Arts Council, $59,212 to the WCC and $23,590 to the OCF, all else is piecemeal, catch-as-catch-can from whatever agency it can find (at the WCC, a $16,000 annual project grant from the Canada Council helps with operations).

At its peak in the late 1980s under director Tom Hill, the WCC was a hotbed of contemporary Indigenous culture, holding annual juried shows and launching careers. It maintains its mission, however diminished. Indigenous cultural centres have never ceased to be critical community hubs, tasked with an array of cultural tasks, from teaching craft and language, to housing archaeological objects and art, to providing historical resources, to hosting contemporary art.

But left adrift in by an ill-fitting funding environment, their support has stagnated, and their missions along with it.

Not a half-hour drive down the road from the Woodland Cultural Centre is a case in point. In the spring, the Joseph Brant Museum, administered by the city of Burlington, announced a $12 million project that will relocate the 1937 historic house and expand its footprint from 5,000 to 17,000 square feet. The project, funded jointly by the city, province and federal governments, as well as the museums own foundation, broke ground in October.

For Whitlow, the irony is thick. Brant, also known as Thayendanegea, was the Mohawk chief who struck a deal to support the British army in the American Revolution in exchange for nearly a million acres of land on either side of the Grand River.

What remains today, the Six Nations reserve, is a postage stamp, Whitlow said, of less than 50,000 acres. It serves as an emblem for Indigenous communities tenuous grip on their own cultural heritage. Places like the WCC have no municipality to support it, no formal relationship with the provincial government, and only INACs static support at the federal level.

So while the Burlington museum, which draws only 18,000 visitors a year, prepares for an historic multi-million-dollar redux, the WCC just hangs on.

Were a class-A facility, despite our appearance, sighs Whitlow, meaning the museum has the environmental standards to welcome the most sensitive artworks, whether a Rembrandt or a Monet. But as it stands, nothing remotely so grand will ever happen here.

Its enough for us, sometimes, just to keep the lights on, she says. I realize thats not very ambitious, but those are the limits of what we can do.

For culture in Canada, on reserve and not, government funding is the elephant in every room. When the Trudeau government gave word in 2016 that it would double the budget of the Canada Council, the main federal funding agency for culture, within five years, a glimmer of optimism  maybe the first  settled over the Canadian cultural scene.

As its specifics were revealed, Indigenous communities had reason to believe: In the doubling of its budget, funding for Indigenous culture would triple.

I like to think of it as reparation, said Loft. There is an historic inequity. We have a cultural genocide committed by the state. These things we know. And what we have now is a critical mass of organizations who have been through a hellish time, frankly, and are doing amazing work, and its time to step up our commitment to them.

At the OCF, Beam, like many others, was drawn to its glow. It seemed to promise what the institution had never achieved: stability, and a way forward.

Beam put together a three-year plan for the Council. It included some eye-popping art names: Duane Linklater and Tanya Lukin Linklater, who have just shown at Documenta in Athens; the towering artist-activist Christi Belcourt; a two-person show featuring Christian Chapman and Barry Ace.

But by fall, the initial blush of optimism had faded. In October, Beam received a letter from the Canada Council that the OCF had received a long-term project grant, spread out over three years, of $163,000.

It is, Beam allows, a step. It will mean she can keep as many as eight people on staff, at minimum wage, if shes careful, to arrange contemporary art shows, teach language and, critically, keep an elder-in-residence to impart traditional knowledge.

But the brass ring, core funding  with a permanent commitment and long-term stability  remains, for the moment, out of reach.

I was on the phone with them, and they said we arent eligible because of institutional instability. I almost cried, Beam says. Isnt that the definition of an institution that needs core funding? (At the Council, Loft said, new permanent funding decisions will be announced in the new year.)

'Its crazy to me that someone from here would have to take a bus five hours south to learn about who they are' Anong Beam Executive Director of the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation

And so, the OCF waits  for another bureaucratic shift, another wheel to turn, as it always has. And, Beam says, theyll make do, as theyve always done.

Her mind turns back to the summer, when, with a staff of two, the most extraordinary thing happened.

It was tough, because there was hardly anybody here to keep things going. It just wasnt active, she says. But then, there was this day, where everything seemed to happen all by itself: Someone had a porcupine that had died, and they brought it here. Then some young people showed up, and set up a table. Someone else came, and started cooking chili. Some people laid out quilts, and then more people came in, native and non-native, Islanders, community members. And we sat, and we ate, and we sorted out quills, and someone said, hey, lets try this. And we made these little pieces, these amulets, of porcupine quill in resin.

She laughed, a little incredulous  something from nothing, through the fog of constant futility, a ray of hope.

If nothing else, thats what I want to see here, she said. A place, even if it has to be in spite of everything else, thats alive.

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ARLES, FRANCELanding in Southern France is usually an invigorating experience  unless your luggage has landed somewhere in Spain.

As I arrive for an eight-day, all-inclusive Emerald Waterways Sensations of Southern France river cruise, Im slightly panicked by the news that my clothes and camera wont be immediately joining me.

But once I step onto the brand-new Emerald Liberte and am handed a refreshing mocktail, my mind instantly eases.

Im going to track it down and make sure it gets here, says cruise director Patricia Muhardjo, taking down my luggage details. In the meantime, if you need anything, just let me know.

Im in need of clean clothes for that nights welcome dinner, so she directs me off the boat, across the sycamore-shaded town square to a Monoprix (think Joe Fresh meets Shoppers Drug Mart). I quickly buy a tres chic (and somewhat cheap) linen outfit and some fun French cosmetics.

Back on the Liberte, all my luggage-related worries disappear once Im shown my rooms jaw-dropping view. The cabins entire outside wall is one giant retractable window, stretching from water level to ceiling, showing off the sparkling aquamarine waters of the Rhone River and the two-millennia-old white-stone walls of Arles across the way.

The European-style bed has four big, fluffy white pillows and two duvets, and the pair of water-facing wooden armchairs are modelled on a mid-century modern design, making the space feel comfortable and contemporary.

After a quick shower in the small but smartly designed ensuite, I catch the end of Second Captain Remi Bouins welcome toast. On behalf of the 44 crew members (from nine different countries), he pledges to make our experience truly special.

We wish you a really nice cruise, says Bouin, who has been working on the bridge of passenger ships for 15 years. Raise your glass, cheers and happy cruising.

Cruise director Muhardjo then takes the mic and introduces her first Port Talk, an information session she holds every evening to go through the following days tours (theres at least one in each new port), sailing times and activity options.

Please make sure to bring your audio devices, she says, referring to the provided digital sets that lock into the local guides microphones. The guides will give you all the stories, so I would highly encourage you to join the tour; that way, you discover a little bit more.

And shes right. Over the span of a week, this state-of-the-art ship, which was specifically made to sail Frances Rhone and Saone Rivers, stops at some of the most spectacular  and culturally rich  spots in Southern France.

With ports-of-call in Arles, Avignon, Tournon, Lyon, Macon and Chalon-Sur-Saone (with optional afternoon bus tours to Beaune, Cluny Abbey, Perouges, Pont du Gar and Uzes), this cruise works like a floating boutique hotel, giving guests direct downtown access, complete with a personal guide and an on-board concierge.

Each morning, after a delicious buffet breakfast featuring local produce and regional specialties (read: lots of not-available-in-Canada cheeses), you can grab maps with activity suggestions and bottles of water, should you choose to borrow a bike and branch off on your own.

But sticking with the tours, youll find the trained guides provide excellent insight into the regions Roman, Medieval and Renaissance past. History is, after all, one of the main reasons Canadians visit Europe in the first place.

Burgundy was founded by the Romans as a strategic place on the river, explains local Emerald Waterways guide Birgit Wallborn, on a morning tour to Beaune. It also is a famous wine region, so if you want to purchase any bottles, this is the place.

We buy wine, visit the Hospices de Beaune museum and grab a quick cafe au lait before returning to the boat to enjoy a gourmet four-course dinner (complemented with a selection of regional wines) and prep for exploring another pretty, historical town further along the river, 20 hours later.

When the ship is in motion, the riverside scenes are so sudden and picturesque  think a warm sun setting behind a medieval castle, surrounded by vine-covered hills with a pair of swans swimming out front  its hard to believe its not put on for show.

Green, deciduous forests give way to ancient vineyards to sleepy stucco towns, to freshly tilled fields and then back to trees again  you can take it all in from your own private viewing room (i.e. your cabin), while wrapped up in a robe and a post-dinner glow.

By Day 4, thanks to Muhardjos efforts, my bag finally arrives. But since the lightning-fast laundry staff had been cleaning my change of clothes daily without charge, Id barely missed it.

After all, as I discovered during my languid week on the Emerald Liberte, there were better things to focus on than luggage  and they were all floating by, just outside my window.

Emma Yardley was hosted by Emerald Waterways, which didnt review or approve this story.

When you go:

Do this trip: The Emerald Waterways ship Emerald Liberte runs along the Rhone and Saone Rivers from April to October with prices starting at $3,495. Sensations of Southern France departs from Arles (with a transport from the airport in Nice, NCE) or Lyon (LYS), depending on your departure date. Make sure you know which direction the ship will be travelling and that youll arrive in time to catch the included airport transfers before finalizing flights.

Do your research: aixenprovencetourism.com, burgundy-tourism.com

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Credit: Architect of the Capitol(WASHINGTON) -- In the wake of the recent mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill Thursday meant to strengthen the existing background check system for firearms.



The Fix NICS Act, which refers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, would set up incentives and penalties for state and federal agencies to boost their compliance with existing requirements that they report criminal history records to the system, helping ensure it stays up to date.



Just one record thats not properly reported can lead to tragedy, as the country saw last week in Sutherland Springs, Texas," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a statement on Thursday. "This bill aims to help fix whats become a nationwide, systemic problem so we can better prevent criminals and domestic abusers from obtaining firearms.



Devin P. Kelley, the man who has been identified by federal and state law enforcement officials as the shooter who killed 26 people, including an unborn child, in Texas on Nov. 5, was court-martialed while in the Air Force on charges of assault on his wife and child in 2012. But his convictions were not reported to the background check service used for gun buyers, and he was able to purchase the weapon that was used in the Nov. 5 shooting.



Outspoken gun control advocate Sen. Chris Murphy and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, both Democrats from Connecticut, helped Cornyn craft the bill in a rare instance of bipartisanship on the issue. It is also being backed by Republican Senators Tim Scott of South Carolina, Orrin Hatch of Utah and Dean Heller of Nevada, as well as Democrats Dianne Feinstein of California and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.



Mass murderers in Sutherland Springs, Charleston, and Blacksburg were legally prohibited from accessing firearms, but gaps in NICS allowed each of them to walk out of a gun store with the weapons used to commit their crimes," Blumenthal said.



The announcement of the bill comes one day after another bipartisan group of senators  made up of Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Shaheen  sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to ask how the Department of Defense classifies and reports cases of domestic violence, specifically referring to Kelley and the Texas church shooting.



"The recent tragedy in Texas has raised serious questions about cooperation between the military justice system and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in preventing statutorily barred persons from purchasing firearms," the letter read. "As you know, the military failed to send pertinent information relating to Devin P. Kelleys domestic violence related convictions to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) at the FBI."



The Fix NICS Act would punish federal agencies that fail to upload relevant records to the background check system by prohibiting bonuses for political appointees, and would incentivize state agencies to comply by offering federal grants.



It would also allot funding for a Domestic Abuse and Violence Prevention Initiative "to ensure that states have adequate resources and incentives to share all relevant information with NICS showing that a felon or domestic abuser is excluded from purchasing firearms under current law," according to a statement announcing the bill.



Murphy, who advocates more sweeping gun control legislation than the Fix NICS bill, said that it is a step in the right direction.



Its no secret that I believe much more needs to be done. But this bill will make sure that thousands of dangerous people are prevented from buying guns," Murphy said, adding that the bill "provides the foundation for more compromise in the future.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
VANCOUVERB.C. Premier John Horgan says he and Justin Trudeau are besties, but that didnt stop him for applying some pressure on the prime minister Thursday to squeeze more money out of Ottawa for British Columbia.

Horgan specifically wants the federal government to help cover some of the costs of last summers unprecedented wildfire season.

It was a bit of a love-in, I have to say, Horgan said of his earlier meeting with Trudeau as he spoke to lunch crowd of about 200 hosted by the Urban Development Institute.

Read more:

B.C. thanks inmates who helped during the provinces worst-ever wildfire season

B.C.s record-breaking wildfires to put dent in provincial budget, minister says

But after the cameras were off and the doors were closed, I spoke candidly to the prime minister and said, You know, we can keep going like this, but youre going to have to start showing up with a bit of cash. He chuckled a little bit and I said, No, Im serious. You have to start showing up with a bit of cash. 

Last summers fires scorched more than 12,000 square kilometres of land and forced about 65,000 people from their homes. The fires destroyed 509 structures across the province, including 229 homes.

The price tag to date for both fire suppression and recovery is about $750 million, and the federal government needs to make good on the commitments it made during the summer to pitch in on costs, Horgan said.

There are families in the Interior that have a very bleak winter ahead of them and an even bleaker spring. And thats going to need more investment from the province, more investment from the provincial government.

Horgan later told reporters he also raised B.C.s concerns about Kinder Morgans proposed $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline project, which would triple the capacity of a pre-existing line between Edmonton and the Vancouver area and increase tanker traffic in the Burrard Inlet sevenfold.

I reiterated our position and the prime minister acknowledged that and reiterated his position, Horgan said. The province was in court earlier this year opposing the National Energy Boards decision to approve the project.

The two leaders also discussed child care, housing affordability and environmental stewardship, Horgan added.

Trudeau has spent two days in B.C. on his return trip from Manila where he attended a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

On Thursday, he and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, announced Vancouver as the location for Women Deliver 2019, a major conference on gender equality that is expected to attract 6,000 delegates from more than 160 countries.

Gender equality is everyones business, Trudeau said during his announcement. Its on all of us to make equality our reality.

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OTTAWANATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is praising Canada's commitment to peace operations and says it comes as the military alliance considers greater cooperation with the United Nations to help with increasingly dangerous missions.

NATO has lots of experience in operating in dangerous environments and therefore we can help the UN with training, sharing our experience in operating non-permissive environments, Stoltenberg said in a telephone interview Friday from Halifax, where he is among the delegates attending the Halifax International Security Forum.

Stoltenberg highlighted Canadas commitments this week to UN peace missions that included additional funding, a pledge to assist with training and the promised deployment of equipment and personnel to support operations.

While the contribution was criticized by some as modest, Stoltenberg praised Canadas strong political focus to support UN operations. And he said that Canada has key, high-end capabilities such as transport aircraft and helicopters that are especially valuable on such missions.

And Stoltenberg said that Canada strongly supports greater cooperation between NATO and the UN at a time when peace missions are occurring in locations where conflict is still active and peacekeepers are often in the crossfire.

I absolutely see a potential for working more with the UN. Of course the UN is now conducting more operations in non-permissive environments and we have seen a significant increase in the casualty numbers, Stoltenberg said.

At a peacekeeping summit this week in Vancouver, the new reality of such missions was driven home.

There are still traditional peace missions where our blue helmets are positioned between two parties who have entered into a ceasefire, said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who heads the UNs department of peacekeeping operations.

But most of our peacekeeping operations are deployed in a much different environment where the political process . . . is not moving or moving very slowly, where the security environment is extremely challenging, extremely dangerous, Lacroix said at the summit.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told delegates in Vancouver that too much of peacekeeping was rooted in nostalgia for missions of the past. Instead, he said a bold new approach was needed for the missions of today, which he painted as risky and dangerous.

Times have changed. Now all too often there is no peace to keep, Trudeau said.

The conflicts we face today are intractable, more dangerous, more complex. . . . The sad truth is that as often as not UN peace operations are now in themselves targets, he told delegates at the summit.

The UN mission in Mali ranks as the deadliest with 89 peacekeepers killed so far. Three peacekeepers from Bangladesh were killed in the African country in September when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

Stoltenberg said that NATO is already using its experiences from war zones such as Afghanistan to assist the United Nations but signaled that more could be done.

I absolutely see a potential for working more with the UN. Of course the UN is now conducting more operations in non-permissive environments and we have seen a significant increase in the casualty numbers. Thats the reason why the NATO already has increased our support to the UN with training, he said.

That training includes dealing with improvised explosive devices, which he said is a major cause of casualties, and medicine to help wounded soldiers survive.

Im ready to step up the efforts to provide more support from NATO to the UN, said Stoltenberg, who was prime minister of Norway before taking on the NATO post in 2014.

NATO itself has also been forced to confront a changing world, adapting to deal with Russia, the political and military rise of China, terrorism and cyber threats.

In response to Russias annexation of Crimea and aggression towards Ukraine, NATO has deployed troops to eastern European countries as a deterrence measure. Stoltenberg called it the biggest reinforcement to collective defence since the end of the Cold War.

Canadian troops are on the frontline of that effort, leading a battle group in Latvia. Canadian warships have been deployed to the Mediterranean and fighter jets have flown missions over the Baltic countries near the Russian border.

Stoltenberg would not say if NATO is looking to Canada for additional contributions.

We welcome that Canada is doing more but of course we are in constant dialogue with allies, including Canada looking into what more they can do, he said.

While NATO has been in a war of words with Russia, its taken a more diplomatic tact with China with praise for Beijings efforts to rein in North Koreas nuclear program.

It is important for NATO to have dialogue and contacts with China, Stoltenberg said.

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HALIFAXDefence Minister Harjit Sajjan opened a security conference on Friday by saying Canada is embracing a more muscular approach to international security, touting a new peacekeeping strategy and increased military spending as signs of an increased role.

Sajjan told the Halifax International Security Forum on Friday that Canada has shown initiative in a host of international conflicts, while maintaining its multilateral approach to foreign policy.

For Canada, the development of this policy served as a tangible example of how the sharing of ideas and perspectives can translate into policy that responds to the challenges of our modern world, Sajjan said. We recognize that these engagements is vital not only to our own domestic security, but to global security.

Read more:

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Training foreign troops will be the flagship of Canadas new UN peace strategy, top soldier says

Another attack, another reason to carry on: DiManno

Sajjan trumpeted several Canadian peacekeeping commitments unveiled during this weeks United Nations peacekeeping summit in Vancouver. They included offering soldiers, equipment and a feminist perspective on peace missions. The federal government has also promised to increase military spending by $62 billion over the next two decades.

Appearing on a panel with Sajjan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Canadas revitalized defence efforts, despite estimates suggesting its military spending still falls short of the alliances target of two per cent of GDP.

During last years presidential election campaign, U.S. President Donald Trump chided NATO member countries for not pulling their weight.

Stoltenberg told the conference that Trump has changed his tune since the campaign. Stoltenberg said he does not have any doubts about the American commitment to the alliance.

He said both Canada and the US have increased their military presence in Europe recently, showing that NATO remains strong.

Actions speak louder than words, Stoltenberg said. Having Canada and United States back in Europe is not a sign of fracturing. Its not a sign of weakness. Its a sign of strength and a strong transatlantic bond.

Stoltenberg praised Canada for sending hundreds of soldiers to Latvia to lead a NATO battle group there.

Sajjan cited Canadas unwavering commitment to Ukraine as further evidence of its emerging leadership role, as well as its recent efforts to help contain Daesh, also known ISIS or ISIL.

Sajjan told reporters that Canada will deal with threats posed by the Islamic State, whether they come from afar or closer to home.

He said the military and other security agencies are taking measures to ensure that Canadians who fight with Daesh pose no threat if they return to Canada, while abiding by international law.

He said returnees are being monitored to ensure they are not a threat.

We will make sure that we put every type of resource into place so that Canadians are well protected, Sajjan said as the three-day conference began Friday. Our main priority is making sure that they dont become a threat to Canada.

Representatives from more than 70 countries are attending the three-day forum in Halifax, which bills itself as an annual gathering of democratic leaders committed to global security and prosperity.

Topics on the agenda include the role of women in peacemaking, Russian relations, nuclear weapons and climate change.

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Hunters near Chicago may be crying fowl.

When hunters invaded the agricultural fields that could sustain Canada geese during long winter months, the geese responded with an unexpected invasion of their own.

Researchers say Canada geese are flocking to downtown Chicago during the winter to avoid hunters in surrounding rural areas by taking residence in the citys green spaces, rooftops and rail yards.

Half of the birds that left Chicago in winter were shot by hunters, said Mike Ward, an ornithologist at the University of Illinois.

But we never had a bird that wintered in Chicago die. And so it does suggest that theyve figured out when hunting season is, where its at.

The results of the wild goose chase to discover just what so many Canada geese were doing in downtown Chicago during the winter was recently published in the Condor: Ornithological Applications journal.

Ward said geese living in the non-traditional habitat of Chicago try to keep a low profile and avoid expending energy to make it through the winter.

I think that geese are smarter than people give them credit for, Ward said. Theyve kind of figured out a place to go to be as safe as they can over the winter.

Occasionally, a goose will kind of chicken out and go south, Ward said.

Those are the ones that usually get shot.

Christopher Sharp, a biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, said Canada geese with transmitters in the GTA spent significant amounts of time on industrial rooftops, on the waterfront and in large storm water ponds along major highways.

In Toronto, somewhere between 50 and 75 per cent of female nesting geese wearing transmitters being tracked by researchers left the GTA during the winter.

The majority of those birds spent the winter in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia  also exposing them to hunters, Sharp said.

As southern Canada and the northern United States become more suitable for Canada geese, humans increasingly have to contend with the Canadian icon.

More and more, we have human-goose conflicts in these large urban centers, Sharp said of the last 20 to 30 years. And thats something thats relatively new.

Sharp studies the ecology of urban nesting Canada geese and is conducting research to help better manage human-goose conflict.

Changes to agriculture and the creation of these large urban refuges has made southern Ontario more suitable for Canada geese overall, he said. That coupled with climate change  likely enables more geese to spend the winter in Ontario than what would have historically.

Ward said that traditionally, Canada geese would not winter in Chicago, Toronto, Detroit or much of the northern Midwest.

They would go down to Arkansas, southern Illinois, Kentucky, those areas, Ward explained. But over the last couple decades, theyve been wintering further and further north, in these urban areas.

Danny Moro, project manager at the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority, said he thinks human-goose conflicts are increasing.

Is it more geese? he said. Are people more aware of these geese? Are residents and park users using parks more often now, because were providing better waterfront access? There are a number of things at play where these conflicts could be occurring.

Airports are one place where human-goose conflicts can have fatal consequences. Toronto Pearson has an extensive wildlife management program in place to mitigate the risk to aircraft presented by birds, a spokesperson told the Star.

Preventive measures include wildlife control officers and trained dogs to deter geese from staying on the property.

Sharp said the solution to human-goose conflict is habitat modification: So making the habitat where these human-goose conflicts are occurring less appealing to geese.

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Alino Lopes thought the lot he bought in Weston could be a place for him and his daughter to live side by side.

Instead, they're finding the aging house they're hoping to tear down and replace with two new ones is becoming the centre of a conflict between those who want to preserve the neighbourhood's eclectic character, and provincial plans that favour intensification.

Im not doing anything modern, square. Im doing the old fashioned style, Lopes told the Star. Ive talked to my neighbours, Ive explained what Im doing and the architect says it seems very good. The lot he wants to sever is 16.15 metres wide, or 53 feet.

The application hasnt yet been considered by the committee of adjustment  the group of residents appointed by city council to assess applications for building projects that diverge from what is allowed in city bylaws.

Even so, the proposal has garnered the attention of the Weston Historical Society, the group of residents who have spent more than a decade fighting to make the area a heritage conservation district.

The concern is the city really seems to be bent on intensification, said Cherri Hurst, president of the Weston Historical Society & Conservation District. Im trying to find out if thats going to trump conservation districts.

The whole idea (of a conservation district) is not to stifle people or anything, she said, but to make sure that the development happening in the neighbourhood is consistent with Westons character.

Hurst was one of the original proponents of a Weston conservation district in 2004, an idea that neighbours formed in response to a development proposal on Fern Ave. that Hurst called destructive.

A small section on the west side of the neighbourhood was declared a heritage conservation district by the city two years later, placing additional restrictions on what can be built or demolished within the district boundaries.

Now the group is trying to broaden the boundaries to include what they call phase two, an area that includes Lopess property on John St.

Were asking for developers and people not just to look at the surface of things, to realize that just because a house has a bad roof or looks bad doesn't mean its not savable, Hurst said.

There are 24 heritage conservation districts in the city of Toronto, and 37 nominated areas. Of the 37, 11 have been authorized for planning by city council, and 13 are under study.

Westons phase two is one of the 17 nominated areas that has been nominated but isnt under study.

The purpose of a district is to ensure that the significance and character of areas with cultural heritage value are protected and conserved in the long term, the citys website says. To do this the districts come up with plans that must be taken into account by the city when development proposals come in.

Heritage conservation districts are often a really good mechanism for addressing development in residential neighbourhoods, said Michael McClelland, the founding principal of ERA Architects, who specializes in heritage planning.

If theyre done poorly or if the objectives arent clear its very possible they can be used by the (not-in-my-backyard) community or by the citys own policy people to discourage development, McClelland said.

The key, he said, is to make sure that a district implements restrictions on development only in furtherance of heritage aims, and leaves room for intensification strategies and community renewal.

Hurst believes heritage designation can also be a way to increase property values and improve community safety.

Amber Stewart, the lawyer who submitted Lopess application to the committee of adjustment, said she wasnt surprised to learn that some residents had reservations about the proposal.

Based on her preliminary examination of surrounding properties, Stewart estimated that the two severed lots at 135 John St., if approved, wouldnt be the smallest lots in the area. The proposal is in the early stages, she said, and theyre open to feedback on heritage and design issues that may arise.

The first thing we have to keep in mind is theres an important provincial direction to encourage intensification  even at a smaller scale like this, Stewart said.

Even though discussions about intensification usually centre on highrise developments, Stewart said, small scale proposals like Lopess could help accommodate more people without drastically changing the fabric of a neighbourhood.

In my view we need to become more open to accepting these opportunities when they come into neighbourhoods, she said.

Some Weston residents agree. Jacob Berkenblit, a real estate sales representative whos lived in the neighbourhood since 2014, said development can breed positive growth.

From a real estate perspective, when building is going on in your neighbourhood thats called renewal, he said.

Councillor Frances Nunziata, who represents Ward 11 where Weston is located, said she plans to hold a community meeting about Lopess application.

She predicts residents will show up to oppose the application at the committee of adjustment, like they did for a similar application in 2016, also on John St.

That application was rejected by the committee, and went to the Ontario Municipal Board, which hasnt yet released a decision on the application.

Nunziatas own view is that intensification should steer clear of the single family dwelling neighbourhood.

I agree (we need) more development in the area on the main street and thats what Im focusing on, she said. But not in the Weston village.

Dave Bennett was one of the residents who showed up to the committee of adjustment in 2016. Hes also the past president of the Weston Heritage Conservation District, and a current board member.

He is worried that if the city allows one such severance, thatll open the floodgates for more development to come into the area.

We dont want that, he said. Once you start to bend the law well now youve got this wet noodle.

A hearing date for severance application has not yet been set. A city spokesperson said the application is currently under review by staff, and that they will comment on it next week.

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A GoFundMe page set up for Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Justin Altmann, after his controversial purchase of a replica chain of office using taxpayer money, has reached its fundraising goal. Altmann says he couldnt be happier.

Its good to see people taking notice and action in their town, the mayor told the Star in a phone interview.

Altmann said there have been a lot of defamation attempts from council in regards to the chain and he said its good to see people taking a stand.

The debate over the chain began last year.

Council passed a policy to limit the use of the towns original chain of office by the mayor after he let Whitchurch-Stouffvilles beloved mascot, Smiley, a blind therapy dog, wear the chain along with other community members. The mayor also sported the chain at a wedding and while on a summer trip to Igoma, Tanzania, when he met the local mayor.

Some on council believed it could only be worn by the mayor at official council events within the municipalitys boundaries.

After it was revealed that the mayor used taxpayer money to purchase a replica chain of office with a price tag of $1,949, the controversy grew. He has called it the peoples community chain.

On Thursday, a GoFundMe page called Pay for the Peoples Chain was created to pay the town back for the cost of the replica chain and had raised more than $1,960 as of 10:45 p.m. Friday.

People are against the purchase to put negative light on the mayor, said Amy Davies, a representative of the campaign.

This whole thing is such a disgrace. Its no different than when little boys or girls want to be a policeman or a fireman. They feel special when they go to a fire house, so when they wear the chain, they feel special and feel like a mayor.

As for the money raised, Altmann said the cheque can be brought to the towns treasurer who will accept it on behalf of the city. The GoFundMe page suggests extra funds may be donated to a local food bank or a family in need.

Suzanne Craig, the integrity commissioner, has said the purchase of the chain would not violate any rules as long as Altmann made it clear to the public that it was not the chain of office.

But some councillors say the mayors use of the chain is misleading.

I find it very disrespectful that the mayor wears this new chain anywhere. I think that any member of the public who does not know that it was not the real chain would nonetheless believe it to be so, Councillor Hugo Kroon told the Star in an earlier interview. In that regard, the mayor is intentionally confusing the residents by wearing this new chain anywhere in the public.

It is simply a simple fashion accessory the mayor wears for his own purposes, whatever they may be.

Some were critical of the fundraising drive on the GoFundMe page.

All the good causes out there and you donate for some wanna-be-king to wear a chain around his neck, a commentator named Wendy Goldup wrote. Obviously there are no hungry children or homeless people in Stouffville. Now I am going to go donate to a worthy cause.

Others were more supportive.

I was thinking that the best thing for all would be to crowd fund this chain, Matthew Smith wrote. Well done!! The mayor of Stouffville is a great man. Keep up the good work.

The mayor stirred controversy earlier this year when a CSI-style wall of photos in his office washroom was revealed. The photos included local residents, former employees and politicians as well as Toronto Star reporter Noor Javed.

In September, Altmann defended his use of the chain and his wall describing it as his mind map.

With files from Emma McIntosh

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No two men in recent years have dominated the liberation of Southern Africa more than Nelson Mandela and Robert Mugabe. But their legacies are strikingly different: Mandela is remembered as a beacon of brotherhood while Mugabe stands as one of Africas most ruthless tyrants.

What would have happened in Zimbabwe if Mugabe had ruled his country like Mandela ruled South Africa?

These may indeed turn out to be the final days of Zimbabwes old and ill Robert Mugabe, but there will little reason to celebrate. It will take more than simply shoving a doddering 93-year-old aside to rescue Zimbabwe from its continuing descent into hell.

The surprising move this week by Zimbabwes generals against President Mugabe was no act of political remorse. These generals are part of the same corrupt political elite that has looted Zimbabwe for years. Fearing that their leader was about to turn on them, it was their effort to protect the status quo and their central role in it.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, troops and tanks were stationed around the capital city of Harare. Zimbabwes generals announced that Mugabe and his family are safe and sound, effectively under house arrest. Those closest to his wife, first lady Grace Mugabe, were reported to be arrested.

That was the first clue as to what was going on. The trigger that spurred the military into action appeared to be Mugabes firing of his vice-president, Emmerson Mnangagwa  a veteran of Zimbabwes liberation war widely admired by the military  accusing him of disloyalty, disrespect and deceitfulness.

His firing appeared to have a devious motive. It made it possible for the presidents unpopular wife to succeed her husband, and that was a bridge too far for the military to accept. Widely dismissed as Gucci Grace for her lavish shopping, she was seen to represent the youth wing of Mugabes party, ZANU-PF, and was considered hostile to Zimbabwes old guard.

It may be some time before we know the final details of who will take over as Zimbabwes ruler. But it seems virtually certain that, after 37 years in power, Mugabes often-bloody reign is about to end.

Read more:

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Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe meets with army commander amid political turmoil

What we know and dont know about Zimbabwes apparent coup

On a continent that is still navigating its way after many decades of colonial rule, that will be a message for other African dictators who desperately cling to power in the face of growing public unrest. It will also be a reminder of the original pride and promise of Robert Mugabe when he first took over the newly independent nation of Zimbabwe in 1980.

Winning the guerrilla war by 1980 against the white Rhodesian regime made him a hero in Africa and beyond. The countrys economy emerged from the war intact and there was considerable goodwill from western governments and businesses. Many educated whites who had fled the country in the 1970s returned home.

I remember my first visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa in the 1980s as a CBC journalist. With Mugabe hailed as a saviour, this was a time when Zimbabwe, much more so than South Africa, was regarded as a potential model for the rest of Africa.

Zimbabwe's army said Wednesday it has President Robert Mugabe and his wife in custody and is securing government offices and patrolling the capital's streets following a night of unrest that included a military takeover of the state broadcaster. (The Associated Press)

But gradually it turned sour. Mugabe was ruthless in his abuse of power and the killing of dissidents, which left more than 20,000 dead. His response to any political opposition was to eliminate them. Mugabes family and ruling elite were also notorious for looting the country and stripping it of its wealth.

But above all, Mugabe resented the enduring white presence in Zimbabwe. Among other moves, he launched a disastrous reform program that encouraged the violent takeover of white-owned farms, which were the backbone of the countrys farming sector.

That was the direction Mugabe had set out for Zimbabwe when Nelson Mandela emerged from his South African prison in the early 1990s. Even though Mandelas personal background was strikingly similar to Mugabes, Mandela chose an entirely different direction for his country. He preached reconciliation between the races and continually called for national unity.

Mugabe was always scornful of Mandelas tolerant treatment of whites: Mandela has gone a bit too far in doing good to the non-black communities  Thats being too saintly, too good, too much of a saint, he told South Africas Sunday Independent newspaper in 2013.

With the euphoria of their early years of liberation long past, both countries now face formidable challenges. But Zimbabwes future appears far bleaker.

Robert Mugabes departure from the scene will undoubtedly be welcomed by most Zimbabweans. But the wreckage this once-heroic figure leaves behind will surely define his place in history.

Tony Burman is former head of Al Jazeera English and CBC News. Reach him @TonyBurman or at tony.burman@gmail.com.

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A police probe of a disputed Progressive Conservative nomination contest is now a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud.

Hamilton Police detectives are investigating unnamed Conservative officials in connection with the Tories May 7 candidate election in the riding of Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas.

Vikram Singh, a Hamilton lawyer and runner-up in the four-contestant nomination, filed a complaint with police last summer after he launched a civil action against the party alleging wrongful insertion of false ballots.

The criminal probe is separate from Singhs ongoing civil litigation that named Ontario Conservative Leader Patrick Brown, party president Rick Dykstra, PC executive director Bob Stanley, and senior Brown aide Logan Bugeja.

Const. Lorraine Edwards confirmed Thursday that the criminal investigation is proceeding.

We can expect this to take several months, said Edwards.

Peter Brauti, the lawyer representing the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, said weve provided full cooperation and stressed that Brown is not subject to the criminal probe.

As far as I know, theyre not looking at the leader; theyre not looking at the party. They are looking into whether individuals conducted themselves appropriately during the  physical election, he said.

Theyve made no promises as to when they would finish, but it was hopeful they would finish sometime this year, he said.

Dykstra said the Tories have improved their candidate selection practices in the wake of the Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas debacle.

Following our nomination in Hamilton, concerns were raised about the nomination contest. The leader brought in PricewaterhouseCoopers and a new process for nominations, Dykstra said.

We have been providing assistance in regard to the investigation. We will continue to remain open and transparent should there be any further requests.

Singhs lawyer Richard Macklin expressed satisfaction that the criminal probe is proceeding.

My client looks forward to a thorough investigation in what he feels is a matter of significant public importance, said Macklin.

If any charges were laid before the June 7, 2018 election, the political fallout could be significant. But the stakes are also high for those being investigated  a fraud conviction can carry a sentence of 14 years in prison in Canada.

Tory sources said documents have been provided to the police, including text messages, emails, and a ballot box used at the nomination meeting.

Even though the party traditionally destroys ballots a week after a candidate election is held, insiders said that did not happen in Hamilton.

According to documents filed by Singh with the Ontario Court of Justice for his civil suit, the May 7 nomination won by Ben Levitt was fraught with irregularities. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Jeff Peller, another runner-up in the May 7 vote, who is not part of Singhs suit, withdrew a separate court application against the Tories on Oct. 20.

There have been at least seven contentious PC nominations this year, including a May 6 nomination in Ottawa West-Nepean, where winner Karma Macgregor received 15 votes more over runner-up Jeremy Roberts in an election where there were 28 more ballots in the boxes than voters who had registered.

Roberts appeal of that result was rejected by the party executive.

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BEIRUTLebanons absent prime minister accepted an invitation for an official visit to France from Saudi Arabia, French and Lebanese diplomats said Thursday, nearly two weeks after his abrupt resignation stirred rumours he was being held captive in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The announcement added another layer of mystery to the circumstances of Saad Hariris shock decision to quit his post earlier this month. His resignation, which he blamed on pressure from Iran and its Lebanese Shiite proxy, Hezbollah, stunned Lebanon and the wider region and raised fears the country would plunge again into factional turmoil.

Lebanese officials had said Hariri, who is a dual Lebanese-Saudi citizen, had been forced to resign by Saudi authorities and was unable to move or speak freely from Riyadh. Lebanons president, Michel Aoun, said Wednesday that Hariri was a hostage, and that his government would not accept such an attack on Lebanese sovereignty.

Saudi Arabia has sought to roll back Iranian influence in the region, including in Lebanon, and some observers believe Saudi officials sought to pressure Hezbollah by staging Hariris resignation.

Lebanon is run on a power-sharing pact between its main groups  Christians and Sunni and Shiite Muslims  and any attempt to sideline one side could tip the country into turmoil.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir rejected accusations his government had abducted Hariri.

In a joint news conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Jubeir said Hariri was in Saudi Arabia of his own free will, and that he was free to travel at any time.

But Hariris expected visit to Paris appeared aimed at defusing tensions, and to pave the way for him to officially submit his resignation in person in Beirut, officials said.

French President Emmanuel Macron extended the invitation Wednesday through Le Drian in Riyadh, but stressed that it was not an offer of political exile. Le Drian said Thursday that he would be meeting with Hariri. It was unclear when he would travel.

In Lebanon, an official at the presidents office said they had received confirmation of Hariris acceptance of the invitation, and that the French government would provide the plane for the prime ministers travel. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Aoun, a political ally of Hezbollah but also close to Hariri, said on Twitter that he hoped the visit to Paris would end the crisis.

He can resign, as long as he is free to do what he wants, the Lebanese official said. But as long as he is still in Saudi Arabia, we believe that it is a hostage situation.

The resignation, aiming to pressure coalition partner Hezbollah to stay out of regional affairs, instead has turned into a campaign for Hariri to return home and either formally resign or resume the job.

If Hariri were a savvier politician, he could have used different words; he could have refused to resign, or insisted on doing so from Beirut, wrote Lebanon expert Thanassis Cambanis in the Atlantic magazine.

His resignation appears to have caused cracks within the family and the Future Movement he heads, as rumours circulate about possible replacements.

In many ways, the soft-spoken Hariri has always been a stranger to Lebanons intricate and sometimes violent politics.

Hariri finds himself caught between the regions two feuding powers, the Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, raising questions about the fate of the dynasty that has been the face of politics for decades in Lebanon.

In many ways, Saad is a copy of Rafik Hariri, with the difference in circumstances, said Paula Yacoubian, the Future TV anchor who interviewed Hariri on Sunday in his residence in Saudi Arabia, where many Lebanese believe he is being held against his will.

His father was a self-made billionaire who amassed his construction fortune in Saudi Arabia and then helped rebuild a civil war-shattered Lebanon as prime minister. He was killed when his motorcade was struck by truck bomb in Beirut on Feb. 14, 2005, and four Hezbollah members are being tried in absentia by a UN-backed court for the killing.

The bombing immediately thrust Saad Hariri into the spotlight  and the political novice had to learn fast.

Although he was always critical of Hezbollah and Iran, he has found a way to work with them.

In 2009, a Saudi and Syrian rapprochement after years of tension from the elder Hariris assassination made it possible for the son to form a unity government. As part of easing strains, Saad Hariri had to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom he had accused of involvement in his fathers killing. Yacoubian, who has interviewed him five times, said it was the only other time besides Sunday that she detected he was tense.

In his first term as prime minister, Hariri served for over a year, filled with political stress arising from investigations into his fathers death, which at the time he blamed on the Syrian government.

In January 2010, Hezbollah ministers and their allies toppled Hariris government by resigning from the national unity cabinet, rendering him a lame duck just as he met with U.S. president Barack Obama in Washington.

After the demonstrations against Assad turned into an armed rebellion, Syria issued a warrant for Hariris arrest in December 2011 on charges of providing weapons to the Sunni rebels.

For years, Hariri lived in self-imposed exile between Saudi Arabia and France, before he returned in 2016 to form a new unity government.

In an article in the New York Times in September 2016, months before taking office, Hariri urged Iran to stop meddling in Arab affairs. His rhetoric against Iran and Hezbollah was not much different from his defiant words in the Nov. 4 resignation from Saudi Arabia.

Iran can be part of the solution. But it must accept the extended Arab hand, led by Saudi Arabia, for normalized, neighbourly relations, allowing Sunni Arabs to get down to the real task of getting rid of extremism, Hariri wrote.

Hariris last meeting in Lebanon before he was summoned to Saudi Arabia was with an adviser to Irans supreme leader. Speculation has been rife that the meeting was the reason for Riyadhs surprise summoning. In the interview with Yacoubian, Hariri said he told Ali Akbar Velayati to end Irans meddling in Arab affairs.

His comment prompted a back and forth with Velayati. What is clear is that Hariri got caught between the regions two feuding powers.

Hariri wanted to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and we welcomed it, Velayati said.

With files from The Associated Press

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WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump believes Alabama voters should determine for themselves whether allegations of sexual impropriety against Senate candidate Roy Moore are true and whether to elect him, his press secretary said on Thursday.

The president believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he thinks the people of Alabama should make the decision about who their next senator should be, Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters at the White House.

Moore, 70, has been accused by an Alabama woman of sexual assault when she was 16 years old. Six other women have told the Washington Post on the record that Moore sought romantic relationships with them when they were teenagers and he was an adult, and one said he initiated a sexual encounter with her. One said she was 14 when Moore touched her over her bra and underwear.

Read more:

Roy Moore reportedly banned from Alabama mall after harassing teen girls in the 1980s

Sessions says he has no reason to doubt Moore accusers

A seventh woman told AL.com, the website for several Alabama newspapers, on Wednesday that Moore grabbed her buttocks in 1991, when she was 28 and was visiting his law office on legal business.

Sanders said Trump continues to believe that if any of these allegations are true Moore should withdraw from the race. That led to a series of questions from reporters about how the allegations might be substantiated. Sanders said that should be determined, possibly, by a court of law but that it is a decision the people of Alabama should make, not the president.

Trump also supports the National Republican Senate Committee, the fundraising body for Senate Republicans, ending financial support for Moore, she said. He has no plans to campaign with Moore, she said.

But he has not formally withdrawn his endorsement of Moore over Democrat Doug Jones.

Moore won the Republican nomination for the Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and the special election is Dec. 12. He has denied the allegations and has refused to withdraw from the race.

Roy Moore is showing no willingness to step away from the Alabama Senate race. Moore is answering GOP critics who say he should end his Alabama Senate candidacy if he engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with minors four decades ago. (The Associated Press)

Ever defiant, Moore offered fighting words in a tweet addressed to the top Senate Republican: Dear Mitch McConnell, Bring. It. On.

Chris Hansen, executive director of the national GOPs Senate campaign committee, fired back, Bring It On is a movie about cheerleaders.

Theres a special place in hell for people who prey on children, Ivanka Trump told The Associated Press. Ive yet to see a valid explanation and I have no reason to doubt the victims accounts.

Her father, who withstood allegations of sexual assault weeks before his own election, was uncharacteristically silent when faced with questions about the scandal. Sanderss comments were the first indicating where he stood publicly on the issue.

The Alabama Republican Party reiterated its support for Moore on Thursday, a day after its 21-member steering committee privately contemplated the situation.

Judge Moore has vehemently denied the allegations made against him. He deserves to be presumed innocent of the accusations unless proven otherwise. He will continue to take his case straight to the people of Alabama, state GOP chair Terry Lathan said in a statement.

Washington Republicans had looked to Trump as one of the few remaining hopes for pushing a fellow political rebel from the race.

Behind the scenes, aides described Trump as vexed by the Moore issue. Even if he should speak out, he might make an uncomfortable critic: The allegations against the bombastic former judge echo Trumps own political problems when he was accused weeks before the 2016 election of more than a dozen instances of sexual harassment. The Trump aides would not be named discussing the matter because they were not authorized to discuss private conversations.

To a great extent, the anti-establishment forces that propelled Trump to the White House are now strongly behind Moore, and Alabama Republican leaders are reluctant to enrage his loyal conservative supporters.

The Alabama Republican Party is expected to maintain support for their embattled candidate.

The state GOPs 21-member steering committee did not take a final vote after an hours-long meeting to discuss their options on Wednesday, which took place before new allegations of misconduct surfaced, according to three people familiar with the meeting who werent authorized to speak publicly.

The state GOP has the power to revoke Moores GOP nomination and ask election officials to ignore ballots cast for him, but that would risk a lawsuit and backlash from Moore supporters. The party has little interest in alienating Moores followers a year before elections in which the governors office and entire state Legislature will be in play.

Outside the state party headquarters, Moores campaign chairman and personal attorney addressed reporters on Wednesday, trying to undercut the story of one of the women who has accused Moore of sexually accosting her when she was in high school.

The attorney, Phillip Jauregui, demanded that Beverly Nelson release the yearbook she contends Moore signed. The lawyer questioned whether the signature was Moores and said it should be submitted for handwriting analysis. Neither the attorney nor the campaign manager addressed the original allegations from his other accusers. They did not take questions.

Gloria Allred, Nelsons attorney, later said her client would allow the yearbook to be examined only if Moore is questioned under oath by a Senate committee.

The unusual news conference suggested that Moore, a judge twice removed from his post as state Supreme Court chief justice, was digging in, leaving his party with two damaging potential election outcomes. His victory would saddle GOP senators with a colleague accused of abusing and harassing teenagers, a troubling liability heading into next years congressional elections, while a loss to Democrat Doug Jones would slice the already narrow GOP Senate majority to an unwieldy 51-49.

Its too late to remove Moores name from the ballot, so fielding a Republican write-in at this point would almost certainly hand the election to the Democrats unless he should withdraw and persuade his supporters to vote for that substitute.

According to internal polling conducted by the Senate GOP campaign arm and reviewed by The Associated Press, Moore trails Democrat Jones by 12 points  39 per cent to 51 per cent  in the survey conducted on Sunday and Monday. Moore led by nine points the week before in the National Republican Senatorial Committees internal numbers.

National GOP leaders were openly discussing a write-in candidate, although they had not yet agreed on who it should be. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has encouraged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to step up. But Sessions, whose former Senate seat is at stake, has indicated he has no interest in that.

Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby said that hell write in another name on Election Day and Sessions would be an ideal candidate. But he also said I dont see any movement toward an effective effort with the election less than a month away.

With files from The Associated Press

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VATICAN CITYBurmas Catholic cardinal on Friday defended Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi against unfair criticism over the military crackdown on Muslim Rohingya, and said that terming it ethnic cleansing was unhelpful and premature.

Cardinal Charles Bo spoke to The Associated Press ahead of Pope Francis visit next week to Burma and Bangladesh, to where nearly 620,000 Rohingya have fled to escape the violence by Burma security forces in the poverty-wracked Rakhine state.

During the visit starting Nov. 27, Francis will be toeing a very delicate diplomatic line, given that he has in the past strongly condemned the persecution of our Rohingya brothers, denounced their suffering and called for them to receive full rights.

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UN chief raises alarm over Rohingya crisis in speech as Burmas Suu Kyi sits close by

In a video message to Burma released Friday, Francis didnt mention Rohingya or the conflict, but said he wanted to bring a message of reconciliation, forgiveness and peace to Burma. He said that message was rooted in the Gospel, which teaches the dignity of every man and woman and compels us to open our hearts to the other, especially the poorest and neediest.

Bo said Suu Kyi certainly should have spoken out earlier against the looting, burning and killing in Rakhine. He said the military had mounted a disproportionate response to attacks on Burma security forces by Rohingya militants.

But he said: Aung Sung constitutionally has no voice to say anything to the military. And she is in her own clever way trying to negotiate with the military so there will be co-operation between the government and the military.

International criticism of Suu Kyi, including by the UN leadership, U.S, European Union and even some of her fellow Nobel laureates, is very unfair, Bo said.

Time will prove that she has her own agenda of moving the country toward democracy, he said.

Bo, the archbishop of Yangon and Burmas first-ever cardinal represents a tiny religious minority in majority Buddhist Burma.

He said the Catholic Church in Burma had urged Francis to avoid using the term Rohingya on the trip, or at least make clear that he wasnt making a political statement if he does use it.

Our correspondent reports from a sprawling makeshift city that houses hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people, driven from their homes by Burma's military. (The New York Times)

Burmas government and most of the Buddhist majority dont recognize the Rohingya as an ethnic group, insisting they are Bengali migrants from Bangladesh living illegally in the country. It has denied them citizenship, even though they have lived in Burma.

The pope will have to be very cautious in using the term Rohingya because that is very political and very much contested, Bo said.

The United Nations human rights chief has called Burmas actions against Rohingya textbook ethnic cleansing.

Bo said such terms were unhelpful in the current situation when Suu Kyi is trying to implement recommendations by a commission of experts headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to improve the plight of Burmas ethnic and religious minorities.

There has been violence, and the response that the military made is no comparison to the militants, he said. But to term it genocide or ethnic cleansing  Im not expert in that  I think we need to consider more time before using such extreme terms.

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HARARE, ZIMBABWEZimbabwes governing party moved Friday to expel President Robert Mugabe from its ranks, taking the first step in legally ousting the 93-year-old leader following a military intervention two days earlier.

A majority of the leaders of the party, ZANU-PF, recommended Mugabes expulsion from the very organization that he had controlled with an iron grip since independence in 1980, according to ZBC, the state broadcaster.

Military officers have insisted that their takeover was not a coup, but the partys leaders appeared Friday to be providing political cover for the intervention. The partys central committee, parliament and Mugabes Cabinet could now take steps to officially end his presidency, if he does not resign.

The military arrested Mugabe early Wednesday, effectively ending his 37-year rule, although it allowed him to appear in public Friday to address a university graduation.

Later Friday, party members endorsed the militarys efforts to stabilize the economy and defuse political instability. They echoed military commanders in arguing that the intervention was aimed at rooting out a cabal of corrupt interlopers who had clouded Mugabes judgment and his ability to govern.

Many of us had watched with pain as the party and government were being reduced to the personal property of a few infiltrators with traitorous histories and questionable commitment to the people of Zimbabwe, the party leaders said in a resolution.

The resolution recommended that Mugabe be removed for taking the advice of counterrevolutionaries and agents of neo-imperialism; for mistreating his vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mugabe abruptly dismissed last week; and for encouraging factionalism. It urged the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of Mnangagwa, who appears poised to succeed Mugabe, at least until national elections scheduled for next year.

Party members also moved to schedule a march for Saturday in support of the military.

On Friday, Mugabe was freed  if only temporarily  to address a university graduation ceremony. It was his first public appearance since the military placed him under house arrest.

Clad in a blue academic gown, the 93-year-old leader earlier joined academics on a red carpet and sat in a high-backed chair in front of several thousand students and guests, a routine he has conducted for many years as the official chancellor of Zimbabwes universities.

The appearance suggested that Mugabe was no longer under military detention, and raised questions about whether the generals who staged a coup on Tuesday night were backing away from a process that would lead to Mugabes dismissal.

On Friday morning, the military released a statement saying that significant progress has been made in its efforts to apprehend members of Mugabes government.

But negotiations with Mugabe were still ongoing, it added, referring obliquely to the way forward without explaining if commanders were seeking Mugabes ouster or a different kind of negotiated settlement.

You will be advised of the outcome as soon as is possible, it said. The statement still referred to Mugabe as president and commander in chief.

Read more:

How Robert Mugabe turned into the anti-Mandela: Burman

Zimbabwe's military controls the capital and is holding President Robert Mugabe, 93, and his wife under house arrest. It appears that Mugabe has been deposed by a coup. (The Associated Press)

Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe has finally overplayed his hand: DiManno

Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe meets with army commander amid political turmoil

That Mugabe was permitted to go to the Zimbabwe Open University event possibly reflected a degree of respect by the military for the president, a former rebel leader who took power after independence from white minority rule in 1980. The armed forces are in a delicate position, sending tanks and troops into Harares streets this week to effectively end the Mugabe era, while refraining from more heavy-handed measures that would heighten accusations that they staged a coup and violated the constitution.

Meanwhile, the ruling ZANU-PF party signalled impatience with Mugabe amid negotiations on his exit. Party branches passed no-confidence votes in all 10 Zimbabwean provinces, and the state-run Zimbabwe Herald newspaper said all called for the resignation of Mugabe and his wife. They seek a special meeting within two days of the partys Central Committee.

Demonstrations were called for Saturday in Harare to support the militarys move against Mugabe, who drew applause from the graduating students on the outskirts of the capital only when he made brief, perfunctory remarks, usually to bestow degrees on delighted graduates. The military said it supports plans for a march, as long as the demonstration is orderly and peaceful.

It was a long struggle, graduate Arthur Chipra said of the years of effort that went into his masters degree in conflict resolution. He declined to say anything when asked what he thought about Mugabes presence at the ceremony, highlighting the lingering caution of many in a country where people have been prosecuted for criticizing the president.

Discontent with Mugabe has been growing because of the dire state of the economy, concerns about corruption and mismanagement, a sense that he is no longer physically capable of leading the country due to advanced age and the ambitions of his wife, Grace Mugabe, to succeed him.

The military stepped into the factional battles of the ruling party on Wednesday after the firing of vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is close to the armed forces and was heavily criticized by both Mugabes.

Mnangagwa, who fled Zimbabwe after his dismissal, will return only after the process to remove Mugabe is complete, high-level supporters told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters about the matter.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for a return to civilian rule in Zimbabwe, urged any new leader to respect democracy and human rights, and said the country has a chance to put itself on a new path.

Zimbabwe's army said Wednesday it has President Robert Mugabe and his wife in custody and is securing government offices and patrolling the capital's streets following a night of unrest that included a military takeover of the state broadcaster. (The Associated Press)

China said it hopes Zimbabwes political situation can be resolved under the legal framework and that stability can be restored.

Questions have been raised about Chinas possible role in Zimbabwes affairs because Zimbabwes army commander was in Beijing last week. China said the visit by Gen. Constantino Chiwenga was a normal military exchange.

As Mugabe tries to hang on in negotiations over his departure from office, he has asked for a few more days, a few more months, the chairman of the influential war veterans association in Zimbabwe told reporters.

Chris Mutsvangwa, a Mnangagwa ally, said there is little tolerance for Mugabe to extend his presidency.

Several ruling party figures linked to Grace Mugabe  Jonathan Moyo, the higher education minister; Saviour Kasukuwere, the local government minister; and Ignatious Chombo, the finance minister  were detained during military operations, according to Mutsvangwa. Moyo was not at the graduation ceremony, even though he had been scheduled to attend.

The military said significant progress has been made in their operation to weed out criminals around President Mugabe, saying they had committed crimes that were causing social and economic suffering in Zimbabwe.

Photographs of talks at Mugabes official residence show the president, Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Intelligence Minister Kembo Mohadi, South African Cabinet ministers who are acting as mediators and a local Catholic priest, the Rev. Fidelis Mukonori, whom Mugabe has used as a mediator before. Grace Mugabe was not pictured. Negotiations on Mugabes exit come ahead of a key ruling party congress next month, and elections next year.

There was no obvious military presence at the university graduation that Mugabe attended. His security was handled by presidential guards. Burly men in suits surrounded him as he walked slowly out of the graduation tent after declaring  to applause  an end to the ceremony.

With files from The Associated Press and Washington Post

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MONTGOMERY, ALA.Standing on the white marble steps of Alabamas Capitol, Kayla Moore surrounded herself with two dozen other women Friday to defend husband Roy Moore against accusations of sexual misconduct that are dividing Republicans, and women in particular.

He will not step down. He will not stop fighting for the people of Alabama, Kayla Moore said at a Women for Moore rally. Acting as her husbands lead defender, she lashed out at the news media and thanked people who were sticking behind her husband. To the people of Alabama, thank you for being smarter than they think you are, Moore said.

Not everyone is sticking with Roy Moore, however, and certainly not all women.

I was going to vote for him. I was going to be one of his voters. I just dont know that I can vote for him anymore, said Laura Payne, a Trump delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Since last week, Moore has been engulfed by accusations of sexual misconduct toward women in their teens when he was a deputy district attorney in his 30s. Several of his accusers have allowed their identities to be made public.

One said Moore tried to initiate a sexual encounter with her when she was 14. Another said Moore assaulted her when she was a 16-year-old waitress after he offered to drive her home. Five others said Moore pursued romantic relationships with them when they were between the ages of 16 and 18.

I have not found any reason not to believe them . . . They risked a whole lot to come forward, Payne said of the accusers.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said she also has no reason to disbelieve the women but will vote for Moore anyway to help maintain GOP control of the Senate.

Moore has ignored mounting calls from Washington Republicans concerned that if he stays in the race against Democrat Doug Jones he may not only lose a seat they were sure to win but also may do significant damage to the partys brand among women nationwide as they prepared for a difficult midterm election season.

The Alabama GOP, meanwhile, reaffirmed its support for Moore on Thursday.

Jones told reporters Thursday night in Birmingham it was really unfortunate that state GOP leaders had chosen to discount the allegations of women and stick with Moore.

One of the problems in this state is that people continue to put a political party above what is in the best interest of the state and whats in the best interest of the country, he said.

The accusations sent a shock wave through the Senate race in Alabama, where Republicans typically have a lock on statewide election. Democrats already hoped to stand a chance against the polarizing jurist who was twice removed from chief justice duties because of defying court orders regarding the Ten Commandments and gay marriage.

A Fox News poll released Thursday, a week after the first accusations, showed Jones leading Moore by eight points. Support from women was helping to give Jones the edge with 68 per cent for Jones compared to 32 per cent for Moore.

One of them is longtime Republican Tracy James, who worked for former senator and current U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Her cousin was a Republican governor. She wont vote for Moore, a decision she made before the election.

Roy Moore, the Republican nominee for an open U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, was plunged into an explosive scandal on Thursday when it was reported that he had sexual contact with minors. (The Associated Press)

My hope is that the Moore debacle will not only be a wake-up call for evangelicals, but also for Republicans, who should stand back and say, Wow, look at the kind of person we almost elected to our ranks, James said.

Kayla Moore says her husband is exactly the kind of person who needs to be in the Senate.

Decades ago, then known by her maiden name, Kayla Kisor, she was performing in a hometown dance recital when she first caught Roy Moores eye. As he wrote in his 2009 autobiography: Seeing her was something he never forgot.

Years later, Moore wrote, when she was 23  shes 14 years his junior he finally met her. They wed in 1985.

Now, Kayla Moore is doing more than standing by her husband  shes his most aggressive defender against allegations threatening his Republican bid for U.S. Senate.

When Moore makes a public appearance, Kayla Moore is there. When something pops up on social media that could help her husbands cause, she shares it on Facebook. And she was the star at the Statehouse rally in Montgomery.

Speakers there said the allegations against Moore were out of character for the man they have known for years.

I do not recognize the man these ladies are describing, Ann Eubank, a fixture in Alabama Republican politics, said of the accusers.

Across the street from the rally, Rose Falvey, 25, who runs an LGBT community centre, said she was angered by the stories about Moore since he had fought to block gay marriage in the state.

I think its really hypocritical and an embarrassment for the state of Alabama, and hes dragging us backwards, Falvey said.

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PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREAThe highest-level Chinese envoy to North Korea in two years arrived in the countrys capital on Friday to try to improve relations that have soured over Beijings tightening of sanctions and expressions of support for U.S. President Donald Trumps calls for more pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Song Taos official mission is to brief North Korean officials on the outcome of Chinas ruling Communist Party congress held last month. He is visiting as President Xi Jinpings special envoy, according to Chinese and North Korean state media, but no other details about his itinerary or whether he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been announced.

After arriving, Song met with Choe Ryong Hae, a vice chairman of the ruling party and one of the most senior leaders after Kim.

Read more:

China reiterates call for North Korea-U.S. freeze-for-freeze initiative

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They call him Uncle Trump: Why a surprising number of Chinese love the U.S. president

The visit is seen as an effort by Xi to explore a new approach in relations and likely also reflects Xis desire to head off further pressure from Washington.

Chinas relations with North Korea have deteriorated under Kim, who has ignored Beijings calls to end the Norths nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests and return to disarmament talks.

North Korea staged its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3, detonating what it said was a hydrogen bomb, and most recently launched a ballistic missile on Sept. 15, firing it over the Japanese island of Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean.

China, North Koreas largest trading partner, says its influence with Kims government is often exaggerated by the U.S. and others. Beijing is opposed to measures that could bring down Kims regime and lead to a refugee crisis along its border, and while enforcing harsh new UN sanctions targeting North Koreas sources of foreign currency it has called for steps to renew dialogue.

The visit comes as Joseph Yun, the U.S. envoy for North Korea, met Friday with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Do-hoon, on the resort island of Jeju in South Korea.

China, of course, has a big role to play on Northeast Asia security issues, Yun was quoted by South Koreas Yonhap news agency as saying, adding that he hopes China regards the denuclearization as a critical goal. We do hope that special envoy will forward that goal.

Songs visit to North Korea also comes as China and South Korea are repairing their relations that soured over Seouls deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is to visit China next month for talks with Xi.

Song is the first ministerial-level Chinese official to visit North Korea since October 2015, when Politburo Standing Committee member Liu Yunshan delivered a letter to Kim from Xi expressing hopes for a strong relationship, although the respite in frosty ties proved short-lived. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin visited Pyongyang, North Koreas capital, in October last year.

Song heads the Communist Partys International Department.

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ANKARA, TURKEYNATOs secretary-general apologized to Turkey on Friday over military exercises in Norway during which Turkeys founding leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were reportedly depicted as enemies.

Erdogan said Turkey withdrew 40 of its soldiers participating in the drills at NATOs Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway, in protest of the incident and criticized the alliance.

There can be no such unity, no such alliance, he said in an address to his ruling partys provincial leaders.

Details of the incident were sketchy. Erdogan said Ataturks picture and his own name were featured on an enemy chart during the drills.

The individual who posted the material was described as a Norwegian civil contractor seconded by Norway, and not a NATO employee.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement saying: I apologize for the offence caused. He said the incident was the result of an individuals actions and didnt reflect the views of the alliance.

He added that the individual was removed from the exercise and an investigation was underway.

It will be for the Norwegian authorities to decide on any disciplinary action, Stoltenberg added. Turkey is a valued NATO ally, which makes important contributions to allied security.

Stoltenberg apologized again at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. He said hes already spoken with the Turkish defence chief and that it wont create any lasting problems, and I think its already behind us.

Norwegian Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen apologized for the incident as well.

The message does not reflect Norways views or policies and I apologize for the content of the message, Bakke-Jensen said in a statement. He added that Turkey is an important ally in NATO, and we value our good co-operation.

The Joint Warfare Centre is a multinational NATO unit based in Stavanger, 300 kilometres (186 miles) southwest of Oslo. It is currently led by Maj. Gen. Andrzej Reudowicz of Poland. According to its website, it has a staff of 250 made up of civilians from 11 NATO member states, including Turkey.

In March, the Norwegian government caused fury in Turkey by granting political asylum to five Turkish officers based in Norway who had refused to return home after the failed July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. The five officers said that they feared being arrested and tortured in Turkey.

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To say that Canada is in the midst of opioid crisis is, tragically, a gross understatement. This is an emergency. Some 3,000 people, or about eight a day, are expected to die of opioid overdoses this year in Canada. Another 16 others are hospitalized each day.

To put that in perspective, 44 people died in the SARS epidemic of 2003.

So Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylors announcement this week listing new measures to fight the opioid crisis could not have come soon enough. But, distressingly, as bold as the new measures are, they dont go far enough to ward off the epidemic of deaths caused by these highly addictive drugs.

Among the steps she announced: Ottawa will permit provinces to open temporary overdose prevention sites while applications for permanent sites go through the federal approval process. It will support the testing of street drugs at supervised injection sites to ensure they are not laced with the dangerous opioid fentanyl. It will also reduce regulatory barriers that prevent addicts in treatment programs from accessing prescription-grade heroin. It will even support pilot projects at supervised consumption sites to provide opioid alternatives, such as the pain medication dilaudid.

The current epidemic of opioid overdoses is a public-health crisis unlike any other we have dealt with in recent years, the health minister rightly said.

Still, her government is unwilling to take other measures that health care specialists and harm reduction workers agree would help to bring the crisis under control.

Chief among them would be decriminalizing petty drug use and possession, something urged on by the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

Instead of stigmatizing drug users, decriminalization would allow them to seek the help they need. In the 16 years since Portugal, for example, decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs, overdose deaths there have been reduced by around 80 per cent.

Ottawa and Ontario could also update their archaic emergencies acts so that politicians could focus more public attention and resources on the crisis. At present, neither act can be used to designate the overdose crisis as an emergency.

The federal act, for example, defines a public welfare emergency only as a threat caused by natural phenomenon (such as floods or fire), diseases, accidents or pollution. And Ontarios act allows an emergency to be declared for only 14 days, with a provision to renew it twice more. As the provincial health ministry notes, sadly there is nothing short term about the current opioid crisis.

That need not stop either level of government, though, from treating it as an emergency.

And while Ottawa could go further to fight this crisis, the federal health minister is correct when she says we are in the midst of a national health crisis and no one group or government can address it alone.

First and foremost, doctors have an important role to play.

As an interim report released this week from the Coalition for Safe and Effective Pain Management notes, the best way to cut down on opioid addiction is not to prescribe the drugs in the first place. Appallingly, though, Canada has the second highest rate of opioid prescribing in the world. More than 19 million opioid prescriptions were filled in Canada in 2016.

That is highly dangerous since studies indicate as many as 26 per cent of patients taking opioids will become addicted after their first prescription.

Police, too, can do more. Though other police forces in Canada carry the overdose antidote naloxone, for example, Toronto police have so far refused to do so. This is despite urgings not only from medical experts but from the Toronto Police Association. Its especially disappointing since the number of overdose calls to 911 is up 28 per cent since last year in the city, and police are often first on the scene of an emergency.

Ottawa must go further, faster to fight the opioid crisis. And everyone else  from the provinces to municipalities to doctors to police  must pull together to halt this national tragedy. Its already an emergency, even if it cant be officially declared as one.

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Canada to spread out peacekeeping, Nov. 16

We have good reason to try to stay above the fray in Africa by focusing on training and support. Specifically, there are no clear mandates or end-dates for conflicts in countries like Mali, Congo, Central African Republic or South Sudan. How could Canadian casualties ever be justified under these circumstances?

And why would Canada deploy troops to violent conflict zones where there is no peace to keep? It simply makes no sense.

If we just do the right things with the right motivations, everything will fall into place. In particular, if we are meant to attain a seat on the U.N. Security Council, fine. If not, thats OK, too.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is proving to be a masterful statesman with his strategy to engage Canada in U.N. peace operations. This is a difficult file and he deserves our support.

Tobi Baumhard, King City

Canada considers Ukraine mission, Nov. 10

As evidenced by what Canadian politicians are currently saying on the subject, were Canadian forces to be deployed to Ukraine anytime soon, they would not likely be engaged in peacekeeping, at all. Rather, their mission would more likely be to try to beef up the current Ukrainian governments military position against the pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

This would be intervention by Canadian forces on one side against the other in a complicated ongoing remote foreign conflict, in which, historically, there are two sides to the argument. We should not get militarily involved in this conflict.

In order to avoid military involvement in issues between Russia and Ukraine, including over who should be governing eastern Ukraine, NATO has wisely refrained from inviting Ukraine to join NATO. Let us not volunteer to go looking for trouble, especially when Canadas role should be honest broker, not military assistant.

John F. Fagan, Willowdale

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Religion is sill an instrument of colonialism, Opinion, Nov. 16

That title may imply that religion is to blame. The writers, critical of the judges decision, make a valiant effort to explain it as part of our spiritual colonialism. I suggest a deeper clarification is needed, pointing to the abuse of religion by colonial legalistic/political forces using religion to justify their ancient racism to (unconsciously?) sanctify their racial bias!!

Fred Brailey, Orangeville, Ont.

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Fake news threatens democracy as does news that does not consider the equal voices, perspectives, and experiences of over half the population.

Julie Burton, president, Womens Media Center

The voices of women matter. But the fact is they are not represented equally in the news. Look at any study in recent years of who reports and writes the news, who is quoted as an authority in the news, and whose views and expertise are amplified in the opinion pages across our country and you will see there is still a significant gender gap. In the medias depiction of the world, it is, sadly, still a mans world.

In Canadian news and information, mens voices still outnumber women more than 2 to 1, states an infographic released last month by Informed Opinions, an Ottawa-based, non-profit organization dedicated to amplifying womens voices for a more democratic Canada.

A 2016 study of the gender of sources used in Canadian media reports found women accounted for just over a quarter of the sources quoted in the news. The Toronto Star scored slightly better with 34 per cent of female sources quoted in that sampling of its news stories.

When womens voices are absent, their realities are not reflected, says Shari Graydon, the founder of Informed Opinions. Our failure to fully benefit from womens expertise is costing us  socially and economically.

For public policy to be effective, it has to be based on data and intelligence that reflects womens unique experiences and insights.

To that end, Informed Opinions last month launched a new nation-wide campaign to bridge the gender gap in Canadian news and media by 2025. The campaign will track and publicize womens representation in Canadas most influential news media  including the Star  annually. Built on the premise that whats get measured, gets done this initiative aims to increase the share of womens voices in the media to 50 per cent in the next seven years.

The campaign also aims to mobilize Canadians to insist that news media better represent the diversity of our communities.

Our goal is to celebrate those showing leadership in representing diverse perspectives, and motivate those lagging behind, engaging news-consuming citizens to demand better in the process, Graydon says.

Full disclosure: I am a member of Informed Opinions advisory board and, not surprisingly, I fully support this initiative to hold journalists and news organizations to account for gender equity and more diversity overall. We all benefit from listening to and learning from a greater diversity of voices.

It is long past time to end the underrepresentation of women depicted in media and this need not be an overly complex challenge. It is doable if we determine it matters. All journalists no matter who they report to, what size news organization they work for, can make a difference.

It begins with individual journalists making greater efforts in their reporting to seek out more diverse sources, experts and voices  and newsrooms that hold them to account for that. Instead of reaching out to that Mr. Very Important man who is always quoted, find the woman who can speak to the issue at hand, who can write an intelligent piece of commentary. She exists.

As Ed Yong, a science writer for The Atlantic, tweeted about this issue last March: A yr ago, I started tracking the gender balance of the sources in my stories. Ive since raised it from 25% women to 50%. Anyone can do this.

That tweet was included in a newsroom-wide memo Irene Gentle, the Stars managing editor sent out to remind our journalists of the importance of reflecting on the diversity of their sources.

Some years ago the Star made a commitment to work hard to reflect the diversity of our city and society in our coverage, she said. One way of doing that is not only looking at the stories we write, but also the sources we use when we write.

In creating Informed Opinions, Graydon, a dynamo who has long been passionately devoted to gender equity and its value to the greater good, has created a wealth of resources to help journalists achieve these goals. Since launching in 2010, she has trained more than 2,000 Canadian women in how to turn their expertise into op-ed articles and how to talk with the media about what they know. Many of these expert womens articles have been published in the Star.

And, to make it even easier for the media, Graydon has created the Expert Women database of hundreds of Canadian women with expertise and experience in many diverse fields. Indeed, the ever-expanding database goes a long way to make obsolete that eternal excuse for overlooking womens voices: But I couldnt find a qualified woman.

Indeed, she exists and she is ready to be heard.

publiced@thestar.ca

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It began two years ago with Justin Trudeaus bold campaign promise to restore the great Canadian tradition of United Nations peacekeeping.

It ended Wednesday in Vancouver with the prime ministers tacit admission that Stephen Harper, his Conservative predecessor, was right  that traditional peacekeeping no longer works and that Canadians would do well to bury their nostalgia.

With a throw to gender politics, Trudeau did his best to dress up the Liberal governments retreat. But retreat it was.

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The truth about modern UN peacekeeping is that it is singularly unfair. The rich countries shoulder the financial cost. But the poor countries risk their soldiers lives.

The biggest contributor of manpower to UN peacekeeping is the desperately poor African nation of Ethiopia with 8,403 personnel committed. It is followed by Bangladesh, India, Rwanda, Pakistan and Nepal.

Canada is far down the list, according to the official UN website, with 23 active personnel taking part in peacekeeping. Even Donald Trumps America contributes more people  55 as of October this year.

The reason why peacekeeping is popular among the governments of developing countries is that it is profitable. The UN pays contributing governments $1,332 (U.S.) per soldier or police officer per month. The contributing government needs to pay these soldiers or police officers only their standard wage  which can be considerably less.

The average income in Ethiopia, for instance, is $660 a year.

Some governments pocket the difference. One study calculates that Bangladesh netted $1.3 billion (U.S.) between 2001 and 2010 from peacekeeping.

But even those that dont skim off the top see an advantage in peacekeeping. It allows them to field bigger armies than they could otherwise afford.

The cost of all of this is borne by the richer countries. The U.S. covers 29 per cent of the annual $6.8 billion peacekeeping bill, making it the top funder. China comes in second, covering 10 per cent of the cost. Canada is ninth at 3 per cent.

Justin Trudeau told a UN summit in Vancouver that Canada is offering planes, helicopters and trainers as part of its peacekeeping plan. The prime minister also unveiled an initiative to recruit more women for peacekeeping operations. (The Canadian Press)

During the 2015 election campaign, the Liberals couldnt move fast enough to reinstitute real peacemaking. It would show that Canada was back.

But since coming to power, the Liberal approach has been one of studied delay. Decisions were promised and then, for no obvious reason, put off. Fact-finding missions were dispatched and facts gathered. But still, nothing happened.

Various theories were advanced to explain the delay. One, to which I subscribed for a while, blamed the governments preoccupation with Trump, who has been a strident critic of the UN.

But now I think the reason was simpler. The Liberal government realized early on that a return to traditional peacekeeping was unrealistic. But it stubbornly didnt want to admit this.

It still doesnt. Technically, the government says it is committed to deploying up to 600 soldiers as peacekeepers. But clearly it views none of the UNs current 15 peacekeeping operations as satisfactory.

So instead, it has produced a much more modest grab bag of proposals including a 200-person rapid deployment force to be used in vaguely defined circumstances,

Under the latest plan, Canada wont necessarily send its own soldiers on peacekeeping missions. But it will offer to train those from other countries that do go. It might even airlift them to their destinations.

The government is also offering to spend $21 million in an effort to encourage more female peacekeepers. This isnt a foolish idea. The UN itself is trying to encourage more female participation, in part as a response to widely publicized incidents in which male peacekeepers were alleged to have sexually assaulted women and children.

But it is not clear how Canada will persuade the main troop-contributing countries, many of which are socially conservative, to include more women in their armed forces.

Overall, Ottawa has decided to avoid getting caught in the dangerous and endless quagmire that is the modern UN peacekeeping mission. It wants instead to be a small but useful helper.

This is certainly a retreat from the triumphalist Canada-is-back rhetoric of the 2015 election campaign. Politically, it is probably a wise retreat. Peacekeeping has never been risk-free. Since 1948, it has taken the lives of 122 Canadians. But it is qualitatively more dangerous now.

Im not sure how that danger plays in Bangladesh or Ethiopia. I do know that after going through the Afghan War, Canadians have little appetite for another long and bloody military mission  even one that is called peacekeeping.

Thomas Walkom appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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Peacekeeping always seems like a good idea at the time, then it tends to go awry. It did right from the start when Canadas Lester B. Pearson proposed a UN force to resolve tensions in the Mideast in 1956, after Britain, France and Israel invaded Egypt. Pearson got the Stanley Cup  I mean, the Nobel Peace Prize  for it, and probably became prime minister as a result six years later.

Even that didnt go smoothly. Pearson wanted Canadian troops as part of the force but the Egyptians gagged when they heard names like the Queens Own Rifles and Princess Patricia Light Infantry, with a little Union Jack on the then-Canadian flag, the Royal ensign. Theyd just been blasted by Royal British bombs.

Eventually some more nondescript Canadian logistical forces were deployed instead but that mixed bag quality has endured. Gen. Lewis Mackenzie was the Canadian in charge of UN peacekeepers in Bosnia in the early 1990s. Hes been critiqued for non-impartial behaviour by both Canadians and Bosnians. Gen. Romeo Dallaire was UN commander during the 1994 Rwandan genocide and has been relentlessly eloquent about his own failure, even as others praised him.

The UN force, including Canadians, sent to Haiti in 2004, after a coup ousted a democratically elected president, stabilized (the UNs term) that shameful outcome while repressing popular movements, according to Canadian and other critics. It acted as an arm of U.S. policy, facilitating privatization. UN troops behaviour led to an outbreak of cholera and involved sexual abuse.

The low point of Canadian UN peacekeeping was the 1993 Somalia affair. An elite unit, with a history of white supremacist influence, imprisoned and tortured to death teenager Shidane Arone (there were burn marks on his penis) while others overheard and played on their Game Boys. There were sundry cover-ups as Canadian journalists dug the story out, then a dismissal of the official inquiry by PM Jean Chretien before it could finish its work. The unit was disbanded. That isnt exactly what Pearson had in mind.

Sexual abuse is at the top of this rapsheet. The numbers are stunning  and undercounted: 2,000 allegations between 2005 and 2017; 99 in 2015, a jump to 145 in 2016; 55 charged in the first six months of 2017 (Al Jazeera). The normal, decent Canadian response to this stuff is: What the hells going on? These are noble UN peacekeepers, dedicated to helping others, they wear those soothing, benign blue helmets.

Justin Trudeau told a UN summit in Vancouver that Canada is offering planes, helicopters and trainers as part of its peacekeeping plan. The prime minister also unveiled an initiative to recruit more women for peacekeeping operations. (The Canadian Press)

A paper by U of T undergrad Daphne Wang that I happened come across last year had a great answer. She said, more or less (in my reading of her): Well, what did you expect? These are soldiers. Theyre trained, like soldiers everywhere, to be aggressive and able to kill. (Killing is what its basically about, said a former officer I knew, who was old enough to recall the Second World War.) They inhabit a patriarchal, hierarchical milieu, with little space for sensitized, much less feminist, responses. They receive relatively astronomical UN-level wages to offer desperately poor local women for sex, and if abuse occurs theyre unlikely to be charged, due to legal arrangements that shield them.

In this light, the problem may be that, while peacekeeping is a military task, its no job for ordinary soldiers, with their traditional skills, such as killing, conquest, rape and pillage  killing being the most justifiable. Conventional soldiers keeping the peace could be as fatuous as the obscene war to end all wars was.

It seems to me that the original idea of a UN force, implied  even if not explicitly  something else: an actual UN-based contingent of peacekeepers, not just briefly lent by member states. It paralleled the hope that the UN might evolve into an embryonic world government, rather than a grumpy consortium of states.

And in that light, Justin Trudeaus seemingly minor and not very costly idea of at least starting to feminize the process may be the best component in the constricted menu he presented as his peacekeeping policy this week.

He reneged on almost everything else, like total numbers and naming where theyd go, as hes done with most policies he once promised. But apparently most Canadians like the idea of peacekeeping  who wouldnt?

So its good politics here at home, though maybe less so for the populations we shuffle off to. The best thing to do with it at the moment might be a good shakeout and rethink.

Rick Salutins column appears on Fridays.

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Rockwell Automation Inc. (ROK) - Get Free Report shares shot higher on Thursday afternoon following word that Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) - Get Free Report said it sweetened its offer to acquire the automation products manufacturer to $225 per share, or $29 billion.

Rockwell shares traded at $195.52, up $6.71, or 3.6%, with 90 minutes left in the trading session.

"Over the past several months, we have attempted to engage with you privately regarding a business combination of Emerson Electric and Rockwell Automation," Emerson's chairman and CEO David Farr wrote. "We remain convinced there is compelling strategic, operational, and financial merit to bringing together our two companies -- and that such a combination would benefit our respective customers, employees, and shareholders."

In response, Rockwell Automation said it would review the unsolicited proposal with its financial and legal advisers to determine the course of action it feels is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders.

On Oct. 31, it was revealed that Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation had already rejected two offers from Emerson Electric of St. Louis, including a $215 per share, $27.6 billion, takeover offer made Oct. 10.

At the time, analysts felt Rockwell's rejection was the right move, with Vertical Research Partners analyst Jeffrey Sprague writing that Emerson likely needed Rockwell Automation more than Rockwell needed Emerson.

"In fact, ROK probably does not need EMR at all," Sprague said in late October. "We also agree that ROK has done a fantastic job on its own and see strong growth and high returns ahead."

Nicholas Heymann of William Blair concurred, writing in a Nov. 1 note that Emerson's efforts to Rockwell Automation were "highly unlikely to be successful" after the target rejected its first two offers.

Regulation likely wouldn't be an obstacle for these two companies following Emerson's $1.2 billion sale of its motors, drives and power generation business to NIDEC Corp. in February, Heymann contended, but the analyst suggested Rockwell has other reasons to reject a deal, including its stellar standalone performance.

"Instead, we believe Rockwell's exceptional record for shareholder value creation, its best-in-class 38.8% ROIC (for the trailing 12 months) among diversified industrials, its well-advanced Connected Enterprise digital supply chain management software that is just now beginning to accelerate its rollout globally, and its early and highly successful shift to drive an increasing share of its customer value creation from software and real-time data analytics positions Rockwell to be able to reject all but the most uneconomic acquisition offers," Heymann wrote.

Heymann also pointed out that Emerson did not publicly disclose a time frame or methodology of calculating the $6 billion in capitalized synergies it proposed the deal would create.

In a presentation released Thursday, however, Emerson said about 1/3 of the $6 billion would come from sales synergies, including through an increased win rate in large projects, more comprehensive in-house product offering and complementary products for cross-selling opportunities and channel pull through.

The remaining $4 billion in value would represent cost synergies, including corporate and public company costs, SG&A and channel efficiencies, materials costs, manufacturing optimization and more effective research, development and engineering costs across a broader base.

Emerson also said the deal would create $8 billion of total value, or $62 per share, for Rockwell Automation shareholders.

The suitor has offered to pay $135 per share in cash and $90 per share in stock for Rockwell.

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Last month real estate-focused activist Jonathan Litt moved forward with plans to call a special shareholder meeting of Hudson's Bay Co. (HBC) shareholders. The insurgent investor hoped for a vote on removing incumbent directors or on a proposal urging the company to spin off its Saks Fifth Avenue chain.

However, the department store chain recently took in a significant investment that appears to have stopped Litt's efforts cold. The retailer received a $500 million equity interest from buyout shop Rhone Capital, which converts into an initial 21.8% voting and equity interest in a deal that Litt argues contractually obligates it to vote its shares in favor of the HBC board of directors.

The equity infusion deal is the latest in a trend of activist-targeted companies finding a so-called white squire private equity investors to help them fend off insurgent hedge fund managers. The term White Squire is a variation on another jargony Wall Street term, White Knight, which refers to a friendly buyer who offers more than what a hostile bidder is willing to pay. A White Squire, alternatively, is an investor, usually, a private equity firm, that acquires a substantial minority investment in the company, say 20%, in a move that fends off an activist investor or a hostile bid.

"With a 42% stake for management and the incumbent board it is pretty much game over [for Litt]," said Kai Haakon Liekefett, head of the shareholder activism response team at Vinson & Elkins LLP. "There is never 100% turnout, and many retail investors don't vote."

Liekefett added that turnout is typically lower when it comes to special shareholder meetings than traditional annual meetings because not everyone is paying attention, another strike against Litt.

It is possible that Litt could seek to challenge Hudson Bay, either in court or with the Ontario Securities Commission, arguing that the issuance was primarily motivated by wanting to defeat Land & Buildings. Both Canadian and Delaware-incorporation regulations require a compelling justification for allocating a large block of shares to a private equity firmbeyond defending the business from an activist hedge fund.

And Hudson Bay appears to have a potentially compelling justification for the Rhone investment, above and beyond its help in fending off Litt. The deal is part of a strategic partnership announced last month that will see Rhone Capital's $500 million investment take place as part of an agreement to lease space in retail stores to the investor's partner, WeWork, a global network of workspaces in buildings.

Even so, the Canadian regulator, OSC, may want to look into the process to ensure that the financing is in the best interest of Hudson Bay. A Toronto attorney familiar with the situation noted that it might be hard to distinguish between pure business purposes and defensive tactics.

Weighing his options, Litt could file a complaint with HBC's primary regulator, the OSC, arguing that the deal was an improper defensive tactic. He could also file a claim in a Canadian court, alleging that HBC has breached its fiduciary duty to shareholders. However, the Toronto attorney notes that Litt could have less luck going this route because Canadian courts have typically provided a lot of deference to the business judgment of incumbent boards in these types of scenarios.

Alternatively, Litt could issue a complaint to the Toronto Stock Exchange, where HBC is listed, to see if they would require that shareholders vote to approve the issuance of shares to Rhone. According to TSX stock exchange rules, the issuance of a 20% or higher stake to one investor is deemed to be material and typically requires a shareholder vote to be approved. However, the facts and circumstances around a particular investment could have an impact on whether a shareholder vote is needed.

Litt's best chance for success would be to file a complaint to the OCS. The regulator issued an order in April that took away the voting rights for 10.6 million shares Ecco Oro Minerals Corp. issued to Trexs Investments, Amber Capital, Paulson & Co., and Anna Stylianides as the company faced a boardroom battle launched by investor Courtenay Wolfe and Harrington Global Opportunities Fund. The Toronto attorney argued that this was so obviously a defensive tactic that Ecco Oro tried to "sneak past the TSX" that the OSC considered it low-hanging fruit.

In the U.S., Liekefett notes that Delaware courts, when faced with this kind of situation, would also review and assess the target company board's motive for issuing such a large stake to a friendly investor. "The issuance cannot primarily be motivated by wanting to end a proxy contest," Liekefett said.

Nevertheless, a growing number of U.S. corporations have sought out friendly white squire investments when faced with an activist at their gates. In May, Pandora Media Inc. accepted a $150 million white squire investment from KKR & Co. (KKR) - Get Free Report as part of an effort to fend off Corvex Management's Keith Meister. Before the KKR investment, the internet radio company had postponed the deadline for nominating director candidates several times, which suggested that Meister had been ready to pull the trigger on a boardroom fight. Pandora Media subsequently called off the KKR investment after it in June agreed to a deal to have SiriusXM Holdings acquire a large minority investment in the company for $480 million.

Not all white squire deals remain friendly.

Tribune Publishing, which has since changed its name to Tronc Inc. undefined , obtained an initial friendly $70.5 million investment from Nant Capital LLC's Patrick Soon-Shiong as part of the publisher's ultimately successful 2016 effort to fend off a hostile bid by USA Today owner Gannett Co. (GCI) - Get Free Report . Tronc's deal with Nant barred it from selling its shares, now a 26.6% stake, into a takeover if the publisher of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and other newspapers opposed the deal. However, by April 2017, Tronc and Soon-Shiong were engaged in a public back-and-forth tussle after the minority investor issued a letter raising concerns about chairman Michael Ferro and his preferential treatment.

In other cases, the buyout shop involvement helped save the day for the company's chief executive. In 2014, Blackstone Group LP's (BX) credit investment arm, GSO Capital Partners LP, made a $150 million minority investment in nitrogen fertilizer and wood fiber processing company Rentech Inc. undefined , a deal that came with preferred shares convertible into a 16.5% common share stake. The deal was formed as a way to fend off activist investment funds, including Glenn Welling's Engaged Capital LLC and Jeff Eberwein's Lone Star Value Management LLC. The activists, who had criticized Rentech for lack of oversight, failed business ventures and high overhead, were trying to install four dissident directors on the company's board.

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But with the arrival of Blackstone, Eberwein and Welling called off their contest, and both sides agreed to let the activist group appoint one member, rather than four, to Rentech's board and its newly formed finance committee.

Successfully employing a white squire investment requires a careful thread-the-needle approach for companies finding themselves in an activist's crosshairs. Targeted companies need to convince courts and regulators that the investment has a legitimate business purpose that is above-and-beyond one solely intended to protect executives and the board against an activist at its gate. But since the strategy has proved effective in some cases, it is likely to be employed in the years to come.

Editor's note: This article originally appeared on The Deal , our sister publication that offers sophisticated insight and analysis on all types of deals, from inception to integration. Click here for a free trial.

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Editors' pick: Originally published Nov. 16.
There's no good time for an oil spill. But if there were a bad time, TransCanada Corp. (TRP) - Get Free Report just found it.

The company announced it has shut parts of its Keystone pipeline after 5,000 barrels of oil spilled in South Dakota. The spill came four days before the Nebraska Public Service Commission is expected to decide on an 830,000-barrel expansion of the Keystone system throughout the state.

TransCanada stock dipped 1.44% to $48.75 premarket Friday, Nov. 17.

The company said it expects the pipeline from Alberta, Canada to Cushing, Okla., and to Wood River and Pakota, Ill., to remain shuttered as it responds to the leak. The southern part of the Keystone system from Cushing to the Gulf Coast will remain open during the fixes.

TransCanada didn't provide a preliminary reason for the spill, but said the cause is under investigation. The spill was isolated within 15 minutes, the company said in a statement.

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A., Endion Hospitalist North P.C., Endion Hospitalist of Western New York P.C., Endion Medical Healthcare P.C., Endion Medical Services P.C., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho  Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Everett MSO Inc., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center L.L.C., Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., Eye Specialists Surgery Centers LLC, FMG Holdings LLC, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice Inc., Ferrell Physician Services P.C., Fideicomiso Clinica Barranquilla Portoazul FA-517, First Coast Orthopedic Center LLC, First Family Insurance LLC, Florence Surgery Center L.P., For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fort Sutter Medical Building a California Limited Partnership, Fort Worth Endoscopy Centers LLC, Fortified Provider Network Inc., Foundation Surgery Affiliate General of Huntingdon Valley LLC, Foundation Surgery Affiliate of Huntingdon Valley L.P., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GLBESC LLC, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology Canada Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Gladiolus Surgery Center L.L.C., Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Global One Ventures LLC, Golden Gate Endoscopy Center LLC, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grandview Surgery Center LTD., Greater New Haven ASC LLC, Greensboro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Greenville Surgery Center LLC, Greenway Surgical Suites LLC, Grossmont Surgery Center L.P., Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., H&W Indemnity SPC Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HFHS-SCA Holdings LLC, HMG Holding Corporation, HMG Holdings LLC, HMP of Baltimore  USH P.C., Harken Health Insurance Company, Harrison Endo Surgical Center LLC, Hawthorn Place Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Hays JV Partners LLC, Hays Surgery Center LLC, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Affiliates Medical Group, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthEast Surgery Center-Maplewood LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Healthplex America LLC, Healthplex Dental Services Inc., Healthplex I.P.A. Inc., Healthplex Inc., Healthplex Insurance Company, Healthplex of CT Inc., Healthplex of DC Inc., Healthplex of MD Inc., Healthplex of ME Inc., Healthplex of NC Inc., Healthplex of NJ Inc., Healthplex of TX Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help Seguros de Vida S.A., Help Service S.A., Help SpA, Hemonefro  Hemodialise e Nefrologia Ltda, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Medical S.A., Honodav SpA, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of Broome County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Binghamton P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Buffalo P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Newburgh P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Nyack P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Patchogue P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Goodyear Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Nogales Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Sierra Vista Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Buncombe County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Apple Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Bakersfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Camarillo PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Crescent City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fairfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fremont PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Grass Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Jackson PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oceanside PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oxnard PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Salinas PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Leandro PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Sonoma PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Thousand Oaks PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Vacaville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Brighton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Denver PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Manchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Rockville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Wallingford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Palm Coast LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Fredericksburg LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Atlanta PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - East Point PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Lavonia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Savannah PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii - Kealakekua Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho - Nampa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Downers Grove LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Elmhurst LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Rockford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Winfield LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Clinton LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Mishawaka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Terre Haute LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Cedar Rapids PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Mason City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Topeka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Alexandria Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Bossier City Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Lake Charles Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Shreveport Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Bangor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Lewiston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cheverly PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cumberland PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Frederick PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Laurel PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Rockville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Brockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Dorchester PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Framingham PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Holyoke PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Natick PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Norwood PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Springfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Stoughton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Taunton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Worcester PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Alpena PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Dowagiac PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Escanaba PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grand Blanc PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grayling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Kalamazoo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Plainwell PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Port Huron PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Saginaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Tawas City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Bridgeton Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Richmond Heights Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Billings PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Butte PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Miles City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Missoula PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Multiple Practice Sites LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada  TCG Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada  TCS Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - 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Rockwall PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Round Rock PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio IV PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio V PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VI PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VII PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Marcos PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Texarkana PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Tyler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Alexandria LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Mechanicsville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Midlothian LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Winchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Arlington PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Auburn PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bellingham PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bremerton PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Burien PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Coupeville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Enumclaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Federal Way PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Gig Harbor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Lakewood PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Mount Vernon PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Puyallup PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Vancouver PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington County LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  Martinsburg PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  South Charleston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  Wheeling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wisconsin Ltd., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming - Casper LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCS LLC, Hospitalists Management Group LLC, Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation Ontario, IEC Holdings LLC, IHD Holdings LLC, INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, Illinois Independent Care Network LLC, Imagen Technologies Inc., Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., InTouch Pharmacy LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Indiana Endoscopy Centers LLC, Inland Surgery Center L.P., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inpatient Services P.C., Inpatient Specialists of California P.C., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Instituto Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, Inter-Hospital Physicians Association Inc., International Healthcare Services Inc., Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria SpA, Ironman Holdco Inc., Ironman Intermediate Holdco LLC, Isapre Banmedica S.A., JPM Healthcare LLC, Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Jordan Ridge Family Medicine LLC, Joyable Inc., Kansal Inc. A Professional Corporation, Knox Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Kokomo Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, LDI Holding Company LLC, LDI Management Services LLC, LGH-A/Golf ASTC L.L.C., LHC Group, La Esperanza del Peru S.A., Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Landmark Group Holdings LLC, Landmark Health Holdings LLC, Landmark Health LLC, Landmark Health NY IPA LLC, Landmark Health NY PO LLC, Landmark Health Technologies Private Limited, Landmark Health of California LLC, Landmark Health of Massachusetts LLC, Landmark Health of North Carolina LLC, Landmark Health of Oregon LLC, Landmark Health of Pennsylvania LLC, Landmark Health of Washington LLC, Landmark India LLC, Landmark Intermediate Holdings LLC, Landmark MSO LLC, Landmark Medical of Idaho PC, Landmark Medical of Massachusetts PLLC, Landmark Medical of Tennessee PC, Landmark Primary Care LLC, Laser Acquisition Holdings III LLC, Leehar Distributors LLC, Lemhi Ventures Fund I LP, Lemhi Ventures Fund II LP, Level2 Medical Services P.C. Alaska, Lexington Surgery Center Ltd., Liberty Anesthesia Services LLC, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeWell. Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Limestone Medical Center LLC, Litomedica S.A., Logan Surgical Suites LLC, Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook L.P., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas Algarve S.A., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., Lutheran Campus ASC LLC, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MCNA Health Care Holdings LLC, MCNA Insurance Company, MCNA Systems Corp., MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, Main Line Spine Surgery Center LLC, Managed Care of North America Inc., Managed Physical Network Inc., Mansfield Endoscopy Center LLC, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care IPA Inc., March Vision Care Inc., March Vision Care of Texas Inc., Marin Health Ventures LLC, Marin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Marlin Holding Company LLC, Maryland Ambulatory Centers LLC, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, McKenzie Surgery Center L.P., MedExpress Primary Care West Virginia Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services LLC, Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memorial Houston Surgery Center LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Orange Coast LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Saddleback LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management Ltd., Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midlands Orthopaedics Surgery Center LLC, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Medical Plaza L.C., Mobile Medical Services of New Jersey PC, Mobile-SC LTD., Modality Accountable Care Organisation Limited, Moen M.D. P.C., Mohawk Surgery Center LLC, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Monument Health LLC, Moore Orthopaedic Clinic Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Morris County Surgical Center LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Murrells Inlet ASC LLC, Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings Inc., NPN IPA Washington PLLC, NSC Channel Islands LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Greensboro West LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Naperville Surgical Centre LLC, National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Navigator Health Inc., Nebraska Spine Hospital LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., New York Proton Management LLC, Newton Holdings LLC, Niagara Hospitalist P.C., Nomad Buyer Inc., North American Medical Management California Inc., North Coast Surgery Center Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, North Dallas Surgical Center LLC, North Kitsap Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgery Center L.P., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northern Utah Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Hills JV Partners LLC, Northwest Medical Group Alliance LLC, Northwest Spine and Laser Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OCC MSO LLC, OSB  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Lda., Omesa SpA, OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., One World Surgery, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Dallas LLC, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Networks Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Care of New York Management Inc., Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Compounding Services LLC, Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Direct To Consumer Inc., Optum Financial Inc., Optum Frontier Therapies Holdings LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies II LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies LLC, Optum Genomics Inc., Optum Global Solutions Colombia S.A.S., Optum Global Solutions India Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Global Solutions Philippines Inc., Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners Holdings Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings US Inc., Optum Health & Technology Hong Kong Limited, Optum Health & Technology India Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health & Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology US LLC, Optum Health Plan of California, Optum Health Services Canada Ltd., Optum Health Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions UK Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 200 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 204 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 209 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 305 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 402 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 500 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 550 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 551 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 553 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 554 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs LLC, Optum Life Sciences Canada Inc., Optum Management Consulting Shanghai Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Operations Ireland Unlimited Company, Optum Oregon MSO LLC, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharma Services Holdings Inc., Optum Pharmacy 601 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 700 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 704 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 706 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 707 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 800 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 803 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 805 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 806 Inc., Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket LLC, Optum SCA CS JV Holdings LLC, Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Services Ireland Limited, Optum Services Puerto Rico LLC, Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Venture Global Partners II LP, Optum Venture Global Partners LP, Optum Venture Partners II LP, Optum Venture Partners III LP, Optum Venture Partners LP, Optum Washington Network LLC, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare ACO West LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare Portland LLC, OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumCare Specialty Practices LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Oregon Healthcare Resources LLC, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the South Inc., OrthoWest MSO LLC, Orthology Inc., Orthopedic Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopedic Surgery Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopro Management LLC, Ovations Inc., Owensboro Ambulatory Surgical Facility Ltd., Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans CT Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, Oxford Health Plans NJ Inc., Oxford Health Plans NY Inc., P2P Link LLC, PCCCV Inc., PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PPH Management Company L.L.C., PPH-Columbia Inc., PPH-Gardendale Inc., PS Center LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., Pacific Cardiovascular Associates Medical Group Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Panama City Surgery Center LLC, Park Hill Surgery Center LLC, Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Patient Care Associates L.L.C., PatientsLikeMe, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peninsula Eye Surgery Center LLC, Penzo Enterprises LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Perham Physical Therapy LTD, Perimeter Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Pharmaceutical Technologies LLC, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians' Surgery Center of Downey LLC, Pinnacle III LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings Inc., Pocono Ambulatory Surgery Center Limited, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Practice Partners in Healthcare LLC, Preferred Care Network Inc., Preferred Care Network of Florida Inc., Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., PreferredOne, PreferredOne Administrative Services Inc., PreferredOne Insurance Company, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Premiere Medical Resources LLC, Presidio Surgery Center LLC, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., PrimeDoc St. Francis P.C., PrimeDoc of Richmond P.C., ProHEALTH Care Associates L.L.P., ProHEALTH Care Associates of New Jersey LLP, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, ProHealth/CareMount Dental Management LLC, Procura Management Inc., Professional Coverage Services PLLC, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical LLC, Promotora Country S.A., Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Benefits Management LLC, Prospero Care Management LLC, Prospero Management Services LLC, Providence & SCA Development LLC, Providence & SCA Off-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA On-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA Outreach Markets Holdings LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., R Cubed Inc., RABessler M.D. P.C., ROC Surgery LLC, ROCS Holdings LLC, RX Ricardo Campos Ltda., Rally Health Inc., ReMedics LLC, Real Appeal Inc., Redding Surgery Center LLC, Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Reliant Medical Group Inc., Reliant Medical Group The Endoscopy Center LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, Resonancia Magnetica de Colombia Ltda., Resonancia Magnetica del Country S.A., RightCare Solutions Inc., River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Corporate Wellness LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Robert A. Bessler MD PLLC, Rockville Eye Surgery Center LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rush Oak Brook Surgery Center LLC, SC Affiliates LLC, SCA AHN JV Holdings LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA Austin Medical Center Holdings LLC, SCA Aventura Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA Bloomfield Holdings LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Colorado Springs Holdings LLC, SCA Community Service Foundation, SCA Cottonwood Holdings LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Denver Holdings LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA Duluth Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville MSO LLC, SCA ESSC Holdings LLC, SCA Englewood Holdings LLC, SCA Global One Holdings LLC, SCA Greenway Holdings LLC, SCA Grove Creek Holdings LLC, SCA Guilford Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Health Value Enterprise LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA High Point Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Lutheran Holdings LLC, SCA Maple Grove Holdings LLC, SCA Mohawk Holdings LLC, SCA Murrells Inlet LLC, SCA Northern Utah Holdings LLC, SCA Northwest Holdings LLC, SCA Outside New Jersey LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pacific Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Palisades Holdings LLC, SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Pinnacle Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA Providence Holdings LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA Rush Oak Brook Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA San Diego Holdings LLC, SCA Skyway Holdings LLC, SCA South Ogden Holdings LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Specialty Holdings of Connecticut LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA West Health Holdings LLC, SCA Westgreen Holdings LLC, SCA Woodbury Holdings LLC, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colonial Partners LLC, SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Glenwood Holdings LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Memorial LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Morris Avenue LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Panama City Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-VLR Holdings Company LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCLHS-SCA Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SJ East Campus ASC LLC, SRPS LLC, SSSC Holdings LLC, SVHS-SCA Florida JV LLC, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Sage Medical Prof. LLC, Salem JV Holdings LLC, Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., San Diego Endoscopy Center, San Diego Sports and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center LLC, San Francisco Endoscopy Center LLC, San Luis Obispo Surgery Center a California Limited Partnership, Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Barbara Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santa Rosa Surgery Center L.P., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Sanvello Health Holdings LLC, Sanvello Health Inc., Sanvello Health Limited, Scanner Centromed S.A., Seashore Surgical Institute L.L.C., Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Serquinox Holdings LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Ltda., Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Ltda., Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., Serviclinica Inmobiliaria S.A., Serviclinica S.A. Ex Los Leones La Calera, Servisalud Inmobiliaria S.A., Servisalud S.A. Ex Los Carrera Quilpue, Shark Holdings P.C., Sierra Dental Plan Inc., Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam  Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria SpA, Solstice Administration Services Inc., Solstice Administrators Inc., Solstice Administrators of Alabama Inc., Solstice Administrators of Arizona Inc., Solstice Administrators of Missouri Inc., Solstice Administrators of North Carolina Inc., Solstice Administrators of Texas Inc., Solstice Benefit Services Inc., Solstice Benefits Inc., Solstice Health Insurance Company, Solstice Healthplans Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Arizona Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Colorado Inc., Solstice Healthplans of New Jersey Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Ohio Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Tennessee Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Texas Inc., Solstice of Illinois Inc., Solstice of Minnesota Inc., Solstice of New York Inc., Solutran LLC, Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Sound Inpatient Physicians Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians Medical Group Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians of Ohio LLC, Sound Inpatient Physicians of Texas I Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians  Michigan PLLC, Sound Intensivists of Nevada RBessler M.D. PLLC, Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati Inc., Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati LLC, Sound Physicians Advisory Services Inc., Sound Physicians Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, Sound Physicians Anesthesiology of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Georgia P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kansas LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kentucky PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Louisiana Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Michigan PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Nevada Bessler PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Southern California P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of West Virginia PLLC, Sound Physicians Holdings LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Intensivists of Georgia PC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Virginia LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Palliative Care of Maryland P.C., Sound Physicians Telemedicine Inc., Sound Physicians of Florida IV LLC, Sound Physicians of Georgia III P.C., Sound Physicians of Hawaii Inc., Sound Physicians of Idaho PLLC, Sound Physicians of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Indiana LLC, Sound Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Sound Physicians of Kankakee Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Massachusetts II P.C., Sound Physicians of Massachusetts Inc., Sound Physicians of New Jersey LLC, Sound Physicians of New York PLLC, Sound Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Sound Physicians of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians of Wyoming LLC, South Arlington Surgical Providers LLC, South County Surgical Center LLC, South Sound Inpatient Physicians PLLC, Southern California Medical Practice Concepts LLC, Southland Hospitalists P.C., Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center LLC, Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Spartanburg Surgery Center LLC, Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits LLC, Specialty Billing Solutions LLC, Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy Inc., St. Cloud Outpatient Surgery Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Cardiovascular Institute LLC, St. Louis Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Stonegate JV Partners LLC, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Summer Street ASC LLC, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Cottonwood LLC, Surgery Center at Grove Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center at South Ogden LLC, Surgery Center at St. Vincent LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Fairfield County LLC, Surgery Center of Fort Collins LLC, Surgery Center of Lexington LLC, Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Mt. Scott LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Caregivers of Fort Worth LLC, Surgical Center of Greensboro LLC, Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Eye Experts LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgical Management Solutions LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Central Jersey LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Jackson Ltd. a Mississippi Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Minneapolis Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Mobile Ltd., Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, T.M. Carr M.D. P.C., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., THR-SCA Holdings LLC, TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologia de Informacion en Salud S.A., Texas Health Craig Ranch Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Flower Mound Orthopedic Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Orthopedic Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Bedford LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Chisholm Trail LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Irving LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Preston Plaza LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Rockwall LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Southwest Fort Worth LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Waxahachie LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Willow Park LLC, The Advisory Board Company, The Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Eye Surgery Center of the Carolinas L.P., The Intensivist Group of Langhorne LLC, The Lewin Group Inc., The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, The Surgery Center of Easton L.P., The Surgical Center of Connecticut LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Trauma Surgery Affiliates LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, Treasure Valley Emerald Properties LLC, Treasure Valley Hospital Limited Partnership, Tri-City Medical Center ASC Operators LLC, Tri-County Surgery Center LLC, Trinity Cardiovascular Care PLLC, Tufts Health Freedom Insurance Company, Tufts Health Freedom Plans Inc., Tuscaloosa Surgical Center L.P., U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UCSD Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, UCSD Center for Surgery of Encinitas L.P., UCSD Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings I LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings II LLC, UHC Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings Ireland Limited, UHCG Services Ireland Limited, UHCG  FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHG Holdings UK IV Limited, UHG Holdings UK V Limited, UHG Holdings UK VI Limited, UHIC Holdings Inc., UMR Inc., UPHT-SCA Holdings LLC, USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors LLC, USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD ASC IV1 LLC, USMD ASC IV2 LLC, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Hospital at Arlington L.P., USMD Hospital at Fort Worth L.P., USMD Inc., USMD PPM LLC, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Medical Park ASC LLC, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., United in Advancing Health Equity Foundation, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Employee Assistance Fund, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group International Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service Beijing Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Medical UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of America, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Parekh Insurance TPA Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Rockies Inc., Unity Health Network LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, VPay Benefits Corporation, VPay Inc., VPay Intermediate Holdings LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vascular Labs of the Rockies ASC LLC, Vascular Labs of the Rockies PLLC, Via Vitae MSO LLC, Vida Integra S.p.A., Vida Tres S.A., Virtua-SCA Holdings II LLC, Virtua-SCA Holdings LLC, Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wake Forest Ambulatory Ventures LLC, Walnut Creek Endoscopy Center LLC, Walnut Hill Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center LLC, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., Waypoint Minnesota PC, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, WestHealth JV Holdings LLC, WestHealth Surgery Center LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, Westgreen Surgical Center LLC, Wilson Creek Surgical Center LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, Winter Park Surgery Center L.P., Woodbury Surgery Center LLC, XAS Infusion Suites Inc., XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, divvyDOSE, divvyMED LLC, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative Inc., naviHealth Care at Home LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care SC P.C., naviHealth Holdings LLC, naviHealth Inc., naviHealth Michigan HBPC P.C., and naviHealth SM Holdings Inc..

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Kinder Morgan, Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. The company operates through four segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, Products Pipelines, Terminals, and CO2. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment owns and operates interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline, and underground storage systems; natural gas gathering systems and natural gas processing and treating facilities; natural gas liquids fractionation facilities and transportation systems; and liquefied natural gas liquefaction and storage facilities. The Products Pipelines segment owns and operates refined petroleum products, and crude oil and condensate pipelines; and associated product terminals and petroleum pipeline transmix facilities. The Terminals segment owns and/or operates liquids and bulk terminals that stores and handles various commodities, including gasoline, diesel fuel, chemicals, ethanol, metals, and petroleum coke; and owns tankers. The CO2 segment produces, transports, and markets CO2 to recovery and production crude oil from mature oil fields; owns interests in/or operates oil fields and gasoline processing plants; and operates a crude oil pipeline system in West Texas, as well as owns and operates RNG and LNG facilities. It owns and operates approximately 83,000 miles of pipelines and 143 terminals. The company was formerly known as Kinder Morgan Holdco LLC and changed its name to Kinder Morgan, Inc. in February 2011. Kinder Morgan, Inc. was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan.

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By Benjamin Jumbe & Ritah Kemigisa

Political analysts say the limited condemnation of what has happened in Zimbabwe by other African leaders is proof of support to the development.

This comes a day after President Robert Mugambe of Zimbabwe lost his grip on power following a government take-over by the military.

Now Dr Gerald Karyeija, a political commentator says what happened was proof that the peoples endurance had been stretched to the limit.

He says the people of Zimbabwe are tired of dominance of families in the countrys top leadership which should serve as a lesson to all African leaders.

The Forum for Democratic Change Party Eastern Vice President Salaamu Musumba has blamed the position of First Lady for the distortion of democracy on the African continent.

Referring to the situation in Zimbabwe, Musumba says Grace Mugabe used her title of First Lady to interfere with the countrys governance issues.

Musumba adds that First Ladies have been pampered and this has become a threat to democracy.

She says the position of First Lady must be interrogated if democracy is to have its true meaning in Africa.

Meanwhile President Robert Mugabe is reportedly refusing to step down immediately, despite growing calls for his resignation.

There has been no official word on the outcome of talks he had with regional envoys and the army chief earlier.

But sources say he has so far refused to agree to move aside. Five countries have now joined the Mugabe exit talks with Roman Catholic Priest Fidelis Mukonori, his trusted confidant acting as a negotiator with the military and other bodies.

In a related development, President Mugabe has made his first public appearance since the countrys army took over on Wednesday.

He attended a graduation ceremony in the capital, Harare and was cheered by the crowd at the after he spoke.

He joined the crowd in singing the national anthem and walking slowly up a red carpet.
Full coverage of the Delphi murders: Look back at 5 years of stories
By Lillian Namagembe

Government needs Shs700b annually to meet the striking doctors demands.

According to a breakdown by Daily Monitor, the listed enhanced allowances alone including overtime, housing, transport, medical risk, and retention which vary according to seniority are estimated at Shs89b annually.

On top of these, the doctors also demand 4.0cc vehicles for each medical consultant and 2.0cc for each medical officer which are estimated at a total amount of 167b.

For their proposed salary enhancement, government will need Shs374b annually to cater for the Shs8.5m for intern doctors, Shs17m for Senior House Officers, Shs40m for consultant doctors and Shs45m for senior consultant doctors amounting to Shs439b annual salary.

This brings the grand total to Shs 695b without the new doctors quarters that they want government to construct for them and also pay their domestic workers.

Although government insists it has no money, Dr Ekwaro Obuku, the president of the Uganda Medical Association says it can be found since health care delivery is an essential service and government is mandated to take care of its priorities.

Currently, a senior consultant doctor earns about Shs3.4 million, consultant Shs2.6m and a medical officer Shs1.1 million.

Interns receive Shs 960,000 while Senior House Officers who carry out specialized health services in designated government health facilities as part of their curriculum are not paid by government.
On 15 November 2017, in the margins of the 10th Global Forum meeting on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes held in Yaounde, Cameroon Finance Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey, led a discussion with Ministers, high level representatives and officials from Africa on tax fraud and avoidance.

They deliberated on the theme Fighting illicit financial flows through international tax cooperation: A Call for Action in Africa and agreed on the call.

As a result, recognising the recent so called Paradise Papers, they have relaunched African political support for more tax transparency and agreed on the Yaounde Declaration to:

Recall the commitment of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda to redouble efforts to substantially reduce illicit financial flows by 2030 and affirm that sustainable development and good governance are among the seven African aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063.

Acknowledge that the report from the African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africas High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa has focused attention on the scale of the issue of illicit financial flows in Africa, which includes tax evasion and other criminal activities, and its negative impact on Africas development and governance agenda while also identifying ways in which to tackle it, in particular the exchange of tax information among countries.

Emphasise the unprecedented efforts made by the international community to improve tax transparency and exchange of information which are a prerequisite for effectively tackling international tax evasion and addressing gaps and mismatches in tax rules that allow for artificial profit shifting.

They have asked that these efforts are also carried out at the continental level under the auspices of the African Union with the support of all development partners and international and regional organisations.

Taking this opportunity, France has committed to provide a substantial financial contribution for the new phase of the Africa initiative, which was renewed for three years, and will support African countries to fight illicit financial flows.
Updates on African trade policy processes from Amb. Albert Muchanga (AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry): The 8th CFTA Negotiating Forum to be held in Abuja next week will be followed by the African Union Ministers of Trade meeting in Niamey (1-2 December). Trade facilitation is a key lever for boosting intra-african trade: in this connection, I call on you to ensure that the draft Trade Facilitation Strategy is formulated and approved next year.

Profiled commentaries in the latest tralac e-Newsletter: Elisha Tshuma provides an update on recent import control measures introduced by Zimbabwe while Gerhard Erasmus discusses trade-related dispute settlement in the RECs and the role of private parties

Note: UNCTADs 2017 Least Developed Countries Report will be published next Wednesday

African Ministers call for action to combat tax evasion in Africa: Yaounde Declaration (OECD)

On the margins of the 10th Global Forum meeting on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes held in Yaounde, Cameroon Finance Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey, led a discussion with Ministers, high level representatives and officials from Africa on tax fraud and avoidance. They agreed on a call to tackle illicit financial flows through international tax cooperation. As a result, recognising the recent so called Paradise Papers, they have relaunched African political support for more tax transparency and agreed on the Yaounde Declaration to: Extract (pdf): Note that while progress has been made in Africa, many countries still do not fully benefit from the new transparent tax environment: only 27 African countries are participating in exchange of information on request, only five African countries are committed to automatic exchange of financial accounts information, and a large number of African countries continue to have a small EOI network, gaps in their domestic legislation and administrative capacity constraints that hamper efforts to tackle international tax evasion. Consider that tackling illicit financial flows in Africa through improved tax cooperation and transparency would be enhanced if carried out at the continental level under the auspices of the African Union with the support of all development partners and international and regional organisations. Undertake an initiative by the AU to begin a high level discussion on tax cooperation and illicit financial flows and their link to domestic resource mobilisation. Encourage African countries with the support of the Global Forum Secretariat to explore with the AU, UNECA, RECs and the AfDB a collaboration aimed at boosting African countries efforts towards implementing the international EOI standards and using EOI tools to improve their domestic resource mobilisation.

John Mbu: African nations are powering up the business rankings: what lessons can we learn from them? (WEF)

The first and most important lesson is that to achieve major reforms, political will is key. Nigerias PEBEC had clear objectives and was headed by the vice-president, who for certain parts of the year was the acting president. The PEBEC launched two 60-day action plans in April and September 2017. And in May 2017, the government issued an executive order aimed at promoting transparency in the business environment. The governments of Rwanda, Morocco, Botswana and Kenya also champion business reforms at a very high level. Second, the quality of institutions is critical. Africas top performers have very high Country Policy and Institutional Assessment and Ibrahim governance index scores. Botswana, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Mauritius all score very well in the above indices. In fact, if anything, the results indicate that there is a strong correlation between the CPIA, Ibrahim index and the Doing Business indicators. Third, the top performers are those that market themselves well. Between the 28 May and 15 July 2016, Kenya hosted the presidents and prime ministers of South Korea, Turkey, Ethiopia, Israel and India for bilateral visits. [The author is an economist, Office of the Senior Vice-President, AfDB]

South Africa: 11th WTO MC Business position (dti / Agbiz)

In preparation for the WTO MC, Minister Davies hosted a consultative meeting with the constituencies of NEDLAC. Dr John Purchase, CEO of Agbiz, and the Convenor for Business in the Trade and Industry Chamber of NEDLAC, presented the position of Business. Generally, there was considerable consensus between the constituencies - Government, Business and Labour - on most of the major agenda items of the upcoming 11th WTO MC. Extract: In terms of the proposed transparency on export restrictions, South Africa should support any steps to greater transparency in the management of export restrictions. Business is concerned that the proposed agreement on stockholdings for food security purposes may hold certain risks and implications for South Africa. We need to first understand these risks and long term implications before Business can support the proposed agreement. Special and Differential Treatment for developing countries and LDCs should be a determinant of MC11 outcome. The same goes for the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) provided to developing countries, to provide buffer against import surges and low priced imports. The implication of supporting the SSM to South Africas exports requires further consideration and analysis before South Africa should provide unqualified support to this inclusion. While it may be premature to introduce new items, such as e-commerce and investment, into the WTO negotiations, and these could divert the focus of the meetings from the existing developmental agenda, it is also essential that the South Africa government, with its social partners, address these developments as a matter of urgency, and as decided at the recent Nedlac TIC Strategic Session. While the readiness of the developing countries to engage in negotiations in areas like e-commerce remains questionable, we need to understand that these developments are natural developments in business innovation and sophistication, and that many of our trading partners are not going to wait for developing countries and LDCs.

David Primack: Enhancing access for LDC services to the UK post-Brexit (Commonwealth)

The cornerstone of any UK preferential services regime (and as part of an enhanced effort to support LDC services trade more generally) should be the establishment of an LDC import facilitation mechanism (along the lines of CBI17). This has often been referred to in the waiver discussions as an LDC Services Help Desk. Such a mechanism could serve to enhance the relationship between the UK government, the UK business community and LDC service providers. It could also serve as an intake point for the kind of information needed to fine tune existing and/or design future preferences. It could also serve as an essential conduit for informing and improving the UKs Aid for Trade in the services realm. Such a help desk should be user-friendly and easily accessible (online and by phone) and provide straightforward information (i.e. structured with the needs of LDC providers in mind).

Overview of developments in the international trading environment: annual report by the Director-General (WTO)

Key findings: WTO Members applied 108 new trade-restrictive measures during the review period from mid-October 2016 to mid-October 2017, including new or increased tariffs, customs procedures, quantitative restrictions and local content measures. This equates to an average of nine measures per month compared to fifteen in the previous period. WTO Members also implemented 128 measures aimed at facilitating trade, including eliminated or reduced tariffs and simplified customs procedures. At almost 11 trade-facilitating measures per month, this remains significantly lower than the monthly average of 18 recorded in the previous annual overview report. WTO Members continue to implement more trade-facilitating than trade-restrictive measures, a trend observed over the past four years. It is noteworthy that the estimated trade coverage of import-facilitating measures ($169bn) is more than two times larger than that of import-restricting measures ($79bn).

Rwanda to issue visa on arrival for all visitors (New Times)

As part of the recent Cabinet resolution, travellers from across the world will from 1 January 2018, receive a 30-day visa upon arrival following the establishment of a new visa regime. The move, which is set to increase Rwandas openness and accessibility to the rest of the world, is part of a new visa regime. According to a brief by the directorate general of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda will also, with immediate effect, grant a free 90 day visa on reciprocal basis to the following countries: Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Haiti, Senegal, Seychelles and Sao Tome and Principe. This is in addition to DR Congo, EAC partner states, Mauritius, Philippines, and Singapore.

Tanzania: Mineral loopholes for tightening (Daily News)

The Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Prof Makame Mbarawa, yesterday, tabled the National Shipping Agencies Bill of 2017 which, among others, will form a national shipping agent that will deal with clearing and forwarding of mineral concentrates and government trophies. He said that once the shipping agent is formed all deals of mineral concentrates, government trophies, shipment of all mineral concentrates, its products, petroleum, weapons, live animals and government trophies will not be done by private clearing and forwarding agents as is the case at present. Moreover, under the proposed bill, NASAC will play double role of a regulator and an operator, something that was hotly opposed by majority of parliamentarians as it will be against the free and fair trade practices.

Zimbabwe: 15% platinum export tax deadline set to be moved (The Herald)

Government is considering postponing the January 2018 deadline for effecting a 15% tax on raw platinum exports to an indefinite date, an official from the Mines and Mining Development ministry has revealed. The move is informed by the fact that mining companies are still setting up smelters and refineries. The January 2018 deadline was initially proposed by platinum mining companies in 2015 when they pleaded to be allowed time to import their smelters and refineries to value add the raw platinum locally. However, given the current foreign currency shortages in the country; which makes it difficult to import the necessary equipment needed to process the commodity locally, platinum producers have once again pleaded with the ministry to extend the deadline. Director of the Metallurgy Department in the Mines and Mining Development Ministry, Valentine Vera, reportedly said the request has been tabled before the Parliament, adding that the ministry will advise once the issue is finalised.

South African economy resurgent on consumer demand, exports (BRICS Post)

The recent data point to a resurgent South African economy after it exited a technical recession in the second quarter. Bulk exports surged by 30.7%year-on-year (y/y) to a new record of 16.7 million metric tonnes (Mt) in October after a 5.1% y/y gain in the first nine months of this year and a 2.% drop in 2016. The October 2017 tonnage eclipsed the previous record of 16.4 Mt set in January 2015 and was set despite a severe storm that disrupted port operations in the main port of Durban. Inventory replenishment and surging net exports were supposed to be the drivers of economic growth this year, but it now seems as if domestic households, which account for some 60% of economic activity, are joining the party as well. In both August and September, real retail sales grew by 5.4% y/y, which was the highest y/y increase since May 2013.

East Africa: New deal to connect regional SMEs to global markets (New Times)

The East African Business Council has signed an agreement with the World SME Forum to support and enhance African SMEs integration into global markets. The World SME Forum is a private sector-led initiative that supports the overall growth and impact of small and medium enterprises globally. EABC executive director Lilian Awinja said the project will be part of a larger EABC initiative to support growth of SMEs in the region with a specific focus on women and youth in business. The World SME Forum will work with the EABC to extend the scope of its activities and programmes to the African continent and partnering with leading chambers and SME associations in the region.

South Africa: Ownership of JSE-listed companies (National Treasury)

This report presents data on the ownership of South African companies listed on the JSE and proposes an Ownership Monitor for tracking trends in the composition of ownership over time. Listed companies are typically expected to have diverse ownership - characterised by a large number of relatively small shareholdings - although many will also have one or more strategic shareholders with a significant influence in the company. This assessment focuses on four aspects of ownership, reflecting the policy priorities noted above: Foreign ownership; Ownership through South African institutional investors, including retirement funds, long-term; insurance companies, collective investment schemes and investment managers; Major shareholdings, i.e., significant stakes in the company by one or more shareholders; Black (BEE) ownership.
By Ruth Anderah

President Yoweri Museveni has granted a six month extension to the land probe commission.

This is after the initial six-month tenure that it had been allocated to conclude it inquiries expired on the November 9 2017.

The extension has been confirmed in a statement issued by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire who heads the probe commission.

The commission is now expected to submit its findings and recommendations to President Museveni by May 9th 2018.

The president appointed the seven-member team to assess the effectiveness of law, policies and processes of land acquisition, and administration, land management and land registration in Uganda and it officially began its work on May 9th.

The Commission has so far conducted several public hearings in and outside Kampala, unearthing a number of wrongful land evictions and mismanagement.

It has also carried out field visits in the areas of Wakiso, Nakaseke, Luwero, Mukono, Jinja, Hoima, Mubende, Masaka, Gulu and Mbarara.
When I was a kid visiting my cousins for a week each summer, we children were in charge of washing the dishes after mealtimes. There was always a mountain of pots and plates, so cleanup was a major chore. What made it far easier, however, was my uncle's handmade kitchen design. Above the sink there was a wall of shelves with wooden slats on the bottom and dowels across the front. We kids would wash, rinse, and put the wet dishes right onto the shelves, where they dripped dry into the sink.

I never really thought about this unusual design until today, when I came across an article on Apartment Therapy called "Astiankuivauskaappi is the Finnish Kitchen Staple You'll Wish You Had at Home." Writer Shifrah Combiths goes on to describe essentially what my uncle had built -- a dish-drying cabinet suspended above the sink that, apparently, can be found in every home in Finland.

"Finnish dish-drying cabinets consist of shelving above the sink that, instead of being solid on the bottom, are made of wire or dowels so that dishes can drip dry. Dish-drying cabinets are sometimes bottomless, allowing the dishes to drain right into the sink. Other times, the cabinets have trays or drawers to catch the drips. They can have doors, or not. All that matters is that the cabinet doubles as both a drying rack and permanent storage for said dishes."

This makes so much sense. It saves a significant amount of time spent either drying dishes by hand and putting away, or carefully stacking dishes in a drying rack (while struggling to balance wine glasses and cast iron pots in the same wet heap, which we've all done), only to have to come back later to put them away.

Some commenters complained about the gunky buildup that would happen on the bottom of the slatted shelves or in the area behind the sink, but I'd argue that giving that an occasional monthly scrub (or whatever it needs) is probably faster and easier than towel-drying and putting away all those dishes on a daily basis.

Now, I realize most people have dishwashers in their kitchens, and new ones are highly energy-efficient and thought to be even better for the environment than hand-washing (our TreeHugger article on it is from 2009); but there always will be those items that just don't fit, are too dirty, or you cannot leave till the next day to clean up. And that's where the dish-drying cabinet makes a lot of sense.

I'm a big fan of any kitchen design that facilitates ease of use, and I know that I'd be more inclined to stay on top of extra dishes if I didn't have to unload the drying rack beforehand, a job I despise.

Check out the Apartment Therapy article for lots of ways in which to get an astiankuivauskaappi (or at least some version of one) for yourself.
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I've booked a return flight with them travelling Bangkok to Tokyo in March. Looking at my reservation online it states part of my journey is no longer valid and on further inspection I have been given a new reservation number.

I am assuming this is the updating of their system which took place last week. I checked the flight timetable and my flight is still showing. I did try to call the Bangkok office but their English language line has been disconnected and I can't get through using the Japanese or Thai lines. Has anyone else experienced the same issue with change of booking reference number?

I guess I can try the London office to see as well.

TIA
Yeah. Thanks for the responses.

The Kamkidaigo hike looks fun but I hesitate to subject guests to it. If I were alone it would be much less stressful. I have done the Takao-Kiyotaki hike and I enjoyed it very much.

It looks like that we will forego a hike this time unless they want to go all the way with Fushimi Inari.

Thanks again for your great help.

Mark
It's not a frog reserve. The Frog Pond is a very small venue that you can do in about an hour and is best at night, when the frogs are active.

I recommend hiking at the Monteverde Reserve to experience the cloud forest. You can pick one of the shorter, easier trails to better carry your daughter. You can do hanging bridges at Selvatura Park and the other small exhibits - The Orchid Garden, Herpetarium and Bat Jungle.

As for the car, you don't really need the 4 X 4 transmission but without good clearance you risk damage. I would be honest with the car rental agency. Tell them where you're going. If they let you take a small sedan you can save the money. My experience has been that they will insist that you have an SUV.
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By Samuel Ssebuliba

President Yoweri Museveni has cancelled the meeting that had earlier been scheduled with the striking medical doctors to forge a way forward.

Members of the Uganda Medical Association were expected to meet the president today at State House, Entebbe over the doctors strike which commenced on November 6th over poor pay and working conditions.

However according to Dr. Brian Kasagga the association spokesperson, they have received a notice from the president indicating that this meeting has been cancelled but no reason has been given.

Yesterday, while addressing a rally in Kabarole district, the president made it clear that he would not negotiate with striking doctors, threatening to fire them and hire new and willing ones.

The doctors are now set to brief media regarding their next course of action.
- Goons spilled out on the Southern bypass and wreaked havoc on the busy highway after a NASA rally

- A truck was reportedly set ablaze with scores of motorists forced to take a detour and use an alternative route

- The impasse comes just hours after the Kenyan police barricaded the Kamukunji grounds in Kibra and outlawed intended NASA rally

- NASA leaders however managed to address supporters in Kibra ahead of Raila Odinga's arrival from the United States

Goons on the evening of Thursday, November 16, spilled into the Southern bypass near Kibera and stoned motorists using the busy highway that links Mombasa Road to Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

Motorists along the busy highway were warned against using the road that borders Kibra area where the opposition NASA enjoys immense support.

READ ALSO: NASA leaders address supporters through speaker phone and later sneak to Kibra rally after tricking police

The chaos started hours after police officers in Nairobi engaged in running battles with National Super Alliance (NASA) supporters and their leaders who held a controversial rally in Kibra area.

Earlier, police had prevented the opposition from holding a rally at the Kamukunji grounds in Eastlands, causing a standoff that ran for hours.

READ ALSO: Mugabe resurfaces for the first time after the peaceful coup

The opposition NASA was planning on how it will lead its supporters to the JKIA on Friday, November 17, to welcome its leader, Raila Odinag, who is jetting back from the US.

READ ALSO: Museveni reshuffles 9 senior military officers after Mugabe was ousted by military

Raila Odinga and Kalonzo have been out of the country and will return on Friday to continue their push for reforms and a fresh election they are demanding.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino was arrested during the controversial rally and released hours later.

NASA leaders were forced to address their supporters through speaker phones after police chased them away.

The leaders later managed to address their supporters physically after a lengthy stand-off.

National Resistance Movement rally at Jacaranda on TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Controversial political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi compared Zimbabwe's dictator, Robert Mugabe to Kenya's President Uhuru and Raila Odinga

- Mugabe was ousted out of power after ruling the country for 37 years with an iron fist

- In Ngunyi's opinion, Raila Odinga was never going to Kenya's president no matter how many things he did to attain the top seat

The ongoing bloodless coup in Zimbabwe became a reference point in Kenya's politics when controversial political analyst Mutahi Nguny wondered whom between Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta and National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga was Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe - a dictator.

Mugabe is currently facing a coup in his country after the deputy president he recently fired returned as the leader of the ruling party by the aid of the Zimbabwe military. Reports have it that Mugabe was on his way to exile by Thursday, November 16 after ruling for 37 years.

In his social media post on Thursday, November 16, seen by TUKO.co.ke, Ngunyi reiterated that Raila Odinga would never be Kenya's president no matter what dramas he caused to clinch power.

READ ALSO: Lorry ferrying Bidco products looted in NASA backyard

Mutahi Ngunyi. Photo: Mutahi Ngunyi/Twitter.

READ ALSO: Uhuru should smell the coffee and step down - Former TNA secretary general

It is important to note that Raila Odinga has been in Kenya's politics and government for about 30 years but has never managed to clinch the presidency on five different occasions- twice in 2017.

On the other hand, Uhuru has been in politics for about 20 years, and on his second attempt at the presidency, he beat Raila Odinga; twice in 2017.

Ngunyi's sentiments came in the wake of the National Super Alliance legislators engaging in cat and mouse games with police who attempted to prevent them from holding a mega rally in Nairobi county on Thursday, November 16.

READ ALSO: I pay school fees of KSh 3,125,000 per term for my five kids without sleeping around- Akothee

ODM/NASA front leader Raila Odinga. Photo: Raila Odinga/Facebook.

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According to prior TUKO.co.ke reports, the opposition alliance announced mega rallies scheduled for November 16 and 17, with the former one being the rehearsal rally for how the alliance and its supporters would welcome back Raila Odinga from his international travels.

Raila was in the United States and London to push for electoral reforms in Kenya after President Uhuru Kenyatta won the October 26 repeat election, a poll Raila branded a sham and a Jubilee Party popularity poll.

Previously, NASA announced the formation of the National Resistance Movement and a People's Assembly, vehicles they said would be used, among other things, to pile pressure on President Uhuru and his Jubilee regime to step aside and a fresh election held within 90 days of the repeat election.

READ ALSO: Duale exposes plot by NASA counties to fund Raila's People's Assembly at KSh 50 million each

President Uhuru and DP Ruto show their IEBC certificates after being declared the winners of the October 26 repeat election. Photo: PSCU

The opposition promised to lead boycotts of companies sympathetic tot he Jubilee government, civil disobedience and push for legislation for secession of 19 counties out of the 47 counties in Kenya.

So far, 9 opposition counties have passed the People's Assembly motion after NASA co-leaders said they neither recognise Uhuru's victory nor the election outcome.

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Nyali Member of Parliament, Mohammed Ali, has condemed secession calls by NASA leaders from the coastal region

- In a Facebook post on Friday, November 17 he accused the leaders of being selfish and putting their interests first

- National Super Alliance (NASA) has been calling for secession of sections of the country considered their strongholds to protests Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election

Nyali Member of Parliament , Mohamed Ali , on Friday, November 17, came out guns blazing condemning National Super Alliance (NASA) leaders from the coastal region for secession calls.

The MP who doubles-up as an investigative journalist boldly claimed Mombasa will never be separated from the rest of the country.

He however asked the Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho and Kilifi County Governor, Amason Kingi, to focus on issues that affected the communities before demanding for anything.

READ ALSO: Raila Odinga lands as welcome party turns chaotic

Nyali Member of Parliament Mohammed Ali with NASA leader in past event. Photo: Nation

READ ALSO: Exciting video of Governor Anne Waiguru dancing in her office with her staff

In a long Facebook post, he called on the leaders to tackle on issues affecting coastal region which included, garbage collection, unemployment, drug abuse and corruption among others.

In the post he questioned the leaders agenda in calling for secession after having criticised the same move by Mombasa Republican Council (MRC ) calls for separation of Mombasa from the rest of the country in 2012.

"MRC walisukumwa na shida, dhulma na kutaka haki zao kama wapwani. Hawakuwa na chama ila haki. Mlinyamaza wakiteseka kisha leo mwaja na kauli mbiu yenyu ya kunyonya damu za watoto wetu maana hiyo tu ndio imesalia. Bahari mnaikausha kwa kujenga bandari zenu, nyumba na biashara zenu kisha mwatudanganya eti pwani si kenya. Leo nawaambia pasi na woga kuwa pwani ni Kenya na itasalia kuwa kenya" read the post

READ ALSO: Kenya's election is worse than that of Somaliland - UK MP claims

The vocal journalist who is a first time MP, has been against injustices perpetuated in the coastal region including marginalisation of the residents by former governments among others.

In a prior report by TUKO.co.ke, the coast secession debate erupted several times with local leaders saying the Sultan of Zanzibar gave the region to Kenya during Independence.

The leaders had earlier said they would push for separation should the IEBC go ahead to hold the October 26 poll in which President Uhuru Kenyatta was announced winner.

ALSO WATCH: National Resistance Movement rally in Kibra ahead of Raila's returns from US

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- The Kenya Airports Authority has denied that Raila's arrival from the US has stalled operations at JKIA

- KAA says operations at the JKIA are ongoing as normal and asked Kenyans to disregard social media posts claiming otherwise

- There were running battles between NASA supporters and Police as Raila touched down at the airport

The Kenya Airports Authority has been forced to make clarifications on reports that operations at the JKIA have stalled following the arrival of Raila Odinga from the US.

In a Twitter post seen by TUKO.co.ke, KAA clarified that operations at the country's main airport went on as normal on the morning of Friday, November 17.

KAA urged Kenyans to disregard information that said otherwise.

READ ALSO: Police arrest three suspects and recover gun used to shoot DCJ Mwilu's bodyguard in Dandora

The statement came after police engaged in running battles with Raila supporters who had thronged the airport to welcome him.

Authorities had warned that they would not allow the opposition supporters to enter the airport as they would pose a security threat.

However, NASA leaders insisted they would enter the airport to welcome their leader.

Raila arrives at JKIA from US Photo: Twitter/Radio Maa

READ ALSO: Kenyatta University closed indefinitely

There were reports that operations at JKIA had been affected by the clash between the NASA supporters and the police.

Kenyans also complained that roads leading to the JKIA were barricaded and rendered impassable by the opposition supporters.

Raila touched down at around 11 am alongside his daughter Winnie.

National Resistance Movement rally in Kibra ahead of Raila's returns from US on TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
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Russian-backed militants launched 22 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas in last day.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

"Over the past day, illegal armed groups violated the ceasefire 22 times. The Ukrainian Armed Forces opened fire on the enemy 15 times. As a result of fighting, no casualties were reported among Ukrainian troops," the statement reads.

In Luhansk direction, the enemy opened fire from 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, machine guns and weapons on infantry fighting vehicles outside Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk). A total of 90 bombs were fired on Ukrainian troops. Militants also used small arms to launch provocative attacks near Krymske (42.5km north-west of Luhansk).

In Donetsk direction, Russian-backed militants shelled Ukrainian positions near Vodiane (16km north-west of Donetsk), using 152mm artillery. ATO troops outside Pavlopol (30 km northeast of Mariupol) and Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) came under 120mm mortar fire. Militants also shelled positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine outside Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk), using grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms. ATO strongholds near Novotroitske (32km south of Donetsk) came under grenade launcher fire. In the evening, illegal armed formations opened fire from heavy machine guns on the defenders of Starohnativka (52km south of Donetsk).

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The U.S. defense budget for 2018, which envisages $350 million in security assistance to Ukraine, has been sent for signature by the U.S. president, Ukraine's Embassy in the United States has reported.

"The US Senate approved a bill 'The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018,' which includes the permission to allocate $350 million on providing security assistance to Ukraine," the statement reads.

Thus, the Congress completed the procedure for approval of the document, which now heads to the U.S. president, who is expected to sign it.

The draft law authorizes the delivery of lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine and substantially expands the parameters of U.S. support for Ukraine in the security and defense spheres. Thus, the document includes provisions allowing the use of U.S. defense budget funds for the rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian servicemen in U.S. medical institutions, the teaching and training of Ukrainian medical specialists in this area, as well as the strengthening of the capabilities of the country's air and naval forces.

For the first time, at the legislative level, it is proposed to provide Ukraine with such defensive means as air defense and surface search surveillance radars, naval countermine means, offshore and coastal ships.

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One Ukrainian soldier was injured 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 Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"One Ukrainian soldier was injured near Novotroitske (32km south of Donetsk) as a result of the explosion of an unknown explosive device. He was immediately sent to a hospital," Lysenko said.

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Estonia's national airline Nordica opens new flights to Tallinn from Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany).

This has been posted on the official page of the airport on Facebook.

"Estonia's national airline Nordica enters Kyiv International Airport. New routes from Kyiv to Tallinn are launched," reads the report.

At present the airline already performs flights to the Estonian capital from Boryspil International Airport.

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A de facto illegal gambling market and a semilegal lottery market exist in Ukraine now.

Deputy Finance Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko said this in an interview with the Apostrophe media outlet.

"The situation is very complicated. In fact, we have an unregulated market, I call it so," he said.

The deputy minister also emphasized that the Ministry of Finance lacks powers to solve the problem of the illegal gambling market.

"There is a certain social problem, but the Ministry of Finance lacks powers to solve it. The essence of the problem is that we have a de facto illegal gambling market, which is de jure unlawful, and a semilegal lottery market," Marchenko said.

He explained that the Ministry had elaborated a bill to solve this problem but it had not gained support in the parliament.

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Luxembourgian Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn believes that there are currently no grounds for cancelling EU sanctions against Russia due to the lack of progress in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported, following a meeting between Minister Pavlo Klimkin and his Luxembourgian colleague.

"Jean Asselborn confirmed the Luxembourgian government's support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine... The minister noted the lack of progress in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements and noted in this regard that there are no grounds to talk today about the termination of EU sanctions against the Russian Federation," the statement reads.

The ministry reported that during the meeting the sides discussed the current state of bilateral relations, outlined promising directions of practical cooperation, in particular, in the field of air freight, telecommunications and education. In the context of the agenda of the EU-Ukraine relations, they praised the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and the introduction of a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU.

As reported, Klimkin made an official visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on November 16.

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Correspondent of the UA:Ukrainian Radio, Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Sharoiko has been detained in Belarus.

Board Chairman of the National Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Zurab Alasania has reported on the detention on Facebook.

"Correspondent of the UA: Ukrainian Radio, Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Sharoiko has been detained in Belarus. The embassy of Belarus evades our questions," he wrote.

Alasania added that, according to unofficial information, Sharoiko was charged with espionage, a standard charge for foreign correspondents.

Deputy editor-in-chief of the information broadcasting directorate and head of the editorial board of the foreign correspondent network Svitlana Mialik confirmed the fact of the journalists detention.

UA:Ukrainian Radio correspondent in Belarus Pavlo Sharoiko was arrested. I learnt this information from his wife. She told me that Pavlo had been arrested in Minsk on October 25. Prior to that, the security officials conducted searches," she wrote on Facebook.

In the photo: Pavlo Sharoiko (on the left)

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The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine should intensify all efforts to secure the release and return of correspondent of the UA: Ukrainian Radio, Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Sharoiko to Ukraine from Belarus.

Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information Policy Viktoria Siumar said this to journalists on the sidelines of the Verkhovna Rada, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"This is a typical Russian action, when Ukrainian journalists are caught for espionage. Obviously, this proves once again that special services of the Russian Federation operate in Belarus, and their special services have direct contacts with the Russian Federation. The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine should intensify all efforts to secure the release and return of the Ukrainian journalist to the territory of Ukraine," she said.

As Ukrinform reported, Correspondent of the UA: Ukrainian Radio, Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Sharoiko was detained in Belarus on the charge of espionage.

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Ukrainian scientists now have the opportunity to take part in the research at French Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations.

Such an agreement was reached at the meeting of Dmytro Cheberkus, the director of the department for scientific and technological development at the Education and Science Ministry of Ukraine, the representative of the Government of Ukraine in the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, with Yves Frenot, the director of the French Polar Institute, the press service of the Education and Science Ministry reports.

"We plan to launch bilateral cooperation in selected projects in field of Antarctic research. Thus, our scientists will have the opportunity to become involved in scientific research in French Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations. These projects can be both short-term and long-term, up to one year," said Cheberkus, adding that the Ukrainian scientists have already got interested in two research projects on the Kerguelen archipelago.

In particular, the French side proposed cooperation in a number of scientific projects in such fields as geology, climate, wildlife, astronomy, seismology, and the like.

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Ukraine will not allow anyone to use the language of blackmail, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said.

He said this from the parliament's rostrum on Friday, while commenting on statements by Hungarian officials, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We will not allow anyone to talk to us in a tone of blackmail. This should be our common position - both of the parliament, the president and the government," Groysman said.

He noted that other countries should respect Ukraine, because Ukraine respects its neighbors and partners.

As reported, the dispute between Hungary and Ukraine, which erupted in early September after the adoption of the law on education, remains unresolved. Hungary is openly blocking Ukraine's political dialogue with NATO and rapprochement with the EU.

On November 15, Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen stated that ethnic Hungarians abroad have the right to autonomy and Hungarian citizenship. While commenting on the Ukrainian law on education, he noted that it is the Hungarian government that supports the whole institutional system in Zakarpattia region. According to him, the Hungarian government will block all important initiatives for Ukraine until the language law is revoked.

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Since the beginning of the year, 650 thousand Ukrainians have already visited Egypt, despite the recommendation of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine to refrain from traveling to this country due to the intensification of radical terrorist groups.

Ukrinform learned this from the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine.

"As of today, the Ukrainian citizens are strongly advised to refrain from visiting the Arab Republic of Egypt, including for tourism purposes, during the state of emergency in the country. However, despite the above-mentioned recommendations 650 thousand Ukrainian citizens visited Egypt since the beginning of the year," the press service stressed.

At the same time, the Embassy of Egypt in Ukraine informs that there are no reasons for concern. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Egypt to Ukraine told Ukrinform that the state of emergency in Egypt should not be an obstacle for visiting this country. According to him, Ukrainian tourism in Egypt continues to grow.

The ambassador says that Ukraine and Egypt should strengthen cooperation in the fields of tourism and business.

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Although immunotherapy has a long history in the treatment of urothelial carcinoma, its use was limited to intravesical therapy for non-muscle-invasive disease. The development of immune checkpoint blockers for systemic delivery has expanded the application of immunotherapy to advanced metastatic urothelial cancers.

The PubMed database was searched for publications regarding immune checkpoint blockers for the treatment of patients with urothelial carcinoma. Relevant congress abstracts were identified through searches of individual congress websites.

A summary of the biology and immunology of urothelial carcinoma is provided for context to aid discussion of key data pertaining to immune checkpoint blockers that are approved and in development. We address immune-mediated adverse events that are unique to immunotherapies and review diagnostic tools that may be useful in the identification of patients who would most benefit from immunotherapy.

Immunotherapies for the treatment of urothelial carcinoma have shown clinical efficacy in selected patients, as well as a manageable safety profile. Studies are ongoing, with the aim of expanding the proof of efficacy in metastatic disease and providing additional treatment options for patients with earlier stages of urothelial carcinoma.

The Journal of urology. 2017 Nov 04 [Epub ahead of print]

Arlene O Siefker-Radtke, Andrea B Apolo, Trinity J Bivalacqua, Philippe E Spiess, Peter C Black

MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address: ., National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA., The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA., Moffit Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA., University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29113841
Cambodia's Supreme Court has dissolved the country's main opposition party in a ruling likely to cement Prime Minister Hun Sen's already expansive grip on power.

Thursday's unanimous ruling by the nine-member court also bans 118 members of the now-defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party from any political activity for the next five years. The court sided with a lawsuit filed by Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party, accusing the CNRP of being involved in a foreign-backed plot to topple the government.

The United States and other countries accused by the ruling party have denied backing any subversive plots.

The ruling caps a crackdown on dissenting voices launched by the prime minister ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. The repressive moves include the arrest of CNRP leader Kem Sokha on charges of treason, which led half of the party's lawmakers to flee, and the closure of The Cambodia Daily, one of the country's last independent newspapers, after the publishers received an exorbitant overdue tax bill they said was bogus.

In a statement Thursday, the White House expressed grave concern about the Cambodian governments action, based on meritless and politicized allegations that CNRP participated in a conspiracy to overthrow the government.

The White House called on the government of Cambodia to undo its recent actions against the CNRP, release its leader, and allow the legitimate activities of opposition parties, civil society, and the media.

The Cambodian governments restrictions on civil society, suppression of the press, and banning of opposition leaders from political activities have significantly set back Cambodias democratic development and placed its economic growth and international standing at risk, the statement said, adding that the U.S. will take concrete steps in face of such deeply regrettable actions of Cambodian government.

End of fledgling democracy?

The dissolution of Cambodias only credible opposition party effectively leaves the country as a one-party state, which critics say could spell the end of more than 25 years of efforts to implement democracy the country.

For those Cambodians who spent years trying to build a representative and democratic government, the ruling is a painful blow that raises hard questions.

The massive, $1.6 billion U.N.-backed effort to seed democracy in Cambodia started in 1992, when U.N. personnel began flooding into the country to build the institutions to support a new democratic government.

In 1993, a wide-eyed TV news assistant named Chhorn Bunhom returned to the country he had fled as a petrified 6-year-old to cover this extraordinary intervention.

Im on top of this aussie U.N. car/van and you can see little kids jumping up and down think that, you know, the U.N. is here to save them, he said, recalling his entry into the country across the Thai border in Poipet.

Working as a sound recordist and camera assistant Bunhom had been flung right into an explosion of euphoric enthusiasm in a country that had known little else than misery and horrific violence for decades.

The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia had come to bring democracy.

With it came not only the possibility of an end to authoritarian rule but a transformative injection of economic activity both through direct investments and commerce generated by the hedonistic excesses of some 20,000 foreign peacekeepers.

Its like somebody bought a million dollar fire cracker and just lit it up in the middle of the night in Cambodia and thats what I felt like - Cambodia all of a sudden had light, he said.

Today, nearly 25 years later, a generation enlisted to build an idealistic new vision of Cambodia can only watch with dismay.

Echoes of Cambodia's dark past

This week, a 65 hectare area surrounding the Supreme Court was on lockdown with only the odd confused tourist trying to leave or return to a hotel and a small contingent of journalists allowed in.

Two journalists, Oun Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, were arrested on Tuesday and will reportedly be charged with espionage on accusations they provided information to their employer Radio Free Asia - which shut down its Cambodia operations last month citing intimidation.

The night before the court hearing, security forces made up of police, military police and guards made coordinated visits the offices of prominent human rights NGOs such as Adhoc and Licadho to check if they were harboring protesters, while roadblocks were set up on major arterials into the city.

Its an environment Chin Channa, a translator for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal who championed its creation back at the turn of the century, remembers only too well from his days as a monk before the 1993 election.

Back then his enthusiasm for the royalist revival of Prince Norodom Ranariddhs opposition FUNCINPEC party constantly got him in trouble with authorities and his superiors in the clergy.

A lot of monks were afraid but for me I did not feel any fear, he said, adding he was chased out of a temple in Battambang by a chief abbott infuriated with his incessant politicking.

Channa believes governance programs in Cambodia have failed only because of the ruling party's resistance.

This has worked so far. Ive been working with many organizations and those organizations have trained a lot of Cambodian people including government officials, police officers, judges, prosecutors, lawyers and students so they been exposed to this new leadership and governance system," Channa said. But the ruling party has never been able to maintain this momentum, they tried to bring Cambodia back to the communist way of leadership."



Lack of compromise

Thida Khus, who helped bring back many Cambodian Americans to the country in 1993 to help set up civil society organizations and teach in universities, says there are many reasons why UNTACs mission ultimately failed.

She provided input into the drafting of the constitution and later founded the organization SILAKA to encourage Cambodian women to take greater participation in politics - exposing her constantly to the countrys evolving political culture.



Cambodians dont like to confront each other if they dont agree with each other - theyd rather walk out of a situation. But in a democracy sometimes you need to be persistent and not to compromise and many of the Cambodians do a lot of compromise since the election of the U.N., she said.

Khus says that while human rights education in Cambodia has been extensive, until recent there were few efforts to teach the public about political rights and democratic culture.

Bunhom, now a documentary filmmaker and TV producer, says western countries were naive to think that democracy can be grown "like a tree."

I think democracy is very much like a system of thinking and that is, when you want a person to change his or her way of thinking, you really need to argue your point and you really need to be there among them."


Cambodias Supreme Court has ordered the dissolution of the countrys main opposition party, leaving the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen with no real opposition ahead of elections next year.



The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was accused of plotting to overthrow Hun Sen, who has ruled the country for 32 years -- charges the CNRP denies and claims are politically motivated.



The court also ruled that more than 100 CNRP officials would be banned from politics for five years.



Lawyers for the interior ministry presented 26 pieces of evidence to the court, which is presided over by Judge Dith Munty, a ruling party member.



The opposition declined to submit evidence in its defense or send lawyers to the trial, the outcome of which it viewed as predetermined in favor of the ruling party.



The governments evidence included 10 video clips, several documents and photos which they claimed proved the CNRP had been involved in engineering a color revolution in the lead up to and aftermath of the 2013 election.



The videos depicted mass opposition protests during the election period, which were widely broadcast at the time.



The period of protest following the election came to an abrupt halt in early January 2014, when government security forces shot dead at least five people and pro-government thugs attacked an opposition protest camp in the capital, Phnom Penh.



In closing remarks, Judge Munty said: The Supreme Court decided to uphold the Interior Ministrys complaint to dissolve the Cambodia National Rescue Party and ban individuals as listed from involvement in politics for five years from today and ban any protests.



Ahead of the trial, Hun Sen had goaded the opposition by offering to take cash bets that the CNRP would be dissolved.



After the judgment, he said the decision would help stabilize Cambodia and repeated calls for members of the opposition to defect to his Cambodian Peoples Party.



The CNRP president, Kem Sokha, remains in detention on charges of treason related to claims he led the plot to overthrow Hun Sen.



Mu Sochua, a CNRP vice president, said the CNRP would continue to operate, adding that it intended to contest the election in 2018.

Hundreds of security forces were deployed in Phnom Penh and major roads throughout the country in anticipation of protests over the trial.



James Gomez, director of Southeast Asia and the Pacific for Amnesty, said:

This is yet more evidence of how the judiciary in Cambodia is essentially used as an arm of the executive and as a political tool to silence dissent. The Supreme Court President Judge is known to have close ties to Prime Minister Hun Sen and is a member of high level committees of the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party.



In a separate statement, Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watchs Asia division, urged Japan and the European Union to suspend financial and technical assistance to the 2018 election and boycott election observation unless the CNRP was legally reinstated.



And the rest of the international community should be dusting off their sanctioning authority and preparing to act against senior CPP figures and Cambodia military commanders with blood on their hands and corrupt dollars in their pockets, he added.



The E.U. managing director for Asia and the Pacific, Gunnar Wiegand, who was on a visit to Cambodia, told the government that if the CNRP was arbitrarily excluded from the election process the 2018 poll would not be seen as legitimate.
Giant rats are probably not the first thing that come to mind to tackle tuberculosis but scientists hope their sniffing skills will speed up efforts to detect the deadly disease in major cities across the world.

Tuberculosis, which is curable and preventable, is one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), killing 1.7 million people in 2016 and infecting 10.4 million others.

African Giant Pouched Rats, trained by Belgian charity APOPO, are known for sniffing out landmines in countries from Angola to Cambodia and for detecting TB cases in East Africa.

Over the next few years, APOPO plans to fight tuberculosis at the source by launching TB-detection rat facilities in major cities of 30 high-risk countries including Vietnam, India and Nigeria.

"One of the best ways to fight TB at source is in major cities that draw a lot of people from the rural areas," James Pursey, APOPO spokesman, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"It is a vicious circle. You can be reinfected. To fight TB, you have to hit it hard," he said by phone from Zimbabwe.

Many people get infected in big, densely populated cities and spread the disease to rural areas, according to Pursey.

The rats learn to recognize the presence of TB in samples of mucus that is coughed up from the patient's lower airways.

In Tanzania, people in communities where TB is most common, including in prisons, often fail to show up for screening because of a lack of money or awareness, placing a huge burden on health authorities, health experts said.

"TB is a disease of poverty," said Pursey. "If nothing changes it can only get worse."

The APOPO has seen the TB detection rate increase by 40 percent in clinics it has worked with in Tanzania and Mozambique, according to Pursey, who said that using rats to screen did not negate the need for proper diagnostic testing.

While a technician may take four days to detect a case of TB, a trained rat can screen 100 samples in 20 minutes, and a rat screening costs as little as 20 US cents, APOPO said.
Soldiers in Myanmar have gang raped Rohingya women in continued violence against the Muslim minority in Rakhine state, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

Human Rights Watch cited first-hand interviews with 52 Rohingya women and girls who fled to Bangladesh and reported being raped by security forces in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Rape has been a prominent and devastating feature of the Burmese militarys campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, said Skye Wheeler, womens rights emergencies researcher at Human Rights Watch and author of the report. The Burmese militarys barbaric acts of violence have left countless women and girls brutally harmed and traumatized.

All but one of the interviewees was gang raped, HRW said.

WATCH: HRW Report: Myanmar Security Forces Using Sexual Violence as Scare Tactic

Hundreds of cases

HRW also spoke with multiple humanitarian organizations in Bangladesh who have reported hundreds of rape cases. Numbers of rape victims are likely much higher, as social stigma keeps many women silent.

I have had to deal with disgust, others looking away from me, Isharahat Islam, who was raped by soldiers in her village Hathi Para in October 2016, told HRW.

The numbers also cannot account for those who were killed after they were raped.

Fifteen-year-old Hala Sadak from a village in the Maungdaw Township told HRW that soldiers had dragged her from her home, stripped her naked, and pushed her against a tree where she estimates as many as 10 men raped her from behind.

They left me where I was ... when my brother and sister came to get me, I was lying there on the ground, they thought I was dead, she said.

Emotional, physical injuries

In addition to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, women reported untreated injuries including vaginal tears, bleeding, and infections, the report said.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have left Myanmars Rakhine State since Aug. 25, after insurgents attacked security forces and prompted a brutal military crackdown that has been described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmars government has repeatedly rejected claims that atrocities, including rape and extrajudicial killings, are occurring in northern Rakhine, the epicenter of the violence that the United Nations has called textbook ethnic cleansing.

Denials from Myanmar

In September, the Rakhine state border security minister denied reports of rape by security forces in the state, according to HRW.

Where is the proof? Look at those women who are making these claims  would anyone want to rape them? he was quoted as saying in Thursdays report.

Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya and denies them citizenship, referring to them as Bengali to imply origins in Bangladesh.

Though Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticized for sidestepping allegations of abuses, many Western governments have been reluctant to ostracize her during a fragile transition to democracy.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has raised the issue of alleged U.S. chemical weapons remnants found in Cambodia with the head of the United Nations.



Hun Sen met Antonio Guterres, U.N. Secretary General, on the sidelines of the recent Asean summit in Manila, according to a post on the premiers Facebook page.



Guterres reportedly did not respond to the apparent Cambodian discoveries, instead choosing to discuss the U.N.s peacekeeping operations.



A day earlier, Hun Sen met with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, who pledged to commit China to demining operations in Cambodia.



China, a friend, promised to help clearing mines and unexploded ordinance as soon as possible and requested relevant institutions of both countries discuss the current situation and submit for reviewing and making decisions.



Earlier this month, the United States announced it would cut of funding for demining group CMAC in Cambodia.



David Josar, embassy spokesman, said in an email that the U.S. would continue to support other Cambodian demining efforts, which it said had reached $160 million.



Li and Hun Sen also discussed opening a faster route from the capital, Phnom Penh, to the port city of Sihanoukville, according to Hun Sen.
Two former Radio Free Asia reporters were detained on Tuesday for allegedly using a guesthouse to attempt to transmit reports to the United States.



The U.S.-funded broadcaster closed its bureau in Cambodia in September amid what it called a relentless crackdown by Prime Minister Hun Sens regime against independent media.



Oun Chhin and Yeang Sothearin were detained at the Marady guesthouse in Phnom Penhs Meanchey district.



The former RFA staffers reportedly denied the allegations.



Sothearin told journalists before being transferred to a police station on Wednesday morning that he was innocent. I am innocent and what I have done is not wrong and I have not sent news abroad, he said.



Chhin also rejected the allegations as false. I just wanted to open a business to make karaoke songs and videos, but I have not done anything yet, he said.



Following the closure of RFAs office in Phnom Penh, the information ministry warned its former staff that they would be arrested if they continued to report from Cambodia.



Sim Vuthy, local deputy police chief, said the authorities had evidence that the pair had sent information to the United States, but declined to comment further.



We are checking because we see the materials and studio which is organized to live broadcast Radio Free Asia, he said. So its wrong.



An RFA spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



A spokesman for local rights group Adhoc said the arrests impacts their profession.



They also face challenges working and have their rights limited.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that "America's standing in the world has never been stronger" after his just-completed two-week trip to Asia.

Trump stood in the White House and gave a recap of his five-nation tour, which he called "historic" and a "tremendous success."

"Everywhere we went, our foreign host greeted the American delegation ... with incredible warmth, hospitality and, most importantly, respect."

Along with a handful of trade and investment deals with China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, Trump said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed there could be no "freeze for freeze" agreement with North Korea. That is a deal in which the North would freeze its nuclear program if the U.S. and South Korea froze military exercises on the peninsula.

Trump said Xi recognized that a nuclearized North Korea is a "grave threat" to China.

Trump said past deals with the North by previous U.S. administrations had "consistently failed." He said while all options remained on the table in dealing with Pyongyang, time was running out.

WATCH: Trump Claims 'Tremendous Success' of Recent Trip to Asia

Targeting trade deficit

On trade, Trump said the U.S. was going to start "whittling down" its trade deficit with Asia as fast as possible.

He said insisting on fair and reciprocal trade with America's Asian partners was one of the goals of his trip.

The president said unfair trading practices that steal U.S. intellectual property and jobs could not be tolerated.

Trump took a swipe at his predecessors in the White House, saying they had failed to protect and promote the interests of the American people, as he repeated his promise to put U.S. interests first.

"We will never again turn a blind eye to ... cheating," he said, referring to longtime accusations that trading partners have violated trade deals and rules.

China has been on the receiving end of many of Trump's past complaints. Some of the president's critics said he was not forceful enough in making those concerns known when he came face to face last week with Xi.

Trump made no mention of human rights during Wednesday's speech, and except for North Korea, the topic scarcely emerged during his Asian visit  including in the Philippines, where President Rodrigo Duterte has been accused of encouraging extrajudicial police killings of suspected drug users and dealers.
Climate change threats, from worsening drought and flooding to sea level rise, could increase the risks of hunger and child malnutrition around the world by 20 percent by 2050, food security researchers warned Wednesday.

But looking carefully at the very different risks facing each country, region and type of food producer  from highland rice farmers in Cambodia to cattle herders in South Sudan  could help reduce that threat of growing hunger, they said.

In North Africa, for instance, both herders and farmers face fast-growing risks from more frequent, longer and more intense heatwaves and declining water availability, while population growth and greater urbanization could also hit food security, according to a report by the World Food Program (WFP) released Wednesday at the U.N. climate talks in Bonn.

In South Asia, by comparison, dense populations of farmers face threats from worsening floods, cyclones and droughts, as well as long-term threats to the stability of monsoons and water flow in glacier-fed rivers.

Different groups are affected by different types of risks, at different intensities and at different times, said Gernot Laganda, the director of climate and disaster risk reduction programs at WFP.

Building greater resilience to the threats will require layers of responses, he said.

Catastrophic threats of large-scale losses of crops or animals  the type that might come along every 5 to 10 years, for instance, and force those hit to migrate  might be dealt with in part with insurance plans, Laganda said.

But more regular seasonal threats  of smaller-scale flooding, for instance  cannot be insured, he said, as the problems come too frequently.

In those cases, building savings groups among women farmers, for instance, to ensure cash is on hand to deal with the crop failures, could be a better way to deal with risks.

The report aims to give country governments, and food security organizations, a clearer and more specific look at the threats they face, and better tools to deal with them. It looks in detail at particularly threatened regions, including parts of Africa and Asia, and at 15 specific countries, from Afghanistan to Mali.

One surprise from the work, Laganda said, is that it was not always the poorest countries that were most vulnerable to hunger threats.

Sometimes we assume middle-income countries have a much easier time ... which is not necessarily the case, he said.

South Asia, in particular, has big numbers of hungry people, he said and overall the largest vulnerabilities to loss and damage in food systems occur in Asia.

In Africa, drought is the biggest threat to hunger levels, but conflicts also play a big role, he said.

Laganda said such differences need a careful look if countries and food security agencies are to better manage coming climate threats and achieve the international goal of ending hunger by 2030, one of a set of so-called Sustainable Development Goals.

We are not going to achieve zero hunger by 2030 if we do not factor climate-related shocks and stresses into our equation, he warned. Climate needs to factor into food security discussions ... at a country level in a much bigger form than it does now.

And aid agencies like WFP as much as governments need to focus more on risk management, he said.

Mikael Eriksson, who works on climate, energy and environmental issues for Swedens government, said the growing complexity of humanitarian disasters requires innovation and rethinking old ways of doing things.

Prevention is so much more efficient than disaster management, he said.
On this edition of Press Conference USA, host Carol Castiel sits down with freshman Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), member of the House Financial Services Committee and Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus. He discusses a range of domestic and foreign policy issues from the Republican tax reform plan and cyber security challenges to the implications of recent Democratic victories in the states of Virginia and New Jersey.
Cambodias government faced international criticism Friday after the main opposition party was dissolved ahead of elections and the European Union raised a potential threat to vital trade preferences.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved Thursday by the Supreme Court at the request of the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose rule of more than three decades was under threat at next years general election.

The CNRP leader, Kem Sokha, was arrested for treason Sept. 3, charged with planning to take power with American assistance.

Hun Sens critics called the dissolution of the CNRP an attempt to steal the election and the death knell for democracy in a country where Western donors have spent billions of dollars since 1993 trying to build a multiparty system after decades of war.

EU, US important markets

An electoral process from which the main opposition party has been arbitrarily excluded is not legitimate, a statement from a European Union spokesperson said. Respect of fundamental human rights is a prerequisite for Cambodia to continue to benefit from the EUs preferential Everything But Arms scheme.

That scheme giving tariff-free access, and similar trade preferences in the United States, have helped Cambodia build a garment industry on low cost labor. Between them, EU and U.S. markets take some 60 percent of Cambodias exports.

The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment.

U.S. Republican Senator John McCain said the dissolution of the CNRP meant there was no way the elections scheduled for 2018 can proceed in a manner that is free or fair and called on U.S. President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Cambodia.

The Trump administration should move quickly to sanction all senior Cambodian government officials responsible for violating human rights and subverting freedom in Cambodia, he said in a statement.

Call for sanctions

Australia said it was deeply concerned about the dissolution of the CNRP and a five-year political ban on 118 of its members.

The United Nations said it was up to the Cambodian government to provide a free environment without fear for fair elections.

So far Western countries have shown little appetite for sanctions and the opposition itself has shied away from calling for steps to restrict garment exports because of the hundreds of thousands of workers who depend on them.

But leaders of the CNRP now say they support some sanctions.

Sanctions are the best leverage for negotiation for free, fair and inclusive elections, said Mu Sochua, a deputy to CNRP leader Kem Sokha who fled Cambodia fearing arrest.

The government has dismissed threats of international action and has the support of China, the biggest aid donor and investor in Cambodia.

In a televised address Thursday, Hun Sen told Cambodians the election would go ahead as normal and appealed to politicians from the CNRP who had not been banned to join his Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP).

There was no immediate government response to the EU statement and other foreign criticism.

U.S.-based campaign group Human Rights Watch said the court ruling should lead Cambodias donors and trade partners to impose targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans on Hun Sens inner circle.

The European Union, Japan, and other donors should immediately suspend all financial and technical election assistance for the 2018 elections unless the CNRP is fully reinstated and permitted to compete, it said.
Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and four members of his cabinet are expected to appear before a Belgian court Friday for a hearing in connection with a European arrest warrant issued by Spain.

The court will hear arguments behind closed doors from prosecutors and lawyers for the Catalan ex-officials, before it considers whether to extradite them to Spain, where they would face charges of rebellion and sedition for their roles in regions independence drive.

Madrid issued the warrant for Puigdemont and the four ex-ministers after they fled to Brussels last month and ignored a summons to appear before a Spanish judge, claiming they would not get a fair trial.

Spanish authorities had removed Puigdemont and his 13-member Cabinet from office for pushing ahead with secession.

Fridays court appearance will be the first hearing in what could become a protracted courtroom battle, with both sides expected to appeal the outcome.

The judge is expected to give an initial ruling in eight to 10 days.

Under current Belgian law, a decision on a European arrest warrant should be made within 60 days.

That means that Puigdemont and his associates could still be in Belgium when Catalonia goes to the polls Dec. 21 for an early election ordered by Madrid to restore normality in Catalonia, Spains northern wealthiest region.
China supports Saudi Arabias efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and achieve greater development, President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabias King Salman, at a time of regional tensions between Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen.

China has traditionally played little role in Middle East conflicts or diplomacy, despite its reliance on the region for oil. But it has been trying to raise its profile, with Salman visiting China in March.

Speaking by telephone, Xi told Salman that Chinas determination to deepen strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia will not waver, no matter how the international and regional situation changes, China's Foreign Ministry said late on Thursday.

Remarking on the importance of maintaining close communication between the two countries heads of state, Xi said China and Saudi Arabia are comprehensive strategic partners whose strategic mutual trust is deepening.

China supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and realise greater development, the ministry cited Xi as saying, without elaborating.

The statement made no specific mention of issues like the resignation as Lebanon Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri while in Saudi Arabia, railing against Riyadh's bitter foe Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

Saudi-led forces, which back the government in Yemen, have also been targeting the Iran-allied Houthis in a more than two-year war there.

China has had to tread a fine line between Riyadh and Tehran as Beijing has close ties with Iran as well.

The ministry statement said Xi and Salman also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern, but gave no details.
China was preparing Friday to dispatch its highest-level envoy to North Korea in two years in a bid to improve chilly relations, after President Donald Trump last week urged Beijing to use its influence to persuade Pyongyang to cease its nuclear weapons program.



Song Tao will report on the outcomes of Chinas ruling Communist Party congress held last month and visit counterparts in his role as President Xi Jinpings special envoy, according to Chinese state media. China has given no other details about his itinerary or said whether hell meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.



The visit could be seen as a starting point to explore new China-North Korea relations, said Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Koreas Kyungnam University.

China initiative

Xi wants to take the initiative on the North Korean nuclear issue to head off further pressure from Washington, Lim said.



For Xi, the resolution of the North Korean issue is directly related to relations with the United States. He would continuously get pressed by the United States and be placed on the defensive unless he settles the North Korean problem, he said.



Song heads the Communist Partys International Department and holds the rank of minister.

Relations chilly



Chinas relations with North Korea have deteriorated under Kim, who has ignored Beijings calls to end nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests and return to disarmament talks.



Expectations for Songs visit are mixed. In announcing it, China made no mention of Trumps visit to Beijing or the Norths weapons programs. Song is not directly connected to Chinas efforts to persuade Pyongyang to return to denuclearization talks, seemingly reducing the chances for a breakthrough in that highly contentious area.



North Korea staged its sixth nuclear test Sept. 3, detonating what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb, and last launched a ballistic missile Sept. 15, firing it over the Japanese island of Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean.



Song is expected to relay Chinas hopes for the North to stop conducting nuclear and missile tests in return for incentives and to assess whether the North has any intention of returning to disarmament talks, said Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at South Koreas Sejong Institute.

North Korea, for its part, would find it difficult to reject Chinas envoy dispatch because it faces a very serious international isolation ... and wants to know what position China has and if there are any ways to ease international sanctions, Cheong said.

China, South Korea talks



Songs visit to Pyongyang also comes as China and South Korea are repairing their relations that soured over Chinas objection to Seouls deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to visit China next month for talks with Xi.



Song will be the first ministerial-level Chinese official to visit North Korea since October 2015, when Politburo Standing Committee member Liu Yunshan met with Kim. Liu delivered a letter to Kim from Xi expressing hopes for a strong relationship, although the respite in frosty ties proved short-lived. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin visited Pyongyang in October last year.
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is upending longstanding precedent on two judicial nominees.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said Thursday he's going ahead with confirmation hearings for two appellate court nominees, David Stras of Minnesota and Kyle Duncan of Louisiana, even though they have not received the support of both of their home-state senators.

In each case, a senator declined to return a so-called blue slip marking their support for the judicial nominee from their state. Grassley said he won't allow a single senator to block a nominee. Rather, he said a negative blue slip will only be considered a significant factor for the committee to weigh when evaluating a nominee.

"This practice is consistent with the vast majority of the blue slip's history," Grassley said.

When President Barack Obama was in office, Republicans blocked scores of judicial nominees by declining to return a blue slip. That tool was one of the few Democratic lawmakers had available to them in trying to stop some of President Donald Trump's nominations.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democratic senator on the Judiciary Committee, said Grassley's decision couldn't be more troubling.

"The lengths to which Republicans are going to jam extremely conservative and controversial nominees through the Senate is unprecedented," Feinstein said. "What's happening is diminishing the Judiciary Committee and the Senate and undermining the independence of the federal judiciary."

On the committee's website, Republicans said that only two chairmen over the past century adopted a policy requiring two positive blue slips as a prerequisite for committee consideration of a judicial nominee. Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, had that policy when he ran the committee for eight years until 2015.

Feinstein said that Grassley followed that precedent when he became chairman and when Obama was president.

"There's a long history as it pertains to the blue slip, but what's most relevant is the last two years," Feinstein said. "Republicans shouldn't have one blue slip policy for Democratic presidents and another for Republican presidents.

"In 2015 and 2016, Chairman Grassley refused to allow multiple nominees of President Obama's to have hearings because they didn't have two blue slips from home-state senators."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, facing pressure from conservative groups, said last month that he was seeking to upend the blue slip tradition for circuit judges. He described it as "simply a notification of how you're going to vote, not a blackball."

Grassley said he will be less likely to proceed when a district court nominee fails to have two positive blue slips from home-state senators.

"But circuit courts cover multiple states," Grassley said. "There's less reason to defer to the views of a single state's senator for such nominees."
The movie year seems destined to conclude the way it essentially began: with everybody talking about Get Out.

Jordan Peele's horror sensation is again the subject of debate after it was reported that Universal Pictures submitted the film for Golden Globe Awards consideration as a comedy, rather than a drama. The film's classification will ultimately reside with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, but whatever the outcome, the controversy shows how Get Out is already challenging the conventions of Hollywood's prestige movie season.

Peele himself has shown no desire to quell the backlash, only to slyly prod it.



Get Out, he said simply on Twitter, is a documentary. Appearing on CBS's The Late Show on Wednesday night, Peele stuck with that label for his race-savvy social satire.

"The movie is truth. The thing that resonated with people is truth,'' said Peele, before seguing into a joke. "For me, it's more of a historical biopic. The original title was Get Out: The Kanye West Story, but I had to lop off the end.''

Most experts believe Get Out, which made $253.4 million worldwide on a $4.5 million budget, is a favorite for a best picture nomination at the Academy Awards. Universal has mailed for-your-consideration screeners, and an awards campaign has been mounted.

Few predecessors

If Get Out were to be nominated, it would be unusual on many counts. Seldom are directorial debuts, February releases or horror films nominated for best picture. (Among the few horror films that have been are The Exorcist, The Silence of the Lambs and The Sixth Sense.)

And then there's the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' poor record of nominating African-American-led movies and the "OscarsSoWhite'' protests that have accompanied several recent Academy Awards.

The hard-to-define Get Out is poised to be an Oscar contender unlike any seen before, but not just for those traits. Peele's acclaimed film is an uncommonly sharp big-screen commentary on the real horrors of black existence and the hollowness of liberal progressiveness. It's a monster movie where society, as seen through African-American eyes, is terrifying.

"It doesn't fit into a genre,'' Peele told The Late Show's Stephen Colbert. "It sort of subverts the idea of genre. It is the kind of movie that black people can laugh at but white people not so much.''

'Was this a joke?'

That's why many reacted strongly to simplifying Get Out as a comedy, even though Peele (half of the comedy duo of Key and Peele) is a comic veteran. Calling it a comedy in a way trivializes the racism it's depicting. "Was this a joke?'' wondered Lakeith Stanfield, who co-stars in the film.

The Globes have previously confounded with their divisions between drama and comedy, most recently with the award-winning sci-fi adventure The Martian. Judd Apatow and others objected to Ridley Scott's film being lumped in with the likes of Amy Schumer's Trainwreck, and thereby finding an easier route to taking home hardware. When Martian star Matt Damon, who won best actor in a comedy for his performance in The Martian, returned last year to present, he called his comedy win "funnier, literally, than anything in The Martian.''

But Get Out is a unique case. And nothing on Mars is nearly so scary as what lies here on Earth in Peele's film.
Puerto Rico could face more than a decade of further economic stagnation and a steep drop in population as a result of Hurricane Maria, experts say.

The stark estimates were presented this wee to members of a federal control board overseeing finances of a U.S. territory that is already in the 11th year of a recession.

"The situation is dire to say the least, with destroyed infrastructure, lack of power and water, and an accelerated pace of migration," economist Heidie Calero said.

She estimated that the hurricane caused $115 billion in damage, even without counting business losses.

"We believe that is very conservative," she said.

The administration of Governor Ricardo Rossello said earlier in the week that it was seeking $94 billion in federal aid for an island where power generation remains at 40 percent and where nearly 10 percent of people are still without water almost two months after the storm. More than 20 of Puerto Rico's 78 municipalities remain completely without power.

So far, Congress has approved nearly $5 billion in aid for Puerto Rico.

Twin shocks

Economist Juan Lara told board members that the local economy could contract anywhere between 8 percent and 15 percent in fiscal 2018, depending on the restoration of power, with overall revenues falling by 30 percent.

"We are undergoing both a demand and supply shock," he said, saying that 5,000 businesses could close permanently, representing 10 percent of membership of the island's National Retail Federation.

Businesses that have reopened have been forced to reduce their hours or depend on costly generators.

"We need electric power to be back and to be reliable," Lara said. "We need roads to be cleared. We need supermarkets to be able to replenish their inventories. ... We need to restore basic operating infrastructure."

Lack of power remains the biggest obstacle, with the island's electric company struggling to maintain the 50 percent power generation it had reached Wednesday just as a major blackout occurred for the second time in a week.

Rossello has said the company will reach 80 percent generation by end of November and 95 percent by mid-December, goals that many have called ambitious. In contrast, the U.S. Corps of Engineers has said it expects 75 percent generation by end of January.

More migration

Before Hurricane Maria hit, Puerto Rico was trying to restructure a portion of its $73 billion public debt load amid a deep economic crisis that has prompted an exodus of nearly half a million people in the past decade. That migration will only accelerate because of post-hurricane conditions, with an estimated population of 2.8 million people by 2030, compared with the current 3.4 million, said economist Jose Villamil.

"What Maria has done in some ways is to exacerbate that situation, made it more intense," he said.

The drop in population, coupled with a majority of young, talented people leaving, will hit Puerto Rico's economy even harder, experts said.

Two more meetings remain as the board continues to gather information to revise a fiscal plan to adjust for the hurricane's impact. It is unclear how much money, if any, will be set aside in the plan to pay off the island's debt load.
In Cameroon, an investigation is underway into the cause of an overnight fire that destroyed much of the country's parliament. Hundreds of firefighters battled the late night fire ravaging Cameroons parliament building.

Sule Ndundat is an official of the fire brigade.



"We met the fourth floor completely consumed by the fire, so we concentrated ourselves on saving what could be saved," said Ndundat.



By daybreak, four of the seven floors had been consumed by the blaze, though no one was harmed.



Issa Tchiroma, Cameroon government spokesperson, says an investigation has been opened but that authorities do not suspect foul play.



"The fire started accidentally. The National Assembly has been always under the protection and safeguard of very well trained, committed and dedicated forces," said Tchiroma. "Parliament, which started two days ago, will continue without being perturbed, without being disturbed."



Timing questioned



The timing of the fire is raising some eyebrows. It happened less than two days after lawmakers from Cameroons main opposition party SDF announced they would boycott this session of parliament.



The 15 opposition MP's are demanding the government do more to resolve a year-long strike in Cameroons two English-speaking regions.



The strike was called to protest the dominance of the countrys French-speaking majority, and has escalated amid a government crackdown and the emergence of separatist groups demanding full independence.



Arson attacks have been a hallmark of the unrest, with dozens of schools, business and public buildings torched in the anglophone regions since January. No one has claimed responsibility. However it is believed the locations that have been burned were targeted for failing to respect the calls to strike.



The opposition SDF lawmakers, many of whom are from the anglophone northwest and the southwest, say they have been threatened and even physically attacked at home for continuing to serve in the National Assembly.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri is at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris where he is in discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron who has offered to help Hariri resolve his role in the bizarre Lebanese political drama.

Earlier this month, Hariri resigned from office on Saudi TV, sparking turmoil and skepticism.

However, earlier Saturday, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Hariri called Lebanese President Michel Aoun to tell him he will return to Lebanon next week to participate in Independence Day celebrations.

It is unclear if Hariri and Macron will make any remarks to the media Saturday.



Hariri was welcomed "as prime minister" of Lebanon, as his resignation is not recognized by his country, Macron said from Sweden on Friday.

Behind the scenes

The French president previously dismissed speculation he offered Hariri exile. But some are not so sure.



I think its hugely uncertain now about what is happening behind the scenes, says Julien Barnes-Dacey, Middle East analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations. What (Hariris) plans are after this, and the nature of this deal is hugely questionable.



Hariris departure from Saudi Arabia caps two tumultuous weeks since he announced his resignation as Lebanons prime minister from Riyadh on November 4, blaming Iran and Hezbollah, which is part of the Lebanese government, for the move and saying he feared for his life.



The announcement has highlighted the deep political fractures in Lebanon, torn between the competing influences of Shiite Tehran and Sunni Riyadh, and unleashed accusations the Saudis were detaining Hariri against his will.



Lebanon will have to overcome this big obstacle, Lebanese Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk said on Friday of Hariris departure for Paris predicting a door will open to more stability.

Hariris visit clearly marks a diplomatic coup for 39-year-old French President Macron and his broader bid to reassert France on the world stage. That includes the Middle East, where Macron paid a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia last week at the height of the Hariri crisis, after inaugurating the new Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi.

The opening was seen by some observers as a manifestation of French soft power in the region.

Its certainly an achievement for Macron, Barnes-Dacey said of Hariris impending visit to France, which he noted also reflected a backtracking by Saudi Arabia in letting the Lebanese leader go.



If the move helps to stabilize the crisis, he added, I think that will be seen as a very successful French initiative.

Some skepticism

Others are skeptical about the potential payback.



Its a nice diplomatic coup for France, Middle East analyst Karim Emile Bitar told French radio, describing Frances invitation as face-saving for both Riyadh and Hariri. But, he added, it doesn't solve much.



If Hariri does indeed go into exile, it would not be a first for Lebanese officials.

Hariri spent three years residing in France and Saudi Arabia after the national unity government he then headed collapsed, in 2011.



France has also been home to Lebanese President Michel Aoun, during his own 15-year exile that ended in 2005.



Beyond tapping historic French ties and influence in Lebanon, Macron is reaping the success of a more rebalanced French policy in the Middle East, some analysts say.



Even as his administration reaffirms its relations with powerful Sunni countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt -- Macron met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman last week and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi last month -- the French president is also mulling a visit next year to Tehran, where French businesses are scrambling to invest.



France is harvesting the fruits of its new diplomatic doctrine in the Middle East, Middle East expert Hadrien Desuin wrote in Le Figaro newspaper of Macrons ability to secure Hariris visit. Its a more balanced position between the Sunnis and Shi'ites that provides fresh air.



The Trump administration may also be carving out another opportunity for Macron, analyst Barnes-Dacey says.



Theres clearly a vacuum of any U.S. willingness to pay a mediating role and diffuse some of these regional crises, he said. That gives room for someone like President Macron, whos keen to be an activist president and punch French weight globally.



You can see that with Lebanon," he added.
The movies have tended to skip from slavery to the Civil Rights movement, but Dee Rees' Mudbound plunges into the complex tragedies of the in-between era of Jim Crow.

The film, which Netflix hopes will be its first feature-film Oscar contender, follows two neighboring families  one black, one white  on a hardscrabble farm in 1940s Mississippi.

"I was interested with exploring the idea of who gets to be in possession of the land  how it's sometimes impossible to go back home, how family can be the thing that drags you down," Rees said. "It's not just about race. It's not just about oppression. It's about how our histories are intertwined, how we're connected to be the people who came before us."

For Rees and many of those involved, making Mudbound was itself an experience interwoven with heritage. Rees, the Nashville-native filmmaker of 2011's Pariah, drew heavily from the journals of her grandmother, whose Louisiana parents picked cotton. Her grandfathers  one who fought in World War II and one who fought in Korea  also informed the script, which Rees co-wrote with Virgil Williams.

"For me, it was a chance to delve into my own history," Rees said. One young character was given Rees' grandmother's humble ambition: to be a stenographer.

After the debut of Mudbound at the Sundance Film Festival, Netflix plunked down $12.5 million for it; streaming begins Friday, as does a small theatrical release. Should it find Academy Awards attention, Mudbound could be not just Netflix's first best picture nominee but potentially make Rees the first black woman nominated for best director.

Reverberations for today

In its biracial dichotomy, Mudbound  grippingly dense, expansively empathetic  stands apart from most previous period films. As a rich, earthy moral tale, it has clear reverberations for today's racial injustices.

Based on the novel by Hillary Jordan, it details the McAllan family, who are white, and the Jackson family, who are black. Swindled out of his family's savings, Henry McAllan (Jason Clarke) brings his wife (Carey Mulligan) and daughters to his family's swampy Delta farm, where the Jacksons  a family of six led by Hap (Rob Morgan) and Florence (Mary J. Blige)  are their tenants.

"It's a time period that's rarely touched in cinema, that sharecropper's time period," Morgan said. "For black America, they either see you as a slave or in jail. You don't get to see that Jim Crow period where the underbelly is still ugly but it's hidden."

It's a thin veil, though. When World War II begins, both families send a young man to war: Henry's brother, Jamie (Garrett Hedlund), and the oldest Jackson son, Ronsel (Jason Mitchell).

When they return, having been exposed to both the horrors of war and, for Ronsel, the comparative freedoms of Europe, they strike up a friendship that provokes the small town's violently racist elements, including the Ku Klux Klan. The movie opens ominously with the digging of a muddy grave.



Having starred in numerous recent period films (Suffragette, Far From the Madding Crowd, The Great Gatsby), Mulligan initially hesitated to join the film. But she was quickly convinced by Rees' devotion to depiction of the myriad relationships among the families as each character individually responds to the era's rigid and prejudiced social hierarchy.

'There's no hero'

"There are flaws in each character. There's no hero. There's no clear villain because of the social construct at the time," said Mulligan. "Everyone's just struggling within the same environment, and all kind of facing away from each other  at least at the start of the story, they are."

Mudbound, shot over 28 days in New Orleans in the summer of 2016, is a big step into epic storytelling for Rees. She made 2007's Pariah, about a Brooklyn teenager's fraught sexual discovery, with $450,000 and followed that up with the 2015 HBO Bessie Smith biopic Bessie. Rees, who's currently prepping a Gloria Steinem film with Mulligan set to star, has made films that are deeply personal and convincingly intimate without being autobiographical.

"With Pariah, at the time, I had just come out. I had a coming out experience and I was writing about it, transposing my experience as an adult: What would it have been like if I had been a teenager in Brooklyn?" said Rees. "The funny thing was people thought I was from Brooklyn. I had to be like, 'No, I'm from Nashville.' "

Mudbound also holds particular meaning for Morgan, who co-starred in Pariah. A native New Yorker, Morgan spent his childhood summers working in North Carolina tobacco fields. Hap, he said, is his tribute to his grandfather  a strong and selfless man devoted to his family.

"Hap was my chance to give a voice to the voiceless of countless black men in America who would do for their family whatever it takes, who would be humiliated with dignity for his family to survive," said Morgan. "Hap is a man who understands he's in Mississippi. There doesn't have to be a reason he could be hung. So he has to be smart enough to play dumb enough to survive."

As Mudbound moves along, Rees intercuts scenes at the farm with snapshots of war. All are fighting their own front, but with varied levels of freedom.

"Each one of these families is striving. Each one wants to have a larger lot in life. They both aren't there. They're both stumbling," said Rees. "The only reason to do this was the chance to tell two stories and the chance to talk about two families."
The speaker of Indonesias House of Representatives is finally under armed guard after eluding arrest for corruption during a bizarre few days during which he went missing, had his house raided, crashed his car into a telephone pole and circulated photos of being admitted into a hospital.

It is the latest development in Setya Novantos career of extensive corruption and equally extensive efforts to elude arrest, or even trial, for corruption.

The Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) went to Novantos house in South Jakarta on Wednesday night but he was nowhere to be found. His lawyer claimed he was not in touch with him but was 100 percent confident that hes in Jakarta [as] hes not a coward.

Novanto is under investigation for his role in a national scandal over digital ID cards; the KPK has already summoned him 11 times for this case alone. He is accused of asking for a 10 percent cut from a company with a government contract to make the cards.

Novanto had last been seen on Wednesday morning at the House, where he delivered a speech during a plenary session. The KPK warned him to turn himself in within 24 hours or be placed on a wanted list.

On Thursday night, it was announced that his car had crashed and he had checked into Permata Hijau hospital in South Jakarta. His lawyer said Friday he was put under armed guard at a hospital by anti-graft investigators. Despite having located him, the KPK cannot legally detain anyone who is sick or under medical treatment, so hurdles remain to his actual questioning.

Career based on corruption

Novanto has been linked to at least eight corruption cases in his 19-year political career, which started just after the fall of the Suharto dictatorship, as a democratic era began in Indonesia.

Among them is a charge of attempting to embezzle $4 billion from Freeport, the American mining company, in 2015, a scandal for which he was briefly removed from his position as Speaker of the House and then reinstated when evidence against him was ruled inadmissible.

With the latest ID-card scandal, Novanto has gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid a court appearance. Last month, he released a photo of himself in a hospital, claiming that he suffered vertigo from playing ping-pong. The photo was widely shared and ridiculed on social media, but took a dark turn when one Indonesian woman was arrested under the defamation law for sharing an Instagram meme making fun of Novanto.

Despite the seemingly glaring extent of Novantos corruption, there are many social and political costs to his trial and arrest.

In August, a Los Angeles-based witness who had evidence of Novantos involvement in the ID-card affair killed himself, reportedly because he was terrified by the fact that his name had been made public in relation to Novanto.

He is basically the elite's bagman. He greases a lot of palms, said one Indonesian security scholar. And he is also politically critical as he leads the pro-Jokowi Golkar Party. If he is arrested, Golkar will be taken over by Kalla-Bakrie coalition [the current Vice President Jusuf Kalla and the prominent businessman Aburizal Bakrie] and and it will make Jokowi's life difficult in 2019. And if Novanto opens his mouth, a lot more people will end up in jail. So it is a very touchy issue.

The Golkar Party, which is currently led by Novanto, has assured him of legal help if his case is brought to trial.



Embarrassment for KPK

Novantos career reflects the challenges of democracy in Indonesia, where the rampant corruption of the Suharto dictatorship created precedents for graft and embezzlement that persist well into the democratic era.

If Novanto manages to evade the charge again, it will be a huge blow for the KPK, one of the most popular institutions in Indonesia, which has nevertheless faced major budget cuts and threats from political elites. In April, a KPK investigator suffered an acid attack one day after the KPK announced that Novanto was under investigation for the ID Card scandal.

On the other hand, some observers think the melodramatic pitch of Novantos escapades and the degree of public outrage means this could be the first time a charge manages to stick.

There is a growing public consensus that Novanto must answer for his actions, which should help the KPK, according to University of Indonesia political scientist Arbi Sanit.

I suspect that the KPK will work in the following way: following KPK's assignment, Novanto will be added to the wanted persons list, then admitted to the Police Hospital and examined by police officers, and will be disallowed from seeking medical treatment abroad due to [a] ban, predicted Sanit.

Meanwhile, a citizens group called the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society is trying to do its own small part by offering a prize of 10 million rupiah for "anyone who can provide valid information of Novanto Novanto's existence to KPK or Police or other law enforcement apparatus so that KPK can arrest Novanto Novanto.

Its not much, about $740, but KPK will need all the help it can get.
Iraqi forces on Friday captured the border town of Rawa, the last remaining town under Islamic State control, signaling the collapse of the group's self-proclaimed caliphate.

Rawa's capture marks the end of Islamic State's era of territorial rule over a so-called caliphate that it proclaimed in 2014 across vast swaths of Iraq and Syria.

Iraqi forces "liberated Rawa entirely, and raised the Iraqi flag over its buildings," Lieutenant General Abdul Ameer Rasheed Yarallah said in a statement from the Joint Operations Command.

Syria's army has also declared victory against Islamic State, but last week militants reinfiltrated Albu Kamal, near the border from Iraq, and are still fighting there, as well as in some villages and desert areas nearby.

All the forces fighting Islamic State in both countries expect a new phase of guerrilla warfare, a tactic the militants have already shown themselves capable of.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated Iraq's armed forces and people, saying Rawa was retaken in record time and that Iraq would soon completely defeat Islamic State.

'Total victory is near'

"I congratulate our heroic forces and the Iraqi people on the liberation of Rawa. The success of our forces, in record time and with excellent planning, shows their strength. Our armed forces continue to secure the Jazira and desert area and the Iraqi border. Total victory is near," he said.

A map published by the military showed zero areas under Islamic State control, and a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting the group in both Iraq and Syria said on Twitter it had "crumbled."

A video issued by the military showed Iraqi forces sending a message to Rawa's residents via radio. Referring to the Sunni militant group by an Arabic acronym, it said, "Daesh has ended for good, and now the age of Iraq begins."

Another showed a convoy of military vehicles sporting Iraqi flags and blasting out the national anthem. State television played patriotic songs and aired footage of troops in Rawa.

"With the liberation of Rawa we can say all the areas in which Daesh is present have been liberated," a military spokesman said.

Iraqi forces will now focus on routing the militants who fled into the desert and exert control over Iraq's borders, the spokesman said.

Rawa borders Syria, whose army seized the last substantial town on the border with Iraq, Albu Kamal.

Albu Kamal shares a border crossing with al-Qaim in Iraq.

The militants lost control of the border crossing earlier this month, dealing a critical blow to the organization, which had long relied on the route to move its fighters and equipment.

The group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is believed to be hiding in the stretch of desert that runs along the border of both countries.

Shrinking caliphate

Driven this year from its two de facto capitals  Iraq's Mosul and Syria's Raqqa  Islamic State was progressively squeezed into an ever-shrinking pocket of desert, straddling the frontier between the two countries, by enemies that include most regional states and global powers.

In Iraq, Islamic State faced the army and the Shiite paramilitary groups, backed both by the U.S.-led international coalition and by Iran.

Iraq has been carrying out its final campaign to crush the Islamic State caliphate while also mounting a military offensive in the north against the Kurds, who held an independence referendum in September.

However, Islamic State's defeat does not mean civilians are now safe, the International Rescue Committee said. Nearly 3.2 million people are unable or unwilling to return home after years of displacement, and over 11 million need humanitarian assistance, it said.

"Today marks a historic day for the people of Iraq. It is, however, vital that the international community does not view the end of [Islamic State] territorial control as the end of their responsibility to the Iraqi people who have endured years of conflict and face a long, difficult recovery," the group's Iraq country director, Wendy Taeuber, said in a statement.
At least 20 internally displaced persons were killed by a car bomb Friday in Syria  an attack blamed on Islamic State.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor put the death toll at 26, adding that 12 of the victims were children.

Syrian state broadcaster SANA said that 30 others were injured at a site where displaced families were relocated in eastern Syria near the city of Deir el-Zour.

Both sources said Islamic State, which controls roughly one-quarter of oil-rich Deir el-Zour province, was responsible for the attack.

According to U.N. figures, 6.3 million Syrians are internally displaced as the country's civil war continues for the seventh year.
A jury heard closing arguments Thursday in the federal government's case against Ahmed Abu Khatallah, who is accused of conspiring to organize the 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

Khatallah, the first defendant to face criminal charges in connection with the Benghazi attack, is on trial for 18 counts, including murder and providing material support to terrorists. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

He was captured in 2014 by U.S. military and FBI officials in Libya and transported to the United States aboard a Navy vessel.

A second person alleged to be involved, Mustafa al-Imam, made his first court appearance earlier this month.

Khatallah is not accused of directly participating in the attack on the U.S. consulate or the nearby CIA annex. Rather, prosecutors say, he worked behind the scenes to help orchestrate the attack, making him a co-conspirator and organizer.

The government over the past several weeks has introduced evidence  such as phone records showing that the defendant made calls to his associates right before they were captured on grainy videos participating in the attack  and testimony from a variety of witnesses.

Paid to lure Khatallah

One witness who testified was a man identified by the pseudonym Ali Majrisi.

Majrisi was paid $7 million by the government to befriend Khatallah, gather evidence against him and eventually lure him to the place where he was captured by U.S. forces.

The jury at the trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia also heard emotional testimony from State Department and CIA officials, who spoke in detail about how Stevens and the other three Americans died.

"You have not heard that he lit the match," prosecutor Michael DiLorenzo said of Khatallah on Thursday. "You have not heard that he fired the mortars."

But he is "equally as guilty," he said, because a co-conspirator is liable for any crimes deemed to be a "reasonable, foreseeable consequence" of a conspiracy.

Khatallah's lawyer, Michelle Peterson, told jurors Thursday that the government was trying to play on their emotions to win a conviction, when in fact the evidence of the case did not prove her client's guilt. She suggested that the witnesses paid by the government with a "bag of cash" were not credible.

"They want you to hate him," she said. "Mr. Abu Khatallah is not guilty of these charges."
Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Friday he has been in Saudi Arabia, from where he announced his shocking resignation, for discussions on the future of the region.

"My stay in the kingdom is aimed at conducting consultations on the future of Lebanon and its relations with its Arab neighbors," he wrote on Twitter ahead of his trip to France.

Hariri went on to say that any other information about his stay in Riyadh, his departure from Lebanon, or his family are "just rumors."

Hariri has been in Saudi Arabia since announcing his resignation earlier this month, prompting questions about whether he was being held there and leading Lebanese President Michel Aoun to declare Hariri was being detained.

Aoun has said he will not formally accept Hariri's resignation until he returns to Lebanon.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Thursday rejected as "baseless" allegations that Saudi Arabia was detaining Hariri and said it is up to him to decide when to leave.

Hariri has accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to travel to France in the coming days.
Sicilys Mafia boss of bosses is dead.

The former capo of the Cosa Nostra, Salvatore 'Toto' Riina, one of the worlds most notorious criminals, died in prison in the northern Italian town of Parma at the age of 87 after a long fight with cancer and heart disease  a far cry from his heyday when he oversaw pubic bloodbaths, assassinations and waged brutal feuds with other Mafiosi trying to topple him.

He could be courteous before killing you.

One of his preferred methods of doing away with Mafia rivals, or lieutenants suspected of treachery, was to invite them over for dinner and after a convivial meal throttle them over a limoncello or grappa. He committed his first murder at the age of 18.

Nicknamed The Beast, he expanded Mafia killings, slaughtering women and children. He had a 13-year old boy strangled and dissolved in acid in a bid stop his father from divulging Mafia secrets and ordered the slaughter of eleven family members of another Mafia leader who became a state witness.

For some, Riinas death Friday  he was serving 26 life sentences  marked the end of an era in Mafia history. In fact, it is more of a postscript.

The Cosa Nostras top leaders are all in jail, its infamous code of silence, Omerta, broke down long ago and its status and power has been eroded after years of internal feuds and determined anti-Mafia squads and brave judges  some of whom, like Giovanni Falcone, who became a national icon, and Paolo Borsellino, lost their lives in the effort.

It was Falcones 1992 murder that marked the start of the collapse of the old Mafia order  his death reverberated politically, forcing Italys politicians to prove that they were not complicit in the murder, according to author and Mafia historian John Dickie.



Of the five main mobs in Italy, the Calabrias Ndrangheta, Europes top cocaine trafficker, is now more deeply-rooted and powerful than Sicilys Mafia, say Italian anti-Mafia officials  so too the Camorra of Naples, which traces its history back to the 14th century and focuses mainly on building frauds and securing public construction deals.

The Sacra Corona Unita in Italys southeast province of Puglia has also expanded. Originally preying on the local wine and olive oil businesses, it has moved into other lucrative areas, including drug trafficking, and has forged alliances with Albanian and Balkan crime syndicates.

Because of the Sicilian Mafias links to the United States, and due to movies like "The Godfather," the widespread public perception has been that the Cosa Nostra is very much a globalized crime brand. But Italian anti-Mafia officials say not to the same degree as the Ndrangheta, which has put down deep roots in Latin America, partly thanks to mass Calabrian emigration, allowing Calabrias mob to become the dominant supplier of cocaine to Europe, outstripping the Cosa Nostra.

The shifting fortunes of the Cosa Nostra can partly be blamed on Riina and his generation of Sicilian Mafia leaders. The times changed; they didn't. Their increasingly bloodthirsty violence and feuding came as Italys politics were changing and sowed the seeds of their downfall. Demands mounted for tough action against Mafia-linked politicians. Riina pushed back against the state, ordering a series of bombings across Italy in the 1980s and '90s that left 10 dead in explosions in Rome, Milan and Florence.

By murdering Falcone and Borsellino, Shorty Riina and his entourage brought down the states retribution not just on themselves, but the whole Italian underworld, argued Dickie.

Riina, who had been on the run since the 1970s but living in plain sight near his hometown of Corleone, a hardscrabble hilltop town near Palermo made famous by Francis Ford Coppolas popular Godfather film trilogy, was captured in 1993, thanks to a tip-off from a former driver, six months after he had ordered a car-bomb death for Borsellino.

The son of a poor farmer, he was born on 16 November 1930. In 1943, his father and a brother were blown up trying to extract gunpowder from an unexploded American bomb. He rose up the ranks of the Mafia quickly, leaving a bloody trial as he did so.

Youre not Toto Riina to me, you're just my father. And I wish you happy birthday, Dad, on this sad but important day. I love you, one of his four sons, Salvo, wrote on his Facebook page Friday. Hundreds commented, passing on their condolences. But on other social media sites, including Twitter, hundreds of Italians registered their disgust, saying there should be no pity for Riina, just sympathy for his victims.

Italian newspaper La Stampa noted that the capo died unrepentant. He was irreducible to the end, and only three years ago, talking to a co-detainee, boasted of Falcone's murder and continued to threaten the magistrates.

In the last few weeks, Riinas lawyers had been trying to get him released from jail so he could die a dignified death at home. But the applications were declined by officials with Maria Rosaria Bindi, chair of parliaments anti-Mafia commission, arguing, there is no right to death outside the cell.

Giovanna Maggiani Chelli, president of the Association of Family members of the victims of a massacre ordered in Florence by Riina, commented: God have mercy on him. We cant forgive him.
Senator John McCain warned President Donald Trump on Thursday against nominating any more defense industry insiders to top Pentagon posts, as his committee questioned an executive from Lockheed Martin about potential conflicts of interest.

Concern over the close relationship between the Pentagon and arms manufacturers has existed for decades but appears to have intensified under Trump. He has drawn scrutiny for filling posts throughout his government with high-ranking executives. The latest example was his naming this week of former pharmaceutical executive and lobbyist Alex Azar to become Health and Human Services secretary.

McCain, chairman of the Senates armed services committee, said he was troubled by the number of Defense Department nominees drawn from the defense industry. He said he would oppose any more such nominations after John Rood, Trumps pick for the Pentagons No. 3 job, who appeared before the committee on Thursday.

From this point forward, I will not support any further nominees with that background, McCain said in a statement.

Rood ran into trouble during the hearing over his nomination to become undersecretary of defense for policy. As a Lockheed senior vice president, Roods job is to expand the company's international business.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren pressed him to say if he would recuse himself from discussions with U.S. allies that could benefit Lockheed, the largest U.S. defense contractor with business in 70 countries.

Rood said he did not intend to participate in talks about the sale of Lockheed products but did not give the yes or no reply sought by Warren, triggering a charged exchange with the committee.

McCain joined Warren in demanding a direct answer and warned Rood that otherwise, he was going to have trouble getting through this committee.

Ducking the answer

McCain told Rood to submit his response in writing because obviously you are ducking the answer here.

The uproar came a day after the Senate confirmed Trump's choice for Army secretary, Mark Esper, who was a top executive at Raytheon, another U.S. defense industry giant. He committed to recusing himself from matters tied to Raytheon.

Trumps Pentagon also has officials who previously worked at Boeing and Textron Systems.

U.S. arms manufacturers like Raytheon, whose shares have risen more than 30 percent since December, are expected to benefit in the coming year from an increase in defense spending.

The Pentagon says it has 38 unfilled positions for civilian defense leadership roles that require Senate confirmation, and at least 23 nominees whose names have already been submitted to the Senate.

It was unclear from McCain's remarks whether he would oppose any of the already-announced nominees, although he seemed to be warning about future Pentagon picks.
Meryl Streep says the two times in her life she dealt with violence were so profound it changed her on a cellular level.

Streep made the remarks Wednesday at the Committee to Protect Journalists 27th annual International Press Freedom Awards in New York. The Oscar-winner told the audience she did know something about real terror.

She recounted two incidents, one in which she said she was attacked and played dead and waited until the blows stopped.

Streep then described another incident when someone else was being abused.

She said in that case, she went completely nuts and chased the man off. It was after telling the stories that Streep said the experiences changed her permanently.

Streep did not give any more details, other than to say Cher witnessed the second incident.
Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe made a public appearance Friday, his first since the military took over state institutions and opened talks aimed at getting the aged leader to resign.

Mugabe, wearing a blue and yellow academic gown, presided over a university graduation ceremony for more than 1,000 students in Harare. The president appeared to fall asleep at times and said nothing about the ongoing political uncertainty.

Mugabe, 93, is reported to be resisting demands from the army and members of his own ZANU-PF party to step down after 37 years in power.

The Zimbabwe Defense Forces seized key state institutions on Wednesday, confined President Mugabe to house arrest and clamped on what they termed thieves surrounding the president, including Professor Jonathan Moyo, Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo, Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, ZANU-PF Youth League secretary Kudzanayi Chipanga and several others.

The detainees, who are in army barracks, are said to be members of a faction of the ruling party that were seeking to elevate first lady Grace Mugabe to the post of vice president. President Mugabe fired his longtime ally, Emmerson Mnangagwa, from the position on November 5.

Opposition demands intensify

Members of opposition groups are expressing frustration with the pace of negotiations over Mugabes political future and have called for a mass protest in Harare on Saturday.

Christopher Mutsvangwa, chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, told journalists that the planned protest is designed to push the president out of office.

Jacob Ngarivhume of opposition group Transform Zimbabwe said hopes of Mugabe leaving office are slowly dissipating.

There is no way he should be allowed to continue holding power, Ngarivhume told VOAs Zimbabwe service. If he were to do that, then Zimbabwe would be in trouble. What I see happening is there might be a dragging on of the discussion around his departure, but eventually. he must go. He has outlived his usefulness.

Former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who leads the Movement for Democratic Change party, joined the calls for Mugabe to resign.

Mr. Robert Mugabe must resign, step down immediately in line with the national sentiment and expectation, taking full regard of his legacy and contribution to Zimbabwe, pre and post Zimbabwe, said Tsvangirai, who returned to the country this week from South Africa, where he is being treated for cancer.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday now is the time for the southern African country to return to civilian rule.

"Zimbabawe has an opportunity to set itself on a new path: one that must include democratic elections and respect for human rights," Tillerson told African ministers and diplomats before a meeting in Washington. "Ultimately, the people of Zimbabwe must choose their government," he added.

Mugabe hanging on

There has been no indication Mugabe will voluntarily give up power. Nick Mangwana, who is the Britain-based representative of ZANU-PF, told VOA that, "President Mugabe remains President Mugabe as of now.

Mugabe is the only leader the nation has known since Zimbabwe won independence in 1980, and has turned back many previous challenges to his rule, often using the army, police and physical violence from supporters to intimidate opponents.

His hold appeared strong even as Zimbabwes economy, which has struggled for years, suffered a new downturn over the past 12 months. Last December, the ruling ZANU-PF party nominated him as its presidential candidate for the 2018 elections.

The turning point was the firing of Mnangagwa, 75, a liberation war hero who maintains strong support among veterans.

Mnangagwas current whereabouts are uncertain, though he is widely believed to be in South Africa.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Snow this evening will give way to lingering snow showers late. Low 27F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 100%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected..

Tonight

Snow this evening will give way to lingering snow showers late. Low 27F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 100%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.
Myanmar's Catholic cardinal on Friday defended Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi against "unfair" criticism over the military crackdown on Muslim Rohingya, and said that terming it "ethnic cleansing" was unhelpful and premature.

Cardinal Charles Bo spoke to The Associated Press ahead of Pope Francis' visit next week to Myanmar and Bangladesh, to where nearly 620,000 Rohingya have fled to escape the violence by Myanmar security forces in the poverty-wracked Rakhine state.

During the visit starting Nov. 27, Francis will be toeing a very delicate diplomatic line, given that he has in the past strongly condemned the "persecution of our Rohingya brothers," denounced their suffering and called for them to receive "full rights."

In a video message to Myanmar released Friday, Francis didn't mention Rohingya or the conflict, but said he wanted to bring a message of "reconciliation, forgiveness and peace" to Myanmar. He said that message was rooted in the Gospel, which "teaches the dignity of every man and woman and compels us to open our hearts to the other, especially the poorest and neediest."

Bo said Aung San Suu Kyi certainly should have spoken out earlier against the looting, burning and killing in Rakhine. He said the military had mounted a disproportionate response to attacks on Myanmar security forces by Rohingya militants.

But he said: "Aung Sung constitutionally has no voice to say anything to the military. And she is in her own clever way trying to negotiate with the military so there will be cooperation between the government and the military."

International criticism of Aung San Suu Kyi, including by the U.N. leadership, U.S, European Union and even some of her fellow Nobel laureates, is "very unfair," Bo said.

"Time will prove that she has her own agenda of moving the country toward democracy," he said.

Bo, the archbishop of Yangon and Myanmar's first-ever cardinal, represents a tiny religious minority in majority Buddhist Myanmar.

He said the Catholic Church in Myanmar had urged Francis to avoid using the term "Rohingya" on the trip, or at least make clear that he wasn't making a political statement if he does use it.

Myanmar's government and most of the Buddhist majority don't recognize the Rohingya as an ethnic group, insisting they are Bengali migrants from Bangladesh living illegally in the country. It has denied them citizenship, even though they have lived in Myanmar, also known as Burma, for generations.

"The pope will have to be very cautious in using the term `Rohingya' because that is very political and very much contested," Bo said.

The United Nations human rights chief has called Myanmar's actions against Rohingya "textbook ethnic cleansing."

Bo said such terms were unhelpful in the current situation when Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to implement recommendations by a commission of experts headed by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to improve the plight of Myanmar's ethnic and religious minorities.

"There has been violence, and the response that the military made is no comparison to the militants," he said. "But to term it genocide or ethnic cleansing  I'm not expert in that  I think we need to consider more time before using such extreme terms."
Mexico's economy minister said on Thursday he did not agree with statements made by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that it would be devastating for Mexico if the United States pulls out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

"No, I don't think so," Ildefonso Guajardo said in a television interview when asked if he agreed with Ross.

"Without a doubt, Mexico could face a short-term impact because the market is very sensitive to marketing, branding ... Our ability to adjust, and the manner in which we do it, is what will allow us to resist any potential change."

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal CEO Council on Tuesday, Ross said that it "would be devastating to the Mexican economy" if the United States were to pull out of NAFTA.

Mexico is preparing a package of macroeconomic measures to help withstand a short-term shock if the United States pulls out of the pact, Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said earlier in the week.

Guajardo said that if NAFTA talks, which are currently in their fifth round in Mexico City, do end up stretching into March, the United States must ask itself if it wants the trade talks to influence Mexico's July 2018 election.

The fifth round of NAFTA talks entered their second day on Thursday, proceeding under the shadow of tough U.S. demands and without the presence of trade ministers who agreed to sit out the discussions.

A schedule seen by Reuters showed that negotiators will discuss one of the most contentious issues over the four final days, beginning Saturday.

In October, the United States proposed that a revamped NAFTA should set a 50 percent minimum U.S. content requirement for autos, as well as raise regional content to 85 percent from the current 62.5 percent.

The four days of talks on rules or origin compare to three in the initial schedule for the previous round in Washington.

Labor, and cross-border trade in services (CBTS) will both be discussed for three days in this round, compared to two days in the prior round, according to the schedules.

On Wednesday, Guajardo said that Mexican negotiators will propose that NAFTA be rigorously reviewed every five years to counter a U.S. "sunset clause" proposal that would kill the deal if it is not renegotiated after five years, an idea widely criticized as undermining long-term investments.

Guajardo emphasized that the counterproposal would not let the trade agreement automatically expire and said he thought it is unlikely that U.S. President Donald Trump would trigger the existing deal's termination clause later this year.

But the minister, who served as part of Mexico's NAFTA negotiating team in the early 1990s, added he could not rule out the possibility that Trump would decide to trigger a U.S. withdrawal from the 23-year-old accord in the first quarter of 2018.
Editors note: November is Native American Heritage Month. First proclaimed by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, it is an opportunity to acknowledge the histories and cultures of Native people across the U.S., highlighting the challenges they have faced, their sacrifices and their contributions. Native Americans have influenced every stage of America's development, noted President Donald Trump in his October 31, 2017 proclamation. They helped early European settlers survive and thrive in a new land. They contributed democratic ideas to our constitutional framers. And, for more than 200 years, they have bravely answered the call to defend our Nation, serving with distinction in every branch of the United States Armed Forces. This month, VOA is highlighting Native American contributions to U.S. language, history and culture.

When Spanish, English and French explorers, fortune seekers and settlers arrived in the Americas, they encountered plants, animals, places and cultural objects which they had never seen before. They borrowed names from the hundreds of different Native tribes and languages they encountered across the continents. Today, those loan words are so thoroughly incorporated into American English and other contemporary languages that many arent aware of their origins.

NOTE: In some cases, word origins are still in dispute.

Avocado - Nahuatl ahuacatl, 'testes'

Barbecue - Taino barbacoa, a raised wooden frame used for grilling meat or fish.

Bayou - Choctaw bayuk

Caribou - Micmac alipu

Cashew - Tupi acaju

Caucus - Algonquian caucauasu counselor

Cayenne - Tupi kyinha

Chocolate - Nahuatl chocolatl, an edible substance made from the seeds of the cacao tree.

Chinchilla - Aymara chinchilla

Chipmunk - Algonquian chitmunk

Cigar - Maya sikar, "smoke"

Coyote - Nahuatl coyotl

Hammock - Taino, via Spanish, hamaca, "fish net".

Hickory - Algonquian pawcohiccora

Hurricane - Taino, via Spanish, hurakan god of the storm'

Iguana - Arawak iwana

Jaguar - Guarani jagua

Kayak - Inuit qajaq

Moccasin - Natick mohkussin

Moose - Natick moos

Muskrat - Natick musquash + rat

Opossum - Virginia Algonquian aposoum

Parka - Aleut parka skin

Persimmon - Cree pasiminan dried fruit

Piranha  Tupi piratsainha

Poncho - Araucanian pontho

Potato - Taino batata

Quinine - Quechua kinakina

Raccoon - Algonquian arathkone

Skunk - Massachuset squnck

Squash - Massachuset askootasquash

Terrapin - Algonquian toolepeiwa

Tobacco - Arawak tzibatl

Totem - Ojibwa nintotem

Tomato - Nahuatl tomatl

Woodchuck - Algonquian otchek

In addition, many place names were taken from Native Americans, including half of the 50 U.S. states:

Alabama. The name of the Albaamaha, a tribe native to the state. It could be derived from the word albina, which means "campsite" in their own language, or from the Choctaw alba amo, which mean "clearing brush."

Alaska. Alaxsxix, which is a name from language of the Unangan people whom the Russians called Aleuts. It means "place the sea crashes against."

Arizona. Arizonac, which is a Spanish corruption of a local Indian name-- possibly the Tohono O'odham word alishonag, which means "little spring."

Arkansas. Akansa, the word the Illinois people called the Ugakhpa people native to the region, meaning "wind people or people of the south wind."

Connecticut. Quinnitukqut, "long river," which is what the Mohegan tribe called the longest river in New England.

Hawaii. Likely from Hawaiian Hawai'i, from Proto-Polynesian hawaiki, meaning "place of the gods." It may also refer to the Polynesian hero Hawaiiloa, who according to legend, discovered the islands.

Illinois. May be derived from Illiniwek, which is what the Illini tribe called themselves. It means roughly "superior people."

Iowa. Ayuhwa, which is one of the tribal names of the Ioway tribe, meaning as "sleepy ones." They say it's a nickname given them by Sioux tribes.

Kansas. Kansa, which is the name of the Kansa tribe. Literally the name means "south" and is a shortened form of their own tribal name for themselves, "People of the South Wind."

Kentucky. Kentake, which is believed to derive from Iroquoian words for "meadow" or "field."

Massachusetts. Massachuset, which is a Wampanoag Indian name meaning "by the hills."

Michigan. Mshigem or Misigami, which are the native names for Lake Michigan in the Potawatomi and Ojibwe languages. Both names mean "great lake."

Minnesota. Still debated. It may be derived from misshikama, which means "big lake" in the Ojibwe language. It could also be derived from the Dakota Mnisota, which means "cloudy water."

Mississippi. Misiziibi, from the Ojibwe language meaning "big river," a reference to the longest river in North America.

Missouri. From Ouemessourita, what the Illinois people called the tribe native to this state: "Big canoe people."

Nebraska. Nibthaska or Nibrathka, which are the native names for the Platte River in the Omaha-Ponca and Otoe languages. Both names mean "flat river."

New Mexico. Named after the country. Mexico is a place name from the Aztec language Nahuatl, "city of the Aztecs." May also reference Mextli, the Aztec war god.

North and South Dakota. Dakota, which is the tribal name of the Dakota people, "friends" or "the allies."

Ohio. May be taken from Ohiyo, "beautiful," which is the name of the Ohio River in the Seneca language. It could also be taken from the Huron peoples word meaning "the large one."

Oklahoma. From the Choctaw okla homma, which means "red people."

Oregon. Scholars don't agree on whether this state's name is actually taken from Native Americans, as some theorize. One theory is that it derives from oolighan, a Chinook name for a small fish found in the state's water.

Tennessee. From Tanasi and/or Tanasqui, names of what some believe are two separate Cherokee towns in the region but may actually have been dual names for the same town.

Texas. Taysha, which means "friend" or "ally" in the Caddo Indian language.

Utah. Ute is the name of an Indian tribe native to the state. This tribal name may have come from the word nuutsiu, which means "the people" in their own language. It may also be derived from yuttahih, the Apache word for "people higher up."

Wisconsin. Wishkonsing, which is the Ojibwe name for the Wisconsin River. However, this word does not have a specific meaning in the Ojibwe language. It may have been derived from the Miami meskonsing, or river running through a red place, a reference to the red sandstone formations along the river that bisects the state.

Wyoming. Chwewamink, which means "by the big river flat" in the Lenape Indian tribe. The Lenape were a Delaware tribe from the east coast. It's believed that white settlers from that area brought the name with them when they moved to this western state.
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations says the South Sudanese government is engaged in a brutal, protracted military campaign against a fragmented opposition and says, while both sides are responsible for atrocities against civilians, the government is primarily responsible for ethnically based killings.

Nikki Haley, who made those remarks Wednesday at Washingtons Holocaust Museum, says nothing prepared her for the level of suffering she saw when she recently visited South Sudanese refugee camps.

Entire families are living with nothing but a tarp over their heads. Women are giving birth on dirt floors, floors that have now turned to mud by the fact that it is the rainy season, Haley said. There is nothing that prepares you for the sobs of the South Sudanese women, nearly all of whom have been raped, sometimes repeatedly.

She spoke of one story in particular: One woman told me about being gang raped. She told me about how soldiers ripped the baby out of her arms and threw him in the fire.

High hopes for Kiir

Haley traveled to South Sudan last month, becoming the first senior member of the Trump administration to do so. She said the United States at one point had high hopes for the countrys leader, Salva Kiir, but there is now revulsion with what he has allowed to happen the past few years.

She said there are limits to U.S. patience and generosity regarding the conflict.

His government and his soldiers have caused the suffering of millions of South Sudanese people, Haley said. To his credit, he did not try to deny it, but acknowledgment of evil is not enough. We have to take a side.

She welcomed Kiirs order this week requiring free and unhindered access for humanitarian groups in South Sudan.

Haleys remarks were followed by a panel discussion with journalists and activists, some who have recently visited the country.

Telling South Sudans story

We are now blaming most of the atrocities on the government, which is what is happening in the latter part of this conflict, said Simona Foltyn, a South Sudan-focused journalist and videographer. The rebels also committed real bad atrocities in the beginning, and just because these are the dynamics right now that does not mean the rebels are really better.

Foltyn added, If they were put in a different environment where the civilians are Dinka, I would suspect there would be a lot of atrocities being committed by the rebels as well.

Nyagoah Tut Pur, a lawyer, human rights activist and member of the South Sudan Young Leaders Forum, argued in favor of establishing an evidence collection mechanism.

Memories fade, and in such a topography like South Sudan, evidence gets lost. It can be destroyed when people realize that one day theyll be held into account, Pur said. So its very critical that today we collect that evidence. Because, at the end of the day, it is not how the war was fought, but it is the narrative that is told after the war is over.

For South Sudan freelance journalist Jason Patinkin, who has also worked for VOA, the question that needs to be asked of Ambassador Haley and others should be: OK, you have talked tough. What would you do? What would you do to actually end this war and bring accountability?

Focus on the conflict

As part of a focus on the conflict, and in collaboration with FotoWeekDC, a citywide festival focused on photography, the journalists work  large-sized stills photos and videos  are being projected on the exterior walls of the Holocaust Museum in Washington.

Joshua Bolten, vice chairman emeritus and a member of the Holocaust Memorial Council, told the audience the threat of genocide is very much alive today, in places such as Myanmar, the plains of Iraq, and perhaps nowhere as acute as in South Sudan.

At this moment, we know its not enough for people to learn about the history and ask what would I have done? We all have the responsibility to ask what will we do now, Bolten said.
Here's a roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue headlines of the week. None of these stories are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts:

NOT REAL: Second Roy Moore Accuser Works For Michelle Obama Right NOW

THE FACTS: The woman named as an accuser of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore in a story by Last Line of Defense doesn't work for Michelle Obama. In fact, it's unclear that she's a real person. The article claims a woman named Fiona Dourif told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow last week that she was groped by Moore in 1957. No one by that name appeared on Maddow's show. An actress with the same name called out the story on Twitter, saying she has nothing to do with Moore. The story is linked to a photo of former Alabama U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance. An Obama family representative tells the AP the claim that the woman worked as a housekeeper for the Obamas is completely false.

NOT REAL: Trump Abruptly Shuts Down Dogs for Wounded Warriors Program, Leaving Vets High and Dry on Veterans Day!

THE FACTS: Officials at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, did issue a stop work order to an animal therapy group contracted with the hospital, but it came on October 27, more than two weeks before Veterans Day. The order to the Warrior Canine Project came from hospital officials, not the White House. Hospital spokeswoman Sandy Dean says it's looking to restructure its animal therapy contracts to improve patient care. She adds that therapy dogs continue to be available for patients at Walter Reed.

NOT REAL: British Intelligence Seizes Clinton Foundation Warehouse, $400 Million In Cash

THE FACTS: Several websites have posted a story claiming the Clinton Foundation was leasing a British warehouse owned by a man on the U.K.'s terrorist watch list, quoting an unnamed assistant to Chelsea Clinton stating that the facility was "rented through an agency.'' Foundation spokesman Brian Cookstra tells the AP the story is "totally false.'' He adds: "We don't rent a warehouse in the U.K., the quote from 'Chelsea Clinton's assistant' is made up, and nothing in this story seems to be based in reality.'' A photo included with the story is a picture from Britain's The Sun newspaper that shows unrelated police activity in Kent, England.

NOT REAL: English Actor Ian McKellen Dies Aged 78

THE FACTS: Sir Ian McKellen is alive and actively working despite a story from a website appearing to mimic Britain's Daily Mail reporting he died after a lengthy hospitalization for pneumonia. The story first published last year has recirculated in recent days. McKellen has starred in several projects on stage and screen this year alone, including the British sitcom Vicious. The show's Twitter account posted a photo of McKellen and co-star Derek Jacobi on Saturday with the note: "In case you were wondering, we're still alive.''

NOT REAL: Iceland Mandates Mental Health Warnings on All Bibles

THE FACTS: No warnings are required to be put on Bibles sold in the island nation. A widely shared hoax story from the website Patheos offers a clue to the joke by naming the prime minister of the country as Andrew Canard. Canard is a seldom used word that means a fabricated report. The actual prime minister of Iceland is Bjarni Benediktsson.

This is part of The Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.
Refugees from a deadly midyear war between government troops and Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines say they are not ready to go home, after an announced end to the fighting, over fears of lingering danger and a possible lack of reconstruction money.

The fate of as many as 364,000 evacuees from Marawi, a city on the violence-prone southern island of Mindanao, and the surrounding area will challenge government agencies to head off new clashes and rebuild the heavily damaged city before the former inhabitants give up and move away for good.

It will take a long time. Its not easy to really reconstruct everything, said Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, a University of the Philippines political science professor who helped a former administration negotiate peace in Mindanao.

Fleeing to refugee camps

Peoples houses were burned, destroyed or pulverized, to use the words of 43 families living at an evacuation center run by the nearby city of Cagayan de Oro. A lot say they lost small businesses, as well.

Over the past five months, those families and about 6,400 others fled to the city, considered safe from the rebel violence that wiped out much of their hometown from May 23 to Oct. 24.

At least four other cities are helping care for refugees, some of whom have moved as far away as Manila to restart businesses.

Some say they ran so fast to escape gunfire they couldnt grab possessions, including legal identification cards required to seek aid outside.

I think Cagayan is safer than other places, said 28-year-old Aman Dayamla, a Marawi vendor who lives in the evacuation center after his house was destroyed. In Marawi its possible ISIS comes.

Green light to return?

In Marawi, officials are letting displaced people back into nine neighborhoods considered safe. That means 1,736 people in Cagayan de Oro, an industrial port city, can go back while more than 17,000 cannot.

Authorities are set to clear another eight Marawi neighborhoods but have not set a date.

Unexploded bombs may lurk in the part of Marawi where troops battled Maute Group rebels holed up in some of the buildings, a city social services worker said.

Shelter life

The refugee shelter, built in the rain forest on a hilltop site originally for flood evacuation purposes, boards as many as five families per room along with their cooking equipment. People as young as a 3-month-old baby sleep there on foam mats.

The city of Cagayan de Oro, along with 12 institutional donors and the central government, provide food, medical care and a stipend of $4 per day for casual spending, costing a so far untabulated sum of money from a budget that city workers already call stretched.

When Marawi was in its first, second day of the crisis, the mayor he (created) three individual programs, said Teodoro Sabuga-a, a city social welfare and development officer. Especially as Cagayan de Oro is so near Marawi so he outlined three things, one is security, two is solidarity and three is compassion.

Rebuilding Marawi

The refugees say theyre not sure the government will provide enough funding to rebuild homes.

Some curse the Maute Group, who are rebels founded by two brothers from Marawi. Their pledge of allegiance to global terrorist group Islamic State and cooperation with Abu Sayyaf, Sulu Sea rebels known for kidnapping foreigners, motivated troops to open fire. Other refugees didnt know about the group before the start of the conflict, which caused 979 deaths.

Animah Sedic, a 34-year-old former housekeeper in Marawi, said she was surprised and shocked when the war broke out.

She said she would return home from the evacuation center where she has spent five months if allowed and hopes the government will pay for reconstruction.

A government task force has already come up with the financial requirements to assess what it takes to rebuild Marawi, Philippine Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said on his offices website Oct. 18.

His department had committed 5 billion pesos ($98 million) for the assessment. By 2019 the government plans to lay out four times that amount for reconstruction, Philippine media say, but thats less than half the total estimated cost.

We expect to hit the ground running on rehabilitation in the next few weeks, his statement said.

Rebuilding the predominantly Muslim city, once home to 200,000 people, will require support from the locals, Coronel-Ferrer said. Some of the citys largely ethnic Maranao population lived in clanlike compounds with a localized hierarchy for making decisions.

Residents have their own ideas apart from the governments design for rebuilding, leaving it unclear what will happen.

The government may provide reconstruction loans or grants rather than footing the whole citys reconstruction bill, the professor said. Residents may also be able to get capital for restarting businesses that were demolished or made impossible by the fighting, she said.

The discourse is theres different kinds of approaches that are being proposed by the Marawi residents themselves, Coronel-Ferrer said.

Its fraught with complications that you didnt find in disaster-affected areas after Yolanda, she said, referring to a destructive 2013 typhoon in the Philippines. There are cultural practices and traditional authority structures that are very strong and will have to be taken into account.

Long-term peace

Keeping the peace looms as a second long-term challenge. An estimated 20 Muslim rebel groups operate in or around Mindanao, the countrys southernmost island.

Perceptions among Muslims that they lack autonomy or a fair share of resources after 500 years of settlement on Mindanao have caused clashes that killed about 120,000 people since the 1960s.

Squelching the Maute and hobbling Abu Sayyaf in Marawi should quell violence in the short term, but survivors are likely to regroup and spark violence somewhere else without solutions to the underlying equality issues, scholars believe.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte stepped up the fight against Abu Sayyaf shortly after taking office in June 2016. His administration is separately working out an autonomy-sharing law with another group, which signed a peace deal with the government in 2014.
Ever defiant, Republican Roy Moore's campaign on Thursday lashed out at the women accusing him of sexual misconduct, declaring "let the battle begin." Women's advocates decried the talk as worn intimidation tactics in a desperate attempt to keep his imperiled Senate bid alive.

Moore ignored mounting calls from Washington Republicans concerned that Moore may not only lose a seat they were sure to win but also may do significant damage to the party's brand among women nationwide as they prepared for a difficult midterm election season.

Moore's team showed no such concerns.

"You ask me if I believe the girls. No, I don't believe the girls. I believe Judge Moore," Moore chief strategist Dean Young said. "Let the battle begin. ... Get ready to fight Mitch McConnell. We're going to fight you to the death on this."

President Donald Trump, through a spokeswoman, called the allegations of sexual misconduct against the former judge "very troubling." The Republican president stopped short of calling on Moore to quit the race, however, breaking with most Republican leaders in Washington, including McConnell, the Senate majority leader.

"He thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, declining to clarify whether Trump continued to back Moore.

In Alabama, Moore appeared alongside more than a dozen religious leaders, who took turns bashing the Christian conservative's many critics  especially his female accusers.

"This is a man who does not lie. Compare that to his accusers," charged Gordon Klingenschmitt of the group Pray in Jesus' Name.

With Moore looking on, Klingenschmitt quoted the Ten Commandments in a message aimed at two women he called out by name  one has said she was 14 and the other that she was 16 when Moore initiated sexual contact as a district attorney in his 30s.

"Thou shalt not bear false witness," Klingenschmitt declared.

Another Moore supporter, professor Joel Brind of Baruch College, singled out Gloria Allred, the attorney for one of the accusers, for supporting an agenda designed to "enable serial child predators"  a reference, Brind said, to Allred's support for abortion rights.

Moore called the allegations "unsubstantiated," `'unproven" and "fake." "They're not only untrue, but they have no evidence to support them," he insisted, refusing to answer any questions from reporters about the allegations.

'Assault' against Moore

Moore has given a single media interview about the allegations to Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity. His campaign website has added a form asking people to report "inappropriate news organization contact."

Still, he has repeatedly hinted that his team has gathered evidence against his critics. He cited evidence of "collusion" soon after the initial report surfaced last week.

His wife circulated a fake report earlier in the week that reporters were offering to pay thousands of dollars for women to come forward with new claims against Moore. In a subsequent social media post, she described the media's actions as "an all-out assault, which is why we are suing them."

Moore's attorney has demanded that one of the accusers, Beverly Young Nelson, release a yearbook she contends Moore signed so it can be analyzed by a handwriting expert to prove its authenticity. Nelson says that Moore aggressively groped her in a locked car when she was 16.

The Moore campaign dug up Nelson's divorce papers, which had been signed by Moore, and held them up to cameras suggesting she had copied the signature.

It was unclear whether the campaign was taking other steps to probe the background of his accusers. Moore strategist Dean Young said "no" when asked Thursday whether the campaign had hired a private investigator.

'Battle for the truth'

Allred, Nelson's attorney, said she and her client were prepared for Moore's "slash and burn" approach.

"If in fact his attempt is to intimidate her or me, he has failed miserably," she said. "We prepared. We knew that this would be a battle for the truth, that this is someone who most likely will fight to the end."

At least three new allegations of misconduct surfaced Wednesday, including one by Tina Johnson, who told AL.com that Moore groped her during a 1991 meeting in his law office. Two others told The Washington Post they were young women when Moore courted them as a district attorney in his 30s. Three other women told the newspaper last week that they were teens when Moore tried to initiate romantic relationships. One said she was 14 when Moore touched her over her bra and underwear.

The Alabama Republican Party also reiterated its support for Moore on Thursday, a day after its 21-member steering committee privately contemplated the situation.

"Judge Moore has vehemently denied the allegations made against him. He deserves to be presumed innocent of the accusations unless proven otherwise. He will continue to take his case straight to the people of Alabama," state GOP Chair Terry Lathan said in a statement.

The state GOP has the power to revoke Moore's GOP nomination and ask election officials to ignore ballots cast for him, although the state party has little interest in alienating Moore's followers a year before statewide elections.

Meanwhile, the National Organization For Women condemned the attacks against Moore's accusers, suggesting that the tactics help explain why many victims of sexual harassment are afraid to go public.

"Dealing with this is like dealing with the mafia," said NOW President Toni Van Pelt. "This is exactly how they handle things. If somebody goes against the mafia, the mafia goes after that person and they destroy them. It's a scorch-the-earth policy."

She added, "This is just business as usual when it comes to predators."
Russia on Thursday vetoed a U.S.-sponsored Security Council resolution that would have extended the international probe into chemical weapons use in Syria.

Hours later, the council rejected a Russian-sponsored resolution after it failed to get the required nine-vote minimum for passage. The Russian proposal included changes to the mandate that the U.S. opposed.

This was the 10th time Russia vetoed a resolution on Syria.

Without passage, the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism expires Thursday at midnight.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Thursday's veto "strikes a deep blow."

"By eliminating our ability to identify the attackers, Russia has undermined our ability to deter future attacks. [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad and ISIS will no longer be on notice for the use of chemical weapons by Russia's actions today," Haley said, using an acronym for the militant group.

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said Russia has failed in its duties as a permanent Security Council member, a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and as someone who claims to support peace in Syria.

Russia's ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, called the U.S. resolution unbalanced and made only "superficial" changes to what he says are "flaws" in the JIM.

Nebenzia said it is the United States' responsibility if the mechanism cannot be salvaged.

The Joint Investigative Mechanism began its work more than two years ago after a series of chemical weapons attacks against civilians in Syria that killed or injured hundreds.

The U.N. investigators have blamed the Syrian military for using poison gas, saying the rebels do not have aircraft or the ability to launch such attacks.

Syria says terrorists  its word for the opposition  are responsible.

Russia, which is Syria's most powerful ally, has supported investigations into chemical weapons but criticized the reports as being unfair to the Syrians.
Burkina Faso's foreign minister says a new counterterrorism force for Africa's Sahel region needs substantially more funding to operate.

The G5 Sahel force was formed to enable Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Chad to defend themselves against Islamist militant groups that operate in the region, such as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and Boko Haram. It was authorized by U.N. resolution 2509, which was agreed upon by France and the United States after intense negotiations.

Alpha Barry told VOA's French to Africa service that the G5 Sahel force has received only a quarter of the estimated 423 million euros, or $500 million, it needs for annual operations.

"To date, we only gathered 108 million euros. The European Union has donated 50 million euros; France, 8 million euros; and 10 million euros each [from] Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania and Chad. The current gap is important," Barry said Thursday on VOA Afrique.

Barry said $60 million in pledged U.S. aid will go to militaries in the region, not the G5 force.

Leaders of the region are counting on a meeting December 14 in Brussels to persuade donors, particularly the Gulf countries, to commit to financing the G5 Sahel.

"This is a major step toward closing our budget. We call for a strong mobilization of the United States, in particular. If terrorism is not defeated in our countries, it will be a threat to the world," Barry said.
Access to education is key to ending child labor, but many countries are not investing enough to rescue 150 million children globally from often hazardous work, experts said.

When schools offer meals, transport and occupational training, children can often stop working, experts said Thursday at the fourth annual Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labor.

"We need to work hand in hand with the government so the facilities are there when we get a child out of work and back into education," said Hillary Yuba of the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe.

Ending child labor by 2025 is one of 17 ambitious global goals that the United Nations adopted in 2015, aimed at ending poverty and inequality.

Nearly one in 10 children around the world works, the leading U.N. anti-slavery group said. Half of them do hazardous work, and more than a third do not go to school.

"The future is going to be a world free of forced labor and child labor," said Guy Ryder, director-general of the U.N. labor agency, the International Labor Organization. "There's no excuse. ... We know what those choices are."

'Challenge of our century'

Many countries are failing to meet commitments made in international treaties against child labor, experts said.

"This is the challenge of our century," said Mohamed Ben Omar, minister of labor in Niger, where a population boom means the number of school-age children is growing. "The investment just isn't there."

An injection of $39 billion could provide quality pre-primary, primary and secondary education to all children by 2030, said children's activist Kailash Satyarthi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Many countries have abolished fees that keep poor children out of school, but there are often hidden costs like uniforms and transportation, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

He has been campaigning to encourage legislators to return to their schools and engage with children.

"The youth are my hope," he said.

Paraguay has invested heavily in education, providing transportation and occupational training, in an effort to eliminate child labor, said Labor Minister Guillermo Sosa Flores.

"We also introduced lunch and afternoon tea," he said, adding that schools in Paraguay also seek to promote self-esteem and positive attitudes toward learning and work.
The United States is seeking a new era for Zimbabwe, the State Departments top official for Africa said on Thursday, implicitly calling on long-time president Robert Mugabe to step aside as a political crisis mounts.

In an interview with Reuters, acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Donald Yamamoto appeared to dismiss the idea of Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years, remaining in a transitional or ceremonial role.

It's a transition to a new era for Zimbabwe, thats really what were hoping for, Yamamoto said.

Zimbabwes army seized power this week, in an apparent effort to prevent Mugabe, 93, from handing power to his wife. He has not resigned or been formally deposed, however, and he was pictured on Thursday shaking hands with the military chief, Constantino Chiwenga.

Yamamoto, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with African Union officials at the State Department in Washington, described the situation in Zimbabwe as very fluid.

The United States would discuss lifting multiple U.S. sanctions on Zimbabwe if it began enacting political and economic reforms, he said.

In a message for Zimbabwes political leaders, he said: Our position has always been that if they engage in the constitutional reforms, economic and political reforms, and move forward to protecting political space and the human rights, then we can start the dialogue on lifting sanctions.

The United States has not given aid to Zimbabwe's government for many years, but provides development aid to nongovernmental groups, particularly for healthcare.

Now whether we give to the government, that depends on what happens in Zimbabwe, Yamamoto said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to meet on Friday in Washington with 37 African foreign ministers.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that the Trump administration wanted to refocus the U.S. relationship with Africa squarely on trade and investment, to help unlock the tremendous potential of what is expected to become the world's most populous continent in coming decades.

"By 2050, the population of the continent is projected to double to more than 2.5 billion people, with 70 percent of that population being under the age of 30," Tillerson said. "All of these young people will have expectations for entering the workforce."

Tillerson noted a more vibrant and economically competitive Africa would grow the middle class, increase standards of living and make the entire continent more prosperous. He made the remarks ahead of ministerial talks with foreign ministers and representatives of 37 African countries at the State Department in Washington.

WATCH: Tillerson: US Seeks to Unlock the Potential of a Growing African Continent

"I have not had the chance during my time as secretary of state to travel to the continent," Tillerson said. "In my prior life, I came to your continent a lot, and I visited many of your countries. But I do look forward to coming early next year."

Before becoming the chief U.S. diplomat, Tillerson was the chief executive of energy company ExxonMobil.

On Friday, he noted U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa grew from $17 billion in 2010 to more than $25 billion in 2014. Tillerson said that last year, U.S. direct investment in Africa grew to $57.5 billion, the highest level to date.

"Africa is a growing market with vast potential. Five of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies are in Africa, and consumer spending there is projected to exceed $2 trillion by the year 2025," he said.

Good governance

The secretary of state noted economic growth and lasting prosperity, however, can thrive only in environments of good governance.

Tillerson said Friday's talks would focus on how lasting peace and prosperity are undermined when governments fail to respect human rights and uphold the law. He said a peaceful transition of power is important, but democracy involves more than just holding fair elections.

"Democracy requires the inclusive, peaceful participation of a nation's citizens in the political process," Tillerson said. "That includes freedoms of expression and association, an independent press, a robust and engaged civil society, a government that is transparent and accountable to all of its citizens, and a fair and impartial judiciary."

The secretary noted that a recent African Union study concluded corruption costs the African continent $150 billion a year.

WATCH: Rex Tillerson Calls for a Return to Civilian Rule in Zimbabwe

Fighting terrorism

Tillerson said the United States also stood with its African partners to work to defeat what he called the scourge of terrorism and to address the root causes of violent extremism. He said the U.S. was helping 20 African countries to train, deploy and sustain more than 27,000 African peacekeepers this year in United Nations and African Union missions.

The secretary also urged African countries to help isolate North Korea, which he called a threat to all nations, by acting to implement U.N. sanctions in full, and cut off all U.N.-proscribed ties.

"I urge you to take additional measures to pressure the DPRK by downgrading your diplomatic relationships with the regime, severing economic ties, expelling all DPRK laborers and reducing North Korea's presence in your country in all other ways it may be found," he said.

Turmoil at State Department?

Friday's African ministerial meeting comes as Tillerson has been under increasing fire from a number of U.S. lawmakers for what they say is turmoil at the State Department, citing career foreign service leaders who are leaving in large numbers because of budget cuts and morale issues.

Africa expert and former U.S. Ambassador John Campbell told VOA the fact that the secretary was hosting such a major meeting of African leaders was good, but he noted the Trump administration still has no signature issue for the African continent.

"My concern about the Trump administration's approach to Africa is its failure to fill important policy positions such as the assistant secretary of state, its failure to nominate ambassadors to important African countries, such as South Africa, and the threat of massive cuts in the State Department and USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] budget will severely curtail assistance programs in Africa."

Past policy on Africa

Campbell said the Trump administration's focus on Africa differs markedly from that of former President Barack Obama's administration and even more so from that of former President George W. Bush's, citing Bush's initiative to combat the HIV virus and AIDS.

"I would suggest President George W. Bush had even more enthusiasm for Africa than President Obama did. He went there, I think, three times. His wife, Laura Bush, went more often," Campbell said. "And he gave every indication of being absolutely fascinated by the continent and recognized how important the continent was."

Asked about how Trump was perceived in African nations, Campbell said views were mixed.

"Some Africans admire the president's 'big man' style, you know, the bluster, the larger-than-life persona. This after all is a political style that has been fairly common in Africa in the past," the former U.S. diplomat noted. "Others, however, are concerned about the president's position on things like climate change, and what they see as an over-readiness to invoke the use of military force to solve problems."
A police disciplinary board on Friday cleared the highest-ranking Baltimore officer involved in the 2015 arrest of Freddie Gray, a young black man who died from a spinal cord injury he sustained in a police van.

The three-member panel ruled that Lt. Brian Rice was not guilty of all 10 administrative charges related to Gray's arrest and transport, meaning he can keep his job. The board was chaired by Prince George's County Police Maj. Melvin Powell and also included two Baltimore police officials.

Rice appeared visibly relieved and hugged his attorney and others after the findings were read aloud. His lawyer, Michael Davey, later said the lieutenant is "extremely happy" with the decision.

The death of the 25-year-old set off Baltimore's worst riots in decades and led to a federal investigation into allegations of police abuse. Baltimore and the Justice Department entered into a reform agreement after a scathing report by the federal agency outlined widespread misconduct and abuse within the city's police department.

Gray's death was "a terrible tragedy, and honestly that's all it was," Davey, a former policeman, told reporters. That tragedy is "not lost on anybody, especially Lt. Rice due to the fact he was there."

Rice and other officers also were acquitted of criminal charges in Gray's arrest and death. He has been working for the police department's forensic services division.

The 10 administrative charges Rice faced during a trial this week focused on how he handled himself as shift commander during Gray's arrest and transport. The charges ranged from failing to ensure Gray's safety in the police van by not strapping him with a seat belt, to incompetence, to failure to monitor communications.

Gray was arrested April 12, 2015, after running from Rice and two other officers outside a public housing project. A neighbor's video showed him handcuffed behind his back and hoisted into a police van. Officers later shackled his feet as well and put him face-down on the floor of the metal compartment. The van made a total of six stops during the roughly 45-minute journey to the nearby station. Gray was found unresponsive with a broken neck on arrival, and died a week later.

Neil Duke, the lead attorney for the police department, argued that Rice had to face disciplinary actions because he was the officer in charge. He didn't follow protocol in his leadership role, he argued, including failing to put Gray in a seatbelt and neglecting to act after he was told by a subordinate that the detained man appeared "lethargic" at the fifth stop.

"This is all about accepting personal responsibility. Leaders lead, others make excuses," Duke said during his closing arguments.

But Davey argued that the prosecution failed to provide any evidence that could possibly justify discipline leading to the lieutenant losing his job.

"The evidence of this case, presented to you by the department, didn't even come close," Davey said.

Davey highlighted the officers' testimony that Gray was "combative and violent" up to the van's fifth stop.

He also blamed the department's "very inefficient policies" and said transport vans were unsafe in 2015.

"They clearly had some dangerous equipment that these officers had to go out on the street with and honestly hope that no one was injured. And, unfortunately, on that day someone was," Davey said outside the University of Baltimore, where the police trial board was held.

The same panel recently found the police van's driver, Officer Caesar Goodson, not guilty of 21 charges.

Baltimore's mayor has said she will renew efforts to persuade the legislature to add two civilians to police trial boards. Police union opposition has kept civilians off such panels in Baltimore, even as civilians join police in handling complaints in other cities.

Adam Jackson, director of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, an activist group that advocates for "the public policy interest of Black people," said he wasn't surprised by the police board's rulings with Rice and Goodson.

"Until we have more civilian participation I believe we will be dissatisfied with the results," he said by phone after the board's Rice ruling.

One other police officer, Sgt. Alicia White, still faces a trial board and possible termination related to Gray's arrest and van transport. She is due to go to trial on Dec. 5.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan used an address to party officials Friday in Ankara as an opportunity to launch a blistering attack on the U.S. policy in Syria.

Erdogan openly asked why the U.S. is involving itself in a country 12,000 kilometers away. He then accused Washington of breaking commitments and promises, claiming the country was trying to trick him.

Bilateral relations have hit a low point over Washington's arming of the Syrian Kurdish group the PYD in its fight against the Islamic State. Ankara accuses the PYD of being linked to a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey.

In a sign of the level of mistrust generated over the dispute, Erdogan accused the U.S. of sending large amounts of cash to Islamic State.

"Daesh is a group armed by those who claim to fight against the terror group," Erdogan said, adding the U.S. had sabotaged operations against IS  also referred to as Daesh  and that whoever created the ruthless terrorist group also created the PYD.

Turkish pro-government media repeatedly have accused Washington of being behind Islamic State. Such theories got a boost from reports the Syrian Kurdish militia and U.S. forces had agreed to allow hundreds of Islamic State fighters and their families to leave the besieged Syrian city of Raqqa.

U.S.-Turkish relations could be further strained with Erdogan reiterating his call Friday for the removal of Syrian Kurdish forces in Afrin, a Syrian enclave on Turkey's border. The Turkish president repeatedly has warned that a military operation would be launched against Afrin.

Analysts say such an operation would require Moscow's permission, given it has its own soldiers deployed there. Erdogan said this week, however, that he had had a productive telephone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the subject.

The two leaders, along with their Iranian counterpart, are due to meet at a summit next week to discuss Syria. Ankara's relations with both Tehran and Moscow have markedly improved in the last year, much to the concern of Turkey's NATO allies.

Erdogan on Friday also announced Turkish forces had withdrawn from a NATO military drill in retaliation for slights made to him and the founder of the Turkish State, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, by other soldiers participating in the exercise. Erdogan warned there could be no alliance if such behavior continues.
Turkey is pulling 40 soldiers out of a NATO exercise in Norway, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday, after his name was included in a list of enemies on a poster at the drill, an incident that drew an apology from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Turkey has the second-largest army in the alliance and borders with Syria, Iraq and Iran, giving it great strategic importance for NATO. But the relationship has become fractious as Ankara drifts away from the alliance and the European Union, alarming the West.

Erdogan said an "enemy poster," featuring his name on one side and a picture of modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, on the other, was unfurled at the training exercise in Norway, prompting a decision by Turkey's military chief and European Union minister to pull the troops out.

"They said they had decided to pull our troops out and will do so, so we told them to not stop and go ahead ... take our 40 soldiers out of there," Erdogan told members of his ruling AK Party in Ankara.

Commenting on the incident at NATO's Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway, Stoltenberg said: "I apologize for the offense that has been caused."

"The incidents were the result of an individual's actions and do not reflect the views of NATO," he said in a written statement.

The individual involved, a civilian contractor seconded by Norway and not a NATO employee, was immediately removed from the exercise, Stoltenberg said. It would be up to the Norwegian authorities to decide on any disciplinary action, he said.

"Turkey is a valued NATO ally, which makes important contributions to Allied security," Stoltenberg added.

The Norwegian ministry of defense and the joint war center command both declined to comment.
At least two people were killed in post-election violence Thursday in the breakaway republic of Somaliland, after one of the two opposition parties claimed "massive" polling irregularities.

Hundreds of angry supporters of the Wadani Party took to the streets in three major cities, setting up roadblocks, burning tires, and stoning cars and businesses to protest the alleged election fraud.

One person was shot dead in violent riots in the capital, Hargeisa, and another in the town of Burao. In Erigavo, the largest city of the northeastern Sanaag region, protesters also clashed with police.

Somaliland's police chief, General Abdilahi Fadal Iman, warned politicians not to instigate violence.

"We call for everyone to stay calm and protect the peace, and I warn the people who are creating chaos and confusion within the public to avoid anything that can hurt the stability of Somaliland," Iman said.

Vote counting is still under way, with results expected within the next few days, according to the Somaliland National Electoral Commission (NEC).

Alleged irregularities

The protests erupted hours after Wadani's presidential candidate, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, questioned the transparency of the election.

Abdullahi was running against Muse Bihi of the ruling Kulmiye party and Faisal Ali Waraabe of the For Justice and Development party (UCID) to replace the outgoing president, who chose not to seek another term.

Wadani spokesman Osman Afgab said party members have withdrawn from the counting process.

"We have suspended participating in the counting process, data entry and the checking because the electoral commission ignored a complaint we have submitted to them over concerns of voting irregularities," he said.

Afgab said the party has seen evidence of fake ballot papers smuggled out of the polling stations in at least three Somaliland regions.

The allegations were denied by electoral commission chairman Abdikadir Iman Warsame, who said there was no ballot stuffing or other irregularities.

"There has never been forged ballot papers used during the election, and we assure the contesting candidates that we will listen to everyone's concern relating to the election process, and that our doors are open for them," Iman said.

On Monday, hundreds of thousands of voters cast ballots at more than 1,600 polling stations across Somaliland.

International observers

The head of a British-funded team of 60 international observers who monitored the vote said Thursday they saw some minor infringements of voting rules, but agreed the overall voting process met international standards.

"We determined that from our observations that there were not [irregularities] of sufficient scale to undermine the integrity of the electoral processes," said Michael Walls, a senior lecturer in the Development Planning Unit at University College London.

He said a social media ban and weak voter understanding of the intended polling procedures were among their issues of concern.

The central issue of the election, as always, is how to win international recognition for Somaliland. Somalia, which was once governed by Italy, wants Somaliland to be part of a single Somali state. But Somaliland, which used to be a British colony and broke away from the rest of Somalia in 1991, wants to be a separate country.

All three candidates favor a fully independent Somaliland, but have different visions of how to achieve it.

The new president will serve a five-year term with an option for a second term.
Ukrainian investigators fear corruption probes could get buried because the national anti-corruption bureau will soon be flooded by thousands of old cases and recently passed legislation could further hobble their work.

Their comments spotlight Kyiv's patchy record on fighting corruption, which has delayed billions in aid from international donors who have supported Ukraine since the 2014 Maidan protests brought pro-Western forces to power.

They come after the NABU anti-corruption bureau launched an investigation this week into an allied crime-fighting agency over extortion allegations.

Beginning Monday, 3,500 cases that were registered before December 2015 will be transferred from the prosecutor's office to NABU, which include, for example, investigations that may pertain to former Donald Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort.

NABU began life in late 2015 and was given an exemption on investigating cases that opened before its creation, which expires Monday. NABU wants the exemption extended, saying its 200-strong team of detectives cannot cope with the extra work.

In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, NABU spokeswoman Svitlana Olifira said there was a risk that "all current investigations by [NABU] detectives may be blocked."

Cases will 'lie around'

Serhii Horbatiuk, head of special investigations at the general prosecutor's office, said the old cases would be sent to NABU to ensure no one looks at them. His investigations include two cases related to Manafort's work in Ukraine.

"They will simply lie around and not be looked at," he said in an interview at his office. "My opinion is that this is done deliberately to ensure that crimes linked to former senior officials are either simply not investigated, or obstacles are created that prevent it [investigation]."

"The restructuring [of law enforcement] is being used to ensure investigations don't take place," he added.

Neither NABU nor Horbatiuk accused anyone by name of trying to block investigations.

NABU appealed to President Petro Poroshenko to veto legislation passed in October that it thinks will also harm investigations.

The law, according to NABU, will too strictly limit the time allowed for an investigation before it can be dismissed, while also making it more cumbersome for police to obtain permission from courts to open probes.

"We urge the president to examine this bill thoroughly and to refrain from signing the current version," Olifira said, saying the bill could "bring about the collapse of Ukraine's whole law enforcement system."

The president's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A key U.N. committee overwhelmingly approved a resolution Thursday calling on Myanmars authorities to end military operations against Rohingya Muslims, ensure their voluntary return from Bangladesh and grant them full citizenship rights.

The General Assemblys human rights committee approved the resolution sponsored by the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation by a vote of 135-10, with 26 abstentions. Those voting no included Myanmars close neighbor China as well as Russia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Laos.

The resolution now goes to the 193-member General Assembly for a final vote in December where its approval is virtually certain.

OIC voices its concern

Saudi Arabias U.N. ambassador, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, speaking on behalf of the OIC, said another inhumane scene of religious hatred is unfolding in Myanmar, forcing nearly 620,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh.

He said the OIC is deeply concerned at escalating violence against the Rohingya, who have been called insects and roaches in Myanmar.

The resolution said there has been a disproportionate and sustained use of force by Myanmars security forces against the Rohingya community and others in northern Rakhine State. It said nearly 60 percent of the Muslims who have been forced to flee are children.

The resolution expresses grave concern at the reports of human rights violations and abuses, particularly in Rakhine, and calls on Myanmar to grant unhindered humanitarian access to aid those in need as well as access for a U.N. fact-finding mission.

The resolution also asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a special envoy for Myanmar.

Myanmar: 'Resolution ... flawed'

Myanmar Ambassador Hau Do Suan told the committee, The draft resolution is, to say the least, flawed in its substance and dubious and questionable in intent.

It is based on one-sided accusations, and falsely claimed evidence, using controversial and self-designated nomenclature throughout, he said.

The resolution undermines the sovereignty of a nation and is tantamount to insulting its people.

By contrast, Bangladeshs U.N. ambassador, Masud Bin Momen, called the Rohingya the most persecuted people on Earth and stressed the importance of their survival and basic human rights.
In a Home Depot parking lot off I-45 in Houston, a group of about 20 men, mostly undocumented and Latino, spread across the sparse shade, waiting for a passing vehicle in search of manual labor: demolition, construction, painting.

Its midday and some have waited in front of the building supply store for several hours. Three sit back-to-back on a flipped shopping cart.

The ritual of seeking and securing a days work has long been commonplace. More than two months after Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 102 trillion liters of rain across the state in four days  causing 1.3 meter-high flooding in some areas, and immeasurable heartbreak in east Texas  finding work has been more consistent overall, but so have the risks of exploitation and workplace dangers.

Here in Houston, there are no laws, no rights, said Nicolas, a 49-year-old Guerrero, Mexico-native laborer.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, then-President George W. Bushs Department of Homeland Security temporarily lifted a sanction on employers from hiring workers who were unable to verify their work authorization status.

In Houston, where the cleanup is expected to be more costly and last longer, President Donald Trump has taken no such measures. A few weeks after Hurricane Harvey, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) resumed regular, targeted immigration enforcement operations in the Houston area, with the exception of immediate relief operations like shelters and food banks, according to an ICE statement Sept. 20.

Yet, at least 28 percent of Texas construction workforce is undocumented.

WATCH: Despite Health Risks, Undocumented Immigrants Clean Up Houston

Wage theft

In the north Houston lot, a shadow of silver stubble across his face suggests the long week Nicolas has had, though its barely Wednesday. When theres work, its typically for 10 to 12 hours at $10 an hour. But then theres the unpaid commute time, waiting and uncertainty of payment.

Recently, Nicolas recalls, he worked on a three-day project and got to know the family that hired him over dinner. On day three, when he was due to be paid, the clients wife screamed, Why are you trying to steal from me! loud enough that he had no choice but to flee, or risk encountering immigration agents.

Theres nothing we can do, he muttered, a common sentiment among his peers, many of whom are struggling to rebuild their own families lives after Harvey.

Nicolas estimates there are roughly three stories of abuse or exploitation per week post-Harvey, just among the men at this north Houston location. Others agree. They communicate, corner-to-corner, to prevent recurrences of theft when possible.

Speaking to the group of laborers in Spanish, Mauricio Chele Iglesias, a Houston organizer of the Workers Defense Project, carries a clipboard with pamphlets and a sign-up sheet for civil and workplace rights workshops.

[Undocumented workers] have rights. Iglesias labors this point repeatedly.

Post-Harvey, [exploitation] has gotten even worse because there are a lot more people working under these conditions, and their health is at risk, Iglesias told VOA. Some of them are willing to take the risk because they need to bring money to families and need a roof over their heads.

Category 3 Black Water

Last month, 31-year old Mexican carpenter Josue Zurita, who had been conducting demolition work in nearby Galveston, died of a flesh-eating bacteria called necrotizing fasciitis after an open wound on his upper left arm became infected and spread through his soft tissue. It was the second such fatal case related to Hurricane Harvey.

Galveston County Local Health Authority Dr. Philip Keiser said the most likely cause of Zuritas infection was Harvey debris or floodwater entering his wound.

Thats my worst fear, said Mexico-native Bernadina Rodriguez, a Houston Walmart baker whose two American-born sons work in construction. I receive a call, and someone tells me theyre not there anymore.

Rob Hellyer, owner of Premier Remodeling & Construction, and a member of the Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA), told VOA there sometimes is a discrepancy between precautions workers should take, and ultimately have taken, in what he described as a nasty Category 3 Black Water event  a concoction of sewage, chemicals and floodwater, which results in high-risk pathogens, posing high health risks.

Hellyer attributes part of the problem faced by undocumented workers to a difference in economics and health practices of their native-born countries.

The standards and practices there are much lower and virtually nonexistent when it comes to  in a lot of respects  such types of regulation for personal safety, Hellyer told VOA, and maybe just not an awareness or an appreciation of the risk they are being exposed to.

Honduran-native Elsa Isaula, who runs a small cleaning service, said she and her workers have taken necessary health precautions post-Harvey, including wearing gloves, masks, and not touching anything moist. But during more than two months of eight-to-10-hour shifts, inhaling dust from sheetrock becomes inevitable, and has manifested in a persistent cough.

We want to work, and we feel good because theres a lot of work, but at the same time we feel that its very dangerous, Isaula said.

Everyday a work day

Six days a week, sometimes seven, David  a 19-year-old painter from Tegucigalpa  bikes and buses to find work, in order to support his wife and 17-month old daughter.

After losing more than $2,000 worth of personal belongings to flooding, including all of his furniture and the babys crib, the young Honduran laments his own recovery.

I worked so hard for this, he said.

A Silverado truck finally rolls up to the Home Depot lot, the first to stop in an hour. Half the men, including David, rush to the passenger window, arms over shoulders. David walks back happy. He has just gotten paid for a previous days work  a promise kept.


U.S. law enforcement officials announced on Thursday the arrest of 267 members of MS-13, a violent gang the Trump administration has vowed to get off America's streets.

The arrests were made in recent weeks as part of a major anti-gang crackdown code-named Operation Raging Bull. Led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the operation swept up 214 MS-13 members in the United States and 53 members in El Salvador, the gang's home base, officials said.

The two-phase operation, aimed at MS-13 members and their global financial networks, was begun under the administration of former President Barack Obama but has escalated under President Donald Trump.

The initial, 18-month phase ended in September and netted 51 arrests in El Salvador, officials said at a news conference in Washington.

The second phase, running from October 8 to November 11, resulted in the latest arrests in the United States and El Salvador.

Administration's efforts

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions touted the arrests as an important step in the Trump administration's effort to stamp out MS-13, whose members have been implicated in a series of high-profile murders around the country.

"President Trump has ordered the Department of Justice to reduce crime and take down transnational criminal organizations, and we will be relentless in our pursuit of these objectives," Sessions said in announcing the arrests. "That's why I have ordered our drug-trafficking task forces to use every law available to arrest, prosecute, convict and defund MS-13."

The only street gang designated by the Treasury Department as a transnational criminal organization, MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, boasts nearly 10,000 members in the United States, mostly immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

In a statement, the Justice Department said a majority of the 214 MS-13 members arrested in the United States were from El Salvador and that 64 members had illegally entered the United States as "unaccompanied alien children."

Sixteen of the arrestees are U.S. citizens and five have legal status in the United States, the department added.

Trump has blamed what he calls the lax immigration policies of the Obama administration for allowing gang members to enter the United States illegally as unaccompanied alien minors.

Root out MS-13

In February, Trump directed the Justice Department to redouble its efforts to root out MS-13 and other transnational criminal organizations. The Justice Department said it's trying to do exactly that.

Last month, Sessions formally designated MS-13 as a "priority" for the department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, a collective of several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.

The designation allows the drug task forces that typically focus on organized crime and drug trafficking to use an array of statutes, including gun laws, drug laws and tax laws, to target the gang.

The Justice Department said it has secured the convictions of 1,200 gang members and the arrests and indictments of about 4,000 MS-13 members in El Salvador so far this year.

"These 267 arrests are the next step toward making this country safer by taking MS-13 off of our streets for good," Sessions said.

ICE Deputy Director Thomas Homan said combating MS-13 has long been a priority for the agency.

"However, we are now combating the gang with renewed focus and an unprecedented level of cooperation among DHS's components, and our domestic and international partners," Homan said.
Preferential access to Cambodias biggest export market could be removed and senior government officials banned from doing business with U.S. companies in response to a court ordered dissolution of the countrys opposition, statements released Friday suggest.

Cambodias Supreme Court ruled Thursday to dissolve the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and ban 118 of its members from politics for five years for what it determined was a treasonous plot they hatched with U.S. officials to overthrow the government.

The ruling came ahead of a national ballot next year and followed large electoral gains at both the previous parliamentary and local elections for the CNRP  in both cases winning more than 40 percent of the vote.

The European Union, White House and U.S. Senate have all issued strong statements threatening concrete actions in response to the decision  which effectively dismantles any semblance of democracy in the country.

U.S. reaction

In Washington, the State Department said it is greatly concerned over Cambodias decision to silence the opposition party and said such a move will isolate the country even further.



Not only does that [ to dissolve the opposition] set back Cambodia's democratic development, it unnecessarily damages Cambodia's relationship with the United States and others in the international community; it weakens Cambodia's economic growth and prosperity; and isolates the country further from democracy to the region, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said during Friday's press briefing.

"The government of Cambodia should undo its dissolution of the Cambodian National Rescue Party, release the imprisoned leader, Kem Sokha, and allow opposition parties, civil society and media to maintain their legitimate activities," Nauert added.

A motion unanimously passed by the Senate on Thursday urged the State Department and relevant bodies to consider placing all senior Cambodian government officials implicated in the abuses noted above on the Specially Designated Nationals [SDN] list.

SDN sanctions freeze the assets of targeted individuals, regimes, corporations or countries and generally prohibit U.S. entities from doing business with them, including financing.

The sanctions, which also freeze property interests, are implemented by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and have been applied in nations such as Zimbabwe, Syria, North Korea and Iran.

Will Trump intervene?

The Senate also called on President Donald Trump to intervene directly and make it clear the result of Cambodias national election next July will not be recognized under the current conditions.

The White House said in its own statement  the second it has issued rebuking Cambodia this week  that it was terminating support to Cambodias National Election Committee (NEC) and its administration of the election as a first step.

It is becoming increasingly evident to the world that the Cambodian governments restrictions on civil society, suppression of the press, and banning of more than 100 opposition leaders from political activities have significantly set back Cambodias democratic development and placed its economic growth and international standing at risk, it said.

The United States will take concrete steps to respond to the Cambodian governments deeply regrettable actions.

Opposition leader speaks

Sam Rainsy, the opposition leader who resigned in February after Hun Sen, the prime minister, announced plans for a law that could lead to the party's dissolution, told VOA Khmer that Cambodians should demand Hun Sun's resignation, saying if the prime minister remains in power "there will be economic sanctions." The law dissolving the opposition party passed, but it was never applied because Sam Rainsy resigned.

According to Sam Rainsy, Hun Sen must "change his politics to end suppression of the CNRP, to return basic rights and freedom to the Cambodian people, and free all political prisoners, including Kem Sokha, who is president of the CNRP."

Sam Rainsy, speaking in Washington to a Khmer audience on a radio call-in show, said sanctions could be avoided. If "the decision to dissolve the CNRP is canceled, the CNRP will operate again immediately. Our structure remains intact. There were few, almost no defections to the CPP, as Hun Sen called for."

NEC spokesman Hang Puthea said the lack of U.S. support would not affect the countrys election process because the government had already stacked the budget with enough funds to cover the lost funds.

The budget is already planned and it is the Royal Government of Cambodia which will provide for the election, he said.

Financial support



Ruling Cambodian Peoples Party spokesman Sok Eysan said Cambodia now enjoyed plenty of financial support from China, Russia and Japan.

When the U.S. and EU community do not help, I think others big countries in the world who see it is justice, they will help Cambodia for the election process," he said.

The European Union has the greatest potential leverage of all  absorbing about half of Cambodia's total exports  some $5 billion worth.

In a statement on Thursday, the EU suggested preferential access to its markets which Cambodia access on a preferential basis through the Everything But Arms scheme could now be removed.

Respect of fundamental human rights is a prerequisite for Cambodia to continue to benefit from the EU's preferential Everything But Arms scheme, it said.

EU spokespeople have not yet responded to a request for clarification over what steps it would now take in reaction to the Cambodian Supreme Court ruling and the local embassy spokesperson could not be reached.

Ken Loo, Secretary-General of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, said he could not predict if factories would still be able to export to the EU without the EBA preference, but stressed it was up to politicians, not traders, to sort out disputes like this.

If the EU did withdraw the preferential access or suspend the preferential access then of course it will have a severe impact on our industry given that about 43, 44 percent of our exports are going out to the EU, he said.

Labor Ministry spokesman Heng Sour said the European Union and the United States should stop worrying about the political situation and focus on trade

Cambodia doesnt rely only on the European community but Cambodia has other country's markets and Cambodia strongly believes that the EU community and U.S. will not kill the encouragement to respect working conditions with trade," he said.

Some 600,000 Cambodians are formally employed in the garment sector with many more believed to be working informally in the same industry - making it the biggest source of regular income in the country.



Unemployment



Employment opportunities are so scarce in Cambodia that an estimated one million people currently work abroad in Thailand despite the countrys reputation for severe exploitation of migrant workers.

For this reason suspension of the EBA as a punitive measure is sometimes referred to as the nuclear option and is considered by most analysts to be a highly unlikely measure.

Dr. Lee Jones, an Associate Professor in international politics at Queen Mary University of London, said the experience of similar sanctions in Myanmar demonstrated that while crippling for the sector, they had practically no effect on the regime itself.

Targeting the garment sector could severely harm the interests of that particular part of Cambodian society would not actually assist in putting pressure on the regime, in fact quite the opposite, he said. I mean the state would lose export revenues and things like this but the people who would really be harmed would be the workers in those factories and theyre the main ones that have actually been battling the government on the streets after the last election.

Targeted sanctions were a better idea, he said, but still had a very patchy success rate at changing regime behavior.
Jared Kushner's lawyer failed to give the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee documents President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser received about a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite," the committee's leaders said Thursday.

In a letter to Kushner's attorney, Abbe Lowell, Senators Chuck Grassley and Dianne Feinstein, the Judiciary Committee's Republican chairman and top Democrat, listed the documents and emails among materials Lowell has failed to produce.

Kushner, the letter said, also forwarded to an unidentified campaign adviser emails from September 2016 concerning Wikileaks, the whistleblower group that published emails U.S. intelligence agencies determined Russian military intelligence had hacked from Democratic Party accounts.

"It appears that your search may have overlooked several documents," the letter said of Lowell's responses to three requests for materials related to the committee's investigation on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

"Mr. Kushner and we have been responsive to all requests," Lowell said in a statement. "We provided the Judiciary Committee with all relevant documents that had to do with Mr. Kushner's calls, contacts or meetings with Russians during the campaign and transition, which was the request. We also informed the committee we will be open to responding to any additional requests and that we will continue to work with White House Counsel for any responsive documents from after the inauguration."

When asked about the letter, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders referred reporters to Lowell. Trump denies any collusion between his campaign and Moscow.

Russia denies a January report by three U.S. intelligence agencies that it conducted an influence operation to skew the 2016 presidential vote in favor of Trump over his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

One person of interest

Kushner remains one person of interest to the investigations by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees, according to a source with knowledge of the probes.

Among other things, investigators want to know if Kushner knew during the 2016 campaign that Russia was hacking Democratic emails in an effort to help Trump and whether he tried to create a secret back channel between the Trump White House and the Kremlin, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Investigators also want to know if Kushner took part in or knew of any post-election efforts by Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, or others to lift U.S. economic sanctions on Russia in exchange for financial investments or other business deals.

A May 26 Reuters report quoted two sources who said Kushner and Flynn discussed with former Russian ambassador to Washington Sergey Kislyak creating a "back channel" between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that would bypass the State Department and U.S. intelligence agencies.

Flynn, a former Army general who led the Defense Intelligence Agency and later was a Trump campaign adviser, was fired in February as national security adviser after misleading Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Kislyak.

The letter to Lowell also said he had failed to produce "communications with Sergei Millian, copied to Kushner."

Millian, who has used multiple aliases, is a Belarussian-born emigre who in 2006 helped incorporate the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored trips to Russia by U.S. businessmen.

After a December 2011 trip arranged by the chamber and a quasi-governmental agency in Russia called Rossotrudnichestvo, FBI agents questioned participants about whether Russian spies had approached them during the visit, one of the travelers said.

Millian, who met Trump on at least one occasion, has boasted of his ties to the former New York real estate developer and reality television star. He has denied being a Russian spy.
From Pataskala, Ohio, to Conroe, Texas, local government leaders worry that if Republican tax-overhaul plans moving through the U.S. Congress become law, it will be harder for them to pave streets, put out fires, fight crime and pay teachers.

A tax plan approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday would sharply curtail a federal deduction that millions of Americans can now claim for tax payments to state, county, city and town governments.

Ending that deduction, the local leaders say, could make their taxpayers, especially in high-tax communities, less likely to support future local tax increases or even tolerate local taxes at present levels.

The proposed repeal of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction is part of an "assault on local governments" by Republicans in Washington, said Elizabeth Kautz, the Republican mayor of Burnsville, Minnesota, near Minneapolis.

"My hope is that we look at being thoughtful about what we're doing and not ram something through just to get something done before the year is out," Kautz said of the plan being rushed through Congress by her own party.

In the United States, local governments run schools, operate police and fire departments, and maintain streets, parks and libraries, among other essential services. The federal government's role at that level is limited.

Cities, towns, counties and states collect their own property, sales and income taxes. Under existing law, payments of those taxes can be deducted, or subtracted from federal taxable income, lowering the amount of federal tax due.

The House tax bill just approved would eliminate the deduction for individuals and families of state and local income and sales tax, while capping property tax deductions at $10,000.

A bill being debated in the Senate, with Republican President Donald Trump's support, would kill the SALT deduction entirely for individuals and families, although businesses would keep it. The fate of that bill is uncertain.

Ending the SALT tax break is part of a package of changes to deductions that would help Republicans raise more than $1.2 trillion in new federal tax revenues over 10 years.

That increase would help offset the $1.4 trillion in revenue that would be lost from cutting the corporate tax rate, another part of both the Senate and House plans.

Police concerns

Chuck Canterbury, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents 325,000 law enforcement officers nationwide, wrote a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday.

"The FOP is very concerned that the partial or total elimination of SALT deductions will endanger the ability of our state and local government to fund these [law enforcement] agencies," said the letter, distributed to reporters.

Emily Brock, a director at the Government Finance Officers Association, said if SALT deductions were killed by Congress, voters could revolt. "Can you blame an individual taxpayer?" she asked. "They try to minimize their individual tax liability."

Those who want to curb the century-old SALT deduction argue it only motivates local governments to seek more tax increases and spend more money. "Maintaining the deduction encourages government overspending and taxation," argues the American Legislative Exchange Council, a nonprofit group of conservative state legislators and private activists.

Various other groups are fighting on Capitol Hill to defend the SALT deduction, such as the National Association of Realtors and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Brady's district

Steve Williams, chief financial officer for Conroe, Texas, said its rapid growth demanded new fire stations, schools, roads and public safety services.

Conroe is near Houston and in the congressional district of Republican Representative Kevin Brady, chairman of the House tax committee and a champion of restricting the SALT deduction.

"Tax reform comes with picking winners and losers and I think in the final analysis, the people in [congressional] District 8 will be losers," Williams said.

Conroe is part of Montgomery County, which voted 75 percent to 22.5 percent for Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

In Pataskala, Ohio, near the state capital, Columbus, city finance director Jamie Nicholson said the local police department needed a new station. It now works out of an early 1900s building with no holding cell for suspects who are under arrest. "They get handcuffed to a chair," he said.

Given the past difficulty Pataskala has had convincing taxpayers to approve new taxes, he said, eliminating or paring back the SALT deduction might trigger demands for chopping local taxes and blow a huge hole in his budget.

Greg Cox, a Republican member of the San Diego County, California, Board of Supervisors, echoed similar concerns about the impact on his community.

He said the Republican plan was unfair partly because it let businesses keep the SALT deduction, while taking it away from individuals and families.
Amid crisis in Zimbabwe's capital, there is also a flurry of activity in neighboring South Africa. The nation is home to a large Zimbabwean diaspora and in recent weeks, prominent figures who supported the military takeover have cycled through  signs that South Africa is a possible staging ground for what happens next in Zimbabwe.

The visitors have included Emmerson Mnangagwa  the man poised to be President Robert Mugabes successor  as well as Mugabes main political rival, the powerful head of the war veterans association and several other outspoken Mugabe opponents.



South African President Jacob Zuma also serves as chairman of the Southern African Development Community, which on Sunday will hold an extraordinary summit on Zimbabwe in Botswanas capital.



Zimbabwean opposition politician Dumiso Dabengwa is a former intelligence chief who, by his own account, happened to be in South Africa this week, as the military sent tanks rolling down the streets of Harare and put Mugabe under house arrest. He says outsiders have failed Zimbabwe and need to stay out.



He says regional powers were too permissive in the wake of Zimbabwes flawed, violence-marred 2008 elections.



The role of SADC after that, after setting up a roadmap for Zimbabwe, and failing to supervise, and then forcing the implementation of that roadmap, is what has led to all of this in Zimbabwe, he told VOA.



Like many members of Zimbabwes opposition, he says the militarys actions do not constitute a coup, but rather, a correction to prevent Mugabe from anointing his unpopular wife, Grace Mugabe, as his successor at a ruling party conference in December. SADC and the African Union take a hard line on coups in member countries, suspending membership and imposing sanctions.



Mugabes actions earlier this month provided the spark for this flame, as he fired his vice president, Mnangagwa. That was widely seen as a step toward the installation of Mugabe's wife as vice president.



Dabengwa, who heads the opposition ZAPU party, says Mugabe is now trying to exploit the regional body to remain in power. In recent days, he has been clearly resisting pressure from military officials and negotiators to quietly step down.



He wants to drag its feet, he wants to get SADC to leave things as they are, go to his ZANU-PF conference, where his wife becomes elected as a vice president, he said.



Dabengwa, who said he has heard his name mentioned as a possible member of a post-Mugabe transitional government, did not say what might happen if Mugabe gets his way.

South Africa's government has long tried to distance itself from the appearance of interfering in its neighbor's affairs. Unlike other leaders in the region, no South African president has ever publicly called on Mugabe to step down.



Solomon Sox Chikowero of the Global Zimbabwe Forum in Johannesburg says many Zimbabweans would have liked South Africa to be more outspoken before things escalated to this point.



Its not that South Africa is afraid of Mugabe per se, but theyve got their businesses that they want to protect in Zimbabwe, because once they say something bad about him, he will kick them out because he is one person who when he says, I am going to kick you out, he will kick you out.



Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since it gained independence in 1980, has become famous for sharp words like these. And he has made it clear that he sees only one path to leaving the presidency, saying last year, As long as I am alive, I will head the country.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe arrived at a university graduation ceremony in the capital on Friday, his first public appearance since a military seizure of power that political sources say is aimed at ending his 37 years in office.

According to Reuters, wearing a blue and yellow academic gown and mortar board hat, the 93-year-old sat in large wooden chair at the front the hall. He was greeted by ululations from the crowd as he declared the ceremony open.

The president, who has been under house arrest, capped more than 1,000 graduands amid reports that the military is still negotiation for his ouster.

Bishop Paul Verryn of the Johannesburg Methodist Church told VOA Studio 7 that Mr. Mugabe is likely to stay in office until December.

Apparently, some of my sources indicate that they are wanting Mr. Mugabe to remain in authority until December and then he will retire and handover to another president. I believe that his wife, this is supposed to be one of the deals, will remove herself from the running  Im not sure how true that is 

He claimed that President Jacob Zumas envoys would ensure a smooth transition.

Bishop Verryn expressed fears that the unfolding political drama in Zimbabwe may lead to the creation of an autocratic state.

Zanu PF is planning to hold an Exra Ordinary Congress in December, which initially was targeted at elevating Mrs. Grace Mugabe to the position of vice president.

Indications are that Zanu PF delegates at the congress will vote for a new president. Sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who allegedly enjoys a lot of military support, is expected to take over from Mr. Mugabe as the next president.
Zimbabwe opposition groups have expressed dismay and frustration at the slow rate of negotiations aimed at persuading President Robert Mugabe to resign, after the military took over the state, on Wednesday.

The frustration has increased with President Mugabes presence at the Zimbabwe Open University where he officiated over a graduation ceremony, in his capacity as chancellor of all the countrys universities, just a day after state media released pictures of a smiling President Mugabe with General Constantino Chiwenga who reportedly overthrew him.

According to reports, President Mugabe has refused to step down, saying he is a legitimately elected official.

Opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume of Transform Zimbabwe said hopes of Mr. Mugabe leaving office are slowly dissipating.

Mugabe must go. There is no way he should be allowed to continue holding power. If he were to do that, then Zimbabwe would be in trouble. What I see happening is there might be a dragging on the discussion around his departure, but eventually, that must be a position. He must go. He has outlived his usefulness," said Ngarivhume.

Former Prime Minister and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, too called for Mr. Mugabes departure.

Mr. Tsvangirai formed a government of national unity with President Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party in 2009, after a disputed election.

Mr. Robert Mugabe must resign, step down immediately in line with the national sentiment and expectation, taking full regard of his legacy and contribution to Zimbabwe, pre and post Zimbabwe, said Tsvangirai, who returned to Zimbabwe this week from South Africa where he is being treated for cancer.

Former vice president and now leader of the Peoples Rainbow Coalition (PRC), Joice Mujuru, was not as vocal against Mr. Mugabe, who fired her in 2014, but indicated a desire to see change. Addressing media at a press conference Wednesday, Mujuru pushed for change.

A former freedom fighter, Mujuru gave silent praise to the military for its actions against Mugabe.

As PRC, we note the current political developments in our country. We are however heartened by the assurances given during these present political developments that condemn violence and encourages peace.

Despite opposition calls for Mr. Mugabes resignation or forceful removal from office, supporters loyal to Mr. Mugabe say he is still the president and he is not going anywhere.

Nick Mangwana, who is the United Kingdom-based representative for the ruling Zanu-PF party, said, "President Mugabe remains President Mugabe as of now.

Pressure is mounting on the military to take action within 72 hours of the takeover of the state. The military declared that what happened was not a military coup as they wanted to get rid of so-called thieves surrounding the president.
Zimbabweans have been urged to stage a massive protest on Saturday to push President Robert Mugabe out of office following a military takeover of all key state institutions.

Christopher Mutsvangwa, chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, told journalists that the planned protest is designed to push the president out of office.

The furious Mutsvangwa, who claims that this is the end game for the president, stressed that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces will back the people in the public protests in a move likely to attract thousands of people currently facing serious social and economic hardships.

At the same time, former Zipra military intelligence supremo Dumiso Dabengwa, also urged Zimbabweans to join the protest saying people are tired of President Mugabes autocratic rule.

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces seized key state institutions on Wednesday, confined President Mugabe to a house arrest and clamped on what they termed thieves surrounding the president, including Professor Jonathan Moyo, Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo, Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, Zanu PF Youth League secretary Kudzanayi Chipanga and several others.

The detainees, who are in army barracks, are said to be members of a faction of the ruling party that were seeking the elevation of First Lady Grace Mugabe to the post of vice president left vacant after the expulsion of Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwes Defence Forces say they are currently engaging President Robert Mugabe on the way forward after staging a coup and seizing all critical state institutions on Wednesday.

According to the state-controlled Herald newspaper, which like other public media entities appear to be under the direct control of the military, ZDF is expected to advise the nation about the outcome of the discussions with the beleaguered Zimbabwean strongman as soon as possible.

The newspaper quoted the ZDF as saying all defence attaches accredited to Zimbabwe have been informed on the current situation in the southern African nation.

The military also told the newspaper that they have so far arrested so-called criminals surrounding President Mugabe, noting that some of them are still at large.

No specific names were released about those that have been arrested though indications are that they are members of a faction of the ruling Zanu PF party known as Generation 40 or G40, which wanted First Lady Grace Mugabe to succeed Mugabe.

Authoritative sources say Higher Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo and Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere are being detained by the army.

The other faction, Team Lacoste, is believed to be led by former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was sacked by Mugabe and left the country vowing to return to get rid of the president.

Mnangagwa is believed to have strong military links. General Chiwenga claims that the purging of members of Team Lacoste had plunged Zimbabwe into a political and economic crisis.

Unconfirmed reports say the 93 year old Zimbabwean leader has been forced by the military to step down.

Mr. Mugabe, who is under house arrest, has asked his long-time religious mentor Father Fidelis Mukonori of the Roman Catholic Church to accompany him in discussions with General Chiwenga and other securocrats.

Zimbabweans are anxiously waiting for the outcome of these discussions with some calling on the military to hand over power to a civilian transitional government.

Some opposition leaders, including Morgan Tsvangirai and former Vice President Joice Mujuru have dissociated themselves from reports that they will be drafted by the military into a transitional government to be allegedly led by sacked Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa and former ZIPRA military intelligence supremo Dumiso Dabengwa.

Dabengwa and Mnangagwa were not reachable for comment.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe carried out his duties as chancellor of the countrys universities, Friday, by presiding over a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University, smack in the middle of negotiations with the military to give up power.

Wearing a blue and yellow academic gown and mortar board hat, President Mugabe appeared as he did in pictures released Wednesday by state media, of him calmly meeting with generals and other stakeholders involved in negotiations for his ouster.

Mr. Mugabe has not been seen public since a military takeover Wednesday, where military spokesman Sibusiwo Moyo assured the nation that the president and his family were safe.

According to various reports, negotiations have broken down between the military and Mr. Mugabe, who has reportedly refused to step down from office.

Zimbabweans have expressed anxiety and concern over the ongoing negotiation that involve several members of Mr. Mugabes cabinet, the military, a priest and representatives of South African President Jacob Zuma, who are serving as mediators.

President Mugabes appearance at the university graduation, confirmed for many that negotiation talks were not going well.

But the Zimbabwe Defence Force says it is making tremendous progress in its talks with Mr. Mugabe.
TRANSPORTATION

Fewer people bumped from oversold flights

Airlines are bumping fewer passengers from oversold planes after taking to heart the public anger over a man being violently dragged from his seat in April.

The Transportation Department said Thursday that airlines bumped 2,745 passengers between July and September. That is about one in every 67,000 passengers, and it is the lowest rate since the department started keeping track of bumping in 1995.

The rate has dropped steadily this year, especially since April, when video surfaced of Chicago airport officers yanking a 69-year-old man off a United Express plane to make room for an airline employee.

United and other airlines responded by making changes, including raising the compensation paid to encourage passengers to voluntarily give up seats on oversold flights. But the number of volunteers who take cash or a travel voucher is falling sharply  74,358 in the July-through-September quarter, compared with 114,119 a year earlier.

Spirit Airlines was most likely to bump a passenger in the latest quarter, followed by Frontier and Southwest. Four airlines  Delta, Virgin America, JetBlue and United  bumped no more than one in every 250,000 passengers, according to government figures. Delta was the runaway leader in paying passengers to give up a seat  more than 32,000 in the quarter.

Meanwhile, for the second straight month, hurricanes were blamed for more flight delays and cancellations than a year ago.

 Associated Press

HOUSING

30-year mortgage rates hit 4-month highs

Long-term mortgage rates rose this week to the highest level in months.

Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said the rate on benchmark 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages hit 3.95 percent, up from 3.90 percent last week and the highest since July. A year ago, the figure stood at 3.94 percent. The rate on 15-year home loans  popular among those who refinance mortgages  climbed to an average of 3.31 percent, the highest since April and up from 3.24 percent last week and 3.14 percent a year ago.

Long-term mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year Treasury notes, which blipped higher this week.

The rate on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages slipped to 3.21 percent this week from 3.22 percent last week. A year ago, it was 3.07 percent.

 Associated Press

Also in Business

Applications for unemployment benefits rose by a seasonally adjusted 10,000 last week to a still-low 249,000 after a similar increase in the previous week, the Labor Department reported. The four-week average, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, rose to 237,750, an increase of 6,500. But the number of people receiving benefits fell to 1.89 million, a drop of 44,000, putting this figure at the lowest level since Dec. 29, 1973. Applications for unemployment benefits are a proxy for layoffs.

T-Mobile US will propose a "significant" share buyback that could start in December, Chief Financial Officer Braxton Carter said, a sign that the third-biggest carrier in the United States is confident in its outlook after the collapse of a merger with Sprint. T-Mobile's shares have shed about 10 percent since then. Carter, speaking at a Morgan Stanley TMT conference in Barcelona, said the buyback proposal would be put to the board this month.

Emerson Electric, which makes industrial automation equipment, has raised its cash-and-stock offer to acquire Rockwell Automation to $29 billion, ratcheting up pressure on its smaller peer to discuss a deal. The offer follows Rockwell's rejections of Emerson's overtures for much of this year. Emerson is seeking to bolster its offerings by adding the leading supplier of software and controls for assembly-line operations.



U.S. industrial production jumped a solid 0.9 percent in October as factory activity recovered from the impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The Federal Reserve said manufacturing activity surged 1.3 percent last month. Many of the gains came from a sharp increase in the production of chemical, petroleum and coal products. Motor vehicles and metals also posted decent gains. But factories are also benefiting from favorable conditions around the world. Over the past year, industrial production has increased 2.9 percent, and manufacturers have added 156,000 jobs. That is the strongest annual growth since the middle of 2015.

 From news services

Coming today

8:30 a.m.: Housing starts.
AGRICULTURE

Monsanto wants Ark. to halt herbicide ban

A major agribusiness company asked an Arkansas judge Friday to halt the states plan to ban an herbicide thats drawn complaints from farmers across several states who say the weed killer has drifted onto their fields and caused widespread damage.

Monsanto asked a Pulaski County judge to strike down the rule approved by the states Plant Board this month that would prohibit the use of dicamba from April 16 through Oct. 31. The ban is expected to go before a legislative panel next month, but Mansanto said action is needed now because farmers are already buying their products for next years growing season.

Dicamba has been around for decades. Problems arose in the last few years when farmers began using it on soybean and cotton fields where the seed is resistant to the herbicide. Because it can easily evaporate, the chemical sometimes settles on neighboring fields.

 Associated Press

TECHNOLOGY

Apple delays launch of HomePod speaker

Apple is scrapping its plan to release its new internet-connected speaker in time for the holiday season, saying it needs more time to perfect the technology.

The delay announced Friday means Apples HomePod speaker wont be available in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia until early next year. Apple had planned to release the $349 HomePod next month so it could be on holiday shopping lists and compete against Amazons Echo and the Google Home speaker. (Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

The company is touting the HomePod as a high-fidelity speaker programmed to learn peoples tastes and automatically play tunes its listeners will like. The HomePod also will include Apples voice-activated assistant, Siri, to respond to requests.

 Associated Press

MANUFACTURING

Raytheon approved for missile sale to Poland

The U.S. State Department approved a possible $10.5 billion sale of Raytheons Patriot missile defense system to Poland, the Pentagon said Friday.

NATO member Poland has sped up efforts to overhaul its military since Russias annexation of Ukraines Crimea peninsula in 2014 and in response to Moscows renewed military and political assertiveness in the region.

Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said in March that Poland expected to sign a deal with Raytheon to buy the Patriot missile defense system by the end of the year.

Patriot missile defense interceptors are designed to detect, track and engage unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles and short-range or tactical ballistic missiles.

The proposed sale includes 208 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 16 M903 launching stations, four AN/MPQ-65 radars, four control stations, spares, software and associated equipment.

In addition, Poland is authorized to buy U.S. government and contractor technical, engineering and logistics support services as well as range and test programs for a total estimated potential program cost of up to $10.5 billion.

The Pentagon said the sale will take place in two phases.

 Reuters

Also in Business

Shoemaker Aquazzura Italia has agreed to dismiss its lawsuit accusing Ivanka Trump of stealing the design of its high-heeled sandal. The case was withdrawn by agreement between Aquazzura, Trump and other parties, including Marc Fisher Holdings, which partnered with Trump to launch her shoe brand in 2011, court documents filed Friday show. No settlement terms were disclosed. The suit, filed last year, said Trump copied the design of the $785 "Wild Thing" shoe for her own discount "Hettie" model, which sold for $130.

Auto companies have replaced only 57 percent of potentially deadly Takata air bag inflaters, even though recalls have been underway for more than 15 years, according to a report issued Friday by an independent monitor appointed to keep tabs on the recalls. The report says that auto companies are only about halfway toward a Dec. 31 goal of 100 percent replacement of older and more dangerous inflaters. The monitor's report says that of the 43.1 million inflaters recalled so far, 24.6 million have been replaced.

 From news reports
Sure, the next few weeks could turn up even bigger turkey deals. But something tells me this one is cooked. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg)

Columnist

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. So what better time is there to talk about the turkey deals of 2017?

This has been a banner year for turkeys  theres an unusually large flock of them, even though Ive decided to carve President Trump out of the list. Otherwise, Id be falling into the trap of making everything about him and not paying enough attention to other things. Thats a mistake far too many people are making.

Ready to gobble up my choices? Some of them are mine, some from friends and colleagues. Let the roast begin.

Equifax: What can I say? Here's a company that gathers tons of information about you without seeking your permission, sells it to Lord only knows whom without your permission, then is so incompetent that the information gets hacked. To protect yourself from possible damage that Equifax has done to you, you've got to shell out money to its competitors and possibly to Equifax itself. Thanks, guys. You're a credit to capitalism. (Yes, the pun's intentional.)

[The Equifax fiasco is a classic case of weapon of math destruction]

FAT fools: Facebook, Alphabet (parent of Google) and Twitter  a threesome that I'm calling FAT  get your permission to know more about you than you know about yourself. Somehow, these companies, which employ supposed geniuses and live off algorithms, ended up selling our country down the river  at a low price!  by letting Russia run wild on social media. That may have helped tip a close election to Vladimir Putin admirer Trump rather than to Putin adversary Hillary Clinton. The FATties say they'll do better next time, but I sure wouldn't bet on it.

GE: It's hard to figure out where to start. This is a company that I used to respect because even though GE upset me by playing endless games to minimize its U.S. income taxes  I once tried to write a Fortune cover piece featuring the then-head of its tax department, whom we were going to call GE's most valuable employee  I considered the company extremely competent. Recent events show that I was wrong. I don't know what's going on over there, but it looks like a total mess. I hope GE doesn't get taken over, because it would wipe out thousands of jobs and hurt many communities. But it wouldn't surprise me if GE becomes Gone Electric rather than General Electric.

[Wall Streets brutal arithmetic: Hedge fund CEO profits, while investors take a loss]

Allergan: This company  full name Allergan Plc.  has deserted our country to become nominally Irish to reduce its tax bill. But it's happy to keep doing business here, benefiting from what the United States has to offer. Now, though, Allergan has outdone itself in tackiness by proposing to extend patent protection on its lucrative Restasis drug by paying the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe to take ownership of the patents. The idea is that as a sovereign nation, the tribe wouldn't be subject to U.S. patent law. We'll see. If Allergan prevails in court, which I hope it doesn't, maybe it will decide to become American again by making a deal to move from Ireland to Mohawk tribal headquarters in Akwesasne, N.Y. Then Allergan can try to declare itself a sovereign nation not subject to drug safety rules, price restrictions or anything else it doesn't approve of.

Wells Fargo: What is there to say? My local Wells Fargo branch, where I do my banking business, is full of terrific people who are helpful and cheerful  but the parent company should adopt as its theme song the new work by Sparks: "What the Hell Is It This Time?"

Turkey of the Year: The hideous tax-cut (not tax reform) legislation Congress is preparing to unleash on us. At this point, it's impossible to tell what's going to emerge. With luck, it will be nothing. But I doubt we'll get that lucky.

[A tax cut bill only Donald Trump could love]

My friend Henry Dubroff, who owns a Santa Barbara, Calif., business journal, suggests we call it the Oligarch Enabling Act rather than the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. A second friend, Jim Toedtman, suggests that instead of calling it Cut Cut Cut, as Trump suggested, we call it Gift, Gift, Gift.

Both my friends are right.

Im calling this a Dooh Nibor plan. Dont recognize that name? Not surprising, I just thought of it. Its Robin Hood in reverse, taking from the poor and middle class and giving to the rich. It eliminates (House version) or scales back (Senate version) the estate tax, lavishes tax cuts on corporations (whose stock is owned disproportionately by the wealthy and by upper-middle-class types like me), cuts rates for passive owners of businesses and opens vast new tax-avoidance possibilities. It would stuff goodies into the pockets of the likes of Trump and his family and foul up the lives of non-plutocrats who are just trying to get by.

[A tax plan that Trumps mega-wealthy political appointees could love, too]

Republicans, the last political party to which I belonged, are trying to cram this through with narrow majorities, without holding hearings. It almost seems designed to hurt the parts of the country, including my home state of New Jersey, that dont tend to vote Republican. The whole thing smells like rancid turkey meat.

Bottom line: I love Thanksgiving, the quintessential American holiday. I hope you do, too. Let's try to celebrate this year by talking civilly to people with whom we disagree and remembering that as Americans, we're all in this together. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
When Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News anchor who now campaigns against sexual harassment, took the stage at a TED event this month, she described 2017 as a tipping point in the fight against workplace misconduct.

But behind the scenes, TED owner Chris Anderson and other senior officials had been grappling with accusations for much of the year that their own conferences, famed for turning short speeches by leading figures into viral videos, had not been a safe place for women  and that the atmosphere of predatory male behavior was getting worse.

At least five people, including a past main stage speaker, told TED officials that they were harassed or groped during the organizations flagship conference in Vancouver in April, according to interviews and email correspondence seen by The Washington Post.

The nonprofits general counsel Nishat Ruiter said in an April email to TEDs senior leadership that she, too, had been touched inappropriately but let it go. She added she was finding it difficult to believe the issue was being addressed by TED effectively. We are clearly not doing enough.

In a statement to The Post, TED acknowledged that several incidents had occurred at the Vancouver conference and said it had taken action.



TED owner Chris Anderson. (Oxford Union/REX/Shutterstock/Associated Press)

We did hear from a small number of women attendees at TED2017 about harassment. As a result, two men were immediately disinvited and wont be returning, TED said.

TED also said: Creating a safe and welcoming environment is critical to the success of our conferences, and we have no tolerance for harassment of any kind. As soon as we heard there were issues at our conference in 2017 we took immediate action to address the specific allegations, then worked with leading experts to upgrade our code of conduct. Today we make the code of conduct extremely clear to all TED conference attendees, and encourage our community to report violations.

In the decades since TEDs original owners got the idea of turning 18-minute talks by world leaders, chief executives, academics, artists and others into a business under the slogan ideas worth spreading, the conferences and spinoff events have become known as a meeting place for the global elite, particularly leaders in the technology industry. The Sapling Foundation, Andersons private foundation, acquired TED in 2001.

The gatherings are regarded as a place where the likes of former Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates, scientist Richard Dawkins and former vice president Al Gore could be encountered in the hallways, and the organizations talks have been watched online more than 1 billion times worldwide.

Most people pay $10,000 to attend and must apply for tickets.

[They were sexually harassed at work. They reported it. Heres what happened.]

The Post reviewed email exchanges among senior TED officials at the time of the April conference, sparked by a complaint by a longtime attendee, who complained of sexual harassment and being offered every drug known to man. The problem was so bad that the woman decided to pack her bags and leave, telling Anderson that it would be her last TED conference.

Anderson forwarded the complaint to his leadership team, saying, I dont want to overstate whats here (until we can find more) but I do think well need to think seriously about what more we can do.

Tom Rielly, the organizations director of partnerships whose satirical monologues are the traditional closing event of the conferences, wrote in response that harassment had occurred in past years.

Im afraid as difficult as it is to talk about, experiences like this have been going on for years, to varying degrees, Rielly wrote. I agree this is absolutely heartbreaking and stomach turning. He also suggested that alcohol could be fueling the misconduct.

Ruiter, the general counsel, said that she had heard of more such incidents at this years conference.

I heard from so many women unprompted about the type of advances that were everywhere, and that felt different from years past, Ruiter wrote. This included a TED Prize winner and two TEDsters who spoke to me about this and more than one staff member.

Ruiter then quoted complaints she had heard from other women at the conference.

I was literally jumped on, grabbed, and held, Ruiter wrote. Guys are taking major liberties.

And it went on. Dont say anything . . . but please change this, one woman pleaded with Ruiter, according to the email she sent to her colleagues.

TED did not make Anderson, Rielly or Ruiter available for interviews. The three did not respond to personal inquiries.

Nilofer Merchant, an author and former Apple executive whose 2013 TED talk received nearly 3 million views, said in an interview that sexual harassment is not a new problem for the TED conferences.

The same thing was happening five years ago. Its still happening, she said. Whats different now is were sharing our stories.

At the April conference, Merchant said a longtime attendee pressed his erection against her at a bar. She recalls mouthing to her friend who was nearby: Help me.

In this awkward moment, youre trying not to make it an issue, she said in an interview. Im trying to spend my time at TED, which I paid $10,000 to attend, talking to people about ideas and not worry about the guy with his boner pressed against me.

Merchant said she saw the same man approach two of her friends, who were talking to a TED newcomer in her early twenties, and say, Oh, three black women together. What should I do with that?

She reported the incidents to TED officials. She said she was only told Thursday that the man she had reported had been banned.

In their email exchanges, Anderson, Rielly and others discussed ways to address such problems, including whether to make an announcement from the stage about an anonymous hotline, created in November of 2016, that would forward complaints to TED leadership.

They discussed communicating a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment of attendees, creating clear guidelines and penalties for behaviors that constitute harassment, and coming up with a formal process to handle complaints.

The TED officials also expressed worries about the complaints becoming public.

It seems 51 percent chance or more that there will be at least social media posts about the issue if not articles (What is our response), Rielly wrote.

Still, Rielly also wrote that the first step to addressing the issue could be to Admit we have a serious problem.

TED told The Post that in November 2016 it had added language to its code of conduct for attendees that specifically prohibited harassment in any form and added a reporting process for incidents. In the summer, TED included additional language that banned sexual harassment of any kind, including unwelcome sexual attention and inappropriate physical contact. It also began to promote the policy actively to attendees, mentioning it from the stage.

Big corporate conferences, including TED, present a particular challenge in setting standards of appropriate behavior because of the blend of work and socializing and because attendees are not direct employees.

In Silicon Valley, such events are seen as crucial to cultivating relationships that could lead to business deals. TED says its conferences are for high-level relationship building and direct sales pitches are forbidden.

Jess Ladd, a TED fellow and founder of Callisto, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting sexual assault, said conferences often involve alcohol and off-site networking, which can open the door to improper interactions.

If your boss harasses you, you know you can go to HR, she said. But if its a powerful investor or an academic in your field, its really hard to know what to do and what your options are.

Conferences approach the problem in different ways. The World Economic Forums annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, said it screens attendees who are not heads of state or chief executives, and revokes invitations if it learns of misconduct.

Some conferences have been updating their policies in light of recent high-profile sexual harassment scandals.

Summit, which attracts an elite technology industry crowd, updated its sexual harassment policy this year to include language that explicitly bans unwelcome sexual attention, inappropriate physical contact and sexual images in public spaces.

South by Southwest, the annual gathering in Austin, referred a reporter to its code of conduct, which does not specifically mention a ban on sexual harassment by attendees (it bans harassment of all kinds). On its website, DEF CON publishes a similar code of conduct. The Aspen Ideas Festival said it has no published harassment policy for attendees, but it encourages staff to report incidents.

Internally, TED also has faced sexual harassment complaints against its own managers.

Jordan Reeves, a former junior staffer, said in an interview that while he was working at the organization, he was harassed by Rielly in 2014. Rielly told him incredibly explicit jokes at work and told him that his ass looked nice in jeans.

I was hearing from everybody, men and women alike, about misconduct, Reeves said. It seemed so systemic that I was overwhelmed.

Reeves said he complained about the incidents to Anderson and another executive, telling them that if things dont change systemically Im going to leave.

Anderson replied that Rielly was only joking and asked Reeves to keep the conversation between them, according to Reeves.

Reeves, who said he cried during the meeting, gave notice about six months later.

[Not just Harvey Weinstein. The depressing truth about sexual harassment in America.]

TED said in its response: There was indeed an unhappy staff departure in 2014, but its not correct that the situation was not investigated. We believe it was dealt with appropriately.

In 2014, TED offered to settle a sexual harassment case for about $31,000 with a young woman who worked on one of the organizations digital marketing teams, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.

The womans lawyer told Anderson that the womans boss had repeatedly asked her about her sex life, according to a May 2014 complaint she filed to TED, which was obtained by The Post.

After she reported the misconduct, her boss took her off some accounts she had developed  a move she saw as retaliatory, according to the complaint. That document also alleges that TED had initially asked her to keep working for the same boss.

TED did not comment on the settlement.

The accusations against TED come at a time when allegations of sexual harassment and abuse by powerful men are roiling Hollywood, Silicon Valley and Congress.

The heightened awareness of sexual misconduct in the workplace and other professional settings was sparked in part by Carlson, who reached a $20 million settlement with Fox in 2016 after suing her old boss Roger Ailes for sexual harassment.

Right now is the tipping point, Carlson said at the TEDWomen conference in New Orleans this month, choking up at points throughout her 14-minute speech. We are watching history happen. More and more women are coming forward and saying, Enough is enough. 

The conversation among the leadership of TED in April was set off by an email from Brooke Hammerling, the founder of Brew Media Relations.

On April 27, as the annual conference was underway in Vancouver, she wrote an email to Anderson, saying she had felt fearful as a female at the event and had decided to leave a day early.

This is my last TED, she wrote, according to the messages viewed by The Post.

I was told by different people many married that for example I was hot, my figure was awesome, did I sleep with  she named a technology celebrity  and I was asked why I wasnt married because I was hot so should be able to land a dude, Hammerling wrote. I was offered every drug known to man  I was pushed. Literally pushed.

Wow, this just about made me throw up, Anderson responded.

After Anderson told Rielly about Hammerlings complaint, Rielly told the TED leadership team that Brooke is a great person whom he knows has experienced unwanted attention in the past.

If she left it mustve been really bad, Rielly wrote.

In an interview Friday, Hammerling said: I was really uncomfortable and disturbed by it, as were other women who were in the vicinity.

She praised the initial response by Anderson as wonderful and said she had been reimbursed for her attendance.

He was upset about it and responded to me immediately, she said. We got together on the phone, and I gave them my suggestions.

After that: I never heard anything, she said.

TED it is meant to be a different experience, Hammerling said. Its meant to be a collective of thoughtful people who have taken time  at great expense  to learn and expand, to be part of something really beautiful. Its supposed to be a safe environment.

Read more:

More companies are buying insurance against sexual harassment complaints

How confidentiality agreements hurt  and help  victims of sexual harassment


Grouped illustrations for HARASSMENTREPORTS with three final illustrations (Delphine Lee/For the Washington Post)

This is a watershed moment for sexual harassment. Recent weeks have brought a flood of stories about inappropriate advances, or even sexual assault, in professional settings  perpetrated by and against well-known people. With each new allegation comes media attention, public outrage and questions about how these incidents went unreported for so long.

But what happens when sexual harassment is reported, by victims who aren't in the spotlight? In many workplaces, the handling of these claims can be a hushed process, shrouded by confidentiality agreements and legal proceedings that can go on for years.

Through news reports, advocacy organizations and attorneys, The Washington Post identified eight people who have reported harassment in the workplace. They include an assembly-line worker. A prison guard. A nurse.

Here, these workers share their stories, as seen through their eyes and told in their words. The Post did not interview their employers or others implicated in their accounts  nor are we naming them. We identify the workers only by their first names. The ages and locations are listed as they were when the workers say the harassment began. For many, the decision to report was as life-altering as the incident itself.

Rylinda, 41, customer-service call center in Maryland: I was good at the job. When customers screamed at me on the phone, I was calm and professional. Then they moved me to another office, where I'd be working with technicians instead of customers. On my first day, I knew it was going to be different.

Genece, 59, assembly-line worker in Illinois: I had been working at the factory for nine years when it started. I always arrived an hour early for my 5 a.m. shift so I'd never be written up for being late. I'd be sitting in the break room, alone, and every day, one of my co-workers would come in and start rubbing my shoulders.

Calissa, 19, restaurant hostess in Maryland: I found a job at a chain restaurant opening up downtown. I was told to "dress sexy," so I'd wear skirts, like the other hostesses. It seemed like the better you looked, the more attention the manager paid you. One day, he asked me to come into his tiny office and organize the cabinets. I had to climb on a step stool. He sat at his desk, watching me and looking up my skirt.

Shannon, 32, medical sales representative in Washington state: Almost all of my co-workers were male. They would talk about "eating taco." When I came back from having a child, one of them said, "Can somebody cry like a baby to make Shannon leak?" It was a fraternity. You either played along or you got maligned, and in the end, I wasn't playing along.

Maria, 26, bartender in California: When my boss first touched my butt, he played it off like an accident. I didn't think much of it. Then he'd start drinking, and he'd do it again and again.

Amber, 24, nurse in Oregon: I went behind the nursing desk to get something from the file cabinet. I bent over to reach it and felt someone slap me squarely on my ass. I flipped around, thinking, "Oh, my God, what just happened?" and looked at the guy sitting behind me. I said, "What are you doing?!" He said, "Oh, sorry. I slipped."

Jordan, 27, hospital insurance coordinator in Texas: The CEO of the hospital was about to leave my office. When he reached his arms toward me, I thought, "Surely he's just patting me on the shoulder." But he pulled me into his body so my breasts were pressed up against his crotch. He held me there and took the deepest, most disturbing breath I have ever heard. I was frozen. He began rubbing my shoulders. He kissed me on the forehead. He said, "Is there anything else you need?"

Bonita, 57, prison guard in Texas: He was the sergeant responsible for making my schedule, so it was easy for him to put me somewhere where I would be alone. The first time, he came in and didn't say a word. He just started unbuttoning my shirt. I told him to stop, and he started undoing my belt. I screamed, and that made him stop. As he walked away, he said, "You need to change your attitude."

***

Calissa, hostess: I tried to change. I saw the manager look up the skirts of other hostesses, too. I went to J.C. Penney and bought multiple pairs of pants.

Rylinda, call center: My new work environment was always rowdy, always unprofessional. But I was a single mother with three kids to support. So I put up with my co-workers talking about their sex lives. I put up with them cursing. And then one of them came into my cubicle, hugged me from behind, and as he was letting go, he squeezed my breasts.

Maria, bartender: Every shift at the bar, I knew my boss might try to touch me again. One day he said to me, "One way or another, I'm going to have sex with you." But I had a responsibility to send money back to my parents in Mexico. I needed this job.

Jordan, hospital insurance coordinator: After the CEO left my office, I called my husband. He was so pissed. He said, "I'm coming down there." I was thinking about our two kids, and how his salary had taken a hit when the Texas oil industry had. It was my job providing our insurance. So I said, "No, you're not," and I walked down to HR instead.

Bonita, prison guard: The sergeant started coming to find me almost every night. When I found ways to make sure I wasn't alone, he moved where I was stationed. He raped me. When I finally told a supervisor, investigators came to my house and asked me to sign a statement. I couldn't. I knew that if I did, I would lose my job. I was raising my granddaughter, and I was going to send her to college.

Genece, assembly-line worker: When he wouldn't stop rubbing my shoulders every morning, I called HR. I told them I wasn't out to cause trouble; I just wanted him to stop. They said they couldn't do anything if I didn't fill out a report. So I filled out the report.

Amber, nurse: I told some of the other nurses about being spanked. They said, "Oh, yeah, we've had a problem with that guy." I went to my supervisor and said, "I don't ever want to work with him again." After that, I didn't have to.

Jordan, hospital insurance coordinator: When I told the woman from HR what the CEO did to me, she was wonderful. Very apologetic, very understanding, very supportive. They began investigating and meeting with me on a regular basis.

Calissa, hostess: One night, pants on, I tried to leave the restaurant after my shift ended. But the manager said I wasn't allowed to go until everyone else did. He said, "You're leaving with me." He was biting his lip, and the way he was looking at me  I just felt so uncomfortable. My dad was outside waiting to pick me up. So I walked out and never went back. The next day, I called the restaurant chain's corporate HR and told them what happened. They said they would let me know if they needed anything else. They never called back.

Maria, bartender: I quit. I didn't have another job to go to. I didn't know at that time that I would be able to get legal help, that I would file a lawsuit, that I would get compensation and move on with my life. I just knew I didn't want to be raped.

Genece, assembly-line worker: The day after I wrote the report about him rubbing my shoulders, someone from HR told me: "Everything's taken care of. He's going to stop." A week later, they let him go. Right after that, they let me go, too. They said my position had been eliminated. My husband still works at the factory, so I know that's not true.

Shannon, sales representative: I wrote a seven-page document for HR about the hostile work environment. Within a month, I was put on a plan to "improve my performance," and my commission was taken away.

Jordan, hospital insurance coordinator: Four months after I reported the CEO to HR, I got a phone call. "Did you hear?" my co-worker asked. "They forced him to resign." I cried and cried because that part was over. Walking through the halls with the tape recorder app pulled up on my cellphone in case he confronted me was over. Calling co-workers to walk with me to get water from the cafeteria was over. Feeling unsafe at work was over. It was an amazing feeling.

***

Rylinda, call center: For months after he grabbed my breasts, I struggled with anxiety and depression. I was diagnosed as bipolar. I took medical leave. I came back, I asked to be moved, and it never happened. Eventually, they told me I could take a job in Richmond. I didn't go to Richmond. I went to the Employment Justice Center, and an attorney took my case.

Shannon, sales representative: My brother worked in employment law, so I asked him what to do. He said: "With these cases, they make you out to be either a slut or a nut. So you have to be prepared for that." I hired an attorney. And all I can say about it now is that the company and I came to a "mutually beneficial agreement."

Genece, assembly-line worker: Getting terminated put a huge damper on me financially. I had to file for bankruptcy. My car was repossessed. I sent a letter to the [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission], but I don't know. My husband still works at the factory, and I don't want him to lose his job.

Bonita, prison guard: Thirteen months went by between the day I reported the rape and the day the sergeant was dismissed. Before that, he received a promotion to lieutenant. It was another three years before my case settled in court. I got $250,000. No criminal charges were filed against him. I feel numb. I don't know what to do with myself. He is still out there, and I don't know if he is going to come and do something to me. I want to start my life again. I want to be normal. I don't know if I'll ever be able to.

Rylinda, call center: In March, we go to court. But I already feel like I won. My children get to see I didn't allow myself to be a victim. For a long time, I didn't want to be a woman. I didn't want to be viewed as a sexual vessel. Lately, I've been able to wear less-baggy clothes again.

Genece, assembly-line worker: If I had known all of this was going to happen, I never would have called HR. If I could go back, I wouldn't say a word.

Jordan, hospital insurance coordinator: It was hell. I found out later that I wasn't the only one. But it stopped with me. Because I reported, no one else had to go through this.

Shannon, sales representative: I look back, and I just don't see anything I could have done to prevent it.

Calissa, hostess: I found another job and I went to law school. I'm an attorney now. I still wear pants.


Cast members rehearse for the immersive theater show Inside Pussy Riot, which runs through Dec. 24. (Shannon Jensen Wedgwood for The Washington Post)

A punk protest requires meticulous planning. On a gray afternoon in early November, strips of black-and-white tape divide a warehouse floor into sections labeled "Cathedral," "guards" and "holding area." Three or four women wearing jeans, sweatshirts and multicolored balaclavas (a.k.a. ski masks) stand in each square, holding scripts. One mimes striking down a gavel, like a judge. Another seems to be posing for a mug shot. A pair do jumping jacks.

Were back to minute zero! shouts a stagehand carrying a clipboard. The balaclava-ed women all swap places and rehearse each scene again.

It's a week before this past Tuesday's premiere of "Inside Pussy Riot," an immersive theater experience staged in London's Saatchi Gallery, and writer Oliver Lansley wants to get the timing right. Lansley collaborated with Russian conceptual artist Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founding member of the titular feminist protest group, on the show, which re-creates the experience of the Pussy Riot members who were arrested and imprisoned in 2012 for performing an anti-Putin "punk prayer" in a Moscow cathedral.

Following a narrative that roughly resembles Pussy Riots, audience members stage a demonstration on a cathedrals steps, testify before a judge and complete prison drills. Each member of the all-female cast plays every role  policeman, judge, prison guard  swapping costumes in between runs. Hence, the careful choreography. It feels anarchic, Lansley says during a break. But at the same time youve got an audience going through every 15 minutes, so its got to be planned with, like, military precision.

Thats true, apparently, of even the most anarchic demonstrations. On another gray London afternoon, Tolokonnikova sits in a South Kensington cafe. Off-duty, she dons leggings and a Hello Kitty backpack but no balaclava. The punk prayer itself, she says, followed weeks of discussions and rehearsals. Pussy Riot fine-tuned every detail, including the lighting of the cathedrals dark interior and the placement of the members backpacks during the performance.

You have to rehearse what you do when a policeman starts to pull on your leg, Tolokonnikova says, sipping tea. So one person is pretending to be the policeman, and the other person is standing on the table, dancing.



Nadya Tolokonnikova poses on the set of Inside Pussy Riot. (Chris J. Ratcliffe/AFP/Getty Images)

Tolokonnikova first became interested in protest art as a teenager in Norilsk, Russia, one of the most polluted places in the world. In an article intended for a local newspaper, she wrote about the smog from nickel mines that turned the snow on her street black. But no paper she could find would risk censorship to publish the article, and she became disillusioned with Russian media. Shortly thereafter, she viewed an exhibition by the dissident artist Dmitri Prigov. Perhaps as an artist like him, she thought, she'd have the freedom to explore dangerous ideas.

At Moscow State University, Tolokonnikova read Sartre and Foucault but preferred to convey her own ideas through actions, rather than words. At night, she made molotov cocktails, and often came to class in the morning smelling like gasoline. She and her classmates occasionally staged protests in the foyer of her apartment building.

In Moscow, Tolokonnikova met her husband, Pyotr Verzilov, who wooed her by telling her he knew Prigov. The couple joined the leftist art collective Voina and planned to collaborate on a demonstration with the dissident artist, but he died of a heart attack on the day the protest was planned.

Voina members carried on and continued to make radical statements. To protest the 2008 presidential campaign of Dmitry Medvedev, the chosen successor of Putin (who would regain the office in 2012), members of the group engaged in sexual intercourse in the Moscow Biological Museum.

Im a pretty shy person, Tolokonnikova says, adjusting her Hello Kitty backpack. But in a protest, you can do almost anything. Its like a role in a movie.

Tolokonnikova and a few other Moscow-based protest artists later formed their own all-female group. The membership of Pussy Riot fluctuates: The anonymizing balaclavas, Tolokonnikova says, are meant to suggest that anyone could be part of the group. But Tolokonnikova became an international celebrity in August 2012 when a Moscow judge sentenced her, along with Pussy Riot members Maria "Masha" Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, to two years in prison for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" following the punk prayer (Samutsevich's sentence was suspended following an appeal).



Pussy Riot members, from left, Yekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Masha Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova sit in a glass cage at a court room in Moscow on Aug. 17, 2012. (Mikhail Metzel/AP)

In prison, Tolokonnikova alleges, she and other inmates were overworked, intimidated, beaten, and denied food, sleep and even bathroom privileges (After Tolokonnikova published an open letter describing prison conditions, the Russian president's Human Rights Council investigated and verified many of her claims). But imprisonment, Tolokonnikova says, only strengthened Pussy Riot  indeed, the group's trial attracted media attention around the world.

If I had a chance to speak in a school for government workers, Id tell them theres no point to taking political prisoners, she says. Theyll stick to what they believe in and get out of prison stronger.

After her release, Tolokonnikova hoped to capitalize on Pussy Riot's growing fandom to reach a broader audience in Russia and abroad. She and Alyokhina launched an alternative media outlet called MediaZona, as well as an NGO focused on prisoners' rights. Last fall, Pussy Riot released a video titled "Make America Great Again," lampooning then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, and in October, some members staged a protest inside Trump Tower. Recently, the group released a video that identified Trump and Putin alike as leaders of oppressive "police states."

Tolokonnikova hopes that "Inside Pussy Riot," part of a Saatchi Gallery exhibition of post-Soviet protest art timed to the 100th anniversary of Russia's October Revolution, will speak to European and American audiences who might feel disaffected by the current political climate. (Alyokhina has also created a play about her experiences in prison, which was performed in London, New York and Maryland.) A show staged at a major art gallery is likely to have a different tone from, say, the provocative anti-Medvedev protest. But that might be a good thing, Tolokonnikova says.

[Pussy Riots Masha Alyokhina aims to fire up D.C.s freedom fighters with a book and a play]



Director Christa Harris and writer Oliver Lansley at a rehearsal. (Shannon Jensen Wedgwood for The Washington Post)

Lansley, of British theater group Les Enfants Terrible, met Tolokonnikova through mutual contacts in the art world. Known for immersive shows such as the Olivier-Award-nominated "Alice's Adventure's Underground," Lansley didn't consider himself a particularly political artist: Protest art often struck him as a bit preachy. But after talking with Tolokonnikova, he decided Pussy Riot's vision matched his own.

Theyre rebels and protesters, but its not done in a righteous way, Lansley says. Theyre kind of art provocateurs.

Inside Pussy Riot, Lansley says, will have a lunatics-taking-over-the-asylum kind of vibe, with audience members thrown into all manners of absurd scenarios. One idea was to have Pussy Riots circuslike trial played as a literal circus, with a clown presiding as judge. The experience will end with a party of sorts, to celebrate audience members release from prison and symbolize the rewards of activism.

Which doesnt mean the theater groups not taking the politics of it all seriously. On rehearsal day, Lansley and director Christa Harris watch the balaclava-ed women around them and point out that the decision to have an all-female cast has taken on new meaning in the midst of an international discussion about sexual harassment and gender equality in the art world.

[Armory Show director pushed out after sexual harassment allegations]

We want to politicize [the show] in a positive way, Lansley says. Nadya talks a lot about putting the joy back into protest.

After another run-through, the cast takes a break  exactly 10 minutes  and poses for a birthday photo for Tolokonnikova, whos out of the country at the time. Lining up, they make peace signs with their hands and stick their tongues out of the holes of their balaclavas. Happy Birthday, Nadya! the punk protesters scream.
By day, he was a clerk to a federal judge, a Harvard Law School graduate at the start of his career. By night, he was a ghost hunter and a devotee of the macabre.

Brett Joseph Talley is now President Trumps nominee for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench as a U.S. District Court judge in Alabama.

Few in memory have been nominated with credentials quite like those of Talley, 36, an Alabama native, a political speechwriter, an author of horror books and a fledgling lawyer who has never tried a case.

In 2009 and 2010, he was a member of the Tuscaloosa Paranormal Research Group, a volunteer operation that since the early 2000s has held all-night vigils and used infrared cameras, handheld sensors and other devices to search for spectral entities in plantation mansions, abandoned hospitals and other buildings.

He was a real help. . . . He was quiet and real smart, David Higdon, the groups founder and leader, told The Washington Post. We try to do everything scientific.

Talley did not respond to requests for an interview.

In 2014, when he was a speechwriter on Capitol Hill, Talley took a Post reporter ghost hunting in a District cemetery. As he paused at graves, Talley said he always maintained a level of skepticism during the paranormal outings.

I tend to believe theres a good scientific explanation for the weird things people see and hear, Talley said at the time. But Im open to the idea, and its fun.

[Meet the ghost hunter and horror novelist who writes Sen. Rob Portmans speeches]

Talleys nomination has been received with some skepticism.

In recent days, he has drawn heat from multiple Democrats in Congress for failing to disclose in a Senate questionnaire that his wife, Ann Donaldson, is chief of staff to the White House counsel. Critics said her position could present a conflict if issues related to the White House were to go before the district court.

Last week, an American Bar Association review committee gave him a rare not qualified rating because of his lack of legal experience. He is one of four Trump nominees to receive not qualified ratings this year, the first such ratings to be disclosed by the association in more than a decade.

In October, during a nomination hearing, some Democratic lawmakers questioned whether he could be an impartial judge, citing posts he made as a conservative blogger several years ago. One blog post he wrote after the Newtown, Conn., massacre was titled, A Call to Arms: Its Time to Join the National Rifle Association.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said at the hearing: I have never seen anyone in 24 years before this committee with the strong statements that you have made on weapons. And when I think of what just happened in Las Vegas, it makes it very difficult for me.

Talley responded that he wrote the blog to stimulate discussion. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed, I will take an oath to set aside my own views and to do justice, Talley testified.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) recently praised Talley as a good choice, saying in a statement he has a wide breadth of various legal experience that has helped to expose him to different aspects of federal law and the issues that would come before him.

Largely overlooked in the controversy is perhaps the most remarkable detail in the professional history he gave the committee  that he was a member of the Tuscaloosa Paranormal Research Group for two years.

Talley was born in Birmingham in 1981. He attended the University of Alabama, where he earned top marks, and then went to Harvard Law, serving as an editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy.

He graduated in 2007 and, while clerking for U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler in Tuscaloosa two years later, asked Higdon whether he could join the paranormal group.

Higdon recalled Talley as a bright and charming guy with a budding interest in the supernatural.

For all that, Higdon said he was a little wary with Talley, as he is with other volunteers. Higdon wanted to be sure Talley was joining in earnest. The group had about 15 members.

Many people believe in ghosts or supernatural events, which Higdon said accounts for the interest in groups like his across the country.

I wouldn't have someone as a joke in my group. We do go out and have fun. But theres a time to get down to business, Higdon said. The whole time, I don't think he was doing it as a joke.

The group went out once or twice a month to investigate old plantation mansions, abandoned prisons and other buildings they had heard might be haunted. Higdon said Talley joined them at least a dozen times.

The group does not try to banish ghosts, Higdon said, only to identify them.

All we can do is say yea or nay  you have something, but we cant get rid of it, he said.

He said Talley helped carry and unpack cases filled with thermal sensors, infrared cameras, tripods and K2 meters, handheld electromagnetic field devices favored by paranormal investigators. Talley helped monitor the all-night investigations, Higdon said.

Just as Talleys interest in the horrific was blossoming, he left the paranormal group behind. He went to work for Judge Joel F. Dubina of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, headquartered in Atlanta.

About the same time, Talley was writing horror fiction, including novels. In 2011 his novel That Which Should Not Be was published by JournalStone and was semifinalist for the Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award.

In a Q&A with Talley at the Unlocked Diary website, an interviewer wrote that the book has awesomestastic gooeyness oozing from every page to where you will be licking it off your fingers and savoring it for days to come.

The interviewer asked Talley for his advice about the best way to get into trouble on a Friday night.

I love old, abandoned buildings. Factories, insane asylums, that sort of thing, Talley wrote in the exchange. I am always trying to get people to go with me, but no one ever does. You have to watch out or youll get arrested for trespassing.

In 2012, Talley and Higdon co-authored Haunted Tuscaloosa, a short book of stories about ghostly doings in Alabama. At the time, Talley was working as a speechwriter for Republican Mitt Romneys presidential campaign.

Higdon said Talley wrote the book using Higdons recollections and ideas. In the introduction, Talley raises questions about the line between personal experience and verifiable fact.

In this book, there are children who died too early, professors who never left the classroom and even the spirit of a collie that still serves its master, long after his death, Talley wrote in the introduction.

Some will criticize these stories, saying they are not real history, he wrote. But that raises a question. What is real history? Sure, we know the dates and the major players, but the color, the heart of the matter  that we see through eyewitnesses.

Talley describes himself as a Christian in his Twitter profile.

I personally believe in good and evil, he said in an online video interview about his books. Sometimes good and evil are sort of shades of gray and they're all matters of perspective. And sometimes things that seem evil may be good.

From 2013 to 2015, Talley worked as a speechwriter for Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). In a statement to The Post, Portman said, Brett Talley is one of the smartest, most talented lawyers that I know, and I have no doubt he will be a terrific district court judge for Alabama.

Talley then took a job as deputy solicitor general in the office of the Alabama attorney general.

He and his wife, Ann, were married in 2015 in Tuscaloosa, where they met as undergraduates at the University of Alabama. She also attended Harvard Law School.

Talley came to Washington with the Trump administration in January, and he was named deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Departments Office of Legal Policy.

In the recent hearing held by the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) asked Talley about his background as a horror fiction writer.

How does that come in? Flake said, according to a video of the hearing. Thats an interesting background for a judge.

Talley grinned broadly and said he would try to draw on his horror background when writing legal opinions.

Well, Senator, I would hope that would at least make for some interesting opinions, Talley said. And I will try to sneak in some horror references if I am fortunate enough to be confirmed.

Not everyone is amused.

A scientist and a historian of science told The Post that Talleys activities and writing raise subtle but powerful questions about his views on science and the value of verifiable facts. Robert N. Proctor, a historian at Stanford University, studies science and technology, and the cultural production of ignorance, which he has termed agnotology.

I don't think its a good sign that a judge would embrace the reality of ghosts. What other parts of modern science would he be willing to reject? Climate change? Darwin's theory of evolution? Proctor said in an email. The judge will presumably be ruling on 21st-century disputes, not questions from the Middle Ages.

Higdon said he understands the skepticism about Talleys interest in the supernatural. He said that no one can prove ghosts exist.

But he recalled the intensity he felt on a night not long ago when he had an oh-my-gosh moment in an old hospital, when a full-blown shadow person crossed his path in a basement corridor.

He said that many respectable people have believed in ghosts and that people like him across the country remain hopeful.

We hope one day we can prove it, Higdon said. Its faith.
Working through my ignorance with your help.
Columnist

The following review appears in The Washington Posts 2018 Spring Dining Guide.



Rumi's chicken, almond cake, lentil soup with yogurt swirls and sambosa dusted with powdered sugar at Bistro Aracosia. (Dayna Smith/For the Washington Post)

Bistro Aracosia

(Good)

Steamed pumpkin drizzled with yogurt, sweet-sour chicken, lamb chops smoky from the grill: The Afghan repertoire at this rich offshoot of the casual Afghan Bistro in Springfield always makes my heart beat a little faster, and by now, veal stew with rhubarb will surely have joined the ranks of enticements. Cooking from the heart is half the reason Im here in the Palisades; Old World hospitality, practiced by owner Omar Masroor and his family, accounts for my presence, too. If you take care of guests, he says, everything falls into place. (Fans who might have been turned off by the clamor and hard chairs in the early months should know that sound buffers and seat cushions have been added.) Masroor says hes constantly amazed at how many of his patrons have been to the country of his birth, speak Farsi or otherwise appreciate the customs. They might be intrigued to hear hell be hosting culture nights starting this month. Picture staff in native wear, live music and ritual hand-washing between courses. Be there or be ... less enlightened.

2 stars

Bistro Aracosia: 5100 MacArthur Blvd. NW. 202-363-0400. bistroaracosia.com.

Open: Dinner Monday through Saturday, lunch Tuesday through Saturday.

Prices: Lunch mains $11 to $30, dinner mains $15 to $42.

Sound check: 72 decibels / Must speak with raised voice.

Previous: Bindaas | Next: Bresca

---

The following review was originally published Nov. 17, 2017.



Lentil soup, swirled with rings of yogurt and seasoned with spices, is a fitting start to any meal at Bistro Aracosia in the Palisades. (Dayna Smith/For The Washington Post)

A seasoned hand brings a taste of Afghanistan to the Palisades

The recipients of sambosa goshti at Bistro Aracosia in the Palisades get a little lesson in Afghan culture when the starter is presented.

We eat sweet appetizers with unsweetened tea and salty ones with sweet tea, says Taliha Masroor, the daughter of owner Omar Masroor. The backgrounder explains why theres a dusting of powdered sugar and ground cardamom on the pan-fried turnovers filled with juicy ground beef, a flavor combination that makes perfect sense when it hits the tongue.

Theres more where that goodness comes from at the inviting new spinoff of Afghan Bistro in Springfield, whose name derives from a long-ago reference to Afghanistan. Unveiled in October, the restaurant is staffed by a dozen or so members of the owners family, including wife Sofia, who executes the long menu from a kitchen that used to be the French-Thai Bistroquet.



Ground beef sambosa is dusted with powdered sugar and cardamom to combine savory and sweet into a pan-fried appetizer. (Dayna Smith/For The Washington Post)

Boneless chicken breasts cooked in a sweet and spicy tomato-based stew is one of styles of qorma on the menu. (Dayna Smith/For The Washington Post)

Wisely, Masroor temporarily closed his suburban outpost so that he could tap veteran servers to help launch Aracosia, whose two dining rooms seat about 80 diners and display blowups of whirling dervishes and ancient kings and warriors. (Afghan Bistro is expected to reopen, following some minor renovation, sometime in December.) The owner instructs his staff to treat diners as guests in our house rather than mere customers, a distinction Ive observed every welcoming visit.

[Afghan Bistro review: The areas best Afghan restaurant raises its game]

As at the original, Bistro Aracosia cooks without butter, cream, a fryer or microwave ovens. Any meal benefits from an opener of lentil soup, thick with chickpeas and the option of minced beef, plus dried mint and rings of yogurt. Pumpkin dumplings are too sweet for my taste; better are the supple, cayenne-kissed aushak, filled with leeks and scallions and draped with a sauce of ground meat. Rumis chicken, a tantalizing tomato-based stew, seesaws from sweet to tangy on the palate. Of the new entrees, veal sabzi lawaan is one of the best, braised cubes of meat seasoned with turmeric and bolstered with spinach and other greens.

It helps if you like cardamom, a primary spice in the Afghan repertoire, including the basmati rice strewn with julienne carrots that shore up many of the main courses, including the popular marinated lamb chops. Boldly seasoned, the entree also picks up some smokiness from the grill.



Owner Omar Masroor, who has temporarily closed Afghan Bistro in Springfield for renovations, says D.C. diners are better acquainted with the cuisine on the menu at Bistro Aracosia. (Dayna Smith/For The Washington Post)

The chief difference between the restaurateurs Washington audience and the one in Springfield? He says diners in the District are better acquainted with the cuisine and (say it isnt so!) more vocal about their preferences. Masroor inherited from the previous occupant some bad acoustics, for instance, a problem he hopes to alleviate with sound buffering. And the hard chairs are poised to be replaced with something more comfortable, he promises.

My biggest concern, if you can call it that, is portion size. The kitchen sends out helpings that suggest a linebacker is going to tackle them. What I see as excess, however, another diner might welcome as a future meal. And lucky them.
THE DISTRICT

Maryland woman is

slain in Northeast

A woman was fatally shot just before 7 p.m. Wednesday in the 5200 block of Just Street NE in the Deanwood neighborhood.

Police identified the woman as Danjellicca V. Ball of Landover Hills, Md.

Police said that a suspect or motive was not yet known.

 Dana Hedgpeth

Man dies after injuries

in September shooting

A 55-year-old man who was shot in September has died, D.C. police said.

Tsegaye Gebrehiwot of Northwest Washington was shot about 11 p.m. on Sept. 24 in the 5100 block of Second Street NW in a robbery, officials said.

When police arrived, they found he had been assaulted and his belongings were stolen. In October, Gebrehiwot was admitted to a hospital due to complications of the assault, police said in a statement.

He stayed in the hospital and died Monday. An autopsy was done, and the medical examiner determined that the cause of death was traumatic brain injury. His death was ruled a homicide, police said.

 Dana Hedgpeth

MARYLAND

Roadway shooting

leads to crash, injuries

Two men were injured early Thursday when their car crashed after three men shot at them from another car in Prince Georges County, police said.

The incident started just after midnight when authorities received a call for a report of a shooting, according to Prince Georges County police.

When officers arrived at White House Road and Route 202 in Upper Marlboro, they found the two victims inside a car. Both were suffering from injuries received after their car went off the road. They did not have gunshot wounds.

They were taken to a hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening.

Police said another car was also found at the scene. The three men believed to be the shooters had fled and had not been found by authorities, police said.

Cpl. Tyler Hunter said the preliminary investigation indicates that the victims and shooters did not know each other.

 Dana Hedgpeth
Edward S. Herman was a longtime finance professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He co-wrote the 1988 book Manufacturing Consent with Noam Chomsky. (University Archives, University of Pennsylvania)

Edward S. Herman, an economist who collaborated with scholar and political activist Noam Chomsky on blistering critiques of U.S. foreign policy and the mass media, most influentially with their book Manufacturing Consent, died Nov. 11 at a hospital near his home in Penn Valley, Pa. He was 92.

Dr. Herman had bladder cancer, said his wife, Christine Abbott. The disease was not diagnosed until after his death.

An emeritus professor of finance at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business, Dr. Herman was known as a soft-spoken, cat-loving pianist, fond of donning a T-shirt that read Thank God for Mozart during times of political tumult.

Yet his tenderness in person was belied by a ferocious rhetorical style in his prose, where he criticized humanitarian wars in Iraq and Vietnam, and lambasted mainstream media outlets.

Dr. Herman was "one of the top progressive media critics," said Jeff Cohen, founder of the left-leaning media watch group FAIR. In large part, his eminence was a result of his collaboration with Chomsky. Both men were academics  Dr. Herman was an expert on banking and corporate power structures; Chomsky was a pathbreaking linguist  who became political dissidents during the Vietnam War.

According to an account in Jim Neilsons book Warring Fictions: Cultural Politics and the Vietnam War Narrative, their first collaboration, Counter-Revolutionary Violence (1973), was dropped by its publisher after an executive with the company found its rebuke of U.S. foreign policy to be a pack of lies, a scurrilous attack on respected Americans.

An expanded two-volume version of the book soon followed, titled "The Political Economy of Human Rights" (1979), but neither work drew the acclaim and attention garnered by "Manufacturing Consent" (1988), which the Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi described as "a kind of Bible of media criticism for a generation of dissident thinkers."

Dr. Herman received primary credit for the book, which outlined a propaganda model of American mass media, arguing that news coverage was shaped largely by market forces, internalized assumptions and self-censorship.

Drawing on reams of news stories, Dr. Herman and Chomsky compiled case studies that showed how media coverage of Americas allies generally differed from the coverage received by its adversaries, most famously in the case of human-rights violations by El Salvador, an American ally, and Nicaragua, whose left-wing Sandinista government was opposed by the Ronald Reagan administration.

Coverage of Jerzy Popieluszko, a Polish priest who was murdered by Communist state police, dwarfed that of myriad priests who were murdered in our client states in Latin America, they found, and reporting on conflicts in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos seemed scattered and deficient.

For the case studies alone, reviewer Derek N. Shearer wrote in the Los Angeles Times that "the work should be required reading for future foreign correspondents and foreign editors at leading schools of journalism and public affairs."

To many critics, however, the books arguments were oversimplified  the authors did not visit newsrooms or interview reporters in the course of their research  and failed to explain why the propaganda machine was not always successful in manufacturing consent.

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"The whole approach of the book is deeply simplistic," said Todd Gitlin , a Columbia University journalism professor and communications scholar. "If you think that the New York Times is Pravda, which is essentially what they're saying, then what vocabulary do you have left for Fox News? Their model is so clumsy that it disables you from distinguishing between a straight-out propaganda network and a more complex, hegemonic mainstream news organ."

Manufacturing Consent was adapted into a documentary of the same name in 1992, and Dr. Herman continued to write about the media in news articles and in books such as The Global Media (1997), co-authored with communications scholar Robert W. McChesney, and The Myth of the Liberal Media (1999), a compendium of his case studies and essays.

Edward Samuel Herman was born in Philadelphia on April 7, 1925, to a family of liberal Democrats. His father was a pharmacist, and his mother was a homemaker.

He studied economics at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving bachelors and masters degrees at the school, before finding a mentor in Robert A. Brady, a University of California at Berkeley professor who analyzed the economic systems of fascist societies. He received a doctorate in economics at Berkeley in 1953 and joined the University of Pennsylvania five years later, retiring in 1989 as professor emeritus.

Dr. Herman was championed by many on the left for his media criticism, but his writings on genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia and Rwanda were criticized for seeming to sympathize with repressive regimes, and for belittling the testimonies of survivors. Dr. Herman said he was trying to ensure accuracy of details such as the number of people killed at Srebrenica and the origins of the Rwandan genocide, which Dr. Herman argued was in large part the result of actions by leaders of the minority Tutsi ethnic group.

Dr. Hermans wife of 67 years, the former Mary Woody, died in 2013. Dr. Herman married Abbott, a longtime friend, two years later. In addition to his wife, of Penn Valley, survivors include a brother.

In an interview for the 2013 book Weapons of the Strong: Conversations on U.S. State Terrorism, Dr. Herman stood by his propaganda model of journalism, declaring, The mainstream media are part of a closely integrated corporate and political system, and they consistently serve as a propaganda arm of the state on foreign policy issues.

In fact, he said, the extent to which the media collaborated with the Bush administration in the run-up to the Iraq War in 2003, in the face of massive street protests on the part of ordinary citizens, was a media regression from the Vietnam War experience.
Uwe E. Reinhardt, an economist who gained international renown for diagnosing the ills of the U.S. health-care system, and who drew on ethics as well as data in offering remedies to policymakers and physicians, patients and the public, died Nov. 13 in Princeton, N.J. He was 80.

His death was announced by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, where he had taught for nearly five decades. Other details were not immediately available.

Few scholars had greater influence than Dr. Reinhardt on the analysis of health care in the United States. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, chairman of the University of Pennsylvanias Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, described him in an interview as one of the giants of health care policy and economics.

Dr. Reinhardt provided a great moral conscience and was an educator in the widest sense, Emanuel said, not just for his students at Princeton but everyone in America. Emanuel credited him with showing that a more equitable health-care system was both desirable and possible.

During the political battles over the 2010 Affordable Care Act, and discussions of the failed Clinton health-care plan in the 1990s, and long before, Dr. Reinhardt was a preeminent source for lawmakers, business executives and journalists on the economics of medical care. Born in Germany and educated partly in Canada, he brought to the fraught debate the clarity of one who has experienced several different health systems firsthand.

He described Americans as "the least well-insured people on Earth" and U.S. employers, who often provide employees with insurance, as arguably the "sloppiest purchasers of health care anywhere." (Known for a plain-spoken style, he boasted of making similar remarks directly to the Business Council, an association of executives.)

Appearing before congressional panels, on the speaking circuit and in the media, Dr. Reinhardt enumerated the flaws of the U.S. system as he saw them  the fragility of employment-based plans, the number of people who carry no insurance, and the unpredictable and often exorbitant cost of services.

Victor R. Fuchs, a Stanford University professor emeritus of health policy, said in an interview that Dr. Reinhardt was a leading advocate for some form of national health insurance, such as the German system.

"I believe it is still the best model there is, because it blends a private health-care delivery system with universal coverage and social solidarity," Dr. Reinhardt told the New York Times in 2009. "The financing is simple. It's inexpensive and equitable. Coverage is portable. You're never uninsured in Germany. No family goes broke over health care bills."

Emanuel remarked that Dr. Reinhardt escaped the flaw  popularly attributed to economists and cynics  of knowing the price of everything but the value of nothing. Dr. Reinhardt knew well, Emanuel said, that price was just one aspect of the value of health care. He spoke with grief about uninsured women who think twice before seeing a doctor for lumps in their breasts because care is so costly.

Yet price did matter, Dr. Reinhardt argued. Americans in different parts of the country are often charged wildly different fees for the same services  with no regard for quality.

He decried the shroud of secrecy covering the U.S. health care fortress and saw hope in reference pricing, in which insurers pay a set amount for a set service and the patient must cover the difference if he or she visits a provider who charges more.

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He also called for a stricter individual mandate  a means of distributing risk by requiring everyone to enroll in insurance  than the one in the Affordable Care Act. Many congressional Republicans have vowed to eliminate the mandate as part of the dismantlement of the legislation, which was dubbed Obamacare.

To those who argue that government involvement in personal matters violates some fundamental American ethic, Dr. Reinhardt declared the notion utterly ridiculous.

"Just try taking Medicare away from the elderly," he told the Times. "In the decades I have lived here, I have discovered this about America's legendary rugged individualists: when the going gets rough, the rough run to the government."

Uwe Ernst Reinhardt  his first name was pronounced OOH-vah  was born in Osnabruck, Germany, on Sept. 24, 1937. His father was a chemical engineer, and his mother was an artist.

He grew up on the edge of the Hurtgen forest, the site of a horrific battle in the waning days of World War II. Years later, he would defend the members of his generation whom, he wrote in the Times, many Americans now disparage so contemptuously as pacifists for their aversion to war.

Dr. Reinhardt left Germany for Canada, where he received a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1964. He came to the United States to attend Yale University, receiving a PhD in economics in 1970.

At Princeton, where he joined the faculty in 1968, his students included future heart transplant surgeon and Senate majority leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). As Dr. Reinhardt established himself in his field, he advised policymakers abroad as well as in the United States. He nurtured a particular interest in medical care for veterans, one of his sons having served as a Marine Corps officer in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Dr. Reinhardts survivors include his wife, Tsung-Mei Cheng, who is known as May, of Princeton; three children, Dirk Reinhardt of New York City, Kara Reinhardt Block of Wellesley, Mass., and Mark Reinhardt of San Francisco; two sisters; a brother; and two grandchildren.

Emanuel commended Dr. Reinhardt for maintaining a sense of optimism where health care was concerned, despite political and other obstacles to change. Dr. Reinhardt quipped that, perhaps for the United States, the best solution was the K.I.S.S. principle  Keep It Simple, Stupid.

"If you can do something in a complicated way, trust Americans to discover it," he told the Times, "certainly in health care."
A U.S. District Court judge has sentenced a 24-year-old Washington man to 57 months in prison for a bank robbery.

The incident happened about 11:15 a.m. Jan. 26 when, authorities said, Kevin Aguilar went into the Capital One Bank in the 1200 block of F Street NW. He gave a teller a note, threatening to shoot unless he immediately got $10,000.

The teller handed over $852 and the robber fled.

Officials later identified him through surveillance footage at the bank. He was arrested in April and has been in custody since then. He pleaded guilty in July.

Judge Reggie B. Walton also placed him on three years of supervised release, following his prison time. He was also ordered to pay $852 in restitution.

As part of his plea, Aguilar also admitted that he tried to commit another robbery in June 2016 of a BB&T bank in the 600 block of 13th Street NW.

In that incident, he walked into the bank and demanded money.

He said, Im going to count to three and Ill shoot. . . . One.

A bank teller pressed an alarm and he fled without any cash, according to the U.S. States Attorneys Office for the District.

Again, he was identified as the robber using bank surveillance videos.
That a teenager grabbed a womans handbag seemed bad enough. The woman fought back, and police said she was dragged across a sidewalk, bruising her leg.

But it was the actions of two teens who police said were with the robber in Woodley Park on Thursday night that turned a street robbery into something more heinous.

Police said in a report that the teens stood across the street and laughed the entire time before fleeing on foot.

Authorities are still searching for the robber and his friends and had no detailed description, other than they were between 14 and 18 years old. The woman who was attacked declined to discuss the incident, which occurred about 9:30 p.m. in a neighborhood among those with the fewest crimes in the District.

The attack occurred as the woman walked along the 2700 block of Woodley Place NW, about two blocks east of Connecticut Avenue and just south of the National Zoo. Police said that the robber approached the woman from behind and snatched her H&M handbag from her left arm.

The woman told police that she held on to her bag and was dragged to the ground. The attacker was able to get her bag, which contained a wallet, a drivers license, a bank card, keys, a phone charger and makeup.

The neighborhood has recorded 10 robberies this year, three of them armed, according to D.C. police statistics. Three of the robberies occurred near where the woman was attacked Thursday night, but Cmdr. Melvin Gresham of the 2nd District station said those occurred earlier in the year and do not appear related to the most recent incident.

These things come in cycles, Gresham said. Well go months without anything, and then all of sudden well have one or two.

Of the laughter, Gresham said, I hate to say it, but in todays society its not unusual.
A Northeast Washington man has been arrested in connection with a homicide that occurred in Maryland in September, according to Prince Georges County Police.

Anthony Stewart, 25, was charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Ibrahim Kamara, 20, of Upper Marlboro, police said.

Kamara was found with a gunshot wound at about 12:40 a.m. on Sept. 27 in the 4000 block of Rocky Mount Drive in Temple Hills and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kamara and Stewart were acquaintances who got into a dispute before the shooting, police said.
Tricia Lynn McCauley was a popular Washington actress who taught yoga and herbalism and often fed neighborhood children vegetables from her Bloomingdale garden.

Duane Johnson had struggled with mental illness since he was young, his attorneys said, and had been in and out of local hospitals whenever his insurance coverage lapsed, eventually ending up homeless and abusing illegal drugs and alcohol.

Last Christmas, McCauley and Johnson crossed paths as strangers in an encounter that ended with Johnson climbing into McCauleys car and brutally beating and raping her before strangling her with her scarf.

In D.C. Superior Court on Friday, a judge sentenced the 30-year-old Johnson to 30 years in prison after he admitted killing the 46-year-old McCauley and then driving through the city in her car with her body in the back seat.

For months in court hearings, attorneys for Johnson argued that he was mentally ill and not responsible in McCauleys death. In September, Johnson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for her killing, but has not said how the two met that day or how he entered her car.



Tricia Lynn McCauley, 46, of the District, was found dead on Dec. 27, 2016. (Metropoliitan Police Department)

About 30 of McCauleys friends filled three rows in court Friday, while on the other side of the courtroom a handful of Johnsons relatives, including his mother, sat beside staffers from the Districts Public Defender Service.

The 30-year term was part of a plea deal reached by both sides and with the agreement of McCauleys family members, who were not in the courtroom Friday. Before the sentence was imposed, several of McCauleys friends tearfully spoke to the judge about their friend and her life, with several saying her death stemmed from a failure to address mental illness.

The mentally ill have fallen through the cracks. I hope the city changes the practices, said one of McCauleys friends, Erin Heramb, looking at Johnson. I hope you receive the proper treatment. I hope you never do this again. You have affected an entire city.

Another of McCauleys friends, Elise Foster, said that for the first time in her 13 years living in Washington, she is afraid. She no longer walks alone and rides her bike everywhere. She avoids areas of the city where she says she feels unsafe. She is seeing a grief counselor and takes self-defense classes.

I no longer feel at home here. I dont feel at home in a city where this could happen, Foster said, wiping away tears. She then recalled something McCauley would always tell her. Breathe. And look up, Foster said, then smiled.

[Man admits to killing local actress]

Before leaving for a holiday party last December, prosecutors said, McCauley packed her suitcases in preparation for a next-day flight to Las Vegas to visit family. She updated her Facebook page and said she was headed to her friends get-together, having made a pie and her signature Brussels sprouts.

McCauley never arrived. Her friends began to worry and reported her missing.

Johnson, prosecutors say, somehow got inside McCauleys vehicle as she was departing from her apartment at about 5:30 p.m. on Christmas Day.

At just over five feet tall and 120 pounds, the petite McCauley obviously put up a fight against Johnson, who is 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds, court records state. Her body was found in the back seat of her white Scion. She had been beaten and strangled, and her legs had been bound with a seat belt.

[Man charged with murder in death of D.C. actress]

Johnson was arrested a day later. He was located in a Northwest pharmacy; McCauleys car was parked outside, and he had its key, according to charging documents.

The documents state Johnson told police that McCauley had offered him a ride and that he and McCauley had consensual sex before she committed suicide by hanging herself with a seat belt. He then told detectives that he thought she was sleeping in the back seat and would wake up, the documents state.

Prosecutors said that a forensic investigation revealed Johnsons DNA under McCauleys fingernails and that his DNA also was found on the scarf McCauley was wearing, which detectives said he used to strangle her.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler called the case tragic and requested that in addition to the mandatory 30 years of prison, without possibility of early release, Johnson also be placed on lifetime supervised release.

Judge Hiram Puig-Lugo instead ordered Johnson to spend 30 years under court monitoring upon his release.

Johnson chose not to address the judge or McCauleys friends. Instead, he allowed one of his attorneys, Jacqueline Cadman, to speak for him.

Cadman cited her clients years of mental illness, culminating with him sleeping on public benches and using drugs, including in the days before he killed McCauley. Cadman said that Johnson at some point spent a week in a hospital for his mental health problems but was discharged when his insurance coverage ran out.

Once Johnson was put on proper medication administered in D.C. jail and began working with a jail social worker, Cadman said, he was a different person than he was at the time of his arrest  and that change was the reason he pleaded guilty early in the case.

Mr. Johnson is truly, sincerely, genuinely remorseful for what has happened, she said.

When the judge asked Johnson if there was anything he wanted to add, he declined. Id rather rest on what my attorney shared, he said.
A police bike patrol rides past The Lucky Corner Store in the Brightwood neighborhood in NW DC. A teenager was gunned down on an alley behind Rittenhouse Street on Nov. 7. The next day a gun battle took place on the corner of Georgia and Kennedy St. NW resulting in a death and an arrest. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

He had heard gunshots before, having lived in the same home on Rittenhouse Street in Northwest Washington for 40 years. But they had always sounded distant.

The shots James W. Preston Sr. heard the night of Nov. 7 were different.

They were rapid, close, loud.

It was like pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow.

Preston, 70, poked his head out his back door and saw a paramedic doing compressions on a young mans chest. As vigorous as he was doing it, Preston said, I knew whoever it was, was in bad shape.



James Preston, a longtime resident of the Brightwood neighborhood in NW DC points out where a homicide took place in Washington, DC. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

The 16-year-old died at a hospital 30 minutes later. The next night, a 23-year-old man was fatally shot inside a corner carryout a mile south on Georgia Avenue. Authorities said the two shootings might be related and might be connected to gangs.

The stream of gunshots Preston heard have reverberated through his Brightwood neighborhood, where nearby homes are owned by a judge, an executive of a foundation, a police lieutenant and a college professor, to name a few.

This is not what theyre used to, Preston, who is retired from the U.S. Treasury Department, said of newcomers to the neighborhood, tucked between Georgia Avenue and Rock Creek Park, near Fort Stevens. Already concerned by recent violence, the back-to-back killings on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 were the tipping point for many residents. More than 80 people on Tuesday attended a community meeting with police to discuss the shootings.

[Police exploring possible gang link in fatal shootings in Northwest Washington]

I see drug dealers, said Conor Savoy, after listening to a police commander who recited the basic details about each killing and would later provide tips on staying safe. Savoy urged him to explain how the police planned to end the violence.

Its a problem, said Savoy, who lives near Kennedy Street, a trouble spot east of Georgia Avenue.

He did not like the answer from police that undercover drug squads are centralized downtown and are no longer at the direction of the local commander. Nor were residents placated by statistics showing crime is down in their patrol area.



WASHINGTON,DC - NOVEMBER 14: Residents of the Brightwood neighborhood of NW DC attended a Nov. 14 meeting about recent homicides. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

They demanded more scrutiny of a corner carryout on Georgia Avenue, where one of the shootings occurred. One woman pushed police to give a timeline for arrests, so that our children can feel safe.

Police Cmdr. Wilfredo Manlapaz told her, I wish I could say we will close it in an hour, but I cant.

Manlapaz, who runs the 4th District station, promised to keep extra officers on the streets and said members of the elite gun squad have been shifted to Brightwood. He also said parole and probation officers are confronting offenders living in the neighborhood and being supervised as part of their release.

We may try to pressure them, Manlapaz said. We may try to get information out of them. We can at least let them know that were watching them closely.

One person asked about gangs, and while Manlapaz acknowledged there are gangs operating in the community, he did not name any specific crew. Police officials had previously said gang ties are being investigated in the two recent killings, but they have not offered details.

The teenager killed in the alley in the 1300 block of Rittenhouse Street NW was Yoselis Regino Barrios. No arrests have been made in his case. The man killed the next night at the Lucky Corner Market in the 5400 block of Georgia Avenue NW was Jonathan Vilchez, 23. Authorities said a second man was wounded while exchanging gunfire with Vilchez; he has been charged with murder.

Families of the victims have not spoken publicly.

But officials at Capital City Public Charter School, in nearby Manor Park, said Yoselis had been a student there. The charter school system issued a statement saying faculty had been enamored with the youth. Friends erected a memorial at his locker.

We loved his great sense of humor and were so proud of the academic progress that he had made this year, the statement said. He was not in a gang to our students or staffs knowledge, and his family was deeply engaged in his success and participated in all of our conferences and events that he was in.

Part of the Tuesday community meeting evolved into a discussion about the gentrifying neighborhood, with a diverse community that includes immigrant groups of Latinos and Ethiopians and newcomers renovating old homes.

Where some complained of a gritty commercial strip along Georgia Avenue, Preston sees a beauty salon and a strip club that are more landmarks than eyesores, a testament to businesses that built foundations there. He is worried apartment dwellers are going to be priced out of here.

At the meeting, Preston told fellow residents that these shootings are not the norm. Earlier, while touring the neighborhood, he took a measured approach, noting the high police presence might signal that officers are expecting something else to jump off in terms of violence. But he said he was not all panicky.

Savoy, who asked the first question at the meeting about drugs, said although police have saturated the neighborhood, he sees little enforcement with quality-of-life crimes such as drug sales.

It has created a permissiveness, and what you get is what happened  these homicides, said Savoy, who moved to the District 16 years ago and to Brightwood three years ago. He said he agrees with fighting crime by providing jobs and better education, but he also said there has to be a law enforcement component. . . . This isnt the time or place to discuss whether or not the war on drugs has failed. . . . We also have to deal with the here and now.

Savoy, director of policy and advocacy for the Global Innovation Fund, a nonprofit organization that invests in development and innovations in some of the worlds most impoverished countries, rejected a takeaway from the meeting that a certain amount of crime is inevitable.

There is no reason why we should accept crime of any kind in any neighborhood, he said. It should get better for everyone.

Shira Stein contributed to this report.
A church in Montgomery County was hit twice by gunfire, most recently on Thursday, authorities said.

The shootings occurred outside New Life Seventh-day Adventist Church, 7401 Muncaster Mill Rd., in the Redland area.

The first shooting was noticed on Wednesday evening. A parishioner called police after he saw a bullet hole in a window frame near the front entrance. Officers were able to pull a bullet fragment from the frame. Church representatives didnt know when the bullet may have been fired.

The next night, at 11:13 p.m. Thursday, police were called to the area near the church for reported sounds of gunshots. Officers saw damage to the church and found bullet fragments at the scene. They also found shell casings on Muncaster Mill Road.

Police said that anyone with information about the gunshots can call 240-773-5770 or 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Joshua Cole, Democratic candidate for delegate in the 28th district, speaks to protesters gathered outside the Stafford County Government building in Stafford, Va., on Monday. (Mike Morones/AP)

A federal judge in Alexandria declined Friday to force a count of 55 absentee ballots that could help determine control of the Virginia House of Delegates.

In the race to fill the seat held by retiring Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford), Republican Robert Thomas is ahead of Joshua Cole by 82 votes. Cole's campaign filed suit arguing that 55 absentee ballots that arrived in Stafford County the day after the Nov. 7 election were late because of postal-office problems and should be counted.

Judge Claude M. Hilton disagreed.

These ballots were late, he said. Everyone, Hilton added, wonders sometimes whats wrong with the mail. But he saw no evidence of improprieties here.

Coles campaign pointed to an email sent to state officials the day after the election by Greg Riddlemoser, general registrar of Stafford County, saying that there is no possible way in my military mind that these ballots should not have been available to us on Election Day before close-of-polls.

Amanda Callais, an attorney for the Cole campaign, said in court Friday that the registrars email indicates that these ballots would have arrived but for the mistake of a government official.

While even 55 votes entirely for Cole would not give him victory, Callais argued that with the final counting of provisional ballots and correction of errors, the race could swing in his favor.

On the stand Friday, Riddlemoser said he had no evidence that the Postal Service made a mistake. He said the email he wrote was unnecessary and unfortunate.

He explained that he was moved by the plight of Laura Sellers, a local supervisor who lost her seat by a dozen votes. Her father came into the election office the day after the election and was quite upset, Riddlemoser said. The office staff, who know and like the Sellers family, were quite upset as well, he said.

Theyre good people, Riddlemoser said.

This is a very close election, and there are strong emotions on both sides, said Patrick T. Lewis, an attorney for the Republican Party of Virginia, which opposed the suit. We have no reason to believe that the post office was not acting with diligence.

Election officials in Stafford County voted 2 to 1 Monday not to count the ballots. A Stafford Circuit Court judge on Tuesday threw out a different lawsuit focused on the same race, arguing that voters required to cast provisional ballots on Election Day were given "conflicting and misleading instructions."

View Graphic The latest stories and details on the 2017 Virginia general election and race for governor.

A spokesman for Del. M. Kirkland Cox (R-Colonial Heights), who will become speaker if the GOP holds its majority, praised the ruling. We are pleased the judge applied the law fairly and evenly, as did the local electoral board, spokesman Parker Slaybaugh said. We hope House Democrats will end the unnecessary litigation so Bob Thomas can begin preparing to serve the people of the 28th District.

Marc Elias, a lawyer hired by the Virginia House Democratic Caucus to represent Cole, said Democrats are weighing their options. We are disappointed with the courts ruling that effectively disenfranchises 55 voters who submitted their ballots correctly but whose voices remain unheard due to an error of the United States Postal Service, he said in a statement.

The Democrats also assert that 668 Fredericksburg voters were given the wrong ballots, causing them to vote in the race for House District 88 rather than 28.

In a letter to the state elections board, Elias said Fredericksburg officials improperly split two precincts that are entirely within District 28, giving some voters ballots for that House race and others ballots for the District 88 contest. Elias asked the board to exclude votes cast in the two precincts from the District 88 totals and to decline to declare a winner in District 28 when it meets Monday to certify the Nov. 7 election results.

Del. C. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), who will become House majority leader if the GOP retains control, said the Democrats claim is based on outdated precinct lines.

Fredericksburg City Attorney Kathleen Dooley confirmed in an email to The Washington Post on Friday that after the city adjusted precinct lines in 2011, it created splits in the two precincts Elias referenced.

The District 28 race is one of three likely headed for a state-funded recount after the Nov. 7 election, in which Democrats made huge gains in the House and swept statewide offices for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Before the election, Republicans boasted a 66-to-34 majority in Richmonds lower chamber. Now the count is 49 Democrats and 51 Republicans, putting Democrats within striking distance of taking control. They need one more victory to force a power-sharing deal with Republicans and two more to take the reins of the chamber for the first time since 2000.

Republicans hold narrow leads in the Thomas-Cole contest and two other contested races. In those, Del. Timothy D. Hugo (R-Fairfax) has a 106-vote lead over Democrat Donte Tanner, while Del. David E. Yancey (R-Newport News) is up just 10 votes over Democrat Shelly Simonds.
TEXAS

Ex-Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge hospitalized

Former U.S. homeland security secretary Tom Ridge was in critical condition Thursday after undergoing an emergency heart procedure at a hospital in Austin.

A Ridge spokesman said the 72-year-old former Pennsylvania governor was attending the Republican Governors Association conference when he called for help at his hotel at about 7 a.m.

The spokesman, Steve Aaron, said Ridge underwent a cardiac catheterization at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas. He said Ridge has been responsive with physicians.

Ridge was the nations first homeland security secretary, serving under President George W. Bush until February 2005. He was governor of Pennsylvania from 1995 and left after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to join the Bush administration.

Since leaving government, Ridge has headed Ridge Global, a firm that advises on cybersecurity, international security and risk management. Aaron said Ridge was attending the conference for Ridge Global.

 Associated Press

Sheriff at odds over anti-Trump decal

The driver of a pickup truck displaying an expletive-filled message to President Trump and his supporters in the Houston area says she wont remove the decal.

Karen Fonseca, 46, says shes been stopped by law officers, but they have no grounds to issue a citation. Its just our freedom of speech and were exercising it, she told the Houston Chronicle.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls on Wednesday posted a photo of the truck message on Facebook alongside a request to speak with the driver.

Nehls in his post said that a county prosecutor told him the message could warrant a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. But at a news conference later Wednesday, he seemed to back away from that idea. Nehls said he supports freedom of speech but worried that profane messages could incite others and lead to confrontations that would disturb the peace hes pledged to keep.

A spokeswoman for the sheriffs office, which covers the county just southwest of Houston, said Thursday that Nehlss post was removed once the pickup driver was identified.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas posted on Facebook that Fonsecas message is protected speech and urged her to reach out to the organization.

Fonseca says the message has been on the rear window of the pickup for nearly a year and it will stay there for the time being.

 Associated Press

ARKANSAS

Man found unfit for trial over statue destruction

A man charged with crashing his vehicle into Arkansas Ten Commandments display nearly three years after he was accused of destroying a monument at Oklahomas Capitol was found mentally unfit to go to trial Thursday.

A Pulaski County judge found Michael Tate Reed unfit to proceed based on a diagnosis by state doctors and ordered him to be held by the state hospital for further evaluation. Circuit Judge Chris Piazza set a September 2018 hearing on Reeds mental status.

Reed faces a felony criminal mischief charge for destroying Arkansas privately funded Ten Commandments statue in late June, less than 24 hours after it had been installed outside the state Capitol. Reed was arrested in the 2014 destruction of Oklahomas Ten Commandments monument, but prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges in that case.

Reeds relatives say he has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a chronic mental-health condition characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and manic behavior.

A video posted on Reeds Facebook page appeared to show a live broadcast of the Arkansas monuments destruction in late June, with a driver yelling freedom! as his vehicle crashed his vehicle into the display. The monument fell and broke into multiple pieces as it hit the ground.

Arkansass monument is a replica of a display at the Texas Capitol that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2005. After Oklahomas monument was destroyed in 2014, a replacement was erected but then ordered removed by that states Supreme Court, which determined its location on state property violated a constitutional prohibition on the use of state funds to support a religion.

 Associated Press

Lehigh bars fraternity over excessive drinking: A private university in Pennsylvania has barred the Sigma Chi fraternity from operating on campus for more than two years after two students were hospitalized for excessive drinking at a champagne party. Lehigh University's committee on discipline revoked recognition of the fraternity effective Nov. 14 through May 31, 2020. A post on the university's Greek community blog said no fraternity member called for help during the Oct. 12 party at a house on campus in Bethlehem. The fraternity already had been formally warned that its recognition could be revoked after three other alcohol-related violations.

Teacher fired after video shows hijab removed from student: A Tennessee teacher who posted video on social media of a student's hijab, or headscarf, being taken off in her classroom has been fired. WSMV-TV reported Thursday that New Vision Academy Charter School in Nashville said the teacher is no longer an employee of the school, citing a lack of judgment and cultural sensitivity. The video posted on Snapchat bore the caption, "pretty hair." A second video was captioned, "lol all that hair cover up." Footage showed the student with a hand covering her face as her hijab was removed from her head. The school maintains the teacher didn't remove the hijab and that no malicious intent was behind the incident.

 From news services
In late January 2012, drug distributor Cardinal Health got word that the Drug Enforcement Administration was about to take action against the companys Lakeland, Fla., warehouse, which supplied 36 million opioid painkillers to customers in three Southern states every month.

Large numbers of pills had been leaking onto the black market and Cardinal had failed to report warning signs to the DEA, agency records show. Cardinal was concerned that the DEA was about to hit the warehouse with an immediate suspension order  a tactic that instantly halts all commerce in controlled substances.

Cardinal retained one of Washington's best-connected power lawyers, Jamie Gorelick, a partner at WilmerHale, who had served as deputy U.S. attorney general from 1994 to 1997. Gorelick quickly reached out to the man who then held the post, James M. Cole, and his aides, according to emails obtained by The Washington Post through a lawsuit filed against the Justice Department.

Gorelick phoned one of them, Stuart M. Goldberg, the principal associate deputy attorney general, on the night of Feb. 1, the emails show.

Gorelick's impact was immediate. On Feb. 2, Cole summoned Joseph T. Rannazzisi, the DEA official leading the aggressive campaign against Cardinal, to his office to ask why he planned to shut down the warehouse. Rannazzisi had never before been asked to defend an investigation in the seven years that his Office of Diversion Control had been waging its battle against opioid distributors accused of failing to keep prescription painkillers off the streets. He interpreted the rancorous meeting with Cole as a clear signal to back off on Cardinal but refused and filed the suspension order that day.

Gorelick emailed Goldberg that evening.

Stu, she wrote, I am stunned by the events of the past couple days as we have tried to interact with DEA to no avail. I dont think I have ever seen anything like this.

There is nothing illegal or unethical about Gorelick's communications, an expert said. But the emails provide fresh evidence that special treatment in the halls of power is available to companies that employ the right people  former high-ranking government officials with contact lists full of the most important phone numbers.

This is a perfect picture of the power of influence and who you are in Washington. She wasnt just anyone. She was the former deputy attorney general, said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group that tracks conflicts of interest in government.

Had this been a country lawyer from Dublin, Ohio, writing to the deputy attorney general, you would not see this activity.

Rannazzisi said he was angry that Deputy Attorney General Cole questioned his motives and tactics based on the complaints of Gorelick, a lawyer representing a drug company. Previous DEA actions  including the shutdown of Cardinal warehouses in 2007  had gone unquestioned by Justice officials.

Its a fairness issue, Rannazzisi said after he was shown the emails. Why does she get to discuss with the [deputy attorney generals] office her problems with the matter? Do they do that for everybody?

The Justice Department and Goldberg declined to comment for this story. Cole has denied trying to exert any influence over the DEA investigation, saying that he only wanted to make sure that Rannazzisis investigators had listened to Cardinals side of the matter. In a statement to The Post last year, Cole said my conversation with Mr. Rannazzisi was simply to confirm whether he had refused to meet with Cardinal regarding a potential DEA action and, if so, share my view that it made good sense to listen to what Cardinal had to say.

Hearing what Cardinal had to say could inform DEA of facts they may not have known. I did not tell Mr. Rannazzisi how to come out on the Cardinal matter and certainly did not discourage him from going after any company in violation of any statutes or regulations, he said.

Rannazzisi said Cole should have contacted then-DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart for information on the case.

Through a spokeswoman at his current law firm, Sidley Austin, Cole declined to comment for this story.

In emailed responses to written questions, Gorelick said that she did not ask Cole to speak with Rannazzisi about the case and had not contacted Cole before she sent a Nov. 22, 2011, email about the same matter.

Asked whether Cardinal hired her because of her past connections to the deputy attorney generals office, Gorelick wrote: My tenure as the Deputy Attorney General ended in 199714 years before these events occurred. Cardinal hired WilmerHale to represent it in connection with a potential DEA enforcement action. WilmerHale was lead counsel for Cardinal in the judicial challenge to DEAs immediate suspension order.

Nearly 200,000 people have died of overdoses from prescription opioids since 2000. Beginning in 2006, the DEA mounted an aggressive campaign aimed at major drug distributors, reasoning that controlling the flow of opioids from wholesalers would be more effective than enforcing the law against pharmacies and doctors. That strategy resulted in hundreds of millions in fines against distributors and promises from the companies to tighten procedures.

But beginning in 2013, DEA attorneys began dramatically slowing enforcement, in part because of warnings from a drug industry lawyer, D. Linden Barber, who had worked in the DEA legal office until 2011, The Post and "60 Minutes" have previously reported. Some DEA lawyers were concerned that their cases rested on uncertain legal ground.

Frustrated investigators in the field said cases against some companies were delayed or blocked as the opioid problem became more critical.

The Post and "60 Minutes" also have reported that Congress effectively stripped the DEA of its power to use immediate suspension orders by passing a law in 2016 that Barber helped craft.

On May 11, 2016, The Post requested under the Freedom of Information Act any correspondence, including emails, that Gorelick and other individuals had with the office of the deputy attorney general regarding DEA investigations. Eight months later, the Justice Department said the search for the records had been completed and was awaiting processing.

But Justice did not release the records until more than nine months after that, on Oct. 30 of this year, after The Post hired the law firm of Ballard Spahr and sued the department. The Posts lawyers, Charles D. Tobin and Adrianna Rodriguez, won an order from U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta in August mandating that Justice turn over Gorelicks emails and other records.

[Read the emails that were turned over]

Rannazzisi said he was forced into retirement in 2015 under pressure from drug company supporters in Congress. After being shown Gorelicks emails by The Post, he said he was especially concerned about an email she had sent months before her communications with Goldberg in February 2012.

In a Dec. 5, 2011 email to Associate U.S. Attorney General James H. Dinan, another Cole aide, Gorelick wrote that someone in the DEA had told Cardinal that action is not likely to be taken before Dec. 5 and they will consider meeting with us.

Rannazzisi said that communication, which he previously did not know about, could have compromised an active investigation.

"It appears she knew when we were or were not going to do an enforcement operation,"

Rannazzisi said. "They're not supposed to know that." He said standard procedure is never to inform the target of an enforcement action when investigators might move in.

The emails, and a seven-page letter from Gorelick to Cole, make clear that the attorney kept up the pressure on the DEA by communicating with the Justice Department at least twice. Justice supervises the DEA.

Gorelicks communications with Coles office began more than two months before the February exchange, shortly before Thanksgiving 2011, when Cardinal erroneously concluded that Rannazzisis investigators were set to issue the immediate suspension order.

Gorelick sent Cole and four aides the seven-page letter, attached to a Nov. 22 email, that included Cardinals view of the law on use of those orders, efforts the company had undertaken to combat illegal diversion and the harm that an immediate suspension would do.

Such an order "would cause severe harm not only to Cardinal Health, but also to its customers in the region, including hospitals that urgently need the medicines for patient care," she wrote. "Oncology, surgical, urgent care and emergency room patients would experience delays and disruption in their access to crucial pain medicine. And Cardinal Health would experience a daily loss of customers and goodwill that could never be fully restored."

She said the DEA had failed for weeks to respond to our attempts to begin a dialogue and requested a meeting with Cole to discuss the agencys approach, which she described as both unlawful and inconsistent with the public interest.

Rannazzisi and other DEA supervisors have said the agencys standard practice was first to warn companies about violations and ultimately to cut off communication once it became clear the agency planned to begin enforcement proceedings.

According to Rannazzisi and his investigators, the DEA repeatedly warned Cardinal over the years to report huge orders of drugs by pharmacies. Two CVS stores in Sanford, Fla., had purchased millions of painkillers from Cardinal and were accused by DEA of diverting drugs to the black market.

Less than three hours after Gorelicks Nov. 22 email, Dinan referred her to the DEAs top lawyer, Wendy Goggin. But he also called Rannazzisi and cautioned him not to take actions that couldnt be undone, Rannazzisi has said.

In her email to The Post, Gorelick said that my November 22, 2011 letter to Deputy Attorney General Cole indicates that DEA had failed to respond to prior attempts by Cardinal to begin a dialogue with DEA regarding the agencys concerns. I was not involved in those prior communications.

The meeting between Cardinal and DEA apparently never occurred. As the DEA prepared to take action in February 2012, the conflict flared again. In her Feb. 2 email, Gorelick wrote if, in fact, the DEA intends to issue an [immediate suspension order], I would ask that the Deputys Office assure itself that the Chief Counsel has found a legal and factual basis for that drastic action.

Rannazzisi has said that his meeting that month with Cole became adversarial almost from the start. He questioned why this case merited a briefing when others had not. Rannazzisi said Cole interrupted.

"Because I'm the deputy attorney general of the United States, and I want to know about it," he recalled Cole saying.

"Then I say, 'Well, that doesn't really answer the question,' " Rannazzisi said.

Despite the letter and the meeting, the DEA filed immediate suspension orders against Cardinal and the two CVS drugstores the same day. Both companies went to court, initially winning temporary restraining orders that barred the DEA from cutting off the flow of drugs. Gorelick sent those decisions to Goldberg, along with other legal documents that were not released.

There are underlying policy issues that should concern the Deputy, she wrote on Feb. 7.

But a federal court judge later removed those obstacles after determining that the DEA had enough evidence to file the immediate suspension orders.

By May Cardinal settled the case and agreed to shut off the flow of controlled substances from the Lakeland warehouse for two years. In January of this year, more than four years later, the company agreed to pay a $44 million fine for the violations there and at two other sites. That was $10 million more than Cardinal paid to settle the previous round of violations in 2008. CVS settled in 2015 and agreed to pay a $22 million fine.

The drug industrys triumph over the DEA
The entrance to Sutter Davis Hospital stands in Davis, California, U.S., on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010. Sutter Health Co., a nonprofit that owns 25 hospitals and 17 outpatient surgery clinics, has market power that commands prices 40 to 70 percent higher than its rivals per typical procedure -- and pacts with insurers that keep those prices secret. Photographer: Ken James/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Bloomberg)

Sutter Health intentionally destroyed 192 boxes of documents that employers and labor unions were seeking in a lawsuit that accuses the giant Northern California health system of abusing its market power and charging inflated prices, according to a state judge.

In a ruling this week, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Curtis E.A. Karnow said Sutter destroyed documents "knowing that the evidence was relevant to antitrust issues.  There is no good explanation for the specific and unusual destruction here."

Karnow cited an internal email by a Sutter employee who said she was running and hiding after ordering the records destroyed in 2015. The most generous interpretation to Sutter is that it was grossly reckless, the judge wrote in his 12-page ruling.

Sutter, which has 24 hospitals and nearly $12 billion in annual revenue, said the destruction was a regrettable mistake.

Its stunning what Sutter did to cover up incriminating documents in this case, said Richard Grossman, the lead plaintiffs lawyer representing a class of more than 1,500 employer-funded health plans.

Employers and policymakers across the country are closely watching this legal fight amid growing concern about the financial implications of industry consolidation. Large health systems are gaining market clout and the ability to raise prices by acquiring more hospitals, outpatient surgery centers and physician offices.

In April 2014, a grocery workers health plan sued Sutter and allegedit was violating antitrust and unfair competition laws. The plaintiffs began requesting documents related to contracting practices, such as gag clauses that prevent patients from seeing negotiated rates and choosing a cheaper provider and all-or-nothing terms that require every facility in a health system to be included in insurance networks.

Sutter disputes the broader allegations in the lawsuit over its market conduct and said its charges are in line with its competitors.

The judge said that in 2015 Melissa Brendt, Sutter's chief contracting officer in the managed-care department, and an assistant general counsel, Daniela Almeida, authorized Brendt's executive assistant to destroy 10 years' worth of managed-care documents going back to 1995. The company earlier had scheduled the documents to be destroyed in 2035  20 years later.

The executive assistant, Sina Santagata, testified in a deposition she wasnt aware of any other time in her 17 years at Sutter when the managed-care department destroyed records held in storage.

In his Nov. 13 ruling against Sutter, the judge singled out an email by Santagata as "particularly noteworthy."

The executive assistant emailed Brendt, the chief contracting officer, on July 30, 2015, after sending the order to destroy the records. She wrote, Ive pushed the button  if someone is in need of a box between 3/15/95 & 11/23/05  Im running and hiding.  Fingers crossed that I havent authorized something the FTC will hunt me down for.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces antitrust laws in health care to prevent hospitals, drugmakers and other industry players from engaging in anti-competitive behavior that could harm consumers.

Santagata testified that she was being sarcastic in her email, and Sutter told the judge that the FTC reference was just a joke.

Karnow saw no humor in it. There are infinite topics for jokes, and the choice of this one is strong evidence in the plaintiffs favor, he wrote in his order Monday.

As part of his sanctions against Sutter, the judge ordered the health system to examine email backup tapes covering 2002 through 2005 to search for documents on some of the same topics as the destroyed records. Also, Karnow said he will consider a plaintiffs' motion for issuing jury instructions that are adverse to Sutter in light of the document destruction. The trial is scheduled for June 2019.

The record shows that Sutters conduct was more than just an inadvertent error, Karnow wrote.

Sutter spokeswoman Karen Garner said the incident was a mistake made as part of a routine destruction of old paper records and the Sacramento-based health system disclosed the error as soon as it was discovered.

We regret that as part of a routine archiving process we failed to preserve some boxes of decades-old hard-copy documents, Garner said.

The United Food and Commercial Workers and its Employers Benefit Trust initially filed the case against Sutter in 2014. The joint employer-union health plan represents more than 60,000 employees, dependents and retirees. The court certified the case as a class action in August, allowing hundreds of other employers and self-funded health plans to potentially benefit from the litigation.

In addition to its 24 hospitals, Sutters nonprofit health system has 35 surgery centers and more than 5,000 physicians in its network. It reported $11.9 billion in revenue last year and income of $554 million.

Grossman, the plaintiffs counsel, said he welcomed the judges ruling. But he said much of the evidence is irreplaceable, particularly handwritten notes from negotiating sessions and meetings involving key Sutter executives.

He said those records covered a critical period in the early 2000s when there was a sea change in Sutters contracting strategy and it implemented provisions that insulated the health system from price competition.

This was groundbreaking in the industry, Grossman said. Until we address the anti-competitive behavior of entities like Sutter, we will not solve the problem of high costs in health care.

The plaintiffs are seeking to recover hundreds of millions of dollars from Sutter from what it claims are illegally inflated prices. The lawsuit alleges that an overnight hospital stay at Sutter hospitals in San Francisco or Sacramento costs at least 38 percent more than a comparable stay in the more competitive Los Angeles market.

A study published last year found that hospital prices at Sutter and Dignity Health, the two biggest hospital chains in California, were 25 percent higher than at other hospitals around the state. Researchers at the University of Southern California said the giant health systems used their market power to drive up prices  making the average patient admission at both chains nearly $4,000 more expensive.

Sutter is a pretty extreme case of market power, but health care consolidation has become a really important issue across the country, said Kathy Hempstead, a health care researcher at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Its been on the back burner somewhat because of the debate over the Affordable Care Act, but there is bipartisan interest in tackling this.
FLORIDA

Democratic chief quits over creepy behavior

The chairman of the Florida Democratic Party resigned and apologized Friday after being accused of creating an uncomfortable work environment for women by making suggestive comments and leering at them.

Stephen Bittels departure after less than a year on the job followed a story by Politico on Thursday citing six female former party staffers and consultants who said he displayed inappropriate behavior. The news report prompted all four major Democratic candidates for Florida governor to call for his resignation.

None of the women criticizing Bittel, a wealthy commercial real estate developer who became the state partys leader in January, said he inappropriately touched or threatened them.

One former staffer said the Bittels creepy behavior including staring and frequent inappropriate remarks that led to an informal office policy that women should not be left alone with him. Another said he was demeaning and liked to talk about womens breasts.

 Reuters

TENNESSEE

Man, wife wounded in church by his handgun

An 81-year-old Tennessee man, who said he carried a gun everywhere, accidentally shot himself and his wife during a conversation in church about gun violence at houses of worship, a police chief said Friday.

The shooting on Thursday at the First United Methodist Church in Tellico Plains, about 45 miles southwest of Knoxville, took place as church elders discussed a local sheriffs weapons and worship seminar, following the massacre of 26 people at a rural Texas church this month.

During their discussion of this, one of the gentlemen said, I carry a weapon with me everywhere  and pulled a loaded Ruger .380-caliber pistol from his back pocket, Tellico Plains Police Chief Ross Parks said by telephone.

The man removed the magazine and cleared the chamber to show the pistol to the others. He then reloaded it, put a round in the chamber and put it back in his pocket, Parks said.

When another person asked to see the pistol, the man took it out of his pocket and his finger accidentally hit the trigger. The bullet struck his right hand and then went through his 80-year-old wifes abdomen and right forearm, according to the police chief.

The bullet missed the womans vital organs, and the couple was listed in stable condition at a hospital, he said. Parks said no charges were pending.

 Reuters

CONNECTICUT

Killer gets life terms, says he deserves death

A drifter who killed six people in Connecticut in 2003 and drove a van he called the murder mobile was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

A state judge handed down six consecutive life sentences to William Devin Howell during an emotional hearing. Howell pleaded guilty to murder charges in September.

Howell, 47, from Hampton, Va., apologized to the victims families and said he deserved the death penalty. The state Supreme Court abolished Connecticuts death penalty in 2015.

When he was charged with the six murders in 2015, Howell was serving a 15-year prison sentence in another killing. The bodies of his victims were found buried in a wooded area behind a strip mall in New Britain.

 From news services
As you probably have heard, RSV is hitting early and hitting hard this year. Here at Winona Health, my fellow caregivers in Pediatrics and Family Medicine and I are fielding many questions from concerned parents and child care providers. We are always happy to be your resource!
Cambodia

High court dissolves main opposition party

Cambodias Supreme Court ordered the countrys main opposition party to be dissolved on Thursday, dealing one of the most crushing blows yet to democratic aspirations in the increasingly oppressive Southeast Asian state.

The decision means Prime Minister Hun Sen, in power for more than three decades, will face no serious challengers in elections due in July.

The verdict was widely expected as the government has pushed to neutralize political opponents and silence critics ahead of the vote.

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party said it would not recognize the ruling and would maintain its leadership structure.

Chief Judge Dith Munty, a senior ruling party member, announced the nine-member courts unanimous ruling in Phnom Penh. He said that 118 opposition party members would also be banned from politics for five years, and that the verdict could not be appealed.

 Associated Press

SYRIA

22 civilians killed in airstrikes, activists say

Syrian government shelling and airstrikes have killed nearly two dozen civilians in three days of fighting near the capital, where rebels are trying to take over a military installation, activists and a monitoring group said Thursday.

The fighting in opposition-held Eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus, is the latest breach of a local truce brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran that came into force in August.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 22 civilians have been killed and more than 100 wounded. Syrian state media said rebel shelling from the area killed six people and wounded 45 in the government-held capital.

Fighters from the rebel Ahrar al-Sham faction penetrated a military compound in Eastern Ghouta on Wednesday, said the activist-run Ghouta Media Center.

 Associated Press

IRAQ

Kurdish leaders end boycott of parliament

Iraqs Kurdish lawmakers are returning to Baghdad this week in an apparent end to their boycott of the national parliament, a senior Kurdish official said Thursday.

The move is a concession to Baghdad after a military and political standoff that followed the Kurdish independence vote in September.

An Iraqi lawmaker, Josef Slewa, said Thursday that Kurdish legislators from Masoud Barzanis Kurdish Democratic Party did not attend that days session. The KDP members had boycotted the parliament since it declared the Kurdish referendum unconstitutional just before the Sept. 25 vote.

Renas Jano, a KDP lawmaker, said the lawmakers are returning to Baghdad in hopes that their presence in the Iraqi capital will bring Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to the negotiating table.

Iraqi lawmaker Razzaq Moheibis said that the return of the Kurdish lawmakers was still under discussion and that they had violated the constitution when they campaigned for and voted in the referendum.

 Associated Press

Catalan separatist activist to run for office: The jailed leader of the main grass-roots group pushing for Catalonia to secede from Spain resigned his post to run as a candidate in the elections the Spanish government called for Dec. 21 to stop the region's push to independence. The separatist group Catalan National Assembly said Jordi Sanchez, 53, would be a candidate on the slate headed by former Catalonia president Carles Puigdemont, who is in Belgium facing extradition back to Spain along with four members of his ousted cabinet. Sanchez and another separatist activist were jailed on Oct. 16 while being investigated for sedition for their alleged roles in a secession-related protest that trashed police vehicles in September.

130 children die each day in Yemen, group says: An international aid group says an estimated 130 children or more die every day in war-torn Yemen from extreme hunger and disease. Save the Children said a continuing blockade by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels is likely to further increase the death rate. It says more than 50,000 children are believed to have died this year.

Pope calls for "common good" health care: Pope Francis urged lawmakers to ensure that health-care laws protect the "common good." In a message to a medical association meeting at the Vatican, Francis expressed dismay at what he called a growing inequality in health care. He said in wealthier countries, health-care access risks being more dependent on people's money than on their needs. Francis said health-care laws must take a "broad and comprehensive view of what most effectively promotes the common good," including looking out for society's most vulnerable.

 From news services
LEBANON

Hariri: Focus of Saudi stay was to consult

Lebanons Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Friday that the purpose of his stay in Saudi Arabia was to consult with officials there on the future of Lebanon and its relations with its Arab neighbors, dismissing as rumors reports about his alleged detention in the kingdom.

Hariris tweet came hours before he was expected in France, two weeks after his surprise resignation in Saudi Arabia.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said Hariri is expected in Pariss presidential palace by midday Saturday. Macron said Hariri will be received with the honors due a prime minister, even though he has announced his resignation, because Lebanon hasnt yet recognized it.

All stories spreading about my sojourn and departure or that deal with the circumstances of my family are merely rumors, Hariri tweeted.

 Associated Press

GREECE

Violence breaks out after annual march

Hundreds of youths attacked police in Greeces two largest cities Friday, hurling rocks, flares and gas bombs, after a large, peaceful march in Athens to mark the anniversary of the 1973 crackdown on a student uprising against the former military dictatorship.

In Athens, protesters hurled dozens of gas bombs as they confronted police in narrow streets in the city center. Police fired tear gas at the protesters. A woman was hospitalized with burns after being hit by a flare.

Violence also broke out in Thessaloniki, where a motorcyclist was taken to the hospital after driving into a barricade set up by protesters.

More than 5,000 officers were on duty for the annual march in the Greek capital to the U.S. Embassy, which honors those who died in the crackdown on the uprising against the 1967-74 junta. The march is often used to express displeasure with Greek, European and U.S. policies.

 Associated Press

ARGENTINA

Navy loses contact with submarine

Argentinas navy said Friday that it has lost contact with a submarine carrying 44 crew members off the countrys southern coast and has mounted an extensive search.

The navy said that ships and aircraft were searching near the last known location of the ARA San Juan, a German-built diesel-electric vessel, which had not been heard from since Wednesday.

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said that it is possible that the submarine had an electrical issue and that it could not yet be termed lost.

The Argentine Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the governments of Britain, Chile and the United States had offered logistical help and an exchange of information for this humanitarian search.

 Associated Press

5 dead as Kenyan police clash with Odinga supporters: At least five people were killed in confrontations between Kenyan police and supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga as tensions over the disputed presidential election continued. Police fired live rounds and tear gas to prevent Odinga's convoy from making its way from the airport to Nairobi's main park so he could address supporters after returning from a trip overseas. Police said five people were killed by mobs that stoned them when they were caught stealing. But mortuary attendants and eyewitnesses said police shot them.

Ousted Caracas mayor flees house arrest: Ousted Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma said he plans to take his fight against Venezuela's socialist government to Europe after he escaped house arrest and fled to Colombia.

The flight was an apparent embarrassment for security forces who had been keeping a close watch over one of Venezuela's most prominent opposition leaders. "I'm more useful fighting for Venezuela's democracy abroad than I am as a hostage at my home," Ledezma said by phone minutes before boarding a Madrid-bound plane in Colombia's capital.

Anti-trafficking group wins Interpol award: An international anti-trafficking group received an Interpol award for its work tackling the sexual exploitation of children. The international police agency presented the Crimes Against Children award to ECPAT during a ceremony in Lyon, France, for its "excellent work" in fighting the crime, Interpol said. The group's U.S. branch was among several that lobbied for new measures to crack down on websites that facilitate online trafficking that made headway in the Senate.

 From news services
DURING A hearing on harassment in the Capitol, Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) told the story of a young woman whose male boss, a sitting member of Congress, answered the door in a towel and exposed himself when the staffer stopped by his house to drop off materials. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said she knew of two current lawmakers, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, who "have engaged in sexual harassment." And now a Los Angeles radio host has accused Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) of kissing and groping her without her consent.

Mr. Frankens misconduct occurred in 2006, three years before he entered the Senate. But the allegations against him have brought the nationwide reckoning with sexual harassment into the Capitol.

Leeann Tweeden alleges that Mr. Franken forcibly kissed her while the two were traveling on a USO tour to entertain troops abroad. A photograph from the same tour shows Mr. Franken appearing to grab Ms. Tweeden's chest while she sleeps. While Mr. Franken says that he doesn't "remember" the kiss the way she does, he has apologized for the photograph and says he is "disgusted with [him]self."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) have both called for an investigation into Mr. Franken's conduct, to which the senator pledges his cooperation. We're glad to see members of Mr. Franken's own party voice their support for a fair probe by the Senate Ethics Committee. Mr. McConnell's commitment to supporting committee investigations into "all credible allegations of sexual harassment or assault" also must hold firm for members of his own party  not only Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, into whom Mr. McConnell has promised an ethics probe if Mr. Moore triumphs in an Alabama special election. Ms. Comstock's and Ms. Speier's stories show that abuse of power on Capitol Hill is a problem that crosses party lines.

As the committee looks into Mr. Frankens behavior, it will have to consider what comes next. What level of misconduct merits a lawmakers departure from Congress? Should the legislature have a zero-tolerance policy, or can gradations of offense be recognized? If a members wrongdoing took place entirely before his time on the Hill, should that affect continued service? Members of the House of Representatives should be asking these same questions.

Meanwhile, there's a lot of work to be done to ensure that victims of workplace harassment in Congress have access to justice. Under existing rules, those seeking to file a complaint must work their way through a cumbersome process that discourages victims from coming forward  and interns have nowhere to turn at all. Ms. Speier and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have introduced much-needed legislation to streamline the reporting process and increase transparency. The bill would also write into law mandatory sexual harassment training across Congress, which both chambers have recently adopted as a matter of policy.

"As elected officials," Ms. Gillibrand said, "we should be held to the highest standards  not the lowest." She is right. Both Democrats and Republicans should support measures to hold predators to account, provide victims with support and make clear that all people deserve to be treated with respect.
Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Tex.), center, talks with other representatives during a House Ways and Means Committee markup of the Republicans tax-reform plan on Nov. 9 in Washington. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The media has missed the real villainy in the various Republican tax proposals: territorial taxation, which would encourage the export of jobs and profits and give multinational corporations a competitive advantage over domestic companies.

The Paradise and Panama papers gave concrete examples of how these companies can create stateless income or shift profits to the lowest-tax countries. Territorial taxation is so important to multinational companies that they would trade the promised tax cut for territorial taxation. Look how quickly House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Tex.) dropped any constraints on shifting income in his original proposal.

If Republicans are serious about leveling the playing field and cutting the deficit, there are simple ways to do so. Eliminate deferral of taxes on foreign profits and go to a unitary accounting system. The multinationals would scream that this was unfair, but they have had the benefit of using those untaxed funds for years, so it is fair they pay now to help cut our deficit. And if we went to a unitary accounting system so that, for example, we only taxed multinationals profits based on the percentage of worldwide sales in the United States, we would collect a lot more from both U.S.-based and foreign multinationals.

The states have used similar systems for more than 100 years, so why not internationally?

Martin Lobel, Washington

The Nov. 13 Grade Point excerpt, "Republican tax plans place a target on the backs of colleges and universities," was excellent and terrifying. The proponents of the tax bill want to cut taxes on the rich and take money from colleges and charities. I understand from the retired teachers' groups I belong to that the tax bill could make it more difficult to raise funds for public schools by not giving a tax deduction for state and local taxes. Of course, we all know that state and local taxes are the primary means of support for public schools.

Id like to know more about the effect on community colleges, because many people prepare for universities or get certified for vocational jobs there. Mechanization causes job loss. Education and training can prepare people to enter the workforce or retrain them if they have lost jobs or just want better jobs.

I like the idea of enrolling more low-income students and making colleges seem less frivolous.

Betty Daniel Dunn, McLean
Regarding Dusty Horwitt's Nov. 12 Local Opinions essay, "After J.E.B. Stuart, it's Washington-Lee's turn":

I hope Arlington citizens will not allow themselves to be drawn into wasting taxpayer dollars on a name change for Washington-Lee High School. The theater of the absurd that played out in Fairfax County, featuring misplaced priorities, should not be repeated. The money spent to change a schools name should instead be spent on improving instruction, decreasing class size and increasing teacher salaries.

Time and money spent on name changes as a result of the current anti-everything-Confederate hysteria serves only the whims of the politically correct and do absolutely nothing to enhance the quality of instruction. Keep the education of students the first priority.

Claude R. Mayo, Burke
Columnist

Nearly two weeks after the double political explosion that rocked Riyadh, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appears to be doing damage control in ways that may help stabilize Saudi Arabia and the region.

The first bombshell in the Saudi capital was the Nov. 4 arrests on corruption charges of 201 prominent Saudis, including princes and government ministers. Now MBS, as the 32-year-old crown prince is known, is beginning a resolution process that may settle many of these cases out of court.

A senior Saudi official told me Thursday that the kingdoms anti-corruption commission would follow the standard plea-bargain process that is usually conducted by the public prosecutor prior to transferring a case to the relevant court. The commissions overall aim, he said, was to send a strong message that corruption wont be allowed, irrespective of rank or status.

The crackdown may have consolidated support for MBS among younger Saudis who resent older, wealthy princes and palace insiders. But his power play risked a backlash within the royal family because it violated the kingdoms traditional consensual politics. Resolution of corruption cases out of court may dampen such high-level dissension.

The second Nov. 4 explosion was Saad Hariri's announcement from Riyadh that he was quitting as Lebanon's prime minister. Hariri's resignation, which Lebanese sources told me came under pressure from MBS, risked causing instability in Lebanon that would have enhanced Hezbollah's power there, the opposite of what the Saudis wanted. On Thursday, the Saudis agreed to allow Hariri to travel to France; Lebanese sources said he will then return to Lebanon.

The Hariri episode appears to have convinced Washington and Riyadh that their interests are better served by stability in Lebanon than instability, even though that approach requires some cooperation with Hezbollah, the dominant political faction. A Saudi official told me that the kingdom plans to work with the United States to support Lebanese institutions, such as the army, that can gradually reduce the power of Hezbollah and its patron, Iran. MBS seems to have recognized that combating Hezbollah is a long game, not a short one.

Hariri's resignation and seeming house arrest made him a hero in Lebanon and a symbol of the country's yearning for sovereignty. This may give him some new leverage when he returns to Beirut. Lebanese sources told me Thursday that Hariri's supporters may urge Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Yemen as a gesture of solidarity. Hariri will also campaign anew for international support for Lebanon's economy and military.

MBS's sweeping arrests sent shock waves through the kingdom and the region and surprised even some Saudis who are close to the crown prince. But the warning signals were there: King Salman said back on March 10, 2015, in his first major speech after taking the throne, that he had "directed the government to review its processes to help eradicate corruption," according to a Reuters report at the time.

MBS had a reputation as a freewheeling businessman himself before joining the royal court. But he underlined the anti-corruption theme in a May 2017 interview with Al Arabiya television: "If fighting corruption is not on the top of the agenda, it means the [king's] fight is not succeeding. . . . I reiterate that anyone who is involved in corruption will not be spared."

As examples of the corrupt deals that led to the Nov. 4 arrests, a senior Saudi official cited a land purchase in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the government paid roughly double the market price, to provide a big kickback to a prominent official. Another instance was the purchase by the Ministry of Education of vastly overpriced airline tickets for the hundreds of thousands of Saudis studying abroad, with payoffs for officials.

Corruption has been so endemic in Saudi Arabia that many observers assumed it was part of how the House of Saud governed. After first visiting the kingdom in 1981, I wrote a series of articles for the Wall Street Journal about how payoffs were undermining the defense and oil sectors. In subsequent decades, the shakedowns became less visible but corruption continued.

MBSs purge looked to many outsiders like a high-risk political move. But a senior prince cautioned me the country isnt as fragile as it may look. One of MBSs key backers put it this way: Corruption cant keep the country stable. Having a corruption-free country will keep us stable.

Thats a worthy ambition, but as MBS detonates his bombs, he must avoid blowing himself up.

Twitter: @IgnatiusPost

Read more from David Ignatius's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Columnist

 President Trump gave a speech this week grading his Asia trip. Not surprisingly, he thought it was a "tremendous success." "Our great country is respected again in Asia," he tweeted. All recent polling data from the region suggests the opposite. A core focus of Trump's trip was Japan and South Korea, but only 17 percent of South Koreans and 24 percent of Japanese express confidence in him, down from 88 percent and 78 percent who expressed confidence in President Barack Obama during his second term. Trump's rhetoric of self-interest and "America first" was seen by Asians as a sign of retreat, in contrast to Chinese President Xi Jinping's more open, outward-looking and ambitious agenda.

However, Trumps foreign policy faces a new challenge that could further disrupt the Middle East, already the most unstable part of the world. Trump has given the green light to an extraordinary series of moves in Saudi Arabia that can only be described as a revolution from above. Some of them suggest real and long-needed reforms. But all appear to have the risk of destabilizing Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia's new crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has moved to consolidate power in all directions, jailing conservative clerics on the one hand and advocates of political reform on the other. His most recent targets have been some of the kingdom's most powerful princes, including the head of the National Guard as well as the billionaire investor Alwaleed bin Talal, on allegations of corruption. A senior Arab statesman and businessman told me the reasons given seem suspect. He said, "Every prince in Saudi Arabia has partaken in the institutionalized corruption that is embedded into the system. If this was really about corruption, Alwaleed is the last Saudi prince you would go after."

If fighting terrorism were a paramount concern, you would not humiliate Mohammed bin Nayef, who was crown prince until he was replaced by Mohammed bin Salman in June, and whose bank accounts have now been frozen. For the past decade, Mohammed bin Nayef worked closely with Washington in prosecuting the war against al-Qaeda and similar terrorist groups and was routinely and lavishly praised by American officials. But far from speaking out for this longtime ally, Trump actually tweeted his support for the purge, which has so far been carried out without specific charges or due process.

Saudi Arabia has historically rested on three pillars of stability. There's the royal family, a large loose group with 15,000 to 30,000 members, which has intermarried with a second pillar of Saudi society, the tribes. These two ally with the final pillar, the country's ultra-orthodox religious establishment, whose power has grown over the past four decades. Mohammed bin Salman has been saying the right things about religious moderation and has taken on all three pillars. In doing so, he is altering the very structure of the Saudi regime, from a patronage state based on consensus to a police state based on centralized control.

Time will tell whether it will work.

But the greater puzzle and danger is that while following this bold and risky domestic agenda, the crown prince has made a series of aggressive moves abroad. He has escalated Saudi intervention in Yemen, with bombing strikes and air, land and sea blockades. He has tried to quarantine Qatar, hoping to turn it into a submissive satellite state. He has apparently forced the Lebanese prime minister to resign, hoping to destabilize the Shiite-dominated government. All these are part of an effort to fight back against Iran's growing regional influence.

These are blunt tools for the complex challenge that is the Middle East. The Saudis are attempting to dislodge the Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah from its position of power in Lebanon and punish Qatar for its alleged ties to the group. But for several years, the Saudis and Americans have been in an unspoken alliance with Hezbollah against the Islamic State, which is being defeated largely by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces and Iran-backed Shiite militias. Iran's influence has been nefarious in some areas and helpful in others.

In any event, the Saudi strategy does not seem to be working. The war in Yemen has turned into a disaster, creating a failed state on Saudi Arabias border that is seething with anger against Riyadh. Qatar has not surrendered and doesnt seem likely to anytime soon. So far, the Shiites in Lebanon have acted responsibly, refusing to take the bait and plunge the country into civil war. But everywhere in the Middle East, tensions are rising, sectarianism is gaining ground and, with a couple of miscalculations or accidents, things could spiral out of control. With Trump so firmly supporting the Saudi strategy, the United States could find itself dragged further into the deepening Middle East morass.

Read more from Fareed Zakaria's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Mark Penn served as senior adviser and pollster to Bill and Hillary Clinton from 1995 to 2008. He is president of the Stagwell Group.

Last week's Democratic mini-wave has party members elated, and there is no question that the party is poised for gains in 2018 and perhaps 2020. Capitalizing on this opportunity means first understanding that Nov. 7 showed that moderate candidates offer the best chance for a bigger victory in 2018 and beyond. And to attract these candidates, Democrats need to fix their party.

The Democratic mini-wave showed that in a near-swing state, a moderate Army veteran who voted for George W. Bush and opposes sanctuary cities could win a comfortable victory over a former Republican National Committee chairman and lobbyist who made desperate moves in the final weeks of the campaign. Democrat Ralph Northam took back suburban voters who want to keep a lid on government spending but don't like the social divisions and rancor of recent years. Despite the increased influence of the extremes of the left and right in the media and party apparatuses, we still live in a moderate country that wants its leaders to pursue compromise. Yes, voters may be highly partisan, but in the most recent Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll (which I helped design), 91 percent of Americans said they want the two parties to compromise on their principles to get things done.

There is no question that Democratic voters have been energized in opposition to President Trump, and it is not at all unusual for the country to want to put the brakes on a new president. Both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama lost House majorities two years into their presidencies. The American public has time and time again sent a simple message to its leader: If you govern from too far to the right or the left, we will swap out Congress on you and slow you down. Democrats should thus focus on attracting moderate candidates for Congress and in the next presidential race.

But that can't be their only goal. Based on Donna Brazile's revelations in her new book, something is rotten in D.C., and that would be the structure of the Democratic Party, which needs immediate reform. Here are five ways to set things right:

First, to broaden the pool of primary voters, the party should back more open primaries. It should also back the California-style system that puts all candidates in a single primary and advances the top two. This would give moderates a greater chance to win congressional and other primaries, encouraging them and their supporters to join the Democratic Party.

Second, the party should eliminate caucuses and superdelegates from the presidential nominating process. Both are fundamentally undemocratic holdovers from another era. Caucuses lead to lower turnout (usually dominated by the left), and superdelegates hand unearned additional power to party insiders. In this bargain, the left would gain the elimination of the superdelegates in exchange for giving up its undemocratic advantage in caucuses.

Third, the order of the first five presidential primaries should be picked by lot 12 months ahead of time. Currently, enormous resources get poured into two small states with unique constituencies that have become the gatekeepers of the nominations. Its not by chance that several recent presidential nominees and near-nominees were from Massachusetts  they benefited from the Boston media market spilling over into New Hampshire. Such sectional favoritism needs to be eliminated.

Fourth, Democrats need to adopt a new set of transparency principles to guarantee that until someone wins the nomination, the Democratic National Committee will be neutral. That means no debate times geared to smaller audiences; no communications directors chosen with input from campaigns; no joint fundraising agreements that give any candidates special rights until and unless they win the nomination.

Fifth, the party needs financial reform to prevent boom-and-bust cycles and avoid becoming a victim of clientelism. It could be funded from 2 percent of all money raised across the country by Democratic candidates. Consider it a royalty for using the Democratic name and line. This way, the party could go back to being a party and not a shell for the next group of donors.

Democrats have a real chance to retake at least one chamber of Congress next year. In 2016, Republicans won the popular vote in the House 49 percent to 48 percent. A four-point shift nationally, echoing the overall Virginia results, would likely give Democrats the House, though this is not a sure thing. The difference between victory and defeat in these upcoming elections likely hinges on whether the party can attract and get behind moderate candidates  and whether the party can reform itself.
OF THE unparalleled advantages the United States has over other countries, its dynamic, well-funded system of colleges and universities is among the most significant, drawing talent from around the globe, educating future leaders and producing innovations that drive the modern economy. House Republicans on Thursday took an alarming step toward eroding this advantage. The assault on higher education is one of the less- examined unwise provisions in a tax bill full of unwise provisions.

Recognizing the importance of high-level teaching and research, generations of U.S. leaders have refrained from taxing elements of the countrys unique public-private system, and colleges and universities have built educational models around these breaks. For example, the graduate students who do much of the research and teaching at major universities often get their tuition waived, and they do not have to pay tax on that forgone tuition. This enables students who are not independently wealthy to pursue graduate education in science, engineering and other fields that will shape the future economy.

Many graduate students, who might receive only $20,000 in actual cash per year, could not cope if they suddenly had to pay income taxes on $50,000 of waived tuition. The best international students would no doubt look to attend graduate school outside the United States, preventing the country from attracting and keeping future innovators. No doubt some of the best American students would leave, too.

Yet this fate is exactly what the GOP tax bill the House approved Thursday would provoke in its provision insisting that graduate students treat tuition waivers as taxable income. Thankfully, this bad idea is absent from Senate Republicans' tax bill. But the Senate bill contains other provisions that would undermine the nation's colleges and universities.

Both bills would slap a 1.4 percent excise tax on investment income that universities earn on endowments that Republicans deem to be too large. Advocates for this change insist that rich universities should not take advantage of tax breaks in order to sit on ever-expanding piles of cash but rather should spend their resources on students. Reducing universities capability to pay for their operations  including student financial aid  hardly seems an effective way of doing this. In fact, though the provision would mainly hit elite institutions, they are generally the ones that offer the most tuition aid to students from needy  and even securely middle-class  families.

Over a decade, the endowment excise tax would raise nearly $3 billion, a relatively insignificant amount. Meanwhile, Republicans would either scale back or eliminate the estate tax, which would cost as much as $172 billion, an expensive giveaway that would help only the wealthiest of heirs. As an expression of GOP priorities, the trade-offs found in the GOP tax bills are repugnantly eloquent.

Some conservatives have in recent decades become increasingly leery of the countrys colleges and universities, caricaturing these centers of learning and invention as little more than radical left-wing safe spaces. Critiquing campus culture, particularly on questions of free speech, is legitimate. But financially undermining these institutions and their independence would be destructive to the future well-being of the nation.
FOR MORE than two months, the U.S. military has held an American citizen in detention in Iraq. Officials allege that the man fought alongside the Islamic State in Syria  but other than that, the Pentagon has provided little information about him.

The man reportedly surrendered to the Syrian Democratic Forces on Sept. 12 and was transferred to U.S. custody soon afterward. The Pentagon then fell silent on the matter for weeks, though it announced in October that the International Committee of the Red Cross had met with the detainee on Sept. 29. Now, reporting suggests that this silence may be a result of debate within the government as to how to handle the case.

According to the New York Times and The Post , officials first interrogated the citizen without advising him of his rights, then restarted the questioning with a new team of interrogators after reading him the Miranda warning  a process that allows the government to gather information to prevent terrorist attacks before taking on the separate work of building a criminal case. Yet the citizen has said nothing since being advised of his right to remain silent. And without his confession, the Justice Department is reportedly worried that the evidence against him would not be admissible in court if he were to return to the United States for a criminal trial.

Its not clear if the government is considering transferring the detainee to Iraqi custody  a dicey proposition, given the possibility that he could be tortured. Alternately, because the man reportedly has citizenship in a second country, the Pentagon might reach a deal to return him to that government. But if the United States chooses to keep him in military detention, it risks a bruising legal fight. While the government has previously detained American citizens over the course of military efforts against terrorism, the legal authorization in question has never been tested in court as it applies to the Islamic State.

The Post writes that the man requested a lawyer, but it's not clear whether he has been allowed to meet with one. In the meantime, the American Civil Liberties Union has filed legal documents to ensure that he is granted his constitutional right to contest his detention in court. The Pentagon now argues that the ACLU can't represent the detainee without his approval or that of his family.

To be sure, there are good reasons that courts usually dont allow people to file lawsuits without having a stake in the matter. But it cant be the case that the government is effectively allowed to block the courts from reviewing a persons detention by keeping the prisoner anonymous and incommunicado.

While the government may have legitimate reasons not to identify the man or swiftly bring him to the United States for trial, at the very least it must provide him with legal counsel and access to the justice system if he wishes it. And it is past time that the Pentagon makes public basic information about his case in the spirit of accountability and transparency.
Columnist

I spent part of my convalescence from a recent illness reading some of the comprehensive timelines of the Russia investigation (which indicates, I suppose, a sickness of another sort). One, compiled by Politico, runs to nearly 12,000 words  an almost book-length account of stupidity, cynicism, hubris and corruption at the highest levels of American politics.

The cumulative effect on the reader is a kind of nausea no pill can cure. Most recently, we learned about Donald Trump Jr.'s direct communications with WikiLeaks  which CIA Director Mike Pompeo has called "a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia"  during its efforts to produce incriminating material on Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. But this is one sentence in an epic of corruption. There is the narrative of a campaign in which high-level operatives believed that Russian espionage could help secure the American presidency, and acted on that belief. There is the narrative of deception to conceal the nature and extent of Russian ties. And there is the narrative of a president attempting to prevent or shut down the investigation of those ties and soliciting others for help in that task.

In all of this, there is a spectacular accumulation of lies. Lies on disclosure forms. Lies at confirmation hearings. Lies on Twitter. Lies in the White House briefing room. Lies to the FBI. Self-protective lies by the attorney general. Blocking and tackling lies by Vice President Pence. This is, with a few exceptions, a group of people for whom truth, political honor, ethics and integrity mean nothing.

What are the implications? President Trump and others in his administration are about to be hit by a legal tidal wave. We look at the Russia scandal and see lies. A skilled prosecutor sees leverage. People caught in criminal violations make more cooperative witnesses. Robert S. Mueller III and his A-team of investigators have plenty of stupidity and venality to work with. They are investigating an administration riven by internal hatreds  also the prosecutors friend. And Trump has already alienated many potential allies in a public contest between himself and Mueller. A number of elected Republicans, particularly in the Senate, would watch this showdown with popcorn.

But the implications of all this are not only legal and political. We are witnessing what happens when right-wing politics becomes untethered from morality and religion.

What does public life look like without the constraining internal force of character  without the firm ethical commitments often (though not exclusively) rooted in faith? It looks like a presidential campaign unable to determine right from wrong and loyalty from disloyalty. It looks like an administration engaged in a daily assault on truth and convinced that might makes right. It looks like the residual scum left from retreating political principle  the worship of money, power and self-promoted fame. The Trumpian trinity.

But also: Power without character looks like the environment for women at Fox News during the reigns of Roger Ailes and Bill O'Reilly  what former network host Andrea Tantaros called "a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency and misogyny." It looks like Breitbart News's racial transgressiveness, providing permission and legitimacy to the alt-right. It looks like the cruelty and dehumanization practiced by Dinesh D'Souza, dismissing the tears and trauma of one Roy Moore accuser as a "performance." And it looks like the Christian defense of Moore, which has ceased to be recognizably Christian.

This may be the greatest shame of a shameful time. What institution, of all institutions, should be providing the leaven of principle to political life? What institution is specifically called on to oppose the oppression of children, women and minorities, to engage the world with civility and kindness, to prepare its members for honorable service to the common good?

A hint: It is the institution that is currently  in some visible expressions  overlooking, for political reasons, credible accusations of child molestation. Some religious leaders are willing to call good evil, and evil good, in service to a different faith  a faith defined by their political identity. This is heresy at best; idolatry at worst.

Most Christians, of course, are not actively supporting Moore. But how many Americans would identify evangelical Christianity as a prophetic voice for human dignity and moral character on the political right? Very few. And they would be wrong.

Many of the people who should be supplying the moral values required by self-government have corrupted themselves. The Trump administration will be remembered for many things. The widespread, infectious corruption of institutions and individuals may be its most damning legacy.

Read more from Michael Gerson's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook .
Peter S. Alagona is an associate professor of history, geography and environmental studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. James Salzman is the Donald Bren Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law with joint appointments at the UCLA School of Law and at the Bren School of the Environment at UCSB.

The strongest conservation law enacted by any country, the Endangered Species Act, is under attack. Again.

Over the past three decades, bills in every Congress have sought to weaken the act, undermining a crucial law that most Americans support. The 44-year-old law needs reform, but not like this.

Passed with nearly unanimous bipartisan support and signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973, the Endangered Species Act is not just a law; it is a moral pledge to protect plant and animal species from going extinct. The law mandated use of the best available science, making clear that political and economic factors should not determine which species to protect.

This consensus did not last long. The new law had teeth. To the surprise of many, it stopped the development of a Tennessee dam in 1978 that would have wiped out a local fish. Since then, critics have denounced it as federal overreach and a threat to property rights. Supporters counter that these complaints are overstated. The act works. Since its passage, only 10 of the Endangered Species Act's more than 1,600 protected species have gone extinct despite a tripling of gross domestic product and a population increase of more than 100 million people in the United States.

Rather than seeing the measure for what it is  a product of its time with strengths and weaknesses  it has become a polarizing issue in American politics. Youre either for it or against it. Past bills targeting the Endangered Species Act have failed due to Democratic pushback and public disapproval, but this year, with a Republican Congress and White House, may be different.

Five bills, four of which have been around in one form or another since the Reagan era, threaten to weaken the law. To look at just two, Rep. Pete Olson's (R-Tex.) bill would prevent listing threatened species if doing so would cause significant economic effects. This would change the very purpose of the law. The Endangered Species Act would become the Endangered Innocuous Species Act. Rep. Dan Newhouse's (R-Wash.) bill would require that federal agencies use scientific data submitted by state, tribal or county governments in its listing decisions, even if it is biased or inaccurate.

These proposed amendments would make it more difficult to add species for protection, stalling conservation efforts. More important, neither these nor the other bills would make the law more efficient or effective.

So what kind of reforms would actually improve the Endangered Species Act and further its moral mandate? As a starting place, follow the money.

As any student of economics knows, incentives matter. The fundamental political problem with the act is that its incentives dont match its ethics. Conserving endangered species benefits everyone in society, but a small number of people bear the cost  usually the landowners whose property use could be restricted if a protected species turns up.

Having an endangered species on one's land can too often be seen as a burden. Roughly 90 percent of endangered species may be found on private lands, so this is not a small issue. Reforms should focus first and foremost on shifting the perception of endangered species as a liability into a potential asset.

Tax incentives and subsidies are available in many areas of conservation. Forty million acres are protected under conservation easements, many encouraged by tax deductions. Farmers and ranchers accept billions of dollars for habitat protection and restoration. The farm bill's Working Lands for Wildlife program, for example, supports species conservation on almost 7 million acres, but we don't usually think of the Endangered Species Act through this prism. Why not shift funds or provide deductions for landowners who successfully enhance and maintain their habitat for endangered species? This would be far more targeted than traditional subsidies.

Since the 1990s, the government has developed creative programs that reduce the cost of complying with the law by giving landowners more flexibility. Millions of acres have been enrolled in conservation plans that protect habitat in some areas while allowing development in others, in markets that reward entrepreneurs who create species habitat to offset losses elsewhere and in proactive efforts to prevent species from getting listed in the first place. None of these was envisioned in the original law. Each has flaws. But these and other programs suggest a practical path forward. Why not revise the Endangered Species Act to encourage more such programs that allow firms and individuals to take the lead in advancing conservation?

Reform is not a binary choice between weakening the law or keeping the status quo. There is a better path.
Doug Sosnik, a Democratic political strategist, was a senior adviser to President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 2000.

There's been lots of talk about a supposed civil war brewing within the Democratic Party, as its centrist and progressive wings vie for power. But at least as a matter of presidential politics, this talk isn't premature  it's too late. The war may not have been won but the eventual victor is clear: By the end of the 2020 presidential primaries, an increasingly liberal grass-roots activist base is likely to have gained full control of the party.

The party that nominated Barack Obama to the presidency almost a decade ago had moved considerably to the left by the end of his second term. Hillary Clinton was barely able to withstand these changes in her campaign against Bernie Sanders. She ultimately secured the nomination by harnessing the remnants of the decaying Democratic political apparatus and racking up overwhelming support from the appointed superdelegates.

This transformation has been building since the beginning of the past decade, fueled by Bush v. Gore, George W. Bush's subsequent decision to go to war in Iraq and growing income inequality exacerbated by the economic crisis. The Trump presidency has only further energized the liberal base.

It is difficult to overstate the depth and breadth of the move to the left on social and economic policies among Democrats since Bill Clintons presidency. The Pew Values Survey released last month found that the percentage of Democrats and Democratic leaners who express liberal or mostly liberal political values exploded from 30 percent in 1994 to 73 percent in 2017.

The research found that 84 percent of Democrats think immigration is a good thing for our country  a 52-point increase since 1994. And 64 percent now believe that racial discrimination is the main reason that many black people cannot get ahead  a 36-point increase in the past seven years. A June 2017 Pew poll found that a majority of Democrats support single-payer health insurance, a 19-point increase in just the past three years.

Other factors will continue to push the party leftward, including demographic trends, the growing geographic concentration of like-minded voters and changes in the Democratic Partys nomination process.

The demographic changes are generational as well as racial. In 2018, for the first time, millennials will surpass baby boomers as the largest cohort eligible to vote. The most recent U.S. Census data show that more than 44 percent of millennials in the country are minorities and that more minorities are born each year than non-Hispanic whites. These millennials are the most anti-Republican and anti-Trump of any voter group due in large part to their views on social issues. In addition to embracing a progressive agenda on virtually every social issue, millennials are particularly energized by issues such as energy and the environment, which they prioritize at the voting booth.

At the same time this generational shift unfolds, Democrats are increasingly self-selecting where they live and whom they choose to live near. President Trump carried 84 percent of U.S. counties, but the remaining areas, located largely on the coasts as well as urban areas in the middle of the country, voted overwhelmingly for Clinton. As much of the country moved to the right to elect Trump, the geographic areas that voted for Clinton moved further to the left. This shift is leading to the election of more progressive political leaders in the Democratic Party as these strongholds have become the political frontlines in the war against Trump.

The likely changes in the 2020 Democratic primary process will also push the party further to the left. The revelations in former party chair Donna Brazile's new book will put pressure on the Democratic National Committee's leadership to make the nomination process more transparent, while reducing the influence of the establishment in the primaries. Perhaps even more significantly, moving the California primary up to March 3 will push the candidates to take increasingly progressive positions on issues that appeal to this rich bounty of voters.

Republicans, of course, are experiencing their own internecine battles. Yet for all the implications of the Trumpification of the Republican Party, the impact for Democrats could be even more enduring. Unlike the Trump takeover, which was rooted more on blowing up the system than on any deeply held philosophical views, the changes in the Democratic Party are grounded in a firm set of ideological beliefs driven at the grass-roots level.

This transformation is not without risks for the party. According to 2016 Gallup polling, while 25 percent of adults now consider themselves liberal, an eight-point increase since 1992, we remain a center-right country, with 70 percent of Americans self-identifying as either moderate or conservative.

The central challenge for Democrats in taking back the White House will hinge on the partys ability to persuade a majority of Americans to support a more progressive agenda going forward. While the country is moving in that direction, it is not there yet.


President Trump and Vice President Pence leave the Capitol on Thursday after meeting with the House Republican Conference about the tax bill. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Jim Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners, is the host of the new audio series Jim Wallis: In Conversation on Audible.com.

Many traditions in the history of Christianity have attempted to combat and correct the worship of three things: money, sex and power. Catholic orders have for centuries required poverty, chastity, and obedience as disciplines to counter these three idols. Other traditions, especially among Anabaptists in the Reformation, Pentecostals and revival movements down through the years have spoken the language of simplicity in living, integrity in relationships and servanthood in leadership. All of our church renewal traditions have tried to provide authentic and more life-giving alternatives to the worship of money, sex and power  which can be understood and used in healthy ways when they are not given primacy in ones life.

President Trump is an ultimate and consummate worshiper of money, sex and power. American Christians have not really reckoned with the climate he has created in our country and the spiritual obligation we have to repair it. As a result, the soul of our nation and the integrity of the Christian faith are at risk.

As Abraham Lincoln, a politician with a deep knowledge of Christianity, stated in his first inaugural address, political action can, undertaken rightly, appeal to the better angels of our nature. But political action undertaken badly, and reckless inaction, can mislead and dispirit us  and appeal to our worst demons, such as greed, fear, bigotry and resentment, which are never far below the surface.

Trump's adulation of money and his love for lavish ostentation (he covers everything in gold) are the literal worship of wealth by someone who believes that his possessions belong only to himself, instead of that everything belongs to God and we are its stewards. In 2011, before his foray into politics, Trump said, "Part of the beauty of me is that I'm very rich." And in his 2015 speech announcing his candidacy for president, he said: "I'm really rich. . . . And by the way, I'm not even saying that in a braggadocio  that's the kind of mind-set, that's the kind of thinking you need for this country." Later, during the campaign, Trump suggested that our country must "be wealthy in order to be great."

Lately, faith leaders have spoken out against the proposed Republican budgets and tax plans. The Circle of Protection , a group of leaders from all the major branches of Christianity, of which I am a part, said in a letter to Congress: "We care deeply about many issues facing our country and world, but ending persistent hunger and poverty is a top priority that we all share. These are biblical and gospel issues for us, not just political or partisan concerns. In Matthew 25, Jesus identified himself with those who are immigrants, poor, sick, homeless and imprisoned, and challenged his followers to welcome and care for them as we would care for Jesus himself." The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, too, has rejected the tax plan, calling it "unacceptable as written," and "unconscionable in parts" as it would enrich the wealthy and shortchange the middle class and the poor. And yet, much Christian support for Trump and his administration continues.

Then there's sex. Before Trump, Republicans liked to suggest that theirs was a fairly Puritanical party of family values with high standards for its candidates (despite many embarrassing exceptions). But Trump's boastful treatment of women  including bragging in a video about grabbing their genitals  and his serial infidelity and adultery are clear evidence of his idolatrous worship of sex. And it no longer seems like his is a unique case.

Speaking of embarrassing situations, the polls showing that evangelical Christians in Alabama express the most support for Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore  even after seven women have accused him of unwanted advances when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s  may be the most damning testimony as to the politicized moral hypocrisy of white evangelicals. Or as Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore warned his fellow religionists this past week, "Christian, if you cannot say definitively, no matter what, that adults creeping on teenage girls is wrong, do not tell me how you stand against moral relativism." And yet, according to a new poll, 72 percent of evangelicals now say that "an elected official who commits an immoral act in their personal life can still behave ethically and fulfill their duties in their public and professional life," though only 30 percent thought so a mere six years ago .

Other responses to Roy Moore's alleged behavior have been even worse than silence. Take Alabama state Rep. Ed Henry, who was also Trump's Alabama campaign co-chairman, and who tried to discredit and deny the women's stories, saying: "You can't sit on something like this for 30-something years with a man as in the spotlight as Roy Moore and all of a sudden, three weeks before a senatorial primary, all of a sudden these three or four women are going to talk about something in 1979? I call bull." Some have tried to play down Moore's behavior, like Marion County, Ala., GOP Chairman David Hall, who said: "I really don't see the relevance of it. . . . She's not saying that anything happened other than they kissed." Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler even used a biblical story to legitimize Moore's alleged offenses. "Take Joseph and Mary," he said. "Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus."

Trump, unsurprisingly, has been coy on the matter. He has not called for Moore to step aside, and the White House press secretary said the president "does not believe we can allow a mere allegation . . . from many years ago to destroy a person's life."

When it comes to worshiping power, Republican Christians most obviously stray from scripture in their attitudes on race. When 81 percent of white evangelicals voted for Trump despite his blatant and constant use of racial bigotry for his own political interest, it showed that the operative word in the phrase "white Christian" is "white" and not "Christian." When white Christians say they did not vote for Trump because of his bigotry but for other reasons, faith leaders of color answer with a damning question: His racial bigotry wasn't a deal-breaker for you?

Week after week, Trump reveals that his leadership is always and only about himself; not the people, the country or even his party  and certainly not about godliness. During his recent whirlwind trip through Asia, for instance, he bragged constantly about his red carpet treatment, and seemed to thrive on the attention and flattery while putting precious little effort into diplomacy. ("They were all watching," Trump gushed of people who he said called him in droves to congratulate him on the splendor of his visit to China. "Nothing you can see is so beautiful.") The conflicts between his money, power and governing are always resolved in the same way  by his selfishness; by whatever happens to appeal to him, and only him, in that moment. Though he ran an anti-interventionist campaign, for instance, Trump reportedly decided to ramp up the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan this year after an adviser showed him a picture of Afghani women wearing miniskirts in the 1970s.

All leaders struggle with these temptations, and public figures must wrestle with them the most. Christians, rightly enough, have never expected perfect leaders  just those who can keep up their end of the moral struggle. But for Trump, there is no moral struggle. He is not immoral  knowing what is right and wrong, and choosing the wrong  he rather seems amoral: lacking any kind of moral compass for his personal or professional life. Thats why the Christian compromise with Trump and his ilk has put faithful Americans at such serious risk.

Central to the health of our society is for American Christians to rescue an authentic, compassionate and justice-oriented faith from the clutches of partisan abuse, and from the idolatry of money, sex and power. The word repentance in Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions means much more than feeling sorry about the past; it also means turning around to equity and healing personally, and systemically in our institutions of policing and criminal justice, education, economics, voting rights, immigration and refugees, racial geography, housing, and more. Making repentance practical is the spiritual task ahead.

Twitter: @jimwallis

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It's a measure of how tumultuous 2017 has been that Texans are not completely preoccupied with President Trump. This year, the state has endured a mass shooting, a bathroom-bill debate, wildfires and historic floods. Recovery from Hurricane Harvey, in particular, will take years. And with the fifth round of North American Free Trade Agreement talks off to an inauspicious start in Mexico City, there's no need to belabor this point: Uncertainty abounds. While the United States is focused on many other issues as well, it's worth paying attention to what's happening in Texas, because the events that have sent the state reeling may have momentous consequences for everyone. Here are several misconceptions worth extinguishing.

Myth No. 1

Texans love guns.

In 2014, Texas led the nation in background-check requests to purchase firearms, with more than 1 million requests filed. "It goes with our history of Texas being a state where people love their guns," Nicole Strong, a spokeswoman for the Houston office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said at the time. Anyone who follows the state's politics can confirm this reputation: Republicans have been in power here for a generation, and they have never been accused of pandering to the gun-control crowd. Gov. Greg Abbott, who was elected in 2014, campaigned on expanding gun rights and pursued open-carry and campus-carry laws the following year. His predecessor, Rick Perry, once shot a coyote while out for a jog.

But Texans, collectively, have the same views on guns as other Americans do: Most think the government has a rightful role in restricting access to them under certain circumstances. According to a June survey from the Pew Research Center, 52 percent of Americans believe that gun laws should be more strict; an October survey from the University of Texas/Texas Tribune found that 52 percent of Texans do, too. And although data on gun ownership is notoriously imprecise, there's no evidence that Texans are armed at a wildly disproportionate rate. In 2012, the General Social Survey reported that 34 percent of Americans have a gun in their home. In Texas, the figure is about 36 percent, according to a 2015 study .

Myth No. 2

Texas is part of the Bible Belt.

As Princeton's Robert Wuthnow put it in a 2014 book about the state's historical religious landscape, Texas is "America's most powerful Bible-Belt state." A recent history of Texas prohibitionists was called "Making the Bible Belt." Some 31 percent of Texans are evangelical Protestants (across a range of denominations), according to the Pew Research Center, compared with 25 percent of Americans as a whole. Evangelicals' strength here explains the suspicions raised by a 2015 joke from a state Supreme Court justice, who tweeted, amid a national debate over same-sex marriage, that "I could support recognizing a constitutional right to marry bacon."

Yes, large-scale migration from the United States to the territory in the early 1800s coincided with the Second Great Awakening, so Baptists and Methodists have always played an outsize role in civic life, as Wuthnow's book explains. (Texas is home to one of Trump's favorite evangelicals, Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas; the church's musical tribute to Trump, "Make America Great Again," will alarm you  and get stuck in your head.)

But Texas is not the beating heart of evangelical America. The largest single religious group here is Catholics; 23 percent of Texans identify as such  and since more than 70 percent of Texas Catholics are Latino, that share will continue to rise as this group grows. Beyond that, the state's faith communities are as heterogeneous as the population itself. Joe Straus, the speaker of the House, is Jewish. Some 422,000 Texans are Muslim, the largest such population in any state, according to the 2010 U.S. Religious Census.

Myth No. 3

Texas needs to crack down on illegal immigration.

Trump began his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination by assailing Mexican immigrants. His signature policy proposal is a border wall, and he insists that a porous border enables illegal immigrants to wreak havoc on the United States, and Texas in particular. His supporters have, needless to say, been happy to vouch for such claims. "Fifty percent of murders in Texas have been linked to illegal aliens," Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes said in 2015, a statement debunked by PolitiFact.

It's all ridiculous, and Texas Republicans knew it  until quite recently. Republican governors such as Perry and George W. Bush were comparatively temperate on the issues of illegal immigration and border security. Their successors, Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have been more hawkish; this year's legislative session produced a draconian crackdown on "sanctuary city" policies that protect undocumented immigrants, a group that is roughly 1.65 million strong in Texas, according to the Pew Research Center.

Unauthorized immigration to Texas is primarily a labor force phenomenon. The "criminals" and "rapists" Trump warns about are, for the most part, workers from a culturally familiar country, living in a state with a skeletal safety net and ongoing economic growth. That's not really a problem from a public safety perspective. In fact, Texas's biggest problem with unauthorized immigration is that it has plateaued: In the wake of Harvey, Houston is facing a labor shortfall as it tries to rebuild, since many of the construction jobs have historically been filled by workers from neighboring Mexico.

Myth No. 4

Shifting demographics are turning Texas blue.

"Texas has emerged as a prime target for partisan realignment," Thomas B. Edsall wrote in 2013. This is a plausible myth, given the state's rapidly changing demographics  the state demographer's office projects that Latinos, a traditionally Democratic constituency, will outnumber Anglos by 2020 and will be a majority of the population by 2042. And Washington Post columnist George Will warned last year that Republican vote totals are shrinking. "With its size and diversity, our state should be a place where all elections  from local elections all the way up to the President of United States  are hotly contested," Battleground Texas says on its website.

But this transformation is nowhere close to reality. Putting too much faith in this trend enticed the states Democrats, and their national cheerleaders, to doom in 2014. Battleground Texas, established in 2013, helped contest the 2014 midterms so hotly that Democratic candidates for statewide office, led by gubernatorial hopeful Wendy Davis, lost by at least 20 points. Its true that Texas is a majority-minority state, a young state and an urbanized state. But all those things were true 10 years ago, too, and Democrats have not won statewide since 1994.

Myth No. 5

Texas depends on oil.

In December 2014, Michael Feroli, the chief U.S. economist for JPMorgan Chase, issued a warning: "We think Texas will, at least, have a rough 2015 ahead, and is at risk of slipping into a regional recession." His premise, that low oil prices would drag down the entire state, was widely shared. Paul Krugman argued in 2011 that the Great Recession was slow to hit Texas "mainly because the state's still energy-heavy economy was buoyed by high oil prices through the first half of 2008." And it's true that the Texas economy has done surprisingly well this year in part because the energy industry is rebounding.

But Texas no longer rises and falls on the strength of oil, as it did in the 1980s. The economy has diversified (into manufacturing, services, trade, tech), and it now depends on the globalized economic order that Trump campaigned against. In 2015, Michael Plante, an economist with the Dallas Fed, offered the following not-particularly-terrifying assessment of how the collapse in oil prices over the previous six months would affect the state: "The effects by themselves are not expected to halt job creation in Texas in 2015, but will, nonetheless, be felt in areas heavily dependent on oil production and employment related to the sector." In 2017, we can say that he, rather than Feroli, was right.

Twitter: @EricaGrieder

Five myths is a weekly feature challenging everything you think you know. You can check out previous myths, read more from Outlook or follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter.
The House and Senate have moved to adopt mandatory sexual harassment awareness training. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) want to additionally reform the way Congress handles sexual harassment complaints, making the process easier for victims and less protective of offenders. (Shawn Thew/Epa-Efe/Rex/Shutterstock)

Lauren B. Edelman is the Agnes Roddy Robb professor of law and professor of sociology at the University of California at Berkeley, and the author of Working Law: Courts, Corporations and Symbolic Civil Rights.

Now that weve had something of an awakening about the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in the American workplace, the conversation is shifting to what to do about it. In many workplaces, the answer seems to be that we need mandatory training and clearer policies.

That seems to be the dominant thinking on Capitol Hill. After more than 1,500 former congressional aides signed a letter calling for action, the House and Senate adopted mandatory anti-harassment training for all lawmakers and staffers. This "sends a clear message: harassment of any kind is not and will not be tolerated in Congress," Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, said in a statement.

Unfortunately, there is little evidence that training reduces sexual harassment. Rather, training programs, along with anti-harassment policies and reporting procedures, do more to shield employers from liability than to protect employees from harassment. And the clearest message they send is to the courts: Nothing to see here, folks.

There have been only a handful of empirical studies of sexual harassment training, and the research has not established that such training is effective. Some studies suggest that training may in fact backfire, reinforcing gendered stereotypes that place women at a disadvantage.

A 2001 study of a sexual harassment program for faculty and staff at a university found, based on responses to a questionnaire, that training increased knowledge about laws pertaining to sexual harassment but had no significant positive effects on behavior. Men who participated in the training were less likely to view coercion of a subordinate as sexual harassment, less willing to report harassment and more inclined to blame the victim than were women or men who had not gone through the training.

Forcing people into training may be especially ill-advised. Another study found that mandatory diversity training  which is broader than, but similar to, harassment training  did not increase the proportion of white women in management and actually led to a decrease in the proportion of black women. Voluntary diversity training had more positive effects.

A recent task force commissioned by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission cautioned against drawing general conclusions from the small body of research, with each study looking at a differently designed training intervention. But real-world case studies suggest skepticism. For example, California has mandated sexual harassment training since 2005 for all supervisors at companies with more than 50 employees. And yet that didn't prevent widespread and egregious harassment at San Francisco-based Uber, the University of California system and the state Capitol, among other workplaces.

Likewise, virtually all large employers in the United States have anti-harassment policies and complaint procedures in place. Yet workplace sexual harassment remains common.

My research  based on surveys of organizations, interviews with human resources personnel and analyses of federal court opinions  has found that such policies coexist with work environments where prominent supervisors pressure subordinates for sexual encounters and where sexual banter makes women and others uncomfortable. (Workplace harassment on the basis of race, disabilities or religion is also common.)

Sexual harassment complaint procedures are often ineffective, either because they are not publicized or because the culture of the organization makes employees who experience harassment reluctant to take action. Multiple scholars have shown that employees often choose not to complain in order to show that they are team players, to avoid further humiliation, because they fear retaliation or because they think their complaints will not be taken seriously. Employees often prefer to think of themselves as survivors who can take harassment, as opposed to victims who cannot. Some worry that if they speak out, their powerful emotions will cause them to behave inappropriately, so they bottle up the humiliation. Some blame themselves. Many women (and people of color) have come to take harassment for granted as a part of workplace life that must be endured to succeed.

Interviews that my collaborators and I conducted with human resources professionals, as well as a study by Anna-Maria Marshall of sexual harassment in a university setting, have shown that those who handle complaints  usually HR professionals  often discourage potential complainants, suggesting that they should just ignore the harassment or that the behavior does not meet the (ambiguous) legal standard for sexual harassment.

When HR professionals do investigate, my interviews and analyses of human resources journals have shown, they often characterize sexual harassment complaints as instances of poor management or as interpersonal difficulties rather than as violations of law. To remedy the situation, they may transfer the complaining employee to another department or advise one or both parties to seek counseling or arrange for an apology, but they rarely take strong disciplinary actions against harassers. My interviews showed that employers may issue a warning and sometimes even impose a financial penalty, but public action (such as firing the harasser or revealing the reason for a penalty) is rare, because they worry about defamation suits by perpetrators as much as or more than discrimination suits by victims.

[How confidentiality agreements hurt  and help  victims of sexual harassment]

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans discrimination on the basis of sex but does not explicitly address sexual harassment. Following the 1979 publication of Catharine MacKinnon's book "Sexual Harassment of Working Women," the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency responsible for enforcing the law, issued guidance advising employers to take preventive action against harassment. My surveys, as well as those of Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev, show that employers, spurred largely by the human resources profession, quickly created written policies banning sexual harassment and complaint procedures for employees who had experienced it.

Human resources publications from that time show that there wasnt much concern for the potential targets of harassment. Instead, management scholars and HR officers claimed that these policies would protect employers from liability in the event that a supervisor harassed an employee.

They proved correct. In 1986, in Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson , the Supreme Court recognized sexual harassment as a form of sex-based discrimination and suggested that an effective anti-harassment policy and a complaint procedure  one that is "calculated to encourage victims of harassment to come forward"  might protect an employer from liability. Twelve years later, with the support of an amicus brief by the Society of Human Resource Management, the Faragher v. City of Boca Raton and Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth cases explicitly created a defense that allows employers to escape liability for some types of sexual harassment by showing that they had taken steps to prevent and promptly respond to claims and that the employee had not taken advantage of remedial options provided by the employer. The decisions in those cases state that a written anti-harassment policy and an "effective" complaint procedure would normally meet the employer's legal burden to demonstrate preventive action.

Yet courts often fail to distinguish between meaningful compliance efforts and the merely symbolic policies and procedures that do little to protect employees legal rights. Examining a representative sample of 1,188 federal court opinions from 1965 through 2014, my research collaborators and I found that courts tend to dismiss suits against employers who show that they have a policy banning harassment and a complaint procedure in place. Judges frequently discount evidence employees present showing that, despite having such policies, employers condone or fail to correct a culture in which harassment and degradation of women are common. And even where employees have good reasons for avoiding complaint procedures, such as fear of retaliation, courts generally see an employees failure to complain as a bar to winning a sexual harassment case.

Consider, for example, Leopold v. Baccarat, Inc. , decided by a federal trial court in New York in 2000 and affirmed by a federal appeals court in 2001. Andree Leopold, a saleswoman for the Baccarat china and crystal company, sued after her supervisor repeatedly threatened to replace her with someone "young and sexy " and referred to saleswomen using vulgar, dismissive language. Baccarat pointed to its policy against harassment and its grievance procedure. Leopold claimed that she did not use the grievance procedure because (like many procedures) it would have required her to report the harassment to her immediate supervisor, who in this case was the supervisor she was accusing of harassment, and because the policy lacked a guarantee that she would be protected from retaliation. The court ruled in favor of Baccarat anyway, recognizing that the procedure was inadequate in some ways but nonetheless stating that "the law is very clear that any reasonable policy will do."

Studies in social psychology conducted by Cheryl Kaiser and Brenda Major may help explain judges' tendencies to disregard evidence of harassment when companies have anti-harassment policies and complaint procedures in place. In experimental work, Kaiser and Major have found that the presence of diversity efforts creates an "illusion of fairness," which causes people to overlook unequal treatment.

We have become a symbolic civil rights society, in which symbols of diversity and equal opportunity often mask legal violations.

So what might actually make a difference?

For our judicial system to provide effective redress, plaintiffs lawyers must challenge ineffective anti-harassment policies and complaint procedures that are not accessible or fair. Judges, for their part, should avoid inferring a good-faith effort to prevent harassment from the mere presence of training, policies and complaint procedures, and they should recognize that employees often fear or are discouraged from using those complaint procedures.

Certainly there are some organizations in which managers take civil rights seriously and human resources personnel take great pains to investigate and remedy complaints of harassment. But employers who care about protecting potential targets of harassment, rather than just their own liability, should consider making anti-harassment training voluntary, not mandatory. They should make complaint systems accessible and ensure that discipline is prompt and proportionate. They should conduct climate surveys to assess the prevalence of harassment. And they should hold managers accountable for ensuring that their units are harassment-free  with compensation reflecting their success in doing so. The "me too" legislation introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday includes some of these additional elements (although it still proposes mandatory training). The goal is to reform how Congress handles harassment complaints in a way that is more supportive of victims and less protective of the institution.

And yet we need not just rules and procedures but a broad recognition that power and inequality make it easy for people at the top to abuse people lower in the hierarchy, and extremely difficult for those at the bottom to do anything about it. A culture free of harassment will require widespread respect for women and equal representation of women in leadership. Capitol Hill is a good place to start.

outlook@washpost.com

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President Trump greets Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, at the Value Voters Summit last month in Washington. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)



Wesley Goodman at a luncheon in Ohio. (Crawford County Now)

On a fall evening two years ago, donors gathered during a conference at a Ritz-Carlton hotel near Washington to raise funds for a 31-year-old candidate for the Ohio legislature who was a rising star in evangelical politics.

Hours later, upstairs in a hotel guest room, an 18-year-old college student who had come to the event with his parents said the candidate unzipped his pants and fondled him in the middle of the night. The frightened teenager fled the room and told his mother and stepfather, who demanded action from the head of the organization hosting the conference.

If we endorse these types of individuals, then it would seem our whole weekend together was nothing more than a charade, the stepfather wrote to Tony Perkins, president of the Council for National Policy.

Trust me . . . this will not be ignored nor swept aside, replied Perkins, who also heads the Family Research Council, a prominent evangelical activist group. It will be dealt with swiftly, but with prudence.

The incident, described in emails and documents obtained by The Washington Post, never became public, nor did unspecified prior similar incidents Perkins referred to in a letter to candidate Wesley Goodman. The correspondence shows Perkins privately asked Goodman to drop out of the race and suspended him from the council, but Goodman continued his campaign and went on to defeat two fellow Republicans in a hotly contested primary before winning his seat a year ago.

Goodman, 33, abruptly resigned last week after state legislative leaders learned of what the House speaker called inappropriate behavior related to his state office. Local media outlets have reported that the behavior involved a consensual sexual encounter with a male visitor in his legislative office.

Emails and documents show that a small circle of people discussed the complaints about Goodman before he went on to later misconduct at the statehouse.

In Ohio, supporters of Goodmans campaign wondered why they were not alerted to his past behavior.

We are so sick of people knowing and doing nothing. If someone knew, they had an obligation to say something. Thats what you do. Thats how you hold society together, said Thomas R. Zawistowski, president of Ohio Citizens PAC, a conservative group that endorsed Goodman.

Perkins did not respond to emails, phone calls or a message left at the office of the Family Research Council. Goodman declined to comment as did the stepfather, a member of the council who referred questions about the incident to Perkins. The Post does not identify victims of sexual assault without their consent.

The Oct. 18, 2015, incident involving Goodman was discreetly handled by Perkins, the council's president and a prominent leader on the religious right. Goodman at the time was campaigning for office after an impressive run in Washington as a congressional aide who rose to managing director of a conservative coalition Perkins oversees. He worked for the Perkins-run network from February 2013 to March 2015.

Perkinss CNP raised money for Goodman at an Oct. 18 event that brought in donations from GOP stalwarts such as former attorney general Edwin Meese and Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the antiabortion Susan B. Anthony List, according to Goodmans campaign finance reports.



perkins (Obtained by The Washington Post)

Both liberals and conservatives are wrestling with how to deal with sexual harassment and abuse allegations within their ranks. On Capitol Hill, a coalition of female lawmakers has pushed to reform a system heavily weighted toward protecting members accused of harassment, and the effort gained more steam last week with an allegation against Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.). The GOP is facing allegations against Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama, now accused of inappropriate advances on underage girls when he was in his 30s.

Perkins told Goodman in late 2015 he should not run for office until he addressed his behavior.

Going forward so soon, without some distance from your past behavior and a track record of recovery, carries great risk for you and for those who are supporting you, he wrote on Dec. 18, 2015.

Perkins also said he was "obligated" to disclose the situation to CNP members who had supported Goodman's campaign. It is unclear whether he took such action.

The Post reached out to six CNP donors who contributed to Goodmans campaign on or around the date of the Ritz-Carlton event. None responded to requests for comment.

Goodman was close to the CNP as managing director of the Conservative Action Project, a group formed by CNP to counter President Barack Obamas agenda, including the Affordable Care Act.



Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. (Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)

As president of the Family Research Council, which opposes same-sex marriage and abortion and calls homosexuality unnatural, Perkins supports traditional values in U.S. politics and wields considerable clout in his political endorsements. His endorsement of Trump in July 2016 helped evangelicals overcome doubts about the GOP nominee.

The CNP is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 group founded in the early 1980s, and its membership has included prominent figures in the conservative movement such as Breitbart News chairman and former White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and embattled Senate candidate Moore.

The young man involved in the 2015 hotel room episode said Goodman first approached him outside a Ritz-Carlton ballroom while urging young people to come to a party on Capitol Hill.

One of the young guys didnt want to go, and Wes really made fun of him and told him he had a vagina and made sarcastic remarks about him being like a woman, the young man wrote in a statement sent to Perkins on Oct. 25.

When the group eventually returned to the Ritz-Carlton, Wes pushed me to come to his room, and offered to let him share his bed, he wrote.

In his written statement, the young man said he awoke in the middle of the night to find Goodmans hand pulling down my zipper. His pants had been unbuttoned and his zipper was down. He darted from the room at about 4 a.m. I was shaken, dazed, confused and very upset, he wrote.

Goodman gave a statement to Perkins saying he woke up at 8 a.m. and found the young man gone.

This account was rejected by some members of CNPs inner circle.

In email correspondence, J. Keet Lewis, a member of CNPs executive committee, expressed frustration with Goodman and asked that his campaign donation be refunded. Lewis referred questions about his comments to Perkins.

CNP Executive Director Bob McEwen, a former Ohio congressman who was included on the email chain, promised the stepfather on Oct. 22, 2015, "strong action is about to take place." McEwen did not respond to emails or telephone calls seeking comment.

Eight weeks later, Perkins officially suspended Goodman from the CNP, expressing disappointment that he had declared his candidacy for the statehouse.

The letter suggests Goodman had admitted to inappropriate behavior and was receiving counseling. Perkins cautioned him against pursuing a political career without addressing his previous actions.

You have only begun the process of restoration, Perkins wrote.

Goodman abruptly resigned from his seat in the Ohio House of Representatives several days after The Post contacted him about the Ritz-Carlton incident. Ohio House Speaker Clifford Rosenberger (R) said in a statement that Goodman had confirmed allegations of inappropriate behavior in his office.

I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service, Goodman said in a statement Wednesday morning.



email perkins (Obtained by The Washington Post)

The Washington Post is examining sexual assault and harassment in politics. To contact a reporter, email kimberly.kindy@washpost.com, elise.viebeck@washpost.com or michelle.lee@washpost.com. Robert Costa, Alice Crites and Julie Tate contributed to this report.
Tensions ran high Thursday at the La Crosse parks board meeting as boaters and city officials discussed possibly delaying plans for the Isle la Plume marina to address user concerns.

While the marina discussion wasnt noticed for action  meaning that the Board of Park Commissioners wasnt able to take a formal vote  commissioner Marvin Wanders suggested the board slow the process down and hold a special meeting to consider options and get more public input.

What I hear is you want more planning, you want more input and you dont feel like youre getting that, Wanders told the packed room full of boaters.

The boaters, many of whom have large houseboats that were in the marina until last week, shared their concerns with the design put forth by the city of La Crosse, which has been approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and also with the process by which the design was put together and approved.

Who locked us out of the process and changed everything back away from the work we did on Oct. 23? asked Dennis Smalley, spokesperson for the La Crosse Boat Harbor Neighborhood.

Smalley met with city staff to share ideas for the design last month after the DNR held a public input session.

This happened, then we got locked out, and now the layout for the docks is unacceptable again, he said.

Smalley said the design does not include enough slips for large boats to accommodate everyone who currently holds a slip and wont allow enough space to turn around near the boat landing.

City parks, recreation and forestry superintendent Jay Odegaard told the crowd the design changes from the previous docks were primarily to provide handicapped accessibility to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, adding that the city hired two harbor design firms  Smith Group JJR and Docks and Marinas Inc.  to review the marina designs developed by the citys parks and engineering departments. He said that it was his belief that the design accommodates all of the large boats.

Wanders floated the idea of creating a special committee or something similar, which would include both parks board representatives and harbor users, and taking a couple months to discuss the dock layout.

If its July 15 before its opened, its July 15, Wanders said. Im more concerned that when it does open, you feel like youre treated fair, you feel like your neighbors listened to you and you feel like you had an influence in the city in places that you work and have a great time.

A chorus of nods and round of applause followed his statement and, after the meeting, Smalley and his wife, Joyce, said they personally would be OK with a delay.

If it had to be June 1 or July, and we get it right, Im OK with that, Joyce Smalley said.

Odegaard said that although the docks have been ordered, he could put a halt on the order while the parks board and city council members discussed the marina.

Again, my directive is to have a marina open May 1. I cannot promise that with nearly the thoughts that I did if we were to order them now, Odegaard said, adding that delivery takes at least eight weeks.

Wanders said he appreciated the hard work of city staff members and the council, which approved $1.8 million in funds for the docks.

I think maybe one of the mistakes was pushing too hard to get this thing open May 1, Wanders said. That was on our mind at the very beginning and the process of eviction and bankruptcy really through it for a loop.

After the meeting, council member Paul Medinger, who chairs the parks board, said, I wish we would have had this meeting before the final designs were submitted.

He added that a special meeting was a possibility, and discussions would continue both with city staff and the harbor users.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) leaves a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 9 in Washington. (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images)

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) has scheduled a hearing for two of President Trumps circuit court nominees over lawmakers objections, making good on the GOPs promise to prevent individual senators from blocking the presidents court picks.

Grassley's announcement Thursday that David Stras and Kyle Duncan would face the committee Nov. 29 comes on the same day that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)  the main senator refusing to give his approval for Stras's nomination  was accused of sexual assault, for which he now faces a formal ethics investigation.

Traditionally, senators representing states under the jurisdiction of a federal judgeship are asked to return a blue slip for nominees before the confirmation process commences. If an affected senator doesnt return a blue slip  named so because it is actually a blue slip of paper  the nominee doesnt receive a hearing.

Grassley argues that most Senate Judiciary Committee chairmen have not obeyed the blue slip process that strictly. And the GOP's position is that making circuit court nominees who preside over several states dependent on every last senator returning a blue slip is irrational because it gives Democrats an effective political veto.

Were going to honor the blue slip process, but there are always exceptions, Grassley said on the Senate floor Thursday. Im not going to allow senators to prevent a committee hearing for political or ideological reasons.

Grassley argued that Frankens reasons for attempting to block Stras were political. Franken has said that he withheld the blue slip because the White House did not sufficiently consult him about the nomination. Stras has been nominated to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.

Democrats have also not returned blue slips for Ryan Bounds, whom Trump nominated to sit on the 9th Circuit, and Michael Brennan, nominated for the 7th Circuit.

But the holdout senator in Duncans case is a Republican.

Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) has not returned the blue slip for Duncan, nominated to the 5th Circuit. He has offered no details as to why.

But Grassley drew a distinction between Kennedy withholding a blue slip and Franken doing so, noting that Kennedy had not objected to a hearing for Duncan.

This is the correct distinction a senator should make when deciding whether to return a blue slip, Grassley said. The blue slip is not meant to signify the senators ultimate support or opposition to the nominee.

In this political environment, however, it is sometimes a senators only chance to mount a viable objection. Votes on judicial nominees are no longer subject to a procedural filibuster, which would require supporters to come up with 60 votes to confirm a nominee. Senate Democrats changed the rules when they held the Senate majority in 2013; Grassley surmised Thursday that Democrats probably regret that decision.

Read more at PowerPost
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) greets Army color guards after he was presented with the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal during a special Twilight Tattoo on Nov. 14 at Fort Myer in Arlington. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Senate unanimously passed a nearly $700 billion defense authorization bill Thursday, sending the measure to the presidents desk despite lingering uncertainty over whether Congress will actually be able to pay for the Pentagon programs it outlined.

The Senates decision to agree to the measure without a roll-call vote marks a departure from years past, when lawmakers fought bitterly over how to prioritize funding for various Pentagon programs and military operations under a budget still subject to caps Congress imposed on itself in 2011. Congress is facing a mid-December deadline to fund the federal government into next year, and the defense bill exceeds budget caps by about $85 billion.

But lawmakers appeared to put those concerns aside in crafting next years defense bill, which Republicans cheered as a long-needed investment in the military and Democrats promoted as good policy, even if Congress may not be able to come up with enough funds to put it into practice.

The support demonstrates that large majorities of both the House and the Senate agree that, based on strategic requirements, this is the defense budget our nation needs, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said after the bills passage. He encouraged President Trump to sign the measure to acknowledge that this is the level of defense spending necessary to meet current threats, prepare for the challenges of an increasingly dangerous world, and keep faith with our men and women in uniform.

The bill outlines about $26 billion more for military operations and Pentagon programs than Trump had asked Congress to budget. It also nearly doubles the troop increases Trump had envisioned in his request, creating a total of almost 20,000 new service member positions. The bill commits more money for key aircraft and vessels as well  investments lawmakers argue are vital to save decaying fleets and provide service members with enough training to perform their jobs safely.

Earlier this week, the House passed the same measure by a vote of 365 to 70.

The strong bipartisan coalitions that formed around the defense bill are splintering as Democrats and Republicans turn to the more difficult debate of how to pay for its contents. On Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committees ranking Democrat stressed that the GOPs plans for tax reform were worsening an already critical problem of ignoring costs that would come due while trying to make needed military investments.

We knew these costs were coming and were ignoring them until they come due, said Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.). Were ignoring them for the benefit of these tax cuts.

Read more at PowerPost
New investigations released this week suggest the Russians meddled in Britain's historic referendum last year to leave the European Union, placing an already weakened Prime Minister Theresa May in a most awkward position  just when she needs to be her strongest in Brexit negotiations.

The evidence that the Russians, with possible support from the Kremlin, bombarded British targets with social media tweets and posts was splashed on the nightly news and front pages in Britain.

Even so, the prime minister and her office stressed that Russian propaganda had no direct successful influence on the Brexit vote.

Critics of May say an admission that Russia tried to dupe British voters could raise questions about the Conservative Partys mandate to extricate Britain from the European Union.

The specter of Russian meddling also stokes internal discord among the Tories, who are divided between those who demand May secure a total, complete exit from Europe vs. those advocating a soft Brexit. There is also a small but stubborn rearguard of Conservatives who say Brexit is a historic blunder.

Labour Party politicians blame the prime minister for what appears to be a muddled message on Russian meddling.

[British and Spanish leaders say Russian trolls meddled in their elections]

On Monday, May gave a tough and well-received speech before a group of business leaders in London, accusing President Vladimir Putin's Russia of attempts to "undermine free societies" and "sow discord" in the West by "deploying its state-run media organizations to plant fake stories."

So I have a very simple message for Russia, May warned. We know what you are doing. And you will not succeed.

The speech was widely contrasted with President Trump's remarks two days earlier, in which he appeared to defend Putin. "He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election," Trump said. "He did not do what they are saying he did."

British intelligence agencies have been gathering information on Russian active measures and disinformation campaigns before and after the Brexit referendum.

Russia denies meddling in the Brexit vote and has suggested it is being used as a scapegoat.

British society is currently not going through its finest hour due to the ongoing process of #brexit, Russias Foreign Ministry tweeted. It is understandable that an external enemy is direly needed to distract public attention for which role Russia has been chosen. It is deeply regrettable.

Asked this month about possible Russian interference in British elections, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson replied that "Nyet," and added there was "not a sausage" of evidence.

In Parliament on Wednesday during the rough-and-tumble Prime Ministers Questions session, the Labour Partys Mary Creagh pressed May: Has the foreign secretary been kept in the dark on the intelligence, has he not read it, or is he willfully blind? And will [May] now stop dragging her feet and set up the Intelligence and Security Committee to look urgently into the Kremlins attempts to undermine our democracy?

May promised that the parliamentary committee would begin its work that day. But on the question of what Johnson knew or did not know, May surprised some when she stressed that in her speech on Russian bots and trolls, she had not meant to imply that Britain was the target.

If they care to look at the speech on Monday, May said, they will see that the examples I gave were not in the U.K.

[Britains May slams Russia for election meddling and fake news (unlike President Trump)]

This prompted head-scratching. On Thursday in Parliament, Labour Party lawmaker Ben Bradshaw said Mays ministers have gone out of their way to avoid talking about Russian interference in the Brexit vote  until now. He suggested that the mounting evidence from intelligence agencies and independent researchers may be forcing her hand.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Bradshaw said he was unsure why May was downplaying Russian interference in Britain.

I dont know whether they are doing this because they would be concerned to do anything that might cast doubt on the legitimacy of the very close referendum result, Bradshaw said. Or they may be nervous about doing anything that could embarrass the U.S. president, particularly when they seem to be pinning all of their hopes after the disaster of Brexit on some fantasy trade deal from the White House.

Analysts say May is responding to her domestic political realities. I dont think she wants people to run away with the idea that somehow Brexit was caused by the Russian Federation, said Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Londons Queen Mary University.

Bale said the issue is not black-and-white. Yes, he said, there is growing concern regarding Russian meddling, but not in the sense that it made any measurable difference in the Brexit vote. Because there is mounting evidence from various European democracies and the U.S. of interference in their democratic processes, and thats not something any government or state in the West is prepared to tolerate, he said.

In a speech Wednesday, Ciaran Martin, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Center, accused Russian hackers of attacking the British media, telecommunications and energy sectors.

That is clearly a cause for concern  Russia is seeking to undermine the international system, he said.

[British Prime Minister Theresa May offers Brexit details in landmark speech]

Researchers at Swansea University in Wales and the University of California at Berkeley found that more than 150,000 Twitter accounts with ties to Russia tweeted about Brexit in the days before the Brexit vote.

Their findings, which are part of a bigger research project and are not yet published, were first reported in the Times of London.

Tho Pham, one of the researchers at Swansea, said that the accounts they analyzed  which claimed Russian as their language when they were set up but tweeted in English  posted a mixture of pro-leave and pro-remain messages regarding Brexit. Commentators have said that the goal may simply have been to sow discord and division in society.

A separate study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh analyzed the 2,752 accounts that Twitter handed over to the U.S. Congress. The accounts, now deactivated, were linked to the Internet Research Agency, a St. Petersburg troll farm with ties to the Russian government.

The researchers found that more than 400 of those accounts posted divisive messages about the Brexit referendum, the majority after the polls closed.

Clare Llewellyn and Laura Cram, the academics behind the study, wrote that the findings "provide the first hard evidence that users identified by Twitter as having Russian links and as seeking to influence the US election, were also actively tweeting on Brexit-related issues."

But they also called for caution in trying to determine the influence of the messages on the Brexit vote, in part because of limited data access from social media companies such as Twitter.

"To establish the extent to which the Brexit debate, or indeed the UK general election, were influenced by such users we need an equivalent list of users seeking to target these specific events and a complete data set," they said.

The Conservative lawmaker Damian Collins agrees. He is pressing Twitter and Facebook to release posts about British politics from Russian-linked accounts.

The public have a right to know if foreign powers were acting to undermine the democratic process in this country, he said.

Collins chairs a parliamentary committee that in January launched an investigation into fake news. The committee intends to travel to Washington early next year to gather evidence from U.S. tech giants.

Collins has called on Twitter to hand over a list similar to the one given to Congress. Some of those accounts were posting messages about Britain, as well.

One of the accounts was a user called @SouthLoneStar, which posted a photo of a woman in a headscarf walking on Westminster Bridge. The tweeter wrongly said that the woman was ignoring victims of a terrorist attack.

The tweeter  described as a "proud Texan"  wrote "Muslim woman pays no mind to the terror attack, casually walks by a dying man while checking phone #PrayForLondon #Westminster #BanIslam."

Read more

Britain releases massive report on disparities between nations races

Britains Theresa May is trying to keep E.U. divorce from going totally off the rails

British cabinet minister resigns over unauthorized talks with top Israelis

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SPARTA  Ella Konze is like a lot of high school students her age.

The 15-year-old Sparta High School freshman just started dating, which came as a shock to her mom, Katherine. She and her new beau will be celebrating Ellas first concert when the family takes them to see musician Josh Turner Saturday in Dubuque.

At the same time, Ella is growing up more quickly than someone her age should have to as she battles an inoperable brain tumor. Diagnosed in late October, she has a slow-growing brain stem glioma that doctors at Mayo Health Clinic are hoping to treat the radiation and chemotherapy, but they also have told Katherine and the family to cherish each day and week as they come.

Were still hopeful, Katherine said. You never expect to have something like this affect your family or kids. Its not fair. There was a lot of anger to begin with.

Ella started noticing symptoms last school year when she developed a twitch on the right side of her face. Her family took her to the eye doctor and the orthodontist who couldnt find anything wrong.

When her older sister was diagnosed with Lymes disease, they had Ella tested. It came back positive, but after two rounds of treatment, the facial twitch was still there. An Oct. 23 MRI revealed a lesion in her brain. Less than a week later, the family was at Mayo in Rochester, where Ella had cranial surgery to biopsy the tumor.

It was a lot of information to take in all at once, she said. It was really scary how fast everything was going on.

Ella said she doesnt remember much from the surgery, being under anesthesia the whole time, but her friend Sage Hansen was there. It was terrifying for Sage, who listened as the doctor talked about the risks of the surgery, another scary moment in a week of bad news.

I just started bawling when I found out about the diagnosis, Sage said. I never expected this to happen to any of my classmates.

The community and Ellas friends rallied behind her. As soon as they found out about the cancer diagnosis, Ellas friends Harley Filter, Justine Pokorny, Casey Whitehead and Sage pooled together nearly $100 to buy bracelets in support of Ella.

They have been selling the multicolored bracelets with the messages Team Ella and Win this Fight for the past couple of weeks and have raised more than $800 to help the Konze family with its medical bills. Other student groups such as the DECA student club, local businesses, and other organizations have also rallied behind the family, donating proceeds from sales, gas cards to help with trips to the doctor and moral support.

Coming together to help their own is one of the things that sets a small city like Sparta apart, high school counselor Chrissy DeLong said, especially Ellas classmates, who took it upon themselves to do something for their friend.

I am so proud of these girls, DeLong said. They are creating a culture of compassion at the school.

Ellas family has just gotten the results of the biopsy back, Katherine said. Ell started a six-week course of daily radiation therapy earlier this week, and the doctors are looking into chemotherapy treatments with the hope of slowing down or stopping the growth of the tumor, which is lodged inside her brain stem and cerebellum.

There havent been any negative side effects from the treatments so far, but Ella said it was weird to be sitting in a hospital bed as the radiation therapy machine whizzes around her body. Shes also really grateful for her friends and family being there for her, but it is also overwhelming getting all this attention.

It has been so heartwarming, Katherine said. There are no words that can express our gratitude. The thoughts and prayers and outreach are so greatly appreciated.
Iraqi forces continue to fight in the desert and work toward securing the nearby border with Syria. (Moadh Al-Dulaimi/AFP/Getty Images)

Government forces wrested back the final piece of the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate in Iraq, the country's military said Friday, reclaiming the small town of Rawah near the border with Syria.

The Islamic State extremist group, which at its peak in 2014 held about a third of Iraq, including large cities such as Mosul, Tikrit and Fallujah, is now scattered and severely diminished. With the loss of Rawah, the militants no longer can claim to hold territory in Iraq and are quickly ceding ground in Syria, as well.

Still, Iraqi officials warn, the Islamic State poses a threat as it turns to more-traditional terrorist tactics. Since losing its de facto capital of Mosul in July, the group has been able to stage deadly suicide bombings, and its gunmen have struck civilians throughout Iraq.

Rawah is a small and sparsely populated town about 68 miles east of the Syrian border. It was surrounded by Iraqi forces for several weeks as they worked to clear the nearby towns of Qaim and Ana. Iraqi troops, backed by militia fighters and U.S. airstrikes, entered Rawah early Friday and encountered little resistance, commanders said.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul, a spokesman for the Iraqi forces, said the fight in Rawah lasted about five hours after troops entered the town. He said that a limited number of militants had been inside the town and that they couldnt withstand our forces.





Some of them died and others fled toward the desert, he added.

Rasool said combat operations are ongoing, with troops chasing fleeing militants into the vast western Anbar desert. He said that since there are no civilians in the desert, government forces can use heavy airstrikes to root out the remaining pockets of resistance.

On Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated Iraqi forces for their achievement in record time. But his statement stopped short of declaring full victory over the Islamic State.

He said troops will continue to fight in the desert and work toward securing the nearby border with Syria.

Daesh crumbles! a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State said in a Twitter post, using the Arabic acronym for the militant group, which is also known as ISIS. Iraqi Security Forces liberate Rawa, last urban area in Iraq held by ISIS.

Although the towns are small and largely devoid of their original residents, who slowly left during more than three years of Islamic State occupation, the victories in Qaim, Rawah and Ana represent a critical strategic win for Iraq.

The three, which sit along the Euphrates River, are the gateway to Syria farther west. Controlling them essentially cuts the Islamic States ability to move fighters, vehicles and other resources between Iraq and the territory it still nominally controls in eastern Syria.

While state television heralded the victory in Rawah, the publics response to the development was generally muted.

Since winning back Mosul in July and later the smaller but populous towns of Tal Afar and Hawijah, Iraqis largely have considered themselves to be on a post-Islamic State footing  grappling with the aftermath of the destructive battles that it took to uproot the militants.

Large swaths of Mosul remain totally devastated, while basic electricity and water services have yet to return to areas retaken more than a year ago in Fallujah.

About 3.2 million people displaced by the fighting remain in camps, and independent organizations say the civilian death toll from the U.S.-led air war is much higher than has been announced.

El-Ghobashy reported from Cairo.

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The heads of three U.N. agencies urged the Saudi-led military coalition to lift its blockade of Yemen, warning that "untold thousands" would die if it stayed in place.

The coalition closed all air, land and sea access to Yemen on Nov. 6 after the interception of a missile fired toward the Saudi capital, saying it had to stem the flow of arms from Iran to its Houthi opponents in the war in Yemen.

Yemen has 7 million people on the brink of famine, but without the reopening of all ports, that number could grow by 3.2 million, the heads of the World Food Program, UNICEF and the World Health Organization said in a joint statement.

The cost of this blockade is being measured in the number of lives that are lost, the statement from David Beasley, Anthony Lake and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Together, we issue another urgent appeal for the coalition to permit entry of lifesaving supplies to Yemen in response to what is now the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres wrote to Saudi U.N. Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi to warn him that the blockade was already reversing the impact of humanitarian efforts, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday.

The secretary general is very much disappointed weve not seen a lifting of the blockade. The secretary general and his humanitarian team are heartbroken at the scenes were seeing from Yemen, Dujarric told reporters.

Saudi Arabia has since said that aid can go through liberated ports but not Houthi-controlled Hodeidah, the conduit for the vast bulk of imports into Yemen.

For months, the United Nations has warned that the closure of Hodeidah would dramatically escalate the crisis.

As of Wednesday, 29 vessels, with 300,000 tons of food and 192,000 tons of fuel, had been blocked, while U.N. ships carrying $10 million of health and nutrition supplies and 25,000 tons of wheat were waiting to berth at Hodeidah, according to another U.N. statement.

"Without fuel, the vaccine cold chain, water supply systems and waste water treatment plants will stop functioning. And without food and safe water, the threat of famine grows by the day," the U.N. agency heads said.

At least 1 million children are at risk if a fast-spreading diphtheria outbreak is not stopped in its tracks, and the lives of 400,000 pregnant women and their babies are threatened because of the lack of medicine.

There is also the risk of a renewed flare-up of cholera, which was on the wane after the most explosive outbreak ever recorded  with more than 900,000 cases and 2,200 deaths in the past six months.

The number of new cholera cases has declined for the past eight weeks, Sherin Varkey, UNICEF deputy representative in Yemen, said in a telephone interview from Sanaa on Thursday.

The government-controlled port of Aden has partially reopened for limited shipments of aid, while Sanaa airport remains closed for commercial and humanitarian flights.Humanitarian access is inadequate as "needs are so huge," he said.

"Our worry is with the fuel shortage this could affect and even we assume reverse the declining trend (in cholera)," he said.
Just days after Zimbabwe's military detained President Robert Mugabe, raising hopes that the widely maligned leader was about to be deposed, he turned up at a university graduation, with no indication that his 37-year reign was about to end.

It was a puzzling appearance during what could be a landmark moment in southern African politics. Mugabes exit would mark the end of a tumultuous period spanning Zimbabwes independence after years of white-minority rule, the end of apartheid in South Africa  and then this countrys economic and political collapse.

When generals seized control of the state broadcaster early Wednesday morning, many Zimbabweans expected that Mugabe could be gone within hours. It is now clear that the process could take much longer, with moments of near normalcy, such as the graduation ceremony, and mounting calls for the president's resignation.

On Friday, the military said in a statement that significant progress had been made in its efforts to apprehend members of Mugabes government who are suspected of vast corruption and other abuses. Mugabe also had stirred widespread ire with his apparent attempts to make his wife his successor and build a dynasty.

But negotiations with Mugabe were still continuing, the military added, referring obliquely to the way forward without explaining whether commanders were seeking Mugabes ouster or a different kind of settlement.





Throughout the day Friday, all 10 provincial committees representing governing party ZANU-PF voted for Mugabe to step down. The state broadcaster, now under military control, reported that party members believed Mugabe had "lost control of the party and government business due to incapacitation stemming from his advanced age." Many of those who voted had already been at odds with Mugabe.

[Zimbabwe seized white farmers land. Now some are being invited back.]

Meanwhile, the country's fragmented opposition seemed to finally unite around calls for Mugabe's resignation. The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, which had opposed the president and his wife for years, said it was planning a large demonstration in downtown Harare on Saturday to demand Mugabe's departure.

If he doesnt leave, we will settle the scores tomorrow, said Chris Mutsvangwa, the groups leader. The military said it supported the event.

Other members of Zimbabwes civil society and political opposition said they would join Saturdays rally, which could be the most significant display of antipathy toward Mugabe in recent years, even as it brings together unlikely bedfellows.

Were going to have to work together with the military to build an all-inclusive transitional government, said Evan Mawarire, a pastor and popular anti-government activist, who encouraged his followers to attend the rally.

But despite growing public opposition to Mugabes rule, his departure is still likely to hinge on negotiations with the military, which has so far claimed that it will not forcibly remove the president and has allowed him to travel to his office and to the graduation ceremony. This weekend, representatives of a bloc of southern African nations are discussing the situation in Zimbabwe; the gathering could also helpt to shape Mugabes future.

In a meeting Thursday, the 15-nation bloc suggested that the military's actions constituted the "unconstitutional removal" of Mugabe. But on Friday, some of Zimbabwe's neighbors spoke out against him.

I dont think anyone should be president for that amount of time. We are presidents, we are not monarchs. Its just common sense, Botswanas president, Ian Khama, told Reuters.

A top official in the U.S. State Department appeared to agree that it was time for a new government in Zimbabwe.

"It's a transition to a new era for Zimbabwe, that's really what we're hoping for," Donald Yamamoto, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, told Reuters.

Despite Mugabes unpopularity, the military intervention drew concern from both people in Zimbabwe and outside, with some saying they did not want to endorse an undemocratic action.

Hes still the president of the country and therefore my president, said Didymus Mutasa, Zimbabwes former security chief and presidential affairs minister who was fired by Mugabe in 2014. Doing anything else would be unconstitutional.

[Grace Mugabes power grab ended up backfiring]

At the ceremony of Zimbabwe Open University, a tired-looking Mugabe sang the national anthem and handed caps to the top graduates.

Wanda Mabande, 34, who studied banking and finance, was one of the students who received a cap from the president.

He said he was honored, if a little surprised, to see the president at the ceremony. Three days earlier, he was watching generals address the nation on state television, in what appeared to be a coup. They had already put the president under house arrest.

I thought I was dreaming, Mabande recalled. Is this actually happening in Zimbabwe?

Mugabe came to power in 1980, three years before Mabande was born. The student had seen Zimbabwes leaders fail to address mounting economic problems. But with the prospect of a military takeover, he was not sure what was best for the country.

Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you dont, he said.

The military commanders responsible for detaining Mugabe appear to support former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa as Mugabe's successor. But many Zimbabweans and Western officials have raised concerns about Mnangagwa. In 2000, a U.S. diplomat in Zimbabwe sent the State Department a cable (later released by WikiLeaks) saying that Mnangagwa was "widely feared and despised throughout the country" and "could be an even more repressive leader" than Mugabe.

Read more:

The scene as the military takes over Zimbabwe

Trophies from elephant hunts in Zimbabwe were banned in the U.S. Trump just reversed that.

A Zimbabwean dissident was either brave or reckless. Now hes missing.

For 5,000 Somali refugees, a Canadian scholarship was the only way out

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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The attorney generals got jokes.

Three days after the top U.S. law enforcement official was grilled on Capitol Hill over his knowledge of Trump campaign dealings with Russians, Jeff Sessions opened a speech at the National Lawyers Convention in Washington on Friday by asking whether Russia's former ambassador was in attendance  or anyone at all who had visited his country.

Is Ambassador Kislyak in the room? Sessions said, drawing laughter from a standing-room-only crowd. Any Russians? Anybody been to Russia? Got a cousin in Russia, so . . .

[Why cant Jeff Sessions remember interactions related to Russia?]

Sessions has been under fire in recent weeks for his shifting account of his and other Trump campaign aides dealings with Russia. On Tuesday, he spent more than five hours before the House Judiciary Committee answering questions about the matter.

Sergey Kislyak, Russia's former ambassador to the United States, is a key figure because Sessions had long ago denied having any communications with Russians, only to have The Washington Post reveal he had twice met with Kislyak during the campaign.

The crowd at the lawyers convention, hosted at the Mayflower Hotel by the conservative legal group the Federalist Society, was decidedly more friendly than Democrats in Congress. Attendees greeted the attorney general with a standing ovation and laughed vigorously as he joked about Russia and other topics.

In his speech, Sessions revealed that he was directing Justice Department officials to no longer issue guidance documents that try to impose new obligations on any party outside the executive branch and would review and repeal existing guidance documents that violate this common-sense principle.

Sessionss department already had revoked the Obama-era guidance on federal protections for transgender students, and it is possible others could now be in the crosshairs. Sessions similarly said he was ending a practice known as sue and settle  where the federal government would agree to change a regulation to resolve a lawsuit.

Sessions took aim at the judiciary, complaining in particular about a federal judge in Brooklyn who recently declared "heartless" the Trump administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which offered a reprieve from deportation to people who were brought to the United States illegally when they were children.

Not unlawful. Heartless,  Sessions said. With respect, it is the province and duty of courts to say what the law is.

Sessions complained about federal judges issuing nationwide injunctions to block President Trumps policies. Such injunctions have effectively stopped the administration from implementing the presidents controversial travel bans.

The judicial branch is a coequal branch. It is not a superior or a policy-setting branch, Sessions said. It needs to know its role. Those who ignore this duty and seek to advance their own policy views erode the entire rule of law, they set bad precedents and, importantly, undermine public respect thats necessary for the courts to function properly.

Just as Sessions began with a joke, he ended his speech with one  though it was somewhat more subtle. Seeming to refer to his recusal from the investigation of Kremlin connections to the Trump campaign  a decision that reportedly so upset Trump that he has flirted with firing his attorney general  Sessions said: And recusals? Well, recusals happen all the time, throughout the Department of Justice and in private practice, just because we follow the rules. That furthers confidence in justice, doesnt erode it. So I believe that when the history is written about this department, it will reflect that President Trump appointed one of the finest teams ever assembled in the Department of Justice.

The crowd laughed, then clapped.

The man at the top, Sessions quipped, not in the group.
Russia blocked a U.S.-written resolution at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that would have extended an international investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria, angering diplomats who said Moscow was making it difficult to prevent future attacks.

The Russian veto is the 10th that Moscow has made to protect its ally, the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It means that the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), a body formed to learn who was responsible for chemical weapons attacks on civilians in Syria, expires at midnight Thursday. The U.S. proposal sought to extend it for another year.

The Security Council vote became another flash point in the deteriorating U.S.-Russia relationship, as representatives from Washington and Moscow each blamed the other for causing the investigatory panel to die. The vote came just a few hours after President Trump urged the renewal of the JIM, tweeting that it was needed to ensure that Assad Regime does not commit mass murder with chemical weapons ever again.

[U.S. strikes Syrian military airfield in first direct assault on Bashar al-Assads government]

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Russia had struck a deep blow to efforts to find the responsible parties and hold them to account.

Haley acknowledged that other fact-finding bodies could become vehicles for investigating who is to blame, such as the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria. Then she issued a stark warning to Damascus.

If it is necessary, there is the United States of America, she added. The Assad regime should be on clear notice. The United States will not accept Syrias use of chemical weapons. As we did in April, we will do it again if we must. It would be wise for the Assad regime to heed this warning.

In April, after a chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians, the United States launched dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles at a military airfield from where the planes bearing the weapons took off.

The JIM is a panel created by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to monitor whether Syria is upholding a treaty that bans their use. It has blamed both the Syrian government and militants of the Islamic State for using chemical weapons in the war that grew out of protests in 2011.

But Russia has bristled at a report last month that said the Syrian military had used sarin gas during an April 4 attack on the village of Khan Sheikhoun that killed more than 90 people and provoked Washington to target the air base a few days later. The report also blamed Islamic State militants for a mustard gas attack at Um Hosh in Aleppo in September 2016.

[United Nations accuses Syrian government of April sarin attack]

To investigate the sarin attack it blamed on the Syrian military, the JIM investigators looked at photos, conducted interviews and analyzed soil samples. But they never visited the village where the attack occurred.

Russia called the work amateurish and charged the investigators reports are routinely biased against the Syrian government.

Vassily Nebenzia, Russias ambassador to the U.N., said Russia supported the idea of renewing the mandate but insisted that flaws be corrected. He proposed a draft purporting to do that, but it did not get enough votes to pass.

There is nothing balanced about the U.S. draft resolution, he said, charging that none of the flaws were addressed. You bear the responsibility if the mechanism cannot be salvaged.

But ambassadors of the United States and its allies were scathing in criticizing Russia.

Russia has killed the Joint Investigative Mechanism, Haley said.

What a shame it is that Russia has brought us to this point, she added. What a shame it is that Russia has revealed itself to have allegiances to the Syrian regime, not to the truth or the protection of innocent victims.
Vitaliano Figueroa is trading the mild, sunny weather of San Diego for the thunderstorms and blizzards of western Wisconsin.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow announced Thursday that Figueroa will be the next vice chancellor for Student Affairs and dean of students. In this role he will provide leadership, vision and strategic direction to the Student Affairs Division and serve as a key member of the leadership team. Vitalianos first day on the job will be Feb. 5.

Figueroa has over 20 years of experience in student affairs and higher education. He is the assistant vice president for student affairs at San Diego State University. Prior to that, he led a variety of student affairs programs at Valley City State University in North Dakota, the College of Southern Nevada, United States International University in San Diego, Santa Ana College and the University of Rhode Island.

Vitaliano succeeds Paula Knudson, left UW-L earlier this year for a position at Northern Iowa University. Barbara Stewart, who has been named the first vice chancellor of the newly created office of diversity and inclusion at UW-L, has been performing the role in the interim.
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This article was published 17/11/2017 (1825 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This warm, winning, crowd-pleasing Israeli film starts with a crash and ends, as good comedies often do, with a celebration. In between, expect a lot of arguing.

When the womens balcony at a small, poor Orthodox synagogue in Jerusalem collapses during a bar mitzvah, the rabbis wife is left in a coma. The elderly rabbi is in shock and the beleaguered congregation is stranded.

Enter the keen, charismatic but rather rigid young Rabbi David (Avraham Aviv Alush, who played Jesus in the Christian drama The Shack). When he decides the womens balcony doesnt really need to be fixed, thus relegating half the congregation to a small adjacent room with a tiny window, he has no idea what hes in for.

A man should respect his wife more than himself, one irate women tells the rabbi. Maimonides said that! Or maybe that other one 

As the conflict escalates, the tough-minded and pragmatic Ettie (Evelin Hagoel) rallies the women, while her gentle husband, Zion (Igal Naor), looks on with a mix of admiration and consternation. In a long comic tradition dating back to Classical Greece and Lysistrata, the wives eventually stage a strike, walking out on their husbands until the balcony issue is resolved. (Dont forget to take your blood pressure pills, one dutiful wife says as she heads out the door.)

Exuberant and funny as a comedy  the film was a box-office smash in Israel  The Womens Balcony (in Hebrew, with subtitles) is also surprisingly subtle and searching as a drama. Director Emil Ben-Shimon and writer Shlomit Nehama pull off a modern and mature look at faith, fundamentalism and the often tricky tussles between individual voices and community expectations.

In this delicate project, The Womens Balcony joins a recent run of films about Jewish religious life, including Menashe, an unlikely art-house indie drama set in an ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn, and The Wedding Plan, a touching but unexpectedly wacky look at an Orthodox Israeli woman tired of looking for true love.

The Womens Balcony creates an immediate and evocative sense of place that brings us right into the narrow streets, small shops and cramped apartments of an old Jerusalem neighbourhood. Some of the film is culturally specific to Israeli Jews, including a Passover seder that goes terribly wrong and the strategic use of chopped salad.

But the storys emotions feel universal, with beautifully developed and complex characters, all given vivid life by a tight ensemble of veteran actors. In particular, Ettie and Zions long and affectionate marriage feels real and lived in, and we get some nice comic relief from their niece, Yaffa (Yaffit Asulin), and her weary approach to the Orthodox dating scene. (One date barrages her with what seems to be a standardized questionnaire. Sample question: Whos your favourite biblical hero?)

The films central conflict is perhaps solved too easily.

Menemsha Films The wives in The Womens Balcony stage a strike, walking out on their husbands until the issue of a collapsed balcony at synagogue is resolved.

The posted signs in the neighbourhood enforcing female modesty are pointers to much deeper and divisive debates raging in Israel.

But the film has crafted an essentially benevolent comic universe where everyone is goodhearted  or at least, they are who they are, and theres not much to do about it. In the end acrimony is forgotten and the bonds of family and friendship are restored, with the men and women coming together for a big, happy wedding.

And probably more chopped salad.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca

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Before he was accused of trying to kill his ex-wife and local lawyers with bombs delivered through the mail, Guido Amsel went to police with a fraud complaint.

Amsel, now 51, believed his ex-wife was stealing money from their Winnipeg autobody business, and he turned to a commercial crimes investigator for help, Amsels attempted murder trial heard Thursday.

However, police didnt believe there was enough evidence to launch a criminal investigation. Instead, Amsel was told his best option was a civil lawsuit.

SUPPLIED Guido Amsel

Four years later, his ex-wife and lawyers who worked on that lawsuit were the alleged targets of explosive packages mailed within Winnipeg. One of them, delivered to a River Avenue office, detonated and seriously injured lawyer Maria Mitousis.

In a testimony Crown attorney Chris Vanderhooft suggested could point to the accuseds motive, RCMP Sgt. Dan Bresciani told court Thursday he met the accused in August 2011 to hear about Amsels suspicions that almost $4 million was missing from his business, Eurotech Auto Body.

The sales were unreported and Amsel believed his ex-wife was transferring money from the business account to her parents in Germany. The couple divorced in 2004, court heard, and Iris Amsel remained Eurotechs bookkeeper at least until 2009.

However, there wasnt evidence of a crime, Bresciani said.

He seemed upset, frustrated, Bresciani said of his meeting with Guido Amsel, who brought along a binder of documents dating to 1992. And you know, I felt bad for him because he talked about the divorce and he talked about some of the personal things he had been going through. I wanted to see him get the help he needed.

I just didnt know if we were the ones that could help him.

Bresciani said Amsel told him an accounting firm had reviewed Eurotechs financial records.

The officer also reviewed the binder, which Amsel said included documents showing some cars were sold for less than they were worth, with the amount of cash received being higher than the amount listed on the invoices. But it was hard to tell, the commercial crimes investigator said, whether the records showed criminality or just poor bookkeeping.

I considered that suspicious, but that could be something that the CRA would have more of a concern about, he said.

In the end, the concerns that I had was that there was no forensic audit (done) and that we would need one before we could even go to the next step of investigating his complaint, Bresciani said, adding police had no grounds to get search warrants or production orders based on the information Amsel presented.

Mr. Amsel was not happy with my opinion, Bresciani said.

After he informed Amsel the RCMP wouldnt be launching a criminal investigation, Bresciani said he told Amsel he should talk to a lawyer, saying his best avenue would be civil litigation. Amsel was already involved in a legal process at the time, but he told the officer he believed his ex-wife and her parents should be in jail, according to Brescianis testimony.

Amsel later launched a public complaint against Bresciani, alleging neglect of duty over his decision not to investigate. The complaint was resolved after Bresciani called Amsel to apologize.

I apologized for maybe not being clear enough with my explanation. To be honest, I thought I was, Bresciani said. I wasnt apologizing for my opinion.

Its been six years since Brescianis meeting with Amsel, and the officer admitted his memory of it wasnt perfectly clear.

When the Crown asked him if he saw Amsel in the courtroom Thursday, Bresciani gestured toward Amsels defence lawyer, Jeremy Kostiuk, saying, He looks a lot different than I remember.

Amsel was seated in the prisoners box next to a sheriffs officer.

Amsel has pleaded not guilty to several charges, including five counts of attempted murder. His provincial court trial is set to continue until mid-December in front of Judge Tracey Lord.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
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OTTAWA  Winnipeg volunteers are asking the federal government to let them help reach the Liberals goal of bringing hundreds of Yazidi refugees to Canada by the end of the year.

We are offering ourselves to help, to partner with them, Hadji Hesso, director of the Yazidi Association of Manitoba, said. We could have reached that target by the end of August.

Yazidis follow a minority religion and primarily live in Iraq. In August 2014, the so-called Islamic State group started slaughtering Yazidis and selling others as sex slaves.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Khudher Naso and his family arrive at the Winnipeg airport in July 2016. His is one of several Yazidi families to have come to Canada from a refugee camp in Turkey.

In the past year, Hessos group has helped welcome 100 refugees to Winnipeg, all through government-assisted resettlement. (The United Nations selects the most vulnerable people inside its refugee camps and Ottawa financially supports them for a year.)

Another Winnipeg group, Operation Ezra, has separately brought 55 Yazidi refugees to the Manitoba capital since July 2016, all through the private-sponsorship program, in which small groups of Canadians pay for a familys living expenses for a year.

Both groups testified Nov. 9 at the House of Commons immigration committee, which is looking at how Yazidi refugees are faring.

A year ago, the House unanimously supported a motion by Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel, to recognize that (the Islamic Sate group) is committing genocide against the Yazidi people and to provide asylum to Yazidi women and girls.

By February, the Liberals announced they had already brought almost 400 refugees and set a target to bring 1,200 people from camps that include Yazidi people by 2018. The UN refuses to identify refugees or internally displaced people by religion, though it has kept Yazidis in separate camps.

As of Oct. 29, 807 refugees had arrived in Canada out of the 1,383 people Ottawa has selected for resettlement  with roughly 80 per cent being Yazidi and most arriving through the government-assisted stream.

The federal Liberals say they can bring the remaining refugees by years end. But Hesso expects it will take until March, unless officials prioritize the program the same way they did during the late-2015 resettlement of Syrians.

Hesso said federal officials have a target of increasing the current 100 Yazidi refugees in Winnipeg to 280. The city holds the largest Yazidi community in Canada, but it will soon be matched by London, Ont.

Government officials told the committee ethnic tensions are slowing down the program. The Yazidi mostly live in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, which voted in September to break away from the country, whose government then shut down airports and border crossings.

But Hesso is exasperated Yazidi people are languishing in camps after already passing medical checks and multiple interviews with UN and Canadian officials.

He claimed volunteers in Canada asked to help with the process through the summer to no avail. Hesso said refugees now have to go through Baghdad, requiring a passport from people who lack any official ID. He said Yazidi volunteers would have flagged for officials and could still help navigate that issue.

Operation Ezra volunteer Lorne Weiss said private-sponsored refugees are processed faster, because most are living in camps in Turkey.

The committee also examined whether Yazidi refugees are getting adequate counselling once they reach Canada. Earlier this month, an official told the committee less than five of the 807 refugees in Canada had accessed individualized counselling under a federal program that gives all refugees 12 months of medical aid.

That number left Rempel stunned. She later called the limited federal support for Yazidis another injustice that humanity has placed upon their lives. But officials said research suggests refugees take months to process trauma before seeking help.

Both Winnipeg groups said refugees face long waits for local mental-health treatment. Hesso says the trauma of rape and violence is hindering some women from adjusting. Its hard to erase that vision from their mind and heart, he said.

Yet both groups say theyve made strides in working with community groups and health authorities to do Kurmanji-language interpretation and help connect refugees with programming.

A regular Thursday night mixer brings about 75 Yazidi refugees from both groups to help them form friendships, while English classes alongside immigrants from other countries help them adapt to Canadian life.

We try to make them busy so they can be integrated into the Canadian society and, hopefully, that will help them to go through this time. But it wont be any time soon, said Hesso.

Weiss said Canada should consider a tailor-made program to get Yazidi people to Canada, through both the government or private-sponsored schemes, because suffering through a genocide is worse than war.

These people have been exposed to having family members enslaved or murdered in front of their eyes; children forcibly taken from them and being trained to be child soldiers, he said, echoing testimony he gave Ottawa 16 months ago.

Weiss said Operation Ezra has been piggybacking on organizations and church groups that have a federal permit to sponsor refugees, and finding groups willing to share their quota has been even more difficult than fundraising to support the families.

Rempel added shes heard the camps can be unsafe, because the Yazidi minority faces suspicion and stigma from wider Iraqi society.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
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Legal cannabis producer Delta 9 Cannabis has received Health Canadas conditional approval to expand its Winnipeg facility.

Delta 9 cultivates its crop inside individual grow pods, which are retrofitted shipping containers. The expansion will add 143 pods to the current 15 pods.

Its a big step up for us, said Delta 9 CEO John Arbuthnot. Were looking to do 600 (pods) ultimately, so its only a fraction of that, but it really solidifies, I think, our path forward over the next eight to 12 months.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Delta 9 grows marijuana in converted shipping containers known as grow pods.

The regulatory approval process for the 143 new pods has been underway for the last two to three months, said Arbuthnot. After the units are installed and measures such as security and odour control have been put in place, Delta 9 still needs Health Canadas approval to start growing marijuana in the pods.

Each pod contains almost 30 square metres of growing space, enough to house 15 lights and from 240 to 350 marijuana plants. The company expects each pod to yield an average of 31.5 kilograms of cannabis annually.

Currently, Delta 9 is licensed to sell its harvest to medical cannabis users who have registered with Health Canada. After legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes, Delta 9 and other licensed producers will be able to sell their product to provincial cannabis distribution systems.

Delta 9 recently went public on the TSX Venture Exchange. After the Manitoba government announced Nov. 7 that the private sector will be responsible for retailing cannabis in the province, Delta 9 unveiled its plan to apply for that opportunity in partnership with Canopy Growth Corp.

Manitobas other licensed cannabis producer, Bonify, received its cultivation licence from Health Canada in April. Bonify is currently growing test crops at its Winnipeg facility as it works towards receiving a sales licence from the federal regulator.

We continue to work very closely with the regulators to progress towards sales licensure, said Karen Debroni, Bonifys director of business development and administration.

Legalization of cannabis for recreational use is expected next summer. Although Ottawa originally announced a deadline of no later than July 2018, a July 1 launch date appears to be off the table.

Speaking in the House of Commons Nov. 9, Conservative MP Gerard Deltell decried the idea that Canada Day 2018 could be the first day of legalized cannabis.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Winnipeg company Delta 9 just got approval from Health Canada to add 143 more grow pods to its operation.

I will be proud to sing O Canada, but I will never sing O Cannabis on July 1, quipped Deltell.

In response, Liberal MP Bill Blair said the date of enactment will not be July 1, thats Canada Day, a day thats special to all Canadians.

I can say with great assurance that that will not be that day, said Blair.

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @sol_israel
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Jazz pianist and composer Michelle Gregoire grew up in Manitoba and had her professional career here for decades until a fellow jazz musician bullied her so much that she says she was forced to move to Calgary.

Disgraced former University of Manitoba jazz studies professor Steve Kirby was the bully, she says.

Clearly it was bullying, Gregoire said on Friday.

SUPPLIED Michelle Gregoire - press kit photo

My impression was my gender was an issue for him. He clearly saw me as a female it was clear to me he could not look past my gender and that may be why he bullied me.

Im an accomplished musician. Maybe it was hard for him to accept it. But it wasnt a good environment for me. It wasnt possible for me to continue there. I had to move to Calgary.

It was the right move.

As first reported in the Free Press in September, Kirby quietly retired from the U of M in June, after 14 years in the universitys jazz studies program, after allegations of sexual harassment came forward.

Shortly after, it was learned Kirby had been hired by the prestigious Berklee School of Music to teach music composition, but after the Free Press contacted the school he was suspended pending an investigation.

When that investigation wrapped up a few days ago, Berklee fired Kirby and admitted it should have contacted not just Kirbys references, but also official sources including the U of Ms human resources department.

That is a mistake, Berklee president Roger Brown said during a meeting with hundreds of students at the school earlier this week. We should probably do that going forward.

Gregoire said she thinks Kirby began picking on her because he thought she was younger and more vulnerable.

Maybe he felt threatened because I could see through him and see what his experience was. I was a 38-year-old person with three jazz degrees.

When asked what she thought of Kirbys jazz chops, Gregoire declined to answer, saying she wanted to continue to focus on what he did to her and others.

Gregoires not the only musician who says they were bullied by Kirby. Last month Daniel Jordan, a member of the Winnipeg folk trio Red Moon Road, said he was also bullied by Kirby while he was taking music at the university. He has now packed up his U of M music degree and mailed it back to the institution because it hadnt properly apologized to the female students who were harassed by Kirby.

He insulted, swore at and threatened me, Jordan said. He publicly mocked and humiliated me.

Jordan said Kirby once took the sticks out of my hand, in full view of a room full of people, as I was playing, to impersonate and mock my playing. He said the former professor then threatened him.

But this isnt about me  its about what happened to so many of my fellow female colleagues, Jordan said. It is silence that allows these really tired cliches to continue.

In Jordans letter to the university, he wrote: I truly hope that one day you find the courage to take a stand against sexual harassment and systemic abuse of power. Until then, I remain ashamed to be your alumnus, devoid of respect for you or your institution.

Gregoire, 51, lived here when she began her music studies at age five, won a national music competition in Toronto when she was 14, and began playing professionally here at age 17 at Le 100 Nons. She came back to live here after getting a BA in jazz music in the prestigious program at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia and a masters of music degree in jazz at Florida State University. She was one of the jazz ensemble instructors at the University of Manitoba in the mid 1990s before the current jazz program was created. Her self-named quintet has opened for several prominent jazz musicians including Branford Marsalis.

Gregoires relatives are still here, but her professional life is now more in Calgary than it is here. She is currently teaching jazz piano on the faculty of Calgarys Ambrose University.

MATT DUBOFF PHOTO Steve Kirby

Gregoire is in Winnipeg this weekend playing on Sunday with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra at its Canada 150 concert at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Gregoire said there was nothing sexual in the comments or bullying Kirby committed against her. She said much of the time it was character assassination, where he would tell somebody in the jazz community an untruth about her, with it sometimes getting back to her. Other times, he belittled her in person.

Gregoire said she never went public with what Kirby did to her, even in recent weeks when it became known that he had quietly retired from his 14-year career at the U of M after a female student complained to the university he had sexually harassed her. A later investigation determined the students allegations had merit.

But now that Kirby had lost his job at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, after reporters here alerted that institution about the sexual harassment allegations, Gregoire wanted to speak up.

I felt horrible when I heard he had been hired by Berklee, she said.

It was five minutes where I questioned everything about me. I thought I must be completely wrong about him. But then I realized somethings wrong because of what had happened here.

It was just unbelievable. But now I understand and now there is justice.

Gregoire said she went to the U of Ms dean of music about her concerns about Kirby, in 2011 when she was moving to Calgary, but she was told he was already a tenured professor.

It breaks my heart more women got hurt, she said.

Gregoire said shes hoping what finally happened to Kirby helps others in future.

I want to educate people about bullying in the work place, she said.

People like this will pick on what they can, whether it is race, gender or something else. Theyll find a way to pick on people. I want us to learn from this.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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When I was two years old, my father moved our family from York Factory on Hudson Bay to Churchill in search of greater opportunities as the fur trade was winding down. We were one of the last remaining Cree families to leave and since that time, I have been proud to call Churchill my home. Like many in Churchill, I have had a front row seat to our growth and development as a community, but also to the current challenges facing us.

The people of Churchill are proud, resourceful and industrious people. We are eternal optimists, both because of and as a result of our nature, history and geography. Anyone who has lived in or visited Churchill will attest to this being a very special place. Its why thousands of people come from every part of the globe to visit each year. Our tourism industry is alive and well and developing more than ever before.

We are proud of our bears, belugas and birds, but also our burgeoning aurora borealis tour experiences. Our area has been a gathering and trading area for Indigenous people since long before the fur traders arrived, and true reconciliation and partnership with our Indigenous population will continue to be a priority for our community.

(SUPPLIED PHOTO) The rail line remains unrepaired as legal wrangling continues, but residents of Churchill believe the town and port have a future.

But Churchill is about more than just tourism. It is an important international export location. Beginning in the 1900s with the construction of the Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill, we began and became the fastest and most economical route for shipping western wheat to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central America. For many years, the port served as a viable and strategic asset with national importance.

Despite optimism, the 1997 privatization of the port left exports of grain and other commodities largely uneven. The dissolution of the Canadian Wheat Board was a turning point that compelled the owner of the port to attract new customers. Innovation and investments, some of which came from the Canadian government, were required to provide breathing room and build a diversification strategy.

Unfortunately, this did not happen. The 2016 grain elevator closure and recent rail line outage have resulted in Churchill and the surrounding region facing more challenges than ever before. Nunavut, for example, has one less gateway from which to resupply its constantly growing territory, which includes mining development that is well underway. It is said that Manitoba stands to lose $300 million alone on that regions resupply.

The good news is this can be reversed with a new stable regional ownership and effective management. The federal governments commitment to rail restoration and transitioning the rail line and port to a regional ownership group is essential for future growth. The transition time is now, with farmers seeing record crops this year and backlogs at other ports.

Churchill is positioned to avoid handling costs of the St Lawrence Seaway and avoid congestion on the West Coast. In the face of climate change and increased shipping, we will partner with the federal government on an Arctic policy that will promote sustainable development that creates good Northern jobs and provides stewardship over our environment, protecting our bears and marine ecosystems.

As an Arctic gateway, Churchill is also a science, research and education hub. The Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC) has over 40 years of research under its belt; combine that with the soon-to-be-constructed Churchill Marine Observatory, and Churchill is positioned to become a world-class leader in international science research.

The Town of Churchill has partnered with the CNSC, Frontier School Division and the University of Manitoba to educate the next generation of scientists, many of whom will come directly from Northern Manitoba. This is not merely a vision  it is a reality.

Churchill also offers cost-effective and timely delivery of health-care services for the North. In the face of health-care restructuring, interjurisdictional partners can all benefit from an expanded port and operational rail line. As Northern leaders have called for, our tremendous health-care facility offers an immediate relief valve for the region that can help eliminate the need to incur costly medical travel, and will also reduce wait times in Winnipeg hospitals.

Above all else, Churchill is resilient. We continue to adapt to the changing economic and environmental conditions. Our partnership with the Hudson Bay Regional Roundtable demonstrates how we, as friends and neighbours, can all succeed by working together. We are confident we will once again lead innovation in the North.

It begins with the repair of Canadas most northern rail line and the transfer of these vital assets to a regional ownership group for the benefit of Manitoba, Nunavut and Canada.

Mayor Michael Spence has lived his whole life on the shores of the Hudson Bay in Northern Manitoba. He is a longtime business owner in Churchill.
Opinion

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Churchill remains in dire straits. So too does the region, which includes communities in Nunavut and those along Hudsons Bay.

The crisis caused by the 2017 spring washout of the Hudson Bay Railway affects all Churchills major industries, including shipping, its ability to supply the North and the work of Churchill Northern Studies Center. The Churchill Marine Observatory, which was to have been built this past summer, was postponed for lack of construction supplies.

Adventure tourism in the region had grown significantly in recent years and continues to do so year-round, offering visitors the opportunity to watch belugas and polar bears, view the aurora borealis, take part in birding expeditions, visit historical sites and more. This season, however, the community is hurting rather than enjoying a prosperous year.

Submitted The first tank of an emergency shipment of propane is taken off the MV Nunalik at the Port of Churchill, on Sunday, October 15, 2017, the day the ship arrived.

During my July visit to Churchill I heard of many troubling social impacts. Children were arriving at school worried over their parents concern for feeding their families. Food costs were high then  $10.99 for four litres of milk (with the subsidy); $21 for a block of cheese; $6.15 for a dozen eggs; $5.25 for a loaf of Wonder bread; $7.15 for a small cauliflower; and a $10.25 for a pound of blueberries. The price of gas rose that day to $2.33, before falling to $1.70. And now these costs are even higher.

Work has been done in the past weeks. The province has delivered propane to the community. The federal government agreed to treat Churchill as a fly-in community and is subsidizing certain foods and supplies. Three private companies have made plans to forge a winter road from Gillam to Churchill to deliver supplies. In the short term, these efforts are much appreciated.

In the meantime, Churchills port is operational, poised for northern development and, with ongoing maintenance, will be serviceable for years to come. The Churchill Northern Studies Centre and proposed Churchill Marine Observatory are vital to continuing research in, of, and about the north. The work of Canadian and international researchers, expanding the knowledge and understanding of climate change and other critical matters relating to the north, is important for all Canadians.

The federal government has been negotiating with OmniTRAX, the Denver-based owner of the rail line, but it appears these negotiations have come to an impasse. Repairing the rail line to Churchill is essential for the present and the future of the town, the region, its people and economy. A repaired rail line will address the current emergency as well as the mid- and long-term needs.

As we mark the 150th anniversary of confederation, we must keep in mind that Canada was built through the construction of a railway. We should not allow the isolation of Canadian communities in 2017. This betrays the notion of Canada as an inclusive and just society.

In the long term, the Senate has struck a Special Committee on the Arctic, which will look at the region from many different perspectives, but I believe the health of our northern communities should be at the centre of this study. We need to find sustainable solutions to the challenges facing people living in the north.

Let us enable Churchill to resume its role as gateway to the North. Let us not allow the damaged rail line to become the barrier to assuming that pressing responsibility. Where is our vision for our northern development? One hopes Churchill will not be held hostage with the current legal situations.

As a senator representing Manitoba, I feel it is vital what we all pull together and do everything possible to ensure that action is taken now. Fixing the rail line is essential for the safety, health and prosperity of the citizens of Churchill. Hopefully this will be achieved collaboratively by all levels of government.

Patricia Bovey is a senator from Manitoba who sits on the Senate committees on transport and communications, foreign affairs and international trade, and official languages.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/11/2017 (1825 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Imagine how angry youd be if one of your neighbours neglected to empty a trash can, opting instead to leave the accumulated garbage rotting in the summer sun?

Now consider the magnitude of your upward-spiralling ire if the aforementioned fermenting-refuse receptacle remained there, unemptied and decomposing, week after week for four full years?

And finally, ponder the possible full extent of your fury if that neighbour somehow deposited that stinking Dumpster in your yard rather than his own. Oh, and that instead of a single malodorous dustbin, it was actually 100 shipping containers filled with a pungent mix of recyclables, household garbage and soiled adult diapers.

Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press files Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits a Jollibee restaurant in Manila.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week found himself stuck with the unenviable task of explaining how Canada came to be that neighbour, during a visit to the Philippines that was supposed to be focused on his attendance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Canada summit but was temporarily sidelined by the festering-container controversy.

It was, as one might imagine, a messy and embarrassing distraction from the business at hand. And it wasnt the first time Mr. Trudeau has been confronted with the Canadian-garbage issue. During the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Manila in 2015, the PM was also asked about the rogue receptacles and assured then-president Benigno Aquino III that a Canadian solution was being developed.

Two years later, the stench has only intensified as Mr. Trudeaus promised solution remains elusive.

All of which, of course, raises the question of how 103 containers of Canadian trash  something like 2,500 tonnes worth  ended up in the Philippines in the first place. Apparently, it was shipped there, in 2013 and 2014, by a Canadian company purporting to be sending recyclable plastics. When the shipments were opened for inspection, however, the recyclables were revealed to be mixed up with, and messed up by, household trash, old CDs, tangled wires, used plastic cups and the now-infamous, soiled incontinence garments.

The material obviously could not be recycled, but stamping it return to sender has proved, at least so far, to be equally impossible. Customs officials in Manila declared the material potentially hazardous and impounded the shipments.

Filipinos are justifiably outraged. The made-in-Canada mess has been the subject of news reports, with numerous protests being staged by environmental and public-health activists. In 2014, the Philippine government sought to have the containers returned to Canada under provisions of the Basel Convention, which prohibits developed countries from shipping waste to developing nations.

It is OK for us that the prime minister dropped by a 100 per cent Filipino restaurant and take out fries or a burger for himself, EcoWaste Coalition co-ordinator Aileen Lucero said Monday after Mr. Trudeau made a photo-op stop at a Jollibee outlet in Manila. But there is (something) much more important to take out, and that is the Canada waste.

For his part, the PM again assured his Filipino hosts that a Canadian solution to the Canadian garbage problem is in the offing. Whether that amounts to finding an environmentally responsible way to dispose of the trash in the Philippines or a direct deportation of the dreck back to Canada remains to be seen.

Whatever the case, its up to Canada to end this embarrassment by dealing with the containers. On the global stage, we should not and cannot be that neighbour.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue has found that homes near large dairy operations have been selling for as much as 13 percent below their assessed value in Kewaunee County, where odor, noise and water pollution from the sprawling feedlots have been a big problem.

A department study concluded that assessments could be reduced by 8 percent to 13 percent for homes within a mile of the countys six largest Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), and that reductions may also be appropriate in nearby counties with similar conditions.

The study was conducted after a town of Pierce couple appealed their assessment. It was the first time a homeowner has appealed to the state with the argument that a CAFO had lowered a propertys value, department spokesman Patty Mayers said Thursday.

The Kewaunee County homeowners said they were glad their taxes would be reduced, but they were stuck with a far worse problem  the CAFO across the road.

We would much prefer to have our home value back, be able to breathe the air and drink the water without wondering what contaminants they contain, Scott and Deb Kliment said in a statement. We would like to be able to enjoy our beautiful property without the sometimes unbearable stench (and) sleep with the windows open without constant 24-7 noise (from) 80,000 pound manure trucks.

A Wisconsin Dairy Business Association spokesman said he wouldnt comment because he hadnt seen the Department of Revenue report.

Kewaunee County, south of Green Bay, is home to 14 of the states nearly 300 CAFOs, which are defined as having at least 715 cows. Many dairy CAFOs have more cows than that, and the animals generate millions of gallons of manure.

The manure, which is spread on farm fields, has been a particular problem in places like Kewaunee County, where shallow, fractured bedrock allows contaminants to slip quickly into the aquifer people use for drinking water.

Other northeastern Wisconsin counties  Brown, Door, Calumet and Manitowoc  also have large dairy operations built atop vulnerable groundwater. And like Kewaunee County, they are seeing increasing problems with contaminated well water.

To the west, the aquifer below Wisconsins Central Sands region is also vulnerable, so its not unlikely studies would find homes there, too, are selling for less around large dairies, said Paul Kent, an attorney representing the town of Saratoga in its challenge to a CAFO proposal.

Its inevitable that property values would be affected, Kent said. While it may not be applicable statewide, it may be applicable in areas of the state where you have pathways for groundwater to be affected or for odors to impact residents where they havent been in contact with that before.

The Department of Revenue study is an indication of the way CAFOs affect nearby residents, and why local government authority to regulate CAFOs should be restored, Kent said. A series of state laws have placed most of that authority with the state.

The study examined 184 sales of properties that took place over the past three years near Kewaunee Countys six largest CAFOs and one other CAFO just over the county line in Brown County. Each CAFO was permitted for at least 2,860 cows.

The department said an initial review of residential sales in all Kewaunee County towns was inconclusive.

The sales took place around Kinnard Farms, Pagels Ponderosa Dairy, Dairy Dreams, Ebert Dairy Enterprises and Wakker Dairy Farm in Kewaunee County and Dairyland Farm in Brown County. The Kliments live across from Ebert, which has a 2015 Department of Natural Resources permit for 4,881 cows. The owners have projected an increase to 6,179 cows.

Nancy Utesch, who operates a small beef farm and is active in the advocacy group Kewaunee Cares, said the studys results dont capture the reality of life in a county where more than 30 percent of tested wells have been tainted by pathogens associated with animal waste.

Smaller CAFOs are also having harmful impacts, the harm extends beyond a mile from each operation, and other home values have probably been reduced even more than the study estimated, Utesch said.

The Kliments did not have a contaminated well or any other extenuating circumstances, Utesch said. All you have to do is exist in this radius and you are losing property values ... Industrial agribusiness is externalizing its costs on to the taxpayers.

Mayers, the revenue department spokeswoman, said the study was tailored to resolve the Kliments appeal, and other challenges could yield different results.
Since August 1, 171 people have died in Madagascar after becoming infected with a virulent strain of bubonic plague. As of November 10, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 2,119 confirmed cases of people infected in Madagascar. While the rate of infection has declined, the WHO is expecting more cases going into early next year.

Professor Jimmy Whitworth, an international public health scientist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, stated, This outbreak is the worst for 50 years or more."

The current manifestation of the strain has been particularly resistant to antibiotic treatment. The plague has swept into the capital city Antananarivo, surprising medical personnel, as traditionally the strain usually does not develop in heavily populated areas.

The so-called Black Plague, a virulent infection mainly spread by bacteria in mammals and fleas, can be treated with a regimen of antibiotics, if the disease is discovered early. The bubonic strain of the plague, the so-called Black Death, threatened human existence and decimated entire civilizations across Medieval Europe and Eurasia, claiming an estimated 75-200 million lives in the 14th century.

There are three forms of the plague; bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic. The most common form of the disease is bubonic, the form currently in Madagascar. Septicemic is the most deadly, with a 100 percent fatality rate. The pneumonic form of the disease materializes when the bubonic form is left untreated, and the disease moves to the victims lungs, making it the most contagious. People infected by the plague generally experience headaches, dizziness, fever and flu-like symptoms.

The WHO reports that 62 per cent of all reported cases of the current outbreak in Madagascar are pneumonic plague, the form most contagious, as persons who become infected will cough and sneeze, making the disease airborne. According to figures published by WHO, the outbreak in Madagascar has a fatality rate of 8 per cent.

In the period of August 1 to November 10, 1,618 cases and 72 deaths in the country have been clinically classified as pneumonic plague; 324 cases classified as bubonic plague; and one case as septicemic plague. Also during the same period, 16 (out of a total 22) regions in Madagascar have reported plague cases, with the Analamanga region, which includes the capital city, Antananarivo, being the most affected, with 72 per cent of all cases.

The outbreak in Madagascar has a high potential to erupt into a full-scale pandemic, as the country is ill-equipped to deal with such virulent outbreaks, due to a lack of vital health care services and poor infrastructure. The WHO has made a mere $4.9 million available to deal with the catastrophic epidemic.

Professor Michael Bayliss of the Institute of Infection and Global Health at Liverpool University, suggested that the plagues surprising spread was due to the heavy rains and flooding brought about by El Nino.

Bayliss told the UK Express, We have suspicions--and it is no more than a suspicion--that it could be related to the El Nino we had a year ago.

The WHO weighed in, suggesting the popular Malagasy religious practice of Famadihana, a ceremony which prescribes the digging up of graves of ancestors to rewrap the corpses and dance around the tomb with them before reburying them, contributed to the spread of the plague.

Madagascars health minister, Willy Randriamarotia, told reporters, If a person dies of pneumonic plague and is then interred in a tomb that is subsequently opened for a Famadihana, the bacteria can still be transmitted and contaminate whoever handles the body.

While cultural practices and environmental factors, such as those brought about by climate change, may exacerbate the effects of plague and other pandemics, it is the configuration of impoverished conditions of life for the Malagasy masses, and the lack of access to decent health care and facilities, which assumes the largest role in contributing to the severity of the plague raging through Madagascar.

Of the 24 million people who make up the Malagasy population, the majority live in abject poverty. According to the most recent figures published in 2012 by UNICEF, 81 percent of the population lives on $1.25 per day or less. While the countrys GDP is nearly $10 billion annually, less than 3 percent is allocated towards health care. The infant mortality rate is roughly 42 per 1,000 live births, and the neonatal mortality rate is 22. Only 48.1 per cent of the population has access to sanitary water facilities.

Hospitals and clinics, where they exist in the country, suffer an acute lack of equipment and properly trained staff necessary to deliver proper health care. Many rural residents are many miles from a doctor or clinic. Due to a starvation of funding made available for quality, adequate medical care, the ability to treat and contain pandemics is severely impacted.

In the midst of such glaring poverty, a mere ten people in the country sit atop an obscene pile of wealth. The ten own a variety of business concerns, including banking and manufacturing, which generate annual revenue of more than $3 billion. In contrast, less than $300 million is allocated for health care in a nation of 24 million, which equates to a pitiful $12.50 per person annually.

That such pandemics as bubonic plague run rampant in the modern era stands as an indictment of not only a privatized-for-profit medical system, but the entire existing setup in which the capitalist politicians in Antananarivo oversee and facilitate the criminal enrichment of a tiny layer of wealthy parasites at the top of Malagasy society, at the expense of the impoverished Malagasy population.
The execution of Alva Campbell Jr., a frail, sickly 69-year-old death row inmate, was called off by Ohio prison officials on Wednesday after prison staff were unable to locate a vein to inject the lethal chemicals intended to kill him. A new execution date for Campbell was immediately set by Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Campbell was convicted and sentenced to die for the 1997 carjacking death of Charles Dials, 18. Campbells execution-gone-wrong inside the death chamber at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville casts a grim light on all that is repugnant about capital punishment and the way it is still practiced in 21st century America.

At about 10:57 a.m., according to the Columbus Dispatch, Campbell was wheeled into the chamber, unable to walk in unassisted. He uses a walker, relies on a colostomy bag and requires breathing treatments four times a day as a result of a long-time cigarette habit.

In an act of contempt disguised as sympathy, prison officials had provided him with a wedge pillow on the gurney to help him breathe until the lifeblood was to be sucked out of him. The execution, however, was unable to proceed after staff failed to find suitable veins for the lethal injection. According to prison authorities, two veins are required.

Members of the execution team first worked on both of Campbells arms for about 30 minutes while he was on the gurney. The team used an ultraviolet light to probe his arms and stuck him once in each arm. They then tried his left leg below the knee, before giving up. According to the Dispatch, Campbell threw his head back and appeared to cry out in pain.

Throughout the prodding, the execution team members periodically patted him on the arm and shoulder in a perverse effort to comfort him, according to witnesses. Gary Mohr, head of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, called off the execution.

According to the condemned mans attorney, David Stebbins, as reported by the Guardian, Campbell shook hands with execution team members and wiped away tears after being informed the execution was being called off. This is a day Ill never forget, Campbell said, according to Stebbins.

The Ohio Parole Board said in October that it did not support clemency for Campbell. The US Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stop the execution. And last week, Governor Kasich denied Campbells request for clemency. The governor was quick to reschedule Campbells execution for June 5, 2019.

It is highly questionable whether Campbell will live another year and a half and it is unlikely that his veins will be in any better shape then than they are now. Campbells attorneys have argued that he is too ill to be executed and that he should also be given a reprieve due to the effects of a brutal childhood, in which he was beaten, sexually abused and tortured.

Campbells date with death had already been rescheduled several times due to court orders and because of problems with Ohios execution protocol. It had been moved from May 10 this year to September 13, and then to November 15.

The execution of another Ohio death row inmate, Romell Broom, was called off in September 2009 after prison staff made 18 unsuccessful attempts over two hours to insert an IV. He remains on death row and his execution has been rescheduled for June 17, 2020.

Ohio executions were put on hold in 2014 after inmate Dennis McGuire appeared to choke and struggle for more than 15 minutes. Family members watched as McGuire writhed in pain before being pronounced dead 25 minutes later by prison authorities.

Ohio executions were resumed after a three-year hiatus with the execution of Ronald Phillips, after the US Supreme Court rejected his request for a stay. The second execution of the year was on September 13, when Gary Otte was put to death. Ottes attorney said that he appeared to be in pain during the procedure and that moments after he was injected with the sedative midazolam his stomach was moving up and down abnormally.

Eager to make up for time lost in the death chamber, Ohio authorities have a staggering 53 executions scheduled between now and April 2022: 16 in 2018, 13 in 2019, 14 in 2020, 8 in 2021, and 2 in 2022.
Official politics in Australia is in turmoil. On October 27, the High Court decreed that five elected members of parliament, including the deputy prime minister, were ineligible to sit in parliament because they had dual citizenship in another country.

The court upheld the most literal interpretation of a clause in the countrys 1901 Constitution that proscribes anyone from standing for parliament who is under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power, or is entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power.

The unanimous ruling of the seven judges asserted that members of parliament could not have foreign loyalties or obligations. The court endorsed the position that politicians must have single-minded loyalty to Australia.

Since the High Court decision, three more parliamentarians have resigned because their parents were born in Britain and they were therefore eligible for citizenship in the foreign power that colonised the continent and whose monarch is also the Queen of Australia.

In an agreement struck between the Liberal-National Coalition government and the opposition Labor Party, every member of parliament must now provide a disclosure statement by December 1. All members must swear that they have renounced any entitlement to citizenship elsewhere, stemming not only from where they or their parents were born, but also through their grandparents and even through marriage.

As many as 30 of the 226 members of the two houses of parliament may be forced out as a result. Even before the likely exodus leading up to December 1, the Coalition parties have already lost the threadbare one-seat majority in the lower house they need to govern. The Greens, along with others in the political establishment, have suggested calling for the governor-generalthe unelected head of stateto use the dictatorial powers vested in his office to dissolve parliament and order a new election.

The situation has left most Australians, let alone international observers, utterly bewildered. The country is one of the most culturally diverse on the planet. Its population has grown from barely seven million in 1945 to near 25 million today as the direct result of large-scale migration. Under Australian law, three million people have the right to dual citizenship in Britain alone. Millions more can claim dual citizenship in New Zealand, Italy, Greece and dozens of other countries from where people have migrated in the decades since World War II.

The working class suburbs of major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne are a true melting pot. Workplaces, and especially the playgrounds of the countrys schools, are testimony to the fact that people of different ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds can live and interact in fraternity and harmony, providing they are not disoriented and divided by racism and nationalism.

Yet, in 2017, that is precisely what the High Court has intervened to do. Members of parliament are the initial target of a sinister witch-hunt. The real target, however, is the ethnically and culturally diverse working class. The court, the supreme judicial arm of the capitalist state, has effectively decreed that half the population is un-Australian until they prove they have undivided loyalty by renouncing their purported allegiance to the country in which they, their parents or their grandparents were born.

The significance of what is unfolding can be understood only when it is assessed in the context of world economic and political processes.

The vast globalisation of production that has taken place over the past 40 years has not led to a lessening of national antagonisms and conflicts. It has resulted in the complete opposite. The point has been reached where US imperialismheaded by the degenerate figure of Donald Trumpis openly threatening China, Germany, Japan and other economic rivals with trade war. As in the 1930s, the rupture of international economic relations is the prelude to military conflict.

The patriotic hysteria in Australia is just one expression of universal, global tendencies. In every country, the capitalist elite is stoking xenophobia against foreigners as they prepare, behind the backs of the masses, for war. Nationalism is the ideological means by which the ruling class tries to poison the minds of the working class majority into believing that it shares common interests with a tiny minority of ultra-rich corporate oligarchs.

Paul Kelly, the editor-at-large of Rupert Murdochs Australian, stressed the paramount importance of demanding unquestioned allegiance to the nation in a comment last week. He denounced any suggestion that the constitution be changed to allow dual citizens to stand for parliament as a social engineering project aimed at weakening Australian sovereignty in the cause of internationalism.

As the global struggle between the great powers develops, Australian foreign policy is based on the conclusion that war between its US ally and China over dominance of the Asia-Pacific region is inevitable. The dominant factions of the ruling class, and both the Coalition and Labor, support the complete and unconditional military alignment of Australia with Washington.

A report published this week by the state-funded Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) demonises China as a threat to US and Australian strategic interests. It blandly observes that war with China would bring into consideration the use of nuclear weapons.

The Australian welcomed the ASPI report in its November 16 editorial, lauding its authors for having no time for the diplomatic sensitivities that seek to suggest our multi-billion-dollar submarine, frigate and missile acquisition programs have a potential enemy other than China in mind.

The witch-hunt over dual citizens in the parliament emerged amid constant agitation in the establishment media for action to be taken against purported Chinese influence in Australian politics and society. This is a part of a calculated attempt to create a war-time political atmosphere, with all loyal citizens expected to wrap themselves in the Australian flag and demonstrate their fidelity to the nation.

At the same time, the stoking of patriotism is motivated by the fear of the ruling elite. It is a desperate attempt to cultivate a right-wing constituency that will defend the nationthat is, the class interests of the capitalist oligarchsfrom the inevitable eruption of struggle by the working class against the danger of war and social inequality. The top 10 percent of the population own at least 55 percent of the countrys wealth, with the top 1 percent controlling the lions share. Not far from the ostentatious displays of wealth in Sydneys harbour suburbs, working class families earn so little they can barely keep a roof over their heads and feed themselves.

The consequences of the parliamentary crisis will be the refashioning of official politics. The longstanding two-party system dominated by the Coalition and Labor is disintegrating under the impact of immense geopolitical stresses and class antagonisms. As is the case across Europe and in the United States, the facade of democracy through which the capitalist class could rule in the past is breaking down. More and more openly, preparations are being made to dispense with it altogether and impose outright dictatorial measures.

The machinations of the ruling elite must be answered by the intervention of an independent political movement of the working class, advancing the socialist and internationalist alternative to capitalism and national divisions. In Australia and internationally, it is only the International Committee of the Fourth International and the Socialist Equality Party that fights for this perspective.
President Donald Trump has yet to comment on sexual misconduct allegations against Senate candidate Roy Moore (who has denied the numerous accusations that he acted inappropriately with teenage women), but Trump didnt waste much time in responding to claims made against Sen. Al Franken (D-MN).

The Al Frankenstien [sic] picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? Trump wrote on Twitter Thursday. And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape? (There is no Lesley Stahl tape, as Trump claims in his tweet, but a widely circulated quote made by Franken in a 1995 New York magazine story about Saturday Night Live, where the former show writer joked about Stahl being raped while writing a sketch focused on Andy Rooney and 60 Minutes.)

The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? .....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

.And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

On Thursday, broadcaster Leeann Tweeden claimed Franken had touched her breasts as she was sleeping while the two were on a USO Tour to entertain troops in December 2006. (Tweeden posted a photo along with her story, which showed Franken appearing to put his hands on her chest.)

It wasnt until I was back in the U.S. and looking through the CD of photos we were given by the photographer that I saw this one, she wrote in a piece for KABC. I felt violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated. How dare anyone grab my breasts like this and think its funny? Tweeden also claimed Franken kissed her without consent while rehearsing a sketch he wrote for the USO tour. (The alleged incident happened before Franken was elected senator.)

In response, Franken apologized to Tweeden for his behavior.

The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women. Theres more I want to say, but the first and most important thing  and if its the only thing you care to hear, thats fine  is: Im sorry, Franken said in a statement. I respect women. I dont respect men who dont. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.

Of the photo, Franken added, I dont know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesnt matter. Theres no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isnt funny. Its completely inappropriate. Its obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture. And, whats more, I can see how millions of other women would feel violated by itwomen who have had similar experiences in their own lives, women who fear having those experiences, women who look up to me, women who have counted on me.

He continued, Coming from the world of comedy, Ive told and written a lot of jokes that I once thought were funny but later came to realize were just plain offensive. But the intentions behind my actions arent the point at all. Its the impact these jokes had on others that matters. And Im sorry its taken me so long to come to terms with that.

While he apologized for the photo, Franken claimed he didnt remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leeann does. But, he added, I understand why we need to listen to and believe womens experiences.

Tweeden accepted Frankens apology. The apology, sure, I accept it, she said. People make mistakes and of course he knew he made a mistake.

Donald Trump has been accused of raping a 13-year-old, raping his ex-wife and attempting to rape a female business associate, among at least 17 other accusations of sexual assault. https://t.co/Vr4RH02lu9  Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) November 17, 2017

Where did YOUR hands go? You endlessly and profoundly disgust me. #pussygrabbinghypocrite https://t.co/nFHF6e7cLT  Dagmara Dominczyk (@Dagword) November 17, 2017

One of the things Trump does is act as if nothing he has said or done in the past is at all relevant to his words and actions in the present. Its beyond hypocrisy, its like malicious amnesia.  Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 17, 2017

(Trump from inside glass house)

CHECK IT OUT I MADE A GATLING GUN THAT CAN FIRE 200 STONES PER MINUTE https://t.co/R9CnFiyaAs  Dan Amira (@DanAmira) November 17, 2017

Hypocrisy is a hell of a drug. pic.twitter.com/iyypI4vT83  Jen Chaney (@chaneyj) November 17, 2017

The voices of the dozen or more women who have credibly accused the President of sexual assault deserve to be amplified tonight.  southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) November 17, 2017
This is my first opinion letter since the election of Donald Trump. I have watched as the president tells lie after lie. I was appalled at his cavalier attitude about using his celebrity to boast about sexually assaulting women. His bullying attitude and exaggerated speech have lost respect for the United States in the world.

He pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona, who had a suit filed in April 2015 by the America Civil Liberties Union charging him with among many things denying them (inmates) care for serious medical and mental health needs. Treatment not tolerated in our own community.

Now Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, twice removed from the Alabama Supreme Court for ethical violations, is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Some Republicans still support these men.

Democrats support the Dream Act, the reform of the Immigration and Naturalization System, a path to citizenship for undocumented individuals and protection of workers from exploitation by employers.

Democrats support a criminal justice system that is humane. Democrats support community policing, stronger prevention practice and tough punishment for those who commit violent crimes.

My mom delivered her values in sayings. You cant lie down with dogs and not get up with fleas. When I meet a person who still supports Trump, I simply say, I didnt realize you had such a low regard for the truth and such high regard for men who condone sexual assault against women.

If they dont speak to me again, well, at least I know I wont get fleas.

Vicki Burke, Onalaska
Leeann Tweeden said her treatment by Al Franken reminded her of the aggressive advances Harvey Weinstein made on a model who secretly recorded them.

Franken apologized Thursday after Tweeden came forward to say Franken kissed her against her will while they rehearsed for a 2006 USO show, and groped her while she was asleep during the flight home. She also provided a photo of his groping.

Tweeden told reporters in a news conference Thursday that Frankens conduct reminded her of Weinsteins advances on Ambra Gutierrez, which the model secretly recorded for the New York Police Department. The New Yorker posted the recording online.

Also Read: Read Al Franken's Full Statement: Senator Will 'Gladly Cooperate' With Ethics Investigation

Tweeden said Franken kept pressing her to practice a kissing scene he had written into a script for the USO show.

He just kept persisting and it just reminded me of the Harvey Weinstein tape that you heard the girl when she was wired up by the NYPD, just persistent and badgering and relentless, you know. So I was just like, fine, so he would shut up, you know and he just sort of came at me.

She added: He just mashed his lips against my face and he stuck his tongue in my mouth so fast. And all I can remember is that his lips were very wet and it was slimy. In my mind I called him fish lips the rest of the trip  I almost punched him. Every time I see him now my hands clench into fists.

Also Read: Al Franken Called Accuser 'Beautiful Woman' in 2010 Speech on Senate Floor (Video)

In a statement, Franken said he did not remember the rehearsal as she does, but apologized.

The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women, said Franken in his statement. Theres more I want to say, but the first and most important thing  and if its the only thing you care to hear, thats fine  is: Im sorry.

Story continues

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would seek to open an ethics investigation into Franken, which the senator said he would be happy to fully cooperate with.

I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, he said. I will gladly cooperate.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Read Al Franken's Full Statement: Senator Will 'Gladly Cooperate' With Ethics Investigation

Al Franken Called Accuser 'Beautiful Woman' in 2010 Speech on Senate Floor (Video)

Al Franken Groping Accusation Sparks Mitch McConnell's Call for Senate Ethics Investigation

Al Franken Apologizes After KABC Radio Anchor Says He Groped, Kissed Her Without Consent
A family of four was found dead in its home after the father shot and killed them last Thursday, according to police.

The Mapleton Utah Police Department Chief John Jackson released a statement Tuesday afternoon, saying that the deaths of Timothy Griffith, 45, his wife Jessica Griffith, 42, his stepdaughter Samantha Badel, 16, and his 5-year-old son Alexandre Griffith were due to a murder-suicide.

The department said Timothy had shot his wife, his children and their dog before turning the gun on himself.

Timothy used two different types of firearms that were both recovered at the scene, the statement read. It appears Timothy used one firearm to murder the family and a different one to commit suicide. Investigators have found Timothy purchased two firearms locally this past September.

Jacksons conclusion that the homicides were in fact a murder-suicide came from positions of the deceased, location of firearms, signs of movement through the home and evidence left at the scene, as well as examination of the decedents through the autopsy process.

Mapleton police at the Griffith family home

In a previous statement released last Friday, police said the family had moved to Mapleton, Utah, from Switzerland in July of this year. Badel was a sophomore student at Mapleton Mountain High School. According to KSL.com, Timothy worked for Nestle.

A concerned neighbor called police after noticing that the familys car hadnt moved, and that the lights in the home had been off for several days.

After officers received no response after knocking for several minutes, they removed a window and entered to find the entire family dead from apparent shot gun wounds, including a large dog.

If you or someone you know is showing warning signs of suicide, consider contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK, texting the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or seeking help from a professional.
UPDATED with Roy Moore tweet: Alabamas GOP senate hopeful Roy Moore has accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of a double standard in dealing with allegations against himself and those issued this morning against Democrat Sen. Al Franken.

Moore is accused of harassing and assaulting girls as young as 14, when he was in his 30s and serving as assistant DA in the state; he has denied all claims made by nine women. Franken has apologized to radio host Leeann Tweeden for a photo she published showing him with his hands over her breasts as she slept on a flight back from Afghanistan where they had been on USO tour.

Moores tweet:

Al Franken admits guilt after photographic evidence of his abuse surfaces. Mitch: "Let's investigate." In Alabama, ZERO evidence, allegations 100% rejected. Mitch: "Moore must quit immediately or be expelled."  Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) November 16, 2017

Previous, expanded statement from Al Franken: Minnesotas Sen. Al Franken has joined those calling for an Senate Ethics Committee probe after radio host Leeann Tweeden published a photo of him with his hands on her breasts as she slept on a plane returning from a USO tour in 2006.

Franken also has issued a much longer statement:

The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women. I respect women. I dont respect men who dont. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed. But I want to say something else too. Over the last few months, all of us  including and especially men who respect women  have been forced to take a good, hard look at our own actions and think (perhaps, shamefully, for the first time) about how those actions have affected women. For instance, that picture. I dont know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesnt matter. Theres no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isnt funny. Its completely inappropriate. Its obvious how Leann would feel violated by that picture. And, whats more, I can see how millions of other women would feel violated by it  women who have had similar experiences in their own lives, women who fear having those experiences, women who look up to me, women who have counted on me. Coming from the world of comedy, Ive told and written a lot of jokes that I once thought were funny but later came to realize were just plain offensive. But the intentions behind my actions arent the point at all. Its the impact these jokes had on others that matters. And Im sorry its taken me so long to time to terms with that. While I dont remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leanne does, I understand why we need to listen to and believe womens experiences. I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken and I fully gladly cooperate. And the truth is, what people think of me in light of this is far less important than what people think of women who continue to come forward to tell their stories. They deserve to be heard and believed. And they deserve to know that I am their ally and supporter. I have let them down and am committed to asking it up to them.

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UPDATED with Leeann Tweeden presser: The radio host who accused Sen. Al Franken of groping her back in 2006 as they flew home from a USO tour, said at a presser she accepts his apology, but then was having none of it.

There is no reason I shouldnt accept his apology  sure, she said.

Also, People make mistakes so yes, I do accept that apology,

But Tweeden also told reporters, I knew, all these years later [he would say] Oh, I thought it was going to be funnyguess it wasnt, she said at a news conference in Los Angeles.

Nothing like that is ever funny, she said. Is it funny if he does that to your sister or your daughter or your wife? Tweeden said she was particularly upset by the photo in which, as she slept on the flight back from Afghanistan, Franken put his hands over her breasts. In a post on her radio stations website she also claimed Franken had written a skit for the show in which he would kiss her, repeatedly insisted they rehearse backstage, and then, when she agreed, pushed her head towards his and stuck his tongue in her mouth.

The photo, she said, was the last straw.

[After] already assaulting me backstage, and all the petty things he was doing to belittle meoh great, while I was sleeping you do that to me, she said of the photo.

Previous, Dems reaction: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday joined Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in calling for an ethics probe of Sen. Al Franken, after a radio host alleged he groped her as they flew back from a USO tour in 2006.

Other Dems condemned Frankens behavior; he has issued an apology for the incident, which occurred before the comedian/SNL regular was elected to the Senate in 2008.

Im shocked and concerned, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said Thursday afternoon. The behavior described is completely unacceptable. Comedy is no excuse for inappropriate conduct, and I believe there should be an ethics investigation.

Previous: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called for an Ethics Committee investigation of Sen. Al Franken after a Los Angeles radio host alleged he groped her during a USO tour in 2006.

Franken, a Democrat, was elected to the Senate in 2008.

As with all credible allegations of sexual harassment or assault, I believe the Ethics Committee should review the matter. I hope the Democratic Leader will join me on this, he said. Regardless of party, harassment and assault are completely unacceptablein the workplace or anywhere else.

Republicans are grappling with allegations Alabamas GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore sexually assaulted teenagers when he was in his 30s. Nine women have made various allegations about Moore, ranging from initiating a relationship with them when they were teens (legal age of consent in the state is 16), to locking one in his car and trying to force their head to his crotch while simultaneously trying to tear off her shirt.

Franken on Thursday morning apologized to Leeann Tweeden after she wrote about working with him on a USO tour; she claimed he kissed her aggressively while rehearsing a skit after she finally agreed to rehearse the kiss so he would stop badgering her. She also posted a photo she said was taken when they were flying home from Afghanistan in which she is sleeping and he has his hands over her breasts.

I certainly dont remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann, Franken said in a statement.

As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasnt. I shouldnt have done it.

Moore has denied all of the claims made by the nine women, calling it a political hit job by the Washington Post, which broke the story; he has threatened to sue the newspaper.

McConnell has condemned Moores behavior, said he believes the women, and has floated the idea of Attorney General Jeff Sessions as a write-in candidate for his old Senate seat. Moore is running for that seat, with the special election set for December 12.

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Police in Richardson, Texas, have filed criminal charges against the mother of Sherin Mathews, the 3-year-old Texas girl whose body was found in a drain last month and whose father has been charged in connection with the case.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, Sini Mathews, 35, was arrested Thursday and charged with abandoning or endangering a child.

Authorities allege that Sini Mathews left Sherin alone at home for and hour and a half the night before the little girl was reported missing on Oct. 7.

Sherin Mathews

Her body was recovered Oct. 22 in a culvert. Sini Mathews is being held on $250,000 bond. She hasnt entered a plea and it was unclear Friday if she had a lawyer who could comment on her behalf.

The arrest affidavit alleges that Sini Mathews and her husband, Wesley Mathews, left their adoptive daughter Sherin alone on the evening of Oct. 6 to take their 3-year-old biological daughter out to dinner.

Wesley Mathews was arrested on Oct. 7, after allegedly telling investigators he punished Sherin, who was adopted from India in the spring of 2016, for not drinking her milk by leaving her to stand next to a tree outside their Richardson home.

He allegedly told police he placed her near the tree at around 3 a.m. Mathews allegedly said he went to check on the toddler about 15 minutes later but she was gone. She was reported missing 5 hours later.

The affidavit says that Matthews was trying to get the 3 year old girl to drink her milk in the garage.Wesley Mathews said she wouldnt listen to him. Mathews then allegedly stated that he physically assisted her in drinking her milk, and the girl choked.

Wesley Mathews has been charged with felony injury to a child.

While interviewing Wesley Mathews, the arrest affidavit alleges he told police he went out the night before with his wife and daughter to a restaurant in North Garland, Texas. They allegedly left Sherin in the kitchen.

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Sini Mathews

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Police recovered a receipt from the restaurant and spoke to a waiter who confirmed the couple only had one child with them during dinner. The affidavit further claims cell phone records also place Sini and Wesley Mathews at the restaurant.

Wesley Mathews, who has yet to enter a plea, allegedly told police they returned home 90 minutes later to find Sherin still in the kitchen.

According to a Richardson Police statement issued Thursday, the Dallas County Medical Examiner is still working to determine the cause of Sherin Mathews death.

His attorney, Rafael De La Garza, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.
Congress has been rocked by its own own sexual misconduct allegations this week, with Sen. Al Franken being accused of sexual harassment, and yet more women coming forward to accuse Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of assaulting them as teenagers, Seth Meyers said on Thursday nights Late Night.

Meyers discussed the awful claims made against the former Saturday Night Live regular, by conservative radio host Leeann Tweeden, then moved on to note those Republicans still defending Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. This, despite more women coming forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct when they were teens. That list of defenders includes Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks who explains that the conservative agenda is vastly more important than contested sexual allegations from four decades ago.

Some Republicans are desperate to ignore questions about Moore because those who say they believe his accusers then get asked why they dont believe women who have accused President Donald Trump of assault.

That also explains why Trump wont take any questions on Moore these days, Meyers said.

Supporting Moore is getting pretty tough, what with reports about his having been banned from the YMCA and a local shopping mall when he was in his 30s and allegedly using those locations to pick up teens. Lindsey Graham has weighed in on that, saying Ive met a lot of people in the mall. And, if youre getting kicked out of the mall, thats a pretty bad situation to find yourself in.

Snarked Meyers: I agree. But why have you been at the mall? [Answer: politician]

But the highlight of Meyers segment was the clip of Moores lawyer explaining to MSNBCs Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle why 30something Moore always asked permission of teenage girls mothers before dating them. It somehow involved other countries where parents make arrangements for their daughters, which he suggested Velshi would understand.

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Alis from Canada! Ruhle snapped, demanding to know what Velshi being from Canada had to do with Roy Moore dating 14 year olds.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssVrzoCgr_w&w=620&h=340]

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Blake Sheltons famous friends and fellow Sexiest Man Alive winners had the best reactions to his new honor

Every year People magazine decides that one man in Hollywood is worthy of the distinction of being named the Sexiest Man Alive. Last year the award went to Dwayne Johnson and last night, that sexiest honor ever was given to Blake Shelton. Thats right, The Voice judge and Gwen Stefanis boyfriend is the sexiest man alive this year. Heres what famous people are saying about the newly minted sexy man.

Former titleholder Hugh Jackman: Hey @blakeshelton  take it from me  humble only gets you so far. Milk the sexy status for ALL its worth. The reign goes all too quickly. Just ask @VancityReynolds.

The Voice host Carson Daly: Not sure about the sexiest. But congrats on the recognition of being a man & being alive. Love you buddy!

Today host Hoda Kotb: Whaaaaaaaaaaaatttttt???? Yay!

Actress Fortune Feimster: Blake Shelton gives me hope that I too could one day be People Magazines sexiest man alive.

The Voice co-star Adam Levine: Man, Im proud of you buddy. Because Im only friends with other SMAs.

Last years honoree Dwayne Johnson: Truth is I was going to become the first ever back to back SMA but that absurd fanny pack picture made its rounds on the interweb again causing @people to rethunketh the whole damn thing.

But lets be real, the only reaction that really matters is the woman who calls herself Sheltons better half, Gwen Stefani.

I guess Ive been kissing the #sexiestmanalive all this time but @people I knew that allreadyy!! Stefani tweeted this morning.

Thank you @people!!!! Don't hate me because I'm beautiful...  A post shared by Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) on Nov 14, 2017 at 5:03pm PST

When it was rumored that Shelton would be granted the sexy honor, Stefani told Access Hollywood, What? Oh my god, well they got that right. Wow, I knew I was on to something. Wow, Im gonna look really good huh? I already had scored but now I really scored.
Bekkum Library is gearing up for the holidays and here are some of the things we have planned!

We will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23 for Thanksgiving so that our staff can enjoy the holiday with their families.

Our best news is that Santa Claus is coming to Westby on Fri., Dec. 1 at 6 p.m.! He will be joining us in the Westby Community Room for individual Santa visits. Kids can also enjoy Christmas stories, carols, hot chocolate and cookie decorating! This event is open to all ages and is completely FREE!

Join us for a special holiday edition of Family Movie Night at 7 p.m. on Fri., December 8. Get into the Christmas spirit with How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG) and FREE popcorn!

Then, on Sat., Dec. 9 at 10:30 a.m., join us for a visit with local Wisconsin author, Amanda Zieba. Amanda will be joining us from Onalaska, WI where she is a teacher by day, a wife and mother always, and a writer any minute she can squeeze in. She will be discussing her novel Champion Chocolatier, a light Christmas read that is centered on Emmy, a woman stuck in a dead-end job that wins a Facebook contest to own and operate a chocolate shop in Northern Minnesota. Pick up a copy of Champion Chocolatier at the library and step inside Emmys Sweet Shores Chocolate Store!

The Bekkum Bookworms, a group of 10 to 14-year-olds that love to read, will be meeting on Mon., Dec. 11 from 3:45 to 5 p.m. to discuss WinterFrost by Michelle Houts. This is a delightful winter adventure that focuses on an ordinary Danish Christmas that turns extraordinary when a family overlooks an important folkloric tradition. New Bookworms are welcome to attend, no sign up necessary! Copies of WinterFrost can be picked up at the circulation desk.
Its been reported that infamous cult leader Charles Manson was rushed to the hospital on November 15th. The 83-year-old was taken from prison to a hospital in Bakersfield, California. This is the second time this year that the elderly convict has h
SHANGHAIIt is mere days before the annual Victorias Secret show takes place on Nov. 20 in Shanghai, but things are not going according to plan for the global lingerie giant.

First, reports emerged earlier this week that four models  Irina Sharipova, Kate Grigorieva, Julia Belyakova and Dasha Khlystun  were denied visas for entry into the country.

On Thursday, Gigi Hadid confirmed her last minute drop-out on Twitter. The situation appears to be snowballing fast with Page Six reporting that Katy Perry has been denied entry as well, alongside multiple influencers canceling their trips to cover the show.

Victorias Secret has not yet responded to WWDs request for comment. As recently as Wednesday  five days before the show kick-off  a Victorias Secret representative said they were not able to confirm the performers.

This confusion underscores how event planning in China can get ensnared in a complicated web of bureaucracy, confounding even multimillion-dollar brands like Victorias Secret, though it is not impossible to pull off.

Indeed, Alibaba staged a four-hour Singles Day countdown gala on Nov. 11 which featured huge international stars: Pharrell Williams, Jessie J, Nicole Kidman, Maria Sharapova, Riverdance, Blue Man Group, and even Victorias Secret models Lais Ribeiro and Sui He, appearing alongside Chinas biggest pop culture phenomenons like Kris Wu and Fan Bingbing.

MORE: Singles Day 2017: Alibaba Starstudded Countdown >>

Many reasons have been offered up for the Victorias Secret show last-minute scramble, ranging from political censorship, the recent death of a foreign child model, and accusations of racism in the case of Gigi Hadid.

But as one fashion event organizer who wished to remain anonymous told WWD, in China, companies should be aware that theres a lack of flexibility and described the key to success as being able to follow the rules, stringent as they may be.

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In China, your event lets say has a hard stop at 10 p.m. At 10 p.m., someone will push the button and turn it off, even though, lets say, you hired a huge celebrity to sing, and they start late. They will still be singing but it gets turned off and its done, the source said.

While acknowledging that most companies do not attempt such a high-profile event and Victorias Secret is subject to an unusual level of government checks and approvals, the organizer said, I dont think Victorias Secret should have done a big one first off the bat. Dont forget, Alibaba took the time to establish those relationships and explain what they do. Government officials had seen older versions of Alibabas Singles Day show.

Even music festivals [in China], the events organizer continued. Strawberry Music Festival, Modern Sky, they have to do it all local talent the first year, and then bringing in the international guys eventually. Its a slow build.

Archie Hamilton, managing director of Shanghai festivals Split Works and Concrete & Grass, said, It seems that Victorias Secret always work with the same international team for all their events. There is a belief, from experience, that they know best how to operate their own hugely complicated events. After all, in most places in the worldan arena is an arena is an arena, with largely homogenized processes, ways of working, and plugged into an international standardized events industry.

In China, none of these rules apply. Here, you have a ton of varying, shifting conditions and idiosyncrasies. You need the right local people in the team right from the beginning, so you reduce the chances of the wrong roads being taken. Whether you like it or not, China is different, and requires a different approach, Hamilton said.

MORE: Dalai Lama Dilemma and Other China Pitfalls Brands Should Know >>

Things can still go askew at an esteemed Chinese company like Alibaba. Katy Perry dropped out of Alibabas Singles Day show gala last year at the last minute. Her no-show was rumored to be connected to the 2016 U.S. presidential election result on Nov. 8.

Just days before Perrys scheduled appearance, she had been campaigning heavily with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. In general, politics is a sensitive spot for China and celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Richard Gere have been declared persona non-grata for their pro-Tibetan independence beliefs. Perry raised eyebrows in 2015 for a sunflower dress outfit worn at her Taipei concert, which some interpreted as sign of support for Taiwanese independence.

Chinese conservative cultural codes can be a tricky point as well, such as with broadcasting rules. For instance, when Victorias Secret took part in Alibabas see-now, buy-now fashion show, which aired on major Chinese television channels on Oct. 31, the looks were closely scrutinized.

I had to submit the looks six days in advance for the censors, said one of the show stylists, who requested to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak about the event.

Victorias Secret is best known for its sexy, barely-there outfits, however the stylist had to prepare three different versions of each look, ranging from what can be described as a standard western outfit to a modest version, which she described as frustrating for the team, as the underwear product was essentially not visible.

MORE: All About Estelle Chen: Victorias Secret Newcomer >>

When Lais Ribeiro and Sui He came on stage at another televised event, the Alibaba Singles Day countdown gala, both models were relatively covered up. The only hint that they were the ambassadors of an underwear brand was a bra showing through Hes transparent top.

The U.S. broadcast of the Victorias Secret show is scheduled to air for Nov. 28. The brand has not yet clarified how Chinese audiences will be able to view the show other than pirated livestreams, as in years past.

The final Victorias Secret model line-up is scheduled to be revealed on the morning of Nov. 18, when all the women who will walk in the show will be assembled in Shanghai for a press photo op.

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On Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza visited the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to check out the production of new $1 bills that bear their signatures. To mark the momentous occasion, Mnuchin posed for a photo with his wife, Louise Linton, as they held a sheet of money together straight off the printing press.

Linton, an actress (whos also known for her controversial memoir), wore a Peter Pan-collared black wool top tucked into a high-waisted leather skirt. She accessorized with a black leather belt that cinched her waist and matching elbow-length gloves.

Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton. (Photo: AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

The 36-year-old Scot opted not to take off her gloves for the photo op with Mnuchin  whom she married in June in Washington, D.C.  clutching the corner of the paper and glaring at the camera with an experienced model face.

Associated Press photographer Jacquelyn Martin, who captured the image, knew the minute she took it that it was going to be a great photo, but, she noted, I didnt know it would turn into quite such an internet phenomenon.

Based on their history and previous images that have been put out there  I had a feeling that this would take off. There is something about this couple that people are just fascinated by. There was added visual interest in the dynamic of the couple, and her outfit, Martin told the AP.

We dont orchestrate these things  I just show up and photograph what happens in front of me. You really have to be ready for anything in Washington.

The moment was quickly mocked on social media, with some comparing the pair to James Bond villains. Others pointed out the similarity between Lintons look and Kylo Rens from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

God bless Louise Linton, who even after one of the worst PR disasters of the year is unable to stop dressing like a Disney villain. pic.twitter.com/dcmtDNGQyS  Jesse Berney (@jesseberney) November 15, 2017

Find someone who looks at you the way Louise Linton looks at Steve Mnuchin holding a sheet of dollar bills with his name on them pic.twitter.com/3fGXmJti6c  Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) November 15, 2017

Beautiful photo of Louise Linton with the love of her life and also Steven Mnuchin pic.twitter.com/MOfKzrF9u1  Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) November 15, 2017

Looks like Louise Linton finally decided on her annual Christmas wrapping paper. pic.twitter.com/foIrGOmlJl  Myriam (@maximusmom22) November 15, 2017

Im starting to get the feeling that Louise Linton may not have married Steven Mnuchin because of his charm, wit, or rugged good looks. pic.twitter.com/6ADfGuemKP  Andrew Weinstein (@Weinsteinlaw) November 15, 2017

Are Louise Linton & Steve Mnuchin trying to look like Bond villains? pic.twitter.com/jxV7IqmMvE  Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) November 16, 2017

why is louise linton dressed like kylo ren pic.twitter.com/lKJRz2GhXy  Joon Lee (@iamjoonlee) November 15, 2017

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin re-creates his marriage proposal to wife Louise Linton on a visit to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing pic.twitter.com/XYvUQJMyvH  Robyn Urback (@RobynUrback) November 15, 2017

Beating Louise Linton to the Instagram punch pic.twitter.com/PKkpkcKNS7  The Smoking Gun (@tsgnews) November 15, 2017

Photographer, to Louise Linton: OK, give me your best "Let 'em eat cake" face.

Ahh, perfect. pic.twitter.com/QgOdnfS2fF  BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) November 15, 2017

In August, Linton also became a trending internet topic when she posted an Instagram of her travel outfit after flying with Mnuchin to Kentucky on a business trip. She tagged all the brands she was wearing  including Tom Ford, Valentino, and Hermes (Birkin bags retail for $12,000 to $200,000, depending on the style)  and even engaged with a commenter who called her #deplorable.

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Louise Lintons Instagram post from August. (Photo: Instagram)

The post, which was compared to Ivanka Trumps let them eat cake tweet from the night of the refugee travel ban, was deleted, and Linton apologized  while posing for the cover of a magazine in a ball gown.

I want to say I concede completely to the comments of my critics, Linton said in an interview for Washington Life magazines Balls & Galas issue. My post itself and the following response were indefensible.  Its clear that I was the one who was truly out of touch and my response was reactionary and condescending.

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Think Playboy, think super-slim models sporting bunny tails and rabbit ears (or less). Well, think again. Because after featuring its very first transgender model on the cover, the mens lifestyle magazine is breaking with tradition once again to feature a stunning plus-size model.

Molly Constable attends MAC Celebrates the Winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Capsule Collection in June in New York City. (Photo: Presley Ann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

In its latest shoot, Playboy collaborated with rising-star curvy model Molly Constable and photographer Heather Hazzan to prove that sexy has no size boundaries.

@mollyconstable revisits her roots in the beautiful upstate New York countryside. by @heatherhazzan Stylist: @calvy.click Hairstylist: @thisisclay A post shared by Playboy (@playboy) on Nov 7, 2017 at 7:47pm PST

And not only did the size 14 beauty absolutely smash it, she did so without wearing any makeup.

Named one of the Vogue Rising Model Stars in 2017, Constable has also walked the runway with plus-size queen Ashley Graham and was recently featured in Harpers Bazaar and Love.

Shes also making waves on Instagram, with more than 24,000 followers, who were absolutely loving her groundbreaking appearance in Playboy.

Thanks to @mollyconstable, @calvy.click, @thisisclay, @jeremyrudy & @gurvinderji for hiking randomly through the woods to find a waterfall before we lost the light #bts in my story Styling @calvy.click Hair @thisisclay A post shared by Heather Hazzan (@heatherhazzan) on Nov 9, 2017 at 1:14pm PST

I really want to thank you cause you made me believe I can be pretty with my body because GRL UR AMAZING, one fan wrote.

Im so happy playboy is diversifying itself! We need more curvy babes in it! another added.

Constable has previously spoken out about the lack of diversity in the fashion industry. I have had makeup artists throw jabs at me for having stretch marks and them having to cover them up.

Upstate and away with @mollyconstable for @playboy Styling @calvy.click Hair @thisisclay #filmisnotdead A post shared by Heather Hazzan (@heatherhazzan) on Nov 11, 2017 at 12:25pm PST

Your weight is not important. Its how you act toward people and feel on the inside, she told the Daily Mail.

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But she does believe that beauty standards within the industry are gradually starting to change.

Everyone is starting to celebrate themselves unapologetically, she told Vogue India. At size 14, I didnt think modeling a possibility.

Its more than a possibility, Molly  youre absolutely killing it!

Iconic beauty Molly A post shared by Heather Hazzan (@heatherhazzan) on Nov 12, 2017 at 8:40pm PST

Featuring a curvy model isnt the only way Playboy has been diversifying of late. Earlier this year, the famous magazine asked seven older models and former Playmates to re-create their iconic covers in a bid to celebrate aging and remind people that beauty is timeless.

And with a transgender model was on a Playboy cover this year too, we cant help but give props to the mens mag for breaking out of its typical Playmate mold and tearing down age, size, and gender boundaries in the process.

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Twitter has some thoughts on why Trump lifted an Obama-era elephant poaching ban

The Trump Administrations decision to lift a ban on importing elephant kill trophies spurred outrage on Twitter, with many users sharing an old photo of Donald Trump Jr. holding an elephant tail after a hunt.

Back in 2012, Donald and Eric went trophy hunting in Zimbabwe, killing an elephant and cheetah among other large animals, facing passionate and longlasting backlash once the photos surfaced.

So when the it was reported that President Trump reversed the Obama-era ban on hunters importing trophies of elephants killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia during government-approved expeditions, critics moved quickly to recirculate the photo.

Elephants are listed as endangered, but an Endangered Species Act stipulation lets the government give people permits to import trophies if theres evidence that the hunting actually benefits conservation for that species.

Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation, a Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said in a statement.

Animal rights activists were not happy.

Its a venal and nefarious pay-to-slay arrangement that Zimbabwe has set up with the trophy hunting industry, Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society, told the Washington Post.

Both of Trumps sons have defended hunting. Anyone who thinks hunters are just bloodthirsty morons hasnt looked into hunting, Donald Jr. told Forbes in 2012. If you wait through long, cold hours in the November woods with a bow in your hands hoping a buck will show or if you spend days walking in the African bush trailing Cape buffalo while listening to lions roar, youre sure to learn hunting isnt about killing.

That didnt stop people from being incensed by the ban lift, many suggesting that his sons love of the hunt influenced the President.

What good reason could Donald Trump have for reversing the Obama administration ban on import of elephant trophies from Africa? https://t.co/chjsbeA1J3 pic.twitter.com/puFh3ev6Bc  Andrew Weinstein (@Weinsteinlaw) November 16, 2017

Donald Trump has just lifted the ban on hunters bringing slain elephant 'trophies' back into the US.

It means little Donny Jr can show off his prize to his daddy. pic.twitter.com/Ap6RnNpMlL  James Melville (@JamesMelville) November 16, 2017

Related article: Marco Rubio already trolled Trump for his mid-speech water break

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The world has unbelievably cruel people in charge at the moment.



This is what Donald Trumps family see as fun.



Now Trump is to reverse the ban on importing elephant trophies from Africa.



The worlds last elephants.



Reprehensible.



Plse RT. pic.twitter.com/gZju2dgQsJ  Dr Lauren Gavaghan (@DancingTheMind) November 16, 2017

Infuriating. Will increase poaching, make communities more vulnerable & hurt conservation efforts: https://t.co/w3BT8tZzgw  Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) November 16, 2017

Related article: Stephen Colbert has a surprising gripe about Donald Trump  and it has nothing to do with politics

Trophies from #Elephant and #Lion hunts can now be brought into to US. Thanks for nothing @realDonaldTrump! I call on @FedEx, @DHLUS, @AmericanAir, and all other delivery and airline companies to ban transport of animal trophies. pic.twitter.com/e4MekDXVLz  Daniel Schneider (@BiologistDan) November 16, 2017
At least four Republican senators are talking privately about opposing the current version of the tax reform bill, which the House voted to pass early Thursday, on the grounds that it would balloon the national deficit too much.

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake and Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford are among the four  enough to stop a bill that can only spare two Republican defections  who have concerns about a tax reform bill that was estimated to hike the deficit by $1.5 trillion over 10 years. The other two senators have not publicly confirmed their concerns.

In an interview with TIME on Tuesday, two days before the House voted to pass its version of the tax reform bill, Flake said that he believes the bill is larded with temporary gimmicks that will ultimately add even more than that to the deficit.

Ive been concerned for a long time on our debt and deficit  thats what animates me, Flake told TIME. There are a couple other people who are concerned as well. We can do tax reform in ways that will grow the economy but we cant just ignore the debt and deficit.

Their concerns show the tricky needle that Republicans will have to thread to get the tax reform bill through the upper chamber using reconciliation, a parliamentary procedure that allows them to avoid a Democratic filibuster but imposes restrictions on how the bill is written.

On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin would be voting against it, saying it unduly favors corporations over small businesses. Maine Sen. Susan Collins has also raised concerns about a provision in the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Acts individual insurance mandate.

But the deficit hawks criticisms could be the hardest to address, since the Republican leaders are already struggling to find ways to pay for tax cuts in the bill.

Flake pointed in particular to the provision known as full expensing that allows companies to write off their assets when paying taxes, costing the government potential tax revenue. The tax reform plan is set to sunset the provision after five years  but the Arizona Republican isnt convinced.

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Right now, in order to fit that in the budget window to keep us in reconciliation, we phase that out after five years. Nobody thinks it will be phased out after five years, he said. Thats the problem here. You phase it out after five years, it fits in this, but we know after five years theyre just going to do it again.

In addition, the tax reform bill slashes the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20%, curtails the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, and, under the Senate plan, does away with the Affordable Care Acts individual mandate. Though Republicans have touted the tax reform bill as a boon for the middle class, new numbers from Congress Joint Committee on Taxation show that taxes for those earning under $75,000 a year would increase by 2027.

Despite the bills troubles in the Senate, you cant fault House Republicans for feeling festive about the bills passing. For the first time in a decade, Republicans control both houses of Congress and the White House  and yet they have failed so far to achieve any meaningful legislative victories; their losses, meanwhile, namely two unsuccessful attempts to repeal Obamacare, have been painful and public. Achieving tax reform would amount to a triumph that could stabilize the rocky G.O.P. ahead of the 2018 midterm elections next November.

It is also important to President Donald Trump, who is hungry for a win. Trump traveled to Capitol Hill on Thursday morning ahead of the House vote to encourage Republican lawmakers to vote for the package.

He had confidence that the Senate would be able to reach an agreement, said someone who was in the room during the meeting. There was a lot of laughter  the President was in a very jovial mood.

Why are Democrats fighting massive tax cuts for the middle class and business (jobs)? The reason: Obstruction and Delay!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2017

A number of Senate Republicans agree with him  that the points of tension can be ironed out efficiently.

I think we can address those concerns, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said. And the deficit impact? Cutting taxes is not going to add the deficit in any appreciable way. Youre never going to convince me for deficit reasons not to cut taxes. If theres a gimmick, fix the gimmick.

The Senate hopes to have a tax reform bill on the floor after Thanksgiving; Trump has made it clear that he wants to sign a piece of legislation into law by Christmas. The growing concern in the Senate suggests this might be complicated  something hoped for by the 13 House Republicans who trudged away from the chamber floor after casting their ballots against the bill on Thursday.

If this is going to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over the next ten years, its not fair to our children and grandchildren, Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina told TIME outside the House chamber after the end of the vote. If this was a Democratic bill we wouldnt even be voting for it. Thats how hypocritical this place has become.
As the years go the number of veterans attending the annual Veterans Day programs held in the area dwindles as these honorable men and women age. Adding to the number of empty chairs is the fact that less new blood lines of veterans are joining local VFW and American Legion Posts. Yet regardless of the nationwide trend, local organizations work tirelessly to recruit new members.

George Navrestad of Westby has spent 54 years as the chaplain for Westby American Legion Post 155 and a member of its Honor Guard. He has always considered it an honor to be able to show all area veterans the kind of respect they deserve at all stages in life. But, at the age of 88, Navrestad, a Korean War veteran, would be the first to admit that he isnt a spring chicken anymore and just being mobile involves the use of a walker to get around. Even though his body doesnt always cooperate with what his mind tells him to do, it doesnt stop him from making every effort to continue to be actively involved.

Navrestad was drafted into the Army in September 1951 and was discharged in 1953. To this day he can still rattle off his military ID number, #55146-6000. After completing basics in South Carolina and further training in Texas he remained stateside working as a radar operator and instructor for anti-aircraft artillery. After serving his time, Navrestad returned to Westby where he married his wife of 62 years, Carol. Together they farmed and raised four children, Daniel, Ruth, John and Mary. They also have six grandchildren.

Sigert Larson, formerly of Bloomingdale and now a resident at Fairhaven Assisted Living in Viroqua, also attended the Veterans Day program.

At the age of 87, Larson is a member of the Westby VFW Post 8021 and is also a veteran of the Korean War. He enlisted in the Army in 1949 and spent four years serving his country. After basic training he spent 16 months in Japan, before heading to Korea for 18 months where he finished out the rest of his active duty.

Growing up a farm boy, Larson was mechanically inclined and spent his time in the motor pool doing equipment maintenance. Larson said he didnt see front line combat, but dodged his share of bullets when the enemy planes fired rounds from the sky. He said when the shower of bullets came everyone took cover.

Looking back he said the time he spent in Japan was like a fairy tale compared to Korea. He said the Japanese people were very friendly and accommodating, while the Korean people were very standoffish. He also enjoyed the cuisine in Japan, not the C rations they had to digest in Korea. Larson said the thing he missed most while overseas was his girlfriend and future wife, June. Less than a month after he returned stateside they were joined in wedded bliss. Together they farmed near Bloomingdale and raised four sons, Steve, Randall, Brian and Edward. They have four grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Forrest Dowling, age 83, of Westby, was a member of the United States Navy from 1952-1956 flying with aircraft missions over Southwest Asia at the end of the Korean War. After completing basic training in San Diego and receiving additional training at three more aviation schools his unit was based out of Hawaii.

Dowling never saw active combat during his military service, but has vivid memories of the scarring remains still left behind in war ravaged countries during WWII. He said flying over that battlefields 10 years after the end of the war that the land was still littered with blown up tanks, discarded guns and artillery.

A Boscobel native, Dowling met the love of his life, Linda Erlandson of Westby, while the two of them were attending college in Madison. They were married in 1961 and raised four children, Steven, Tricia, Jason and Benjamin.

After earning his degree as a Geo-physicist, Dowling spent the majority of his career traveling the world. He spent multiple years doing naval research in Washington DC, as well as spending time working on intensive projects in Antarctica, Greenland and the North Pole. The family moved to Westby in 1977, where they remain today and Forrest is a proud member of both the Westby VFW and American Legion posts.

The three veterans and friends interviews above were part of a trio of Westby veterans aboard the 20th Freedom Honor Flight out of La Crosse in September. The September flight had 100 veterans, 100 guardians, two doctors and four paramedics on board. The veterans airfare is all paid for by donations and volunteers, while the guardians pay their own way.

All three agreed that they were treated like royalty on that special trip to Washington DC.

Navrestad said he always thought others deserved the chance to take the flight first, but with all the encouragement he received and now knowing how remarkable the Freedom Honor Flight organization is that he is humbled beyond words that he was awarded this opportunity of a lifetime. He especially enjoyed the Mail Call and reading letters from his family while in flight.

Larson said it was a short time to take in so much, but it is a trip he would recommend all veterans sign up for. His guardian and son Steve Larson, said it was a phenomenal trip from start to finish.

Dowling, who spent many years working in Washington DC before retiring in Westby, said it was awe inspiring to return to the nations capital and see the immense growth of the region. He said the Freedom Honor Flight guardians were outstanding and even the veterans who didnt feel they deserved a heroes welcome were touched by the outpouring they received.

These men are just a few examples of the men and women who gave of themselves to preserve the freedoms we live by today.

Thank-You Veterans!
Actor Tom Sizemore has denied allegations that he groped an 11-year-old girl during a photo shoot in 2003.

In a statement posted to his Twitter account Thursday, the actor called the claims so disturbing that I feel compelled to go against my legal teams advice and speak out.

Sizemore, who is known for his roles in Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down, acknowledged that he has battled substance abuse and related demons for years.

However, I dont deserve this, he said. I never, nor would I ever, sexually touch a child.

The tweet has since been deleted. Sizemore said he would soon release a new statement.

My attorney's are livid that I did not listen to them. I will release an amended statement soon.  Tom Sizemore (@TomSizemore) November 16, 2017

The actor did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent via his manager.

Allegations that Sizemore sexually assaulted an 11-year-old actress in Utah more than a decade ago surfaced in The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. Sizemore was accused of kissing and inappropriately touching the young actress during a photo shoot for the 2005 film Born Killers, according to a Salt Lake City police report.

The actor was initially fired from the film but ultimately was rehired after Utah prosecutors opted not to file charges, citing witness and evidence problems.

Catrine McGregor, the casting director for the film, told The Salt Lake Tribune that the girls agent reported the alleged molestation to her at the time. McGregor said she called the police, as well as the films producer.

Those werent times where allegations like that were as easy to make as they are now, McGregor said. We all figured the police would do what they need to do.

Others who were present at the photo shoot told detectives that they hadnt seen any misconduct. The films production manager told officers, according to the police report, that there were over 100 people on or around the set at the photo shoot. She said there were at least 20 persons close to the set and the rest were on the outskirts. She added that she had not heard anyone say they had seen anything suspicious happen.

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Sizemore pleaded no contest in February to two charges of domestic violence. He was sentenced to 36 months of probation and 30 days of community labor, and was required to complete a yearlong domestic violence program.

Related Coverage

Who Are The Sexual Harassers?

Hundreds In Hollywood Protest Rampant Sexual Misconduct

Sylvester Stallone Denies Sexually Assaulting 16-Year-Old Fan In The '80s

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Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey plans to vote for Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore in spite of allegations that the former judge sexually assaulted multiple women.

Im going to cast my ballot on December the 12th, and I do believe the nominee of the party is the one Ill vote for, the governor told reporters on Friday, according to AL.com. Ivey was responding to questions from reporters after an annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon event at the governors mansion.

I believe in the Republican Party, what we stand for, and, most important, we need to have a Republican in the United States Senate to vote on things like the Supreme Court justices, other appointments the Senate has to confirm and make major decisions, she said. So thats what I plan to do, vote for Republican nominee Roy Moore.

At least nine women have come forward with accusations against Moore ranging from harassment to sexual assault. Four came forward in a Washington Post report published last week, saying that Moore pursued them when they were in their teens and he was in his 30s.

One of those women, Leigh Corfman, said she was just 14 when Moore drove her to his home into a wooded area, where he kissed and groped her.

A fifth woman, Beverly Young Nelson, shared a disturbing story about Moore during a news conference with attorney Gloria Allred earlier this week. Nelson said that while she was working as a waitress at age 16, Moore offered to give her a ride home but instead drove to a secluded area and sexually assaulted her. He was serving as an assistant district attorney in Etowah County at the time.

Kelly Harrison Thorp said she was working as a waitress at age 17 when Moore asked her out, allegedly telling her, I go out with girls your age all the time, according to a report by AL.com.

Tina Johnson told AL.com earlier this week that Moore groped her in 1991 as she was visiting his law office regarding custody paperwork for her son.

Two other women shared stories about Moore in a report published by the Post on Wednesday, saying the incidents occurred when the women worked at an Alabama mall as young adults. Gena Richardson said Moore repeatedly asked her out around the time of her 18th birthday. She initially denied his request but finally agreed to a date, but it ended in what she described as a forceful kiss that left her scared. The other woman, Becky Gray, said that when she was 22, Moore repeatedly pressed her for a date in a way that made her uncomfortable.

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Moore has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has attempted to discredit his accusers.

Asked whether she believed the womens stories, Ivey told reporters: I certainly have no reason to disbelieve any of them. The timing is a little curious. But at the same time, I have no reason to disbelieve them.

Ivey did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

Several prominent Republicans  including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)  have said Moore should leave the Senate race. President Donald Trump weighed in through White House press secretary Sarah Sanders to say that if these allegations are true, Judge Moore will do the right thing and step aside.

The Alabama Republican Party announced Thursday it was standing by Moore, saying the former judge should be presumed innocent unless proved guilty.

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Mr Moore defeated Luther Strange 55-45 in the Republican primary in September: AP

Republican leaders are reportedly considering a desperate plan to try and get rid of controversial Alabama candidate Roy Moore that would suspend the current campaign and trigger a fresh election.

Mr Moore, 70, a social conservative who faces a barrage of accusations of sexual abuse and inappropriate behaviour involving girls and young women, has defied calls from senior Republicans to stand aside. Indeed, Mr Moore has continued to insist he is innocent and has said there is a witch hunt against him.

Increasingly concerned about the damage Mr Moores presence in the race is doing to the party, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell and his top advisers are said to discussing the possibility of a last-ditch plan to get rid of him.

Dear Mitch McConnell,



Bring. It. On.  Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) November 16, 2017

According to Politico, the plan would involve asking Senator Luther Strange to resign; he was appointed on a temporary basis to fill the seat left vacant when Senator Jeff Sessions joined Mr Trumps cabinet. They believe this could then force a fresh special election.

The report said barely a month before the 12 December election, when Mr Moore is due to go head-to-head with Democrat Doug Jones, the McConnell team in unsure about the legality or possibility of pulling off such a move.

With allegations levelled at Mr Moore from at least six different women, and a poll showing him trailing Mr Jones by up to 12 points, the possible plot shows the desperation among senior Republicans such as Mr McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, as they look ahead to the midterm elections of 2018.

McConnells team had been high on the idea of asking Jeff Sessions, who held the Alabama seat for two decades prior to becoming Attorney General, to run as a write-in candidate, the website said.

Mr Stranges office did not immediately respond to inquiries. However, Mr Strange indicated to the Washington Examiner he was not supportive of the plan.

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Im going to serve [my term] out, serve the people of the state, try and get tax reform, and be the best senator I can be, Mr Strange said.

Meanwhile, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey also suggested the move was not going to take place.

The election date is set for 12 December, she told local media. Were he to resign, I would simply appoint somebody to fill the remaining time until we have the election on 12 December.

David Popp, a spokesman for Mr McConnell, told The Independent: The Politico piece was all anonymous sourcing, didnt come from us, and we dont have any conversations to read out.

I attended the Women in Action phone bank tonight in downtown Birmingham. I joined and made some calls.

Thanks for your support! pic.twitter.com/4lwGJlM2e0  Doug Jones (@GDouglasJones) November 16, 2017

Mr Moore and his team have doubled down on their denial of the allegations that claimed he sexually assaulted one teenage girl, and engaged in inappropriate behaviour with several others, when he was in his thirties and working as a local prosecutor.

Mr Moores lawyer, Phillip Jauregui, has demanded that one of the women who has accused the former judge, Beverly Nelson, release the high school yearbook she claims he signed the same evening he assaulted her.

Judge Moore says there is no way in the world that's his handwriting, said Mr Jauregui.

Ive been with him in probably over 100 different meetings and been around probably an excess of 10,000 different ladies  Not one time have I ever seen him act even remotely inappropriate against any woman.
MANILA (Reuters) - The war in the Philippine city of Marawi saw Islamist insurgents execute civilians or use them as human shields, while military air strikes killed non-combatants and may have been used in excess, an Amnesty International report said on Friday. The investigation by the rights group on the bloody five-month battle was based on interviews with 48 witnesses from September until early November and called for an independent inquiry. The conflict in Marawi, the only predominantly Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines, was the country's biggest and longest battle since World War Two. More than 1,100 people, mostly insurgents, were killed, including 166 soldiers and 47 civilians, according to the authorities. At least 350,000 people were displaced and large parts of Marawi have been decimated by air strikes. Witnesses described at least 10 separate incidents where at least 25 people were executed by the Muslim extremists because they were Christians. Amnesty described those as war crimes. It also said 10 hostages may have been killed in a single bombing run by the armed forces, and said an independent inquiry should include an assessment as to whether the air strikes were proportionate to the threat. "They must initiate a prompt, effective and impartial investigation into whether its bombings of civilian neighborhoods was proportional under international humanitarian law," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International's crisis response director, said in a statement. "The Philippine authorities must bring those responsible for torture and other violations to justice and ensure that the victims receive adequate reparations." Major-General Restituto Padilla, armed forces spokesman, said the military was aware of the report and would respond in full later. He said troops were given strict instructions to observe and respect international humanitarian law and human rights. "We will not tolerate and condone these abuses and will act on them," he told a regular news briefing on Friday. The 34-page report, "The Battle of Marawi: Death and destruction in the Philippines", quotes a survivor who said he was spared by rebels because he could recite the "shahada", a statement of Islamic faith, but a Christian ambulance driver was shot dead because he could not do the same. Other survivors said hostages were executed or physically abused, forced into labor and used as human shields. Some hostages who escaped alleged they were detained and tortured by security forces who suspected them to be militants. Amnesty said it talked to eight men, including seven Christians, who said they were badly treated by the authorities. "I was punched and kicked. They tied our hands and feet with electrical wire," the report quoted one survivor as saying. "The military was angry because 13 of their men were killed." Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis praised the Philippine military for ending the war without a single credible human rights abuse allegation. Amnesty noted that the military was responding to concerns about looting by soldiers but "must follow through on promises of compensation". (Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Martin Petty and Michael Perry)
The Trump administration recently rolled back protections for African lions, releasing new guidelines that allow hunters to bring trophies from animals killed in parts of Africa into the U.S., according to updated rules released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wildlife officials began issuing permits for lion trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia sometime last month, ABC News reported on Thursday, pointing to a new page on the FWS website that details the regulations and calls hunting a conservation tool. Trophies from wild and wild-managed lions from South Africa are also acceptable under the import rules, and hunts from Mozambique, Namibia and Tanzania are under review.

The news comes the same week the White House came under fire over its plans to lift a ban on the import of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia, a decision that was announced not by a federal agency but via a news release from a trophy hunting advocacy group, Safari Club International.

Allowing hunters to import elephant and lion trophies is a direct rollback of two Obama-era regulations meant to protect the species. In 2014, the White House banned elephant trophy imports from Zimbabwe, citing a lack of data on conservation efforts. And in 2016 lions were officially listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and tighter restrictions were placed on the imports of hunting trophies.

Wayne Pacelle, president of The Humane Society of the United States, published a blog post slamming the move and saying the change cast the federal government as a promoter of trophy hunting in an interview with The Guardian.

The Interior Department and the government of Zimbabwe (whoever is in charge) are rolling out the red carpet for the next Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist who lured a famous and beloved lion, Cecil, out of a national park and shot and wounded him with an arrow, Pacelle wrote on Thursday. The outrage factor is almost beyond compare for us at The HSUS.

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President Donald Trump sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are big game hunters. Trump Jr. has traveled to Africa to hunt, and a photo that surfaced in 2012 shows him holding the severed tail of an elephant he shot and killed. Another photo shows the two brothers posing with a slain leopard.

Following the killing of Cecil in 2015, Pacelle noted, more than 40 airlines banned the transport of wildlife trophies on their planes. He also hinted that the Humane Society would sue the federal government.

African elephants and African lions drive billions of dollars of economic activity in Africa. But they drive that activity only when they are alive. Killing them deducts from their populations, diminishes wildlife-watching experiences for others, and robs the countries of Africa of its greatest resources, he said.

The folly that the killing helps lions and elephants is just that  pure folly. Well see the agency in court.

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When a gunman smashed through the gates of Rancho Tehama Elementary School, opened fire and tried to get inside the building, veteran teacher Ken Yuers was ready to sacrifice himself for the 18 students huddled inside his classroom.

I felt like, either way, no matter what, my life was on the line, Yuers told TIME on Thursday. Theres a lot of kids in the classroom. They need to see their teacher do something. You want to protect the kids.

As the events unfolded on Tuesday, Yuers rushed his students into his classroom, locked the door  then drew on his training as an Air Force military police officer to keep his students safe.

He barricaded the door with a metal computer charging cart and told his fourth and fifth graders to get down on the floor. He prepared himself mentally to use the cart as a shield  and then as a weapon to ram the gunman, if it came to that.

I was trying to be able to react and think in a crisis, said Yuers, a teacher since 1998. It was a long shot in my mind.

Teachers and staff at the small elementary school two hours north of Sacramento are being credited with preventing a bloodbath by immediately putting the school into lockdown after gunman Kevin Janson Neal opened fire in town.

Read More: You Told Me, Daddy, There Were No Bad Guys Here. Daughter Afraid to Go to School After California Shooting

Five people were killed and 10 others wounded. One student was shot through the window of the school as he huddled for safety, but there were no fatalities. Neal was shot and killed by law enforcement.

I really, truly believe we would have had a horrific bloodbath at that school if that school hadnt taken the action that it did, Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said at a news conference.

Yuers said he and the other teachers are trained to handle lockdowns and drills for fires and earthquakes. Theyre told to lock the doors and get the students on the floor, but theyre not necessarily taught to barricade the door or take any other action that might put their own lives at risk.

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After the gunfire stopped, Yuers tried to console the students in the classroom who were crying, shocked and scared.

I said, Hey, this might be the worst day of your life, but you lived through it,  he recalled. You just try to talk to them from the heart.

Yuers said he hopes his students will be able to recover from the trauma. Theyre going to be stronger people, he said. Were closer now because of this experience.

Yuers also thought about his 4-year-old daughter, who starts kindergarten soon.

Im glad she still has a daddy, he said.
Thanks to hunters who work hard to learn the rules and regulations and practice safe hunting each year, Wisconsin remains one of the safest places in the world to hunt deer.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, credits Wisconsins reputation as safety-minded to hunters themselves and a strong corps of volunteer instructors dedicated to sending new hunters into the woods equipped with the best safety practices around.

Experts trace the states culture of hunting safety to 1967, almost a half century ago, when the department launched a six-hour course stressing firearm safety. The course was voluntary, and while the impact was not momentous, the number of firearm injuries during the gun deer hunt began to slowly fall off.

In 1980, hunters were required to wear blaze orange during gun deer hunts, and the number of firearm incidents dropped more dramatically. Then, in 1985, an expanded hunter education certification program became mandatory for all hunters in Wisconsin born or after Jan. 1, 1973.

The states ingrained hunter safety culture was created and is sustained by the programs dedicated, experienced volunteer instructors who have instilled skills, responsibility and ethics in more than one million students. Thousands of new students are trained each year.

In 1966, in Wisconsin, the hunting incident rate was 44 injuries for every 100,000 hunters. Now the rate, based on a 10-year-average, is 4.04 incidents per 100,000 hunters, a reduction of more than 90 percent. Wisconsin has experienced four gun-deer seasons free of fatalities, (1972, 2010, 2011 and 2013).

Hunters should follow these four basic principles of firearm safety  known as TABK:

Treat every firearm as if it is loaded;

Always point the muzzle in a safe direction;

Be certain of your target and what is beyond it; and

Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot.

For tree stand users, here are some easy tips to follow:

Always use a full-body harness;

Always unload your firearm while climbing into or out of the stand; and

Maintain three points of contact during the ascent or descent  two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand.

If you plan to participate in a deer drive:

Review the four firearm safety principles;

Reconfirm you have positively identified your target;

Reconfirm you have a safe backstop for your bullet; and

Review and stick to your hunting plan. Make sure all in the hunting party honor it.

For more information regarding hunter education and tips for safe hunting in Wisconsin, search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for keywords safety tips.
Bill Hader and Maggie Carey attend a premiere in 2013. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez via Getty Images)

Actor Bill Hader and his wife Maggie Carey are splitting after 11 years of marriage.

The two have reportedly lived separately since July and are currently in the process of divorcing, a representative for Hader confirmed to HuffPost.

The actor is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, which he starred on until 2013. Carey is a filmmaker whos worked on TV series like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Last Man On Earth, as well as directing the film The To Do List, which also starred Hader.

The pair first met in Los Angeles through one of Careys college friends and moved together to New York when the Hader was cast on the late-night sketch series. They wed in 2006 and have three daughters, Hannah, 8, Harper, 5, and Hayley, 3.

The comedian opened up to Conan OBrien in 2014 about life with three young kids.

Its hard, its great, its beautiful. I dont sleep. Theyre very young, he said.

When Hader left SNL, he said one of the main reasons for departing was to be closer to his family out west.

The whole reason were moving to California is that were tired of being apart all the time, he told USA Today. Doing SNL was a huge time commitment. Youd have weeks off and youd have to go to L.A. Its about rolling with the punches.

A representative for Hader did not immediately return HuffPosts request for comment.

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David Spade

Jon Lovitz

Bill Murray

Will Forte

Will Ferrell

Jimmy Fallon

Bill Hader

John Belushi

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Gilda Radner

Tina Fey

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The San Juan has been missing off the coast of Patagonia for more than two days, and the navy denies that communication was lost after a fire on board

The San Juan submarine on 23 May 2014. Photograph: Alejandro Mortiz/AFP/Getty Images

Argentinas navy has launched a huge search-and-rescue operation for a military submarine with 44 crew members that has been missing off the coast of Patagonia for more than two days.

The last radio contact with the San Juan submarine was on Wednesday, when it was 430km off the coast of the southern province of Chubut, in the area of San Jorge bay, a naval spokesman said on Friday.

Local media reports claimed the submarine had been located 70 metres down in waters 300km east of the Patagonian coastal city of Puerto Madryn by the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liason Office. The media reports have not been officially confirmed and came as Argentinas president, Mauricio Macri, tweeted that: We are committed to using all the national and international resources that are necessary to find the Argentinean Navys submarine San Juan as soon as possible.

Estamos comprometidos a utilizar todos los recursos nacionales e internacionales que sean necesarios para hallar al submarino ARA San Juan lo antes posible.  Mauricio Macri (@mauriciomacri) November 18, 2017

The navy spokesman, Enrique Balbi, told local television that as there was no indication of problems from the submarine, it could not yet be termed lost.

The latest official and reliable information is that the submarine has not yet been found. Its not that its lost: to be lost youd have to look for it  and not find it, he said. A tracker aeroplane and navy ships were scouring the area in search of the missing vessel, he said.

An initial search in an area around the subs last known position, about 430km off the south-eastern Valdes peninsula, provided no clues.

Balbi said an initial search was hampered because it was carried out at night and in bad meteorological conditions prevailing in the area of operations.

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The three navy ships and two aircraft flying rotations had already swept 15% of the search area, Balbi told reporters.

The vessel had not activated its emergency beacon, he said.

The navy denied a press report that there may have been a fire onboard.



We are investigating the reasons for the lack of communication, Balbi said. If there was a communication problem, the boat would have to come to the surface.

The diesel-powered 66-metre-long Class TR 1700 San Juan is one of the Argentinian navys three submarines. It was bought from Germany in 1985 and underwent a refit between 2007 and 2014 to extend its usefulness by 30 years.

It was on a voyage from the southernmost city of Ushuaia to the naval base of Mar del Plata when contact was lost.

Adm Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar del Plata base, said the vessel had sufficient food and oxygen. We have a loss of communications; we are not talking of an emergency, he said.

Relatives of some of the crew members were at the base awaiting word of the search.

We are praying to God and asking that all Argentinians help us to pray that they keep navigating and that they can be found, said Claudio Rodriguez, whose brother is a crew member.

We have faith that its only a loss of communications, he told local television.

Among those onboard is Argentinas first female submarine officer, Eliana Krawczyk, a 35-year-old weapons officer.

Let us pray that nothing has happened to any crew member. At sea they are all brothers, and a submarine carries more risk than a ship, her father, Eduardo, told Todo Noticias TV.

The governments of the US, UK and Chile have offered satellites and ships to aid in the search, according to Argentinas foreign ministry.
(CANBERRA, Australia)  Australians supported gay marriage in a postal survey that ensures Parliament will consider legalizing same-sex weddings this year.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday 62% of registered voters who responded in the unprecedented survey favored reform.

The conservative government promised to allow a bill creating marriage equality to be considered in Parliament in the final two-week session that is due to end on Dec. 7.

A no vote in the survey would have put marriage equality off the political agenda, perhaps for years. Thousands of marriage equality supporters waving rainbow flags gathered anxiously in city parks around the country and cheered when the results was announced.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a vocal advocate of marriage equality, called on lawmakers to heed the overwhelming result and to commit to legislate for gay marriage by next month.

They voted yes for fairness, they voted yes for commitment, they voted yes for love, Turnbull told reporters. Now it is up to us here in the Parliament of Australia to get on with it, to get on with the job the Australian people have tasked us to do and get this done this year before Christmas  that must be our commitment.

Some government lawmakers have vowed to vote down gay marriage regardless of the surveys outcome. But the survey found a majority of voters in 133 of the 150 districts in the House of Representatives wanted reform.

Ireland is the only other country to put same-sex marriage to a popular vote, but that referendum was binding. Irish voters in 2015 changed their constitution to allow marriage equality.

In Australia, voting in elections and referenda is compulsory, but the Senate refused to fund a binding vote. Almost 80 percent of more than 16 million registered voters posted ballots in the voluntary survey, which gay marriage advocates opposed as an unnecessary obstacle and opponents derided as being about a boutique issue of little public interest.

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The U.N. Human Rights Committee last week criticized Australia for putting gays and lesbians through an unnecessary and divisive public opinion poll. The committee called on Australia to legislate for marriage equality regardless of the surveys outcome.

Lawmakers opposed to gay marriage are already moving to wind back anti-discrimination laws, with debate in Australia intensifying over the possibility of gay wedding boycotts and refusals to provide a celebrant, venue, flowers or a cake.

Several government lawmakers on Monday released a draft gay marriage bill, proposed by senator James Paterson, that critics argue would diminish current protections for gays against discrimination on the grounds of sexuality.

Government senator Dean Smith proposed a separate bill favored by Turnbull that ruled out any compromise that would cost gays and lesbians their existing protections against discrimination.

If there are amendments, lets see them, but lets be clear about this: Australians did not participate in a survey to have one discrimination plank removed, to have other planks of discrimination piled upon them, Smith told reporters.

Fiona McLeod, president of the Law Council Of Australia, the nations peak lawyers group, said Patersons bill would encroach on Australias long-established anti-discrimination protections in a dangerous and unprecedented way.

Lyle Shelton, spokesman for Coalition for Marriage which lobbied against the reform, said her group favored Patersons bill.

I dont think anyone who voted in this postal survey wants to see their fellow Australians put up on hate speech charges, Shelton said. We need to protect freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and also freedom of religion.
Photo credit: Getty

From ELLE UK

Amid the sexual harassment allegations surrounding several high-profile members of the film industry, Affleck has come under fire - yet again - from fans, after appearing to make a joke about ongoing allegations.

During a recent interview to promote his new film Justice League with his co-stars, the group were asked who they'd choose to join their superhero team, to which Superman actor Henry Cavill suggested Supergirl, while his co-stars put forward magician-turned-hero Zantanna as a contender.

Following an inappropriate reference to the character's fishnet tights by Good Will Hunting star Ben, Ray Fisher (who plays Cyborg), added: 'I think it would create a different dynamic.'

In response, Affleck chimed in to comment: 'Are you following the news at all?'

While the actor laughed awkwardly at his own joke, his co-stars remained silent (other than Gal Gadot who seemingly laughed at Affleck, rather than at the quip), until Fisher continued his answer.

Unsurprisingly, Affleck's light-hearted comment about serious sexual misconduct allegations in the film industry didn't sit well with fans.

One Twitter user posted: 'Oh my god was he joking about all the cases of rape and harassment that are being revealed???'

Everyone saying Gadot chuckled, that is the tight "hehe" smile women all learn early on to hide the internal rage at having to work with this man for eternity. - #LunaThursdays (@f_MeUtopia) November 15, 2017

Another messaged: 'Ben Affleck casually making a joke about the sexual assault allegations in Hollywood is like Next level trash and I wish Ezra [Miller] would've clocked him since he was sitting the closest to him.'

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Photo credit: Getty

The Argo director's comment comes a month after he spoke out against Harvey Weinstein in the wake of the ongoing sexual harassment scandal surrounding the film producer.

In his statement posted on Facebook, Affleck wrote: 'I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades.'

A week later, BFF and colleague Matt Damon revealed that both he and the father-of-three were aware of Weinstein's harassment of friend and Affleck's ex girlfriend, Gwyneth Paltrow.

Photo credit: Getty

The 43-year-old was also forced to apologise to former TRL presenter Hilarie Burton after footage emerged of him behaving inappropriately with the star - and another interviewer - on camera.

Earlier this month, the star told The Associated Press that he's 'looking at my own behaviour and addressing that and making sure I'm part of the solution', following the scandal.

I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize - Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) October 11, 2017

The star suggested that two things need to happen to prevent harassment from happening in the industry - firstly, that 'more women need to be pushed to power', and secondly, that sexual harassment has to be acknowledged as 'a men's issue' where men call out inappropriate behaviour.

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said on Thursday that she believes President Bill Clinton should have stepped down from the presidency when it was learned he had had an extramarital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Yes, I think that is the appropriate response, Gillibrand, who holds the Senate seat previously occupied by Hillary Clinton, told the New York Times when asked.

Gillibrand, who backed Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, was emphasizing that the tenor of the national conversation around sexual conduct and misconduct has changed drastically in the twenty years that have passed.

And I think in light of this conversation, we should have a very different conversation about President Trump, and a very different conversation about allegations against him, she told the Times.

Her conversation with the Times took place just hours after a California radio host publicly accused Gillibrands colleague, Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, of forcibly kissing and groping her in 2006.
Instagram is addictive. With endless mouth-watering food photos, body-positive bloggers, and cute animals (Dug the Pug, anyone?), theres visually appeasing content thatll satiate anyones scrolling needs. One of the platforms biggest features? #TransformationTuesday, a hashtag used by members of the #FitFam to share progress photos of their fitness journey.

One Instagram fitness blogger Chi Pham, who calls herself Fit Pham, posted one of her own on Tuesday, but not to show off progress. Instead, she used a fake transformation post to show that these photos dont always tell the full story.

Lets not get caught up in those perfect shots, blogger Chi Pham wrote. Lets get caught up in YOU. (Photo: Instagram/fit_pham)

#TransformationTuesday coming in hot with a 30-second transformation  based on how high I pull my leggings up, the Denver blogger wrote alongside her post.

Her photo, which showed three versions of herself side by side, makes it seem like a progress photo, but she took them only 30 seconds apart. Her body looks different based only on how high or low she placed her leggings.

She wrote that she wanted women to know that few very few few few people actually walk around with abs all the time, despite what their photos may show. Lighting, angles, food, and how leggings fit all contribute to how great those abs looks in a picture, she said.

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Your extra friendly reminder that comparing your own perfectly imperfect, beautiful human body to these picture perfect highlight reels on Insta is NOT realistic. Its NOT healthy. Its NOT fair to YOU, she continued.

And she has a point. Research published in 2016 indicated that Instagram contributes to both mens and womens self-esteem. Instagram highlights the best aspects of users lives, which can make comparisons too easy to make.

FitPham followed in the footsteps of other bloggers on Insta who have done posed and real life transformations to remind her followers that many of these transformations, or general photos, are unrealistic.

Lets not get caught up in those perfect shots, she wrote. Lets get caught up in YOU.

With 5,000 likes in just two days, its clear her message resonated with her followers.

Thank you for this post, _hellomeredithAhhh wrote. Its posts like these that help keep me (and others, im sure) sane.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




There is quick and then there's 48 hours to design every last inch of your new mountain cottage. Let's just say Gabby rose to the challenge. Tour her and her husband's bright, bohemian space whipped together in a mere two days after buying it sight unseen from across the country. Not only is it the perfect, cozy getaway but it's also instagram famous. See the full space captured by Sara Coffin right here.

From Gabby...Asheville is my hometown and has always held a special place in my heart. My husband and I even met in college at University of North Carolina at Asheville. We both fell in love with the city (and each other) during our time studying. Since college we have moved from Asheville to New York City to San Diego, CA, but have always wanted to be back home.

We are both known for making pretty dramatic life decisions with little to no planning (re: move to NY and CA) and the decision to buy a house was no different. We were casually browsing the internet looking at pictures of homes and stumbled across our little cottage. Seriously, love at first sight! We put an offer in on the house 3 days later (without even taking a tour!). We knew in our heart of hearts this was the house we would buy and eventually raise kids in.

Fast forward to post purchasing. My husband and I still live in CA and are planning our move back to NC when the time is right. When we flew in to sign our homebuyers paperwork, we had a very short window of time to get the house decorated and ready before we flew back to CA -- two days to be exact! I put a lot of work in upfront pulling together Pinterest boards full of home inspo before we started the decorating, thank goodness.

It was funny because it was almost like planning a wedding all over again! I decided the house vibe was going to be mid-century modern with a boho chic spin. The very first piece that I purchased was our swing chair which was basically the anchor for the rest of the decor. After that, the white couch and leather side chair just fell into place.

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With the kitchen we were super lucky- the previous owner kept the colors clean and simple with pops of reclaimed barn-wood which added so much character! All we did was add the gold hardware to the cabinets and we were set.

I picked white linens for the bedrooms to keep it light and airy - I mean who doesn't want to sip coffee in bed on a Sunday morning surrounded by a white, down-filled comforter?! Keeping the linens neutral also allowed me to add pops of color with the Moroccan rug and kilim pillows.

The West Asheville neighborhood where we are located is full of young couples, craft breweries, cozy coffee shops and award winning restaurants - all the important stuff. Asheville in general is know for its large population of craft breweries and was even Beer City USA a few years in a row. To say we are ecstatic about our home and new neighborhood is an understatement.

Photography: Sara Coffin Photography | Airbnb Rental: Gabrielle Graham
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will soon repay a decades-old debt of over 400 million pounds ($527 million) to Iran, the Iranian ambassador said on Friday, adding that the payment was not linked to the case of a British-Iranian charity worker jailed in Iran.

"An outstanding debt owed by the U.K. to Tehran will be transferred to the Central Bank of Iran in the coming days. The payment ... has nothing to do with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case," Hamid Baeedinejad wrote on his Telegram channel.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in April 2016 in Tehran as she tried to leave Iran after a visit with her two-year-old daughter.

She was sentenced to five years in prison after an Iranian court convicted her of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment. She denies the charges, and Britain has called for her release. Iran does not recognise dual citizenship for its nationals.

Britain's debt to Iran dates from the 1970s, before the Islamic Revolution of 1979 toppled the U.S.-backed Shah. Iran paid up front for 1,750 Chieftain tanks and other vehicles, but most were never delivered because of sanctions imposed on Tehran after the revolution.

A British government official, who asked not to be named, said on Friday it was "speculation" that the money would be paid.

The Treasury said in a statement the money was frozen by a British court and could not be paid because of sanctions.

The Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday that Britain was working on a plan to pay Iran the debt, as part of efforts to secure the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

On Thursday, British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman denied there was any link between the debt and the charity worker's case. Tehran also dismissed the Telegraph report.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, a charity organisation that is independent of Thomson Reuters. It operates independently of Reuters News.

In 2009, the International Chamber of Commerce ordered Britain to repay Iran for the undelivered vehicles, but UN and EU sanctions prevented that.

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Under a deal between Iran and six major powers in 2015, most sanctions on Iran were lifted last year, in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said that a range of issues would be discussed with Britain during a visit to Tehran this month by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Iranian media reported on Thursday.

(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi and Andrew MacAskill; editing by Andrew Roche)
Santiago (AFP) - After four years of socialist rule, Chile is expected to revert to the right in elections Sunday, with Sebastian Pinera set to return as president, confirming a shift to conservative leaders across Latin America.

Opinion polls make Pinera, a 67-year-old billionaire businessman sometimes referred to as "Chile's Berlusconi", the hot favourite to return to the presidency he occupied from 2010-2014.

The last comprehensive opinion poll of an uneventful election campaign, in late October, gave him a 34.5 percent share of the vote in resource-rich Chile, one of Latin America's strongest economies.

However, he is likely to fall short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a run-off on December 17.

Socialist candidate Alejandro Guillier is his closest challenger, polling just 15.4 percent.

"Pinera is benefiting from strong demand for change, evidenced in President Michelle Bachelet's low approval ratings, while Guillier is conveying a message of continuity from the current administration. In addition, the center-left is fragmented between six candidates," said Maria Luisa Puig of market analysts Eurasia.

Bachelet has focused the latter half of her second term on a series of social reforms in the deeply conservative country, decriminalizing abortion in certain cases and introducing a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

But she has seen her support wane due to a downturn in the price of copper, which has contributed to sluggish economic growth, and a series of corruption scandals, including one involving her eldest son and her daughter-in-law.

- The latest domino -

Pinera grew his vast fortune, estimated by Forbes as $2.7 billion, from his founding of a credit card company in the mid-1970s, and interests in Chilean airline LAN and TV channel Chilevision.

His likely return comes when much of the region has reverted to conservative governments after periods of leftist rule.

Chile is set to be the latest domino to fall after electoral successes by Mauricio Macri in Argentina, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in Peru and Brazil's elevation of Michel Temer to replace impeached leftist Dilma Rousseff.

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The election has failed to animate the electorate, though, partly as a result of a recent electoral law banning campaign adverts in the streets, and drastically limiting campaign spending, which has dampened voter enthusiasm.

"This election leaves me cold if I compare it to other times. There is little atmosphere, people are preoccupied with other things and so we did not see the same effervescence that we normally see in an election," retired professor Marcos Davila told AFP as he broke off from reading his newspaper on a Santiago street.

Experts predict that Sunday's turnout could be as low as 40 percent, making it one of the lowest on record.

"Turnout will be key for the electoral outcome, with Pinera potentially winning the election outright if turnout is very low given that his base of support is more likely to vote," said Eurasia's Puig.

"By the same token, higher than expected turnout from young leftist voters could make the second round much more competitive than recent polls show."

In tandem with the presidential poll, the electorate of 14.3 million will vote in legislative elections, with half of the senate and the full lower house of congress being renewed.

However, analysts said it was unlikely Pinera's center-right coalition Chile Vamos (Chile Let's Go) will win a majority.

That would mean he would have to negotiate with other parties to advance his business-friendly legislative program, making it less likely his election would lead to a total U-turn from the Bachelet administration.
Phnom Penh (AFP) - Cambodia's Supreme Court dissolved the country's main opposition party on Thursday and banned more than 100 of its politicians, in a ruling blasted by a rights groups as the "death" of the nation's democracy.

The verdict was widely expected from a justice system heavily warped by the influence of long-standing premier Hun Sen, who is accused of ruthlessly targeting rivals in the run-up to 2018 polls.

But it nevertheless delivered a crushing blow to what remained of the embattled Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the only party with a fighting chance to break the authoritarian leader's 32-year grip on power.

Judge Dith Munty, himself a member of Hun Sen's ruling CPP party, said the court had also banned 118 CNRP politicians from office for five years, in what rights groups blasted as a mockery of judicial independence that turned Cambodia into a de facto one party state.

The judge said the CNRP, by boycotting the trial, had effectively confessed to the government-levied accusation of conspiring with the United States and other foreign actors to plot a revolution.

The CNRP and Washington have rejected those charges as bogus.

In a statement the CNRP said it "still considers itself to be a legitimate party with a mandate from half of the Cambodian population", describing the court case as "politically motivated and made under pressure to follow the wish of the ruling party that is trying to rid CNRP from the political field".

In a televised address Thursday evening, Hun Sen called for calm and said 2018 elections would be held as scheduled.

"The government supports the decision of the Supreme Court and its ruling will ensure peace," said the premier, who has staked his reputation on bringing stability and growth to Cambodia after decades of civil war.

- 'Death of democracy' -

Yet rights groups warned the verdict stripped stripped next year's election of any credibility and gravely imperiled the country's democratic aspirations.

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"This is the death of democracy in Cambodia," said Phil Robertson from Human Rights Watch, calling on foreign partners to suspend any assistance for the 2018 poll.

The International Commission of Jurists said Cambodia had crossed a "red line," with CNRP's dissolution stripping millions of voters of a chance to freely choose their representatives.

The CNRP's parliament seats and local posts will now be redistributed to other parties after the government amended laws last month to allow the reallocation.

The verdict is the culmination of a methodical strangling of dissent in Cambodia that began after the CNRP nearly unseated Hun Sen in the last national election in 2013, rattling the premier.

The crackdown accelerated dramatically after the party faired well in local elections this July, despite weathering a series of legal attacks against its leadership.

Several months later CNRP president Kem Sokha was suddenly thrown into jail and charged with treason over the same accusations of plotting a revolution.

In a tweet responding to the ruling, his daughter Monovithya Kem called on Cambodia's western donors to stop backing next year's polls.

"Time for EU, Japan, Australia and the US to declare withdrawal from elections assistance, or they become accomplice to the death of Cambodia democracy," she wrote.

Kem Sokha's arrest, and the threat of a 30 year prison sentence, sent more than half of the party's 55 lawmakers fleeing into exile out of fear.

Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander who defected, has a long history of undercutting his rivals through well-timed crackdowns and dubious court cases.

But observers say the current climate of repression is harsher and longer-lasting than previous clampdowns, with Hun Sen foregoing even the pretense of respecting human rights and a free press.

In addition to assaults against the CNRP, his government has in recent months shut down a series of outspoken NGOs and independent news outlets -- including the respected Cambodia Daily.

Analysts say the premier has been emboldened by financial backing from Beijing, which has lavished the poor country with investment that has made it less dependent on aid from Western democracies.
MONTGOMERY, Ala.  A few dozen women gathered on the steps of the state Capitol on Friday to argue that those accusing former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore of sexual misconduct are liars, people who identify as transgender are awful, guns are good and abortion is bad.

It was a day of wide-ranging messages from Moores supporters, who hoped to rehabilitate the Senate candidates character after he was accused of sexually abusing teenage girls while in his 30s.

Moores wife, Kayla, kicked off her speech by saying that she and other women feel attacked and stalked by the press. She jokingly called for a thank you from President Donald Trump, now that national media is focused on her family instead of the White House.

I personally think he owes us a thank you, she said with a smile. Havent you noticed we arent hearing that much about Russia?

But beyond acknowledging that they themselves hadnt been touched inappropriately by Moore, the womens messages often went in unexpected directions. Instead of defending Moore, they focused on his accusers, and especially his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones  a tactic that Moore himself has used.

[The media] is down here trying to distract the attention from our opponent, who is ultra-liberal, who was an Obama delegate, who is for full-term abortions, who is for more gun restrictions, who is for transgender bathrooms, who is for transgender in the military, is against everything we in Alabama believe, Kayla Moore said.

The remark about full-term abortions was likely a reference to a September interview with MSNBC where Jones said hes against legislating a womans body. The segment has been widely circulated on right-wing media sites. Jones has since said he supports the law... that late-term procedures are generally restricted except in the case of medical necessity.

"Why didnt she tell her mom?" Martha Shiber asked of one of Moore's accusers. (Photo: Andy Campbell/HuffPost)

Faith2Action President Janet Porter hit the same notes when it came her turn to speak. We shouldnt be able to suck a childs brains out at the moment before birth, she said.

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Several women attacked Moores accusers, saying the stories of abuse theyve heard from multiple news outlets smell fishy. Martha Shiber, 79, wondered why one of the young women didnt tell her parents shed been attacked.

She didnt say anything to her mother about it  why didnt she tell her mom? Why didnt the mother say anything about it? Shiber said to HuffPost. Roy has a beautiful wife! Why would he want to fool with some ugly-looking woman? She needs a sign over her head asking to pay for somebody to be with her.

Asked to elaborate on why the accusers keeping quiet for several decades is evidence that they are lying, she said: The more you stir shit, the more it stinks.

Tim Hensley, at right, argues with a protester at the Roy Moore event on Friday. (Photo: Andy Campbell/HuffPost)

Even if the allegations turned out to be true, some voters wouldnt be swayed. Montgomery native Tim Hensley, 58, was seen arguing with a protester just outside the event. The protester held a sign that read Roy Moore is a pedophile. Hensley told HuffPost that hed forgive Moore for sexual assault.

Nothings really gonna change my mind, he said. This was 40 years ago. I probably did some things I wasnt proud of then. Id forgive him unless we found out about something, say, five years ago.

The special election between Moore and Jones is scheduled for Dec. 12. Many in the national GOP have called for Moore to step down, but he has repeatedly said hell continue his race.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Montreal (AFP) - Canadian manufacturer Bombardier announced Friday the addition of 1,000 jobs in Montreal to build business jets, to meet rising demand for its new Global 7000 series.

The Global 7000 will be the largest purpose-built business jet in the industry, with the longest range and speed, when it enters into service in the second half of 2018 -- two years behind schedule.

Chief executive Alain Bellemare said this week that demand for business jets, after a weak decade, has turned around.

Bombardier's new craftspeople, artisans and engineers will work over the next 18 months on the aircraft's interior, which boasts a kitchen and four distinct living spaces.

The new positions come after the company slashed more than 15,000 jobs in its aerospace and rail divisions around the world since 2015.

In February, Ottawa loaned Bombardier Can$372.5 million (US$291 million) to complete development of the Global 7000 and its CSeries passenger aircraft.

Eight months later, Bombardier entered into a partnership with Airbus, giving the European manufacturer a majority stake in its marquee CSeries airliner program in exchange for Airbus's heft in marketing the new plane to potential clients.

The move was also seen as a means of skirting US anti-dumping and countervailing duties on the CSeries, by moving part of its production to Airbus's facility in Mobile, Alabama.

The CSeries is the first new design in the 100- to 150-seat category in more than 25 years.

The US Commerce Department recently imposed duties on the jetliner after US rival Boeing filed a trade complaint accusing Bombardier of having unfairly benefitted from state subsidies that allowed it to sell the aircraft at below cost to Delta Air Lines.

The row has since exploded to involve the British government, since the CSeries wings are assembled in Northern Ireland. The European Union has vowed retaliation against Boeing.
Bogota (AFP) - Fugitive Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma, a key opponent of President Nicolas Maduro, traveled to Madrid on Friday after escaping house arrest in the Venezuelan capital.

Ledezma, 62, had hours earlier crossed the border into neighboring Colombia, saying he intended to fly to Europe to organize resistance against Maduro's rule, which has left millions of Venezuelans facing food and medicine shortages.

The opposition leader boarded an Avianca flight from Bogota to Madrid, where he was scheduled to arrive early Saturday, airport sources at Bogota's El Dorado airport said.

"My voice is joining a chorus of Venezuelans who have asked for help from Colombia," Ledezma told reporters after arriving in the Colombian border town of Cucuta.

Several Venezuelan magistrates have taken shelter in Colombia, including former attorney general Luisa Ortega, who is under government protection.

He said his journey was worthy of a film, taking him past more than two dozen Venezuelan police and national guard positions before he was able to reach Colombia. However, he gave no details of his escape.

Ledezma said he had fled Caracas because Venezuelan military and intelligence officials had informed him of a "government plan" against him, although he provided no details.

"I don't want to be a hostage to tyranny, to be used to subdue an opposition," he said.

In Caracas, Maduro minced no words.

"Today, it's Antonio Ledezma who has left us. Now the vampire is flying around the world. He's off to Spain with a special deal, off to sip wine on the Gran Via. They can keep him," the president said at a rally in the capital.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Ledezma, whose wife is currently living in Spain, was at risk in Venezuela.

"I know that his life was in danger because of the position he took firmly and coherently against this false dialogue," she said, referring to talks between the government and the opposition.

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Ledezma has been critical of a planned new round of talks hosted by the Dominican Republic in December, after earlier efforts failed to get off the ground.

He said he had conveyed his objections to the talks in a phone call with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who has been a vocal critic of Maduro.

"It is time to step aside and allow a transitional government, so that Maduro cannot continue torturing the people of Venezuela," Ledezma told reporters before heading to Madrid. "Maduro is starving the people of Venezuela."

Organization of American States chief Luis Almagro hailed the mayor's escape.

"My regards to Antonio Ledezma, moral reference of Venezuela, now free to lead the fight from exile, for the establishment of a democratic system in his country," he wrote on Twitter.

Earlier, Colombia's migration department said Ledezma had "entered Colombian territory by land, over the Simon Bolivar international bridge."

The mayor, a lawyer by profession, was arrested and jailed in February 2015 after being accused of plotting to overthrow the president. He had been under house arrest following surgery.

He was elected Caracas mayor in 2009 and re-elected in 2013.

Ledezma is a member of the Democratic Action opposition party, which was the biggest party in Venezuela before the arrival into power of Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez in 1999.

He told Venezuelans that it was not a time to lose faith in their struggle.

"You have to keep flying the flag which symbolizes the dignity of a people who have lost food, who have lost their cash and who don't have even have the money buy a sandwich," Ledezma said.
Notorious cult leader and mass murderer Charles Manson has reportedly been admitted to a Bakersfield, Calif. hospital.

The Kern County Sheriffs Office told several news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, that the 83-year-old had been hospitalized, but did not reveal any details due to privacy restrictions. A spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation could only tell the Times that Manson is alive.

Officials with the sheriffs office did not immediately confirm the hospitalization to TIME.

Manson was also hospitalized in January, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Manson first burst onto Americans consciousness when he directed his followers, deemed the Family, to murder multiple people, including eight-months-pregnant actress Sharon Tate, over the course of two nights in 1969. He is currently serving a life sentence at Corcoran State Prison for his crimes.
Santiago (AFP) - Chile, which elects a new president on Sunday, has since the 1990s been considered a hub of political stability and economic performance in Latin America, after 17 years of dictatorship.

- From dictatorship to democracy -

On September 11, 1973, General Augusto Pinochet toppled Socialist President Salvador Allende in a military coup. Allende committed suicide as troops closed in.

After 17 years of iron-fisted rule in which at least 3,200 people were killed and 38,000 tortured, Pinochet in 1988 lost a plebiscite on another eight years in office.

In 1990, he handed power to democratically elected Patricio Aylwin, a Christian Democrat.

However, Pinochet's 1980 constitution made him head of the armed forces until 1998.

Pinochet died in 2006 aged 91 without ever standing trial.

In 2006, Socialist Michelle Bachelet, who was tortured during the dictatorship, became Chile's first female president. Re-elected in 2013, she is barred constitutionally from seeking consecutive terms.

Twenty seven years after the re-establishment of democracy, the mainly Roman Catholic country remains ultra-conservative, allowing divorce only from 2004 and legalizing abortion in certain cases in September, 2017.

- Neo-liberal economy -

Advised by the "Chicago Boys", a group of Chilean economists influenced by Milton Friedman, Pinochet applied neo-liberal free market methods, privatizing healthcare, education and pensions.

Chile turned to exports and in the 1980s became the preferred Latin American host for foreign investors.

However, the downside for the population of this "shock therapy" was that salaries were frozen, and unemployment and poverty increased.

- Biggest copper producer -

Chile, the world's biggest producer of copper, recorded its weakest growth in seven years in 2016 at 1.6 percent, due to a price downturn since 2014.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, (ECLAC), has forecast growth of 1.5 percent in 2017 and 2.8 percent in 2018.

Story continues

Lithium, timber, fisheries, gold, silver and oil also drive Chile's exports.

In the country of 17.9 million people the poverty rate has been slashed, standing at 11.7 percent in 2016, according to the World Bank.

However, inequalities are widespread, according to an OECD report in 2015, notably in education.

Students have demonstrated against Bachelet's education reform bill they say does not go far enough in overhauling an expensive and unequal education system that dates back to Pinochet.

- World's most seismic -

A long, narrow country located in the extreme southwest of South America, Chile has a surface area of 756,950 square kilometers (292,260 square miles).

It stretches from the Atacama desert in the north to the Antarctic in the south and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes mountain range to the east.

The world's most seismic country, Chile has a long history of earthquake-linked tsunamis.

In 1960 it was struck at Valdivia by the world's most powerful earthquake, measuring 9.5, which left more than 5,700 dead.

- Astronomy heaven -

Benefitting from a totally clear sky for most of the year, with its dry and cold air, northern Chile is home to the world's biggest telescopes.

It hopes to concentrate 70 percent of the world's astronomic infrastructure by 2020.

The construction of the planet's biggest telescope was launched in May 2017 in the Atacama desert by ESO, the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere.
The New York Times

PHOENIX  Kari Lakes defeat in the governors race in Arizona has set off a high-stakes tug of war within the Republican Party, as Lakes right-wing allies pushed her to mount a Trump-style challenge to the results, while some establishment leaders  including a former Republican governor  urged her to concede her loss and move on. Lakes next move could prove a turning point for her party and the far-right faction of election deniers that propelled her rapid rise this year. Lake stands as the
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01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (5) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (3) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (6) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (6) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (2) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (2) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (1) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (2) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (2) Jun 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03 (3) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (5) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (2) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (2) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (4) Nov 15 (6) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (2) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (7) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) May 29 (2) May 28 (2) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (2) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (2) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (2) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 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A controversial surgeon has claimed that he has successfully carried out a head transplant on a corpse, heralding the imminent chance of a live transplant.

Sergio Canavero reportedly told a conference in Vienna that he has realised the first human head transplant.

According to The Telegraph, he said the transplant on a corpse showed his techniques for re-connecting a spine, nerves and blood vessels to allow two bodies to be reconnected would work.

The first human transplant on human cadavers has been done, he is reported to have said. A full head swap between brain dead organ donors is the next stage.

Volunteer  Russian Valery Spiridonov is apparently the first patient to be signed up for a head transplant from Professor Canavero (Pictures: Reuters)

The operation was apparently carried out by a team led by Dr Xiaoping Ren, who has previously claimed to have successfully grafted a head onto the body of a monkey.

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Professor Canavero, who gained fame for his controversial claims about the first head transplant, apparently said he would offer proof for his claim in the coming days.

He is also said to have signed up his first patient, a Russian man called Valery Spiridinov, who will have his head frozen and then grafted onto a new donor body, according to his doctor.
The cremated remains of what an inscription says is the Buddha, also called Siddhartha Gautama, have been discovered in a box in Jingchuan County, China, along with more than 260 Buddhist statues.

The translated inscription on the box reads: "The monks Yunjiang and Zhiming of the Lotus School, who belonged to the Manjusri Temple of the Longxing Monastery in Jingzhou Prefecture, gathered more than 2,000 pieces of sarira [cremated remains of the Buddha], as well as the Buddha's teeth and bones, and buried them in the Manjusri Hall of this temple," on June 22, 1013. At the site where the statues and Buddha remains were buried, archaeologists also found the remains of a structure that could be from the Manjusri Hall. [See Photos of the Buddhist Statues and Cremated Remains of Buddha]

Yunjiang and Zhiming spent more than 20 years gathering the remains of the Buddha, who is also sometimes referred to as Gautama Buddha, the inscription notes. "In order to promote Buddhism, they wanted to collect sarira [Buddhist relics]. To reach this goal, both of them practiced the instruction of Buddhism during every moment of their lives for more than 20 years," the inscription says. "Sometimes they received the sarira from others' donations; sometimes they found them by chance; sometimes they bought them from other places; and sometimes others gave them the sarira to demonstrate their wholeheartedness."

The inscription does not mention the 260 Buddhist statues that were found buried near the remains of the Buddha. The archaeologists aren't sure whether or not the statues were buried at the same time as the cremated remains, wrote the team of archaeologists, who were led by Hong Wu, a research fellow at the Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, in two articles published recently in the journal Chinese Cultural Relics.

The archaeologists did not speculate on whether any of the remains are actually from the Buddha who died around 2,500 years ago. Previous archaeological discoveries in China have also revealed human remains with inscriptions that claim that they belong to the Buddha the archaeologists noted. These include a skull bone, supposedly from the Buddha, found inside a gold chest in Nanjing.

Story continues

Buddhist statues

The statues, which are up to 6.6 feet (2 meters) high, were created between the time of the northern Wei dynasty (A.D. 386 to 534) and the Song dynasty (A.D. 960 to 1279), the archaeologists wrote. During that time, Jingchuan County was a transportation hub on the eastern end of the Silk Road, archaeologists said.

The statues include depictions of the Buddha, bodhisattvas (those who seek enlightenment), arhats (those who have found enlightenment) and deities, known as heavenly kings. Some of the statues only depict the head of the individual, while others are life-size, with some even showing individuals standing on platforms. A few of the statues are steles, which are stone slabs that have a carving within them. Steles are sometimes considered to be a form of statue.

Few of the statues have any writing on them. One holds the date corresponding to May 26, 571, with inscriptions that mention a "disciple Bi Sengqing," who may or may not have created the statue.

"[I] realized that I am confused () everyday, because of my admiration of the wisdom of the Buddha, [I] contribute my daily expenses as a tribute, to sculpt a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, praying for greater longevity, and  reads the inscription, whose next line is not visible.

Villagers discovered the statues and Buddha remains while repairing roads in December 2012 at Gongchi Village in Jingchuan County. Over the following year, archaeologists excavated the remains, detailing their findings in Chinese in 2016 in the journal Wenwu. Both articles were recently translated into English and published in the journal Chinese Cultural Relics.

Originally published on Live Science.

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We thought the internet was going to be great for equality, freedom, and maybe even human rights, but now we're not so sure. Turns out, the internet is great for propaganda. And totally unraveling democracy.

If only the people who invented and run everything we use online had thought of this! If only they had imagined someone using their social sites, apps, advertising networks, and comment systems to attack and oppress people of color, women, anyone who wants healthcare, and enemies of the state (the same thing, usually). They didn't think of these things because they were coding, developing, and seeking venture capital in order to make the world a better place. Also licking advertiser bootheels. And lobbying.

They're pretty sure that whole democracy disruption thing isn't real anyway. Until they have to say so to official inquiries. In any case, they're pretty sure it would be against their Terms of Service if it were, and Terms are sort of like laws, but not really, because even enforcing those is hard enough around Silicon Valley. That's because the companies who control the world's internet experience know better how to govern communities than anyone else. I mean, look around! This place is practically a meritocracy.

So we can imagine that the handful of companies with a stranglehold on the dissemination of global discussion and news distribution are going to be pretty surprised when they find out about what's going on. A recent report from democracy watchdog Freedom House shows that governments from at least 30 countries are "mass producing their own content to distort the digital landscape in their favor."

Freedom on the Net 2017: Manipulating Social Media to Undermine Democracy, Freedom examined developments that occurred between June 2016 and May 2017 in 65 countries, accounting for 87 percent of internet users worldwide.

I do hope the hardworking men and five women and one black person working at Silicon Valley's social media companies will be surprised. If they acknowledge it at all. It would really suck for, like, the world if the Facebooks and the Googles ignored Freedom House's report and just went back to buying houses or vapidly monetizing human interactions or only just pretending to give a shit about propaganda (but not really calling it propaganda).

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"The watchdog found that these efforts to manipulate information online -- by governments or other forces -- may have affected 18 countries' elections, "damaging citizens' ability to choose their leaders based on factual news and authentic debate," wrote Recode. "That included the U.S., where Russian-sponsored trolls fueled conflict around controversial debates like immigration, gun control and gay rights."

"Governments are now using social media to suppress dissent and advance an anti-democratic agenda," said project director Sanja Kelly in a statement. "Not only is this manipulation difficult to detect, it is more difficult to combat than other types of censorship, such as website blocking because it's dispersed and because of the sheer number of people and bots deployed to do it."

"The fabrication of grassroots support for government policies on social media creates a closed loop in which the regime essentially endorses itself, leaving independent groups and ordinary citizens on the outside," Kelly's statement read.

Freedom on the Net 2017 said that most governments it assessed "targeted public opinion within their own borders, but others sought to expand their interests abroad -- exemplified by a Russian disinformation campaign to influence the American election." Explaining further about our democratic decline it read, "Fake news and aggressive trolling of journalists both during and after the presidential election contributed to a score decline in the United States' otherwise generally free environment."

The report makes it seem like Joseph Goebbels would've loved Reddit. "In the Philippines, members of a 'keyboard army' are tasked with amplifying the impression of widespread support of the government's brutal crackdown on the drug trade," the report said, totally understating the murderous terror of the situation. "Meanwhile, in Turkey, reportedly 6,000 people have been enlisted by the ruling party to counter government opponents on social media."

Freedom House has a nifty interactive map of the 65 countries included in the report. But what the report describes is also happening in countries left out of Freedom on the Net 2017, and in ways Freedom House probably didn't expect, because engineers in Menlo Park were probably still innovating democracy's decline while the report was compiled.

I'm talking about the damage done by its very recent "Explore" tab experiment in a handful of countries. In Hey, Mark Zuckerberg: My Democracy Isn't Your Laboratory, Serbian independent investigative journalist Stevan Dojcinovic writes, for the New York Times, about Facebook's devastating experiment on his county's news media. "Last month," he wrote, "I noticed that our stories had stopped appearing on Facebook as usual. I was stunned. Our largest single source of traffic, accounting for more than half of our monthly page views, had been crippled ... Facebook had made a small but devastating change. Posts made by "pages"  including those of organizations like mine  had been removed from the regular News Feed."

Facebook had shuffled them off to the "Explore" tab, which no one uses. Paid posts are still in the News Feed, of course. Dojcinovic elaborated:

Serbia is a perfect example of why the political context of Facebook's experimentation matters. ... One party, led by President Aleksandar Vucic, controls not only the Parliament but also the whole political system. Our country has no tradition of checks and balances. Mr. Vucic now presents himself as progressive and pro-European, but as minister of information in the Milosevic government, he was responsible for censoring news coverage. Today, censorship in Serbia takes a softer form. Pliant outlets loyal to the government receive preferential treatment and better funding from local and central budgets. Those that stray out of line find themselves receiving unexpected visits from the tax inspectors. This isn't an easy place to be an independent journalist. Since 2015, my investigative nonprofit, KRIK, has covered stories the mainstream media won't touch. In return, we have been spied on and threatened, and have had lurid fabrications about our private lives splashed on the front page of national tabloids.

For Dojcinovic, the company's so-called experiment poisons an entire population's access to democracy. "Facebook allowed us to bypass mainstream channels and bring our stories to hundreds of thousands of readers. But now, even as the social network claims to be cracking down on "fake news," it is on the verge of ruining us." To him, the company is a threat "not only to my organization and others like it but also to the ability of citizens in all of the countries subject to Facebook's experimentation to discover the truth about their societies and their leaders."

Freedom House president Michael Abramowitz said in a statement that "the use of paid commentators and political bots to spread government propaganda was pioneered by China and Russia but has now gone global. The effects of these rapidly spreading techniques on democracy and civic activism are potentially devastating."

Abramowitz makes a point that's important here: What these countries are doing inside and out to influence opinion and undermine factual reporting isn't new. Historically it's old. Online it's old news too, it's just that now we're more aware of it than ever in light of Russia's recent activities. Oh, and apparently Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Reddit never heard of it before. But the use of social media for propaganda has been around as long as trolling.

So on one hand, we might be inclined to shrug and say, huh. We can't do anything about it. Our current administration sure as hell doesn't stand to gain from doing anything to fix it. In fact, it even looks like the FCC has more than openly embraced fraudulent opinion influence campaigns if its welcoming stance on anti-net neutrality bots is any example.

Displays showing social media posts are seen during a House Intelligence Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017. The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee berated lawyers today for social media giants Facebook, Twitter and Google for a lethargic response to Russian interference in U.S. politics, as the companies' lawyers faced a second day of grilling in Congress. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The four companies that control online opinion and news aren't going to do anything about it. In fact, they can barely contain their perpetual amazement that their services are being used this way, and continue to remind us that they're just bad at their jobs in general. Avoiding accountability for one's actions isn't just a job in Silicon Valley. It's a way of life.

Thus, their cluelessness, whether real or a fabricated PR shield, is weaponized.

In which case, allow me to make a shocking proposal: That the media outlets whose fortunes are slowly being bled out by the companies facilitating democracy's suffocation stop printing company PR statements as unquestioned fact.

Whenever these companies try to spin yet another defense of the indefensible, that reporters, bloggers, journalists of all stripes stop saying whatever Facebook and Google and Twitter and Reddit want them to, in hopes of access or pageviews. There will be no access when your media outlet is dead.

Stop running the PR recovery campaigns of the companies that are killing you. And question the comfort out of any company that thinks censorship is a solution.

Question these companies like they're Roy Moore. Don't agree with unverified claims, and fight to get to the truth of what their company is doing as if your life depended on it.

Or, as if your democracy depended on it.

Images: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Fake ads); Freedom House (Map)
Roy Moore, the Alabama Senate candidate accused of sexual harassment of teenage girls - AP

Donald Trump has backed Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore remaining in the election race despite multiple claims of sexual harassment of teenage girls.

Mr Trump believes that Alabama should take the decision about their next senator and that Mr Moore should only quit if the allegations are proved.

The comment falls short of other senior Republicans who said they believe the women accusers and have called on Mr Moore to quit immediately.

Nine women have made allegations about Mr Moores past behavior, ranging from a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old to making unwanted approaches to High School girls. He has denied the claims in the strongest terms.

Mr Trump has remained largely silent on the row, barring an initial comment saying that no-one should be brought down by unproven allegations but that, if true, Mr Moore should stand down.

The US president declined to comment twice when shouted questions by reporters since he has returned from an Asia trip.

But Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, addressed questions about Mr Trump's stance on Thursday during a press conference.

US President Donald Trump waves to US soldiers upon arriving at US Yokota Air Base in Tokyo on November 5, 2017.Credit: AFP PHOTO / Toshifumi KITAMURATOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images

She said: The President believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously. He believes the people of Alabama should take the decision on who their next senator should be.

Ms Sanders added that Mr Trump approved of Republican funding being pulled from Mr Moores campaign and said there were no plans for the pair to campaign together.

Asked whether Mr Trump still stood by his endorsement of Mr Moore, Ms Sanders said: This is a decision for the people of Alabama to make, not one for him to make.

The comments came after Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka said there is a special place in hell for people who prey on children. However she too fell short of calling for Mr Moore to quit.

Mr Moore, who is competing for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by attorney general Jeff Sessions, is a Republican firebrand who beat a more established candidate to the partys nomination.

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Roy MooreCredit: Getty Images North America

In a defiant rally on Thursday he refused to stand down and framed himself as a victim of a plot from political rivals in Washington DC.

Mr Moore accused Mitch McConnell, the most senior Republican in the Senate, and his cronies of trying to steal the election from the people of Alabama by calling for his resignation.

In a rally where supporters repeatedly took to the microphone to voice their support, Mr Moore framed himself as a victim of a Washington plot.

He pledged to bring forward the truth to Congress if he wins the Senate seat next month and fight to put moral values back in our country.

The one thing I would like to see happen in our country is unity I have unified the Democrats and the Republicans in fighting against me because they dont want me there, Mr Moore joked.

He called the allegations against him scurrilous and false, adding: They are not only untrue but they have no evidence to support them.

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WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump responded to sexual misconduct allegations against Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on Thursday, referring to a photo that surfaced from 2006 in which Franken smiles for the camera as he appears to grope a sleeping news anchors breasts.

The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? .....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

.And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

But as of Thursday, he has yet to comment on the mounting misconduct accusations against Alabama Senate GOP nominee Roy Moore, a week after The Washington Post reported the first allegations involving Moore, then in his 30s, targeting girls as young as 14.

Republicans, especially right-wing media outlets, seized on the deluge of allegations last month against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, a prominent Democratic campaign donor. They have continually brought up sexual misconduct involving former President Bill Clinton, often when discussing former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

But Republicans have been less willing to denounce such behavior when it involves people on their end of the political spectrum, including Fox News host Bill OReilly, former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, Moore and even Trump himself.

According to polling from HuffPost/YouGov conducted last month, 84 percent of Trump voters believe the allegations against Bill Clinton, and 74 percent believe those against Weinstein. Yet only 18 percent think those against OReilly are credible. Only 6 percent believe them about Trump.

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Also on HuffPost

Taking Security Seriously

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) before the start of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing concerning the roles and responsibilities for defending the nation against cyberattacks, on Oct. 19, 2017.

With Liberty And Justice...

Members of Code Pink for Peace protest before the start of a hearing where U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 18, 2017. Committee members questioned Sessions about conversations he had with President Donald Trump about the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, the ongoing investigation about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other subjects.

Whispers

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, speaks with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) before a confirmation hearing for Christopher Sharpley, nominee for inspector general of the CIA, on Oct. 17, 2017.

Not Throwing Away His Shot

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical "Hamilton," makes his way to a meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in the Rayburn Office Building during a round of meetings to urge federal funding for the arts and humanities on Sept. 13, 2017.

Medicare For All

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), center, speaks on health care as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), left, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), right, listen during an event to introduce the Medicare for All Act on Sept. 13, 2017.

Bernie Bros

Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pack his office on Sept. 8, 2017. Members of the "Draft Bernie for a People's Party" campaign delivered a petition with more than 50,000 signatures to urge the senator to start and lead a new political party.

McCain Appearance

Sen. John McCain, second from left, leaves the Capitol after his first appearance since being diagnosed with cancer. He arrived to cast a vote to help Republican senators narrowly pass the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

A Narrow Win

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, center, speaks alongside Sens. John Barrasso, left, John Cornyn, right, and John Thune, rear, after the Senate narrowly passed the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

Kushner Questioning

Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, arrives at the Capitol on July 25, 2017. Kushner was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in a closed-door meeting about contacts he had with Russia.

Hot Dogs On The Hill

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) prepares a hot dog during the American Meat Institute's annual Hot Dog Lunch in the Rayburn Office Building courtyard on July 19, 2017.

And Their Veggie Counterparts

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) visits the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals veggie dog giveaway on July 19, 2017, countering a National Hot Dog Day event being held elsewhere on Capitol Hill.

Poised For Questions

Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, waits for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican on July 18, 2017.

Speaking Up

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 17, 2017.

In The Fray

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks to members of the media after announcing the revised version of the Senate Republican health care bill on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2017.

Anticipation

Christopher Wray is seated with his daughter Caroline, left, as he prepares to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be the next FBI director on July 12, 2017.

Up In Arms

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 10, 2017.

Across A Table

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Capitol Hill on June 29, 2017.

Somber Day

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks about the recent attack on the Republican congressional baseball team during her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on June 15, 2017.

Family Matters

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, and his sons, Jack, 10, and Brad, arrive in the basement of the Capitol after a shooting at the Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017.

A Bipartisan Pause

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, coach of the Republican congressional baseball team, tells the story of the shooting that occurred during a baseball practice while he stands alongside Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), left, a coach of the Democratic congressional baseball team on June 14, 2017.

Hats On

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) reacts about the shooting he was present for at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, as he speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 14, 2017.

Public Testimony

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn in to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017.

Comey's Big Day

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill on June 8, 2017.

Conveying His Point

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his interactions with the Trump White House and on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on June 7, 2017.

Selfie Time

Vice President Mike Pence takes a selfie with a tourist wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda on June 6, 2017. The vice president walked through the rotunda after attending the Senate Republican policy luncheon.

Budget Queries

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney testifies before the House Budget Committee about President Donald Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017.

Flagged Down By Reporters

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, leaves a closed committee meeting on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017. The committee is investigating possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Shock And Awe

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hold a news conference on the release of the president's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2017.

Seeing Double

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) arrives in the Capitol for the Senate Democrats' policy lunch on May 16, 2017.

Honoring Officers

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the Capitol on May 15, 2017.

Whispers

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, and ranking member Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) talk during a hearing with the heads of the U.S. intelligence agencies in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2017.

Skeptical

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2017.

Differing Opinions

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) gives a thumbs-up to protesters on the East Front of the Capitol after the House passed the Republicans' bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on May 4, 2017. The protesters support the ACA.

Real Talk

United States Naval Academy Midshipman 2nd Class Shiela Craine (left), a sexual assault survivor, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel with (2nd from left to right) Ariana Bullard, Stephanie Gross and Annie Kendzior in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 2, 2017. Kendzior, a former midshipman, and Gross, a former cadet, were both raped twice during their time at the military academies. The academy superintendents were called to testify following the release of a survey last month by the Pentagon that said 12.2 percent of academy women and 1.7 percent of academy men reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact during the 2015-16 academic year.

In Support Of Immigrants

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), center, is joined by dozens of Democratic members of the House of Representatives to mark "Immigrant Rights Day" in the Capitol Visitor Center on May 1, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The Democratic legislators called on Republicans and President Donald Trump to join their push for comprehensive immigration reform.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
President Donald Trump and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) are tied to a leash held by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a cheeky new campaign billboard in California.

The giant Fresno ad by Democratic congressional candidate Andrew Janz portrays the two Republicans as squirmy children with stuffed-animal backpacks tethering their child leashes to a smiling Putin. Trump seems to be having a tantrum, but Nunes is smiling and has an ice cream cone in his hand. You have been a good boy, Devin, the ad reads, apparently praise from Putin.

Janz tweeted Thursday: Im afraid Devin Nunes wont get to see this awesome new billboard in his honor because hes never in his district. Janz, 33, the Fresno County deputy district attorney, launched his campaign to represent Californias 22nd District in April for the 2018 election. Janz has attacked Nunes close ties to Trump and his handling of the congressional probe into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

I'm afraid @DevinNunes won't get to see this awesome new billboard in his honor since he is never in #ca22, can you help me make sure it gets in front off him by sharing this pic and using #goodboydevin ? pic.twitter.com/B5GHvroj9O  Andrew Janz (@JanzforCongress) November 16, 2017

Nunes, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, recused himself in April from the probe of Russian activity and possible collusion by the Trump campaign. The move came after he revealed that he had discussed intelligence reports linked to the probe with Trump. Democrats demanded that Nunes  a close Trump ally who worked on the presidential transition team  be investigated for an unauthorized leak of classified information.

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Nunes also said that Trump associates and possibly Trump himself had been subjected to incidental surveillance by the Obama administration. He later walked back the claim, and no evidence has been found to support the claim.

Despite his recusal, Nunes has repeatedly attempted to interject himself into the congressional probe. Months after his recusal, he was still demanding a sign-off on all subpoenas issued, charged Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the panels ranking Democrat.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the position of Andrew Janz. He is the deputy district attorney of Fresno County, not the district attorney.

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Photo illustration: Yahoo News, photos; AP (2), Getty Images (2).

Federal officials have serious questions about the credibility of a key witness in congressional investigations of Hillary Clintons role in the sale of a uranium-mining company to Russian interests, two sources knowledgeable about the case tell Yahoo News.

The witness, a Florida businessman and former FBI informant named William Douglas Campbell, was considered so unreliable that prosecutors dropped him as a witness in an unrelated case involving Russian uranium sales, according to the sources.

The investigations by two House subcommittees, apparently spurred by a tweet from President Trump last month, focus on allegations about Clintons role in approving the controversial sale of Uranium One, a company that owned American uranium mines, to Rosatom, the Russian atomic energy company, in 2010. Campbell has suggested he can prove that approval of the sale was a quid pro quo for donations by Russian-connected parties to the Clinton Foundation.

But there are mounting questions about Campbells credibility in light of his track record as an informant in a separate FBI investigation into a Russian businessman named Vadim Mikerin, who was in charge of U.S. operations for Tenex  a separate unit of Rosatom that was not involved in the Uranium One purchase.

Court records and interviews with the sources who are familiar with the case indicate that Campbell provided key information to the FBI about a scheme orchestrated by Mikerin to collect kickbacks from American companies doing business with Tenex. The bureau enlisted Campbell as an undercover informant who wore a wire in his conversations with Russian officials.

But he proved a disaster as a potential witness in the case when doubts arose about his descriptions of some events that could not be documented, one of the sources said. As a result, prosecutors dropped extortion charges against Mikerin that relied on Campbells testimony. There was no question that [Campbells] credibility was such that [the prosecutors] had to restructure the case, the source said. He got cut out of the case entirely.

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Mikerin pleaded guilty to the remaining money laundering charges in August 2015 and was sentenced to four years in prison, which he is still serving.

This is a smear job, Victoria Toensing, Campbells lawyer, told Yahoo News when asked about the doubts law enforcement officials had about her clients credibility. That was not the reason prosecutors removed him as a witness against Mikerin, she said. Instead, it was because the Obama administration didnt want to bring a big extortion case against Russia and risk testimony from Campbell that would have undermined the Uranium One sale and undercut the presidents efforts to reset relations with Russia. So instead, they covered it up, she said.

The questions about Campbell and his purported knowledge about the Uranium One sale have become a political lightning rod in recent weeks, with Democrats charging they are only being raised now to distract attention from special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into the Trump campaign and its ties to the Kremlin.

Top Republicans initiated the Uranium One probes after President Trump tweeted on Oct. 19 that the sale to Russia with Clinton help and Obama administration knowledge is the biggest story that Fake Media doesnt want to follow! Two House panels  subcommittees of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the House Intelligence Committee  have begun investigations. House Republican leaders are also calling for the appointment of a Justice Department special counsel to conduct a criminal probe of the Uranium One deal.

In announcing one of the congressional inquiries three days after Trumps tweet, Rep. Ron DeSantis, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform National Security Subcommittee, said he had explosive information from a confidential informant who he said would be able to link the Obama administrations approval of the sale of Uranium One to Russia to millions of dollars in donations to the Clinton Foundation. The sale of Uranium One was unanimously approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an interagency panel of nine Cabinet members on which Clinton, who was then secretary of state, sat.

Campbell, who is expected to testify behind closed doors to DeSantiss panel, repeated that claim in an interview with Reuters this week for a story that named him publicly for the first time. He told the news agency that he had worked for the Justice Department undercover for several years, and that he had documentation that could show a relationship between approval of the Uranium One sale by the Obama administration and political influence. (Toensing, Campbells lawyer, said her client was dazed at the time of the interview because the reporter caught up while he was recovering from chemotherapy treatment for cancer. She said there are documents in Campbells possession, but declined to specify what they were.)

But sources with detailed knowledge of his earlier role are skeptical. The sources confirm that Campbell approached the FBI with information about Mikerins role in a kickback scheme involving American companies doing business with the Tenex unit of Rosatom. Campbell was hired as a consultant to Tenex and was also paid by Cassidy Associates, a major Washington lobbying firm, that had been hired by Tenex to promote its business in the U.S.

The investigation that followed was a significant one  far more so than was publicly revealed at the time. The FBI was able to trace $2.1 million in bribes paid to Mikerin and others and wired to offshore shell companies in Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland. U.S. intelligence officials suspected  but were never able to conclusively prove  that these payments ultimately benefited entities connected to Vladimir Putin.

But Campbells importance to the Mikerin investigation faded after prosecutors discovered discrepancies in his account of his dealings with Mikerin and other Russian figures, sources said. Investigators also were unable to verify some of his more explosive allegations, including claims that he was threatened with violence if he did not participate in the scheme by helping to arrange kickbacks in exchange for contracts with Tenex. The doubts were serious enough that the U.S. attorneys office in Maryland  which was prosecuting Mikerin under the direction of then U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein, now the deputy attorney general  felt compelled to alert defense lawyers to them. There were also other questions about his background, including two DUI convictions in 2009 and 2012.

Eventually, fearing Campbell would not withstand scrutiny in open trial, prosecutors dropped him as a potential witness and scrapped the charges against Mikerin that would have relied on his testimony.

Those problems arose again last year when Campbell filed a lawsuit against Mikerin in federal court in Baltimore, accusing him of racketeering and seeking damages. At the time, Mikerin was already serving his sentence at a federal prison in North Carolina. Because legal proceedings were still pending against another defendant in the case, Justice Department prosecutors wrote to Campbells then lawyer, accusing him of violating the terms of his agreement with the government. Prosecutors threatened to reveal derogatory information to the judge about Campbells dealings with the government If he pursued the civil case,. Campbell later dropped the suit.

Toensing, Campbells lawyer, said that Campbell would be able to tell Congress that discussions about the Uranium One sale were raised by Russian officials during his dealings with them. But sources who spoke to Yahoo News said that during the course of hours of interrogations by the FBI and Justice Department lawyers, Campbell never mentioned any connection between Mikerins dealings and the sale of Uranium One. Nor did he ever volunteer that he had documents or information relating to the Uranium One sale. The issue, one of the sources said, never came up.

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By Michele Kambas ATHENS (Reuters) - Europe's top human rights court has faulted Greece for failing to fully investigate the death of a telecoms engineer in 2005 during a scandal over wiretapping of the country's political leadership. Costas Tsalikidis, 38, was found hanged in his apartment in Athens in March 2005, around the time that Vodafone Greece told authorities of widespread wiretapping of much of the government, including the prime minister, via Vodafone's network. Tsalikidis had worked for Vodafone. On two occasions, Greek judicial authorities ruled out foul play related to Tsalikidis's death. He did not leave a note and his family said he was not suicidal. They took the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). "The Court considers that the national authorities failed to carry out an adequate and effective investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Tsalikidis," the Strasbourg-based court said in a ruling dated Nov. 16. It ordered Greece to pay Tsalikidis's family 50,000 euros in damages for the state's failure to clarify circumstances surrounding his death. "The Court observes, in particular, that the difficulty in determining whether there was any substance in the applicants claim that their relative was unlawfully killed rests with the failure of the authorities adequately to investigate the circumstances of the death," it said. A Greek prosecutor would investigate whether the case needed to be reopened, Greek court sources told Reuters on Friday. Then Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and the foreign, defense and public order ministers were among about 100 people whose mobile phones were tapped for months around the time of the 2004 Athens Olympics. Unauthorized installed software allowed calls to and from scores of mobile phones to be recorded from June 2004 until March 2005. It stopped when Vodafone discovered the incident and reported it to authorities, Reuters reported at the time. Who was behind the wiretap is unclear. In 2006 and 2007, Vodafone Greece was fined a total of 95 million euros by Greek regulators for breaching privacy rules. A forensic expert contracted by Tsalikidis's family called the initial autopsy probe "grossly inadequate", while a second investigation launched after exhumation in 2012 revealed inconsistencies which should have been investigated further, the ECHR said in its verdict. "(The) Court notably bore in mind that the public prosecutor, during the initial investigation, had mentioned that the death had been causally linked to the wiretapping case. It had therefore been all the more important to take every measure necessary to investigate Costas Tsalikidis death," the court said. It noted Tsalikidis's family had at no point contended Greek authorities were responsible for his death or implied Greece was aware he was at risk. (Reporting by Michele Kambas; editing by Andrew Roche)
CAIRO (Reuters) - A foreign fighter captured during a raid on Islamist militants blamed by Egypt for a deadly attack in its western desert last month is a Libyan national, the Egyptian interior ministry said on Thursday. The captured fighter, Abdelrahim Mohamed al-Mesmari, 25, is from the eastern Libyan town of Derna, an interior ministry statement said. A little-known group called Ansar al-Islam claimed responsibility for the Oct. 21 attack. Three security sources said at the time that at least 52 police officers and conscripts were killed but the interior ministry refuted that figure the next day and said only 16 policemen had been killed. The new militant group risks opening up another front for security forces far beyond the remote northern Sinai, where they have battled an Islamic State insurgency since 2014. The Egyptian air force killed the 15 militants responsible for the deadly attack and later arrested 29 others for adopting the same ideology, the statement said. The militants were being trained in Derna, it added. (Reporting by Ali Abdelaty; writing by Arwa Gaballa; editing by Mark Heinrich)
ANKARA (Turkey) (AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Ankara had pulled out 40 Turkish troops from a NATO exercise in Norway, in a new outburst of tensions with its Western allies.

Erdogan said in a televised speech to ruling party members he had ordered the troops to be removed from the exercise after an incident on Thursday deemed offensive to himself and the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Turkey, which became a member of NATO in 1952, is a key member of the alliance but tensions have grown in recent months over its crackdown after the failed coup and Ankara's increasingly close alliance with Russia.

Without going into detail over the incident, Erdogan said an image of Ataturk and his own name were used "and these were the targets".

He said Turkey's top general Hulusi Akar and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik -- who were on their way to a NATO conference in Halifax, Canada -- had informed him of the incident.

"They said 'this has happened... and we are going to take out our 40 soldiers'. And I said 'absolutely, don't hesitate, take them out right now'" Erdogan said.

"It's not possible to have this kind of alliance," he added, speaking in front of giant pictures of himself and Ataturk, who founded modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire in 1923.

Turkish officials contacted by AFP said there were for now no further details on the incident. There was also no immediate comment from the Norwegian military.

Some Turkish media speculated that his comments indicated that images of Ataturk and Erdogan had been used for target practice in the exercise.

NATO's website lists two military exercises that are currently ongoing in Norway. It was not clear what drill Erdogan was referring to and there was no immediate comment from NATO.

While Turkey is still playing an active role in the alliance, its Western allies have been particularly troubled by a deal for Ankara to purchase an S-400 air defence system from Russia.
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed a handful of rules that it said were keeping the media industry out of the digital age, the Washington Post reports. The decades-old regulations were implemented in order to keep a diversity of perspectives within print, radio, and televised media outlets, but FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says they're out of date and don't reflect the current media landscape. "Few of the FCC's rules are staler than our broadcast ownership regulations," he said. "This agency finally drags its broadcast ownership rules to the digital age."

The rules rolled back today include one that prohibited a company from owning a daily newspaper and a TV station within the same market, another that limited how many TV stations and radio stations one entity could own within a given market, one that prevented companies from owning multiple TV stations in a single market if it would result in fewer than eight independently owned stations, a rule that required the sale of advertising time on another station to count against the brokering station's ownership limits and one that prevented a single company from owning two of the top four stations in a market.

These changes are great news for broadcasting company Sinclair, which purchased Tribune Media earlier this year for $3.9 billion and was expected to have to sell off a fair amount of its stations in order to receive FCC approval. These rollbacks mean it will likely not have to do that. The FCC also voted to approve the new broadcast standard Next Gen TV, technology which Sinclair holds key patents to. Yesterday, over a dozen senators penned a letter to the FCC Inspector General asking him to review evidence of Pai's impartiality when it comes to Sinclair. "Chairman Pai has signaled his clear receptiveness to approving the Sinclair-Tribune transaction and in fact paved the way for its consummation," they wrote.

Some are pleased with today's rule changes. The National Association of Broadcasters said in a statement, "These rules are not only irrational in today's media environment, but they have also weakened the newspaper industry, cost journalism jobs and forced local broadcast stations onto unequal footing with our national pay-TV and radio competitors." But others are concerned over reduced diversity in the media market and dangerous consolidations of power. "As a result of this decision, wherever you live, the FCC is giving the green light for a single company to own the newspaper and multiple television and radio stations in your community. I am hard pressed to see any commitment to diversity, localism, or competition in that result," FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who has also expressed her concern over the FCC's Next Gen TV decision, said. "Instead of engaging in thoughtful reform, this agency sets its most basic values on fire."
Damascus (AFP) - At least six people were killed and 45 others were wounded in rocket and mortar fire on several parts of Syria's capital Damascus on Thursday, state media said.

State news agency SANA said the attacks originated from the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital, and called it a "breach" of a truce deal in the area.

They hit several parts of the capital, including the well-known Sabaa Bahrat and Abassiyeen squares.

One attack witnessed by AFP journalists sent huge clouds of dust into the air, temporarily obscuring the view from the surrounding buildings.

Debris from the attack landed several floors up, and emergency workers rushed to the scene to tend to the injured and remove the body of one dead person.

Eastern Ghouta is one of four areas in Syria where so-called "de-escalation zones" are in place, as part of a deal agreed in May by regime allies Russia and Iran, and rebel backer Turkey.

The zones have reduced violence, but in recent days there has been heavy fighting between government forces and rebels in Eastern Ghouta, with warplanes carrying out regular strikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.

The Britain-based war monitor said Thursday that 26 civilians, including five children, had been killed in strikes and shelling in the past 48 hours.

Another 37 regime soldiers and allied fighters were also killed in the clashes, the monitor said, adding it did not have a toll for rebels killed in the violence.

Eastern Ghouta is one of the last rebel strongholds in Syria, and has been devastated by fighting and a tight government siege.

More than 330,000 people have been killed since Syria's war began with anti-government protests in March 2011.
This would make anyone hopping mad.

A Florida couple says they discovered a dead frog in one of their water glasses earlier this month when they sat down for a meal at a Tallahassee Waffle House, local station WCTV reported Thursday.

Claire Sheats says her husband sipped some ice water before he noticed the frog floating in the cup. They immediately filmed a video showing the frog in the glass before pouring it out onto the table and calling over the waitress.

The employee isnt seen in the video, but her reaction  What the hell?  can definitely be heard.

Sheats said she and her husband left without eating the meal they ordered, and that she filed complaints with state health inspectors and Waffle House corporate officials.

The Waffle House location passed a later inspection, though the restaurant was cited for 11 violations, according to records from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation obtained by the station. The inspection report did not mention the frog incident.

Waffle House spokesman Pat Warner issued a statement saying the company is investigating Sheats claim.

Read the full story over at WCTV.

The Waffle House has been home to other bizarre incidents in the past. A man was arrested in June 2016 for allegedly trying to force his way into a Waffle House in Sandy Springs, Georgia, while stark naked. In January of the same year, a woman in Kennesaw, Georgia, was accused of stripping naked and then punching customers and heaving platters of food at other people. In October 2015, a man allegedly shattered the front door of a Waffle House in Brookhaven, Georgia, after the business raised the price for a sausage biscuit from $1 to $1.50.

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Kentucky Deep-Fried Paper Towel

A mom in Newcastle, England, was horrified when her 7-year-old's meal from KFC turned out to be a deep-fried paper towel. Click here to read the whole story.

Bloody Bandage In Pizza Hut Pizza

An upstate New York man said he found a bloody bandage baked into the crust of his Pizza Hut pizza in June 2011. He sued after the company failed to adequately address his concerns.

McFeather In McNugget

In March 2012, a woman claims she found a feather in her McNugget.

Animal Toe In Spinach Artichoke Dip

Andrew Brodsky, then 35, said he found an unidentified animal toe in his container of Sabra spinach and artichoke dip.

Coil In Fried Chicken

In January 2012, 50-year-old bus driver Lajzer Grynsztajn claims he nearly choked to death on such a coil after ordering two chicken breasts and fries from JFK Fried Chicken in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Photo by Flickr user: Andrea_Nguyen

Mouse In Big Mac Buns

In January 2011, a mouse got trapped in a bag of Big Mac buns at a Philadelphia McDonald's.

Whopper Spit Case

A deputy sheriff alleges that someone spit in his Whopper ... and the case made it to the Washington state Supreme Court.

Semen In Yogurt

A grocery store worker pleaded guilty to handing out a semen-tainted yogurt sample at an Albuquerque market.

Fingertip In Applebee's Salad

Louisiana woman Mary Deal Chambers-Johnson sued Applebee's for damages after she claimed a fingertip in her lunch salad gave her post-traumatic stress disorder.

Fly In Yogurt

A Chinese woman found a fly in her yogurt in July 2011. When she asked for compensation, the manufacturer asked her to prove that the fly had died before she opened the container -- by getting the insect autopsied. (Flies cannot be autopsied.)

Disemboweled Mouse In Packaged Salad

A couple said they found a disembowled mouse in their Dole packaged salad mix in June 2011. They'd already started eating the salad by the time they found the mealbreaker; they promptly vomited.

Human Blood On BLT & Fries

Cancer survivor Susan Mosher was outraged after she allegedly found human blood on her BLT and fries at a Cracker Barrel in Kingwood, Texas, in late June 2011.

Caterpillar In Weight Watchers Cake

A dieting woman found a live caterpillar crawling on a Weight Watchers-brand slice of packaged cake in June 2011. She called it gross enough to put her off cake forever.

Condom In French Onion Soup

A California man claimed to find a condom in his French onion soup at a Clam Jumper restaurant, also in July 2009. The restaurant's PR firm said that they found no evidence of wrongdoing after conducting an investigation of the matter.

Used Tampon In Steak

In July 2009, a German tourist claimed to find a used tampon in his steak at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

Dead Mouse In Bread

In 2009, a man from Bath, England, found a dead mouse in a loaf of bread.

Paperclips In Muffins

At the height of the Beijing Olympics, reporters pounced on the Chinese food industry after athletes found paperclips in muffins served them at an official function. The story's most surprising revelation may just be that Olympic athletes eat muffins.

Live Bullet In Hot Dog

No one said hot dogs promote longevity, but it's not like eating a frankfurter is as dangerous as someone sticking a gun in your face --unless your name is Olivia Chaines and you're eating it at Costco. The then-31-year-old had swallowed a piece of a Hebrew National brand hotdog in the shopping aisle of a Costco in May 2004 before she realized that it contained a piece of metal. X-rays revealed that the hot dog had contained a live bullet.

Semen In Spicy Tuna Sushi Sauce

A New York woman sued a sushi bar after she tasted semen in the sauce atop her spicy tuna in June 2008. She said she still has samples frozen in her refrigerator.

Rodent Tooth In Planter's Peanuts

In 2006, a 52-year-old man from Illinois sued Kraft Foods for $55,000 to compensate for the physical and emotional distress he suffered after allegedly biting into a "non-human animal tooth" in a container of Planter's Peanuts.

Gold Tooth In Mars Bar

Finding a golden ticket in your candy bar is great. But a gold tooth? Not so much. That's what happened to a 62-year-old British man in September 2007. He contacted Mars to try to receive compensation, but got no substantive response.

Human Skin In Chicken Sandwich

Kitchen accidents happen. Knives are sharp; sometimes a cook will slice off a piece of skin over the course of an evening. It's understandable. Not understandable? Failing to clean up the product of an accident. That, apparently, is what happened at an Ohio Arby's in June 2007, when a man found a piece of human skin sitting on the lettuce in his chicken sandwich. The man sued, refusing a settlement that Arby's initially offered him.

Mouse In Popeye's Fried Chicken

A Baltimore man was eating fried chicken from Popeye's in September 2003 when he discovered that the fast food store had inadvertently fried a mouse along with the chicken parts.

Syringe In Burger King Burger

In June 2001, 22-year-old Angelina Cruz bit into a burger from Burger King -- and got pricked in the tongue by a syringe. Citing HIV fears, she sued the chain for $9 million.

Worm In McNugget

Fast food fan Nikki Sanders had a not-so Happy Meal when she bought McDonalds for her 4-year-old daughter. The 30-year-old canteen worker said she discovered what looked like a worm hanging out of the batter surrounding a Chicken McNugget.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Judicial nominee Thomas Farr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September. (Photo: CSPAN)

A former Justice Department official says that one of President Donald Trumps picks for a federal judgeship, Thomas Farr, did not tell the Senate Judiciary Committee the truth about his role in a notorious Senate campaign that tried to confuse and intimidate minority voters.

In 1990, Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) was running for re-election against Harvey Gantt, the first black mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. Republicans sent 125,000 postcards to heavily African-American precincts in the state. The postcards noted that voters needed to have lived in their precinct for 30 days to vote there and warned that they could face jail time if they tried to vote improperly. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the Helms campaign and the Republican Party of North Carolina for violating the Voting Rights Act by trying to intimidate black voters. The case was eventually settled with a consent decree, though the defendants denied wrongdoing. Helms won the election.

The lawyer for Helms campaign in 1990 (and in 1984) was Farr, whom Trump tapped in July to be a U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina. In September, besides appearing before the Judiciary Committee, Farr provided written answers to questions submitted by the members of the panel.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) asked Farr if he had been consulted or provided counsel in any way over the decision to send the postcards. Farr said that he had not and that he hadnt learned of the scheme until after the postcards were mailed and the Justice Department sent a letter to the campaign about them.

But Gerald Hebert, who had served as deputy chief of the voting section in the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division in the 1990s, told HuffPost that Farr knew about the postcard plan earlier and provided advice about it. Hebert didnt work on the case directly, but said he had talked frequently with the two lawyers who did. At the time, Hebert, who spent 20-plus years at the Justice Department, kept a diary of what was going on in the case. His notes show that in October 1990, Farr held a meeting with campaign officials at his law office where they discussed ballot security.

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He told them, Look we cant do what we did in 84 because in 84 we sent all these postcards and we could use them to challenge voters at the polls, but we cant do that anymore because the legislature fixed it in 85. Well only use it if theres a post-election challenge, a recount. So he gave them that kind of advice, said Hebert, who is now senior director of voting rights and redistricting at the watchdog group Campaign Legal Center. For him to say that he had no role in the case is simply incorrect.

Gerald Hebert's notes on Thomas Farr participating in an October 1990 meeting about sending misleading postcards to black voters in North Carolina. Farr told a Senate committee earlier this year he didn't participate in the scheme as it was being developed. (Photo: Gerald Hebert)

In a response to another question from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Farr wrote that he only became aware of the postcards after they were mailed and that he was appalled to read them and to learn they were sent to African-American voters.

I then learned that the Helms Committee intended to use any returned cards to challenge voters on election day. After I became aware of this effort, the Helms Committee followed my advice to cancel any and all election day activities related to the use of these cards to challenge voters. Based upon my instructions, returned cards were not used to challenge voters, Farr said in the questionnaire.

After reviewing Farrs written answers, Hebert said there is no doubt that the answers in this questionnaire are contrary to the facts.

Farr also denied he had any role in the drafting or sending of the postcards. But he did discuss the issue of sending the postcards three weeks before they were sent. I would describe that as playing some role, Hebert wrote in an email. He also denied flat out that he did not participate in any meetings in which the postcards were discussed before they were sent. That is definitely incorrect.

Farr did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment. Lying to Congress can be punishable by a fine and up to five years in prison.

In its 1992 complaint filed in federal court, the Justice Department said that when members of the Helms campaign met in mid-October 1990 to discuss ballot security measures, an attorney who had been involved in past ballot security efforts on behalf of Senator Helms and/or the Defendant North Carolina Republican party was present. The complaint did not name that lawyer. The measures discussed at that meeting, the complaint said, included a way to target voters who may have changed residences. The meeting took place around Oct. 16 and 17, the complaint alleged, and the postcards were sent on Oct. 26 and 29.

Durbin spokesman Ben Marter told HuffPost that the senator already opposed Farrs nomination and that Heberts recollection raises serious questions that need to be answered about whether Farr has been honest and forthcoming with the committee.

Sen. Feinstein released a statement on Friday saying: I voted against Tom Farr in committee because his record doesnt indicate that he would protect the voting rights of all Americans. Media reports indicate that he was not truthful in his response to my question about his involvement in the Jesse Helmss campaign voter suppression efforts. This disturbs me greatly. Nominees must be forthright with the Judiciary Committee. These are lifetime appointments were talking about. Were currently evaluating how best to proceed in light of this new information.

The Judiciary Committee approved Farrs nomination and sent it on to the full Senate in October. The Congressional Black Caucus and civil rights groups have already opposed the nominee because as a private attorney, he defended a swath of North Carolina laws making it more difficult to vote as well as electoral maps that diluted the influence of minority voters. Farr defended the states voter ID law, which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit struck down last year in a ruling that said it had targeted African-American voters with almost surgical precision.

It is unconscionable that President Trump would nominate Thomas Farr who was involved in supporting the bigoted and racist campaign tactics of then-Senator Jesse Helms, Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) said in a statement.

Scrutiny over Farrs role in the postcard incident comes as the credibility of Brett Talley, another one of Trumps judicial picks, is under question. Talley failed to disclose on his own Senate questionnaire that he is married to a top aide to Don McGahn, the White House counsel. McGahn is charged with overseeing Trumps selections for the federal bench.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund is calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to recall both Farr and Talley for further questioning.

There is no position more important to our democracy than that of a federal judge. Those selected for the judiciary are given a lifetime appointment, and are entrusted to adjudicate difficult legal disputes and fairly interpret the Constitution. This tremendous responsibility requires candidates with unimpeachable qualifications as well as a clear commitment to honesty and the civil rights of all Americans, Sherrilyn Ifill, the groups president and director-counsel, said in a statement. Now they must explain to the Judiciary Committee why they failed to provide full and accurate responses, and answer questions about the newly discovered information.

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said, This new information demonstrates Mr. Farrs lack of veracity and the Senate Judiciary Committee should hold another hearing to examine his truthfulness under oath and his qualifications.

The White House and the office of committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) had no immediate comment.

The story has been updated with comment from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. G.K. Butterfield and Vanita Gupta.

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Alabama State Capitol (Montgomery, Ala.)

Pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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Pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Miller)

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Pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1999. (AP Photo/Bob Child)

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Pictured on Monday, Oct. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach)

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Pictured on Thursday, June 10, 1999. (AP Photo/Rogelio Solis)

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Pictured on Friday, Oct. 16, 2000. (Photo credit should read ORLIN WAGNER/AFP/Getty Images)

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Pictured on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998. (AP Photo/S.E. McKee)

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Pictured on Friday, Dec. 28, 2001. (Todd Warshaw//Pool/Getty Images

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North Carolina State Capitol (Raleigh, N.C.)

Pictured in 1930. (AP Photo)

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Pictured on Thursday, April 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Dale Wetzel)

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Bonn (AFP) - Continued investment in fossil fuel would deliver "an unsustainable future", UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday, saying time was running out to prevent calamitous climate change caused by atmosphere-fouling emissions.

Sinking more money into coal, oil and gas does not make financial sense, and markets must be "re-oriented away from the counter-productive," he told UN climate envoys in Bonn.

"In 2016, an estimated $825 billion (697 billion euros) were invested in fossil fuels and high-emissions sectors," Guterres said.

"We must stop making bets on an unsustainable future that will place savings and societies at risk."

In a year marked by severe flooding in Asia, drought in Africa, and an exceptional North American hurricane season, the UN chief said climate change was already having a "catastrophic" effect on humankind.

And with atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide the highest in 800,000 years, "climate change is the defining threat of our time."

Envoys are gathered in Germany to negotiate a nuts-and-bolts "rulebook" for executing the climate-rescue Paris Agreement adopted by most of the world's countries in 2015.

Under the pact, nations commit to limit average global warming to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels, and 1.5 C if possible.

To this end, countries submitted voluntary pledges for curbing planet-warming emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.

But this week, reports showed that existing pledges would deliver only a third of what is needed, and that CO2 emissions were set to increase in 2017 for the first time in three years.

"The window of opportunity to meet the two-degree target may close in 20 years or less," said Guterres.

"And we may have only five years to bend the emissions curve towards 1.5 degrees. We need at least a further 25-percent cut in emissions by 2020."

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Part of the solution was to steer investment away from fossil fuel projects to greener, sustainable energy, he told the conference.

"The world should adopt a simple rule: If big infrastructure projects aren't green, they shouldn't be given the green light," said Guterres.

"Investing in climate-friendly development is where the smart money is headed."

The UN chief also repeated his call for a price on carbon -- a vital pollution-cutting measure that can be a tax or a financial incentive for polluting less.

To meet the Paris goals, the world needs a price on at least 50 percent of all carbon produced, Guterres said.

He urged rich countries to make true on their promise to mobilise $100 billion (84 billion euros) per year from 2020 to help developing nations prepare for, and deal with, the effects of climate change.

US President Donald Trump, in announcing that America would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, said in June that Washington would no longer contribute to the Green Climate Fund set up exactly for this purpose.
(Photo: HuffPost)

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FRANKEN UNDER FIRE: THE FALLOUT FROM THE SEXUAL ASSAULT ACCUSATION Anchorwoman and sportscaster Leeann Tweeden said Thursday that then-comedian Al Franken kissed and groped her at a 2006 USO event, and she shared a photo of one of the incidents. Senate Democrats have been swift to condemn the junior senator from Minnesota and call for an ethics investigation. Tweeden said she spoke up now as the tide is turning. President Donald Trump also denounced the senator, but did not voice an opinion on Senate candidate Roy Moore. And Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers piled on. [HuffPost] [Tweet | Share on Facebook]

HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASSED THEIR TAX BILL Heres whats in it. [HuffPost]

THAT TIME JARED KUSHNER FAILED TO DISCLOSE A WIKILEAKS EMAIL AND A RUSSIA DINNER INVITE The Senate Judiciary Committee is calling for the presidents son-in-law to turn over all related communications. [HuffPost]

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND SAYS BILL CLINTON SHOULD HAVE RESIGNED OVER MONICA LEWINSKY AFFAIR Gillibrands spokesman later clarified to the Times that the senator was trying to express that if the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal had happened now, Bill Clinton wouldve felt more pressure to resign. [HuffPost]

ANGELINA JOLIES SPEECH ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE AT A UN SUMMIT IS A MUST-WATCH We have to ask how is it after all these years, all these laws, and all these resolutions and all the horrors endured, women still have to ask for this most basic of all entitlements: the right to a life free from violence, she said. Meanwhile, Sylvester Stallone is denying reports he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old in the 80s. Gal Gadot has confirmed Brett Ratner will not be returning for the Wonder Woman sequel. Twenty people have accused Kevin Spacey of inappropriate behavior during his tenure at a London theater. Showrunner Mark Schwahn has been suspended from The Royals after allegations by the One Tree Hill cast and crew of a previous history of sexual harassment. And Sarah Silverman broke her silence on her longtime friend Louis C.K. [HuffPost]

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LOOKS LIKE NORTH KOREA IS WORKING ON A BALLISTIC MISSILE SUBMARINE According to satellite images. [Reuters]

THE UNCOUNTED This wrenching read find that one in five of the coalition strikes identified against ISIS resulted in civilian death, which is a rate more than 31 times the one publicly acknowledged. [NYT]

WHATS BREWING

THE LESSONS OF THE OAK CREEK MASSACRE What weve learned about hate in the latest episode of Im Still Here. [HuffPost]

THAT TIME MEGYN KELLY AND SUZANNE SOMERS MADE A JOKE ABOUT MARITAL RAPE On daytime TV, no less. [HuffPost]

HOUSE DEMOCRATS BROUGHT IN RECORD FUNDRAISING Just one year out from the 2018 midterms. [HuffPost]

CONGRATS TO SERENA WILLIAMS AND ALEXIS OHANIAN ON THEIR WEDDING Which was of course attended by Beyonce. [HuffPost]

BAD NEWS, FOLKS Here are the signs you need to be breaking up with a toxic friend. [HuffPost]

WE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG Jelena, aka Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, are definitely a thing. [People]

BEFORE YOU GO

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Wearable devices for health and fitness aren't anything new, of course, but insurance companies aren't really known for their fast response to tech trends. That may be changing, though, as big companies like Aetna and John Hancock have started offering steep discounts on devices like the Apple Watch, as long as customers use the gadgets to track their activity. Now insurance company UnitedHealthcare is looking to integrate both Garmin and Samsung wearables into its own bring-your-own-device program that rewards members for meeting daily walking goals.

The new program, dubbed UnitedHealthcare Motion, allows you to use a Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro, Gear Sport or Garmin Vivosmart 3 to track your steps and earn up to $4 per day (for a maximum of $1,000 per year) in HSA or HRA credits if you reach the company's specific fitness goals. These include completing 500 steps within seven minutes six times per day at least an hour apart, completing 3,000 steps within 30 minutes and racking up 10,000 total steps every day. The trackers will be available at a discount (or even free) to plan participants via a dedicated page of the UnitedHealthcare website. Qualcomm is involved in keeping the data secure as it is shared with the insurer via the Motion app, as well as integrating devices that people already own.

While a program like this definitely benefits consumers both monetarily and health-wise, it's probably more about the insurance company saving money in the long run. "Studies have shown walking can be an effective way to help improve well-being and reduce medical costs," said Qualcomm's Dr. James Mault in a statement, "and we are seeing how UnitedHealthcare Motion helps people take charge of their health."
Germany's telecommunications regulator, the Federal Network Agency, announced a ban today on the sale of kids' smartwatches, the BBC reports, and encouraged parents to destroy the ones they already own. The agency appears to be taking particular issue with the devices' abilities to transmit audio from its surroundings. Jochen Homann, the agency's president, said today, "Via an app, parents can use such children's watches to listen unnoticed to the child's environment and they are to be regarded as an unauthorised transmitting system."

Devices and apps geared towards kids have become a focus of concern when it comes to protecting children's privacy. In 2015, VTech, a maker of a number of kid's toys, was hacked, exposing some 6.4 million customers' data as well as children's photos and chat logs. The manufacturer of an internet-connected teddy bear also mismanaged its customers' data, making it easily accessible online. The information was subsequently taken by hackers and held for ransom. Further, a number of companies with apps and websites geared towards children have been both sued by parents and handed financial penalties from the FTC and New York state for illegally collecting information from children under the age of 13. Additionally, privacy concerns have been directed towards smart speakers aimed at children and a doll that not only records kids' voices without permission, but also allows unauthorized Bluetooth devices to connect to them. Germany banned that doll earlier this year.

Germany's smartwatch ban comes after a Norwegian Consumer Council report noting that certain brands of kids' smartwatches transmitted data without encryption, opening them up to breaches. "There is a shocking lack of regulation of the 'internet of things', which allows lax manufacturers to sell us dangerously insecure smart products," security expert Ken Munro told the BBC. "Using privacy regulation to ban such devices is a game-changer, stopping these manufacturers playing fast and loose with our kids' security."
MINSK (Reuters) - There is a substantial difference between how Germany and France envisage the possible deployment of U.N. peacekeepers in eastern Ukraine and Russia's position, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told journalists on Friday. Both Kiev and Moscow have proposed U.N. peacekeepers be deployed to help resolve Ukraine's pro-Russian separatist conflict but the sides disagree on whether the troops should be positioned on the rebel-controlled part of the Ukraine-Russia border. Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine have previously held talks in an effort to end the fighting that has killed more than 10,000 people despite a notional ceasefire. "Germany and France's idea and Russia's idea on how a blue helmets (peacekeeping) mission would be shaped are still very far apart," Gabriel said during an official visit to Belarus. Nevertheless Gabriel said the deployment would represent a real chance for peace in the war-torn Donbass region. "Although our ideas are still far apart, it would be inadvisable to close this window of opportunity," he said. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
By Laila Bassam and Lisa Barrington BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saad al-Hariri, who sparked a crisis by resigning as Lebanese prime minister on Nov. 4 during a visit to Saudi Arabia, is on his way to the airport, he said early on Saturday, before his flight from Riyadh to France. Hariri's abrupt resignation while he was in Saudi Arabia and his continued stay there caused fears over Lebanon's stability. His visit to France with his family to meet President Emmanuel Macron is seen as part of a possible way out of the crisis. "I am on the way to the airport," he said in a Tweet. However, Okab Saqr, a member of parliament for Hariri's Future Movement, said that after Hariri's visit to France, he would have "a small Arab tour" before traveling to Beirut. Macron, speaking in Sweden, said Hariri "intends to return to his country in the coming days, weeks". The crisis has thrust Lebanon into the bitter rivalry pitting Saudi Arabia and its allies against a bloc led by Iran, which includes the heavily armed Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group. In Lebanon, Hariri has long been an ally of Riyadh. His coalition government, formed in a political deal last year to end years of paralysis, includes Hezbollah. President Michel Aoun, a political ally of Hezbollah, has called Hariri a Saudi hostage and refused to accept his resignation unless he returns to Lebanon. Saudi Arabia and Hariri say his movements are not restricted. On Wednesday, Macron invited Hariri to visit France along with his family, providing what French diplomats said might be a way to reduce tensions surrounding the crisis by demonstrating that Hariri could leave Saudi Arabia. Lebanese politicians from across the political spectrum have called for Hariri to return to the country, saying it is necessary to resolve the crisis. Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who heads President Aoun's political party, said on Thursday Beirut could escalate the crisis if Hariri did not return home. "We have adopted self-restraint so far to arrive at this result so that we don't head towards diplomatic escalation and the other measures available to us," he said during a European tour aimed at building pressure for a solution to the crisis. REGIONAL CRISIS Saudi Arabia regards Hezbollah as a conduit for Iranian interference across the Middle East, particularly in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. It says it has no problem with Hezbollah remaining a purely political party, but has demanded it surrender its arms, which the group says are needed to defend Lebanon. Although Riyadh has said it accepted Hariri's decision to join a coalition with Hezbollah last year, after Hariri announced his resignation Saudi Arabia accused Lebanon of declaring war on it because of Hezbollah's regional role. Lebanon, where Sunni, Shi'ite, Christian and Druze groups fought a 1975-1990 civil war, maintains a governing system intended to balance sectarian groups. The prime minister is traditionally from the Sunni community, of which Hariri is the most influential leader. On Friday, Hariri said in a tweet that his presence in Saudi Arabia was for "consultations on the future of the situation in Lebanon and its relations with the surrounding Arab region". His scheduled meeting with Macron in Paris on Saturday, and a lunch that his family will also attend, comes the day before Arab foreign ministers meet in Cairo to discuss Iran. Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre in Beirut, says it appears Saudi Arabia hopes the ministers will adopt a "strongly worded statement" against Iran. But she said not all the countries share Riyadh's view that one way to confront Iran is to apply pressure on Lebanon. "There is quite a widespread understanding that there is only so much Lebanon can do and it doesn't serve anybody to turn Lebanon into your next arena for a fight between Iran and Saudi Arabia," said. (Reporting by Laila Bassam and Lisa Barrington; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Larry King)
Beirut (AFP) - Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's decision to accept an invitation to Paris is the "start of a solution" to the crisis sparked by his resignation in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon's president said Thursday.

Hariri has been in Riyadh since announcing his shock resignation from there on November 4, and Lebanon's President Michel Aoun on Wednesday accused Saudi authorities of "detaining" the premier.

"We hope that the crisis is over and Hariri's acceptance of the invitation to go to France is the start of a solution," Aoun said on the official presidential Twitter account.

"I am awaiting the return of Prime Minister Hariri from Paris for us to decide the next step with regards to the government," Aoun added.

Hariri has not returned to Lebanon since he announced he was standing down, and Aoun has yet to accept the resignation, saying he was waiting for the premier to return to Lebanon.

In his sharply worded resignation statement, Hariri, 47, accused Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his country and the broader region.

Speculation has swirled around the fate of Hariri, who is a dual Saudi citizen.

On Wednesday, Aoun accused Saudi Arabia of "detaining" Hariri after what he said was his failure to return to the country for 12 days.

"We consider him to be held and detained, contrary to the Vienna Convention," he said.

On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said during a visit to the kingdom that Hariri would travel to France.

"He will come to France and the prince has been informed," Le Drian told reporters, referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman with whom he held talks the previous evening.

The French president's office said on Wednesday that Hariri and his family had been invited to France for a "few days" but that did not mean he would stay there in exile.

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Macron has stressed that Hariri should be able to return to Lebanon to confirm or withdraw his resignation in person.

On Wednesday night, Okab Sakr, a close adviser of Hariri's, told the Lebanese television station MTV that the premier "will leave in 48 hours for France with his family".

He added that Hariri would return to Lebanon, but without specifying when.
Tragedy: Lucas and mother Kelly-Anne Carter (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

A heartbroken mother whose son died in a house fire killed herself because she could not go on without him, an inquest has heard.

Kelly-Anne Carter, 35, was described in court by a friend as a dead woman walking after her eight-year-old son Lucas died last October.

Lucas died shortly after being rescued from the house.

Kelly-Anne also suffered serious burns at the family home in Sandbach, Cheshire, the inquest at Crewe Municipal Buildings heard.

The house blaze was not treated as suspicious.

Heartbroken Kelly-Anne could not go on without her son, an inquest heard (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

But just two weeks later  on November 12  Miss Carter hanged herself at her partners home.

A friend of the grieving mother, Sarah Blakey, who was with her the night before she died, said that she could not go on without her son.

She didnt want to be here without Lucas, she couldnt forgive herself, she said.

He was her world. To her he was her greatest achievement and he was lovely, he was an absolute credit.

Lucas was an only child.

The heartbroken mum could not forgive herself after her sons death (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

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Coroner Claire Welch, who recorded a verdict of suicide, said the heartbreak was overwhelming.

I cant imagine the distress and trauma that she must have been going through at this time, having gone through such a traumatic experience and lost her only child.

She also praised Miss Carters sister Gemma Williams during the inquest.

To have lost Lucas and then Kelly in such short succession is unimaginable from my point of view so my heartfelt condolences really do go out to you and all your family, she said.

Lucas had died just two weeks earlier (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

The inquest also heard that Miss Carter had told medical staff she would kill herself once she was sent home from hospital following the tragedy.

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Medical notes detailing Miss Carters suicide intentions were not passed on, but the coroner ruled out this as a contributory factor towards her death..

She said she was satisfied that at the time of her discharge from her hospital, it was seen as more appropriate for Miss Carter to plan Lucass funeral.

An inquest into the young boys death has not yet been held.
A New York-based charity took to Facebook to share a few holiday wish lists written by children in crisis -- and their requests will break your heart.

Things of My Very Own is a non-profit organization that provides emergency supplies like clothing and blankets to children and families in crisis.

The group's CEO and Founder, Rayn Boncie, shared some of the handwritten gift requests she received for the 2017 holiday season via the popular Facebook page Love What Matters -- but they're nothing like the Christmas wish lists you'd typically expect from young children.

Instead of asking for this year's hottest new toy, kids writing into Things of My Very Own asked Santa Claus for basic necessities like shampoo, hygiene products and, heartbreakingly enough, food.

"I am a boy. I am 6 years old. This Cristmis I want food  thank you I love you santa," wrote one child.

"Im a 10 year old boy I want school snacks so im not the only one not eating during snack time at school," wrote another.

"One little boy asked for feminine hygiene products for his younger sister," Boncie told WNYT.

While Boncie said it can be hard generating enough funds to fulfill every gift request they receive, she told the station that their viral post has given their outreach a much-needed boost this year.

"This morning a man in Italy reached out to us," Boncie said. "A woman from Switzerland reached out to the pizza place where we have the gift tags available to sponsor."

If you would like to donate to Things of My Very Own and support their mission, click here.
(Photo: John Moore via Getty Images)

For immigrants, the road to U.S. citizenship has always been a long and difficult one. But things could be getting worse.

The average processing time for naturalization applications has almost doubled, from about five months in early 2016 to an average of almost nine months today, according to a report from the National Partnership With New Americans.

The wait has undermined peoples access to critical rights, John C. Yang, president and executive director of nonprofit Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, told HuffPost in an email.

Many of these individuals want to be engaged in the American political process, Yang said. We must remember that they are citizens-in-waiting; almost all of them have been in the country for many years and have been fully integrated into American society.

Immigration experts say the rise in processing times could be due in part to the influx of naturalization applications around the presidential election, which has created a lengthy backlog. Over the past year, 1,028,647 lawful permanent residents have applied for citizenship, according to the National Partnership With New Americans report  an increase of almost 11 percent over the prior year. The backlog has increased by more than 35 percent over last year, the report says.

From fiscal year 2015 to fiscal year 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had already seen a 7 percent increase in overall application volume, with a 24 percent increase in naturalization applications, the agency told HuffPost in a statement.

Some immigration advocates believe that the rising number of prospective citizens could be spurred by the anti-immigrant rhetoric surrounding the presidential campaign as well as the continued crackdowns on immigration since President Donald Trump was sworn in.

Because of the anti-immigrant and xenophobic rhetoric during the presidential campaign, individuals felt an urgent need to obtain the benefits and protections of citizenship, Yang said. We have seen people who have had green cards for 20-30 years coming out to our citizenship workshops.

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Pew Research points out, however, that other factors have accounted for spikes in applications in the past, including the passage of laws like the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. One of the largest such increases in U.S. history occurred in 2007, ahead of a bump in the application fee for adults: Applications rose by 89 percent over the previous year.

Yang also fears that applicants for citizenship today could be subjected to increased vetting, driving up the wait time even more. He told HuffPost that his staff has seen inappropriate requests for follow-up information often involving family relationships or prior association with employers. Those associations can stretch back decades. In the cases that AAAJ-ALC has observed, the questionable follow-up queries are particularly common for people in the Middle Eastern and South Asian communities.

Because each citizenship application is different, its hard to conclude that there definitely is increased vetting, Yang said. But we certainly believe, based on our experiences, that some applications seem to have been subjected to increased vetting. We certainly are concerned that such increased and unnecessary scrutiny will become the new norm.

Citizenship and Immigration Services told HuffPost that the balance between its adjudication capacity and the increase in applications has contributed to longer processing times.

Meanwhile, the waiting has left some immigrants feeling insecure about their status, said Jacinta Ma, director of policy and advocacy at the National Immigration Forum. Yang noted that permanent residents can still be deported under particular circumstances, namely serious criminal convictions. And those who do not have citizenship dont have access to certain job opportunities or the opportunity to vote.

Despite their anxiety, Ma urges immigrants seeking citizenship to stick with it. She said that being a U.S. citizen is worth the wait.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Tehran (AFP) - Iran said on Friday that "biased" French policy was stoking crises in the Middle East after Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accused it of "hegemonic" ambitions in the region.

"Unfortunately it seems that France has a biased and partisan approach to the crises in the region and this approach, whether intentionally or not, is even contributing to turning potential crises into real ones," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said.

Le Drian made his comments in Iran's arch rival Saudi Arabia on Thursday during a visit aimed at resolving a crisis sparked by the shock resignation earlier this month of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a staunch critic of Iran.

Hariri's resignation, which has not been accepted by President Michel Aoun, was widely seen as the latest salvo in an intensifying proxy war between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, which back opposing sides in regional conflicts in countries including Syria and Yemen.

"The concerns you express fly in the face of regional realities and are addressed to the wrong side," Ghassemi said in response to Le Drian's comments.

"Ignoring regional realities and echoing baseless concerns that have been pulled out of the air by deluded, warmongering Saudi officials and are aggressive towards Iran do not contribute towards settling the crises in the region in which Saudi Arabia clearly plays a destructive role."

Ghassemi urged the international community to focus instead on "arms sales by some foreign powers to regional countries, which are used in particular in the devastating war in Yemen, and the support being given to Saudi Arabia and its allies, which only makes them more brazen."

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition in Yemen since 2015 in support of its beleaguered government.

Riyadh accuses Tehran of backing rebels who control the capital Sanaa and much of the north of the country.

The coalition has repeatedly rejected UN appeals to lift an aid blockade on rebel-held territory that it imposed on November 6, despite warnings from UN agencies that "untold thousands" of needy civilians risk death.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran accused France on Friday of fuelling tension in the Middle East by taking a "biased" stance on Tehran's regional policy, and President Emmanuel Macron said Tehran misunderstood its "balanced" position. "It seems that France has a biased view toward the ongoing crises and humanitarian catastrophes in the Middle East," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state TV. "This view fuels regional conflicts, whether intentionally or unintentionally." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday France was worried about Iran's involvement in the Middle East crisis and its disputed ballistic missile program. "Irans role and the different areas where this country operates worries us," Le Drian told a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel Jubeir in Riyadh. "I am thinking in particular of Iran's interventions in regional crises, this hegemonic temptation and Im thinking of its ballistic program," he said. Iran has repeatedly rejected France's call for talks on its missile program, saying it is defensive and unrelated to its 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers. Asked at an EU summit in Gothenburg about Iran's accusations, Macron said Tehran misunderstood France's "balanced" position of talking to everyone and not taking sides between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims. "Our wish is that Iran has a less aggressive strategy in the region and that we can clarify its ballistic missile strategy which seems to be uncontrolled," he said. "Iran is a power that we wish to have a dialogue with and that we will continue to talk to." Paris suggested this week that new European Union sanctions against Iran could be discussed over its missile tests. But EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini seemed to dismiss that idea on Tuesday. Shi'ite-dominated Iran and its regional arch-rival Sunni Saudi Arabia are involved in proxy wars across the region, backing opposite sides in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon. Jubeir told Reuters on Thursday that the kingdom's actions in the Middle East were a response to what he called the "aggression" of Iran. Qasemi said Jubeir was repeating baseless claims, the state news agency IRNA reported on Friday. "Saudi Arabia's foreign minister's gestures and his blame game will definitely not reduce the responsibility of this country in undermining the regional stability and security," Qasemi said. (Reporting by John Iris in Paris and Parisa Hafezi in Ankara; editing by Andrew Roche)
Sherin Khankan. (Photo: Courtesy of Sherin Khankan)

Sherin Khankan is misunderstood. Ever since launching Denmarks first and only woman-led mosque in 2016, shes been regularly accused of being a radical Muslim. But thats something the self-described Islamic feminist says could not be further from the truth.

I believed it was time to change the patriarchal structure of Islam for a new generation of Muslims by rereading the Koran with a focus on womens rights, on gender equality, and by promoting female Muslim leadership in the mosque, the countrys first female imam, or mosque prayer leader, tells Yahoo Lifestyle, about her Mariam Mosque in Copenhagen.

Khankan, 43, is, in fact, the poster-child example of a modern Muslim woman who fits neatly into Western society  where many not only view Islam as oppressive, male-dominated, and threatening to long-standing democratic institutions, but may also have a negative view of Muslim women as being restricted in their own free will, from pursuing education to choosing what they can wear.

But this Denmark-native imam, just for starters, is openly stylish  with a penchant for long, Victorian-era dresses  and just so happens to look like a supermodel (though she claims to have never read a fashion magazine). She does not wear a hijab unless shes praying. Then there is, of course, the fact that shes outspoken, specifically about womens rights and gender equality, having just released her first book, Women Are the Future of Islam, which she wrote in French. She balances religious leadership with single parenting  her four children range in age from 6 to 13  as she and her husband were recently divorced, though they are very close friends who still gather the family altogether several times a week, she says.

Khankan is not who she is to fit some kind of Western ideal. And if she and the Mariam Mosque are a good fit for Denmark or any other Western nation, its more out of happenstance than intention.

Fifteen years ago, Khankan spent time in Syria, which exiled her father, a well-known political activist and poet, in the 1970s (her mother is Finnish). That was followed by time in Egypt; both trips led to her masters thesis on Islamic activism. During that time, she pored over the Koran and other Islamic texts, learning from the writings of Sufi scholars (Islamic mystics) and carefully observing everything that was happening around her.

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Khankan was not raised Muslim; she came to the faith herself, she says, when it felt like the right thing for her personal spiritual journey. She says she was inspired to start a woman-led mosque when attending the Friday prayers at Abu Nur, in the Syrian capital of Damascus, where women pray separately from men (as is the case in most mosques that allow women to worship at all). Friday, the sixth day in the Islamic week, is a particularly important day for prayer, she explains, and I asked around to women, What if the Friday prayers were led by a female imam? They said it would be interesting, but do we have women who have the knowledge to lead a Friday prayer?

On that front, no one can challenge Khankan  which may be why she has not had any real pushback from the male Islamic clergy in Denmark. And yet her goal is not to isolate women from men (one of the Mariam Mosques board members is male) or to propagate a different kind of Islam thats only for women.

The idea of a female imam is in fact not as radical as it may seem, Khankan points out: Umm Salama, one of the Prophet Muhammads wives, and Aisha, daughter of Abu Bakr, the first caliph (chief Muslim ruler) to succeed Muhammad, were imams in the Prophets house in the city of Medina (in Saudi Arabia). And the Prophet personally requested one of his female contemporaries, Umm Waraqa, to lead a prayer group of both men and women in her home. China has had female imams since the mid-1800s, and today there are women who are practicing imams in several other countries, including Germany, Canada, and the U.S.

But most people are unaware of this, however, because the teaching and practice of Islam has, over the centuries, become male-dominated and appropriated, says Khankan, whose reading of Islamic texts finds no reason for women to be banned from mosques. So that today, if you ask people and they tell you that women cant be imams, she says, its purely out of ignorance.

She is firm in stating that its Islam itself, and not Western European thought, thats inspired her.

For me, Islamic feminism is a tool and a means to not only change the prevailing narrative that Islam is male-dominated, but to widen the understanding of Islam and the knowledge that men and women have equal rights, equal choices, and the same possibilities, she says.

When I give a sermon, I read about six verses from the Koran and then reread an interpretation based on gender equality, she notes. I speak about issues related to womens rights, but I also address broader themes in our society, like homophobia and Islamophobia, because I believe these are important.

Except for the Friday prayers, which are for women only (the result not of Khankans wish, but a group decision by founding members), the Mariam Mosque is open to everyone. Khankan views it not only as a place of prayer, but also as a center for education and spiritual care. A mosque should offer guidance, she says, for all aspects of life  marriage, divorce, and even conversion.

Of these, she highlights marriage, and the Mariam Mosques marriage contract, which respects every principle of Islam, yet forbids polygamy (Islamic law permits men to have up to four wives at one time) and gives a woman the same right to divorce as a man. (Although Islam grants women the right to divorce, a number of cultures have made this a right for men only.) Thus far, Khankan has performed 16 weddings at the mosque, and a number of these have been interfaith marriages.

Of all her efforts, she says, Im hoping that by focusing on womens rights, and by showing a new generation of Muslims that women have the same rights as men in Islam, well develop a movement that can, over time, become powerful in changing institutions.

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First daughter Ivanka Trump's harsh statement about Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore drew some backlash from Breitbart this week.

Breitbart editor-in chief Alex Marlow said the first daughter and adviser should stay quiet, especially given the allegations against her father.

On Thursdays edition of SiriusXM Patriots Breitbart News Daily, he implied that it wasnt Ivankas place to comment.

Right, especially when there's been so many allegations against President Trump," he said.

Read Marlow's full remarks, as noted by Media Matters:

ALEX MARLOW: Ivanka [Trump] made a very strange statement because she came out, with guns ablazing saying there's a special place in hell for child predators and that she believes the accusers. But she also -- she didn't say that Roy Moore needs to step aside. So, she didn't do that, because President Trump hasn't called for that. So, I'm guessing she's going to take some heat from the left also. So again, were we really dying for Ivanka's opinion on this? Can we not get Ivanka's opinion on some of these things? Can she just go work on her tax thing that she's working on and just leave us alone? But Mike, go ahead.

CALLER: Well, when Donald was being accused of these things where there was definitely more proof and more opportunity, where was she then? But now she's all outraged by Roy Moore. I don't know why she just doesn't keep quiet.

MARLOW: Right, especially when there's been so many allegations against President Trump, I don't know why the daughter of President Trump who has been accused by [attorney] Gloria Allred and some dozen, maybe two dozen, women over the years doing something inappropriate, and nothing's ever come of that. So why does Ivanka want to continue to pile on? I don't know. I think that she just loves getting her name out there in the headline and they can put more photos up. So that's her ammo.

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Ivanka Trump spoke out on the allegations against Moore in an interview with the Associated Press earlier this week.

Theres a special place in hell for people who prey on children, Ivanka Trump said. Ive yet to see a valid explanation, and I have no reason to doubt the victims accounts.

Moore has been accused of having a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32 years old. Since that initial report, several other women have come forward saying Moore pursued relationships with them when they were teenagers.

President Donald Trump has yet to directly address the allegations, but several Senate Republicans are calling for Moore to drop his bid.
Jimmy Kimmelsuggested on his show Thursday that a recentviral videoofDonald Trump Jr.deadlifting 375 pounds showed that hes getting ready for a high-calorie Thanksgiving feast.

But that was just a setup for the zinger the late-night host launched after showing the clip that Trump Jr. posted on his Instagram.

Looks like somebodys getting ready for prison, Kimmel quipped.

Oof.

President Donald Trumps oldest son has been under scrutiny in the special prosecutors investigation of possible Trump campaign collusion with Russian interference in the 2016 election. The New York Times revealed in July thathe met with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer who said she had potentially damning information on Hillary Clinton.

The Trump Jr. bit begins at the 1:00 mark above.

A post shared by Donald Trump Jr. (@donaldjtrumpjr)on Nov 10, 2017 at 5:48pm PST

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Bamako (AFP) - A district judge was kidnapped in central Mali late on Thursday, police and security sources told AFP, two weeks after a High Court justice escaped an attempt on his life.

Attacks on figures of state authority are common in northern and central Mali, where a jihadist insurgency and the near absence of government functions have fuelled lawlessness.

"Judge Soungalo Kone was kidnapped on Thursday night by armed men who arrived at his house in Niono in a white vehicle," a local police source in the Segou region told AFP, referring to the town where Kone lives and works.

"He was returning home when armed men appeared, which indicates he was being watched," the source added.

A security source said the kidnapping was being treated as the work of jihadists or someone local disgruntled with a court ruling.

The kidnapping comes after one of Mali's most senior judges, High Court Chief Justice Abdrahamane Niang, narrowly avoided death when his convoy was ambushed in Mopti, central Mali, on October 31.

Jihadists were accused of killing his driver, while five soldiers dispatched to the scene died when their vehicle triggered a mine explosion.

Mali's current instability is linked to the fall of northern cities in 2012 to Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists, who were routed by a French military intervention in 2013.

Although the jihadists no longer control cities, they have continued to mount attacks and aggravate tensions within communities.

The country's north and central regions are meanwhile awash with weapons that flowed into Mali from Libya after the fall of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.
Kellyanne Conway would like to thank Kellyanne Conway for starting the sexual harassment discussion.

The White House counselor appeared on Fox & Friends on Thursday morning to discuss Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore and the recent accusations from eight women who allege sexual misconduct on his part when they were minors and he was an adult.

When asked why President Donald Trump has yet to weigh in on the Moore accusations, Conway responded that hes been very busy with his recent trip to Asia.

Conway then added that she should be credited for breaking open the conversation around sexual harassment. She said that she tried to make this topic an issue last October, a day after the Access Hollywood tape leaked showing Trump bragging about being able to grab women by the pussy with impunity.

I would like to say that I was the first person in the administration last Thursday when this news broke, I happened to be interviewed on a different network at the time, to come out against conduct as it was described, and I went a step further, she said. I tried to make this an issue over a year ago on Oct. 9, 2016, when I talked about maybe when I was younger and prettier, folks on Capitol Hill behaving in such a way that we should take a look at fresh.

And Im so glad that women on the left, particularly on Capitol Hill, are now coming forward and want to have hearings and are swearing under oath and getting people to come forward, she continued. Thats great. I tried to do it 13 months ago; nobody wanted to listen to me because of the campaign I was managing. This is an important topic but in terms of this particular issue and this particular Senate race, I will not get ahead of the president and anything he wishes to add.

Skip ahead to minute 4:30 to hear Conway discuss Moore.

.@KellyannePolls: "@POTUS will make a statement when he wants to make a statement" on Roy Moore. pic.twitter.com/vWXU6IfxOv  Fox News (@FoxNews) November 16, 2017

At least 16 women have accused Trump of sexual assault dating back to the 1980s.

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During a talk at the University of Virginia last November, an audience member asked Conway how she rationalized being Trumps campaign manager in the wake of the assault allegations. For you to use sexual assault to try to make news here I think is unfortunate, Conway responded.

Related...

Kellyanne Conway Believes Roy Moores Alleged Behavior Is Disqualifying

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By Duncan Miriri and Thomas Mukoya NAIROBI (Reuters) - At least five people were killed on Friday as Kenyan police tried to disperse supporters accompanying opposition leader Raila Odinga from the airport to central Nairobi, police said. Police fired tear gas at the convoy in which Odinga was traveling and used water cannon as they tried to stop it reaching the capital's main business district. Some protesters threw stones at police. Two vehicles, including a police truck, were set on fire. A Reuters photographer saw two bodies with gunshot wounds as police and protesters fought on one of the main roads leading to the business district. Police said five people were stoned to death by angry mobs after they were caught stealing and denied they had used excessive force against the opposition supporters. "These incidences occurred before the police arrived at the various scenes," the police service said in a statement. Police retreated several times along the route after the protesters were unmoved by the teargas and water cannon spray. They finally held their ground near the city's main park, where Odinga, just returned from the United States, intended to address a rally that had been banned. He blamed President Uhuru Kenyatta for the violence. "My anger is with that guy called Uhuru Kenyatta. I went abroad... After you welcomed me well, he sent policemen to teargas you, to beat my people, to fire bullets at them. Isn't this barbaric?," he told his supporters after driving to safety. Odinga has called for a "National Resistance Movement" to protest against the outcome of a repeat presidential election last month which saw Kenyatta win a second, five-year term with 98 percent of the vote after Odinga boycotted the contest. Only 39 percent of registered voters took part. The repeat poll was ordered by the Supreme Court after it annulled the results of the August election, won by Kenyatta, over procedural irregularities. The court will rule on Monday on cases that seek to nullify the rerun election. The political crisis has stirred fears for the stability of Kenya, a regional hub for trade, diplomacy and security. Earlier on Friday, demonstrators threw up burning barricades on Mombasa Road, the highway that links Nairobi's downtown business district and the airport. Despite a partial police ban on protests in the capital, hundreds of people had gathered in the morning near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to await Odinga's return. Police fired into the air to disperse them. Once Odinga landed, motorcycle taxi drivers and people on foot shouted their support as the motorcade, which included lawmakers from Odinga's opposition coalition, began moving toward central Nairobi. Dozens of international flights depart and arrive daily at Nairobi's main airport. The national airport authority said on Twitter just before midday that operations were running normally. Kenya Airways said it had been "impacted" by the disruptions around the airport and offered to book travelers who missed their flights on subsequent ones. Kenya's prolonged election season has disrupted its economy. Human rights groups say at least 66 people have died in bloodshed surrounding the two elections. Ahead of Monday's Supreme Court ruling, Kenya Airways' chairman told an investor briefing on Friday: "Hopefully we dont have another presidential election so we can get on with life." (Reporting by Duncan Miriri and Thomas Mukoya Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
A section of the Keystone oil pipeline has leaked 5,000 barrels of oil, or about 210,000 gallons, in a remote area of South Dakota, TransCanada announced Thursday.

The company said the conduit was safely shut down about 6 a.m. local time, in line with safety procedures, but environmental groups have pointed to the leak as evidence a sister pipeline, the Keystone XL, should be rejected in neighboring Nebraska.

The section of pipe ... was completely isolated within 15 minutes and emergency response procedures were activated, the company said in a statement. The safety of the public and environment are our top priorities and we will continue to provide updates as they become available.

The company shared an aerial photo of the area affected by the spill on Twitter and said emergency crews and cleanup personnel had been sent to the site.

Image of Amherst incident taken earlier today by aerial patrol as part of our initial response. For more updates, visit https://t.co/8yWI1Oq2EM pic.twitter.com/uRNtYUdVjL  TransCanada (@TransCanada) November 16, 2017

Brian Walsh, a spokesman for South Dakotas Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, told The Associated Press that TransCanada would be responsible for cleanup efforts in compliance with our state regulations.

The spill comes just days before the Nebraska Public Service Commission is slated to decide whether to grant a permit for Keystone XL, and environmental groups were quick to warn against it.

With an approval decision still to be made, hopefully the Nebraska Public Service Commission is paying close attention to this spill and what it means for the future, Eliot Bostar, executive director of the Nebraska League of Conservation Voters, said in a statement. While unfortunately its too late to prevent this terrible spill in South Dakota, its not too late to protect Nebraskas families, farms, and communities from paying the same price.

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President Donald Trump issued a permit to revive the Keystone XL pipeline in March, following through on a campaign promise to support American fossil fuel production. The move reversed a 2015 decision by the Obama administration to reject the project, citing the pipelines effect on U.S. efforts to combat climate change and lower carbon emissions.

When complete, the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline would transport Canadian tar sands oil through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with existing pipelines. The pipeline has faced hurdles, however, and environmental groups have sued to block its construction.

Jared Margolis, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the incident makes clear why Keystone XL should never be built.

Trumps issuance of a permit for Keystone XL is a farce that will only lead to more pollution for people and wildlife, he said in a statement.

(Photo: TransCanada)

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PRISTINA (Reuters) - A court in Kosovo on Friday sentenced four people, including a member of parliament, to prison terms ranging from 2 to 8 years for taking part in a grenade attack against the parliament building last year. The four were found responsible for throwing a rocket propelled grenade at the building in August last year in order to halt adoption of a border deal with Montenegro. No one was injured in the attack. Tensions between opposition parties and the then-ruling coalition rose last summer as the parliament was getting ready to adopt border deal with Montenegro, key for Kosovo to get visa-free travel regime with the European Union. Opposition parties opposed the deal saying the country of 1.8 million is losing land by handing over some 8,000 hectares (19,700 acres)of Kosovo territory to Montenegro. In a protest over the deal, opposition deputies released tear gas in the parliament chamber, while its supporters clashed with the police during street protests. Frasher Krasniqi, parliament deputy of the biggest opposition party Vetevendosje was found guilty and sentenced to 8 years in prison. Adea Batusha, 23, a niece of Vetevendosje's leader, was sentenced to two years in prison. One of the defendants was found dead in his cell in November 2016 before the trial started. Vetevendosje blamed the authorities for this death but police said he killed himself. For all these unjust judgments, sooner or later, those criminals who ordered these fabricated trials will be held accountable, before the law and before the history, Frasher Krasniqi wrote in his Facebook page after the verdict. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nearly a decade after NATO bombing drove Serb forces from its territory. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Ivana Sekularac/Jeremy Gaunt)
As if the Middle East were not explosive enough, it is on the verge of yet another conflict that threatens further destruction and division in a region of vital geostrategic importance. The Kurdish question, which has bedeviled empires and superpowers for centuries, has returned as a dangerous flashpoint with potentially seismic implications.

The Kurds are often referred to as the largest ethnic group without a state. They number roughly 30 million and inhabit large areas of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria. For the past 100 years, they have sought autonomy and independence, to which regional powers have responded with violent repression. During the Anfal campaign, for example, Saddam Hussein destroyed over 2,000 villages and killed 180,000 Kurds in northern Iraq between 1986 and 1989. Some 5,000 Kurds alone died in the infamous chemical weapons attack on the town of Halabja in 1988.

Today, Iraq and Syria are convulsed by civil conflict. The violence, dislocations, and political vacuums created by the Islamic State, Syrian President Bashar al-Assads brutality, and the military interventions of Turkey, Russia, Iran, and the United States have created an environment in which a variety of local actors are competing for control of territory and power, and the Kurds are no exception.

On Sept. 25 and over the objections of the United States, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and the European Union, the regional government of Iraqi Kurdistan held a referendum on independence. Ninety-five percent of the population voted in favor. Within days of the vote, Iranian forces entered territory held by the Kurds and expelled them. Iran now has boots on the ground in a part of Iraq that they had never previously controlled. This intervention represents yet another historic setback not only for Kurdish national aspirations but also for U.S. interests.

A similar scenario is in the process of unfolding in Syria. A separate Kurdish group, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), controls large parts of northern Syria. The PYD/YPG are offshoots of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which has been waging a guerrilla war for the past 30 years against the government of Turkey. The PKK is responsible for bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and armed attacks that have killed thousands in Turkey and neighboring states. It is listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.

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Despite its terrorist connections, the YPG has been Americas ally of choice in combating the Islamic State in Syria for the simple reason that they are the most effective fighting force. The United States provided the YPG with the arms, training, and logistical support necessary to liberate territory in Syria that was held by the Islamic State. (U.S. aid was provided to the rebel coalition, the Syrian Defense Force, of which the YPG forms the largest and most capable component.) With the capture of the self-proclaimed caliphates capital, Raqqa, in October, the military campaign against the Islamic State in Syria is coming to an end.

Now, however, we have on our hands a well-armed, battle-hardened, and cohesive Kurdish movement in control of significant territory in northern Syria that borders Turkey. Ankara is understandably concerned, because of the very real possibility that the PYD-YPG will join forces with the PKK to create an autonomous enclave that challenges existing national borders and sovereign authority.

In early October, Turkish troops, tanks, and armored vehicles entered Syria in an operation designed to prevent further consolidation and expansion of the YPG military presence in northern Syria. This move, which is being coordinated and supported by Russian forces already present in Syria and fighting on behalf of the Assad regime, comes on the heels of Turkeys previous armed foray into Syria: Operation Euphrates Shield.

All the ingredients are in place for a dangerous conflagration: an armed revolutionary nationalist movement (the SPG/YPD) that has clear links to terrorism; a NATO ally (Turkey) that is determined to wipe out a credible threat to its territorial integrity; two foreign powers (Iran and Russia) that seek to extend Assads ruthless control over all of Syria; and a hapless superpower (the United States) that has yet to articulate a clear policy to defend its interests and those of its allies.

The fuse has been lit and further explosions are likely. The breakdown in state control in Iraq and Syria has led Kurdish groups in both countries to take dangerous and precipitous moves in pursuit of their national ambitions. These moves will be met with force from the governments of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, who believe their border  if not their national existence  is at risk. A responsible U.S. policy would be to pursue de-escalation and to make clear to all parties, but especially the PYD-YPG, that the United States will not condone or accept challenges to the status quo.
By Nina Chestney and Stine Jacobsen

BONN, Germany (Reuters) - At least 15 countries have joined an international alliance to phase out coal from power generation before 2030, delegates at U.N. climate talks in Bonn said on Thursday.

Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, New Zealand, Ethiopia, Mexico and the Marshall Islands have joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance, delegates said.

The alliance aims to have 50 members by the next U.N. climate summit in 2018 to be held in Poland's Katowice, one of Europe's most polluted cities.

But some of the world's biggest coal users, such as China, the United States, Germany and Russia, have not signed up.

Powering Past Coal comes just days after U.S. administration officials, along with energy company representatives, led a side event at the talks to promote "fossil fuels and nuclear power in climate mitigation."

The event triggered a peaceful protest by anti-coal demonstrators and jarred with many ministers who are working on a rule book for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to move the world economy off fossil fuels.

The alliance was kicked off by Britain, Canada and the Marshall Islands, who urged other nations to join them in a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

A source close to the matter said signatories to the alliance so far had been at least a dozen, in addition to some U.S. states, Canadian provinces and businesses.

"It is a rebuke to (President) Donald Trump from the UK and Canada, two of America's closest allies, that his obsession for dirty energy will not spread," said Mohamed Adow, international climate lead at Christian Aid.

Since signing the Paris Agreement in 2015, which aims to wean the world off fossil fuels, several countries have made national plans to phase out coal from their power supply mix.

(Reporting by Nina Chestney; Editing by Edmund Blair)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said on Friday a crisis triggered by the resignation of its prime minister was part of an "attempt to create chaos in the region", in an interview with Russia Today. Saad al-Hariri quit as prime minister in a broadcast from Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, saying he feared assassination and criticizing the Saudis' regional arch-rival Iran along with its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. The actions of Hariri, a Sunni Muslim leader and long-time Saudi ally, plunged Lebanon into a political crisis, putting the country center stage in the rivalry. He has yet to return to Beirut and is expected to leave Saudi Arabia this weekend for France, where he will meet with President Emmanuel Macron. Bassil is touring European and other capitals seeking diplomatic help to end the crisis. "We will respond and we have the full capacities to do so, but we hope it doesn't get to that," Bassil said in Moscow. His comments to Russia Today were reported earlier on Friday by Lebanese broadcasters al-Jadeed, al-Manar and LBC without attribution. French officials said they did not know how long Hariri would stay before returning to Beirut, but hoped his visit would help ease the crisis by demonstrating he was not being held in Saudi Arabia. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington, Ellen Francis; Editing by Samia Nakhoul, John Stonestreet and Peter Graff)
By Lisa Barrington and Angus McDowall BEIRUT (Reuters) - France said on Wednesday that Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, who Lebanon's president says is being held hostage by Saudi Arabia, will visit France with his family in coming days. Hariri travelled to Riyadh on Nov. 3 before abruptly resigning in a televised statement a day later. He has stayed in Riyadh and top Lebanese officials and senior politicians close to Hariri have told Reuters he was forced to quit. Hariri and Saudi Arabia have both denied he is being held in Riyadh or was coerced to resign. Hariri has said he will return to Lebanon in the next few days to formally submit his resignation. The crisis has thrust Lebanon onto the frontline of a Middle East contest for power pitting a Saudi-led bloc against Iran and its allies, including the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah. French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement that he had invited Hariri to France after speaking to him and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The invitation is to visit for a few days and is not an offer of political exile, Macron said, speaking in Germany. "We will not accept (Hariri) remaining a hostage whose reason for detention we do not know," Lebanese President Michel Aoun said in a statement. Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, the head of Aoun's political party, said the situation was "not normal" but that Beirut wanted "good relations" with Riyadh. Aoun has said he will not accept Hariri's resignation until he returns to Lebanon to formally tender it and explain his reasons, which Hariri has said he will do in the coming days. Saudi Arabia has long been considered Hariri's main external supporter. Aoun is a political ally of Lebanon's Hezbollah, a powerful Shi'ite Muslim group with close ties to Iran. Lebanon's coalition government was formed last year through a political deal that made Aoun president, Hariri prime minister, and included members of Hezbollah in the cabinet. Saudi Arabia last week accused Lebanon of having declared war on it because of Hezbollah's role in other Arab countries. It regards Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. Riyadh's main ally, the United States, has struck a different tone, continuing its support for Lebanon including military aid. The European Union has also repeatedly stated its support for Lebanon, which hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees. In an interview on Sunday night with a television station he owns, Hariri warned of economic sanctions against Lebanon and of a threat to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese workers living in Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies. "Nothing justifies Hariri's lack of return for 12 days. We therefore consider him detained," Aoun said. He added that Lebanon had confirmed that Hariri's family were under detention in their house in Saudi Arabia and were searched whenever they entered or left it. Speaking in Italy, Foreign Minister Bassil said: "We will continue all steps...for this problem to be solved in a brotherly way through good relations that we want to have with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia." He added, however: "If Saudi Arabia has a problem with Iran or with Hezbollah, they have to solve it with Iran, not with Lebanon and not with all the Lebanese." "PERFECTLY FINE" Hariri wrote on Twitter that he was "perfectly fine" and would return, "God willing, to dear Lebanon as I promised". On Wednesday he said he would return in a couple of days but that his family was staying in Saudi Arabia, calling it "their country". Hariri holds Saudi nationality and his family fortune is based on the construction company - Saudi Oger - built by his father Rafik al-Hariri, who served twice as Lebanese prime minister and was assassinated in 2005. Okab Sakr, a member of parliament for Hariri's Future Movement, told Reuters he had spoken on Wednesday to Hariri and that he told him neither he nor his family were being held. On Tuesday, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said after meeting Bassil in Paris that she expected Hariri and his family to return to Lebanon soon. Sources from across Lebanon's political spectrum have said Hariri struck a more compromising tone in his Sunday interview than in his resignation statement, when he bitterly attacked Iran and Hezbollah. The sources said this represented a retreat by Riyadh attributable to Western pressure. On Wednesday, Aoun said Riyadh had not responded to Arab countries who tried to secure Hariri's return so he had asked the international community to help. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrives in Riyadh late on Wednesday and is due to discuss Lebanon with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and meet Hariri on Thursday, a French diplomatic source said. France has close relations with Lebanon, which was under French control between the world wars, and with Hariri, who has a home in France and spent several years in the country. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington, Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam in Beirut, John Irish, Richard Lough and Marie Pennetier in Paris; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Paris (AFP) - Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he will return to Lebanon for Wednesday's Independence Day celebrations and explain his situation, after his shock resignation announcement in Saudi Arabia sparked political turmoil.

Speaking after talks in Paris on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking to broker a way out of the crisis, Hariri said he would "make known my position" once back in Beirut.

"As you know I have resigned, and we will discuss that in Lebanon," he told reporters, saying he needed to meet with President Michel Aoun before taking further steps.

The news follows two weeks of deep uncertainty after Hariri's surprise announcement to step down on November 4.

His failure to return to Lebanon since sparked rumours that he was being held in Riyadh against his will, which both he and Saudi officials denied.

"To say that I am held up in Saudi Arabia and not allowed to leave the country is a lie," he said in a Twitter post just before flying to Paris overnight.

Hariri's wife and eldest son Houssam joined him for lunch with Macron at the Elysee Palace, but their two younger children, who live in Saudi Arabia, have remained there "for their school exams", a source close to the premier said.

After the meeting, Macron's office said the president will "continue to take all necessary initiatives for Lebanon's stability."

"We are helping to ease tensions in the region," the Elysee Palace added.

Hariri's mysterious decision to step down -- which president Aoun has refused to accept while Hariri remains abroad -- has raised fears over Lebanon's fragile democracy.

Hariri's camp has sought to allay the concerns, with a source saying the premier had a "fruitful and constructive" meeting with the powerful Saudi crown prince.

Hariri -- whose father, ex-prime minister Rafiq Hariri, was killed in a 2005 car bombing blamed on Hezbollah -- took over last year as head of a shaky national unity government which includes the powerful Shiite movement.

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A dual Saudi citizen who has previously enjoyed Riyadh's backing, he resigned saying he feared for his life.

He accused Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his country.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir meanwhile insisted from Madrid on Friday that "unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and, by extension, Iran".

- Battle for influence -

Hariri's resignation was widely seen as an escalation of the battle for influence between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, which back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

His attempt to step down also coincides with a purge of more than 200 Saudi princes, ministers and businessmen.

Riyadh on Saturday recalled its ambassador to Berlin in protest at comments by Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel which were interpreted as a suggestion that Hariri acted under Saudi orders.

Without mentioning Saudi Arabia directly, Gabriel had said Thursday that he shared concerns about the threat of instability and bloodshed in Lebanon and warned against "adventurism".

"Lebanon has earned the right to decide on its fate by itself and not become a pinball of Syria or Saudi Arabia or other national interests," he had said earlier in the week.

Germany's foreign ministry had yet to comment on the row, but in a statement it welcomed Hariri's "imminent return to Lebanon".

- 'Start of a solution' -

France's intervention was the latest in a string of European efforts to defuse tensions over Lebanon, where divisions between Hariri's Sunni bloc and Shiite Hezbollah have long been a focal point in a broader struggle between Riyadh and Tehran.

Paris, which held mandate power over Lebanon for the first half of the 20th century, plans to bring together international support for Lebanon, depending on how the situation develops.

The French president has also telephoned his counterparts in the US and Egypt, Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as well as the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss "the situation in the Middle East".

He and Trump "agreed on the need to work with allies to counter Hizballah's and Iran's destabilizing activities in the region", according to a White House statement Saturday.

However, Macron told reporters Friday that France wanted "dialogue" with Iran and aimed to "build peace not to choose one side over another".

Ahead of Hariri's departure, Aoun -- an ally of Hezbollah -- welcomed the trip to Paris, expressing hope that it was the "start of a solution".

"If Mr Hariri speaks from France, I would consider that he speaks freely," Aoun said.

"But his resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he will have to remain there until the formation of the new government."
Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World) was bought for $450 million (342 million) in New York on Wednesday evening, shattering the record for the most expensive artwork ever sold.

The painting, which was once part of Charles I's Royal collection and was sold for just 45 in the 1950s when it was mistaken for a copy, is the last remaining Leonardo in private hands.

It sold for a total amount, including fees paid by the winner to the auction house, of $450,312,500 million following 19 minutes of bidding at Christie's in New York - despite lingering questions by some experts over its authenticity and condition.

Four telephone bidders and one in the auction room duelled for the masterpiece, which had a guaranteed pre-sale bid of at least $100 million.

Bidding slowed at around the $200 million mark, and then one of the telephone bidders helped to push it towards $300 million as the price jumped $2 million at a time.

Leonardo da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' was unveiled at Christie's in New York Credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP

"280 million. Are we all done? Maybe not..." Jussi Pylkkanen, the auctioneer said. Amid gasps around the room, he paused and said: Its a historic moment: well wait.

The hammer eventually fell at $400 million, leading to applause and cheers by the stunned crowd. The victor - one of the phone bidders - was not immediately identified on Wednesday night.

"Salvator Mundi is a painting of the most iconic figure in the world by the most important artist of all time," said Loic Gouzer, co-chairman of post-war and contemporary art at Christie's.

"We are extremely pleased with the record-breaking result for this remarkable and historical work."

Staff at Christie's unveil the painting Credit: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty

The previous record for a painting sold at auction was Pablo Picassos Les Femmes d'Alger (Women of Algiers), which went for $179.4 million in 2015, while Paul Gauguin's Nafea Faa Ipoipo? (When Will You Marry?) commanded $300 million in a private sale the same year.

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The painting depicts Christ in a blue robe holding a crystal orb, which represents the Earth, and is one of fewer than 20 paintings by the grand master known still to exist.

There was huge hype surrounding the sale of the 26-inch tall painting, billed by Christies as The Last da Vinci.

Agents celebrate after buying Leonardo da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' at the auction in New York Credit: Getty

The auction house took the painting on a world tour, with an estimated 27,000 people viewing it at events in London, Hong Kong and San Francisco - a figure that Christie's claims makes it the highest number of viewers for an individual work of art ever.

In New York, where no museum owns a Leonardo, the painting was hung at the end of a dimly lit, long room, giving it the appearance of a shrine.

A promotional video for the sale featured Leonardo DiCaprio and Patti Smith staring at the painting, apparently agog at its beauty.

Todd Levin, an art adviser, told the New York Times: This was a thumping epic triumph of branding and desire over connoisseurship and reality.

Alan Hobart, director of the Pyms Gallery in London, said the manner of the sale was "going to be the future". Its been a brilliant marketing campaign," he said.

Some experts have previously questioned the painting's attribution and some say the extensive restoration muddies the work's authorship. However, Christie's states that a majority of scholars now believe beyond doubt that it is genuine.

Christie's auctioneer Jussi Pylkkanen taking bids Credit: Getty

In 2011, following a six-year investigation, the painting, which has been nicknamed "the male Mona Lisa", was confirmed to be a Leonardo and put on display at the National Gallery.

It was the first confirmed "discovery" of a painting by Leonardo since 1909 and was widely described as one of the great artistic finds of the past 100 years.

Leonardo, who died in 1519, is thought to have painted Salvator Mundi sometime after 1500, during the same period that he produced the Mona Lisa, and it made its way into the Royal collection of Charles I in the early Seventeenth Century.

It then disappeared in 1763 until 1900, when it was acquired by Sir Charles Robinson, an art collector, for the Cook Collection at Doughty House in Richmond, Surrey. At the time, the painting was thought to have been by Leonardo's follower, Bernardino Luini, and Christ's face and hair had been painted over.

The sale has been described as 'an epic triumph of branding' Credit: AFP

In 1958 the painting was sold by Sotheby's for just 45 and dropped off the grid once again until it showed up in Louisiana in 2005.

It was acquired, badly damaged and partly painted-over, by a consortium of American art dealers who paid less than 7,600 ($10,000) for it.

They restored it extensively and documented its authenticity as a work by Leonardo. Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian billionaire, bought it in 2013 for $127.5 million (97 million) in a private sale that became the subject of a continuing lawsuit.

About Leonardo da Vinci

Thousands of art lovers queued for hours outside Christie's Rockefeller Center headquarters to view the painting in New York earlier this week.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Svetla Nikolova told the Associated Press. "It should be seen. It's wonderful it's in New York. I'm so lucky to be in New York at this time."

Nina Doede told the New York Times: Standing in front of that painting was a spiritual experience. It was breathtaking. It brought tears to my eyes."
Last week a list of more than 33,000 migrants who had died on their way to Europe made headlines worldwide after a Berlin newspaper printed it as a 48-page insert in its Nov. 9 edition.

People on Twitter declared the lengthy document, which named migrants who had died journeying to the continent since 1993, heartbreaking and shameful.

But the worst part is, the list of thousands likely reflects less than half of those who have actually died trying to get to Europe in the last couple of decades, said Geert Ates, director of the nonprofit United for Intercultural Action, which created the list. The list is also nothing new  United has been compiling and releasing it to the public annually since the 1990s.

We had thousands of cases in the 1990s. We thought media would care, but nobody was interested when we published the first list, nor when we published 10,000, Ates told HuffPost on Wednesday. Now we have 30,000 names and all of a sudden everybody jumps on the list. I dont know why.

Once a year, we publish the list. Once a year we make the call: People are dying at our borders, and no one does anything to stop it, he added.

A German newspaper has published the names of 33,000 people who have died trying to reach Europe. pic.twitter.com/Y1JFfGBVV2  Catrin Nye (@CatrinNye) November 9, 2017

Why the list is only a fraction of those who have actually died

Its a difficult task to track all of the migrants who have died while traveling to Europe, whether they perished while crossing its borders on land or while traveling to its shores by sea. Hundreds of thousands journey each year across the Mediterranean alone, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Tracking those who have drowned is particularly difficult.

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Whats more, Uniteds list doesnt even account for migrants who have died on the African continent, many of whom may have been journeying across countries toward Europe but perished before making it to the Mediterranean.

Most probably thousands more are never found, Ates said. Many are frozen in mountains, or boats disappeared or smugglers let the boat sink.

When a boat sinks, the survivors estimate how many they were on the boat, but that can well be wrong, he added. And their families will have no idea.

Even when a body is found, its another challenge to identify it, as many migrants travel without documents, with fake names, or have lost papers along the way, Ates noted. Just a cursory glance at Uniteds list shows just how hard naming the dead can be: The vast majority are listed as N.N.  or no name.

One line from February 2016, for instance, lists the deaths of a 14-year-old girl and a 40-year-old woman as N.N., Iraq, froze to death after crossing the river from Turkey to Bulgaria. Another line from April 2017 records the deaths of an 8-year-old boy and a pregnant woman as N.N., unknown, died on sea from Libya to Italy.

We get calls from family in Africa, Ates told HuffPost. Do you know where my brother is? He went to Europe and disappeared.

Migrants on a rubber boat are rescued by the SOS Mediterranee organization during a search-and-rescue operation off the Libyan Coast on Sept. 14. (Photo: Tony Gentile / Reuters)

As the number of migrants dying has grown, efforts to account for them have gotten better

So far this year, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) has counted more than 3,000 migrants who have died journeying across the Mediterranean or in Europe, fleeing war or persecution or simply seeking a better life.

Over the past few years, the number of migrants dying on their way to Europe has swelled, from more than 3,200 in 2014, to close to 4,000 in 2015 to a record of more than 5,000 last year. The vast majority die in the Mediterranean as smugglers take them on dangerous trips in boats unfit to carry so many across such distances.

United has been keeping track of migrants who have died while traveling to Europe since 1993, counting those who perished at sea, on land while crossing borders or in detention centers. For decades it was one of the only groups compiling a systematic list of migrant deaths in Europe. A handful of volunteers would release the list each year, compiling it by scouring local news reports, collecting information from the groups now-550 partner organizations across 48 countries, and enlisting help from journalists and researchers.

In the last few years the IOM has also started an initiative to count migrant deaths. Their findings largely match up with Uniteds, with a difference of a few hundred each year.

While the numbers on Uniteds list  and in IOMs reports  are staggering, neither group can possibly capture every single death, Ates said.

Ates estimates that Uniteds numbers from its early years in the 1990s accounted for only about 30 percent of actual deaths. Their network of partners was smaller then, and Google alerts didnt exist, making tracking local newspaper reports of deaths harder.

In recent years, as governments and international organizations like IOM have also started efforts to track, Ates estimates the figures are closer to capturing information on 80 percent of those who have died.

Its hard to give a figure, but surely 50,000 [have been uncounted] since 1993, and probably 80,000, Ates wrote HuffPost by email. For us the figure is not the most important. Each unnecessary death is one too many.

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Rescuers carry a bag containing the body of a migrant at the coast of Tajoura, east of Tripoli, Libya, on June 27. (Photo: Ismail Zetouni / Reuters)

This is what happens when countries close their borders

Many European countries have closed their borders in recent years in response to the refugee crisis. Hungary slammed its border shut in 2015, leaving thousands of migrants stranded. Last year, Denmark and Sweden tightened their border controls. Even Germany, once a leader in opening borders to refugees, recently capped the number of refugees it would allow in.

As a result of such restrictive migration policies, many of the people trying to reach Europes shores have had to resort to taking higher risks to get there.

Migration policies making it harder to enter is killing people who are taking more risks, Ates said. If you build a wall, people will try to go around it  with more risk  and end up dying.

These are the consequences when Europe shuts its doors and eyes, Ates said. How big must our message get before something will change?

Also on HuffPost

A woman walks with a child as she arrives to a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the Greek village of Idomeni on March 3, 2016. Despite strict new border regulations that allow few to cross, migrants and refugees of all ages continue to make their way to the border.

A group of Yazidis from Iraq carrying their few belongings arrive at the makeshift camp.

Refugee families walk through fields under mountains towards the Greek-Macedonian border.

A woman holding a disabled child waits to cross the Greece-Macedonia border on March 3, 2016. Authorities are only allowing a handful of people to cross each day.

A crowd of migrants waits behind a gate in Idomeni, Greece, to cross the border into Macedonia on March 2, 2016.

People queue for registration documents at the Greece-Macedonia border on March 3, 2016, in Idomeni, Greece.

Smoke rises in the distance behind a woman standing among tents in the makeshift camp in Idomeni. Since the border crossings have slowed, up to 12,000 people are stuck in the camp.

Thousands of children are among the migrants and refugees stuck at the border. This young girl stands outside her tent on March 3, 2016.

A child stands at a gate on the Greek-Macedonian border on March 3, 2016.

An elderly woman carries wood on her head to the makeshift camp in Idomeni.

A child sits on a woman's shoulders and holds a sign that reads "Open the borders" at the makeshift camp in Idomeni. Migrants and refugees stuck near the border have staged daily protests condemning their desperate situation.

A migrant child waits to get milk at the overcrowded makeshift camp in Idomeni. The bottleneck in crossing the border is rapidly causing food shortages.

A young boy sits in front of police officers as a train attempts to pass in Idomeni.

A child walks on a train track as migrants and refugees wait to cross the Greek-Macedonian border. EU President Donald Tusk on March 3, 2016 issued a stark warning to economic migrants not to come to Europe.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
"The Value of a Dollar" campaign with SU2C and CVS Health is a fourth yearly in-store fundraising campaign at CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide to benefit SU2C and its ongoing efforts to accelerate the pace of cancer research. CVS Pharmacy customers can support Stand Up To Cancer by making a $1, $3 or larger donation at the register pinpad or online at www.StandUpToCancer.org/CVSHealth. Funds raised during the month of November will support cancer research programs that get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. Watch Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador actor Marg Helgenberger as she discusses the campaign.
Gothenburg (Sweden) (AFP) - EU President Donald Tusk warned Britain on Friday that it had until early December to make "much more progress" on divorce terms in order to unlock Brexit trade talks by the end of the year.

Reflecting growing impatience with London, Tusk's deadline followed talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of an EU summit in Sweden that was meant to focus on reforms for the bloc's post-Brexit survival.

The European Union has for months demanded that Britain make "sufficient progress" on its divorce bill, citizens' rights and the Irish border in order to move on to talks about a future trade deal and transition period.

"We need to see much more progress on Ireland and on the financial settlement," Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, said at a press conference after the summit in the port city of Gothenburg.

"I made it very clear to Prime Minister May that this progress needs to happen at the beginning of December at the latest" to allow time to prepare official guidelines for a summit in Brussels on December 14 when leaders will discuss Brexit.

May and Tusk will make a further push on the issue next Friday, he said.

- 'English sense of humour' -

The EU chief was scathing when asked about comments by British Brexit negotiator David Davis that Britain had already made compromises, quipping: "I really appreciate Mr Davis's English sense of humour."

May, whose government has been pressing for talks on the post-Brexit future while shrugging off EU pressure on the divorce terms, was more upbeat as she left the summit.

"We've agreed that good progress has been made, more does need to be done, but we're clear and I'm clear that what we need to do is move forward together," seeking the best deal for both, May said.

Under pressure at home and abroad over Brexit, May embarked on a diplomatic offensive in Gothenburg which also saw her meet French President Emmanuel Macron as well as her counterparts from Ireland, Poland and Sweden.

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British media reports have suggested May could be ready to double the UK's 20 billion euro ($24 billion) offer on the exit bill in a bid to clear what has been the most difficult hurdle in talks so far. The EU says the bill is around 60 billion euros.

But the Irish border issue has become particularly sensitive, with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar threatening to block progress in December without a "written" guarantee that there will be no "hard border" with British-ruled Northern Ireland.

"If we have to wait until the new year, or if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it," Varadkar said.

The next EU summits are in February, March and June, which would leave little time for trade talks before Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019, though in theory Tusk can summon leaders for a special Brexit meeting at any time.

But Tusk's deadline does in theory give Britain an extra week to make concessions, after the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier set his own two-week deadline on November 10.

- Populist threat -

Britain's messy divorce from the EU after 40 years of membership overshadowed the original purpose of the summit, a plan to improve social standards in line with economic growth, and see off the threat of populism.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who also held talks with May, said he too wanted to keep the focus on the so-called "social summit" in Gothenburg, the first step in a two-year reform drive to show the bloc can move forward after Brexit.

Leaders signed a so-called European Pillar of Social Rights at the summit on Friday.

The EU is looking to reboot the union based on plans by France's Macron and by European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.

"This is absolutely crucial for the EU's legitimacy," Lofven told reporters at the meeting, the bloc's first social summit since one in 1997 in Luxembourg.
The sexual misconduct allegations against Roy Moore have revived interest in accusations against Donald Trump, made before last years election

Roy Moore has denied the allegations. Photograph: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Spot the difference. The allegations of sexual misconduct against Alabama politician Roy Moore, who is running for the US Senate, have revived interest in the allegations of sexual misconduct made against Donald Trump.

Multiple women have made allegations against the pair. How different has Moores response been from Trumps? And has the Republican partys reaction been consistent?

Roy Moore

The accusations

Leigh Corfman claims she was 14 when Roy Moore, then 32 and an assistant district attorney in Alabama, established an acquaintance with her family. Corfman said he drove her to his home in the woods, took off some of her clothes, kissed her, groped her and guided her hand to touch his genitals through his underwear.

Beverly Young Nelson claims Moore physically attacked her in a car when she was 16, grabbing her breasts and trying to force her head down on to his crotch.

Tina Johnson claims Moore groped her backside in 1991 when she was 28 and was consulting him when he was a lawyer in private practice. He didnt pinch it, he grabbed it, she said.



Gena Richardson claims that when she was around 18 and working at the mall Moore, then around 30, persuaded her out on a date, but then kissed her so forcefully that she became frightened.

A number of other women have also made accusations that Moore pursued them as teenagers and the local news site, Alabama.com, said locals had heard he was banned from a shopping mall because of his predatory behavior.

In his own words

These allegations are completely false and are a desperate political attack by the National Democrat Party and the Washington Post on this campaign, Moore, 70, said in a written statement, published on 9 November.

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The next day, he told Fox Newss Sean Hannitys radio show: I dont know Ms Corfman from anybody. I never talked to her, never had any contact with her. The allegations of sexual misconduct with her are completely false. I believe theyre politically motivated. With regard to the other girls, you understand this is 40 years ago and, after my return from the military, I dated a lot of young ladies.

On the campaign trial on 15 November, he said: Why do you think Im being harassed in the media, and people pushing forth allegations in the last 28 days of this election?

What have Republicans said?

Senator John McCain: The allegations against Roy Moore are deeply disturbing and disqualifying. He should immediately step aside.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders: Like most Americans the president believes we cannot allow a mere allegation, in this case one from many years ago, to destroy a persons life. However, the president also believes that if these allegations are true, Judge Moore will do the right thing and step aside.

US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin: If the allegations prove to be true, he should step down.

Alabama state auditor Jim Ziegler: There is nothing to see here. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.

Donald Trump

The president bragged about groping women in a tape from 2005. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

The accusations

At least 24 women have also accused Trump of inappropriate sexual behavior in multiple incidents spanning the last 30 years.

They include: Jessica Leeds, who claimed in 2016 that Trump assailed her when she sat next to him on a flight around 1980, touching her breasts and trying to put his hands up her skirt, against her will. Jill Harth, who accused Trump in a 1997 lawsuit of attempted rape and in 2016 told the Guardian Trump relentlessly pursued her in 1992. Tasha Dixon, former Miss Arizona, was one of several women who complained about Trump coming into the womens changing room backstage of the Miss USA contests, without permission or a knock on the door.

Trump bragged about groping women without their consent on a tape from the television show Access Hollywood in 2005, which surfaced in October 2016.

On the tape, when Trump sees the woman waiting to host a visit he is making, he says: Whoa! Ive got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her. You know Im automatically attracted to beautiful  I just start kissing them  I dont even wait. And when youre a star, they let you do it. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.

In his own words

In response to the Access Hollywood tape, Trump said it was locker-room banter. He said: I said it. I was wrong, and I apologize. Ive never said Im a perfect person, nor pretended to be someone that Im not.

To the other allegations, he said: I dont know those people  [Hillary] Clintons sleazy campaign started [it].

He has also responded specifically to some of the womens accusations. The phony story in the failing New York Times is a TOTAL FABRICATION, Trump tweeted about the interview with Jessica Leeds.

None of this ever took place, Trump said of the allegations by Rachel Crooks.

You are a disgusting human being, he told a New York Times reporter who asked him about the allegations. And through his lawyer, Michael Cohen, Trump denied the accusations made by Harth.

The White House has said its official position is that all the women are lying.

But Trump effectively confirmed the accounts from beauty pageant contestants in a 2005 interview with Howard Stern. Ill go backstage and everyones getting dressed, and no men are anywhere, and Im allowed to go in because Im the owner of the pageant. You know, theyre standing there with no clothes and you see these incredible looking women, and so, I sort of get away with things like that, Trump said.

What did Republicans say?

House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan: I am sickened by what I heard today. Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified. I hope Mr Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves and works to demonstrate to the country that he has greater respect for women than this clip suggests.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell: I strongly believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls everywhere, and take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape.

Republican National Committee chairman and later Trumps chief of staff Reince Priebus: No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever.
A graveyard mystery thats been puzzling residents of an English village for decades has finally been solved  at least partially  thanks to the dogged determination of the BBC.

In a poignant (and delightfully British) documentary, BBC journalist Camila Ruz helps track down a mysterious stranger whos been leaving poems, flowers and gifts at the grave of Karl Smith, who tragically drowned at age 12 during a Boy Scout trip in 1947.

Ann Kear, Smiths sister, was only 7 years old at the time. Now 77, Kear has been aching to learn more about the brother she never really knew.

About 20 years ago, Kear began to notice that someone else was also tending Karls grave at St. Marys Church in Prestbury. The sister was desperate to find out who this person was, suspecting that he or she might be able to tell her more about her brother.

Kear tried everything she could think of. She left notes at the grave asking the stranger to get in touch. She wrote about her search in local publications. She even began attending Scout reunions to look for clues.

But it wasnt until the BBC got involved that Kear began finding real answers.

The BBC first wrote about Kears story in 2015. Since then, the media company has been working to help Kear solve the mystery, periodically sending out reminders to its audience to chime in with any leads.

Eventually, Ruz signed on to help Kear. After many dead ends, Ruz finally located Ronald Seymour-Westborough, Karls friends from the Scouts who admitted hes been leaving flowers for his buddy for years.

Ruz arranged a heartwarming meeting between Seymour-Westborough and Kear, where they reminisced about the boy who brought them together.

One part of the story remains a mystery, however. Kear is still looking for the person whos been leaving poems at the grave. Seymour-Westborough said hes only left flowers.

But not to worry  Ruz promises to keep searching. We cant wait to see what she finds!

Watch the BBC documentary The Stranger at My Brothers Grave above.

Story continues

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Photo credit: U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. John Hughel, 142nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

From Popular Mechanics

Something flew over the west coast in late October, that much we know. But the mystery plane disappeared before anyone could figure out what it was and has defied all attempts at identification since. Was it a classified U.S. government aircraft, a flying saucer, or something else?

The War Zone reports that in the afternoon of October 25, air traffic controllers started querying commercial airline pilots flying between Portland and Seattle, asking if they could help identify a mystery object. The object in question didnt have a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) transponder turned on, was not responding to radio communication, and, most intriguingly, could not be picked up on radar.

Numerous pilots reported they saw the aircraft, but none came close enough to identify it. Ultimately, Oregon Air National Guard F-15 fighters from Portland International Airport were sent up to investigate, but saw nothing. The War Zone article also cites two Reddit users familiar with the incident and who seem to corroborate much of what the air traffic controller audio has to say.

The aircraft was near Crater Lake, Oregon when air traffic controllers started asking nearby pilots about it. The aircraft was described as a white object flying north between 35,000 and 40,000 feet. At one point in the air traffic controller audio clip, one pilot says the mystery bird is 12 to 15 miles away, and distances from other aircraft ranged from four to 20 miles. Another pilot, observing the aircraft, estimates an airspeed of 370 knots, or 425 miles an hour on the ground, also noting he is not getting a TCAS transponder signal.

What was it?

One of the Reddit users quoted by the article thinks it was an aircraft running drugs to Canada. While anythings possible, the aircraft was not keeping a low profile in the way you would expect a smuggler to. The mystery aircraft was flying a conspicuous flight path, traveling during broad daylight, and passing multiple passenger aircraft. It seems more plausible smugglers would probably fly low enough to avoid possible identification by other pilots. More importantly, the U.S./Canadian border is 1,538 miles long on the ground. It would be much easier to cross the border in a four-wheel drive truck than an aircraft.

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Another possibility is a classified government aircraft, perhaps some highly classified new design. This theory, too, has problems. In you want to keep a plane a secret, then flying at dusk in one of the densest air corridors in the continental United States doesnt make sense. There lies the problem with many possible explanations: If the pilots of the aircraft didnt want anyone to know their business, why did they fly in such a conspicuous manner?

One more theory: Boeing is partially based in Washington State and is working on an entry into the Navys new MQ-25 Stingray drone competition. The drone probably includes at least some stealthy design characteristics that would make it difficult for civilian air traffic control radars to track, and an unorthodox design may make it hard for other pilots to visually identify. The drone operator may have been unable to hear air traffic controller queries of his aircraft. But there are plenty of places to test new drones, particularly over the Nevada desert, and flying an unknown aircraft in a dense aviation zone is potentially hazardous.

Or maybe there was nothing there after all. Could it be possible that all of the pilots who reported the aircraft were actually seeing nothing? After all, radar saw nothing. Told by air traffic control (someone in a position of authority) that there was an aircraft in the area, could pilots have seen something that was not there?

Yet even the hallucination explanation has a problem. If these pilots so easily experienced what amounted to a mass hallucination, why is this phenomenon not more common, and why are these pilots flying? One pilot, United Flight 612, is asked by air traffic if he sees the mystery aircraft at his 3 oclock position and quickly pipes up, Yeah we got him, hes about four miles away. It is apparent from the tone of his voice he had been watching the object, which he later describes as a white speck about four or five thousand feet above us, for some time.

No single explanation seems to fit this incident. The War Zone has filed Freedom of Information Act requests for more information. Whatever happened over the West Coast on the evening of October 25 remains a mystery. Read more and listen to the audio at The War Zone.

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Istanbul (AFP) - NATO apologised to Turkey on Friday after Ankara pulled its troops from a military exercise in Norway where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the country's modern founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had been portrayed as enemies of the alliance.

The alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, himself Norwegian, moved quickly to say sorry after an angry intervention by Erdogan over an embarrassing episode that risked creating a further rift between Turkey and its allies.

The incidents took place during NATO's "Trident Javelin" exercise in the southern Norwegian city of Stavanger aimed at increasing coordination between the allies at headquarters level, which wound up Friday.

Erdogan said that Ankara had withdrawn its 40 troops from the exercise in protest, adding: "It's not possible to have this kind of alliance".

Norway's Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen, speaking to AFP, also expressed "regret" over the incident.

- 'Pull them out now' -

Turkey's foreign ministry said that an image of a statue of Ataturk had been used to portray an enemy protagonist in a scenario at the exercise.

In a second incident, a chat account was opened under Erdogan's name during a virtual scenario as a collaborator with a "leader of an enemy state".

Erdogan said Turkey's top general Hulusi Akar and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik -- who were on their way to a NATO conference in Halifax, Canada -- had informed him of the incident.

"They said 'this has happened... and we are going to take out our 40 soldiers'," Erdogan said while speaking in front of giant pictures of himself and Ataturk.

"And I said 'Absolutely, don't hesitate, take them out right now'."

Ataturk founded modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire in 1923 and is widely credited with salvaging a functioning Turkish state in the 1919-1923 War of Independence.

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Insulting his memory is a criminal offence in Turkey that is punishable by jail. It is also an offence to insult top state officials such as Erdogan.

Ankara prosecutors said in a statement they had opened a criminal investigation against an individual or individuals who had denigrated and insulted Ataturk and Erdogan in the incidents.

While critics accuse Erdogan of tainting the secular vision of Ataturk, the president has in recent months made increasingly clear his admiration for Turkey's modern founder.

On the November 10 anniversary of Ataturk's death in 1938, Erdogan eulogised Turkey's first president, saying he should be remembered with "grace and gratitude".

- 'Valued NATO ally' -

Turkey, which became a member of NATO in 1952, is a key member of the alliance but tensions have grown in recent months over its crackdown after a failed coup and Ankara's increasingly close alliance with Russia.

Its Western allies have been particularly troubled by a deal for Ankara to purchase an S-400 air defence system from Russia and the cooperation between Ankara, Moscow and Tehran on the Syria crisis.

Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, in his apology emphasised the importance of Turkey within the alliance.

"I apologise for the offence that has been caused. The incidents were the result of an individual's actions and do not reflect the views of NATO," Stoltenberg said in a statement.

"Turkey is a valued NATO ally, which makes important contributions to allied security."

Stoltenberg later passed on the apology in person to Akar at a meeting in Halifax, the Turkish army said.

The Trident Javelin exercise in Stavanger is described on a NATO website as a "computer assisted exercise without troops on the ground", aimed at improving command structures for major operations.

Stoltenberg also said the individual responsible for the incident was not a NATO staff member.

"He was a civilian contractor seconded by Norway and not a NATO employee," Stoltenberg said.

"It will be for the Norwegian authorities to decide on any disciplinary action. NATO has been in contact with the Norwegian authorities on this issue."
The United States Navy apologized after one of its pilots reportedly used their planes to draw a disturbing image in the skies above Washington Thursday.

Complaints sent to local CBS affiliate KREM featured photos of the sky drawing that many immediately likened to that of male genitalia.

Residents in Okanogan County, Wash., also took Twitter with the phallic image:

The most monumental thing to happen in omak. A penis in the sky pic.twitter.com/SM8k1tNYaj  Anahi Torres (@anahi_torres_) November 16, 2017

Some pilots at NAS Whidbey did some sky writing today. https://t.co/9IsYvkX1zapic.twitter.com/Lm7kpMhKpY  Adam Gessaman (@adamrg) November 17, 2017

In a statement to the local station, Navy officials appeared to take accountability for the stunt, saying: "The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable."

RELATED: Click through some of the most outrageous mugshots and crimes



KREM also spoke to the Federal Aviation Administration for more information about the artistic pilot. However, since the pilot's action did not pose a safety risk, FAA officials told the outlet there is nothing they can do about it, and added that they cannot police morality.

The aircraft involved in the obscene skywriting belonged to the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, which is located in Puget Sound and supports both fixed and rotary aircraft.
(Photo: HASLOO via Getty Images)

Humans have been getting high on marijuana for millennia, and there has never been a recorded case of a fatal overdose. That record appeared to be in peril earlier this week, following reports that an 11-month-old in Colorado died last year following exposure to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in weed.

Local media seized on the case report first published in March, suggesting that the two poison control doctors who wrote it had concluded the infants death was caused by a marijuana overdose.

Such a finding would have sent a shockwave through the marijuana advocacy and medical communities. Cannabis is associated with a low risk of harm, which advocates have long touted as a reason to relax laws that categorize weed as one of the most dangerous drugs. And although medical experts have routinely warned of certain health risks around consuming marijuana, they have largely agreed that THC alone simply doesnt kill people.

The case from Colorado could have challenged that entire precept. But it didnt.

We are absolutely not saying that marijuana killed that child, one of the doctors who authored the report told The Washington Post in a later interview.

And indeed, thats clear after a close reading of the paper.

The doctors actually argue that marijuana exposure could have contributed to the myocarditis  an inflammation of the heart muscle  that was determined to have caused the death of the 11-month-old boy. The child tested positive for high levels of THC, and there have been prior reports of cannabis-associated myocarditis, according to the doctors. Because they couldnt confirm an alternate cause for the cardiac inflammation after conducting additional testing, they concluded there may have been a possible relationship between the THC and the fatal episode.

In areas where marijuana is commercially available or decriminalized, the authors urge clinicians to preventively counsel parents and to include cannabis exposure in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with myocarditis, they wrote.

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At the very least, urging doctors to tell parents to be careful with their marijuana edibles and other cannabis products seems like sound advice, especially as a growing number of states  now eight, as well as Washington, D.C.  are legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

But to be clear, this was not a case of fatal marijuana overdose. It wasnt even a claim of one. Such a death would be truly remarkable, as reports have found that a user would have to ingest somewhere between 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC contained in a single joint  if not more  to approach lethal toxicity. Its not clear if thats even physically possible, which is probably why one Colorado doctor was quick to call BS on the idea that the child had been poisoned by marijuana.

But even the more accurate and less controversial conclusion  that there could be a link between cannabis and fatal myocarditis  has raised some eyebrows.

Im not convinced, I have to be honest, Dr. Bruce Goldberger, chief of forensic medicine at the University of Florida, told HuffPost. Marijuana is a drug thats impairing, but not one thats known to cause issues like those described in the paper.

Its crucial that medical examiners and coroners evaluate and exclude every potential cause of death in totality before attributing it to the ingestion of a drug, Goldberger said.

I dont know if they did any genetic testing to verify that the child was genetically OK or normal. There werent any details in there that I could see in the report, he said. You have to rule out all metabolic and genetic causes.

The report presented a few other red flags that could have been worth further examination. For example, although the doctors claimed to have ruled out almost every other cause of death, the paper makes no mention of screening for a fungal infection, which can also cause myocarditis.

But ultimately, its not just medical professional who have to exercise caution when it comes to reporting on drugs.

You also have to be careful about what you read on the internet, Goldberger said.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - North Korea has petitioned the Russian parliament to help 3,500 migrant workers from the isolated Asian country stay in Russia despite new U.N. sanctions, the Interfax news agency reported on Friday, citing a Russian lawmaker.

Tougher sanctions on North Korea, imposed by the United Nations Security Council over Pyongyang's ballistic missile and nuclear programs on Sept. 11, banned countries from providing new work permits for North Korean nationals, but allowed existing workers to remain.

Most of the around 30,000-40,000 North Korean migrants legally working in Russia were hired before the new sanctions entered into force and the ban will not affect them, Interfax said, quoting an earlier statement from Maxim Topilin, Russia's labour minister.

But the ban could apply to 3,500 workers who only signed their contracts in September, the month when the U.N. Security Council, including Russia, voted for the new sanctions, Interfax reported.

It cited Kazbek Taysayev, a lawmaker in the lower house of parliament and a member of a "friendship group" between the Russian and North Korean parliaments, as saying:

"North Korea's embassy officially addressed us. We supported them and sent our petitions in order to let these people stay so that they can work."

Even if the workers signed their contracts after the ban took effect, they had started making arrangements and preparing the documents earlier and could be allowed to stay, said Taysayev.

The U.N. resolution said it did not apply to work permits "for which written contracts have been finalized prior to the adoption of this resolution."

North Korea's embassy in Moscow was not available for immediate comment.

(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Norwegian Aker B platform on the Valhall oil field in the North Sea

Norway, Western Europes largest producer of oil, has decided it doesnt want to be so beholden to the fortunes of the oil industry anymore. Norways central bank recommended today that the nations giant sovereign wealth fund should dump its holdings of oil and gas stocks, which make up about 6% of the funds benchmark equity index, worth a whopping $37 billion in assets.

For almost three decades, Norway has been putting surplus revenues from its oil and gas production into a sovereign wealth fund. Now, the fund has more than $1 trillion in assets, making it the largest sovereign fund in the world; it owns 1.3% of all global stocks.

In a letter to the Norwegian ministry of finance, the central bank recommended the removal of oil stocks to make the fundand the governments wealth less vulnerable to a permanent drop in the oil price. It says the funds existing holdings and the governments stake in Statoil mean the country already has an outsized exposure to the oil and gas industry. (Last year, the fund sold shares in 52 coal-dependent companies, on environmental grounds.)

The finance ministry said it would decide on the plan next year. Parliament would need to approve it for the move to go into effect. The possibility of the fund selling $37 billion in stocks was enough to send Europes oil and gas companies into the red, putting an abrupt end to what had been a positive day of trading before the announcement.

Recently, Norways fund has benefitted from an increase in oil prices. In the third quarter of 2017, oil and gas stocks were the best performing asset class for the fund, delivering an 8.7% return. Shell was the funds best-performing stock for the quarter, of which the fund owns more that $5 billion in shares.

At the end of 2016, the fund had holdings in 379 oil and gas stocks. Here are the five largest:

Story continues

Company Market value of holdings Royal Dutch Shell $5.36 billion Exxon Mobil 3.07 Chevron 2.04 BP 2.03 Total 2.01

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An Ohio lawmaker known for his devotion to family values has stepped down after allegedly engaging in inappropriate conduct with another man in his office.

State Rep. Wes Goodman (R-Cardington) resigned Tuesday after a witness reported the incident to Ohio House chief of staff Mike Dittoe, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Specifics of the alleged incident are unclear.

House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) said he met with Goodman on Tuesday, and that the lawmaker acknowledged and confirmed the allegations.

I was alerted to details yesterday afternoon regarding his involvement in inappropriate behavior related to his state office, Rosenberger said Wednesday. It became clear that his resignation was the most appropriate course of action for him, his family, the constituents of the 87th House District and this institution.

Goodman, 33, confirmed his resignation on Wednesday in a statement to The Associated Press.

We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life, he wrote. That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service.

For those whom I have let down, Im sorry, he added.

Goodman regularly displayed photos of himself and his wife on his website, where he also wrote about protecting family values. The site appeared to be down as of Friday afternoon, and Goodmans Twitter account has been set to private.

The ideals of a loving father and mother, a committed natural marriage, and a caring community are well worth pursuing and protecting, he wrote on his official website, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Goodman also served as the managing director of the Conservative Action Project, which fought for conservative principles like repealing Obamacare and religious liberty, according to the AP.

Goodmans departure follows that of Michael Premo, the chief of staff for the Ohio Senate Democrats who resigned Monday amidst concerns of inappropriate conduct, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Ohio state Sen. Cliff Hite (R-Findlay) stepped down last month after a female state employee said he repeatedly propositioned her for sex.

Story continues

UPDATE Nov. 18: The Washington Post reports that Goodman allegedly fondled an 18-year-old college student in a hotel room at a 2015 event for the Council for National Policy. Its unclear if this was the alleged incident that prompted Goodmans resignation or a separate claim.

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Also on HuffPost

Vice-President Elect Mike Pence

Pat McCrory

Manny Pacquiao

The boxing champion-turned-lawmaker sent shockwaves through his native Philippines in February after claiming that gay people are worse than animals.



Will you see any animals where male is to male and female is to female? The animals are better, Pacquiao, who is a conservative Christian, said in an interview. If we approve [of] male on male, female on female, then man is worse than animals.



Pacquiao later apologized for the remarks in a series of Instagram posts, but has remained steadfast in his opposition to marriage equality.



Read more here.

Donald Trump

Stacey Dash

The conservative "Clueless" star turned out to be, well, just plain clueless this year. While promoting her new book, There Goes My Social Life: From Clueless to Conservative, in June, Dash took aim at Caitlyn Jenner for wanting to use the womens restroom.



Its tyranny by the minority, Dash said referring to the political battle over trans rights. Why do I have to suffer because you cant decide what you wanna be that day? Its your body! So, its your decision, right? We all make choices.



When it was pointed out that transgender people wouldnt classify their gender identity as a choice, Dash wasnt having it. OK, then go [to the bathroom] in the bushes, she fired back. I dont know what to tell you, but Im not gonna put my childs life at risk because you want to change a law. So that you can be comfortable with your beliefs  which means I have to change my beliefs and my rights? No.



Read more here.

Phil Bryant

The Mississippi governor faced a backlash in April when he signed his states radical anti-LGBT bill into law.



House Bill 1523 allows people with religious objections to deny wedding services to same-sex couples, and clears the way for employers to cite religion in determining workplace policies.



The Republican lawmaker slammed the pushback he received from the secular, progressive world after he signed the bill, and compared much of the criticism hed received over House Bill 1523 to the various ways that Christians have been persecuted throughout the ages.



They dont know that if it takes crucifixion, we will stand in line before abandoning our faith and our belief in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, he said. So if we are going to stand, now is the time and this is the place.



Read more here.

Jeff Landry

The Louisiana attorney general may have an openly gay brother, but that doesnt mean hes on board with protecting members of the LGBTQ community in the workplace.



In December, the Republican applauded a state judges decision to toss out an executive order issued by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, which had aimed to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in state jobs.



When Landry was asked about his brother, Nicholas, who is openly gay, he said the siblings had discussed their respective stances on LGBTQ equality.



Look, I love my brother. Thats unquestionable... [But] we have to respect the law," he said. "We have to respect the Constitution.



Read more here.

Susan Olsen

The former child star who played Cindy Brady on The Brady Bunch made headlines in December when she unleashed a homophobic, slur-filled rant against one of her critics.



After actor Leon Acord accused her of spreading "misinformation" on a radio show she co-hosted, Olsen allegedly blasted him as a pussy and the biggest faggot a** in the world in a Dec. 7 Facebook message. Days later, it was announced that LA Talk Radio had severed its ties with Olsen because of hateful speech." Olsen would later argue that the controversy stemmed from her outspoken support of President-elect Donald Trump.



Read more here.

Brian Brown

The president of National Organization for Marriage (NOM) vowed to ramp up his fight against the LGBTQ community this year. In early December, Brown announced the launch of the International Organization for the Family, or IOF, which aims to take the global fight to preserve and protect marriage to a whole new level.



Calling IOF a great development for the international pro-family movement, he said the group is assembling a coalition of allies to take the worldwide lead in fighting for marriage, religious liberty, parental rights, the truth of gender and other issues.



Read more here.

ATLAH World Missionary Church

Kim Davis

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Gina Cherelus

(Reuters) - Ohio State University has suspended fraternity activities citing investigations into hazing and alcohol abuse involving some chapters, joining a growing list of U.S. schools that have taken similar steps.

The public university in Columbus, which has more than 45,000 undergraduate students, said in a statement sent to campus organizations on Thursday that 11 of its 37 Interfraternity Council (IFC) chapters have been the subject of such investigations this semester alone.

The university did not give details on any specific incidents.

Hazing and alcohol-related incidents have led to deaths in recent months at other universities.

"This is an unacceptably high number, and the university will not tolerate behavior that puts the health and safety of students at risk," Ryan Lovell, the school's senior director of Greek life, said in the statement.

"This proactive step is being taken so that the IFC community takes a pause to reflect and create individual, actionable strategies for the future," Lovell said.

The school expects each IFC chapter to develop a plan to ensure their behavior aligns with the student code of conduct, his statement said.

About 10 percent of men and 17 percent of women who attend Ohio State join Greek organizations, according to collegeboard.org, a non-profit organization that seeks to expand access to higher education.

On Tuesday, Texas State University in San Marco, Texas, said it suspended all fraternity and sorority activities after a 20-year-old Phi Kappa Psi fraternity pledge, 20, died following an off-campus event that involved alcohol.

Last week, Florida State University in Tallahassee suspended all fraternity and sorority activities after a 20-year-old Pi Kappa Phi pledge died following a party and a 20-year-old Phi Delta Theta fraternity member was arrested on suspicion of selling cocaine, the school said in a statement.

On Monday, a prosecutor filed new charges against 12 members of a Pennsylvania State University fraternity in connection with the death of a 19-year-old student in February after an alcohol-fueled initiation rite.

(This version of the story corrects headline and first paragraph to remove reference to sorority activities also being suspended)

(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Jeffrey Benkoe)
Islamabad (AFP) - The toxic smog that has covered parts of Pakistan for weeks has exposed official torpor over rampant pollution that has killed thousands more people than have died in years of militancy.

The polluted air that has lingered in Islamabad in recent days was finally dispelled by rain this week, bringing the surrounding Margalla Hills into view once again.

In Lahore, where the situation was most critical, the level of PM2.5 -- microscopic particles that lodge deep in the lungs -- had dropped to 159 Wednesday from more than 1,000 during the pollution spike, according to PakistanAirQuality, a citizen-driven monitoring initiative.

But what looks good for Pakistan is still very bad: 159 is six times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) safe limit.

"Question is, can a change from #Hazardous to Very #Unhealthy be called an improvement?" tweeted PakistanAirQuality.

Pakistan is already ranked third in the world -- behind China and India -- for the number of deaths caused by pollution, with 125,000 people killed annually, according to one measure by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a research institute founded by the Gates Foundation.

The figure is well beyond the estimated 60,000 people who have died in the militancy-wracked country's years-long battle against extremism.

"I don't want to downplay the risk of militant extremism, but we must understand that our citizens are more vulnerable to diseases in the air than to armed terrorists on the ground," wrote opposition senator Sherry Rehman in the Express Tribune newspaper this week.

"We must act. And we must act now."

Yet the Pakistani government provides almost no reliable data on pollution, making it difficult to say with any certainty why the smog has become so pervasive, particularly in the last two years, much less tackle its causes.

Obvious suspects include unchecked industrial emissions, millions of poorly maintained vehicles, and a complete lack of waste management, with tonnes of rubbish often burned in the streets.

Story continues

These factors are aggravated by the annual post-harvest burning of crop stubble, blamed for fuelling the recent pollution crisis across South Asia.

- Environment 'bottom of the list' -

As the smog peaked in recent weeks, roughly 1,000 new patients were treated each day for respiratory issues in Punjab's nine public hospitals, health ministry officials have said.

But even as under-resourced medical centres struggle to cope, Pakistan's official reaction is lethargy.

"It is a matter of emergency but the officials concerned did nothing except taking tea in their offices," said Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, chief justice of the Lahore High Court.

He spoke Monday during an emergency hearing in which an opposition party accused the provincial government in Punjab, of which Lahore is the capital, of failing to control the smog.

Provincial officials had delayed school start times and shut down some of the worst polluting companies, and said they had also ordered a temporary halt to crop burning.

But Shah said in court it was not enough, adding: "Why didn't you issue a red alert on smog since you know it's injurious to the health of pregnant women, elderly people and heart patients especially?"

Accusing environment officials of lying to the court, he ordered them to make pollution data available to the public.

Unlike Beijing, which is cracking down on pollution, and New Delhi, which at least monitors its air and issues warnings to its citizens, Pakistani authorities "haven't woken up yet", said Abid Omar, the entrepreneur behind PakistanAirQuality.

"Environment happens to be at the bottom of the list," he said.

Yet "Pakistan is extremely environmentally vulnerable," warned environment lawyer and activist Ahmad Rafay Alam.

He called on the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to consider declaring Pakistan an "emergency" and setting up an office in Lahore.

The WHO representative for Pakistan, Mohammad Assai, said he hoped the situation would start to improve as "more awareness" spreads.

Yet even as citizens breathed a little easier Wednesday, residents of Punjab complained that the province's infamous brick kilns were belching smoke into the atmosphere once more.

"Many are still running," one farmer told AFP.
Friday, November 17, 2017

As a follow up to yesterday's post on the Tarra Simmons oral argument, I am advised that the Washington State Supreme Court entered an order granting her permission to sit for the bar examination.

Congratulations to her and to her counsel Shon Hopwood.

One thing that I will say having seen the argument is that the quality of Shon's advocacy itself is a ringing endorsement of a policy allowing admission of rehabilitated convicted felons (although I confess bias in his favor).

I learned through my involvement in this case that the court has only issued two written opinions in admission cases, both many years ago.

The 1984 decision in In re Belsher is linked here and involved this applicant

On March 12, 1973, in Boulder, Colorado, petitioner placed a homemade bomb in his parents' car. The bomb consisted of several sticks of dynamite and a timing device. The timing device was activated that same day, causing an explosion which demolished the Belshers' car. Belsher's mother and father, however, escaped injury by leaving the car a few seconds before the explosion.

Petitioner was arrested and admitted responsibility for the explosion. After a psychiatric examination by Dr. Charles Clark, petitioner was found to be competent to stand trial. On March 14, 1973, he was charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder and one count of first degree arson. A joint motion for deferred prosecution with 2 years' supervised probation on the condition that petitioner undergo continuing psychiatric treatment was granted on November 26, 1973. Dr. Clark was selected as the treating psychiatrist.

In March 1974, it was discovered that petitioner had been manufacturing an illegal drug ingredient (amphetamine precursor) in his chemistry lab at the University of Colorado. He advised Dr. Clark that he was doing so in order to become an undercover agent for the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Division of the Internal Revenue Service. About this same time, petitioner also attempted to purchase two pistols, using a friend's name. As a result of these incidents, petitioner was charged with attempt to manufacture dangerous drugs, conspiracy to manufacture dangerous drugs, and criminal impersonation. In addition, petitioner's deferred prosecution was revoked.

Pursuant to plea bargain arrangements, petitioner pleaded guilty on May 16, 1974 to three reduced charges: third degree assault, possession of a dangerous drug, and criminal simulation. All other charges, including those stemming from the bombing incident, were dismissed. Petitioner was placed on supervised probation to run until May 16, 1979. One of the conditions of the probation was that petitioner continue to see Dr. Clark.

The court was unpersuaded that the he had recovered from mental health issues.

Petitioner contends that his past misconduct, although serious, was the result of mental problems which have since been corrected. He points to the fact that 9 years have gone by since the termination of his treatment with Dr. Clark. Petitioner argues that this passage of time without serious mishap demonstrates that he has overcome the problems that plagued him in the past and that he is possessed of present good moral character.

Having previously engaged in serious misconduct, petitioner must "clearly demonstrate" that he is now worthy of the public trust that is placed in attorneys; if doubt remains, fairness to the public and the bar requires that admission be denied. See Eddleman, at 43.

In this case, there is doubt as to petitioner's rehabilitation. Dr. Carney, who was the last to examine petitioner, expressed some doubt in his report as to petitioner's complete recovery. Dr. Carney stated that such a recovery after an active episode of schizophrenia would be "highly unusual." He further stated:

In my opinion Mr. Belsher shows very subtle signs that have to do with constricted emotions, emotional distance in the interview, curious lack of apparent remorse, and a poor understanding of the impact of his behavior on other people. Considering these observations, a case could be made for the diagnosis of Schizophrenia, residual type, in which there are no prominent psychotic symptoms but some indicators of the illness.

The possibility that petitioner's apparent recovery is merely a temporary remission is a disturbing one. The uncertainty is compounded by the absence of any continuing record of petitioner's progress regarding his ailment after 1975. This lack of any psychiatric evaluation of the manner in which petitioner has handled stress over the past 9 years makes it difficult, if not impossible, to predict how petitioner would handle the high degree of stress which is inherent in the practice of law.

I hope the court here will issue a thorough opinion here that addresses the relationship between the admissions apparatus and the court, the showing necessary to establish character and fitness in light of prior criminal conduct and the impact of recovery from addiction on the analysis.

Coverage of the broad issue from The Atlantic is linked here. (Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/11/tarra-simmons-can-sit-for-the-washington-state-bar.html
For a few perplexing moments, the world was under the impression that the Pentagon seriously wanted Donald Trump to resign from his presidency.

The official Twitter account for the U.S. Department of Defense briefly joined The Resistance on Thursday, retweeting someone straight up calling for Donald Trump to resign.

TBH, with all 2017's thrown at us, it was only a bit shocking, and though the tweet has since been deleted, it still caused quite the commotion online.

SEE ALSO: Trump Twitter notifications have completely ruined my year

The tweet, written by Twitter user @ProudResister, addressed sexual assault allegations facing Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, Sen. Al Franken, and Trump himself  calling on Moore to step down from the Senate race, and Franken and Trump to resign.

ProudResister then addressed the GOP, saying, "Stop making sexual assault a partisan issue. It's a crime as is your hypocrisy."

The Defense Department's official Twitter account  @deptofdefense  retweeted a comment saying Trump should resign. It's since been unretweeted pic.twitter.com/bLA8QAo4Sc  Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) November 16, 2017

After the retweet was removed, Pentagon spokesman, Col. Rob Manning, told The Associated Press the action was accidental and that the content of the tweet "would not be endorsed by the Department of Defense."

Manning added that the authorized operator of the Department of Defense's Twitter page "caught this error and immediately deleted it." Though, as Washington Examiner editor Dave Brown noted, retweets doooo take a bit of effort.

And it's an RT, not a heart. You have to click twice.  Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) November 16, 2017

Accident or not, seeing the Pentagon call for a president's resignation was quite a sight and people were fairly amused.

Story continues

I don't think it was an "accident".... it's sure friggen hilarious though.    Ashley  (@KDTSN5) November 17, 2017

Shoutout to the Deep State operatives in the Department of Defense  pic.twitter.com/4R8EydMxet  William LeGate (@williamlegate) November 16, 2017

2017: where the US department of defense subtweets Donald Trump by RT for his resignation and taking it back oh THE BEEF  sensei sunbae  (@senseisyd) November 17, 2017

The mishap was also a bit reminiscent of those 11 minutes when Trump's Twitter account was deleted by a Twitter employee.

It's almost like Trump and Twitter just do not mix very well.

Almost.
The Pentagons official Twitter account has retweeted then quickly deleted a post that included a call for President Donald Trump to resign.

The original tweet was posted by a person whose Twitter handle is @ProudResister. It said, The solution is simple. Roy Moore: Step down from the race. Al Franken: Resign from congress. Donald Trump: Resign from the presidency. GOP: Stop making sexual assault a partisan issue. It's a crime as is your hypocrisy.

The official Defense Department account has more than 5.2m followers.

Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said in a statement that an authorised operator of the Defense Department's official Twitter site erroneously retweeted content that would not be endorsed by the Department of Defense. The operator caught this error and immediately deleted it.

The same statement was tweeted by the Pentagon's chief spokesperson Dana White.

An authorized operator of the @DeptofDefenses official Twitter site erroneously retweeted content that would not be endorsed by the Department of Defense. The operator caught this error and immediately deleted it.  Dana W. White - DoD (@ChiefPentSpox) November 16, 2017

Many Twitter profiles contain a disclaimer saying that retweets do not constitute an endorsement, but the Pentagon account, @DeptofDefense, does not.

The @proudresister account also links to a website selling anti-Trump collectibles such as T-shirts.

Donald Trump, who has reshaped the way a president uses social media in the modern era, has made some accidental retweets himself.

In August, he retweeted a photoshopped cartoon of a "Trump train" smashing into a CNN reporter, captioned "Nothing can stop the #TrumpTrain."

The retweet was removed from Mr Trump's feed minutes later, and a White House official said it had been posted inadvertently.

On a smartphone or computer, a retweet requires two clicks or taps in order to post, meaning the President would have had a second chance to be sure he wanted to tweet the cartoon.
(RANCHO TEHAMA RESERVE, Calif.)  Police on Wednesday called the deadly shooting rampage in California a clear case of a madman on the loose while defending their decision not to arrest the man for previously violating a court order prohibiting him from having guns.

At a tense news conference, police conceded that neighbors had repeatedly complained about Kevin Neal firing hundreds of rounds from his house among other erratic and violent behavior.

Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said authorities responded to neighbors calls several times, but the 44-year-old Neal wouldnt open the door, so they left.

He was not law enforcement friendly. He would not come to the door, Johnston said. You have to understand we cant anticipate what people are going to do. We dont have a crystal ball.

On Tuesday, Neal shot and killed five people and wounded at least eight others at different locations around the rural community of Rancho Tehama Reserve. Police later shot and killed him.

Asked about Neals motive, Johnston responded: Madman on the loose. The case is remarkably clear. We will move forward and we will start the healing process.

The evidence that emerged Wednesday, however, along with residents statements raised questions about whether lawlessness was occasionally tolerated.

Neal was also known to have violent squabbles with his neighbors and his wife.

Police found the bullet-riddled body of Neals wife stuffed under the floorboards of their home. They believe her slaying was the start of the rampage.

We are confident that he murdered her, Johnson said.

Neal then shot two of his neighbors in an apparent act of revenge before he went looking for random victims at different locations that included the communitys elementary school. All those killed were adults but authorities have said that children were among the wounded.

At the time of the attack, Neal was out of custody on bail after being charged in January with stabbing one of the neighbors he later killed in the rampage.

Story continues

After the January assault, a judge barred Neal from having guns, according to court records.

The records also show that Neal was charged with illegally firing a weapon and possessing an illegal assault rifle on Jan. 31.

He was charged with five felonies and two misdemeanors. As part of a protective order that barred him from owning, possessing, purchasing or attempting to purchase firearms, Neal was ordered to stay away from the two female neighbors he had threatened.

The neighbor he was accused of stabbing obtained a restraining order against him in February, writing to the court that Neal fired guns to scare people in her house and alleging that he was very unpredictable and unstable and that he had anger issues, according to court documents.

The gunmans sister, Sheridan Orr, said her brother had struggled with mental illness throughout his life and at times had a violent temper.

She said Neal had no business owning firearms.

At Wednesdays news conference, Johnston initially said Neal was not prohibited from owning firearms but later acknowledged the protective order against him.

Records show Neal certified that he surrendered his weapons in February, but Johnston said Wednesday they had recovered two homemade assault rifles and two handguns registered to someone else.

Laurie Levenson, a Loyola Law School professor, said police officers dont need to be eyewitnesses to take action when a person is suspected of violating a restraining order.

You can have probable cause even if officers dont see a gun or hear shots, she said. They do not have to see the suspect with the weapon if all the circumstantial evidence indicates that he is violating the orders.

Levenson said officers dont even need a warrant to search a suspects home if they believe the caller and the evidence they are hearing and collecting indicate the suspect is firing a gun.

If an officer believes there is someone with a weapon who is not entitled to have a weapon, the law permits the officer to go in, she said.

During the rampage that lasted 25 minutes, Johnston said the gunman spent about six minutes shooting into Rancho Tehama Elementary School before driving off to keep shooting elsewhere.

Police said surveillance video shows the shooter unsuccessfully trying to enter the school after quick-thinking staff members locked the outside doors and barricaded themselves inside when they heard gunshots.

Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and children screaming at the school, which has about 100 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

A heroic school custodian rushed children inside, yelling get into the classrooms before Neal could reach them, said Corning Union Elementary School District maintenance department head Randy Morehouse.

At that point he was able to get everyone inside so there was no one left on the blacktop, Morehouse said. Hes an absolute hero.

The shooter tried and tried and tried and tried to get into the kindergarten door, he said.

Six-year-old Alejandro Hernandez was in his classroom when one of Neals bullets came through the window and hit him in the chest.

His aunt, Rosa A. Monroy, said he was at University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento awaiting surgery on his foot. Its not clear when they will operate on the more serious wound to his upper chest and right arm, she said.

Were just hoping to hear for the best, she tearfully told a crowd of dozens of people that gathered for a vigil to honor the victims on Wednesday night. I just pray that we can all be strong together.

The rampage ended when a patrol car rammed the stolen vehicle Neal was driving and police killed him in a shootout.

Dillon Elliott said he witnessed the rolling gun battle from a coffee shop and parking lot as the gunman and deputies sped by.

All hell broke loose. I mean Ive never heard gunshots like that before, he said.

Elliotts parents have lived in the sparsely populated area of rolling woodlands dotted with grazing cattle about 130 miles (209 kilometers) north of Sacramento since 1986. He moved away in 2001.

Theres hardly any police presence out here, he said. In all the time weve been out here there has been almost, I would say almost zero police presence. Every so often youll see them if its super bad.

He said his father, who was on the homeowners association board, was threatened in the late 80s and early 90s during a dispute with a neighbor and deputies never responded.

Its almost like they think were lawless out here and they just dont care, he said.
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis condemned on Thursday inequality in healthcare, particularly in rich countries, saying governments had a duty to ensure the common good for all its citizens.

"Increasingly sophisticated and costly treatments are available to ever more limited and privileged segments of the population," Francis said in an address to a conference of European members of the World Medical Association.

"This raises questions about the sustainability of healthcare delivery and about what might be called a systemic tendency toward growing inequality in healthcare," he said.

The tendency was clearly apparent when you compared healthcare cover between countries and continents, the pope said, adding that it was also visible within more wealthy countries, "where access to healthcare risks being more dependent on individuals' economic resources than on their actual need for treatment."

Francis did not mention any countries. Healthcare is a big issue in the United States, where President Donald Trump has vowed to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, introduced by his predecessor, Barack Obama, which aimed to make it easier for lower-income households to get health insurance.

He said healthcare legislation needed a "broad vision and a comprehensive view of what most effectively promotes the common good in each concrete situation."

In speaking of end-of-life issues, Francis re-affirmed the Catholic Church's long-standing teaching that it is morally acceptable for a patient or a family to suspend or reject "disproportionate measures" to keep a terminally ill person alive.

But he stressed that this was "different from euthanasia, which is always wrong, in that the intent of euthanasia is to end life and cause death".

Regarding end-of-life decisions, the pope said governments had a duty "to protect all those involved, defending the fundamental equality whereby everyone is recognised under law as a human being living with others in society".

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
The women who have accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault are patiently awaiting his undoing.

Three of the 16 women who have accused Trump of some form of sexual assault spoke to People on Thursday. The women discussed what its been like for them as more and more men in power are being publicly condemned for accusations of sexual misconduct in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

Journalist Natasha Stoynoff, who accused Trump of assaulting her in 2005 while she was attempting to conduct an interview with him, told People she feels the accusations against him have been on hold.

Its been simmering on the stove with the lid on, like a pressure cooker, she said. But now the heats on and its going to boil and the lid is going to blast off.

Last month, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White Houses official stance on the sexual assault accusations is that every single one of the women is lying. In October 2016, Trump brushed off a now-infamous 2005 Access Hollywood tape, which featured him bragging about grabbing women by the pussy, as locker room talk.

For Trump and his press secretary to continue to push the false agenda that the women are liars and continue to so cavalierly defame private citizens is outrageous and improper, Stoynoff said.

Jessica Leeds, who alleges that Trump groped her on a flight in the 1980s, said shes extremely disappointed that punishment for Trump has stalled.

Its disturbing that many of Trumps diehard supporters are so stubborn, Mindy McGillivray, who says Trump groped her while she was attending a concert at Mar-a-Lago in 2003, told People. That they cant seem to come to terms with the reality that their president is just as guilty as Roy Moore.

Moore, a Republican Senate nominee in Alabama, has been accused by eight women of some form of sexual misconduct when he was an adult and they were minors.

Former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos is suing Trump for defamation after he publicly called her allegations fake. Zervos has accused Trump of groping and forcibly kissing her on several occasions in 2007. She served him a subpoena last month requesting all documents from his campaign that pertain to any woman alleging that Donald J. Trump touched her inappropriately. The judge in Zervos case is expected to decide before the end of the year whether the suit should move ahead.

Story continues

Head over to People to read more.

Related...

Reminder: 'Groping' And 'Unwanted Kissing' Is Definitely Sexual Assault

A Running List Of The Women Who've Accused Donald Trump Of Sexual Misconduct

White House: All The Women Who Say Trump Sexually Harassed Them Are Liars

Donald Trump Conspicuously Silent On Roy Moore

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When President Trump returned from a week and a half in Asia, his longest foreign policy trip to date, he arrived back to a series of domestic issues that festered while he was gone.

As Trump spent time overseas outlining his Indo-Pacific Dream vision, bonding with world leaders, and needling North Koreas Kim Jong Un, American political life at home was hit with new sexual misconduct allegations, Congressional gridlock and another mass shooting.

Here are the three major issues awaiting Trumps return to the Oval Office.

Roy Moores sexual misconduct scandal

On November 9, the Washington Post published accusations by four women that Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore had initiated sexual contact with them while he was in his 30s and they were teenagers. The news rocked the political world: Moore called the attacks fake news and many Alabama Republicans stood by him, but other national GOP leaders called on him to drop out of the race. The White House released an official statement saying Moore will do the right thing and step aside if the allegations are true.

But Trump, who infamously dealt with his own sexual misconduct allegations during his run for president, was uncharacteristically quiet on the matter. Honestly, Id have to look at it and I have to see, he told reporters on a flight to Vietnam. Ill have further comment as we go down the road. I have to get back into the country to see whats happening.

If Trump does provide further comment when he returns, it could shake up a scandal that shows no signs of receding from view. On Monday, calls were growing from Republican senators for their prospective colleague to leave the race (dropping the if true language from many of the original statements). The same day, a fifth accuser came forward and said Moore sexually assaulted her when she was a minor.

Its a political pickle for Trump. Defending Moore could put him on the wrong side of the swelling ranks of GOP leaders denouncing him; condemning him might anger a base Trump is loathe to turn his back on. And Trump wont want to risk losing a Republican seat in the Senate, which could jeopardize his policy objectives already struggling to pass under a slim majority.

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Tax reform

In October, GOP leaders said they were aiming to have the package passed by Thanksgiving. Before Trump left on his trip, he promised that signing tax reform into law by the end of the year would be his Christmas gift to the nation. But with the end of the year rapidly approaching, its looking less and less likely that Congress will be able to pass the major legislation in time. A House committee passed its version of tax reform but could still have its efforts gummed up by Democratic maneuvers that could force Republicans to accept or reject politically charged changes; the Senate will begin marking up its bill in committee this week, a process that could end up being messy and drawn out.

Heading into his last day on the trip, Trump signaled he was already looking ahead to tackling taxes when he gets back: I am proud of the Rep. House & Senate for working so hard on cutting taxes {& reform.}, he tweeted Monday. Were getting close! Now, how about ending the unfair & highly unpopular Indiv Mandate in OCare & reducing taxes even further? Cut top rate to 35% w/all of the rest going to middle income cuts?

I am proud of the Rep. House & Senate for working so hard on cutting taxes {& reform.} Were getting close! Now, how about ending the unfair & highly unpopular Indiv Mandate in OCare & reducing taxes even further? Cut top rate to 35% w/all of the rest going to middle income cuts?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2017

But the presidents tweet belies the political reality that its extremely unlikely Congress will be able to couple repealing the Obamacare individual mandate with tax cuts. Any significant changes to Obamacare have proved impossible, even with a Republican-controlled Congress.

Taxes are far thornier, and combining the two would be like tossing a flaming oil tanker aboard a melting-down nuclear plant. Any votes Republicans may get from conservatives tempted by scrapping Obamacare could be offset by a centrist flight from those who want health care considered in a measured way. With congressional Republicans so far unable to mark any major achievements besides confirming Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, Trump will likely be ramping up the pressure on Senate leadership even more when hes back in the States.

Texas church shooting

Just one day after Trump arrived in Asia, a gunman killed 26 people at a church in Texas. The president told reporters in Tokyo on Nov. 6, the day after the shooting, that the massacre was the result of a mental health problem rather than an issue with gun laws. The following day, he argued that more restrictive gun laws would have led to even more casualties. Trumps response, compared with his statements after the recent terrorist truck attack in NYC, demonstrates a willingness to politicize acts of terrorism but not domestic mass shootings.

And its a near certainty that Congress wont bring up any comprehensive gun control legislation, even after Texas and the Las Vegas shooting, the worst in U.S. history, not to mention another recent shooting in California which left four dead. Still, with 2017 becoming the deadliest year for mass shootings in modern American history, the question of how to make the country safer and the role gun laws play in that debate isnt going away any time soon.
Social media was awash Thursday with images of elephants. One widely circulated photograph depicted the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr., posing in hunting regalia, holding up a disembodied tail that appears to have been cut from a felled elephant beside him.

Reports surfaced this week that the administration of President Donald Trump would reverse an Obama-era ban on importing legally hunted elephant remains  known as trophies  from Zimbabwe and Zambia. While Twitter users expressed outrage, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), a federal agency under the Department of the Interior, said in a statement that the bans reversal could actually enhance the survival of the species in the wild.

The backlash from skeptics was thick and fast. On her Thursday talk show, Ellen DeGeneres announced that she was launching a funding drive for elephants, which she said show compassion, sympathy, social intelligence, self-awareness all the things I have yet to see in this president. British comedian Ricky Gervais called the move a devastating blow to the survival of elephants, and characterized it as savage and pointless. And the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which has distributed $80 million in conservation grants, called the ban reversal a reprehensible move that would cause the U.S. to lose its global leadership position in putting an end to the ivory trade.

Why is the administration lifting the ban?

Elephants are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, but a stipulation in the act allows the U.S government to issue permits to import trophies if theres evidence that the hunting actually benefits conservation for that species. Thats what the U.S. FWS says will happen in Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Service said it had determined that legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation.

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How did the ban originally come about?

The ban on bringing hunting trophies into the U.S. was never applied across the board. Remains of animals legally hunted in South Africa and Namibia could be bought in under the Obama administration but those from Zimbabwe and Zambia were eventually prohibited. Thats because the FWS in 2015 determined that Zimbabwe could not adequately prove it could implement laws to protect elephants.

Zimbabwe saw a 6% decline in its elephant population between 2007 and 2014 according to the latest elephant census data. But thats a relatively small decline compared to the 30% decline in the overall African elephant population over the same period. Elephant populations in most areas of Zambia were relatively stable, the census found. Zambia had previously banned hunting after several years of population decline, but now permits it.

Citing people briefed on the rule change, the Post reports that the decision was made after Zimbabwe officials submitted documents that fulfilled the FWS previously unmet reporting requirements.

What do conservationists say?

That hunting can, under the right circumstances, complement conservation efforts is not under dispute. But even the FWS statement announcing the rule change warns that to support conservation efforts, hunters should choose to hunt only in countries that have strong governance, sound management practices, and healthy wildlife populations.
(WASHINGTON)  President Donald Trump dodged questions about the turmoil in the Alabama Senate race on Wednesday, declining to join national Republicans whove called for Roy Moore to abandon the race amid allegations of sexual impropriety with teenage girls. Far from surrendering, Moores camp challenged the credibility of one of the accusers.

Trump, who withstood allegations of sexual assault weeks before his own election, was uncharacteristically silent when faced with questions about the scandal, which has rattled the party and left Moores would-be colleagues threatening to expel him should he win. Republicans had looked to Trump as one of the few remaining hopes for pushing a fellow political rebel from the race.

Another hope was Sean Hannity, the Fox News Channel host and onetime Moore defender. On his Tuesday evening show, Hannity gave Moore 24 hours to explain inconsistencies in his response to allegations of child molestation or else exit the Alabama race.

Moore responded in a letter late Wednesday: I adamantly deny the allegations of Leigh Corfman and Beverly Nelson, did not date underage girls, and have taken steps to begin a civil action for defamation. Because of that, at the direction of counsel, I cannot comment further.

In Alabama, Moores campaign chairman and personal attorney did address reporters, trying to undercut the story of one of the women who has accused Moore of sexually accosting her when she was in high school.

The attorney, Phillip Jauregui, demanded that Nelson release the yearbook she contends Moore signed. The lawyer questioned whether the signature was Moores and said it should be submitted for handwriting analysis. Neither the attorney nor the campaign manager addressed the original allegations from Corfman who says that Moore initiated sexual contact with her when she was 14. They did not take questions.

The unusual news conference suggested Moore, a judge twice removed from his post as state Supreme Court chief justice, was digging in, leaving his party with two damaging potential election outcomes. His victory would saddle GOP senators with a colleague accused of abusing and harassing teenagers, a troubling liability heading into next years congressional elections, while a loss to Democrat Doug Jones would slice the already narrow GOP Senate majority to an unwieldy 51-49.

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Its too late to remove Moores name from the ballot, so fielding a Republican write-in at this point would almost certainly hand the election to the Democrats unless he should withdraw and persuade his supporters to vote for that substitute.

According to internal polling conducted by the Senate GOP campaign arm and reviewed by The Associated Press, Moore trails Democrat Jones by 12 points  39 percent to 51 percent  in the survey conducted on Sunday and Monday. Moore led by 9 points the week before in the National Republican Senatorial Committees internal numbers.

Behind the scenes, aides described Trump as vexed by the Moore issue. Even if he should speak out, he might make an uncomfortable critic: The allegations against the bombastic former judge echo Trumps own political problems when he was accused weeks before the 2016 election of more than a dozen instances of sexual harassment. The Trump aides would not be named discussing the matter because they were not authorized to discuss private conversations.

To a great extent, the anti-establishment forces that propelled Trump to the White House are now strongly behind Moore, and Alabama Republican leaders are reluctant to enrage his loyal conservative supporters. State GOP leaders are highlighting party rules that could allow them to crack down on Alabama officials who support anyone else.

Alabama Republican officials convened by phone late Wednesday to discuss the situation. The 21-member party steering committee could vote to revoke Moores GOP nomination and ask election officials to ignore ballots cast for him, but that would risk a lawsuit and backlash from Moore supporters. The party has little interest in alienating Moores followers a year before elections in which the governors office and entire state Legislature will be in play.

A regional GOP committee representing the states 5th congressional district approved a new resolution of support for Moore and asked the state GOP to do the same.

Trump backed Moores unsuccessful rival, Sen. Luther Strange, in the Republican primary. Moore has the backing of Trumps former chief strategist, Steve Bannon. And Bannons conservative news site, Breitbart, has led the charge in trying to discredit the allegations against the candidate.

GOP officials cautioned that the actions of Washington Republicans, including the president, were unlikely to affect Moores decision-making  and that any moves against him could backfire. For example, calling for Moore to exit the race could risk embarrassment if, as expected, Moore defied the request. Officials said the White House did sign off on the Republican National Committees decision to cut ties with Moore.

Republican leaders were openly discussing a write-in candidate, although they had not yet agreed on who it should be. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has encouraged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to step up. But Sessions, whose former Senate seat is at stake, has indicated he has no interest in that.

Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby said Wednesday that hell write in another name on Election Day and Sessions would be an ideal candidate. But he also said I dont see any movement toward an effective effort with the election less than a month away.

Corfman and Nelson have said Moore molested them in the 1970s when one was 14, the other 16 and he was a local deputy district attorney in Gadsden in his 30s. Three other women have said he pursued romantic relationships with them around the same time.

Moore faced fresh allegations Wednesday.

Gena Richardson told The Washington Post she agreed to a date with Moore in 1977, around her 18th birthday, when Moore was 30. Richardson said the date ended with giving her an unwanted, forceful kiss. I never wanted to see him again, Richardson told the Post.

Becky Grey, who worked in the same mall as Richardson in 1977, said Moore was so persistent about asking her out that she complained to her manager. Grey was 22 at the time.

Tina Johnson told AL.com that Moore flirted with her during a 1991 meeting in his law office and afterward grabbed her buttock. He didnt pinch it; he grabbed it, she told the Alabama outlet.

Ivanka Trump weighed in, saying to the AP: Theres a special place in hell for people who prey on children. Ive yet to see a valid explanation and I have no reason to doubt the victims accounts. She did not call for Moore to exit the race.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, along with his leadership, celebrate passing the House tax bill. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  A little-noticed provision in the Republican tax reform bill that passed the House on Thursday could have a big impact on affordable housing construction.

The House bill maintains a tax subsidy for low-income housing construction, but ends the tax-free status of certain bonds that builders rely on to arrange financing.

Developers say the mere threat of the policy change already has them scrambling to close deals for upcoming projects before the end of the year, when funding could disappear.

Chris Akbari, president the Itex Group, a development company in Texas, said his firm is in the process of closing a $49 million deal to buy and rehabilitate a low-income apartment complex in Houston.

We might not be able to close in time, Akbari said.

The tax subsidy is one of several seemingly random items targeted in the House tax plan, such as deductions for medical expenses, student loan interest and certain moving expenses, that Republicans included less out of ideology than a desire to simplify the tax code  and a need for money.

The House bill cuts $3 trillion in taxes on businesses and individuals, and replaces half of that lost revenue through the elimination of various deductions. Among the items on the chopping block are $38 billion in what are known as private activity bonds, or tax-free local government loans for private enterprises that serve the public interest, like airports, waste disposal facilities and affordable housing.

We have a lot of items that were put in our current tax code in order to incentivize people to do certain things, Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, told HuffPost. And now, in order to get the rates lower, were looking at those again and saying, Well, maybe were going have to do away with some of these.

The Senate tax bill doesnt have the same provision, which is one of the smaller differences between the two bills. Ultimately, if tax reform is going to reach the presidents desk, the House and Senate will have to agree on one bill, most likely a compromise version hammered out in a conference committee with lawmakers from each chamber.

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Were gonna go to conference and well see what comes out of there, Kelly said.

The House tax bill nominally preserves the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, a $9 billion subsidy for the rehabilitation and construction of affordable housing. Some of the credits are paired with tax-free government bonds and issued by states to developers, which can then sell the tax credits to investors in order to obtain additional financing for qualified projects. However, without the bonds, which the House bill would kill, the credit would be useless for some projects.

This will have a severe impact on the construction and preservation of affordable homes throughout the country, Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said in a statement earlier this month. Novagradac, an accounting and consulting firm that specializes in real estate, estimated that the bill would result in about 80,000 fewer new and rehabilitated affordable housing units per year.

The housing credit has plenty of critics. The libertarian Cato Institute argues the subsidy mainly benefits developers and investors. The program has complex administration, is prone to abuse, and produces costly low-income housing, Catos Chris Edwards and Vanessa Brown Calder wrote earlier this month. An investigation by NPR and Frontline found that the program creates fewer affordable units and at greater cost than it did 20 years ago.

The impact of losing the subsidy on housing policy is probably dwarfed by another big change in both the Senate and House versions of tax reform. Both bills essentially gut a deduction that allows homeowners to reduce their taxable income by the amount they pay in interest on their mortgages.

The mortgage interest deduction, along with deductions for state and local taxes, are tax expenditures worth more than $100 billion annually  making them the largest plank of U.S. housing policy in terms of dollars, by far. Eliminating the mortgage subsidy would knock home prices down 10 percent, according to a study commissioned earlier this year by the National Association of Realtors, which opposes the tax plan.

While the loss of private activity bonds may reduce affordable housing, the loss of the mortgage interest deduction could make housing more affordable across the board.

Diana McIver, another Texas developer, said shes afraid shell lose financing for a proposed senior-living complex in Austin. She has asked the investor and the bond issuer to try to speed up a closing that had been planned for early next year.

If we can close by Dec. 31, were fine, but if we cant, and they do away with private activity bonds, then were totally out of luck, McIver said. Quite frankly, I am not sure that the members of the House of Representatives really understand the relationship between private activity bonds and affordable housing.

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Taking Security Seriously

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) before the start of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing concerning the roles and responsibilities for defending the nation against cyberattacks, on Oct. 19, 2017.

With Liberty And Justice...

Members of Code Pink for Peace protest before the start of a hearing where U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 18, 2017. Committee members questioned Sessions about conversations he had with President Donald Trump about the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, the ongoing investigation about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other subjects.

Whispers

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, speaks with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) before a confirmation hearing for Christopher Sharpley, nominee for inspector general of the CIA, on Oct. 17, 2017.

Not Throwing Away His Shot

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical "Hamilton," makes his way to a meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in the Rayburn Office Building during a round of meetings to urge federal funding for the arts and humanities on Sept. 13, 2017.

Medicare For All

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), center, speaks on health care as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), left, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), right, listen during an event to introduce the Medicare for All Act on Sept. 13, 2017.

Bernie Bros

Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pack his office on Sept. 8, 2017. Members of the "Draft Bernie for a People's Party" campaign delivered a petition with more than 50,000 signatures to urge the senator to start and lead a new political party.

McCain Appearance

Sen. John McCain, second from left, leaves the Capitol after his first appearance since being diagnosed with cancer. He arrived to cast a vote to help Republican senators narrowly pass the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

A Narrow Win

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, center, speaks alongside Sens. John Barrasso, left, John Cornyn, right, and John Thune, rear, after the Senate narrowly passed the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

Kushner Questioning

Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, arrives at the Capitol on July 25, 2017. Kushner was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in a closed-door meeting about contacts he had with Russia.

Hot Dogs On The Hill

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) prepares a hot dog during the American Meat Institute's annual Hot Dog Lunch in the Rayburn Office Building courtyard on July 19, 2017.

And Their Veggie Counterparts

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) visits the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals veggie dog giveaway on July 19, 2017, countering a National Hot Dog Day event being held elsewhere on Capitol Hill.

Poised For Questions

Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, waits for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican on July 18, 2017.

Speaking Up

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 17, 2017.

In The Fray

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks to members of the media after announcing the revised version of the Senate Republican health care bill on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2017.

Anticipation

Christopher Wray is seated with his daughter Caroline, left, as he prepares to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be the next FBI director on July 12, 2017.

Up In Arms

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 10, 2017.

Across A Table

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Capitol Hill on June 29, 2017.

Somber Day

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks about the recent attack on the Republican congressional baseball team during her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on June 15, 2017.

Family Matters

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, and his sons, Jack, 10, and Brad, arrive in the basement of the Capitol after a shooting at the Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017.

A Bipartisan Pause

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, coach of the Republican congressional baseball team, tells the story of the shooting that occurred during a baseball practice while he stands alongside Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), left, a coach of the Democratic congressional baseball team on June 14, 2017.

Hats On

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) reacts about the shooting he was present for at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, as he speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 14, 2017.

Public Testimony

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn in to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017.

Comey's Big Day

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill on June 8, 2017.

Conveying His Point

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his interactions with the Trump White House and on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on June 7, 2017.

Selfie Time

Vice President Mike Pence takes a selfie with a tourist wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda on June 6, 2017. The vice president walked through the rotunda after attending the Senate Republican policy luncheon.

Budget Queries

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney testifies before the House Budget Committee about President Donald Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017.

Flagged Down By Reporters

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, leaves a closed committee meeting on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017. The committee is investigating possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Shock And Awe

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hold a news conference on the release of the president's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2017.

Seeing Double

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) arrives in the Capitol for the Senate Democrats' policy lunch on May 16, 2017.

Honoring Officers

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the Capitol on May 15, 2017.

Whispers

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, and ranking member Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) talk during a hearing with the heads of the U.S. intelligence agencies in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2017.

Skeptical

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2017.

Differing Opinions

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) gives a thumbs-up to protesters on the East Front of the Capitol after the House passed the Republicans' bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on May 4, 2017. The protesters support the ACA.

Real Talk

United States Naval Academy Midshipman 2nd Class Shiela Craine (left), a sexual assault survivor, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel with (2nd from left to right) Ariana Bullard, Stephanie Gross and Annie Kendzior in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 2, 2017. Kendzior, a former midshipman, and Gross, a former cadet, were both raped twice during their time at the military academies. The academy superintendents were called to testify following the release of a survey last month by the Pentagon that said 12.2 percent of academy women and 1.7 percent of academy men reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact during the 2015-16 academic year.

In Support Of Immigrants

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), center, is joined by dozens of Democratic members of the House of Representatives to mark "Immigrant Rights Day" in the Capitol Visitor Center on May 1, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The Democratic legislators called on Republicans and President Donald Trump to join their push for comprehensive immigration reform.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

"When you shake a veteran's hand today, look them in the eye and give them a heartfelt thank you," said USAF Ret. Col. Jen Fullmer, parade grand marshal, who spoke at the event.
By Jessica Resnick-Ault and Nick Brown NEW YORK (Reuters) - The head of Puerto Rico's indebted utility has resigned following criticism of the slow restoration of power to the island after Hurricane Maria, the U.S. territory's governor said. Ricardo Ramos, who was named head of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) in 2016, was also criticized over controversial contracts. His resignation was effective Friday, Governor Ricardo Rossello said in a statement. Rossello recommended Justo Gonzalez as interim director, according to a separate statement. Gonzalez is currently director of power generation at PREPA, a role he took on in April 2017. Gonzalez previously was the company's planning and environmental protection director and operations manager of the Aguirre Steam Plant. PREPA's board will meet later on Friday to discuss Rossello's recommendation to succeed Ramos, who was appointed by the governor. Rossello said he supported a search within and outside Puerto Rico to fill the role permanently. "I am hoping they do it as quickly as possible," said Jose Roman Morales, interim chairman of Puerto Rico's energy commission, which regulates PREPA. Ramos was not immediately available for comment. Maria knocked out power to all 3.4 million residents of Puerto Rico in late September, and only about half the island's power has been restored. The island has also experienced intermittent power interruptions to populated areas that had seen electricity restored over the past few weeks. (http://tmsnrt.rs/2jYDF9s) In a webcast update on restoration efforts, Ramos said that 50.5 percent of generation had been restored as of Friday, and additional lines have been repaired that have not yet been charged to provide electricity. "The highest peak of generation that we have had is 50 percent. In this week, we had about three general blackouts in the island that kept San Juan in the dark for most of the week. That is totally unacceptable," said Tomas Torres, executive director of the nonprofit Institute for Competitiveness and Sustainable Economy for Puerto Rico. It took a week before PREPA was able to assess the damages from the storm, which knocked out about 80 percent of its transmission capabilities. Ramos was criticized for signing a $300 million contract with a little-known Montana company, Whitefish Energy Holdings, to restore power, and because he did not request aid from U.S. utilities that is a normal procedure following storms. A week after the storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency put the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in charge of restoring power, which is usually the responsibility of the local utility. The Corps has been working with several utilities, including PREPA. On Oct. 31, the governor said early efforts had fallen short and finally turned to U.S. utilities for assistance, asking for hundreds of crews and vast fleets of trucks to repair the grid. Transmission lines weaving through the mountainous center of the island were cut off by the hurricane, which hammered the island with winds up to 155 miles per hour (250 km per hour) when it made landfall on Sept. 20. MANAGING DEBT The uncertainty over who will lead the further reconstruction is compounded by Puerto Ricos bankruptcy - a financial quagmire whose solution is the subject of a massive battle for control between investors, politicians and federal appointees. PREPA has been hampered by years of underinvestment and frequent turnover in management, and inefficient collections that forced it to go deeply into debt. The utility had incurred about $9 billion in debt before declaring bankruptcy in July. Regulators, including U.S. Congressional committees and the island's energy commission, are investigating PREPA's response and the contracts it awarded to Whitefish, along with a $200 million deal with Cobra Acquisitions, a subsidiary of Mammoth Energy Services Inc. Last month, the board overseeing Puerto Rico's finances appeared to put itself in the drivers seat of grid repairs, giving itself the power to review most government contracts, and announcing plans to appoint retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Noel Zamot - already a member of that board - as an outside manager at PREPA. Rossello blocked that appointment in court, however. Jose Roman, interim head of the energy commission, PREPA's regulator, said it initially gave PREPA room to respond to the crisis. He later said it would get involved in investigating just what had happened after controversy surrounding the contracts popped up. "There are qualified people at PREPA to serve as director, if they take the political component out of it," said Angel Figueroa Jaramillo, president of UTIER, the union representing PREPA's workers. Complexities of Puerto Rico's grid make it difficult for an outsider to take on the role, but anything is possible, he said. (For a graphic on 'Several companies restore electricity in Puerto Rico' click http://tmsnrt.rs/2zl7irZ) (For a graphic on 'Power restoration after major U.S. hurricanes' click http://tmsnrt.rs/2jYDF9s) (Reporting by Nick Brown and Jessica Resnick Ault in New York; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Lisa Shumaker)
Washington (AFP) - Qatar's foreign minister on Friday compared Saudi Arabia's political maneuvers in Lebanon to its boycott of his country, and accused Riyadh of a dangerous escalation.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, in Washington to push the Gulf emirate's case in its diplomatic stand-off with the kingdom and its allies, said Saudi Arabia has triggered crises across the region.

He insisted Qatar is ready to come to the table to resolve the dispute under US mediation, and played down reports that President Donald Trump has taken Riyadh's side.

But he maintained Qatar's tough stance, arguing that Riyadh is responsible for detonating a series of Middle East crises, by intervening in Lebanon, boycotting Qatar and bombing Yemen.

"This is something we have just witnessed in the region: Bullying small countries into submission," the foreign minister said, suggesting that Saudi aggression is a new regional threat.

"Exactly what happened to Qatar six months ago is happening now to Lebanon," he told reporters in Washington, where he hopes to meet US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson next week.

In June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced they had severed ties with Qatar, sealing off the emirate's only land border in the wide-ranging boycott.

They accuse Qatar's government of supporting Islamist extremism and fostering close ties with Iran.

- Intimidatory tactics -

Qatar denies the charges, claiming the dispute is an attack on its sovereignty. Both sides refuse to back down, but Doha says it is ready to engage with US and Kuwaiti mediation.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led intervention against Huthi rebels in Yemen has only escalated, amid warnings that its recent blockade of the country could lead to mass starvation.

And earlier this month, Lebanese premier Saad Hariri appeared on Saudi television from Riyadh to resign, reportedly on the orders of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

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Riyadh accuses its foe Iran of supplying Yemen's Huthis with advanced rockets and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia of holding Lebanon and its coalition government "hostage."

Hariri insists he stepped down because of Hezbollah and Iran's "grip on his country," but observers and regional powers see the Saudi crown prince's hand behind the recent escalation in the crisis.

Qatar's foreign minister played on this growing concern in his meeting with US reporters, saying: "What we have seen now in the region is a lot of crises being started."

"The leadership in Saudi and the UAE should understand that there is a world order that should be respected. International law should be respected," he said.

"There is no right for any country to interfere in other countries," he argued, warning: "There is a pattern that is very risky for the region, and very intimidatory."
New York (AFP) - Speculation is mounting over the whereabouts of a Turkish-Iranian gold mogul and whether he will stand trial as scheduled in New York on charges of defying US sanctions on Iran.

Neither Reza Zarrab, 34, nor his lawyer attended a court hearing in Manhattan on Thursday to discuss the case ahead of the trial. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Monday next week and opening statements on November 27.

In his absence, there are mounting press reports in the United States that Zarrab may now be cooperating with US authorities in search of a plea bargain deal.

Previously held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the Bureau of Prisons database lists him has having been released on November 8.

He was "still in federal custody," a spokesman for the US prosecutors office told AFP.

"Keep your eyes on the docket," District Judge Richard Berman replied when the lawyer co-defendant Mehmet Akan Attila asked whether Zarrab would be at the trial.

The businessman's lawyer Ben Brafman, one of the most prominent defense attorneys in the United States, also declined to comment.

Zarrab's name surfaced last week in US media reports about US President Donald Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn.

Flynn, already a key person of interest in an investigation into Russian meddling in the US election, is also reportedly being investigated for alleged talks with Turkey on deporting Zarrab and a dissident Turkish cleric, in exchange for money.

Special prosecutor Robert Mueller is examining a meeting between Flynn and senior Turkish officials weeks after Trump won the presidential election, NBC News and the Wall Street Journal reported.

The meeting allegedly involved discussion of paying up to $15 million if Flynn could engineer the deportation to Turkey of Fethullah Gulen, a political rival to the Turkish president, as well as help free Zarrab from prison.

Turkey and Flynn's lawyers have denied any such negotiations.

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Ankara accuses Gulen of being behind a failed 2016 coup aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, charges the cleric denies.

The Turkish foreign ministry said Wednesday it had asked the United States for information about Zarrab's whereabouts, and was waiting a response.

Zarrab's arrest by US authorities in March 2016, after flying with his pop star wife and daughter to Miami on holiday, angered Erdogan and has been a source of Turkish-US friction.
Who Will Rebuild Raqqa?

Text and videos by Jared Malsin | Photographs by Emanuele Satolli for TIME

Liberation is bleak. In the center of the Syrian city of Raqqa, clouds of flies swarm around bodies still buried beneath buildings destroyed by airstrikes during the ferocious offensive that ousted the Islamic State from its stronghold in the city last month. On street after street, the flies and a vague stench are the only sign of the human remains entombed for now in piles of splintered concrete, shattered glass and twisted rebar.

No one knows how many corpses lie beneath the rubble. Clearing the bodies from the deserted city will be one of the first jobs facing civilian authorities when they take control of the city after it has been fully secured by the militias who captured it. A local government-in-waiting called the Raqqa Civil Council plans to first spray down the buildings with sterilizing chemicals, according to Dr. Firas Mamdouh, the head of the local health department. Then, safety permitting, the council plans to send a team of workers to retrieve the bodies. When TIME visited the city at the end of October, they had a team of only 10 people to cover the entire city, a vast landscape of shattered buildings.

Emanuele Satolli for TIME

A gutted college chemistry laboratory.

Retrieving the bodies is just one part of the staggering task facing the Raqqa Civil Council as it tries to restore life to a ruined city. Once a regional hub home to more than 200,000 people, Raqqa fell into rebel hands in 2013, two years into the Syrian rebellion against President Bashar Assad. Later that year it was captured by the Islamic State, which turned it into a laboratory for their brutal rule. Today, the city is almost totally destroyed after more than three years of U.S.-led bombardment by air, and nearly four months of fierce urban fighting. Now some Syrian officials and aid groups accuse Washington of failing to help clean up the aftermath.

From the beginning they promised a lot, but they did little. We still dont know how theyll support us, said Nazmi Mohamed, an architect who is now a senior official on the Civil Councils reconstruction team, referring to the U.S.-led military coalition against ISIS. He spoke during an interview in the one-story concrete building that houses the councils headquarters in the town of Ayn Issa, outside of Raqqa.

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Emanuele Satolli for TIME

Trucks remain placed on the shelves of a destroyed toy shop.

The situation in Raqqa is a microcosm of the dilemmas facing Washington as the U.S. government considers the future of large swaths of territory reclaimed from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. After more than three years and 28,000 airstrikes, the American-led military campaign has pushed ISIS to the brink of defeat as a conventional military force. President Donald Trumps administration must now decide whether to commit troops and resources to support the local administration in northeastern Syria, which is dominated by a Kurdish faction called the Democratic Union Party (PYD). American air power and assistance was crucial to the groups takeover of that section of the country.

In interviews in Syria in October, U.S. military officials said they have not been told how long they will remain in the country. If the U.S. military leaves, it would expose Kurdish-led forces to the risk of attack by the Assad regime, who has repeatedly stated his intention to recapture the whole of Syria. But if the U.S. forces stay, it risks being drawn into clashes with Assads forcesand, potentially, its Russian backers. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon on Monday that U.S. forces would remain in Syria to fight ISIS, as long as they want to fight.

While the future of the United States military role in northeast Syria is yet to be determined, there is even less clarity about the American role in rebuilding Raqqa and other cities captured by Kurdish-led forces from ISIS. The U.S.-led coalition supported a meeting between the Raqqa Civil Council and potential reconstruction donors in Rome in October, but the top U.S. officials leading the anti-ISIS fight say they do not want rebuilding to be Americas responsibility. Dont look to the United States to fit the bill for long-term reconstruction, said Brett McGurk, the top U.S. civilian official organizing the coalition against ISIS, in a briefing in Washington in August.

The challenges facing aid groups and civilian authorities are immense. Raqqa lies in total ruin; hundreds if not thousands of mines left behind by ISIS must be cleared. Water, electricity, and phone service must be restored. Homes, schools, hospitals, and government buildings must be rebuilt.

Emanuele Satolli for TIME

A family inside their recently reopened shop on the outskirts of Raqqa.

And all of that must be done before Raqqas interim authorities consider the deeper and much more complex question of how to repair the fabric of society in a city where ISIS carried out public executions, forced religious minorities to flee and replaced the school curriculum with a puritanical religious program. According to the U.N., 436,000 people were displaced from or within Raqqa Governorate during the fighting. In spite of those challenges, the local Civil Council is putting on a brave face. Were optimistic, said Ibrahim Hassan, a top official on the Civil Councils reconstruction committee. Brett McGurk visited us and confirmed theyd offer support to rebuild Raqqa as it was and even better.

Aid workers say the U.S.-led coalition is not offering support that matches the intensity of the military campaign that got rid of ISIS but destroyed Raqqa. I am not getting the impression that there is a concerted effort to holistically reconstruct the city, said an official with an aid agency working in the area. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity citing concerns for the safety of the groups workers in Syria also said, Part of it has been the lack of clarity around the role of the U.S. government. You break it, you buy it.

Emanuele Satolli for TIME

A pockmarked wall mural.

In Raqqa, the violence done to the built environment is as bad or worse than the destruction of any city in the current era of war in Iraq and Syria. When TIME was there in October, nearly every building observable in Raqqas city center appeared to to be damaged or destroyed. The assault on Raqqa relied heavily on the use of American air power, including more than 4,450 strikes on the city in over three years of war. In August alone, the coalition fired 5,775 individual bombs, shells and missiles into the city. The air campaign was designed to support a ground assault by the lightly armed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of militias dominated by Kurdish fighters.

Nadim Houry, the director of the terrorism and counterterrorism program at Human Rights Watch, who recently reviewed satellite images of Raqqa in the aftermath of the battle, told TIME, In the center of Raqqa city, the extent of the destruction is astounding.

The deeper question is, what is the responsibility, morally, ethically, politically, of the coalition, for a city that they in a way had to destroy in the process of retaking it from ISIS? He added, Thats the sort of question that they dont want to address.

Emanuele Satolli for TIME

A street littered with rubble.

It will take months just to clean up Raqqa, and years to restore life to the city. In October, the Syrian Democratic Forces announced that no civilians will be allowed to return to the city center for at least three months. Mamdouh, the health department chief, said the authorities do not expect anyone to return until at least next April. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people have returned to neighborhoods on the edges of the city, according to the U.N.

Even in those neighborhoods, residents had a sense of foreboding about the future, and even fear of renewed attacks by ISIS. They have spies, said a 50-year-old man who identified himself only by his kunya, Abu Khalil, an honorific meaning Father of Khalil. He and his wife had reopened a small womens clothing shop on the western edge of Raqqa, selling bright colored gowns that had been banned under ISIS. Still he refused to offer his full name citing his fear of ISIS retaliation.

Not every ISIS fighter was killed in the fight for Raqqa. Hundreds were evacuated from the city in a convoy in the final days of the battle after striking a deal with local authorities. One fighter had threatened Abu Khalil and his wife as they drove through the neighborhood. At least one drew a finger across his neck, he remembers, as if to say: well be back to kill you.
Special counsel Robert Muellers investigators reportedly issued a subpoena to President Donald Trumps campaign last month, requesting Russia-related documents from over a dozen top officials, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The subpoena, issued in mid-October, reportedly requested documents and emails with keywords related to Russia but didnt compel any officials to testify before Muellers grand jury, an unnamed source told the Journal.

This is the first report of Mueller compelling the Trump campaign to hand over information.

President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin attend a photo session at a summit in Vietnam on Saturday. (Photo: Jorge Silva / Reuters)

Earlier this year, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia sought to interfere with the U.S. presidential election to help Trump win.

Since May, Mueller, a former FBI director, has been leading an investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Trump has repeatedly denied that his team colluded with Russia to win the election.

In late October, a federal grand jury filed the first charges in Muellers investigation. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business associate Rick Gates were indicted  and have pleaded not guilty  on charges of conspiracy and money laundering.

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By Jonathan Landay and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers are pressing forward with an investigation into the 2010 sale of a Canadian uranium company, which owned 20 percent of U.S. uranium supplies, to a Russian government firm, despite five congressional inquiries having found no evidence of wrongdoing. Copies of letters by the heads of two U.S. House of Representatives committees released on Wednesday showed they were seeking documents and other material on the deal from the FBI, the Treasury and State Departments and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The letters set a deadline of Nov. 30. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, opened investigations on Oct. 24 into the agreement struck during the previous administration of President Barack Obama, a Democrat. The committees "have questions ... about the review and approval" of the sale of Uranium One - which owned 20 percent of U.S. uranium supplies - by the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, according to the letters. The committees also want to know if the FBI "had evidence that Russian nuclear industry officials were engaged in bribery, kickbacks, extortion and money laundering," the letters said. Although Hillary Clinton was not mentioned by name, the letters reflect unsubstantiated allegations by U.S. President Donald Trump, Republican lawmakers, and right-wing media that the 2016 Democratic nominee masterminded the approval of the sale in return for donations to the Clinton Foundation. Five committees in the U.S. House and Senate found no evidence that Clinton was behind the CFIUS' approval of the deal, according to congressional records. In Twitter posts, Trump has called for an investigation of the sale, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Tuesday he is evaluating whether to appoint a special counsel. Democrats and other critics say the allegations are baseless, and that Trump and his supporters are fanning them to distract attention from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into whether there was any collusion between the Trump election campaign and Russia. While Clinton was Secretary of State at the time of the sale, her department has only one of nine votes on CFIUS, which is chaired by the Treasury Department and approved the sale unanimously. In addition, the State Department CFIUS seat was occupied not by her, but by Jose Fernandez, then-assistant secretary for economic, energy, and business affairs, who has said Clinton played no role in the decision. The sale also was approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Obama. In a related development, Representative Elijah Cummings, the top oversight committee Democrat, objected on Wednesday to the Republicans' refusal to give Democrats access to an unidentified FBI informant whom Republican lawmakers say has new evidence in the case. In a letter to Gowdy, Cummings said Republican lawmaker Ron DeSantis told Fox News on Oct. 22 that he thought the informant could link the approval of the Uranium One sale to "millions of dollars" that "sources connected to Uranium One" donated to the Clinton Foundation. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Mark Hosenball; Editing by John Walcott and Grant McCool)
One of the women accusing Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual assault opened up about the alleged experience Friday morning on Megyn Kelly Today.

I think he wanted to take my power so he could feel powerful, Tina Johnson told Kelly.

Johnson told AL.com earlier this week that the incident with Moore happened in 1991 as she was visiting his law office with her mother. Johnsons mother had hired Moore to handle custody paperwork for her daughters son as Johnson, then 28, neared divorce.

It was ongoing flirting, Johnson described the meeting to Kelly, saying that Moore commented on her looks and asked her on a date. She said the meeting was already difficult for her because she had to rely on her mother to pay for the attorneys services.

Moores behavior made the situation more uncomfortable, Johnson said, but bells went off when he began asking about her other children, two girls. She said he asked whether her daughters shared her pretty eyes.

When the meeting ended, Johnson got up to leave, with her mother ahead of her. Moore then allegedly took the opportunity to grope her rear.

He just grabbed my behind, she told Kelly. I mean, forcefully grabbed it. And I just walked out. I was so ashamed. I thought I did something. I felt the dress I was wearing was inappropriate. It was long, it went to my knees.

Asked whether she was politically active or had any political motivation for sharing her story now, Johnson said no, none. She felt the need to speak up after hearing another Alabama resident defending Moores alleged behavior.

Roy Moore has a lot of Christian-based [supporters], she said. When youre telling me it is OK for you to grope a 14-year-old, there is something wrong.

Johnson is joined by at least eight other women who have lodged misconduct accusations against Moore ranging from harassment to attempted rape. Four came forward in a damaging Washington Post report published last week, saying that Moore pursued them when they were in their teens and he was in his 30s.

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One of those women, Leigh Corfman, said she was just 14 when Moore brought her to his home in a wooded area where he kissed and groped her.

A fifth woman, Beverly Young Nelson, shared a troubling story about Moore during a press conference held by attorney Gloria Allred earlier this week. She said that while she was working as a waitress at age 16, Moore offered to give her a ride home but instead drove to a secluded area and sexually assaulted her. He was serving as a district attorney in Etowah County at the time.

AL.com reported that another woman, Kelly Harrison Thorp, was working as a waitress at age 17 when Moore asked her out, allegedly telling her, I go out with girls your age all the time.

Two more women shared stories about Moore in a report published by the Post on Wednesday, saying the incidents occurred when the women worked at an Alabama mall as young adults. Gena Richardson says Moore repeatedly asked her out around the time of her 18th birthday and, after she denied him, called her at school during a trigonometry class. She agreed to a date, but said that a forceful kiss left her scared. The other woman, Becky Gray, said that Moore repeatedly badgered her for a date when she was 22 years old in a way that made her uncomfortable.

Moore has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, blaming partisan politics and attempting to discredit his accusers.

Several prominent Republican politicians  including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)  have said he should leave the Senate race.

President Donald Trump, however, has not called for Moore to step aside. Despite questioning by reporters on Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders flatly refused to comment on whether the president supports the embattled candidate.

Ivanka Trump, the presidents elder daughter, addressed the scandal in an oblique way on Wednesday, saying there is a special place in hell for people who prey on children.

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While Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore has remained defiant amid a controversy over allegations of sexual misconduct, a Fox News poll released Thursday showed his support has dropped significantly in recent days.

Moore trails Democrat Doug Jones by 8 points among likely voters in the upcoming Dec. 12 Alabama special election, according to the poll, with 50% saying they would vote for Jones and 42% saying they would vote for Moore.

Moore appears to have lost a significant amount of support from women voters. In the Fox News poll, Jones led Moore among likely women voters 58% to 32%. Among all registered voters in the poll, women had a similar split, going 56% for Jones to 33% for Moore.

These numbers represent a stark change from an Oct. 17 Fox News poll, which was conducted before the Washington Post reported that four women accused Moore of pursuing them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s. In the October poll, the two candidates were tied at 42% and registered women voters were largely split on the candidates as well: 43% said they would vote for Jones at the time, while 41% favored Moore.

The new poll included 823 registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3% and was conducted Nov. 13-15, starting four days after the Post report. A fifth accuser, Beverly Young Nelson, also spoke out on Nov. 13 alleging that Moore assaulted her when she was 16. Another woman, Tina Johnson, said Wednesday that Moore groped her in his office in 1991.

Likely voters not only slowed down on their support for Moore in this poll, but they also showed less enthusiasm for the possibility of voting for Luther Strange, who currently holds the seat and who Moore beat in the Republican primary earlier this fall. Some have talked about writing in Stranges name on Dec. 12, but likely voters favored Jones to Strange 48% to 38% in the poll.

Other recent polls had shown Moore and Jones neck-and-neck, but a poll from the Senate Republicans campaign arm this week also showed Jones up by 12 points.
(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.)  Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is trying to steal this election by calling for him to step down amid allegations of sexual misconduct decades ago.

A defiant Moore appeared at a news conference on Thursday to reiterate that he would be staying in the Alabama race.

This is an effort by Mitch McConnell and his cronies to steal this election from the people of Alabama and they will not stand for it! #ALSEN  Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) November 16, 2017

I'm gonna tell you who needs to step down, that's Mitch McConnell. #alsen  Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) November 16, 2017

It comes as the Republican National Committee, the Senate GOP campaign committee and the partys leading voices in Congress have called on the 70-year-old former judge to quit the race.

At least three new allegations of misconduct were reported on Wednesday, including one by Tina Johnson, who told AL.com that Moore groped her during a 1991 meeting in his law office.

The special election is scheduled for Dec. 12. Moore is facing off against Democrat Doug Moore
The alleged child molester or the Democrat? Alabama voters face that choice in a few weeks time, and its not clear which of those theyll find more odious. There are several reasons to think Roy Moore, the Republican nominee whos been accused of making sexual advances to teenagers, could lose the special Senate election scheduled for Dec. 12. But theres one big reason to think he could still win.

Washington Republicans were always leery of Moore, a crusading Christian conservative who was twice elected to the Alabama supreme courtand twice booted off it for refusing to abide by higher courts rulings on the Ten Commandments and same-sex marriage. But the recent revelations that Moore dated girls as young as 14 when he was an unmarried local district attorney in his 30s have sent the national GOP into a moral and political panic. Moore has denied the allegations by five women, including one who said that he assaulted her in a locked car when she was 16. In his defense, he said he didnt recall dating any girl without the permission of her mother.

Alabama is an overwhelmingly Republican state where President Trump got 62% of the vote. But Moore is not as universally popular as his two election wins might suggest. He previously lost two Republican gubernatorial primaries, and in his last judicial election he got just 52% of the vote, under-performing that years GOP presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, by 9 points. Moore has a committed base of religious voters, particularly in rural Alabama. But when I traveled to the state earlier this year, I found many business-minded Republicans in suburban areas who disliked Moores disregard for legal authority and extreme positions on social issues. Some fretted that Moore validates the worst stereotypes outsiders hold about Alabamans as a bunch of barefoot, Bible-thumping rednecks. A GOP strategist following the race says private polling showed it within the margin of error even before the allegations of sexual impropriety.

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The Republican National Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee have canceled planned spending in support of Mooreproof, he says, that he is a threat to the D.C. Establishment. But for all Moores bluster, his poorly funded, skimpily staffed campaign may struggle without institutional support. That happened in the 2012 Senate campaign of Missouri Republican Todd Akin, who lost the red state by 16 points after he said legitimate rape was unlikely to cause pregnancy and his backers bailed.

In the Akin race, many Republican voters decided they would rather elect a Democrat than someone they regarded as a misogynist. The question in Alabama is whether enough Republican voters will not only believe the accusations but find them serious enough to override partisanship. Theres evidence this can happen. The current Democratic governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, won in 2015 after then-Sen. David Vitter acknowledged patronizing prostitutes. (That election is also proof Democrats can turn out to vote in off-year elections.) Even in the South, plenty of voters preferred a Democrat to a scoundrel.

Theres a big caveat that hangs over any post-2016 political analysis, however: Donald Trump. The Presidents rise scuttled much of the old conventional wisdom about how voters behave. It revealed a change in the way religious-right voters judge the character of candidates. Six years ago, 72% of white evangelical voters believed a candidate who acted immorally in private could not behave ethically in office, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. Asked again this year, only 30% thought candidates private morals were relevant. What happened in between, of course, was Trump. White evangelical voters backed him by a huge majority in 2016, rationalizing his louche personal life and his boasts about sexually assaulting women in the Access Hollywood tape. Evangelical leaders like Jerry Falwell Jr. argued that God chose mysterious instruments to work His will, that immoral people could still govern morally and that the U.S. faced a spiritual crisis from which only Trump could deliver the nation.

Polls in Alabama show a close race, with neither candidate topping 50%. The Democrat Doug Jones is a well-credentialed former prosecutor who has begun airing ads about the Moore allegations. There are plenty of Republicans in Alabama who dont like Roy Moore, says David Mowery, a Montgomery-based independent consultant. Will they actually hold their nose and vote for a Democrat? In the age of Trump, thats a harder judgment than ever to make.
Romeo-class submarine being overhauled in dry-dock - DigitalGlobe

North Korea has rejected Donald Trumps call for talks over its nuclear programme just days after the US president completed his high-profile to Asia.

Han Tae Song, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said that negotiations would not happen while America continued war games in the region.

The snub occurred as new satellite images suggested North Korea is pursuing an aggressive schedule to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine.

The developments mark a double setback for Mr Trump, who is seeking a breakthrough in the stand-off over North Korea after rallying support for his approach in Asia.

During a five-nation tour of the region Mr Trump surprised commentators with a call for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal over its nuclear programme.

Modernisation of port of Nopyong-niCredit: DigitalGlobe/ScapeWare3d

Construction of L-shaped pier continuesCredit: DigitalGlobe/ScapeWare3d

However speaking to Reuters, Mr Han rejected the proposal and criticised America for carrying out joint military practices with South Korea.

As long as there is continuous hostile policy against my country by the US and as long as there are continued war games at our doorstep, then there will not be negotiations, Mr Han said.

"There are continued military exercises using nuclear assets as well as aircraft carriers, and strategic bombers and then...raising such kinds of military exercises against my country.

Mr Han said North Koreas nuclear programme was about protection, saying: "This is the deterrent, the nuclear deterrent to cope with the nuclear threat from America."

He also claimed Mr Trump drive for tighter sanctions was to overthrow the regime by isolating it and creating a humanitarian disaster.

China has contested Mr Trumps claim that a freeze for freeze proposal  where North Korea stops its nuclear development and America ends its military war games  was off the table.

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Meanwhile 38 North, a Washington-based project that monitors North Korea, said that satellite images indicate the regime is aggressively pursuing a ballistic missile submarine.

Close-up shows potential pressure hull componentsCredit: DigitalGlobe/ScapeWare3d

Continued movement of parts and components observedCredit: DigitalGlobe/ScapeWare3d

The images captured activity at North Korea's Sinpo South Shipyard on November 5.

"The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarine's pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine - the follow-on to the current SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine," 38 North said in a report.

The report said that throughout 2017 there had been continued movement of parts and components into and out of two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the center of the shipyard.

Close-up of the missile test standCredit: DigitalGlobe/ScapeWare3d

Sinpo-class submarine and submersible test stand bargeCredit: DigitalGlobe/ScapeWare3d

It said the November 5 images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarine's pressure hull. It said these appeared larger than those for North Korea's ROMEO-class attack submarine.

Images of a test stand indicated continued testing of a mechanism for ejection launch of missiles from a submarine. However, the report said no activity could be seen suggesting preparations for a new test of a submarine-launched missile.

North Korea has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States, sparking a major international crisis in which U.S. President Donald Trump has said that all options are under consideration, including military ones.

North Korea is also thought to be working on a solid-fuel missile for submarine launches.

Last month, The Diplomat magazine quoted a U.S. government source as saying U.S. military intelligence had detected a new diesel-electric submarine under construction at Sinpo and dubbed it the Sinpo-C. It said the submarine was likely a larger successor to North Korea's single experimental ballistic missile submarine.

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) says that the standards of behavior that would lead to someone resigning or being fired have changed since Bill Clinton was in office. (Photo: Tom Williams via Getty Images)

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said that President Bill Clinton should have resigned from the Oval Office after news broke of his infamous affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

In an interview with The New York Times, Gillibrand said that Clinton stepping down after the scandal was made public would have been the appropriate response.

Gillibrand, who fervently supported Hillary Clinton during her 2016 campaign for the presidency, added that the standard for behavior has changed since her husbands presidential term ended in 2001.

Things have changed today, and I think under those circumstances there should be a very different reaction, she said, apparently nodding to the watershed conversation happening nationally in the U.S. on powerful men and sexual abuse.

And I think in light of this conversation, we should have a very different conversation about President Trump, and a very different conversation about allegations against him.

Gillibrands spokesman later clarified to the Times that the senator was trying to express that if the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal had happened now, Bill Clinton wouldve felt more pressure to resign.

In a 1998 news conference in the White House Rose Garden, President Bill Clinton apologized for his sexual relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky. (Photo: Cynthia Johnson via Getty Images)

Gillibrand has publicly expressed her admiration of the Clintons in the past.

In an essay published on Medium in 2016, she endorsed Hillary Clintons Democratic presidential bid. In the essay, she wrote adoringly of Hillary Clinton, who mentored Gillibrand during her own run for office and said she was truly honored that Bill Clinton had campaigned for her congressional run in 2006.

As senator, her government website reads, Gillibrand is leading the fight to reform the justice system for sexual assault survivors in the military and on college campuses.

On Wednesday, Gillibrand co-sponsored a bill, known as the Me Too Act, with Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) to make the process of reporting sexual harassment by lawmakers and staffers easier. The bill, which gained bipartisan support, is a part of Speiers efforts to address the issue of sexual harassment and abuse within Congress.

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Gillibrand has also publicly denounced Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who was recently accused of groping and kissing broadcaster Leeann Tweeden without consent during a USO tour in 2006.

The allegations against Sen. Franken are deeply concerning. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and should not be tolerated anywhere in our society. There is nothing funny about it and there is no excuse for it. The Ethics Committee deserves answers from him.  Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) November 16, 2017

There has been an outpouring of sexual abuse or harassment accusations against men in powerful positions since The New York Times and The New Yorker published explosive reports last month on film mogul Harvey Weinsteins alleged history of sexual abuse and manipulation.

Accusations have since stretched across industries to include political circles, with Senate nominee Roy Moore of Alabama also at the center of sexual misconduct allegations.

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Gretchen Carlson

Her account: In a lawsuit filed in July 2016, Carlson accused Ailes of sexual harassment and sexism. When Carlson attempted to address the discriminatory treatment in September 2015, Ailes allegedly told her: I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then youd be good and better and Id be good and better." Carlson claimed that Ailes fired her in June 2016 for rebuffing his sexual advances and challenging a sexist newsroom culture.



Ailes' response: The same day Carlson filed her lawsuit, Ailes released the below statement:



"Gretchen Carlsons allegations are false. This is a retaliatory suit for the networks decision not to renew her contract, which was due to the fact that her disappointingly low ratings were dragging down the afternoon lineup. When Fox News did not commence any negotiations to renew her contract, Ms. Carlson became aware that her career with the network was likely over and conveniently began to pursue a lawsuit. Ironically, Fox News provided her with more on-air opportunities over her 11 year tenure than any other employer in the industry, for which she thanked me in her recent book. This defamatory lawsuit is not only offensive, it is wholly without merit and will be defended vigorously.



When we found out: July 6, 2016



When she says it happened: 2005 - 2016

Marsha Callahan

Her account: When Callahan (left) was starting out as an aspiring model in the 1960s, Ailes allegedly told her that he could advance her career if she slept with him, New York Magazine reported on July 9, 2016. During this time, Ailes was a producer on "The Mike Douglas Show and allegedly asked Callahan to wear a garter belt and stockings and lift up her skirt for him.



Ailes response: Although Ailes did not publicly comment on Boyles accusation, his lawyer Barry Asen released a statement. Asen blamed Carlson's initial accusations for these new allegations: It has become obvious that Ms. Carlson and her lawyer are desperately attempting to litigate this in the press because they have no legal case to argue. The latest allegations, all 30 to 50 years old, are false.



When we found out: July 9, 2016



When she says it happened: 1967 or 1968

Megyn Kelly

Her account: Directly after Carlsons accusations came to light, Kelly allegedly told 21st Century Fox investigators that Ailes made unwanted sexual advances when she was just starting out as a correspondent for Fox 10 years prior. In her recent memoir, Kelly wrote that Ailes made inappropriate advances, commenting on her very sexy bras and how hed like to see [her] in them. He also tried to grab and kiss her, and later threatened to fire her if she did not comply.



Ailes' response: I categorically deny the allegations Megyn Kelly makes about me. I worked tirelessly to promote and advance her career, as Megyn herself admitted to Charlie Rose. Watch that interview and then decide for yourself, Ailes said in a statement to People Magazine on November 15, 2016. My attorneys have restricted me from commenting further -- so suffice it to say that no good deed goes unpunished.



When we found out: Initial accusations on July 19, 2016; details from her book on November 3, 2016



When she says it happened: 2005 - 2006

Rudi Bakhtiar

Her account: The former Fox News correspondent told The New York Times she was fired for complaining about sexual harassment from then-Fox News Washington bureau chief Brian Wilson. Similar to other accusations, Bakhtiar said Ailes also behaved inappropriately, asking her to stand during a job interview so he could see her legs and sending her miniskirts to wear at work.



Ailes response: None from Ailes, Fox News or parent company 21st Century Fox.



When we found out: July 23, 2016



When she says it happened: 2007

Laurie Luhn

Her account: Luhn, the former director of booking at Fox News, said that Ailes sexually harassed and blackmailed her into performing sexual acts for more than 20 years. It was psychological torture, she told New York Magazine on July 29, 2016. Luhn was among the few women who said she had given in to Ailes' demands, knowing he could help her career.



Ailes response: Ms. Luhn is someone I once regarded as a friend and a person who I helped for many years, Ailes wrote in a statement to ABC News in November 18, 2016. The stories she is telling now are fabrications built on half-truths and outright lies, and I can only assume are opportunistically intended to thrust her back into the limelight at my expense.



When we found out: July 29, 2016



When she says it happened: 1996 - 2016

Laurie Dhue

Her account: Dhue, who worked as a Fox News anchor from 2000 to 2008, said that Ailes asked if she was wearing underwear while she was jumping with his then 6-year-old son at a barbecue in New Jersey. Are you wearing any panties? I wish you werent, Ailes allegedly asked Dhue.



Ailes response: No public response.



When we found out: August 2, 2016



When she says it happened: Sometime during her tenure at Fox News between 2000 and 2008.

Andrea Tantaros

Her account: In a lawsuit filed August 2016, former Fox News host Tantaros claimed that Ailes is a sexual predator who made inappropriate sexual comments about her body and requested she hug him and twirl for him in his office. In the lawsuit, Tantaros named other Fox News male colleagues who sexually harassed her, including Bill OReilly. She called Fox News a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency and misogyny. After Tantaros complained about Ailes and Fox News misogynistic culture, she said she was demoted and taken off the air.



Ailes response: While Ailes did not publicly comment on the accusations, Fox News lawyers called Tantaros an opportunist and said her lawsuit bears all the hallmarks of the wannabe.



When we found out: August 8, 2016



When she says it happened: 2014 - 2016

Shelley Ross

Her account: In an essay for The Daily Beast in August 2016, Ross details the sexual harassment she experienced on The Tomorrow Show from Roger Ailes. Ross wrote that Ailes proposed a sexual alliance while she worked on the show.



Ailes response: None.



When we found out: August 8, 2016



When she says it happened: 1981

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Legislation adds accountability measures for entering proper records into the background check system  which was already a requirement passed in 2008

Federal agencies, including the military, are already required by law to submit records to the gun background checks system. Photograph: Paul J Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Ten years ago, after a mass shooting that could have been prevented, Congress passed a bipartisan law to fix the nations gun background check system. A decade later, a bipartisan group of senators is introducing new legislation to try to fix it again.

The gun legislation the senators announced this morning would not require a background check on every single gun sale, despite new polling data showing that 95% of Americans  a record high  support these universal background checks.

Instead, the compromise legislation would simply add new accountability measures to make sure that states and federal agencies are entering the proper records into the background check system.

For years, the federal database that is supposed to stop dangerous people from buying guns has been undermined by missing records. At least three of Americas most high-profile mass shooters were legally barred from buying guns, but were able to purchase them anyway because of the federal systems failures. Among them was the gunman who murdered 26 people in a Texas church this month.

Early reports from the mass shooting in northern California on Tuesday, which left five dead and included an attack on an elementary school, also suggested the shooter had been barred from owning firearms by a court order.

Federal agencies, including the military, are already required by law to submit records to the gun background checks system, under a 2008 measure passed in the wake of the Virginia Tech University shooting a decade ago, which left 32 people dead. But the air force announced after the Texas shooting that it had failed to submit the record of the Sutherland Springs church shooters 2012 domestic violence conviction to the background check system, allowing him to legally purchase multiple firearms in the years that followed.



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Its not yet clear how widespread the failure to submit military domestic violence convictions may have been. Officials for the Department of Defense and the air force have announced they are investigating the issue.

For years agencies and states havent complied with the law, failing to upload these critical records without consequence, Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican co-sponsoring the bill said in a statement on Thursday. This bill aims to help fix whats become a nationwide, systemic problem so we can better prevent criminals and domestic abusers from obtaining firearms. Cornyn has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association, the countrys most powerful gun-rights group.

The new legislation requires states and federal agencies to release public implementation plans describing how they ensure that all information is entered into the system and adds increased requirements for public scrutiny of how many records federal agencies are contributing to the background check system.

The law has both carrots and sticks to improve record-keeping, including grant incentives to help update the database and the threat of prohibiting bonus pay for political appointees if federal agencies fail to upload the right records.

A Democratic co-sponsor on the bill conceded that the legislation was only a small step forward. Its no secret that I believe much more needs to be done. But this bill will make sure that thousands of dangerous people are prevented from buying guns, said Chris Murphy, a Democrat whose gun control advocacy has been shaped by the 2012 elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Murphy, who led a 15-hour filibuster on the Senate floor last year in the wake of the mass shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida, has been eager to achieve bipartisan progress on guns, one of Washingtons most intractable issues. Big news: super close to a bipartisan breakthrough on gun legislation, he tweeted on Wednesday, in advance of the new legislations announcement.

Murphy praised Cornyns work on the bill and said the legislation provides the foundation for more compromise in the future.

Gun violence prevention advocates said that new legislation was needed to ensure compliance with the current system, and that even if the new legislation passed, many loopholes would still remain in the law.

The failures are so stark here, and the danger to the public is so stark, so I think theres clearly a need for some dramatic action, said Lindsay Nichols, the federal policy director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Given its past track record, expecting the military to follow the law on its own was not a sufficient response, she said. I dont think we can expect that to really happen without a legal requirement.

Nicols said its not clear how many other gun murders might have been stopped if the militarys background check reporting had been fixed earlier.

If the air force failed to report somebody, and instead of resulting in the deaths of 26 people in a church, it resulted in the death of one person on the streets of Chicago, it probably would not have sparked the same national conversation, she said. I dont know if wed even know about it.

For years, Republicans in Congress have blocked any attempt to pass new gun control laws, despite a series of increasingly deadly, high-profile mass shootings. But they have shown willingness to try to force compliance, once again, with current law.



In 2007, after a mass shooting at Virginia Tech University left 32 people dead, Congress passed a new law that attempted to close gaping holes in the background check system. The Virginia Tech perpetrator, a senior at the university, had been able to buy a gun because the mental health record that would have disqualified him from gun ownership had not been entered into the system. The bipartisan law, signed by George W Bush, offered financial incentives to help states to put their disqualifying mental health records into the background check system, so the error that left dozens of Americans dead would not be repeated again.

A decade later, mental health record reporting has improved, but its still far from complete. National Rifle Association-approved compromises inserted into the legislation to allow people with past mental health records to restore their gun rights have undermined the effort, a 2013 ProPublica investigation found.

Gun violence prevention advocates said far more action was needed, including new definitions of an expansion of the background check law. Under current federal law, only licensed gun dealers have to check potential buyers in the background check database, meaning that private citizens in most states are free to buy and sell guns from each other without any background check.





Other changes to the background check process might also improve safety. In 2015, a white supremacist who went on to murder nine people in a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, was able to buy a gun because a background check investigator juggling multiple cases could not immediately locate the arrest record that contained the admission that he had used illegal drugs. Because current law allows gun stores to sell a firearm if an investigation into the status of the buyer goes on for more than three days, the stalled investigation meant that the shooter was allowed to legally purchase a gun.

The Charleston shooting could have been prevented if there were more time for the background check system to work, Nichols said. But changing the law to allow for more than three days to block a gun sale is not part of the conversation, and it would be good if it were.

Americas debate over gun control has remained deadlocked since the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, when a gunman killed his mother and claimed the lives of 20 children and six educators before taking his own.

The shooting prompted the US Senate to debate legislation in April 2013 that would have expanded background checks, but the bill failed to clear even a procedural vote with all but four Republicans voting against it. Four Democrats also joined Republicans in killing the measure, delivering a blow to gun control advocates and Barack Obama, who made the strengthening of gun laws a foremost priority of his second term.

The Sandy Hook tragedy, and subsequent inaction, was also personal for Murphy, who was then closing out his term as the congressman whose district included Newtown. Since his arrival in the Senate in 2013, the senator has ranked among the leading advocates of stricter gun laws.

But even as a series of deadly shootings have come to pass, gun-related legislation has been stymied on Capitol Hill amid steep opposition from Republicans and the National Rifle Association.

In addition to the failed vote on background checks in 2013, the Senate twice rejected proposals to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms.

The latter votes followed both the Orlando massacre in June 2016, which left 49 dead and 58 others wounded, and the December 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, in which 14 people were killed and 22 more were injured at an office holiday party. In both incidents, the perpetrators claimed to be inspired by Islamic State.
The proposal is modeled on similar legislation pushed by GOP Sen. Deb Fischer. (Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Tucked inside the Senate Republicans latest tax bill is a proposal theyre touting as a paid family leave plan.

Its not.

The provision, as written in the version of the bill released Wednesday, offers companies a small tax credit for giving workers as little as two weeks of paid time off for family and medical leave. Whats covered by family and medical leave is not clearly defined. The concept is modeled on similar legislation pushed by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) for the past few years.

Fischer seems thrilled. This is a big step toward enacting the first nationwide paid leave policy in U.S. history, she said in a statement Wednesday.

While the measure is certainly a sign that paid leave has finally become a major bipartisan issue, whats on offer here will do little to address the needs of new parents in the United States, according to family advocates, some conservative economists and, well, common sense.

Its a flimflam, said Ellen Bravo, co-director at Family Values@Work, a national coalition of paid leave advocates. Its pretending to say were giving you something new that people urgently need when, in fact, its a giveaway to the bigger corporations that can already afford to do it.

The U.S. is one of just a handful of countries that do not mandate paid maternity leave. It is the only advanced economy in the world that requires no time off for new parents. This failing has devastating economic consequences. For starters, the U.S. has a lower percentage of women in the workforce than most other similarly situated countries. Researchers have even found a correlation between infant mortality rates and the amount of time mothers take off after the arrival of a child.

Even though an overwhelming majority of Americans believe parents should get paid time off to care for a newborn, only 15 percent of U.S. workers currently do, according to federal data. About one-quarter of mothers go back to work less than two weeks after giving birth. Others wind up quitting their jobs and relying on government benefits to squeak by.

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Theres increasing awareness among Democrats and Republicans that this is an urgent issue. Even President Donald Trump included a proposal for six weeks of paid time off in his draft budget released in May, although hes done little to push the matter since.

The Senates family leave provision was not part of the tax bill passed Thursday by the House of Representatives, and its not clear whether it will make it into the final version of the tax plan.

There are a few problems with the tax credit itself, said Vicki Shabo, a vice-president at the National Partnership for Women and Families. Its relatively small. A company could pay a worker as little as 50 percent of his or her salary and then would get 12.5 percent of that money back via a tax credit. It offers little incentive for companies to start offering leave  theyd only get their money back at the end of the year.

And perhaps most disheartening, the tax credit would be temporary, expiring in 2019  which hardly gives employers time to get the new benefit up and rolling.

This is a way for Republicans to check a box that says, We care about paid leave, without ensuring any workers are actually getting paid leave, said Shabo.

Several conservative economists agree. This kind of tax credit would most likely be embraced by companies that already offer paid family leave, wrote Aparna Mathur, a resident scholar in economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute.

This is only a small step forward in this debate, not a giant leap, Mathur said. Much more can and should be done.

The reality is that no one knows whether tax incentives would translate into more paid leave, Abby M. McCloskey wrote in the right-wing National Review. The approach outlined in Fischers earlier bill (which the current measure is modeled on) leaves much to be desired, McCloskey said.

Ben Gitis, labor policy director at the conservative American Action Forum, is more optimistic about the provision. It could work, he told HuffPost. He likes that the tax credit could be claimed only for workers who earn less than $72,000 a year, targeting those who need paid leave the most.

But he too noted that no one really knows if tax credits will ultimately lead to more paid leave.

There is consensus on what would work, Shabo, Bravo and McCloskey pointed out: enacting a policy that gives American workers paid time off. A handful of states  including California and New Jersey already offer paid leave. It works like this: Employees and employers, depending on the state, contribute small amounts of money to create an insurance pool that covers paid leave, much the way unemployment insurance works.

Limited paid-leave programs have been found to increase work-force participation, raise wages, reduce use of government benefits, increase leave times, and improve childrens and mothers health outcomes  especially for low-wage parents for whom the alternative is often welfare, McCloskey wrote.

And she asked: Why not move forward with a program we know works?

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story indicated Connecticut was one of a few states that offer paid family leave. In fact, it only offers sick leave.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
It's the classic American conundrum: Our First Amendment entitles us to speak our minds, even if others may not agree or appreciate the way we say it. Even if one of those is the sheriff. Or does he have a point?



Karen Fonseca of Houston has a Texas-sized decal in the window of her truck that vividly, if obscenely, expresses her views of President Trump and his supporters. She says she's received both complaints and praise for it. She also said she's been stopped a few times by police officers, but they've never been able to figure out what to cite her for.



But the whole thing went viral on Wednesday, when Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls posted a photo of the truck on Facebook with a request to speak to the driver. "I have received numerous calls regarding the offensive display on this truck as it is often seen along FM 359. If you know who owns this truck or it is yours, I would like to discuss it with you," the post read. "Our Prosecutor has informed us she would accept Disorderly Conduct charges regarding it, but I feel we could come to an agreement regarding a modification to it."



Not clear what the modification would be. Strike the F-word, clearly, but replace it with what? "Fooey on Trump?" "Fork Trump?"



Anyway, Nehls deleted the post after thousands of commenters defending the decal as free speech  though thousands also "liked" the post. A spokesman for Nehls' office said some commenters had said derogatory things about Nehls' family.



Nehls later said he supports the First Amendment but simply wanted to talk to the owner.



"The objective of the post was to find the owner/driver of the truck and have a conversation with them in order to prevent a potential altercation between the truck driver and those offended by the message. Since the owner of the truck has been identified, the Sheriff took down the post," the sheriff's spokesman for Nehls' office said.



But Fonseca said she's been driving with the sticker for almost a year with no concerns for her safety. "I drive it all the time on a daily basis," Fonseca said. "I'm not fearful. There's too much positive, and it makes people smile. They honk their horn, they give you a thumbs up."



A mother herself, Fonseca said she understands why parents might not want their kids to see the foul language, but she points out they see the F-word constantly used elsewhere, such as online. "This is nothing," she said. "Unless you're going to put your kids in a bubble, you can't blame it on your children."



Ah, but the plot thickened Thursday, or at least it gained a sideshow, when KHOU-TV reported that Fonseca's husband Mike said she'd been arrested on an outstanding warrant for what court papers said was a fraud charge in Rosenberg, which is in Fort Bend County.





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So what's the legality of all this?



Nehls, in the comments on his post, shared what he said was the legal definition of disorderly conduct in Texas. He said the charge is appropriate for a person who intentionally "uses abusive indecent, profane, or vulgar language in a public place" or "makes an offensive gesture or display in a public place" that "tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace."



But the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said Fonseca's message is protected speech and urged her to reach out to the organization. It pointed to a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned the conviction of a man for wearing a jacket with the same expletive protesting the military draft and Vietnam War.



Not all speech is protected, of course. Not yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater is a commonly cited example. But based on that 1971 case, Cohen v. California, the incitement Nehls refers to has to be highly specific "fighting words."



But Nehls maintained in a press conference, shown in the video clip above, that that's the case here, because the message is an "F--- you" to specific people who voted for Trump.



Lynne Rambo, a law professor at Texas A&M University who specializes in the First Amendment, said Thursday that the 1971 Supreme Court case means the state can't restrict speech over profanity, and that this free speech is too broad. The sheriff, she said, "really ought to know First Amendment law better than that."



Some have accused Nehls of launching a politically motivated attack  or least a publicity stunt. A Republican, he's considering a run for Congress in 2018.



Related Video:







She shocked the sheriff: Texas woman's anti-Trump message goes viral originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:45:00 EST.
By Paul McLeary with Adam Rawnsley and Dan De Luce

China contradicts Trump on North Korea. President Trump on Wednesday proclaimed he had an agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping to reject a freeze for freeze agreement with North Korea, which would halt U.S. military exercises in the region in return for a suspension of the North Korean nuclear program. Time is running out, Trump said at the White House. And we made it clear. And all options remain on the table.

China, which calls the freeze for freeze idea dual suspension, pushed back on that Thursday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called the dual suspension proposal the most feasible, fair and sensible plan in the present situation, adding, not only can it relieve the present tense situation, it can also resolve all parties most pressing security concerns, and provide an opportunity and create conditions to resume talks.

Former Pentagon chiefs warn against tax cut. If Congress votes through the massive tax cuts currently on the House floor, it would likely mean future cuts to Pentagon budgets for training, maintenance, force structure, flight missions, procurement and other key programs.

Thats according to former defense secretaries Leon E. Panetta, Chuck Hagel and Ash Carter, who sent a letter to congressional leadership Wednesday opposing the plan. The result is the growing danger of a hollowed out military force that lacks the ability to sustain the intensive deployment requirements of our global defense mission, the secretaries wrote.

U.S. reduces U.N. funding. The No. 2 civilian official in the Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that Washington will decrease its contribution to the United Nations peacekeeping fund by 3 percent.

Speaking at a U.N. conference in Vancouver, Canada, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said that the U.S. will stay the largest financial contributor for peacekeeping missions, but we currently provide more than 28 percent of assessed costs, which will soon slide to 25 percent of the $8 billion in annual costs to equip and deploy peacekeepers.

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And then there were none. The Senate on Wednesday approved former Raytheon lobbyist Mark Esper as Army Secretary, making him the last of the civilian service secretaries to take a seat at the Pentagon. President Trumps first two picks for Army Secretary flamed out, and Espers nomination was held up since July due to objections lodged by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that the Pentagon wasnt being forthcoming about its war plans for Afghanistan.

Navy pushing forward on submarine plan. Navy leaders say theyre planning to build two Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines a year to reach the ultimate goal of a 66-sub fleet, a build rate that will get the Navy to that magic number by 2048.

Building two Virginia-class subs a year  even in years where the Navy buys Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarines  is a change in plans, which previously called for only on Virginia build in the years where a Columbia was built, but officials tell the U.S. Naval Institute blog that they think they can pull it off.

Meanwhile, Connecticut -based submarine maker Electric Boat  which has built many of the Navys subs over the past century  is scrambling to find more workers.

Boots in Europe. The chief of staff of the U.S. Army, Gen. Mark Milley, told reporters on Wednesday he is weighing a slight increase in the Armys footprint in Europe to deter Russia, including more armored units, long-range artillery and aviation. Ground forces play an outsized role in conventional deterrence and conventional assurance of allies, because your physical presence on the ground speaks volumes, Milley told a defense writers group briefing.

Army strong. Asked about a USA Today story this week saying the Army was issuing waivers for recruits with a history of mental health problems, Milley insisted that was not the case. The decision had been taken lower down the chain of command but the Army is not short-circuiting standards to meet ambitious goals to expand the size of the force, the general said. The Armys recruiting goal for 2018 is 80,000 new soldiers, compared to 69,000 new soldiers for 2017. Milley did tip his hat to the newspaper however for calling his attention to the issue.

The spy and his dossier. The former British spy Christopher Steele who compiled the infamous dossier on Donald Trumps dealings with Russia says it is 70-90 percent accurate, according to a new book by Guardian journalist Luke Harding. He also has told his friends that his dossiers findings will be vindicated as the special counsel Robert Mueller presses ahead with his investigation.

Welcome to SitRep. As always, please send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary.

A suicide bomber attacked a meeting of an Afghan political party in Kabul on Thursday, killing at least nine people and wounding many others, the interior ministry said.

Brits wonder about Russian influence on the Brexit campaign.

Congressional leaders want an investigation into $400 million worth of Afghanistan projects that have gone up in smoke.

Ghouta in the crosshairs as the Syrian army backed by Russian jets are stepping up shelling and air strikes on a rebel-held enclave in Damascus, just days after rebels stormed an army base in the area.

The United States is calling for a vote Thursday on a resolution that would extend the mandate to determine who was responsible for chemical attacks in Syria, which is likely to face Russian opposition.

If Saudi Arabia goes through with plans to buy Russian air defense systems, that would create real problems in trying to integrate with with U.S.-made systems,

In a surprise move, the top U.S. counterterrorism official is stepping down at the end of the year, National Intelligence Director Dan Coats said Wednesday. Trump administration officials had asked Nick Rasmussen to stay on as director of the National Counterterrorism Center in January, but Rasmussen decided more recently to leave the job he had held for three years.

The White House on Wednesday went public with the rules by which it decides to keep secret software flaws that can be turned into cyberweapons  whether by U.S. agencies hacking for foreign intelligence, criminals or foreign spies seeking to peek inside American computers.
By Harriet McLeod

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A white former South Carolina police officer filmed as he fatally shot an unarmed black motorist in the back two years ago will be sentenced on Dec. 4 on a federal civil rights charge, court officials said on Friday.

Ex-North Charleston officer Michael Slager pleaded guilty in May to violating motorist Walter Scott's civil rights by using excessive force in the April 2015 shooting.

A widely distributed cellphone video of the shooting taken by a bystander heightened a national debate about police treatment of minorities across the United States.

The Dec. 4 sentencing hearing will be held in U.S. District Court in Charleston. Judge David Norton, who heard Slager's guilty plea in May, has blocked out a week for the proceedings, his office said.

Slager, 35, faces a sentence ranging from zero years, or time served, to a maximum of life in prison on the civil rights charge. He has been in federal custody since his guilty plea just weeks before his federal trial was to start.

Slager fired eight shots at Scott's back, hitting him five times. He opened fire after the motorist fled a traffic stop for a broken brake light and he and Slager fought.

Slager's attorney Andrew Savage told Charleston's Post and Courier newspaper on Friday that he would emphasize the fight and that the video did not show the whole story of what happened.

"He (Slager) certainly was not looking for trouble that day, with the idea to hurt somebody," Savage was quoted as saying.

Justin Bamberg, a lawyer for the Scott family, said he favored a long prison sentence, perhaps life, as a deterrent to others in positions of public trust.

"You cannot do these kinds of things and if you do, the punishment will be severe," Bamberg, who helped secure a $6.5 million civil settlement for Scott's family, said by phone. Slager also was in jail for about nine months while facing state murder charges. He was released on bail in January 2016.

State prosecutors dropped a murder charge against Slager after he pleaded guilty to the federal charge. His murder trial ended with a hung jury last year.

(Reporting by Harriet McLeod; Editing by Ian Simpson in Washington and Jonathan Oatis)
Stocks (^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC) cant hold onto yesterdays gains as the major indices are poised to end the week lower. Catch The Final Round at 3:55 p.m. with Jen Rogers, Yahoo Finance columnist Rick Newman and markets correspondent Myles Udland.

And were talking to New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney about sexual assault allegations from Hollywood to Capitol Hill and what we can do about it.

Today we also discuss:
Beirut (AFP) - The Syrian army on Thursday entered Albu Kamal, the last town in the country held by the Islamic State group, several days after the jihadists recaptured it, a monitor said.

The town in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor on the border with Iraq was initially captured by the army and allied forces a month ago but IS retook it in a counterattack.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the new offensive had successfully penetrated the town, with troops backed by Russian air strikes advancing from the west, east and south.

"Fighting is ongoing inside the town, there is artillery fire and there are Russian air strikes," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The first assault on Albu Kamal was spearheaded by Syrian government allies, including Iraqi and Lebanese Shiite fighters, and advisers from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, the Observatory said.

"This time, the military operation is being led directly by regime forces," Abdel Rahman said, adding that troops had taken the town's eastern, southern and western suburbs.

IS still holds around 25 percent of the countryside of Deir Ezzor province but are under attack not only by government forces but also by US-backed Kurdish-led fighters.

The jihadists once controlled a territory the size of Britain, proclaiming a "caliphate" in 2014 that spanned Syria and Iraq.

But they have successively lost all their key strongholds, including Raqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.
(Reuters) - An 81-year-old Tennessee man, who said he carried a gun everywhere, accidentally shot himself and his wife during a conversation in church about gun violence at houses of worship, a police chief said on Friday.

The shooting on Thursday at the First United Methodist Church in Tellico Plains, about 45 miles (70 km) southwest of Knoxville, took place as church elders discussed a local sheriff's "weapons and worship" seminar, following the massacre of 26 people at a rural Texas church earlier this month.

"During their discussion of this, one of the gentlemen said, 'I carry a weapon with me everywhere'" and pulled a loaded Ruger .380-caliber pistol from his back pocket, Tellico Plains Police Chief Ross Parks said by telephone.

The man removed the magazine and cleared the chamber to show the pistol to the others. He then reloaded it, put a round in the chamber and put it back in his pocket, Parks said.

When another person asked to see the pistol, the man took it out of his pocket and his finger accidentally hit the trigger. The bullet struck his right hand and then went through his 80-year-old wife's abdomen and right forearm, according to the police chief.

The bullet missed the woman's vital organs, and the couple was listed in stable condition at a hospital, he said.

Schools within 15 miles (24 km) of the church were locked down after a woman in the church's kitchen called police thinking the shot was an attack.

Parks declined to name the couple, citing a request from their son while relatives were notified. He said no charges were pending.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Bernadette Baum)
Elon Musk may believe the Tesla Semi is going to electrify trucking, but not everyone is convinced  including one of Musks biggest rivals in the electric trucking game.

Teslas truck will do good for the industry, very bad for Teslas balance sheet and good for Nikola, Trevor Milton, CEO of hybrid truck company Nikola Motors, tells Inverse. We are happy either way.

Milton argues his companys Nikola One hydrogen-powered truck is a more attractive prospect than Teslas vehicle. Set to be unveiled Thursday, the Tesla Semi is expected to use an all-electric design.

The problem, as Milton sees it, is that Teslas plan to use batteries could prove a tough sell to the trucking industry. He expects the company to use high-capacity stationary batteries that offer 3.3 amp cycles and a total lifespan of 5,000 recharges, compared to the companys regular car batteries that have a five amp cycle and only 1,000 charge cycles. These alternative batteries are 30 percent less energy dense, which means they will prove larger and heavier than the ones found in the cars where Tesla made its name.

Preview image of the Tesla Semi.

Theres also the question of range. Trucks need to travel much farther than regular cars, and its going to pose a new challenge for Tesla, which until now has only sold consumer-grade electric vehicles. A report from Reuters claimed the vehicle will offer a range of between 200 and 300 miles, well below conventional trucks that can travel up to 1,000 miles per tank of fuel.

Nikola  which, yes, uses the other half of Nikola Tesla as its namesake  plans to launch its $375,000 truck sometime in 2019. The company has said the truck will use hydrogen fuel-powered motors that can travel for over 750 miles between each refill, though this and other claims have yet to be independently tested. The fueling itself is expected to only take around 15 minutes. Nikola says it plans to expand hydrogen refueling points across the United States next year.

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We dont know how long the Tesla Semi will take to charge, but a 90kWh Tesla Model S takes around 30 minutes to reach 80 percent capacity when charged from a 120-kilowatt supercharging station. It seems like Nikola is confident about its marketplace prospects, but Milton welcomes the newcomer.

I think Tesla is going to help promote electrification of trucking, which Nikola Motor Company pioneered, Milton says.

However, Musk has said that expectations for the Tesla Semi are too low:

Semi specs are better than anything I've seen reported so far. Semi eng/design team work is aces, but other needs are greater right now.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2017

The tension is rising to see whether Tesla can pull it off. The company is expected to unveil the semi truck at 8 p.m. Pacific on Thursday night at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, California, southwest of Los Angeles.

InsureMyTesla could change the auto insurance industry forever. Check out this video to find out more.

Photos via Tesla, Nikola Motors

Photos via Tesla, Nikola Motors

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Here are the stocks were watching today:

Tesla (TSLA) shares are rising after Elon Musk revealed the companys first all-electric semi-truck and a $200,000 supercar. Both J.B. Hunt (JBHT) and Walmart (WMT) placed reservations for multiple trucks.

The list of potential suitors for Twenty-First Century Fox (FOX) is growing. The Wall Street Journal reported that Comcast (CMCSA) and Verizon (VZ), our parent company, have expressed interest in buying a piece of the media company. Comcast is reportedly discussing an all-stock offer, according to CNBC, although a deal is not close.

Finally, we have a lot of good news for retailers:
President Donald Trump, infamously caught on tape bragging about groping women, was attacked on Twitter Thursday night for criticizing Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who now faces allegations of sexual assault.

Anchorwoman Leann Tweeden said on Thursday that Franken groped and kissed her without her consent during a USO tour in 2006.

The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? .....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

.And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

Responses piled up within seconds, calling the president a hypocrite for attacking Franken while more than a dozen women have accused Trump himself of sexual assault. Critics also took issue with the presidents silence on Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who faces mounting allegations that he preyed on underage girls when he was in his 30s.

Ninni Laaksonen

Jessica Drake

Karena Virginia

Cathy Heller

Summer Zervos

Kristin Anderson

Jessica Leeds

Rachel Crooks

Mindy McGillivray

Natasha Stoynoff

Jennifer Murphy

Cassandra Searles

Temple Taggart McDowell

Jill Harthhttps://t.co/7kmc6bjmge  Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) November 17, 2017

Groper-in-chief offers us his expert opinion about the dynamics of groping. https://t.co/ZG50dDc9Gu  Arindrajit Dube (@arindube) November 17, 2017

The fact that Trump rushed to comment on Al Franken's scandal makes his silence about Roy Moore--who is an accused child molester!--even more damning. https://t.co/ncIDAYj1F3  Max Boot (@MaxBoot) November 17, 2017

President Trump, who was caught on tape bragging about assaulting women, still hasn't commented on the allegations against Roy Moore harassing underaged girls, but tweets this about Senator Al Franken pic.twitter.com/FNdOPXi4x7  Amanda Golden (@amandawgolden) November 17, 2017

1) Have not heard the "Frankenstein" nickname before

2) It might be Autocorrect

3) But it's spelled wrong

4) Conclusion: Trump thinks this is actually his name https://t.co/H1CgaXPhue  Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) November 17, 2017

Trump has more than a dozen, on-the-record, allegations of sexual assault against him, and was caught on tape bragging about committing sexual assault. This is a dangerous game for him to play. https://t.co/seUnYcBuhU  Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) November 17, 2017

Im automatically attracted to beautiful women  I just start kissing them, its like a magnet. Just kiss. I dont even wait. And when youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. https://t.co/x6E8KNzURU  Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) November 17, 2017

Hello we are in the fucking upside down https://t.co/fpUhgJAlTY  Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) November 17, 2017

This is so, so, so profoundly unfunny. https://t.co/aKOijAEK6X  Rebecca Traister (@rtraister) November 17, 2017

Your own words speaks even louder: You bragged about your sexual assaults. https://t.co/8RM9mJXkVm pic.twitter.com/0fFUkjI0XM  Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) November 17, 2017

Imagine how damaging it would be for "Al Frankenstein" if there was a video of him saying he routinely commits sexual assault pic.twitter.com/YiAlRquT1G  Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) November 17, 2017

This is a great topic for you, keep bringing this up. pic.twitter.com/abp2gFUsNg  The 420 Honey (@the420Honey) November 17, 2017

You should probably just shut the hell up about this topic - you know, being an accused rapist and confessed sexual predator and all. https://t.co/P03aOlUxRM  Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) November 17, 2017

Trump on Franken: Pot discusses sins of the kettle.  Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 17, 2017

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In his 12-day trip to Asia, U.S. President Donald Trump largely focused on North Korea and trade, all but avoiding the simmering disputes in the South China Sea and steering clear of sharp criticism of Beijings increasingly aggressive activities there.

With the Trump administration focused elsewhere for now, China is quietly pressing ahead with its agenda in one of the worlds most strategic waterways, building more military facilities on man-made islands to buttress its expansionist claims and dramatically expanding its presence at sea at the expense of its smaller neighbors.

Beijings under-the-radar advances in the South China Sea could be bad news for countries in the region, for U.S. hopes to maintain influence in the Western Pacific, and for the rules-based international order that for decades has promoted peace and prosperity in Asia.

At the Chinese Communist Party congress last month, President Xi Jinping cited island building in the South China Sea as one of his top achievements so far, and touted the successful prosecution of maritime rights. Those rights appear at odds with international law: Xi is now assuring nervous neighbors that China will offer safe passage through the seas to other countries in the region.

The South China Sea has fallen victim to a combination of Trumps narrow focus on North Korea and the administrations chaotic and snail-paced policymaking process, said Ely Ratner of the Council on Foreign Relations, who served as an advisor to former Vice President Joe Biden.

Chinas recent advances in the South China Sea arent as eye-popping as the overnight creation of artificial atolls in recent years, a massive engineering project dubbed the great wall of sand by a top U.S. admiral. Thats one reason the disputes got pushed to the back burner on Trumps big trip.

Because theres no sense of immediate or medium-term crisis (in the South China Sea), they didnt make it a big priority on the trip, said Evan Medeiros of the Eurasia Group, who oversaw Asia strategy in the Obama White House.

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But experts say the quiet moves  including expanding military bases, constructing radar and sensor installations, hardened shelters for missiles, and vast logistical warehouses for fuel, water, and ammunition  are threatening to turn Chinas potential stranglehold on the region into reality.

Much of the activity has centered on three reefs converted into artificial islands through large-scale dredging: Fiery Cross, Mischief Reef, and Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands, about 650 miles from Hainan Island in southern China. Satellite imagery in June revealed a large dome had been erected on Fiery Cross with another under construction, suggesting a substantial communications or radar system, experts say. At Mischief Reef, workers were installing two more domes.

With runways, hangars for fighter jets, and communications hardware in place on the artificial islands, China can deploy military aircraft and missiles whenever it wants, solidifying its grip over the area and flouting international maritime law. The three newly built bases in the Spratlys, combined with another on Woody Island, will enable Chinese warplanes to fly over nearly the entire South China Sea, according to Pentagon officials and defense analysts. That could be the precursor to an air defense identification zone similar to the one that China slapped onto the East China Sea in 2013.

And the new bases have given China much greater reach at sea. Beijing has deployed more naval ships, Coast Guard vessels, and a flotilla of fishing boats that act as a maritime militia virtually around the clock. The ships can now dock nearby to refuel and resupply, rather than sail home, extending their time on station and their ability to project Chinese power through the area. That is changing the balance of power as fishing ships and coast guard vessels from other claimant countries like Vietnam and the Philippines are elbowed away from disputed features.

This summer, for example, Vietnam hoped to drill for natural gas off its own coast. But China reportedly summoned the Vietnamese ambassador and threatened military action if Hanoi went forward with development in its own exclusive economic zone. Sensing little backing from Washington, Vietnam quietly backed down and stopped drilling.

The sheer numbers are starting to push the Filipinos, the Vietnamese, and the Malaysians out, said Gregory Poling of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

More than nine months into the Trump administration, contrasts with U.S. policy under Barack Obama toward the South China Sea are apparent  as they are with the initial saber-rattling tone of Trump administration officials. The Obama administration put a focus on diplomacy and consistently sought to uphold international law regarding the disputed waterway, though it often shied away from sailing U.S. Navy ships through the waters to send a tough signal to Beijing.

The Trump administration has taken almost the opposite approach: Navy cruises to assert the right of navigation have become commonplace, but there is little sign yet of a concerted U.S. policy to diplomatically push back against Chinese encroachment or offer encouragement to U.S. allies and partners threatened by Beijings advances, former officials, experts and foreign diplomats said.

By having no South China Sea policy, Trump ensures that all the initiative lies with Beijing, said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a senior fellow at Yales Paul Tsai China Center.

Former U.S. officials and congressional aides said the Trump administration appears to be pulling its punches on the South China Sea, as well as trade issues, in hopes of securing Beijings cooperation to cut off North Koreas access to fuel and cash to fund its nuclear weapons program. So far, China has stopped short of drastic action to squeeze the regime in Pyongyang  and Chinese officials just contradicted Trumps claims that the two countries have found more common ground.

At the end of his Asia trip, Trump did offer to mediate between Vietnam and China, but that spooked officials in Hanoi who fear they could be a pawn in a bigger U.S.-China game centered on North Korea.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on its approach to the South China Sea.

However, some former Obama officials are cautiously optimistic that the Trump administration, hamstrung so far by short staffing at key positions, especially regarding Asia policy, is starting to craft a more coherent policy toward the region, including a sharper focus on Chinas activities in the South China Sea. Joint communiques in Japan and Vietnam stressed continued U.S. support for the rule of law and an end to coercion in maritime disputes, for example.

Ratner, the former Biden advisor, said he expects the Trump administration to chart a more proactive course as it settles into office.

They appear to finally be getting their policy feet under them and Im expecting more focus on South China Sea in the months ahead, he said. So its premature to declare itll remain a low priority going forward.
Remembering those who died in the Mid-Willamette Valley. Photos submitted by family members to accompany their obituaries in the Albany Democr
The White House on Thursday declined to take a stand on whether embattled Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore should drop out of the race, as the sexual misconduct scandal buffeting Moore continues to grow.

The President believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters, discussing a political firestorm on which President Donald Trump has largely stayed silent. He thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be.

Multiple women have accused Moore of pursuing them sexually when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s, allegations Moore has denied. Numerous Republican senators have called on Moore to drop out of the race against Democrat Doug Jones, but the White House wouldnt go that far. Sanders did say the President supported the decision by the [Republican National Committee] to withdraw resources from this race, but she reiterated that Alabama voters need to make their own choice on Moore.

Sanders was similarly circumspect when asked about about a new accusation that Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken kissed and groped a woman without her consent more than a decade ago. Franken, while saying he doesnt remember the incident the way accuser Leeann Tweeden does, nevertheless apologized and spent Thursday doing damage control.

It appears that the Senate is looking into that, which they should, and we feel like its an appropriate action, Sanders said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called for the Senate Ethics Committee to review Frankens conduct.

Trump infamously faced his own sexual harassment scandal during the 2016 presidential election, as multiple women accused him and a tape surfaced of him bragging about groping women without their consent. Trump has repeatedly denied all accusations. But Sanders said Trumps reaction to his own accusers  calling them liars and threatening to sue them  isnt inconsistent with saying that Moores accusers should be taken seriously.

I think the President has certainly a lot more insight into what he personally did or didnt do, Sanders said.
By David Dolan ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The U.S. case against a Turkish gold trader accused of evading U.S. sanctions on Iran is based on evidence fabricated by the network of the Muslim cleric Ankara blames for last year's coup attempt, Turkey's foreign minister said on Friday. Mevlut Cavusoglu said the case against the trader, Reza Zarrab, showed the extent to which followers of the U.S.-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, had infiltrated American state institutions, including its judiciary and overseas missions. The Zarrab case has complicated already strained relations between the United States and Turkey, both members of the NATO military alliance. U.S. prosecutors have charged the wealthy Iranian-born Zarrab and his alleged co-conspirators of handling hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran's government and Iranian entities from 2010 to 2015, in a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions. While nine people have been criminally charged, only Zarrab and a banker from Turkey's Halkbank, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, are in U.S. custody. Both are due to go on trial on Nov. 27, and have pleaded not guilty. "When you look at the indictment of Mr Zarrab it is exactly the same one that FETO actually prepared here in Turkey in 2013," Cavusoglu told reporters at a briefing in Istanbul, using the government's term for Gulen's network. "So this case is very much a FETO-motivated one, this is for sure. All those indictments and files they fabricated here were taken back to the United States." INVESTIGATION Under a Turkish investigation that became public in 2013, prosecutors accused Zarrab and high-ranking Turkish officials of involvement in facilitating Iranian money transfers via gold smuggling, leaked documents at the time showed. Erdogan, then prime minister, cast the case as a coup attempt orchestrated by his political enemies. Several prosecutors were removed from the case, police investigators were reassigned, and the investigation was later dropped. Turkey blames Gulen's followers for the July 2016 failed coup, when a group of rogue soldiers attempted to overthrow the government and killed more than 250 people. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, has denied any involvement and condemned the coup. Turkey has repeatedly requested Gulen's extradition, but U.S. officials have said the courts require sufficient evidence before they can extradite the elderly cleric. The United States says its judiciary is independent of any political or other interference. Cavusoglu said he had informed U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of what Ankara sees as the Gulenists' attempts to spread their influence. "I told him very openly that I believe that FETO has infiltrated his missions here in Turkey through the local staff, and the Halkbank case and the Zarrab case are very much FETO-motivated ones. I am very open. He didn't make a comment on this," Cavusoglu said. Last month Turkey arrested a local employee working at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul over alleged links to Gulen's network, prompting an angry reaction from Washington that led to both countries scaling back visa services they provide for each other's nationals. On Nov. 6, Ankara and Washington said they would resume visa services on a limited basis, although ties remain strained. [nL8N1NM6XB] (Additional reporting by Daren Butler; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Gareth Jones)
By Jon Herskovitz (Reuters) - Hunters who kill elephants in Zimbabwe can now bring trophies of their hunt back to the United States under a new rule proposed by the Trump administration that outraged animal activists but the White House said was the result of review ordered in 2014. Early word of the planned change had drawn protests from conservationists, who said it could deplete already at-risk elephant populations. It also caused a social media firestorm, with opponents posting photos of President Donald Trump's sons Donald Jr. and Eric, avid hunters, posing with dead wild animals. Amid the backlash to reports that the move would apply to two southern African countries - Zimbabwe and neighboring Zambia - White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said it was due to a review by career officials at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which began back in 2014 under the previous administration of Democratic President Barack Obama. "This review established that both Zambia and Zimbabwe had met new standards, strict, international conservation standards, that allowed Americans to resume hunting in those countries," Sanders told reporters. In an official notice published on Friday in the Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it had concluded that the killing of African elephants in Zimbabwe as trophies, between the dates of Jan. 21, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2018, "will enhance the survival of the African elephant." The move, which reverses a policy implemented by Obama, was disclosed by Fish and Wildlife Service officials attending a meeting in Tanzania this week that was organized by a pro-trophy hunting group. The officials had said Zambia would also be covered by the change, but only Zimbabwe was mentioned in Friday's notice. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Africa's elephant population plunged by about a fifth between 2006 and 2015 because of increased poaching for ivory, a coveted commodity used in carving and ornamental accessories in China and other parts of Asia, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said last year. Wildlife activists argue that corruption is endemic in impoverished Zimbabwe, and that money generated by big game hunting and meant for conservation has been diverted into the pockets of crooks and poachers. Supporters say money made from well-regulated hunts has been used for costly wildlife conservation in cash-starved African countries battling to diminish chronic poverty. The Fish and Wildlife Service said there are an estimated 83,000 elephants in Zimbabwe, and that the local authorities' conservation plan helped it make the decision. The Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Ed Royce, slammed the administration's move, saying economic and political turmoil in Zimbabwe gave him "zero confidence" the authorities there were properly managing conservation programs. "Elephants and other big game in Africa are blood currency for terrorist organizations, and they are being killed at an alarming rate," Royce said in a statement. "Stopping poaching isn't just about saving the world's most majestic animals for the future  it's about our national security." Zimbabwe was thrown into chaos this week when the army took charge, appearing to signal the end of long-serving President Robert Mugabe's reign, despite the 93-year-old's insistence that he remains in charge. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis, G Crosse and Jonathan Oatis)
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin - REUTERS

The United States is researching the development of a ground-based cruise missile, banned by a Cold War-era treaty, because it believes Russia has already violated the agreement, it was reported on Thursday.

The aim of developing the banned weapon is to force Russia to comply with the arms control agreement, unnamed US officials told the Wall Street Journal.

The US believes that Russia has already deployed a banned cruise missile that threatens US and Nato facilities in Europe.

By developing its own missile, the US hopes to demonstrate to Russia its military prowess and to force Moscow to back-down.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INV) was signed by President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union, at the White House in 1987, coming into effect the following year. It was a crucial step in the process of ending the Cold War.

The treaty banned all short and intermediate-range ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 5005,500 kilometres (310-3,420 miles). Sea-launched missiles were excluded from the agreement.

The idea here is we need to send a message to the Russians that they will pay a military price for violation of this treaty, an official told the Wall Street Journal. We are posturing ourselves to live in a post-INF world...if that is the world the Russians want.

The US military stated earlier this year that the deployment of the missile by Russia deliberately threatened US and Nato facilities in Europe.

The New York Times reported last month that Russia had built two battalions of the banned missile, thought to contain four launchers and six missiles. One was said to be at Russias missile test site at Kapustin Yar in southern Russia near Volgograd, while the other was moved to an operational base at an unknown location elsewhere in the country.

Moscow said the report was "fake news".

The US government has known since 2012 that Russia was building the banned missile and Republicans made frequent calls for the Obama administration to confront President Vladimir Putin about it.

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US officials demanded in November last year that Russia admit they were violating the treaty, but Russian officials denied it.

James Mattis, the US Defence Secretary, said at a Nato conference last week: We have a firm belief, now, over several years, that the Russians have violated the INF. And our effort is to bring Russia back into compliance."

The US Senate on Thursday passed a $700 billion defence policy bill, which included authorisation for the defence department to spend $58 million to counter Russias violation of the INF.

The measure, passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, will now go to the White House to be signed by President Donald Trump.

The US itself would only be in violation of the INV if it tested the missile it is developing.

The defence bill stated: The INF Treaty prohibits testing and deployment of ground-launched intermediate-range missile systems, but it does not prohibit research and development.

The conferees do not intend for the United States to enter into a violation of the INF Treaty so long as the treaty remains in force, and nothing in this provision should be construed to force the United States into a violation of the treaty.
Washington (AFP) - The United States Thursday demanded Cambodia reverse its ban on the country's main opposition as it warned the dissolution of the party would strip 2018 elections of legitimacy.

Washington hit out after Cambodia's Supreme Court -- effectively controlled by strongman premier Hun Sen -- outlawed the Cambodia National Rescue Party and banned more than 100 of its politicians in a ruling blasted by a rights groups as the "death" of the nation's democracy.

The European Union echoed Washington's concerns over the move which means Hun Sen's CPP party can now run in next year's polls essentially uncontested.

The verdict is the culmination of a methodical strangling of dissent in Cambodia that began after the CNRP nearly unseated Hun Sen -- who has ruled for 32 years -- in the last national election in 2013.

A government clampdown has ratcheted up in recent months, with CNRP president Kem Sokha thrown into jail and charged with treason in September.

The United States blasted Thursday's ruling as a setback for democracy in Cambodia, calling for the government to "undo its recent actions against the CNRP, release imprisoned CNRP leader Kem Sokha, and allow opposition parties, civil society and the media to maintain their legitimate activities," the White House said in a statement on Thursday in Washington.

It added that it would pull support for Cambodia's National Election Committee ahead of next years' vote.

"On current course next year's election will not be legitimate, free, or fair," the statement said.

- 'Not legitimate' -

Washington joined the European Union in condemning the decision, which follows a months-long crackdown on dissent the country with media outlets shuttered, journalists jailed and activists harassed.

The EU warned Thursday that next year's elections are stripped of credibility with the CNRP now pulled from the race.

"An electoral process from which the main opposition party has been arbitrarily excluded is not legitimate," said a statement from a EU spokesperson.

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"A situation in which all parties, including the CNRP, their leaders and their supporters are able to carry out freely their legitimate functions, must be swiftly restored," it added, saying "respect of fundamental human rights" is a prerequisite Cambodia's duty free access to the bloc's markets.

The CNRP said Thursday it "still considers itself to be a legitimate party with a mandate from half of the Cambodian population," though more than half its 55 lawmakers have fled the country in the midst of the crackdown.

The ruling was widely expected from a court closely aligned with Hun Sen's CPP party.

The CNRP was accused of a US-backed plot to overthrow the government in allegations which were ridiculed by the US and NGOs.

The former Khmer Rouge defector, who has staked his reputation on bringing stability and growth to Cambodia after decades of civil war, said Thursday next year's elections would be held as scheduled.

The premier has a long history of undercutting his rivals through well-timed crackdowns and dubious court cases.

But observers say the current climate of repression is harsher and longer-lasting than previous clampdowns, with Hun Sen foregoing even the pretense of respecting human rights and a free press.

In addition to assaults against the CNRP, his government has in recent months shut down a series of outspoken NGOs and independent news outlets -- including the respected Cambodia Daily.

This week, two former reporters from the US-based Radio Free Asia were arrested and accused of supplying a foreign state with information that threatens national security.

Analysts say Hun Sen has been emboldened by financial backing from Beijing, which has lavished the poor country with investment that has made it less dependent on aid from Western democracies.

burs-jv/jm
Vox Medias editorial and video staff are proud to announce we are unionizing with the Writers Guild of America, East. Across eight verticals, we are committed to smart, in-depth journalism and storytelling on every platform. Vox Medias commitment to quality and innovation, as well as its core values emphasizing ambition, collaboration, and respect, have made this one of the best places to work in the industry. There is no better way to cultivate that innovation, and champion our values, than to unionize.

By organizing, we intend to protect the nimble culture and inclusive, forward-thinking values that make this company great, and to ensure all concerns and challenges can be addressed by a collective voice. An empowered team is an ambitious team, and the greater transparency and collaboration offered by a union will allow us to thrive and take risks in an ever-changing industry.

Most importantly, a union will offer a company of far-flung co-workers a robust sense of community and nurture a culture of respect. An organized workforce provides support for each employee, and any one of us in need should feel empowered by the rest of us.

Unions have made traditional newsrooms across America stronger and better for decades, and were excited to join the movement in digital media to bring these protections to this industry.

From new hires to longtime employees, we are eager to continue our leadership in digital media, and to do so we need a seat at the table as Vox Media charts its future.

Here are a few key issues we seek to address.

Protecting and strengthening our culture

Vox Media is an excellent place to work; it is also a grown-up corporation still bearing artifacts of a young start-up. Employees want the company to stay flexible and evolve. We also want consistency in titles, salaries, raises, and benefits, all of which can become arbitrary if unchecked or opaque. We expect transparency around company hierarchy and paths for career growth within it, including standard cost-of-living raises in salary.

Vox Media will eventually buy or sell properties, engage with investors and advertisers, and perhaps discipline or lay off employees. In any such case, we want to preserve our benefits, to ensure our fair share of capital, and to protect individuals and their work from forces outside their control.

Increasing transparency and communication

We want increased transparency in times of growth or crisis, before and after major decisions, and accountability within the companys existing editorial and management structures to ensure that all actions are sensible, fair, and consistent across all Vox Media-owned brands. Much of Vox Medias workforce is employed remotely, and organizing allows us to ensure that all of these employees, including part-time staffers and freelance contributors, are treated fairly in terms of compensation and expectation.

Holding Vox Media accountable for diversity

We want to foster a diverse workforce, and an environment that promotes and respects that diversity. We also want to ensure Vox Media is a safe work environment for every employee.

We seek a continued commitment to hiring inclusively, a focus on promoting people of color within the company, and formal processes for addressing when company culture fails to reflect these values.

Ensuring our seat at the table

A Vox Media union will give us the means to maintain everything we love about working for this company, and to have a collective voice when we address anything that may change or founder. We look forward to bringing Vox Media employees together as an organized unit, and bringing that unit closer to management at the bargaining table and beyond.
(HARARE, Zimbabwe)  Zimbabwes military was in control of the capital and the state broadcaster on Wednesday and was holding President Robert Mugabe and his wife under house arrest in what appeared to be a coup against the 93-year-old Mugabe, the worlds oldest head of state.

The military was at pains, however, to emphasize it had not staged a military takeover, but was instead starting a process to restore Zimbabwes democracy.

Still, the military appeared to have brought an end to Mugabes long, 37-year reign in what the armys supporters praised as a bloodless correction. South Africa and other neighboring countries were sending in leaders to negotiate with Mugabe and the generals to encourage the transition.

Citizens in Zimbabwes tidy capital, Harare, contributed to the feeling of a smooth transition by carrying on with their daily lives, walking past the armys armored personnel carriers to go to work and to shops. Many who have never known any leader but Mugabe waited in long lines at banks to draw limited amounts of cash, a result of this once-prosperous countrys plummeting economy.

Felix Tsanganyiso, who sells mobile airtime vouchers in Harare, said he was following the developments on WhatsApp.

But I am still in the dark about what is happening, he said. So far so good. We are going about our business without harassment. My plea is that whoever takes over should sort out the economy. We are tired of living like this.

The series of whiplash events followed Mugabes firing last week of his deputy, which appeared to position the first lady, Grace Mugabe, to replace Emmerson Mnangagwa as one of the countrys two vice presidents at a party conference next month.

But the 52-year-old first lady is unpopular among many Zimbabweans for her lavish spending on mansions, cars and jewels. Last month she went to court to sue a diamond dealer for not supplying her with a 100-carat diamond that she said she had paid for.

Grace Mugabe has been known as the leader of the G40, a group of Cabinet ministers and officials in their 40s and 50s who are too young to have fought in Zimbabwes war to end white-minority rule in Rhodesia. When Mnangagwa was fired, the generals and war veterans felt they were being sidelined and took action to stop that, analysts say.

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Mnangagwas whereabouts were not clear Wednesday. He fled the country last week, citing threats to himself and his family.

Critics of the government urged Mugabe to go quietly. The old man should be allowed to rest, former Zimbabwe finance minister and activist Tendai Biti told South African broadcaster eNCA.

On Monday, the army commander made an unprecedented statement criticizing Mugabe for pushing aside veterans of the liberation war. The following day, the ruling party condemned the army leader for treasonable conduct and that evening the army sent armored personnel carriers into Harare and seized control of the state broadcaster and other strategic points, including Mugabes residence.

In a televised address to the nation early Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo said the army had guaranteed the safety of Mugabe and his wife, but added the military would target criminals around Mugabe, in an apparent reference to the first ladys G40 group.

South African President Jacob Zuma said he was sending his ministers of defense and state security to Zimbabwe to meet with Mugabe and the military there. He said he hopes Zimbabwes army will respect the constitution and that the situation is going to be controlled.

In Washington, the U.S. State Department said the Trump administration was concerned by recent actions undertaken by Zimbabwes military forces and called on the countrys leaders to exercise restraint. The United States does not take sides in matters of internal Zimbabwean politics and does not condone military intervention in political processes, it said in a statement.

Who will rule Zimbabwe should become clearer in the coming days.

There is a soft transition underway, said Zimbabwean analyst Alex Rusero.

The whole idea is that the military has always been the chief broker in Mugabes ruling party, he said. But there were attempts to sideline the military by G40 and (the military) are reasserting their position.

Mnangagwa may well be installed as a transitional leader to return Zimbabwe to constitutional rule, Rusero said.

Zimbabwe may enter a period of negotiation to get Mugabe to step down voluntarily, said Piers Pigou, southern Africa consultant for the International Crisis Group, who also suggested that Mnangagwa may be an interim leader.

Zimbabwe could have some kind of inclusive government and some kind of democratic process, possibly leading to elections, Pigou said. Its clearly a coup detat, but typical of Zimbabwe, the military is trying to put a veneer of legality on the process.  It is part of the theater that Zimbabwe is so good at, to try to make things look orderly and democratic. South Africa and other neighboring countries may be brought in to help put some lipstick on the pig.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday that the allegations of sexual assault against Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) are different from those President Donald Trump has faced because Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

A reporter asked Sanders during the daily press briefing if it would be fair to investigate the claims of sexual assault that more than a dozen women made about Trump during the 2016 campaign. Senators are currently calling for an ethics investigation into whether Franken should keep his seat  a probe that Franken himself says he supports.

I think that this was covered pretty extensively during the campaign, Sanders said. We addressed that then. The American people, I think, spoke very loud and clear when they elected this president.

How is this different? the reporter asked.

I think in one case specifically, Sen. Franken has admitted wrongdoing, and the president hasnt, Sanders replied. I think thats a very clear distinction.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Trump sexual misconduct allegations: "Sen. Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the president hasn't" pic.twitter.com/pUpn6EtYfg  NBC News (@NBCNews) November 17, 2017

Franken, who on Thursday was accused of kissing and groping anchor Leeann Tweeden in 2006 without her consent, has issued an apology.

I certainly dont remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann, he said. As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasnt. I shouldnt have done it.

Trump tweeted later Thursday about the allegations, referring to a photo that appears to show Franken touching Tweedens breasts while she was asleep.

The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? .....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

Trump has denied all of the allegations against him. And last month, Sanders said the official position of the White House is that all 16 women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct are lying.

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Weve been clear on that from the beginning and the president has spoken on it, she said at the time.

Trump has also brushed off his own boasts of grabbing women by the pussy  a comment famously captured on a 2005 Access Hollywood tape  as locker room talk.

During Fridays briefing, Sanders continued to dodge questions about Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. Multiple women have accused Moore of sexually harassing or assaulting them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s. Sanders called the allegations against the Republican nominee troubling, but declined to say whether Trump believes them.

He feels like its up to the governor and the people in the state of Alabama to make a determination on whether or not they delay that election or whether or not they support and vote for Roy Moore, she said.

Moore has also denied all the allegations against him, and his legal team has sought to discredit some of the women who have come forward.

Related Coverage

Republicans Turn On Roy Moore

Donald Trump Conspicuously Silent On Roy Moore

Senate Dems Leave No Room For Ambiguity In Denouncing Al Franken

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Ahead of Wednesdays record-breaking auction at Christies, during which a painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci sold for a throat-clenching $450 million, art critic Jerry Saltz voiced some doubts.

Saltz, in an essay for New York magazine, called the portrait of Christ dead and inert, suggesting that the artwork  which had been predicted to fetch only $100 million  is a sham. Its no Leonardo, he wrote. Saltz, neither a historian nor an expert in old master work, went on to suggest that Christies sale would end poorly. No museum on Earth can afford an iffy picture like this at these prices.

And then Salvator Mundi (Savior of the World) a 500-year-old portrait of Christ thought to be a copy when it was plucked from an estate sale for a measly $10,000 in 2005, sold for nearly half a billion dollars to an undisclosed private buyer. Suddenly, the controversy surrounding the paintings authenticity  its whereabouts over these last few centuries and whether multiple restorations had indelibly altered its surface  became white noise. Christies had managed to rocket past previous auction benchmarks, brokering a historic sum for the seller, Russian billionaire Dmitry E. Rybolovlevs family trust.

"Salvator Mundi" is a portrait of Christ that's been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci circa 1500. (Photo: TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images)

Perhaps a museum lacked funds to secure the questionable picture, but a nameless member of the 1 percent surely possessed pockets deep enough.

To most people, $450 million is an unimaginable sum. As Hrag Vartanian at Hyperallergic pointed out, thats more money than the total estimated cost of the new Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City: $422 million. (Its also reportedly more money than the Koch brothers are expecting to spend in the 2018 election cycle: $300 million to $400 million.)

This is a very small step for mankind, but a big step for the art market, Frank Zollner, a German art historian and professor at Universitat Leipzig, whos written a book on Leonardo, told HuffPost in a statement over email. A heavily damaged painting by Leonardo, which was created with the substantial involvement of his workshop after 1507 or even later, achieved a record price, which is significantly higher than the sums that are called for modern masters.

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Of course, [Salvator] is the symbol of a very unequal, even obscene distribution of wealth in the world, Zollner added.

(Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY via Getty Images)

Art experts expressed concern with the $450 million price tag, well above the previous record for a painting sold at auction  $179 million for Picassos Les Femmes dAlger, set in 2015.

I am deeply shocked by the price, Stephen Campbell, an art history professor at Johns Hopkins University who focuses on Renaissance art, explained. As a colleague said to me today, the 1 percent  who owns half the planets wealth  are looking for the last few places to deposit their wealth. This is a very limited, overvalued sector of the art market. ... The pricing could be controlled in such a way that a public institution could afford it. This is not a celebratory moment.

Campbells unease stems, in part, from the paintings murky history, a pressure point for a portion of the scholarly community. Campbell saw Salvator Mundi in person six years ago. At the time, he was impressed by the lineup of experts willing to vouch for the work, as well as with the scrupulous condition report Christies released elucidating the paintings entire conservation history. The report notes that X-rays and infrared reflectography revealed the signature pentimenti, or visible changes, that helped confirm the paintings attribution.

That being said, Campbell continued, there is very little Leonardo visible in the painting that was seen yesterday.

Campbell estimated that only 20 percent of the paintings surface was rendered in Leonardos 16th-century Italian workshop. The rest was carefully reconstructed by conservators, including Dianne Dwyer Modestini. And even that scant 20 percent is in question; theres a possibility it was executed by Leonardos assistants, meticulously trained to mimic his style, and not by the old master himself. The true hand of the artist, Campbell said, is impossible to definitively discern.

Most post-1500 [Leonardo] paintings are hybrids, Campbell said. As a result, when art historians say Leonardo, theyre talking about a category, he explained. Its a Leonardo effect.

Campbell is not the only historian with suspicions. Art adviser Todd Levin and Sothebys senior international specialist Philip Hook have also expressed measured doubt about the work and its provenance. The painting that once hung in the collection of Charles I of England now appears cracked and worn, overpainted and slightly reimagined. Its whereabouts from 1763 to 1900 are unknown. It resurfaced, only to be sold in 1958 for 45 and disappear once again  until it popped up in 2005, courtesy of art dealer Alexander Parish. Between 2013 and 2017, the then-consortium-authenticated painting sold once for over $75 million, and again for $127.5 million.

The attribution of this painting is hotly debated among Leonardo scholars and Renaissance art historians as it always happens with the discovery of new works by a major artist, Francesca Fiorani, associate dean for the arts and humanities and professor of art history at the University of Virginia, told HuffPost. Time will tell if the attribution of this panel to Leonardo will stick or whether in a few years the painting will look very different.

In a statement to HuffPost, a representative for Christies cited Luke Syson, curator of Italian paintings before 1500 and head of research at the National Gallery in London; Keith Christiansen, chair of European paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Vincent Delieuvin, curator of 16th century Italian painting at the Musee du Louvre; and Martin Kemp, emeritus professor of the history of art at the University of Oxford, among others, as experts willing to endorse the work as Leonardo. Kemp reiterated his support of the attribution during a phone call with HuffPost on Thursday.

There were some self-seeking publicity people, journalists, who tried to denigrate the painting, which was so expensive  that was so valued. But they werent serious objections, Kemp said. As evidence of Leonardos handiwork, Kemp homed in on several aspects of the work, including the mysterious orb that appears in Christs hand.

It wasnt like an ordinary sphere, Kemp recalled of his time gazing at the painting in person. It looked like rock crystal. ... Its not the normal Mundi sphere. This is the sphere of the fixed stars, of the cosmos. So Leonardo transmuted it from being a savior of the world to being a savior of the cosmos. Thats the kind of genius he was capable of.

As for the sum paid to secure the Salvator, Kemp agreed its astonishing. But the painting, which he described as the spiritual equivalent to Mona Lisa, is, he said, worth what someones willing to pay for it.

The people who are paying these sums of money undoubtedly would have undertaken due research, he added. It is largely a restoration, and it is a damaged picture, but so are a lot of old master works. Its not the best Ive ever seen, and its not the worst.

At the end of the day, Campbell concluded that the doubt surrounding the alleged Leonardo doesnt matter, because, for all practical purposes, the attribution of the artwork was confirmed by the Christies sale.

As a colleague of mine said, Nothing makes a Leonardo more than a hundred- million-dollar price tag, Campbell said. The valuation works in reverse to justify the attribution. Ultimately, Campbell said that he could accept the painting as a Leonardo, but he could not reconcile with its price. Its become a trophy, a market fetish. Its being taken away from the interest of scholars, he said.

Lynn Catterson, a part-time lecturer at Columbia University who specializes in the Renaissance, the historical art market and 19th-century Florence, similarly described the paintings value as ridiculous and endemic to a planet whose economic disparities are worse than severe. And that is leaving aside issues of authenticity and provenance.

As Tim Schneider wrote for Artnet News, Christies revised fee structure saddles buyers capable of purchasing works over $4 million with a 12.5-percent premium, which ultimately carried the final $400 million bid for Salvator to a total payout closer to the half-billion mark. For cultural institutions with limited budgets, the premium allows private buyers to outbid them at auction, leaving cultural touchstones in the hands of the ultra-rich.

This years Global Wealth Report, published on Tuesday, confirmed that 1 percent of the worlds population owns half the worlds total household wealth. Just as money has the power to shape democracy, so does it threaten to rewrite art history. If a seismic price tag becomes a more powerful indicator of masterworks than scholarly consensus, provenance and authentication, the sale sets a frightening precedent for, as Saltz put it, #FakeArtNews.

Most people do not seem to realize that an attribution is an opinion and, as such, legally is not binding, Maurizio Seracini, an art diagnostician whos worked extensively with Leonardos work, said. Nevertheless, investors are purchasing art at incredible prices based just on opinions! No wonder why the production of fakes is booming internationally!

A $450 million valuation is then, by most accounts, unbelievable. However, if any artist could posthumously pull it off, Leonardo might be the most probable candidate.

On one level, a staggering figure in the art market reminds me of global financial disparity, Bronwen Wilson, a professor of Renaissance and early modern art at UCLA, said. But I also find myself ruminating on Dan Brown, video games and lineups to see Leonardos works  for the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and exhibitions  which is to say that there is also something about Leonardos particular purchase on the cultural imagination that plays a role in this instance.

The cult of Leonardo extends far and wide. Hes become the mythical manifestation of interdisciplinary genius, a superhuman amalgamation of artistic talent, scientific acumen and unbridled curiosity. And there is still another Leonardo work in private hands: The Madonna of the Yarnwinder.

As Campbell mentioned, it will be interesting to see what happens if and when this final masterpiece hits the auction block. Perhaps Madonna wont match the hefty price tag of Salvator, suggesting soaring auction prices have reached their tipping point. However, if values continue to inflate, the art markets steel bubble will continue to serve as a glorified piggy bank for the 1 percent.

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This post has been updated to clarify the effect of Christies buyers premium.

Related...

Experts Believe Leonardo Da Vinci Traced The 'Mona Lisa' From This Nude Drawing

Leonardo Da Vinci's Long-Lost Painting Of Christ Could Fetch $100 Million At Auction

'Lost' Leonardo Da Vinci Sells For Record $450 Million At Auction

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
A Texas woman who displayed a large F*** Trump sticker on her vehicle says she was later arrested on an unrelated charge becasue of the sheriffs political leanings.

Kate Fonseca was arrested by the Fort Bend County Sheriff outside of Houston, Texas on an outstanding fraud warrant, but Sheriff Troy Nehls almost brought her up on charges of disorderly conduct for the large decal on the window of her pickup truck.

The Sheriffs office has not provided details about the fraud warrant, but said police had gotten a tip on where to find Ms Fonseca.

Her husband, Mike Fonseca, told a local ABC affiliate that his wife was arrested at their home in front of their six-year-old daughter.

I think it's the sticker, he said, explaining the reason for Ms Fonsecas arrest.

She also told reporters she thought it was because of Mr Nehls found the sticker as offensive to US President Donald Trump. She was released on a bond of $1,500 later the same day.

The Fort Bend County Sheriffs Facebook page had posted an image of Ms Fonsecas truck, but has since deleted the post.

The caption of the now-deleted post read: "I have received numerous calls regarding the offensive display on this truck as it is often seen along FM 359. If you know who owns this truck or it is yours, I would like to discuss it with you."

FM 359 refers to a local highway.

During a press conference, Mr Nehls addressed the Facebook post and said it accomplished its objective and now we know who owns the truck, adding that he does not regret writing it.

However, District Attorney John Healey indicated that though he found the use of profanity in public offensive, he would not take the case because the placement of the decal on her personal vehicle does not constitute a crime.

Ms Fonseca has said she has no plans to remove the decal that she placed on her truck 11 months ago.

"It makes people happy. They smile. They stop you. They want to shake your hand, she told the news station.

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Ms Fonseca reportedly disagrees with Mr Trump most vehemently about the proposed US-Mexico border wall.

"It's not to cause hate or animosity," Ms Fonseca told the Houston Chronicle, adding that "it's just our freedom of speech and we're exercising it."

Mr Nehls said he supports freedom of speech but worried that profane messages could incite others and lead to confrontations that would disturb the peace he has pledged to keep.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas (ACLU) responded to Mr Nehls now-deleted Facebook post: Constitutional Law 101: You cant ban speech just because it has f@ck in it, with an invitation for Ms Fonseca to contact them if needed.

The organisation also noted a 1971 US Supreme Court case that overturned the conviction of a man for disturbing the peace for wearing a jacket with an expletive as part of an effort to protest the military draft and the Vietnam War.

A woman who raised her middle finger in October to Mr Trump's motorcade as it passed her riding her bicycle in Virginia was fired from a government contracting firm for violating the "code of conduct policy."

Desiree Fairooz was was about to face a second trial after being arrested for laughing at Attorney General Jeff Sessions and her conducted while being taken away from the room during his Senate confirmation hearing, but the Department of Justice decided to dismiss the charges.
A Texas woman whose anti-Trump bumper sticker caught the attention of police before her arrest on an outstanding warrant has been released.

Karen Fonseca's pickup truck has some crude words for the polarizing prez, as well as for those who support him.

Watch: Stephen Colbert Has No Regrets Over Anti-Trump Remarks: 'I Have Jokes, He Has Launch Codes'

When Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls started getting complaints about the sticker's decidedly vulgar wording, he wrote a since-removed Facebook post asking for the truck's owners to come forward.

"I have received numerous calls regarding the offensive display on this truck as it is often seen along FM 359," Nehls wrote. "If you know who owns this truck or it is yours, I would like to discuss it with you."

Perhaps even more than the sticker itself, Nehls' post caused a stir among free speech advocates who feared he was dangerously close to infringing on the truck owner's constitutional right.

In a press conference, Nehls said he has no regrets about the post, which he said "accomplished its objective" after Fonseca was identified.

Fonseca was reportedly arrested at her home on an unrelated warrant from August.

However, Nehls has claimed a prosecutor informed him she'd accept a disorderly conduct charge regarding the sticker, which reads, "F*** Trump and F*** You for Voting for Him."

"But I feel we could come to an agreement regarding a modification to it," he wrote.

The district attorney disagrees, according to KTRK.

"No, I would not take the case," Fort Bend County DA John Healey told the station.

Watch: Attorney Caught on Surveillance Vandalizing Store with Anti-Trump Graffiti While Holding Glass of Wine: Cops

Fonseca was released on $1,500 bond Thursday night. She told reporters she didn't know she had an outstanding warrant.

"People abuse the badge, in my opinion, and money talks," Fonseca said.

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Related Articles:
Regina Zlotnik celebrated her 100th birthday last year with a party. You have to see what she did this year for her 101st. (Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Gold)

Turning 101 years old is a pretty big deal that requires a big celebration. For Regina Zlotnik, who just reached the milestone on Wednesday, hitting the gym at her assisted living facility seemed like the best way to commemorate the occasion. And her granddaughter Ashley Gold couldnt help but to share the moment.

Zlotnik is ready for a workout to celebrate 101 years. (Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Gold)

My grandma turns 101 today! Heres a photo of her working out! Gold wrote on Reddit with the photo of Zlotnik sitting on an elliptical ready for a workout, which nearly one thousand people found super impressive. From comments that refer to how young and vibrant Zlotnik looks, to those who remind Gold to cherish her grandmother, the post is filled with sweet replies. But after Gold shared her story with Yahoo Lifestyle, its clear she need no reminder of how special her grandmother is.

I definitely get my perseverance from her, Gold says of her grandmother. She has inspired me to never give up and to work hard to reach my goals, which is something that Zlotnik learned herself as a Holocaust survivor in Poland.

Within the Reddit thread, Gold shared with commenters that the 101-year-old has certainly been through a lot after living through the Holocaust and coming to America  a narrative which which other Redditers quickly connected. After the shock of having the post go viral, Gold went through all of the comments, which she says, were amazing to read.

Some made me laugh out loud and some really touched my heart, especially those left by people reminiscing about their own grandparents and those left by other grandchildren of Polish Holocaust survivors, Gold shares before revealing that Zlotnik is also a survivor of colon cancer, which further emphasizes her strength.

Through it all, it seems that Zlotnik has kept herself in great shape, and shes apparently very proud of it.

She loves to show off how active she is and loves to be the center of attention, Gold admits. She has a caregiver who takes her to the gym at least twice a week. She can actually touch her toes without bending her knees which is something I cant even do!

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The centenarian still loves to sing along to her favorite Polish music. (Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Gold)

The mother-of-three, grandmother-of-five, and great-grandmother-of-one is certainly a force to be reckoned with. In her 101st year, Gold says that Zlotnik is still dancing and listening to her favorite Yiddish and Polish music, and definitely still knows how to make people laugh.

Our hope is for her continued health and happiness, Gold says. Her hope is to go to Disneyland.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwe was plunged into one of the worst crises in its post-independence history when the army took control of the country on Wednesday.

Here are the key players in the developing situation:

- Robert Mugabe -

Most Zimbabweans have only known life under President Robert Mugabe, 93, who is reviled as a cruel despot in the West but lauded as a liberation hero in parts of Africa.

He fought against British colonial rule in the 1970s and has led Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.

Shrewd and ruthless, he appeared untouchable until this week when the army took power and placed him under house arrest.

Nothing has been heard from the authoritarian leader since the military intervention.

His lengthy rule has been marked by brutal repression of dissent, mass emigration, vote-rigging and economic collapse since land reforms in 2000.

- Grace Mugabe -

Mugabe's wife Grace is 41 years his junior and met the leader when she was a typist in the president's office, marrying him in 1996.

She was initially dismissed by analysts as a vapid shopaholic -- her nickname is "Gucci Grace."

But she has assumed a greater role in public life in recent years, taking a key position at the head of the ruling ZANU-PF party's women's league.

Grace, 52, was seen as the driving force behind the removal of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa as well as his predecessor Joice Mujuru.

She has done little to hide her own political ambitions, drawing the ire of the military and those who fought in Zimbabwe's independence struggle.

Analysts believe that her presidential ambitions led to the takeover by the military.

- Emmerson Mnangagwa -

Mnangagwa, nicknamed "Ngwena" (The Crocodile), has been at the heart of the crisis engulfing Zimbabwean politics, despite not being in the country at the time of the army takeover and remaining silent since.

Mugabe's sacking of Mnangagwa as vice president last week was the catalyst that caused the army to intervene as his dismissal enraged his supporters in the security and defence establishment -- known as "Team Lacoste".

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Mnangagwa, 75, was a decades-long loyalist of Mugabe and a former defence minister with a career reputation as a hardliner who built close links to the army -- which may well install him as the next president.

His public image is badly tainted by his role as the architect of the bloody 1980s crackdown on opposition supporters that claimed thousands of lives in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

- General Constantino Chiwenga -

Chiwenga was little known outside of Zimbabwe until his shock press conference in which he delivered an ultimatum to Mugabe on Monday which propelled him into the headlines.

A veteran of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle, he was also a key power broker during 2008's political crisis when Mugabe was beaten in the first round of presidential polls and the second round of voting was marred by violence, voter intimidation and allegations of rigging.

Chiwenga is seen as a backer of Mnangagwa owing to their defence and security backgrounds, and is thought to have been irked by the prospect of Grace becoming vice president -- or even head of state.

- Joice Mujuru -

Mujuru, 62, was Mugabe's vice president from 2004 until he abruptly fired her in 2014 and later expelled her from ZANU-PF.

She was a teenage guerilla fighter with the nom de guerre "spill blood" during Zimbabwe's war of independence. She was married to a leading general until he died in suspicious circumstances.

Mujuru has previously been at odds with some factions within ZANU-PF -- including Mnangagwa -- which could weaken her chances of staging a political comeback.

She has nonetheless been manoeuvering to influence the direction of the country since the military takeover and she could play a role in any transitional government.

burs-gw/bgs/ri
Head of the Israel Police's Investigations Division Brig.-Gen. Eran Kamin publically spoke out Thursday against the bill barring police from making recommendations at the conclusion of investigations, saying that it appears to be motivated by "ignorance or malice."

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"Anyone reading the bill's explanatory remarks cannot avoid the impression it was motivated by either ignorance or malice," Kamin said.

"The explanatory remarks are completely contrary to the world of investigations. An investigator is tasked with one thing, and one thing alone: finding the truth. They are not tasked with indicting or marking targets," the senior policeman said.

Head of police's Investigations Division said recommendations bill was motivated by either 'ignorance or maliciousness' (Photo: Police Spokesperson's Unit)

Attending a conference organized by the Bureau of Internal Auditors, Brig.-Gen. Kamin said, "It's a very Sisyphean profession. You weave a tapestry of evidence from one thousand and one sources. When it comes down to it, we're in charge of getting to the bottom of the truth, and when we do that we summarize our findings.

"While I'm in the process of obtaining testimony, I'm already formulating some insights as I'm doing so, because I want to trip the person being interrogated exactly where I wish him to trip, or otherwise corroborate his account," Kamin said.

Kamin then went on to comment on the Likud MK who proposed the bill, David Amsalem. "He has a certain experience with the Israel Police. The rationale behind the explanatory remarks, as if the police intends to actually indict suspects, is hogwash. The police holds neither religion nor party affiliation and is doing its job," he said.

"In my opinion, summarizing the investigation is merely done to make the case more accessible to the state attorney's office. Every investigation concludes with 100 boxes of material, at a bare minimum. Try handing in that much material without a roadmap. You can't. Anyone trying to detach the findings from the conclusion will fail," Kamin cautioned.

A debate on the recommendations bill at the ministerial legislation committee was attended by State Attorney Nitzan

The police force's chief investigator also elucidated on the manner in which an investigation is conducted. "There are several stops. I announce the opening of an investigation when there's public merit for it. When I conclude, I announce handing over the case file. That strikes a balance between the public's right to know and protecting privacy," he explained.

"The public is entitled to know the police's position on any given matter and anyone wishing to block that isn't overly fond of a strong, opinionated police force. I think the legislator should decide, but it's a decision that should be made with the public. The legislator is supposed to represent the public, and I'm not convinced the public doesn't want to know what the police thinks," Kamin wondered.

This past Wednesday, the Knesset plenum approved the controversial bill in a preliminary reading with a majority of 52 over 42 MKs objecting.

The bill will be transferred to further readings with the consent of Ministry of Public Security Gilad Erdan, who voted in favor, and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. MK Rachel Azaria of the coalition objected. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not present during the vote.

'PM Netanyahu is not Hezbollah fighter, he's not Nasrallah,' said MK Amsalem during the Knesset debate on the bill (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

During the debate, MK Amsalem explained why the bill merits passage. "In cases where there is an attorney from the outset there is no need to recommend the case anyway. After all, the attorney general is conducting the investigation. When the police says 'there is plethora of evidence' it is akin to a recommendation," Amsalem said, justifying the bill.

"In my opinion, the police is behaving contrary to the law. I am coming from the civilian angle, I am concerned for the people of Israel. The prime minister is part of the people of Israel, he is not a Hezbollah fighter. He is not Nasrallah, and it is right that he should be afforded the same rights as all civilians," Amsalem continued in his justification.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented his investigators in the latest round of questioning this week with a series of pictures of him and his family with businessman Arnon Milchanwho is believed to have given the Netanyahu family illicit giftsin a bid to prove that he and Milchan were merely good friends, and that any gifts given were done so out of friendship rather than business pursuits, Channel 2 reported Thursday evening.

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The prime minister, beleaguered by a host of corruption investigations, is set to be questioned for a sixth time on Sunday, with a focus on the Milchan affair, commonly referred to as Case 1000.

Arnon Milchan and PM Netanyahu (Photo: Courtesy of Channel 2 News)

The photos presented show Netanyahu and Milchan smiling for the camera with their arms around one another, while another one shows the duo walking together while holding the hands two of their children, whose faces cannot be identified.

(Photo: Courtesy of Channel 2 News)

In one of the photos, Netanyahu is seen playing with one of the children, and in another one, Milchan is greeting Netanyahu at a front entrance of a house, while being embraced by a child.

(Photo: Courtesy of Channel 2 News)

In an effort to buttress the claim, photos were also presented featuring the prime ministers wife Sara, who is seen posing for the camera with Arnon Milchans wife Amanda.

Another photo shows her in a cordial conversation with Arnon Milchan, while another shows the Israeli premier and his wife smiling with Milchan and a child.

(Photo: Courtesy of Channel 2 News)

Investigators have indicated that the protracted affair should be wrapped up by mid-December, implying that the next round of questioning will be the last for the prime minister.

Officials privy to the details of the investigation are divided, however, on how to proceed. According to reports, a general consensus has been formed that arraigning Netanyahu for bribery, or at least for receiving illicit benefits, is justified.

(Photo: Courtesy of Channel 2 News)

Milchan however, convinced the police to consider revising their conclusions, which were leaning toward indicting him, after he provided testimony last week that appeared to refute Netanyahus claims and indicated that while he had vouchsafed the gifts, the decision to do so did not stem from friendship, but rather from pressure.

"At some point I gave my staff carte blanche to give (the Netanyahu coupleed) whatever they wanted," he said.

(Photo: Courtesy of Channel 2 News)

When asked why he did so, Milchan replied, "I neither wanted anything from them nor received anything."

Nevertheless, some of the investigative staff insist that Netanyahu and Milchan will have to be indicted together, citing difficulties in explaining to the courts why only the Hollywood magnate has been let off the hook. In the end it will look like a witch hunt against him, one official said.

(Photo: Courtesy of Channel 2 News)

Some investigators have also echoed Netanyahus claims in justifying a decision to give Milchan a pass and refrain from recommending an indictment against him, acknowledging his significant contributions to the state over the years.

Milchan's spokesman Ronen Tzur refused to provide any comment on the matter.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said on Friday the crisis over the resignation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri is part of an "attempt to create chaos in the region", local television stations reported.

Speaking in Moscow, Bassil also said Lebanon has the "full powers" to respond, but hoped this would not be necessary.
Israel Border Policemen arrested a 20-year-old Palestinian carrying a large kitchen knife Friday next to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

An initial investigation indicates he was planning to carry out a stabbing attack against security forces due to a family dispute.
MOSCOW  Russia has spoken out against foreign interference in Lebanese affairs following the surprise resignation of the Lebanon's prime minister.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday at a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Gibran Bassil, that "Russia invariably stands for supporting the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon."

He added that the crisis should be settled internally in Lebanon, without foreign interference, and through dialogue.

Bassil is visiting world capitals as part of a tour to clarify Lebanon's position following Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's surprise resignation in a Nov. 4 broadcast from Saudi Arabia, which has thrown the small country into turmoil.
Settlers with covered faces threw rocks at Palestinian farmers near the West Bank village of Burin Friday, as IDF soldiers stood by without intervening. Video footage of the incident, it should be noted, cuts off right as the masked settlers come nearer the farmers.

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At about 12:30 pm Friday, a fire broke out in the fields near Burin and the adjacent illegal stronghold of Givat Ronen. The fire was caused by one of the village's farmers burning agricultural waste. Firefighting and security forces arrived to the scene and got the fire under control with the assistance of local farmers.

Footage of the incident ( ,   )

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As the Israeli forces were fighting the fire, however, a group of masked settlers began pelting the Palestinian farmers with stones as the soldiers stood nearby and did nothing to stop them.

The event was captured on camera by activists from the Yesh Din and Rabbis for Human Rights organizations. The latter organization's Human Rights in the West Bank Director, Zacharia Sadeh, was wounded.

Footage captures IDF soldiers standing idly by as settlers threw rocks at Palestinians (Photo: Zacharia Sadeh, Rabbis for Human Rights)

The normally-tense period of the olive harvest is nearly at an end, but in the past two weeks several violent scuffles broke out between bands of Hilltop Youths and Palestinian harvesters in their vicinity.

Confrontations took place mostly around the settlement of Yitzhar, where Jewish settlers claimed Palestinians were harvesting in lands owned by their settlement.
BEIRUT  Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Friday that there will be no stability in Lebanon unless the militant group Hezbollah disarms.

"This is what we hope," Adel al-Jubeir said at a press conference in Madrid with his Spanish counterpart.

It was the second day in a row that the Saudi minister railed against Hezbollah. On Thursday, he called the group a "first-class terrorist organization" that should lay down its arms and respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

The escalated rhetoric comes amid a political crisis sparked by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's surprise resignation, citing Iran and Hezbollah's meddling in the region as the reason he was stepping down. The Nov. 4 resignation broadcast from the Saudi capital is widely believed to have been engineered by the Gulf kingdom.
Soldiers from the Nahal Brigade company of Breaking the Silence spokesman Dean Issacharoffwho lied about assaulting a Palestinian during his army servicewere hardly surprised to learn of the decision to close the assault case, as they had been claiming he was lying for months. Issacharoff's fellow soldiers stated they are also considering legal action against him.

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The case against First Lieutenant Issacharoff was opened following a video disseminated online showed Issacharoff describing in a Breaking the Silence rally how, while serving as a combat officer in Hebron, he repeatedly kneed a Palestinian detainee in the face and chest, causing him to "bleed and faint" without any operational justification.

Issacharoff's comrades are now considering legal actions following his 'slanderous claims' against them (Photo: Zohar Shachar)

"We're glad the truth is finally out," said Issacharoff's former company commander Major (res.) Omri Seiner and his fellow soldiers Sahaf Ezra, Oded Reuven, Tanhum Donov, Maor Negev and Asher Avramov, who were joined by spokesman for the group Reservists on Duty Amit Deri, whose organization submitted the initial appeal to Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked asking for Issacharoff's claims to be investigated.

"We knew Dean was lying all along. As their company commander, I gathered all of the soldiers who were under my command and went through everything with them again, in case there was something I might have missed. It turned out there wasn't. He was simply slandering us and now we're considering legal action against him for the damage he's done," said Seiner.

"We served in Hebron, in (Operation) Protective Edge, and never forgot to be civil, to never hit anyone and certainly to never abuse anyone. Dead caused us, the friends who fought alongside him, insane amounts of damage. Our girlfriends, our families and our friends all tried to ascertain whether we truly did what he said we did. Then we came out with a video six months ago saying Dean lied. It was simply malicious slander," Seiner exclaimed.

Seiner (L), Issacharoff's former company commander, publically confronted his subordinate (Photo: Eli Segal)

Maor Negev, the company's signal operator, said, "I felt very hard done by. When we tried talking to him about it, he continued saying it did happen. But we were moral and followed our values throughout our service, and it didn't happen. Now it's been proven he was lying."

Oded Reuven, another soldier from Issacharoff's company, was incensed with his mate's allegations. "My mother asked me one day, 'Why did you do it? Why did you have to act that way? Was it really necessary?' I panicked and told her, 'Mom, it never happened, that guy is just lying.'"

Amit Deri joined the former combat soldiers when they met Thursday. "We fought Dean's lies every step of the way. We tried finding out why he did it but never got an answer. IDF is a value-driven, moral army and he slandered us, besmirched our name and caused massive damage to our image. Now we're considering legal action," Deri said.

The Palestinian allegedly attacked refuted Issacharoff's account

During the inquiry into the incident, both Seiner and the Palestinian allegedly beaten up by Issacharoff and his company, Hassan Giulani, provided an account completely refuting Breaking the Silence man's claims.

Deputy State Attorney Nurit Litman (L) decided to close the case against Issacharoff (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Deputy State Attorney Nurit Litman therefore decided Thursdayin a joint decision with State Attorney Shay Nitzanto close the case against Issacharoff due to "lack of guilt", adding that "According to the evidence collected, the events as described by Issacharoff never took place."

While Giulani confirmed he was arrested after throwing stones at soldiers as Issacharoff described in his account, he claimed he was never beaten or bruised and had never bled or fainted.

The evidence showed that no complaint was filed by Giulani regarding use of excessive force against him and there is no documentation of any injuries on his body that, if detected, are required to be recorded according to procedures. Giulani's account also matched Seiner's version of the events.

"The investigation and testimonies show (Issacharoff's) claim was false," wrote the State Attorney's Office.

Justice Minister Shaked began the investigation into Issacharoff's claims (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Justice Minister Shaked, who filed the initial complaint against Issacharoff, said, "It's good the truth about this organization has been revealed, demonstrating how it profits at the expense of the IDF's combat soldiers and Israel's civilians."

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked on the incident as well, saying, "Breaking the Silence lie and slander our soldiers the world over. Today this fact was given further proof."

'An investigation was never started this rapidly in the entire history of the occupation'

Breaking the Silence chose to back Issacharoff Thursday. The organization's Executive Director Avner Gvaryahu said, "What began with the justice minister's political instruction became a political investigation and ended with a political and tendentious conclusion."

"It's unfortunate but also dangerous that the state attorney shirks his responsibility to act as a gate keeper and instead of providing protection to citizens and political activists who criticize government policy allows persecution, silencing of dissenting voices and the regime's abuse," Gvaryahu added.

Breaking the Silence's chief then noted that when a Palestinian is interrogated on an incident that took place three years ago, "it's entirely conceivable he will do anything to please them and supply them with what they're looking for."

Breaking the Silence Executive Director Avner Gvaryahu (Photo: Louiz Green)

Breaking the Silence also published Thursday the testimony of Ruben Silverstone, a company commander's signal operator. Silverstone claimed he was standing next to Issacharoff during the incident and witnessed the brutal violence he visited on the Palestinian.

"If the police and State Attorney's Office truly wished to uncover the truth, they would have questioned (Silverstone) as well," Breaking the Silence said. In response, State Attorney sources said they were not familiar with the witness or his account.

Issacharoff's attorney Gaby Lasky said, "Dean stands behind his account of what transpired. In the entire history of the occupation, never has an investigation been opened so quickly, never has a Palestinian victim been found so swiftly and never has a decision been made so rapidly. All of that taken into account, along with the minister of justice's personal involvement in the caseas someone interested in promoting legislation against Breaking the Silencestrengthens our suspicions the decision was political and had little to do with reality."

In a video he published Friday, Issacharoff attacked the government and State Attorney's Office for closing the case against him, while also providing footage of fellow soldier supposedly corroborating his account.

Ruben Silverstone's account

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"The State Attorney's Office is being servile to Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked at my expense and attempting to silence criticism of the occupation. The right-wing government is terrified of the truth, and rightfully so. No political allegation or political campaign can obscure the truth," Breaking the Silence's spokesperson said.

"Why do you think the state attorney didn't consider the testimony of a company commander signal operator named Ruben who was standing next to me as I was kneeing the Palestinian in the face? Maybe it's because it wouldn't align with the conclusion the State Attorney's Office knew Shaked was expecting?" Issacharoff wondered.

The video then cut to Silverstone's testimony. "This is not a lie. I saw dean hitting the Palestinian," he said.

Cutting back to Issacharoff, the Breaking the Silence man said, "If I take responsibility for my own violence, the government will also have to take responsibility for sending us to serve in the territories. You sent me to the territories and now you want to silence me? It's not going to happen. As long as there's occupation, there will be soldiers breaking the silence."

A still from Dean Issacharoff's video

"I know what I did and no political campaign can change that. These hands beat up a Palestinian in the territories. I'm not proud of it, but I'm not going to let you obfuscate reality either. I'm not scared of the truth. I call on the state attorney and the government: let's go to court. Are you coming, or are you cowards?" Issacharoff concluded.
A court in The Hague sentenced Friday Daniel Amona, convicted of murdering Miriam Sharon in 1990, to 14 years in prison. The verdict was handed down two weeks after Amona's trial commenced, as the prime suspect had only been arrested for the murder last year.

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"The family has been living in uncertainty for the past 27 years," said the judge during the sentencing hearing with Amona sitting in silence before him. Sharon's family started wailing immediately as the sentence reading began, Dutch media reported.

Miriam Sharon (L) was murdered 27 years ago. Her killer, Daniel Amona, was sentenced to 14 years in prison Friday (Photo: Courtesy of family)

After his release, Amona returned to Israel and started a family. When he returned to Holland in August of last year he was arrested again. Despite the conviction, 27 years after the fact the murder's motive remains unclear.

Samples were collected at the scene of the murder from two cigarette butts and scissors that were apparently used to cut through a phone cable. In a hearing taking place two weeks ago, a photo from the crime scene was displayed showing an upturned table, a chair thrown at the doorstep and blood everywhere.

"The deceased apparently tried escaping through the door, but was stopped," the prosecution's representative said.

A card from a Brussels coat check room was found in one of the pockets of a black leather coat found in Sharon's apartment. Investigators were able to then use the card to find a bag that may have belonged to Amona and an additional person, an Israeli criminal who has since died.

Yedioth Ahronoth article on Hagenaar police asking Israeli police for assistance (Photo: Yedioth Ahronoth archives)

Amona maintained his right to silence during the hearing, but police investigators eavesdropped on him during the time he was arrested. Amona was recorded as saying "I didn't do it" in one conversation, but said "I'll never admit it, but I may have seen something" in another. This prompted the judge presiding over the case to remark "it appears he knows more than he lets on."

In other conversations Amona had with his wife the two were heard trying to coordinate their accounts. "Worst comes to worst we'll shift blame to your now-deceased partner," his wife was heard saying during a visit to the Dutch prison where Amona was held.

The two were also heard discussing possible scenarios turning the crime into manslaughter without malicious intent, with Amona telling his wife, "Don't worry, it'll be okay."

Ynet published in March of this year that Amona was a Petah Tikva career criminal who went in and out of Israeli jails since the age of 17. He was embroiled in drug, violence and property offenses and served lengthy prison terms. At some point he was even defined as a drug addict and appealed to a judge to allow him to undergo rehabilitation in Jaffa.

Sharon left Israel in 1979 when she was 25. During a trip in The Netherlands she met a local painter and fell in love with him. The two were married and had a daughter and son, but decided to separate several years later. On October 8, 1990 Sharon's body was found in her Hague apartment.

Victim Miriam Sharon

Speaking to Ynet, Sharon's family said they weren't pleased with the conviction or the verdict and were especially incensed at the killer's silence.

"We're happy the court found him guilty of the murder we all knew he committed throughout this entire time," the family said.

Since his arrest and throughout his trial Amona remained completely silent, a fact that infuriated his victim's family. "His decision to remain silent and not divulge what motivated him to murder Miriam and to live for 27 years as if nothing had happened, not to mention starting a family of his own is simply maddening," Sharon's family lamented.

Sharon's family members also considered the punishment Amona received to be too light. "We don't think that's a satisfactory punishment for a crime so heinous. It's a wound that has been open for far too long," the family said.
The German government should revoke landing rights for Kuwait Airways given its ban on Israeli passengers, a senior Justice Department official said on Friday, saying such discrimination was intolerable.

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Christian Lange, parliamentary state secretary in the ministry, appealed to Chancellor Angela Merkel to personally advocate a ban on Kuwait Airways' operations in Germany.

Kuwaiti Airways counter in Frankfurt's airport (Photo: AP)

A German court ruled on Thursday that the airline had the right to refuse to carry an Israeli passenger due to his nationality, a verdict that Jewish groups said condoned anti-Semitism.

Lange told Merkel in the letter that he had received countless phone calls from members of the Jewish community and from others in Israel, expressing shock about the court ruling, made just days after Germany solemnly marked the anniversary of the Nov. 9, 1938 Nazi pogroms against the Jews.

"We cannot say 'Never again' at a remembrance ceremony, but then remain silent when activists in Germany call for a boycott of Israel, or, as in this case, when an airline refuses to carry Israeli citizens," Lange said.

"Especially the German government must make clear that we reject this form of discrimination and hate, and that we stand by the side of our Israeli friends," he told the chancellor.

The Lawfare Project, the legal group that represented the plaintiff in the case, has vowed to appeal against the ruling.

"To see a Jewish person banned from exercising his freedoms in Germany in 2017 is chilling enough. To see that discrimination whitewashed and legitimized by a German judge is grotesque," said the group's executive director, Brooke Goldstein.

Deputy German Foreign Minister Michael Roth also criticized the airline's policy, telling Die Welt newspaper that he had contacted the Kuwaiti ambassador in Germany about the issue.

German Transport Minister Christian Schmidt told Bild newspaper that it was not acceptable to discriminate against airline passengers because of their nationality, and said the German government would address the matter with the Kuwaiti government.

A senior German official appealed to Chancellor Merkel to ban Kuwait Airways from operating in Germany (Photo: AFP)

"This requires contacts at the ministerial level," Schmidt told the newspaper in an interview to be published on Saturday.

"We will do all we can within our legal means to prevent something like this in the future," Schmidt told the paper.
Palestinian Malak Haja of Dura and Ahmad Abu Zneid of Jerusalem were indicted at the Tel Aviv Magistrates' Court Friday morning for phishing and credit card fraud against one thousand Israeli citizens. The pair are accused of using the Israelis' credit card details to purchase goods and service worth hundreds of thousands of shekels and attempting to make additional purchases for NIS 100,000.

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According to the indictment submitted by attorney Ye'ela Harel of the State Attorney's cyber division, Haja, 22, and Abu Zneid, 20, created two websites in 2016 pretending to be widely popular shopping site Ali Express and online payment site Paypal.

Illustration (Photo: Getty Images)

The two then allegedly texted or emailed thousands of Israelis with messages purporting to originate from the real sites. The people who received said messages were then asked to click a link the message contained, which redirected them to the pair's fraudulent websites.

The fake website then asked the visitor to enter their personal and credit card details, which the defendants received to their own email addresses.

Haja and Abu Zneid are accused of receiving such replies from at least one thousand people, who unknowingly provided them with details such as their credit card numbers, CVV security codes and other details allowing online transactions to be carried out.

Using the above method of fraud, the pair then purchased goods and services for an amount exceeding NIS 225,000 and attempted to make additional purchases for at least NIS 100,000. The operation was carried out over the course of almost two years.

Haja and Abu Zneid were arrested two weeks ago after an intensive investigation by Lahav 433's national cyber crimes unit. The court remanded them until further notice.

Abu Zneid's attorney Amir Navon said, "The area of cyber carries terms and expressions that are oftentimes opaque to criminal prosecutors. The indictment is an example of precisely that. It's patently obvious even now there's not a shred of evidence to link the defendants to managing such websites or any form of credit card fraud. We'll receive the investigation's materials and go from there."
WASHINGTON  The US State Department on Friday urged passage of a US-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution to renew an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria for one month.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, speaking to reporters in a briefing, said the United States was very disappointed in Russia's veto of UN Security Council action on the issue on Thursday. Russia separately on Friday rejected the one-month extension proposal crafted by Japan.
Never do these seven things if you are dating a Ghanaian man. The culture of dating and relationships is a very complex one.

Never do these 7 things if you are dating a Ghanaian man

READ ALSO: It took awhile to fall in love with Rawlings - Konadu Rawlings

Men and women are two different kinds of people both emotionally and physically. One can say men were born on Mars with women also from Venus.

Here in Ghana, the rules of playing the relationship game are out there to see. But sadly enough, most women out there fail to get them right. In this article, we reveal the very things women do that breaks the love codes of Ghanaian men.

1. Leaving traces of yourself in his room

We all know the feeling of wanting to stay with the very one you love. But one phenomenon so many Ghanaian men complain about is how their girlfriends leave behind their personal belongings from toothbrushes to underwears. For Ghana guys, this is so "someway".

2. Failing to respect his privacy

Having a thing with a Ghanaian dude never means ripping him off his privacy rights. Most ladies feel the residence of their boyfriends is their bonafide property but until you are married there is no way his home could be yours.

3. Scaring him with his secrets

The beautiful thing about relationships is when both parties get to share their secrets with each other. This does not only boost trust but also tightens the bond of love. But things most likely go nasty when the lady decides to use the man's secret as a threat of blackmail.

4. Sharing intimate moments of him with friends

Some ladies have this weakness of sharing every detail of their love life with other sisters. This could be cool but trust me, it never ain't cool with a Ghanaian man. Men are born with high self-esteem as this helps them become the best person they wish to be. But things turn out wrong when the very sweet moments both partners share get leaked to the public.

5. Always nagging and complaining

Ask any Ghanaian man what he hates about his girlfriend and the one thing he could say is the thing about "too much complaining and nagging".

6. Failing to accept mistakes

It is the dream of every Ghanaian man to have a lady to concedes defeat whenever she makes a mistake. Failing to accept that you are wrong has the potential of your man losing trust in you and this can ruin your marriage.

7. Refusing to cook

The sourest part of a typical Ghanaian relationship is when the lady flaunts her feminine side in the face of her Ghanaian boyfriend. If you are just not into cooking as a lady it will be best you let this known before entering into any engagement. There's nothing wrong with living up to your beliefs as a woman though.

In the video below, the deputy education minister, Mrs Barbara Ayisi, speaks on how President Akufo-Addo inspires her, and how the president's success story must also inspire the youth of Ghana to greater heights.

Send us a message via our official Facebook or Instagram page to get it published on YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast: Abidjan celebrates all gamers with the first and largest e-sport event in Africa. Close to 30 000 people watched the event online with a peak of 8000 simultaneous viewers during the finals.

eSports gaming winners.

From 11-12 November 2017, Abidjan was host to the first and largest e-sport event in Africa where 256 gamers gathered to compete over two days for cash prizes amounting to 8,500,000 FCFA (13,000 Euros) at the Palais de la Culture. Street Fighter V, Naruto and FIFA attracted video game players from five African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso.

Sidick Bakayoko, the event organiser and managing director of Paradise Game said, This is the first time in Africa that gamers from African countries come together to compete on such a large scale.

Beyond the show and the prizes, our objective was to establish a platform to emulate and also connect the industry players. Africa counts for only 1% of a 100 billion dollar industry so the opportunity is real. We want to make this event an annual meeting.

This is the first time in Africa that gamers from African countries come together to compete on such a large scale.

The competition was commented by Abdoulaye Sarr the prof and streamed live on twitch, Facebook and RTI mobile, the national TV web app. Close to 30,000 people watched the event online with a peak of 8000 simultaneous viewers during the finals.

Beyond the tournaments, thousands of visitors enjoyed a full range of exhibitions ranging from virtual reality games to speeches showcasing game developers and scriptwriters; as well a dedicated gaming kids zone for the little ones.

Emmanuel Yao from Ubisoft Singapore provided the audience with a full overview of the myriad of job opportunities that the gaming industry can provide.

Allou Morell dominated the FIFA tournament, Fan Henok won at Naruto and Gilchrist Boka succeeded on Street Fighter V. Two of them were rewarded with a seat to play in the upcoming international competition: the Africa Game show to be held in Morocco on Saturday, November 18, 2017. This opportunity was offered by Orange, the official sponsor of FEJA.
Some reefs he explored 40 years ago have been destroyed by human activity, another reason photo documentation is valuable.

Were hearing about the loss of coral reefs all over the world because of natural and human impacts. Sites that were really pristine are no longer that way at all. Jamaica is one example. Its just totally shocking, he said. Its another reason why creating this archive is important.



Meyer discovered a new species of feather star. In his image gallery is another Pacific species that also could be new to science, he said.



We think its new because it had a different behavior than a similar one thats been identified. It comes out at night, he said.



Meyers reef photos have appeared in the Journal of Natural History and American Scientist. His scholarly work has appeared in diverse journals such as Science, the Bulletin of Marine Science and Paleobiology. But he believes researchers should share their raw data when they can, even if its not tied to published work.



A short amount of fieldwork atop a mountain or at a dive site can generate huge amounts of material that will last you years in the lab or at the desk under a microscope, he said. We collect all this stuff. But the question is how does all that information get processed?



Thats why Meyer decided not to restrict access to his collection of photos that he is offering to the public. His photos might help researchers answer questions about marine species he documented more than four decades ago, he said.



The amount of information collected on geology, fossils and living organisms is huge. But how do people get access to it? he said. Accessibility to unpublished information is a big challenge.




TWIN FALLS  Twin Falls County may decide to raise fees for RVers at Rock Creek Park after private businesses have complained about unfair competition.

The County Commission will have a public hearing at 10 a.m. Friday to consider raising fees from $15 per night to $20 per night.

Unlike at the countys Murtaugh Lake Park, the RV spaces at Rock Creek Park are not used by many Twin Falls County residents.

Its not impacting local people, Commissioner Jack Johnson said about the proposed increase. Its generally people out of town and out of state that are using it.

He said a couple of local RV parks have come to the county complaining that its lower rates are drawing away their customers.

The county competes against private enterprise  unfairly competes, said Mark Lopshire, owner of Oregon Trail Campground. I have to pay thousands in county taxes every year. My county taxes help fund the competition.

Oregon Trail Campground, by comparison, charges $38 per night for RV camping. But it also offers amenities the county park does not, such as wireless internet and sewer service. The business has 75 spaces  while the Rock Creek RV park has 25.

Lopshire said hes had people from all over opt for the county park instead of his because of the low price.

I have lost business even in the last month, he said.

He does not believe a $5 increase would have any change because the principle, he said, is that the county should not compete against private enterprise. He has suggested the county turn the RV park into more picnic areas for county residents.

Lori Vavak, co-owner of Twin Falls 93 RV Park, agreed with Lopshire that it feels like the countys park is undercutting her business.

We need to recoup our investment, she said. With increasing property taxes, we have to keep raising rates in order to keep up.

Twin Falls 93 RV Park charges $42 per night for each of its 28 spaces. Another 43 spaces will soon be added. Vavak would like the countys park fees to be market based, putting them on a fair playing field so her business can fill in the summer months.

Johnson said the countys RV park has been in existence since long before the private businesses came in to help fill that need. Commissioners want to minimize the impact on private business, he said.

We may be revisiting this in the future, Johnson said.

Fees from Rock Creek RV Park go into the countys general fund, he said, but they are accounted for in the budgeting process for the park.

Commissioners will consider the fee increase Friday in the second-floor meeting room at the County West building, 630 Addison Ave. W.
BURLEY  Someone cleaned out an ATM at a D.L. Evans Bank the night of Nov. 15 after overriding its computer, police say.

Police havent identified a suspect, but Cassia County Undersheriff George Warrell said a similar case is under investigation in Twin Falls.

It appears to be the same people, Warrell said.

The Burley theft happened about 8:30 p.m.

After they overrode the system the ATM gave them money, Warrell said.

There was also a report Wednesday night of ATM tampering at Mountain America Credit Union on Blue Lakes Boulevard North, said Twin Falls Police Sgt. Luke Allen.

No money was taken from the ATM, he said.

Allen said he heard about the Cassia County incident, and said Twin Falls will work with Cassia County law enforcement.

Police in Utah and the FBI are also investigating.

No account holder information was compromised, Warrell said.
BURLEY  Law enforcement officials are releasing few details on human bones discovered in Jerome County.

Jerome County Sheriff Doug McFall said the remains were found within the past few days by a worker preparing an excavation site who walked ahead of the machine to make sure it wouldnt get stuck.

We are talking about bones, he said.

McFall said he doesnt know whether the remains are male or female. He declined to say exactly when or where the bones were found.

Were afraid if we pinpoint it well have people heading out there who will contaminate the scene, McFall said.

Cassia County Undersheriff George Warrell said the Cassia County Sheriffs Office is jointly investigating the case with Jerome County Sheriffs Office.

This investigation is continuing and we are trying to positively identify the remains, Warrell said.

McFall said they are working with the Jerome County coroner, authorities in Ada County and at Boise State University to identify the remains.

Part of that process of making a positive identification is looking at people who are unaccounted for, he said. We try to confirm or eliminate those persons.

The sheriffs departments ask anyone with information to call the Cassia County Sheriff dispatch at 208-878-2251 or Jerome County Sheriffs Office at 208-595-3311.
KIMBERLY  Kimberlys new elementary school could be named after the Stricker family, and have the same colors and mascot as existing campuses.

A 15-member elementary transition committee presented recommendations at a community meeting Thursday night at Kimberly Middle School.

The big item of the night: Where Kimberly elementary schoolers will attend school starting in fall 2018.

Preparing for a second elementary school to open is a huge deal in Kimberly. It will alleviate crowding at the existing school  which has about 900 students  and its the first time school attendance zones will be used.

The proposal: The boundary is roughly along 3700 North and the train tracks. Students in north Kimberly would go to the new school and those south of that would go to the existing Kimberly Elementary School.

The committee considered six options for new elementary school zones. The top priority: We wanted to maintain safety of our students, chairman Tim Funk told about 40 meeting attendees.

The school board will likely make a final decision in December.

The transition committee  which includes community members, school employees and school trustees  has met since April. It presented to recommendations about school zones, names, colors and mascots to the school board last month.

Construction of the 50,000-square-foot new elementary school  with a $10.7 million price tag  has been underway since spring. The 10-acre campus is at the corner of Polk Street West and Emerald Drive North, east of Ballards Way subdivision.

Once the new school opens, remodeling will begin on the existing elementary school.

To create new elementary school attendance zones, the committee considered factors such as the number of students divided among the two schools, parity (socioeconomic status among students), not splitting up neighborhoods, traffic and future growth.

Theres a lot of growth within Kimberly, Funk said, and looking into the future, we expect quite a bit more growth, actually, with some of the new subdivisions being developed.

To get feedback on school names, colors and mascots, the Kimberly School District put out two surveys and about 650 people responded.

The transition committee discussed the results extensively, Funk said. The bottom line is we put a lot of work into this.

A name for the new elementary school has been a talking point at nearly every committee meeting, Funk said. It was interesting  there were really strong feelings about this issue of the school name. Theyve been rather polarized as well.

About 47 percent of survey respondents were in favor of Kimberly Elementary School North, but another large group didnt rank it among their top choices at all.

The committee also considered names with a directional  such as north or south  and of people with significance to Kimberly.

The committees recommendation: Stricker Elementary School.

Its a nod to the Stricker family. The historic Rock Creek Stage Station and Stricker Homesite is south of present-day Hansen.

Herman Stricker, a German emigrant, purchased the Rock Creek Store at the stage stop in 1877 along the old Oregon Trail.

On the Kimberly School Districts survey, Stricker Elementary received the strongest level of support across the board.

The recommendation is to keep the existing name of the current Kimberly Elementary School.

For school colors and a mascot, the majority of survey respondents said they wanted the same mascot (Bulldogs) and colors (red, white and black) for both elementary schools.

All three existing Kimberly schools share the same colors and mascot.

Meeting attendees asked questions about topics such as busing, where special education services will be housed and about renovating the existing elementary school.

They didnt publicly express opinions about the recommendations, but were asked to fill out a four-question survey at the end of the meeting.

And theres still time to weigh in before a final decision is made.
When I first read in July that the Trump administration was requesting every voters information for a Voter Fraud Program headed by Kris Kobach, who is known for voter suppression, I contacted our Secretary of States Office and demanded he not give my voter information, birth date and last four digits of my Social Security number. I was told by the Board of Elections in Mr. Denneys office that he was reviewing the request with Attorney General Wasden and had not provided any information at that time.

I decided to remove myself from the voter rolls anyway. I didnt feel comfortable with this information being sent via unsecured email directly to the VPs office. I didnt know then and still do not know what they are doing with this information. The federal government has no business tracking my personal political affiliation.

I was outraged to read that Mr. Denney had already sent my personal and voter information last February! He and his office not only lied to me, but to every Idaho voter! Now he says he is going to review the program! It is too late for that! It has been reported that Kobachs office is sending this information out with the password, so anyone can request this information and get our information. I dont think Mr. Denney would have done this if President Obama requested it!

Mr. Denney has not apologized to the Idaho voter! How can we trust what he and his office tells us? Where are our Republican leaders? Are they so used to the president lying daily that lying by any other politician is no big deal anymore? How can any citizen trust Idahos current secretary of state again? This is an unforgivable violation of trust! Mr. Denney needs to first apologize and then resign!

Jill Skeem

Kimberly
Credit: Architect of the Capitol(WASHINGTON) -- Reaction from both parties continues to pour in after a female radio host claimed that Al Franken, now Minnesotas junior Democratic senator, groped her while she was sleeping aboard a military plane on her way home from a USO tour several years ago.



The host, Leeann Tweeden also claimed he forcibly kissed her when they were performing together for troops overseas.



Franken has since apologized for the incident, writing in a statement Thursday, While I don't remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leeann does, I understand why we need to listen to and believe womens experiences.



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for an ethics investigation into the allegations against Franken, a move that also garnered support from his Democratic counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.



"As with all credible allegations of sexual harassment or assault, I believe the Ethics Committee should review the matter. I hope the Democratic Leader will join me on this. Regardless of party, harassment and assault are completely unacceptable-in the workplace or anywhere else, McConnell said in a statement on Thursday.



Sexual harassment is never acceptable and must not be tolerated, Schumer said, I hope and expect that the Ethics Committee will fully investigate this troubling incident, as they should with any credible allegation of sexual harassment.



Franken also called for an ethics investigation, adding "I will gladly cooperate."



Other Democratic senators have since weighed in on the allegations, supporting an ethics investigation into Frankens alleged actions.



The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) have both called on either sitting Democratic senators or various Democratic candidates for the U.S. House to return campaign contributions they have received from Franken.



These allegations are disgusting and Democrats who took Senator Frankens campaign money need to take action, said NRCC Communications Director Matt Gorman.



The NRSC sent out emails targeting various Democratic senators that are up for re-election in 2018, including Senators Joe Manchin, D-W.V. and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc.



After todays shocking revelations regarding Senator Al Frankens behavior towards women, Tammy Baldwin must denounce her Democrat colleague and return campaign donations she has received from him, NRSC communications director Katie Martin wrote in an e-mail.



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WASHINGTONThe US military has quietly increased the tempo of its operations in Somalia, conducting a growing number of drone strikes against Al-Qaeda affiliated Shabaab militants and other jihadists.

Since the start of the year, America has carried out 28 drone strikes in the Horn of Africa nation, with 15 of these coming since September 1, the militarys Africa Command (AFRICOM) said.

Thats a big increase from last year. According to the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which maintains a tally of US operations in Somalia and elsewhere, there were 15 anti-Shabaab air strikes in the whole of 2016.

The surge in activity comes as the US watches for an influx of fighters from the Islamic State group, which has lost almost all its territory in Iraq and Syria.

The US conducted a pair of drone strikes against IS in Somalia on November 3, the first time it has hit the jihadists there.

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Though the Pentagon has provided few details about the strikes, spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said this week that US forces had killed 40 Shabaab and IS fighters in a series of five strikes on Somalia between November 9 and 12.

On Wednesday, AFRICOM announced a sixth strike that killed several Shabaab militants 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Mogadishu. AFP

The surge in activity comes after President Donald Trump in March loosened constraints on the US military in Somalia, allowing commanders to take action against suspected terrorists when they judge it is needed, without seeking specific White House approval.

The US is supporting the countrys fight against Shabaab, which has carried out a string of devastating bombings in Mogadishu and elsewhere.

In May, officials said only about 50 US troops were in Somalia providing training and advice for the Somali military and logistical support, but on Thursday the Pentagon said the figure is now at about 500.

Pentagon spokesman and Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie told reporters Thursday that he didnt necessarily think there was a ramping-up of operations, but said the density of targets meant more strikes had been possible.

Theres no particular rhythm to it, except that as (targets) become available and as were able to process them and vet them, we strike, he said.

McKenzie added that officials keep a close eye on foreign fighters movements from Iraq and Syria, but he would not say if the Pentagon was tracking jihadists flowing from their former caliphate through Yemen and onto Somalia.-

Aside from US forces training and advising Somalias young military, about 22,000 African Union troops are helping secure outlying urban areas.

AMISOM, the AUs mission in Somalia, has said it will withdraw 1,000 troops fighting jihadists in the country this year, as part of plans to pull out all soldiers by December 2020.

Washington is worried the reduction will hamper efforts against Shabaab.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan met with Ugandan Minister of Defense Adolf Mwesige in Vancouver, Canada on the margins of a UN peacekeeping summit this week.

Uganda is the main contributor to AMISOM and has been there for a decade.

Shanahan acknowledged those Ugandan lives lost in Somalia. He expressed his understanding of the frustration with the pace of progress in Somalia but also his confidence that progress is being made, Shanahans spokeswoman Commander Sarah Higgins said.

For Jennifer Cooke, an Africa specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, this militarization of US policy in Somalia is concerning.

The raining down of strikes from the sky can give major fuel to recruitment by (jihadist) groups, she told AFP.

Cooke worried that increasing military intervention is not being matched by diplomatic efforts in Somalia as the US State Departments budget is cut.

You dont have the counter-balance of a diplomatic strategy to go with that expanding military footprint, she said, also adding that rising civilian casualties were a real risk. AFP

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Bahrains capital city Manama has been named the best city by world citizens in the Expat Inside 2017 Survey where the Bahraini capital scores points in Quality of Urban Living, Getting Settled, Urban Work Life, and Finance & Housing indices.

Manama tops the rankings involving 51 global cities voted by 7,985 respondents selected in 40 countries.

The city is believed easy to live in without speaking any local language, giving it a high score in the Getting Settled Index.

88 per cent of respondents agree that it is easy to find an accommodation in the Bahraini capital where access to finance is also easy.

Expats in Bahrains capital are twice as likely to have an annual household income of over 200,000 USD as respondents worldwide (11% vs. 5%). This might be connected to the fact that they are also twice as likely to work in management (31% vs. 14%), the report says.

Expats suggest that it is not a big deal to find a job or start a career in Manama. 27 per cent of expats say they primarily moved to the Gulf city because they found a job.

On the Urban Work Life, the city is ranked 12th out of the 51 cities.

Manama outdoes Prague, Madrid and Kuala Lumpur ranking respectively 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Other regional cities such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Muscat and Riyadh are ranked respectively 15th, 17th, 45th, 12th, 48th.

The Saudi second city Jeddah features among the three bottom cities along with Lagos and Paris.
The United States has joined efforts with Morocco, its major ally in North Africa, to combat threats of homegrown terrorists. The two countries announced Thursday in Malta this global initiative placed under the auspices of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and in partnership with the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law.

The homegrown terrorism threat is growing as ISIS attempts to compensate for the loss of control of territory in Iraq and Syria by encouraging and directing attacks elsewhere, including by leveraging foreign terrorist fighters relocating from the conflict zone. Recent attacks in Barcelona, New York, and Manchester, show no country is immune to these terrorist attacks.

ISISs prolific use of social media has expanded its reach throughout the world, allowing the group to direct or inspire adherents, including those who have never stepped foot in a conflict zone, to commit acts of terrorism in their own countries.

To address homegrown terrorism, the initiatives launch brought together in Valletta (Malta) over 70 government officials, law enforcement officers, academics, and non-governmental representatives from 25 countries.

The participants discussed the trends and issues associated with homegrown terrorism, and highlighted available tools and programs to address this threat.

They reviewed ways to improve information sharing, both within and among governments, and examined prevention and intervention programs. This initiative will result in non-binding good practices for policymakers and practitioners that will highlight comprehensive and integrated approaches to preventing and detecting homegrown terrorists.

Morocco co-chairs with the Netherlands the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF). The North African Kingdom is a founding member of GCTF and the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and participates in all of the Coalition Working Groups.

Launched in 2011, the GCTF is an informal, a-political, multilateral counterterrorism (CT) platform that has strengthened the international architecture for addressing 21st century terrorism.

Central to the Forums overarching mission is the promotion of a strategic, long-term approach to counter terrorism and the violent extremist ideologies that underpin it. The GCTF develops Good Practices and tools for policy-makers and practitioners to strengthen CT civilian capabilities, national strategies, action plans and training modules.

It provides a forum for national CT officials and practitioners to meet with their counterparts from different regions to share experiences, expertise, strategies, tools, capacity needs, and capacity-building programs.
Israel and Saudi Arabia have been accusing Iran of undermining their security and stability hinting at a possible alliance to counter Tehrans rising regional influence.

The recent statement by the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, Lt. General Gadi Eisenkot, about the shared interests of Tel Aviv and Riyadh to forge an alliance to thwart the Iranian threat gives omens of a full-blown sandstorm that is poised to take place in the Middle East.

The statements were made at a surprising interview with a Saudi newspaper, the first of its kind with an Israeli military official in the Saudi press. Its content is revealing of a secretly forging military alliance between Israel and Saudi Arabia against Iran.

Eisenkot told the Saudi newspaper that with President Donald Trump, there is an opportunity for a new international alliance in the region and a major strategic plan to stop the Iranian threat.

We are ready to share intelligence, (with Saudi Arabia), if necessary. There are many common interests between us, he said.

Iran seeks to take control of the Middle East, creating a Shiite crescent from Lebanon to Iran, and then from the Gulf to the Red Sea. We must prevent this from happening, he added.

Both countries were vicious critics of former President Barack Obamas 2015 nuclear deal with Iran (and have been proponents of President Donald Trumps efforts to scrap it), and both opposed Iranian support for foreign political and militant movements across the region.

Both Saudi Arabia and Israel threatened to take action against Iran which they blame for threatening their stability through its role in creating and supporting the powerful Lebanese Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah.

Hezbollah twice forced Israel into a stalemate in Lebanon, and has played a vital role in helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies overcome a 2011 uprising by jihadists and rebels, some of whom were backed by Saudi Arabia.

For Saudi Arabia, Israel is a potential ally in the bitter and long-running Sunni-Shia war thats been going in fits and starts since the year 632. Hatred for the U.S. and Israel may seem supreme in radical Islamist cultures, but the Sunni-Shia divide is worse and a lot older. And with the wars in Syria and Yemen showing no signs of slowing down, hostilities between the Sunni standard bearers in Riyadh and the Shia rulers in Tehran have never been more likely.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philipe said that the Moroccan economy offers a platform for French companies willing to invest in Africa notably in fields relating to services, finance and trade.

Philipe, who was speaking at the Moroccan-French Business Forum, which he co-chaired along with Head of the Government Saad Eddine El Othmani, highlighted the importance of Africa in bilateral ties between Morocco and France calling for adopting a comprehensive approach towards the continent based on complementarity between enterprises from the two countries and their shared responsibility in Africa.

On this occasion, the French premier expressed satisfaction with the special ties between the two countries as evidenced by French President who paid his first visit outside Europe to Morocco.

He said the close French-Moroccan friendship is the result of a shared destiny, noting that 2 million French tourists visit Morocco annually and that 37,000 Moroccan students pursue their studies in France, which hosts 1,300,000 million citizens of Moroccan origin.

This human capital, he said, has contributed in promoting understanding between the two nations and has spurred cooperation in key fields such as aeronautics, car industry as well as large-scale infrastructure projects such as Tangier Med port and the TGV.

In this respect, the French PM lauded the holding of the French-Moroccan Business Forum, which, he said, evidenced the depth of economic ties between the two countries.

France remains Moroccos first economic partner, he recalled, adding that 900 French enterprises operate in Morocco where they create around 100,000 jobs.

While describing economic cooperation between the two countries as mature and long-term, the French PM called for facilitating the development of new players, citing in this respect the importance of supporting SMEs to get access to funding and technical assistance as well as digitalization.

He said France is a partner that enjoys the trust of Morocco. In this regards, he mentioned that France has upheld its responsibility towards Moroccos development with the doubling of loans earmarked by the French development agency to 400 million.
Sudans President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Thursday unveiled his exit plan as the country prepares to hold its next presidential election in 2020.

Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who seized power in the northeast African state in a military coup in 1989, said he would support the governor of the Gezira state in 2020 presidential elections, if Mohamed Tahir Ayala decided to run.

Ayala, who is the head of the Gezira branch of the ruling National Congress Party, has commented Bashirs endorsement later on Thursday, saying he would also back the president if he decides to run for a third term in office.

Omar Al-Bashir has announced earlier this year that he will leave office in 2020 after 31 years in power. He was re-elected in 2015 with 94 percent of the vote in an election widely discredited by the international community and opposition parties.

The Sudanese leader is currently wanted for trial at The Hague by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide relating to the conflict in Sudans troubled Darfur region.

The United Nations estimates that at least 300,000 people have been killed and 2.6 million fled their homes during the 13-year conflict.
The third and fourth floors of the main building of Cameroons parliament in Yaounde caught fire overnight on Thursday, local media reported.

Pictures posted on social media by the state-run broadcaster, CRTV, appeared to show a large part of the building had been damaged.

The National Assembly of Cameroon is, since Tuesday, in ordinary session to examine the 2018 Finance bill, in a context marked, for more than one year, by the Anglophone crisis.

Since November, the Anglophone minority in the central African nation has been protesting against perceived discrimination, especially in education and the judicial system.

MPs of the leading opposition party, Social Democratic Front (SDF) of Cameroon, have boycotted the opening ceremony of the 3rd parliamentary session earlier this week.

The MPs announced their strike action during the committee deliberations and the various plenary sessions to push the government to find a definitive solution to the Anglophone crisis.

The party has always been steadfast in calling for a federal government comprising two states. The government has however always argued that Cameroon deserves to remain a one state decentralized government for efficient development.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties to the dispute to refrain from actions that could heighten tensions.
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German Wall piece in Tbilisi and forgotten late president Shevardnadze

By Messenger Staff

A couple of days ago a piece from the Berlin Wall was installed in Old Tbilisi as a symbol of Georgian-German friendship.The event also hosted an exhibition which absolutely ignored Georgias second, late president Eduard Shevardnadze, who contributed much for the demolition of the Wall separating Germany.Shortly after the occasion Georgias PM told the media he was surprised by the absence of Shevardnadzes photos at the exhibition.It was not the end of the story as Shevardnadzes grandchildren have addressed the German Ambassador to Georgia Heike Peitsch with a letter, in which they expressed regret over the fact that Shevardnadze's photos were not exhibited at the opening event.We would like to express our deepest regret over the fact that at the exhibition in European Square no place could be found for our grandfather, Eduard Shevardnadze's photos. This fact is a complete neglect of history, the letter reads.PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili fairly called the fact an anomaly. We thank him for the right state, civil and human position, the grandchildren wrote.They reminded the German ambassador of several historical events about the personal contribution of Shevardnadze to the independence of Germany.We believe that a gross, completely unjustified mistake was made during the planning of the exhibition and that this is not the position of the German people and the German state.We believe that you will make every effort to eradicate this shameful mistake and the traditionally friendly and strategic relations between Georgia and Germany will not be damaged," says the letter signed by Shevardnadze's grandchildren: Tamar Mosashvili-Shevardnadze; Sophio Shevardnadze; Mariam Shevardnadze; Lasha Shevardnadze and Nanuli Shevardnadze.The Governmental Administration of Georgia shortly responded to the letter, sharing its content and confirming Shevardnadzes huge role in the historic event of unification of Germany.The administration defined that on November 9, the exhibition was organized by the Communication Department of the Government of Georgia and that the Embassy and the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany were not involved in the preparation of the event.The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany attended the event as an invited guest, the statement reads.We want to explain that only the fragments of the Berlin Wall will permanently remain on the European Square, while the exhibition was organized only for the evening of 9 November, the statement added.If one asks any Georgian about Shevardnadze time, he will definitely remind permanent blackouts, poverty, corruption and many other negative things.However, it was the time full of challenges and the late president avoided bloodshed when he left peacefully in the wake of the 2003 Rose Revolution.May be Shevardnadzes years in Georgia were not something worth remembering, but the man could do a special thing for Germany, for Europe, which must not have been forgotten.
The News in Brief

Georgian President Calls on West to Stand Up to Russia



(WARSAW) -- Addressing the Warsaw Security Forum on November 9, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili called on Western nations to stand up to Russia, warning that Moscows aggressive actions would continue to cause serious problems far beyond its borders if the international community failed to act.



Margvelashvili began his remarks by drawing parallels between Russias hybrid warfare in Ukraine since 2014 and its actions against Georgia in the early 1990s.



Russias direct engagement was a (key) factor when it isolated and occupied two of Georgias regions, said Margvelashvili in reference to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, strategic districts where Moscow-backed separatists broke away from Tbilisis fledgling government in two devastating conflicts between 1991-1993 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.



Very often, I hear that it (Moscows on-going occupation of Georgia)started in 2008. No, the occupation of these two regions by Russia began in the 1990s, said Margvelashvili, adding that Russias aggression can be traced to their hostility towards Georgias decision to be free and independent to have its own voice. It (Georgia) was punished (for this) through the use of hybrid warfare.



Margvelashvili added that while nobody applauded Russias aggression against Georgia in 2008, the reaction of the international community was insufficient to prevent further aggressive moves by Moscow. He noted that a precedent had been set by a nuclear superpower entering and changing the borders of neighboring countries long before the Russian armys invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014.



This will continue to cause serious problems (in the region), not only for Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, butRussias other neighbors.



Before finishing his remarks, Margvelashvili called on Georgias allies to develop a rational and principled response to Russian aggression.

(Civil.ge)







Ex-PM Burjanadze Says Georgia Needs its Own Putin



(TBILISI)  Pro-Moscow Georgian opposition politician Nino Burjanadze expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin in a new interview with German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle.



He brought Russia from its knees to its feet. You look at Russia, what it looked like 10-15 years ago, and what it is now. And frankly, I would like to see Georgia have the same type of president as Putin, Burjanadze, who once served as interim president following the 2003 Rose Revolution, told DWs Russian service.



In the interview, she predicted that Putin will undoubtedly win the upcoming elections set for March 2018. People really support him I think it will be good for Russia if Putin wins.



Responding to the DW correspondents question about how she would compare Georgias ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili with Putin, Burjanadze said the latter is a serious politician, while the former is impulsive.



And the fact that Putin is being criticized as an authoritarian leader, and no one in the West ever criticized Saakashvili is, for me, an example of double standards, Burjanadze, said.



I witnessed how my Western friends turned a blind eye to clear violations of the law and injustice towards me and my associates, precisely because they label us pro-Russian. It was very painful. Ill tell you, frankly, I was very disappointed with real Western values. I began to doubt whether they really existed at all, said Burjanadze.



Burjanadze had been a close ally of Saakashvili during the Rose Revolution and later served as the Speaker of Parliament. She and Saakashvili, however, fell out following the 2008 war against Russia, in which Georgia lost nearly a quarter of its territory to separatist and Russian forces.



Following parliamentary elections later that year, she failed to be reappointed as speaker and later moved into the opposition.



She has served as the leader of the Democratic Georgia party ever since and usually bristles at accusations that she or her party are allied to the Kremlin. In her interview with DW host Zhanna Nemtsova, the daughter of the slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, fervently denied that she is pro-Russian, but insisted that she is only pro-Georgian.



Keeping in line with her partys platform of being both anti-NATO and anti-Western, the Democratic Georgia Party stands for the same sort of conservatism, economic nationalismand anti-liberalism that has been the standard fare of law makers in Moscow for the better part of a decade.



Her frequent visits to Moscow and face-to-face meetings with Russian politicians, as well as her increasingly anti-liberal statements, have failed to silence her critics who claim she is currying favor with the Kremlin in an attempt to solidify Georgias place inside Russias orbit.



Burjanadze, herself, admits that she opposes Georgias further integration with Europe and instead calls for closer ties to Moscow.



While commenting on former Prime Minsiter Bidzina Ivanishvili, Burjanadze also criticized the billionaire tycoon for his behind-the-scenes, informal rule of the country.



There was no democracy in the country under either Saakashvili or Ivanishvili. Under Saakashvili, we were afraid of physical violence. With Ivanishvili, we have no such fears, but we witness corruption by people with huge amounts of money. Under Saakashvili, elections were rigged because people were frightened that they would be killed, kidnapped or imprisoned. Now people are bribed. Which is better? I dont know which is better. Neither one or the other is acceptable, said Burjanadze.



Known as an eccentric billionaire who earned his fortune during the wild privatization period of 1990s Russia, Ivanishvili served as prime minister from 2012-13 after his Georgian Dream coalition defeated arch foe, Saakashvili, in a hotly contested poll.



He formally stepped down 13 months into his term in office. Though he officially retired at the time of his resignation, Ivanishvili is widely believed to wield significant influence over the countrys domestic and foreign policy via the ruling Georgian Dream party.

(DF Watch)




@alextdaugherty

Miami Rep. Carlos Curbelo represents the most pro-Hillary Clinton district in the country currently held by a Republican running for reelection in 2018, and he could be in trouble if Democrats make nationwide gains next year.

On Friday, the Cook Political Report changed Curbelo's reelection rating from "lean Republican" to "toss up" a day after the House passed an overhaul of the nation's tax code that Curbelo supports.

"Curbelo impressed in 2016, winning a second term by 12 points while Hillary Clinton carried this 69 percent Latino district by 16 points," Cook editor Dave Wasserman wrote. "But Curbelo also had the luxury of running against Democrat Joe Garcia, who was disgraced by an absentee ballot scandal. And despite his push for a bipartisan immigration reform bill, Curbelo's recent votes in favor of the GOP's healthcare and tax bills give Democrats fodder to tie him to Trump."

Wasserman also mentioned Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, noting that she captured 46 percent of the vote against sitting state Sen. Anitere Flores in 2016. Flores' district closely mirrors Curbelo's Miami-to-Key West seat.

"She raised $177,000 last quarter and has a long way to catch up to Curbelo's $1.3 million, but Democrats are encouraged that they flipped a nearby state senate district in a September special election," Wasserman said. "No Republican running for reelection represents a more pro-Clinton district than Curbelo. He's in for another tough race."

Nationwide, Wasserman rates 17 Republican-held seats as "toss ups" compared to four Democratic-held seats. Retiring Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's open seat, in a Miami district that voted for Clinton by a larger margin than Curbelo's, is rated as "lean Democratic."

Democrats must win 24 seats nationwide in the 2018 elections to gain a majority in the House of Representatives.


@PatriciaMazzei

All four major Democratic candidates for Florida governor called on the chairman of the state party, Stephen Bittel, to resign Friday after Bittel apologized over accusations he created an uncomfortable work environment for women, the latest case of sexual impropriety rocking the state capital.

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and Orlando businessman Chris King urged Bittel to step down after Politico Florida cited six anonymous women late Thursday who complained they found Bittel creepy over repeated inappropriate remarks, leering looks and invitations to join him on his private jet.

These courageous women came forward with disturbing stories of harassment, and its our duty to stand in the gap for them and others in these situations, Gillum said in a statement Friday. Although these allegations are not criminal, they clearly paint a picture of a hostile working environment for women.

In a statement of her own, Graham said she telephoned Bittel and asked him to leave his post. No one should have to work in an uncomfortable environment, she said. Bittels behavior and the atmosphere he has created is unacceptable.

Levine said he espouses a zero tolerance for harassment in politics or the workplace.

Its time to change the culture and it must start at the top, Levine said. I hope Chairman Bittel does the right thing and steps down as Chairman.

King made reference to the wave of sexual harassment and assault allegations that have been made public recently against influential men in media, the movie industry and politics, including in Tallahassees insular state Capitol.

More here.

Photo credit: Patrick Farrell, Miami Herald staff
@PatriciaMazzei

Two members of Florida's congressional delegation met with President Donald Trump's Homeland Security chief Thursday ahead of a looming deadline over whether to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants.

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami, advocates of extending TPS, met with Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, who has until Thanksgiving to decide on whether to renew the program, which affects some 50,000 Haitians.

"Though we are approaching the eighth anniversary of the catastrophic earthquake, conditions on the island remain difficult," Diaz-Balart said in a statement. "The United States was a place of comfort and solace for so many Haitians in the wake of the devastation, and forcing them to return to Haiti in its current state would be counterproductive."

Last week, Duke ended TPS for Nicaraguans, a decision that disappointed South Florida lawmakers who represent many of those immigrants and their families.

Staffers for other Florida legislators also attended the meeting with Duke, who spoke by phone Thursday with Florida Gov. Rick Scott. In May, Scott asked John Kelly, then Homeland Security secretary and now the White House chief of staff, to extend TPS.

"The Governor hopes for a permanent solution for these families," Scott spokesman McKinley Lewis told the Miami Herald.

--with Mary Ellen Klas

This post has been updated.
The Senate's decision to outsource its investigation of sexual harassment claims against Sen. Jack Latvala got moving on the second track on Friday as the Senate's hired special master started interviewing witnesses.

The special master, retired First District Court of Appeal Judge Ronald V. Swanson, will conduct an investigation in response to a formal complaint filed by an unnamed Senate staff member.

A separate employment investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Latvala as published Politico is underway. That investigation is being led by Gail Golman Holtzman of the Tampa-based Jackson Lewis law firm.

Swanson, 69, was appointed to First DCA by Gov. Rick Scott in June 2011 and retired April 30, 2016. He now teaches at Flagler College and lives in Jacksonville Beach.

Swanson, a Republican, was appointed Circuit Court Judge of the First Judicial Circuit and to the Santa Rosa County court bench by former Gov. Jeb Bush. He previously served as a military judge in the Navy and the Marine Corps. In his merit retention election for the DCA in 2012, he received 65 percent approval. He's a former prosecutor, who sent people the death row, a former teacher at the Florida School for the Blind, and went to high school in Tampa.

Senate spokesperson Katie Betta refused to answer procedural questions related to the investigation and to make publicly available the contract with the special master, saying that would be a violation of the Senate Rules.

"I cannot confirm any details regarding the complaint," she said.

Latvala attorney Steven R. Andrews would not identify Swanson but when asked whether he approved of his selection as special master said he was pleased. "We're happy the president accepted our recommendation to hire a retired judge and we believe him to be an excellent jurist,'' Andrews said.

Andrews said that unlike the Holtzman case, the interviews in Swanson's case will be done under oath and transcribed. Holtzman's interviews, he said, will not be transcribed.

The Senate has also hired the Tallahassee law firm of GrayRobinson to provide legal and consulting services to the Senate as determined by the Senate President or his designee for an undetermined period of time until Senate President Joe Negron or his designee decide that the services are no longer needed, according to the contract signed Nov. 9.

According to the contract signed Nov. 13 by the Office of Legislative Services and Holtzman's law firm, Latvala will be the only senator to be investigated for allegations of sexual harassment claims. The limited scope of the investigation is laid out in a letter attached to the contract from Holtzman.

"We will represent OLS with its investigation of sexual harassment claims by six unnamed individuals who have alleged claims in media reports against Senator Latvala,'' Holtzman wrote. More on that here.

Tampa Bay Times reporter Steve Bousquet contributed to this report.
The contract says that GrayRobinson will provide legal and consulting services to the Senate as determined by the Senate President or his designee for an undetermined period of time until Negron or his designee decide that the services are no longer needed.
@PatriciaMazzei

State Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, the only Miami Democrat backed so far by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus ahead of the 2018 election, won't say whether the group should have allowed Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo into its ranks, chalking up the dispute to "political gamesmanship."

"I'm not focused on the political gamesmanship of D.C., in fact that's why I'm running, to change that," Rodriguez said in a statement to the Miami Herald. "I'm focused on campaigning in my district and earning the trust and support of CD27 residents to be their voice and champion in Congress."

In September, Rodriguez made much ado about being one of only three Democratic candidates nationwide endorsed by the CHC's political arm. Rodriguez is one of eight Democrats trying to replace retiring Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in a district that leans even more Democratic than Curbelo's neighboring 26th district.

Despite hailing from opposing political parties, Curbelo and Rodriguez share a Cuban-American heritage and a moderate approach to politics.

The 30-member CHC is made up strictly of Democrats, some of whom argued that Curbelo -- who didn't seek membership as a freshman two years ago -- was pushing to join now solely to help him get reelected to a district where Hillary Clinton trounced Trump. Curbelo countered he sought to join in February, long before his reelection, to discuss issues affecting Hispanics.

--with Alex Daugherty in Washington
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There can be no better name for a sawyer than Red Stout.

And theres no higher honor than the one Stout received in 1958, when the J. Neils Lumber Co. of Libby selected him to cut down a Christmas tree high up Pipe Creek for President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

It was the first of four towering Christmas trees Montana sent to Washington, D.C., and the only one to grace the White House lawn.

The fourth is on its way through Montana behind a Kenworth T680 truck, winding through the western woods for the first three days and scheduled to stop in Harlem and Glasgow on Friday. The 79-foot-tall Engelmann spruce from the Yaak and the Kootenai National Forest will be lit Dec. 5 on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

The Kootenai also provided the Capitol Christmas tree in 1989, in the centennial year of Montanas statehood. Tree No. 3 from Montana was in 2008, from Rye Creek in the Sapphire Mountains of the Bitterroot National Forest.

The annual tradition of sending a Christmas tree culled from a national forest to the Capitol lawn began in 1968, years after President Calvin Coolidge lit the first National Christmas Tree outside the White House in 1923.

To complicate matters, the White House tree  the one the president lights  has been a decorated living tree on the Ellipse, just south of the White House fence, since 1973. And theres a tree for the Blue Room inside the White House, which Melania Trump will receive Monday from the owners of a Wisconsin tree farm. Thats earlier than the usual day-after-Thanksgiving ritual, as the Trumps are expected to spend the holiday at their home in Palm Beach, Florida.

***

Word came to Libby in November 1958 that the national tree would be taken from the Kootenai. Five rangers searched for weeks before they found the right tree north of town.

Stout was proactive about being the man to cut the historic Christmas tree. He sent a short note to Mark Schoknecht, a vice president at J. Neils, saying the honor of cutting down the nations Christmas tree would be the greatest ... for Ike is the greatest president we have ever had, I think.

The congregation that made its way up to the tree that Dec. 1 included a newspaperman from Minnesota. Gary Hiebert wrote the popular Oliver Towne column for the St. Paul Dispatch, and was no doubt there by invitation, and perhaps on the dime of, the Great Northern Railway that would haul the tree on two railroad flatcars from Libby to D.C.

His column, as reprinted in the Hungry Horse News of Columbia Falls and other western Montana papers, was in the form of a letter to the president.

Dear Ike: I hope you enjoy your Christmas tree, Hiebert began. I saw it cut down here in a raging blizzard Monday. As a military man you will appreciate that it was a mighty problem in logistics to bring that 93-foot Engelman (sic) Spruce down the snaking, snow-packed road from its birthplace far up Pipe Creek Valley, in the Rockies.

As president, Hiebert continued, Eisenhower would appreciate the patriotism and love of country held by those men who labored through one whole day, in the bite of a gale, and the fog of blowing snow, to make certain that for you and yours the 1958 Christmas tree would be the best.

And as a man, you will know the pride, after heartbreak and chilling cold, when, at last, as daylight faded from that mountain road, we stood and watched the logging truck start the tree on the first leg of its 2,490-mile trip to the White House lawn.

The tree that had stood on the edge of tumbling Pipe Creek since 1879 wore a mantle of fresh-fallen snow, Hiebert noted to Eisenhower. It was a seedling when Rutherford Hayes was president.

It took 79 years to grow and two minutes to cut, he said.

As you stand at dusk on this Dec. 23 and flick the switch that lights the tree for all the nation and world to see ... perhaps youd like to know a little about that day and the men who were there, Hiebert said.

Stout, who was in his late 30s, was about as much an American as any of us. He was born in Hawesville, Kentucky, and came to Libby more than 20 years ago as a member of the CCC. You were his boss for four years in World War II, and after that Red came back to Libby as a sawyer for the J. Neils Lumber Co., a division of St. Regis Paper Co.

Hiebert said Stout stood out in his memory wearing a red plaid lumberjack shirt and shocking red hard hat.

The St. Paul man praised the media members who turned out, the photographers, whose fingers and camera shutters froze; who slid and wallowed up and down drifted hillsides looking for the best pictures ... and fighting snow that clogged their lenses and dripped over view finders.

They never gave up, even when wind blew snow squalls across their shivering figures. They lined the roadside to catch the minute when Red Stout severed the tree from its Montana mountain roots. And, with a crack heard across the valley, it began to fall, shaking snow off its branches like a wooly dog shedding water.

Lines from a crane kept the tree from crashing to the ground, as its branches bridged the road.

A cheer went up then. The tension of three hours snapped like the tree from its base. It was applause for the painstaking care and skill of the men who rigged the lines so the tree could be gently lowered to its cradle, Hiebert wrote. You would have been touched, I believe, to see what followed  the men rushing below to ask Red if he would cut slices off the base.

Its conceivable that to this day those cookies survive as the wall pieces and table tops that Hiebert imagined theyd become.

And that, Ike, is the story of your Christmas tree. Best holiday Wishes from  Oliver Towne.

P.S. The Townes will get their tree, as always, from the same YMCA lot around the corner.
It's official: Seth Bodnar, an executive with General Electric, will be the University of Montana's incoming president.

On a unanimous voice vote Thursday, the Montana Board of Regents approved the contract to bring on Bodnar in January 2018, putting a stamp on Commissioner Clayton Christian's recommendation that the candidate with an unconventional background lead UM.

Regent Martha Sheehy said the search committee received strong applicants, and higher education officials were excited to welcome Bodnar. She also said she wanted to talk about the sentiments behind the contract.

"Behind it, there's a whole lot of heart and a whole lot of belief and a whole lot of support, and we are going to provide that to you," Sheehy said.

Bodnar is a Rhodes scholar with two master's degrees from the University of Oxford, and he's a Green Beret who graduated first in his class from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point. Just 38 in October when selected to head UM, he has spent his career in the military and at General Electric.

At the meeting, Bodnar said he's dedicated much of his life to serving his country, and an institution of higher education that places importance on quality, accessibility and affordability is critical for the nation. One scholarship he earned had a motto to "fight the world's fight."

"I can't think of a more important fight than public higher education," Bodnar said. "It is fundamentally important, and it is a privilege to be on this team."

Typically, the regents discuss items on the first day of their meetings and take final votes on the second day. Thursday, they decided to take up the vote early, and student Regent Chase Greenfield of UM moved the board approve the contract.

Greenfield said on a superficial but personal level, he had an interest in UM's next president because that person will speak at his commencement. But he also wants the best for UM, and he's pleased to put faith in Bodnar's leadership.

"On a deeper level, this person is responsible for the future of the most important thing in my life right now, which is the University of Montana," Greenfield said.

The regents approved a salary of $313,845 for Bodnar, on par with Montana State UniversityBozeman President Waded Cruzado's salary and that of interim UM President Sheila Stearns. The current contract does not include deferred compensation, although regents may amend it later; it does include a residence and vehicle allowance.

***

This fall, the Montana University System saw a 6 percent increase in enrollment of Native American students across campuses, said Angela McLean in a report to regents. McLean is the director of American Indian/Minority Achievement and K-12 Partnerships.

All told, that meant Native American enrollment went from 2,147 last fall to 2,286 this fall, McLean confirmed. At UM, the numbers went from 538 to 561, according to a dashboard with enrollment data on the Commissioner's Office website.

In an email, UM vice president for enrollment and student affairs Tom Crady noted the campus was purposeful in paying attention to those students.

"We improved our financial aid and (recruitment in) all the tribal schools," Crady said.

At the meeting, McLean shared the mission statement of the MUS American Indian and Minority Achievement Council along with recommendations that campuses bring proposals to the regents by March 2018 to support minorities. The mission is the following:

"The Montana University System strives to be a premier public higher education system in the country for American Indian students, administrators, faculty and staff.

"Every Montana University system institution will do everything it can to remove barriers, obstacles and challenges that hinder student success.

"The Montana University System is committed to working with Montana Tribal Colleges to ensure mutually beneficial relationships and student success."

***

This week, the Montana Legislature wrapped up a special session to manage a $227 million budget shortfall, and Gov. Steve Bullock's proposal and the Legislature's final budget largely protect higher education. The university system is taking only a 1 percent cut.

In his update, Commissioner Christian shared the outcome from the session with regents, thanking the governor and legislators.

"I think it was very clear moving into this special session and coming out, he (Bullock) values education and values higher education, and we truly thank him for those efforts and for prioritizing education in Montana," Christian said.

However, MSU President Cruzado noted higher education already experienced a significant reduction this year, and students and families are paying the tab.

"This year when the legislative session ended, the Montana University System absorbed a $20 million cut," Cruzado said of the spring 2017 session.

"And unfortunately, we had to turn it around and put that on the backs of our students and families with tuition increases that ranged from 2 percent all the way up to 15 percent.

"So I'm very grateful that on this occasion, our students and families were spared another tuition increase."

In an email, deputy commissioner for communications Kevin McRae said the 1 percent cut translates to about $4.5 million for the university system over the biennium.

"As the commissioner said, this is a cut on top of previous cuts, but at this level the MUS can continue our work to improve and grow educational opportunity in Montana," McRae said.

The Legislature also adopted furloughs for some state employees, but McRae said the bill does not appear to apply to college and university campuses. However, he also said the commissioner's office is going to seek more information and also recognizes that union contracts protect employees. Thursday, Bullock said he'd veto that bill.

Generally, Christian said he's pleased with the outcome from the session, but he also acknowledged that it will have a significant impact on the university system.

"It could have been worse in so many ways. I feel good about that. But it still is going to have a dramatic impact, and we'll need to adjust for those now," Christian said.

In other business:

Regent Bob Nystuen said the campaign for the six mill levy that supports higher education is looking for endorsements and donations. The levy has been in place some 70 years, and it will be on the November 2018 ballot. It provides some $20 million a year for Montana campuses.

Helen Thigpen, associate legal counsel for the Commissioner's Office, said new guidance from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights does not substantially change the way campuses assess Title IX discrimination complaints. Campuses will continue to use the "preponderance of the evidence" standard to determine whether sexual discrimination occurred, she said.

Commissioner Christian announced the hire of Blair Fjeseth as the new communications director for the Commissioner's Office. He said the hire does not expand the budget, and the Commissioner's Office realigned spending knowing the regents want the university system to better tell its story. McRae said Fjeseth is currently the director of communications for Montana Strategies 360, teaches social media management at Carroll College, is past communications director for former Secretary of State Linda McCulloch, and will earn a salary of $78,000.

UM proposed a possible Center for Translational Medicine and also proposed changing the name of the School of Business and Administration to the College of Business. Regents typically approve items the day following discussion and no one raised objections Thursday.
PABLO  U.S. Sen. Jon Tester plans to sit down again with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes before reintroducing legislation that could move CSKT water compact one step closer to ratification.

Tester spokesperson Dave Kuntz said the senator plans to meet with CSKT officials next month to ensure the process continues to be driven by the tribes.

He wants the tribes to take the lead on this, Kuntz said. He is committed to getting it across the finish line.  Jon remains very supportive of the compact and all the work thats been done to get it where its at.

Tester was the sole sponsor of the CSKT compact during the last Congress, introducing it last May. The compact would quantify water rights of the tribes both on and off the Flathead Indian Reservation and provide for the administration of water rights on tribal lands

No action was taken on the measure in the last Congress, though, and it will need to be reintroduced again before it can move forward.

The last two water compacts that passed through Congress for the Crow and Blackfeet tribes included support from the entire Montana congressional delegation.

Thats definitely a critical piece, Kuntz said.

CSKT Communications Director Rob McDonald said the tribes dont anticipate an immediate need for reintroduction of the legislation due to the ongoing, productive work with the administration.

The tribes have met regularly with Tester and other members of the delegation to keep them apprised of discussions with the Interior and Justice departments, McDonald said.

The 2016 introduction of S. 3013 and its favorable hearing resulted in productive discussions between the tribes and Interior and Justice Departments on the federal settlement, McDonald said. At the conclusion of those ongoing discussions, the tribes look forward to a reintroduction of the settlement legislation in the Senate.

A recent Montana Supreme Court ruling found the current compact met requirements of the state constitution.

The Flathead Joint Board of Control challenged the Montana Legislatures decision to approve the compact in 2015. The board oversees irrigation on the Flathead Reservation.

Its lawsuit claimed the Legislatures decision to approve the compact was flawed because it granted a new immunity from lawsuits and other damages. In order to make that change, the board that argued a two-thirds vote of the Legislature was required under the state constitution.

The Montana Supreme Courts ruling concluded the Legislature had not created a new immunity for the state or any other governmental entity and therefore the two-thirds vote requirement did not apply.

The Flathead Joint Board of Control discussed the decision during its regular meeting earlier this week with its attorney, Bruce Fredrickson of Kalispell.

Fredrickson said he told the board the decision marked an end to that argument.

Obviously, I dont know that agree with the decision, but the Montana Supreme Court is the final arbitrator in questions of Montana constitutional law, Fredrickson said. The decision is what it is and well move forward from here.

The compact still has to be ratified by both the U.S. Congress and the CSKT before becoming operational.

Until those things happen, were in a wait-and-see mode, Fredrickson said. Until we see what Congress does with the compact, we really cant project or opine on where the compact goes or what the board will do.

Once ratified, the compact would provide funding to modernize the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project, upgrade municipal and tribal water and wastewater systems on the 1.2-million acre reservation, restore and rehabilitate tribal wetlands and streams, improve fencing and treat noxious weed control.

Since the water compact passed through the state Legislature with bipartisan support, McDonald said farmers, ranchers, fishermen and water users from across Montana have been working toward federal ratification of the water compact. They also seek resolution of all the tribes water-related claims against the United States.

The Salish and Kootenai Water Rights Settlement Act introduced by Tester last year would accomplish those two objectives, he said.
Gov. Steve Bullock didnt hide his disappointment with the way the special session ended late Thursday, but said it was a victory for Montanans who were at risk of losing essential services.

The governor said he planned to veto legislation that proposed furloughing state employees in the executive branch to raise at least $15 million in the biennium. The governor's action on this measure would not jeopardize any others passed during the special section.

The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Barry Usher, R-Billings, who said he didnt include the legislative branch because it was difficult to ask someone to draft a bill that would potentially result in their furlough.

Bullock called the legislation "playing politics with peoples lives and said he didn't think it was "a real earnest solution'' to the state's budget problems.

Bullock called legislators back to Helena to address a $227 million shortfall after revenues came in lower than expected and firefighting costs hit $75 million this summer.

The session ended shortly after 1 a.m. on Thursday with a combination of cuts, transfers and charging a $30 million fee on the State Fund for workers compensation.

I think Montanans can have some confidence and assurance that where we ended up for services they expect were a heck of a lot better than where we walked in on Monday, Bullock said.

Unlike previous special sessions, legislators came back to town without a deal in place. Bullock proposed splitting the budget shortfall into thirds, with $76 million in cuts to state agencies made by the governor, $75 million in fund transfers and other ways to tap money and $75 million in temporary tax increases.

But Republicans didnt have an appetite to increase taxes. Instead, they came up with more fund transfers in a series of pieces of legislation tied together in an effort to strong arm the governor into extending a contract with the operator of the private prison in Shelby.

Republicans skillfully drafted several bills so if the governor vetoes all or parts of the legislation, the entire package could go down, leaving him with the full $227 million to cut.

After rejecting tax hikes on rental cars and lodging facilities, GOP leaders found $94 million in cuts and transfers on top of the $76 million proposed by the governor. After charging a fee on the state fund to generate $30 million in revenue, the Legislature left a $30 million hole for the governor to fill by either accepting the deal with CoreCivic, the prison operator, or making more cuts.

Democratic legislators called the package a carefully crafted web of legislation that put them in handcuffs.

In a meeting with reporters Thursday afternoon, Bullock said the package was silly political theatre by and large and said the proposed prison deal was taking advantage of the worst fire season in the states history. The governor said he would have conversations with CoreCivic, but wasnt ready to make any decisions.

He said the Legislature's actions have human consequences.

These arent just numbers on pieces of paper we can use or ague as political points, he said. These are real folks. These people expect and rely on the services.

Bullock implemented his proposed $76 million in cuts on Tuesday and said those impacts would be felt in the coming weeks and months. While the governors office hasnt been able to come up with a final number, he said 50 to 100 people could lose their jobs.

The governor said he hasnt yet looked at a bill that would allow Auditor Matt Rosendales office to apply for health care innovation waivers, although he did say it had nothing to do with the special session. The plan could impact insurance rates for high-risk persons.
HAMILTON  The fate of Dr. Chris Christensen is in the jurys hands.

The prosecution and defense presented closing arguments to a courtroom filled with Christensens family and supporters, Ravalli county attorney and law enforcement staff, and television cameras. He is charged with negligent homicide and over-prescribing dangerous drugs.

The arguments were presented in styles as different as the attorneys positions on the case.

Ravalli County Attorney Bill Fulbright went first, methodically laying out the legal standards he believed were proved  that Christensen knowingly, with conscious disregard for the risks he put 11 patients through, over-prescribed high amounts of opiates to them and in dangerous combinations. Fulbright said Christensens actions were a gross deviation from the standard of conduct for a medical professional, and led to the deaths of two of his patients, Greg Griffin and Kara Philbrick-Lenker.

Every doctor you heard from in here, except Dr. Christensen, seems to be doing it right. They are taking care of patients, taking care of them using moderated, measured, deliberative approaches, Fulbright said. Theyre dealing with long-term problems that need long-term solutions. They arent relying on opioids from the start.

You cant come here and say its someone elses fault, or I thought I was doing whats best. This is criminal. People died.

Defense attorney Josh Van de Wetering countered that the entire trial is a smear job against Christensen by the state, equating him with drug dealers instead of treating him as a caring professional who prescribed drugs to ease peoples suffering. He said the states case shows that Christensen is only human, and when you operate in the real world, situations arent always black and white.

The state has blinders on, and theyre not paying attention to the facts, Van de Wetering said. If you heard nothing else in this trial, you heard it aint easy. These cases are complex. They are difficult.

He added that Fulbright himself noted that various patients reported they werent feeling any pain because they were on opiates.

Yes! Yes! Thats the point, Van de Wetering exclaimed, throwing up his hands. Opioids help the pain. There is a risk of addiction. Yes, thats like a lot of medications and procedures  there is risk.

He noted that doctors prescribe opioids to chronic pain patients all the time, fully knowing the risks, and wondered aloud why those doctors arent on trial. Van de Wetering added if people dont take any prescription in the manner in which theyre told to take them, the risks increase.

In the real world, you make that risk/benefit assessment with the patient if youre the doctor, and you do the best you can. When you do the best you can, youre not a criminal, Van de Wetering said.

Fulbright said other doctors didnt have the number of complaints they had about Christensen in Ravalli, Missoula and Mineral counties, and pharmacies arent balking at filling other doctors prescriptions as they did with Christensen. Those numerous complaints prompted the creation of a drug task force that narrowed in on Christensen and led to his 2014 arrest.

Van de Wetering also called the nine former patients liars and criminals who all had something to benefit from by testifying for the prosecution, and some with an ax to grind after Christensen cut them off or lowered their doses. He noted that out of the thousands of patients seen by Christensen, charges only were brought for the 11 patients.

Why does the state need to do a smear job? Its because they dont really have a case, he said.

Fulbright also argued that even if the patients lied to Christensen, he had a responsibility to determine the truth before dispensing powerful drugs.

Patients didnt say they went to him because he was compassionate, but because they could get what they wanted, Fulbright said. Compassion means sometimes you have to say no

He wasnt practicing medicine, but was just handing out opiates. Tell him its not compassion," he urged jurors. "Its criminal.

Fulbright noted that Christensen opened his Florence clinic armed with a Drug Enforcement Agency license that allowed him to prescribe opiates, but that didnt mean Christensen was qualified to handle the complex patients he treated for chronic and sometimes intractable pain.

He knew the risk he was dealing with because in this case it was not just someone who is trained; he has been told, told directly and put on notice that if you do that, your patients will die, Fulbright said, noting that five of Christensens former patients died from overdoses using his prescribed medications in Idaho in the 1990s. And here in Montana, he did it anyway.

He pointed out experts said the patient records Christensen kept were minimal at best, and that he didnt perform any type of meaningful physical exams before handing out prescriptions.

The defendant gave lip service to fundamental things that are necessary to the practice of medicine before you can prescribe opiates, Fulbright said. It didnt matter if you had mental health issues, neuropathic pain, addiction in your past or present  they left with opiates the first time and every time  and the dosage was always high from the start.

Fulbright added that Christensen lost privileges at hospitals in Wyoming and Idaho, in part due to his record-keeping. But Van de Wetering argued that poor record-keeping isnt a criminal offense.

If he didnt write it down, that doesnt mean he didnt do an assessment, Van de Wetering said.

He urged the jury to look at all of the medical records included in at least four large binders used as evidence in the case, and noted that every time witnesses talked about the Christensens patients, they referred to those records.

Other doctors, including some who testified for the prosecution, prescribed similar  if not the same  mixes of opiates and tranquilizers to their patients, and that it was the mixing of those drugs with other substances that led to the deaths of the two patients.

In fact, in the real world, people testified that those things get prescribed together all the time, Van de Wetering said. But no one else seems to be a criminal, however, for having done it.

Christensen is on trial for two counts of negligent homicide, nine counts of criminal endangerment, and 11 counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs. All of the counts are felonies, with the negligent homicide felony carrying a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The criminal endangerment counts each are punishable by a sentence of up to 10 years; and the distribution of dangerous drugs counts each call for up to 25 years in prison. All 22 counts each include fines up to $50,000.

Van de Wetering closed by telling the jurors that they needed to consider Christensen as innocent until proven guilty, and that a conviction is final. He compared it to having a loved one on life support, and trying to decide whether to pull the plug.

Something other doctors do, and one thing hes not doing, is ignoring the patients in pain. He didnt pull the plug on the patients like other doctors. Maybe thats his fault, Van de Wetering said. Maybe he needs to learn how to say no to patients who need his help. Maybe. But maybe not.
After the last two seasons of extreme drought, massive hurricanes, raging forest fires, and biblical flooding in our country, perhaps its time for climate catastrophe deniers to ponder three current federal lawsuits.

Two are the good guys against the corporate polluters, but one, right here in Montana, is about the bad guys (polluting corporatists) against a patriot.

The first lawsuit to consider is the state of New York versus ExxonMobil. Eric Schneiderman, New York attorney general, has sued Exxon for lying to investors and consumers about oil extractions devastating environmental damage. Exxon knew.

The second is a lawsuit brought by children in Oregon against the fossil fuel industry. These kids argue those industries are depriving American children of their constitutional right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Finally, and for Montana, most importantly, there is the lawsuit brought against Leonard Higgins and four other climate activists who turned the valves and closed tar sands pipelines for one day, Oct. 11, 2016. Higgins' valve-turning occurred in Montana. His trial begins in Fort Benton on Tuesday, Nov. 21.

Concurrent with this trial, a number of Republican U.S. House representatives led by Ken Buck, R-Colorado, including Montana criminal Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, wondering whether federal statutes are strong enough to discourage climate activists, and non-violent climate actions. The five valve-turners (Michael Foster, Emily Johnston, Ken Ward, Leonard Higgins and Annette Klapstein) then wrote a brilliant response letter (Nov. 9) to Rep. Ken Buck. Excerpts follow here:

"No reasonable person, and certainly no elected official, should deny ... basic information about a lethal global threat, let alone take steps to try and suppress it ... for all that you may feel emboldened in the effort to deny climate reality, your attempt to do so will fail. Ideological ignorance cannot sway physics, increasingly backed by the evidence of the senses. You will not prevail in a world ablaze and awash.

"At present, thanks to fossil fuel industry funded efforts, we the people cannot turn to our federal government for relief in addressing this single greatest threat to our health, wellbeing and security. Our own government has become an occupying force for interests inimical to our welfare. Our history and tradition shows us that in such a predicament, citizens do have a right, indeed, the obligation, to act in our own defense.... Like those who dumped boxes of tea into the Boston harbor, we take direct action to halt the flow of fossil fuels, the use of which is undermining the conditions that make civilization possible and destroying the web of life which sustains us.

"You who stand for short-term profit at the expense of life will eventually be held accountable."

The letter goes on to ask a few questions of these overwhelmingly white, male congressional representatives. Among the four questions:

"How is it possible that the government of the United States, alone among the nations of the world, chooses to suppress evidence and deny the reality of climate change?

"Should the effort to suppress climate science reports in the interest of maintaining fossil fuel sector profits be construed as treason?"

Their superb letter closes thusly: We acted appropriately, peacefully, openly, carefully and with great concern for safety. Congress should do the same.

Saturday, Nov. 18 at the University Center Theater, 7 p.m., 350 Montana is hosting a climate mock trial for Leonard Higgins, using the climate necessity defense. We believe nonviolent climate action is justified to save our only home. Please join us, become involved and informed, and save the future for your children and grandchildren.
When I was a young man growing up, dating or going steady with girls from my high school, I distinctly remember a 16-year-old girlfriend confiding in me about being molested by a relative of hers. Her story haunts me 50 years later; both the pain she expressed and my own feelings of helplessness.

As a young man growing up in the Flathead Valley in the late '60s and early '70s, I was embarrassed by some of the sexual harassment that was part of my generations upbringing, not to mention sexual assaults, that were explained away as boys will be boys. I will forever be shamed by my own complicity by hiding in the shadows.

Since then, I hope Ive treated women respectfully over the years and intervened when witnessing such bad behavior. I hope I instilled in my son the responsibility of being a decent guy. His long-term girlfriend has assured me I have.

I am the father of two daughters and two granddaughters. The continuing and disturbing stories of the sexual molestation, assaults and rapes of young, helpless women or girls by men of power, especially political power or wealth, whether they be Democrats or Republicans, comedians, actors, producers, etc., sickens and disturbs me.

Not only have these women and young ladies suffered the pain and humiliation of such actions, they are then attacked, assaulted and raped again for their courage of coming forward  by both biased media, competing political entities and the very individuals who perpetuated these heinous and evil actions.

Mitt Romney was spot on with his insight five years ago on Russia, when he warned, This is without question our number one geopolitical foe, they fight for every cause for the world's worst actors."

Mitt Romney is again spot on regarding the allegations against Roy Moore, when he tweeted, much earlier than most, Innocent until proven guilty is for criminal convictions, not elections. I believe (the accusers).

Both political parties have had their share of sex-related problems with the corresponding defenders. Presidents Kennedy and Clintons dalliances with interns and others in their late teens and early twenties was shameful and will forever color their presidencies.

President Trump has been accused of sexual assault and sexual harassment by at least 15 women since the 1980s. Like Roy Moore, he has denied the allegations, relying upon the standard defense of being the victim of false or biased media and political smears. Like Roy Moore, Trump relies upon the threats of lawsuits, yet it is noted neither has initiated such.

Even 93-year-old former President George H. W. Bush has been accused by a number of women who apparently have been groped or assaulted by the traditional definition of a dirty old man.

So what can we do, you and I, for these women and young girls? We can believe them.
The financial crises of the last two decades, and our failure to predict them, have wreaked havoc on more than just the global economy. The bursting of the dot-com bubble in 2000, the Enron scandal and the global financial crisis of 2008 have led to a loss of faith in economics itself.

But these crises and scandals do not mean that the science of economics is inherently unreliable. Most of them occurred because we ignored what we knew.

Perhaps most obviously, we deputized  and continue to deputize  the wrong people as authorities. For instance, many assume that the real experts on the subject of money are those who have a lot of it. But the opinions of wealthy tycoons are often dissociated from scientific evidence, out of touch with reality and all too plainly wrong. Amassing wealth as an individual is not the same thing as building and sustaining broad economic growth across nations. Often, making a private fortune is a matter of luck. "Fortuna" is the Latin word for luck, after all.

What's more, our culture elevates predictions about the stock market and the course of the economy at large, when any good economist will tell you that the most advanced models are not much better than gut feeling. Credit rating agencies and highly paid gurus are largely selling products of little or no value to the gullible.

Similarly, politicians rarely use economic science to make decisions and set new laws. Indeed, it is scary how little science informs political choices on a global scale. Those who decide the world's economic fate typically have a weak scientific background or none at all.

This isn't a distinctively American problem. The Eurogroup, the body of finance ministers from nations that use the euro, does not include any top scientists. The group's chair, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, at one point claimed that he held a master's degree in economics from University College Cork, but he had to remove that statement from his official website because it wasn't true.

The former finance minister of Greece, Yanis Varoufakis, built his political career on the notion that he is a top-caliber professor of economics. But a search of scientific databases shows that Varoufakis has published only one paper in the 40 most respected journals of economics.

The U.S. government generally has more access to economic knowledge  the Federal Reserve employs several hundred people who hold graduate degrees in economics  and this has helped to curtail the ignorance of some of its politicians.

Still, knowledge has often gone unheeded. The repeated bursting of bubbles in the real estate market might have been partly averted had standard principles of economics been applied, had someone checked the math more carefully, and had we learned more from past errors.

All that said, while it's true that economic knowledge is often overlooked, it is also true that there are problems in the field that affect its overall reliability.

In economics, scientific evidence can come in many different forms  theoretical models and simulations, observational and survey data, and experimental studies, for example. Not all forms of evidence have equal validity.

Most empirical data do not come from experiments but from non-experimental sources such as surveys and routinely collected information. Along with Chris Doucouliagos and Tom Stanley, my research center examined 6,700 empirical studies encompassing 159 topics. We found that there is probably substantial bias in much of this literature.

For example, the value of a statistical life, which measures how much people are willing to pay to reduce their risk of death, appears to have been exaggerated by a factor of eight. On average, the strength of the results may have been exaggerated by a factor of two. In a third of the studies, by a factor of four.

Most published studies use limited data. By a conservative estimate, the average study has 18 percent power to detect a modest association if one exists. Due to this low power of prediction, researchers could easily miss a genuine association. Or, they could declare a spurious, non-existing association, having been, led astray by small amounts of bias.

In several areas, researchers are gathering more data than they can possibly analyze, and this is itself becoming a problem. Much of this information is prone to error, with major biases that are difficult to correct. Results are often cherry-picked and exaggerated. Many companies are investing in big data without scrutinizing the quality of the information.

Thankfully, economists are increasingly turning to experimental methods, which have the best reproducibility record. According to one evaluation, two-thirds of experimental studies were fully reproducible when other researchers tried to repeat them.

Several economics journals, moreover, are now employing standards that are likely to enhance transparency and reproducibility. These journals require researchers to share all of their protocols, raw data, software and code.

Although the discipline has gotten a bad rap, economics can be quite reliable and trustworthy. Where evidence is deemed unreliable, we need more investment in the science of economics, not less. Until then, the pseudo experts can claim anything.
Heaps of huckleberries to the Montana legislators who worked long hours and demonstrated a willingness to compromise during the special legislative session this week. Among them, Sen. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, gets a special mention for helping to lead budget discussions; Senate President Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, deserves recognition for considering a new tax on nonprofit health insurers despite his otherwise staunch opposition to new taxes; and Rep. Nancy Ballance, R-Hamilton, who carried the main budget proposal, House Bill 2, should get a round of applause for urging her fellow lawmakers to set aside their personal differences, stop trying to assign blame for the states problems and work together to overcome them. That spirit allowed the Legislature to negotiate a deal acceptable to both the GOP majority and Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, and adjourn the special session without further delay early Thursday morning.

Sour chokecherries to Sen. Albert Olszewski, R-Kalispell, for wasting legislators time and taxpayers money on a bad bill aimed at making it harder for Montanans to change the gender noted on their birth certificates. The special session was called this week to focus on patching deep holes in the state budget, not to waste time attacking transgender Montanans. Not only was Olszewskis bill mean-spirited, it was completely off topic and would not have saved the state a dime. Thankfully, House representatives did not act on the measure and it died a well-deserved death.

Belated huckleberries to the University of Montana for making information concerning its prioritization process available to the public this week. The process called for reports used by a task force to rank various programs, however, the reports and the task forces votes were not made available until after the student newspaper, the Kaimin, and the Missoulian raised complaints about the lack of public access to public documents. This week, the university began posting the information online at umt.edu/apasp/public. Hopefully university officials learned from this process, and will make take pains to plan for transparency before launching any major initiatives in the future.

Undeveloped chokecherries to the Montana Office of Public Instruction for dragging its feet on child sexual abuse prevention. The Montana Legislature approved a law earlier this year during the regular session directing the office to develop a curriculum for schools to equip their students with the knowledge they need to stop abusers. However, the legislation, called Taras Law, was approved without funding and without any mandate to require compliance. Its now up to OPI to make this a priority and take the necessary steps to begin developing a policy. In this, it doesnt have to reinvent the wheel; 45 other states already have laws regarding teaching childhood sex abuse prevention in public schools.

Thirty five handfuls of huckleberries to Montanas sister state of Kumamoto in Japan in celebration of 35 years of international camaraderie. This past Tuesday, Gov. Steve Bullock met with Japanese Gov. Ikuo Kabashima and other dignitaries from Kumamoto Prefecture in Helena to mark the 35th anniversary of the year the two governments formed an official sister-state relationship. The day before, these visitors from Japan and members of the Japan Friendship Club met in Missoula thanks to efforts by the Mike and Maureen Mansfield Center and Montana Department of Commerce. The celebrations were meant to highlight the important ongoing relationships between the two governments, with Japan being one of the top trading partners for goods manufactured in Montana, as well as for raw materials like wheat and growing industries like tourism.
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, Congressman Greg Gianforte and state Sen. Jedediah Hinkle would have you believe that dead and dying trees were the biggest cause of an intense fire season in 2017.

Using this incorrect assumption, they argue that the solution to wildfire risk is to cut more trees by getting rid of environmental review rather than facing a simple fact: fires burned so hot in Montana this year because of this years climate. Unusually high temperatures, low humidity and wind caused record low fuel moistures, driving extreme fire behavior at all elevations.

Montanas current federal lawmakers refuse to acknowledge the link between climate, wildfire, carbon emissions and risk to human communities. Instead they use a language of fear and finger-pointing, steadfastly refusing to tackle real issues that cause wildfires to pose a risk to human communities.

Reducing forest density and flammable materials in low-elevation forests near houses using thinning, prescribed burning and building codes is an effective and important first step to manage risk.

With conservative leaders slashing agency budgets and refusing to acknowledge sources of risk, it is difficult to see how we can accomplish necessary risk reduction in our wildland-urban interface without a change in leadership.

Chris Carlson,

Missoula
CAR CHASE

Police say one of their officers was patrolling in the area of Grand and Florence about 10 p.m. Wednesday when he spotted an orange pickup truck that was reported stolen Monday. The officer attempted to pull over the vehicle and its driver, later identified as Tyrone Rischer, 33, of Butte, who police say fled at a high rate of speed.

The officer lost track of the speeding car, but other officers saw the vehicle in the area of Montana and Centennial and started a pursuit. Rischer dodged the pursuing officers by driving into a field, police said, but officers later caught up with him after he was spotted by employees at a casino on Montana Street. Officers responded to the casino, where they saw the stolen vehicle parked in the lot of the nearby Eddys Motel. Police said officers searched the area and found Rischer hiding in a ditch near the Montana Street Safeway. He was arrested and taken to the Butte jail, He is facing charges of obstructing a peace officer, reckless driving, eluding police and vehicle theft, among other charges.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

A resident on the 1000 block of Gaylord Street phoned police around 8 a.m. Wednesday to report that a woman was acting out of control on the street.

When officers arrived, police said, they observed that the woman, Linda Berger, 49, of Butte was standing on the sidewalk yelling and screaming. The woman failed to obey the commands of officers, who arrested her at the scene. As of Thursday morning Berger remained in the Butte jail where she faces misdemeanor disorderly conduct and protective custody charges.

CONTEMPT

Police responded to the 119300 block of German Gulch Road in response to a report of a suspicious vehicle. When officers arrived, police said, they spoke with the occupants of the vehicle, who said they were out of gas and were waiting for a friend to assist them. One of the occupants, Jessica Holland, 24, of Butte was the focus of a $1,040 city court arrest warrant. She was apprehended and taken to the Butte jail.
The winners of Butte Local Development Corporation's Business of the Year didn't have to go too far to pick up their award Thursday night.

The BLDC's annual dinner, at the Copper King Hotel and Convention Center, was capped with the award to The Copper King, and the owners who have given it elegant new life, Matt Nistler and Rex Leipheimer.

Maria Pochervina, the BLDC's incoming board chair, presented the award, remarking upon the partners' dedication and vision in taking on the incredibly challenging two-year renovation. And the building itself played a starring role, as the dinner took place in a sumptuously outfitted meeting room fitted with spectacular audiovisual equipment and lighting.

Other BLDC winners honored Thursday night:

Volunteer Organization of the Year: The Science Mine, the children's trove of exploration and discovery, at 32 E. Granite Street in the Sears Building. Longtime volunteers and organizers Doug Coe and Patrick Kujawa, along with several other volunteers, accepted the award.

Woman Entrepreneur of the Year: Cari Coe, who came home to Butte from Portland, Oregon and made a significant investment in the community, buying the building at 101 East Broadway. The building was vacant and in need of repairs when Coe purchased it, and it now houses Kinetic Fitness and residential tenants. "I love living in Butte," she said. "I'm so excited about what we are and what we are becoming."

Non-Profit of the Year: Career Futures, which has operated in Butte for 31 years providing training and counseling for job seekers and employers. Dr. John Garic, chairman of the board, and Executive Director Mary Berg accepted the award.

Educator of the Year: West Elementary Principal Pat Kissell. Kissell, in his 12th year as principal at West, thanked BLDC on "on behalf of everybody at our school, the students and the teachers and staff."

Entrepreneur of the Year: Tony Blacklock, owner of Blacklock Block Manufacturing, which opened in 2016 in the Montana Connections Business Development Park west of Butte. His company manufactured the distinctive pavers at the Original mineyard.

Young Professional of the Year: Mark Huntington, who operates Copper Tee, a screen printing business located in the Montana Broom and Brush building.

Winners of the annual "My Business My Future" essay contest were Butte High School students Taryn Stratton, third place; Declan McMahon, second place; and Abby Biastoch, first place.
Butte-Silver Bow prosecutors have dropped the most serious charge facing a local mental health counselor accused of trying to get a client to plant meth and other drugs in the cars of the counselors ex-husband and his wife.

That's because the client  33-year-old Aimee Hardesty  has since died.

Prosecutors had charged Dana Trandahl with two felonies in June 2016, one of them criminal distribution of dangerous drugs for allegedly giving Hardesty opiate pain killers and other prescription drugs to plant. That charge carried a maximum sentence of life in prison.

But Deputy County Attorney Ann Shea said Thursday that charge was dropped because they no longer had a witness.

That witness  Hardesty  died March 25. Her death was investigated and ruled as a seizure disorder of unknown causes by the Butte-Silver Bow Coroners Office.

Trandahl, 54, still faces a felony count of solicitation of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, which carries a maximum five-year prison sentence, and a newly filed misdemeanor charge of violating a protective order.

The new charge accuses Trandahl of violating a protective order by parking across the street from Hardestys workplace in August 2016  about two months after initial charges were filed.

The order prohibited Trandahl from being within 1,500 feet of Hardestys workplace, but Hardesty and a friend told police that when they spotted Trandahl, she sped off.

Trandahl pleaded not guilty to the amended charges Thursday before District Court Judge Kurt Krueger. He set the next hearing for Jan. 4 but said a trial will probably be pushed back, at least until next March.

The first trial date was set for this past May, but Trandahls attorney at the time Matthew Johnson  asked for a delay given Hardestys death. He said it raised new questions, including Trandahls right to confront a key witness.

Then in September, Johnson filed a motion to quit the case, saying he and his client had a complete breakdown in communication and disagreement as to the direction of the case. Trandahls attorney is now Stephanie Gehres Kruer.

Trandahl has been free on $100,000 bond since she was arrested and charged in May 2016.

She is accused of trying to get Hardesty to plant meth in the cars of her ex-husband, Pat Ryan, and his wife, and mail meth to Ryans lawyer, Tim Dick, in May 2016. Ryan and Trandahl had been in a custody battle for nine years.

According to prosecutors, Hardesty told police she received counseling from Trandahl and was on probation for a felony. She suggested that Trandahl was threatening to cause trouble with her probation officer if she didnt follow through on planting the drugs.

Police got a search warrant that allowed Hardesty to wear a transmitting device and on May 26, she recorded a conversation with Trandahl. At one point, Trandahl can be heard telling Hardesty to spill the methamphetamine all over the inside of Pat Ryans car, according to charging documents.

Prosecutors say Trandahl had given money to Hardesty to purchase the meth and also told her to mail envelopes containing it to Dick.

They also alleged Trandahl gave Hardesty hydrocodone, an opiate pain killer; Tramadol, a narcotic; and Lorazepam, an anti-anxiety medication, so they could be placed in Ryans car. But the charge related specifically to that has now been dropped.
Friday, Nov. 17

NORDIC SKI FUNDRAISER

The annual fundraiser for the Mile High Nordic Ski Education Foundation is 6 to 9 p.m. upstairs at Quarry Brewing, 124 W. Broadway. There will be food and beer, wine and soft drinks, a silent auction, and a small live auction. Cost is $25 for adults, $10 for kids 12 through 18 or those living at home or in school, and children under are 12 free. If you would like to volunteer, contact Debbie Smith at debbie.brown.smith@gmail.com.

OPEN HOUSE

Montana Tech hosts its fall open house events from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Activities may include academic program open houses, interactive classroom sessions, and paying for college sessions.

AUTUMNFEST 2017

The Butte Central Catholic School System hosts a social event at the Butte Country Club at 6 p.m. Autumnfest 2017 will replace the longstanding Butte Central Calcutta with an evening of live music, socializing, food, and cash drawings. During the event, $4,500 in cash prizes will be given away. Tickets for Autumnfest 2017 can be purchased at the Maroon Activities Center, Butte Central High School, and Central Elementary. Funds raised during the event will benefit Butte's Catholic Schools.

CLUBS AND MEETINGS

ANACONDA

Friday Night dinner is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Anaconda Elks Nov. 17. On the menu is a three-piece halibut dinner with a potato, vegetables, salad bar, and dessert. The cost is $12.
The Butte-Silver Bow Zoning Board approved a permit Thursday night allowing the Butte Rescue Mission to locate a homeless shelter on the northern edge of the citys warehouse district.

The board voted 5-1 for the permit but it comes with numerous conditions, including property deed changes approved by BNSF Railroad and state and federal environmental regulators.

The mission also needs various county permits and must meet landscaping requirements, which include putting in new sidewalks and curbs, to have a shelter on a 1.6-acre lot at the corner of Arizona and East Platinum streets.

Mission officials say they're confident they can meet the demands so 11 portable housing units can be moved from North Dakota to the spot at 610 E. Platinum Street, just southeast of the Silver Bow Homes housing complex, to serve as a shelter.

Fire officials forced the mission to close its longstanding shelter at 1204 E. Second St. in April because of code violations and safety concerns. Mission officials have pursued three new locations this year, but none have panned out.

When board Chairman David Wing announced the 5-1 vote, the missions executive director, Rocky Lyons, welled up with tears and moments later, she hugged several backers.

Its been a long 11 months working on this and I think they made the right decision, Lyons told reporters. I cant wait for them to see our campus when it is done.

Despite remaining hurdles, mission officials hope the housing units can open by April. The plan is to use an existing warehouse on the site for day programs to help people find work and restore their lives, but major renovations are needed first so that might take longer to establish.

Two of the previously proposed sites  the vacant Homeward Bound building Uptown and the empty Madison School on the Flat  drew heated opposition from neighbors and businesses who did not want a homeless shelter in their area.

Action Inc., a nonprofit social services agency, would not sell the Homeward Bound building to the mission last April. But Action Inc. plans to open the building as a temporary shelter Friday, saying people could freeze to death without it.

Three people spoke against the proposal Thursday night, including a homeowner who lives near the site. He said he had fixed up the property and wanted to open a coffee shop and was worried how a shelter could affect business.

Two others  Larry Juhl and Jim Daily  live very close to the Second Street house that served as the missions shelter for 41 years.

They raised concerns a few years ago, long before the shelter was closed, saying the mission should take responsibility for the homeless and transients it attracts and sometimes turns away, leaving neighbors to deal with unruly behavior, crime and drug needles and whiskey bottles left about.

Daily told board members Thursday that their neighborhood has improved immensely since the shelter was closed. There is less foot traffic and the noise from residents at the mission fighting  and bellyaching is gone, he said.

He predicted similar problems for residents and businesses near the new location.

They are not welcome in any neighborhood in the city of Butte, he said.

But Wing, the board chairman, said the permit could be revoked if mission officials did not fulfill the numerous conditions before them.

Board member Rocko Mulcahy said the current proposal was closer to a middle ground than previous sites.

We are talking about a real humanitarian challenge and I think the goal is to find a balance, he said.

Board member Todd Collins cast the lone no vote, saying he wasnt sure the location was right. But he also said no matter what the board did, some people wouldnt like it.

That is just a fact, he said.
As a Montana native and Iraq combat veteran, I am fortunate to call Big Sky Country home. With the exception of Alaska, no other state boasts more veterans per capita than Montana. But as I have personally experienced and many veterans in the state will tell you, when it comes to providing Montanans with quality health care, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has room for improvement. While many of the systems doctors do their jobs well, bureaucratic hurdles remain.

More than 10 percent of appointments in the Montana VA Health Care System take more than 30 days to schedule. The Billings, Lewistown, and Plentywood clinics each have average wait times hovering near 30 days, while the average wait time at the Great Falls VA Clinic is closer to 40 days.

Worse yet, the rate of serious post-surgery blood clots in Montana exceeds the national average, as does the rate of wounds splitting open following abdomen and pelvis surgeries. This is completely unacceptable anywhere, but particularly in a state so many veterans call home.

Throughout the country, veterans wait far too long to receive the care they deserve and shocking stories of substandard care appear regularly on the nightly news.

The nation first learned of grave problems at the VA after the Phoenix VA scandal in 2014. That same year an inspector general report revealed gross malfeasance and negligence throughout the Veterans Health Administration, and Congress created the Veterans Choice Program.

Veterans Choice was intended to serve only as a stop-gap measure that allowed veterans to receive timely care at doctors and facilities outside the VA system before substantive reforms could be made. In the ensuing years, however, Congress passed few reforms and the well-intentioned program fell short of its stated goals. The Choice [Program] did not reduce wait times to receive necessary medical care for many veterans, the VA assistant inspector general for audits and evaluations wrote in a March report.

Thats because the VA bureaucracy continues to act as a gatekeeper between veterans and their health care, using inefficient and confusing methods to refer veterans to private care providers.

Take for example the 40-mile 30-day rule that requires veterans to live more than 40 miles from the nearest VA facility or to confront a wait time exceeding 30 days before they can use the Veterans Choice program. If a veteran lives within 40 miles of any VA clinic, even if that facility does not offer the treatment the veteran needs, he or she would not be able to use the program. Even worse, the VA inspector generals March report revealed VA officials were still manipulating wait-time data  preventing as many as 13,800 eligible veterans from accessing the Choice Program. Montana veterans at recent town halls have raised these concerns directly to our congressional delegation and VA Secretary Shulkin.

Clearly, the program must be reformed if it is to function as intended. Few people are better positioned to make sure this happens than Montana Sen. Jon Tester, the ranking member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.

From his powerful perch, Tester can insist that veterans  not the vast VA bureaucracy  are the central focus as Congress goes about reforming the program.

In a national poll taken earlier this year, 98 percent of veterans and 95 percent of registered voters overwhelmingly favored allowing veterans to use their benefits to receive care outside of the VA.

For the sake of Montana veterans and all veterans around the country, Tester must advance bold reforms to expand health care choice and improve the way the VA delivers health care. That way, he can ensure that the VA is there for those who need it and, if the system cant provide adequate care, veterans can easily get treatment elsewhere.

The tradition of military service runs deep in Montana. Tester can honor this legacy by making sure all veterans receive the care they have earned.
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MUSCATINE  Officials are hoping a grant can help bring transportation improvements to Wapello.

The town has received a grant that will provide $80,000 worth of design services, to study transportation and potential improvements to the city.

Earlier this month, Wapello Hometown Pride announced the city is one of 10 to receive the Community Visioning Grant. Project manager for the community visioning program, Sandra Oberbroeckling, said Iowa State University will hire a private sector design firm to work with each city.

Along with the private firm, ISU's Department of Landscape Architecture and Trees Forever, plus funding from the Iowa Department of Transportation, will help create a community enhancement plan.

With the proposed Highway 61 bypass project in Wapello, Oberbroeckling said the plan will largely focus on ways to improve transportation.

"We'll look at the issues they have related to transportation, which also includes streets, trails, sidewalk systems, storm water management, streetscapes and community entryways," she said.

Kathy Barrick, a member of the Wapello steering committee, said the group is largely focused on safety and making it easier for residents to travel through town, by car, bike or on foot.

"The biggest thing I would like to come out of this is a lot of communication in the community about the vision that all of our residents have," Barrick said. "We have a lot to offer here in Wapello and we just want to see improvements that will make it a better place."

On Nov. 9, the steering committee met in Ames to kick off the program. The group, Oberbroeckling said, will then meet again in January to start the visioning process, which will be facilitated by a field coordinator from Trees Forever.

Next, she said, ISU will study vegetation and the natural environment of Wapello. Focus groups will meet to discuss transportation barriers and other goals for the city. Oberbroeckling said the focus groups will include people from different backgrounds, such as "active recreationists," older adults, people with mobility issues, children and parents.

By next spring, Wapello should be in the assessment phase, with information from community surveys and focus groups to guide a plan for transportation and landscaping. And by the next community visioning annual meeting, Wapello will have vision boards and final design plans.

This past year, Barrick said, Morning Sun won the community visioning grant, and it is now in the implementation stage. Oberbroeckling said Trees Forever helps communities with that stage, by offering guidance for funding and creating a community action plan.

Oberbroeckling said this will be the second time Wapello has received the community visioning grant. Ten years after Wapello went through the process in the late 1990s, she said the community finished one of the proposed projects: new entryway signs to the city.

"They invited people from Iowa State to the unveiling and it was really cool because there were still three people from original steering committee who were there," she said. "I remember that fondly because it was perseverance. It took 10 years, but they still did it."

Barrick said the Wapello steering committee is working to make the process a community-wide effort, as it will include volunteers and members of the local government.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Miljenko Mike Grgich is retiring as president of Grgich Hills Estate Winery and handing the leadership role at the 40-year-old Napa Valley winery to his daughter Violet, said a news release.

Its time, the 94-year-old Grgich said at an October board meeting. "I know that my dream is in good hands."

I know its hard to let go," said Violet Grgich. "This winery is his love and his lifes work.

However, Im excited." Growing the Grgich legacy for future generations "is an honor and a joy," she said. "I feel Im ready.

She added that her father will continue his involvement as adviser and winemaker emeritus at the winery he co-founded with Austin Hills in 1977.

Ivo Jeramaz, vice president, continues to lead the winerys winemaking and estate vineyard program.

A native of Napa, Violet Grgich grew up helping her winemaker father. At UC Davis, she majored in music but added enology, biology, and chemistry classes to her schedule. After earning a masters degree in music at Indiana University, she returned to Grgich Hills to work full-time, eventually becoming vice-president of sales and operations.
AMERICAN CANYON COMMUNITY CHURCH:

Worship at 10 a.m. Programs for children and youth during worship service. 2 Andrew Road, American Canyon.

ARBOR ALLIANCE:

Join us Sundays at 5 p.m. Why 5 p.m. worship? It is a good time for busy people and young families. Kids church and nursery available. 721 Trancas St., Napa. thearborchurch.org; 530-304-4704.

BEIT ABBA:

Messianic Jewish ministry of The Fathers House is held the first and third Friday of each month at 7 p.m. Child care provided for ages infant to 7 years old. 2557 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa. tfh.org/beitabba.

CARMELITE MONASTERY:

Mass times: Sunday, 9 a.m.; Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. (except for the first Saturday of the month, Mass will be at 11 a.m.). Morning of recollection every first Saturday of the month: Spiritual Talk, 9-10 a.m.; Confessions, 10-11 a.m.; Mass, 11 a.m. Bible study, on Tuesdays with Father Michael Buckley: Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. following the 8 a.m. Mass (contact the office to confirm time and day at 944-2454, ext. 103). Confessions-English: Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 10 a.m.-noon, 3-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m. Confessions-Spanish: Wednesday, 10 a.m.-noon, 3-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m. 944-2454; oakvillecarmelites.org.

CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING:

Services are 9 and 10:30 a.m. with Youth Program at 10:30 and Teen Group at 10. Rev. Jay Lang will speak on The Grateful Heart. Age-ing to Sage-ing Workshop, Nov. 18, 10 a.m. Interfaith Breaking Bread Meal, Nov. 18, 5 p.m. at Crosswalk Church. Please bring soups and breads to share. Nov. 21, Mindful Life Book Study Group at noon. Thanksgiving Potluck and Service, Nov. 22, 6 p.m. 1249 Coombs, 252-4847.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH:

Sunday service and Sunday school for youths up to age 20 at 10 a.m. The Wednesday evening service is at 7:30. Child care provided at all services. New hours for the Reading Room, located in our church building, open to the public weekdays except Wednesdays, 1-4 p.m. All current Christian Science literature, including the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the renowned Christian Science Monitor, are available to all to read or purchase; 2210 Second St., Napa; 255-5255; christiansciencenapa.com.

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, NAPA  SECOND WARD:

Sacrament meeting is each Sunday at 10 a.m., followed by Sunday School at 11:15 and Priesthood and Relief Society at 12:10 p.m. Young mens and young womens programs are on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Corner of Trower Avenue and Dry Creek Road, Napa. 224-6496.

COMMUNITY CHURCH OF LAKE BERRYESSA:

We will be away on a retreat. Services will be available at Valley Christian meeting in the Capell Valley Volunteer Fire Station on Highway 128. We are a non-denominational Christian church welcoming all to enjoy the eternal life changing power of Jesus Christ. A weekly food distribution and AA group is available. 6008 Steele Canyon Road at Moskowite Corners. 252-4488.

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM:

Friday, Nov. 17, we will begin with Pre-Oneg at 5:45 p.m., followed by services with Rabbi Niles Goldstein and Music Director Gordon Lustig. Nov. 18, join Torah Study from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. CBS will participate at the Community for Breaking Breadan Interfaith Meal, 5 to 7 p.m., at Crossroads Community Church. 1455 Elm Street, Napa, cbsnapa.org, 253-7305.

CORNERSTONE MINISTRIES:

Sunday service is at 10:15 a.m. Spanish Church begins at 1:30 p.m. Sunday school and childcare are available at both services. Our midweek service is at 6:30 on Wednesday nights. There is childcare and childrens activities at this service. Middle school and high school study meets on Wednesday nights as well at 6:30 in the Youth Room. On Thursdays at 6:30, Freedom From Bondage meets in our Youth Room. 3305 Linda Vista Ave., Napa; 252-2909. cmnv.org.

COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH:

We gather Stewardship Sunday where we dedicate our gifts and tithes with gratitude for Gods abundant love. Located at 1226 Salvador Ave., worship begins at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Lynda Hyland Burris and Liturgist Barb Pahre take a look at The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30. The title of Rev. Burriss sermon is Digging Deep. The Covenant Choir, directed by Mark Teeters, will sing Celtic Laud and children will skip off to Sunday school after Time with Young Worshipers. Following worship, join us for a Thanksgiving celebration dinner with turkey and all the trimmings. There will be pie. cpcnapa.org, facebook.com/cpnapa.

CREEKSIDE COMMUNITY CHURCH:

Weekly worship service is Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Services and attire are casual with a blend of fellowship, music and teaching. Child care and childrens church offered during service. 1050 Hagen Road, Napa. CreeksideChurchNapa.org; 255-7266.

CROSSWALK COMMUNITY CHURCH:

Join us for Sunday worship services at 9 a.m. (worship only, no music) or at 10 (worship and music). Childrens programs are available during the 10 service. Petes Bible Study is on Wednesday at 11 a.m., an opportunity to meet with Pastor Pete and discuss the teaching from Sunday. All invited to our Annual Thanksgiving Feast and Fundraiser at 6 p.m. RSVP at 226-1812, 2590 First St., Napa. Crosswalks Mission Statement is to usher people into a growing, life-enhancing, world-improving relationship with God.

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH:

The next two Sundays we will focus on the importance of living a life of contentment in a new short sermon series Thank You Notes. This Sunday, Nov. 19, during both services, well be celebrating our 160th anniversary as a church. Come celebrate with us. Services are at 8:45 and 10:30 a.m. 2659 First Street, Napa. fccnapa.org.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH:

This week is Thanksgiving Sunday, Pastor Davids sermon will be Gratitude: A Better Way to Live. We will have a scripture reference of Deuteronomy 8:718. Our services begin at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. We sing hymns at the 9 a.m. service, and at 10:30 we have praise music led by Florida Stringer. Fellowship times, with coffee and treats, are after worship at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Childcare for newborn to age 5 is available. Sunday School: Friendship Class, will meet at 10 a.m.; Childrens Class and Adults Class both meet at 10:30. 1333 Third St., 224-8693, fpcnapa.org.

GRACE CHURCH OF NAPA VALLEY:

Sunday services: Worship service at 9 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. Adult Sunday school classes at 9 a.m. Childrens service at 9 and 10:40 a.m. Nursery and preschool care available. Junior high ministry meets Tuesday, 7 p.m.; high school meets Wednesday at 7 p.m. at 3765 Solano Ave., Napa. 255-4033, GraceNapa.org.

HIGHLANDS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP:

If youre a regular church attendee, never been or maybe its just been awhile, we invite you to come join us this Sunday and start the adventure with us at 10:30 a.m. Spanish speaking service on Sunday evenings at 6:30 and an Alcoholics Anonymous group that meets weekly on Monday and Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. 970 Petrified Forest Road, Calistoga.

HILLSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH:

We meet at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at 100 Anderson Road, Napa. 255-3036; hccnapa.com.

HOLY FAMILY PARISH:

Holy Mass is celebrated at 9 a.m. on Sundays and in the traditional Tridentine Latin (Extraordinary) form of the Roman Rite, according to the 1962 Missal, at noon. Before Low Masses, there is a recitation of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary at 11:30 a.m. Confession is available after every Low Mass. Holy Family Parish is a Catholic mission-parish of St. Joan of Arc in Yountville. 1241 Niebaum Lane, Rutherford. 944-2461.

HOLY GROUND CHRISTIAN CENTER:

Sunday worship begins at 10 a.m., and Bible study is Wednesday at 7 p.m. 3860 Broadway, Suite 111, American Canyon. 373-2015.

LIVING VINE CHURCH:

We meet every Sunday morning at 10. 3305 Linda Vista Avenue, Napa. 226-5551.

MEMORIAL CHAPEL AT VETERANS HOME OF CALIFORNIA, YOUNTVILLE:

Sunday worship service, 10:15 a.m. Coffee fellowship one hour before service. Bible study on Wednesday at 1 p.m., Fellowship Room, with refreshments served; prayer meetings Thursday at 1 p.m. The memorial chapel is on the Veterans Home at Yountville campus on California Drive, across from the administration building. 944-4840.

MONT LA SALLE CHAPEL:

Roman Catholic liturgical services are open to all in this chapel of the De la Salle Christian Brothers at 4401 Redwood Road, Napa. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 11 a.m.

NAPA COMMUNITY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH:

Join us for the worship service at 11 a.m. this Sabbath, Nov. 18. napacomm.com, 1105 G Street, 252-2444.

NAPA METHODIST CHURCH:

We are a progressive and reconciling church, where everyone is welcome. Two Sunday morning services: 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary service and 11 a.m. modern-style Fusion Worship service held in the Asbury Room. Childrens Worship and Nursery are available during both services. Childrens Carol Choir meets between services from 10:30 to 11 a.m. 6th to 8th Grade Sunday School meets at 11. Silent Meditation is Mondays at 5:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. 625 Randolph Street. 253-1411, napamethodist.org.

NAPA-SONOMA FRIENDS MEETING (QUAKERS):

Sunday worship at 10 a.m. Silent meeting in the custom of Friends. Meet at the VOICES Youth Center, 780 Lincoln Ave., Napa. Enter at parking lot on left side of building, using door at end of wheelchair ramp. Quaker signs will be posted on Sunday mornings. We welcome visiting friends or those who are new to Quaker practice. nvquaker@gmail.com; 253-1505.

NAPA VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH:

Join us Sundays at 9:30 a.m. for Bible Study for all ages, 10:30 a.m. for worship service and a fun, interactive and energetic childrens program for preschool through fifth grade. Nursery provided for all Sunday services. 2303 Trower Ave., Napa. napavalleybaptist.org; 252-2100.

NAPA VALLEY BIBLE CHAPEL:

We start Sunday services by remembering the Lords death, burial and resurrection during a time of worship and thanksgiving at 9:30 a.m., followed by a fellowship and coffee time starting at 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., we enjoy a time of Bible teaching. On Wednesdays at 6 p.m., we meet for a brief Bible study and a time of prayer. A movie night/home Bible study is held in downtown Napa at 6 p.m. on Fridays. 1559 Second St., Napa. napavalleybiblechapel.com.

NAPA VALLEY COMMUNITY CHURCH:

At this time of year, our minds turn toward Thanksgiving. Not just the holiday, but we also tend to think about those things we are thankful for. We invite you to join us this Sunday at 10 a.m. as we study Gods Word as found in Luke 17, and the theme: The JOY of Thanksgiving. Childcare and Sunday School provided. Open Forum at 11:25 a.m. 4149 Linda Vista Ave, Napa. NapaValleyChurch.org. NVCC is a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church.

NAPA VALLEY LUTHERAN:

Sunday worship at 10 a.m. Fellowship time follows. All are welcome because all belong to God. The church is located at the corner of Jefferson and Elm, Napa. 226-8166, napavalleylutheran.org.

NAPA VALLEY UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS:

Nov. 19, 9:30 a.m.: Leader: Jim CraigThinking about Religion What is Truth? or, A Suggestion about why Donald Trump won the election. One of our most cherished values is that no one should dictate what another person must think or believe. Does that mean that only what one believes to be true actually IS true? 11 am: I Will Plant My Apple Tree  Traditional service with Dani Lindstrom and Sunday Service Assistant Jeff Leles. Together we will explore resiliency and remembering whats important in our lives. Infant care, child care, and religious education provided. 1625 Salvador Ave., Napa; nvuu.org; 226-9220.

NEW LIFE TABERNACLE:

Sunday school at 10 a.m., followed by worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday evening service the first Sunday of every month. Bible study on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 2625 First St., Napa. 255-1062; NewLifeNapa.com.

ST. APOLLINARIS CATHOLIC CHURCH:

Join us each third Saturday at the crossroads of faith and culture. St. Apollinaris Catholic Church, 3700 Lassen St. Napa. 257-2555.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST:

St. John the Baptist Church holds daily masses in English at 7:30 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. Weekend masses are Saturday at 5 p.m. (English) and 7 p.m. (Spanish) and Sunday 8 a.m. (Spanish), 10 a.m. (English), noon (Spanish), and 5 p.m. (English). Wednesday evening mass at 7 (Spanish). Corner of Caymus and Yajome streets in downtown Napa.

ST. JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH:

Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Childrens Church during the 10:15 a.m. service. 3521 Linda Vista Ave., Napa. 255-0119; StJohnsLutheran.net.

ST. MARYS EPISCOPAL CHURCH:

Worship on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. or Sundays at 8 a.m. or 10 a.m. (organ and choir). Childrens Chapel (Sunday school) is at 9:50 a.m. Sunday. Nursery care is provided during the 10 a.m. service. Coffee hour follows the worship services on Sunday. 1917 Third St., Napa. 255-0991; StMarysNapa.org.

ST. STEPHENS ANGLICAN EPISCOPAL CHURCH:

Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., sing using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. Refreshments and social time after the 10:30 service. Evensong and Bible Study Wednesdays at 6 p.m. 1250 Oakville Grade, Oakville. 944-8915; ststephensoakville.org.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH:

Mass times are Saturday at 4 p.m. (English), Sunday at 8 a.m. (English), 11 a.m. (English) and 1:30 p.m. (Spanish). Daily mass is at 9 a.m., except on the first Friday, which is at noon and in English. 2725 Elm St., Napa. 255-2949; stthomasaquinasnapa.com.

SALVATION ARMY:

Join us for services Sundays at 10 a.m. 590 Franklin St., Napa. napasalarmy.org.

THE FATHERS HOUSE:

Service times are Saturday at 6 p.m., and Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m. Child care and Kids Church are available (ages infant through sixth grade). Youth ministry Encounter meets every Wednesday night at 7. Celebrate Recovery meets on Monday nights at 6:30. 2557 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa. tfh.org.

UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER IN NAPA VALLEY:

Sunday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. We will once again welcome Rev. Dave Lyman as our guest speaker. His message is entitled Rising From The Ashes. He speaks to what Napa has recently been through with wildfire. Our Sunday Service music is selected by our own Lon Eakes and performed by our guest musician, Alan Klein. 11:40 a.m. Sunday Forum: No forum this week. Sunday Service and Forum held at the historic Grange Hall, 3275 Hagen Road (1/2 mile east of the Silverado Trail), Napa. Parking adjacent to the building. UnityinNapaValley.org, 255-6881.

YOUNTVILLE COMMUNITY CHURCH:

Sunday Nov. 19 at 10 a.m. we will have a guest speaker Art Greco. We are having our Shoe box packing party for Operation Christmas Child on the 19th too. The main church building is under repairs and we are meeting at 1920 Finnell Road in Yountville while we are under construction. We will continue to have all of our Sunday school classes, services, and bible studies. Sunday School is at 9 a.m. for all ages. We have an Adult Bible class, Youth Group (fiftheight grades and high school students),and Childrens classes Jesus and Me, (Birth-Kindergarten) and first through fifth grades are offered. 944-2179.
There should be no lingering damage to the Napa Valley wine industry brand or tourism as a result of the October wildfires, economist Robert Eyler, Ph.D., told a Napa audience this week.

On the other hand, Napa County is already facing a relatively constricted labor market  especially in construction  and its going to get a little bit worse as a result of the fires, said Eyler, president of Economic Forensics and Analytics, Inc.

The economist made his comments Tuesday night at an event hosted by Morgan Stanley wealth management. More than 50 people attended the gathering, held at the CIA at Copia, to hear Eylers thoughts on the local, state and national economies.

In Napa County, a flow of money from insurance companies and state and federal funds will ensure that theres no barrier to rebuilding, he said.

While the fires impacted certain wineries more severely than others, fire damage to the overall wine industry is not enough to upset revenue forecasts and overall production levels, he said.

This is just a very tragic hiccup in the five-to-10-year future of where the wine industry was already headed and it will basically be washed away by next years harvest, said Eyler, also a professor of Economics at Sonoma State University and director of the Center for Regional Economic Analysis at Sonoma State.

Marketing campaigns by groups such as Visit Napa Valley and Visit California will help with the recovery after the fires, he said.

Visitors need to be informed that for the most part, Napa was undamaged by the fires, and the restaurants and wineries are still here.

Those campaigns will catch on, he said.

At the same time, consumer perception of possible smoke-tainted wine from 2017 is an unknown factor.

We dont know how consumers are going to react after they taste it, he said. If they say it tastes smoky and that opinion spreads, it could affect sales, he said.

As a result of the loss of or severe damage to an estimated 637 homes in Napa County, the demand for construction and other related workers will be great, Eyler noted.

One of the biggest things were concerned about is how do we take an already close-to-full employment industry and ask it to do more. You end up importing labor to satisfy demand.

Napas unemployment rate  3.2 percent in September remains one of the lowest in the state.

Eyler said he expects that some wine industry workers may be drawn to construction jobs, which then impacts the wine industry. We should expect a lot of labor market substitution and shifting, he said.

To accommodate the need for such workers, We should prepare ourselves to ask our community colleges and high schools to at least consider to start preparing students for careers in construction given the demand thats going to be here locally.

Eyler also said that its also important that Napa and Sonoma counties work together to rebuild both areas. This is a regional issue not a local only issue.

If we can coordinate resources, labor, contracts, developers, and do it in a regional way, reconstruction will be speedier, he said.

Statewide, Eyler said he expects the California growth rate to be greater than the U.S. economy over the next three years.

Napa remains the regional star after the Great Recession, he said.

The countys investment in tourism paid off big, he said. Napa County has had 3.5 percent job growth since 2016 and 3,100 new jobs have been created since last year, he noted.

Napa looks very good.

By March, Octobers tourism downturn will be a fading memory, he said.
I was recently in New York to help organize a trade tasting of Texas wines.

When I was asked to work on this, I was intrigued. I knew they made wine in Texas but had not yet tried one. But I was also curious. I was curious in the same way many of us who live in California might react. Texas wine? Really?

I am aware that wine is made in almost every state in the U.S. But when I think about climate challenges, I wonder why a winemaker would be drawn to making wine in a lesser-known region that is not already known for wine and faces humidity, frost and disease as a regular occurrence.

When I was introduced to Virginia wines, I had had that reaction. But in my visits to various wineries in Virginia, I began to understand when I found dedicated people, some who had previously worked in California and other well-known wine regions, who found a home in a developing region.

As I sat down to dinner with the Texas winemakers in New York the night before the event, I was able to learn more about Texas wine.

Less than one percent of Texas land is suitable for grapes. The Texas High Plains AVA, where more than 75 percent of Texas grapes are grown, covers slightly less than 9 million acres (larger than the vine-planted acreage of Spain, France, Italy and China combined according to Dallas-based wine writer Andrew Chalk.)

There are currently between 5,000 and 6,000 acres under vine, and they sit at an altitude of 2,500-4,000 feet above sea level. The Texas High Plains AVA, the second largest AVA in Texas, is a continental climate with low humidity and a large diurnal range.

There is also the Texas Hill Country AVA, the largest AVA in the state. This area is the center of the winemaking and the visitor center of Texas wines. With more than 60 producing wineries and its proximity to major population centers, Texas Hill Country AVA is considered the Texas wine industrys showroom. But with its continental climate with a humid growing season, a small diurnal range and issues with Pierces Disease and wild animals, it is not necessarily where the best grapes are grown.

According to Greg Bruni, executive vice president for winemaking and production of Llano Estacado Winery, it is an exciting time for Texas wines. The best wines of Texas have not been made yet. It is about generations; it is about people who can spread the word.

Bruni was raised in California in the Santa Cruz Mountains. His family owned a winery, and his first vintage was in 1974. He finished his studies at UC Davis in 1977 and continued to work as a winemaker in California until 1993. Bruni recalled the pioneer spirit of the early 1970s in California. Back in my day, it was easy to play. California was an open world.

I asked Bruni how he ended up making wine in Texas, and he explained that after living in the mountains for years, Bruni wanted to live somewhere flat. Texas was perfect. He saw the potential in Texas wine. I like being a pioneer, he said.

Bruni arrived in Texas in 1993 and his first vintage was 1994. He has now been a winemaker in Texas for more time than he was in California. Over the two-plus decades that Bruni has been making wine in Texas, he has seen great development.

It used to be embarrassing but now it is exciting, he said.

The quality of Texas wine has been improving over the last decade, and this quality is being recognized as the number of medals at out-of-state wine competitions won by Texas wines has grown exponentially between 1984 and 2016, with 142 medals received in 2016.

In addition, Texas is one of the most popular wine regions for visitors with 1,609 average monthly visitors, behind Virginia (2,075 monthly visitors) and New York (2,051 monthly visitors) and ahead of Napa (1,497 monthly visitors, according to Robert McMillan, executive vice president and founder of Silicon Valley Banks Wine Division.

The Texas wine industry is on its way, and I am looking forward to adding Texas wines to the list of wines to taste and regions to explore.
The Brevard County Sheriffs Office is offering a $1,000 reward for information about the person who shot two dogs on Friday in Grant, Florida.



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Around 1:30 p.m., the two dogs escaped from their yard in the 700-block of Orchid Tree Drive. While the owners were out searching for the dogs, they heard three gunshots.

Shortly after hearing the gunfire, the owners saw one their dogs leaving a nearby property with a gunshot wound to the hip. The second dog was found later in the day with a gunshot wound to the head.

Both dogs survived the incident and are recovering.

Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the Brevard County Sheriffs Office at 321-633-2024 or 1-800-TIPS (8487).
US Department of Interior(WASHINGTON) -- The office of Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke was warned Wednesday that an investigation into Zinke's official travel was delayed by "absent, or incomplete documentation," the latest snag in the months-long controversy over Trump administration officials' travel.



The Interior Department's inspector general issued the management advisory to Zinke's office, explaining that paperwork for the secretary's travel was insufficient and that the department's ethics office had not included sufficient documentation in its trip reviewing process. Such warnings are given when the department needs to be made aware of a deficiency immediately, so it may begin working to correct it, according to a spokesperson.



The advisory further notes that the inspector general has been unable to determine the number of trips by which Zinke was accompanied by his wife, Lolita Zinke, due to the incomplete records. It does state that, aside from the documentation issue, the department has cooperated with the probe.



Scrutiny of Cabinet members' travel reached its apex earlier in the fall after a number of officials found themselves in the midst of inquiries over their use of private and military aircraft in lieu of commercial flights. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price resigned in late September, expressing regret that the issue of his more than 25 chartered and military flights "created a distraction."



The investigation into Ryan Zinke's travel began after he chartered three flights since March totaling $12,375. A spokesperson for the secretary has said that commercial options weren't viable in each instance. Other officials whose travel is under audit include Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.



The Interior Department's inspector general's office is asking Ryan Zinke's office to provide complete documentation by Dec. 11 as well as develop better procedures to process travel documents in the future.



Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt blamed his and Ryan Zinke's predecessors at the department in his response to the inspector general's letter, writing: "When I arrived at the department  it was clear to me that the secretary and I inherited an organizational and operational mess from the previous administration."



Bernhardt added that they are following the same procedures used under former Secretary Sally Jewell and that they "remain dysfunctional." He pledged that the department will work to provide documents for travel in 2017 and will start documenting travel for Lolita Zinke.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Tax reform legislation is moving rapidly through Congress, with the U.S. House of Representatives passing its version this afternoon. The House legislation includes provisions that would negatively impact higher education, particularly in the areas of courtesy scholarships for employees, tuition waivers for graduate students, endowments and charitable contributions. The current Senate version does not include identical provisions from the House bill, but nonetheless remains problematic.

The Senate is expected to vote on its legislation the week after Thanksgiving. Thenext step is to reconcile the two legislative versions before final vote and passage, anticipated by early December. For the past two weeks, Emory community members, including President Claire E. Sterk, Laney Graduate School students and representatives from Emorys Office of Government and Community Affairs, have engaged with lawmakers to voice concerns regarding the proposed legislation.

In response to inquiries on how to share concerns with members of Congress, the OGCA team offers a letter template for adaptation. To determine your representative, enter your zip code here. The OGCA team encourages community members to use the language provided in the template in order to convey a clear, consistent message regarding issues of concern to higher education.

Emory Report will continue to post updates on advocacy efforts as the proposed tax reform legislation takes shape.

______________________________________

Laney Graduate School students, leadership speak out on tax bills

Since House Republicans unveiled the proposed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on Nov. 2  legislation that would rewrite the tax code for the first time in more than three decades  the Emory community has mobilized to advocate against provisions that would unduly impact Emory students, employees and patients.

The proposed tax bills in both the House and the Senate would have a detrimental impact on our university, on higher education and certainly on graduate students, says Laney Graduate School Dean Lisa Tedesco.

Currently, the U.S. tax code exempts qualified tuition reduction and tuition waivers and scholarships from being counted toward calculations of gross income for the purpose of taxation. While Laney doctoral students pay taxes on their stipends, which range from $24,000 to $30,000, they are not required to also pay taxes on their tuition scholarships  money that students never actually see.

The mission of the Laney Graduate School and other institutions of higher education is to train the next generation of researchers, scholars and leaders, says Tedesco. What these proposed bills do is significantly increase the tax burden placed on our students, making financial hardship much more likely and certainly discouraging some students that would otherwise consider pursing a graduate degree from actually doing so.

Tedesco reached out the Laney community in early November, and since that time, Tedesco and others in the Laney Graduate School have been in constant contact with graduate students and university leaders to coordinate advocacy efforts that push back against the proposed revisions.

We are working to connect our students to Emorys Office of Government and Community Affairs, while also coordinating with senior Emory leadership to make sure that graduate student voices and concerns reach the ears of our congressional representatives, says Mary Horton, assistant dean for student affairs at Laney.

Indeed, graduate students have organized to make calls and write letters to their representatives and have also been featured in the national press about the potential effects of the proposed revisions on their educations and their lives.

So many of us are already discouraged by a cut-throat grant funding climate  to add the burden of an astronomical tax rate could lead thousands of would-be young American scientists to look for training opportunities overseas, or worse, to decide against a career in science all together, says Crystal Grant, a doctoral student in the Genetics and Molecular Biology Program.

Elizabeth Minton, president of the Laney Graduate School Graduate Student Council and a doctoral student in the Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology Program, also worries about the ability of current students to continue in their programs should the proposed revisions become law.

These changes, she says, might make it impossible to continue unless we take on student loans or have independent means of support, creating a barrier for those of lower socioeconomic status to obtain a higher education. A lot of graduate students, including myself, are frightened by this possibility, as we would not be able to afford to continue graduate school.

Student voices are reaching sympathetic ears in Congress. On Nov. 16, referencing the calls he is receiving in his office, U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) took to the House floor to urge his colleagues to vote no on the proposed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Speaking from the floor, Lewis said, You cannot hide the truth from teachers who try to lend a helping hand and students who struggle to get an education.

It is a sentiment echoed by Tedesco. "Some of our best students, many of whom are first generation students or come from working and middle class backgrounds, would not be here if current exemptions were not in place to offset the cost of pursuing a graduate degree," she says. "Graduate education advances the public good, and what these proposed tax reforms do is compromise the innovations and very real benefits that emerge from the research university and the work of these graduate students."

Continued outreach

Advocacy efforts continue at all levels of the university. Sterk and the Office of Government and Community Affairs continue to be in contact with congressional representatives. Students, faculty and staff are also encouraged to speak out against these proposed revisions.

This is just the beginning and we want to urge all members of the Emory community to strongly advocate for higher education and research," says graduate student Vineet Tiruvadi, vice president of Emorys Graduate Student Government Association and an MD/PhD student. "Engage however you can, through calls to Congress, letters to DC, organizing your fellow students to send a unified voice.
Alumna Linda Spilker of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory poses with a model of the Cassini spacecraft, which completed a 20-year mission exploring Saturn. Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech

As a third-grader with a shiny new telescope she got for Christmas, alumna Linda Spilker gazed up at the stars, the planets and the universe. Throughout her 40-year stellar career at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she has never stopped looking up.

Growing up during the space race, she was a fan of Star Trek and was fascinated with NASAs space missions. She even considered becoming an astronaut after watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.

Spilker, who grew up in Yorba Linda in the 1970s and graduated from Valencia High School in Placentia, was encouraged by her mother to study math  a discipline she excelled in and not many females pursued at that time. She enrolled at CSUF as a math major, but after taking an astronomy class, Mark Shapiro, professor emeritus of physics, noticed her passion for stargazing and space science  and nudged her to change majors.

Dorothy Woolum, professor emeritus of physics, took her under her wing and became her mentor. Spilker worked alongside Woolum on her meteorite research and spent summers with her at Caltech on the project.

Dr. Woolum was a tremendous role model who encouraged me to consider a research career, said Spilker, who earned her bachelors degree in physics in 1977. I got a really good start at Cal State Fullerton. I not only came away with a degree in physics, but also a good understanding of the fundamentals.

Following her graduation, she was hired at NASAs JPL, a division of Caltech, in Pasadena. She credits her undergraduate experiences for preparing her for her out-of-this-world journey to explore and study the planets.

I feel like I was at the right place, at the right time, with the right education to take advantage of the opportunities at JPL, said Spilker, a planetary scientist and recipient of CSUFs 2005 Distinguished Alumna Award.

When first hired, she was given a choice of planetary missions, and chose to work on the Voyager project that visited Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

I said Sign me up! The chance to become a space explorer was just too good to pass up, said Spilker, who earned a doctorate in geophysics and space physics from UCLA.

Spilker is the project scientist for NASAs Cassini project to Saturn, the unmanned robotic spacecraft that made amazing discoveries about the ringed planet and its moons. Launched in 1997, the nearly 20-year mission ended Sept. 15, 2017, with a plunge into Saturns atmosphere to protect its pristine moons for possible future exploration.

She began working on the project in 1988, and over three decades, the team of more than 300 scientists from across the globe became like family.

It was a bittersweet moment to see the mission end, Spilker added.

While the Cassini spacecraft has vaporized and is now part of Saturn, the scientists are still poring over the rich collection of Cassini data  and will be for decades to come, Spilker said. Many new discoveries still remain buried in those data, she added.

An expert on planetary ring systems, her research focuses on learning new things about how they work, such as how Saturns trillions of tiny ring particles collide and stick together.

Saturn and its rings are one of the most beautiful sights, Spilker said.

There were many scientific discoveries about Saturn that Spilker and fellow scientists werent expecting to find. Most fascinating was learning that Saturns moons, Titan, the planets largest moon, and Enceladus, have liquid water oceans underneath icy crusts.

Titan has no oxygen, but its an earthlike world with a liquid, methane ocean that might support life, she explained.

Enceladus also holds the promise of life with its active geyser-like jets on the moons south pole, potential evidence of a salty ocean, which point to the possibility of a habitable world  and Spilker wants to go back.

She is on the science team for a proposed NASA mission called Enceladus Life Finder, and should know by the end of the year if the project is selected.

I do think theres life out there. Maybe an alien race might find us!

Spilker hopes she inspires others to ponder the mysteries of the cosmos.

I want people to look up at the stars and planets, and to see the beauty and the wonder of whats out there, and then ask the intriguing question: Are we alone in the universe?'
- France to receive Hariri as Prime Minister in Paris, even after he resigned in Saudi Arabia.





- France's President Macron expected Hariri to arrive on Friday.





- Hariri resigned while abroad in Saudi Arabia.

President of France Emmanuel Macron has disclosed that he is set to receive the former Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri with the honours due a Prime Minister.





Hariri resigned from office after 11 months and while away in Saudi Arabia and the French President has invited him over for talks with the hope of resolving the crisis.





"I will ... welcome Prime Minister Hariri with the honours that are due to a prime minister, indeed resigned, but whose resignation hasn't yet been recognised in his country, as he hasn't been there," Macron said at a conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Friday.





"So nevertheless I'll welcome him as prime minister," he added.





"Prime Minister Hariri then has the intention, I believe, to return to his country in the following days or weeks. It's for him to discuss his own future but I don't have any doubts about this subject."
Zimbabwean Herald newspaper picture shows President Robert Mugabe making his first public appearance Thursday, November 16, 2017, one day after the military seized control of the government.

HARARE, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe made his first public appearance on Thursday, a day after the military appeared to have taken control of the government.

The official Herald newspaper late Thursday published pictures of Mugabe meeting Zimbabwe Defense Forces chief Constantino Chiwenga and South African envoys at State House.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan in Moscow on November 15, 2017. (AFP PHOTO)

YEREVAN, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Armenia can serve as a bridge between the European Union (EU) and Russia, the visiting president of the Dutch Senate said here on Thursday.

Ankie Broekers-Knol, president of the Dutch Senate, expressed the hope at a press meeting following talks with the speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Ara Babloyan, according to a statement on the official website of the Armenian parliament.

"This is really an important year as we mark the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between our nations," Broekers-Knol said.

"I very much hope that in two weeks the agreement on enhanced relations will be signed," she said, referring to the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement expected to be signed between the EU and Armenia on Nov. 24.

Armenia will be the first member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union to sign a separate partnership deal with the EU.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and the Netherlands were established on Jan. 30, 1992.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 05:12:36|Editor: Yurou

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Justin Forsyth, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), speaks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency in New York, the United States, Nov. 15, 2017. The World Children's Day, which falls on Nov. 20, will be another chance to unite the whole world to highlight the topic of children, Justin Forsyth said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- In a world where unrest and unbalanced development are still a challenge, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is trying hard to leave no child behind in fulfilling their potential, a senior official said here Thursday.

The World Children's Day, which falls on Nov. 20, will be another chance to unite the whole world to highlight the topic of children, Justin Forsyth, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

"The World children's day is a day by children, for children," Forsyth said, adding that "we hope millions of children around the world will take action to save children's lives, to fight for their rights, and to help them fulfill their potential."

The UNICEF official said that the children's day would also be a day of fun, a day when the world community are urged to join children to celebrate.

To ensure children's well-being is part of the UN's sustainable development goals, UNICEF has a big focus on making sure children get a chance to go to school, being able to read and write properly. "We also have even more basic programs, which is to prevent children from dying of diarrhea, pneumonia, which is 'child survivor' as we call it," he said.

Children should have the right of nutrition, and they also have the right to play and learn, he said.

UNICEF is running all these programs in hundreds of countries around the world, including in China, working with the government and the people, he said.

But in some very tough places like Syria and Yemen where there are wars going on, UNICED's focus is really to save children's lives, Forsyth said.

Children have benefited greatly from the progress China has made, when the government has lifted hundreds of millions of people and families out of poverty, he said.

"We are working very closely with the Chinese government to make sure that all children in the country benefit equally, in terms of education and health, which is in line with the Chinese central government's aim to solve the principal contradiction between the unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life.

"So now we are working with the Chinese government to make sure we don't leave any children behind in that story of progress," the UNICEF official said.

As the World Children's Day is approaching, UNICEF is glad that enterprises like Tencent and Alibaba in China are involved in the global effort for children's wellbeing, he said.

Tencent and Alibaba are using their digital platforms to reach out and get more people involved in the work that UNICEF is doing for children. Both of those companies have worked with the UN agency to recruit more Chinese people to support the cause of children, he said.

In tens of thousands of schools in the world, children are taking actions themselves, and we can also take more actions to really make sure every child has a chance to fulfill their potential, Forsyth said.

UNICEF and Xinhua co-launched a global media campaign for children around the World Children's Day in 2009, and has since combined its efforts to advocate for children's wellbeing with the Chinese media organization.

"Our partnership with Xinhua is important in getting more people, children and adults alike, to engage themselves in the endeavor for the better future of children in China and beyond," the UNICEF official said.
A bullet train drives in the fields of Binyang County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

BONN, Germany, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's special representative on climate change affairs, Xie Zhenhua, pledged that China will deliver its promises in full, and will continue contributing "Chinese wisdom" and "Chinese proposals" to the global fight against climate change, while addressing a high-level meeting of UN climate talks held here on Thursday.

"While restructuring economy domestically, China will deliver its promises in full, and will demonstrate the country's readiness to take on responsibility for building a community of shared future for mankind," Xie said at the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP 23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"China is ready to play the role, all along, as a participant and contributor in global climate governance, sustainable development, as well as a guardian of multilateral processes," said Xie.

The special representative pledged that China will work with other countries to speed up works in three aspects, including accelerating follow-up negotiations on the Paris Agreement, making arrangement for facilitative dialogues to be held in 2018, and implementing pre-2020 actions and commitment so as to lay solid foundation for trust-building.

To implement the pre-2020 actions, developed countries are supposed to carry out and improve their roadmap for mobilizing 100 billion U.S. dollars of climate financing per year to developing countries by 2020, and to further review their pre-2020 targets, Xie said.

Xie also introduced China's low-carbon development in the speech, saying from 2005 to 2015, China's economy had grown by 1.48 times, and at the same time the carbon intensity, the measure of CO2 emission per unit of GDP, had dropped by 38.6 percent, adding the country had avoided emitting 4.1 billion tonnes of CO2.

Moreover, the share of coal in the total consumption of energy had decreased from 72 percent to 64 percent in the same period, while the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption rose from 7.4 percent to 12 percent, and at the same time, the country's forest reserve had expanded by 3 billion cubic meters, according to Xie.

"China has over delivered on achieving its targets in fighting climate change, and reversed the rapid rise of CO2 emission that had lasted for years," Xie said.

In 2016, despite downward pressure on economic growth, China managed a year-on-year decrease of carbon intensity by 6.6 percent, and its share of non-fossil fuels in total consumption of primary energy reached 13.3 percent, an increase of 1.3 percentage points, Xie continued.

"This year, we will jumpstart the nation-wide carbon-trading market," Xie said, adding China has set aside a total of 100 million U.S. dollars for South-South cooperation with 27 developing countries over the years.
An F-15, belonging to the Israeli air force, takes off during the "Blue Flag" multinational air defence exercise at the Ovda air force base, north of the Israeli city of Eilat, on Nov. 8, 2017. (AFP photo)

JERUSALEM, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said on Thursday that it has concluded its largest international air exercise jointly conducted with seven other countries.

"More than 1,200 personnel and a variety of aircraft, including fighter jets, helicopters and transport planes, took part in the exercise over the course of 10 days," a military spokesperson said in a statement.

Dubbed "Blue Flag," the drill was held in the Ovda air force base in southern Israel's Negev Desert.

The air forces of Greece, Poland, Italy, the United States, and for the first time, France, India and Germany, participated in the exercise.

The exercise simulated intense combat scenarios in realistic settings with the Israel Air Force.

"Commanders of the various Air Forces, military commanders and ambassadors from all the participating countries met" during the drill, the spokesperson said.

An Ovda Base officer, identified only as Col. Itamar, said in the statement that the exercise was "a display of power, coordination, cooperation and precision, both Israeli and internationally."

The officer said he was "very proud" of the results of the exercise, adding that "now we are moving on to the review phase in order to keep on improving."

According to Amikam Norkin, the commander of the Israeli Air Force, the drill came amid the turmoil in the Middle East.

"The situation in the Middle East changes constantly, new players and organizations join and it is our job to understand how to be fully prepared for the threats. We continually learn how to handle new threats by developing new methods of combat," he said in the statement.

Norkin also urged cooperation between armies of allied countries.

"If we want to affect reality in the future, we must prepare together, create joint solutions, as well as international programs which will be highly effective," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 06:38:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States issued a Europe travel alert on Thursday, warning its citizens of the "heightened risk of terrorist attacks" throughout the region.

Citing widely-reported incidents in multiple European countries recently including France, the United Kingdom and Sweden, the U.S. State Department said it remained concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks.

The incidents demonstrated that the Islamic State militant group and Al-Qaeda and their affiliates were still capable of planning and executing terrorist attacks in Europe, said the State Department in a statement released in the day.

The statement also warned of self-radicalized extremists who may conduct attacks "with little or no warning."

The United States will continue to work closely with its European allies to tackle terrorism, according to the statement.

The travel alert was expected to expire at the end of January next year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 06:43:09|Editor: ZD

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HELSINKI, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- A probable meteorite caused a huge blaze in the sky and major noise in a large area of northern Finland on Thursday evening, media reports said.

Based on phone calls from the public, the regional alarm center in Oulu first gave an alert about "a medium level air crash" before 7 p.m. local time (17:00 GMT), but the information was soon corrected as air traffic control could not verify any plane being missing.

Following the exclusion of an air crash, the Oulu alarm center concluded that it was very likely a meteorite.

Jukka Harmanen, a rescue service chief in the Lapland region, told newspaper Kaleva that a fireball was first seen in the sky, followed a minute later by a major sound wave. "It was like the sound of an artillery barrage," he said.

Calls to the rescue services came from an area hundreds of kilometers in diameter. The southern limit was the town of Kokkola. Images were uploaded to social media by residents. The northernmost calls came from Nellimo, in Norway.

Harmanen said he was pleased with the way the alarm system was now tested. He said the information about the situation reached "higher levels" very soon, before the actual nature of the event could be verified. He did not define what the "higher levels" meant.

Finnish authorities did not receive any reports about actual damage on the ground. Rescue supervisor Mauri Saniola in Inari told national broadcaster Yle that windows had been rattling and pressure had been noticed inside buildings.

Jouko Manninen, a researcher of space physics at the Sodankyla observatory, told Yle late Thursday the object could have been part of a man made object such as a satellite. Manninen was unwilling to suspect the object was a missile, also in consideration of its direction of movement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 06:53:14|Editor: ZD

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Keystone pipeline was shut down on Thursday after spilling estimated 5,000 barrels of oil in the U.S. state of South Dakota, said the TransCanada company.

A TransCanada crew took the pipeline offline at 6 a.m. Thursday morning after detecting an oil leak along the line, the company said.

The leak was detected along a stretch of the pipeline about 35 miles south of a pumping station in rural Marshall County, South Dakota, said a TheHill News Daily report.

The company said it's working with state regulators and the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to assess the situation.

Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential permit allowing the company to build the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport as much as 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Alberta, Canada, to Nebraska where it would join existing pipelines that feed refineries elsewhere in the United States.

Keystone XL, if built, would cut diagonally through South Dakota. State regulators have already granted construction permits for the pipeline.
Photo taken on Nov. 16, 2017, shows the United Nations Security Councilvoting on a U.S.-drafted resolution extending mandate of mechanism investigating chemical attacks in Syria at the UN headquarters in New York. The UN Security Council failed to adopt U.S.-drafted resolution extending mandate of mechanism investigating chemical attacks in Syria on Thursday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The draft text of the United States addressing the renewal of the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN investigating chemical attacks in Syria, failed to be adopted by the UN Security Council Thursday.

The resolution received 11 votes in favor and two against, with two abstentions. But because one of the votes against it was from Russia, a permanent council member, the resolution failed to pass. China abstained from voting on the resolution.

The Security Council had planned to put on vote two draft resolutions, each of which would renew the mandate of the JIM, which ends on November 17. Russia withdrew its draft resolution before the vote began, citing procedure reasons.

"China is firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons by whichever country, organization or person for whatever purposes and under whatever circumstances," said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

He said "we have always maintained that the JIM should carry out comprehensive, objective and impartial investigations into chemical attacks in Syria."

"Base this work on solid evidence and draw conclusions that can stand the test of time and reality. Only by doing so can the perpetrators of chemical weapon attacks in Syria and those accountable be brought to justice and can the Syrian people be freed from the suffering caused by chemical weapon attacks," Wu added.

There had been a great deal of activity around the renewal of the JIM and its final report in the last few weeks. The United States put to a resolution to vote to renew the JIM with the same mandate for an additional year on October 24, two days before the release of the JIM's final report. Russia vetoed the resolution, arguing a need to evaluate the effectiveness of the JIM by assessing the final report before discussing its renewal.

On November 2, Russia and the United States circulated competing drafts renewing the JIM's mandate. On November 7, Edmond Mulet, head of the JIM's leadership panel, briefed the council on its final report. During the briefing, the existing divisions in the council were on full display. Russia criticised the JIM for falling short of the standards of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 07:38:25|Editor: liuxin

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UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The political process for a post-conflict transition in Libya has made headway over the past two months and the two competing parliaments may reach consensus soon for a political future, said a UN envoy in the country on Thursday.

"The relaunch of the political process has created a new momentum," Ghassan Salame, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Libya and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, told the Security Council in a briefing.

Two sessions have been convened with the participation of members from both the House of Representatives and of the High Council of State -- the competing parliaments in the North African country -- to agree on a set of amendments to a 2015 peace agreement. "Since the two meetings, the two bodies have been in constant contact. Though much progress was made, a few remaining points are still to be agreed. I am quite confident we are close to a consensus," Salame told the council.

He welcomed the mutual recognition of the two assemblies and their acknowledgment of the 2015 peace agreement as the sole available framework to end the crisis in Libya.

Libya has been in unrest since the downfall and killing of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since 2014 the country has been ruled separately by rival governments and parliaments based in the east and west.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 08:12:13|Editor: liuxin

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A man stands amid the mud and debris after the torrential rain in the town of Mandra, outskirts of Athens, Greece, Nov. 15, 2017. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras declared Wednesday a day of national mourning as the death toll from the flash floods that hit western Attica region, at the outskirts of Athens, climbed to 15. (Xinhua/Lefteris Partsalis)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 09:58:54|Editor: Lifang

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States issued a travel alert for Europe on Thursday, warning its citizens of the "heightened risk of terrorist attacks" throughout the region.

Citing recent widely-reported incidents in multiple European countries including France, Britain and Sweden, the U.S. State Department said it remained concerned about potential future terrorist attacks.

The incidents demonstrate that the Islamic State militant group and al-Qaida and their affiliates are still capable of planning and executing terrorist attacks in Europe, the State Department said in a statement released Thursday.

The statement also warned of self-radicalized extremists who may conduct attacks "with little or no warning."

The United States will continue to work closely with its European allies to tackle terrorism, it noted.

The travel alert is expected to expire at the end of January next year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 10:24:01|Editor: liuxin

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Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia (C) votes on a Bolivian draft resolution at the UN headquarters in New York Nov. 16, 2017. The UN Security Council on Thursday rejected a draft resolution submitted by Bolivia on the renewal of the mandate of an investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday rejected a Russian-drafted resolution submitted by Bolivia on the renewal of the mandate of an investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria.

The text, which was drafted by Russia with minor modifications at the last minute, was put to vote as a Bolivia-sponsored draft resolution. The text was rejected as only four members of the council voted in favor, failing to meet the threshold of nine votes for adoption. Seven council members voted against it with four abstentions.

Russia and the United States tabled rival texts for vote at the Security Council on Thursday. At the beginning of the afternoon session, Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia asked the council to vote on the U.S. text first.

The U.S. ambassador, Nikki Haley, objected, citing procedural rules that draft resolutions should be voted in the order of their submission. Nebenzia requested a vote on the procedural matter. The motion was rejected by the council as only three members voted in favor. Seven members voted against it and five abstained.

Before the Russian-drafted text was put to vote, Nebenzia withdrew it from the council. The U.S.-drafted text was then put to vote and was vetoed by Russia.

The U.S.-drafted resolution won 11 votes in favor, two against with two abstentions. Bolivia was the country that voted against it alongside Russia. China and Egypt abstained. A draft resolution requires nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the five permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- to be adopted.

The mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations expires at midnight Thursday.

The Security Council's failure to renew its mandate means the mechanism will stop its work after midnight Thursday. However, Sebastiano Cardi, Italy's UN ambassador who is president of the Security Council for the month of November, said Thursday's vote does not mean the end of JIM.

"It's not the end of the story today," he told reporters after the vote. "There were many calls around the table for continuing the efforts to renew the JIM."

After the vote on the U.S.-drafted text, a Chinese envoy said China is firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons by whichever country, organization or person for whatever purposes and under whatever circumstances.

"We have always maintained that JIM should carry out comprehensive, objective and impartial investigations into chemical attacks in Syria," said Wu Haitao, the charge d'affaires at China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

JIM should base its work on solid evidence and draw conclusions that can stand the test of time and reality. "Only by doing so can the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria and those accountable be brought to justice and can the Syrian people be freed from the suffering caused by chemical weapons attacks," said Wu.

There had been a great deal of activity around the renewal of JIM and its final report in the last few weeks. The United States put to vote a draft resolution on Oct. 24 for a renewal of the JIM mandate, two days before the release of JIM's latest report. Russia vetoed the draft resolution on the grounds that a vote should be postponed so that the JIM report can be evaluated.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 10:34:03|Editor: liuxin

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SINGAPORE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's non-oil domestic exports (NODX) increased 20.9 percent year-on-year in October, rising at a much stronger pace than expected, official data showed on Friday.

International Enterprise Singapore, a government agency that promotes international trade and partners Singapore companies to go global, attributes the month's growth to the fact that both electronic and non-electronic exports grew in the month.

Singapore's electronic NODX rose 4.5 percent year-on-year in October, after the revised 8-percent decrease in September, according to the agency.

Non-electronic NODX grew 28.5 percent year-on-year, much higher than the revised 1.9-percent growth in the previous month, the agency said.

Among the top NODX markets of Singapore, China, the European Union and Malaysia were major contributors to the NODX increase in October, according to the authority. The NODX to them grew 53.3 percent, 26.1 percent and 22 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Meanwhile, the non-oil re-exports (NORX) dropped by 0.9 percent year on year in October, after a revised 0.6 percent expansion in September, due to the lower shipment of non-electronic re-exports.

Singapore's oil domestic exports grew by 29.5 percent year on year in October, following a revised 28.5 percent expansion in the preceding month. Higher sales to Malaysia, China and the Marshall Islands contributed the most to the year-on-year increase.

The three markets saw oil domestic exports from Singapore increase 56.8 percent, 67.4 percent and 89.3 percent, respectively. In volume terms, oil domestic exports increased by 12.7 percent in October, comparing to a revised 3.9 percent rise in September.

The total trade of Singapore grew 13.1 percent year on year in October, marking the 12th consecutive growth month for both exports and imports. Total exports grew by 10.4 percent year on year in the month, and total imports increased by 16.3 percent year-on-year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 11:04:10|Editor: liuxin

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TRIPOLI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Abdurrahman Swehli, the head of Libya's Higher Council of State, said Thursday that the council will next week discuss the possibility of holding early elections within six months if the country's political agreement fails.

Swehli made the remarks during a meeting with Bettina Muscheidt, EU's ambassador to Libya, in Tripoli, where the pair discussed the latest political and security developments in Libya.

"The Council will discuss a proposal to hold early elections within six months, overseen by a small caretaker government of technocrats, should the negotiations for amending the UN-sponsored political agreement fail," the media office of the council said in a statement on Thursday.

Swehli stressed the council's keenness to ensure the success of negotiations to "amend the political agreement through achieving full consensus and partnership with the House of Representatives, ensuring a political balance that leads to peace and stability," the statement added.

Muscheidt reiterated EU's support for the UN-proposed action plan in Libya, stressing that "elections will not solve the crisis without achieving national reconciliation and ending the political division first," the statement said.

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya Ghassan Salame proposed in September an action plan for Libya that includes amending the current UN-sponsored political agreement, holding a UN-sponsored national conference for all of Libya's political factions, adopting a constitution, and finally electing a president and a parliament.

Representatives of the eastern-based parliament and the Tripoli-based Higher Council of State recently held UN-sponsored negotiation meetings in Tunisia.

Swehli also met with the head of the Libyan Higher National Commission of Elections Imad Al-Sayah on Thursday and discussed the commission's readiness to hold possible early elections within six months.

Al-Sayah recently told Xinhua that his commission will sign an agreement with the United Nations to support the upcoming elections in Libya.

In July, General Khalifa Haftar, commander of the eastern-based army, agreed with the UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj in Paris to cease fire and hold presidential and legislative elections in 2018.

Following the uprising of 2011 that toppled former Gaddafi's regime, Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid political division, insecurity and chaos.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 11:14:12|Editor: liuxin

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The family of the Brazilian woman who was shot to death by Portuguese police after being mistaken for a criminal will seek reparation from the Portuguese government, local media said on Thursday.

Ivanice Carvalho da Costa, 36, was killed in the early hours of Wednesday in Lisbon in what has since been deemed a disastrous action of the local police. Officers shot at least 40 times at the car in which Costa was traveling in, and she was hit in the neck.

The police reportedly mistook Costa's car as the vehicle of criminals they had been pursuing. The criminals had robbed an ATM machine.

The officers said the driver did not stop at a blockade. However, the excessive use of force was still severely criticized.

Costa had been living in Portugal with an aunt for 17 years. According to local daily O Globo, her family wants shooters to be punished and will seek financial reparation as well.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 12:09:20|Editor: liuxin

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HANOI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's foreign reserve hit an all-time record high of 46 billion U.S. dollars as of mid-November, according to the country's central bank.

Nguyen Minh Hung, governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, told local legislators at an ongoing question and answer session that the reserve rose by 1 billion dollars from last month, local online newspaper VnExpress reported on Friday.

The reserve rose by 4 billion dollars from late June this year and by 5 billion dollars from late 2016, according to the State Bank of Vietnam.

Vietnam witnessed a trade surplus of over 1.2 billion dollars in the first 10 months of this year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 12:24:25|Editor: liuxin

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy fire here on Friday, and targeted each other's positions and civilian areas, officials said.

The two sides exchanged fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in frontier Poonch district, about 185 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Pakistani army today morning resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling and firing along targeting some Indian positions and civilian areas in Gulpur and Nakarkote sectors," a local government official said. "The firing is going on intermittently."

According to the official, schools falling in the affected areas have been closed as a precautionary measure.

So far no reports of damage were received from the Indian or Pakistani side, he added.

According to Indian officials, over 600 incidents of cease-fire violations were recorded along the LoC and International Border (IB) since the beginning of this year.

Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain that their troops gave befitting reply.

Last week the three-day biannual talks between chiefs of India's Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers concluded in New Delhi with both sides agreeing to "maintain peaceful and tranquil borders."

The LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 13:14:32|Editor: Yang Yi

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CHANGCHUN, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Volkswagen will invest more than 10 billion euros along with its Chinese partners by 2025 to develop and manufacture new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China, Volkswagen Group China announced on Thursday.

In the next seven to eight years, Volkswagen will manufacture nearly 40 new models of NEVs in China, including more than 20 to be launched between 2020 and 2025.

By the end of 2020, its Audi brand will roll out two new all-electric SUVs in the Chinese market and the Volkswagen brand will also launch new NEVs developed based on existing gasoline models.

NEVs include all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

China is leading the way to major breakthroughs in the global e-mobility market, and Volkswagen hopes to transform the future of transportation together with its Chinese partners, said Jochem Heizmann, CEO of Volkswagen Group China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 13:19:34|Editor: ZD

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HANOI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's clothes and footwear market is estimated to hit 358 million U.S. dollars in 2017, and 988 million U.S. dollars in 2022, local media on Friday quoted surveys by foreign firms as reporting.

According to German firm Statistics Portal, Vietnam's fashion revenue will annually grow 22.5 percent in the 2017-2022 period, and its clothes sales will surge to 245 million U.S. dollars this year, online newspaper VnExpress reported.

In Vietnam, local people's spending on clothes is the third biggest, only after food and savings, global marketing research firm Nielsen said.

Vietnamese people like branded products at the third highest level in the world, after China and India, according to Nielson.

Incomplete statistics from the Association of Vietnam Retailers show that over 200 foreign fashion brands are now available in Vietnam, holding a market share of over 60 percent.

In the first 10 months of this year, Vietnam gained 21.5 billion U.S. dollars from exporting garments and textiles, up 9.5 percent against the same period last year, while reaping 11.7 billion U.S. dollars from exporting footwear, up 11.9 percent, said the country's General Statistics Office.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 13:59:43|Editor: Yang Yi

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KIEV, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 2nd Ukraine Silk Road Forum was held here on Thursday, bringing together officials, business leaders and public figures from China, Ukraine and other countries along the Belt and Road, who lauded the role of the forum in boosting China-Ukraine cooperation over the past year and drew a roadmap for the future.

JOINT EFFORTS FOR COMMON PROSPERITY

The Ukraine Silk Road Forum is a platform developed in Ukraine to promote cooperation and dialogue with China and other countries, which joined the Belt and Road Initiative.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa, along the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

Located at the crossroads of global trade, Ukraine aims to become an important link on the modern Silk Road, offering its infrastructure network and trade potential to other countries participating in the initiative.

This year, more than 1,000 participants from 25 Asian and European countries joined the Ukraine Silk Road Forum, signaling that Kiev's plans to become an integral part of the Belt and Road Initiative are achievable.

Addressing the forum, Wu Bixiu, secretary general of the Silk Road Cities Alliance, said the forum would be another step towards closer cooperation among countries along the Belt and Road.

She emphasized that these countries could bring their potential into full play only by joining their hands for the sake of common development.

NOTEWORTHY RESULTS

Since the first Silk Road Forum was held in Ukraine on Nov.7, 2016,China and Ukraine have achieved remarkable progress in their bilateral ties and cooperation.

Iryna Nikorak, a secretary of Ukraine's parliamentary group on the development of relations with China and one of the forum's organizers, said that the first Ukraine Silk Road Forum paved the way for the implementation of humanitarian, social and educational initiatives between the two countries.

For instance, after the forum, the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce, which assembles business associations of the Belt and Road countries, awarded grants to 30 Ukrainian students for studying in Chinese universities.

"We selected students from all Ukrainian regions and social categories, including vulnerable groups, orphans. These students will learn China's best practices and bring China's experience to Ukraine," Nikorak said.

China-Ukraine economic cooperation has been also flourishing over the past 12 months.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said that since the first Ukraine Silk Road Forum, the two countries have established cooperation on several major projects.

"Our cooperation goes beyond words. One of the largest Chinese companies has already been carrying out dredging work in Ukraine's Yuzhny port. Another large Chinese company has won a tender for the reconstruction of a number of roads in Ukraine and will implement it over the next few years," Omelyan said at the forum.

"We also have initiated a number of promising projects between the Ukrainian Post and AliExpress," he added.

GRAND PLANS FOR FUTURE

In the future, Ukraine has vast opportunities for cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, given its rich natural resources, developed infrastructure and close proximity to the European markets, Omelyan said.

As the most promising projects for potential cooperation, he listed the possible joint construction of a railway link between Kiev and Ukraine's largest airport Boryspil, and the joint production of electric cars.

Besides, Ukraine has the potential of become a manufacturing hub for Chinese investors, Omelyan said.

"Ukraine can produce goods for China and export them to the European Union and other countries, with which Ukraine has agreements on free economic zones and free trade," he added.

While many projects between Ukraine and China currently are in the planning stage, the groundwork for others has been already laid down. One of the most far-reaching projects is the construction of a fourth subway line in the capital city of Ukraine.

In May, the Ukrainian authorities have picked two Chinese companies -- China Railway International Group and China Pacific Construction Group -- to be the managing partners and contractors of the project, responsible for engineering, procurement, and construction.

Worth about 2 billion U.S. dollars, the project is expected to start in 2019 and finish within four years.

"The implementation of this project will largely solve the problems of traffic jams in the Troyeshchyna district in Kiev. It will also contribute to raising the quality of life and economic development of the city," Wang Zijian, vice president of China Railway International Group, said at the forum.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 14:14:47|Editor: liuxin

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WELLINGTON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- International visitor spending in New Zealand has reached a record high of 10.4 billion NZ dollars (7.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the year to September 2017, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis said on Friday.

The latest International Visitor Survey results from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) showed expenditure increased 4 percent compared with the year ended September 2016.

"International visitor spending is up, helped by a boost during the DHL New Zealand Lions Series," Davis said in a statement, adding that British visitors spent 181 million NZ dollars (124 million U.S. dollars) in the third quarter of 2017, up 104 percent on the same quarter in 2016.

"We're also receiving more visitors from the United States, resulting in a 14-percent jump in spending over the year to 1.2 billion NZ dollars (822 million U.S. dollars)," he said.

Though international visitor numbers continue to climb, overall expenditure growth has been moderated by the strong New Zealand dollar, which affects the amount visitors spend, Davis noted.

The MBIE has forecast that visitor numbers and expenditure will see steady growth over the next few years, with the annual international visitor spend predicted to grow 47 percent by 2023, reaching 15.3 billion NZ dollars (10.5 billion U.S. dollars).

"We are planning to invest in infrastructure, the conservation estate and training for our tourism sector workers," said the tourism minister, adding that he will be looking at various options as ways of responding to the sudden growth in visitor numbers and ensuring a sustainable funding model for tourism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 14:14:48|Editor: Mengjie

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Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (R) meets with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)

BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- China and Morocco agreed to deepen their strategic partnership as State Councilor Yang Jiechi met with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita Friday in Beijing.

During their talks, Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the 19th CPC National Congress has set the country on a "new journey" toward a modern socialist country.

China is committed to building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

He called on both sides to implement the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and King Mohammed VI and upgrade bilateral cooperation through joint construction of the Belt and Road.

Bourita, who is on his first visit to China since taking office, extended King Mohammed VI's congratulations on the success of the 19th CPC National Congress.

He said Morocco pays great attention to ties with China and will work with China to beef up their strategic partnership.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 14:19:50|Editor: Yang Yi

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HOUSTON, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China-U.S. relationship will have a bright future if the two nations further enhance their cooperation in all aspects, former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said Thursday.

He made the remarks when delivering an address at the China Public Policy Center of the University of Texas at Austin.

The event, co-organized by the China Public Policy Center and the China-United States Exchange Foundation, was focused on the prospects of the bilateral relations after U.S. President Donald Trump's first state visit to China.

"The great achievement that had been made during the trip is the consensus between the two presidents that the only option for China and the United States in the future is cooperation," said He.

He believed that as two major powers, China and the United States bear special responsibilities for maintaining world peace and stability, and promoting global growth and prosperity.

He pointed out several areas where the two countries "should seriously consider" cooperating further in the future, particularly economic cooperation.

"We need to work together to make the economic cake much bigger," he noted.

The former diplomat also called on the two countries to "move from strategic ambiguity into strategic clarity," meaning to build a comprehensive partnership based on mutual trust and benefit.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 14:29:52|Editor: liuxin

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SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States discussed the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.

Lee Do-hoon, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, met with Joseph Yun who represents the United States at the currently stalled six-party talks to discuss the denuclearization of the peninsula.

They met in South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju on the sidelines of a UN conference on disarmament and nonproliferation, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

During the meeting, Lee and Yun discussed follow-up measures to denuclearize the peninsula.

They highlighted the constructive roles played by major countries such as China and Russia, vowing to strengthen strategic communications with relevant countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 15:15:14|Editor: Yurou

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SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will make a state visit to South Korea next week, Seoul's presidential Blue House said on Friday.

The Uzbek leader will visit South Korea on Nov. 22 to Nov. 25 at the invitation of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Moon's spokesman Park Soo-hyun told a press briefing.

Mirziyoyev will hold a summit meeting with the South Korean president on Nov. 23 and deliver a parliamentary speech during his four-day state visit.

The Uzbek president's visit will be meaningful as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between South Korea and Uzbekistan, the spokesman said.

Mirziyoyev will become the second foreign president making a state visit to South Korea since President Moon took office in May.

The first was U.S. President Donald Trump, who visited the country for two days earlier in the month.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 15:15:16|Editor: Yurou

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NEW DELHI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Southern Indian state of Telanagana has embarked on a unique way to get rid of open defecation, using drones.

As a pilot project, cops have deployed drones on the banks of a local reservoir in the state's Karimnagar district to prevent people from defecating near the dam.

The Lower Manair Dam is a drinking water source for the people of Karimnagar town and "if successful, the scheme will be replicated in other districts also", officials said on Friday.

Local police chief V.B. Kamalasan Reddy said the scheme has already started yielding results. "The number of people indulging in open defecation has come down drastically," he told the media.

Urination and defecation in the open are common in several parts of rural India and even in some semi-urban areas and a few urban areas too.

This is despite the Indian government offering cash incentives to subsidise construction of toilets, and initiating hygiene and sanitation awareness campaigns like "No Toilet, No Bride".

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made eliminating open defecation in this country a priority, and wants every home to be installed with a toilet by 2019.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 16:00:30|Editor: Yurou

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JERUSALEM, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian teenager perpetrated a car-ramming attack in the West Bank on Friday, injuring two Israelis before he was shot and seriously wounded by troops, the military said.

The attack took place near Gush Etzion, a settlement bloc south of Jerusalem, on Friday morning.

Israel's emergency medical service said a 35-year-old Israeli man was seriously injured in the attack and a man in his seventies was lightly-to-moderately wounded.

A military spokesperson said in a statement that the assailant first drove his car towards the Efrat Junction and ran over Israeli, and then continued to the Gush Etzion Junction, running over a second civilian.

He proceeded by exiting the vehicle, armed with a knife, and attempted to stab soldiers who were guarding the junction. "The soldiers responded by firing towards the assailant, who as a result was severely injured," the statement read.

According to the statement, the assailant received medical care from the soldiers at the site.

The incident came after a relative calm in violence in the West Bank.

Israelis and Palestinians have seen a surge of violence that started in mid-September 2015. It has claimed the lives of at least 293 Palestinians, mostly were attackers, according to Israel, and 49 Jewish Israelis.

Israel accuses the Palestinian National Authority of "inciting" the unrest. The Palestinians say it is the result of 50 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, home to more than 5 million Palestinians.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 16:05:32|Editor: Mengjie

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MACAO, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR)'s Chief Executive Chui Sai On has accepted the University of Macao (UM)'s recommendation to appoint Song Yonghua as the ninth president of UM, who will assume office on Jan. 9, 2018, the university said on Friday.

According to the university council of UM, the recruitment for the next president began in March 2017. A number of consultation forums were held to collect the views of alumni, staff and students, as well as members of the university council. Through a global search and deliberations, the university council finally voted unanimously to recommend Prof. Song.

The university council said Prof. Song has held a number of leadership positions at British and Chinese universities, and is particularly familiar with the development and operation of higher education institutions in Europe, the United States and Asia.

A world-renowned scholar in electrical engineering, Song received his PhD from the China Electric Power Research Institute. In 1997, he was appointed Professor of Power Systems at Brunel University and later as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies at Brunel University in 2004. The latter appointment made him the first Chinese scholar assuming a senior management position at a British university.

Song returned to China as Professor of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University in 2009 and was appointed assistant president in the same year. Currently, he is the executive vice president of Zhejiang University.

The university council of UM also expressed its appreciation for incumbent President Prof. Zhao Wei's contribution to the university.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 16:25:40|Editor: Yurou

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DUBAI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The doors close Thursday on another record-breaking Dubai Airshow, with the order book stood at almost 113.8 billion U.S. dollars.

Trade visitors to the event were up around 20 percent on the 2015 event, with some 79,380 people entering the purpose-built hall at Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai during its five-day run.

Airbus revealed its largest single announcement ever -- a 49.5 billion dollars deal with Indigo Partners to purchase 430 aircrafts in its A320neo family.

Boeing won large commitments across its twin and single-aisle commercial airplane families, debuting key capabilities including the CST-100 Starliner docking and KC-46 re-fueling simulators, and announced services agreements at the 2017 Dubai Airshow.

"We signed agreements with key airline partners including Emirates, flydubai, Azerbaijan Airlines, ALAFCO and Ethiopian Airlines. In addition, EgyptAir became a new customer for the 787," said Bernard Dunn, president of Boeing Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.

The companies saw the airshow as a great opportunity to introduce the latest unit and services to the Middle East region.

The biennial airshow invited for the first time Chinese air force's August 1 Demonstration Team for the air display.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 16:25:41|Editor: Mengjie

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by Xinhua writers Liu Si, Han Liang and Hu Ruoyu

BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States will be able to create an environment filled with positive opportunities to push forward their relations in the future, a renowned China specialist from the United States has said.

Douglas H. Paal, vice president for studies and director of the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Xinhua in a recent interview that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, reinforced the "warm, personal relationship they started at Mar-a-Lago in April" at their Beijing meeting, with the help of the "very generous hospitality on the Chinese side."

Paal had keenly followed the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last month. He felt there is the possibility that China will assume a greater and more confident role in managing some of the big issues, which he believed are potential areas of U.S.-China cooperation.

"I think we can create an environment in which all opportunities are positive and reduce the negative opportunities. We will be able to stick our way in next 10 years," he said.

On trade, Paal spoke highly of the unprecedented 253.5-billion-U.S.-dollar-worth agreements reached during Trump's Beijing visit.

However, he obviously looks at bilateral relations from a far broader perspective other than trade deals. He emphasized that the United States should work very closely on the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in particular.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was proposed by China in 2013 with the aim of building a trade, investment and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

To support the initiative, China has established the AIIB and the Silk Road Fund to provide finance to infrastructure projects.

Paal said the AIIB has been brought to "very high standards of governance" and the United States "should be willing to partner."

Noting that the Asia-Pacific region "definitely has important infrastructure needs," he said it was necessary for the United States to cooperate with China and "make sure we have coherent infrastructure development plans in Southeast Asian and South Asian regions."

"And it would be very smart for the U.S. and its partners to work with China to get the most sufficient allocation of resources of new infrastructure elements," he said.

In security cooperation, Paal noted that Washington and Beijing have a common purpose to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, believing that through cooperation, China and United States can harmonize the Korean Peninsula issue together.

"There is a very practical way for us to cooperate," said Paal.

As a matter of fact, for quite a while, some U.S. officials tended to voice concerns over "China's ambitions." However, putting emphasis on cooperation, Paal said the United States and China should seek more areas to work together and "remove some of those suspicions."

"We need more common understandings on that, manage these differences and adjust our policies to relieve each other off the suspicions we have," he said. "This is going to take strategic thinking and far-side leadership."

In Paal's opinion, Chinese leaders have already demonstrated this ability of leadership.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 16:35:45|Editor: Yurou

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NEW DELHI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Indian police have arrested seven people in connection with Sunday's boat tragedy in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh that claimed 22 lives.

The boat overloaded with 38 tourists capsized in the Krishna river in the state's Vijaywada district, 275 km from capital Hyderabad, late Sunday evening.

"The seven arrested are directors of a river boating and adventure company that operated the tourist boat illegally in the river on that day," a police official said Friday.

The arrests came after a preliminary probe suggested that the boat did not have the necessary licence to operate in the river.

"The boat's operator did not have the necessary government permission to ferry people. All the accused have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder," the official said.

Boat tragedies are common in India, mainly because of overloading and scant regard for law. A boat accident in northern India in September killed 20 people.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 16:40:48|Editor: Mengjie

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SHENZHEN, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's first "talent park" sits on a beautiful coastal site in the southern city of Shenzhen.

The Shenzhen talent park, which opened to the public earlier this month, has photos and names of top innovators printed onto the pillars.

Two founders from Shenzhen-based BGI, China's top gene-sequencing provider, are among those recognized.

"It's like the stars of the Hollywood Walk of Fame with the names of celebrities. It's a novel way to recognize them and helps attract innovative talent here," said Zhu Yanmei, BGI chief human officer.

Neighboring Hong Kong, Shenzhen is a frontline city for China's opening and reform. This hotbed for both innovation and investment has drawn swarms of talent to start businesses or work in the city.

While new entrepreneurs innovate in emerging sectors, such as genomics, metamaterials and artificial intelligence, the city has also been creative in finding ways to draw high-end talent.

In August, the city legislature passed a regulation on talent work, declaring Nov. 1 as Shenzhen Talent Day.

The city also announced last month it will award a maximum of 100 million yuan (15 million U.S. dollars) to Nobel Prize winners who locate their laboratories in Shenzhen.

Five Nobel prize winners have set up laboratories in Shenzhen.

"The city is comfortable in both climate and its inclusiveness, making newcomers fall in love with the city easily," Zhu said.

She said BGI has over 1,000 R&D personnel in Shenzhen, which is high compared to its peer life science companies worldwide.

With highly qualified personnel flowing in and leading emerging industries, the value added in emerging sectors surged up 10.6 percent in 2016, accounting for 40 percent of the city's economic growth.

Last year, Shenzhen saw nearly 20,000 international patent applications filed under the PCT. There are 80 patents per 100,000 people, 10 times the national average.

At the ongoing China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF) in the city, an exhibition zone is reserved for early startups, offering opportunities to show off their ideas and woo investors.

Yang Lujian is busy introducing his drone dock design, a round table-like base for drone landing and automatic charging.

The auto engineering major and his two partners quit their jobs at an automaker in northeast China's Jilin Province and started his business in Shenzhen in 2015.

"As an innovation hub, Shenzhen has a complete industrial chain with industry clusters and convenient logistics, so we chose it," he said, adding that a group of drone makers, including DJI, the country's leading brand, is a main reason for their choice.

The report delivered to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China said the country will accelerate its efforts to become a nation of innovators.

More efforts will be made to cultivate a large number of world-class scientists and technologists in strategically important fields, scientific and technological leaders, and young scientists and engineers, as well as high-performing innovation teams, according to the report.

Facing rising housing prices, the Shenzhen city government is also coming up with new ways to encourage rental housing and to help lower living and business operating costs.

Last week, the city bid on the first piece of land designated for rental homes. The apartments to be built on it will not be allowed to be sold.

Banks are also encouraged to offer loans designed for home rentals.

At the CHTF on Thursday, a high-end job fair offered nearly 1,000 vacancies with annual packages of over 500,000 yuan or more than 300,000 yuan plus company shares.

Company presidents, operations directors, and senior engineers in cutting-edge sectors were among the job vacancies.

"I have never experienced such a high-end job fair before, neither as an HR worker nor as a job seeker," said Xu Jing, 36, from Jiangsu Province.

Xu, who has worked in HR for eight years, is looking for an HR and administration director position.

"I have decided to move to the city, as the young and passionate city makes me feel young," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 16:50:53|Editor: Yurou

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BAGHDAD, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces battling Islamic State (IS) militants pushed Friday into the city of Rawa near the Iraqi border with Syria as part of a major offensive to dislodge the extremist militants from their last urban stronghold in Iraq, the Iraqi military said.

The troops and the paramilitary local tribal fighters initiated their push at dawn and after hours of advance, they liberated four neighborhoods in the western part of the city, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, the commander of the offensive, said in a brief statement.

On November 5, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi raised the Iraqi flag on Husaibah border crossing with Syria two days after the Iraqi forces recaptured it and the nearby city of al-Qaim from the extremist militants.

The troops will continue to clear the vast rural areas in the north of the Euphrates River and the desert between the provinces of Anbar and neighboring Salahudin.

On Oct. 26, the security forces started a major offensive to free the last urban IS stronghold in Iraq near the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The IS militants seized large swathes 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| 2017-11-17 17:00:55|Editor: Xiang Bo

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CHANGCHUN, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Glamorous is the only word to describe the "golden" house that glitters before the brumal backdrop of rural Jilin Province, China's winter wonderland, already nestling under its hiemal blanket of snow.

In Ehexue Township, a house is not a home unless it is covered with around 30,000 corn cobs.

"It took 14 farmers a month to build the golden house. Each cob, replete with fully grown niblets, has been fixed lovingly in place with fine wire," said Li Zhicheng, an Ehexue farmer and chief architect of the edifice.

Ehexue Township owes much of its fortune to corn, its principal agricultural product.

Li plans to build an ice playground in front of the gilded house, in typical Jilin farmyard style.

But it is not just about the house. Ehexue's innovative farmers have also decorated the courtyard walls with yet more cobs and created corny art objects including a windmill, a wishing well and a traditional Chinese plough to welcome the anticipated flurry of tourists.

The corn house is already something of an online architectural wonder. Photos of it have circulated fast since the farmers uploaded them on social media and, according to Li, netizens are worried that the newly-harvested corn might become mildewed or be eaten by rats before they can make the pilgrimage to China's frozen far northeast and preserve the glittering spectacle forever with a blizzard of selfies.

"A posse of stray cats in the yard will keep out the rats. Hanging it on walls is the traditional, and best, way to dry corn. I'm sure that they can fetch even better prices in spring when they are fully sun-dried," beamed Li.

Li plans to sell farm produce and local specialties from the house and his vision has been an inspiration to other villagers.

Village official Sun Haoran advised Li to plant loofah seeds around the house in spring in hope that it will be naturally covered with greenery and exfoliant gourds in summer. In autumn, the house can be festooned with red maple leaves, making the winter wonder into a year-round money spinner for the village.

Tourism has become an important source of income for farmers in Jilin. Before winter had even begun, in the first nine months of this year, the sector brought in 16 billion yuan (2.4 billion U.S. dollars), up 43.7 percent year on year, with 29.3 million tourists hitting country roads to enjoy the unspoilt rural splendor of the province.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 17:05:57|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- German companies in China are generally upbeat about the outlook for next year, a survey showed Friday.

German companies evaluate the economic situation in China more positively than last year and remain optimistic for 2018, according to a survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in China.

The survey, which collected opinions from 423 companies, showed nearly two thirds of respondents expecting to achieve or exceed their targets this year, with the machinery industry seeing stronger comeback.

Around 75 percent of respondents forecast higher turnover next year, and China remains among the top three markets for German companies operating in China.

Increasing labor costs and a shortage of qualified staff were among the major challenges for most German companies in China, said Michael Clauss, the German ambassador to China.

German companies are facing increasing competition from Chinese counterparts as more than 40 percent of the surveyed companies expect Chinese competitors to become innovation leaders within five years, according to Lothar Herrmann, president of German Chamber of Commerce in North China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 17:15:59|Editor: Xiang Bo

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HARARE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, reportedly under house arrest, made his first public appearance on Thursday, a day after the military appeared to have taken control of the government.

The official Herald newspaper late Thursday published photographs of Mugabe meeting Zimbabwe Defense Forces chief Constantino Chiwenga and South African envoys at State House, the presidential residence.

The meeting was also attended by Defense Minister Sydney Sekeramayi and State Security Minister Kembo Mohadi.

The 93-year-old Mugabe was pictured shaking hands with the military chief, who had issued a statement on Monday, saying purges against senior ruling party officials would end "forthwith" after Mugabe fired Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his political ally for more than 40 years, over allegations of disloyalty and deceit.

On the other hand, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, Thursday urged Mugabe to resign and pave the way for democratic elections.

"In the interest of the people, Mr. Robert Mugabe must resign and step down immediately," Tsvangirai said at a press conference.

The opposition leader said there must be a negotiated all-inclusive transitional mechanism agreed upon by all national stakeholders.

He also called for comprehensive reforms before the election to ensure it was credible, free and fair.

Tsvangirai once shared power with Mugabe in a coalition government between 2009 and 2013.

Also on Thursday, Mugabe's former deputy Joice Mujuru called for a transitional arrangement that would address issues of economic recovery and electoral reforms following the military takeover.

Mujuru, whom Mugabe fired in 2014 alleging she was trying to topple him, is now the president of the National People's Party. She also leads a grouping of opposition parties (People's Rainbow Coalition) as its presidential candidate for the 2018 elections.

Mujuru told a press conference that her coalition was urging Zimbabweans to observe the rule of law as the nation sought to restore constitutional democracy.

"We believe the present political development requires collective engagement and national dialogue of all critical stakeholders in our country," she said.

Apart from politicians, such stakeholders should include faith-based organizations, civil society, workers and students, she said, adding, "We are in need of a transitional arrangement."

The military move surprised the international community, which is calling for calm and restraint.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for calm in Zimbabwe and underlined the importance of resolving political differences through peaceful means, including dialogue, in conformity with the constitution.

He welcomed the efforts initiated by the Southern African Development Community to facilitate a peaceful solution to the situation.

China's Foreign Ministry said China's friendly policy toward Zimbabwe will not change in spite of the current situation and China will continue to advance friendly cooperation with Zimbabwe in line with the principle of equality, reciprocity and win-win cooperation.

"We sincerely hope that the situation in Zimbabwe will become stable and the issues will be resolved peacefully and appropriately," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily press briefing.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 17:21:01|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Naim-Ul-Karim

DHAKA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- People living in rural areas of Bangladesh are now extremely busy as the harvest season is in full swing.

Paddy fields have turned golden with the beginning of the harvest season in many rural villages and winter is a high time for traditional celebrations.

These days men are busy husking paddies into rice while women grind the new harvest into powder for making pitha (winter cakes) during the long, cold winter nights, after finishing household duties during the day.

For centuries there has seemingly been no change to the time-honored routine of extracting juice from the date palm tree, with the process ending in making jaggery to be used to make pitha during the traditional Nabanna Utsav festival time.

For many busy urbanites, it is not always possible to go to their village homes to join Nabanna Utsav, to mark the harvesting of the new crop.

It was for this reason that Nabanna Utsav was celebrated on Wednesday in Bangladesh's capital city of Dhaka, so busy city dwellers could have a break from their daily grind and youngsters could experience some traditional culture.

Hundreds of people, attired in traditional dresses, attended the main Nabanna festival ceremony held at the Institute of Fine Arts on Dhaka University campus Wednesday morning.

As always, the Nabanna festivities started in the morning with music, dance and food offerings, as well as a procession of cultural personalities and members of different organizations who marched along the streets of the university's campus.

Nabanna, however, is celebrated across Bangladesh, particularly in rural areas, on the first day of Agrahayan, which is the eighth month on the Bangla calendar, that falls on Nov. 15.

Rural Bangladeshi people typically celebrate Nabanna during the whole month of Agrahayan (November-December), while urban-based celebrations are usually limited to a single day's program.

As with previous years, hundreds of people, particularly cultural activists and their family members gathered at the main celebration venue on Wednesday morning to enjoy the Nabanna festival programs that featured solo and group renditions of folk songs, dance performances, recitations and such like.

The main attraction of the Nabanna celebration, however, are the varieties of handmade pitha.

Professor Akhtaruzzman, vice-chancellor at the Dhaka University, among other noted personalities, was present at the festival held at the university in the capital.

Jatiyo Nabanna Utshab Udjapan Parshad or National Harvest Festival committee has been holding the festival in Dhaka since 1999 to reintroduce urban people to the age-old cultural heritage of rural Bengal.

Visitors had the opportunity to enjoy many rural delicacies.

"I'm very glad to have the opportunity to come to this Nabanna festival. I had no idea what it was about, but now I understand," said Nahid Hossain, a university student who was born and brought up in the city.

Rural life is quite amazing, he said and added that the arrangement of such seasonal festivals in cities and towns will build bridges between rural and urban gaps.

Another student, Rafia Akter said Dhaka dwellers could get a taste of traditional delicacies, which is a rare opportunity for busy people living in the city.

The festival is also celebrated by staging Nabanna mela (heritage fairs) that impart an image of rural Bangladesh.

Nabanna is one of the numerous Bangladesh festivals that gave the name "baro mase tero parban" (thirteen festivals in twelve months) to the land of Bengal.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 17:31:05|Editor: Xiang Bo

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NEW DELHI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Barack Obama will visit India next month to host an interactive session with young leaders.

"On December 1, @BarackObama is headed to India to host a Town Hall with hundreds of young leaders," his non-profit organization, the Obama Foundation, tweeted.

In a related video posted by the Obama Foundation on social media, the former president said, "I want to have a chance to talk to young people who are doing amazing work all across India."

"We're going to be organizing a town hall with young leaders from various parts of India, who can share with me some of the work they're trying to do in their communities," he added.

This will be Obama's first visit to India, post-presidency.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 17:36:07|Editor: Xiang Bo

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CANBERRA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia's immigration minister has warned that New Zealand taking refugees from Manus Island would damage the relationship between the two nations.

The Australian government cut essential services to the regional processing center on Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s Manus Island in early November as part of a plan to shut it down.

More than 400 asylum seekers still remain in the center, though, resolute in their determination to stay put rather than be resettled elsewhere on Manus Island.

They have been surviving off an unreliable supply of food and water provided by Manusians.

Jacinda Ardern, the newly-elected New Zealand prime minister, has said that her country would re-settle 150 refugees, an offer that was initially turned down by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

In a change of tune, Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said Australia could not stand in the way if New Zealand and PNG reached an agreement, but said such a move could sour Australia's relationship with its two closest neighbors.

"That's an issue between those two countries. Any sovereign state can enter into bilateral arrangements," Dutton said on Australia's Sky News on Thursday night.

"They would have to think about other equities within the respective relationships - they would have to think about their relationship with Australia.

"It's an issue for New Zealand where they spend their money, but from my perspective we want to get people off Manus and have the processing center closed."

The refugees were sent to Manus Island after they tried to enter Australia illegally by boat. The United States had agreed to resettle some of those refugees in Manus Island but so far just 50 of them were resettled in the U.S.

Dutton said he was concerned that people smuggling operations to Australia would start again if the refugees were sent to New Zealand.

"The people smugglers are watching eagerly at the moment," he said, claiming that if there was a pathway from PNG to New Zealand to Australia then "the train reopens, and I'm not going to allow that to happen."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 17:56:15|Editor: Xiang Bo

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MOGADISHU, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government said on Thursday evening it had arrested 19 Al-Shabaab suspects in the southern Lower Shabelle region.

The suspects, including a bomb explosives expert, were arrested in Afgooye area, about 30 km south west of Mogadishu, Information Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman said.

Osman told journalists following a cabinet meeting the suspects were nabbed in a security operation in the past week.

"Our security forces conducted an operation in Afgooye area and arrested key Al-Shabaab fighters in charge of various sections," The minster said.

"We strongly believe they are Al-Shabaab. They are currently being interrogated and will be arraigned in court soon," the minister said.

The arrest of the 19 came a day after the government released names and photographs of six people it said were behind the October 14 terror attack in Mogadishu which killed about more than 350 people.

Somali and African Union forces launched operations last week in Lower Shabelle region as the U.S. military ramped up air strikes in various parts of the country targeting Al-Shabaab and ISIS.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 18:21:24|Editor: Mengjie

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DENVER, the United States, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese team using the world's fastest supercomputer to simulate a devastating earthquake won the 2017 ACM Gordon Bell Prize on Thursday.

The Association for Computing Machinery said using the Sunway TaihuLight, the fastest supercomputer, the team developed software that was able to process data at the speed of 18.9 quadrillion calculations per second, and create 3D visualizations related to a devastating earthquake that occurred in Tangshan, a city in northeastern China, in 1976.

"The team's software included innovations that achieved greater efficiency than had been previously attained running similar programs on the Titan and TaihuLight supercomputers," the association said.

The award was presented at the 2017 Supercomputing Conference in Denver in the U.S. state of Colorado.

"Although earthquake prediction and simulation is an inexact and emerging area of research, we hope that the use of supercomputers may lead to better prediction and preparedness," He Conghui, one of the 12-member Chinese team, told Xinhua.

Chinese supercomputer Sunway TaihuLight, located at the National Supercomputer Center in Wuxi in China's eastern province of Jiangsu, is nearly three times faster than the Tianhe-2, the supercomputer that previously held the world record for speed.

The Gordon Bell Prize, carrying a purse of 10,000 U.S. dollars and awarded at the annual supercomputing conference, was established in 1987 by Gordon Bell, an American pioneer in high-performance and parallel computing.

It tracks the progress of parallel computing and rewards innovation in applying high-performance computing to challenges in science, engineering, and large-scale data analytics.

"It was very impressive ... The progress has been very strong and will continue," Bell said, commenting on China's progress in supercomputer applications.

This is the second time that Chinese researchers scooped the "Nobel Prize" of supercomputing applications.

Last year, Chinese researchers won the award for developing a method for calculating atmospheric dynamics that can be used to improve global climate models as well as weather predictions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 18:26:27|Editor: Yurou

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ANKARA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has decided to withdraw its 40 soldiers from a NATO military exercise in Norway after the Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and its current president were included among targets of "enemies," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

"There was an incident in Norway yesterday. They put up something like enemies board which included Ataturk's picture and my name. These are the targets," Erdogan said in a speech to ruling Justice and Development Party's meeting in Ankara.

"Our Chief of General Staff and EU Minister, who were on their way to Canada, have called us and informed that it was a NATO exercise. We had 40 soldiers there. We decided to withdraw those troops," he said.

Erdogan called the move "unacceptable," adding "We would withdraw those troops even if those names are removed."

"Such a state can not be an ally of Turkey," the Turkish president said.

An NATO multinational military exercise is hosted by Norway between Nov.1-18.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 18:26:27|Editor: Yurou

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HANOI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam spotted and foiled 27 attacks targeting computer networks, including those at an international media center, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week, Vietnamese minister of information and communications said on Friday.

Vietnam has so far this year detected over 11,000 computer attacks, including 27 targeting servers used for the APEC Leaders' Week, local online newspaper quoted Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan as saying before Vietnamese lawmakers at a question and answer session.

The APEC Leaders' Week drew the participation of 11,000 people, including over 2,800 Vietnamese and foreign reporters who often worked at the APEC international media center during the week from Nov. 6 to Nov. 11 in central Da Nang city.

Regarding online security, 41 percent of agencies and organizations in Vietnam have yet to make risk appraisal, 51 percent have yet to adopt standard procedures to respond to network incidents, and 73 percent have yet to take information safety measures, the minister said.

The minister said Vietnam should give preferential treatment to Vietnamese telecommunications service providers, social network developers, advertisers and digital content developers, so that local social networks can compete with foreign ones such as Facebook and YouTube in the next five to seven years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 18:26:28|Editor: Yurou

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HANOI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese border guards have detained two local men for transporting 26,200 pills of lab-made drugs from Laos to Vietnam.

The two detainees, Sung Van Dinh, 40, and Sung Van Ly 34, both from Vietnam's central Thanh Hoa province, were arrested on Thursday when transporting the drug hidden in beer cans and soft drink cans, the provincial authorities said on Friday.

The two men confessed that on Wednesday they illegally crossed border, bought the pills in Laos and transported them back to Vietnam for sales.

According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 18:41:34|Editor: Mengjie

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Hi, here is what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours.

BEIJING -- Speaking at the past five Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summits, Chinese President Xi Jinping shared China's blueprint of openness and cooperation to energize regional economies and address changing global challenges.

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BEIJING -- The key congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which declared a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, was not only important for China's development, but the whole world, experts at an international think tank symposium said Thursday.

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BEIJING -- China Thursday dismissed a U.S. congressional report, which accused its state media of spying and propaganda, as pure fabrication.

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KIEV -- The 2nd Ukraine Silk Road Forum was held here on Thursday, bringing together officials, business leaders and public figures from China, Ukraine and other countries along the Belt and Road, who lauded the role of the forum in boosting China-Ukraine cooperation over the past year and drew a roadmap for the future.

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LONDON -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday highlighted China's efforts in combating terrorism, encouraging China to continue its role in international cooperation against terrorism.

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WASHINGTON -- China wants to build a strong partnership with the United States based on mutual respect and mutual benefit, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said Wednesday.

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BEIJING -- China's friendly policy toward Zimbabwe will not change in spite of the current situation in the African country, a Chinese spokesperson said Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 18:46:38|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela here on Friday, saying bilateral relations "turned over a new leaf" with the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Varela is making his first state visit to China after the Central American nation established diplomatic relations with China in June.

"Forging diplomatic relations on the basis of the one-China principle meets the aspiration of generations of people in the two countries," Xi said.

"China-Panama relations have turned over a new leaf," Xi said, adding that China will work with Panama to jointly draw a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 18:46:39|Editor: Mengjie

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TUNIS, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tourist market would be a significant factor to revive Tunisian tourism industry, Tunisian Minister of Tourism said Thursday during a session of parliamentary hearing.

Salma Elloumi, Tunisian Minister of Tourism, said Tunisia received around 16,000 Chinese tourists until Nov. 10 this year, an increase of 190 percent compared with the same period last year.

"While in 2016, the total number of Chinese tourists in Tunisia only reached around 7,300. The data shows a significant increase of Chinese emerging market. China is known as the largest emitter of tourists abroad, which exceeds 100 million each year," Salma said.

With a history of over 3,000 years, Tunisia is rich in tourism resources.

Since mid-February this year, Tunisia has exempted Chinese citizens from entry visas to visit the country.

"During the first three months of this year, the Chinese market has recorded an increase of 400 percent," Salma said.

Investors and promoters also see the opportunity and want to take advantage of this potential tourist market.

Jesus Martins, a 47-year-old Spanish producer and director, who has been based in Tunisia for seven years, now is producing a television magazine targeting Chinese market.

"Eight months ago, I realized more and more Chinese tourists appear in Tunisia," Jesus told Xinhua, explaining his motivation to produce this TV magazine.

"It will present Tunisia with tourist, gastronomic, archaeological, cultural, environmental and civilization winks," Jesus said. "Presenting the Tunisian heritage and also show investment potential in this North African country."

"China plays an important role in the global economy. This TV magazine will be a timely opportunity for Tunisian investors to display their products in China, to attract this high value-added market," Jesus said.

Imen Zine, a journalist of the Tunisian magazine L'economiste Maghrebin, has been focusing on opportunities to strengthen relations between Tunisia and China, particularly to attract Chinese tourists.

"What measures should Tunisia take to meet Chinese tourists' expectations? For example, Chinese cooking habits and lifestyles are quite different, besides the language barrier and the lack of a direct airline," Imen said.

"There are other destinations such as United Arab Emirates and Qatar, similar to Tunisia, but with advantage of more facilities for transport, payment and purchase. Tunisian tourism sector should plug gaps in order to consolidate the Chinese tourist market," Imen said.
Photo taken on May 23, 2017 shows the night view of the Old Town of Sweden's capital Stockholm. (Xinhua/Gong Bing)

STOCKHOLM, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Swedish police have got the green light to use sound-detecting microphones as part of their efforts to combat crime in some troubled suburbs of Stockholm.

The microphones will be placed in several areas within the Jarva district in the north of the Swedish capital, newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reported on Thursday.

"I know that the New York Police Department has used microphones for a long time and with great success," said Joakim Soderstrom who is responsible for the police's camera surveillance operations.

"As far as I know, this is the first time that a Swedish police authority gets the permission (to use microphones)," Soderstrom added.

The hidden microphones will be able to pick up sound from shootings, explosions and the crushing of glass. They are also able to detect screaming. The microphones will be connected to the police's headquarters and on-duty officers in the area will receive text messages or emails if a suspected serious incident occurs.

Last week, the Stockholm County Administrative Board also approved the continued use of surveillance cameras for another five years in Rinkeby, Tensta and Husby, three Stockholm suburbs that have been marred by shootings, riots and gang crime.

In 2013, Husby made international headlines after violent riots broke out there and Swedish police now classify it as one of Sweden's 23 "particularly vulnerable areas". Such areas are marked by high levels of crime and social problems as well as threats against police and, in some cases, a significant presence of violent extremists.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 19:11:45|Editor: Yurou

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BAGHDAD, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces battling Islamic State (IS) militants freed Friday the city of Rawa near the Iraqi border with Syria, defeating the extremist militants from their last urban stronghold in Iraq, the Iraqi military said.

The troops and the paramilitary local tribal fighters fully liberated the city of Rawa and raised the Iraqi flag on some of its buildings, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, the commander of the offensive, said in a brief statement.

At dawn, the Iraqi forces pushed into Rawa from three directions and liberated four neighborhoods in the western part of the city, Yarallah said in a earlier statement.

On November 5, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi raised the Iraqi flag on Husaibah border crossing with Syria two days after the Iraqi forces recaptured it and the nearby city of al-Qaim from the extremist militants.

The troops will continue to clear the villages in the vast rural areas in the north of the Euphrates River as well as the desert between the provinces of Anbar and neighboring Salahudin.

On Oct. 26, the security forces started a major offensive to free the last urban IS stronghold in Iraq near the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The IS militants seized large swathes 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| 2017-11-17 19:16:48|Editor: Yurou

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ISLAMABAD, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is expected to remain modest in 2018, local media reported on Friday.

The UNHCR said the trend of the return of Afghan refugees back to their home is declining this year as the number of the returning refugees was some 370,000 in 2016, whereas only 50,000 returned to their native lands in the first three quarters of 2017.

The refugee agency did not cited the reason of this downward trend, however, local watchers believe that uncertain security and economic situation in Afghanistan is the main reason that Afghan refugees are not interested in going back to their homeland.

Apart from this, the UNHCR has cut the cash grant from 400 U.S. dollars to 200 U.S. dollars, to each returning Afghan refugee under a voluntary repatriation program, following a slash in donor agencies financial aid, which further dampened their spirits to return.

The UNHCR, however, assured that it will keep on supporting Pakistan to promote a peaceful coexistence between the locals and refugees.

The UN refugee agency said the protracted Afghan refugee situations in Iran and Pakistan require long-term solutions, with a focus on the creation of conditions conducive to voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan and support for refugee-hosting communities.

The agency added that it launched "Appeal 2018-2019" which lays out the financial resources that will be required for the agency's program to protect and improve the lives of 68 million people of concern.

The appeal presents the proposed budgets of 7.508 billion U.S. dollars and 7.352 billion U.S. dollars for 2018 and 2019 respectively.

UNHCR said in mid-2017, a delegation of 160 Afghan refugees travelled from Pakistan to Afghanistan to advocate for measures to be taken to ensure return is sustainable, including in relation to land, employment, shelter, health and education.

In 2018, data from the UNHCR's protection-based monitoring in Afghanistan will continue to help address protection issues in the country, support the transition between humanitarian assistance and development work, and inform government-led reintegration activities, it said.

According to local media, Pakistan hosts 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 19:21:49|Editor: Mengjie

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on joint construction of the Belt and Road.

Next year will mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral ties. Wang called on the two countries to implement the consensus reached by their leaders to promote bilateral strategic partnership.

China appreciates Morocco's firm support of China's core interests and major concerns, Wang said, noting that China will always support Morocco's efforts to maintain national unity, stability and development.

Wang said China is willing to cooperate more with Morocco on trade, investment, military and security, culture, education and tourism, as well as major international and regional issues, while working together to safeguard common interests of developing countries.

Regarding China as a reliable partner, Bourita said Morocco supports China's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and legitimate maritime interests.

Bourita also hoped that China and Morocco will coordinate more on politics, anti-terrorism, and major international and regional issues.

Bourita said Morocco is ready to cooperate more with China on trade, investment, and railway construction, noting that Morocco welcomes Chinese companies to expand markets in Africa and the Arab states by making use of his country's geographical advantages.

During their talks, Wang briefed Bourita on the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in Beijing last month, and said China is committed to building a community of shared future for humanity.

Bourita, on behalf of Morocco, extended congratulations on the success of the 19th CPC National Congress and expressed his hope that China will contribute more to global peace and development.

The Belt and Road Initiative, commonly known as the Belt and Road, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, 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.
(FILE PHOTO)A NATO flag and the flags of participating countries are pictured during the Dynamic Monarch-17, a NATO-sponsored submarine escape and rescue exercise, at the Turkish Naval base of Aksaz, Turkey, September 20, 2017. Picture taken September 20, 2017. (REUTERS PHOTO)

ANKARA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has decided to withdraw its 40 soldiers from a NATO military exercise in Norway after the Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and its current president were included among targets of "enemies," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

"There was an incident in Norway yesterday. They put up something like enemies board which included Ataturk's picture and my name. These are the targets," Erdogan said in a speech to ruling Justice and Development Party's meeting in Ankara.

"Our Chief of General Staff and EU Minister, who were on their way to Canada, have called us and informed that it was a NATO exercise. We had 40 soldiers there. We decided to withdraw those troops," he said.

Erdogan called the move "unacceptable," adding "We would withdraw those troops even if those names are removed."

"Such a state can not be an ally of Turkey," the Turkish president said.

An NATO multinational military exercise is hosted by Norway between Nov.1-18.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 19:31:52|Editor: Yurou

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ISLAMABAD, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani army said Friday that security forces have killed a terrorist commander in southwestern Balochistan province, who was involved in the killing of 15 laborers this week.

Younas Taukali, identified as one of top commanders of the banned Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), was killed during exchange of firing with the security forces, the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

The BLF, which is accused of attacks on the security personnel, political leaders and media workers in Balochistan, had claimed responsibility for the killing of 15 laborers in Turbat area.

The statement said the Frontier Corps in Balochistan conducted an important intelligence-based operation in Turbat on presence of terrorists.

"As soon the troops cordoned suspected area terrorists opened fire. During exchange of fire terrorist Younas Taukali identified as one of top eight BLF commander was killed 20 km west of Bulada, 25 km North of incident site from where 15 dead bodied were recovered," the statement said.

Younas was involved in killing 15 laborers belonging to Punjab province on Wednesday, the statement said. He was also involved in laying Improvised Explosive Devices ambushing forces convoys and killing many civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 19:31:52|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- China Friday urged the United States to properly handle issues regarding Taiwan, and not to have any official and military contact in any form with the island.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks in response to a question regarding remarks from Randall Schriver, nominee to be Assistant U.S. Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs.

In his nomination hearing Thursday, Schriver expressed support for exchanges of navy ship visits between the United States and Taiwan, adding such port calls were consistent with the one-China policy as the United States defines it.

"China urges the United States to honor its commitment to the one-China policy and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, and stop military contact and arms sales to Taiwan," Geng said.

The spokesperson said the United States should avoid harming the big picture of bilateral relations and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Source:Xinhuanet| 2017-11-17 19:58:14|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The 2017 Tianmen Entrepreneurs Summit opened on Friday in Tianmen city, Hubei Province, central China.

The event aims to provide an opportunity for Tianmen entrepreneurs now spread across the world to return home and establish a platform of cooperation, exchange and mutual benefit.

Over 600 entrepreneurs attended the summit.

Known as the "inland hometown of overseas Chinese", Tianmen has nurtured a group of outstanding entrepreneurs who embody traditional culture, local high spirit and modern business wisdom.

In 2014, Tianmen held the first Tianmen Entrepreneurs Summit and established the Tianmen Entrepreneurs Association.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 20:57:23|Editor: Liangyu

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A retrieved bronze cultural relic is seen in Xianyang City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Nov. 17, 2017. Chinese police have caught 91 suspected tomb raiders and antique smugglers, and retrieved more than 1,100 cultural relics, the Ministry of Public Security announced Friday. (Xinhua/Liang Aiping)

BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have caught 91 suspected tomb raiders and antique smugglers, and retrieved more than 1,100 cultural relics, the Ministry of Public Security announced Friday.

The investigation lasted over a year, with arrests made in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, and Henan province, said the police.

The operation started July 2016 after police in Chunhua county, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, were alerted that the tomb of Lady Gouyi, a concubine of Emperor Wu (141 B.C.- 87 B.C.) and the mother of Emperor Zhao (87 B.C.- 74 B.C.) of the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D.220 ), had been raided.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 21:17:28|Editor: Yurou

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HARARE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- In one of the latest developments in Zimbabwe following the military's seizure of power Tuesday night and the climate of deep uncertainty, the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) claimed Friday it had made significant progress in targeting the "criminals" around President Robert Mugabe.

"Significant progress has been made...to weed out criminals around President Mugabe," it said in a statement, adding that some people have been arrested in the course of the operation.

The statement added that the military is engaging with Mugabe, who is also constitutionally commander-in-chief of the defence forces, "on the way forward" and will advise the nation of the outcome as soon as possible.

The ZDF asked Zimbabweans to remain patient during the operation, which came after Mugabe last week fired Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was also deputy chief of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, for alleged disloyalty and deceit. Mnangagwa had been Mugabe's political ally for more than 40 years.

The state-controlled Herald newspaper on Thursday and Friday published photographs of the 93-year-old Mugabe meeting with ZDF chief Constantino Chiwenga and special envoys for mediation sent by South African President Jacob Zuma in his capacity as chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), without giving details of the meeting.

Nhamo Mhiripiri, a professor with Media and Society Studies Department at Midlands State University, said it was too early to expect progress from the negotiations.

With anxiety gripping Zimbabwe, Mhiripiri feared the chaos could turn violent like it had in some Arab countries in the past.

The army's move has not caused any bloodshed so far, which should be maintained, he added.

Mugabe Friday made his first public appearance since the military takeover, attending a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University. He was reported to have been put under house arrest since Tuesday. Media reports said he will attend a similar ceremony at the Midlands State University next week.

Zimbabwe's opposition parties called for a transitional arrangement to address the existing political situation. On Thursday, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change party, said there must be a negotiated all-inclusive transitional mechanism agreed upon by all national stakeholders. National People's Party leader Joice Mujuru called for a transitional arrangement addressing the issues of economic recovery and electoral reforms.

Tsvangirai urged Mugabe to resign and pave the way for democratic elections. "In the interest of the people, Mr. Robert Mugabe must resign and step down immediately," he said at a press conference.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for calm and peace in Zimbabwe, joining such regional organizations as the SADC and the African Union, and other countries in urging a peaceful solution.

"The secretary-general is closely following developments in Zimbabwe and calls for continued calm. He underlines the importance of resolving political differences through peaceful means, including through dialogue and in conformity with the country's constitution," Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

The secretary-general also welcomed SADC efforts to facilitate a peaceful solution to the situation in Zimbabwe.

Foreign ministers from current member states of the SADC leadership, including the SADC Organ Troika Angola, Tanzania and Zambia, and the SADC Council presidency South Africa, met Thursday at the SADC headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana, and recommended a SADC special emergency summit on Zimbabwe's situation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 21:22:30|Editor: Mengjie

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds a ceremony to welcome Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela on Friday, saying bilateral relations have "turned over a new leaf" with the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Varela is making his first state visit to China after the Central American nation established diplomatic relations with China in June.

"Chinese and Panamanians have had friendly exchanges for over 160 years. Forging diplomatic relations on the basis of the one-China principle meets the aspiration of generations of people in our two countries," Xi said.

"China-Panama relations have turned over a new leaf," Xi said, adding that China will work with Panama to jointly draw a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations.

Varela said he was proud to make the historic visit to China in the capacity of president, fulfilling his long-cherished wish. He inaugurated the Panamanian embassy in Beijing on Thursday and visited the Great Wall on Friday.

"I have experienced your national spirit and resilience represented by the Great Wall. I solemnly reaffirm Panama's adherence to the one-China principle and support for the peaceful reunification of China," Varela said.

"As the Chinese saying goes, a man who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man. Your political decision to establish diplomatic ties with China and visit China is a feat of a hero," Xi told Varela. "Your contribution will be remembered in the history."

Xi said establishing diplomatic relations will benefit the generations to come and the two countries shoulder the mission to set the direction for future relationship.

Hailing the rapidly progressing bilateral cooperation in the past five months, Xi said China hopes to push forward cooperation so that bilateral relations enter a fast track.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 21:32:34|Editor: Yurou

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SOFIA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and 18 injured in a head-on crash between a minibus and a truck in Bulgaria on Friday noon, the country's Ministry of Interior said in a statement.

The accident occurred near the village of Mikre, some 130 km northeast of the country's capital Sofia, the ministry said.

The accident is under investigation, it added.

In 2016, car accidents killed 708 people in the Balkan country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 21:42:37|Editor: Yurou

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MOGADISHU, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and African Union envoys in Somalia have kicked off security assessment visits across the Horn of Africa nation ahead of the troops exit next year.

The UN and African Union missions in Somalia said Friday the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia Francisco Caetano Madeira and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Michael Keating joined a delegation to Barawe, a strategic port city situated in the Lower Shabelle region on Thursday.

The delegation, led by Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, who met with elders and members of the public, discussed the possibility of handing over the security of Barawe, currently under the protection of AMISOM troops, to the Somali security forces.

"The visit took place as deliberations on the drawdown of AU troops from key towns in south central Somalia continue, between the government, the Somali security forces and AMISOM," the AU mission said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

The pan-African troops are expected to relinquish the security of the key towns, to the Somali forces, through a conditions-based transition plan, to allow them to take the lead responsibility as part of the planed exit.

"For AMISOM to be able to be more effective in this area, there is need for convergence of vision and support by the partners and the Somalis themselves, so that together we can degrade and destroy Al-Shabaab," Madeira said.

During the visit, Keating said the Somali security forces must be strengthened to enable the country take charge of its own security responsibilities.

"This (visit) is consistent with the National Security Architecture, with the National Defence Strategy as well as with the conditions-based transition plan whereby over a number of years, Somalis assume a lead role," Keating said.

AMISOM announced on Nov. 7 that some 1,000 soldiers will be withdrawn from Somalia by Dec. 31 this year in line with the African Union and UN Security Council resolutions.

It said as part of the military drawdown, the pan African body will deploy an additional 500 police officers who will strengthen training and mentoring for Somali police.

AMISOM said it will reduce its troops by 1,000 by December, followed by further cuts next year, an exercise expected to end by 2020 as part of its exit strategy.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 21:47:39|Editor: Yurou

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NAIROBI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's ministry of energy and petroleum will hold a two-day forum in Nairobi later this month to discuss investment opportunities in the energy sector across the East African region, organizers said on Friday.

The Nov. 29-30 meeting organized by Future Energy East Africa Conference and Exhibition will be attended by policymakers, investors and industry executives to discuss emerging opportunities in the region's blossoming energy sector.

"Leading energy experts and industry suppliers who are excited about the region's potential and opportunities in the sector will attend the Future Energy East Africa summit," the organization said.

"The meeting will give stakeholders an opportunity to benchmark their operations and network with suppliers who are looking to gain access to projects across the region," it added.

The East African region has huge energy potential that can be tapped to propel industrial progress.

Delegates attending the upcoming energy summit in Nairobi will explore investments in oil, gas and renewable energy sectors that are key to unlocking economic transformation in the region.

"Energy access related start-ups have been among the most prominent of the start-up scene in East Africa. Kenya in particular is a commendable player in the African innovation and entrepreneurship scene," said Paras Patel, the investment manager at Energy Access Ventures, an investment firm.

He noted that foreign direct investments in the regional energy sector have increased thanks to a conducive policy environment and improved macro-economic stability.

Foreign companies that are prospecting for investment opportunities in the oil, gas and power generation sectors across East Africa have confirmed participation at the upcoming Nairobi energy summit.

Executives noted that investments totaling 93 billion U.S. dollars are required annually to address energy deficit in the region.

"Both generation and distribution of energy in East Africa are markets to watch closely over the near future. Access to energy certainly represents a major opportunity in the region," said Riccardo Ridolfi, head of business development at Absolute Energy Capital, an investment advisory firm.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 21:47:40|Editor: Yurou

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PYONGYANG, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday said the United States should repent its action in putting the Korean Peninsula in danger of a nuclear war, instead of urging the DPRK to return to talks on its nuclear and missile weapons.

An article in the official Rodong Sinmun daily said although the United States claimed to seek a solution to the DPRK's nuclear issue through talks, its real purpose was to bring about the fall of the DPRK by the use of arms.

During his visit to South Korea last week, U.S. President Donald Trump urged the DPRK to return to the dialogue table and negotiate denuclearization through diplomacy.

"The United States should repent of its crimes of bringing about the danger of a nuclear war to the peninsula before talking about the 'negotiated denuclearization without preconditions,'" it said.

"As the prevailing situation shows, the United States seeks to bring down the DPRK by force of arms and take hold of world supremacy, not for negotiated settlement of the issue."

It said the United States should "abandon a daydream that the DPRK would bow to its brigandish demand."

"It is foolish for the United States to think of negotiation aimed at unilateral dismantlement of nukes, far from the repeal of its hostile policy toward the DPRK," it added.

Pyongyang says its right to develop nuclear and missile capability is a non-negotiable right for self-defense against U.S. threats.

The United States, on the other hand, has been urging nations to enforce the United Nations Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang and to increase diplomatic, economic and political pressure on the DPRK to put a halt to its missile programs.

U.S. officials say while diplomacy is the preferred means, it is backed by military means.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 21:57:42|Editor: Yurou

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by Alessandra Cardone

MILAN, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The recent opening of a new high-tech medical school campus boosted the bid for Italy's economic capital to headquarter the much-coveted European Union (EU) Medicines Agency.

With a total investment of about 100 million euros (117.7 U.S. dollars), the new Humanitas Medical University campus was in fact officially inaugurated at the outskirts of Milan earlier this week, in combination with the launching of the academic year.

Stretching over 25,000 square meters, alongside a research and teaching hospital, the campus now encompasses an advanced Simulation Lab that extends on a 2,000-meter-square area.

The medical school is strongly internationally oriented, teaching some 1,200 students from 31 different countries. Foreign students represent an average 44 percent of the total, according to the university authorities.

As the new campus was inaugurated on Tuesday, Italian President Sergio Mattarella took the chance to remark that being selected to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA) would be crucial for Milan's ambition to become a center of excellence for research, medicine, and life sciences.

The announcement from the EMA -- which is due to leave London after Britain's decision to leave the EU -- is expected on Nov. 20, and 19 EU cities are vying for it.

"(Winning the race) would represent a further step forward for this city's leading role in Europe," Mattarella said.

Overall, figures and orientation of the new medical campus appeared quite commensurate with this ambition. Established in 2014, Humanitas Medical University and Research Center counted on 70 full professors, some 200 visiting colleagues -- including Medicine Nobel Prize winners Rolf Zinkernagel, Jules Hoffmann, and Erwin Neher, plus 300 researchers from four continents.

A new residence with 240 beds for students and researchers would be opened in summer 2018.

According to scientific director Alberto Mantovani, the university benefits much from being located in a fertile ground for research such as Lombardy, one of the wealthiest regions in Italy, and among the fifth richest in Europe.

"This applies in terms of investment in research as well: Lombardy invests almost 3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), against Italy's average of 1.2 percent," Mantovani told Xinhua.

The renowned immunologist also explained a "unique synergy" between private and public would make Lombardy's healthcare and medical research system a well functioning model.

"In addition, it is interesting to look at data coming from the British government, which launched an investigation about science," Mantovani said. "It turned out that Italian scientists are the most productive in the world."

The Medical School is private, which means tuition fees -- stretching from 10,000 euros to 20,000 euros per year for European students, according to four income categories -- are much higher than average for Italy's mainly public education system.

Yet, Humanitas is titled as public Institute for Research and Health Care (IRCCS), which means it is a medical institution of relevant national interest, and committed to Italy's welfare.

As such, the hospital on the campus treats some 4,000 patients a day, and 50,000 per month, and "80 percent of them assisted through the public health system," Humanitas chairman Gianfelice Rocca said.

Research projects, and exchanges of students, researchers, and doctors were set up over the years with medical institutes and universities around the world, including in the U.S., UK, Sweden, Russia, Poland, India, and China.

Considering China more specifically, a medical training program was established between Humanitas and the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University in central China's Hubei province.

Ties with Chinese colleagues were intense, according to Mantovani. "I go there quite regularly: for instance, I went twice last month, and twice last year... I also gave a keynote lecture at the Chinese Society of Immunology," he said.

The physician said he was impressed by the progress made in China, and by Chinese young people.

"They flocked around me after my lecture, eager to talk and ask questions," Mantovani added.

"Last but not least, we have had the privilege of having outstanding Chinese postdoctors in our Lab here." (1 euro = 1.18 U.S. dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 22:02:45|Editor: Yurou

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DUBAI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- This year's Dubai Airshow held from Nov. 12-16 reached an order book of 113.8 billion U.S. dollars, up from 37.2 billion dollars two years ago, according to the show's organizer F&E Aerospace.

The event at Dubai's second aviation hub Al Maktoum International Airport marked a number of firsts.

China's Chinese Air Force's August 1st Air Demonstration Team of the People's Liberation Army demonstrated their aerobatic stunts daily with six J-10 fighter jets on the flying display for the first time in the history of the biennial Dubai Airshow.

On Wednesday, Airbus and Pan-American Indigo Partners' four portfolio airlines have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the purchase by the four airlines of 430 additional A320neo family aircraft worth 49.5 billion dollars, marking the European aircraft carrier's largest single announcement ever.

But in relation to long-haul planes, U.S. rival Boeing as the Seattle-based and New York-stock listed firm, sealed on day one the sale of 40 Boeing 787-10 wide-body planes to Emirates Airline, the largest long-haul carrier in the world for 15.1 billion dollars.

FlyDubai, which is like Emirates owned by the Dubai government, hit the news on Wednesday when its chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said the low-budget carrier would buy 225 aircraft of Boeing's 737 MAX family for 27 billion dollars, the largest-ever single-aisle aircraft order, in terms of number of units and airplanes.

Airbus did not score the sale of a single A380 "Superjumbo" double-decker aircraft, its flagship plane, at this airshow, marking a first at a Dubai Airshow in this decade.

Tim Clark, President of Emirates which earlier in the month celebrated the delivery of its 100th A380 in Germany, repeated at the airshow Emirates' position that it wants guarantees that the production of the A380 would continue for a decade.

Clark presented on day one of the event the new first class suite, designed by German car maker Mercedes-Benz, in which wealthy passengers can sleep in their own closed cabin.

"Demand for the Emirates first class is very strong in China. We see a good market in East Asia for our premium products in particular because they like what we do, and how we do it," said Clark.

McAllister also signed with sub-Saharan Africa's largest carrier Ethiopian Airlines the deal for four Boeing 777 cargo aircraft valued at 1.3 billion dollars.

Ismail Abdulla, CEO of aviation products and services firm Strata, Abu Dhabi, said "geopolitical tensions in the region did not affect the business activity at this year's airshow."

Strata, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi's government-controlled, finalized a joint venture contract with Belgian chemicals producer Solvay to manufacture material for Boeing in a new 8,500-square-meter facility in Al Ain in the southwest of the UAE.

"I think this was a successful event for both Airbus and Boeing," said Abdulla.

The UAE could become a production hub for Russia's aircraft producer Irkut, too, as the state-owned firm said it mulls jointly constructing its narrow-body plane MC-21 with the Gulf Arab state.

Zoltan Ivan, Key Account Manager International Sales at Innovation Sales at ILA (Innovation and Leadership in Aerospace) said, "This 15th Dubai Airshow was definitely smaller than the previous editions, I saw many empty spots, but business deals sealed were surprisingly positive. I think we can see a pickup in business activity in civil aviation in the Middle East."

The next Dubai Airshow will take place in 2019, the year before Dubai will host Expo 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 22:27:53|Editor: Yurou

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COLOMBO, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government on Friday assured it would not allow any criminal gangs to raise its head in the former war torn north following a recent spate of attacks which had spread fear in the district.

Minister of Law and Order, Sagala Ratnayake said that police had expedited investigations on the attacks and six people had already been arrested. Police security had also been strengthened across the district to arrest others involved in the attacks.

The attacks are alleged to have been carried out by the AVA gang, which in recent months have attacked civilians with swords, spreading fear and creating unrest.

"It was reported that the gang had launched eight attacks in the Northern Province recently. The police have already arrested six persons in connection with these incidents and further investigations are underway to arrest other members of the group," the minister said.

At least five people were injured and hospitalized after they were attacked by armed men in Jaffna last week, police said.

Sri Lanka's north was the strong hold of the rebels known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who were militarily defeated by government troops in May 2009.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 22:53:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds a ceremony to welcome Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

by Xinhua writers Hou Lijun, Sun Yi

BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Less than half a year after the two countries forged diplomatic ties, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela embarked on his state visit to Beijing, showing his strong will to deepen cooperation with China.

Varela's first event in Beijing was to inaugurate the Panamanian Embassy on Thursday, which was of great symbolic significance.

The visit came just weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping's re-election as general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for a second term at the first plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee on Oct. 25.

Varela's formal talks with President Xi on Friday and a joint statement issued afterwards gave new orientation to the China-Panama relationship.

According to the joint statement, China and Panama are committed to building a model for friendly cooperation between countries with different scales and national conditions.

During the historic visit, China and Panama announced the launch of a joint feasibility study on the China-Panama free trade agreement. The two sides also decided to sign an inter-governmental agreement on maritime transport.

With the cooperation potential gradually explored by the two sides, more progress showed that the outlook of China-Panama cooperation and exchanges are promising and set to boom.

The two sides have opened their respective embassies in each other's countries, enterprises inked 14 trade agreements with a combined contract amount reaching 38.7 million U.S. dollars in September, and a Confucius Institute has been inaugurated in Panama city.

These early results proved that Panama's choice to sever ties with Taiwan and adopt the one-China policy was a wise and welcome one, and meets the fundamental, long-term interests of both countries.

Through top-level contact, which guides the direction of the development of the bilateral relationship, China and Panama have laid a solid political foundation and built a framework for long-term cooperation.

In the joint statement, China and Panama agreed that adhering to the one-China principle is a broad consensus of the international community and a fundamental precondition and political foundation for the establishment and further development of the China-Panama relationship.

Pledging concrete steps to advance construction of a new type international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, the two sides agreed to share the fruits of cooperation and make the achievements benefit the two peoples.

China is a major trader and the world's second-largest economy, and Panama is an important regional logistics hub. Such complementary strengths herald a bright future of fruitful cooperation.

In 2016, bilateral trade hit 6.38 billion U.S. dollars while China's direct investment in the Central American country exceeded 230 million dollars.

By aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the country's development plan, Panama 2030, the two sides will see new opportunities to develop bilateral ties.

The strong lineup of Varela's delegation also demonstrates Panama's keen interest in forging closer economic ties with China. The delegation reportedly consists of Panama's entrepreneurs and senior officials from sectors such as finance, commerce and industry, canal affairs, public security and tourism.

After the talks, Xi and Varela witnessed the signing of a slew of cooperative documents, covering areas such as economy and trade, investment, finance, tourism, shipping and civil aviation.

Moreover, China and Panama also voiced consensus on some regional and global issues. Both sides uphold democratization of international relations and agree on joint efforts to promote the construction of an open world economy.

According to the joint statement, China appreciates Panama's constructive role in international and regional affairs, while Panama will take an active part in the construction of China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum, and promote overall cooperation between China and Latin America.

Now all the energy accumulated over the years is going to unleash, promoting highly efficient economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

As the China-Panama relationship stands at a new starting point, with concerted efforts of both sides, the two countries will achieve more progress that accord with peoples' desire and historic trends.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 23:23:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SKOPJE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia and Greece representatives will meet in Brussels, Belgium, on Dec. 11-12 to start talks on the name issue and discuss ways to solve this pending issue, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told reporters Friday.

The talks were initially set for end-November. UN envoy Matthew Nimetz, however, decided to reschedule the meeting with two countries' representatives for next month.

Macedonia is the name of a northern province in Greece and Athens is worried that the use of the same name by the neighboring state could lead to territorial claims.

Both Macedonia and Greece have voiced their will and commitment to engage in talks and find a solution. The Macedonian government expressed confidence that the talks on name issue, mediated by Nimetz, would produce a way out to the long-standing name dispute.

Zaev told reporters late Thursday, after meeting the visiting Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris, that time had come for Macedonia and Greece to find a solution to the name contest.

Zaev also expressed confidence that the solution on this issue would be achieved within a year.

Efforts for a solution have intensified in recent months with the Macedonian government declaring it is to build good neighborly relations and solve issues that hamper its European Union integration.

European Union (EU) ambassador to Skopje Samuel Zbogar told reporters here on Friday that the EU was optimistic over Macedonian government's efforts regarding the name issue.

"We share optimism that in general things are going well; reforms that we are expecting to see in the country are being implemented and we encourage the government to continue," Zbogar told reporters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 23:33:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) have vowed to further strengthen their cooperation in addressing challenges of peace and security on the African continent.

The AU Peace and Security Council (AU PSC) and the EU Political and Security Committee (EUPSC) on Friday convened their 10th annual joint consultative meeting at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, with the focus on current pressing security issues in Africa, particularly in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes region, the center and the north of the continent.

The AU and the EU on Thursday deliberated on migration of African youth who flee the continent in search of better life, but experience tragedies.

Cherif Mahamat Zene, Chad Ambassador to AU, who was also co-chair of the AU-EU consultative meeting, reiterated that conflicts, terrorist attacks, insecurity and instability continue to prevail in different parts of the continent.

The situations in the Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan, Somalia, the Lake Chad Basin and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as the chronic instability in Guinea Bissau, were the focus of the meeting, said Zene.

"We will be able to identify, for each of the situations on our agenda, ways of finding joint solutions in a collective approach, taking into account, of course, new threats and developments that require us to readjust our tools in the face of insecurity and instability," he said.

Walter Stevens, Chair of the EUPSC, who has also co-chaired the meeting, underlined the need for AU and EU to agree to reinforce close cooperation in addressing the conflicts.

"It is however also clear that these crisis situations can not be managed without a regional framework and that neighboring countries and relevant regional organizations play a crucial role in the stabilization process, together with national and local buy-in," said Walter.

"Our cooperation should thus extend to a strengthened coordination and a common approach between the EU and Africa on the ground, as well as at the regional levels, in the planning and conduct of conflict prevention and peace support activities in cooperation, and with the United Nations," he said.
Photo taken on June 16, 2016 shows Sunway TaihuLight, a new Chinese supercomputer, in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

DENVER, the United States, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese team using the world's fastest supercomputer to simulate a devastating earthquake won the 2017 ACM Gordon Bell Prize on Thursday.

The Association for Computing Machinery said using the Sunway TaihuLight, the fastest supercomputer, the team developed software that was able to process data at the speed of 18.9 quadrillion calculations per second, and create 3D visualizations related to a devastating earthquake that occurred in Tangshan, a city in northeastern China, in 1976.

"The team's software included innovations that achieved greater efficiency than had been previously attained running similar programs on the Titan and TaihuLight supercomputers," the association said.

The award was presented at the 2017 Supercomputing Conference in Denver in the U.S. state of Colorado.

"Although earthquake prediction and simulation is an inexact and emerging area of research, we hope that the use of supercomputers may lead to better prediction and preparedness," He Conghui, one of the 12-member Chinese team, told Xinhua.

Chinese supercomputer Sunway TaihuLight, located at the National Supercomputer Center in Wuxi in China's eastern province of Jiangsu, is nearly three times faster than the Tianhe-2, the supercomputer that previously held the world record for speed.

The Gordon Bell Prize, carrying a purse of 10,000 U.S. dollars and awarded at the annual supercomputing conference, was established in 1987 by Gordon Bell, an American pioneer in high-performance and parallel computing.

It tracks the progress of parallel computing and rewards innovation in applying high-performance computing to challenges in science, engineering, and large-scale data analytics.

"It was very impressive ... The progress has been very strong and will continue," Bell said, commenting on China's progress in supercomputer applications.

This is the second time that Chinese researchers scooped the "Nobel Prize" of supercomputing applications.

Last year, Chinese researchers won the award for developing a method for calculating atmospheric dynamics that can be used to improve global climate models as well as weather predictions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 23:38:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Airways said Friday that it will focus on the Africa market in order to reach profitability.

Kenya Airways Chief Executive officer Sebastian Makosz told an investor briefing in Nairobi that currently 40 out of its 53 destinations are in the African continent.

"We are essentially an intra-Africa carrier and we hope to tap into the growing aviation traffic in Africa over the next five years," Makosz said when the firm released its financial results for the half year ending Sept. 30.

Makosz noted that Africa's aviation sector is anticipated to be on an upward trajectory over the next five years as consumer spending in Africa continues to expand.

The chief executive said that the airline hopes to take advantage of Kenya's status as a regional hub for East and Central Africa in order to connect Africa to the rest of the world.

According to the Kenya Airways financial result for the period ended Sept. 30, the airline posted about 38 million U.S. dollars in losses after tax, an improvement from the 48-million-dollar losses experienced in a similar period last year.

Makosz noted that the reduction in losses was due to 52 percent increase in operating profit and a 21.9 percent decrease in fleet costs.

He added that in the same period under review, the number of passengers grew by 3.3 percent to hit 2.31 million.

The national carrier has been on a financial restructuring plan for the past 18 months in a bid to reduce debts and losses.

Early this week, its main creditors converted its debt into a 38.1 percent equity stake in the firm.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 23:43:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MANILA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The decision by China and the Association of Souheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to start consultations on the text of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea would help reduce miscalculation and misunderstanding among relevant parties, Philippine defense chief said on Friday.

"We will be going to the table and talk about things that will benefit everybody," Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters.

China and ASEAN countries have agreed to start consultations on the text of the COC in the South China Sea.

The foreign ministers of China and ASEAN in August adopted the Framework of the COC in the South China Sea or the outline that will make the basis for the negotiation of the COC.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 23:53:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISLAMABAD, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least four most wanted terrorists have been arrested from Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab, Pakistani army's media wing said on Friday.

Pakistani army's Inter Services Public Relations said in a statement that Punjab Rangers, a paramilitary force, arrested the terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in an intelligence-based operation in Dera Ghazi Khan, a district in southern part of Punjab.

Personnel from the country's intelligence agencies also participated in the operation.

The alleged terrorists were involved in attacks and killing of police officials in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and in Punjab, said the statement.

Automatic weapons and hand grenades were also recovered from the terrorists during the raid.

The raid was conducted as part of the ongoing military offensive, Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, launched across the country in February this year against "latent threat of terrorism."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 23:53:31|Editor: Lifang

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds a ceremony to welcome Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela on Friday, saying bilateral relations have "turned over a new leaf" with the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Varela is making his first state visit to China after the Central American nation established diplomatic relations with China in June.

"Chinese and Panamanians have had friendly exchanges for over 160 years. Forging diplomatic relations on the basis of the one-China principle meets the aspiration of generations of people in our two countries," Xi said.

"China-Panama relations have turned over a new leaf," Xi said, adding that China will work with Panama to jointly draw a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations.

Varela said he was proud to make the historic visit to China in the capacity of president, fulfilling his long-cherished wish. He inaugurated the Panamanian embassy in Beijing on Thursday and visited the Great Wall on Friday.

"I have experienced your national spirit and resilience represented by the Great Wall. I solemnly reaffirm Panama's adherence to the one-China principle and support for the peaceful reunification of China," Varela said.

"As the Chinese saying goes, a man who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man. Your political decision to establish diplomatic ties with China and visit China is a feat of a hero," Xi told Varela. "Your contribution will be remembered in the history."

Xi said establishing diplomatic relations will benefit the generations to come and the two countries shoulder the mission to set the direction for future relationship.

Hailing the rapidly progressing bilateral cooperation in the past five months, Xi said China hopes to push forward cooperation so that bilateral relations enter a fast track.

China and Panama should treat each other on an equal footing and foster deep mutual trust. China is sincere in developing relations with Panama, featuring win-win cooperation, common development, openness and inclusiveness, according to Xi.

"Panamanian friends will see China's concrete actions," Xi said, calling for more exchanges in legislative institutions, political parties and local governments.

China regards Latin America as an indispensable partner for the Belt and Road Initiative, and both sides should synergize development strategies to complement each other, Xi said.

He said he expected early harvests in maritime, infrastructure, trade, investment and finance cooperation and active exchanges in education and tourism.

Xi said China's commitment to building a community of shared future for mankind reflects the world's aspiration for peace, development and prosperity.

China supports Panama to play an active role in China-Latin America cooperation and will work with the country to contribute to world peace and development, Xi said.

Varela said that Panama-China friendship dates back a long time, and his people fully approve the decision of establishing diplomatic ties with China, which is in the interests of both peoples, and will promote Panama's development and improve its people's livelihood.

The past five months have laid a solid foundation for the long-term growth of the bilateral relationship. The facts proved again the establishment of diplomatic relations is a correct decision, said Varela.

He said that Panama will work with China to strengthen high-level contact and people-to-people exchanges, promote cooperation in trade, investment, finance, poverty reduction and infrastructure, and cement coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations.

Varela said Panama is ready to be an important friend of China in Latin America and that Panama supports the Belt and Road Initiative.

He said Panama will take the advantage of its unique geographical position to cooperate more with China in ports, maritime affairs, shipping, railways and logistics to jointly implement the Belt and Road Initiative and improve world connectivity.

Varela extended congratulations on Xi's re-election as general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in late October. He said he agrees with the people-centered policies set at the 19th CPC National Congress and admires China's great achievement in social and economic development as well as poverty reduction.

The 19th CPC National Congress has set China's development goals and roadmaps up to 2050, Xi said, adding that China enjoys a bright future and history will further prove the decision to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries is completely correct.

Varela said that the 19th CPC National Congress, depicting a blueprint for China's future development, means a lot to China and the world. "I believe China and the CPC will make even greater contribution to world peace and human progress," he said.

After the meeting, Xi and Varela witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements in the Belt and Road Initiative, trade, investment, maritime transportation, railway, human resources, industrial parks, agriculture, quality inspection, civil aviation and tourism.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also met with Varela earlier on Friday. Li said the two heads of state had mapped out the blueprint for the development of China-Panama relations.

China appreciates Panama's adherence to the one-China policy, and is ready to strengthen political trust with the country based on mutual respect, equality and respect for each other's core interests, Li said.

China hopes to combine its advantage as a major trading country of goods with Panama's geographical advantage, to carry out cooperation in logistics network, Li said.

Varela said he believes forging diplomatic ties with China will help Panama's economic growth as well as win-win cooperation with China.

Panama expects to enhance cooperation with China in inter-connectivity and building of logistics, he said.

Panama will offer convenience to Chinese investment, and build itself into a center for Chinese companies' cooperation with Latin America, Varela added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 23:53:32|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CANBERRA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia's women are closing the wage gap but men still earn an average 26,527 AU dollars (20,000 U.S. dollars) more across all industries and occupations, said a survey.

The findings are contained in the latest annual snapshot from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).

The federal government-funded watchdog surveyed more than 11,000 employers in the year to March 31, covering more than 4 million workers, or 40 percent of the country's workforce.

WGEA director Libby Lyons said there was a "step change" after four years of pressuring employers to focus on gender equality.

She welcomed the increase in employers analysing pay data to address the gender gap - the number was up 11 percentage points on last year - but said there was much more to be done.

"More employers than ever are prioritising gender pay equity as a business imperative," Lyons told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Friday.

"But whether you are a manager, a scientist, a butcher, a baker or even a TV presenter, there is a gender pay gap favoring men."

Financial and insurance services have the biggest discrepancy at 31.9 percent, although this was down from 33.5 percent last year.

Men earn more in every category: an average 6,472 AU dollars (4,880 U.S. dollars) for clerical and administrative workers, and 28,042 AU dollars (21,146 U.S. dollars) for technicians and trades workers.

Big differences also exist in rental, hiring and real estate services, construction, agriculture, forestry and fishing, and professional, scientific and technical services.

However, women are moving closer to pay parity in accommodation and food services, education and training, wholesale trade and public administration.

While the pay gap may be narrowing, there has been little change in the poor representation of women on company boards and in management positions.

The snapshot indicated the percentage of women in board positions is unmoved at 25 percent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 23:58:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISLAMABAD, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Friday summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner J.P. Singh and lodged protest over the "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces, which killed two civilians along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir region, the Foreign Ministry said.

A foreign ministry statement said Director General of South Asian Desk Mohammad Faisal, summoned the Indian envoy and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian forces in Chirikot and Nezapir sectors on Friday, resulting in the deaths of two civilians, the Foreign Ministry said, adding that five civilians, including two women were also injured in the latest cross-border firing.

The Indian diplomat was told that "the deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," according to the statement.

The director general also said the Indian side should permit UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

Giving update on the casualties, the statement said that in 2017 to date, Indian forces have carried out more than 1,300 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary, resulting in the deaths of 52 innocent civilians and injuries to 170 others, as compared to 382 ceasefire violations in 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-17 23:58:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The South African Chamber of Mines on Friday opposed the power utility, Eskom's application to raise tariff by 19.9 percent, saying it will affect the country's economic growth.

The Chamber of Mines chief economist Henk Langenhoven presented their response to Eskom's application for a tariff increase at the hearing by National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). He stated that increasing the tariff will lead to downward spiral for South Africa, of higher electricity prices, lower growth and less electricity consumption.

Langenhoven warned that if Eskom is allowed to hike tariff, the state owned enterprise will be key contributor to 'no growth' for South Africa and credit downgrades.

"Two scenarios (20 percent increase or government support) are not viable - they are catastrophic. Without structural adjustment in the electricity sector there is no solution," said Langenhoven.

Langenhoven said Eskom is responsible for their huge budget shortfall and failure to service their debts. He said if the increase is allowed, it will result in 600,000 job losses in the mining sector and reduction in the contribution by the sector to the GDP by 5-9 percent.

He said the increase will lead to decline in economic growth. The Chamber of Mines economist suggested that short term solutions be found to prevent Eskom from failing and the economy from suffering irreparable damage. He said any short term solutions must be conditional on an immediate structural adjustment program to be undertaken by the utility.

The Chamber of Mines suggested that Eskom should accelerate the completion and commissioning of the new, more efficient power stations to solve the situation. He added, "NERSA must pursue the least damaging solution to deal with Eskom's impending cash crunch. Drastic changes are needed at Eskom to bring Eskom's operational cost (primarily head count) in line with international standards."

The Chamber of Mines represents 90 percent of South Africa's mining production by value.
| 2017-11-18 00:32:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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OSLO, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Norway's defence minister apologized on Friday after Turkey decided to withdraw its troops from a NATO military exercise in the Nordic country in protest of an "unacceptable" incident.

"During a NATO exercise at the Joint Warfare Center in Stavanger, an exercise message was published on the internal exercise network," Frank Bakke-Jensen said in a statement. "The message does not reflect Norway's views or policies and I apologize for the content of the message."

The message was written by a Norwegian national who was hired to work on staff during exercise, he said, adding that the individual was removed from the exercise as a consequence of the incident.

"We will conduct a thorough investigation of the incident, and take the appropriate measures based on the conclusions," Bakke-Jensen said.

Earlier in the day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country had decided to withdraw its 40 soldiers from the NATO military exercise in Norway after the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and himself were included in a list of "enemies."

"There was an incident in Norway yesterday. They put up something like an enemies board which included Ataturk's picture and my name. These are the targets," Erdogan said in a speech to the ruling Justice and Development Party's meeting in Ankara.

Erdogan called the move "unacceptable," adding "We would withdraw those troops even if those names are removed."

"Such a state can not be an ally of Turkey," the Turkish president said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 00:13:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GABORONE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The chairperson of Southern African Development Community (SADC) Jacob Zuma said Friday that the regional bloc stands ready to provide all the necessary support to the people of Zimbabwe to resolve the current political crisis.

Zuma, also President of South Africa, said in Gaborone, capital of Botswana that the SADC note with great concern the unfolding developments and hope that they will not lead to unconstitutional change of government in Zimbabwe, an SADC member state.

Zuma made the remarks before addressing the 4th Session of the Bi- National Commission between Botswana and South Africa. He reminded all the parties involved to ensure that maintenance of peace and security as enshrined in the Zimbabwean constitution is not compromised.

When responding to Zuma, President Seretse Khama Ian Khama of Botswana said he remains confident they will provide solutions to the people of Zimbabwe and promised to be in contact with president Zuma to further discuss the matter in a week's time.

During official talks, the two Heads of States also reflected on a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues. They expressed satisfaction at the strong bilateral relations existing between the two countries.

On the international level, the two also exchanged views on the political and security developments in the region and the continent. In this regard they reaffirmed their commitment to working together, bilaterally and under the auspices of SADC and the African Union in pursuit of sustainable peace and stability in the continent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 00:23:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LISBON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- An armed man remained barricaded inside a Portuguese supermarket on Friday, almost 24 hours after he invaded the premises.

The man entered the supermarket on Thursday afternoon carrying a shotgun and a pistol. He fired five shots into the air and floor, local media reported.

A member of the supermarket staff confronted the gunman and suffered a blow to the head via the butt of a gun.

Another worker was then taken hostage, before the gunman relented and allowed the two members of staff and 15 customers to leave. The injured worker was taken straight to hospital.

The police initially suspected a hold-up, but later learned the gunman has a grievance with the owner of the supermarket, who was not on the premises.

The gunman is believed to be a Portuguese man in his 50s who emigrated to France 30 years ago. He and the supermarket owner are involved in a land dispute.

Police negotiators have been trying to coax the gunman out of the building.

The supermarket, located in Vila Nova de Poiares, Coimbra, remains surrounded by police.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 00:38:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAKURU, Kenya, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Sensitizing Kenyan communities on the value of women in political leadership would greatly bolster their inclusivity in the East African nation's governance, gender specialists said on Friday.

Jane Serwanga, a gender specialist at the UN, said in an interview with Xinhua that women have a higher chance of ascending into political leadership when their respective communities understand the value of their inclusion.

"It is very important to create community awareness on the role and importance of women in leadership because their participation is very crucial in many aspects," Serwanga remarked.

"For instance we are doing a lot of work with community elders in Turkana county (northwest Kenya) because at the end of the day the community has to be made aware that the women add value and they need to support them," she added.

Although notable progress has been made in narrowing the ratio of female to male elected leaders into Kenya's legislative assemblies, the specialists emphasized the importance of continuously educating the women on how to capitalize on existing affirmative policies to take up various elective positions.

For the first in history, three women were elected as governors in the Aug. 8 general elections thus serving as governors or head of counties, the regional governments under the current Kenyan Constitution.

At the same time, three counties from Rift Valley and Northeastern regions each elected a female senator. There was none elected in the 2013 elections.

The number of women elected into the National Assembly equally rose to 23 from 16 while their numbers into the county assemblies similarly increased from 84 to 100, according to data from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Kenyan office.

Lucy Mulenkei, Executive Director at Indigenous Information Network, noted that communities offer the principal support system and network for women to achieve fair and equal participation in political leadership.

"Women have to gain support from the villagers. The people in the communities need to see the leadership capability of the women in order to support them," said Mulenkei.

She noted deficiency of information on governance structures and leadership skills among the women as some of the obstacles hindering women's rise into political leadership, adding that they need trainings in these areas.
People view Terracotta Warriors during a press preview at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond, Virginia, the United States, on Nov. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

RICHMOND, the United States, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- A set of China's Terracotta Warriors have marched into historic Richmond, capital of U.S. state of Virginia, as local museum-goers, impressed by its delicacy and artistry, are given an extraordinary taste of the Chinese history.

Ten life-size figures, including warriors and a cavalry horse, that protected the tomb of Qin Shihuang, China's First Emperor, have been displayed this week at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), as part of Chinese-themed exhibition Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China.

"The Terracotta Army is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century," VMFA Director Alex Nyerges told Xinhua.

The exhibition, according to the museum, showcases over 130 works of art, drawn from the collections of 14 art museums and archaeological institutes across northwest China's Shaanxi, including more than 40 objects never shown before in the United States.

"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," said Nyerges.

The terracotta figures displayed at the VMFA were among the estimated 8,000 life-size sculptures of warriors, chariots, and horses that were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong District, outside Xi'an in Shaanxi province.

The grand mausoleum complex was listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Nyerges said the exhibition is the first of its kind organized by the VMFA that is devoted to the art and archaeology of ancient China in the museum's 80-year history.

Lasting until March next year, the three-section exhibition will take visitors on a journey to explore how the Qin state developed into an empire under Ying Zheng (259-210 BC), who unified China and declared himself Qin Shihuang, or the First Emperor of Qin, and his quest for immortality.

Besides, the exhibition features arms and armor, horse and chariot fittings, ritual bronze vessels, works in gold and silver, jade ornaments, precious jewelry, ceramics, and architectural components that were excavated from the Emperor Qin Shihuang's mausoleum, as well as aristocratic, commoner, and nomadic tombs.

Li Jian, one of the exhibition's curators, told Xinhua that these objects, dating from the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BC) through the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC), reflect the complex history, myths and burial customs of ancient China and explore Emperor Qin Shihuang's profound influence on Chinese history, art, and culture.

"The legacy of the First Emperor is enormous, including administration, law, language, art, architecture, interstate roadways, and the Great Wall," Li said. "Our exhibition is organized to bring our audience a better understanding of Qin history, and ancient Chinese art and archaeology."

"Going to a museum is the very best way for people to learn other countries' culture and history," Nyerges said.

"The Qin Dynasty is so important that it allowed China to become what it is today," the director stressed. "It would be the greatest chapter for American people to start learning the Chinese history."

Looking at a 2,200-year-old armor set, Lynn Johnson, a local visitor at the exhibition, told Xinhua that she was amazed by the incredible display of the Terracotta Army at the exhibition.

"Just imagine what it feels like to stand in front of thousands of sculptures inside Emperor Qin Shihuang's mausoleum complex," she said. "I would love to go to China and see them myself someday in the future."
A nearby street is cordoned off following a terrorist attack in central Barcelona, Spain, on Aug. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Han Chong)

MADRID, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Abdelbaki Es Satty, the imam from the Spanish town of Ripoll, considered to have been the driving force behind the terrorist attacks which killed 16 in Barcelona and Cambrils on Aug. 17, had previously been an informant for the Spanish intelligence services.

El Pais newspaper quoted sources on Friday from the Spanish National Intelligence Center (CNI) who confirm that Es Satty had worked for them as an informer while serving a four-year sentence for drug trafficking between 2010 and 2014.

El Satty was arrested at the border of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta trying to bring 121 kg of hashish into Spain and imprisoned near the city of Castellon on the east coast of the country.

The source explains that the links between the CNI and the man, who had also been investigated following the Atocha train bombings of March 11, 2004, fell "within the usual protocols of the agency" and that it was "normal to obtain information to fight terrorism from those in prisons who may have information, and that there are many people who cooperate."

Es Satty was killed on Aug. 16 in an explosion in a safe house in the town of Alcanar where he and the cell were preparing explosives for a major attack in Barcelona. The explosion caused the surviving members of the cell to change their plans and instead carry out the attack using a van on Las Ramblas, which claimed 14 lives on Aug. 17, and an attack in Cambrils in the early hours of the following morning in which another person was killed.

A further person was stabbed to death as Younes Abouyaaqoub attempted to escape after the van attack on Las Ramblas boulevard.

As a result of that attack, Barcelona City Hall confirmed a series of measures this Thursday to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

The city council's security board has agreed to place obstacles such as bollards and heavy plant pots on Las Ramblas and other busy streets in the city, while the area around the Sagrada Familia Church, which is thought to have been the original target for the terrorists, will be turned into a traffic-free zone.

"The measures will be implemented in a progressive manner and will be compatible with the model of the city, affecting above all the center of the city and around the Sagrada Familia basilica," confirmed a communique on the Catalan regional government's website.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 02:39:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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THE HAGUE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Jihadist women are in many cases as committed to jihadism as men and their role should not be underestimated, said the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) in a report published on Friday.

By November 2017, there are about 100 women in the Netherlands who adhere to the jihadist ideology, and at least 80 women from the Netherlands have travelled to Syria and Iraq since 2012. Most of them have joined the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and a smaller group ended up at the Haqat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) battle group, which is affiliated with al-Qaida.

"Never before such a large number of Dutch women has been in a jihadist battlefield," said the report titled "Jihadist women".

With an increasing shortage of fighters, ISIS is looking for new opportunities, and has recently allowed women to play a more active and violent role, noted the report. Before, committing of attacks by women was not explicitly permitted by ISIS and al-Qaida.

"If this development continues," said the report, "jihadist women in the conflict areas and in the Netherlands may pose a greater threat of violence. In the last two years, a number of jihadist women in Europe has tried to commit an attack. "

The Dutch intelligence service also warned of the threat jihadist women pose to the Netherlands by recruiting others, producing and distributing propaganda, and raising money for the jihadist struggle. Moreover, these women indoctrinate their children with the jihadist ideology.

As for recent and future returnees who flee the conflict zones, the AIVD pointed out that they differ from those who have returned before 2017, as they have been in Syria or Iraq for an average of three years, much longer than the latter's average of six months.

"These women have been exposed to violence for a longer period of time, and have built up an international jihadist network. A considerable number of them will probably maintain their jihadist ideology and connections after returning to the Netherlands," said the report.

By the end of October, 285 people from the Netherlands have left for Syria and Iraq. About 55 of them have died while some 50 have returned, according to the Dutch government's National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 02:54:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NICOSIA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus has suggested to the United Nations (UN) a process of shuttle diplomacy as a means of breaking the impasse in the eastern Mediterranean island's reunification negotiations, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday.

"The suggestion I put forward to the UN Secretary-General is the engagement in shuttle diplomacy to evaluate whether the necessary conditions are in place to convene a new conference on Cyprus," Anastasiades told a gathering of EU ambassadors in Nicosia.

He added that he made the proposal when he met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the UN headquarters in September.

The parties in the Cyprus negotiations have so far failed to reach an agreement on ending the partition of the island and reintegrate Turkish Cypriots who have been living in the part of the island occupied by Turkish troops since 1974.

Turkey's move came in reaction to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

"The end of the conference is not the end of the process for us...It is our determination to continue this process at the point it was interrupted," said Anastasiades.

He added that the shuttle diplomacy he suggested could be undertaken "either by the UN or renowned personalities, or even third countries which are generally acceptable by all parties as impartial, such as collectively the members of the Security Council".

Guterres said he stood ready to call a new conference and even preside over it after the main players -- the Greek and Turkish Cypriots -- had asked for it.

However, there is at least a three-month dead period until Greek Cypriots elect a new president and Turkish Cypriots hold their legislative elections in separate votes scheduled early next year.

Anastasiades, who says his only ambition is to see the Cyprus problem being solved, is seeking a second term.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 02:54:27|Editor: Lifang

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (2nd R) and Zimbabwe Defense Forces Chief Constantino Chiwenga (1st R) pose for photos at State House in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe met Zimbabwe Defense Forces Chief Constantino Chiwenga and South African envoys here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Joseph Nyadzayo)

HARARE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Eight out of the ten provincial committees of Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party called on President Robert Mugabe to step down, the state broadcaster reported Friday.

The call came after the military takeover of the government earlier this week.

The provinces, including his home province of Mashonaland West, accused Mugabe of allowing the formation of cabals and called for the renunciation of the G40 faction allegedly led by First Lady Grace Mugabe.

The provinces, according to the report, proposed that former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa be reinstated back in the party and the government.

There were also recommendations for the central committee to convene a special meeting within 48 hours to re-align the party in line with current developments.

The country's influential war veterans' association, meanwhile, urged Zimbabweans to come out in numbers and attend a rally in Harare on Saturday in support of the action taken by the military.

The military has said it is engaging Mugabe on the way forward.

On Thursday, Mugabe met the Zimbabwe Defense Forces chief Constantino Chiwenga and SADC mediators to discuss the political impasse.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 03:04:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The UN refugee agency UNHCR said Friday it has noted "with growing concern" an increase in murders of and threats against community leaders and rights defenders in the Pacific Coast region of Colombia.

"In most cases, the victims are from indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities," UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler told a UN briefing in Geneva.

He said that one month ago, Jose Jair Cortes, a leader from the Afro-Colombian community of Alto Mira y Frontera in Tumaco, in the south-western department of Narino, was killed by an unknown armed group.

Since then, and according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia, at least seven further leaders have been killed and many others threatened.

Implementation of Colombia's Peace Agreement with the former guerrilla group FARC, announced a year ago, has sprung many challenges with the presence of armed groups and unlawful activities such as drug trafficking and illegal mining, said UNHCR.

"In all there are 78 known deaths of leaders and members of social organizations this year and at least 13 other suspected murders. By any measure this is alarming," said Spindler.

Cortes' was a leader of the Community Council of Afro-Colombian people, local inhabitants affected by mass displacement and he was already under the protection of the authorities at the time of his murder, because of repeated threats against him.

Some 1,500 people have been displaced in 2017 and many more are living in confinement, which means they cannot access their crops or fish to maintain their basic subsistence needs.

Between Nov. 7 and 12 more than 46 families were forcibly displaced from the Barbacoas and Tumaco municipalities in Narino department. Leaders from these areas believe the real number of victims could be much higher because people are afraid to report abuses, said Spindler.

The power vacuum left by the FARC's demobilization after a conflicted that started in 1964 has turned many areas into territories disputed between new and existing illegal armed groups, said Spindler.

Delays and problems relating to local implementation of the main accords of the Peace Agreement, such as voluntary substitution of illicit crops or local development, have increased uncertainty where the presence of the state remains weak, noted UNHCR.
A China-Europe freight train X9081 leaves Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, for Poltava, Ukraine, on Oct. 29, 2017. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

KIEV, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 2nd Ukraine Silk Road Forum was held here on Thursday, bringing together officials, business leaders and public figures from China, Ukraine and other countries along the Belt and Road, who lauded the role of the forum in boosting China-Ukraine cooperation over the past year and drew a roadmap for the future.

JOINT EFFORTS FOR COMMON PROSPERITY

The Ukraine Silk Road Forum is a platform developed in Ukraine to promote cooperation and dialogue with China and other countries, which joined the Belt and Road Initiative.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa, along the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

Located at the crossroads of global trade, Ukraine aims to become an important link on the modern Silk Road, offering its infrastructure network and trade potential to other countries participating in the initiative.

This year, more than 1,000 participants from 25 Asian and European countries joined the Ukraine Silk Road Forum, signaling that Kiev's plans to become an integral part of the Belt and Road Initiative are achievable.

Addressing the forum, Wu Bixiu, secretary general of the Silk Road Cities Alliance, said the forum would be another step towards closer cooperation among countries along the Belt and Road.

She emphasized that these countries could bring their potential into full play only by joining their hands for the sake of common development.

NOTEWORTHY RESULTS

Since the first Silk Road Forum was held in Ukraine on Nov.7, 2016,China and Ukraine have achieved remarkable progress in their bilateral ties and cooperation.

Iryna Nikorak, a secretary of Ukraine's parliamentary group on the development of relations with China and one of the forum's organizers, said that the first Ukraine Silk Road Forum paved the way for the implementation of humanitarian, social and educational initiatives between the two countries.

For instance, after the forum, the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce, which assembles business associations of the Belt and Road countries, awarded grants to 30 Ukrainian students for studying in Chinese universities.

"We selected students from all Ukrainian regions and social categories, including vulnerable groups, orphans. These students will learn China's best practices and bring China's experience to Ukraine," Nikorak said.

China-Ukraine economic cooperation has been also flourishing over the past 12 months.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said that since the first Ukraine Silk Road Forum, the two countries have established cooperation on several major projects.

"Our cooperation goes beyond words. One of the largest Chinese companies has already been carrying out dredging work in Ukraine's Yuzhny port. Another large Chinese company has won a tender for the reconstruction of a number of roads in Ukraine and will implement it over the next few years," Omelyan said at the forum.

"We also have initiated a number of promising projects between the Ukrainian Post and AliExpress," he added.

GRAND PLANS FOR FUTURE

In the future, Ukraine has vast opportunities for cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, given its rich natural resources, developed infrastructure and close proximity to the European markets, Omelyan said.

As the most promising projects for potential cooperation, he listed the possible joint construction of a railway link between Kiev and Ukraine's largest airport Boryspil, and the joint production of electric cars.

Besides, Ukraine has the potential of become a manufacturing hub for Chinese investors, Omelyan said.

"Ukraine can produce goods for China and export them to the European Union and other countries, with which Ukraine has agreements on free economic zones and free trade," he added.

While many projects between Ukraine and China currently are in the planning stage, the groundwork for others has been already laid down. One of the most far-reaching projects is the construction of a fourth subway line in the capital city of Ukraine.

In May, the Ukrainian authorities have picked two Chinese companies -- China Railway International Group and China Pacific Construction Group -- to be the managing partners and contractors of the project, responsible for engineering, procurement, and construction.

Worth about 2 billion U.S. dollars, the project is expected to start in 2019 and finish within four years.

"The implementation of this project will largely solve the problems of traffic jams in the Troyeshchyna district in Kiev. It will also contribute to raising the quality of life and economic development of the city," Wang Zijian, vice president of China Railway International Group, said at the forum.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 03:24:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TIRANA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Around 60 students at a school in the Shupenza village of Bulqiza, northern Albania, showed symptoms of asphyxiation Friday, Albania's health ministry said.

Thirty-six of the students were transported to Bulqiza and Peshkopia hospitals. Three are in very serious condition and were transported by helicopter to a hospital in Tirana to receive more specialized treatment, the ministry said in its statement.

Doctors informed the local media that the students between 16 and 18 years old had signs of asphyxiation, headache, dizziness, and vomiting.

The mayor of Bulqiza, Melaim Damzi told reporters the event had been an accident.

Police have launched investigations, although based on a preliminary inquiry, they said the situation was created by a gas leakage that occurred during a test of school's heating system.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) -- Embattled Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore denied allegations of sexual misconduct again Thursday at a press conference in Birmingham alongside faith leaders and his wife, Kayla.



Moore said that the accusations against him are "an effort by Mitch McConnell and his cronies to steal this election from the people of Alabama."



McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, and a score of top Republicans have called on Moore to leave the race.



Moore called the allegations, first reported by the Washington Post, false.



"They're not only untrue, but they have no evidence to support them," he said.



During the press conference, Moore was surrounded by more than a dozen faith and political leaders  including former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes  who all offered impassioned defenses.



Moore left no doubt about whether he will drop out of the race for the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.



"I'll quit standing when they lay me in that box and put me in the ground," Moore said.



White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said during Thursday's press briefing that the decision on whether or not Moore should be a U.S. senator should be left to the people of Alabama.



"The president said in his statement earlier this week that if the allegations are true, then Roy Moore should step aside. He still believes that," Sanders said.



The Alabama Republican Party also released a statement of support for Moore.



"The ALGOP Steering Committee supports Judge Roy Moore as our nominee and trusts the voters as they make the ultimate decision in this crucial race," the party said in a statement.



The special election between Moore and his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, is scheduled to be held on December 12.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 03:24:37|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Military vehicles of Iraqi army carry out an operation to drive out Islamic State (IS) militants from their last urban stronghold in the Iraqi western border with Syria, near Rawa, Iraq, on Nov. 11, 2017. Iraqi security forces battling IS militants on Saturday freed a town and nine villages near the IS-held Rawa, the Iraqi military said. (Xinhua)

BAGHDAD, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces battling Islamic State (IS) militants freed Friday the city of Rawa near the border with Syria, dislodging the extremist militants from their last urban stronghold in Iraq, the Iraqi military said.

The troops and the paramilitary local tribal fighters fully liberated Rawa and raised the Iraqi flag on some of its buildings, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, the commander of the offensive, said in a brief statement.

At dawn, the Iraqi forces pushed into Rawa from three directions and liberated four neighborhoods in the western part of the city, Yarallah said in an earlier statement.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the people of Iraq and the security forces on the liberation of Rawa, which is located some 80 km east of the newly-freed city of al-Qaim.

Abadi, also the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, made his comments during a visit to the Joint Operations Command headquarters in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, according to a statement issued by Abadi's office.

"The liberation of Rawa within hours reflects the great strength and power of our heroic armed forces and the successful planning for battles," Abadi said.

He also said the Iraqi forces are continuing clearing the rural area and the nearby desert to secure the Iraqi border with Syria.

On Nov. 5, Abadi raised the Iraqi flag on Husaibah border crossing with Syria two days after the Iraqi forces recaptured it and the nearby city of al-Qaim from the extremist militants.

The troops will continue to clear the villages in the vast rural areas in the north of the Euphrates River as well as the desert between the provinces of Anbar and neighboring Salahudin.

On Oct. 26, security forces started a major offensive to free last IS urban stronghold in Iraq near the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The IS militants seized large swathes 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| 2017-11-18 03:34:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KAMPALA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged the East African region to open up its skies to make it easy for travelers and operators to move through the region.

Raphael Kuuchi, the IATA vice president for Africa, said it is almost 20 years since countries in the region signed the 1999 Yamoussoukro Open Skies agreement, but the failure to implement it impeded growth of the regional air traffic and kept the airfare high.

Kuuchi told Xinhua in an interview that ratifying the agreement would stir up competition in air transport across the region and push down the cost of doing business.

"Regional governments must agree to open up their air space in order to reduce fares and increase traffic volume, and agree as well that flights within the region are domesticated. Otherwise, there is no way of increasing domestic or regional flights," he said.

He noted that opening up of the skies would also boost intra-regional tourism, travel and cooperation.

"The regional sky is currently dominated by Middle Eastern carriers which have very good products and marketing and have now become household names. These ventures require a lot of investment which we don't have. However," he said.

East African countries are among the 44 African states that have committed themselves to liberalize the aviation industry, curb air taxes and offer qualifying airlines entry rights.

However, regional countries reportedly rely on Bilateral Air Services Agreements with the view to shield their local carriers.

Currently, a return ticket on Kenya Airways from Entebbe to Nairobi costs approximately 543 U.S. dollars while a return ticket to Dubai only costs about 200 dollars more.

John Kagoro, Director Airports and Aviation Security at Uganda's Entebbe International Airport, however said ratification of the agreement does not help Uganda, which currently does not operate any national flights.

"Considering these routes as domestic will eat away all our revenue and make operation and maintenance of the airport so difficult. We need the taxes and other fees that we charge at an international rate to maintain the airport as it is," he said.

Kagoro also argues that other regional countries operating national carriers are so reluctant to implement the Northern Corridor Air Space agreement signed in Nairobi in 2014 between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 03:59:50|Editor: huaxia

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DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania on Friday amended a legislation to empower the Drugs Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) in controlling drug trafficking.

The amended Drug Control and Enforcement Act will allow the DCEA to own weapons and use armed officers when arresting drug barons.

Jenista Mhagama, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, told the National Assembly that the amended law will also give DCEA powers to seize bank accounts of suspected drug barons for a specific period.

"There will be no bail to drug barons," said Mhagama.

She told the House that DCEA will now be able to regulate importation and illegal possession of restricted chemicals that can be used in the production of heroin, cocaine and improvised explosive devices.

The amended law also provides for conviction of heads of institutions and public offices or any individuals failing to provide relevant information to the DCEA, said Mhagama.

Mhagama said the government has been spending a lot of money in treating drug addicts by enrolling them to clinics for methadone programs.

She said the government spent 180,000 U.S. dollars for methadone programs in 2016 and 450,000 dollars in 2017.

The ineffective Drugs and Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Drugs Act was repealed in 2015 to form the Drug Control and Enforcement Act. The new act replaced the previous drugs commission with DCEA. Enditem
A Russian diesel-electric submarine Krasnodar sails upon its arrival afer taking part in the fight against Islamic State in Syria, in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Crimea, August 9, 2017. (REUTERS PHOTO)

MOSCOW, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia has floated out its first Borei-A-class strategic missile-carrying, nuclear-powered submarine Prince Vladimir, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

The new submarine will enter into all the regular stages of factory and state tests, it said in a statement.

The Prince Vladimir will be commissioned next year, Admiral Vladimir Korolev, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, was quoted as saying at the floating-out ceremony by local news agencies.

Work continues on four more Borei-A-class nuclear submarines armed with ballistic missiles -- Prince Oleg, Generalissimo Suvorov, Emperor Alexander III and Prince Pozharsky.

These submarines are expected to form the basis of Russia's naval strategic nuclear force.0 Borei-A-class submarines, capable of carrying up to 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles each, are an upgraded version of previous Borei-class vessels.

Three Borei-class submarines have been built so far. The Yuri Dolgoruky submarine is serving the Northern Fleet, while the other two -- Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh -- are with the Pacific Fleet.

Earlier this month, Chief of Russia's General Staff Valery Gerasimov said work had started to develop a Borei-B-class nuclear submarine with improved characteristics, but did not give details.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 04:30:02|Editor: ZD

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Photo taken on Nov. 15, 2017 shows the pavilion of China in "Bonn Zone" of UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany. Events, exhibitions and presentations of countries and UN organizations attending the UN climate talks are held here aimed to raise the awareness of the climate change across the world. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

by Tian Ying, Zhang Yirong

BONN, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The UN climate talks in Bonn is scheduled to conclude on Friday. As the world once again focused on climate change, China, as the largest developing country, also attracted worldwide attention for how it acted.

Through statements made in official speeches, active participation in the Bonn talks, and various side events the country organized to exchange ideas and practices, China has reasserted itself a responsible player in global battle against climate change at the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

China's special representative on climate change affairs Xie Zhenhua stated at an event of the COP 23, that as a responsible developing country, China conscientiously takes on its international obligations that match both its development stage and actual capacity, and implements the Paris Agreement with concrete action.

OVER DELIVERED ON CLIMATE TARGETS

In terms of domestic efforts, "China has over delivered on achieving its targets in fighting climate change, and reversed the rapid rise of CO2 emission that had lasted for years," Xie stated while addressing a high-level meeting of COP 23.

From 2005 to 2015, China's economy had grown by 1.48 times, and at the same time the carbon intensity, the measure of CO2 emission per unit of GDP, had dropped by 38.6 percent, Xie said, adding the country had avoided emitting 4.1 billion tonnes of CO2.

Moreover, the share of coal in the total consumption of energy had decreased from 72 percent to 64 percent in the 2005-2015 time frame, while the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption rose from 7.4 percent to 12 percent, and at the same time, the country's forest reserve had expanded by 3 billion cubic meters, according to Xie.

"This year, we will jumpstart the nation-wide carbon-trading market," Xie said during his speech.

China's domestic climate actions have been widely recognized in the international community.

Barbara Hendricks, German environment minister, told Xinhua that she is aware that China planned to build far fewer thermal power plants than five years ago, and to generate more and more power from renewable energy, which means China is on a good path of development.

Dylan Murray, policy advisor with the Nature Conservancy, told Xinhua "China is taking real steps to peak emissions".

In the future, China's economy will further decouple with fossil fuels, and tougher controls on the efficiency, or even on the total consumption of coal are foreseeable, estimated Liu Qiang, director of Strategy and Planning Department of the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation.

GUARDIAN OF MULTILATERAL PROCESSES

Globally, China has promised to peak its CO2 emission by around 2030, and made crucial contributions to the signing of the Paris Agreement that seeks to limit a rise in temperatures to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.

Norbert Salomon, deputy director of the Emission Control, Safety of Installations and Transport at the German Federal Ministry for Environment, said "China's engagement and contributions to combat climate change is itself an inestimable value for global community."

Xie Zhenhua pledged at a high-level meeting of the COP 23 that China is ready to play the role as a guardian of multilateral processes and will work with other countries to ensure the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

At the COP 23, China has played a proactive role, Gu Zihua, a Chinese negotiator, said in an interview with Xinhua.

"We have been substantially engaged in the talks on each agenda, and contributed China's proposals," Gu said. Moreover, China has been acted as a mediator of the developing countries to coordinate their stances and kept close consultations with the president on facilitative dialogue.

DRIVING SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION

China has set aside a total of 100 million U.S. dollars for South-South cooperation with 27 developing countries over the years, Xie announced at a high-level meeting at the COP 23.

China has donated energy conserving or renewable-energy facilities as well as climate change surveillance instruments, and provided funds, technologies and capacity building to the least developed countries, small-island countries and African countries, according to Xie.

Best practices of many such projects are shared at the side events of COP 23. Among them, a project of low carbon town in Gampola, Sri Lanka, showed how China helped developing countries with adaptation.

Global Environmental Institute (GEI), a Chinese NGO, has completed assessment of solar energy and biomass potential of Gampola and introduced the Sri Lanka side to the fund for south south cooperation.

Ranish Hettige, deputy assistant secretary of Sri Lanka's Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry, told Xinhua that the GEI offered them toolkits, mechanisms and technologies to adapt to climate change. "It is very hard for Sri Lanka to afford many new technologies, like introducing solar energy or electric vehicles. There are funds from other countries like China that helped us to make sure we are adapting to climate change. The help of China is very important to us," Hettige said.

Now, with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, a new opportunity arises for south-south climate cooperation. Robert Ddamulira, with the World Wildlife Fund in Uganda, said the initiative offers a great opportunity especially considering that China is a leading country in renewable energy.

Looking into the future, Wang Shi, a former real estate tycoon and now Chair of the Board of Vanke Foundation, said he is optimistic. Having followed the UN climate talks since Copenhagen in 2009, Wang said he had witnessed that the Chinese government is getting more and more proactive.

Moreover, when the foundation is promoting environmental projects in various Chinese localities, he found the green and low-carbon concept had been ingrained in everybody's mind.
This file photo taken on May 05, 2016 shows the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow. (AFP PHOTO)

MOSCOW, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Foreign Ministry said Friday that risks of terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States are rising during the upcoming New Year holiday.

The likelihood of terrorist attacks in major cities will increase between December 20 and January 20, the ministry's department for emergency management said briefly on Twitter.

The department did not disclose whether it had obtained intelligence about such attacks.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department also issued a Europe travel alert, warning its citizens of the "heightened risk of terrorist attacks" throughout the region.

Recent incidents in multiple European countries demonstrate that the Islamic State militant group and al-Qaida and their affiliates are still capable of planning and executing terrorist attacks in Europe, the State Department said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 04:45:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson (7th R, front) and delegates from African countries pose for group photos in Washington D.C., the United States, on Nov. 17, 2017. The United States is looking forward to expanding its relationship with Africa in trade and investment and countering terrorism, said U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson during a ministerial meeting with the African Union on Friday. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States is looking forward to expanding its relationship with Africa in trade and investment and countering terrorism, said a top U.S. diplomat on Friday in Washington.

Addressing a ministerial meeting with the African Union, U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson said that Africa is a growing market with vast potential and the current U.S. administration will focus their bilateral economic relationship on trade and investment.

Bilateral trade and investment between the United States and African countries have been growing in the past years. U.S. exports to Sub-Saharan Africa grew from 17 billion U.S. dollars in 2010 to over 25 billion dollars in 2014, according to statistics from the U.S. government.

The U.S. direct investment in Africa jumped to a record high of 57.5 billion dollars last year.

"The United States sees even more opportunity ahead in the coming years," said Tillerson in the meeting with the 55-member Continental body.

The top U.S. diplomat also mentioned that the United States will seek to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation with African countries, including addressing "the root causes of violent extremism."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 05:05:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- NATO and Norway separately issued apologies to Turkey on Friday after two insulting incidents prompted that Turkish government withdrew 41 soldiers from an ongoing military exercise of the bloc.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that his country had decided to withdraw its soldiers from the NATO's Trident Javelin exercise in Norway after the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and himself were included in a list of "enemies."

A NATO official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Xinhua that two separate incidents occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

In the first incident, a technician found a picture of an Ataturk statue on internet and used it among "Hostile Leaders Biographies" section of the computerized exercise at NATO's Joint Warfare Center in Stavanger, Norway, the official said.

The technician was dismissed from duty after Turkish officials noticed the incident.

In the second one, a contracted civilian by the Norwegian Military in Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum in the Netherlands opened a fake account in the name of the Turkish president on NATO's internal social media network, said the official stressing that the suspect was not a NATO official.

The Norwegian official posted anti-alliance comments in the fake account which displayed Erdogan as collaborating with an enemy, the NATO official said, adding that reports suggest the person has Kurdish origin, but his identity is not clarified yet. Norway cancelled his security clearance and dismissed him.

After Erdogan's remarks, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg apologized to Turkey over the two incidents.

"I have been informed about offence caused in a recently concluded exercise at NATO's Joint Warfare Center (JWC) in Stavanger, Norway. I apologize for the offense. The incidents were the result of an individual's actions and do not reflect the views of NATO," Stoltenberg said in a statement.

"The individual in question was immediately removed from the exercise and an investigation is underway. He was a civilian contractor by Norway and not a NATO employee. It will be for the Norwegian authorities to decide on any disciplinary action," he added.

The NATO chief stressed that Turkey is a "valued NATO Ally, which makes important contributions to security."

Stoltenberg conveyed apologies to Turkish Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar at the ongoing International Security Forum in Canada, the NATO official said.

The commander of the JWC in Stavanger, Maj. Gen. Andrzej Reudowicz, has also issued a letter of apology over the incidents.

The Turkish embassy in Oslo would ask for explanation from the Norwegian authorities, a Turkish official told Xinhua.

Norway's defence minister also apologized on Friday. "During a NATO exercise at the JWC in Stavanger, an exercise message was published on the internal exercise network," Frank Bakke-Jensen said in a statement published on the ministry's website.

"The message does not reflect Norway's views or policies and I apologize for the content of the message," he added.

The message was written by a Norwegian national who was hired to work on staff during exercise, he said, adding that the individual was removed from the exercise as a consequence of the incident.

"We will conduct a thorough investigation of the incident, and take the appropriate measures based on the conclusions," Bakke-Jensen stressed.

Turkish Armed Forces issued NATO both verbal and written protest, said the army.

The JWC is a multinational NATO unit based in Stavanger, Oslo. It has staff of 250 personnel including civilians from 11 NATO member states.

In March, Ankara was angered after four Turkish soldiers who were on duty with NATO, as well as a military attache, have been granted asylum in Norway following their application after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 05:30:20|Editor: huaxia

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VALLETTA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Malta is to be withdrawing its bid to host the European Medicines Agency, the government announced on Friday.

The government said in a statement that "following extensive discussions with the European Medicines Agency and other national competent authorities within the European Union (EU), Malta will be withdrawing its bid to host the agency".

The European Medicines Agency, currently based in London, will have to be relocated after Brexit.

Malta is one of EU member states bidding to host the agency post-Brexit.

The final vote determining which country hosts the agency will be taken later this month. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 06:10:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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The entrance to historic Waddesdon Manor is cordoned off by police in Buckinghamshire, Britain, on Nov. 17, 2017. Several people were killed on Friday in a mid-air collision between a helicopter and a light aircraft in Britain. Wreckage from both aircraft were discovered near the estate grounds of historic Waddesdon Manor near Winchendon, Buckinghamshire. (Xinhua/Stephen Chung)

LONDON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed on Friday in a mid-air collision between a helicopter and a light aircraft in Britain.

Local police said two people were killed in each aircraft, but haven't given any details of the identity or the genders of the victims.

Police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said they have launched a joint investigation to establish the cause of the collision.

Wreckage from both aircraft was discovered near the estate grounds of historic Waddesdon Manor near Winchendon, Buckinghamshire.

Witnesses said they heard a loud bang over woodland shortly after midday before realizing there was a mid-air collision. Both aircraft involved, which were flying at low altitude, had taken off from Wycombe Air Park, about 25 km to the southeast of the estate.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-18 06:30:32|Editor: Liangyu

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by Alessandra Cardone

MILAN, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative would provide long-term development chances for growing industry sectors in Italy and China, according to professionals from both countries.

The issue was discussed at a recent forum held in Italian city of Milan, which attracted Italian and Chinese entrepreneurs, officials, and experts.

Titled "Building a concrete roadmap for Italy and China's Joint Growth", the event was organized by Italy-China Foundation with the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

"As a comprehensive project, the Belt and Road (initiative) might give all companies a strong opportunity to reduce their costs, and cut distances in both cultural, infrastructural, and logistical terms," Massimiliano Guzzini, vice president of lighting technology firm IGuzzini, told Xinhua.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, 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.

Having spent years in China, where the firm opened a branch in 2005, the entrepreneur is able to observe "great changes" in the Chinese society, and the consumer trends in Asia overall.

"Design was not yet well known at the time (2005), but since then I have seen Chinese firms, training courses, and universities' departments and research centers growing steadily in the sector," Guzzini said.

Now that the industry was showing vibrant signals of potential growth in the area, the Belt and Road Initiative would "indeed boost the future development of our industry", he added.

For Italy, China is currently the ninth largest market for exports, and the first target market for sales to the Asia-Pacific region, according to Italy's state-owned export credit agency SACE. The trade exchange between the two countries suggest there is room for broad development.

Italian sales to China reached 11.1 billion euros (13.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016, marking a 6.4 percent rise over the previous year, and are expected to increase by some 296.8 million euros (350.2 million U.S. dollars) by 2020, the agency's data and forecast showed.

Apparel, jewellery, fibres and yarns, drugs and pharmaceutical products, machinery, shoes, and textile are among Italy's top 10 sectors in terms of exports to China, according to Italy-China Foundation.

On the other hand, Italy is China's fifth largest commercial partner for trade volume, and has become one of the major recipient countries of Chinese investments in Europe in latest years. As such, projects related to the Belt and Road Initiative would likely benefit many different industries.

For example, in terms of facilities connectivity, which was among the five cooperation priorities of the Initiative, as Vice President of China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) Xu Yingxin said at the forum.

"It means helping to develop infrastructure construction of railways, highways, ports, electric power, and telecommunications in the Belt and Road countries," Xu said.

Xu told Xinhua that the Belt and Road Initiative is meant to benefit all of the countries involved. "It means we could have in the future a stronger and more unified market, which is good for everybody, including China."

As for the specific sector he represents, the textile industry, Xu deemed the Initiative has come in the right moment.

"I think China's textile industry is in a very critical phase of transformation and adjustment, and the Belt and Road Initiative provides us with the opportunities to expand," he said.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images(MONTGOMERY, Ala.) -- The wife of embattled Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore continued a fierce pushback against allegations of sexual misconduct and impropriety against her husband, holding

a press conference on Friday with other conservative Alabama women at the state capitol in Montgomery.



"The people of Alabama understand what's going on here. My husband, Judge Roy Moore is fighting for the people of Alabama and has been fighting for over 30 years. The people of Alabama know him,

they have seen what he has done," Kayla Moore said.



Kayla Moore also said, apparently ironically, that she believes President Donald Trump owes her and her husband a thank you for diverting public attention from the federal investigation into

Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and possible collusion with Trump associates.



"So the liberal press, Washington Post, who endorsed Hillary Clinton, who also endorsed our opponent gets involved in this race, along with the Human Rights Campaign, the DNC and the Washington

establishment, all of the very same people who were attacking President Trump are also attacking us," Kayla Moore said, "I personally think he owes us a thank you. Have you noticed you're not

hearing too much about Russia?"



Beginning with allegations against Roy Moore that were first reported by the Washington Post late last week and continued this week with other women coming forward, a total of eight women have

accused Roy Moore of sexual misconduct or impropriety.



He has strongly denied the allegations, most recently saying at a press conference Thursday, "They're not only untrue, but they have no evidence to support them."



With the Dec. 12 special election for the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions drawing closer, Kayla Moore and the other women who spoke at today's press conference also took the chance

to blast the Democrat in the race, former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones. They said Jones is an "ultra-liberal" whose positions on abortion rights and transgender rights are, they said, not

representative of Alabamians.



"If a far-left liberal Democratic Doug Jones is elected, America is the victim," said one of the speakers, Ann Eubank, legislative chair for Alabama Legislative Watchdogs.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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China Unicom is deploying Nokias (News - Alert) AirScale and Flexi Zone small cell solutions in 31 provinces. This is part of an effort to improve capacity and coverage on its 3G and 4G networks.

That should help the service provider meet the needs of its growing user base. This year alone China Unicom (News - Alert) took on 55 million new 4G subscribers.

This contract with China Unicom includes the Nokia AirScale Micro RRH, the Nokia Flexi Zone Mini-Macro, the Nokia Flexi Zone Micro, and the Nokia Flexi Zone Pico.

This AirScale product offers outdoor coverage for both 3G and 4G networks. The Flexi Zone Mini-Macro is a compact solution that delivers coverage in environments in which space is limited or costly.

The Flexi Zone Micro is a high-performance mobile broadband solution designed for use in public venues like shopping malls and train stations. And the Flexi Zone Pico provides coverage and capacity indoors.

Nokia will also provide China Unicom with network planning and optimization, equipment commissioning and care in warrantee services as part of the deal.

"This agreement extends the long-term cooperation between China Unicom and Nokia, said Gao Bo, head of the customer business team for China Unicom at Nokia Shanghai Bell. We have developed a small cell portfolio that will allow operators to cost-efficiently densify and scale their networks, boosting 3G and 4G performance to stay ahead of demand. By combining this small cell technology with our extensive global services expertise, we can optimize any deployment for China Unicom."

China Unicom will employ these solutions in Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Hunan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Xinjiang.

Nokia is a leader in the small cell arena. Its among the Leaders in Gartners (News - Alert) Magic Quadrant for Small Cell Equipment. And it was rated the top small cell center in IHS Markits Small Cell Strategies and Vendor Leadership survey of 22 operators.

Edited by Mandi Nowitz
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Last week, I was honored to be asked to speak at World Usability Congress in Graz, Austria. I spoke on Managing Agile Research to a fabulous audience eager to learn how we have adapted agile to User Experience Research at BeyondCurious. And I had the opportunity to speak with and listen to an incredible group of global UX leaders.

Hearing people like Intels (News - Alert) Bruce Horn, Autodesks Maria Giudice, HTC Vives Jonathan Faunce, and WeWorks Tomer Sharon share their perspectives on key issues facing UX makes me pause and reflect how much I love my job. And not out of tech optimism. But because we have BIG challenges in front of us that are meaty and interesting. Facing these big problems touches the missionary in me who believes that we have the opportunity and even the privilege to solve these problems with design.

Some conference highlights addressed both design problems but also solutions! For example:

What does User Experience look like in a world of Intelligent Agents:

Bruce Horn, Intel Fellow and one of the original members of the Macintosh design team, gave a thought-provoking keynote speech on how Intelligent Agents with multiple intelligences, working as one have the opportunity to be the next user interface. He presented the mind-blowing array of contextual inputs, outputs, and interactions that intelligent agents of the near future will process.

In his keynote presentation, Horn laid out a vision for personal intelligent agent of the future that has no agenda other than yours and is not trying to monetize you. This presents a radical shift from the dominant commercial models that fuel tech platforms like Facebook and Google (News - Alert) today. I loved his vision of the ethical, loyal, secure personal Intelligent Agent of the future as it challenges us to think differently not just about interaction design, but also about commercial transaction and monetization models.

IOT and VR and AR are killing UX as we know it:

Both Jonathan Faunce, who leads the Vive team at HTC (News - Alert), and Alexy Kopylov from Kapersky Labs, asserted that UX as we know it is about to radically change, or even become extinct. Kopylov argued that IOT will kill current interaction design. His presentation showed the mathematical impossibility of designing UX the way we do now through persona or user-story driven scenarios because of the multiplicity of nodes in IOT systems. Interestingly, Kopylov thinks stories will help us design for this new world. He advocates creating non-linear customer journey maps with cycles, branches, and triggers to help design for these new future systems.

Similarly, Faunce urged attendees to ditch 2-D design tools when thinking about designing for AR/VR. He asserts that rather than competitive technologies, AR and VR are simply different screen types that in the near future will be part of an ecosystem of multiple screens that includes the ones we are familiar with today. He suggests that there will be no silver bullet for input in the new continuum.

How to Scale Design:

In a company that makes design tools, yet has a ratio of one designer for every 100 engineers, how do you scale design? That was the challenge that Maria Giudice signed up for three years ago when she came to AutoDesk as VP of Design. Her engaging talk was full of useful advice. For example, she has created a four-part pyramid for scaling design.

Build community Focus on customers Connect experiences Ship quality

Part of her argument for good design is based on sobering research that found negative emotions from bad product design can last three times longer than positive ones and are harder to overcome. Giudice believes in shipping the minimum lovable product, or (MLP) instead of the sub-par minimum viable product that perpetuates bad user experiences.

Make user research available to everyone:

User-centered design means nothing without the user. Yet, too many companies struggle with siloed research efforts, poorly archived results, or decks that are too dense and not cross-indexed for secondary findings. Tomer Sharon of WeWork has attempted to solve this problem by developing a research archive tool for WeWork that breaks research down to the atomic level.

Polaris, the proprietary data tagging tool that he has developed with WeWork, eschews reports, analysis, and even researchers, asking everyone in the company to take on the mantle of insight gathering and data tagging. My immediate thought was its too bad that Polaris is proprietary! I know many large organizations that would benefit from a tool that helps to organize and distribute user insights across the organization.

Agile (News - Alert) research has been transforming how we design and develop products and services which is putting a lot of pressure on researchers to do things in new ways. At BeyondCurious we think this is a good thing! Weve seen again and again how Agile helps clients and teams understand whats important and meaningful to their users and then use that research to quickly pivot and make things that matter.

About the Author: Carrie Yury, Senior Vice President of Experience Research & Strategy at BeyondCurious. As part of the leadership team at BeyondCurious, my job is the help build a great company. In my role as SVP of Experience Research & Strategy at BeyondCurious, I oversee all research, both quantitative and qualitative, to understand users, develop original thought leadership, develop experience strategy, and ensure great product design. As a researcher, ethnography deeply informs my approach to user-centered design. Whether conducting ethnographic research, participatory design, prototype testing, or usability studies, all of my user experience research is based in a contextual understanding of user needs. My background as a visual artist and university lecturer informs both my process and approach to problem solving. I love design research because I believe that what I do makes a difference in people's lives.

Edited by Mandi Nowitz
SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has called for stronger synergy among impoverished countries in Africa in order to achieve desired outcomes in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

The Speaker noted that due to lack of effective international cooperation and collaboration, criminals have globalised their activities, connecting across the globe seamlessly whilst the enforcers of the laws are hampered in no small measure.

Speaking while delivering a keynote address at the 28th plenary meeting of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), in Abuja, he expressed Nigerias readiness to fully comply with the global standards required of her by demonstrating political support to the relevant competent authorities in the country to deepen the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism culture in Nigeria.

Dogara also stressed that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is wholly focused and effectively poised to deal with the issues of corruption, money laundering, insecurity and terrorism in the country.

He said, There must be synergy between the impoverished countries where monies may have been stolen and laundered from and countries where considered as safe havens where these proceeds of crime are kept. As stated earlier, the fibres of international cooperation must be strengthened if we must win the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Nigeria is fully committed to complying with the global standards required of her by demonstrating political support to the relevant competent authorities in Country so as to deepen the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), culture in Nigeria.

The National Assembly will when called upon for any legislative intervention to bring our system in tandem with global realities and requirements, do so with the utmost sense of responsibility knowing the central role the subject matter of anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing play in the attainment of economic prosperity and global peace.

Nigeria is open to forms of cooperation permissible under the law and also in line with prevailing global best practices which could be expressed in unhindered Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), to Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), information exchange, or request for Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA), through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

He also highlighted the connection between stolen and criminally acquired funds and sponsorship of terrorism, which he stressed, continues to be a major challenge for policymakers in both developed and developing countries, with the magnitude of wanton destruction and loss of lives it leaves in its trail.

As you all are well aware, terrorism and illicit financial flow have become a major scourge and an issue of global concern. Repeated calls have been made for effective global collaboration to deal with the menace of terrorism, terrorists financing and money laundering. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), United Nations, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and others have at different times created global frameworks to guide countries who are enjoined to pass relevant laws and take other countermeasures to deal with individuals, entities, and assets of money launderers and terrorist financiers in their jurisdictions.

Its difficult to imagine an organised terror activity without some form of financing. As a matter of fact, terrorism feeds on money more than ideology. It may involve funds raised from legitimate sources, such as profits from legitimate businesses and charitable organisations as well as personal donations. In some cases, criminal enterprises provide financing for terrorist activity: criminal sources, such as the drug trade, robbery, kidnapping, smuggling especially of weapons and other goods, extortion, and fraud. Terrorists adopt the techniques usually deployed by money launderers to evade the attention of relevant authorities and to help mask the identity of their sponsors and of the terrorists who may ultimately be the beneficiaries of the funds.

The frequency of terrorist attacks in Africa has necessitated its recognition as a region warranting special counter-terrorism measures. In particular, the Boko Haram in Nigeria has been associated with the death of numerous Nigerians and destructions of properties worth billions of Naira. This is in addition to the disturbing trend of illicit financial flows orchestrated by corrupt public officials who at different times abused public trust for personal gains thereby occasioning the worsened economic woes of unemployment, infrastructural decay, insecurity and a host of other socio-economic problems.

In moving their funds, terrorists may use the formal banking system, informal value-transfer systems or the oldest method of asset-transfer, the physical transportation of cash, gold and other valuables through smuggling routes. All these contribute to the complexity of dealing with the problem. Unfortunately, as complex as the war against these hideous crimes is, our generation cannot afford to lose the war otherwise bedlam will continue to spiral and spread its deathly blanket upon nations of the earth. It will take effective networking and the coming together of nations to be able to deal with this global scourge, said.

The Speaker commended the openness and willingness of many countries across the world that partner with Nigeria to fight corruption and return to Nigeria, monies and other assets that have been stolen and stashed away in their jurisdictions, adding that the National Assembly will, when called upon for any legislative intervention, bring its system in tandem with global realities and requirements with utmost sense of responsibility, knowing the central role the subject matter of anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing play in the attainment of economic prosperity and global peace.

He also called for continuous and sustainable coordination and collaboration amongst the competent authorities in Nigeria and other jurisdictions whilst assuring the Competent Authorities in Nigeria that the doors of the legislature are always open to them for constructive engagement and discussion.
National leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, took the immediate administration headed by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to the cleaner. According to him, the former president got a red card in governance but won a gold medal in corruption.

However, Jonathan dismissed the claim that corruption was elevated to a gold medal status under his administration, as insisted that happenings in the last two years have shown that the incumbent administration has taken corruption to a frightening level.

Tinubu alleged that under the former president, so much money grew feet and ran faster than Jamaican runner, Usain Bolt.

This is as President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration had demonstrated its intolerance for corruption, warning that any public official caught will face the full wrath of the law.

According to him, Nigeria has now regained international respect as a result of its fight against corruption, with a lot of leaders now indicating interest to visit on monthly basis.

The duo spoke at the presentation of a book: Making steady, sustainable progressive for Nigerias peace and prosperity: A mid-term scorecard on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, packaged by the presidential media team, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

According to Tinubu, the prior (Jonathans) government used the public treasury as a private hedge fund or a charity that limited its giving only to themselves.

So much money grew feet and ran away faster than Usain Bolt ever could. That which could have been spent on national development was squandered in ways that would cause the devil to blush.

One minister and her rogues gallery picked the pocket of this nation for billions of dollars. While poor at governance, these people could give a master thief lessons in the sleight of hand. In governance, they earned a red card but in corruption, they won the gold medal.

It was not that our institutions had become infected by corruption.Corruption has become institutionalised.

The former Lagos State governor said though the war on corruption has not been won, President Buhari has set an axe to what he called, the root of this dangerous tree.

He noted that gone were the days when a minister could pilfer billions of dollars as easily as plucking a piece of candy from the table.

We have much to do to combat this disease. Not only must we track down the takers. In the long term, we must review the salaries of public servants and create universal credits for our people to reduce temptation.

This is even as he said if Jonathan had remained in power, Boko Haram would have taken more territory and devoured more people.

This nation might have been divided and cut asunder, not by choice but by the knife of terrorism.

He said though Boko Haram has not been completely defeated, it has been decimated and made shorter and weaker.

They shall never constitute the threat they once were, he noted.

Tinubu also advised that Nigeria must urgently move towards true federalism, adding that it could not grow without robust industrial capacity.

He noted that the Buhari administration has changed the story of Nigeria for good in the last two years.

Jonathans reaction

Jonathan in a statement by his former special assistant on New Media, Reno Omokri urged Tinubu to look at the verdict of the Transparency International on the state of corruption when the government was under his watch.

The statement read:

First of all, the only global body for monitoring corruption is Transparency International which releases an annual Corruption Perception Index.

It is a fact that Nigeria made her most improvement in Transparency Internationals annual Corruption Perception Index in 2014 under President Jonathan when we moved from 144 to 136 representing an improvement of eight points.

Transparency International observed the Jonathan administrations fight against corruption in Nigerias fertilizer procurement regime, the use of technology to remove 50,000 federal ghost workers and the speed at which the then president fired ministers accused of corruption or conflict of interests.

From that time till today, Nigeria has not made any improvements and has remained at 136 where Jonathan left us because Transparency International deals with facts, not opinions or media trial.

Jonathan added: Other than media sensationalism, there have been no convictions of financial misappropriation stemming from the Jonathan era.

However, we do know that it is a fact that the allegedly corrupt pension thief, Abdulrasheed Maina, was dismissed and declared wanted by the Jonathan administration.

We also now know that it is a fact that the present Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, met with Maina in Dubai. We know that Mainas family revealed in a press conference that Maina was invited back to Nigeria by the present government. It is also a fact that Maina was recalled, reinstated and given double promotion by the current administration.

Moreover, we know from the Head of Services leaked memo that President Muhammadu Buhari was aware of this entire saga.

Perhaps, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu mistook the Usain Bolt speed at which Maina was smuggled back into the country and reinstated for the unproven claims of corruption under Jonathan.

We also know that it is a fact that $25 billion worth of contracts were awarded at the NNPC without due process. It is also a fact that this is the highest ever such amount involved in Nigerias history. Again, perhaps it is this amount that Tinubu meant when he said, so much money grew feet and ran away faster than Usain Bolt ever could. Or perhaps he was referring to Babachir Lawal.

Nigerians should note that on the 7th of March 2014, then President Jonathan said, I am loyal to Nigerias economy. I dont have accounts or property abroad. Till date, nobody has been able to contradict that statement because it is true.

Can Bola Tinubu or anybody in the APC leadership make a similar claim?

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has called for stronger synergy among poor countries in Africa to effectively combat money laundering and terrorism financing.

Speaking at the 28th plenary meeting of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) in Abuja, Dogara, said due to the lack of effective international cooperation and collaboration, criminals have globalised their activities, connecting across the globe seamlessly while the enforcers of the laws were hampered in no small measure.

He assured on the National Assembly and Nigerias readiness to fully comply with the global standards required of her by demonstrating political support to the relevant authorities in the country to deepen the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism culture in Nigeria.

Dogara also stressed that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was wholly focused and effectively poised to deal with the issues of corruption, money laundering, insecurity and terrorism.

There must be synergy between the impoverished countries where monies may have been stolen and laundered from and countries considered as safe havens where these proceeds of crime are kept. As stated earlier, the fibres of international cooperation must be strengthened if we must win the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Nigeria is fully committed to complying with the global standards required of her by demonstrating political support to the relevant competent authorities in Country so as to deepen the anti -money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) culture in Nigeria.

The National Assembly will, when called upon for any legislative intervention to bring our system in tandem with global realities and requirements, do so with

During the year, it was my great pleasure to secure the release of 102 Chibok schoolgirls. We are doing our best quietly and effectively as possible to get the rest released.

We are working day and night with our international partners to release the remaining girls as soon as possible, as well as women and children still on captivity.

Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said the scorecard of the administration was spirit lifting and great morale booster for the party and the nation.

This is rock-solid evidence not newspaper induced achievement that used to be the caseThere is so much going on today, there is serious process of reconstruction and consolidation. What is going on must get to a stage that it is not irreversible. Irreversibility means consistency, continuity of policies and leadership. All these can all mature with time and with somebody who truly believes in consistency.

The Sokoto Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who spoke on behalf of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) commended Buhari for being a leader devoid of party leanings.

He said he demonstrated that with the directive that the security aides of the Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano be restored.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the book was a demonstration of the fact that the change agents of this administration have been working.

Nigeria has undergone change including improved security, fight

against corruption, to the extent that even the opposition agrees

there is steady improvement of security in the northeast.

The publication is not just a book but a practicable guides that the

administration has made to redeem the campaign promises.

This administration has done everything possible to put Nigeria on

the trajectory of greatness.
Clearly unsatisfied with the present state of the nations construction industry, members of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) have called for a review of the various challenges militating against the construction industry.

This was the focus of the eighth edition of the Engineer (Dr) Ralph Adeola Alabi Memorial Lecture which was put together by the Nigeria Society for Engineers held in Ikeja, recently.

In his opening remarks, the special guest of honour, Engineer Aderemi Oseni, lauded the life and times of the late Alabi, saying, among other things, that I view this occasion, as a celebration of life, deeds and legacy of one of the most illustrious sons of Nigeria and unforgettable pillar of the Ikeja branch of Nigeria Society of Engineers. I did not have the privilege of meeting or having a personal close relationship with Engineer Alabi during his life time like many of you, but the impact of his purposeful and well spent life that touched many people in many ways remains unforgettable and serve as a source of inspiration to upcoming generations.

Speaking further, he called for a revamp of the construction industry, insisting that all hands must be on deck to see to the realisation of this lofty goal. The engineering industry that has abundant potential to create job and wealth for the nation is bewailed with a myriad of problems like poor manpower development, decaying and ineffective vocational and technical education, low development of science and technology, low involvement and participation of private sector in infrastructural development, poor maintenance of existing public infrastructure, diminished opportunities for local contractors, archaic nature of some local skills due to change in technology, low investment in infrastructure, lack of policy to deliberately promote the growth of indigenous contractors, monumental corruption in the construction and engineering sectors among many others.

The truth of the matter is that all these should serve as a wake-up call to all of us in the engineering profession. We must come together, work with various levels of government and other stakeholders to provide solutions to these cancerous problems, reposition engineering services or remain indifferent, unconcerned and suffer the consequences. Nigerias economy is at a crossroads in view of the reality of economic challenges that our dear country is passing through at the moment. Our government is looking for solutions that will facilitate economic emancipation, job creation and improve the quality of life of the citizenry.

Other speakers at the event called for concerted efforts in building a virile construction industry. They averred that the era of fake engineers who lack the prerequisite qualification should be fought against and that the glorious days of strengthening the industry should be brought forward.

Chief among those present at the event or represented included the governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, the director of the human resources of Flour Mills Plc, the chairman and the executive council members of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Ikeja branch, members of the organizing committee for Engineer (Dr) Ralph Alabi Memorial Lecture, members of the family of the late Engineer (Dr) Ralph Alabi and the general public.
President Robert Mugabe last night agreed to step down.

A new government is to be formed within 48 hours, a twitter handle claiming to be speaking on behalf of the provisional government of Zimbabwe said.

Mugabe will then proceed on exile to South Africa.

Fresh elections will be held in the spring of 2018 once order and peace have been established.

The likely presidential election date is April 18, 2018, Zimbabwes independence day.

The structure of government will remain the same under the provisional government of Zimbabwe. However, the introduction of new posts, such as prime minister are being negotiated. The new, provisional government of Zimbabwe will be formed within the next 48 hours. It is likely that vice presidential posts will remain vacant.

Comrade R.G Mugabe is not going to be prosecuted for his actions and crimes throughout his tenure as Prime Minister (19801987) and President of the republic (19872017). He has accepted H.E Jacob Zumas offer and will depart to South Africa after the resignation.

Mugabe is currently negotiating with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The provisional government will soon address the nation to update you all with the current situation.

Mugabes wife Grace and two key figures from her G40 political faction are under house arrest at Mugabes Blue House compound in Harare and are insisting the 93-year-old finishes his presidential term, a source said.

The G40 figures are cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere, who fled to the compound after their homes were attacked by troops in Tuesday nights coup, the source, who said he had spoken to people inside the compound, said.

Zimbabwean intelligence reports seen by Reuters suggest that former security chief Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was ousted as vice-president this month, has been mapping out a post-Mugabe vision with the military and opposition for more than a year.

Fuelling speculation that that plan might be rolling into action, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been receiving cancer treatment in Britain and South Africa, returned to Harare late on Wednesday, his spokesman said.

He urged President Mugabe to resign in the interest of the country.

In the interest of the people, Robert Mugabe must resign and step down immediately, Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, told a news conference, reading from a statement.

The opposition called for the intermediate installation of an interim government.

At the moment the transitional government is the best way to go, said Douglas Mwonzora, Secretary-General of Tsvangirais MDC-T party.

We back the military move but the country should quickly go back a constitutional government.

Armoured vehicles that were stationed at key government buildings during the political upheaval on Wednesday remained in place.

The soldiers appeared relaxed, even smiling and chatting with onlookers.

Most people were going about their daily business and children went to school.

Special envoys sent by South African President Jacob Zuma were holding discussions on Mugabes fate with Zimbabwes leaders.

Officials from the Southern African Development Community were also meeting in Botswanas capital Gaborone yesterday to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.

What is needed is an inclusive government to run the affairs of Zimbabwe until a time it is right to have elections, said Didymus Mutasa, a long-time minister in Mugabes government, who was fired in 2014 for backing Joice Mujuru as the presidents successor.

Jacob Mafume, a spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Tendai Biti, said that any interim government should be inclusive of all the stakeholders, including the church and all parties.

While the army has said Mugabe is safe, there were mixed reports in the media about his wife Grace Mugabes whereabouts, with some saying she had fled the country.

Speculation had been growing before the coup that 52-year-old Grace was preparing to take over from her husband.

The potential ascendency appears to have faced resistance from senior military officials.

There was an uneasy calm on the streets of Harare, after initial jubilation on Wednesday when the army announced it had seized control from Mugabe.
A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to do more to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.

He said although the administration had achieved a lot in the two years of its existence, too many Nigerians were still too poor to be ignored.

Tinubu made the call in his keynote address at the public presentation of a book, Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigerias Peace and Prosperity at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The 360-page book is a mid-term scorecard of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration authored by the Presidential Media Team.

The former Lagos State governor said though the present administration worked hard to fix the country, it must recognised the situation of millions of people who had been denied for a long time and were still suffering.

He said, True, much good has been done by this government to ignore. However, too many of our people remain too poor and put-out to ignore as well. Daylight comes but not yet to all and not in equal measure.

Due to the neglect of prior governments, our economy was not allowed to blossom in a way that offered jobs to the poor and empowered the common man.

Where prosperity should have stood, poverty was erected. Where progress should have been established, stagnation assumed residence. We are trying hard to escape this deep hole.

While we work towards this good end, we must recognise the situation of millions of our people. Wrongfully denied for so long, they suffer still. But we ask them to take heart. Dont forfeit hope. Understand that tomorrow will not be as the past when what was built and bought was not intended for you.

What we are now building, is meant for you. This is your government and you will be the beneficiaries of its policies and programmes. You are no longer the forgotten. You are the hope and promise of a nation and its future.

As this government implements its economic plans, the griping poverty you have long suffered will give way and ultimately turn into the fertile progress and prosperity that only good governance can bring. We do this with a sense of urgency!

Tinubu said the country was racing against unrelenting time and that a time would come when the nations oil would lose its value and would become merely liquid beneath our feet.

He said the government must train its policies to avert the impending problem, adding that the history of a depressed economy must not be allowed to repeat itself.

The APC chief noted that some people might distort his observations to make them appear as pieces of evidence of space between him and Buhari.

Their evidence will be false and their news about this will be fake. Mischief never dies. Fortunately, nor does the truth.

What I proffer today is done in the spirit of utmost respect and affinity by one who wants the best for this government and for Nigeria. I say these things to encourage the government to achieve the greatness the times demand and of which this government is capable, he said.

While describing the economy as the battlefront upon which the nations fate would be decided, Tinubu observed that the 2018 Budget that was recently presented to the National Assembly would move the nation farther in the right direction.

He added, It is a bolder, more creative one than this governments earlier editions.

It shows this government has embraced its progressive identity despite the chorus of opposition. Also that it more clearly realises the depths of the economic and financial challenges before us.

One of the important aspects of this budget is the capital expenditure for needed infrastructure.

This investment means the government fully recognises our economy must grow but that it cannot expand beyond the parameters of the infrastructural grid that serves it.

With this book and with the budget we come to the place where past intersects with the present to interact with the future; the place where what we do or dont do will dictate the Nigeria of tomorrow.

We are inching out of recession but growth must increase. It is time to lead our people to a place where poverty and hunger become infrequent and where prosperity and hope are the daily fare of the common man.

He called the governments attention to three key ideas  the establishment of a robust industrial capacity, the need for a national infrastructural plan and the need to help common farmers by improving rural output and incomes.

He urged the government to return to commodity exchange boards or similar mechanism to allow farmers to secure their income and hedge against loss.

Tinubu said the nations future was one of beckoning challenge yet potential greatness.

Through no fault of their own, too many of our people are without. Too many parents cannot properly feed and clothe their precious children, too many young adults exist in the void of joblessness, and too many of us do not have the resources to care for elderly parents who once cared for them. We must cure these wrongs.

If I were an architect, I would say that President Buhari has used the last two years to wisely lay the deep and wide foundation for a new building called a better Nigeria.

Today, as I stand before you all, I implore him and his government. The good you have started. do it the more. The good that you have yet to achieve . get to it with a laser- like focus.

If we do as we must, we can well together construct this new building so that it will have place and habitation for those who have lived outside and on the margins to come in and finally partake of the bounty and good harvest a proud and true nation has to offer its people, he added.

Tinubu said the nation must move towards true federalism.

This, he said, should be done by the balance of power and responsibility between the Federal Government and the states.

In so doing, we attain the correct balance between our collective purpose on one hand and our separate grassroots realities on the other, he said.

Boko Haram decimated under Buhari

Tinubu recalled that before the inception of the present administration the Boko Haram sect wreaked havoc daily.

He said the sect invaded towns and villages, erasing the peace and normalcy of the people to replace it with wanton brutality, hatred and death.

They hoisted their dreadful flag where only the green and white of Nigeria should have been.

Today, that evil flag is not planted over an inch of our precious land. This violent scourge recedes into the darkened shadows of inhumanity from whence it came.

People once under its horrid dominion now breathe the air of freedom and safety.

Boko Haram has not been completely defeated. But there is no question, that it has been decimated and made shorter and weaker. They shall never constitute the threat they once were.

This is no accident. It is the result of the policies and commitment of President Buhari, his government and the men and women of our armed forces who place their lives on the line in silent heroism to protect this nation and its people.

Had the previous government remained in place, Boko Haram would have surely eaten more territory and devoured more people. This nation might have indeed been divided and cut asunder, not by choice but by the knife of terrorism, he said.

The former governor also said that the previous government used the public treasury as a private hedge fund or a charity that limited its giving only to themselves.

He said, So much money grew feet and ran away faster than Usain Bolt ever could. That which could have been spent on national development was squandered in ways that would cause the devil to blush.

One minister and her rogues gallery picked the pocket of this nation for billions of dollars. While poor at governance, these people could give a master thief lessons in the sleight of hand. In governance, they earned a red card but in the corruption, they won the gold medal.

It was not that our institutions had become infected by corruption. Corruption had become institutionalised.

He noted that Buhari had set an axe to the root of corruption which he described as a dangerous tree.

He however admitted that the war against large-scale corruption had not been won yet.

He said it would take time and countless swings of the axe to fall such a deeply-rooted tree.

Gone are the times when a minister can pilfer billions of dollars as easy as plucking a piece of candy from the table.

We have much to do to combat this disease. Not only must we track down the takers. In the long term, we must review the salaries of public servants and create universal credits for our people to reduce temptation.

We must also take greater care by placing people of character, competence and goodness into key positions. When they fail, they must be removed without remorse or favour.

Unlike its predecessor, this government has demonstrated the will to walk this path. While this might not cause much fanfare or celebration, this cleanses the institutions upon which a nations well-being is founded with a future assured, he added.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has said his administration has succeeded in reversing the affront of members of the Boko Haram sect who were overrunning troops and encroaching on the nations territorial integrity as of the time he took over from former President Goodluck Jonathan on May 29, 2015.

He however admitted that the task of revamping the nations economy which exited recession recently remained work-in-progress.

Buhari stated this in the foreword he wrote for a book, Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigerias Peace and Prosperity put together by his media team.

Our correspondent on Tuesday obtained an advance copy of the book, which is the mid-term scorecard of the present administration, ahead of its public presentation scheduled for Thursday in Abuja.

In the foreword titled, Come, let us reflect together, Buhari said he was tackling corruption, insecurity and parlous economy boldly and honestly.

He insisted that he inherited the challenges from the last administration.

The President said the promise he made, during electioneering that preceded the 2015 presidential election, to sweep away the filth that had been standing against national development was not made lightly.

He said, Part of the attributes of humans as sentient beings is the gift of reflection, which enables us to ruminate on issues, challenges, opportunities and situations.

Reflection is an integral part of human memory; attempting to detach one from the other is to embark on an impossible mission.

Reflection is the signpost to our thinking faculties as it enables us to evaluate where we are coming from, where we are and where we are headed.

The administration came into office two years ago on the promise of change; to sweep away the filth in our national life which has been standing in the path of our manifest greatness.

That promise was not made lightly, nor has the government relented in its commitment to a sacred mandate to better the lot of the citizenry.

Corruption, insecurity and the parlous economy were the challenges inherited at inception. They have been addressed and are still being addressed boldly and honestly.

Steadily, the culture of impunity is receding; the affront of terrorists overawing security troops and encroaching on our territorial integrity has been reversed. The task of revamping the economy remains work-in-progress.

Reflection on the intrinsic link between the past, the present and the future is useful to help us come to better terms with the challenges facing us as a people and a country.

Buhari said every objective observer will agree with him that in two years, Nigeria has made steady progress under him.

He promised to do more to make steady progress a permanent feature of the country.

The 348-page book listed the achievements of each ministry in the two years of the present administration.

It also highlighted the achievements of some key government agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent and Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria Customs Service and the Niger Delta Development Commission, among others.

The book was jointly edited by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu; and the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande.
On the occasion of the two-day visit of the French Prime Minister, Edouard Philipe to Rabat, 22 cooperation agreements were signed between the two countries in fields relating to regionalization, industry, new technologies, renewable energies, culture and transport.

The agreements were signed at the end of the 13th Moroccan-French High-level meeting, co-chaired by Edouard Philipe and Head of the Moroccan government Saad Eddine El Othmani.

On Wednesday, the salient theme of bilateral cooperation was transport. Five agreements were signed providing for financing for Moroccos structural projects. Under these agreements, the French Development Agency (AFD) committed a 40 million loan and a 400,000 grant to fund the second line of the Rabat-Sale Tramway.

Another agreement was signed by Casa Transports Maroc Company and the AFD, under which 500,000 will be granted to fund the Casablanca Tramway extension line 2.

A partnership agreement was also signed by the Direction des routes du Royaume du Maroc and the Centre on risk, environment, mobility and development studies and expertize (CERAMA) to provide adequate responses to technical issues pertaining to development projects, in terms of road pavement, infrastructure, civil engineering and technical software programs.

On Thursday, the two countries signed declarations of intent on digital cooperation, administration reform, sea industry, ports and infrastructure in general as well as sports, museums, youth, education and culture.

A framework agreement on developing the Moroccan digital university platform (MOOCS) was also sealed, along with a declaration of intent on promoting the French-Moroccan university co-location abroad.

The French-Moroccan cooperation also set the target of making of Rabat a cultural destination in the continent with the signing of a declaration of intent on cinema cooperation with the aim of setting up a cinema co-production fund, and a letter of intent on exhibiting in 2018 in the Rabat Mohammed VI Museum Beaubourgs Mediterranean artworks.

On the same occasion, a draft agreement was inked between the Moroccan Agency for sustainable Energy (MASEN) and the AFD in addition to a draft agreement between the state investment arm (CDG) and AFD to support mainly energy and ecology transitions, extensive regionalization and social inclusion, and a letter of intent concerning AFDs support for promoting access to drinking water for populations north of the Kingdom.
The Head of the UN Special Mission in Libya, Ghassan Salame, told the UN Security Council (SC) Thursday that the countrys two rival administrations have made giant strides towards consensus even though few issues remain unsolved.

Salame in September unveiled a new action plan believed to pave the way to general elections next year and subsequently to establishing a central government.

Libya has been without a central government since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, killed in 2011 in a NATO-backed revolution.

Two governments; the Beida-based administration supported by the countrys internationally recognized parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk, is opposed to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) birthed as a result of a 2015 accord called the Libyan Political Accord (LPA).

The two opposed administrations have fallen apart over the LPA, on a number of issues regarding the control of the army and the faith of Khalifa Hafta, a former Gaddafi close aide who supports the Beida-based administration.

As part of the new action plan, Libya should have a new constitution and the HoR as well as the State Council aligned with the GNA fielded teams to draft the new constitution.

Both organs, according to the UN envoy, have made much progress even though some issues are still unanswered.

I am quite confident we are close to a consensus, Salame said.

Salame also told the SC that a national conference to adopt the new constitution will be held next year in February, probably in Tripoli.

The process presented by the Lebanese culture minister will have as climax, the presidential election to elect Libyas first ever elected leader.
Morocco and France renewed commitment to reinforcing their security cooperation at a context marked by the threat of foreign terrorist fighters relocating from the Middle East to Europe and North Africa.

The two countries laid emphasis on the need to beef up their bilateral counterterrorism cooperation in a joint statement issued at the end of the state visit by Prime Minister Edouard Philipe who co-chaired with Head of the Government Saad Eddine El Othmani the 13th High-level French-Moroccan Meeting in Rabat.

The two countries underscored their steadfast commitment to combating all forms of radicalism and extremism and countering amalgams.

In this respect, the joint statement praised Morocco for its leadership in training Imams and expressed Frances willingness to cooperate in this field by virtue of an agreement signed by the two countries in September 2015.

The two countries also stressed their determination to reinforce operational cooperation concerning all forms of criminality and agreed to finalize the technical arrangement on a long-term strategic program of cooperation in terms of domestic security for 2018-2020, which will also fight cybercrime.

Concerning the situation in the region, the joint statement reiterated the two countries positions in favor of a lasting comprehensive solution to guarantee Libyas stability and security, on the basis of the provisions of the Skhirat Agreement, which was achieved under the umbrella of the UN.

The two countries also expressed concern over the surge of security threats in the Sahel region and reaffirmed support for the G5 Sahel Joint Force.
Morocco and China convened to bolster their strategic partnership through lending support to the Belt and Road Initiative.

The announcement was made in Beijing during a meeting between visiting Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

During their talks, Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said the 19th CPC National Congress has set the country on a new journey toward a modern socialist country.

China is committed to building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

He called on both sides to implement the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and King Mohammed VI and upgrade bilateral cooperation through joint construction of the Belt and Road.

On the occasion of the Moroccan Foreign Ministers visit to China a MoU was signed to speed up efforts aiming at achieving the Belt and Road Initiative, which Morocco was the first African country to join in 2013.

The agreement, signed by Chinese Foreign minister, Wang Yi, and Bourita, provides for Moroccos active contribution to the initiative to enable it to establish multi-stakeholder partnerships in promising sectors, such as infrastructure, advanced industries and technology, in addition to strengthening the countrys role in achieving growth in Africa, given its geographical position and the importance of its infrastructure (airports, roads, ports).

In a speech addressed to the Summit of the Forum on Sino-African Cooperation, held in December 2015, King Mohammed VI welcomed the Chinese Presidents launch of the Belt and Road initiative, which constitutes a genuine strategic vision in bilateral and multilateral relations and aims to connect Asian, European and African countries more closely.

Chinese investments in Morocco have increased following King Mohammed VIs visit to China in 2016, rising from 2 million dirhams in 2011 to 393 millions dirhams in 2015.

Last October, Morocco and the China Association for Industrial Cooperation (CAIC) have agreed to set up an economic zone in Fez offering a platform for various industries, a deal that reflects Chinas increasing interest in Morocco notably after the Kingdom signed with Chinese Haite Group an agreement to set up a $10 billion industry and technology hub in Tangier, which will create 100,000 jobs in the long run.

The growing interest of Chinese firms in Morocco is also mirrored, inter alia, in the setting up of an office of the Bank of China in Casablanca in March 2016 as part of Moroccos Casablanca Finance City initiative, as well as the announcement of Yangtse Automobile of a $100 million investment in Tangier to produce electric cars and buses for export to Europe. The project is expected to create 2,000 jobs.
The United States and Morocco officially launched the Initiative to Address Homegrown Terrorism on November 16 in Malta, convening over 70 government officials, law enforcement officers, and non-governmental representatives from 25 countries.

The initiative, launched under the auspices of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and in partnership with the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, aims to  [address] the growing threat posed by ISIL/Daesh-inspired and linked Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs), exploring ways for stakeholders to tackle these issues in a coordinated manner.

Announced in September as part of the (GCTF), the initiative is launched at a context marked by ISISs prolific use of social media that has expanded its reach throughout the world, allowing the group to direct or inspire adherents, including those who have never stepped foot in a conflict zone, to commit acts of terrorism in their own countries.

The homegrown terrorism threat is growing as ISIS attempts to compensate for the loss of control of territory in Iraq and Syria by encouraging and directing attacks elsewhere, including by leveraging foreign terrorist fighters relocating from the conflict zone. Recent attacks in Barcelona, New York, and Manchester, show no country is immune to these terrorist attacks.

The participants in this initiative discussed the trends and issues associated with homegrown terrorism, and highlighted available tools and programs to address this threat. Participants reviewed ways to improve information sharing, both within and among governments, and examined prevention and intervention programs.

This initiative will result in non-binding good practices for policymakers and practitioners that will highlight comprehensive and integrated approaches to preventing and detecting homegrown terrorists.

Morocco is committed to promoting regional security and cooperates closely on counterterrorism and other security efforts with the US and countries throughout Europe and the Middle East.

In addition to serving as Co-Chair of the GCTF, Morocco participates in the State Department Antiterrorism Assistance Program, cooperates with US Customs and Border Protection and DHS to address watch-listed travelers, and has a framework agreement with the US to develop mutual expertise in the areas of crisis management, border security, and terrorism investigations to strengthen regional counterterrorism capability and to deny space to terrorism and terrorist networks.

Morocco is also at the forefront of efforts to counter the appeal of violent extremism within its own borders and in the broader region. One of Moroccos key programs to provide religious training  by the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Morchidines, and Morchidates, which aims to prepare the next generation of Muslim religious leaders from across the region to counter extremist interpretations of Islam  continues to be in high demand, and in 2018 will welcome a record 1,240 foreign Islamic preacher trainees from Mali, Guinea, Cote dIvoire, Senegal, Chad, Nigeria, and France.
Chris Christie embarrassed himself in a lot of ways while trying to win Trumps favor. Not this one though. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

In June of 2016, after Donald Trump had bulldozed the crowded GOP primary field and Republicans were grappling with their ability to support a vulgar charlatan, Chris Christie wasted no time throwing his support behind the future president. The New Jersey governor became a regular at Trumps public events in the summer of 2016, having transformed himself into a sort of manservant, as The New Yorker put it.

To illustrate that description, the magazines Ryan Lizza provided a short anecdote that went viral: Christie was, according to an anonymous Republican, once forced to make a McDonalds run for Trump.

But in a long profile of Christie as he prepares to leave office, Politicos Josh Dawsey includes a startling admission from exTrump aide Sam Nunberg.

Sam Nunberg, a former Trump aide, told me he made up the story to embarrass Christieand that it spread like wildfire. The sad reality is that it was believable, Nunberg said, chuckling.

You might think that this definitive statement settles matters. But Lizza tweeted that Nunberg wasnt the source of the story about Chris Christie acting as the Presidents burger boy.

This is incorrect. Sam Nunberg was not the source of The New Yorkers anecdote about Chris Christie and McDonalds. https://t.co/ZG7Re6W7z7  Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) November 18, 2017
Yes, another legislative train wreck is in the offing for the last month of the year. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Its not getting much attention in a political commentariat focused on tax cuts and sexual misconduct. But very soon Congress is going to have to deal with the can of worms it kicked down the road in September via an unlikely deal between Donald Trump and congressional Democrats. The short-term spending measure and debt-limit extension passed on September 8 expires on December 8. A consensus has developed to pass a stopgap bill continuing federal spending at current levels until right around the end of the year, or possibly until very early in 2018. But the specter of partisan gridlock and possibly a government shutdown hangs over the desultory negotiations over a spending deal and other issues that each side is insisting on cramming into the bill.

Unlike the health-care and tax legislation that has consumed so much congressional energy in 2017, the spending measure cannot be passed by special budget rules enabling passage by a simple majority in the Senate. So Democratic cooperation is a must  particularly since a number of House conservatives routinely vote against spending bills as a matter of principle. And one of the big questions surrounding a spending deal is whether Democrats exploit that leverage to make some nonnegotiable demands, particularly since the Republicans who control the federal government are almost certainly going to get the lions share of the blame if a shutdown occurs.

The most likely deal-breaker demand is relief for Dreamers (young undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children who meet certain conditions indicating good behavior) now under threat of deportation after the presidents delayed suspension of the Obama administrations DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program. The administration and its congressional allies would prefer a DACA deal that encompasses restrictions on legal immigration and/or beefed-up border security, including money for the presidents much-ballyhooed wall. But making the issue part of a larger spending-bill bargain could lead to a DACA extension more to Democrats liking.

Another potential Democratic demand involves money for the CSR (Cost-Sharing Reduction) payments to insurance companies that Trump ended last month, which has threatened the stability of Obamacares individual insurance markets. As with DACA, there have been extensive bipartisan negotiations to address this problem; the Alexander-Murray legislation, restoring CSR payments in exchange for greater state flexibility in implementing Obamacare requirements, has enough support to pass the Senate, and more recently, Republicans have discussed letting that bill see the light of day as a counterweight to the tax bills proposed elimination of the Obamacare insurance purchasing mandate. If such maneuvers fail, Democrats could simply refuse to support a spending bill unless CSR payments are included.

If such demands are deemed excessive by the congressional leadership or the White House, Republicans might choose to solidify their intra-party support so that fewer Democratic votes are needed. But conservatives could then issue their own demands, which might include anti-abortion provisions defunding Planned Parenthood, or border-wall money, or major domestic spending cuts.

And hanging over all the negotiations will be the virtual necessity of a deal over the separate defense and non-defense spending caps imposed as part of a fiscal deal back in 2011. Congress has regularly waived the caps via deals that gave Republicans more defense spending and Democrats more domestic spending. Republicans and a significant number of Democrats want to reform or abolish the caps once and for all to let defense spending rise. But Democrats will surely want a corresponding relaxation of non-defense caps, and conservatives will violently resist.

If all that isnt complicated and contentious enough, the continual slippage of the deadline for a spending deal makes it increasingly probable that the negotiations over it will encompass debt-limit legislation as well. The two issues had supposedly been decoupled thanks to Treasury assurances that it could deal with government borrowing needs for a while after the last extension expired. But as Politico reports, Congress may decide to lump it all together anyway:

[W]e hear that THE DEBT CEILING could be part of the mix in the final month of the year, as well. Treasury says Congress has until January to lift the debt limit, but some say if Congress is going to slap together a big package, the debt limit might as well be included. No one really wants to raise the debt limit in an election year, anyway. But the negotiations have to be going really well for the debt limit to be included.

The possibility of a debt default (about which conservatives are dangerously sanguine) raises the stakes in the year-end negotiations significantly. And beyond all that, if the tax bill is also hanging in the balance in December, it will be impossible to avoid linkages between that fraught issue and all the other items piling up in this sluggish Congresss in-box.

Get ready for some yelling and screaming and wheeling and dealing, real and feigned. The holidays will not be so happy in Washington.
What happened? Photo: John Leyba/Denver Post via Getty Images

In an interview today, Hillary Clinton questioned the legitimacy of Donald Trumps presidency, saying that she wanted an independent commission to get to the bottom of what happened.

"Do you think it was a LEGITIMATE election?" Clinton: "I think there are lots of questions about its legitimacy, and we don't have a method for contesting that in our system. That's why I've long advocated for an independent commission to get to the bottom of what happened." https://t.co/XAEsK2V2wc  Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 17, 2017

Jonathan Chait, Ed Kilgore, Eric Levitz, and Ezekiel Kweku talked about whether Hillary Clinton was right, and what we talk about when we talk about legitimate elections.

Ezekiel: Hillary Clintons answer to the question Was it a legitimate election? should have been yes.

Ed: Maybe much as I hate to say it, yes. Much as I hate to say that.

Jon: I agree. I dont hate to say it that much, though.

Ezekiel: Yeah, doesnt bother me at all

Eric: Agreed. Russia and James Comey exercised undue influence over its outcome. But well-heeled, influential actors of all sorts exert undue influence over every elections outcome.

Ed: Wow, quick consensus!

Jon: This has been like the Saturday Night Live Bears fans skit where they predict the next game

Ezekiel: #TBT

It's appalling that a presidential nominee of a major party is undermining the pillar of our democracyjust because he hates losing. pic.twitter.com/ZQhoighCAl  Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 20, 2016

Ed: Yeah:

"THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!"  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2016

Eric: I do think, though, shed have been within her rights to follow up an affirmation of the elections legitimacy, with some griping about the threat that the Electoral College poses to the publics faith in our nations democratic legitimacy

Ezekiel: I dont think the Electoral College poses a threat to the publics faith in our nations democratic legitimacy though. I think the Electoral College is not the optimal system of deciding an election, but thats a different question.

Ed: Eric: Not sure democratic legitimacy is a thing. The Latin root of legitimacy is legitmus, which simply means lawful. I hate the Electoral College, personally. But calling it illegitimate makes no sense.

Jon: The system is inherently deficient in its democratic legitimacy, but thats not the way most people understand a legitimate election. Most U.S. presidential elections entailed massive disenfranchisement of women, African-Americans, or others. But they were legitimate if they followed the rules, counted the votes correctly, etc.

Ezekiel: Right.

Ed: The Electoral Colleges constitutional function is to end all presidential-election disputes. Thats why its vote is certified by Congress.

Ezekiel: Yeah, I think there are two different questions  one is whether this particular election was lawful and legal. The other is whether our electoral system in general is a reasonable one

Eric: Democratic legitimacy is a real, academic term thats used to describe a situation in which a public is confident that a putatively democratic system is genuinely democratic.

Jon: [Eric puts tobacco in pipe, rubs elbow patches on tweed jacket]

Ed: Okay, Ill take your word for it. But in the context of 2016, theres no question legitimacy means an outcome that should be accepted. And I think HRC knows that. I should probably admit that I never took a political science course in college. One reason I love baiting political scientists.

Jon: [Ed: I learned mah political science milking the cows at 4:00 a.m., perfesser]

Ed: Yeah, Im a populist in at least this one respect.

Eric: America positions itself on the world stage (or at least, did until Trumps election) as the leader of the free world/a global coalition of democracies. It has justified toppling foreign governments in the name of democratic ideals. And I think that claim is undermined (or delegitimized) when a minority of the population selects the U.S. president.

Jon: I have decided my function here is just to vulgarize everybodys perspective.

Ezekiel: The minority of the population always selects the U.S. president.

Ed: Certainly did back in the day.

Eric: This is true. And certainly, increasing voter registration/participation is also extremely important.

Ed: Trouble is, our anti-democratic constitutional system makes fixing its anti-democratic nature very difficult.

Ezekiel: If were gonna get scientificallistical about it, then I should point out that Arrows Impossibility Theorem proves out that theres no system of voting that can represent group preferences consistently. Which is to say that there is no perfectly democratic system, even in theory. So the question is whether were passing some threshold level of fairness. I think we are.

Ed: I have a related bone to pick with Erics original formulation about legitimacy depending on the public being confident in election outcomes. Which public? The public that cheers Trumps claims he won by a landslide? This is a pet peeve of mine, BTW: assertions about what the public or America believes.

Eric: The public as a whole. Beyond the laws, the idea that elections should be determined by who receives the most votes is a pretty fundamental normative concept in this country. I think if Clinton had won 70 percent of the popular vote last November, and Trump became president, then the *already significant* crisis of faith in the fairness of our system of government would be severely exacerbated. I think that fact that she won 2 million more votes and he became the president modestly exacerbated it.

Ed: What percentage of the population really understands the Electoral College?

Jon: 3 million.

Eric: Excuse me, 3 million.

Jon: Not that Im bitter.

Ezekiel: I think the fact that Clinton won 3 million more votes and lost is less an indictment of the electoral system than it is of Clintons campaign. But thats an aside.

Ed: And then there was this:

Eric: Like I said, I think that Clinton should have affirmed the legitimacy of the election results. Im just saying  if she felt compelled to voice some bitterness/defend her ego  I think it would have been fine for her to have transitioned into an argument about how our democracy must be strengthened in a variety of ways, including through the abolition of the Electoral College.

Ed: The practical way to get rid of the Electoral College is via an interstate compact. That could be a Democratic campaign promise in state elections.

Jon: Disagree, Eric. I think it makes sense to disaggregate those arguments from complaints by the elections loser.

Ezekiel: Jill Stein is an important note to me: When I hear people talking about how the presidential elections are unfair, they talk about the two-party system, the amount of money that it takes to run, etc. Not, generally speaking, the Electoral College. Which, again, Im not defending

Jon: Well, the design of the election system we have, with winner-take all voting and the possibility of spoilers, allows at least in theory for some hugely perverse outcomes.

Ed: Jon raises an interesting point. On the one hand, you might say no one has more standing to complain about electoral irregularities (or the Electoral College) than Hillary Clinton. But on the other hand, half the country will dismiss anything she says out of hand.

Jon: What if the winning candidate lost not by 2 percent but 10 percent? Or more? It could happen?

Ezekiel: It is obvious that a ranked-choice voting system, for instance, would be better than our current system. Itd also be better than a hypothetical system in which the popular vote winner won the election. But does that make an unranked popular vote system unfair? Not to me.

Jon: Mmhmm.

Ed: And so far as I know, a ranked-choice voting system is compatible with the constitution.

Ezekiel: Should also point out that theres no such thing as the popular vote in any real sense. The current thing we call the popular vote is just an artifact of the current system  if elections were decided by a popular vote, the campaigns would have been run differently and voting patterns would have changed.

Ed: Another issue with our system that is germane to legitimacy and sore loser concerns is the impossibility of coalition governments. You win the presidency, you get control of the entire federal government, the armed forces, etc. In 2000, which really did skirt the limits of the system (outcome basically determined by SCOTUS) there were calls for a coalition cabinet. Bush ignored it all, other than bruiting about the idea of an oil-state Democrat at Energy.

Eric: I think Ezekiels points about shifting voting patterns under a popular-vote system  and his one about the Clinton campaign  are true to an extent. But I dont buy them totally. Our politics is sharply divided along demographic lines. And were talking about a difference of 3 million votes.

Ed: Getting back to the original topic, what good does HRC challenging the legitimacy of her loss do? Stiffen the resistance? Were not going to abolish the Electoral College between now and 2020.

Eric: Nothing. I mean, Im not super invested in what Clinton does or doesnt say in a given interview. (I was just mouthing off in Slack, didnt know this was gonna become a thing.)

Ezekiel: It is now On The Record As A Matter of Discourse.

Eric: But do think that, under the democratic norms that most Americans intuitively accept, Clinton deserved to win. And if she wanted to say that  after stipulating that the election was fair and legal  I wouldnt begrudge her.

Ezekiel: I go back to the quote from The Social Network which has stuck in my head for whatever reason. When Zuckerberg tells the guys who are suing him for supposedly stealing Facebook.

Jon: Losing the election by a million votes isnt cool. You know whats cool?

Ezekiel: Lol, no. If you guys were the inventors of Facebook  you would have invented Facebook.
Bill Clinton. Photo: Joe Marquette/AFP/Getty Images

As liberal America has been engaged in a long-overdue outpouring of recrimination and rethinking about the impunity enjoyed by powerful men who sexually harass their subordinates, Bill Clintons misdeeds have naturally returned to the fore. At the time I, like most Americans, was glad to see Clinton prevail and regarded the whole sordid matter as primarily the fault of congressional Republicans excessive scandal-mongering, confesses Matthew Yglesias. I think we got it wrong. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican former member of the House and a fervent proponent of impeachment, appears in the New York Times to take a victory lap. Some of the same people who dismissed the women who came forward then, it seems like theyre evaluating these issues differently now than they did during that time.

It is definitely true that Democrats underplayed the extent of Clintons crimes, especially ignoring Juanita Broaddricks credible accusation of rape and the disturbingly coercive overtones of his encounter with Paula Jones. But the Clinton scandal was not about Broaddrick or Jones, nor even about the propriety of his affair with an intern. It was about the propriety of impeaching the president for concealing an affair. The events of the last two decades have not made that case look any better.

While a handful of high-profile and unconvincing contemporaneous defenses of Clintons behavior have received some retrospective attention, its an enormous mistake to conclude that Democrats on the whole were defending the presidents behavior. On the contrary, they condemned it forcefully and repeatedly. As deeply disappointed as I am with the process, it pales in comparison to the disappointment I feel toward this president, Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle said during the impeachment debate. Maybe it is because I had such high expectations. Maybe it is because he holds so many dreams and aspirations that I hold about our country. Maybe it is because he is my friend. I have never been, nor ever expect to be, so bitterly disappointed again. It is difficult to find an example of Democratic rhetoric that did not express this theme.

The Democrats position at the time was that Congress should pass a resolution formally censuring Clinton  a rare, historic expression of condemnation. The Republican position maintained that such an act was unconstitutional. (Censure violates the rules of the House. Its unconstitutional. Its a terrible precedent, insisted Majority Whip Tom DeLay.) Democrats focused their dismay on the Republican refusal to allow such a vote. In this debate, we are being denied a vote as an alternative to impeachment for censure and condemnation of our president for the wrongful acts that we believe have been performed, complained House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt.

If the two parties agreed that Clintons behavior with Monica Lewinsky was very, very bad, what was the dispute about, anyway? It centered on the legal process. Special Counsel Kenneth Starr was appointed in 1994 to investigate Whitewater, a land deal that predated the Clinton presidency. Having failed to produce any evidence of criminality, Starr expanded his investigation and set a trap in which he could ask Clinton under oath if he had conducted an extramarital affair. When Clinton denied it, as adulterers tend to do, Starr nailed him for perjury.

At that point, Republicans concluded that it was not only proper but utterly essential to impeach and remove Clinton from office. It is impossible to capture the fervency with which the conservative movement made the case that the rule of law itself hung in the balance, and that allowing Clinton to remain in office after he had concealed his affair from Starr would render the Republic a lawless autarchy. It is also impossible to recall the extent to which they lionized Starr, who during the late 1990s was the epitome of virtue and honor in the right-wing mind. (Starr went on to become president of Baylor University, where he was eventually forced to resign for his complicity in a culture of systematic sexual abuse. His reputation on the right has undergone no critical reassessment.)

Suppose Donald Trump had an affair with an intern, initiated by the latter, as Clintons was. And further suppose, in the course of investigating the Russia scandal, Robert Mueller maneuvered Trump into denying it. Would that be grounds for impeaching him? No, it wouldnt even make a list of Trumps 100 most-impeachable offenses.

There are certainly some Democrats who lionized Clinton as a human being, and a somewhat larger number who do so today. I was not among them. The revelation that he put the liberal agenda at risk by having sex with an intern was widely greeted with disgust, as was the insight into his grossness as a man. One of my friends at the time quipped, Im against impeachment, but in favor of suicide.* The public gave Clinton high job-approval ratings and low personal favorable ratings, reflecting a broad ability to distinguish between his policies and his character. In 2000, the Democratic nominee, Al Gore, steered clear of Clinton and chose as his running mate Joe Lieberman, the Democrat most known for forcefully denouncing the presidents morality.

I wish we liberals had done more to take seriously the episodes of alleged rape and sexual assault that were not the basis for a national impeachment trauma. For better or worse, though, those episodes were not at issue. Its hard to change the subject when Congress is conducting proceedings to impeach and remove the president. At issue was the procedural extremism of a Republican Party that was transforming before our eyes into the uncompromising fanatic faction whose character is fully manifest in the party of Donald Trump and Roy Moore. I dont think we got that wrong at all.

*Update: This passage wasnt clear. It was an ironic reference to Clinton committing suicide, and in earnest, meant that he should resign out of humiliation.
Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin. Photo: Sue Ogrocki/AP

The backlash to the Republican tax agenda is already getting Democrats elected  in Oklahoma. On Tuesday night, 26-year-old mental-health counselor Allison Ikley-Freeman won election to the Sooner States Senate, in a district that backed Donald Trump by 40 points last November.

Ikley-Freeman did not win on the strength of her fundraising or political experience. She boasted little of the former and none of the latter. But like the three other Oklahoma Democrats who have evicted Republicans from state-house seats this year, Ikley-Freeman enjoyed one decisive advantage: She bore no responsibility for the regressive tax policies that had left the state in fiscal ruin.

Oklahoma was a low-tax state even before the 2010 GOP wave crashed over it. But tea-party Republican governor Mary Fallin and her conservative allies werent content with the low baseline theyd inherited. Like President Trump and congressional Republicans, Fallin believed that cutting taxes on wealthy individuals and businesses was the way to grow an economy, no matter what level those taxes were currently at, or how novel circumstances might change the governments budgetary needs.

So, when global oil prices crashed in 2014, and took Oklahomas budget down with them, Fallin was unfazed. Faced with giant, annual revenue shortfalls, the governor didnt just refuse to raise taxes  she cut them even further. Last year, the Sooner State found itself with a $1.3 billion budget gap  and Fallin responded by implementing a $147 million tax cut for Oklahomas highest earners, and preserving a $470 million tax break for oil companies that start new horizontal wells.

Instead of asking wealthy citizens and businesses to pay a bit more (or, in the former case, to pay as much as they had been previously), Fallin decided to strip resources from the states beleaguered public-school system. Between 2008 and 2015, Oklahoma had slashed its per-student education spending by 23.6 percent, more than any other state in the country. But Republicans felt there was still more fat to cut: While rich Sooners collected their tax breaks, Oklahoma schools suffered a 16.5 percent funding cut in the latter half of 2016. Many of the states school districts now make due with four-day weeks. Others struggle to find competent teachers, as the states refusal to pay competitive salaries has chased talented educators out of state or into other professions. Oklahomas health-care and criminal-justice systems are plagued by similarly draconian cuts. Bridges in the state are literally crumbling. Potholes litter roads.

But even this austerity has not been nearly enough to plug the states budget holes. Fallin and the GOP have become reliant on raiding emergency reserves to make up the rest. This has left Oklahoma profoundly vulnerable to the next recession. According to Moodys Analytics, only three states are less prepared for a downturn, based on the gap between their actual reserves and what would be required to stay afloat.

This reliance on emergency, nonrecurring revenue sources has also ensured that the state will face a new budget crisis each and every year. In 2017, the shortfall came in at nearly $900 million, and Fallin lost her nerve. The governor has pushed for (largely regressive) tax increases to restore education funding. But the state requires a three-fourths majority to impose tax hikes, and there are more than enough tea-party zealots in the legislature to block any piece of progressive taxation.

This week, Republicans in Oklahomas House of Representatives passed an emergency budget bill in a special session. The legislation does increase taxes on oil production. But instead of raising taxes on the wealthy, or ending the states exemption for capital gains  as Oklahoma Democrats had proposed  Republicans opted to cut $60 million from state agencies, and drain another few million dollars from the states rainy-day funds.

Oklahomas overwhelmingly Republican voters do not like this idea. As polling by the (left-leaning) Oklahoma Policy Institute demonstrates, there is no majoritarian support for gutting public schools, so as to let rich people pay low taxes, even in the heart of red America.

That poll also found 74 percent of Oklahomans saying that increasing teacher pay should be a major priority for their government  and 64 percent saying that expanding health-care access should be one  compared to just 38 percent who said the same about lowering taxes. This goes a ways toward explaining why Democrats keep winning special elections in the state.

Oklahomas Republican Party grew ever more fanatically committed to cutting taxes, even as shifting circumstances made it impossible to sustain basic public goods without raising them. Now, the discrepancy between the GOPs fiscal priorities, and its voters material needs, has become stark enough to challenge partisan loyalties.

In Washington, Republicans are working hard to make Oklahomas experience a national one. On Thursday, the House passed multitrillion-dollar tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy, even as exigent circumstances  among them, increasingly frequent hurricanes, the decay of long-neglected infrastructure, a drug-overdose epidemic, and the retirement of the baby-boomers  are making it more expensive for the federal government to meet its basic obligations to the American people.

To be sure, many of Oklahomas budget problems are idiosyncratic. The United States is not nearly so vulnerable to oil shocks as Oklahoma is; the federal government can run deficits and print its own money, Oklahoma cant; Americas median income is far higher than the Sooner States. But like Kansas and Louisiana before it, Oklahoma has demonstrated that the Republican Partys prescription for prosperity is a snake-oil tonic with life-threatening side effects.

And when conservative voters see what the trade-offs of small government actually are  bigger McMansions for the elite, four-day school weeks for the rabble  they start longing for a new deal.

Congressional Republicans dont seem the least bit concerned by the abject failure of their economic model in these states. Which makes sense: As a policy matter, the Republican economic agenda has only failed in Oklahoma if one assumes that the partys goal is to improve the well-being of its constituents. If the GOP is more invested in the first-order effect of its fiscal policies (the concentration of wealth and power into the hands of an oligarchic elite), rather than their theoretical second-order effects (job growth fueled by a boom in private investment) then the supply-side model has been a smashing success.

As for the politics: Four losses in low-turnout special elections aside, the GOP retains overwhelming power in Oklahoma state government. The party has paid a similarly small price for its decimation of public services in Kansas. And while a Democrat now sits in the Louisiana governors mansion, the GOP still boasts control of both houses of its legislature.

But just because the Republican Party has largely escaped accountability for immiserating much of red America, doesnt mean it always will. Its true that Americans typically vote on the basis of identity, not policy, and that partisan identities are among the most resilient kind. But they arent unbreakable. Republicans are now committed, both financially and ideologically, to a fiscal agenda that demands a radical reduction in their own voters living standards. And GOP voters are becoming increasingly conscious of this fact.

A Quinnipiac poll released this week found that only 16 percent of Americans believe President Trumps tax plan will lower their taxes, while 59 percent say the plan will favor the wealthy over the middle class. These are shocking figures given how much money Republicans and conservative outside groups have devoted to propaganda for their bill. And Quinnipiac is far from the only pollster to find most Americans meeting the GOPs case for corporate tax cuts with incredulity. On Wednesday, SurveyMonkey found that 78 percent of Americans  including roughly 70 percent of Republicans  dont believe that a tax cut on their employers would result in a paycheck increase for them, despite the White Houses relentless claims to the contrary.

This antipathy for the Republican agenda appears to be pushing some GOP voters into Team Blues tent. As Nate Silver notes:

Democrats lead by *11* points right now in polls of the House popular vote. I think people are neglecting how large an advantage that is in our highly partisan political environment. https://t.co/lvUj4G6GtC  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 16, 2017

No one has won the presidency by 11 or more points since Reagan in 1984. And no one has won the House popular vote by 11 or more points since 1982 (although Dems came close in 2008).  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 16, 2017

Republican voters in deep-red states like Oklahoma may cling to their partisan identities tighter than most. But they also know the true costs of the GOPs economic orthodoxy on a more visceral level than other Americans do. On Tuesday, that knowledge helped a 26-year-old, lesbian Democrat win a seat in the Oklahoma Senate. Someday, it just might turn large swathes of the American heartland purple  if Democratic donors decide to spend a bit less on pointless, pro-impeachment ad campaigns, and a lot more on liberating red states from reactionary rule.
Arizonas Tom OHalleran is exactly the sort of House Democrat you might expect to vote for Republican tax cuts. But he didnt. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

With all the focus on how many House Republicans might defect on the Trump Tax Bill that was passed today, it has largely gone without comment that once again, not a single House Democrat crossed the aisle to support a major piece of GOP legislation. That was also the case on the two huge health-care bills the House voted on earlier this year.

Yes, its true that all three bills in question were packaged as budget-reconciliation legislation designed to pass both houses of Congress without Democratic support. But that hasnt kept Democrats from climbing onboard Republican bandwagons in the past.

Consider the most obvious parallel to the Trump tax-cut legislation: the first and biggest of George W. Bushs tax-cut proposals, in 2001. It, too, was set up as a budget-reconciliation bill. But when it came to the House floor 13 Democrats voted for it. And 28 House Democrats voted for the final conference report on that bill. (12 Senate Democrats voted for the bill as well).

Whats changed since then? Well, quite a few things. The parties are more polarized generally, with Republican extremism repelling many centrist Democrats, even as the number of centrist Democrats has sharply declined (the iconic Blue Dog Coalition had 35 House members in 2001, and just 18 today). There was no budget deficit in 2001. And perhaps most importantly, in 2001 the GOP president was George W. Bush, who seemed generally interested in attracting Democratic votes and even sanctioned a few tax-bill deals Democrats wanted. Donald Trumps interest in bipartisanship is entirely abstract and hypothetical.

Still, progressives who are wary of centrist Democrats ought to be impressed by todays Democratic solidarity in Congress. In the House, there are 12 Democrats representing districts that went for Donald Trump last year; none of them have defected on major legislation. In the Senate, there are famously ten Democrats representing states won by Trump. Yes, some of them, like other Democrats, have voted for some of Trumps Executive- and Judicial-branch nominees. But on the big health care, budget, and tax bills, so far theyve stuck with their leftier colleagues. In a party constantly beset by divisions over presidential candidates, political strategies, and labels, thats an accomplishment.
Roy Moore may not be looking great in the polls, but it appears he no longer has to worry about being forced off the ballot in Alabama. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In dual developments that together represent a huge victory for embattled Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore, his states Republican Party reaffirmed its support for him (and more importantly, its unwillingness to strip him of its nomination) as the White House signaled the president would not intervene to try to get him to withdraw from the race.

These developments probably ensure that Moore will face Democrat Doug Jones on December 12 without official opposition from his own party. But that could mean this very red state has a chance of going blue. Even as Republicans got out of the Judges way, a Fox News poll of Alabama showed Jones leading among likely voters by a 48-40 margin, with a narrow plurality (38-37) expressing belief in the allegations against Moore  though only 13 percent of self-identified Republicans feel that way. The poll also shows Jones voters support their candidate as intensely as do Moores famously dedicated followers.

It should be noted that an October Fox News poll showed the race tied at a time when everyone else had Moore with a solid lead. Still, the Judge has been losing ground in every poll taken since the Washington Post allegations were published on November 9, with the only question being how strong he was before all hell broke lose.

The state GOPs statement (issued subsequent to a meeting of its steering committee last night) wasnt quite a ringing endorsement of Moores side of the story with respect to the multiplying allegations of sexual misconduct toward underage women. Instead, it argued he deserved a presumption of innocence in the case despite some pretty solid evidence against him, and expressed trust in voters as they make the ultimate decision in this crucial race. After noting the sharp policy differences between Moore and Democrat Doug Jones, the statement punted on any judgement of Moore and mixed a metaphor for good measure: Alabamians will be the ultimate jury in this election  not the media or those from afar. And not, apparently, the Republican Party of Alabama.

This statement was important to Moore because the state party had the power to strip him of the GOP nomination, which would have had the legal effect of nullifying any votes for him in the special general election on December 12. Barring some late reversal of position, thats not happening now, which means any hypothetical write-in effort for another candidate (which had been widely discussed) would split the GOP vote and presumably all but ensure Joness election.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made it clear Trump, too, was ready to defer to Alabama voters:

President Trump believes that the people of Alabama should decide whether to elect Roy Moore, despite mounting allegations of sexual assault and harassment of girls as young as 14 years old, the White House said.

Look, the president believes these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he believes the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their senator should be, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday.

In other words, Trump will not answer the public and private pleas of Senate Republicans that he push Moore out of the race.

So unless something really unexpected happens, Moore will be fighting Doug Jones with one hand and his accusers with another, as Republicans tut-tut or even condemn him, but do nothing practical to keep him out of the Senate. Alabama Democrats will now have a clear opportunity to win a race few gave them a chance of winning when Jeff Sessions resigned this seat to become attorney general in what feels like a decade ago.
Heineken Uganda will this evening launch their Amstel beer brand in Uganda at The Lawns, Kololo. The beer will retail for Shs 5,000 available in can and bottle.

Steven Baryevuga, Heinekens public relation manager, says this is part of the companys official launch of Amstel in Tanzania and Uganda.

A number of festivities have been lined at The Lawns to provide a mesmerizing experience for the invited guests. The launch of Amstel brings the number of Heineken brands in Uganda to four after Primus, Desperados and Heineken.

The launch of the lager will set stage for activations in high-end bars and clubs and there is a planned Christmas promotion of the Amstel beer brand.



ayebeanthony@gmail.com
President Museveni has said the striking teachers have betrayed him and as such will pay for the consequences of their defiance.

While addressing a rally at Karambi sub-county grounds in Burahya county, Kabarole district, Museveni said the doctors are going to regret their actions of laying down tools. He warned that the doctors risk being sacked if they continue with the strike because his government is going to recruit new doctors.



Museveni noted that the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) soldiers are also poorly paid but have never gone on strike. Museveni said that he had hoped the doctors would remain patient until the outcome of the salary review commission. The commission was established last month by the president to address the discrepancies in pay for civil servants.

President Museveni in Kabarole

According to the ministry of health Jane Ruth Aceng, Museveni authorised deployment of army soldiers from the army, Police and Prisons.



The doctors under their umbrella body, Uganda Medical Association (UMA) laid down their tools last week and demanded the government to increase their salaries.



Museveni said that the delay to increase the salaries of doctors and other civil servants was due to government's priority on security, infrastructure and extending electricity to all parts of the country.



President Museveni also directed the ministry of Information and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) to close radio stations that he said peddle lies about the NRM government.

Museveni said radio stations have given audience to the striking doctors, giving them platform to peddle lies and propaganda against the government.

"I can even close those radio stations", he said.



He said that the RDCs should monitor and ensure that the radio promote government programmes. Museveni added that its not an obligation but a duty for the radio stations to broadcast facts about the achievements of the government.

FERRIED SUPPORTERS
The increasing population of South Sudan refugees in Adjumani is a major worry for Ugandans living in the West Nile district.

Government and different NGOs have started sensitising refugees about the importance of family planning. Nearly 100 newborns are registered every month across the many refugee camps dotted around Adjumani.

Some say this unsustainably high birth rate is mainly down to majority of refugee men discouraging their wives from using family planning facilities.

Adjumani district has more than seven refugee camps with a bigger population than the local community. Majority of women in refugee camps fear to use any method of birth control since their husbands are against it due to their cultural beliefs, and claims that they are producing children to replace their parents and relatives who have died in South-Sudans wars, Loice Abiria, a comprehensive nurse here told The Observer.

She said the refugees main worry at the moment is about what to eat. Available food is not enough.

Female South Sudanese refugees in Pagirinya camp, Adjumani district listening to health educators sensitising them on contraceptives

Fights over rations distributed by World Food Programme and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees are common.

Ugandan police personnel located in the camps spend a lot of time breaking up fights over food. There is also the cultural dilemma where, in the face of such scarcity, men feel compelled to take on more women and produce even more children, worsening an already impossible burden.

As Ugandans compete for education, our husbands compete for more wives and children. What annoys is that they dont work to support our families. After impregnating us, they return to South Sudan to fight, then return again when we have given birth; spend some time, make us pregnant again and go back, Annet Aldra, a refugee in Pagirinya camp, said.

People like Aldra are in Adjumani because of the conflict back home in South Sudan. Over one million South Sudanese have fled their country and majority of them have settled in northern Uganda, a situation that worries Uganda over population increase.

In December 2013, South Sudan President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and ten others of attempting a coup detat. Shortly thereafter, fighting broke out between forces loyal to either man, triggering one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises. Thousands of Sudanese have died, more continue to flee into exile.



BIRTH CONTROL

Humanitarian organisations like WFP and UNHCR are struggling to keep these refugees alive on a hugely underfunded budget. With so much suffering amongst the women given the daily struggle to find food for their many children, some are quietly taking up tubal ligation as the best option to control the birth rate.

Tubal ligation is a method that prevents pregnancy permanently. A womans fallopian tubes are clamped, cutting off her eggs from reaching the uterus for implantation. However the process doesnt protect partners from sexually transmitted infections.

When I walked into Pagirinya Health Centre III, located in Pagirinya refugee camp, Jaipi sub-county, Adjumani district, I found doctors and nurses performing a 30-minute tubal ligation surgery on Grace Asianzo, 37, a South Sudanese refugee.

After the surgery, Asianzo, who has lived in the camp for over a year, said she chose tubal ligation since her husband has two wives, and she had already given birth to seven children although two died in the war.

Her surviving five children are more than enough for her. Asianzo cannot afford school fees, food, clothes because she is not working. Asianzo also said that she developed complications in her uterus while giving birth to her seventh baby and doesnt want to risk her life again.

My husband is also not working; we agreed to have tubal ligation as the best option, with minimal side effects, for us to control the high birth rate and get enough time for digging to grow food for our children and school fees, she said.

Her last born is two months old. Maria Jane, 36, joined this camp last year and underwent similar surgery. She had also given birth to seven children. Her husband suffers from the virulent Hepatitis B, and she saw no reason to produce more children.



High birth rates

Milly Akello, a nursing officer at Pagirinya health centre, said on average about 80 babies are delivered monthly at health centres in the camps of Adjumani.

Last month, we got 86 deliveries at Pagirinya camp yet we are only four midwives. Sometimes we cant manage when a big number of women come to the hospital to deliver at the same time. At Baratuku camp, about 20 babies were delivered. Adjumani district has more than seven large camps but there are also other [smaller] camps where more than 20 babies were produced, she said.

Akello sees some hope now that, with constant sensitisation about family planning, refugee women have started accepting birth control.

Majority of these women were married off at the tender age of 13, which partly explains why the fertility rate is so high.

Inevitably, by the time they reach 35 years, they have many children, most of whom are malnourished. Coupled with the fact that their children generally miss school, this portends an even bigger problem to the community in future.

They depend on refugee food aid which is not enough and sometimes when they get it, they sell it to get money to buy other things like soap, clothes and also pay school fees, she said.

A South Sudanese who gave birth to twins

The population explosion in the camps is one of the reasons tensions with the local community are bubbling under the surface.

Most of these refugees are also arrogant, brutal, they demand that we do what they want. They prefer giving birth at home due to their cultures and immediately after giving birth, they come to hospital with their new-borns and the placenta to get Mama Kits. If you refuse to give them, they can abuse you or almost beat you, Abiria said.

Dr Kenneth Kyanu, a medical officer with Gulu district local government, says many women in the camps who have given birth at least to five children have started sneaking into their clinics for tubal ligation.



Family planning dislikes

Agnes Fridah Lanyero in Baratuku refugee camp told The Observer that of all the South Sudan refugees, those belonging to the Dinka tribe are most negative about family planning uptake compared to Acholi, Madi, Kuku, Nuer, Lolubo and Lotuku.

The Dinkas are so ignorant about family planning and their culture is totally against it. This is because after a woman gives birth, she separates with the husband for two years and stays with her parents while breastfeeding. They return to their marriages to get pregnant again. So, the Dinka men consider the separation period as family planning. But their wives complain of men cheating on them during this breastfeeding period which has increased HIV and Hepatitis B infections, she said.

Lanyero said Dinkas grow very tall, which makes many young girls enter marriage when below 16 years because when they reach 18 years before getting married, they are considered to be too old.

In our antenatal register, we have many girls of 10 to 18 years giving birth. In their culture, they are not allowed to give birth after 35 years, because they are considered as old people. So, we have changed the health education talk to men to stop having sex with these young girls, she said.

Lanyero said some Dinka men have started appreciating the importance of family planning and allowed their wives to use it as they breastfeed since they can have sex with them instead of looking for other women.

Lanyero has also requested Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) to constantly provide them with family planning commodities to avoid stock-outs.

She requested RHU to introduce public access to condoms in communities to reduce on sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Lanyero further said they still have the challenge of Dinkas, who complain about condom size; that they are too short for them.

A lot of patients in the camps have STIs. If I screen 900 patients for cervical cancer per day, I treat 700 of them with cervicitis and candidiasis infections. These patients also have yellowish and greenish offensive discharge. Last month, out of 600 women we screened for cervical cancer, 11 of them were positive and four had advanced cancer. The doctors had to remove the cervix because they were going to die,Lanyero said.

Filda Anicia, the Service Provider in Charge of RHU Gulu, said although they advise refugees to have planned sex and avoid unwanted pregnancies, the Dinkas demand that their wives produce many children or refund the many cows they paid while marrying them.

To encourage them to use family planning and fight misconceptions against it, we have changed our package of message sensitisation from women and encourage more men to attend and also use kind words like child spacing, instead of family planning. Because by child spacing, they know that they will produce later yet with family planning, they take it as if they are permanently stopped from producing, she said.



District

Anne Mary Adunia, the district Health Officer in Charge of Maternal Child Health, said the turn up for family planning in the district is poor since majority of the men are against it claiming women were created to give birth.

According to Richard Mugenyi of Reproductive Health Uganda, an average of 3,000 refugees cross the borders from South Sudan into Uganda each day and more than 5,000 were recorded in a single day on March 9, 2017.

UNHCR statistics released in September show that 51 per cent of South Sudan refugees are in Uganda and they now number at least 1m of whom 81 percent of them are women and 61 per cent are children under 18 years.



zurah@observer.ug
President Yoweri Museveni

Prof Fredrick Edward Ssempebwa, the man who chaired the last Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), said this week that it would be impossible to tell if President Museveni will still be fit for office in 2021 unless a proper medical examination is carried out on his person.

Ssempebwa said that because different people have different biological make-ups, the capacity to perform in relation to age varies from person to person.

He was presenting his views to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee now processing the Raphael Magyezi-sponsored age limit bill that has attracted much opposition around the country.

In 2021, Museveni will be over the current 75-year constitutional age limit for aspiring presidential candidates. His backers have recently toyed with the idea of drafting in doctors to prove, scientifically, that even at that age, someone still has their wits about them.

The only advice you will be able to get from those experts is what everyone already knows; that the capacity to perform, in relation to age, can only be judged upon detailed examination of an individual, he told the committee.

According to him, the spirit of popular participation in matters of governance is reflected in the entire Constitution and calls for democratic processes as opposed to only considering decisions of the majority which can be whimsical.

He said that despite the ongoing consultations on Constitution Amendment Bill (No.2), 2017, the process would achieve little because it is being handled from the point of view of hardened positions presented to the citizens by either supporters or those opposed to the lifting of presidential age limits.

This can only result in the collection of a few citizens that have been whipped to pander to the cameras, which has been the characteristic practice of both sides over the age limit debate, Ssempebwa said.

He asked the committee to be mindful of the fact that the existence or absence of term and age limits cannot be the magic wand for assuring democracy and constitutionalism.

Ugandans need to take stock of developments since 1995 [when the constitution was written] to assess how they have advanced. It may be recalled that term limits, an important drive towards orderly succession in government, was removed for reasons similar to those currently being canvassed in favour of deleting the age limit clause from the constitution, he said.

He proposed that, instead, parliament should be interested in interrogating issues related to state dispersal of power amongst organs and institutions of government; the role local governments in their current state play over the system of checks and balances; facilitation of popular and effective participation; electoral system reform for free and fair elections as well as the system of public accountability.



namuloki16@gmil.com
More than half of Ugandans are opposed to either military, one-man or one-party rule, a new survey has shown.

The survey findings reveal that 59 per cent of the countrys population also feels that respect for democratic values has been in decline. The report also reveals that only 39 per cent of Ugandans feel the country is a democracy with minor challenges.

The survey was conducted by Afrobarometer, a research network that conducts public attitude surveys on democracy, governance and economic conditions in Africa.

NRM officials cut cake to celebrate their recent presidential victory

It worked with Hatchile Consult Ltd, a social research consultancy firm. Speaking for the ruling party during the reports launch at Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala yesterday morning, Fred Bamwiine, the resident district commissioner for Butambala district, quickly dismissed the survey.

He described it as provocative and asked what Afrobarometer stands for.

Who are the sponsors and what are their motives? he asked.

The country maybe should look at a model that looks at peoples welfare without elections.

President Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986 and the survey results seem to speak to how exactly Ugandans feel about his long stay in power. Museveni has used state resources and other forms of patronage to sustain himself in power, according to some analysts.

The study found that a whopping 81 per cent of Ugandans prefer democracy to any other form of government while less than half of the population, representing just 46 per cent of Ugandans, felt fairly satisfied or very satisfied with the way democracy is working in the country.

These findings mean Ugandans acknowledge that free and fair elections, accountability, free media, parliamentary oversight, and multipartyism are good for the country.

Afrobarometer interviewed 1,200 adult citizens for the study and says the sample size was 95 per cent representative of what the majority Ugandans think.

Field work was done between December 26, 2016 and January 8, 2017. Respondents were asked to answer based on their experiences over the period from 2000 to 2017.

It should be noted from the onset that around this period, the polarising moves to remove presidential age limits from the constitution had not been prominently publicised.

The general trend in democratic attitudes in Uganda appears to fluctuate, with an overall decline except for support for multiple political parties, the study found.



POOR ELECTIONS

The survey further established that many Ugandans become disillusioned with democracy every after a general election.

The survey found that moments before elections, the number of Ugandans satisfied with the way democracy works in Uganda tended to be high, but this figure dropped sharply after elections.

Ugandans who view their elections as of poor quality, or see poor delivery of political or economic goods, tend to demand democracy more, the report said.

Ugandans attitudes toward democracy appear either fading or fluctuating with the national election cycle, with committed democrats occasionally receding, it added.

Police chasing after voters in Kyadondo earlier this year

The slump in demand for democracy after the 2016 elections is characterised by decline in democratic values and perceived quality of elections, the study suggests.

On education level, persons with post-secondary education are reported to generally prefer democracy to any other system. Also, urban dwellers and men tended to prefer democracy more.

Fifty two per cent of primary- educated Ugandans or less said they preferred democracy.

The study also found that a significant number of Ugandans could not define what democracy was. By 2015, most Ugandans understood democracy to mean civil liberties/personal freedoms (36 per cent) or peace/unity (19 per cent).



NO DEMOCRACY IN UGANDA

Dr Gerald Kalyeija, an academic at Uganda Management Institute, said democracy in Uganda was more of an illusion than reality. Ugandans, he said, were deluded by procedural exercises thinking that repetitive elections institutionalise democracy.

The rituals of elections is the least of what democracy is about, Kalyeija said. The substantive issues of human rights and human dignity are not catered for. You can win all the elections but when they dont reflect what people want, he said.

Bribery, intimidation and patronage to win elections [are not part of democracy].

Like Kalyeija, many other analysts have argued that what prevails in Uganda is not democracy, but something that resembles it.

Prof Joe Oloka-Onyango at the School of Law at Makerere University, for instance, says that many of the no-party structures remain intact and operational in Uganda despite talk that the country reverted to a multiparty political dispensation after the 2005 referendum on political systems.

These one-party structures function as the main conduits for the NRM regimes political mobilisation and for the channelling of state resources, buttressed by a massive local bureaucracy of government agents and spies.

These include the Local Councils (especially 1 and 2), and although they may appear insignificant, they in fact play a crucial role in governance in the country, Oloka-Onyango wrote in a paper after the 2011 elections.

After the 2016 elections, an election book published by the Centre for Basic Research said that 2016 witnessed the rule by law, and not rule of law. It said courts in Uganda have become a key instrument in the legitimisation process, with the regime propagandists asserting that since the Supreme court had spoken in the Amama Mbabazi presidential elections petition, then the election had been fully validated.

Centre for Basic Research added that the most recent polls showed that Uganda had transited to a multiparty political dispensation only in form. What pertains is not a multiparty system but, rather, a post-Movement maze in which individualisation takes a toll on citizens.

Francis Babu, former minister and MP for Kampala and senior member of the ruling party, said: Our leaders are doing more divide and rule. People have lost trust in the leaders; doctors have lost trust; teachers have lost trust.

amwesigwa@observer.ug
Despite government saying it had deployed military doctors to fill the huge void at Mulago national referral hospital and its subsidiary branches, there was no sign of them yesterday as the medical workers strike continued to bite across the country.

On Wednesday, Jane Ruth Aceng, the health minister, is reported to have revealed that doctors from the army, police and prisons would be pressed into service at Mulago to handle emergency cases.

She reportedly asked all striking doctors to leave the various hospital premises to allow government recruit new health practitioners willing to work under the current situation.

Uganda army soldiers working in Somalia recently

In an interview with The Observer yesterday, Dr Byarugaba Baterana, the executive director of Mulago hospital, said not a single military doctor had shown up.

He explained that while they welcomed support from the security agencies, they would only act as doctors, and not part of management.

Its true that we will get doctors from the army and police but its not true that when deployed here, they will take over the management of the hospital. What I know is that UPDF is a peoples army and its welcome to work with us. Its not true that the army is managing the hospitals, said Baterana.

He revealed that although the few doctors on call were concentrating on emergencies, the health practitioners would soon be handling all cases.

For Kiruddu in particular, Baterana said work was getting back to normal as doctors were now treating other ailments.

Baterana added that meetings held between Uganda Medical Association (UMA) and the health ministry had reached some consensus.

What we have been discussing is good and within a few days everyone will be back to work. Come Monday next week, you will find all units operating as they should, he said.

In a brief phone interview, Brig Richard Karemire, the army spokesman, said yesterday that they would deploy 10 general doctors around Kampala and 20 nurses. He was also quick to add that the number wouldnt exceed that since they (UPDF) too have a small team.

We are not yet there [Mulago]. They will be there when necessary logistics have been put in place. Some of them are coming from upcountry, we will provide them with some support to enable them do their work, said Karemire.

It is not clear how the government expects such a small number to take on work usually handled by hundreds of medics, including interns, in the crowded public hospitals. It was also not clear what plans were in store for hospitals outside the city.

Meanwhile, Frank Baine, the Uganda prisons spokesman, told the Uganda Radio Network news agency that before deploying their doctors, the prisons medical services department would first look at its human resource capacity.

Despite Bateranas optimism that doctors could be back to work on Monday, in a meeting with the Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances, the doctors under their umbrella body, the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), maintained that they would continue with their strike despite the numerous engagements they have had with government.

Led by Prof Pauline Byakika-Kibwika, the UMA vice president, the health practitioners asked MPs to push government to uphold the promises that were made to them.

They told the committee chaired by Obongi MP Hassan Kaps Fungaroo that their decision to lay down their tools was a last resort following several unmet promises from government.

Dr Byakika-Kibwika (R) and Dr Asiimwe addressing MPs

Byakika-Kibwika observed that all they needed was commitment from government that their salaries would be enhanced in a phased manner and requested that a supplementary budget be issued to that effect.

If we go back to work when we dont have what to use, we are still going to be demotivated. We understand government is unable to handle the demands at once but some issues must be addressed before the strike is called off, she said.

I personally run an infectious diseases unit but I dont have protective gear. I have over 50 patients on my ward and often times several doctors have become infected with TB, I am just lucky, she added.

Byakika-Kibwika pointed out that: Our immediate demand is to have these supplies and equipment functional in the hospitals followed by sorting out the interns, the HSOs, the [State House] Health Monitoring Unit and the duty facilitation allowance.

Committee members promised to intervene.

As a committee, we are more than determined, we shall meet each and everybody who we feel is a stumbling block in fulfillment of your concerns, Kawempe North MP Latif Ssebaggala said.



Dire situation

At Kiruddu hospital in Makindye, only a handful of nurses attended to patients in the emergency ward, the only section in the hospital still open.

The usually fully-packed seats at the reception on the first floor were empty, except for four people seen sitting. The pharmacy, antenatal and dental clinics were all locked and one of the administrators, a lady, was overheard chasing some patients who had come for treatment.

Cant you see there is no activity going on here? Theres no one to attend to you; so, kindly go back to the emergency ward where you came from because you might find someone there who will be able to help you, a female administrator said to patients.

One Gladys Nansubuga told The Observer that for the past three days, she failed to receive antenatal services at Kiruddu. She arrived yesterday morning in the hope that the promised army doctors would be on call, but to her surprise, she didnt seen any.

Balimba, newankubade nazze kumakya nyo, silina musawo wamagye gwennaalabye yenna. [They are lying, despite the fact that I came very early in the morning, there is no army doctor I have seen here, she said.

At Kawempe hospital, the situation was no less different as only the emergency unit was open with a few nurses attending to patients.

Clinics in the entire hospital were closed. Antenatal care services werent being offered either, and nurses only helped women who were nearly giving birth.



abumay1988@gmail.com

namuloki16@gmail.com
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe arrived at a university graduation ceremony in the capital on Friday, his first public appearance since a military seizure of power that political sources say is aimed at ending his 37 years in office.

According to Reuters, wearing a blue and yellow academic gown and mortar board hat, the 93-year-old sat in large wooden chair at the front the hall. He was greeted by ululations from the crowd as he declared the ceremony open.

The president, who has been under house arrest, capped more than 1,000 graduands amid reports that the military is still negotiation for his ouster.

Normal day for #Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe as he presides over a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University in Harare pic.twitter.com/jX3X5uI332  The Observer (@observerug) November 17, 2017

Bishop Paul Verryn of the Johannesburg Methodist Church told VOA Studio 7 that Mugabe is likely to stay in office until December.

Apparently, some of my sources indicate that they are wanting Mr. Mugabe to remain in authority until December and then he will retire and handover to another president. I believe that his wife, this is supposed to be one of the deals, will remove herself from the running  Im not sure how true that is 

He claimed that President Jacob Zumas envoys would ensure a smooth transition. Bishop Verryn expressed fears that the unfolding political drama in Zimbabwe may lead to the creation of an autocratic state.

Zanu PF is planning to hold an Exra Ordinary Congress in December, which initially was targeted at elevating Mrs Grace Mugabe to the position of vice president.

Indications are that Zanu PF delegates at the congress will vote for a new president. Sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who allegedly enjoys a lot of military support, is expected to take over from Mugabe as the next president.
When Uganda and Tanzania signed the 1,445km oil pipeline agreement, the move marked a great opportunity for political, social and economic integration for the East African.

Since then, many events have taken place such as studies, laying foundation stones at Tanga, Hoima and a ministerial session at Buloba on cross-border issues.

The East African crude oil project is estimated to cost $3.5 billion and is set to be completed in 2020 when Uganda will join many oil-producing countries with the worlds longest heated pipeline. On completion, the pipeline will carry 216, 000 barrels of crude oil for export per day.

Works will be undertaken by joint ventures among Tullow, Cnooc and Total E&P with two governments of Uganda and Tanzania. An estimated $11.5m has already been invested for the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study of the pipeline.

The projects first tracking will be made by Tanzania and the delivery cost per barrel from Hoima to Tanga at $12.2 will make Ugandas crude oil profitable.

During his visit to Hoima on November 11, 2017, President Museveni called upon locals living where the pipeline will pass to be prepared to tap and benefit from the development as it will create jobs and boost standards of living.

It will also boost other services such as health, transport, accommodation, food, etc. Other potential beneficiaries include insurance companies, airlines, petro-chemical industries, camps, health centers, etc.

The fact that this development is going to be established on land will call for compulsory land acquisition by government.

From the previous experience on communities that have been affected by oil and gas development such as the oil refinery, people can be forgiven if they are already worried about compensation and resettlement.

Government must live to fulfill all its promises during compensation as laid out in the resettlement action plans. This will help to ease and fasten the projects implementation.

Oil, as a national resource, must benefit all Ugandans, especially the host communities, through access to information on ongoing developments.

Prompt, fair and adequate compensation prior to acquisition must also be key in the oil and gas sector. Social and environmental impact assessments conducted and delivered to the public domain in languages the public understands most.

Government must also come up with and abide by environmental laws for all the oil and gas developments. As evidenced from the current studies, the pipeline will pass through or neighbor sensitive areas such as lakes and rivers, game reserves and parks and other ecosystems.

Lets maximize the oil benefits as we mitigate the adverse negative impacts on the environment and livelihoods through bottom up participatory approach to make oil a blessing.



Sandra Atusinguza,

Kampala.

We can reduce income inequality

Just like anywhere else, Uganda is not spared of income inequality among its people, especially to our free market economy.

Some people argue that to end this inequality, wealthy people must either slow down and wait for the poor or share their hard-earned possessions with those with less to attain the equilibrium. But this is practically impossible.

So, what can governments do to end income inequality?

Primarily, government should formulate and implement appropriate legislation, policies and practices that are universal.

These fiscal, wage and social protection policies should consider the needs of the disadvantaged and marginalized.

Create an environment where a miionaires child has an equal chance with a poor mans child to work at any institution in the country.

Secondly, for those brought up in poverty, please stop accepting the stereotype that all rich people are corrupt. If you get the opportunity to study, please do, graduate, and look for a job.



Laster-Stoney Ogola,

Mutungo.

Kyankwanzi training good for everyone

For the minister for Kampala Beti Kamya to mobilize KCCA councillors to go to Kyankwanzi for a seminar on political leadership doesnt mean indoctrination into NRM.

Some KCCA councillors opposed to amending article 102(b) of the constitution allege that going to Kyankwanzi is intended to swirl their opinion in favor of this amendment.

However, this is not true because the Political Education Leadership Course (PELC) at Kyankwanzi enhances ones understanding of matters of national interest and making in-depth analysis using philosophical principles such as objectivity and concrete historical analysis.

This enables any leader to know that things dont occur in isolation but they are interlinked or related.

Kyankwanzi is not an NRM political ideological institution but a national leadership centre that can benefit all leaders irrespective of their political inclination.



Morris Twongeirwe,

morriskyatooko@gmail.com

Relax, people can vote Museveni out

The ongoing process to amend Article 102 (b) of the constitution to remove age restrictions for a presidential candidate has attracted mixed reactions from everywhere.

Some people are saying this is a ploy to entrench Musevenis life presidency. A careful analysis of the reasons given by those alleging life presidency simply points to a mere fear of the person and popularity of President Museveni.

Article 105 of the constitution clearly states: A person elected President under this Constitution shall, subject to clause (3) of this article, hold office for a term of five years.

Besides, Article 1 states: The people shall express their will and consent on who shall govern them and how they should be governed, through regular, free and fair elections of their representatives or through referenda.

All these provisions are not under amendment, which rules out any possibility of a life presidency. If power belongs to people and there is a provision for periodic elections, then someone can never be a life president.

This implies that even if the Constitution is amended, and the population feels that Museveni is no longer the person they want to rule them, they will vote him out.



Bernard Odida,

Kampala.

letters@observer.ug
On November 6, 2017, an important event for all humanity commenced in Bonn, Germany.

The 23rd Confederation of Parties (COP 23), which will end today (November 17, 2017) got underway with the objective of advancing the aims and ambitions of the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement, which has been ratified by 169 countries including Uganda, aims at mitigating climate change through keeping global temperature rises below two degrees Celsius and through enabling countries to adapt to climate change.

Between November 12 and 17, 2017, three of the four civil society organisations implementing the Shared Resources, Joint Solutions Programme (SRJS) in Uganda participated in the COP 23.

Africa Institute for Energy Governance (Afiego), which I work for, was one of these organisations. Others included National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) and the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (Ecotrust).

Our key message at the event was: What Ugandas exploitation of her oil and gas resources means for climate change resilience.

The predominant economic activity in Uganda is rain-fed agriculture, making prolonged droughts, floods and changing weather patterns that are synonymous with climate change, a big challenge for the country and its citizens.

Further, because we are a developing country, we are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change as we cannot easily put together resources to address the impacts of climate change.

Amidst the above situation, Uganda is planning on exploiting fossil fuel, which directly contributes to global warming. With this, one would say that Uganda is digging its own grave. Further, oil development efforts are a major driver for climate change.

Destruction of biodiversity including forests and wetlands during development of infrastructure for the oil sector; exploiting of oil in sensitive ecosystems such as national parks, lakes, rivers and others; and compulsory acquisitions of land by government or its agents are going to have a direct and serious impact on global warming.

Lets take a look at one project, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). The pipeline is going to be 1, 445km long and 30 metres wide. In Uganda, it will traverse through eight districts and 24 sub-counties while it will go through 24 districts in Tanzania.

This means that hundreds of households across the eight districts in Uganda will be displaced through compulsory land acquisition.

Because of the inefficiencies in compulsory land acquisitions in Uganda including under- and delayed compensation, there have been incidents of oil-project-affected persons resettling in sensitive ecosystems including river banks.

Further, oil activities result in population influxes with speculators driving the population increases. The larger population size creates economic opportunities in the form of charcoal, firewood and others that lead to the destruction of sensitive ecosystems.

This is evident in Hoima. After development of the Hoima-Kaiso-Tonya road leading to the oil wells along Lake Albert, charcoal trade sprung up along the road with trees close to River Wambabya and others being destroyed.

Yet compulsory land acquisitions and speculative behaviour are not the only oil sector activities that destroy ecosystems.

Development of the oil sector infrastructure itself is a culprit of the above with forests, wetlands, lakes, rivers and others suffering destruction.

A lot of infrastructure including the crude oil export pipeline, the finished petroleum products pipeline, pipelines from various oil wells, central processing facilities, well pads, workers camps and others are planned for the sector before 2020.

Development of the above infrastructure is a time-bomb. It poses a major threat to Ugandas and, indeed, global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

What is our message at the COP 23, therefore? We are calling on the government of Uganda to invest more in renewable energy such as solar to drive socio-economic development. With economic activity borne of increased access to solar power, government will not need to chase money from dangerous fuels such as oil.

We also call on government to invest more in the planting of indigenous trees as opposed to commercial ones such as pine.

Pine and trees of its ilk have small leaves that do little to absorb carbon dioxide. This translates into too little being done to mitigate global warming and climate change.



The writer is the research and programmes co-ordinator at Afiego.
Industrial actions by health professionals (no matter the category) severely affect health systems and, when they last longer, create a bigger potential for collapsing health service delivery.

This situation raises a serious ethical and legal dilemma which has to be understood and managed well as human life is involved.

The importance of human resources for the functioning of health systems is not doubtable. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates human resources for health as one of the six building blocks for a health system. Uganda continues to grapple with sustaining this important block.

As a result of the gaps in Ugandas human resources for health, we have over time experienced threats of industrial actions across all levels.

On November 7, 2017, members of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) began an industrial action which was grounded in three major asks: first, reviewing the supply chain management of medicines, vaccines and other medical supplies; second, immediate halt of the war on doctors including a request to disband the health monitoring unit; and, third, immediate increase in salaries and allowances of all doctors and improvement of working conditions.

A number of issues have been raised since, including the legitimacy of the industrial action by UMA. But I would like to concentrate on the legal and ethical questions.

In medical practice, the duty to act ethically lies at the very origins of the profession. The Hippocratic Oath focuses more on ethics of the physicians conduct than on the science of efficiency that a health professional should apply. It is thus important for the striking doctors to maintain the highest level of ethical considerations.

One of such considerations is the requirement that emergency care must be provided during a strike. The ethical principles equally apply to the ministry of Health, which should ensure that all the required resources are made available to the doctors in service during this period in sufficient amounts.

This includes a sound governance structure for delivery of health services and showing signs of commitment to ending the strike.

We should not have an expectation of our health professionals practicing ethically in an unethical environment such as using unethical approaches to resolving the dispute.

I will address the legal theory which the ministry of Health has taken on the advice of the solicitor general. The ministry has argued that the current industrial action by UMA is illegal and they have relied on section seven of the Public Service (Negotiating, Consultative and Disputes Settlement Machinery) Act 2008.

Under this law, UMA was expected to issue a 90 days notice before withdrawing labour in essential services and they had to secure a certificate signed by the chairperson of the public service negotiating and consultative council.

This provision is, however, not a general rule as it has exceptions under section 8 of the same law, which allows withdrawal of labour due to unsafe and dangerous working environments even without issuing such a notice.

A close look at the demands of UMA indicates that part of their request is to improve the dangerous working conditions its members are subjected to.

Without prejudice to the above, the ministry of Health can only get a competent declaration on the legality of this industrial action from the courts of law, and not the solicitor general whose comment is simply an opinion!

The ministry needs to explore more tenable legal interim solutions during this industrial action. For instance, while our Constitution and the Employment Act clearly forbid forced labour, one exception that would see the government compel doctors back to work is through declaring a state of emergency under section five of the Employment Act.

The consequences of such a declaration are, however, fatal for Ugandas health system and this option only needs to be considered as a last resort.

It is also possible to do an interim legal task-shifting effort. This is specifically possible since the strike is only involving doctors.

Under the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, a person authorised by the director general of health services may give medical or dental treatment in a government medical institution after undergoing appropriate training.

Under this option, the director general may authorise lower health professionals to undertake duties of medical and dental practitioners as long as they have what the law prescribes as appropriate training.

In summary, the ethical and legal dilemmas are real in this industrial action by health workers. This needs to be managed through utilisation of the appropriate principles of the rule of law and exploring dialogue.

Both doctors on strike and the ministry should not forget the basic ethical principles which are a basis for the protection of life, a cornerstone of the Hippocratic Oath.



The author is a lawyer practicing health law and policy at Center for Health, Human Rights and Development.
In a bid to fend off India's homegrown e-commerce giant Flipkart, Jeff Bezos-led Amazon has invested Rs 2,900 crore in its India unit, Amazon Seller Service. The fresh investment is part of Amazon's commitment to put in $5 billion into the Indian market. With this recent investment, Amazon has invested $2.6 billion or Rs 17,840 crore in the current financial year itself, according to regulatory filings with Registrar of Companies. The Seattle-based company competes with online marketplace Flipkart, which had recently claimed that it was sitting on more than $4 billion cash on its balance sheet.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had last year committed investments to the tune of $5 billion into the Indian market. With the new funding Amazon has almost doubled its authorised capital to $4.74 billion. To consolidate its position in the Indian online retail market and to fend off local rival Flipkart, Amazon had invested Rs 1,680 crore into its India unit in June and Rs 1,620 crore last month, surpassing Rs 2,010 crore investment it made last year.

"As India's largest and fastest growing e-commerce player, and with a long-term commitment to make e-commerce a habit for Indian customers, we continue to invest in the necessary technology and infrastructure to grow the entire ecosystem. We are delighted and humbled by the trust from our customers, to lead in India on things that matter to our customers in over four years of our business, while continuing to launch innovative India-first initiatives as well as completely new offerings like Echo, Prime and Prime Video," an Amazon India said in a statement.

"We had the first Prime Day sale there this year, Prime Music, Amazon Business are also expanding in India. So, a lot of positive momentum and investment going on in India, we are very pleased with that. We also recently announced Echo and Alexa will be available in India," he further added.

Amazon Seller Services is also increasing its authorised share capital from Rs 16,000 crore to Rs 31,000 crore, which means that the retail giant's investment commitment is likely to shoot past 5 billion dollars.

In August, Flipkart had raised an estimated $2.5 billion from Japanese internet giant SoftBank group in the biggest ever private investment in an Indian technology company. Flipkart had said that the investment was part of the previously announced financing round where it had raised capital from three of the world's premier technology companies - Tencent, eBay and Microsoft. "Flipkart will have in excess of $4 billion of cash on balance sheet," it added.

Amazon India, which completed four years of operations early this year, has been directing its investments towards building warehouses, strengthening logistics and increasing product assortment.

A report in Economic Times quotes Arvind Singhal, head of retail consultancy, Technopark, saying that this shows that Jeff Bezos' commitment of $5 billion to the Indian marketplace was not symbolic and that Amazon is using its investment in three areas - creating fulfillment centres, spending more on customer acquisition through Prime, and strengthening its distribution infrastructure.

The festive season sales that were offered by Flipkart and Amazon were nothing short of a stiff competition. The e-commerce industry had a total earning of Rs 9000 crore. However, at the end of it, Flipkart emerged the winner. So, Bezos' decision to pour in more money in the Indian market comes across as a significant development.

Like Amazon, Flipkart too had raised 2.4 billion dollars from SoftBank and 1.4 billion dollars from Tencent Holdings, eBay and Microsoft.
Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy once again reiterated his faith in Nandan Nilekani, the present chairman of the company, saying that he can do his job well and doesn't need any advice. Murthy said on Wednesday that all is going as planned in the Bengaluru-based tech giant and Nilekani is well capable of simplifying lots of complexities prevalent in the company.

"Absolutely, all is well. Remember, in my speech with the investors, I said now that we have Nandan as the chairman, we can all sleep well. He (Nilekani) is a very organised person. His strength is simplification of complex ideas. There were lots of complexities and therefore he has his hands full," he told reporters after the Infosys Prize distribution event for 2017-18.

Murthy said there is no need to give advice to Nilekani on finding and appointing new CEO for Infosys as he had done well during his stint as the CEO of the IT company. "Having been a good CEO himself he knows what is required. So, there is no need for advice," he said.

Some names were reportedly under consideration for the position of Infosys CEO, including that of former Infosys executive Ashok Vemuri. Vemuri had quit Infosys in 2014 after Vishal Sikka was brought in as the company's CEO and managing director. Although, media reports had suggested that he might be named the next Infosys CEO but he has reportedly expressed his unwillingness to accept the job.

"Let's leave it to him and let's all keep quiet, so that he can do his job well," Murthy further addded in his statement about Nilekani.

His remarks praising Nilekani come days after he had expressed disappointment over Infosys under its present Chairman giving a clean chit to the company's $200 million acquisition of Israeli technology firm Panaya. On October 24, Murthy had expressed his discontent that none of the questions raised by him on "poor governance" in the company had been answered by board of directors transparently.

The Panaya deal was carried out when Vishal Sikka was was the Infosys CEO and was a bone of contention between him and Murthy. Sikka had quit amid turmoil in the company after a prolonged battle between the Board and the company founders leading to the return of Nilekani, a company co-founder, at the helm in August.

(With PTI inputs)
At the RICS Real Estate Conference in Delhi on November 15, the talk was about transparency - what you see is what you buy. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, which came into force this year, is forcing many developers to revamp their business models. The industry, some said, was in a "phase of cleaning up". Here are the key takeaways:

1. What does "transparency" mean? Developers will now sell by "carpet area" rather than the pre-RERA practice of quoting super built-up area. Also, business models could be re-jigged to sell completed properties, so that home buyers see and buy rather than the earlier paradigm where he booked, paid, and waited for possession, which took years. There was opaqueness in the years between the booking of a property and its possession - funds could have been diverted by the developer, while the property buyer could have stopped mile-stone based payments. Besides, builders often sold home buyers an artificial completion deadline of three years. Seven years is more realistic.

2. Because of the pressure on faster delivery, cost of construction might escalate. Developers will resort to more automation which would, however, lead to better quality products. Some of the delays in completion can be attributed to unskilled manpower with low productivity.

3. Professional developers now have a level-playing field. Unorganised developers spooked the market. If everyone plays by the rules, the more ethical will bring home the bacon. It is partly due to this reason many unorganised builders are looking at vacating the market - either selling off or exploring joint ventures.

4. The residential market isn't out of the woods yet - post demonitization, sales dropped 36 per cent in India's top 10 cities on average, data from PropEquity stated. While volumes are picking up, it could be more than a year before a comeback. However, most global investors keen on Indian real estate now take a much longer view. Meanwhile, many investors are becoming 'activists'; trust on Indian fund managers are at a low considering they oversold the India story in the past.
Welcome to 'OZ' - The 'Other' Side of the Rainbow!! Posting is at 10AM, Noon and 2PM CST daily. Up to 12 days of posts on the main page. The archives have more. You can forward posts by clicking on the envelope at the bottom of the post. Enjoy your stay! *** If you need to contact me, or have a copyright issue, please use the "Contact The Wizard" form on the left side of 'OZ'. Original source and author is cited and credited in each post where possible. ***
NA passed Elections Bill 2017 to restore Khatm-e-Nabuwwat laws

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Thursday passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2017 to restore Khatm-e-Nabuwwat laws to their original form and make sections relating to it more effective.



The bill was tabled by Law Minister Zahid Hamid, who assured the House that he and his family were Muslims and believed in the finality of prophethood.



During his address, the law minister said that before 2002 general election, seats were increased and collective polls were approved. He clarified that the same status of Ahmadis and Lahori groups would be retained as in the constitution.



My family and I are ready to lay our lives for the honour of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the law minister told his critics, some of whom had sought his resignation for his alleged role in the affair. I firmly believe in Khatm-e-Nabuwwat and cant even think against it, he cleared, stressing that he was wrongly quoted in the matter.



While Zahid Hamid was clarifying his stance on the serious concern, Sheikh Rasheed chanted slogans against the government, at which Speaker Ayaz Sadiq turned off his microphone. We have not asked Law Minister Zahid Hamid to clarify the matter, said Sheikh Rasheed.



Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal stepped in to support the beleaguered lawmaker, assuring him that: In a state, faith and connection to God is a matter between him and God. No person can make a decision on anyones faith.



I will ask my brother [Zahid Hamid] that your faith is your personal matter and you do not need to present any clarification regarding your faith, he added.



Sections 7B and 7C of the Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002, were also restored to their original form via the bill.



Section 7B states that the status of Ahmadis remains as stated in the constitution of Pakistan, while Section 7C states that if an enrolled voters belief in the finality of Prophet Muhammads (PBUH) prophethood was contended, they shall have to sign a declaration reaffirming their belief, failing which their name shall be deleted from the joint electoral rolls and added to a supplementary list of voters in the same electoral area as non-Muslim.



Hamid said that the new amended bill would make the said sections more effective, adding that a separate voters list shall be made for Ahmadis as they would not be included in the list of Muslims.



The Khatm-e-Nabuwwat declaration had also been restored to its original form in both English and Urdu, he assured.



The Elections Act 2017  which paved the way for Nawaz Sharif to return as PML-N president  had sparked a controversy when it was revealed that a declaration regarding the finality of prophethood had been modified somewhere during the process of its passage.



The government had claimed that the modification was a result of a clerical error and vowed to restore the declaration to its original form.



An effort to immediately appease critics had been made last month by passing a bill, which the government had then claimed restored the declaration to its original form.



However, religious and political parties and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had demanded that the responsibility for the error be fixed. A group of irate protesters belonging to religious parties in Islamabad is also demanding the removal of the law minister for what they claim was not a mistake but a conspiracy.



It may be mentioned here that before the NA session, the parliamentary leaders at their meeting in Islamabad agreed to revive the 7B and 7C clauses of the Elections (Amendment) Act, relating to Khatam-e-Nabuwat to their original form.



National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who chaired the meeting, had said that the National Assembly would pass amendments to this effect.



The speaker said that the parliamentary leaders except the MQM also agreed to the constitutional amendment relating to the delimitation of constituencies.
Rwanda has announced what could be termed a global visa free entry for travelers from everywhere in the world starting January 1, 2018.



A communique released by the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration said citizens of all countries the world over could enjoy 30 days visa on arrival under the regime. With some entrants required to pay a fee where applicable.



Rwanda already has such a system in place for all African countries and a number of countries outside the continent. The country is reputed as one of the most open in visa openness index publications.



The November 16, 2017 document read in part: 30 days visa upon arrival  Citizens of all countries to get visa upon arrival without prior approval, starting 01 January 2018. Before that, only African countries and few others were getting visa upon arrival.



The new visa regime also touched on other areas like visa reciprocity for specific countries whose citizens get free visas with 90 days validity. The countries in question are Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Haiti, Senegal, Seychelles and Sao Tome and Principe.



This is in addition to the Democratic Republic of Congo, East Africa Member Community Partner States, Mauritius, Philippines and Singapore. This takes immediate effect.



Nationals of Australia, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States of America will be issued with entry visa valid for a period up to 30 days and pay for a visa ($30) upon arrival without prior application, according to a government portal.



It also addresses the area of visa waiver for particular diplomatic and service passport holders, another directive that takes immediate effect. There is also a 90 day visa on arrival for travelers from the COMESA (The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) region subject to payment of visa fees.

Source: africanews.com









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Back in June 2014, we were among the first to observe in near real time that China's economy had cooling to the point where it could be considered to be in recession, which we based on a unique combination of trade and environmental data. The recessionary conditions that we observed persisted from 2014 through mid-2016, when they finally began to reverse. We noted at the time that both trade data and the measurements of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere indicated that the Earth's economy was cooling during that period.

In January 2017, the outgoing Obama administration claimed that the global economy was growing while carbon emissions were flat, an apparent decoupling between the two that directly contradicted our observations.

On 13 November 2017, we got a stunning vindication of our observations from the Global Carbon Project, which released its latest updates and measurements for worldwide carbon emissions, via the Financial Times , which reported the following (emphasis ours):

Stronger Chinese economic growth will push global greenhouse gas emissions to a record high in 2017 after remaining flat for three years, dashing tentative hopes of a turning point in the worlds efforts to curb climate change. A new report by the Global Carbon Project, an international research consortium, predicts that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry will rise 2 per cent this year. The report was released at the UN climate change meeting in Bonn on Monday.... This years rise is especially disappointing as it follows three years of almost no growth in emissions despite a world economy expanding at a steady clip. In 2016, emissions were flat even though the world economy grew 3.2 per cent. One explanation for the uptick is that Chinas economic slowdown in the middle part of this decade was more pronounced than official figures suggested.

Earlier this year, the government of China's Liaoning province acknowledged that they had outright fabricated fiscal and economic growth data over a period of several years, coinciding with the tenure of the province's Communist party chief Wang Min, who ran Liaoning from 2009 to 2015. The FT speculates that Liaoning was far from the only province that engaged in that practice, where they identified four other provinces in northern and eastern China that also appear to have been reporting inflated economic figures.

Which brings us to a remarkable bit of evidence that we came across on NASA's Black Marble web site, which recently updated its nighttime map of Earth, providing us with the ability to compare images captured in 2016 with ones captured four years earlier in 2012. We've animated the nighttime map of Southeast Asia, which flips between 2012 and 2016 below.

If you look closely at the map, you'll see the nighttime lights brighten in areas that experienced economic growth between 2012 and 2016, such as along the coast of Viet Nam, and dim in the areas that experienced recessionary conditions between those two years. Pay very close attention to what happened between 2012 and 2016 in northern and eastern China....

The correlation between Night Time Lights (NTL) and economic activity has been found to be a "good proxy" for assessing economic development, particularly in countries that lack high quality economic data reporting.

The evidence is accumulating that the period from 2014 through mid-2016 was not as good as China's official statistics have previously indicated. Given the importance and sheer size of China's economy, it's remarkable that its relative economic health can be both seen from space and measured in the Earth's atmosphere thousands of miles away from its territory.
FORT EDWARD  A Greenwich man who served as a lookout while his friend robbed a convenience store at gunpoint has been sentenced to a year in Washington County Jail for violating his probation in the case.

Jarimi J. Lee, 25, was sentenced to probation and participation in the county's felony drug treatment court in 2014 after he pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy for the September 2013 holdup of the Cumberland Farms store in Greenwich.

He stood by the door as a friend, Chad R. Niles, threatened the clerk and stole $107. Niles pleaded guilty as well and was sentenced to state prison.

Lee was found to have violated probation earlier this year, which prompted Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan to impose a one-year jail term.

Lee served the jail term while awaiting disposition of the case and probation violation.
LAKE GEORGE  The Convention and Visitors Bureau arm of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce is making plans to bring more groups to the region, thanks to increased funding from Warren County.

The county Board of Supervisors has agreed to give 72 percent more occupancy tax money to the CVB next year, funding that is designed to address hotel and motel owner concerns that visitor numbers need to grow.

Chamber Executive Director Gina Mintzer and her staff are ready to hit the ground running when a CVB oversight board is in place and the new plan is finalized. How the board will be structured remains up in the air.

Mintzer said the goal is to increase group visits to the region during the quieter months, while also coming up with data to show the impact the new spending will have.

We need new business, she said. I see us having a great opportunity for fall and spring. March is a big conference time, and I think we can capitalize on that.

Group visits include conferences, sporting events and visits by associations and trade groups that bring hundreds of visitors for days at a time.

The idea to increase funding for the CVB came after members of the Warren County Lodging Association pushed a plan to take a majority of the occupancy funding that is used to support the countys Tourism Department and transfer it to an entity that would push for new group sales, arguing that room occupancy is lagging despite growing occupancy tax receipts. Occupancy tax funds stem from a 4 percent room tax.

The county Board of Supervisors did not go along with that pitch for 2018, leaving the Tourism Department virtually unchanged. But Lake George Supervisor Dennis Dickinson, who chairs the countys Occupancy Tax Coordination Committee, opted for a plan to give $300,000 of surplus occupancy tax funding to the CVB, in addition to the regular chamber funding.

That is an increase of $125,000 over this year, and the town of Lake George will provide an additional $50,000 in occupancy tax funding to the CVB, Dickinson said.

They will also get some help from the (county) Tourism Department, Dickinson said.

The CVB has been receiving occupancy tax funding for years, but the increase will allow for more help for Kristen Hanifin, the CVBs director of special events and convention sales, and more visits to events to try to convince groups to come to the region, Mintzer said.

It may allow hiring of staff to assist with sales but also with helping with the convention services details of events that are booked so that their visit is seamless.

It would be great to take that off her (Kristens) plate so she can just sell, Mintzer said.

Discussions are underway about a new, volunteer oversight board for the CVB made up of business people and elected officials, separate from the chamber board, but the makeup has yet to be determined.

We are still researching that, Amanda Metzger, marketing coordinator for the chamber and CVB, said. It will be different oversight, but we dont have the specifics yet.

Mintzer, an energetic, upbeat saleswoman, was hired as executive director of the chamber and CVB in August, replacing the retired Michael Consuelo. She came from the Albany County CVB, where she focused on group sales.

She said the new funding will allow the CVB to subscribe to services that can help bring in new business, and show the impact it has.

Im all about the metrics, she said. If you dont have a target, you cant hit it.

While many point to the weather as a hindrance to developing off-season business, Mintzer pointed out that many organizations have conferences around the Northeast during the colder months.

Everyone in the Northeast has weather, she said.

CVB representatives have already started working on the pitch for new business, meeting with representatives of the state Department of Environmental Conservation recently to talk about parameters for use of DEC properties around Lake George, a meeting Mintzer called very productive.

Metzger said the CVB staff has already lined up visits to six trade shows as far away as Utah, Minnesota and North Carolina next year.
FORT EDWARD  The wife of the man who is accused of choking his 95-year-old grandmother to death pleaded guilty Thursday in Washington County Court to assisting her husband dispose of the alleged murder weapon and other charges.

The lawyer for the man accused of the killing harshly criticized the plea deal on Friday after his client was in court, and said that the justice system has closed its eyes toward the case.

Melissa Gonyea, 35, pleaded guilty to seven felony charges and agreed to cooperate against Kevin L. Gonyea when he is tried early next year for the July strangulation death of Leona Twiss in her West Fort Ann home. Kevin Gonyea has been charged with second-degree murder and lesser counts for the killing.

Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan said Mrs. Gonyea faces 4-2/3 to 14 years in prison if she cooperates with prosecutors and testifies against her husband. If not, she faces a longer prison term when sentenced by Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan.

She is expected to cooperate and testify truthfully. If she doesnt, she faces consecutive sentencing, Jordan said.

She pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and offering a false instrument for filing. Both Gonyeas were accused of welfare fraud-related charges after those allegations were uncovered during the death investigation.

The Gonyeas lived with Twiss, and had been taking care of her.

Court records show she told police she disposed of a towel that police believe was used to choke Twiss. It was recovered in a remote area of Fort Ann, when Mrs. Gonyea took officers to where she threw it.

Videos filed in the case show that she told police that she did not witness Twiss death, but that she saw Kevin Gonyea emerge from Twiss bedroom with a towel and he told her its done. They initially told police they heard her fall in her room, but an autopsy showed injuries consistent with her being choked.

Mrs. Gonyea cooperated with police, and court records show her husband consented to hours of questioning but did not make any admissions to killing Twiss.

Mrs. Gonyea was supposed to be in court on Friday, but the case was moved up to Thursday afternoon with no explanation or notice to the media.

Her lawyer, Robert Gregor, said he had no comment on the case Friday.

Mr. Gonyea, 50, appeared before McKeighan in court Friday afternoon. The judge set a pre-trial hearing in his case for Dec. 14, but no trial date has been set.

His lawyer, Gregory Teresi, said a plea deal that would send Mrs. Gonyea to prison for up to 14 years was a grave injustice, and he was perfectly fine with her taking the stand against his client.

He said he believes other family members were to blame, and that police did not fully investigate those avenues.

Teresi said they had a financial motive to have her killed, as she was going to be put in a nursing home, but his client did not.

There is no doubt in my mind the district attorneys office rushed to indict this case, and there were stones left unturned, he said. As a result, an innocent man is behind bars.

Police videos show Mrs. Gonyea implicated other family members of Twiss in the planning of her death.

The Washington County Sheriffs Office has been investigating whether others were involved in the plotting of Twiss death, but no one else has been charged.

Both defendants are being held in Washington County Jail pending further court action.
For the good of Alabama and his party, Roy Moore should immediately remove himself as the Republican candidate in the special U.S. Senate election.

Even if the allegations that Moore had sexual contact with underage girls some 40 years ago are nothing more than trumped-up charges fueled by dirty politics, he should put the interests of the state ahead of his own and step aside. Even if he thinks himself a victim and his accusers as evil, Moore should end this today.

Things are not going to get better between now and the election, not for Moore, not for the states Republican Party and absolutely not for Alabama.

If you think economic development and job creation are already an uphill battle in Alabama, just wait and see what happens if Moore should win the election. The national and international news will be wall-to-wall as national Republican leaders side with Democrats to fight against seating the evangelical Moore in the Senate. George Wallace and Bull Connor did lasting damage to this states economy when they fought against the civil rights movement. If Moore doesnt want his home state to face that kind of backlash again, he should step aside. At this point, he is as politically toxic as one could possibly be in an age when there apparently is little shame left on either side of the political aisle.

It never should have gotten this far. If then-Gov. Robert Bentley had not appointed Luther Strange, the man whose job it was to investigate the embattled governor for illegal activity, to the vacant Senate seat shortly before Bentley resigned in disgrace, we might not be here. Voters saw through that ruse, and enough voted for Moore to give him the GOP nomination. Had another, more appropriate person taken that seat temporarily, Moore might not have found his way into being the partys nominee.

As it is, in this heavily Republican state, voters will choose between a progressive Democrat and a religious firebrand who is accused of being a sexual predator. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, there are far too many voters in this state who would choose to defend Moore against these charges before considering casting a vote for a Democrat.

With a fifth woman coming forward Monday to claim Moore assaulted her when she was 16, the attention on this election could not possibly be more embarrassing for the Republican Party. Already, a host of national GOP leaders have called on Moore to step aside. That chorus is certainly going to grow louder, and it should. Those who qualified their call for him to step aside if the allegations are proven to be true are going to fall to the minority. The allegations and Moores weak response to them have already made that qualification an afterthought.

Moores initial denial of the first round of accusations fell flat. Now, the accusations are increasing. If he cares more about Alabama than his political career, he should drop out. If he doesnt, he definitely doesnt deserve our vote.

The Tuscaloosa (Alabama) News published this editorial on Nov. 13.
President Trump just said he is with our agencies with respect to the controversy over what Vladimir Putin said and what the intelligence agencies say. I disagree with President Trump. I am not saying President Trump is wrong. I am saying the intelligence agencies are not always right.

In defense of my position, President John Kennedy asked his intelligence where are the warheads? during the missile crisis. Either by accident or design, intelligence told him where the warheads were and they were wrong. No one knew where the warheads were located until the warheads were on Russian ships on their way back to Russia.
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After Allen Bertsche, raised Lutheran, and Laurie Bertsche, raised as a United Methodist, married in 1999, the couple decided they should try to find a religious community they would feel comfortable in.

"We started with Methodist churches, and then a few Lutheran churches. None of them felt like a good fit for us," Allen Bertsche said.

The couple finally explored an online test on faith to discover they had much in common. Both had beliefs close to Quakers, or to Unitarian Universalism. In the end, they found a home at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad-Cities, Davenport.

Bertsche spoke about his faith from his office at Augustana College, Rock Island, where he runs the Study Abroad program.

His desk is situated between two reproduction paintings: "Madrid," by El Greco, a painting of a man who looks pious and proper; and "The Drowning Dog" by Goya.

Those two remind Bertsche how to work with students in the program; he needs to be a face of calm, managing problems and issues, like the man painted by El Greco, and he should respond to those who need help, like the dog in the work by Goya.

Q: Tell me about yourself?

The 50-year-old was born and raised on Long Island, New York. He moved to the Midwest to attend Indiana University, Bloomington.

Indiana offered Bertsche, who is bilingual and the grandson of Spanish immigrants, 110 languages and a strong overseas study program. He earned his advanced degree at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

He moved to the Quad-Cities in 1996 to teach Spanish at Augustana, and subsequently got the job in the college's Study Abroad program. He also met and married his wife.

He is now chairman of the board at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad-Cities, 3707 Eastern Ave., Davenport.

Q: Where you raised in the faith?

No, both Allen and Laura were raised in a mainline religion but began to question the faiths. Specifically, while Bertsche believes the Bible contains much insight and truth, he does not believe it is the only source of truth.

He has traveled the world and has come to respect other faiths, he said.

One thing about the Unitarian Universalism, most people in the congregation are not born into the faith, he said. "Often members purposely looked for a change from what they were raised in," he said.

Q: What drew you to Unitarian Universalism?

The Bertsches decided to check out the Davenport congregation, but it took them a few months to feel comfortable. "There is so much variation from week-to-week and month-to-month, it takes a while to get a sense of what is at the core of this group," he said.

To help, they took "Introduction to Unitarian Universalist" classes from the minister, and they enjoyed "get-to-know-you" activities the congregation offers. They officially joined in 2004.

Not long after that, Allen Bertsche got involved with the religious services team, which is tasked with doing the service when the minister is out of town. As an educator, Bertsche is comfortable speaking in public, and he enjoys filling in for sermons.

This meant he explores a topic he is interested in, and prepares a sermon on it. "I like doing the exploring part, and I liked getting feedback from others," he said.

In addition, there are adult continuing education classes, such as on the intersections between world religions. Bertsche put one together himself, on how art is an expression of faith.

What he also likes is the congregation's emphasis on social justice issues. He and Laurie got involved with working on the Quad-City Pride Festival, and with individuals in the LGBTQ population.

Q: How did your family react to your faith?

There was some initial confusion in Bertsche's family. His father was told by a Lutheran minister that Unitarian Universalism was for pagans and witches (not solely) and his sister thought it was a form of Judaism (no).

There are many faiths involved in Unitarian Universalism. "We don't tell you what your beliefs should be," he said. "We don't have a Creed, and that's big."

In the end, Bertsche's father was simply glad he was attending church regularly, and Laurie Bertsche's United Methodist family was supportive from the start.

Q: What else should we know about your faith?

"It's all about asking questions, and the journey," Bertsche said.

The Davenport congregation has a strong youth education program, and a growing part of it is young families.

Unitarian Universalism, across the country, tends to include more highly educated and slightly more affluent individuals than others, he said. It includes teachers, scientists, folks in the arts.

"It's never a problem to ask questions. One believes in the inherent worth and dignity in any person. That's respecting everyone, regardless of who they are, and where they come from," Bertsche said.

Unitarian Universalist congregations tend to be located in college towns, and Bertsche has visited others, in Iowa City, Madison and Oak Park, Illinois, which was designed by a member, famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

It's hard to get into a Unitarian Universalist congregation without soon hearing about the prestigious members of the faith, such as presidents, authors and noted scientists, he said.

Q: Online?

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad-Cities is online: uucqc.org

There is also a Facebook page, and the minister, Jay Wolin, is active on Facebook. There is an Instagram account, and the faith is on YouTube, where services are streamed.
NEW BOSTON, Ill.  Familiar sounds of recess  shrieks of laughter, back-and-forth chatter and the patter of footsteps across a patch of dirt  filled the chilly air, drowning out any of the middle schoolers potential pleas for technological distractions.

Last week, about 40 miles southwest of the metro Quad-Cities, 75 or so seventh grade students from Bettendorf Middle School swapped cellphones for rakes. They cleared dead grass off a barren tract of land in Mercer County before hand sowing a variety of native prairie grasses and wildflowers.

The goal: To connect with nature and create a pollinator-friendly habitat, said Erin Allen, a science teacher in her fourth year at the school, who organized the undertaking.

"We've got some squirrely kids that just need to move," she said, "and this is that learning experience they'll never forget."

In conjunction with the owner of the private property and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Allen launched this three-year restoration project in the beginning of the 2016-17 school year after "all the stars aligned."

The landowner, a former Bettendorf School Board member, who requested to remain anonymous, contacted Allen in the spring of 2016 after reading a Quad-City Times article about a water conservation project at the middle school. He offered up an acre of land in hopes students could use it as an outdoor learning lab. That summer, a then-pregnant Allen landed a six-week "externship" with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an opportunity provided by the Iowa Governor's STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Advisory Council.

While working with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service crew one day, she connected with Aleshia Kenney, a biologist for the Rock Island Field Office in Moline. Kenney expressed an interest in working with Allen, and the duo devised a plan. They decided to divide the allotted area into three sections so three successive classes of students could each focus on 1/3 of an acre through the 2018-19 school year. The federal agency paid for the total cost of seeds for the prairie, about $1,000, through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

Before the recent field day, students researched plant species and pitched individual proposals to Kenney, who settled on seven unique grasses and 36 types of flowers.

"Because this is an educational project, I did a lot more flowers here than normal," Kenney said with a grin, standing on the site of the future prairie. "I added some of the expensive stuff just to get it to really pop."

When they eventually bloom, the plants will target pollinators, such as monarchs and bees, as well as migratory birds, she said. However, it will take a few years for the prairie to develop a strong root system.

"Habitat takes time, it takes work and it takes devotion," said Kenney, a 10-year employee of the Fish and Wildlife Service. "They'll be able to see it change over time and get to see what they're doing does make a difference."

Allen's current class will return here in the spring to see the growth and progression of the prairie. In the coming years, she envisions her students conducting biological surveys to determine what insects and wildlife call the restored ecosystem home.

"We can teach it all day in the classroom," she said, "but it doesnt really make sense until they come out here and they see how you seed something and how things are growing."

After completing their job last week, a group of students sat in a circle and chatted about the experience over lunch.

The group agreed it was refreshing to detach from their mobile devices and social media.

"It's nice to get fresh air and realize what's really out there and how the world works," said Riley Wehr. "When you're on your phone all day, you're not helping the environment."

They felt a sense of accomplishment, too, knowing their relatively small effort benefited the environment and ultimately themselves.

"You never really think about how, like, our earth produces stuff, but when you think about it, like, it's a cycle where you have to give back to the environment for the environment to give back to you," Ahlivya Hill said.

And they appeared inspired before boarding their Bettendorf-bound school buses with an understanding of their mission.

"It's nice to think that, like, I didn't only help the environment," Rachel Redden said, "but I also helped a community of pollinators that help us get our food."
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday reversed an appellate court decision to reverse the conviction and order a new trial for a Muscatine County man in a 2014 drug case.

The issue at hand in the State of Iowa v. Carlos Ariel Gomez Garcia is whether a trial court judge abused its discretion by requiring a standby interpreter over his objection.

Garcia, 26, a native of Honduras, was charged in Muscatine County District Court with delivery of cocaine in December 2014.

He is able to read and understand the English language and sought to waive the assistance of court interpreters at his trial, according to court records.

According to court documents, Garcia believed that the presence of interpreters would be distracting and confusing to him and could be unfairly prejudicial to him during a jury trial.

District Court Judge Stuart Werling instructed standby interpreters to provide real-time translation, but told Garcia that he could remove the wireless earpiece if he no longer wanted to use their translation services, according to court documents.

Garcia then waived his right to a jury trial and opted for a bench trial. The judge ultimately found him guilty on the drug charge and he was sentenced in September 2015 to up to 10 years in prison.

He appealed and argued that he adequately showed the judge his ability to read and understand the English language and that the presence of interpreters in the courtroom would have obstructed his right to a fair trial and would unfairly prejudice the jury against him.

The Iowa Court of Appeals in November 2016 determined that the trial court erred in refusing to accept Garcia's waiver of interpreter services and reversed his convictions and ordered a new trial.

The state argued on further review before the Iowa Supreme Court that improperly denying a waiver of interpreter services does not fundamentally affect the fairness of the proceedings and does not warrant automatic reversal of a criminal conviction.

We conclude the district court properly balanced the goal of ensuring a fair trial while accommodating in part Gomez Garcias request to waive the interpreter on the morning of trial, according to the supreme court opinion released Friday. The district court chose a reasonable middle ground by ensuring that Gomez Garcia had access to translation services, even if he elected not to use them.
Man arrested on drug, gun charges

Bond was set Thursday at $20,000 cash or surety for a Davenport man charged after police say they found a large amount of marijuana and a stolen gun in his home Wednesday.

Dontae Lamonte Burrage, 29, last known address in the 900 block of East Central Park Avenue, faces charges of possession with intent to deliver, failure to affix drug tax stamp, felon in possession of a firearm or offensive weapon, and trafficking in stolen weapons-first offense.

The charges are all Class D felonies each punishable by up to five years in prison.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22.

Burrage also is being held without bond on a warrant out of Rock Island County for failure to appear on a charge of resisting a peace officer, according to court records.

Around 11 a.m. Wednesday, Davenport police searched Burrages home and found 897 grams  or nearly two pounds  of marijuana that was packaged in different packages for delivery, according to an arrest affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint.

Officers also found two digital scales, packaging material and a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun that was reported stolen to police in Peoria, Illinois, according to the affidavit.

When arrested, Burrage was in possession of $605 in cash, according to the affidavit.

He has several convictions for possession with intent to deliver and intimidation with a dangerous weapon in Scott County and is barred from owning or possessing a firearm.

--Tara Becker

Double-homicide suspect now in DHS treatment facility

A Rock Island man found unfit in August to stand trial in the deaths of his grandmother and uncle earlier this year is now receiving fitness restoration treatment, his attorney said Thursday.

Rock Island County Public Defender Baron Heintz said during a brief hearing at the Rock Island County Justice Center that John P. Conwell has been transported to an Illinois Department of Human Services.

At a hearing earlier this month, a second attorney, Assistant Public Defender Matthew Durbin said that the 40-year-old was still awaiting transport since he was found unfit on Aug. 8.

A review hearing for Conwell will be held Feb. 8.

State statute requires DHS to submit a written report to the judge, prosecutors and the defense within 30 days of the judge's order.

The report must include an assessment of the treatment facility's ability to provide treatment to the defendant and whether there is a substantial probability that the defendant can attain fitness within a determined amount of time.

Conwell is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Eleanor "Petty" and Steve Conwell, 90 and 69, respectively.

Police were called at 7:54 p.m. May 14 to the 1200 block of 29th Street for a welfare check and found their bodies.

Prosecutors claim in charging documents that John Conwell "knowingly and without justification" struck Eleanor and Steve Conwell in the head and cut their throats.

John Conwell was arrested a day later in Davenport.

--Tara Becker

One injured in semi rollover crash

One person was airlifted to University Hospitals, Iowa City, for serious injuries following a roll-over crash Thursday afternoon in East Moline.

The Illinois State Police said in a news release that a truck tractor semi-trailer was driving on the ramp from Interstate 80 East to Interstate 88 East around 1:10 p.m. when it crossed over the left shoulder of the roadway and rolled onto the drivers side.

The driver and sole occupant, who was not identified Thursday, was extricated from the truck and flown to Iowa City by Med Force, according to the release.

Traffic on eastbound I-88 was shut down briefly for Med Force, according to the release.

Charges are pending.

East Moline fire and police and the Illinois Department of Transportation also assisted at the scene.

--Times staff
Joining their Democratic colleagues, U.S. Reps. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, and Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., voted against the Republican tax cut bill in the House on Thursday.

The two said the plan was tilted too heavily to the wealthy, would explode the deficit and hurt the middle class.

The House passed the bill by a 227-205 margin. All but 13 Republicans voted for the bill. All the Democrats voted against it.

Proponents of the legislation heralded its passage and said that it would deliver significant relief to the middle class, grow the economy and simplify the tax code.

"I have been very clear from the beginning of this debate that I support doing tax reform that puts hardworking families first and creates jobs, but thats not what Speaker Ryan and Washington Republicans voted to pass today, Bustos said after the vote.

Earlier this week, her office, citing a Tax Policy Center study, said 30 million Americans would see their taxes go up under the plan.

Loebsack said the bill was rushed through and would hurt everyday Iowans.

"The plan slashes taxes for millionaires, billionaires and corporations, while many middle class families, small businesses, seniors, teachers and veterans will be faced with an increase," he said.

Loebsack and Bustos were targeted earlier this week by a conservative group, American Action Network, which bought television advertising urging support for the tax bill. And a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee was critical of the Democrats' vote Thursday. In an email criticizing Loebsack's vote, Christiana Purves, said "voters will remember his decision to toe the party line and oppose much-needed tax relief come Election Day 2018."

House Republicans have said the typical family would save an average of $1,200 from their tax plan. They defined a typical family as a household of four with income of $59,000.

The Tax Policy Center analysis of the House plan last week said that, in 2018, 7 percent of taxpayers would see an average tax increase of $2,100 from the bill. But it also said that 76 percent of taxpayers would see a cut averaging $1,900, with the savings much higher for those at the top of the income scale and lower for those who are further down.

By 2027, the report said, those getting a tax cut would shrink to 61 percent as some provisions in the legislation expire and because of other changes. Twenty-four percent of taxpayers would see their taxes increase at that time, the report said.

The House passage now shifts attention to the Senate. Republicans there have introduced their own bill and passage in that chamber is considered to be a more difficult task.
A $700 billion defense policy bill cleared both the House and Senate this week, and included provisions aimed at helping the Rock Island Arsenal.

The Senate approved the bill Thursday. The House passed it Tuesday.

Included in the legislation is language extending the ability of arsenals, depots and ammunition plants to lease underused space, according to Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., who served on the conference committee writing the final version of the measure. Over the last month, I proudly worked across party lines to deliver a National Defense bill that strengthens our military capabilities while ensuring that hardworking Illinoisans will continue playing a crucial role in our national security, Bustos said in a statement.

Quad-City area lawmakers have been working for more than a year to extend the Arsenals ability to lease space on the island, which expired in September. A Senate measure approved last year included language from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, to extend the authority, but it wasnt taken up in the House.

This new provision, which is similar, extends leasing authority through 2020 but also gives the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversight in the process. Previously, the Arsenal's leasing authority did not fall under the Corps, according to the Rock Island Arsenal Development Group, which has been marketing space on the island for several years.

The new authority will allow a limited number of leases for up to 25 years.

Also included in the legislation is a requirement that the Army establish guidelines on whether to procure items in the private sector or from arsenals, as well as a requirement that in some circumstances, the Defense Department certify there's no space available on existing installations before it can lease space in the private sector.

The so-called "make or buy" guidelines were something the Government Accountability Office recommended in a 2015 study of Arsenals.

Not included in the bill was a provision that Arsenal supporters have sought for two years now to create a pilot program to allow the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center more flexibility to adjust its labor rates to try to attract more business.
DES MOINES  The top Democrat in the Iowa Senate called on her Republican counterparts Thursday to make public the findings of the internal review of sexual harassment allegations made by a former employee who was awarded $1.75 million in damages.

Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines made the request in separate letters to Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, and Senate President Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny.

Since the taxpayers are on the hook for this $1.75 million settlement, the findings of this investigation should not be kept secret, Petersen said in her letters.

Releasing the findings of your internal investigation would be a first step in making sure the Legislature is a safe and welcoming environment for all employees, protecting Iowa taxpayers and protecting the rights of those who raise concerns about harassment, Petersen stated.

Dix told reporters Wednesday that an internal probe by his office in conjunction with the Secretary of the Senate has been completed but details would not be made public because interviews conducted with Senate GOP caucus employees were done so under an expectation of confidentiality. He said he did not want to breach that trust.

Workplace rules became an issue at the Statehouse in the wake of the $1.75 million judgment paid to settle a lawsuit brought by Kirsten Anderson, a former Senate Republican Caucus Staff communications director who alleged she was fired hours after complaining of sexual harassment on the job.

In her letter Thursday, Petersen called the outcome a black eye for the Legislature.

Dix spokesman Caleb Hunter said Dix and Whitver planned to respond to Petersen.

Dix told reporters Wednesday he is committed to a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment and that he would like to see improved anti-harassment training for senators and their staff members.

To that end, the Senate GOP leader said, he plans to consult with an independent human resources professional on the best course of action going forward.

Across the Statehouse rotunda, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said the Iowa House will proceed separately with the hiring of a human resources director to assist legislative employees, calling the move the right decision.

Gov. Kim Reynolds agreed and said she believed results of the Senate Republican internal probe that were not brought out during Andersons trial last summer should be made public now.

I do believe that if there are additional facts that were not brought out through the trial process, being cognizant of personal information, I think that they need to be transparent and open and that they should release that information, Reynolds said during her weekly news conference. I think theres a way to do that, and I think they need to do that.

Dix said he was not ruling out the possibility of eventually releasing the internal review after consulting with an outside expert, telling reporters, At a future time, I might reconsider that if an outside organization deems that to be the best thing.

The Times Des Moines Bureau has filed a Freedom of Information request with Dix and Secretary of the Senate Charles Smithson to obtain written documents containing the findings of the internal review involving Senate GOP caucus staff employees.
Iowa American Water is warning customers of a potential scam that has come to the companys attention.

Customers should be wary of people posing as water company personnel to gain access to homes.

The advisory comes after a customer in Bettendorf contacted the utility to report that a person had knocked on their door claiming to be a water company employee and requested access to their home.

The customer denied the person entry because they did not have an appointment scheduled with the utility and the person did not have an ID badge.

For the safety of our customers, we are issuing this alert, Mary Jane Midgett, director of operations for Iowa American Water, said in a news release.

Customers are always encouraged to contact our customer service center at 866-641-2108 if they are unsure of the identity of someone who comes to their home as a representative of Iowa American Water, Midgett said.

Iowa American Water reminds customers that the company does not usually send a service worker to homes unannounced and without an appointment. An exception would be something such as a water main break in a neighborhood.

Iowa American employees have company-issued photo ID cards to verify their employment. Employees also drive company vehicles with an Iowa American logo printed on the side and have a uniform, jacket or hat with the company logo.

Also, Iowa American Water employees do not request entry to anyones home after dark unless it is an emergency call requested by the customer or an appointment for service work that has been scheduled in advance by the customer.
It was a good week for Fred Hubbell and Nate Boulton.

They are the early frontrunners among seven Democrats seeking to become their partys nominee in the states gubernatorial election next year, according to a liberal websites poll and Des Moines Register analysis, both published this week.

Hubbell, a retired Des Moines businessman, and Boulton, a state legislator from Des Moines, were the top choices in a poll published this week by Iowa Starting Line, a website that covers Iowa politics and is published by Pat Rynard, a former Democratic campaign staffer.

In the poll, 22 percent of likely Democratic primary voters said they plan to vote for Hubbell in the June 5 primary election; 13 percent said they will vote for Boulton.

They were the only candidates to reach double figures in support; 47 percent said they are not sure for which candidate they will vote.

Cathy Glasson (6 percent), a nurse and union leader, and John Norris (5 percent), who in the past worked for Tom Vilsack and Barack Obama, received the next-highest support in the poll.

Because so many respondents said they remain unsure and because so few voters are tuned into the race this far out from the June primary, Rynard urged caution in reading too much into the early poll results.

Obviously, since we are seven months out from the actual voting date, all of these numbers should be taken with a big grain of salt, Rynard wrote at Iowa Starting Line. The majority of Democrats in the state havent even heard about most of these candidates yet. The electorate on the day of the primary could look much different. ... This is merely a snapshot of where the race is now, not a prediction of where its going to end up.

The poll, which was conducted by Atlanta-based 20/20 Insight, surveyed 762 likely Iowa Democratic primary voters from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10. The margin of error was 3.6 percentage points.

Democratic Party activists across the state reached a similar conclusion to the poll, according to a report filed this week by the Des Moines Registers chief political reporter, Jason Noble.

Noble interviewed Democratic activists and operatives, and reported that Boulton and Hubbell lead the seven-candidate field, bolstered by demonstrable organizational strength, high-profile endorsements and the promise of ample dollars to fund campaigns into the June 5 primary election and beyond.

Hubbell and Boulton have displayed campaign strength in various ways in these early stages of the race.

Both have claimed successful fundraising hauls, although that cannot be independently confirmed until campaign finance reports are due to the state in January.

Hubbell, who possesses the resources to at least partially self-finance his campaign, was the first candidate to air campaign ads on television.

The Boulton and Hubbell campaigns had strong shows of campaign organization at the Polk County Democrats fundraiser in late September. Both had dozens of supporters show up wearing campaign T-shirts, held nearby pre-event rallies and marched in unison to the fundraiser --- Boultons campaign banging thunder sticks and Hubbells accompanied by a local marching band.

But, as Rynard noted, the primary election remains seven months away. Hubbell and Boulton may appear to be the early leaders, but there is plenty of time for Glasson, Norris, or former state party chairwoman Andy McGuire to mount a serious challenge.

And with seven candidates in the race --- party activist and former auditor candidate Jon Neiderbach and former Iowa City mayor Ross Wilburn also are running --- the decision could wind up in the hands of the partys delegates. If no candidate receives at least 35 percent of the vote in the primary, the nominee is chosen instead by delegates at the partys state convention.

Bottom line: Hubbell and Boulton clearly have made a strong first impression, but there is a long way to go before the Democratic nomination is decided.
I attended and spoke at the Nov. 14 Clinton City Council hearing on the proposal to enroll 315 Chinese students at Clinton High by 2033. This proposal was approved. It means that Clinton High will become about 37 percent Chinese, a percentage far too high for harmonious relations between our Iowa students and the Chinese. This is an unprecedented social experiment we should not run. It will fail.

The City Council and Clinton Catalyst, owner of former Ashford University, viewed the proposal as strictly a business one that will stimulate our local economy and make use of a major facility in town. However, their agreement also advances an unprecedented sociological experiment that research on diverse groups coming into contact over the years demonstrates is very likely to fail.

This means we would see good relations on the high school campus when there are a relative few Chinese in the early years of the 15-year proposed lease to a Chinese "entity." Unfortunately, a tipping point will occur as the percentage nears 37 percent. At that level, the entire social structure of Clinton High will change and there will be widespread resentment on the part of the Iowa students and the community at large. This is not an outcome we want or need.

The idea of bringing in Chinese students can be an excellent one. But it is not at all a good idea to bring in such a socially transformative number that defeats the original purpose.

Gary Heath, Ph.D.

Clinton
PIERRE | South Dakotas new laws raising teacher salaries received their first tests Thursday as school districts appealed accusations of violations to a government panel.

At stake were many thousands of dollars in state aid.

Districts that didnt meet one or both accountability measures set by the Legislature in 2016 could lose half of the additional money they were supposed to receive.

Lawmakers increased the state sales and use tax rate to 4.5 percent to pay for the raises. The tax had been 4 percent since 1969.

Legislators established the state School Finance Accountability Board to determine whether violations occurred and what types of waivers to recommend.

A total of 36 school districts, mostly from rural areas of South Dakota, didnt meet one or both of the two accountability measures set by the Legislature.

The accountability board began sorting through the cases Thursday.

The Legislatures Joint Committee on Appropriations makes the final decision Dec. 4.

The five board members are Brandon Valley superintendent Jarod Larson, governors aide Patrick Weber, Mobridge-Pollock school board member Eric Stroeder, Belle Fourche schools business manager Susan Proefrock and Huron superintendent Terry Nebelsick, who is chairman.

The boards findings Thursday included:

 Wall committed a violation and must reopen teacher contracts to spend an additional $27,144 in total compensation by Feb. 1.

 New Underwood broke both requirements. The state board said New Underwood must reopen teacher contracts to spend $22,000 on total compensation to meet one standard by Feb. 1. Board members said they recognized New Underwoods budget couldnt meet the other standard.

The board returns today at 9:30 a.m. MDT to consider waiver requests from Gettysburg, Faulkton Area, Bowdle, Edmunds Central, Doland, Faith, McLaughlin, Newell, Summit and Sisseton.

At one point Thursday, Nebelsick asked state Sen. Deb Soholt, R-Sioux Falls, to explain legislative intent of the pay package.

Soholt had co-chaired the 2015 task force appointed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard on teacher pay and helped pass the teacher-pay package in the 2016 session.

She said Thursday school districts and taxpayers needed to understand the Legislature and the governor expected a new level of accountability.

I will tell you unequivocally it was for teachers, period, Soholt said.

In addition to more state aid for many districts, those with smaller enrollments needed to be creative on the expense side to free revenue for higher pay by sharing services with other districts, she said.

South Dakota had the lowest teacher pay in the nation at the time. It still is at or near the bottom among the 50 states.

Nebelsick said the board would meet by teleconference Nov. 27 to review the documents from this weeks meeting before sending them to the appropriations committee.
It's funny to me, actually sad, that people want change, don't like what's going on in the country, but vote for the same people that are stee
One of the main reasons I wanted to join the Senate Finance Committee was for the opportunity to reform and modernize our wildly outdated tax code. Fortunately, that once in a generation opportunity has finally presented itself, and Im excited by the momentum in Congress that is getting us closer to delivering a pro-growth tax reform bill to the president that will directly benefit middle-income South Dakota families.

The U.S. tax code is like a time capsule. Its stuck in 1986. More than three decades have passed since Congress has taken a hard look at reforming it. Think about everything thats changed in the last 31 years. The United States has elected five new presidents, of which three served a full eight years. The internet was invented. For me personally, Ive watched my daughters grow up, and I now have grandchildren. If that doesnt put this into perspective, I dont know what will.

There are a lot of reasons to support the Senate tax reform plan, but Im particularly interested in all of the positive things it would do to provide relief for middle-income families. First, it doubles the standard deduction for individual and joint filers, which would reduce the tax burden on families. Since fewer people would need to itemize, it would simplify the code, too. Doubling the standard deduction means the first $24,000 of a familys income wouldnt be subject to federal income tax. For a family that earns less than $24,000 per year, they wouldnt pay any federal income taxes at all.

Specifically in South Dakota, the Senate tax reform plan, according to a Tax Foundation analysis of the initial plan, would result in a $2,528 boost in after-tax income for middle-income families and more than 2,700 new full-time jobs for South Dakota workers.

The Senate tax reform plan doubles the child tax credit to $2,000 and expands eligibility, which would help folks who are raising a family and trying to make ends meet. The plan also fulfills one of the most fundamental goals we set out to achieve: It lowers federal income tax rates for all levels of income earners in South Dakota, including those in the bottom-to-middle brackets.

The plan would also reform the tax code for U.S. businesses. For too long, we have been losing jobs to overseas competitors, in part because our businesses pay some of the highest taxes in the industrialized world. This plan would make U.S. businesses more competitive, which would create jobs and increase wages for American workers.

Over the last five years, tax reform has really been a bipartisan issue. During Democrat and Republican administrations, and under Democrat and Republican chairmen of the Finance Committee, weve held nearly 70 hearings on tax-related issues. Two years ago, I worked with Sen. Ben Cardin, one of my Democrat colleagues who also serves on the Finance Committee, on a bipartisan proposal to reform the business side of the tax code. This year alone, Ive introduced multiple bipartisan tax reform proposals, including one thats cosponsored by the top Democrat on the Finance Committee.

I remain hopeful that bipartisanship will prevail here, too, and that by the end of this process, my colleagues will see the benefits of this plan and realize the real winners of pro-growth tax reform are middle-income American families.
Music is often called an international language, and the collaboration and hard work of three friends made beautiful music across borders this week.

Rob Parr, owner of Yellow Sea Horse music recording studio, hosted Uganda recording artist Eden Kash and music producer Doctor Fizol for two weeks. The contact across the ocean was made on social media several years ago, and this friendship developed into a recording collaboration they hope will result in international fame and appreciation for the art of music.

For Kash and Fizol, this is their first time to come to the United States, experience snow, and meet the great people of Montana.

We made snowballs and it was fine. The people here are so kind, Kash said. Ever since we came weve never seen anyone brood. Everyone smiles and says hello  it is a happy and friendly town.

We have a bunch of friends here, Fizol added. They follow us and everything we are doing.

Parr said that two years ago on Facebook, Kash asked him to master record a song and sent it. Kash and Fizol said they were impressed with the quality that came back  with no distortion.

Music is often distorted but Robs work was clear and sounded nice, Kash said. We started sending more songs and more songs, then I asked if he could distribute the songs because in our country we dont have copyright.

In Uganda musicians are expected to give their music away.

Our people are used to getting their music for free, Kash said. If you charge for your music you wont go anywhere and you are wasting your time. They dont care if you make a living.

So in Uganda, musicians have other full-time jobs. Kash manages a fleet of fishing boats on Lake Victoria in Africa. But he said when he works his fishing career he feels like he is disappointing God.

God made me different from others, Kash said. I come to the studio and lyrics and melody just come and I start singing. I am blessed to have that.

Kash is famous in Uganda.

People know my songs, he said. Youve got to be known and people follow me because I have a new song.

Fizol agreed.

They continually ask Wheres the new one? he said.

Fizol is the top music producer in Uganda. He has a music recording studio and can have a career producing music because musicians pay him for his work.

Fizol and Kash have a good partnership that started in childhood, growing up in the same village.

I became known, musicians started recognizing me, and now they believe in me and keep coming to me, Fizol said. My goal is to become an international producer.

Parr endorsed his abilities.

I believe it, Parr said.

Kash said his dream is to become an international signer.

Originally, we didnt sing in English but I started putting English in my songs, Kash said. I wanted to be known in the whole world. It was my dream.

Kash said times have changed and English words are now acceptable for song lyrics in Uganda.

I listened to Michael Jackson when I was young but I didnt understand what he was saying, Kash said. I went to school and learned English and learned what he was saying.

While in Montana, the partners have recorded three songs and are creating a music video - all of which will be copyrighted in the United States.

Montanans helped with the projects. John Walker flew the drone for the video recorded just west of Hamilton.

I dont know anyone from Uganda who has driven a 1925 t-bucket 500-horsepower hot rod, Parr said. But these guys do in the video.

Lydia Jessop helped with the lyrics and added female vocals to two of the songs.

They hadnt even finished writing the song, Parr said. Lydia started writing another verse and its beautiful. She was very sensitive not to put words in Edens mouth.

Music is created by inspiration  they do it when it comes.

They actually busted out three songs in two hours, Parr said. He was in the middle of working on the first song, and he just about had it done and he changed the melody line and said I have to stop. Now I need to do another song and they just shifted like that.

Parr helped Kash discover that he had a lower vocal tone and recorded it in a more serious song with tender lyrics.

He said there is something more in my voice that Im not using, Kash said. I think it is great.

He was gracious enough to try it and he was able to give a richer tone, Parr added.

Parr said Kash is already popular in Uganda, but recording in the United States will protect him.

When we put them on iTunes they are copyrighted, Parr said. For me, people spending $1 on a song is a great benefit because the average monthly wage is $70 over there. There is the financial reason to keep this going, but wed love to see it benefit where people appreciate the art and the hard work that goes into it.

Mutual trust and respect are keys to success when working with musical artists and recording producers.

It can be a problem but we work really well together, Parr said. I try to stay out of the way and bring up things I feel strongly about. It is dynamic.

The trip to America also provided a better work environment and collaboration between Fizol and Parr. Fizol is getting some software from here that will allow the two to work together better on opposite sides of the world. Parr noted that it's also easier to work in person rather than typing back and forth.

The duo from Uganda leaves Montana on Saturday to return to their homes on the equator. The video will still be a work in progress, but the three songs will be complete.

We have received so much encouragement here, Kash said. I think we will be missing this side of the world. We met new people and bonded with them. We have brothers in Montana.

Parr said that Kash and Fizol were quick to make friends.

Everywhere we would go - even standing in line - a huge dialogue happens, Parr said. They are friendly and kind and questions come up and its great that they speak English. I tell people Ive changed the name of my business from Yellow Sea Horse to Yellow Sea Horse Flying Circus. Its been that  in a good way.

Parr said he hopes his friends from Uganda can return and do a mini-tour of Kashs songs in Missoula, Seattle, Portland, southern California. But bureaucracy and red tape may get in the way.

I had to write the embassy to get these guys out of Uganda, Parr said. I had to explain who I was, where they would be, plus they both had artist documentations.

Kash said to get out of Uganda he had to gather about four inches of paper work including birth certificate and bank statements. But when they went to the customs they were greeted with You look like a music performer and a quick stamp of approval on their passport.

But Kash did have to sing on the spot.
Sapphire Lutheran Homes is hosting a Folk Dance performance on Friday, Nov. 17.

Twelve homeschool and high school students from Pinesdale, Corvallis, Stevensville and Hamilton will perform folk dancing and Scandinavian dancing with dances from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, and Israel.

The free community event it is open to the public. It begins at 7 p.m. in the Sapphire Lutheran Home Banquet Hall, 501 No. 10th St. in Hamilton

Olivia Vai, dance teacher, said the performance is a first.

I took folk dancing for a year and I decided that I liked it so much that I wanted teach it, because my teacher was unavailable this year, Vai said. Weve been meeting in the in the Corvallis Elementary School multi-purpose room. Weve met weekly and have never performed before.

Vai said that the performance is part of the students training.

Ive performed for years and it is good for the students to have a couple of extra-curricular events where they use their skills in a public venue, she said. We started meeting in the beginning of September and their progress has been phenomenal. Most of the young adults have danced a little, like at church dances, but have never learned dancing of any sort.

"Now they are up to doing set dances and pretty complex Scandinavian dancing, which is cool and very fascinating.

The performers will not be in costumes but will have coordinated outfits.

All of our skirts are long and floaty, Vai said.

The traditional dances were performed at weddings and different festivals.

At Ceilidth Festivals in Ireland they would perform a dance that actually came from Finland, but it has been performed all over the world for couple of hundred years, Vai said. The one we are doing from Israel is a wedding dance, like a line that the whole family participates in usually. These dances come from different festivities and different nationalities.

Vai said the dances are great social mixers.

These are set so that you dont only have to dance with someone your same age or the person you are married to, but with a variety of partners of all ages  younger men to older guys, she said. We also do a mixer dance  where you begin with one partner but end up dancing with every partner in the circle. These are all just very fun.
It is National Collection week for Operation Christmas Child a project of Samaritans Purse that will deliver shoebox gifts to children around the world affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty, and famine.

Generous donors have filled shoeboxes with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items and are taking them to local collections sites.

Area coordinator volunteer Greg Reinhardt said he thinks they are on track to their desired 10,000 goal for the southwest Montana area.

But I honestly dont know, Reinhardt said on Thursday. We prefer people not wait until the last minute but there is a procrastination club. We dont keep track until the end - well know on Monday.

Monday is the day that all the boxes at the collection centers in Ravalli, Missoula, and Mineral counties as well as Thompson Falls, and Salmon, Idaho, are loaded up and shipped to Denver - then around the world.

Over the past several years the bulk of the shoeboxes from our area have gone to Mexico, Reinhardt said. Last year some went to the Philippines. We never know until people who track their boxes let us know where they went.

With an online $9 donation per shoebox, donors can receive a tracking label to discover the destination of each shoebox gift.

Samaritans Purse is an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Since 1993, more than 146 million gift-filled shoeboxes have been delivered to children in over 160 countries and territories.

The mission of the shoeboxes is to demonstrate Gods love and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

There is still time to get your shoebox to a collection center. In Hamilton, Cornerstone Bible Church and the Mosaic Church are collecting shoeboxes.

Cornerstone Bible Church will collect 10 a.m.  5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17; 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 18; 1  4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20.

Mosaic Church will collect 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17; 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19; and 8  10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 20.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child or to view gift suggestions, call 360-4253 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Guwahati : Field Training Exercise of the ongoing Joint Indo-Bangladesh Training Exercise SAMPRITI 2017, which is seventh such exercise in the SAMPRITI series was conducted at Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte.

The exercise aimed to strengthen and broaden the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between the Indian and Bangladesh Armies.

Kohima based Defence PRO Colonel Chiranjeet Konwer said that, the thirteen day long field training exercise commenced on November 6.

The exercise was conducted in a progressive manner where in the participants initially familiarized themselves with each others organizational structure and tactical drills. Subsequently, the training advanced to various joint tactical exercises by the two Armies, Colonel Konwer said.

Field training culminated with a validation exercise which was conducted on November 15 and 16.

Scenario of terrorists hiding in a village was painted for the validation exercise. It commenced with joint briefings by the company commanders of both armies. Based on which troops established a cordon of the village.

Validation Exercise finally culminated with a daring raid in the jungle terrain to neutralize the terrorists. A spectacular demonstration on room intervention drills was also conducted jointly by Indian and Bangladesh army troops, the Defence PRO said.

The final exercise was reviewed by Major General Md Moshfequr Rahman of Bangladesh Army and Major General MS Ghura of the Indian Army.

The combined exercise was an unprecedented success. Besides promoting understanding and interoperability between the two armies, it further helped in strengthening bilateral ties.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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Ben185/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia) -- More than 1,500 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $186 million, were seized from a yacht in the state of New South Wales, Australian police said.



Three men were also arrested in Australia as part of a multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking, according to the Australian Federal Police.



Investigators tracked the yacht as it traveled from the South Pacific bound for New South Wales. When it reached Lake Macquarie, in New South Wales, authorities boarded the vessel and arrested a 68-year-old man, police said.



A 47-year-old man was taken into custody at a hotel in the nearby Warners Bay area of Lake Macquarie, and a third man, 63 years old, was arrested at a home in nearby Islington, according to police.



When police boarded the vessel, they found a large commercial quantity of cocaine concealed within the hull -- believed to amount to 1,543 lbs. of cocaine with an estimated potential street value of $186 million, police said.



Forensic officers are continuing to take apart the boat, as well as examine and test the cocaine, according to police





Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
 "The Criminal Justice System Stalks Black People Like Meek Mill" | Main | "Justice for Veterans: Does Theory Matter?" 

This ACLU posting, headlined "ACLU Poll Finds Americans Reject Trumps Tough-on-Crime Approach," reports on the result of notable new poll with notable new findings. Here are excerpts from the posting:

In a rejection of President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions' tough-on-crime approach, a new ACLU poll finds that a large majority of Americans believe the criminal justice system is unjust and needs to be significantly reformed.

Nine out of 10 Americans from across the political spectrum told our pollster that our criminal justice system needs fixing. This is an astounding number, but the results are even more impressive when you drill down into them. They show that criminal justice reform is a political issue the American people care about....

Our polling shows that Americans are uncomfortable with the land of the free putting so many of its people behind bars, particularly when two out of three respondents do not believe that the criminal justice system treats Black people fairly. Seventy-one percent of respondents said that the United States should reduce its prison population.

This support remained strong across people with very different political beliefs. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats, 67 percent of independents, and 57 percent of Republicans all agreed that we should reduce our prison population. But one of the most encouraging signs that Americans have had enough of mass incarceration is that 52 percent of Trump voters said it was important to reduce the size of the prison population.

Most people polled also believed that mass incarceration wasnt just a serious problem but counterproductive. Seventy-one percent of respondents agreed that sending someone to prison for a long sentence increases the chances that he or she will commit another crime when they get out because prison doesnt do a good job of rehabilitating problems like drug addiction and mental illness. This includes 68 percent of Republicans and 65 percent of Trump voters. Bleeding-heart liberals they are not.

Americans also dont want their prisons full of people with mental health disabilities. Eighty-four percent of respondents said that people with mental health disabilities belong in mental health programs instead of prison.

Two in three Americans would be more likely to vote for candidates who supported reducing the prison population and using the savings to reinvest in drug treatment and mental health programs, including 65 percent of Trump voters. And 72 percent said that they would be more likely to vote for an elected official who supports eliminating mandatory minimum laws. This is in direct contrast to the agenda pushed forward by President Trump and Attorney General Session, who have supported more mandatory minimums.

The majority of Americans recognize racial bias in the criminal justice system. Fifty-five percent of Americans agree that racism in policing, prosecution, and sentencing are responsible for racial disparities in our nations prisons and jails....

Sixty-one percent of Americans believe that people who have committed crimes involving violence can turn their lives around. Sixty-one percent of Americans also believe that people who suffer from drug addiction and commit serious crimes dont belong in prison but should be in rehabilitation programs where they can receive treatment. And nearly nine out of 10 respondents believe that when people with mental health disabilities commit crimes that involve violence they should be sent to mental health programs where they can receive treatment from professionals.
 Notable crime fighting comments by Deputy AG Rosenstein in Chicago | Main | New ACLU poll suggests significant interest in criminal justice reform 

November 17, 2017

"The Criminal Justice System Stalks Black People Like Meek Mill"

The title of this post is the headline of this New York Times op-ed authored by Jay-Z. Here are excerpts:

This month Meek Mill was sentenced to two to four years in prison for violating his probation. #FreeMeek hashtags have sprung up, and hundreds of his fans rallied near City Hall in Philadelphia to protest the ruling. On the surface, this may look like the story of yet another criminal rapper who didnt smarten up and is back where he started. But consider this: Meek was around 19 when he was convicted on charges relating to drug and gun possession, and he served an eight-month sentence. Now hes 30, so he has been on probation for basically his entire adult life. For about a decade, hes been stalked by a system that considers the slightest infraction a justification for locking him back inside. Whats happening to Meek Mill is just one example of how our criminal justice system entraps and harasses hundreds of thousands of black people every day. I saw this up close when I was growing up in Brooklyn during the 1970s and 1980s. Instead of a second chance, probation ends up being a land mine, with a random misstep bringing consequences greater than the crime. A person on probation can end up in jail over a technical violation like missing a curfew. Taxpayers in Philadelphia, Meek Mills hometown, will have to spend tens of thousands of dollars each year to keep him locked up, and I bet none of them would tell you his imprisonment is helping to keep them safer. Hes there because of arrests for a parole violation, and because a judge overruled recommendations by a prosecutor and his probation officer that he doesnt deserve more jail time.... Look at what hes being punished for now: In March, he was arrested after an altercation in a St. Louis airport. After video of what had actually happened was released, all charges were dropped against Meek. In August, he was arrested for popping a wheelie on a motorcycle on his video set in New York. Those charges were dismissed after he agreed to attend traffic school. Think about that. The charges were either dropped or dismissed, but the judge sent him to prison anyway.... [I]ts time we highlight the random ways people trapped in the criminal justice system are punished every day. The system treats them as a danger to society, consistently monitors and follows them for any minor infraction  with the goal of putting them back in prison. As of 2015, one-third of the 4.65 million Americans who were on some form of parole or probation were black. Black people are sent to prison for probation and parole violations at much higher rates than white people. In Pennsylvania, hundreds of thousands of people are on probation or parole. About half of the people in city jails in Philadelphia are there for probation or parole violations. We could literally shut down jails if we treated people on parole or probation more fairly.... Probation is a trap and we must fight for Meek and everyone else unjustly sent to prison.

Prior related post:

November 17, 2017 at 10:03 AM | Permalink

Comments

When I discussed probation and parole sharking, one person was a working white male, another was a white female. I believe, the sole bias is in favor of squeezing money. While he is black, he is also well to do.

The above article emphasizes prison employment as a factor. I am emphasizing pure cash as a motive.

I am going to ask staff to survey people, to find more cases. Will report back.

Posted by: David Behar | Nov 17, 2017 2:55:01 PM

This is not only true for those on probation or parole, but also sex offenders who are supposedly free from "restrictions", but can wind up in jail or prison for actions that are deemed OK for most every other American.

We have a great "Justus" system here in America. A government of the government for the police and by the prosecutor, all for extorting money from both "criminals" and ordinary citizens to keep us "safe", so that said agents are overcompensated for their contributions to society.

I call b-llsh-t! Enough is Enough.

Posted by: albeed | Nov 18, 2017 8:15:56 AM

Meek Mill was sentenced to prison for this violation over the objections of the prosecutor and probation officer by a BLACK JUDGE who is now the subject of an FBI investigation into possible conflict of interest and other issues arising from the sentencing, including her urging of Meek Mill to change his professional representation to a local Philadelphia music figure.

Jay-Z is a tool who is doing a great disservice to the very real issue of racial inequity in the justice system by using this case.



Posted by: USPO-Retired | Nov 18, 2017 10:28:22 AM

USPO. I would like to know if you have witnessed parole sharking in the federal government.

Its elements are:

1) Pending end of probation or parole in less than 6 months;

2) Gotcha on a very trivial or even false infraction (borrowing a vacuum from one's mother is not a crime):

3) huge fines, perhaps larger than justified by the original crime, along with seizures of possession in civil forfeiture;

4) no hearing, no lawyer advocacy, no argument before a judge;

5) long extensions of probation or parole, potentially exceeding the term for the original crime.



Posted by: David Behar | Nov 18, 2017 11:02:09 AM

The word, "element," in the above legalistic comment violates the Establishment Clause, being borrowed from the catechism analysis of mortal sin. Defense people, its utterance should trigger a motion for a mistrial in any tribunal.

Posted by: David Behar | Nov 18, 2017 11:06:57 AM

David,

I NEVER saw ( in 28 years) anyone get a fine on a violation. I'm not even sure that a fine is an authorized sanction.

In the federal system, nobody can be taken into into custody without a judge first issuing a warrant, and it is not possible to violate an offender without a hearing. An offender can agree to a non-custodial modification of conditions without a hearing (like adding drug treatment)for example. And a favorable modification can be made without a hearing (expanding travel permission, for example)

I saw my share of "technical violations" (like failing to submit a monthly report), but I never once had an officer recommend custody for such a thing (and I was a supervisor for 25 of my 28 years).

There are such robust protections in federal court that to parole shark someone, you would need the complicity of the PO, the AUSA, the Judge and the defense attorney. And even if somehow this happened, a pro se letter from the offender to the Appeals Court would undo it. So you'd also have to have an offender who magically never comes into contact with any jailhouse lawyers.

Posted by: USPO-Retired | Nov 18, 2017 12:44:11 PM

Thanks, USPO. Your answer is reassuring.

No legal procedure took place whatsoever. Only the PO's and their supervisors were involved. I do not know where the money went. Both my cases were under Pennsylvania county jurisdiction. I had two cases, a female and a male, both white. The "fees" were $3500 for the female, and $8000, for the male trucker. They appear to be by ability to pay. Both were addicts. They did not relapse. However, they knew how to get money when they needed it. Not doubt, Meek has spent $millions, being able to afford that.

I may submit Right to Know Law requests about where these 'fees" are going.

Posted by: David Behar | Nov 18, 2017 12:57:58 PM

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This is the second year that Vietnamese schools have been invited to participate in the Rivers of the World project. The project has been implemented for 11 years with the participation of schools from 28 countries around the world.

Rivers of the World encourages young people to reflect about the different aspects of rivers and inspires them to recognize the potential of art in their lives. It champions the creativity of children and young people and provides a framework in which international partnerships may flourish between artists and schools.



Rivers of the World connects 12 to 14 year old students all over the world with local rivers and then partners them with UK schools. Inspired by their research into rivers and guided by professional artists, the students create great artworks for public display.

This year, 69 artworks have been produced by 69 schools in Addis Ababa, Debre Zeit and Bahir Dar in Ethiopia; Hanoi in Vietnam; Kafue in Zambia; Logos in Nigeria; Freetown in Sierra Leone; Kathmadu and Pokhara in Nepal; and from London, Reading, Hull, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea in the UK.

In Vietnam, with instruction from artist Nguyen Hoang Giang and the power of their imaginations, students from six Hanoi secondary schools created pieces reflecting current environmental concerns, drawing on historical events such as The Great Stink of 1858 when the Thames River was severely polluted by sewage. In another artwork, students produced stencil prints illustrating the protection of London from a flood by the Thames barrier.

These wonderful works are also exhibited in all participating cities and countries. In Vietnam, the British Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training has implemented the project for two years, encouraging students to learn about local rivers in the first year and their partners river in the second.

The project encourages artists to employ new techniques to challenge and inspire students. This is the second year that our students participated in the project. Throughout the process, our students have learnt a great deal about team work, research and art. But most importantly, the project raised their awareness about protecting our environment.  Nguyen Thi Hien, teacher, Gia Thuy, secondary school, Vietnam

Every artwork has its own story. Each shows the different points of view of the students, raises awareness, promotes knowledge and encourages them to explore and reflect on local and global issues. The project provides a wealth of exciting cross-curricular activities, helping students to gain an international outlook and develop the skills they need for life and work in an increasingly inter-connected global society.

The exhibiton runs till November 30.

By UYEN PHUONG
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If you climbed aboard the Orient Express for the 1974 trip, you dont need to see the latest excursion.

Little more than an excuse to assemble a bunch of stars in something other than superhero costumes, the latest Murder on the Orient Express is a bit like watching a Downton Abbey rerun. You enjoy the atmosphere but you already know how its going to turn out.

Directed by (and starring) Kenneth Branagh, the latest edition gets a bit talky (particularly when Branaghs Hercule Poirot is interviewing folks) and a trifle too confined. Its lush and engaging, but itd be a lot better if it moved faster and didnt get so bogged down in formality.

After solving a quick crime in Jerusalem, the obsessive-compulsive Poirot has visions of a quiet vacation. Instead, hes called to return to London. A friend gets him a spot on the Orient Express and, sure enough, theres trouble there, too.

Before the train gets to its first stop, a gangster is stabbed 12 times and someone on board is responsible. Officials plead with Poirot to investigate.

He relents, then discovers what motive each of the passengers might have for wanting the man dead.

Before long, we meet a princess (Judi Dench), a widow (Michelle Pfeiffer), a governess (Daisy Ridley), a missionary (Penelope Cruz), a scholar (Willem Dafoe) and others. Its a real act-a-thon, complete with sumptuous costumes and thick accents.

Branagh doesnt skimp on his own accoutrements. He dabbles in a few languages and boasts a mustache that should contain remnants of his last five meals. Its a big feature (unlike the small one Albert Finney wore) and a source of a couple of jokes.

Murder, though, doesnt go for the laughs. Instead, we get a lot of black-and-white flashbacks, too many group scenes and a showdown following an avalanche that lets a couple of stars do their best North by Northwest impressions.

When Poirot presents his theory, a confession emerges and we discover the ties that bind and whodunit.

The 1974 production, directed by Sidney Lumet, had the same ah-ha moment but it didnt have to battle an earlier films memory.

Here, were constantly reminded of what others did (and, in some cases, did better). Branagh might have mixed things up a little more and shown us more than model trains crossing a snow-filled landscape. His interior scenes seem claustrophobic. His interrogations are, at times, snooze-worthy.

Still, the Agatha Christie sleuth is a dandy fulcrum, pushing the story in ways most wouldnt want to go.

Its a beautiful film (thanks to cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos) but it could have just as easily unfolded on a cramped stage with a bunch of chairs.
SIOUX CITY -- The Betty Strong Encounter Center will host The Spiritual and Cultural Significance of the Missouri River to the Omaha People, an illustrated program by Marisa Cummings (Miakonda), at 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission will be free; a reception will follow.

Cummings is a member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa, and the TeSinde, or Buffalo Tail Clan, of the Sky People. Her presentation will focus on the impact of the Pick-Sloan Plan on the Omaha people.

Congress passed the Pick-Sloan Plan for Missouri River Development in 1944. The legislation authorized construction of dams at Garrison in North Dakota; and Oahe, Big Bend, Fort Randall, and Gavins Point in South Dakota.

Cummings has a bachelors degree in American studies and a certificate in American Indian/native studies from University of Iowa. She is project coordinator for a grant through the Office of Violence Against Women at University of South Dakota.

She has served as Chief Tribal Officer for the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. She also has served her people in higher education as an administrator for Little Priest Tribal College and through the Center for Diversity & Enrichment at the University of Iowa.
SIOUX CITY -- Whats the real story behind the pilgrims first Thanksgiving? Did Lewis and Clark celebrate the holiday during their 1804-05 Fort Mandan winter?

The Lewis & Clark and the Pilgrims kids activity with Sara Olson will dig into those questions at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. Admission and a Thanksgiving-themed craft and treats will be free.

Olson, the centers education coordinator, will work with kids to separate fact from fiction about the pilgrims first Thanksgiving, and if the Lewis and Clark Expedition carved up a turkey at Fort Mandan in present-day North Dakota in the cold November air.

At Fort Mandan, from late October 1804 to early April 1805, the soldiers often visited nearby Mandan and Hidatsa villages. They traded food with Native people and participated in many of their festivities.
Thanksgiving Eve



Community worship

The fourth annual Community Ecumenical Thanksgiving Worship will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 5200 Glenn Ave., in Sioux City. All are invited. Offering designation will be to the Mary J. Treglia Community House.

Thanksgiving banquet

Rejoice! Community Church, 1320 Third Ave. SE, in Le Mars, will hold its annual Thanksgiving Banquet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving feast along with a time of fellowship and fun. Please come as you are. Everyone is welcome. Free rides and carry-outs are available. For more information call 712-548-4430.
SIOUX CITY | Cash Howe knew something was wrong when he didn't have the energy to climb the basement stairs -- a task that had been once effortless for the avid bow hunter, fisherman and former Kingsley-Pierson teacher, who won the bench press at the Iowa Games three years in a row.

"That flight of stairs was so easy, and now I stopped in the middle just to get my breath," said Howe, who consistently ran a low-grade fever and had gained more than 20 pounds before the April 2015 episode. He told his wife, Sharon, "You're going to have to take me to the ER."

The 69-year-old Kingsley, Iowa, man had no idea that his heart was failing. He chalked the way he was feeling up to aging and a bout of influenza. Although Howe had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat years before, the diagnosis of stage 4 congestive heart failure, which he received at Mercy Medical Center -- Sioux City, came as a shock.

"(The doctor) came in the room and shut the door and he said, 'You've pushed the envelope so far that if you didn't come in and talk to me today, we probably would never talk,'" recalled Howe, who said the news felt like a slap in the face.

Howe was taken to Nebraska Medicine by ambulance.

The medical testing at Nebraska Medicine revealed he was a prime candidate for a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), a surgically implanted, battery-operated, mechanical pump that helps the main pumping chamber of the heart  the left ventricle  circulate blood to the rest of the body. If Howe didn't receive an LVAD, doctors told him he wouldn't live to see his next birthday.

Jerome Pierson, Howe's cardiologist at Mercy Medical Center, said many times, in cases like Howe's, high blood pressure, a virus or valve disease is responsible for weakening the heart muscle.

Pierson said LVAD models, which feature both internal and external components, have come a long way in recent years. LVADs, which are more compact than they used to be, are a bridge to transplantation for some patients and a destination therapy for others, according to Pierson, who believes LVADs will be fully implantable at some point.

"That's what we're giving the patient as the be all to end all," he said. "We're not looking at transplantation. This is going to be their existence."

Three minutes left

Before being discharged from Nebraska Medicine with his LVAD, Cash and Sharon Howe had to pass written and oral tests to ensure they understood LVAD care and maintenance. They also had to be familiar with alarms that would sound in the event of a device malfunction.

While the LVAD pump sits on or next to the left ventricle, a driveline runs from the pump out through the skin to connect the pump to its controller and power sources -- batteries or electricity. The patient wears a special vest, fanny pack or backpack to store the LVAD controller and batteries.

Pierson said patients are encouraged to carry an identification card with them to inform law enforcement or emergency medical services personnel that they have an LVAD. They don't have a pulse because the device generates continuous blood flow.

"That makes it difficult in special circumstances, like if you ever were in the emergency room and unable to speak for yourself. People would feel for a pulse and there would be nothing there," Pierson explained. "The assumption would be that you're deceased. In actuality, you're not. It's just that you don't have a heartbeat because you have this pump that's pumping for you."

Howe said he wore a fishing-type vest with his LVAD, but had to give up fishing, as well as bow hunting and carpentry, while he waited for a donor heart. He couldn't submerge the electrical parts of the device in water and had to avoid spending time out in the elements during cold weather, which sapped the LVAD's batteries.

"When I got the LVAD, I couldn't be around electricity because I had my own circuit going and that would interface with it," he said. "I couldn't run a chainsaw because of the vibration."

One night, Howe traveled to Sioux City from Kingsley with his wife and her mother to eat at a Mexican restaurant. While leaving the restaurant, one of the LVAD's alarms went off, signaling that Howe had 15 minutes to change the battery. Unfortunately, he had forgotten the spare batteries on the dining room table back at his home, which was 30 miles away.

He called his son, Lance, and told him to meet him in the parking lot of a former steakhouse near Lawton, Iowa.

"I told him, 'Don't dink around. I've got about 12 minutes left,'" he recalled. "When that battery goes dead, so does everything else."

With just minutes to spare, Howe's son's Ford pickup truck slid to a stop in the parking lot. He hopped out of the truck and ran to Howe, batteries in hand.

"When I switched them out, I had three minutes left," Howe said.

No limitations

For one year and eight days, the LVAD kept Howe alive.

On a Sunday in early May 2016, Sharon Howe answered the phone and passed it to her husband. The caller on the other end informed him a heart was available and asked, "Do you want this heart?"

Howe responded, "Sure. I do."

He packed up the LVAD batteries and headed to Omaha with his wife, who said the two-hour drive seemed to take "forever." When they arrived sometime after 4 p.m., Howe learned there was a delay in getting the heart to Nebraska Medicine.

Finally, at 11 p.m., he was wheeled into the operating room. He had a new heart 6 1/2 hours later.

Howe doesn't know anything about the person whose heart he received. He said he thinks organ donation is "probably the greatest gift you can give somebody."

"I kind of feel bad because someone died so I can live," he said. "Maybe sometime (the donor's family) will want to meet. It's up to them. I would meet with them."

Two days after leaving the intensive care unit, Howe asked to get up and walk. He walked a few feet. The next day, he walked twice as far.

"I was dismissed from the hospital in nine days," said Howe, who shattered the previous record of 14 days' hospitalization following a heart transplant. Before he left Nebraska Medicine, Howe had the opportunity to meet the previous record holder.

"He says, 'I heard somebody up here just shattered my record. If it has to be done, I'm glad it's you,'" said Howe, who isn't sure why he seemed to recover so quickly. He thinks his drive to get up and move played a role.

Because Howe's immune system was so weak after the transplant, doctors ordered him to "become a hermit at home" for two months. His three children, 12 grandchildren, friends and other family members couldn't visit, because catching the common cold could kill him.

Howe had to wear a surgical mask and he and his wife had to make sure the home was bacteria-free, which meant no leaving used dish rags in the kitchen sink or food out to cool on the counter.

Every week for a year after the transplant, Howe traveled to Nebraska Medicine to undergo testing to ensure his new heart was working properly. Today, he makes the trip every three months.

Howe also enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program in Sioux City as part of the recovery process. But walking on a treadmill and riding a stationary bike, he said bored him. The athlete in Howe wanted to be challenged.

"I said, 'You're not pushing me," Howe said. "Finally, I went down to Omaha and I said, 'Just get me out of there, will you? There are people in worse shape than me. I want them to have my spot.'"

Now fully recovered, Howe said he feels great. He barely spends much time indoors. When he's not doing carpentry work, he's enjoying his other favorite hobbies, hunting and fishing.

"I'm getting along fine. I feel good. I have no limitations," he said.
SIOUX CITY | A gunshot victim told police he was shot at a downtown Sioux City bar late Thursday night.

Police Lt. Patrick McCann said the man, whose identity is not being released at this time, reported he was shot inside Firehouse Bar, 1211 Fifth St., but police and the bar owner have not been able to confirm the shooting happened there.

Officers responded to the disturbance involving a gun at 11:10 p.m. and shortly after officers were sent to a hospital where the man said he was shot.

"He told us it happened at the bar," McCann said. "We haven't been able to confirm that yet."

The man had minor injuries and was treated and released, McCann said.

Firehouse owner Pauly Andersen said it is "hard to say" what happened, noting the case is under investigation.

"There was no gunfire, no gun shell casings, no blood, no ambulance, we didn't even close down," Andersen said.

Andersen believes the commotion could have been caused by a glass mug being thrown and breaking.

"Everyone got cleared out from there," he said.
STORM LAKE, Iowa | A seven-year-old Storm Lake boy was taken to a local hospital after being struck by a vehicle as he crossed a street Thursday.

The Storm Lake Police Department in a Friday release said the incident occurred just before 4 p.m. at the intersection of East Milwaukee Avenue and Russell Street.

Police said the boy was hurt after being hit by a vehicle driven by Chad Peck, 48, of Albert City. The child was taken by ambulance to Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake.

Assistant Chief Chris Cole said the boy's injuries were not life-threatening and that he was transferred to another hospital outside the county.

Peck was arrested for failure to yield to a pedestrian, which is a misdemeanor charge.

Note: An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information from the police department about the boy being treated released from the Storm Lake hospital on Friday.
SIOUX CITY | Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nate Boulton will receive the endorsement of a local firefighter union in Sioux City on Sunday.

Boulton, a state representative from Des Moines, will accept the endorsement from the Sioux City Firefighters Association, Local 7. Union president Lenny Kraker and Boulton are scheduled to speak at the event, which begins at 11 a.m. at the Public Museum.

Boulton's campaign said he has been endorsed by more than 30 labor organizations, as he vies in a wide field of seven Democratic candidates for the party's nomination in the June primary election.
A female radio news anchor said Thursday that Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken groped and "forcibly kissed" her without her consent during an overseas USO tour in 2006, two years before Franken was elected to the Senate.

The revelations have prompted Franken to apologize and ignited calls for a Senate ethics investigation into Franken's behavior.

Leeann Tweeden is now a morning news anchor on TalkRadio 790 KABC in Los Angeles and posted her story in a lengthy post on the station's website.

"You knew exactly what you were doing," Tweeden wrote. "You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed."

The revelations come amid a growing national furor over sexual harassment and misconduct, including a remarkable House hearing earlier this week in which lawmakers addressed what they described as a rampant sexual harassment problem on Capitol Hill.

Republican campaign arms have already tied Democratic candidates to Franken, but members of Congress have largely agreed to leave the allegations to a committee investigation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have each called on the Senate ethics committee to review Tweeden's account against Franken. Franken has said he would cooperate with an investigation.

Sources briefed on the matter say that Franken was emotional and upset as he apologized to staff Thursday. Franken skipped all Senate votes and the Democratic lunches, where he would have interacted with colleagues. He has not, sources say, spoken to most of them.

What happened in December 2006

In her post, Tweeden says the harassment occurred as the two rehearsed for a USO skit written by Franken in which he was supposed to kiss her. She writes that Franken repeatedly insisted they rehearse the kissing scene despite her protests. When she relented, she says, Franken "put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth."

"Senator Franken, you wrote the script," Tweeden wrote. "But there's nothing funny about sexual assault."

She also included a photo in which Franken appears to grab her breast while she's asleep.

"I couldn't believe it. He groped me, without my consent, while I was asleep," Tweeden writes. "I felt violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated."

Franken apologizes twice

In a statement to reporters, Franken said he doesn't remember the forced kissing, but that said he shouldn't have behaved the way he did in the photo.

"I certainly don't remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann," Franken said. "As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn't. I shouldn't have done it."

Franken released a longer statement several hours after his initial one, where he delivered a lengthier apology and said he "didn't know what" had been in his head when he took the actions in the photo.

"The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women. There's more I want to say, but the first and most important thingand if it's the only thing you care to hear, that's fine  is: I'm sorry," Franken said in the emailed statement.

He continued, "I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed."

Franken continued to say he didn't remember the exact actions of the rehearsal skit, but added, "I understand why we need to listen to and believe women's experiences."

Tweeden: 'There's no reason why I shouldn't accept his apology'

At a news conference, Tweeden was asked if she accepted Franken's apology.

"There's no reason why I shouldn't accept his apology," she said. "I wasn't looking for anything."

Tweeden also recounted her 2006 encounter with Franken during the news conference, describing in detail the moment in which Franken kissed her.

She said he stuck his tongue in her mouth "so fast."

"All I could remember is that his lips were really wet and it was slimy. In my mind I called him fish lips the rest of the trip because that's what it reminded me of," she said.

Tweeden said she "pushed" Franken off, and that she almost punched him.

"I pushed him off with my hands, I just remember I almost punched him ... Every time I see him now, my hands clench into fists," she said.

After the incident, which Tweeden said she did not report at the time, she said she made sure she was never alone with Franken again.

Asked whether she believes Franken should step down, Tweeden said that "people make mistakes."

"I'm not calling on him to step down," she said. "That's not my place." However, she added that her opinion may change if other women come forward with similar allegations.

Tweeden did not report Franken's behavior, and the USO released a statement saying that it had never been reported to the group.

"We have no knowledge of it," Ashley McLellan, a spokesperson for the USO, told CNN. "The report is deeply disturbing and does not reflect the values of the USO."

Congress confronts harassment and misconduct among its own

The comments about Franken come at a time when Congress is conducting a review of its policy for addressing sexual harassment and how it handles complaints. The House held a hearing on the issue earlier this week, and both chambers now will require sexual harassment training. The changes to Capitol Hill follow the ground-shaking allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct that have swept industries, organizations and institutions worldwide.

Franken acknowledged that cultural change in his revised statement.

"Over the last few months, all of us  including and especially men who respect women  have been forced to take a good, hard look at our own actions and think (perhaps, shamefully, for the first time) about how those actions have affected women," Franken said.

Tweeden said she's coming forward now after hearing testimony from women -- including California Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier -- who have shared similar stories of men in power who have committed sexual harassment and sexual assault.

"I want to have the same effect on them that Congresswoman Jackie Speier had on me," Tweeden wrote. "I want them, and all the other victims of sexual assault, to be able to speak out immediately, and not keep their stories --and their anger-- locked up inside for years, or decades."

Tweeden's revelations about Franken's behavior rocked the Capitol, with a number of lawmakers -- Republicans and Democrats -- calling for action.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, said the issue should be referred to the ethics committee.

"As with all credible allegations of sexual harassment or assault, I believe the Ethics Committee should review the matter. I hope the Democratic Leader will join me on this," McConnell said in a written statement. "Regardless of party, harassment and assault are completely unacceptablein the workplace or anywhere else."

In his own statement, Schumer said that sexual harassment is "never acceptable and must not be tolerated."

"I hope and expect that the Ethics Committee will fully investigate this troubling incident, as they should with any credible allegation of sexual harassment," he added."

Franken has said he would cooperate with the committee's investigation.

Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the highest ranking woman in the Democratic Senate leadership, said Franken's apology "doesn't reverse what he's done or end the matter."

A similarly sharp rebuke came from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat.

"This should not have happened to Leeann Tweeden," Klobuchar said in a statement. "I strongly condemn this behavior and the Senate Ethics Committee must open an investigation. This is another example of why we need to change work environments and reporting practices across the nation, including in Congress."

The political fallout

The allegations against Franken quickly crossed into politics, with the National Republican Senatorial Committee tying senators running for re-election to Franken and the National Republican Congressional Committee demanding that Democratic candidates who had received campaign money from Franken to return those donations.

Josh Hawley, Missouri's Republican attorney general, who is running for the US Senate, used the event to needle Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, who is up for re-election in 2018 and considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats.

McCaskill tweeted that she was "shocked and concerned" and that the behavior described by Tweeden is "completely unacceptable." She also said she supports calls for an ethics investigation.

"This is not enough," Hawley tweeted, calling on McCaskill to join him in calls for Franken's resignation. "Return the money he gave you & the money he raised for @MODemParty."

McCaskill told CNN that returning Franken's campaign donations is "basically under consideration right now."

Several Democrats, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, have indicated that they will donate money they've received from Franken.

An aide to Gillibrand told CNN that she plans to give all the money she's ever received from Franken's PAC -- which they say totals $12,500 -- to the group Protect our Defenders, which combats rape and sexual assault in the military.

Baldwin told MSNBC that she plans to donate campaign contributions from Franken to a women's veteran initiative in Wisconsin.

Montana Sen. Jon Tester, also a Democrat, said he will donate $25,000 from Franken to a Montana organization that supports survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

This story has been updated and will continue to update with developments.

CNN's Manu Raju, Ashley Killough and Jen Rizzo contributed to this report.
DES MOINES | The top Democrat in the Iowa Senate called on her GOP counterparts Thursday to make public the findings of their internal review of sexual harassment allegations made by a former employee who was awarded $1.75 million in damages.

Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines made the request in separate letters to Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, and Senate President Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny.

Since the taxpayers are on the hook for this $1.75 million settlement, the findings of this investigation should not be kept secret, Petersen said in her letters.

Releasing the findings of your internal investigation would be a first step in making sure the Legislature is a safe and welcoming environment for all employees, protecting Iowa taxpayers and protecting the rights of those who raise concerns about harassment, Petersen stated.

Dix told reporters Wednesday that an internal probe by his office in conjunction with the Secretary of the Senate has been completed but details would not be made public because interviews conducted with Senate GOP caucus employees were done so under an expectation of confidentiality. He said he did not want to breach that trust.

Workplace rules became an issue at the Statehouse in the wake of the $1.75 million judgment paid to settle a lawsuit brought by Kirsten Anderson, a former Senate Republican Caucus Staff communications director who alleged she was fired hours after complaining of sexual harassment on the job.

In her letter Thursday, Petersen called the outcome a black eye for the Legislature.

Dix spokesman Caleb Hunter said Dix and Whitver planned to respond to Petersen.

Dix told reporters Wednesday he is committed to a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment and that he would like to see improved anti-harassment training for senators and their staff members.

To that end, the Senate GOP leader said, he plans to consult with an independent human resources professional on the best course of action going forward.

Across the Statehouse rotunda, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said the Iowa House will proceed separately with the hiring of a human resources director to assist legislative employees, calling the move the right decision.

Gov. Kim Reynolds agreed and said she believed results of the Senate Republican internal probe that were not brought out during Andersons trial last summer should be made public now.

I do believe that if there are additional facts that were not brought out through the trial process, being cognizant of personal information, I think that they need to be transparent and open and that they should release that information, Reynolds said during her weekly news conference. I think theres a way to do that, and I think they need to do that.

Dix said he was not ruling out the possibility of eventually releasing the internal review after consulting with an outside expert, telling reporters, At a future time, I might reconsider that if an outside organization deems that to be the best thing.

The Gazette has filed a Freedom of Information request with Dix and Secretary of the Senate Charles Smithson to obtain written documents containing the findings of the internal review involving Senate GOP caucus staff employees.
You are not worried enough.

Granted, that may seem a nonsensical claim. Assuming you don't belong to the tinfoil hat brigades who consider Donald Trump the greatest thing to hit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since Abraham Lincoln left for the theater, you've spent the last year worrying as much as you know how.

There has certainly been no shortage of things to worry about: white supremacy, Russian interference and nuclear war, to name a few. Not to mention that a credibly accused child molester may soon join the United States Senate as a Republican -- the party of "family values." Of course, the self-confessed sexual predator in the Oval Office thinks the accused child molester should step aside, news that gave irony a stroke and left satire unemployed.

So yes, chances are, you're worried plenty. But you're probably not worried about Brett Talley. Indeed, you've probably never heard of him.

If Trump has his way, though, Talley, 36, will soon be a federal judge. His qualifications for that honorable -- and lifetime -- position? They're pretty well nonexistent.

He graduated Harvard Law School in 2007, so there is that. Since then, Talley has worked as a law clerk, a speechwriter, and also as a deputy attorney general and solicitor general in his native Alabama. He writes horror novels. And he blogs and tweets.

The one thing the would-be federal judge has never done is, well ... judge. Or even try a case. In fact, he's only been a lawyer for three years. The guy Trump thinks fit to oversee a courtroom has never even been in a courtroom as the attorney of record. What, then, are his qualifications?

The aforementioned blogs and tweets are instructive. In them, Talley emerges as a right-wing culture warrior, loudly decrying "Hillary Rotten Clinton," condemning the "outrage" of calling for gun control after the Newtown massacre, urging his readers to join the NRA, and otherwise shredding any lingering illusion of judicial impartiality.

Before Trump came to town, the American Bar Association hadn't rated a judicial candidate "not qualified" since 2006. Counting Talley, it has now given that rating four times since January. Which didn't stop Talley from sailing through the GOP-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee and on to the full Senate, where he's expected to be approved on a party line vote.

Even if he isn't -- news broke this week that Talley failed to disclose his marriage to a White House lawyer, which has raised conflict-of-interest questions -- it would provide little solace. There's more where he came from, including Jeffrey Mateer, who once called transgender children part of "Satan's plan" and disavowed the separation of church and state.

He was also given a pass by the Judiciary Committee. He is also awaiting confirmation.

And it bears repeating: these are lifetime appointments. Your children's children could end up before one of these men, seeking justice.

It's understandable that we are mesmerized by the frequent, high-profile illustrations of Trump's unfitness. But arguably more frightening and important are the low-profile ways he is institutionalizing Trumpism, imposing changes whose effects will linger long after the stench of him has left the Oval Office.

And he knows it.

As Trump bragged last month, "The judge story is an untold story" whose consequences will be felt "40 years out." He's right about that. So let's start telling it. Because you're not worried enough.

You could stand to be angrier, too.
Thumbs up

USS Sioux City support

Beef Products Inc. President Eldon Roth announced the Dakota Dunes, South Dakota-based company will donate $100,000 to the USS Sioux City Commissioning Committee.

I have always been and remain deeply appreciative of the men and women in uniform who take an oath to defend freedom around the world. Let this contribution signify how grateful my family, as well as our company, are to those courageous service members who sacrifice so much to protect American values and our way of life across the globe," Roth said.

A littoral combat ship, the Sioux City is undergoing tests on Lake Michigan near the shipyard at Marinette, Wisconsin, where the vessel was built, christened and launched. The commissioning, planned for sometime in 2018 on a date to be decided, will take place in Annapolis, Maryland. Mayport, Florida, will be the Sioux City's eventual home port.

The Commissioning Committee, chaired by retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Frank Thorp and co-chaired by Chris McGowan, Siouxland Chamber of Commerce executive director, hopes to raise between $800,000 and $1 million to pay for the weeklong commissioning event and establish an endowment to pay for education opportunities for crew members and their families for the 30-year life of the vessel. Planners hope to generate between $250,000 and $350,000 of the goal for the national fund-raiser locally.

New surgical center planned

Tri-State Specialists plans to open the $37 million Riverview Surgical Center next to Delta Hotels by Marriott in South Sioux City, Nebraska, in the fall of 2018, The Journal reported on Sunday.

Patients who need post-surgery care will have the option to recover in one of nine Riverview patient suites; some patients will have the additional option to stay in the adjacent Delta Hotels by Marriott with family under nurse and doctor supervision.

"We are very pleased and willing to work with the surgical center on providing guest rooms and food and beverage services for the patients," said John Gleeson, the hotel owner.

Wind farm planned

Pre-construction activities have begun on a $430 million wind farm, Rattlesnake Creek, across 32,000 acres of land between the Northeast Nebraska communities of Allen, Emerson and Wakefield.

Full construction of the Enel Green Power North America Inc. (of Andover, Massachusetts) project should begin in spring 2018.

The project will create 300 construction jobs and between 12 and 16 permanent jobs and produce an estimated $80 million in property tax and landowner payments in its first 20 years of existence, The Journal reported on Thursday.

When finished, the wind farm will be the second largest in Nebraska.

Thumbs down

Hmmm ...

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his just-completed, multi-country trip to Asia, President Trump said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is sincere in denials he meddled in the 2016 U.S. election for president.

He called former leaders in the U.S. intelligence community who concluded Russia did interfere in the election "political hacks."

A 70 percent raise?

A South Dakota legislative panel on Monday advanced a measure through which voters would be asked to give state lawmakers a significant pay raise, The Associated Press reported.

The Legislature's Executive Board approved a plan to link pay for legislators to the state's median income. The proposal would ask voters to amend the state Constitution to make this change, which would set pay at one-fifth of the median income.

Today, state legislators are paid $6,000 per session, plus a per-diem allowance.

Using 2015 Census numbers, the proposed change would represent a raise of 70 percent for the state's 105 lawmakers to nearly $10,200, according to the AP story.

We don't begrudge lawmakers in South Dakota a raise (their salaries haven't been increased since 1998), but 70 percent?
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
Commander Byron L. Smith, 56, of La Plata, MD (a native of Guilderland, NY) passed away on November 13, 2017. Bryon was born on November 28, 1960 to the late Robert Smith and Mary Viola Parsons Smith, of Port St. Lucie, FL. Byron was a 2015 graduate of the U.S. Army War College where he earned a Master's Degree in Strategic Studies.



He joined the Navy International Programs Office in December 2015 and assumed the role as Director, Plans and Programs Integration. As the director he ensures integration of plans and programs, manages international program opportunities and ensures alignment between IPO activities and higher level strategies. He was commissioned in March 1985 in the United States Navy through Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, FL and later earned a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School in 1992.



After commissioning, Mr. Smith earned his "Wings of Gold" in Kingsville, TX becoming a Naval Aviator in 1989 before proceeding to NAS Whidbey Island where he received training in EA-6B Prowlers at VAQ-129. He deployed onboard USS Forrestal (CV-59) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). Upon leaving active duty, Mr. Smith joined the General Electric Company (GE) as a Six Sigma Black Belt and later became a Master Black Belt for quality improvement. Subsequent positions in the company included Manager of Supplier Quality, International Sourcing Manager and Supply Chain Manager for GE Transportation Systems.



He then assumed the role as Strategic Sourcing Manager with Axcelis Technologies in Beverly, MA. As a U.S. Navy reservist, Commander Smith was recalled to active duty to support Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. In 2007, Commander Smith reported to Commander Naval Forces Europe & Africa (NAVEUR/NAVAF) in Naples, Italy where he was part of the core team developing and planning the concept for Africa Partnership Station (APS). As the lead planner for APS, he later deployed on USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) as part of the international staff engaging with West African maritime forces.



In 2008 he joined the NAVEUR/NAVAF staff full time as a government service (GS-15) employee filling the role of Deputy Director for Strategy & Policy. He continued his reserve work with a deployment in 2009 on the Netherland's HNLMS Johan De Witt (L801) as the U.S. Officer in charge for her West Africa APS deployment and again in 2010 on the United Kingdom's APS deployment with the HMS Ocean (L-12). Mr. Smith transitioned to the Africa Engagement group as Deputy Director in 2009 and was appointed the Director in 2011.



The Africa engagement group is responsible for planning all U.S. Navy theater security cooperation activities and engagement in Africa as well as aligning the efforts of other maritime stakeholders who have an interest in African Maritime Security. He is a recent graduate of the Defense Department's Senior Leader Development Program and recipient of the DoD Meritorious Civilian Service Award.



Byron is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Smith; sons, Leo, Lincoln and Grant Smith; mother, Mary Viola Smith and sisters, Valerie Smith Ingersoll, of Clifton Park, NY and Lorna Davila, of Port St. Lucie, FL. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, November 30, 2017 with visitation at 11 am until time of service at 12 noon at Briscoe-Tonic Funeral Home, 2294 Old Washington Rd, Waldorf, MD. Interment will be private. Arrangements by Briscoe-Tonic Funeral Home.
Bruce "Pops" Whetstine, age 77, passed away peacefully at his home on November 13, 2017 in Helen, Maryland. Bruce was born September 6, 1940 in Washington DC. His father, Olice, was a trolley car operator and his mother, Mary W., a homemaker. Bruce touched many lives and will be remembered for his ability to talk to anyone and make them feel special.



After a brief time in the Army, he began his working career as a mechanic and bus driver at Atwood Bus Co. He then trained to become a Heavy Machinery Mechanic for Hutchinson Bros Construction. Shortly after meeting Mary Lynn, they wed and moved with her two children, Ginny and Jimmy, to Forest Heights, MD. Soon after, they were blessed with a set of twins, Dorothy and Daniel. Bruce then began his career as a Building Engineer in D.C. A few years later they moved to St Mary's County to provide their young family access to a better Educational System and a rural home life. He retired after more than 30 years as a Building Engineer.



Retirement did not suit Bruce, so he asked his son if he could be of any use to him at Hawkins Glass, which he obliged. He spent the next 10+ years working beside his son, and making more friends. He so enjoyed being "one of the guys" and sharing his wisdom with them. He was routinely sought for his advice on wide array of subjects. Things that brought him joy were his beautiful home, his children's success, and his '57 Chevrolet pickup, that he and his son worked on together. He and Mary Lynn were proud members of the Mechanicsville Optimist's Club as well.



Bruce is survived by his wife, Mary Lynn; his daughters, Dorothy Vallandingham, of Mechanicsville, MD and Ginny Perry, of Bowie, MD; and his son, Daniel (Michelle) Whetstine, of La Plata, MD. He is also survived by his sister, Carol (Emil) Russelman, of New Jersey and his younger brother, Joseph Whetstine (Andrea), of Clinton, MD. He is preceded in death by his parents, Olice and Mary Whetstine, of Culpepper, VA; his brother, Vernon Whetstine, of Waldorf, MD; his brother Jack Whetstine, of Culpepper, VA; and his stepson Jimmy Perry of Baltimore, MD.



A Life Celebration Visitation is scheduled for November 18th, at Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home in Charlotte Hall, MD from 2-4PM with a service at 4PM. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Bruce's life. Flowers can be sent to the funeral home and donations can be made to the Mechanicsville Optimist's Club, P.O. Box 301, Mechanicsville, MD 20659. Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home.
Andre Garrett Turner, age 32, of Great Mills Brian Carroll Eberle, age 30, of Lexington Park Chaude Amore Leaver, age 25, of Lexington Park Cortez Leonard Alls, age 27, of Lexington Park Kyle Wayne Jones, age 24, of Leonardtown Mary Alice Alexander, age 49, of Suitland Robert Leroy Thomas, age 29, of Lexington Park Steve Donnell Maddox, age 58, of Piney Point Tiarra Laschelle Brooks, age 31, of Lexington Park Timothy Wayne Brooks, age 46, of Park Hall Travis Renard Snyder, age 28, of Lexington Park Troy Allen Jones, age 25, of Dameron Zamantha Juana Gutierrez, age 40, of Lexington Park Previous Next

LEONARDTOWN, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.

(Nov. 17, 2017)On Thursday, November 9, members of the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, and Parole and Probation, participated in a joint warrant sweep. The warrant sweep took place in St. Mary's County, and as a result of the combined efforts of agencies involved, the following thirteen individuals were arrested:Mary Alice Alexander, age 49, of Suitland, was arrested for Fraud/Bad Check.Cortez Leonard Alls, age 27, of Lexington Park, was arrested for with CDS Possession-Not Marijuana and CDS Possession-Paraphernalia.Tiarra Laschelle Brooks, age 31, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Fail to Comply-Peace Order.Timothy Wayne Brooks, age 46, of Park Hall, was arrested for Possession with Intent to Distribute, Driving Under the Influence, and Driving While Suspended.Brian Carroll Eberle, age 30, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Violation of Probation.Zamantha Juana Gutierrez, age 40, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Failure to Appear.Kyle Wayne Jones, age 24, of Leonardtown, was arrested for Assault Second Degree.Troy Allen Jones, age 25, of Dameron, was arrested for CDS Possession/Not Marijuana.Chaude Amore Leaver, age 25, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Failure to Appear/Theft.Steve Donnell Maddox, age 58, of Piney Point, was arrested for FTA/Assault 2nd Degree.Travis Renard Snyder, age 28, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Driving While Suspended.Robert Leroy Thomas, age 29, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Child Support/Non-Compliance.Andre Garrett Turner, age 32, of Great Mills, was arrested for FTA/Driving While Intoxicated.
David Jeffrey Dyson, age 60, of Tall Timbers Hipolito T. Mocivais, age 42, of Lexington Park Jake Christopher Horn, age 24, of Hollywood Ricardo Andres Vasquez, age 25, of Louisiana Todd William Santoy, age 40, of Lexington Park Previous Next

LEONARDTOWN, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.

(Nov. 17, 2017)The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office released the following DUI arrest reports.09/02/2017: Hipolito T. Mocivais, age 42, of Lexington Park, by Dep. Budd #325.09/03/2017: Jonathan Jerode Thomas, age 37, of Lexington Park, by Cpl. J. Davis #197.09/06/2017: Jonathan Robert Lord, age 23, of Great Mills, by Dfc. Lawrence #279.09/16/2017: Jake Christopher Horn, age 24, of Hollywood, by Dep. Budd #325.09/18/2017: Todd William Santoy, age 40, of Lexington Park, by Dep. McCuen #291.09/23/2017: Noel Durand Burton, age 27, of Lexington Park, by Dep. Siciliano #301.10/21/2017: Ricardo Andres Vasquez, age 25, of Louisiana, was charged with Driving Under the Influence, and Driving While Intoxicated by DFC. Potter# 255. CASE# 55736-17.11/05/2017: David Jeffrey Dyson, age 60, of Tall Timbers, was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving While Intoxicated, Driving While Suspended, and Driving Vehicle Without Ignition Interlock by Cpl. Foor# 235. CASE# 58444-17.11/05/2017: Preston Lee Rose, Jr., age 60, of California, was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving While Intoxicated, Reckless Driving, Negligent Driving, and Failure to Control Speed to Avoid a Collision by Dep. J. Smith# 306. CASE# 58290-17.
LEONARDTOWN, Md.

(Nov. 17, 2017)The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office released the following juvenile arrest reports.10/03/2017: A male juvenile age 15, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree by Dfc. Beishline# 252.10/03/2017: A male juvenile age 16, of Great Mills, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree, Disruption of School, and Resisting Arrest by Dfc. Beishline #252.10/06/2017: Juvenile female, age 11, of Lexington Park, was arrested Disrupting School Operations by Cpl. Hartzell# 97. CASE# 52849-17.10/06/2017: Juvenile female, age 11, of Lexington Park, was charged with Disturbing School Activities by Cpl. Hartzell# 97. CASE# 52849-17.10/08/2017: Juvenile female, age 16, of Charlotte Hall, was charged with Disorderly Conduct by Dep. Holdsworth# 305. CASE# 53158-17.10/08/2017: Juvenile male, age 15, of Lexington Park, was charged with Theft by Dep. Bare# 307. CASE# 53135-17.10/10/2017: Juvenile female, age 11, of Great Mills, was arrested for Threat of Arson and Disrupting School Operations by Cpl. Hartzell# 97. CASE# 52849-17.10/11/2017: Juvenile female, age 11, was charged with Disruption of School Activities by Cpl. Holton# 73. CASE# 53817-17.10/16/2017: Juvenile female, age 15, of Lusby, was charged with Motor Vehicle/Unlawful Taking and Driving W/O License by Cpl. Seyfried# 217. CASE# 54612-17.10/16/2017: Juvenile male, age 15, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree, and Disruption of School Operation by DFC. Gaskill# 274. CASE# 54686-17.10/16/2017: Juvenile male, age 17, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Operation by DFC. Gaskill# 274. CASE# 53801-17.10/17/2017: Juvenile female, age 13, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Operation by Dep. Bush# 318. CASE# 54878-17.10/17/2017: Juvenile female, age 13, of Piney Point, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Operation by DFC. C. Beyer# 246. CASE# 54878-17.10/17/2017: Juvenile male, age 13, of Great Mills, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Operation by Cpl. Reppel# 141. CASE# 54886-17.10/17/2017: Juvenile male, age 15, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Operation by DFC. Gaskill# 274. CASE# 53801-17.10/17/2017: Juvenile male, age 17, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Operation by DFC. Gaskill# 274. CASE# 54686-17.10/18/2017: Juvenile male, age 11, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree by Cpl. Kerby# 242. CASE# 55067-17.10/18/2017: Juvenile male, age 11, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree by Cpl. Kerby# 242. CASE# 55067-17.10/19/2017: Juvenile male, age 16, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Operation by DFC. Gaskill# 274. CASE# 54686-17.10/20/2017: Juvenile male, age 11, of Mechanicsville, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree by DFC. Maguire# 171. CASE# 55547-17.10/20/2017: Juvenile male, age 12, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree by Cpl. Hartzell# 97. CASE# 55056-17.10/21/2017: Juvenile female, age 17, of Leonardtown, was charged with Driving Without a License and Failure of Driver to Stop After Unattended Vehicle Damage Accident by Dep. J. Smith# 306. CASE# 55731-17.10/25/2017: Juvenile male, age 11, of Hollywood, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree by Dep. Muschette# 303. CASE# 56278-17.10/26/2017: Juvenile female, age 13, of Mechanicsville, was charged with Assault and Disruption of School Activities by Cpl. Holton# 73. CASE# 56458-17.10/26/2017: Juvenile female, age 15, of Mechanicsville, was charged with Assault 2nd Degree and Disruption of School Activities by Cpl. Holton# 73. CASE# 55997-17.10/27/2017: Juvenile male, age 13, of Lexington Park, was charged with Malicious Destruction of Property by Dep. Robinson# 332. CASE# 56718-17.10/30/2017: Juvenile female, age 15, of Great Mills, was charged with Assault and Disruption of School Activities DFC. Gaskill# 274. CASE# 56446-17.10/30/2017: Juvenile male, age 14, of Lexington Park, was charged with Assault Dep. Shelko# 326. CASE# 57076-17.10/31/2017: Juvenile female, age 15, of Hollywood, was charged with Assault by Cpl. Maloy# 137. CASE# 57331-17.10/31/2017: Juvenile female, age 16, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Theft by Dep. Siciliane# 301. CASE# 57401-17.10/31/2017: Juvenile female, age 17, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Theft by Dep. Siciliano# 301. CASE# 57401-17.10/31/2017: Juvenile male, age 12, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree by Cpl. Hartzell# 97. CASE# 56147-17.10/31/2017: Juvenile male, age 16, of California, was charged with Malicious Destruction of Property by Cpl. Foor# 235. CASE# 57437-17.11/03/2017: Juvenile female, age 17, of Mechanicsville, was arrested for Assault 2nd Degree and Malicious Destruction of Property by DFC. Maguire# 171. CASE# 58108-17.11/07/2017: Juvenile male, age 16, of Lexington Park, was arrested for Theft and Violation of Electronic Monitor by DFC. Gaskill# 274.
The 49 Indian: A Novel By Craig Moody; Vivid Imagery Publishing; 284 pages; $12.99. The book is available in paperback and Amazon Kindle editions at Amazon.com, The49Indian.com and BarnesAnNnoble.com

Craig Moody is that rare species, a native Floridian. Born in Pembroke Pines, a suburban community that edges the beautiful Florida Everglades, Moody enjoyed a career as a model and actor before he turned to what he calls his lifes true calling: acting. The 49 Indian is Moodys first novel, published by his own company, Vivid Imagery Publishing.

The 49 Indian is a gay coming out, coming of age and gay love story, all told in the life of 20-year-old Floridian Dustin Thomas. Growing up in Fort Lauderdale as the son of homophobic, religious parents, Dustins life takes a turn for the better when he meets Gauge Paulson, his new next-door neighbor. This handsome, tattooed never-do-wells passion in life is restoring his 1949 Indian motorcycle, which he inherited from his father. In spite of Gauges fascination for female beach beauties, he and Dustin strike up a relationship. When Dustins life takes a turn for the worse, he and Gauge leave town in Gauges 49 Indian, starting a cross-country road trip that takes the two to Tennessee, New Mexico, Nevada and, finally, California.

The book starts with a rape in a Fort Lauderdale bathhouse during the summer of 1983, a tragic event that was unusual even in 1983. (I frequented all three bathhouses in Fort Lauderdale in 1983, and never heard anything about a rape.) In fact, Moody seems to exaggerate the trials that gay men faced in the early eighties. Dustin and Gauge must deal with religious prejudices, homophobic violence and even attacks from other gay men. Not surprisingly, even AIDS raises its ugly head. Whatever sympathetic relatives, friends or passersby there might be are few and far between.

Only the love that Dustin and Gauge feel for each other carry them through each crisis. It is the love between two men, and Moodys ability to depict that love within the pages of his book, that lifts The 49 Indian above its faults and makes it well-worth reading. We look forward to reading more by Craig Moody, and hope that this is the first of many books.

Expose: a collection of classical nude photographs by Anthony Timiraos;

Anthony Timiraos Photography; 246 pages; $49.99

Born in Havana, Cuba, Anthony Timiraos was a Certified Public Accountant and a Chief Financial Officer; a restaurateur and a philanthropist. Now retired, Timiraos enjoys a new career as a photographer capturing that moment in time that describes his life, views and heart. Expose is a collection of classic nudes: 246 full color photos that profile nearly 40 models, nearly all men but also including one woman. Timiraoss models, not counting the woman, give us a diverse variety of beautiful male bodies, representing various races, ethnic groups, ages and body types. Expose will be a beautiful addition to your coffee table, or wherever else you might want to put it.
The Kenneth Branagh-directed remake of Murder on the Orient Express (20th Century Fox), in which Branagh also stars as Agatha Christies Belgian master detective Hercule Poirot, inspires its own set of mysteries. For example, why would anyone remake a perfectly good movie? The 1974 version, directed by Sidney Lumet, was considered to be one of the best movies of that year. Ingrid Bergman won her third career Oscar for her portrayal of missionary Greta.

To be clear, there is not a single memorable or Oscar-worthy performance in Branaghs version. That says a lot considering that the multi-character cast includes out actor Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Penelope Cruz, Leslie Odom Jr. and Willem Dafoe.

Another mystery is who exactly is the target audience for the movie. If its the people who enjoyed the 1974 edition, and their memories are still sharp, they will already know who is responsible for the murder (no spoilers here, scouts honor). So why would they want to watch an inferior remake? If Branagh wanted to remake an imperfect murder mystery he could have started with the inexplicably popular Clue (apologies to Madeline Kahn).

After solving a mysterious crime at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem in 1934, Poirot is looking forward to taking a holiday. But a symmetry-obsessed gumshoes work is never done and soon he finds himself on board the titular train. There he meets a vast array of travelers including tough-talking antiques dealer Ratchet (Depp), his valet Masterman (Jacobi) and his secretary MacQueen (Gad). There is also racist Austrian professor Hardman (Dafoe), missionary Estravados (Cruz), Princess Dragomiroff (Dench) and her handmaiden Hildegarde (Olivia Colman), Doctor Arbuthnot (Odom), and American cougar Hubbard (Pfeiffer), to mention a few more.

And then Ratchet is found brutally murdered in his compartment. As you might have guessed, no one is who they say they are or are more than they say. All of this is revealed as Poirot interrogates the passengers while the train is snowbound following an avalanche. With a nod to the Lindbergh baby kidnapping as the cause for the revenge killing, Poirot meticulously unravels the mystery.

In an effort to find something nice to say about Murder on the Orient Express, the movie looks good. Much of that is probably equal parts scenic design and CGI. The period costumes are also a sight to behold. Rating: C-
Think of the Gay8 Festival on Miami's Calle Ocho as a "Pride [celebration] on steroids." That's how organizer Damian Pardo describes the event, "which is really about bringing all parts of the community together for one day of fun in Little Havana," he said.

The third annual Gay8 Festival will take place 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18 on Southwest Eighth Street between 14th and 17th avenues. The closed-off block party for LGBT Latinos is meant to draw gay and gay-friendly members of all cultures from across Miami, not just from the Latino community.

The festival launched in 2016 with 17,000 attendees. That number grew to more than 30,000 in 2017. A kickoff event for the music, food and arts fest took place Wednesday, Nov. 8 at Casa Juancho in Little Havana, attracting many movers and shakers of the LGBT community, including Tony Lima of SAVE; Community Builders Cindy Brown, Hector Zuazo and Robert Medina of Lambda Living; and Azucar and Bailo Nightclub resident drag queens Marytrini Fernandez and Teresita La Caliente.

"I helped start this festival...music, dance parties, art, all kinds of things," Pardo said. "It's really representative, it's kind of like a Pride on steroids. It's everybody Pride. It's Haitian Pride, Latino Pride, Gay Pride, etc. But the Pride comes from all of us being together. That's where the pride comes from. It's a little bit unique in that sense."

Attendees of the official kickoff enjoyed complimentary tapas, bites and drinks, while organizers sought donations from the community and sold T-shirts of the official 2018 Gay8 Festival. Artwork on the shirts was designed by Eliott Prada, a Cuban American artist and store owner of La Isla Gallery and Gifts, a Cuban memorabilia shop on Calle Ocho.

In a Facebook post where he shared images of attendees showing off and wearing the T-shirts, Prada said "I'm so proud of our community and that I can do my part! Thanks everyone! Many more LGBT art, prints, and designer T's will be available for Gay8 Feb. 18, 2018."

Pardo said people at February's festival can expect to enjoy "free films, walking tours and great food. It's a good time," he said. Pardo said the kickoff is "the day we celebrate, bringing in the sponsors and our hosts. We generate the momentum, start getting the idea, 'hey we're heading towards the festival, let's start supporting it.'"

Along the way, there will be events related to the festival. For the first year, the Miss & Mister Gay8 pageant in association with the Gay8 Festival will take place Sunday, Jan. 14 at the Jokker Nightclub. The winners to be named King and Queen will appear on the cover of Imagen" Magazine. There will also be a Palante (Move Forward) Awards show that will serve as a fundraiser for the Gay8 Festival. The community is encouraged to purchase VIP tickets that include open bar drinks at $100 to $150 apiece to help fund costs related to organizing the street festival.

BB&T Bank representative Johnnie Mejia spoke at the kickoff, revealing the bank's support and sponsorship of the Gay8 Festival in 2018.

"We're very happy to be coming on board again for a second year in a row with Gay8," Mejia said. "BB&T considers Gay8 one of the premier festivals that builds bridges throughout our community, honors diversity and celebrates differences, which people think are a bad thing, but I think differences are a beautiful thing."

Jeremy Mason, when speaking to attendees of the kickoff, said he didn't have to sell them on this festival.

"Thirty thousand people came out last year and danced in the streets and had the time of their lives at this festival, Mason said. "The different things you can do at the festival, the movies, the literary talks, the vendors; there's so much that happens here. But the real joy of Gay8 for me is the fact that it's a rich tapestry of individual stories and people coming out as they are in their own skin and enjoying being on Calle Ocho and living their best lives together wherever they are...because it's a festival of togetherness, and that is why this is a joy. We have a new tag line for the festival: It's 'Live Your Story Here.' Because that's what we do when we come to Calle Ocho as part of Gay8."

Tony Lima, executive director of SAVE, is on the committee that runs the festival. In past years, he has been in charge of the men's Macho stage. This year, DJ Alex Ferbeyre will be taking over the reins of that party, leaving Lima to help with the fundraising, programming for the parties and hosting the stages.

"I'll be up there with a mic introducing bands and stuff. Just helping with the intricacies of the festival," Lima said. "It's so exciting. I'll see you at the festival during President's Day Weekend."

People looking to become volunteers, hosts or sponsors of the Gay8 Festival can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Solar Activity NASA

When our Sun erupts with giant explosions  such as bursts of radiation called solar flares  we know they can affect space throughout the solar system as well as near Earth.

But monitoring their effects requires having observatories in many places with many perspectives, much the way weather sensors all over Earth can help us monitor whats happening with a terrestrial storm.

By using multiple observatories, two recent studies show how solar flares exhibit pulses or oscillations in the amount of energy being sent out. Such research provides new insights on the origins of these massive solar flares as well as the space weather they produce, which is key information as humans and robotic missions venture out into the solar system, farther and farther from home.

The first study spotted oscillations during a flare  unexpectedly  in measurements of the Suns total output of extreme ultraviolet energy, a type of light invisible to human eyes. On Feb. 15, 2011, the Sun emitted an X-class solar flare, the most powerful kind of these intense bursts of radiation. Because scientists had multiple instruments observing the event, they were able to track oscillations in the flares radiation, happening simultaneously in several different sets of observations.

Any type of oscillation on the Sun can tell us a lot about the environment the oscillations are taking place in, or about the physical mechanism responsible for driving changes in emission, said Ryan Milligan, lead author of this first study and solar physicist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the University of Glasgow in Scotland. In this case, the regular pulses of extreme ultraviolet light indicated disturbances  akin to earthquakes  were rippling through the chromosphere, the base of the Suns outer atmosphere, during the flare.

What surprised Milligan about the oscillations was the fact that they were first observed in extreme ultraviolet data from NOAAs GOES  short for Geostationary Operation Environmental Satellite, which resides in near-Earth space. The mission studies the Sun from Earths perspective, collecting X-ray and extreme ultraviolet irradiance data  the total amount of the Suns energy that reaches Earths atmosphere over time.

This wasnt a typical data set for Milligan. While GOES helps monitor the effects of solar eruptions in Earths space environment  known collectively as space weather  the satellite wasnt initially designed to detect fine details like these oscillations.

When studying solar flares, Milligan more commonly uses high-resolution data on a specific active region in the Suns atmosphere to study the physical processes underlying flares. This is often necessary in order to zoom in on events in a particular area  otherwise they can easily be lost against the backdrop of the Suns constant, intense radiation.

Flares themselves are very localized, so for the oscillations to be detected above the background noise of the Suns regular emissions and show up in the irradiance data was very striking, Milligan said.

There have been previous reports of oscillations in GOES X-ray data coming from the Suns upper atmosphere, called the corona, during solar flares. Whats unique in this case is that the pulses were observed in extreme ultraviolet emission at frequencies that show they originated lower, in the chromosphere, providing more information about how a flares energy travels throughout through the Suns atmosphere.

To be sure the oscillations were real, Milligan and his colleagues checked corresponding data from other Sun-observing instruments on board NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory or SDO, for short: one that also collects extreme ultraviolet irradiance data and another that images the corona in different wavelengths of light. They found the exact same pulses in those data sets, confirming they were a phenomenon with its source at the Sun. Their findings are summarized in a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on Oct. 9, 2017.

These oscillations interest the scientists because they may be the result of a mechanism by which flares emit energy into space  a process we dont yet fully understand. Additionally, the fact that the oscillations appeared in data sets typically used to monitor larger space patterns suggests they could play a role in driving space weather effects.

In the second study, scientists investigated a connection between solar flares and activity in Earths atmosphere. The team discovered that pulses in the electrified layer of the atmosphere  called the ionosphere  mirrored X-ray oscillations during a July 24, 2016, C-class flare. C-class flares are of mid-to-low intensity, and about 100 times weaker than X-flares.

Stretching from roughly 30 to 600 miles above Earths surface, the ionosphere is an ever-changing region of the atmosphere that reacts to changes from both Earth below and space above. It swells in response to incoming solar radiation, which ionizes atmospheric gases, and relaxes at night as the charged particles gradually recombine.

In particular, the team of scientists  led by Laura Hayes, a solar physicist who splits her time between NASA Goddard and Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and her thesis adviser Peter Gallagher  looked at how the lowest layer of the ionosphere, called the D-region, responded to pulsations in a solar flare.

This is the region of the ionosphere that affects high-frequency communications and navigation signals, Hayes said. Signals travel through the D-region, and changes in the electron density affect whether the signal is absorbed, or degraded.

The scientists used data from very low frequency, or VLF, radio signals to probe the flares effects on the D-region. These were standard communication signals transmitted from Maine and received in Ireland. The denser the ionosphere, the more likely these signals are to run into charged particles along their way from a signal transmitter to its receiver. By monitoring how the VLF signals propagate from one end to the other, scientists can map out changes in electron density.

Pooling together the VLF data and X-ray and extreme ultraviolet observations from GOES and SDO, the team found the D-regions electron density was pulsing in concert with X-ray pulses on the Sun. They published their results in the Journal of Geophysical Research on Oct. 17, 2017.

X-rays impinge on the ionosphere and because the amount of X-ray radiation coming in is changing, the amount of ionization in the ionosphere changes too, said Jack Ireland, a co-author on both studies and Goddard solar physicist. Weve seen X-ray oscillations before, but the oscillating ionosphere response hasnt been detected in the past.

Hayes and her colleagues used a model to determine just how much the electron density changed during the flare. In response to incoming radiation, they found the density increased as much as 100 times in just 20 minutes during the pulses  an exciting observation for the scientists who didnt expect oscillating signals in a flare would have such a noticeable effect in the ionosphere. With further study, the team hopes to understand how the ionosphere responds to X-ray oscillations at different timescales, and whether other solar flares induce this response.

This is an exciting result, showing Earths atmosphere is more closely linked to solar X-ray variability than previously thought, Hayes said. Now we plan to further explore this dynamic relationship between the Sun and Earths atmosphere.

Both of these studies took advantage of the fact that we are increasingly able to track solar activity and space weather from a number of vantage points. Understanding the space weather that affects us at Earth requires understanding a dynamic system that stretches from the Sun all the way to our upper atmosphere  a system that can only be understood by tapping into a wide range of missions scattered throughout space.
Ray Schnittker has become a household name around Orange County, New York.

When the Monticello  Goshen Chapter of the United States Harness Writers hold their 59th annual awards banquet on Sunday, December 3, 2017, Ray Schnittker will again be the talk of the town. The New York horseman will receive the organizations highest honour: The Lifetime Achievement Award.

Having been a fixture around Goshen Historic Track and wherever top harness horses are raced, Rockin Ray and his Grand Circuit stable have amassed over $37 million in purse earnings since calling the Cradle of the Trotter home.

As a driver, he has won over $42 million and 2,761 dashes, often dominating the lucrative New York Sire Stakes.

In 2008, when his undefeated three-year-old trotter Deweycheatumnhowe swam, rode and drove his way into Hambletonian stardom, Ray was in the drivers seat.

Although Schnittker may be best known for his association with the aforementioned $3 million dollar-winner, he has managed to develop a top horse nearly every season since.

The 2017 season was no exception. Schnittkers star three-year-old pacer, Huntsville, earned over a million dollars and won both the Meadowlands Pace and the Cane Pace at the Meadowlands while battling with some of the best colts in the country. A world champion at two, the son of Somebeachsomewhere won eight races with four seconds from 14 starts this year.

Schnittker has developed other world champions and multiple stakes winners such as, Check Me Out, One More Laugh and Covert Action, just to name a few.

This year, in addition to the year-end awards for horses and horsepeople from the local tracks, the Monticello-Goshen chapter will also honour Dave Hanson (Excelsior Award); Dr. Herbie Burns (John Gilmour Good Guy Award); Crevani Farms (Cradle of the Trotter Breeders Award); Tim Masters (Amy Bull Crist Distinguished Service Award); Joseph Lee (Amateur Driver); Brandon Parker (Rising Star); and Carole Macedonio (Award of Appreciation).

Tickets for the gala event can be reserved by contacting Shawn Wiles at 845-794-4100 Extension 458 or email [email protected].

(USHWA)
Dit is Piotr Korczarowski, een Poolse journalist. Hij wil kennelijk ook graag een plaatsje op de Oekraiense "myrotvorets" doden...
Sometimes mother nature is passive aggressive, throwing a horrifying curve ball out of the clear blue sky. Something that you could never see coming. Something that you probably didnt even know was possible. On Nov. 15th, more than 10 people were injured and rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital after their homes collapsed following an apocalyptic night hailstorm that left 50 families homeless in Emthunzini suburb on the outskirts of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. The 1-hour-long hailstorm also destroyed properties in Pumula South and Nkulumane suburbs, with the roofs of some houses being blown away. A real disaster!

The hailstorm started just after 9PM and lasted approximately one hour. First came the strong winds, then loud noises from the outside. Before residents started to understand what was going on, the doors and roofs were blown away and the walls started shaking and bricks started falling. 50 houses were completely annilihated, had crumbled down, leaving 50 families homeless. The apocalyptic situation was worsened by power outages.

A resident said he received an urgent phone call, that his house had collapsed and buried his wife and child. He found them alive at the hospital Luckily.

Mpilo Central Hospital public relations officer Mr Ozias Ndlovu said 10 adults and an unspecified number of children were rushed to the hospital after being injured in the hailstorm. The injured suffered small tissue injuries and were treated before being discharged. The hospital also dismissed rumours that two people died at the hospital due to hailstorm-related injuries.

Mr Zvivovoyi said the Districts Civil Protection Unit is carrying out an assessment in the area: We have a disaster in the district. More than 50 households were left homeless after their houses collapsed in Emthunzini suburb leaving several injured. I have already dispatched a team to investigate the situation on the ground. We have also sent an ambulance to ferry some of the injured residents to hospital as we observed that not everyone had gone for treatment.

Although houses may have been badly built, that must have been a terrifying hailstorm in Zimbabwe.

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An effort to feed the needy got a big boost Thursday from Coweeman Middle School.

About 80 students from the Kelso school made 900 sandwiches to contribute to barber Bill Ammons brown bag lunch day, which takes place Saturday. Ammons hopes to give out 12,000 sandwiches to the needy and the homeless.

Im so proud of our kids and our community members, said Coweeman counselor Rachel Lowery, who organized the schools effort to make the sack lunches.

She noted that the school wanted to return a favor to Ammons, who has taken school children  including some from Coweeman  to ball games and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Mr. Ammons is huge in our community. He has done a lot of things for our kids over the years. We are trying to support community members like Mr. Ammons who support our kids, Lowery said.

Coweeman families donated the supplies to make the sandwiches, and the Franz bakery donated 20 loaves of bread. Each of the Coweeman sack lunches contain a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich and some mix of cookies, animal crackers and applesauce.

One of the ironies of the effort is that many Coweeman students are low income and eligible for free- or reduced-price lunches. So it may not be surprising that some of them, as Lowery reported, initially thought they were making sandwiches for themselves. As they learned they were intended for needy and homeless people in the community, they got more and more excited. A new student said this made her proud to be at Coweeman, to help the community like this, Lowery said.

Even some of the schools low-income families contributed to the lunch-making effort, Lowery said.

Ammons said Coweemans effort is incredible. ... I am honored that the kids would think about kids who are underprivileged and who have no money.

He said recent response to his effort has his phone ringing every five minutes, and that in recent days hes heard that Fibre Federal Credit Union and the Kelso Assembly of God Church are planning large efforts on behalf of the drive.

Distribution of the lunches starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Pacific Barber Shop, 308 S. Pacific Ave. in Kelso. The number there is 360-577-1391.
A key Department of Energy official is considering several projects that potentially could speed up treatment of 56 million gallons of Hanford waste.

However, the Washington Department of Ecology likely will need to approve of any of the initiatives, making sure they are protective of people and the environment, and adhere to state law.

James Owendoff, the acting assistant secretary for DOEs Office of Environmental Management, has been at Hanford this week after discussing possible initiatives with officials in Olympia last week.

He discussed the initiatives in August with Alex Smith, manager of Ecologys Nuclear Waste Program, which is a Hanford regulator. The discussions last week were elevated to Maia Bellon, Ecologys director.

Nothing was decided at the meeting, said Randy Bradbury, spokesman for the Nuclear Waste Program.

Talks are expected to continue during the next couple of months between Ecology and DOE officials at Hanford to see if the two agencies can find any common ground, Bradbury said.

The discussion reportedly reflected, at least in part, the topics Owendoff listed in a letter he sent Bellon in September.

He wrote then that hed like consideration of pausing work on parts of the vitrification plant that would handle high level radioactive tank waste, if it could be done without missing federal court-enforced deadlines.

Construction already has been paused on parts of the plant since 2012 because of technical issues.

But with some issues resolved some construction could theoretically restart.

Available money would instead be spent on accelerating work to treat low activity radioactive waste at other parts of the plant.

DOE faces a court-ordered deadline to start treating low activity waste by 2023 and high level waste by 2036.

Owendoffs interested in a treating some of the 56 million gallons held in underground waste and shipping it to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, a national repository for DOE weapons-complex waste contaminated with certain levels of plutonium or other radionuclides classified as transuranic.

The proposal would depend in part on the waste being eligible for disposal at the repository.

The repository does not now accept Hanford tank waste.

Although Owendoff does not give specifics in his letter, DOE officials have said waste stored in 11 of Hanfords 149 single-shell waste storage tanks could be considered transuranic.

Most of the waste that has been sent to the New Mexico repository from Hanford is debris and old equipment contaminated with plutonium.

In addition, a Government Accountability Office report in May said that 4 million gallons of waste in the 11 tanks could be treated in ways that would cost less than vitrification if New Mexico would allow the waste to be sent to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

Owendoff also has proposed the possibility of using a technology at Hanford that now is being developed for DOEs Savannah River, S.C., site.

The Tank Closure and Cesium Removal technology is being developed to pretreat waste at the tanks  rather than at a central facility  using an ion exchange method.

The Tank Closure and Cesium Technology would remove cesium from liquid waste to prepare it for treatment.

As it stands, that would be done at a facility being constructed near the vitrification plant that would be operating by 2023 or at the vitrification plants Pretreatment Facility, which may not be operating until 2036.

Low activity radioactive waste is primarily liquid, but solids and radioactive cesium in the liquids are designated as high level radioactive waste and must be removed if the waste is treated as low activity waste.

The proposed technology could be helpful for waste stored in tanks seven miles from the vitrification plant.

Plans now call for pumping the waste through piping across those seven miles from the 200 West Area to the 200 East Area, where the vitrification plant will operate.
The fall salmon season is open from Buoy 10 upstream to the Oregon/Washington Border above McNary Dam (see Sport Fishing Regulation Updates page for retention details).

White sturgeon retention is closed from Buoy 10 upstream to the Oregon/Washington Border above McNary Dam, but remains an option for catch and release fishing.

Coho angling is good in the Bonneville Pool.

Walleye angling is good in The Dalles and John Day pools.

Current Columbia River regulations for salmon, steelhead, shad and sturgeon can be found at the Sport Fishing Regulation Update at www.dfw.state.or.us.

Salmon, Steelhead, Shad

The salmonid creel program on the lower Columbia has ended for the year and will resume February of 2018.

Bonneville Pool (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam): Weekly checking showed no catch for one bank angler; and 69 adult coho and one jack coho kept for 37 boats (86 anglers).

John Day Pool (John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam): Weekly checking showed two steelhead released for two bank anglers; and three steelhead kept, plus one adult Chinook and six steelhead released for 17 boats (36 anglers).

Walleye

The Dalles Pool: Weekly checking showed 27 walleye kept, plus 40 walleye released for 11 boats (22 anglers).

John Day Pool: Weekly checking showed 36 walleye kept, plus 16 released for eight boats (12 anglers).

Sturgeon

John Day Pool: Weekly checking showed six sublegal and one oversize sturgeon released for one boat (three anglers).

Lakes stocked with trout

Trout stockings will take place this week in many area lakes as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife prepares for the annual Black Friday trout opener.

Some of the lakes scheduled to receive fish include:

Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond in Clark County

Kress Lake in Cowlitz County

Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond in Lewis County

American and Tanwax lakes in Pierce County

Rowland Lake in Klickitat County

Black, Long, and Offutt lakes in Thurston County

Elton Pond North in Yakima County
OLYMPIA  Under fire after a collapse and massive escape last summer, Atlantic salmon net-pen farming would be banned in Washington under legislation that will be filed by Sen. Kevin Ranker this coming session.

The legislation would allow existing state leases for the eight Atlantic net-pen farms now operating in Washington to run out by 2025. No permits for new farms would be granted, and no renewals for existing leases would be allowed. The bill also would require state agencies that regulate net-pen farming to keep a tighter watch on operations.

The net-pen escape was a wake-up call, said Ranker, D-Orcas Island. He called the escape of more than 100,000 Atlantics into Puget Sound a disaster, yet not even his biggest concern about the industry.

This has been a long time coming, Ranker said. I am more concerned with the day-to-day impact of invasive-species aquaculture of Atlantic salmon than the escape. It woke us up to the fact that there is a big problem here.

Cooke Aquaculture, the owner and operator of the failed net-pen and all of Washingtons Atlantic salmon farms, is sure to fight the ban. Cooke is a multibillion-dollar, privately held corporation based in Canada with operations also in Europe, South America, Japan and the eastern United States .

Cookes operations in Washington are still small, with just over 80 employees. The state took in $238,139 in rent and production fees from Cooke in 2016, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. The department holds the leases, expiring on a range of dates from March 2022 to December 2025, for its eight farms in four locations.

The company purchased those farms from Icicle Seafoods last year, with an eye toward expansion. Washingtons waters offer a unique business opportunity for Cooke because both Alaska and Canada ban Atlantic salmon net- pen aquaculture. Oregon presently has no Atlantic salmon net-pen operations, and its coastline is not as suitable. Washington has the cold water, swift currents and coastline Cooke wants and needs.

But Puget Sound also is an imperiled ecosystem, home to threatened and endangered animals and fragile native Pacific salmon runs that Washington residents have spent millions of tax dollars trying to revive.

Moreover, Washington is home to dozens of tribes with treaty-protected salmon fisheries as well as commercial fishermen and ardent recreational fishermen, all with one common interest: more and healthier native salmon runs in Puget Sound.

Perhaps at stake is the states very identity, as a place always and forever of wild salmon, Jeremiah Julius, chairman of the Lummi Nation, told state lawmakers convened in Olympia Wednesday for a fact-finding session on the net-pen collapse.

This is the Evergreen state, Julius said. We support the gift we all share here. This is what Washington state stands for and is known for: wild native salmon.

State agency managers told lawmakers they are still assessing environmental effects from the spill. So far, Atlantics have not been found on the spawning grounds, and the fish that escaped were sexually immature, and therefore unable to crossbreed with native salmon, or reproduce with one another. The fish also appear not to have fed  and were starving to death.

State agency staff also said several fish had been tested and found to be free of diseases or parasites, including sea lice. More testing is underway to examine the area of the sea bed where the net pen failed, subjecting it to not only the usual fish food and fish excrement but a rain of debris from dead and dying fish, noted Rich Doenges, section manger of the water quality program at the state Department of Ecology.

Lessons learned already are that the escape needed to be treated as a spill, said Dennis Clark, assistant division manager of the aquatic resources division of the Department of Natural Resources. We need to be more aggressive, much as is done for oil spills or wildfires, he told the committee. Instead, agencies were slow to notify tribes of the fish escape, and took a week to set up a state emergency response.

As a result, 100,000 of the Atlantics ultimately got away, despite the Lummi Nation alone catching 400,000 pounds of the fish  an effort for which the tribe still has not been fully compensated, Julius said.

Even basics, such as making sure Cooke had the correct contact numbers to alert regulators in an emergency and a coordinated response by agencies, were not in hand as the event unfolded over a weekend last August, agency staff said.

Under questioning from lawmakers, Cooke managers said they still dont know what caused the pen holding 305,000, 8- to 10-pound Atlantics to fail. The same pen also had serious issues just one month before the collapse.

Innes Weir, general manager for Cooke Aquaculture in Washington state, said he had never in 30 years experienced anything like what happened at the farm as it twisted and fell apart.

Cooke managers said headlines since the escape dont represent what Cooke is as a company. We are fish people, said Michael Szemerda, Cookes vice president, saltwater operations. Growing healthy fish and care for the environment is paramount to us.

The July event, in which the same pen became partially unmoored, requiring extensive emergency repairs, seems connected to the August collapse: We believe these events are linked, Amy Windrope, a deputy director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife told lawmakers.

The net-pen collapse is still under investigation.

The company initially blamed the failure on unusually high tides from the solar eclipse but backed off that claim, which was unsupported by tide data. It also estimated the initial escape at 4,500 fish.

The company has sought collaboration with the Lummi Nation, and even offered to pay the tribe more per captured escaped fish if the tribe would not bring up a net-pen ban  an offer the tribe icily refused.

Cooke has no consent from the tribe to be in its territorial waters, Julius told lawmakers, and the Atlantic salmon pens harm their treaty-protected rights to fish.

Legislation is needed to protect the Salish Sea, Julius said. There needs to be a stop to breeding invasive pollutants in our waters.
One party rule and McCleary: On Wednesday, the state Supreme Court ruled the Legislature has made good progress in terms of funding state education, but the progress has not been fast enough. The ruling could be huge and the McCleary issue will be front and center when the Legislature reconvenes for the next session.

From a statewide perspective, the recent election was very important. In the 45th district, a Democrat won the state senate seat, taking the office from a Republican. By gaining one more seat in the state senate, the Democrats now control the governors office, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

This is not good for the state, but may work for the 19th Legislative District.

Democrats already are trying to play the issue down, indicating citizens shouldnt expect any big changes. We called Rep. Brian Blake, who indicated he does not expect any major tax initiatives to be pushed through the state House of Representatives or the Senate.

We also spoke with state Sen. Dean Takko. He explained that he, and a small group of other moderate Senate Democrats, dont anticipate voting for any new tax proposals. Takko specifically spoke about not supporting a new carbon tax or a capital gains tax.

The pressure to enact significant new taxes to fund education faster, due to the recent court decision, will start soon.

In past budget proposals, Gov. Jay Inslee has advocated for a carbon tax and a capital gains tax, along with eliminating the sales tax exemption for Oregonians buying goods in Washington. The governor also has advocated increasing the business and occupation tax. This leads us to believe the governor may advocate for one  or all  of these taxes again this year.

Another issue related to McCleary is the new property tax levy swap. We think it is likely that elected officials from King, Pierce and Snohomish counties will want to see their constituents either pay lower property tax rates than what were in last years budget, or at least phase them in over a longer time period.

What this would mean for Southwest Washington is property taxes may not go down in 2019.

The potentially positive side of Democrats controlling all branches of the state government is the votes of 19th District representatives (Sen. Dean Takko and Rep. Brian Blake) will be very important if Democrats want to pass their agenda.

One fact voters may want to remember is the states budget reserve rainy day fund is projected to reach a historic $2 billion by the end of the 2017-19 biennium. When Democrats explain how they need more new taxes, voters might remind them they already have $2 billion of our money in the bank.

Same story, different day: This week another permit application for Millennium Bulk Terminals was denied. This time, Hearing Examiner Mark Scheibmeir rejected two shoreline permits Millennium needs to move the project forward.

The Millennium permitting process has been a spectacle of politics over policy, which has been so transparently fixed against the company it is comical. Both the Department of Ecology and the hearing examiner seemingly ignored the law and denied permits based on political ideals.

In a story written by TDN reporter Marissa Luck, we learned Scheibmeir used pretty much the same arguments Ecology used when it denied permits to Millennium and he cited the same nine reasons Ecology cited for denying the permits. But, Scheibmeir added a 10th issue  greenhouse gas emissions.

The Ecology ruling took heavy public criticism for not citing greenhouse gas emissions as a reason for denying the permits. The hearing examiner clearly recognized this and included them in his denial.

Millennium Chief Executive Officer Bill Chapman made a frank, but seemingly true statement in a press release: Not allowing Millennium to use this industrial shoreline for a bulk materials terminal simply because there will be more trains on the tracks and more vessels on the Columbia River, makes a bold statement that there is no industrial or port use for this site, or for any other industrial port site in Cowlitz County or anywhere on the Columbia River system.

The Millennium permitting process has been going on for 5 1/2 years. For the state of Washington to continue choosing politics over policy is disappointing.

Look for more permits to be denied soon.

Port of Longview: The Port of Longview has decided to lower its portion of property taxes again this year  and we appreciate it.

Over the past several years, port commissioners have taken some heat for tax decisions. The current group of commissioners has taken a sensible, reasonable approach to providing tax relief. Last year, the tax rate dropped to 34 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value. This year, the rate is dropping to 26 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value.

The port had a great year in 2017 as grain exports drove significant new revenue. At the same time, the port faces some financial uncertainty in dealing with clean-up issues surrounding the old International Paper site. Looking forward, the ports 10-year plan includes developing Barlow Point, which will not be cheap.

Given positive market conditions and increased grain exports, along with uncertainties and cash needs for port development, it seems reasonable to reduce, but not eliminate, the port tax.
OnePlus announced the OnePlus 5T its latest premium flagship device. The OnePlus 5T is a refinement of the OnePlus 5, offering key hardware and software updates inspired by the active OnePlus community, including a higher resolution, 18:9 display, enhanced low-light camera performance, and numerous new software features.

OnePlus Founder and CEO Pete Lau, said, The feedback on the OnePlus 5 has been very positive, but there were some areas where we saw room for improvement to create an even better user experience. We love nothing more than offering our community the latest and greatest technology and a user experience to beat expectations. Once again, weve worked hard to refine every last detail.

The OnePlus 5T marks the introduction of a 6-inch Full Optic AMOLED Display with an 18:9 aspect ratio to deliver a more immersive viewing experience, all while keeping a form factor similar to that of the OnePlus 5. Thanks to the built-in software algorithm, the OnePlus 5Ts Full Optic AMOLED display features a new Sunlight Display that adapts automatically to harsh light to facilitate a great viewing experience. In addition to enhancing the visual appearance of the device, the larger display helps to improve the overall user experience. Users can calibrate their screens based on their viewing preferences across four different modes, including default, sRGB, DCI-P3 and adaptive.

To ensure the OnePlus 5Ts seamless front design, OnePlus moved its famously fast ceramic fingerprint sensor, which unlocks the phone in under 0.2 seconds, to the back of the device. The seamless aluminum unibody of the OnePlus 5T is both functionally and visually slim, creating a phone that is not only comfortable to hold but extremely durable. Designed with painstaking attention to detail, the OnePlus 5T continues OnePlus designs proud tradition of refinement and total cohesion.

The OnePlus 5T comes with key improvements that enhance camera performance in low-light. The OnePlus 5T features the same main camera as that of the OnePlus 5, but boasts an improved secondary camera equipped with a large f/1.7 aperture for superior low light photography. With Intelligent Pixel Technology  first implemented on the OnePlus 3Ts front camera  the OnePlus 5Ts secondary camera merges four pixels into one, reducing noise in low-light environments and enhancing clarity.

Additional software improvements have also been added to Portrait Mode to improve noise reduction. This is accomplished through new multi-frame algorithms that compare different frames of the same scene to filter out inconsistencies and improve the overall clarity of portraits.

OnePlus operating system, OxygenOS, offers a refined Android experience that is faster, cleaner and more customizable than other Android experiences. OxygenOS new platform enables a more streamlined software development process, resulting in faster, more consistent updates guided largely by user feedback. Newly added to OxygenOS is Face Unlock, which allows OnePlus users to unlock their phone just by looking at their device. One of the fastest on the Android market, Face Unlock uses over 100 identifiers to unlock the OnePlus 5T.

The OnePlus 5T offers a smooth experience through a combination of powerful hardware and intelligent software that works seamlessly together. With up to 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM, the OnePlus 5T can run a large number of apps in the background without a single second of lag, allowing users to switch between apps with ease. The OnePlus 5Ts dual-lane storage, based on UFS 2.1, ensures faster app loading and read/write speeds.

The OnePlus 5T takes advantage of one of the most powerful and energy efficient platforms on the market, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. The Adreno 540 GPU boosts graphical performance, so users can play demanding games smoother than ever before.

Price and Availability

The OnePlus 5T will be available in 64 GB and 128 GB (Midnight Black version) storage options and retail at Rs 32,999 and Rs. 37,999 respectively.

The OnePlus 5T will be available in an early access sale on Amazon.in, oneplusstore.in and OnePlus experience store in Bangalore on November 21st, 2017 at 4.30 pm. OnePlus 5T open sales begins on November 28, 2017 in India along with EU and US market. For more information, please visit oneplusstore.in and amazon.in/oneplus5t.

OnePlus fans who attend the launch event in any of the 5 PVR theaters across India, will get an exclusive change to experience the device on 16th Nov and also pre-book the device for Rs. 1000 for guaranteed purchase starting 21st November, after completing the transaction. Those who want to experience OnePlus 5T before purchase, can visit either the OnePlus Experience zones in Brigade Road (Bangalore) or Mall of India (Noida).

All OnePlus 5T users will be eligible for a complimentary 12-month Accidental Damage Insurance by Servify on downloading the Kotak 811 savings account and activating it with an initial deposit of Rs 1,000 in the introductory period. Further, there are several other exciting partner offers including Amazon Prime and Kindle. In an industry first offer, OnePlus 5T customers will get 1008 GB of data from Idea. Additionally, HDFC Bank debit and credit cards users are eligible for a Rs 1,500 instant discount on purchase of OnePlus 5T through Amazon.in till 2nd December 2017. The OnePlus 5T customers are also elegible for 1 year of free membership of Zomato Gold- the newly launched premium subscription offering from Zomato.

@Technuter.com News Service
About me I'm Avi Green

From Jerusalem, Israel

I was born in Pennsylvania in 1974, and moved to Israel in 1983. I also enjoyed reading a lot of comics when I was young, the first being Fantastic Four. I maintain a strong belief in the public's right to knowledge and accuracy in facts. I like to think of myself as a conservative-style version of Clark Kent. I don't expect to be perfect at the job, but I do my best. My profile

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Belgian judge weighs extradition bid for Catalan ex-leader

Carles Puigdemont speaking at a press conference at the Press Club in Brussels.

AFP, Brussels :

A Belgian court will on Friday consider whether to send axed Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont back to Spain to face charges of rebellion and sedition over his region's independence drive.

Madrid issued a European arrest warrant for Puigdemont and four of his former ministers after they fled to Brussels last month and ignored a summons to appear before a Spanish judge, claiming they would not get a fair trial.

A judge in Brussels will hear arguments behind closed doors from prosecutors and lawyers for the Catalan separatists over Spain's extradition request in the first round of what could become a protracted courtroom battle, with both sides expected to appeal if they lose.

This could leave Puigdemont and his cadres still in Belgium when Catalonia goes to the polls on December 21 for an election ordered by Madrid to "restore normality" to the wealthy northeastern region.

"We are going to ask the Belgian judge to respect fundamental EU rights," Michele Hirsch, a lawyer for two of the ex-ministers told AFP.

"The act of organising a referendum is not a matter for criminal law. It is clearly a political opinion that is being targeted, and the peaceful and democratic execution of a series of events linked to that opinion."

The hearing is the latest act in Spain's biggest political crisis in decades, sparked by a banned October 1 referendum that the Catalan parliament then used as a mandate to declare independence.

Madrid in response dissolved the regional assembly and sacked the Catalan executive, and eight former ministers are currently behind bars in Spain on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds.

The five who fled to Brussels went to a Belgian police station on November 5 to answer the warrant and were freed that evening after hours of questioning, on condition that they agreed not to leave Belgium.

Under Belgian law a decision on a European arrest warrant-brought in by the EU to speed up the once-lengthy extradition process in the bloc-should be made within 60 days.

The case will be heard by a Dutch-speaking judge-defendants in linguistically divided Belgium have the option to choose which language the judge hearing their case speaks, and the Catalans have won support from Dutch-speaking Flemish separatists in Belgium.

The judge is expected to give an initial judgement in eight to 10 days.

But at the weekend the country's justice minister warned that with appeals, the process could last up to three months.

Puidgemont, 54, who still describes himself as Catalonia's "president", has been active in the media since arriving in Belgium, but his efforts to internationalise the crisis have fallen flat with EU leaders closing ranks behind Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

In an interview with Scotland's former independence leader Alex Salmond on the Kremlin-backed RT outlet on Thursday, Puigdemont remained defiant, declaring "we will win finally, democracy will prevail".

Meanwhile, The prime ministers of Spain and Belgium have held talks over their testy bilateral relations as ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four secessionist allies prepare for an extradition court appearance in Brussels.

Friday's court hearing for the five is the latest step in their flight from Spain and refusal to return from Brussels to face a rebellion investigation amid a push for Catalan independence.
BARISAL: Police recovered 40 maunds of banned polythene from a bus near Ashokkhati Filling Station on Dhaka-Barisal Highway yesterday.
Int'l Tourism Fair kicks off in Port City

Chittagong Bureau :

A three-day international tourism fair titled US- Bangla Airlines Chittagong Travel Mart 2017 begun at The Peninsula Chittagong hotel in the port city yesterday.

Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation A J M Nasir Uddin inaugurated the Fair as Chief Guest. US- Bangla Airlines is supporting the fair as the Title Sponsor.

Mayor in his speech stressed the need for declaring the Chittagong as a Tourism Hub, considering the potentials of the region. He further informed that Chittagong City Corporation in partnership with various stakeholders is going to undertake few initiatives in next few months for development of tourism in the region.

Presided over by Dr. Md. Nasir Uddin, CEO Bangladesh Tourism Board the inaugural ceremony was addressed by Arjun Das, Director, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry ; Md. Muslim, Additional DIG, Tourist Police; Md. Kamrul Islam, General Manager, Marketing Support and Public Relations, US- Bangla Airlines and Kazi Wahidul Alam, Editor, The Bangladesh Monitor.

In his welcome speech, Kazi Wahidul Alam said considering that Chittagong region has immense tourism potentials The Banglades Monitor has been organising the fair for last nine years .He expressed the hope to organise the fair in a bigger scale in future.

Twenty organisations including airlines, tour operators, hotels, resorts, amusement parks and other organisations, providing tourism related services, are exhibiting their products and services at the fair.

Exhibitors are offering special discount on air tickets, hotel rooms, tour packages and other products and services for the visitors.

The fair is open for visitors up to November 18, 2017 from 10.30 am to 8 pm everyday. without any entry fee. Attractive raffle prizes including air tickets to Singapore, Kolkata, Dhaka and other destinations will be given to visitors everyday.


Colorable exercise of power unlawful

High Court Division :

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

Md Rezaul Haque J

Md Khurshid Alam

Sarkar J

Judgment

July 27th, 2016

Mostafiz Khan (Md) ..........Petitioner

vs

Bangladesh and others.......Respondents

Constitution of Bangladesh, 1972

Article 102(2)

It is well settled that a probationer has no right to the post if he is found unsuitable and an order of termination is not improper but it must be termination simplicitor, there is no scope of colorable exercise of power as to stigma in nature.

In the instant case though the probationary period of petitioner was elapsed much earlier and a show cause notice was issued upon him but as per Probidhanmala, 2005 neither any formal departmental proceeding was started nor inquiry was held nor he was not asked to appear before any enquiry committee, nor any second show cause, notice was served upon him but the authority has terminated him from the service with a stigma. So, it is clear that natural justice has been violated .... (16 & 17)

Constitution of Bangladesh, 1972

Article 102(2)

An employer cannot take away the valuable time of the life of a person keeping him as probationer in the service for many years. Human life is short and there is specific age for having a job, so, if any person is kept as a probationer for many years it would be injustice to that person. It is the duty of the authority to inform the probationer staff as to his performance just after the period of probationary. If there is nothing as to the satisfaction or any other comments in black and white it would be presumed that the probationer has successfully completed his tenure. ....(15)

Nand Shankar vs State of Rajasthan, AIR 1957 Raj 148; Giovandola-Binny Limited vs Industrial Tribunal Calicut, AIR 1969 Ker 313 and Kadamtala Purbo Bashaboo Uchcha Biddalaya vs Hachna Hena Sarker @ Hasna Heba Sarker, 56 DLR (AD) 193 rf.

Md Taherul Islam, Advocate-For the Petitioner.

Masood R Sobhan, with Fadema S Chowdhury and AFM Saiful Karim-For the Respondent.

Judgment

Md Rezaul Haque J : Upon an application under Article 102(2) of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, a Rule Nisi was issued calling upon the respondents to show cause as to why the impugned order contained in Memo No. ev. Rv. Rv. cOkvt ewMZ/4-wm-87842009-2013/3878 dated 21-6-2010 passed by the respondent NO.2 discharging the petitioner from service shall not be declared to have been passed without any lawful authority and is of no legal effect and/or pass such other or further order or orders as to this court may deem fit and proper.

2. The relevant facts, in this rule, are that the petitioner was appointed as Dispatch Rider on 9-7-2008 under Bangladesh Jatio Jadughar wherein he joined on 9-7-2008 as a probationer for 6 months extendable for a period of further 6 months. After joining in service the petitioner completed his probationary period but all of a sudden a show cause notice was issued on 18-5-2010 upon the petitioner by the respondent No.3, (the Secretary, Bangladesh National Museum) bringing allegation of negligence of duties and askeq the petitioner to submit written reply within 7 days. The petitioner submitted his reply on 23-5-2010 denying the allegations made against him.

3. Thereafter, without initiating any departmental proceeding and issuing charge sheet upon the petitioner, without holding' any enquiry and without serving second Show Cause Notice provided under the provision of the Bangladesh Jatio Jadughar (Karmakarta and Karmachari) Chakuri Probidhan Mala, (hereinafter Probidhanmala 2005), the authority, with malafide intention, most illegally and arbitrarily on the basis of false allegations terminated the petitioner from his service and passed the impugned order dated 21-6-2010 after 2 years of joining in the service. Thereafter the petitioner preferred an appeal to respondent No.1 on 29-7-2010 but the appellate authority did not take any step within two months from the-date of filing of the appeal, having no other alternative the petitioner filed a case before the Administrative Tribunal, Dhaka. The learned Member of the Administrative Tribunal dismissed the case. Being aggrieved by and dissatisfied with the judgment and order passed by the learned Member of the Administrative Tribunal, the petitioner, being appellant preferred appeal before the Administrative Appellate, Tribunal and after hearing the parties and considering the facts and circumstances of the case the appeal was dismissed on the point of maintainability. Having no other alternative the petitioner filed this writ petition under Article 102 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and obtained the instant Rule.

4. Mr Md Taherul Islam, the learned Advocate appearing on behalf of the petitioner submits that the authority did not terminate the petitioner from service during his probationary period rather after expiry of probationary period, the petitioner was terminated from service without giving any opportunity of being heard and without any departmental proceeding. Mr Islam contends that

the petitioner was neither terminated from service within the probationary period of 6 months nor after the extended period of further 6 months rather he was allowed to serve in the office one year more from the date of extended probationary period. Learned Advocate further submits that the activities of the authority proves that service of the petitioner has been confirmed, as such, the authority ought to have heard him or ought to have given a chance to him to face the proceeding as Per Service Rules of Bangladesh National Museum.

5. Mr Taherul Islam contends that as per Probidhanmala, 2005 the petitioner joined in service on 13-7-2008 and completed probationary period successfully with entire satisfaction of the authority (without any extension of the probationary period) as.5uch the impugned order is liable to be declared to have been passed without any lawful authority and is of no legal effect. Mr Islam further submits that the order of termination of the service of the petitioner after 2 (two) years from the date of joining without issuing any second show cause notice informing about the proposed penalty as per provision of Rule 42(6) of the Probidhanmala 2005. is not only violative of the said Rules [42(6) of (Probidhanmala) 2005] but also violative of Article 135 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Accordingly, he has prayed for making the Rule absolute.

6. On the contra, Mr AFM Saiful Karim. the learned Advocate appearing on behalf of the Respondents No. 2 and 3 submits that the petitioner was temporarily appointed in the post of Dispatch Rider on 9-7-2008 and he joined to the said post on 13-7-2008, his main task was to deliver letters, cards, notices to the respective authorities within time and after his joining he did not perform his job properly and regularly, disobeyed the direction given to him. Learned Advocate further submits that on 29-4-2010, he was instructed to perform his duties in the meeting of the Board of Trustees of National Museum to be held on 30-4-20 I 0 but he did not come on the following day to perform his assigned duties in the meeting of the Board of Trustees, as such, the authority terminated him from his service (without giving any opportunity of hearing) as per Rules 53( 1) short Probidhanmala 2005 as he was not confirmed in his post, as such, according to him the contention of the petitioner has no basis at all and accordingly he has prayed for discharging the Rule.

(To be continued)

7. We have heard the learned Advocates for both the parties, perused the writ petition, its annexures, affidavit-in-opposition and other materials on record.

8. Let us first discuss whether the writ petition is maintainable or not. It is clear that the petitioner was an employee of Bangladesh National Museum (Jatio Jadughar) which is a statutory public authority constituted under Jatio Jadughar Ordinance, 1983.

9. In the judgment of the Administrative Appellate Tribunal it is rightly observed that the petitioner was not in the service of any statutory public authority specified in the schedule of the Act, as such, the petitioner was not entitled to go to the Administrative Tribunal to redress his grievance, thus, his remedy lies with this division, as such, the application under Article 102 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is tenable in the eye of law. Earlier the petitioner went to the wrong forum.

10. It appears from the record that the petitioner was appointed as Dispatch Rider on 9-7-2008 under the Bangladesh Jatio Jadughar wherein he joined with a condition of 6 months probationary period which may be extended for a period of further 6 months. It appears from the record that the show cause notice dated 18-5-2010 was served upon the writ petitioner bringing allegations of committing negligence of duty and misconduct, the petitioner submitted his written reply to the show cause notice, but the authority terminated him from service as per Rule 53(I) of the Probidhanmala 2005, treating him as a probationer in the service.

II. It appears from the appointment letter that the petitioner was appointed in the post of Dispatch Rider of National Museum. As per appointment letter probationary period was for 6 months from the date of joining in the service, which could be extended by the authority for further period of 6 months showing reasons in writing. The petitioner joined in his office on 13-7-2008 and was terminated from the service on 21-6-2010 which is not within the probationary period. The respondent could not show any scrap of paper to prove that the probationary period of 6 months of the petitioner was extended. The authority allowed the petitioner to continue with the service. For argument sake if we consider that the period of probationary was extended for a period of further 6 (six) months but it appears that the petitioner was terminated from service after expiry of I (one) year from the date of his joining i.e. after the period of extended probationary period. Though it appears from the record that the petitioner was terminated from the service on some allegations with stigma but without any formal proceeding as per rule 43 of the Probidhanmala, 2005.

12. As it appears from the record that the probationary period was for 6 months if the authority is not satisfied in that case the period for probationary may be extended for a further period of 6 months but after that there is no scope to extend the period of a probationer as per the Probidhanmala, 2005. In the case in hand, maximum period of probationary was I year which elapsed much earlier than that of the date of issuance of show cause notice. So, it is clear that the authority by its activities has proved that the petitioner has successfully overcome the probationary period. There is nothing specific in the appointment letter as to that after the period of probationary it can be extended further. So, it is presumed that the service of the petitioner has been confirmed, otherwise, the authority must inform him as to that he has not been able to complete his period of probationary successfully. But the silence of the authority has proved that the period of probationary has been over.

13. In the case of Nand Shankar vs State of Rajasthan reported in AIR 1957 Raj 148, Probation has been defined as under-

"A probationer holds only a temporary appointment till he has proved himself to be fit to fill the permanent appointment. A servant on probation is on trial during the period he is on probation and he passed into permanent service only after the lapse of the period during which he is on probation"

14. In the case of Giovandola-Binny Limited vs Industrial Tribunal Calicut, reported in AIR 1969 Ker 313, reverse view is also taken, which runs as follows-

"A person who continues in service after the expiry of the period of probation will not ordinarily get automatic confirmation in service on the expiry of the stipulated probationary period."

15. But our considered view is that if there is nothing as to extension of the period of probation it would be deemed that the person has successfully overcome the period of probation. The intention of the employer to appoint a person as a probationer is only to testing his capacity; conduct or character before he is appointed to regular employment. This test cannot be continued for years together, There is certain age for obtaining a job. An employer cannot take away the valuable time of the life of a person keeping him as probationer in the service for many years. Human life is short and there is specific age for having a job, so, if any person is kept as a probationer for many years it would be injustice to that person. It is the duty of the authority to inform the probationer staff as to his performance just after the period of probationary. If there is nothing as to the satisfaction or any other comments in black and white it would be presumed that the probationer has successfully completed his tenure. In the case of Kadamtala Purbo Bashaboo Uchcha Biddalaya vs Hachna Hcno Sarkcr @ Hosllo JIcbo Sorkcl; reported in 56 DLR (AD) 193, it is held that the respondent was appointed as a temporary Junior teacher and her probationary period was two years and she was allowed to continue in service for two and a half years, it amounts to her confirmation in service. So, our view is that the petitioner in the instant case has automatically been confirmed in his service, as such, he is entitled to get protection of Article 135 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

16. It is well settled that a probationer has no right to the post if he is found unsuitable and an order of termination is not improper but it must be termination simplicitor, there is no scope of colorable exercise of power as to stigma in nature.

17. In the instant case though the probationary period of petitioner was elapsed much earlier and a show cause notice was issued upon him but as per Probidhanmala, 2005 neither any formal departmental proceeding was started nor inquiry was held or he was not asked to appear before any enquiry committee, nor any second show cause, notice was served upon him but the authority has terminated him from the service with an stigma. So, it is clear that natural justice has been violated.

18. From the facts as stated in the writ petition it appears to us that the period of probationary of the petitioner was over but he was terminated from service with stigma without giving him any opportunity of self defence, so, it is clear that natural justice has been denied, which calls for our interference. Thus, we find substance in the instant Rule. Accordingly, the Rule succeeds.

19. In the result, the Rule is made absolute.

20. There will be no order as to costs.

21. The impugned memo No. ev. ??.??.??????/???????MZ/4-wm-874/2009-2013/3878 dated 21-6-2010 as evident by annexure-'C' is declared to have been issued without lawful authority and is of no legal effect.

The concerned respondents are directed to reinstate the petitioner in service forthwith. The respondents are further directed to pay the arrear salaries and other benefits to the petitioner on and from 28-6-2015 ie on the date of issuance of Rule. The period from the date of illegal termination to the date of issuance of will be treated as leave without pay but the said period should be counted for all the benefit in service but not for any arrear of pay.




StanChart holds workshop

Business Desk :

Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh has recently organized a full-day workshop on "Correspondent Banking Academy on Financial Crime Compliance". Over 160 senior bankers including CEOs, Heads of Compliance, and senior members of International Divisions, Trade, Operations and Information Technology Divisions from local banks attended the workshop.

Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank Abu Hena Mohd. Razee Hassan graced the event as chief guest. Naser Ezaz Bijoy, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh, inaugurated the event.

CEOs present at the event participated in a lively discussion panel conducted by Muhit Rahman, Managing Director and Head of Financial Institution, Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh. Kamal Hossain- Joint Director of BFIU of Bangladesh Bank explained the national institutional framework for managing anti money laundering (AML) and financial crime compliance (FCC) in Bangladesh. Heidi Toribio, Global Head of Banks and Broker Dealers and Jodie Arthur, Head of Financial Crime Compliance, ASEAN and South Asia also made key presentations on Correspondent Banking, Financial Crime Compliance and Sanctions during the daylong workshop.


Mafia boss, mass murderer Riina dies in jail

Reuters, Rome :

Salvatore "Toto" Riina, the Sicilian Mafia's most powerful boss of the 20th century who was convicted for ordering dozens of murders, died of natural causes early on Friday after almost a quarter of a century in jail.

Riina, who turned 87 on Thursday, died in the prison ward of a hospital in Parma, the northern Italian city where he had been

serving 26 life sentences for homicides committed between 1969 and 1992. His victims included the two magistrates who led the campaign to bring Mafia figures to justice.

He had fallen into a coma after complications during surgery a few days ago, and his family had been given permission to be by his side on Thursday, the Justice Ministry said.

Nicknamed "the Beast", "Riina began his violent criminal career on the streets of Corleone after World War Two and became the Sicilian Mafia's boss of bosses when it reached its 20th century apex.

Riina oversaw a flourishing economic period for organised crime group Cosa Nostra, or "Our Thing", when it was trafficking heroin to North America and pulling the levers of political power in Palermo and Rome.

But due to Riina's savagery, hundreds of mobsters broke their code of silence in the 1980s and 1990s and testified against him, allowing magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino to uncover the long-hidden secrets of Cosa Nostra and prosecute its leaders for the crimes of its soldiers.

Riina's January 1993 arrest, after more than 20 years as a fugitive, came just months after Falcone and Borsellino were blown up on his orders, and coincided with the tumultuous downfall of Italy's corrupt post-war political system.

Since then, Riina has been held under high security with little access to his family in accordance with a law written to prevent bosses from commanding from prison. Refusing to cooperating with investigators until the end, Riina's secrets now will never be known.

Given various nicknames over the years - Toto, Shorty, the Beast among them - Riina was 13-years-old when his father, a poor farmer, was blown up while trying to remove explosives from a bomb leftover from the war.

When he was 19, he shot a man dead during a gang fight in Corleone and spent six years in prison, a rite of passage for a mafioso.

When he returned to Corleone, he and his childhood friend Bernardo Provenzano, who would lead Cosa Nostra after Riina's arrest, fell under the sway of Luciano Leggio.

Leggio took over the Corleone mafia with Riina and Provenzano at his side by killing the town's wartime mafia boss, medical doctor Michele Navarra, in 1958. U.S. author Mario Puzo would later name the main character in "The Godfather" after the town.
Missing college student found dead in Pabna

UNB, Pabna :

Police recovered the body of a college student from his friend's house at Ulat village in Sujanagar upazila on Friday morning two months after he had gone missing.

The deceased was identified as Robiul Islam, 23, son of Abdul Malek of the village and a second year BBA student of a local college.

Family sources said that Robiul remained missing since September 20 and some unidentified

miscreants demanded Tk 50 lakh for his release over phone.

His family failed to give the money and his father filed a general diary. Later, police arrested Robiul's friend Mamun, son of Rajjak Sheikh.

Mamun confessed to police that he had killed Robiul and buried the body in his house.

Following his confession, police recovered the body around 10:15am, said Obaidul Haque, Officer-in-Charge of Sujanagar Police Station.
Most of the world officially unites against Myanmar, now it's time for action

IN a landmark event, the OIC's draft resolution of the Rohigya crisis was passed at the United Nations on Thursday. Some 171 countries of the UN's Third Committee actively participated to jointly condemn Myanmar government's barbaric persecution of the Rohingyas. 135 countries voted condemning the military atrocities and demanded Myanmar to take back and entitle the ousted Rohingyas with full-fledged citizenship following a set of 16 conditions. 26 countries abstained from voting and only a mere 10 countries voted against the proposal taking Myanmar's side. Our heartfelt thanks to the 135 countries - those were able to gauge the gravity of the crisis and therefore stood united against the Myanmar government.

Most of the world's conscience is now crystal-clear about the systematic violation and abuse of human rights of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state.The non-binding UN measure is now set to be placed at the full assembly for debate next month, but the scale of crisis continues to shoot up. Even in the wake of such big-scale global denunciation, Myanmar's army continues to deny all allegations of rapes and killings by its security forces. Gunshots were reportedly heard and villages put into flames even until yesterday. Refugees are still entering Bangladesh.

This is enough to send a clear signal that, at least the imminent future of the ethnic minority, is yet bleak. If Myanmar government doesn't respond to the UN's Thursday voting anytime quick, we are afraid that the crisis will continue to get bigger. Suu Kyi's government is still not responding by taking any concrete measures. Thursday's resolution also asks the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a special envoy for Myanmar. Even though, it's not known who would be the person to chair the post, but our call to the future envoy would be to quicken the process of repatriation, punish the perpetrators in the light of crimes against humanity and if the need arises - enforce relevant sanctions on Myanmar.

The number of significant eye-witnesses and concrete evidences of the massive humanitarian crisis have been there for too long now, it's time the UN forces Myanmar to act in accordance with the 16 point draft resolution. Enough blood has been spilt to brush it under the carpet.
RMG workers block road in Mirpur

Hundreds of garment workers blocked road and vandalise vehicles in city\'s Mirpur area on Friday, demanding immediate payment of arrears, resulting halting movement of vehicles for about two hours.

Staff Reporter :

Hundreds of garment workers blocked road in the capital's Mirpur-12 area for three hours and vandalised vehicles demanding immediate payment of their arrear salary and allowances on Friday.

About 500 to 600 workers of Trust Trousers Ltd started demonstration at 9am and it continued till 12 noon.

The workers had an altercation with the factory authorities over the payment of compensation for several days as they were in fear of losing jobs due to relocation of their factory from Mirpur to another place.

Some bus workers hurled abusive words at the



demonstrators and the clash began.

On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

The workers said that Trust Trousers Ltd would be relocated from the Mirpur area without workers' knowledge. "The factory authorities want to sack us. We have known that the incumbent workers will not get any entrance in the new place. So we are in fear of losing job," they said.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Assistant Deputy Commissioner (Pallabi zone) Kamal Hossain said the protesting workers withdrew road blockade after four hours getting an assurance from the local MP Elias Uddin Mollah over their demands.

A meeting will be held on Saturday between the authorities and the workers to solve the problems, he said.






Rohingya children describe terrible experiences

Special Correspondent :

Feeding Rohingya refugees has become a big challenge for the government following drops in food supply from both local aid groups and international agencies.

Sources said, the administration was receiving 500 metric tons of foodstuffs on an average per day. But the supply now comes down to alarming 100 metric tons per day posing the challenge.

More than 600,000 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since August 25 this year, almost 60 per cent of whom are children, fleeing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Refugess, especially the children, who arrived in Bangladesh were dehydrated and malnourished.

Sources said malnutrition among the Rohingya children in the camps of Cox's Bazar has reached life-threatening levels due to insufficient food intake.

The UN's children's agency UNICEF earlier claimed that nearly 7.5 per cent of the children crammed into one of the camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district were at risk of dying from severe malnutrition.

"With more arriving, feeding all the refugees has become a big challenge for local authorities amid drops in food supply. Lack of enthusiasm from



local and global aid agencies may be the reason of supply shortage," Md Nikaruzzaman, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Ukhiya told The New Nation yesterday.

He admitted that local administration were receiving over 500 metric tons of food supply per day from various agencies, but now it dropped to 100 metric ton.

"Current supply is not enough to feed all the refuges," said Md Nikaruzzaman.

Relief is being distributed through 12 points at Ukhiya and Teknaf under the supervision of Bangladesh army from 8am to 4pm. Due to short supply, relief distribution time has been fixed from 12am to 4pm, sources said.

"Rohignya camps are beset with food crisis along with heath hygiene problem," Arif Hossain, a local right activist, told The New Nation yesterday.

He said, with food stocks rapidly diminishing and refugee numbers increasing, situation is taking a different turn.

"Refugess would face dire consequences if adequate food supply is not ensured for them. Adequate food aid and other resources only can save the life of the displaced Rohingya people and to check greater human sufferings.

Arif Hossain urged the local and international community to stand beside Bangladesh government ramping up emergency humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya refugees as well as to peaceful and permanent solution of the refuges crisis.

"The World Food Programme (WFP) will be entrusted with the task of relief distribution from December among the Rohingya people as much as necessary," Md Ali Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar District, told The New Nation yesterday.

"We're working to handover the responsibility to the UN agency by this time," he added.

The WFP earlier expressed serious concern about the high malnutrition rates among Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar.

The WFP is meeting emergency food needs for nearly 700,000 Rohingya, supplying nutrient-rich biscuits to new arrivals and feeding registered residents with regular distributions of rice, vegetable oil, and lentils.

Meanwhile, Rohingya children, who fled their homes in Rakhine State of Myanmar, have narrated their terrifying experiences in a new report released by Save the Children.

"Many of the children, who arrived in Bangladesh since August 25, have faced systematic violence, rape and forced evictions," said Save the Children in Bangladesh's country director Mark Pierce in a media release on Friday.



"These children, who have endured so much suffering, were desperate with no place to go," Mark Pierce said adding that it is only thanks to the Government of Bangladesh that these children might one day have the chance to lead happy lives."

Shadibabiran, a 16-year-old girl and one of the victims, told Save the Children staff that some soldiers took me and two other girls into a house. "They hit me in the face with a gun, kicked me in my chest and stamped on my arms and legs. Then I was raped by three soldiers. They raped me for about two hours and at some stage I fainted."

The soldiers broke one of her ribs, Shadibabiran said. "It was very painful and I could hardly breathe. I still have difficulty breathing, but I haven't been to a doctor as I feel too ashamed."

Twenty-four-year-old Rehema revealed how she had witnessed a woman and a baby being burnt alive.

"I saw a soldier pour gasoline over a heavily pregnant woman. Then he set her on fire," she said. "Another soldier ripped a baby from his mother's arms and threw him into the fire. His name was Sahab and he was not even one year old. I will never forget their screams." The humanitarian agency was also grateful to be able to immediately respond to the influx of Rohingya families fleeing into Bangladesh.

Piece said Save the Children was on the ground and scaling up their response days after August 25.

"Having read the horrific accounts in this report, I am so grateful for the ongoing support of the local, national and global communities. Together, we will protect and nurture Rohingya children who have already endured so much," he said. The real names of the victims were changed to protect their identity.
Dhaka gears up efforts to put pressure on Myanmar

Top dignitaries along with foreign ministers to visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar

Special Correspondent :

Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has taken elaborate programme for the series visit by top level dignitaries of seven powerful states and alliances to Bangladesh from Saturday responding to Dhaka's appeal to solve the Rohingya crisis.

The combined visit of these high level delegations will be the first of its kind since the Rohingya crisis began in August 25 and over a million Rohingyas have taken shelter in Cox's Bazar being driven away by Myanmar army.

As per schedule, the Foreign Ministers of China, Japan, Germany, Sweden and European Union will come here prior to attending the ASEM [The Asia-Europe Meeting] summit to be held in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw on November 20-21.

Of them, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom will arrive in Dhaka on Saturday [today] by separate special flights.

Besides, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and EU Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini will come here on November 19. On the other hand, Canadian Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday.

According to Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, the foreign dignitaries will go to Cox's Bazar by a helicopter on Sunday. They will visit Kutupalong and Balukhali camps under Ukhiya upazila in Cox's Bazar district to



get an overall perception over the Rohingya crisis.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, , State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque and senior officials will accompany them. After returning to Dhaka, the foreign ministers are likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to discuss the issue.

The visiting foreign ministers will also sit in bilateral meetings with AH Mahmood Ali on the same issue.

In this regard, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam told the media, "These visits just after the third committee resolution will play a supportive role in getting help from China and Japan. Their visits will ultimately put pressure on Myanmar to resolve the Rohingya crisis."

But the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is likely to skip the Cox's Bazar trip in line with its strategy towards Myanmar. Wang Yi, however, will pass busy time in Dhaka during his two-day visit.

The name of Chinese Foreign Minister was not mentioned in the latest handout issued by the Foreign Ministry about the trip of Foreign Ministers to Cox's Bazar.

A senior official of Foreign Ministry requesting anonymity told The New Nation on Friday, "We still hope, the Chinese Foreign Minister will go to Cox's Bazar to see the Rohingya condition.We'll wait even for the last moment to get him."

Meanwhile, a delegation of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is like to arrive in Bangladesh today to see the condition of Rohingyas at Cox's Bazar.

At present, Rohingya crisis has taken a critical turn with the non-stop influx of displaced Myanmar nationals whereas Dhaka's effort is not strong enough to convince the international community to create 'collective' pressure on Myanmar.

Bangladesh Foreign Ministry in a statement said the visit by the foreign ministers of European countries, Japan and EU High Representative reflects the support for Rohingyas from the international community.

It would also lend strong support to Bangladesh's ongoing diplomatic efforts, bilateral as well as multilateral, for early and sustainable return of the forcibly-displaced Rohingyas in safety and dignity, the statement added.

On completion of the visit, the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh and Germany are expected to travel together to Myanmar to attend the 13th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the ASEM in Nay Pyi Daw, according to the officials.


RU students demand rescue of female student

Agency :

The students of Rajshahi University demonstrated on the campus over kidnapping of a residential female student on Friday morning.

Female students staged a sit-in near the residence of Vice Chancellor, demanding her safe rescue.

Umme Shahi Ammana Shova, a fourth year

student of Bangla and a resident of Taposhi Rabeya Hall, was picked up on Friday.

Proctor Professor Md Lutfor Rahman admitted the fact. He said, the university authorities informed the police in this regard.

Rajshahi University students demanded rescue of their fellow student kidnapped in the morning from inside campus on November 17, 2017 in front of the residence of Vice Chancellor. Photo: Arafat Rahman

Our local Staff Correspondent quotes Shova's friends to report that the man who picked her up was one Sohel Rana, her ex-husband.

However, according to her friends, they mutually divorced in September this year.

Witness said, Shova was walking to an examination hall when her ex-husband came in a microbus and stopped in front of her barring her way around 8:30am.

After an altercation, Sohel forcefully picked up Shova in the microbus and left.

Amzad Hossain, father of the victim, filed an abduction case against Sohel Rana with Motihar Police Station.






BNP wants participatory elections

Party high-ups now busy to take strategies

Reza Mahmud :

The BNP is firm to compel the government to hold the next parliamentary election in an inclusive manner as the public sentiment demands neutral polls.

"The November 12 rally proved that the government could not overpower the people's desire. They (government) must be failed to ignore the public pressure to hold participatory polls," BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas told The New Nation while replying a query on Friday.

Mirza Abbas said the people of Bangladesh want



to give their votes in a fearless environment. If the government try to hold an one-sided polls like January 5, 2014, the people might not take that easily, he added.

The people must stand firmly against such an arbitrary step of the ruling party, the BNP leader added.

Sources said that the BNP high-ups are now busy in taking plans to counter the government strategies ahead of the next general elections.

They said that senior leaders and think tanks of the party are now working closely with the party Chairperson Khaleda Zia for taking strategies about the next course of action in this regard.

They are chalking out plans to make the government agree to sit with the BNP to discuss ways to hold the 11th national polls in a free, fair and credible means.

The party high-ups firmly hope that the government finally must agree to sit with BNP to pave a way out to avoid a possible public uprising.

The government and the ruling party are now avoiding the possibility to understanding with the BNP as a political stance.

"The AL is now mentally prepared for a discussion with opposition political parties like BNP, but avoiding that as their strategy to keep their party men away from being disappointed," said a senior BNP leader preferring anonymity.

BNP sources said that their party men are now excited over the huge gathering in the rally of the November 12 at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city to mark the November 7 as 'The National Revolution and Solidarity Day'.

They said that the people from different walks of life joined the rally to hear the directives from the party chief and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

They alleged that the government had tried its best to make obstacle to the people on their way to join the meeting but failed.

The party leaders said that the government stopped buses and other transports on the day to enter Dhaka from different districts. But the people joined the meeting ignoring all obstacles and made the programme a grand success.

When contacted, BNP Joint-Secretary General Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, said, "How the next general polls will be hold that will be decided by the people of the country. That day has gone to hold an one-sided polls again in this soil, because the people have become more conscious nowadays."

Alal said the ruling party may try to keep BNP out of the election race as their senior leaders are delivering speeches alike. But they will finally be compelled by the people to sit for discussion with opposition parties like BNP and to hold an inclusive polls."






Subjects on tax, VAT, customs to be launched at public varsities

M M Jasim :

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is going to introduce subjects on 'Income Tax' 'Value Added Tax' and 'Customs' at all public universities in the country.

A section of top officials of the UGC have been asked to prepare guidelines to materialise the matter, the commission sources said.

They said, the UGC will sit with the famous and eminent professors of the public universities to discuss the matter. If the commission gets positive signals from the professors then it will be placed to the Education Ministry.

A meeting with the vice-chancellors of the public universities will be held after getting nod of the Education Ministry. They will also be requested to launch the subjects to improve the country's higher education.

UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan told The New Nation yesterday that the commission had taken a plan to introduce subjects like income tax, VAT and customs. "It will definitely help flourishing our national economy.

The courses will also fulfill our demand of skilled manpower related to tax customs departments in the country," he said.

"Many subjects and courses are being introduced to meet the challenges of globalisation. It is the demand of time to introduce new subjects like VAT and tax for our higher education," the UGC chairman said.

The commission sources further said that it would ask the national university to introduce diploma courses and other professional courses on the aforementioned subjects.

The UGC also held a meeting with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in this regard recently.

UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan was att3ended that meeting as the chief guest while NBR Chairman Md Najibur Rahman presided over it.

Najibur Rahman assured the UGC that the NBR would launch internship programme in this connection, the meeting sources said.

He said, the NBR has already discussed the matter with its top officials and they gave positive nod to launch the programme.

"The economic development will be improved if the programme is launched widely," he said.










Holding Tax remains unchanged in DSCC: Mayor

Staff Reporter :

The holding tax at Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has not been increased rather it remains unchanged to previous rate of 12 per cent for the last 29 years, said Mayor of the corporation Sayeed Khokon.

"The holding tax rate remains the same as it has not been assessed for the last 29 years. So this time we are adjusting the rate between old and newly built houses and flats for removing existing disparity," he said while inaugurating electronic trade license and electronic holding tax payment system at Nagar Bhaban in the city on Thursday.

The e-trade license and holding tax payment system was implemented with the assistance of Access to Information (a2i) Project.

There are about 182,000 trade license holders and

1,65,000 holdings in the DSCC area. They now can pay fees of trade license and holding tax electronically which will increase customers convenience, decrease corruption, and ensure corporation's accountability.

The mayor said for building an equality-based society and city, it is important to introduce contemporary automation system. It will eventually reduce the projected holding tax up to 40 per cent by saving payers time and money.

"We have introduced e-tendering and digital attendance system already in the DSCC offices for ensuring accountability and clarity and this inauguration of the e-trade license and holding tax payment system is the sequential process of such digitization," he added.

In the inauguration session, the mayor handed over e-trade license to Shah Mohaymen Hajj and travels proprietor Sayed Abdul Modasser, while acting Chief Executive Officer of the DSCC Shahbuddin Khan, a2i Project Director Kabir Bin Anwar, Director of a2i at DSCC Abdul Khalek, Chief Revenue Officer of DSCC Yousuf Ali Sardar, Chief Urban Planner of DSCC Sirajulm Islam, System Analyst Abu Tayeb, among other, were present.






If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
claudiodivizia/iStock/Thinkstock(PARIS) -- The fallout from the Harvey Weinstein scandal has been reverberating far beyond the United States borders, and in France, where male chauvinism is ingrained in the culture, the allegations of sexual misconduct have inspired women here to speak out.



Reports of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment in France rose 25 percent in October compared to the same month a year ago, a spokesman for the French interior ministry told ABC News.



In the wake of the #MeToo hashtag started by actress Alyssa Milano in the United States, French women invented a hashtag of their own to speak up about sexual harassment.



#Balancetonporc, which translates to Expose your pig, went viral as thousands of French women posted stories of inappropriate sexual behaviors and abuse. According to the French research institute Odoxa, 335,300 tweets with the hashtag #balancetonporc were posted in just five days. Seventeen thousand of them were testimonies of sexual aggression and harassment.



In recent years in France, we have seen female journalists and politicians speaking up about sexual abuse, Alice Debauche, an associate professor of sociology at Strasbourg University who specializes in violence against women, told ABC News. But what we are seeing is unprecedented.



The fact that famous actresses kicked off the Weinstein scandal has resonated in France, Debauche said.



Women feel like they know these actresses by watching their movies and seeing them on the cover of magazines. There is sentiment of proximity, she said. Women identify themselves to actresses much more than to politicians, intellectuals or anonymous females.



The recent increase in reports of sexual assault and harassment show that French women are trying to change cultural norms.



Filing a complaint is always an obstacle for victims, Debauche said. It shows that they are feeling empowered to come forward after the campaigns on social media.



According to Claire Ludwig, a member of the French feminist organization Stop Street Harassment, there is definitely a connection between the rise in reports and the numerous sexual misconduct stories of the past few weeks.



This demonstrates that we are on the right path, Ludwig said. Fear is switching from the victims side to the aggressors.



In a study published last year, the French Institute for Demographic Studies said an estimated 62,000 women in France are victims of at least one rape or attempted rape each year. Additionally, the study said that around 580,000 women are victims of sexual violence every year in France.



Authorities need to extend this ongoing cultural debate through information, prevention and education campaigns," Debauche said. Otherwise it might be short-lived.



The massive wave of sexual harassment and assault stories in France is having political and legal repercussions, too.



French President Emmanuel Macron said during a television interview last month that he had begun the procedure to strip Harvey Weinstein of Frances highest award, the Legion of Honor. His actions lack honor, Macron said.



The ongoing debate in France amid the Weinstein scandal might also lead to changes in the law.



Marlene Schiappa, Frances minister for gender equality, wants to fine men for catcalling women in public.



A task force of legal professionals, policemen and politicians are working to define street harassment. The proposed law is expected to be presented next year.



The creation of a legal framework to denounce street harassment is a victory for us, Ludwig said. But she believes that the new law will be very hard to enforce. Sexual harassers will have to be caught 'in the act' by police officers in order to be fined, she said. Is the government planning to put a police officer behind every woman on the streets of France?



Schiappa admitted in a newspaper interview that we know that policemen wont be able to fine every acts of street harassment.



Street harassment is a cultural fight, Schiappa said. This law will open a public debate and change attitudes.



The question of France's child sex laws is also on the table, after two recent separate controversial cases where men were acquitted of raping two 11-year-old girls because authorities could not prove coercion.



A minimum age of sexual consent does not currently exist in France, and the French government is now drafting a bill to say that sex with children under a certain age is by definition coercive.



France's justice minister received criticism after suggesting in a radio interview Monday that 13 could be the age of consent.



Establishing a legal age of consent is part of pending bill that will be presented next year to address sexual violence and harassment in France.





Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
With last months awarding of the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the 2012/2013 literary award season is now over, which gives us the opportunity to update our list of prizewinners. (In fact, 2013/2014 has already begun with the unveiling of the diverse Booker longlist.) Literary prizes are, of course, deeply arbitrary in many ways; such is the nature of keeping score in a creative field. Nonetheless, our prizewinners post is compiled in the same spirit that one might tally up Cy Young Awards and MVPs to determine if a baseball player should be considered for the Hall of Fame. These awards nudge an author towards the canon and help secure them places on literature class reading lists for decades to come.

There are three books climbing the ranks this year. Hilary Mantels Cromwell sequel Bring Up the Bodies landed fairly high on the list after sweeping both of Britains major literary awards (though the book hasnt quite matched the hardware racked up by Mantels Wolf Hall). Meanwhile, Billy Lynns Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain and The Orphan Masters Son by Adam Johnson both won notice from more than one literary prize last year.

Here is our methodology: I wanted to include both American books and British books, as well as the English-language books from other countries that are eligible to win some of these awards. I started with the National Book Award and the Pulitzer from the American side and the Booker and Costa (formerly the Whitbread) from the British side. Because I wanted the British books to compete with the American books, I also looked at a couple of awards that recognize books from both sides of the ocean, the National Book Critics Circle Awards and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The IMPAC is probably the weakest of all these, but since it is both more international and more populist than the other awards, I thought it added something. A glaring omission is the PEN/Faulkner, but it would have skewed everything too much in favor of the American books, so I left it out.

I looked at these six awards from 1995 to the present, awarding three points for winning an award and two points for an appearance on a shortlist or as a finalist. Heres the key that goes with the list: B=Booker Prize, C=National Book Critics Circle Award, I=International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, N=National Book Award, P=Pulitzer Prize, W=Costa Book Award (formerly the Whitbread) bold=winner, red=New to the list or moved up* the list since last years Prizewinners post

*Note that the IMPAC considers books a year after the other awards do, and so this years IMPAC shortlist nods were added to point totals from last year.

11, 2003, The Known World by Edward P. Jones  C, I, N, P

9, 2001, The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen  C, I, N, P

8, 2010, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan  C, I, P

8, 2009, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel  B, C, W

8, 2007, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz  C, I, P

8, 1997, Underworld by Don DeLillo  C, I, N, P

7, 2005, The March by E.L. Doctorow  C, N, P

7, 2004, Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst  B, C, W

7, 2002, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides  I, N, P

7, 2001, Atonement by Ian McEwan  B, C, W

7, 1998, The Hours by Michael Cunningham  C, I, P

7, 1997, Last Orders by Graham Swift  B, I, W

7, 1997, Quarantine by Jim Crace  B, I, W

6, 2012, Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel  B, W

6, 2009, Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann  N, I

6, 2009, Home by Marilynn Robinson  C, N, I

6, 2005, The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai  B, C

6, 2004, Gilead by Marilynn Robinson  C, P

5, 2012, Billy Lynns Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain  C, N

5, 2012, The Orphan Masters Son by Adam Johnson  C, P

5, 2011, Binocular Vision by Edith Pearlman  C, N

5, 2011, The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes  B, W<

5, 2009, Brooklyn by Colm Toibin  W, I

5, 2008, The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry  B, W

5, 2008, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout  C, P

5, 2007, Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson  N, P

5, 2006, The Road by Cormac McCarthy  C, P

5, 2006, The Echo Maker by Richard Powers  N, P

5, 2005, Europe Central by William T. Vollmann  C, N

5, 2005, The Accidental by Ali Smith  B, W

5, 2004, The Master by Colm Toibin  B, I

5, 2003, The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard  I, N

5, 2001, True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey  B, I

5, 2000, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon  C, P

5, 2000, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood  B, I

5, 1999, Waiting by Ha Jin  N, P

5, 1999, Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee  B, C

5, 1999, Being Dead by Jim Crace  C, W

5, 1998, Charming Billy by Alice McDermott  I, N

5, 1997, American Pastoral by Philip Roth  C, P

5, 1996, Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge  B, W

5, 1996, Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser  N, P

5, 1995, The Moors Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie  B, W

5, 1995, The Ghost Road by Pat Barker  B, W

5, 1995, Independence Day by Richard Ford  C, P

5, 1995, Sabbaths Theater by Philip Roth  N, P
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.
CHARLESTON  A psychiatrist now has the records needed to complete a mental health evaluation for the teenage boy accused of shooting a fellow Mattoon High School student at school on Sept. 20.

A hearing was held Friday morning in Coles County Circuit Court to address subpoenas for records regarding the accused teenager, Josiah Lyons. Psychiatrist Lawrence Jeckel had requested these records for his mental health evaluation of Lyons. The evaluation will address the possibility of insanity at the time of the incident, whether the boy is a risk to himself or others, and if he is able to understand and help with his case.

Now that these records have been made available to Jeckel via court order, the hearing for Lyons has been continued to Jan. 11 to give the psychiatrist time to complete his evaluation. State's Attorney Brian Bower and Lyons' attorney, Ed Piraino of Champaign, agreed to this court date on Friday during a hearing before Circuit Judge Matt Sullivan, who is presiding over the case.

Piraino told the judge that he has received a hard drive containing police reports about the shooting and that he still needs to go through these reports in advance of the Jan. 11 hearing. Mattoon police officers completed more than 200 interviews with MHS students, staff and others as part of these reports.

Lyons, 14, was an MHS freshman at the time of the Sept. 20 shooting in the school's cafeteria. Another boy, who reportedly was not the actual target, was shot during the incident before the shooter was subdued, according to authorities' accounts. The boy was hit in the upper chest, but accounts indicate that he is recovering from his wounds.

In juvenile court, Lyons is charged with aggravated battery with a firearm. It's a felony offense that could lead to his being held in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice until the age of 21. On Friday, Lyons appeared in court while in custody of a juvenile detention facility. He was returned to this facility following the hearing.

According to information presented during a previous hearing and from authorities, Lyons allegedly started to aim the gun at a girl but MHS teacher Angie McQueen grabbed him by the arm and the shot hit the other student instead. More shots were fired into the cafeteria's ceiling before McQueen and Mattoon police school resource officer Kasey Alexander subdued the boy, according to the accounts.

Some sources have indicated that bullying might have been the motivation for the shooting, but authorities have not released information regarding any possible motive. Authorities have not said how the boy was able to bring the gun inside the school.

The suspect is a juvenile, but The Southern has opted at this time to use his name, as his identity has been widely disseminated and already made public.
DAVENPORT, Iowa  Lee Enterprises Inc. announced Thursday the selection of five Enterprise of the Year Finalists for 2017, honoring superior performance in key business and customer measures.

The Times and Democrat is a finalist for the second consecutive year and is the smallest of the five newspapers in contention for the award.

Five finalists for the company's highest honor were selected from among more than 50 divisions in 22 states, representing print and digital daily newspaper operations, regional agricultural publications and nationwide digital services, said Kevin Mowbray, president and chief executive officer.

These five finalists rose to the top of a very impressive group of enterprises, Mowbray said. In honoring these finalists, we also applaud the outstanding performance all across Lee in serving advertisers and readers in our communities, as well as delivering impressive results on many key business initiatives.

The 2017 Enterprise of the Year Finalists are:

 The Times and Democrat in Orangeburg, South Carolina, a finalist in 2016. The Times and Democrat is the first and best source of news in Orangeburg and surrounding communities, delivering information anytime, anywhere through print, online and mobile devices. They are the primary sources of local news, information and advertising in the region. The publisher is Cathy Hughes.

 The Courier in Waterloo, Iowa. The Courier is the first and best source of local news in and around Waterloo. The combined readership of Sunday and daily publications reaches 73 percent of their market. The publisher is Roy Biondi.

 The Journal Times in Racine, Wisconsin, a finalist in 2016. The combined audiences of The Journal Times and journaltimes.com reach nearly 80% of adults in their market. The publisher is Mark Lewis.

 The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the 2016 and 2012 Enterprise of the Year and a finalist in 2010. The Post-Dispatch reaches nearly 1 million readers weekly, and stltoday.com is the most widely visited website across all digital platforms in St. Louis. The publisher is Ray Farris.

 Times Media Company of northwest Indiana based in Munster. Enterprise of the Year in 2014 and finalist in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. The Times and NWI.com are Northwest Indianas media leaders in local news and information, and NWI.com has the second largest audience of any website in the state. The publisher is Chris White.

The winner will be announced in December.
On Nov. 13, a fifth Alabama woman came forward to accuse Roy Moore, former judge and current GOP Senate candidate, of sexual assault when she was 16. Condemnation of Moore has been widespread, but Moore himself vehemently denies these allegations. He has backing from many in Alabama.

One of his most controversial statements of support came from Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler, who declared: theres nothing immoral or illegal hereMaybe just a little unusual. Ziegler went on to appeal to the Christian story of Mary and Joseph: Take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.

I find the allegations against Moore repulsive. But, in addition, as a scholar of early Christianity, Zieglers remarks took my breath away. As most Christians would know, an important tenet of Christian theology is that Jesus was born of a virgin mother.

However, there are many other little-known details in early Christian storytelling about the relationship between Mary and Joseph that I learned while researching my book, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph: Family Trouble in the Infancy Gospels. Early Christians believed that Mary and Joseph did not have sex, but there was much more that was worth learning from that relationship.

Listen up, Jim Ziegler.

The gospel narratives

The Christian Bible includes four gospels, or narratives, of the life of Jesus. Two of them, the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke, include accounts of Jesuss birth. These two versions of the Christmas story supply almost all of the details about Mary and Joseph that can be found in the Christian Bible.

In Matthew 1-2, readers learn about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the visit of the Magi or wise men to see the newborn and the flight of the holy family to Egypt in order to escape King Herods killing of infants. Luke 1-2 describes the birth of John (the cousin of Jesus), an imperial census under the Roman Emperor Augustus and the appearance of angels celebrating the birth of Jesus in the skies above Bethlehem.

Both the gospels seem to agree that Mary conceived by supernatural means, not through sexual intercourse. Meanwhile, whatever Zeigler claims, neither the Gospel of Matthew nor the Gospel of Luke specifies the ages of Mary and Joseph.

The Proto-gospel of James

The earliest source to mention ages is another ancient Christian gospel: the Proto-gospel of James. This gospel is a prequel to the more familiar stories of the first Christmas found in the Christian Bible. It was written in the second century A.D., a hundred years or so after the gospels of the Christian New Testament. Critically, it is mostly unknown to Christians because it is not found in their Bibles.

Even so, the Proto-gospel of James is an important witness to the things that mattered to early Christians. The relationship of Mary and Joseph is one of them.

The Proto-gospel of James tends to fill in gaps left by the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. This, for example, is where readers can learn about the parents of Mary  Joachim and Anna  and about the divine intervention that leads to Annas conception of Mary.

This gospel also recounts the story of when Mary met Joseph, details absent from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In this telling, Joseph, an elderly widower, is chosen by lottery to take care of Mary, who is 12 years old at the time.

Like the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the Proto-gospel of James reports that Mary does not conceive through sexual intercourse. She receives news from the angel Gabriel that she will become pregnant and bear a son, Jesus. But the Proto-gospel of Jamess account adds a new wrinkle: Mary forgets about her encounter with the angel. When she realizes that shes pregnant, shes overcome with fear and confusion. Joseph is likewise confused by Marys pregnancy. He nevertheless remains loyal and protects the 12-year-old girl. He takes her to a cave outside of Bethlehem. Soon there is a blinding flash of light. As it recedes, a child appears.

Jesus has arrived.

Familiar and unfamiliar

Some of these details will be familiar to readers of the New Testament: the town of Bethlehem, for example, and the angelic announcement to Mary  the Annunciation  that she will become pregnant.

Other details, however, will come as a surprise: Wasnt Jesus born in Bethlehem, and not, as the Proto-gospel of James reports, outside of Bethlehem in a cave? And what about the story of how Mary met Joseph? The Proto-gospel of James adds to and changes elements of the earlier accounts of Matthew and Luke.

And then there are details that some Christians know from their religion that other Christians do not. Most Orthodox and Roman Catholics, for example, know the names of Anna and Joachim, the parents of Mary, even though they do not include the Proto-gospel of James in their Bibles. Most Protestant Christians, by contrast, will be unfamiliar with these figures.

In fact, the Proto-gospel of James is just one example of a wide range of gospels and other early Christian writings that are not included in the Christian Bible. The storytelling about the holy family alone could fill a bookshelf: There is the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the History of Joseph the Carpenter. Written at different times in different places, these accounts reflect the early Christian fascination with the household of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Love is not predatory

One final observation that is relevant to Jim Zieglers comments: The Proto-gospel of James goes a step further than the Gospels of Matthew and Luke in making the point that there was no sexual contact between Mary and Joseph.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph overcomes personal anxiety about Marys pregnancy. In the Proto-gospel of James, the pregnancy of Mary becomes a matter of public scrutiny: Both Mary and Joseph must drink the water of refutation, a life-and-death ordeal designed to test the truth of their claims of not having had sex with one another. Both pass the test.

But the Proto-gospel of James is not just a story about the virginity of Mary, nor is it just about Josephs lack of involvement in the conception of Jesus. Mostly, it is a story about two people being swept up in events that they do not understand.

Together, Mary and Joseph risk everything despite not knowing what it all means. Amid the chaos, they learn to lean on each other. While Mary and Joseph do not, according to the Proto-gospel of James, have a physical relationship, they do love one another.

And love should not be compared to the predatory behavior alleged against Roy Moore.
South Carolina Electric & Gas is purchasing a natural gas-fired power plant in Sandy Run following the failure of its joint nuclear project with Santee Cooper.

SCE&G announced Thursday it is buying the 540-megawatt Columbia Energy Center for $180 million.

The plant will make up for about 40 percent of the power the nuclear plant was supposed to provide, company officials said during a Thursday news conference.

SCE&G hopes the deal will be approved next year.

The purchase of the plant will fall on the shareholders of SCANA Corp., the parent company of SCE&G, and not customers, company officials said.

The utility also plans to add 100 megawatts of solar power to its system.

The company says if its proposal is adopted, it will not need to add new generating capacity for several years to come.

SCE&G has been under fire since the utility and its state-owned partner Santee Cooper abandoned the project at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station on July 31.

The two have spent more than $9 billion on the failed project. Customers have been charged nearly $2 billion of the amount.

Calhoun County Development Commission Executive Director Pat Black said, "We are proud that a Calhoun County company such as Columbia Energy is a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

"South Carolina Electric and Gas and SCANA are in a dilemma right now and they are working their way out of it."

Black also praised SCE&G President Keller Kissam, a Calhoun County native, for providing the leadership needed for SCE&G to get back on track.

The Columbia Energy Center employs 19. SCE&G has been its main customer.

The gas-fired plant is a result of Eastman Chemicals search for more efficient sources of energy for its Calhoun County operation. Not wanting to enter into the business of energy production, the company initiated talks with potential energy providers.

In October 2000, Eastman partnered with SkyGen Energy LLC to build the Columbia Energy Center. Shortly after, SkyGen was purchased by Calpine.

Calpine broke ground on the $365 million plant in September 2001. Calpine began operations in May 2004.

Calpine sold the plant to NatGen Southeast Power in 2014. Its a subsidiary of LS Power Equity Advisors.

In addition to providing electricity, the plant provides steam to DAK Americas, which purchased most of Eastman Chemicals Calhoun County presence.

"We look forward to working with these new owners as they acquire and operate the site," DAK Americas spokesman Ricky Lane said.
SPRINGFIELD -- Truly outstanding heroes are a rarity, but those who were at the Orangeburg County Military Museum in Springfield on Nov. 10 probably thought they'd wandered into the Justice Leagues Hall of Justice.

A hero is defined as someone who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievement and noble qualities, and the Orangeburg County Military Museum was filled to the brim with veterans who fit that description.

Residents and officials who gathered at the museum for the Veterans Day observance walked up a hardwood staircase in the nearly century-old stairwell of the town's historic and architectural jewel, the Springfield School. Veterans from various theaters of war, from Iraq to World War II, were honored during the program.

Also during the event, the museum's new Aircraft Carrier Flight Deck Exhibit was dedicated. The exhibit was researched and assembled by Don and Patty Williams of Jacksonville, Florida. In addition, one of the military museum's founders, Col. Byron Williams, was honored on his graduation from United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Another veteran honored was retired Lt. Col. William H. Salley, a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, who graduated from the former Springfield High School 50 years ago.

I was seriously wounded in Korea, but right now its not bothering me, Salley said in an interview. "A mortar round hit me. It was on Sept. 17, 1950 in a little town called Shindu, Korea. We were making a move, and a mortar round hit me and knocked me out. I didnt know I was hit when I woke up. Then I started feeling around, and I felt blood up on my hand and I saw where the tip of my finger was missing."

Both legs, both arms were hit, and Ill say this, if it would have been two inches one way or the other, I wouldnt be here today, he said.

Salley was flown back to the United States due to the extent of his injuries. He spent the next five months in the Naval hospital in Charleston.

Asked if he had any fond memories of serving, he said, Oh, yes! We got to travel a lot," adding that he served in six countries as well as six states in the U.S.

After returning from Italy, Salley and his wife Betty were married in 1955 in Fort Rock, Alabama.

His message about those who have served their country and those who currently serve was simple.

Thank the veterans. If it werent for the veterans, we wouldnt have a country," Salley said.

Sylvia Hiers, chair of the Springfield School Restoration and Use Board one of those who helped establish the Orangeburg County Military Museum, said it's important to honor veterans and to preserve history.

There (is a framed quote upstairs in the school) that (says) it well. History guides us in the present and in the future. If we dont hold onto history and memories and roots, if we let if all slip through our fingers, then we have nothing to become our base. History and heritage and tradition are priceless," Hiers said.

She called on residents of Orangeburg County to visit the military museum.

Come see. If you come see it, it makes you a believer," Hiers said, noting that ownership of the facility is county-wide and as such, county-wide participation and involvement are essential.

The Orangeburg County Military Museum is located at 210 Brodie Street in Springfield.
A 52-year-old Magistrate Court Bailiff, turned up at the Kingstown Magistrates Court on Tuesday, not for bailiff duties, but to answer three charges of dishonesty.





Donald Soleyn has been charged with, between December 31, 2015, and January 1, 2017, at Bequia, stole EC$200 in cash, the property of Wayne Peters of Bequia.





The Arnos Vale man is also charged with, between December 31, 2015 and January 1, 2017, at Bequia, being employed in the Public Service and being charged with the performance of any duty, by virtue of such employment, corruptly solicited, received or obtained, property, to wit EC$200, in cash for himself on account of anything to be afterwards done or omitted to be done by him, in discharge of the duties of his office as bailiff of the Magistrates Court.





Soleyn is additionally charged with, between December 31, 2015, and January 1, 2017 at Bequia, had in his possession criminal property, to wit EC$200 in cash, under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

He pleaded not guilty to the three charges when he stood before Senior Magistrate Bertie Pompey. He was represented by Attorney Roderick Jones.





The Bailiff, who had been released on $1500 station bail, in connection with the matter, had his bail continued, and the matter was adjourned to January 23, 2018.
L-R: Minister of Housing, Montgomery Daniel; Baushuan Ger, Ambassador to Taiwan here; Minister of Education St. Clair Jimmy  Prince and Chief Education Officer Beverley Neptune with scholarship recipients.

Baushuan Ger, Taiwans Ambassador here, is urging students to make best use of the money they have received.





He was speaking at the presentation of scholarships to students within the Kingstown zone. Similar exercises are slated for other zones in an ongoing package. Ger noted an increase which saw the amount double to US$200,000. As a result, 793 students benefit from the awards compared to 415 in 2016.

The first delivery caters for students at 38 institutions in the Kingstown sphere.





Ger emphasised the importance of education, and described it as a "pillar of nation building.

The Taiwanese provide assistance for training in Taiwan as well. Ger referred to 143 such graduates since its introduction in 2004. However, the assistance to primary and secondary school students was launched 1998.

Education Minister St. Clair Prince echoed Gers sentiments about the use of the money. He was delighted with the assistance, and reminded recipients that "kindness must not be taken for granted.

The Education Minister encouraged parents to be "proactive in their childrens education, and to be involved in every aspect.





Prince cited Taiwan as an important partner in the education drive, and contended that "St. Vincent and the Grenadines is "better off because of Taiwan.

Two students: Rebecca Dublin and Latisha Warren showed gratitude for their support. Dublin, from the Stubbs community is a fifth former at the St. Clair Dacon Secondary School.

Warren is a second former at the Intermediate High School. From the Pauls Avenue district, Warren has Spanish as her favourite subject. She was thankful for the assistance from the Taiwanese in the way that it is easing the burden on her parents.





Chief Education Officer Beverley Neptune highlighted the value of the Taiwanese assistance to the development of the nation. She outlined that persons "will enjoy a good life because of the generosity.

The ceremony had some injection of culture, with an instrumental presentation from the Intermediate High School, a chorale script from the Kingstown Preparatory School, and an Afro-centric rendition from Thomas Saunders ensemble which featured a guitarist, bassist, drummer, keyboardists and four female vocalists. (WKA)
The National Lotteries Authoritys Christmas promotion was officially launched on Tuesday.





The promotion, dubbed Ham and Rum, gives players the opportunity to win as is mentioned  ham and bottles of liquor.





Anthony Dennie, Product Development Officer, said at a press briefing to launch the promotion, that players purchasing a minimum of $10 worth of Play4 on a single ticket, will receive a coupon  lucky customers will either receive a ham, or bottle of liquor, compliments the NLA.





Dennie urged customers to ensure that they collect the coupon from agents, or the cashiers at the NLA office in Kingstown.





According to Dennie, the coupon will be printed after the ticket, so customers should ensure that they collect their coupon, once they make the purchase, making them eligible for entry into the promotion.

He further explained that prizes will be randomly distributed, so customers need to look at the coupon produced to see if they have won themselves a ham or a bottle of rum  unlucky persons will receive a coupon saying Merry Christmas.





The promotion ends December 31. (DD)
Left to Right: Camillo Gonsalves becomes this countrys youngest ever Minister of Finance. St. Clair Jimmy Prince should find the portfolio of Information right up his alley.Saboto Caesar received a platter of added responsibilities to add to his already overflowing cup.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves will be relinquishing that position.





When the Unity Labour Party holds its next Convention, a new leader of the party is likely to emerge. Whether that person becomes Prime Minister, will be determined.

Dr. Gonsalves is yielding the positions party and government leader.

The Finance Ministry has gone to the East St. George representative Camillo Gonsalves.

Portfolios of Industry and Bureau of Standards which formed part of the younger Gonsalves assignment, have been placed on Saboto Caesars shoulder, in addition to his duties as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and rural Transformation.





St. Clair Jimmy Prince, a former Director of the Agency for Public Information (API), will assume responsibility for Information, to add to his portfolios of Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves spoke of his recovery process, following an incident in which he received injuries to his shoulder, elbow and wrist.





Speaking at a press conference at cabinet room last Monday, the Vincentian leader emphasised his programme of instituting changes at the administrative and political spheres. He highlighted a number of appointments, mostly involving young persons who have assumed top positions.

He is anticipating a "proper and orderly transition. Some people leave things to chance. I have to watch things decades down the road, he asserted.





Gonsalves referred to Ebenezer Theodore Joshua - the nations first Chief Minister, Robert Milton Cato - the first Premier and Prime Minister, and Sir James Mitchell - this countrys longest serving parliamentarian, noting that none of them had made plans for succession.

"I am a student of history. I could write a thesis on it, Dr Gonsalves stated.

"You have to prepare for a transition. It is the obligation of the sitting leader, the ULP leader asserted.

Conscious of possible revulsions there might be in the succession issue, Dr. Gonsalves alluded to the business at hand akin to a "political family.

He sought to dispel arguments that his son Camillo was being given an advantage, with his having been entrusted with the Finance Ministry.





He highlighted the profiles of both Caesar and Gonsalves, and disclosed that they were both worthy candidates, endowed with the competence to continue making contributions to the nations progress.

As far as the Prime Minister is concerned, the transition process has been "deepening further.

Whenever the changeover occurs, Dr. Gonslaves wants it to be a "lesson orderly and optimally in the interest of the people.




Principal, staff and some students of the SMSS pose with Bishop Gerard County and some of the quantity of school supplies donated by students.

The Principal, staff and students of the St Martins Secondary School joined in the act of sending relief support to sister island Dominica which was devastated during the passage of Hurricane Maria this year.





On Monday, a cheque in the amount of EC$3,000 and approximately EC$2,000 worth of school supplies were officially handed over to Bishop Gerard County, head of the Diocese of Kingstown, which in turn will be sent to the St Martins School located in Roseau, Dominica.





Karen Burgin, teacher at the SMSS, explained that November 3 is usually set aside for the students to engage in community service.





She further explained that November 3 is the date set aside in honour of the patron saint of the school, St Martin de Porres who lived his life in the service of others.

Activities usually include visits to surrounding schools, feeding the homeless; but this year, a decision had been made to raise funds to assist those in need in Dominica.

"We are all one global community, and Dominica is part of the Windward Islands, so we specifically decided to target the St Martins School in Dominica, Burgin said.

She also noted that the students were asked to donate items to the appeal for school supplies and stationery which will be donated.





"We in St Vincent, we know what it is to be affected by natural disaster, and two, three days after the disaster has happened, there is no more attention being paid to the territory, she said.





In responding, Bishop County thanked all involved for the gesture, saying that he was pleased with the idea of the SMSS looking to adopt and assist one of the schools affected by the passage of Hurricane Maria.

He too agreed that soon after an event where a territory is destroyed following a natural disaster, very little is heard in the media, and that the members of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) of which St Vincent and the Grenadines was a part, they too were looking for ways to assist fellow Bishop Gabriel Malzaire and the people of Dominica.

"[I] appreciate the gesture, it speaks very highly of you, Bishop County said. (DD)




"Were eleven!!!! And we won  that feels great, exclaimed a jubilant Jared Nichols, the second form student from the St Vincent Grammar School and the winner in the Secondary Mobile App category at this years NTRC I2 competition.





The team of 12-year-old Nichols and 11-year-old Stanisclaus Gomes, known as Astra, beat out Maks Squad of the St Vincent Girls High School into second and Breaking Point of the St Josephs Convent Kingstown into third, with their app called AIA in the Secondary Mobile App category.

Nichols explained that their app was created to help those using the Argyle International Airport to book flights.

"Our apps main idea was to help people and the airport, Nichols explained.

The idea, according to the team, was born after they realized that airports around the world have apps, so they came together and decided to create one for the local international airport.

They were both confident about taking the top prize, which also included EC$3,000, four tablets and a case of Vita Malt; but their optimism paid off.

The Petit Bordel Secondary School, comprising of the team of Phyziah Craigg and Nyron Collins  PBSS Inventors  won the Secondary Idea Category, taking the trophy and EC$2,000, four smart phones and four cases of Vita Malt.





Their idea, according to Collins, was to turn an islet off the coast of Chateaubelair into an eco-friendly resort.

"It (the islet) is just sitting there, so its a good idea for it to be developed and a good way to create employment in the area, Collins said, adding that he has a particular interest in tourism.

The team Fearless Leaders of the Central Leeward Secondary School placed second, and the UISS GEO representing the Union Island Secondary School finished third in this category.

Mentor for the PBSS team, Stanley Joslyn said that he was pleased with the achievement by Collins and Craigg, pointing out that they worked very hard on their project.

"They worked hard to come first, and I am happy with the success, he told THE VINCENTIAN.

Joslyn, who is also the schools IT teacher, said that he was particularly pleased that his students proved that they were just as good as anyone else, and had the ability to compete against the best schools and students.

"I am happy for that, and I hope that it will serve as an incentive for the other students to get the drive for them to want to succeed, he said.





And in the final category, the Open Category  LX2, the team of Terbry and Jana Lewis walked away with the EC$5,000 grand prize, four tablets, six power banks and Vita Malt with their Car Pool App.

Terbry Lewis explained that their presentation was about creating a car pool app designed for Vincentians.

"We did not want it to look like Uber, but it essentially is a taxi service, he explained.

It worked like this, car owners, travelling certain routes can give rides to other commuters while receiving a little compensation.





The hard work and sleepless hours were now over, and the team say that the response from the public to their app has been encouraging.





In fact, so encouraging that they are considering to build up on what has already been created.

"I think it will be something that could impact Vincentians, including businesses in getting their employees to work on time, he said.

Other prizes went to the Girls High School, for having the most entries, three in the finals of the Secondary Mobile App category and two in the Secondary Idea category. (DD)
The Taiwan Changhua Christian Hospital (CCH) is sending its second medical team of 2017 to visit St. Vincent and the Grenadines from November 19 to December 9, 2017. It is the twelfth visit of the CCH medical team to SVG since 2010.





The team is comprised of seven members - Dr. Nina Kao (leader), Dr. Cheng Hsu Chen (Emergency Medicine), Dr. Wei-Jung Chang (General Surgery), Dr. Yun-Liang Chen (Chinese Medicine), Dr. Hui-Ming Yen (Anesthesiologist), Sr. Yun-Ju Lin (ICU nurse) and Sr. Sheng-Tsu Su (OR nurse).





During its visit, the team will work closely with the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. In response to the request of local communities across the country, and with the facilitation of the MCMH, Dr. Yun-Liang Chen will outreach to Georgetown, Stubbs and Barrouallie, to provide Chinese medical services to Vincentians.





In the meantime, considering the current close cooperation between MCMH and CCH on anesthesiological services which has benefited more than 200 Vincentian patients in the past two months, the CCH specifically dispatched Dr. Hui-Ming Yen, an anesthesiologist, to be one of the team members to provide anesthesiological services at the MCMH.





MCMH and CCH were twined in August of 2010. Since then, the two hospitals have strengthened their cooperation and interaction continuously. In May of 2017, one doctor and two pharmacists of MCMH from Kingstown visited CCH to participate in training programs.




By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

Booking.com, the Netherlands-based travel fare aggregator website, has resumed illegal hotel reservations in Azerbaijans occupied territories, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend on November 17.

He noted that previously, after a serious protest from Azerbaijans Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture and Tourism, the website ceased making illegal hotel reservations in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenian armed forces.

However, as a result of an investigation, it was revealed that Booking.com has renewed the illegal hotel reservations in Azerbaijans occupied lands. Promotion of Azerbaijans occupied lands as a tourism destination by Booking.com and making hotel reservations there absolutely contradicts the principles of international law, the Charter of the World Tourism Organization, the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, as well as relevant decisions and recommendations of the World Tourism Organizations Executive Board, said Hajiyev.

The spokesman stressed that promotion of the occupied territories, where more than a million Azerbaijanis were subject to bloody ethnic cleansing, as a tourism destination and making hotel reservations there is inconsistent with any moral framework.

"Azerbaijans occupied territories are closed for legal international money transfers, whereas hotels are booked in Azerbaijans occupied lands via online payments on Booking.com, which takes profit from this," said Hajiyev, adding this is considered as illegal international money transfer and money laundering.

He pointed out that with such activities detrimental to the corporate business ethics, Booking.com creates an unserious impression about itself and undermines its reputation.

The spokesman added that Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Culture and Tourism carry out coordinated relevant measures in connection with the issue, and Azerbaijans Embassy in the Netherlands has also received instructions.

Azerbaijan takes necessary measures against those, who are engaged in illegal business or economic activity in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia. Moreover, unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan are considered illegal and individuals who pay such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys black list.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

A protest action demanding the release of two Azerbaijanis Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, who are kept hostages by Armenian militaries in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan for more than three years, was held in front of the Armenian Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, APA reported on November 16.

The protesters started marching from the Marjanishvili metro station. Representatives of local Azerbaijani organizations, activists and students participated in the event, chanting Freedom for Azerbaijani hostages, No to Armenian occupation, and other slogans.

Dilgam Asgarovs son Kurdoglu Asgarov, who also participated in the protest, said that for almost four years Armenians illegally keep hostage his father and Shahbaz Guliyev. He noted that the purpose of the action is to draw the attention of the international community to the fate of the hostages.

The two Azerbaijanis were detained by the Armenian armed forces in July 2014 while visiting their native places and graves of loved ones in the occupied Azerbaijani Kalbajar region. Moreover, Armenian forces killed the third captivated Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov.

Later, Guliyev and Asgarov were judged illegally by the unrecognized courts of a separatist regime in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. Following an expedited judicial process in December 2015, Asgarov was sentenced to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years. Attempts of Azerbaijan to provide justice and to free the hostages are still unsuccessful.

Azerbaijans State Committee on Affairs of Refugees and IDPs, the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons and other agencies have repeatedly urged international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to assist in release of Guliyev and Asgarov, whilst the problem remains topical yet.




















By Trend





The representatives of the Turkmen government and Special Representative of the German Federal Government for Afghanistan and Pakistan Markus Potzel discussed Turkmenistans activity in some spheres during the meeting in Ashgabat, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message on November 16.

The sides discussed Turkmenistans activity in energy, transport and economic spheres aimed at integrating Afghanistan into regional economic ties and exchanged views on the issues of the regional agenda.

As for an extensive infrastructure network in the region, the sides stressed the role of the transit and transport cooperation agreement signed in Ashgabat as part of the 7th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA VII).

The document was signed by high-ranking representatives of the foreign ministries of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

Ashgabat promotes the implementation of a number of infrastructure regional projects involving Afghanistan.

In particular, Turkmenistan is working on the implementation of such projects through Afghanistan, as the construction of a railway to Tajikistan and the gas pipeline to Pakistan and India.
By Trend





Kazakhstan and Macedonia voiced intention to expand political and trade-economic cooperation.



The sides agreed to increase interaction within the framework of the second round of political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Macedonia in Skopje.

The sides considered the state and prospects of bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres, interaction within the framework of international organizations, and exchanged views on topical issues of the regional and global agenda.

They noted the need to increase the volume of mutual trade turnover and strengthen investment cooperation. An agreement was reached to expand the bilateral legal framework in the areas of legal cooperation, transport, education and culture.

The protocol on holding regular political consultations between the Ministries was signed by deputy heads of the foreign ministries of the two countries Roman Vasilenko and Arta Tochi.

The Kazakh side also discussed the possibilities of expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two countries with a group of Macedonian entrepreneurs, who were acquainted with the development programs of Kazakhstan and the existing opportunities for foreign investors.

Macedonian business noted the interest in attracting Kazakhstan's capital for the implementation of joint projects in the territory of Macedonia, the advantages of which are tax preferences and free access to the markets of the European Union and Turkey.
By Trend





As a result of the measures taken in Baku and other cities and districts of the country in October 2017, 1,603 decisions were made in connection with violation of the requirements of administrative legislation by foreigners and stateless people, the Azerbaijani State Migration Service said in a message.

In general, in October 2017, the State Migration Service received 10,526 applications from foreigners and stateless people regarding the extension of the period of stay in the country, the issuance of permits for temporary or permanent residence, restoration or termination of citizenship.

Each appeal was considered and decisions were made in accordance with the requirements of the Azerbaijani legislation.

In October 2017, 51,505 applications of foreigners and stateless people were registered in connection with the registration at the place of residence.

Within a month 9,222 phone calls were made to the call center of the Azerbaijani State Migration Service.
Emirates Modern Poultry Co, also known as Al Rawdah, has partnered with SAP to provide its Enterprise Resource Planning framework to improve confidentiality, integrity, availability and customer support across its UAE-wide operations.



Mustafa Arshad, manager information technology, Al Rawdah, said: The technology partnership, which first started earlier this year, is now seeing us adopt SAP ERP technology across all of our operations, coupled with comprehensive business process re-engineering.



The entire process will occur in stages, with full implementation expected to take eight months, he said.



The move sees the company set new standards for quality and service, cementing its position as a technology leader setting new benchmarks for the UAEs poultry industry, said a statement.



The technology initiative also aligns with the Smart Dubai initiative that is anchored in the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to make Dubai a global technology hub and the happiest city on earth, it added.



Jeanette Kristensen Alhaider, general manager sales and marketing, Al Rawdah, said: We have always prided itself on working tirelessly towards setting new benchmarks in the UAEs poultry industry.



Weve undertaken a technology partnership with SAP to continue our position of innovation leadership in the industry. SAPs ERP solutions offer tremendous benefits for businesses, and our partnership will unlock increased productivity, significant cost savings, and more consistent operations to the benefit of our clients and distribution partners, he said.



Our new technological approach also lays a strong foundation for future expansion as our Liwa farm comes online, he added.



SAPs ERP framework will improve operational efficiency across Al Rawdahs finance, supply chain, manufacturing, processing and wholesale and retail distribution functions. It is designed to optimise resource use, process transparency, cash flow and budgetary control, said a statement.



By giving Al Rawdah intelligent deep insight and up to the minute reporting on all its business functions, the ERP implementation also allows exceptional management control and decision-making.



For Al Rawdahs clients and business partners, the move translates into faster supply chain operations resulting in even fresher products, with time and cost savings that deliver competitive advantage.



Our company is laying the groundwork for poultry operations that can compete with the best in the world. As a home-grown UAE company, it is very important for us to deliver to exceptional standards. SAP ERP will deliver the alignment of strategy, operation and personnel needed to power our future, concluded Alhaider.  TradeArabia News Service
More than half of the steel industry (53 per cent) has come across fake products during day-to-day operations, according to a recent study.



The study on the use of counterfeit products in GCC was commissioned by The Steel Alliance Against Counterfeiting (SAAC), a non-profit industry initiative of 18 reputable manufacturers of steel tubular products.



Most of the respondents (79 per cent) are in favour of tightening the control of steel products import from certain markets, the study said.



SAAC recently also organised an open conference during Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) gathering notably EPC contractors, distributors, utilities and customs.



It was the opportunity to sum up the results of the SAAC members joint efforts and discuss further steps to effectively counter the use of fake steel products in the region, said a statement.



The SAAC members also presented anti-counterfeit measures for the main stakeholders of oil and gas industry, including end-users, governmental officials and media, it said.



Over the course of two years, the SAAC has been actively promoting the responsible use of steel products to safeguard lives and the environment.



The announcement of the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code this year is a crucial step towards increasing the level of quality standards in the safety of building materials, design and construction, as well as regulating the responsibilities of stakeholders during project execution.



The SAAC also welcomes the implementation of the GCC Trade Mark Law which will strengthen border protection and provide for more stringent sanctions of counterfeiters.



The SAAC actively cooperates with governmental officials, distributors, EPC contractors and end-users in the GCC, as well as on a global level. As part of its efforts to raise awareness among the international community on the safety risks resulting from the illicit traffic and use of counterfeit tubular products, Vallourec, one of the SAAC initiators, participated as a panelist speaker at high-level meetings co-hosted by Interpol such as the Annual IP Crime Conference held at the United Nations Headquarters (August 2017, New York) and the Regional IP Crime Conference, Middle East and North Africa (November 2017, Dubai).



Rising stakeholder awareness about the verification and protection of genuine products is a key priority for the SAAC. During the year, reputable manufacturers have implemented new anti-counterfeiting solutions intended to mitigate the risks of using fake products, and gave training workshops for their introduction.



During the SAAC open conference, Samuel Lecerf, QHSE and industrial excellence director from Vallourec, presented Valguard, an innovation enabling users of Vallourec tubes to verify the authenticity of Mill Test Certificates and individual tubes.



Mannesmann Stainless Tubes provides the additional service of checking the genuineness of each inspection certificate via scanning printed QR-code. Earlier this year, Interpipe implemented the online verification of the origin of pipe products by scanning the QR code on the bundle labels.



Anais Eiden, group intellectual property legal manager, Vallourec, said: The risks arising from counterfeiting are manifold and put the whole sector at stake; EPC contractors, manufacturers and final-customers end up deploying fake tubular products in critical installations such as oil refineries, pipelines, power plants, FPSOs.



Accidents caused by sub-standard counterfeit tubular products can strongly impact the environment and endanger human lives. Fatal incidents have already occurred. All involved stakeholders, from the private and the public sector, have a collective responsibility to take the adequate measures to fight against the traffic and use of counterfeit pipes for the sake of safety, Eiden said.



Andrey Burtsev, commercial director for the Middle East, Africa and Asia markets, Interpipe, said: Our overriding priority is to enhance the level of responsibility of those who choose materials and interact with it after supply and during operation. As a manufacturer, we provide all available preventive and defensive measures.



Firstly, we guarantee a high level of quality attested by international standards and annual audits, develop secured verification of products and support customers with full-cycle service and check of products origin, he said.



Secondly, we advocate company reputation in the legal field. To accomplish this goal during the last year, Interpipe registered its trademark in Saudi Arabia. Introducing such measures is part of our social responsibility, so we call on contractors and consultants to follow a responsible approach as well, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
UAE's Tawazun Economic Council and Boeing have signed an agreement to expand the country's role in the Aerospace industry by enabling advanced materials manufacturing.

The agreement, signed at the Dubai Airshow, is the latest project under an umbrella of manufacturing initiatives enabled by Tawazun Economic Council, said a Wam news agency report.

The fruitful collaboration between Tawazun and Boeing has enabled the creation of an aerospace qualified surface treatment facility, precision aerospace-machined parts manufacture, advanced components for 777 and 787 aircraft and advanced raw material production for the 777X programme. The series of projects is expected to generate approximately $1.5 billion of economic activity including high value exports.

Tawazun is a strategic investment firm focused on the long-term development of Abu Dhabis industrial manufacturing and technology capabilities and knowledge- transfer with a specific focus on the defense sector.

"Historical partnerships with Boeing have yielded a number of significant projects across various sectors in the UAE. This agreement marks the importance and global nature of the aerospace industry," said Matar Ali Al Romaithi, Chief Industrial Officer of the Industrial Development Unit of Tawazun Economic Council.

"Boeing and UAE stakeholders have collaborated since 2009 to advance the countrys aviation industry and capabilities, in support of Abu Dhabis goals to become a global aerospace hub and diversify its economy," said Michael Woodward, Director, International Alliance, Boeing.

The joint cooperation for establishing facilities in the UAE, will contribute significantly to the countrys growing exports, accelerate the technology transfer, create high skilled jobs and enhance the capacity of local industry, the report said.
AccorHotels, a leading travel and lifestyle group, today announced the signing of a management agreement with Al Anwar Holdings, one of Omans leading investment holding companies, for a new Novotel hotel in the sultanate.

Opening in 2020, the 200-room Novotel Muscat Azaiba will be the closest internationally branded midscale hotel to the Oman Exhibition & Convention Centre, which continues to host thousands of delegates at the sultanates most high profile conferences and events.

The agreement follows close on the heels of AccorHotels signing a management agreement with Oman Hotels & Tourism Company to develop Novotel Muscat Al Khuwair.

Commenting on the signing, Olivier Granet, managing director and chief operating officer of AccorHotels Middle East and Africa, said: Our agreement with Al Anwar Holdings marks the beginning of a trusted partnership and the strategic expansion of our signature upper-midscale brand. Novotel has long established itself as a top choice in the regions hospitality scene. With the brands entry into Oman, the Novotel Muscat Azaiba will join over 30 operational and pipeline properties under the brand, making Novotel the largest mid-market brand in the Middle East.

We are confident that with its location, amenities and unique positioning, the Novotel Muscat Azaiba will be considered a top choice for MICE and leisure travellers seeking to sample Omans evolving offer, said Granet.

Massoud Al Harthy, chairman of Al Anwar Holdings, said: As Oman takes great strides in economic diversification, we see a major opportunity to grow our portfolio through a focus in hospitality. The location of Novotel Muscat Azaiba on Sultan Qaboos Road near Omans prestigious international convention centre positions it as a unique offering in the market.

Partnering with AccorHotels was a natural choice for our move into hotel development as we aim to work with a team that has a strong track record and reputation as a leading travel and lifestyle group in the Middle East, concluded Al Harthy.

Located in close proximity to Muscat International Airport, the upcoming Mall of Oman and the districts of Shatti Al Qurum and Al Khuwair, Novotel Muscat Azaiba provides convenient access to key business and leisure destinations in Muscat.

The hotel will also offer 200 modular and spacious rooms for visitors. Guests can take the opportunity to stay in shape and recharge their energy using a fully-equipped gym, The In Balance Spa or the hotels swimming pool. A variety of dining outlets will be on offer, including a lobby lounge and all-day dining restaurant. Adding to the areas MICE offering, Novotel Muscat Azaiba will feature 400 square meters of meeting space for medium to large scale gatherings.

In the Middle East, AccorHotels currently operates more than 100 hotels, encompassing over 31,000 rooms, in addition to almost 90 hotels under development across the luxury to economy segments. The network is expected to double in size, bringing over 50,000 rooms in operation and pipeline to the region.  TradeArabia News Service
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
A gas company seeking to bring hundreds of wells abandoned during the coal bed methane bust back to life is having trouble obtaining landowner approval to access the well sites in northern Wyoming.

Summit Gas Resources was given three months from August to get new surface agreements in place, part of a complex deal made between the firm, the wells bankrupt owner Storm Cat Energy and state regulators, who had lost patience with repeated delays.

The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission approved a grace period at a meeting Tuesday, after the companys lawyer said it hadnt signed any agreements yet.

The newest deal is a complicated one, and the bonding for the state-managed wells is one piece in a broader story about coal bed methane in the state. These particular wells are a portion of the thousands idled in Wyoming after gas prices fell years ago leading to a staggering bust. Larger companies unloaded their coal bed methane wells to small, and sometimes financially weak, companies looking for a deal. Many of those small companies went under and state regulators were forced to account for some 5,000 wells and associated infrastructure left to rust away in the Powder River Basin. Federal land regulators faced similar numbers.

The state commission has plugged fewer than half of its orphaned wells, and part of the value in working with Summit was in keeping as many productive wells as possible off that list.

Storm Cat owed Wyoming more than $10 million in idle well bonding before the sale of its producible wells to Summit in August. Preceding its bankruptcy, the firm had burned federal regulators, local landowners and county governments with unpaid bills.

The agreement

Wyoming will never see that deficit paid, but the sale to Summit offered Wyoming a chance to increase the amount of bonding on the wells, as well as the chance to see a stream of revenue from producing the estimated 42 billion cubic feet of gas left beneath the surface. The deal came with stipulations: In the short term, Summit had to get access to the wells within three months, pay its own $700,000 bonding debt to the state and offer $1.3 million in additional bonding for the producible wells.

A Summit subsidiary, Powder Battalion Holdings, has done two out of three.

The firm now has until May to gain surface access for at least 25 percent of the state-regulated wells, the commission agreed.

If Summits subsidiary, Powder Battalion Holdings, cant meet the quota, the firm will have to put down $1 million in bonding at that time, bringing the company to about half of what it would owe the state for all the idle wells on private land, about $4.6 million, staff told the commission Tuesday.

Full bonding must be in place nine months later. Until then, the commission is technically the owner of the Storm Cat wells until those that can produce gas are released to Summits subsidiary.

The companys plan is to bring idle wells back piecemeal, applying the idle well bonds to whatever wells are in the wings to go into production, then transferring that money to the next round as each group begins producing.

The deal with Summit involves 460 private land wells that can still produce gas. Another 948 from Storm Cats cache are orphaned for Wyoming to plug and reclaim using a fund fed by a tax on operators.

The state of Wyoming, by approving this process, is in a better position, the gas companys lawyer, Tom Throne reminded commissioners who expressed some hesitation.

These wells came before the state commission more than a year ago, when Storm Cat was called to answer for the unpaid bonding as well as failure to report production and failure to do well integrity testing. Campbell County, home to most of the wells, reported unpaid taxes at the time, and landowners said they wanted the state to pull Storm Cats bonds, plug the wells and clean the pits on their property.

The company promised it would have bankruptcy wrapped up in a matter of months, and Storm Cats last standing executive told the commission that he was trying to get the wells sold not for personal gain, but because it was the right thing to do.

The case dragged on until early this year when the commission staff said it was time to pull the bonds.

Instead, the Commission approved the deal thats playing out now.

On Tuesday, Commissioner Mark Doelger noted that Summits plan still faced a challenge: the current natural gas environment. Prices havent risen significantly since coal bed methane fell into decline.

My concern is that the market isnt ready, he said. I just raise that as a concern.
A long-standing dispute between a Casper resident who sued the city and the Casper City Council may have come to an end last week.

Debra Cheatham won her lawsuit on Sept. 7 to obtain information about a private meeting Council held in 2015 to look into whether then-city manager John Patterson had misused public funds.

When she asked for that information after a judge ordered Council to comply with his ruling, Vice-Mayor Ray Pacheco told her at Councils meeting last week that no action was taken at the private meeting.

And what direction or guidance did you give to Mr. Patterson? she pressed.

None, explained Pacheco.

Cheatham argued that the judges ruling found that Council had given guidance or direction to the former city manager, but Councilman Dallas Laird said he was unsure how the judge reached this finding.

Although not entirely satisfied by the Councils response, Cheatham said after the meeting that she most likely will not be pursuing further legal action. It brings to close one of a couple of residual lawsuits from when Patterson was city manager.

I think they decided to dismiss my [initial] complaint, she remarked.

One of the main difficulties with this case was that the city was unable to provide answers because they did not keep minutes during the executive session, she said.

Cheathams suit against the city alleged that Council acted improperly when it privately handled the investigation into whether Patterson misused city labor and equipment to clean Casper Mountain resident Donna Foxs private pond. Fox had complained her pond was damaged after silt drifted into it during work on the city-owned Hogadon ski resort.

The investigation in question was conducted at Cheathams request: The Casper resident appeared before Council in April 2015 and asked members to look into whether Pattersons actions were illegal. Since city officials claimed they were not responsible for the damage to Foxs pond, Cheatham said the city manager should not have authorized the use of city staff and equipment to clean it up.

If Mr. Patterson had said Yes, in fact our work at Hogadon caused damage  I wouldnt be here, she said at the time.

The city issued Cheatham a letter two weeks later stating the investigation was complete. The letter explained that any actions taken by the Council in regard to Patterson would be kept private because the matter was considered a personnel issue.

Natrona County District Court Judge Daniel Forgey ruled in favor of Cheatham and stated that the citys actions violated the Public Meetings Act, according to a transcript of the oral ruling.

The Public Meetings Act required the Council to take any such action in a public meeting, not privately entering executive session, states the transcript. Because that did not happen in this case, whatever action the Council took is, by law, null and void; and any portion of the record of the executive session at issue that reflects what action the Council took should be publicly disclosed.

Cheatham said last week that she has no regrets about the lawsuit because she wanted to make a statement about the importance of government transparency.

Council did look into Cheathams initial complaint against Patterson, said Councilman Bob Hopkins on Thursday.

We looked at what she said, and we didnt do anything, so there was no action to be taken in public, he explained, adding that the actions taken by Patterson were within his prerogative as city manager.
A Natrona County Circuit Court judge ruled Thursday that enough probable cause exists to charge a Cheyenne man with four felonies in relation to a 2015 home invasion robbery.

Tanner K. Davis is facing charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. If convicted on all four counts, he could face up to 100 years in prison.

Davis appeared in court Tuesday but did not speak.

Daviss attorney, Rob Oldham, told Judge Steven Brown that he did not think prosecutors had enough evidence to charge his client with both conspiracy counts.

Brown indicated that he was also unsure both conspiracy charges would hold up in district court.

My radars going off on it, but the standard to bind it over is so low, Brown said before allowing the case to move to the felony-level court.

Casper police Detective Jonathan Peterson testified that Davis was identified by two victims of the crime. Davis later admitted to planning and conducting the robbery with three other men, Peterson said in response to prosecutor Trevor Schenks questioning.

Peterson did not investigate the case but took the stand with his only knowledge of the case coming from an affidavit signed by another detective, he said.

After briefly cross-examining Peterson, an apparently frustrated Oldham ceased his questioning.

I might as well cross-examine a piece of paper, Oldham said.

Davis and the three alleged co-conspirators made off with cell phones, sneakers, a Playstation 4 and marijuana pipes, according to court documents. The documents indicate that the men planned the burglary because they thought the occupants of the home sold marijuana.

The alleged victim told police that he and his two friends had been sleeping when two men burst into his bedroom wielding guns and a hatchet. The mans friends, both under 18 and thus unidentified in the court documents, were sleeping in the living room at the time, according to the documents. The man told police that intruders had threatened to kill him and his family if he went to police.

Although the robbery is alleged to have occurred in July 2015, police were not alerted until January 2016, when an informant told police a group had robbed another man at gunpoint, according to court documents.

One of the alleged victims told police he also did not report the burglary because one intruder told him he would kill the victims family if police were contacted, according to the documents.

Konnor Rollison, of Mills, pleaded not guilty earlier this month to four felonies in a related case.
Three Casper schools had a lockout Thursday morning after police received a report of a person carrying a handgun in the area. No students were injured and the lockout was lifted shortly after.

Casper police received a call from someone that said a person was tailgating them on CY Avenue. The tailgater followed the caller into the parking lot of Roosevelt High School and brandished a handgun, according to the caller.

Officers responded to the area and officials put Roosevelt High School, CY Middle School and Pathways Innovation Center on a lockout. Police described the move as precautionary.

When officers arrived, they determined with the assistance of the Natrona County School District that the person with the suspected handgun was a student at Roosevelt High School.

That student was carrying an air soft BB gun, authorities say.

Police said there were no threats to students, faculty or citizens during the incident.
SHERIDAN  Northern Wyoming Community College officials announced a wave of changes Thursday after Native American students were targeted in at least two racially motivated incidents earlier this fall.

But Lynelle Shakespeare, the mother of one of the victims, said that so far, its all been talk and that her daughter has been declining since someone wrote racial epithets on her dorm room door twice within a week.

Shes thinking about leaving, Shakespeare said of her daughter, Whisper SunRhodes, whos a freshman at Sheridan College. She keeps talking about it. ... She had so much enthusiasm. Its declining.

Meanwhile, the college is planning changes that include requiring keycard access to gain entrance to buildings and the possibility of adding security cameras. Dr. Paul Young, the president of the community college district that includes campuses here and in Gillette, said that Sheridan College would work with the Department of Justice to evaluate and strengthen training for campus police and (the) Crisis Management team.

Other changes include the establishment of a multi-cultural center, increasing funding for campus-wide diversity efforts, further working with tribal leaders on the Wind River and Crow reservations, and holding campus- and community-wide discussions about inclusion.

Young said he wanted to receive feedback from tribal leaders before the college moved forward with its plan. He plans to go to the Wind River Reservation at the end of this month.

Speech that is meant to threaten, intimidate or tell someone, for any reason, that they dont belong here, is not OK and has no place in a college or university, Young said in a press conference announcing the plan. He noted that there have been racist incidents across the country, including anti-Semitic flyers posted on the University of Wyoming campus last week.

Multiple incidents

In late September, Whisper and her roommate, Braylee Armajo, returned to their dorm after a late-evening Walmart trip to find that someone had written praire (sic) n- on a white board outside of their room. The two first-year students, both members of the Northern Arapaho tribe, went to their resident assistant that night, and police and other university officials became involved in the morning.

The two students left their dorm for the rest of the week. Shakespeare drove up to visit her daughter. On the following Monday, as the two roommates prepared to return to class, a second racial epithet was found on their door.

Less than two weeks later, another Native American student  a friend of Braylee and Whisper  had her car windows smashed. Young said it was unknown if the incidents are related.

The incidents sparked a firestorm. Young said he received calls from state legislators and tribal representatives from both coasts. Shakespeare said some of her family wanted to drive to the college and hold a rally. The college held a Native American appreciation day after the second incident was discovered. Braylee and Whisper were briefly escorted to class by a police officer and were eventually permanently moved to a new, suite-style dorm that had a bathroom inside of it.

There are 20 to 40 Native American students at Sheridan College, out of about 2,000 total attendees, Young said. A multi-cultural center  which the campus currently has room for  will give the students a place to fall back and care for each other, he said. A similar approach had worked for veterans on campus, and Young believed it could be successful here.

The changes  if entirely implemented after further consultation with tribal members  are sweeping.

When this happened  I have to confess, you always are worried about the reputation of your school and your brand and all these things, he said after the press conference. Theres always something thats an issue. ... But I got hit so hard from so many directions within 24 hours ... it caused all of us to start doing some digging and some looking and start asking some questions.

There are two camps, he continued. Theres deal with it quickly and get on, and theres try to make systemic change. I have a good team that said, Lets try to fix this.

Standing against racism

Leah Barrett, the vice president for student affairs, said the college needed to create a culture where students and staff had the capacity to stand up to racism.

We need to have Native American symbols, bulletin boards celebrating different cultures, safe-zone stickers on office doors, she said at the press conference, which was attended by members of the colleges board of trustees, other college officials and at least two representatives from Native American tribes.

The college will also strengthen its program for minority and disadvantaged students, program director Joseph Aguirre said.

As the college works to prevent similar incidents from happening again, the fact for Whisper and Braylee is that the events did happen. Shakespeare said her daughters disposition has taken a dramatic turn from the gung-ho student who was loving college life.

Its not there anymore, she said.

When Whisper first moved to Sheridan, Shakespeare was nervous. She didnt want her daughter, who had never left home, to attend the school. She said she just had a bad feeling about it. Go to school in Billings, Montana, she told her.

But Whisper said no. It had to be Sheridan. That enthusiasm is ebbing, and its Shakespeare whos urging Whisper to hang on.

Dont let them win, she said.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  This states story, which lately has been depressing, soon will acquire a riveting new chapter. In 2018 Illinois will have the nations most important, expensive and strange election.

Its importance derives from this fact: Self-government has failed in the nations currently fifth-most populous state (Pennsylvania soon will pass it). Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner will seek re-election with a stark warning: The state is approaching a death spiral  departing people and businesses suppress growth; the legislature responds by raising taxes; the exodus accelerates.

Rauner, whose net worth earned as a private-equity executive is $500 million, give or take, probably will be running against someone six times richer. The race might consume $300 million  maybe more, Rauner says  eclipsing Californias $280 million gubernatorial race in 2010, when that states population was three times larger than Illinois.

The strangeness of the contest between Rauner and the likely Democratic nominee (J.B. Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune) is that Rauners real opponent is a Democrat who has been in the state assembly since Richard Nixons first term (1971) and has been speaker all but two years since Ronald Reagans first term (1983). Michael Madigan from Chicago is the blue model of government incarnate. This model is the iron alliance of the Democratic Party and government workers unions. Madigan supports Pritzker, who is committed to the alliance. This is the state of the state under it:

Unfunded state and local government retirement debt is more than $260 billion and rising. Unfunded pension liabilities for the nations highest-paid government workers (overtime starts at 37.5 hours) are $130 billion and are projected to increase for at least through the next decade. Nearly 25 percent of the states general funds go to retirees (many living in Texas and Florida). Vendors are owed $9.5 billion. Every five minutes the population  down 1.22 million in 16 years  declines as another person, and an average of $30,000 more in taxable income, flees the nations highest combined state and local taxes. Those leaving are earning $19,600 more than those moving in. The work force has shrunk by 97,000 this year. There has not been an honestly balanced budget  a constitutional requirement  since 2001. The latest tax increase, forced by the legislature to end a two-year budget impasse, will raise more than $4 billion, but another $1.7 billion deficit has already appeared.

The one Democrat who did not vote for Madigan for speaker this year says hes since been bullied. Another Democratic legislator  an African-American from Chicagos South Side, a supporter of school choice  broke ranks to give Rauner a victory on legislation requiring arbitration of an impasse with a 30,000-member union. Madigan enlisted Barack Obama to campaign against the heretic, who was purged. These were warnings to judges, who must face retention elections. They  including the one who refused to trigger arbitration by declaring a negotiation impasse  are, Rauner says, part of the machine in this very collectivist state. Thuggishness has been normalized: Because Rauner favors allowing municipalities to pass right-to-work laws that prohibit requiring workers to join a union, Madigans automatons passed a law (Rauners veto stood) stipulating up to a year in jail for local lawmakers who enact them.

In 2018, Rauner will try to enlist voters in the constructive demolition of the blue model. It is based on Madigans docile herd of incumbent legislators, who are entrenched by campaign funds from government unions. Through them government, sitting on both sides of the table, negotiates with itself to expand itself. Term limits for legislators, which a large majority of Illinoisans favor, would dismantle the wall. A 60 percent supermajority of the legislature is required for such a constitutional reform. So, next year voters will be urged to oppose any legislature candidate who will not pledge to vote to put term limits on the ballot. And all candidates will be asked how often they have voted for Madigan for speaker  he has a 26 percent approval rating  and to pledge not to sin again.

I love a fight, says an ebullient Rauner, whose rhetoric cannot get much more pugnacious. He calls Madigan the worst elected official in the country and Madigans machine evil. The nation has a huge stake in this brawl because the blue model is bankrupting cities and states from Connecticut to California, so its demolition here, where it has done the most damage, would be a wondrous story enhancing the nations glory.
MESA  As trade between the U.S, Mexico and Canada is debated in Mexico City as part of NAFTA negotiations, one Arizona city is working on a long-term, million-dollar project that would potentially increase direct trade with Mexico.

The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Board will vote Tuesday, Nov. 21, on a master development agreement with the company Mesa Skybridge for an infrastructure project at the airport.

The project, otherwise known as the Unified Cargo Processing Program and recently created by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, if approved, would include a program to facilitate cargo processing for Mexico by bringing Mexican customs officials to the airport.

It has the potential to be the most significant source of commerce between Mesa and Mexico, Mesa Mayor John Giles said.

Giles added that the premise of the project is to build an e-commerce distribution center at the airport and seize the opportunities of a growing industry in Mexico.

Last year, e-commerce produced around $17.63 billion in Mexico, according to a report by the Mexican Internet Association. According to the same report, two out of three Mexican online buyers shopped from international retailers in 2016, and the No. 1 market was the U.S.

The consumers in Mexico would receive the same delivery schedules that consumers in the U.S. have, Giles said.

If the project is approved, Mesa Skybridge would move forward with the application to bring the Unified Cargo Processing Program to the airport, according to Ryan Smith, the airports director of communications and government relations.

Specifically in terms of NAFTA, Mexican officials have recognized the 23-year-old agreement needs to be updated to consider new business transactions such as e-commerce, but the three involved countries could not come to an agreement during the previous rounds when the U.S. suggested it wanted to raise the current dollar limit of products that can be exported with no tariffs.

All of the mayors of cities in Arizona and the governor, were all very concerned about the NAFTA negotiations because trade with Mexico is very important to every city in Arizona, Giles said.

This opportunity for e-commerce is just the latest example of why our relationship with Mexico is important for Arizona, he added.

Just last year, census data show exports to Mexico reached $8.3 billion, while imports accounted for $7.4 billion. According to a report by the Atlantic Council, 37 percent of Arizonas total international trade is with Mexico.

The fifth round of NAFTA talks began Wednesday in Mexico City. Negotiators are expected to continue to discuss topics that are already on the table.
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The Pascua Yaqui Tribe plans to build a 150-room hotel, a recreational vehicle site and an enlarged convention space at its Casino del Sol Resort, Spa and Conference Center.

The $130 million casino resort, which opened in 2011, is at 5655 W. Valencia Road. It already has a hotel with 215 rooms.

"We have been really fortunate within the last few years at Casino del Sol with our occupancy rates in the upper 90 percent every week," said Kimberly Van Amburg, chief executive officer of Casino del Sol.

The tribe also plans to build an 11,000-square foot event center next to its other Tucson gaming enterprise, Casino of the Sun at 7406 S. Camino de Oeste, said Van Amburg.

Construction on the new projects is expected to begin in late summer or early fall of 2018.

Tribal Chairman Robert Valencia said the "tribe is honored to have the opportunity to build new accommodations and meeting spaces for guests who visit our properties."

"These additions will create more jobs and will positively impact our tribe, its members and Southern Arizona," said Valencia.

The project cost is being withheld because of the bidding process among contractors at this time, Van Amburg said. It is expected to be released in December.
PHOENIX  Gov. Doug Ducey said Thursday his experience is that women who speak out about being sexually harassed are generally telling the truth.

But the governor declined to call for Rep. Don Shooter to resign, saying the investigation of chargesagainst the Yuma Republican should be allowed to play out.

Theres no place for sexual harassment at the state Capitol or in the private sector, Ducey said when asked about the multiple allegations made against Shooter. He called the complaints serious.

Ducey said he dealt with these kind of allegations before he was governor, when he was chief executive of Cold Stone Creamery.

My experience has been when women come forward with allegations like this, there is truth there, he said. He said he always dealt with them seriously and urgently.

Sometimes its resulted in a termination, he said. Sometimes in resulted in discipline. Sometimes its resulted in retraining.

But the governor, while saying he believes allegations being made against Shooter  acknowledging that the number of complaints is now up to nine explained he was not prepared to say the lawmaker should quit.

Because I am going to allow the investigation to take place, he responded to questions.

Ducey said he has not talked with Shooter, with whom he has worked before on the state budget, since the allegations became public.

Shooter wont be working on the budget for the coming fiscal year, at this point.

On Thursday, House Speaker J.D. Mesnard named Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, to chair the House Appropriations Committee, replacing Shooter. who was removed from the panel by the speaker late last week as the complaints from lawmakers, lobbyists and others began to pile up.Livingston had been vice chairman of the committee, which is charged wit helping to craft the state spending plan. Rep. Vince Leach, R-Tucson, will take the No. 2 spot on the panel.

In the meantime, a special task force of seven House staffers is looking into the Shooter allegations, with the help of an outside law firm.

Mesnard has said he hopes to have the issue wrapped up before lawmakers return to the Capitol the second week of January. But that could depend on what the task force finds.

Any conclusions there is evidence that Shooter is guilty of disorderly behavior would result in hearings before the House Ethics Committee. It would be up to that panel to recommend to the full House whether to take action against the 65-year-old legislator, with expulsion the ultimate punishment.
PHOENIX  A voter advocacy group, a union and Democratic lawmakers are asking a judge to void a new Arizona law expanding the ability of some groups to make anonymous dark money contributions to political campaigns.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Maricopa County Superior Court contends the Republican-controlled Legislature acted illegally earlier this year in exempting some organizations from laws requiring them to register before they can spend money to influence elections. That means they may avoid disclosing to voters who provided the cash in the first place.

Attorney Jim Barton filed suit for the Arizona Advocacy Network, the Brickworkers and Allied Crafterworkers Union Local 3 and more than two dozen Democratic lawmakers. He said there are other legal flaws in the law.

One, he said, is that the exemption lawmakers provided to certain nonprofit organizations applies only to those also registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission. But Barton said the legislation denies the same privilege to unions which, while organized as nonprofits, do not register with the commission.

Potentially the most sweeping contention is that lawmakers violated a constitutional provision requiring the Legislature to have laws to tell the public about all contributions to, and expenditures of, campaign committees and candidates for public office.

Barton said the new state law, known as SB 1516, allows nonprofits and similar entities to make unlimited contributions to political parties. Then the parties can spend unlimited amounts of money on behalf of their nominees.

Since the reporting of these particular contributions are not required, then built-in disclosure safeguards (required by the Arizona Constitution) are broken, Barton wrote.

A spokesman for the Secretary of States Office, which enforces the campaign finance laws, said the lawsuit is being studied.

The new law, pushed through largely along party-line votes, was a major overhaul of campaign finance laws.

It allows individuals to spend unlimited amounts of money to help raise funds for candidates they support without having to disclose it to the public.

Another provision scraps the $100 cap on what people can spend on tickets, food and liquor for fundraisers for candidates without having to disclose the source of those dollars.

Most significant, it eliminates laws that require groups spending money to influence elections to register first with the state. These same groups also can refuse to disclose donors to the public if they are registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a social welfare organization.

The laws prime architect was Rep. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, who is now speaker of the Arizona House.

I think transparency is a good principle, he said during debate at the time. But it is not the overarching principle.

He cited a 1950s case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state of Alabama could not force the NAACP to disclose its members in order to do business in the state because it could lead to harassment of those members. Mesnard said donors to dark money groups are entitled to the same protection, suggesting the government could go after those whose views it does not like.

We have a right to speech, which our money is speech, Mesnard said. We have a right to privacy in those associations.
You might think Brad Lancaster is pulling your leg when he tells you hes a neighborhood forester in the cactus-studded desert city of Tucson.

Not at all.

Lancaster and about a dozen other residents of the Dunbar/Spring neighborhood near downtown are dead serious about their work as volunteer neighborhood foresters  dedicated to planting and maintaining native trees along the streets and properties where they live.

Its all about planting trees and caring for trees, said Lancaster, an author and presenter on topics ranging from trees to rainwater harvesting. The effect were going for is to have shaded streets and shaded walkways.

He and others who take part in forestry activities in the neighborhood will lead a tree planting event beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18. The public is welcome.

TWO DECADES OF PLANTING

Lancaster organized the first of what has become an annual tree-planting event in 1996.

At that time, a lot of rights-of-ways were sterile, barren places, he said. The streetscape wasnt a very inviting place. We wanted to reclaim that dead space.

Since then, volunteers, who call themselves urban neighborhood foresters, have transformed the Dunbar/Spring area into a vibrant, green landscape  planting more than 1,500 native trees such as velvet mesquites, desert ironwoods, foothills palo verdes and canyon hackberries.

The neighborhood, with about 1,300 households, is bordered by Stone Avenue on the east, Speedway on the north, railroad tracks on the west and Sixth Street on the south.

In addition to plantings along rights of ways, we help people select and plant trees for their private properties, Lancaster said. We emphasize trees that will shade their homes from the morning or afternoon sun.

Were literally bringing the Sonoran Desert right to where we live, work and play, said Lancaster, 50.

Residents pay for trees that are planted on their properties or along rights of way next to their properties. Prices are kept reasonable by purchasing from Trees for Tucson or a neighborhood nursery, Lancaster said.

Were creating a green infrastructure, a living infrastructure, Lancaster said this week as he walked the neighborhood, stopping here and there to prune trees that had overgrown walkways. The trees create living air conditioning, living flood control, living air and water filters and living beauty. They also contribute to traffic calming by growing close to streets and encouraging slower driving.

He added that  possibly as a result of the greener environment  he and other residents are seeing more wildlife in the neighborhood, including coyotes, javelinas, hawks and roadrunners.

Katie Gannon, program director for Trees for Tucson and an arborist, had high praise for the foresters.

They are a committed group of neighborhood volunteers who are passionate about planting and taking care of trees, Gannon said. Its a tremendous benefit to our community.

She said the neighborhood is a showplace for the value of trees.

Trees supply so many benefits you can see working there, Gannon said. They attract wildlife, help calm traffic, and they also cool the neighborhood down.

PLANT THE RAIN

A key rallying cry for the foresters and others in the neighborhood is Plant the rain!

Lancaster, author of two volumes of a book called Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, said planting the rain entails creating low-lying catchments where rainwater runoff from neighborhood streets seeps into the soil instead of flowing away.

He said he and other residents worked with the city of Tucson to get legal approval for curb cuts  sections of street curbs that are cut out to allow rain runoff to flow into the collection catchments.

We dont plant any plant until we first plant the rainwater, he said.

Were taking storm runoff from the streets and turning it into a resource  providing water for trees and other plants. Its planting the water into a living sponge of organic matter.

Were banking the water deep into the soil so we can get through dry times.

FORESTER TRAINING

The neighborhood foresters of Dunbar/Spring provide training for aspiring foresters from their neighborhood and other areas.

Those seeking to become foresters are trained and tested on plant identification and taught skills such as pruning, Lancaster said.

They also identify and eat at least three native plant food species such as trees with edible flowers and beans, he said.

A section of the neighborhoods website  tinyurl.com/dunbarforester  provides detailed information on training requirements.
WASHINGTON  A report reveals for the first time a very real drop in new enrollment by international students in U.S. colleges and universities in 2016-2017.

New enrollment for international students for the current academic year was about 290,000, lower than the past two years, and the first drop in at least the past 10 years.

Despite the decline in new enrollments, however, overall enrollment inched up last year to reach a new high of 1.08 million international students in the U.S., an increase of about 3.3 percent from the prior year.

That trend was echoed in Arizona. The states three public universities saw an increase of 387 international students last year  to 19,382 students  a 2 percent growth rate that was down sharply from double-digit percentage growth in recent years, according to numbers provided by the Institute of International Education.

Numbers of new enrollees in Arizona schools were not immediately available.

The annual Open Doors report by the IIE has shown enrollment growth of 7 to 10 percent nationally every year since at least 2000, but the latest report said the number of new students fell 3 percent last year from the year before.

Experts said the general flattening of foreign enrollment could be the result of a number of factors, including higher costs for education, greater competition from schools in other countries and concern about how welcoming the U.S. might be to foreigners after last years presidential campaign.

Many institutions are working very hard to reassure students looking to come to the U.S. that they continue to be welcome, said Rajika Bhandari, director at the Institute of International Education. They have worked to encourage open and honest discussions about student concerns, she said last week, and to better alert students to changes in U.S. policies.

Despite those concerns, the U.S. is still far and away the largest host of foreign students in the world, with the 1.08 million enrolled here more than twice the number in the next-closest country, the United Kingdom.

The U.S. still holds the largest number of international students in the world, Bhandari said.

ASUs Tempe campus had the largest contingent of international students among public universities in the nation, with its 13,164 foreign students trailing only New York University, University of Southern California, Columbia University and Northeastern University, all private schools.

ASU, truly a global university, has had a nearly 200 percent increase in international enrollment in the last 10 years, university spokesman Bret Hovell said in an email Friday.

International students at the University of Arizona were down from 4,956 to 4,881 last year, according to data from IIE, while Northern Arizona University saw its numbers rise from 1,278 to 1,337.

Bhandari said its too early to tell if last years drop in new enrollments is the beginning of a trend, but she said colleges and universities are taking it seriously.

Institutions are really ramping up their outreach to prospective students from abroad, who Bhandari said now have many options to choose from. The rising cost of American higher education is also helping Britain, China, Australia and Canada become key host countries in the growing competition to attract international students.

Besides having a direct economic impact, international students also feed a global competition by businesses for talent, IIE President and CEO Allan E. Goodman said in an e-mailed statement.

Countries and multinational employers around the world are competing to attract top talent, Goodman said. As more countries become active hosts of international students and implement national strategies to attract them, the competition for top global talent in higher education and the workforce will only intensify.

But the direct economic impact can be sizable.

Overall, international students contribute significantly to the U.S. economy, Bhandari said. States that host the largest amounts of international students see a very clear economic impact.

NAFSA, an association for international education, claims that for every seven international students enrolled, three U.S. jobs are created and supported through spending on higher education, accommodation, dining, retail, transportation, telecommunications and health insurance.
PHOENIX  A nonprofit funded at least in part by the Koch brothers is financing a six-figure TV campaign designed to educate Arizonans about school choice.

But campaign spokesman Brian Faughnan said it isnt designed to sway votes on a measure on next years ballot over the future of universal vouchers.

A commercial already up and running features what are billed as Arizona moms talking to the camera about the various options available, including traditional public schools, charter schools, private education as well as home schooling. In each case, the women say what makes that possible is education choice.

Faughnan said the campaign is specific to Arizona,  at this point confined to the Phoenix TV market  saying the idea is to inform residents about the options available to them and the virtues of school choice policies or education freedom policies.

One of those choices in Arizona is vouchers of state dollars parents can use to send their children to private or parochial schools. Originally approved as an option for students with special needs, proponents have convinced lawmakers to expand eligibility to where it now includes foster children, reservation residents and children attending schools rated D or F.

But there is a cap on enrollment of about 5,500; currently about 3,500 students get vouchers, which are formally known as empowerment scholarship accounts.

Earlier this year the Legislature voted narrowly to remove all conditions. But as a compromise to get the necessary votes, supporters had to agree to a cap of about 30,000 by 2023.

Foes of the expansion gathered more than enough signatures to put the expansion on hold until voters can get a chance to ratify or reject the change. That measure will be on the ballot next November unless voucher supporters win a pending lawsuit to disqualify many of the signatures.

Faughnan said the money the Libre Initiative is spending now on the campaign and will spend in the future is not designed to sway voters.

This is not about the ballot initiative or the ESA law in the state, he told Capitol Media Services, citing the organizations status as a 501(c)(3) charity under the Internal Revenue Code. This is about educational freedom more generally.

But while the IRS prohibits such groups from supporting or opposing candidates, they are entitled to engage in issue advocacy. And that includes not only lobbying but also seeking to influence the outcome of a ballot measure, though an IRS publication says it may not be more than insubstantial activity.

Still, Faughnan acknowledged the TV campaign  he would not provide the budget other than to say it is six figures  comes ahead of what promises to be a high-profile fight over the future of vouchers.

Were aware that there is an initiative coming up, naturally, he said. But Faughnan said the group is not new to Arizona and has been active here for several years.

As to the source of those funds, Faughnan said there are a lot of different donors.

Were blessed with many supporters that choose to promote prosperity for Hispanics and others through our organization, he said. And were fortunate enough to receive donations from Charles and David Koch and many others.

Dawn Penich-Thacker, spokeswoman for Save Our Schools Arizona, the group that organized the referendum drive, said that theres nothing wrong with whats in the commercial or educating parents on various school options. But Penich-Thacker said she believes theres another agenda at work.

Why are they advertising that now? she said of the timing. And Penich-Thacker said the Libre Initiative and its benefactors have a financial trail.

Are they pouring millions of dollars into supporting public schools in Arizona, or are they pouring millions of dollars into supporting the voucher system? she said.

On its face, its totally innocuous, Penich-Thacker continued. But when you ask them what theyre not investing in, then I think their actual intentions are clear.

This isnt the Koch brothers first foray into the issue. They already are fighting the referendum in other ways.

Americans for Prosperity, another Koch-funded organization, has retained attorney Kory Langhofer in the bid to keep the measure off the 2018 ballot.

A hearing on the challenge is set for next month in Maricopa County Superior Court.
For some time, Ive suspected that Rep. Martha McSally is angling for an endorsement from President Trump as she considers jumping into the U.S. Senate race  maybe even as a condition for running.

That would give her a big advantage over the top GOP candidate in the race now, Kelli Ward, who is a devoted fan of the president and was endorsed by former Trump strategist Steve Bannon.

I cant say Ive confirmed this is what McSally is doing, but on Thursday, she offered one more piece of evidence for the theory. McSallys Twitter account put out a picture of her with Trump, each with an arm around the other, each giving a thumbs up.

McSallys text said: Great meeting with President @realDonaldTrump this a.m. to discuss our tax cuts that will bring relief to hard-working American families!

This was the fourth tweet naming the president that McSally has posted since Nov. 8; her entire Twitter history shows only one Tweet naming Trump before that.

On Nov. 8, a day I think we may look back on as the day McSally actually began running for Senate, she posted a picture of herself with the presidents older daughter. The text of the tweet said, Discussing our plan to cut taxes, create jobs & deliver relief to American families w/@IvankaTrump. Lets get it to @realDonaldTrumps desk.

It may seem counterintuitive that McSally, who never endorsed Trump or even said she voted for him, might have a hope for his endorsement. But you should consider his affinity for military officers  think of all the generals he has appointed  and the stories shes told of impressing Trump with her experience as a fighter pilot.

Also, consider recent history in another contested GOP primary race. In Alabama, Trump endorsed the establishment-allied incumbent Republican, Luther Strange, while Bannon endorsed challenger Roy Moore.

Moore, of course, won the primary, and Trump quickly expressed a sort of regret for endorsing Strange. But look whats happened to Moore since the Washington Post published allegations of sexual misconduct by him with a 14-year-old girl. Moore has gone from a favorite to someone who may actually hand an Alabama U.S. Senate seat to a Democrat.

The lesson for Trump: Bannon may be wrong sometimes, and the establishment may be right. Thats especially the case when the establishment candidate is a retired military officer.

Lets put it this way: If McSally is not running for Senate, these tweets and this sudden turn toward embracing Trump will likely foreclose a re-election victory in Congressional District 2. In 2016, that district, which includes much of Tucson and Southeastern Arizona, voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton for president by about 5 percent while also re-electing the Republican McSally handily.

Whether she wins Trumps endorsement or not, McSally probably cant turn back now.

OHalleran office oops

If you were to throw a dart at a map of Arizona, theres about a 50 percent chance it would land in Congressional District 1. Its that big, stretching from Sedona across Northern Arizona, down Eastern Arizona and ending on the northwest side of the Tucson metro area.

Rep. Tom OHalleran represents that district, but his dart hit just outside its boundaries.

The Arizona Republic reported Thursday that OHallerans Tucson-area office, at 3037 W. Ina Road, is outside his district by about a half a mile.

Believe it or not, having an office in another district violates the rules of the House of Representatives, but McSally, in whose district OHallerans office sits, sent a letter saying the location is OK with her.

OHalleran, a Democrat, told the Republic he had looked for office space in Oro Valley, but it was too expensive, so he settled on the Ina Road location, not realizing it is outside his district boundaries.

Bannon protesters implored not to disrupt banquet

Online posts prompted the organizers of Saturday nights Brian Terry Foundation banquet to ask protesters not to disrupt the event.

The foundation has a banquet every year to raise money to support the families of wounded and deceased Border Patrol agents.

This year, as I discussed in Wednesdays column, the featured speaker is Steve Bannon, the Breitbart executive and former strategist for Trump.

While its not surprising demonstrators want to show their displeasure at Bannons presence, enough people have talked online about buying tickets and disrupting the event to worry the foundation.

Terry, a Tucson Sector Border Patrol agent, was killed on duty in 2010.

His sister, Kelly Terry-Willis, said in a press release:

While I respect someones right to demonstrate, I am pleading with potential protesters. Dont dishonor my brothers memory. No matter what your political persuasion, I think we can all agree that when people from both sides of the political aisle come together to support fallen Border Patrol agents, thats something worthy of praise, not protest.

In truth, it would also be counterproductive for the demonstrators. Most of the country will see them as intolerant jerks if they disrupt the event, rather than protesting outside.

Add 2 more Republicans

to possible CD2 field

If Martha McSally chooses not to run for re-election, at least two additional Republicans, beyond the handful Ive mentioned previously in this column, could run for her seat.

One, the Yellow Sheet reported this week, is former legislator Ted Vogt.

He was appointed to represent the old Legislative District 30 in 2010, when Frank Antenori vacated the seat to become a state senator, won re-election once, and was defeated for re-election in the new LD 10 in 2012.

Vogt is executive director of the Arizona Corporation Commission now, and has previously served as director of the states Departent of Veteran Services.

Another is Douglas City Council member Danny DJ Morales. A reserve Cochise County Sheriffs Department deputy and Naval Reserve officer, Morales told the Douglas Dispatch his priorities would includebinational trade, border security, national security and education.
A fugitive wanted in the slaying of his ex-girlfriend was captured Wednesday on Tucson's north side by federal marshals and police.

Mario Jesus Dorame, 43, was found shortly before 7 p.m. near East Grant and North Swan roads, and was arrested on a first-degree murder warrant, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

He was booked into the Pima County jail, and is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond.

The warrant was obtained by Tucson police homicide detectives after they discovered Maria Dolores Escobedo's body on Oct. 1 inside Dorame's house in the 5500 block of South Tyndall Avenue.

A search warrant return states that detectives seized knives and scissors from Dorame's home, along with shoes, undergarments and a bath towel.

"We are experiencing a lot of emotions right now," said Escobedo's brother, Jose Tellez, in an interview Thursday night regarding Dorame's arrest. "The toll is emotional and physical," said Tellez, a captain with the Tohono O'odham Nation Fire Department in the San Xavier District.

"I am relieved he is off the streets. But, we are still grieving. We feel a lot of sadness and anger," said Tellez of his sister's slaying.

During a news conference organized by Homicide Survivors last month at the downtown Joel D. Valdez Main Library, members of Escobedo's family said they could not explain how or why Escobedo, 52, had a relationship with Dorame.

Escobedo's relatives shared details of her life and what made her special. At a young age, Escobedo, with a maternal instinct, helped care for her younger siblings while her parents and brothers worked in Marana's agricultural fields.

Jessica Escobedo, 31, said her mother "was taken from us too soon." She said she was proud of her mother's community work, including being named Woman of the Year in 2003 by the Marana Chamber of Commerce for her work at the town's food bank.
PHOENIX  The state's high court this morning upheld the legality of an assessment on hospitals that helps pay for health care for 400,000 Arizonans.

In a unanimous decision, the justices rejected arguments by the attorney for some Republican lawmakers that the levy, approved by the Legislature in 2013, was illegally enacted.

They argued that it really was a tax, making it subject to constitutional requirements for a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. The measure passed with a simple majority.

But Chief Justice Scott Bales, writing for the court, said there is an exception to that requirement for assessments that are approved not by lawmakers but instead by a state agency. And that, he said, is the case with the $290 million being raised here.

The justices also rejected arguments that the the two-thirds vote requirement should apply because the Legislature authorized the director of the state's Medicaid program to impose the assessment in the first place.

At the heart of the fight has been then 2013 decision by then-Gov. Jan Brewer to take advantage of a provision of the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid coverage.

It provided for the federal government to pick up most of the costs for expanding healthcare coverage to those earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, currently about $28,180 for a family of three. Before expansion, the program covered only those below the poverty line, or $20,420 at current levels for the same size family.

But to get those funds, the state first had to restore coverage for childless adults. Enrollment for them had been frozen years earlier in a budget-savings maneuver.

To cover that cost and other state expenses, Brewer proposed giving Tom Betlach, director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state's Medicaid program, authority to impose a charge on hospitals.

The plan was adopted by a simple majority of the House and Senate, with the Republican governor cobbling together a coalition of Democrats and some members of her own party to vote for it.

Hospitals did not object because Betlach crafted the levy so that every hospital chain actually would make money from the deal: More patients with government-provided insurance coverage means fewer bills written off as bad debt because of a person's inability to pay.

But the lawmakers who voted against expansion sued, contending the levy was illegally enacted. Christina Sandefur, attorney for the Goldwater Institute, who represented them, argued that a 1992 voter-approved state constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds vote for such increases, even if the hospitals themselves -- the people paying it -- did not object.
Welcome to The Point Being podcast for the week of Nov. 17

The Star's editorial team (sans Fitz this week) talks about what to do now that Prop. 204 is dead, harassers and creeps, letters to the editor and the UA refusing to share information.

Listen and check out the show notes below.

0:54 - Last Sunday's editorial and what to do now that Prop. 204 has been defeated by the voters.

19:20 - A letter writer chimes in with an interesting take on Lincoln, Trump and Russia.

21:56 - Letter writer Pat Moran is grateful to have her son back from Afghanistan.

24:15 - This Sunday's editorial concerns the University of Arizona being unwilling to share with the Star what it's doing to train student athletes in sexual violence prevention.

28:35 - Our groovy recommendations for the week:

Luis was raised by television so it's no wonder he likes the Raised by TV podcast hosted by Lauren Lapkus and Jon Gabrus.

Sarah is listening to Vice President Joe Biden read his book "Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose."
TANGIER, Morocco  As current and former presidents, ministers and members of various government administrations from all over the world gathered here last week for an annual conference near Africas northernmost point, attendees repeatedly circled back to one individual in their comments and questions: U.S. President Trump.

While speaking on a panel alongside a former longtime State Department official, I said that Trump believes hes in the drivers seat, but someone else is controlling the gas pedal, and yet another guy is pumping the breaks  and those guys represent the unelected Washington bureaucracy.

I was stunned and saddened by how many of the young Moroccans in the audience nodded in agreement. Im not sure if the Washington establishment understands what it conveys to citizens of monarchies such as Morocco, or to people in other countries ruled by leaders with absolute power, when it undermines a president who was chosen by the American people. The message is that American democracy isnt much different than a monarchy or a dictatorship, since theres an unelected bureaucracy capable of undermining the peoples chosen representative and thus ignoring the will of the people.

Of course, every president faces partisan opposition. Thats how democracy works. Trump, on the other hand, has faced a nonstop onslaught of obstruction from every angle, most problematically from within the institutions of government tasked with carrying out his agenda on behalf of those who elected him.

The former State Department official hit the double whammy, saying that Trump lacks a stable base of support despite having won the election, and claiming electoral interference by the Russian bogeyman. I replied that the constant whining about Russia is just an attempt to delegitimize Trumps presidency, and that he still won the election regardless of how the establishment feels about the strength of his base.

Another American panelist expressed the desire to see America engaged everywhere in the world, since the U.S. appears to be ceding ground to Russia and China in the Middle East. He lamented that Trump was taking America in a more isolationist direction.

First off, why should we be concerned that Russia and China would be more engaged in the Middle East than America is? Thats their neighborhood: Asia. If Chinese and Russian officials expressed concern that the U.S. was more politically engaged in Canada than they were, wouldnt we be indignant that they would question American involvement in North American affairs?

Yes, its possible for America to stay engaged in the world in a way thats welcome. Unfortunately for the establishment, such a way would largely exclude them. If members of the establishment want to make themselves useful, how about lifting some politically motivated sanctions and not filtering every solution through a purely political prism?

America is the birthplace of capitalism and is full of capitalists capable of being its best global ambassadors. Im not talking about the corporate welfare recipients on Wall Street, but rather the self-made entrepreneurs, who could venture across the globe in the interests of improving the American economy, relations with other countries and their own bottom line. But instead, these American businesspeople are hamstrung by politically motivated sanctions against the very countries with which America could stand to have more engagement in the interests of detente.

One could argue that the establishment is taking a protectionist stance in order to justify its own existence, rather than ceding some of the diplomacy and engagement to American businesspeople.

Theres no doubt that Trumps foreign policy strategy has strayed from the path favored by his predecessors. As Saudi Arabia and Iran vie for regional supremacy, Trump seems content to let them sort it out for themselves rather than jump into the fray. Likewise, he terminated the CIAs covert rebel train-and-equip operations in Syria, allowing Russian, Syrian and American-allied forces to get on with the business of exterminating the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.

Trumps actions suggest an attempt to take power away from unelected establishment elites who previously had been permitted to pratfall around the world, implementing policies as they saw fit rather than carrying out the plan of a president elected by the citizens of America.
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter

Support TwoCircles



New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia students on Friday, November 17, held a sit-in protest against the invitation extended by the University authorities to J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to inaugurate the J&K hostel.

The students holding placards held a sit-in protest against the CM and Home Minister in front of the central canteen.

The students said they believed that that conferring of this honour and magnanimity to J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti and Rajnath Singh is a scurrilous attack on the integrity and culture of the University.

They said that their conscience does not allow them to welcome Rajnath Singh and Mehbooba Muftia person who purports to be a representative of the people of J&K but whose consistent effort has been that the people should change their aspirations and succumb to the demands of the Indian state.

For the last seventy years, the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir has been a blot on the democracy in India. Successive Indian governments have committed mistakes in their quest to control a territory where people have for all these years expressed their desire, through various means possible, to break free from the idea of India and imagine a future of their ownbut the people of J&K have had to bear the heavy costs of these mistakes, the students said.

The statement issued by the students said that in order to further their control over the territory, India has used all means at its disposaldivide and rule, massive propaganda campaigns within J&K to confuse and mislead the people, equally humongous disinformation campaigns against J&Ks struggle for self-determination in India and abroad, trying to buy the populace with promises of economic prosperity, demographic changes and, when all else failed, a brutal, bloody counter-insurgency programme against the people to try and make the costs of defiance prohibitive. Installing puppet local governments through the flimsy charade of elections has been one of the foremost tools of Indias rule in J&K. Mehbooba Mufti is the latest addition to a long list of rulers in J&K who help India to control Kashmir against the will of Kashmiris, the statement added.

But in their heart of hearts, the people and government of India know that the struggle in Kashmir is a just one. For this reason (and perhaps because it haunts their conscience), those opposed to Kashmirs freedom in India try to raise myriad spectres, from the of lack of coherence in the political narratives in J&K, the internal divisions within the state, cross-border interference from Pakistan, to the forced migration of Kashmiri Pandits. Yet such arguments only end up making the case for self-determination stronger. No people can be denied freedom citing the absurd reason that they do not understand what it means; nor is it prudent to suggest that an entire societychildren, adults and senior citizenscan be brainwashed by an external power. Only a free people can be held accountable for their actions, which is not possible as long as Kashmiris continue to be denied the right to self-determination, the statement reads.

By refusing to recognise the unalienable right of Kashmiris to decide their own future, the statement said, India has only managed to lose its own moral compass. Politics based on the principle of might right ultimately come home to roost, it added.

Importantly, the Jamia authorities had invited Home Minister Rajnath Singh and J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti to inaugurate the newly constructed J&K Hostel for girls at the varsity on Saturday, November 18, 2017, but the university officials informed on Friday that inauguration of the hostel has been postponed due to some administrative exigencies.
The allegations of sexual assault and misconduct by 16 women against US President Donald Trump have resurfaced recently, as he has been criticised for what some perceive as hypocritical criticisms against Democratic Senator Al Franken, who has been accused of sexual assault and misconduct himself by multiple women, including one who claims that Franken groped and kissed her without her consent backstage at a USO show.

Trump is right to criticise Franken for these actions, but it is not right to ignore the fact that he has done this to women himself and pretty much absolve himself of that because being a star makes it okay for him to grab womens genitalia.

It is also wrong of him to openly condemn Franken, but say nothing about Republican Chief Justice Roy Moore, who has allegedly sexually assaulted a number of girls under the age of 16, with one girl claiming that he came onto her sexually when she was 14 and he was 32.

Trump is fine with that, because Moore is a Republican. The only thing hes said about Moore is that hes behind him, meaning he doesnt mind the fact that he is a paedophilic rapist. Franken, however, who non-consensually kissed and groped a handful of adult women, has been condemned by the President. This suggests a double standard, like Trump doesnt really mind any kind of sexual abuse (since hes done plenty of it himself)  hes simply using it as an excuse to slam a Democrat.

Condemning Franken was the first time Trump addressed sexual misconduct

Trumps comments that condemned Al Franken for the allegations against him were the first time that he has at all addressed any of the recent sexual misconduct allegations. There have been allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, comedian Louis CK, filmmaker James Toback, Jeffrey Tambor, Charlie Sheen, Steven Seagal, Sylvester Stallone, Ben Affleck, ex-President George HW Bush, animator Chris Savino, Amazon Studios boss Roy Price, celebrity chef John Besh, journalist Mark Halperin, NPR editor Michael Oreskes, Vox.com boss Lockhart Steele, half of the ministers in Westminster, and of course, Roy Moore and Al Franken.

Franken has served two terms in the Senate and has publicly apologised for his sexual misconduct against model Leeann Tweeden, who said that Frankens actions against her at a USO show in the Middle East made her feel disgusted and violated. Trump commented on the picture of Franken where it looks as though he is groping Tweeden while shes asleep.

Trumps tweet in response to the Franken allegations refer to the Senator as Al Frankenstien [sic] (misspelling the title of Mary Shelleys seminal gothic horror novel Frankenstein). He said that the photograph is really bad and speaks a thousand words. Trump also rhetorically asked, Where do his hands go [in the other five pictures] while she sleeps?

Trumps hypocrisy here really takes the cake

However, since 16 women have accused Trump himself of similar inappropriate sexual behaviour. Trump condemned Franken for last week condemning sexual misconduct and disrespect against women when it is now revealed that hes been doing it himself. But the President is still condemning people for it now, over a year after his own assaults and misconduct and inappropriate behaviour came flooding out in a series of allegations.

Theres always hypocrisy in politics, but this really, really takes the cake.

Plus, Trump is not condemning the actions of Roy Moore, because hes a Republican. The President is happy to called Al Franken a monster for groping a sleeping woman, but he wont say a single bad word about Roy Moore, the man who rapes 14-year-old girls. He keeps bending around the matter, saying, Alabama should take the decision of whether or not Moore can keep his seat. Its ridiculous.
Another day and another controversy over the infamous president has seen animal rights activists and animal-loving celebrities such as Ricky Gervais and Chelsea Clinton calling trump out for his latest repeal.

As of Friday, Barack Obamas 2014 ban will no longer be in effect and legally hunted elephant parts will be allowed to be imported from Zambia and Zimbabwe.

African Elephants are on the US endangered species list, but the law will permit parts of the animal to be imported if the profit will, in fact, be of benefit to that specie's conservation.

Many, like the Elephant Project, have advised this repeal of the law will encourage further poaching of the endangered elephants.

Ricky Gervais has pinned the tweet he has aimed at Trump on his account and says that it is a blow to the survival of the species.

The fact that Trump has lifted President Obama's ban on elephant trophies being imported into the country is a devastating blow to the survival of these beautiful animals. It's savage and pointless. It breaks my heart. pic.twitter.com/iclfxN6TXr  Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) November 16, 2017

Elephants face extinction

The law doesnt surprise a lot of people with Donald Trump Jnr the Presidents son being previously photographed holding a knife and elephant's tail next to the corpse of an elephant.

Both of Trumps sons are avid hunters.

The world cried out in outrage when Cecil the Lion was hunted unnecessarily in 2015, and with the new law in effect it may lead to many more needless deaths. Animal rights groups have reported African Elephants could be extinct in a decade.

The newest controversial decision is just another one to add to the ever-growing list the President has accumulated in just over a year.

On Wednesday the infamous Tweeter took to the social media site to express his condolences over a mass shooting that occurred in California only to quote the Texas shooting which happened last week. The tweet has now been hastily deleted when many pointed out the error.

The controversial President

Trump has ruffled many feathers with his arguably controversial views such as building a wall to keep the criminal, Mexicans from illegally entering the US, working on repealing Obama Care, defending Vladimir Putin and even publicly accusing Obama of wiretapping him.

He referred to Kim Jong Un as a little rocket man, and imposed a travel ban from those entering the US from some Muslim countries.

Trump is also reportedly under investigation regarding Russias involvement in the 2016 election that saw him beat Hilary Clinton to the White House.

Those via social media have said that his sons love of hunting that have influenced this decision. Once again, the President has caused mass outrage across the globe on the Trump Administrations latest act.
Tata Communications Expands Offerings in Brazil

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By Mandi Nowitz

Web Editor By Mandi NowitzWeb Editor

Tata Communications (News - Alert) announced the expansion of its emerging markets connectivity to Brazil, utilizing its global network and Seabras-1 system to make the Latin American connections. Brazil holds a huge IT marketplace  the ninth biggest IT market worldwide and ranking number one in Latin America, according to IDC (News - Alert) and the Brazilian Association of Software Companies (ABES).





Brazilian IT investments are expected to grow by 6.7 percent in 2017. This expansion for Tata Communications is extremely strategic and beneficial for both the company and Brazil. Digital transformation will increase the digital communications reach for all of Latin America.

Our expansion to Brazil is part of our commitment of continually building our capabilities and reach to meet our customers increasing data demands worldwide, said Bob Laskey, senior vice president and head of Americas at Tata Communications.

Brazil will now be able to speed up its digital transition with the adoption of Tata Communications offerings. Included in its global network are an entire range of connectivity options, cloud, security, mobility and collaboration services. Multinational organizations working out of Brazil have access to said services to aid in the digital transition.

The powerful combination of Seabras-1, our global network, and our cloud enablement services, such as IZO Hybrid WAN and IZO SDWAN, means that were now better placed than ever to help businesses in Latin America and beyond to fulfill their growth ambitions, added Laskey.

Additional expansion benefits are the Seabras-1 cable landing station in Wall, New Jersey, home to Tata Communications. This station allows a direct link from New York City to Sao Paulo, surpassing congestion in heavily populated metropolitan areas along the way. Seamless connections can also be made to London, Europe, Middle East, and Asia through Tata Communications network.

Tata Communications expansion to Brazil is a wise one and Brian Washburn, practice leader at Ovum (News - Alert), wholeheartedly agrees: The addition of Seabras-1 to Tata Communications global network tightens the link between two of the Americas largest cities and the rest of the world.

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Edited by Erik Linask
Magna5 Acquires Services Provider NetServe365

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By Mandi Nowitz

Web Editor By Mandi NowitzWeb Editor

Magna5 announced it has acquired managed services provider NetServe365. Pittsburgh-based NetServe365 focuses on network and server monitoring management, cloud hosting, and IT consulting. Magna5 has garnered the products, services, and solutions from three main telecom sources: X5 Solutions of Seattle, CornerStone (News - Alert) Telephone of Albany, New York, and NovaTel Ltd. of San Antonio, Texas.





Acquiring NetServe365 not only solidifies Magna5s footprint, but also provides an invaluable level of security and risk mitigation to its more than 7,500 small-to-medium-sized business customers across the country, said Lee Garber, Principal at NewSpring Holdings. Magna5 is purpose-built to answer the demand from middle-market companies that need enterprise-grade cloud services and high-touch support that, unlike the mega providers, is budget friendly.

Magna5 already has an extensive portfolio, with offerings that include business voice and data services, hybrid network services, unified communications (UCaaS), infrastructure (IaaS), and software (SaaS (News - Alert)). Its most viable offering is the Accession Communicator cloud-based UC system, courtesy of Metaswitch. The company is employed by 7,500 mid-market enterprise organizations from education to healthcare to government to financials and more.

NetServe365 aims to protect software and hardware with security prevention/detection, data backup, recovery, etc. The meshing of the two companies will enhance the services offered to businesses with both unified communications and security protection.

Teaming up with Magna5 allows NetServe365 to expand our services and solutions to a much broader customer base, said NetServe365s Chief Operating Officer Justin Cameron, who will continue on as the lead for the IT managed services business unit within Magna5. In addition, we are excited to bring our products and knowledge to Magna5 and help strengthen their security offerings to the marketplace.

Have you considered how moving to an MSP for your communications and IT needs would help your business?

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Edited by Erik Linask
Big game hunters will be happy with the decision to lift the ban on elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia. According to a spokesman of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, this will clear the way for the African countries to include sport hunting as a part of their management plans for the elephants. It will also boost their economy.

This line of thinking is at a variance to that of the Obama administration. It had introduced the ban in 2014 to protect the dwindling population of these animals which appear in the list of Endangered Species and need protection.

It seems in 2016 their population was approximately 350,000 which is a fraction of what it was in the early 20th Century.

Elephants are killed for their tusks

CNN reports that Safari Club International, a worldwide network of hunters, have welcomed the decision of the United States to lift the ban on hunting of African elephants. However, Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society, has criticized the decision. He has said that the animals will fall prey to rich Americans. As it is, the numbers have gone down drastically by nearly 30 percent between the periods 2007 to 2014 which is attributable to poaching. The elephants are now on the list of endangered species.

Incidentally, the sons of President Donald Trump are big game hunters.

Donald Jr. is claimed to have admitted to killing an elephant, and added that the villagers were happy because they could feast on the meat.

Their fate hangs in the balance

A group of hunters love big game hunting from where they return with trophies to display their prowess. It is a well-known fact that elephants are hunted for their ivory which has a very high market value.

Exquisitely carved items made of ivory used to be in demand, but in view of the loss of animals to cater to this greed, restrictions have been imposed. However, in spite of patrolling of the savannah woodlands, poachers are still active. They kill the animals and escape with their booty, leaving the carcass behind, minus the tusks.

Illegal ivory trade is rampant in some countries. In order to check it, the ivory was collected and burnt. The result of poaching reduces the number of animals and unless it is prevented, these majestic animals could become extinct. Once any wildlife is identified as an endangered species, it becomes everyones responsibility to preserve them from extinction. The tusked animals have been an integral part of our lives right from the Ice Age and it will be a shame to put them into the books as a lost species.
A Pennsylvania mother and son died from a drug overdose. The strange thing about this story is that the mother was not a drug user. Theresa Plummer died one day after finding her son Ronald Plummer unresponsive in their bathroom. After Ronald was rushed to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Theresa went to the bathroom to clean up his drug paraphernalia. She was rushed to the hospital herself when she began to experience shortness of breath. The 69-year-old mother died on November 6, and her 45-year-old son died the very next day.

Ronald was the drug user, but his mother didn't use drugs at all.

However, she did come in contact with them when she cleaned up the bathroom after her son's overdose. The coroner concluded that while Theresa was not a user, coming into close contact with the needles and other materials caused her to accidentally overdose on the same drugs that Ronald intentionally took.

Contact with drugs warning

Law enforcement is hoping this family's tragedy will be a warning to others. Jeff Lees, Cambria County coroner, encourages everyone to be extremely careful when coming in contact with drugs someone has left behind. He strongly suggests that people should stay away from the scene and let law enforcement or the EMS remove the drug materials.

Results of the mother and son's toxicology reports have not been revealed yet to determine exactly which substance killed them.

The coroner believes the mother inhaled the same drugs while she was cleaning up the bathroom that her son overdosed on earlier. The substance could also have gotten onto her skin. The interesting thing about this situation is the second-hand drugs killed the mother first before the actual drug user died.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns about fentanyl.

It is a synthetic opioid thats about 100 times more powerful than other drugs like morphine. fentanyl can be absorbed by the skin or through inhalation, leading to an accidental overdose. The coroner thinks that is what happened to Theresa Plummer that led to her death.

Obituaries

Theresa leaves behind three adult children and three grandchildren that she adored.

Two of her children are engaged. She loved her family and was looking forward to their marriages. In lieu of flowers, there was a request on both obituaries for donations to be made to the Cambria County Humane Society because of Theresa's love for animals.
After nearly a year of the White House fighting off allegations that Donald Trump was in cahoots with the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election, a new story adds new fuel to the fire. The latest revelation finds that Kellyanne Conway and Donald Trump Jr. promoted fake news from a Kremlin-backed "troll farm" just days before Election Day.

Conway on Twitter

Not long after Donald Trump kicked off his campaign for president back in the summer of 2015, questions were raised as to what ties he had to foreign countries due to his history of business deals around the world.

The first causality of the Trump campaign over Russia was former campaign manager Paul Manafort who was forced to resign from his position after his financial link to the Kremlin was revealed. Since then, several past and current members of the campaign and administration have been exposed for having various degrees of Russian ties. From former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to Attorney General Michael Flynn, the trail back to Russia is spread out to multiple names, with well-respected news outlets backing up the information. Despite this, the billionaire real estate mogul and his team have denied any wrongdoing, which Trump makes clear on an almost weekly basis during his posts on social media.

According to the Daily Beast on October 18, several individuals close to Trump have been outed as sharing fake Russian news on their social media accounts.

These tweets from troll accounts were paid for by the Russian government in the heat of the 2016 election https://t.co/BXqWDHX8fL  The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 18, 2017

In a report originally broke by the Daily Beast on Wednesday, the popular, but now banned, Twitter account known as the "Tennessee Republicans" had actually been run by a Russian "troll farm." The account, which was banned by last August, had gained more than 140,000 followers and became one of the top Pro-Trump Twitter accounts on the social media platform.

The articles shared by the account ranged from pieces attacking Hillary Clinton, to claiming voter fraud by liberals, which were shared on various occasion by Trump staffers.

Kellyanne Conway and Don Jr. Retweeted Russian Troll Account Days Before Election https://t.co/buoP3BROpR pic.twitter.com/lZETZw8EsB  Mediaite (@Mediaite) October 18, 2017

Current presidential counsel and former campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, was also found to have shared articles from the "Tennessee Republican," including an anti-Clinton hit piece that focused on her private email server, and the scandal involving former Democratic Rep.

Anthony Weiner, just days before voters went to the polls. As of press time, neither Conway nor the White House have issued a response.

Twitter reacts

Not long after the news broke about Kellyanne Conway sharing fake Russian tweets to her followers, critics of Donald Trump took time to lash out. "Communicating with bots, hey? You is in BIG trouble, lady! Go get another lawyer. You will need one," one tweet said on Conway's Twitter page.

@KellyannePolls It turns out you are much dumber than I thought, wenchie. U should not have been playing with the Russians.  Martha Torres (@fmtorres472) October 19, 2017

@KellyannePolls If you have to go to the slammer, what will people say?  Martha Torres (@fmtorres472) October 19, 2017

"I think Kellyanne Conway would look swell in orange," one Twitter user added.

"They'll claim they had no idea it was a Russian troll & good luck proving they did. Endless rinse & repeat of lies & denial," yet another tweet stated.

They'll claim they had no idea it was a Russian troll & good luck proving they did. Endless rinse & repeat of lies & denial.  Stephanie Cannizzaro (@stephcannizzar1) October 19, 2017

@KellyannePolls Tennessee Republican Troll Butt Kisser!  Martha Torres (@fmtorres472) October 19, 2017

Does @KellyannePolls go to jail? Inquiring minds want to know.  Carexsedge (@carexsedge1) October 19, 2017

"If you have to go to the slammer, what will people say?" a tweet asked. "It turns out you are much dumber than I thought, wenchie. U should not have been playing with the Russians," an additional social media user noted. As the negative reaction continued, the scandal and drama surrounding Donald Trump and Russia showed no signs of ending anytime soon.
Earlier this month, four United States soldiers were killed during an ambush in Niger, Africa. After receiving criticism, Donald Trump took a few minutes to call the pregnant widow of one of the soldiers, but made comments that didn't go over well with some people.

Trump on Niger attack

When Donald Trump first announced his plans to run for president, he had a few talking points in mind. One issue that the former host of "The Apprentice" focused on was his alleged love and respect for the United States Military, including soldiers past and present.

Trump took a hard-line approach with the issue, pandering to the military to the point that he avoid a confrontation with then debate moderator Megyn Kelly and hosted a fundraiser for veterans instead. Since his election, the president has continued to claim that he will be the best commander in chief when it comes to treating the military well, but faced backlash due to his slow response to the soldiers killed in Niger two weeks ago. According to the New York Daily News on October 18, Trump called one of the widows, but made comments that left her in tears.

U.S. Army Sgt. La David Johnson was one of four Green Berets killed during a surprise attack on the group. He is survived by his wife Myeshia Johnson, as well as his two children, two and six years of age.

On Tuesday morning, Myeshia greeted her husband's casket at the Miami International Airport, then received a phone call from Donald Trump just hours later.

Trump tells pregnant widow of soldier 'he knew what he signed up for https://t.co/fVYN4sGqtj pic.twitter.com/lK9OvcoaFY  New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) October 18, 2017

According to reports, which were then confirmed by Florida Rep.

Frederica Wilson, Donald Trump told Myeshia Johnson that "he (David) knew what he signed up for" before adding "but when it happens it hurts anyway." "Its so insensitive," Wilson said while speaking to ABC News. Wilson later took to Twitter to label Sgt. Johnson a "hero," while saying Trump "does not possess the character, empathy or grace to be president of the United States."

Double down

During an interview with CNN on Tuesday night, Frederica Wilson elaborated on the situation, detailing her time with Myeshia Johnson in the car leaving the airport.

"She's very distraught, Wilson said. "I was going to curse him out. That was my reaction at that time," she said of Trump, while adding that the widow was left crying and in tears because of his comments. As of press time, neither the White House nor the president himself have responded to the story, though it's expected that Donald Trump will comment on the allegations at some point in the near future.
On Thursday, Democratic Sen. Al Franken was accused of sexual assault by a female radio host. In the aftermath, Donald Trump decided to comment.

Trump on Franken

Ever since the New York Times reported their bombshell story exposing decades of sexual assault and harassment allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein, the flood gates have opened for even more women to come forward with similar claims. From Louis C.K., to Kevin Spacey, to even George Takei, the allegations have been reported on an almost daily basis. While many in Hollywood have been on the receiving end of the claims, politicians are now feeling the heat.

Just last week, the Washington Post broke their own story claiming that Roy Moore, Republican Senate nominee in Alabama, had allegedly attempted to engage in sexual activity with at least four underage girls dating back to 1979. Since then, at least two more women have come forward with similar stories. On Thursday, morning news anchor for Talk Radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles, Leeann Tweeden, accused Democratic Sen. Al Franken of forcibly kissing her in 2006 during a USO tour, while also providing a picture of the senator mockingly grabbing her chest. Franken has since apologized, which Tweeden accepted, but that didn't stop Donald Trump from speaking out during a pair of tweets on November 16.

The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? .....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

Taking to Twitter on Thursday night, Donald Trump gave his thoughts about the allegations against Al Franken. "The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words," Trump tweeted out.

"Where do his (Franken) hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?...." he added.

.And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

Not stopping there, Donald Trump decided to double down with a follow-up tweet.

"And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women," Trump tweeted, before asking, "Lesley Stahl tape?" Trump's comments about the "Lesley Stahl tape" is in reference to a joke Franken made in a New York Magazine article back in 1995. "I give the pills to Lesley Stahl. Then when Lesley is passed out, I take her to the closet and ra*e her," Franken said, in regards to a potential skit on "Saturday Night Live" where he was working at the time.

"I've been angry about it ... for over 10 years," says Al Franken accuser Leeann Tweeden, telling her story to CNN's @jaketapper https://t.co/9fs5TgoaM0 pic.twitter.com/slp4IXLibE  CNN (@CNN) November 17, 2017

Next up

While Donald Trump appears quick to comment about Al Franken, he's been quiet about the scandal involving Roy Moore.

During a press briefing at the White House on Thursday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that while the president believes the allegations are "troubling," he doesn't believe Moore should drop out of the race.
scheana marie and her boyfriend of just under a year, actor Robert Parks-Valletta, have split. As the SUR Restaurant waitress nears the upcoming premiere date of her Bravo TV series, "Vanderpump Rules," new details are swirling with regards to the moments leading up to Parks-Valletta's Instagram confirmation of their breakup.

"We broke up, we are still amazing friends and we adore each other," Parks-Valletta said in a post to his fans and followers earlier this week. As fans of the actor may have noticed, he has been spending time in Italy with friends as his now-ex-girlfriend stayed in The States and spent time with her family, including sister Courtney.

Why did Scheana Marie and Robert Parks-Valletta break up?

Following Scheana Marie's split, a source spoke to E! News about the end of her months-long relationship, revealing that the reality star and actor called it quits on their romance due to work commitments that kept them apart. As the insider noted, the former couple felt it was best to hit pause on their relationship -- at least for the time being. That said, the source added that they remain in one another's lives and are "optimistic about their future."

According to a second insider, Parks-Valletta doesn't have time for a serious relationship at the moment but has nothing but good things to say about the "Vanderpump Rules" cast member, who filed for divorce from husband Mike Shay at the end of last year.

In fact, he's said to be completely open to the idea of possibly reconnecting with her at some point.

"They won't stop being friends but Rob considers himself pretty single right now," the insider said.

What has Robert Parks-Valletta been up to since his breakup?

After an extended vacation in Italy, Parks-Valletta traveled to San Francisco for work and will remain there for a few more days.

From there, the actor will be heading back to Los Angeles to see his family and get back to his work in the area.

Parks-Valletta was reportedly in Italy to relax by himself and to see the sights and sounds of the area, according to E! News.

To see more of Scheana Marie and her co-stars, including Jax Taylor, Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Tom Sandoval, Katie Maloney, Lala Kent, and Tom Schwartz, don't miss the upcoming premiere of "Vanderpump Rules" season six. The new installment is expected to air on Bravo TV later this year but an official premiere date has yet to be set.
The 2017 "MTV European Music Awards" took place in Wembley, London at the SSE arena. The awards ceremony honored artists across genres that include pop, R&B, electronic, hip-hop, and alternative music. This particular award ceremony hasnt been hosted in Europe since 1996. The 24th "European Music Awards" were hosted by European native Rita Ora, clad in a bathrobe complete with a towel headdress.

Kendrick Lamar took home an award for the song Humble. Lamar won Best Video but was not able to attend and collect the award. He did chime in on his win via webcam.

Shawn Mendes went home with a total of three EMA awards. Mendes won Best Song for Theres Nothing Holding Me Back. He also won awards for Biggest Fans and Best Artist.

Rapper Eminem won Best Hip Hop artist and stated he was surprised because he hasnt released an album in a few years, Im not really sure how I got this. Eminem hinted at releasing an album in the next few years during his acceptance.

There were several visually stimulating performances from a number of artists; Kesha, David Guetta, Camila Cabello, Eminem, Demi Lovato, Skylar Grey, French Montana, and Travis Scott. Scott performed live while standing on a gigantic animatronic bird with moving wings.

French Montanas performance was briefly interrupted by a man who crashed the stage while holding a banner.

The text on the sign promoted an app. The person who crashed the stage is part of the Youtube duo, Trollstation, which plays pranks on unsuspecting British people. The incident reminded some people of Mike Portnoys Soy Bomb prank at the Grammy awards in 1996.

The Killers gave a passionate and soulful performance. Liam Payne sang Strip That Down while maneuvering around ten dancers on stage.

Stormzy rapped, Big for Your Boots" while standing in the sunroof of a moving police car.

2017 'MTV European Music Award' Winners:

Best Song: Shawn Mendes - "Theres Nothing Holding Me Back"

Best Artist: Shawn Mendes

Best Look: Zayn

Best Pop: Camila Cabello

Best Live Performance: Ed Sheeran

Best Electronic: David Guetta

Best Video: Kendrick Lamar - "Humble"

Best Rock: Coldplay

Best Hip Hop: Eminem

Best Alternative: Thirty Seconds To Mars

Best World Stage: The Chainsmokers

Global Icon: u2

Best New: Dua Lipa

Best Look: Zayn

Best Push: Hailee Steinfeld

The list of winners is extensive and expands beyond my list.

The "EMAs" encompass the entire world and honor artists on a worldwide a regional level. There were many artists who took home awards that are not mentioned above such as; Fifth Harmony, Louis Tomlinson, Mimiks, BabyMetal, Noa Kirel, and DaVido.
derick dillard has found himself in a world of trouble with TLC. He has officially been booted from Counting On, leaving their little family without income. Dillard rebooted his GoFundMe account, which hasn't gone over well with viewers. All of this stems from his tweets about transgender teen, Jaz Jennings. TLC decided to cut ties with Derick Dillard and Jill Duggar, which means they will no longer be filmed with the Duggar Family. This is very reminiscent of the Josh Duggar scandal in 2015.

The show must go on

Counting On is going to continue without Derick Dillard and Jill Duggar.

The Duggar family is a spectacle, and the ratings are gold for TLC. The network is covering itself so that advertisers won't pull out like they threatened to do with Josh Duggar. Not only could this scandal have cost the family their income, it could have ruined reality television for them in general. The controversy surrounding the family is heavy, and the interest in their life is high. Counting On is going to continue as of now, but with all of the drama, TLC may cut their losses while they are ahead.

TLC made a statement about the severed ties a few days ago. Fans have been questioning why the couple hasn't been seen on Counting On, and the answer was given. Derick Dillard made several comments against Jazz Jennings, but he also dissed the network.

He bit the hand that fed him and his family, and now, there is no turning back. Jill Duggar will likely never get a job so it is up to her husband to find employment.

The blame game

Who is at fault for what happened with Derick Dillard and Counting On? At this point, the Duggar family is reportedly upset. According to the Hollywood Gossip, the Duggars are beside themselves because of the position Dillard has put them in.

While they agree with his beliefs, the way he expressed them was not okay. They are very careful with how they say and do things, especially after what happened with Josh Duggar in 2015. Anna Duggar was able to forgive her husband and the family came out with another show, but this could have turned out much differently. Another scandal could have caused complete disaster including another cancellation and the family losing a lot of money.

Social media has caused a lot of grief for the Duggar family. Derick Dillard didn't quit while he was ahead and now, he lost his job. Critics are all over him and the GoFundMe account. Dillard won't be able to walk away from this scandal unscathed, especially because of how it all went down.
On Tuesday's episode of "General Hospital," Billy Miller's character was feeling the frustration of being abandoned by those who believe he is not Jason but Andrew. Sam and Monica are staying neutral, but Sonny, Carly, and Diane believe they know without a doubt that Steven Burton is their friend and associate Stone Cold. The man that currently is holding the title is becoming aggressive and displaying bully like behavior as he attempts to hold on to all he believes is his. He understands that the face of his twin is stirring up old feelings in Port Charles residents, but he is adamant that he alone is Jason Morgan.

Steve Burton may be a red herring this early in the saga

Naturally, Steve Burton's character would appeal to Jason fans because he originated the role. It would be easier on the eyes to accept Billy Miller as Andrew because the two men's personalities are so vastly different. For months now, Carly, Sam, and Sonny have been pointing out that "Jason" is not loyal or dependable as before. This is most noticeable in the way the twins handle situations. Patient 6 is calm and methodical, always thinking things through before he reacts.

On Wednesday, he warned Carly was frantic to prove that the man with Jason's original face is the one and only Stone Cold. She told him that she knew he would not fight for his family and would allow Sam to choose, while "Andrew" would fight with all he has to keep the life he is living.

Burton's character advised Mrs. Corinthos to not waste hr energy. Meanwhile, Miller's Jason is always angry and on edge seeming ready to fight. This may or may not prove the identity of the twins and could simply be a red herring as there are 8 months to go in this saga.

Carly and Diane stand firm in their faith in Jason

Billy Miller's character met with Diane only to find out she was resigning as his lawyer.

She told him flat out that she no longer believes that he is Jason Morgan. Steve Burton met with Monica who said she was elated that Alan had two sons and says she loves them both no matter what. Meanwhile, Carly went on one of her rampages apologizing to Sam and insisting they both know deep in their hearts that Patient six is the man they love while the individual they once knew as Jake Doe is really Andrew.

Carly tells her friend to look deep into her heart and go with what she felt when she looked into the eyes of both men. Sam does not respond but it is clear that she is reflecting because earlier she had two flashbacks from her early days when Steve Burton had the role. Carly also shares how she believes each man will pursue the situation and asks Sam to take that into consideration. Later Diane talks to the man she is backing and compliments him for being the rare client who listens to his lawyer. Should Billy Miller later turn out to be the man he says he is this will disrupt everything, but for now all eyes are on the original man who became Stone Cold.
British companies will join forces with Chinese developers of offshore wind farms, as part of a new program that lends British expertise to China's $100 billion wind power expansion plans.

The newly formed International Offshore Renewable Energy Research Platform will see United Kingdom companies work on technical solutions for wind farms in the South China Sea, where China plans to install 5 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2020.

The platform is funded by British innovation agent Innovate UK and overseen by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, a research center based in Glasgow.

"The UK has a lot of experience in offshore technology and there is massive expansion in China. It's a good opportunity to take our technology and know-how and use it internationally," said James Battensby, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult's technical bid manager.

The UK is a world leader in offshore wind, with a total of 5.3 gW of installed offshore wind capacity, which is more than a third of the global total of 14.4 gW. China has installed 1.6 gW of offshore capacity, and will add a further 5 gW during the next three years. China will invest $100 billion in wind energy projects during the next three years.

The new platform will commence in December with a series of workshops during which Chinese developers will set specific technical challenges that UK companies will address.

UK businesses will then be partnered with Chinese developers to conduct research, with a view to taking new technology forward to commercial application.

Battensby said the Chinese side will be looking for support from British experts in cable and foundation installation, operation and maintenance, turbine optimization, and general wind farm planning and development.

"After developing applied research, the UK firms will be ideally placed to sell products and services," Battensby said. "While previous collaborations with China have been academic, this is important as it gives technology developers a direct opportunity to win business in the flourishing Chinese market."

Earlier this year, the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai announced plans for an Offshore Wind Hub that will facilitate the entry of specialist UK companies into China.

Maf Smith, deputy chief executive of RenewableUK, told China Daily that offshore wind is "a massive opportunity for both countries".

"Both governments support shared learning between businesses," Smith said. "The UK is the leading market for offshore in the world and has developed a lot of expertise in the development, construction and operation of offshore wind. And China has a very ambitious offshore wind program as part of its overall need to decarbonize and shift to cleaner fuels."
Li Yanhong, CEO of China's Baidu, delivers a speech at Baidu World Conference in Beijing, Nov 16, 2017. Baidu introduced three new products on Thursday designed for smart home market. [Photo/Xinhua]

Baidu's self-driving vehicles, part of a key national artificial intelligence research project, are expected to go into trial operation next year, according to Baidu Inc Chairman and CEO Robin Li.

The internet search giant has stepped up efforts to promote the commercialization of self-driving technology. The company says the mass production of its self-driving vehicles will be possible in 2020, but it expects to achieve that goal ahead of schedule, Li said at the Baidu World Conference in Beijing on Thursday.

Baidu was chosen to lead the establishment of China's AI national laboratory on deep learning early this year. Self-driving technologies are important to the national research project.

Li said Baidu plans to put autonomous buses that run in designated areas into mass production and trial operation by the end of July 2018, in cooperation with Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Co.

"We will launch autonomous vehicles with Chinese automobile manufacturers JAC Motors and BAIC Group in 2019, and Chery Automobile Co in 2020," Li said.
US aircraft maker Boeing Co said that by 2020, it will deliver its first B777X aircraft, the latest addition to its family of twin-aisle airplanes, and a more fuel-efficient and powerful version of the current B777-300ER. The company said it is bullish on China's demand for wide-body planes, fueled by China' growing international flights market.

Currently, the B777X has 340 orders and commitment orders from eight global customers, but Chinese airlines haven't ordered any yet.

"Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines still have a large number of B777-300ER aircraft orders not delivered yet. They are expected to start ordering B777X in the next five years," said Darren Hulst, managing director of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes Northeast Asia.

"The B777X model can help airlines to further extend their flight networks and support extra long-haul routes, such as direct flights between Beijing and Panama, and other Latin American countries."

At the moment, about 100 aircraft retire every year globally, and by 2021 to 2022, there will be about 200 aircraft retiring every year, according to Boeing, which should create a lot of business opportunities in the market for new jets.

Boeing said the B777X family will include the B777-8, which has 350 to 375 seats and competes directly with the A350-1000 of European giant Airbus, and B777-9, with 400 to 425 seats and is in a class by itself. The B777X family aircraft will be mainly operated on routes that connect major air transportation hubs.

In the next 20 years, the global market will need about 3,000 to 4,000 medium and large wide-body aircraft, and China's wide-body fleet will require 1,670 new airplanes over the period, according to an earlier Boeing forecast.

"China's continuous economic growth, significant investment in infrastructure, growing middle class and evolving airline business models support this long-term outlook," said Randy Tinseth, vice-president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

In the first half of this year, Hainan Airlines, China's largest private airline, transferred 1.86 million passengers on international routes, surging 97.8 percent year-on-year. The number of passengers transferred by China Southern, China Eastern and Air China on their international flights grew 7.48 percent, 1.7 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Eric Chen, Airbus China president and CEO, said the booming growth of international flights from China, especially long-haul routes, required wide-body aircraft. He said the A350 aircraft is suitable for those airlines with complete international flight networks.
Bilateral trade between China and Africa will recover this year, despite last year's slowdown, a recent report says.

China has remained the largest trading partner of Africa for eight continuous years, says Zhang Jianping, director of the West Asia and Africa Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce's Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

He says that due to factors such as the sluggish recovery of the global economy, the constant fall in prices of commodities and the slowdown of global capital flows, the bilateral trade volume between China and Africa fell last year.

Figures from the Ministry of Commerce showed that in 2016, the bilateral trade was about $149.2 billion, including about $92.3 billion in China's exports to Africa and $56.9 billion in imports.

"In 2014, when bilateral trade reached the peak, it was about $200 billion," he says.

A report that focused on China and Africa's economic and trade relations was released by the West Asia and Africa Research Institute in Beijing on Nov 11.

Zhang says he believes trade will pick up this year, since there has been much progress in China and Africa's economic and trade relations while the report was being prepared. Trade in services, for example, is a new spotlight of bilateral trade.

"Service trade between China and Africa in sectors such as finance, aerospace, tourism, broadcasting and TV has been continuously deepening, with the appearance of many new forms of trade," he says. "Although service trade volume is relatively small, it will definitely grow fast, as there are many big construction projects between China and Africa going on."

In the investment sector, China's direct investment into Africa was about $2.4 billion in 2016, and mainly flowed to countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Zambia and Angola. The main sectors that China's investment goes into are construction, business services, mining and manufacturing, the report says.

"China's investment in Africa slowed down in 2016, due to the influence of global economic recession, but this doesn't affect China's building of industrial parks in Africa," Zhang says, adding that as more funds and financial tools are put into use to support small and medium-sized business, investment will grow in the future.

Zhang says that of the bilateral economic and trade cooperation, the most outstanding part is infrastructure.

Chinese companies in Africa completed contracting projects with total revenue of about $50 billion in 2016, with annual growth of about 14 percent in the past five years, the report says.

"It showcases that Africa has very strong desire now for the development of infrastructure," he says.

chenyingqun@chinadaily.com.cn
She Ziqing, a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre, recalls being clubbed on the head by a Japanese soldier using a rifle butt. She died on Wednesday at age 83. He was interviewed in 2014.[Photo/Xinhua]

She Ziqing, an 83-year-old survivor of the Nanjing Massacre, died on Wednesday in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. The number of survivors officially registered has declined to 99.

She, born in April 1934, was only 4 years old when the massacre took place. His mother was killed, and he was clubbed on the head by a Japanese soldier using a rifle butt. He carried a scar for the rest of his life.

During the massacre, She was taken to the United States embassy for refuge, along with a neighbor's children. According to an oral history recorded earlier, he said he saw "layers of bodies everywhere on the streets" and his mother "died lying in a pool of blood".

"People said at the time that Japanese troops only killed middle-aged men, so my father fled from home while my mother, like many other women in the neighborhood, stayed to protect the house. Nobody thought that the Japanese soldiers would kill, rape and rob people without hesitation."

She later worked as a newsboy to support his family. In 1950, after his elder brother joined the PLA, She was able to get a job working for the railway system because he was the relative of a soldier.

In 1994, he retired. But in 2004, he applied to work as a guide, without pay, at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre, when it opened that year. He volunteered to guide Japanese visitors around the hall in the hope that through his words "the Japanese people, especially younger generations, would come to understand what happened during that period".

Every working day for 14 years, except Mondays when the hall was closed, She got up early and went to work. Earlier this year, in light of his health, the hall suggested he only work on Fridays.

But She insisted on coming to the hall accompanied by his wife. He said: "As long as I can breathe, I want to remind other people of a history that cannot be forgotten."

Xia Shuqin, another Nanjing Massacre survivor, who lost seven of her nine family members during the bloodbath, said that she would feel relieved and happy to be reunited with her deceased family members if the massacre were simply recognized by the Japanese government.

"I don't know if I will live long enough to see that happen," the 88-year-old woman said. "I'm too old. I don't have too much time. I don't know what to say to describe my feelings."

More than 300,000 Chinese were killed in a six-week rampage from Dec 13, 1937 to January 1938 after Japanese troops captured what was then China's capital.
Lu Li-an answers media questions during last month's 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. YIN GANG/XINHUA

Lu Li-an was confronted with a pointed question during last month's 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China: "Now you have become a Party delegate, you won't love Taiwan anymore, will you?"

Among the 10 members representing Taiwan, Lu was the only one born and raised on the island.

"I found the logic of this question laughable. I'm also a delegate for women. Does it mean I won't love my husband?" she retorted.

"We are not living in 1927, or 1937, or 1947. It's 2017, and we should have the courage to abandon the outdated mentality of confrontation. We can love Taiwan and the Chinese mainland at the same time, as we love our parents," she proudly declared in media interviews during the congress.

Lu's appearance as a Party delegate drew controversy in Taiwan. While many applauded her courage and foresight, some accused her of betrayal. In a highly public manner, her household registration in Taichung was revoked by the Taiwan government.

In response, Lu, who is vice-dean of Fudan University's School of Foreign Languages and Literature in Shanghai, compared herself with the child in Hans Christian Andersen's tale, The Emperor's New Clothes.

"I just told the truth. There are some people who agree with me, and some who scold me," she said. "I received a lot of support from friends and media. In fact, I was prepared for all of this long ago when I decided to come to teach in Shanghai."

Ma Xiaoguang, the spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, made a remark on Wednesday in regard to the revocation of Lu's household: "Whatever actions the Taiwan authorities take against her, it won't lessen Lu's love for her hometown and her motherland. Both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are her home, whether Lu has a household in Taiwan or not."

Born in Kaohsiung in 1968, Lu spent 22 years in Taiwan before going to the United Kingdom to study English literature in 1991. She met her husband-to-be Shen Yifan while pursuing a master's degree at the University of Edinburgh.

Shen was born to a family that moved from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan in the 1940s. As China's reform and opening-up policies gathered pace, Lu said she and her husband began to feel frustrated by Taiwan's political environment.

They moved to Shanghai in 1997 to take up teaching jobs at Fudan, becoming the university's first faculty couple from Taiwan.

Many relatives expressed concern, but Lu's parents were supportive of her choice. "They said, 'It's our motherland, so don't be afraid'. For us, it was a homecoming," she said.

It was a long and complicated process, though. Lu first expressed her wish to work on the mainland to the Chinese embassy in London in 1995. It took two years of paperwork and coordination between the university and the government before Lu and her husband could finally cross the water.

In addition to her university work, Lu has been an active member of the Shanghai Taiwan Compatriots Friendship Association, becoming its chair in 2013.

Opportunities for Taiwan residents to study, work and live in the mainland have taken great strides since the new millennium, but Lu said she believes there is still much to be done.

Through her role in the association, she forwarded suggestions and advice to many government sectors, including the Shanghai People's Congress and the Shanghai committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

She said years of participating in public affairs increased her sense of responsibility, and she applied to join the CPC in 2014. "I thought I could contribute more to society if I become a member," she said.

During the Party congress last month, Lu brought suggestions to group discussions, such as creating platforms to facilitate more cross-Straits educational exchanges and providing equal scholarship opportunities for students from Taiwan studying at mainland universities.

Of course, she has not forgotten her home island. Lu returns every year to Taiwan to visit her parents. When asked what she misses most about the island, she smiled and pondered briefly, before giving a long and poetic description of its landscape, its warmhearted and friendly people, and the way of life in its south.

"When I return, my hometown appears to me like a sleeping beauty," Lu said. "A spell has been cast on her, making her oblivious to changes happening in the world. "I am worried she might miss her chance. When she wakes up, her prince may no longer be there."
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China sees a clean environment as the path forward toward an upgraded industrial structure

President Xi Jinping has summed up China's strategy for economic restructuring as striving for both "green mountains and gold mountains". The strategy combines environmental protection with a broad plan to restructure industry toward higher value-added manufacturing, away from the old reliance on heavy industry, resource extraction and low-tech steel and coal production.

A wind turbine system generates energy in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. China has made a huge investment in wind and solar power to promote green development. Xinhua

"Given China's realities, ecological and economic developments both are of great significance because ecological development helps economic development in the long run," Xi said at the recent 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

"The country should protect the environment like one protects one's eyes and treat the environment as one treats one's life," he stressed in May at a study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Often, environmental regulations are seen as just a necessary cost for the economy. China's strategy argues that a clean environment is the path forward toward an upgraded industrial structure. Far from being a cost, environmentally friendly policy is a key opportunity. In other words, it pays to be green.

New higher-tech industries will not only produce the higher-quality products demanded by China's growing middle class. The shift toward investment in environmental protection could also allow many Chinese companies to gain a first-mover advantage in many innovative products that will be needed to improve the environment worldwide.

At the May study session, Xi said that China has made historic social and economic achievements since reform and opening-up, which the country should be proud of. Rapid development has also left the country with environmental issues that need to be remedied through great efforts. To push green development and green lifestyles, the country should adopt a new development philosophy and correctly handle the relationship between economic development and environmental protection. China should firmly reject development models that damage or destroy the environment and bid farewell to practices that boost short-term economic growth at the cost of the environment."

This is consistent with the so-called Porter hypothesis. Professor Michael Porter of Harvard Business School argues that strict environmental regulation triggers the discovery and introduction of cleaner technologies and environmental improvements. Cost savings can more than compensate for both the compliance costs directly attributed to new regulations and the innovation costs. In addition, innovative companies can get a leg up on international competition.

The 19th CPC National Congress made clear that the administration sees implementation of this two-pronged economic strategy as a top priority. In his report to the congress on Oct 18, Xi mentioned the environment 89 times, as counted by Bloomberg, far more than any other subject. And he tied it to industrial restructuring: "We will move Chinese industries up to the medium-high end of the global value chain and foster a number of world-class advanced manufacturing clusters."

Since at least the 1980s, China has had anti-pollution regulations and environmental protection agencies at all levels of government. But during the decades of rapid economic transformation, the economy continued to be driven by heavily polluting industries such as coal, steel, cement, construction and cars. Many factories polluted with seeming impunity, and local governments gave priority to fast GDP growth of any kind. What has changed in the past five years?

Experts and practitioners in the field of environmental protection say that the leadership and systematic emphasis of Xi is a key transformative factor.

Yang Dongning, professor of economics at the Guanghua School of Management of Peking University, says: "Previous policies with a green focus were not systematic or consistent. When the pollution issue became very prominent, there would be 'storming' campaigns. But since the Xi administration started in 2013 and the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) was approved, regulation has been systematic, rather than abrupt. Environmental inspection combined with Party discipline has led to very significant results."

Indu Bhushan, director-general for East Asia of the Asian Development Bank, says: "If you look at the policies and political commitment, it's right up there. President Xi talked about it five years ago, they have all the plans and targets in place. There is a lot of financing being put into it.

"Only a few years ago, ADB's work in China was largely focused on infrastructure. Now, if you look at our country program, there is not one single infrastructure project which is included only for infrastructure. The program is all about low-carbon development, green development, support for agriculture and for social sectors like preparing for an aging population and strengthening the social protection system. It is a huge change. When I was in China recently discussing our future program with the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission, they gave us 10 new projects - all related to the environment, climate change and social sectors," Bhushan added.

Similarly, Li Lailai, China country director of the World Resources Institute, says: "At the national level, the state leaders make a statement to the whole country, to the whole world. They created a framework within which practitioners like us can work to reach the goal. The statements in Xi Jinping's report are very important and significant. We practitioners need those statements."

Local efforts, obstacles

Chinese local government officials were long evaluated primarily on GDP growth rates, so environmental protection often was not a high priority. But GDP measures only monetary output. It does not take into account the quality or sustainability of the output. In addition, it ignores "negative externalities" that a complete accounting should subtract from production. Bhushan, of the ADB, says that studies conclude that accounting for pollution should lower China's GDP by 6 to 13 percent.

The new environmental protection law that went into effect on Jan 1, 2015, was a huge turning point. The new law was reviewed four times by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, while the government solicited feedback from environmental law experts, government bodies, local environmental protection bureaus and the public. The law created a much more powerful enforcement bureaucracy, held officials responsible for the environment and created formal channels for public participation in environmental protection.

Previously, local environmental protection bureaus reported to the local government and were dependent on local taxes for funding. Under the new law, they report to and are funded by higher levels of government.

Follow-on regulations in May 2015 mandated that all local officials be held responsible for environmental outcomes under their control. No longer just responsible for GDP growth, their promotions depend on the outcome of an in-depth environmental responsibility audit.

Li, of the World Resources Institute, says: "The most obvious change is environmental inspection. It is very large-scale and in-depth, involving so many people and the government at so many different levels. Institutionally, the vertical reporting system of the Environmental Protection Bureau helps enforcement. The new environment law of 2015 is one of the strictest in the world. It traces responsibilities not only to polluters, but also to investors and the government officials who approved the projects. They have responsibility no matter how much time has passed. Banks also need to be very cautious - they now require disclosure of environmental information."

There are still local pressures to support existing businesses and jobs. But some officials welcome the change and are finding innovative new approaches.

Yang, of PKU, points to the city of Jieyang, in South China's Guangdong province, which is a leading center for manufacturing stainless steel products. The city has around 4,000 stainless steel companies, with over 200,000 workers. Starting in 2013, the city government and an association of the companies worked together to build a new wastewater treatment center and acid treatment center. Now, many of the smaller, undercapitalized companies have closed and the others have moved toward higher-quality products that can command prices high enough to pay for the investment.

The city has now attracted investment from more than 30 high-tech environmental protection companies from Germany and other European countries. While some workers lost their jobs, many were hired by the upgraded factories and others received retraining assistance.

Another key problem is getting provinces to cooperate with each other. For example, much electricity generated by wind or solar power is wasted because provinces don't want to buy power from another province.

In 2016, Xu Jintao, professor of economics at Peking University, carried out a high-priority project for the NDRC to get to the bottom of the problem. He found that the boundaries between provinces and other administrative regions were the root cause. "The reality is that who gets what electricity is a decision of the provincial governments. It is very hard to break this provincial/local market," he said.

davidblair@chinadaily.com.cn
US coffee roaster and retailer Peet's Coffee opened its first overseas store on Oct 26 in Shanghai.

But unlike most of its locations back in the United States which are humble in size and decor, the new Shanghai outlet occupies 370 square meters and has 100 seats.

Tucked in a corner of the city's former French concession where some of the city's best restaurants can be found, the store also has a 360-degree coffee bar and a massive floor-to-ceiling plant wall.

The cafe has an extensive menu that includes its signature offerings like the Cortado and the traditional Italian style Cappuccino, as well as a selection of cold brews and beverages made from a special coffee bean that is exclusive to Shanghai.

Business has been brisk since the opening. During its opening weekend, some customers mentioned on Dianping.com, China's equivalent of Yelp, that they had to wait for an average of 30 minutes to get into the store. Others complained that the cakes were sold out by 3 pm.

Founded in 1966 by Alfred Peet, a Dutch coffee and tea importer who was working and living in San Francisco, Peet's Coffee is best known for introducing darker roasted coffee blends to the US. It is also considered a pioneer in the second wave of the coffee movement which saw a shift from instant or bottled coffee to freshly ground coffee.

The coffee roaster's entry into the market comes at a time when consumption in the traditionally tea-drinking country is growing rapidly. According to the US Department of Agriculture, coffee consumption in China has burgeoned nearly three-fold in the past four years. China Market Research Group also forecast that consumption in the country will grow at an annual rate of about 20 percent.

Jerry Baldwin, the co-founder of Starbucks, apprenticed at Peet's late in the 1970s before he started the world's largest coffee chain.

Many new cafes have sprouted in Shanghai over the past few years, but none are as ubiquitous as Starbucks. The brand currently has more than 500 stores in Shanghai, twice the number of its outlets in New York.

Starbucks, which opened its first outlet in China in January 1999, presently has about 2,800 stores in 130 Chinese cities. The company mentioned in a statement last year that it is aiming to operate 3,400 stores in the country by 2019.

During an interview with China Daily USA earlier this year, Howard Schultz, Starbucks' former CEO who bought the company from its original owner in 1987, said that the company will be opening a Starbucks Roastery and Reserve Tasting Room in Shanghai this December.

This new concept cafe will occupy 2,700 sq m on the ground floor of a sleek shopping mall in one of the city's most prime locations. The intent of this space, said Schultz, is to offer consumers an immersive, multi-sensory coffee experience.

xujunqian@chinadaily.com.cn
Chinese students can now choose from more education options in Canada thanks to deeper collaborations between both nations in this area, said Ryan Baerg, deputy consul general at the Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai, during the China Education Expo.

"Top universities used to be the main choice for many Chinese students, but now they are also enrolling in colleges, technical training schools, elementary and high schools, and language programs," said Baerg.

"Canada is also offering more student and teacher exchanges, collaborations on research, leadership trainings and scholarship exchange programs for Chinese students," he added. Canada is the Country of Honor at this year's China Education Expo held from Oct 28 to 29 in Shanghai.

Baerg said that education has always been a pillar in the bilateral ties between China and Canada, pointing out that the number of engagements between both nations has increased since the signing of the first memorandum of understanding on bilateral education in September 2016. The signing was witnessed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

There are presently more than 70 Canadian schools in China offering curriculums for grade 10 to 12 and high school diplomas that are recognized by authorities in both countries.

Last year, the Canadian Embassy launched a pilot program that streamlines the education permit application process for students from Canadian schools in China who wish to complete their high school years in Canada.

According to Baerg, the number of Chinese students studying in Canada has been rapidly rising. As of 2016, there were more than 132,000 Chinese in Canada, accounting for about a third of the international student population.

"Last year, the 85,000 study permits issued and renewed to Chinese students was a new record. It was 16 percent higher than in 2015," said Baerg.

Tony Zeng, chief representative at the China Representative Office at York University in Canada, said that one of the country's main selling points to international students is its high quality education system and affordable education costs.

"Though the number of international students is rising quickly and the education sector is developing just as rapidly, the rate of growth of tuition fees has been relatively slow," said Zeng.

Zhang Yueyun, the mother of a 17-year-old girl who is planning to send her daughter to Canada, cited the country's vibrant multicultural society as another factor.

"Cost-effective education in Canada is certainly attractive, but I think many parents are more concerned about their children getting along with the local students, experiencing the local culture and participating in activities in a safe and pleasant university," she said.

caochen@chinadaily.com.cn
The country's economic miracle has been a godsend to HK, says JPMorgan Chase executive Jing Ulrich. She tells Duan Ting the SAR's role in two of the nation's most ambitious projects is a blessing that's hard to ignore.

Talking to Jing Ulrich - ranked as one of the world's foremost financial power brokers and strategists - her vision for a super strong economic Asia and China, in particular, stands out as magnanimous, down to earth and convincing.

In her philosophy, Asia, led by the Chinese mainland, is dead set to drive the world in future growth - a force that has consistently been presented as the most credible threat to the traditional economic supremacy of the United States.

In a wide-ranging interview with China Daily, the Beijing-born and raised Ulrich took up the cudgels for two of the mainland's most ambitious projects to date - the expansive Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area - in tones that few, or none, worldwide can hold a candle to in terms of economic magnitude and connectivity.

Hong Kong's part in these initiatives, she says, is intrinsic and dominant, leveraging its global financial center status in raising capital for the Belt and Road and the Greater Bay Area.

The flamboyant executive, who's managing director overseeing Asia Pacific operations at US-based banking and financial services colossus JPMorgan Chase, took pains to stress the city's role as the gateway to the Chinese mainland and the Belt and Road countries, added up by the pivotal location of mega infrastructure projects in the Greater Bay, notably the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and the Hong Kong-Macao-Zhuhai Bridge.

These projects are badly in need of funding, and Hong Kong can wrap it up by coming up with additional capital for infrastructure investment, showing how companies can invest in the Belt and Road projects and manage risks, as its sound legal system offers a natural platform for governance and arbitration.

Hong Kong can also export its know-how to the Belt and Road countries and regions in terms of project management, accounting and legal compliance, using Hong Kong enterprises' infrastructure expertise.

Ulrich, who has a penchant for organizing high-profile China investment gatherings to get outsiders adequately acquainted with the mainland's business climate, nails the perception that Hong Kong is still way behind its regional rivals in innovation, arguing that the SAR is "just steps away" from Shenzhen and, as far as helping startups to get off the ground is concerned, Hong Kong's vibrant banking center and lots of wealth in solving investment targets are something that cannot be shrugged off.

Economic hub

The Belt and Road Initiative - a long-term project proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013 - is designed to focus on connectivity and cooperation and drive bigger and faster trade and capital flows between East and West. It covers two trade routes and an overland route connecting Europe, Middle East and China, linking up with 65 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa that represent 63 percent of the world's population and 29 percent of global GDP. The overall objective of the Belt and Road, notes Ulrich, is to boost regional trade, enhance regional infrastructure and encourage economic cooperation.

The Greater Bay area embraces Hong Kong, Macao and nine key cities in Guangdong province - Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing - with the aim of turning it into an integrated economic and business hub rivaling some of the world's famous bay regions. The combined GDP of China's bay area is estimated at $1.4 trillion, with a population of 66.7 million.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay area is part of the nation's plan to promote urbanization by developing city clusters and leveraging the strength of first-tier cities to boost growth in the less developed ones. Ulrich says the region provides a gateway to overseas markets, and companies there can rely on Hong Kong's rich experience in interacting with foreign markets and capitalize on the SAR's financial setup in raising funds and attracting international capital.

"It's also a good bet for innovation and high-tech industries. Internet giant Tencent, the third-largest smartphone maker Huawei, and global market beater in drones DJI are all based in Shenzhen, which has been attracting highly-skilled technology, robotics and engineering professionals from all over the world. The bay area will see great improvement in infrastructure which will generate opportunities."

Challenges ahead

However, Ulrich warns investors to expect challenges as some of the countries along the Belt and Road may be politically unstable, coupled with an incomplete and unsophisticated legal regulatory framework which would impede foreign investment.

For the bay area, she explains, Hong Kong, Macao and the mainland have different regulatory, economic and environmental policies, adding that, in some cases, the central government may have to step in to coordinate among various cities to reduce unnecessary competition and clarify regulatory differences.

And, how to evolve from an advanced manufacturing center into an innovation and R&D (research and development) hub is another challenge. "To do so, a business-friendly policy environment and providing space for entrepreneurial activities would be the key," she says.

Ulrich stresses that each of the cities in China's bay area has a unique place - Hong Kong is the global hub of finance, Macao is the top tourist destination and a notable offshore financial center even though smaller than Hong Kong, Shenzhen is China's first special economic zone and is host to some of the nation's most valued technologies, while Guangzhou continues to be a globally significant manufacturing and trading hub. All these are backed by a huge population, well-established infrastructure, and a strong and highly skilled labor force.

As to how Hong Kong could still improve its role, Ulrich cites its big pool of major listed enterprises and its reputation of helping small companies to grow big, which attract more technology-oriented firms and entrepreneurs to establish a presence in the city. Two investment funds launched by the government for technology and startups is a good way to kickstart the process.

On the other hand, Hong Kong needs to throw in more incentives to encourage multinational companies to set up R&D centers in the city. Many of these multinational companies had picked Singapore or Shanghai to establish their R&D centers as Hong Kong's soaring housing costs and lack of education facilities for expatriates' children are drawbacks.

"I think the government can offer more tax cuts, subsidized office space, and better school access to attract overseas technology talents and lure top Hong Kong graduates from overseas universities," she says.

She also urges the Hong Kong government to increase its support for universities to conduct research with relevant commercial applications, saying Hong Kong has lots of wealth and big business groups that could give a lift for local universities. Upgrading the local primary and secondary education systems can help enlarge the future talent pool. "If you think of science and technology as an ecosystem, a lot of talents are nurtured from the very early stage."

Contact the writer at tingduan@chinadailyhk.com
By Wang Kaihao in Beijing and Huo Yan in Xi'an | China Daily | Updated: 2017-11-17 07:37

People examine relics on Tuesday that were recovered in a special operation in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The launch of China's national internet platform that provides information about lost or stolen cultural relics will help netizens create even more successes. [Photo by Huo Yan/China Daily]

Website lets public view images, details to locate historic artifacts

China's national internet platform featuring information about lost or stolen cultural relics went online on Thursday in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province.

Its goal is to return home listed national treasures.

The bilingual website bdww.sach.gov.cn, in Chinese and English, was launched due to joint efforts from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and Ministry of Public Security.

According to Liu Yuzhu, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, about 2,230 entries from 19 province-level administrative regions nationwide have been included in the database. Some 200 of them were first released online and the rest will be added gradually for the public, with additional entries constantly being added to the online platform.

Liu said on Thursday in Xi'an that the platform will refer "to criteria of the database on lost art pieces of the International Criminal Police Organization", or Interpol.

"The data is also uploaded to the database of Interpol to enhance international cooperation," he said. "It is also to facilitate repatriation of lost Chinese cultural relics."

Each entry includes pictures and basic information of the lost items, such as the time it was lost, historical background, location, condition and the technique used to make it.
A federal judge has denied a request to delay the trial for Brendt Christensen, who is charged in the kidnapping and death of Yingying Zhang, 26, a visiting scholar from China at the University of Illinois.

Judge Colin Bruce in Urbana, Illinois, on Wednesday ordered Christensen's trial to start in February, as scheduled.

Zhang disappeared on June 9, and her body has not been found.

Christensen's public defenders filed a motion last month to delay the trial to October 2018 to prepare their defense.

The judge also ordered the US Justice Department to notify the court and Christensen by Feb 1 if prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.

Christensen was initially charged with kidnapping and pleaded not guilty to that charge in July. A grand jury returned a new indictment on Oct 3 that charged him with kidnapping resulting in death, and of lying to federal agents. He pleaded not guilty in federal court.
140,000 such laborers were recruited to perform support work during WWI

On the night of Nov 15, one hundred years ago, German troops violently bombed Poperinge, a city not far away from the Great War front-line. Thirteen Chinese, among 20,000 laborers working in Belgium, were killed in the attack.

They were among 3,000 Chinese victims of airstrikes near the battlefields of World War I.

On Wednesday afternoon, the first ever Belgian monument to the Chinese laborers, consisting of three bronze statures of them digging trenches, carrying shells and evacuating wounded soldiers, was unveiled in a village two kilometers away from Poperinge.

Wreaths were laid in front of the statue by mayor of Poperinge Christof Dejaegher, Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Qu Xing and British Ambassador Alison Rose, among other Chinese and Belgian dignitaries.

Hundreds of veterans wearing poppy flower brooches, villagers, overseas Chinese and schoolchildren also braved the rain to witness the historic moment.

From 1916, more than 140,000 Chinese people, aged 20 to 35, were recruited by the United Kingdom and France to perform support work for their military forces on the western front, where they labored in the rear echelons or helped build munitions depots.

About 20,000 were sent to the Belgium front-lines.

Qu said the Chinese laborers made an unforgettable contribution to the success of the Allied Forces.

"We can easily imagine, with a labor corps of 140,000 laborers-solders, if one laborer digs only one meter of trench a day, there will be a front of trenches as long as 140 kilometers," Qu said in an emotional speech to the crowd.

"If one person carries only one shell a day, it will be 140,000 shells poured over enemies every day. We can also imagine the number of wounded soldiers whose lives were saved by prompt evacuation from the battlefields."

He said that about 20,000 laborers never returned to China, with 3,000 dying in German submarine attacks and because of illness and about 10,000 killed in the 1918 Flu Pandemic.

"We think it is indispensable, for our generation who enjoy peace, to build a monument to commemorate them, about 20,000 Chinese laborers-as-soldiers who devoted their lives to come to a place they had never been, and to help people they had never met," he said.

Yan Shufeng, a Chinese-Belgian sculptor who has been working with her assistants for nearly one year to present the sculptures, said: "I am very delighted to contribute to make this period of both humiliating and honorable history alive through our efforts."

Rose said the Chinese corps members all worked in harsh conditions, very close to the battlefield and under constant risk of bombing.

With thousands of them got killed during the war, Rose said 86 of them found their final resting place at British military cemeteries in Belgium. Most of the tombs are in Lijssenhoek cemetery just outside Poperinge.

"I have been with the school trips as they have visited the Chinese Labour Corps graves, so I know that they are remembered," Rose said.

Rose also cited one of the epitaphs on the gravestones for the Chinese laborer member at Commonwealth War Cemeteries as saying: "A good reputation endures forever."

Xinhua contributed to this story.

fujing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/17/2017 page10)
Masterpiece by Italian artist is the only one in private hands

NEW YORK - A painting of Christ by the Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci purchased by an unidentified buyer bidding via telephone for a record $450.3 million at auction on Wednesday, smashing previous records for artworks sold at auction or privately.

The painting, Salvator Mundi, Latin for Savior of the World, is one of fewer than 20 paintings by da Vinci known to exist and the only one in private hands. It was sold by Christie's auction house.

"Salvator Mundi is a painting of the most iconic figure in the world by the most important artist of all time," said Loic Gouzer, co-chairman of postwar and contemporary art at Christie's.

"The opportunity to bring this masterpiece to the market is an honor that comes around once in a lifetime."

The highest price paid for a work of art at auction had been $179.4 million, for Pablo Picasso's painting Women of Algiers in May 2015. The highest known sale price for any artwork had been $300 million for Willem de Kooning's painting Interchange, sold privately in September 2015 by the David Geffen Foundation to hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin.

A backer of the Salvator Mundi auction had guaranteed a bid of at least $100 million. The bidding opened at $75 million and ran for 19 minutes.

People in the auction house gallery applauded and cheered when the bidding reached $300 million and when the hammer came down on the final bid, $400 million. The record sale price of $450 million includes the buyer's premium, a fee paid by the winner to the auction house.

The 66-centimeter-tall painting dates from around 1500 and shows Christ dressed in Renaissance-style robes, his right hand raised in blessing as his left hand holds a crystal sphere.

Its path from Leonardo's workshop to the auction block at Christie's was not smooth. Once owned by King Charles I of England, it disappeared from view until 1900, when it resurfaced and was acquired by a British collector. At that time it was attributed to a da Vinci disciple, rather than to the master himself.

The painting was sold again in 1958 for only 45 pounds ($60) and then was acquired in 2005, badly damaged and partly painted over, by a consortium of art dealers who paid less than $10,000. The art dealers restored the painting and documented its authenticity as a work by Leonardo.

Christie's did not identify the seller. But media identified him as Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev.

Christie's said most scholars agree the painting is by Leonardo, though some critics have questioned the attribution and some say the extensive restoration muddies the work's authorship.

Christie's capitalized on the public's interest in da Vinci, considered one of the greatest artists of all time, with a media campaign that labeled the painting "The Last Da Vinci".

The work was exhibited in Hong Kong, San Francisco, London and New York before the sale.

In New York, where no museum owns a Leonardo, art lovers lined up outside Christie's Rockefeller Center headquarters on Tuesday to view Salvator Mundi.

Svetla Nikolova, who's from Bulgaria but lives in New York, called the painting "spectacular".

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," she said. "It should be seen. It's wonderful it's in New York. I'm so lucky to be in New York at this time."

AP - Reuters - AFP
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (L, center) speaks to Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia (R, center) before a UN Security Council meeting to vote on a US-drafted resolution on extending mandate of mechanism investigating chemical attacks in Syria at the UN headquarters in New York, on Nov 16, 2017. The draft text of the United States addressing the renewal of the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN investigating chemical attacks in Syria failed to be adopted by the Security Council Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

UNITED NATIONS - The draft text of the United States addressing the renewal of the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN investigating chemical attacks in Syria, failed to be adopted by the UN Security Council Thursday.

The resolution received 11 votes in favor and two against, with two abstentions. But because one of the votes against it was from Russia, a permanent council member, the resolution failed to pass. China abstained from voting on the resolution.

The Security Council had planned to put on vote two draft resolutions, each of which would renew the mandate of the JIM, which ends on November 17. Russia withdrew its draft resolution before the vote began, citing procedure reasons.

"China is firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons by whichever country, organization or person for whatever purposes and under whatever circumstances," said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

He said "we have always maintained that the JIM should carry out comprehensive, objective and impartial investigations into chemical attacks in Syria."

"Base this work on solid evidence and draw conclusions that can stand the test of time and reality. Only by doing so can the perpetrators of chemical weapon attacks in Syria and those accountable be brought to justice and can the Syrian people be freed from the suffering caused by chemical weapon attacks," Wu added.

There had been a great deal of activity around the renewal of the JIM and its final report in the last few weeks. The United States put to a resolution to vote to renew the JIM with the same mandate for an additional year on October 24, two days before the release of the JIM's final report. Russia vetoed the resolution, arguing a need to evaluate the effectiveness of the JIM by assessing the final report before discussing its renewal.

On November 2, Russia and the United States circulated competing drafts renewing the JIM's mandate. On November 7, Edmond Mulet, head of the JIM's leadership panel, briefed the council on its final report. During the briefing, the existing divisions in the council were on full display. Russia criticised the JIM for falling short of the standards of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The kitchen in the TV series Downton Abbey was shown at the exhibition. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

Anyone who watched the multi award-winning TV series Downton Abbey would have been impressed by the British aristocratic lifestyle and the elegance and finery of the post-Edwardian era.

Now fans can have a fully immersive experience with the series' characters, costumes, locations and historic events and watch some never-before-seen footage, not in Yorkshire, England, but in New York City.

The curtain will go up on Downton Abbey: The Exhibition on Nov 18 at the Doing/Living Marketplace at 218 West 57th Street in Manhattan, its first stop in the US.

"Debuting in 2010 and now seen in over 250 territories, Downton Abbey quickly became a global phenomenon, especially in the US, where the series established an incredibly loyal and avid fan base," said Michael Edelstein, president of NBC Universal International Studios.

"Downton Abbey: The Exhibition continues this extraordinary legacy and gives viewers an exclusive invitation inside the series' beloved characters, story lines and sets," he said.

"Rich in culture and attracting fans from all over the world, New York City is the perfect location to unveil this multimillion dollar museum-quality experience," he added.

Visitors will be escorted on a journey through the grand home of Downton Abbey as the exhibition peers into the world of the Crawleys and those that served them below stairs.

From Mrs Patmore's hectic kitchen and the gossip-fueled servants' quarters to the family's glamorous dining room and Lady Mary's bedroom, fans will get the chance to walk through some of the series' most recognizable and beloved sets.

Visitors will get up close to more than 50 of the show's official costumes worn by the cast, including both Mary and Edith's wedding dresses, Mary's season two proposal dress, and Rose's royal presentation dress.

Thousands of official artifacts from the show, including the bell board from the servants' dining room, and telegrams informing Lord Grantham of the sinking of the Titanic and outbreak of war with Germany, will be on display.

One of the largest UK drama exports of all time and seen in more than 250 territories worldwide, Downton Abbey won 15 Emmy Awards and 69 nominations, making it the most nominated non-US show in Emmy history.

The winner as well of three Golden Globes, a special BAFTA and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, the series has captured an extensive fan base worldwide.

Aired for six seasons on PBS in the US, the series' viewership reached more than 26 million in its final season, making it the highest-rated PBS drama series of all time.

In China, the shows were watched 160 million times online.

"We are absolutely aware of the popularity of the show in China, and there has been some interest expressed by venues in China in hosting the exhibition," said Dominic Burns, senior vice-president of Brand Management & Commercial of NBC Universal International Studios. "So it could be a great opportunity to bring the show to China in the near future."

The exhibition will be in New York until January. Its next stop has not been revealed.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com
The 2017 honorees of The US-China Policy Foundation pose for a group photo at the 22nd Anniversary Gala Dinner in Washington on Wednesday evening. From left: Hongyi (Charlie) Jiang, chairman and CEO of China-US Sky Club; Stella Li, president of BYD Motors Inc; Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the US; Zhou Zhixing, honorary dinner chair; and Max Baucus, former US senator and ambassador to China. YUAN ZHANG / CHINA DAILY

'Long and impressive list' is result of 'giant efforts' by both nations: Cui

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai had some harsh words for those who criticized the achievements made between China and the US during US President Donald Trump's first state first visit to China last week.

While some believe the economic outcome of the visit was below their expectations, Cui said $250 billion is not a small number, referring to the bilateral trade and investment deals signed during Trump's Nov 8-10 visit to Beijing.

"Of course some of the deals will have to be implemented. But such a long and impressive list is the outcome of the giant efforts of two governments and two business communities," Cui told a crowd of mostly experts of US-China relations at the gala dinner of the US-China Policy Foundation in Washington on Wednesday.

"As long as there is sufficient political will, they will be implemented, and will benefit our two peoples."

Cui said that some people may believe that it's their job in the government to fight with other people over trade disputes.

"But I would suggest that it's their responsibility to build a strong and stable economic relationship between our two economies," he said.

China has expressed deep dissatisfaction over the US government's initiation in August of a Section 301 investigation into China's policies and practices of intellectual property, using what is widely deemed the outdated US Trade Act of 1974 that is inconsistent with the principles of the World Trade Organization.

China also has protested the US decision late last month to impose anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminum foil.

"Indeed, we all owe it to our people that their aspiration for a better life will not be affected by any trade war, or any short-sighted, narrow-minded political schemes," he said.

Cui, who has served in his current post since April 2013, suggested people who made accusations of US-China relations to study elementary economics, such as the concept of comparative advantage, the virtues of competition, the international production chain, the value-added chain, and fundamental change in the global economic structure.

Most economists believe that the bilateral trade deficit, which Trump complained about for a long time, does not matter. They believe the deficit has more to do with US domestic fiscal policy.

Joseph Gagnon, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, said that economists broadly agree that trade barriers do not cause deficits.

"A country can have a trade deficit only if it is borrowing on net from the rest of the world. Trade barriers have only minor effects on borrowing and lending decisions," he wrote on the institute's website.

"Actually we learned all these things from our friends in the developed economies. But the problem today is that the preachers no longer believe in their own preaching," Cui said, a pointed word that is clearly aimed at the growing protectionism and anti-globalization sentiment in the West, including the United States.

chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
Attending daily worship here has been fascinating, rich, fruitful, sometimes challenging, and often beautiful.

I've spoken with other participants about their experience of worship, and they tell me that it is not like what they are accustomed to at home. It's more contemplative, most of them tell me. Some say it's more liturgical than home, some say it's less so. It's clearly not one hundred percent familiar to anyone -- we use a prayerbook created by The Upper Room, unique to these retreats. Of course, it is probably least familiar to me, because my liturgical tradition is Jewish, and this is not Jewish prayer by any stretch of the imagination. But it's a kind of cousin to Jewish prayer, sometimes, in interesting ways.

Some of what we've been doing is familiar to me as a Jew who has been in Christian spaces before. (I attended an Episcopal school for six years, and have sung in many churches.) It's always both wonderful, and somewhat disconcerting, to encounter familiar words and phrases and prayers in this other setting. The psalms, of course. Or hymns that speak of "Israel" or covenant -- though in a Christian setting, those terms evoke their community of believers in Jesus, rather than the community of Jews. That stretches me sometimes, though of course it's okay for these words to mean different things to them than they do for me.

My task is to honor and notice those tight places, and the objections voiced by my discursive mind -- the part of me that inhabits briyah, the world of intellect -- and then gently set them aside so that I can be present in this worship in yetzirah, the world of heart and connectivity. Where can I find, in this liturgy and in this experience of prayer, the heart-connection with God that I seek in my own prayer life? I love the discipline of daily prayer, and even when that prayer is in a modality that is foreign to me, it's still an opportunity to open to God. Thrice-daily prayer in community is a gift, even when the prayer isn't always exactly my own.

Prayer is an experience of discernment. The Hebrew  / l'hitpallel, "to pray," comes from the root meaning to discern or judge oneself. Through the discipline of daily prayer, we come to know ourselves in a deeper way. For me as a Jew, the experience of immersing in daily liturgy (even my own familiar and comfortable liturgy) is also an experience of seeing what bubbles up within me to distract me from my prayer. What are my recurring thoughts, narratives, ideas, fears? The goal is not to resent them for distracting me from prayer, but to lift up the sparks of distracting thoughts, as the Baal Shem Tov taught.

If that's true in the familiar setting of Jewish prayer -- the words of the siddur that roll comfortably off my tongue, the melodies of weekday nusach and the musical settings I know best -- how much more so in this setting of the Academy for Spiritual Formation. As I pray in these unfamiliar forms, I learn things about myself. What buttons are pushed for me by these Christian uses of Jewish ideas and terms? What is evoked for me? Where do I feel what Krister Stendahl called "holy envy," and where do I feel resistance? These aren't my native prayer forms, but they are prayer and they are real -- and can be real for me if I let them.

I have been reminded often this week of Reb Zalman z"l's teaching that in order to appreciate the beauty of a stained glass window, one needs to stand inside the church and see the light streaming through it. In order to appreciate what role Jesus plays for my Christian brothers and sisters, I need to open myself to their prayers. Sometimes their prayers trigger my "allergies," because being a member of a minority religious tradition surrounded by Christian language, ritual, and presumptions has shaped me in not-always-comfortable ways. My work is to notice those allergies without letting them push me out of prayer.

I can pray authentically as a Jew in this Christian setting: that's the path of deep ecumenism, to which I committed myself when I chose a Jewish Renewal path. One night this week I led evening worship, sharing beloved prayers of Jewish nighttime liturgy. Otherwise, I've taken it upon myself to pray as my colleagues here pray. (With the exception of participating in communion. I do not partake, but I join the community in singing as others go up to receive the wine and the bread. And oh, I do love to sing.) I'm grateful to be able to quiet my mind, sink into the music, and let myself pray -- cultivating openness to whatever arises.

I'm teaching this week at a training program for Christian clergy and laity doing the work of spiritual formation. Image: the Upper Room retreat prayerbook.
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Industry and trade reached added value of around VN356 trillion (US$15.8 billion), accounting for 33.6 per cent of the HCM Citys GRDP. Photo nhandan.com.vn

HCM CITY  HCM Citys industry and trade sectors were among the leading, the citys Department of Industry and Trade, said on Wednesday.

Compared with 2016, the index of industrial production (IIP) this year is expected to increase by nearly 8.5 per cent; turnover from retail goods and consumer services by 10.9 per cent; and export turnover by 15.1 per cent.

Industry and trade reached added value of around VN356 trillion (US$15.8 billion), accounting for 33.6 per cent of the citys GRDP.

The breakthrough growth of four key industries -- food processing, chemistry-rubber engineering, electronics and information technology -- saw significant achievements with IIP 1.83 times higher than that of national industry, Pham Thanh Kien, director of the department, said.

Infrastructure for modern trade included an additional 18 supermarkets, three shopping malls, and 218 convenience shops compared with 2016. There was remarkable growth of online trade, which contributed to commodity retail and consumer service turnover, he added.

City authorities have launched many support policies for enterprises. Enterprises in the industry and supporting sectors can now borrow capital of up to VN200 billion ($8.9 million) per project, with preferential-loan interest periods lasting seven years.

This year, the city organised 35 trade promotion campaigns by connecting international retail groups with local producers and helping enterprises expand market share in neighbouring provinces and international markets.

Rapid establishment of new enterprises, with nearly 330,000 this year, an increase of 8.45 per cent, also contributed to growth.

However, most of the new enterprises were micro and small-sized companies, which have difficulty accessing preferential capital from the Government and banks.

The supporting industry has gained initial achievements, but is not strong enough to meet material demand for local producers.

In the coming time, the trade and industry department will promote trade focusing on key markets with trade surpluses with Viet Nam of over $1 billion, like China, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, Kien added.

We will focus on policies to help supporting enterprises so they can take advantage of free trade agreements, and develop technical barriers to minimise any negative impact from such agreements, he added.

Economists have said that HCM City must identify its export advantages and focus all resources to promote key export industries like electronics, computers, software and digital content and services.  VNS
HCM CITY  Vietnamese food producers need to focus on improving product quality, invest in new technologies and build brands to meet consumer demand and increase export value, experts said at the Vietnam Food Forum held in HCM City on Thursday.

With consumers increasingly concerned about product hygiene and food safety, more attention should be paid to the food chains different stages, where hazards can occur, according to Nguyen Song Ha, assistant chief representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN.

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) should be applied to improve safety and quality, he said.

Vietnamese businesses should invest more in GAP to enable our products to be more delicious and safer so as to improve our position in the world market, Ha said.

The volume of VietGap-certified products remains modest compared to market demand, he added.

According to FAOs forecast, consumption of high-quality food products will increase significantly until 2020, Hai noted.

Speaking on the sidelines of the forum, Nguyen Huong Quynh, managing director of Nielsen Vietnam, said consumers were willing to pay for high-quality, prestigious products.

Vietnamese food producers have paid a lot of attention to export markets and are selling products that they have, but havent focused on what consumers really need, she said.

Businesses should not forget that the domestic market has great potential and that many foreign players want to jump in, she added.

Quynh suggested that they focus more on domestic consumer demand, develop suitable products and improve their technology and product designs.

Brand building

Speaking at the forum, o Thang Hai, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, said the food industry had greatly contributed to export revenue, creating jobs and improving workers incomes.

Export of agricultural and food products were worth US$29.6 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 12.7 per cent. But 90 per cent of Vietnamese farm exports are raw products, with low added value.

Leon Trujillo, an expert in branding, said: Viet Nam has become a food production powerhouse, but not every country is aware of this.

He urged Viet Nams food sector to develop a brand identity that brings value to products, the country and its food producers.

More investment in technologies is needed to raise the ratio of processed products, delegates said, adding that more research and development was necessary to increase competitiveness and add more value to products.

Nguyen Trung Anh, R&D director of the PAN Group, said the company had developed a farm-food-family closed value chain to offer trusted and traceable products.

It has also worked with local and foreign partners to transfer technologies, develop new products and automate production.

In addition, it has invested in R&D and built linkages with farmers to develop its own material sources, he said.

Deputy minister Hai said the Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with ministries, business associations and companies are implementing measures to develop markets, improve quality and build brands for Vietnamese food products to gradually raise the export value of products.

At the forum, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for co-operation in trade promotions between Hong Kong and Vietnamese businesses.

Vietrade also signed an MoU with Nielsen Vietnam for co-operation in market research and development.

At the event, Jocelyn Tran, from Walmart, also described how companies could become suppliers to Walmart.

The forum included a business-to-business meeting between Vietnamese producers and foreign importing groups from France, the US, Italy, Japan and China, as well as local and foreign supermarkets and hypermarkets such as Walmart, CJ Group, Lotte, Central Group, Vinmart and Satra.

Held on the sidelines of the Vietnam Foodexpo, the forum was organised by Vietrade, the FAO and VP Bank.  VNS
HA NOI  A new study has found that only 37 per cent of women-owned SMEs Viet Nam have accessed bank loans in the last two years, compared to 47 per cent of male business owners. The study authors urged banks to design uniquely tailored products and services for women-owned small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in order to support the under-tapped potential of this segment.

The study, by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) under the World Bank, Women-Owned Enterprises in Viet Nam: Perceptions and Potential, released on Thursday, said that investing in women and promoting gender equality helps businesses reach new markets and expand.

The IFC report identifies Viet Nams women entrepreneurs as one of the significant forces within the SME sector. Their 95,900 firms account for 21 per cent of the countrys total formal enterprises, and 42 per cent of womens businesses are SMEs.

Running nearly 45,000 SMEs across sectors, women entrepreneurs were found to bring in average annual revenue similar to that of male entrepreneurs. Despite their strength, women entrepreneurs are less likely to access loans than their male peers.

One of the key difficulties that women-owned businesses find is limited capital access in banks. They feel they are not taken seriously as the customer segment, said Rubin Japhta, senior operations officer of the IFCs Banking on Women/SME Banking division.

Speaking with the Viet Nam News on the sidelines at the seminar, Rubin said women more often find informal forms of financing. For example, they borrow from their families or take personal loans from banks and use the money for their businesses.

This is a more expensive financing option for business, Rubin said. Banks need to change their services and see the women-owned SMEs as a distinct market segment. You need to think and look through what we call the gender lens.

The financing gap is estimated at $1.2 billion for women-owned SMEs in Viet Nam. Though Viet Nam has policies to encourage womens entrepreneurship, most banks see this segment as less profitable, higher risk and lacking in financial management skills.

The IFCs research showed that women business owners want to borrow more to invest in their companies and they typically record higher revenue per employee and lower default rates than their male counterparts.

Vietnamese women are great at doing business. They are more aware of risk than male counterparts which allows them to better run their businesses, said Craig Chittick, Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam.

Vietnamese women have a large role in their families but they are very good at balancing family responsibilities and running businesses, the ambassador said. He endorsed the idea that banks should provide better services to women entrepreneurs.

ao Gia Hung, deputy head of SME Banking of the Viet Nam Prosperity JSC Bank (VPB), said VPBank initiated its pilot women strategy one year ago and the percentage of businesswomen in its SMEs portfolio increased from 15 per cent to 25 per cent this year.

The non-performing loan (NPL) rate among women-owned businesses is lower than among men, Hung said, adding that he believes women are more risk-averse than men and they make payments carefully. We see a big opportunity in the over $1 billion market of women entrepreneurs.

On Thursday, IFC also launched the study Tackling Childcare: The Business Case for Employer-Supported Childcare which encourages companies to support childcare for women employees. By doing so, they can hire and retain talented women, boosting profits and productivity.

IFC has invested more than $1 billion in private-sector banks via its Banking on Women programme and has provided advisory services to banks that want to better serve the womens market.  VNS
Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue (R) receives Samsung Vietnam General Director Shim Won-hwan in Ha Noi yesterday.  Photo VGP

HA NOI  Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue on Thursday praised Samsung Vietnam for increasing its localisation rate.

Receiving General Director Shim Won-hwan in Ha Noi, he also expressed pleasure in the growth of the company in the country.

Shim informed the PM that the firms exports had reached US$44 billion and is expected to rise to $5253 billion by the end of 2017. About 160,000 people are directly employed by Samsung factories in Viet Nam, and they indirectly employ about 20,000 others, excluding employees of the companys suppliers, he said.

The number of Vietnamese businesses directly supplying components to Samsung has risen from four in 2014 to 29 in 2017, and this is expected at 50 by 2020.

Samsung has devised a detailed training programme to turn Vietnamese firms into its suppliers, Shim said. The company has organised workshops and supporting industry exhibitions to seek vendors, sent Korean experts to give advice and help improve the capacity of local firms with potential, he added.

The firm has also paid attention to personnel development through training courses and sending skilled employees to the RoK for further training, the executive said.

Expressing his pleasure at Samsungs development in Viet Nam, Deputy PM Hue said that with its projects in Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen provinces as well as HCM City, Samsung has become the biggest FDI investor in Viet Nam with total registered investment capital of $17.3 billion.

He said he highly valued Samsung Vietnams moves to develop the local support industry and raise the rate of locally-made components.

He asked Samsung to set up a research and development centre in Viet Nam soon, adding that the Vietnamese Government will actively support this project.

The Deputy PM also suggested Samsung, a multi-sectoral and multi-national group, to invest in other fields that it is strong in, including energy, seaport infrastructure, science and technology, and healthcare.

He hoped that Samsung would be a role model of successful foreign investment in Viet Nam and an example for connecting local enterprises with foreign investors, facilitating growth of the supporting industry in Viet Nam.  VNS
HA NOI  Several banks announced they would auction the shares they are holding in companies, in the last two months of the year, on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX).

According to an announcement on the exchange, on November 21, OceanBank will sell four million shares equivalent to a capital contribution of VN40 billion (US$1.7 million), or 8 per cent of outstanding shares of the Petroleum Vietnam-SSG Real Estate Joint Stock Company, at an initial price of VN10,638 per share.

The Petroleum Vietnam-SSG (PV-SSG) Real Estate Joint Stock Company, formerly known as the Petroleum Housing Service Trading, Construction and Investment Company, was jointly established by PetroVietnam and the SSG Group.

Currently, SSG Group holds the controlling stake at PV-SSG, with 81.2 per cent of shares. OceanBanks stake is 8 per cent and FECON Infrastructure Joint Stock Companys stake is 6 per cent.

On Thursday, the HNX also announced that there are five investors who have registered to buy 4.26 million shares of the Petroleum Vietnam-SSG. Among them, one is institutional investor who wants to buy four million shares.

On November 20, the Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank) will also auction 6.6 million shares worth VN66 billion, equivalent to 10.9 per cent of the charter capital of the Cement Finance Joint Stock Company (CFC) at an initial price of VN11,549 per share.

As of Wednesday, there were nine individual investors registering to buy 6,671,000 shares of CFC.

In a similar move, the Vietnam Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (Agribank) will divest its capital contributed to the Vietnam Agriculture Trade and Tourism Joint Stock Company and the Vietnam Agribank Gold Corporation Joint Stock Company on December 15.

Agribank will sell 5.29 million shares of the tourism company at an initial price of VN18,990 per share and 12,615,440 shares of the gold company at VN13,900 per share.  VNS
HCM CITY  Veteran writer Nguyen Nhat Anhs books in Braille versions will be printed and released soon by Nguyen inh Chieu School for the Blind in Ha Noi to serve its students.

Anh visited the school and presented four of his books to the school.

His four best-selling childrens books, Cho Toi Xin Mot Ve i Tuoi Tho (Give Me a Ticket Back to Childhood), Mat Biec (Blue Eyes), Bay Buoc Toi Mua He (Seven Steps to Summer) and Ngay Xua Co Mot Chuyen Tinh (The Past Love Story), will be published in Braille by the schools teachers.

The writer said he would offer more his books to help the school produce more Braille books for its students.

Anh, who lives in HCM City, began writing in 1984 and is known for his simple style and insights about children.

He is one of the citys few authors who write for children, and has penned many contemporary classics, including Kinh Van Hoa (Kaleidoscope) and Thang Quy Nho (The Mischievous Boy), which are favourites of thousands of children and teenagers around the country.

In 2007, Anhs Cho Xin Mot Ve i Ve Tuoi Tho sold more than 20,000 copies in the first weeks of its release. The book is about a city boy named Mui and his three friends. In 2010, it received the Southeast Asian Writers Award from Thailands royal family.

The book has been translated into Thai and published by Thai-based publisher Nanmee Books.

Viet Nam has from 600,000 to 700,000 blind and visually impaired people, 70,000 of whom are children.

The Viet Nam Blind Association prints Braille books with old printing machines that have very low productivity, and many associations in provinces still print Braille book by hand.

Several schools for blind children in big cities such as Ha Noi and HCM City produce Braille books and notebooks for their students.

These schools, funded by the State and local and foreign charities, have succeeded in teaching a small minority of the countrys blind how to read and write. However, the supply is well below what is needed.  VNS
HA NOI  A young man is under police investigation for illegally livestreaming a movie screened in a cinema in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The 19-year-old college student from the province, turned himself into police and admitted to livestreaming the film. He and his girlfriend went to the cinema to watch the movie Co Ba Sai Gon (The Tailor) on Monday, three days after the movie debuted nationwide. The man livestreamed a third of the 90-minute film and only stopped when he saw a cinema staff member. Part of the movie was shared on a film fanpage of which he is an admin.

One of the two producers of the movie, actress and director Ngo Thanh Van responded on her Facebook: I feel hopeless with these cases. It hurts, especially given the effort that the whole team put in to the movie. Producing a movie is already hard, the film market is challenging and now we have to deal with this kind of audience.

The man then deleted the post after receiving critical comments from netizens. He also sent apology to the producer and went to police to report his wrongdoing on Monday afternoon.

On Wednesday, Van asked Vung Tau police to investigate the case. She said the youths act violated the copyright rules.

Producing a movie may cost from VN5 billion (US$220,000) and even a lot more. Some producers had to give up a great deal for it and even sell their houses and cars to invest in the movie, said director Nguyen Quang Dung. I understand that the youth may be immature sometimes, but they need to bear responsibility when they reach adulthood.

The directors movie Sieu Nhan X (Super X) was also illegally livestreamed in 2015.

Under the Vietnamese Criminal Code, the illegal recording of film and images may be punishable by fines from VN15 million to VN35 million (($660-1,500).

In case the violation causes serious consequences, violators will be fined up to VN200 million ($8,800) or sentenced to up to three years in prison.

Previous movies that have faced the same problem include Tam Cam-Chuyen Chua Ke (Tam Cam-Untold Stories), Lo To (Loto) and Em Chua 18 (Jailbait).

Cinema tickets in Viet Nam range from VN50,000 to VN 120,000 (($2.2-$5.3), which is generally affordable for most people, said Nguyen Minh Ngoc, a 27-year-old movie-goer in Ha Noi. So I think people would not stop going to cinema to watch the movie just because part of it was livestreamed. As long as the movie is good, I believe that audiences will still choose to watch it in cinema.  VNS
HA NOI  The National Museum of History will develop a 3D exhibition showcasing valuable documents on Viet Nams sovereignty, the museums director Nguyen Van Cuong said at a conference held on Wednesday in Ha Noi.

It will be the biggest exhibition ever to show Vietnamese and international visitors proof of the nations sovereignty, especially over seas and islands.

The conference gathered many experts and scientists to discuss how to effectively exhibit valuable documents and objects on Viet Nams sovereignty.

The museum now holds many documents which have historical and scientific value, he said.

We want to consult experts to promote the value of the museums documents as well as those kept by private collectors with the aim of raising peoples awareness of national sovereignty.

Proof: Historian Mai Ngoc Hong presented a map published in 1904 in China indicating that Chinas southern border is Hainan Island to Nguyen Van Quan, former director of the National Museum of History, last year.  Photo tuyengiao.vn

Historian Nguyen Nha, who has spent many years researching the topic, said he has finished a 400-page dossier in English titled Viet Nams Sovereignty over the Paracels and Spratly Islands  A History in Documents. The dossier includes his research, PhD thesis, essays he presented in foreign countries and documents dating from the 19th century he collected abroad.

He suggested publishing these documents in a book and translating it into different languages.

On the occasion, he donated many valuable documents for the Museum of History to display at the exhibition.

Nguyen Truong Giang, director of the East Sea Institute, said the exhibition should be entertaining, attractive and easy to understand. The museums should co-operate with foreign partners to organise the exhibition. Documents should go with objects collected from archaeological projects to provide true evidence, he said.

Pham Quoc Quan, member of the National Council of Cultural Heritage, suggested that the exhibits must be organised in chronological order, from prehistory to the modern day. That would help visitors get a panoramic view on the historical context, he said.  VNS
HA NOI  A series of cultural and art activities will take place in the pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake this weekend to kick off the first Italian - ASEAN Week launched by the Italian embassy.

An Italian Trail will depart from central Ly Thai To Square and will visit many other places in the centre to introduce Italian culture to local people. The trail will take the public along an exclusively designed path enriched by booths for Italian food and wine tasting with the participation of the Italian gastronomic champions in Ha Noi and exhibitions of Italian design creations.

Musical performances by Italians artists and Ha Noi University students including an original show on the Renaissance will be staged at Ly Thai To Square.

The Italian - ASEAN Week has been launched by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affaires as a unique initiative in ASEAN member countries from November 20 to 26. Within this extraordinary framework and benefiting from the unique season the Italian embassy will showcase a full spectrum of the best of Italian lifestyle and bring Italy closer to the Vietnamese.

"Activities will be held in seven ASEAN member countries in the context of developing diplomatic relationships," said ambassador Cecilia Piccioni. "We are glad to introduce our typical cultural characteristics to people from ASEAN. The week expects to lure people who want to know more about Italian culture".

The week will also include scientific and linguistic conferences; as well as concerts and food tasting.

Award-winning pianist Nazareno Ferruggio will duet with Vietnamese pianist Pham Quynh Trang at Viet Nam Youth Theatre on November 23. The second week of the Italian cuisine in the world will be held on December 4 featuring young Italian chef Marco Gallota from Rome. He will introduce to the Vietnamese some traditional Italian recipes offering a unique experience of Italian-Asian gastronomic fusion.

On this occasion, Italian films will be screened at Casa Italia - the centre for Italian culture promotion at the weekend and a painting exhibition by Laura Federici will be held there.  VNS
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment (MPI) Nguyen Van Hieu said at a conference on Thursday.  Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

HA NOI  The public-private-partnership investment model as a solution for Viet Nams long-term infrastructure development can only work with all stakeholders fully understanding their roles and the risks involved, experts said at a conference on Thursday.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment (MPI) Nguyen Van Hieu said at the conference that despite the countrys internationally recognised advancements in recent years, there were signs of a slowdown and stagnant productivity, and a significant factor in this is the low quality of infrastructure.

He said that a working group of officials from the Vietnamese Government and the World Economic Forum (WEF) will be formed to address long-term infrastructure development issues that the country is facing.

The group will focus particularly on solutions via public private partnerships, he added.

Infrastructure had been identified by the Vietnamese Government as one of three pillars of its growth strategy for the 2011-20 period, alongside institutional reforms and human resources development. However, as in other developing countries, the enormous investment required is beyond the capacity of the State Budget.

The capital needed for infrastructure development until 2030 has been estimated at VN3.3 quadrillion (US$145.3 trillion), which has not included costs for high-speed railways, airways, and waterway development. However, the National Assembly has only approved a mid-term investment plan of VN150 trillion ($6.6 trillion), a small fraction, he said.

Nguyen Van Vien, deputy director of the Viet Nam Institute for Development Strategy, said that the infrastructure system in Viet Nam has taken shape, with a traffic system comprising 364,000km of roads, 745km of highways, 23,000km of national roads, 32 seaports and several waterways. However, most of them are of low quality, the energy infrastructure relies heavily on fossil fuels and urban infrastructure is lacking, evidenced by rampant flooding, congestion, and the lack of connectivity."

Similar deficiencies can also be witnessed in other areas such as healthcare and education infrastructure, Vien said.

Alex Wong, head of Global Challenge Partnerships and member of WEF Executive Committee, stressed that as Viet Nam has made it to the group of middle-income countries, the abundant foreign development assistance it once enjoyed is no longer a dependent source, therefore, Viet Nam needs to diversify its investment forms, and public-private partnership has become a necessity.

Wong said PPP was a long marriage and that the Government needs to understand that private sector involvement is not free money. PPPs potentials can only be fully realised if each party is fully aware of its share of the risks and responsibilities, he added.

Wong said the conference was the first brainstorming session between stakeholders  private businesses, the Government, academia and civil society  to share best practices and converse frankly about PPP challenges in Viet Nam.

Organised into two parts, the conference discussed the direction of co-operation between the Vietnamese Government and WEF, the 2017-18 agenda, the secretariat and operations of the infrastructure working group, as well sustainable development investment partnership (SDIP).

In a meeting with WEF Managing Director Phillip Rosler in Netherlands last July, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the forum to assist Viet Nam in consolidating mechanisms and policies to attract investment in infrastructure from both domestic and foreign businesses.

The request took the form of a seven-agenda co-operation agreement on long-term investment, infrastructure and development between two sides that targets future-proofing the Vietnamese economy.  VNS
VN Pharma former chairman and general director is Nguyen Minh Hung at the court. Photo tienphong.vn

HA NOI  The Ministry of Public Security has announced that it is widening investigation into different problems related to a batch of cancer drugs called H-Capita (500mg).

The ministry also announced on Wednesday that it is examining the responsibility of the Drug Administration of Viet Nam (DAVN) and individuals involved.

The 9,000 boxes of H-Capita 500mg were imported by Viet Nam Pharma Enterprise in 2013 without proper proof of origin or quality. The pharmaceutical firms former chairman and general director is Nguyen Minh Hung.

According to an indictment, from 2013 to 2014, Hung ordered Vo Manh Cuong, a director of H&C International Maritime Company, to purchase imported medicines reportedly manufactured by Canadas Helix Pharmaceuticals Company and supply the drugs to Vietnamese hospitals.

To legalise the distribution of the product, Hung and his accomplices forged importation documents stating that the drug had been manufactured by a company named Helix Canada. The fake documents were then submitted to the DAVN.

An investigation later revealed that Canadian authorities had never licensed Helix to produce medicine.

Earlier, on October 30, the HCM City Supreme Peoples Court ordered a re-investigation involving the Investigation Police Department of Economic Crimes and Corruption under the Ministry of Public Security.

The court also decided to continued to hold Hung and Cuong for further investigation.

The jury said that the defendants were corrupt and made fake seals, but authorities were not satisfied.

The extended inquiry will examine the papers the accused used to import the H-Capita, whether the Helix Canada company exists, and the responsibility of different individuals as well as the DAVN in the case.  VNS
HA NOI  An initiative to maintain communication systems during disasters received the Newton Prize in Viet Nam on Thursday.

The project, entitled Building a Foundation for Sustainable Development: Networked Societies for the Cities of Tomorrow is a collaborative achievement by researchers from Queens University Belfast, UK and Duy Tan University, Viet Nam.

Focusing on innovative solutions for communications under hostile conditions, the team has developed an integrated heterogeneous wireless system (IHWS) which is disaster-resistant and able to deal with problems of telecommunication network destruction, power cuts or network congestion. Moreover, the system can provide functions of disaster warning and air quality analysis.

Dr Trung Duong from the School of Electronics at QUB, on behalf of the research group, expressed gratitude for the role of Newton fund and presented their expectations of the projects application in the near future.

I want to contribute to give back to my country. The Newton Prize is another support for us to continue our research so that we can provide more educational initiatives to help people tackle difficulties in life, he said.

The prize was delivered by the British Ambassador to Viet Nam Giles Lever. At the event, he stressed the significance of international collaboration in science and technology in solving global issues, developing the economy and improving social welfare.

He said that Viet Nam was the most important partner of the Newton Fund. In the future, the United Kingdom will continue investing, sharing and building stronger relationships between the two countries to constitute higher achievements.

Four other projects nominated for the prize were also presented. Those projects touch upon diverse fields including 3D printing of metamaterials, locally driven flood management systems, new resilient rice strains for farmers and innovation in maritime logistics.

The Newton Prize Awarding Ceremony is an event on Newton Day organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology in collaboration with Newton Fund Viet Nam, British Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and British Embassy Ha Noi.

The prize was awarded under the framework of the Newton Fund, an initiative to enhance researchers capacities and innovation and assist sustainable socio-economic development in 18 country partners of the UK.

Since 2014, the Newton Fund has sponsored Viet Nam with nearly five million pounds, prioritising the fields of health and life sciences, environmental resilience and energy security, future cities, agriculture, digital innovation and creativity. The UK government has committed to provide 19 million pounds in support by 2021. VNS
HCM City  Nine officials from a public transport operation centre in HCM City were suspended for 15 days after a report published on Thanh Nien (Young people) newspaper on Wednesday claimed they were corrupt.

In an urgent meeting the same day, Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the citys Department of Transport, decided to open an investigation into the allegations. The result must be reported to leaders of the department by the end of the month.

The nine officials from the Centre for Management and Operation of Public Passenger Transport included Nguyen Lam Hai, the centres deputy director, and Pham Vuong Bao, head of the centres operation office.

According to an investigation by Thanh Nien reporters, bribery has been happening on a daily basis at major bus terminals in the southern city, including Cho Lon Bus Station, Mien ong Bus Station, and Mien Tay Bus Station.

The report said that before running its first journey each day, every bus must undergo a check by officials of the bus company and officials of the management centre, which is under the Department of Transport. To be allowed to set off, each bus must obtain a paper called "Transportation Order" signed by these officials.

Observations and camera footage recorded by reporters at the terminals in October and November showed that every bus attendant gave VN10,000 (44 US cents) to each official every time they did the procedure.

In one case, witnessed in the early morning of October 25 at Cho Lon Bus Station, an official of the management centre was seen receiving money from bus attendants one after another and put all the money on his shirt pocket.

The bribery is said to be either done openly or by putting the banknote in the middle of papers submitted.

Each bus attendant was said to give at least VN30,000 a day in bribes, which was divided among two officials of bus companies and one official of the management centre working at the bus terminals.

Bus attendant N.T.P said the practice had become an implicit law for a long time and all buses must do it.

We would face immediate consequences if we didnt follow the rule, she said.

Another bus attendant, N.T.H, said the money was called an incentive for officials. Without it, they could face difficulties from officials.

For example, the officials would point out that buses were not clean, bus attendants wore a wrong pair of sandals or wait until the last minute to issue the Transportation Order papers, she said.

She lamented that despite her modest salary, she had to spend VN600,000 (US$26.4) each month for this under-the-table action.

HCM City currently has thousands of buses operating on 150 bus routes.

The total amount of money involved in bribery at bus stations across the city each day is estimated at up to tens of millions of ong.

In the meeting of the Department of Transport on Wednesday, the department asked the management centre to immediately install cameras on bus terminals of Cho Lon, Mien Tay, Mien ong, An Suong, District 8, and Park 23.9 and finish the work in November.

In another development, Nguyen Van Trieu, the director of Transportation Co-operative 19/5 bus company told Thanh Nien that company leaders were unaware of the issue.

The company had temporarily suspended one official for inspection and would punish those involved, he said.  VNS
HCM CITY  Police on Thursday confirmed they have detained a couple in HCM City who allegedly used a child to beg for money to buy drugs.

Police of District 1s Ben Nghe Ward said they were investigating a woman and a man who appeared in a clip that went viral over the last few days. In the clip, the woman, identified as 31-year-old Nguyen Thi Hong Nga, sits idly at the gate of Childrens Hospital No 2 in District 1. Holding a sleeping baby girl of about three years old in her arms, she begs for money from passers-by.

After leaving her begging spot at the hospital, Nga meets up with a man and together they take a bus to Alley 28 on o Quang au Street in District 1. They inject themselves with what is believed to be drugs inside the alley in front of the baby, and even inject the child, the clip reveals.

The police have identified the man as ang Hoang Vinh, 27, who is Ngas lover, and the girl as Ngas daughter.

Nga returned from a rehab centre in Binh Duong Province in July this year, but quickly relapsed into drugs.

She admitted to the police she earned some VN500,000 (US$22) a day from begging, of which she spent roughly VN300,000 to buy drugs.

Ben Nghe Police said they had taken the child for a drugs test and were awaiting results before proceeding further with the case.  VNS
NINH BINH  Community-based care for the elderly, a pilot programme in the northern province of Ninh Binh, has helped hundreds of elderly people access better healthcare services.

The programme has been implemented in six communes of Yen Khanh District since 2015. It has been expected to promote the role of the elderly in society and to improve their quality of life.

After two years of implementation, the project has gained support from the local elderly, who said they experienced a happier and healthier life.

Nguyen Thi Loan, a resident of Yen Khanh Districts Khanh Cuong Commune, told Viet Nam News that she was encouraged to join the club nearly a year ago, and found it helpful and interesting. I was guided on how to take care of my health, especially for chronic diseases that old people usually deal with, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, she said.

Loan said that she previously stayed at home watching television most of her time. Now she walked or did exercises with other members of the association.

Its much more fun, she said.

Pham Quang Minh, chairman of the Association for the Elderly, said that the model has attracted 970 members of six communes to join poetry and gymnastic clubs.

A special club has been set up to help lonely and ill people living in the commune. This club has gained support from all the people in the commune, including young people, he said.

Annually, more than 70 per cent of the associations members access free health check-ups and examinations, and are given financial support to buy medicines. More than 350 people have been given eye examinations so far.

Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen, director of the districts Centre for Population and Family Planning, estimated that there are more than 17,000 elderly people in the district, accounting for 13 per cent of the total number of people.

Most of them live in rural areas and have no pension, thus their life is quite hard, especially for those who have serious diseases and cannot engage in agricultural production to earn their living.

Thus, the centre worked with the districts Peoples Committee to set up a programme management board to study and implement the programme effectively.

Tuyen said the programme contributed to helping 67 per cent of the elderly get health insurance and more than 16,000 get regular health check-ups. More than 70 per cent of the elderly in the district are now eager to join charity organisations.

The initial success will encourage more elderly people to join the programme and improve their lives, step-by-step, she said.

The programme of consulting and caring for the elderly in the community has been carried out by the Ministry of Healths General Department of Population and Family Planning since 2010, in 29 cities and provinces. In Ninh Binh Province, the programme has been implemented on a trial basis in six communes in 2015 and will end in 2020.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Health has proposed to the Government to reduce or simplify the number of administrative procedures in food safety management.

Deputy Director of the health ministrys Viet Nam Food Administration Tran Viet Nga said this week that five groups of administrative procedures had been proposed to be cut, including food production and trading conditions, announcement of food product and State inspection on foods, certification on meeting food safety standards, and food advertisement and food safety knowledge certification.

Specifically, the health ministry had proposed the reduction of eight out of 50 conditions related to food production and trading under the Decree 67/2016 N-CP issued on July 1, 2016, of which five are for food producers and three are for food traders, Nga said on Tuesday.

Next month, the health ministry will also request the Government to amend three administrative procedures on food product announcements under the Decree 38/2012/N-CP which details regulations on the implementation of some articles of the Food Safety Law.

The ministry proposes cutting down procedures on business licences, enterprise registration certifications for food importers or food safety certifications for imports, quality control and regular inspection of plants and detailed product information and samples.

If the proposal is approved, the time on verifying food certificates would be reduced from six to three days for food imports.

Nga added that the health ministry will ask the Government to revive several contents relating to the management of imported foods that are currently under State management of the ministries of industry and trade, and agriculture and rural development, with an aim to unify the State inspection procedure of the three ministries.

However, Nga said, groups of health food and nutrient food for children under 36 months of age and mixed foodstuffs locally produced in the country will still be strictly controlled and examined.

The health ministry also asked customs authorities to yearly inspect a maximum of 5 per cent of imported products that have already been granted food safety licences by exporting countries that Viet Nam has signed international agreements on mutual recognition on quality inspection, and products that have been manufactured by companies with HACCP or ISO 22000, GMP, IFS or BRC standards.

The ministry has launched its online public services, level 4, in several administrative procedures in the fields of food safety, drugs, cosmetics and medical equipment management.

The health ministrys legal department director Nguyen Huy Quang said that the ministry has put in place plans to simplify its administrative procedures since 2010, cutting down 227 procedures and saving time and money for local and international enterprises.

In 2015, the health sector simplified many administrative procedures relating to examination and treatment, saving VN300 billion (US$13 million) yearly, according to Quang.  VNS
UNITED NATIONS  The UN Security Council was expected to vote, probably on Friday, on a 30-day extension of a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria to allow for negotiations after Russia vetoed a renewal of the probe.

Japan on Thursday presented a draft resolution that would give the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) another 30 days as the United States and Russia work to reach a compromise on the future of the panel.

Russia earlier cast its 10th veto on Syria at the council, blocking the one-year extension of the JIM as proposed in a US-drafted resolution that won 11 votes.

A Russian-drafted resolution fell short of the nine votes required for adoption, garnering just four votes in favour.

The joint UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel was set up by Russia and the United States in 2015 and unanimously endorsed by the council, which renewed its mandate last year.

The expert team is tasked with determining who is responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Russia has sharply criticized the JIM after its latest report blamed the Syrian air force for a sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun that left scores dead.

The attack on April 4 triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide, prompting the United States to launch missile strikes on a Syrian air base a few days later.

Syria has denied using chemical weapons, with strong backing from its main ally Russia.

The Japanese move however revived hope that the JIM could be salvaged.

The draft text obtained by AFP would renew the JIM mandate for 30 days and task UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with submitting to the council in 20 days "proposals for the structure and methodology" of the panel.

Japan requested a vote for Thursday, but diplomats said it was more likely that the council would consider the measure on Friday.

A resolution requires nine votes to be adopted at the council, but five countries -- Russia, Britain, China, France and the United States -- can block adoption with their veto power.

Flawed probe

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the investigation of the Khan Sheikhun attack suffered from "fundamental flaws" and that the US-drafted resolution was "geared toward entrenching the inherent flaws of the JIM."

In its draft, Russia had insisted the panels findings on Khan Sheikhun be put aside to allow for another "full-scale and high-quality investigation" by the JIM.

The Russian veto came as the United Nations was preparing to convene in Geneva on November 28 a new round of talks to end the six-year war and underscored deep divisions over Syria.

Eleven of the councils 15 members voted in favor of the US-drafted resolution, while Egypt and China abstained. Bolivia joined Russia in voting against the measure.

Russia, China, Bolivia and Kazakhstan voted in favour of the Russian draft, while seven countries opposed it. Four countries abstained: Ethiopia, Senegal, Egypt and Japan.

Previous reports by the JIM have found that Syrian government forces were responsible for chlorine attacks on three villages in 2014 and 2015, and that the Islamic State group used mustard gas in 2015.  AFP
BEIJING  China is set to dispatch a special envoy to North Korea on Friday, a trip hailed as a "big move" by US President Donald Trump, who has urged Beijing to pile pressure on its nuclear-armed ally.

Song Tao is officially travelling to the North to brief officials on the recent Chinese Communist Party congress and "other issues of mutual concern" on behalf of President Xi Jinping.

The US leader wants China, which accounts for 90 per cent of North Koreas foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the reclusive regime.

But experts do not believe Songs visit will yield major breakthroughs.

"We can expect some face-saving, assuring but very general and abstract commitments with no substance changes in North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes," said Yuan Jingdong, a specialist in Asia-Pacific security issues at the University of Sydney.

The visit is "more about warning North Korea against going to extremes than forcing it to give up the nukes" because Chinas top priority remains maintaining regional stability, he said.

China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enacting a series of UN measures that include bans on imports of coal, iron ore and seafood from the North.

But Beijing fears that squeezing Pyongyang too hard would cause its collapse.

Song will be the first Chinese envoy to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited.

As a high-level diplomat, Song would likely meet directly with North Koreas top leaders, he said.  AFP
WATERLOO  The Crystal Cathedral of Faith Southern Baptist Church, 3040 Hammond Ave., will host its annual Thanksgiving harvest day Sunday, beginning with worship service at noon. Following the noon service, a fellowship dinner will be served. The days celebration will conclude with a 4 p.m. service.

The Rev. Sedrick McIntosh of New Life Christian Center will be the guest speaker, and the Rev. Marvin Jenkins of Union Baptist Church will be the guest emcee along with their choirs.

Special music will be provided by Ed Henscheid.

The days celebration is free and open to the public. The Rev. Willie Campbell is the pastor.
Fairbank author

will sign books

WATERLOO -- Fairbank author Kris Klingaman has released two new books and will have a book signing from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 25 at the Silver Spur Saddle Shop, 3574 W. Shaulis Road.

The novel "Heart of the Hill Country" is about an Iowa cowgirl who finds adventure, horses and love in the Texas Hill Country. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will go to Aspire Therapeutic Riding Program in Waterloo, Iowa, and the Iowa 4-H Horse Program.

"Aprils Gift" is a childrens story addressing friendship and bullying issues. A portion from book proceeds will go to Aspire.

Both books are available at Amazon.com and book signing events.

Professor set

to speak Nov. 28

DENVER -- Professor Terry Lindell will speak at the Denver Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 28.

Lindell's topic will be Bremer County and the World War, 1917. This is the centennial year of the U.S. entry into the conflict.

Lindell is a professor of history at Wartburg College.

The program is sponsored by the Denver Genealogy and History Club. The group meets the fourth Tuesday of the month and each meeting features a speaker or program which is free and open to the public.

In December, the club will be meeting at 2 p.m. Dec. 12. There will be a workshop offered during the afternoon which will feature tables on learning to do a family book, using online resources, translating German obituaries, and working with wills, probate, and death certificates.

For more information, call the library at 984-5140 or go to www.denver.lib.ia.us.

Lasagna dinner

set for Saturday

WATERLOO  The Knights of Columbus Council 11192 will serve a lasagna dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Queen of Peace Church in Scallon Hall.

Salad, breadsticks, dessert and coffee included for $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for children 5-12 and free for those younger than 5.

Advance tickets will be sold and discounted by $1 per meal. The profits will go toward local charitable organizations, including the weekly community meal sponsored in part by the Knights.

Queen of Peace is located at 320 Mulberry St.

Self-Help offers

matching gifts

WAVERLY -- Self-Help International is joining the #GivingTuesday Movement.

In honor of this global day of giving, the Self-Help International board of directors has announced a matching gift of $30,000 to increase the impact of all donations to Self-Help International.

#GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It follows the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick off the holiday giving season to come.

To learn more or make a donation, go to www.selfhelpinternational.org/givingtuesday or call 352-4040 during normal business hours.

Charles City light

parade slated

CHARLES CITY -- The Charles City Holiday Lighted Parade will open the holiday season at 6 p.m. Dec. 1.

Organized by Community Revitalization, the parade is open for all to participate in or watch.

Entries must be lighted up and mobile. This years theme is A Story Book Christmas. Registration is free but participants are asked to sign up in advance at the Community Revitalization office at 401 N. Main St. for organizational purposes.

For more information, call (641) 228-2335 or email info@charlescitychamber.com.

Wreath-making

workshop slated

WAVERLY -- Bremer County Conservation will host a wreath-making workshop at Ingawanis Woodland at 6 p.m. Dec. 5.

The $20 registration fee covers all the materials needed to make and take home a 20-inch wreath.

Call the Bremer County Conservation office at 882-4742 to reserve a spot.

Vesterheim sets

holiday event

DECORAH -- Vesterheim will offer a Norwegian Christmas Celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 2.

The day of events includes Scandinavian holiday traditions, crafts, music, a movie, treats and more.

For more information check vesterheim.org.

Blood drive set

in New Hampton

NEW HAMPTON -- There will be a New Hampton community blood drive from noon to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 28 at New Hampton Community Center, 112 E. Spring St.

Make an appointment at lifeservebloodcenter.org or call (800) 287-4903.
WATERLOO  Friends of a Cedar Falls man accused of sexually abusing a University of Northern Iowa student told jurors he isnt an aggressive person.

Donghyuk David Kim, 24, is charged with third-degree sexual abuse, and prosecutors said he had sex with a female acquaintance while she was incapacitated following a night of drinking late March 15 and early March 16.

The defense disputes the allegation that the woman was incapacitated.

Both were UNI students at the time of the incident, which took place at his E Street apartment.

On Friday, the defense continued to call witnesses, which included a Cedar Falls woman who hosted Kim as an exchange student when he came to the United States from South Korea to attend high school as a junior.

She said Kim lived as a member of her family for nine months, and she knew him to be peaceful and not aggressive or antisocial.

Those comments were echoed by a female friend of Kim who has known him for about five or six years.

The testimony came despite objections from the prosecution that character evidence in the case was improper.

Fridays trial was cut short because of National Adoption Day proceedings at the courthouse. Evidence in the case is expected to resume on Monday.
CEDAR FALLS  The Cedar Falls Police Departments investigative unit has issued a renewed request for the publics assistance with information regarding a homicide in the College Hill area last weekend.

Police are asking that anyone who may have information or witnessed suspicious activity in the College Hill area to contact the investigative unit at 273-8612.

Also, anyone with a vehicle that was parked in the College Hill area and may have damage related to the incident should call the investigative unit.

Alex Michael Bullerman, 18, of Waterloo, died of a single gunshot wound early Nov. 11 after he was found behind an apartment building at 2303 Olive St., according to police.

A short time later, 18-year-old Dylan James Gehrke, also of Waterloo, arrived at a hospital by private vehicle with a single gunshot wound to his lower right leg. He was treated and released from the hospital.

We are looking into all possibilities, Cedar Falls Police Capt. Mike Hayes said. We have not ruled out gangs. Were looking at all kinds of things.

What were looking for is vehicles that may have damage from shootings, Hayes added, as well as anyone who witnessed any activity in or around the 2200-2300 blocks of Olive Street that evening and early morning.

People may be afraid to come forward. But they need to, Hayes said. There has been a homicide. We need the information, he said.

Public Safety Director Jeff Olson re-emphasized there is not an ongoing threat to the general public.

Were focusing on a group of individuals, Olson said, noting it appears those who were involved in the shootings clearly knew each other.

He also said additional officers are working weekends to address any issues associated with known gang members.

What weve noticed in the past is that some gang members are frequenting the bars on the Hill and even some in the downtown, Olson said. And we noticed it again when we had the shooting last weekend and the weekend before when we had a (shotgun) shot fired into the air in which no one was injured. There have been known gang members or people associated with gangs in each, so were putting some extra officers out on the weekends to help deal with what weve noticed.

He said officers know those individuals, and know them by name.
WATERLOO  A University of Northern Iowa student was in tears the morning after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by an acquaintance, according to her roommate.

She started crying in front of me, and then she told me about the sexual assault. Ive never seen her crying before, the roommate told jurors Thursday as trial continued for Donghyuk David Kim.

Kim, 24, of Cedar Falls, is charged with third-degree sexual abuse. Prosecutors allege he had sex with the female student at his E Street apartment in Cedar Falls while she was incapacitated following a night of drinking March 15.

The defense told jurors the woman is an experienced drinker and wasnt incapacitated during the sex.

Cedar Falls sexual assault trial begins WATERLOO  Trial began Wednesday for a former University of Northern Iowa student accused of

The roommate testified they notified the dorms residential assistant and then went to Sartori Hospital for an examination. University of Northern Iowa police were summoned, and Officer Hayley McCarthy responded. She told jurors the woman was upset and crying and spoke softly.

The woman said she didnt want to press charges the morning of March 16, McCarthy testified, but the following day she indicated she had changed her mind and wanted to pursue charges.

The roommate said after the incident, the woman has become more withdrawn and isolated, and her class work has suffered.

She doesnt talk to people much. She doesnt talk to me much, the roommate said. I can see there is big change in her.
WATERLOO  Advanced learning opportunities continue to expand in Waterloo Community Schools, including a program focusing on academically gifted students who also have a disability.

District educators have been rolling out the Twice Exceptional program this year, advanced programs coordinator Sherice Ortman told the Board of Education this week. Also known as 2e, she noted its gifted with a disability. So we turn it into a strengths-based instead of a deficit model.

Expanded Learning Program teachers, who lead talented and gifted education in the schools, work with identified students as part of the 2e team.

College-bound Waterloo IB students seeing fruits of labor WATERLOO  Nathan Nebbes West High School biology students Friday altered the chemical stru

We were provided with some private donors to start the work, said Ortman. A $10,000 grant was received from the Waterloo Schools Foundation to help get the Twice Exceptional program started.

That is just one of the ways the district is increasing services for advanced learners, she told board members in an update on the programs. The number of Advanced Placement classes has been increased at both East and West while a growing number of district staff are teaching concurrent courses provided at the schools through Hawkeye Community College.

ELP at the middle schools has changed from solely focusing on the approximately 10 percent of students identified as gifted in all academic areas. Those teachers also work on talent development with a larger group to help advance their learning. ELP teachers at the elementary schools work with both groups along with serving as a general resource in classrooms to help differentiate instruction.

Additionally, students not enrolled in the International Baccalaureate diploma program can now take single IB classes rather than go off campus to the University of Northern Iowa for a similar class that isnt otherwise offered at their school.

Ortman provided some general statistics about the two-year IB diploma. The district is now in its fourth year of offering the rigorous college preparation program at East and West high schools. IB students take classes in six academic areas along with completing a half-year theory of knowledge class, writing a 4,000-word extended essay and doing a service component outside of school.

We are currently, with our juniors and seniors, at 53 students in the International Baccalaureate program, said Ortman. Since the program started, 36 students have graduated with the full IB diploma.

This is a very rigorous path for them, to receive the IB diploma, she explained. All Waterloo students in the IB diploma program end up with a Waterloo Schools diploma, but this is on top of that. If you receive a certain number of scores, International Baccalaureate also provides you with a diploma.

Ortman highlighted the 16 2017 graduates who were in the program. Thirteen of them, or 81 percent, earned the IB diploma. She noted that is 2 percent higher than the average of IB programs around the world that have graduated students for at least five years.

Their college entrance exam scores demonstrated greater preparation for post-secondary education than Waterloo Schools peers.

The ACT average of students in the IB program last year was 27.13 composite (out of 36), said Ortman. The district average is about 20 right now. We have a lot of kids who ended up with 30 or higher.

She said if students score high enough on their IB exams, many colleges or universities will accept those credits.

Its about $359 per credit and we recovered 151 hours, estimated tuition around $54,000, said Ortman, based on the cost of credits at the University of Iowa. This is only from 16 students.

Also, we received over $300,000 in scholarships from those 16 students this year. I always boast that its because they can write an incredible essay and colleges want them.

She noted the University of Northern Iowa has increased its college credit acceptance rate for IB courses and now recognizes every class offered by the district. A third of all district IB graduates enrolled at a state university in Iowa.
ST. ANSGAR  For newly elected St. Ansgar Mayor Norman Johnson, the decision to run came after being encouraged by family, friends and community members to throw his name into the hat.

The retired businessman, who operated Paradise Pizza for 22 years and spent 35 years in the insurance industry, including 21 years as the manager of Farmers Mutual and Town and Country Insurance in Osage, comes with much sales and management experience.

Now that Im retired I have the time, Johnson said. I know there are things that need to be addressed and there are issues I felt were important. Drive around town, youll see all the work being done.

One issue we have is an infrastructure issue with our water. Our plant cant handle the output that is being generated. We need to have a long-term plan and execute it as fiscally responsible as possible.

Johnson cited another issue being communication.

People dont know whats going on and why, he said. We used to have a live stream going but weve sort of moved away from that. I want to see if we can get one implemented again because that is one way we can get information out, so people can see whats going on.

Over the past few weeks, the city of St. Ansgar has experienced broken gas lines, causing homes to be evacuated, and broken water lines, in addition to the interruption of fiber optics when a line was broken. The damage, which was caused by crews boring to put in lines, has caused interruptions and inconveniences to many in the community.

Despite the challenges, Johnson had praise for the workers tasked with restoring services.

The city crew did a good job of getting everything back up and running, Johnson said.

Having never held a public office, Johnson said he plans to attend some instructional classes being held for Iowa municipalities, to help educate their newly elected public officials in understanding the policy and procedures that go along with their offices.

Last night I was down in Des Moines at the Reagan Dinner, and I had the opportunity to meet with Governor (Kim) Reynolds and state auditor Mary Mosiman, Johnson said. Its important to have contacts wherever you can. Some things mentioned were interesting. There are things out there to help small communities.

Another concern of Johnsons is the roads in St. Ansgar.

We keep raising everything up, Johnson said. There is a project theyve been working on  water and sewer. Im not sure what the holdups are, but its been over a year. Its frustrating to our citizens.

In looking at this election, none of the incumbents were re-elected. That tells me the community wants change. We talked about what we wanted to get done, now we need to get it done. We need to do what we said we would do to the best of our ability. Thats what I will try to do.

After years in the business world, one of the many things Johnson said he learned was to how important the sharing of ideas was to the growth of a company, something he also feels can be applied to the growth of a community.

In business, working with boards, everyone had the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas and nothing was taken personally, Johnson said. You cant bully your ideas through. You have to be willing to listen and do what is best for the community and be open to suggestions from the council and the members of the community. Youve got to keep a level head about things.

Johnson, along with newly elected city councilmen Mike Juhl and Ben Walk, will take office Jan. 1.

The present council and mayor have done the best they could and we in the community need to thank them for their service, Johnson said. Our job will be to give the citizens the changes they are asking for.

I know each of us has ideas and things wed like to see done. Id like to thank all of my supporters. I will do my best for the future of our city.
DES MOINES  The top Democrat in the Iowa Senate called on her GOP counterparts Thursday to make public the findings of their internal review of sexual harassment allegations made by a former employee who was awarded $1.75 million in damages.

Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines made the request in separate letters to Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, and Senate President Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny.

Since the taxpayers are on the hook for this $1.75 million settlement, the findings of this investigation should not be kept secret, Petersen said in her letters.

Dix told reporters Wednesday an internal probe has been completed but details would not be made public because interviews conducted with Senate GOP caucus employees were done so under an expectation of confidentiality.

Workplace rules became an issue at the Statehouse in the wake of the $1.75 million judgment paid to settle a lawsuit brought by Kirsten Anderson, a former Senate Republican Caucus Staff communications director who alleged she was fired hours after complaining of sexual harassment on the job.

Dix spokesman Caleb Hunter said Dix and Whitver planned to respond to Petersen.

Dix said Wednesday he plans to consult with an independent human resources professional on the best course of action going forward.

Across the Statehouse rotunda, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said the Iowa House will proceed separately with the hiring of a human resources director to assist legislative employees, calling the move the right decision.
Of the shortcomings in the proposed tax reform bills being pushed through Congress (and there are many), the ones with the most far-reaching economic and community impacts are proposed slashing or exclusion of federal historic tax credits.

In just the last decade, historic tax credits have leveraged more than $40 million in investment in downtown Waterloo alone. Since the programs inception nearly 40 years ago, the development incentive has been used to help revitalize communities large and small. In the last 15 years, it has spurred more than $1 billion investments in Iowa from sources ranging from multi-million dollar developers to individual homeowners.

Historic tax credits swivel properties from blighted to bright spot. In just this year, SingleSpeed Brewing Co.s brewery, taproom and restaurant, Sidecar Coffees newest shop and roasting operations, KWWL Televisions renovation, Cibo Street Food restaurant and the near-completed Courtyard Hotel at TechWorks came to fruition. These projects have come together because historic tax credits made it economically feasible to renovate the historic spaces they occupy.

These businesses already are drawing visitors and new employees to downtown Waterloo. They have created dozens of jobs and turned vacant spots into vibrant destinations. Buildings eligible for the credits have much higher property value per square foot compared to new construction and retain their relatively higher value.

However, the effect of federal historic tax credits goes beyond the easily demonstrable economic impact. (Again, the above examples were from one district in one community in one year.) Old buildings are what make a place unique and memorable. They create an experience that cant be duplicated anywhere else. This is what makes a community worth living in and worth visiting. Without incentives to spur investment in historic buildings, ones needing rehabilitation will continue to deteriorate or worse  be demolished.

The program is not a giveaway or a tax shelter like the numerous ones still in place in the reform bills. Instead, it is a 20 percent return of money already spent or invested in rehab work. On a national scale, the program has helped rehabilitate more than 42,000 buildings and has cost the U.S. Treasury $25 billion, according to a 2017 Rutgers University study. That investment led to more than $132 billion in historic rehabilitation projects and generated nearly $30 billion in federal taxes. It would be shortsighted and foolish to discard a program that nets a near 20 percent investment return.

The Senates version of tax reform cuts the FHTC in half. The House of Representatives eliminates them completely. I urge anyone who has enjoyed the renaissance our communities have seen these last few years to contact Rep. Rod Blum, (202) 225-2911; Sen. Charles Grassley, (202) 224-3744, and Sen. Joni Ernst, (202) 224-3254, to urge them to represent those communities and restore an important cultural and economic development tool.
Nearly a century ago, Sen. Thomas Hardwick sent a blue sheet of paper to the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee claiming a nominee from his home state of Georgia was personally offensive and objectionable. Nonetheless, the committee proceeded on the nomination and reported the nominee to the Senate floor.

That blue sheet of paper was a part of a newly adopted courtesy to get insights on federal court nominees from home-state senators in an era when such information was hard to come by. This courtesy, commonly known as the blue slip, was intended to serve as an advisory tool  a source of information for senators to consider when casting a vote on the Senate floor.

Fast forward to today. Some of my Democratic colleagues are attempting to rewrite history, falsely claiming the blue slip courtesy is meant to give a single home-state senator veto power over the presidents judicial nominations.

But history begs to differ.

For the vast majority of the blue slips history, a negative or unreturned blue slip did not stop the Senate Judiciary Committee from holding a hearing and vote on a nominee. In fact, of my 18 predecessors as chairman of the committee, only two allowed home-state senators unilateral veto power through the blue slip. The first to do so, Sen. James Eastland, D-Miss., reportedly adopted this policy to thwart school integration after the Supreme Courts decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

The treatment of blue slips as advisory is a bipartisan tradition. In 1978, Eastlands successor, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., clarified that a negative or unreturned blue slip would not necessarily block committee proceedings. Sen. Strom, R-S.C., continued this policy, as did Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

Democratic senators recent calls for an ahistorical interpretation of the blue slip courtesy stem from a decision they made in 2013 to end the 60-vote filibuster for lower court nominees. This move, often referred to as the nuclear option, effectively silenced half of the Senate during confirmation votes. At the time, many Democratic senators argued it was unfair for a minority of senators to block nominees with majority support.

But now that they are in the minority, Democrats are scrambling to cope with the fallout from their decision to deploy the nuclear option. Some of the strongest supporters of the nuclear option now argue that a single senator should be able to block a nominee before even receiving a hearing.

As the minority continues its campaign to block President Trumps nominees, some are looking to the blue slip as a way to halt judicial nominees before they are even considered in committee. To justify this move, they argue that few nominees have been confirmed since 1979 without support from both home state senators. But this talking point ignores the fact that nominees without two positive blue slips were often filibustered on the Senate floor after a committee hearing.

The minority also points to a letter signed by Republican senators at the beginning of the Obama administration explaining that senators expected to be consulted on judicial nominees from their home states. This letter merely supported continuation of the strict blue-slip policy adopted by Chairman Leahy, D-Vt., during the Bush administration. It would have been unfair to allow President Obama to make judicial nominations without home-state senators approval when Chairman Leahy demanded such terms under President Bush.

Finally, any suggestion Republicans abused the blue slip under President Obama is simply untrue. When Republicans were in the minority, Republican senators returned the blue slip for 25 out of 27 circuit court nominees. Republican senators did not block any circuit court nominees during the first two years of the Obama administration via the blue slip. Meanwhile, Democrats have already attempted to block three of President Trumps circuit court nominees by not returning blue slips.

The fact of the matter is the Senate confirmed 329 of President Obamas judicial nominees  more than President Bush had confirmed. President Obamas judicial nominees received a fair shake by the Senate. President Trumps nominees are entitled to the same.
ViWinTech could begin demolition of the old Residential Care Center in the next few days
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Nov. 14, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 14, 2017 | 11:14 AM | PADUCAH, KY

Despite less-than-enthusiastic public comments by some lawmakers for his pension reform plan, Governor Matt Bevin says he believes the votes are there to pass the proposed legislation.



In an interview, Bevin told West Kentucky Star the current system is not working, and that lawmakers need to move quickly on the proposed changes to help stop the bleeding. He said he believes lawmakers are ready to take action on the legislation.



"It's the worst funded pension system in the United States of America, and we can't keep pretending that it's okay. It's not okay. The system is failing, and it's failing rapidly." Bevin said.



Bevin's proposal would move most state employees into a 401(k)-style system and would freeze benefits for current workers once they reach 27 years of employment. Many public employees have voiced opposition to the sweeping changes.



At a recent forum in Mayfield, Republican State Rep. Richard Heath and Republican State Senator Stan Humphries spoke against Bevin's proposed bill in its current form, but acknowledged that changes need to be made to save the ailing system. Bevin said that while some of the concerns are understandable, what should really scare people is a scenario in which retired state employees stop getting paid because the money is gone.



"Nobody ever likes to be on the record for something. They're worried about how it may come back to haunt them, or who will dislike them or like them, or what have you. Some are just fearful. Some are people who have legitimate concerns with something or another, but if they really analyze the situation their greatest fear should be a system that collapses."



A recent analysis of Bevin's plan to overhaul the retirement system for public school teachers shows it would cost taxpayers an extra $4.4 billion over the next 20 years. That analysis assumes teachers would retire in greater numbers and the state would earn an average of 6 percent on its investments.



Bevin says he plans to call for a special session to consider the plan before the end of the year.
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By The Associated Press

Nov. 16, 2017 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

By The Associated Press Nov. 16, 2017 | 04:24 PM | WASHINGTON, D.C.

President Donald Trump calls the House passage of the $1.5 trillion tax package "a big step" toward delivering on the Republican Party's promise of tax cuts by year's end.



Trump tweets his approval of the legislation, calling it "a big step toward fulfilling our promise to deliver historic TAX CUTS for the American people by the end of the year!" The House passed the bill Thursday by a 227 to 205 margin, with only Republican votes in favor.



Senate Republicans are debating their own version of the tax legislation in the more sharply divided chamber. Trump has said he wants to deliver a "Christmas present" in the form of tax cuts.



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky released a statement on the tax plan's package, saying, We are one big step closer to putting more money in the pockets of millions of struggling American families so they can pay their bills, save for their future and invest for their children. The members of the Senates tax writing committee are also making real progress on a bill thats been years in the making to fulfill our promise to the American people. The tax proposals before Congress will help restore our nations economic growth and give our workers, families and small businesses greater confidence that the future will hold greater prosperity, more jobs and opportunity.



Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuth, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, also issued a statement after the bill passed in spite of his "no" vote. He outlined his party's view of the tax plan, saying it will increase taxes for middle-class families, shower tax cuts on the wealthy, and increase deficits by $1.5 trillion.



Yarmuth said, "Now the bill heads to the Senate where Republicans plan to add a provision sabotaging the Affordable Care Act and leaving 13 million more Americans uninsured. This isnt tax reformits an attack on the health and financial security of the American people. Democrats will continue to fight for its defeat.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

The song made popular in 1963 by Andy Williams sums up how many feel about the holiday season. Holiday activities shift into high gear in Toledo Friday night.

13abc will anchor Action News with Lee Conklin and Diane Larson live from Promenade Park for the start of the 7th annual Hope for the Holidays toy drive. Santa, food trucks, Imagination Station will be on location with the 13abc news team. At 7pm, the Woodward High School choir and Masterworks Chorale provide a sing-along opportunity as they present carols at the park. The music will be presented live on 13abc.

13abc's Jay Berschback will anchor weather live from Hensville where St. Clair Street is lit up for the holidays. 13abc's Kristian Brown handles the turning on of this season's Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo. 13abc's Amy Montgomery reports from the home of Nite Lites at Michigan International Speedway.

The Salvation Army and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve will be at Promenade Park to collect toys donated to the Hope for the Holidays campaign. The toy drive continues through mid-December.

We hope you'll join 13abc in person at Promenade Park or watch Action News at 5:00pm and 6:00pm and the special choir concert at 7:00pm!
Nov 17, 2017 | By David

Heres another 3D printing round-up, to keep you up to speed with all the latest developments you might have been too busy to catch. Stories include FIT partnering with NIK, Dassault Systemes collaborating with Ecco, and more besides.

1. 3D printing expert FIT partners with NIK engineering company

A major new partnership has been established between German 3D printing company FIT and Russian engineering and research experts NIK. FIT was established in 1995, and has been providing additive manufacturing solutions to a range of industries since then. Set up in 1997, NIK specializes in engineering and consulting services for the aviation industry. The new company will be known as FITNIK, and cooperation is due to commence January 2018. The main goal of this new joint venture will be to open up the Russian market for additive manufacturing.

FITNIKs base will be located in Zhukovsky, a town 30 km south of Moscow that is known as an important Russian aircraft center for scientific research and development. The company will combine the deep expertise of both its parent companies to leverage consulting proficiencies to enhance specific design for aviation parts and components, and to manufacture cutting-edge parts by innovative additive manufacturing in Russia. Production at the Russian site is expected to be fully operational within two years.

2. OR Laser launches new hybrid metal 3D printing platform

At this years Formnext trade show, OR Laser launched its latest offering to the manufacturing world. The ORLas Creator hybrid 3D printing and milling machine combines additive and subtractive methods, for an innovative solution that can deal with many complex issues facing a range of industries.

The ORLas Creator has the unique selling point that it can combine the design freedom and complexity of 3D printing with advanced milling capabilities for precision finishing. The two complementary techniques will be available together in one system, at a much lower price point than would otherwise be possible. Small and medium sized businesses stand to gain a lot from adoption of this unique machine.

The ORLas Creator makes use of laser melting techniques and metal powder materials, and in this respect it retains the outstanding 3D printing features of OR Lasers classic Creator machine. These include the full laser power of 250W at a spot of 40m, laser processing speeds of 3500 mm/s,and a build platform 110 mm (diameter) with a maximum Z axis of 100 mm.

3. 3D printing materials company PyroGenesis Announces $1.02 Million Sale of 2nd DROSRITE Furnace System to North American Automobile Parts Manufacturer

PyroGenesis, a technology company that specializes in advanced plasma-based processes and provides quality materials for 3D printing technology, has announced a major deal with an automobile manufacturer. The Canadian firm received a purchase order in the amount of US$ 800,000 (Can$ 1.02 million) for the sale of a second DROSRITE Furnace System, from an automotive manufacturer also based in North America. The order should be completed in the first quarter of 2018.

The DROSRITE System is a salt-free, cost-effective, sustainable process for maximizing metal recovery from dross, which is one of the main waste products generated in the metallurgical industry. The process helps to cu costs by limiting the loss of metal. At the same time it can also reduce a manufacturers carbon footprint and energy consumption.

PyroGenesis is also targeting markets further afield, and a pilot scheme for an Indian manufacturer is already planned for sometime next year. According to Massimo Dattilo, VP, Business Development of PyroGenesis, ''The Company is currently targeting primary aluminum smelters in Asia and the Middle East where the market is estimated to be in excess of 1 million tonnes of dross, as well as tertiary casting producers worldwide, all of which we expect will represent a potential requirement for DROSRITE systems numbering in the hundreds of units.

4. Ecco footwear company partners with Dassault Systemes for 3D printing project

French manufacturing giant Dassault Systemes innovative FashionLab initiative will be collaborating with Ecco, a pioneering shoe company, for a new experimental footwear project making use of 3D printing and scanning techniques.

As part of the project, a selection of of customers from around the world will get the chance to have their shoes customized with midsoles made using data captured by wearable sensors and 3D scanners, which will generate a full digital analysis of individual feet and motion. The resulting customized 3D printed shoes will be personalized according to a wearers unique biomechanical and orthotic parameters, enabling a much more comfortable fit. The project, known as QuantU, leveraged Dassault Systemes cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which can interpret biomechanic data into geometries for 3D printing.

5. 3D printing giant GE Additive acquires GeonX

A major new acquisition has been announced by 3D printing giant GE Additive, which should enable it to further improves its software simulation capabilities. Belgian company GeonX, which provides software for engineers developing new products in order to simulate additive manufacturing, welding, machining and heat treatment processes, will now be part of GEs additive manufacturing subsidiary. This should be a significant development for major industries such as aerospace, automotive and energy.

GeonX caught the attention of GE Additive due to its impressive simulation tool, Virfac (short for Virtual Factory). This manufacturing software solution assesses products prior to production in order to predict defects, distortions and stresses, as well as the impact that manufacturing will have on a products durability. This advanced simulation process helps to reduce the number of prototypes built during the development phase. It also leads to improvements in terms of the quality and lifetime of the manufactured products, which can minimize the time to market and development costs.

GE has already ploughed approximately $1.5 billion in manufacturing and additive technologies over the past 10 years, most significantly with the investment in Concept Laser and Arcam. GE Additive was established last year to solely focus on developing 3D printing technology in order to supply a range of industries and manufacturing operations.

6. Shenzhen Esun partners with ZYYX 3D printer

A major strategic partnership has been announced between Shenzhen Esun and ZYYX 3D Printer. The deal will see Chinese eco-friendly materials expert Shenzhen Esun, which first entered the 3D printing market back in 2007, become the sole distributor of the ZYYX 3D printer in China. ZYYX 3D printer is a brand owned by Swedish company Magicfirm Europe, based in Gothenburg.

According to Mr, Yihu Yang, CEO of Shenzhen Esun Industrial Co., Ltd, The Chinese market for desktop 3D printers is today mainly focused on entry level products, but China's rise as an innovation super power poses a great need for professional desktop 3D printing tools and this is where the ZYYX pro shines.''

The two companies have also entered into a research and development partnership to develop new 3D printing materials. They will be focused on creating professional use and engineering grade materials for the manufacturing world. The newest addition to the Magicfirms range is the ZYYX proGlass filament, which is a PA66 Nylon with 15% glass fiber content.

The market for desktop 3D printers is getting tougher and tougher, and it is crucial to have a clear ambition, and our ambition is to provide our customers a complete toolset for functional prototyping and production of jigs and fixtures. The materials are at the center of such offering, says Mats Moosberg, CEO of Magicfirm Europe AB and creator of ZYYX 3D Printer.

7. PWC publishes results of survey on use of 3D printing in U.S industrial manufacturing

The results of survey recently conducted by major business consultancy firm PWC have shed some light on the ways that 3D printing technology is currently used in manufacturing across the U.S, and attitudes towards it.

The survey reports that 66.7 percent of manufacturers are adopting 3D printing in one way or another, whether they are experimenting with how to implement it, using it as a prototyping solution or using it to produce final products. 24.7 percent of companies reported an intention to use 3D printing technology at some point in the near future, leaving just 8.6 percent of respondents with no plans to adopt additive manufacturing. When asked what the most disruptive effects of 3D printing technology are likely to be, restructured supply chains and weakened intellectual property were manufacturers most common responses.

Regarding any barriers currently limiting the implementation of 3D printing by manufacturers, 47.2 percent of respondents said that there was uncertainty about the quality of the final product, in terms of strength and durability. 45.3 percent of responses mentioned a lack of expertise in order to properly exploit additive manufacturing, and 31.5 percent stated that 3D printing systems were currently just too expensive to be considered as an option.

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Nov 17, 2017 | By Benedict

The Abu Dhabi police force in the UAE has outlined its vision of policing on Mars. The UAE plans to establish a colony on Mars by the year 2117, and the Abu Dhabi police sees itself driving 3D printed patrol cars around the planet to ensure order is maintained.

The United Arab Emirates rarely holds back in its ambitions for a 3D printed future. And if you thought Dubais plan to have a quarter of its buildings 3D printed by the year 2030 was bold, then Abu Dhabis latest prediction blows its neighbors forecast right out of the water.

As part of its centennial vision (1957-2057), the Abu Dhabi police force is planning for a future in which it sets up a police base on Mars. The police force, part of a future Mars colony that the UAE hopes to establish, will drive 3D printed cars in order to maintain order on the Red Planet.

It sounds a little crazy, but its just one small part of the UAEs grand plan to create a human civilization on Mars during the next century, as well as being part of Abu Dhabis own vision to integrate a whole range of technological innovations into its police forceboth on Earth and beyond.

The UAE is actually further on its way than you might think: preparations have already begun for the very long-term Mars colony project with the development of the $137M Mars Science City, which isnt actually on Mars, but which will closely simulate life on the dusty planet by virtue of its desert location.

The Mars Science City will purportedly contain a space museum made with 3D printed walls, which is impressive, but nothing at all compared to the long-term goal of having a human colony on Mars complete with police force and 3D printed patrol cars.

In addition to patrol cars, there may also be 3D printed ambulances running on alternative fuels like hydrogen.

The battery-operated driverless police ambulance can carry two persons, that includes a paramedic and the injured person, said Captain Mohammad Jasem Al Hosani. It will also send all health conditions of the injured person to the hospital [during the journey].

Things do get a little strange when you look beyond the police forces 3D printed car idea. The police are also looking to develop police robots that speak every language on Earth (and elsewhere?), and around half of the police force could eventually be robots. The police force is even looking at establishing a department for predicting future crimes, which will be troubling for those who have seen the movie Minority Report.

The UAE plan is to have a colony on Mars by 2117, but Abu Dhabi thinks it could establish a police center on the planet by the year 2057.

Its exciting news for lovers of 3D printing innovation though, because the police force apparently sees both 3D printed patrol vehicles and a 3D printed police center as part of its short-term targets, which means both could be fully realized (on Earth) as soon as the year 2022.

As part of the Mars 2117 plan, Dubai plans to launch its Hope spacecraft to Mars in July 2020 to study the atmosphere around the planet.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Veronique Greenwood in Nautilus:

When Francisco Mojica was 25, he supported himself by tracking bacteria in the Mediterranean off the coast of a tourist haven in southeastern Spain. At the time, he was a doctoral candidate at the University of Alicante, where he focused on a much stranger microorganism than those he was searching for in the ocean: Haloferax mediterranei, a single-celled creature that thrives in water so salty it kills almost everything else. Even sea water is not salty enough for them, he says. To understand this peculiar creature, Mojica, his advisor, and another graduate student were painstakingly sequencing bits of H. mediterranei DNA. This was the early 1990spre-Human Genome Project, pre-modern genomicsand it was frustrating work. When Mojica found bizarre, stuttering repeats of DNA bases, he assumed theyd screwed up somehow. Its impossible that you get exactly the same sequence many times! he recalls thinking. But every time Mojica and his colleagues repeated the experiment, the same pattern30 or so bases that appeared over and over again, separated by lengths of seemingly unrelated DNAreappeared. Reading journal articles in the library, Mojica learned that a Japanese group had noticed something similar in the genome of E. coli a few years before. Despite the fact that the repetitions did not seem to be connected to H. mediterraneis predilection for salt, he put a chapter on them at the end of his Ph.D. thesis. And by the time he turned the thesis in, he couldnt stop thinking about them. There werent many people who shared his interest. Unexplained oddities are common in the genomes of most organisms, from humans to archaea, the group of microorganisms to which H. mediterranei belongs. Even after moving on to other subjects, Mojica remained fascinated by the fact that E. coli and H. mediterranei, which were only distantly related, both had repeatsand that the spacer DNA between the repeats was always about the same length despite having a wide variety of different sequences. What were these things for?

In 1994, between a pair of short-term positions, he returned to these single-celled curiosities and inserted extra copies of the repeats and spacers into H. mediterranei to see what would happen. The cells promptly diedIt was amazing! he recalls fondlyand he wrote a paper suggesting the extra copies interfered with the cells ability to reproduce correctly. (He was wrong.) After he was hired to teach at University of Alicante in 1997, he tried, fruitlessly, to see if the same thing would happen in E. coli. Perhaps the repeats formed small loops in the genome for proteins to attach to? (Wrong again.) Nothing worked, he says. Still, in the years since hed started his work, genome sequencing had gotten much easier. By the early 2000s, other people were starting to wonder about both the patterns that had intrigued Mojica and the genes around them, including Roger Garrett at the University of Copenhagen, Ruud Jansen at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and Eugene Koonin at the Unites States National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI). When Mojica and Jansen struck up a correspondence, they began tossing around catchy names for the patterns, and on Nov. 21, 2001, they settled on CRISPRan acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. Mojica finally found the key that was to unlock the origin of the spacers, and, along with it, the meaning of the puzzle that had transfixed him for so long, in 2003. While studying E. coli, he realized that the spacers were pieces of DNA from viruses that were retained in the genome of the host speciesand that some of the microbial strains that carried the spacers were either already known to be resistant to infection or had no record of ever being infected.

More here.
Rowena N. Nelson has become a Virginia lawyer officially and is now qualified to fight cases in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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Secures up to $5.0 Million Funding from ARENA

Sydney, Nov 17, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Genex Power Limited ( ASX:GNX ) (Genex or Company) is pleased to announce that it has secured further Federal Government funding of up to $5.0 million via a funding agreement with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) (Funding Agreement) for the Kidston Stage 2 Project (K2) at Kidston, North Queensland. The K2 Project comprises the 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro), and the co-located 270MW solar PV Project (K2-Solar).



- Agreement with ARENA for funding of up to $5.0 million



- Funding to accelerate Kidston Stage 2 to Financial Close



Under the terms of the Funding Agreement, the funding is to be applied toward specified pre- Financial Close activities to progress the K2 Project to Financial Close in 2018. Further detailed terms of the Funding Agreement are set out in Annexure A (see link below).



Genex Managing Director, Michael Addison said:



"Genex is pleased to continue its partnership with ARENA for the Kidston Stage 2 Project. The continued support from ARENA is testament to the innovative nature of the Project, and the growing importance of large-scale energy storage in the context of the increasing penetration of renewable energy in the National Electricity Market. It also represents a vote of confidence in the pathway Genex has outlined to financial close.



Following publication of our optimised technical feasibility study and the appointment of an ECI contractor for the K2-Hydro Project, the ARENA funding will be applied towards Genex's project financing and EPC finalisation activities as the Company continues its engagement with EPC contractors, energy partners and debt and equity providers.



This additional funding serves to strengthen Genex's financial position as the Company advances the Kidston Stage 2 Project to financial close in 2018."



ARENA CEO, Ivor Frischknecht said:



"Stage Two of the Kidston hydro and solar project is an important step in achieving a secure and reliable grid and increasing the value delivered by renewable energy."



About ARENA



ARENA was established by the Australian Government to make renewable energy technologies more competitive and increase the supply of renewable energy in Australia. Through the provision of funding coupled with deep commercial and technical expertise, ARENA provides the support needed to accelerate the development of promising new solutions towards commercialisation. ARENA invests in renewable energy projects across the innovation chain and is committed to sharing knowledge and lessons learned from its portfolio of projects and information about renewable energy. ARENA has committed $1.1 billion in funding to more than 270 projects. For more information, visit http://www.arena.gov.au



To view Annexure A, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/P3Y7UO5P





About Genex Power Ltd





Genex Power Limited (ASX:GNX) is focused on developing a portfolio of renewable energy generation and storage projects across Australia. The Company's flagship Kidston Clean Energy Hub, located in north Queensland, will integrate large-scale solar generation with pumped storage hydro. The Kidston Clean Energy Hub is comprised of the operating 50MW stage 1 Solar Project (KS1) and the 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro) with potential for further multi-stage wind and solar projects. The 50MW Jemalong Solar Project (JSP) is located in NSW and provides geographical diversification to the Genex Power Limited portfolio. JSP was energised in early December 2020 and commissioning is now underway. Genex is further developing its energy storage portfolio via the early stage development of a 50MW/75MWh standalone battery energy storage system at Bouldercombe in Queensland. With over 400MW of renewable energy and storage projects in development, Genex is well placed as Australia's leading renewable energy and storage company.
HANOI - The 2017 Vietnam-China International Trade Fair in Vietnam's northern Lao Cai province has concluded, with eight economic contracts worth over $258.3 million signed, the provincial authorities said on Thursday.

The fair, which wrapped up on Wednesday, lured over 100,000 visitors to more than 800 booths of 315 firms that made combined sales of over 40 billion Vietnamese dong (nearly $1.8 million) during the six-day event.

Of the 315 firms, 110 are from China, showcasing such products as machines, electronic appliances, consumer goods, garments, footwear and farm produce at 211 booths.

Besides Chinese and Vietnamese enterprises, the trade fair attracted 36 companies from South Korea, Thailand, Laos and Ghana.

Trade and investment promotion seminars, business networking sessions and ornamental plant and animal exhibitions were also held during the fair.

Lao Cai currently houses 15 Chinese-invested projects totaling $392 million, the provincial Department of Planning and Department said.


Exploration Update

Perth, Nov 17, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emmerson Resources Limited ("Emmerson") ( ASX:ERM ) ( EMMRF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to announce the results of a highly successful geophysical survey at Kadungle, one of its most advanced projects in NSW. Drilling on this project will commence shortly, as will drilling at its Tennant Creek project in the NT. Kadungle is funded from a recent, highly successful ~$2m capital raising by Emmerson aimed at fast tracking exploration in NSW (see figure 1 in link below). Tennant Creek is funded by our partner, Evolution Mining as part of a $15m earn-in and JV where Emmerson is the manager and operator.



- New Induced Polarisation geophysical survey at Kadungle confirms potential for large shallow gold and deeper copper-gold mineralisation



- Geophysical IP anomalies on consecutive lines across ~1km corresponds with large zone of hydrothermal alteration and diatreme/breccia plus gold and copper in drill holes



- Further geophysical Gradient Array Induced Polarisation (GAIP) anomalies some 2km away correspond with distal epithermal gold veins



- Drilling of ~2,000m at Kadungle to test these new targets about to commence



- Next drilling campaign of ~2,500m at Tennant Creek to follow up previously intersected high grade copper underway



New South Wales Projects



A recently completed IP geophysical survey and alteration mapping at the Mt Leadley prospect within the Kadungle project confirms the potential for shallow gold and deeper copper-gold mineralisation. Pleasingly the IP anomalies are apparent across five consecutive lines, over 1km and within a previously identified zone of magnetite destruction (Figs 2, 3 & 4). This is the first systematic exploration on this project and although there has been previous but limited drilling, this recent work extends the shallow gold and deeper copper-gold potential, particularly as most of the anomalies remain untested.



Some of the historic drilling intersected shallow epithermal gold-silver with best assays of 12m at 7.7g/t gold (drill hole KDD002) and 37m at 0.23% copper including 6m at 1.1% copper (KDD013). Interestingly this deeper copper intercept sits on the margin of a deep IP/resistivity (IP) anomaly, with the main part of the anomaly untested. Alteration mapping (with an ASD) indicates a classic porphyry copper-gold zonation pattern within the +1km zone of magnetite destruction. This alteration consists of shallow quartz-pyrite-hematite (+/-kaolinite) grading to sericite-quartz and deeper chlorite (+/-epidote)-hematite-K-feldspar. The crystallinity of the white mica increases with depth, marking increasing temperature toward the likely causative, metal rich intrusion(s).



A Gradient Array Induced Polarisation (GAIP) survey at the Mount Leadley-Trig prospect, some 2km north of the Mt Leadley prospects has also confirmed possible extensions to the recently mapped epithermal gold veins. The GAIP shows two distinct but offset chargeability and resistive zones over ~1km of strike. This likely marks a NNE trending fault/vein system, below a silicified rhyolite cap. Recent rock chip sampling at Trig returned highly anomalous gold geochemistry with up to 1.27 g/t Au (see Figure 5 in link below).



Good progress continues across the other four NSW projects where ground reconnaissance and sampling is underway, following the flying of detailed aeromagnetic surveys to assist in identifying areas of interest. These large projects were generated in prospective metal endowed corridors from proprietary predictive 2D and 3D targeting models back in 2015 - these models aim to increase the probability of discovering both epithermal gold and porphyry copper-gold deposits. This counter cyclic ground acquisition in NSW now places Emmerson in a strong position given the recent uptake of surrounding tenements by other companies.



Tennant Creek Project - Northern Territory



The next ~2,500m drill campaign at Tennant Creek is now underway and will focus on extending the previously discovered, high grade copper and gold at the Gecko-Goanna project. A deep co-funded drill hole by Emmerson/Evolution and the NT Geological survey intersected 7m at 5.98% copper including 3m at 10.4% copper from 123m down the hole (ASX - 19/08/15). A further zone of 3m at 4.75% copper including 1m at 10.6% copper from 162m remains open in all directions and will be tested by 8 RC drill holes. In addition, a down plunge diamond hole at Goanna will test for deeper extensions beneath the previously intersected, high grade copper and gold (see figure 6 in link below).



Emmerson's Managing Director, Mr Rob Bills commented: "The recent systematic exploration over the Kadungle project has produced further indications of a large shallow epithermal gold and deeper porphyry copper-gold system. Pleasingly the scale of the alteration and mineralisation over ~2km has been confirmed by the recent geophysical surveys and significantly, the better geophysical targets remain untested. Drilling will commence in late November and is focussed on establishing the extent and grade of both shallow epithermal gold and deeper porphyry copper-gold.



This project is part of a much larger strategy by Emmerson and strategic alliance partner, Kenex Limited to select highly prospective gold and copper-gold areas utilising a predictive, probability based targeting approach - aimed at increasing the likelihood of discovering major new gold and copper-gold deposits. Thus these early encouraging results from Kadungle reflect well on not only the adjacent Fifield tenement, but also the other four large project areas at Wellington, Temora/Sebastopol, Kiola and Parkes.



Note Emmerson can earn up to 80% of the Kadungle project from Aurelia Metals by spending $0.5m over a five year period. Kenex can earn up to a 10% interest in these NSW tenements (excluding Kadungle) upon achieving certain predetermined milestones.



In Tennant Creek, drilling has commenced on the highly prospective Gecko-Goanna copper-gold project. Goanna was discovered by Emmerson in 2011 but up until recently, was not a priority in the earn-in and JV with Evolution Mining. The high grade copper intersected in the more recent drill hole GODD032 plus the multiple high grade copper and gold intersections at Goanna suggest there is good potential to extend the high grade mineralisation outside of the current resource.



About Kenex



Kenex is a Wellington and West Australian based company which was established in 2002 to provide GIS and exploration services and advice for the exploration and mining industries in Australia and New Zealand. Over the last 10 years, Kenex has broadened their international experience through involvement with projects and clients in the Middle East, Africa, Scandinavia, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Kenex is a group of highly motivated research professionals who have more than 85 years of combined experience and knowledge in exploration and mining, locally (New Zealand/Australia) and abroad, including the Solomon Islands, Africa, Papua New Guinea, Asia and Latin America. Kenex also has growing expertise in the marine minerals sector.



Kenex specialises in predictive modelling for minerals (2D and 3D) where it is at the forefront of providing these services to businesses to generate targets with the greatest geological potential in relation to the mineral system being evaluated. This delivers to our client's outcomes which can be used for a variety of purposes including regional evaluation of a mineral belt, identification of opportunities for acquisition, the tools for effective exploration work programme planning and in the case of predictive 3D modelling, drill hole targeting.



About Aurelia ( ASX:AMI )



Aurelia Metals Limited is an Australian gold, silver, lead and zinc mining and exploration company. The Company operates the wholly-owned Hera gold and base metal mine, in Central West New South Wales and has a key development opportunity in the Nymagee Copper, lead, zinc project, some 5 km north of Hera. In FY17, the Company produced 45,679 ounces of gold and 32,308 tonnes of lead-zinc concentrate.



To view figures, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/D7H91XQ1





About Emmerson Resources Limited





Emmerson Resources Limited (ASX:ERM) (FRA:42E) recently commenced exploration on new gold-copper projects in NSW, identified (with our strategic alliance partner Kenex Limited) from the application of 2D and 3D predictive targeting models  aimed at increasing the probability of discovery. The highly prospective Macquarie Arc in NSW hosts >80Mozs gold and >13Mt copper with these resources heavily weighted to areas of outcrop or limited cover. Emmerson's five exploration projects contain many attributes of the known deposits within the Macquarie Arc but remain under explored due to historical impediments, including an overlying cover (plus farmlands) and a lack of exploration focus. Kadungle is a JV with Aurelia Metals covering 43km2 adjacent to Emmerson's Fifield project.

In addition, Emmerson is exploring the Tennant Creek Mineral Field (TCMF), one of Australia's highest-grade gold and copper fields producing over 5.5 Mozs of gold and 470,000 tonnes of copper from deposits including Warrego, White Devil, Orlando, Gecko, Chariot and Golden Forty. These high-grade deposits are highly valuable exploration targets, and to date discoveries include high-grade gold at Edna Beryl and Mauretania, plus copper-gold at Goanna and Monitor. These are the first discoveries in the TCMF for over a decade.


Pilbara Conglomerate Hosted Gold Presentation

Perth, Nov 17, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Impact Mienrals Limited ( ASX:IPT ) is pleased to provide a link to a recent presentation on some of the technical background to the geolgoical theories driving the search for conglomerate-hosted gold in the Pilbara given recently by Managing Director Dr Mike Jones.



http://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/I13M3MS2



A copy of the presention is also available on the company's website.





About Impact Minerals Limited





Impact Minerals Limited (ASX:IPT) is an exploration company listed on the ASX in November 2006. The Company manages extensive tenement holdings (>2,000 km2) within Australia featuring significant potential for high-grade mineral deposits of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, nickel and PGM's. The Directors of the Company have extensive experience in mineral exploration and a strong history of exploration success, business development and corporate management. Impact Minerals intends to build wealth for its shareholders through a vigorous campaign of project generation and evaluation with a view towards profitable mining operations.
Famous Rapper Drake jumped to the defence of his female fans after a man kept harassing women at a concert on his Australian tour.

The rapper, who was performing in Sydney, stopped mid-song and pointed to a man in the crowd who he had spotted harassing women, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Midway through his performance, Drake slammed the male fan and told him, If you dont stop touching girls Im gonna come out there and f*** you up!

The crowd was then heard cheering Drake following the stars outburst.

The rapper was praised on social media for the way he handled the situation, with one user writing, @Drake well done last night for sticking up for whats morally right much respect your way.

You all know! I love Drake but that guy should have been kicked out straight away. No threat, no strikes just zero tolerance.

The Hotline Bling hit-makers public denouncement of sexual harassment comes in the wake of the sexual misconduct allegations against some of the biggest names in the Hollywood, including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Bill OReilly, Louis CK, Dustin Hoffman and James Toback.
At a time when BJP rakes up the Ram Temple issue, the Hindu Mahasabha has already constructed a temple of Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhis killer in Gwalior. Godses bust was installed and consecrated at Hindu Mahasabhas Gwalior office. Often the construction of Ram Temple issue only gains momentum prior to assembly or general election. After the conclusion of election, BJP puts this issue on the backburner. Thus, is the party only trying to rake up the temple construction matter for gaining political mileage? Are they trying to woo Hindu voters through this issue? The party has been misleading voters about the temple matter since last 25 years. Why are they playing with the sentiments of the people? BJPs alliance partner Shiv Sena too had criticised it for politicising the Ram temple issue. Sena had asked BJP to go ahead with the construction of the temple instead of merely politicising it. The party added that BJP can easily achieve this task as it has mandate of people. Sena also had come forward to support the temple construction issue. The party said that if temple is not built today it will never be constructed.

Chetan Rajhans, spokesperson of Sanatan Sanstha said, As per Hindu religion, the temple of god is constructed. If organisation has constructed Godses temple, then it might have done due to sentiments. Sanatan only constructs temples of gods but some people have constructed temples of Amitabh Bachchan and Sonia Gandhi as they have high regards for them. People wont derive any benefit from constructing such temples. When people construct gods temple then they experience peace and happiness. The government must build Ram temple. They had already mentioned about this in their agenda. If they fail to construct the temple now then they will have to pay heavy price for it in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Hindus had thought that Ram temple would be constructed soon. Godse was a patriotic freedom fighter.

Ramchandra Punaji Avsare, BJP MLA said, This is a national issue and a leader like me doesnt feel right to comment about it. The court has already said that Godse is the murderer of Mahatma Gandhi and death penalty was awarded to him. It is unjustified to construct temple of a criminal. People worship Ram on the occasion of Dussehra, but there are some others who also worship Ravana. Thus, if people are building temple of a person who has murdered Godse then it is not right.

Sachin Ahir, Mumbai NCP chief said, It is unfortunate that people are constructing a temple of a person responsible for Mahatma Gandhis murder. People are aware about history and they also know who is responsible for Gandhijis murder. BJP is dividing the nation on communal lines.

Advocate Siddharth Chandrashekar, Member MRCC Legal Cell said, BJP wants to keep the Ram temple issue alive. If the temple is constructed then their existence is threatened. Nathuram Godses name should be erased from history and there is no question of having a temple in his name.

Pramod Pandit Joshi, national spokesperson of Hindu Mahasabha activist said, There is nothing wrong in constructing Godses temple. We are planning to construct Ram temple too. Some people are opposing against Godses temple but actually it is his memorial. We will continue to install his statues in future too. Whichever places Godse had visited we will be constructing his memorial in those areas.

Sudhakar Deshmukh, BJP MLA said, Godse is not our agenda but our objective is to construct Ram temple. The honourable Supreme Court is already hearing this matter. Leaders of both Hindu and Muslim communities should come forward and resolve this matter.
Two topics hit the fan following of rightwing politics. One is Lord Rama and his temple and another Nathuram Godse and his temple. On one hand, we have reckless statement asking for debate on whether India should remain secular and tolerant to other beliefs, faiths and religions by debating the very preamble of the constitution and on the another hand, we have the highest official, the cabinet  the PM  remaining a helpless mute spectator to the calculated and vicious campaign embarked upon by the fringe elements to break up this once promising nation into scrappy fighting sovereignties based on their inadequate understanding of our cultural past undoing the very colossal effort of Sardar Patel who they claim to respect.

The supporters of BJP have started to raise different voices in Patel, Lord Rama, Cow, or Malviya and so on since BJP took over in centre. Inspite of all the mess, violence, instability and restlessness, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is practically, not issuing any comments on these subjects, and not asking his supporters to avoid such behaviour if it is not in the agenda of the Government. As his very own election promise was development.

I am stunned to see the changing idea of God; some making temples of Modi and now Nathuram Godse. Irony, nothing is yet concluded on Lord Rama temple. No human being should be treated as God. Hindu Mahasabha should refrain from these kinds of tendencies. Ravan was an eminent scholar, but nobody elevated him to the level of God. Hindu Mahasabha, one of the known extremist groups, thankfully is not representing Hindus. They are here to play spoil politics; the killer cant be allowed to be at a place of worship. And this is high time BJP should come up with some clarification otherwise it will harm their image in future.

The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical and socio-religious debate in India; centered on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, located in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh. After winning elections in UP, as most of the prominent leaders of BJP embrace their constituency from UP such as Modi from Varanasi, Smriti Irani from Amethi etc. This time when BJP won elections in UP, they chose Yogi Adityanath as CM of the state with the intention to build Lord Rama temple, so that they can make sure their victory in 2019 general election. Many spiritual leaders are mediating between Babri Masjid committee and other groups. They are expecting some positive outcome too. But the fact is that, so far main issues revolve around access to a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama, the history and location of the Babri Mosque at the site, and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the mosque. The Ayodhya debate centres on the land known today as Ram Janmabhoomi, on which the Babri Mosque assumed to be built in 1528. In the Ramayana, Ayodhya is the birthplace of the god-king Rama, the son of Dasharatha, the ruler of Ayodhya, and his queen Kausalya. Many Hindus worship him as an Avtar, or incarnation of Vishnu.

The Babri Mosque was one of the largest mosques in Uttar Pradesh, a state in India with considerable Muslim population. It is the most sensitive issue, as we all know (including BJP). So they are using this issue as the most valuable asset in the politics. Now there are Gujarat elections next month, so for that again the Ram Mandir issue will be raised to fill their vote banks. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar hit the headlines by claiming that the temple building is possible as there is a favourable situation in Ayodhya. Issue is still in the court since last three decades. India is a country run by rule of law, the reason BJP has not been able to build Ram Temple. Ram and Nathuram both are political tools. For BJP, Ram is purely a political icon. Since BJP rules UP now, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and RSS can build the temple. But let us wait and watch what they beget after they build the temple. Perhaps, if Ram wanted, the temple would be built by now. Was the delay a destiny? Yet, the misuse continues. When people misuse religion, what outcomes should be expected?

Another pest is Nathuram Godse temple; the Hindu Mahasabha installed a bust of Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse and consecrated it at its Gwalior office, inciting demand by the Congress for booking the outfit for sedition. The BJP, however, said the Congress should not lay sole claim to Mahatma Gandhis legacy and, if the Hindu Mahasabha violated a law, it would be dealt with accordingly. Godse was hanged in Ambala jail on November 15, in 1949, which the organisation observed as balidan diwas (the day of sacrifice). Godse statue might soon be seen within temple premises across the country  to start with, in temples in the Hindi speaking states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. They met hundreds of saints during the Magh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad who assured them of their support and now they are planning to install statues in temples with the support of these saints. So, now staunch Hindus are going to worship Ram and Nathuram, may be in the same premises of temple. The Hindutva group has ordered about 500 statues from artists in Jaipur. It also plans to inaugurate and launch small libraries, which would provide literature highlighting Godses point of view about unified India and correct sequence of events as far as Gandhis killing is concerned. Godses passion for unified India will get lost on the prejudiced audience either way. Thus this will only cause ill-will. I hope the government will take a public stand on issues such as this. It has been too silent so far making people suspect of complicity.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
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Last year, at this time, Dan Olmsted was formulating his next book (on Polio) and how he planned to spend his retirement years. As part 0f his future plans, he generously turned Autism Age over to me in December. We are a non-profit registered in Connecticut. As Executive Director, chief, cook and bottle washer, it's my great joy to honor Dan's memory by keeping us up and running each day. I couldn't do it without our team - John Stone and Mark Blaxill, Cathy Jameson and Adriana Gamondes who keep our Facebook page current and fresh, Teresa Conrick with our science updates. Nancy Hokkanen not only writes, but who sends me great email ideas regularly. Anne Dachel with her important media updates. Everyone on our team. If you want to contribute, by all means send me a submission for review to KimRossi1111@gmail.com. We love stories from inside the epidemic - your family, your highs and lows, your growing kids, your own life if you are on the spectrum. You don't have to be a Pulitzer Prize winner - just write from your heart and gut. That honesty makes for great posts. The content beast is always hungry!



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Thanksgiving is around the corner, and is a perfect time to express our gratitude for this wonderful forum we know as the Age of Autism blog.

Please take a few minutes to consider the following:
"So far the results have been consistent in indicating that it is better to receive a live vaccine after a non-live vaccine than a non-live after a live vaccine ... Hence, it could have major effects on mortality and morbidity and health care costs if immunisation programmes implemented a live-vaccine-last policy."

A letter in BMJ Rapid Responses yesterday co-authored by veteran Danish vaccine researchers Christine Benn, Peter Aaby and their colleague Signe Sorup warns of the risk to morbidity and mortality if non-live vaccines are administered after live virus vaccines, rather than in the opposite sequence. The authors are writing about the non-specific effects of vaccines on health. The flagging up of adverse consequences after decades of administration indicates the chaotic, and unrecorded effects of vaccine programs across the globe. The letter talks about the sequence of administration when of course live and and non-live vaccines are often administered together.

While the authors talk about modifying practice, what continues to be troubling is the random recklessness and negligence with which programs are assembled and the failure to monitor the long term consequences for health of vaccination. For all those who have had to bear the consequences looking at it decades later is of course only slightly better than nothing.
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Sara Hummel Rajca of SolarizeSC shows the workshop crowd an example of a photovoltaic solar cell. Were working on Aiken," she said. "Hopefully we can solarize Aiken this year.
Anthony Moxley, right, talks to the Aiken County Planning Commission about chickens during its November meeting Thursday night in the Sandlapper Room in the Aiken County Government Center.
To try is to risk failure. To love is to risk loss. To dream is to risk disappointment. To run is to risk falling. To grow is to risk pain. To live is to risk dying. And to risk nothing is to risk everything. Only by facing our fears and learning to take risks can we create lives full of growth and significance.

Here are six steps to help us face our fears.

1. Dont settle for comfort; keep moving. You cant grow if you remain standing in the exact same place where you stood yesterday. Many of us cling to old ideas, habits and beliefs because they make us feel safe, but they also keep us from growing. Dont settle for comfort when what you really want is progress. You cant grasp new opportunities while holding onto all of the trappings of the life you currently have. Dont be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. John D. Rockefeller

Do the thing we fear and death of fear is certain. Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. Burn your bridge . In 1519, Captain Hernan Cortes landed in Veracruz to begin conquering the New World. Upon their arrival on shore he gave his men the order to burn their boats. Captain Cortes understood that retreat is easy when you have an option. If you want to accomplish something, dont give yourself a plan B. If you want to take the island, burn your boats. Turn your shoulds into musts. When youre 100 % committed, you push past your excuses and either find a way or make a way.

3. Take one step. Instead of moving away from what you fear, train yourself to go towards it. If you dont know what your next steps should be, study the path of people who have succeeded in accomplishing the goal that you are pursuing. Success leaves clues, but the one thing that every successful person has done is jumped before they were totally ready. Every successful person has had to jump. You cannot just exist in this life. You have got to try to live. If you are waking up thinking there has got to be more to your life than there is, man believe that it is. But to get to that life, youre gonna have to jump. Steve Harvey

4. Take action with an abundance mentality. Dont get stuck in a scarcity framework in which the more you give, the more you lose. To bring abundance into your life you need to believe that the more you give, the greater you become. The more generous acts you perform the more you invite blessing and limitlessness into your life. Keep asking yourself how you can add value to the lives of those around you and then take action to give.

5. Remember that you have done this before. You have climbed on a bike before you knew how to ride it. You have walked into a new place without knowing anyone. You have accomplished feats that you didnt know how you would afford or finish. Reflect on these times when you faced a fear and acted courageously despite your fear.

6. Let go of past failures. Dont dwell on past mistakes. Interrupt the story that you keep telling yourself based on yesterdays challenges. You are not your past; you are not even your future. You are who you choose to be right now.

All the world is a narrow bridge, and the most important thing is not to fear at all. Rav Nachman of Breslov
Alabama's commerce secretary says an aircraft manufacturing operation for Tuskegee could be a "gamechanger" for the region, as well as Alabama's aeronautics industry.

Greg Canfield

"The potential economic impact of this project on Tuskegee and the surrounding region is massive," Secretary Greg Canfield said this week. Canfield is on his way back from Italy following a three-day trade mission there.

State and local officials toured the Venegono Superiore factory near Milan of aerospace company Leonardo, which plans to build the T-100 trainer jet for the U.S. Air Force at Tuskegee. But that's if the U.S. Air Force awards the contract next spring.

The company plans a manufacturing facility with 750 workers at Moton Field with an initial investment of $200 million to $250 million. The company would build 350 of the jets over an estimated 20 years. The jet would replace a 50-year-old trainer jet now in use.

Canfield said the effect from the project would include not only high-paying jobs but long-term growth prospects. Consider, Macon County has an average household income of $30,738 a year according to the U.S. Census, which lags almost $4,000 behind the state average.

It would also provide inroads for Alabama's students into an exciting field of technology.

"It's not an exaggeration to say the Leonardo facility would create new opportunities for citizens and businesses in Macon County that would change the trajectory of the entire region," he said. "The T-100 factory would also create unique opportunities for collaboration for Tuskegee and Auburn universities and their engineering students, particularly those focusing on aerospace."

The project would also have a ripple effect, Canfield said, in that it would generate supplier activity, which would mean more jobs.

Leonardo builds the M-346 trainer jet for Italy, Israel, Singapore and Poland, as well as a sophisticated ground-based flight-training simulator. The M-346 is the basis for the T-100, which is specifically tailored to the technical needs of the U.S. Air Force.

One other aspect to the project is Moton Field, the historic home of the Tuskegee Airmen. Canfield said Alabama's place in the story makes it "an ideal home" for the project.

"Clearly, this is a perfect way to build on the important legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen," he said. "It's undeniable this project represents an opportunity to rekindle history in an area of our state that is known for breaking new ground and for breaking the color barrier, while setting high standards for performance."
St. Vincent's Health System celebrated the grand opening of its new urgent care location in Homewood on Friday.

The clinic at 1944 28th Ave. S. provides walk-in care for minor injuries and illnesses seven days a week, according to the health system. The location treats a wide range of conditions, including ear or eye infections, flu, fevers, cuts that may need stitches, allergies, and upper respiratory tract infections.

To reduce wait times, patients can check in online at stvurgentcare.com before coming into the clinic.

The clinic opened on Oct. 2.

"Today was an exciting day, as we celebrated expanding our offerings to add another convenient access point within our community," said Stephanie Holderby, vice president of operations for St. Vincent's Health System. "As a part of Ascension, we are committed to giving our patients the right care when and where they need it. This new location is a great example of that dedication  giving us the opportunity to treat patients' urgent health needs with extended and weekend hours right in their own neighborhood."

The urgent care clinic is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. To learn more, click here or call 205-408-2366.
Black Pearl Asian Cuisine in Homewood isn't hard to miss. Drive past the strip malls on State Farm Parkway and you'll find the Chinese restaurant holding court, the only building in the parking lot.

Chinese cuisine isn't particularly hard to find in the Birmingham area, and Black Pearl itself is pretty well known. This Homewood location is one of two restaurants -- the other location is in Colonnade Parkway on Highway 280. But what sets this Homewood restaurant apart from its 280 neighbor is the selection of dim sum, a style of Chinese cuisine served as small plates.

Served in bamboo steamer baskets, dim sum is particularly popular in the Canton region of China, which is home to Black Pearl owner Michelle Mei.

Siu Mai, or stuffed pork and shrimp dumplings

Traditional Cantonese tea houses serve steamers of dim sum during brunch, stacked on carts that are rolled around to diners.

At the Homewood location of Black Pearl, diners can order individual baskets from the dim sum menu all week. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, Black Pearl offers dim sum brunch Cantonese teahouse-style, complete with the carts.

Mei says the restaurant started offering the brunch six months ago, which was a great option for people who wanted the full Cantonese tea house experience, but didn't have time during the week.

"Monday and Friday for lunchtime, not many people like the dim sum. They want lunch fast and need to go back to work," Mei said. "The prep for dim sum is a couple of hours. They don't have time for the dim sum because it takes longer to prepare, which is why we don't use the cart service [during the week]."

Chef Huanqun He has been cooking dim sum for 30 years. Before coming to Black Pearl, she made dim sum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Mei met Chef He, who is also from Canton, through a mutual friend. After the friend gave her He's number, Mei decided to fly out to Vegas to try He's dim sum for herself.

The chef wanted a change from Vegas, so Mei offered her a job at Black Pearl, where she's been whipping up the Chinese delicacies for the past six months.

Sichuan spicy chicken feet

Black Pearl serves Sichuan-style dim sum, which is known for its spice and robust flavors of chili pepper and ginger.

Mei says this style may sit well here in Birmingham with diners who are familiar with Creole and Cajun fare.

"If you come from Louisiana and you know 'oh Louisiana food is spicy'," said Mei. "If you've been to China, Sichuan is the one place that does everything spicy, like the hot pot."

Hot pot is a communal Chinese meal in which diners can simmer meat, vegetables, and noodles in a boiling broth of their choice, including spicy beef broth.

Meals such as dim sum and hot pot are the kinds of Chinese cuisine Mei wants to see more of in Birmingham.

"I want the people [here] to know about the real Chinese food."

Mei makes a face, talking about what she calls "American" Chinese food -- sesame chicken and Mongolian beef.

"That's not Chinese food. I'm from China. I've never heard of that," said Mei, wrinkling her nose. "Sesame chicken and Mongolian beef. It's for here, I want American people to know what is the very very Chinese food."

"When you eat the Sichuan, when you eat that Chinese food, you won't ever want to go back," said Mei. "Seriously. We have a lot of people that come here and they eat the real Chinese food and they never go back to the American Chinese food."

If you're new to dim sum, Mei recommends the shrimp dumplings or egg custard. Another favorite, Mei says, is the char siu bao, or steamed pork BBQ pork buns.

As for seasoned dim sum diners, they might try the spicy chicken feet.

"The Asian people like the chicken feet. The American people... they're scared," she says, cracking a slight smile. "They'd say 'oh no no no.' The chicken feet, a lot of people have never tasted that."

Black Pearl Asian Cuisine in Homewood is located at 180 State Farm Pkwy, Birmingham, AL 35209.
Searching for some comfort food in Alabama has put me in the path of some neat people. We met Cathy, Samantha and Brandon, (who read Verse 16 for us), at a Vietnamese restaurant down in southern Alabama. This time around, on yet another food hunt, we met Han Vu and Dang Nguyen at a restaurant up in northern Alabama. Pierre, one of the photographers, and I were in Huntsville filming another verse for this project and were looking, yet again, for some Vietnamese nourishment when we came across a small, homey restaurant -- Viet Cuisine.

Han and Dang are the owners of Viet Cuisine. We learned they had been students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville where they worked together at a sandwich shop -- Han as a waitress and Dang as a cook.

Once they graduated and had their degrees (Han's in Corporate Finance and Dang's in Electrical Engineering), they decided that they just weren't bankers or engineers. They were foodies who loved food and cooking and serving people.

The sandwich shop where they were working was up for sale. They bought it, kept it for a few years, then sold it. In 2014 they opened Viet Cuisine. (In 2016, they moved the restaurant from where we filmed them to a different, bigger location in Huntsville.)

"We don't really care about money when we first opened," Dang says. "It was about the love."

They offer that same message to their seven-year-old daughter Eva. Han and Dang don't expect her to be a banker or a doctor or a lawyer. She just needs to find her passion and follow it. Right now Eva's passion is baking.

When she grows up, she wants to open her own cupcake shop, one that is close enough to walk to Viet Cuisine. She's already figured out her menu: "cupcakes, cakes, and green tea cake."

"We have a lot of customers coming because of her," Han says. "They come in to play with her." Eva agrees. "I have a lot of friends. And they all come into the restaurant! And we have a BIG TV"

Han says the TV is always set to the Food Channel. "It makes customers hungry," she says, "And they learn about food."

Customers, of course, also come for the food. Dang says he's somewhat of a perfectionist in the kitchen. "I hate a busy day," Dang says. "Not because I don't like customers, I love my customers. But I want the food to come out perfect!"

Most days are busy. Dang attributes some of the restaurant's popularity to its location: Alabama. "Alabama, I think it's a place where they love to try new things," he says. He feels lucky the restaurant is where it is.

Han says she focuses on creating a space where their customers can feel relaxed and happy, like they're eating a meal at their family's or friends' house. "They will enjoy looking around, and they can walk around," Han says. "I want to make sure it's special and different than other Vietnamese [restaurants]. When you walk in my restaurant, you will see half Asian style, half American style."

Han says sometimes when couples come in, they want a romantic dinner, so she's placed pots of lavender throughout the restaurant. The smell of lavender is supposed to make you more relaxed and happy.

When asked to name the best compliment a customer has ever given her, Han immediately answers: "My restroom is the cleanest public restroom they've ever seen. For me, if it's not clean and I went to a restaurant, I would walk away."

Sometimes Dang will walk out of the kitchen to the dining room and watch customers enjoying themselves -- eating and smiling and laughing--and he knows he and his wife have done something right. They've given people a place where they can feel comfortable and connected. For that, they are continually repaid with loyalty.

"Sometimes customers, they forget their wallet or the machine is down," Dang says. "I just ask, 'Well did you enjoy your meal today?' And if they say, 'yes,' I am happy because they will come back. And that's all we want to see at the end of the day."

By Jennifer Crandall, as told to writer Liz Hildreth. For more stories across Alabama, visit us at Whitman, Alabama
For the past week, as media from around the world swarmed the Roy Moore scandal, a question arose again and again.

How, wondered the shoe-leather scribes and studio celebrities, could Alabama's conservative voters support Moore after a bombshell Washington Post story telling of allegations that the ex-judge pursued and accosted teen girls decades ago?

Sean Sullivan can supply an answer easily and quickly. He's plugged in with those very voters as host of talk radio shows at 106.5FM in Mobile.

"They had a built-in distrust and they felt it validated and reinforced in the allegations against Roy Moore," Sullivan said, telling of listeners who find it fishy that a sensational story could sit quiet for years, only to be found just a month from election day by The Washington Post.

"They are questioning the timing of this. All these things are suspect," he said.

For journalism professors and former reporters familiar with Alabama, this kind of voter reaction is nothing new. They see parallels stretching back at least to the '50s as the civil rights movement began to bud out, perhaps even earlier than that.

"It's a well-established tradition for many Southerners, particularly more reactionary Southerners, to dismiss even the starkest truths when they are revealed by news organizations from outside the South," said Hank Klibanoff, professor of practice in creative writing and English at Emory University in Atlanta. He is a co-author of the "The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation," which won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for history.

The Washington Post story quoted four named accusers and involved interviews with more than 30 people who said they knew Moore from 1977-1982, when he was a lawyer and prosecutor in small-town Gadsden.

Moore and his U.S. Senate campaign have attacked the Washington Post in recent days, calling the initial story "the very definition of fake news," and have threatened legal action against news organizations including AL.com.

"Why am I being harassed by the media pushing these allegations in the last 30 days of this campaign?" Moore said Tuesday during a speech before a Baptist church conference in Jackson. "That's all the press wants to talk about. But I want to talk about these issues and where this country is going."

.@ALGOP: "Alabamians will be the ultimate jury in this election- not the media or those from afar." https://t.co/BJYc6ehsF0 #ALSen #alpolitics  Howard Koplowitz (@HowardKoplowitz) November 16, 2017

'Intellectually indefensible'

For Quin Hillyer, a conservative writer and former columnist with the Mobile Press-Register, the response to the Moore story by his adherents causes a deeper concern.

"The liberal biases of the establishment media have been obvious for decades, and resented by conservatives and Southerners for decades," Hillyer said. ". Now, with Donald Trump stirring up conspiracy theories about 'fake news,' the distrust has turned into widespread, reflexive, unthinking refusal to believe unwanted stories merely and specifically because the stories are broken by establishment-media outlets."

He added, "For many people, it doesn't matter how well sourced and tightly reported a story is: If it comes from an outlet they don't like, they refuse to believe it. Completely apart from the Moore story, this is an unfortunate development, both intellectually indefensible and horrible for the health of our civic life."

The struggles between Alabama political leaders and the national press are the stuff of legend and lore. School textbooks throughout the U.S. tell of landmark First Amendment cases arising in Alabama, and offer tales of reporters scouring the state to expose injustices.

The biggest of the court rulings arrived in 1964: New York Times v. Sullivan. There, the U.S. Supreme Court established an "actual malice" standard must be met for public officials to pursue libel lawsuits against the media.

Ironically, New York Times v. Sullivan had nothing to do with a news story. Instead, it dealt with an advertisement paid for by a committee defending Martin Luther King Jr. and soliciting money to pay for his legal fight against an Alabama perjury indictment.

"It was monumentally important ... freeing up the press to play the role as not just the chronicler of the events of the day, but as the investigator of the events of the day," Klibanoff said.

In the early 1960s, New York Times reporter Harrison Salisbury wrote a front-page story about police commissioner's Eugene "Bull" Connor's aggressive tactics in Birmingham. The Birmingham News, Alabama's largest-circulation newspaper, shouted back with the headline, "N.Y. Times Slanders Our City - Can this Be Birmingham?"

Connor and other city officials filed libel suits against the Times, and an Alabama court ruled in their favor. But when the federal courts took over the case, a judge determined that Connor was not entitled to damages and declared that Salisbury and The Times had "exhibited a high standard of reporting practices."

By then, national journalists were wary of being seen in the open as they reported on the civil rights movement in Alabama. Karl Fleming with Newsweek and Claude Sitton with The New York Times cut their stenographer pads in half so that they'd be less conspicuous as they jotted notes.

But journalists couldn't always get away from Gov. George Wallace. Phillip Rawls, a journalism professor at Auburn University and a former longtime reporter at The Associated Press, said Wallace would sometimes point out national political reporters in the crowd, taking them and their bosses to task.

"He did that to me one night at an outdoor rally in Opp," Rawls recalled. "After the rally, he came up to me and joked about his criticism as if he were a professional wrestler hyping his next match."

Rawls said Moore's strategy is "straight out of Wallace's playbook." He said, "Moore's beliefs, particularly on race, are not the same as Wallace's, but both know what motivates their base to turn out to vote."

Moore has called The Washington Post's piece an "intentional act" to discredit him. At the University of Alabama, however, associate journalism professor Chris Roberts believes that the Post team did a "pretty solid reporting job."

"We talk in my reporting classes that if you are going to take on something big, you have to kill it," said Roberts. "You cannot wound it. People will complain about it. But I think they came close to killing the bear. They got it. They didn't pay sources. They got people on the record."

He also noted that a host of national Republicans, in the days after the story surfaced, backed off in their support of Moore's campaign.

'Pretty cautious'

Gene Roberts, a legendary New York Times reporter who covered the happenings in Alabama during the civil rights era and now lives in Maryland, expressed admiration for the carefulness of the Post's reporting, and for the story's thoroughness and tone.

"It seemed to be a pretty cautious story going into the background of the women and their family backgrounds," said Roberts, who co-authored "The Race Beat" with Klibanoff.

As Roberts and others said, the editor at The Washington Post headed up one of the most celebrated investigative journalism teams in recent times: Spotlight.

"There aren't many newspaper people who movies are made about who are still living," said Roberts, referring to Martin Baron, editor at The Post since 2012.

Baron was editor at The Boston Globe from 2001-2012, and oversaw the coverage of the Catholic church sexual abuse scandal by priests in Boston. The newspaper's coverage of the scandal was portrayed in the 2015 movie, Spotlight, which won that year's Academy Award for Best Picture.

Said Roberts, "It was one of the finest and most accurate examples of investigative reporting in modern American journalism."

The Washington Post did not make Baron available for comment. The Post also declined comment on reaction the Moore story has received in Alabama.

'Opposition party'

One key Moore supporter, Brietbart news chief executive Stephen Bannon, have suggested that The Washington Post story was the inspiration of its owner, Jeff Bezos, CEO of retail giant Amazon. Bezos has spent millions of dollars in support of same-sex marriage, for which Moore has been a strident national voice of resistance.

Bannon, a former White House strategist for President Donald Trump, has also called the national media the "opposition party." And, in fact, many Republicans may share that view, based on the findings of recent polling. The Pew Research Center, in preparing its annual report on media watchdog matters, discovered that Democrats are 47 percentage points more likely than Republicans to express support for the media's watchdog role. That gap is the largest since Pew began asking the question in 1985.

"One of the sad things -- and it's been going on for 20 years -- is that it seems people don't want information as much as they want affirmation for the views they already hold," said Gary Nordlinger, a professor at the graduate school of political management at George Washington University.

In the Moore case, various conservative media personalities have lined up against the former judge, doubting his denials and explanations for the allegations.

Sean Hannity, the popular Fox News host, gave Moore "24 hours" on Tuesday to explain inconsistencies in his response to the alleged misconduct, or exit the race. Moore responded on Wednesday, and Hannity has since said that Alabama voters should settle the matter at the ballot box.

Sullivan, the Mobile radio show host, said that Hannity and other conservative media types have had no real impact on the election.

"I don't think it moves the needle at all," said Sullivan, referring outside-the-state commentators and their views on Alabama politics which includes endorsements. Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin all endorsed Rep. Mo Brooks before the Aug. 15 GOP primary. Brooks finished a distant third behind Moore and Senator Luther Strange.

Sullivan added, "Personally, I'm frustrated by this and these allegations, I take them seriously. No matter what the outcomes is on December 12, I want to know what happened. I think as citizens of Alabama, we want to know what happened."

Updated at 9:18 a.m., Nov. 17 to correct the spelling of Hank Klibanoff.

Updated at 9:28 p.m., Nov. 17 to correct the spelling of Martin Baron.
Five Alabama counties will receive federal assistance after President Donald Trump declared a major disaster exist in the state as a result on Hurricane Nate on Thursday.

Gov. Kay Ivey made the major disaster request on Oct. 30, a little more than three weeks after the hurricane brought storm surges of 5 1/2 to 6 feet above normal tide in Mobile County. Structures, piers, roads and bridges were also damaged. The major disaster declaration includes Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile and Washington counties.

"I appreciate President Trump following through on his promise to help Alabama recover from the effects of Hurricane Nate," Ivey said. "The assistance given to our state through the major disaster declaration is welcomed news. (Alabama) EMA Director Brian Hastings is to be commended for his efforts in guiding this process."

Being part of the declaration means that local governments, state agencies, eligible private non-profit organizations and electric co-operatives can apply for FEMA's Public Assistance Program to pay 75 percent of the approved costs incurred due to the hurricane under the following categories:

Category A: Debris Removal

Category B: Emergency Protective Measures

Category C: Roads and Bridges

Category D: Water Control Facilities

Category E: Buildings and Equipment

Category F: Utilities

Category G: Parks, Recreational Facilities and Other Items

In addition to the five counties receiving all categories of public assistance, this major disaster declaration also grants category B assistance to the following counties: Autauga, Dallas and Macon.

Federal disaster aid is not available for individual residents.

Hastings said the Alabama Emergency Management Agency requested and received the permission to run this disaster as a state-managed disasters due to the workload FEMA is managing in several other states and territories.

"This new level of involvement for the state will provide the state EMA staff with valuable experience and allow rapid response to the counties as the Public Assistance Program is administered," Hastings said.

Ivey said Representatives from the AEMA Recovery Division will explain procedures for requesting assistance at a series of applicant briefings at locations to be announced shortly in the affected areas.
Patti Spradlin can talk about Roy Moore.

She grew up in Gadsden with Leigh Corfman, a woman who told the Washington Post she was 14 when Moore, then an assistant district attorney in Etowah County, picked her up and made sexual advances.

The group of friends rode bikes and skated together. They passed out of Eura Brown Elementary school and the gang from the Country Club and Clubview areas graduated from the skating rink to socializing at the Gadsden Mall.

Patti Spradlin backs up Leigh Corfman's story, and says Moore's accusers gave her strength. (Ian Hoppe)

It was a safe place, said Spradlin - who asked that her married name not be used, so as not to cause harm to her husband. But there was one man the middle school girls knew to avoid, she said.

"There was an element there that everyone was aware of," Spradlin said. "There were places you could duck into to avoid this person. And it was Roy Moore."

She remembers darting into Sugar and Spice, the children's clothing store her aunt owned in the mall, when her group saw Moore coming.

"He was always by himself. We just didn't dare make eye contact for fear that would signal something to him, so we'd scooch to the other side -- you know, walk on the other side of the mall.

"Everyone knew there was something to avoid that was creepy and icky and it was something that my friends didn't want anything to do with," she said.

Let me be clear.

Patti Spradlin is not another accuser of Roy Moore.

Patti Spradlin does not claim she was abused by him or groped by him or approached by him, and Moore adamantly denies all of the allegations against him.

But the allegations against Moore were somehow freeing for Spradlin. Because she says now - for the first time publicly - that she was abused as a child. Not by Moore. Not in the way Moore is accused, but in a way that has stifled her and choked her and, she says, changed the trajectory of her life.

It was Corfman who gave her the courage to even say it, she says. So she's tired of hearing people attack and criticize Corfman, and the other women quoted and referenced in last week's Washington Post story. She says she has known since childhood that something happened between Corfman and Moore, though she admits she never talked to her about it for fear of causing more pain.

"It was one of those things you just knew," she said.

But she's weary of hearing "why now?" and "Why just before the election?" She is tired of the innuendo and blame of those women.

Because she can look at her friend, and understand. She can look at herself, and understand.

"I was molested," she said. "It started when I was five years old and it went for several years. I have yet to confront this person. I've had several Christian counselors and psychiatrists and I didn't tell them until just this past year. It's been almost 50 years."

She can only imagine what it's like to see her abuser every day on TV.

"If I had to hear his voice -- whether it be on the radio or TV or see a picture of him and his name in print -- I would find the loudest and largest voice I could find to speak out," she said.

It has happened time and time again since the Roy Moore allegations began. An Arizona woman came forward after more than 60 years to talk about her abuser, and women across Alabama have done the same. Because it is a moment of change in the culture.

"It's not political," she said. "It's our lives."

But it puts her in a tough spot, because she doesn't support Doug Jones or his views on abortion.

So who is she going to vote for?

"I can't imagine voting for either one of them. I don't know. It's a horribly sad state.

"Literally."

John Archibald's column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Write him at jarchibald@al.com.
Rapid Support Forces was once part of the border intelligence militia, known as Janjaweed, fighting in Darfur.

Machine guns, anti-aircraft missiles and RPGs  all weapons ready to be used on the battlefield.

But in northern Sudan, they are deployed to turn away migrants and their smugglers trying to cross the vast desert to reach Europe.

Those using this weaponry are members of a Sudanese paramilitary unit, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Established in 2013 to fight a rebellion in Sudans Darfur region, the RSF was originally part of border intelligence.





Once we dealt with the rebellion in South Kordofan and Blue Nile and Darfur, we immediately turned to the great Sahara desert, especially after the directives from the president of the republic to combat illegal migration, Mohamed Hamdan, head of RSF, told Al Jazeera.

Previously known as Janjaweed, or government-backed militias, the RSFs approach of dealing with migrants has been largely criticised.

While fighting the rebels in Darfur, the group was known for its brutality, and was accused by Human Rights Watch of inflicting a campaign of forcible displacement, murder, pillage and rape on hundreds of thousands of civilians.

In 2013, they were rebranded as the RSF.

When Sudan and other African countries signed a deal with the European Union (EU) on migration, known as the Khartoum Process, the RSF started deterring Somalis, Eritreans and Ethiopians, as well as other nationalities, from crossing the Sudanese border.

Often, the process ends with death.

In September, the RSF announced that it killed 28 people smugglers in clashes along the Sudanese-Libyan border. The RSF has refused to state how many migrants were killed in the clashes, if any.

The process of stopping the migrants and getting those who work in smuggling them happens in areas that are poorly developed, Abdelmoneim Abu Idrees, a Sudanese analyst, told Al Jazeera.

In those areas, its hard to observe what these forces are doing, especially with no organisations specialised on human rights close by.

And even the media, they are not called until the migrants are brought close to the capital [Khartoum] and the media are told that they (the migrants) have been rescued.

International law violations

Other times, deterring migrants ends with them placed in detention centres in the eastern part of the country.

Sometimes, the migrants are returned to their country of origin, as it happened in May 2016, when more than 1,000 Eritreans rounded up in Khartoum and the Sudanese-Libyan border were forced back to Eritrea.

Similarly, more than 100 were sent back in August and September 2017.

According to the UNs refugee agency, the forcible return of refugees to their country of origin is a serious violation of international refugee law.

Refugees escaping Eritrea are mostly fleeing the countrys mandatory military service, which officially takes up to two years to complete, but is often extended by the government

I dont want to go back, Enok Debesgne, an Eritrean migrant told Al Jazeera in a camp in Kassala, eastern Sudan.





Debesgne said his father is in prison and he left his five siblings behind with his mother to find a better life outside Africa.

I want education. So Ill stay until I get any help or advice from any person who helps others. Then I will be able to go further.

In early 2017, the Sudanese parliament approved a bill recognising the RSF as special forces. They are supposed to report directly to President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and war crimes committed in Darfur.

The Sudanese government says that this is an organised force and has had its bill passed in the parliament  So the government thinks its an organised force that can play many different roles, Abu Idrees, the analyst, said.

But the main question is, with these forces, can anyone control its dealings with civilians?

EU funding

But its not just the RSF that has come under criticism  the EU has also come under fire.

The EU has to face it, Abu Idrees said. When it comes to the issue of migration, its dealing with a force that is controversial to achieve what it wants.





So far, the EU has given more than $250m after signing cooperation agreements with Sudan to combat migration.

The bloc insists that they do not give the funds directly to Sudans government, and that all EU-funded activities are implemented by agencies of EU member states, international organisations, private sector entities and NGOs.

However, human rights and monitoring groups have raised suspicions that the EU has no role in supporting the RSF, even if indirectly.

The RSF, meanwhile, has not denied receiving support from the EU.

They (the EU) lose millions in fighting migration, thats why they have to support us, Hamdan, the RSF head, said.

Some representatives have come with us to the desert to witness our operations and offered trainings, he added, refusing, however, to disclose their nationalities.
The EUs likely future is an imperial neoliberal superstate. But there is also an alternative.

The future of the European Union is surely in doubt.

Brexit and Catalonia are the most glaring recent examples of the irrepressibly dynamic forces of nationalism that continue to exert powerful influence on the human psyche within European communities.

More importantly, the processes that led to the victory of the Leave campaign in the June 2016 and the eruption of Catalonias cessationist sentiment form part of the disintegrating tendencies under way in todays global political economy. They add to the growing list of cases illustrating the limits of the idea of a united Europe.

The more likely future of Europe is a neoliberal superstate jointly run by Berlin and Brussels. The European elite has been working hard for a long time now to have power transferred from the national governments to a Brussels-based super bureaucracy, with Berlin acting as the political and economic hegemon.

But there is also an alternative  a United States of Europe (a Europe with total integration and without nation states), which is a widely shared idea within certain European elites. Such a project can succeed only if the norms and values of democracy are applied at a transnational and global level (cosmopolitan democracy).

An imperial superstate

As a citizen of a European neoliberal superstate, your life will be determined by two entities: the Brussels-based bureaucracy and the unelected hegemon, Berlin. They will dictate the policymaking process, while nation states  especially those situated on the periphery of the Union  will be turned into satellites.

We have already seen plenty of evidence that the EU is heading that way.

Economic cooperation among European member states has revolved around distinct Machiavellian principles and it is the interests of the strong and influential economic agents and of powerful state actors that drive public policy agenda.

If by 

acts as an imperial power by virtue of the very emergence of a neoliberal superstate, at least in regard to economic affairs.]

The tradition of political cynicism also defines the actual foreign policy agenda of EU authorities and institutions as evidenced by their double-standard approach towards integration and secession. They opposed Catalonias declaration for independence in late October 2017 because they dont wish to see Spain (an EU member state) split, but provided unanimous support in 2008 to Kosovos independence.

As a matter of fact, the European Community (along with Washington) not only failed in the case of former Yugoslavia back in the early 1990s to guarantee the territorial integrity of European state frontiers, in clear violation of the 1975 Helsinki Accords Final Act, but individual European member states actually played a key role in the destruction of the Yugoslavian state.

But no one has ever charged the EU with being a democratic political entity. If anything, it acts as an imperial power by virtue of the very emergence of a neoliberal superstate, at least in regard to economic affairs. The manner in which the bailout programmes for Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Cyprus were handled during the euro crisis stands out as a glaring example of heavy-handed, anti-democratic tactics.

In Greece and Italy, democratically elected governments were forced to resign under pressure from EU authorities and replaced in turn by non-elected technocratic governments.

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In the case of Greece, Germanys finance minister and EU officials even refused to accept the outcome of a bailout referendum. They still maintain a financial stranglehold over the economy, securing the countrys transformation into a debt colony as a result of brutal austerity measures and outright refusal to provide debt relief.

Speaking of sovereign debt, Germanys own debt was largely written off in 1953 with the London Debt Agreement. To add insult to injury, Europes new hegemon refuses to give back to financially strangled Greece a loan that the country was forced to provide to its Nazi occupiers during World War II. The value of the loan is estimated today to be in the tens of billions of euros.

Cosmopolitan democracy

The emergence of a United States of Europe presupposes not merely the complete redesign of the current EU architecture and fiscal unity but also the development of a new level of political consciousness.

The different peoples of Europe will have to embrace a cosmopolitan version of democracy which may be not simply contradictory to their national political cultures but run also contrary to emotional community attachment.

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All prevailing experience indicates that we have not yet reached a stage of extending our emotional attachments to any measurable and influential degree to individuals and settings beyond close proximity to our own existence.

In other words, we can identify with the values and experiences of our communities and our nations, but hardly with those of the world at large, although we can still believe and subscribe to something called universal principles.

Moreover, cosmopolitan democracy is a noble but fanciful attachment not to universal principles as such, but rather to imagined political communities organised in empty space which may literally require the transcendence of time, culture, and history.

In other words, for cosmopolitan democracy to work, what is required is the application of a set of norms, practices, and values in a borderless world deprived of national cultures and distinct historical experiences  a borderless world that is located outside history and culture.

Cosmopolitan democracy requires the transcendence of all arbitrary limitations. In this sense, ontologically speaking, of course, cosmopolitan democracy as global governance comes close to resembling pantheism.

Unfortunately, the EU is not going that way. It will continue to accumulate political power at the expense of the democratic nation state in order to extend the tyranny of the neoliberal market for the benefit of European capital.

This is what the EU economic and political project has become all about, and the notion of a united Europe serves literally more as a political guide towards the establishment of a superstate rather than the remaking of Europes political landscape along the lines of a federal democratic polity.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Venezulas government is bad, but the US and Israels are good. Why?

Turns out, the Pope isnt alone in the saint-anointing business.

Canadian Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland, and, by extension, Canada, are also, it appears, ordained not only to pick saints but sinners.

I was reminded of this grating impulse after Freeland unveiled recently  with a burst of self-congratulatory fanfare  sanctions against 52 foreigners Canada deems corrupt and who, apparently, are guilty of human rights abuses too.

Not surprisingly, Canadas swaggering list of sinners is dominated by easy marks: Russians, Venezuelans, and South Sudanese. Most of the names on Freelands register of alleged trespassers are largely unknown save for one, Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro.

Clearly, Freeland didnt feel compelled to offer a morsel of evidence to back her incendiary claim that Maduro, and scores of other top Venezuelan officials, are mendacious, human rights violators.

She didnt have to. Her allegations were regurgitated as gospel delivered from on high by a fawning Canadian corporate media that instantly abandoned even a hint of scepticism and unanimously demonised a South American head of state by declaring: Guilty on all counts.

Predictably, sympathetic news stories about Freelands get tough gambit referred to Maduros government as a leftist regime. Thats establishment code for a thuggish, venal bunch of third-world rubes who dont share Canadas ever-so-pristine, first-world commitment to honesty, probity and human rights.

Freelands revisionism and signature condescension were greeted, almost universally, with broad applause and without so much as a lonely note of censure from Canadas so-called democratic socialists, the New Democratic Party that shares, at least theoretically, Maduros politics.

Canada continues to unquestionably support Israel at all times, on any matter, at any cost. by

Freeland went into chest-thumping action just weeks after the Canadian Parliament unanimously backed the anti-graft Magnitsky Law, named after the Russian tax lawyer who was beaten to death in a Moscow prison after accusing government apparatchiks of theft.

Canada joined the United States, the UK and Estonia in passing legislation designed to punish the aforementioned sinners by freezing their assets and banning their overseas travel.

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Canada is determined to protect human rights and combat corruption worldwide. Todays announcement sends a clear message that Canada will take action against individuals who have profited from acts of significant corruption or who have been involved in gross violations of human rights, Freeland said after imposing sanctions on Maduro et al.

Curiously, Freelands most wanted list of international miscreants did not include any senior or not-so-senior Israeli or US officials. In her cynical, myopic geopolitical calculus, Venezuela and Russia are sinners, while Israel and the US are saints.

This, despite the marquee-sized fact that Donald Trumps authoritarian regime was labelled earlier this month as one of the most corrupt administrations in US history, one of first-class kleptocrats, by Newsweek magazine.

Somehow, Freeland missed Newsweeks damning cover story that catalogued the systemic, rampant malfeasance that is now generally accepted  even among obsequious US mainstream media  to be synonymous with Trumps wretched rule.

Still, Freelands glaring oversight is particularly puzzling since, in her former life as a journalist, she wrote a much heralded book about the insatiable avarice of plutocrats, aptly titled: Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super Rich.

Oh well, Freelands stupefying stupour is, I suppose, a reflection of the institutional expectation that Canadas top diplomat will slavishly curry favour with the well-heeled Western powerbrokers that she once vigorously excoriated.

And Freeland remembers, no doubt, that more than a few of those American plutocrats, turned statesmen, were intimately implicated in the torture and degradation of countless innocents in secret, state-sanctioned dark sites, Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay.

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Yet, none of the architects of any of those crimes has ever been sanctioned by Canada, or that preening human rights champion, Chrystia Freeland.

Of course, Freelands recurring bout of amnesia and blindness extends, as well, to Israels long, exhaustively documented history of egregious human rights offences.

Like her boss, Justin Trudeau, Freeland was mute while the Israeli military enthusiastically engaged in what amounted to a murderous turkey shoot in Gaza in 2014 at the explicit behest of its political masters who issued their grotesque orders comfortably from Tel Aviv.

The Israeli invasions final, inhumane death toll included more than 500 Palestinian children, while thousands more remain permanently scarred physically and psychologically.

Through it all, Trudeau and Freeland (then, in opposition) sided rhetorically with former Prime Minister Stephen Harper who, in words and deeds, encouraged Benjamin Netanyahu to please proceed.

Three years later, and now wielding authority over Canadas foreign policy, Trudeau and Freeland remain fused to Harpers ideological hip vis-a-vis Israel. This has meant that Canada continues to unquestionably support Israel at all times, on any matter, at any cost.

This has also meant Trudeau and Freeland either have not read or dismissed outright the scathing opening paragraphs of a June 4, 2017, Human Rights Watch press release detailing the watchdogs core findings of Israels 50-year occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip which read:

Fifty years after Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip, it controls these areas through repression, institutionalized discrimination, and systematic abuses of the Palestinian populations rights

At least five categories of major violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law characterize the occupation: unlawful killings; forced displacement; abusive detention; the closure of the Gaza Strip and other unjustified restrictions on movement; and the development of settlements, along with the accompanying discriminatory policies that disadvantage Palestinians.

That was six months ago. Trudeau and Freelands response: silence.

But on November 10, Freeland tweeted the following message to her followers and Canadians: As we mark the memory of Kristallnacht in 1938, a night of anti-Semitic violence and a turning point in the vicious persecution of Jews, let it be a reminder that we must stand up against prejudice and hate, wherever it appears.

Sure you will, Ms Freeland. Sure you will.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Ro Khanna says US is aiding Saudi Arabias war crimes in Yemen and calls Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman not smart.

The United States is helping Saudi Arabia commit war crimes in Yemen, according to US Congressman Ro Khanna.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeeras UpFront aired on Friday, Khanna, a Democratic congressman from California, said the US made a mistake in supporting the Saudi-led coalitions bombing campaign of Yemen.

Today, I believe that we are aiding Saudi Arabia in Saudi Arabias committing war crimes, Khanna told UpFront host Mehdi Hasan.

The US House of Representatives passed a resolution earlier this week that called on the US armed forces to withdraw from unauthorised hostilities in the Saudi-led bombing campaign of Yemen, which began in 2015.

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Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict and the Saudi-led coalition has bombed key infrastructure and imposed a strict blockade on the country.

Yemen is facing a dire humanitarian crisis and millions of people will die in what could be the worst famine in decades if the blockade is not lifted, the United Nations recently warned.

The US has assisted Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in conducting aerial bombings in Yemen and provided midair refueling services to their warplanes, according to the resolution, which was overwhelmingly adopted by a vote of 366-30.

By aiding the Saudis in airstrikes that kill civilians, we are creating a security vacuum that allows groups like ISIS to gain a foothold.  Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) November 13, 2017

While the resolution is non-binding, Khanna, who was one of its co-sponsors, said it would put pressure on the Saudis to provide greater humanitarian access to Yemen and allow food and basic medicine to reach Yemenis.

Thats going to make a difference. That can at least save lives, Khanna said.

Harsh words

In his interview with UpFront, Khanna had harsh words for Saudi Arabia and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in particular.

Salman strikes me as not smart, Khanna said about the Crown Prince, who is also known by the initials MBS.

Hes not judicious and hes not prudent and he may do things that ultimately arent even in his countrys interest, which usually cause war.

Khanna continued: Napoleon once said worse than a crime is a blunder, and Salman strikes me as a blunderer.

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MBS has rapidly consolidated power since he was named next in line for the Saudi throne by his father, King Salman, last June.

Dozens of senior Saudi officials have been rounded up and held since early November in what the kingdom has described as a crackdown on corruption.

The Saudis have also faced a barrage of criticism for their alleged role in forcing Saad Hariri to resign as Lebanons prime minister.

Saudi Arabia has been accused of keeping Hariri in detention in Riyadh, an allegation it has denied.

A war of words has also broken out between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival, Iran, over the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon.

Strike on Iran

Asked how the US should respond to a possible Saudi attack on Iran, Khanna said the US should condemn it.

We should certainly not come to their defence if they are perpetrating an attack on Iran, the congressman said, adding that it would be utter folly for the Saudi crown prince to start a direct war with Iran.

Should the US intervene in the case of an Iranian counterattack on Saudi Arabia, its longtime ally in the region? Certainly not, Khanna said.

Al Jazeeras Mehdi Hasan then asked the congressman whether the US would intervene on behalf of another ally, Israel, which has also been vocal in its condemnations of Tehran.

Israel also recently instructed its diplomats to lobby their respective countries in support of Saudi Arabia, according to leaked diplomatic cables.

Obviously, if Iran starts to say, were going to annihilate Israel, then we have to defend it, Khanna answered.

But I dont expect that to be the response.

Khanna said that, in his view, the US certainly would not condone a strike on Iran by either Saudi Arabia or Israel.
Navy launches air and sea operation after loss of communication with the ARA San Juan for 48 hours.

Argentinas navy says it has launched an air and sea operation to restore contact with a submarine off the countrys southern coast.

The navy said on Twitter on Friday that the ARA San Juan was heading from Ushuaia, in the countrys south, to a base in Mar del Plata, about 400km south of the capital, Buenos Aires.

Enrique Balbi, navy spokesman, said the last contact of the vessel with the command was on Wednesday morning.

The submarine has at least 40 crew members on board, according to local media reports.

Speaking of a communication failure, the navy said the submarine is not considered lost, while Balbi denied a report that there may have been a fire on board.

I dont want to dramatise the issue, he said.

Were lacking communication and dont know what happened.

We are totally desperate

A sister of a crew member working in the kitchen of the submarine said that no one from the navy had communicated with the family of the officer.

We do not know anything about our relatives, we are totally desperate, said the crying sister, identified by popular Argentine daily Clarin as Cristina.

According to Clarin, the ARA San Juan is a diesel-electric submarine that was manufactured in Germany.

It has been part of Argentines navy since 1985.
Many in Bonn are predictably unhappy with President Trumps decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement.

Many in Bonn are predictably unhappy with President Trumps decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement. But, in spite of that, there is a concerted effort from world leaders and leaders of the US economy to keep working to tackle climate change.

There was much speculation before the start of the latest climate conference in Germany that the promised US pullout of the Paris Agreement may derail the process.

On the contrary, it appears to have galvanised efforts to lessen the effects of global warming.

World leaders and representatives of some $6.2 trillion of the US economy come together to declare their determination to keep fighting climate change and abandon dirty fuels.

Al Jazeeras Nick Clark reports from Bonn, Germany.
State forces and ISIL-linked fighters have committed abuses that amount to war crimes, Amnesty International says.

Manila, Philippines  Diego swam across the chilly waters of Lake Lanao in pitch darkness to make it to the opposite shore before first light.

It was August 4, and the young father was fleeing the main battle zone in Marawi, a city on the southern island of Mindanao in the Philippines, where, for three months, he was held hostage by Maute fighters linked to ISIL.

A bloody battle between the fighters and government forces was raging in Marawi since May, pushing thousands of residents to flee.

I was crying all the time. There was always a gun pointed at me, Diego, who used a pseudonym for fear of retribution, told Al Jazeera.

I lost count how many times they shot at me and beat me.

Diego thought his ordeal was over when, after swimming for two straight hours, military officers found him on the other side of the city.

Instead, however, he was brought to a university campus where he said he was blindfolded and shackled.

For the next week, Diego said he endured physical, mental and emotional torture at the hands of security officers, whom he said were trying to make sure he was a hostage and not one of the Maute fighters himself.

They taunted me, saying Lets just kill him. I could hear them electrocuting the guy next to me. They beat me up, thinking I would admit I was a fighter, he said.

War crimes

Diegos story has now been corroborated by a new report by human rights group Amnesty International, issued nearly four weeks after Philippine authorities declared total victory over the Maute fighters in Marawi.

The report, released on Friday and titled The Battle of Marawi: Death and Destruction in the Philippines, describes widespread abuses committed by both Maute fighters and government forces  some of which amount to war crimes.

Based on interviews with 48 survivors and witnesses, as well as local leaders, journalists and activists, the report found that pro-ISIL fighters engaged in unlawful killings and hostage-taking, while government forces mistreated people in their custody.

Government shelling has caused widespread destruction in the city, civilians have been trapped in the crossfire and all parties to the conflict have engaged in looting, Amnesty found.

The group said it had documented a variety of serious violations of international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict.

Some of these violations amount to war crimes, it added.

Extrajudicial killings

On May 23, Maute fighters launched an attack on Marawi, the largest Muslim city in the predominantly Catholic nation, targeting Christians or anyone who could not recite the Shahada, the profession of the Muslim faith.

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They took their victims hostage or killed them on the spot, shooting them with pistols or rifles, or slitting their throats, Amnesty found.

The report documented at least 25 of these extrajudicial killings.

For the hostages, it was a daily struggle to survive torture and abuse at the hands of their Maute captors, Amnesty stated.

They foraged for food, retrieved and buried dead bodies, dug foxholes for the attackers, and made improvised bombs.

The men were forced to fight government forces while the women were used as sex slaves, the report found.

Many hostages attempted to escape, but those who were caught were either shot or beheaded by the fighters, Amnesty said.

At least you are alive

Hostages who successfully fled their captors, like Diego, often had to deal with government forces, who were suspicious of their potential links to the Maute fighters, the report found.

Several survivors recounted being shot at, beaten up and tortured by members of the Philippine Marines in an effort to get them to confess that they were members of ISIL, Amnesty reported.

One man said he was doused in hot liquid.

After two weeks in torturous detention, a survivor told Amnesty that a police investigator apologised for what he went through, telling him: At least you are alive. Dont complain.

Witnesses said at least 10 hostages were also killed in a government air raid.

The government said more than 1,000 people  920 Maute fighters, 165 soldiers and police, and 47 civilians  were killed in the fighting. It also said it had rescued 1,780 hostages.

According to Amnesty, however, the governments tally of civilian casualties may be incomplete.

Military investigating

The report questioned whether civilian deaths and the large-scale destruction of the city in government air and ground attacks were militarily necessary and proportional to the threat posed by the fighters.

The fact that bombings were carried out after the military said only a few Maute fighters were still alive casts doubt on whether the operations met the requirements under international humanitarian law, the report stated.

Police and military officers were among those who looted and ransacked homes and shops left behind by fleeing residents, according to witnesses quoted in the report.

Government forces are held to a higher standard than the armed group they were fighting, said Kathline Tolosa, of the Security Reform Initiative, a Manila-based watchdog.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is the protector of the people and the state  That is why we hold them to account, Tolosa said.

Restituto Padilla, a spokesperson for the AFP, acknowledged the allegations levied in Amnestys report, but said the armed forces were still investigating.

Our actions in the Marawi conflict were guided by the rules of conflict, which provides for the necessity and proportionality in the use of force, Padilla said.

We also understand the manner in which they question our use of bombings.

Reparations

Amnesty called on the Philippine government to fully investigate the reported incidents and make reparations to all the victims who suffered from human rights violations.

It urged the government to consider lifting martial law on the island, which Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte imposed on the Mindanao region in May after the fighting in Marawi first broke out. Martial law is set to expire at the end of the year.

The human rights group also called on local authorities to rehabilitate the war-torn city as quickly as possible and provide support to displaced residents.

Diego, meanwhile, said what he experienced in Marawi has left him traumatised.

I will never go back to Marawi unless I carry a gun. I want to become a soldier. I want vengeance, he said.
Many are living without clean water and power nearly a year after government forces retook the Syrian city.

A year after a deadly battle ravaged the Syrian city, residents of East Aleppo are still struggling to recover.

The northwestern city bears scars of the government-led offensive last year, and those living in east Aleppo need assistance to regain a sense of normalcy, aid workers told Al Jazeera.

Around 300,000 displaced Aleppans have returned to the east of the city since the start of 2017, according to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.

The humanitarian situation is slightly getting better, but there is a lot of destruction still in the city, be it in terms of infrastructure or the houses of the families, Ingy Sedky, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Syria, told Al Jazeera in a telephone interview from Damascus.

With some neighbourhoods still totally destroyed, there are also growing concerns over shortages of electricity and clean water. Many residents are relying on generators, which cost around $3 per ampere a week.

Aid organisations are helping to meet the water needs by providing tanks, but more must be done to fully restore the supply.

Daily meals, winter supplies, medical assistance and post-traumatic rehabilitation are also being provided to try to get the city back to the pre-crisis level.

The availability of services is very limited, said Massimo Diana, the Syria representative for the United Nations Population Fund.

Security concerns

Syrian government forces, backed by allied groups and Russia, launched a major offensive to retake rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo one year ago, in September 2016.

As the fighting intensified in November, bloody images of trapped civilians, bombed hospitals and distraught children flooded the news.

At least 463 civilians died, including 62 children, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. After a month-long army onslaught, Syrian government forces fully recaptured eastern Aleppo from the rebels on December 22, 2016.

A year since the deadly battle, Aleppo has again come under heavy bombardment by government warplanes targeting rebel fighters in recent weeks.

More than 60 people were killed and dozens more wounded in three air raids on a busy market in Atareb, a town in the Aleppo countryside, earlier this week.





We believe that the biggest challenge for the residents currently is the military checkpoints spread in the eastern neighbourhoods, due to fear of arrest and forced disappearance, said Fadel Abdul Ghany, the founder of the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

Ayman Al-Sheikh, who worked as a surgeon for the Syrian American Medical Society in Aleppo for four years before it was evacuated, said people just want an end to all the killing, the bombing and air strikes.

They [civilians] want their rights, equality and freedom, said Sheikh, who now works in Idlib.

Restoring hope

The Aleppo Project, an open collaboration among Syrian refugees, students, academics and policy experts, is looking to help the rebuilding process.





The four-member team based in Budapest has interviewed more than 1,000 Aleppans  both at home and in exile  about their relationship with the city, experiences with war and displacement, and vision for the future.

AlHakam Shaar, a research fellow with the Aleppo Project, said that despite corruption and a lack of security and services, progress has been made  but the biggest challenge is the return of displaced residents.

With a semi-functional system, the fear of persecution and the extortion at security checkpoints, the displaced cannot return, much of the city will not be rebuilt, and cosmopolitan Aleppo will be reduced to a shadow of its past self, Shaar told Al Jazeera in an email interview.

Still, Diana said, it remains important to restore hope among civilians and to give them a sense that the worst is over.

Damascus resident Iad Tawil, who studied law at the University of Aleppo, spent his recent Eid-al-Fitr holidays with friends and family in Aleppo. The celebrations were not about the pleasure; it was more about the relief, he said.

People of Aleppo actually like to live, they love to live.

Follow Saba Aziz on Twitter: @saba_aziz
Nicholas Rasmussen, who headed the intelligence organisation for three years, will leave in December.

Nicholas Rasmussen, the head of the US National Counterterrorism Center, has announced that he is leaving his post at the end of the year.

Rasmussen is stepping down after serving for more than three years as the leader of one of the countrys newest intelligence organisations, founded after the attacks on September 11, 2001.

In a statement, Dan Coats, the director of US national intelligence, described Rasmussen as deeply committed to the counterterrorism mission, noting that he has skillfully guided the nation through an evolving and complex terrorism threat environment.

Rasmussen has served through the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations in various senior roles related to the countrys counterterrorism efforts.

He was special assistant to the president from 2007-2012, and senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council.

Although he served in various intelligence rolls, Rasmussen had no intelligence field experience. Instead he came from the analysis side of intelligence, working his way up through several presidential appointments.

He also gained extensive experience in Middle East affairs while working at the National Security Council at the White House, especially the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

He served as special assistant to Dennis Ross, who was Special Middle East coordinator during Bill Clintons presidency.

It is not clear if Rasmussen departure from the NCTC, which will take place next December, is related to ongoing secretive plans being drawn up by the White House to settle the Arab-Israeli conflict  as reported by the regional press in the Middle East  has anything to do with it.

Coordination hub

The National Counterterrorism Center, NCTC, serves as a coordination hub of all terrorism-related intelligence foreign and domestic and is tasked with connecting and distributing intelligence and analysis across the federal and state agencies.

It produces intelligence and threat analysis, maintains database of known and suspected terrorists in the US and around the world, shares information, and conducts strategic operational planning across the intelligence community of the US government.

The NCTC, not be confused with the CIAs Counterterrorism Center, CTC, which was founded in 1986, is part of office of the Director of National Intelligence and was formed as part of the intelligence reforms recommended by the 9/11 Commission in 2004.

In 2009, the US government created a separate cyber Command USCYBERCOMM as part of the defence department to deal with cyber threats and to mount offensive capabilities as well.

The US government maintains 16 separate intelligence civilian and military intelligence agencies that are either standalone agencies, like the CIA , or part of the state, defense or justice departments.

This varied constellation of agencies include inter alia CIA, Defense Intelligence or DIA, Naval intelligence agency, Coast Guard intelligence and Office of Intelligence and Analysis, which is part of department of homeland security.

Evolving nature

Rasmussen believes that traditional groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have very limited cyberterrorism capabilities compaed to the capabilities of state adversaries like Russia or China.

Commenting on the evolving nature of terrorism, including the threat of cyber attacks, Rasmussen said in a recent interview with The Cipher Brief that the discipline of counterterrorism is literally evolving and changing under our feet every day.

Until President Donald Trump nominates a successor, the National Counterterrorism Centers deputy director, Russ Travers, will begin serving as acting director in late December.

Follow Ali Younes on Twitter @ali_reports
Critics say incident in South Dakota should raise serious questions about plans to expand oil pipelines in the US.

An investigation is ongoing after a leak in the major Keystone energy pipeline spilled nearly 795,000 litres of oil onto farmland in the US state of South Dakota.

That is the equivalent of 5,000 barrels of oil, said TransCanada, the Calgary-based company that operates Keystone, a 4,324km pipeline which carries crude oil from Canada through the US.

The company said the pipeline was shut down on Thursday morning after the leak was detected near the town of Amherst, South Dakota.

Emergency response procedures were activated, TransCanada said in a statement.

The safety of the public and environment are our top priorities and we will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the states Department of Environment and Natural Resources, told CNN the incident is the largest Keystone pipeline spill to date in South Dakota.

Groundwater contamination

Walsh said the leak came from an underground pipeline and that it had been contained at the site, Reuters news agency said.

It will be a few days until they can excavate and get in borings to see if there is groundwater contamination, Walsh said, according to CNN.

Environmental and Indigenous groups say, however, that the spill should raise serious questions about plans to expand oil pipelines in the US.

Image of Amherst incident taken earlier today by aerial patrol as part of our initial response. For more updates, visit https://t.co/8yWI1Oq2EM pic.twitter.com/uRNtYUdVjL  TC Energy (@TCEnergy) November 16, 2017

Cathy Collentine, a senior representative with the Sierra Clubs Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign, told Al Jazeera the spill is a reminder that its not if a pipeline will spill, but when and where and what the impacts will be.

Its a stark reminder of whats at risk if we do see tar-sands infrastructure expanded, Collentine said.

The spill also comes a few days before a decision in Nebraska on whether to allow an extension of the Keystone XL pipeline, Keystones sister pipeline which is also operated by TransCanada, to be built through the state.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission is expected to make its decision on Monday.

This decision is coming after years of opposition to this pipeline, said Collentine, who explained that landowners, farmers and Indigenous peoples in the state of Nebraska have voiced their concerns.

Thursdays spill should be evidence enough that Keystone XL should NEVER be built, the Lakota Peoples Law Project, a group that defends the land rights of Dakota Indigenous peoples in North and South Dakota, wrote on Facebook.

Very risky

The Keystone pipeline runs from Alberta through North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it splits in two directions: one continues towards Illinois, and the other towards Texas.

While Keystone XL faces stiff opposition in both Canada and the US and was rejected by former US President Barack Obama, Donald Trump has pushed for the contentious pipeline project to go ahead.

Trump gave the green light to construction work last March, opening the door for TransCanada to attempt to secure the necessary state-level permits to begin building the line.

TransCanada will finally be allowed to complete this long-overdue project with efficiency and with speed, Trump said at the time.

The company says the pipeline will create thousands of jobs and provide economic benefits to many communities along its route.

In 2015, before he was elected president, Trump also tweeted that the pipeline had no downside.

So sad that Obama rejected Keystone Pipeline. Thousands of jobs, good for the environment, no downside!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2015

The proposed Keystone XL route, meanwhile, would run from the Alberta tar sands to Nebraska.

In the case of a spill, tar sands oil is especially difficult to clean up because it sinks in water, rather than staying on the surface like other types of oil, Collentine added.

We dont know how to clean that up, she said. This is a very risky situation.

Opposition grows

Opposition to major pipelines has grown across North America in recent months. It is often led by members of indigenous communities that lie along the routes of the major energy projects.

Thousands of people, including indigenous tribes across the US and Canada, camped out in North Dakota last year in an attempt to block a multi-billion-dollar pipeline project, the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe said the US government failed to properly consult them before it issued permits for the project.

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In February, however, the US army approved the pipelines disputed route.

In British Columbia, on Canadas west coast, members of the Secwepemc Nation recently began building tiny homes in the path of a pipeline expansion project that is set to cut through their traditional lands.

Justin Trudeau, Canadas prime minister, approved the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project last November.

We need to take direct action in order to stop this pipeline, Kanahus Manuel, a member of the Secwepemc Womens Warrior Society, told Al Jazeera in September, shortly after construction on the first tiny house began.

The pipeline poses a threat to Secwepemc lands and waterways, Manuel said, and a spill would threaten the communitys way of life.

The land has provided [for] our existence since the beginning and thats what were fighting for, she said.

Manuel, who also joined the protest movement at Standing Rock, said investors in oil and gas projects should start to rethink those investments.

Theyre going to be in for a big fight, she said. Because of Standing Rock, more and more people are supporting this Indigenous struggle to defend our lands and our waters.
French president expected to welcome Lebanese leader and his family in Paris on Saturday.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will welcome Lebanese leader Saad Hariri with the honours that are due a prime minister, adding that he expected him to return to Lebanon within days or weeks.

Hariri and his family are expected to meet Macron on Saturday in Paris, following an invitation by the French president earlier this week.

Hariri, a Sunni Muslim politician and longtime ally of Saudi Arabia, suddenly announced his resignation as Lebanons prime minister during a visit to Riyadh on November 4.

He has been promising to return home soon, but Saudi leaders say they fear for his safety if he does.

Lebanese officials have refused to accept Hariris resignation unless he delivers it on Lebanese soil, and have alleged that he is being held hostage by authorities in Saudi Arabia.





I will  welcome Prime Minister Hariri with the honours that are due to a prime minister, indeed resigned, but whose resignation hasnt yet been recognised in his country, as he hasnt been there, Macron said at a conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Friday.

So, nevertheless, Ill welcome him as prime minister, he added.

Prime Minister Hariri then has the intention, I believe, to return to his country in the following days or weeks. Its for him to discuss his own future but I dont have any doubts about this subject.

Rumours

Macrons invitation to Hariri on Wednesday came just hours after Lebanons President Michel Aoun said that nothing justified the detention of Hariri in Saudi Arabia, denouncing it as a Saudi act of aggression.

On Thursday, Aoun welcomed the news of Hariris trip to the French capital.

We hope that the crisis is over and Hariris acceptance of the invitation to go to France is the start of a solution, he wrote on the official, presidential Twitter account.

If Mr. Hariri speaks from France, I would consider that he speaks freely, but his resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he will have to remain there until the formation of the new government, Aoun said later in a statement issued by his office.

There is no confirmation what Hariri will do after visiting Paris, but Okab Sakr, a Lebanese politician from Hariris Future Movement political party, said on Wednesday that the Lebanese leader would likely visit other countries before heading to Beirut.





It is very likely he will be doing a tour of some European and Arab countries to explain Lebanons position on the current crisis before he returns [to Lebanon], he said.

On Friday, Hariri once again dismissed the reports about his alleged detention in Saudi Arabia as rumours.

He said in a post on Twitter that he has stayed in Saudi Arabia to consult about the future of Lebanon and its relations with the region.

Tensions with Iran

In his televised resignation speech, Hariri blamed interference in Lebanon by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah for his decision, adding that he feared an assassination attempt.

Under a political deal reached last year, a coalition government was formed in Lebanon, with Hariri as prime minister and Aoun as president.

Hezbollah, a popular Shia group which is represented in the Lebanese parliament and has a strong, armed wing, also joined the 30-member unity government.

Saudi Arabia and its Arab Gulf allies view Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation because of its role in Arab countries ranging from Syria to Yemen.

On Friday, Lebanons Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, during a visit to Russia, criticised groups for attempting to dislodge the Lebanese head of state, without naming them.

But Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said from Spain that unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and, by extension, Iran.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani compared events in Lebanon to a blockade imposed on his country by a Saudi-led group of countries.

Exactly what happened to Qatar six months ago is happening now to Lebanon, he told reporters in Washington, DC.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced they had cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and fostering close relations with Iran. Qatar strongly denied the allegations.
The ruthless figurehead, seen as the boss of bosses of the Sicilian Mafia, died while serving 26 life sentences.

Salvatore Toto Riina, one of Italys most feared Mafia bosses, has died in a prison hospital while serving multiple life sentences, Italys justice ministry said.

Riina, also known as the beast, was held in a medically induced coma after he did not recover from recent surgery.

On Thursday, on his 87th birthday, he was allowed a bedside visit from his family at the hospital in Parma, where he was serving 26 life sentences for dozens of murders committed between 1969 and 1992.

The ruthless figurehead, seen as the boss of bosses of the Sicilian Mafia, advocated the killing of women and children of his opponents, in violation of traditional Mafia codes. He was also known for killing innocent bystanders, solely to put law enforcement on the wrong track.

Riina, who grew up in the poverty-stricken countryside of Corleone on the island of Sicily, was first sentenced for murder in 1949 at the age of 19.

Also known as U Curtu, Sicilian for Shorty, Riina climbed the ranks of the Sicilian Mafia, or Casa Nostra, by systematically eliminating his opponents, including two of Italys top prosecutors.

The 1992 killings of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino were carried out after Riina said the prosecutors would be slaughtered like tuna.

Riina was captured in Palermo in 1993 and held under a strict prison regime designed to keep top Mafia leaders in isolation.

The head of the Sicilian Mafia always pursued a clever strategy in jail, Italys leading daily La Repubblica reported on Friday.

It was Riinas obsession to reiterate the role he has played in Italy for the last forty years and to downplay the idea that he was a puppet in the hands of forces nestled within the state, La Repubblica wrote after Riinas death.

Riinas two sons, Giovanni and Giuseppe, were also involved in the Mafia. Giovanni was sentenced to life in prison for four murders in 2001, after his capture in 1997.

His younger brother, Giuseppe, was sentenced in 2004 for various crimes, including extortion and money laundering.
Thousands expected to march in anti-Mugabe rally in Harare, as top officials withdraw confidence on embattled leader.

Harare, Zimbabwe  Pressure is mounting on Robert Mugabe to step down as Zimbabwes president, as efforts to force the veteran leader to resign after nearly four decades in office gain traction.

Zimbabwe has been in political turmoil since the early hours of Wednesday, when the countrys armed forces seized power and placed Mugabe under house arrest.

The embattled 93-year-old leader so far appears resistant to demands to step down. However, he is increasingly running out of options as even some of his closest allies, including top officials within his ruling ZANU-PF party, look determined to remove him from power.

Issuing a stark warning, Zimbabwes influential war veterans on Friday said Mugabe, the patron of their 35,000-strong association, should not be allowed to stay any longer in power.

If he doesnt leave, we are going to settle the score, Chris Mutsvangwa, the war veterans leader, told a press conference in Zimbabwes capital, Harare.

There is no going back about Mugabe  he must leave, added Mutsvangwa.

Mass demonstration

Adding to the pressure, the independence war fighters association called for a mass rally in Harare on Saturday, urging residents to march to the State House in large numbers to demand Mugabes resignation.

Thousands of people across the political spectrum are expected to take to the streets, including supporters of ZANU-PF and members of the opposition.

Evan Mawarire, leader of last years anti-Mugabe #ThisFlag protests, also urged people to participate in the rally.

Tomorrow Zimbabweans stand together for a #FreshStart https://t.co/pFBnCumj6r  #ThisFlag E Mawarire (@PastorEvanLive) November 17, 2017

Earlier on Friday, Mugabe appeared in public for the first time since the armys takeover on Wednesday.

Dressed in a blue academic gown and hat, Mugabe attended a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University in Harare where he was welcomed by a cheering crowd of supporters.

He entered the ceremony venue surrounded by security personnel and announced the opening of the event after joining the crowd in singing the national anthem.

Provincial branches step in

However, his political isolation gathered pace later on Friday as all 10 of ZANU-PFs provincial structures passed a motion of no-confidence and called on him to step down as first secretary.





In a rare show of defiance, the provincial branches move was carried by Zimbabwes state broadcaster ZBC.

Meanwhile, a private radio station owned by one of Mugabes aides, Supa Mandiwanzira, the minister of information, communication, technology and courier services, on Friday broadcast messages calling on citizens to take to the streets on Saturday.

Following the votes by ZANU-PFs branches, the partys Central Committee is now expected to hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to pass a resolution of no-confidence in Mugabes 40-year leadership of the party.

Such a move would be unprecedented as Mugabe has never faced a no-confidence vote or a similar collective leadership challenge since his election as ZANU-PFs leader in 1977 during the liberation struggle.

Mugabe has been leading the country since independence in 1980.

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If the proposal is approved, it will then be put on the agenda for the partys upcoming extraordinary conference in December.

In their list of resolutions, the provinces also demanded the reversal of former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwas expulsion from the party.

They also removed their endorsements of First Lady Grace Mugabe and demanded she step down from her post as first secretary of the partys Womens League.

The military demands seek to reinstate Mnangagwa as first vice president and then as leader of a transitional administration.

His time is up

Along with the march to State House in Harare, a demonstration is also expected to take place at Davis Hall, ZANU-PFs headquarters in Bulawayo, Zimbabwes second city.

Temba Mliswa, an expelled ZANU-PF member and independent parliamentarian, said if Mugabe refused to step down, a motion to pass a no-confidence vote would be put before parliament at its next sitting on Tuesday.

He is an old man, he is sick and he is in a state of shock so he needs to digest the news because he never imagined this day would come, Mliswa told Al Jazeera.

He can no longer resist, he should know his time is up.

Mediation talks to resolve the political crisis are currently taking place in Zimbabwe and Botswana where the Southern African Development Community is expected to hold an extraordinary meeting.

Follow Tendai on Twitter and Instagram @i_amten.
Mugabe refuses to step down, but increasing internal calls could see former PM Mnangagwa back to the helm of power.

Harare, Zimbabwe  Besieged President Robert Mugabe has refused to step down, amid mounting pressure from the army on the former guerrilla to allow a smooth and bloodless transition.

The military demands seek to reinstate former Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa as first vice president and then as leader of a transitional administration.

According to an army statement broadcast on Zimbabwe state television on Friday, significant progress has been made in mediation talks aimed at ending Mugabes military house arrest.

Mugabe is still resistant to demands to resign, but increasing internal calls from war veterans and the army could see Mugabe bringing Mnangagwa back into the fold and a possible end to the temporary takeover.

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However, discussions are still in the early stages, according to army officials, and consideration of a power transition as Mugabes presidential term draws to a close remains a major sticking point he has refused to concede to.

Mnangagwa, who earned the nickname Ngwena (Crocodile) from his youth as a member of the 1960s Crocodile Gang that waged acts of anti-colonial resistance against the white minority regime of the time. The moniker gained popularity as his political shrewdness has seen him survive seemingly dire situations.

The Lacoste Zanu PF faction  aligned with Mnangagwa and named after the French designer label with a crocodile logo  seems to have been rejuvenated by the armys intervention after it appeared First Lady Grace Mugabe was tipped to take over Mnangagwas vacant post.

Upping the call

As diplomatic talks over Mugabes future leadership continue at home and in the region, Lacoste youths  both current and expelled Zanu PF members  have upped the call for Mugabe to step down and allow Mnangagwa to become party and national president.

William Gerald Lumumba Mutumanje (popularly known as Acie Lumumba), an expelled youth leader who has sworn off Mugabe, insists the Crocodile must rule.

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In a video that has received over 75,000 Facebook views in its first hours of posting and continues to spread via WhatsApp, Zimbabwes most popular social media platform, Lumumba calls on Zimbabweans to march on Saturday.

He calls for people to gather in support of the military action and in solidarity with the war veterans call for the 93-year-old to pass power on.

On Saturday the 18th of November every Zimbabwean find yourselves to the so-called Robert Mugabe square, find yourself there, bring your flag, carry it, because on Saturday we are going to make sure we support the military, they have done their part, he implores.

Once allies, the war veterans fell out with Mugabe over a year ago for calling on him to appoint Mnangagwa his successor.

To step up their challenge to Mugabe, the former liberation fighters plan to gather on Saturday to launch a revolutionary council to set out a new vision for Zanu PF that sees Mnangagwa taking over the movement. Victor Matemadanda, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, told Al Jazeera Mnangagwa he feels its time for Mugabe to do the honourable thing and pass the baton on.

Mugabe has betrayed our struggle over the years, and this time he has to go. He cannot hold the whole country ransom, and as war veterans, we wont allow him to do that, he said.

The generals reward

McDonald Lewanika, a political analyst and activist, told Al Jazeera he expects that if Mugabe is eventually allowed an honourable exit, questions over Zimbabwe and Zanu PFs future leadership would need to be settled through a legitimate process.

He points out under the current constitution, should Mugabe eventually step down the first vice president would take over as interim leader for 90 days. But for that to happen, Mnangagwa would first need to be reappointed by Mugabe.

At this stage, its unclear if Mugabe will reinstate his deputy, but if he does, Lewanika says, the ruling partys upcoming extraordinary congress slated for December could become a victors party.

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The analyst says Zanu PFs special congress, which was meant to be a coronation for First Lady Grace Mugabe who prior to the military action received party endorsements for the vice presidency, could potentially see both Mnangagwa and army leader, General Constantino Chiwenga handsomely rewarded.

The Zanu PF congress scheduled for December will go ahead, so if a transition process is in place by then and the party is allowed to elect a new leader, this will make the appointment of Mnangagwa legitimate.

This could possibly result in the former Vice President opting for a zero-sum transition where the winners take all the spoils, and the generals are rewarded, said Lewanika.

A Crocodile waiting in the wings?

Alex Magaisa, a law professor and former adviser to former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who has written extensively on Mnangagwas relationship with Mugabe, told Al Jazeera the time had come for the oft-reserved Ngwena to show his leadership qualities.

Now his challenge is to demonstrate leadership. If his challenge was stifled under Mugabes wings, this is his chance to shine. He comes with a nasty reputation, and he must work hard to cleanse himself, he said.

Mnangagwa, Mugabes former prison mate, has held a cabinet post in the authoritarian regime since 1980. Magaisa describes Mnangagwa as having been Mugabes loyal water carrier who has done Mugabes bidding in various posts as minister of state security, minister of justice and speaker of parliament.

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In these positions, Mnangagwa, a trained lawyer, has overseen intelligence and security operations that have caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

Mnangagwas reputation is tarnished by being minister of state security as he headed the Joint High Command (JHC), an organ that oversaw the army and the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO).

Operations by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade army unit and CIO in the south-western Matabeleland and Midlands regions resulted in the ethnic massacre of at least 20,000 people in the 1980s.

Although Mnangagwa has denied responsibility for the mass killings, he is seen as key player in the atrocities known as the Gukurahundi massacres.

Within the party, Mnangagwa served as Zanu PFs chief election agent in the 2008 presidential elections while in the government he served as head of the Joint Operations Command (JOC), a modified version of the JHC.

In this dual role, Mnangagwa organised Mugabes re-election campaign in a presidential poll and runoff that resulted in the deaths of close to 200 opposition supporters and allegations of grave violations documented by international rights groups.

During his three-year tenure as vice president, Mnangagwa has tried to recast his image with both the local business community, where he has many wealthy allies, and the international community where hes seen as a reformist.

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He also spearheaded Zimbabwes reintegration after years of isolation by the international community.

He has led delegations to China, Belarus, Russia, South Africa and Western Europe where he has signed major trade deals on behalf of Zimbabwe.

To diplomats, as to much of Zimbabwe, the 75-year-old appears to be the man who might actually succeed Mugabe, and if a favourable deal to end the military takeover can be negotiated, the popular Crocodile may yet have his turn at the throne.

Tendai Marima is journalist in Harare. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @i_amten
Mugabe attends university ceremony in Harare, as the army says it is engaging with the president on the way forward.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has appeared in public for the first time since the armys takeover earlier this week.

Mugabe, who was believed to be under house arrest, attended a graduation ceremony at the Zimbabwe Open University in the capital, Harare, on Friday, where he was welcomed by a cheering crowd of supporters.

Dressed in a blue academic gown and hat, he entered the ceremony venue surrounded by security personnel, and announced the opening of the event after joining the crowd in singing the national anthem.

Mugabes surprise appearance came after soldiers took control of the headquarters of the state broadcaster ZBC and blocked access to government offices on Wednesday, while denying it was part of a coup against the government of the ruling ZANU-PF party.

Significant progress

According to an army statement broadcast on Zimbabwe state television on Friday, military leaders were engaging with the Commander-in-Chief President Robert Mugabe on the way forward and will advise the nation of the outcome as soon as possible.

Significant progress has been made in their operation to weed out criminals around President Mugabe, the statement said, adding that the military had arrested some while others remained at large.

Those sought had been committing crimes that were causing social and economic suffering in Zimbabwe.

The 93-year-old president appeared at the university without his wife, Grace Mugabe, whose whereabouts are still unknown.





Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa, reporting from Harare, said Mugabes attendance was the armys way of saying this is not a coup.

The army says the aim of the military intervention was the arrest of criminal elements around Mugabe. It also suggests that if they have anyone in place to take over, it will probably take some time. This will not happen immediately, possibly not before the ruling partys conference in December, she said.

Mugabe is a master tactician, known for his intelligence. Hes been around for this long because he knows how to play the game and he still has support from within the ruling ZANU-PF party. Those who do still support him have much admiration for him  they see him as an African icon.

When he does go, on whatever terms that is, it will likely be a graceful exit. His supporters would want him to go with dignity and it will be carefully managed.

Transitional administration

The military seeks to reinstate former Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa as first vice president and then as leader of a transitional administration.

However, it is believed that Mugabe is still resistant to demands to resign, but increasing internal calls from war veterans and the army could see Mugabe bringing Mnangagwa back into the fold and a possible end to the temporary takeover.

The army continued to patrol the streets of Harare, which was mostly calm on Friday, as local newspapers declared the Mugabe era over. Dawn of a new era, one said.

Mugabe remembered for brutal 37-year rule, said another.

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Also on Friday, Zimbabwes war veterans said Mugabe would not be allowed to remain in power, issuing an ultimatum that he should step down by Saturday.

Chris Mutsvangwa, the head of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, said the organisation and its supporters would march to State House on Saturday as a peoples show of force against Mugabes refusal to step down.

We are issuing a stark warning to Mugabe and those that want to be associated with him that if he doesnt leave we are going to settle the score tomorrow. There is no going back about Mugabe, he must leave, Mutsvangwa said.

Mutsvangwa, an ex-ambassador to China, said if Mugabe did step down, then they would have to take matters into their own hands, without offering any details.

Mutsvangwa added that the veterans saluted Zimbabwes military for seizing power earlier in the week.

Temba Mliswa, an expelled ZANU-PF member and independent parliamentarian, said if Mugabe refused to step down, a motion to pass a no-confidence vote would be put before parliament at its next sitting on Tuesday.

He is an old man, he is sick and he is in a state of shock so he needs to digest the news because he never imagined this day would come, Mliswa told Al Jazeera.

He can no longer resist, he should know his time is up.
NATOs secretary-general has apologised to Turkey after a civilian contractor depicted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an enemy collaborator during a military exercise in Norway.

Erdogan announced on Friday that his country has withdrawn from the Trident Javelin war games, as he protested at another incident in which modern Turkeys founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was shown as hostile.

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In a statement issued on Friday, NATOs Jens Stoltenberg said: I apologise for the offence that has been caused. The incidents were the result of an individuals actions and do not reflect the views of NATO.

The Norwegian official has been removed from the exercise, and an inquiry has been ordered to determine how the mistake happened.

It will be for the Norwegian authorities to decide on any disciplinary action, he said.

According to reports, the Norwegian official reportedly created a dummy military chat account and named it Erdogan, and called Erdogan a collaborator.

In the second incident, a staffer reportedly used the photo of Ataturk, in the Hostile Leaders Biographies section of the simulated military event.

The two incidents drew the ire of Erdogan, who immediately ordered the withdrawal of Turkeys 40 soldiers from the exercise.

Irritants

The commander of the Joint Warfare Centre, Major General Andrzej Reudowicz of Poland, also apologised to the Turkish government, the report quoted a NATO official as saying.

Tensions between Turkey and its European allies have been brewing for months over the refugee crisis, as well as calls within the bloc to freeze relations.





The latest incident only serves as another irritant to their ties.

Turkey and European countries have been cooperating on issues such as the refugee crisis, security and Syrias war  a situation that appears to have made some member states hesitant to cut ties.

As part of a 2015 deal, Turkey received European Union funds in exchange for the return of refugees to Turkey, but Europeans say questions remain over the efficacy of the agreements implementation in light of the rising tensions.

Erdogan, accusing Brussels of not keeping its side of the deal about visa-free travel for Turks, has at various times threatened to open his countrys border with the EU for refugees to pass freely.

The EU member states and Turkey also share intelligence and are allies in the coalition fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

But in recent months, Erdogan has sharply rebuffed the bloc, stating publicly that his country does not need the EU any more.

The Turkish government also accuses several EU member states of actively supporting terrorism.

Turkey has alleged that EU states are harbouring Kurdish and far-left fighters, as well as people linked to the failed coup.
Protesters calling for strict adherence to blasphemy laws have been blocking major highway into capital for 10 day

Islamabad, Pakistan  A Pakistani court has ordered authorities to clear an anti-blasphemy protest that has blocked a major highway into the capital Islamabad for the last 10 days, prompting fears of clashes between police and demonstrators.

Hundreds of demonstrators remained gathered at the protest site on Friday, located at a major entry point to the city, vowing to hold their ground unless their demands were met.

We have been told to clear the protest, by hook or by crook, said Mushtaq Ahmed, a top local administration official. We have been told to enlist the services of the [paramilitary] Rangers and FC as well, if required.

The protesters first gathered at the Faizabad interchange on November 8, demanding the resignation of the federal law minister over a change of wording in an electoral law that they perceived as softening the states official designation of members of the Ahmadi sect as non-Muslim.

Ahmadis are a minority sect, numbering in the hundreds of thousands in Pakistan and up to 10 million worldwide, who identify as Muslim while maintaining that the Prophet Muhammad was succeeded by the founder of their faith, Mirza Ghulam Ahmed, as a subordinate prophet in the late 19th century.

They face widespread discrimination in Pakistan and other Muslim-majority countries. In Pakistan, they are forbidden from referring to themselves as Muslim and are frequently the target of violent attacks.

Political unknowns rise

The protesters are led by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, a hard-right conservative who is known for his vitriolic rhetoric against the Ahmadi community, and who has recently risen to prominence as the leader of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) political party.

A relative political unknown, Rizvis party bagged third place in a recent by-election in the eastern city of Lahore, about 275km south of the capital, held to elect a replacement for Nawaz Sharif, who was disqualified from the prime ministers office in July on corruption allegations.





Sharifs party, embattled on several political and legal fronts, struggled to control the protest in its early days, with party leaders telling Al Jazeera they did not want to be perceived as alienating Pakistans largest Sunni Muslim sect, a part of which Rizvi represents.

On Friday, however, it appeared that the Islamabad High Courts patience with the blockade, which has caused massive traffic jams and disruptions to businesses and educational institutions across Islamabad and its adjoining twin city Rawalpindi, had run out.

We will write them a letter first, and then if they do not respond or clear the area, we will have to carry out a police operation against them, said Ahmed.

Why should we leave?

The mood was defiant at the rally, as hundreds of protesters prepared for Friday prayers, while dozens of riot police gathered at roadblocks erected around the demonstration.

There is no need to worry [] God willing, this will be a historic day! boomed an announcement from loudspeakers across the protesters tent village. We ask you to conduct yourself calmly and bravely.

Protesters sat under large fabric tents, raising their hands in unison and chanting in time to cries of Labbaik, labbaik ya Rasool Allah, a slogan indicating solidarity with Islams prophet.

Volunteers manning their makeshift barricades, constructed out of buses, wooden branches and paving stones, carried large wooden batons, some with iron hooks embedded in them.

We do not accept the court order. Why should we leave? asked Nisar Ahmad, 30, a shopkeeper from Lahore. The courts did nothing in the case of Salmaan Taseers [alleged] blasphemy either. It was Mumtaz Qadri who had to show bravery.

Black laws

Qadri, a policeman, murdered Taseer, then the governor of Punjab province, over alleged blasphemy in January 2011. Taseer had publicly defended a woman accused of blasphemy and called Pakistans strict blasphemy laws, which prescribe a mandatory death penalty for some forms of blasphemy, black laws.

At least 73 people have been murdered over blasphemy allegations in Pakistan since 1990, according to an Al Jazeera tally.

We will face the police if needed, because we have the strength of faith on our side, said Ahmad, the protester.

Others struck a more conciliatory tone.

We will stay peaceful for as long as we can, we do not want to take the law into our own hands, said Hafiz Qasim, 27, an electrical engineer from Lahore.

Everything comes after the prophets honour, however. The police, the courts, even Pakistan itself.

Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras Web Correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @Asad Hashim.




Potential sanctions against Lebanon could include a ban on flights, visas, exports and transfer of remittances.

Some Lebanese politicians and bankers believe Saudi Arabia intends to do to their country what it did to Qatar  corral Arab allies into enforcing an economic blockade unless its demands are met.

Unlike Qatar, the worlds biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas with a population of 2.7 million, Lebanon has neither the natural nor financial resources to ride it out, and people there are worried.

Up to 400,000 Lebanese work in the Gulf region, and remittances flowing back into the country, estimated at between $7-8bn a year, are a vital source of cash to keep the economy afloat and the heavily-indebted government functioning.

These are serious threats to the Lebanese economy which is already dire. If they cut the transfer of remittances, that will be a disaster, a senior Lebanese official told Reuters.

Those threats came from Lebanons former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who resigned on November 4 in a shock broadcast from Riyadh that Lebanese political leaders have ascribed to pressure from the Saudis.

Hariri, an ally of Saudi Arabia, on Sunday warned of possible Arab sanctions and a danger to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese living in the Gulf.

And he spelled out Saudi conditions for Lebanon to avoid sanctions: Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that is Lebanons main political power and part of the ruling coalition, must stop meddling in regional conflicts, particularly Yemen.

According to a Lebanese source familiar with Saudi thinking, Hariris interview gave an indication of what might be waiting for us if a real compromise is not reached. The playbook is there in Qatar.

Hariris resignation has thrust Lebanon to the centre of an escalating rivalry between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran.

The non-confrontational Saudi policy of the past towards Lebanon has gone, analysts say, under the new leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32-year-old son of King Salman.

Mohammed bin Salman is now the de facto ruler of the kingdom, running its military, political and economic affairs.

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Whether Iran and Hezbollah are willing to make significant concessions to Riyadh is doubtful, sources said.

They (Hezbollah) might make some cosmetic concessions, but they wont submit to the Saudi conditions, a source familiar with Hezbollah thinking said.

Lebanese analyst Sarkis Naoum said Riyadh wanted Hariri to return to Lebanon and press President Michel Aoun to open dialogue and address their conditions on Hezbollahs regional interventions.

They need to come up with a position that will be satisfactory to the Saudis  If the Saudis decide on sanctions they will do it, Naoum said.

A source close to Hariri said he had put the ball in the court of Aoun, Hezbollah and its allies, by saying business cannot continue as usual.

There was no sugar-coating. The sanctions were spelled out clearly. They want Lebanon to be disassociated from Hezbollah.

Aoun has welcomed comments that the former premier planned to return home soon, palace sources said on Monday.

Saudi frustration with Lebanon seems to have boiled over after a string of setbacks to its foreign policy.

Riyadh has been bogged down in the war it launched against Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen in 2015.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran and Hezbollah of backing the Houthis, and also said Hezbollah had a role in firing a ballistic missile from Yemen towards Riyadh earlier this month.

The list of potential sanctions against Lebanon, political sources there say, could include a ban on flights, visas, exports and transfer of remittances.

Some of those have been imposed on Qatar, but that blockade, initiated in June, has had limited effect on the Emirate so far, beyond driving it closer to Iran.

Saudi policy

Allegiance to foreign backers is not new to Lebanon. The Lebanese have always been agents of foreign powers. They take their money, make promises, commitments and alliances, Naoum said. But while Hezbollah fulfilled its promises to Iran, Sunni factions let Riyadh down, he said.

Riyadh has historically channelled billions of dollars to Lebanon to help its reconstruction, after the 1975-90 civil war and following massive Israeli incursions of south Lebanon.

Now it appears ready to do serious economic damage to Lebanon that could weaken Hezbollahs standing at home and in the region, should its demands not be met.

Lebanon will pay the price, a top Lebanese banker told Reuters. The only pressure the Saudis have is economic  They can put pressure by imposing sanctions that can hurt.
Sudan has deployed paramilitary forces at its borders to curb the flow of migrants transiting on their way to Europe.

Sudan has deployed paramilitary forces at its borders to curb the flow of migrants transiting on their way to Europe.

This move is controversial as the troops fought in Darfur, where they have been accused of committing war crimes. The Rapid Support Forces, as the group is called, was officially formed four years ago and have been accused of brutality and violating human rights for their role in the Darfur conflict but the head of the forces say they fight crimes, they do not commit them.

We combat all kinds of crimes, we are special forces, just like any other force in the country. We choose the easiest method to fight crimes and the border with Libya is open and there are problems there and so our forces patrol there.

Al Jazeeras Hiba Morgan reports Northern Sudan.
African elephants are on the US endangered species list. In spite of that, President Trump has lifted a ban by former President Obama on the import of elephant trophies to the US.

African elephants are on the US endangered species list. In spite of that, President Trump has lifted a ban by former President Obama on the import of elephant trophies to the US.

The remains of elephants legally hunted in Zimbabwe and Zambia can now be legally imported into the US as trophies, reversing an Obama-era ban on elephant trophies.

Hunting advocates argue that revenue from legal hunting in Zimbabwe and Zambia actually helps fund conservation efforts, which would be strapped for cash without it.

Conservationists say the decision is troubling and that it will undermine campaigns to stop the trade in ivory, something the US had been spearheading.

Al Jazeeras Andy Gallacher reports.
President Mugabe has met with delegates from South Africa and the head of Zimbabwes armed forces.

President Mugabe has met with delegates from South Africa and the head of Zimbabwes armed forces. However, discussions outside the State House are starting to turn towards what the country will look like without him.

Pictures have been published showing Robert Mugabe meeting with the head of the armed forces as well as a delegation from South Africa in Zimbabwe; its the first time hes been seen since the military took power on Tuesday night.

The South African delegation is in Harare to help find a solution to the countrys political crisis.

While the streets are calm and people are getting on with their daily lives, members of the opposition have said that the only way forward is for Mugabe to resign and people are starting to discuss a future Zimbabwe without Mugabe at the head.

Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa reports from Harare.
Cambodias supreme court disbanded the countrys main opposition party on Thursday.

Hun Sen, 65, is one of the worlds longest-serving leaders, first taking office as prime minister of Cambodia in 1985. Rights groups say hundreds of opposition figures, journalists, trade union leaders and others have been killed in politically motivated attacks during his time in power.

Hun Sens dominance was challenged in parliamentary elections in 2013, when the newly formed Cambodia National Rescue Party nearly pulled off an upset. Since then, its leaders have either been jailed or pushed into exile.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court dissolved the party, accepting the governments claim that it conspired with foreigners to stage a revolution.

This effectively allows the ruling party to run uncontested in next years polls.

So, will the courts ruling help consolidate Hun Sens three-decade-long grip on power?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Mu Sochua  Vice President, opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party

Victor Gao  Director, China National Association of International Studies

Hosuk Lee Makiyama  Director, European Centre for International Political Economy
We talk to US Congressman Ro Khanna about power politics and debate Mohammed bin Salmans new strategy for the Kingdom.

In this UpFront special, we ask US Congressman Ro Khanna why he believes the US government should stop supporting the Saudi-led bombing of Yemen.

Also on the show, we debate with a panel of experts the rights and wrongs of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans domestic and regional policies.

Headliner: Is the US complicit in Saudi war crimes in Yemen?

This week the US House of Representatives voted 366-30 in favour of a non-binding resolution stating that Congress has not enacted legislation authorising the US military to participate in the war in Yemen.

According to the United Nations, more than 10,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2015.

US Congressman (Democratic Party) Ro Khanna believes this will put pressure on the government of Saudi Arabia, who has led the offensive and imposed a blockade thats also preventing much-needed aid from getting into the country.

Thats going to make a difference. That can at least save lives, says Khanna, who co-sponsored the resolution. Today, I believe that we are aiding Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabias committing war crimes.

In this weeks Headliner, we speak with US Congressman Ro Khanna about US involvement in the war in Yemen, his opinion of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans actions and their regional impact.

Arena: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Lebanon  whats next?

Its been called Saudi Arabias Game of Thrones. Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has arrested dozens of top officials in what the crown prince is calling a crackdown on corruption. His government has allegedly detained both the president of Yemen, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. So, whats behind Mohammed bin Salmans latest power plays in the region and the domestic shakeup?

Rami Khouri, a political columnist and author believes the crown princes actions are dangerous.

The real problem in Saudi Arabia right now that I seeis that Mohammed bin Salman now is bringing in the third wave of Arab autocratic, authoritarian rule, says Khouri, who is also a senior fellow at the American University of Beirut.

What hes doing is almost unprecedented, and its very dangerous, and its, I think, for the region, its going to be a problem.

Shireen Hunter, a research professor at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, says Saudi Arabia has been problematic in the region.

The Saudis are the greatest sponsor of terrorism, and they have been. Saudi ideology has destroyed the Muslim world, says Hunter who is also the author of Irans Foreign Policy in the Post-Soviet Era.

Fahad Nazer, a consultant with the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, says the Kingdoms strategy has been very consistent, and he places blame on Iran for instability in the region.

I think that it [Saudi Arabia] has adhered very closely to the laws, norms, and conventions of international relations, says Nazer, who is also an international fellow at the national council on US-Arab Relations.

I think that Saudi Arabia feels that it is more than about time that the international community starts paying much closer attention and starts to hold Iran, specifically, as the main state sponsor of terrorism in the region, and in the world.

In this weeks Arena, Rami Khouri, Shireen Hunter and Fahad Nazer debate Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans strategy, the proxy war in Lebanon, and Irans role in the latest Middle East crises.

Follow UpFront on Twitter @AJUpFront and Facebook.
In the past year, Pete Taylor has felt that enough was enough.

Taylor and about 50 other people reflected on President Donald Trumps past year in office during an event at the Civic Media Center, located at 433 S Main St., Wednesday night. Socialist Alternative hosted the event, inviting Democratic Socialists of America and the Industrial Workers of the World to a free night of discussion about workers rights, felons voter rights, immigration and last years presidential election.

One year is definitely enough, Taylor said, reflecting on Trumps presidency.

From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., participants listened to a panel from the groups that organized the events, which discussed a broad range of topics relating to socialism. Taylor said he hoped attendees left the event a little more inspired and engaged, as well as informed on perspectives of socialism.

The standard of what we consider the left in the United States, the democratic party has simply not done enough, Taylor said.

Petitions to restore voter rights to convicted felons and to ensure universal health care were also passed around and signed by attendees.

David Freeman, a UF mathematics sophomore, heard about the event through friends in the on-campus Youth Democratic Society of America chapter, which he is a part of.

Freeman said he enjoyed the event, especially the discussion on imperialism. He said he hoped other students become more politically aware.

Get involved and find a group on campus and talk to people who are likeminded, the 20-year-old said.

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Irish artist Maser will spend 55 hours painting one side of Santa Fe Colleges Fine Arts building this week.

The Dublin, Ireland, based urban artist and five Santa Fe fine arts students started painting the mural Tuesday at 11 a.m. and will finish Saturday. The mural is part of 352walls, a project that uses urban artwork to beautify Gainesville buildings, said Raquel Vallejo, a 352walls project coordinator. Although the exact square footage of the mural is unknown, Vallejo describes it as very, very big.

Maser traveled about 4,042 miles by plane and car to paint at Santa Fe. He landed in Florida on Sunday, a day before his paint arrived.

I like Gainesville a lot, he said. It reminds me of where I am from.

Maser studied in London, England, and first practiced street art by spraying graffiti on the streets of Dublin in 1995. He said when he moved to London, its urban landscape inspired him to paint plants.

I place plants on my artwork because it helps with human relationships and interaction with art and the world around us, Maser said. London is a lot more city life, which is a lot different from Dublin and places like Gainesville.

This mural will be the first by 352walls outside of downtown Gainesville and on a college campus. This is the largest mural commissioned by 352walls, which has brought in artists from around the world and city for three years.

There is a synergy and everything is coming together to make Gainesville a hub for urban art and urban studies, Vallejo said. This mural is like the artists business card.

The mural will feature many plants such as an agave cactus and vibrant colors like light blue, yellow and green.

It will cover the back of Building E, which faces the gymnasium, a parking lot and a staircase. Maser said the staircase plays a role in his design.

I will make sure that I paint the staircase so that when students walk up it, they are integrating into the artwork, and it will become a focal point, he said.

Vallejo said the choice of the artist and location was intentional.

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Its about finding a space and then matching the artist with the space, she said. It is perfect for him. It really is his style, the mix-ups of angles, shapes, sizes and stairs.

The five students assisting Maser with the mural were picked by the Board of Santa Fe because they are enrolled in the arts program on scholarship. The students have been working with Maser from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., leaving only to attend class.

Its very personal, this mural, Maser said. But its also very community-based. Ill be having students paint alongside of me.

During the project, Vallejo said she has learned a lot about Masers style and his personal history with art. She said his style was inspired by a childhood trip to Uganda.

Hes a gem, fun and brilliant, she said.

Maser spoke to Santa Fe students Monday night and shared his history with them. On Friday, Maser will demonstrate urban art by painting a smaller mural on the side of Leonardos 706, located at 706 W. University Ave., at 3 p.m. with UF students.

Vallejo said students at Santa Fe could gain a lot from Masers art.

We really want the students to be involved and see this mural when they go to class, she said. 352walls mission is to keep art alive, especially at a school where fine arts is huge.

On Monday, Chelsea Bates, a Santa Fe journalism sophomore, parked her car, as she does before every school day, in her usual parking lot and peered up at the mural taking shape before her. She said she looks forward to passing the completed mural.

There is so much artwork displayed throughout the whole campus, however, to see a live muralist on campus is very cool, she said.

Kate Keskinen, an assistant in the art gallery on campus, volunteered to work on the mural and thought painting alongside the world-famous street artist was rewarding. She said she is most looking forward to passing the mural on her way to work, knowing she played a role in its conception.

We are really excited, especially because it is the first public art on campus, and happy to be volunteering to help him, because its a chance you do not get very often, Keskinen said.

Jovana Christiani, a 19-year-old Santa Fe College illustration sophomore, outlines the new mural on Santa Fes walls Tuesday. The mural is set to be finished Saturday.

Kate Keskinen, a 27-year-old Santa Fe College employee, helps Jovana Christiani trace the design for Santa Fes new mural Tuesday. They helped a Dublin-based urban artist paint the mural.
Nearly three decades after a 78-year-old Gainesville woman went missing, police have identified her remains.

Ella Mae Williams went missing March 25, 1990. After multiple searches spanning years, no one could find her, said Gainesville Police spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias at a Thursday morning press conference.

Williams was believed to have wandered from her Gainesville home, then located at 814 SW 20th St., while living with her daughter, Eloise. Williams reportedly had dementia, which may have contributed to her going missing, Tobias said.

The remains were found in a wooded area south of Southeast 43rd Terrace and Southeast 24th Avenue intersection by children who were playing nearby in March of 2001, wrote Alachua County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Art Forgey in an email.

It was only about six months ago when investigators, using the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database to find the victim of an unrelated case, happened upon a report of the human remains.

Investigators found the location of the remains and Williams old home were within 2 miles of each other, near the Lincoln Estates neighborhood.

They thought it could possibly be her, Forgey said. Thats when we contacted the family.

Detectives then sent DNA samples of the remains to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement forensics lab in Jacksonville and were able to find a match with Williams family, he said. Now that Williams remains have been identified, police will investigate what exactly caused her death.

Sheriff Sadie Darnell asked everyone at the press conference to think of the family and honor the hardship theyve endured.

They have had a long, 27-year journey filled with emotions and filled with pain and grief, Darnell said. This is a painful time for them.

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Months of preparation, research and data analysis made three UF finance seniors winners and $1,000 richer.

Kristen Mousa, 21, James Goyer, 22, and Paul Stanley, 22, won first place at the 2017 Harvard University Stock Pitch Competition on Saturday against competitors from schools throughout North America, including New York University, Cornell University and the University of Texas at Austin.

The win came less than a month after the team won at the University of Michigan, Goyer said. Goyer and Stanley also won similar competitions at Ohio State University and the University of Georgia earlier in the year.

In Harvards competition, teams chose a stock and made a presentation based on research and data analysis to explain why a person should buy or sell their stock.

Initially, 45 schools sent in proposals, Mousa said. The UF team was chosen as one of 18 semifinalists to travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to present their pitch to professionals in the financial services industry.

Its a great learning opportunity for once we get into our careers, because when youre in the real finance world, theres a lot of presentation-making, a lot of speech-giving, a lot of data analysis, Mousa said.

The trip was sponsored by UFs master of science in finance combined degree program, which the three students belong to, and alumni donations, Mousa said.

The UF team chose Seritage Growth Properties, a retail real estate investment trust that leases its properties to big retailers, as their stock, Mousa said.

Seritages biggest client, Sears, is approaching bankruptcy, which has caused the companys stock to perform poorly, Mousa said. She said the teams pitch focused on a special deal Seritage has with Sears to pay below the market rate for retail rent, allowing them to take back some properties from Sears each year.

She said the biggest challenge was conveying the information in a 10 to 12 minute presentation. The team practiced in front of UF students and faculty several times to ensure their presentation was comprehensive, she said.

Each team member put in nearly 100 hours over the course of three months to prepare, Goyer said.

UFs team advanced to the final round against the University of Waterloo from Ontario, Canada, after both schools won in their brackets. The final presentation was in front of judges and an audience of about 60 people, Goyer said.

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To come out on top and be able to learn so much within that preparation process and then get rewarded for it was a really great feeling, Goyer said.

Goyer said despite having competed in many competitions before, this one felt different because the group competed against high-quality, prominent schools.

To be able to represent the University of Florida on such a big stage, especially in front of some of the most elite schools and prominent professionals within financial services and, essentially, the world, to be up there and represent the Gator Nation, its a great feeling, Goyer said.
You are woken up by the sound of your parents and grandparents chatting loudly and energetically over coffee at the kitchen table and the smell of pies being prepped for baking. Youre still tired, but you get out of bed anyway so you dont miss any of the family fun.

You sluggishly pour yourself a cup of coffee and listen to your mother tell you how great it is to have you home. After an hour or two of pleasantries, your father declares its time to get to work and start cooking. There is only one problem  someone forgot to buy a turkey.

You and your grandmother are tasked with finding a turkey and hastily search every grocery store within a 20-mile radius. Nothing. They are all sold out.

Luckily, you remember hearing about a farm nearby where your friends family gets their turkey fresh every year. A little creepy  you thought initially  but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Once you and your grandmother arrive at the farm, the farmer invites you to pick out a turkey youd like. Still a little bit spooked by the entire situation, you meander your way toward the fenced-in area where the birds are held.

While investigating the birds, you realize one seems to be looking at you, as if it wants to talk to you. Sure enough, it opens its beak and says:

Darts & Laurels

This past week, unfortunately, has left us with plenty of darts to choose from. The first and most obvious dart weve been struck with are the numerous sexual assault allegations coming out against prominent politicians and high-profile celebrities. It feels like lately every time we get a news notification on our phones or check Twitter, another pedophile is being dubbed.

While it is disheartening and troublesome to learn the reality behind people we may have once looked up to, these allegations have oddly gifted us with a laurel at the same time. Although the discourse about assault has become rather trying to endure, we are pleased to see it is finally getting the attention it deserves. In terms of politicians, many prominent Republicans have called for Roy Moores removal from the Alabama Senate. For actors like Kevin Spacey, Netflix has stopped production of his show House of Cards despite the popularity and business it brought to the company. Hollywood tycoons like Harvey Weinstein have been removed from companies they spent much of their lives building up.

Many of the allegations that have surfaced in recent weeks are decades old. Nonetheless, they are being treated with merit and taken seriously. We are so proud about the way the public has reacted to the many allegations coming to light.

In Washington, however, our commander in chief continues to disappoint us. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday the remains of elephants legally hunted in African nations such as Zimbabwe and Zambia can now be imported to the U.S. as trophies. His decree reverses a ban started by former President Barack Obama to increase conservation efforts.

Trump has also forced America to leave the Paris climate agreement, making us the only nation in the world who is not in agreement with it. His moves in terms of conversation are both embarrassing and petrifying. Per usual, Trump has granted us our last dart of the week.

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Thankfully, one laurel we all have to look forward to is less than one week away. We soon get to sit around a table with our closest friends and family and stuff our faces with turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie.

With finals looming over us and a State of the Union that isnt so favorable, we could all use the distraction of a family holiday.
The dramatic events in Saudi Arabia of the past few days portend a game change in the Middle East not seen in decades. Predictably, the mainstream media, desperate as they are to find something, anything to blame on President Trump, have completely missed it. Instead, they have babbled about the market implications of the arrests of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Co., Saudi Arabia emerging as an arms manufacturer, conflict with Hezbollah, palace intrigue, etc. etc. Few have put their finger on the actual events  a palace revolution in Riyadh that could change the Middle East in profound and possibly positive ways. For the logic of whats taking place in the House of Saud is a revolt against the medieval obscurantism that has been the lifeblood of radical Islam and indeed terrorism since the middle of the 20th century. There is no guarantee that it will succeed, for the forces arrayed against it are formidable, but fundamentally, as with the demise of any long-lasting obscurantism, the more appropriate question to ask is: What took so long?

To seasoned observers, what is taking place in Riyadh is not a complete surprise and some inkling of changing attitudes was on hand as far back as the Arab Spring in 2011, when the Saudis appeared to end their longtime support of the Muslim Brotherhood, and take the side of the military in Egypt, quite unlike the Obama administration which remained wedded to the myth that the MB was a moderate organization. Three years later, the UAE declared 82 Islamic organizations, including two prominent American ones (CAIR and MAS) long supported by the Saudis, to be terrorist and this past summer came the break with Qatar for its support of radical jihadists in Syria and elsewhere.

Much more important are the unmistakable signs that the new Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS, is turning on the reactionary Wahhabi establishment that has long supported radical Islam and terrorism. While his ostensible drive against corruption has received much ink, it has largely escaped notice that caught in the corruption purge were senior Wahhabi clerics like Salman al-Awdah, Awad al-Qarni and others. And there is a good reason for their detention, if MbS is serious about preventing extremism and crimes under the name of Islam, as he has said time and again. It is a fact that the belief system of the dominant Wahhabi ulema is ideologically indistinguishable from that of the ISIS zealots. As an example of the kind of pushback he can expect, no less a figure that the former imam of the key Mecca mosque, Adel al-Kibani, continues to argue publicly that ISIS draws it inspiration from Saudi salafism.

Nonetheless, MbS has continued and accelerated his assault on Wahhabism. Not only has he promised to do away with the Wahhabi ban on women driving and reined in the religious police, but he has now forced the Shura Council a hardline Wahhabi ulema outfit, heretofore, to approve an anti-hate law, apart from setting up a Hadith Complex in Medina, tasked with monitoring interpretations of Islamic teachings used to justify violence or terrorism.

None of this would be especially noteworthy, had it not been for the fact that Saudi Arabia had become the main financier and ideological ally of Islamic radicalism for more than 50 years. Wahhabism had allied itself with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood after Gamal Abdel Nasser cracked down on it in the 1960s and began exporting and financing the radical MB ideology of Sayyid Qutb and Wahhabism in the West. As early as the early 1960s, Saudi money and MB functionaries started setting up extremist Muslim Student Associations (MSA) in Europe and the U.S.A. Virtually all radical Islamist organizations existing today stem from those MSAs. By 2002, according to Saudi figures, Riyadh had spent $80 billion in sponsoring Islamic extremism throughout the West and in places like Pakistan, Bosnia and Chechnya. Numerous congressional hearings testify that the U.S. government was well aware of the subversive role played by the Saudis, but neither the George W. Bush administration, nor the Obama administrations did anything about it.

Thats why the Saudi about-face we may be observing is so crucially important. Apart from the fundamental change inside the Kingdom it portends, it may auger a de facto alliance between the Sunni Arabs, America and Israel against Irans proxies, first and foremost, the Hezbollah terrorists. If so, this is one game changer that can contribute much to U.S. security.

Alex Alexiev is chairman of the Center for Balkan and Black Sea Studies (cbbss.org) and editor of bulgariaanalytica.org. He tweets on national security at twitter.com/alexieff and can be reached at alexievalex4@gmail.com.
A week or so ago I was banned (again!) by Facebook for critical comments I made about Islam. I was reported by a Muslim female called Farnaz Javed. This Muslimah frequently carries out Islamic Dawah on a Facebook discussion page called "The Great British Political Debate." In other words, she does very little politics; and what politics she does do is always connected to Islam in some way.

I've been reported -- and subsequently banned -- by Facebook before, either by Muslims or by their left-wing enablers. Indeed, I've been previously banned after debating with this very woman. I also know other people who suspect that it was this woman who reported them to Facebook. Who knows how many other people Farnaz Javed has reported over the months.

Facebook's Community Standards

Facebook firstly told me (see image) that

[i]t looks like something you posted doesn't follow our Community Standards.

They aren't community standards at all because the users of Facebook don't formulate them. Facebook itself does. (This is Facebook's Community Standards page.)

And then Facebook stated its position this way:

We remove posts that attack people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender or disability.

One can argue that one's race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, and disability are things one simply can't do anything about. However, that's certainly not true of one's religious affiliations. As adults, we choose (or should choose) our religious affiliations; just as we choose our politics. And that's why -- I presume -- the category political affiliations isn't included on Facebook's list. Despite saying that, Facebook's clause against attacking religious affiliations is something that most newspapers and other institutions (in the US and UK) uphold, especially if those religious affiliations are Islamic.

The other thing is that it's simply not true that Facebook removes all the posts which attack people based because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender or disability. If they did, then huge numbers of posts would be removed. Indeed -- depending on how words like attack, etc. are defined/interpreted -- such a strict policy would probably put an end to political discussion on social media. This means that Facebook is in practice extremely choosy about which posts it removes and which people it bans.

For example:

i) Facebook won't remove posts which are critical of Americans.

ii) It won't remove posts which are critical of whites.

iii) It won't remove posts which are critical of heterosexuality or what's called patriarchy.

iv) It will rarely (if ever) remove posts which are critical of Christianity.

Thus Islam -- as almost everyone who's familiar with Facebook knows -- gains extra-special protection. And this unhealthy situation is added to by the large army of Muslims (along with their left-wing foot-soldiers) who always report the most effective criticisms of Islam to Facebook... I say the most effective criticisms because the mindless ones (or the ones which are genuinely racist or full of swearwords) often escape scot-free. This is because they aren't seen as being a real political threat by Muslims and their left-wing lackeys. It's the comments which are factual and argument-based that are more quickly and most often reported to Facebook -- and for obvious reasons.

To return to Farnaz Javed and the banning.

Farnaz Javed (like many other Muslims on Facebook) doesn't really do debate at all -- at least not when it comes to Islam and her fellow Muslims. She lies and does Islamic Dawah instead. Indeed, sometimes her lies are so brazen and obvious that one wonders why she bothers. Actually, I know why she bothers. Taqiyya is written into Islam. So too is Dawah. This means that every time she lies (or sells Islam) to non-Muslims, she must believe that this will take her one step closer to Islam's Paradise.

As for some of the left-wingers helpers of Islam on this page and others like it, they won't mind Farnaz Javed's lies simply because they believe that by ignoring them this will help their fight against what they see as racism/Islamophobia. And like Islamic taqiyya, left-wingers also have their own notions of lying for Justice and by any means necessary.

Anyway, what Farnaz Javed is doing is what Muslim countries have been doing since the time of Muhammed: she's attempting to enforce sharia blasphemy law.

The Comment Itself

Now let's look at the comment which led to the banning.

The comment (see image) doesn't uses swear words, profanities or any gratuitous insults. It may indeed be that the post is slightly rhetorical. However, there are no lies in it. In any case, rhetoric can often be fused with fact and argument. Except that, of course, pointing these facts out will be seen -- by definition -- as being offensive, insulting or an attack -- at least to Muslims; and now, it seems, to Facebook too.

In addition, the comment never says that all or every Muslim is a terrorist; or even that every Muslim is a supporter of terrorism. It even acknowledges the possibility of Christian terrorists (such words were used by Farnaz Javed and indeed others on this page) when it says, I am prepared to accept that there been some recent Christian terrorists. It even states that there are WHITE/CHRISTIAN killers.

However, I find my own statements on Christian terrorism (in retrospect) to be conceding too much.

On one hand, left-wingers and Muslims consistently and deliberately conflate the notions of killing for Christianity and killers who just happen to be Christians. On the other hand, when Muslim terrorists kill, they kill for Islam and in the name of the Prophet.

In any case, Timothy McVeigh, for example, was a self-described agnostic who didn't believe in Hell and who said that science was his religion.

As for Norway's Anders Breivik. He described himself as an agnostic and only a cultural Christian. Not only that: he also believed in abortion, prostitution, and vampires. Indeed even Andrew Brown (a writer on religion for the left-wing Guardian newspaper) said that 'Anders Breivik is not Christian but anti-Islam'. In addition, in a Huffington Post article ('"Is Anders Breivik a Christian Terrorist?") there's a quote which says that Breivik

classed himself as a 'cultural Christian' with no religious feelings or views.

That same article then quotes Anders Breivik himself saying:

"I guess I'm not an excessively religious man. I am first and foremost a man of logic. However, I am a supporter of a mono-cultural Christian Europe.

It can hardly be said that a Muslim killer of Western soldiers or civilians would ever come even close to saying that he's not an excessively religious man; that he's foremost a man of logic; and that he's an agnostic who doesn't believe in Hell.

To get back to the comment.

The point, again, is that most of the post is factual:

i) It's a fact that very many Muslims [not all, obviously] are terrorists and are killing on a massive scale throughout the Muslim world and even in Europe and the US.

ii) It's a fact that Muslims have killed dozens of thousands of people in the last twenty years.

iii) Finally, it's a fact that many of them did so in allegiance to Islam and the life and works of the Prophet Muhammad.

To repeat. The death, oppression and persecution of non-Muslims in the Muslim world is a factual reality -- to those who care to look! And everyone knows that we have a problem with Islamic terrorism in the West.

The removed comment tried to account for all that.

Conclusion

As it is, we can say that there are so many Muslims on the planet - and that Islam has lasted for so long -- precisely because of actions like Farnaz Javed's. That is, for 1,350 years Islam has disallowed literally all criticism of Islam, Muhammad, and the Koran. That is truer today than it was a hundred years ago.

One other reason for Islam's longevity and demographics is that Islam is passed on from generation to generation within this very context of complete submission and universal blasphemy law.

That's why Islam has survived and has large numbers of believers.

And this censorious and oppressive Islamic reality is what Farnaz Javed wants to bring to Facebook. The big problem is, Facebook seems very happy to enable Farnaz Javed's Islamic mission.

Paul Austin Murphy is a writer on politics and philosophy. He's had articles published in The Conservative Online, New English Review, Human Events, Think-Israel, Intellectual Conservative, Faith Freedom, Brenner Brief (Broadside News), etc. His blogs are: Paul Austin Murphy's Philosophy and Paul Austin Murphy on Politics. My Twitter account can be found here.
The corruption trial of Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ, has ended in a mistrial, and one is tempted to wonder if any of the jurors were swayed by the Menendez character witnesses such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC. A mistrial is not an acquittal, and Menendez retains that proverbial presumption of innocence, a privilege not extended by Graham or others in the GOP to Alabama Senate candidate Judge Roy Moore

Most Americans dont even know Menendez was on trial thanks to a legacy media that censors accusations against Democrats, and if it does mention the accusations doesnt mention that the accused is in fact a Democrat. But theyve heard a lot of allegations about Roy Moore which the likes of Graham accept as gospel.

You may also have not heard of the actual arrest of a candidate for Congress, Democrat David Alcon, who is running for an open seat in New Mexico when is not stalking women. He, too, will be granted the presumption of innocence denied Roy Moore. Will the Democrats disavow him and cut off funds? Will they refuse to seat him if elected or expel him from Congress? As the Daily Caller reports:

David Alcon, who is running for an open congressional seat in New Mexico, was arrested this past Friday on a felony stalking charge after a woman accused him of sending her frightening and lewd text messages and showing up at her home. Alcon was previously convicted of stalking his ex-girlfriend in 2007 and was described as infatuated and clearly obsessed by the judge in the case. The story has been met with silence from a number of media outlets despite their breathless coverage of the sexual assault scandal surrounding Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore. According to a search of the television database TV Eyes, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and NBC have given zero on-air coverage to Alcons arrest. The networks have also not published any stories about Alcons scandal on their websites in the past week. Meanwhile, ABC, CBS, and NBC spent more than 79 minutes talking about Roy Moore between November 9 and November 13.

Count Sen. Graham as one of those double-standard devotees who shows righteous indignation over Roy Moores alleged sexual transgressions while looking the other way when its a Democrat. Graham does not explain how it happened that he was a character witness at the corruption trial of Sen. Menendez, against whom, dare we use the word, credible allegations of dealings with underage hookers have been made:

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez thanked two of his Senate colleagues for testifying at his corruption trial Thursday, saying they showed extraordinary courage in defending him. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) argued Menendez, whos facing bribery charges related to trading political influence for luxury vacations and rides in private jets, is honest and trustworthy.

Graham needs to explain why he has called on Roy Moore to step aside while defending Menendez, who has actually been charged with crimes and sexual misconduct:

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) said on Friday that if the allegations against Alabama candidate for U.S. Senate Roy Moore are true, he should step aside, and should be dealt with severely. But Graham not only hasnt called for Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.), accused of having sex with underage prostitutes, to step aside -- he also went to New Jersey on his own dime two weeks ago to testify as a character witness in Menendezs corruption trial, telling the judge that Menendez is very honest and honorable. Menendez is on trial for corruption -- the first sitting senator in a decade to be prosecuted on corruption charges. At the heart of the case is whether he accepted money and trips from his close friend, West Palm Beach ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, M.D., in exchange for using his position as a U.S. senator to help Melgen. The allegations were first published in The Daily Caller, but the Department of Justice, in a court filing, later referred to corroborating evidence having been turned up to support the claims of underage prostitutes. The filing alleged that the prostitutes were hired to attend sex parties with Menendez and Melgen at Melgens villa, at a luxurious resort in the Dominican Republic called Casa de Campo. In an email exchange posted on Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a Spanish-speaking female said shed attended sex parties with Menendez and Melgen in the Dominican Republic and that Menendez likes the youngest and newest girls. A whistleblower also came forward to describe the parties.

The alleged penchant of Menendez for underage prostitutes was described by one of the hookers in the Daily Mail and described activities more heinous than signing a teenagers yearbook: :

The alleged prostitute says that she was working with a Dominican escort service called The Doll Palace and that a code word, 'chocolate' was used to summon her and other girls to Melgen's alleged sex parties. To prove herself she gave detailed descriptions of Melgen's pimp and the houses where she slept with house guests. The account is the most detailed since allegations emerged in November that Senator Menendez had attended sex parties in the Dominican Republic. That young prostitute said she had sex with Menendez 'three times at least' in 2009. 'The first one in February, and then in May and June. I recall his visit in June so well because that month was my 17th birthday.'

Even when Menendez was officially charged, few deemed the charges credible, said he should step aside, or demanded he be expelled from the Senate. Needless to say, neither did Lindsey Graham or any of his righteous colleagues. Exposing the hypocrisy and double standard employed by Democrats and their media sycophants is not a GOP strongpoint.

With Menendez it is trial first, sentence later. With Moore, it is sentence first -- guilty without benefit of a trial. The double standard. Say what you want about Roy Moore -- he never drove off a bridge with a young blonde in the back seat.

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.
After months of an incessant drumbeat of Trump-Russia collusion, big media is taking a break, having a new bone to chew, specifically the Judge Roy Moore story. Another of a string of famous men and past sex scandals ranging from boorish behavior to harassment and rape.

In past years, this type of behavior only warranted media coverage if a Republican was involved. Democrats were typically given a pass, the story downplayed, excuses made, the accusers challenged, and the story buried.

With Harvey Weinstein, this pattern changed. Harvey was a loyal Democrat, donating large sums of money to the party, holding fundraisers, supporting all the right causes from abortion to global warming.

The dominos continue to fall as we learn of many other sexual predators in Hollywood and the media. Not only Hollywood types, but members of Congress. As recently reported, $15 million was paid out to Congressional accusers after sexual harassment allegations. The same Congress that cant figure out how to cut taxes can rely on taxpayers to fund hush money for their boorish behavior.

The common denominator for Weinstein, Richard Dreyfus, George Takei, Kevin Spacey, Mark Halperin, and Louis CK is that all are Democrats. Maybe not in party registration, but in philosophy and their anti-Trump, anti-conservative views, supporting all of the proper liberal causes.

Roy Moore is the exception, although in fairness to my premise, he was a Democrat at the time of his alleged indiscretions. If he had remained a Democrat, I wonder if the Washington Post would have had any interest in the story, much less broken it wide open.

But why did the dam break with Weinstein? Why has news of the latest Democrat behaving badly supplanted CNNs breathless coverage of the latest supposed evidence of Trump and Putin scheming to hack the 2016 election?

One person. Bill Clinton. The one predator missing from the list of recent Democrat bad boys. Although perhaps cracks are growing in the wall of adoration surrounding Clinton. Even Politico, loyal Clinton defender and enabler notes, Years of excusing Bill Clintons sexual misconduct suddenly seems morally indefensible.

Bill set the standard for judging sexual predators. To be fair, Ted Kennedy, and his brothers, received similar treatment. But Teddy was a wannabe while Bill was the President of the United States. Top dog. Even if a hound dog.

Bills list of abused women is long, far more than for Roy Moore. Despite Washington Post tactics of dragging hundred dollar bills through trailer parks looking for Moore accusers, to borrow a phrase from James Carville, ardent defender of Bill Clintons misdeeds.

Sure, Bill Clinton was impeached, as his defenders point out. But not for rape or sexual harassment, but instead for lying to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. His sexual escapades were given a pass, defended by Hillary Clinton, Betsy Wright, and their bimbo eruption team. Democrats circled the wagons. The media followed suit.

Accusers were trashed and vilified as was Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr investigating Clinton Whitewater misdeeds. Bill and Hillary remained heroes of the left, and remain so to this day. Hillary, for her enabling efforts, rewarded with a U.S. Senate seat, then Secretary of State, and almost the oval office.

Aside from power, they also received money. Hundreds of millions of dollars to their foundation, providing them the lifestyle they felt entitled too.

Other perks too. Bill was revered. Particularly by women. Time writer Nina Burleigh gushed, "I'd be happy to give him [oral sex] just to thank him for keeping abortion legal." Be like Bill and get sex. Harvey Weinstein and many other men saw this and figured they could do the same.

Bill was The Man, a role model for many other bad boys. The lesson being that you can be a pig, treat women horribly and get a pass, as long as you are a loyal Democrat and profess fealty to abortion, taxes, open borders, global warming and other gospels of the leftist bible.

Weinstein and others took note. If Clinton got a pass, why couldnt they? Their political words providing them the same get out of jail free card that Bill had.

If Roy Moore actually did anything which he was accused of, which at this point is pure speculation, perhaps he, as a Democrat, observing the lionization of the Kennedys, and later Bill Clinton, might have assumed that he too would get a pass based on party affiliation.

If Bill Clinton was held accountable at the time, he would have never made it to the White House. Then again neither might have accused groper George HW Bush, though his accusations pale in comparison to Clintons. But by giving Bill a pass, then and to this day, the left, with a wink and a nod, told Weinstein, Spacey, Takei and others that they too would be ignored, as long as the checks came into the DNC and they were politically correct on the left-wing issues of the day.

Now the chickens are coming home to roost, as Reverend Jeremiah Wright would say. Politico and Jake Tapper can show a bit of introspection regarding how they handled Bill Clintons misdeeds and his accusers. But to what end?

The media trying to restore its credibility is virtually impossible, despite their virtue signaling that they finally get it, after decades of enabling what now suddenly outrages them. Why else might they be talking about the Clinton accusers now?

Two potential reasons. One is to clear the decks of the Clintons. They are clearly a losing proposition for the Democrat Party going forward, as we learned just over a year ago. Time for fresh faces to lead the party. Like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, or Joe Biden. Their combined ages making them almost as old as America. Good luck with that.

Two is to pivot to their real enemy. Not Roy Moore, but Donald Trump. A quick mea culpa from the media on the Clintons and full speed ahead on Trump as a sexual predator. Turning Moore into Trump. Schemes already tried and failed during the presidential campaign. Again, good luck with that.

Voters will decide Roy Moores fate. Still ahead in the polls, Moore may enjoy a Clinton-style pass from Alabama voters on misconduct allegations just to shove their middle finger into the face of Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, the media and the rest of the DC swamp. Just as voters did nationwide last November.

And all because of Bill Clinton, given a pass, not held to account for behavior the left suddenly finds abhorrent. Funny how legacies play out. A Bush gave us Clinton, who gave us another Bush, who gave us Obama, who gave us Trump.

If Bill Clinton had been held accountable at the time, who knows how the future would have played out. More than likely, Donald Trump would be now hosting The Apprentice and doing real estate deals. Hillary might be president of Wellesley College. And Jeff Sessions would still be the Senator from Alabama. The scandal legacy of Bill Clinton.

Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
The Supreme Court is facing two First Amendment issues, and we are at risk of having two different answers  ones that can only further confuse an already confusing selection of legal precedents.

One is Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which hinges on a privately owned business's ability to pick and choose its customers based on religious beliefs. The other case is National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Xavier Becerra, which focuses on the rights of private, non-profit crisis pregnancy centers established by pro-life organizations and individuals to operate without being forced to advocate for abortion.

The issue with Masterpiece is challenging for a number of reasons.

On the one side of the coin (setting aside the "protected" status of so-called marriage rights for same-sex couples, which has become a political third rail), there are the public accommodation laws that were passed, beginning in the '60s, to guarantee that hotels, restaurants, and other "public accommodations" could not legally discriminate against someone based on his race (in that case, almost exclusively black). Public accommodation laws were unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court in Katzenbach v. McClung in 1964. Those laws may have deprived some racist business owners of the right to practice their racism, but they extended a uniform right to all Americans, regardless of skin color, to have access to those public accommodations.

On the other side of the coin is the right, established by the courts when confronting demands stemming from Obamacare, of faith-based employers to refrain from offering insurance for services they find religiously unacceptable, such as abortion or birth control. The Supreme Court upheld faith-based employers' rights not to offer such insurance in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby in 2014.

As a result, in considering the Colorado case, the Supreme Court sided with those advocating equal access for all to public accommodations, while also siding with those faith-based business owners who found conditions of Obamacare incompatible with their faith. These two Court-defined rights truly represent a rock and a hard place. A bakery is clearly analogous to the restaurants, which were specifically banned from discriminating against customers based on race, while the right to honor religious beliefs in the workplace was directly established in the Hobby Lobby case. The issue may hinge on a simple, indisputable fact. All black people are born that way  they have no choice in the matter. However, all people who want to attempt to marry someone of the same sex are acting on a choice, not an immutable fact. At issue will be whether the fact of this being a constitutionally protected lifestyle choice is more or less constitutionally protected than the fact of race being unchangeable and not subject to choice.

While some may argue that the wedding cake is "different" because there are always other cake-making choices available to same-sex couples, that argument was tried (and failed) in the public accommodations issues of the mid-'60s. At that time, there were always some hotels and restaurants that would serve blacks, but the Court deemed this insufficient justification for other public accommodations to limit their service to whites. This, along as the constitutional equivalence (if any) between innate race and human-choice sexual preference, is the issue the Court will have to decide.

The other case, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Xavier Becerra, is even more complicated. At issue is the right of those 200 or so generally faith-based crisis pregnancy centers in California to provide abortion-alternative counseling and support without also fulfilling a state mandate that they provide pro-abortion information. The mandate comes from the California Reproductive FACT Act, which requires all crisis pregnancy centers to prominently post on their premises and in their advertising literature the following notice:

California has public programs that provide immediate free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services (including all FDA-approved methods of contraception), prenatal care, and abortion for eligible women. To determine whether you qualify, contact the county social services office at [phone number].

The law even specifies where these notices will be posted and the type size they must be printed in. Specifically, this law was passed primarily or exclusively to require pro-life crisis pregnancy centers to advocate for something they passionately disagree with, even though those objections are, in most cases, based on clear religious beliefs. The religious part of the issue here is at least as strong as the Hobby Lobby claim; however, these centers were created specifically to offer alternatives to abortion. Such notices work directly at odds with the creation intent of the crisis pregnancy centers, an issue not germane to the Hobby Lobby issue, since Hobby Lobby was created not primarily to practice a religion-based activity.

The need for such a law seems based on the supposition that, absent this notice, none of the 700,000 women who become pregnant in California each year will know that abortion is an option. It then goes farther, assuming that pregnant women don't know that abortion-related services are available at taxpayer expense by California's county social services organizations, as well as at low cost from such non-governmental groups as Planned Parenthood. In short, the grounds for this law  other than the fact that pro-abortion zealots can't bear the fact that there even are other options  are specious. It is quite literally inconceivable that any American woman might not know that abortion counseling and abortions themselves aren't readily available. In short, the law is not necessary.

At issue before the court is the question of whether the religious rights of people and organizations who set up such pro-life pregnancy centers are more important than the state's power to force people to defy their own faith-based beliefs to serve a public communications need that is, in fact, no need at all, unless the Court presumes that there is a significant number of California women so ignorant of abortion that  unless told about abortion at a pro-life counseling center  they would never know about the availability of abortion-related services.

This should be clear-cut. However, even pro-abortion justices have admitted that Roe v. Wade is remarkably flawed constitutional law, finding in the Constitution a privacy right that does not actually exist. Given that precedent, it's really anybody's guess whether the clearly articulated right to the free exercise of religion will trump the made-up privacy right that has become the foundation of a host of other constitutionally specious laws.

For those who care about the primacy of constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom over lesser rights  especially those "discovered" by the Court or asserted by state governments  this latest session of the Supreme Court will prove a nail-biter. Perhaps the worst possible outcome for those who value a clear affirmation of our promised right to the free exercise of religion would be a split decision, where the Colorado baker's rights are upheld because the courts differentiate between the rights of people of color (who are born that way) and people who exercise lifestyle choices, while on the other hand ruling that the discovered privacy right articulated in Roe v. Wade, as interpreted by California statute, trumps religious freedom. Still, it is too early to give up on the hope that the Court will consistently find in favor of the rights of those who act based on deeply held religious convictions.
The Republican-controlled House passed a $1.5-trillion tax reform package  the largest tax cut for the middle class in more than a generation.

The vote was 227-205, with 13 Republicans voting against the measure.

Twelve of thirteen GOP opponents of the tax bill hail from high-tax states  New York (5), New Jersey (4), and California (3). Walter Jones of North Carolina also voted against the bill.

Big-state Republicans are objecting to the elimination of the deduction for state and local taxes, which the GOP leadership has been insisting is necessary to offset some of the cost of tax reform.

The issue may prove to be a deal-breaker in the Senate, where the bill is already on the knife's edge of defeat. Also, there are other offsets that are potential land mines to get tax reform passed in the Senate.

Hit and Run:

The House plan cuts taxes by roughly $1.5 trillion over the next decade, with tax reductions for both businesses and individuals. The plan would slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent down to 20 percent, and would condense the current seven individual income tax brackets into four while expanding the child tax credit and doubling the standard deduction. The lower corporate tax rate would be a permanent change. However, a new $300 tax credit dubbed the "family flexibility credit" that is intended to help middle [sic] would expire in 2023, leading one analysis to find that, after that year, only 40 percent of Americans would pay lower taxes under the plan  and 22 percent would pay more. The House legislation also reduces or eliminates many major deductions, including carve outs for medical expenses, cars, moving, tax preparation, and student loan interest. The plan gets rid of the state and local tax deduction for income and sales tax would be eliminated, and caps the deduction for property taxes. That deduction provides the biggest benefit to residents of high-income, high-tax states that tend to vote Democratic  hence the handful of GOP blue state defectors. Unlike the revised Senate tax plan that was released earlier in the week, it does not repeal Obamacare's individual mandate to purchase health coverage.

There will almost certainly be an effort in 2023 to keep that $300 tax credit for families. It seems preposterous that Congress would allow it to expire.

In fact, by eliminating the tax credit after 5 years, Republicans were able to reduce the potential deficit  on paper  by several hundred billion dollars. This is important because if the projected deficit in the bill exceeds $1.5 trillion over a decade, it would trigger a reconciliation vote in the Senate that would require 60 members to pass.

So it is likely that the $300-per-year tax credit per individual will stay.

But the real sticking point in the Senate may be the elimination of state and local tax deductions. In high-tax states and communities, the loss would be significant.

Reuters:

The proposed repeal of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction is part of an "assault on local governments" by Republicans in Washington, said Elizabeth Kautz, the Republican mayor of Burnsville, Minnesota, near Minneapolis. "My hope is that we look at being thoughtful about what we're doing and not ram something through just to get something done before the year is out," Kautz said of the plan being rushed through Congress by her own party. In the United States, local governments run schools, operate police and fire departments and maintain streets, parks and libraries, among other essential services. The federal government's role at that level is limited. Cities, towns, counties and states collect their own property, sales and income taxes. Under existing law, payments of those taxes can be deducted, or subtracted from federal taxable income, lowering the amount of federal tax due. The House tax bill just approved would eliminate the deduction for individuals and families of state and local income and sales tax, while capping property tax deductions at $10,000.

In every effort to reform the tax code, there are winners and losers. This is especially true when looking at tax reform that's this big and complex. Sometimes the winners win big and the losers lose big. In the end, it's a matter of juggling competing interests to arrive at an endpoint that a majority of Congress can support.

Coming from a high-tax state myself, the elimination of the tax write-off for state and local taxes would increase my tax bill under the old rules by about 10%. Most of that will be offset by the family tax credit and the lowering of my overall tax rate. In the end, my guess is that I will break about even on tax reform.

But most Americans will see a significant reduction in their tax rates, which, if passed by the Senate, fulfills Donald Trump's most important campaign promise to the American people.
Reporters and other Democrats do not want the public and corporations to get tax cuts at all and do not want true tax reform, so they trot out this garbage that the middle class will see tax increases by 2027  as if any ten-year projections are even close to accurate.

They also know that the only reason the proposed cuts in rates expire is because the Senate rules essentially require them to expire unless they pass with 60 votes. Since the Democrats are obstructionists, they know that won't happen.

The Democrats also know that when existing tax rules and rates expire, they routinely roll over for an extended period of time, so they know that these supposed non-partisan ten-year projections are a load of nonsense meant to mislead the public.

For example, research credits, solar credits, and depreciation rules are continually extended.

This analysis is as worthless as the ten-year projections on Obamacare, which were off by 100% within a few years. They predicted that it would cost less than $1 trillion and would reduce the deficit and debt. Within three years, the cost was over $2 trillion, and not once did Democrats give a darn about the increased debt.

The bottom line is that Democrats want the government to get bigger and Republicans want the people to keep more money they earn, and reporters will print anything to push the Democrat agenda and to influence the public to believe what Democrats tell them, no matter how misleading.

Democrats have gladly supported tax increases on everybody at the local, state, and federal levels, and now they pretend they care about the middle class. If Pelosi and Schumer really cared about their state taxpayers in California and New York, they would go to Governor Brown and Governor Cuomo and ask them to lower their taxes.

One thing that can be 100% guaranteed is that taxes will be lower if Republicans get their way than if the Democrats get their way.

It is truly a shame that almost all reporters serve as fax machines for Democrats instead of having a semblance of independent thought.
As Tehran strives to cope with increasing international isolation, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran. This is the 64th such condemnation slapped by U.N. entities against this regime's human rights record.

Crippling sanctions forced Iran to the negotiating table over its controversial nuclear program and rendered a controversial nuclear deal. If a proper roadmap is laid out, the international community can stand alongside the Iranian people by sanctioning the regime to its knees over its gross human rights violations.

This resolution, approved with 83 votes in favor, condemned Iran's increasing wave of executions, violations of freedoms of speech and assembly, oppression of religious and ethnic minorities, and discrimination against women. Such defilements have no place in the 21st century.

The Assad regime in Syria, supported heavily by Iran, has been condemned on similar grounds. Tehran's support for Damascus has displaced more than half of the country's population, forced millions into seeking refuge abroad, and herded sectarian militia groups to literally occupy the entire country.

Such measures can be described as cruelty, oppression, and sectarian cleansing and, in some cases, complete ethnic eradication. The very image of many cities and neighborhoods, many centuries old, has changed completely as a result of Iran's sectarian policies.

Welcoming the new U.N. resolution, Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi called on the international community, especially the U.N. Security Council, to take urgent effective and practical measures against the Iranian regime, targeting its systematic human rights violations.

Iran has for years led the world in the number of executions per capita and its practice of mass executions.

Remarks made by Iran's judiciary chief portray the regime's anger and signal Tehran's sensitivity regarding any focus on its human rights dossier.

"Unfortunately, U.N. special rapporteurs resort to incorrect methods and raise allegations raised by infidels (term used by the Iranian regime for its opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran -- PMOI/MEK) abroad against the Islamic republic," said Sadeq Amoli Larijani in a recent session of Iran's "Supreme Council of the Human Rights Department."

The U.N. resolution expressed "serious concern" over the alarming count of death penalty verdicts, including execution of minors, based on forced confessions.

The text went on to criticize Iran's "systematic and widespread use of arbitrary detention, including the use of such practices to target dual and foreign nationals, and to uphold, in law and in practice, procedural guarantees to ensure fair trial standards, including timely access to legal representation of one's choice from the time of arrest through all stages of trial and all appeals."

For nearly 38 years, Iran's human rights violations have gone unanswered. An adequate process of accountability is necessary to ring in senior regime officials, especially in judiciary and security entities.

One major case is the summer 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mostly consisting of PMOI/MEK members and supporters. Most likely, all senior regime officials, from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei all the way down, were involved in this atrocity and currently defend their role.

Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, Iran's justice minister until August 2017, was quoted on 28 August 2016, by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, as saying, "God commanded show no mercy to the nonbelievers[.] ... We are proud to have carried out God's commandment with regard to the [PMOI/MEK][.]"

Former intelligence minister Ali Fallahian, in a July interview with the state-affiliated Tarikh Online website, acknowledged how a 1988 fatwa issued by Iranian regime founder Ayatollah Khomeini called for the eradication of all PMOI/MEK affiliates. Even PMOI supporters, whose only "crime" was distributing the group's literature and buying bread or other provisions, were found guilty of waging war on God and ultimately executed.

After nearly thirty years, a vital measure is to launch an international independent inquiry into this horrific purge. As this is one of the most atrocious crimes against humanity, serious measures are needed to prevent any possible repetition of such crimes in Iran and around the globe.

For 38 years, the Iranian regime has enjoyed an unjustified impunity in committing human rights violations. Sanctions targeting these ongoing crimes by Tehran's rulers are needed to show the Iranian people that the international community is standing by their side in their struggle for freedom and democracy under a government "of the people, by the people, for the people," as explained so eloquently by the legendary American president Abraham Lincoln.
Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, chief of the general staff of the IDF, gave an unprecedented interview to an online Saudi news site where he said Israel is prepared to share intelligence on Iran with Saudi Arabia if the need arises.

Eisenkot also called Iran the "real and largest threat to the region," echoing sentiments expressed by Saudi Arabia recently.

Haaretz:

A Saudi newspaper published an unprecedented interview on Thursday with the Israeli military chief, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot. It marks the first time any senior Israel Defense Forces officer, let alone the chief of staff, has been interviewed by a media organization in Saudi Arabia, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel. In the interview to the Saudi online newspaper Elaph, Eisenkot called Iran the "real and largest threat to the region." He said Israel and Saudi Arabia are in complete agreement about Iran's intentions. He also noted that Israel and Saudi Arabia have never fought each other. Eisenkot said that Israel's military situation has never been better. He said that was why it is "highly regarded by the moderate countries in the region." Israel's military chief accused Iran of trying to destabilize the region by building weapons factories and supplying advanced arms to guerilla and terrorist organizations across the Middle East. "Iran seeks to take control of the Middle East, creating a Shi'ite crescent from Lebanon to Iran and then from the [Persian] Gulf to the Red Sea." "We must prevent this from happening," he added.

For years now, Saudi Arabia and Israel have, by necessity, been drawing closer together. There were rumors  never confirmed  that Israel had struck a deal to use Saudi bases if it decided to attack Iran's nuclear program. Ever since the Saudis intervened in Yemen to battle Iranian-sponsored Houthi rebels, the strategic interests of both countries appeared to merge. Since President Obama gave Iran tens of billions of dollars in frozen assets, the Iranians have become emboldened all across the region, using their proxy armies of Houthis and Hezb'allah to advance their goal of creating a "crescent" of influence. One need only look at a map of the Middle East to see how both Israel and Saudi Arabia  Iran's two main foes  would be threatened by this goal.

Eisenkot also mentioned President Trump's policies as "hope for the region."

"With President Trump. there is an opportunity to build a new international coalition in the region. We need to carry out a large and inclusive strategic plan to stop the Iranian danger. We are willing to exchange information with moderate Arab countries, including intelligence information in order to deal with Iran," added Eisenkot. As to whether Israel has already shared such information with Saudi Arabia, Eisenkot said: "We are willing to share information if there is a need. We have many shared interests between us."

The Sunni Arab Gulf states are on the front line of this struggle with Iran, while Israel's proximity to Syria will be a continuous threat to their security for the foreseeable future. Iranian support for Hezb'allah will continue to grow, as will the threat from the terrorists to destabilize Lebanon. A de facto alliance between the Saudis and Israelis changes Iran's strategic calculations considerably. But as fanatical as the Iranians are, it probably won't moderate their behavior.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi and visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela shake hands at the inauguration ceremony of Panama's embassy in Beijing on Thursday. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

China and Panama plan to sign nearly 20 cooperative documents on Friday as officials of the two countries saw Panama's embassy inaugurated in Beijing.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi and visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela disclosed the anticipated number of deals to be signed when they jointly opened the embassy in downtown Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

Varela arrived in the capital earlier on Thursday for a state visit, which continues through Wednesday, at a time officials from both sides have said the 5-month-old diplomatic relationship is developing rapidly.

Wang congratulated Varela on realizing his decadelong dream of building diplomatic ties with China, and said his decision to forge ties with China fully serves the interests of his country and people and will withstand the test of time.

President Xi Jinping and Varela will have a historic meeting on Friday, and the two sides will sign the cooperative pacts, taking the ties to a new stage of comprehensive cooperation, Wang said.

The diplomatic ties were established in June after Panama cut ties with Taiwan and acknowledged the one-China policy the same day.

China's embassy in Panama was inaugurated in September.

Varela said he appreciated China's hospitality and added that his visit is historic as he becomes Panama's first president to visit China.

Panama will unswervingly honor the one-China policy and develop a friendly and cooperative relationship with China, Varela said.

As the countries trust and respect each other and seek mutual benefit and cooperation, their ties are expected to be fruitful, Varela said.

Francisco Carlo Escobar, Panama's first ambassador to China, said establishing an embassy in a major world economy brings his country enormous opportunities as leaders work to inject dynamism into their economy.

The Panamanian leader also is set to visit Shanghai, Chinese Ambassador to Panama Wei Qiang told the Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday.

China set up an office of commercial development in Panama in 1996, and they have maintained cooperation in various fields.
Democrats paid a high price for saving Bill Clinton in 1999 after he became the first elected president impeached in American history. (Andrew Johnson was elected as vice president, becoming president after Abraham Lincoln's assassination.)

Had Democrats in the U.S. Senate gone along with Clinton's removal for sexual and legal improprieties, his vice president, Al Gore, would have become president and been able to run for two presidential terms with little of the baggage of his predecessor.

Instead, Gore ran in 2000 amid widespread disgust that Clinton had escaped justice, a disgust millions feel today about Bill and Hillary.

Liberal mythology holds that George W. Bush won Florida by a few hundred votes but that the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately halted a recount ordered by the wholly Democrat-appointed Florida Supreme Court that would have made Gore president.

Liberals forget that Bill Clinton-appointed Justice Stephen Breyer cast a key vote concurring that the Florida Supreme Court-ordered recount had violated the Constitution's Equal Protection clause.

More importantly, Gore lost the Electoral College vote 271-266 not because of Florida 25 electoral votes alone. Gore also lost the 11 electoral votes of his own home state of Tennessee, where people who knew him best voted against him. He also lost the six electoral votes of the Clinton home state of Arkansas. These are Southern states where biblical morality remains strong.

If Gore had won either Arkansas or Tennessee, he would not have needed Florida to become president, probably for the first of two terms. And he might have won the combined 17 electoral votes of both if the Clinton scandals were in the rearview mirror of history and Gore were running as the incumbent president.

This is what Democrat politicians threw away by putting politics and power over moral propriety to defend President Clinton. Had they let Clinton go down, they would still have had President Al Gore. Instead, fate dealt out retribution and justice.

Amid today's sexploitation scandals, some on the left a generation later seem contrite. At the Atlantic, Caitlin Flanagan wrote that feminists who rushed to defend Bill Clinton in the 1990s were "on the wrong side of history" and that the ex-president deserves to be condemned now.

At Slate, Mark Joseph Stern writes that Senator Al Franken "should resign immediately" following photographic evidence of his groping a woman's body while she slept and other "misogynistic" behavior when she was awake.

Stern's concern seems to be less with Franken's arrogant sexism than that "Democrats' credibility on sexual harassment is at stake" if the party tolerates Franken. Stern wants this indisputable, embarrassing example of Democratic hypocrisy to disappear.

The liberal assault on Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore over sexual accusations suggests that we may see a lot more of such attacks against Republicans in the 2018 and 2020 Democratic efforts to regain the House, Senate, and White House.

Democrats almost certainly plan to use such lurid last-minute accusations to galvanize the female vote, just as they play the race card to motivate minority voters. But to do this successfully, Democrats must throw under the bus their own notorious sexploiters such as Bill Clinton, Al Franken, and Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Democrats also face the challenge of being an identity politics party largely of youthful minority voters, but the face of its leaders is wrinkled and white. For minorities to take over their party, its geriatric leaders must have power wrested from their cold, white fingers. The current scandals offer an opportunity to push out Franken and, above all, the Clintons.

Democrats might not see the light of morality, but they do feel the heat of feminist political correctness and the need to regain political power by, as Machiavelli might say, appearing to be more virtuous than Republicans.

Lowell Ponte is a veteran think-tank futurist and author or co-author of eight books. His latest, co-authored with Craig R. Smith, is Money, Morality & The Machine, available free and postpaid by calling 800-630-1492. Lowell can be reached for interviews by email at radioright@aol.com.
Open gallery Dr. Jeff Schonberg under his official welcome banner on the steps of Xianyang Normal University in Xianyang, China Prev  <picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/154/width/900/31494_WelcomeBanner.rev.1510935307.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/154/width/1000/31494_WelcomeBanner.rev.1510935307.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/154/width/900/31494_WelcomeBanner.rev.1510935307.jpg 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/154/width/1000/31494_WelcomeBanner.rev.1510935307.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/154/width/1000/31494_WelcomeBanner.rev.1510935307.jpg" width="960" height="720" alt="Dr. Jeff Schonberg under his official welcome banner on the steps of Xianyang Normal University in Xianyang, China" data-max-w="960" data-max-h="720"/></picture> Dr. Jeff Schonberg under his official welcome banner on the steps of Xianyang Normal University in Xianyang, China Next 

Already no stranger to China, Dr. Jeff Schonberg is the latest ASU representative to head to the Far East and help pave the way for more international students to come to Angelo State.

Dr. Jeff Schonberg A professor of English, Schonberg teaches courses in ASUs new masters degree program with a concentration in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), which accepted its first students this fall. ASU recently signed a contract with Xianyang Normal University in China to bring its graduate students into the TESOL program, and Schonberg spent a month at Xianyang this summer taking the first steps toward making that happen.

Since virtually all Chinese college students already know English, he primarily worked with faculty on other aspects of the program.

Their students need to learn how to function in a Western classroom, Schonberg said. Part of what I was teaching their faculty is what its like to be a student over here. They had never had anything like that, so now they have a better idea of what is needed. I was also teaching them a lot about English linguistics, which they had never had.

One new thing I suggested was that they form a consortium of universities in that area so they can pool their resources to help prepare students who want to come to ASU, he added. Just about 8-10 kilometers away is the city of Xian, which has about 11 million people and universities all over the city. They are trying to form a consortium among all those schools to improve the caliber of students that could come over here.

Schonberg at Work









While this part of ASUs international recruiting efforts remains in its infancy, Schonberg sees China as a tremendous future resource for students in both the TESOL program and eventually other academic fields, as well.

There are a large number of smaller universities looking for U.S. schools to send their students to, Schonberg said. We are being given the opportunity to tap into that and have their students come over here. The head of Xianyangs international office told me, Youve built a bridge. So we have those opportunities, which we didnt before.

I think we have the opportunity to develop something that will really stand out in the years to come. Dr. Jeff Schonberg

And its not the first bridge Schonberg has built in China. As mentioned above, he is no stranger to the country, having been involved in a Language Rescue Program not far from Xianyang since 1996.

Its basically trying to save a language that has never been written down and is in danger of dying out because the speakers are dying out, Schonberg said. Ive been working on that in the mountains of the Henan Province where this group of speakers lives. There are very few of them left, and they speak what they call Jone, which is an Asian language that has no relationship to Mandarin or Cantonese. The closest relative it has is spoken in Western Tibet.

During his ASU trip this summer, Schonberg spent some of his down time exploring tombs and trying to track ancestors of the Jone-speakers. But he did some regular touristy stuff, as well.

Schonberg at Play













I also went to lots of Buddhist temples, he said. I was also the first foreigner to set foot in this one restaurant, and the owner wanted to take a picture with me. Then some of the other people in the restaurant, and even some from out on the street, wanted to be in the picture, too. The owner printed it and has it hanging on the wall right next to this shrine he has to his father, grandfather and brother. I consider it a place of honor.

All in all, Schonberg considers his trip a great success and has high hopes for the future of ASUs relationship with universities in China.

This consortium they are building could really offer some big opportunities, he said, not only for their students coming over here, but also for our graduates to go over there. I know that they would really like to see some of our TESOL graduates. They would snap them up very quickly for employment. I think we have the opportunity to develop something that will really stand out in the years to come.
Hey, Republicans! Did you enjoy Election Night last week? Get ready for a lot more nights like that as immigration turns every last corner of the country blue.

When Ed Gillespie lost in Virginia, liberals crowed about how theyre winning the war of ideas. The country has thoroughly, emphatically rejected Trumpism!

Republicans, being idiots, played along, arguing only about whether Gillespies problem was that he didnt embrace Trump enough or embraced him too much.

Gillespies campaign was fine. No cleverer arguments, community outreach or perfectly timed mailings would have changed the result. Contrary to The New York Times celebratory article in last Sundays magazine, How the Resistance Helped Democrats Dominate Virginia, it wasnt Democratic operative Kathryn Sorensons savvy use of Facebook, Google and Eventbrites that carried the day. The Resistance didnt win.

What happened was: Democrats brought in new voters. In 1970, only one out of every 100 Virginians was foreign-born. By 2012, one in nine Virginians was foreign-born.

The foreign-born vote overwhelmingly, by about 80 percent, for Democrats. They always have and they always will  especially now that our immigration policies aggressively discriminate in favor of the poorest, least-educated, most unskilled people on Earth. They arrive in need of a LOT of government services.

According to the Pew Research Center, 75 percent of Hispanic immigrants and 55 percent of Asian immigrants support bigger government, compared to just over 40 percent of the general public. Even third-generation Hispanics support bigger government by 58 percent.

Polls show that immigrants are far more likely to support Obamacare and affirmative action than the general public, and are far less likely to support gun rights and capitalism.

Its one thing not to mention ethnic differences in crime statistics or welfare usage to avoid hurting anyones feelings, but if the GOP continues to pretend to see no difference in how different groups vote  while importing millions more foreigners to vote against them  then they should get used to a lot more elections like what happened in Virginia last week.

Its not as if Republicans are unaware of how demographics can affect elections. They certainly notice when theyre drawing congressional boundaries. We dont see GOP congressmen saying, No, I dont mind trading that all-white town for part of a Chicago housing project. Why should I?

Currently, everyone seems to be blaming the total disappearance of the GOP in Virginia on another demographic trend: All those federal workers living in the northern part of the state.

This is a fairy tale, like the one about Proposition 187 turning California blue, or the one about the complacency of old money turning Connecticut blue, or the one about a disorganized Republican Party turning Illinois blue. Pay no attention to the millions of Third-Worlders weve been dumping on the country!

In the past 40 years, upward of 50 million culturally backward, dirt-poor immigrants arrived in America, and state after state has gone blue, but were always told states are flipping to the Democrats for some reason  any reason!  other than immigration.

True, Virginia is home to 322,198 people who are either current or retired federal employees. On the other hand, there are more than 800,000 Virginians who are foreign-born  and thats not including the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the foreign-born who arrived in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Moreover, in Virginia, federal employee is not as Democratic-leaning as it sounds on account of the states numerous military bases. Virginia Beach, for example, the largest city in the state, has a higher percentage of federal employees in the workforce than the entire Washington, D.C., metro area. And yet, Virginia Beach still votes Republican in presidential elections and is represented by a Republican in Congress.

Almost 15 percent of Virginians speak a language other than English at home. If we double the number of Virginians who are now employed by, or have ever worked for, the federal government  and assume that none of them work on military bases  thats still just 8 percent of the population.

The only reason Democrats want a never-ending stream of Third World immigrants is because they know immigrants will help them win elections, allowing The New York Times to write self-congratulatory editorials like this one last week: Virginia Rejects Your Hateful Politics, Mr. Trump.

Well, technically, millions of Third-Worlders living in Virginia rejected Trumps hateful politics. But guess what? They also rejected John McCains pusillanimous politics and Mitt Romneys soft-spoken politics.

They were brought in to vote for the Democrats. Thats the real job immigrants are doing that Americans just wont do.

As Democratic consultant Patrick Reddy wrote for the Roper Center 20 years ago, the 1965 Immigration Act, bringing in a wave of immigration from the Third World, will go down in history as the Kennedy familys greatest gift to the Democratic Party.

There isnt much time on the clock before its lights-out for the GOP. And all Republicans can think to do is argue about how quickly to grant amnesty to so-called Dreamers and give the Democrats another 30 million voters.

COPYRIGHT 2017 ANN COULTER

DISTRIBUTED BY ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION
Palermo - Mafia boss of bosses Toto Riina died at 3:37 on Friday in a special section for inmates at Parma hospital. He had turned 87 on Thursday. Riina, who was still considered head of Cosa Nostra despite spending 24 years under the 41 bis tough jail regime, had been in a coma since the second of two recent operations. Nicknamed The Beast for his ferocity, he was serving life for a slew of crimes including the assassinations of anti-Mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino 25 years ago.



Another infamous assassination was that of Carabinieri General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, who had recently appointed prefect of Palermo, in 1982. In July a Bologna court rejected a petition from Riina's lawyers for his punishment to be deferred and a related request for him to be released to house arrest due to his poor health.



In June the supreme Court of Cassation said Riina was entitled to a dignified death and instructed a detention review court to say whether he should be freed, sparking protests from the relatives of his many victims. After visiting him, the chair of the parliamentary anti-mafia commission, Rosy Bindi, said his conditions were better than they would be if he were sent home.



Riina was arrested in January 1993 after 24 years as a fugitive.



Cosa Nostra is still a big threat after the death of Toto Riina, Bindi said Friday. "The end of Riina is not the end of the Sicilian Mafia, which remains a highly dangerous criminal system," said Bindi.



"Toto Riina was the bloody, undisputed leader of the Cosa Nostra that staged bombings.



"That Mafia was defeated before his death thanks to the tough commitment of the institutions and the sacrifice of so many courageous, just men".


MOSCOW - Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil on Friday said he was on the verge of signing the "first contract for development of gas fields thanks to the participation of Russian companies" but it fell through due to "an attempt to block Lebanon in this path".



Bassil spoke prior to a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, according to Interfax news agency.



"The same forces that destabilised Syria are trying to undermine Lebanon," Bassil said.



"There's a campaign aimed at intimidating Lebanon and creating obstacles to its progress under various pretexts.



There's the desire to put certain forces connected to terrorism in our way," he said.



He said "some parties are trying to use certain forces to depose the Lebanese head of state" and therefore Beirut "at the present stage" is counting on "increased bilateral cooperation" with Russia, as well as "in the rebuilding of Syria".



Bassil said Lebanon expects Russia to increase its role in the Middle East in order to guarantee regional stability.



"We are aware of your enormous contribution to the fight against terrorism and your will to put out the fire of conflicts in various parts of the world," he said.



"We expect Russia to continue to increase its presence to complete the balance of powers in the region, otherwise (the region) won't survive," Bassil said.



Lavrov said Russia will "maintain its efforts to support Lebanon's sovreignty, unity, and territorial integrity", according to Interfax.



"The most important thing is that we push for the resolution of all urgent questions on the part of the Lebanese themselves, without external interference, through dialogue in a legal framework and taking into consideration the interests of all the main political forces," Lavrov said.


Lebanon's Hariri to meet Macron at Elysee at noon Saturday

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, NOVEMBER 17 - Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who unexpectedly announced his resignation during a visit to Saudi Arabia on November 4, will arrive at Paris's Elysee Palace at noon on Saturday, according to a statement released Friday by the press office of French President Emmanuel Macron.



Hariri is scheduled to meet with Macron at 12:20 and be joined by the rest of his family at 12:30 in the presidential palace, followed by breakfast with the president and invited guests.(ANSAmed).




Russia vetoes UN chemical weapons probe on Syria, again US ambassador Haley threatens force if further attacks occur

(ANSAmed) - NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 17 - Russia has for the tenth time since the Syrian conflict began vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on the country, this time one that would have extended an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks.



Moscow, closely allied to the Syrian regime, has blocked the extension of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), set up in 2015 to identify perpetrators of chemical attacks. It is, as the BBC notes, the only official mission investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria.



US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, accused Russia of undermining the organizations ability to deter future chemical attacks and threatened unilateral force if other chemical attacks were to occur in the future. She said that the veto proved Russia could not be trusted. US president Donald Trump had made a call for an extension to the mechanism, asking the Security Council to vote in unison for it, shortly before the voting was held.



The investigative mechanism was due to expire at midnight on November 16.



The US Resolution, co-sponsored by Italy in its role holding the rotating president of the Security Council, received 11 'yes' votes, 2 'no' votes including the Russian veto and 2 abstentions (China and Egypt).



Last month, Russia had also used its veto against a draft resolution to extend the mandate of the team of experts. In its latest report, the body stated that Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad's regime was responsible for a chemical attack on the opposition-held city of Khan Sheikhoun in April that killed over 90 people. Syria has been blamed for all but one chemical attack since the investigation started in 2015.



"Russia has killed the investigative mechanism, which has the overwhelming support of this council," Ambassador Haley said, saying that the US would not rest until justice had been achieved for the victims of chemical attacks in Syria.



(ANSAmed).




Saudi's King Salman to hand crown to son next week 32-yr-old Mohammed to take over, reports Daily Mail

(ANSAmed) - ROME, NOVEMBER 17 - Saudi Arabia's King Salman will abdicate the throne next week in favor of his son, reported the Daily Mail on Friday in an exclusive report.



Mohammed bin Salman, 32, will be taking over the kingdom. A source near the royal family told the tabloid that the king will keep the title of 'Guardian of the Holy Sites' and will retain a ceremonial role in the kingdom. (ANSAmed).




Sea Watch volunteer calls on Minniti over Libyan shipwreck Italian with German NGO says Libyans blocked rescue efforts

(ANSAmed) - PALERMO, NOVEMBER 16 - Gennaro Giudetti, a 27-year-old volunteer with the German NGO Sea Watch, on Thursday called on Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti to clarify Italy's position on assistance to the Libyan Coast Guard, following a shipwreck on November 6.



"I saw dozens of people die around me. I recovered the lifeless body of a two-year-old boy. I had to choose whether to save a girl who drowned before my eyes or another two women who were holding onto my arm," said Giudetti, a Taranto native who is a volunteer and cultural mediator with Sea Watch.



"And all of this while the officers on the Libyan patrol boat were blocking rescue efforts. I ask Minister Minniti if it's acceptable that our government finance a country that acts like this," he said.



The German NGO has denounced the "violent and reckless" behavior of the Libyan Coast Guard.



The presence of an Italian Navy helicopter allegedly induced the Libyan Coast Guard vessel to return to its shore, while the Sea Watch, with 59 survivors on board as well as the body of the two-year-old boy, headed for the port of Pozzallo.



"The Ragusa prosecutor's office took all the images in our possession that document what happened," Giudetti said.



"Now I ask the Italian government and Minister Minniti, who have stipulated a cooperation agreement with the government of Tripoli, what they intend to do in the face of this tragedy, for which the responsibilities are clear," he said. (ANSAmed).




Announcement by the two companies comes at a time when the Indian government is pushing for electric vehicles.

Suzuki will produce EVs for Indian market and will supply some of them to Toyota, which will provide technical support. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: Japanese auto majors Toyota Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation said on Friday that they will co-operate on introducing electric vehicles (EVs) in India by 2020.

The two companies said in a joint statement that they have concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to take forward a co-operative structure under which Suzuki will produce EVs for the Indian market and will supply some of them to Toyota, which will provide technical support.

Besides, the statement said, they intend to conduct a comprehensive study of activities for widespread acceptance and popular use of EVs in India.

"Such activities encompass the establishment of charging stations, human resources development that includes training for after-service technicians employed throughout sales networks, and systems for the appropriate treatment of end-of-life batteries," it said.

In February this year, the two companies had announced exploration of a business partnership after which they began discussing, among other topics, the dissemination of vehicle electrification technologies in India.

Suzuki has already announced that it intends to construct a lithium-ion battery plant along with its partners in Gujarat, where it currently operates a manufacturing plant supplying automobiles exclusively to its Indian arm Maruti Suzuki.

As per the agreement, in addition to lithium-ion batteries, electric motors and other major components would be locally procured for production of EVs in India.

The announcement by the two companies comes at a time when the Indian government is pushing for electric vehicles, setting a target of an all electric fleet by 2030.
Amid multilple protests against the film and controversies galore, two governments have come out in support of the film.

Mumbai/ Belagavi: The Maharashtra government is doing a security assessment of actor Deepika Padukone and will also provide security to theatres, if needed, in the wake of protests against Bollywood film 'Padmavati', Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said on Thursday.

The film's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has already been provided security, he said.

The minister also said that a communication from Rajput community objecting to the "content" in the upcoming Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie had also been received.

The government is doing a security assessment for actor Padukone, who plays the lead role in the film, he said.

There were reports of threats to the actor from fringe groups amid the controversy over the movie's content. Organisations like the Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) have been protesting, claiming the film distorts history and hurts sentiments.

The SRKS has called for a country-wide bandh on December 1, the day the film is slated to be released.

"We have received a communication from the Rajput community. Different members of the community from various places across the state have put forward their demands. We are ascertaining the steps to be taken. Our first priority is a middle path, that is agreeable to both parties," Patil told PTI.

If mediation doesn't work out, the government will provide security to theatres as per protocol and past precedents, he added.

Asked to comment on the SRKS's reported threats, Patil said the government is assessing the security of the actor.

"We have already provided security to Sanjay Leela Bhansali as he was found to be at risk. Now, a security assessment of Deepika Padukone is being done. If she is found to be at risk, adequate steps will be taken. However, nobody's threat can be taken at the face value until the government assesses it," he said.

Padukone had on Tuesday hit out against those protesting the release of 'Padmavati' and reportedly said that "we've regressed as a nation".

Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that the state government will ensure adequate security to maintain law and order during the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed period drama 'Padmavati' in the state.

He also said that the censor board's decision will be final on the concerns relating to the content of the movie.

Reddy was responding to BJP MLC Leher Singh during the zero hour in Karnataka Legislative Council.

Pointing to large scale protests and outrage that the movie is facing in different parts of the country including Bengaluru, Singh urged the state government to ban it keeping maintenance of law and order in mind.

Rajput community members had on Wednesday staged a huge demonstration and held a rally in Bengaluru against the film, alleging it distorted history.

The protesters claimed that the movie was fictitious and portrayed in a poor light, Rani Padmavati, the legendary 13th century queen of Chittor, whom they worship as a Goddess.

Noting that the government cannot take any decision on the movie without knowing what has been depicted in it, with the censor board being the final authority in such cases, Reddy said, "on law and order, we will provide adequate security."

Bhansali has been facing trouble since he started shooting for the movie.

The set of the movie was vandalised twice -- in Jaipur and Kolhapur -- and the director was roughed up by members of the Karni Sena during the Jaipur schedule of the film earlier this year.

The Supreme Court had recently refused to entertain a plea seeking a stay on the release of 'Padmavati', saying the censor board was yet to certify the movie.
The actress delivered a powerful keynote address at the UN Peacekeeping Defense Ministerial Conference in Vancouver.

London [UK], Nov 17 (ANI): "Sexual violence is everywhere - in the industry where I work, in business, in universities, in politics, in the military, and across the world," said the Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie.

Delivering the keynote address at the UN Peacekeeping Defense Ministerial Conference in Vancouver, the actor, who is one of many women who came forward with accusations against Harvey Weinstein, addressed the recent stream of sexual abuse allegations in Hollywood.

"All too often, these kinds of crimes against women are laughed off, depicted as a minor offence by someone who cannot control themselves, as an illness, or as some kind of exaggerated sexual need," Jolie stated in her keynote speech, as reported by The Independent.

"But a man who mistreats women is not oversexed. He is abusive."

The 42-year-old, who is a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, called for sexual violence to be recognised around the world as a weapon and "a critical obstacle to achieving women's equality and our full human rights."

"It is cheaper than a bullet, and it has lasting consequences that unfold with sickening predictability that make it so cruelly effective," the 'By The Sea' star continued.

"This is rape and assault designed to torture, to terrorize, to force people to flee, and to humiliate them."

"Even if we accept that sexual violence has nothing to do with sex, that it is a crime, and that it is used as a weapon, many people still believe that it is simply not possible to do anything about it," she said.

"It is hard, but it is not impossible. We have the laws, the institutions, and the expertise in gathering evidence. We are able to identify perpetrators. What is missing is the political will."
US-based Moody's on Friday upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to 'Baa2' with a stable outlook.

Addressing the media at the national capital Jaitley said a number of structural reforms that have taken place in these years have put India on a high trajectory growth curve. (Photo: AP/File)

New Delhi: Welcoming India's improved credit rating by Moody's Investors Service, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said, "It is a recognition and enforcement of reform process which has gone on in India, particularly in the last 3-4 years."

Addressing the media at the national capital, Jaitley said a number of structural reforms that have taken place in these years have put India on a high trajectory growth curve.

The finance minister said the upgrade by Moody's has come after 13 years.

Read: Boost for Modi: Moodys upgrades Indias credit rating for 1st time in 13 yrs

He said, "We welcome this upgrade, we believe that it is a belated recognition of all the positive steps which have been taken in India in the last few years, which has contributed to strengthening of Indian economy."

Jaitley said that the improved credit rating is encouraging and that there is an international recognition. He said the recognition firms Government's determination to follow the track that they have embarked upon.

Crediting demonetisation and digitisation the finance minister said, "The fact that a series of steps including demonetisation, which are now taking Indian economy to a greater formalisation and digitisation, something which is being universally acknowledged."

The finance minister said the world has recognised Goods and Services Tax (GST) as one of the most significant reform steps taken in the history of Independent India.

For three years in a row, India is the fastest growing economy among all major economies, Jaitley said. He went on to add, If you look at our track record of three years, it has been one of the better records in Indian history as far as fiscal discipline is concerned, and we intend to move on that track.

Attacking critics for targeting the Government for demonetisation and GST the finance minister said, "Many who had doubts in their minds about India's reform process would now seriously introspect on their positions itself."

US-based Moody's on Friday upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to 'Baa2' with a stable outlook citing improved growth prospects driven by economic and institutional reforms.

The rating upgrade comes after a gap of 13 years. Moody's had last upgraded India's rating to 'Baa3' in 2004.

In 2015, the rating outlook was changed to 'positive' from 'stable'.

The 'Baa3' rating was the lowest investment grade - just a notch above 'junk' status.

"The decision to upgrade the ratings is underpinned by Moody's expectation that continued progress on economic and institutional reforms will, over time, enhance India's high growth potential and its large and stable financing base for government debt, and will likely contribute to a gradual decline in the general government debt burden over the medium term," Moody's said in a statement.
The Defence minister attacked Cong by blaming it for sitting for 10 yrs on plans to buy the fighter jets that the IAF needed.

New Delhi: A day after Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa said that the Rafale deal is not overpriced and denied allegations that the Narendra Modi government had negotiated an overpriced deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday gave another blow to the Congress calling the allegations levelled by the opposition party "shameful" and a "disservice" to the armed forces.

"These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalised following a transparent procedure," Sitharaman told reporters.

The defence minister also attacked the Congress by blaming it for sitting for 10 years on plans to buy the fighter jets that the Indian Air Force needed.

Read: Rafale deal neither overpriced nor controversial: Air Force Chief Dhanoa

She said the decision to strengthen the Air Force was taken by the Vajpayee government back in 2000 but the Congress-led coalition, the UPA, which came to power in 2004, could not seal the deal over the next decade.

"When we came back in power in 2014, the situation was grim... We had to move forward fast," she said, stressing that "not a single procedure was violated in procuring the jets".

Prime Minister Modi spoke to the French government during his April 2015 visit. The final agreement for 36 Rafale jets was signed in September 2016 after five rounds of lengthy discussions between India and France, and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security, the defence minister said.

Read: Explain 'reliance' on firm with no experience: Rahul ignores Anil Ambani's threat

The Congress had alleged the government caused "insurmountable loss" of taxpayers' money by signing the deal worth Rs 58,000 crores and claimed that the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence Limited that demanded the Congress had been unfairly picked to be the French firm's Indian partner.

The Opposition also alleged that the cost of each aircraft is three times more than what the previous UPA had negotiated with France in 2012.

With inputs from PTI.
After hearing arguments from petitioner's lawyer, Sibal, and Nitish Kumar's lawyer; the EC authorised latter to use 'Arrow' symbol.

The EC found 'the respondent group led by Nitish Kumar has demonstrated overwhelming majority support in the legislature wing as well as the majority in the National Council of the Party which is the apex level organisational body of the party.' (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Janata Dal (United) group led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is now the official owner of party symbol 'arrow'.

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday passed orders in this regard.

Chhotubhai Amarsang Vasava, lone JD(U) MLA from Gujarat, had filed petition in the EC and sought a direction that the faction of Janata Dal (United) led by him may be recognised as the said party.

In his plea, he had claimed that "he has been elected as the Acting President of the Janata Dal (United) on 17th of September, 2017, in a meeting of the National Executive of the Party held at New Delhi until the election of a new President in accordance with the Constitution of the Party".

Vasava had alleged that there has been a dispute in the party following the decision taken in July by the Kumar-led faction to end the grand alliance (Mahagathbandhan), which Congress, JD(U) and Rashtriya Janata Dal formed in 2015, and align with the BJP.

According to the petitioner, the decision taken by the Kumar-led faction was against an earlier decision taken by the party and the principles of the JD(U).

Considering the upcoming elections in Gujarat, the EC took up this matter on priority.

After hearing arguments from petitioner's lawyer, Kapil Sibal, and Nitish Kumar's lawyer, Rakesh Dwivedi; the EC authorised Kumar-led faction to use 'Arrow' symbol.

The EC found "the respondent group led by Nitish Kumar has demonstrated overwhelming majority support in the legislature wing as well as the majority in the National Council of the Party which is the apex level organisational body of the party."

Hence, the top election body concluded "the group led by Nitish Kumar is hereby recognised as the Janata Dal (United) in terms of Paragraph-'l5 of the Symbols Order. Consequently, the group led by Nitish Kumar is entitled to use the reserved symbol 'Arrow' as a recognised State Party symbol in Bihar."
The names were finalised by BJP's Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday.

The BJP's parliamentary board, led by Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah met on Wednesday at the BJP's national headquarters in Delhi to discuss probable candidates for Gujarat Assembly elections. (Photo: PTI)

Ahmedabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released the first list with 70 candidates for the two-phase poll in Gujarat on December 9 and 14.

The list names Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani as candidate from Rajkot West. Gujarat Deputy CM Nitinbhai Patel will contest from Mahesana and state party president Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West.

The names were finalised by BJP's Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj among others, party leaders said.

The Lok Janshakti Party on Friday said it would not field any candidate for Gujarat polls and announced its support to ally BJP in the election, following a hectic campaign by its chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan in favour of the saffron party.

In the run up to the polls, which will be held in two phases next month, the BJP has deployed Ram Vilas Paswan in its campaign in an attempt to woo Dalit voters.

Election Commission on October 26 announced a two-phase poll in Gujarat on December 9 and 14, setting off a high-decibel face-off between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress.

Counting will be held on December 18 along with that of Himachal Pradesh.

While the first phase will be held in 89 of 182 seats, the notification for the second phase will be issued on November 20 for the other 93 seats in 14 districts.

With inputs from PTI
Chirag Patel was expelled from the Hardik-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) last year.

Ahmedabad: Patidar quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel's former close aide Chirag Patel, who is facing sedition charges along with Hardik, on Thursday joined the ruling BJP in the presence of Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.

After joining the saffron party, Chirag accused Hardik of fulfilling his personal ambitions in the garb of leading the agitation for reservation to Patidar community.

"The agitation, which was started with the goal of getting reservation for the Patel community, has now become a tool to satisfy the personal ambitions of one person. It has become a tool to acquire wealth and power. I strongly believe that the agitation is going in a wrong direction," he told reporters.

Chirag, who was expelled from the Hardik-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) last year, also slammed Hardik over the recent sex clips allegedly involving the latter.

At least three intimate videos purportedly of Hardik are reported to be in circulation currently.

"After the sex CDs of Hardik have emerged, it is not possible for me to remain silent. This entire episode is a blot on the community," he said.

Chirag also questioned the Patidar leader's stand on the Congress, as Hardik had hinted at supporting the party in the Assembly polls, to be held next month.

"Congress has diverted the agitation in their favour by using Hardik, who only wants to satisfy his personal ambitions. Hardik is now exposed before the people of Gujarat," Chirag alleged.

Welcoming Chirag into the BJP, Nitin Patel said the government had done everything possible to help the community. He also claimed that over 500 cases lodged against the

agitators had been withdrawn.

In August last year, the PAAS had suspended Chirag and another key leader, Ketan Patel, after the duo alleged that Hardik used the agitation as a tool to satisfy his personal ambitions and became a "crorepati" within one year of the movement.

Chirag and Ketan were put behind bars for almost eight months with Hardik, as they are co-accused in the sedition case filed by the Ahmedabad Police following large-scale violence in Gujarat after their mega rally here on August 25, 2015.

However, after they were sidelined by Hardik in August last year, the duo accused Hardik of making money in the garb of leading the agitation. Through an open letter, the duo had also raised their objection about the "dictatorial" approach of Hardik.

Later, the PAAS suspended the duo saying they had levelled baseless allegations against Hardik. At that time, Hardik had said that both Chirag and Ketan were playing into the hands of some BJP leaders, who were "trying to weaken the stir".
Padukone had on Tuesday hit out against those protesting the release of 'Padmavati' and reportedly said that 'we've regressed as a nation'.

Karni Sena leader Mahipal Singh Makrana on Thursday invoked the nose chopping of 'Surpanakha' in the epic Ramayana and said if the Bollywood film 'Padmavati' was not banned and Padukone does not refrain from fanning sentiments with her provocative language, the Rajputs will not lag behind in acting.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police on Thursday beefed up the security of actor Deepika Padukone after Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) warned of physical harm in case she did not refrain from "inciting public sentiments", a senior official said.

Karni Sena leader Mahipal Singh Makrana on Thursday invoked the nose chopping of 'Surpanakha' in the epic Ramayana and said if the Bollywood film "Padmavati" was not banned and Padukone does not refrain from fanning sentiments with her provocative language, the Rajputs will not lag behind in acting.

Read: Padmavati row: Will sever Deepika's nose, warns Karni Sena

"The Mumbai Police have increased actor Deepika Padukone's security after the outfit issued the nose chopping threat," Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven

Bharti said.

We are providing her adequate security after the threat, he said. The police will also provide security at the actress's residence as well as office in Mumbai. They have already provided protection to filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali after the Rajput community outfit protested outside his office in suburban Juhu last Saturday while accusing him of distorting historical facts in the history drama.

Police have beefed up security at Bhansali's residence in Versova in the city.

Organisations like the SRKS have been protesting against the release of the film, claiming that it distorts history and hurts sentiments.

The SRKS has called for a country-wide bandh on December 1, the day the film is slated to be released.

Read: Padmavati row: Rajput Karni Sena to hold nationwide bandh on Dec 1

In January this year, the SRKS had attacked the sets of the movie in Jaipur and even slapped Bhansali.

Earlier on Thursday, Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said that the government was assessing Padukone's security in the wake of the threats.

"We have already provided security to Sanjay Leela Bhansali as he was found to be at risk. Now a security assessment of Deepika Padukone is being done. If she is found to be at risk, adequate steps will be taken. However, nobody's threat can be taken at the face value until the government assesses it," he said.

Padukone had on Tuesday hit out against those protesting the release of 'Padmavati' and reportedly said that "we've regressed as a nation".
JD(U), which will contest at least from 12 constituencies will focus in the tribal belt of the state.

New Delhi: Despite going with the NDA in Bihar, Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) has not entered into any seat-sharing agreement with the BJP in Gujarat, and will field candidates in at least 12 constituencies in the tribal belt of the state, which is a stronghold of their rebel leader Chotubhai Vasava. Mr Vasava has joined ranks with rebel leader Sharad Yadav and had voted in favour of Congresss Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha polls.

The JD(U) has been strong in the entire tribal belt of the state which stretches upto as far as Bhanswara in Rajasthan. The tribal belt, which includes areas like Bharuch and Chota Udaipur, was nurtured by socialist leader Mama Baleshwar Dayal, who is considered a legend in the area and is much revered even now.

With the Sharad Yadav faction unlikely to get the Arrow symbol of the JD(U), the fielding of candidates by Nitish Kumar is likely to divide the tribal votes in the state.

It is interesting to note that Mr Kumar who exited the Grand Alliance in Gujarat and joined the NDA has not entered into any seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP and is fielding its own candidates in the state. Sources told this newspaper that senior leaders of both the parties have been talking to each other and the BJP has said that it has no problem if the JD(U) fields its candidates in as many number of seats.

The Janata Dal has been fighting elections there on its own in this region of Gujarat even when it was a part of the NDA and George Fernandes was its convener. Hence this time also we will fight on our own, a senior leader said.

The Nitish Kumar faction is also confident of retaining the arrow symbol, the case for which is being heard in the Election Commission now. In such a scenario, the Sharad Yadav team will have to field its candidates either as independents or on the Congress symbol.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, also highlights the worrying trend of mixing energy drinks with alcohol.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, also highlights the worrying trend of mixing energy drinks with alcohol. (Representational Image)

Boston: Energy drinks can trigger risk-seeking behaviour, as well as cause mental health problems and obesity, say scientists who found that the short-term benefits of such beverages are outweighed by serious health risks.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, also highlights the worrying trend of mixing energy drinks with alcohol.

As energy drink consumption continues to grow worldwide, there is a need to thoroughly examine their advertised benefits, nutritional content and any negative effects on public health.

"We summarise the consequences of energy drink consumption, which include heart, kidney, and dental problems, as well as risk-seeking behaviour and poor mental health," said Josiemer Mattei, assistant professor at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health in the US.

"The evidence suggests they are harmful to health and should be limited through more stringent regulation by restricting their sales to children and adolescents, as well as setting an evidence-based upper limit on the amount of caffeine," said Mattei.

Most energy drinks consist of similar ingredients - water, sugar, caffeine, certain vitamins, minerals and non- nutritive stimulants such as guarana, taurine and ginseng.

Some can contain up to 100 milligramme caffeine per fluid ounce, eight times more than a regular coffee at 12 milligramme.

A moderate daily caffeine intake of up to 400 milligramme is recommended for adults, but little research exists on tolerable levels for adolescents and children.

The health risks associated with energy drinks are mostly attributed to their high sugar and caffeine levels.

They range from risk-seeking behaviour, such as substance misuse and aggression, mental health problems in the form of anxiety and stress, to increased blood pressure, obesity, kidney damage, fatigue, stomachaches and irritation.

The review also highlights another worrying trend of mixing energy drinks with alcohol. Individuals who do this consume more alcohol than if they were drinking alcohol alone.

It is thought energy drinks can mask the signs of alcohol inebriation, enabling an individual to consume more, increasing the likelihood of dehydration and alcohol poisoning.

"Future research should explore the effects of the energy drink constituents we know less about, such as taurine, and consider long-term assessments across a broader range of the population to examine the effects of energy drink consumption over time," Mattei said.

"However, we conclude that there is currently enough evidence to suggest that the negative health consequences of drinking energy drinks outweigh any potential short-term benefits," she said.
In 2012 the Supreme Court issued an order to build one shelter per 1 lakh people due to incidents of violence against homeless people.

Despite repeated outrage over crimes against women and debates over the subject, security of women and child in India remains a grave concern. As shocking stories of sexual abuse make headlines, homeless women in Kolkata are taking desperate measures to protect themselves and their daughters.

Women at shelter for the homeless in Kolkata say that while verbal violence is common, sleeping in the open makes girls and women more vulnerable to worse forms of assault. In a bid to protect their daughters from being taken away by drunken men while sleeping on the footpath, the homeless plaster their faces black with oil and soot.

Last year in August the case of a 12-year-old girl abducted from the pavements before being gangraped in a moving car and strangled to death made headlines. In 2012 the Supreme Court issued an order to build one shelter for 1 lakh people in cities due to incidents of violence against women and homeless people.

But a panel appointed by the apex court found that 90% of homeless people in urban areas dont have shelters despite availability of funds and means to disburse them.
Mali, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, received the Dickin medal.

Mali was twice sent through direct fire to conduct searches for explosives. (Photo: Pixabay)

London: A British military dog that saved the lives of troops in Afghanistan is being decorated for bravery.

Mali, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, on Friday received the Dickin medal  a prize awarded by the PDSA veterinary charity and billed as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, Britain's top award for military valor.

The charity says Mali was twice sent through direct fire to conduct searches for explosives. He also detected the presence of insurgents, giving troops key seconds to "engage the enemy in close-quarter combat."

Since 1943, the medal has recognized gallantry by animals serving with the military, police or rescue services.

The medal has also gone to police horses, carrier pigeons and once to a cat that caught rats on a besieged vessel in China.
American teenager, who goes by Giselle, made controversial transaction via website Cinderella Escorts to Abu Dhabi businessman.

The model believes the act of selling womens virginities online is liberating (Representational Image/ Pixabay)

In a bizarre case, a 19-year-old model claims to have sold her virginity online for 2m to a wealthy Abu Dhabi businessman.

The American teenager, who goes by the name Giselle, made the controversial transaction through a German-based website Cinderella Escorts and intends to use the money to fund her university tuition fees, says The Sun.

Speaking to The Sun, she said that she would never have dreamed that the bid would rise so high and they would have reached 2.5 million euros. This is a dream come true, Giselle said.

The model believes the act of selling womens virginities online is liberating, adding that it shocks her that so many people are against it.

She added that if she wanted to spend her first time with someone who is not her first love, thats her decision. The website works by auctioning off womens virginities to the highest bidder.

In this instance, it was a businessman from Abu Dhabi and Giselle will be accompanied by a security guard to meet with him.

The German-based website first made headlines in 2016 after an 18-year-old Romanian model, Alexandra Kefren, reportedly sold her virginity to a Hong Kong businessman for 2m.

The site is run by 27-year-old Jan Zakobielski in Dortmund, Germany.
NDMC standing committee chairperson Tilakraj Kataria said that the NDMC has sought time from Mr Jaitley in this regard.

New Delhi: The BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) will approach Union finance minister Arun Jaitley with a request to release funds to the corporation, facing a fund crunch, by deducting the same from the Delhi governments share.

NDMC standing committee chairperson Tilakraj Kataria said that the NDMC has sought time from Mr Jaitley in this regard.

Mr Kataria alleged that The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government is responsible for the fund crunch in the crporation. The government is yet to release Rs 2,630 crore.

Due to non disbursal of funds, the corporations liabilities have increased to as much as Rs 2,421 crore. If Delhi government releases the amount, the NDMC can clear all its dues, he said.

We have even requested lieutenant governor Anil Baijal to direct the Delhi government to release the said amount. In this regard, we have also written to the Union government, said the NDMC standing committee chairperson.

According to Mr Kataria, a delegation of the NDMC will meet Mr Jaitley with a request to deduct the amount from funds given to Delhi government by the Centre. We will request union finance minister to provide fund to NDMC directly as Delhi government stalling development work by playing politics, Mr Kataria added.

Giving reasons for its poor financial health, the corporation blamed revenue-expenditure mismatch of the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The NDMC spends around Rs 280 crore by running five hospitals. Another reason for its dry situation was because of payment of salaries to employees, allowances, and pension, claimed the NDMC. Apart from pending liabilities as on date, the corporation requires additional assistance of Rs 342 crore only to clear the salaries, pensions and terminal benefits till March 2018.

The NDMC has also taken several steps to manage income-expenditure mismatch by creating fresh posts, rightsizing the existing manpower or abolishing posts, freeze on fresh recruitment, check on councillor funds, control on old age pension scheme, economy in purchase of medicines, replacing conventional street lights with LEDs to reduce the electricity expenditure.
CM Siddaramaiah calls on state health minister and IMA representatives for a discussion on the strike.

The private doctors are pressing for dropping the contentious four provisions in the Bill. (Photo: ANI)

Bengaluru: The doctors of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) on Thursday called off their strike against the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had called on state Health Minister Ramesh Kumar to discuss the doctors' strike.

The chief minister has also invited the Indian Medical Association (IMA) representatives for a discussion on on Friday.

The private doctors are against the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill and are pressing for dropping the contentious four provisions in the Bill.

The Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, 2007 was passed with the aim of regulating private sector medical establishments.

The Act mandates registration of all private medical establishments, charts out the obligations like maintaining records, prescribes minimum standards of facilities and services provided in the private medical establishment and mandates displaying rates of various procedures.

But the Act has no teeth, say health activists. PHANA represents 327 private hospitals in Bengaluru.
The state government has decided to ban plastic completely, beginning Gudi Padva of 2018.

Mumbai: As part of the initiative to make Maharashtra plastic-free, the state government has decided to start with the state administrative headquarters itself. Environment minister Ramdas Kadam chaired a meeting in Mantralaya on Thursday in this regard, where it was decided that to begin with, use of plastic would be banned from Mantralaya and all other government establishments. Mantralaya uses plastic drinking water bottles and polythene milk bags but the practice will be stopped, informed Mr Kadam after the meeting. The state government has decided to ban plastic completely, beginning Gudi Padva of 2018.

Mr Kadam said that there will be a 100 per cent ban on all types of plastic, including plastic wrappers, sachets, plastic cups and glasses. The ban will extend to thermocol cups and dishes as well. An alternative to plastic bags will be decided soon but before that, an awareness drive will be conducted by local bodies with the help of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. Local bodies will create awareness among citizens about using cloth bags instead of plastic bags. Cloth bags will be procured from womens self-help groups.

Mr Kadam said, We have invited proposals from various organisations suggesting alternatives to plastic bags. There is also a proposal of giving subsidies to womens self-help groups and getting them to supply cloth bags. The ban will be imposed in a phased manner in the state. In future, more alternatives to plastic will be explored. The issue of plastic waste and subsequently, the ban, has been in the news since July 2005. The deluge in the city at that time created awareness about these issues. Ever since, there have been several occasions where these issues have gained traction. This time however, the state government has decided to be firm and put a carpet ban on the plastic.
Graces attempt to neutralise Mnangagwa ended very differently - leaving her and her husband languishing under house arrest in Harare.

Graces political plans were backed by the so-called G40, a group of young supporters that has earned a reputation for aggression. (Photo: AFP)

Harare: President Robert Mugabes downfall was caused by the ambitions of his combative wife Grace, whose emergence as his likely successor proved a step too far for Zimbabwes military, analysts say.

Grace Mugabe - 41 years younger than her husband - was once dismissed as a lightweight shopping addict.

But she became increasingly active in public life in recent years, and became the frontrunner to take the top job when Mugabe last week sacked her arch-rival, vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The military - determined to stop Grace, 52, being named as the new vice president - moved in on Wednesday, taking control of the country and signalling the imminent end of Mugabes rule.

The crisis has been triggered by Grace because she wanted to grab power and to have Mugabe remove a lot of people, Shadrack Gutto, director of the Centre for African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa, said.

She overreached herself. She has done a lot to accelerate the removal of her husband from power.

The military decided that enough is enough.

Graces political plans were backed by the so-called G40, a group of young supporters that has earned a reputation for aggression.

Read: Zimbabwe Prez Mugabe refuses to stand down in a bid to buy time for his exit

The faction, which includes some ministers, has been the primary target of the military officers who announced on state TV in the early hours of Wednesday that they would bring criminals close to Mugabe to justice.

They had to act

The Zimbabwean army feel they have the right to have a president they approve of, Knox Chitiyo, of the Chatham House think-tank, said.

They had to act now before Grace was appointed as vice president at the ZANU-PF party congress in December. Graces team got within weeks of success.

Grace, born in South Africa, was one of Mugabes secretaries when their affair began in 1987, and they had two children in secret before the presidents wife died in 1992.

The couple then married at a lavish ceremony in 1996 attended by Nelson Mandela, before having a third child.

Grace was awarded a doctorate by the University of Zimbabwe, where her husband is chancellor, reportedly just three months after enrolling, and in 2014 became the head of the ZANU-PF partys womens wing.

She has often been accused of extravagant spending on luxury clothes and international travel, and of involvement in corrupt land deals.

Gucci Grace

Dubbed Gucci Grace, The First Shopper or even DisGrace, she showed her political mettle in 2014 with her campaign against then-vice president Joice Mujuru, who was a contender to succeed her husband.

Grace launched sustained verbal attacks against Mujuru, accusing her of plotting to topple the president.

Read: The first ladys ambitions, militarys scorn: Zimbabwe without Mugabe

Soon afterwards, Mujuru was ousted and later expelled from the ruling ZANU-PF party.

But Graces attempt to neutralise Mnangagwa ended very differently - leaving her and her husband languishing under house arrest in Harare.

Grace Mugabes confrontational approach and distant public image have brought her little popular affection in Zimbabwe.

Despite that, her supporters have sought to popularise nicknames like Dr Amai (Doctor Mother) and queen of queens.

In speeches she had railed against anyone accused of disloyalty to the president, and her short temper hit the headlines in August when she allegedly assaulted a model who was with two of her sons at a South African hotel.

Grace was granted diplomatic immunity and made a swift exit from the country.

She once told a South African television programme that she is no longer concerned about what people think of her.

I have developed a thick skin, I dont even care, she said. My husband says ignorance is bliss.

With President Mugabe in increasingly poor health, Grace may now seek exile or try to secure some level of protection for her and her family as Zimbabwe enters a new era.
Both the Syrian government and militants of the Islamic State are being blamed for using chemical weapons.

The Russian Ambassador Vassily A Nebenzia said his country had been unable to support the draft resolution drawn up by the US, but it is not true that his delegation had not engaged in communications in that regard. (Photo: File/Representational)

United Nations: Russia has vetoed at the UN Security Council a US-drafted resolution on the extension of a UN-led probe to determine who was behind the chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

The US, its allies and human rights groups have termed Russia's 10th veto a serious blow to the efforts of the Joint Investigation Mechanism (JIM), whose operations ceased when its current mandate expired at midnight Thursday.

The US draft resolution, which was supported by 11 of the 15 Security Council members, was vetoed by Russia as China and Egypt abstained while Bolivia joined Russia.

"Russia has killed the Joint Investigative Mechanism, which has overwhelming support of this Council," the US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said at the UN headquarters in New York.

"By eliminating our ability to identify the attackers, Russia has undermined our ability to deter future attacks.

Assad and ISIS will no longer be on notice for the use of chemical weapons by Russia's actions today. The message to anyone listening is clear: in effect, Russia accepts the use of chemical weapons in Syria," Haley said.

She further said that regardless of what its Russian protectors do here in the Security Council, the Assad regime should be on clear notice: "the United States does not accept Syrias use of chemical weapons."

Haley said that as the US did in April, it will do it again if it must.

"We will defend the international standard against chemical weapons use. It would be wise for the Assad regime to heed this warning," she added.

Slamming Russia, she said, "What a shame it is that Russia has revealed itself to be a government whose allegiance is to the Syrian regime, not the truth or the protection of innocent civilians."

Russia may have succeeded in silencing one independent voice in Syria today, but there are others who will carry on this work, Haley added.

Francois Delattre of France expressed alarm at the wielding of the veto by the Russian Federation.

The Mechanism had worked with professionalism and tenacity, seeking the truth in Syria, providing clear, well- documented truth proving the culpability of the Assad regim in certain attacks and that of Islamic State of Iraq and the

Levant (ISIL/Daesh) in other attacks, he said.

British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft also said that the JIM is a panel created by the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to monitor whether Syria is upholding a treaty that bans their use.

Both the Syrian government and militants of the Islamic State are being blamed for using chemical weapons in the war that grew out of protests in 2011.

"It is Russia that has failed. They have failed in their duties as a permanent member of this Security Council, they have failed as a state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, they have failed as a supposed supporter of peace in Syria," he said.

In a statement, Human Rights Watch said Russia has entered the realm of double digits with its tenth veto on Syria since 2011, sending another shameful message that they will protect the Syrian government at the cost of the Syrian people.

"UN member states should insist on continue investigations into chemical attacks so perpetrators can be held to account," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.

The Russian Ambassador Vassily A Nebenzia said his country had been unable to support the draft resolution drawn up by the US, but it is not true that his delegation had not engaged in communications in that regard.

Over the course of several weeks, it had explained that it could not take the proposal seriously, because it was erroneous from the outset and geared towards entrenching the Mechanism's flaws.

Todays statement by the US delegate had not focused on the Mechanism, but instead on the Russian Federation, he alleged.

Russia has been highly critical of the JIM's findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015. It also used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others who survived the nerve agent.
The 35-year-old mother, an Indian-American registered nurse, was arrested after her attorney took her to the Richardson police station.

Sini Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested last month, went out for dinner with their biological daughter on October 6, leaving Sherin behind because she refused to drink her milk, police in the US state of Texas said. (Photo: Facebook)

Houston: The foster mother of Indian girl Sherin Mathews, found dead in October in a culvert in Dallas, was arrested on Thursday after police alleged that the Indian- American couple left the 3-year-old home alone the night before she was reported missing.

Sini Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested in October, went out for dinner with their biological daughter on October 6, leaving Sherin behind because she refused to drink her milk, police in the US state of Texas said.

Read: 3-yr-old missing Indian girl's father says she 'choked on milk'; police re-arrest him

The 35-year-old mother, an Indian-American registered nurse, was arrested after her attorney took her to the Richardson police station.

She is being held in the Richardson jail on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at USD 250,000, police said.

A state jail felony in Texas is an offence that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.

Police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when they returned home an hour and a half later, the Dallas Morning News reported.

An affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where they left her.

The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office is continuing to work on determining the cause of death. Those results will be made available when complete, Richardson Police said in a Facebook post.

Wesley, the 37-year-old foster father, who has since been charged in connection with Sherins death, remains in the Dallas County Jail on a charge of injury to a child. Bail has been set at USD 1 million. The crime is punishable with up to 99 years in prison.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk. He later changed his story and to say he physically assisted Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Sherins death prompted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ask the Indian Embassy in the US to be actively involved in the case and keep her informed. She also sought a probe into the adoption process of Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year from Bihar.

Following Sherins case, India decided that passports to adopted children will be issued only with clearance by the ministry of women and child development.
Washington has a long-standing warning to its citizens to beware extremist attacks in European cities.

The US State Department has warned that recent attacks in Britain, Finland, France, Russia, Spain and Sweden show that both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group remain active and capable. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Washington: The United States on Thursday updated its advice to travellers heading for Europe, warning of an increased terrorist threat over the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

Washington has a long-standing warning to its citizens to beware extremist attacks in European cities, and in recent years it has expressly warned of dangers at festive events.

"Last year, mass casualty attacks occurred at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, in December and a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey on New Year's Eve," the latest warning noted.

Last year, a jihadist attacker crashed a truck into Christmas merrymakers in a Berlin market, killing 12 people, while a New Year's Eve attack in Istanbul left 39 dead.

The US State Department has warned that recent attacks in Britain, Finland, France, Russia, Spain and Sweden show that both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group remain active and capable.

"While local governments continue counterterrorism operations, the department remains concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks," the statement said.

"US citizens should always be alert to the possibility that terrorist sympathizers or self-radicalized extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning."
Rights groups said the verdict stripped next years election of any credibility.

Phnom Penh: Cambodias Supreme Court dissolved the countrys main Opposition party and banned more than 100 of its politicians from office for five years on Thursday, in a ruling blasted by a rights groups as the death of the nations democracy.

The verdict was widely expected of a justice system warped by the influence of Premier Hun Sen, whose is accused of ruthlessly targeting rivals ahead of 2018 polls.

It nevertheless delivers a crushing blow to the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) -- a party that has fought tirelessly to break the authoritarian leaders 32-year grip on power.

The court decides to dissolve the CNRP and ban 118 leaders... from politics for five years starting from the date of the verdict, said Judge Dith Munty, who is himself a member of Hun Sens ruling CPP party.

The judge said the CNRP, by not sending any lawyers to the trial, had effectively confessed to the government-levied accusation of conspiring with the US and other foreign actors to plot a revolution.

The CNRP and Washington have rejected those charges as bogus, with the main evidence from the government being a speech from the partys president discussing US help to build a democracy-movement in Cambodia.

Rights groups said the verdict stripped next years election of any credibility.

This is the death of democracy in Cambodia, said Phil Roberztson from Human Rights Watch, calling on for foreign partners to suspend any assistance for the 2018 poll.
In the last two years, China has stonewalled efforts by India to declare Azhar as a global terrorist.

A veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India's move to impose a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council. (Photo: AFP/File)

Islamabad: China has asserted that there is no contradiction in its policy to block India's bid to designate Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN, saying the BRICS declaration was against terror groups and not individuals, Pakistani media on Thursday reported.

A veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India's move to impose a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

The latest technical hold by China came on November 2 when it blocked another proposal by the US, France and the UK to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. Beijing had blocked such a move in February this year.

Speaking to a delegation of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors in Beijing this week, Counselor and Asia Division Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chen Feng

said vetoing a resolution against Azhar after the BRICS declaration against terror outfits did not reflect a contradiction in China's policy as BRICS members have not entered into any such agreement.

The Chinese move was not in contradiction with Chinese policy in the context of BRICS declaration against terrorism, Chen was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

Chen clarified that the BRICS summit discussed only banned organisations and not individuals, Pakistan Today reported.

The BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - at a summit in China in September named, for the first time, Pakistan-based groups like the Lashkar-e-

Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Haqqani network in a joint declaration condemning terror.

In early November, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: "we raised a technical hold so as to allow more time for the committee and its members to deliberate on this matter. But there is still absence of consensus on this matter."

Defending the repeated technical holds, Hua said China's actions are meant to ensure and safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council.

China in the past has also asked India to discuss the issue directly with Pakistan to reach an understanding on Azhar's listing.

In the last two years, China has stonewalled efforts by India to declare Azhar as a global terrorist.

The senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official also briefed the Pakistani editors about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an ambitious project that is opposed by India as it is passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Chen said Beijing was trying to convince India that the multi-billion dollar project is based on economic cooperation and that its main aim is to promote peace and prosperity in the region.

"The CPEC is neither a way to achieve political aims nor to be used in regional conflicts. Basic aim of the economic plan is to expand the mutual relations. China wants to engage other countries in the economic corridor too," Chen said.

He said China had time and again clarified it to India that it had no hegemonic designs in the region.

"We rather view CPEC as a way of forming equal relationships with regional countries and to promote friendship and neighbourhood in the region," he added.

Feng clarified that China was not a party in the Kashmir dispute.

"India's accusation of Chinese occupation on any part of Kashmir is baseless. We have denied such claims in the past as well. Kashmir is a bone of contention between India and Pakistan, peaceful solution of which is the only way to regional peace and prosperity," he was quoted as saying.
Ashraf Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack as a criminal act.

Afghan security personnel gather next to a vehicle which was used in a suicide bombing outside a wedding hall in Kabul. (Photo: AFP)

Kabul: A suicide attacker blew himself up outside a political gathering in Kabul killing at least 14 people, officials said on Thursday, highlighting the deepening divisions in the war-torn country.

The deadly attack, claimed by the ISIS group in a brief message via its Amaq propaganda agency, was the latest to hit the Afghan capital, where insurgents have been stepping up assaults in a devastating show of force.

Supporters of Atta Mohammad Noor, the powerful governor of the northern province of Balkh and a vocal critic of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, had been holding an event inside a wedding hall at the time of the blast.

Atta Mohammad Noor

Noor was not at the gathering, one of his aides told AFP. Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack as a criminal act.

The bomber tried to enter the building but was stopped at the security checkpoint where he detonated his device, Kabul police spokesman Abdul Basir Mujahid told AFP.

A number of our police personnel are among the casualties, Mujahid said.

As a result of todays suicide attack eight police and six civilians have been killed while a further 18 have been wounded.
China has traditionally played little role in Middle East conflicts or diplomacy.

China has had to tread a fine line between Riyadh and Tehran as Beijing has close ties with Iran as well. (Photo: AP)

Beijing: China supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and achieve greater development, President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia's King Salman, at a time of regional tensions between Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen.

China has traditionally played little role in Middle East conflicts or diplomacy, despite its reliance on the region for oil. But it has been trying to raise its profile, with Salman visiting China in March.

Speaking by telephone, Xi told Salman that China's determination to deepen strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia will not waver, no matter how the international and regional situation changes, China's Foreign Ministry said late on Thursday.

Remarking on the importance of maintaining close communication between the two countries' heads of state, Xi said China and Saudi Arabia are comprehensive strategic partners whose strategic mutual trust is deepening.

"China supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and realise greater development," the ministry cited Xi as saying, without elaborating.

The statement made no specific mention of issues like the resignation as Lebanon Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri while in Saudi Arabia, railing against Riyadh's bitter foe Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

Saudi-led forces, which back the government in Yemen, have also been targeting the Iran-allied Houthis in a more than two-year war there.

China has had to tread a fine line between Riyadh and Tehran as Beijing has close ties with Iran as well.

The ministry statement said Xi and Salman also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern, but gave no details.
by Fady Noun

Tomorrow the outgoing Lebanese prime minister is set to leave Saudi Arabia for France. Doubts remain about his future and that of his government. President Aouns protection boosts the bond with his "adoptive son". The Saudis maintain their goals on Lebanon as Europe, the United States and Iran want Lebanons stability.

Beirut (AsiaNews)  France did it! Almost a diplomatic master stroke. Two weeks after resigning live on the Saudi al-Arabiya channel in Riyadh (4 November), under murky circumstances, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is expected in Paris on Saturday for lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Elysee Palace announced.

Why such honour? That is not clear yet. The history of French mediation for Saad Hariri has yet to be written. But the story includes President Macrons impromptu visit to Riyadh, and the two trips by his Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, as well as countless contacts in Beirut itself.

For the moment, what is certain is that France has made it clear to the Saudis, especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, that Saad Hariri was an indispensable and "solid ally". The traditional ties between Lebanon and France, based on friendship, mutual understanding and interest, have certainly contributed to this happy outcome.

What is also clear is that Saudi Arabia seems to have lifted the restrictions it imposed on the head of the Lebanese government two weeks ago. The latter, who also holds Saudi nationality, on three occasions in two weeks, announced that he would be in Beirut "in two or three days" but never followed up.

Admittedly, Saudi officials have said that these restrictions were a fable invented in Beirut, but when the Lebanese president, at the risk of a serious diplomatic incident, says that people going in and out of Mr Hariris Riyadh residence were frisked, little more can be said. He would have never dared to say such a thing had there not been something irregular in the conditions under which the Lebanese prime minister was held in the past two weeks.

Personal involvement

Despite the age gap, a strong friendship has developed between the two men over the past few months, this according to sources close to the presidential palace, to the extent that the Lebanese president, who is in his eighties, has really taken Saad Hariri, 48, under his wings. The relationship explains why Michel Aoun felt so strongly, at a personal level, about the affair. According to the sources, Michel Aoun showed a "protective reflex" towards the prime minister, beyond the outrage of seeing his prime minister treated in such a way. This personal involvement justifies, or so the sources say, the presidents decision to put on his battle-dress to "liberate" at any cost a man he has come to love like a son.

Still, since the prime minister trip to France was announced on Thursday, the presidents tune has changed. Michel Aoun is now reassuring, saying that "the Hariri crisis" is being solved and that there are "solutions to all problems". Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, after visiting all the major European capitals, came back to Lebanon, to follow the course of events, whilst urging the new ambassador of Lebanon to Paris to keep his eyes open.

Compromise, someone?

However violent and illegitimate the Hariri affair was, it still managed to test the compromise that led to Michel Aouns election as president and the installation of Saad Hariri in the Prime Ministers Office. Can this compromise be salvaged, and at what price? What could replace it? Are we doomed to inaction? So many questions that are hard to answer yes or no.

Ultimately, Lebanon as a whole has been "taken hostage" by the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Caught up, after a year of honeymoon, by this rivalry, its future now depends upon it. It is not for Lebanons beautiful eyes that Iran will revise its policy of cryptic military expansion in the Arab world, especially in Yemen, where Hezbollah has deployed three to four hundred military instructors. And it is no longer for Lebanons beautiful eyes that Mohammad Ben Salman will turn a blind eye on a missile fired from Yemen on Saudi Arabia, or on the crackdown on the Shia population of Bahrain or the preparation of a terrorist attack in Kuwait.

These considerations will undoubtedly be at the heart of the exchanges between Beirut and Paris that will follow Saad Hariris arrival in France. How long will Mr Hariri stay in the French capital? Will he submit his resignation from France and if so, how will he conduct ongoing government business? Will he still return to Lebanon, where, according to his statement, his personal safety is not guaranteed? Will a constitutional exception allow him to do so from abroad, as the president has implied? Faced with such uncertainties, the only certain thing Lebanon now has is that Europe and the United States, as well as Iran, want nothing to undermine its relative stability and the revival of its institutions, including the first parliamentary elections since 2009, set for May 2018.
The party was accused of plotting against the government. Observers question the courts independence. The authorities boost security forces. More than half of partys MPs have fled abroad together with vice presidents Mu Sochua and Eng Chhay Eang.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Cambodia's Supreme Court dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the country's main opposition party, the only electoral threat to the governing party of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The historic ruling will see the opposition party disbanded and bans 118 most senior party officials from politics for five years -- including party president Kem Sokha and exiled former leader Sam Rainsy. The CNRP will lose all 489 of its municipal chiefs and all 55 of its seats in the National Assembly.

On 6 October, Cambodian government lawyers had filed a motion seeking the dissolution of the CNRP.

The attempt to dissolve followed the arrest and indictment on treason charges of CNRP president Kem Sokha, who has been in government custody since 3 September.

Government lawyers accuse opposition leaders of conspiring with foreign forces to overthrow the government, citing a 2013 video in which Sokha is seen talking with US experts about a strategy to win power.

The CNRP has rejected the charges and denounced a plan by Prime Minister Hun Sen to win the next year's election and extend his 32-year rule.

For the ruling Cambodia's People Party (CPP), the CNRP represents the most serious challenge in more than a decade. The CPP won by a few votes in the 2013 elections, the worst result for Prime Minister Hun Sen since 1998, when Cambodia adopted a democratic system again.

The CPP also lost ground in June this year in local elections that allowed the CNRP to win in two major cities, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Observers question the fairness of the Supreme Courts decision since it is made up of long-time members closely affiliated with the ruling party.

The Supreme Courts chief justice Dith Muny is a member of the CPPs top-level Permanent Committee and deputy chief justice Khim Ponn is a member of the CPPs Central Committee, whilst other top court officials are related to Hun Sens family through marriage or have close ties to the CPP.

Prime Minister Hun Sen had earlier called on CNRP lawmakers to defect to his own party ahead of the ruling. He also said he was sure the party would be dissolved, adding "I dare to bet my life on this happening".

Since Kem Sokhas arrest, more than half of CNRP lawmakers, along with deputy presidents Mu Sochua and Eng Chhay Eang and a number of party activists, have fled Cambodia fearing retaliation.

Meanwhile, Cambodias government is building up the presence of security forces across the country in anticipation of a public outcry.

More than 300 security personnel conducted exercises at police headquarters in the seat of western Cambodias Battambang province on Wednesday morning before being deployed to various posts around the city.

Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, is a staunch ally of China, and Beijing has backed efforts by his government to enforce security and national stability.

Western powers have condemned Sokha's arrest and Washington has denied any interference in the country's politics.
The Chinese martial art form of tai chi is centuries old. And the Yang-style is the most popular in the world.

Today, A young tai chi master, Ye Yongxiang, has started teaching the practice online, in order to share the time-honored martial art with people around the world.

With her serenity and elegance, Ye Yongxiang is known inside China's vibrant cyber community as the tai chi goddess.

Her educational videos have earned the young tai chi master a strong following of over 70,000 fans. Ye Yongxiang says her aim is to reveal the essence of this time-honored martial art.

"Actually the essence of kung fu is not about glamour and razzle-dazzle. Behind the spectacle, is endless sweat and hard work," Ye Yongxiang said.

Born in the mid-1980s in Shanghai, Ye Yongxiang first learned about tai chi from her mother, a professional martial artist. She began formally training at the age of eight and has shown steadfast dedication to mastering the martial art.
by Wang Zhicheng

New propaganda chief Huang Kunming pushes Xi Jinping's views on Chinese-style socialism to protect Chinese identity against "universal values". This includes banning multiparty democracy and leave absolute power in the hands of the Party.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  Chinas propaganda chief has warned the people of China against abandoning their culture.

Huang Kunming was appointed head of the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China at last months Communist Party congress.

In todays Peoples Daily, he warned that some Western countries are trying to seduce people by peddling so-called universal values as to make them abandon their identification with their own spiritual culture, he writes.

In his article, he expands on what President Xi Jinping has said for years and which he stressed in his long speech at the Party congress.

For Huang, the people of China should not submit to foreign ideologies or ways of thinking like multiparty democracy but should remain attached to traditional Chinese culture and not oppose the total control exercised by the Communist Party over every aspect of Chinese social life.

There are especially some Western countries who use their technological advantages and dominance of discourse that they have accumulated over a long period to peddle so-called universal values, Huang says.

Such countries are trying to seduce people into beautifying the West and being compliant with the West, weakening or even abandoning their identification with their own spiritual culture, he adds.

instead, China should remain rooted in its culture. Only by promoting core socialist values can the Chinese people stand tall in the forest of the worlds people, Huang goes on to say.

China has long railed against what it deems Western spiritual pollution, going so far as to ban Christmas parties and greetings since Christmas is seen as a Western festivity.

It has also jailed those who demand a multiparty state and freedom of expression, even if they use non-violence, people like Liu Xiaobo, letting them die when they get sick.

Against the backdrop, Xi Jinping has portrayed himself as a champion of globalisation and collaboration among nations.
There are 800,000 mosques in the country. Muslim clerics, the private sector, universities and communities are called to work together. Religious leaders are in favour of environmental understanding and education. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has already issued fatwas on forest fires and mining.

Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies)  The government of the most populous Islamic country in the world plans to build a thousand eco-friendly mosques by 2020.

Launched this week by Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, the initiative will push mosque administrators to turn to renewable energy, manage their water and food needs sustainably, reduce and recycle waste as well as provide environmental education.

The project will require Muslim religious leaders co-operate with the private sector, the government's health and planning ministries, universities, and other religious groups in order to raise environmental awareness in communities across the country.

"Most Muslims in Indonesia listen more to religious leaders than the government," said Hayu Prabowo, head of environment and natural resources at the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), speaking to the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "If an Islamic leader says something they will follow but if the government says something, they may not."

The idea of eco-mosques stems from asking how to make mosques the centre for environmental action and education within a community, said Hening Parlan, coordinator for environment and disaster management at Aisyiyah, the women's wing of Indonesia's second-largest Islamic organisation Muhammadiyah.

"For many Indonesians, their understanding of the environment only happens when they see the impact of climate change (rather than through education)," Parlan explained.

Eco-mosques are not the first time MUI has become involved in environmental issues. In the past, it has issued fatwas (edicts) on forest fires and sustainable mining.

Indonesia has more than 800,000 mosques. Government officials hope that this initiative can increase the number of eco-friendly places of worship.
by Shafique Khokhar

Called AAWAZ (Voice and Responsibility) programme, the event drew more than a hundred young people from 30 districts. Participants used games and exchanges to improve socialisation.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  A group of about a hundred Christian, Muslim and Sikh young people met at the Ambassador Hotel in Lahore on 13-14 November for the AAWAQ (Voice and Responsibility) programme, a gathering designed to promote peace and coexistence in Pakistan.

Despite having different faiths, castes, cultures, colours and languages we are one nation and have to raise our voices [to defend] our rights and justice in Pakistan, said one of the promoters of the conference, Irfan Mufti, a former director of the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan (SAP-PK).

"We want the young people of Pakistan to work enthusiastically for the promotion of peace, togetherness, human rights and equality so that we can become a developed nation, he added.

Participants came from 30 districts in Punjab province. In five years of activity, the AAWAZ Programme has promoted peace and harmony in the country through the education of young people in 45 districts of the province.

On 13 November, participants played the "shoe exchange game," a way to make them feel closer and share their educational experiences, ending with people drawing their feelings on paper and the drawings eventually pasted on the wall.

The following day, some of the organisers and participants addressed the gathering.

"I do not want to talk about our shortcomings but about strengths and achievements as a nation, Mufti said.

Despite its limited resources, Pakistan is rising among developing countries. Its annual growth rate is 4.5 per cent, whilst Punjab's rate is 8 per cent. Over the last 70 years, the population has increased rapidly. Its literacy rate has increased from 16.4 per cent to 65 per cent. In 1947, its economy was US$ 30 billion; today it is US$ 350 billion.

However, "It is a pity that our state has done nothing in [terms of] human resources, he bemoaned. Our citizens will not be able to participate in [the development of] the nation until the state invests in human resources."

Sania Bibi, a young woman from a poor family, also spoke at the conference. Because of her background, I could not continue to study and my parents wanted me to drop out of school. But I told them they could never kill my dream of learning."

So, she started to drive a small auto rickshaw in her village, and now, with her earnings, she is able to maintain her family and pursue her studies.
Signs of Saudi-Israeli rapprochement are growing. General Gadi Eisenkot talks about intelligence co-operation with Arab countries against Iran, the common enemy.

Riyadh (AsiaNews) - For the first time in history a Saudi-owned paper, Elaph, published an interview with a senior Israeli leader, Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces General Gadi Eisenkot.

In what is perhaps another first, a top Israeli leader said publicly that Saudi Arabia has never been our enemy. It has not fought us nor have we fought it.

Still, Israeli daily Maariv noted today that despite growing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the latter is not yet ready" for official relations with Israel.

Since Mohammad bin Salman became Saudi crown prince, the alliance between Riyadh and Tel Aviv has become more visible and is no longer a taboo.

In Paris and Beirut, some reports mention a possible meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and Mohammad bin Salman in the French capital, brokered by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

Relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia have always been secret, and Israel has always kept a low profile to avoid embarrassing the House of Saud, the Custodians of Islams two most sacred places.

Nevertheless, Riyadh began to prepare Arab public opinion for rapprochement with Israel when it launched the Arab Peace initiative, offering diplomatic relations between Tel Aviv and all Arab countries, in exchange for full withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, [and] recognition of an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital.

Although Israel has never accepted King Abdullah's proposal, Saudi Arabia has continued to seek better relations, albeit behind the scenes.

Until a few months ago, General Anwar Eshki, adviser to King Salman and head of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies, was Saudi Arabias chief point man with Tel Aviv.

Last year, he visited Israel and said that Saudi Arabia would recognise Israel after the Arab Peace Proposal was implemented.

When he visited Israel in May, US President Donald Trump also promised to get Israel recognised by almost all Arab countries.

In an interview with Elaph, General Gadi Eisenkot said that the danger is Iran and that Israel is ready to exchange experiences with moderate Arab countries and to exchange intelligence to confront Iran.

At the same time, he said, We have no intention of attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon and bring about a war, adding, However, we will not accept a strategic threat to Israel.

With respect to Lebanon, the general said he was happy with the past 11 years of relative quiet since the Second Lebanon War. He admitted though that the situation in that country was complex and that the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Riyadh was surprising.

Regarding Hezbollah, Eisenkot noted that the Shia group is beginning to feel financial pressure and starting to get into big material problems, adding that there has been a noticeable decline in support for the group in Lebanon, even in places like Dahiya, a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut, at a level unseen before.

The Israeli Chief of State rejected accusations that Israel supported the Islamic State group (ISIS) and Al Nusra. "The claims we're aiding the Nusra Front and its ilk in the Golan are baseless. They're our enemies, just like ISIS," Eisenkot said.

We have attacked them more than once, he added. We aid the villagers on the Golan medically and we help our Druze brothers. We help only in humanitarian ways.

On the crisis in Syria, he noted that Israel prevented Al Nusra from getting into Hadar, in south-western Syria.

Still, although ISIS has been severely beaten and the elimination of the organisation will come soon, its ideas can return in the guise of other names and groups in Syria and the region. (PB)
by Piccolo agnello del Signore

He was perhaps the only bishop who was not a member of the Patriotic Association, although he was recognized by the government. In 2005 he was invited to the Synod on the Eucharist, but the government did not allow him to attend. He spent over 20 years in forced labor camps. His praise of the Letter from Benedict XVI to Chinese Catholics. Since the beginning of the year his health had deteriorated. Funeral will be held on 25 November.

Fengxiang (AsiaNews) - Bishop Lucas Li Jingfeng, bishop of Fengxiang (Shaanxi) died this morning at 7.20 am at the age of 95. He had been sick for a long time. Bishop Li was famous in China because he was the only bishop of the underground community to join the official Church without becoming a member of the Patriotic Association. He was also famous in the Vatican: in 2005 he - along with three other prelates - had been invited to participate in the Synod on the Eucharist. The government did not give him permission to leave China. On the occasion of the 2012 Synod of New Evangelization, he wrote to the fathers gathered at the Synod, describing how the faith of Chinese Catholics would "console the pope" because "our Church is faithful despite 50 years of persecution".

Msgr Li was born in 1922 in Gaoling County (Shaanxi) into a deeply Catholic family. Of the eight children, all expect one chose religious life. He became a priest in 1947 and covered various duties in the diocese. In 1959 he was arrested and sentenced to forced labor, from which he was released only in 1980. On 25 April of the same year he was ordained auxiliary bishop of Fengxiang by Msgr. Zhou Weidao. In 1983 he became an ordinary bishop of Fengxiang.

Until 2004, it was perhaps the only diocese of People's Republic of China where only the unofficial Church existed, not recognized by the government. In the summer of 2001, an Office for Religious Affairs was opened in Fengxiang with the purpose of registering Catholics in the official Church and making them all members of the Patriotic Association (PA). In November 2001, the diocese was subjected to a harsh repression by Chinese authorities, who ordered "raids" on convents and parishes in the area. Msgr. Li disappeared for a few weeks to be indoctrinated on Chinese religious activity regulations. In 2004 the bishop was recognized by the government as an official bishop, but without being forced to join the PA.

His commentary on the Letter to Chinese Catholics, written by Benedict XVI in 2007, remains a memorable one, which he considered important for Catholics, to foster greater unity, and for the government, to help them understand more the reasons of the Catholic Church.

The diocese has been led by a new bishop for the past two years, Msgr. Peter Li Huiyuan. The funeral of Msgr. Li Jingfeng will be held on November 25th.

A young Catholic, who is called "The Lord's Little Lamb", paid the following tribute to the last days of Msgr. Li.

Our Lao Zhujiao (Elderly Bishop), Lucas Li Jingfeng, had been in poor health since early this year. He had been in and out of hospitals in the past months. He suffered from a brain hemorrhage and lung infections. The inflammation of the lungs remained there, not cured.

Every time I visited him in the past months, his condition deteriorated. Earlier, he could still chat, cracked a joke, and did not worry about his illness at all. God gives, God will take back, Bishop Li always said, and I am fully prepared to see the Lord, any time.

When I visited Lao Zhujiao in recent weeks, he could not speak, but still tried his best to raise his hand to bless whoever who walked near him. He was weak, and had no strength.

In my last visits to the prelate, he was fragile and had no more strength. But one instance amazed me. As he appeared to have lost all his strength, I placed a cross in his hand. To my surprise, he had slowly raised the cross to his mouth and kissed it.

Also, his lungs were seriously infectious. His doctor inserted a tube for food into his esophagus to avoid drips getting into his lungs.

One day, I was carefully dipping water drops to moisten his lips and mouth. Unexpectedly a water drop got into his throat, and he caused violently. I was so scared that it might aggravate his illness, and dare not touch his dry lips.

However, when we delivered the holy communion and holy blood for him every morning, he was calm and did not cough. He was clear-minded.

Our beloved bishop loved God in his whole life. For his steadfastness in faith, he had been jailed for years. Even though he was under all kinds of pressures and suffered injustices, his love for God was not shaken. He was firm in his faith, never changed, even until the last moment of his life on earth.

His firmness in the principle of faith, his love and seriousness in Church liturgy and Church traditions have deeply influenced my faith and vocation.

We were happy our beloved bishop had received holy blood at 6:50 am this morning, before he departed at 7:20 am. In the prayers of priests and the faithful, our Lao Zhujiao rested in peace!
By Duncan Blake, PhD candidate, law and military uses of outer space, University of Adelaide

NASA

Right now there are around 21,000 artificial objects being tracked in Earth orbit (and many millions too small to be tracked). Only about 1,750 of these are functional satellites.

If we dont adequately manage the traffic of objects in outer space, many services on which we depend will no longer be available.

I argue that Australia should step up and fill this role. Space traffic management could be an enduring, national beacon project to inspire and galvanise the Australian space industry. This will be particularly important as the prospective Australian space agency builds momentum in 2018.

Read more: Yes, Australia will have a space agency. What does this mean?

The US is stepping back

Non-functional orbiting objects are known as space debris. Its an ongoing problem and only likely to become worse, with plans to add many thousands of small satellites to the current population of active satellites.

Right now, the US Air Force is trying to divest itself of the space traffic management role  a responsibility that it has previously assumed for the world by default. The US Federal Aviation Administration has said that it is willing to take this on, but there are many issues to resolve, including control over assets, finances and human resources.

The Australian space industry, facilitated by the prospective Australian space agency, can seize this opportunity. We are well suited to play a role that will be valuable from a commercial perspective, and that will place us in a strong strategic position in the future global space industry and its governance.

Defining the problem

Theres a fair amount of debate about the scope of space traffic management. At the very least it encompasses a means of knowing:

whats up there orbiting Earth

where orbiting objects are, in as near to real-time as possible

whether they pose any risk of damage, such as a future conjunction between two objects, or interference, such as between the frequencies on which they transmit.

It could also encompass an advisory, or even directive, service to satellite operators to avoid collisions and avoid contributing to the existing space debris population. That implies that space rules of the road may be established.

Of course, satellites cannot physically stop at intersections, like we see in traffic management on Earth. But we could see development of means to actively prevent collisions, for example, by changing the orbit of space debris. That might be by another space object capturing and physically moving the space debris, or it could be done remotely, such as by a ground-based laser using photon pressure.

Australia is qualified

While Australia already has an active space industry, it is thinly spread. Government departments and agencies, universities, contracted aerospace companies (mostly large and foreign), local start-ups (mostly small) and some established Australian companies, all currently make up Australias participation in the space industry.

The Space Industry Association of Australia presented a case for an Australian space agency in its March 2017 White Paper. From the current 0.8% share of a US$340 billion global space industry, the Australian space industry is forecast to grow to 4% within 20 years. That calculation assumes that the efforts of the Australian space industry can be coordinated and facilitated by an Australian space agency.

Now that an Australian space agency has been announced, a key focus of the national space agency will be coordinating what already exists.

In respect of managing space traffic from Australia, here are some capabilities we already have.

Tracking sensors. Australia has a growing number of sensors for tracking objects in space, including C-Band radar, Space Surveillance Telescope and space object laser tracking. Australian companies such as Saber Astronautics have been developing the means to mine the enormous amount of space-related data from radio astronomy sensors, notwithstanding that these were not originally designed with space traffic management in mind.

Moving debris. The Space Environment Research Centre is exploring how lasers for space object tracking based in Australia could be used for moving space debris at risk of colliding with active satellites. It also conducts other research to improve the quality of orbital predictions.

Read more: Trash or treasure? A lot of space debris is junk, but some is precious heritage

Position reporting. The University of New South Wales has been conducting research into the use of satellite-based GPS receivers for position reporting and research to better understand and predict the orbital path of space debris. Drawing on the air traffic management analogy, it is also developing a space traffic management system.

Australias reputation. Australia has a strong reputation in respect of air traffic management and search and rescue  we provide these services for more than 11% of the Earths surface by ourselves.

Historical and positive role in space. Australia has been active in the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space since its inception in 1959. Australian initiatives are given serious consideration by the international community, without the political polarisation that our superpower ally, the USA, can draw.

Australia is therefore not only well suited to contribute to space traffic management in a physical sense, but also in a regulatory sense  including facilitating the establishment of an appropriate regulatory regime.

Australia can benefit

Both myself and others have advocated for the global strategic importance of normalising the space environment. This involves establishing regular and predictable patterns of behaviour through legal rules and less formal practices and procedures. It is also a matter of national strategic significance.

An international space regulator is almost certainly going to emerge in the next decade and is likely to have some sort of gatekeeper function, including ensuring safety and sustainability in space through effective space traffic management.

Whichever nations play an active part in this role stand to gain significant international influence, and also significant commercial opportunities. This is particularly important with the impending launches of mega-constellations whose operating satellites must be protected.

Australia can and should have a key part in global space traffic management.

Duncan Blake is affiliated with the Space Industry Association of Australia. He is also a consultant to International Aerospace Law and Policy Group, which has previously advocated for an Australian role in Space Traffic Management.

Originally published in The Conversation.


(Maonakub/Bigstock.com) (Maonakub/Bigstock.com)

More people are visiting Australia than ever before with the latest official figures show short term arrivals have increased by 6.7% year on year.In September numbers increased 0.4% compared with August 2017 with 749,700 arriving, according to the figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) but there are concerns of a reduction in available accommodation.A breakdown of the figures show that more people are visiting from Hong Kong, China and India, a rise of 19.5%, 19.4% and 18.6% and fewer are arriving from the UK and New Zealand, down 5.3% and 0.7%.All other major nations saw more people visiting Australia compared with a year ago. Numbers from South Korea increased by 8.9%, there was a rise of 6.2% in visitors from Malaysia, some 5.2% more from the United States, 4.7% more from Singapore and 2% more from Japan.The figures show just how popular Australia is, with growing numbers visiting from Asian countries, but the country is still seeing high numbers of visitors from further afield in the UK and the US.But people visiting Australia could find the amount of non-hotel accommodation restricted as some towns and cities consider limiting the number of days that people can rent out their homes with short term rental companies such as Airbnb and Stayz.Hobart is one city where concerns have already been voiced about the number of rentals like this, which officials suggest are resulting in a shortage of rental housing for residents and also rents increasing.In New Zealand, some councils have already imposed limits in areas popular with tourists. In the Queenstown Lake District councillors have approved changes but these would not affect property owners who personally host up to five visitors in their homes.The target is so-called absentee owners or those renting their homes while on holiday and the changes will restrict this to a maximum of 28 days a year, with no more than three separate lets, a steep reduction on the 90 days allowed at present.Airbnb head of public policy for Australia and New Zealand Brent Thomas has strongly criticised the changes and does not want them to be introduced in either country.'Airbnb strongly believes everyone should have their right to respectfully share their own home if they wish. Nanny state policies, like caps or bans, would rob people of their property rights, hurt the tourism economy and cost local jobs,' he said.He also pointed out that greater restrictions on home sharing would exacerbate accommodation shortages at a time when Australia is seeing more visitors than ever and cut an 'economic lifeline' for residential property owners.
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Heavy security deployed at the JKIA following the arrival of Raila Odinga from the US. He is expected to arrive in the country at 11am today. The Police drawn from all arms of National police service will be guarding the JKIA after the chief principle Musalia Mudavadi said that they have mobilized one million people to welcome Peoples president Raila Odinga at the airport.Raila Odinga convoy of more than 50 cars has already been established. The motorcade will go to Kamukunji grounds for a mega rally. Raila Odinga is expected to talk about what happened in the US and what will be the plan ahead of president Uhuru Kenyatta swearing in.Anti-Riot police, GSU, special force and other arms of police at JKIA where NASA supporters are expected to converge to welcome opposition leader Raila Odinga.More than 10,000 police officers were deployed to man the JKIA following the arrival of Raila Odinga.Showdown looms in Nairobi with NASA leaders vowing to defy police orders to keep off JKIA where they and their supporters plan to welcome opposition chief, Raila Odinga.The Police Inspector general Joseph Boinnet said that the airport will be restricted to NASA supporters from 10 am today."We have enough police and a back up plan to deal with the Marching to the Jomo Kenyatta International airport. We will not allow such a thing to happen. We have decided that no one will be allowed at the airport after 10.00am apart from the leaders only." IG said."We are going to close the airport if the IG will not allow us to participate in welcoming Raila Odinga. Today it is either they allow us to welcome and protect us peacefully or we engage them till evening and stop all processes at the airport." the supporters shouted.Legislatures Babu Owino, Tom Kanjwang, and Simba Arati have vowed to march with their supporters to JKIA and again to the Kamukunji grounds."We have drawn people from all corners of Kenya. We have the capacity to do it. That is just an example. We will match to the statehouse one day. We are going to mobilize almost three million people and shut down Nairobi completely and match to the statehouse. Let us continue with the peoples' assembly first and later we converge." says Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati.
Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan attended an NAACP meeting Thursday night to update residents about the Seminole Heights murders and to address concerns about some policing techniques.

NAACP officials out to make sure residents' rights respected

Residents reporting presence of officers in tactical gear unnerving

Chief promised police presence will return to normal after manhunt concludes



Officers have been stopping people for questioning, conducting door to door searches and arresting people who have outstanding warrants for serious offenses.

There are more police patrolling Seminole Heights since the killings and there have also been more arrests. NAACP officials said they want to make sure no one's rights are being violated.

"You know, they knock on the door and they ask to go in and some people just go ahead and let them go in, but what about the person that refuses?" questioned Yvette Lewis, President of the Hillsborough County NAACP.

Chief Dugan said people do have a right not to let police search their houses without a warrant. He also said he has told his officers to use common sense when pulling people over for minor traffic infractions in the neighborhood.

RELATED STORY: Seminole Heights murders: 2,800 tips, $100,000 reward

Some residents said the presence of officers in SWAT gear, brandishing weapons, has people scared.

"We have a diverse community with a lot of children and senior citizens, and when they see that, when you have helicopter flying around and police going around with dogs, they don't know what to think," said Michelle Yepsen-Fields.

"The reason you're seeing officers wearing SWAT gear and everything is because this person is a cold-blooded killer and we're trying to catch him," Dugan explained. "There is no doubt in my mind that cops are not exempt from his bloodthirst."

Sam Esser also lives in the neighborhood. He said he's hopeful the increased police presence will bring crime down overall.

"I think it's a good thing. If people are wanted, they need to go to jail," he said.

Dugan told the audience that there have been cases where a routine traffic stop led to a murder's downfall so he said these techniques can be effective.

He also said the policing of Seminole Heights will go back to normal once this "trainwreck" is over.
A single blue balloon tossed by the wind Friday on the side of a road where a middle school student was killed when hit by a vehicle.



Brandon Heard Jr., 11, was killed Thursday afternoon when he was struck by a vehicle on an east Tampa road.

Student, 11, struck by vehicle in Tampa

Brandon Heard Jr. was killed just before 5 p.m.

He died of his injuries at Tampa General Hospital

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Heard was killed just before 5 p.m. when he ran across Orient Road just north of 29th Street.

The boy was struck by a 2006 Hyundai Sonata driven by a 47-year-old woman. Deputies said she tried to swerve to avoid hitting the boy but he was struck by the left front of her vehicle.

Heard, a Mann Middle School student, was transported to Tampa General Hospital where he died of his injuries.

School Principal Barbara Fillhart said Heard was a funny child who made kids laugh and was very smart.

"He was full of hope, joyful, intelligent," Fillhart said.


Police continued Friday to scour the Seminole Heights neighborhood after four murders since the start of October.

The reward for information leading to an arrest remained at $100,000, while Gov. Rick Scott directed the Florida Highway Patrol to deploy more of its troopers in the area.

The situation is hitting home for officers like Lt. Kim Plourde-Torres, who has been patrolling the streets of her hometown for 25 years.

"When it starts getting dark or when we come in early in the morning and it's still dark, then it's like, OK, you know, now you're kind of fidgety and just kind of get that tightness of the chest and just kind of a little more anxious because you never know," she said.

"We want this to be over with."

Authorities haven't named a suspect but have released surveillance video including a new clip this week. Despite the frustration of officers, the victims' families and the community, everyone is pitching in to help.

"They have a new operations plan that they just put together," Plourde-Torres said. "We actually have assistance from Florida Highway Patrol, which has been wonderful. They actually started with us (Friday) morning."

Residents are scared but also patient, she said.

WATCH: Tampa Police release surveillance video connected to 4th Seminole Heights murder

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"Some of the folks that live in the neighborhoods, bless their hearts," she said. "They've been actually stopped five, six, seven, eight times because they may be out on a bicycle by themselves or walking by themselves, and pretty much we're stopping everything that moves."

Meanwhile, Tampa's former police chief who lives near Seminole Heights said the place has become a community in terror.

"I've never seen the likes of what's going on here now in Seminole Heights," said Jane Castor. "This type of incident is kind of rare."

The manhunt has been stressful for neighbors and, according to Cantor, just as stressful for officers  physically and psychologically. She said the officers are under intense pressure to find the gunman.

"If I was pressed to pick the most significant element of it would be trying to get the individual before there's another killing because thats the last thing you want," Cantor said.

Interactive timeline
Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore said once again he is not quitting the race, even after at least three more women came forward with sexual assault allegations.

One woman claims Roy Moore groped her

Moore says reports of harassment untrue

At least three new allegations of misconduct surfaced on Wednesday, including one by Tina Johnson, who told AL.com that Moore groped her during a 1991 meeting in his law office. Two others told The Washington Post they were young women when Moore courted them as a district attorney in his 30s.

Three other women told the newspaper last week that they were teens when Moore tried to initiate romantic relationships. One said she was 14 when Moore touched her over her bra and underwear.

"They're not only untrue, but they have no evidence to support them," Moore exclaimed. "And the Washington Post is certainly not evidence."

Moore ignored mounting calls from Washington Republicans concerned that he may not only lose a seat they were sure to win but also may do significant damage to the partys brand among women nationwide as they prepared for a difficult midterm election season.

Moore also claimed that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was trying "to steal this election" and has been calling for him to step down.

Moore says he wants to get back to focusing on the issues.

Moores attorney has demanded that one of the accusers, Beverly Young Nelson, release a yearbook she contends Moore signed so it can be analyzed by a handwriting expert to prove its authenticity. Nelson says that Moore aggressively groped her in a locked car when she was 16.

The Moore campaign dug up Nelsons divorce papers, which had been signed by Moore, and held them up to cameras suggesting she had copied the signature.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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U.S. crude oil exports reached record levels in October almost two years after a crude oil export ban was lifted, according to a new report.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported in its November Energy Indicators report that crude oil exports had reached 1.8 million barrels a day in October, an all-time high and a significant increase from 1.3 million barrels a day in September.

The increase in crude exports is making the U.S. an up and comer in the international energy market, said Kunal Patel, a senior research analysts at the Dallas Fed.

Patel pointed to Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp.s export terminal near Corpus Christi, the 300,000 barrel-a-day Ingleside Energy Center Terminal, as an example of growing U.S. export capacity. The facility took its first very large crude carrier oil tanker in May, which can hold about 2 million barrels of oil, and marked the first time one of the vessels had entered a U.S. port. The ship channel is currently not deep enough for the ships to leave fully loaded, requiring them to finish loading offshore.

Infrastructure will be developed more over time  but I would say that the U.S. is becoming a significant player in crude oil exports, Patel said.

While oil exports have continued to grow, so has oil production despite oil prices remaining at half the level of three years ago.

Production in Texas different major shale fields has been unevenly affected by the downturn, with the Dallas Fed reporting that the Permian Basin, a massive oil field in West Texas, reportedly grew in October by more than 60,000 barrels a day to 2.6 million barrels of daily production, marking the 13th consecutive monthly increase.

By contrast, production in South Texas Eagle Ford Shale increased by just 8,600 barrels in October to just over 1.2 million barrels a day of production, and has grown by just over 40,000 barrels over the past 12 months.

Thomas Tunstall, a research director at UTSA, said the Permians scale hasnt made the Eagle Ford irrelevant, but invariably it was going to get eclipsed by the Permian.

After crude oil prices peaked in June 2014 at $107 a barrel, U.S. crude oil production peaked in April 2015 at an average of 9.6 million barrels a day before falling to 8.6 million barrels a day in September 2016. Much of the lost production was due to falling prices in the Eagle Ford and the Bakken oil field in North Dakota.

Oil production has since recovered to 9.2 million barrels a day, according to data from the Energy Information Administration.

The data shows that the U.S. has further moved into being a main swing producer, according to Bud Weistein of Southern Methodist University.

Were the ones that maintain stability or, shall I say, lessen volatility in the oil markets, said Weinstein, who is the associate director for the Maguire Energy Institute at the Cox School of Business.

Oil prices collapsed from $107 a barrel in June 2014 to $26 a barrel in February 2015. They have since recovered to mid-$50 a barrel, ending Thursday at $55.14 a barrel.

Any time (oil prices) get close to $60  the shale producers are happy to fill in that global production gap and at $60, if youre not profitable as a shale oil producer you probably shouldnt be in the business, Tusntall said.

Of the wild price swings like the drop from 2014 to 2016 Weinstein said those days are gone.

Rye Druzin is an energy reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. Read more of his stories here. | rdruzin@express-news.net | Twitter: @druz_journo
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Anyone in the market for a zoo, complete with animals, housing, and ample land?

On the market for a year now, Alvin's Bayou Wildlife Zoo has yet to find a buyer.

First profiled by Chron.com in November 2016, Clint Wolston's property has had a few nibbles from buyers, according to real estate agent Carolyn Spencer, but no one has ponied up the dough.

RELATED: Underrated Texas landmarks you have to visit at least once

Speaking of ponies, actual horses would come with the 80-acre zoo.

It's located along on FM 517 in Galveston County and is now listed at $6 million instead of the previous $7 million figure.

The 81-year-old Wolston is ready to slow down, according to Spencer. Running a zoo is a young man's or woman's game.

The property and the animals weren't harmed during Hurricane Harvey since Wolston prepared decades ago for biblical rains. Back in 1979, the city of Alvin was inundated as Tropical Storm Claudette gifted the area with 42 inches of rain in one 24-hour period. This made Wolston build his animal enclosures and shelters somewhat higher than needed.

RELATED: What did your favorite Houston landmarks look like during construction?

"Everyone was high," jokes Spencer. "If not dry." The zoo survived Harvey no worse for the wear, according to the agent.

Wolston employs 10 people, who are in charge of taking care of the animals and guiding roughly 90,000 visitors a year on tram tours. Spencer says there have been offers from prospective buyers from as close by as Round Rock and as far as California. No one has yet to come to the terms that Wolston has set forth.

(Don't worry, this video isn't from Bayou Wildlife Zoo...)

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The facility's 500 animals are included in the listing. Animals at the zoo include zebras, a zonkey (not a typo), a white rhino, ostriches, alligators, kangaroos and ring-tailed lemurs.

RELATED: Is the Houston Zoo haunted by the ghost of a former daredevil zookeeper?

As previously reported, there is a covered picnic area for 400 people, 16 barns, a souvenir shop, sales office, six restrooms, a fleet of Jeeps, and seven trams. To maintain the 80-acre spread, a buyer will also become owner of a bulldozer, grader, backhoe, tractor, trailers, fencing, and other ranch equipment.

The property features two miles of trails, 15 lakes and ponds, native trees, and 3,500 feet of waterfront on Dickinson Bayou. The property is between Houston and Galveston, near Interstate 45, the main highway connecting the two cities.

The zoo rakes in about $1 million in annual sales and runs at a more than 30 percent profit margin.

Wolston said he's looking for someone who can take on the responsibility of such an expansive park. It probably won't be an easy task, but Matt Damon did it in "We Bought A Zoo," so how hard could it be?

Just hire Scarlett Johansson.

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.
A judge will rule on whether to revoke probation for a former Beaumont attorney convicted of stealing from his clients after he allegedly violated his conditions dozens of times, including traveling out of state and making inappropriate comments.

Alto V. Watson III was sentenced in August 2013 to five years of deferred probation and ordered to pay restitution for stealing from clients of the Law Offices of Gilbert T. Adams, where he worked.

In a hearing Friday, Jefferson County First Assistant District Attorney Pat Knauth called Watson "a blight," and "a lying, stealing, betraying person."

Knauth said Watson constantly left the county against his probation orders, traveling and bragging on social media about trips to Austin, Colorado, Miami and Las Vegas. His probation does not allow him to leave Jefferson County without prior approval.

He accused Watson of lying to and manipulating the court and medical professionals about issues with his GPS ankle bracelets in attempts to have it removed.

Reading from medical records from the Seton Medical Center Austin, Knauth said doctors indicated Watson made "inappropriate and at times sexually suggestive comments" to staff and caused other issues leading him to be placed in a separate room with a "safe shift" warning outside. Knauth also accused Watson of trying to access pornography on hospital internet.

One of the conditions of Watson's probation is to maintain professional and appropriate behavior, Knauth said.

Other alleged violations include starting a job in Houston at an attorney's office without prior approval form the court and not providing documentation that he notified his new employer about his past conviction. Knauth read from financial records alleging that Watson spent money at expensive restaurants and hotels instead of paying his court-ordered restitution.

Defense Attorney Allen Parker said the prosecution's approach to the case was "just odd," and said it should have been handled administratively.

He said Watson knows that leaving the county without permission was wrong, but said his conversations with his client indicated that "something had clicked" and he understood the problems with his behavior.

Parker asked 252nd District Court Judge Raquel West to extend Watson's probation another six months and order him to complete 200 hours of community servicee.

Knauth asked West to sentence Watson to 20 to 22 months in prison, saying he "has to feel a sting" to learn a lesson.

West will review the evidence in the case before making a ruling in the next few weeks, she said.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/LizTeitz
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Why are you so far away when I groan for help?

Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.

Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief. (Psalm 22:1,2)



King David crafted this despairing prayer when he was in the middle of one (of many) of the trials during his lifetime. This particular time of adversity was probably the most painful, as it involved his own sons betrayal when Absolom attempted to usurp the throne.

David was forced to flee Jerusalem for his life. In the middle of this extreme trauma and deep emotional pain, he cried out to God. If you are in the middle of a trying time in your life or a challenge of any nature, you can learn a lot from David today.

Lets look at the outline of his prayer in Psalm 22.

First, he states his case before God: he feels abandoned by God. Up to this point his prayers for this specific situation have not been answered; it seems that this had gone on for at least a number of days.

Then he promptly presents the antidote for his despair: praise to God. On a dime, David turns from anguish to honor. Does this sound bipolar? Not when you look closely. David makes a conscious effort to change the posture of his soul. In other Scriptures David commands his soul to praise God whether he feels like it or not.

Next David outlines the reasoning behind his deliberate decision to move from despair to praise by listing the reasons why God is worthy of this change of perspective. He reminds himself that, God has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help (Psalm 22:24).

Finally, David summons everyone on the earth to join him in his praise party, for he is convinced beyond shadow of doubt that God will pull through for him, that God will indeed hear him and change his current circumstances by issuing help from Heaven. And this is exactly what happened; David received what he was believing for, and his throne was suddenly restored to him.

Are you fighting a desperate battle today? Lets follow Davids lead and craft a prayer accordingly

Father,

I have had just about enough of this [lay the specific dilemma out before Him]. It distinctly feels like You have not been listening to my prayers and my weeping, like You have been asleep on the job, or oblivious, busy ruling some other universe.

But because I know Your character as well as Your history, I choose to lay my burden at Your feet and praise You. Though I feel abandoned, I know better! You have never forsaken me, and You never will.

You have not ignored or minimized my suffering. You have not turned Your back on me. You have listened to every prayer and have heard every groan my soul has uttered. I will continue to praise You until this situation turns. Then I will let the whole world know what You have done. I will not keep silent, but I will tell everyone and summon the whole earth to love, appreciate, honor, and worship You forever.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Photo credit: CAJC: in the Rockies via Foter.com / CC BY-SA
Bangladeshs foreign minister will face diplomatic hurdles as he flies to Naypyidaw Sunday to meet Myanmar officials for a third round of bilateral talks focused on the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, a senior official said Thursday.

During his Nov. 22-23 meeting with Myanmar Minister Kyaw Tint Swe, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will insist that the Rohingya be repatriated in a sustainable manner so they do not return to Bangladesh, senior foreign ministry official Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury told BenarNews.

Ali will arrive in Myanmar on Nov. 19 to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) foreign ministers conference that would start the following day.

He would then be in bilateral talks with Kyaw Tint Swe, Myanmars Union Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor, on the repatriation of the Rohingya refugees.

At the ministerial-level meeting on Nov. 22-23, we will focus on sustainable repatriation of the displaced Myanmar nationals in a way so that they must not re-enter again, Khan Chowdhury said.

He said a memorandum of understanding might be signed during the meeting.

Talks between Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and his Myanmar counterpart in Naypyidaw on Oct. 23 failed to produce a joint statement because Myanmar unilaterally dropped the words Kofi Annan Commission from the document, Khan told BenarNews at the time.

During the talks, Myanmar had agreed to implement the recommendations of the Myanmar-appointed commission, which suggested giving equal rights to the Rohingya living in Rakhine state, Khan said.

An Oct. 2 bilateral meeting in Dhaka revealed other differences, a Bangladesh foreign ministry official told BenarNews on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Bangladesh asserted that the displaced people must be sent back to their Rakhine homes, but Myanmar wanted to place them in shelters, treating them as internally displaced people, according to the source.

If they are not allowed to go to their native place, they would not agree to go to Myanmar. The Rohingya rate the camps in Bangladesh better than those in Rakhine, he said.

He said Bangladesh also sought to involve the United Nations in the repatriation process, but Myanmar wanted it to be bilateral.

Last week, Myanmar rebuffed a United Nations Security Council statement on atrocities against Rohingya Muslims, saying that that issues facing Myanmar and Bangladesh today can only be resolved bilaterally, in an amicable manner, between two neighboring states.

Furthermore, the presidential statement could potentially and seriously harm the bilateral negotiations between the two countries which have been proceeding smoothly and expeditiously, said the rebuttal, released by the office of de facto Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Days of agony

At least 615,000 Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh from Rakhine state since Aug. 25, after the Myanmar military launched brutal operations in response to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

New York-based Human Rights Watch released a 37-page report Thursday saying that the rape of women by Myanmars security forces in Rakhine state appeared to be more widespread and systematic than earlier suspected.

Many women also described witnessing the murders of their young children, spouses, and parents, the report said, adding that rape survivors reported days of agony walking with swollen and torn genitals while fleeing to Bangladesh.

Human Rights Watch said it interviewed 52 Rohingya women and girls who had fled to Bangladesh, including 29 rape survivors, three of them girls under 18, from 19 Rakhine villages.

The report did not provide an estimate on the overall number of rapes, but said humanitarian organizations working with refugees in Bangladesh have reported hundreds of rape cases.

In January 2017, during an earlier cycle of violence in Myanmars Rakhine state, 17 of 54 women interviewed by BenarNews in refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh said they had been raped by members of the military before fleeing to Bangladesh.

The United States has called for a credible and impartial investigation into allegations of mass atrocities against Rohingya who sought shelter in Bangladesh.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during his visit to Myanmars capital, Naypyidaw, on Wednesday indicated that the U.S might impose targeted sanctions on individuals behind the atrocities. Tillerson also announced almost $50 million in additional humanitarian aid for refugees who fled the violence.

Rohingya Muslim refugees walk toward the Balukhali refugee camp after crossing the border in Bangladesh's Ukhia district, Nov. 2, 2017. [AFP]

Real Myanmar citizens

On Thursday, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of Myanmars armed forces, said in a statement on his official Facebook page that the majority of refugees entered Bangladesh because extremist Bengali terrorists brutally killed all including children, women and Bengalis of their same race cooperating with the government.

Myanmar officials typically use the pejorative term Bengali to describe ethnic Rohingya, who are widely viewed as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, and are denied citizenship.

Hlaing told Tillerson a military probe found that 6,000 to 10,000 people had participated in attacks on border police posts on Aug. 25, and when security forces responded, the terrorists and their families fled to Bangladesh, causing an exodus, the statement said.

Preparations are being made to re-accept the Bengalis who left Myanmar, under the law. The situation must be acceptable for both local Rakhine ethnic people and Bengalis, and emphasis must be placed on wish of local Rakhine ethnic people who are real Myanmar citizens, it said.

Hours after the Aug. 25 attack, the Myanmar government issued a statement saying that 59 militants and 12 Myanmar police officers had been killed in the deadliest single-day toll since fighting between ARSA and security forces broke out in October 2016.
Indonesias parliamentary speaker, who vanished for 24 hours as anti-corruption investigators issued a warrant for his arrest, turned up in a hospital emergency room Thursday, claiming he had been involved in a car accident in South Jakarta.

Officers from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sought to arrest House Speaker Setya Novanto over his alleged role in a multi-million dollar graft scheme.

Novanto, chairman of one of Indonesias largest political parties, was among senior government officials who allegedly received kickbacks from funds allocated for a government project to issue electronic national identification cards.

KPK announced in July that Novanto was suspected, along with other officials and several companies, of embezzling more than one-third of the 5.9 trillion rupiah (U.S. $443 million) allocated for the I.D. program known as e-KTP, between 2011 and 2012.

Novantos lawyer, Fredrich Yunadi, said he might have suffered a concussion in the crash.

There is a big bump on his head, his hands are bleeding, Yunadi told reporters Thursday evening at Medika Permata Hijau Hospital in South Jakarta, where Novanto was admitted. He is still unconscious.

The hospital is near where Novantos car hit a utility pole, Yunadi said, explaining that the politician had intended to go to the KPK building.

Investigators, who had gone to Novantos home to arrest him Wednesday night, issued a summons for him to appear at the KPK office within 24 hours. They could not locate him until learning about the crash.

Yunadi denied that the parliament was trying to run away from the charges. He said Novanto was picked up by an unknown person shortly before the KPK team arrived and he had not been able to contact him.

Previous hospitalization

In July, after being named a suspect in the estimated $175 million corruption case, Novanto spent weeks at the Premier Jatinegara Hospital in East Jakarta and did not appear before KPK for questioning.

He left the hospital in early October after the South Jakarta District Court annulled KPKs action against him following a pretrial hearing in September. On Nov. 10, KPK again named him a suspect.

Before learning of the accident, KPK Chairman Agus Rahardjo on Thursday afternoon told reporters his organization would ask police to add Novanto to its list of wanted persons.

Later, spokesman Febri Diansyah said KPK sent a team to the hospital to check on Novanto. During his previous stay, hospital officials refused to release information on the speakers condition.

To prevent a repeat of that scenario, Diansyah said his team will discuss options with the Indonesia Doctors Association (IDI).

We will talk further if we need to coordinate with IDI later on. It will be very important to coordinate with the doctors, he said.

Another allegation

In a December 2015 case, Maroef Sjamsoeddin, president-director of Freeport Indonesia, testified to lawmakers and submitted an audio recording of Novanto allegedly demanding company shares valued at $4 billion, in exchange for helping extend its operating contract.

Novanto was cleared of the allegations, but was forced to resign as speaker. He was reappointed last year.

Earlier this week Novanto ignored a KPK summons, claiming he was not required to meet with investigators without written consent from President Joko Jokowi Widodo, The Guardian reported. The speaker is a key ally of Jokowi.

In response to another summons two days later, Novantos lawyers sent a seven-page letter to the KPK claiming he had legal impunity because he is a high-level legislator, according to The Guardian.
Thai Navy officers stand in formation as the Russian RFS Admiral Panteleyev prepares to moor at Chuk Samed Port in Sattahip Naval Base in Thailands Chonburi province, Nov. 17, 2017.

Thailand will play host to a parade of Southeast Asias naval firepower Sunday as warships from the region gather for the first time for a fleet review aimed at celebrating 50 years of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), organizers said.

More than 40 modern ships, including 26 from the Southeast Asian region, will be on display Sunday for the International Fleet Review around Pattaya Bay in Chonburi province, 84 km (53 miles) southeast of Bangkok, event officials said.

This is the first time that navies from 10 ASEAN countries would gather for a multilateral exercise, Adm. Luechai Ruddit, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy told a news conference last week. This is a very important exercise to learn and get to know each other.

Battleships representing the United States, Russia, China and South Korea will also participate, organizers said.

ASEAN, which recorded U.S. $2.2 trillion in regional trade last year, was formed in Bangkok on Aug. 8, 1967 with Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand as founding members. It has since expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

The fleet review highlights the 10-day naval event that began on Nov. 13 and will include bilateral meetings of ASEAN naval commanders, during which officials will share ideas on improving capabilities and discuss regional security threats.

This is a very important platform for all navy chiefs to play their key roles and express their concern on the new threats that the region is facing at the moment, Luechai said.

He said the meetings will help participants solve big problems, such as the increasing illegal actions in ocean borders that is more complicated nowadays.

Luechai did not elaborate, but he made his comments a month after Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines launched trilateral air patrols to bolster a three-month-old joint maritime effort to rid their shared borders of threats from extremists linked to the Islamic State (IS).

Officials said the trilateral arrangement was similar to the Malacca Straits Patrol, a joint initiative among Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia in the Straits of Malacca that resulted in a sharp drop in piracy.

In late October, the Philippine government declared an end to a five-month battle against IS-backed militants in the southern city of Marawi, during which 930 militants, 165 soldiers and policemen and 47 civilians were killed.

Philippine government officials said even though the military wrested Marawi city from IS militants after a hard-fought battle that included aerial bombings, the militant group remains a threat that can be contained only through greater regional cross-border cooperation.

Thais military leadership said the exercises will benefit its participants.

This is to show that all navies in ASEAN countries could work together well with other allies, Lt. Gen. Weerachon Sukhonthapatipak told reporters last week. This would reflect our determination that we would like to promote Southeast Asian as the sea of peace and the sea of the cooperation to benefit to all people in ASEAN and our friends.
Infrastructure investments are transforming and accelerating economic and social opportunities for millions of people across Africa, driven by the dramatic rise in African consumer power, especially within the continent's largest and most networked cities. Infrastructure lights up homes, spreads information, speeds up travel, and facilitates trade.

Last week, Fraym CEO Ben Leo discussed the transformative power of these investments at the Harith Business Day African Infrastructure Dialogue in Cape Town, South Africa. In his remarks, Leo highlighted how the dramatic rise of African consumer power  especially within the continents largest and most networked cities  is the heart of the infrastructure investment opportunity.

For example, Lagos and Kinshasa each added more than 4 million to their consumer classes in the last decade. Cairo added another 3.5 million. Fourteen other African cities added at least a million consumers eachincluding Abidjan, Nairobi, and Yaounde.

These new consumers are the people who increasingly demand reliable and affordable electricity and internet. They require world-class intermodal transport networks like ports, roads, and railways to move the goods they purchase. Meeting these rapidly growing demands will require a great deal of new infrastructure investments across the continent. Moreover, the scale of the opportunityand its challengesclearly calls for a significant increase in private investment alongside enabling public sector policies.

To illustrate this opportunity, Fraym partnered with the continents premier infrastructure investment fund manager, Harith General Partners, to demonstrate how strategic infrastructure investments transform the economic and social trajectory of entire cities, countries, and regions. The flagship report  entitled Infrastructure as a Disruptor: Leveraging Private Capital for Growth  is the first to provide city and neighbourhood level data focused specifically on the telecommunications, power and transport sectors in Africa.

The report looks at investments like the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, the largest wind farm project in Africa to date. When construction began in 2014, 85% of people living around Lake Turkana lacked electricity. The project will provide Kenyas national grid with reliable, low-cost energy and has the capacity to power one million homes.

Economic disruption

History demonstrates that major infrastructure investments like these have the potential to disrupt entire economies and produce step-change societal improvements. Infrastructure as a Disruptor: Leveraging Private Capital for Growth showcases projects across the continent that have  or will  deliver just this.

By using hyperlocal data to identify and project demand, investors can find similar opportunities on the horizon.

Fraym is a venture-backed geospatial data analytics company focused exclusively on the African continent. Their platform is the only source of hyper-local, population-centred data in Africa. Powered by the best collection of African consumers economic and social indicators, Fraym is revolutionising decision-making across the continent.

Frayms proprietary platform produces over 2000 unique indicators across nearly 200 African cities, to provide customers with unparalleled insight into some of the worlds fastest-growing markets.

diego cervo via 123RF

*Download Infrastructure as a Disruptor: Leveraging Private Capital for Growth here. For an overview of the report, see our Executive Summary.
Zimbabwe's #datafree Zim News app spikes to more than 3 million daily page views as citizens seek information on crisis.

 Tomasz Trybus via 123RF

Zimbabwes leading mobile news app, Zim News, has tripled its usage over the past number of days as the dramatic political events in the country unfold. The latest usage statistics were released by biNu, the technology company behind the development of the #datafree Zim News app which has more than 100,000 installs to date.

Designed as a simple news reading app, Zim News displays a variety of news sourced from RSS feeds published by news publishers on the internet. biNus real-time monitoring has shown a dramatic increase in Zim News usage since 14 November.

As news of a possible military coup has been emerging in Zimbabwe, its become evident that the countrys citizens are relying more heavily than before on Zim News to receive updates and clarification on the situation, said Gour Lentell, CEO of biNu.

By 15 November, app usage had tripled to more 3 million page views - an equivalent of nearly 100 million page views per month. Each user spent on average 93 minutes in the app, with 85 page views.

Yesterday, 16 November, Zim News showed 3.2 million page views, with users spending on average 94 minutes each in the app, navigating an average of 83 page views. Despite the high number of page views, daily data usage per user was 1.1 MB, and the app itself has a small download footprint of only 4MB.

Zim News is zero-rated on Vodacom, CellC and Telkom in South Africa, but not in Zimbabwe. However, the biNu platform on which Zim News has been developed resulted in data usage efficiencies up to 98% compared with other apps and websites. This makes it a popular and affordable source of news, particularly in a country where data costs have otherwise proved to be prohibitive for most citizens.

biNu transcends the data cost barrier by obsessively focusing on data bandwidth efficiency at every level of mobile content delivery. Using the biNu App Publishing Platform, organisations can build data lite versions of their current app or mobile content offerings. biNu-powered apps typically use between 80%-98% less mobile data compared to other apps and mobile websites, making it possible to reach and engage a liberated mass market, at scale.

*Zim News #datafree can be downloaded via the Google Play Store or from https://datafree.co.za.
In the 2017 Epica Awards there were Grand Prix winners from Canada, the United States, Poland, Germany and France. The jury decided to award two film Grands Prix this year, one for a film supporting a nonprofit organisation and one for a commercial for an online retailer.

Net#work BBDO campaign, Vagina Varsity.

Meanwhile South Africa managed to win one Bronze for the Net#work BBDO campaign, Vagina Varsity, in the Online Campaigns  Health, Beauty and Fashion category.

Network of the Year: McCann Worldgroup.

Agency of the Year: BBDO New York.

Production Company of the Year (sponsored by GPN): Great Guns.

Grand prix

Design: Living Logo by KBS Canada for Innocence Canada.

Digital: Like My Addiction by BETC (France) for AddictAide.

Joint film winners: Evan by BBDO New York for Sandy Hook Promise and English for Beginners by Bardzo (Poland) for Allegro.pl.

Press: Newspaper Stack  Trump for Der Taggespiegel by Scholz & Friends (Germany).

Outdoor: Fearless Girl for State Street Global Advisors by McCann New York.

Summing up the awards, Epica jury president Spencer Baim, chief strategic officer of Vice Media, said: This year more than ever, brands have a responsibility to put a positive message out into the world. Our winners do that, while also representing the best of branding, messaging, storytelling and smart design.

The Digital Grand Prix was won by BETC (France) for its much lauded Like My Addiction campaign, featuring a fake Instagram influencer who turns out to be an alcoholic.

Stephane Xiberras, executive creative officer at BETC Paris said: It is a great honour to win the Digital Epica Grand Prix this year and a great recognition of our work. It is particularly significant for us since the Like My Addiction campaign partly owes its success to its massive international press coverage, which made it possible to turn this Instagram page into a global campaign, and most importantly, to raise awareness about the danger of addiction on a worldwide scale.

Scholz & Friends from Germany won the Press Grand Prix with a simple yet powerful image that builds stacked newspapers into a visual pun featuring a bullying Donald Trump.

Matthias Spaetgens, chief creative officer of Scholz & Friends, said: Winning a Grand Prix for our campaign for the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel makes us feel extremely happy, especially when the creative work is not judged by the creative industry itself but by critical journalists.

Fearless outdoor

The Outdoor Grand Prix went to McCann New York for the widely celebrated Fearless Girl, who faces down the famous bull on Wall Street in what began as a symbol of female leadership for State Street Global Advisors and turned into an icon that captures a turning point in history.

Rob Reilly, global creative chairman from McCann Worldgroup said: The Fearless Girl became a media sensation in a way we never anticipated, in a very organic way. What made it so powerful was the amount of support we received from people who recognised the importance of what she stands for and kept driving the conversation forward, during a time when people are striving to reshape existing norms to better reflect their moral values.

The Design Grand Prix went to KBS Canada for its living logo for Innocence Canada, an organisation fighting to free wrongly convicted prisoners.

KBS chief creative officer Matt Hassell said: We knew immediately that this design work needed to acknowledge the past exonerees, the current staff and donors. The logo itself was created to reclaim the typical prison tally marks to express both a human touch and progress towards overturning wrongful conviction. In this way, it serves as a measurement of success and a reminder that much work is still to be done.

Public interest, superb craft

There were two Film Grand Prix this year as the jury wanted to award both a stunning public interest film and a superbly crafted commercial.

Evan by BBDO New York cunningly misdirects the viewer to watch an unfolding school romance while a shooting is being prepared, unnoticed, in the background.

English for Beginners by Polands Bardzo is a warm, witty and beautiful spot for Allegro.pl (the Polish equivalent of eBay) about an older man who painstakingly learns English so that he can communicate with his new grand-daughter when he visits London.

Bardzos founder, owner and creative director Hubert Stadnicki said: As Epica is the only festival with a jury of marketing journalists, we can be sure our campaign was judged by people with a thorough, up to date and possibly the widest knowledge of the marketing world. He added that the campaign was by no means created to win awards. It was made for our client to a specific brief. It met all the marketing objectives and before being entered for festivals had been loved by millions of viewers around the world.

Entrants and entries by country

This year Epica received 3,350 entries from 71 countries, down on the previous year due to the Publicis awards hiatus and a lower participation by WPP agencies. Having said that, twice as many entries were received from China and Taiwan, 50% more from Malaysia and three times as many from Poland. New countries this year included Pakistan and Kenya.

Results by country

The United States was top in the country rankings with 63 awards including 10 golds, followed by France and the UK. You will find full details of all the winners here.

Founded 31 years ago, Epica is the only worldwide creative award judged by journalists from the marketing, design and advertising press.
The tracking technology used to halt the deadly Ebola and Zika viruses could now be turned against wheat rust as scientists try new ways to stop the fungus devastating world grain crops. Wheat rusts are nothing new - ancient Romans honoured the rust god Robigus, hoping to protect their fields - but they are adapting to outwit man and pose an ever-growing global risk.

IAEA Imagebank via Wikimedia Commons

Early detection is critical

So now technology is stepping in, in the form of a pocket-sized tracking device invented by a British company with the hope that early detection can limit the damage of any outbreak. Early detection is "the most critical part" of tackling any type of wheat rusts, said Fazil Dusunceli, plant pathologist at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Caused by fungal pathogens, the rusts can devastate the world's most widely grown crop, the source of food and livelihoods for more than one billion people in developing countries, according to the United Nations.

Key to halting the devastation is stopping its spread. "People can walk through an infected field, unknowingly pick up a few spores on their clothes, then get on a plane and accidentally take the disease to other countries or continents," said Dave Hodson, senior scientist with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Ethiopia.

...wheat rusts old and new are appearing in new countries...

"With globalisation, we are increasingly seeing this happening. In addition, wheat rusts are continually evolving so we're seeing new strains appearing all the time," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

According to FAO, the risks posed by wheat rusts are growing, with modern versions of the fungus becoming ever more virulent, evolving to adapt to the earth's higher temperatures.

Alarm

There are only two ways to control wheat rust diseases - planting varieties that are resistant to rusts or using chemicals to kill the fungi. But as rusts mutate and produce new strains, resistant varieties may only be effective for a couple of years. In addition, the fungi are airborne, meaning the spores can spread rapidly over large distances.

In February, the FAO sounded an alarm, saying wheat rusts old and new are appearing in new countries, including Italy, Morocco and Scandinavian countries.

Yellow rust is considered the most economically damaging, leading to annual losses of nearly 5.5 million tonnes of wheat, according to research published in 2015. This translates into a loss of about $1bn a year, said Hodson, who is leading a technology project to tackle the rust.

Key to success is speed. The new method proposed by Hodson could cut yellow rust disease diagnosis from months to days. Currently, only specialised labs can do the diagnosis and the process could take months. "By the time we've got the answer to that question (of whether we have a potentially damaging new race), the damage could already have been done," Hodson said. "That's what we want to change."

Mobile lab

He is banking on MinION, a pocket-sized device that used sequencing technology to help track Ebola and Zika outbreaks in Guinea and Brazil by providing real-time diagnosis. Developed by a British-based firm, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, the device connects to a laptop via a USB cable, creating a mobile lab that can generate DNA sequences directly from samples collected in the field. These are then compared to a range of known DNA sequences to diagnose their particular strain of rust, with results visible in just a few days.

"If successful, the initial platform could be immediately deployed for yellow rust surveillance all around the world," Diane Saunders, a plant pathologist at the British-based John Innes Centre who built the database of known DNA sequences, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Hodson is planning to test the device next summer in Ethiopia, where more than 500,000 hectares of wheat were affected in by yellow rust in 2010.

Deploying the device widely would not be cheap - the MinION, which weighs 100 grams, costs $1,000. However, top-end sequencing equipment costs and weighs much more, Hodson added.

Reporting By Thin Lei Win, editing by Lyndsay Griffiths.

Thomson Reuters Foundation
Havas is proud to announce the appointment of Mandy Leontakianakis as its new Chief Strategy Officer. Leontakianakis will be based in the Johannesburg office, leading strategy at Havas Johannesburg and across the group, including Havas Boondoggle in Cape Town.

Speaking on the appointment, Lynn Madeley, CEO of Havas Southern Africa, said, We are delighted to have Mandy on board. Strategy is an integral part of our business especially today where brands and businesses are nervous about the future. We wanted someone who embraces data, digital and creative; someone who would help our clients navigate their way through a challenging and changing world. Mandy has the experience and the smarts that we need to help our clients be successful today, so they can be successful tomorrow.

Leontakianakis began her career in advertising in 2002 as a copywriter and moved onto strategy in 2008. Over the years has worked with agency brands such as Mortimer Harvey, Joe Public, Aqua Online, Idea Engineers and TBWA to mention a few. Outside of agencies, she has also worked with research giants Millward Brown and Consumer Psychology Lab.

Havas is a great agency with a vision I am excited by. The industry faces many challenges around defining agency relevance, and I believe there is great openness and dynamism at Havas, an agency who questions themselves rigorously and holds themselves to a contemporary standard for client-centricity. My aim at Havas is to work with all teams to build brands in a way that supports growth for businesses and people, said Leontakianakis.

She brings with her a wealth of experience across a number of some of South Africas biggest brands in FMCG, financial services and the automotive sector.

Leontakianakis is an alumni of University of Cape Town, and has associations with Oxford University in the UK and Deerfield Academy in the USA.




Designed to foster local ehealth innovation, Digital Health Cape Town (DHCT) has opened applications for its accelerator programme.

Each participant will receive R150,000 worth of enterprise development funding and will have access to mentors from industry specialists, workshops, networking as well as exposure to local partners and investors. On the successful completion of the programme, participants will be equipped to build a defendable business plan and shape a viable business model to attract potential investors and funding.

DHCTs accelerator programme is an opportunity to unearth the exceptional talent and innovation we have in South Africa. TIA took the decision to participate on the panel of judges because it fits in with our mandate to stimulate technological innovation and we are excited to contribute to the growth of local digital health startups, says Karen Eksteen, programme manager: innovation skills development at the Technology Innovation Agency.

Starting at the end of January 2018, the 10 successful participants will take part in a 10-week programme, to help them scale their existing digital health business.

Established digital health tech companies providing solutions in patient engagement; care coordination; telehealth; population health; clinical decision support; and behavioural health are encouraged to apply before 5th December 2017.
Liquorice, a DigitasLBi company, took top honours at last night's prestigious 15th National Business Awards in Johannesburg, being named Digital Company of the Year, beating out Microsoft, GetSmarter and Superbalist among others.

Bianca Joynt and Miles Murphy from Liquorice at the National Business Awards.

The National Business Awards and the Top Performing publication have together become the definitive destination for South Africas fast-growth companies in all sectors. The Digital Company of the Year Award recognises the most innovative digital company resulting in consistent growth and strong financial performance.

Speaking at the awards, Miles Murphy, founder and CEO of Liquorice, said, Its an honour to be named Digital Company of the Year, and to be recognised for the digital innovation which is core to what we do at Liquorice. As Africas leading digital advertising agency, the innovative work we do for some of SAs leading brands grows the competiveness of the whole country and helps put SA on the global stage in this mobile-first economy.

This award follows a series of recent accolades for Liquorice, including being named Agency of the Year by the Mobile Marketing Association, being entered into the Zinthatu Hall of Fame by the Direct Marketing Association and winning over 30 awards in just the past 2 months.
African airlines have been urged to embrace e-commerce and digital technologies to become more profitable. According to Eckart Reiche, the vice-president for sales at Airlines Wirecard, airlines on the continent should embrace technology to serve customer needs and experience in the increasingly competitive market. Reiche said: "Airlines have no choice but to innovate and embrace technologies that will help reduce the cost of operation and also improve customer experience."

The expert noted that, despite positive profit projections, African airlines must shift focus to the revenue and profit potential emerging from mobile commerce and other innovative technologies.

Eckart was speaking at the 49th African Airlines Association (AFRAA) general assembly in Kigali. Under the theme, Rethinking strategies for airline profitability in Africa, the summit attracted 400 high profile delegates from the aviation industry in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America to deliberate on the challenges facing aviation business on the continent. The event was hosted by RwandAir.

Aligning with passengers' mobile-centric behaviours

Noel Connolly, the global head of sales Airlines and Hospitality Cell point mobile, said airlines that embrace mobile commerce strategies and payment solutions benefit by establishing permanent internal links to currently untapped direct-channels and ancillary sales. He added that this also helps to create a "companywide mentality that aligns more closely with their passengers' mobile-centric behaviours."

"This approach gives them a competitive advantage in terms of managing customer expectations," he noted.

Airlines move fast and digitise

Gad Wavombo, the principal consultant at Sabre Airlines, said without a proper e-commerce strategy airlines will find it difficult to break even and make profits. "Ultimately, an integrated e-commerce approach will allow airlines to take their marketing beyond messaging and branding," he added.

According to Mikael Gobena, the RwandAir general manager in charge of commerce, it is critical for airlines to embrace technologies that will help enhance passenger experience and also increase their market share. "RwandAir has made it a point to prioritise customer needs and experiences by providing them quality services."

Statistics from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) indicate that African airlines suffered a loss of almost $700m in 2015 and more than $130m in 2016. However, these losses can be reduced if airlines move fast and digitise their service to meet customer experiences.

Leveraging mobile technology

Meanwhile, the experts advised airliners to leverage the increasing mobile technology across the continent to serve customers more effectively and efficiently. They said lack of e-commerce as a core element of corporate business, marketing and sales strategy, as well as lack of ownership for mobile commerce and mobile payments across multiple touch points, were affecting the profitability of airlines on the continent.

They advised airlines to always take into account traveller expectations and trends, such as ride-sharing and personalised web-based shopping.

African airlines posted a 3.6% rise in traffic in September, down from 6.5% in August. Equally, carriage capacity rose 0.3% with load factor increasing by 2.4 percentage points to 73.8%. Globally, passenger traffic results for September show that demand, as measured in revenue passenger kilometres, rose by 5.7% compared to the same month in 2016. This was the slowest year-on-year increase since February.
Cape Town-based premium spirits company, Truman & Orange, has brought Fortaleza Tequila to South African shelves.

Fortaleza is a small-batch, hand crafted, 100% agave tequila that comes from the town of Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. The small family-owned distillery, located on the slopes of an extinct volcano amongst maturing blue agave plants, is where 5th generation tequila maker, Guillermo Erickson Sauza, makes tequila using the same production methods employed by his forefathers.

According to the brand, the use of old-world machinery, tradition and practices allow consumers to experience what tequila tasted like 150 years ago  without the technology and processes of the modern era. The tequila is described as having a signature citrus and vanilla flavour, long rich finish and oily mouth-feel. It's designed to be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or used in a Fortaleza Margarita or Paloma.

Rowan Leibbrandt from Truman & Orange explains, Were starting to see huge interest from South African drinkers in premium spirits, and high-quality tequila in general. South Africa is a large tequila market, but to most South Africans tequila meant low-quality mixtos that gave you a nasty headache at university. That is changing as South Africans are starting to demand 100% agave tequilas of the same high quality of cognacs and single malts that theyre enjoying. And this is being supported by a wave of exciting new up-market restaurants exposing South Africans to Mexican cuisine.

Premium tequila in three variants:

Fortaleza Blanco is double distilled in the copper pot stills and has earthy aromas of baked agave, backed with notes of dried berries and citrus. It comes in a hand-blown individually numbered bottle and retails at approx. R750 per bottle.

Fortaleza Reposado is aged for up to six months in American Whiskey barrels. It starts with aromas of raisins, figs, roasted nuts, caramelized agave, honey, delicate earth and soft cinnamon. Flavours of dried fruit lead to agave, toasted wood, baking spice and minerals and finishes with lingering spice. It retails at approx. R1,000 per bottle.

Fortaleza Anejo is aged for up to 1.5 to 2 years and is a mid to rich gold in colour with the nose of caramel, cinnamon, honey, and nutmeg. The signature mouth-feel of the Fortaleza tequilas is found here, as well as flavours ranging from soft agave honey to newly turned soil with wood sugars and spice throughout. The finish is of bracing minerals and hints of baked agave. Fortaleza Anejo retails at approx. R1,300 per bottle.

The Fortaleza Tequila collection is available at selected premium liquor stores around the country.
Women may find themselves fighting for mirror space and hiding their eye creams because according to Euromonitor, men's grooming recorded a 13% growth in value sales in 2016.

Tomas Anderson via 123RF

Locally, research conducted by Spark Media suggests that South African men have become increasingly interested in products specially developed for their needs, and are increasingly likely to shop for their own personal care products.

Sparks 2016 Roots research found that 98% of men bought personal hygiene products in the past month. The proportion of men using hand and body cream increased from 77.2% in 2010 to 82.5% in 2015, more so with black males, of whom 85.9% used hand or body cream in the last seven days (AMPS 2010 vs 2015).

Smelling good is as important to men as looking good; premium mens fragrances grew by 16% in 2016 (Euromonitor). AMPS research has shown that perfume and cologne use has increased among men long-term, with 53.3% of men being regular users. A high-quality fragrance is associated with career and social success, and has become an increasingly popular gift for men.

According to Euromonitor, South African brands, such as Sorbet, have jumped onto this trend. Sorbet Man offers exclusive mens grooming treatments, and the chain has a Sorbet-branded mens grooming range of skin and hair care products.

Lack of medical schemes

Although men are health conscious when it comes to their physique (54% of frequent gymmers, going at least once a week, being men), a concerning statistic to come out of Spark's Roots 2016 research is that 92% of urban males in LSM 4-7 are currently not on a medical aid scheme, and almost half (47%) of LSM 8-10 arent either. Spark Media says this opens a huge opportunity for healthcare providers to educate and build product awareness in this market.

Mens grooming is forecast to maintain strong sales growth. A ramp of new male grooming product development is expected in 2018 and 2019.
KaXu Solar One concentrated solar power (CSP) project, in the Northern Cape, was on Wednesday, 15 November, presented with a Momentum of Change award by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The award was presented at COP23, this year's UN Climate Change Conference, under way in Bonn, Germany.

KaXu is a 100MW plant constructed on a 1,100ha site near Pofadder. It was recognised under the Financing for Climate Friendly Investment category as one of 19 "Lighthouse Activity of the Year" projects receiving an award this year.

KaXu is one of the first batch of 28 renewable energy projects unveiled by the Department of Energy in 2011. It is also the first CSP plant in SA to use parabolic trough technology. This entails the use of parabolic mirrors to reflect and concentrate the sun's rays to produce heat, which then generates steam that powers turbines and produces electricity.

Energy storage allows the plant to produce firm, baseload electricity even when the sun is not shining, offering a remarkable low-carbon solution.

The project was officially opened in March 2015 and supplies clean energy to the equivalent of 80,000 homes while offsetting 315,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

SA has set a goal of generating up to 17,800MW of renewable energy by 2030 to reduce its dependence on oil and natural gas resources. The country's reliance of coal-driven power stations is the main reason why it is the 12th highest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the world.

KaXu is jointly owned by Abengoa Solar (51%), the Industrial Development Corporation (29%), and a community trust (20%).

The project, which created 4,500 temporary and 80 permanent jobs, is structured on a fully commercial basis. All the power is sold to Eskom under a power purchase agreement. Its uniqueness lies in its ability to supply baseload power, something that wind farms or solar photovoltaic (PV) plants cannot do and which has a significant economic value to the grid.

Each year, the Momentum for Change award recognises innovation and game-changing projects that address climate change and wider economic, social and environmental challenges.

Mafalda Duarte, head of the $8bn Climate Investment Funds (CIF), highlighted what the award means for SA: "The recognition underscores how concerted actions by a government can enable significant mobilisation of private-sector financial flows towards renewable energy technologies, including critically important base-load components of the energy systems."

Funding for KaXu was coordinated by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, which provided direct financing of R1.25bn ($143m) for two CSP projects in SA - including KaXu Solar One - and the 50MW Khi Solar One project, the first solar tower plant on the continent. The IFC also arranged $264m of parallel loans for the construction of these two projects.

The lenders coordinated by IFC for the KaXu project were the CIF's Clean Technology Fund, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, FirstRand Bank, Investor Direct Capital and Nedbank.

"This financial innovation was instrumental in unlocking the concentrated solar power market in SA, attracting financiers, and driving down the costs, and leading to the first operational private sector project of its kind in SA and the developing world," said Duarte.

Other areas of focus for the convention's Lighthouse Activities are Women for Results, Momentum for Change ICT Solutions, Planetary Health, and Climate Neutral Now. The work being done by the award recipients reflects how COP23's Global Climate Action has been accelerating in the two years since the Paris Agreement was universally adopted in support of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Source: BDpro
More than 20 banks sent or received money to Gupta-linked companies, an investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) found.

Photo: Transnet

"Led by HSBC, these banks also included National Westminster in the UK, Wells Fargo in the US, India's state-owned Bank of Baroda, Habib Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and a dozen Chinese banks like Bank of China and China Citibank," the report said.

The OCCRP investigated the flow of $321m in "commissions" promised to Salim Essa by China South Rail after it was awarded a $1.5bn contract by Transnet.

Much of this money was paid to Regiments Asia and Tequesta, two firms established on the same day, June 20 2014, which shared the same Hong Kong address.

OCCRP said it had information that Regiments Asia was founded by Trillian's former owner, Essa, and its current owner, Eric Wood - though Wood responded by saying he "unequivocally and categorically states that he has no knowledge of Regiments Asia".

"China South Rail sent the locomotive deal 'fee' to Regiments Asia and Tequesta in chunks ranging from $100,000 to several million dollars. The bank data shows that, whenever Regiments Asia received a credit to its account, it was always from China South Rail - suggesting that the firm had been established precisely for this deal. Tequesta records show a similar pattern, with 90% of its money coming from China South Rail," the report said.

"Banking records obtained by the OCCRP trace a total of $75m paid out by China South Rail after the contract was signed and $39.8m in the three months prior to that. OCCRP did not have access to all records to track the full $321m in payments," its report published on Wednesday said.

"The documents show that the money went first to Gupta-associated companies and then on to a series of small shell companies where much it disappeared. But some is traceable to payments on everything from coffee to luxury cars.

"Bankers often failed to flag a suspicious scheme, accepting large payments from the Chinese rail firm and then paying out a series of smaller payments to an array of shell companies controlled by the Guptas."
The Digital Skills Academy, in partnership with Brainstorm magazine, will once again offer a $10,000 bursary for one Brainstorm reader.

From left to right, Themba Tshamano, Digital Talent Bursary Winner from 2016 Competition, and Paul Dunne, CEO and Founder of Digital Skills Academy.

The competition, first launched in November 2016, is open to working professionals employed in companies in South Africa, with a particular focus in financial services, telecommunications, professional services, and ICT/technology consulting and services.

The selection process is based on merit and potential and the winner will secure a place for the March 2018 intake of one of Digital Skills Academys international BSc Degree programmes in digital skills.

Last years winner, 31-year-old Standard Bank technical business analyst Themba Tshamano said he expected Digital Skills Academy to help him fast-track his career progress. Tshamano had already planned to enroll for a BSc Computer Science degree when he won the award to join Digital Skills Academys international BSc Degree. What is particularly exciting for me is the courses focus on practical implementations, innovation and entrepreneurship. These are all areas I feel will help me develop as a well-rounded professional who can deliver real value to the company I work for, said Tshamano after winning the Digital Talent Bursary.

CEO and founder of Digital Skills Academy, Paul Dunne said, This bursary is designed to reward a high potential ICT professional with a valuable opportunity to enhance his or her digital skills and with long-term benefits for both the professional and the company they work for."

Applications are now open at digitalskillsacademy.com/digital-talent-bursary and the closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 7 January 2018.
Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha on Friday announced his decision to deny Janusz Walus parole.

Walus was sentenced to life imprisonment for assassinating the then South African Communist Party (SACP) Secretary-General Chris Hani outside his home in Dawn Park, Boksburg, on 10 April 1993.

Addressing the media in Pretoria, Minister Masutha said he has ordered for a further profile of Walus to be submitted.

The Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria had initially set the Ministers decision aside and ordered Walus to be placed on parole.

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) then upheld the Ministers appeal against that judgment with an order remitting the matter to the Minister for reconsideration and a decision within 90 days.

This matter has attracted publicity here and abroad because of the grave impact caused by the crime he committed which is well documented. It is for this reason that we elected to communicate my decision on this platform.

I have now considered the offenders application. In making my decision, I took into account the SCA judgment in so far as it related to representations made by Mrs Hani, Mr Walus and recommendations made by the Parole Board, Minister Masutha said, adding that South Africa is a constitutional democracy which is governed by the rule of law.

In reaching his decision, Minister Masutha said he has taken into account the relevant laws and prescripts that regulate parole processes, in particular, the provisions of the Correctional Services Act 111 of 1998.

Regarding empathy, it can be said that he [Walus] expressed remorse for the fact that the victims children are fatherless and the wife is a widow. However, he showed no remorse for murdering Chris Hani the communist leader.

He still rationalises his actions and insists that they were politically motivated. His ideas about communism still stand, the Minister said.

According to Minister Masutha, in April 1993, Walus received a list from Clive Derby Lewis containing the names and addresses of politicians and journalists. Chris Hanis name was third on the list.

Walus applied for parole in 2013 but Minister Masutha turned down his application in April 2015.

Walus then launched a review application in the North Gauteng High Court, which ultimately set aside the Minister's decision and order that he must be released within 14 days.

Minister Masutha applied for leave to appeal, which was dismissed. The Minister then applied to the Supreme Court of Appeal for leave to appeal against the ruling.
BEIJING - Chinese web giant Baidu unveiled on Thursday a smart speaker model and plans for a self-driving mini-bus, its latest foray into the hyper-competitive field of artificial intelligence.

Photo: Baidu Inc.

Baidu will collaborate with bus manufacturer King Long to develop and produce the first model of a fully autonomous mini-bus, Baidu CEO Robin Li said during the company's annual technology conference at a glitzy Beijing hotel.

The company aims to start "small-scale production" on the mini-bus in July 2018.

Baidu also plans to launch self-driving car models in 2019 in cooperation with manufacturers JAC Motors and BAIC, as well as the Chery car group, Li said, noting that these vehicles will be able to reduce traffic jams endemic to Chinese cities.

The company, regarded by some as the "Chinese Google", established in September a $1.5 billion fund dedicated to developing driverless cars.

In April it launched "Apollo," an "open platform" on which its technologies can be shared with developers and automakers. The platform signals a move to compete with Californian giant Alphabet (Google's parent company) and its subsidiary Waymo.

Baidu also unveiled Thursday a voice-responsive speaker -- the "Raven H" -- similar to Amazon's "Echo" loudspeaker.

The product, which will be sold in China starting December for $256, takes advantage of Baidu's advancements in voice recognition and artificial intelligence.

Li likewise announced at the conference that the Baidu smartphone application will also be upgraded to better integrate voice recognition -- no small feat given the tonal complexities of Mandarin and diversity of Chinese dialects.
This week on the big screen: a father steps into the shoes of Father Christmas to reconcile with his family in the local film Liewe Kersfeesvader, we take a closer look at the man who invented the iconic feminist superhero Wonder Woman in Professor Marston & The Wonder Women, famed DC superheroes have to save the world in Justice League, a small donkey follows The Star and becomes an unlikely hero, a ruthless Nazi leader is The Man With The Iron Heart, and opera lovers can indulge in Mozart's Magic Flute.

Liewe Kersfeesvader

If theres one local film tailor-made for family viewing during the festive season, its this heartbreaking gem from writer-director Ettiene Fourie, who twisted our sensibility with Die Windpomp and explored a womans passion in Dis Koue Kos Skat.

A young beauty queen is flung into swift adulthood when her father assumes a new identity: Father Christmas. Juggling an unhinged father, an impressionable kid brother, and a growing romance, Nonnie has to redefine her own meaning of family.

Professor Marston & The Wonder Women

This incredible true story looks at what inspired Harvard psychologist and inventor Dr William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans) to create the iconic feminist superhero Wonder Woman.

Marstons inspiration for Wonder Woman were his wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston (Rebecca Hall) and their mutual lover Olive Byrne (Bella Heathcote); self-empowered women who defied social conventions while they helped Marston advance his prescient behavioural research.

A bold and illuminating true superhero origin story from writer/director Angela Robinson, it is also a tale of invention, perseverance, and courage against the forces of oppression.

Justice League

Ddirected by Zack Snyder, this big screen epic action adventure stars the famed lineup of DC superheroes: Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg.

Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally Diana Prince to face an even greater enemy. Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat.

Based on DC characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the Justice League screenplay was written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon based on a story by Terrio and Snyder.

The Star

In this Sony Pictures Animation film, a small but brave donkey named Bo yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams.

Based on the Nativity of Jesus, and of an original pitch by Tom Sheridan, it was written by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore.

The Man With The Iron Heart

The Czech resistance in London decides to plan the most ambitious military operation of WWII: Anthropoid. Two young recruits in their late twenties, Jozef Gabcik and Jan Kubis, are sent to Prague to assassinate the most ruthless Nazi leader, head of the SS, the Gestapo, and the architect of the Final Solution - Reich-protector Reinhard Heydrich.

Cedric Jimenez co-wrote the screenplay with his partner Audrey Diwan, and British screenwriter David Farr (Hanna), and their work is based on the eponymous 2012 bestseller by Laurent Binet.

The Magic Flute

Met music director James Levine conducts Tony award-winner Julie Taymors production of Mozarts masterpiece Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute).

Golda Schultz stars Pamina with Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night. Levine leads a dynamic young cast in Mozarts Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute). The opera in two acts by Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder.

The film will be screened on 18, 19, 21, 28, and 29 November 2017.

Read more about the latest film releases: www.writingstudio.co.za.
The face of the maritime industry is being changed by technological advances and digitalisation, opening up opportunities, especially among the youth - rather than being a threat to South Africa jobs.

Image Supplied

This emerged during the second and final day of the South African International Maritime Institute (Saimi) Maritime Education and Training in the Digital Era conference in Cape Town on Thursday. The conference, organised by Saimi, was held at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and attended by leading national and global seafaring academics and employers. It brought together maritime industry players, government stakeholders and education providers to examine the impact of technology on the education and training of the countrys future maritime workforce.

Graham Dreyden, representing South Africas largest employer of local seafarers, African Marine Solutions (Amsol), said: We dont need fewer people on board ships  we need smarter people on board.

Next-generation sea staff

Dreyden said the younger generation would find it easier to adjust and offer value in multiple roles in the shipping industry, adding that 35% of Amsols 550 employees were classified as youth.

Our challenge is how to prepare them for entering the industry. Big data and analytics will impact the whole shipping value chain and the seafarers capacity to manage data and make complex decisions.

In another boost to the industry, a major private sector partner, Norwegian-based Klaveness Shipping Management, has identified South Africa as its new source of next-generation sea staff, after Romania and the Philippines, the latter of which supplies 400,000 sailors to the global fleet.

...experts warned of a global shortage of 150,000 seafarers by 2025 and the exponential pace of technological development which would produce serious skills development challenges, and opportunities, for the South African maritime economy.

Investing in South African maritime education and training

According to Klavenesss head of crewing, Torbjorn Eide, the company has a long-term perspective on investment in South African maritime education and training, with engagement planned for the next five to 10 years. To this end, he said Klaveness had signed a skills development agreement with the South African Maritime Training Academy, in partnership with Saimi, and invested heavily in the countrys national cadetship programme.

We see tremendous opportunities, both from commercial engagement and people development perspectives, said Eide.

But, he warned, the current retention rate of 54% of trainees could force Klaveness to re-evaluate its position in terms of skills development within the next two years. The quality of the candidate is not the problem, said Eide. We need to identify the right people for the industry. The sea is not for all and this is something we may need to address more proactively in the future.

To put it in perspective, there is a surplus of 15,000 officers in the Philippines  thats what South Africa is competing against, he said.

Eide said proactive interventions included building relationships with traditional leaders and communities to help address high rural unemployment rates. By recruiting future officers at an early age, from 16 to 19 years, and developing them through company-specific conferences, seminars and training programmes, we can secure a stable qualified crew roster and create careers for promising candidates.

Technology and maritime sector growth

Opening the international conference on Wednesday, experts warned of a global shortage of 150,000 seafarers by 2025 and the exponential pace of technological development which would produce serious skills development challenges, and opportunities, for the South African maritime economy.

World Maritime University president Dr Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry highlighted the urgency of the situation and cautioned all industry players to adjust their sails and think collaboratively instead of competitively.

As maritime countries, we should examine the needs of new technologies and tailor our maritime education to meet these needs and those for a sustainable future. It is not enough, and short-sighted, to educate tomorrows leaders based on todays labour market, said Doumbia-Henry.

Under the national governments Operation Phakisa, the oceans economy is predicted to contribute R177bn to the GDP and between 800,000 and one million direct jobs by 2033.

SAIMI chief executive Professor Malek Pourzanjani said the maritime sector had a vital role to play in addressing the countrys unemployment and job creation challenges, but that skills development needed to keep up with the global digital demand. The digital revolution has changed all our lives. We must explore the changes required in maritime education and training to align with technological developments and meet global best practice standards, said Pourzanjani.

He said that technology would also play a key role as the medium of instruction, with the rise of e-learning, distance-based learning and simulator training.
The food industry is changing, with some restaurant owners forgoing physical retail spaces and instead opting to trade solely online. The business model of these 'virtual restaurants' often means reduced overheads and therefore increased chances of success.

Hellen Gqoboka launched one of Johannesburgs first virtual restaurants, Leles African Cuisine, in February this year, and since then she says her business has gone from strength to strength.

Having obtained a BCom in financial accounting from UCT and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science, Gqoboka worked in a variety of multinational businesses, including South African Breweries and KFC. While working in South East Asia, she noticed that the local cuisine was featured on the menus of high-end global hotels in the region.

I realised that African cuisine has a lack of this kind of presence in South Africa. If people want it, they cant find it without going to a taxi rank or a chesa nyama. So I saw a gap in the market for a premium African cuisine offering, she says.

On-demand cuisine

At first, she considered opening a regular restaurant, but as she began to research the market and look into international trends, she opted to launch her business as a kitchen that sells meals through on-demand convenience platforms like Mr D and Uber Eats.

Instead of testing my idea and delaying it by finding retail space and kitting it out, I thought that I could use those platforms to get started, says Gqoboka. I started the kitchen out of a cottage behind my house in Bryanston, and nine months later, were going strong.

After persuading the delivery platforms to take a chance on her, she found that the business model worked just fine without her having to open a true restaurant  which she attributes to her attention to detail and the professionalism of her outfit. The virtual model is working out so well for us that this is what were just going to keep on doing to increase and drive the brand.

Expansion plans

Shes now opened a second location  the delivery companies require a 5km radius for collection and delivery, so to open up new markets, shell need to open new kitchens. The second kitchen also offers customer collections, which Gqoboka says is nice, but not necessary.

She intends to open another six restaurants by February 2018, and then another eight in the next year. She also plans to take the business model up into other countries in Africa, focusing on delivering quality regional cuisine wherever it operates. She says that some of these restaurants will be customer facing, but that the main focus of the business will still be the kitchen and delivery model.

The benefits of the virtual model

Without having to fit out a customer-facing restaurant space, the businesss overheads are lower and margins are higher, which makes it easier to grow and easier to fund, says Karl Westvig, the CEO of Retail Capital. Because the business is less sensitive to funding costs, it is also easier for the owner to obtain funding, because they can afford to service higher rates through those higher margins.

Retail Capital has provided funding to Leles African Cuisine, and Westvig says they are very excited about the model, which is a first for them. Its new for us. Were learning along with her and backing her as she grows. We believe in her vision and its a model that she can expand quite aggressively.

While Gqoboka might be breaking new ground in South Africa, she is participating in a global trend in which restaurants operate in the virtual space without a customer-facing outlet.

Westvig says that Gqobokas model is to use the systems already put in place by the delivery services, but some global virtual restaurants actually create their own websites to take and manage orders. This gives them a far greater understanding of their target market  whereas Gqoboka finds that she only garners nuggets of information from the delivery services systems because they keep their customers data confidential. She works around this by interacting with her customers on social media to get a sense of who they are and what they want from her.

Leles African Cuisine might be one of the first virtual restaurants in South Africa, but others are sure to follow soon. With far lower barriers to entry, the business model may prove too compelling to resist for would-be restauranteurs. As Gqoboka has shown, virtual isnt just a stepping stone  it can shape the entire business model, concludes Westvig.
KINSHASA - Leading technology and electric car companies have been accused of failing to ensure minerals used in their products are not mined using child labour, Amnesty International has said in a report

The report found that firms including Microsoft, Renault and Huawei have taken "no action" into how the batteries used in their products could be linked to human rights abuses.

But tech giants Apple and Samsung have made some progress, according to the report, which ranked the progress of 29 companies that source cobalt -- a mineral used in batteries for mobile phones and electric cars -- from the world's leading producer the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Children as young as seven were found scavenging for rocks containing cobalt by researchers in the mineral-rich but impoverished vast African country, the report said.

"Cobalt mined by children and adults in horrendous conditions in the DRC is entering the supply chains of some of the world's biggest brands," said the report, which is titled Time To Recharge.

As global demand for cobalt skyrockets, the electric car industry is "lagging behind other sectors" the report said under the heading "The dark side of green technology".

Car companies Renault and Daimler have "performed particularly badly", with the human rights group starting an online petition demanding Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn to investigate his firm's cobalt supply chain.

Apple was named an industry leader after becoming the first company to publish the names of its cobalt suppliers this year, but other tech brands have made "alarmingly little progress," including Microsoft, which is "not in compliance with even the basic international standards".

More than 50% of the world's cobalt comes from DR Congo, the report said, with 20% of exports hand-dug by "artisanal miners".

"Amnesty International documented children and adults mining cobalt in narrow man-made tunnels, at risk of fatal accidents and serious lung disease," the report said.

The DRC is one of the world's poorest nations, where 90 percent of its estimated 71-million population lives in extreme poverty.

Competition for its mineral wealth has bred widespread corruption, smuggling and mismanagement, while some funds have been used to fuel armed conflicts raging in the east of the country.
Institute of Internal Auditors Botswanas President Margret Mushango has encouraged local practitioners to affiliate with the local regulator. She was speaking at organisations 7th annual conference this Tuesday.

We expect every internal auditor to be a member of IIAB, only a few auditors are registered with us and there is nothing forcing auditors to be members. Some subscribe for one year and fail to renew membership due to reasons know to them, decried IIAB president.

IIAB president said they have a lot of work to create awareness about their organisation and to attract new members. Mushango conceded there is need for her executive to find ways to create membership drive.





Meanwhile, an executive team member of IIB, Larry Baker has encouraged auditors to find simpler ways of advising management about audit and risk management principles. Somebody somewhere knows something, said Baker who encouraged IIAB members to find a way of accessing true information at work places. Baker advised auditors to provide objective financial information, strategic information to management at their respective companies.

The Canadian was one of the speakers at the IIAB 7th national annual conference from the 8th to 10th November at Gaborone International Convention Centre. IIAB member William Maboane encouraged auditors to educate their leadership about their roles and need to attend such gatherings. I would like to urge you to go and spread the message. Lets make leadership at our respective work places about the importance of attending IIAB conferences, said Maboane when offering message of encouragement to members. Maboane who expressed his displeasure at the low turnout of senior auditor, explained that they have extended invites to more companies and received confirmations. I know there are some ongoing meetings around town and the CEOs always attend with chief auditors. They are the left hand men to provide advise, conceded Maboane.
Executive Chairman of South Africas De Beers Consolidated Mines, Barend Peterson has called for concerted efforts to prevent synthetic diamonds from infiltrating the market for genuine diamonds if the diamond industry is to be sustained.

The global synthetic diamond market continues to grow, threatening countries like Botswana that trade in genuine diamonds. For the diamond industry to be sustainable, we should make sure that synthetic diamonds dont find their way into our market, said Peterson at the Diamond conference held in Gaborone this week.

According to the Research and Markets the global synthetic diamond market was valued at USD 16.83 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach USD 23.8 billion by 2021, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.14% during the forecast period, 2016-2021.





The synthetic diamond market is driven by its low-cost as compared to the normal diamond and some natural diamond producers are gradually shifting to synthetic diamonds. The other driving factor is the increase in its demand in various end-user applications, since it can be modified as per the requirements of end-user industries.

Peterson said players in the industry should come together and find a common goal to ensure the sustainability of the diamond industry. Diamond Producers Association Jean-Marc Leiberherrr said there is need to be consistent in the diamond industry and be able to win the hearts of consumers especially new ones.

There is need for alignment of what we are saying and what we are doing because these young consumers are looking or consistency. If they see that what we are saying is not aligned to what we are doing it will create a huge perception gap that can be very costly for us in the future, he said.

Recently, Head of De Beers Global Sightholder Sales Corporate Affairs and Government Relations Pat Dambe, said they are not losing sleep over the threat posed by the synthetic diamond industry as they acquired technology to detect fake and synthetic diamonds from natural diamonds.

She said De Beers is focused on making sure that synthetic diamonds dont infiltrate their market. The company has an innovation technological centre that has several different experts who understand synthetics. De Beers is one of the best diamonds producing company in the world for the past 50 years.
Leading South African oil company, Vivo Energy, in partnership with a South African KFC Franchisee, Baobab Khulisani South Africa (Pty) Ltd have purchased the liquidated KFC Botswana Franchise.

The two companies formed a joint venture company, Baobab Energy Botswana which will take control of the assets and operations of KFC Botswana, which are currently in liquidation. KFC Botswana is currently managed by the liquidator KPMG Botswana since June 2016.

According to a statement from Vivo Energy, The completion of this transaction is subject to legal agreements and regulatory approvals. Baobab Energy Botswana plans to invest to grow the KFC business in Botswana and will both refresh and improve current KFC restaurants and look to open new ones, including adding more restaurants to Shell service stations reads the statement.





The KFC Botswana portfolio consists of 12 restaurants, eight of which are in, or in the region of, Gaborone; two in Francistown (including one at the Shell service station in Francistown); one in Kasane; and one in Maun.

KFC Botswana franchise was operated and managed by four companies, VPB Propco (Proprietary) Limited, QSR Food Company (Proprietary) Limited, Boitumelo Dijo (Proprietary) Limited and Greenax (Proprietary) Limited.

These were placed under provisional liquidation by order of the High Court on 2 June 2016. Nigel Dixon-Warren was appointed as the provisional liquidator in the same order and the companies were placed into final liquidation on 30 August 2016.

Commenting on the transaction, Vivo Energy Botswana Managing Director, Wayne Kingwill said partnering with Baobab to acquire KFC Botswana makes perfect sense for Vivo Energy as the company has invested heavily in growing and developing the convenience retail business; including the addition of quick service restaurants in its service stations.

We understand that customers at our Shell service stations want more than just a fill up of fuel when they come to our sites. We have successfully added convenience and choice for our customers so the introduction of KFC Botswana is a natural development, said Kingwill.

Baobab South Africa operates 12 KFC restaurants in the Eastern Cape, South Africa and has a strong track record of success. It was awarded African KFC franchise of the year, operator of the year and service promise ambassador in 2016.

Baobab South Africa, Principal Operator, Grant Wheatley said they are looking forward to bringing KFC recipe for success to Botswana.

Having enjoyed a successful partnership with KFC in South Africa over the past nine years, we are looking forward to bringing this recipe for success to KFC Botswana.

Our first priority is ensuring we consistently provide our customers with the great KFC experience we are proud of, driving improvements through our passion for customer service and serving the great quality products customers in Botswana know and love, he said.

He said all existing KFC Botswana employees will transfer to Baobab Energy Botswana as KFC is committed to supporting local employment.

As the appointed liquidator, Nigel Dixon-Warren, KPMG Botswana said they are pleased to conclude the transaction. Given the challenges faced during the liquidation process, we are very pleased that we have been able to successfully conclude a transaction with Baobab Energy Botswana and we are confident that KFC Botswana will achieve new heights.

However, the liquidator said despite difficult conditions to operate and manage the day to day operations of KFC Botswana since the date of liquidation with the intention of selling it as a going concern, the transaction is still subject to regulatory and other approvals.
The valuation of the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) has been completed, paving way for the registration of an entirely new company which will also in future be listed in the stock market, Botswana Guardian understands.

This week, the BSE issued a statement to the effect that, substantial progress has been made in the much anticipated demutualisation of the BSE which will see the conversion of the BSE from being a statutory body to a public company. The valuation of the BSE, is part of a demutualisation process, which has been made possible by the BSE Transition Act of 2015.

On Wednesday, Chief Executive, Thapelo Tsheole declined to disclose the value of BSE indicating that the minister is yet to receive the valuation report. In due course, Finance and Economic Development minister, Kenneth Matambo, will award the shareholding of the new company. This milestone will officially separate ownership rights and trading rights of the exchange and will be in line with global trends, said a statement.





The demutualisation of BSE, effectively means that the BSE as a bourse, will continue to operate, while an entirely new company, whose name is yet to be made, will be formed. Meanwhile, the process to name the new company to be registered has started.

Four names have been suggested. The names are, Botswana Stock Exchange Limited, Botswana Securities Exchange, Botswana Securities Exchange Group and Botswana Securities Exchange Holdings.

The proposed names are informed by research, brand identity, the need to be world class as the vision of the BSE prescribes, and the trends in the local securities market, said BSE. The public has been invited to air their views before the main committee takes a final decision on the name to be registered.
Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is expected to soon write a letter to Swedish Government requesting to be availed all transactional information regarding the purchase of Gripens by Botswana Government.

This follows a series of engagements by the UDC with the Swedish Government through its representative based in South Africa. The UDC petitioned the Swedish government in May this year and last week UDC Vice President Dumelang Saleshando revealed that they had met in the morning of that Wednesday with the representative to give them an update.

He said the representative has assured them that the Prime Minister has received the petition and it is being debated. Botswana Government has expressed interest in the acquisition of the ultra-modern Swedish mode Gripen JAS 39 fighter aircraft, manufactured by SAAB. Botswana allegedly intends to acquie between eight and 12 of these aircraft. The Gripen JAS 39 aircraft is an ultra-modern and very advanced fighter, even by European standards that military aviation experts say the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) neither needs nor can afford. UDC President Advocate Duma Boko has indicated that they would be writing to the Swedish Ministry of Defence to request all details that are not classified. According to the UDC leader they would be taking advantage of the Swedish law on transparency. In Sweden a citizen can demand any form of information from an official and that information has to be availed. An officer can be prosecuted for refusing to avail such information. So it is in this regard that we would explore this avenue to request to be furnished with information on any transaction that involves Botswanas Government. We want all the information regarding the buying of the Gripens as long as it is not classified, said Advocate Boko who indicated that they would not ask for such information in Botswana because they are alive to the fact that government would not avail it.





Here we know we would not get anything because everything in our country is classified. We are approaching the Swedish government because there, they are transparent. We know we will get such information on these transactions, he stated. UDC wrote a petition to the Swedish Government titled Botswana Arms race in the midst of poverty, massive unemployment and social inequality. The petition protests Botswana governments ongoing and planned military spending. Boko stated in the petition that their plea as representatives of Botswana's political parties and civil society is for the Swedish Parliament not to approve the sale of these fighter jets to the government of the Republic of Botswana as it is not in the national interest to do so.

Our position is that military spending must be kept to the barest minimum, and Botswana's meagre resources should be used to build better infrastructure, such as water and electricity supply, in order attract foreign investment, reduce poverty, unemployment, social inequality and reward labour productivity, especially in the public sector, he wrote. The UDC leader observed that since 2008, with the arrival of General Ian Khama as Botswana's president, the country's national security' expenditure has been on the increase. He cited the Stockholm International Peace Research (SlPRl), which records that Botswana's military expenditure jumped from US$ 292 million in 1998 to US$ 377 in 2008 to US$ 436 in 2015 (at constant 2014 prices and exchanges rates). According to the more recent National Development Plan (April 2017-March 2023), Botswana is planning to spend about fifteen (15) percent of its GDP on what is labeled 'Territorial integrity'. lt is estimated that about half of this will go towards the acquisition of the ultra-modern Swedish mode Gripen JAS 39 fighter aircraft, manufactured by SAAB.
Cornelius Ramatlhakwane, the CEO of Botswana Post is the proud postman whose focus is in transforming and diversifying the postal services.

Barely over two years in office, the writing is crystal clear that his mission to take the postal services to greater heights is within reach as evidenced by the good profits the postal services has already made. Armed with MSc in Strategic Management, Ramatlhakwane is the kind of man who does not sit to enjoy the luxury of his office, but is always up on his feet leading his charges to own the transformation exercise. Clearly he must be subscribing to Martin Luther Kings philosophy that the time is always right to do the right thing.

Speaking to BG News, Ramatlhakwane does not mince his words; it becomes clear that he subscribes to Luthers When you are right you cannot be too radical, but, when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative. He is first to show that he understands his mandate. He says the Post is part of the strategic Government initiative and consortium to both harmonise expertise, maximise resources and skills, and grow stakeholder value, especially the mere Motswana in far flung places, under a Holding Group called Botswana Postal and Savings Limited Group (BPSLG).





The latter has three (3) entities under its ambit being Botswana Post, Botswana Courier & Logistics and Botswana Savings Bank. These are however, independent entities with separate mandates yet sharing a common ground which is to bring services to the citizens. In time past these formed the singular mandate of the Post.

Having taken over in October 2015, Ramatlhakwane does not want to earn credit alone, instead he showers his predecessor, Keolebogile Pele Moleta and credits him for introducing him to the Postal Sector .I have always sought to build on the foundation and vision that we set.

He says true to form, perception is stronger than reality and at the heart of everything he does both with the engagement of the Board and Management teams, is to make sure that, we build a sustainable and successful Postal business. On assuming office, he was convinced that as a business they were at an inflection point, and unless they make critical decisions and take concrete steps, we ran the risk of regression in growing this Brand  Botswana Post. The latter part of 2015 and early 2016 was a busy period across all levels.

Excellence and growth

Ramatlhakwanes first strategy was to become amiable. He says during the transition period, they went through sensitive moments as a precursor to the business as seen now and still building towards 2020. I still look back and I am amazed at how crystal clear and impactful the Icon of Excellence Strategy was to everyone both locally and internationally. At the centre of this Strategy was the realisation that Botswana Post in its traditional make up could not survive the onslaught of technology, and the fast-paced developments in peoples lives and how businesses are run in this modern age.

We needed to assume a different posture, and also in alignment with our national aspirations.

During the period following immediately after his appointment they undertook the SCAN - Performance Improvement and Opportunity Review - intended to inform their strategic disposition into the future.

In my mind we needed to re-focus and recalibrate but only if we knew what we are dealing with, then would our response be better measured and definitive. They got approval to extend by twelve (12) months the Icon of Excellence Strategy. Botswana Post has since made notable achievements among others making P500m revenue for the company, cut down cost to income ratio to 60 percent as well as become a serious player in the corporate Botswana

Fit for Growth

During the 12 month strategy extension, they introduced Strategic- Operational Themes in predetermined focus areas that promised to become the bedrock of our success when we finally cast our new strategy. For me the 12 months was both a personal/mental boot camp and mock session for when we finally launch the new strategy, he said.

Innovative Excellence

The 2017/18 financial year saw the business introduce the new strategy, Executing Innovative Excellence 2017  2020. This is an amalgamation of the work put through from the Performance and Opportunity Scan, results gleaned from the extension of the Icon of Excellence, targeted operational and strategic theme activities introduced in between and the impact of the VC Model.

This has placed the Post on a successful trajectory, becoming real competition that cannot be ignored both as a service provider and strategic co-collaborator to other players in the market. At the close of 2016/17 FY, the Post recorded a cost reduction of 52 percent compared to 2015/16, controllable costs are down by 9 percent whilst revenue is up by 7 percent.

Competition and Challenges

Ramatlhakwane says a lot remains at stake to build a convincing case of how to get the Post from the vicious circle of Government funding for some of its strategic projects. Days of cap-in-hand seeking guaranteed cash bailouts are over. We are now operating in an environment under tighter BOCRA Regulation, and Companies Act as opposed to the old Postal Services Act dispensation, and this comes with its own requirements strategically and operationally. There also exist challenges that are unique to the business such as a mandate that precludes them against anti selection, and being confined to towns and cities. We operate in areas where commercially no one wants to operate at  this has its own setbacks  but we take it in our strides, he says.

The transformation exercise has taken a great toll on the 800+ staff members, which at all times needs assurance of job security while being pushed to give their unwavering attention to customers.
The relationship between Botswana and De Beers should be celebrated as it has over the years helped propel the countrys economic and social trajectory to greater heights.

President Ian Khama told delegates when giving a keynote address at the annual Diamond Conference in Gaborone.

De Beers and Botswana have been together since the discovery of diamonds in the late 1960s, a partnership which culminated in the formation of Debswana which is one of the biggest diamond mining firms in the world.





According to the President, it will have been a hard call for Botswana to have achieved its double digits growth over the years, if it were not for De Beers, a mining company which was formed by British imperialist, Sir Cecil John Rhodes in the 1880s.

Our partnership spans over decades and I hope that it will continue to strengthen with time, said Khama, who this Monday made his last state of the nation address before he vacates office at the end of March 2018.

Botswanas economic growth rates have averaged just over 5 percent in the last 50 years. The two parties, have, and will continue to explore future opportunities in the diamond industry, which is considered highly secretive, especially when it comes to pricing.

The relocation of some of the key functions of De Beers from London to Gaborone three years ago is one of the highlights of the De Beers/Botswana relationship, which has in the process created jobs and the much-needed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Botswana, said the President.

As part of the historic mining agreement between De Beers and Botswana which was penned in September 2011, the former was supposed to relocate sorting, sales and marketing of diamonds from United Kingdom (UK) to Botswana in a process known as aggregation.

Consequently, diamonds from all De Beers mines valued at over P80 billion, are annually sorted and sold in Botswana, creating ripple effects in many other non-diamond sectors such as tourism, hospitality and financial services.

As a corporation, De Beers has also contributed meaningfully to Botswana entrepreneurship developmental agenda. In August this year, Botswana government, through the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with De Beers, Anglo American and Debswana to underpin the continued expansion of the Tokafala Enterprise Development programme,

Tokafala is a collaborative effort geared towards promoting economic diversification and job creation in Botswana through personalised business mentoring, advisory support tailored to the specific needs of the enterprise, and facilitating access to finance and market for clients. The programme has supported more than 1,500 jobs, including the direct creation of more than 280 jobs.

This is one important initiative, which shows De Beers long term commitment to Botswana.

Speaking at the same event, mineral resources, green technology and energy security minister Advocate Sadique Kebonang, said the initiators of the De Beers and government partnership, should be commended for their forward looking negotiations, which has helped move Botswana from one of the poorest nations 50 years ago, to a middle income status that it is today.

Partnerships such as this one create sustainable economic value for all parties, noted De Beers Chief Executive, Bruce Cleaver.

Meanwhile, speaking earlier this week in the state of the nation address, President Khama noted that both the rough and polished diamonds markets are depressed. China and the United States, the two largest markets of diamonds, have not seen growths as expected in the process limiting their ability to purchase luxury commodities such as diamonds. We do, nonetheless, remain committed to creating an enabling environment that will catalyse and sustain our diamond beneficiation initiatives and are thus formulating a new diamond beneficiation strategy, which will be concluded by the end of February 2018, disclosed the President.

Diamonds remain the countrys biggest single exports revenue earner by far.
Farewell to Botswanas working class as public sector trade unions are basically on deaths door. Government has written to Commissioner of Labour to cancel the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC) BG News can reveal.

The decision was taken after council halted its operations when Botswana Federation of Public, Parastatal and Private Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) withdrew from the council under its BOFEPUSU Acting Jointly Agreement in May this year.

The federation announced during its Special Congress held on May 6th 2017 that the BOFEPUSU AJA had terminated its membership at the PSBC. Early last month Botswana Guardian reported that Government is working behind the scenes to de-register the council something, which the PSBC Secretariat claimed ignorance about.





Botswana Guardian is in possession of a letter in which Acting Commissioner of Labour Goitseone Kokorwe has written to trade unions notifying them of this development.

The letter dated November 1st 2017, Kokorwe indicates that the commissioners office is in receipt of an application for cancellation of PSBC from the Employer Representative- Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM).

The acting commissioner stated that in the application the DPSM has indicated that the PSBC is not functioning due to the PSBC Resolution that terminated the membership of Trade Union Party on the 23rd of May 2017. DPSM has also indicated that the council is not functioning due to the Constitution because after the passing of the PSBC Resolution the Constitution of PSBC makes it impossible for the admission of a Trade Union Party. Kokorwe stated that according to DPSM as a consequence of the aforementioned the council does not meet the mandatory statutory requirement provided for under Section 52 of the Public Service Act of 2008; the council does not meet the mandatory requirement of Article 5.1 of its Constitution and the council is unable to deal with any application for admission to the council as set out under Article 6 of the PSBC Constitution said Kokorwe. Therefore, given these circumstances Kokorwe explained that the commissioners office solicits views of the union who were part of the PSBC under the BOFEPUSU AJA on the matter. The unions have been urged to respond by end of this week. BOFEPUSU Secretary General Tobokani Rari confirmed to this publication that they have received the communication from the Commissioner of Labour. He however said the commissioner is being disingenuous for asking the Trade Union Party to make representation before her office without having attached or furnished them with the letter from DPSM to appreciate its content. We want to know what informed such decision in detail. What we have in the letter that we received is just a paraphrased letter of what the DPSM argument is about. We would have appreciated to know how they interpreted the clauses they mentioned. The letter does not give us all the information that we need for making presentation before the commissioners office, said Rari adding that they would request that they be furnished with proper documentation or correspondence from DPSM to best inform themselves before appearing at commissioners office.

The secretary general revealed that they are against the cancellation of the council and the reasons advanced. Rari explained that there is a case before Court of Appeal regarding the scope of work for PSBC, which during arguments before judges the functionality of the council was raised. According to Rari the ruling might have a bearing on the functionality of the council and for DPSM to raise this point in their request for cancellation of the council is wrong. He said the court might apply its might on the existence of the council. Rari said BOFEPUSU do not agree that since BOFEPUSU AJA withdrew from the council then no other party can be admitted.

Any interested party can apply to the council and if they meet the set out requirement they can be admitted. We do not agree with the DPSM interpretation of the PSBC Constitution. We know the intention is to kill the bargaining power that unions have which is why the Public Service Act is also being amended to dilute the powers of the unions, said Rari. He explained that the government of Botswana has dented its image through its disregard for labour laws. He said the government wants to see unions just being entities without powers something that would negatively affect the workers. They have killed the bargaining power and now they are going for a killer punch to kill the bargaining structure. So nothing would be left and this is regrettable. We are regressing as the country is now violating the same International Labour Laws it has ratified.
BEIJING - China's friendly policy toward Zimbabwe will not change in spite of the current situation in the African country, a Chinese spokesperson said Thursday.

"We sincerely hope that the situation in Zimbabwe will become stable and the issues will be resolved peacefully and appropriately," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily press briefing.

On Wednesday, the Zimbabwean military announced that it has taken control of all government institutions in the southern African country. Zimbabwe's 93-year-old president Robert Mugabe and his wife have reportedly been put under house arrest since early Wednesday.

Military leaders said on state television that they were not taking over the government, but "targeting criminals around" Mugabe, and that Mugabe and his family are safe and their security is guaranteed.

When answering a question on Chinese investment in Zimbabwe, Geng said the friendly cooperation between China and Zimbabwe are comprehensive, benefiting the people of both countries.

"China's friendly policy toward Zimbabwe will not change," said the spokesperson.

"We will continue to advance friendly cooperation with Zimbabwe in line with the principle of equality, reciprocity and win-win cooperation," Geng said.


An internet imagery.

HYDERABAD (PTI): The Indian government is considering to indigenously manufacture majority of the defence systems that are currently imported, over the next five-six years, scientific advisor to defence minister, G Satheesh Reddy, has said.



The government has come out with many mechanisms to promote the industries to get them into defence research in a big way and come out with many indigenous products, he said.



Reddy was speaking at the inaugural session of a conclave on 'Connecting the Dots in Telangana's Defence & Aerospace Sector', organised by CII Telangana here on Thursday.



He said the government is very seriously committed for the indigenous systems to enter the country's services.



"The way the government is looking today, maybe next five to six years majority of the systems, which are being imported should be produced in the country indigenously...



whichever the mechanism- Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDDM), or through the 'Make in India' programme...most of them should be produced in the country," Reddy said.



"On missiles, we should be completely self-reliant in about next five years, that is, we should be able to produce them in the country," he said.



According to Reddy, to support the industry, lot of schemes have been brought out, which support the innovative research in the country, like Atal Innovation, Technology Development Fund and Innovative Research Initiative.



He called upon the Indian industries, which have produced a particular technology to tap the export market.



"Many industries have developed lot of technologies and they should look for opportunities outside through exports...My feeling is the industry will survive and can come out in a big way.



"The important thing is that no industry, I think, can survive continuously with only supplying to the Indian armed forces alone...It's very difficult. Let's say these industries, which are producing for Akash (missile), when the orders are over what happens to the production lines of these industries...it's closed," Reddy said.



Therefore, there is a need to have sustained orders for the industry today or these products which have been produced we should be able to export them, he said adding, "The industries operating in the defence sector need to have a definite export potential for ensuring sustained order and quality."



The government is seriously working on this mechanism and the export policy in this regard has been simplified to clear the systems which have been produced in the country for export, Reddy said.



"Lots of enquiries have been coming for many of the systems produced in the country to be exported to various countries," he said.



Under 'Make in India', we have to see what is the priority we need to have. We need technologies which are not there here today and for that we need to tie up with those companies/technologies, which are not here, Reddy said adding, "It should not be creating problems to the already existing industries which have grown here."






NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian Navy has sealed a deal with Tata Power SED for supply of portable diver detection sonar which are fitted on ships to detect underwater threats.



The defence ministry said that the contract, under the 'Buy and Make' category, has been finalised in consonance with the government's 'Make in India' policy for the defence sector.



Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division (Tata Power SED) has partnered with Israel's DSIT Solutions Ltd for manufacturing the sonars under technology transfer at its facility in Bengaluru.



The company in a statement said the order for the sonars is one of the largest in the world market.



"This is the second contract to be signed by the Indian Navy under the 'Buy and Make (Indian)' category to boost government's defence indigenisation effort," the defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday.



The first contract under this category was signed earlier this year by the Navy for supply of surface surveillance radar for IN warships.



"In the last three years, we have committed the largest private sector investments in defence manufacturing at Vemagal in Karnataka. For this programme, Tata Power SED is committed along with our partner DSIT Solutions to deliver a world class solution to Indian Navy," Rahul Chaudhry, CEO of Tata Power SED, said.



A Navy official said the induction of the sonar would further enhance the Navy's underwater surveillance capability in the field of low intensity maritime operations.






JERUSALEM (AFP): Israel's military chief of staff said in an interview on Thursday that his country was prepared to cooperate with Saudi Arabia to face Iran's plans "to control the Middle East."



"We are ready to exchange experience with the moderate Arab countries and exchange intelligence information to face Iran," Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot was quoted as saying by Elaph, a Saudi-run news site.



Asked whether any information had been shared recently with Saudi Arabia, he said "we are ready to share information if necessary. There are many common interests between us and them."



Israel's army confirmed the contents of the interview, which was rare as Israel and Saudi Arabia have no official diplomatic ties.



Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia has long been at loggerheads with Shiite, non-Arab Iran but friction has spiralled in recent weeks.



Earlier this month, Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri announced from Saudi capital Riyadh that he was quitting, citing Iran's "grip" on his country.



The leader of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group supported by Iran, has accused Saudi Arabia of pressing Israel to launch attacks against it.



Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made similar allegations this week.



Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating war in 2006.



Eisenkot said that "we have no intention of initiating a conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and reaching a war, but we cannot accept strategic threats to Israel there.



"I am very happy with the calm on both sides of the border, which has lasted 11 years. On the other hand, we see Iranian attempts to escalate."


European Investment Bank commits to lending 85m to Limerick City and County Council.

The money will be spent on transforming the 1.62 hectare Opera Site in the city centre into an urban centre office development, with the capacity for 3,000 jobs.

This is the first EIB finance to be made available for a local authority programme in Ireland since 1993.

The EIB finance contract for the 25 year loan was signed at the Councils Corporate Headquarters in Limerick today by EIB Vice President, Andrew McDowell and Conn Murray, Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council.

Mr McDowell says this is a good move for job creation.

He said:"The European Investment Bank is pleased to support this impressive and ambitious investment that with transform the city of Limerick over the coming years.

This will create thousands of new jobs, renovate vacant buildings to provide much needed office space and regenerate historic buildings in Irelands third city, as well as reducing energy bills for public buildings."

Stephen Keary, Mayor of Limerick City and County Councillor says the funding is helping to transform the city.

He said: Limerick has come a huge distance over the past five years or so but this funding is going to make sure we can continue this remarkable journey which has seen the city become Irelands greatest urban success story of the decade.

"The city is transforming at a rate faster than any of us could have anticipated but thanks to this EIB funding, its not just a momentary investment; our growth is going to be sustained.

Limerick City and County Council Chief Executive Conn Murray believes that Limerick is breaking new ground.

He said: This is another day that benchmarks the new Limerick that is emerging, one that is breaking new ground at a national level time and time again and this record funding from the EIB is the latest evidence of that.

"This commitment by the bank is a statement of the confidence and sense of ambition that Limerick has today. It also very much validates the step we took to create Limerick Twenty Thirty, the first local authority special purpose vehicle of its kind in Ireland.

The 1.62 hectare Opera Site was acquired by Limerick City and County Council in 2011, after a planned redevelopment under private ownership failed to materialise.

Limerick Twenty Thirty will also develop the eight acre Cleeves site on the northern bank of the River Shannon and has commenced master-planning, which will be followed by the planning process, for the 200 acre Mungret College residential site on the outskirts of the city, which will have the capacity for up to 850 units.

The European Investment Bank has provided more than 100bn for urban investment over the last 5 years.

This includes support for new urban development, sustainable transport and social housing as well as improving water, energy, health and education infrastructure in cities across Europe and around the world.
Vodafone Ireland has announced #CodeLikeaGirl, a new initiative which aims to teach teenage girls how to code.

The initiative will provide female students with basic knowledge of computer languages and development programmes, with the aim of building a website upon completion.

The first workshop took place earlier this month with 20 girls from Cabinteely Community School ranging in age from 14 to 16.

The programme aims to encourage more young girls to consider a career in STEM in the future by teaching them to build their own website.

It is estimated that there are more than 120,000 people in Ireland working directly in roles requiring STEM experience but just 1 in 4 of those working in this area are women

In 2015 only 5.3% of Leaving Certificate engineering students were girls and boys outnumbered girls 3:1 in technology subjects.

James Magill, Human Resources Director at Vodafone says the gender gap is beginning to close.

He said: "In recent years, there has been significant progress in closing the global gender gap in various aspects of society. However, in many countries, the gap is widening in STEM careers.

"#CodeLikeaGirl aims to help close that gap here in Ireland and show young girls that a future in STEM is an exciting prospect.

"We know that coding is going to play an even bigger role in careers in the future so its important that we empower young women to learn this skill while at school."

Melissa McGuirk, a secondary school teacher at Cabinteely Community School was one of the first to have her students take part in the initiative.

She said: "The reaction from our students in attendance has been truly remarkable.

"These classes are crucial in providing a stepping stone for Irelands next generation of female STEM specialists and inspiring them to embark on a thriving career path."

Run in partnership with CodeFirst: Girls and supported by Technology and the Womens Network, the coding student workshops take place over the course of a week and are delivered by Vodafone employees.
Boris Johnson has poked fun at the Brexit impasse by asking if an atomic microscope could be used to split the deadlock on future cross-border trade.

On a visit to the Naughton Institute in Trinity College Dublin, the British Foreign Secretary met scientists operating a scanning tunneling microscope and said it looked like something from a Jules Verne novel.

"Do you think you could use this technology to have frictionless trade?" he asked.

"That's what we need."

The cutting edge technology was not the only thing the Foreign Secretary had a gut feeling about as he also went on to sample a treatment for horses with stomach ulcers.

During a whistlestop tour of the neighbouring Science Gallery, Mr Johnson dipped his finger in for a taste of the award-winning FenuSave, a natural equine remedy created by two Dublin schoolgirls and sold in 14 countries worldwide.

The Foreign Secretary asked the teenage entrepreneur sisters Annie and Kate Madden: "Do horses like it?

"Is it good for human beings, because lots of human beings also suffer," he said as he dipped in his forefinger.

"Yea, it's hmmm. It has a bit of a kick on it."

Mr Johnson added: "I don't suffer from ulcers you know."

The Madden sisters explained how their product was developed after they were prizewinners in the BT Young Scientist competition in 2015, aged just 12 and 14.

Annie Madden, now a transition year pupil at Loreto College St Stephen's Green, Dublin, said: "Horses have tasted it, and we have.

"We would have tasted it just to see what it was like. It wasn't that bad, but I wouldn't be eating it a lot."

Her elder sister, a Leaving Certificate student at Loreto, added: "It's designed for animals.

"The flavourings, they appeal to horses. They obviously have different tastes from us."

Annie added: "But it's 100% natural, tested to the highest degree. It's manufactured to human health standards."
The killing of a boy shot by a British army rubber bullet in Belfast in 1972 was not justified, a coroner has ruled.

The soldier who fired the baton round that fatally wounded 11-year-old Francis Rowntree used excessive force, coroner Brian Sherrard said in his preliminary findings.

Mr Sherrard said the soldier was not given any training in the use of the bullets or made aware that they were potentially lethal.

"There was no justification for the use of lethal force at the time that Francis was shot," Mr Sherrard told Belfast Coroner's Court.

"The force used was in excess of what was needed to achieve Soldier B's objectives."

Francis was the first person in the Troubles to die after being wounded by a rubber bullet.

The incident occurred in the Divis Flats area of the city on April 20. The child, who was a pupil at St Finian's Primary School, was shot in the head and died two days later of his wounds which included skull fractures and lacerations of the brain.

Family handout photo of Francis Rowntree.

The incident happened amid claims a group of people were rioting and throwing stones at the soldiers in a disturbance in the area.

Outlining the preliminary findings, Mr Sherrard said he was confident Francis was not involved in rioting.

It has been disputed whether the boy was struck directly or hit by a ricocheting rubber bullet.

Following an investigation by the Historical Enquiries Team in 2010, a fresh inquest into his death was ordered.

The soldier who fired the bullet has been granted anonymity during the inquest and was known only as Soldier B. He told the court he did not remember the exact day in question.

Eye witnesses, including a lieutenant instructing the soldiers, told the court that a crowd gathered around a vehicle carrying a number of soldiers which stopped in the area.

A disturbance followed in which some members of the crowd became hostile and threw objects including stones at the vehicle.

The court was told a number of youths were among the crowd, who had come to watch the disturbance out of curiosity.

The court was told that two rounds of rubber bullets were fired by a soldier into the crowd in a bid to disperse those present, and that one of the bullets hit the boy's head. No warning was given before the shots were fired.

He said the soldier was given the gun, which fired rubber bullets, without being made aware that the weapon could be lethal or given appropriate training in how it should be used.

Mr Sherrard said the UK's Ministry of Defence should have been aware by the time of the incident that rubber bullets could cause serious harm, due to prior evidence emerging after tests were carried out using the guns on anaesthetised sheep which flagged up numerous concerns about their potential impact.

A further test on skulls conducted four months prior to the 11-year-old's death showed three of five skulls were severely damaged by the bullets in one test exercise.

Mr Sherrard also said evidence suggested the guns which fired the rubber bullets were designed for use by soldiers to operate while standing up and holding them at waist height.

However, they were given to soldiers for use inside military vehicles in which they were in crouching positions due to the vehicles' height.

He said: "The state provided Soldier B with a lethal weapon without notifying him of its potential lethality or training him in its use.

"The absence of adequate training made it impossible for Soldier B to assess whether to use lethal force.

"I am satisfied that the established lethal risk was not adequately communicated to troops on the ground."

"He fired without warning into the crowd, which was not aimed at any individual."

The coroner also said he was confident that the boy had not been involved in any rioting on the death of the shooting.

He said: "I am entirely satisfied that Francis was not involved in any rioting nor did he intend to become involved in any. I am quite sure of that. It is clear he was there to observe the disturbance."

The coroner is due to consider further matters including the soldier's anonymity, before delivering his final findings in the inquest. He told the court he expects to give the full findings by the end of this year.

The Rowntree family welcomed the findings.

A statement, issued through their solicitor Padraig O Muirigh, said: "The Rowntree family welcome the findings of Coroner Sherrard today relating to the death of Francis Rowntree on the 22nd April 1971.

"The Coroner confirmed that Francis was not rioting at the time he was shot and that the lethal force used was 'not justified'.

"Significantly, the Coroner also found that the rubber bullet, which was classified as a 'non lethal weapon' was in fact a 'lethal weapon'.

"Further, the terrible wounding potential of these lethal weapons was known to the state before Francis' death.

"Many young children were killed and maimed by the rubber bullet and its successor the plastic bullet. Their use, free from regulation and training, amounted to a systemic abuse of human rights.

"These findings are not only a legal victory for the Rowntree family but for all those who campaigned for many years for these lethal weapons to be banned."
An elderly woman has died in a road accident in Co. Roscommon.

The accident happened between Castleplunket and Ballintubber in Co.Roscommon where a car was found in a deep ditch on the side of the road at 12.45pm today.

The woman in her 90s was found in the car.

There was no other vehicle involved in the crash which occurred around three kilometres from Castleplunket.

She had been reported missing to Gardai yesterday when she failed to return home from an appointment.

Her body has been taken to University Hospital in Galway for a post mortem examination, and the road is closed for a forensic examination.
Update 27/11/17: Ciara Farrell, 45, who was missing from Dublin since November 14, has been located safe and well.

The Gardai have thanked the public for their assistance.
Update 2.30pm: The Taoiseach has suggested the British government hasn't thought Brexit through.

Ahead of his talks with Mrs May, Mr Varadkar said: "It's 18 months since the referendum, it's 10 years since people who wanted a referendum started agitating for one.

"Sometimes it doesn't seem like they have thought all this through."

"Sometimes it seems that they haven't thought all this through." Leo Varadkar calls for clarity on border. | More: https://t.co/0QKWPT8tT4 pic.twitter.com/MqwzoHRcam  RTE News (@rtenews) November 17, 2017

His comments came after what was described as 'a fresh clash with Theresa May over Brexit' in which he demanded a commitment that there will be no return to a "hard border" between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Attending a European summit in Sweden, the Taoiseach made clear the Brexit negotiations could not move on to the second phase until the future status of the border was clear.

Mrs May is anxious to secure the agreement of EU leaders to open discussions on Britain's future relations with the bloc - including a free trade deal - when they meet next month in Brussels.

However Mr Varadkar, who met Mrs May in the margins of the gathering in Gothenburg, said that would require further "concessions" from the UK.

"Before we move to phase two talks on trade, we want taken off the table any suggestion that there will be a physical border, a hard border, new barriers to trade on the island of Ireland," he told reporters.

"If we have to wait until the New Year, if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it."

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, left, speaks with British Prime Minister Theresa May, right, during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Goteborg, Sweden. Pic: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

Update 11.30am: Leo Varadkar and Theresa May have clashed over one of the key sticking points in the Brexit process.

The Taoiseach suggested that the British Prime Minister and Tory Brexiteers had not thought through their approach to the Irish border issue.

Mr Varadkar called for commitment that there will not be a hard border on the island of Ireland after the UK leaves the European Union.

And he indicated that a form of words would need to be found for that guarantee before Brexit talks could be allowed to move on to phase two, discussing a possible trade deal.

The three issues where "sufficient progress" must be made before the EU will agree to move on to trade talks include the financial settlement, citizens' rights and the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Ahead of the face-to-face talks with Ms May on the margins of a European summit in Gothenburg, Mr Varadkar said: "It's 18 months since the referendum, it's 10 years since people who wanted a referendum started agitating for one.

"Sometimes it doesn't seem like they have thought all this through."

He told reporters: "Britain having unilaterally taken the customs union and single market off the table, before we move to phase two talks on trade we want taken off the table any suggestion that there will be a physical border, a hard border, new barriers to trade on the island of Ireland."

Varadkar shows his decorative socks to Theresa May during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Goteborg, Sweden. Pic: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

The Taoiseach said it was "certainly possible" that trade talks could be given the go-ahead next month "but if we have to wait until the New Year, if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it".

Downing Street said the talks between Mr Varadkar and Ms May on Brexit had been "constructive".

But a source described the meeting as a "solid exchange of views" and said Mr Varadkar was "optimistic but slightly frustrated in terms of we are so close but so far, really".

The source said: "We just want a clear commitment, a clear form of words that points to a solution with regards to the Irish situation that would allow us to move on to phase two."

Ireland "cannot make a leap in the dark", the source added.

A British Government source said there was "work to do" on the issue and "everyone's very honest about that".

European Council president Donald Tusk will also deliver a tough message to Ms May when they hold talks in the margins of a summit in Gothenburg, telling her that progress on to the next phase of Brexit talks cannot be taken for granted.

The Prime Minister said she hoped the European Union would respond "positively" to her efforts to secure progress ahead of December's European Council meeting, where leaders will consider the UK's call for trade talks to begin.

A Brussels source said: "Mr Tusk will inform Ms May that such a positive scenario is not a given, it will require more work and that time is short.

"And he will ask Ms May how the UK plans to progress on the three key issues for phase one."

Ms May repeated her promise that the UK will "honour our commitments" amid speculation she is prepared to increase the amount she is prepared to pay in the divorce settlement with the EU.

She said: "We look forward to the December European Council. We are continuing to look through the issues.

"I was clear in my speech in Florence that we will honour our commitments.

"But of course we want to move forward together, talking about the trade issues and trade partnership for the future.

"I have set out a vision for that economic partnership, I look forward to the European Union responding positively to that so we can move forward together and ensure that we can get the best possible arrangements for the future that will be good for people in the United Kingdom and across the remaining EU27."

The Prime Minister held talks with her Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven on Thursday night. He said the UK needs to clarify what the financial settlement would cover, and it was "very difficult to say" whether trade talks would be given the go-ahead in December.

If leaders do not agree to move to the second phase at the summit in Brussels on December 14-15, then it could mean no progress until the next scheduled European Council in March.

That would add to business uncertainty and increase the potential for the UK to leave without a Brexit deal. Britain's Brexit Secretary David Davis said many EU nations were now keen to move on to trade talks, but notably omitted Germany and France from his list.

Speaking to the BBC in Berlin this morning, Mr Davis said: "Many of them do want to move on.

"They see it as very important to them. Countries like Denmark, countries like Holland, countries like Italy and Spain, countries like Poland can see the big, big benefits in the future deal we are talking about."

The Gothenburg social summit brings together political leaders and other key players to discuss a new European Pillar of Social Rights for workers' rights.

Update: 6.30am: Brexit will top the agenda, when the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister Theresa May hold a face to face meeting in Sweden today.

Leo Varadkar is expected to tell Theresa May that he wont accept a hard border under any circumstances.

It will be the first time the pair have met since a document emerged from Europe suggesting the North stay in the EU after Brexit.

Sinn Fein MEP Liadh Ni Riada says its crucial Ireland stands firm in talks.

"I think its high time that the Irish government has to have key people at that negotiation table. They cannot afford to be commentators or spectators on something that is so key to Irelands future," Ms Ni Riada said.

The meeting today takes place ahead of the Social Summit 2017 in Gothenburg.
Gardai in Kevin St are investigating a stabbing incident, that occurred at approximately 10.30pm last night.

The incident occurred on South Circular Road near Harrington Street.

The injured male, aged 23, received a stab wound was taken to St James Hospital for treatment.

His current condition is described as stable.

At this stage gardai have no description of the attacker.

Investigations are on going.
By Ann OLoughlin

A man who claimed he was forced to flee his native Ivory Coast after an outbreak of extensive civil conflict there has won his appeal over being refused asylum here.

His application will now be reheard by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) in line with the Court of Appeals findings.

The three judge Appeal Court judgment centred on the extent of the obligations of asylum decision makers when addressing country of origin information (COI).

Giving that judgment, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan said the obligation of the IPATs predecessor - the Refugee Appeals Tribunal (RAT) was to make an "overall" assessment of the mans credibility based on evaluating "all" potentially relevant information supplied by him and not just some of it.

The man came here in May 2011 and immediately claimed asylum on the basis he was a local leader of the Ivorian Popular Front (Front Populaire Ivoirien - FPI), forced to flee his country after an outbreak of extensive civil conflict.

The judge noted, after a disputed outcome of the Ivorian presidential election in late 2010, the sitting president Laurent Gbagbo, leader of the FPI, was ousted from power in April 2011 and replaced by president Alassane Ouattara. After Gbagbos arrest and indictment before the International Criminal Court, the FPI announced a boycott of parliamentary elections due in November 2011.

According to COI, Gbagbo supporters were targetted by Ouattara supporters after the latter came to power and killings, torture and torching of buildings were all reported by human rights observers, including by Amnesty International, in the weeks following Gbagbos arrest on April 11th 2011.

In this case, the man argued he went to work on the morning of April 11th in Abobo, a suburb of the capital Abidjan, was later arrested as an FPI supporter but was released because Ouattara supporters feared army units loyal to Gbagbo might return. He claimed he went into hiding, was later smuggled out of the country and arrived here in May 2011.

The Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) found he was from Abobo but rejected his principal claims due to credibility issues based on findings including he could not name any of the militas active during this period.

According to an Amnesty report, the organisations had a "myriad" of names, Mr Justice Hogan observed.

The man appealed to the RAT which concluded his account contained such inconsistencies his general credibility was undermined.

He then went to the High Court which refused judicial review but certified an appeal to the COA to focus on the extent of obligations of decision makers when addressing COI.

Mr Justice Hogan said Article 5.1.a of the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006 obliges asylum decision makers to consult COI when such information was relevant to the circumstances of the particular case. The extent of any obligation to consult COI must depend "on all the relevant circumstances".

In this case, the RAT was obliged to consider the COI relevant to any credibility assessment of the mans claims which involved specific details concerning alleged events in April and May 2011 not generally known to those who did not live in Ivory Coast.

The RATs failure to do so breached Article 5.1.a and rendered the RATs decision invalid, he ruled.

While entitled in principle to draw adverse credibility findings from inconsistencies in the mans testimony, the RAT erred in failing to consider "key" documents relied upon by the man which, if authentic, would place his claims about his political involvement in "an entirely new light".
A fire at a high-rise tower block in Belfast damaged 18 flats, the UK Housing Executive said.

The property where it started was badly impacted while water and smoke affected the rest but most residents evacuated returned to their homes yesterday.

The blaze burst through windows of a ninth-floor apartment in Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry near Belfast, causing scorch damage on two sides of the 14-storey property on Wednesday evening.

Residents who said they had lost everything have begun fundraising but firefighters have been praised for averting loss of life.

A statement from the UK Housing Executive said: "Our response maintenance staff worked overnight on a clean-up operation and our contractors are on site today again, going door to door ensuring the electrics are safe in each home.

"We expect to have the majority of residents who were unable to return to their homes last night at Coolmoyne House, back in their homes today."

Two people were hospitalised after a fire suspected to have been caused by a toaster.

Residents expressed anger and claimed some alarms did not sound but firefighters said systems worked as expected.

DUP leader Arlene Foster was among those visiting the tower on yesterday.

She said: "Everyone has pulled together during this frightening experience."

A crowdfunding page has been established.

It said: "We are trying to raise money to help the residents of Coolmoyne House that were affected by the fire and have been left with nothing."

The man whose flat caught light was rescued by firefighters who helped lead other residents to safety.

Paramedics tended to four patients, a Northern Ireland Ambulance Service spokesman said.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said the alarm system operated as designed, with the alarms inside the mans flat sounding and a soundless alarm system in the communal area to open air vents also activating.

Coolmoyne House this morning pic.twitter.com/mpNt3HhcXV  Kevin Sharkey (@tv_KevinSharkey) November 16, 2017

Alarms in other flats should only have sounded if they detected smoke, the organisation said.

Crews had averted the spread of the fire to other flats.

Robert Zwaagman, who lives on the 12th floor, said the first he knew of the blaze was when fire crews arrived.

He insisted an alarm should have sounded throughout the building.

The Housing Executive said it took residents safety extremely seriously.

The scene at Coolmoyne House after firefighters tackled a blaze at the Dunmurry tower block. pic.twitter.com/Hl4JsENkvw  Belfast Live (@BelfastLive) November 15, 2017

"We work closely with the Fire Service to ensure we remain fully compliant with all fire safety regulations, have robust fire safety regimes and carry out regular inspections in all of our high rise buildings," it said.

In Coolmoyne, each of the 56 flats have two smoke alarms and one heat detector alarm installed.

The communal hallways are fitted with a silent smoke detection system, which is monitored 24 hours a day.
A three-year-old girl is reported to be the lone survivor of a plane crash in eastern Russia.

A teacher named Olga Laponnikova is believed to have saved the child by covering her with her body, according to Ruptly.
The prime ministers of Spain and Belgium have held talks over their testy bilateral relations as ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four secessionist allies prepare for an extradition court appearance in Brussels.

The court hearing is the latest step in their flight from Spain and refusal to return from Brussels to face a rebellion investigation amid a push for Catalan independence.

The Belgian government has steadfastly said it cannot intervene in Spain's extradition request as it is up to the independent judiciary to make a decision. Friday's court decision can still go to appeal.

"It is a judicial case based on the separation of powers. It is up to the judicial authorities," Belgian prime minister Charles Michel said after meeting his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Mr Michel's spokesman Barend Leyts said the talks were "constructive" and didn't centre on the Catalan issue itself.

Instead the two leaders discussed the deepening of the European Union's monetary union and the upcoming relocation of EU agencies from Britain to the continent, among other issues.

Even if the EU nations have almost invariably backed the position of Madrid in its stand-off with Catalonia, Belgium was among the first to criticise the use of violence by Spanish police during the October 1 referendum.

Spain says the police response was proportionate.

The Flemish nationalist N-VA is the biggest partner in Mr Michel's coalition government and has had pointed exchanges with Mr Rajoy's Popular Party about the Catalan issue and the links of both parties to an authoritarian past.

AP
Murder probe detectives in the UK are continuing to question a man believed to be known to missing teenager Gaia Pope over her suspicious disappearance.

The 49-year-old, who has been named locally as Paul Elsey, has been in custody since Thursday afternoon on suspicion of the 19-year-old's murder.

She had not been seen since she vanished from Dorset on the afternoon of November 7.

The suspect - the third to be arrested in the investigation - is said to be from the Swanage area and is assisting Dorset Police with their inquiries.

Earlier police found clothing similar to that worn by Miss Pope when she disappeared, following a tip-off from a member of the public.

The owner of the clothes has not been identified but Miss Pope's family have been informed, police said.

UK Detective Superintendent Paul Kessell has appealed directly to the public to come forward if they have any information or have had any contact with Gaia since she went missing.

Forensic investigations are continuing at two properties in Manor Gardens, which are believed to be the homes of a 71-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man.

They were released under investigation on Tuesday after being arrested on suspicion of murder by police the previous day.

The force released two CCTV images of the teenager taken inside St Michael's Garage in Swanage when she bought an ice cream.

Miss Pope was being driven between Langton Matravers and Swanage by a family member when they stopped off for fuel at around 2.55pm.

The last confirmed sighting of her was at an address in Manor Gardens on Morrison Road in Swanage at about 4pm.

The black jacket she was wearing in the CCTV images was recovered from an address in Manor Gardens. Three vehicles have been seized.

Yesterday, Miss Pope's father, Richard Sutherland, made an emotional appeal to find his daughter and said he just wanted a "big hug" from her.

"I can tell you this that the family is united together in this and we are united with the police and united with the public," Mr Sutherland told ITV News.

"I can't tell you how grateful we are to everybody out there, it's unbelievable."

Earlier this week, the teenager's mother, Natasha Pope, urged people to look in vans, garages and houses in case she was being kept against her will.

Mr Sutherland told ITV's Good Morning Britain that his daughter's epilepsy may have played a part in her disappearance.

"The doctors have said that she is at risk of sudden death from epilepsy, or sudden epileptic death. It's pretty serious," he said.

"One thing we've really tried to do is not to go off down every speculation because that can lead you to 100 different ideas with 100 different variations on everything.

"But it's entirely possible that her epilepsy has played a big part in this and that's meant it's been more difficult to find her."

Miss Pope's cousin, Marienna Pope-Weidemann, said: "Gaia's condition has been really deteriorating over the last six months to a year. She rarely gets through a day without a seizure.

"Sometimes they're very small, she'll break conversation for a minute or so and then she's back to her old bubbly self. Other times they're very serious - we've had to call the paramedics many times.

"Those bigger seizures are often accompanied with quite prolonged periods of confusion and disorientation.

"There's been times when she's not recognised us for a short time afterwards, not really understood where she is. That's a big part of what's made this case so complicated."
One person has been killed in confrontations between Kenyan police and supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga as tensions over the disputed presidential election continue.

Officers fired live rounds and tear gas to prevent Mr Odinga's convoy from making its way to Nairobi's main park so he could address supporters.
Rival US and Russian resolutions to extend the mandate of experts trying to determine who was responsible for chemical attacks in Syria have been defeated at a heated Security Council meeting that reflected the deteriorating relations between Washington and Moscow.

The US, its allies and human rights groups called it a serious blow to efforts to hold accountable those responsible for carrying out chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

During a three-hour drama, Russia first vetoed the US draft resolution which was supported by 11 of the 15 Security Council members. Bolivia joined Russia in voting "no" and China and Egypt abstained.

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia withdrew the Russian resolution over Moscow's insistence that it be voted on second not first as required under council rules. But using another council rule, Bolivia then resubmitted and called for a vote on that resolution.

It failed to receive the minimum nine "yes" votes required for adoption. Only Russia, China, Bolivia and Kazakhstan voted in favour while seven council members voted against and four abstained.

Japan proposed a 30-day extension for the expert body - the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) - and the Security Council was expected to discuss it on Friday.

At the heart of the dispute was the demand by Russia, Syria's most important ally, for major changes in the way the JIM operates and the US insistence that the JIM's current mandate and independence be preserved.

After the votes, the United States and Russia blamed each other for ending JIM's operations, both insisting they wanted it to continue.

"To my Russian friends, the next chemical weapons attack is on your head," US ambassador Nikki Haley said. "By not having a JIM, you are basically telling the entire world that chemical weapons are OK to use. That's what we should be embarrassed about today."

Russia's Mr Nebenzia shot back saying: "Today it became absolutely clear we need a robust professional mechanism that will help to prevent the threat of chemical terrorism in the region, and you need a puppet-like structure to manipulate public opinion - which on the basis of false information will time after time accuse the Syrian government of violating international norms."

Those who voted against the Russian resolution put forward by Bolivia "bear the full brunt of responsibility for the cessation of the operations of the JIM," Mr Nebenzia said.

Russia has been highly critical of the JIM's findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015, and used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others who survived the nerve agent.

Syria repeated its denial of using chemical weapons.

The JIM has also accused the Islamic State extremist group of using mustard gas in 2015 adsnd again in September 2016 in Um Hosh in Aleppo.

Mr Nebenzia accused the JIM of "fundamental flaws" in blaming President Bashar Assad's government for the attacks.

He cited its use of "remote working methods" and failure to visit Khan Sheikhoun, "focusing solely on dubious testimony from opposition and even terrorist groups, the disregard for the whole range of rules and methods provided for under the Chemical Weapons Convention".

Ms Haley countered that Russia and its allies "want a JIM that doesn't have independence."

"They want a JIM that doesn't have reporting," she said. "They want a JIM that they can micromanage, or that any member can micromanage."

Ms Haley noted that this was the 10th veto by Russia to support Syria.

"You have to realise when a country is playing games with people's lives," she said. "That's exactly what is happening here. And it's been happening for 10 times."

The vote took place against the backdrop of the military and political situation in Syria, where Assad's forces have gained the upper hand. A new round of UN-hosted Syrian peace talks is scheduled to start in Geneva on November 28.
Theresa May said she hoped the European Union would respond "positively" to her approach to Brexit as senior Brussels figures warned trade talks may not be given the green light in December.

The British Prime Minister repeated her promise that the UK will "honour our commitments" amid speculation she is prepared to increase the amount she is prepared to pay in the divorce settlement with the EU.

Before talks with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar European Council president Donald Tusk and, Mrs May said she was looking forward to next month's Brussels meeting which could decide on whether to launch the next phase of Brexit talks.

The meetings will come in the margins of a summit in Gothenburg.

Arriving at the summit, Mrs May said: "We look forward to the December European Council. We are continuing to look through the issues.

"I was clear in my speech in Florence that we will honour our commitments.

"But of course we want to move forward together, talking about the trade issues and trade partnership for the future.

"I have set out a vision for that economic partnership, I look forward to the European Union responding positively to that so we can move forward together and ensure that we can get the best possible arrangements for the future that will be good for people in the United Kingdom and across the remaining EU27."

EU sources suggested Mr Tusk will tell Mrs May that although internal preparations had begun on preparing for the second phase of the Brexit process, covering a transitional deal and the future relationship the UK will have with Brussels, it could not be taken for granted that leaders will agree to move on to formal talks.

A Brussels source said: "Mr Tusk will inform Mrs May that such a positive scenario is not a given, it will require more work and that time is short.

"And he will ask Mrs May how the UK plans to progress on the three key issues for phase one."

The three issues where "sufficient progress" must be made include the financial settlement, citizens' rights and the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

The Taoiseach is likely to emphasise that progress is possible in December but "only if all sides show sufficient political will".

Mr Varadkar will use his meeting to emphasise the importance of upholding all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, including the powersharing institutions, and will continue to urge the Northern Ireland parties to reach agreement.

Mrs May held talks with her Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven on Thursday night.

He said the UK needs to clarify what the financial settlement would cover, and it was "very difficult to say" whether trade talks would be given the go-ahead in December.

If leaders do not agree to move to the second phase at the summit in Brussels on December 14-15, then it could mean no progress until the next scheduled European Council in March.

That would add to business uncertainty and increase the potential for the UK to leave without a Brexit deal.

The Gothenburg social summit brings together political leaders and other key players to discuss a new European Pillar of Social Rights for workers' rights.

Mrs May will take part in a working session on fair employment and working conditions and is expected to highlight the findings of the Taylor report published in July which examined the treatment of workers in the so-called gig economy.

She said: "In the UK we are rightly proud of the record rates of employment we have but as our economy grows I want to make sure we see a country and an economy that's working for everyone.

"I was very pleased when I first became Prime Minister to ask Matthew Taylor to look and do a review on modern employment practices.

"We will be talking about this today and it is an issue to which the Government will be responding later in the year.

"What we know is, as the world of work changes, it brings challenges as well as opportunities."

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said Mrs May "must reassure working people that a level playing field for workers' rights will be written into the Brexit deal".

"Britain's workers must not be left to fall behind the rest of Europe when future improvements are made," she added.

Brexit Secretary David Davis said that many EU nations were now keen to move on to trade talks, but notably omitted Germany and France from his list.

Speaking to the BBC in Berlin on Friday morning, Mr Davis said: "Many of them do want to move on. They see it as very important to them.

"Countries like Denmark, countries like Holland, countries like Italy and Spain, countries like Poland can see the big, big benefits in the future deal we are talking about.

"They have all got things to benefit from that. This is not a one-way street, this is not something for nothing, this is something that

Mr Varadkar suggested that the UK was unprepared for the difficulties its approach to Brexit would cause.

"I think it's certainly possible that we can come to conclusions in December allowing phase two talks to begin, but if we have to wait until the New Year, if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it," he said.

"But I think it would be in all of our interests that we proceed to phase two if we can in December.

"It's 18 months since the referendum, it's 10 years since people who wanted a referendum started agitating for one.

"Sometimes it doesn't seem like they have thought all this through."

He told reporters: "Britain having unilaterally taken the customs union and single market off the table, before we move to phase two talks on trade we want taken off the table any suggestion that there will be a physical border, a hard border, new barriers to trade on the island of Ireland."
Forty other lenders have hiked at least one fixed rate in the last month, data shows
Latest News ANZ raises fixed rates Forty other lenders have hiked at least one fixed rate in the last month, data shows

Top 20 affordable suburbs to buy apartments Find out which areas made the list

Australias largest survey of property investors is currently underway to measure market sentiment after one extremely tough year for real estate.



The 2017 Property Investor Sentiment Survey is being conducted by Australian Brokers sister title, Your Investment Property, in partnership with Michael Yardneys Property Update.



The survey aims to provide a rich understanding of whats driving investors at the moment, said Sarah Megginson, editor of Your Investment Property.



The last 12 to 18 months have been a massive learning curve for investors and mortgage brokers alike, as we've had to continually adapt to APRA-led changes, which are having a huge impact on investors in particular. Our investor survey will give us some insights into investors biggest pain points moving forward.



Questions will focus on property investors plans, where theyre planning to buy and how they have been affected by lending policy changes.



While every investor is on their own journey, its always insightful to know what other property investors are doing, where they are buying, and how they expect markets to perform in the short-term, said Yardney, director of Metropole Property Strategists.



The survey can be accessed by clicking here and will take less than three minutes to complete. Respondents will receive exclusive early access to the results  a unique advantage for brokers targeting investors or who are investors themselves.



Trends uncovered will include where investors go for advice (such as brokers), how many properties investors own, which strategies are more popular, the influence cash flow has on business decisions, and the types of properties people are buying.



The survey closes soon on 25 November so do it now and dont miss out.
A 24-year-old man is facing a slew of felony charges for illegal straw purchase of 21 guns at gun stores, almost exclusively in Bucks County. Leonard Truesdale was arraigned on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, on 21 counts each of making false statements on firearm purchase forms, criminal conspiracy to make false statements on firearm purchase forms and selling or transferring...
On this episode of Gotham, titled A Dark Knight: Let Them Eat Pie, Penguin has Martin (Christopher Convery) spy on Sofia, Professor Pyg comes up with a macabre new scheme to punish Gothams elite and Alfred tries to help Bruce find his way.

Gordon is in as captain of Gotham Central, and Bullock is out. But Harvey has a few parting words for his pal. Gordon wants to be a hero, but the city doesnt need heroes; it needs people who will do what is necessary. Gordon disagrees. All someone needs to do is show people the way, and they will follow. That remains to be seen.

FOX Sets Premiere Date for X-Files Return>>>





I Spy with Martins Eye

Sofia prepares for her fundraiser for the orphanage, but Penguin begs off because he has business to attend to. He informs Sofia that Mayor Burke promoted Gordon to captain of the GCPD. Penguin isnt worried about Gordon. Hes much more concerned about the person who ordered the appointment. Sofia points out that the Mayor is a weasel, and someone must have paid him off, but she doesnt understand why that means Penguin cant attend her dinner. Penguin explains the Mayor has vanished. Oswald plans to find him, learn the name of his enemy and then there will be a reckoning.

Mr. Penn suggests that if Penguin thinks Sofia is responsible he should just have Victor Zsasz question her. But Sofia is Penguins only friend, so hes determined to get proof of her betrayal first. Mr. Penn thinks its possible Sofia got rid of the Mayor, and Oswald realizes he could be chasing a ghost while Sofia is planning her next move. He decides he needs a spy; someone close to Sofia; someone quiet. He has an epiphany. Martin would be perfect for the job.

Penguin tells Martin that he worries Sofia is only pretending to be his friend, and that shes using Martin to manipulate him. Either Martin is innocent, unaware of Sofias machinations.or hes not. Penguin wants to believe the former, but he needs proof of their friendship. Penguin wants to know what Sofias planning, and who shes planning it with. He asks Martin to be his eyes and ears.

Sofia calls Gordon to let him know that Penguin suspects her. She confirms she had the Mayor leave town. Jim thanks her for the heads up about Penguin and tells Sofia never to call him again.

A Modest Proposal

Gordon gets a call from Professor Pyg who has learned that Jim is the new captain. The Pyg warns Gordon that its time for Gothams elite to feel the pain. He arranges a surprise for Gordon outside the precinct. Theres a tent with two dead bodies inside (Professor Pyg poisoned a number of the citys homeless), one of which is being consumed by two large pigs.

Gordon speaks to Mr. Fox to learn what he can about the victims. Lucius tells him the victims had been living outdoors for quite some time, and the Pyg removed their internal organs. Gordon is confused why the Pyg would be killing the homeless when he just announced his next victims would be the rich and powerful. Gordon reveals to Lucius that there was a card in the tent, and written in French was Long live the Revolution.

Gordon heads to the Narrows where the homeless population is the most dense. He and Harper get a tip from Lucius that leads them to an old paper mill. Inside, they find another victim with organs missing. They also discover a smoker, and Gordon figures out the Pyg is cooking them.

Out back, they find a van. As they close in on the vehicle, the Pyg appears, stabs Harper and holds a knife to her throat. The Pyg tells Gordon he found him too soon. The table isnt set, and no meal should be served too soon. Gordon offers himself up as a hostage, but the Pyg wants the detective to witness his final act, along with all of Gotham. The Pyg shoves Harper in the van and takes off.

The press has gotten wind of Harpers kidnapping, and that the Pyg is cooking his victims. Gordon promises the GCPD will bring the Pyg to justice, but its obvious theres a leak on the inside. Lucius thinks the Pyg did it for the attention and assures Gordon that everyone in the department is on his side.

Lucius shows Gordon a quote from Jonathan Swifts A Modern Proposal. Swift made an argument for cannibalism  the rich eating the poor. Gordon recalls that Swift specifically referenced orphans, and he figures out where the Pyg is going  Sofias fundraiser. Gordon refuses to involve any other officers, afraid the Pyg is setting a trap.

Alfreds Dark Past

Bruce is deeply entrenched in his party boy phase which doesnt please Alfred. He lectures Bruce about being lost. Without a purpose, hes confused, angry and in danger of throwing his life away. By killing Ras al Ghul, Bruce finally closed the chapter on exacting revenge for his parents death  his raison d etre for so long.

Alfred reminds Bruce that this is the day he and his father used to go camping and put rocks on the top of Mt. Bristol. It was their special tradition. Bruce may prefer to hang with his new friends, but Alfred thinks its time Bruce remember that hes Thomas Waynes son and insists that theyll be going to Mt. Bristol, together.

Alfred drags an unwilling Bruce into the woods for camping and forced bonding time. He tells Bruce about how he met Thomas Wayne. Alfred had just gotten out of the army and was all about boozing and brawling. Most of it he doesnt remember. One morning, he woke up in an alley in London covered in blood. He went directly to the police station, hoping theyd put him in jail and throw away the key.

While there, he encountered Thomas who asked Alfred what hed done. Alfred found himself talking to Thomas, telling him things he was too frightened to think about. Thomas told the police that he was being attacked in that alley, and Alfred came to his rescue. Alfred knew it wasnt true, but Thomas was giving him a chance to start over. Alfred knows what its like to feel alone, hoping the world will punish you and tells Bruce he can help him.

Bruce doesnt want to talk about it. He begins rummaging through his backpack and says the rocks have gone missing. He thinks they may have fallen out in the car. Bruce takes the keys, but Alfred quickly realizes Bruce lied, so he could make a quick getaway.

People Pies

Sofias fundraiser is in full swing. The Pyg, posing as a chef, has prepared some meat pies. Penguin and Martin, who is looking more and more like his mentor, follow Sofia.

Gordon sneaks into the orphanage but is knocked out by the Pyg before he can warn Sofia. Gordon is locked in a closet with Harper who is still alive.

Sofia gives a speech, thanking all the orphanages benefactors. She invites them to sit down to eat. Penguin asks about Martin, and Sofia says hes probably off getting ready since a group of the children have prepared a song.

Sofia tells Oswald that maybe things happen for a reason. Licensing crime was a bold move, but it would have destroyed him. Whoever had Gordon appointed captain may have actually saved Oswald. Penguin doesnt think trying to destroy everything hes built is a favor. He suggests that if Sofia is going to confess, she should just get on with it and face the consequences.

Their conversation is interrupted by Professor Pyg whos ready to get the festivities started. He literally does a song and dance The Meat Pie Tango with Martin accompanying him. Sofia interrupts, demanding to know where the other children are, and the Pyg pins her hand to the table with a butcher knife. The Pyg warns Oswald that if he pulls it out, the next one will go in Sofias eye.

The Pyg informs the guests that theyve fed upon the poor of Gotham for years. Now, theyre going to find out what they taste like. With each meat pie, the Pyg has included an envelope with photographs of his homeless victims inside.

Penguin refuses to engorge himself with people pie. Professor Pyg threatens to kill Martin if Penguin doesnt open his pie hole. A man next to him comments that Martin is just an orphan. They cant be expected to consume actual people just to save an urchin.

Penguin removes the knife from Sofias hand and puts it through the top of the mans skull, saving him from some serious indigestion.

The Pyg reveals that Penguin is the reason hes there. He could have chosen any occasion, but Penguin with his Pax Penguina is the biggest glutton of them all. With a cleaver held to Martins neck, Penguin has no choice but to comply. Hes not about to suffer alone, so he screams at the other guests to start eating, or he will hunt them down and kill them all.

The only one spared a bite is Sofia because Gordon pries the hinges on the closet door loose and races into the dining room. He shoots a few of the Pygs hired hands. The place erupts in chaos as all the guests make an escape. Penguin is able to leave with Martin.

Pyg vs. Pig

The only two left are Gordon and the Pyg who is very handy with cleavers. Gordon isnt able to do much but try and prevent himself from becoming the ingredients of another pie. Gordon is finally able to stab the Pyg and knock him unconscious.

The Lost Boys

Penguin finally accuses Sofia of paying off the Mayor, and she doesnt bother to deny it. She tried to talk him out of the license program, and he wouldnt listen. She didnt see another way. Penguin thinks its equally plausible that Sofia is his enemy, intent on his destruction (ding, ding, ding). Sofia says Oswald can choose to see the situation however he wants.

Penguin decides to spare Sofia because of what shes doing for Martin. He warns her to never go behind his back again. Penguin insists that Gordon cannot be captain. Sofia suggests he pick someone else since Gordon means nothing to her.

The Pyg is taken into custody, but Gordon has bigger problems now. Hes got to deal with Sofia. She swears she isnt his enemy and wants law and order restored to Gotham just as much as he does. She kisses him, but it seems Gordons feelings towards Sofia have cooled.

Martin checks in with Penguin and reveals that Sofia kissed Gordon. Poor Oswald, betrayed again. He vows that Sofia will answer for what shes done.

Alfred arrives home only to find that Bruce left him in the wilderness, so that he could rush home and throw a rager. Even stupid, drunk teenagers know better than to screw with Alfred, so Bruces friends bail.

Alfred still wants to help Bruce, but Bruce insists he cant. Bruce is upset that he avenged his parents deaths but nothing has changed. What the hell did he do it for? Alfred wants Bruce to face up to who he really is. Bruce suggests that if Alfred really wants to help, he cant stop trying to be his dad and be his butler. And just to be a dick, Bruce orders Alfred to clean up the mess.

What Bruces Bad Boy Phase Means for Gotham>>>

Are you eager to find out more about Alfreds past? Do you think Professor Pyg planned to get caught? Do you feel sorry for Penguin or find him despicable for corrupting a young boy? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

A new episode of Gotham airs Thursday, November 30 at 8/7c on FOX. Want more news? Visit our Gotham page on Facebook.





(Image Courtesy of FOX)
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October 31, 2022

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Campus News

UB again among top universities hosting international students

The largest number of international students at UB hail from China, India, South Korea, Canada, Iran and Turkey.

By MICHAEL ANDREI

UB is very diverse, and I have met many different people from around the world, which I have greatly enjoyed. 

For the 15th straight year, UB is among the top 25 U.S. institutions hosting international students.

UB is ranked No. 21 by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in the institutes 2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released today in Washington, D.C.

The census of international students at UB in fall 2016 totaled 7,252, including 2,188 students on post-graduation Optional Practical Training, according to the Open Doors report. The number places UB third in New York State, behind only New York University and Columbia, and ahead of all other SUNY institutions. UB has a total enrollment of 30,648 students.

UBs international students hail from 112 different countries. The largest numbers come to the university from China, India, South Korea, Canada, Iran and Turkey.

The fact that UB has retained its ranking in this highly competitive space reflects the extraordinary efforts of our International Enrollment Management staff led by Joseph Hindrawan, says Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education.

Joe and his colleagues now recruit around the world, year-round, to find excellent students for UB, Dunnett says. As our numbers grow, we are more mindful of our efforts to facilitate the inclusion and engagement of international students to ensure their retention and long-term success at UB.

New York State, with a total international enrollment of 114,316 students, is second among the 50 states for international student enrollment, according to the report. The figure represents an increase of 7.1 percent over last year.

With the implementation of our comprehensive inclusion and engagement strategy, says Dunnett, UB will become even more attractive for international students, whose institutional choices still depend very much on the recommendations of fellow students.

Hwan Lee, a third-year student from Busan, South Korea, chose UB for the opportunities presented by the universitys biomedical research programs.

I am a biotechnology major, and plan to work in the field after I graduate, says Lee, ideally, in biomedical research near a hospital. I would recommend UB to anyone interested in the medical or biological fields.

UB is very diverse, and I have met many different people from around the world, which I have greatly enjoyed, Lee adds.

The diversity of the campus community is also a favorite point about UB mentioned by Gordon Tan, a fifth-year student from Singapore who is pursuing a PhD in geography.

One of the things I have enjoyed most about UB is interaction with the faculty, and meeting so many people from around the world, Tan says.

Tan, who holds a bachelors degree in accounting from Singapore Management University and an MBA from the UB School of Management, plans to pursue a career in academia.

While I was working on my MBA, my adviser, Dr. Jessie Poon, who is also from Singapore, suggested I focus on international trade. A PhD in geography is a good fit for me, says Tan.

Ran Wang, a seventh-year student from Beijing, is working on a PhD in linguistics. Ran, who came to UB with a BA from Capital Normal University in Beijing, is planning a career in academia.

I would say my best experience during my time at UB is meeting so many people from around the world, says Wang. I have been exposed to many different ideas and ways of thinking, and I am a more open-minded person as a result.

Doeun Park is a fourth-year student from Seoul, South Korea, majoring in accounting.

I am planning to work here in the U.S. for the first five or six years after I graduate, he says. I havent thought too much beyond that right now.

Park, a sergeant on active reserve in the South Korean military, took advantage of a study abroad program. He is enrolled in the School of Management Undergraduate Honors Program, and hopes to work for one of the Big Four accounting firms.

I met many more people once I became involved in more of the programs at the School of Management, he says. UB offers many opportunities for students outside of the classroom, as well as inside.

According to the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), economic benefits gained from international students attending UB bring an economic impact of $184.7 million to Western New York, which supports 2,230 jobs.

Additional benefits of international education noted by NAFSA include:

Increasing global experience at U.S. colleges and universities, something now increasingly crucial to success in all fields.

Advancing learning and scholarship.

Building understanding and respect among different peoples.

Enhancing constructive leadership in the global community.

In the fall of 2016, the number of international students enrolled in U.S higher education decreased to 903,127  up 3.4 percent versus 7.1 percent last year. International students represent just over 5 percent of the more than 20 million students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities.

According to the 2017 Open Doors report, 60.3 percent of international students at institutions across the U.S. rely on personal and family resources as their primary source of funding. Slightly over 16 percent of students rely on current employment.

The Open Doors Report is published annually by the IIE in partnership with the U.S. State Departments Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. For more data, infographics and resources on the 2017 report, visit the Open Doors website.

The 2017 Open Doors report was released on the occasion of the 18th annual celebration of International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education.

UB is holding a variety of events this week to celebrate International Education Week.
Marshalls is pleased to announce that it has acquired CPM Group, a company that specialises in underground water management solutions.

CPM manufactures and sells a wide range of concrete pipes, containment chambers and other concrete infrastructure products. The company turned over 51 million in 2016 and employs approximately 350 people, mainly at its manufacturing sites at Mells, Somerset and Pollington, East Yorkshire.

From today (19 October), CPM Group will trade as Marshalls CPM, and for the foreseeable future will continue to run as a standalone business.

Water management has long been a strategic focus area for Marshalls, and it plays a key role in the companys future vision.

Marshalls Group Finance Director, Jack Clarke, said: We firmly believe that the addition of CPMs products will accelerate our progress towards reaching our vision, and enable us to offer our customers new products that expand our existing water management offering.

We believe there is a good fit, both economically and culturally, between CPM and the Marshalls Group, and that this transaction will be for the benefit of all our employees.

Mike Stacey, Managing Director at CPM Group, added: We are thrilled to be a part of the Marshalls Group of businesses, and I know I speak on behalf of the rest of the senior leadership team that we are all looking forward to the future.

Marshalls and CPM both have a reputation for quality and innovation. By combining the strengths of Marshalls and CPM, we expect there to be opportunities for our companies to accelerate profitable sales growth and extend access to new customers and markets.
Ragubir Hargun, Trade Marketing Manager at GROHE UK, and her daughter Parveen climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF).

The pair joined a special team of seven people all with personal experiences of meningitis or septicaemia, to climb Africas highest mountain. Ragubir and Parveen took on the challenge in memory of Paawan Purba. Paawan, who tragically died at the age of 20 in August 2016 from meningococcal meningitis, was Ragubirs niece and Parveens cousin.

Parveen said: Meningitis is a disease that can break hearts within a matter of hours. We never thought we would have to say goodbye to someone we imagined being part of every family event, every memory, every precious moment in our lives. Trekking up Kilimanjaro was incredibly hard work, but it was the most amazing experience and we are proud of our achievement. We hope our fundraising will help mean that no other family has to endure the heartbreak of losing someone so

dear, and that our loss can be used to raise awareness of the symptoms of meningitis and the vaccines that can prevent it. This is what she would have wanted.

Following an 8 week intensive training plan, Ragubir and Parveen embarked on the seven day adventure. The group trekked through tropical rainforests, ascending through cloud level with the aim to reach Uhuru the 5,895m high ice-capped peak of Kilimanjaro, on Saturday 28 October. The group climbed together for a world free from meningitis and septicaemia; a shared objective leading to the ultimate personal achievement, conquering one of the seven wonders of the natural world.

Rob Dawson, Head of Support at MRF said, We are extremely grateful to Ragubir and Parveen and everyone who took part in this tough challenge. The funds that they have raised will help us enormously in our research, awareness and support programmes to ensure that other families dont have to go through what Paawans has as a result of meningitis and septicaemia.

Ragubir and Parveen have raised over 5,000 and they hope to hit their target of 8,700. Donations can still be accepted at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/parveen-hargun.
Two recent incidents encapsulate the fraught  and sometimes absurd  nature of political discourse in India today. One is the long-running protest against Sanjay Leela Bhansalis upcoming film, Padmavati, by some groups in Rajasthan who claim that the film defiles the memory of the eponymous queen.
AFL, a maker of fibre-optic cable and accessories, is looking to manufacture products at its Bengaluru facility for North American and other Asian markets. The company, which partnered with Citadel Intelligent Systems for manufacturing in India, will primarily produce equipment designed for data centres for existing and new customers.
Low cost carrier IndiGo on Friday received the first turbo-prop aircraft ATR 72-600 as it prepares to foray into regional operations from December.

The profitable airline, which faces competition from the likes of SpiceJet, Jet Airways and Air India, has placed orders for 50 such aircraft with Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR.

The order is also the biggest placed by any Indian carrier with the company.

"Today's delivery represents a major step in the airline's ambitious plan to further develop its fleet with the introduction of fuel-efficient and cost-effective ATR 72-600s, thus expanding its regional footprint and bringing air connectivity to smaller Indian airports and communities," an IndiGo statement quoting its President Aditya Ghosh said today.

IndiGo has been operating only aircraft from the Airbus A320 family since starting operations in 2005 and the induction of ATR fleet is part of ambitious plans to target regional routes.

Currently, the carrier has 142 aircraft and operates more than 950 flights a day.

"We have ordered 50 ATR aircraft. We will be getting 21 of these by January, 2019. We have identified three new destinations Tirupati, Vijaywada and Rajahmundry from Hyderabad to be added in our existing network," Ghosh, who is also the Whole Time Director, said in an interaction in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The company has already started taking bookings for Tirupati and Rajahmundry flights, a company official said.

The first ATR flight of IndiGo will depart from Hyderabad to Mangaluru on December 21 and the fares start from Rs 1,499. a company statement said.

"The ATR 72-600s feature seat and trip costs that are respectively 10 per cent and 20 per cent lower than those of other in-production turbo-props," IndiGo said.

On whether the decision to tap tier 2 and 3 cities was triggered by the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), Ghosh had said it was just coincidence that company's plans and RCS came around the same time.

RCS seeks to connect unserved and under-served airports as well as make flying more affordable.

A company official said IndiGo has put in bids in the second round of RCS but the operations starting on December 21 would not be under it.

IndiGo remained tight lipped about the additional revenue that ATR operations will bring.

"We were in talks with IndiGo for last five years but serious discussions started early this year", Tom Anderson, Sr Vice President (Program and Customer Service) at ATR told reporters here.

Ghosh said the company was already planning to target cities where airports cannot physically land a narrow body aircraft.

"By taking delivery of this first ATR 72-600, we are now one step closer to the launch of our turbo-prop operations by the end of this year.

"We are excited at the opportunity of once again being able to redefine air travel in India by bringing the reliability and efficiency of IndiGo's operations to towns and regions in our country which so far have been devoid of reliable air service or have been subject to exorbitant air fares," the statement said.

The cost per seat in a 74-seater ATR is higher than a 180-seat narrow body air plane but it has to be seen in light of commensurate revenue that a platform bring and if it is higher than its a successful business model, Ghosh said during the interaction.

According to IndiGo, these planes also feature the most modern cabin interiors, specifically designed for ATR by Italian firm Giugiaro, with thinner seats, larger overhead bins and LED lightening for an optimal passenger experience.

The order of 50 ATR 72-600 by IndiGo is the biggest order from any airline in India, David Vargas, Head of Press and Editorials of ATR said.

"The turbo-props of ATR are listed USD 26.8 million a piece. However, bulk orders are priced differently," he said.

About the potential of regional aviation in India, he said the proportion of such flights is 12 per cent of total flights in Indian skies, which was way below the global average of 25 per cent.

He said one of the common complaint of turbo props being noisy has been handled in ATR 72-600s, introduced six years ago by the company, by tweaking the number of blades, their tuning and strengthening the fuselage.

The sound inside the cabin is 79 db which is way lower than any of his competitor, he said.

The aircraft was received on behalf of IndiGo by Captain Ashim Mittra, Vice President (Flight Operations). The airline said it expects to add 7 ATRs by March 2018.
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) would pick up equity in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by the state government controlled Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) for the Plastic Park project proposed at Paradip.
Billionaire and Piramal Enterprises Limited Chairman has said that he doesn't have any plans to integrate Shriram Group's financial business with Piramal Enterprise.
As it looks to cast a wider net to bring new users onto its platform in India, ride hailing giant Uber is launching services that will allow customers with low-end smartphones and even feature phones book rides with it.

In the coming weeks, Uber will roll out enhancements to its app that will allow users to book cabs more seamlessly in places with bad network connectivity. However, for customers who cannot install its app, the company has launched a mobile site and is also piloting a service for people to book cabs through phone calls.
today apologised for defacing a heritage precinct in old Delhi by spray painting a wall for an advertisement campaign, saying it was "unintentional" and a result of "lack of information".

The company said it had a meeting with heritage body INTACH, civic authorities and the owner of one of the properties, and it was decided that the production company involved in the campaign would "restore the wall" to its original look.

The precinct falls in the Chawri Bazar area and the graffiti splashed on the wall made of lakhori bricks and limestone plaster had sparked outrage among conservationists and other heritage experts.

"We are sorry that we have unintentionally hurt sentiments of people," Puma India, a subsidiary of German sportswear firm Puma, said in a statement.

The company said post discussion, all the stakeholders had also "aligned" to the fact that there was "need to raise awareness" among the owners about guidelines to preserve heritage properties.

"We are very proud of India's heritage and would never like to compromise it in any way. Our using this building wall for our campaign shoot has been completely unintentional and clearly due to lack of information," a spokesperson said.

INTACH Delhi Convenor Swapna Liddle, who had highlighted the issue on social media this week, had earlier said she feared the paintings might cause "irreversible damage" to the 18th-century era structures.

An official spokesperson of Puma India, when contacted by PTI earlier, had said: "We believe all the required permissions were obtained to carry out the shoot. However, given the point raised we are investigating the matter."



Dubbed the 'Suede Gully', the three-minute-long video, shot over a month ago in multiple languages and four cities, is a creative endeavour that "captures the grit of Indian streets", the website said.

"It has been brought to our notice that a building wall used in our 'Suede Gully' video shoot is a heritage site. As a part of the shoot, graffiti was done on the wall of the building by a local artist," the company said.

The appointed production house had "taken necessary written permissions" from the owner of this private property, it said.

Even during the shoot, which happened on September 24, the teams involved did not know about the heritage status of the building, it said.

After the shoot, the production house offered to "restore the look of the wall to its original colour", but the owner refused because he "felt that the art had made his wall cleaner and livelier", Puma India said.

It said it had advised its creative agency to ask the appointed production house to do "whatever it takes to restore the wall to its original look-and-feel".

"They are coordinating with the owner of the building with regard to the same," the statement said.

Conservationist AGK Menon had said on Tuesday the issue highlighted the need for more efficient laws.

"The case points out that more awareness is needed to help people and big companies understand what constitutes heritage," he had said.
Two Delhi MLAs today tied a protective mask on the statue of Mahatma Gandhi here, registering their protest against the Delhi government's "non- utilisation" of environment fund to combat air pollution.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Kapil Mishra, before being stopped and detained by the police, managed to put on one mask on the statue of Gandhi and another on that of a woman at Gyarah Murti sculpture near Mother Teresa Crescent on Saradar Patel Marg.

The legislators were later released by the police.

Sirsa, a SAD-BJP MLA, said that it was "shocking" that the Kejriwal government collected Rs 787 crore of environment cess but spent only Rs 93 lakh out of it.

"People of Delhi are suffering from a serious crisis due to air pollution but Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is busy in his dramatics and running away from every responsibility," Sirsa said.

Kapil Mishra is a suspended MLA of Aam Aadmi Party.

The Gyarah Murti sculpture including eleven statues depicts Dandi March of 1931, with Mahatma Gandhi leading men and women including some prominent leaders of the freedom movement.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Friday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and discussed the repercussions of lack of clean water.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Principal Secretary Information Avnish Awasthi said the two leaders spoke about the consequences of encephalitis and water-borne diseases on the natives.

To this effect, Awasthi said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was being signed to take up developmental activities to curb the spread of this life-threatening disease.

Discussions were also held on reviving the agricultural sector through advanced technological measures like soil testing, seeding and so on.

However, it was also noted that the Bill Gates Foundation would assist the UP government on matters related to cleanliness, proper treatment of sewage, and so on.





ALSO READ: India's education system biggest let down: Highlights of Bill Gates' blog

Further, Awasthi claimed that Microsoft would work towards the development of the IT sector, along with discussions on tackling tuberculosis, child malnutrition, maternal health, sewage treatment and soil-mapping techniques.

Earlier on Thursday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh requested the Microsoft founder and head of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to concentrate on making "Model Villages" to inspire the local people.

Singh, who met Gates in the capital had requested him to initiate health awareness programmes in the country.

The home minister suggested that the Foundation should concentrate on developing villages and make them model ones.

On a related note, the business tycoon will arrive in Vizag later in the afternoon, where he is expected to attend the valedictory function of Agri Tech.

Later in the evening, Gates will attend the Association of Domestic Tour Operations of India Conclave 2017, followich which a review meeting is to be held with officials there, prior to his departure.
Private hospitals across Karnataka, including Bengaluru would reopen their Out Patient Departments (OPDs) on Friday on the advice of the Karnataka High Court on Thursday, said two official of the medical associations.

"OPDs in all private hospitals across Bengaluru will re-open on Friday as advised by the High Court bench," state Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) President-elect C Jayanna told IANS here.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by an advocate (N.P. Amruthesh) against the doctors' strike on Wednesday, a division bench of the High Court headed by Acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar directed the private doctors and their associations to withdraw the strike and restore the OPD services from Friday.

Hundreds of private hospitals across the state on Thursday shut their OPDs again as thousands of doctors intensified their strike against the penal provisions in the amendment bill to the KPME Act drafted by the government.

The four-day strike began on Tuesday. The OPDs were also shut on November 3.



"The OPDs in all private hospitals across the state will function normally from Friday, as we do not want patients to be affected. We have given an assurance to the High Court bench to keep the OPDs open," Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Karnataka Chapter Secretary B. Veeranna told IANS.

Though the bench said it could pass an order, it was refraining, giving time for the doctors to withdraw their strike and directed the state government to address their demands on the stringent provisions in the amendment bill to the Karnataka Private Health Establishment Act, 2007.

"The state Advocate General (Madhusudan Naik) has submitted a letter to the bench from the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) assuring the High Court that the state government would discuss the provisions of the amendment bill with the representatives of the doctors association on Friday at Belagavi," said Veeranna quoting Naik.

The Chief Minister also assured the High Court the amendment bill would be tabled in the legislative assembly only after discussing its provisions with all the stakeholders, including the doctors, the legislative select committee members and the lawmakers.

The bench adjourned the case for further hearing to Friday.

The state government had included stringent provisions in the amendment bill to regulate the functioning of private hospitals, including their costs of treatment and redressing the grievances of their patients.

Of the registered 1,25,000 doctors in the state, only about 10,000 work in the state-run hospitals, while over 100,000 are employed in about 40,000 private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics.

The private doctors are staging the hunger strike at Belagavi, about 500 km from Bengaluru, where the 10-day winter session of the legislature began on Monday.

The four main demands are the inclusion of government doctors under the KPME Act, no grievances redressal committees, no penalty on erring doctors or their imprisonment for the death of any patient due to medical negligence and ceiling on cost of treatment only for government health schemes under which eligible patients are treated in private hospitals or clinics.
The Madras High Court has upheld the conviction of  husband of V K Sasikala  and others in an appeal filed by them against a lower court's order on alleged manipulations related import of a Lexus car almost 23 years back.
As pollution level climbed to 12 times above the recommended limit this week in Indias capital, government officials said they knew what was needed to control the smoky haze, but nothing would be done, at least this year.
Union Home Minister on Thursday requested Microsoft founder and head of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, to concentrate on making "Model Villages" to inspire the local people.

Singh, who met Gates here today, had requested him to initiate health awareness programmes in the country.

The home minister suggested that the Foundation should concentrate on developing villages and make them model ones.

He also appreciated various welfare works being undertaken by the Gates foundation in India.

Gates explained the various technologies being adopted by them in the field of agriculture and sanitation.

He also assured the home minister that the Foundation will offer constructive support to India.
From the time of Adityanaths first visit to Ayodhya as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, the question doing the rounds in the state was why he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are singing such different tunes on the Ram temple controversy. Adityanaths recent Diwali extravaganza, tom-tommed as a return to treta yuga, has triggered a fresh round of speculation  unlike in 2014, will the BJP contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on a Hindutva agenda, or will it remove Adityanath from his chief ministerial position before that.
Amid Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's attempts to mediate on the Ayodhya dispute, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said everyone knows where talks would lead, especially when the Supreme Court is going to hear the matter from December 5 on a day-to-day basis.

"The Supreme Court is going to hear the matter on a day-to-day basis from December 5. Everyone knows where the talks would lead... Had the solution (to the dispute) been possible, it would have been reached earlier," he told reporters.

"Even after this, if someone initiates talks there is no harm. The government is not a party to this. In my first visit to Ayodhya, I had said that if both the parties reach consensus on the issue, the government could consider. The government cannot take an initiative in this regard as the matter is before the Supreme Court," he added.

ALSO READ: Akhada Parishad hammers out deal with UP Shia Waqf on Babri mosque issue

On his meeting with the Art of Living founder on Wednesday, Adityanath said, "See we did not have any discussion on the matter (Ayodhya dispute). It was a courtsey meeting as he was known to me and had arrived in Lucknow."Ravi Shankar had on Wednesday met Adityanath but said he had no proposal yet to discuss with the stakeholders.

His offer for mediating in the dispute has received a tepid and skeptical response from key protagonists on both sides, with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) voicing reservations about his role.

When his attention was drawn to comments by some Muslim leaders rejecting his proposal to resolve the dispute, Ravi Shankar had said he had no proposal at the moment so any question of rejection does not arise.

"Neither have I given any proposal nor have I got it from anyone," he had said.

Ravi Shankar is apparently exploring ways for a reconciliation between the warring parties locked in the protracted legal dispute over the land on which the Babri mosque stood before being pulled down in 1992.

The VHP and the AIMPLB have, however, rejected the relevance of mediation efforts by Ravi Shankar.

"It is being said that is talking to all the stakeholders in the case but he has not yet contacted the top leadership of All India Muslim Personal Law Board which is leading the Muslim side," AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani said.

He said Ravi Shankar had made a similar move to resolve the dispute some 12 years ago and concluded that the site should be handed over to Hindus.

The VHP too appeared dismissive, saying no dialogue on the issue was needed as courts go by evidence and archaeological evidence was in favour of Hindus.

"There is no relevance of the (recent) clamour for agreement over Ram Janmabhoomi after the archaeological evidences in this regard have been found to be in favour of Hindus... the courts go by evidence," regional spokesman for the VHP Sharad Sharma said in a statement.

A Bench headed by the then Chief Justice J S Khehar had said in March that such religious issues can be resolved through negotiations and offered to mediate to arrive at an amicable settlement.

(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.)
Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has offered to mediate in the Ayodhya dispute, on Thursday met various people and claimed to have received "very good and positive signs" from both the communities even though the stakeholders in the case were less hopeful.

"I am not here to give a solution to this issue... I want people to come together and find a solution... and I found very positive response from both the communities...," Ravi Shankar told reporters later.

"I would like to appeal to you to please have some patience... give some time... 2 or 3 months please give some time... let people of both communities think...," he said.

He said it is a Herculean task and he will meet all type of people. "We will need everyone's cooperation for this."

Several stakeholders gave a tepid and sceptical response to his offer. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also did not sound very positive on the outcome of Ravi Shankar's efforts.





ALSO READ: Result of Ayodhya talks already known: Yogi on Sri Sri's mediation efforts

Adityanath, who met Ravi Shankar on Wednesday, said everyone knows where talks would lead, especially when the Supreme Court is going to hear the matter from December 5 on a day-to-day basis.

"The Supreme Court is going to hear the matter on a day-to-day basis from December 5. Everyone knows where the talks would lead... Had the solution (to the dispute) been possible, it would have been reached earlier," he told reporters in Lucknow.

"Even after this, if someone initiates talks there is no harm. The government is not a party to this. In my first visit to Ayodhya, I had said that if both the parties reach consensus on the issue, the government could consider. The government cannot take an initiative in this regard as the matter is before the Supreme Court," he added.

Mahant Gyan Das, the chief priest of Hanumangarhi temple, refused to meet Ravi Shankar in Ayodhya on Thursday alleging he is "fooling the public in the name of negotiations".

Another priest of the temple, Mahant Raju Das, claimed that Ravi Shankar is seeking to take credit as the Ayodhya issue is very near to a peaceful solution.

Triloki Nath Pandey, a senior VHP leader and a litigant in the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya issue, alleged that Ravi Shankar met those who are not even parties in the case.

Iqbal Ansari (son of late Hashim Ansari, another litigant) dismissed Ravi Shankar's visit as a "political stunt".

However, Ravi Shankar reacted saying, "Some people are opposing my move as they have no hope that this dispute may be solved through negotiated settlement. But there are a lot of people who believe that peaceful solution of the Ayodhya issue may come out only through talks."

"If the court gives any verdict and if any one community feels left out... and even if the mandir or whatever is built there... after 50 or 100 years the problem might come back again... so the best thing is these two communities come together and then this problem will be resolved," he said.

He interacted with the media after meeting Mahant Dinendra Das of Nirmohi Akhara.

He also met a gathering of Muslim intellectuals in Faizabad city.
The only trial of my life in this lovely place is that I have not time to write and tell you everything about all I see, hear and do18 October, 1889. (From An Indian Portia, Selected writings of Cornelia Sorabji 1866 to 1954, Edited by Kusoom Vadgama)
The Indian corporate sector is celebrating the Moody's upgrade as it would reduce their cost of funds on an average by up to 100 basis points while raising funds abroad. The Moody's upgrade comes at a time when in the calendar year 2017, Indian corporates' borrowings declined by 40 per cent from overseas markets as many companies struggled to manage their high debt and low capacity.
The strategic partnership is not limited to bilateral ties but acts as a force for peace and stability in the regional and global context as well, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

He also said that he looks forward to receiving French President Emmanuel Macron in India at his earliest convenience.

He made these remarks when French Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian called on him here today.

The visiting dignitary briefed the prime minister on recent developments in the bilateral relationship as follow-up to Modi's visit to France in June, 2017.

The prime minister appreciated the contribution of Le Drian to the growing engagement in his current role as well as in his earlier role as Defence Minister of France, an offcial statement said.

"The prime minister said that the significance of India- France Strategic Partnership is not limited to the bilateral context, but acts as a force for peace and stability in the regional and global context as well," it said.
India and Japan will collaborate to send a joint mission to the moon, which includes landing a rover and bringing samples back to the earth, a feat that was last achieved over four decades ago.
Minister of Railways and Coal on Thursday said Startup India, a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modis, was very important in todays time. When traditional business practices are becoming extraneous, the future is in start Up India and Stand Up India, he said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday met Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation, and requested him to initiate health awareness programmes in India, suggesting that his foundation should also concentrate on developing model villages.
The Narendra Modi government is celebrating the upgrade of Indias sovereign credit rating by Moodys Investors Service. The new rating places India at Baa2, up a notch from Baa3. The outlook has also been raised from positive to stable, while other ratings including the one for short-term local currency have seen an upgrade by a notch each.

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard.
The Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor Development Programme (VCICDP), running along the eastern coast of India, has got off to slow start, despite having received the administrative sanction for the much-anticipated project that is expected to attract investments worth Rs 1 lakh crore.
Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) finally declared the revised result of group 1 service recruitment examination. Candidates, who had appeared for the exams, can check their respective results at the official website www.tspsc.gov.in. A total of 122 candidates have been selected.
Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) is inviting applications for recruitment of various posts through Combined Civil Services Examination. The posts are Village Administrative Officer, Junior Assistants, Bill Collector, Field Surveyor, Draftsman, Typist, and Steno-Typist (III). It is mandatory for the interested and eligible candidates to register their basic particulars through One Time online Registration system on payment of Rs.150/- (Rupees One Hundred and Fifty only) towards registration fee and then should apply online for this recruitment. Keep in mind that the One-Time Registration will be valid for 5 years from the date of registration. Thereafter, the registration should be renewed by paying the prescribed fee. Last date for submission of application is 13th December, 2017 (Wednesday).
Playing it safe by fielding experienced candidates, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released its first list for 70 out of 182 state assembly seats ahead of elections.

The declaration of the list had preceded several meetings within the party.
Company Ltd on Friday said it has signed a comprehensive Bancassurance agreement with YES Bank to distribute its various products.

In a statement issued here, Reliance General - a subsidiary of Reliance Capital Ltd - said the bancassurance agreement - corporate agency agreement - has been inked to distribute insurance products to the bank's customers.

The tie-up will further augment Reliance General's distribution network as YES Bank has a network of 1,040 branches across 29 states and seven union territories having large base of retail and micro, small and medium enterprises.

This is the first partnership signed by the bank since the open-architecture norms under the Corporate Agency regulations were introduced by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India in April 2016.

"YES Bank is pleased to partner to offer a bouquet of general insurance products to our customers," Rana Kapoor, Managing Director and CEO, YES Bank was quoted as saying in the statement.

"With this alliance, we remain committed to leveraging our Pan-India branch network to capitalise on the immense opportunities in the Indian bancassurance market."

According to the statement, Anmol Ambani, Executive Director, Reliance Capital, said: "We are delighted to tie up with a fast-growing and customer centric partner like YES Bank.

"The bancassurance channel has potential to reach out to the last mile and serve untapped markets thereby promoting the insurance penetration in India. With the alignments of our brands, people and processes, we hope to better serve our customers."
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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 has said that CAPFs and State Police has come of age to tackle the menace of insurgency. He saidthat new and evolved Technology should be utilized to tackle the insurgency and terrorism effectively. Dr. Jitendra Singh said this while addressing the 6th International Conference on Homeland Security here today. The theme of the Conference is Integrated Approach to Security with the Session titled Operational Challenges in Counter Insurgency and Solutions. .

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Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of New India can become a success if safe and secure India become the mantra. He also exhorted the stakeholders to evolve a value based system with high morals, so the young generation is not diverted from the path of discipline, growth and development. He also praised the high competence and technological efforts and prowess of the Security Forces and Intelligence Agencies to address the security issues. He said Cyber Security needs to be revisited with sustained renewed vigor so that the country is not lagging in global technological advancement sphere. .

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Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the latest researches needs to synergized with the requirements to evolve an effective and efficient Counter Insurgency strategy. Dr. Jitendra Singh said that driven by the inspiration of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modis clarion call and constant strive for excellence in security domain, he said the incidence of insurgency has reduced enormously in J&K with the proactive and pre-emptive approach of the Government in addressing the menace of cross-border terrorism. .

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Dr. Jitendra Singh said that every solution in the realm of Insurgency issue should be customized based on region specific requirements of the state, terrain of the region and local populace. He emphasized the need for Research and Development (R&D) in this area and to develop the technological solutions with an endeavor rooted in Indian conditions to address the region specific issues of insurgency. He underlined the importance of best practices and policies driven with the sole objective of police modernization and development of security forces with integrated expertise driven approach. He said that there is a quintessential need to be aware of the Human Rights while addressing the law and order and security issues. He said in the recent past, the J&K Special Operations Group has done a commendable job in nabbing the militants and their efforts are setting a new benchmark for the security apparatus. He said that the confidence of people in the borders have accentuated with the decisive action of the Government. He said that the core solution to the insurgency issues should be based on the pillars of clarity and conviction. .

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French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs calls on PM

Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.

He briefed the Prime Minister on recent developments in the bilateral relationship as follow-up to the Prime Ministers visit to France in June 2017.

The Prime Minister appreciated the contribution of Mr. Le Drian to the growing India-France engagement, in his current role as well as in his earlier role as Defence Minister of France.

The Prime Minister said that the significance of India-France Strategic Partnership is not limited to the bilateral context, but acts as a force for peace and stability in the regional and global context as well.

The Prime Minister also said that he looks forward to receiving President Macron in India at his earliest convenience.
The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu is on a visit to Russia from November 15-17, to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Meeting of the Ministers of Member States responsible for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade. The Minister of Commerce and Industry is also holding bilateral meetings during his visit. This is the first Ministerial Conference on Trade organized by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization after India became a full member of the Organization in June 2017. This is also Shri Prabhus first visit to Russia as Minister of Commerce and Industry. .

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During his visit, the Minister of Commerce and Industry met the Member of Board (Minister) for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EaEC), Ms. Veronika Nikishina on November 15 and discussed early start of negotiations of the Free Trade Agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Commission, as well as the potential and opportunities for increasing trade cooperation. .

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On November 16 Shri Prabhu participated in a Round Table interaction with 30 of Russias leading business leaders. The companies that attended the Round Table were leaders in steel, engineering goods, railways, financial services, nuclear energy, agriculture, Venture Capitalists and trade promotion. The Minister told the gathering about the new initiatives of the Government of India, particularly with regard to ease of doing business, priority areas like financing in the nuclear energy sector, natural gas, railways, organizing Trade Fairs, agro-marketing etc. The business leaders participated enthusiastically in the discussion to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation between India and Russia. The Minister of Commerce and Industry invited the businessmen to take part in the Partnership Summit, in Vizag in India from 24-26 February 2018. .

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The Minister of Commerce and Industry also met the Minister for Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Mr. Maxim Oreshkin on November 16 and discussed the current level of bilateral trade between India and Russia and ways for its enhancement. They also discussed opportunities that the fast growing economy of India provides for doing business, particularly in the field of manufacturing. Earlier in day, Shri Prabhu also met the President of Skolkovo Foundation and Renova Group, Mr. Viktor Vekselberg and discussed production of solar panels, bottled Baikal water and renewable energy production. .

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The Minister will separately address a gathering of Russian Small and Medium Enterprises and a select group of Russian investors at Delovaya Russia today. He will also meet his other Russian counterpart, the Minister of Industry & Trade of the Russian Federation, Mr. Dennis Manturov. The discussions are likely to included ways to strengthen India- Russia Investment and collaboration in creating Joint Ventures under the Make in India initiative of the Government of India. .

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NW
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the Presidents Bodyguard at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (November 17, 2017). .

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Speaking on the occasion, the President said that it gave him great pleasure to present the PBG a Silver Trumpet with his Trumpet Banner. As the Presidents personal troops, the Presidents Bodyguards have lived up to the highest standards of professional excellence and distinguished service to our country. The men of the PBG comprise the only regiment in the Indian Army fully trained as horsemen, paratroopers, tank-men, and in ceremonial duties. This gives them a special position in our Armed Forces. .

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The President said that it is a matter of pride that warriors of the Presidents Bodyguard have served with distinction during our countrys major wars, as well as with the Indian Peace-Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and on the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier. They have also been deployed overseas as part of United Nations Peace-Keeping Missions. .

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The Presidents Bodyguard is the oldest regiment in the Indian Army, having been raised as the Governor-Generals Bodyguard (later the Viceroys Bodyguard) in 1773. As the President of Indias own Guard, it has the unique distinction of being the only military unit of the Indian Army that is privileged to carry the Presidents Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner. This distinction was conferred on the Presidents Bodyguard in 1923 by the then Viceroy, Lord Reading, on the occasion of the Bodyguard completing 150 years of service. Each succeeding Viceroy, thereafter, presented the Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the Bodyguard. .

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On January 27, 1950, the regiment was renamed the Presidents Bodyguard. Every President has continued the practice of honouring the regiment. Rather than a coat of arms, as was the practice in the colonial era, the monogram of the President appears on the Banner. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, presented his Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the Presidents Bodyguard on May 14, 1957. .

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The Issue Price for the next subscription period i.e. November 20-22, 2017 for the Series III of the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2017-18 would be Rs. 2,964 per gram with Settlement on November 27, 2017; A Discount of Rs.50 per gram from the issue price would be allowed to those investors who apply online and the payment is made through Digital Mode. .

The Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), had floated Series III of Sovereign Gold Bonds 2017-18, for the period from October 09, 2017 to December 27, 2017 (with subscription period Monday to Wednesday every week). The Bonds will be issued on the succeeding Monday after each subscription period. .

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For the next subscription period i.e. November 20-22, 2017 for Series III of the Sovereign Gold Bonds 2017-18, the issue price shall be Rs. 2,964 (Rupees Two thousand Nine hundred Sixty Four only) per gram with Settlement on November 27, 2017, as also published by RBI in their Press Release dated November 17, 2017. .

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The Government of India in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has decided to allow discount of Rs.50 (Rupees Fifty) per gram from the issue price to those investors who apply online and the payment is made through digital mode. .

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Singapore has suspended all trade ties with North Korea as the UN and the US seek tougher measures against Pyongyang, an official notice said on Friday.

Singapore Customs said commercially traded goods from or to North Korea had been banned from November 8, reports the BBC.

Offenders may be fined or jailed for up to two years.

It comes as UN sanctions were imposed after North Korea's sixth nuclear test.

Singapore was the North's eighth biggest trading partner in 2016, but that only made up 0.2 per cent of the Communist regime's trade.

The latest round of UN sanctions targeted several firms and individuals, including two businesses in Singapore.

In January 2016, a Singapore firm was fined $125,700 for facilitating a shipment of arms from Cuba to North Korea after a court found the Chinpo Shipping Co was in breach of the UN sanctions on North Korea.
China stunned the finance world last week when it unveiled plans to allow foreign control of its financial institutions. Few bankers thought their long-held dream of better access to the world's largest banking market was within reach.

The likelihood, however, is that even fewer will rush to take advantage of that opening.

In theory, foreign banks will be allowed to take larger stakes in their Chinese commercial peers - currently capped at 20 percent - while investment banks will be able to take control of their securities joint ventures.

In practice, a combination of well-entrenched local companies and an opaque regulatory regime means global banks will move only very cautiously to exploit the new rules, bankers and lawyers said.

Besides its stringent ownership limits, China has for decades carefully controlled the range of activities open to foreign banks in an effort to protect domestic players, they say, and few expect that to change soon.

"Lifting shareholding limits is just one part of the problem, the bigger concern is whether the foreigners will get a level-playing field in the country," said a Beijing-based lawyer, who works with Chinese banking and securities regulators.

"The global financial industry has changed a lot in the last few years and there's a lot more scrutiny happening on capital allocation, compliance and risks," he said, he said referring to bank managements. "The impact of this move would have been very different four, five years ago."

Before the 2008 global financial crisis, many western banks took stakes in Chinese peers. But most of the banks were forced to sell them after the crisis as global regulators tightened capital standards.

The banks also found that their investments did not give them the solid foothold they had hoped for in China. Tighter capital regulations are also likely to curb interest this time around by making already costly acquisitions even tougher.

Since the global financial crisis, "most foreign banks have refocused on home markets, serving key customers overseas and, for some, had to repair balance sheets," said Paul McSheaffrey, head of banking at KPMG.

With a 19 percent equity holding in Bank of Communications, HSBC, is one of the few global banks to still hold a substantial stake in a Chinese bank.

China's banking system has also grown rapidly, along with the Chinese economy in the last few years. Ten years ago, foreign lenders held 2.4 percent of the country's banking assets, according to KPMG.

In spite of those foreign-held assets growing at 20 percent a year for the past decade, today foreigners hold just 1.4 percent of what has become a 181.7 trillion yuan ($27.40 trillion) market.

Foreign entrants also face a banking market dominated by China's big five state-backed lenders who themselves face a tough environment due to rising bad loans and the country's hard-to-read regulatory regime.

"It would be very difficult for them to change the (business) landscape," said a banker with an European bank.

The bankers and lawyers declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) did not respond to a request for comment.

SECURITIES JOINT VENTURES

One area with potential could be the securities joint ventures operated by big global investment banks in partnership with local players, industry insiders said.

China has said banks will be able to raise stakes to 51 percent from the current cap of 49 percent, and that in three years, even those restrictions will be lifted.

The joint ventures, operated by banks including Citigroup, whose joint venture topped the foreign securities' business list in China last year in terms of profit, Credit Suisse, and UBS among .

These joint ventures offer services like stock and bond underwriting, sales and trading.

The lack of management control and regulatory curbs have limited the range of services the ventures can offer and compete with local players, who dominate the market, industry data showed. None of the foreign ventures figure in lists of the top 70 securities firms in China in terms of profit.

Citi welcomes any government moves to further liberalize the financial markets, said Christine Lam, chief executive of Citi China, adding that the bank continued to grow its own retail and institutional business in the country.

UBS Securities, the bank's China joint venture, was ranked 85th in China with profit of about $14 million last year, even as it remains an investment banking powerhouse in Asia. Meanwhile, the local industry leader, Gutai Junan Securities, raked in $1.5 billion in the same period.

"China is a key market for UBS and, as indicated previously, we continue to work towards increasing our stake in UBS Securities Co. Ltd.," Eugene Qian, the chairman of the UBS China Strategy Board, said in a statement.

Last year, JPMorgan reported global corporate and investment banking profits of $10.8 billion, while its Chinese joint venture produced $8 million - to be split with its partner.

The U.S. bank sold its 33 percent holding in that entity to its partner last December but is in talks to set up a new joint venture, people with knowledge of the matter have previously said.

JPMorgan said the bank was fully committed to China and had a strategic long-term approach to its business in the country. It will continue to "evaluate viable options to strengthen its position" in China, the bank said in a statement.

Credit Suisse looks forward to being a part of China's financial markets development, the bank said in a statement, without elaborating.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Taking over management control of these joint ventures would help foreign banks by allowing their staff to run the businesses and better integrate local operations with their global networks, the bankers said.

It would also minimise any "reputational risk" by tightening governance, they said.

But stringent "know-your-customer" requirements and limited business lines would mean it would be years before they manage to take market share away from local players such as Gutai Junan, CITIC Securities and Haitong Securities, they said.

"Pricing competition is also intense, particularly in the brokerage and underwriting segments, where brokerage commission rates have fallen to less than 3 basis points," Fitch Ratings analysts wrote in a report on Tuesday.

"Moreover, business relationships tend to be important to winning institutional business which could represent a practical hurdle for potential foreign entrants."

($1 = 6.6312 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Sumeet Chatterjee; additional reporting by Umesh Desai, Matthew Miller, Shu Zhang and Xiaochong Zhang; Editing by Jennifer Hughes and Philip McClellan)
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's fate hung in the balance on Friday as he apparently resisted efforts to make him step down following a seizure of power by the army, until this week a key pillar of his 37-year-rule.
The night of November 5 was a long one in Riyadh. Saudi authorities began a widespread crackdown aimed, on the one hand, against former economic policymakers and business leaders and, on the other, against the chiefs of the Saudi National Guard and Saudi Royal Navy. This had the look of a political purge  but it is much bigger than that.
Barcelona attack: Injured people are treated in Barcelona after a white van jumped the sidewalk in the historic Las Ramblas district, crashing into a summer crowd of residents and tourists and injuring several people, police said. Photo: PTI/AP

The US has issued a travel alert for Europe, warning its citizens of the "heightened risk of terrorist attacks" throughout the region.

Citing recent widely-reported incidents in multiple European countries, including France, Britain, and Sweden, the State Department on Thursday said it remained concerned about potential future terrorist attacks, reports Xinhua news agency.

The incidents demonstrate that the Islamic State, Al Qaeda, and their affiliates were still capable of planning and executing terrorist attacks in Europe, the Department said in a statement.

It also warned of self-radicalised extremists who may conduct attacks "with little or no warning".

The US will continue to work closely with its European allies to tackle terrorism, it noted.

The travel alert is expected to expire by the end of January 2018.
The military has taken control of the national broadcaster, troops are in the streets and the president is being held in a secure environment. All military leave is cancelled and a senior general has addressed the nation. Yet the Zimbabwean military continues with the pretence that this is not a coup detat.
Shares of real estate companies were in focus with DLF, Puravankara, Kolte Patil Developers, Sunteck Realty and Ajmera Realty hitting their respective 52-week highs on Friday. All these stocks were up in the range of 5% to 15% on the BSE in intra-day deal.



At 01:13 PM; the S&P BSE Realty index, the largest gainer among sectoral indices, was up 4% at 2,370, as compared to 1% rise in the S&P BSE Sensex.



The Government on Thursday approved the enhancement of the carpet area of houses for the middle-income group (MIG) category under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U).



According to Agencies report, Under the MIG-I category, the carpet area of the houses has been enhanced from 90 sq.mtr to 120 sq.mtr, while under the MIG-II segment, it has been increased to 150 sq.mtr from the current 110 sq.mtr, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters while briefing them about the Union cabinet decisions.



An official said many people were not opting to buy houses under the scheme as the previous carpet area did not seem very attractive to them.



Now that the carpet area had been increased, more people would come forward to avail of the benefits, he said, adding that the Centre was expecting an enhanced expenditure of about Rs 1,000-1,200 crore because of the decision, added report. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL REPORT



Among the individual stocks, DLF hit a 52-week high of Rs 224, up 7%, extending its past three days 3.5% gain on the BSE.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) will investigate possible leaks of company earnings in social media chatrooms, its chief Ajay Tyagi said on Friday.





ALSO READ: Predictive messages about Indian cos results circulate in WhatsApp groups
An Argentine submarine with 44 crew members on board has gone missing off the country's Atlantic coast.

Argentina's navy launched a huge search and rescue operation to discover the missing submarine.

The ARA San Juan submarine was last spotted Wednesday in the San Jorge Gulf roughly 432 kilometers (268 miles) off the east coast, CNN reported.

"The navy is conducting operations to resume communications with the ARA 'San Juan' submarine," the navy said on Twitter.

Crews are searching for the vessel by air and sea near its last known location, CNN quoted navy spokesman Enrique Balbi as saying.

According to reports, the diesel-powered 66-metre long Class TR 1700 San Juan was on a voyage from the southernmost city of Ushuaia to the naval base of Mar del Plata when contact was lost.

The governments of the U.S., U.K. and Chile have offered satellites and ships to aid in the search operations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Baloch leaders and activists across the have condemned the detention of key leader of their struggle, Mehran Marri, by the Swiss authorities at the Zurich Airport.

"The generals of the Pakistan Army and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) are the most deceptive bullies and blackmailers in the world," said Ahmar Mustikhan, a senior journalist and founder of the American Friends of Balochistan (AFB).

Mustikhan asked the Baloch leaders to not delay hiring the best lawyers to counter Pakistan's illegal moves.

"Pakistan generals have looted as much as USD 150 billion in kickbacks, commissions and bribes during arms deals and much of this money is stashed in Swiss bank accounts. This dirty money explains the Swiss action," he added.

France-based Baloch activist Munir Mengal said the Baloch Voice Association condemned the barring of Mehran Marri from entering to Switzerland with his family.

"The detention of Mehran Marri and a lifetime ban on his entry in Switzerland by the authorities is very discouraging and a sorrowful incident. Marri is a secular political pro-independence Baloch leader who has been politically struggling for the independence of occupied Balochistan," Germany based Shafi Burfat, the chief of Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), said.

Switzerland based United Kashmir People's National Party activist, Nasir Aziz, said, "I am surprised to know that Mehran Marri, a Baloch Nationalist leader and Human Rights activist, who has been regularly participating in the UNHRC Sessions at Geneva, has been prevented to enter Swiss."

Aziz added that Marri had raised cases of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances in Balochistan in the UNHRC.

Marri was detained by the Swiss authorities at the Zurich airport yesterday. Informing the same, he tweeted, "Friends, I have been detained at Zurich Airport for the last few hours and feel I am under arrest by Swiss authorities on request of the Pakistan Govt. My wife and children are also with me in detention. Don't worry, being detained is nothing new for the Baloch..."

"My father spent many years in far worse conditions, but never have up. The peaceful & legal struggle for an independent #Balochistan free of Pakstani occupation shall continue no matter what the Punjabi generals & babus of that excuse of a country plan. We'll persevere"

He further said, "I have now been informed that I have been placed under a lifetime ban on entering Switzerland at the request of Islamabad. So much for the Geneva UNHRC being the capital of human rights. I am still in detention at Zurich Airport with my wife and children. Stay tuned 4 more."

The youngest son of the late Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, Mehran Marri, was travelling to Geneva to attend the Baloch unity moot called by his brother-in-law, Brahumdagh Bugti, president of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP).

Brahamdagh, who organised the meeting in Geneva, speaking to ANI on the detention, stated, "It is sad and shocking for me that he was stopped and detained with his family and children."

"I am really shocked how a neutral country like Switzerland can do that. Mehran's visiting the country is not new," Brahamdagh said, adding that the former used to often visit Switzerland "for last 15 years".

Baloch activist Bhawal Mengal also condemned the Pakistani military's "malicious and desperate attempt".

"This is a malicious and desperate attempt by the Pakistani military establishment to malign and curtail the freedom of Baloch representatives, who are working to raise awareness on the worsening situation in Balochistan and Pakistan's crimes against humanity . Developed countries should not be intimidated by Pakistan, which has been an international sponsor of terrorism," Mengal said.

Other than Mehran Marri, his estranged elder brother Hyrbyair Marri, who heads the Free Balochistan Movement, was expected to attend the Baloch unity meeting, that begins this Saturday.

Meanwhile, reports say that Marri has now been released and he, along with his family, has now taken off to London.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrested a junior engineer of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for demanding bribe of Rs two lakh.

Kulbhushan Jindal, was arrested for demanding Rs two lakh for not demolishing property in Narela.

The investigative agency caught Jindal red handed with Rs 75,000 and recovered cash of Rs five lakhs from his car.

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Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi on Friday lashed out at actress Deepika Padukone, saying she was not the president of India to roll out orders on the release of the movie 'Padmavati'.

Speaking to ANI, Kalvi said, "Who will tolerate the fact that Rani Padmavati is being shown as the lover of Allauddin Khilji? Deepika Padukone, in her statement, said that the film would be released at any cost. She is not the president of this nation. She is trying to provoke us. I, the founder of Rajput Karni Sena, am saying that this film will not be released."

He added he condemned Sanjay Leela Bhansali for even using Rani Padmavati's name.

"If I ever meet him I will ask him to not use my mother's name, i.e. Rani Padmavati. I will not tolerate this," Kalvi said.

He further said it was not only the Karni Sena, but everyone in the society who was coming forward to speak against this film.

"Now I will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a stand and stop this film from being released. The Centre needs to decide what has to be done here," Kalvi added.

Earlier on Thursday, a member of the Sena said if need be, an action would be taken against Padukone.

Speaking to ANI, Mahipal Singh Makrana said, "The Rajput Karni Sena is fighting to protect the image of women being portrayed in the films. We never raise a hand on women but if need be, we will do to Deepika what Lakshman did to Shurpanakha for violating the rules and culture of India."

Earlier, Kalvi said the Sena would gather in lakhs and call for a nation-wide shutdown on December 1.

"Our ancestors wrote history with blood, hence, we will not let anyone blacken it," the Sena chief added.

The Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha members also protested against the film in Jaipur and filed signatures with blood to be sent to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The protests have turned even more violent, as acts of vandalism in Rajasthan's Kota were reported on Tuesday.

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External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Friday welcomed French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian here.

The two leaders reiterated their strong commitment to further strengthen India-France strategic partnership.

Le Drian also called on Minister of State (IC) for Power and New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh.

The French minister arrived here on a two-day visit to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries.

Minister Le Drian will also call on for wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India.

Le Drian's day one visit will be to strengthen various aspects of France's bilateral cooperation with India, its foremost Asian strategic partner: security, economy, sustainable urban development and renewable energy, education and research, people-to-people ties and cultural affairs.

On the second day of his visit, he will officially launch the third edition of the Indo-French platform "Bonjour India" on Saturday.

Jean-Yves Le Drian will also unveil "The Experience": an immersive and interactive multimedia journey to the heart of the Indo-French relationship.

The Grand Opening of Bonjour India will take place at Amber Fort, Jaipur, on Saturday evening. The event will be attended by Minister Le Drian, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, and will also feature a monumental video creation by French artist Xavier de Richemont, entitled "Barghal".

Bonjour India is a three-month Indo-French collaborative platform focused on innovation, creativity, and partnership, which will be presented in more than 300 events in 33 cities across India.

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Google on Saturday paid its tributes to V. Shantaram, renowned Indian filmmaker and producer, through a dedicated doodle on the occasion of his 116th birth anniversary.

Born as Rajaram Vankurde Shantaram on 18 November in 1901, V. Shantaram was known for films such as Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), Amar Bhoopali (1951), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Navrang (1959), Duniya Na Mane (1937) and Pinjra (1972).

The doodle depicts three films produced and directed by Shantaram in the 1950s that won him numerous national and international awards. Amar Bhoopali told the true story of an ordinary cow herder with a natural gift for poetry, set in the days of the Maratha Confederacy.

Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, a love story set against the background of classical Indian dance, was among the first films in India to use Technicolor.

Do Aankhen Baara Haath portrayed the tale of a young jail warden who would reform dangerous prisoners into persons of virtue through hard work. Shantaram's powerful approach to advocating humanism while still exposing injustice made this film a classic.

The doodle by Sukanto Debnath celebrates Shantaram's lasting impact on Indian cinema.

He started his film career doing odd jobs in Maharashtra Film Co. owned by Baburao Painter at Kolhapur and went on to debut as an actor in the silent film Surekha Haran in 1921.

Shantaram, fondly known as Annasaheb, had an illustrious career as a filmmaker for almost six decades.

He was one of the early filmmakers to realize the efficacy of the film medium as an instrument of social change and used it successfully to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other.

Shantaram was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1985 and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1992.

He died on 30 October 1990 in Mumbai. The V. Shantaram Award was constituted by Central Government and Maharashtra State Government in his honour.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections.

"The Central Election Committee of the party held a meeting with party chief Amit Shah," a press release read.

The names that were decided by the Committee included Vijay Rupani, Nitinbhai Patel, Jitu Vaghani, Vasanbhai Ahir, Shankarbhai Chaudhary and more.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and others.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Congress Central Election Committee meeting to select candidates for Gujarat elections was postponed for today.

The elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

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India and France on Friday reiterated the commitment to jointly combat terrorism and strengthen the "exceptional" strategic partnership between the two countries.

After holding a meeting with visiting French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, "We decided that the two countries have to come together and resolve to remove this (terrorism) evil."

In an oblique reference to Pakistan, Swaraj said, "We have made an appeal to all the countries of the that they should collectively protest against all nations who provide sanctuary to terrorism, finance terrorism, and support terrorism."

While French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said, "On matters such as combating terrorism, maritime security, cooperation in the Indian Ocean, we have a complete commonality of views, which calls for the strengthening of our partnership."

Highlighting the "strong" bilateral ties, Swaraj said defence, space and civil nuclear cooperation constitute the three principal pillars of their strategic partnership.

The French foreign minister echoed the same feeling and said their defence partnership was well known through Rafale fighter jet and Scorpene submarine deals.

Both sides also agreed on addressing climate change and promoting secure, affordable and sustainable supplies of energy.

Le Drian arrived in India on a two-day visit to lay the groundwork for the visit of the French President Emmanuel Macron, which will take place early next year during the summit of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

The ISA is conceived as a coalition of solar resource rich countries to address their special energy needs and will provide a platform to collaborate on addressing the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach.

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday issued a notice to former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, asking them to appear on November 20 and November 24 respectively, in connection with the IRCTC hotel scam.

Earlier on November 13, the ED questioned the former Bihar deputy chief minister in connection with the scam.

On October 10, Tejashwi was interrogated by ED for eight and half hours in association with the case. He was questioned about money laundering in the railway hotel allotment case as the agency was unsatisfied with Yadav's earlier probe.

Tejashwi also failed to depose before the ED after ignoring three prior summons in regards to the same case.

The investigative agency had, in July, registered a corruption case against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, Vijay Kochar and Vinay Kochar, both directors of Messer's Sujata Hotel Private Limited, Messer's Delight Marketing Private Limited, P.K. Goel, the then Managing Directors, IRCTC and others under Section 120B read with Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)d Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 in connection with the case.

The FIR, lodged by the CBI against the RJD chief, stated that there were irregularities in awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of the BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri when Lalu was the railway minister from 2004 to 2009.

The investigating agency has alleged that the tender process was rigged, manipulated and the conditions were tweaked by the then railway minister to help a private hotel company.
Nepal on Friday remembered India's first Education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to celebrate the National Education Day.

The program, organised by Embassy of India in Kathmandu, in collaboration with Indian Culture Centre was also celebrated as Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day.

Many dignitaries, senior bureaucrats from Government of Nepal and academicians marked their presence on the day.

Ambassador of India to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri said, "We believe in solidarity which means offering our expertise, learning abilities, capacities in the area of skill development and make them available to fellows from the developing ."

The first batch of 12 ITEC participants went to India in the year 2000.

Over the years, the number of seats allocated to Nepal under ITEC program has increased from 12 in 2000 to 250 in 2016.

Candidates from Government of Nepal as well as from private and public sectors have been trained under ITEC programme in reputed institutions in India in the field of computers, engineering, journalism, banking and other fields.

From the days of its initiation to take offer professional courses about 1250 participants are said to be benefitted by the initiated programs, the ITEC informed.

Anil Pariyar participant, ITEC said, "India and Nepal have been sharing wide commonality through this ITEC program and it is great for me to get involved in it."

The day was marked with much fervor and showcasing of various Indian dances and songs by the Nepali students who are enrolled in various culture learning process in the Indian Culture Center.

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Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said the upgrade in Moody's sovereign rating for India to Baa2 was the result of the good governance of the ruling party in the country, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Talking to ANI, Goyal said the measures like the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and demonetisation when put together have proven to be a leap towards good governance, and welfare of the people of India.

"This is only a confirmation that Prime Minister Modi and his government has consistently focussed on good governance. We have focussed to deliver to the people of India a better quality of life. We have continued to stay on the path of good physical consolidation, creating a macro-economic situation which will strengthen India's growth for decades in the future," Goyal said.

Goyal said the upgrade was due to the efforts of the ruling party that India was being recognised by international agencies.

"The people of India have voted for Prime Minister Modi's good governance again and again, election after election. The BJP had governments in six states till 2014. We have 18 state governments now and by next month we will hopefully have 19," he said.

The Union Minister further said the upgrade would create a lot of confidence among the investors.

"The investors will be sure that their money is safe. They will get a reasonable return and it has a good market of billion plus people aspiring for better quality of life. We will see more money coming into the country. The rupee will get stronger. I think we are entering into the golden era of growth and prosperity of this country," he said.

Earlier in the day, Moody upgraded India's sovereign rating to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook to stable from positive, thus providing a much-needed impetus to the Modi government.

Reports suggest that the global rating company said the reforms undertaken by the government would lead to an enhanced business environment, fuelling the foreign and domestic investment, and subsequently the growth momentum. It also noted that the reforms implemented reduced the risk of a sharp increase in debt, even in potential downside scenarios.

However, Moody argued that measures such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), demonetisation, and others would need time to settle in, and the impact would be witnessed in due course of time. It also claimed that India's growth potential superseded that of many other sovereign nations.

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France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on recent developments in the bilateral relationship as follow-up to the latter's visit to France in June.

India-France strategic partnership is not limited to bilateral context, but acts as a force for peace and stability in regional and global context as well, said Modi in the meeting.

Previously Le Drian was the Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs from 2012 to 2017, under President Francois Hollande.

According to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office, Modi also said he looked forward to receiving President Macron in India at his earliest convenience.

Earlier in the day, Le Drian met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and reiterated strong commitment to further strengthen India-France strategic partnership.

The French minister arrived here on a two-day visit to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries.

His visit comes at a time when Modi-led government is defending acquisition of Rafale fighter jets against Congress' charges of concluding the deal at an exorbitant price.

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Just few days after becoming a father for the fourth time, Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed that he wants a total of seven children and same amount of Ballon d'Or awards.

Ronaldo, who previously lifted the prestigious price in 2008, 2013 and 2014 and 2016, is among frontrunners to retain his crown, which would see him pull level with Messi in winning it five times.

When asked about his future plans, Ronaldo said that he is quite confident about picking up the award for the fifth time.

"With the Ballon d'Or, I know the panel is still voting. I'm confident. I'm confident of winning, not worried. If you ask me if I want to win it, I'll obviously tell you yes. I know what a fifth Ballon d'Or would mean for posterity," the Daily Star quoted Ronaldo, as saying.

The star striker further said that his ambition is to keep winning the award till he is playing before expressing that he wants three more children.

"I want seven children and as many Ballons d'Or. As long as I play, I'll have the ambition to win all I can. So, my dream is the fifth Ballon d'Or. And, next year, there will be another one to look for," he said.

Earlier, Ronaldo had taken to his Instagram account to confirm the birth of his first child with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez.

He had posted a picture of a happy couple with the star striker's eldest son and new-born baby girl called Alana Martina, captioning, " Alana Martina is just born! Both Geo and Alana are doing great! We are all very happy!"

In June, Ronaldo welcomed birth of his twins, Eva Maria and Mateo, from a surrogate mother in the United States.

Ronaldo also has a son, Cristiano Jr., who was born in 2010.

On professional front, Madrid side have struggled so far this season, with Ronaldo only netting once in the league this term.

The Zinedine Zidane-led side will aim to close the eight-point gap between them and Barcelona when they lock horns this weekend.

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The Sri Lankan Navy on Friday apprehended 10 Tamil Nadu fishermen and seized one boat near Point Pedro.

The arrested fishermen have been taken to Kankesanthurai naval camp.

This comes a day after the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 10 Indian fishermen, along with one boat, near the Delft Island.

Earlier on November 7 aswell, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended four fishermen, hailing from Tamil Nadu's Pudukkottai, with one boat near the island.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to cut taxes on businesses and individuals as part of the Republicans effort to overhaul the American tax system.

The most sweeping tax overhaul in three decades that slashes corporate rates was approved with 227 votes in favour and 205 against.

No Democrats voted for the bill, while 13 Republicans broke ranks to oppose it, The Hill reported.

"Passing this bill is the single biggest thing we can do to grow the economy, to restore opportunity and help these middle-income families who are struggling," The Hill quoted Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), as saying, ahead of the vote.

Ahead of the House vote, Trump visited the Capitol to push GOP lawmakers to support the bill before the vote.

US President Donald Trump also hailed the efforts of Republicans in passing the bill in the lower chamber of the United States Congress.

"Congratulations to the House of Representatives for passing the #TaxCutsandJobsAct - a big step toward fulfilling our promise to deliver historic TAX CUTS for the American people by the end of the year!" Trump tweeted.

According to US media reports, the bill will reduce the number of individual tax brackets, slash the corporate tax rate from 35 per cent to 20 per cent and eliminate a number of tax breaks and deductions.

The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimated that the bill would lower federal revenues by about USD 1.4 trillion over 10 years.

The focus now shifts to the Senate, where Senate Republicans have their own tax bill, which is currently being considered by the chamber's tax-writing committee.

The full Senate is expected to vote on the bill after Thanksgiving.

Republican lawmakers must also find a way to bridge the big differences between the two bills, as the Senate legislation differs from the House's in a number of ways.

As per a report in The Hill, unlike the House bill, the Senate bill fully repeals the state and the local tax deduction, delays the corporate tax cut until 2019 and repeals ObamaCare's individual mandate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Board to consider proposal on 21 November 2017

Bank of Baroda announced plans to raise equity fund through QIP and/or rights issue within overall approval of the Board of raising equity capital up to Rs 6000 crore. The Finance Committee of the Bank will consider the proposal on 21 November 2017.

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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for removal of prohibition on export of all types of pulses to ensure that farmers have greater choice in marketing their produce and in getting better remuneration for their produce.

The CCEA also empowered the Committee chaired by Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD) and comprising Secretaries of Department of Commerce (DoC), Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW), Department of Revenue (DoR), Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to review the export/import policy on pulses and consider measures such as quantitative restrictions, prior registration and changes in import duties depending on domestic production and demand, domestic and international prices and international trade volumes.

Opening of export of all types of pulses will help the farmer to dispose off their products at remunerative prices and also encourage them to expand the area of sowing. Export of pulses would provide an alternative market for the surplus production of pulses. Allowing export of pulses will also help the country and its exporters to regain their markets.

It is expected that pulses production will be sustained in the country and our import dependence on pulses will come down substantially. This is also likely to provide higher levels of protein to the population and work towards nutritional security. The integration with global supply chain is also likely to help our farmers in adopting good agricultural practices and better productivity.

In 2016-17 production year, the Indian farmers have lived up to the challenge of reducing India's import dependence on pulses and have produced 23 million tons of pulses. The Government has taken a number of steps to sustain the high pulses production by our farmers.

The Government has procured 20 lakh tons of pulses by ensuring minimum support price or market rates, whichever is higher, directly from the farmers and this has been the highest ever procurement of pulses.

Background:

The production of pulses in 2016-17 has been very encouraging and is the highest ever till date. Government has supported the farmers by providing attractive Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the pulses and public procurement of pulses to the tune of 20 lakh tonnes. The domestic production of pulses during 2016-17 was 22.95 million tonnes. The Chana Dal (Gram) production was 9.33 million tonnes as compared to 7.06 million tonnes in 2015-16 showing a growth of 32%. The production of other rabi pulses (includes Masoor Dal (Lentil) etc.) for 2016-17 was 3.02 million tonnes as compared to 2.47 million tonnes in 2015-16 showing a growth of 22%. For the year 2017-18, the Government has fixed a target of 22.90 million tonnes of pulses production.

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The stock market hovered firm in early afternoon trade. At 12:15 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 337.21 points or 1.02% at 33,444.03. The Nifty 50 index surged 99.15 points or 0.97% at 10,313.90. Positive global cues boosted sentiment. Investor risk appetite also soared after rating agency Moody's Investors Service has upgraded sovereign rating of India a notch above investment grade after a long gap of 14 years. Indices opened the session on a strong note and later held firm so far.

The Sensex surged 414 points or 1.25% at the day's high of 33,520.82 at the onset of trading, its highest level since 7 November 2017. The index rose 280.55 points or 0.84% at the day's low of 33,387.37 in early trade. The Nifty advanced 128.85 points or 1.26% at the day's high of 10,343.60 at the onset of trading, its highest level since 10 November 2017. The index rose 93.05 points or 0.91% at the day's low of 10,307.80 in early afternoon trade.

Among secondary indices, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index surged 1.19%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index advanced 1.11%. Both the indices outperformed the Sensex.

Overseas, Asian stocks edged higher as global equities appeared to bounce back after declines earlier in the week. US equities rose yesterday, 16 November 2017, rebounding from consecutive declines, following strong quarterly results.

Closer home, the breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On BSE, 1,705 shares rose and 798 shares declined. A total of 150 shares were unchanged.

Capital goods stocks advanced. Havells India (up 1.2%), Siemens (up 1.02%), Bharat Electronics (up 1%), BEML (up 0.75%) and L&T (up 0.26%) gained. ABB India (down 0.48%) and Bhel (down 0.23%) declined. Thermax was flat at Rs 1,032.

FMCG stocks also gained. Marico (up 1.48%), Colgate-Palmolive (India) (up 1.36%), Britannia Industries (up 1.18%), Godrej Consumer Products (up 1.15%), Hindustan Unilever (up 0.54%) and Nestle India (up 0.5%) advanced. Dabur India (down 0.59%) declined.

Shares of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company were trading at Rs 342.25, a premium of 18.02% over the issue price of Rs 290 on its debut on the bourses today, 17 November 2017. The shares got listed on BSE at Rs 311. The stock had hit a high of Rs 369 and low of Rs 307.65 so far during the day.

Ahluwalia Contracts (India) rose 2.15% at Rs 335 after net profit rose 28.98% to Rs 25.77 crore on 14.2% rise in total income to Rs 335.53 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q2 September 2016. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 16 November 2017.

On the macro front, rating agency Moody's Investors Service has upgraded India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive. Moody's has revised the sovereign rating of India a notch above investment grade after a long gap of 14 years.

Among other key news, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday, 16 November 2017, gave its approval for the creation of the posts of Chairman and Technical Members of the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) under GST, following up immediately on 15th November's sharp reduction in the GST rates of a large number of items of mass consumption. This paves the way for the immediate establishment of this apex body, which is mandated to ensure that the benefits of the reduction in GST rates on goods or services are passed on to the ultimate consumers by way of a reduction in prices, a press release issued by the government after market hours yesterday, 16 November 2017 said.

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Sales rise 5.12% to Rs 184.48 crore

Net profit of Honda Siel Power Products declined 10.20% to Rs 14.96 crore in the quarter ended September 2017 as against Rs 16.66 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2016. Sales rose 5.12% to Rs 184.48 crore in the quarter ended September 2017 as against Rs 175.49 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2016.184.48175.4913.7814.9128.5431.2922.8825.5014.9616.66

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Buyback opens on 30 November 2017 and closes on 14 December 2017

Infosys announced the details of the proposed buyback of shares -

Record date for buyback of shares - 01 November 2017

Buyback opens on 30 November 2017

Buyback closes on 14 December 2017

Last date of receipt of completed tender forms and other specified documents including physical share certificates by the RTA - 18 December 2017

Last date of Settlement of bids on the stock exchange - 26 December 2017.

The buyback offer will comprise a purchase of up to 11,30,43,478 Equity Shares, aggregating to 4.92% of the paid-up equity share capital of the Company at a price of Rs 1,150 per Equity Share for an amount not exceeding Rs 13000 crore.

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After a firm start, key benchmark indices traded with strong gains in morning trade. At 10:16 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 359.49 points or 1.09% at 33,466.31. The Nifty 50 index surged 104.90 points or 1.03% at 10,319.65. Positive global cues boosted sentiment. Investor risk appetite also soared after rating agency Moody's Investors Service has upgraded sovereign rating of India a notch above investment grade after a long gap of 14 years.

The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index surged 1.31%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index advanced 1.22%. Both the indices outperformed the Sensex.

The breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On BSE, 1,687 shares rose and 450 shares declined. A total of 92 shares were unchanged.

Realty stocks surged after the Union Cabinet yesterday, 16 November 2017, approved the increase in the carpet area of houses eligible for interest subsidy under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) for the Middle Income Group (MIG) under Pradhan MantriAwasYojana (Urban). Indiabulls Real Estate (up 4.64%), Godrej Properties (up 4.62%), Prestige Estates Projects (up 3.37%), D B Realty (up 2.9%), Sobha (up 2.72%), DLF (up 2.06%), HDIL (up 1.09%), Unitech (up 1.14%) and Oberoi Realty (up 0.34%) advanced.

To further enhance the scope, coverage and outreach of the scheme, the Cabinet has approved increasing the carpet area in the middle income group (MIG I) category of CLSS from the existing 90 square metre to up to 120 square metre and increasing the carpet area in respect of MIG II category of CLSS from the existing 110 square metre to up to 150 square metre.

Cement stocks gained. Grasim Industries (up 2.59%), Shree Cement (up 1.65%), Ambuja Cements (up 1.18%), UltraTech Cement (up 1.12%) and ACC (up 1%) advanced.

Cipla advanced 2.49% at Rs 607.75 after the company said it has received final approval for its abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for Budesonide Inhalation Suspension, 0.25mg/2ml, 0.5mg/2ml and 1mg/2ml from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market a generic version of Astrazeneca's Pulmicort Respules. The product is indicated for the maintenance treatment of asthma and as prophylactic therapy in children 12 months to 8 years of age. The product is available for shipping immediately, Cipla said. The announcement was made before market hours today, 17 November 2017.

Bank of Baroda rose 2.22% at Rs 186.55 after the bank scheduled a meeting on 21 November 2017 to consider raising up to Rs 6000 crore through a qualified institutional placement/rights issue. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 November 2017.

Petronet LNG gained 1.76% at Rs 257 after the Reserve Bank of India yesterday, 16 November 2017 notified allowing hike in foreign portfolio investors (FPI) investment limit in the company to 40% from 30%.

On the macro front, rating agency Moody's Investors Service has upgraded India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive. Moody's has revised the sovereign rating of India a notch above investment grade after a long gap of 14 years.

Among other key news, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday, 16 November 2017, gave its approval for the creation of the posts of Chairman and Technical Members of the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) under GST, following up immediately on 15th November's sharp reduction in the GST rates of a large number of items of mass consumption. This paves the way for the immediate establishment of this apex body, which is mandated to ensure that the benefits of the reduction in GST rates on goods or services are passed on to the ultimate consumers by way of a reduction in prices, a press release issued by the government after market hours yesterday, 16 November 2017 said.

Overseas, Asian stocks edged higher as global equities appeared to bounce back after declines earlier in the week. US equities rose yesterday, 16 November 2017, rebounding from consecutive declines, following strong quarterly results.

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Sales decline 2.01% to Rs 19.53 crore

Net profit of Naga Dhunseri Group declined 32.26% to Rs 5.25 crore in the quarter ended September 2017 as against Rs 7.75 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2016. Sales declined 2.01% to Rs 19.53 crore in the quarter ended September 2017 as against Rs 19.93 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2016.19.5319.9331.6945.466.309.146.259.105.257.75

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On 22 November 2017

Reliance Industries announced that it is proposed to make an offer for issuance of Non-convertible Debentures (NCDs Series F) (6th Tranche) on private placement basis on 22 November 2017 aggregating Rs. 2,500 crore, to be listed on the Stock Exchanges.

The net proceeds of the issue will be utilised inter-alia for refinancing of existing borrowings and / or for any other purpose in the ordinary course of business.

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With effect from 16 November 2017

Southern Petrochemicals Industries Corporation has informed BSE that the Company have received a letter dated 15 November 2017 on 16 November 2017 from Tamilnadu Industrial Development Corporation enclosing the resignation letter of T.K Arun, their Nominee Director on the Board of SPIC, consequent to his superannuation. The resignation shall take effect from 16 November 2017 being the date of receipt of resignation letter by the Company.

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Sales decline 2.48% to Rs 1.97 crore

Net profit of Tirupati Tyres declined 50.00% to Rs 0.01 crore in the quarter ended September 2017 as against Rs 0.02 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2016. Sales declined 2.48% to Rs 1.97 crore in the quarter ended September 2017 as against Rs 2.02 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2016.1.972.020.510.990.010.020.010.020.010.02

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A 28-year-old Assistant Professor of architecture at a renowned institute in Gurugram gave a new lease of life to three people on Friday after his family agreed to donate his five organs -- liver, corneas and both kidneys.

The patient, after a road accident on November 13, was declared brain dead late on Thursday at Jaypee Hospital in Noida.

"We are thankful to the donor and his family who have taken this courageous step and have given a new life to three people. Organs of a deceased patient can save lives of at least six to eight people," Manoj Luthra, CEO, Jaypee Hospital, Noida, said in a statement.

As per the instructions of National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation, a liver and a kidney have been transplanted to two patients at the hospital.

The liver has been transplanted to a 57-year-old patient who is a resident of Ghaziabad. The patient was suffering from liver cirrhosis for last one year and was in an urgent need of transplant.

The kidney was transplanted to a 58-year-old Noida resident who had been suffering from acute kidney problems from last one and half years.

The other kidney was transported to another hospital in Noida.

--IANS

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Actor Akshay Kumar gave a suggestion to an aspiring actor while shooting for "The Great Indian Laughter Challenge".

Before commencing shooting of the Star Plus show, Akshay interacts with the audience. While doing so, he met a fan who was a waiter and plans on becoming an actor, read a statement.

He reminded Akshay of his struggling days. The actor then told the young man: "Always keep your goals in front of you. When I was a waiter back in Bangkok, I used to keep a picture of actress Sridevi, actors Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan in front of me while working."

"That time I knew I always wanted to become an actor and this helped me work in the direction of achieving my dream. Today, I can proudly say that I have worked and been associated with all three of them in some way or the other."

--IANS

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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Thursday backed Myanmar's humanitarian relief programme in the Rakhine state.

Around 615,000 members of the Muslim minority Rohingya community have fled to Bangladesh from Rakhine following a military offensive by the Myanmar Army since late August.

"A number of leaders expressed support to Myanmar's humanitarian relief programme... They underscored the importance of increased humanitarian access to the affected areas and that assistance be given to all affected communities," according to the Asean statement.

The statement, which does not specifically mention the Rohingyas, comes three days after a meeting, in which topics such as the South China Sea dispute and restrictions on palm oil in the European Union were also discussed, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Asean, comprising Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, also urged the Myanmar government to continue to work towards restoring peace and stability in Rakhine, ensure safety of civilians and ensure peace and harmony among different communities.

During the summit, Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi had confirmed her commitment to begin the process of repatriation of the refugees in Bangladesh after a due verification process.

The statement also announced an agreement with Beijing to start negotiations for a code of conduct to prevent escalation of violence over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

China disputes the sovereignty of a majority of the islands and shoals in the South China Sea with countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The statement also expressed "the deep concern of some Asean member states on issues relating to restricting market access for palm oil in the European market" which, it said, has adverse implications for the palm oil producing countries in Asean.

--IANS

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Microsoft Founder Bill Gates on Friday said he was really excited at meeting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for the first time over 20 years ago.

Addressing the valedictory of the three-day AP AgTech Summit 2017, the Co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recalled his meeting with Naidu who was then Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

"I was told that there is someone who believes in digital technology even more than you do. It was hard to believe but when we met, he had his digital equipment -- computer -- and he had the vision to make government better by using advanced tools," said Gates.

He also revealed that they agreed and today they have reached a milestone as they can use dashboards for agriculture and health. He also referred to the use of Microsoft app Kaizala by the state government for its activity.

"It's been a real journey over these 20 years, making that vision a reality. I expect it to accelerate and in the years ahead will move very quickly," said Gates.

Earlier, Naidu in his speech revealed how he managed to get an appointment with Gates for 10 minutes but the latter spent 40 minutes with him. "I made a presentation through laptop and I was the first Indian politician to do so," the Chief Minister claimed.

Naidu explained how he convinced Gates to set up Microsoft's development centre in Hyderabad. "Not only Microsoft opened its development centre in Hyderabad but Satya Nadella who is from our place became Microsoft CEO."

Terming Gates as a great personality, the Chief Minister said he was spending the money he earned to help people around the world.

--IANS

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced its first list of 70 candidates for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections, giving tickets to six of the defecting Congress MLAs.

Staying ahead of the opposition party in the announcement, the saffron party list shows that it has repeated most of the sitting MLAs in their constituencies.

The noteworthy fact about the list is that six of the 14 Congress MLAs who had defected to the saffron party in August have been given tickets to contest from their constituencies.

It remains to be seen how the opposition Congress party reacts to it and how it challenges it before the Election Commission of India (ECI) and in the judiciary regarding the anti-defection law.

In the list, the saffron party has mostly repeated its sitting MLAs - contrary to what was speculated. It was speculated, and as the duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah have been known for, that many of the sitting MLAs will be denied tickets.

Chief Minister Vjay Rupani has been nominated to contest from his traditional Rajkot West constituency, while Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel will contest from Mehsana, his traditional constituency, and state BJP chief Jitubhai Vaghani will contest from Bhavnagar West.

Earlier, Jitu Vaghani had refused to contest the election.

Surprisingly and contrary to speculation, both the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) members, Varun Patel and Reshma Patel, have not been included in the first list of candidates.

Two BJP MLAs, Vadhwan constituency's Varshaben Doshi, and BJP MLA from Dhari constituency, Nalin Kotadia, have been dropped. Instead, Dhanjibhai Patel is to contest from Vadhwan and Dileep Sanghani will be contesting from Dhari.

On Thursday afternoon, BJP national president Amit Shah had summoned the party leaders at the state headquarters for a meeting, which continued till late night. The meeting was attended by state BJP president Vaghani, Deputy Chief Minister Patel, state Home Minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja and leader Bhikhubhai Dalsania.

On Friday morning, the BJP chief held a meeting with Prime Minister Modi and other senior leaders of the party in Delhi as well as Gujarat senior leaders, before announcing the list.

The state goes to polls in December, where the first phase for 89 seats will be held on the 9th and for the remaining 93 seats it will be held on the 14th. The results will be announced along with that of Himachal Pradesh on December 18.

--IANS

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The ruling BJP and the government on Friday cheered US credit ratings agency Moody's upgradation of India's sovereign ratings, with party President Amit Shah and several ministers tweeting that it was a recognition of all the good work done by the NDA.

"India's largest ever increase in Ease of Doing Business rankings, Pew study ascertaining PM ji's popularity, Moody's upgrade are all reflections of Modi Govt's hard-work and reform process," tweeted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah.

US credit rating agency Moody's on Friday upgraded India's sovereign rating to Baa2 from its lowest investment grade of Baa, while changing the outlook for the country's rating to stable from positive, and said its was based on the Indian government's "wide-ranging programme of economic and institutional reforms".

"Recognising India's growth enhancing reforms under PM , Moody's has upgraded India's sovereign rating for the first time since 2004. Entire world is recognising "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas"" Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said in a tweet.

"Recognising India's continued progress under Hon'ble Narendra Modi ji Mo'dy's Investors Service has upgraded India's sovereign rating for the first time since 2004, citing the nat'on's economic and institutional reforms," tweeted Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha.

--IANS

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Hundreds of RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) members on Friday protested against the Centre demanding, among other things, equal pay for equal work as well as regularization of contract workers.

The protesters took out protest marches from Ramlila Maidan and Ambedkar Bhawan to Parliament in the heart of Delhi to draw the Modi government's attention towards workers in the organised and unorganised sectors.

The marchers raised slogans against the central government.

Later, a BMS team met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and demanded nomination of representatives of labourers and farmer on Niti Aayog, making economic policy human-centric and generation of more jobs by promoting small, cottage and agro-based industries.

The BMS' other demands include increase in and strict implementation of minimum wages in all sectors, increased honorarium and social security for Anganwadi, Asha, midday meal and others, filling up of all posts in public sector undertakings, end to privatisation and disinvestment of PSUs, increase in minimum pension to Rs 3,000 under EPS-95 and ESI and raising of income Tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Jaitley, BMS President Sajinaraynan said the minister promised to look into their demands and take appropriate steps.

--IANS

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The CBI on Friday said it has arrested a junior engineer in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation for receiving bribe from the complainant for not demolishing his property.

Kulbhushan Jindal was held while receiving Rs 75,000 in cash here as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team conducted a raid.

"Jindal demanded Rs 2 lakh from the complainant for not demolishing his property in Narela (north Delhi). Following the complaint, we conducted a raid and caught him red-handed while receiving Rs 75,000 in cash. The team also recovered Rs 5 lakh from Jindal's car," a CBI official said.

--IANS

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The government on Friday rejected Congress' allegations of irregularities in the deal for buying 36 Rafale fighter jets, with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and two other Union Ministers calling the charges "politically motivated and false".

In a press conference held in the Defence Ministry, Sitharaman said that the Narendra Modi government had to go for the aircraft procurement as an "emergency" because the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government failed to conclude a deal for 126 Rafale jets in a decade.

The Congress called the Defence Minister's argument a "shoddy cover-up" and questioned the rationale of holding the presser at the Defence Ministry.

Sitharaman accused the Congress of doing a "disservice" to the armed forces by failing to ink the deal even after decade-long negotiations when it was in power at the Centre.

"The decision to buy 36 Rafale jets was taken to address the urgent need of the IAF (Indian Air Force) because the earlier United Progressive Alliance government did not pay attention to defence preparedness of the armed forces... it (UPA) was indecisive for 10 years to address this critical necessity of fighters for the IAF," the Minister said.

"The allegations are politically motivated since they are not able to find any corruption in this government," she added.

Sitharaman said the National Democratic Alliance government went for "emergency" procurement of the fighter jets, adding that the deal it cut for 36 aircraft was "far better" than what the UPA "would have obtained for 126".

"Comparison in the price is wrong. The price we arrived at is lesser. To bicker over price as though they served preparedness... it is shameful."

Sitharaman said that the deal was signed after approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security and following all due processes.

She also said that a "transfer of technology" was not sought in this deal as it was not viable and it could have escalated the price.

"It is simple economics -- when you are talk of buying 126 aircraft, asking for transfer of technology makes sense. When you are going for emergency procurement of 36 jets, it does not make sense for transfer of technology to be included... there was no benefit from this transfer, the price would have increased and not reduced," the Defence Minister said.

Sitharaman said that, so far, no agreement on offsets has been signed under the deal.

Apart from Sitharaman, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju also defended the deal.

Goyal, commenting on Congress' allegation of a private firm benefiting out of the deal, said on that any agreement between private firms is independent of the government and the latter is not bound to buy what they make.

"We are trying to promote defence manufacturing through strategic partnerships. If any company ties with another private company, the government has no role to play. You can also tie up with someone under the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) policy. The government has nothing to do with it," Goyal said.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju meanwhile criticised the UPA government's "irresponsible" attitude towards strengthening Indian defence forces.

"Can a party which ruled for five decades behave so irresponsibly? The Congress-led government cared the least to strengthen our forces and (was interested) more in commissions," Rijiju said in a tweet.

Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, however, called her comments a shoddy cover-up and questioned why Sitharaman called a press conference at the Defence Ministry over a "political issue".

"Repeated attempts at shoddy cover-up and complete non-transparency in the purchase of Rafale aircraft have raised serious questions on the 'national interests' and 'national security' points raised by the Modi government," Surjewala said.

"India's defence preparedness cannot be the subject matter of politicking nor can the sacrosanct premises of the Defence Ministry be used for political mudslinging as is being done by the Modi government and its Defence Minister," he said.

The Congress has accused that the government negotiated an overpriced deal to buy 36 Rafale jets from France for Rs 58,000 crore, causing "insurmountable loss" of taxpayers' money.

The Congress said the government had agreed to pay for each Rafale aircraft three times the price negotiated in 2012 by the then UPA government.

Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, on Thursday brushed aside the charges, saying the deal negotiated by the current government was "better than the one finalised by the then UPA government".

"We have negotiated a better deal in the Rafale contract than what was in the MMRCA contract (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) finalised during the UPA rule... It is a cheaper deal," he told reporters at the Adampur Air Force station near Jalandhar in Punjab.

--IANS

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The Congress party on Friday held talks with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Sharad Yadav-led faction of JD-U over a possible alliance ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

Senior party leaders were also closetted with Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders and with recently-inducted OBC community leader Alpesh Thakore in Delhi.

Despite the discussions that went on till late in the evening, the party may take a couple of days more to announce the list of candidates for the December 9 and December 14 polls.

"Discussion on almost all the seats is over. Since we are also talking to JD-U (faction led by Sharad Yadav) and NCP, and the fact that they have also shown interest in an alliance, so the list will be released in a day or two," AICC General Secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot told reporters after Congress' Central Election Committee meeting.

"Though we have held discussions on all 182 seats, since we are forming an alliance, we may have to leave some seats. JD-U is divided into two parts. We are talking to Sharad Yadav about Chotubhai Vasava (rebel JD-U leader).

"We are also taking to NCP..we will release the list when the talks are over," he added.

In the morning, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared its list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections.

The last day for filing of nominations is November 21 for the first phase of the state assembly elections.

On Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party announced its second list of candidates for the contest. The AAP has so far declared 20 candidates for the elections.

The Congress has been out of power in the state for more than two decades.

Last Friday, the Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) had cleared the names of 70 candidates for the first phase of Gujarat polls in the meeting that was presided over by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, sources said.

Congress party's Rajya Sabha MP, Ahmed Patel, along with some senior party leaders, held a meeting with PAAS leaders who are seeking reservation status for the Patidar community.

The leader of the PAAS group, Hardik Patel, was not present, but Dinesh Bambhania, Lalit Vasoya, Manoj Panara, Kiritbhai Patel, convenors of the group, were in Delhi for the meeting.

The Other Backward Caste (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakore also attending the meeting, the sources said.

The Congress is believed to have agreed to let Alpesh Thakore have a say in candidate selection in the Thakore-dominated seats of north Gujarat and tickets for him and his father, the sources added.

Alpesh Thakore had joined the Congress after a grand show of strength in Gandhinagar last month, at which Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi welcomed him into the party.

Alpesh, with time has gained political maturity, and initially it was speculated that he will join the saffron party. But going on his word that he will do whatever his community decides, and after the decision he joined the grand old party, in a big boost for the Congress.

The PAAS group too has pledged that whatever happens - irrespective of whether they support the Congress or not --, they will be definitely opposing the BJP. Another community leader, Jignesh Mewani representing the Scheduled Caste community has also expressed his disapproval for the saffron party.

--IANS

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A woman has alleged she was raped by a cab driver and his associate for over five hours and robbed of her valuables before being dumped in Greater Noida, police said.

Police said there are some contradictions in the woman's statement and are verifying it.

The incident occurred on the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday when the victim had taken a cab from near Ansal Plaza to go to her residence in Rohini.

While waiting for an auto-rickshaw, the accused cab driver, finding her alone, offered her a lift to Rohini. He drove to Dhaula Kaun from where an associate boarded the car and both began misbehaving with the victim, police said.

"During investigation, we found there are some contradictions in the woman's statement which are being verified. She left her home at 9 p.m. from Rohini to visit Balaji temple in Rajasthan," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh on Friday.

"When she reached Sarai Kale Khan around 11 p.m., she missed the bus she was supposed to take. After that she hired an auto-rickshaw which dropped her at Ansal Plaza in south Delhi at midnight. Then she took a cab to reach her home in Rohini," he added.

Singh said: "The cab driver picked up one of his aides along the way. When the driver took her through an unknown route, she suspected his move and questioned him. He told the victim that he was taking a short-cut. The cab reached a deserted place in Greater Noida around 1:30 a.m.."

"They threatened the woman with dire consequences and took turns to rape her. They dumped her at the spot at 6 a.m. and escaped," he added.

Singh said the woman, with the help of a passer-by, managed to reach her home on Wednesday afternoon. "Police is trying to ascertain the identity of the accused persons. The sequence of crime and CCTV footage on the traversed route are being examined," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal said: "They threatened her and forcibly took her to a deserted place in Greater Noida and allegedly took turns to rape her at gun point."

"They raped her for over five hours before dropping her on Wednesday morning near Greater Noida," the police officer said.

The accused took away her gold ornaments, 'mangal sutra', cell phone and Rs 12,000 in cash, Biswal said.

A case has been registered in Hauz Khas police station and investigation is on to identify the cab driver and his associate, he added.

--IANS

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Rome, Nov 17 (IANS/AKI) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex employees of Italy's foreign ministry will on November 22 hold a conference in Rome to mark the first anniversary of the introduction of same-sex civil unions here, the ministry's LBGTI association Globe-MAE announced.

Globe-MAE's President Fabrizio Petri will open the event taking place at the International Women's House in Rome's Trastevere district, which will be attended by all the main LBGTI associations and focus on the state of gay rights in Italy and the world.

Politicians including Senator and foreign ministry undersecretary Benedetto Della Vedova, Senators Monica Cirinna, Sergio Lo Giudice and Luigi Manconi are due to speak at the conference, together with MPs Renata Polverini and Alessandro Zan, and several senior Italian officials, Globe-MAE said.

The aim of the meeting is to assess Italy's commitment to LBGTI rights worldwide and implementation of the 2016 same-sex civil unions law, which grants same-sex couples many of the same rights as married heterosexual couples, including inheritance and pension rights.

Italy was the last countries in western Europe to introduce gay civil unions.

--IANS/AKI

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If you do not want to look older than your true age, stop heavy drinking and smoking, new research suggests.

Heavy drinking and smoking are linked to visible signs of physical ageing, according to the study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Light to moderate drinking is not associated with looking older than one's years, the findings showed.

"This is the first prospective study to show that alcohol and smoking are associated with the development of visible age-related signs and thus generally looking older than one's actual age," said the researchers.

The findings are based on information from more than 11,500 adults in Denmark whose heart health and visible ageing signs were tracked for an average of 11.5 years as part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study.

Before each of the clinic visits, Janne Tolstrup from University of Southern Denmark and her colleagues quizzed the participants about their lifestyle and general health and asked to state how much they drank and smoked.

And they were checked for four signs of ageing that have previously been linked to a heightened risk of cardiovascular ill health and/or death.

These were: earlobe creases; a greyish opaque coloured ring or arc around the peripheral cornea of both eyes (arcus corneae); yellow-orange plaques on the eyelids (xanthelasmata); and male pattern baldness (receding hairline or a bald patch on the top of the head).

The average age of the participants was 51, but ranged from 21 to 86 among the women, and from 21 to 93 among the men.

Analysis of drinking and smoking patterns revealed a consistently heightened risk of looking older than one's true age and developing arcus corneae, earlobe creases, and yellow-orange plaques on the eyelids among those who smoked and drank heavily.

For example, compared with a weekly alcohol intake of up to 7 drinks, a tally of 28 or more was associated with a 33 per cent heightened risk of arcus coneae among the women, and a 35 per cent heightened risk among men who knocked back 35 or more drinks every week.

Similarly, compared with not smoking, smoking one pack of 20 cigarettes daily for between 15 and 30 years was associated with a 41 per cent heightened risk among women and a 12 per cent heightened risk among men.

"This may reflect that heavy drinking and smoking increases general ageing of the body," the researchers said.

The occurrence of the visible signs of ageing was no different among light to moderate drinkers than it was among non-drinkers, the analysis showed.

Male pattern baldness was not consistently associated with heavy drinking or smoking, possibly because it is strongly influenced by genes and circulating levels of male hormones (androgens), the researchers said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The work on the second terminal at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here will begin in February-March next year, said the airport operator.

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) plans to take up expansion at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore.

With the expansion, which is likely to be completed in two to two-and-half years, the airport will handle 25 million passengers per annum.

GHIAL CEO S.G.K. Kishore told reporters here on Friday that if the traffic grows, the overall capacity can be increased to 34-35 million and the expansion including second runway can extend to five years.

He said they were waiting for approval from the regulator to start the expansion, which will be funded in a debt-equity ratio of 70:30.

Kishore said there would be no fresh equity requirement from the promoters or the government as the company will raise the funds from its internal accruals and bonds.

It recently raised $350 million through a bond offer.

He was confident that the airport will continue to see a growth of 15 to 20 per cent. The passenger traffic during current financial year is expected to be about 18 million, against 16 million in the last fiscal.

One fourth of the passenger traffic is international, growing around 9 per cent while the domestic passenger traffic is growing around 20 per cent.

Kuwait's low-budget airline Jazeera Airways, which launched Kuwait-Hyderabad daily flights from Friday, became the 20th airline to operate services to Hyderabad Airport. These airlines including four domestic are making 400 movements a day, connecting Hyderabad to 57 destinations.

GHIAL is in talks with some more airlines, especially European carriers and some long haul Indian carriers to fly to Europe. "Our focus is on Europe because apart from British Airlines we do not have any European carrier directly connecting to Hyderabad," he said.

The operator is in talks with Lufthansa and KLM to bring them back to Hyderabad. These carriers Ahad stopped flights to Hyderabad few years ago.

Kishore said they would also focus on unserved destinations in South East Asia like Indonesia and also on more wide-bodied aircrafts.

--IANS

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In a hard-hitting speech against the Narendra Modi government, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said the three-and-a-half year rule has ruined all sectors and also created a wedge in the secular credentials of India.

He also questioned the political agenda of the CPI-M in Kerala.

Singh was delivering a speech at the Congress party-organised public meeting here on Friday night on the occasion of the state-wide yatra led by Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala protesting against the "anti-people policies" of both the Centre and state government.

"The demonetisation drive was a historic blunder and the outcome has been fresh trouble and hardship for the people. Then came the hasty implementation of the GST, and the result is today there is a slowdown of the economy and GDP has fallen from 7.2 per cent in 2015-16 to 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of this fiscal. I don't see any immediate recovery of the economy in sight," said Singh.

Singh heaped praise on the commitment of his predecessors Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, "who worked for the country and took it to the forefront in all areas including becoming the biggest producer of food grains and also the progress made in the field's of atomic energy and the space programme".

"I as the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 also made humble contributions and saw the economy growing at 7.8 per cent. When the Congress ruled the country religions harmony was there as we kept our country's tradition of allowing people of various faith living together and we never imposed a ban on what dress people should wear and what people should eat. But, in the three-and- half years of Modi governance, attempts are made to hurt the secular and democratic fabric of our country. The Congress will fight resolutely these divisive forces," added Singh.

Singh also came down heavily on the Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI-M government in Kerala and pointed out that even though one year is a short period to make a comment on the performance of the government, "I understand that the rule of law has crumbled and women are not safe and economic progress is also slow".

"But I have a question to the CPI-M and Left parties. At the national level are we going to oppose BJP as a united front or whether the CPI-M will keep the BJP and the Congress at the same distance? If they are sincere in the fight against the BJP and its anti-people policies, they have to cooperate with the leadership of Congress at the national level and fight together against the BJP's misrule and divisive policies," said Singh.

The yatra of Chennithala concludes in the state capital on December 1 and on that day AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi will be addressing the public meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that ties between India and France are not limited to the bilateral context alone but extend to regional and global issues as well.

He said this when visiting French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian called on him here.

"The Prime Minister said the significance of India-France Strategic Partnership is not limited to the bilateral context but acts as a force for peace and stability in the regional and global context as well," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

According to the statement, Le Drian briefed the Prime Minister on recent developments in the bilateral relationship as follow-up to the Prime Minister's visit to France in June this year.

Modi visited France in 2015, his first trip to a European country in his current capacity, and again this year when he met new French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time.

Le Drian arrived here on Thursday on a four-day visit to India to lay the groundwork for Macron's visit to India in early 2018 for the launch ceremony of the India-initiated International Solar Alliance.

According to the PMO statement, Modi "appreciated the contribution of Le Drian to the growing India-France engagement, in his current role as well as in his earlier role as the Defence Minister of France".

"The Prime Minister also said that he looks forward to receiving President Macron in India at his earliest convenience," it said.

Earlier in the day, Le Drian held delegation-level talk with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, during the course of which both sides agreed to cooperate on the security architecture of the Indian Ocean region.

The visiting dignitary also met Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Ram Kumar Singh.

--IANS

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Kuwait's leading low-cost airline Jazeera Airways, which connected to India by launching daily flights to Hyderabad from Friday, will add Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kochi to its network from January next year.

Jazeera Airways CEO Rohit Ramachandran told reporters here that it will be a daily flight to Mumbai while services to Kochi will be four days a week and to Ahmedabad thrice a week.

He said the airline plans to add destinations in India, mainly targeting nearly one million Indians living in Kuwait.

"This would be the first phase of our journey to India. We would like to fly to more destinations and add a lot more frequencies," he said adding that their plans were restrained by air services agreement between India and Kuwait which currently provides for only 12,000 seats per week in each direction.

He believes there is potential for tripling this number and urged both the governments to take necessary steps to add the capacity.

The non-stop flight from Kuwait with 165 passengers landed at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here at 01.35 a.m. and the return flight left here at 02.20 a.m.

Jazeera expects 50 per cent of the their business from India operations to come from people going to Kuwait for employment and Indian expatriates coming back to see their families.

Another key segment will be passengers going for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, and those visiting holy and historic places in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt. There will also be a small number of Kuwaiti nationals coming for medical treatment to India.

He said the flight brought more choice to Indian travellers, connecting them to Riyadh, Jeddah, Bahrain, Dubai and other destinations.

With a fleet of eight Airbus A320, Jazeera is flying to over 20 destinations in Middle East and Europe. Rohit said they would get the ninth aircraft by February. It plans to add two aircrafts every year to take the fleet to 15 by end of 2020.

The CEO said while they were also looking at opportunities for long-haul flights, their focus would be on expanding the regional connectivity.

--IANS

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Private doctors in Karnataka on Friday called off their five-day-long strike on a high court directive and the state government's assurance to modify provisions in the amendment bill on the functioning of private hospitals across the state.

"We have called off the strike as directed by the Karnataka High Court and on the state government's assurance to modify the provisions in the amendment bill as sought by us," Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Karnataka Chapter Secretary Dr B. Veeranna told IANS here.

A division bench of the High Court, comprising Acting Chief Justice H.G. Ramesh and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar, ordered the private doctors to withdraw their strike, as the state government had agreed to consider their demands on the amendment bill.

"Basic medical services are a right to life for every citizen," said the bench in the interim order on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate on Wednesday against the striking private doctors and private hospitals.

Of the registered 1.25 lakh doctors in the state, about 10,000 of them are employed in the state-run hospitals, while over a lakh work in about 40,000 private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics across the state.

"The private doctors have agreed to call off the strike and report for duty from Saturday after the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) assured them to make suitable changes in the amendment bill before introducing it in the Legislative Assembly on Monday," IMA advocate V.C. Mohan told reporters here.

The state government had incorporated penal provisions in the amendment bill to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007 to regulate the functioning of the private hospitals, including the treatment cost, redressal grievances committees and imprisonment of doctors if a patient dies due to their negligence.

"As we demanded, the state government has agreed not to form Grievances Redressal Committees at the district level. Aggrieved patients can approach the District Health Officer (DHO) or the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) under the existing provisions of the KPME Act," said Veeranna.

At a two-hour meeting between the state government and the representatives of the private doctors at Belagavi in the state's northwest region, Siddaramaiah said penal provisions like imprisonment of doctors for negligence would be dropped from the amendment bill before introducing it in the assembly on Monday.

State Health and Family and Welfare Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar, Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra and state Health Department officials participated in the meeting, while IMA's Karnataka Chapter President Dr. H.N. Ravindra, and state Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) President-elect Dr. C. Jayanna represented the doctors.

"We have, however, agreed to the provision on displaying the cost of treatment, including surgeries, operations and diagnostic tests in the front office of all private hospitals. Patients can question the hospitals if they are charged more than the specified cost and complain to the DHO or KMC," said Veeranna.

The state government also agreed to fix the treatment cost for Below Poverty Line (BPL) patients referred to private hospitals under its health scheme or covered under its health insurance.

"In the case of Above Poverty Line (APL) patients, the state government will bear only 30 per cent of the cost of the treatment in private hospitals and the remaining cost has to be borne by them. No price capping on other or private patients," noted Veeranna.

Thousands of patients across the state were affected as hundreds of private hospitals shut their Out Patient Departments (OPDs) on Thursday again against the stringent provisions in the amendment bill. The OPDs were also shut on November 3.

On the advice of the court on Thursday, the OPDs were reopened on Friday.

In a related development, the doctors have also called off their relay hunger strike at Belagavi, about 500km from Bengaluru, where the 10-day winter session of the state legislature began on Monday to address the issues of people in the state's northern region.

--IANS

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Bonn, Nov 17 (IANS/MAP) Princess Lalla Hasna, Moroccan King Mohammed VI's youngest sister and chairwoman of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environment Protection, co-chaired a high-level session on Education Day held here under the theme "Global partnerships to combat climate change through education".

Speaking on the occasion on Thursday, Princess Lalla Hasna underscored the paramount importance of education for sustainable development, as an essential lever to deeply change the behaviour of citizens and face the challenges of global warming.

She co-chaired the meeting with the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Patricia Espinosa.

Princess Lalla Hasna said that Article 6 of the UNFCCC and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement underscores the importance of education, training, public awareness, public access to information and international cooperation to effectively combat climate change.

She insisted that efforts made in the field of education for sustainable development have become the mandatory matrix of any action in favour of the environment.

Princess Lalla Hasna also surveyed the efforts made by Morocco in matters of environment protection that has been erected as a pillar of development, pointing out that a major stride was made in 2011 when the right to a healthy environment and sustainable development were enshrined in the Moroccan constitution.

On the sidelines of the Education Day session, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environment Protection and the UNFCCC signed a memorandum of understanding under which they will reinforce their cooperation to carry out provisions laid down in Article 6 of the framework convention on education, training, awareness raising and public access to information.

The Moroccan Foundation has been since 2009 an observer member of the UNFCCC and regularly participates in the Conferences of the Parties (COPs).

--IANS/MAP

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Putting an end to an over three-month-old battle between the two warring factions of the Janata Dal United (JD-U), the Election Commission of India (EC) on Friday granted the "Arrow" symbol to the Nitish Kumar faction.

As the victor group welcomed the poll panel's decision and urged the "strayed section of leaders" to join back the party under Nitish Kumar's leadership, the rival Sharad Yadav faction declared that the battle would not end here.

The EC's decision may have ramifications over the disqualification case against party's rebel Rajya Sabha MPs Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwer Ansari, which is being heard by Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu.

In its order, the poll panel said: "The respondent group led by Nitish Kumar has demonstrated overwhelming majority support in the legislature wing as well as majority in the National Council of the party, which is the apex-level organisational body of the party.

"Accordingly, the group led by Nitish Kumar is hereby recognised as the Janata Dal-United in terms of Paragraph 15 of the symbols order."

"Consequently, the group led by Nitish Kumar is entitled to use the reserved symbol 'Arrow' of the party as a recognised state party in Bihar," it added.

Sharad Yadav, a former President of the JD-U, had broken away from Chief Minister and JD-U President Nitish Kumar after the latter joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in July-August this year.

The Election Commission referred to the Supreme Court's verdict in the Sadiq Ali vs Election Commission of India (AIR 1972 SC 187) case wherein the apex court upheld the principle of test of majority support in the organisational and legislative wings.

The Sharad Yadav faction had contended that the election of the 195 National Council members done in October 2016 and submitted to the EC on November 10, 2016 was not valid as the party's constitution was not adhered to in the process.

It submitted that the Commission should look into the numerical strength of the National Council of the party constituted in 2013.

However, the Commission in its order pointed out that "there was no objection from the petitioner against the said list prior to the present application".

It further said that the Commission "does not go into disputed questions regarding membership issues and validity of internal elections of the party" and that the aggrieved party could "approach appropriate party forum or competent courts for the purpose".

"As per the Commission's record, Nitish Kumar is the President of the party, elected in 2016, as per the information furnished by the party under Sub-section (9) of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951," the poll panel said in its order.

The Nitish Kumar faction welcomed the poll panel's decision terming it "timely and fair" and underlined that there was "no dispute" with regard to the party's decision to join the BJP-led NDA.

"This symbol-related decision has also exposed the petitioner's allegation that 'there has been dispute in the party on the decision of alliance with the NDA in Bihar'," party's Secretary General K.C. Tyagi said.

"It has also been clarified by this order that three is no dispute or dissatisfaction in any corner of the party," he added.

"The party calls upon the strayed section of leaders involved and mislead by the petitioner's group to come back to the leadership of Nitish Kumar," Tyagi said.

The rival group's spokesman Javed Raza, who is considered close to Sharad Yadav, said they would very soon decide the future course of action in consultation with their lawyers.

"All I would like to say at this point is that the Election Commission's image has taken a beating with this decision. We suspect the decision has been taken hurriedly under some pressure. Our battle will continue," Raza said.

Another rebel group leader Arun Shrivastava said the decision was "surprising" as "we had countered their (Nitish faction's) every argument but they could not counter any of our arguments".

He said that the group would anyway contest Gujarat elections under Chhotubhai Vasava's leadership. Vasava was appointed the Acting President of their party by the rebel faction on September 17 this year.

--IANS

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Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has rubbished all rumours about meeting with a car accident in Kolkata, saying he is well.

"I am informed by concerned well wishers and media, that I had a close escape from a car accident in Kolkata... that is incorrect, there has been no accident. I am well," he tweeted on Thursday night.

According to reports, Big B escaped from a car accident last week in Kolkata when one of the rear wheels of his Mercedes got detached.

The actor had visited the city for the inauguration of the 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival.

--IANS

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The stir over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" continued on Friday with the entry to the famous Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan getting closed. On the other hand, Mumbai police issued a warning to individuals and groups against taking the law into their hands while registering their objection about the historical film.

As a sign of protest, members of Sarv Samaj Protest Committee restricted the entry point of Chittorgarh Fort by closing the first gate known as Padan Pol gate since 10 a.m.

"We are not allowing anyone to enter the fort. It is a peaceful protest," member of Sarv Samaj Protest Committee Ranjit Singh told IANS.

On an average, over 3,000-4,000 tourists visit the fort starting from October, as the tourist season picks up. The police said the number of protestors sitting on dharna at the fort was not more than 250.

Stopping the release of "Padmavati", which many claim has distorted historical facts, was the motive behind the protest.

The movie is based on the life of Rani Padmini or Padmavati, who was queen of Chittorgarh. Actress Deepika Padukone is infusing life to Rani Padmini's role.

Looking at the tension around the release of the film, the Mumbai police warned protestors against being 'adventurous'.

In a statement, Joint Commissioner of Police (L&O) Deven Bharti said that "any individual or group which attempts to be adventurous, will be dealt sternly and will face strict legal action. We are committed to provide security to everyone individually or collectively and have taken adequate measures for protection of individuals who have received threats."

Bharti said that the policy would not interfere with protest conducted in "a democratic manner", but assured those who had received threats that "we will not allow miscreants to create any problem and they can indulge in their routine activities without any fear".

"Padmavati" has faced protests and its makers and artists have faced threats of physical harm from fringe groups which say they would not allow "distortions" of Rajput history to be shown. The ruling BJP has also said that filmmakers should not "distort historical facts". Most of the protests have happened in Rajasthan, but some have spilled over to Mumbai too.

The film, which also stars Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, is scheduled to be released in theatres on December 1. The Central Board of Film Certification is yet to give its approval for the screening.

Earlier this week in an interview to IANS, Deepika said: "The only people we are answerable to is the censor board, and I know and I believe that nothing can stop the release of this film."

There are reports that the film might get postponed, but official statement by the makers is yet to be released.

Following widespread criticism against his film, Bhansali addressed the issue and said that the movie upholds the honour of Rajputs and does not depict anything that may hurt anyone's sentiments.

But the protests refuse to die down.

--IANS

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Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday said that the military is always ready to respond to any threats across the countrys eastern border with India, including the Line of Control.

"There cannot be any let up for our preparedness for response against perpetual threat on our eastern border including LoC and Line of Actual Contact (LAC)," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted the army chief as saying in a statement.

The chief made these remarks on his visit to Rawalpindi, where he was given a comprehensive briefing on the prevalent situation along the LoC and operational preparedness of the formations.

The Indian Army has allegedly violated the ceasefire in Chirikot and Nezapir sectors earlier in the day, killing two civilians, and injuring five others, including two women.

In this year alone, over 1,300 ceasefire violations have taken place along the LoC and the Working Boundary, according to a Pakistan Foreign Office tally. This has led to at least 52 civilians being killed and over 170 others injured.

Last week, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had approved funds to develop community protection bunkers for the safety of civilian population along the LoC.

--IANS

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A police officer was killed and a militant was arrested during a gunfight on the outskirts of Srinagar on Friday.

Police said the militants attacked a police checkpost in Zakura area, triggering an exchange of gunfire.

Police Sub-Inspector Imran Ahmad was injured in the militant firing and succumbed to his injuries.

"A militant was arrested during this gunfight while two other policemen also sustained injuries," a police officer said.

"Another militant has reportedly escaped from the encounter site. The area has been surrounded to locate the militant."

Police said the checkpost had been set up after specific inputs about the movement of militants in the area.

The place where the incident took place is 11 km from Srinagar's city centre Lal Chowk.

--IANS

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The Punjab Cabinet on Friday approved the "Connect with Your Roots" (CYR) programme to reach out to youngsters of Punjabi origin settled in other countries.

The programme, aimed at young NRIs, whose parents, grandparents or great grandparents are settled abroad, will seek to connect them with their ancestral roots and glorious cultural heritage of Punjab, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said here.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who had announced the programme during his recent visit to London, briefed the Cabinet about the objective behind the scheme, aimed at creating awareness among the NRI youth about the real situation prevailing on the ground in Punjab.

"The scheme, initiated by the NRIs Affairs Department on the directives of the Chief Minister, would be open to young boys and girls in the age group of 16-22, and facilitate their learning of their family background and the culture to which they belong, and also to build an emotional bonding with the country of their roots," the spokesperson said.

"The first group of such youngsters is expected around January 9, 2018, to coincide with the NRI Day and each group would comprise 15 youths."

The Chief Minister said that following the cabinet approval, he will now write to the ambassadors and high commissioners of various countries, including the UK, Australia and Canada, to apprise them about the scheme and invite groups from these nations.

In the long run, the programme would enhance the engagement of NRIs, who could be a vital engine in Punjab's progress, with the state.

The programme would provide the youngsters with an opportunity to visit their native place or the town where their parents or grandparents were born, or the place where they spent their childhood.

It will also give them a chance to learn and speak their native language, and see historical places, Amarinder Singh said.

--IANS

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Amid the slugfest between ruling BJP and the Congress on the Rafale aircraft deal, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Friday criticised the Congress-led UPA government's "irresponsible" attitude towards strengthening Indian defence forces.

"Can a party which ruled for 5 decades behave so irresponsibly? Congress government cared least to strengthen our forces and more in commissions," Rijiju said in his tweet.

Rijiju's remarks came following the Congress accusation against the government that it negotiated an overpriced deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France for Rs 58,000 crore, causing "insurmountable loss" of taxpayers' money.

The Congress said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had agreed to pay for each Rafale aircraft, three times the price that was negotiated in 2012 by the previous UPA government it led.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, however, on Thursday brushed aside the charges, saying the deal negotiated by the current government was better than the one finalised earlier by the UPA government.

French company Dassault's Rafale had emerged as the lowest bidder in an international tender in 2012 but the final deal for 126 aircraft was never closed by the UPA government.

By the time the BJP-led government came to power in 2014, the deal was deadlocked with Dassault refusing to certify key components of the jet which were to be built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, unless a series of conditions were met.

With successive Air Force chiefs telling the government that India's air defence would be seriously affected without the jets being inducted, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced an off-the-shelf purchase from France during a visit to Paris in April 2015.

The final deal in 2016 was higher than what was on offer four years earlier.

--IANS

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Although the widespread use of computer assisted surgery began less than a decade ago in India, robotic surgery has already established itself in the country, says an expert.

With over 50 surgical robots and a pool of over 300 trained robotic surgeons in India, an estimated 700 robotic surgeries a month are conducted in the country.

These surgeries range from removal of cancerous tissues to reconstruction of organs damaged by cancer as well as the removal of organs such as the kidney, liver, pancreas, thyroid, prostate, and uterus.

"Even though India was a late entrant in adoption of computer assisted surgery, first introduced in the US at the beginning of this millennium, multi-disciplinary robotic surgery has established its value in India with superior patient outcomes and efficacy," said Mahendra Bhandari, CEO of US-based non-profit Vattikuti Foundation which is organising a meeting of robotic surgery experts in Goa this week.

"Many Indian surgeons have developed new techniques to handle complex procedures which have now become standards of care in several advanced countries in the world," Bhandari, who is also Director, Robotic Research and Education of Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, US, said in a statement.

During the two-day bi-annual "Robotic Surgeons Council" meet starting Saturday, eminent US robotic surgeons will share their expertise in their specialty with over 250 robotic surgeons, according to the organisers.

Robotic surgery is generally positioned a step ahead of traditional minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery in complete removal of the cancerous tumours while saving the healthy surrounding tissue and minimising chances of its recurrence.

--IANS

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Six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers took off from Russia and struck the Islamic State targets near the town of Albu Kamal in Syria's Deir al-Zour province Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

The warplanes destroyed IS strong points, manpower accumulations and armoured vehicles, it said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russia's Su-30SM fighters from Syria's Hmeymim airbase covered the bombers during the airstrike.

After completing the mission, all the Russian aircraft returned to their base airfields.

Earlier this week, Russian bombers launched a similar attack near Albu Kamal, one of the last IS strongholds in Syria.

The Russian air force is providing support to the advancing Syrian government troops in the east of the country against IS terrorists.

Russian warplanes flew over 500 sorties in the last seven days, destroying more than 1,250 terrorist facilities in Syria, the Russian Defence Ministry said on its website.

--IANS

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The Asia-Pacific economies account for more than 50 per cent of global emissions. And if the nations maintain discharges as usual, rising seas could affect 1.4 billion people by 2060, climate experts said on Friday. For this, the countries need to scale up regional action to meet global goals.

Countries from Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East met on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn to explore opportunities for scaling up climate action to meet the ambitious targets set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The high-level participants recognised the need to boost climate action across the region if the aim of staying within two degrees Celsius of temperature increase is to be attained.

While many countries in the Asia-Pacific have ambitious climate plans, collective efforts under Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are not nearly enough to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

It has been estimated that humanity is left with a 'carbon credit' of between 150 and 1,050 GtCO2 to meet the Paris target.

However, at the current emission rate of 41 GtC02 per year, the lower limit of this range would be crossed in four years, and the midpoint of 600 GtCO2 would be passed in 15 years.

"In the Asia-Pacific region, population growth, environmental degradation and climate change could be a major challenge for the countries in the area. This is the negative future scenario. We have detailed these substantial risks in a major report for the Asian Development Bank just recently," Founder and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber said in his keynote speech.

He said there is a positive scenario too.

"Asia-Pacific could be at the forefront of human ingenuity to achieve change. This could really make the region a worldwide innovation leader," he added.

At Friday's event organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap), United Nations under Secretary General and Excap Executive Secretary Shamshad Akhtar said vulnerable countries have a critical stake in ensuring that global emissions trajectories are corrected downward.

Many countries in the region are showing leadership in putting into place policies and measures to mitigate emissions and to strengthen resilience.

Carbon markets and their increased linkages across national boundaries can play a critical role to achieve these climate ambitions at least-cost.

"NDCs show countries are willing to raise their ambition, but need more financial, technological and capacity-building support," Akhtar said.

"We can strengthen regional cooperation in carbon pricing to further exploit cost savings. And we will step up our efforts with the financial sector to ease countries' barriers to access to finance and risk-transfer measures," he noted.

Sun Zhen, Deputy Director General (Climate Change Affairs) at China's National Development and Reform Commission, said: "China is strongly committed to cope with climate change and to meet our greenhouse gas control commitments."

"Our experience shows that if we make the right political decisions and trust the potential of low carbon development, our policies should not limit economic growth. Rather they will create opportunities for sustainable, climate friendly and green growth," Sun said.

Participants also highlighted the key role of the UN regional commissions in supporting implementation of the NDCs, especially through their regional convening platforms where they bring together all stakeholders to leverage regional cooperation and promote learning.

India is ranked 14th in this year's Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) out of 56 nations and the European Union by environmental organisation Germanwatch, a position improved from last year's 20th for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by opting electricity sector transformation towards green technology.

China with its high emissions and a growing energy use over the past five years still ranks 41st.

The report, Climate Change Performance Index 2018, was made public this week at the UN Climate Change negotiations.

Fifty-six countries and the EU are together responsible for about 90 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the report, global energy transition is taking up speed but no country is doing enough. For this, the countries have to strengthen targets and implementation.

(Vishal Gulati is in Bonn at the invitation of the Global Editors Network to cover COP23. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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The Senate Judiciary Committee has requested more information on Donald President Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner related to his security clearance and questions over alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, the media reported.

Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking member Dianne Feinstein in a letter on Thursday requested for "transcripts from other committee interviews, additional documents from previous requests, communications with (former National Security Adviser) Michael Flynn and documents related to his security clearance", reports CNN.

Grassley, an Iowa Republican, and Feinstein, a California Democrat, sent the letter to Kushner's attorney, Abbe Lowell, to provide access to the transcripts from Kushner's interviews with other congressional committees and also documents related to his security clearance.

They wrote there were missing documents, such as emails to Kushner on WikiLeaks and a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite" that the senior adviser had forwarded to another campaign official.

The two senators also requested all communications related to Flynn's termination as National Security Adviser and any emails between the two that contain keywords such as "Clinton", "WikiLeaks" and "Putin".

The deadline to produce the documents was set for November 27.

Kushner's attorney told CNN later on Thursday that the President's son-in-law has been "responsive" to all requests.

"We provided the Judiciary Committee with all relevant documents that had to do with Kushner's calls, contacts or meetings with Russians during the campaign and transition, which was the request.

"We also informed the committee we will be open to responding to any additional requests and that we will continue to work with White House counsel for any responsive documents from after the inauguration.

"We have been in a dialogue with the committee and will continue to do so as part of Kushner's voluntary cooperation with relevant bipartisan inquiries," the attorney added.

The spotlight on Kushner's security clearance form has become a focus in the Moscow investigation as congressional committees try to determine whether any inappropriate meetings or contacts occurred between Russian officials and Trump associates during the campaign season.

In a statement to Congress in July, Kushner downplayed the significance of those meetings, saying they occurred during the normal course of a campaign and transition period.

--IANS

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The Shiv Sena on Friday donated Rs 2 crore to the Chief Minister's Farmers Relief Fund to be used for the welfare of the farming community, embarrassing ruling ally the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The development came hours after the Sena sharply attacked the BJP for "committing atrocities on protesting farmers" earlier this week when they were demanding higher remuneration for farm produce and clearing of the farm loans waiver package announced in June.

In an editorial this morning in the party mouthpiece "Saamana", the Sena lambasted the government for ignoring the cause of farmers and alleged that the BJP ministers had money to offer Rs 5 crore to buy out Shiv Sena legislators.

"The farmers are being subjected to atrocities. The BJP ministers have money (Rs 5 crore) to 'buy' Shiv Sena legislators, but the government has no money for the poor farmers," the edit said.

Hours later, at a function where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dedicated the proposed site for a national memorial of the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray on his fifth death anniversary, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray presented him a cheque of Rs 2 crore for the benefit of farmers.

A party spokesperson said the money was collected through a donation of one month's salary of all elected leaders of the Sena, right from the Gram Panchayat level to legislators and parliamentarians, while the biggest chunk of Rs 1 million came from Uddhav Thackeray himself.

The memorial, under the auspices of "Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Nyas" site will come up at the existing Mumbai Mayor's Bungalow at Shivaji Park near Dadar Chowpatty, on the banks of the Arabian Sea in south Mumbai.

It's a prime seafront property, admeasuring around 11,500 sq.m., which was handed over to the Nyas in February 2017, clearing the decks for the memorial here.

--IANS

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Eminent artists from the world of classical dance and music will come together on stage to pay tributes to India's first woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary on Sunday.

Organised by the All India National Congress, the event, titled "Indira Priyadarshini", will be held at Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri to remind the people that Gandhi was not just a politician but also had keen interest, love and respect for India's rich cultural traditions and its music and dances.

The artists who will be performing are Odissi dancer Arushi Mudgal, Kathak dancer Eshani Agarwal, Sufi musician Mir Mukhtiyar Ali, Sattriya dancer Anwesa Mahanta, Bharatnatyam dancer Aranyani Bhargav and the Gandharava Choir, consisting of students of the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.

"This is an endeavour to bring together art and culture to pay tribute to Indira Ji's memory and her rich contribution. The event will be graced by soulful performances by some well known young Indian artists from the classical music and the dance world and will bring forth the rich culture and the traditional music and dance forms of our nation which Indira ji promoted with passion," a statement from the All India National Congress said.

--IANS

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The US Navy has admitted that one of its aircraft had drawn a phallic symbol in the sky over a town of the state of Washington, a media report said.

Local news outlets said they were contacted by onlookers who had watched a plane draw what appeared to be crude depictions of male genitalia over Okanogan County, which borders Canada, on Thursday afternoon, Xinhua news agency reported.

Officials of the Navy, in response to the incident, said in a statement on Friday that the drawings were "wholly unacceptable" and the service has initiated an investigation.

"The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable."

The Navy said that the aircraft involved was a Boeing EA-18G Growler based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island off the Washington coast.

The jet, specializing in electronic warfare, is able to travel at nearly twice the speed of sound.

The Federal Aviation Administration, a government agency that regulates US airspace, said the drawings did not appear to pose a safety risk and it "cannot police morality".

--IANS

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Accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of misleading the public over pollution in the NCR, the BJP on Friday said it will approach the Supreme Court over non-utilisation of green cess by the AAP government and thus "violating" court order.

"Our party will move a contempt plea in the Supreme Court on the issue of non-utilisation of environmental cess fund," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari told reporters here.

Tiwari said the Delhi government had issued a notification on October 20, 2015, in accordance with Supreme Court directive to impose the cess on all goods vehicles entering Delhi.

The government was expected to give quarterly accounts of the cess collected to the Supreme Court, he said.

The BJP leader alleged that the fund was to be used for improvement in public transport system, cleaning and repairing roads, but Kejriwal neither gave any record of collected funds to the Supreme Court not use the same for its intended purpose.

The AAP government has came under attack from opposition after a Right to Information reply revealed non-utilisation of Rs 787 crore collected as environmental cess in 2017.

The Delhi government, in a reply to RTI activist Sanjeev Jain, said it received Rs 50 crore in 2015, Rs 387 crore in 2016, and Rs 787 crore as environment cess from January 1 to September 30 in 2017.

The Kejriwal government said it had spent Rs 93 lakh of the cess in 2016, but there was "no mention of any expenditure" in 2017.

Tiwari also accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of trying to privatise bus services in the city.

"The government tried to approve a proposal on privatisation in the name of a premium app-based bus service but was withdrawn due to strong opposition by the BJP," Tiwari said.

Leader of the Opposition in Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta said: "The Kejriwal government has announced several times to purchase new buses. But the operational fleet of Delhi Transport Corporation has depleted."

"DTC staff is facing difficulties in getting wages/salaries and the government is pushing the corporation into a financial crisis only for political gains," Gupta said.

Gupta alleged mismanagement in DTC bus depots and said that despite a parking space for about 1,500 buses in four rural bus depots at Ghumanhera, Dichaukalan, Narela, and Bawana, only 163 buses were being parked there.

Gupta said the government had put forth a proposal to buy 2,000 new buses but these will not ply on roads before December 2018.

--IANS

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For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost, goes the saying. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister might lose his kingdom  6.4 million farmers, to be specific  to keep around 350 agricultural traders happy.
Indias sovereign rating upgrade by Moodys Investors Service is a second shot in the arm for the Modi government, still reeling from domestic criticism for economic bungling. The first booster shot was the sharp improvement in the countrys position in the World Banks Doing Business rankings. It will be the icing on the governments cake if the July-September numbers on economic growth (due at the end of the month) show recovery from the low points of the previous two quarters. Even a mild upswing will mark a reversal from a six-quarter declining trend, and justify the relentless investor optimism that finds reflection in rising stock market indices.
A 20-year-old man, allegedly involved in four cases of firing in Rohini, was arrested today, the police said.

The accused, Yudhvir alias Kalu Pandit, was arrested near Holambi Khurd and four country-made pistols were seized from him, they said.

The police said that on October 12, Yudhvir, along with his associates, had fired at Amit, a day after they had an argument with his friend, to scare him.

He had fired in the air to extort money from a provision store owner on October 14 and later that day, he fired again to scare a man, following a scuffle, they said.

On November 14, Yudhvir, following a dispute over valet parking, shot at Krishna Kundu and in the incident one of the former's associates Ravinder was also injured, the police said.

Though the accused managed to escape, Ravinder was arrested.

Kundu and Ravinder took valet parking contracts during the marriage season and were having a dispute. Yudhvir had met them to settle it, they said.

However, an argument ensued and he shot at Kundu. Ravinder was injured in the crossfire, the police said.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said his government kept under check the mushrooming of private schools by setting up state-run institutions that imparted quality education to poor children free of cost.

The AAP dispensation has completely changed government schools where the standard of education was earlier in a bad state, he claimed at the launch of a web portal for the 'Loan Guarantee Scheme and Scholarship'.

The scheme provides loans to needy students through banks and the government takes their guarantee.

The chief minister claimed that since the AAP formed government, there have been "revolutionary" changes which were being discussed globally and in the country.

"Earlier, government's schools were deliberately being deteriorated in a systematic manner and the entire education sector, be it primary, secondary, colleges and technical, was moving towards privatisation.

"Fees of these institutions were so high that the common man could not afforded it. But since we came to power, we have changed the wave of privatisation of education in the country," Kejriwal said.

He also said that people earlier did not "want to send their children to government schools" where the standard of education was bad.

"When honest politics, honest people came to Delhi (government), principals, teachers and officials did a wonderful job in the last two and a half years, due to which the results of class 12 of government schools were better in comparison to private schools this year," the chief minister said.

Kejriwal said, "We have prepared such a model where a child, whether from a poor or rich family, would get quality education free of cost."



"This is happening for the first time that people are taking out their children from private schools and getting them admitted to government schools," he claimed.

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US Vice President Mike Pence today met with Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah during which they discussed the political environment in Kabul, the White House said.

This was the first high-level meeting between the two countries at the White House after US President Donald Trump announced his new South Asia policy in August.

"They also focused on president Trump's South Asia strategy and its beneficial impact on the security situation in Afghanistan," the White House said.

During the meeting, Pence commended the Afghan security forces for their bravery and sacrifices in fighting the insurgency and international terrorists, such as ISIS and al- Qaida.

Pence stressed on the need for Kabul's continued engagement and progress on necessary reforms, political inclusion and preparations for forthcoming elections, all of which are critical to providing greater stability and opportunities for Afghanistan.

"Vice President Pence and Dr Abdullah reaffirmed the enduring partnership between the United States and Afghanistan," the White House added.

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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today that allegations relating to the procurement deal for 36 fighter jet were "shameful" and that such bickering was a "disservice" to the armed forces.

Her remarks came a day after the Congress accused the prime minister of changing the "entire deal" to benefit a businessman.

"These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalised following a transparent procedure," Sitharaman told reporters.

The defence minister also called the bickering against the deal as "disservice" to the armed forces, asserting that urgent requirement of the Indian Air Force was the main reason for sealing it.

The defence minister said the final agreement for 36 jets was signed in September 2016, after five rounds of lengthy discussions between Indian and French sides and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

She said the UPA government had sat over the proposed procurement of jets for 10 years.
Terming the Congress' allegations about Rafale fighter jet deal as "shameful", Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today these amounted to "disservice" to the armed forces, in first firm rebuttal of the charges levelled by the main opposition party.

Sitharaman said the cost of each aircraft along with weapon systems was much lower than what was negotiated by the UPA government.

She said the inter-governmental agreement with France for "emergency" procurement was struck following a transparent procedure.

"These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalised following a transparent procedure," Sitharaman told a press conference.

Questioning the previous UPA governments' "inability" to finalise the deal even after 10 years of negotiations between 2004 and 2014, the defence minister wondered whether the Congress does not owe an explanation to the country over the delay in taking a decision when IAF badly needed the jets.

Referring to the delays, she said the UPA government can be accused of "error of ommission" as the Indian Air Force was in critical need of the fighter jets.

However, when asked repeatedly about comparative cost of each aircraft negotiated by the then UPA government and the rate at which the deal was sealed last year, Sitharaman said she was not running away from sharing the details and asked the officials to give the figures to the media.

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore, nearly one- and-half years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the proposal during a visit to Paris. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September, 2019.

The Congress recently raised several questions about the deal including the rates, and accused the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting "crony capitalism" and causing a loss to the public exchequer.

"That was the grim situation when this government came to power in 2014 and, therefore, we had to move forward so that the air force is not left with unattended requirements for the sake of prepardness," she said.

"The bickerings about the deal are a disservice to the armed forces," she said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, after talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today, spoke about the deal as he expounded on the "strategic dimension" of the bilateral ties.

"I am well placed to know that our defence partnership is significant, as shown through the Rafale and Scorpene projects



to mention only the most emblematic ones. But it is not limited to the acquisition of military assets, it is far broader than that, as exemplified in our cooperation in the Indian Ocean," she said.

Sitharaman said the defence procurement procedure allows a contract with a friendly government, and rubbished allegations that government was favouring any businessman through the deal.

On Congress' allegation that Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of Rafale, refused transfer of technology (ToT) to India, Sitharaman said it does not make economic sense to go for ToT for 36 aircraft as that would have resulted in escalation of cost.

Sitharaman said in 2012, Rafale was identified as the lowest bidder. However, when her attention was drawn to reports that even the then Defence Minister A K Antony was not convinced whether Rafale was indeed the lowest bidder, she said the the government went ahead with the deal considering the "emergency" situation.

The defence minister said the final agreement for 36 Rafale jets was signed in September, 2016, after five rounds of "lengthy" discussions between Indian and the French sides, and had the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security.

When asked about reports that several members of the high-level committee examining the bids dissented and noted that Rafale was not the lowest bidder (L 1), Sitharaman said, "I will go back to see what it is."



Separately, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the charges levelled by the Congress over the Rafale deal were "baseless".

"I am amazed over the patently baseless allegations being levelled by the Congress party on the whole Rafale deal," Prasad told reporters.

He said the deal was "properly revisited" at the government-to-government level and many additional facilities and opportunities had been added in terms of weapons, training of Indian pilots, and supply of spares.

Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal R Nambiar were also present at the briefing.

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The Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) todayrecommended that space agencies in the region collaborate to develop small or cube satellites as their data could provide inputs to solve various issues they were facing.

The APRSAF-24 working group meeting suggested promotion of educational activities, using space as a method that will be beneficialfor human resource development of the next generation, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman A S Kiran Kumar told reporters here.

The meeting recommended encouragement and acceleration of 'Kibo Utilisation' through feasibility studiesin each Asia Pacific country, he said.

It also recommended promotion of space application including rice crop, global rainfall, fire hot-spot and haze monitoring and disaster management.

Kumar said that it suggested encouraging and enabling of the Asia Pacific region with country-specific data cube initiative, data portal and analysis ready data through capacity building and if possible, by data sharing mechanisms.

Heads of space agencies from 10 countries -- India, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, Russia, Israel, Thailand and France -- attended the conclave.

The director of the United Nations Office ofOuter Space Affairs and two astronauts from Japan - Chiaki Mukai and Koichi Wakta -- were also part of the programme. The event had more than 600 registrations from over35 countries and international organisations, Kumar said.

Over 50 per cent of the participants were foreign nationals.

The conclave provided an opportunity to Indian and foreign industries to showcase their technological capabilities to delegates from the Asia Pacific region through an exhibition, he said.

The forum meetings were organised under four working groups namely the space application, space technology, space environment utilisation and space education.

The recent achievements and future plans of each country and region were deliberated in these working groups, Kumar said.

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Arunachal Pradesh has won the award of Best Performing Small state in Education at the India Today State of the States Conclave 2017.

The conclave was held at New Delhi on Thursday, an official release said here today.

State Education Minister Honchun Ngandam along with Special Secretary (Education) Mitali Namchoom were present to receive the award that was presented by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.

The award came as a recognition for the efforts being made by the state government in the field of education.

The annual India Today State of the States Conclave is an attempt to recognize those states that offer its citizens the best opportunities, both at work and outside, the release added.

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A host of foreign ministers from Asia and Europe descend on Bangladesh tomorrow for talks on the Rohingya refugee crisis that has left the impoverished nation reeling.

An estimated 618,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled mainly Buddhist Myanmar since a military crackdown was launched in Rakhine in August, which the United Nations and watchdogs have said amounts to ethnic cleansing.

The talks will discuss international support for Bangladesh, according to an EU statement.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali will take his counterparts from Germany, Sweden and Japan, together with the European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, to the border town of Cox's Bazar Sunday to see the camps.

Refugees are penned inside vast, squalid camps, and UNICEF estimates that 25,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition that could easily become a major killer.

Dhaka has prohibited the Rohingya from leaving the camps, fearing an influx in its bigger cities.

"It is hoped that the visit will garner further international support for the Rohingya community," said a Bangladesh foreign ministry statement.

The ministers will also meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also arriving in Dhaka Saturday, although it is not clear whether he will travel to Cox's Bazar.

China is a key ally of Myanmar, which has faced intense international pressure over the Rohingya violence.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya but are still tussling over the details.

Asian and European foreign ministers are due to meet in Myanmar on Monday and Tuesday.

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Belgian prosecutors today asked a judge to extradite axed Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont to Spain to face charges of rebellion and sedition over his region's independence drive, his lawyers said.

"The prosecutors asked for the execution of the European arrest warrant" issued by Madrid, lawyer Christophe Marchand told reporters after a closed-door hearing in Brussels. The defence will put their case on December 4, he added.

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Microsoft founder Bill Gates today met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and discussed with him ways to intensify the immunisation programme against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).

The chief minister met Gates, co-chair and trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, at the Shastri Bhawan here.

The state government would intensify the JE and AES immunisation programme with the help of the Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation and an MoU will be signed for the purpose soon, Adityanath said in an statement.

"The Uttar Pradesh government will also seek technical help from the foundation on mother and child health, and also in programmes related to agricultural and other sectors for the next five years," he said.

The chief minister apprised Gates about the efforts of the government to eliminate prevalent vector borne diseases in the state.

Gates said that his organisation would like to work and help the state in controlling vector borne diseases and improve sanitation, solid waste management and agriculture production techniques, an official statement said.

It said the foundation would also help the state in mother and child nutrition programmes.

He said his organisation had held talks with the Indian Medical Research Council for establishing JE and AES monitoring centre at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur and offered services in controlling diseases such as filaria, diarrhoea and tuberculosis, the statement said.

Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar said that after going through the department-wise priorities, an MoU will be signed with the foundation soon.

He also informed the Microsoft founder that the state government recently organised a successful vaccination programme to counter vector borne diseases.

The programme has covered over 92 lakh children between May 25 and June 11 this year, the chief secretary said.

Eliminating the menace of JE and AES is one of the top priorities of the Uttar Pradesh government, he said, adding that the state-run BRD Medical College has been on the forefront of this mission.

The chief minister was informed by Gates that the foundation has a expertise in sewage treatment solutions and they were working on various projects in other states and would also like to work in this area in Uttar Pradesh to treat municipal wastes and help clean rivers, the statement said.

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The BJP today released its first list of 70 candidates for next month's Gujarat Assembly elections, which includes Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and state party chief Jitu Vaghani.

Of the 70 candidates, 18 are Patels, 16 OBCs, three SCs and 11 STs, party sources said.

Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held over two phases on December 9 and 14.

The list of candidates was finalised by the BJP's Central Election Committee, which met in Delhi on Wednesday. The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.

While the list retains 49 sitting MLAs, three legislators have been dropped. The party has accommodated five former Congress legislators, who had switched over to the BJP earlier this year, in its first list.

Rupani will seek re-election from Rajkot West, Patel from Mehsana and Vaghani from Bhavnagar (West).

Apart from Rupani and Patel, 15 of 25 ministers have also made it to the list.

Former IPS officer P C Baranda, who resigned this week from the police service, has been given the ticket for Bhiloda (ST) seat.

The party has also fielded 16 OBC candidates.

The OBCs had launched a counter agitation in the state against inclusion of Patels in the OBC category.

A Patel community outfit led by Hardik Patel has been vociferously demanding reservation for Patidar community. Hardik Patel has made overtures to the Congress after taking an aggressive stand against the ruling BJP.

The five former Congress MLAs, who secured a BJP ticket, are Raghavji Patel in Jamangar (rural), Dharmendrasinh Jadeja from Jamangar (north), C K Raulji from Godhra, Mansinh Chauhan from Balasinor and Ramsinh Parmar from Thasra.

They had cross voted against Congress heavyweight Ahmed Patel in a keenly fought Rajya Sabha election a few months back, and joined the BJP later.

However, Bholabhai Gohel, another former Congress MLA who joined the BJP after cross-voting in the upper house election, failed to make it to the ruling party list.

Instead, the party has given a ticket to its own nominee Bharatbhai Boghra in Jasdan, which was won by Gohel in 2012.

The party dropped three of its sitting MLAs while changed the seat of one.

The sitting MLAs, who failed to get renominated, are Bhavna Makwana from Mahuva, Varsha Doshi of Vadhvan and Nalin Kotadia from Dhari.

Bavku Undhad, sitting MLA from Lathi, has been moved to Amreli.

The party has fielded its former Amreli MP Dilip Sanghani from Dhari assembly seat.

"According to the list declared by our Central BJP, our 49 sitting MLAs have been given tickets, while one independent candidate who had won in 2012, has also been fielded," Nitin Patel said.

"Our list has four women candidates. It tries to give proper representation to all castes and communities of the state," Patel said.

He added that the second list of candidates will be declared soon.

The elections have become a prestige battle for the BJP, which has been in power for over two decades in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah.

Political activity in the state has already gained momentum with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and top BJP leaders hitting campaign trail.

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Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav today accused the ruling BJP of spreading "hatred" and trying to "divert people's attention" through its campaigns for the civic polls in Uttar Pradesh.

The former chief minister also criticised the Yogi Adityanath government for the plight of potato farmers and non-payment of arrears to cane growers, among others.

"Nothing should be expected from the BJP now... its foremost task is how to spread hatred, create problems and humiliate others. In order to divert attention of the people, the BJP leaders pick up brooms or wear masks," he told reporters here.

"The BJP blames others (for lack of development in the state), but now it is ruling Uttar Pradesh... most of the big cities had BJP mayors, but even the garbage has not been removed in the past 10 to 15 years," the SP leader said.

"Except for picking up brooms (as part of the Swachcha Bharat Mission)... I don't think the BJP has any direction," he said.

Stressing that his government had completed the Agra- Lucknow Expressway in 23 months, Yadav said that it was now the responsibility of the present dispensation to construct the Purvanchal Expressway.

"This is the responsibility of the government... they will get funds from the Centre... Niti Aayog is also cooperating with them. They (BJP) were saying that they will connect Varanasi and Ayodhya, but they should at least start the work," he said.

Yadav said that if expressways and 'mandis' (wholesale markets) are made, the state will develop and farmers will get good rates for their produce.

"If dairies such as Parag and Amul come up, it will improve the rural economy, if laptops are distributed it will take the country ahead on the path of 'Digital India'," he said.

To a question on the possibility of entering into an electoral alliance with the BSP, the SP president said, "We are trying to work a way out an alliance... our relations are not bad with anyone... we are in the forefront to improve relations."



His remarks came after BSP supremo Mayawati yesterday said that her party favoured joining hands with secular fronts in the Lok Sabha and state polls, only if it gets a respectable number of seats to contest.

On the law and order situation, the former chief minister said that the people of the state know that the BJP government has "failed" on this front.

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A Canadian national was today apprehended at the Delhi airport for allegedly using a fake travel ticket to see his daughters off, official sources said.

J S Malhi was apprehended at 1:30 AM when the CISF personnel, deployed for airport security, found him roaming suspiciously inside the Terminal-3 (T3) building of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, they said.

Malhi told the Central Industrial Security Force personnel that he had entered the terminal to see his two daughters off, who were travelling to Canada, they said, adding he told them that he used a cancelled ticket to enter.

The man was subsequently handed over to the police as the cancelled ticket was a fake entry document, they said.

Entering airport terminal without a valid ticket is illegal under the Indian aviation rules.

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Writer Mark Schwahn, who was suspended from the drama series "The Royals", has been accused of sexual harassment by the female actors and crew of the show.

In a joint letter released by 25 cast and crew members of the show, Schwahn has been accused of "repeated unwanted sexual harassment of multiple female members of cast and crew", according to The Hollywood Reporter.

They said their counterparts at "One Tree Hill" motivated them to tell their own stories of harassment.

"Despite hearing rumours about his behaviour on One Tree Hill, those of us involved from the early stages went into the filming of the pilot hoping they were just that rumours. By the time we wrapped this had irrevocably proven not to be the case.

"It became all too apparent reading their statement earlier this week that the betrayal and anger so many of us had experienced during our time on The Royals is not exclusively ours. And we were angry then, and we are angry now," stated the letter.

The letter has been signed by Hatty Preston, Sophie Colquhoun, Alex Watherson, Lydia Rose Bewley, April Church, Annalise Beusnel, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Florence Chow, Charlie Jones, Isabella Artitzone, Jade Armstrong, Rachel Walsh, Tania Vernava among others.

"Whilst voraciously condemning the actions of one man, we would like to make note of our gratitude to others. Thank you to so many of the Royal men who ensured we were never alone in social situations with him and took two steps towards us for his every one," it said.

The producers of "The Royals" had suspended Schwahn and had said that they were investigation the claims against him.

"E!, Universal Cable Productions and Lionsgate Television take sexual harassment allegations very seriously, investigate them thoroughly and independently, and take appropriate action. Lionsgate has suspended Mark Schwahn from 'The Royals' as we continue our investigation," the companies had said in a statement to Variety.

Schawhn was first accused by the cast and crew of the 2003 hit show "One Tree Hill", who had released a joint statement in support of writer Audrey Wauchope after she accused the 51-year-old creator of harassment without naming him.

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A mid-air collision between a light aircraft and a helicopter today resulted in a "number of casualties" in south-east England.

Thames Valley police officers at the crash site in the village of Waddesdon near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire said they were focused on "preservation of life".

"We are aware of a number of casualties following an incident this afternoon in Waddesdon, Aylesbury...Fire and ambulance services are also in attendance and preservation of life is first priority," a spokesperson said.

Both aircraft came from Wycombe Air Park, also known as Booker Airfield near High Wycombe, which offers flight training.

A spokesperson for the airstrip said, "Wycombe Air Park can confirm that at 12 pm (local time) today we were informed of an incident north-west of Aylesbury involving two aircraft from Wycombe Air Park".

The site of the crash is close to the Royal Air Force (RAF) base of Halton, which has since confirmed that no military aircraft had been involved in the collision.

The local Bucks Fire and Rescue teams remain in attendance, having sent seven vehicles including urban search and rescue.

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch has also sent a team to probe the crash.

"There have been a number of casualties at the scene, but at this stage this is all we are able to confirm," South Central Ambulance Service said.

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Axed Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont appeared in court in Belgium today for a hearing on whether to send him back to Spain to face charges of rebellion and sedition over his region's independence drive.

Madrid issued a European arrest warrant for Puigdemont and four of his former ministers after they fled to Brussels last month and ignored a summons to appear before a Spanish judge, claiming they would not get a fair trial.

A judge in Brussels will hear arguments behind closed doors from prosecutors and lawyers for the Catalan separatists over Spain's extradition request in the first round of what could become a protracted courtroom battle, with both sides expected to appeal if they lose.

This could leave Puigdemont and his cadres still in Belgium when Catalonia goes to the polls on December 21 for an election ordered by Madrid to "restore normality" to the wealthy northeastern region.

"We are going to ask the Belgian judge to respect fundamental EU rights," Michele Hirsch, a lawyer for two of the ex-ministers, told AFP.

"The act of organising a referendum is not a matter for criminal law. It is clearly a political opinion that is being targeted, and the peaceful and democratic execution of a series of events linked to that opinion," she said.

An aide to Puigdemont told journalists he had arrived at the Palace of Justice in Brussels shortly before the scheduled 2:00 pm (1300 GMT) start of the hearing.

Puigdemont's self-imposed exile is proving a headache for Belgium, whose fragile coalition government includes Flemish nationalists sympathetic to the Catalan cause.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel met his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy on the sidelines of an EU summit today in Gothenburg, Sweden, though sources said they talked about "the future of the EU" and other issues -- not Catalonia.

Yesterday night Puigdemont had dinner at the home of a politician from the Flemish separatist N-VA party.

The hearing is the latest act in Spain's biggest political crisis in decades, sparked by a banned October 1 referendum that the Catalan parliament then used as a mandate to declare independence.

Madrid in response dissolved the regional assembly and dismissed the Catalan executive, and eight former ministers are behind bars in Spain on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds.

The five who fled to Brussels went to a Belgian police station on November 5 to answer the warrant and were freed that evening after hours of questioning, on condition that they not leave Belgium.

Under Belgian law a decision on a European arrest warrant -- brought in by the EU to speed up the once-lengthy extradition process in the bloc -- should be made within 60 days.

The case will be heard by a Dutch-speaking judge -- defendants in linguistically divided Belgium have the option to choose which language the judge hearing their case speaks, and the Catalans have won support from Dutch-speaking Flemish separatists in Belgium.

The judge is expected to give an initial judgement in eight to 10 days.

But at the weekend the country's justice minister warned that with appeals, the process could last up to three months.

Puigdemont, 54, who still describes himself as Catalonia's "president", has been active in the media since arriving in Belgium, but his efforts to internationalise the crisis have fallen flat with EU leaders who have closed ranks behind Madrid.

In an interview with Scotland's former independence leader Alex Salmond on the Kremlin-backed RT outlet yesterday, Puigdemont remained defiant, declaring "we will win finally, democracy will prevail".

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The CBI has registered a case against aviation consultant Deepak Talwar, an NGO linked to him, and others for allegedly "misutilising" over Rs 90 crore in funds taken through the foreign funding route as part of the corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The agency today carried out searches at eleven places and said it has recovered "a large number of incriminating documents."



"The complaint relates to the allegations of mis- utilisation of foreign contribution which were received under the CSR scheme for the purpose of carrying out educational and social activities in India.

"The funds were allegedly received mainly from a foreign based company to the tune of Rs 90.72 crore in the bank accounts of a Delhi based private firm/NGO registered under the foreign contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 for carrying out social welfare activities in the field of education," a CBI spokesperson said.

He said the agency has booked six entities - Delhi-based NGO Ms Advantage India, Ms Accordis Health Care Pvt Ltd, Talwar, Sunil Khandewal of Accordis Health, the MD of Accordis Health Raman Kapoor, another consultant T Kapoor and other unknown persons.

The agency alleged that Talwar and the NGO, in the name of purchasing ambulances and other articles, diverted the funds received from Europe's leading missile manufacturing company MBDA and the Airbus group. This, it claimed, was in alleged violation of the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act).

The agency said it registered an FIR against the accused based on a complaint of the Union Home Ministry.

When contacted, counsel for the NGO Advantage India, Tanveer Ahmed Mir said they were "extending their fullest cooperation to the investigators and they will keep doing so in the future."



"We are fully compliant with all the statutory requirements under the FCRA. We have nothing to hide. The CBI investigation is misplaced," Mir said.

Mir, who is also the lawyer for Talwar, said the aviation consultant has "nothing to do with the utilisation of foreign funds by the NGO Advantage India. All relevant records are documented and audited."



He added that the Income Tax Department had taken all the documents from their premises as part of their earlier action against them.

The tax department is probing Talwar and others on charges of alleged tax evasion.

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British development finance institution CDC, today announced a new investment designed to provide capital to small and medium businesses (SMEs) that reach poor and underserved communities in India.

The institution is committing USD 25 million to the Aavishkaar Bharat Fund (ABF) that invests in early stage businesses in parts of India that have not traditionally been well served by the investment community.

ABF will invest in businesses with high social impact in sectors such as agriculture, financial services, healthcare, waste and sanitation, renewable energy and logistics.

********************* RGI enters into bancassurance tie-up with Yes Bank *



Reliance General Insurance Company (RGI) today signed a bancassurance agreement with Yes Bank.

Under the corporate agency agreement Yes Bank will distribute multiple general insurance products of the private insurer to its customers, a release issued here said.

Yes Bank with its network of 1040 branches across 29 states and 7 union territories of India will enable Reliance General Insurance to reach a large base of retail and MSME clients.

********************* Bhaskar Bhat, Saurabh Agrawal join Tata Sons board *



Tata Sons today said Bhaskar Bhat, Managing Director of Titan, and Saurabh Agrawal group chief financial officer, have been elevated to the Board of Directors of the company.

"We welcome Bhaskar and Saurabh to the Board of Directors. The Board will benefit from the tremendous experience and knowledge of these professionals in multiple domains," Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said in a release issued here. Bhaskar Bhat is currently the Managing Director of Titan Company.

********************* Westin Hotels and Resorts debuts in Kolkata *



Westin Hotels and Resorts, part of Marriott International, today announced the opening of its eighth hotel in India, The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat.

The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat is built in over eight acres with 314 guestrooms and suites, the company said in a release issued here.

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Home Minister Rajnath Singh has assured BJP leader Mukul Roy of appropriate action after examining his complaint that the West Bengal government was monitoring his movements.

In a letter to Singh last month, Roy, who recently quit the Trinamool Congress to join the BJP, alleged that his phones were been "illegally tapped" by the West Bengal government.

"I have received your letter dated October 3, 2017, regarding alleged monitoring of your movements by the state administration. The matter is being examined for appropriate action," Singh has written to Roy.

Roy received Singh's reply today.

Roy has also filed a case against the state administration in the Delhi High Court on the matter.

Trinamool Congress administers West Bengal.

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The official website of the Chennai Customs was allegedly hacked today and slogans demanding a "free Kashmir" and comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Army were posted on it.

A group of hackers, which identified itself as "Team Pak Cyber Skullz", targeted the website -- www.chennaicustoms.gov.in.

It was detected shortly thereafter and the website was restored, the police said.

"Hacked by SH11 Team Pak Cyber Skullz", a message from the hackers read.

A few years ago, the Chennai Customs website was hacked by another group of hackers.

The police said they had not received any complaint in this regard.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will begin a tour of Bangladesh and Myanmar from tomorrow during which he is expected to persuade the two countries to seek a "proper solution" to the raging Rohingya refugee crisis.

Both Bangladesh and Myanmar are friendly neighbours of China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media briefing here today.

During Wangs visit, he will exchange views on bilateral relations, issues of regional and common interest, he said.

Asked whether the Rohingya refugees issue will figure in the talks, Geng said "on the Rakhine state issue, China will continue to make efforts to promote two sides to dialogue and seek proper solution to the relevant issue".

An estimated 618,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled mainly Myanmar since a military crackdown was launched in Rakhine in August, which the United Nations and watchdogs have said amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Despite Beijings opposition, the United Nations General Assemblys human rights committee endorsed a resolution by an overwhelming 135 votes to 10 calling on Myanmar's authorities to end military operations against the Rohingya, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

Geng earlier said Wang will visit Bangladesh and Myanmar from November 18 to 19. During his stay there, Wang will hold talks with his counterparts and meet leaders, he said.

In Myanmar, Wang will take part in the13th foreign ministers' meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) being held in Nay Pyi Taw from Novembr 20 to 21.

Besides holding bilateral talks with Myanmar leaders, he will have bilateral meetings with some heads of delegation to promote a new-type of Asia-Europe partnership and address challenges together, Geng said.

China, which provided unwavering support for Myanmars military junta over two decades, is behind a USD 7.3 billion deep-water port in Rakhine, which plays a pivotal role in Beijings belt and road trade initiative, the Post report said.

It also built USD 2.45 billion oil and gas pipeline project linking the remote coast of Rakhine to southwestern Chinas Yunnan province, 770km away.

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Haryana chief secretary D S Dhesi today urged banks and Lead Bank Managersto complete the Aadhaar seeding in all bank accounts by December 31. Dhesi was speaking as a chief guest in the 142nd State Level Bankerss Committee meeting, held here today.

He said that the state has achieved three major milestones--that is become a kerosene free state, first State to become Open Defecation Free and to distribute Public Distribution System (PDS) through Point of Sale (PoS) machines.

Dhesi said that ten clusters have been identified by Industries Department to boost the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state for which bankers have to play a major role.

Speaking on this occasion, Executive Director, Punjab National Bank, New Delhi, Sanjiv Sharan said that under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana 6,52,468 farmers in the State have been covered by banks for crop insurance for Kharif 2017 and Rabi season 2017-18.

"The Commercial Banks and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) opened 145 new branches during review period thus raising the total number of branches to 4708. Apart from this, the total deposits of Commercial Banks and RRBs increased to Rs 3,19,469 crore as on September2017 from Rs 2,62,083 crore as on September 2016 thus showing an increase of Rs 57,386 crore," Sharan said, as per the release.

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The makers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" have rubbished reports that the film, which is facing protest from several Rajput groups, has been postponed to January next year.

There have been reports saying that the makers plan to postpone the release of "Padmavati" to January 12, following political pressure.

When contacted Ajit Andhare, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, told PTI, " (It's a) complete rumour."



He also shared a statement on Twitter.

"Rumours of postponement of Padmavati are baseless," he tweeted.

The period drama has been courting controversies as several fringes including Rajput Karni Sena are protesting against the film and Bhansali for distorting historical facts.

The film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh is set to release on December 1.

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Senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal today said that the Congress's allegations over the Rafale deal, reflected the opposition party's "state of desperation" as it was on a losing spree.

The Rafale deal happened after "government-to-government" negotiations between India and France. It was done to fulfil the urgent requirement of the Indian Air Force, Goyal told reporters at the party office here.

He said that the strike capability of the air force was compromised due to requirement of aircraft.

"This shows the Congress's state of desperation as it is on a losing spree," he said.

Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rebutted the allegations of the Congress and said that such bickerings were "disservice" to the armed forces.

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore, nearly one- and-half years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the proposal about it during his visit to Paris.

The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin in September 2019.

The Congress has raised several questions over the Rafale aircraft deal, including the rates, and had accused the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting "crony capitalism" and causing a loss to the public exchequer.

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A Delhi court today denied bail to alleged hawala dealer Mohammad Aslam Wani, arrested in connection with a decade-old money laundering case involving Kashmiri separatist Shabir Shah.

Wani had on November 14 moved the court seeking bail saying a 2010 trial court judgement clearing him of terror funding charges in a 2005 case, based on which the money laundering case was lodged in 2007, was confirmed by the Delhi High Court on October 31.

However, Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharman refused to grant relief to Wani who claimed that he was wrongly implicated in the case.

The Enforcement Directorate had in September filed a charge sheet against Wani and Shah, whose bail application in the case was also dismissed on August 22.

Wani was arrested by the ED from Srinagar on August 6 with the help of the state police and is currently in judicial custody. Shabir Shah was arrested by the agency from Srinagar on July 26.

The ED action against the two was in pursuance of an August 2005 case in which the Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested Wani, who is alleged to have claimed he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah.

In 2010, a Delhi court had cleared Wani of terror funding charges but convicted him under the Arms Act. The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Shah and Wani.

On August 26, 2005, Wani was apprehended with the ED claiming Rs 63 lakh was recovered from him. It was also alleged that the funds were received through hawala channels from the Middle East, along with a large cache of ammunition.

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Denmark, Sweden and Norway are expecting Indian tourists to consume more than 3.5 lakh hotel room nights in a year as the three Scandinavian nations are going all out to attract travellers from the country by promoting their tourism destinations.

The Scandinavian Tourist Board (STB) has been actively holding promotional events in India in its bid to reach out to Indian travellers so that they visit Denmark, Sweden and Norway the three northern European countries that were largely unexplored by Indian tourists in the past.

Following the recent increase in the number of Indians visiting Scandinavia, Air India in August this year launched direct flights from India to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Earlier, these destinations, along with Oslo, were connected via Dubai.

Mohit Batra from the STB said India is one of the most important regions in the world and that is why the three Scandinavian countries are going all the way to woo Indian tourists.

"Indians are more loved and welcomed by the European countries and people are looking forward to cultural exchanges from both sides," Batra said while elaborating some of the reasons behind the recent surge in the number of Indian tourists to Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

"We are looking at Indians consuming 3,50,000 hotel room nights in Scandinavia in a year," he said, adding that on an average, these numbers are expected to grow at 10 per cent.

In Asia, India is ranked as Sweden's second source market after China.

Ruth Dolla, Project Manager India of Visit Sweden, said India has emerged as the world's fastest-growing outbound market and it is second only to China.

"The number of Indians travelling overseas is set to rise from around 15 million now to 50 million by 2050. That 50 million is a huge number. This will mean a big growth in spending overseas," she said.

Dolla said introduction of direct flights from India to Sweden and Denmark will definitely lead to a sharp rise in the numbers of Indian tourists visiting the three Scandinavian nations.

"We see India as a huge market for tourism source to Sweden. We have been working in the Indian market since 2015. We have seen a very good increase in the number of tourists coming to Sweden. There are 150 Swedish companies operating in India.

"We have received an 18 per cent increase in the number of Indian tourists this year. We have got 1,76,000 visitors from India last year. It is increasing every year and month. We have registered a 35 per cent increase in tourism in August this year compared to the corresponding month last year," she said.

A perfect combination of authentic nature experiences, world-class and modern progressive cities and a friendly, modern, sustainable lifestyle sets Sweden aside as a unique destination for travellers, she said.

Flemming Bruhn, Director of Visit Denmark said India is a very exciting and developing market for Scandinavia.

"We have seen a double-digit growth in the number of Indian tourists visiting Denmark. This year, unfortunately, Copenhagen has been fully booked by travellers and it has been very difficult for Indian travellers to find (hotel) rooms.

"We will increase hotel capacity by 20 per cent in the next two years to accommodate the rising number of travellers," he said.

Norway has witnessed a 16 per cent increase in the number of Indians visiting the country since 2016.

In the first half of this year, more than 11,000 visas were issued to Indians by the Royal Norwegian Embassy. In 2007, only 3,500 visas were issued to Indians. The number grew to roughly 4,000 by 2010 and 6,000 by 2014.

Denmark, Sweden and Norway are part of the Schengen visa system.

Bengt Hammer, Sales and Key Account Manager Asia and Oceania at Visit Flam, Norway said India is a big promising market.

"India's economy is growing fast. Indians are visiting Norway in a large number. They love the destinations there. Last year, we experienced a 10 per cent increase in Indian tourist arrival. Around 15,000 Indians are in Flam city.

"We also see a role of Bollywood in promoting tourism in Norway. Some Indian films have been shot in the country," Hammer said.

Norway, well known for its natural, untouched beauty and some of the best architectural attractions in the world, has eight attractions listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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Allegations that former President George H W Bush inappropriately touched seven women involve potential crimes punishable by fines or jail time, if they had been prosecuted.

All but one of the cases is ineligible under state laws that limit when a prosecution can begin after an alleged crime, and several lawyers interviewed said that it would be difficult to win a conviction against Bush, who has vascular parkinsonism, a rare syndrome that mimics Parkinson's disease.

"You're still going to be facing prosecuting a 93-year- old man in a wheelchair that's a former president," said Toby Shook, a lawyer who previously served as a prosecutor in Dallas. "I doubt if you could ever find a jury that would ever want to convict him."



There's no indication prosecutors are planning to pursue a case against Bush. Jordana Grolnick, an actress who alleged that Bush groped her behind last year as his wife, Barbara, stood nearby, told The Associated Press that she has no plans to report the 41st president to authorities.

That appears to be the only incident that hasn't reached the local statute of limitations on how long a crime can be prosecuted after it occurs.

The incidents occurred in three states over a decade. In all of the cases, the women say Bush touched their buttocks as they stood next to him to take photos. All three states have laws against touching someone without their consent.

The women's stories broadly follow the same outline: Bush patted them below the waist as they stood next to him to take photos, sometimes with a joke about his favorite magician or writer being named "David Cop-a-Feel."



Bush has issued repeated apologies through a spokesman "to anyone he has offended." The spokesman, Jim McGrath, said in a statement last month that Bush has used a wheelchair for roughly five years, and that "his arm falls on the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures."



In a statement Monday, McGrath said, "George Bush simply does not have it in his heart to knowingly cause anyone distress, and he again apologizes to anyone he offended during a photo op."



McGrath did not respond to a request for additional comment Tuesday.

Actress Heather Lind was the first to accuse Bush of groping her, saying in an Oct. 24 Instagram post that Bush "touched me from behind" and told "a dirty joke" while they posed for a photo at a Houston screening of the AMC television series "Turn."



Six more women have come forward since then, including Roslyn Corrigan, who told Time magazine Monday that Bush groped her as they took a photo in 2003, when Corrigan was 16, during an event in The Woodlands, a Houston suburb.

Broadway actress Megan Elizabeth Lewis also told NJ.com that Bush groped her at the performance of a musical in Houston in 2009.

Four of the incidents are reported to have occurred in Texas. Shook said that under Texas law, touching someone's buttocks over the person's clothing would most likely be grounds for a misdemeanor assault charge, with only a $500 fine and no jail time.

In Maine, where Bush is accused of grabbing two women, those allegations could give rise to a charge of assault or unlawful sexual touching, punishable by up to a year in jail, said Walt McKee, a defense attorney in Augusta, Maine.

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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today asked the Tamil Nadu government to hold talks with stakeholders to find out what is required for the defence industry for the next 50 years.

She was speaking at a function organised by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) here.

Earlier, state Industries Minister M C Sampath in his speech requested the ministry's support in setting up a defence park in the state.

"I suggest the minister call the thinking heads in the defence industry, some from the forces, some from the industry, to sit together and discuss specific areas that would be futuristic," she said.

Sitharaman asked the minister to take concrete steps on the subject ahead of the state government's proposal to conduct the Global Investors Meet scheduled in September 2018.

"You (Sampath) have said the state provides uninterrupted power supply, proper roads (to industries). You said you have the ecosystem. My suggestion to the minister is to speak to industry specialists, eminent defence personnel and hold talks on specifics that would be futuristic," she said.

Assuring that the Centre would back an idea that was "futuristic" and serve for next 50 years, Sitharaman said, "See what are the things that small and medium enterprises cannot invest but defence industry needs."



"Look at it in a far more futuristic way. What industry produces today becomes immaterial within a year in defence world", she said.

She said India was the largest procurer of defence equipment.

Appealing to the industry leaders to come with fresh ideas, she asked, "Are we looking at just being secondary in this industry? Do we want to do something which is going to be innovative?"



"If you see the conditions they (army personnel) face in protecting the country, your heart melts. I'm being emotional here. But think what can be produced that can make his (army personnel) feet bear the chill. We should think big for which the state government and the Centre will have to work together," she said.

Pointing out that countries which does not have large armies are doing so much more on defence equipment, she said such countries were making it for others to buy and India was one of the largest consumers.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today said Ankara had pulled out 40 Turkish troops from a NATO exercise in Norway, in a new outburst of tensions with its Western allies.

Erdogan said in a televised speech to ruling party members he had ordered the troops to be removed from the exercise after an incident today deemed offensive to himself and the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Turkey, which became a member of NATO in 1952, is a key member of the alliance but tensions have grown in recent months over its crackdown after the failed coup and Ankara's increasingly close alliance with Russia.

Without going into detail over the incident, Erdogan said an image of Ataturk and his own name were used "and these were the targets".

He said Turkey's top general Hulusi Akar and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik -- who were on their way to a NATO conference in Halifax, Canada -- had informed him of the incident.

"They said 'this has happened... and we are going to take out our 40 soldiers'. And I said 'absolutely, don't hesitate, take them out right now'" Erdogan said.

"It's not possible to have this kind of alliance," he added, speaking in front of giant pictures of himself and Ataturk, who founded modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire in 1923.

Turkish officials contacted by AFP said there were for now no further details on the incident. There was also no immediate comment from the Norwegian military.

Some Turkish media speculated that his comments indicated that images of Ataturk and Erdogan had been used for target practice in the exercise.

NATO's website lists two military exercises that are currently ongoing in Norway. It was not clear what drill Erdogan was referring to and there was no immediate comment from NATO.

While Turkey is still playing an active role in the alliance, its Western allies have been particularly troubled by a deal for Ankara to purchase an S-400 air defence system from Russia.

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European Union leaders warned British Prime Minister Theresa May today that the "clock is ticking" to make Brexit concessions and it is increasingly likely talks will fail to move on to the next phase in December.

Britain's impending split threatened to overshadow an EU summit in the Swedish port city of Gothenburg that was meant to focus on improving social standards and seeing off the threat of populism in the post-Brexit future.

May expressed hopes the bloc would respond "positively" after she met several leaders on the sidelines, but they all warned that time was running out to settle the key divorce issues, and unlock negotiations next month on a trade deal and transition period.

"The clock is ticking. I hope that we will be able to come to an agreement as far as the divorce is concerned at the December council (summit) but work has still to be done," European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned last week that Britain had just two weeks to meet the bloc's conditions on its divorce bill, citizens' rights and the Irish border if it wanted an agreement.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar struck a firm line, saying Dublin's demands that Brexit should create no "hard border" between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland must be "written down" in the conclusions of the first phase.

"If we have to wait until the new year, or if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it," Varadkar told reporters before having breakfast with May.

"It's 18 months since the referendum, it's 10 years since people who wanted a referendum started agitating for one, sometimes it doesn't seem like they've thought all this through," he added.

May said Britain would "honour our commitments" on the exit bill, as she promised in a speech in Florence in September, and urged the bloc to start trade talks now.

"I look forward to the European Union responding positively to that so we can move forward together and ensure that we can get the best possible arrangements for the future," May said.

British media reports have suggested May could be ready to double the UK's 20 billion euro offer on the exit bill in a bid to clear what has been the most difficult hurdles in talks so far. The EU says the bill is around 60 billion euros.

She will also meet European Council President Donald Tusk, with Tusk set to warn her that opening the next phase "is not a given, will require more work and that time is short," an EU source told AFP.

Failure to reach a deal in December would push back a decision until February or March, leaving little time for trade talks before Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019.

May's government is still pressing for a quick transition to future EU-British ties while shrugging off EU pressure on the divorce terms.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in Dublin today that doing so would help solve the Irish issue, while Barnier's British negotiating counterpart David Davis called on the EU to compromise across the board.

"Surprise, surprise: nothing comes for nothing in this world," Davis told the BBC in Gothenburg, adding that various EU countries "can see there are big, big benefits in the future deal that we're talking about."



Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who also held talks with May, said it was "very dificult to say" whether a deal was possible in December and added that London "needs to clarify what they mean about the financial responsibility."



But Lofven said he also wanted to keep the focus on the so-called "social summit" in Sweden, which is the first step in a two-year reform drive to show the bloc can survive after Brexit and other setbacks, by tackling the economic inequalities fuelling populism.

EU leaders are looking to reboot the union based on plans by France's new president Emmanuel Macron and by Juncker.

"This is absolutely crucial for EU's legitimacy," Lofven told reporters at the meeting, the bloc's first social summit since one in 1997 in Luxembourg.

Most of the EU's 28 national leaders attending with the exception of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, the bloc's economic and political lodestar, who is in Berlin for talks on a new governing coalition.

Berlin said she fully supports the meeting's goals, which will be enshrined in a European Pillar of Social Rights signed by key figures today.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite shrugged off suggestions the Gothenburg summit would be hijacked by the Brexit issue, quipping "No, at least not this one.

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Police today claimed they have unearthed a racket involving leak of the University of Mumbai's third year Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) exam paper by arresting ten people, including a college staff.

An offence was registered against unidentified persons at the Amloli Police Station after an exam paper of the fifth semester of third year BMS course was leaked yesterday from a college in Andheri in western suburbs, a police official said.

On November 16, a purported image of the paper, 'E Commerce and Digital Marketing', was circulated on messaging app WhatsApp more than an hour before exam, he said.

The paper was found in a students cellphone between 9.45 am and 10 am yesterday, ahead of the exam scheduled at 11.00 am, the official said.

A preliminary inquiry found the paper was leaked prior to the exam and its screenshots were circulated on WhatsApp, he said.

After following a trail of WhatsApp messages, police nabbed one person. His interrogation led them to an Andheri college staffer, who had the responsibility to take print outs of exam papers received online from the university, he said.

The university sends papers to exam centres online through its Digital Exam Paper Delivery System (DEPDS), which was introduced in 2013 in the wake of several paper leak incidents, the official said.

All the colleges receive a password to download the question papers from the university portal at least one-and- a-half hours before the exams start, he said.

The papers are then printed by the colleges and distributed among the students, he added.

Questioning of the duo helped the police to unearth a racket involved in leaking out question papers and selling them to students, the official said.

After getting information from them, police arrested eight other persons who were part of the racket.

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The Supreme Court today directed luxury car maker India to deposit Rs 10 lakh with its registry as one of it's car on having met with an accident failed to trigger airbags.

The airbags of the car failed to open during a head- on collision with a container truck in 2006 in which managing director of electrical company 'Crompton Greaves', who was travelling from Nasik to Mumbai after completing his official trip, was injured.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said that the luxury car maker has to deposit the amount with the registry as directed by the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) on September 11.

It also issued notice on the plea of India which has challenged the order of the NCDRC and sought the response of the electrical company.

Senior advocate P Chidambaram, appearing for the car firm, said that the NCDRC could not have passed this order as the vehicle was purchased for commercial purpose and the company (Crompton Greaves) could not claim to be a consumer in this case.

He said that conflicting judgements have ben passed by the NCDRC and it had erred in passing this verdict.

Advocate Amir Z Singh, appearing for the electrical company, said that this was a settled case and there is an apex court verdict in this regard.

He said that the car was bought for the personal use of the managing director and was occassionaly used for the official purpose and, therefore, it could be said as commercial transaction.

The apex consumer commission on September 11 had directed India and its authorised distributer Daimler Chrysler India to pay over Rs 10 lakh to the owner of a Mercedes car, holding them guilty of unfair trade practice.

It had asked the German car maker to pay Rs 10.25 lakh to C G Power and Industrial Solutions Limited, also known as Crompton Greaves, the owner of the vehicle.

Sudhir M Trehan, the managing mirector 'Crompton Greaves', had met with an accident while riding an E 240 car, one of the models launched in 2002, on account of faulty frontal airbags.

The commission had also directed the global automobile manufacturer to provide adequate information on the deployment or triggering of the airbags of the vehicle in consultation with the Automobile Association of Upper India (AAUI) in the owner's manual and its website.

It had asked the car maker to pay sum of Rs 5 lakh to the owner firm for the deficiency in the services rendered to it on account of the airbags of the car having not deployed or triggered.

It also awarded Rs 5 lakh to the company, which owned the car, for the unfair trade practice indulged into by the vehicle maker and Rs 25,000 as cost of litigation.

According to the compliant, C G Power and Industrial Solutions Limited purchased the car for its MD in 2002 after paying Rs 45.38 lakh, which was proclaimed by the manufacturer to be the safest on road.

In 2006, while Trehan was returning from Nasik to Mumbai after an official trip, the vehicle, being driven by an employee of the company, collided head-on with a goods-carrier and the impact was so high that its entire front portion was smashed, the complaint said.

It further alleged that the driver suffered minor injuries while Trehan suffered grievous injuries and was hospitalised for more than six weeks.

The complaint claimed that despite collision, none of the airbags of the vehicle opened and that had the airbags opened in time, the man might have suffered less injuries or probably no injury at all.

The commission noted that from the manual of the vehicle, it was clear that the side airbags were triggered only on the side on which an impact occurs in an accident and that the said airbags are independent of the front airbags.

"The manual...does not disclose as to what the said predetermined level was. If the front airbags were not to deploy in every accident resulting in front end impact, the opposite parties (car maker), in my view, ought to have disclosed to the buyers as to what the predetermined level necessary to trigger the front passenger airbag were.

"In the absence of such a disclosure in the owner's manual, as far as the functioning of the front passenger airbags are concerned would be deficient, on account of its not providing the requisite information to the buyer," the commission said in the order.

"Highlighting the safety features including the airbags for selling the vehicle, without such a disclosure, in my opinion, constituted an unfair and deceptive trade practice," it had said.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today blamed the previous UPA governments for creating the system of seeking approval of agencies like the CBI and CVC before appointing the chiefs of profit-making central Public Sector undertakings, saying it delayed the exercise.

The Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways was responding to a request by senior Congress MP K V Thomas for appointing the chairman of the Cochin Port Trust, a post lying vacant for quite some time.

"You are absolutely right about the post of the chairman of the Cochin Port Trust (being vacant)...The system...it is not from our government, it is from UPA," Gadkari said, adding a lot of approvals, including from the CBI and Central Vigilance Commission, were required.

He was critical of the two central agencies for taking "a lot of time" for granting such approvals.

Gadkari said, in such cases, the CBI took six months to grant approval, while the CVC another six months, before the file for appointment of a PSU head could be sent to the PMO and the law minister.

"This is the reason why the Cochin Port Trust does not have a chairman. We have to change the system," he said.

In a lighter vein, he suggested the Congress MP to raise the issue of such delays in Parliament, where he would handle it.

The minister said he had sought an extension for the former chairman of the port trust but he was shifted back to his state cadre.

Gadkari said the government wanted to improve the system with full transparency, and reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating corruption and promoting development.

He was also critical of bureaucrats who were more interested in conducting surveys and holding discussions on schemes that cannot be implemented.

"I like people who can get the things done. Strong political will and appropriate vision are more important.

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Actor George Clooney will direct and star in the drama miniseries "Catch-22", making his return to television after 20 years.

The series is based on author Joseph Heller's 1961 novel of the same name, reported Variety.

Set in Italy, the six-part series follows the story of Yossarian, a US Air Force bombardier who doesn't like the increasing number of flight missions being assigned. He is angered by a bureaucratic rule, Catch-22, which specifies that being concerned for one's safety is proof of sanity.

The 56-year-old actor will play the role Yossarian's commander Colonel Cathcart.

Clooney and Grant Heslov, who serve as executive producer, will direct the limited series.

The episodes for the series have been written by Luke Davies and David Michod, who are also executive producing the project.

Clooney's stint for a TV series was in medical drama "E R" in the early 1990s.

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GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), the company that operates the city airport, has said it is in discussions with some European carriers for launching their services from here.

GHIAL, a GMR group firm, operates the Rajiv Gandhi International airport, which connects to 57 domestic and international destinations.

GHIAL Chief Executive Officer SGK Kishore also said this year the airport expects to handle around 18 million passengers and 1.2 lakh tonnes of cargo.

"We are talking to European carriers. We are (also) talking to some of the long haul Indian carriers to fly to Europe. Basically our focus (is) Europe because apart from the UK, we don't have any other direct flight to Europe," Kishore told reporters here.

He also said that unserved destinations in Southeast Asia like Indonesia are also focus area for GHIAL, adding that third area would be to have more wide-bodied connections out of Hyderabad.

"In the next two to three years we see some of the European carriers coming back to Hyderabad. Lufthansa and KLM used to fly earlier. We are in talks with them, it may take couple of years before they take a decision (in resuming flights)," Kishore added.

He said the airport handled 15.5 million passengers last year.

"We may end up the year at around 18 million passengers. If you see total traffic, one fourth is international, which is growing at around 9 per cent, while the domestic is growing at around 20 per cent. Cargo will be around 1.2 lakh tonnes," he said.

He said the company has submitted a Rs 2,500 crore- airport expansion proposal to the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority for its approval and the tariff regulator may issue a consultation paper on this issue shortly.

The executive said that the expansion may commence by the fiscal end from February and it will be initially for 25 million passengers per annum.

"If the traffic continues to grow the expansion will go up to 35 million passengers per annum," he explained.

According to him, the expansion will be completed in two to two and half years once the work starts.

On the Telangana Governments intention to start Warangal airport, Kishore said they are in discussions with the state Government to work in a "positive way" so that the Hyderabad airports growth is not hampered.

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The BJP on Friday sharpened its attack on the AAP government over "non-utilisation" of fund and said it would move the Supreme Court on the matter.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said that the party would file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against the government.

On the directions of the Supreme Court, the AAP government issued a notification in October, 2015, imposing on all goods vehicles entering Delhi.

The government was also expected to give quarterly accounts of the cess collected to the apex court, Tiwari claimed.

"The fund was to be used for the improvement of public transport system and cleaning and repairing roads, but the Arvind Kejriwal government neither gave accounts of the cess to the Supreme Court nor it did anything for the improvement of the public transport system and the roads," the Delhi BJP president told a press conference.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta alleged that the Delhi government was making "excuses" that non-availability of land was the reason for non-procurement of buses.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is providing 32 acres of land to the government for bus depot in Rohini. Apart from this, land has been allotted for bus depots in Dwarka and Rani Khera, but the Kejriwal government has not started any work on these sites, he alleged.

"The complaint of the Kejriwal government about lack of bus depots and demand for 132 acres of land is only a ruse to divert the public attention from its failure to resolve the pollution crisis," he said.

According to Delhi government officials, the process of procurement of 2,000 buses is on and space was available for parking of the new buses.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) today told the Supreme Court that it has on several occasions in the past exercised its power to remove or reduce the disqualification of an convicted elected representative.

The poll panel placed before the apex court only two examples, dating back to 1977, when it had exercised this power provided under the provisions of the Representation of People (RP) Act.

The ECI, in its affidavit filed in the apex court, said it had in 1977 reduced the period of disqualification of Shyam Narain Tiwari and Mitra Sen Yadav, who were both MLAs from Uttar Pradesh and were disqualified under the RP Act for being convicted of criminal offences.

It said these were the only two cases where disqualification was handed down under a provision of the RP Act for being convicted for criminal offences.

The poll panel said that all the other cases where it had exercised its power, the disqualifications were for failure to lodge account of election expenses.

Claiming that the records pertaining to disqualifications for failing to lodge correct account of poll expenses were "voluminous", it has sought exemption from filing them.

The affidavit was filed by the ECI pursuant to a direction by a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi on November 1 regarding the nature of cases where the poll panel had exercised its power under the RP Act to reduce or remove disqualification of a lawmaker.

Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay has filed a PIL in the matter, while several others have come to the apex court as intervenors.

The top court had sought the information while hearing several pleas seeking to declare the provisions of the RP Act, which bar convicted politician from contesting elections for six years after serving jail term, as ultra vires to the Constitution.

The court, during hearing of the matter on November 1, had also favoured creation of special courts to exclusively deal with criminal cases involving politicians and their speedy disposal, saying such a move would be in the "interest of the nation".

The Centre had agreed with decriminalisation of politics and had said it was not averse to setting up of special courts to deal with cases involving politicians and expeditious disposal of these matters.

Thereafter, the bench had asked the Centre to place before it a scheme for setting up of special courts and said it should also indicate the amount of funds that could be earmarked for it.

It had also said that the issue of appointment of judicial officers, public prosecutors, court staff and infrastructure for these special courts would be dealt with by it, if needed.

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An iconic 19th century 'haveli' in Old Delhi, painstakingly restored over six years, and Mumbai's refurbished Wellington Fountain are among the landmarks that have earned a special mention in UNESCO Asia- Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation this year.

Nestled in a narrow bylane of the Walled City, three- storeyed Haveli Dharampura in Gali Guliyan, a stone's throw from the historic Jama Masjid, was converted into a heritage hotel.

Union minister and heritage connoisseur Vijay Goel, owner of the charming mansion, at a press conference held in its luxuriant courtyard today, appealed to the government to come up with policies to encourage other haveli owners to restore their properties, by offering them incentives.

"The conservation of Haveli Dharampura rescued an extraordinary 19th century residence in old Delhi from years of unsuitable interventions and adapted it for contemporary use as a luxe boutique hotel.

"The haveli's original spatial configuration was re- established and ornate architectural elements were carefully restored, returning the building to its former splendour," said Duong Bich Hanh, Chair of Jury for Heritage Awards UNESCO Bangkok.

His statement was read out by Goel at the press conference which was also attended by Union Culture Secretary Rashmi Verma and ASI's Director General Usha Sharma, among others.

Verma said the recognition was "well-deserved" and fed to the "experiential culture" that tourists today wish to enjoy, over and above the visit to a few cultural heritage monuments.

"There are many monuments and structures which do not fall in the ambit of the ASI. So, individual efforts like this are commendable and required. The government will support but unless there is no passion, it won't happen," she said.

Verma, who also holds the charge of tourism secretary, emphasised that "we need to work in partnership". "A sense of pride and a sense of ownership has to be inculcated among the owners, and everyone should work together on it," she said.

"We will definitely promote this as a heritage spot in the heart of Chandni Chowk that gives you the feel of the area," she added.

The ASI director general said a "replication" of this model was needed in the country.

Lauding the efforts that went into the restoration of the haveli, the UNESCO jury expressed hope that "you will continue to share the lessons learned from the project to encourage heritage conservation efforts in your country and throughout the region".

The UNESCO also praised the restoration of the Wellington Fountain, saying it "demonstrates the importance of extending heritage protection efforts to the public realm".

"The project is a notable step forward in strengthening the understanding and commitment for appropriate management of municipality's civic heritage," it said in a statement.

The colonial-era fountain was built in 1860s and named after Duke of Wellington.

The awards were announced earlier this month. Besides, Haveli Dharampura and Wellington Fountain, the Bomonjee Hormarjee Wadia Fountain and Clock Tower in Mumbai and Gateways of Gohad Fort in Gohad, Madhya Pradesh, were also recognised in the 'Honourable Mention' category.

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The Delhi High Court today directed the Delhi Police commissioner to deploy more force in Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi to ensure the area is kept free from illegal hawkers encroaching upon it.

It also sought a report on the steps taken by the police and senior MCD officials to enforce its various previous orders on the issue of stopping encroachments in the area in the walled city.

"The Delhi Police commissioner is directed to deploy larger force to ensure the area is kept free from illegal hawkers and squatters and people are free to walk," a bench of justices G S Sistani and V Kameshwar Rao said.

When the bench was informed that Delhi's Public Works Department secretary Renu Sharma was seized of a similar matter pending before another court, it appointed her as the nodal officer in this case also.

The court asked the officials of the Delhi Police and civic bodies involved in the matter to consult Sharma who would also convene meetings with them.

The bench listed the matter for January 17 next year.

During the hearing, Delhi Police standing counsel Rahul Mehra submitted that serious steps were regularly taken to make the area encroachment-free but vendors resurfaced after the conclusion of a drive.

Mehra and additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal also suggested that as an experimental measure, entry of vehicles into the area should be stopped from 9 am to 9 pm for a week and alternative modes of transport such as e-rickshaw should used to take people to the market area.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal against encroachments in the area.

Advocate Sanjeev Ralli, appearing for the mandal, said parking of vehicles was one of the problems but hawking and squatting activities going on in the area should not be permissible.

He also said that roads and areas must be kept vehicle- free to ensure relief activity could be carried out in case of an emergency.

The court had earlier observed that the mess of electric wires dangling over the entire Chandni Chowk area was akin to "time bombs", putting at risk the lives of people.

It had warned of serious action against the MCD and the police if they failed to stop encroachments there.

It had said that despite an apex court order that the police would be held responsible for encroachments in the area, it found that the orders were not being complied with.

Chandni Chowk is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi. It is located close to the historic Red Fort.

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The Punjab and Haryana High Court here today reserved its order on a petition seeking a CBI probe into the lynching of 17-year-old Junaid Khan, who was stabbed to death on a train in June.

Justice Rajan Gupta reserved order on the petition after conclusion of arguments in the matter, Arshdeep Singh Cheema, counsel for Junaid's father, Jalaluddin, said.

Jalaluddin had filed a petition on October 26, seeking a probe by an independent agency such as the CBI in the case.

Junaid, on board a Mathura-bound train, was stabbed to death when he, along with his brothers, was returning home to Khandawli village after shopping for Eid in Delhi in June this year.

His body was dumped close to Asaoti village in Faridabad and the trial is going on in a court in the district.

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The Bombay High Court today threatened to halt the disbursement of salaries of the staff concerned of the BMC and the Central Railways over their failure to construct a new foot overbridge (FOB) in place of the now demolished Hancock Bridge.

A bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M S Sonak said it was surprised that even though thousands of pedestrians risked their lives every day by crossing over the railway tracks in the absence of an alternative, the authorities chose to "turn a blind eye" to the problem.

The bench came down heavily on the authorities concerned for ignoring the plight of the common man.

"How can you be blind and deaf to the plight of the common man? You cannot just come to court and tell us that it is impossible to construct a new bridge at the spot.

"Your job is not just to identify the problem, it is also to come up with solutions," the bench observed.

"If you fail to act now, this court will be forced to pass an order to stop your salaries. Then, even if you go challenge my order, at least you will realise how serious this court is about the issue," it said.

The observations came while the high court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by a city resident, highlighting the rise in the instances of accidents and deaths of pedestrians and the plight of rail passengers, who were forced to walk across the tracks at Sandhurst Road in the absence of an alternate bridge.

As per the plea, ever since the Hancock Bridge was demolished in November 2015, pedestrians and suburban rail commuters have had no option but cross the tracks between the Sandhurst Road and Byculla stations to reach either side.

The 136-year-old bridge was demolished as its height restricted the speed of the trains passing under it.

Earlier this year, following a site inspection and joint meeting between the railways and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the former had submitted that it was not feasible to construct a new bridge at the proposed spot because a water pipeline ran very close to it.

The court, however, had insisted that the authorities sought a second opinion and took the help of experts for making a last attempt to come up with a feasible plan.

The BMC had then told the high court that while it was ready to fund the construction of a new FoB and provide the land for the same, the railways was still reluctant to take up the construction work.

The railways, in turn, had said constructing a bridge at the site was not possible since an adequate landing space was not available for the same.

The bench, however, dismissed the submission and said the authorities must put their heads together and come up with a solution by November 22, the next date of hearing.

It said the authorities could not let the thousands of schoolgoing children and senior citizens, who cross over the tracks in the area every day, to continue risking their lives.

"Imagine that it is your own child or your own parent who has to cross over the tracks to reach from one side to another. And then think of a solution," the bench said to the BMC and railways officials.

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The Karnataka High Court today passed an interim order directing the agitating private doctors to restore forthwith their medical services.

A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar observed that basic medical services were a right to life for every citizen.

The bench also observed that disobeying its order will amount to violation of court order.

Yesterday, the court had asked private hospital doctors to immediately withdraw their indefinite stir.

The bench had observed that the doctors should call off their protest as the state government had an "open mind on the issue", and asked them to participate in the talks convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Belagavi today.

The bench had also said there was no strong case for the doctors to protest as the KPME amendment bill has not yet been tabled in the Assembly.

The doctors are opposing the amendments to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007, which among others propose six months to three years jail termand hefty penalty for medical negligence on the part of doctors.

The proposed amendments are based on recommendations of former Supreme Court judge Vikramajit Sen.

The petitions complained about severe hardship being caused to the public due to the strike.

Health services in the state have hit as doctors across the state have shut down clinics and outpatient services in private hospitals indefinitely since yesterday as a protest against the proposed bill.

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Popular animation series 'Sunny Bunnies' is coming to India, with Discovery Channel set to premiere the short format, non-dialogue comedy this month.

Under a three-year agreement, Discovery Kids will collaborate with London-based content distribution company Media IM to telecast the hit series in the country.

Talking about the deal, Uttam Pal Singh, Head



Discovery Kids, Discovery Communications India, said, "We are delighted to offer different mix of content like 'Sunny Bunnies'. This fascinatingly crafted short format series... have all the elements to captivate and engage with the kids in India."



With its India premiere, the total number of territories across the world having aired the animation series stands at over 160, a Discovery statement said.

"India is not only one of the biggest, most vibrant and exciting markets in the world, but it's also an extremely challenging one to break into," Media IM co-founder Maria Ufland said.

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The ruling CPI(M) has urged the Election Commission to hold the Tripura Assembly election in the first half of February.

Assembly polls in Tripura are due in February, 2018.

A CPI(M) delegation led by Haripada Das called on Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain here last evening and put forward their view that the Assembly election be held in the first half of February, 2018.

"The party (CPI-M) is of the view that Assembly elections should be held either in the first week or second week of February as there are school board examinations in March," Das told reporters.

Jain, who arrived here last evening, held a meeting with representatives of all major political parties.

He also held a meeting with senior state government officers regarding preparations for the Assembly election.

A BJP team led by party leader Ashok Sinha called on the deputy election commissioner last evening and alleged that 20 per cent of the names in the state's voters' list are fake and demanded an intensive revision and special audit of the voters' list, BJP state media in-charge Victor Shom said here today.

The state's electoral rolls are undergoing summary revision.

Congress leader Prashanta Sen Chaudhury said his party told the deputy election commissioner that Tripura Assembly polls be held on time in February.

He demanded that during the Assembly election all polling booths in Tripura should be guarded by Central paramilitary forces.

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India and China today held their first meeting on the border consultation and coordination mechanism after the Dokalam standoff and reviewed the situation in all the sectors of their border and exchanged views on enhancing CBMs and military contacts.

The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing, a press release from the Indian Embassy here said.

The WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas.

It was established to deal with the tensions over recurring border incursions as well as to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation, including between the border security personnel.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Today's talks were held in a constructive and forward- looking manner, the release said.

Both sides reviewed the situation in all sectors of India-China border and agreed that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is an important prerequisite for sustained growth of bilateral relations, it said.

The two sides also exchanged views on further confidence building measures (CBMs) and strengthening of military-to- military contacts, it said.

The talks between the delegations headed by Pranay Verma, Joint Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs and Xiao Qian, Director General, Department of Asian Affairs, were the first such dialogue between the two countries after the 72-day-long standoff at Dokalam in the Sikkim section.

The standoff which began in mid-June ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's Chicken Neck corridor. India objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by the Chinese troops in the area also claimed by Bhutan.

This is the first round of talks between the two countries after Chinese President Xi Jinping began his second five-year term as the chief of the ruling Communist Party of China last month.

Today's talks took place ahead of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's planned to visit to India to take part in the Russia, India and China (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting expected to be held in New Delhi next month.

Chinese officials earlier said Wang is expected to meet his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj as well as top Indian leaders.

The contentious issues bedevilling both the countries, including the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as well as Bejing's veto blocking UN listing of JeM leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist are expected to be discussed during Wang's talks with Indian leaders.

Ahead of the talks, Chinese officials have expressed optimism that differences over the listing of Azhar by China in the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council may be resolved soon. China has blocked India's application last year and vetoed a similar resolution sponsored by the US, the UK and France twice this year.

Also the 20th round of India-China border talks headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, who are the designated Special Representatives, are expected to be held in New Delhi next month.

The dates for both RIC and border talks are yet to be announced.

The Special Representatives were also mandated to discuss all issues related to India-China relations.

The delegations at today's talks comprised of diplomatic and military officials from each side.
Indian-American pharmaceutical billionaire John Kapoor, accused of bribing doctors in the US to over-prescribe a powerful opioid to patients, has pleaded not guilty and asked the court to remove his GPS monitoring bracelet.

Kapoor, founder of Arizona-based drug company Insys Therapeutics Inc that manufactures a fentanyl spray approved only for extreme cancer pain, was arrested by the FBI from his home last month.

During his appearance in the court yesterday, Kapoor urged the judge to cut off his GPS monitoring bracelet, which his attorney said is burdensome to the 74-year-old jogger, the WCVB channel reported.

"He definitely would have fled by now if he wanted to," Kapoor's attorney, Brian Kelly, said outside the federal court in Boston.

Kapoor pleaded not guilty to five charges, including racketeering conspiracy.

The US attorney alleged that Kapoor and six other executives were running a bribery and kickback scheme, paying prescribers for a sham speaking programme and deceiving insurance companies to sell the drug to people who don't have cancer.

"He's got nothing to do with that," Kelly said. "They made allegations about different marketing and sales techniques by the company He wasn't involved in that."



With a fortune estimated at USD 2 billion, prosecutors fear he could flee on a private plane. But Kapoor's attorney says he shouldn't be punished for his wealth.

"He's not a flight risk. Hes known about this case for more than a year," Kelly said. "They referred to him as a co- conspirator as recently as two months ago. He knew about this investigation. He wants to stand and fight."



Magistrate Judge Jennifer Boal took the motion about the GPS bracelet under advisement.

The Amritsar-born entrepreneur and well know philanthropist had migrated to the US from India in 1960s.

According to Insys website, Kapoor received his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a BS in Pharmacy from Bombay University in India.

The building that is home to University of Buffallo's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences bears the name of Kapoor and his wife in recognition of their long-time philanthropic support for the school and the university.

Kapoor has served on Insys board of directors since its formation in 1990 and has served as Chairman from 1990 to 2004 and Executive Chairman from June 2006 to January 2017.

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The foster mother of Indian girl Sherin Mathews, found dead last month in a culvert in Dallas, has been arrested after police alleged that the Indian- American couple left the 3-year-old home alone the night before she was reported missing.

Sini Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested last month, went out for dinner with their biological daughter October 6, leaving Sherin because she refused to drink her milk, police in the US state of Texas said.

The 35-year-old mother, an Indian-American registered nurse, was arrested yesterday after her attorney took her to the Richardson police station.

She is being held in the Richardson jail on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at USD 250,000, police said.

A state jail felony in Texas is an offense that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.

Police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when they returned home an hour and a half later, the Dallas Morning reported.

An affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where they left her.

"The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office is continuing to work on determining the cause of death. Those results will be made available when complete," Richardson Police said in a Facebook post.

Wesley, the 37-year-old foster father, who has since been charged in connection with Sherin's death, remains in the Dallas County Jail on a charge of injury to a child. Bail has been set at USD 1 million. The crime is punishable with up to 99 years in prison.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk.

He later changed his story and to say he "physically assisted" Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Sherin's death prompted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ask the Indian Embassy in the US to be actively involved in the case and keep her informed. She also sought a probe into the adoption process of Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year from Bihar.

Following Sherin's case, India decided that passports to adopted children will be issued only with prior clearance by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

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A car bombing blamed on the Islamic State group killed at least 26 displaced people in eastern Syria today, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

The Britain-based Observatory said 12 children were among the victims of the attack in Deir Ezzor province, where the jihadists are losing ground to two separate offensives aimed at ousting IS from Syria.

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President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump will lead the US contingent to a global entrepreneurship summit in India this month, the state department announced today.

The Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad, to be attended by 1,500 entrepreneurs from 170 countries, will be co-hosted by India and the US with the theme of "Women First, Prosperity for All" and on supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally.

During the Summit, following closely on the heels of the Global Entrepreneurship Week, the attendees will participate in three days of interactive discussions and workshops with accomplished entrepreneurs and investors who will share their knowledge and experience on how to start and scale a business.

The State Department said in a statement that it is working with selected partners through the SPARK Global Entrepreneurship Private Sector Coalition, led by the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

In addition to the Global Entrepreneurship Network, several US companies such as Amazon, Amway, CNBC, Cognizant, Dell, Google, Intel, Kauffman Foundation, Salesforce, Silicon Valley Bank and Walmart are supporting the GES 2017.

"The financial and in-kind support from the GES partners opens opportunities for more entrepreneurs to participate from around the world.

"Partners also enhance the overall experience at the Summit, including through the creation of networking lounges and a Global Launch Lounge to encourage new commitments toward global entrepreneurship," the State Department said.

"Partners will also provide direct services for the entrepreneurs including live streaming sessions, global media coverage and programs to help entrepreneurs continue to grow and scale after the summit," the State Department added.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the process of handing over the land for a memorial to Shiv Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray was in the last stages.

The land is situated at the mayor's bungalow in Shivaji Park, Dadar.

"The process of handing over the land is in the last stage. Once the process is completed, the plot will be handed over (to the Shiv Sena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial Trust). The government is making all efforts to clear it on a priority," Fadnavis said here.

The CM was speaking at a press conference after paying homage to Thackeray on his fifth death anniversary.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray was also present at the press meet.

The proposed memorial was announced on November 17, 2015. A committee under chairmanship of the then chief secretary had suggested a few sites, but Uddhav Thackeray had approved the spot where the mayor's bungalow now stands.

Meanwhile, a Sena release said the party chief today presented a cheque of Rs 2 crore to Fadnavis for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, to help farmers.

"The Sena president toured all the districts of the state, addressed farmer gatherings and took a strong position for the cause of cultivators due to which the government announced a loan waiver scheme.

"However, despite the government's assurance, money has not been yet deposited in bank accounts of farmers," the release stated.

"Until that happens, Uddhav Thackeray asked all his party MPs, MLAs and corporators to donate a month's salary for farmers. He himself contributed Rs 10 lakh," it added.

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A Sri Lankan court has summoned the commander of the country's Army tomorrow over the disappearance of 24 Tamils since their arrest in 1996 by security forces during the internal conflict with the LTTE.

The Jaffna High Court has asked Army chief Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake along with two other state officials to appear in court tomorrow.

Judge Ilancheliyan ordered them to appear in court when a case filed by parents and relatives of the 24 missing persons was taken up on November 15.

The relatives have claimed that the 24 had gone missing since July 1996 when the security forces had arrested them in Navatkuly, Jaffna.

Sri Lankan troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have faced international condemnation for alleged human rights violations during the long-drawn conflict.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in three successive resolutions has urged for independent international investigation into alleged abuses blamed on both sides.

Judge Ilancheliyan also urged the Jaffna security officials to crack down on the gangs who wield swords and intimidate the locals in the wake of the reported rise in such attacks recently.

The police said they have arrested six people.

Jaffna along with Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya are the five districts that constitute Sri Lanka's Northern Province, which was the main theatre of the Sri Lankan civil war.

The island country has a population of 18.5 million of whom the majority are Sinhalese (74 per cent). Other ethnic groups are made up of Sri Lankan Tamils (12.6 per cent), Indian Tamils (5.5 per cent).

According to the government figures, around 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the civil war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east which claimed at least 100,000 lives.

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Former prime minister on Saturday urged the Left parties in India to cooperate with the Congress leadership at the level to fight together against the "wrong" policies of the BJP-led Union government.

"At the level, are we going to oppose the BJP as a united front or whether CPI(M) will keep BJP and Congress at the same distance?" he said in his address at a public meeting organised here by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

"If they are sincere in the fight against the BJP and its anti-people policies, they have to cooperate with the leadership of Congress at the level and fight together against the BJP's misrule and divisive policies," he said.

The former prime minister criticised Kerala's CPI(M)-led LDF government, saying under the Pinaryi Vijayan-led government, "rule of law has crumbled, women in the state do not feel safe and economic progress is slow".

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Medical services remained affected at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) here for the second consecutive day today following a strike by junior doctors to protest assault on a fellow medical professional by kins of a patient.

According to PMCH superintendent Deepak Tandon "an FIR was lodged yesterday itself at the Pirbahor police station in connection with the violence that erupted after 20-year-old Mohammad Zahid was declared brought dead at the hospital".

"The family members of the deceased alleged that he died at the hospital yesterday because of negligence of the doctors on duty and started beating them up. In protest, the junior doctors went on a flash strike," he said.

The PMCH Superintendent said "We have been trying to persuade them to withdraw the stir besides requesting the administration for better security arrangements at the hospital. Senior doctors are taking care to ensure that serious patients do not suffer."



Meanwhile, Junior Doctors Association (JDA) president Vinay Kumar told reporters today "we will continue our stir until we see some concrete action by the government for safety of doctors on emergency duty. Whenever such incidents take place, it is the junior doctors who are at the receiving end."



Health Minister Mangal Pandey had yesterday come out in support of the striking doctors saying "the violence that broke out inside the hospital premises can not be blamed on the medical professionals. It often happens that people, when faced with grief, behave in a very emotional manner".

Health ministry sources said Pandey has called JDA members for a meeting this evening where he is likely to assure them that their demands will be met and request them to call off the stir.

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The Kerala High Court has held that a minister, so long as he continues in the Cabinet, cannot invoke the writ jurisdiction to prevent the state and its officers from discharging executive functions pursuant to an order passed by another minister in the cabinet.

The court made this observation while dismissing a plea by Thomas Chandy, who resigned as state Transport minister on November 15.

The resignation came in the wake of the division bench of Justice P N Raveendran and Justice Devan Ramachandran making stinging observations and rapping him for filing a plea against his own government on Tuesday.

Chandy, accused of land encroachment for his luxury resort, had challenged a report by the Alappuzha district collector on the alleged encroachments.

"In our considered opinion, the petitioner, who is a minister in the Council of Ministers of the state of Kerala, cannot, so long as he continues to be a minister, invoke the writ jurisdiction of this court to prevent the state of Kerala and its officers from discharging executive functions pursuant to an order passed by yet another minister in the council of ministers and thereby prevent action being taken," the court said.

The copy of the judgment was made available yesterday.

Justice Ramachandran in a separate observation held that the petitioner seems to be concerned more about the media and his political rivals than any legal prejudice that may be caused to him.

The judge observed that Chandy's act of filing a petition was an "affront on the well-honoured principles of Cabinet's Collective Responsibility enshrined in Articles 75 and 164 of the Constitution of India."



"What essentially presents in this writ petition is a challenge by one minister, against the action ordered by another minister of the same cabinet of ministers, against him," the judge said.

The court held that the fundamental basis of parliamentary system of governance is Cabinet's collective responsibility.

"This doctrine began as a constitutional convention in governments following the Westminster system, that members of the cabinet must publicly support a government decision taken in the Cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with it', the court said.

The corollary principle is that of individual ministerial responsibility that ministers are responsible for running of their departments and therefore, culpable for their department's mistakes, it said.

Cabinet confidentiality and cabinet solidarity are the two main features of the cabinet's collective responsibility.

The court held that it cannot be refuted that ministers in a cabinet must act as one, or perish as one, because the principle that applies is that even if a no-confidencemotion is carried against one of the ministers, the whole cabinet must resign.

"This is the immutable principle that iscouched in the provisions of Article 164 of the Constitution which is intended to ensure accountability of the cabinet as a unit to the Legislative and to the people of the country," it said.

Article 164 (2) of the constitution states that the cabinet shall be collectively responsible to the Legislature, which means that a cabinet shall act cohesively as one unit, the court said.

Viewed from that angle it is certain that when a person acts as minister, he acts as a constituent of the cabinet and cannot act against the government's interests, the court held.

The position is not different if a minister approaches the court in his individual capacity to challenge a governmental action on theaffirmation that he is not doing so as a minister, but in his individual capacity, it said.

In his petition, Chandy had said all sorts of "wild and baseless" allegations were being raised against his Water World Tourism Company, targeting him "with the set agenda orchestrated" by his political rivals, interested parties and the media.

The district collector of Alappuzha also fell into their hands, he charged.

He contended that an 'unfair' inquiry was conducted by the district collector disregarding principle of natural justice after the "intervention" of the office of the revenue minister.

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The Congress today accused the Modi government of "clutching at straws" to reclaim the lost credibility, and said it and rating agency Moody's have failed to gauge the mood of the nation.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala also sought to downplay Moody's rating upgrade of India, saying the same agency had miscalculated US subprime mortgages before the economic meltdown.

"After destroying India's economy, the Modi government is clutching at straws to claim lost credibility," he said on Twitter.

"Modiji and Moody's 'jodi' (duo) have failed to gauge the mood of the nation," he said, adding that hunger deaths, agri distress, job losses, lowest credit ratings, rising prices, plunging exports, flawed GST, demonetisation disaster, stagnant growth are the real indices to measure it.

Taking a dig at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Surjewala said, "Mr Jaitley, do remember that Moodys, S&P and other rating agencies defaulted in rating American sub-prime mortgages...before the economic meltdown."



"Lesson is stop acting and get your act together. Shun arrogance and listen to the trade and industry," he told the finance minister.

The Congress leader said the Modi government relied upon a World Bank report of Delhi/Mumbai to claim all is well and quoted a PEW survey of 2,464 people to claim victory.

"At this pace, Modiji should be fighting next election abroad," he said, taking a dig at the prime minister.

"Mr Jaitley, history teaches us valuable lessons. You ignore them at your peril! As greed, collusion and crony capitalism sank banks and Wall Street, please read who contributed to wiping away people's money.

"Hope you are not following the same trajectory!," he said.

Moody's Investors Service today raised India's sovereign rating for the first time in 13 years, saying growth prospects have improved with continued progress on economic and institutional reforms.

The US-based agency changed its rating outlook to 'stable' from 'positive', saying the reforms will help stabilise rising levels of debt.

Top ministers and officials of the government hailed the rating upgrade by Moody's as "long overdue" and hoped others such as S&P and Fitch will follow suit as it presses ahead with steps to ratchet up growth.

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attended a university graduation ceremony today, making a defiant first public appearance since the military takeover that appeared to signal the end of his 37-year reign.

Mugabe, 93, had been confined to house arrest after the military took over the country.

But today, he walked into the ceremony venue in Harare dressed in a blue academic gown and tasselled hat, before listening to speeches with his eyes closed and applauding occasionally, an AFP correspondent reported.

The generals took over late on Tuesday after vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa was abruptly sacked and Mugabe's wife Grace emerged in prime position to succeed her increasingly frail husband.

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

Many citizens were stunned by the military's intervention, sparked by the bitter succession battle between Grace and Mnangagwa.

Analysts say the military leadership was strongly opposed to the rise of Mugabe's ambitious 52-year-old wife, while Mnangagwa has close ties to the defence establishment.

Mugabe and the army chiefs held talks yesterday, but no official statement has been issued on the status of negotiations that could see him eased out of office.

Government television showed Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, at Thursday's talks standing smiling alongside army chief General Constantino Chiwenga.

Mnangagwa, 75, was previously one of Mugabe's most loyal lieutenants, having worked alongside him for decades.

But he fled to South Africa following his dismissal and published a scathing rebuke of Mugabe's leadership and Grace's presidential ambitions.

The military said today they had detained some "criminals" in Mugabe's government in a reference to supporters of Grace's presidential ambitions.

Grace has not been seen since the takeover of the military, which has not overtly called for President Mugabe's resignation.

Many Zimbabweans have either welcomed the army's intervention or were indifferent to it.

"We needed change. Our situation has been pathetic," said Keresenzia Moyo, a 65-year-old housewife in Harare.

Morgan Tsvangirai, a former prime minister and long-time opponent of Mugabe, told journalists in Harare yesterday that Mugabe must resign "in the interest of the people".

He added that "a transitional mechanism" would be needed to ensure stability.

Tendai Biti, who served as finance minister during the coalition government after the 2008 elections, called it "a very delicate time for Zimbabwe".

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The Delhi High Court today listed for hearing on November 20 the petition moved by West Bengal politician Mukul Roy, who recently joined the BJP, seeking a CBI probe into the alleged surveillance and tapping of his phone by the state police.

The former Trinamool Congress MP alleged that while he was in West Bengal, he always found that the local police were monitoring his movements.

The plea was listed before Justice Vibhu Bakhru, who posted it for hearing on November 20.

The plea also sought directions to Roy's telecom service providers -- MTNL and Vodafone, to produce before the court orders, if any, issued by the Centre or the state government to intercept telegraphic messages originating from or received by the leader or any of his relatives.

Advocate Kumar Dushyant Singh, who filed the petition on behalf of Roy, said the CBI should be asked to investigate the "interception of telegraphic messages originating from or received by the petitioner or any of his relatives".

Singh said in case any such order was issued, the court should direct the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to investigate any violation of the 'License Agreement for Unified License' by Roy's mobile service providers.

He claimed that similar apprehensions were put on record by several other persons including Union minister Babul Supriyo, who does not belong to the ruling party in West Bengal.

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The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) today extended support to Uttar Pradesh in fighting climate change as its more than 30 districts have been identified as climatically vulnerable.

Nabard chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala today met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and extended his support to a host of issues including climate change and rural infrastructure development, the development bank said in a release.

Bhanwala also highlighted the need for addressing the issues related to water and state patronage through a comprehensive state farmers producers companies policy.

He extended Nabard's support to the state for addressing the climate change issues that have emerged as a major cause of concern with more than 30 districts being identified as climatically vulnerable, the release said.

He discussed issues ranging from support by NABARD towards rural infrastructure development, long term irrigation fund, warehouse infrastructure fund, micro irrigation fund, strengthening of cooperative credit delivery systems in the state.

The chief minister expressed hope that the immense potential available in the state for driving the growth of agriculture and rural development shall be harnessed adequately through various initiatives by the state and that the support of NABARD was more than important at this juncture for focusing on development of core and primary sectors of the state.

Earlier in the day, Bhanwala, who is on a two day visit to the state, met UP Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Sahi and discussed issues pertaining to doubling of farmers income in detail.

Bhanwala also interacted with zonal heads of commercial banks, the top executives of cooperative banks and regional banks on range of issues and focused on increasing investments through big ticket in priority sector leading to capital formation in agriculture.

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A legislators forum in Nagaland today resolved to send a delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and central leaders and submit a memorandum to settle the Naga political issue at the earliest.

A copy of the resolution signed by Speaker and Convener of Nagaland Legislators Forum on Naga Political Issue, Imtiwapang Aier and Chief Minister T R Zeliang was issued by the Assembly Secretariat.

It said the forum, which met in the assembly premises under the chairmanship of Aier, appreciated the leadership and vision of the prime minister for the significant progress made in the negotiations for the final settlement of the Naga issue.

It felt that it was important to settle the issue before the state assembly election scheduled early next year to prevent any shift of focus and therefore an all party meeting should be convened by the chief minister at the earliest.

For the purpose a delegation of legislators should go to Delhi to meet the prime minister and other central leaders to submit the memorandum on the Naga political issue, the resolution said.

"The involvement of the six Naga political groups along with NSCN(IM) in the ongoing peace talks is the right time to finalise an inclusive solution," it said.

The Framework Agreement for Naga Peace had been signed in the presence of the prime minister, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval by top NSCN(I-M) leader Thuingaleng Muivah and government's interlocutor R N Ravi at the PM's residence in New Delhi on August 3, 2015.

The Agreement had been described as a 'historic' step to usher in peace in the north eastern state.

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Nepal's election commission today asked the government to provide adequate security amidst a spate of attacks on candidates and their sympathisers during the recent poll campaigns.

Former prime minister K P Oli has accused "some forces" of hatching conspiracies to assassinate the left alliance candidates, hours after a Maoist Centre candidate was attacked yesterday.

The Election Commission (EC) said in a statement that it has been left stunned by the ongoing attempts to deprive the election candidates and voters of their fundamental rights.

The EC's statement comes in the wake of violent incidents targeting election candidates and political parties' rallies.

Expressing confidence on the security plan of the government, the EC urged the administration to adopt strict measures for the security of candidates and their supporters.

It also called on all the political parties, voters and stakeholders to get involved in their poll-related activities without being discouraged by such incidents.

The EC also urged the parties to desist from any anti- election activities against the aspirations of people.

Oli's remarks came after some unidentified men hurled a bomb at Narayan Kaji Shrestha, CPN-Maoist Centre leader and the leftist alliance's candidate for Parliamentary elections in Gorkha-2. Shrestha escaped unhurt in the attack.

Nepal is organising provincial and parliamentary elections in two phases on November 26 and December 7.

The general and parliamentary elections are seen as the final step in Nepal's post-war transition to a federal democracy.

The Maoists have dominated Nepal's politics for more than 20 years after waging a decade-long insurgency against the government forces that claimed more than 16,000 lives.

The civil war in Nepal came to an end in 2006.

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Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged the Centre to set up a C-DAC Regional Centre here to spur research in high performance computing and data analytics, which would help in weather forecasting and disaster management.

At present, Kolkata has the only Regional Centre of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in the eastern part of the country.

Odisha, being a coastal state and prone to cyclone, application of high performance computing can particularly help in weather forecasting and disaster management, the chief minister wrote to Union Electronics & Information Technology Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The application of high performance computing would also help industries and governance, the letter said.

"Odisha has been making steady progress in the field of Electronics and Information and Communication Technology. In its bid to draw more investment in IT and electronics sector, the state government is developing a dedicated Electronics Park near Bhubaneswar, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and research facilities that will house electronic manufacturing units," the letter said.

The state has also got two IT SEZs with all major IT companies operating from there, the letter said.

Several prominent national level educational institutions like IIT, IIM, AIIMS, NISER, IISER, Institute of Physics, Institute of Mathemtics, IMMT and NIT are functioning in Odisha, Patnaik stated in the letter.

While many reputed institutions like BITS have evinced interest to open their branches in the state, one C-DAC Centre of Excellence has already been set up in VSS University of Techology at Burla, the chief minister said.

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Protesters today blocked the entry to the Chhittorgarh Fort, which houses Padmini's Palace, amid protests against Bollywood film 'Padmavati' across Rajasthan and various parts of the country.

However, SP of Chhittorgarh Prashan Kumar Khamsera said the fort, a world heritage site in Rajasthan, is not officially closed.

"We have been informed by the protesters that entry to the fort will be blocked for tourists. We have made ample security arrangements to deal with the situation," he said.

Member of Sarv Samaj Sangathan and president of Jauhar Samriti Sansthan, Ummed Singh said, "A dharna demanding a ban on 'Padmavati' is continuing for the last eight days at Padan Pole. The Chhittorgarh Fort will be closed for tourists today."



The Sarv Samaj Sangathan and some other outfits have termed a song in the film, which shows actor Deepika Padukone as Queen Padmini dancing in a courtyard, "crossing dramatic license".

The Karni Sena had alleged distortion of historical facts in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film starring Padukone, Shahid Kapur and Ranveer Singh.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) managing director Pradeep Kumar Borad has ruled out any change in operations of luxury train - Palace on Wheels - and said the train would be operating through the circuit and will be going to Chhittorgarh.

On whether the tourists would be taken to Chhittorgarh Fort, he said the local administration be able to comment on it better.

In March, Chittorgarh Fort was vandalised by a group of men who broke mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace of the Rajput queen. Three mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace were damaged by four-five unidentified men.

The controversy over the film had taken an ugly turn yesterday as a leader of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena cited Ramayana's Surpanakha nose-chopping incident and warned Deepika Padukone against "inciting" sentiments.

Following this the Mumbai Police tightened the security of Padukone. Police have beefed up security at Bhansali's residence in Versova in the city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Protesters today blocked the entry to the Chittorgarh Fort, which houses Padmini's Palace, amid protests against Bollywood film 'Padmavati' across Rajasthan and various parts of the country.

However, SP of Chittorgarh Prashan Kumar Khamsera said the fort, a world heritage site in Rajasthan, is not officially closed.

"We have been informed by the protesters that entry to the fort will be blocked for tourists. We have made ample security arrangements to deal with the situation," he said.

Member of Sarv Samaj Sangathan and president of Jauhar Samriti Sansthan, Ummed Singh said, "A dharna demanding a ban on 'Padmavati' is continuing for the last eight days at Padan Pole. The Chittorgarh Fort will be closed for tourists today."



The Sarv Samaj Sangathan and some other outfits have termed a song in the film, which shows actor Deepika Padukone as Queen Padmini dancing in a courtyard, "crossing dramatic license".

The Karni Sena had alleged distortion of historical facts in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film starring Padukone, Shahid Kapur and Ranveer Singh.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) managing director Pradeep Kumar Borad has ruled out any change in operations of luxury train - Palace on Wheels - and said the train would be operating through the circuit and will be going to Chittorgarh.

On whether the tourists would be taken to the Chittorgarh Fort, he said the local administration be able to comment on it better.

In March, Chittorgarh Fort was vandalised by a group of men who broke mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace of the Rajput queen. Three mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace were damaged by four-five unidentified men.

The controversy over the film had taken an ugly turn yesterday as a leader of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena cited Ramayana's Surpanakha nose-chopping incident and warned Deepika Padukone against "inciting" sentiments.

Following this the Mumbai Police tightened the security of Padukone. Police have beefed up security at Bhansali's residence in Versova in Mumbai.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Mumbai Police said today it will deal strictly with people trying to be "adventurous" ahead of the release of 'Padmavati', amid a threat issued by the Shri Rajput Karni Sena to the film's lead actor Deepika Padukone.

A senior police official said the department was committed to provide security individually or collectively to those linked with the film.

"Any individual or group, which attempts to be adventurous, will be dealt with sternly and will face strict legal action," Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), said.

The Karni Sena has opposed the Sanjay Leela Bhansali- directed film, alleging it "distorts historical facts" and "hurts sentiments" of the Rajput community.

Featuring Deepika Padukone in the title role of Rani Padmavati, with Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji, the movie is slated to arrive in theatres on December 1.

Karni Sena leader Mahipal Singh Makrana yesterday invoked the nose-chopping incident of 'Surpanakha' in the Ramayana, and said if Padukone does not refrain from fanning sentiments with her provocative language, the Rajputs will not lag behind in acting.

The Mumbai Police yesterday beefed up Padukone's security after the threat.

"Police do not interfere with the protest which is conducted in a democratic manner. We are committed to provide security to everyone individually or collectively and have taken adequate measures for protection of individuals who have received threats," Bharti said.

"We assure that we will not allow miscreants to create any problem," he said.

The Karni Sena has called for a countrywide bandh on December 1, when the film release. In January this year, the Karni Sena had attacked the sets of the movie in Jaipur and even slapped Bhansali.

Recently, through a video statement, Bhansali sought to clear the air surrounding the film, saying he was careful in depicting the "Rajput honour and dignity" in the film.

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Pakistani authorities today warned protesters led by hardline clerics blocking two busy highways in the capital to disperse peacefully or face a crackdown.

About 2,000 activists of the Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan have blocked the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road that connects Islamabad with its only airport and the garrison city of Rawalpindi, for about two weeks.

Hundreds of supporters of the TLYR have blocked the main road to Islamabad, threatening violence if Law Minister Zahid Hamid is not sacked.

They blame the minister for changes to an electoral oath that they allege amounts to blasphemy. The government has said the issue arose due to a clerical error.

The government had buckled under pressure and restored the oath to its original form yesterday after the National Assembly passed the amendment to the law.

The government had come under criticism for letting the protests linger on despite hardships faced by commuters but it balked away from use of force due to fears of a backlash by extremists.

However, authorities acted after the Islamabad High Court today ordered the city administration to clear the roads.

Government sources also claim that opponents of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif are using right-wing religious parties to destabilise the government and force early elections.

Sharif was disqualified as prime minister by the Supreme Court in July over the Panama Papers scandal.

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Pakistan would have to exhibit "pristine behaviour" for a long time for normalisation of ties with the NSG, given its track record on nuclear proliferation, a former top US diplomat has said.

Nicholas Burns was responding to a question during a two- day conference here as to why a civil nuclear deal should not be given to Pakistan.

"Pakistan is going to have to exhibit pristine behaviour for a long time before the members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) are ever going to try to normalise relations and nuclear trade with Pakistan," Burns told a Washington audience yesterday.

"I don't know how long, long is. I would say a decade or more, before the rest of the international community is going to have trust in Pakistan given what the state did. Assuming that the Pakistani state sponsored the AQ Khan network, which I believe the Pakistani state did, most people do," he said during the conference by South Asia Center of the Atlantic Council, a top American think-tank.

Burns, who is considered to be one of the architects of the India-US civilian nuclear deal during the previous Bush administration, was responding to questions from a Pakistani scholar as to why her country was facing nuclear apartheid and India has been merged into mainstream.

"When (then) secretary (of state) Condi Rice went to New Delhi in March 2005, she initiated it with prime minister (Manmohan Singh) saying the whole process, that led three years later to the passage of two American laws, would make an exception for India and allow the business of civil nuclear power plant construction for the supply of nuclear fuel that had been prohibited or under American sanctions that was the crux of the matter.

"We had observed that India had been a responsible owner, steward of its nuclear material. It had not proliferated on the black market and not sold it to other countries. That was the critical standard. We could not have gone... Secretary Rice and myself to the Congress Senate House and convinced them to hold two big difficult votes to take the sanctions off India if we could not point to the reality that he had been responsible," he said.

He said that in 2005, despite the fact that the US was at a very close working relationship with then president Pervez Musharraf, it couldn't make that argument about Pakistan.

"We were living with the consequences very negative for nuclear stability of the AQ Khan network," Burns said.

It is almost 13 years, Pakistan has worked a lot on the nuclear safety and security issues. These assurances has been given by the State Department as well and lots of reports have been published regarding the safety and security mechanisms, the Pakistani scholar from George Washington University said.

So still it is a life sentence or should Pakistan be given an opportunity to smooth its image, or behave like a more responsible nuclear weapons state, the student asked.

Burns said it was the right decision by the Bush administration to leave Pakistan out of the civil nuclear deal.

"The US took a very firm position in the George W Bush administration that we wanted to be strategic partners with India that we felt that India had been a responsible steward of its nuclear material, it had and still is.

"We embarked on a three-year negotiation that I led for the US to try to bring India into the non-proliferation system, make it part of the system put India's reactions under international observation and supervision and so that there will be transparency but allow the peaceful transfer of civil nuclear technology and the construction of nuclear power plants in India itself," Burns said.

"I'm convinced it was the right decision. And frankly with all due respect I'm convinced it was the right decision to leave Pakistan out because Pakistan of course has been a proliferator unlike India of its nuclear material in a very destructive way through the AQ Khan network more than a decade ago," he added.

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A Pakistani judicial board will decide on November 22 whether to extend JuD chief and the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's house arrest or not, a court was told today.

A law officer of the Punjab provincial government during the hearing in Saeeds house arrest case told Lahore High Court Judge Qazi Amin Ahmed that the Punjab Judicial Review Board would decide this matter on November 21.

The LHC held the hearing on a petition filed by Saeed challenging the October 24 order of the Punjab's Home Department to extend his detention for another one month under a public safety law.

The court in the last hearing had issued a notice to the provincial government seeking reply on Saeed's detention. Accepting the law officer's request the LHC adjourned the hearing for November 22.

Last month, the Punjab Judicial Review Board had extended by 30-days Saeed's detention which will expire by the last week of this month.

On January 31, Saeed and his four aides -- Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain -- were detained by the Punjab government for 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. However, the last two extensions to his detention were made on the 'public safety law'.

The board refused to extend the detention of Saeeds four aides. They were later set free in the last week of October.

Under the law, the government can detain a person for up to three months under different charges but to extend the detention, it needs approval from a judicial review board.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar- e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The US has offered a USD 10 million bounty for Saaed for his alleged role in the Mumbai attack.

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In a blunt message to Pakistan, a top US general has told the country's military leadership that Islamabad must prevent militants from operating within its soil and across its borders to bring in security and stability in the region.

US Central Command (Centcom) Commander General Joseph Votel, who was here on a two-day visit, also emphasised the importance of improved Pak-Afghan relations, and the need for strengthened border security, including measures to coordinate military operations along both sides of the border, according to a statement from the US Embassy.

During his visit, Votel met senior Pakistani military commanders including Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Hayat and Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar.

The US Centcom Commander's visit, his fourth to Islamabad, is believed to be a preparatory visit for the upcoming trip of US Defence Secretary James Mattis, who is likely to visit to Pakistan next month.

Pakistan and the US have had a series of meetings to bridge their differences since President Donald Trump's Fort Myer speech on the new US policy for South Asia and Afghanistan in which he criticised Pakistan for showing insincerity in the fight against terrorism despite getting billions of dollars in assistance from America.

Trump's harsh language had aggravated the already strained bilateral relations.

Votel stressed the Donald Trump Administration's message that Pakistan must prevent all militants from operating within and across its borders, the Embassy statement said here.

"Votel underscored the vital role Pakistan can play in facilitating a peace process in Afghanistan and in bringing stability and security to the region," it said.

It was essentially the reiteration of the demand for action against the alleged "safe havens", Dawn reported today.

During his meeting, Gen Bajwa told Gen Votel that Pakistan's committed efforts for peace in Afghanistan were not being reciprocated. He pointed towards the latest cross-border attack on a Pakistani post in Bajaur in which two soldiers were killed.

Following the attack, the military had called for "more efforts" by all stakeholders in Afghanistan, both the NATO's Resolute Support Mission and the Afghan security forces, for elimination of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan and effective border security.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal, speaking at the weekly media briefing, said yesterday that efforts were continuing "to bridge the gap between the perceptions of the two countries in the wake of President Trump's South Asia and Afghanistan policy, and to arrive at a consensus on moving forward and exploring avenues of cooperation between both sides".

Noting that Pakistan was "actively engaged" in dialogue with the US at all levels, he said, "he believes that dialogue is the best way forweard to enhance cooperation between the two sides.

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National Security Advisor Nasser Khan Janjua today accused India of creating a "two-front situation" for Pakistan, saying such a policy would be detrimental for regional peace and stability.

His statement came during his talks with visiting Special Representative of Germany for Afghanistan and Pakistan Markus Potzel who was accompanied by German Ambassador Martin Kobler here.

According to a statement by the NSA office, the two sides discussed the regional security situation and the prevailing situation in Afghanistan.

Janjua said that Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan but the same is under stress due to involvement of India which wants to create a "two front situation" for Pakistan.

"India is self-seeking a two front situation which does not auger well for the region. All major powers of the world need to play their role in keeping the region stable and balanced," he said.

He meant to say that Pakistan was being stretched to fight militants on the western front with Afghanistan and face Indian army on the eastern border with India.

The NSA also said that for "regional peace and stability, it is imperative for both the countries to engage with each and resolve their disputes".

He said Pakistan and India should resolve their disputes for the sake of better future.

Janjua also said Pakistan wanted peace in Afghanistan and urged for political settlement of the Afghan issue.

"To end miseries of Afghanistan and its people, warring sides should seek a political solution to the conflict as the perpetual war of last 16 years has given us nothing but human miseries and sufferings," Janjua added.

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The Punjab government today amended its premature release policy to allow early release of mentally incapacitated or terminally ill life convicts, in line with the directives of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The state Cabinet, at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, gave the go-ahead to the necessary amendments, in pursuance of the court's order, an official spokesperson said.

The changes would enable premature release of life convicts who are mentally incapacitated or who are suffering from terminally ill disease like cancer, suffering from full blown aids or failure of both the kidneys, he said.

The mentally incapacitated or seriously ill prisoners would be eligible for consideration for premature release after completion of 10 years of imprisonment, with or without remission, the spokesperson said.

Timelines have also been provided for consideration of petitions of the prisoners for pre-release at every level in the decision-making process, he added.

During a discussion on the subject, the Cabinet sought a report from the authorities concerned on prisoners who continue to be lodged in state prisons even after having completed their sentence, the spokesperson said.

The Cabinet also decided that the state government should take up with the Centre the issue of the blacklisted Punjabis and seek removal of their names from the list, he said.

For this purpose, the Cabinet sought a list of all such Punjabis against whom cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and other similar laws were registered and who were now living in other countries as they were not allowed to come to India, he added.

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The Punjab Cabinet today approved the creation of a separate police wing for investigation of cases to "strengthen" policing in the state and ensure proper probe of heinous cases of crime.

The move, in line with the directives of various courts in this regard, will lead to the separation of law and order machinery from the investigation wing, with the state government creating specialised crime units in every district, an official release said here.

These units will be headed by an officer, not below the rank of inspector, with an appropriate strength of officers and staff, for investigating such categories of specialised crime, as may be deemed appropriate, the release said.

The investigation staff shall ordinarily not be diverted for any other duties, except under exceptional circumstances, with the permission of the Inspector General of Police of the Range concerned, as per the amendments to Sections 36 of the Punjab Police Act 2007 approved by the Cabinet.

The decision constitutes a part of the series of reforms initiated by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to infuse new energy in the police force and improve the law and order situation in the state, the release said.

It may be recalled that Singh had earlier this month directed immediate steps to complete the formalities and process, by November 30, 2017, for the separation of Investigation and Law and Order duties, along with the creation of separate cadres.

Under the new system, separate Investigation Units (IUs) and Pairvi Units (PUs) have been envisaged up to the level of police Stations, the release said.

While the IUs would be solely dedicated to serious and heinous crimes to ensure that the investigation of such cases is completed in a time-bound manner, the Pairvi Units will ensure proper presentation and contesting of criminal cases before the trial courts, it said.

The move is prompted by the need to keep the function of investigation separate from law and order duties so that investigation of heinous crimes, in particular, does not get hindered due to any urgency in the law and order duties, the release said.

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The Punjab Cabinet today approved the "Connect With Your Roots (CYR)" programme to reach out to youngsters of Punjabi origin settled in other countries.

The programme aims connecting youths, whose parents, grandparents or great grandparents settled abroad, to their ancestral roots and culture, an official spokesperson said after the Cabinet's meeting here.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who had announced the programme during his recent visit to London, briefed the Cabinet about its objective.

CYR aims at creating awareness among the NRI youth about the real situation prevailing on the ground in Punjab, the spokesperson said.

Initiated by the NRIs affairs department on the directives of the chief minister, it would be open to those in the age group of 16 to 22 years.

The first group of 15 such youngsters is expected to arrive on January 9. he said.

The chief minister said that following the Cabinet's approval he will write to the ambassadors and high commissioners of various countries, including the UK, Australia and Canada, to apprise them about the scheme and invite groups from these nations.

The programme would provide youngsters with an opportunity to visit their native place or the town where their parents or grandparents were born, or the place where spent their childhood, the spokesperson said.

It will also give them a chance to learn and speak their native language, and see historical places, he said.

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The Punjab Cabinet, led by Amarinder Singh, today decided to bring guava, banana and vineyard farmers at par with their counterparts working in orchards in terms of maximum land size they are permitted to own or hold.

The Cabinet approved an amendment to Section 3(8) of the Punjab Land Reforms Act, 1972, to allow these three fruit growers to be covered under the set of exemptions provided to orchard cultivators, an official release said here.

It will provide a legal right to a farmer or tenant farming these fruits to keep up to 20.5 hectares of land, as in the case of an orchard farmer, it said.

The Cabinet gave its nod to certain amendments to the Punjab Infrastructure (Development & Regulation) Act, 2002, through a Bill vis-a-vis the Punjab Infrastructure (Development & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2017, the release said.

The Cabinet also approved replacement of the blue cards under the Atta Dal scheme with new smart cards, while giving the go-ahead to engaging three public sector units for the computerisation of the state's Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

It decided to engage Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Broadcasting Engineering Consultants Indian Ltd (BECIL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), the release said.

The cash-crunched Punjab government has decided to regularly review its fiscal condition, with focus on expenditure curtailment and resource mobilisation, it said, adding that a cabinet sub-committee, headed by Singh, has been set up for this purpose.

The sub-committee will meet every Tuesday to discuss ways and means of cutting down on expenses and generate resources to meet the state's requirements and boost its economy.

The release said that with a debt burden of Rs 2,08,000 crore, fiscal deficit of Rs 34,000 crore and revenue deficit of Rs 13,000 crore, the Congress government in the state is battling a major challenge.

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A local court today dismissed an application filed by a social activist seeking directions to file an FIR against Goa Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai for alleged corruption.

South Goa Principal District and Sessions Court Judge B P Deshpande dismissed the plea filed by activist Aires Rodrigues.

The judge ruled that it is mandatory to take sanction from the state government to register a case against a member of legislative assembly.

Rodrigues, in his petition filed last month in the court, had submitted the purported audio recording between Sardesai and another social activist Kashinath Shetye related to the illegal conversion of open spaces at Verna in the land owned by Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC).

In the petition filed under section 156 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, Rodrigues had sought the court's directions to Fatorda police to register an FIR against Sardesai and other unidentified persons under sections 420 read with section 511 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 7 and 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act.

Special Public Prosecutor Saiesh Mahambrey represented police department during the hearing today.

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The Police today busted a sex racket allegedly operating from a spa here and rescued five women including three foreign nationals, a police officer said.

The women were rescued from a rented house in Kharavel Nagar area of the city. Of the five women, three were from Thailand, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Satyabrata Bhoi.

The police raided the house following a tip-off. Two men were arrested from the spa.

Police officers posing as customers had first reached the spa and after collecting concrete information about the sex racket, conducted the raid, a police officer involved in the raid said.

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A police officer and a militant were killed in a shoot-out in Zakura area of Srinagar today, prompting authorities to impose curfew-like restrictions in eight police station areas and shut schools and colleges.

A police officer said the slain militant, Mugees Ahmad Mir, was an associate of Zakir Musa, who left the Hizbul Mujahideen to float an IS affiliate in Kashmir.

Mugees Ahmad Mir, a resident of Paranoia in the city, was brought home dead this evening, the police official said, adding that he was injured in the shoot-out.

Three militants travelling in a car opened fire on a police team at the Zakura crossing on Srinagar-Ganderbal road, killing sub-inspector Imran Tak and injuring a special police officer (SPO), the police official said.

He said the police team managed to intercept the car and apprehended one militant, but two others fled from the scene.

Later, police came to know that Mugees Ahmad Mir, one of the two militants who had managed to escape, was brought home dead.

Meanwhile, authorities have decided to impose curfew-like restrictions in eight police station areas of the city as a precautionary measure.

"Restrictions will remain in force in Parimpora, Khanyar, M R Gunj, Nowahtta, Maisuma, Kralkhud, Rainawari and Safakadal police station areas tomorrow to prevent any law and order problems," the official said.

He said schools and colleges will remain closed in the city tomorrow, but exams will be held as per schedule.

"The examination admit cards will be treated as curfew passes for students who are writing exams tomorrow," he added.

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Police today used teargas to disperse a group of SDPI activists when they marched to the secretariat here protesting alleged attacks on its workers by ruling CPIM cadres.

Police fired teargas shells when the SDPI activists tried to break the police cordon late this evening, police said.

The march was taken out to protest against the alleged attack on the SDPI 'Campaign Jatha' by CPI-M workers at Chavara at nearby Kollam district earlier in the day.

CPI-M denied the charge and said that it was the SDPI activists who attacked their cadres at Chavara.

The Marxist party has called a hartal in Chavara assembly constituency tomorrow in protest against the attack.

Meanwhile, SDPI has also called a 12-hour hartal in Kollam district to protest the alleged attack by CPI-M workers.

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The Bombay High Court today ordered the Maharashtra government to appoint a senior IAS officer to inquire whether Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) follow rules when issuing or renewing fitness certificates for vehicles.

A division bench of justices A S Oka and A K Menon gave the order while hearing a PIL filed by Shrikant Karve, who had raised the issue of non-compliance of rules of the Motor Vehicles Act by RTOs while inspecting vehicles for issuing fitness certificates.

During the last hearing, the court had rapped the state government for not acting on its previous orders on the issue.

"All the orders passed by this court in the past was done keeping in mind road safety and safety of citizens. It is mandated in law that fitness checks are done scrupulously. However, there has been a complete failure on part of the government in implementing our orders," Justice Oka said.

"We hope the minister of the concerned department ensures that the orders are complied with," he added.

"We direct the chief secretary to appoint a senior ranking IAS officers to look into compliance of all the orders passed by this court and also the process followed by RTOs while issuing fitness certificates," the court said.

The bench said the IAS officer shall also inquire into an incident where an officer posted at a border post in Solapur was coming to the RTO in Pune, around 250km away, and issuing fitness certificates without any authority.

"We do not want a repeat of the Pune RTO incident. We want immediate steps to be taken to ensure that only officers authorised to carry out checks on vehicles at a particular RTO to do so and issue fitness certificates."



The court also ordered the government to pay a sum of Rs 1 lakh to petitioner Karve. "The petitioner must have incurred huge expenditure while proceeding with this petition and obtaining information," it noted.

The HC directed the government to file an affidavit on the issue by December 16 and posted the matter for further hearing on December 20.

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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said the profit-making Cochin Shipyard Limited would not be privatised.

"There is feeling in the minds of the labour unions that we are going to privatise the shipyard. That is not the idea and we will never allow any private person to take this. Because the The Cochin Shipyard (CSL) is in good profit," the minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways said.

He was speaking after performing the ground breaking ceremony for setting up a Rs 970 crore international ship repair facility (ISRF) here.

The facility is being built at Cochin Port Trust, where Cochin Shipyard Ltd has leased out 40-acres for developing the project.

The minister said the profit from the 12 major ports in the country was expected to touch Rs 7000 crore in the next fiscal.

"We have 12 bigger ports. When I took the charge as the minister, in the first year our profit was Rs 3000 crore, second year it was Rs 4000 crore and third year it was Rs 5000 crores and this year we are expecting Rs 7000 crore," Gadkari said at the meeting presided over by Lok Sabha MP K V Thomas.

The project approved by the Government of India in May 2016 will set up a ship lift system of size 130 m x 25 m with lifting capacity of 6000 tons and 6 work stations.

The facility can repair up to 85 vessels, and CSL will thereby be almost doubling the number of ships that can be repaired per year.

"This is a historical movement in the history of Kerala and Cochin Shipyard. This will give 6000 job opportunities to the state directly and indirectly", he said.

"As of now the country was facing lack of technologies for the ship repairing and maintenance activities. With the new facility, we need not to depend other countries," Gadkari said.

He said technically and financially the Cochin Shipyard is very strong. It is time that they should look at expanding to other places in the country, he said assured land across the country for CSL branches.

Cochin Shipyard Chairman and Managing Director Madhu S Nair said on completion within two years, Kochi would be a major ship repair hub in India generating an additional employment of around 1500 personnel.

Gadkari also inaugurated a unique event- Build The Ship 2017 being organised by the Ministry of Shipping.

The event deliberated upon the recommendations of a study regarding the growth strategies and the recommendations for promotion of ship building, ship design, ship repair and marine ancillaries in India.

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It could be about distorting history, hurting religious sentiments or that favourite bugbear Pakistan.

Filmmakers navigate a minefield before a release and the brouhaha over "Padmavati" is only the most recent example, say Bollywood insiders.

Be it the small-budget "Lipstick Under My Burkha" that touches on women's sexuality or a biggie like Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", a mainstream entertainer but with a Pakistani in a cameo, trouble comes in all shapes and sizes.

In the most recent instance of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's lavishly mounted period drama "Padmavati", historians are divided on whether she even existed but irate Rajput groups have called the film an insult to their honour.

According to trade sources, Rs 150 crore is riding on the Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh-Shahid Kapoor starrer on the Rajput queen Padmini, whose story was narrated in Malik Mohammed Jayasi's epic poem "Padmavat" in the 16th century.

The jury is out on whether some factions of the Rajput community, including the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, will succeed in stalling the release of the film, but the seemingly random threats have taken on a momentum of their own.

From Rajasthan, the protests have now spread across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

With slogan shouting crowds blocking the way to the Chittorgarh Fort and members of the Karni Sena threatening to cut Deepika's nose for her comments against them, compromise may be the only way for the producers as they are at their most vulnerable ahead of a film's release, the sources said.

It's not just about creative expression, the hard work of hundreds of people and the producers' money. It is also about distributors, said Amod Mehra, a Mumbai-based trade analyst.

"These fringe elements threaten theatre owners by vandalising their property," said Mehra.

Exhibitors and theatre owners will face the real brunt as it is not possible to secure every cinema hall. Exhibitors are scared to release the film in states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, where groups like the Karni Sena operate in large numbers, he said.

"It is a heavy film. A lot of hard work, time and money goes into making a film like 'Padmavati'. A heavy film is like a daughter of marriageable age. You are under pressure to release it on time," Mehra told PTI.

Film exhibitor Akshay Rathi said dialogue was the only way in the current scenario.

"It is simple. The producers have Rs 150 crore to lose. What do the protestors have to lose in the end? But in India, we try to resolve every issue through dialogue.

"Of course, there should be no distortion of facts but Bhansali is a sensitive filmmaker and he will never do something like that," Rathi told PTI.

Politicians, Rajasthan's erstwhile royalty as well as senior minister Nitin Gadkari were amongst those who waded into the controversy, saying that Bhansali should not distort history and maintain sensitivity.

Bhansali, who has courted controversy with his earlier films -- in "Guzaarish" for a poster showing Aishwarya Rai smoking a cigarette and in "Ram Leela" for the title -- issued a video appeal a la Karan Johar to reiterate that he has not played with historical facts.

Bhansali, who was roughed up by the Karni Sena during the shooting of the film, has remained conciliatory but the film fraternity has come out in support.

Ahead of "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", which came after the attack on the Army camp in Uri, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) took offense to Pakistani actor Fawad Khan's presence in the film. The controversy forced Johar to release a video, apologising for doing so and declaring that he was a patriot.

It also ended Fawad's Bollywood career with film associations issuing a statement that they will boycott actors from Pakistan.

Sometimes it could be a stray reference in the movie itself.

Johar also faced problems with "Wake Up! Sid" as MNS threatened to stall the release for use of the word of "Bombay" instead of Mumbai. Once again, compromise was reached after Johar apologised to party supremo Raj Thackeray.

Around the same time, his "My Name is Khan" faced threats from the Shiv Sena because its star Shah Rukh Khan had advocated the participation of Pakistani players in IPL.

Then there was the case of the religious satires "OMG: Oh My God! and "PK", which earned the ire of religious groups for their attack on superstition.

The list is long and varied.

"Udta Punjab" on the drug menace in Punjab ran into trouble with the then-Pahlaj Nihalani led Censor Board. Nihalani ordered more than 90 cuts and asked that references to Punjab, which was then headed for elections, be removed.

The makers of the Abhishek Chaubey-directed movie moved the Bombay High Court last year, which ruled that the film be released with a single cut and three disclaimers.

Many times bitten, not shy, the film industry is now waiting to see if Bhansali's film sails through its many troubles -- including a nationwide bandh on December 1.

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The winter session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha will be held for three days, from November 27 to November 29, 2017, an official spokesman said.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet here today, which also agreed to meet every Wednesday at 3:00 PM to ensure smooth functioning of the government, with timely decisions to boost the momentum of reforms initiated by the Congress regime, he said.

With the Cabinet's decision, the Punjab governor has been authorised to convene the third session of the 15th Punjab Vidhan Sabha as per Article 174 (I) of the Constitution of India, the spokesman said.

The Cabinet was chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

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A section of the students of the new law college hostel under Calcutta University continued their demonstration outside the vice-chancellor's office for the third day today, to protest against alleged ragging of four students on November 9 at the hostel.

Around 20 students including two juniors who had allegedly been ragged were demonstrating outside the VC's office but they are not hindering movements of Vice-Chancellor Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee.

Banerjee said, "A two-member inquiry committee has been formed comprising the registrar and the official in charge of hostels. The panel will talk to the hostel employees, the super of the said hostel and the inmates to investigate their allegations. We can think about follow-up action once they submitted their findings."



In the preliminary inquiry conducted after the complaints were received, ragging charges were not proved, the VC said.

"We now intend to conduct a full-fledged inquiry and we request the students to wait till the inquiry report is submitted," she said.

The agitators said this is a symbolic protest against the VC's chair.

"We demand the university takes exemplary action against the guilty students and put a stop to incidents of ragging by a section of seniors at the law college," one of the agitating students said.

The agitating students said they did not belong to any political group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Ram Nath Kovind will arrive here on Sunday in the first leg of his four-day maiden tour to the North East after assuming office.

The President, will also visit Assam and Manipur besides Arunachal Pradesh and attend several programmes and meetings, official sources said today.

On Sunday he will attend a function at Indira Gandhi Park here to mark 40 years of Vivekananda Kendra here, the sources said.

Later in the day, he will also dedicate the new assembly building of Arunachal Pradesh to the people and address the legislators at a special assembly session in the afternoon.

On November 20, Kovind will attend the closing ceremony of Namami Barak festival at Silchar in Assam, the sources said.

The President will also attend a civic reception organised by Gauhati University.

He will visit Manipur on November 21 where he will inaugurate the North East Development Summit and the annual 10-day Sangai Festival in Imphal.

Before leaving for Delhi, the President will visit the INA war memorial at Moirang on November 22, the sources added.

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Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today expressed regret on social media over the Reserve Bank of India's decision not to pursue the proposal of introducing Islamic banking in the country.

"Govt (is) blinded to the benefits that Islamic banking can bring to its people and overall economy. As per the IMF, Islamic finance assets grew at a double-digit growth rate from $200 US billion in 2003 to $1.8 trillion at the end of 2013 that include non-Muslim countries (like) China, Germany, UK & US," Mirwaiz said in his Twitter post.

In a major move, the RBI decided not to pursue a proposal to introduce Islamic banking in the country.

Replying to an RTI query, the central bank said the decision was taken after considering the wider and equal opportunities available to all citizens to access banking and financial services.

Islamic or Sharia banking is a finance system based on the principles of not charging interest, which is prohibited under Islam.

Mirwaiz said the people of Kashmir have been demanding Islamic banking for a long time now.

"Express regret at Govt of India's rejection to introduce #IslamiBanking due to its politically motivated religious agenda. #Kashmir has been demanding Islamic banking for a long time to accrue of the benefits of banking as per Islamic law and in turn help the economic growth of J&K," the separatist leader, who is also the chief preacher of Kashmir, said.

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Congress leader Rajiv Shukla today said the reports of an increase in Naxal and terror attacks in the country were "serious" and added that the home ministry should inform the public of the steps being taken in this regard.

He alleged that the government had failed to curb Naxals and terror attacks, contrary to its claims while announcing demonetisation, and warned that the internal security situation in the country was going through "tough times".

Shukla claimed reports from intelligence agencies suggested that Naxal groups were regrouping and looking to expand their presence to areas beyond the so-called Red Corridor.

"The government made tall claims that demonetisation will result in elimination of Naxalism but those claims have evaporated in thin air," he alleged.

The Congress leader claimed that there were 17 major Naxal attacks after notes ban in which 69 security personnel and 86 civilians were killed.

He said the logic of the prime minister's claim cannot be understood in view of these figures.

"Both are very serious issues and the government should take the nation into confidence and explain what steps are being taken to curb Naxal and terrorist activities which are on the rise," he alleged.

"The Home Ministry should come out with its plan and tell the nation about the steps being taken to check such attacks as this is a very serious issue," he said.

The Congress leader claimed terrorists and Naxals were caught with the new currency notes and even fake Rs 2000 notes.

"Will the Home Ministry deny this? When will the government rise from its slumber and take concrete steps to deal with the biggest internal security threat," he asked.

Shukla cited yesterday's attack on Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border at Boodha Pahad area, in which 7 jawans, including 5 from the CRPF, were seriously injured when Naxals carried out not less than 56 landmine blasts.

He said the Congress condemned the incident and prayed for the injured soldiers. This, he said, was the second major attack in the past week as on November 11, in a similar landmine blast attack by Naxals, 4 jawans were attacked in Jharkhand's Latehar District.

Citing Home Ministry data, he said till April 2017 at least 250 naxal attacks were carried out in affected districts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

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Special Commissioner of Police for Traffic, Dependra Pathak, today said that road accidents and fatalities had declined over the last seven years in Delhi.

The officer was speaking at a conference on the 'Role of Corporates in Road Safety' organised by the FICCI here.

The police hopes that this year accidents and fatalities will see a further decrease. It has been on the decline over the last seven years, he said.

Pathak said that the traffic police was working on improving the process of catching culprits with the help of technology, improvement in road infrastructure, among others.

"Inadequate pedestrian crossings, subways, and poorly designed and maintained footpaths cause serious threat to road safety. We are working with agencies to address these issues," said the officer, who is also the Delhi Police's spokesperson.

Pathak also said that offences such as drunk driving not only attract a fine, but the driving licence is also seized. This has acted as a strong deterrent for errant drivers.

"Most of accidents caused last year were due to the driver's fault," he said.

Other speakers at the event also stressed on role of technology in ensuring implementation of road safety rules, needed to change drivers' mindset.

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Russia has vetoed at the UN Security Council a US-drafted resolution on the extension of a UN-led probe to determine who was behind the chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

The US, its allies and human rights groups have termed Russia's 10th veto a serious blow to the efforts of the Joint Investigation Mechanism (JIM), whose operations ceased when its current mandate expired at midnight last night.

The US draft resolution, which was supported by 11 of the 15 Security Council members, was vetoed by Russia as China and Egypt abstained while Bolivia joined Russia.

"Russia has killed the Joint Investigative Mechanism, which has overwhelming support of this Council," the US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said at the UN headquarters in New York.

"By eliminating our ability to identify the attackers, Russia has undermined our ability to deter future attacks. Assad and ISIS will no longer be on notice for the use of chemical weapons by Russia's actions today. The message to anyone listening is clear: in effect, Russia accepts the use of chemical weapons in Syria," Haley said.

She further said that regardless of what its Russian protectors do here in the Security Council, the Assad regime should be on clear notice: "the United States does not accept Syrias use of chemical weapons."



Haley said that as the US did in April, it will do it again if it must.

"We will defend the international standard against chemical weapons use. It would be wise for the Assad regime to heed this warning," she added.

Slamming Russia, she said, "What a shame it is that Russia has revealed itself to be a government whose allegiance is to the Syrian regime, not the truth or the protection of innocent civilians."



Russia may have succeeded in silencing one independent voice in Syria today, but there are others who will carry on this work, Haley added.

Francois Delattre of France expressed alarm at the wielding of the veto by the Russian Federation.

The Mechanism had worked with professionalism and tenacity, seeking the truth in Syria, providing clear, well- documented truth proving the culpability of the Assad regime in certain attacks and that of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) in other attacks, he said.

British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft also said that the JIM is a panel created by the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to monitor whether Syria is upholding a treaty that bans their use.

Both the Syrian government and militants of the Islamic State are being blamed for using chemical weapons in the war that grew out of protests in 2011.

"It is Russia that has failed. They have failed in their duties as a permanent member of this Security Council, they have failed as a state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, they have failed as a supposed supporter of peace in Syria," he said.

In a statement, Human Rights Watch said Russia has entered the realm of double digits with its tenth veto on Syria since 2011, sending another shameful message that they will protect the Syrian government at the cost of the Syrian people.

"UN member states should insist on continued investigations into chemical attacks so perpetrators can be held to account," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.

The Russian Ambassador Vassily A Nebenzia said his country had been unable to support the draft resolution drawn up by the US, but it is not true that his delegation had not engaged in communications in that regard.

Over the course of several weeks, it had explained that it could not take the proposal seriously, because it was erroneous from the outset and geared towards entrenching the Mechanism's flaws.

Todays statement by the US delegate had not focused on the Mechanism, but instead on the Russian Federation, he alleged.

Russia has been highly critical of the JIM's findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015. It also used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others who survived the nerve agent.

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A plea was today made in the Supreme Court for giving a specific date for hearing the petition in the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors pay-off case.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra did not pass any order when a mention was made for giving a early date of hearing on the appeal filed by an advocate-cum-politician Ajay Agrawal.

The apex court on September 1 had posted for hearing in the week beginning October 30 the 12-year-old appeal filed by Agarwal, who had contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 from Rai Bareli against Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

However, the matter did not come up for hearing as the CJI was heading a Constitution bench in the week that followed.

The apex court had on October 18, 2005 admitted Agarwal's petition which was filed after the CBI failed to approach the top court with the appeal within the 90-day deadline following the May 31, 2005 Delhi High Court verdict quashing charges against the Europe-based industrialists, the Hinduja brothers.

Meanwhile, citing media reports that the CBI had sought Attorney General K K Venuopal's opinion on the issue of filing a separate appeal in the case, the BJP leader has shot off a letter to the top law officer requesting that the probe agency should be asked to respond to his criminal appeal and clarify its stand through an affidavit in the top court.

He had earlier written a letter addressed to CBI Director Alok Verma that instead of filing an appeal against the high court judgement, the agency should clarify its stand through an affidavit in the top court.

He has said that filing of a fresh appeal by the CBI would delay the matter which is coming up for hearing.

Justice R S Sodhi of the Delhi High Court, since retired, had on May 31, 2005 quashed all charges against the three Hinduja brothers -- Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand -- and the Bofors company and had castigated the CBI for its handling of the case, saying it had cost the exchequer about Rs 250 crore.

There has been demand in Parliament by ruling BJP MPs for reopening the probe into the Bofors kickback scandal after media reports quoting Swedish chief investigator Sten Lindstrom suggested alleged bribery at the top level.

Before the 2005 verdict of Justice Sodhi, another judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice J D Kapoor (since retired), on February 4, 2004 had exonerated late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the case and directed the framing of the charge of forgery under section 465 of the IPC against the Bofors company.

The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm Howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986. Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987, had claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel.

The CBI on January 22, 1990 had registered the FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then President of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers.

It had alleged that certain public servants and private persons in India and abroad had entered into a criminal conspiracy between 1982 and 1987 in pursuance of which the offences of bribery, corruption, cheating and forgery were committed.

The first charge sheet in the case was filed on October 22, 1999, against Chadda, Ottavio Quattrocchi, then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Ardbo and the Bofors company. A supplementary charge sheet was filed against the Hinduja brothers on October 9, 2000.

A special CBI court in Delhi on March 4, 2011, had discharged Quattrocchi from the case saying the country could not afford to spend hard-earned money on his extradition which had already cost Rs 250 crore.

Quattrocchi, who fled from here on July 29-30, 1993, never appeared before any court in India to face prosecution. He passed away on July 13, 2013. The other accused persons who have died are Bhatnagar, Chadda and Ardbo.

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The Supreme Court today sought the CBI's response on its probe relating to reports showing photographs and videos showing former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav, son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, along with the then absconding accused of killing scribe Rajdev Ranjan.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, meanwhile, was informed by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, that the agency has already filed a charge sheet in the scribe murder case on August 22 before a special CBI court.

The top court enquired from the ASG as to whether the CBI has probed the issue relating to media reports featuring photographs and videos that showed Yadav, the then Health Minister, along with the then absconding accused, Mohd Kaif and Mohd Javed, who are presently in judicial custody.

It then directed the CBI to file a status report within four weeks about the investigation conducted into the allegations of harbouring and sheltering the then absconding accused in the murder case and the reports that purportedly showed them in the company of Yadav and Mohd Shahabuddin, jailed RJD strongman and a co-accused in the sensational murder case.

The apex court had earlier issued notices to Shahabuddin, Yadav and the Bihar government on the plea of Ranjan's wife seeking transfer of the case from Siwan in Bihar to Delhi.

The Supreme Court had directed the CBI to proceed with the probe and ordered police protection to the scribe's wife Asha Ranjan and their family.

Asha had moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of probe and trial in the case to Delhi alleging that media reports had shown two absconding killers of her husband in the company of Shahabuddin and Yadav.

She had sought relief, including a direction to the CBI, to take up the investigation forthwith in view of the fact that the then proclaimed offenders, Mohd Kaif and Mohd Javed, were spotted with Shahabuddin and the then state Health Minister, where several cops were also present.

Kaif had surrendered in the Siwan district court on September 21.

The scribe, working with a vernacular daily, was shot dead on the evening of May 13 in Siwan town by some sharp- shooters allegedly at the instance of then jailed RJD leader, the plea alleged.

Despite being named by the family of the journalist, the Siwan police did not name Shahabuddin in the FIR as a key conspirator, it alleged.

It also alleged that the RJD leader was irked over some reports by the slain journalist on the issue of murder of three sons of Chandrakeshwar Prasad.

Shahabuddin was awarded life term in one of the cases.

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The foster mother of 3-year-old Indian girl Sherin Mathews found dead last month in a culvert in Dallas has been arrested and charged with child abandonment, with police alleging that the Indian-American couple left the toddler in the kitchen alone and went out for dinner.

Sini Ann Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested last month, went out for dinner with their 3-year-old biological daughter October 6, the night before she was reported missing by her adoptive father.

The couple from Kerala, allegedly left Sherin alone in the kitchen because she refused to drink her milk, police in Richardson, Texas said yesterday.

The 35-year-old mother was arrested yesterday after her attorney took her to the Richardson police station.

She is being held in the Richardson jail on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at USD 250,000, police said.

Sini, a nurse who works at Children's Medical Center Dallas, could face different or additional charges, Perlich said on the case which has been widely reported in the international media.

Sini appeared before a family court judge on Monday to attempt to regain custody of her biological daughter, who is expected to be moved at some point out of foster care to live with an extended family member.

A state jail felony in Texas is an offense that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.

"This all stems from this ongoing investigation with Sherin. It's sort of a culmination of everything we've got so far," police Sergeant Kevin Perlich said.

"It was our decision that now was an appropriate time to make an arrest," the Dallas Morning Post quoted him as saying.

Detectives determined Wesley and Sini Mathews went to a restaurant in Garland with their 3-year-old biological daughter, leaving Sherin home alone, placing her in "imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment," according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Cellphone records show both parents' phones were at the restaurant that evening. A receipt showed only one child's meal had been purchased, the affidavit stated. The waiter also confirmed that only one child was at the meal.

In an interview with detectives October 23, Wesley, the 37-year-old foster father, said that he and his wife had left Sherin, alone while the rest of the family went to eat dinner.

He said he became impatient when Sherin refused to drink her milk and went to dinner without her, the affidavit stated.

Wesley told detectives that he asked his wife to go with him and Sherin's sister and Sini did so without being coerced, police documents state.

Police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when the couple returned home an hour and a half later, the Dallas Morning reported.

An affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where they left her.

"The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office is continuing to work on determining the cause of death. Those results will be made available when complete," Richardson Police said in a Facebook post.

Wesley, who has since been charged in connection with Sherin's death, remains in the Dallas County Jail on a charge of injury to a child. Bail has been set at USD 1 million. The crime is punishable with up to 99 years in prison.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk.

He later changed his story and to say he "physically assisted" Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Authorities launched a massive search and a cadavour dog found the body of a small child in a culvert on October 22. The body was later identified as that of Sherin.

Sherin's death prompted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ask the Indian Embassy in the US to be actively involved in the case and keep her informed. She also sought a probe into the adoption process of Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year from Bihar.

Following Sherin's case, India decided that passports to adopted children will be issued only with prior clearance by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

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At least six coastal districts of Odisha are likely to experience heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours even as the depression over Bay of Bengal has gradually weakened into a well marked low pressure today, India Meteorological Department (IMD) office said.

Heavy rainfall likely to occur at one or two places in the districts of Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours, IMD said.

It said the sea condition would be moderate to rough along and off Odisha coast and IMD cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea.

The state has been experiencing rainfall since November 13, due to a low pressure formation, which later intensified into a depression over the Bay of Bengal.

Sources in the special relief commissioner's (SRC) office said the state received an average rainfall of 7.6 mm today.

The highest rainfall of 40.7 mm was recorded in Kendrapara followed by 30.4 mm in Jagatsinghpur, 24.0 mm in Puri, 16.3 mm in Jajpur and 16.0 mm in Bhadrak.

However, only three of the 30 districts of Odisha did not receive any rainfall during last 24 hours. They were - Jharsuguda, Malkangiri and Nuapada.

Meanwhile, farmers across the state are worried as their paddy fields have been submerged in many coastal districts.

Revenue and Disaster Management minister Maheswar Mohanty said the district collectors have been asked to report on the crop loss due to unseasonal rainfall.

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Working to find out an amicable solution to the Ayodhya tangle, Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today said that unlike any court verdict, a solution through dialogue will be recognised for ages.

Ravi Shankar was talking to newspersons after meeting rector of Darul Uloom Farangimahal, Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangimahli and other Muslim leaders as part of his efforts to mediate a solution to the protracted Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, a day after he met various leaders across the religious spectrum.

"All issues can be resolved through dialogue...we all respect the courts but it (courts) cannot connect hearts... even after 50 years or 100 years, the judgements of courts will remain as such but if we find out a solution through our hearts it will be recognised for ages," he said.

Farangimahli, who is also a senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board( AIMPLB), however, later clarified that he welcomed Sri Sri as 'Iman-e-Shahr' and 'Imam-e-Idgah'.

"The AIMPLB has nothing to do with this meeting. I have welcomed him as 'Iman-e-Shahr' and 'Imam-e-Idgah'," Farangimahli said.

Ravi Shankar said they both agreed on the need to build bridges and that there is really no conflict between comminities living together for centuries. "We have to create an atmosphere of friendliness, belongingness and togetherness and then we can solve all the issues of the country."



The spiritual leader, however, accepted that it was late for such efforts but added he wanted the issue to be resolved soon.

"All issues concerning the nation and population need to be discussed...a new message of brotherhood and old culture needs to be taken forward," he said.

To a question if these efforts are for a settlement before the court decision or even after that, he said, "We are not leaving any possibility... we are not working on an agenda but trying to find a way out...give us time there is no need for hurry...we will talk to all...religious heads will come together and talk."



Ravi Shankar was confident that something big will be achieved for the country through this dialogue.

Farangimahli said that the common thing that emerged between the two leaders was that if leaders of both the religions sit on a regular basis at every level, differences will be resolved.

"He has come to the Islamic Centre to meet us...madarsa children welcomed him as per the 'ganga jamuni tehzib' of the country...we have together deliberated on how the two major communities should be brought together to spread the mission of communal harmony in the country in a big way," Farangimahli said.

The message that will go from here will have a very good impact, he said.

Leaders of the Islamic Centre and Idgah were also present during the meeting, representative of Art of Living Gautam Vig said.

The Art of Living founder had offered to mediate on resolving the issue, but his efforts have found favour only with a section of both the communities, while the major parties including the AIMPLB (All India Muslim Personal Law Board) and VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) have expressed reservations over his role.

The VHP and the AIMPLB have already rejected the relevance of mediation efforts of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
All issues can be resolved through dialogue, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said here today after meeting Muslim leaders as part of his efforts to mediate a solution to the protracted Ram temple dispute.

Ravi Shankar, who was in Ayodhya yesterday and met various leaders across the religious spectrum, said he respected the courts but they cannot connect hearts.

"Even after 100 years, the judgements of courts will remain but if we find a solution through our hearts it will be recognised through the ages," Ravi Shankar told newspersons after meeting the rector of the Farangi Mahal Islamic Centre of India, Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangimahli, and other community leaders.

Farangimahli is also a senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

"We accept that it is a little late for such efforts but we want that the issue should be resolved soon," Ravi Shankar said.

"I am confident we will achieve something big for the country through this," he added.

According to Ravi Shankar, a new message of brotherhood needs to be taken forward.

Asked if his efforts are aimed at a settlement before the court decision on the issue or even after that, he said, "We are not leaving any possibility... we are not working on an agenda but trying to find a way."



The Art of Living founder asked for time and said there was no hurry, religious heads would come together and talk.

Giving his take on the talks, Farangimahli said differences will be removed if leaders of both sides sit together and talk regularly.

Ravi Shankar yesterday met Dinendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara as well as Muslim intellectuals in Ayodhya and Faizabad.

His efforts to mediate have found favour only with a section of both communities with major parties, including the AIMPLB and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, expressing their reservations.

A day before visiting Ayodhya, he had met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow and said he wanted "unity and amity".

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Statistical highlights of second day's play of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka.

# With his unbeaten 47, Cheteshwar Pujara has maintained an excellent average in Tests this year while aggregating 898 runs at an average of 74.83 in nine Tests, including three centuries and four fifties -- the highest among the batsmen with 500 runs or more in Tests in 2017.

# Pujara's average is the third highest in a calendar year in Tests -- the top two being 81.75 in 2012 and 75.36 in 2013.

# Pujara is averaging 100-plus in Tests vs Sri Lanka -- his aggregate being 501 in seven innings at an average of 100.20, including three hundreds.

# India's fifth wicket fell with the score reading 50. For the 17th time, India's five wickets have fallen for 50 runs or less in a Test innings on the Indian soil. In the 2010-11 Ahmedabad Test against New Zealand, India had lost five wickets for 15 runs in their second innings.

# Despite scoring 17 in the Pallekele Test and 4 in the Kolkata Test -- both vs Sri Lanka, Ajinkya Rahane has been maintaining batting average of 40-plus. Since making his debut in Tests in 2013, Rahane's average has been 40-plus in each calendar year.

# Suranga Lakmal had delivered 46 consecutive deliveries before conceding a four to Rahane on his 47th ball. It has happened for the first time that a bowler has bowled seven successive maiden overs besides taking three wickets at the start of the Test match.

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India's sovereign credit rating jump did a world of good to investors' confidence as both Sensex and Nifty today ended with more than 0.5 per cent gains, powered by financial and metal stocks.

The rating action by Moody's became apparent right in the opening session that saw the BSE index shoot up 414 points at one point. But the momentum failed to carry on as investors rushed in to shave profit as the index closed the day at 33,342.80, up 235.98 points -- or 0.71 per cent.

The gauge had rallied 346 points in the previous session.

The 50-share Nifty raced past the key 10,300-mark during the day, only to come off the high and end at 10,283.60, a gain of 68.85 points, or 0.67 per cent.

For the week, the Sensex eked out gains of 28.24 points, or 0.08 per cent, but the Nifty dropped 38.15 points, or 0.36 per cent.

Investor risk appetite soared after the US-based Moody's upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to 'Baa2' with a stable outlook citing improved growth prospects driven byeconomic and institutional reforms.

The rating upgrade came after a gap of 13 years -- Moody's hadlast upgraded India's rating to 'Baa3' in 2004.

"This is a positive development for India as an improved rating will help the country attract more foreign investments while its equity markets will now fall within the investment mandate of more global fund managers," said Karthikraj Lakshmanan, Senior Fund Manager Equities, BNP Paribas Mutual Fund.

In sync with equities, the rupee too strengthened considerably.

There was support from Asian markets, which took leads from Wall Street after the US House's passage of the Republican tax cut plan. European shares too ruled high.

Banking counters led from the front. ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and SBI climbed by up to 1.86 per cent.

Barring IT and technology, which lost over 1 per cent, all other sectoral indices witnessed gains. Realty jumped by the biggest margin.

Cipla was the leader of the Sensex chart, gaining 2.64 per cent after the company said it has received final approval from the US health regulator for its suspension product. HDFC Ltd came in next, up 2.23 per cent.

Maruti Suzuki gained 2.15 per cent after Japanese auto majors Toyota Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation said they will co-operate on introducing electric vehicles (EVs) in India by 2020.

IT stocks such as Infosys, TCS and Wipro, however, struggled. They fell up to 1.79 per cent as the stronger rupee means lesser revenues from the US and Europe.

Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) pocketed shares worth a net Rs 847.45 crore while foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold equities worth a net Rs 447.42 crore, as per provisional data.

Broader markets played along, with mid-cap and small cap indices adding up to 1.03 per cent.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today assured a Pakistani national, whose nephew is undergoing treatment at a hospital in New Delhi, that India will grant a visa to his compatriot so that he could travel to India and donate organ.

Pakistani national Faiza Malik tweeted to Swaraj, seeking her help after the person, who was to donate the organ to his nephew Faraz, was found unfit by doctors at a Fortis hospital here.

Malik said since the person could no longer donate the organ, another man - Faraz Razzaq - from Pakistan be given a visa to travel to India.

"@SushmaSwaraj, Dear madam my nephew Faraz Malik is at Fortis waiting for donor, doctors find previous donor unfit so rejected, please grant visa to Abdul Razzaq CF9864951," Malik tweeted.

Swaraj, responding to the tweet, assured him that the Indian High Commission in Pakistan will give a visa to the second donor. "Please don't worry. I am asking Indian High Commission to give visa for the second donor. @IndiainPakistan," Swaraj tweeted.

Details about the hospital branch where Malik's nephew has been admitted could not be immediately known.

Another Pakistani national, Aamir Xaffar Siddiqi, also sought Swaraj's help stating that his condition was very critical.

"Dear Ms. @SushmaSwaraj, being a heart patient my condition is very critical and it's my humble request to grant us VISA at your earliest convenience. Patient Aamir Xaffar Siddiqi Passport # GV5460871 Attendant Sadia Aamir passport # HD1221521 (sic)," Siddiqi tweeted.

To this, Swaraj tweeted, "@IndiainPakistan will see your papers and report to me.

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Veteran action star Sylvester Stallone, who is the latest Hollywood actor to be accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl back in 1986, has denied the allegations calling them "ridiculous".

"This is a ridiculous, categorically false story. No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr Stallone. At no time was Mr Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter," a representative for Stallone told Fox .

The unidentified accuser filed a report in 1986 with Las Vegas police after Stallone and bodyguard Michael de Luca "intimidated" her into sex with both men.

Stallone threatened to "beat her head in" if she said a word about the attack, the victim charged.

The actor, who was 40 at that time, was in Sin City filming the arm-wrestling movie "Over the Top" at the time, and the girl was vacationing with family friends.

The teenager ultimately decided not to pursue charges against the "Cop Land" actor because she feared retribution.

The police report noted the teen became "emotionally upset" numerous times while recounting the sordid incident to investigators.

The teen later signed a no-prosecution order and cops dropped the case.

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Everyone remembers Taapsee Pannu's powerhouse performance in Pink, but she got the role only after "a popular female actor" refused it, director of the film Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury has said.

Aniruddha, however, did not divulge the name of the actor who rejected the role of Meenal Arora.

At a discussion in the 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival last evening, director of the 2016 film was speaking on how it was made.

"I had narrated the story four and half years back to director-producer friend Shoojit Sircar on-board a flight and he was hooked to the idea. A popular female actor had refused to do the character which was ultimately given to Taapsee Pannu," Aniruddha said.

The 'Pink' project got rolling when Amitabh Bachchan agreed to do the film after listening to the story only for 5 minutes at his residence, he said adding that the rest is history.

"A film happens when everyone starts believing in the subject. We see so many things around us everyday, but do we react?" Aniruddha said.

'Pink' is a powerful statement on moral policing and the mindset of the country where men and women are judged by a different yardstick.

The director said his first film 'Anuranan' made in 2006 also talked about moral policing. "Actually social element is an integral part of a film," he said.

Aniruddha said he also felt strongly about his Bengali film 'Buno Haansh' made in 2014.

"I remember how a 20,000 strong crowd showered their affection to the film crew in Bangladesh which had been released in both Kolkata and Dhaka. Buno Haansh will remain as much favourite to me as Pink," he said.

To a question, he said a film maker cannot always work with the expectation that his or her every film will be a national award winner.

"You cannot always keep working that every product will meet the same quality benchmark in terms of expectations. That every work should click, that every film will be a potential national award winner," Aniruddha said.

"You should keep on experimenting in life," Aniruddha, who is now based in Mumbai working on some upcoming projects, said.

"I had shifted to Mumbai from Kolkata as I was a little bit pained over the present situations but I won't elaborate," he said.

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Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has offered to mediate in the Ayodhya dispute, today said there was a ray of hope in resolving the Ram temple issue.

He added that he would meet Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat to discuss the issue with him.

"Asha ki kiran dikh rahi hai. Bahut achha mahol banta ja raha hai (There is a ray of hope. A positive atmosphere is in the making)," he told reporters in response to a query after his arrival at the airport here this evening.

Asked whether he would meet Bhagwat over the Ayodhya issue, Ravi Shankar said, "I will meet and discuss the issue of Ram mandir with him."



The spiritual leader is in the city as part of a three- day 'Anta Ranga' programme organised by the Art of Living.

A couple of days back, he had met various people and claimed to have received "very good and positive signs" from both Hindus and Muslims, even though the stakeholders in the dispute were less hopeful.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also did not sound very positive on the outcome of Ravi Shankar's efforts.

Adityanath, who met Ravi Shankar two days back, had said that everyone knew where the talks would lead, especially when the Supreme Court was going to hear the matter from December 5 on a day-to-day basis.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have also voiced reservations about Ravi Shankar's role as a mediator in the protracted dispute.

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The demolition drive against unauthorised religious structures by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) turned violent yesterday, leaving three injured.

Three persons, including two policemen, were injured after an irate mob pelted stones during the demolition of an illegal religious structure in Nanavali locality of Old Nashik, police said.

The mob threw stones at the NMC demolition squad and also targeted a police van and a fire brigade vehicle, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Laxmikant Patil said the situation was soon brought under control.

The NMC squad managed to demolish the structure by late last night, sources in the civic body said.

The drive against such structures began on November 8 on the directive of the Bombay High Court. These structures have been creating problems for road-development as well as creating traffic bottlenecks.

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BJP in Tamil Nadu today sought to know why the opposition parties were criticising state Governor Banwarilal Purohit over his meeting with district officials here when state ministers themselves have not found anything amiss.

The ministers themselves welcomed such a review by the Governor then what was bothering the political parties which opposed the development, state unit President Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters here.

The Governor was functioning according to mandate, but opposition parties were criticising as if he had convened the state assembly, she said.

The BJP leader was responding to questions on the opposition parties' criticism of Purohit for holding the meeting with top district officials here earlier this week, charging that it amounted to interfering in the state's autonomy.

Several ministers, including S P Velumani and Dindigul Srinivasan, have brushed aside the opposition parties' criticism, saying there was nothing wrong in the Governor holding such meetings.

Those criticising the Governor over the meeting were not bothered about the welfare of the people, she added.

On the recent income tax raids against jailed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala's family members, she said late chief minister J Jayalalithaa herself would have been shocked and surprised to know about the wealth allegedly amassed by her close aides.

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today urged the Union government to include the Srinagar International Airport among the airports in India from where flights to the Asean countries are to be operated.

In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Mufti said the beginning of flights between the countries of the 10-member Asean grouping and Srinagar would give the desired push to the state's tourism industry.

"The operation of flights from and to cities like Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore and other cities in the region would have a positive impact on the tourism industry and bolster the state's economy," she said in the letter.

Several representatives of the state tourism industry have met Mufti over the months and requested her to ensure the state is linked to Asean countries to boost tourism.

In 2003, India had signed an open skies agreement with the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).

Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam make up the Asean regional grouping.

In another communication to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, Mufti sought the continuation of central assistance to the state's poultry industry, extension of loan recovery period.

She also sought the waiving of interest in respect of unit holders to sustain their business which suffered heavily during the 2014 floods, besides the high cost of feed imported from neighbouring states.

Representatives of the Poultry Dealers Association had recently met Mufti and urged her to take up the issues with the central government.

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Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam today alleged that the agency awarded the contract to tow vehicles has been hired at the insistence of a former secretary to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

However, rubbishing Nirupam's claims, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said neither the CMO nor Pravin Darade (CM's former secretary) have anything to do with the towing contract awarded to Vidarbha Infotech Pvt Ltd.

Darade, an IAS officer, is currently the commissioner of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

"Vidarbha Infotech is connected to the CM's office and one particular individual by the name of Pravin Darade. In this entire nexus, it is Darade, who is close to the CM and is instrumental in using his influence and allotting projects out of turn to Vidarbha Infotech," Nirupam told reporters here.

He alleged that the agency was hired at the insistence of Darade.

The Congress leader said the company is a software firm and has no experience in towing vehicles.

"Vidarbha Infotech has no expertise in towing. Nine lakh registered four wheelers and 17 lakh bikers in the city are being harassed by traffic police and being made to pay higher towing fine and a bulk of that money is going to Vidarbha Infotech," he said.

"It was announced that the tender was open only for the firms whose turnover exceeded Rs 50 crore, putting 1,000-1,200 youngsters from smaller agencies, which are regularly hired otherwise, out of jobs," the Congress leader said.

Claiming that Darade is the chief promoter of the firm, Nirupam demanded an inquiry into the awarding of contract to the agency.

Nirupam also alleged that Vidarbha Infotech's control room is set up on a 1,000 sq ft land which has been allotted to them free of cost for reasons unknown.

However, countering Nirupam's claims, the CMO stated that the allegations against it and Darade were baseless.

"The process of awarding contract was done at the level of traffic police. For this, KPMG was appointed as a consultant. This agency suggested the use of ultra modern hydraulic cranes for towing operations and based on this suggestion, traffic police called for tenders," the statement said.

It added that the Maharashtra Towing Association and other contractors have moved the high court over this contract and the government had also called for a report from Mumbai police.

The report is with the government and will be placed before the high court, the statement said.

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Japanese auto majors Toyota Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation said today that they will co-operate on introducing electric vehicles (EVs) in India by 2020.

The two companies said in a joint statement that they have concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to take forward a co-operative structure under which Suzuki will produce EVs for the Indian market and will supply some of them to Toyota, which will provide technical support.

Besides, the statement said, they intend to conduct a comprehensive study of activities for widespread acceptance and popular use of EVs in India.

"Such activities encompass the establishment of charging stations, human resources development that includes training for after-service technicians employed throughout sales networks, and systems for the appropriate treatment of end-of-life batteries," it said.

In February this year, the two companies had announced exploration of a business partnership after which they began discussing, among other topics, the dissemination of vehicle electrification technologies in India.

Suzuki has already announced that it intends to construct a lithium-ion battery plant along with its partners in Gujarat, where it currently operates a manufacturing plant supplying automobiles exclusively to its Indian arm Maruti Suzuki.

As per the agreement, in addition to lithium-ion batteries, electric motors and other major components would be locally procured for production of EVs in India.

The announcement by the two companies comes at a time when the Indian government is pushing for electric vehicles, setting a target of an all electric fleet by 2030.

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US President Donald Trump favors China taking a greater role in putting maximum pressure on North Korea, the White House said today, following Beijing's decision to send a special envoy to Pyongyang.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy, Song Tao, will visit North Korea today to inform its leadership about the outcome of the recent national congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

"The president certainly favors China taking a greater role in putting maximum pressure on North Korea," White House Press Secretary Sarah sanders told reporters at her daily conference.

The Chinese envoy's visit comes days after Trump's completion of a five-nation tour of Asia, during which he urged Xi to do more to pressure North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to give up nuclear weapons programme.

"Certainly, any effort in order to denuclearise the Peninsula there in North Korea, then China participating in that, the president certainly supports those efforts," Sanders said.

Trump took to Twitter to welcome China's decision.

"China is sending an Envoy and Delegation to North Korea - A big move, we'll see what happens!" Trump said in a tweet yesterday.

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A spokesman for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighting Islamic State extremists is "in the hands of" the Turkish intelligence after handing himself over to pro-Ankara forces, a Turkish daily reported Friday.

Talal Sello "gave himself up" to Syrian opposition fighters -- which Turkey calls the Free Syrian Army (FSA) -- on Wednesday, according to Turkish reports.

Sello was then taken to the southern Turkish province of Gaziantep bordering Syria, the Hurriyet newspaper said, adding that he was "giving answers to questions" from the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) about the activities of the Syrian Kurdish militia.

The fate of the burly Sello -- who became a prominent face due to his media updates during the SDF's fight with jihadists for Raqa -- has been shrouded in mystery since it emerged this week that he had left the force.

Mohammad al-Abdallah, of the Syrian rebel group Forqat al-Hamz, speaking to AFP in Beirut, described Sello's move as a "defection".

But the SDF denied he had defected, saying it believed Sello was taken "as a result of a special operation by Turkish intelligence."



The SDF added that Sello "received threats against his children who are in Turkey."



The SDF includes Arab forces but is dominated by Syrian Kurdish fighters from the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG). Sello is of Turkmen origin.

Ankara views the YPG as a terror group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. It has dismissed the SDF has merely a front for the YPG.

The PKK is blacklisted as a "terrorist" organisation by Ankara, the United States and the European Union.

While Washington views the YPG as the most effective fighting force on the ground against Islamic State jihadists in Syria, Ankara has railed against the American support.

The Kurdish-led force expelled IS from its de facto capital Raqa in northern Syria last month, one of a series of defeats against the group.

Turkey has cautioned against the creation of a "terror corridor" in northern Syria and had repeatedly warned it could launch an operation against the militia in the YPG-controlled town of Afrin.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Afrin "needs to be cleared of the YPG terror group."



According to Hurriyet, Sello answered questions from Turkish officials about the "activities of the YPG, its structure and the situation in Afrin".

Crucially, he was also asked about what kind of preparations the YPG was making in the event of an attack by the Turkish military on Afrin, the daily added.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed that Sello was in the hands of Turkish intelligence and said he had been "brought to Turkey by trickery.

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To realise its vision of a free Indo-Pacific, the Trump Administration will have to deal with the challenges presented by a rising China, a nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs said today.

During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Randall Schriver said that the US needs to look for opportunities to work with China wherever American interests overlap.

"We must also recognise that their aspirations, their vision for the future security architecture of the Asia- Pacific region with China at the centre is, in many ways, at odds with our own aspirations," he said.

"The challenges posed by a rising China are probably the most consequential challenges of my generation," Schriver told the Committee, when top American Senators expressed concern over rapid militarisation of China.

"For this administration's vision for a free and Indo- Pacific to be realised we also have to deal with the rising challenges presented by China," he added.

Senator Jack reed said that while the US must work together with China to counter a nuclear threat from North Korea, it should also work to counter China's attempts to "bully its neighbours in the region" and its failure to abide by the rules-based international order from which it has benefited so greatly.

Observing that ensuring a safe, secure, prosperous and free Indo-Pacific region is a top priority for the United States, Schriver said if confirmed, he will work to continue efforts not only to deter conflict, but also to deter coercion as sovereign countries in the Indo-Pacific region have the right to make decisions freely.

"The Administration is rightly focused on ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region, while also addressing specific challenges, such as those posed by North Korea, managing a rising China and its increasingly assertive attempts to undermine the rules-based order, building stability in South Asia, and confronting the scourge of terrorism wherever it emerges," he said.

Noting that China's growing economic power lends it a position of influence in the Indo-Pacific region, Schriver said the US must insist that China use its influence for common good.

"We will not accept Chinese actions that undermine the rules-based order. If confirmed, I will assess the effects of China's growing influence in the region, including on the US security posture, to ensure we are able to maintain the presence and posture that have underpinned US security guarantees, and in turn, regional peace and prosperity for decades," he said.

China's aggressive and destabilising behaviour has caused countries in the Indo-Pacific region to look for continued US leadership, he added.

Upholding freedom of navigation and overflight globally is essential to the economic and national security interests of the United States and all nations in the international community, Schriver said.

He alleged that China is using its cyber capabilities to support intelligence gathering against the US diplomatic, economic, and defense industrial base sectors that support US national defense programmes.

The information targeted could potentially be used to benefit China's defense industry and high technology industries.

"I believe the theft of intellectual property through cyber means is a clear threat to the economic prosperity from which in large measure the nation derives its national security.

"Any State that engages in the theft of our intellectual property through cyber means jeopardises both our national security and economic prosperity," he said.

John C Rood nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy said that China is a long-term strategic competitor, engaged in a rapid, comprehensive military modernisation process.

China's military reforms seek to enhance its ability to conduct joint operations and improve its ability to fight high-intensity regional conflicts at greater distances from the Chinese mainland.

China's global interests are growing, and its military will increasingly be called upon to safeguard China's trade, investments, and citizens abroad, he said.

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Top US fashion model Gigi Hadid today pulled out of the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show in Shanghai after an online video showing her apparently making a slant-eyes face sparked criticism in China.

The announcement is the second apparent snag to hit the US lingerie maker's A-list underwear extravaganza set for Monday, following reports that three Russians and one Ukrainian model had failed to obtain Chinese visas.

Hadid, who was number five on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid female models last year, earning USD 9 million, had excitedly announced her participation in the show in August.

She gave no reason for the reversal.

"I'm so bummed I won't be able to make it to China this year," she said on Twitter.

"Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!"



Hadid's pull-out averts a potential PR disaster for Victoria's Secret, which is hoping to shore up a sagging bottom line with a push into China's growing intimate-wear market.

The company opened its first flagship stores in the country this year and Monday's show marks the first time it has been staged outside the US or Europe.

Chinese internet users lashed out at Hadid after her sister Bella -- another of the three dozen or more models expected in Shanghai -- posted an Instagram video in February showing Gigi squinting her eyes while holding up a Buddha- shaped cookie.

Hadid's announcement in August that she would appear at the show in Shanghai stirred the pot anew, with many Chinese accusing her of racism and warning her not to come.

She posted a bilingual apology on China's Twitter-like Weibo on September 1, declaring her "respect and love for the people of China" and swearing she meant no harm, but even that was pilloried.

Most Chinese Weibo comments on her withdrawal were celebratory.

"Suddenly I have better feelings about VS. If she had come, I would never buy VS my entire life," said one posting.

Others, however, expressed regret, especially following Hadid's apology.

"What a pity. I like her a lot," said one.

A Victoria's Secret spokesman declined comment, referring questions about the model line-up to each woman's individual agencies.

Speculation also has swirled over the participation of Russia's Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva and Irina Sharipova, and Ukraine's Dasha Khlystun, after unconfirmed reports suggested they were denied Chinese visas.

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German automaker Volkswagen today said it planned to invest more than 34 billion euros over the next five years in new technologies to advance its push to become a global leader in electric cars.

"We are reinventing the car," chief executive Matthias Mueller said after a meeting of the group's supervisory board.

The bulk of the 2018-2022 spending spree would go on developing electric and hybrid cars, the VW group said in a statement, as well as self-driving cars, new mobility services such as car-sharing, and digitalisation.

Like other traditional carmakers, Volkswagen is stepping up its focus on the cleaner, smarter vehicles of the future, racing to catch up with US tech giant Tesla which has a head- start in the area.

The pivot to zero-emissions cars is particularly important for Volkswagen, the world's largest automaker, as it seeks to shake off a global emissions cheating scandal that shone a spotlight on polluting diesel engines.

The VW group, owner of 12 brands including Audi, Porsche and Skoda, announced in September that it planned to electrify its entire fleet by 2030 -- promising fully electric or hybrid versions of some 300 models.

At its meeting today, the group's supervisory board signed off on an overall five-year spending plan totalling "more than 70 billion euros", a spokesman told AFP.

That is slightly lower than the 2015-2019 investments announced in 2014, when the group pledged to spend nearly 86 billion euros.

VW had previously warned that it would tighten the purse strings as it grapples with the ongoing fallout from the "dieselgate" scandal, which has so far cost it over 25 billion euros in fines, recalls and compensation.

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The Centre today told the Calcutta High Court that the West Bengal government had failed to utilise the funds provided to it for controlling vector-borne diseases, including dengue, in the state.

Additional Solicitor General Kaushik Chanda, appearing for the Centre before the court in connection with a set of PILs over an alleged dengue outbreak in the state, claimed that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state could not utilise the funds provided to it under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

He submitted before a division bench of Acting Chief Justice J Bhattacharya and Justice Arijit Banerjee that the state could not spend Rs 22.25 crore in this regard in 2015-16 and failed to utilise Rs 19.77 crore in 2016-17, provided to it for controlling the vector-borne diseases.

He further submitted that the Centre had written to the state on October 31 this year to provide technical assistance in controlling dengue and other vector-borne diseases, adding that it was yet to receive a reply from the TMC government.

Counsel Srijib Chakraborty, appearing for one of the petitioners, claimed to have collected copies of death certificates of four persons, who died of dengue in government hospitals and whose names did not figure in the list provided by the state government.

Advocate General (AG) Kishore Dutta had yesterday told the court that 38 people had died due to the fever so far this year in the state, of whom 23 died in the state-run hospitals.

Chakraborty submitted the copies of death certificates of Suman De, Shefali Roy, Lakshmi Ghosh and Pritam Haldar, who died in state-run hospitals since October and claimed that the cause of their death was stated to be a dengue virus attack.

The lawyer also stated that he, as a private citizen, could collect the copies of the death certificates and prayed for a direction to the state government to submit the exact number dengue deaths this year in the court.

The petitioners have alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government is not disclosing the actual figure of those affected by dengue and prayed for a direction to it to reveal the number of people who died of the disease and those found to be suffering from it.

On a prayer by another petitioner that dengue be declared an epidemic in the state, the AG submitted that it was an administrative issue and not in the domain of the judiciary.

The petitioners have also prayed for an adequate compensation to the kin of those who have died from dengue in the state this year.

The court adjourned the hearing in the PILs till November 24.

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The Supreme Court today asked the Centre as to why a draft scheme cannot be formulated for witness protection in the country when specific provisions in this regard were already there in the NIA Act.

It said that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) could at least come out with a draft programme for witness protection and asked Attorney General K K Venugopal to give his suggestions on the issue.

"In the NIA (National Investigation Agency) Act, there are specific provisions for witness protection. Why cannot it be there for all?," a bench comprising justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said.

"We understand there are lakhs of cases but it can be done for sensitive cases. Why cannot the Ministry of Home Affairs make out some draft programme on witness protection?" the bench said.

The apex court also asked all the states to file their reply on the issue of implementation of their respective witness protection programme within six weeks.

Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, who has been appointed as an amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter, told the bench that he has written a letter to the Centre and all the chief secretaries and home secretaries on this issue.

The bench also sought to know from the states about their witness protection programmes and steps taken in this regard.

The issue of witness protection programme had cropped up when the apex court was hearing a PIL seeking protection for witnesses in rape cases involving self-styled preacher Asaram Bapu.

It had asked the petitioners, who are witnesses in case related to Asaram, to implead all the states as party on the issue of witness protection programme.

The petitioners have sought investigation into the instances of attacks and disappearances of witnesses in cases against Asaram.

The apex court had on March 24 questioned Haryana and Uttar Pradesh over the status of implementation of witness protection schemes till now and had directed them to provide security cover to the witnesses in rape cases against Asaram, who is at present in jail.

It had asked Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to provide security to the witnesses residing in their jurisdictions. While UP has three such witnesses, Haryana has one.

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The wife and brother of a farmer, who was strangled inside his house in a village in Shamli district, were arrested today for allegedly killing him, police said.

The 55-year-old farmer, Satpal, was killed on Wednesday night in Chadhawa village, police said.

During the investigation, the police found Satpal's brother Vinod Kumar and wife Minu were allegedly having an illegitimate relationship, Circle Officer Rajesh Kumar Tiwari told PTI.

Satpal was against their relationship, Tiwali said.

They have confessed to the crime and were sent to jail, he claimed.

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The driver of a pickup displaying an expletive-filled message to President Donald Trump and his supporters in the Houston area was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office records show Karen Fonseca was arrested about 2 pm yesterday on an outstanding fraud warrant issued in August by the Rosenberg Police Department. She remained in the county jail last night with bond set at USD 1,500.

A sheriff's spokesman has not answered a message seeking details behind the warrant.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls had threatened Fonseca with a disorderly conduct charge over the decal. However, District Attorney John Healey said he didn't think it would have been a prosecutable case.

Fonseca had said she would not remove the decal. She said she had been stopped by law officers, but that they have no grounds to issue a citation.

"It's not to cause hate or animosity," the 46-year-old Fonseca told the Houston Chronicle. "It's just our freedom of speech and we're exercising it."



Nehls on Wednesday posted a photo of the truck message on Facebook alongside a request to speak with the driver.

Nehls in his post said that a county prosecutor told him the message could warrant a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

But at a conference later Wednesday, he seemed to back away from that idea. Nehls said he supports freedom of speech but worried that profane messages could incite others and lead to confrontations that would disturb the peace he's pledged to keep.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff's office, which covers the county just southwest of Houston, said Thursday that Nehls' post was removed once the pickup driver was identified.

"Due to the hate messages he has been receiving toward his wife and children, the sheriff will not be commenting on the matter further," spokeswoman Caitilin Espinosa said by email.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas posted on Facebook that Fonseca's message is protected speech and urged her to reach out to the organization. The ACLU noted a 1971 US Supreme Court case that overturned the conviction of a man for disturbing the peace for wearing a jacket with an expletive as part of an effort to protest the military draft and the Vietnam War.

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today urged literary personalities and admirers of literature to enthusiastically participate in the World Telugu Conference to be organised here next month.

The state government-organised conference is being held under the aegis of the Telangana Sahitya Akademi from December 15 to 19 at different locations in the city.

"The whole city would be decked up with arches, gates, hoardings named after the famous poets who enriched not only the language but also our lives," he said.

Rao said the conference was part of an effort to preserve and strengthen the language. Recalling that Telugu has been hailed as a musical language, Rao said the language existed in Telangana for the past 2000 years.

"Telugu is known as the 'Ajanta Bhasha' where in all words end in vowel sounding connotations and a musical language having an ancient literary inheritance," Rao added.

"Nicholas Conti, a noted Western Professor called Telugu the 'Italian of the East', while Subrahmanya Bharathi, Tamil national poet, preferred to term it as 'Sundara Telungu' (beautiful Telugu)," Rao said.

"I request the officials and the administration along with the MLAs to treat the conduct of the conference as a matter of prestige. I call upon all the literary personalities and admirers of literature to make the conference a huge success," Rao said in a statement in the assembly.

The government recently issued orders making Telugu compulsory for all students from the primary to intermediate levels in the State, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Yemeni man who dressed as a hooded suicide bomber for a Halloween party has been fined in Malaysia for causing a public nuisance, his lawyer said today.

Amjad Jalal Ahmed Al-Dahan wore a fake beard and a cardboard belt with two empty water bottles taped to it.

He also had on a white robe with a scarf wrapped around his head at the party in an apartment complex in Petaling Jaya, a city next to Kuala Lumpur.

Al-Dahan, 34, pleaded guilty and was fined USD 100, the maximum fine for the offence, his lawyer Saraswathy Devi told AFP.

Largely Muslim Malaysia has arrested hundreds of suspected militants in recent years, including several people connected to the Abu Sayyaf group operating in the southern Philippines.

Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia have been on alert after Filipino militants backed by foreign fighters and waving the black Islamic State (IS) group flag seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi in May.

The Philippine government and security analysts said the attack on Marawi is part of an IS plan to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund's proposal to ditch its oil and gas shares, though hugely symbolic in the battle against climate change, is unlikely to cause a rush to the exit by major investors in the sector in the short term.

The move by the $1 trillion fund, the world's largest, rattled stock markets, exposing what is seen as one of the biggest threats to such as Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and BP as the world shifts towards renewable energy such as wind and solar.

But in the meantime, expectations of growing global demand for oil and gas for decades to come mean reliance on these is likely to continue.

And although the Norwegian initiative will encourage those seeking to hasten the move to a low-carbon economy, the degree to which other investors can follow the fund's example, at least in the short term, is less clear.

The European oil and gas index fell on Friday to its lowest since late September, extending declines following the Norwegian fund's announcement.

For some, it was seen as an opening shot in the decline of the 150-year-old sector in the battle to slow global warming and reduce carbon emissions, reminiscent of the demise of coal.

"The investor exit from oil and gas as a fuel source will be slower than coal, but the emissions reduction maths is clear and so this inevitable transition has started," said Nathan Fabian, director of policy at Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a United Nations-backed group that represents asset managers with holdings of over $60 trillion.

But other investors do not draw the same parallels.

"I do not see this as the start of a broader trend among major investors," said Rohan Murphy, an energy analyst at Allianz, which holds shares in several oil majors.

"Coal is a more obvious SRI (sustainable responsible investment) sell compared to oil and gas - coal is dirtier."

"Gas, which is a big part of all the big oil businesses today, is the answer for the medium-term energy transition to gas from coal for power generation," Murphy said.

Petroleum see natural gas as a cleaner alternative to coal for power generation in the effort to wean the world off fossil fuels by the end of the century.

"Many wish for a quick and revolutionary role reversal between the oil and gas industry, and the renewable and new electric industry. But undue haste and an overly ideological approach could bring great economic and social damage," Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in a speech last month.

Also, demand for oil in transportation and plastics is not expected to decline significantly until 2050, according to many forecasts.

The Norwegian announcement came as more than 195 nations met in Bonn, Germany, to decide how to comply with climate targets agreed in Paris in 2015 to limit a rise in global temperatures.

Scale

But beyond our dependence on oil and gas, the size of the world's top oil companies would make mass divestment a huge challenge. The top five publicly traded companies - Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP and Total - together have a market value of over $1 trillion.

Coal companies, on the other hand, have always been smaller.

For now, there is no viable alternative to oil and gas to meet the world's demand, several investors said.

"My guess is that after the initial market adjustment ... the move may not damage the sector's long-term performance significantly," said Kevin Gardiner, global investment strategist at Rothschild Wealth Management.

The Norwegian wealth fund's move, echoing Saudi Arabia's plan to list part of its national oil company, was aimed at making Norway less exposed to volatile oil prices and less reliant on revenue from fossil fuels.

If approved, it would most likely take years for the Norwegian fund to unwind its large investments in the sector and find new homes for the money.

And while there is also growing demand from retail investors to invest in 'responsible' or 'sustainable' funds, oil and gas companies are not commonly excluded and any change here would be gradual.

Dropping oil and gas companies would also mean missing out on a rich source of dividend income, a prized asset at a time of low bond yields.

Three - Shell, Exxon and Gazprom - were among the top-10 dividend payers globally in the third quarter.

In absolute terms, the number of oil and gas companies in leading stock indices varies, with 14 in the STOXX 600 index of leading European companies, or 2.3 percent; and 26 in the S&P 500, or 5.2 percent.

The size of some of the largest can have a disproportionate impact on returns relative to their index peers. While there are just two companies in Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 index, for example, they make up 14 percent of the index's value.

While the Norwegian fund has long been a trendsetter for issues around socially responsible investing, particularly in Scandinavia, the reason for this decision is relatively unique. Its desire to make treasury receipts less dependent on the oil price is not a challenge faced by most pension funds, which make up a large slice of the money invested globally.

Any decision to ditch oil and gas would arguably leave them less diversified, not more, said investors, although charitable endowments may have more flexibility to do so.
By Adam Jourdan and Matthew Miller

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - China Huishan Dairy Holdings Co Ltd is preparing for provisional liquidation in a legal escalation of one of the most spectacular collapses by a one-time darling of the Hong Kong market.

Shares in the mainland group have been suspended since they plunged 85 percent without warning in March, after which it revealed missed loan payments and the disappearance of its finance director.

The announcement late on Thursday that it has instructed lawyers to prepare for provisional liquidation is seen as a sign that Huishan's creditors are seeking a more active role in the multi-jurisdictional battle over the fate of the group.

Huishan's debts totalled at least 38 billion yuan ($5.73 billion) at the end of July, according to a work-out plan seen by .

Earlier this month it said it had come to an agreement with most of its mainland creditors. The biggest of these include Bank of China Ltd, which has submitted claims for 4.36 billion yuan, along with China Minsheng Banking Corp Ltd and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd.

Creditors of its Hong Kong-listed unit include a consortium of banks led by HSBC Holdings PLC, China CITIC Bank International Ltd and Hang Seng Bank Ltd, which extended a syndicated loan to the listed vehicle.

The announcement provided no indication as to whether the restructuring plan announced earlier this month would move forward, or whether offshore creditors would cooperate with those efforts.

The situation is being monitored closely by Huishan creditors, especially unsecured creditors that stand to lose the most in a court-ordered sale of company assets.

Deloitte, which earlier was hired by Huishan as an independent forensic accountant, is the leading candidate to act as provisional liquidator, people familiar with the matter told Reuters, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Deloitte was not immediately available to comment.

Further complicating the situation is a move by Ping An Bank Co Ltd, which claims it is owed 2.4 billion yuan, to institute a separate provisional liquidation of Champ Harvest Ltd, the main vehicle of Huishan's chairman and majority shareholder, Yang Kai.

Champ Harvest is registered in the British Virgin Islands, while the listed unit of Huishan is domiciled in the Cayman Islands where the company is preparing for provisional liquidation.

Ping An Bank did not respond to a request for comment.

Deloitte, in its forensic analysis, estimated that Huishan's total assets at the end of June amounted to 25.9 billion yuan. Most of those assets, Huishan said in its Thursday filing, are held through subsidiaries based in mainland China.

"Any debt restructuring of those assets and liabilities would be subject to PRC law," Huishan said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

Bankers said the latest move could be a headache for offshore creditors.

"You can't rule out that this provisional liquidation is a way of forcing some opposing creditors to accept its debt restructuring plans," said Meng Shen, director of Chanson & Co, a boutique investment bank based in Beijing.

Huishan was billed as the country's biggest integrated dairy firm when it went public in 2013. It raised additional funds after listing by leasing its cows and selling wealth management products through what it called "innovative financing".

Huishan gave little indication of its financial health in Thursday's filing, only that its subsidiaries in China likely had around 10.5 billion yuan in combined net liabilities as of the end of March, without giving further details.

($1 = 6.6332 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Adam Jourdan in SHANGHAI and Matthew Miller in BEIJIJNG; Additional reporting by Twinnie Siu and Umesh Desai; Editing by Jennifer Hughes and Christopher Cushing)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Suvashree Choudhury and Parikshit Mishra

MUMBAI/BENGALURU (Reuters) - Moody's Investors Services lifted India's local and foreign currency debt ratings, saying that continued progress on economic and institutional reform will enhance India's high growth potential.

Moody's said it was lifting India's rating to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed its rating outlook to stable from positive, saying that at the Baa2 level risks to India's credit profile were broadly balanced.

Indian markets are poised for a big rally on Friday following Moody's unexpected rating upgrade, traders said.

Moody's said the recently-introduced goods and services tax (GST), a landmark reform that turned India's 29 states into a single customs union for the first time, will boost productivity by removing barriers to interstate trade.

"In the meantime, while India's high debt burden remains a constraint on the country's credit profile, Moody's believes that the reforms put in place have reduced the risk of a sharp increase in debt, even in potential downside scenarios," the ratings agency said in a statement.

Still, some market participants questioned the timing of the move.

"The timing is little dicey for the upgrade given that there are lot of concerns over the government's fiscal discipline," said a foreign bank dealer, adding he did not expect other agencies to follow Moody's.

GDP TO MODERATE

Moody's said it expects India's real GDP growth to moderate to 6.7 percent in the fiscal year ending in March 2018 from 7.1 percent a year earlier.

Moody's also raised India's local currency senior unsecured debt rating to Baa2 from Baa3 and its short-term local currency rating to P-2 from P-3.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi eased tax requirements last month for small- and medium-sized companies in response to growing criticism of its economic stewardship.

Moody's noted that while a number of key reforms remain at the design phase, it believes those already implemented will advance the government's objective of improving the business climate, enhancing productivity and stimulating investment.

"Longer term, India's growth potential is significantly higher than most other Baa-rated sovereigns," said Moody's.

The agency said challenges from implementation of the GST, ongoing weakness in private sector investment, slow progress with resolution of banking sector asset quality issues, and lack of progress in land and labour reform remained key issues.

India's bank recapitalization plan and a push to resolve its bad loans issue by reforming the bankruptcy code were beginning to address a key weakness in India's sovereign credit profile, said Moody's.

The Indian government last month announced a $32 billion recapitalisation of state lenders to help resolve non-performing loans (NPLs) and kick-start lending growth.

"While the capital injection will modestly increase the government's debt burden in the near term, it should enable banks to move forward with the resolution of NPLs," said Moody's.

(Reporting by Parikshit Mishra and Akshay Lodaya in Bengaluru and Suvashree Choudhury and Euan Rocha in Mumbai; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Eric Meijer)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Reuters) - British builder Carillion issued its third profit warning of the year on Friday, saying it was at risk of breaching year-end financial covenants and would need to recapitalise.

The construction and support services provider said it needed to delay its financial covenants dates until April 30 and was talking to stakeholders.

"This will require some form of recapitalisation, which could involve a restructuring of the balance sheet. The Board expects to commence steps to implement the chosen option during the first quarter of 2018 and a further announcement will be made in due course," it said.

"Whilst we continue to target cash collections, reduce costs, execute disposals and focus on delivering for our customers, it is clear that significant challenges remain and more needs to be done to reduce net debt and rebuild the balance sheet, Interim Chief Executive Keith Cochrane said.

"A combination of delays to certain PPP (Public-Private Partnership) disposals, a slippage in the commencement date of a significant project in the Middle East and lower-than-expected margin improvements across a small number of UK Support Services contracts....will lead to profits for the year being materially lower than current market expectations," Carillion said in a statement.

It expects average net borrowing in 2017 to be 875-925 million pounds and that this, coupled with its latest forecasts, would mean a covenant breach.

Carillion in October agreed to new credit facilities and deferrals on some debt repayments.

A month earlier it had said it would be in compliance with its financial covenants.

Analysts have estimated Carillion's debts including provisions, pensions and accounts payable at about 1.5 billion pounds ($1.98 billion).

Its market capitalisation of less than 180 million pounds has fallen by two-thirds since July when it booked an 845 million pound writedown on problematic construction contracts, triggering a profit warning and the departure of its CEO.

It issued a second profit warning in September.

($1 = 0.7557 pounds)

(Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; editing by Jason Neely)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Virgin Hyperloop One on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Karnataka Urban Development Department (KUDD) and the Maharashtra government to identify potential routes to improve mobility in both the states and connect high growth cities. The hyperloop mode uses technology in which a vehicle in a special tunnel floats above the track, using magnetic levitation, at a top speed of over 1,000 km per hour.

Besides Karnataka and Maharashtra, the company will also study the hyperloop possibility in Andhra Pradesh. The company would work with partners in these states and help navigate the regulatory requirements. The preliminary study is intended to analyse the applicability and benefits of hyperloop technology, identifying high priority routes in these states, and inform the state governments on the project viability.

"Bengaluru has been the IT hubs of the country, and all major tech giants have been functioning out of the regions. The introduction of a technology like hyperloop will further add to the pace at which the state wants to grow," said Priyank Karghe, ITBT and tourism, Karnataka. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said: "A hyperloop route requires high-density traffic to become viable as a means of rapid public transit. "Mumbai and Pune, the most and seventh most populous cities in India respectively, have the potential to provide an optimal route with a high density." By reducing travel time to under 20 minutes, a hyperloop route will help intensify the connectivity between the metropolitan regions of Pune and Mumbai, transforming the two cities into India's first and largest Megapolis, he added.



The company claims the Virgin Hyperloop One technology was successfully tested at its test track in the Nevada desert in the US this summer. The company is working on similar projects in the UAE, the US, Canada, Finland and the Netherlands. "We recognise the vital role of technology in larger initiatives like that of Digital India, and we strongly believe that Virgin Hyperloop One can be a strong addition to this initiative," said Nick Earle, SVP Global Field Operations, Virgin Hyperloop One. "India is one of the most important geographies for developing hyperloop networks and reimagining the complete transportation system. With this preliminary study, we are excited to initiate the buildup of a strong foothold that we foresee in future throughout the state," he added.

Embracing disruptive innovations like hyperloop will improve connectivity and accessibility to enable transportation within major cities. In the project comes to fruition, the network could create the largest connected urban area in the world by linking over 75 million people across Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.

With PTI inputs
If you are a Paytm customer, you can now have access to instant interest-free short-term digital credit by ICICI Bank. Paytm, country's largest digital wallet, has tied up with private sector lender ICICI Bank to offer its customers up to Rs 20,000 interest free credit for the first time for everyday uses ranging from movies to bill payments to flights and white goods. The amount would remain interest free for a period of 45 days. Thereafter, an interest of 3 per cent will be levied.

Initially, however, the offer would be available for select customers of the bank using the Paytm app. But will shortly be made available to non-ICICI Bank customers as well.

The new Paytm-ICICI Bank Postpaid offer is a digital credit account with instant activation. It requires no hassles of documentation or branch visit, while activation is fully online. Moreover, it doesn't involve any joining or hidden administration fees.

Available round the clock, it is based on a new Big Data based algorithm by ICICI Bank for real-time credit assessment of customers. The algorithm uses an intelligent combination of financial and digital behaviour of the customer including credit bureau check, purchase patterns, frequency of purchase to ascertain the credit - worthiness of a customer within a few seconds.

Also, Paytm-ICICI Bank Postpaid will also offer a quick checkout to customers with the Paytm Passcode.

Here's how the offer works: After the credit is availed, a consolidated bill will be generated on the first day of the next month, which has to be paid by the 15th day of the same month. Customers can pay using Paytm Wallet, debit card or internet banking of any bank.

"We believe our customers are sincere with their payments and Paytm Postpaid will play a major role in helping them pay for their daily expenses on time. This will democratise access to credit including those with less disposable income," said founder and CEO - Paytm, Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
In the wake of push from world powers to reduce carbon emission and India's readiness to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement, 2016, Japanese auto giants Toyota and Suzuki have decided to work collaboratively to introduce electric cars in India by 2020. India is the world's fifth biggest car market, and car companies see a lot of potential considering the Indian government's ambitious plans to convert the entire vehicle fleet in the country to electric by 2030.

The Japanese auto majors signed a deal and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in February. Suzuki - which holds 50 per cent passenger vehicle market share through its subsidiary Maruti - and Toyota - the world's largest automotive manufacturer- will soon sign another MOU on considering a cooperative structure for the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs). A company statement said while Toyota would provide technical support, Suzuki would produce EVs and supply some vehicles to Toyota.

Both the companies also plan a comprehensive study on charging stations, training for sales network staff members, and treatment of batteries, Suzuki said in a statement. Sources said Suzuki could make electric motors and batteries at a recently opened plant in Gujarat where it also plans to construct lithium-ion batteries. The Indian government has already decided to cut tax on EVs from 29 per cent to 12 per cent.

With rising pollution levels, especially in Northern India, the government is pushing ministries and government departments to go for greener cars. State-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd, which is spearheading the government's electric mobility programme in India, is planning to come up with a fresh tender of 10,000 units by the end of this fiscal year.

EESL, a joint venture of four power PSUs - NTPC, REC, PFC and POWERGRID - had in the past disrupted the LED bulb industry by floating bulk tenders that lead to a eight-fold decline in price of a 9 watt LED bulb in three years. In the case of electric vehicles, an industry still in its infancy in the country, it is trying a similar trick to provide a springboard for manufacturing of electric cars in the country. In August earlier this year, it came out with its first tender of 10,000 vehicles. The first phase of 500 vehicles is being supplied by the two successful bidders - Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra.
HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of mortgage lender HDFC, on Friday made its stock market debut on BSE and NSE.

The firm listed with an over 7 per cent premium against its issue price of Rs 290. The stock debuted at Rs 311, up 7.24 per cent from the issue price on the BSE.

At 12:25 pm, the stock was trading 17.83 percent or 51.70 points higher at 341 level on the BSE.

The life insurance firm's stock price later soared 27.24 per cent to Rs 369. On the NSE, it listed at Rs 310, reflecting a gain of 6.89 per cent.

It closed at Rs 344, up 18.71 percent over its issue price and 10.69 percent over its opening price.

The company's market valuation stood at Rs 69,671.19 crore. The Rs 8,695-crore IPO of the company was oversubscribed 4.90 times during November 7-9. The qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) portion was oversubscribed 16.60 times, non-institutional investors 2.29 times and retail investors 94 per cent, data available with the NSE showed. Price band for the offer was fixed at Rs 275-290 per share.

The IPO comprised sale of 1,91,246,050 equity shares, amounting to 9.55 per cent stake, by HDFC Ltd and up to 1,08,581,768 scrips, or 5.42 per cent, holding by Standard Life Mauritius.

HDFC Standard Life 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. 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 insurer's solvency ratio as at March 31, 2015, March 31, 2016, March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017 was 196.1%, 198.4%, 191.6% and 197.5%, respectively. IRDAI has prescribed a minimum 150% solvency ratio limit.

The solvency ratio is derived out of the solvency margin (available solvency margin to required solvency margin) which denotes the amount by which the assets of the insurer exceed its liabilities.

The insurer had a balance sheet with total net worth of Rs 4,150 crore. The life insurer generated profit after tax of Rs 886.92 crore and delivered a return on equity of 25.6%, return on invested capital of 40.7% and operating return on embedded value of 21.7% during fiscal 2017.

As at June 30, 2017, the firm had total assets under management (AUMs) of Rs 94,750 crore and Indian Embedded Value of Rs 13,220 crore.
The subscription for Bharat 22 ETF closes today. The PSU exchange traded fund (ETF) has been in news since it was launched as a part of the Narendra Modi government's divestment drive on August 10, 2017. The government had earlier approved the alternative mechanism through the ETF route to divest its stake in CPSEs. This is the second ETF after CPSE ETF was launched by the government in March 2014.

The CPSE ETF was launched in March 2014 for raising funds through disinvestment of government's share in public sector undertakings. We compare the two ETFs and find out the better option among the two.

Also read: Bharat 22 ETF's subscription in progress: Should you invest?

1. CPSE ETF has 10 stocks of Maharatna and Navaratna firms which are as follows.

ONGC, Coal India, Indian Oil , GAIL India, Power Finance Corp, Rural Electrification Corporation, Container Corporation of India, BHEL, Oil India and Engineers India.

The Bharat 22 ETF comprises 22 stocks. It has leading blue-chips such as ITC (through SUUTI) with 15.2 percent weightage, State Bank of India with 8.6 percent weightage, and Axis Bank (through SUUTI) with 7.7 percent weightage. Bank of Baroda, Bharat Electronics, Bharat Petroleum Corp, Coal India, Engineers India, Gail India, Indian Bank, Indian Oil Corp, Larsen & Toubro, National Aluminium Co, NBCC (India), NHPC, NLC India, NTPC, Oil & Natural Gas Corp, Power Finance Corp, Power Grid Corp of India, Rural Electrification Corp and SJVN are the other constituents of the fund. The fund consists of stocks from six sectors such as capital goods, finance, oil & gas, power, FMCG and metal, metal products and mining.

Hence, Bharat 22 ETF is more diversified than CPSE ETF.

2. The government gave a five per cent discount at the launch of CPSE ETF to retail investors and again those who held the ETF for at least a year got one fifth loyalty bonus.

A discount of 3 per cent has been offered to all categories of investors in Bharat 22 ETF.

3. The CPSE ETF has clocked 4.56 percent returns till date. In terms of returns till November 15, the constituents of the two funds are given below. An ETF is a traded security that tracks an underlying asset like a group of companies or commodity.

Bharat 22 ETF

CPSE ETF
Mumbai's biggest public transport infrastructure project, the 33.5 kilometer Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ corridor fully underground metro line, is finally taking shape on ground after years of planning.

Five tunnel boring machines (TBM), out of 17 to be in service by March, have started digging the twin tunnel, about 25 metres down the earth. The metro line -3, passing through the heart of Mumbai from Cuffe Parade - Bandra-Kurla Complex to SEEPZ with 27 stations (26 underground plus one at grade) covering six business districts and catering to 30 lakh people, is expected to be operational in 2021, Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) told Business Today.

MMRC is a 50:50 joint venture special purpose vehicle between the Govt. of India (GOI) and Govt. of Maharashtra (GOM) to execute the Metro-3, a Rs 23,136 crore project. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding 57 percent or Rs 13,235 crore of the project. Balance funding will be made available by Govt. of India, Govt. of Maharashtra through MMRDA in the form of equity and subordinate debt and funds from MIAL(Mumbai International Airport), as the line passes through both domestic and international airport.

The Line-3, as part of the master plan for a nine corridor metro network in Mumbai, initially was conceived as an elevated one in a public-private project mode, but later was decided to execute as a public funded fully underground metro system.

"As of now, 14 per cent of the work has been completed, contractors have started civil construction of tunnels and stations and the remaining 16 packages which mainly include rolling stock, electrical, signaling, security, etc. will be decided by May", said Ashwini Bhide.

Civil works and station contracts, each packages worth about Rs 2200-2700 crore, were won by consortiums of L&T and STEC China (2), HCC-MMS of Russia, Soma-Dogus, CEC-ITD-Tata Projects and J. Kumar-CRTG (2). For the Rolling stock contract, likely to be worth Rs 3,000 crore, five companies have been shortlisted - Hitachi, BHEL-Kawasaki, Alstom, Spanish company CAF and CRRC Nanjing.

JICA has already released the first tranche of Rs 4500 crore and close to 60 per cent of this has been spent, said the managing director.

Being underground, the total land required for the project is only 78.67 hectares, of which Government owned land constitutes 75.22 hectares. About 2600 structures, 19 buildings and 600 families are being rehabilitated. Of this, 2000 are part of slum redevelopment plans. MMRL will also commercially utilise the space, once the project takes off.

Ashwini Bhide said tunneling would be completed in two years. About 10 million cubic metres of sand and rock will be evacuated from the 6 metre plus diameter twin tunnels. Once all the 17 imported boring machines, each worth about Rs 80 crore, are in action 1500 truckloads of muck will come out every day. Contractors have been advised to fill the debris in about 130 vacant quarries outside Mumbai.

Done in two phases, the metro line will have a capacity to carry 17 lakh passengers per day.
Old Main

LOGAN  An article in the student newspaper at Utah State University raised concerns about a possible lack of student input and transparency into how differential tuition funds at the Huntsman School of Business are being spent. The schools Associate Dean Dave Patel released a statement in response to the article.

<blockquote class=twitter-tweet data-lang=en><p lang=en dir=ltr xml:lang=en>BREAKING: the <a href=https://twitter.com/huntsmanschool?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>@huntsmanschool</a> sent this out to its students in response to our story. <a href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/uted?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>#uted</a> <a href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/utpol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>#utpol</a> <a href=https://t.co/jhI7uX4LSL>pic.twitter.com/jhI7uX4LSL</a>

 Utah Statesman ? (@UtahStatesman) <a href=https://twitter.com/UtahStatesman/status/931291854380789760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>

<script charset=utf-8 type=text/javascript src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js></script>

The <a href=http://usustatesman.com/8-million-huntsman-school-differential-tuition-spent-without-input-students-pay/ target=_blank>article in the Utah Statesman</a> stated that the usage of the funds, which is more than $8 million annually, is supposed to be decided by an advisory board, and that the board has never met. In his letter, Patel clarified how the funds are used, explained the need for differential tuition and contended that students do have input.

Patel admitted that the advisory board has never met. He stated it was formed two years ago in order to provide recommendations as to how the funds are spent, and that it is supposed to meet annually.

The lack of two meetings of the body was the subject of a recent article in the Utah Statesman, Patel said in the statement. We have scheduled a meeting for the first week of December.

The letter states that school representatives meet continually with a student leadership group, business ambassadors, school clubs and individual students to discuss how differential tuition funds are used.

Patel said the college will do better to work with all students, staff and faculty.
While much international attention has focused upon Russias joint strategic exercise with Belarus, Zapad 2017 in September, in its aftermath Moscow also staged important operational-strategic exercises on a wider scale across the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Not only was the geographical scope of these exercises greater than Zapad 2017, but their various vignettes and scenario details provide glimpses into Moscows planning and modelling of future conflict on its periphery.

BACKGROUND: On October 3, the operational-strategic exercises (operativno-strategicheskikh ucheniy) of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) commenced with its first stage in Armenia. Boyevoye Bratstvo 2017 (Combat Brotherhood 2017) as the series of exercises were designated, also involved CSTO forces rehearsing peacekeeping operations in Kazakhstan, concluding with an antiterrorist stage in Tajikistan in November; each of these exercise elements mainly drew upon the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (ollektivnyye Sily Operativnogo Reagirovaniya KSOR).

Boyevoye Bratstvo 2017 resembled the format of the Zapad exercise, though broken into three stages in Armenia, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan and involved a parallel exercise for CSTO intelligence and reconnaissance troops held in Southern Military District (MD). Indeed, the entire CSTO exercise was placed under the command of the Southern Joint Strategic Command. The overall reported force strength for Boyevoye Bratstvo 2017 was 12,000, like Zapad just below the threshold of the OSCE Vienna Agreement and likely to have been considerable larger in reality. The ten-day exercise in Armenia, Vzaimodeystviye 2017, featured forces from all CSTO members (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan) rehearsing a collective response to a terrorist incursion into one member state. Officially the total force strength was 2,500 but this is most likely an underestimation, since the Armenia-Russia united group of forces was reportedly involved and Russias 102nd base in the country has 3,300 personnel. However, the deployment of KSOR, larger-scale force groupings, aspects of the combat support used and reference to a conventional enemy in the exercise scenario suggest Vzaimodeystviye 2017 focused on interstate conflict.

According to sources in Russias Southern MD, the exercise worked on interoperability of forces involving tactical episodes using motorized rile, tank and artillery, airborne units and combat aviation. Air defense units were tasked with locating enemy UAVs, while reconnaissance units from the 102nd base in Gyumri used their own UAVs to detect sabotage groups and correct fire damage as part of the reconnaissance-strike system. Operational success was also attributed to use of electronic warfare (EW) forces, engineering troops, communications and medical, as well as nuclear, chemical and biological units. These defense ministry forces were also aided by specialist groups consisting of police, National Guard, Emergency Ministry troops and a unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia.

Nerushimoye Bratstvo 2017 (Unbreakable Brotherhood) was conducted in southern Kazakhstan, October 16-20, and focused on the use of KSOR in a peacekeeping role. Transport and assault helicopters were deployed to Kazakhstan during the exercise from Novosibirsk in Central MD. The senior leadership of the CSTO specified that the scenario modelled a peacekeeping operation by the collective forces deployed on the territory of a non-member state. This may well have had in mind ongoing and future Russian-led peacekeeping missions in Syria, alongside Moscow airing the idea of a limited UN mandated peacekeeping operation in Donbas to protect OSCE personnel. Valery Semerikov, CSTO deputy secretary-general, said that if the political decision was reached then CSTO forces could well be used in such a peacekeeping role in these theaters.

The official number of personnel in Nerushimoye Bratstvo 2017 was 1,500 and the exercise worked on the practical skills of commanders and staff officer to prepare a collective peacekeeping operation and to enhance the interoperability of the CSTO units. This extended into practicing negotiating skills, escorting the delivery of humanitarian supplies, carrying out duties at checkpoints and observation posts, in addition to offensive actions such as blocking and destroying training camps for militants and generally improving field training. Additionally the exercise in Kazakhstan included specialist forces conducting psychological operations (PSYOPS) and information warfare (IW). The level of sophistication involved and the timing of the peacekeeping exercise imply serious consideration by Moscow and other CSTO capitals to launching such a mission in the future.

IMPLICATIONS: The CSTO operational-strategic exercises Boyevoye Bratstvo 2017 were conducted in three stages to rehearse Russian-led military intervention in conflicts erupting in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. These were framed under a unified exercise concept, with attention focused on the elite CSTO KSOR; it tested command and control, interoperability among national forces, support measures and inter-agency cooperation between national security forces. The forces were placed under the command of Russias Southern MD, which functions as a Joint Strategic Command during military operations.

Boyevoye Bratstvo 2017 rehearsed a range of plausible interventions in these theaters, primarily linked to terrorist-related themes. However, in the case of the Armenian theater, the conduct of the exercise and the combat units and supporting units suggest a conventional adversary was envisaged. Equally, the peacekeeping exercise in Kazakhstan appeared to ready CSTO forces to deploy beyond their area of responsibility either in Syria or Ukraine, if mandated to do so. The KSOR deployment to the exercise in Tajikistan in November will focus more on insurgency spreading into Central Asia from instability in Afghanistan.

In all of these cases it appears that the underlying message is that Moscow wants to avoid acting alone and seeks a CSTO umbrella for future operations. Despite this, Russian forces would clearly form the backbone of such a collective force grouping, with overall command placed under one of its Joint Strategic Commands.

The culmination of Russias summer combat training appears to have come in two stages, with parallel exercises around the time of Zapad 2017, followed by Boyevoye Bratstvo 2017 as an additional operational-strategic exercise. Each of these show levels of concern on the part of Russias General Staff regarding the type and location of future conflicts on Russias periphery coupled with a search for reliable allies.

Moscow seems buoyed by the operational experience its Armed Forces gained in Ukraine and Syria, and wants to infuse such confidence into the CSTO for possible support in fresh operations. The forces participating in the CSTO operational-strategic exercises imply preparation for a broad spectrum of operations in the South Caucasus or Central Asia. This includes more emphasis on combat support supplied by EW forces, extending across rehearsing the use and application of IW and PSYOPS in differing theaters and conflict types. There was also a renewed focus upon exploiting UAVs and in countering these on the part of enemy forces.

CONCLUSIONS: Moscow sees potential threats to Russias security in its south-western and southern strategic directions. Yet the modelling of a role for KSOR in peacekeeping operations beyond the territories of its members is also a signal of Moscows political confidence, as well as an indicator of a desire to avoid unilateral actions if possible. Boyevoye Bratstvo 2017, coming so soon after Zapad 2017, deserves closer attention, as it serves to illustrate advances in Russias application of military power and serious political consideration to using it when needed on its periphery. Moscow will try to convince its allies that risks are manageable.

AUTHORS BIO: Roger N. McDermott is a Research Associate, the Institute of Middle East, Central Asia and Caucasus Studies (MECACS), University of St. Andrews, Scotland.

Image source: By kremlin.ru accessed on 11.17. 2017
The 60th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, CPA, meeting in Cameroon from 2-10 October, 2014 ended in a sterling success with over 600 delegates from all nine regions of the Commonwealth returning home fully satisfied. The event also ended with Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, MP and Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament elected CPA Chairperson of CPA Executive Committee for the next three years. CT

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Little did anyone foresee that the Deputy Speaker of the Cameroons Parliament and organising coordinator of the 60th CPC gathering, Hon Monjowa Lifaka Emilia was actually warming up for greater things ahead. Hon. Monjowa has finally made it this year by acceding to the prestigious post of Chair of the CPA last 7 November, 2017 in Dhaka, Bangladesh during the 63rd General Assembly of the association.



The crushing victory she recorded by obtaining 107 votes as against 70 for her rivals the Rt. Hon Niki Rattlen, Speaker of the Cooks Island and 15 votes for the Rt. Hon. Shirley Osborne Speaker of Montserrat could easily be linked to several factors.



Firstly, President Paul Biya opened up the floodgates for a bright parliamentary prospects not only by receiving the Commonwealth delegates in Yaounde three years ago, but equally enabled another illustrious son of Cameroon, Martin Chungong to occupy the post of Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.



As Vice Patron of the 60th CPA, the Head of State chaired the opening ceremony and expressed the joy of Cameroon to host the cream of parliaments and urged them to work for the good of the people.



Secondly, if Honourable Monjowa, herself talks of the support of President Biya that has enabled her to accede to her new office within the CPA, it is certainly due to the efficient diplomatic prowess that he has engaged in over the years not only to get sons and daughters of Cameroon ensure a breakthrough in international forums, but also his determination to place Cameroon at a central position in such institutions like the Commonwealth, the International Organisation of the Francophonie, the International Islamic Organisation and so on. Joining such associations and getting Cameroon effectively present at a high-level each time they hold international conferences has given much respect and honour to the country and its candidates at key posts of responsibility.



Most Cameroonians must have of late recognised the attractiveness and might of the Pan-African Parliament under the leadership of Hon. Nkodo Dang.



Such a bright face presented by Cameroonians at the international level quickly point to the third reason for the continuous strides the countrys candidates keep cutting across. Mature and level-headed people groomed within institutional values in the country have often had to take such experiences to impact their colleagues abroad.



The list of those who are currently into international organisations like Hon Monjowa Lifaka has just done may be too long to cite here, but each person who has done so before or is currently exercising an international duty is excelling. Such a performance not only reflects the methodical process that Cameroon has to place the right person at the right place, it equally indicates a winning strategy that the Head of the countrys diplomacy has in place.



The new CPA chairperson will in that same line of gluing achievements by Cameroonians at such high positions concive strategies to drive home that winning image of citizens of Cameroon at such institutions.



Hon Monjowa already displayed that spirit of victory and coherence when she coordinated the CPA event in Cameroon in 2014. Moving on to occupy the chair of the CPA three years after is a sign of confidence and admiration that others have for Cameroon, its citizens and leadership.



Richard KWANG KOMETA

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The finance experts from over 140 countries are elaborating measures to enhance information exchange for tax purposes in order to effectively tackle illicit financial flow.

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Finance officials are meeting in Yaounde to elaborate measures to enhance information exchange for tax purposes. The taxation stakeholders, who are bent on effectively tackling illicit financial flow across the world, are gathered under the canopy of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.



While officially opening the 10th plenary meeting of the Global Forum, Cameroons Minister of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey lauded the participating delegates for their commitment in combating the scourge which deprives States of millions of development money.



According to the Minister of Finance, we have witnessed in the past fifteen years a situation which is impacting negatively our countriesWe need to collect more domestic revenue. Alamine Ousmane Mey told Cameroon Tribune they have implemented special entities in charge of monitoring exchanges between Cameroon and the rest of the world.



To Josee Maria Garde, Chair of the Global Forum, international tax evasion has been top on the agenda of political leaders, who continue to underscore the need to battle the menace. She noted that the African continent was particularly being hit hard by the global malpractice.



After the opening yesterday of the Global Forum which ends on Friday November 17, 2017, a high-level panel meeting of African Ministers of Finance was held. The panel discussion focused on: Fighting illicit flows through international tax cooperation: A call for action in Africa.



Going by officials, the Global Forum is the multilateral framework within which work in the area of tax transparency and exchange of information is carried out by over 140 jurisdictions, which participate on an equal footing. The Forum, which is an offshoot of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, has set new standards for information exchange.



The ongoing plenary seeks to encourage the development of tax compliance through joint/targeted audit procedures as well as promote the fight against international tax evasion and fraud orchestrated by multinational companies which transfer profits to jurisdictions with zero or low taxation. It is coming after the publication of the Panama Papers and the Paradise Papers.



Cameroon became a member of the Global Forum in 2012. The country has undergone a peer review with respect to the implementation of set standards. The country received a Largely Complaint rating in 2016.



AMINDEH Blaise ATABONG

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| BY Ricki Green |

The 2017 Epica Awards have been presented in Berlin, with Grand Prix winners from Canada, the United States, Poland, Germany and France. The jury decided to award two film Grand Prix this year, one for a film supporting a nonprofit organisation and one for a commercial for an online retailer.

McCann Worldgroup has taken out the Network of the Year title and BBDO New York was named Agency of the Year.

Founded 31 years ago, Epica is the only worldwide creative award judged by journalists from the marketing, design and advertising press Including Campaign Brief representing Australia and New Zealand), as well as specialist reporters in fields ranging from production to VR and luxury branding.

Australia picked up one Silver and four Bronze at the 2017 Awards. CHE Proximity led the Australian agency pack winning a Silver for Cochlear The Hearing Test In Disguise and a Bronze for Velocity Frequent Flyer The Billion Point Giveaway. Aussie agencies scoring one Bronze Award each include Innocean Worldwide Australia for Hyundai Binoculars, Fenton Stephens for Master Builders Association of Victoria Tap Fail and Paul Gawman for News Corp Flail  Renewable energy.

Says Spencer Baim, Epica jury president and chief strategic officer of Vice Media: This year more than ever, brands have a resposibility to put a positive message out into the world. Our winners do that, while also representing the best of branding, messaging, storytelling and smart design.

The Digital Grand Prix was won by BETC (France) for its much lauded Like My Addiction campaign, featuring a fake Instagram influencer who turns out to be an alcoholic.

Scholz & Friends from Germany won the Press Grand Prix with a simple yet powerful image that builds stacked newspapers into a visual pun featuring a bullying Donald Trump.

Says Matthias Spaetgens, chief creative officer of Scholz & Friends: Winning a Grand Prix for our campaign for the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel makes us feel extremely happy, especially when the creative work is not judged by the creative industry itself but by critical journalists.

Says Stephane Xiberras, executive creative officer at BETC Paris: It is a great honour to win the Digital Epica Grand Prix this year and a great recognition of our work. It is particularly significant for us since the Like my addiction campaign partly owes its success to its massive international press coverage, which made it possible to turn this Instagram page into a global campaign, and most importantly, to raise awareness about the danger of addiction on a worldwide scale.

The Outdoor Grand Prix went to McCann New York for the widely celebrated Fearless Girl, who faces down the famous bull on Wall Street in what began as a symbol of female leadership for State Street Global Advisors and turned into an icon that captures a turning point in history.

The Design Grand Prix went to KBS Canada for its living logo for Innocence Canada, an organisation fighting to free wrongly convincted prisoners.

Says Matt Hassell, chief creative officer, KBS: We knew immediately that this design work needed to acknowledge the past exonerees, the current staff and donors. The logo itself was created to reclaim the typical prison tally marks to express both a human touch and progress towards overturning wrongful conviction. In this way, it serves as a measurement of success and a reminder that much work is still to be done.

There were two Film Grand Prix this year as the jury wanted to award both a stunning public interest film and a superbly crafted commercial.

Evan by BBDO New York cunningly misdirects the viewer to watch an unfolding school romance while a shooting is being prepared, unnoticed, in the background.

English for Beginners by Polands Bardzo is a warm, witty and beautiful spot for Allegro.pl (the Polish equivalent of eBay) about an older man who painstakingly learns English so that he can communicate with his new grand-daughter when he visits London.

Says Hubert Stadnicki, founder, owner and creative director, Bardzo: As Epica is the only festival with a jury of marketing journalists, we can be sure our campaign was judged by people with a thorough, up to date and possibly the widest knowledge of the marketing world. He added that the campaign was by no means created to win awards. It was made for our client to a specific brief. It met all the marketing objectives and before being entered for festivals had been loved by millions of viewers around the world.

Entrants & Entries by Country

This year Epica received 3350 entries from 71 countries, down on the previous year due to the Publicis awards hiatus and a lower participation by WPP agencies. Having said that, twice as many entries were received from China and Taiwan, 50% more from Malaysia and three times as many from Poland. New countries this year included Pakistan and Kenya.

Rob Reilly, global creative chairman from McCann Worldgroup said: The Fearless Girl became a media sensation in a way we never anticipated, in a very organic way. What made it so powerful was the amount of support we received from people who recognized the importance of what she stands for and kept driving the conversation forward, during a time when people are striving to reshape existing norms to better reflect their moral values.

Results by Country
| BY Ricki Green |

A new limited-edition beer, created by Melbourne-based beer company SAMPLE Brew especially for Sydney event D&AD RARE has been brewed using data that demonstrates the lack of diversity in the creative industry.

Named SAMPLE for RARE, the new beer aims to kick-start the much needed diversity discussion across the industry.

SAMPLE used data developed by Workplace Gender Equality Agency and Clemenger NZ, across gender split in senior positions, LGBTQ representation, the gender pay gap, the number of Non-European individuals, and those with disabilities or special needs  to create a brew that is representative of the industry it was borne out of.

Says Ennis Cehic, brand director, SAMPLE Brew: Were a brand that believes beer is the ideal supplement to conversations and creative thinking, and SAMPLE for RARE is the perfect example of our philosophy. Its the ideal trigger for this important discussion.

The beer draws its inspiration from the philosophy of RARE  to champion diversity in the creative industry  with key ingredients formulated to statistics. Pale Barley and Pale Wheat make up 82.9% and 17.1% respectively to represent the male to female split of CEOs within the industry. The ABV, Alcohol by Volume, is set at 6% for the number of gay, lesbian and bisexuals in the industry, while the IBU (International Bittering Units) sits at 21.9%, signifying the current pay gap between males and females.

Says Arron Ollington, head of brand experience and activation at SAMPLE Brew who project-managed the multi-collaboration: The pay gap is supposed to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

For labels and packaging, design partner Maud collaborated with local artists Vexta, Gemma OBrien, Minky Stapleton and Andrew J Steel to create singular designs for the unique bottles.

Says Tom Fethers, design lead: Weve picked the Rarest form of packaging design: limited edition hand painted bottles to celebrate the craft of graffiti and expression. Each bottle is itself rare, an reflection of these brilliant artists.

Says Tara Mckenty, co-chair, RARE: We wanted the beer to address two key things, and that is to highlight the lack of diversity within the creative industry, but importantly, to champion for change and increased representation. It marks the flavour of now and we hope it starts a discussion in the industry.

Only 570 bottles have been produced and will be available to try at the Rare Masterclass wrap party on November 24th from 5:30pm. Packs of the beer will be also be up for sale at the art auction alongside original artworks by the Rare artists in residence.

The event will be hosted in Sydney at The Glue Society and is open to all working in the creative industries  tickets and further event details can be found HERE.

Maud

Creative Director: David Park

Designer: Tom Fethers

Sample:

Brand Director: Ennis Cehic

Head of Brand Experience & Activation: Arron Ollington

Rare:
| BY Ricki Green |

Three Global Awards were presented to two Australian agencies at last nights annual Bravo! Awards ceremony held at The Chapel, 100 George Street, Sydney hosted by The Communications Council.

Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness Sydney (pictured left) picked up two awards  one for Promozio Protected Wallet and one for Sanofi Pasteur Blown out of action, whilst grey health Australia/Sudler Sydney, (pictured below) scored an award for Xeljanz Living Nightmare.

Running parallel with the Global Awards ceremony in New York, Bravo! celebrates the worlds best healthcare advertising, recognising the outstanding talent and achievements from the Asia pacific region.

A total of 43 Global Awards were delivered internationally, with the Grand Global Award presented to McCann Health India  The Immunity Charm for Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan  Category Devices.

Agency of the Year was awarded to Area 23, and Network of the Year went to FCB Health Network.

Says Tony Hale, The Communications Council: This is an extremely important event in ensuring quality healthcare advertising from our region continues to be recognised on a global stage.

The Bravo Awards are made possible with thanks to the dedicated Bravo Committee chaired by Craig Chester (right) of Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness who took over from the long standing founder and chair of nine years, June Laffey of McCann Health (left) who was recognised last night for her dedication and leadership over this period.
It could be argued that just as PNG did this country's then Labor government a huge favour by agreeing to the reopening of Manus in 2012, NZ would be doing the Turnbull Government a favour by offering at least some of the men a permanent home. Given the parlous state of the current parliament and the sinking opinion polls, the Manus Island situation is one issue the Turnbull government does not need dragging on as the next federal election draws nearer.
"There will be a lot of amendments moved, some of them will get up, most of probably won't. But it will be up to members and you'll see Labor members voting different ways on amendments and Liberal members voting different ways on amendments. It'll be Parliament at its best, people will be voting in accordance with their conscience. But believe me, it'll get done," Mr Turnbull said.
However close to half its work remains unfinished by agency deadlines and it is approving only a third of crop protection products within timeframes ahead of the move, a signature Nationals policy and a forebear of the Coalition's push to decentralise the public service.
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.
When the Toyota Raize came into the picture early this year , it commanded the kind of attention that made you think of it as possibly just ...
Ana and Bruno is an adaption of the novel Ana by Daniel Emil, which tells the story of a child escaping from a mental hospital, helped by the imaginary creatures that stalk the residents. The film was lauded during production by influential filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron, building the expectation that the movie would be a landmark in Mexican animated film production.

Carreras dream of becoming an animator preceded his career in live-action filmmaking. Being a little socially awkward, he told Cartoon Brew, led me to believe that directing animation fit my personality better than live-action. My intention was to create films on my own without involving a large staff.

Carrera studied film direction in Mexico during the 1990s and created several animation experiments in Super8, but he realized that animation production in Mexico was still in its infancy and wasnt ready for independent creators at the time.

In the end, it was easier to debut as a live-action director, which he did with the 1991 feature La mujer de Benjamin, followed by a varied and original filmography that includes the Oscar-nominated The Crime of Father Amaro (2002), which on its release became Mexicos highest-grossing homegrown film ever, a distinction it retained for a further 11 years.

But Carerra never forgot animation and occasionally returned to it for short films like El heroe (The Hero), winner of the Cannes Short Film Palme dOr in 1994. And the animation influence worked its way organically into his live-action productions. When developing my live-action movies I tend to include many tools that are more commonly used in animation, like the storyboard, Carrera says. Also I often sketch the characters features as I imagine them, then try and find actors that resemble my drawings.

Asked if he considers himself more of a live-action director who directs animation or vice versa, Carrera explains that he sees little distinction between the two, though animation production seems to please him more. Animation and live-action have the same artistic and expressive potential, according to Carrera, but animation is the format that allows the filmmaker to most accurately present the ideas formed in their imagination.

Ana and Brunos aesthetic is a quirky meld of graphic influences, somewhere at the crossroads of Looney Tunes, European animation in the vein of Jan Svankmajer and Berthold Bartosch, and the work of Mexican painters like Jose Maria Velasco and Saturnino Herran. I always come back to the same kind of characters and environments, Carrera says. They are part of the running themes that appear in my movies, as well as my preference for somber stories filtered through black comedy.

However, Carrera rejects the suggestion that the film could be read as a political or social statement about Mexicos problems. Its a universal story that works on several levels, he says, and only happens to be located in Mexico. For this reason the movie carefully avoids all the corny stereotypes relating to Mexican culture.

Work on Ana and Bruno started in 2010 with 40 animators from the Mexican studios Lo Coloco Films, Grado Cinco, Itaca Films, and Anima Estudios. The production schedule was initially set to conclude within four years, but in 2012, creative differences with one of the co-production companies led that company to pull its funding, and put the films production schedule in limbo.

Carrera acknowledges that the financial issues stemmed from a clash of creative visions, highlighting one of the difficulties often faced by creators with highly stylized artistic tendencies. Unfortunately, my artistic and narrative ideas were not always shared by the studio managers that funded the film, he says.

Eventually, intervention by the Mexican studio Altavista put the production back on track in 2014. But the problems werent over yet. During the two-year standstill, half of the team had left to work on other feature film projects. To further complicate matters, most of the production had been created using outdated technology, and the new team had to spend a large amount of time and energy adapting it to new software. Even after completing the movie in March 2016 for US$5.3 million (four times the average budget of a Mexican feature film), the movie still doesnt have an official release date in its country.

Although Carrera doesnt have a clear image of where Mexican animation is heading, he hopes other producers recognize the necessity of pursuing more original stories that diverge from mainstream tastes. Our industry needs to find an identity that sets it apart from the usual fare plagued by poor storytelling and fall backs to silly gags. Our movie Ana and Bruno is a film for children, which adults can also enjoy thanks to the layers of complexity in the story.

Big expectations for Ana and Bruno have brought hope for Carreras next projects. If everything goes well, Carrera says, I have two more animation films in development. I am about to finish the storyboard for my second animated feature Los Ladrones de Almas (The Soul Thieves). I am confident that Mexico is going to be a breath of fresh air on the international animation scene.
Photo: DriveBC The westbound lane of Highway 3 is closed east of Creston.

UPDATE: 10:45 a.m.

Traffic in the Irishman Creek area east of Creston is now single lane alternating following a vehicle crash earlier this morning.

There's no indication when the highway will full reopen.

ORIGINAL STORY: 8:55 a.m.

A Kootenay highway is closed in the westbound direction due to a vehicle crash.

Highway 3 was partially closed, east of Creston, just after 8:30 a.m.

DriveBC does not have an estimate of when the highway will reopen.

The nature of the crash, or condition of those involved, is unknown at this time.

The same highway was fully closed Thursday night, west of Creston, due to crews recovering a vehicle that had gone off the road.
Photo: Twitter

Two area RCMP members are being honoured for their role in saving a man's life.

Cpl. Richard Gingras, formerly with the Salmon Arm detachment and now with Vernon Police Dog Service, Constables Patrick Evanishen, David Goodyear, Trevor Medernach, Adam Poitras and David Warner, formerly with the Salmon Arm detachment and now with Enderby detachment, rescued a distraught and suicidal male armed with a knife from his burning home.

They are among 121 officers from throughout the province who were honoured at the 37th annual Police Honours Night at Government House Thursday evening.

Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth presented awards to 121 officers of all ranks, from municipal departments and RCMP detachments, for their extraordinary accomplishments in life-saving incidents, their determination above and beyond the call of duty and their work to make B.C.'s communities safer.

"Tonight's awards are just a highlight of the courage, aptitude and commitment - not only to their profession, but also to their communities - that epitomize law enforcement officers here in British Columbia. They selflessly put themselves in harm's way to protect the public every single day. On behalf of all British Columbians, we thank you for your bravery, courage and dedication to duty, said Farnworth.

Addeed Guichon, Although these awards can honour only a few special acts, we can take comfort in knowing the exemplary service and dedication of all of our law enforcement officers continues to keep communities across the province safe. Congratulations on your outstanding leadership and bravery, and thank you for your commitment to the safety and care of all British Columbians."
Photo: Contributed

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has been injured while hiking in New Mexico.

A government statement says the premier was hiking in the Gila Wilderness when he had a serious fall.

It says he suffered compound fractures in his left arm, along with numerous cuts and bruises.

He was hospitalized overnight and is to return to Manitoba today to determine if surgery is necessary.

The government says he will be resting at home with his family this weekend.
Photo: CTV

Taking a SkyTrain later at night in Vancouver could become a reality now that TransLink officials admit it is "technically" possible.

This after years of denials.

Matt Doyle, director of railway infrastructure, is responsible for overnight track maintenance that ensures trains can operate on schedule come rush hour.

Maintenance crews perform work late at night on Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain system.

Maintenance crews work overnight inspecting tracks and performing minor repairs and adjustments. Doyle believes with a shift in resources it would be possible to keep SkyTrain going later on Friday and Saturday nights.

"Obviously 24-hour service or late-night service is successful around the world, so it is feasible," Doyle said. "We don't know what that would look like; it's something that would require a significant amount of time, effort, planning and investment."

Different groups have called on TransLink to run trains later over the years and the response has always been overnight maintenance is the reason for maintaining the status quo.

However Detroit uses the same system and runs until two a.m.

With Files from CTV
Photo: Jillian Dhaliwal Kris and Jocelyn Reyes

A Penticton immigrant has been waiting for a kidney transplant for five years because the federal government is refusing to grant him permanent residency on medical grounds.

Kris Reyes, 34, was brought to Penticton from the Philippines eight years ago as a temporary foreign worker by Burger King. His wife, Jocelyn, soon followed, leaving behind their children with grandparents while the couple worked in fast food to attain permanent residency and bring them to Canada.

The plan hit a roadblock five years ago when Reyes was diagnosed with kidney failure. In need of a transplant, he has endured 15 surgeries and 12 hours of dialysis a week.

Reyes has risen to the top of the donor list, but is not able to receive the transplant as a temporary foreign worker. At the same time, the government is refusing to grant him permanent residency because of the high healthcare costs associated with dialysis.

His current employer, Jillian Dhaliwal of Penticton Tim Hortons, calls the whole situation incredibly sad.

Him and his wife are the nicest sweetest people Ive ever met, she said, adding Reyes and his wife have continued to work 40 hours a week throughout the ordeal.

Talking to Castanet News on the phone while receiving dialysis on Friday, Reyes said he came to Canada because of a lack of employment opportunity in the Philippines.

He first applied for permanent residency nine months after arriving, but was denied because he was not making enough money at the time.

His wife was also pregnant when he left, and he hasnt had the chance to meet his son. The cost of dialysis in the Philippines can be tens of thousands of dollars a month.

Its been super stressful, he said.

Nicole MacMillan says their Tim Hortons has sponsored hundreds of temporary workers over the years that have obtained permanent residency and started on the path to citizenship.

MacMillan said they will be helping Reyes apply to stay in the country on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, arguing that if sent back to the Philippines, the lack of healthcare will kill him.

Humanitarian and compassionate acceptance applies to people with exceptional cases, according to the Government of Canadas website. Cases are determined on an individual basis, looking at factors including children involved and what could happen if the request is denied.

Reyes worker permit runs until 2019. Even if the permit is extended, he faces never-ending dialysis and eventual death without a kidney transplant.

Dhaliwal says Reyes has obtained an immigration lawyer to help him obtain permanent residency, but legal bills could bury the couple.

These are huge expenses that Kris and Jocelyn cannot afford, Dhaliwal wrote in a crowdfunding campaign she launched for the family this week.

This is literally a life or death situation for him, she added He has been a law abiding, tax paying citizen of our community for over eight years.

The GoFundMe campaign in support of Reyes can be found here.
A Cougar has been reported prowling a residential neighbourhood in Port Coquitlam

The City of Port Coquitlam issued a public warning in a Facebook post.

City staff warned the big cat was spotted near Blue Heron Crescent, close to an elementary school.

Some visitors to the nearby Hyde Park Community Centre said they had concerns about the sighting.

The city is warning residents to stay alert, keep children close and pets on leash.

Anyone who sees a cougar, bear or other wildlife is asked to report the sighting to the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.

With files from CTV
UPDATE 4:13 p.m.

North Okanagan RCMP Traffic Services are continuing their investigation of a motor vehicle incident which resulted in a traffic control person being hit by a car.

The female flagger was flown to Kelowna General Hospital by air ambulance.

Cpl. Annie Linteau said on Nov. 17, shortly after 10 a.m., police attended a construction zone on Highway 6 in Lavington between School Road and Hill Drive after receiving a report that a traffic control person had been hit by a vehicle.

Early indications are that a west-bound vehicle approached the construction zone and was apparently stopped by the traffic control person in an area reduced to one-lane of traffic, said Linteau. It appears the driver of the vehicle involved was unable to stop in time and hit the traffic-control person.

The flagger, aged 66, was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

The 75-year-old driver of the vehicle involved is co-operating with the investigation and a number of witnesses have been identified, said Linteau.

Police are continuing their investigation and no further information is available at this time.

UPDATE 12:52 p.m.

Castanet has learned a female flagger was struck by a vehicle near School Road on Highway 6.

The extent of her injuries are not known, but she was flown to Kelowna General Hospital.

The accident happened at around 10 a.m. and as of 1 p.m. a section of the highway was still closed.

Highway 6 in Lavington is closed, following a serious crash at about 11 a.m. Friday.

The crash happened just north of the Lavington Superette.

At least one person was taken to Kelowna General Hospital by air ambulance, however, there are also unconfirmed reports the crash has claimed a life.

A section of the highway has been closed in both directions. Traffic is being rerouted.

An accident reconstructionist is on scene.

More details will be added when they become available.
Photo: File photo A homeless man sleeping outside the Penticton Farmers Market

Volunteers with 100 Homes Penticton and other social agencies were pounding the pavement this week for the citys annual homeless count.

Last year, the citys first housing registry found 130 people without stable housing, and organizers are eager to see if recent strides in local supportive housing have had an impact.

We are trying to cover as much of the Penticton core as we can, said registry organizer Reanne Holden-Amadio of the United Way Central and South Okanagan.

We really want to get a good sense of the numbers in Penticton, she said, to help social groups and the greater community get a handle on the local problem.

She admitted they likely wont reach absolutely everyone without a home  like those couchsurfing or staying with friends  but says volunteers have worked since Tuesday to gather as many stories as possible.

It's a nice way to get out and connect with the community and really show that the community cares about people that are experiencing homelessness, Holden-Amadio said.

The count wraps up Friday, with results to be released at a later date.

Work is currently underway to convert the former Motel Super 8 on Main St. into a 42-unit transitional housing complex. A new, larger, cold weather shelter opened at the start of this month at the same location.
Photo: CTV

An aquaculture operation is under investigation after some two thousand large garbage bags of aquaculture feed, washed up on the shores off southeast Vancouver Island.

Parks Canada documents indicate the bags likely drifted south from a local aquaculture company and washed up on one of the Broken Group Islands.

A document circulated by Parks Canada staff says that approximately 2,000 large bags, designed to each hold 25 kilograms of aquaculture feed, drifted

The Broken Group Islands are a part of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, governed by Parks Canada.

The document says that law enforcement officials are investigating the discovery and charges will likely be recommended.

The name of the company has not been released.

The memo also says the plastic bags could pose a threat to marine wildlife by entangling them, impacting their habitat or being ingested as food.

With files from CTV
Photo: Castanet Staff The Osoyoos Gift Cupboard when it opened last year

The Osoyoos Credit Union has dispersed $50,000 to eight local nonprofits in its first series of community giving grants.

The groups were selected from 15 applications by a panel of five that included two members at large from the community, according to OCU manager Greg Sol.

We tried to keep a balance between economic development, culture and sport. And we kept an eye on age brackets as well, providing funds to services that benefit seniors, adults and children.

We see this as an investment in the community  it's amazing what $50,000 can do in a community of our size, especially with the amazing volunteers we have here, he added.

The eight winning groups are:
Photo: File photo Christopher Marcel Emile Potvin, 32

A Vernon business has been fined $2,500 by WorkSafe BC in relation to a workplace fatality last year.

Another Level Automotive & Offroad Ltd. was fined in the death of Christopher Marcel Emile Potvin, 32.

Potvin, of Vernon, was working on a pickup truck in an automotive shop on Dec. 9, 2016 at about 11:45 a.m. when something went wrong and he became trapped between the truck and the hoist ramps in the shop.

According to the WorkSafeBC report, a worker was removing a fuel tank from a pickup truck parked on an automotive lift. The unrestrained vehicle rolled backward and partially off the lift, pinning the worker between the frame of the vehicle and the lift platform.

"The worker sustained fatal injuries. WorkSafeBC's investigation determined that the truck had not been secured on the lift with wheel chocks or by setting the parking brake. In addition, the investigation determined that the worker had not been adequately trained or supervised for this task.

"The firm's failure to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety was a high-risk violation.
Photo: file photo

A modular building manufacturer with a presence in Penticton is changing its name.

Britco Construction is now known as Metric Modular.

The company mothballed its Penticton plant for about two months this spring after its construction branch was purchased by Triple M Modular. Rehiring about 40 employees in Penticton in May, the company is again manufacturing modular construction solutions in the Peach City.

The name change has been the the works for a few months, according to a news release. Britcos rental division was sold off to a separate company and has retained the brand.

The Penticton plant is being opened to the media and dignitaries on Monday.

Headquartered in Langley, the company maintains another manufacturing plant in Agassiz.
The Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue was built in 1925 and houses the Chicago Tribune and other businesses. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Tribune will move in early 2018 to the Prudential Plaza office complex, ending a 93-year run in the newspapers namesake tower on North Michigan Avenue.

Parent company Tronc on Friday confirmed the newspaper will move to One Prudential Plaza in the second quarter of 2018. The Tribune first reported in August that Tronc was in advanced negotiations for a lease in the 41-story building overlooking Millennium Park.

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The lease at 130 E. Randolph St. is for 137,137 square feet on the second, third, fourth, 40th and 41st floors.

Prudential Plaza is a few blocks south of Tribune Tower, the newspapers home since the landmark building was completed in 1925. While moving is always difficult, and leaving our home since 1925 brings a sense of nostalgia, this is a wonderful opportunity to create the next generation newsroom and an overall energetic and inviting environment for our entire team, Tronc CEO Justin Dearborn said in an email to employees on Friday.

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The deal includes rights for a Chicago Tribune sign on the exterior of the building, said Terry Jimenez, Tronc chief financial officer and executive vice president.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 15 One Prudential Plaza, photographed May 31, 2017, will be the new home of the Chicago Tribune. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

The layout will cut down on the use of cubicles and partitions to become more open and collaborative, Jimenez said. Other newspapers moves to new space, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, were studied as part of the Tribunes redesign of its newsroom, Jimenez said.

Our goal is to try to modernize the layout based on communication and walking patterns, and so that common-area space can create more collaboration across groups, Jimenez said. The format and the flow will be different, but on balance we think this is going to be a great office in a great location.

The newspaper is moving because Tribune Tower was sold last year. The buyers, Los Angeles-based CIM Group and Chicagos Golub & Co., are expected to redevelop the building and are believed to be planning a second tower just east of it. They have not publicly unveiled their plans.

[ Explore the rocks, bricks and other artifacts on Tribune Tower's walls (interactive guide) ]

Broadcast company Tribune Media had been the Chicago Tribune's landlord until it sold the property, and the newspaper's lease expires June 30.

One Prudential Plaza is part of a two-building complex just east of Michigan Avenue that also includes the 61-story Two Prudential Plaza. Prudential Plaza is owned by New York-based 601W Cos., but Chicago developer Sterling Bay is in the process of buying the complex for about $680 million.

Tronc was represented in the Prudential Plaza lease by Jones Lang LaSalle brokers including David Miller and Meredith OConnor. 601W was represented by Matt Pistorio and Bill Truszkowski of Telos Group.

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rori@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Ryan_Ori
CBS Radio and Cubs executives announced WBBM Newsradio 780AM as the team's new flagship radio station in 2014. Entercom has purchased CBS Radio, which includes Chicago stations like WBBM-AM. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

Philadelphia-based Entercom didnt waste any time shaking up the Chicago airwaves.

Hours after closing on its $2.4 billion acquisition of CBS Radio on Friday, Entercom flipped WJMK-FM 104.3 from classic hits to a new format: classic hip-hop.

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The station, formerly known as K-Hits, will now be billed as the new 104.3 Jams, spinning hip-hop and rhythm and blues throwbacks that capture the essence of Chicago from the bygone era when the Bulls won six NBA championships and Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama became homegrown heroes, the company said.

Doing the math, that would center the playlist somewhere around the 1990s and early 2000s.

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The Jams format launched Friday with the promise of 10,000 commercial-free songs in a row. Artists getting airplay on day one included R. Kelly, Nelly, Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

The time has come to usher in a brand-new chapter in Chicago radio, Pat Paxton, Entercoms president of programming, said in a news release. Hip-hop and R&B always makes you feel a certain way. The memories will come back to you immediately.

The Entercom-CBS megamerger, combining two of the nations largest radio station groups, was announced in February and creates a chain of 235 stations, including seven in Chicago.

Besides WJMK, other former Chicago CBS stations moving under the Entercom banner are: news stations WBBM-AM 780 and WCFS-FM 105.9, Top-40 station WBBM-FM 96.3, sports-talk station WSCR-AM 670, country station WUSN-FM 99.5 and adult alternative station WXRT-FM 93.1.

We are thrilled to officially close our transformational merger with CBS Radio and welcome their talented employees and iconic brands to Entercom, David Field, Entercoms president and CEO, said in a news release. We now have the scale and capabilities to drive meaningful growth and to compete more effectively with other media for a larger share of advertising dollars.

The Chicago stations will be headed up by longtime radio executive Jimmy deCastro, who takes over as market manager for Entercom. DeCastros last radio gig was at the helm of Tribune Medias WGN-AM 720, which he left in 2016 after three years. Previously, deCastro ran seminal rocker WLUP-FM 97.9 during its heyday in the 1980s.

WJMK tied for 18th among Chicago stations with a 2.4 share in the Nielsen listenership survey for October. It is the lowest-rated among the acquired CBS stations in Chicago.

Long known as Magic 104, WJMK played rock oldies for more than 20 years before adopting the Jack FM format  a robotic, music-intensive format that played like a baby boomers iPod on shuffle  in 2005. Jack FM was shelved in 2011 for K-Hits, an adult-hits format with live air personalities.

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DeCastro thinks there will be a bigger audience for the Jams format, which will target 35- to 54-year-olds in the heart of the urban music demographic.

Theres so many places that you can hear Journey and REO Speedwagon and Styx, deCastro said. While K-Hits was a great station, I think theres huge opportunity to superserve Chicago and that audience.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
Tiffany Boguslawski speaks about her plans to go to law school before a College Republicans meeting Nov. 15, 2017, at Loyola University. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) (Brian Cassella)

The election of President Donald Trump pushed Tiffany Boguslawski over the edge.

The 19-year-old aspiring politician knew she wanted to be a lawyer, but the new president, who shares her hard-line stance on immigration and international trade, sealed the deal.

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Boguslawski, a triple-major in political science, history and global affairs, is among a group of students across the political spectrum who were so moved by last Novembers election that they decided to take the Law School Admissions Test, or LSAT, because they view law school as a means to making a difference.

In the past year, the number of people taking the test, which is administered nationally four times a year, has surged. In February, 21,400 people took it, up 5.4 percent from a year earlier. In June, the number of test-takers was up 19.8 percent year-over-year, to 27,606 people. And the number of people who took the test in September rose 10.7 percent from a year ago, to 37,146 people. As of Oct. 30, registrations for the Dec. 2 exam were up 21.4 percent.

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Its been called the Trump bump by some in the legal community who believe strong reactions to the current political climate are spurring people on both sides of the political spectrum into action.

It may very well be that more recent college grads and early professionals are choosing to pursue careers in which they believe they can truly make a difference, said Don Rebstock, associate dean of strategic initiatives at Northwestern Universitys Pritzker School of Law.

Legal educators theorize that one of the major motivators for the recent spike in LSAT takers is Trumps controversial executive order, issued shortly after his inauguration in January, halting refugee admissions and temporary travel to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries. Blocked by the courts, Trump issued two subsequent travel bans. This month a California appellate court ruled that parts of the third travel ban could take effect.

The first travel ban prompted lawyers to flock to airports across the country, including OHare International Airport, to offer free legal help to international travelers. Seeing news reports of lawyers camped out at airports around the country, assisting stranded refugees, in some ways shattered a negative stereotype of lawyers and transformed them into empathetic humanitarians, legal education observers say.

People against Trump are saying, I want to be the judge that stood up to him. People for Trump are saying, I couldve won that case for him, said Kellye Testy, president and CEO of the Law School Admission Council, which administers the LSAT. Young people were saying, Wow, the lawyers are really stepping up to talk back to power and help guard the rule of law and democracy. The positive role of a lawyer was made visible in a way that its often not.

Trumps Washington-outsider status is what drew Boguslawski to him. She voted for him in the primary and general election. Obviously one of the reasons I really liked him was because he wasnt a politician, she said. His excitement and love for this country is what I liked. As a first-generation American, Boguslawski said she shares Trumps passion for her country and thats driving her to pursue a law degree.

The election wasnt the reason why; it made me want to do it more, she said.

Lynn Page, a pre-law adviser at Northwestern University, has seen a noticeable increase in the number of students coming to her for counsel. Her calendar is full of appointments with students considering law school and she said she has many more applications and personal statements to read than last year. Page recently spent a weekend working to stay on top of the new, increased volume.

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The students, according to Page, dont talk politics with her, but rather, are very clear about the type of law specialties they are interested in  primarily immigration and environmental law. Academic advisers say millennials and Generation Z are considered the most politically engaged generations in recent history.

If its not immigration (law), its an interest in public interest law, Page said. Most students are interested in civic engagement (and) social justice.

Tiffany Boguslawski before a College Republicans meeting Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 at Loyola University. Inspired by President Donald Trump, she is among a growing number of students to take the LSAT in hopes of becoming a lawyer. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

They understand that one, the law touches everything, and two, there are a lot of changes that can be affected by lawyers and working in the law, said Amanda Noascono, assistant dean and director of admissions at DePaul University College of Law.

But politics isnt the only explanation for the recent surge in law school interest, according to Noascono. Schools are doing a better job of marketing themselves to potential students, she said.

Theyve reduced barriers to application by lifting the limits on how many times a person can take the LSAT. Some law schools have begun accepting the Graduate Record Examinations, or GRE, the standardized test used for admission to most graduate-level programs. There are also more tools and resources to help students prepare for the test, Noascano said. I think that weve done a better job of saying there are other things you can do with a law degree, she said.

Protesters gather outside the international terminal at O'Hare International Airport Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 in Chicago (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Law school applications continue to recover slowly from the plunge they took during the recession and its unclear whether an increase in test-taking will translate into higher enrollment. Law schools contacted by the Tribune declined to release the number of applications they received for the 2018-2019 school year. Still, anecdotally, pre-law advisers say they are swamped with students considering law school.

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It is still quite early in the process but I can say that we are outpacing the LSAT test-taker increase, said Northwesterns Rebstock.

LSAT registrations last surged in the 2009-2010 test cycle, when 171,514 people took the test in the midst of the recession, when jobs were scarce and many students considered advanced degrees as a way to ride out the tight job market. Since then, that number has steadily declined to its all-time low of 101,689 test takers in 2014-2015. Now, legal education observers expect it will continue to improve, although not to its 2009-2010 high point.

Increased interest in the profession doesnt necessarily mean the job market is ready for them. Employment of lawyers is expected to grow about 9 percent between 2016 and 2026, on average with other jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But theres a catch: More people are graduating with law degrees than there are jobs available, making for a competitive job market.

In the Chicago area last year, there were 23,100 lawyers, with an average annual income of $134,200, according to BLS data.

In 2013, 84.5 percent of graduates fresh out of law school found jobs, a substantial decline from headier days. In 2007, nearly 92 percent of law grads nationwide found jobs. Since then, the job market is slowly reaching a new normal. In Chicago area there are 23,000 lawyers, who make on average, $134,200.

Attorneys with signs aimed at passengers with immigration problems stand with families waiting for their loved ones. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

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The job market is way better than it was in the worst of the aftermath of the recession, said James Leipold, executive director of the National Association of Law Placement. Its not nearly as good as it was in the glory days before the recession.

The only real area of job growth has been at the biggest law firms, with 500 or more attorneys. Hiring at the other (small and midsized) law firms have been flat or fewer jobs, he said, adding,The biggest law firms are still hiring about 1,000 fewer associates than they did before the recession.

For some wannabe attorneys, the numbers mean keeping your eye on the prize, regardless of the political climate.

Robert Baurley, a senior and co-founder of Loyolas Pre-Law Society, knew he wanted to be a lawyer years before Trump was elected. Baurley, 22, took the LSAT in September and plans to take it again next year to improve his score. Hes interned with an assistant district attorney in his native Pennsylvania, he said, and is working to get into his dream school, the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

As far as Baurley, is concerned, people motivated by the election of Donald Trump should reassess why they want to invest in a legal education. The current political climate Baurley said, is merely a momentary glimpse of time. For me, Ive known forever that I wanted to be an attorney.

crshropshire@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @corilyns
Outcome Health President Shradha Agarwal, left, and CEO Rishi Shah. Founded as ContextMedia in 2006, the medical advertising firm exploded in growth. Now investors are accusing it of lying about its performance to secure nearly $500 million in funding. (Blue Sky photos)

Investors in Outcome Health are not giving up on their effort to freeze $225 million set to be distributed to two founders of the Chicago startup after a New York judge denied their initial request.

The investors  including units of Goldman Sachs and Google and a fund co-founded by Illinois gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker  last week sued Outcome Health, CEO Rishi Shah and President Shradha Agarwal, alleging fraud as the company secured $487.5 million in funding and rose to a valuation of $5.5 billion.

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The suit asked the court to order that $225 million of those funds, set to be distributed to Shah and Agarwal, remain available. On Monday, a judge denied the request.

The investors filed a separate lawsuit Thursday in Delaware Chancery Court against Gravitas, a subsidiary of Outcome Holdings where the $225 million was to be held.

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The Delaware suit asks the court to require Gravitas to provide restitution by returning the $225 million to the plaintiffs and to temporarily restrain Gravitas from moving the money, among other requests.

Sanford Michelman, an attorney for Outcome Health, said in a statement that the investors are continuing to create an inappropriate distraction after New Yorks courts declined their baseless arguments multiple times.

This irresponsible abuse of the legal process is seeking to prevent the founders from using their own money to reinvest in the company, Michelman said.

A court document Outcome Health filed last week in the New York case says Shah and Agarwal have considered using a portion of that $225 million to pay down company debt and otherwise stabilize the business.

Spokesmen for Google parent Alphabets CapitalG, Goldman Sachs and Pritzker Group declined to comment on the Delaware suit.

In the lawsuit, investors argue that it is essential to freeze the disputed funds now, in advance, so the court will not be placed in the position of having insufficient time to consider a (temporary restraining order) application.

Outcome Health places screens in doctors offices that run educational content about health topics for patients along with advertisements from drug companies. The screens and educational content are free to doctors. Outcome Health makes money off the ads.

The investors filed their original lawsuit following a Wall Street Journal report last month that said some Outcome Health employees had misled pharmaceutical advertisers about the reach of their ads.

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amarotti@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @AllyMarotti

RELATED STORIES

[ New York judge denies investors' request to freeze $225M for Outcome Health founders ]

[ Outcome Health investors receive DOJ subpoenas as Chicago-area hospitals back away ]

[ Health care companies pull ads from Outcome Health's screens amid internal investigation ]
There are a few delicious reasons turkey serves as the centerpiece of so many Thanksgiving celebrations.

The versatile bird is adaptable to a multitude of preparations and comfortable with all sorts of ingredients. Long before it fed those Pilgrims at a harvest meal nearly 400 years ago, this native American bird was showing up at feasts throughout Latin America.

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"Turkey is an important celebration food," says Maricel Presilla, the author of "Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America," ticking off a handful of preparations, from Mexico's moles to Guatemala's soup-stews.

"It's what you serve to people when you care about them," she says.

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But were you to visit Cuba these days, and more Americans reportedly do, don't expect to find a glistening gargantuan roasted bird. Instead, Presilla told us, the traditional preparation involves braising the bird after seasoning it with Cuba's beloved garlic-herb-and-spice paste, adobo.

Presilla's first Thanksgiving in the U.S. was in 1970, when her family arrived from their hometown of Santiago de Cuba. Here the "golden turkeys of television commercials and magazine ads beckoned," she writes in "Gran Cocina Latina." "More poignantly, the story of the Pilgrims began to resonate in my mind as a symbol of hope in the face of our own tribulations.  Like most newcomers to this country, we turned Thanksgiving into a hybrid feast."

Presilla and her family tweaked their Thanksgiving feast. "The Thanksgiving meal is perfect for us because Cubans like the sweetness of it," she says. "If we don't have ripe plantains, we will have a ripe banana and eat it with our meal. So it's the sweet potatoes, the sweetness of the cranberry sauce."

These days, she spices her cranberry sauce with slivers of hot peppers and fruit juice. And the turkey? "The turkey always comes with a marinade, an adobo," she says of the mix of bitter orange juice and spices, including allspice which is used in Santiago de Cuba. "If I have leftover adobo, I keep basting the bird with it.

Black beans and rice make a traditional side dish. (Bill Hogan / Chicago Tribune)

"The secret here is the juices will collect in the pan, and you really must baste the turkey with those juices. Just keep basting it."

And whether Presilla celebrates Thanksgiving in Hoboken, N.J., where she is chef and co-owner of restaurants Zafra and Cucharamama, or in Miami with family, there will be congri (rice and red beans) or its cousin, black beans and rice, and the white-fleshed sweet potato called boniato.

Much like the way families with Italian roots may serve lasagna at the holiday meal or, as my family does, the liver dumpling soup of my Czech grandmother, Presilla's menu reflects her family's roots and celebrates Thanksgiving in America.

jhevrdejs@tribune.com

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Cuban-style turkey

Prep: 30 minutes

Rest: Overnight

Cook: 3-4 hours

Makes: 15 servings

Adapted from recipes in Maricel E. Presilla's cookbook, "Gran Cocina Latina" (W.W. Norton & Co., $45).

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1 large head garlic, separated into cloves, peeled

1 tablespoon each: ground black pepper, ground cumin, ground allspice, dried oregano, salt

1 cup fresh bitter orange juice or equal parts orange and lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

12 to 15 pound turkey

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

1 cup chicken broth

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6 half-ripe plantains, unpeeled, each cut in 3 pieces

6 sweet potatoes, quartered

Puree garlic, pepper, cumin, allspice, oregano, salt and juices in a blender. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Puree. Set aside 1/4 cup adobo mixture for basting; mix it with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

Rub remaining seasoning mixture all over the turkey. Use your fingers to gently loosen skin around the breast and thighs, inserting some seasoning mixture under the skin. Place turkey in glass or plastic container; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer turkey to a deep roasting pan. Add broth to pan. Cover with aluminum foil; roast 2 1/2 hours. Remove foil; arrange plantains and sweet potatoes around the turkey. Replace the foil; roast, 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue roasting, basting frequently with the reserved adobo mixture and pan juices, 1 hour. Add water to the pan if needed. The turkeys is ready when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees. Use remaining pan juices to make gravy.

Nutrition information per serving: 487 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 188 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrates, 70 g protein, 661 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
Giving a turkey a pre-roast milk bath has to be one of the more unusual ways to achieve that most elusive Thanksgiving treat: A moist bird. But that's what chef Laurent Tourondel likes to do instead of the much more practical method of brining. When the milk comes to the boil, the turkey is removed, dried off and then roasted.

Why go to all this fuss?

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"It cooks less in the oven," Tourondel said.

Now, turkey a la Claudette Colbert (her decadent dip in a milk-filled pool for 1932's "The Sign of the Cross" is still vivid to old movie buffs) may be just fine for the dining rooms of his national network of BLT restaurants, but at home, the chef splits the legs from the breast and roasts each separately -- sans milk. It works; each part of the bird cooks perfectly.

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Still, the method used by the French-born Tourondel defies that classic American idea of what a Thanksgiving turkey should and must be: whole and beautifully bronzed, preening on a platter. Quite a picture, yes, but therein lies the rub that maddens and saddens so many holiday cooks: A whole turkey is too often a dry turkey. That's why submerging a turkey for hours in a brining solution is so popular -- it's moist.

"Here's the issue: The breast cooks at a different rate than the legs and thighs," explained chef Alfred Portale, owner of New York's iconic Gotham Bar and Grill. "To keep the breast moist, you have to undercook the thighs and the legs dramatically."

Portale recommended compromise: Overcook the breast meat "ever so slightly," 5 or 10 degrees more, to let the legs finish cooking.

Getting the turkey to the right temperature can be quite the challenge given the size of the birds.

Sara Moulton, food editor of ABC's "Good Morning America" and host of her own television cooking show, "Sara's Weeknight Meals," has roasted a 16-pound turkey in a 325-degree oven for years and finds the cooking time always varies.

"The turkey, you can't depend on it," she said. "Start checking way before" the end of the stated cooking time.

So, wield that instant-read thermometer often. The USDA recommends the turkey should cook to 165 degrees. "When the turkey is about 125 degrees, you've got an hour to go," said Diane Morgan, author of "The New Thanksgiving Table." Make sure you insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone, she added.

Brining is today's major weapon in the anti-dryness battle. John Ash, a Sonoma-based restaurateur, considers brining a must-do step, especially if you spike the basic trio of sugar, salt and water with other flavorings such as herbs or maple syrup.

Chef Adam Mali of Nick's Cove restaurant in Marshall, Calif., offered directions both simple and direct: "Brine for two days, rinse and roast. You can never go wrong that way."

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So popular has brining become that a California company called The Spice Hunter opened a toll-free "brine-line" to answer brining questions from consumers (888-334-8977.)

Says Morgan, "When you taste a brined bird against a plain bird, there's no question."

No matter how you prep and cook the bird, patience is needed once the turkey is done.

"It's a big bird," Moulton noted. "It needs at least a half hour of resting time to redistribute the juices. If people carve the turkey right away, all the juices will run out."

Given the size, a turkey will likely still be hot an hour out of the oven, which Moulton said will give you time to finish up the sides And don't worry if the turkey cools down.

"As long as the gravy is hot, it's not a problem," Moulton said.

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How to brine

Diane Morgan offers two methods in her book, "The New Thanksgiving Table."

Brining in a pot: Place turkey in stockpot or container, standing it upright or on its side. Pour brine over the bird; add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Cover. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.

Brining in a bag: Nest two turkey-size plastic oven bags or brining bags to create a double thickness. Place the double bag, mouth open wide and facing up, in a roasting pan. Fold back the top one-third of the double bag to make a collar. Place turkey inside the double bag. Unfold the collar of the double bag. Pour brine over the bird; add 2 cups cold water. Draw up the top of the inner bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and secure it closed with a twist tie. Do the same with the outer bag. Turn the package so the turkey is breast side down in the roasting pan. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours. Turn the turkey three or four times while brining.

Adding flavor: Brining a turkey can mean more than dropping the bird in a big pot and letting it sit refrigerated overnight in salted water. Consider adding flavor along with the moisture by using fresh herbs, spices, juices and other seasonings, as in the recipe on this page.

Brown sugar and maple syrup brine

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Prep: 20 minutes

Brine: 12 hours

Cook: 5 minutes

Makes: 1 gallon



This recipe is from John Ash of the John Ash & Co. restaurant in the Vintners Inn, Santa Rosa, Calif. Ash said this brine works with a variety of poultry and meats. This should be enough brine for a 12- to 14-pound turkey.



6 large bay leaves

3 whole heads garlic, cloves separated, bruised

3 quarts water

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2 cups brown sugar

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1 1/2 cups each: coarsely chopped unpeeled ginger root, soy sauce

1 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup coarse salt

2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes

1 fresh turkey, 12-14 pounds



1. Combine all the ingredients, except the turkey, in a large enamel or stainless steel stockpot large enough to hold the brine and the turkey. Heat to a simmer over high heat; remove from heat. Let cool completely. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey (save for stock).

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2. Place the turkey in the cooled brine, making sure there is enough brine to cover the bird. Add water to cover, if needed. Refrigerate 12 hours to 3 days, turning the bird in the brine twice a day (this sentence as published has been corrected in this text). Drain off brine. Rinse turkey; roast according to your favorite recipe.

Nutrition information not available. Absorption rates will differ, depending on size of turkey.
What does it take to fight a pandemic? Knowledge, courage and resilience, certainly, but also rough-and-tumble argument, a range of friendships both consoling and abrasive, a healthy sense of gallows humor and soul-sustaining supplies of loud music and louder sex. French writer-director Robin Campillo understands all of this in "BPM (Beats Per Minute)," his sprawling, thrilling, finally heart-bursting group portrait of Parisian AIDS activists in the early 1990s. A rare and invaluable non-American view of the global health crisis that decimated, among others, the gay community in the looming shadow of the 21st century, Campillo's unabashedly untidy film stands as a hot-blooded counter to the more polite strain of political engagement present in such prestige AIDS dramas as "Philadelphia" and "Dallas Buyers Club."

Arthouse patrons who didn't see Campillo's remarkable 2013 breakout "Eastern Boys" may recognize him chiefly as the editor and writing partner of French auteur Laurent Cantet. Though Cantet has no direct creative involvement in "BPM"  he earns a thank-you in the closing credits  the spirit of their collaborations is plainly present in Campillo's lively, literate script, written with AIDS educator and activist Philippe Mangeot. Cantet and Campillo's Palme d'Or-winning "The Class," in particular, is evoked through its reliance on contained, formalized group debate as a story propeller. Instead of a high school classroom, however, the four-walled narrative center here is an anonymous college lecture theater in central Paris, where members of AIDS activist group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) gather on a weekly basis to discuss their campaign strategy.

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The French branch of the movement founded in New York in the late 1980s, it's a broadly accepting group on the outside  comprising AIDS patients across genders and sexualities, as well as parents and LGBT allies affected by the crisis. (Cantet and Mangeot are both members, with latter having served as its president in the late 1990s.) Beneath its right-on surface, however, it's a collective splintered by differences in principle, politics and even HIV status. When Nathan (a fine, watchful Arnaud Valois) joins the group, he encounters chilly condescension from some of the group's "poz" members: A reserved, handsome and HIV-negative 26-year-old who keeps his personal association with the disease shyly guarded, he finds his queries about vaccines for the uninfected written off by them as naively obtuse. Among that skeptically positive faction is the young, expressively militant Sean (Nahuel Perez Biscayart), the mouthiest of the "back-row radicals" objecting to what they see as ACT UP's ineffectively moderate approach to Big Pharma's lack of progress in developing and distributing courses of AIDS treatment.

The party lines are compellingly laid out in the film's very first item of discussion: the fallout of an arguably botched on-stage intervention at a pharmaceutical conference, where organizer Sophie (Adele Haenel, sturdy if a tad underused) finds her plans for peaceful protest  brightened by water balloons filled with fake blood  hijacked by Sean's spontaneous manhandling and handcuffing of the night's key speaker. What counts as violence, and how close can you skate to it to shock complacent corporations into action? This becomes the driving point of argument in the group's weekly meetings, as Sean  and others whose health, like his, is in rapid decline  fear they literally don't have time for the more diplomatic tactics of Sophie and team leader Thibault (Antoine Reinartz) to take hold.

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Thus does the tenor of discourse take on a true matter-of-life-and-death urgency, integrating the film's intellectual, procedural and spiritual interests to riveting effect: "living politics in the first person," to pinch a piquant phrase from the film's own script. This rattling verbal interplay is kept buoyant and insistent by a well-chosen, well-bonded ensemble, with Perez Biscayart's bristling performance  running a mile a minute from anger to apathy and back again  first among many equals.

At 140 minutes, the film doesn't get as much under the skin of several key players as it could do, though it finds a galvanizing human center as  despite differences of opinion in the lecture hall  a tender, mutually dependent romance blossoms between Sean and Nathan. The film's frank, sensuous depiction of the couple's compromised but still active sex life adds visceral, tactile human stakes to ACT UP's ideological battle: They want the right not just to fair, undiscriminatory medical and social treatment in the public eye, but to love without fear behind closed doors. The emotional centerpiece of the film is an extended sex scene, exquisitely shot in dusky-blue shadow by cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie.

As in "Eastern Boys," Campillo's predominantly candid, unvarnished shooting style wrongfoots viewers ahead of his gutsiest manipulations of sound and image  in this case, a stark, unsubtle passage of widescreen visual poetry that turns the Seine purple with the blood of the needlessly damned. The oblique title, meanwhile, refers not just to medical heart rates as bleakly tracked on hospital monitors, but to the euphoric rhythm of the electronic music that soundtracks ACT UP's occasional disco breaks, in which matters of love, death and ideology are briefly lost to the rush of the dancefloor, and strobe-lit faces fade into dust motes and blood cells. In one of "BPM's" most gently funny scenes, a well-meaning parent is ridiculed for suggesting "AIDS is me, AIDS is you, AIDS is us" as a campaign slogan. By the end, you see where her critics are coming from: Campillo's sexy, insightful, profoundly humane film is most moving in those ecstatic interludes where, for a blissed-out moment or two, AIDS is no one at all.

"BPM" -- 3.5 stars

No MPAA rating

Running time: 2:20

Opens: Friday

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Converges consistency at the leading edge of metalcore  a blend of punk, metal and furrowed-brow introspection  has made it a revered presence in underground music for the last quarter-century. The band, formed when vocalist Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou were teens in Massachusetts, turned a corner with the ferocious Jane Doe album in 2001, and each album since then has maintained that standard of excellence.

The Dusk In Us (Deathwish/Epitaph) is no exception. In the five years since the quartets previous studio album, Bannon has become a father, and that life-changing event has brought a wider perspective to his still-skeptical worldview. The rage of Converges past has been rechanneled into pleas for reason, calm and perseverance amid the chaos.

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Not that the quartets intensity has been diluted. If anything, the songs are more dramatic than ever, making greater use of near-silence and dynamics to underline hooks and refrains. Opener A Single Tear rampages with the ferocity of prime Converge before slowing down ever so briefly to build a new bridge to the future. You outshined the best there was, rewrote who I could be, Bannon declares, breaking off from his typical growl to sing about how his child has transformed him.

Converge was never about nihilism  the world may be going to hell, but these guys werent going to succumb to it, preferring to fight rather than acquiesce. Their songs were knotty, abrasive and anthemic. But in Arkhipov Calm, the band argues for a more mature response to adversity. It pays tribute to the Soviet naval officer who was a voice of reason in the Cuban missile crisis. The loud-quiet dynamics of the arrangement ebb and surge like choppy ocean waves.

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Ben Kollers drumming sounds like hes creating a soundtrack for a particularly hellacious fistfight, dexterous and cymbal-free. Ballous guitar playing is more varied and impressive than ever, as he mixes eerie backdrops and ironclad riffs such as the one that anchors Thousands of Miles Between Us. As he jousts with Nate Newtons pile-driving bass in Trigger, Bannon slams into a furious anti-gun diatribe. Was it worth it? he demands, again calling for reason in lieu of violence.

In an album saturated with terse, hook-filled ragers that veer into more atmospheric wilderness without notice, the most radical moment arrives at the midpoint, with the seven-minute title track. Ballou drops Bannons near-whispered vocals into a bath of ambient guitars, then turns up the volume and the density. As the guitars become more ominous, Bannon stays buoyant. Darkness wont give up, he warns. Neither will he.

Greg Kot is a Tribune critic.

greg@gregkot.com

Twitter @gregkot

The Dusk In Us

Converge

3 stars (out of 4)

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Riccardo Muti has been a shining if somewhat elusive presence locally since his most recent appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in late September.

But the maestro has certainly been on the move closer to home. Last month he and the CSO whooshed through Kansas City, Mo., and six California cities, on the first of two domestic tours they are set to undertake this season. Wednesday night they visited Lane Tech High School with a free community concert. February will bring a weeklong swing through the East Coast, marked by a return to Carnegie Hall.

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For management thus far this season, getting the Muti/CSO brand out in front of a national concert public clearly is taking precedence over giving the local ticket-buying public and orchestra patrons their fix of the peripatetic maestro. All of which is to point out that the subscription concerts on Saturday and Tuesday nights at Orchestra Hall will be the Chicago publics final Muti sightings of 2017. Now you see him, now you dont.

Fortunately, Thursday nights diverse program played to the strengths of his musicians as well as his own. It also found him engaging with a soloist of comparably searching musical sensibility, the formidable pianist Kirill Gerstein, tackling the massive Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1.

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Practically since his official arrival in Chicago in 2010, Muti has taken pride in introducing the Orchestra Hall public to pieces of late 19th- and early 20th-century Italian music that, in his view, deserve to be better known.

He did so again at Thursdays concert, opening with the belated CSO premiere of Puccinis Preludio sinfonico (1882), a student work dating from the fledgling composers third year at the Milan conservatory.

You can hear the first stirrings of Puccini the musical dramatist in this apprentice effort. The melodic gift that would bear fruit in his first operatic success, Manon Lescaut, nearly a dozen years later wafts through the pages of this 12-minute opus, a pleasant little prentice piece one was glad to hear once, in Mutis affectionately shaped account.

The music proved far less memorable than the jangling of an audience members cellphone that nearly ruined the quiet closing pages. Mutis reaction to the noisy intrusion was atypically benign. That was Puccini calling, he cracked to the crowd as he made his way off stage.

Muti thus far has not played a lot of Richard Strauss with the CSO, so the orchestras first performance of the Bourgeois gentilhomme Suite in more than a decade was most welcome.

This is the suite salvaged from the incidental music Strauss wrote for a German-language performance of the eponymous Moliere play, when the initial version of his opera Ariadne auf Naxos (for which the Moliere provided the introduction) proved way too ungainly. Its a delightful 18th-century pastiche by the last great master of late German romanticism.

A new DG recording contains a live performance of the piece by Muti and the Vienna Philharmonic that commemorates their 45 years of continuous collaboration. I have yet to hear it, but I cant imagine it is greatly superior to the light, crisp and perfectly charming account he drew from the CSO in its chamber orchestra guise.

If Strauss difficult, highly exposed writing betrayed some untidy ensemble playing in the strings and a sorry flub from guest principal trumpet David Krauss of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the many other solo contributions were nicely taken, including the rippling flourishes Gerstein played in an unannounced cameo. Particularly delicious were the chirping woodwinds representing the lark-thrush casserole served during the final section, The Dinner.

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Up to now, Chicago audiences have known Gerstein almost entirely as an exponent of the standard Russian Romantic concertos, so it was good to find him venturing into the Germanic concerto repertory. The Brahms D minor concerto one heard Thursday was not always note-perfect, but it was commanding in both sound and scope.

Within the scores spacious quasi-symphonic proportions the pianists colossal technique took the two-fisted chordal passages and torrential runs almost nonchalantly, backed by an equally close regard for architectural strength on the part of Muti and the orchestra.

One has heard other interpreters making more of a piece of the scores dark conflicts, a Brahms in which the many moving parts would join in an unbroken sweep of granitic yet poetic power. The expansive lyrical ruminations and attention to lapidary detail the Russian-born, Berlin-based American pianist lavished on the central adagio yielded very beautiful playing but slowed the pulse so that this long meditation failed to hang together. Muti was ever the attentive ally and so was the orchestra. The performers received a prolonged ovation.

The program will be repeated at 8 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; $34-$221; 312-294-3000, www.cso.org

John von Rhein is a Tribune critic.

jvonrhein@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @jvonrhein

[ RELATED: CSO presents a pretty premiere as part of Muti's dervish week of pre-tour activity ]

[ Riccardo Muti infuses diverse CSO program with cohesion, vitality ]

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The jacket copy of Louise Erdrichs salient new page-turner, Future Home of the Living God, calls her a writer of startling originality. Considering her prolific output, that assessment seems, if anything, an understatement. Her work has received multiple prestigious prizes, including the National Book Critics Circle Award for both her 1984 debut, Love Medicine, and her 2016 novel, LaRose, as well as the National Book Award for her 2012 novel, The Round House.

And yet the premise for this latest novel sounds startlingly unoriginal. Its dystopian foundation builds upon well-trod post-apocalyptic material: A mysterious biological catastrophe wreaks fear and privation and leads the authoritarian government to make pregnancy and reproduction matters of state control, with predictably restrictive and unfortunate consequences for women, their fetuses and society at large. I am sure somebody will come up with a name for what is happening, declares the novels first-person narrator, but I cannot imagine how everything around us and everything within us can be fixed.

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Variations on such concepts have been deployed in countless works of speculative fiction ranging from Margaret Atwoods 1985 novel The Handmaids Tale, to Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerras 2002 comic book series, Y: The Last Man, to the 2006 film Children of Men, to name but a few.

But as another far-from-original phrase points out, there is nothing new under the sun. So perhaps originality isnt what readers should be looking for from this story. With its themes of evangelical fanaticism, racism and patriarchy, it gains resonance in being released during the Trump regime, which has cut off global health funding to organizations that offer or merely mention abortion as part of family planning.

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Besides, in genre fiction in particular, the success or failure of a book hinges less upon the opening tropes and more upon how the author carries them out; and Erdrich establishes her surprising and surprisingly funny books specifics in lucid language and gripping scenes. Drawing, as she often does, on her own base of knowledge as a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, she creates a determined, honest and flawed protagonist, Cedar Hawk Songmaker, a Catholic convert who is pregnant at 26 and due on Christmas Day with a fetus that appears normal in spite of the backward evolution that threatens human life.

Born to an Ojibwe mother but adopted, despite the Indian Child Welfare Act, by a progressive, privileged white couple in the Twin Cities, Cedar has a loving but complicated relationship with Glen and Sera, her adoptive parents. She has a great deal of anger for her biological mother, but its tempered by a newfound desire to connect with her. Erdrich endows Cedar with a bemused eye and an overstriving brain, rendering her observations a delight: her Native American bio mom  Mary Potts who goes by Sweetie  has got a perfect heart-shaped butt; Marys husbands emotions jump too fast for perfect mental health; and her scary-cute 16-year-old sister, Little Mary, who dresses in a self-described Goth-Lolita style, is sort of a nightmare kitten.

Among the books many strengths are its urgency and suspense as well as the immediacy of its voice. The novel is written in the form of a journal that Cedar has begun to keep for her unborn child as she goes about her quest for understanding and survival, trying to avoid the far-reaching gravid female detention authorized by Congress under an expansion of the Patriot Act.

Even as the plot rounds all of the potentially done-to-death dystopian bases  end-times hoarding, the government seizure of media outlets, vast ecological devastation, a scrappy band of resisters  Erdrichs sense of humor manages to make the darkness fresh and plausible, as when, regarding a corpse, Cedar notices the bodys Garfield print scrubs jacket with cartoon panels of () Garfield in a jungle, Garfield bored with a book in his paws, Garfield critical of a houseplant.

The story of the oppression of women  especially minority women  is as old as time. No matter how frequently writers like Erdrich warn against such inequality, paternalistic leaders and laws continue to perpetuate race and gender-based subjugation. Erdrich applies her stinging perspective to remind readers how much has happened, how much keeps happening and how far humans have yet to go.

Kathleen Rooney is the author, most recently, of the novel Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk.

Future Home of the Living God

By Louise Erdrich, Harper, 288 pages, $28.99
Midwives attend a much lower percentage of births in the United States compared with other western countries like Australia and France. (Getty Images )

Expectant mothers seeking to lower their risk of a cesarean delivery might want to consider getting a midwife involved, a new study suggests.

In addition, midwives were tied to less need for a surgical incision called an episiotomy during childbirth, the researchers reported.

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"More midwife-attended births may correlate with fewer obstetric procedures, which could lower costs without lowering the quality of care," wrote study co-authors Laura Attanasio, of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Katy Kozhimannil of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

The study findings are based on 126 hospitals in New York state.

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About 25 percent of those hospitals had no midwives. About half had midwives, but they attended less than 15 percent of births. At 7 percent of the hospitals, however, midwives attended more than four out of 10 births, according to the study.

In 2014, when the research was conducted, midwives were present at only 9 percent of U.S. births, the researchers noted. In other western countries  such as Australia, France and the United Kingdom  midwives attend two-thirds of births.

"This study is contributing to a body of research which shows that good outcomes for women at low risk in childbirth go hand-in-hand with lower use of medical procedures," Attanasio said in a news release from the universities.

The researchers said greater attention is being paid to overuse of cesarean and other procedures that may not result in better outcomes for mothers and babies.

Kozhimannil added, "From a policy perspective, this study should encourage legislators and regulators to consider efforts to safely expand access to midwifery care for low-risk pregnancies."

The findings were published in November in the Journal of Midwifery and Womens Health.

[ Related: 1 in 3 U.S. women have C-sections. How Chicago doctors are working to change that ]

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Presidente Pedro Pablo Kuczynski promulga ley que autoriza el uso del cannabis para uso medicional.
Then-comedian Al Franken and sports commentator Leeann Tweeden perform a comic skit for service members during the USO Sergeant Major of the Army's 2006 Hope and Freedom Tour in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, on Dec. 15, 2006. (Staff Sgt. Patrick N. Moes / U.S. Army)

Those popping sounds you hear arent lightbulbs breaking as they hit the frozen surface of Lake Wobegon.

Instead, that sound comes from political heads exploding in the Democratic Media Complex.

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Because liberal Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota was exposed, completely, for what he really is by West Coast radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden.

Theres that photo of Franken smiling and grabbing at her breasts as Tweeden, a former model, slept on the way home from a USO tour in 2006. Franken leered and posed, fingers spread on her, like some cartoon of a sex-crazed sixth-grade boy.

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You knew exactly what you were doing, Tweeden wrote in an online post. You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed.

And just like that, the Democratic strategy to politicize sexual abuse and use it to beat Republicans to death at the polls must undergo a drastic rewrite.

So what do Democrats do now? Do they demand that Franken resign?

Franken and Democratic and Republican Senate leaders want to send all this to the Senate ethics committee for an investigation. But there it will be lost in dusty vaults away from public scrutiny.

We already know what happened. An ethics committee investigation wont tell us what happened. The only question is: What are Democrats going to do about it?

Franken apologized, says hes sorry, says he respects women. But if he truly means it, theres one thing for him to do: Resign immediately, disappear out into the woods.

Its exactly what I recommended for the repugnant Alabama Republican senatorial candidate Roy Moore: Take a long walk in the woods and disappear.

Republican senators want Moore to drop out of the race. But will Democrats demand en masse that Franken resign? No. Theyll want to study this, and spin it somehow, and mitigate differences between Franken and Moore, the former a simple creep, the latter accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. But all that is just playing for time.

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And what will the media half of the Democratic Media Complex do?

Years ago many of them, particularly liberal pundits in Washington and New York, defended President Bill Clintons alleged assaults on women and dismissed allegations that he raped Juanita Broaddrick.

Leading feminists and liberal men trashed Clintons female accusers, because Clinton was their guy and he promised them what they wanted.

And what did a few women from Arkansas matter to the elite feminists of Washington and New York and Chicago and LA who were willing to forgive Clinton in exchange for a prize?

During the Monica Lewinsky scandal, liberal journalist Nina Burleigh captured it all in one infamous quote: I think American women should be lining up with their presidential kneepads on to show their gratitude for keeping the theocracy off our backs."

This is the heart of corruption, but Burleigh wasnt alone as liberals made their separate peace with a sexual predator.

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He was president. He promised hed protect abortion. And they got what they wanted.

In recent days though, as many on the left and right peeled (and rightfully so) the skin off creepy Roy Moore, an amazing thing has happened.

Pundits on the left began to wring their hands and confess their guilt about what they did to Clintons accusers.

It all rings hollow, of course, but theres a good reason that it rings hollow.

It is hollow.

[ Related column: Politics shouldnt override decency in cases of Roy Moore, Bill Clinton ]

But without the icy tears of calculated contrition, they couldnt proceed on the Democratic action plan.

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Now the Franken explosion complicates that strategy, which only a few days ago was quite clear: Hound Moore as a monster, cast Republicans as either abusers of women or supporters of sexual abuse, and shame them, shame them, shame them.

And forge all of it into another Year of the Woman campaign to be used ultimately against President Donald Trump, whose history with women is ugly and boorish at best.

But now, that strategy  smelting gender identity politics with the real pain women have suffered at the hands of men  has been undercut.

And anything less than Frankens departure from the Senate will be seen as just more political hypocrisy.

Tweeden, now news anchor on McIntyre in the Morning on KABC-AM in Los Angeles, posted her account and then talked at length about it.

She detailed Frankens behavior, his grabbing and groping and stuffing his tongue down her mouth during a USO tour before he was elected to the Senate, before he was a champion of women.

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(Franken) came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth, Tweeden wrote. I walked away. All I could think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth. I felt disgusted and violated.

Other women might come forward, accusing both Republicans and Democrats. Let it all come out. All of it.

This is what happens when the levee breaks.

And Franken, a comedian by trade, must realize that with the photo out there, with another accuser, it just might be time for him to exit stage left.

I can see him walking alone along the frozen banks of Lake Wobegon, laughing at his own jokes.

Listen to "The Chicago Way" podcast, with John Kass and Jeff Carlin, at http://wgnradio.com/category/wgn-plus/thechicagoway.

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jskass@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @John_Kass

An earlier version of this column misspelled Leeann Tweedens name. The Tribune regrets the error.

[ Related: Sen. Franken faces ethics probe after radio anchor says he forcibly kissed, groped her ]

[ Related: Roy Moore attacks his female accusers as critics decry intimidation ]
Ramps from Gurnee to the Tri-State Tollway are expected to reopen just in time for Thanksgiving travel, in which drivers on Chicagos interstates (could) see a delay of nearly 300 percent over the optimal trip, according to AAA. ( Dan Moran/News-Sun )

When Luke Skywalker tried to talk Han Solo into helping him rescue Princess Leia, the frantic farmboy appealed to the cynical pirate's greed, saying the reward would be "more wealth than you can imagine."

"I don't know," Han Solo replied. "I can imagine quite a bit."

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That observation came to mind this week when reading that AAA  the transportation advocacy group known to your grandparents as the American Automobile Association  is predicting "we could see record-level travel delays" for Thanksgiving week 2017.

Those of us who have driven on the Tri-State during a Christmas Eve snowstorm or on the Eisenhower during a sudden burst of freezing rain can imagine travel-delay records quite a bit longer than anyone can predict.

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But in a travel forecast broadcast far and wide this week, AAA offered fair warning that at the peak of Thanksgiving 2017 travel, "drivers on Chicago's interstates (could) see a delay of nearly 300 percent over the optimal trip." And nothing less than science backs them up.

"The 2017 holiday weekend will see the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2005 with 1.6 million more people taking to the nation's roads, skies, rails and waterways compared with last year," AAA officials said in a statement, adding that INRIX, a "global transportation analytics company," put together the dire forecast about Chicago travel being up to three times longer than usual.

By contrast, the peak of Thanksgiving week travel will only generate commutes 2.5 times as long as a free-and-easy day in Los Angeles. This No. 1 ranking comes as a twisted form of revenge for what the Dodgers did to the Cubs last month.

Hey, L.A.  remember what Ricky Bobby said: "If you ain't first, you're last."

Anyway, it's interesting to note that for both Chicago and Los Angeles, this "travel peak" is not on leave-early Wednesday or even get-home Sunday  it is on the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving. Specifically for Chicago, according to AAA, that would be Tuesday between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the intersection of Interstates 90 and 190.

For the unaware, that would be where the Kennedy swings out to become the cul-de-sac access road to O'Hare International Airport. The AAA forecast says the drive from downtown to O'Hare on Tuesday evening will be in the neighborhood of one hour and 14 minutes.

Is that a "record?" Not even close. Try making that drive around dinnertime almost any beautiful summer weekday after a Cubs game, much less during foul January weather or on Thanksgiving Eve-Eve.

But even so, if a relative or friend asks you to pick them up at the airport around that time or even on Wednesday, tell them you love them and would do almost anything for them  and then text a link to the CTA's Blue Line and arrange a pickup at, say, the Wendy's near Harlem and Higgins. Plan to settle in and eat the whole menu while traffic dies down.

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Way up here in Lake County, anyone planning to hit the Tri-State to head to or from O'Hare  or to or from Milwaukee's Mitchell Field  received slightly good news this week when the Illinois Tollway announced it will be reopening ramps and lanes at the Grand Avenue interchange with Interstate 94 in Gurnee "to accommodate winter travel."

If you've missed out on this one, the ramps from eastbound Grand to northbound I-94 and from northbound I-94 to westbound Grand have been closed since July while work proceeds on a package of improvements that include "shoulder work, roadway lighting, drainage and signage improvements, ramp maintenance, pavement marking and landscaping," according to the Tollway.

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(By the way, the above paragraph refers to "northbound" I-94 because that's what it is in the real world. Technically, I-94 through Lake County is called "eastbound" and "westbound" by the powers that be, since it is primarily an east-west road from Montana to Michigan and thus carries an even-numbered designation  but it is almost entirely north-south on its path from the Illinois-Indiana border to downtown Milwaukee.)

A Tollway statement from Monday reported that the ramps at Grand Avenue were expected to be re-opened "this week," even though work is scheduled to continue into spring 2018. It is duly noted in this space that the ramp from eastbound Grand to northbound I-94 was not only merely closed but really most sincerely closed on Friday morning.

In fairness, the Tollway statement included the all-important phrase "weather permitting," and we have had lousy weather off and on this week, with more of the same forecast into the weekend. Stay tuned for updates on that one.

Fortunately, the Thanksgiving week forecast from the National Weather Service in Chicago reports that "sprawling high pressure" will result in "dry conditions Wednesday into the Thanksgiving holiday, but it will remain on the colder side with high in the 30s and lows in the 20s Wednesday, (and) a bit warmer on Thanksgiving Day."

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So AAA is calling for "record-level travel delays" and the weather service says it will be "on the colder side?" A Thanksgiving dinner safely tucked away at home is sounding more and more appetizing. Tell the in-laws you can't make it, and if they complain, tell them they can't argue with science.

danmoran@tribpub.com

Twitter @NewsSunDanMoran
The community is coming together to host a chili fundraiser for a local teen who suffered a stroke and serious injuries in a September car crash.

Samantha "Sammy" Constantine, 17, a junior at Valparaiso High School, was critically injured the morning of Sept. 25 when her car struck two trees while she was on her way to school.

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After stays at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill., and Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, Constantine was transferred to the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, also in Chicago, to continue her rehabilitation. She returned home Nov. 12.

A fundraiser to offset the family's medical bills is scheduled from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 805 Elm St., Valparaiso.

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Admission is $10 for students, $15 for adults. The event is free for children 5 and under.

Advance tickets are available at eventbrite.com.

The event includes a raffle, and a limited number of T-shirts are available for $10.

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
A 61-year-old man was killed when the back porches of a West Side building caught fire early Friday, authorities said.

The fire started about 5:50 a.m. in the 1800 block of South Hamlin Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood, the Chicago Fire Department said.

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The three-story building appeared vacant, and the fire was extinguished before 7 a.m.

The man was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital, fire officials said.

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Check back for updates.
Alexandra Hoyle, 21, faces charges of murder and aggravated battery of a child in connection with the death of 2-year-old Khalil Body, her boyfriend's son. (DeKalb Police Department )

A DeKalb woman was charged with murder after she was accused of slamming her boyfriend's two-year-old son to the ground, causing severe brain injuries, authorities said.

Alexandra Hoyle, 21, was initially arrested Nov. 11 on a charge of aggravated battery to a child as the boy, Khalil Body, was being treated at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, DeKalb police said in a news release

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Hoyle's charges were upgraded after Khalil died of his injuries Wednesday, police said. Khalil's death was ruled a homicide due to blunt force head trauma and child abuse, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

"The tragic loss of a two year old child at the hands of this offender is unthinkable. On behalf of the DeKalb Police Department we offer our sincere condolences, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and those that survive him," DeKalb Police Chief Gene Lowery said in a statement.

Police opened an investigation Nov. 10 after Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital notified them that Khalil suffered a severe brain injury under suspicious circumstances, police said.

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Working with DeKalb County State's Attorney's Office, police determined that Hoyle, who was dating Khalil's biological father, caused the injuries by slamming the child's head onto the hardwood floor at his home in the 800 block of Ridge Drive, police said.

After her initial Nov. 11 arrest, Hoyle posted a $100,000 bond on the child battery charge and was released from the DeKalb County Jail on Tuesday, police said.

An additional warrant was issued for Hoyle after Khalil's death and she was booked back into the jail on two counts of first degree murder, police said. Her bond was set at $750,000, according to online DeKalb County court records. She remains in the jail, police said.
Tiana Jorman, who has counseled gang members and at-risk youths for nearly a decade, is bringing together mental health professionals, youth advocates and activists on Nov. 18, 2017, to discuss trauma and mental health. (William Lee / Chicago Tribune)

From elected leaders to neighbors chatting across the fence, conversations in Chicago about solving poverty and violence often focus on what can be measured  the number of murders and shootings, the unemployment rate, the dropout rate.

But those numbers fail to capture the psychological toll that violence and poverty take on people living in troubled communities.

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To address that issue, a veteran social worker is bringing together mental health professionals, youth advocates and activists on Saturday to discuss trauma and mental health, with a particular focus on young African-American men and boys.

Numerous studies have linked childhood trauma and exposure to violence in poor communities with post-traumatic stress disorder and increased risk of mental health problems in adulthood.

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Tiana Jorman, who has counseled gang members and at-risk youths for nearly a decade, is hoping to start a frank discussion about the long-term impact of physical or psychological trauma on young people. Too often, she said, a toxic masculinity is fostered among black boys and men, leading to more violence.

These traumas  which can range from being homeless and living on the street, enduring domestic abuse or sexual assault, or being a victim of gun violence  are pervasive in Chicago, where years of surging violence in predominantly black communities have left a scarred generation, she said.

Making matters worse, Jorman said, is the resistance to talking about the subject. Mental health in the black community, Jorman said, remains a taboo topic.

Theres a stigma when it comes to how much (black men) can share, said Jorman, 32, who grew up on the citys West Side and who started her own community organization, Breaking Through Breaking Beyond.

I think we do ourselves a disservice, especially in the black community, because its oftentimes this stigma of Oh, youre telling family secrets. You shouldnt talk about that in public, she said. No, these are the things we need to talk about so we can really begin to heal and see what normal relationships look like.

The four-hour summit, which begins at 10 a.m. at the Connect Gallery in Hyde Park, will also address the effects of social media on fueling the trauma on black youths and adults.

With social media, I feel like weve normalized so many abnormal behaviors. At any given point you can log on Facebook and  you can see a picture of someone dead in the street, she said.

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The summit, called Healing and Transcendence: The Importance of Black Male Identity and Mental Health in Trump Times, will also explore how the Donald Trump presidency has left many African-Americans and Latinos feeling marginalized and how people can cope with that, she said.

Having grown up in the Homan Square neighborhood in the late 1990s and after years of working in social services, Jorman said she knows firsthand the scarring effect a severely broken home can have on its children.

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She hopes her summit reaches teens with shattered backgrounds to let them know there are others out there like them and that there's help available. At the same time, Jorman hopes the summit will bring about a candid discussion about accountability and encourage young men of color to take responsibility for their actions, while women must discipline themselves from enabling poor behavior in men.

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She quoted former first lady Michelle Obama, who during the recent Obama Foundation Summit commented: "We love our boys and we raise our girls. We raise them to be strong, and sometimes we take care not to hurt men. And I think we pay for that a little bit."

Obari Cartman, a therapist and wellness expert who will serve as a panelist, said while the mental health of black youths is often left out of the public conversations about the violence plaguing Chicago, he believes theres enough knowledge within these communities to change hearts and minds to shatter the cycle of trauma.

The world is always full of big problems, but we have a lot of power and talent and gifts in the communities that we're talking about that just really needs to be redirected, refocused and repurposed to be organized in a way to solve these problems, he said.

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wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
Dr. Charles Bush-Joseph, Rush University surgeon and professor, and a team doctor for the Bulls and Sox, at his Westchester, orthopedic office on Oct. 24, 2017. Dr. Bush-Joseph comes out with other doctors in favor of expanded medical marijuana use for pain, in place of opioids. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

As a prominent Chicago surgeon, Dr. Charles Bush-Joseph sees them all too frequently: people who endure severe injuries or multiple surgeries, only to become addicted to prescription painkillers.

One patient who pleaded for help was on such strong drugs already that Bush-Joseph knew he couldnt handle more surgery without dangerously high levels of opioids.

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But nine months later, the patient returned and told the doctor hed replaced those powerful pain pills with another drug  marijuana. And after seeing the deadly damage opioids can do, Bush-Joseph said such cases have shown him that cannabis can be a safer alternative.

Theres a large group of patients who have chronic pain who rely on opioids, Bush-Joseph said. Those are the patients who would benefit from medical cannabis.

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Illinois medical community has been somewhat reluctant to publicly embrace medical marijuana in the two years since the states first dispensaries opened.

But some physicians say the matter has taken on added urgency as the nation sinks deeper into an opioid crisis involving both prescription drugs, and heroin and its synthetic analogs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there are 40 prescription opioid deaths a day, Illinois health officials have warned its the most dangerous public health issue facing the state and President Donald Trump has declared opioid addiction a public health emergency.

Though Bush-Joseph speaks for himself  not for Rush University Medical Center where he is a professor, and not for the Chicago White Sox or Bulls, with whom he has worked  his word as a leading arthroscopic surgeon carries some weight. After severe injury or surgery, he concedes patients typically need opioids like Percocet and Vicodin for a month or two. But after that, he believes patients should have potential access to marijuana as another longer-term alternative.

American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons records reveal that Bush-Joseph has stock options in Cresco Labs in Chicago, one of the leading producers of medical marijuana in Illinois. He said he is on Crescos medical advisory board, but by law cannot certify his own patients for medical marijuana, and describes himself as a believer that it can help people.

To advocate for that cause, Bush-Joseph and two other physicians  Dr. Leslie Mendoza Temple, former head of the state Medical Cannabis Advisory Board, and Dr. Laurence Levine, a Rush urologist  have formed Physicians Against Injurious Narcotics, or PAIN. More doctors initially planned to participate, but Bush-Joseph said they got scared off by concerns about their reputation, or opposition by their hospitals or medical groups.

The doctors support a new bill before the Illinois General Assembly that would expand the state medical marijuana program to allow cannabis to be used by any patient who qualifies for use of opioids. Such a change could vastly expand the program, which now has only about 27,000 participants. Currently there are about 40 specific conditions, including cancer and AIDS, that qualify sufferers to apply to use medical marijuana.

Dr. Charles Bush-Joseph, Rush University surgeon and professor, works with patient Julius Pelk at his orthopedic offices in Westchester, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017. Dr. Bush-Joseph favors expanding medical marijuana use for pain, in place of opioids. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

If passed into law, the new bill would allow those who qualify to receive a one-year marijuana card, without the fingerprinting and criminal background check now required. Approval would be expedited to 14 days, rather than the two to three months it can now take.

The sponsor, Sen. Don Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park, said the opioid epidemic shows that whats being done so far isnt working, and that research shows marijuana can help treat pain.

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We should be actively helping people who are addicted to opioids, Harmon said, instead of treating them like criminals.

Advocates for such a program point to a 2014 study that found opioid overdose deaths decreased by one-third in states that legalized medical marijuana. Unlike deaths from prescription opioids, which the CDC reports has quadrupled since 1999, advocates say its virtually impossible to die from marijuana overdose alone.

While a few doctors are coming out in favor of medical marijuana, there remain a large number who do not consider it medicine, because it hasnt gone through the clinical trials required for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as have prescription drugs.

One synthetic form of THC, the ingredient in marijuana that gets users high, has been approved by the FDA to fight nausea, but studies have found that users dont like it as much and say its not as effective.

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Whatever form of marijuana patients might use, critics say theyre trading one dangerous drug for another.

Aaron Weiner, director of addiction services for Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, based in the western suburbs, said the deeply flawed medical marijuana program lets users take whatever amount and concentration of cannabis they wish, with comically named strains like Bruce Banner that seem aimed more at kids than middle-aged patients.

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He cited a recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry that found that long-term marijuana use increased the chance of developing an opioid use disorder. Instead, Linden Oaks uses tools like other medication-assisted therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy and even combinations of Tylenol and Advil, which he said have shown effectiveness in helping people taper off opioids.

Like opioids, marijuana is a dead-end for pain  youll develop a tolerance, need to go up in the amount you smoke and will have to smoke and be high all the time to achieve pain relief, Weiner said in an email. In my opinion, we need actual sustainable solutions to chronic pain, not just other addictive substances.

Lawmakers could take up the proposal to expand the medical marijuana program early next year. They are also expected to consider a separate proposal to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, despite a continuing federal ban. Bush-Joseph said he does not support the legalization of recreational marijuana in Illinois.

rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertMcCoppin

[ Related: Medical marijuana patients report reduction in use of prescription drugs ]

[ Related: Where are Illinois medical marijuana dispensaries? (interactive map) ]
Nevest Coleman, 48, speaks about the day he and a friend found the body of a woman in the basement of his family's house. In 1997, Coleman and Darryl Fulton were found guilty of the woman's rape and murder, but recent DNA evidence has suggested they are not responsible for the crime. (Alyssa Pointer/Chicago Tribune) (Alyssa Pointer/Chicago Tribune)

Cook County prosecutors have agreed to a retrial for two men convicted of a 1994 rape and murder that recent DNA testing suggests they did not commit.

On Friday Cook County Judge Dennis Porter vacated the convictions for Nevest Coleman and Darryl Fulton, who are serving life sentences and have been behind bars for more than 23 years.

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Porter ordered a new trial and granted them each an I-bond, meaning they can go free on their own recognizance. Attorneys for both men said they expect to pick up their clients from prison Monday.

Forensic testing this year suggested the two men might be innocent: Semen from the victims underwear is linked to a serial rapist with almost scientific certainty, according to a petition filed over the summer by Colemans attorney.

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DNA found under the victims fingernails and on her sweatshirt does not match the men serving time for the crime, but the serial rapist, who has not been publicly identified, could not be excluded as the source of that DNA, the petition stated.

Prosecutors are still waiting for full DNA results, which they initially hoped to have by the end of October. When those tests are returned and analyzed, prosecutors may decide to drop their case against Coleman and Fulton altogether.

In light of the decision to retry the two men, sources said, prosecutors did not object to releasing Coleman and Fulton on their own recognizance.

The Tribune has written extensively about Coleman and Fultons case. Both men were convicted after confessing to Chicago police detectives who, records show, had a history of misconduct and allegations of coerced false statements.

Coleman and Fulton were convicted of the murder of Antwinica Bridgeman, who disappeared in April 1994 after a gathering of friends for her 20th birthday.

Coleman found her body two weeks later in an abandoned basement of the Englewood home where he lived with his family, and Colemans mother called authorities.

No physical evidence ever linked Coleman, now 48, and Fulton, now 50, to the attack, a Tribune review of court records and police reports found.

Kathleen Zellner, the attorney representing Fulton, said she appreciates the work the conviction integrity unit has done reviewing this case and praised it for being responsive to a letter from Fulton, which is what reopened the case.

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Were thrilled hell be home for Thanksgiving, Zellner said. I dont believe he will end up being retried but I respect the fact they want to get the final test results before they (decide how to proceed).

Russell Ainsworth, the attorney representing Coleman, said hes thrilled by the prosecutors decision and predicted the case will ultimately be dropped.

The DNA evidence will exonerate them wholly and completely. The charges will be dismissed, Ainsworth said. And two men will be reunited with their families.

The prosecutors decision comes amid a dramatic flurry of exonerations this week.

Fifteen men were cleared of drug convictions en masse Thursday morning after alleging they were framed by disgraced former Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts and his crew. Two other men were also freed in separate cases, adding new chapters to the sometimes dark history of Chicagos justice system.

According to data compiled by the National Registry of Exonerations, a wrongful conviction database maintained by the University of Michigan, at least 146 people have been freed from prison after being convicted in Cook County  a staggering sum that ranks Cook County higher than almost every other state for exonerations. That figure doesnt include the most recent tossed convictions.

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Many of the cases in the database originated in Chicago and echo Coleman and Fultons saga. Some men claim they were tortured and shocked by detectives under notorious Cmdr. Jon Burge decades ago. Others say they were choked. Like Coleman and Fulton, many allege they were beaten.

Over the years, civil rights attorneys and others have criticized local law enforcement, including prosecutors, for being slow in responding to concerns over convictions. Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx was elected last year after pledging to be more open toward innocence claims.

The Watts cases are believed to be the first mass exoneration in county history.

Jose Maysonet, 49, walked free Wednesday after 27 years in custody for a double murder when a sergeant and four detectives  all retired  indicated they would assert their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refuse to answer questions about the alleged confessions they obtained. Given their refusal to speak, prosecutors said they had no choice but to drop the case against Maysonet.

On Tuesday, Arthur Brown, 66, was released after county prosecutors reversed course and dropped murder charges against him, saying significant evidentiary issues raised deep concerns about the fairness of his conviction. Brown had been in custody 29 years for a double murder.

In Coleman and Fultons case, prosecutors have acknowledged that the DNA results raise serious issues about their convictions.

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After hearing that her brother could be freed next week, Fultons sister, Sandra Griffin, reiterated her belief in his innocence.

Ive been looking forward to this day forever, Griffin said. I knew it was going to come one day but I just didnt know when.

Fulton said the first thing he wants once hes released is a Baconator from Wendys with extra bacon, Griffin said.

Colemans sister, Jennice Coleman, said she was leery about the prospect of a retrial but said shes not going to worry about that right now.

I just want him out, she said.

For his first meal, Colemans sister said he wanted a chicken gyro and looked forward to his sisters mac and cheese, as well as turkey and dressing  stuff he missed that we used to cook.

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Another sister, Angela Rogers, hyperventilated with excitement while imagining the moment she sees her brother again as a free man, and cried.

Im gonna holler and scream, Im gonna give him a big kiss, Im going to hold him so tight, Rogers said. Make sure he dont leave me no more.

gpratt@chicagotribune.com

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @royalpratt

Twitter @crepeau

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RELATED:

[ 2 inmates serving life for 1994 rape, murder: 'If the DNA is not me, why am I still here?' ]

[ 7 officers on desk duty as charges dropped against 15, cases linked to corrupt ex-cop reviewed ]

[ Prosecutors drop murder charges after 5 ex-Chicago cops plan to take the 5th ]
An off-duty Chicago police officer was stabbed while driving a car Friday morning on the South Side, causing her to hit a school bus, according to police.

The officer, 47, was stabbed in the head in a domestic attack and taken in serious condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she was stabilized, police said.

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A child on the bus was taken to Jackson Park Hospital complaining of a headache.

The woman was driving in the 7600 block of South Stony Island Avenue shortly after 8 a.m. when she was attacked in what police described as a domestic incident.

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A person of interest was in custody and charges were pending.

Check back for updates.
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The inbound Dan Ryan Expressway at 58th Street is closed after a motorist was shot and crashed into an electrical box on the east side of the expressway Nov. 16, 2017, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

A man was shot to death and two women and a child were injured when a car crashed following a shooting on the Dan Ryan Expressway late Thursday afternoon near 59th Street, officials said.

The driver of the car, Dashon Campbell, 22, died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide, the Cook County medical examiner's office determined Friday.

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About 5:15 p.m. Thursday, two cars were driving erratically in the northbound local lanes when shots were fired and one of the cars crashed into a wall, according to the Illinois State Police.



The driver of the car that crashed, Campbell was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Campbell lived about two miles away, in the 4400 block of South Shields Avenue in the Fuller Park neighborhood on the South Side, according to the medical examiner. He was pronounced dead at 5:53 p.m.



Two women and a young child in the car suffered injuries from the accident, police said. One person was taken initially in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, and the others people were taken in fair to serious condition to St. Bernard Hospital, fire officials said.



At the scene Thursday, troopers and Chicago police officer scanned the pavement with flashlights in search of shell casings south of where the car, dotted with bullet holes, had crashed.



Three ambulances left in succession northbound on the Dan Ryan as traffic backed up behind them. Some traffic was diverted to Wentworth Avenue, which parallels the expressway, but soon curious onlookers parked in traffic lanes and climbed fences to look onto the expressway at the scene below.



Anyone with information can contact the Chicago District of the Illinois State Police at 847-294-4400.



Check back for more details.

Chicago Tribune's Elvia Malagon contributed.
A week after lawmakers tried to address complaints of sexual harassment in Illinois politics, Gov. Bruce Rauner joined skeptics who dont think they did enough to ensure that complaints will be investigated and wrongdoers punished.

On Thursday, the Republican governor said the two bills the Democrat-controlled General Assembly sent him last week would start the process of taking on sexual harassment concerns. One requires sexual harassment prevention training for lawmakers and lobbyists.

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The other lifts a one-year statute of limitations that would have prevented the newly installed legislative inspector general from investigating old complaints filed during the several years lawmakers left the watchdog post vacant.

Rauner, though, contended lawmakers left in place a different provision that could prevent those investigations from going before a panel for possible punishment.

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They should have dealt with that in this bill, Rauner said during an unrelated bill-signing ceremony at the James R. Thompson Center in the Loop. So this was hurried, it wasnt really well thought through.

He also said he is concerned that the new legislative inspector general, former federal prosecutor Julie Porter, has to answer to lawmakers who could meddle with her investigations.

Theres a lot of control with the legislature about what they can investigate, Rauner said of the legislative inspector general, who is appointed by the General Assembly and reports to a panel of eight lawmakers. This is wrong. There should be complete independence, complete confidentiality, complete ability to unilaterally do whatever he or she decides needs to be investigated.

Rauner said he was one of the people in Springfield who wants to see the Legislative Ethics Commission  the enforcer of the General Assemblys ethics rules  turned into an independent body, instead of the panel of lawmakers tasked with policing their colleagues. Republican state Sen. Tim Bivins of Dixon has filed legislation that would fill the commission with people who have experience in government but havent been registered lobbyists or lawmakers for at least 10 years.

The proposal could be considered next year. It is being advocated by Denise Rotheimer, a victim rights activist whose public harassment allegations against Democratic state Sen. Ira Silverstein of Chicago ratcheted up pressure on lawmakers to fill the empty inspector general post. Rotheimer told the Tribune that she thinks the entire system for investigating complaints needs to be rewritten.

I have zero trust in this process, Rotheimer said. Its obvious that this system wasnt designed for the complainant, the accuser. We have no rights, theres no procedures. The very people who swept my complaint under the rug are the ones who are going to be determining the outcome.

Rotheimer alleges that Silverstein used her advocacy for a bill as an opening to form a personal relationship with her. She said the senator peppered her with messages on Facebook, called and texted her late at night, and at one point threatened to kill the bill she was advocating for because he thought she had a boyfriend.

Silverstein has disputed the allegations and said he apologized "if I made her uncomfortable." He has since resigned his leadership post and now faces calls from some fellow Democrats to step down.

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In testimony before a panel of lawmakers earlier this month, Rotheimer said she had complained about the behavior to Senate President John Cullertons office late last year, but that her complaints fell on deaf ears. A Cullerton spokesman said the matter was reported to the legislative inspector generals office, which ordinarily would be tasked with looking into such a complaint. But legislative leaders left that office empty for nearly three years.

Lawmakers moved quickly to install Porter as the legislatures new top watchdog and to suspend a statute of limitations that would have blocked her from investigating the complaints that had piled up over the years. They didnt touch the law that limits how much time can pass before an inspector general takes an investigation to the Ethics Commission for possible punishment.

The current law gives the inspector general 18 months from the most recent act of the alleged violation or of a series of alleged violations to refer a complaint to the commission. Rauner contended that the inspector general wouldnt be able to bring complaints for allegations that occurred years ago but werent investigated until now.

Porter did not respond to requests for comment.

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State Sen. Cristina Castro, a Democrat from Elgin who sits on the commission, said the 18-month timeline exists to ensure there's timely follow-through by the inspector general, should issues be discovered. She also said finding the appropriate "balance" is something that a newly created Senate task force on sexual harassment should review with input from the inspector general.

"We want to make sure the inspector general has enough time to investigate complaints, but we also want to make sure theres timely follow through with the commission if issues are found," Castro said. "I would hope that ensuring that balance is something the Senate task force would review with input from the inspector general."

State Sen. Terry Link, a Democrat from Waukegan who chairs the commission, said the statute of limitations provides plenty of time for due process.

Maybe the governor and his people should understand the commission and its responsibilities, because if the inspector general had a complaint and it took more than 18 months to bring it to us, I would question the inspector general, Link said. But I think we have an IG that is fabulous, I think she is tremendous and will be great. But the point is the due process. Eighteen months is a long time that we are giving.

Link said installing an inspector general was the most important thing we could do, and we should have done it a long time ago. He said he did not believe further overhaul of the ethics oversight process was needed.

I think the system has worked fine in the past and it will work fine again, Link said.

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Garcia reported from Springfield.

kgeiger@chicagotribune.com

mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimgeiger

Twitter @moniquegarcia

[ RELATED: Lawmakers get sexual harassment prevention training: If you wouldn't say it in front of grandma, don't ]

[ Lawmaker tells of being objectified by colleague as sexual harassment bills pass in Springfield ]

[ Lawmakers appoint former prosecutor as top watchdog in wake of sexual harassment scandal ]
A majority of commissioners have put their names on Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkles plan to plug a $200 million hole in next years budget, in part by laying off hundreds of employees working for Sheriff Tom Dart and Chief Circuit Judge Timothy Evans.

Preckwinkle on Friday unveiled her revised budget-cutting proposal, which listed 15 of the boards 17 commissioners as co-sponsors in advance of Tuesdays vote on her 2018 spending plan for next year. The fresh round of cuts became needed after the board repealed the countys controversial soda pop tax, losing the money that would have brought in next year.

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Since she first proposed the budget cuts on Monday, Preckwinkle worked with commissioners to refine her initial plan. Dart and Evans, though, continue to push back hard.

I applaud the commissioners for their collaboration on the amendment, as well as the separately elected officials, county staff and the public for their input, and look forward to passage of our budget Tuesday, Preckwinkle said in a statement.

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Her plan calls for cutting about $158 million in spending, while relying on rosier revenue projections and shifting money around county funds to close the rest of the shortfall. The optimistic income estimates include more money from the federal government to care for poor people at the Health and Hospitals System, a bigger influx from the citys surplus special taxing district funds, better tax collection, more investment income and the sale of some medical equipment.

Instead of the 592 layoffs Preckwinkle first proposed Monday, her revised plan now calls for letting 425 county employees go  most of them middle management for Dart and Evans. The sheriff would have to lay off 181 people as part of a $53 million budget cut, and the chief judge would have to deliver pink slips to 180 people to help slash nearly $24 million.

Preckwinkle contends the offices of sheriff and chief judge have more supervisors than necessary, that shes trying to bring them more in line with best practices for the number of employees per supervisor, she said earlier this week.

The Health and Hospitals System would see 34 layoffs, and Preckwinkle would have 15 in the offices under her direct control. More than 1,000 currently vacant positions across all offices and departments would be removed from the books too.

Darts office chafed at Preckwinkles proposal, saying in a statement that they were not discussed nor negotiated (and) are made in reckless disregard for public safety and evidence a gross misunderstanding of the scope of responsibilities of this office.

Sheriff Dart strenuously objects to this amendment and urges county commissioners to prioritize public safety by addressing the scope, extent and disparity of these cuts, the statement said.

Evans in a statement said he was disappointed to hear that a proposal would lead to 180 layoffs in his office, adding that he would rather achieve targeted cost savings by having employees take unpaid furlough days.

Preckwinkle has agreed to allow Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown reach her target with furloughs. The difference, however, is that Brown has presented a letter from affected unions agreeing to the furloughs, while Evans has not.

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The proposed cuts come after commissioners voted 15-2 last month to repeal a penny-an-ounce tax on sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages. That Preckwinkle-backed tax, which took effect Aug. 2, triggered a public backlash fueled by a multimillion-dollar Can the Tax campaign waged by the beverage industry. It expires Dec. 1, the first day of the countys fiscal 2018 year.

I think the amendment represents a real victory for the residents of Cook County and working-class families, and it doesnt devastate public health and public safety, said Commissioner Richard Boykin, an Oak Park Democrat who was a leading proponent of repeal.

But Boykin nevertheless said he was concerned that the amendment as submitted Friday called for laying off 12 front-line officers in the sheriffs police department and added he will not vote for a budget that lays off sheriffs police, as opposed to supervisors.

Its still a work in progress, its still a moving target, Boykin said. Theres still some negotiations going on, back and forth, and so I think that document you see there might change a little more.

Making changes might be difficult, though. Finance Committee Chairman John Daley  who controls the budget-approval process  has indicated he wont consider further substantive amendments to the budget on Tuesday.

The two commissioners who arent listed as co-sponsors are two Chicago Democrats. Commissioner John Fritchey was recuperating from hip replacement surgery, but Jesus Chuy Garcia  Preckwinkles floor leader and a potential candidate for mayor  said he had reservations and has yet to decide how hell vote.

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He expressed concerns about reliance on on cuts and layoffs to fill the countys budget hole.

The Cook County Health and Hospitals System alone will see $36.5 million in cuts, and the public safety will bear the brunt of the 425 layoffs, Garcia said. Cuts in essential services will affect all Cook County residents, but I am afraid they will fall disproportionately on the poorest communities.

hdardick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ReporterHal

[ RELATED: Preckwinkle expects only 'modest changes' to her plan to cut $200 million in spending ]

[ After pop tax loss, Preckwinkle headed for fight over budget cuts to sheriff, chief judge ]
Under state law, no more than three advisory questions can appear on the ballot each election. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Rahm Emanuels City Council allies are trying to get three questions on Chicago ballots in the March primary election in an annual bid to prevent questions with potentially embarrassing results for the mayor from making it before voters.

Ald. Pat OConnor, the mayors council floor leader, hopes to ask voters if they support a comprehensive strategy to address opioid and heroin deaths, including more state money for addiction treatment.

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Ald. Margaret Laurino, who runs council meetings when the mayor leaves the dais, has submitted a question asking whether Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner should support legislation to amend the state insurance code to preserve various health care benefits for people who signed up for the Affordable Care Act.

And Ald. Ariel Reboyras, who Emanuel tapped to chair the key Public Safety Committee, wants to know whether Chicagoans support state legislation to ban firearm bump stocks of the kind used in the mass shooting in Las Vegas, and if they would like stronger penalties for illegal gun traffickers.

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All three aldermen said Friday that they introduced the questions because they believe its worthwhile to take city voters pulse on the topics.

I just thought it was the right time to find out where people stand on this, said Reboyras, 30th.

RELATED: Who's running for Chicago mayor in 2019? Possible candidates emerge as Emanuel seeks term 3

Under state law, no more than three advisory questions can appear on the ballot each election. So if the City Council votes to include the recently proposed questions, it would effectively block anyone else from getting one on there.

Such questions carry no legislative weight, but City Hall over the years generally has tried to avoid referendum topics that could show strong citywide support for positions the mayor opposes.

In summer 2016, the councils Progressive Caucus pushed a question for the fall ballot asking whether Emanuel should be stripped of his control of the city's two major airports in favor of an independent authority. The council instead opted to include questions about gun trafficking, school funding and city services for people who dont have IDs.

Aldermen previously have tried unsuccessfully to get on the citywide ballot a question about whether the Chicago Board of Education should be elected instead of selected by the mayor.

RELATED: Weighing third term, Emanuel relies on campaign donors who get City Hall benefits

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OConnor, 40th, said there was no intent to block other referendums from the ballot, and that the three proposals were put forward in a timely fashion by senior council members because they understand the process and have issues they want to address.

There is nothing that Im aware of that (the mayor) is looking to not have on the ballot, he said.

And Laurino, 39th, pointed out anybody has the option to introduce one if they wanted to, and I didnt see anybody else doing that.

The three questions will head to the council Rules Committee, and the full City Council could vote next month to include them on the March 20 ballot that includes primary contests for governor and attorney general, and various other state and Cook County races.

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com

hdardick@chicagotribune.com
From left, Troy LaRaviere, head of the Chicago principal's association, says he's running for Chicago mayor; County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, former Chicago top cop Garry McCarthy, County Commissioner Bridget Gainer and businessman Willie Wilson are potential candidates.

In many major cities, unrelenting gun violence, a troubled police department and record tax increases would be enough to have powerhouse candidates lining up to run for mayor.

Not in Chicago, where no congressmen, statewide office holders or countywide officials have surfaced as challengers to Mayor Rahm Emanuel as he seeks a third term.

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But winning campaigns dont always require a marquee name. Sometimes, a wave of national political change, the unpopularity of an incumbent or an electorate yearning for more can converge and override conventional political thinking.

Thats the hope, at least, for the crop of potential candidates starting to emerge in opposition to Emanuel, with Sunday marking exactly one year before candidates start filing paperwork for the February 2019 city election.

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Troy LaRaviere is in. The fiery head of the Chicago principals association and one of the mayors harshest critics tells the Chicago Tribune he has decided to run.

Jesus Chuy Garcia sounds ready to give it another go. The Cook County commissioner, and Emanuels top challenger in 2015, is drawing lessons from that hastily assembled campaign while moving toward another bid.

Others are flirting with the idea: Former Chicago top cop Garry McCarthy is warming to a run; County Commissioner Bridget Gainer is studying it; and businessman Willie Wilson is waiting for support to materialize.

One big name off the list is Sheriff Tom Dart. A favorite among some City Hall insiders who see him as having a good shot at unseating Emanuel, the sheriff is not interested in running for mayor, a spokeswoman said.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan isnt seeking a fifth term, but the brand-name, impending political free agent has ruled out running for mayor.

If someone is going to run against the mayor, they have to be able to mobilize people and theyre going to have to raise a lot of money, said Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, nodding to the $24 million Emanuel raised for his 2015 re-election. When you look at who has that capability, I believe its slim pickings because the amount of money it takes to win this office is just ridiculous now.

South Side Ald. Howard Brookins called it a fools errand to run against Emanuel, predicting the mayor would easily win because theres no states attorney or congressman who has instant credibility running.

I dont see that person out there right now, said Brookins, 21st. For that reason and the fact that the mayor can print money, I dont think anyone significant will challenge him.

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Garcia and LaRaviere may have disadvantages in traditional measures of political strength, but both believe there is a deep dissatisfaction with Emanuel to be tapped and generations of voters frustrated with City Hall to be galvanized in economically depressed and crime-ridden neighborhoods.

My goal is the realization of human potential in this city, which means people have to have the best education, they have to have economic activity that creates jobs so they can sustain and support themselves, and provide for themselves and their families. It means they have to be safe, LaRaviere said in an interview. The office of mayor is not my goal. The office is a means to that end.

LaRaviere and Garcia count themselves as avid supporters of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, foot soldiers in the populists self-dubbed political revolution that gave Hillary Clinton a surprisingly strong run for the partys nomination in 2016.

In the Sanders wing, Emanuel is viewed as establishment  a Wall Street Clinton Democrat, no matter what progressive policies (a higher minimum wage and protections for undocumented immigrants) he has embraced as mayor. The scenario Garcia likes to think is possible: Local frustration with Emanuel paired with a national move to the left within the party, particularly in urban Democratic bastions like Chicago, generate the perfect storm to deliver a grassroots victory.

With this election, well have more time to do all of the planning, to plot the field better, to look at potential change in the City Council  and it comes on the aftermath of the Bernie Sanders experience, which I think was a powerful experience, Garcia said in an interview. Ive been to New York, Texas, L.A., other parts of this country, and there are a lot of people who want to see a progressive-oriented mayor in Chicago, and I have been establishing those relationships. ... It could be different this time.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 5 Troy LaRaviere, president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, attends a town hall gathering on fair elections legislation at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave., Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Chicago. LaRaviere says he will run for Chicago mayor. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Return of the mustache?

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In 2015, Emanuel suffered the political embarrassment of being forced into a runoff with the little-known Garcia, who ran a spirited, if scattershot, campaign that was outspent by more than 3-to-1 and lost by 12 percentage points.

Around City Hall, Garcia is still referred to as the accidental candidate. He had planned to back Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, but after she fell ill with brain cancer, Garcia was recruited.

Reluctant at first, Garcia became a household name, his campaign funded in large part by the local and national teachers unions upset with Emanuels education policies and school closings. Chuy signs with the candidates trademark mustache popped up across the city as Garcia railed against Emanuel, arguing the mayor had prioritized the monied interests of the Loop and not done enough to take care of Chicagos neighborhoods.

Munching on a cookie in the corner of a coffee shop across from City Hall earlier this month, Garcia said he still remains surprised at how fast his message and the mustache craze caught on, considering his campaign had little time for planning.

I wouldnt recommend anyone jump in a race when you only have three weeks to get on the ballot and finding experience campaign staff is almost impossible, Garcia joked. Nevertheless, we turned out to be a hell of a campaign, bringing people together, building a multiracial, multiethnic coalition and forcing the first runoff ever in the city.

Garcia says he now sees a lot of regrets around Chicago  from Latinos who didnt take him seriously, from African-Americans upset over the Laquan McDonald shooting and continued violence, from whites who now see him as fair and even-keeled and from voters of all stripes who bought into Emanuels narrative that Garcia shouldnt be trusted with the citys checkbook.

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There is great buyers remorse in the city, from folks who believed the ads that questioned my ability to manage the finances of the third-largest city in the country while he boasted of his financial prowess and sophistication that was going to solve the citys financial problems, Garcia said. He totally dismissed raising taxes, like property taxes, and weve seen the historic high, record-setting, property taxes, (and) his continuation of fees, fines and penalties.

Emanuel hinted at a property tax hike during the campaign, then went ahead and raised them by a record $543 million to pay for police and fire pensions. During his budget address last month, Emanuel thanked Chicago taxpayers for their sacrifice as he proclaimed, Chicago is on firmer financial footing than we have been in many years.

Asked how he would have addressed the citys pensions and finances as mayor, Garcia concedes his moves would have probably included some of the same things we have experienced. He does, however, contend he would have cut the budget more and calls a LaSalle Street tax on financial transactions in Chicago, a proposal favored by the teachers union and progressives, not such an unrealistic proposal as its been characterized.

Garcia still has plenty of doubters among the City Hall establishment. Asked about a second Garcia run, Beale could do little more than muster a smirk and say, Chuy already ran the best race he could. And for all the talk of trying to build a multiracial coalition, Brookins, the former chairman of the City Council Black Caucus, said he doesnt think African-Americans view him as a credible alternative.

Emanuels council floor leader was even less charitable.

There was a fella who has been in city government as an alderman for a number of years and county government for a number of years; with regard to Chicagos finances and budget, he didnt have an idea, said North Side Ald. Patrick OConnor, 40th. If hes smart, hes spent that last three years trying to figure out what he would do, but Im not sure thats the case.

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Garcia said hes focused on winning re-election to the county board next year, but spends a lot of time thinking about another mayoral run. Key to his decision, he says, will be having to spend time away from his family and determining how hell tackle the citys ongoing financial challenges, its lack of quality of life in many neighborhoods, unchecked violence and the Police Departments failure to solve homicides nearly 80 percent of the time.

The challenge of building a sustainable city where quality of life is something that everyone gets a chance at is what keeps me up at night as I grapple with the question of whether to jump in and run again or not, he said.

Im going to beat Rahm

LaRaviere burst onto Chicagos political scene in May 2014, when his blistering critique of Emanuels top-down approach to education ran on the Chicago Sun-Times opinion pages. The essay represented the rare decision of a sitting CPS principal to slam Emanuels administration for having ignored and suppressed principals voices in order to push City Halls political agenda for Chicagos schools.

News vans were parked in front of Lakeviews Blaine Elementary, where he was principal. I didnt expect all that to happen from that, he said. I expected, basically, to be fired.

But he wasnt fired  at least not then. And soon after, LaRaviere said, people began to whisper that he should run for mayor someday. Since then, he says the idea has remained on his mind.

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It became more real, LaRaviere said, when he met political consultant Michilla Blaise at, of all places, Emanuels blues party at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Since then, Blaise, a onetime aide to former Uptown Ald. Helen Shiller, has helped LaRaviere set up a group of advisers in various policy areas and hold regular idea-gathering sessions across the city.

Ive decided to run. Its like Ive decided to do it without necessarily starting a campaign, said LaRaviere, who said he soon plans to file paperwork to create an exploratory committee. Im doing the things I believe are necessary to get to the point where I can launch a campaign, and the only thing that can stop that launch from happening is some realization in this process that its impossible. I dont think thats going to happen.

If there is one thing LaRaviere doesnt lack, its confidence.

I think Im going to beat Rahm. I think if I run, I beat Rahm without a runoff, LaRaviere said. I believe that. First election, hes gone.

LaRaviere (prounounced LUH-RAH-VEE-AY) was an early critic of CPS principal training contract. The program later would serve as the downfall of former CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett, who was convicted in a kickback scheme tied to the program and sentenced to 4 years in prison.

That contract, and cuts to local school budgets, is a big part of what motivated LaRaviere to write that first essay, which he says changed my life.

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Youre sitting there in your school, and they just took away three-quarters of a million dollars from your budget and then you see $20 million going to a training that you participate in and that you know is horrible, LaRaviere said as he sipped jasmine green tea at a Greektown cafe. Principals were scared as hell to talk, scared to lose their jobs, and I was thinking, I didnt get into this to keep a job. I got into this to live a purpose. F--- it. So, I wrote the piece.

In the three-plus years since, LaRaviere has emerged as a firebrand, frequently delivering emotionally charged speeches railing against the privatization contracts, charter schools, insufficient funding for special education and metric-based education policies of Emanuel. He worked on Garcias mayoral campaign and appeared in a campaign ad for Sanders presidential run in which he said Chicago had endured a corrupt political system and the chief politician standing in the way of us getting good schools is our mayor.

A Navy veteran who attended Chicago Public Schools, LaRaviere holds many positions similar to those of the Chicago Teachers Union, including advocating for an elected school board, opposing excessive standardized testing and pushing back against budget cuts.

In April 2016, the Emanuel-controlled CPS removed him as Blaine principal amid allegations of insubordination for opposing a standardized test and ignoring warnings of engaging in on-the-job political activity. LaRaviere insisted his firing was politically motivated, and the move drew a rebuke from Sanders who slammed Emanuel for having an unhealthy obsession with taking revenge. The mayor said he had nothing to do with the decision.

The move came as LaRaviere was running for president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association labor group, a post he would win and still holds. He says hes fed up with inequalities in Chicago, something he saw when he was an assistant principal at a West Side elementary school.

These kids have been failed long before they ever got to a school system. Theyd been failed by the alderman, failed by the mayor, failed by the state rep, failed by the business community that didnt create the type of job that would give their parents access to adequate income so they can get experiences that those kids in Lakeview got, he said. There is a set of factors that is influencing these kids ability to realize their potential that I dont have any control over in this position, that a principal cant influence but a mayor can.

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While LaRaviere is known in political circles, talk of him running for mayor hasnt been widespread. When Ald. Roderick Sawyer, black caucus chairman, was asked which African-Americans might run for mayor, he didnt mention LaRaviere.

In the black community, I havent seen someone step out to say they are interested in running  not even behind the scenes, said Sawyer, 6th.

Told of a potential LaRaviere candidacy, OConnor, the mayors council leader, issued a warning of sorts.

Theres a saying that the farther up the tree you climb, the more you expose yourself; and I think a lot of these guys who are out there throwing rocks and stones, at some point in time their stories and their problems come back and they have to answer for those things, OConnor said. I think those things exist with him.

Double-edged sword

LaRaviere isnt the only one fired under Emanuel who could end up running. McCarthy, the former police superintendent, says a bid for mayor has gotten a lot more realistic for him in recent months, and he expects to make a decision early next year.

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Emanuel dismissed McCarthy after more than four years as the citys top cop during the fallout from release of the McDonald shooting video, concluding that public trust in the leadership of the department has been shaken and eroded. McCarthy has argued Emanuel made him a scapegoat.

These days, McCarthy is running a private security firm. In July, campaign buttons began surfacing, and McCarthy said people had kept encouraging him to run but called a campaign probably unlikely.

Since then, a group pushing him to run has formed an exploratory committee and raised $26,000. McCarthy says the group will conduct polling that will help him decide if its doable or not. But, he noted, what were finding out is encouraging if I choose to pursue it.

My family is still the most important consideration, and thats a double-edge sword, because I have a 13-month-old son, Im not leaving Chicago and I cant stand watching the way the city is going, McCarthy said. And I feel like after working in city government for 35 years, for the last 17 years at the top of city government in three major cities across this country, I have some ideas on how to do this.

McCarthy, who previously worked in the brass at the New York City Police Department and ran Newarks force, said Chicagoans want and deserve a no-nonsense, performance-based government theyre not getting now.

People see me as what-you-see-is-what-you-get, and thats how I try to be. Im not going to say one thing and do another, he said in an interview. If weve got a problem, Im going to say weve got a problem. That legitimacy is something that really attracts people in pushing me towards running.

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Also eyeing a run is Gainer, a South Side native who now represents a North Side County Board district. Gainer was tight-lipped about what she thinks should be improved in the city, and some at City Hall consider the Aon executive and former aide to Mayor Richard M. Daley unlikely to take on Emanuel.

At the county, Gainer is known for setting up a land bank program that turns vacant parcels into affordable housing and as a fiscal hawk with a thorough knowledge of finances. She said shed likely make a decision on whether to run by next spring.

Its something Im considering. I havent made a decision yet, Gainer said in a brief interview. I love Chicago. I grew up here. Im raising my kids here. Im always going to be looking for ways to serve the city.

Wilson, the top African-American vote-getter who collected 10 percent in the February 2015 mayoral election, said hes considering another run. Last time, he ended up spending about $1 million of his own money. If hes to run again, he said, community members would need to raise as much as $2 million.

I spent the money last time, so I said if you all want me to run, put the money up and Ill consider it, Wilson said. Im also going to do 50, 75, to 100 town hall meetings between now and March and just listen to the people. If they want me to run and the money is there, Ill make the announcement to run.

bruthhart@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @BillRuthhart

[ Related: Weighing third term, Emanuel relies on campaign donors who get City Hall benefits ]

[ Related: Paperwork filed for 'Garry McCarthy for Mayor Exploratory Committee,' but backers mum ]
A City Council panel didnt vote on Mayor Rahm Emanuels nomination of former deputy mayor Andrea Zopp to the Chicago Police Board on Friday amid criticism that people need more time to comment on an appointment to the body that decides the most serious police disciplinary matters.

Not enough aldermen showed up to the councils Public Safety Committee to hold a vote, so Chairman Ald. Ariel Reboyras recessed the hearing until Monday morning. He said he plans to have a vote on Zopp then.

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Zopp was recently named CEO of the city's public-private economic development arm. She wasnt on hand Friday, and Reboyras said the delay was not an attempt to blunt complaints that the process was being rushed.

We were going to have a hearing, but we need members to vote on it, said Reboyras, 30th. If I wanted to rush it, I would have done it with two members. Im not going to do that.

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But Aneel Chablani, advocacy director for the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, said putting the Zopp vote off for a couple of more days wont suffice to give community groups and others a chance to weigh in.

Were talking about a meaningful period where the community organizations that have been central to the reform efforts will have an opportunity to come in and share their concerns about independence and political pressure on the board, Chablani told reporters after the brief meeting. And so thats obviously not going to be accomplished during a weekend delay.

Zopp is a former county and federal prosecutor, corporate executive and head of the Chicago Urban League, who ran a losing Democratic primary campaign for U.S. Senate last year before Emanuel named her deputy mayor. She said Friday that her record speaks for itself and contended that she has been a public figure for long enough that community members are familiar with her.

If you look at my track record, I was a prosecutor, I prosecuted police officers, Ive been engaged in police reform, both before I came to the mayors office and in the mayors office, she said at a Friday groundbreaking for a new building at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I think I have the record and background, I think everybody knows that. Im not new to the public sector.

The Police Board is a key body in the citys police reform effort, and reform advocates have argued police discipline should be insulated from the influence of politics. The shortcomings of the police disciplinary system have been a central issue in the nearly two years since the release of video of a white police officer shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times.

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @_johnbyrne

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Before Kevin Neal's shooting rampage through Rancho Tehama, Calif., authorities often received complaints of gunfire coming from his mobile home, above. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Reporting from RANCHO TEHAMA, calif.  The screaming and gunfire coming from Kevin Neals blue mobile home last week was so disturbing that Jayne Barnes-Vinson called the Tehama County Sheriffs Office to complain.

I heard a man and a woman screaming, like fighting, and the man was shooting off rounds like an automatic gun. So I was scared, Barnes-Vinson said.

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Deputies arrived, she said, but told her they could not pinpoint the source of the gunfire.

Neals penchant for firing off guns and threatening neighbors was well-known in this rural corner of Northern California even though he was barred from having any guns in his possession.

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In February and again in March, a local court had ordered him to turn in all of his weapons as part of a temporary restraining order granted to residents in this rural area of Northern California who claimed Neal was harassing them. Court records show that neighbors continued to complain about gunfire and other problems with Neal for much of the year.

This week, Neal went on a rampage, killing five people in a series of shootings that included spraying bullets at an elementary school filled with children. He was later killed by sheriffs deputies.

(@latimesgraphics)

Gunfire terrorized isolated community

Authorities in Tehama County are now facing questions about whether more could have been done to make sure Neal was complying with the order.

Residents said the gunfire coming from Neals trailer was a constant part of life in the community, and it was even reported to the county court that issued the restraining orders.

Kevin has not obeyed my restraining order at all. He has not surrendered any of his guns. And repeatedly still harassed me, neighbor Danny Elliott wrote to the court in September.

Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said deputies tried to investigate the report of gunfire but said Neal managed to evade questions from law enforcement.

I am aware of incidents where neighbors reported shots coming from that residence. Every time we responded, we would try to make contact with Mr. Neal, Johnston said. He was not law enforcement friendly. He would not come to the door.

At least twice, Johnston added, deputies put Neals home under surveillance hoping they could catch him.

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That didnt happen, he said.

Neal did turn in one gun to authorities this year in response to the court order. The two handguns officers found on Neal after his rampage were registered to someone else. The rifles he used had been hand-assembled and had no registration records, Johnston said.

The isolated subdivision of Rancho Tehama, planted among the hayfields and cattle ranches originally to attract retirees, is home to a mix of long-term residents and newcomers from bigger cities, low-priced mobile homes, dirt roads and tall fences shielding not-yet-legal marijuana grows.

In this quiet setting with limited law enforcement resources, Neals behavior stood out. His fights with Elliott were well-known.

In the middle of the night, theyd get into screaming matches, said neighbor Johnny Phommathep. At one point, Neal said, Im gonna kill you, and when your boys at school, Im gonna kill him, too. 

Phommathep said it seemed like Neal was baiting the Sheriffs Office, testing their response time to see how fast they come.

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From his house, Phommathep would see deputies coming up the road in the middle of the night, trying to sneak up to Neals house.

On Tuesday morning, Phommatheps wife, Tiffany, was driving her three boys, ages 10, 6 and 2, to school when Neal opened fire, critically wounding her. Neal also killed Elliott.

Kevin Neal faced multiple felony charges before his shooting rampage, according to court records. (Tehama County Sheriff's Office)

A long war with neighbors

For more than a year, Neal had been at war with neighbors, according to interviews and court records.

A judge in early February granted Elliotts girlfriends petition for a temporary restraining order commanding Neal to stay away from her and her family after Neal allegedly stabbed her and hit her mother-in-law. The judge finalized the order in March.

Another judge in October issued a second order protecting Neal and his wife, Barbara Glisan, from one of those same neighbors whom he accused of manufacturing methamphetamine and firing guns over his house.

The orders automatically included bans on the possession of firearms for three years and were entered into the statewide criminal records system.

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Court records show Neal also faced multiple felony charges, including accusations of second-degree robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, negligent firing of a firearm, battery and false imprisonment by violence.

A criminal complaint alleges that on Jan. 31, he assaulted a neighbor with a knife. No details of the incident are in the court file, but it does contain another protective order that also required Neal to surrender any firearms.

Some legal experts said officials could have responded more forcefully to the neighbors shooting reports, especially given the fact that Neal was facing criminal charges.

Im surprised there was not more action done. If the suspect is criminally charged in court, is accused of violence  theres usually some action by the district attorney or law enforcement, said Dmitry Gorin, a criminal defense attorney and former Los Angeles County sex crimes prosecutor.

He said authorities could have sought a search warrant to look for weapons inside Neals trailer.

Its really a decision by a judge based on multiple complaints by a neighbor. Is there enough to go on the property? he said.

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Former Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley agreed that a search warrant might have been an option.

Im not going to suggest theyre missing anything. Sometimes theres a system thats overwhelmed and they cant do everything, he said. Its just a lack of resources and its a matter of prioritization.

Barnes-Vinson, who reported gunfire at Neals home last week, said the violence this week left her stunned.

Were all scared. Were traumatized, she said. My heart is so broken that they jeopardized my school.

She said Rancho Tehama is a good community filled with good people  but its isolation is always a risk factor.

Thats the thing about out there, she said. You could kill somebody out there, and nobody would know. It is a good community, dont get me wrong, but it is remote.
Al Franken and Leeann Tweeden entertain soldiers with a skit at Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq, on Dec. 16, 2006. Tweeden says now-Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) aggressively kissed her without consent and revealed a photo of Franken appearing to grab her breasts over a flak jacket while she was asleep during a USO tour together in 2006. (Creighton Holub / U.S. Army photo)

President Trump, who was dogged by sexual misconduct allegations during his 2016 campaign, took aim at longtime critic Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on Thursday night, after Franken was accused of forcibly kissing and groping a woman 11 years ago.

"The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words," Trump wrote on Twitter, misspelling the apparent reference to the 19th century novel "Frankenstein." Trump added in a second tweet that Franken had last week been "lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women."

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The president's first tweet landed exactly 12 hours after radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden publicly declared: "Al Franken kissed and groped me without my consent."

Tweeden, a former fitness model and sportscaster, said that in 2006, on a USO trip to the Middle East and Afghanistan, Franken forced his tongue in her mouth during a rehearsal for a skit and then groped her while she was sleeping during a flight home -- a moment that was captured in a photograph.

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"You knew exactly what you were doing," she wrote in an online essay published Thursday morning. "You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later and be ashamed."

Leeann Tweeden signs a photo at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, on Dec. 12, 2006, during a USO tour. (Christopher Grammer / U.S. Army photo)

Franken, who drew swift condemnation and bipartisan calls for an ethics investigation Thursday, apologized twice and encouraged the Senate Ethics Committee to review Tweeden's allegations against him, saying, "I will gladly cooperate."

Allegations about Trump's behavior toward women became an issue early in his candidacy and lingered for months, exploding in October 2016 when The Washington Post published the 2005 "Access Hollywood" video in which he boasted in vulgar terms about kissing women and grabbing them by the genitals. The then-GOP nominee called the remarks "locker-room banter," adding: "I apologize if anyone was offended."

Days later, on NBC's "Late Night," Franken said: "I've been in a lot of locker rooms. I belong to a health club in Minneapolis -- you can tell. Our locker room banter is stuff like, 'Is Trump crazy?'"

He added: "I think these stories are going to make it hard for Trump to focus on his message that he knows nothing about public policy."

Eleven women came forward during Trump's presidential campaign to accuse him of unwanted touching or kissing over several decades. Trump called the charges "pure fiction" "fake news" and referred to the women as "horrible, horrible liars."

Polls showed that a clear majority of voters came to believe that Trump had committed the kind of behavior described by his accusers. But the specific allegations did little to budge an electorate that had become almost tribal in its divisions.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said last month that all the women who have accused Trump of sexual harassment are lying.

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Hours before Trump tweeted about Franken, Sanders told reporters that the president did not plan to rescind his endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct.

"The president believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be," Sanders told reporters at a briefing.

Moore has dismissing calls from GOP leaders to end his Senate campaign after The Post reported allegations that he initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32.

Trump has not mentioned Moore in public comments and tweets, and has ignored reporters' questions about the allegations.

The "Lesley Stahl tape" Trump mentioned in his second tweet refers to a New York magazine story about a "Saturday Night Live" writers discussion in which Franken suggested a joke about raping Leslie Stahl, a "60 Minutes" correspondent.

Franken was quoted as saying: "And, 'I give the pills to Lesley Stahl. Then, when Lesley's passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.' Or, 'That's why you never see Lesley until February.' Or, 'When she passes out, I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.' "

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Accusations of Franken's misconduct came just two days after a candid hearing in Washington, during which female lawmakers said sexual harassment is a pervasive problem on Capitol Hill.

Last week, the Senate unanimously approved a bill that mandates sexual harassment training for all senators and their staffs.

After initially issuing a brief apology for his behavior, Franken released a lengthier statement expressing contrition.

"I'm sorry," said the senator, who skipped a series of votes Thursday. "I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed."

Tweeden said she accepted Franken's apology.

"Yes, people make mistakes, and, of course, he knew he made a mistake," she said at a news conference in Los Angeles, where she works as a news anchor for the radio station KABC. She said she would leave any disciplinary action up to Senate leaders and was not calling for Franken to step down. "That's up to them. I'm not demanding that."

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Franken's alleged misconduct occurred not long after he had moved home to Minnesota from New York, and was already positioning himself to run for Senate in 2008, a race that he narrowly won after a recount.

Franken has made numerous statements in support of women who experience sexual misconduct and has worked on legislation to support sexual assault accusers.

Paul Kane, Jenna Johnson, Amy B Wang, Lindsey Bever, Karen Tumulty and Mark Berman contributed
Abby Honold, 22, of Minnesota, poses for a photo with her home state Sen. Al Franken. Honold, a victim of a sexual assault, worked with Franken on a bill to educate law enforcement on how to better interview victims of trauma, but now wants a different senator to introduce the legislation. (Courtesy Abby Honold)

It was on a November evening in 2014, after a tailgate party on her University of Minnesota campus, that Abby Honold was brutally raped by a fellow student. Despite going to the hospital in an ambulance with bruises and bite marks, despite reporting everything to police, it would take more than a year for Honold to find justice.

In August 2016, her rapist, Daniel Drill-Mellum, pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced to six years in prison. Honold's public and agonizing fight to hold Drill-Mellum accountable drew statewide attention, shedding light on the challenges of reporting and prosecuting sexual assaults.

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It also led Honold to the offices of Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. Honold's convicted rapist, it turns out, had interned for the senator.

Franken, moved by Honold's story, worked with her to draft a Senate bill that would provide federal funding for special law enforcement training on interviewing victims of trauma. He planned to introduce the bill this month.

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"He was one of the few people who listened to me and actually let me talk," Honold told The Washington Post. "It felt really validating to be heard and to see something come of my experience that was positive for other people."

So on Thursday, Honold was stunned and crushed when she heard that a Los Angeles radio broadcaster, Leeann Tweeden, had accused Franken of forcibly kissing and groping her during a USO tour in 2006. He was captured posing for a photo grabbing Tweeden's breasts while she was sleeping.

Honold wholeheartedly believed the woman. She decided that her bill - and her efforts to combat sexual assault - could no longer be associated with someone who was accused of this kind of behavior.

The 22-year-old no longer wants Franken's name on the legislation when it is introduced and hopes to find someone else to sponsor it.

"It's really difficult when someone who has been a champion for you turns out to be the exact opposite for someone else," Honold said in a phone interview.

Honold, who graduated from the University of Minnesota last year, was in a meeting when someone pulled up the photo of Franken grabbing Tweeden's breasts. "Don't you work with him?" she was asked.

When she looked into the allegations, Honold quickly realized Tweeden's account was "no joke." She called Franken's office, and his staff agreed it was a good idea to find someone else to take on the proposed bill, "in light of everything else going on," Honold said.

Franken initially issued a brief apology, saying he didn't remember the incident the way Leeann Tweeden did, and that he intended his actions to be funny. He later wrote a longer apology:

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"I'm sorry," said the senator. "I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed."

He quickly faced fierce condemnation and bipartisan calls for an ethics investigation. Theoretically, Franken could face censure or even expulsion from the Senate.

Franken's home state colleague, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., condemned his actions.

"This should not have happened to Leeann Tweeden," Klobuchar said. "This is another example of why we need to change work environments and reporting practices across the nation, including in Congress."

Honold was heartbroken thinking about her proposed bill, and all of the people she hoped it would help. She planned to visit D.C. after the bill was introduced, to testify and advocate for the legislation.

"That part of it was really a crushing blow, that we wouldn't get that moment in a couple weeks," she said.

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Honold's shock mirrored that of others across the country grappling with sexual harassment or assault allegations against men they previously admired, respected or depended on.

Indeed, Franken has portrayed himself as a fierce advocate for women's rights and has previously pushed for legislation supporting survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

In 2009, he introduced an amendment to a defense appropriations bill that banned federal funding for "defense contractors who forced employees to mandatory binding arbitration in the case of rape, assault, wrongful imprisonment, harassment, and discrimination." In 2012, he delivered an emotional speech on the Senate Floor about the Violence Against Women Act.

He was highly critical of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein in the wake of the slew of sexual assault allegations against him. He said that the accused harassers' mild responses to their accusers leads to a culture of sexual misconduct, and he gave campaign contributions he had received from Weinstein to the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on Capitol Hill in March. (Melina Mara / The Washington Post)

Franken had spoken highly of Honold and her fight for justice. He had appeared alongside her in a news conference about the bill last month, in which he called her his "hero."

"Abby has shown tremendous courage in coming forward and in her determination to make sure that her attacker was brought to justice," Franken had told the Star Tribune in a statement. "Her efforts have shed light on problems in how the system handles sexual assault cases, and I look forward to meeting with Abby personally and continuing to work with her and her team to bring about positive change."

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Honold's idea for the bill stemmed from her own traumatic experiences answering questions from law enforcement after her rape.

"I felt myself mentally shutting down and not wanting to talk about it anymore," she told Minnesota Public Radio. "I just wanted it to be over and I just wanted to go home."

A forensic nurse who processed her rape evaluation kit made all the difference, asking Honold to describe what she smelled, tasted, heard and felt at the time. These details ended up being crucial in the investigation and prosecution of Honold's case.

It is this technique, known as a forensic experiential trauma interview, that she hopes becomes standard practice for law enforcement agencies across the country. Her bill would award grants to police departments to undergo training in these interviewing skills.

Honold, who now gives speeches to high school students and other groups, says she plans to move forward with the bill. She's optimistic that another lawmaker will come forward to sponsor the legislation.

The amazing women in Senator Franken's office have assured me that this is my legislation, and it belongs to every victim of sexual assault as well. I will keep moving forward with one of the incredible women working in the US Senate https://t.co/Oeibe5sNrk  Abby Honold (@abbyhonold) November 16, 2017

"I would love if it went to Klobuchar's office," she said. "It would be powerful to have this bill sponsored by a female legislator," she added, especially one from her home state of Minnesota.

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"A lot of Minnesotans I know are really crushed by the news," Honold said about the allegations against Franken. But she thinks it's about time society is "finally agreeing we shouldn't tolerate people who abuse women."

"I remember what it feels like to not be believed and I don't want anyone else to feel that way," she said.

Honold tweeted "The amazing women in Senator Franken's office have assured me that this is my legislation, and it belongs to every victim of sexual assault as well. I will keep moving forward with one of the incredible women working in the US Senate"
Democrat Doug Jones leads Roy Moore by 8 points among those likely to vote in Alabama's special election to the U.S. Senate next month, according to Fox News.

The poll, released on Thursday afternoon, is the first survey from a major pollster since The Washington Post first reported allegations that Moore had initiated sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl in 1979. A number of other women have subsequently come forward with stories about Moore soliciting dates from them while they were underage or, in one case, alleged an attempted sexual assault by Moore.

Prior to the Fox News poll, RealClearPolitics' average of recent polls in the state continued to give a slight edge to Moore. The Fox News poll, though shows a dramatic shift in the race since its last survey in October, with Jones seeing an 7-point jump from the 42 percent he earned among registered voters then to 49 percent support this month. Among likely voters, he leads 50 percent to 42 percent.

Were Moore somehow to be replaced on the ballot by Luther Strange, the man who was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier this year and who Moore beat in the Republican primary, Jones would win by 10 points, 48 to 38. If Strange were to run a write-in campaign - something that has been speculated but not embraced by him personally - a quarter of likely voters say they'd be likely to write in his name. Moore voters were twice as likely as Jones voters to say that they might cast a write-in vote for Strange.

The shifts by gender are dramatic. Among registered voters, men preferred Moore by 2 points in October and women preferred Jones by 3. Now, men prefer Moore by 9 and women prefer Jones by 23 - a 20-point increase.

Evangelical voters still prefer Moore by a wide margin, but Jones has closed the gap with that influential group by 5 points among registered voters. Six-in-10 evangelical likely voters say they strongly support Moore.

The pollsters also asked if Jones and Moore had a "strong moral character." Two-thirds of evangelical likely voters said Moore did; a third of them said that Jones did. Among all likely voters, though, Jones has a clear advantage on this metric. Fifty-six percent of likely voters say Jones has a strong moral character while only 41 percent of all likely voters say the same of Moore.

Another prominent split is by race. White voters prefer Moore by a 56-to-37 margin. Nonwhite voters prefer Jones by a 72-point margin, 80-to-8.

An interesting note: Among registered voters, Barack Obama has a slightly higher favorability rating than President Donald Trump, 52 percent to 50 percent. This is within the margin of error, but even that's remarkable in Alabama. Slightly more than half of registered voters approve of the job Trump is doing. Jones, the Democrat hoping to take Sessions's seat, is viewed more favorably than the attorney general by 2 points.

Fox News also asked respondents what one quality they were looking for in a Senate candidate more than any other. Twenty-six percent said "shares my values." The same percentage said, "can bring needed change." A third said "will represent Alabama with honor."

Another 8 percent said "is my party's candidate." Moore voters were three times as likely to offer this response.

The Washington Post's Scott Clement contributed to this report.
Darrel Peters was a Chicago radio entrepreneur who was general manager of WLOO-FM in the 1970s and went on to own several radio stations before eventually operating a radio brokering firm.

He was one of the most innovative guys in broadcasting, said Rick Jakle, the former owner of two northwest suburban radio stations, WJKL-FM and WRMN-AM. Its not hyperbole to say that Darrel did change the face of radio and not just in Chicago.

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Peters, 84, died of pneumonia Oct. 17 at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, said his wife of 45 years, Alaine. He had been a longtime resident of Barrington.

Born in Chicago, Peters grew up on the North Side and graduated from Amundsen High School. He worked at Northwestern Universitys radio station, WNUR-FM, graduating from the school in 1954 with a bachelors degree in speech.

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Peters and a friend briefly ran an advertising agency called Pedott & Peters before he shifted into broadcasting, hosting several programs at WAIT-AM in Chicago.

With WEBH-FM  now WLIT-FM  signing on from studios at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in 1958, Peters saw a business opportunity. He leased all the broadcast time on the fledgling FM station and started producing all programming, selling all commercials and even serving as the stations announcer. He also produced shows on WGN-AM and WMAQ-AM.

After WEBH lost its tower atop the hotel with its signal, Peters joined Century Broadcasting, which recently had bought WFMF-FM (now WSHE-FM). Peters started working as the stations general manager and director of programming. Century changed the stations call letters to WLOO-FM, and with the rise in the popularity of FM radio in general and of the beautiful music format in particular at WLOO, Peters had the idea to syndicate a version of its format to other stations.

Called the FM 100 Plan, the program eventually was distributed to more than 260 radio stations around the U.S., and Peters  whose company owned the plan  produced all tapes on-site from offices in the John Hancock Center. Peters company operated 24 hours a day to keep up with demand for the FM 100 Plan, which cost stations $650 to $5,000 a month, depending on the size of the market.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 86 Dick Orkin, an award-winning radio advertising creator for close to a half-century who was perhaps best known for his syndicated Chickenman spoof, which aired on Chicago stations, died on Dec. 24 in California. He was 84. Read more. (Handout)

We never blaze any trails, Peters told the Tribunes Eric Zorn in 1982. We follow the hits by doing our own very conservative versions, but we never try to make hits.

WLOO changed its call letters to WPNT-FM in 1990. Peters firm in 1982 sold the FM 100 Plan to Bonneville International, a radio conglomerate that also had purchased WPNT.

Peters remained with Bonneville as a consultant. He also purchased several radio stations, including what then was known as WTCO-FM in Arlington Heights in 1982. Peters changed its format to pop music, and after more than a year of battling with the FCC, also won the right to change the stations call letters to WSEX. In 1989, he changed the stations call letters to WCBR and sold the station for $17 million in 1998 to Big City Radio.

For a time, Peters also owned an FM station in suburban Milwaukee, WZMF-FM, which he bought in 1979 and changed its call letters to WFMR and shifted to a classical music format.

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He had great ideas, but I think the thing that he had that was different than me and a lot of people who are entrepreneurs was that he had this ability to stay laser-focused like a pit bull, said Tim Disa, a longtime business partner and associate was WCBRs program director and operations manager. He would focus on something and just stay with it, and wouldnt let other things get in the way.

With Disa, Peters later co-founded Air Time Media, a consulting and production firm specializing in air-time brokering and other radio services.

Peters continued to work until earlier this year.

He also invested in real estate, owning homes in Maui, Hawaii, and in the Barrington area. He also was an early multi-unit investor in the John Hancock Center, where he had maintained a home for many years until moving to Barrington full time in 1979.

In addition to his wife, Peters is survived by two daughters, Deborah Bakker and Julianne Baltrus; and two grandchildren.

Services were held.

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Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

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Roy Moores die-hard supporters have shown a vast capacity to accept his denials as a procession of women accuse him of sexual assault, fondling a 14-year-old and creeping out girls in malls. His evangelical followers are ready to believe him on that matter because they agree when he says that to be saved, we Americans must turn from our wicked ways and come back to God.

Moore is a good approximation of a theocrat. A former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, he was removed for defying a court order to take down the Ten Commandments monument he installed in the state judicial building. He put it there, he announced, to affirm the sovereignty of God.

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He contends that the Christian God is the only source of our law, liberty and government. He has intimated that 9/11 may have been divine punishment for our rampant depravity. We've suffered a lot in this country, maybe, just maybe, because we've distanced ourselves from the one that has it within his hands to heal this land, Moore said.

Or maybe not. The claim that Christian belief and practice are a bulwark against the evils of modern America is not one that has to be taken on faith. It can be weighed against real-world experience. And though superficially plausible, it is badly lacking in evidence.

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Belief in God may help some people overcome destructive habits, as suggested by the record of groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Plenty of the faithful are conscientious in striving to lead moral lives. But as a rule, Christian practice doesnt cure broad social problems. Just the opposite.

The evidence from the 50 states is abundant. Pew Research Center found that the states with the highest percentage of highly religious adults are Alabama and Mississippi. Next are Tennessee and Louisiana. In Roy Moores Alabama, 82 percent of adults believe in God with absolute certainty and 73 percent say they pray every day.

The least religious states are Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, just 33 percent of adults are highly religious, followed by 34 percent in Vermont and Maine.

The gap, by Moores standard, is even bigger than it looks. The biggest share of believers in Massachusetts consists of Roman Catholics, who follow what many evangelicals regard as a false religion.

If Christian discipleship is the key to a healthy society, states at the top of the religiosity scale should do far better than those at the bottom in fostering safety, strong families and wholesome behavior. But they dont  not by a long way.

Last year, Bible-believing Louisiana had the highest murder rate in the country. Moores Alabama came in third. Prayer-drenched Mississippi had the sixth-worst.

Youre much safer when surrounded by skeptics. The irreligious state of Massachusetts had the fifth-lowest murder rate, with only 17 percent as many homicides per capita as Louisiana. Godless New Hampshire and Maine had the nations lowest murder rates.

Of the 10 least religious states, none is among the 10 most dangerous. Of the 10 most religious states, only Utah is among the 10 that are least hospitable to homicide.

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God-fearing places also dont have a stellar record of upholding the family. The divorce rate is 50 percent higher in Alabama than in Massachusetts  which, by the way, was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. New Hampshire and Mississippi, at opposite ends of the religiosity spectrum, are virtually identical in the propensity for marital dissolution.

Highly religious Tennessee is worse than average; unreligious Vermont is average. Utah is the rare religious state that does well on this score  but its dominant faith is Mormonism, not Moores Baptist fundamentalism.

Births to unmarried women are another side effect of the decline of the family. Last year, these accounted for 53 percent of births in Mississippi, the highest in the country, and 52 percent in Louisiana. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, they were just one-third of births.

Utah recorded the nations lowest share of out-of-wedlock births. The second-lowest was found in Colorado, where many people seek enlightenment at the cannabis dispensary instead of church. Secularism, judging from the data, appears to be protective, not destructive.

Yes, Roy Moore insists that coming to God would make for a sounder, healthier America. What a surprise to find that when he opens his mouth, what comes out is not the truth.

Steve Chapman, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/chapman.

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Download "Recalculating: Steve Chapman on a New Century" in the free Printers Row app at www.printersrowapp.com.

schapman@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SteveChapman13
To get a good job you must have a bachelor's degree." This is a common myth that needs to be debunked. For years, Americans have been told that, with the decline in manufacturing, the blue-collar job that required a high school degree or less was gone for good.

The truth is that not all good jobs for people with less than a bachelor's degree have been eliminated. Far from it. There are 30 million jobs in the U.S. that pay good wages without a B.A.: The median salary is $55,000 with an opportunity to move up the career ladder.

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But it's important to understand that today's good jobs are different from those of the past. Job seekers without a B.A. in 2017 need to search beyond traditional blue-collar sectors and look to skilled-services industries. Nationally, a gain of 4 million jobs in financial services, health services, information technology and other skilled-services industries has more than offset the 2.5 million well-paying jobs lost in manufacturing since 1991.

There is a catch: To secure these roles, workers need to get some education or training beyond their high school diplomas. Much of the growth in good jobs that pay without a B.A. (including in manufacturing) has benefited workers with associate degrees or some college education  4.1 million since 1991.

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These jobs are not isolated to just a few communities. Twenty-three states have increased the number of good jobs that pay without a B.A. in blue-collar industries, including Utah where these jobs have more than doubled. Jobs in skilled services have also increased in nearly every state, more than doubling in Arizona, Idaho and Montana since 1991.

We're not saying that B.A.s are overvalued  the degree is still one of the surest ways to gain a competitive edge in the job market and earn middle-class wages. But we cannot expect every student to attend a four-year college and get a B.A. before he or she starts working.

College debt is at an all-time high, and students are questioning the return on their investment. Many young people will work full time for years before getting a B.A.; others will never complete a four-year degree. Those without a bachelor's degree shouldn't be consigned to a lifetime of minimum-wage jobs or miss out on a chance to be a part of the middle class.

There's an added concern: Not everyone has equal access to the jobs we're talking about. White workers have the largest share of good jobs that pay without a B.A., but the number is declining. Latino workers have a smaller share, but have seen the most growth, and black workers have the smallest share with only slight growth. Men hold the largest share of these good jobs, 70 percent, a proportion that has been consistent for 25 years. Women, lamentably, have not gained ground in the non-B.A. job market.

We can do better.

The best way to promote Americans' access to good jobs at the sub-baccalaureate level is through policies that strengthen the connections between school and work. Policymakers should ensure that students are being exposed to career possibilities as early as middle school and that high school students have greater access to career and technical education, work-based learning programs such as internships and youth apprenticeships, and effective career counseling that helps them get on pathways to good careers.

Across the country, we see states and cities developing innovative new approaches to prepare students for careers in in-demand fields. Colorado has started paid apprenticeships for high school students to gain real-world experience in growing sectors such as advanced manufacturing and technology. New Orleans is developing paid internship opportunities aligned with credentials that have value in the labor market. And 34 states have said they will consider some measure of career readiness in how they hold schools and districts accountable under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal K-12 law passed in 2015.

In postsecondary education and training, leaders should use three strategies to promote the labor-market value of such programs.

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First, they should ensure the transparency of non-B.A. college programs' economic value by investing in consumer information tools  students should know what college will be worth.

Second, governments should encourage the use of outcome-based funding models, such as the Department of Education's gainful employment rule, so that programs are awarded public and private funding based on how their graduates are doing in the workplace.

Finally, policymakers, educators and employers need to better align skills training with the needs of hiring companies. Tax incentives  such as the tax credits for employer-provided training used by Kentucky, Virginia and several other states  have helped to improve collaboration.

A college degree will always be an important path to work. But it's not the only path, or even the best one. The more schools, businesses and governments do to make that clear, the better off we'll be.

Bloomberg

Chauncy Lennon is the head of workforce initiatives for JPMorgan Chase & Co. Anthony P. Carnevale is the director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., probably thinks he's done all he can in recent years to keep Roy Moore and candidates like him from entering the Senate. He's right  and he's also dead wrong. When it comes to his relationship with the Republican Party, McConnell has a Jekyll-and-Hyde act going on. It's wearing awfully thin right now.

Most recently, McConnell led the national party opposition to Moore in Alabama's special election primary against appointed Sen. Luther Strange, including apparently recruiting President Donald Trump to Strange's side. Sure, he accepted Moore as the nominee when the results came in. But once accusations against Moore for preying sexually on teens while in his 30s began to surface, he was quick to join the "if true" group  that is, condemning Moore if the accusations turned out to be accurate  and moved fairly rapidly to declaring "I believe the women" and calling on Moore to drop out.

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Over the past several election cycles, McConnell has steadfastly labored to stop radicals and other poor candidates from winning primaries, including the 2016 Republican presidential nominee. Although he and the rest of Republican Party elites failed to settle on an alternative candidate, he deserves credit. His actions go further than just mere lip service. There's no question that he has spent years fighting against tea party excess and radicalism within his party.

When Primary Election McConnell's work is done, Senate Republican Leader McConnell's begins. This side of the Kentucky senator is constantly grinding away at institutional norms and respect for standards of civility for the sake of partisan gain.

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Who is most responsible for the 60-vote Senate, the condition in which absolutely everything gets filibustered? Republican Leader McConnell.

Who has resorted to secrecy in the legislative process far more than any leader of the modern Senate? Republican Leader McConnell.

Who has undermined norms of civility, most notably by claiming that defeating President Barack Obama (and not, say, improving the lives of Americans) was his highest priority? And also has generally been as eager to use harsh language as most of his Republican colleagues? Republican Leader McConnell.

He's not the first extremely partisan Senate majority leader  Bob Dole, George Mitchell, Harry Reid and others all contributed to partisan polarization within the chamber. But he's taken it further than anyone else. Reid at the very least was willing to go through the motions of soliciting Republican cooperation with Democratic bills (and his Democrats were willing to accept Republican contributions). McConnell doesn't even pretend.

The problem is that everything Leader McConnell has done for the past decade and more has thoroughly undermined what Primary Election McConnell tries to do.

This really is a case of not being able to have it both ways. Not in the facile sense, so often claimed but wrong, that a politician supposedly can't take opposite sides of the same issue or trumpet one principle only to betray it in the next action. Politicians do that all the time, with no apparent damage. No, the problem for McConnell is that the way he leads Senate Republicans is making the problems he fights during the primaries much harder. Procedural extremism, for example, doesn't satisfy party activists; it just creates the expectation that any party majority, no matter how slim, will always bulldoze the minority, and that the failure to do so must be a failure of nerves or preferences by that majority, especially their leader.

And so McConnell is helping to create the very backlash he's trying so hard to control. It's also made him a pariah  certainly not popular among Democrats, but disliked by many Republicans as well, targeted by Moore, Steve Bannon and other radicals, and only occasionally on friendly terms with the Republican president. We'll never know whether Republican Party actors who knew better could have pushed harder against the forces within their party which, as Jim VandeHei of Axios put it, drove politics crazy. But McConnell certainly has proved that fueling the fire while hoping not to get burned doesn't work.

Bloomberg

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Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg View columnist. He taught political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University and wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.
Christina Osborn and her children Alexander Osborn and Bella Araiza visit a makeshift memorial for the victims of the shooting at Sutherland Springs Baptist Church on Nov. 12, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. (Eric Gay / AP)

In 2012, while stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, Devin Patrick Kelley assaulted his wife and stepson. Kelley was subsequently convicted of domestic violence and released early from the Air Force.

One important detail of the attack: In addition to fracturing the child's skull and hitting and kicking his wife, Kelley nearly choked her to death. If the particular severity of his violence had been better understood and recognized in New Mexico, 26 people, including a 17-month-old baby named Noah, might not have been killed in Sutherland Springs, Texas, this month.

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Violent assault by the throat inhabits a category all its own in domestic violence as a marker of lethality. A kick, a punch, a slap, a bite  none of these, though terrible, portend homicide as strongly.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission recognized it as a marker of dangerousness in a 2014 report and recommended increased prison time  up to 10 years  for those convicted of it. Indeed, 45 states now recognize nonfatal strangulation as a felony. New Mexico, where Kelley was convicted, is not one of them.

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Hands on the neck

Kelley, as we know now, served just one year for the assault on his wife and stepchild, after which he was discharged from the Air Force for "bad conduct."

Bad conduct is going 80 in a 55 mph zone. Bad conduct is cutting down your neighbor's azaleas or flirting with your colleague's wife. Engaging in an act so violent that it could take the life of another human being is far beyond bad conduct.

Omar Mateen, the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooter, had also choked both his wives and was never charged, let alone prosecuted. He and Kelley should not have had access to guns, true enough, but more to the point, they should have been behind bars.

The list goes on. Take Cedric Ford, who in 2016 fatally shot three of his co-workers and injured 14 others in Kansas, but prior to that was charged only with misdemeanor domestic violence for choking his ex. He is charged with killing five and injuring six in a shooting at the Fort Lauderdale Airport early this year. He, too, had been charged with a misdemeanor after choking his ex.

Gael Strack, chief executive of the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention in San Diego, says the mere presence of choking in a situation of domestic abuse increases the chances of homicide sevenfold. It is a clear trajectory from escalating violence to homicide. "Statistically, we know that once the hands are on the neck, the very next step is homicide," Strack said. "They don't go backwards."

Overlooking a marker

Casey Gwinn, president of the Alliance for Hope International and a co-founder of the Training Institute for Strangulation Prevention along with Strack, wrote in an email to me that Kelley "was a rage-filled domestic violence strangler and child abuser who had left every possible lethality marker for a mass shooter we know of in plain sight."

Yet nonfatal strangulation, as a signal of dangerousness, is not only overlooked by most law enforcement officers and prosecutors, it's not always recognized by health care workers.

Symptoms can appear days or months afterward. Victims are regularly released from emergency rooms without undergoing CT scans or MRIs. Most such injuries are not visible enough to photograph, and police often don't know to look for other signs  including urination, slurred speech, redness around the eyes or scalp, a hoarse voice or trouble swallowing. As a result, injuries are played down in police reports and commonly noted as mere scratches or redness around the neck, according to a study by Strack of 300 nonfatal strangulation cases. Many victims have poor recall of events  often a result of loss of consciousness.

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It wasn't that Kelley operated under the radar; it was that authorities failed to see and then act on the clues he was leaving.

Danger among us

So, while we're offering up theories as to Kelley's motives  he was an atheist, he was a liberal, he was mentally ill, he was a loner, he was a weirdo  we can also consider this single fact: He was a strangler.

His violent act was described as "choking" in the report on his 2012 assault. Law enforcement officers may not have known about nonfatal strangulation as a marker of dangerousness the night they were called to his home. Or they may not have known how to look for the signs. Perhaps they had never been trained. Perhaps they dismissed the call as just another "domestic" in a long string of frustrating domestics. Whatever happened that night, because Kelley was not charged with nonfatal strangulation as a felony, he was not prosecuted accordingly. And because he was not prosecuted accordingly, he was not sentenced to the 10 years he could and should have gotten in prison, where he would remain today. And because he was not in prison, he was out in the world with the rest of us: a dangerous man, legally free and simmering.

The Washington Post

Rachel Louise Snyder is an associate professor at American University and author of the forthcoming book "No Visible Bruises: How What We Don't Know About Violence Can Kill Us."
Theres nothing wrong with being lucky, but theres plenty wrong with not knowing how lucky you are. So as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, were grateful youre reading this article. Here are 10 facts:

1. An Indiana University study in 2015 suggests that expressing gratitude can have a profound effect on the brain. Test subjects were asked to take 20 minutes to write a letter thanking a benefactor. The researchers found that gratitude-related brain activity persisted even months after the exercise, possibly explaining why gratitude is self-reinforcing and some people describe gratitude journaling as addictive.

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2. In 1965, a Northern California band called the Warlocks was browsing through a Funk & Wagnalls dictionary in search of a new name. The band ran across a reference to a folktale called the Grateful Dead. In the story, a corpse is ill-treated because the man died in debt, but a traveler comes upon the scene and uses his last penny to make things right. Later the traveler is befriended by a stranger who helps him with a great task, and who ultimately reveals himself to be the corpse. The name Grateful Dead soon caught on for the rock group, and thank goodness. Another name under consideration was Mythical Ethical Icicle Tricycle.

3. Dec. 26 is National Thank You Note Day. Its also National Whiners Day.

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4. The first Thanksgiving meal by Europeans in Canada came 43 years before the Pilgrims sat down to eat at Plymouth in 1621. On the menu? Salted beef, hard crackers and mushy peas. Suitably, our neighbors to the north give thanks first every year, celebrating their holiday on the second Monday in October, though they traditionally enjoy turkey, potatoes and gravy now also.

5. Cubah Cornwallis, a former slave in Port Royal, Jamaica, used home remedies to nurse sailors back to health. She treated Horatio Nelson for what may have been malaria and dysentery before he became a great British naval hero. She helped soothe the headaches of Prince William Henry, then a midshipman but later to become King William IV. The kings wife, Queen Adelaide, heard of Cornwallis good works and sent her a lavish gown to thank her. Cornwallis wore it for the first time at her funeral.

6. The Picture of the Week in the May 22, 1944, edition of Life magazine showed a 20-year-old woman writing a thank-you letter to her boyfriend, who had sent her a gift from the Pacific. The caption read: Arizona war worker writes her Navy boyfriend a thank-you note for the Jap skull he sent her. Indeed, shown next to the woman was a Japanese soldiers skull, autographed by the womans lieutenant boyfriend and 13 comrades. The magazines readers were not as grateful. One called the photo revolting and horrible.

7. There are more than half a dozen theories for where the phrase minding your ps and qs comes from. Some think it refers to children being taught to say please and thank you. The p is please; the q is the sound at the end of thank you  kyou, or Q.

8. The idea that "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others is often credited to the Roman philosopher Cicero, and it rings true for many people. But Soviet despot Josef Stalin saw the matter differently: Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs.

9. Hows this for gratitude? In the wee hours of Nov. 1, 2004, Alexandra Van Horn was injured when the car she was riding in crashed. Following in another vehicle, friend Lisa Torti rushed to her aid, rescuing Van Horn from a car Torti thought was going to burst into flame. Instead of thanking her friend, though, Van Horn sued her, claiming she was paralyzed because of the way Torti pulled her out of the wreck like a rag doll. The California Supreme Court ruled in 2008 for Van Horn, saying Torti could be held liable because the states good Samaritan law protected people providing medical assistance, not simply emergency assistance.

10. Throughout history, subjugated people have been criticized for being ungrateful. Pliny the Younger bemoaned the brutality of Roman slaves, complaining that no master can feel safe because he is kind and considerate. During the Civil War, a Southern planter told a visitor: Ah, sir, you dont know the ungratefulness of the Negro. Why, some of my Negroes rested far more than I do; they had plenty to eat and drink. A 1907 history of Kentucky stated: After the white man had sacrificed much time and ammunition in order to settle Kentucky, the ungrateful Indians would unsettle it every time they turned their backs.

mjacob@tribpub.com

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Twitter @MarkJacob16

Mark Jacob is the Tribunes associate managing editor for metropolitan news. Stephan Benzkofer, a former weekend editor of the Tribune, is a freelance writer and editor. Details about a new hardcover edition of their book, 10 Things You Might Not Know About Nearly Everything, are available at chicagotribune.com/10thingsbook.

SOURCES: Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead by David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan; Ancient Greek and Roman Slavery by Peter Hunt; The Dark and Bloody Ground: A History of Kentucky by Samuel Dick Osborn; Fatal Self-Deception: Slaveholding Paternalism in the Old South by Eugene D. Genovese and Elizabeth Fox-Genovese; Cassell's Dictionary of Slang by Jonathon Green; FDR and the American Crisis by Albert Marrin; A Week at Port Royal by Richard Hill; Trophies of War by James J. Weingartner in Pacific Historical Review; Canadian Encyclopedia; Toronto Star; Los Angeles Times; New York magazine; Indiana University; NeuroImage; dailybeast.com; dead.net.
Joshua Tepfer, left, with the Exoneration Project, and Leonard Gipson speak during a news conference at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Nov. 16, 2017. Gipson was one of 15 men whose convictions were overturned. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

In the annals of bad Chicago cops, crooked Sgt. Ronald Watts is one for the ages. His record of alleged shakedowns and setups stretched for years. He and a crew worked South Side housing projects, demanding protection money from residents and drug dealers, framing those who wouldnt cooperate on narcotics charges, according to victims.

On Thursday, the office of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx went to court to vacate convictions against 15 men who say they were abused and wrongfully arrested by Watts and others. Theres never been a day like this in Chicago: Fifteen people let go in one swoop because the cop responsible for putting them away was a morally bankrupt goon. Five others arrested by Watts already have had their convictions thrown out.

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The harm done to his victims, jailed on trumped-up charges, is real. The damage to the Chicago Police Departments already suspect reputation is palpable. And the cost to the city  who knows? Joshua Tepfer, lead attorney representing the 15 men, said there are hundreds more questionable convictions linked to Watts. Anticipate many lawsuits.

This is not just the story of another dirty Chicago cop. Its an outrageous example of a failed system of police accountability that must be fixed ASAP. Dont forget, Watts victims reported on him, but internal affairs officers didnt take heed. Neither did prosecutors nor judges. He got away with his crimes for years.

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Watts eventually served prison time for stealing money from a drug courier who was working as an FBI informant. Yet even that investigation turned shady and expensive to clean up. Two Chicago police officers, Shannon Spalding and Daniel Echeverria, said they were blackballed by the department after working with the FBI to investigate Watts. The pair sued the city and settled for $2 million, thus averting a trial at which Mayor Rahm Emanuel would have been asked under oath about the departments unofficial code of silence.

Steamed yet? Chicagos problem with corrupt, abusive cops goes back generations. It interferes with efforts to combat gun violence because residents who dont trust police wont help them solve crimes.

Emanuel has acknowledged the code of silence. He knows the department culture and oversight structure need overhauling, though at times hes resisted. Thats especially troubling, given that Watts isnt even the driving force. The main impetus was the 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald by white Officer Jason Van Dyke, who will stand trial on first-degree murder charges. Van Dyke and other officers on the scene and in the chain of command allegedly concocted a story about the incident that wildly diverged from video evidence. The code of silence was exposed yet again, and the need for drastic reforms confirmed.

Thus, changes are afoot, but the pace is frustratingly slow. The Watts case is a reminder of the critical work yet to be done by Emanuel, aldermen, police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, rank-and-file officers, their union and others:

 Emanuel replaced the Independent Police Review Authority, an ineffective oversight board, with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, a stronger investigative body, but COPAs chief administrator, Sharon Fairley, quit to run for attorney general. A permanent replacement must be hired. And where is the promised COPA community board that would act as a consulting body and liaison to the neighborhoods? It was supposed to play a role in shaping IPRAs replacement, but the board still isnt in place 19 months after the citys police reform task force suggested it.

 The Justice Department under President Barack Obama published a damning investigative report laying out CPDs failings and providing a road map to restructure training and oversight. A further step, signing a federal consent decree, was shelved by the Trump administration, but Emanuel agreed to a replacement oversight arrangement to be negotiated with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. That deal needs to be finalized, and it better have teeth.

 As part of CPDs reforms, department brass rolled out new disciplinary guidelines. But the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 is fighting those rules in court, arguing they must be negotiated. The FOP has a new president and new contract to negotiate. But the union relies on a familiar tactic of denying the depth of the police culture problem. Until the new disciplinary guidelines are in place, every day is a potentially bad one for Chicago.

Ronald Watts is gone from the department. Van Dyke will stand trial. There is still a stain on Chicago policing and a broken relationship to be fixed with residents. This job is a long way from finished.
Sen. Al Franken, left, a Minnesota Democrat, and Judge Roy Moore, a Republican Senate candidate in Alabama, don't have a lot in common, except that they're both dudes. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

I believe many things these days, chief among them the fact that were in a moment of reckoning for men who for too long have held the levers of power and assumed that gave them the right to be awful.

I believe we need more women in charge, and fast. Men have had their chance to run things for  well, for forever, and if the present waves of revelations about sexual harassment and sexual assault by powerful men show us anything, its that men have royally screwed things up.

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I believe Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken, who on Thursday was accused of groping a woman and kissing her without her consent, should step down, even though he apologized and encouraged an ethics investigation into his own behavior.

I believe Roy Moore, the Alabama judge facing numerous accusations of sexual misconduct against girls in their teens while he was in his 30s, should leave the race for U.S. Senate immediately.

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I believe there should be a full investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct against President Donald Trump, even though voters overlooked those allegations and elected him.

I believe each of those cases, and the myriad others surfacing now, should be looked at individually, with no bad action by one man being used to negate the bad action of another.

As the photo of Franken smirking as he reaches to grab the breasts of a sleeping woman went viral Thursday, many appropriately condemned him. And many who did that, myself included, were swiftly hit with excuses about how Moores alleged actions against teens are far worse than the accusation against Franken, or how allegations against Trump are more serious than Frankens case because Trump is president.

I believe thats a bad way to look at things. Condemning Franken isn't excusing anyone else. We shouldnt be measuring acts of harassment or assault by volume or severity and then letting lesser cases slide. Bad is bad. One doesn't negate the other, or excuse the other, and letting that happen is a disservice to any of the women whose lives were damaged.

I believe no fewer than 20 men will email me to say, Didnt hear anything from you when Bill Clinton was president!! To which I will respond: Thats because I was in my early 20s and not a journalist.

It was also a different time, and sex scandals were treated differently. That doesnt make Clintons actions any less reprehensible, but arguing that his treatment then doesnt measure up to the treatment of men caught up in the current wave of allegations is pointless. And dumb. And again, one mans horrid behavior doesnt make any other mans horrid behavior acceptable. Ever.

I believe the problem we have in this country with men who have power sexually harassing or sexually assaulting women has nothing to do with politics or ideology or religion. It has to do with male dominance and entitlement.

And I believe these revelations of swinish male behavior, revelations that will undoubtedly continue, signal one thing: Lascivious behavior stemming from male dominance and entitlement is no longer going to be ignored or begrudgingly accepted.

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I believe thats a good thing.

And I believe we need more women in positions of power to make sure it happens. Fast.

rhuppke@chicagotribune.com

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[ Column: Sen. Franken should take a long walk along the shores of frozen Lake Wobegon ]

[ Sen. Franken planned to introduce a Minnesota rape survivor's bill. Now she wants a new sponsor. ]
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. shown July 2017, apologized Thursday after a Los Angeles radio anchor accused him of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour and of posing for a photo with his hands on her breasts as she slept. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)

On the same day that outraged critics were calling for Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., to resign, Alabamas Republican Party offered its unqualified support to Senate candidate Roy Moore.

Whats wrong with this picture?

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Franken came under fire Thursday over allegations that he kissed and groped Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles radio anchor, without her consent in a 2006 USO tour in the Middle East, two years before the former Saturday Night Live cast member took public office.

Now, after years of practiced seriousness to dispel concerns about his comic past, his image has been undone in many minds by a photo. It is a shot of him grinning at the camera like a doofus while reaching out in a pantomime grab for the breasts of a sleeping Tweeden. Tweeden says she didnt see the photo until after she returned home and felt understandably angry and humiliated. She also accused Franken of forcibly tongue-kissing her backstage, just before the USO performance, also without her consent.

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Once you see the photo, as the saying goes, you cant unsee it. It may be the most politically damning photo since Gary Hart, Democratic front-runner in the 1988 presidential race, was photographed with campaign aide Donna Rice sitting on his lap on a boat dock  with Hart wearing a shirt bearing the boats name, Monkey Business. He dropped out of that race.

You knew exactly what you were doing, Tweeden wrote in an online essay. You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed.

Franken responded with two statements of apology to Tweeden and agreed with calls from both parties leaders to turn his fate over to the notoriously toothless Senate Ethics Committee.

Moore, by contrast, continued to deny accusations that he stalked and dated high school girls, which allegedly included improper sexual contact with a 14-year-old, while he was a prosecutor in his 30s  and revelations that he had been banned from a shopping mall in his hometown, Gadsden, Ala.

Yet he was endorsed by Alabamas Republican leaders, despite warnings from national GOP leaders that he could lose to Democratic candidate Doug Jones in the deeply conservative state  or be expelled from Congress if he wins the Dec. 12 special election. Ironically, Moore has cultivated a loyal base among the conservative states evangelicals, which he now rallies by playing the conspiracy card. He claims to be the victim of anti-conservative conspirators in Washington, despite numerous calls from both parties for him to step aside.

His defiance may be reckless, but it also is his right. It also is the right of Alabamas voters to decide if this is the sort of man they want to send to Washington as their senator.

Personally, I would like to see Franken step down so his example would increase pressure on Moore and others to treat sexual harassment as a serious offense, whether it is criminal or not.

Among those others is President Donald Trump, who unfortunately responded to Frankens infantile stunt in a typically infantile Trumpian tweet: The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. And he continued the tweet in an even cruder manner: Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?

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Yuk, yuk. He makes no mention the sexual harassment accusations that happen to have been made against him by multiple women.

Nor does he mention the accusations against his own Grand Old Partys albatross, Moore, whom he earlier endorsed.

With that in mind, one might think there hasnt been much progress since I called on President Bill Clinton to resign after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke. He ignored such calls and, thanks to overreaching by impeachment-hungry Republicans, completed his second term with higher approval ratings for himself and his party than Congress had.

But times have changed. Franken is only one of the latest political and show business stars to be caught up in charges of sexual harassment. The Harvey Weinstein scandal and online #MeToo campaign have heightened awareness and sensitivities since the bad old days when Anita Hill had to defend her credibility in Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings.

When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said I believe the women regarding allegations against Moore, it marked how far we have come as a society. The sarcasm of Trumps tweets show how far we have to go.

Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/pagespage.

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cpage@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @cptime

[ Related: Al Franken, Roy Moore and America's men problem ]

[ No, Roy Moore, God won't solve our problems ]

[ No man accused of sexually harassing a woman is irreplaceable, not even Al Franken ]
Leeann Tweeden on Thursday accused U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., shown here in July 2017, of unwanted sexual advances while the two were on a USO tour in 2006. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

No, U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., should not resign.

Not yet, anyway. Or not unless the GOP agrees to a swap in which President Donald Trump also resigns, given that the numerous credible allegations that Trump has sexually harassed and assaulted women are far more troubling than the lone damning story we know of that implicated Franken.

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That story is well-known by now, but to refresh: Radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden alleged Thursday that in 2006, Franken stuck his tongue in her mouth while kissing her against her will while they were both on a USO tour. Bolstering that claim is a contemporaneous photograph showing a leering Franken either groping or pretending to grope Tweedens breasts while she appears to be asleep.

Franken, who was not in office at the time, said he doesnt remember the alleged kissing incident the way Tweeden does, but he apologized quickly for the photo:

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I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn't matter, he wrote. There's no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn't funny. It's completely inappropriate. It's obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture. And, what's more, I can see how millions of other women would feel violated by it  women who have had similar experiences in their own lives, women who fear having those experiences, women who look up to me, women who have counted on me.

His apology, abject, thoughtful and speedy though it was, did not quell demands from across the political spectrum that he step down.

Wisely, at least as of this writing, he has resisted.

The arbiters of sin always ululate for instant resignation or other forms of satisfaction while scandalous discoveries or allegations are still fresh, umbrage is on boil and perspective has not returned to its throne.

But as I wrote in 2009, generally the worst time to resign is when people all around you are insisting that you quit. Absent a true crisis where any delay will cause irreparable damage to others or yourself, you should wait. Let passions cool. If you're famous, allow the screaming headlines to fade and the angry pundits to train their righteous fire elsewhere.

I named this principle Rolands Rule, after Illinois politician Roland Burris, who stoically ignored those who demanded that he refuse to accept the appointment to the U.S. Senate conferred upon him by Gov. Rod Blagojevich three weeks after Blagojevich had been arrested on corruption charges. Burris went on to serve nearly two undistinguished years in the Senate.

But I could have named it Jacks Rule after Jack Ryan, who crumbled in the face of such demands. In June 2004, Ryan, a photogenic and wealthy political novice, resigned as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Illinois just three days after news broke that his ex-wife had alleged in their divorce that he'd pressured her to go to sex clubs.

Ryan, like Franken today, was greatly embarrassed and the object of considerable bipartisan indignation. But rather than taking a breath and waiting quietly for a celebrity tiff, natural disaster or ghastly crime to come along and capture the publics notoriously brief attention span, Ryan bailed out of the race.

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Had he toughed it out, my reporting experience tells me his sexual predilections would have become a minor issue as summer moved into fall. He almost certainly would have lost to Democratic nominee Barack Obama, but he would have done better than his replacement, the absurd Alan Keyes, and rehabilitated his image enough to fight politically another day.

Or, in light of what happened in the fall of 2016, I could now rename it Donalds Rule for the way Trump, then the GOP presidential nominee, hung in and hung on as a raft of women came forward to accuse of him sexually predatory behavior after the release of the Access Hollywood tape.

People magazine correspondent Natasha Stoynoff was particularly persuasive in describing what happened to her in 2005 when she was interviewing Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort and he offered to show her a tremendous room.

We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us, Stoynoff wrote. I turned around, and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat.

Trump denied that story along with all the others, attacked and threatened his accusers and was rewarded with a victory in the Electoral College.

Thursday night, exhibiting his trademark juvenile opacity, he tweeted:

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The Al Frankenstien (sic) picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?

However, Trump has yet to spew forth any condemnation, mockery or innuendo at Alabamas Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been credibly accused of worse behavior by multiple women.

The Franken photo reveals odious behavior, and if he forced a deep kiss on Tweeden, that was reprehensible.

But if no more women come forward to establish a pattern of predatory behavior as alleged in the cases of Trump, Moore, Bill Clinton and so many, many others, Franken  and any Republicans ever accused by just one person of a nonfelonious act of lechery  can and should make personal amends and weather this storm.

In the calm that will inevitably follow, he can put his transgressions into context and make the decision thats right for his constituents, his family and his reputation.

No matter what the masses demand or his conscience tells him, history says to hang on.

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Do not delay

This isnt an ad, its a public service announcement. Tickets are going fast to the Songs of Good Cheer holiday singalong programs that Mary Schmich and I will host at the Old Town School of Folk Music Dec. 6-10, and if you wait until Thanksgiving to buy, youre likely to be a Santa out of luck. Go to chicagotribune.com/zorn for information on the show and how to enter the essay contest to win free tickets.

Re: Tweets

The Tweet of the Week winner happens to be my office neighbor, Tribune columnist Steve Chapman (@stevechapman13), whose quip I'm guessing Alabama Baptists would not be so forgiving if Roy Moore had taken those girls dancing handily beat seven other finalists in a reader poll.

The fix was not in! This is the first time in the long history of this contest that a tweet from inside the building has won. Ill add that if youre not following Chapman on Twitter, youre not doing social media right.

ericzorn@gmail.com

Twitter @EricZorn
Dont reach for your wallet. Dont put on your coat. Dinner isnt over when the main course is done and youre bloated beyond repair. Its over when youve consumed a dessert too beautiful to be real. These arent scoops of ice cream haphazardly tossed in a bowlthese desserts are works of art and worth the pain youll feel until you get home and change into your stretchy pants.

Beatnik

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1604 W. Chicago Ave. 312-929-4945

Whats yellow, white and sprinkled with chili powder? Beatniks mango semifreddo. This semi-frozen (aka semifreddo) dessert is similar to a frozen mousse, and comes with mango and saffron flavors, topped off with passionfruit curd, coconut whip and pink peppercorn meringue. Oh, and a sprinkle of chili powder to boot. $11.

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The Delta

1745 W. North Ave. 773-260-1793

This newly opened Wicker Park spot brings inspiration from the Mississippi Delta, right down to its perfect beignets, fried and topped with goat cheese, peach preserves and spicy cashew. $7.

Maple & Ash

8 W. Maple St. 312-944-8888

Take the power into your own hands with Maple & Ashs sundae service. Complete with trays of hot fudge, salted caramel, whipped cream, chocolate crunch, toasted nuts, candied coconut, sprinkles, chocolate pearls and maraschino cherries, youve got the power to craft your dessert as youd like it. $19.

SafeHouse

60 E. Ontario St. 312-313-1007

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Remember Austin Powers? His legacy lives on at this spy-inspired secret bar and restaurant with the Fat Bastarda sundae served up in a giant martini glass and garnished with sparklers. $20.

Broken English Taco Pub

75 E. Lake St. 312-929-3601

Weve never met a churro we didnt like, but after trying Broken Englishs El Purro Churro, we can say definitively that weve found churros we love. Fried and topped with cinnamon sugar, these churros come planted in salted caramel gelato and covered in chocolate sauce and seasonal jam. $7.

BLVD

817 W. Lake St. 312-526-3116

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Its hard to up the ante with a classic like the hot fudge sundae, but recently opened BLVD found a way. Their Holiday hot fudge sundae comes with three scoops of ice cream, bourbon cherries, caramel pretzels and a generous serving of whipped cream with sprinkles on top. $14.

Bistronomic

840 N. Wabash Ave. 312-944-8400

Baked Alaska is a tricky dish to make on your own, so leave it to Bistronomic, a River North spot that has perfected the art of the dessert. Vanilla ice cream, toasted meringue and caramelized almonds round out this dish youll want to save room for. $8.

Imperial Lamian

6 W. Hubbard St. 312-595-9400

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Youve seen this on Instagram before: A hot glaze is poured over an orb of chocolate before it magnificently falls open to reveal even more dessert inside. This dream can be your reality at Imperial Lamian with their Lunar Blossom. $15.

Swift & Sons

1000 W. Fulton Market 312-733-9420

The menu claims the S&S Sundae serves two, but nobody will judge if you want it all to yourself. With peanut butter and chocolate ice cream topped with salted caramel corn, a brownie and hot fudge, you might not want your date to steal a bite. $14.

The Blanchard

1935 N. Lincoln Park W. 872-829-3971

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You dont need to travel to France to try The Blanchards French cuisine-inspired decadence. The milk chocolate mousse is almost too pretty to eat. Dulce de leche, candied cocoa nibs and dark chocolate glacage create this beaut. $12.

Primehouse

616 N. Rush St. 312-660-6000

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

The James Hotel is home to Primehouse, which is, in turn, home to some of the best desserts the city has to offer. Their Million Dollar Cake may sound like an exaggeration, but we can vouch for its excellence. Concocted of pineapple, coconut, pecan and vanilla flavors, youll get a bang for your buck. $10.

Entente

3056 N. Lincoln Ave. 872-206-8553

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Entente is upping the cream puff game. Head to this Lakeview restaurant for their profiteroles with sour cherry, sassafrass and shiso flavors. $14.

The Duck Inn

2701 S. Eleanor St. 312-724-8811

These beignets may be called pure chocolate, but the addition of roasted banana glaze and peanut butter ice cream to top it off makes this dessert tackle all your craving bases. $9.

[ Still hungry? More of RedEye's restaurant coverage ]
Gladys Ruvira-Garcia, 31, has been charged with aggravated DUI after prosecutors say she drove her car into a pond in Aurora, severely injuring her 6-year-old son. (DuPage County sheriff's office)

A judge on Friday reduced the bail of a Cicero woman facing DUI charges for the accident that trapped her 6-year-old son underwater for 30 minutes after she drove into a retention pond near Aurora.

After listening to arguments from defense attorneys for Gladys Ruvira-Garcia, DuPage County Judge Liam Brennan reduced Ruvira-Garcias bail from $500,000 to $150,000. She would need to post a $15,000 cash bond to be released.

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Attorneys also said that the boy remains hospitalized but no longer needs a ventilator to breathe, as he did in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 15 accident. Ruvira-Garcias attorney, Stefan Fenner, though, said he was not at liberty to provide further details about the boys condition.

Fenner told the judge that members of Ruvira-Garcias family had raised about $10,000, enough to post bond on $100,000 bail, However, federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has placed a hold on Ruvira-Garica, whom Fenner said entered the U.S. on a visa that has expired.

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Fenners co-counsel, Jacob Briskman, said he hoped that, if Ruvira-Garcia did post bond, that local officials would not continue to detain her for ICE. A state law, the Trust Act, directs local law enforcement to not detain people based solely on their immigration status. Briskman said now that ICE is aware of Ruvira-Garcias status, it could issue a warrant. If arrested on the immigration count, she could possibly post another bond, Briskman said.

Fenner told the judge that Ruvira-Garcia is not a flight risk and has no prior arrests.

All of her family is in the Chicago area, Fenner said.

About a half-dozen relatives were in court for the Friday hearing, and Ruvira-Garica smiled at them as she was led from court at the end of the hearing.

She formally entered her not guilty pleas to four counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and was told she could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted on the most serious count.

Authorities say she was at a party in Aurora with family members and was driving home after 2 a.m. in her 2007 SUV along with her sister, Ruvira-Garcias son and two teenage daughters. She reportedly exited Interstate 88 near Diehl Road and drove into the retention pond.

She and the other passengers were able to escape the vehicle, but the boy was trapped inside and was underwater 30 minutes or more before rescue personnel were able to free him. He suffered permanent brain damage, authorities have said.

Ruvira-Garcias blood-alcohol level was reported to be 0.14 after the accident, in excess of the states 0.08 limit.

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Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.

RELATED

[ Woman charged with DUI in retention pond crash as son clings to life ]
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin (far left) and Alex Alexandrou, Aurora's chief management officer (far right) flank Tim Rater, Paramount Theatre president, and Jim Corti, Paramount artistic director, at a recent City Council meeting. Rater and Corti are holding proclamations given them by Irvin, declaring their respective birthdays as honorary days in Aurora. (Steve Lord / The Beacon-News )

Aurora honored one of its crown jewels recently  the Paramount Theatre, and the staff that has put together its phenomenal success.

But unlike past honors, this one is one that will keep on giving, each year.

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That's because Mayor Richard Irvin presented proclamations to declare an honorary day for both Tim Rater, the theater's president, and Jim Corti, the artistic director.

The honorary day will be each year, from now on, on each of their birthdays.

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For Rater, that means Dec. 30 will be Tim Rater Day in Aurora, and on May 29, it will be Jim Corti Day.

"When they celebrate with their families each year, the city will celebrate, too," said Clayton Muhammad, the city's communications director.

A large part of the honor comes about because of the great success of the Paramount's Broadway series, which boasts both popular and critical recognition.

Most recently, the Paramount won eight Jeff Awards, the Chicago theater version of the Tony Awards, more than any other theater in the Chicago area.

"Sweeney Todd" won best large musical, and that production also garnered trophies for Jim Corti, best musical director; Tom Vendafreddo, best music direction; Paul-Jordan Jansen for best actor in a large musical; and Nick Belley and Jesse Klug, best lighting design.

It is the third year in a row the Paramount has won the best large musical award at the Jeff Awards, with "Les Miserables" winning in 2014-15 and "West Side Story" in 2015-16.

In its first year of eligibility just three years ago, Corti and crew received an unprecedented 16 nominations.

Other Paramount winners this year included Disney's "The Little Mermaid," which captured three awards: scenic design for Jeffrey D. Kmiec; costume design for Theresa Ham; and puppet design for Jesse Mooney-Bullock.

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All in all, in three years, the theater has received 45 total nominations and 16 winners.

That's the critical acclaim. The popular acclaim is evident in the numbers themselves. In its first year, the Broadway Series had 12,500 subscribers, which now has ballooned to 36,000, making it the third largest subscription base in the country.

In total, more than 300,000 people have attended events at the Paramount on Galena Boulevard downtown in one year, which makes the theater a key part of Aurora's plan to use cultural and artistic events to revitalize downtown.

Soon, the Aurora Arts Centre will open next door to the Paramount, in the former Waubonsee Community College building, which will not only expand what the Paramount is able to do, but will house a School for the Performing Arts.

Rater will manage that school, similar to what he did with the Metropolis School for the Arts in Arlington Heights, which he helped create and grow.

And the city recently approved a deal with the Fox Valley Music Foundation to open a live music venue downtown.

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Mayor Richard Irvin said he got a direct sample of how popular the Paramount work is when 9,000 people recently viewed his monthly Facebook Live broadcast, with Rater and Corti as his guests.

"So everybody's interested in what they're doing for Aurora," Irvin said.

Corti said everyone's interested because the Paramount belongs to everyone.

"This is all about everybody in this room," Corti told a packed City Council chambers that included many of the Paramount workers. "Theater isn't anything without its audience, theater isn't anything without is community."

Declaring the permanent birthday honorary days is a new thing for the Mayor's Office, and Muhammad said officials "thought it would be that much more personal to do  for special occasions."

The idea came after Irvin, earlier this year, held a birthday celebration for Aurorans who are 100 years old, and 1-year-old.

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Muhammad said the mayor could have declared this past Tuesday as a day for the two Paramount directors, but "we made it their birthdays to have that much more significance."

It's hard to say if this is the first time days have been named in Aurora permanently.

Aurora is more than 150 years old, so it's possible there are other permanent days set aside for recognition, some from long ago. Muhammad said one of his goals for 2018 it find that out, and put together a Proclamation Calendar on the city's website.

slord@tribpub.com
The trial for an Aurora priest charged with sexually abusing girls at their Catholic church has been pushed back again, from November to February, while lawyers figure out whether the lead investigator on the case destroyed or withheld notes that could affect its outcome.

The investigator's resignation from the Kane County Child Advocacy Center has complicated legal proceedings involving his work, including that of Alfredo Pedraza Arias, a Colombia national whose lost his temporary religious worker visa after he was charged with sexually abusing two young girls at Sacred Heart Church in Aurora and one of the girls' homes between 2012 and 2014. Arias, 50, has pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment.

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Immigration officials first arrested Arias at the county's St. Charles courthouse while he was free on bond after a hearing in May; an immigration judge ordered him voluntarily deported in June; and prosecutors have sought a series of bail and custody orders in efforts to keep him here through trial. He's been back in the county jail since July 28.

Prosecutors were going to call the investigator as a witness but now aren't planning to, according to court filings.

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The investigator appeared in court Nov. 8 and said he did not have any records and did not bring any records pursuant to a subpoena. Arias was also there with an interpreter and his lawyer, who asked to continue the trial, which was scheduled to start Nov. 27. Kane County Circuit Judge Linda Abrahamson rescheduled the jury trial  which has already been moved several times  to begin Feb. 20.

Prosecutors had asked Abrahamson to quash Arias' lawyer's subpoena for the investigator, arguing that witnesses can't be coerced to come to court for discovery purposes. To their understanding, the subpoena was for information from the investigator "concerning shredded documents that are at issue," according to the motion, submitted by Assistant State's Attorney Reagan Pittman. But the judge allowed the subpoena.

It has not been made clear exactly how many cases may be affected by the investigator's departure. In at least two cases, court filings indicate the investigator may have shredded documents related to his investigation. One of the cases involves a Batavia man, Joel Becerril, who was convicted in an August bench trial of sexually assaulting a young child he knew.

In similar motions, a lawyer for both Arias and Becerril asked the judge to make prosecutors explain the assertion that there may have been notes related to the Arias case that were destroyed, and for copies of any records referencing the internal investigation of the investigator.

Attorney David Camic also asked for the judge to make the state's attorney's office say whether the investigator will be criminally prosecuted for any of his actions and whether they know of any other agency investigating him, and to disclose any agreement between the state's attorney's office and the investigator related to his employment or how it ended.

In a one-sentence letter to Kane County State's Attorney Joseph McMahon dated Sept. 18, the investigator wrote that his resignation was effective that day.

Referencing a discussion between himself and the investigator earlier that day, McMahon accepted the resignation effective immediately in a letter telling the investigator to return various county property and that the office would pack his personal belongings and have them delivered to him.

Before the Kane County state's attorney hired him in 2002, the investigator had been a Chicago police officer since December 2000, according to records in his personnel file.

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Since the Beacon-News originally reported on the investigator, court filings have revealed more information about the situation.

Prosecutors notified Arias that a witness in the case  the investigator  had been keeping notes separate and apart from official records, which they knew about because they "discovered" the notes at his work station.

Hundreds of pages of recently disclosed notes include references to Arias and the prosecution of his case, his lawyer stated.

Prosecutors said the investigator may have tried to destroy other notes and invited the defense to look at shredded papers, according to a memo Camic filed last week.

hleone@tribpub.com

Twitter @hannahmleone
Nordan Delizo (left), who teaches in the Aurora University nursing program, serves up food during the school's annual early Thanksgiving dinner, where faculty and staff serve the students. (David Sharos / The Beacon-News )

Students at Aurora University got a head start on Thanksgiving with a special dinner on campus recently.

"I love that we get to have a dinner here early, especially because I live in the Twin Cities in Minnesota and I'm not going home for the holiday," said Nicole DuBois, 18, a freshman at the university. "I have to stay here because of my job and they want us working on Black Friday. I was actually surprised to see this as I didn't know the college offered a turkey dinner."

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Beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, students enjoyed a Thanksgiving Day feast inside Alumni Hall with waiters that looked oddly familiar.

"I think the students enjoy the role reversal, as we have faculty members and staff volunteer to serve students their meal here," said Debbie Shamblin, administrative assistant for Sodexo Campus Services, the university's food service provider. "I've been here 25 years, and the school has offered this meal every year. Instead of your teacher being the one saying, 'OK, your term paper is due tomorrow,' the students are going, 'Hey  I need another Pepsi.' They just kind of enjoy that."

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Thursday's meal included the necessary turkey, along with ham, various side dishes and dessert. Shamblin said food preparation began two weeks ago with orders for the food, followed by preparation that began days before the meal.

"This is always a highlight just before the holidays and kids say it is one of their favorite days of the year," Shamblin said. "Some kids live too far away from here to go home, and this ends up being their only Thanksgiving dinner."

Executive Chef Jim Wurst said the feast this year included 180 pounds of turkey, 60 pounds of ham, 125 pounds of green bean casserole, and 100 pounds each of both sweet and regular potatoes. Add in another 60 pounds of corn and about 500 slices of pie and the meal was complete.

A member of the Sodexo Campus Services food staff sets out an estimated 500 slices of pie that were offered as part of the annual early Thanksgiving dinner offered to students at Aurora University. (David Sharos / The Beacon-News )

"This is more complicated than a regular night here in the cafeteria as there are drinks and salads and other things where the kids normally serve themselves," Wurst said. "The trickiest thing about this every year is forecasting how much food you're going to need."

Resident Dining Supervisor Theresa Tesch is even more of a veteran than Shamblin, having worked 36 years at the school. She said for her, the event "is even bigger around here than graduation."

"I'm sure for students getting their degrees, graduation is bigger, but for us  this is really fun and something we look forward to," Tesch said. "Kids always tell us it's one of their favorite experiences here at AU."

Students began lining up just before doors opened at 5 p.m. and upper classmen like Robert Effrein, 21, of Aurora knew what was coming.

"This is my third Thanksgiving dinner at the college and it's always a big deal," Effrein said. "It's something that makes the students feel special and the effort that is made on behalf of all of us  especially those far from home  is really appreciated."

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Nordan Delizo, who teaches in the university's School of Nursing, said he was back for his third year and sees the annual dinner as a way "to give back to the students."

"I think sometimes students get the impression there is this wall between them and us, and this is a way to see everyone in a different way and interact with the students face-to-face," Delizo said. "For me, it's really something fun to do."

Colette Kamberis, 21, a senior from Bartlett, said Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday following St. Patrick's Day.

"My last name is Greek, so most people wouldn't know I'm Irish as well, but I love eating so you have to love Thanksgiving," she said. "I love that we do this at school and at home. In the end, it brings people together."

Shamblin reflected on her years of seeing food pass through on the kitchen on this day and realized how much the quantity is growing.

"When I started 25 years ago, we had 290 resident students and today there are 720," Shamblin said. "When you think back on all the years we've had this and the amount of food that's been served  at this point, you could have fed a small country."

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Students receive menu cards from faculty and staff at Aurora University during the annual early Thanksgiving dinner offered at the school. (David Sharos / The Beacon-News )

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
East Aurora School District 131 officials are looking to provide services to students who have been victims of violence in the community.

The goal is to train staff about community violence and work with Aurora agencies to provide services to students and families who have experienced violence, East Aurora Grant Coordinator Margo Schmitt said. The program could help students who have been exposed to violence to stay in school, improve their academics or help keep them out of gangs, she said.

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"My personal goal is that the student will be able to have the skill set to be able to manage or handle if they ever did get into another violent situation in the school or in a home," she said.

East Aurora has applied for the Victims of Crime Act Community Violence Program grant from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, which is expected to cover most of the program costs.

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East Aurora students can be exposed to domestic or gang-related violence or, in the most extreme cases, have a family member killed, said Eric Ward, executive director of Family Counseling Service in Aurora. His agency already provides mental health services in East Aurora schools and is planning to expand those services as part of the planned program.

"There's a pretty wide array of violence in these kids' lives that, unfortunately, has become part of their day-to-day lives," he said. "Of course, it's not true for all families."

Officials are expecting to initially serve 150 students under the grant  50 elementary, 50 middle-school and 50 high-school students, Schmitt said. Those students could have experienced bullying or domestic, sexual or substance abuse, she said.

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority budget committee has approved the $689,763 grant, but it is still being processed and the final grant amount could change, a spokeswoman said. Of the entities authority staff recommended receive the grant, East Aurora is the only public school district, according to an East Aurora school board document.

The grant would cover one year, with the option to renew. East Aurora and its partner agencies expect to cover $142,789 through in-kind matching such as salaries, benefits or training, Schmitt said.

In addition to Family Counseling Service, East Aurora is planning to expand its existing work with Mutual Ground, an agency focused on domestic violence and sexual assault, to provide services under the planned program. If needed, another Aurora agency, Breaking Free, would provide substance and alcohol abuse services, Schmitt said.

Under the program, East Aurora could provide services such as social work in school or outside of school, bus transportation, food or emergency housing, if necessary, Scmitt said. The district is planning to hire three case managers  one each for the elementary, middle and high school levels  a program manager and an assistant, who will work with current social workers and staff, she said.

"If a child experiences some kind of trauma in their life, then a support system like this could get them closer to a point in their day where they're ready to learn," East Aurora spokesman Tom Jackson said.

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Ward said children who report high levels of exposure to violence can also have high levels of depression, anger and anxiety. They can be desensitized to violence, and can begin to view it as an acceptable route for them to take.

On the flip side, people with emotional or behavioral challenges are more likely to become victims of violence, he said.

Mental health issues can make it harder for students to succeed in school, which can lead to higher dropout and violence rates, Ward said. As students encounter the legal system more often, they are likely missing school and possibly failing, he said.

But, if a district can intervene before students come in contact with the legal system there is a better chance the district will keep those students in school, he said. The younger the district can intervene the better, he said, because younger children who experience violence are more likely to have mental health issues. Older adults tend to have more experience, skills and a support system to cope with exposure to violence, he said.

Schmitt said the program is one way the district is advocating for students and families.

"Overall, this is just one step closer to providing a strong support system for our students and our families," she said.

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The program is expected to be in place this school year, she said.

sfreishtat@tribpub.com

Twitter @srfreish
Following arrests that led to prostitution charges for employees at two of the city's massage parlors and a third in a nearby unincorporated area, Oswego officials are looking at ways to further regulate the businesses.

The Village Board as a committee-of-the-whole Tuesday will discuss potential changes that would include a new licensing process that would allow police to do background checks on owners and workers.

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Other changes would amend an existing zoning ordinance that would require massage parlors to open as a special use rather than as a permitted use in a business district.

Massage establishments in many cities are subject to a special type of license, but in Oswego, they just need a regular business license. Oswego Police Chief Jeff Burgner said police are working with city officials on the issue.

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He said a new licensing process would also allow police to monitor the operations as well, he said.

"The ordinance could allow for inspections to be conducted ensuring the business is in compliance with village code as well as state laws. The ordinance can set a dress code for the individuals conducting the massages," Burgner said in a memo to the Village Board.

Oswego police and Kendall County Sheriff's officers made arrests last week resulting from ongoing investigations into alleged prostitution and business licensing violations, police said.

Citizen concerns about some of the city's massage businesses, including where they were advertising, the websites they were using and that people might be spending the night, prompted Oswego police to look into the businesses and see if any illegal activity was going on, Burgner said.

They ended up conducting operations involving undercover officers, but Burgner declined to elaborate on what took place during the stings, citing the pending cases and court proceedings.

Police didn't feel their investigation linked any of the activity at various massage businesses, Burgner said.

It may be particularly easy to open up massage businesses in Oswego because they don't have a specific ordinance that controls or monitors them, Burgner said, so that's one thing officials are looking at. They're also considering zoning changes.

"From my understanding, the massage parlors are permitted use in the zoning where they're located," Burgner said. "Some things we might talk about with the board is do we want to change that and make it more challenging to open these types of businesses?"

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After the two Oswego stings, police contacted the zoning department, which had employees go to the businesses. Where they found code violations related to people staying at a business, the city pulled their business license until they were in compliance, Burgner said.

Batavia last year passed regulations including a new license for businesses that provide massage services after similar sting operations led to arrests at some of its massage spas. Similar undercover details and arrests have also taken place over the past year at several spas in St. Charles.

Most recently, on Nov. 9, Kendall County deputies arrested a 52-year-old woman at Lavender Therapy on the 5000 block of Route 34. Xiuhua Liao, 52, was living at the business, where she also worked, according to police. She's charged with prostitution and unlicensed massage.

Liao posted a 10 percent bond toward her $1,500 bail and was released with a pending court appearance Nov. 28.

The day before, on Nov. 8, Oswego police arrested a 46-year-old woman with a Montgomery address at the massage spa she owns on the first block of Merchants Drive. FengJu Li, 46, the owner of Dream Spa, is charged with prostitution and aiding and abetting unlicensed massage. Li is free on a signature bond with a pending court appearance Dec. 4.

The village of Oswego also ticketed Dream Spa for violating the building occupancy code.

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An Oswego police sting last month at N Spa on the 4500 block of Route 71 led to charges against two women in their 50s.

Yiling Peng, 55, whose address is in the same block as the spa, is charged with prostitution and unlicensed massage, both class A misdemeanors. Yune Zhou, 50, of the 1800 block of South Melody Court in Chicago, is charged with aiding and abetting an unlicensed massage, also a class A misdemeanor.

Oswego police said they arrested Peng and Zhou at 2 p.m. Oct. 27. The women were released after posting 10 percent bonds toward their $1,500 bails and are both due in court Nov. 22.

The village of Oswego ticketed N Spa for a building occupancy code ordinance violation, police said.

Registrations for both businesses ticketed were suspended due to the occupancy issues, Oswego police spokeswoman Cathy Nevara said.

"Both businesses have come into compliance and their business registrations are now valid," Nevara said in an email Wednesday.

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hleone@tribpub.com

Twitter @hannahmleone

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
Veterans Rich Gaffino (left) and Ron Schopp in front of the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall in Aurora. (Tom Strong / The Beacon-News )

The city of Aurora recently honored veterans of our military services, and our heroes were celebrated with much ceremony and respect.

Our local heroic veterans have widely differing backgrounds and stories of service, but it is also interesting to sometimes note the similarities in their lives before, during and after their time in the service.

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Ron Schopp and Rich Gaffino are active veterans in our community. Both were raised in Aurora, attended elementary school here, and graduated from West Aurora High School. Each was drafted into the U.S. Army, served in Korea, and returned to Aurora to work and raise families.

And like thousands of other vets, they became part of the fabric of a thriving and successful community.

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Schopp graduated from West in 1959, worked for several years, and was drafted in 1963. His biggest disappointment, he recalled, was having to be away from his very young daughter.

Arriving in Korea in April of 1964, he became a truck driver assigned to the Eighth US Army, 7th Ordnance Company.

"We delivered parts, and packed ammo and missiles," Schopp said. "In August, we received orders to pack up to go to Vietnam, but the orders were changed. We had already filled out forms with beneficiaries preparing for Vietnam.

"I had two chances at being discharged, but I told them I wanted to stay in and finish my time."

Schopp returned to Aurora in November of 1965, and began working at All-Steel in December.

"It's nice to do something for your country," he said. "And I enjoy seeing people being patriotic again at our parades."

Gaffino graduated from West High in 1948, then worked at Richards-Wilcox, and was drafted in 1951. He took basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and also attended radio school there.

He was shipped first to Japan, then further to land at Inchon, South Korea, during the height of the war there. Gaffino remembered that they survived a typhoon on the second leg of their journey, and had to transfer to landing craft in the shallow harbor at Inchon.

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"We (radio operators) were assigned to the Second Division, and then were broken up to different regiments," he said. "We were sending and receiving 18 words a minute in International Morse Code, which was rated as intermediate speed."

Gaffino was part of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, and he recalled that although he was behind the line of resistance, they were in enemy artillery and mortar range. They also would go on patrols beyond the line.

"I was in Korea for 16 months, and I think they forgot me," he said. "Everyone was coming home after 10 months or a year. I was made regimental radio chief, and that could have been the reason."

Gaffino returned to Aurora in August of 1953, and also returned to work at Richards-Wilcox. He and his wife Dolores were married in 1954.

Both Gaffino and Schopp are members of military families. Gaffino's brother was in the South Pacific as part of the Army in World War II. Amazingly, Schopp and his father and four brothers all served their country  two as members of the Army, two in the Navy, and two in the Marine Corps.

Both men were happy to share their thoughts on patriotism and on current affairs.

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"We still have the greatest country in the world, and everyone takes our freedom for granted," Schopp said. "My prayer every day is that we become one nation under God once again."

Gaffino echoed and added to those thoughts.

"I don't think in 87 years I've ever seen it like this," he said. "What goes on now wouldn't have happened years ago. Common sense is missing  that would solve a million problems.

"We have too many wars going. We've been in a fight for years now and have never had that before," he said. "We need to get back to God."

Tom Strong is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
A student at Harper College in Palatine, Justin Chon is participating in a two-year apprenticeship program at professional services firm Aon. (Aon)

Trying to gain work experience while studying business, Harper College student Justin Chon recently began working with global professional services firm Aon, as part of the college's apprenticeship program.

Based in the company's Lincolnshire office, Chon started his apprenticeship in January, assisting the firm with providing a variety of risk, retirement and health services for clients.

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The two-year program at Palatine-based Harper College, which serves students in various northwest suburbs, including Barrington and Buffalo Grove, allows students to gain work experience while an employer covers the student's tuition and provides the student with a salary, as well as benefits, according to the college.

By the end of the program, students who graduate with an associate's degree also can be offered full-time employment opportunities, the college said.

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Chon, who studies business administration with a focus on insurance, recently talked with Pioneer Press about working at Aon and the apprenticeship program at Harper College.

Q: How did you get involved with the Aon program?

A: I went back to Harper College in 2016 and stumbled upon it. I was at a point where I wanted to study business and knew this was a good opportunity once I figured out what I wanted to do in the realm of business. I applied and got accepted.

Q: What do you like most about the apprenticeship?

A: I knew I wanted a role where I was constantly interacting with clients and colleagues. Currently, I have an operational job right now, which is computer-based; however, I spend a lot of time reaching out to colleagues to get a better understanding of what they do and trying to figure out what they do on a day-to-day basis.

Q: Did Harper College prepare you for this work experience?

A: Yes, definitely. I took Harper classes that related well to the materials I'm working on at Aon. For instance, the business management class I had last semester, where I learned about workplace psychology, taught me how to interact easier with people because they interact differently while at work.

Q: Do you participate in special apprenticeship programs at Aon?

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A: The Aon Retiree Health Solutions Millennial Board, comprised of myself, another apprentice and several out-of-college hires from the summer of 2016. The board advises our senior vice president and leadership team on various pain points, which are parts of our processes that may be inefficient and require improvement or updates to increase performance.

Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago.

tshields@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @tshields19
Mia, a miniature pinscher, died of a skull fracture last year and owner Timarion White was charged with animal cruelty. White was cleared Thursday by a judge who said the state didn't prove White intended to harm the dog. (Brianna White)

A McHenry County man has been cleared of charges that he intentionally harmed his dog and caused her death.

Timarion Whites family burst into tears after Judge James Cowlin announced Thursday after a brief trial that White was not guilty of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges lodged after his 5-pound miniature pinscher, Mia, died on New Years Day 2016.

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Assistant State's Attorney Victor Escarcida asserted that White, a 28-year-old Lake in the Hills man, became annoyed and frustrated with his tiny dog while trying to coax her out from under the kitchen table. Escarcida said White purposely hit the dog in the head with a metal broom, fracturing her skull.

"The defendant simply lost his temper and let his frustrations get the best of him," Escarcida said. "Mia paid the price for not obeying his order.  This was an intentional act."

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But Cowlin indicated he viewed the events differently, saying the dog apparently took refuge" under the table and hit her head on a metal chair or table leg. The judge said the state didnt show White, who lived in Huntley at the time, used a metal broom.

"He did not consciously hurt the dog," Cowlin said.

White testified that he was trying to get Mia to go out but the dog ran from the door and hid under the table, as she usually did when it was cold and snowy out.

White said that, as he typically did, he used a wooden broom with plastic bristles to try to gently coax the dog out. He then heard a "metal clink and said he felt horrible when Mia stumble out from under the table and collapse.

I loved her," White said of his "spunky" but often skittish dog. "She slept with me, kind of followed me everywhere I went  always gave me kisses.

When his wife, Brianna White, saw the dog lying in a pool of blood, she wrapped Mia in a blanket and rushed out to find a veterinarian. She said she was frantic and crying when she saw an Illinois State Police officer and stopped to ask if he knew if the nearest veterinarian's office was open since it was a holiday.

The officer, Aldo Schumann, also testified that Brianna White was "frantic, crying, screaming help me" as she held the bleeding dog. He then saw her husband running after her in bare feet, which the defendant said he did because he was worried for his wife and he saw her hit a snow bank.

Huntley police Officer Ryan Gregorio then arrived and accompanied the couple to see the veterinarian, who determined the dog was dead.

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Gregorio testified that White told him that he was "annoyed" with his dog, knew what he did was "inappropriate," had used a metal broom and saw his dog "airborne." From the stand, White denied those statements and insisted he did not use metal broom.

"At no point was there any intention of hurting her," White said.

Outside the courtroom, Brianna and Timarion White, who are expecting twins, said they are thankful the ordeal is over. Timarion White said he has spent nearly $12,000 fighting his case and has not been able to find work with the charges pending. He said being acquitted is a "dream come true."

Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.
Surrounded by family and friends, Matt Kearns mourns the death of his sister, Kaitlyn Kearns, during a candlelight vigil at Woody's Bar in Joliet on Nov. 16, 2017. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

A Coal City man has been charged with the shooting death of a 24-year-old New Lenox Township woman whom he had been dating recently, officials said.

Will County authorities Saturday charged Jeremy Boshears, 32, with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of Kaitlyn Kearns. An arrest warrant signed Saturday set bail at $10 million.

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Boshears was taken into custody Friday and held on $250,000 bail after being charged by the Kankakee County States Attorneys Office with concealment of a homicide. Kearns body was discovered last week in her vehicle in a rural part of the county.

Will County authorities continued to work on the case following the initial charges being filed, giving investigators time to develop additional information that led to the murder charges, said Charles Pelkie, a spokesman for the Will County States Attorneys Office.

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Kankakee County States Attorney Jim Rowe has agreed to dismiss the concealment of a homicide charge so a similar charge can be filed in Will County and all of the charges can be tried together, Pelkie said in a news release.

Jeremy Boshears, an alleged member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, is being charged with concealing the death of his girlfriend Kaitlyn Kearns, officials said.

Authorities said Boshears and Kearns had been dating for two weeks. They met about four weeks ago at the Joliet bar where Kearns was working.

Attorney Neil Patel, who said he is representing Boshears, said he expects his client, who is being held in the Kankakee County jail, will be transferred to Will County. No court date has yet been scheduled.

Will County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer said Boshears is a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Will County sheriffs SWAT officers executed a search warrant Thursday morning at the groups clubhouse, which is near the bar where Kearns worked. Officers seized Boshears white Dodge Charger from the clubhouse parking lot after the search, Hoffmeyer said.

Patel said any possible connection his client might have to the Outlaws is potentially remote and irrelevant to this case.

A person who stands accused for a crime stands accused for his actions, not who he associates with, he said.

No one else has been charged in Kearns death.

Kearns, who had been missing since early Monday after tending bar, was found dead in a rural part of Kankakee County during an overnight search, Will County sheriffs police said Thursday. Kearns had been shot once in the head, the Kankakee County coroners office determined.

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Authorities said sheriffs detectives used electronic means to locate Kearns 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee in a pole barn on private property in Kankakee Township, about 50 miles from Joliet. The womans body was discovered in the back of the vehicle, authorities said.

Kearns father had reported her missing Tuesday, police said. She was last seen early Monday after working at Woodys Bar, 1005 E. Washington St., according to a news release.

News of the charges were met with relief from family members, Kearns brother, Matt, said.

Were feeling like were getting justice for Katie, Matt Kearns said.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

It was nice to know that something was happening, he said. Youll never have closure in a situation like this, it will always be in your life; but it gives you something.

He also thanked investigators for their swiftness in making an arrest within days of family members reporting her missing.

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The Outlaws Motorcycle Club website  which greets online visitors with its signature skull and crossed pistons logo  details a history that began in the 1930s, when it was established out of Matildas Bar on old Route 66 in southwest suburban McCook. The group expanded around the country over the next several decades, and in 1969 adopted its motto: God forgives, Outlaws dont. In the Chicago area, the clubs name has surfaced in connection to a variety of crimes, including gun sales, drug dealing, the beating of a federal witness and a pipe-bombing.

Friends and family gather to remember 24-year-old Kaitlyn Kearns at Woody's Bar in Joliet on Nov. 16, 2017. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter.

vortiz@chicagotribune.com

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Pamela Strain said shed once dreamed of following in the footsteps of Clarence Darrow, the legendary Chicago attorney known for championing the underdog.

Strain instead went into education, rising to become an elementary school principal in an impoverished neighborhood in Chicago before founding her own private school in the south suburbs serving underprivileged kids.

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But federal investigators say instead of championing the less fortunate, Strain has been stealing from the very programs intended to help them.

Court records made public this week show that Strain is suspected of using the small, nonprofit school she founded in 2005 to loot as much as $2.7 million in funds over a seven-year period, including money from federal school lunch subsidies and other grants designed to provide nutritious food to low-income children.

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Strain, 60, allegedly used the funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle, including her home and other properties, luxury cars, spas, salons and shopping sprees at stores such as Victorias Secret and Macys, according to an FBI search warrant affidavit unsealed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The 54-page filing also contained startling details about the conditions at Strains Beacon Hill Preparatory Academy, which operated in various locations in the south suburbs before reopening in Lansing last year under a new name, Lighthouse Christian Academy.

During one visit to the schools Harvey location in 2015, a state inspector encountered offices with badly outdated equipment and records of a food program that were either missing or incomplete. The school appeared to have no dedicated food prep area, and an empty classroom where food was being stored was infested with moths.

When asked about the problem, the schools principal unsuccessfully tried to convince (the inspector) that the moths were pencil shavings, the filing stated.

Records show the federal investigation is not the first time Strain has had issues with her finances. She has twice filed for bankruptcy, been sued by a suburban school district for skipping out on a building lease and was found to have defaulted on a contract with a food service company to supply meals to her school, according to court records.

Strain, meanwhile, has not been charged with any wrongdoing in the federal probe. She declined to comment when she answered the door earlier this week at her large, four-bedroom home in south suburban Lynwood.

Pamela Strain, the founder of Lighthouse Christian Academy, is suspected of looting $2.7 million in funds over a seven-year period, using the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including making mortgage payments on her home in Lynwood. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

Reached by phone Wednesday, Strains criminal-defense attorney, Michael Monico, denied that any of the school funds were used for illegitimate purposes. He said Strain and her family have for years put their own money into the struggling school to help keep it alive.

We hope she can continue to keep the school open, said Monico, calling Strain a wonderful woman who has dedicated her life to education.

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Where Children Are Achievers

A South Side native, Strain earned a masters degree in criminal justice from Chicago State University and was planning to go to law school when her career detoured into education, Strain told the Chicago Reporter news magazine in an interview in 2005.

I was going to be an African-American Clarence Darrow, Strain was quoted as saying.

After joining the local school council of her sons elementary school, Strain went back to school in the early 1990s to earn her doctorate in education administration, according to the profile. She landed a job teaching science at Bradwell Elementary School in the South Shore neighborhood, where the principal touted her work ethic and attention to her pupils. Within a few years, Strain was hired as an assistant principal at nearby Ruggles Elementary School on South Prairie Avenue, later rising to the principals position.

But Strains career at Chicago Public Schools soon deteriorated. In August 2002, then-CPS Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan filed a formal reprimand with the school board alleging Strain had engaged in unsatisfactory conduct, CPS online records show. While the conduct was not spelled out, Strain was told she would be dismissed if it was not corrected immediately.

A year later, before the start of the 2003 school year, Duncan announced that Strain had been removed from her position as principal at Ruggles and reassigned to administrative duties pending an investigation into misconduct.

A CPS spokesman told the Tribune this week that Strain resigned from the district in March 2004.

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A few months later, Strain, along with three of her adult children, opened Beacon Hill in Calumet City as a private, nonprofit school serving pre-kindergarten though eighth grade. That same year, Strain and her husband  a CPS custodian  filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, listing nearly $250,000 in debts owed to creditors, records show.

Over the next decade, Beacon Hill relocated several times, moving to buildings in Harvey and South Holland before landing at the current location in Lansing under the name Lighthouse Christian Academy. Incorporation papers list Strains daughter as registered agent.

Like Beacon Hill, Lighthouse Academy touts innovative teaching and learning strategies that prepare children academically, socially and spiritually to compete with their global peers, according to its website. The school operates under the motto, Where Children Are Achievers.

The  family recognizes and understands children are explorers, the website states. Adults should teach children by example to love, respect, encourage and support others.

According to the FBI affidavit, which was filed under seal in May, Beacon Hill continued to submit claims for food program subsidies well into 2017 even though the school no longer existed and had lost its eligibility in 2012.

In October 2016, an undercover employee working secretly for the FBI went to Beacon Hills South Holland address for a tour of the facility and found that none of the lights were on and the building appeared to be empty. When the employee called the number listed for the school, a woman who identified herself as the principal told the employee the location was closed for repairs and would eventually reopen as a day care, according to the affidavit.

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During a tour of the new Lighthouse location the next day, however, the undercover employee was told that Strain  not her daughter  was the founder and owner of the school and that the South Holland location was likely closed permanently.

Weeks later, FBI agents on surveillance at the Lighthouse location noted a Mercedes registered to Strain parked in the back, according to the affidavit.

Mounting troubles

Beacon Hills financial irregularities were red-flagged in March 2016 after an official at an MB Financial Bank branch noticed substantial monthly cash withdrawals as well as checks made out to cash posting to what Strain had claimed was the schools main operating account.

Some of the checks had the notation food program in the memo line, which MB Financial considered out of pattern for a school because schools would not typically cover food or lunch program costs in cash, the affidavit said.

Contacted by the banks account officer about the unusual activity, Strain claimed that she was using money she had received from the state of Illinois to purchase food for the school, the filing said.

The account officer reported the explanation to superiors, prompting the bank to close all of Strains and Beacon Hills bank accounts, the affidavit said.

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State education officials had also taken note of problems at Beacon Hill, according to the affidavit.

Matthew Whitaker, an operations consultant with the Illinois State Board of Education who performed three reviews of Beacon Hill over the past decade, told the FBI that the school was unable to provide documentation for its meal reimbursement claims, leaving him unable to determine what they were feeding the children, the affidavit stated.

Whitaker reported that Strain generally blamed deficiencies in the paperwork on others, according to the filing.

Strain failed to show up for the most recent review in 2015, even though shed been given three weeks notice. During that visit, Whitaker noted that Strains office was in disarray and appeared to be in use as a spare room," according to the affidavit.

The student files were missing key information such as Social Security numbers and verification of family income. And even though food subsidy claims were submitted electronically, Whitaker noted only an old, out of date desktop (computer) in Strains office that did not appear to have been recently used, the affidavit said.

Whitaker also reported that the school did not appear to have a wholesale food supplier or dedicated areas for food prep or storage. The food he did observe on the premises was mostly snack foods that were not of high nutritional value, according to the affidavit.

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According to Whitaker, the empty classroom where food was stored was infested with moths, the FBI affidavit said. Beacon Hills principal  unsuccessfully tried to convince Whitaker that the moths were pencil shavings.

About the same time as Whitakers visit, Strain was facing mounting troubles in Cook County Circuit Court. Posen-Robbins School District 143  had filed suit claiming that Strain violated her agreement to lease a building at 149th Street and Rockwell Avenue, according to court records.

The lawsuit accused Strain of absconding with nearly $125,000 worth of school equipment, including 200 desks, lunchroom tables and benches, filing cabinets and computer desks, the records show.

Strain failed to contest the suit and was ordered to pay $307,000 in December 2015, according to court records.

Adding to her legal woes, Strain agreed last year to repay $3,000 to settle a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by a food service company that provided meals to Beacon Hill, court records show.

As part of that suit, the company, Fox River Foods Inc., produced invoices showing the food that had been delivered to Beacon Hills Harvey location. The invoices included breakfast foods such as oatmeal, bagels and pancake mix, as well as lunch options such as chicken sandwiches, breaded mozzarella sticks, broccoli and cookies, the records show.

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A life of some

While Beacon Hill was floundering, Strain and her family were living a life of some extravagance, according to the FBI filing.

An FBI agent said in the affidavit that to continue qualifying for the food program subsidies, Strain fraudulently represented that Beacon Hill was a nonprofit even though it at some point had become a for-profit venture. Strain also is suspected of misrepresenting the number of eligible children served meals by the school.

An exhaustive examination of at least half a dozen bank accounts linked to Strain and her children revealed as much as $2.6 million in federal funds meant for Beacon Hill was used for personal expenses, according to the filing.

That includes hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on housing, from mortgage payments on Strains home in Lynwood to property purchases in South Holland, Dixmoor and Calumet City, the affidavit said.

The money also went to pay insurance premiums for several vehicles in Strains name, including at least three Mercedes-Benz vehicles and a Lincoln Navigator. She spent $1,000 on a down payment for a Ford Fusion she co-signed on with her daughter. Thousands of dollars more went toward Strains Medicare premiums and a life insurance policy in her name, the affidavit said.

School funds also went toward shopping at places such as Victorias Secret and Bath & Body Works, hair salons and auto shops, even to purchase a weight management nutrition system, according to the FBI. There were purchases at a luxury hotel in Las Vegas, a limousine company and for airfare.

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FBI agents are also looking into whether at least $1.7 million in cash withdrawals were spent for Strains personal benefit or the schools, according to the affidavit. They are investigating as well if Strain underreported her income on tax returns, it said.

The FBI said a search of Strains Lynwood home as well as the Lighthouse Academy premises in Lansing would hopefully turn up information that would explain how much of the cash was used for legitimate school expenses.

Meanwhile, on a recent weekday afternoon, the small, one-story brick building that currently houses Lighthouse Academy appeared mostly if not entirely uninhabited. The front door was unlocked and there was nobody inside the main office. Later that day, a woman working the front desk buzzed a Tribune reporter in but said she was new to the school and couldnt say how many students were there.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

On a desk near the front door was a school menu detailing the daily offerings for November. Included were tasty meals featuring biscuits, seasoned taco meat with lettuce and something called Ms. Nicoles Secret Side Dishes. It also warned that offerings could change without notice.

In the final box of the month was a message:

Spread the word about our great school! it read.

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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

gpratt@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jmetr22b

Twitter @royalpratt
A truck is shown on the property used by J.P. McMahon Petro-Chem Transport Group along New Avenue in Lemont Township on Nov. 3. Cook County has cited the owner for alleged illegal use of land zoned for residential use. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown )

Local officials are praising a Cook County decision to deny a rezoning request that would have allowed a trucking terminal to continue operating on land zoned for residential use.

They're calling it a victory for residents who opposed the project.

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"We're extremely pleased," Lemont Township Supervisor Steven Rosendahl told me Thursday. "It was the right thing to do. Residents who were at risk because of this facility can enjoy their Thanksgiving dinners a little more."

Commissioner Sean Morrison, R-Palos Park, expressed similar satisfaction in the County Board's decision Wednesday to reject the rezoning request.

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"I was very pleased," Morrison told me. "We've been monitoring this for several months. We received a lot of phone calls and emails from residents."

Twelve of the 17 commissioners were in attendance Wednesday. Nine voted to deny the rezoning request and three voted "present."

I'm happy for residents who raised concerns about the operation at 16548 New Ave. in unincorporated Lemont. I think elected officials responded to their concerns and successfully represented citizens they serve.

"We appreciate the work of Commissioner Morrison and his staff," Rosendahl said. "They did a great job supporting us and representing their constituents."

I think the decision is also a victory for the rule of law. Petitioner James P. McMahon, 51, of LaGrange, is accused of illegally operating his business, J.P. McMahon Petro-Chem Transport Group, on the site without first obtaining proper zoning.

The Cook County state's attorney cited McMahon for the alleged violation but suspended enforcement pending resolution of the rezoning request. McMahon had noted that while he sought rezoning county authorities had granted him a business license and deemed him eligible for a "6b" economic development incentive.

Once the County Board settled the zoning question, Morrison told me he contacted the state's attorney's office and asked them to resume the case.

The state's attorney's office provided me with a copy of a motion filed Thursday seeking an injunction that would require McMahon to cease operating out of temporary trailers on the site. A hearing on the motion is set for Tuesday.

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"The complaint seeks to permanently enjoin defendant from violating the Building Code and the Zoning Ordinance," the motion states. "Given the zoning application was denied, the best way to prohibit defendant from violating the Building Code and the Zoning Ordinance is for defendant to cease its operations on the subject property."

Morrison pointed to a portion of the motion that noted the petitioner unsuccessfully sought to delay Wednesday's vote on the rezoning request.

"Preceding the vote, the commissioners voted to deny a motion to defer the matter, with many of the commissioners noting the burden to the residents in the area with respect to the imposition on their health and safety, and the noise generated by the activities on the subject property that adversely affected the use and enjoyment of the residents' properties," the state's attorney's notion stated.

Like I said, I applaud how citizens were well-represented in this case and that authorities will enforce laws to ensure everyone plays by the rules. However, I thought the petitioner raised some valid points to support his request. I think some aspects of the case merit additional consideration.

One was McMahon's point that the village of Lemont initially supported his proposal, and that the village's long-range plan calls for commercial and industrial uses along New Avenue where his property is located.

I'm not saying that excuses him for allegedly setting up shop without first going through the necessary steps to secure proper zoning. I'm saying his operation is consistent with uses that planners considered appropriate for the site.

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Let me be clear: I believe the rezoning process is the proper forum for developers to respond to concerns raised by neighbors and government officials. When the process works as it should, officials review compliance and weigh the merits of a proposal against the negatives.

They deliberate the pros and cons and then vote up or down. If a petitioner doesn't follow proper procedures, then I agree authorities should punish scofflaws.

I visited the site along New Avenue and met with McMahon a couple weeks ago. He invited me into his office and answered all my questions. I noted there was one home located next door to his operation. I spoke with the resident at the time and shared his concerns in a story about the dispute.

McMahon and I spoke by phone on Thursday.

"I'm disappointed beyond belief," he told me. "I think it got politicized."

James McMahon is shown in the office of his business, J.P. McMahon Petro-Chem Transport Group, on Nov. 3. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown )

I agree with McMahon's view that his operation is in a predominantly industrial area. His trucks pick up fuel from two big refineries a couple miles down the road and deliver it to gas stations throughout the Chicago area.

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I was puzzled by some of the safety objections raised by residents and local officials. McMahon told me empty trucks are parked on the site during shift changes. He has a long track record of safely and successfully operating another business, McMahon Transport Group, with his brother, John.

I found it odd that John McMahon raised concerns about the safety of his brother's business, since he's involved in the same type of operation a few miles down the road along New Avenue in Lockport.

"John McMahon  testified that the proposed business presents a safety hazard that cannot be discounted that is if the tankers blow up and is concerned for the safety," stated the record of an Oct. 18 zoning board hearing. John McMahon was identified as "owner of a competing business, former business partner, and brother of applicant."

John McMahon did not immediately respond to a message I left with an employee Thursday at McMahon Transport Group requesting comment.

I think during the course of the rezoning process, opponents unfairly depicted Jim McMahon's attitudes about safety.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"What upset me the most was the tone that I was a reckless business person who didn't care about safety when it's paramount to my business, for neighbors and everyone around us," McMahon told me.

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His company's drivers meet strict standards to serve as licensed hazardous materials haulers, he told me. His trucks haul a lot of biodiesel, which is much less flammable than regular diesel.

I view McMahon's enterprise as an economic development opportunity that would create good-paying jobs. I told him I thought he valued safety and that in my opinion, some of the concerns raised by opponents seemed exaggerated. I also told him I thought his business was an appropriate use for that area.

However, I said I respect the rule of law and believe businesses should follow rules for building and zoning codes.

"We made mistakes," he told me.

tslowik@tronc.com

Twitter @tedslowik
Brian Peck has been charged in the slaying of his mother, Gail Peck, of Elgin. (Elgin Police Department)

An Elgin man was indicted Friday in the killing and dismemberment of his elderly mother, whose partial remains were found in bags in the Lincoln Park lagoon in Chicago last month.

Brian Peck, 55, was charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a homicide in the indictment, announced in Cook County Circuit Court. He is being held without bail.

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Peck appeared in the Rolling Meadows courthouse Friday in tan jail scrubs, greeting Judge Steven Goebel with a friendly Good morning, Your Honor.

Goebel granted a court order for the remains of Gail Peck to be released to the family for burial. Assistant States Attorney Lorna Amado-Chevlin also asked that any undiscovered remains also be released if found.

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Authorities said partial human remains, including a torso in one bag and severed legs in another, were discovered in the lagoon at Diversey Harbor Oct. 28. They were later identified as belonging to Gail Peck, 76, whod been reported missing by her son, Brian, the day before.

A severed arm later found at Montrose Beach was also believed to have belonged to Gail Peck.

Authorities have said they found bloodstains and other evidence in the Elgin home the mother and son shared. When the body parts were discovered, police questioned Brian Peck, who admitted to killing his mother and dismembering her body with a handsaw in a bathtub on Oct. 25, according to prosecutors.

Peck told police he put the remains in bags and a suitcase, throwing them into Diversey and Montrose harbors, according to prosecutors.

Officials said Peck also told them hed argued with his mother early in the morning over his loud Jimi Hendrix music, and claimed his mother wielded a military-style knife before he knocked her down and stomped on her head, killing her.

Peck is due to be arraigned on the charges Dec. 1 at the Rolling Meadows courthouse.

Authorities said Gail Peck has a niece who lives in another country, but no other family members have come forward. Brian Peck is an only child and his father is deceased, officials said.

George Houde is a freelance reporter.

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[ Remains found in Lincoln Park lagoon ID'd as those of Elgin woman whose son is charged in her death ]

[ Officials: Elgin man killed mom after being told his music was too loud, then dismembered body ]
Weinstein scandal: Harvey Weinstein. That's all we hear on the news and how these women were abused. I am sorry, but I have no sympathy whatsoever for these women. We all have choices. I grew up in the era where women had very few rights and it was hard to get ahead. You could sign a non-disclosure agreements and non-disclosure didn't just apply to Hollywood it applied to government jobs so the government could do whatever they wanted with you. Talk about the military how many women in the military were raped. Someone doesn't sign a non-disclosure agreement if they have morals or ethics. You don't put money above your morals or ethics. Apparently these women do. I have no pity for them.

POTUS not a patriot: I remember when a Gold Star mom went off on Barack Obama in his face and he acted with dignity. He let her vent on him and took it like a real president should have, unlike this draft-dodging, orange man we have now. He likes to fight with Gold Star families if they disagree with him. That is not being presidential. There are a lot of people out here that don't like you, and you have to carry yourself accordingly. This draft-dodger has the nerve to go off on people about the flag saying they disrespect our troops for taking a knee. Well he did worse. He went to a doctor paid him off so he didn't have go to over and fight, like the coward he is. He had money to pay the doctors off. To me, anybody who does that is not a patriot and shouldn't call himself a patriot.

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Tell me why: I want one of you big shots, all the ex-presidents and whoever in the Senate, the judicial system, to tell me why seniors have to have a spend down under Social Security and an illegal gets it for nothing. The American citizen means nothing and the illegals get everything. I have them across me, 14 in a house. They are driving nice cars and they get free food on top of it. But seniors made this country but they have a spend down. I can't afford to do anything. I am a citizen. I worked all my life for this country and I barely make it on the money I get. Come on America, take care of your citizens.

Trump doesn't speak truth: For all you Republicans out there, take note. You have three high ranking Republicans who have finally spoken out against this nutty president we have and it is said, I don't know if it is true, other Republicans feel the same way but they are afraid to lose their jobs by saying anything against Trump. I want to remind those who don't speak out the truth, when you sell your soul to the devil for the sake of a job, you may win right now but look at yourself in the mirror. In the end, when you sell your soul to the devil, you lose.

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All politicians the same: These congressmen and senators, (Senator Jeff) "Flaky" Flake, (Senator Bob) Corker and (Senator John) McCain and our past presidents Bush, H.W. Bush, sexual abuser Clinton are all dissing Trump and saying how bad Trump is and how he is a liar. But remember George W. Bush and the weapons of mass destruction that didn't exist in Iraq. Do you remember George W. was upset with Iraq about something that happened with his daddy? His daddy, George H.W. Bush, was embarrassed. And what about Bill Clinton lying, "I've never had sex with that woman." Who is the pot calling the burnt kettle? What about Barack Obama? He did a lot of lying in his time in office. He has done anti-American things like protecting people who have no right to be here. He, (Senator Dick) Durbin and (Congressman Luis) Gutierrez belong in the same boat. They are bad people calling other people bad. It is time to flip our nose at those politicians who think they are holier than thou and get them the hell out of office.

Bring Applebee's to Aurora: Wouldn't it be wonderful if Aurora or a close city would get an Applebee's and Kmart back? Why did they leave? We see the commercials all the time yet we don't have one close by. It would be wonderful if we could have that done.

More security on bank statements: I would like to complain about the bank statements that they send out and have the whole account number on it. If enough of us request they don't be the whole account number, maybe we can get something done. The credit cards don't list the whole account number. We need that so we have more security.

Puerto Rican mayor critic: I am calling about the volunteers who are helping here in Aurora for Puerto Rico. Bravo. I think we should think twice. I think we should help everyone hit by a natural disaster, and I think it is great we give from the heart. But what about that mayor in San Juan who keeps moaning and griping. She is doing all the moaning and griping, and she is reaping in the benefits.

No chickens in Elgin: Chickens should not be allowed to be pets in the city limits of Elgin. Chickens are for the farms. Doesn't anyone realize they are a big spreader of salmonella poisoning? Wake up Elgin.

Editor's note

Speak Out is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, call us at 312-222-2460 or email couriernews@tribpub.com. Please include "speak out" in the subject line.
Glencoe resident Cam Avery and his wife, Lynn Donaldson, look at concepts presented Nov. 13 on how to enhance Tudor Court. (Daniel I. Dorfman / Pioneer Press )

Residents and local business owners viewed ideas for the future of Tudor Court at a Nov. 13 forum at Writers Theatre.

Village officials and representatives of Teska Associates, the longtime village planner, highlighted proposals to enhance the street appearance and parking on Tudor Court, where Writers Theatre is the most prominent business.

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"It's an opportunity to think more broadly, perhaps, about what could be on Tudor Court," Village Manager Phil Kiraly told the approximately 30 people in attendance.

Teska landscape architect Jodi Mariano said the proposed changes were prompted by needed pavement repairs on Tudor. Moreover, the Downtown Plan adopted in 2016 by the village board recommended an enhancement of Tudor Court, Mariano said.

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Since the adoption of the Downtown Plan, Mariano said her firm has been working with a focus group composed of village staff, Glencoe Park District officials, the Glencoe Chamber of Commerce, the Woman's Library Club of Glencoe, Writers Theatre and property owners and businesses to get ideas for what should be on the street.

Mariano said the focus group's objectives for Tudor include enhancing the pedestrian experience, providing better access to Tudor Court from surrounding streets, such as Vernon Avenue, improving the appearance of the backs of businesses and finding ways to celebrate arts and culture.

"The public and the village all felt this was a tremendous opportunity to think about Tudor Court as something more than a traditional street," Mariano said.

The focus group's suggestions included additional seating, better lighting, more decorative paving and signage to announce the entrance, according to Mariano. One idea proposed was closing off Glencoe Drive, which would make the existing park that adjoins Writers continuous. Currently, the park is split in half.

"The idea of closing Glencoe Drive and making a pedestrian-friendly park at what is now the most popular and noticeable part of the village is irresistible," said resident Ricky Cooper, who has lived in the village for 33 years.

Also on display were three concepts that included changing the parking layout on Tudor to allow for more pedestrian space.

Teska representatives said they don't want to reduce the amount of parking. Two of the plans featured changes on Vernon Avenue to keep the number of downtown spaces downtown - 195 - the same.

Ideas on changing the configuration of parking on Tudor, which now has diagonal spaces to the north and parallel to the south, were also presented.

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"We are hoping the ability to cross Tudor as a pedestrian is much easier, so you don't have to fight the diagonal parking to walk across the street," Teska President Lee Brown said. "If there are changes to make it more pedestrian-friendly, we want to do it in a way that is safe and attractive and people will have a feeling if I park on the north side, I can move to the south side without a big impediment of moving across the street."

Amy Bishop, a Tudor Court business owner, feared possible parking reductions.

"I think that would be a detriment to the street," she said. "If you want to grow the street and you want it to be more, you want more access."

Local resident Adrienne Gallagher said she finds the parking situation on Tudor Court "congested" and hopes changes will be made.

"I just hope we simplify the street in such a way that it is no longer visually so chaotic. It is an obstacle course out there," Gallagher said.

Three ideas were presented about changing the appearance of the drive-through of the BMO Harris bank on Tudor Court, which is private property. The ideas involve possibly reducing the current three lanes to allow for a larger walkway.

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Kiraly said there have been discussions for several years about possible changes, and he is "cautiously optimistic" that alterations will be made.

Kiraly said Teska will take the feedback from the forum and a future focus group meeting and bring a final proposal to the village board in late winter or early spring.

Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
Glencoe Public Safety Director Cary Lewandowski, in uniform, speaks about recruiting officers at the Nov. 16 Committee of the Whole meeting as Village Attorney Steven Elrod looks on. (Daniel I. Dorfman / Pioneer Press )

Glencoe is hiring a consulting firm to help bring new public safety officers into the village.

At the Nov. 15 village board meeting, trustees unanimously authorized a one-year contract with the Walker Thomas group, a regional human resources consulting firm. Village officials hope the firm will cultivate interest in recruiting public safety officers - to serve dual roles as police and firefighters - to Glencoe.

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"We want to make sure we are visible and we are in front of people who might find a public safety career attractive," Village Manager Phil Kiraly said at the Committee of the Whole meeting, which was held prior to the regular board meeting.

While the recent wave of local and national stories putting police in an unfavorable light has not helped, Glencoe officials said a larger issue facing the village is the retirements of officers who joined the department in the 1980s and 1990s.

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Public Safety Chief Cary Lewandowski said he believes departments throughout the Chicago area are facing similar problems with retirements.

In Glencoe's case, Assistant Village Manger Sharon Tanner said two officers retired in Fiscal Year 2018 and another six will likely be eligible to retire in FY 2019, though it's unclear how many will do so.

Tanner added the average starting salary for a public safety officer is approximately $65,500.

The village's multifaceted recruitment strategy includes the Walker Thomas contract, which could reach over $21,000, and the consulting group will try to recruit officers by cultivating partnerships with colleges, universities, professional associations and community organizations, according to Tanner.

Lewandowski said 36 officers are currently on the force, with one opening.

Compounding Glencoe's issues, according to village officials, is the fact Glencoe officers are cross-trained for both police and fire roles. Glencoe and Rosemont are the only two public safety departments in the state, according to Lewandowski.

"What we found is people who are either police- or fire-oriented have difficulty doing both," Lewandowski said.

Kiraly said some applicants have "washed out" in the process.

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Village Board Trustee Trent Cornell noted that if the village continues to have this problem, the two roles might have to be separated one day.

Lewandowski said while some potential recruits may not be interested in the dual role, it could be an enticement to others.

"We are trying to raise awareness locally of why we are unique," Lewandowski said. "We are trying to corner the market of the ones that would be really good for us. It's a difficult task."

Tanner added the enhanced recruitment efforts would start in northern Illinois and likely broaden to neighboring states in the future.

Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer for Pioneer Press. e
Bridget Hellstrom, 26, is a special education teacher at Washington Elementary School in Glenview. This is her second year teaching at the school. Hellstrom recently received the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom Award, which recognizes 16 Chicago-area teachers for outstanding leadership and instructional skills during the Chicago Bears season. As part of the award, she received a $2,000 donation for classroom books and supplies. She graduated from Illinois State University in 2015 with a degree in special education. She lives in Chicago and grew up in Arlington Heights.

Q: How did it feel when you were surprised with the award at a recent school meeting?

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A: I was in shock. I was speechless, very surprised. It was just such an emotional experience, very surreal.

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a special education teacher?

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A: Seeing the progress that my students make is indescribable, even if it is the tiniest progress, it is amazing to see them grow. They make me laugh and smile every single day.

Q: What inspired you to become a special education teacher?

A: When I was growing up, I always wanted to become a teacher. One of my cousins . . . has autism, and she always gravitated toward me and always felt comfortable around me. In high school, my school had a phenomenal program where I participated in it and I quickly became familiar with the special education population. Everyone was like 'You should go into special ed. You are so patient. You work so well with them.' Then I knew that's what I wanted to do.

Q: Who is someone you look up to?

A: My mom just because she is such a great person, and I've learned so much from her. She always encouraged my siblings and me to follow our dreams and really helped me pursue my career as a special education teacher.

Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago.

akukulka@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Akukulka11
Military serviceman Hovhannes Poghosyan who was severely wounded 1.5 years ago in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR), and who underwent a complicated skull prosthesis surgery in Armenias capital city of Yerevan on November 1, has been checked out of the hospital.

November 17, 2017, 10:10 Armenian soldier discharged from hospital 2 weeks after complicated skull prosthesis surgery

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 17, ARTSAKHPRESS:His mother, Gayane Asatryan, informed about the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Hovhannes already feels very well, said the soldiers mother. The wound healed very quickly, theyve removed some of the stitches, and theyll remove the rest in the coming days.

After recuperating at the home in the coming months, Poghosyan will undergo rehabilitation.

He was operated on with funding by the Ministry of Health of Armenia.

Serviceman Hovhannes Poghosyan was severely wounded in May 2016, at an outpost of a military unit of the NKR Defense Army.

But owing to his perseverance, determination and hard work, he surmounted all difficulties. Now, he can speak and walk. Even though he cannot move his hand yet, doctors say that is only a matter of time.
Once again, it's time for giving thanks.

As in past years, I must send my deep thanks to the hundreds of generous, loyal west suburban residents who donated blood for the patients in our hospitals, many of whose lives were saved.

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On Nov. 14, we had our final drive of this year  our sixth annual Turkey Drive  when all of the 30 donors went home with free turkeys for donating a pint of blood. The totals from that drive also brought up our numbers for 2017 to 428 units collected.

On top of that, we have collected 25,826 units since our birth in 1974. That's more than enough to serve 70,000 patients.

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A high point this year came on Oct. 14, when 8 inches of rain fell in one day. The torrents could not stop our donors from helping those people who are less fortunate. Despite the storm, 87 donors drove in from as far as Elgin and Lemont. We collected 82 units. A miracle drive.

Four weeks ago, the Illinois State Senate along with the Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers honored our organization.

Again, our thanks go out to the state Senate, the coalition and our extraordinary donors.

Carl Panek

chairman

Westchester Blood Program
Principal Anthony Kroll during a Nov. 14 school board meeting explains the status of Mundelein High School's application for a waiver from Illinois' physical education requirement. (Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press)

Facing a crowd of more than 70 parents and students upset about proposed changes to Mundelein High Schools show choir program, administrators Tuesday night agreed to delay finalizing next years course catalog.

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At issue is a long-held waiver of the states physical education requirement that allowed the exemption of more than 100 students participating in show choir classes due to the physical activity involved with dancing.

Mundeleins waiver expired in July, but Illinois legislators havent finished rolling out a revision to the law, said Principal Anthony Kroll.

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Kroll was proposing that students interested in show choir during the 2017-18 school year could enroll in the state-required minimum of three days per week of regular PE and participate in show choir on the other two days . All other choir activities would need to be done after school as part of a club.

Mundelein High School has had a show choir program for 22 years, said Lisa Saunders, a parent of seven current or past show choir members. They have been nationally ranked and continue to have made a name for themselves throughout the show choir world. Please dont change programs that work.

Mundelein only recently learned of a different waiver that could allow for the exemptions to return. Kroll said a mandated district public hearing is set for Dec. 12 on the topic and documentation of that hearing would allow the district to apply for the waiver.

We are working diligently to get a PE waiver again so that we have that availability, Kroll said. The soonest we will know an answer is mid-March. The latest we would know about that waiver is late May.

In the meantime, Kroll said he would have to make staffing decisions earlier than the states time frame on any waiver decisions. If Mundelein waits to offer classes to students, Kroll said he would likely need extra payroll to accommodate late scheduling. He agreed to wait until at least Dec. 12 to finalize the course catalog and said he would work with parents in the meantime.

Jonathan Pruc, an officer in the teachers union, objected to a number of other revisions to the course guide.

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This process has been sprung on us and has not been transparent, Pruc said. Decisions have been made from one side only.

Classes such as Advanced Creative Writing, Honors Accounting, Business Management, AP World History, Psychology 2, Modern Latin America and Early Bird PE, among others, are slated for removal, according to documents given to the school board.

Other modifications include offering marching bans as a semester-long course and removing Level 1 art classes while adding that content into a year-long art studio class.

Schools love to claim they support the arts, but time and time again they make decisions that do the opposite, Pruc said. Lets make a positive change and champion student choices, not direct them to an increasingly narrow path of study.

Kroll said many of those classes were not popular enough to offer every year, and some only had 10 students. He said the art classes involve independent student work and now teachers in the merged class can offer differing levels of help one-on-one.

A class of 10 is really low, Kroll said. It takes a lot of resources away from other places and it makes other courses very high.

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Both Kroll and Superintendent Kevin Myers said they have no plans to eliminate employees.

While some parents and students spoke against the proposed elimination of an AP class and the changes to art, the school board focused more on the larger group of show choir supporters.

Theres no way to describe the feeling that you get when youre dancing and singing with a group of your friends, and singing the most beautiful song about being loved and knowing that youll never be alone, said Kate Fladhammer, a sophomore who participates in show choir.

School board member Laura Mellon made a few attempts to propose alternatives, and applause from the crowd overpowered some of her statements.

Its my feeling that the state is basically relaxing on its hold of mandates and giving more control to the local schools, so lets just have the students sign up for show choir as is and if the waiver doesnt pass then you can put the PE in at the three-days-per week (ratio), Mellon said.

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Kroll said allowing students to enroll in something to only take it away later is far more damaging than not offering it in the first place and bringing it back. He said rescheduling students after a term starts is complicated.

Similarly, Kroll said Mundelein could lose its state money if the school doesnt get the waiver but chooses not to comply with the law.

School board member Thomas Ouimet said big issues like this should be disclosed sooner.

Youre asking us to make a decision on conversations youve been having with staff for months but I just find out about this on Friday? Ouimet said. This is coming at me like a freight train. I need more time to think.

Kevin Myers, superintendent of Mundelein High School District 120, during a heated Nov. 14 discussion about next year's course catalog. (Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press)

Myers defended the administration, saying he needs the school board to have trust in his staff.

Im not questioning trust at all, Im questioning communication, if anything, Ouimet said.

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School Board President Joanne Anderson and board member Al Hitzke expressed support for Krolls recommendation, especially given the time constraints.

Its all been very confusing and I can appreciate all your comments, but as Dr. Myers said, we have to as a board trust that our administration is doing the best for our students, Anderson said. Theyve all been here long enough, they know our school district, they know our students.

The public hearing on exempting show choir students from physical education is scheduled for Dec. 12, which is the same day as the next school board meeting. Kroll said he would also have an update on his efforts to work with parents on alternatives.

rkambic@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @Rick_Kambic
A variety of artistic classes and excursions were offered at Ridgewood High School during the school's third annual arts week.

During the week, which started Nov. 13, faculty members in support of arts in academics gave students the opportunity to explore art they wouldn't usually see in class. The school hosted a range of events including an art show competition, painting, drawing and music workshops, and a visit to the Art Institute and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

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Students were also given the option to choose which events they attended, allowing them free rein when it came to structuring their week of art.

Sarah Machaj, Ridgewood's art teacher, organized three drawing workshops on Nov. 14. One of the classes included a demonstration and instruction from Charles Moisant, a professional comic book artist. Machaj said this particular workshop, featuring comic book drawing, was relevant to her student's current interests.

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"I've got lots of kids who like anime, comics and gaming," she said. "[Moisant] is also the father of one of our students, so we got pretty lucky."

Since the workshop would provide an in-depth discussion of comic book creation, Machaj was pleased her students would also get to learn about the career field and what it takes to be a successful comic book artist.

"There are so many kids here who would never get the chance to see a professional cartoonist at that level," she said. "So we don't take them to a student performance, we always take them to a regular [art or music] performance and that's just better."

Moisant, an artist who has been publishing comic books since 1991, discussed the process of creating, producing and publishing a comic book, and the profession itself. He also assisted students in making their own mini comics.

"Art can sometimes be the hardest to learn, but at the same time the easiest," he said. "My art may not always be anatomically correct, but it looks good because the staging is correct. [One artist] pulled in $1.2 million drawing stick figures."

After discussing more profession specifics, students were then urged to explore the kind of universe their own comic would exist within. This included what characters would be present, their motives and the story's overall message.

To warm them up to the creativity, Moisant called on individuals, asking each to contribute ideas to a group-made comic before they began creating their own. He encouraged the students to come up with plot points that played into the feelings of their readers.

"Whether the emotion is true or made up, it's powerful, and you can affect people's opinions, ways of thinking and personalities, just from a simple story," he said.

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From stories about large pink cats to aliens in New York City, original comics ideas soon began emanating from the minds of the young artists.

"One of the greatest moments [is seeing] their 'aha moment' when they got it. They understood. I've just changed their life," Moisant said. "They might do something with it, they might do it as a career, or they it might translate to something else. Perhaps they can get physics, math, English. Something else by understanding that there's far more to the thinking."

After coming up with a title, cover and first few panels of their own story, the students were able to take their handcrafted mini comic book with them. Overall, Moisant hopes to inspire students to keep working toward their goals in art.

"My minimum hope is that someone is inspired and they don't give up on art," he said. I think if I can help them feel comfortable with taking a risk, then I've succeeded."

Gianna Annunzio is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Kenith Bergeron of the U.S. Department of Justice leads The Intersection of Race and Education forum Nov. 14 at Oak Park and River Forest High School. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)

Oak Park and River Forest High School students and parents are calling for administrators to make the school more equitable for all those who attend.

During a Nov. 14 community forum titled "The Intersection of Race and Education," OPRF invited University of Illinois at Chicago professor David Stovall to speak to community members about racial equity.

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"You all have a race problem," Stovall said to the crowd in the school's South Cafeteria. "I'm going to be so blunt as to say it. We like to make race conversations nice. We want to make it palpable and want it so we can put it on a pamphlet and say we did some work. If you do that, you can almost guarantee yourself to be right back here in less than a year."

Stovall then shared his personal experiences as he walked into the high school before the forum.

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"When I parked my car on Lake Street and saw the look from the cop who was eyeing me, and when I was walking the hall without a pass and the first question I get is, 'Are you looking for the South Cafeteria?' " Stovall said. "I'm saying this as a 45-year-old. I can only imagine what a 14- to 17-year-old is going through."

The forum was initially scheduled for last month after a social media post, which appeared to show an OPRF student in blackface, was shared in the community. The post said "Vote me for BLU President." BLU is a reference to the OPRF Black Leaders Union.

During the Nov. 14 forum, attendees were asked not to reference the social media incident, and they were directed to limit their comments to the form of a question or a solution.

"The purpose of this meeting is not to talk about the issues that may be. It's not about the politics in the community, it's not about the issues that may have been perceived to have brought us here, but it's what's happening right here at OPRF High School," moderator Kenith Bergeron said. "We want to come out of this meeting with some positive suggestions on how to move forward."

The forum also included a student panel of four OPRF students of various racial backgrounds talking about issues they see at the school.

"I always knew I was black and knew what color was, but I never knew what to attach to that," OPRF senior Kennedy Holliday said. "When it comes to these school environments, I feel that racism is reflected on us as more a form of microaggression rather than a form of blatant racism. I hear in the hallway 'You're black, you'll get into college through affirmative action' or 'Why can't you dance? You're black.' I feel this is a really great opportunity to not only listen to minorities who say this is wrong and we need to fix this, but also for personal growth to everyone."

Junior Grace Gunn called for not only OPRF teachers, but all OPRF employees to receive training about the equitable treatment of students.

When asked if they felt welcome at OPRF, senior Drew Krueger said his race played a large factor in his personal experience of feeling welcome at school.

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"I'm white, and I live in Oak Park," Krueger said. "I feel welcomed, but that's just the reality. Because of my skin color, I have never felt unwelcomed. I think where I, and other, white students fall into a trap is by being too comfortable. You're taught at young age Oak Park is a post-racial society and community, and that is not the case. Often times, I feel members of the white community feel too welcomed and too comfortable. I would like, if possible, all white students should understand what white privilege is and how they directly benefit from it every single day."

Students also offered their suggestions for improving educational opportunities for students of color at OPRF.

"I feel it definitely starts in the classrooms," junior Angeles Contreras said. "I feel we really need to talk about it more and encourage students of color to take more difficult AP or honors classes. The problems of racism will not be solved with one or two community forums."

Among solutions offered by those in attendance include incorporating African-American history throughout the entire history curriculum, increasing diversity among the teaching staff, taking discussions about race into the community and neighborhoods, having teachers undergo training on culture and race, providing mentorship opportunities for students and requiring all OPRF students to attend similar seminars about racial equity.

"We thank you for the action items and the opportunity to give us items you would like to see," OPRF Principal Nathaniel Rouse said. "This road is difficult and it's not going to be easy, but we're here to do it and be successful. We have much more work to do."

OPRF Superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams said the discussion would not be the last time the community would be invited to discuss the topic and provide recommendations.

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"We're serious about this," Pruitt-Adams said. "We're going to take this information, debrief and try to [create] some doable action items that will address some of the concerns we heard from our students and the community today."

sschering@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @steveschering
A Chicago man and two boys face charges after police said the three hijacked a car from a bank parking lot in River Forest on Wednesday afternoon and one got caught in rush-hour traffic as he attempted to elude police.

According to River Forest police, a man parked his running car at 4:12 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of TCF Bank, 800 N. Harlem Ave., then got out and began to wipe dirt away from his car.

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Police said Shannon D. Mitchell, 20, of Chicago, then exited a 2013 Kia Soul that was also occupied by two boys, police said. The Kia had previously been reported stolen out of Chicago, police said.

Mitchell then entered the man's car through the passenger side front door and slid over to the driver's seat, police said. Mitchell then began driving away while the man was attempting to re-enter his car, police said.

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The man was briefly dragged and then fell onto the ground of the parking lot as Mitchell fled south on Harlem Avenue, police said. The man then contacted police, and information was broadcast over police radio, police said.

According to police, the stolen car, driven by Mitchell, was spotted by a Forest Park police officer on Harlem Avenue near Jackson Boulevard.

The officer attempted to stop the car, but Mitchell attempted to flee, police said. According to police, Mitchell was then caught in rush-hour traffic on Harlem Avenue, and the car rear-ended another car on Harlem Avenue near Jackson Boulevard. Mitchell then exited the car and attempted to flee on foot before he was apprehended by officers, police said.

The car's owner was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Mitchell, who was on probation for a narcotics-related conviction, was charged with vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, police said.

The two in the Kia Soul were later spotted by Oak Park police units in Chicago after abandoning the car in the 900 block of South Menard Avenue, and they were taken into custody, police said. Both were petitioned to juvenile court.

"We are thankful the victim did not sustain more serious injuries," River Forest Deputy Police Chief James O'Shea said. "We want to recognize the close partnership with the Forest Park and Oak Park police departments to help rid the area of the vehicular hijacking epidemic that is plaguing the near-west Chicago suburbs."

sschering@pioneerlocal.com

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Twitter @steveschering
A Beatnik Babe and Boy Christmas Variety Show from Dec. 1-3 at Beatniks on Conkey in Hammond features skits, songs, comedy and fun. ( Beatniks on Conkey/HANDOUT )

Since performers in Beatniks on Conkey's annual holiday production create their material, that benefits the black box theater in Hammond.

"A Beatnik Babe and Boy Christmas Variety Show" returns Dec. 1-3.

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"It is a fundraiser for Beatniks. It helps them keep their doors open," said Kim Bernstein, director of "A Beatnik Babe and Boy Christmas Variety Show.

"We don't have to pay royalties since we write our own stuff so it's a way for them to help with the rent. It just really helps them out and keeps doors open for future shows. We always try to feature the guys doing something, the girls doing something and also us doing things together in pieces.

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"We try to give them all their little spotlight. We have some recurring characters that only come at Christmas."

Created by Dyer residents Bonnie and Rip Johnson, Beatniks on Conkey is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary Jan. 13 with a recap of past years and a preview of the 2018 season.

The venue is billed as a place for creative minds to try out new material, for theater groups needing a place to perform and for the public to relax and be entertained.

"It's the owners that make it special. They're just very kindhearted people. I met them years ago. It just took off from there," said Bernstein, of Merrillville.

The cast for "A Beatnik Babe and Boy Christmas Variety Show" includes Bernstein and the Johnsons plus Sharon Harbert, Steve Kaminsky, Angie Lowe, Dominique Mercier, Krystal Quagliara, Linda Slankard, John Wotkun and Beatniks on Conkey's tap dancing class.

"They're just a great bunch of people to work with," said Bernstein about the cast, which includes Cedar Lake, Griffith, Hammond, Merrillville, Schererville and St. John residents.

"When you work with some of the same people, it's much more enjoyable because you know you have that trust. You know they've got your back. You know when you're on stage and you feel yourself going and you can't remember something, they're going to pick it up or make fun of you and help you along.

"A lot of it is improv so it's nice to be able to work with this awesome group of people after all these years."

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"A Beatnik Babe and Boy Christmas Variety Show" features skits including one inspired by different home parties, songs, comedy and fun. Appetizers, beverages and a raffle are included in the ticket price for this production, which may contain adult content and/or language.

"It allows me to be free in my creativity. When you're creating a funny comic piece, you can say certain things. You can go right to the edge," said Bernstein, a self-described structured individual.

Beatniks on Conkey was among the 2016-2017 award recipients at October's Silver Soiree, Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation's 25th anniversary gala, where Lindsey McDermott was recognized as principal actress in a play for her role as Susy Hendrix in "Wait Until Dark."

"Wait Until Dark," which was directed by the Johnsons, also tied with 4th Street Theater's "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" for best play while Anji Britten, of Beatniks on Conkey, was among the volunteers of the year.

Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

'A Beatnik Babe and Boy Christmas Variety Show'

When: 8 p.m. Dec. 1-2; 2 p.m. Dec. 3

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Where: Beatniks on Conkey, 418/420 Conkey St., Hammond

Tickets: $15
Monica Kelsey, firefighter and founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc., poses in 2015 with a prototype of a box designed to allow protection of an unwanted newborn. ( Michael Conroy/AP )

After hearing a newborn girl had been placed in the Safe Haven Baby Box at the Coolspring Township Volunteer Fire Department near Michigan City earlier this month, Monica Kelsey says she started crying.

"Now this little girl is going to grow up because of our efforts, and she wouldn't have," said Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes and a firefighter in Woodburn, outside of Fort Wayne. She was abandoned as an infant and fought to get clearance for the boxes from the Indiana Department of Child Services.

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That call on Nov. 9 was the first use of the Coolspring Township box since it was installed in April 2016. The second box in Indiana, in Woodburn, has yet to be used.

Kelsey said she's received inquiries from across the country about the boxes, including more than 250 calls and emails in one day. The boxes provide complete anonymity for a baby's mother and a silent alarm alerts emergency medical services personnel that the box is in use.

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Four boxes are scheduled for installation in Indiana and Ohio next year, although Kelsey declined to say specifically where.

Local officials said they would be willing to consider the boxes.

"I would have to say it would not ultimately be my decision, but in my opinion, it would be worth entertaining this, or a similar instrument, as it is likely better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it," said Chesterton Police Chief David Cincoski.

"If there is the opportunity to save or prolong life, as to the alternative, it would be worthy of an investigative look."

The day after the infant was left in Coolspring Township, a passerby found what emergency medical service personnel confirmed were the remains of childbirth in a portable toilet along the Prairie Duneland bicycle trail in Chesterton. Cincoski said it was being investigated to determine the welfare of mother and baby, not as a criminal matter. There was no update yet on whether the birth was related to the baby found in the box, he said.

Also interested in learning more about the boxes is Crown Point Fire Chief David Crane, though he said he's unsure of the demand since the one in Coolspring Township went unused for a year and a half.

"Fire stations have been a safe haven to drop off your child for 15 years and we've not had anyone do that in Crown Point," he said. "The twist to that is the anonymity" provided by the boxes.

Under Indiana's Safe Haven Law, an unwanted infant can be left anonymously at hospitals, police and fire stations, without fear of prosecution.

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As long as the baby has no signs of intentional abuse, no information is required of the person leaving the baby. After examination, the infant is placed with a caregiver through Child Protective Services.

Crane said he isn't opposed to looking into the boxes, although the Crown Point station is centrally located and staffed around the clock, except when firefighters are out on a call. The alarm in the box would alert personnel about a baby and Crane said he would want to know about any cost and responsibility for maintenance of it and the box's heating system.

"I have a lot of information I need to gather, but I'm not opposed to it," he said.

For Kelsey, the Coolspring Township case reiterated the need for the cause she supports.

"This was a huge boost for the Safe Haven community on education and awareness because more people are aware of the Safe Haven Law because of what this mother did," she said.

The box, Kelsey and Coolspring Township fire officials said, worked as it was supposed to  giving anonymity to the mother and care for the baby.

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The boxes are meant as a last resort for mothers who cannot hand an infant over to authorities face to face.

"I don't think they don't care what happens to their child," Kelsey said. "If this is all they can do, then this is enough."

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
U.S. States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II speaks during a press conference at the Hammond Federal Building, Oct. 12, 2017, in Hammond, Ind. (John Luke / AP)

The man who made the emergency 911 call moments after a pipe bomb exploded Sept. 6 at the East Chicago Post Office remained calm as he reported the incident, a recording of the call obtained by the Post-Tribune shows.

The man, whose name was not releaseed, told a Lake County 911 dispatcher he was at a post office and something exploded.

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"You said you think what happened?" a female dispatcher asked.

"I think something blew up inside of the office. And it looks like it was a pipe bomb," the man replied.

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"A pipe bomb?" the dispatcher asked.

"Yes," said the man.

The explosion on Sept. 6 at the East Chicago post office, located at 901 E. Chicago Ave., launched an FBI investigation and spurred a federal indictment against Eric Krieg, of Munster.

Eric Krieg (Provided by US Attorney)

Krieg is accused of sending the pipe bomb to an attorney who represented a client in a 2013 lawsuit against Krieg over statements Krieg made in a blog, the indictment states. The lawsuit was settled, requiring Krieg to pay $45,000 and post an apology on his blog, court records show.

Prosecutors said Krieg also sent a piece of mail to another person at their Hammond residence Sept. 29 that contained a bullet and a message that read, "The next one will be in the back of your head."

After being denied bond last month, Krieg is set to appear Monday in Hammond's federal court for an arraignment and status hearing, records show.

The 911 call, which was made shortly before 6 p.m. Sept. 6 and lasts just over three minutes, captures the minutes immediately after the explosion before multiple agencies swarmed to the scene.

The man, who is not identified in the redacted call, told the dispatcher he came out of his office when the bomb exploded.

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"OK, did you guys evacuate the building?" the dispatcher asked.

"It was only just me here and one of my clerks," said the caller.

Investigators said a pregnant postal worker was injured in the incident, with cuts and bruises to her head, legs and feet. The woman and her baby were doing "fine" as of last month, an official said at a press conference.

"And what is the bomb's description?" the dispatcher asked the caller.

"I see wires," said the man. "I see an actual pipe, like on the ground. Everything is kind of like  it's in shreds now, like, it blew up something, you know, everything."

The dispatcher asked, "OK, did you receive a threat or anything?"

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"No, I didn't," the man said.

The dispatcher clarified, "Now you are talking like an actual bomb, right?"

"Yes," said the man.

The dispatcher assured the man she was sending the fire department to the scene, and in the meantime told him to "stay on the line."

"I'll tell you exactly what to do next," she said.

If it was safe to do so, the dispatcher said to keep bystanders away from the building. She also told the man, "You need to follow your company's policy regarding bombs, OK?"

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"I'm going to let you go now," the dispatcher said at the end of the call. "Help is on the way. If anything worsens, please give us a call back immediately for further instructions."

"Thank you," the man said.

"You're welcome," replied the dispatcher.

In the weeks after the explosion, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said Hammond City Hall was on alert, with increased security measures put in place and K9-units used to screen packages.

At an October press conference announcing Krieg's arrest, U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirsch said, "We believe he specifically targeted the victims."

The pipe bomb was a "relatively sophisticated" device, made of galvanized pipe, shrapnel, circuit boards and wires, he said.

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Kirsch has not commented on a motive in the case.

Authorities were on the scene Sept. 6, 2017, where a pipe bomb exploded at the East Chicago post office. (Becky Jacobs / Post-Tribune )

rejacobs@post-trib.com

Twitter @ruthyjacobs
Armenias Ambassador to Mexico Ara Ayvazyan had a meeting on November 16 with President of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house of Parliament) Jorge Carlos Ramirez Marin and chairman of the foreign relations committee Viktor Giorgana Himenez.

November 17, 2017, 15:43 Mexico supports OSCE Minsk Group mediation for peaceful settlement of NK conflict

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 17, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS:During the meeting the sides touched upon the importance of interparliamentary cooperation for the development of the Armenian-Mexican intergovernmental relations. The sides were pleased to note that active dialogue has been established between the legislative bodies of both countries in recent years.

The Armenian Ambassador highly appreciated the recent visit to Armenia and Artsakh of the delegation of the friendship group with Armenia of the Chamber of Deputies.

The sides exchanged ideas over the actions for advancing the peaceful settlement process of the NK conflict. Jorge Carlos Ramirez Marin stressed that Mexico, the constitution of which stipulates the protection of the right of self determination of peoples, is supporting the peaceful settlement of the conflict with the mediation of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, as a friend of Armenia.
Erin Yanz visits with Boo, a Vietnamese potbelly pig, who was brought to her Hobart farm Wednesday night. (Joe Puchek / Post-Tribune)

Boo has a new home.

The approximately 350- to 400-pound Vietnamese potbelly pig was taken to Erin's Farm, a 33-acre animal sanctuary in Hobart, Wednesday night, after her owner of almost six years, Natalie Hurley, came to the realization she couldn't win a battle with Hobart city officials to keep Boo at her home.

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The sanctuary's owner, Erin Yanz, said Boo is bigger than she thought and moving her turned out to be quite an endeavor, taking more than one hour and requiring five people.

"Pigs aren't easy to move. They try to walk backwards," said Yanz.

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She said it took about 30 minutes to get Boo to the back gate and another 30 minutes to get her into the truck.

Yanz said Boo is a little traumatized by the move, and it will take a couple of weeks for her to adjust to her new 8-foot-by-8-foot stall that is all hers, but she should be OK.

"She went from a very peaceful back yard to a place with roosters, goats and other animals, all making noise," Yanz said.

"Hopefully she'll make some friends," she said.

Yanz has several other potbelly pigs on her farm, along with goats, horses, roosters and chickens and even a 4-month-old pink farm pig she said fell off a truck on the way to a slaugherhouse.

The Board of Public Works and Safety gave Hurley until Wednesday to find a new home for Boo after a neighbor complained of odor coming from Hurley's residence and Sgt. Ronald Russo, the city's code enforcement officer, took the matter to the board.

Russo told the board last month that there was a noxious odor when he visited the site.

"I've been spending a lot of time crying over this," said Hurley, who said this was the first complaint lodged about her pet in the six years she's had her.

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"I just didn't feel I'd win and didn't want to go in there (the board of works meeting) just to leave a loser and being stressed any more than I have been. It's definitely not good for my health," said Hurley.

And Boo will still have Hurley, who said she plans to visit the farm, which is about five minutes from her house, and take her leftover food.

"Although she's big, she's picky on most food. She prefers rice, oatmeal, canned corn and red sauce with chopped noodles," Hurley said.

Hurley said while she's still sad over losing her pet, she feels it's a blessing that Boo found a home at Erin's farm.

"I miss her, but she'll be fine," Hurley said.

Hurley said she hopes Boo's story will touch other pet lovers, who would provide donations to Erin's Farm, a nonprofit that provides a home for farm animals that are unwanted, abused, or in Boo's case, unable to stay with their current owner.

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Contact Erin's Farm at www.erinsfarm.net or at 773-575-4990.

Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Valparaiso University officials announced Nov. 16, 2017 that the law school will not accept new students in August 2018 because of financial constraints and declining enrollment. (Amy Lavalley / Post-Tribune)

Northwest Indiana's only law school will have a different look next August after Valparaiso University's board of directors voted not to enroll first-year law students.

The decision, announced Thursday after a Wednesday board meeting, comes despite the fact that a year-long censure by the American Bar Association recently was lifted, and focuses on the school's declining enrollment, which has made the school financially unsustainable, officials said.

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Currently enrolled students will be able to complete their education at the 138-year-old school, and officials expect to maintain the current faculty and staff.

Valparaiso University president Mark Heckler. (Michael Gard/Post-Tribune )

"We made a promise to (the students) when we admitted them to provide them a legal education at a fully accredited American Bar Association law school," Mark Heckler, the university's president, said during an interview Thursday, adding the students will be provided the resources to pass the bar, career services to find jobs, and access to alumni networks. "We intend to honor that promise."

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The decision was a difficult one, board chairman Frederick G. Kraegel said in a prepared statement. "As the need for legal education continues to be challenged, we have taken numerous actions during the last several years to try to stabilize the law school's financial situation."

Those actions, he said, included reducing employment levels last year in attempt to align the school's faculty and staff with its decreased student population.

The law school announced in February 2016 that it was offering buyouts to tenured faculty and faculty members with multi-year contracts. The law school currently has about 50 full-time faculty and staff members, according to Nicole Niemi, assistant vice president for Integrated Marketing and Communications.

"Despite these efforts, it is highly unlikely that the law school's operations will achieve financial stability," Kraegel said.

Heckler met with faculty and staff, and then students, on Thursday to announce and discuss the board's decision.

None of the faculty or staff positions will be cut, he added.

"We still have students to teach and student organizations to manage, a library to operate and a law team to support," he said. "We are doing everything in our power to keep them."

The law school had 575 students in 2010 but that number dropped to 237 students this year, according to information provided by Niemi.

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A year ago, university officials announced that the ABA had censured the law school because it was not in compliance with the association's admissions standards. The ABA notified university officials on Monday that the censure had been lifted.

The ABA has been gradually lifting different elements of the censure over the past several months as the university came into compliance, Heckler said. The last piece of the process came after the school admitted a class this fall, so the school could provide data proving it was meeting admissions standards, he added.

The censure was not a factor in the board's decision to hold off on admitting new students, Heckler said.

"They all agreed we needed to work on lifting that censure," he said, adding the environment for law schools nationwide, with declining enrollment, was the determining factor.

According to ABA statistics, there were 48,132 first-year law students enrolled for the 2005-2006 school year. Seven years later, in the most recent numbers available, that number had dropped to 44,481 students.

Third-party projections and the likelihood of declining enrollment helped make the determination that the law school is financially unsustainable for the foreseeable future and its continued operation could significantly impede the university's ability to achieve its mission, vision and goals, officials said.

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The board has directed the university's administration to continue exploring alternative possibilities given the law school's financial challenges. Those could include affiliating the law school with another law school, or relocating the school to another geographic market with a greater demand for legal education.

University officials expect to know what's next for the school in six to eight months, Heckler said, long before this year's first-year students graduate.

"We will presume that we will know what that strategy is well before that time," he said, adding the situation is fluid and the campus and its community will be updated as the administration moves forward.

Not accepting students next fall allows the administration to take a pause and look at alternatives for the school's future without the extended commitment of another class, he added.

In the meantime, the university's administration will coordinate with its accrediting organizations so currently enrolled students can complete their legal educations.

Second-year students will advance next year, as will this year's class of first-year students, if they choose to remain at the law school.

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"That group we'll work through their individual circumstances and what they want to do," whether that's staying at VU or transferring to another law school, with individual plans for each student, Heckler said. "That's where the anxiety was, 'Are we going to earn our degree at Valpo?' And we made it clear to them we have a commitment to them."

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
The Keystone Pipeline was shut down Thursday because of a leak that spilled thousands of gallons of oil in South Dakota. ( Steven Oehlenschlager/TNS )

What's Quickly? It's where readers sound off on the issues of the day. Have a quote, question or quip? Call Quickly at 312-222-2426 or email quickly@post-trib.com.

The fate of our country literally depends on a bunch of people who are good at literally nothing.

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Last November, people voted to hand over the country to a few uberwealthy families and the religious far right. When you lose your insurance and Social Security disability benefits and your taxes go up so that corporations and billionaires can hoard more money, remember, people tried to warn you.

So the Keystone Pipeline that Trump gave the go ahead because it was "perfectly safe" has just leaked 5,000 barrels of oil. What excuse will Trump tweet about this?

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And Satan said, "Thou shalt not have land-based gaming nor buy booze on Sundays."

What is the purpose of these charter schools when they all seem to have failing grades?

Even though we all have the right to our thoughts and beliefs, many times it is best to not express those thoughts publicly if you don't want to face the repercussions.

This is not a contest. We don't need to keep score. Is the offender a Republican or a Democrat? We need to know before we can tell you if we can take offense. Really, this is how divided we have become, that you can be absolved by the way you vote?

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Just as rape is an act of violence, not sex, harassment and assault are the weapons of power over the less powerful. The predator and his prey are both very aware of who is in control.

Roy Moore is running for the Senate. He has been accused of running after underage girls and making inappropriate moves, in addition to being removed from the Supreme Court bench, twice. He claims he needs to stay in the race because "We need moral value back in our country."

Trump had to attack Al Franken about a single woman's claim of groping. Over 20 women have claimed far worse about Trump. Has he forgotten?

Hillary Clinton is the lead story on Fox News. Not Roy Moore's story. Not Donnie Trump's collusion with Russia's and Wikileaks. Not the inept federal judge that didn't disclose his wife's connections. Not the 18 million Americans who would get a tax increase. Nope, just Clinton. She is always the lead story. They still don't realize that she lost the election.

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Trump said, "People will die" if the Trump-Russia investigation continues. Has he been threatened, or is he threatening?

The SWAMP has taken over full control of our Government.

Read more at www.post-trib.com/quickly.
Niles North High School student Emily Herczeg talks during the Nov. 14, 2017 Niles Township High School District 219 school board meeting about how important the extracurricular auto racing club has been to her. (Mike Isaacs / Pioneer Press )

In approving three new auto clubs for Niles West and Niles North high schools Tuesday, the Niles Township High School District 219 school board voted to do away with a controversial auto racing club passionately championed by some student members and their parents.

The extracurricular club had been on hold this year due to insurance concerns that were raised by administrators, officials said. Since the start of school, the school district and parents had been talking and researching options to see if the club would continue.

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NTHS District 219 Supt. Steven Isoye said the the three new clubs were formed from collective input that included automotive teachers at both schools.

The board's 5-2 vote Tuesday authorized a new club at Niles West described by administrators as students building a vehicle to try to go farthest using the least amount of fuel. At Niles North, one new club calls for students restoring vehicles and another for students to work against the clock to tear down and rebuild engines.

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"The administration is bringing forth these three clubs, and these are the clubs we recommend moving forward with," Isoye said.

None of the new organizations include racing, a component that student members said motivated them to rebuild cars and learn more.

The racing club called for students to work as a team on tearing down and rebuilding an older vehicle and then racing it at a sanctioned venue in Wisconsin, members said.

According to officials, the school district researched adding insurance coverage in the neighborhood of $10 million per occurrence. They reported that a separate policy from the school district's insurance cooperative would cover all aspects of the program up to $11 million for $16,109, an amount that would vary based on new rates and other factors.

"There is a also a concern with the car and who works on the car that's going to be raced," especially since that car can be 50 years old, Isoye said.

But a couple dozen students, former students and parents packed the meeting room Tuesday to advocate for keeping the program.

Niles West student Daniel Liston called joining the racing club his freshman year "one of the best decisions I ever made." He also said he was able to use the skills he learned there later on.

"This club has meant a lot to me over the years," he said. "Seeing it go  seeing it disbanded  honestly I feel kind of broken a little bit."

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Niles North student Emily Herczeg said the club has "meant the world to a lot of people."

"I went around my school talking about it and getting people that didn't even know it was a thing interested in it," she said.

Herczeg said she collected over 200 signatures supporting the club.

"I wasn't a car person," she said. "I'm still not really a car person. ... This club has taught me more than most of my high school career has taught me. It's taught me what it's like to be a part of something that's bigger and better."

Her father, Stephen Herczeg, said the program allows at-risk kids and others to become engaged in school instead of being involved in less positive activities.

Other NTHS District 219 alumni and former racing club members, including an auto mechanic and a police officer, told the board how their experiences in the club helped them achieve later success.

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Club creator and sponsor Tim Richmond said his main goal in starting the club years ago was to try to "make the biggest positive impact on students' lives."

"I think people have this misconception that I am guiding the racing," he said. "I do not select the racing for the students. They choose this."

Board members Joseph Nowik and Mark Sproat cast votes against the new clubs  in essence in support of the auto racing club.

Board member Linda Lampert said what swayed her to vote with the majority is that the three new clubs are better aligned with the district's academics.

Isoye said club members can still build cars and race in Wisconsin on their own, but the activity will no longer be sponsored by NTHS District 219.

misaacs@pioneerlocal.com

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Twitter @SKReview_Mike
Pueblo County coroner identifies victims in three fatal crashes

Three men have been identified as deceased in seperate crashes between Nov. 10 and Nov. 14 in Pueblo County.
The consultation began in Buin on 21 September (a Thursday). The public and a number of stakeholders came to Nigeriai Guesthouse at Turiboiru Catholic Mission to offer their views on the coming Bougainville referendum.

So many commentators on Bougainville affairs say Bougainville has the right climate for corruption. If so, then corruption is practiced beyond sight of and with ignorance amongst the people of Bougainville and the Bougainville government itself.

But for a few team members, heartache is all they endured. Let me explain

Since early September the Directorate has been rolling out a public consultation process throughout Bougainville on matters the Bougainville Peace Agreement was silent or unclear on.

ARAWA  Inside the Department of Bougainville Peace Agreement and Implementation there is a dedicated unit entitled the Referendum Directorate.

Their outstanding concerns included referendum voter entitlement, voter rolls, voting age, what would be the question and the post-referendum transition  things like timeframe, security issues, fiscal capacity and administrative arrangements.

These matters are serious things for Bougainvilles future and for the people. But when you watched the public servants performing this task, there seemed to be a conflict of interest.

On the Friday, the team visited the public servants of the Siwai District and later went back to Buin. Then on Saturday, they went raising public awareness at Buin Market. But before the mornings proceedings began, there was already alcohol available in one of the two vehicles.

With the market awareness done, the team went on to watch the Rugby 7s tournament at the Buin Secondary School. This arrangements did not work out, so a few team members went on a drinking spree.

Alcohol now took over one of the hired vehicles. It changed hands late into the night. Even people not part of the team had a share of the car. In the end the police had to rescue the vehicle at a village near the Buin-Siwai border.

The team spirit was gone and two junior team members decided to leave.

The remaining members, some in fear of repercussions from the previous incidents with the vehicle, left for Arawa leaving behind a shambles.

At Arawa in central Bougainville, complaints began to surface that some team members were coming to the leaders to get money for various things. So where was the massive travel allowance they had received from the ABG to do the referendum work?

In Arawa, a group in one of the hire cars went on another drinking spree accompanied by friends and relatives. While this happened another vehicle was doing family visits, shopping runs and so on; all private expeditions.

Then one of the vehicles had to do the run up to Buka to fetch the family members of one officer and return them back to Arawa.

All of this excess was happening at the cost of the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

There were other complaints within the team. One officer handed a K20 note to another officer requesting a packet of doughnuts when all the team members were having snack biscuit with participants. There was no change produced. A packet of doughnuts is K2 in Bougainville.

These officers, every time they come for money, they do not return the change, one man grumbled. And where have all the thousands of kina in travelling allowance gone to? The money with me is for the general program only and not to pay for doughnuts.

The referendum consultation and awareness team is yet to cover parts of north Bougainville other than the Carteret islands in the atolls which have been covered.

Again complaints came in about the Carterets trip. It was said the two ABG hired dinghies contained family members of one of the officers on the trip from Buka to the atoll. On its return it was loaded with Carterets people.

So that is what happened to much of the ABG money allocated to collect the Bougainville peoples thoughts and address their questions about the coming referendum.

Leaders with the highest educational qualifications who should have been maintaining the office were in the field undermining the officers who the ABG was paying to interact with people and feed information back to the ABG to assist decision making.

This really shows that the ABG is giving big responsibilities to people who have high academic qualifications but no practical experience.

Its all a bit of a shame, really.
U.S. Rep. John Katko has prided himself on being independent. As a Republican, he has split with his party on attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and voted against multiple GOP budget proposals.

On Thursday, he didn't buck his party. He supported a major tax reform plan pushed by President Donald Trump and congressional Republican leaders that would consolidate income tax brackets, slash the corporate tax rate and eliminate most credits and deductions. He was one of 227 GOP members who supported the tax bill.

Katko, R-Camillus, received some praise for his vote. Nucor, a steel manufacturer that operates a plant in Auburn, released a letter supporting the GOP tax bill. And the Manufacturers Association of Central New York, which also endorsed the GOP tax plan, said the congressman met with the group's board of directors to hear their feedback on the bill.

"MACNY is supporting him and his vote for this bill," MACNY said in a prepared statement. "We look forward to continued work with Congressman Katko, his colleagues and our membership in crafting reform that provides businesses with real tax relief that results in greater growth and investment by our manufacturing members right here in New York."

While Katko has his share of supporters, there has been a backlash against him after the vote. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been frequent critic of the Republican tax plan, said it's "treasonous" for any Republican to vote for the bill.

Mario Cilento, president of the New York State AFL-CIO, also criticized Katko and other New York Republicans who supported the tax reform measure.

"They chose to cut taxes for the wealthiest 1 percent of New Yorkers, while eliminating tax breaks for the rest of us causing harm to the very people who entrusted them to do what is right," he said.

One of Katko's potential Democratic challengers slammed his decision to vote for the Republican tax plan.

Dana Balter, a Syracuse Democrat who is seeking the party's nomination to challenge Katko in the 2018 election, called Katko's vote "disheartening and wrong."

"This bill provides tax giveaways to millionaires, billionaires and large corporations on the backs of millions of working families," she said.

Balter added, "It is clear that John Katko's loyalty is to the GOP, Paul Ryan, Donald Trump and corporate interests, not the hardworking people of central New York."

The CNY Solidarity Coalition, an activist group that formed after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, organized a rally Friday outside Katko's Syracuse district office. Similar protests were held before the vote, including two events in front of Katko's Auburn office.

Katko told The Citizen this week that he decided to support the bill because "the vast majority of people in my district that are getting a tax cut are going to be middle class and working class people." He dismissed claims that the tax plan would largely benefit the wealthy.

His vote came after he was initially hesitant to support the bill because of a provision eliminating the state and local tax deduction. A compromise was reached to allow homeowners to deduct up to $10,000 of their state and local property taxes. But the deduction would end for state and local income and sales taxes.

With the change and other provisions in the bill, Katko opted to support the GOP proposal.

"This is not perfect. I'd love to have (state and local tax deductibility) in 100 percent," he said. "But in the end, when you do the math for my district, it really is a good deal."
A national environmental group launched a television advertising campaign to urge three Republican members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. John Katko, to oppose tax reform legislation that's linked to a separate measure that would allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The League of Conservation Voters released the TV ad Wednesday. The $550,000 campaign targets Katko, U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota and U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine. The three congressmen supported the House tax reform proposal that passed by a 227-205 vote Thursday.

The TV ad focuses on the Senate tax reform proposal and a separate measure that's been linked to the plan. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved legislation this week that would allow drilling in part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The 19.2 million-acre refuge is the largest in the U.S.

Drilling is currently prohibited in the refuge. Democrats oppose the bill and Republicans, many of whom have long supported opening up part of the refuge for oil and gas drilling, view it as a potential revenue source to complement the tax plan.

The House bill didn't include a provision related to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refugee, but the League of Conservation Voters is concerned that it could be included in a final tax reform agreement.

"Rep. Katko is on thin ice if he supports a tax plan that would turn the iconic Arctic National Wildlife Refuge into an oil field," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president of government affairs for the League of Conservation Voters.

"The Republican leadership's tax bill showers huge tax cuts on millionaires and large corporations, increases taxes on some in the middle class and would destroy one of our most majestic landscapes. We urge Rep. Katko to oppose this disastrous legislation."

The League of Conservation Voters noted that a similar attempt to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refugee was made in 2005. It was a group of House Republicans who opposed the plan that advocated for its removal from a budget bill.

The tax reform push in Congress cleared its first hurdle Thursday with passage of the House bill. The Senate must pass its proposal to allow for the formation of a conference committee.

The panel will negotiate a final agreement on tax reform legislation.
Volkswagen will invest more than 10 billion euros along with its Chinese partners by 2025 to develop and manufacture new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China, Volkswagen Group China announced on Thursday.

In the next seven to eight years, Volkswagen will manufacture nearly 40 new models of NEVs in China, including more than 20 to be launched between 2020 and 2025.

By the end of 2020, its Audi brand will roll out two new all-electric SUVs in the Chinese market and the Volkswagen brand will also launch new NEVs developed based on existing gasoline models.

NEVs include all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

China is leading the way to major breakthroughs in the global e-mobility market, and Volkswagen hopes to transform the future of transportation together with its Chinese partners, said Jochem Heizmann, CEO of Volkswagen Group China.
When he learned to paint as a teenager, Xiao Yanqing, 52, a farmer in Henan province, could never have imagined it would lift him out of poverty.

Portraiture is a popular format for tiger paintings by farmers in Wanggongzhuang village. China Daily

Residents in Xiao's native Wanggongzhuang village used to draw and sell new year paintings. The business dates back to the early 20th century, when a retired Imperial Palace craftsman brought the skill to the village.

In the 1980s, Xiao practiced in his spare time after farm work and traveled to cities to sell his pieces, which sold so cheaply he could barely make ends meet.

But 1998, the Year of the Tiger, proved a turning point in his life when a client ordered a tiger painting. "I used to paint flowers and birds, but not once had I painted a tiger," Xiao said.

With no real tigers around, he borrowed a tiger painting from a neighbor to copy. His painting sold at a good price, and he realized he was onto something that could benefit his whole village.

"Chinese people love tigers. They hang tiger paintings in their homes because they believe the power of these animals can scare away evil spirits," he said.

So he began to travel, not to sell paintings, but to zoos in northeastern China to observe tigers and dedicated himself to painting them.

It was a great success. In 1999, he was the first in the village to buy a color TV, and a year later a computer.

Using the internet, Xiao managed to sell his paintings abroad, first to Singapore, then to Japan, Europe and the United States.

He surprised the clerks of the local bank when he brought in US dollars to change for renminbi. "I guess they thought I was a criminal," he said smiling.

Xiao's success prompted friends to follow him, and more villagers joined later. Tiger painting is now a trademark of Wanggongzhuang. Over 60 percent of its 1,366 villagers are now in the business.

The village sells thousands of tiger paintings every year, with 40 percent going to overseas markets including Japan and Bangladesh. The total yearly revenue is 100 million yuan ($15 million).

Wang Jiansheng, in his 30s, has done a lot of jobs, from construction worker to butcher. None of them allowed him to buy a house. But he earns 300,000 yuan a year by paintingenough to run his own workshop. He plans to buy a big apartment in the Henan capital, Zhengzhou, and open a gallery there.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday encouraged ethical role models and pioneers to make new contributions to raising socialist cultural-ethical standards.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets representatives attending the award ceremony on ethical role models and pioneers in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)



Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while meeting representatives attending the award ceremony on the initiative.

Fifty-eight people were honored as ethical role models, the sixth group to receive the honor since 2007.

They were recognized for their outstanding experiences in helping other people, acting bravely for a just cause, being honest, devotion to work or showing filial piety and love for their family.

The moral models included late geophysicist Huang Danian, who helped China advance in deep earth exploration.

Recognition was also given to another 265 nominees for the awards, which are given out on biennial basis, according to the Central Commission for Guiding Ethic and Cultural Progress.

At the ceremony, the commission also revealed the results of other awards on cultural-ethical advancement.

A number of cities, counties, villages, organizations and schools were given credit for their contributions.

On the cause of raising cultural-ethical standards for minors, 32 cities and districts, 200 organizations and 100 individuals were rewarded.

Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, addressed the ceremony.

He attributed the historic achievements in the initiative during the past five years to the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

To promote socialist cultural-ethical development in the new era, studying and implementing the essence of the 19th CPC National Congress is a primary political task, and the most important task is to study and publicize Xi's thought, said Wang, who is also head of the Central Commission for Guiding Ethic and Cultural Progress.
Bangladesh [File photo]

In addressing the recent 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), General Secretary Xi Jinping said that the country's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will actively promote international cooperation, increase assistance to other developing countries, and help reduce the development gap between the Global South and North. The BRI is being sold as the answer to a variety of crises across the world, ranging from infrastructure bottlenecks and funding shortages to protectionism and unilateralism.

Since the launch of the BRI in 2013, China has been actively seeking to change the meaning of "globalization," a term which has recently encountered opposition in the West. The project is advertised as a means to facilitate economic development and "win-win" cooperation with neighboring countries and beyond.

One of the most important components of the BRI is the proposed Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Corridor (BCIM), which is aimed at increasing trade and investment between the four countries. India, however, has become skeptical of the BCIM due to its concerns about another flagship project of the Belt and Road, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The CPEC cuts through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a territory claimed by India. From its geopolitical perspective, India cannot allow further expansion of the initiative into South Asia.

While India views President Xi's signature project as an affront to its sovereignty, as well as a challenge to its own economic aspirations, the initiative presents India's ally and fraternal neighbor Bangladesh with a significant opportunity.

During the World Economic Forum in New Delhi on Oct. 5, Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque explained the need to balance sovereignty issues with economic integration when considering the BRI. Haque said that Bangladesh can't remain isolated in the name of sovereignty, and that the issue of sovereignty sometimes needs to take a "backseat to the economic benefits to your people.

Bangladesh officially joined the BRI after a historic visit by President Xi in October 2016. During his trip, the two countries signed deals totaling over $38 billion, the most credit ever pledged to Dhaka by a foreign nation. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offered her countrys support to China's $4 trillion initiative, believing that it will offer increased opportunities for regional connectivity and cooperation.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ma Mingqiang commented that the lagging infrastructure and rich labor resources in Bangladesh make it an ideal partner for Chinese enterprises to invest in. With a population of more than 160 million, there is indeed great demand in Bangladesh for upgrades to its power supply and telecommunications infrastructure. "I believe Bangladesh has a promising future and China can play an important role in its development," Ma said.

China has already engaged as a major development partner for Bangladesh. Chinese companies and individuals are now offering assistance in developing the information and communication technology industry, river management, industrial zones, land reclamation and maritime cooperation in Bangladesh. Chinese diplomats are encouraging Chinese companies to further invest in Bangladeshs infrastructure and labor-intensive sectors.

China has overtaken India to become Bangladesh's biggest partner on energy. Within the Belt and Road areas, Chinese enterprises such as the Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation and China Huadian Corporation are primarily engaged in the electricity sector of Bangladesh. China has invested in two large power plants thus far: one located in the southern district of Patuakhali, and another near the bustling port of Chittagong, Bangladeshs second largest city.

China has also become Bangladesh's largest trading partner, accounting for 26.3 percent of its total imports. However, Bangladesh only exported $860 million to China in 2016, with the large majority of the figure coming from ready-made garments. Bangladesh is the worlds second-largest textile exporter after China, making up 6.2 percent of worlds clothing exports. Under the renewed partnership of the BRI, the time has come for Bangladesh to be reevaluated by Chinese companies and individuals for additional opportunities and advantages it has to offer.

The Chinese dream of achieving a "great rejuvenation" of its nation mirrors Bangladesh's dream of a "Sonar Bangla," or "Golden Bangladesh." Now that China is diversifying its investment into emerging markets, Bangladesh would be well-advised to take full advantage of the shared prosperity and development offered by the BRI.

Rabi Sankar Bosu, Secretary of New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club, West Bengal, India
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China's special representative on climate change affairs Xie Zhenhua delivers a speech during a high-level meeting of UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, on Nov. 16, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's special representative on climate change affairs, Xie Zhenhua, pledged that China will deliver its promises in full, and will continue contributing "Chinese wisdom" and "Chinese proposals" to the global fight against climate change, while addressing a high-level meeting of UN climate talks held on Thursday.

"While restructuring economy domestically, China will deliver its promises in full, and will demonstrate the country's readiness to take on responsibility for building a community of shared future for mankind," Xie said at the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP 23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"China is ready to play the role, all along, as a participant and contributor in global climate governance, sustainable development, as well as a guardian of multilateral processes," said Xie.

The special representative pledged that China will work with other countries to speed up works in three aspects, including accelerating follow-up negotiations on the Paris Agreement, making arrangement for facilitative dialogues to be held in 2018, and implementing pre-2020 actions and commitment so as to lay solid foundation for trust-building.

To implement the pre-2020 actions, developed countries are supposed to carry out and improve their roadmap for mobilizing 100 billion U.S. dollars of climate financing per year to developing countries by 2020, and to further review their pre-2020 targets, Xie said.

Xie also introduced China's low-carbon development in the speech, saying from 2005 to 2015, China's economy had grown by 1.48 times, and at the same time the carbon intensity, the measure of CO2 emission per unit of GDP, had dropped by 38.6 percent, adding the country had avoided emitting 4.1 billion tonnes of CO2.

Moreover, the share of coal in the total consumption of energy had decreased from 72 percent to 64 percent in the same period, while the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption rose from 7.4 percent to 12 percent, and at the same time, the country's forest reserve had expanded by 3 billion cubic meters, according to Xie.

"China has over delivered on achieving its targets in fighting climate change, and reversed the rapid rise of CO2 emission that had lasted for years," Xie said.

In 2016, despite downward pressure on economic growth, China managed a year-on-year decrease of carbon intensity by 6.6 percent, and its share of non-fossil fuels in total consumption of primary energy reached 13.3 percent, an increase of 1.3 percentage points, Xie continued.

"This year, we will jumpstart the nation-wide carbon-trading market," Xie said, adding China has set aside a total of US$100 million for South-South cooperation with 27 developing countries over the years.
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This screengrab from Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) taken on Nov. 16, 2017, shows Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe (2R) as he poses alongside Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantino Chiwenga (R) and South African envoys at State House in Harare. [Photo/VCG]

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe made his first public appearance on Thursday, a day after the military appeared to have taken control of the government.

The official Herald newspaper late Thursday published pictures of Mugabe meeting Zimbabwe Defense Forces chief Constantino Chiwenga and South African envoys at State House.

The meeting was also attended by defense minister Sydney Sekeramayi and state security minister Kembo Mohadi.
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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (L, center) speaks to Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia (R, center) before a UN Security Council meeting to vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution on extending mandate of mechanism investigating chemical attacks in Syria at the UN headquarters in New York, on Nov. 16, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The draft text of the United States addressing the renewal of the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN investigating chemical attacks in Syria, failed to be adopted by the UN Security Council Thursday.

The resolution received 11 votes in favor and two against, with two abstentions. But because one of the votes against it was from Russia, a permanent council member, the resolution failed to pass. China abstained from voting on the resolution.

The Security Council had planned to put on vote two draft resolutions, each of which would renew the mandate of the JIM, which ends on November 17. Russia withdrew its draft resolution before the vote began, citing procedure reasons.

"China is firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons by whichever country, organization or person for whatever purposes and under whatever circumstances," said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

He said "we have always maintained that the JIM should carry out comprehensive, objective and impartial investigations into chemical attacks in Syria."

"Base this work on solid evidence and draw conclusions that can stand the test of time and reality. Only by doing so can the perpetrators of chemical weapon attacks in Syria and those accountable be brought to justice and can the Syrian people be freed from the suffering caused by chemical weapon attacks," Wu added.

There had been a great deal of activity around the renewal of the JIM and its final report in the last few weeks. The United States put to a resolution to vote to renew the JIM with the same mandate for an additional year on October 24, two days before the release of the JIM's final report. Russia vetoed the resolution, arguing a need to evaluate the effectiveness of the JIM by assessing the final report before discussing its renewal.

On November 2, Russia and the United States circulated competing drafts renewing the JIM's mandate. On November 7, Edmond Mulet, head of the JIM's leadership panel, briefed the council on its final report. During the briefing, the existing divisions in the council were on full display. Russia criticised the JIM for falling short of the standards of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
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Visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela (1st R) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (1st L) inaugurate the Panamanian Embassy in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 16, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi inaugurated the Panama Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, five months after bilateral diplomatic ties were established.

"The inauguration ceremony is of historic significance," said Varela, adding, "Panama will firmly abide by the one-China principle and develop a friendly cooperation relationship with China."

Varela is visiting China from Nov. 16 to 22. This marks the first trip by a Panamanian leader to China since the two nations established diplomatic ties on June 13.

"The decision to establish diplomatic ties with China by President Varela is in accordance with the historical trend and serves the state, national and people's interests of Panama," said Wang.

There has been new progress every day since the bilateral relations were established. The state visit by Varela and the first meeting between the top leaders from the two countries will open a new era of common development, the foreign minister added.

China and Panama signed a joint communique on June 13, in which the government of Panama severs "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan as of that day and undertakes not to have any more official relations or exchanges with Taiwan.
The House voted Thursday on a tax reform bill that congressional leaders hope is the first step toward achieving a major legislative goal.

While New York Democrats were united in their opposition to the bill, the state's GOP delegation was split. Some supported it, believing the benefits of the bill outweigh its costs. Others opposed the measure, mainly because it would eliminate the state and local tax deduction in its current form.

Here is how the New York Republican delegation voted on the tax bill:

U.S. Rep. Chris Collins

Like Reed, Collins, R-Clarence, was an early backer of the bill. He believes it will benefit his western New York district.

He did advocate for changes to the state and local tax deduction provision in the bill.

Collins received attention last week for a comment he made about what his supporters are telling him about the tax reform bill.

"My donors are basically saying 'get it done or don't ever call me again,'" he said.

U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan

Donovan, R-Staten Island, opposes the bill. He released a statement earlier this month explaining his position.

The tax reform plan, he said, "will hurt, not help middle class families in New York." One of his main concerns: the elimination of the state and local tax deduction.

U.S. Rep. John Faso

Faso, R-Kinderhook, issued a three-paragraph statement explaining why he opposes the tax plan.

While he believes the current tax code is broken, the legislation would remove the state and local tax deduction. The elimination of the deduction will "impact New York families more severely than taxpayers in other states."

"While the full SALT income tax deduction for individuals is repealed, full deductibility will remain in effect for corporations and other business entities, thereby protecting taxpayers in states like Texas which rely more heavily on corporate taxes," Faso said. "Since New York taxpayers already send over $40 billion more in tax dollars to Washington than we receive back in federal benefits and services, we are not being subsidized by any state. Frankly, I resent the accusation that New Yorkers are being subsidized by the rest of the nation, when in fact the opposite is true."

U.S. Rep. John Katko

Katko, R-Camillus, shared his position during an interview with The Citizen Wednesday. He will vote for the bill after opposing an earlier version of the measure because it contained a provision that would fully eliminate the state and local tax deduction.

With the deduction being partially restored in the bill, Katko touted other parts of the bill he supports.

"I just can't look away from the fact that this is a healthy tax cut for middle class and working class constituents of mine, and they sorely need the relief," he said.

U.S. Rep. Peter King

King, R-Seaford, opposes the bill. He told Fox News this week that the elimination of the state and local tax deduction would hurt New York.

"People will tell you that other pluses in the bill will make up for that. I just haven't seen that yet, and most of the estimates I've seen do not add up to that," he said in an interview with the network.

He added that "a good number" of his constituents will see their taxes rise because of the bill.

U.S. Rep. Tom Reed

In a video statement released Thursday, Reed, R-Corning, called the GOP tax plan a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure families in our region will be able to keep $1,600 more of their hard earned dollars rather than allowing the federal government to take it from them as it does today."

Among those in the New York GOP delegation, Reed was one of the early supporters of the tax plan.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik

Stefanik, R-Willsboro, confirmed Thursday that she opposes the tax bill in its current form. She reiterated her support for comprehensive tax reform, but is concerned about the elimination of the state and local tax deduction.

"I will be voting no today to stand up for New York taxpayers in my district," she said.

U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney

Tenney, R-New Hartford supported the tax bill. She told Fox Business Network's "Varney & Co." that she is now a "yes" vote.

"Well first of all, I want to get the process moving forward," she said. "As you know, this is our proposal, it's our version of the bill, it's not perfect, there's a lot I like about it, there's some things I don't like, there's some things we fought to get back."

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin

Zeldin, R-Shirley, tweeted two days ago that he's "Still a NO."

"The GOP needs to fix this! Get it right, get my vote... As is, definitely a NO," he wrote.
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Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday urged President Robert Mugabe to resign and pave way for democratic elections.

Tsvangirai's remarks came a day after the military seized power from the 93-year-old leader.

"In the interest of the people, Mr. Robert Mugabe must resign and step down immediately," Tsvangirai said at a press conference.

Tsvangirai said there must be a negotiated all-inclusive transitional mechanism agreed upon by all national stakeholders.

He also called for comprehensive reforms before the election to ensure a credible, free and fair election.

Tsvangirai once shared power with Mugabe in a coalition government between 2009 and 2013.
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U.S. House on Thursday approved its version of tax cut plan in an along-party-line vote and delivered a major legislative achievement.

The 227-205 vote on Thursday marked a key milestone for President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans, as they considered this legislative achievement as a major push for their quest to cut taxes for businesses and individuals.

The House-version tax cut plan is estimated to bring US$1.4 trillion to fiscal deficit over the next decade. Bipartisan studies showed that the benefits of the tax cuts would eventually go to the highest earners, while some middle-class households might pay higher taxes.

The tax plan consolidates individual tax brackets to four from seven and reduce the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, its lowest point since 1939.

It also eliminates a number of tax breaks and deductions, increases the child tax credit, abolishes the estate tax by 2025 and changes the U.S. system for taxing multinational corporations.

"Passing this bill is the single biggest thing we can do to grow the economy, to restore opportunity, to help these middle-class families that are struggling," House Speaker Paul Ryan told lawmakers before the vote.

White House argued that the corporate tax cut could boost U.S. economy to increase by 3 percent to 5 percent in the long term, and American annual household income could increase by an average of US$4,000.

According to the estimates by the think tank Tax Policy Center, the tax cut plan would reduce taxes on average for all income groups in 2018 and 2027. However, the largest cuts, in dollars and as a percentage of after-tax income, would accrue to higher-income households.

All Democrats in the House chamber voted against the plan. They called the plan a giveaway to wealthy business owners and warned that it would drive the country deeper into debt.

Focus now turns to the Senate. The Senate is discussing its own version of tax cut plan and it's not clear whether the Republicans in Senate could secure enough votes to pass it.

Senate Republicans are aiming to vote on their tax plan during the week after the Thanksgiving holiday.

If the Senate passes its bill, the two chambers on the Hill will have to reach a final version of the legislation which needs to go through both chambers again.
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Photo taken on Nov. 15, 2017 shows cars overturned by the rushing waters after the torrential rain in the town of Mandra, outskirts of Athens, Greece. [Photo/Xinhua]

Flood-stricken areas at the outskirts of Athens as well as many parts of Greece were battered anew on Thursday by strong thunderstorms, as firefighters continued the search for five people still missing after the flash floods that resulted in 15 casualties on Wednesday, according to the Fire Brigade.

In a light of hope amid the mud, the gray skies and the national mourning for the victims, two persons who had been reported missing by relatives were located in good health on Thursday near the town of Mandra which was hit hardest by the torrential rain, local authorities said.

Residents in this area which is located about 20 kilometers west of Athens faced more heavy rainfall on Thursday which made more difficult the efforts to locate the missing, clean up tones of debris, restore electricity and support people left homeless. The number of the people affected has still not been estimated.

All those affected by the floods will be compensated, Interior Minister Panos Skourletis said on Thursday in an interview with local ANT1 TV.

The Greek official underlined that support for the flood victims is a government priority and that any accommodation, water and electricity problems will be immediately addressed.

Moreover, he stressed that a master plan will be drawn up to avoid similar tragedies in the future.

The first priority of the government is to find those missing and avoid more victims or disasters, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos added when speaking to public broadcaster ERT1.

A total of 90 rescue operations have been carried out so far in the areas affected by the floods, he said, adding that the army has opened up its resorts to provide food and shelter to flood victims.

Regarding the compensation for damages, Tzanakopoulos said that the Greek Finance Ministry has already taken the necessary steps to make use of the emergency fund set up by the European Commission following the devastating floods that hit Europe in 2002.

Meanwhile the Shipping Ministry announced that a shipping company offered a cruise ship which can host up to 914 people to temporarily house residents of Mandra, Elefsina and Megara who were left homeless by the flooding in the area.

In addition to the relief measures and compensations, flood-stricken residents request justice amid allegations for severe urban planning violations in the area.

The Regional Governor of Attica Rena Dourou requested the Supreme Court Prosecutor to investigate the causes that led to the "unprecedented disaster."

Greek meteorologists warned that the the current weather front which has hit Greece since last weekend is expected to continue affecting the country until at least Saturday, bringing more heavy rain and storms.

Throughout the country on Thursday, in the Greek capital, as well as the northern cities of Thessaloniki and Naoussa, as well as Ioannina and the island of Cephalonia in the west, heavy rains and strong winds turned streets into rivers and caused traffic disruptions and flooding. The fire service said that it received more than 100 telephone calls to pump out waters from flooded homes and businesses in northern Greece.

Firefighters also rescued a young man who had been stranded in his car during the storm on Cephalonia island.
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Afghan security forces inspect the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Nov. 16, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

At least 10 people were killed and nine others wounded after a suicide bombing ripped through a banquet hall in northern neighborhood of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Thursday, police and witnesses said.

"A terrorist wearing an explosive-packed jacket tried to enter Qasr-e-Naween Hall at midday in Khair Khana Mina locality shortly before a political gathering ended," Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid told reporters near the site.

He noted that the police intercepted the attacker after identifying him but the assailant detonated his explosive, causing casualties.

"The bomber struck into the front gate of the building. The victims included seven police officers and two civilians in addition to the bomber. And among the injured people were seven policemen and two civilians," he said.

The meeting was held by supporters of Atta Mohammad Noor, governor of northern Balkh province, and a senior member of Jamiat-e-Islami of Afghanistan, a major political party, witness Ahmad Farshad told Xinhua via phone.

Several high-ranking officials, senior members of Jamiat and members of country's parliament were among the attendees of the meeting to honor Noor, he said.

Security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

In late last month, 30 people, including Fazil Ahmad, a member of Jamiat, were killed and 22 civilians wounded in a suicide bomb attack in western Ghor province.
An investigation concluded that two utility companies didn't follow state guidelines while responding to a western New York windstorm in March.

The inquiry conducted by the state Public Service Commission revealed that New York State Electric & Gas and Rochester Gas & Electric didn't follow emergency response plans approved by the panel.

According to the commission, RG&E didn't begin its required damage assessment quickly enough after the storm and failed to create a list of critical facilities, such as fire and police stations, that may have been impacted by outages.

The investigation also found that RG&E didn't update its automated phone alerts with new information on storm conditions and the company's call center wasn't staffed at the level outlined in its emergency response plan.

NYSEG and RG&E failed to secure downed power lines within a 36-hour period as required by the commission. The companies were also criticized for failing to provide updates on restoration times and not coordinating communications with customers who rely on life support equipment.

John Rhodes, chairman of the state Public Service Commission, said commissioners will now consider financial penalties for NYSEG and RG&E.

"It is critically important that utilities adhere to our rules and regulations, even more so when the safety of New Yorkers is at stake," he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo requested the investigation in March after the windstorm, which left approximately 123,000 RG&E customers and 48,000 NYSEG customers without power. The storm hit western New York on March 8. NYSEG restored power to all its customers on March 13. RG&E completed its restoration effort March 15, according to the commission.

With many customers without power for days, Cuomo blasted the companies for their storm response. He singled out RG&E and said he was "displeased" with how the utility company responded to the windstorm.

In a joint statement Thursday, NYSEG and RG&E said they are reviewing the commission's findings.

"The unprecedented weather that resulted in the March windstorm posed great challenges to our communities, employees, contractors, assisting utilities and municipal partners who all worked tirelessly to safely restore power to all customers," the companies said. "NYSEG and RG&E's priorities during any storm are the restoration of service to our customers and the safety of our communities, customers, employees and contractors."

NYSEG and RG&E have 30 days to respond and explain why the commission shouldn't move forward with an administrative penalty proceeding. The commission also directed the companies to show how they will improve storm management practices to prevent future errors.
For years, Chinese officials have

waged a war against Christian

icons, as displayed by this

removal of a church cross in Zhejiang

province. (Photo: ChinaAid)

ChinaAid

(Shangrao, JiangxiNov. 16, 2017) Officials in Chinas eastern Jiangxi province have promised to pull impoverished Christians out of poverty under one condition: that they turn from their religion, believe in communism, and replace Christian posters with images of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In the Huangjinbu town of Shangrao, Jiangxi, authorities established a poverty alleviation program in order to aid its citizens, who make an average of less than 5,000 yuan [$753.94 USD] per year. However, they said the aid would only be available to Christians if they agreed to giving up their faith and following communism and replace any Christian images with pictures of Xi. So far, 624 Christian materials have been removed, and 453 have been replaced with photos of the president.

A report claimed that the Christians voluntarily got rid of their religious paintings, but Communist Party officials were dispatched to their homes to ensure that the action was done.

This is a clear violation of Article 36 of Chinas Constitution, which states that no government institution may discriminate against citizens based on faith.

This new rule recalls an older Chinese practice in which those who are loyal to the government display pictures of Mao Zedong in their home. Since Xi took over control of China from the previous president, Hu Jintao, the country has experienced a serious transgression of human rights, making his rule the most regressive since Maos Cultural Revolution. At the most recent gathering of the National Peoples Congress, Chinas key leaders failed to nominate a successor to Xi, meaning his rule at this point remains indefinite.

ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those experienced by church members in Huangjibu, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.

ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
Ruan Haonan (second from left) and Li

Wanhua (second from right), stand in

front of a police station.

(Photo: ChinaAid)

ChinaAid

(Jiangmen, GuangdongNov. 16, 2017) A pastor spent four hours under interrogation at a police station after public security officials raided his home in Chinas southern Guangdong province on Thursday.

Authorities invaded Pastor Li Wanhuas home on Nov. 9 and removed Christian materials such as the Bible and a large bag of poetry. They asked Li whether or not he had any Christian contacts overseas or if he had attended any theological trainings abroad, which he denied, saying they had not allowed him to leave China. In addition, they summoned him to their office and interrogated him for nearly four hours.

That night, Li informed a ChinaAid reporter that they ordered him to stop hold church services at Fengle Church, where he preaches. Otherwise, the church will be banned, and he will be arrested.

At the very beginning, Li said, they were fierce and did not disclose which police station they came, their names were not clearly stated, and they did not show their identification cards. When they wrote the statement, they did not let me change it. I disagreed and said that when they interrogate me, they should turn on the recorder to monitor the situation according to the law. I said, You are not following the law like this. Afterwards, they turned on the law enforcing recorder, and we wrote the interrogation transcript.

In the past, local officials pressured the church to join the state-run Three-Self Church multiple times, but its attendees refused.

On June 14, the Heshan Municipal Public Security Bureau detained Li, just two days after it took one of the church members, Ruan Haonan, into custody. They both were charged with organizing and utilizing cult organizations and superstition to undermine law enforcement. As their lawyers worked for their freedom, their case gained international attention, causing the Chinese government to grant them a one-year bail term on July 13. At the time, public security agents confiscated 12 Bibles, 48 psalms, and more than 1,000 leaflets belonging to the church. Even though he has been released, Li still has to report to the police station every week.

ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by Li and Ruan, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.

ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
Chinese police often interrupt church

services and take down the information

of the Christians gathered there, as

pictured in this undated photo.

(Photo: ChinaAid)

ChinaAid





Update: On Nov. 21, ChinaAid received news that Zhai Lili has been released. A local pastor said her home had been repeatedly searched and her Bible and religious belongings were confiscated. Before releasing her, police forbade her from gathering at

private residences for church services.

(Jiangmen, GuangdongNov. 17, 2017) 13 Christians in Chinas southern Guangdong province were interrogated at the police station on Nov. 5 after police broke into their church service, ChinaAid learned recently.

During a Sunday morning worship service at Qingcaodi Church on Nov. 5, a team of police officers and religious affairs bureau personnel invaded a small house church and accused those gathered there of holding religious services at unapproved sites. They then confiscated Bibles and other Christian materials belonging to the church and brought 13 Christians to the Xincheng Police Station. There, they were questioned and forced to stay until their information was entered into the database and transcripts of their interrogation were filled out.

The woman who provided the churchs venue, Zhai Lili, received an administrative detention sentence, and she has not yet been released. According to a local Christian, the conditions and situation surrounding her apprehension are currently unknown.

This comprised the second time within a week this police station harassed members of a house church. Its first target, Pastor Li Wanhua of Fengle Church, was summoned to the station to speak to the police station after his home was raided, and authorities forced him to stay there for nearly four hours. Additionally, they confiscated Bibles and some Christian poetry that they found in his home.

ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by the members of Qingcaodi Church and Fengle Church, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.

ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
HELSINKI - There is viable potential for growth in Finnish-Chinese economic relations despite a slight decline in the Chinese economy, Finland's business backed economic think tank ETLA has said in its latest research.

The wide probe into the economic relations between the two countries in recent decades has been titled "The Lion and the Dragon". The writers were Markku Kotilainen, the research director of ETLA, and Villa Kaitila, a researcher of the think tank.

The report published this week indicates that Finland has recovered from the aftermath of the crash of Nokia mobile phone business, and 2017 may be a historic record year in the value of Finnish exports to China.

New record year

Although Chinese economic growth has slowed down compared to previous years, the two researchers both point out that the level of growth in China is still much faster than in western countries, which may contribute to the increase in bilateral trade and investment.

During the first half of 2017, the value of Finnish exports to China was 1.76 billion euros ($2.07 billion). The researchers predict that if the second half is as good, 2017 will be the record year in the value of Finnish exports to China. The value in 2016 was 2.85 billion euros.

The writers believe Finland and China complement each other both in know-how and in resources. They note that the Chinese are interested in Finnish competence in ITC, clean tech and forest industry. The same applies to availability of forest raw material and the potential of making use of it.

Kotilainen and Kaitila have shown a vivid picture of how Finnish service exports and investments to China plummeted along with the negative development of the Nokia mobile phone production but have now recovered.

In 2010, the value of Finnish service exports to China was at one billion euros, only followed by a fast decline. ETLA now concludes it was attributed to the sale of Nokia mobile phone production to Microsoft. Also, direct Finnish investments to China used to be four billion euros per annum, but plummeted to zero in four years.

Since 2014, Finnish exports of service have grown again, reaching 1.2 billion euros last year. The researchers include Chinese tourism to Finland as sales of services to China.

The researchers underline the importance of the subsidiaries of Finnish companies in China. "The role of subsidiaries is larger than that of exports," they say.

Finnish subsidiaries in China comprises 12 percent of the turnover of Finnish subsidiaries abroad in 2011, but was reduced to a half when Nokia declined. In 2015, the figure recovered to 7.5 percent.

Ceiling of imports

Despite the brisk Chinese economic growth in last decade, Chinese exports to Finland seem to have reached their ceiling under prevailing barriers of trade, the researchers say.

China is the fourth largest source of imported goods to Finland. The level had increased until 2009 and has remained stable since. In all, China covers seven or eight percent of Finnish imports.

"The market share of China in imports to Finland has reached its ceiling level, under existing structures of production and demand, and the barriers of trade," Kotilainen and Kaitila have said.

"World trade has reached a certain balance at the level of the present barriers of trade and globalization. If barriers of trade could be further reduced, international trade and value chains would acclimatize to the new situation", the writers note, reminding at the same time that barriers could be increased as well.

Meanwhile, Chinese investment in Finland is growing rapidly, even though Chinese investment in Finland has so far been low. In 2015 there were 16 Chinese subsidiaries in Finland.

Recently, Chinese companies have become active in Finland in areas where Finland has either specific know-how or raw materials. Developments include the acquisition of a majority stake in the mobile game company Supercell by the Chinese internet giant Tencent in 2016.
China will not become the "major reason" leading to a global rebound of carbon emissions in the future, if any, as many indictors show that China has moved away from relying on smokestack industries, according to China's top climate envoy.

"Carbon emissions do fluctuate, but a single indicator cannot reflect the whole picture," Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate envoy, said during the United Nations Climate Conference in Bonn, Germany.

Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate envoy

His comment came after a report by the Global Carbon Project released during the ongoing UN Climate Conference which claimed that China's rising carbon emissions would be one of the major factors contributing to a rise in carbon emissions of 2 percent by the end of 2017, after remaining flat for three years.

The report predicted that, by the end of this year, China's carbon emissions would go up by around 3.5 percent year-on-year.

Xie said a rebound in a year does not mean that this will become a future growth trend.

In the meantime, in terms of many other indicators, China is making a positive contribution to global efforts to combat climate change, based on China's pledges in the Paris Agreement, according to Xie.

"The overall trend in the long term is that China is transforming to a greener development model," he said.

Evidence can be found in data, such as the decline in carbon emissions per unit of GDP, according to Xie.

China's carbon emissions per unit of GDP are on the way to fulfilling the Paris Agreement pledge to reduce the level by 40 to 45 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, declining 42 percent so far, he said.

Cheng Gong, a senior China National Coal Association analyst, said the rise is driven by higher coal and natural gas consumption, but it might be only a one-off event.

He said he expected a future declining trend, supported by sustained efforts to replace coal-fired industrial boilers with renewables.

China's carbon emissions may increase less than the 3.5 percent level mentioned in the report, and the overall level might decline by 0.5 percent to 1 percent next year, according to Yang Fuqiang, a senior analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Canadians see both opportunities and challenges associated with a possible Canada-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), according to the results of public consultations by the Canadian government.

Canadians recognize the significant opportunities for Canadian businesses and consumers offered by the Chinese market, and the importance of China for the future of the global economy, according to a summary of the consultations.

"Whether in supplying China's appetite for high-quality agricultural products and natural resources, making inroads into its massive government procurement market, or leveraging China as a source of, and destination for, foreign direct investment, many Canadians told us that they see real opportunities in deepening Canada's trade relationship with the world's second largest economy," said the report.

But Canadians also see significant challenges associated with doing business in China, said the report. While a range of difficulties identified by Canadians, like tariffs, permit issues, establishment requirements, and customs procedures could be mitigated or resolved by a possible FTA, Canadians also expressed concerns that are more difficult to resolve using a traditional approach to free trade agreements.

From March 4 to June 2, the 90-day public consultation conducted by Global Affairs Canada involved interaction with more than 600 stakeholders and partners across Canada, including businesses and industry associations, academics, labor unions, non-governmental organizations and indigenous groups.

Global Affairs Canada manages the country's diplomatic and consular relations, promotes the country's international trade and leads Canada's international development and humanitarian assistance.

Nearly 25 percent of companies and industry associations consulted were from the agriculture and agri-food sector, indicative of the high-level of interest among stakeholders in this sector in a potential FTA with China. Other sectors consulted included automotive, clean tech, consumer products, fish and seafood, forestry, industrial machinery, life sciences, creative industries, education, financial services, professional services and tourism.

"I was pleased to hear at my own consultations in Markham-Thornhill a great interest for an economic relationship with China," said Member of Parliament Mary Ng. "That would include a free trade agreement to help grow the middle class and create new Canadian jobs. I'm encouraged by the results of the government's consultations."

China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, behind the United States and ahead of Mexico. Canada is in talks with those two countries on changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement. However, earlier this month, Canada launched a challenge under NAFTA against recently announced US duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports.

"China will always regard Canada as an important trading partner," Chinese Ambassador to Canada Lu Shaye told Canadian media recently.

"In addition to the US market, there is still another big market, which is China. The volume of the Chinese market is now almost the same as that of the US. So why not switch to China? I think the earlier Canada makes determination to switch to China, the more benefits you will get," said Lu.

According to Lu, Canada and China have reached a lot of agreements after four rounds of exploratory discussions on FTA, and he hopes the two sides will reach agreements in the end.

"Of course, there are some differences. China advocates seeking common ground while reserving differences. In areas of disagreement, we can put away the issues for later discussion," he added.
With federal leaders back to the drawing board on health care reform, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of state-level care in 2017s Best & Worst States for Health Care .

In order to determine where Americans receive the highest-quality services at the best prices, WalletHubs analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 35 key measures of health care cost, accessibility and outcome. The data set ranges from average monthly insurance premium to physicians per capita to share of insured population.
SHIJIAZHUANGLi Cuimin, an employee of an automobile sales service shop in Shijiazhuang, capital of North China's Hebei province, still remembers the difficulty she had when trying to apply for a business certificate.

"Last year, I went to the local office more than 20 times, but was finally told that I did not need to apply for the certificate because our shop had already been qualified based on another certificate," Li said.

"This year when I went to the new center for a permit of business change, it only took me two visits to finish all the procedures."

The new service center was established in February by the local government in a move to improve the administrative approval system. So far, the city has streamlined 150 items of approval in 25 sectors.

Liu Zhanzhong, deputy head of the center, said more efforts are being undertaken to make it even easier for the public, such as issuing e-business permit certificates.

According to the report approved by the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the government will strive to "transform its functions, further streamline administration and delegate powers, develop new ways of regulation and supervision, and strengthen its credibility and administrative capacity, building itself into a service-oriented government able to satisfy the needs of the people."

Liu Chunzhe, head of the Haidian district division of the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce, said Beijing launched a project to enable enterprises to register online in November.

In April this year, an education innovation company with both Chinese and Australian investment became the first joint venture to register online in Beijing, which was also a start for the city to enable foreign-invested enterprises to fulfill registration and business changes by submitting information online.

"The reform simplified administrative procedures for enterprises, and reduced nearly 50 percent of the data needed before," Liu said, adding that enterprises now spend much less times visiting the office on site.

Jawad, a Pakistani civil servant and a postgraduate in Renmin University of China, visited the administrative service center of Haidian district in Beijing on an open day.

He told Xinhua that he would like to learn about the experiences of China and bring them back to his country.

"I want to know more about the policies, and maybe start a business of my own in the future in food trade between China and Pakistan," he said.

Since 2012, China has canceled or delegated the power of more than 600 administrative approvals to lower-level offices.

The corporate burden was slashed by 2 trillion yuan ($303 billion) through cuts in taxes and fees from 2013 to 2016.

In September, the State Council decided to expand a reform to cut business red tape. Being tested in Shanghai Pudong New Area, the reform separate business operation permits from business licenses, and streamlines approval for new businesses.

The reform and a total of 10 free trade zones across the country will emphasize eliminating administrative permits, while increasing supervision and information sharing. Also in November, China's top legislature approved 11 draft amendments to clear or simplify approval items to streamline administration.
China Feihe infant formula and baby milk powder products on a supermarket shelf in Xuchang, Central China's Henan province.GENG GUOQING/CHINA DAILY

Infant formula and milk powder producer China Feihe International has seen sales of its high-end infant milk formula products grow 200 percent in the first half of 2017 over the same period last year, an indicator that Chinese consumers have gradually recovered their confidence in domestic baby formula milk brands.

China Feihe has also seen total revenue growth of more than 45 percent in the same period, according to the company. Its total sales reached 6.8 million yuan ($980 million) in 2016.

The brand's market surge, industry experts say, reflects a rising number of local consumers' willingness to shift their purchasing from international baby products to domestic brands.

Wang Linjiao, a consultant of market research provider Euromonitor International, said at a news conference this month that Feihe has grown into the No 1 Asia brand.

Of the top 10 milk formula brands in China, Danone's Nutricia takes up 10.6 percent market shares in 2017, followed by Nestle's Illuma at 9.1 percent and Royal Friesland-Campina's Friso at 7.4 percent. Feihe International's Firmus ranks No 4 with a market share of 6.7 percent, according to Euromonitor International.

The sales of Yili's high-end baby and infant milk Pro-Kidoimported from New Zealandgained 24 percent growth in the first three quarters of this year compared to the same period of 2016. Yili's brand ranks No 6 at 5.3 percent in the market.

Wang said Feihe's branding message"A baby formula designed to fit Chinese babies"has contributed to the growth. Euromonitor's data show that in 2016, the satisfaction level regarding domestic baby formula brands grew 12 percent compared to that of 2014.

Wang said the public's focus on Chinese baby milk powder has shifted from concerns about food safety to product quality and price. In addition, the wide access to baby raising information and knowledge has enabled more Chinese parents to be aware of the science behind baby feeding.

"Chinese parents have cared more about the origin of the milk and the research and development capacity, or whether the formula fits the Chinese baby's physical constitution and digestion systems," she said.

The annual comprehensive growth rate of domestic milk powder brands in the past five years has reached 27 percent, 11 percentage point higher than their foreign peers.

Last year, the baby and toddler baby milk formula market reached 118.9 billion yuan and has been forecast to exceed 170 billion yuan by 2021, according to Euromonitor International.

"Such market growth means great potential for Chinese brands, which have been designed for Chinese babies," Wang said.

Song Liang, an independent dairy analyst in China, said with the aggregation of the industry, major brands will take a larger market share, pushing up the market size for high-end products, which has been estimated at 20 billion yuan currently.
Virtual reality technology medical equipment is used at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital in Guangzhou.[Photo/Xinhua]

The booming technology of virtual reality could bring about revolutionary change in the medical field, though VR still faces huge challenges, experts said.

"A virtual human body is expected to be transferred into a new medical platform, where some operations and drug development can be done," said Zhao Qinping, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

"Currently, medical experiments are mainly carried out on living animals and human volunteers ... a virtual human body will provide a new method," Zhao said during the World Virtual Reality Innovation Conference, held recently in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province.

Zhao, who is also chairman of the Industry of Virtual Reality Alliance, said a virtual human body would be the ultimate goal of VR research.

According to Zhao, the virtual human body is a process of digitalizing a human body by collecting various data as well as modeling geometrically, physically and physiologically.

To date, the geometrical and physical levels have made progress and the main development will focus on physiological characteristics, including construction of the human brain, Zhao said.

"Therefore, it is much more difficult to make a complete virtual human body because of the complexity of a human organism," said Zhao, adding that the goal will require powerful computing capability.

Zhao also emphasized that the integration of virtual reality and artificial intelligence is a general trend in the future.

VR technology is already widely used in medical areas such as operational, psychotherapy and rehabilitation training, and it is expected to find new applications in the near future.

Lin Hao, vice-president of the client solutions group at Dell Greater China, said his company has developed a live surgery training session based on virtual reality technology, which will be put into use at more than 10 medical schools in the country.

China has become a global center to develop the virtual reality sector, which is playing a major role in the Made in China 2025 strategy, said Qiao Yueshan, deputy director of information technology department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Qiao said that the development of virtual reality technology in China has established a solid foundation but there are problems and shortcomings. Chinese developers are putting more focus on hardware upgrades, such as indicators of screen resolution, rather than content and application, which is an important direction of virtual reality industry investment globally, Qiao said.

"At present, foreign giants such as Google, Apple and Microsoft are eying a wide range of virtual reality technologies, and many small and medium-sized foreign enterprises are targeting weak links in terms of hardware and software development as well as content produce," Qiao said. "In contrast, Chinese enterprises lack cooperation in the whole industry chain of virtual reality."
BEIJING - China will open up its payment industry in a balanced and orderly way, Fan Yifei, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), said at a forum Thursday.

The country would give overseas-funded financial institutions "pre-establishment national treatment," which means giving equal treatment to overseas and domestic companies even before they make investments, coupled with the negative list approach, according to Fan.

"The government will significantly ease market access and push forward opening in the e-payment sector," Fan said at the Sixth China Payment and Clearing Forum.

Front-end trading and settlement will be opened up first.

Being an important part of the financial service, all payment businesses from public, private and foreign-funded institutions should ask for permission and be subject to supervision in the country.

The central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan called for more reform and opening up of the country's financial sector earlier this month.

Zhou also said in June that opening up helped to build a strong and competitive financial sector, and that protectionist behavior limiting the participation of foreign players would lead to laziness and weakness, causing poor competitiveness and hurting the industry's development.
An employee counts yuan banknotes at a bank in Huaibei, Anhui province, June 22, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) rolled out a regulation draft on commercial banks' equity management Thursday to prevent shareholders from misusing their rights to harm banks' interests and is now asking public opinion on that, according to CBRC website.

Shareholders of commercial banks would be classified as shareholders who need to apply before buying stakes and shareholders who need to report after buying stakes, according to CBRC. And those shareholders who have significant impact on corporate management of a bank could be defined as major shareholders, the regulator added.

Investors, their affiliated parties, and persons acting in concert need to apply to the CBRC or its agency for approval to hold a bank's stake exceeding 5 percent.

If the stake bought is below 5 percent but has enabled the investors to be among the top 10 largest shareholders, the investors need to file with the CBRC or its agency within five working days.

If the stake is between 1 and 5 percent, the filing is needed within 10 working days.

The CBRC also states that funds, insurance companies' asset management products and trust companies' asset management could buy into commercial banks in the securities markets but the stake of these financial products under the same controlling person should be under 5 percent.

It added that a major shareholder of a bank is banned from using financial products under its control to buy another stake in the bank.

The regulator also asks banks' shareholders to be of good corporate governance and in good financial situations.
Zhengzhou University welcomes parcel delivery boom after the Singles Day shopping gala, Nov 15, 2017.[Photo by Zuo Dongchen/Asianewsphoto]

International students, joining hands with Chinese students, contributed to the parcel boom at universities all over China after the Singles Day shopping gala.

Express delivery pickup areas in Chinese universities such as the University of International Business and Economics, Changchun University and Zhengzhou University have welcomed a parcel delivery surge after the Singles Day shopping festival.

Many students, including international students at the universities, are very happy as their goods have been delivered at an amazing speed.

The number of parcels delivered to universities these days are many times more than normal, with daily necessities and books constituting the major products purchased by students, said Liu Wei, a courier in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin province.

Alibaba, China's leading e-commerce platform, recorded 168.3 billion yuan ($25.4 billion) in sales on the ninth Singles Day shopping festival, which is similar to Black Friday in the US but has many more transactions.

About 850 million logistics orders were made on Chinese e-commerce platforms on Nov 11 this year, a 29.4 percent increase year-on-year, according to monitoring data from the State Post Bureau of the People's Republic of China.

Postal and express companies dealt with about 331 million parcels that day, a 31.5 percent increase year-on-year, the data show.

About 3 million people, 30 million square meters of space, 90,000 transport vehicles and over 90 all-cargo aircraft have been used to manage the parcel delivery boom generated by the Singles Day shopping spree.

The storage capacity of the postal delivery industry has increased by 30 percent to 50 percent more than usual, according to monitoring data from the State Post Bureau of the People's Republic of China.
Phillip Austin conducted an interview while attending the China Forum on Opening and Development in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Standardization in the supply chain would deliver great efficiency of logistics and bring huge economic and environmental benefits to China's economy, a senior executive from a supply chain logistics solutions provider said.

Phillip Austin, president of CHEP Asia Pacific, a logistics equipment pooling and supply chain solutions company specializing in the management of standardized unit-load equipment, said that, from a supply chain perspective, he has seen much change and progress in Chinese market.

The figures for growth of online retail in China over the past 10 years are amazing, Austin said. He was in Beijing recently to participate in the China Forum on Opening and Development held by the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

"In 2016, online retail in China totaled 5.16 trillion yuan ($777.9 billion), which alone represented 39.2 percent of the global online retail market," he said. "In China, online retail accounted for 13.5 percent of the overall retail market, which was much higher than US, EU and the global average. China clearly has an important global role to play in leading the way forward."

Secondly, Chinese consumers have become more quality and service conscious, and demand a widening range of choices in consumer staples and fresh food, so supply chains of more modern supermarket retailers are growing not only in scale but also in complexity. Accordingly, the drive for efficiency, less product damage, better warehouse and vehicle utilization, more critical on-time delivery and a greater frequency of deliveries will only continue, he says.

Moreover, various levels of government have provided initiatives and incentives for firms to adopt, standardize and modernize their fundamental supply chain infrastructure.

CHEP has been present in China since 2006 and has invested in a network of over 80 service centers, and owns and manages a pool of more than 6 million pallets, crates and containers for the benefit of its customers.

The company first introduced the principle of pallet and container pooling 70 years ago in Australia and has since extended its pooling model and asset management expertise worldwide.

Austin says CHEP pioneered this unique model in China, starting in 2006. He says it is still relatively early days in the development of a fully integrated and efficient supply chain in China.

"The market environment for all participants in the supply chain to capture fair value must be there, and will always be a part of our investment decisions. As you can see, we are working very hard to create that environment here in China, and remain optimistic of the position that China will hold in our global portfolio over time," he said.

Today, CHEP partners with many of the world's largest companies to cost effectively and efficiently, and sustainably manage a critical part of their supply chain logistics - the issue, distribution and return of pallets, crates and containers used to transport products, fresh produce and raw materials.
BEIJING - German companies in China are generally upbeat about the outlook for next year, a survey showed Friday.

German companies evaluate the economic situation in China more positively than last year and remain optimistic for 2018, according to a survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in China.

The survey, which collected opinions from 423 companies, showed nearly two thirds of respondents expecting to achieve or exceed their targets this year, with the machinery industry seeing stronger comeback.

Around 75 percent of respondents forecast higher turnover next year, and China remains among the top three markets for German companies operating in China.

Increasing labor costs and a shortage of qualified staff were among the major challenges for most German companies in China, said Michael Clauss, the German ambassador to China.

German companies are facing increasing competition from Chinese counterparts as more than 40 percent of the surveyed companies expect Chinese competitors to become innovation leaders within five years, according to Lothar Herrmann, president of German Chamber of Commerce in North China.
Northwest China's Shaanxi province is ramping up its efforts to promote cooperation in the cultural industry with Shenzhen, striving to transform from a "major cultural province" to a "strong cultural province".

Located in Northwest China, Shaanxi province is famous for its historical cultural resources, such as the Terracotta Warriors, known as the eighth wonder of the world. The province also hosts a number of prestigious universities and research institutions.

The economic strength of Shaanxi province has been growing significantly and its business environment has been improving over recent years, Li Wei, deputy head of the publicity department of Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said Friday at the Shaanxi Cultural Industry Project Promotion Meeting in Shenzhen.

He called on Shenzhen enterprises to take advantage of the sound conditions to invest in his province.

The event is part of the seventh Shaanxi-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Economic Cooperation Week.

It has also introduced favorable policies to promote the development of the cultural industry, Li said.

Shaanxi and Shenzhen have huge potential for cooperation and bright prospects for development, as the two can complement with each other in terms of advantageous cultural resources, characteristic cultural projects, technology talent, investment environment and more, he said.

According to official statistics, the added value of the cultural industry in Shaanxi province increased from 50 billion yuan in 2012 to 80.25 billion yuan ($12.11 billion) last year, representing a 12.7 percent annual growth on average and accounting for 4.14 percent of the province's total gross domestic product.

The province set up a cultural industry investment fund in 2014. This year, another fund focusing on television and film production worth 200 million yuan was established.

The number of theaters in Shaanxi has reached 179, with 904 screens. Television and film production organizations in the province have amounted to 361. Every year, more than 10,000 books are published in Shaanxi.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping with the aim of reviving the ancient Silk Road where Shaanxi played an important role, as well as the construction of free trade areas have brought huge opportunities for Shaanxi, Wu Zhong, deputy head of Shenzhen's publicity department, said.

Meanwhile, with a strong capability for innovation, Shenzhen enterprises have huge market potential, he said.

The two sides have complementary advantages in culture, technology, capital and other aspects. This has provided large space for cooperation between the two sides, Wu said.

Wu urged cultural and technological enterprises from both Shaanxi and Shenzhen to seize opportunities to strengthen cooperation and exchanges in order to achieve a win-win situation.
AUBURN  Members of the Auburn City Council voted unanimously to establish a new full-time position within the city's Office of Planning and Economic Development during Thursday night's city council meeting.

A planning assistant will replace the department's former part-time secretary, who retired on Nov. 3.

The secretary position was part time since 2012 and posed "a daily challenge for the department, as senior-level staff (were) required to set aside their own work to cover administrative duties."

The new planning assistant would "provide administrative support on a full-time basis, while have capacity to assist with the preparation of grants," according to the resolution.

The council also authorized transferring $9,200 from the city's General Fund balance to the planning department to cover a portion of the position's salary for the rest of the fiscal year. The planning department will cover the remaining cost. Director of Planning and Development Jenny Haines said the position will pay $35,694 a year.

Haines said the department will advertise for the position on the city's website, auburnny.gov. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree in a planning-related field or an associate's degree with two years' experience.

Councilor Jimmy Giannettino noted that the council has denied creating this position several times in the past because city finances were not as stable.

"The investment is going to reap a lot of returns," he said.

In other news

 The city of Auburn will send a document to federal representatives declaring the city council's "strong opposition" to the current federal tax reform bill.

Council members said they oppose the bill because it would severely limit the federal income tax deduction for State and Local Taxes (SALT), which has been in place for over 100 years and is "heavily utilized" by Auburn residents. The House of Representatives approved the bill Thursday.

"This is a losing situation for central New York taxpayers and basically all New Yokers," Councilor Terry Cuddy said. "When I heard about the vote today, it was like a punch in the gut."

 A change order to the scope of work for the Equal Rights Cultural Heritage Center was unanimously approved by council.

The city will pay nArchitects an additional $113,042 for additional design services, including off-site street improvements and the geothermal heating and cooling system. The extra money will come out of the $10 million state grant the city received for the project.

Haines said city staff was able to negotiate the cost of the additional work down about $67,000.

 There will be a public hearing regarding the city's Restore NY Communities Initiative grant application during the Nov. 30 city council meeting.

City staff will apply for a $1 million grant to assist with the rehabilitation of the Schines Theater.
Swedish firm in broad push to explore how automation can lift productivity

Volvo Group will step up efforts to tap China's commercial vehicle market as trucks are getting autonomous and connected to the internet, a top official said.

Martin Lundstedt, CEO of Volvo Group. CHINA DAILY

Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of Volvo Group, said the Swedish automaker has unveiled a new self-driving truck prototype in Beijing, as part of its broad push to explore how automation can contribute to increased productivity, enhanced safety and lower environmental impact.

The truck which can drive autonomously from one hub to another is designed to be part of transportation solutions in semi-confined areas like harbors and dedicated lanes on highways. It was showcased for the first time to the public on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Volvo Group Innovation Summit in Beijing.

Lundstedt said the truck can navigate and operate autonomously by using lidar, or light detection and ranging, and GPS technology to continuously read its surroundings, navigating around fixed and movable obstacles.

"Though this technology may be years away from production, it will undoubtedly influence our future offering and has the potential to develop smart societies for the future," Lundstedt said.

According to him, the Gothenburg-based company is looking forward to testing the self-driving truck in China.

The company, which makes vehicles, engines and construction equipment, has been in China for 25 years. In 2015, it set up a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corp to expand presence in the heavy-duty and middle-duty truck segment.

Lundstedt said earlier that China's booming e-commerce business will offer great opportunities for the company's growth, as it is driving the entire transport system forward, setting a high demand for punctuality.

"Basically, we have three flows in a citythe mobility of people, and goods in and waste out. We're working to use the same solution and infrastructure to move the three flows forward," he said, adding the company is looking forward to working with China's city planning departments to offer such solutions.

Earlier this month, China said it will initiate a pilot program to relax foreign firms' ownership restrictions for businesses in its free trade zones that involve new energy and special use vehicles.

"We welcome such a development, which will not only be good for the industry but also for China's economy," Lundstedt said.

Volvo is pushing hard for autonomous vehicles. It is already testing a self-driving truck nearly a mile below the surface in an ore mine in Sweden.

Zhang Yu, managing director of Automotive Foresight Co, said the commercial application of autonomous trucks may come faster than passenger vehicles, for trucks often work in pre-arranged routes.
SHENZHEN - Chinese automaker BYD will provide 50 pure electric buses to the Argentine province of La Rioja to help with its green development.

The fleet of buses are part of a series of new energy solutions BYD inked with La Rioja on Thursday at the China Hi-tech Fair 2017 in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province.

In accordance with preliminary surveys and consultation, BYD's new energy solutions will include pure electric vehicles, solar module products, and battery energy storage systems.

The deal has strategic significance for both BYD and La Rioja in new energy development, according to a BYD representative.

La Rioja, in the northwest of Argentina, is in the mid of developing new energy industries such as solar and wind energy.

BYD's pure electric buses are used in more than 200 cities in 50 countries and regions.
GAC Group Employees assemble a car at its plant in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.TAN QINGJU/FOR CHINA DAILY

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co, a major automaker based in Guangdong province, launched an in-car intelligent network terminal product on Thursday, in association with internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd.

According to the GAC Group, various varieties of its vehicles in the near future will be equipped with the terminal as the company steps up its efforts to develop more internet-based vehicles.

"We are upgrading our products by introducing more intelligent services into cars," said Feng Xingya, president of GAC. The intelligent terminal product will go into mass production by 2018, according to Feng.

"Based on the terminal product, our cars will be smart in voice interaction, intelligent driving and personalized performance," said Feng.

The product was based on GAC's self-innovated intelligent network platform and Tencent's vehicle-connected AI In Car system, which is an integration of safety, big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

GAC signed a cooperation agreement with Tencent in September, aiming to develop business in areas such as internet-connected vehicles, intelligent driving, cloud platforms and big data.

According to the agreement, GAC will also explore capital investment in auto-related online commerce, auto insurance, mobility service and new energy vehicles.

In the area of intelligent driving, GAC and Tencent will conduct joint research on vehicles' usage and create an intelligent connected vehicle brand with their own characteristics and competitiveness.

"Based on the automobile trend, which is of more intelligent driving in the future, we will make use of our advantage in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and big data processing to help develop intelligent connected vehicles," said Zhong Xiangping, vice-chairman of Tencent.

"Priority will be given to performance, usability and consistence in joint efforts of development of intelligent-connected vehicles," said Zhong.

GAC also released the iSPACE electric concept car on Thursday, a day ahead of the annual Guangzhou Auto Show. The concept car is equipped with Tencent's AI in Car system, allowing drivers better interactions with the vehicles.

GAC produced and sold about 1.65 million vehicles in the first 10 months of this year, a year-on-year increase of nearly 26 percent.

The Guangzhou-based company will give priority to the development of homegrown vehicles, new energy technologies and intelligent connected vehicle service in the future, aiming to develop more than 20 varieties of new energy cars by 2020.

The company also started construction of an industrial park focusing on development of new energy and intelligent connected vehicles, with an investment of more than 45 billion yuan ($6.78 billion), in April.
SHENZHEN - An exhibition featuring Chinese hi-tech products and technology opened Thursday in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province.

The China Hi-tech Fair 2017 has drawn more than 3,000 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions.

Covering a total area of 120,000 square meters, 12 exhibition zones feature hi-tech products in environmental protection, biological sciences, new energy, new materials, military and civil integration, and sensor technology.

Gao Zimin, deputy mayor of Shenzhen, said people from 80 countries and regions will look for business opportunities and the number of visitors will exceed 500,000 during the six-day event.

As well as the release of over 1,000 new products, around 100 technical meetings and forums will discuss different sectors. Fair organizers have arranged meetings between overseas purchasers and domestic hi-tech companies, and investigation tours for international exhibitors, Gao said.

A Belt and Road pavilion has drawn exhibitors from 27 countries and regions, the most since the pavilion was set up in 2015.

"The fair has brought more international attention, communication and cooperation between Chinese hi-tech players and their foreign counterparts," said Gao, adding delegations from Argentina and Papua New Guinea are attending the fair for the first time.

"We look forward to cooperation in renewable resources, technology and application research, transport and security," said Ruben Galleguillo, minister of Planning and Industry of the Argentine La Rioja Province, who is heading the Argentine delegation.

Galleguillo witnessed the signing of a contract on new energy products between Chinese automaker BYD and the La Rioja provincial government, involving 50 electric buses.

Liu Ruopeng, a computer science doctor who founded the metamaterials and aviation business Kuang-Chi in 2010, met his current business partner, Gilo Industries Group, an aerospace engineering company based in England, at the fair in 2015.

"They were very interested in our jetpack design, which enabled a man to fly, in the exhibition hall," Liu said.

Through later exchanges, they found that Kuang-Chi's vision of expanding the range of human activity to aerospace matched their vision very much, deciding to enter a cooperation to help the company upgrade the jetpack with more stable engines, he said.

In January, Kuang-Chi announced the investment of $30 million to jointly develop aerospace technology and commercialization.

The upgraded jetpack is now being displayed at the China Hi-Tech Fair.

"We look forward to developing more partnerships at the fair to further improve our product to achieve its commercialization," he said.

The annual science and technology fair, launched in 1999, is the largest and the most influential in China.
Scientists say facility will provide better data about Earth's changes

Top research institutions in China and the United States announced on Thursday that they will build an international laboratory to more accurately measure and predict global climate change.

The International Laboratory for High-Resolution Earth System Prediction will concentrate on simulations to provide reliable data at both regional and global levels, and is expected to enhance extreme weather forecasting and disaster prediction for the benefit of stakeholders and policymakers, experts said.

The lab will be jointly operated by Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, the US-based National Center for Atmospheric Research and Texas A&M University. The three parties, who signed an agreement in Qingdao, Shandong province, have been global leaders in climate change research.

The lab will have two officesin Qingdao and Texas.

"Each side brings its advantages to this cooperation," said Michael Benedik, vice-provost of the university, located in Corpus Christi. "It's exciting. This is an example of the two countries really partnering with their expertise."

In the cooperation, the US atmospheric research center, with many years of experience, will provide state-of-the-art oceanic and climate modeling; the Texas university has expertise in regional ocean modeling; and the Qingdao marine technology lab owns the fastest supercomputer in the world for marine research.

"This new laboratory is going to be critical for improving the ocean component of our modeling systems," said James Hurrell, director of the US center.

He added that it's important because when thinking about climate variability and longer-term climate changefrom seasons to decades and even longer time scalesmuch of the memory of Earth's systems and climate resides in the ocean.

One of the major goals for the China-US lab project is to simulate global climate change between the years 1400 and 2400500 years before and after 1900by using high-performance computers.

Before 1900, humans intervened less in nature. After that, as the modern industrial revolution took place, people had an increasing impact on nature and climate.

"Only when we learn how climate evolved in the past can we improve precision in the future," said Ping Chang, a professor of atmospheric science at Texas A&M.

Wu Lixin, director of the Qingdao marine technology lab's executive committee, said China has become a leading global force in combating climate change, and it's significant for a Chinese research institution to establish a branch such as the new lab in a country with powerful research abilities.

"As the first national laboratory for marine research in China, our lab is making efforts to undertake major strategic tasks, build a global network with innovative force for marine research and transform the marine governance system worldwide," said Wu, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Qingdao lab is planning to partner with the renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to build a center on deep-sea research and join hands with a Russian research center on Arctic studies, Wu added.
Abundant know-how is being adapted to help support environmental efforts

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp has begun to use the expertise gained in the space and defense sectors to help the government handle air pollution.

"The control and prevention of air pollution, especially the PM2.5, requires a sophisticated and systematic effort involving an interdisciplinary combination of technologies," said Zhou Xiang, chairman of CASIC Smart Industry Development Co, which specializes in planning and building smart cities.

The company is a subsidiary of the CASIC Second Academy, a major defense contractor that has rich experience managing complex, interdisciplinary programs, along with all the technologies required in the environmental effort, Zhou said, adding: "It can use its skills to help detect, monitor and analyze air pollution."

The State-owned air-defense academy has abundant know-how and experience in systems engineering, optoelectronics, sensors, equipment control, and data collection and analysis - all of which are essential in the effort to mitigate air pollution, he said.

"You can't resolve air pollution problems if you are unable to accurately monitor and forecast them. We can offer different solutions to environmental protection departments for them to monitor and analyze emissions from manufacturing industries, vehicles and residential areas," he said at an intelligent industry forum on Thursday, the 60th anniversary of the founding of the academy.

Zhou's company is working with a national-level key optics laboratory (also an academy subsidiary) to design instruments capable of identifying every hazardous gas emitted by factories by analyzing their light spectrum. Four or five such instruments will enable environmental protection authorities to monitor an industrial park in real-time, for example, around-the-clock and with less manpower and lower costs, he said.

To handle emissions from vehicles, CASIC Smart Industry Development has leaned on the Second Academy's knowledge of infrared and ultraviolet tracking to develop equipment that can accurately nail cars discharging excessive exhaust and then transmit the information back to a control center. Authorities can then deal with the car's owner.

The company has joined a demonstration program led by the Ministry of Environmental Protection that aims to monitor pollutants emitted by cars in about 30 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei province region. It also signed an agreement with the city of Chengdu, Sichuan province, to deploy the equipment at major traffic junctions in the city starting in 2018, Zhou said.

In addition, the company is able to take advantage of the academy's leading status in weather radar and computer simulation technologies to forecast PM2.5 concentrations and movements, he said.

Air pollution is one of the top concerns of the Chinese public. People living in large cities complained about thick haze consisting of PM2.5 particulate matter - particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter that can harm lungs and enter the bloodstream - every winter over the past several years.

According to the ministry, PM2.5 is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in Chinese cities.

President Xi Jinping has pledged to bring "blue skies" back to the Chinese people, and the government has stepped up laws and regulations to punish polluters, forced factories to install pollutant-reducing devices and continues to encourage and support the use of greener cars and fuels.

In 2016, the average concentration of PM2.5 was at least 30 percent lower than in 2013 in three major city clusters - Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and the Yangtze River and Pearl River delta areas, according to the ministry.
As Premier Li Keqiang wrapped up his five-day visit to the Philippines on Thursday, experts said the first visit to Manila by a Chinese premier in 10 years will draw the two countries even closer together.

Guo Yanjun, deputy director of the Institute of Asian Studies at the China Foreign Affairs University, said the trip has been a milestone in improving China-Philippine ties, and will further consolidate China's relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which will contribute to the development of the East Asia economic community.

The five-day visit concluded with the issuance of a joint statement in which the two nations agreed to advance bilateral ties and further cooperate in the key areas of infrastructure, production capacity, investment, commerce, agriculture, improvement of livelihoods, culture and people-to-people exchanges on Thursday.

During a meeting on Wednesday with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at the presidential palace in Manila, Li reiterated that China stands ready to provide assistance to the Philippines to strengthen the momentum of their ties "to make up for the time we may have lost".

The two leaders witnessed the signing of 14 cooperation documents covering infrastructure, financing, bridge construction, bond issuance, drug rehabilitation and industrial capacity cooperation.

Hailing Li's visit as a "momentous occasion for the Philippines", Duterte said his country welcomes investment from Chinese companies and the chance to learn from China's development experience and deepen cooperation with China in infrastructure and telecommunications. He also expressed his gratitude for Chinese aid for the rebuilding of the town of Marawi and assistance to boost the Philippines' infrastructure development initiative. He said China's assistance comes "at a critical moment" for the Philippines.

Duterte said the Philippines is ready to play a constructive role in China-ASEAN ties, as the Philippines begins its turn as the coordinating state for China-ASEAN ties in 2018.

The talk at the presidential palace came near the end of a week in which Li participated in a series of meetings with high-level leaders in Manila. As the meetings were in progress, China and ASEAN announced the beginning of consultations on the text of a code of conduct in the South China Sea. They also called for advancing the construction of an East Asia economic community for regional integration and common development.
Sergei Luzianin, director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences

President Xi Jinping's idea on building a community of shared destiny contains several new approaches to the comprehension of global and regional development and security. At the global level, having taken important foreign policy steps including the Belt and Road Initiative, China was able to launch a new Eurasian wave of globalization based on mutual benefit and co-development.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, chairman of the Observer Research Foundation, Mumbai

President Xi Jinping spoke with conviction of the need to continue globalization, preserve stability and ensure peace as a precondition for the development of all nations. He seemed to reassure skeptics that, even as China enters an era that will see it "moving closer to center stage", it "will continue to play its part as a major and responsible country". This is good news for India and the rest of South Asia.

Fernando Reyes Matta, a researcher at Universidad Andres Bello, Chile, and former ambassador to China

The most important achievement in the last congress of the Communist Party of China is to have defined a medium and long-term strategy for the future of China.

Four key issues were defined: The country's progress will depend on how it identifies the new demands from a society with a higher quality of life; development is directly related to knowledge, innovation and training; never again can development be achieved at the cost of the environment; and the ideological underpinnings of the People's Republic of China are in need of a new reading consistent with the realities of the 21st century.

Cai Fang, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

As socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, it is important that the country strives to make more contributions to mankind. China's unparalleled success in reducing poverty nationwide in the past three decades, a key feature of Chinese wisdom, is proof that the central leadership holds sustainable development, balanced growth and people's well-being in high regard.

Leng Rong, director of the Party Literature Research Office of the CPC Central Committee

China's rapid development has been bolstered thanks to the central leadership with General Secretary Xi Jinping as the core and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The latter not only points the way to the future of China's unique development path but also serves as a major inspiration for countries in pursuit of independent modernization.
Two residents of Wanggongzhuang village in Henan province work together to complete a tiger painting.China Daily

When he learned to paint as a teenager, Xiao Yanqing, 52, a farmer in Henan province, could never have imagined it would lift him out of poverty.

Residents in Xiao's native Wanggongzhuang village used to draw and sell new year paintings. The business dates back to the early 20th century, when a retired Imperial Palace craftsman brought the skill to the village.

In the 1980s, Xiao practiced in his spare time after farm work and traveled to cities to sell his pieces, which sold so cheaply he could barely make ends meet.

But 1998, the Year of the Tiger, proved a turning point in his life when a client ordered a tiger painting. "I used to paint flowers and birds, but not once had I painted a tiger," Xiao said.

With no real tigers around, he borrowed a tiger painting from a neighbor to copy. His painting sold at a good price, and he realized he was onto something that could benefit his whole village.

"Chinese people love tigers. They hang tiger paintings in their homes because they believe the power of these animals can scare away evil spirits," he said.

So he began to travel, not to sell paintings, but to zoos in northeastern China to observe tigers and dedicated himself to painting them.

It was a great success. In 1999, he was the first in the village to buy a color TV, and a year later a computer.

Using the internet, Xiao managed to sell his paintings abroad, first to Singapore, then to Japan, Europe and the United States.

Portraiture is a popular format for tiger paintings by farmers in Wanggongzhuang village. China Daily

He surprised the clerks of the local bank when he brought in US dollars to change for renminbi. "I guess they thought I was a criminal," he said smiling.

Xiao's success prompted friends to follow him, and more villagers joined later. Tiger painting is now a trademark of Wanggongzhuang. Over 60 percent of its 1,366 villagers are now in the business.

The village sells thousands of tiger paintings every year, with 40 percent going to overseas markets including Japan and Bangladesh. The total yearly revenue is 100 million yuan ($15 million).

Wang Jiansheng, in his 30s, has done a lot of jobs, from construction worker to butcher. None of them allowed him to buy a house. But he earns 300,000 yuan a year by paintingenough to run his own workshop. He plans to buy a big apartment in the Henan capital, Zhengzhou, and open a gallery there.
AUBURN  A two-time convicted drug dealer will spend the next two years in jail for possessing crack cocaine in the city of Auburn.

Following a jury trial in September, 38-year-old Sid S. Harrison was convicted of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, all misdemeanors. He was found not guilty of a felony possession charge.

According to Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann, Harrison was first arrested in 2015 and charged with felony sale of a controlled substance for selling cocaine to a confidential informant. Then, in September 2016, the Rochester man was arrested in a separate matter and charged with possessing cocaine with the intent to sell.

At the time, the Auburn Police Department said Harrison was driving in the early morning hours of Sept. 30, 2016 when he was pulled over for failing to stop at a stop sign. Officers then discovered that Harrison was in possession of 11 bags of powdered and crack cocaine.

A grand jury initially indicted Harrison on both cases, but Judge Thomas Leone ruled that the cases should be tried separately.

The district attorney first took Harrison to trial for the 2016 possession charges. At trial, Budelmann cited the defendant's history of selling cocaine in the county, including two felony drug convictions from 2001 and 2013. Based on his criminal history, Budelmann said Harrison intended to sell any cocaine he possessed.

Harrison's defense attorney, Ryan Muldoon, argued that there was no intent to sell. Instead, he said Harrison had planned to use the drugs himself. The jury ultimately acquitted Harrison of the felony charge.

But at sentencing Thursday, Leone said he didn't buy Harrison's story.

"I don't believe for a moment that you're an addict," Leone said. "If this had been a bench trial, there would have been a very different outcome."

Harrison apologized to the court for "letting his addiction get the best of him." He also thanked God, his attorney, the judge, jury and corrections officers for treating him like a "free man."

Leone sentenced Harrison to the maximum: one year in jail for misdemeanor possession and another year in jail for obstructing governmental administration. Both sentences will run consecutively to one another for a total of two years in Cayuga County Jail.

In addition, Harrison was sentenced to 180 days in jail for driving without a license; that will be served concurrent to his other time. He was also ordered to pay more than $2,500 in fines.

As for Harrison's sale charges from 2015, Budelmann said his office decided to dismiss the case. He did not on elaborate during Thursday's proceeding why he would not go forward with a second trial.

Also in court:

 A Weedsport man was sentenced to parole supervision Thursday for stealing meat slicers and scrap metal from a home in Jordan.

This summer, 29-year-old Todd Badgley pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony, and two counts of petit larceny, a misdemeanor. At the time, Badgley told Judge Leone that he took two commercial-grade meat slicers from a home on Brutus Road in March. He also stole some scrap metal.

A second-felony offender, Badgley has an extensive history of theft-related crimes, Budelmann said. However, the district attorney said it seemed the thefts were spurred by an addiction to drugs.

On Thursday, Leone sentenced Badgley to 1 1/2 to three years in prison, but ordered it to be served as parole supervision. That would allow Badgley to receive specialized drug treatment while incarcerated.

"I am hoping the treatment will do the trick and we will not see him again in this court," said Badgley's attorney, Thomas Turturo.

Meanwhile, Badgley was also ordered to pay over $2,000 in restitution. Budelmann said he had sold over 4,000 pounds of scrap metal in Syracuse.
BEIJING - China has made a series of landmark achievements in science and technology recently as the country quickens its pace in becoming a science and tech powerhouse by the middle of the century.

The biannual ranking of the world's fastest 500 supercomputers published Monday showed China's Sunway TaihuLight in the lead for the fourth time, with Tianhe-2 the second. China has overtaken the United States in the total number of ranked systems by a margin of 202 to 144.

As China's computers run faster, its Antarctic research expedition is going further. Icebreaker Xuelong headed south from Shanghai last Wednesday bound for Antarctica, where the country's fifth station will be set up within five years.

The new base will provide year-round support for researchers conducting tasks such as observations of land, ocean, atmosphere, ice shelf and biology, establishment of an observation and monitoring network in the Antarctic, and survey of marine environmental protection.

China is also dealing with global issues with science and technology. On Wednesday, a new meteorological satellite, Fengyun-3D, was launched to work in tandem with Fengyun-3C, already in orbit, improving atmospheric sounding and monitoring greenhouse gases.

At the ongoing 23rd conference of parties (COP 23) to the United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, China was commended for its action in combating climate change.

German environment minister Barbara Hendricks said that she was aware that China planned to generate more power from renewable energy. Norbert Salomon, deputy director of emission control, safety of installations and transport at the German Federal Ministry for Environment, praised China for expansion of electric mobility.

China stressed innovation in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), with the aim of becoming an "innovation nation" by 2020, an international leader in innovation by 2030, and a world powerhouse in scientific and technological innovation by 2050.

In recent years, China has commissioned the dark matter probe satellite Wukong, launched the Tiangong-2 space lab, quantum science satellite Mozi and carrier rocket Long March-6, which took 20 micro-satellites for space testing.

With two BeiDou-3 satellites taken into space on a single carrier rocket this month, China is on track to create a global BeiDou Navigation Satellite System by around 2020, which will make it the third country after the United States and Russia with its own navigation system.

In its step toward unravelling the mystery of the universe, China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, has identified multiple pulsars after one year of trial operations, the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) announced in October.

Li Di, chief scientist of the NAOC radio astronomy division, predicted that when FAST starts formal operations in 2019, it will find over 100 pulsars each year. The telescope is expected to discover twice the number of pulsars currently known.

All this, along with the success of deep-sea manned submersible Jiaolong, shows China leading the world in a number of fields, but still with weaknesses.

Large sums are spent on chip imports every year -- 227 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, twice that spent on crude oil, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. Increased investment and new technology must be devoted to domestic chip research, development and production.

According to a national plan on science and technology innovation during the 2016-2020 period, high-end common chip R&D is still on the list of key projects.

Other projects include a deep-sea space station, space probes, quantum telecommunications, brain science, artificial intelligence and clean energy.
The heavy-lift carrier rocket Long March 5 blasts off Nov 3, 2016 at Wenchang Space Launch Center in South China's Hainan province.[Photo/Xinhua]

China plans to grow into a global leader in space technology by 2045, according to a route map drawn up by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the major contractor of the country's space programs.

The following are the milestones China is expected to achieve in the following three decades.

-2020: Long March 8 carrier rocket, a medium-size launch vehicle, will make its debut. The application of the new rocket will significantly lower the cost of sending a satellite into low-medium orbit, boosting the country's ability to provide commercial launch services.

-2025: Suborbital spaceflight will be realized. Suborbital spaceflight reaches an altitude between 20 and 100 kilometers, often described as between the highest altitude an airplane can reach and the lowest level a satellite operates.

A suborbital carrier vehicle is able to fly in suborbit, allowing common people to go into space, Lu Yu, a senior rocket engineer from CAST, was quoted as saying by China News Service.

-2030: The 100-ton heavy-lift carrier rocket will be launched. According to the plan, the heavy carrier rocket will have a carrying capacity of 100 tons, compared with the 20-ton-level rocket used currently.

Lu said the heav-lift carrier rocket will provide strong support for the country's manned lunar-landing mission and the Mars probe's return journey. He said China will by then join the ranks of world-leading countries in space transport capabilities.

-2035: The reusable carrier rocket will be developed. The route map shows an intelligent carrier rocket equipped with advanced power will be widely used in space transport by 2035.

By then, common people will be able to take reusable carrier vehicles to travel in space, Tang Yagang, the director of carrier rocket development at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, was quoted as saying by China News Service.

-2040: The nuclear-powered space shuttle will be built. It will enable large-scale resource exploration in space and mining on asteroids, as well as the building of space solar-power stations. Lu said between 2040 and 2045, a future generation of carrier rockets will be used in longer-term and multiple space trips.

-2045: China will become an all-round world-leading country in space equipment and technology. By then, it will be able to carry out man-computer coordinated space exploration on a large scale, Wang Liheng, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told China News Service.

Lu Yu forecast that by 2045, with advanced space transport capabilities, China will be able to carry out large-scale exploration on planets, asteroids and comets in the solar system, as space exploration enters a stage of rapid development.
Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch? On Nov 13, four women opened a vegetarian restaurant that provides dining service at no charge to the elderly, lonely and students in Changzhi, Shanxi province.

Since the Yuhuazhai Free Vegetarian Mutual Benefit Restaurant II began trial operations on Oct 15, nearly 530 people have been provided free lunches and almost 200 people dine every day.

One of the founders, Xie Danqin, was previously a contractor for a school canteen. In July, she and her friends went to volunteer for Yuhuazhai Free Vegetarian Mutual Benefit Restaurant I. They were deeply touched by the scene they saw: nearly 200 diners, including elderly people, students, and disabled people, came in without making much noise; with whispers and mutual courtesy, everyone quietly studied the Chinese traditional book Disciple Rules before lunch.

Since then, Xie was inspired to create a similar restaurant. Soon, she and her three friends, Wei Yanfang, Kang Xujing and Yue Xiaojing, put together more than 100,000 yuan ($15,000) to set up the restaurant.

Li Laiying, 86, always moves her stool outside after dinner and washes the dishes. "My husband died 30 years ago. I'm used to living alone and am not willing to live with my children. Now I feel at home, and I especially love Yuhuazhai's atmosphere," she said.

"There are so many elderly people. Many of them are empty nesters. There is no shortage of food and drink, but they are alone at home. They come to us and enjoy meals together with other people, feeling very happy. Some nice elderly people even leave money quietly when they leave," said Xie. Although the lunch is free, the production process is not sloppy.

Lunch is provided for nearly 200 people a day in Yuhuazhai, with an expenditure of between 500 and 700 yuan. Most of these costs are covered by the four and also from donations by people from all walks of life.

At Yuhuazhai, every dish is finished clean. This is consistent with the philosophy advocated by the charity restaurant: being grateful, showing filial obedience and being kindhearted - that is the only way to be content and happy.
A total of 108 international students who obtained Chinese Government Scholarships took part in "Experience China in Beijing" activities held by the China Scholarship Council from Wednesday to Friday.

The activities' purpose is to help overseas students better understand Chinese approaches to modern communication, agriculture and aerospace, traditional culture and democratic politics.

They visited organiztions and places including the National People's Congress, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Chinese companies of Huawei and Jingdong, Zhongguancun Pioneer Park, universities and national laboratories.

The foreign students are from nearly 40 countries, mostly being countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Throughout the tours, the students experienced China in multiple dimensions.

"What impressed me most is Chinese history and culture, and I really appreciate this opportunity," said Mohammed Ali Mohammed Zaher Azman, a student from Yemen studying at Northeastern University.

Asim Rauf, a Pakistani student from the Dalian University of Technology, thinks highly of the Belt and Road Initiative, saying "a lot of Pakistani people get jobs in Chinese companies thanks to the Initiative."

"It is a good activity that helps us learn about Chinese politics, technology and culture and I am glad to take part in it," said Bilguun Burentegsh, a Mongolian student from Nanjing Audit University who is studying in China for a second time. "China is my second hometown. I would like to be the bridge of China and my country."

"Experience China" activities started in 2015. Up to now, nearly 200 activity series have been held nationwide and over 15,000 overseas students are involved.
Bao Yugang (left), head of AHF China and Xiao Dong, who is in charge of Ai Yi Jian in Beijing, pose for photos during the ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An online HIV-testing service was launched by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) China to provide an easier and more private testing solution to possible HIV-infected patients on Wednesday in Beijing.

Users can log on to http://i.hivct.org, or Ai Yi Jian, and apply for a self-testing kit for free, or make an appointment for offline testing. After doing the test, users can upload the results and get feedback within 15 minutes.

As early as 2013, AHF piloted the online testing system in Beijing and got back 7,261 self-test results among the 8,000 testing kits distributed. 10 percent tested positive.

Offline testing services covered bars and parks in major cities. The service covered two bars each in Chongqing and Shanghai municipalities and Sichuan province from January to October in 2017 and found 7 percent of subjects tested positive for HIV.

In Beijing, the services were provided during the same period in Dongdan Park and Mudanyuan Park in urban city, where gay men frequent.

China was home to 665,000 HIV-infected people by the end of 2016. MSM, or men who have sex with men, are a major risk group for syphilis infection and thus more vulnerable to the HIV virus.

A Men's Wellness Center was piloted by AHF in a MSM charity group in 2016. By the end of October 2017, 2,642 received health tests at the center and 92 tested positive for HIV. Another 185 got free treatment for syphilis.

The MSM group has long dealt with difficult circumstances, as they lack health education and sexually transmitted infection prevention solutions. Public discrimination poses the biggest threat to them in terms of getting treatment.

AHF China celebrated its 12th anniversary on Wednesday. Bao Yugang, head of AHF China and deputy Asia bureau chief, said the group's mission is to provide instant, convenient and non-discriminatory treatment and care to every HIV-infected patient. He added the online testing system will be introduced to other AHF partners in Asia.

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Los Ageless, AHF is the world's largest HIV/AIDS prevention charity group, with more than 5,600 staff members from 39 countries. In China, AHF has set up 41 service centers in 14 provinces nationwide.

From January to September of 2017, the AHF Chinese centers have served 117,000 people for rapid testing and found 5,511 infections.
Canada's minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, Ahmed Hussen (L2),cuts the ribbon at the opening ceremony of a new visa application centers with Huang Xiqiang (L3), deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu Provincial People's Government and Consul General of Canada in Shanghai Weldon Epp (L1) in Nanjing on November 17. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Canada's minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, attended the opening ceremony for a visa application center in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province on November 17.

Seven new visa application centers have recently been opened in China by Canada, in the hope of improving the service for Chinese visa applicants.To make the application easier than ever, all the centers will be able to process transactions via UnionPay cards by early 2018.

"All of these service improvements will allow us to better serve an increasing number of visa applications from China," said Hussen at the opening ceremony. "We're very happy to see more and more Chinese nationals visiting Canada.Not only does it bring economic benefits to Canada's tourism and transportation industries, among others, but it also creates new opportunities for cultural ties between our countries."

So far, in 2017, Canada has already processed a record 500,000 finalized applications from Chinese mainland. That's up from about 467,000 in 2016 - a 15 percent increase.
Twenty-nine students have been diagnosed with tuberculosis by Thursday due to an outbreak at a middle school in Taojiang county, Hunan province, local health authorities said Friday.

Five other students are suspected of having the disease, and another 38 students are taking medication for disease prevention, according to a released statement from the Hunan Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission.

All 72 students from Taojiang No 4 Middle School are now under treatment and health care management, the statement said.

Following the outbreak of the disease in August, various health authorities in Hunan province have taken measures for the treatment of those infected, and the outbreak has been put under effective control, the commission said.

Students and parents at the school were aware of a TB outbreak in mid-August, when the school organized tests for students in a senior-grade class at the school, according to the Beijing News.

The outbreak was first confirmed Thursday by the government of Taojiang county, which said the outbreak occurred at the school Aug 19, but released no exact number of infected students.

In a statement released Friday evening, the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the country's health authority, said its minister Li Bin had urged local authorities in Hunan province to verify information, release information and do its best to provide treatment to students infected with the disease following media reports of the outbreak this week.

Staff and experts dispatched by the national commission arrived in Taojiang Friday afternoon to supervise the handling of the outbreak, the statement said.

TB is curable and preventable, and schools must report confirmed or suspected cases immediately to local centers of disease control and prevention for screening and tests according to laws and regulations, the statement said.

"Many of our experts are dispatched to Taojiang to handle the incident," a staff member from the Hunan Provincial Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who declined to be named, told China Daily Friday over the phone.

The Taojiang Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Taojiang No 4 Middle School did not answer phone calls Friday.

Tang Yi, director of the Hunan Institute for Tuberculosis Control's department of prevention and control, said places with a high population concentration such as schools are vulnerable to TB outbreaks, due to close contact among people and lack of preventive measures.

"The disease can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing and spit while talking," she said. "Some cases can infect up to 15 others within a year if not properly treated."

TB is preventive and curable, and once a student is found to be infected, he or she must quit school for treatment to prevent transmission, she said.

The infected can go back to school with certification produced by certified hospitals proving they have recovered or treatment has been successful so there is little chance of transmission of the disease, she said.
President Xi Jinping and Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela walk together during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY Presidents Xi and Varela witness signing of deals one day after embassy opens in Beijing

China and Panama signed 19 cooperation documents covering such areas as finance, agriculture, trade and tourism in a ceremony witnessed on Friday by the presidents of the two countries.

The agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed in Beijing during the state visit of Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela. Diplomatic relations between China and Panama were established in June after Panama cut its ties with Chinas Taiwan. On Thursday, Varela inaugurated Panama's embassy in Beijing.

President Xi Jinping hosted a grand ceremony at the square in front of the Great Hall of the People to welcome the Latin American president.

During their talks, Xi expressed appreciation for the strategic vision, political courage and responsible manner demonstrated by the Panamanian president in the process of establishing diplomatic relations with China.

"It has sent an important message to the world; that is, the history of China-Panama relations has turned to a brand new page," Xi told Varela.

Mentioning that China-Panama relations have been delayed for decades, Xi said the old page has been left behind.

In the talks, Xi called for joint efforts with the Panamanian side to safeguard principles and maintain justice in international affairs, boost common development through cooperation, and bring more happiness for the people of both countries.

The cooperation of all areas between the two countries has been launched rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations five months ago, Xi said, adding that he would like to make joint efforts with Varela to draw the blueprint for bilateral ties.

Noting that Varela is the first Panamanian president to make a state visit to China, Xi said Varela is also the first head of state from Latin America received by China after the Communist Party of Chinas 19th National Congress, held last month.

The establishment of China-Panama diplomatic relations on the basis of the one-China principle has fulfilled the dream of generations of people from both sides, given that the people of the two countries have kept friendly exchanges since 160 years ago, Xi said.

Hailing the visit as a "historic event", Varela said he has been longing for the moment to celebrate the establishment of Panama-China diplomatic relations on the basis of the one-China principle.

The first Chinese went to Panama 160 years ago to join the country's railway construction, and they also participated in building the Panama Canal, Varela said, adding that about 10 percent of Panamanians have Chinese blood.

Varela congratulated Xi on the success of the CPC's 19th National Congress, saying that the congress has sent an important message that politics should serve the people.

The people of both countries firmly believe that establishing Panama-China diplomatic relations will bring long-term benefits for them, Varela said, adding that it will also promote Panama's sustainable economic development.

Zhao Bentang, director-general of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, told reporters that the talks between Xi and Varela were "enthusiastic, friendly and fruitful".

"The two presidents underlined a political basis, which is to respect each other's core interests and abide by the one-China principle, thus to lay the foundation for the development of bilateral relations," he said.

"Panama reiterated that it will strictly abide by the one-China principle and resolutely oppose any action that is contrary to this principle, and China appreciated this position," he added.
BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela here on Friday, saying bilateral relations "turned over a new leaf" with the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Varela is making his first state visit to China after the Central American nation established diplomatic relations with China in June.

"Forging diplomatic relations on the basis of the one-China principle meets the aspiration of generations of people in the two countries," Xi said.

"China-Panama relations have turned over a new leaf," Xi said, adding that China will work with Panama to jointly draw a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations.
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140,000 such laborers were recruited to perform support work during WWI

On the night of Nov 15, one hundred years ago, German troops violently bombed Poperinge, a city not far away from the Great War front-line. Thirteen Chinese, among 20,000 laborers working in Belgium, were killed in the attack.

They were among 3,000 Chinese victims of airstrikes near the battlefields of World War I.
The 2017 Yangtze River Art and Culture Festival runs from Oct 31 to Nov 10 in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province to celebrate and bring together the cultures and arts of the 12 provinces along the Yangtze River.

This years festival features a variety of cultural events, including the Seventh Yangtze River Folk and Art Festival, the Seventh Xiaoxi and Xiaopin Festival, a series of symposiums on the protection of Yangtze River culture, and poetry readings.

The special is designed to showcase the highlights in the festival.
A micro blog post published by Jiang Qiulian calls for death sentence given to the murder suspect who allegedly killed her daughter, Jiang Ge.

: Jiang Ge, a 24-year-old postgraduate student, was killed outside her apartment in Tokyo over a year ago after she was reportedly attacked by Chen Shifeng while trying to defend his former girlfriend Liu Xin from him. Jiangs mother is seeking the death penalty for Chen, whose trial begins in Japan next month, and has accused Liu of being indifferent to the sacrifice of Jiang, sparking a heated online debate. Four experts share their views with China Dailys Wu Zheyu on the issue. Excerpts follow:

Wait until all the facts are out in the open

Qiao Xinsheng, professor of law at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law

According to the law of the Peoples Republic of China, if a person suffers any physical injuries while defending or saving another person, the beneficiary should appropriately compensate that person. So the mother of the victim can file a lawsuit in court to seek compensation from Liu.

Also, the public needs to wait till the judges check all the evidence. The tragedy took place in Japan, and a Japanese court will hear the case next month, and also give its verdict.

But if Lius mother is not totally satisfied with the Japanese courts judgment, she can seek justice in a Chinese court by filing a lawsuit. That would be in accordance with Chinese laws on civil proceedings in foreign countries.

Indulging in a debate without having all the facts and details of the case will only create more confusion among the people. All the stakeholders in the case should wait until all the facts are revealed.
US President Donald Trump addresses the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters, targeting DPRK, Iran in his 1st UN speech in New York, US, Sept 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

After US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that China agreed that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea cannot just freeze its nuclear weapons program in exchange for benefits, China clarified on Thursday that this was not a change to its position that its "dual suspension" proposal is the best "first step" for defusing the crisis.

Given Trump's intimate, and no doubt frank, conversations with President Xi Jinping during his visit to Beijing, he will be aware that China still believes the DPRK suspending its nuclear-related activities and the United States suspending its military drills with the Republic of Korea is the best way to establish an environment conducive to the two antagonistsand the regional stakeholdersengaging in talks.

With Song Tao, head of the Communist Party of China Central Committee's International Department, paying a visit to the DPRK as special envoy of Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, there has naturally been a lot of conjecture about the content of the latest high-level contact between the two neighbors.

Such speculation is not surprising since the belief persists that Beijing can bring some persuasion to bear on Pyongyang, and Song's trip comes so soon after Trump's visit.

However, while Song will no doubt have discussions on issues of mutual concern, too much should not be read into his trip.

Exchanges between the CPC and the DPRK's Workers' Party of Korea have always played an important role in relations between the two countries, and Song will be informing China's neighbor of the outcomes of the 19th CPC National Congress, which was successfully convened last month, as part of the country's party-to-party messenger diplomacy.

That is not to dismiss the importance of his trip. It is obviously a good sign that Beijing and Pyongyang are maintaining communication at a high level, since it is instrumental both for developing good neighborly ties and for the necessary candid discussions on what is becoming an acute crisis.

Especially since his talks come at a time when some of the differences among the parties involved about how best to address the DPRK's nuclear issue appear to have been bridged. Xi met Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in, on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, and the two leaders vowed to resolve the nuclear issue through peaceful means and make joint efforts to safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

And with the DPRK quiet, especially after the UN Security Council imposed its latest and most serious sanctions on Pyongyang, what is needed now is for all parties to demonstrate wisdom and patience.

Avoiding any war rhetoric and provocative actions will ensure no recommencing of the viciously spiraling tensions that were threatening to spin out of control.
The Que'ershan Tunnel, stretching 12.997 kilometers on National Highway No 317, in Ganzi, Sichuan province, opens to traffic on Sept 26, 2017. It is said to be the world's highest tunnel on a highway. The tunnel, whose highest point is 4,378 meters above sea level, was completed 15 years after the launch of the project. With the opening of the tunnel, it takes only 10 minutes to pass through the perilous and steep Que'ershan Mountain that stands 6,168 meters above the sea level. The project is projected to become a new impetus to help drive the economic and social development of the remote Tibetan region. [Photo/VCG]

CHINA RAILWAY CORP has found that some of the tunnels along the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway have some serious quality problems, which may pose safety risks. China Central Television comments:

The sound construction of any high-speed railway is of the utmost importance because any flaw might cause an accident. That is especially true of the high-speed railway linking Shanghai and Kunming which passes through Southwest China's Guizhou and Yunnan provinces where the geological conditions are complex and require safety standards that are higher than normal.

In order to prevent quality problems, there is a supervision mechanism throughout the whole process of constructing a high-speed railway, from design to construction to acceptance of the final product. Yet those companies that used substandard materials and compromised safety by not doing their work to the required standards were not caught in their misdeeds by the supervisors.

An investigation has been conducted and the companies involved in the design and construction of the tunnels, as well as those responsible for supervising the work have all received punishments.

However, that's far from enough. How did the companies involved get the work in the first place? Did any officials receive bribes? Why did the supervisors fail to do their duty? All these questions must be answered, and if any corruption is uncovered, the officials involved must receive their deserved legal penalties.

High-speed railways are a glorious name card of China's manufacturing industry, and Chinese companies have been signing enormous contracts in overseas infrastructure construction. Those that have tainted the image of China's high-speed railways and disgraced China's manufacturing industry should pay a heavy price for their misdeeds.
A driverless subway train of the Yanfang Line undergoes a test run in Beijing on Nov 15, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM COMMISSION, China's top economic policy planner, vetoed the planned construction of a subway in a provincial capital in the west of China recently. Southern Metropolis Daily comments:

The NDRC approved a host of subway construction plans submitted by the local governments, mostly provincial capitals and municipalities, in 2012 and 2013, which were worth about 1 trillion yuan ($150.68 billion) in total. It is estimated that the overall investment in subway construction nationwide from 2014 to 2020 might be 2.5 trillion yuan.

Now some third-and fourth-tier cities also hope to build subways, even if buses are already sufficient to meet the demands of public transport in those cities. What the city governments value most is the huge investment, which can effectively boost local economic growthan important factor in assessing local officials' performance.

As long as the NDRC approves their proposals, the cities can obtain financial support from both the provincial government and the central government, and they are entitled to get loans to finish a subway project in time, which means, in effect, they can borrow money to ensure local economic growth.

The subway construction projects usually last several years and the land along the subway lines will have more added value and can thus be sold at higher prices, directly fattening a local government's coffers.

Approval from the central authorities means that the city government officials, especially those of medium-and small-sized cities, may enjoy a much easier time during their term in office, since the city's economic growth over that period of time is almost guaranteed.

What these officials ignore, perhaps not intentionally, is a subway, in most cases, entails huge amounts of lasting government subsidies after it comes into operation.

Many of the governments of small cities harboring a subway dream actually face great debt pressures. And building a subway system will only increase their financial burden.

Thus the NDRC's prudence in assessing the subway construction plans of local authorities is not only reasonable but, more importantly, necessary.
The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website. Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the Five Years On exhibition with several of my colleagues, as well as foreign media and diplomats from around the world. The exhibit, running before, during and after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, sets out to detail the achievements of the Chinese people over the last five years.

In that regard there's no shortage of material. The exhibition hall was stuffed with images and information on the evolution of China in the last half-decade, featuring enormous displays on the country's poverty reduction campaign, its development of green technology and continuing modernization since the last congress in 2012.

Images of the Chinese people are projected in the central hall of the Five Years On exhibit in Beijing on Oct 13, 2017. [Photo: Ian Goodrum]

Seeing this progress for myself  both at the exhibit and in everyday life  made me think about my own country. It raises the question: Could all this happen in the United States?

Well, the obvious reply would be "no", since it hasn't happened yet. But let's put that aside for a moment. Knowing what we know about political and economic realities in the US, is there a realistic hope the country could achieve what China has in as short a time?

I'm tempted to still say "no", and there are a number of reasons why. Most of all, what the exhibition drove home for me was a difference in priorities between the two countries.

Take the poverty alleviation campaign as an example. Since 1981, the percentage of rural Chinese people living in poverty has plummeted from nearly 99 percent to 4.5 in 2016, with almost 90 million people lifted above the poverty line since 2012 alone.

Compare this to the poverty rate of the United States, the largest economy in the world through most of the last century. According to University of California Davis' Center for Poverty Research, the country's all-time low was around 11 percent. Since a large drop in 1965, the rate has zigzagged between 11 and 15 percent, with no signs of change. With a total poverty rate of 6.5 percent and dropping, China has halved the US' best-ever performance with regard to its poor and the campaign isn't even finished yet.

How can this stark contrast be explained? For starters, the Chinese government made the eradication of poverty an explicit goal, and the last time this happened in the United States was  yep, you guessed it  1965, when Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty programs were in full swing. The Communist Party of China understands its not enough to simply say you want to make poverty a thing of the past; action is also required. With targeted campaigns to address specific concerns of rural people and earmarking billions to this end, the Party has been able to accomplish what politicians in the US have hemmed and hawed about for decades.

The differences between the two countries are even clearer when it comes to green technology investment. Despite an overall smaller economy, China has poured double the money the US has into wind, solar and hydroelectric energy according to a January report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. This consistent emphasis on clean energy stands in sharp opposition to the United States, where political discontinuity means the signing of the Paris climate agreement during one presidential administration and the abandonment of that agreement in another.

Showing the world it does not honor its agreements is no way for a global power to act, least of all on an issue which endangers the future of the human race. Yet again, China provides an alternative, with huge increases in green technology manufacturing and firm pollution reduction pledges directed  as with poverty reduction  by government policy.

What makes the Chinese government different? For starters, the ruling party, the CPC, leads on behalf of the whole people. It is able to set ambitious objectives and achieve them by marshalling vast resources in targeted ways, allowing a laser-guided approach to development. Countries like the United States can use all the rhetoric they want, but when it comes to making things happen, in many cases there isn't much the government can actually do. Instead, they must rely solely on the fickle whims of capital.

More importantly, Party unity means individuals in leadership positions may change, but the country's broader mission does not. The principle of democratic centralism guarantees overall harmony in action combined with extensive input from all sectors of society. When a long-term plan is formulated this way, the process ensures approval from a vast majority, allowing the government to operate with confidence. Details may change over time, but the large-scale objectives remain constant.

Meanwhile, political squabbling in the US safeguards stagnation and maintains an equilibrium where infighting and voter apathy leave infrastructure crumbling and millions out of work. With hundreds of interest groups and factions fighting amongst themselves for relevancy and resources, there's no place for unified action.

With all this in mind, the question remains: Could the United States enjoy a five-year period as productive as China's? At present, unlikely. It would require a massive coalition, one able to unite a huge base of like-minded people, ready and willing to help the poorest among them and invest in the future. It would require a new way of doing business in Washington, with a people-centric politics taking prominence. And it would require a rejection of short-term thinking driven purely by profit.

In other words, it would require major changes  the kind that take a lot longer than five years.
The Bauhinia Valley Green Entrepreneurship Camp, held by the University of International Business and Economics and the Bauhinia Valley Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Center, launched on Nov 16, 2017.

In April 2016, led by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the Bauhinia Valley Development Center was formed. As a network and association composed of not only Hong Kong-based, but also domestic and overseas Chinese-owned businesses, it was supported by various groups in Hong Kong and by different state departments. Further, the association also had the honor of partnering with the University of International Business and Economics and twelve of its renowned academies. This led to the further promotion of "public entrepreneurship and innovation," cooperation with the national 13th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, and support for the development of small businesses and young people in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao. The camp also unfalteringly supports the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao in its innovative, scientific, and technological pursuits.

Dr. Zhao Zhongxiu, vice-president of the University of International Business and Economics, delivered a rousing speech. "For young entrepreneurs, innovation and entrepreneurship's only road forward is to keep up with the times, keep in league with national development strategies, embrace technological innovation and embrace the future, so as to gain valuable opportunities." He hopes the students of Bauhinia Valley Green Entrepreneurship Camp to receive the benefits of the public mentoring program, have not done so in vain. He hopes that having gone through the ten days or so of intensive study, training, observation and exchange, that these students now have a deeper and better understanding of the domestic market, that they can find new business opportunities, and ultimately create an even more fertile ground for business ventures in the future.

Mr. Henry Chen, vice-chairman of Hong Kong's King Group, expounds on the purpose behind the development center and the road map of its future development. He says that through cooperation with mainland universities and local government branches to build a collaborative space, this will ultimately allow for even greater investment and equity opportunities for entrepreneurial youth.

During the campaign, CGTN commentator, Andy Mok, praised the current Chinese entrepreneurial climate, saying,"There is an overlooked achievement outcome from Party congress that is very important and relevant for entrepreneurs not only in China but also all around the world; that is the permeation, the strengthening, the broadening, the deepening of the Party in all aspects of China, especially in the business world."
WASHINGTON - US House on Thursday approved its version of tax cut plan in an along-party-line vote and delivered a major legislative achievement.

The 227-205 vote on Thursday marked a key milestone for President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans, as they considered this legislative achievement as a major push for their quest to cut taxes for businesses and individuals.

The House-version tax cut plan is estimated to bring $1.4 trillion to fiscal deficit over the next decade. Bipartisan studies showed that the benefits of the tax cuts would eventually go to the highest earners, while some middle-class households might pay higher taxes.

The tax plan consolidates individual tax brackets to four from seven and reduce the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, its lowest point since 1939.

It also eliminates a number of tax breaks and deductions, increases the child tax credit, abolishes the estate tax by 2025 and changes the US system for taxing multinational corporations.

"Passing this bill is the single biggest thing we can do to grow the economy, to restore opportunity, to help these middle-class families that are struggling," House Speaker Paul Ryan told lawmakers before the vote.

White House argued that the corporate tax cut could boost US economy to increase by 3 percent to 5 percent in the long term, and American annual household income could increase by an average of $4,000.

According to the estimates by the think tank Tax Policy Center, the tax cut plan would reduce taxes on average for all income groups in 2018 and 2027. However, the largest cuts, in dollars and as a percentage of after-tax income, would accrue to higher-income households.

All Democrats in the House chamber voted against the plan. They called the plan a giveaway to wealthy business owners and warned that it would drive the country deeper into debt.

Focus now turns to the Senate. The Senate is discussing its own version of tax cut plan and it's not clear whether the Republicans in Senate could secure enough votes to pass it.

Senate Republicans are aiming to vote on their tax plan during the week after the Thanksgiving holiday.

If the Senate passes its bill, the two chambers on the Hill will have to reach a final version of the legislation which needs to go through both chambers again.
HIT: To a plan to reduce food waste.

The Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency is starting a program to help get more food to people who need it. The state-funded initiative involves picking up unwanted food from farms, grocery stores and restaurants for distribution to food pantries.

Representatives will be trained in food security to make sure that all perishable and non-perishable foods being collected are safe to distribute. This program can make a real impact in area hunger and keep perfectly good food from being thrown away.

MISS: To an inmate who proved that he's still a danger to others.

The former Auburn Correctional Facility prisoner was in court this week for sentencing on two assaults committed in 2015 when he attacked another inmate with a soup-can lid and also injured an officer who tried to break up the fight. Now being held at Attica, the multi-felony offender got another three to six years added to his sentence.

HIT: To a jolt of good news for Auburn.

The city recently unveiled a charging station at the downtown parking garage for use by electric vehicles. Owners of electric cars need to be careful about taking long trips, because they don't want to get caught too far from their next charge. To that end, New York state, Cayuga County and Auburn are all taking part in an initiative to create more and more charging stations.

We're not sure what the demand will be in downtown Auburn, but if this charging station makes it more likely that more people will visit the city, we're all for it.

The Citizen editorial board includes publisher Rob Forcey, executive editor Jeremy Boyer and managing editor Mike Dowd.
PARIS - In most developed countries, the age of sexual consent is a fairly straightforward matter.

Not so in France, which is in the midst of a furious debate over the issue after a man in his twenties was acquitted of raping an 11-year-old girl.

Under current French law, any sexual act by an adult with a child under the age of 15 can be prosecuted as a sexual offense, which carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.

But to prove rape, prosecutors must demonstrate that the sex was forced. This would be punishable by 15 years in jail.

In cases of very young children, under 10 for example, judges have no problem convicting, but it becomes more complicated when preteens are involved, such as the two cases that sparked outrage this month.

"We need to think quickly about the age limit, which can be 15, 14 or 13," Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet told the CNews channel on Wednesday.

Over the last month, MPs, ministers and associations have been arguing that France needs a change in the law, which Belloubet has promised for the first half of next year in light of the two controversial cases.

Last week, a 30-year-old man was acquitted of the rape of an 11-year-old girl because the court ruled she had not been subjected to "constraint, threat, violence or surprise".

The defendant, aged 22 at the time, claimed the girl had agreed to an encounter in a park in Paris and she had lied about her age.

In another case involving an 11-year-old girl, a 28-year-old man faces charges of sexual relations with a minor, rather than rape, as this too was considered by authorities to be consensual.

Campaigners say no child of 11 is capable of giving consent, meaning that in both cases the sex should automatically be classed as rape - but French law says otherwise.

"Putting an age limit in place is crucial," said Claude Halmos, a specialist in child psychology. "Consent is being capable to judge calmly for yourself what you want or do not want."

On Tuesday evening, dozens of activists from a feminist group demonstrated at the justice ministry calling for the age of sexual consent to be set at 15.

An online petition urging a change in the law has also garnered more than 330,000 signatures.

Belloubet has suggested that 13 would be an appropriate age of consent, while Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa has suggested somewhere between 13 and 15.

In Germany, it is fixed at 14 and in Britain and Switzerland at 16.

Agence France - presse

(China Daily 11/17/2017 page10)
A homeless man who has spent most of his life on the streets has achieved his dream of becoming an English literature student at Cambridge University.

Geoffrey Edwards, 52, told Cambridge News that he was "still getting used to the idea" that he now attends one of the world's top universities.

"Going to Cambridge University was a dream of mine, this is what I have always wanted to do, but no one in my family had been to university, so I didn't consider it."

After growing up in Liverpool in a family of laborers, he left home in search of work, traveling to Kent, Gloucestershire and Scotland.

After years of camping out and moving on when the work came to an end, he arrived in Cambridge, where he sold the Big Issue magazine, which supports charities that help homeless people.

Edwards said selling the magazine helped give him back some self-respect.

"I realized things needed to change, so I went to see the local college to see if I could get back into education," he told Cambridge News.

Having left school with only basic math and O-level English, Edwards did not have much of an education but he always had a passion for reading and was never without a book.

"But I'd had a long time out of education, so I needed to do a gateway course, a preaccess course," he said.

Three years ago, he began a course at Cambridge Regional College, where he gained distinctions in every subject. His tutor then recommended he try for Cambridge.

Edwards said the course did him "so much good".

"There was always someone there to talk to and the college was very welcoming," he said. "I was worried about my age but studying makes you feel young and I have enjoyed mixing with young people."

Edwards has now begun his studies at Hughes Hall, one of the colleges of Cambridge University.

"I didn't think Cambridge University would take someone like me, I can't believe what I've achieved," he said. "Cambridge is a big step up but I am looking forward to pushing myself."

Debbie Goodrick, a tutor at the college he used to attend, said Edwards was an outstanding student, and she was delighted his hard work had been recognized.

"Geoff has had an incredible journey to where he is now, and I have no doubt that he will flourish at Cambridge," Goodrick said.

Anthony Freeling, the president of Hughes Hall, told Cambridge News: "Hughes Hall is committed to ensuring that the gates of Cambridge University are open to all who have the potential to succeed."

Zhang Yangfei contributed to this story.

(China Daily 11/17/2017 page10)
Qu Xing, Chinese ambassador to Belgium, unveils a statue to commemorate the Chinese laborers of World War I, with Poperinge Mayor Christof Dejaegher, on Wednesday in Belgium. DE YONGJIAN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

140,000 such laborers were recruited to perform support work during WWI

On the night of Nov 15, one hundred years ago, German troops violently bombed Poperinge, a city not far away from the Great War front-line. Thirteen Chinese, among 20,000 laborers working in Belgium, were killed in the attack.

They were among 3,000 Chinese victims of airstrikes near the battlefields of World War I.

On Wednesday afternoon, the first ever Belgian monument to the Chinese laborers, consisting of three bronze statures of them digging trenches, carrying shells and evacuating wounded soldiers, was unveiled in a village two kilometers away from Poperinge.

Wreaths were laid in front of the statue by mayor of Poperinge Christof Dejaegher, Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Qu Xing and British Ambassador Alison Rose, among other Chinese and Belgian dignitaries.

Hundreds of veterans wearing poppy flower brooches, villagers, overseas Chinese and schoolchildren also braved the rain to witness the historic moment.

From 1916, more than 140,000 Chinese people, aged 20 to 35, were recruited by the United Kingdom and France to perform support work for their military forces on the western front, where they labored in the rear echelons or helped build munitions depots.

About 20,000 were sent to the Belgium front-lines.

Qu said the Chinese laborers made an unforgettable contribution to the success of the Allied Forces.

"We can easily imagine, with a labor corps of 140,000 laborers-solders, if one laborer digs only one meter of trench a day, there will be a front of trenches as long as 140 kilometers," Qu said in an emotional speech to the crowd.

"If one person carries only one shell a day, it will be 140,000 shells poured over enemies every day. We can also imagine the number of wounded soldiers whose lives were saved by prompt evacuation from the battlefields."

He said that about 20,000 laborers never returned to China, with 3,000 dying in German submarine attacks and because of illness and about 10,000 killed in the 1918 Flu Pandemic.

"We think it is indispensable, for our generation who enjoy peace, to build a monument to commemorate them, about 20,000 Chinese laborers-as-soldiers who devoted their lives to come to a place they had never been, and to help people they had never met," he said.

Yan Shufeng, a Chinese-Belgian sculptor who has been working with her assistants for nearly one year to present the sculptures, said: "I am very delighted to contribute to make this period of both humiliating and honorable history alive through our efforts."

Rose said the Chinese corps members all worked in harsh conditions, very close to the battlefield and under constant risk of bombing.

With thousands of them got killed during the war, Rose said 86 of them found their final resting place at British military cemeteries in Belgium. Most of the tombs are in Lijssenhoek cemetery just outside Poperinge.

"I have been with the school trips as they have visited the Chinese Labour Corps graves, so I know that they are remembered," Rose said.

Rose also cited one of the epitaphs on the gravestones for the Chinese laborer member at Commonwealth War Cemeteries as saying: "A good reputation endures forever."

Xinhua contributed to this story.

fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Calm and peace have been urged for the country where the military announced on Wednesday that it has taken control of all government institutions.

Zimbabwe's 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe and his wife have since early Wednesday been reportedly put under house arrest. Military leaders said on state TV that they were not taking over the government, but "targeting criminals around" Mugabe, and that Mugabe and his family are safe and their security is guaranteed.

Armored carriers cordoned off the presidential seat of power and the parliament building in the capital, and unconfirmed reports said a number of ministers and some top officials of the ruling ZANU-PF party were arrested.

Political analysts stressed the military's continued respect for Mugabe and his role in Zimbabwe's revolution that won it independence from Britain in 1980 can likely lead to a peaceful settlement. The unfolding situation in Zimbabwe poses serious political uncertainty that may impact on the region, raising widespread concerns.

Countries and regional blocs are closely watching the situation.

The Southern African Development Community has repeated the call for calm, restraint and peace in Zimbabwe, and called an urgent foreign ministers meeting to be held on Thursday to discuss the situation there.

In a statement, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of African Union Commission, said: "I urged all stakeholders to address the current situation in accordance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe."

Special envoys

South African President Jacob Zuma has called for a peaceful solution. Zuma, in his capacity as the SADC chair, also said he was sending special envoys to meet with Mugabe and Zimbabwe's military leaders.

"We are monitoring this situation very closely," British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.

"At the moment it's very fluid and it's hard to say exactly how this will turn out. Everybody wants to see a stable and successful Zimbabwe. We are appealing for everyone to refrain from violence," he said.

China's Foreign Ministry said China hopes Zimbabwe's relevant parties can properly handle the internal affairs, noting that maintaining peace, stability and development in Zimbabwe conforms to the fundamental interests of the country and its neighboring regions, and is also the common aspiration of the international community.

In a statement, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari also appealed for calm, peace and respect for the Constitution in Zimbabwe.

Namibia voiced concerns about the political uncertainty in Zimbabwe.

"As neighbors, member states of SADC and the African Union, Namibia and Zimbabwe share a common destiny and common aspirations for peace, economic prosperity and democracy for our countries and people," Namibian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said in a statement.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu, currently on a state visit to Egypt, said in a statement released by his spokesperson: "I have encouraged all parties in Zimbabwe to work toward a quick and peaceful resolution to the impasse and to uphold human rights."

Embassies of countries including the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, and Canada have advised citizens to take precautions due to the military activities and intense situation in Harare.

Tanaka Aggrey Chitsa, a political analyst based in Harare, said the situation in Zimbabwe is still unpredictable. Since Mugabe is still the head of state and commander in chief of the military, he said, adding that the unraveling of the situation over the next few days should be closely watched.

Dr David Monyae, a policy analyst at the University of Johannesburg, said he believes that investments of Chinese and other foreign interests in Zimbabwe won't be threatened by the military.

Xinhua - China Daily

(China Daily 11/17/2017 page11)
DAMASCUS - At least six people were killed and 45 others wounded on Thursday by a fresh rebel mortar attack on the residential areas in the capital Damascus, state news agency SANA reported.

The rebels in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus fired the mortar rounds, which slammed the areas of Saba Bahrat, Abassyin, and Sweika in Damascus, said SANA.

It added that the attack is a violation of the de-escalation zones' deal, which recently included the Eastern Ghouta region under a Russian-Egyptian mediation.

Meanwhile, people in the aforementioned areas posted some photos online, showing people laying on the ground with blood trickling out of their heads as a result of the attack.

The mortar attacks come also as the Syrian army and the rebels have been fighting for days in the Harasta area in northeastern Damascus after the rebels attempted to attack a military base near that area.

Syrian warplanes have been clearly heard over the past few days, with activists saying they are targeting the rebel positions in Harasta and nearby rebel-held areas.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will pay an official visit to China from Nov 24 to 27, his first since taking the post, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang announced Friday.

According to Geng, during the visit "which bears great significance for both China's ties with France and Europe", Le Drian and Vice-Premier Liu Yandong will co-chair the fourth meeting of the high-level cultural exchange mechanism between China and France.

While State Councilor Yang Jiechi will meet with him, the French foreign minister will also hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, and the two will jointly meet with the press, Geng said.

"We believe the visit will further enhance political mutual trust and strategic communication between China and France, implement the consensus reached by heads of state, coordinate high-level exchanges as well as practical cooperation and play an active role in promoting the China-Europe relationship," Geng said at a press conference in Beijing.

France was the first Western power to establish diplomatic ties with China, doing so in 1964.
China will not fill the climate financial vacuum left by the United States' withdrawal, but other developed nations will, Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate envoy said.

"Others expect us to fill the financial gap, but we do not plan to do so," said Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate envoy during the ongoing United Nations Climate Conference held in Bonn, Germany. "We are not obliged to pour money into the Green Climate Fund. We insist on our stance as a member of the developing countries."

The call from the least developed and some developing countries for more financial support from industrialized nations has grown louder as the climate talks are approaching the finish line.

Negotiators have yet to reach agreement on the contentious issue.

An energy policy specialist attending the climate talks said China acts as a mediator, as China is not the one among countries with high demand for financial support.

China has yet to apply for any financial support from the fund.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have pledged to fill the financial void left by US withdrawal earlier this week.

"We need to wait and see if the money can be in place," said Xie.

Established within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Green Climate Fund, with an onus on developed nations, has set itself a goal of raising $100 billion a year by 2020.
LONDON -- August was the highest month ever for overseas visitor spending in Britain, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed Friday.

ONS said tourists from overseas spent $3.7 billion during the month, up 3 percent on the same month last year, adding it was also a record August for inbound visitors, with 3.9 million visits, up 5 percent on the same month in 2016.

There was a strong growth in August in visits from EU countries, Britain's largest visit-generating region, with 2.4 million visits, up 6 percent.

The latest market specific figures, for the first six months of 2017, showed strong growth from China, the world's most valuable outbound market.

Between January and June 2017, there were 115,000 inbound visits from China to Britain, up 47 percent on last year. Visitors from China spent a record $305 million during this period, up 54 percent, said the official tourism agency, Visit Britain.

Friday's figures, from the Office for National Statistics, bring the total number of overseas visits to Britain from January to August to 27.1 million, up 8 percent on 2016. Spending by visitors during this period reached a record $22 billion, up 10 percent on last year.

VisitBritain forecasts that inbound visits will reach 39.7 million by the end of this year, with overseas visitors spending $34 billion.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Infiniti will begin to produce a new SUV in China in 2018. The company said the manufacturing factory in Dalian, a northeastern city in China, will be responsible for the production and the factory will be its second local-production base.

This year marks the tenth year for Infinitis entry into China market and the third anniversary for the establishment of Dongfeng Infiniti. In September, Infiniti sold 4,479 vehicles in China, up 19 percent year on year while the total sales in the first nine months reached 33,800 units with a year-on-year increase of 16 percent.

Up to now, the premium brand has locally produced two models in China, Q50L and QX50. Altogether, Infiniti sells ten models in China, four sedans (Q50, Q50L, Q60, Q70L) and six SUVs (QX30, QX50, QX60, QX70, QX80, ESQ). In September, the total delivery of the two locally-produced models was 2,376 units while the cumulative sales of the first three quarters reached 19,800 units. Among the imported models, QX60 achieved the highest growth rate in September. Compared with the same month of last year, QX60 increased 20.7 percent.
Election 2016 ended a year ago, but its effects on American culture, including the American church, persist. Many are still asking how Donald Trump became president, and what part evangelical Christians played in making that happen. Stephen Mansfield, author of bestselling books about the religious faith of recent American presidents, believes that faith matters in the story of President Trump as well. Choosing Donald Trump: God, Anger, Hope, and Why Christian Conservatives Supported Him describes Trumps remarkable partnership with conservative evangelicals. Blogger Samuel D. James spoke with Mansfield about what the events of last year mean for Christians and how a divided American church can heal.

Is it fair to consider Donald Trump a prosperity-gospel Christian?

Hes definitely drawn to the side of Christianity that preaches personal power, prosperity, and success in this world. Part of that preconditioning comes from his years hearing sermons from Norman Vincent Peale, who wrote The Power of Positive Thinking. Peale privately believed in born again Christianity, but Trump fed from the stream in Peales thought that was essentially secular motivational philosophy. Trump sees himself as a religious man and sees his own success as the result of living out certain religious principlesjust not the ones at the heart of the gospel.

You describe how meeting with religious leaders during the campaign gave Trump something of an education he didnt know he needed. Were his stances on religious liberty, abortion, and socially conservative issues a product of political ambitions?

A good illustration is his approach to the Johnson Amendment, which prevents pastors from endorsing candidates from the pulpit. Donald Trump didnt care then and doesnt care now, I believe, about the Johnson Amendment as it pertains to religious liberty. I believe he cares about it because he thinks that if pastors who support him could say so boldly from their pulpits, it would motivate religious voters.

Trump was introduced to many issues he hadnt cared about before, at least on the level of theology or moral principle. Of course, a great deal of this was politically motivated (even if you entertain the hope that some of it might have settled somewhere in his soul). But heres the interesting thing: Trump did not make many religious claims about himself. That was done more by the religious leaders around him. Trump has never, as far as I know, claimed to be born again. But James Dobson tweeted that he knew the person who had led Trump to Christ. And Jerry Falwell Jr.s introduction at Liberty literally compared him to Jesus and Lincoln. These religious leaders made claims far outside what Trump himself was saying.

Evangelical Trump supporters addressed concerns about the candidates personal morality in a few contradictory ways. Some would claim that we werent voting for a pastor-in-chief, but there were also efforts to portray him as a spiritually admirable person. What gives?

Either a presidents faith matters or it doesnt. If it doesnt matter, lets forget about the issues the Religious Right has been raising for yearsindividual piety, devotion to Scripture, personal faith history, good moral characterand just focus on policy. But most prominent Religious Right leaders couldnt do that because that hasnt been their traditional approach to the faith of presidents. Some of them agreed, Were not electing a spiritual leader, and then they turned around and engaged in gossip about Trump being born again or secretly led to Jesustrying to reassure the faithful that here, in fact, was a godly man. And every day this happened, Donald Trump was behaving the exact opposite of how a born-again man ought to have behaved.

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How did anger over President Obamas policies, particularly on religious liberty, feed into a willingness to go with Trump?

We have to ask ourselves what distinguished Trump from other Republican candidates in the minds of voters. I keep coming back to the fact that, if religious voters wanted a traditionally religious politician, they had an entire slew to choose from in the GOP primary. Why did they want Donald Trump? I think the answer is that he didnt sound like a politician. He was angry, he was harshto the point of being crassand he said, Forget being nice. Lets kick some butt!

So I think the base was angry. Under Barack Obama, they felt like they were under bombardment, and they were terrified that Hillary Clinton would only offer eight more years of the same. So they turned to the pagan brawler from New Jersey. Even when the Access Hollywood audio came out, he only gained in the polls. Clearly, they didnt care how immoral he was, so long as he wouldnt do any more damage to conservative causes. This was a conscious choice. What values were compromised in making it is something well need to debate and consider in the years to come.

Why did you dedicate your book to millennials?

I speak a lot at university campuses and spend lots of time with millennials. Theyre often depicted as soft and privileged. But millennials have a strong social conscience and care deeply about justice. I knew Trump had been traumatic for them. In my opinion, conservatives have not done a good job explaining the social benefits of some of their ideas. Theres good reason to question the effectiveness of the welfare state, but if you dont make your case clear, you allow yourself to be painted as cold-hearted and uncaring. Millennials have been left to conclude that people like Donald Trump, who only talk about cutting programs, are harsh and cruel.

Leaders like Franklin Graham and James Dobson, with their unwavering Trump support, have risked any sort of connection with millennials going forward. Millennials, with their passion for social justice, are very put off by him, and this is bound to produce some level of alienation from their churches and even their faith. If Religious Right leaders had shown more prophetic distanceif they had called on Trump to be a better man, with more compassionate policiesthen their reputation among millennials might have been salvaged.

Issues like Confederate monuments can divide people who share a common faith. What can churches do to heal these tensions, under the shadow of Trump?

In certain white evangelical churches, we have a silo mentality: Well store up goods and wealth, live in a white enclave, and turn our churches into malls for the membersrather than making ourselves relevant to society in a biblical way. Pastors dont need the Johnson Amendment overturned to speak the teachings of Jesus about racial reconciliation or helping the poor.

Churches where people are out there in the inner city or having joint worship services with African American congregations, or otherwise reaching across the dividemillennials are thriving within these churches, and they have an assured future. The election really highlighted these lines of division, but in the long run, this could be extremely healthy for the church.

If you were one of Trumps spiritual advisors, what would you try communicating to the president?

That theres a difference between being a brawling New York real estate magnate and being a responsible commander-in-chief. The country desperately needs him to lean into the better angels of his nature. He doesnt need to boast about the size of crowds or pick fights with the press. He doesnt need to act like hes being mistreated or denied privilege. So I would urge him to think in terms of the good of the country. But theres a pettiness, a smallness, a vanity he has to shed.

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Image: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images

Thousands of Christian villagers in China have been told to take down displays of Jesus, crosses, and gospel passages from their homes as part of a government propaganda effort to transform believers in religion into believers in the party.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that Communist Party of China (CPC) officials visited believers homes in Yugan county of Jiangxi provincewhere about 10 percent of the population is Christian. They urged residents to replace personal religious displays with posters of President Xi Jinping; more than 600 removed Christian symbols from their living rooms, and 453 hung portraits of the Communist leader, according to SCMP.

The efforts were part of a government campaign to alleviate poverty in the region, since some CPC members believe families faith is to blame for their financial woes, according to SCMP. The poster swaps in villagers homes represent the partys desire to have residents look to their leaders, rather than their Savior, for assistance.

Many poor households have plunged into poverty because of illness in the family. Some resorted to believing in Jesus to cure their illnesses, the head of the government campaign told SCMP. But we tried to tell them that getting ill is a physical thing, and that the people who can really help them are the Communist Party and General Secretary Xi.

Though the party denies the claim, some Christians in Yugan county say they were told they would not be eligible for government assistance unless their posters were removed.

The news comes weeks after the CPC held its national congress, where Xi continued to consolidate party power and passed a historic measure to write his political philosophy into its constitution. SCMP called Xi the countrys most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, who also developed a personality cult through portraits in Chinese homes. The news outlet also noted Xis efforts to rein in the grassroots of Chinese society.

Xi continues a longstanding tradition by Chinese leaders to assert state power as an ultimate force and to rein in social movements that threaten it, according to Brent Fulton, president of ChinaSource.

Before Christians were asked to take down religious displays from their homes, the Yugan church removed its cross, as dozens of churches across Zhejiang and other Christian areas have done in recent years in order to comply with government regulations.

In September, China passed tighter restrictions regarding religious gatherings, teachings, and buildings. Though they are not slated to officially go into effect until February 2018, Christians in some provinces have already noticed a crackdown on their activity. Police detained leaders of a house church, as well as a three-year-old, who were caught singing in a public park.

In an analysis last year for CT, Fulton wrote:

The CPCs control over religion is to be exerted not only through law, but also by reconciling religious doctrine with the partys socialist values. While religion serving socialism has been in the CPC lexicon for some time, direct intervention in the beliefs and practices of individual religionsincluding calls for the Sinification of Christian theologyhave become more common under Xi. His speech directed religious groups to dig deep into doctrines and canons that are in line with social harmony and progress ... and interpret religious doctrines in a way that is conducive to modern China's progress and in line with our excellent traditional culture.

In an August op-ed for The New York Times, Chinese student Derek Lam called out perverse efforts to co-opt Christianity to endorse Xis political agenda.

Judging by recent events, the party is very close to completing its mission of bringing Christianity under its thumb, he wrote. Although there is nothing I would love more than to become a pastor and preach the gospel in Hong Kong, I will never do so if it means making Jesus subservient to Xi Jinping.
This week, church leaders in Zimbabwe called for prayerand a transitional governmentafter 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest by the military.

We see the current situation not just as a crisis in which we are helpless, wrote eight evangelical, Catholic, charismatic, and ecumenical Protestant leaders. We see the current arrangement as an opportunity for the birth of a new nation.

Political tensions began last month, flaring up between Mugabes two potential successors: his vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Grace. The next presidential election is in 2018.

Mugabe took Graces side, firing Mnangagwa for disloyalty. But then the army took Mnangagwas side, placing Mugabe under house arrest and arresting the leaders of Graces faction.

The takeover has been peaceful so far, perhaps because Mugabes tight-fisted, often cruel 37-year reign was anything but democratic. The country loses at least $1 billion to corruption annually.

One of those calling for Mugabe to step down has been Evan Mawarire, an evangelical pastor who has been arrested twice for his viral online protest of Mugabes corruption.

This week, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe joined other church leaders in releasing a joint statement explaining how the current crisis is actually a kairos (opportunity). CT has reproduced their letter in full below:

1. The Moment of Truth

Many Zimbabweans are confused and anxious about what has transpired and continues to unfold in our nation. While the changes have been rapid in the last few days, the real deterioration has been visible for everyone to see for a long time, especially during the public political rallies of the ruling party, coupled with the deteriorating socio-economic situation.

On the 30th of October 2017, during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Association between Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, it was again highlighted that the abrasive and exclusionary politics, the increased use of ethnic identities dominating the public discourse, especially at the public political rallies and in the media, would further fragment and threaten the already weak cohesion of our society.

Now we have reached a new chapter in the history of our nation. As we look at this situation as the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD), we are reminded of the warning of Jesus in Luke 19:41-44. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem when he saw the catastrophe of its destruction and the massacre of the people that was imminent, because they had not recognized their opportunity (KAIROS) when God offered it (Luke 19:44).

We see the current situation not just as a crisis in which we are helpless. We see the current arrangement as an opportunity for the birth of a new nation. Our God created everything out of chaos. In order for something new to be born we need to clearly define our problem. Proper naming of the problem will give us a clear sense of where we must go as a nation.

2. What is the nature of our problem?

It may be easy to describe our problem in terms of the economy and the accompanying myriad of social challenges. But all these are manifestations or symptoms of a deeper disease that has affected the nation for a long time. This was the challenge of the loss of trust in the legitimacy of our national processes and institutions.

There is a strong sense that our hard-earned Constitution is not being taken seriously. There is not enough confidence whether the separation of the three arms of the state, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary are functioning in proper relationships of checks and balances.

There is a deep concern that there seem to be no clear distinctions between the ruling party and the government. There is concern that the priorities of the poor have become relegated to charity of those who have access to national resources without proper commitment to addressing the root causes of these problems.

There is a general feeling that the wheels of democracy have become stuck in the mud of personalized politics where the generality of the citizenry plays an insignificant role. It is this lack of democratic renewal and the resulting stagnation, sterility, and fatigue that has culminated in the current situation.

3. Everyone implicated

To be fair, this situation is not only the doing of the ruling party and government. It is also the result of the connivance of the different arms of the state and complicity of the church and civil society. All of us at some point failed to play our roles adequately. The church has lost its prophetic urge, driven by personality cults and superstitious approaches to socio-economic and political challenges. Civil society over time has become focused on survival and competition and lost the bigger picture of the total emancipation of the population. But the current situation is also a result of the many people in the ruling party who feel outdone, who enjoyed unbridled access to the trough of patronage. Journalists fanned the politics of hatred by giving it prime space in the name of sales and profits. All Zimbabweans must take some blame for our current situation.

4. What should be done?

The church makes the following calls:

4.1 Call to prayer for the nation:

We call the nation to a moment of prayer for repentance, deep reflection, and discernment. We all need to go before God and ask God to forgive us for ways in which we contributed to the situation through neglect or wrong action. We need individual and collective deep reflection on what this means for all of us as individuals, families, churches, and the nation. We need to find meaning in this situation. We also need to collectively and individually discern the next direction for us as a nation.

4.2 Call to calm and peace:

Right now, there is not enough information, and many people are peddling opinions as facts. Some misinformation is causing despondency and fear. We are calling for peace and calm. Let us not sensationalize the situation but encourage calm and be modest in our engagement.

4.3 Call for the respect of human dignity:

We are aware that the Zimbabwe Defense Forces are currently managing the situation. But we want to make it clear to them that it is their responsibility to ensure that human dignity and rights are respected. This is not a time to allow for lawlessness and vindictive and selective application of the law.

4.4 Call for a transitional government of national unity:

The Zimbabwe Defense Forces have stressed that theirs is not a military coup, but an effort to manage the current situation. In the light of this position, we are calling for the formalization of a transitional government of national unity that will oversee the smooth transition to a free and fair election.

4.5 Call for national dialogue:

Finally, we are calling the nation to a table of dialogue. The current situation gives us an opportunity to reach out to each other. There is no way we are going to go back to the political arrangements we had some days ago. We are in a situation that cannot be solved by anything other than dialogue. This dialogue cannot only happen within the ruling party. What we need is a National Envisioning Platform (NEP) that will capture the aspirations of all the sectors of society. The church alongside other stakeholders in the private sector, academia, and other spheres can establish a NEP as an inclusive space to enable Zimbabweans from all walks of life to contribute towards a democratic transition to the Zimbabwe we want.

5. Conclusion

Finally, the church derives its mandate from its stature as a sign of hope in a situation of despair and discouragement. God has put the church in the nation so that it can be a conduit for the healing of the nation. God has promised that if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chron. 7:14).

We are the people of God who are being called to champion the spirit of reconciliation. The church is made up of those who have been reconciled to God and hence is called to be a sign of this reconciliation by calling the nation to reconciliation.

Zimbabweans can find each other again as they did in the 1960s and 1970s when they joined hands against the colonial forces. Zimbabweans can find each other again like they did when the signed the Unity Accord and stopped the self-destruction in Matabeleland and Midlands. Zimbabweans can find each other again like they did when the produced the current national constitution and when they shared power during the Government of National Unity. There is no chasm that is too big not to be crossed through the power of reconciliation. Without reconciliation and openness to a process of shared national envisioning, we are all doomed.

We can either take the current situation as a mere crisis to be resolved by a winner-takes-all mentality or we use this as an opportunity for us to find one another to build something that is permanently healing for our nation. The first option spells disaster for us and future generations. The second option allows us to embrace our situation as a kairos, an opportunity given to us by God to dream together that another Zimbabwe is possible!

If you, even you, would only recognize on this day the things that make for peace! Luke 19:42

Bishop Ishmael Mukuwanda

Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) Chairman

Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) President



ZHOCD Executive:

Dr Shingi Munyeza  ZHOCD Vice Chair  Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe President

Pastor Blessing Makwara  ZHOCD Executive Secretary

Bishop Michael Bhasera  Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference President

Bishop Nuwere Mangwiro  Union for Development of the Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe President

Dr Kenneth Mtata  ZCC General Secretary

Fr Fradereck Chiromba  Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference General Secretary

Rev Edson Tsvakai  Union for Development of the Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe General Secretary
home World 8 Christians arrested during prayer meeting in India following conversion complaint

Indian authorities arrested eight Christians at a prayer meeting in Uttar Pradesh state on Sunday following complaints about religious conversion.

According to an eyewitness, nine activists of a right-wing organization disrupted the meeting at Ahladpur village under Sarai Akil police station and threatened the congregants before returning with a police team.

"We took the action after receiving complaints from a group of people that religious conversion was under way," Kaushambi superintendent of police Pradeep Gupta told Hindustan Times.

Among the arrested Christians were Sone Lal, a farmer who was leading the prayer meeting. "Around 300 people assembled as usual on Sunday morning. Suddenly eight to nine people barged in and demanded that the prayer meeting be stopped. They also threatened us," he recounted.

"After 20 minutes they returned with the police who took nine of us to the police station. One Kaushal Kumar, 16, was a minor. Hence the police let him go and booked the rest of us under section 151," he continued.

The eight Christians were booked under Section 151 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which holds that joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons, that may cause disturbance of public peace, after orders to disperse is punishable with a maximum jail term of six months, or fine, or both.

Many of those attending the prayer meeting were reportedly Hindus who claimed that they started going to such meetings after witnessing miracles in the lives of their friends and acquaintances.

Similar disruptions have reportedly occurred at other prayer meetings in nearby Birner village on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5.

Christians in other Indian states have also faced arrests for allegedly violating India's anti-conversion laws.

In Madhya Pradesh State, two women were arrested late last month on charges of kidnapping children for conversion.

Anita Joseph and Amrit Kumar were arrested after the Hindu activist group Hindu Jagran Manch complained to the police that they were taking children to Mumbai by train to convert them to Christianity.

The families alleged that the women lured four girls and six boys aged below 14 with promises of toys and overseas schooling.

Presentation Sister Anastasia Gill, a member of the Delhi Minority Commission, contended that the arrest of the two women was a "conspiracy" by Hindu groups to portray Christians as indulging in illicit conversions.

"But everyone knows that it is not the case," she said, adding that extremist groups made false claims in order to represent themselves as protecting Hinduism.

Gill, who is a qualified lawyer in New Delhi, went on to say that Christians have failed to keep adequate records needed to refute accusations of conversions.

According to Crux, anti-conversion laws are currently in effect in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh, while Jharkhand, a state in eastern India, is currently preparing to pass a similar legislation.
home World Archaeologists uncover gates of Solomon's desert fortress described in 1 Kings

Archaeologists have uncovered what are likely to be the gates to Solomon's desert fortress during a five-day dig at the Biblical Tamar Park in southern Israel.

Participants in the dig believe that the new discovery provides evidence to the Biblical account of Judean control of Tamar.

"The Bible says that Solomon built a fortress in the desert. The archeologists are sure that they have found all the hallmarks of the gate of Solomon a all the hallmarks of the fortified city. They believe this was a fortress built by Solomon," Paul Lagno, Bible student and participant in the excavation, told Breaking Israel News.

"The archeological evidence is consistent with 1 Kings 9:19, where it says Solomon built Tamar in the wilderness. In addition, the pagan altars destroyed by King Josiah as described in 1 Kings 13:3 were also found, right outside of the gates," he added.

Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini, an excavator and archaeologist employed by the Israel Antiquities Authority, said that the gates were the earliest fortifications at the Biblical Tamar excavation site, likely dating back to the First Temple Period.

Breaking Israel News noted that the gates were partially uncovered by Dr. Rudolph Cohen and Dr. Yigal Israel in 1995, but the site was filled with sand again because the group could not finish the excavations.

"We are working on very ancient parts of the site, which includes a four-chambered gate. We found some deposition in what we believe to be the street level next to the gate," Erickson-Gini said.

She said she is hoping to find new evidence that will help the researchers understand the settlement process and construction that were carried out at the site during different time periods.

The Biblical Tamar Park, one of the oldest archaeological sites in southern Israel, is curated by the Christian organization Blossoming Rose, which was founded by Dr. DeWayne Coxon in 1983.

The organization has poured millions of dollars of donations into the park in the last 30 years to provide security and beautification.

Lagno, who has worked as a Bible student with Blossoming Rose since 2010, said that the latest discovery at the park would shed light on the Jewish religion as well as the foundation for Christian beliefs.

Other archaeological discoveries in Israel are also providing researchers with more insight about the biblical king Solomon.

Last year, archaeologists uncovered a 3,000-year-old dung in an ancient mining camp atop a sandstone mesa known as Slaves' Hill in Timna Valley.

Before the excavation project began in 2013, the site was initially linked to the New Kingdom of Egypt in the 13th and early 12th centuries B.C. However, the high-precision radiocarbon dating of the dung revealed that the mining camp's heyday was during the 10th century B.C., the era of the biblical kings David and Solomon.

The Bible states that King Solomon had embarked on several building projects, including a temple in Jerusalem that was lavishly decorated with gold and bronze, but the scriptures are silent about the location of such projects.

While the mining operation in Timna Valley is not yet linked to Solomon himself, the new findings suggest that the region was home to a complex society, most likely the Edomites, who were said to have been defeated by King David.
home World BBC accused of omitting survey results that showed public opposition to abortion

The BBC is being accused of partially omitting survey results that showed the British public is not in favor of decriminalizing abortion.

A survey conducted by polling firm ICM and commissioned by the network for its "Abortion on Trial" show has found that there is no widespread support for scrapping its abortion law, which includes a requirement that two doctors have to approve each termination.

However, when the BBC aired the program last week, the result was not mentioned, but other findings in support of abortion were included.

Anne Robinson, the presenter of the show, had quoted various results from the survey, including that 87 percent of religious people were in favor of abortion being carried out in some or all circumstances. She also noted that only 15 percent of people believe that a male partner's consent should be required for an abortion.

The producers of the show have been accused of "cherry-picking" the results, as other findings of the ICM survey have been left out as well.

The hour-long program made no mention of the survey findings that showed a majority of the British public object to abortion based on gender and only a minority think the woman's "right to choose" is paramount, while most disagree with terminating on the grounds of disability.

"How can people be expected to have a fair and proper debate if facts are suppressed?" Conservative MP Fiona Bruce told Daily Mail. "It undermines credibility to cherry-pick polling results to reflect a lobby which programme makers may be sympathetic," she added.

The findings also revealed that only three percent said that it was never acceptable for a woman to have an abortion. But only 46 percent are in favor of abortion in case of rape, and only 45 percent believe it is acceptable if the mother's life is in danger.

The survey further noted that only six percent believe that there should be no legal time limit on abortion.

The program, which was recorded at Robinson's Gloucestershire home, involved a debate among nine people holding different opinions on abortion. The show also featured Lord Steele, the architect of the 1967 Abortion Act, who suggested that abortion should be completely decriminalized.

In response to the allegation of omitting parts of the survey, the BBC issued a statement saying: "It is completely wrong to suggest that the BBC suppressed the results of the poll. They were released to the press prior to transmission, were referred to throughout the programme and have been published in full on the ICM website."

"The production team went to great lengths to ensure Abortion On Trial was fair and impartial, using expert consultants (both anti-abortion and pro-choice), including contributors representing a wide range of perspectives and experience," the network added.
home World British TV host calls Christian guest's stance on sexuality 'abhorrent'

A British TV host has labeled a Christian guest's stance on sexuality "utterly abhorrent" during a discussion about a teacher who was disciplined for "misgendering" a pupil.

Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, appeared on ITV's "This Morning" earlier this week to discuss the situation of Oxfordshire secondary school teacher, Joshua Sutcliffe, who was recently suspended for accidentally referring to a female pupil as a girl even though the student identified as male.

During the interview with hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, Sutcliffe revealed that the incident had led to a three-day investigation, with a disciplinary meeting still to come.

The 27-year-old teacher had previously admitted that he had avoided using male pronouns such as "he" and "him," and had decided to use the pupil's chosen first name.

Sutcliffe, who is also a pastor at an evangelical church in Oxford, had contended that he did not feel that he should be forced to use such pronouns, as it would be a violation of his human rights.

The teacher told Schofield and Willoughby that he felt his treatment was unfair because he believes policies should be influenced by biology rather than what he sees as an ideology.

Following the brief discussion on Sutcliffe's suspension, the conversation moved on to a wider argument about homosexuality between Williams and Schofield.

Williams explained that instead of changing school rules, the "kindest thing" to do for children dealing with gender identity disorder is to help them "live in the body that they have."

Schofield then asked, "If they were homosexual would you help them not to be homosexual?"

Williams replied: "Very often when we see children identifying as homosexual, it is not good for them to live out in a such a lifestyle. It's not good for our children to be highly sexualised."

Schofield said that he was finding the interview "utterly abhorrent," and pointed out that even the Church of England supported the idea of allowing transgender pupils to wear the uniform they want.

Williams expressed her disagreement with the Church's stance and said, "Jesus Christ made it clear that we're made male and female, it's a beautiful thing."

The enraged TV host then ended the segment by saying the show would be returning to the year 2017 rather than "medieval Britain."

Williams also appeared on ITV's "Good Morning Britain" on Monday to discuss the Church of England's new guidance on allowing boys to dress in girl's clothing in school.

Controversial host Piers Morgan appeared to have defended those who disagreed with the new recommendations, saying: "I've got a six-year-old girl, she doesn't know what gender identity is, yet teachers are now asking a five-year-old child 'how are you feeling today? Do you feel male or female?' It's not about judgment, it's about having some sort of boundaries."
home US Carl Lentz says Hillsong is getting 'killed' by both Christian right and leftists on controversial issues

Hillsong NYC Pastor Carl Lentz has lamented that his church is drawing criticism from both the Christian right and leftists when it deals with controversial issues like same-sex marriage.

In a recent interview on HBO's "Vice News," Lentz said that he backs the biblical definition of marriage as being between only one man and one woman.

"My opinion is secondary to what we believe the Bible's opinion is. So Hillsong Church, traditionally, for 30 years, we would say the Bible is really clear that marriage is between a man and a woman. And I believe the Bible says what it says, and I interpret it exactly as the Bible says," he said.

However, he complained that his church "gets killed from both sides" when dealing with such issues.

"The Christian right thinks we're too open; the super left thinks we're not loud enough in our affirmation," he explained.

Lentz has recently drawn criticism for not giving a clear answer when he was asked about his thoughts on the issue of abortion.

When Lentz was asked in a recent interview whether his church considered abortion to be sinful, the megachurch pastor said that people have to live with their own convictions and added that he did not classify the issue as an "open and shut case."

The 38-year-old pastor has since clarified that he believes that abortion is sinful, and expressed hope that people would continue to help those who have made decisions to abort their child, rather than "cast further shame and guilt" on them.

Lentz has been known to work closely with celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Kylie Irving, Selena Gomez and Hailey Baldwin.

In the interview with Vice News, Lentz dispelled the idea that Bieber's ties to Hillsong are similar to actor Tom Cruise's advocacy for Scientology.

The megachurch pastor contended that Scientology attempts to indoctrinate people and make them into its spokespeople. "We've never done that. Justin has never set foot on stage," he said.

Hillsong teaches that the Bible is the authoritative and final word on all matters of faith, and therefore opposes various issues such as homosexuality, abortion and the teaching of evolution.

Brian Houston, who is currently the senior pastor of Hillsong in Australia, said that although the church "welcomes ALL people," it does not "affirm all lifestyles."

He recently affirmed the biblical stance on marriage during the nationwide postal plebiscite on legalizing same-sex marriage.
home World China tells Christians to replace images of Jesus with Xi Jinping to qualify for poverty relief

Officials in rural southeast China are reportedly urging Christians to replace posters of Jesus with photos of President Xi Jinping in order to receive poverty relief packages.

According to South China Morning Post, officials in Yugan's Huangjinbu township visited poor Christian families over the weekend to promote the Chinese Communist Party's poverty-relief program.

A local social media account reported that during the visit, the officials had "melted the hard ice in their hearts" and "transformed them from believing in religion to believing in the party."

The report went on to claim that more than 600 villagers "voluntarily" replaced religious texts and paintings in their homes with 453 portraits of the Chinese president.

Qi Yan, chairman of the Huangjinbu people's congress and the person in charge of the township's poverty-relief drive, noted that the campaign had been running across the county since March with the aim of teaching Christian families how much the party had done to help eradicate poverty.

"Many poor households have plunged into poverty because of illness in the family. Some resorted to believing in Jesus to cure their illnesses. But we tried to tell them that getting ill is a physical thing and that the people who can really help them are the Communist Party and General Secretary Xi," Qi said.

"Many rural people are ignorant. They think God is their saviour ... After our cadres' work, they'll realise their mistakes and think: we should no longer rely on Jesus, but on the party for help," the official continued.

According to Qi, there are about 5,000 to 6,000 Christians currently residing in Huangjinbu. He noted that the township government had distributed more than 1,000 portraits of Xi and that all of them were displayed in residents' homes.

A resident of another township in Yugan, identified only by his surname, Liu, said that many of the villagers were told to remove religious artifacts from their homes, adding that many did not do so voluntarily.

He said that many families were forced to remove their images because they would not be able to receive their poverty relief packages if they did not do so.

Qi had denied the assertion that the funds were contingent on the removal of religious images. He went on to say that the government only asked the villagers to place photos of Xi over their religious images in the "center of their home," not their bedrooms or other private areas.

"They still have the freedom to believe in religion, but in their minds they should [also] trust our party," the official said.

Under Xi's leadership, the Chinese government has stepped up its clampdown on religious freedom across the country, ranging from the removal of crosses on churches in eastern China to the suppression on Islamic practices in Xinjiang in the name of fighting terrorism and separatism.

According to Breitbart News, the clampdown is being extended to other autonomous regions like Hong Kong, where the government has exerted its control over Christian events.

Hong Kong Christian activist Derek Lam noted in August that the government had begun hijacking Christian youth events in an attempt to promote "One Belt One Road," an infrastructure project launched by China in an attempt to gain complete dominance of the Asian economy.
PHOENIX -- The state's high court on Friday upheld the legality of an assessment on hospitals that helps pay for health care for 400,000 Arizonans.

In a unanimous decision, the justices rejected the contention by the lawyer for some Republican lawmakers that the levy, approved by the Legislature in 2013, was illegally enacted.

Attorney Christina Sandefur of the Goldwater Institute argued that it really was a tax, making it subject to a 1992 voter-approved constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. The levy passed with a simple majority.

But Chief Justice Scott Bales, writing for the court, said the assessment does not fit within the legal definition of what is a "tax'' subject to the supermajority requirement.

He also said the constitutional provision does not apply in cases of assessments approved not by lawmakers but instead by a state agency. That, Bales said, is the case with the $290 million being raised here, with the levy being imposed on hospitals by Tom Betlach, director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state's Medicaid program.

And the justices also rejected Sandefur's arguments that even if the assessment is imposed by Betlach, the authorization for him to do that should have been approved by a two-thirds vote in the first place. The justices said that's not the way the constitution is worded.

Sandefur blasted the ruling, calling it "a major blow to taxpayer rights.''

"Essentially what this court has done is created a very dangerous loophole,'' she told Capitol Media Services.

"It allows legislators to call taxes 'assessments' and give away the taxing power to an unelected and unaccountable administrator,'' Sandefur said. "We believe this is exactly the opposite of what the voters intended.''

She said voters who want to plug that loophole will need to go back to the ballot with a new amendment.

Friday's ruling is more than an assurance that government-paid healthcare will continue for the nearly 400,000 Arizonans who were added to the state's Medicaid rolls because of the assessment. It also is a significant victory for former Gov. Jan Brewer who came up with the plan to expand the state's Medicaid program.

"Medicaid restoration honored the will of the voters, saved lives, prevented rural hospitals from closing and preserved the Arizona economy,'' the former governor said in a statement.

But the ruling is more mixed for current Gov. Doug Ducey.

On one hand, Ducey's administration defended the legality of the assessment in court.

But Ducey, who was state treasurer at the time of the 2013 vote, never wanted the expansion of Medicaid, actively opposing the legislation. In fact, he charged that Scott Smith, his foes in the 2014 Republican gubernatorial primary, was too liberal on Medicaid expansion.

That ambivalence was reflected in Ducey's own statement.

"The court has spoken, and I respect its ruling,'' the governor said. "The state of Arizona will continue to follow the law passed by the Legislature in 2013.''

It was Brewer who decided in 2013 to take advantage of a provision of the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid coverage.

That law provided for the federal government to pick up most of the costs for expanding health coverage to those earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, currently about $28,180 for a family of three. Before expansion, AHCCCS covered only those below the poverty line, or $20,420 at current levels for the same-size family.

But to qualify for those federal dollars, the state had to first restore coverage for childless adults. Enrollment for them had been frozen years earlier in a budget-savings maneuver.

To cover that cost and other state expenses, Brewer proposed giving Betlach authority to impose a charge on hospitals.

Hospitals did not object because Betlach crafted the levy so that every hospital chain actually would make money from the deal: More patients with government-provided insurance coverage means fewer bills written off as bad debt because of a person's inability to pay.

The plan was adopted by a simple majority of the House and Senate, with the Republican governor cobbling together a coalition of Democrats and some members of her own party to vote for it.

But the Republican lawmakers who voted against expansion sued, contending the levy was illegally enacted. And enough of them opposed the assessment to block it if actually required a two-thirds vote.

Sandefur told the justice at arguments last month that 1992 constitutional amendment requires a supermajority for anything that increases state revenues. But the high court did not see it that way.

Bales said the mandate first applies to "the imposition of any new tax.''

He conceded that word is not defined. But Bales said he and his colleagues said they do not believe it applies in this case.

"The assessment is imposed only on hospitals, which cannot pass on the costs to patients or third-party payors,'' Bales wrote. And he noted Betlach even was given the power to exempt certain hospitals who might not benefit because they take few Medicaid patients, like the Mayo Clinic.

And Bales said while the levy does serve a broad public purpose -- more people with health insurance -- it was designed to provide financial relief to hospitals, the very group paying it.

The justices also dismissed Sandefur's contention that it takes a two-thirds vote for the Legislature to authorize a state agency to impose a fee in the first place. They said that's not the way the 1992 amendment is worded.

That leads back to Sandefur's belief that another amendment may be necessary.

"It's important to go back to the voters and make sure that their voice, which they made loud and clear over 25 years ago, is actually heard,'' she said. "It's a shame that the voters would have to do that and would have to clarify to the court that when they said that a two-thirds supermajority should be required for any revenue-raising measures, that they meant it.''
home World Chinese officials recapture Christian human rights lawyer after escape from house arrest

A prominent Christian human rights lawyer who was under house arrest had managed to escape briefly from his home in August, but he was rearrested by Chinese officials in a neighboring province.

According to International Christian Concern (ICC), Gao Zhisheng had escaped from his home in Shaanxi and hid in a vacation house in Jiexiu city in a neighboring province for 23 days, until Shaanxi police mobilized a large number of police officers to cross the border and arrest him.

The lawyer is now believed to be under police custody in Beijing, but his exact whereabouts are unknown.

Gao's friends, Shao Zhongguo and Li Fawang, were also arrested for helping the activist escape from his home.

Li, who was released on Oct. 26 with bail pending trial, said that he briefly saw Gao before he was transported back to Shaanxi for detention, but he was not able to speak with him.

Both Li and Shao were reportedly mistreated during their detention. According to ICC, they were shackled, beaten and fed leftover food. Li, who suffers from diabetes, had lost his eyesight because he was not provided with medicine during the first few days of his detention.

There had been concerns about the lack of information about Gao's whereabouts as his health has declined from the years in captivity.

"Though we are glad to know that Mr. Gao enjoyed brief freedom that was taken away from him for more than a decade, we are concerned about his treatment after being recaptured," said Gina Goh, ICC's regional manager.

"In most cases, the Chinese government treats human rights advocates and Christians on the same level as terrorists once they are imprisoned, often putting them through torture and solitary confinement. Given Gao's successful escape, he is subject to retaliation from law enforcement. We hereby urge the Chinese government to stop its unlawful detention of Mr. Gao immediately," she added.

The lawyer suffers from tooth loss and other health problems, but he declined his friends' offer to bring him to a dentist after his escape because he did not want to risk being captured.

China Aid had reported that Gao had not been able to eat a decent meal for three years because of constant bleeding and toothaches.

Gao, a two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, had chronicled China's persecution of Christians and other religious groups in a book that was smuggled into the country and recently published in the U.S.

The book, titled "Unwavering Convictions," details the personal abuse that he suffered at the hands of Chinese officials, as well as the Communist Party's suppression of political rights, speech, information and ideas, and its abuse of labor rights.

Gao came under the scrutiny of the Communist Party in 2005 because of his advocacy for human rights including religious freedom.
home World Christian teacher faces disciplinary action for calling transgender pupil a 'girl'

A Christian teacher from Oxford, England is facing disciplinary action for referring to a pupil as a girl, although the student identifies as a boy.

Joshua Sutcliffe, who teaches math at a school in Oxfordshire, has been suspended and could be terminated from his job after the school had found following a week-long investigation that he had "misgendered" the pupil.

According to Daily Mail, the 27-year-old teacher had praised the pupil and a friend saying, "Well done girls," when he spotted them working hard.

He was corrected by the student and he immediately apologized, but he was reportedly suspended six weeks later after the pupil's mother had filed a complaint.

Sutcliffe, who is also a pastor at the Christ Revelation church in Oxford, had admitted that he avoided using male pronouns such as "he" and "him" and noted that he, along with other staff, had decided to use the pupil's chosen first name.

The pupil's family had also claimed that Sutcliffe had unfairly given the student a disproportionate number of detentions for poor behavior, but the claim was reportedly not upheld during the investigation.

The teacher had thought that the investigation would be brief and he would soon return to teaching.

However, he had been summoned for questioning twice, and he was sent a letter telling him to attend a formal disciplinary hearing this Wednesday, attended by the head and three governors.

"I have never been trained to deal with this sort of thing. I felt completely out of my depth and intimidated," he said.

Documents obtained by Daily Mail have indicated that the investigation also heard uncorroborated claims that the teacher had referred to the pupil as a "girl" in other occasions, and had inappropriately discussed religious issues in his math lessons, which he denies.

Sutcliffe noted that he had raised religious issues, such as the anniversary of the Reformation, in his general tutor group but not during math class.

Daily Mail noted that the tutor group had been shut down earlier this year, following complaints about homophobia because he had responded to a student's question about marriage by saying the Bible describes it as a being between a man and a woman.

He had told the senior staff conducting the investigation that he believes it was not wrong to call a person born a female a girl, but he maintained that he would never do that publicly because he was a professional. He also said that he did not feel that he should be forced to use the pronouns "he" and "him" as doing so would be a violation of his human rights.

A press release from the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Sutcliffe, had indicated that the school had not issued any formal instruction on how to refer to the student.

Speaking of the disciplinary process, the teacher said he was "distraught" and had been "reduced to tears," as teaching was his life.

"I have been shocked and saddened by the actions of the school, which, in my opinion, reflect an increasing trend of seeing Christians, people like me, being marginalised in the public square, and our beliefs punished and silenced," he said according to Premier.
home US Evangelical leader denounces use of Mary and Joseph to dismiss sexual allegations against Roy Moore

Prominent evangelical leader Ed Stetzer has denounced the use of the relationship between the biblical Mary and Joseph to dismiss the sexual misconduct allegations against Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore.

Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported that a woman had accused Moore of attempting to initiate a sexual encounter with her when she was a 14-year-old girl and he was 32 years old.

In an attempt to defend the senatorial candidate, Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler invoked Mary and Joseph to suggest that the Moore had done nothing wrong even if the allegations were true.

"He's clean as a hound's tooth," Ziegler told the Washington Examiner. "Take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became the parents of Jesus... There's just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual," he added.

Stetzer, a pastor and church consultant who chairs the Billy Graham Center of Church, Mission and Evangelism at Wheaton College, denounced Ziegler's attempt to defend Moore, saying it is "blasphemous" to compare Mary and Joseph's situation to the scandal.

"Bringing Joseph and Mary into a modern-day molestation accusation, where a 32-year-old prosecutor is accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl, is simultaneously ridiculous and blasphemous.... Even those who followed ancient marriage customs, which we would not follow today, knew the difference between molesting and marriage," the pastor said, as reported by AL.com.

Rev. Amy Butler, senior minister of the historic Riverside Church in New York City, also criticized Ziegler for equating the allegations against Moore with the relationship between Mary and Joseph.

"It's completely ludicrous to equate the sex assault of a minor with an ancient culture. It's ludicrous . . . It makes me want to rip the church back from these people," she said.

The woman accusing the senatorial candidate, Leigh Corfman, said that the encounter took place in 1979 after Moore arranged a meeting with her at his home in the woods.

Corfman narrated that during her second visit, Moore touched her over her bra and underpants and guided her hand to touch him over his underwear.

Three other women had claimed that Moore tried to court them at the time, when they were between 16 and 18 years old.

Moore, who is Southern Baptist, had denied the allegations against him, claiming that it is just a "desperate political attack" by the National Democrat Party. He admitted that he may have dated girls in their late teens during that time in his life, but insisted that there was no inappropriate sexual behavior.

Some Republican politicians have distanced themselves from Moore, and have called on him to step aside from the race if the report is true.

Moore, however, has shown no signs of backing out of the race despite waning support from politicians who previously endorsed him.
home World Evangelist launches decade-long campaign to convert 150 million to Christianity

World-renowned evangelist Reinhard Bonnke has announced that he is launching a campaign to convert 150 million people to Christianity over the next ten years.

Bonnke, founder of Christ for All Nations (CfAN), kicked off his five-day farewell crusade in Lagos, Nigeria on Wednesday with the announcement of his ambitious campaign called "Double Harvest Decade," CBN News reported.

"In 1987 we first began counting our individually signed, salvation-decision cards and, to date, we have reached over 76 million souls," a website dedicated to the campaign stated.

"That's three decades of ministry averaging 25 million souls per 10-year span and we've been praising the Lord and giving Him all the glory. The Lord has now commissioned us to mark the next 10 years as the 'double harvest decade' and move forward to 150 million souls saved," it continued.

Bonnke went back to the African continent this week for what he says is his "farewell crusade," which runs from Wednesday, Nov. 8, to Sunday, Nov. 12. The evangelist is expecting about 30 million people to attend the five-night event.

The crusade, which is also a celebration of Bonnke's 50 years of ministry in Africa, will be complemented by a major sideline event called "Passing the Burning Torch."

As many as 500,000 counselors, 200,000 intercessors, a choir of over 23,000 and a security force of over 10,000 are expected to participate in the crusade. CfAN's lead evangelist and Bonnke's successor, Daniel Kolenda, will also be attending the events, according to Pulse NG.

John Darku, executive director of CfAN Africa, noted that the crusade, which is being held at a large venue in Lagos, will be live-streamed to reach as many people as possible. It was also broadcast on several Christian television outlets across the nation.

The event on Wednesday was reportedly attended by hundreds of top spiritual leaders from all over Africa and nearly 400 international guests that came with CfAN.

On Tuesday, Bonnke stated that his reason for choosing Nigeria as his favorite venue for his crusade was the "high presence of God" in the country. The 77-year-old evangelist also noted that he chose the country for the event because of its high population.

"Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and I am after people because the more the better. I can smell a ripe harvest as the Lord of harvest directed us," he said.
home World Fatwa issued by top Saudi scholar says Muslims can pray in churches and synagogues

A top Saudi scholar has issued a fatwa, or a religious advisory opinion, stating Muslims may pray in Shiite or Sufi mosques, as well as churches or synagogues.

Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al-Manea, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, said that Muslims should feel comfortable praying in houses of worship of other religious groups, noting that all land belongs to God.

"The earth has been made a place of prostration and a means of purification for me," the scholar said, citing the words of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

He contended that Islam is a religion of coexistence, adding that Muslims cannot have differences in the basic principles of the Islamic creed, but they may differ in branches.

Al-Manea also referenced an account when Muhammad reportedly received a delegation of Christians in his mosques and allowed them to pray facing Jerusalem.

He stressed that Islam was able to spread in many countries because of the good manners of Muslim merchants, which attracted the people to embrace the religion.

Arab News noted that Al-Manea's office had issued a statement a decade ago, saying Muslims are allowed to enter churches to look and gain more knowledge about the places of worship.

He emphasized that Muslims "may enter churches to learn about them, and Christians are allowed to enter mosques a except the Grand Mosque in Makkah a and pray in them."

Meanwhile, Christian clerics in the West have drawn criticism for allowing Muslim prayers in church.

In 2015, Rev. Canon Giles Goddard faced a storm of protests after he allowed a Muslim prayer service to held in his church at Waterloo in central London.

The service, which was attended by dozens of Muslims, was believed to be the first time a full Islamic prayer service held within the Church of England.

Goddard described the service as "very moving," and said that it was simply an expression of the church's desire to offer people a "place to pray."

However, evangelical clerics who opposed the event said that it marked a breach with canon law which forbids any variation from the official liturgy if it contains "any departure from, the doctrine of the Church of England in any essential matter."

The critics further argued that the service was also "offensive" to Christians being persecuted for their faith around the world.

Earlier this year, a church in Glasgow, Scotland drew controversy after the vicar allowed a girl to perform a reading of the Quran during the feast of the epiphany, which celebrates the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God.

The passage that were read at the service at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral reportedly denied that Jesus was the son of God, and claims that Mary was "ashamed" after she gave birth to Christ.

The former Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, criticized the event saying: "It is particularly insensitive to have this passage read in Church on the Feast of the Epiphany when we celebrate not only Christ's manifestation to the gentiles but also his baptism and the divine declaration, 'you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.'"
home US FBI signals possible probe into trafficking of aborted baby parts

The FBI has reportedly requested unredacted documents obtained by the Senate from abortion providers, signaling that the agency may be conducting an investigation on Planned Parenthood over its alleged involvement in trafficking aborted baby parts.

According to The Hill, the FBI's request was recently made to the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who referred Planned Parenthood to the FBI for investigation last December following a probe on fetal tissue sales.

Grassley said at the time that there was enough evidence in the committee's final investigative report to show that abortion providers had transferred aborted baby parts to firms for use in research by charging amounts above their actual costs.

The Senate and the House launched separate probes on baby parts trafficking after the Center for Medical Progress started releasing a series of undercover videos in 2015, showing abortion providers and fetal tissue firms discussing how they took money for aborted fetuses.

The report by the Senate committee noted that the prices paid for fetal tissue and body parts exceeded the actual costs, some of which were only calculated after investigators started asking questions.

A document from one firm showed that it had paid $60 for an aborted fetus from a Planned Parenthood clinic, then transferred the various parts, including the brain, part of a liver and two eyes, for $2,275. The Senate report further noted that the firm also charged additional fees for shipping and disease screening.

The Hill's sources said that Grassley's staff are now working to comply with the FBI's document request.

Lila Rose, president of the pro-life group Live Action, hailed the FBI's document request saying, "We, of course, applaud any action taken to follow the evidence to where it leads and to hold Planned Parenthood accountable."

"The only thing that could hinder this investigation from leading to indictments of Planned Parenthood and the companies involved in the sale of fetal body parts is politics," she added.

Grassley had written to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and then-FBI Director James Comey earlier this year, demanding answers as to why the referral to investigate Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers had not been answered. The senator also complained about the failure of the Department of Justice to enforce the law that prohibits the buying and selling of fetal tissue.

He received a response to his request in July, with Assistant Director for the Office of Congressional Affairs Gregory Brower saying, "We can confirm the Criminal Investigative Division (CID) of FBI Headquarters received your referrals and sent them to the relevant FBI field offices for review and whatever action is deemed appropriate."
home US Former White House strategist Steve Bannon declares himself as proud 'Christian Zionist'

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has declared himself as a proud "Christian Zionist" during his speech at a pro-Israel event in New York on Sunday.

Bannon, the chair of the right-leaning media outlet Breitbart, received three standing ovations after delivering his speech at the Zionist Organization of America's (ZOA) annual awards gala.

In his speech, the former chief strategist called on America's Jewish community to work with him in his war on the Republican establishment, which he blames for blocking President Trump's agenda.

"There are so many games being played by the establishment ... You get double dealt all the time. That's how you get the Iran Deal. And that's how we still allow the American government to finance people that have blood on their hands of innocent Jewish civilians," Bannon said at the event, as reported by Breitbart News.

"It is time for us to act, and I believe the only way to act is not through moderation. I am not a moderate, I'm a fighter. And that's why I'm proud to stand with the state of Israel. That's why I'm proud to be a Christian Zionist," he continued.

He also touted Trump's record in supporting Israel and commended the president for calling together the "Arab and Muslim Summit" in May to talk about stopping the expansion of Iran, as well as strategies in blocking the efforts in financing radical Islamic terrorism in the West.

The former chief strategist noted that two of Trump's top priorities were moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which the president has yet to fulfill, and decertifying the agreement on Iran's nuclear program, which was accomplished last month.

Bannon's appearance at the event has drawn some concerns from many Jewish leaders due to his links to the alt-right movement. While he has described Breitbart as the "platform for the alt-right," he has disavowed white supremacists on a few occasions and has insisted that he is not a white nationalist.

The Jewish group known as IfNotNow, which opposes Israel's West Bank occupation, protested against Bannon's speech outside the event, which took place at the Grand Hyatt. The group also demonstrated against the event last year, when the former White House official was invited but did not attend, according to Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Apart from Bannon, the event was also attended by several current and former advisers to the Trump administration, including Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, former press secretary Sean Spicer and Sebastian Gorka, a former adviser to the president with ties to the Hungarian far-right.
home US FRC creates petition to support Air Force colonel who was disciplined for refusing to affirm same-sex marriage

The Family Research Council (FRC) has created a petition in support of a highly-decorated Air Force colonel who was suspended for refusing to sign an unofficial document affirming the same-sex marriage of a retiring subordinate.

Col. Leland Bohannon was suspended from his position as the commander of the Air Force Inspection Agency at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico for refusing to sign a letter of "spousal appreciation" for a retiring master sergeant's same-sex partner.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Friday, the FRC decried the treatment of Bohannon and called on its followers to sign a petition to support the Air Force colonel.

"Leland Bohannon is a decorated colonel who has devoted decades of his life to serving our Air Force. Yet Colonel Bohannon's life and service are about to be completely derailed because he could not in good conscience sign a 'certificate of spouse appreciation' for a service member in a same-sex marriage," the FRC stated.

"As a result, his superior suspended Colonel Bohannon, withheld his decoration, and submitted a poor performance appraisal recommending that he not be promoted. Please sign the petition to support Colonel Bohannon," it continued.

In the petition addressed to United States Air Force Secretary Heath Wilson, the conservative group called on the military to reverse the disciplinary action against Bohannon.

"In addition to correcting Air Force policy to protect religious freedom in this context to ensure this does not happen to anyone else, we respectfully request that you reverse the complaint against Colonel Bohannon and remove any unfavorable materials related to this complaint from his record," the petition stated.

Bohannon was reportedly on the verge of being promoted to brigadier general, but the recommendation for his promotion was revoked after he refused to sign the unofficial document.

The devout Christian colonel felt that he could not sign the document because it would affirm a relationship that was contrary to his religious beliefs.

Acting on the advice of his Command Chaplain as well as the Staff Judge Advocate, the colonel requested for a religious accommodation, but the request was returned six weeks later "without action."

According to Baptist Press, Bohannon asked a two-star general to sign the document, prompting the retiring serviceman to file an Equal Opportunity complaint, alleging that the colonel discriminated against him based on his sexual orientation.

The Equal Opportunity investigator had concluded that Bohannon had discriminated against the serviceman, and contended that the colonel would still be guilty of unlawful discrimination even if his request for religious accommodation had been granted.

First Liberty Institute has appealed to the Air Review Boards Agency to reverse the findings and the penalties against Bohannon in order to forestall a lawsuit. The law firm has contended that there is no Air Force instruction requiring a commander to personally sign a spouse certificate.
home World French court orders mayor to remove nativity scene from city hall

A French appeals court has ordered the mayor of BAziers to permanently take down a nativity scene that was installed at the city hall in 2014.

Breitbart News reported that the administrative court of appeal of Marseille has ruled that the nativity scene, installed by Robert MAnard after he had been elected mayor of the BAziers, had no place in the city hall.

Shortly after its installation in 2014, complaints were lodged against the religious scene, with some claiming that it breaches France's secularization laws.

Despite the court case, the mayor installed the nativity scene in 2015 and he installed another one in 2016, adding a "more cultural and festive dimension," accompanied by a Christmas tree and a mailbox to write to Santa Claus. MAnard vows to put up another scene this year, despite the court ruling, noting that the display will reflect local regional customs.

Breitbart noted that the mayor's planned display could possibly get around the ban as a judgment from 2016 has stated that nativity scenes were allowed in public places if "special circumstances show that the installation is of a cultural, artistic or festive nature."

"They will try to ban our #crAche of 2017, 2018 and up to 2030. We will never yield on our culture!" the mayor tweeted in response to the court ruling.

In a column for his former magazine, Boulevard Voltaire, the mayor said that he is respectful of secularism, but he stressed that it should be an "open, tolerant secularism that does not consist in chasing down what we are and denying our history."

Last month, the Conseil d'Etat, France's highest administrative court, made a similar ruling on a cross above a statue of former Pope John Paul II at the town square in PloArmel.

The court ordered the cross removed, citing a 1905 law that prohibits religious monuments or symbols in any public place that is not a museum, cemetery or place of worship.

Polish Prime Minister Beata SzydAo asserted that the order to remove the cross from the memorial was a kind of "anti-European totalitarianism."

SzydAo had proposed moving the monument to Poland to save it from "censorship," while the Mayor of PloArmel, Patrick Le Diffon, expressed plans to sell the town square to private investors, "thus circumventing the problem" of a cross appearing on public land.

According to Breitbart, the Hungarian government also made an offer to take the cross, with the Hungarian Foreign Minister PAter SzijjArtA saying: "Is it really true that in 21st century Europe we are removing a Christian symbol? Is everyone entitled to religious freedom except for Christians?"
home US Gay people send messages of support to Christian baker who refused to make same-sex marriage cake

Gay people are sending messages of support for Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips, whose case over his refusal to make a same-sex wedding cake is set to be heard at the U.S. Supreme Court next month.

On Monday, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) posted a video on Facebook featuring two individuals expressing their support for Phillips.

"I'm TJ, and I'm Matt, we're gay and we're here to support Jack Phillips...to buy stuff from him, and support him because we don't think any artist should be forced to create for something that violates their beliefs," the two individuals said in the short clip.

The ADF said that it is possible to support both same-sex marriage and Phillips, who was found guilty of violating the Colorado Civil Rights Commission in 2014, after he declined an order to make a wedding cake for gay couple Dave Mullins and Charlie Craig in 2012.

The baker said that he serves gay customers like any other, but he refuses to use his talents for a gay wedding because it would go against his religious beliefs that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Phillips has previously stated that he has rejected orders for custom cakes that violate his conscience, including cakes celebrating Halloween, bachelor or bachelorette parties, and anti-American sentiment.

Last week, a number of religious activists, political leaders and clergy gathered in a rally at the Lakewood campus of Colorado Christian University to show their support for Phillips.

During the rally, the baker revealed that he has lost 40 percent of his business and many staff members since the legal battle started over five years ago.

Nearly 1,300 multifaith leaders and assorted theologically liberal religious groups have recently filed a brief before the Supreme Court, insisting that Phillips should make gay wedding cakes regardless of his religious convictions.

The ADF asserted that the freedom of expression is at stake on the Supreme Court case that will begin on Dec. 5.

It would be the first case to be considered by the high court involving whether bakers, florists, filmmakers and other creative professionals who provide wedding services must serve orders celebrating same-sex ceremonies.

Kristen K. Waggoner, general counsel and senior vice president of U.S. legal advocacy at ADF, said that allowing Phillips to "live out his convictions shows what a pluralistic society should look like. It would demonstrate what it means to have the freedom to disagree yet to be tolerant amidst those disagreements."

"That is why so many supporters of same-sex marriage filed briefs supporting Jack before the Supreme Court. It's also why Jack has had so many customers tell him that even though they disagree with him on marriage, they support his right to live out who he is," Waggoner added.
PHOENIX -- Gov. Doug Ducey said Thursday that in his experience women who come forward about being sexually harassed are generally telling the truth. But the governor declined to call for Rep. Don Shooter to resign, saying the investigation of charges against the Yuma Republican should be allowed to play out.

"There's no place for sexual harassment at the state Capitol or in the private sector,'' Ducey said when asked about the multiple allegations that have been made against Shooter. The governor also called the complaints "serious.

Ducey said he dealt with these kinds of allegations before he was governor, during his time as chief executive officer of Cold Stone Creamery.

"My experience has been when women come forward with allegations like this, there is truth there,'' he said. And the governor said he has always dealt with them "seriously and urgently.''

"Sometimes it has resulted in a termination,'' Ducey continued. "Sometimes it resulted in discipline. Sometimes it has resulted in retraining.

But the governor, while saying he believes allegations being made -- acknowledging that the number of complaints is now up to nine -- explained he was not prepared to say Shooter should quit.

"Because I am going to allow the investigation to take place,'' he said.

Ducey also said he has not talked with Shooter since allegations became public, despite having worked with him previously on the state budget.

Shooter won't be working on the budget for the coming fiscal year, at least not for the time being.

On Thursday, House Speaker J.D. Mesnard named Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, to chair the House Appropriations Committee, replacing Shooter. Shooter was removed from the panel by the speaker late last week as the complaints from lawmakers, lobbyists and others began to pile up.

Livingston had been vice chairman of the committee which is charged with helping to craft the state spending plan. Rep. Vince Leach, R-Tucson, will take the No. 2 spot on the panel.

In the meantime, a special taskforce of seven House staffers is looking into the allegations; they recently acquired the help of an outside law firm to do the investigation.

Mesnard has said he hopes to have the issue wrapped up before lawmakers return to the Capitol the second week of January. But that could depend on what the task force finds.

Any conclusions with evidence that Shooter is guilty of "disorderly behavior'' would result in hearings before the House Ethics Committee. It would be up to that panel to recommend to the full House whether or not to take action against the 65-year-old legislator, with expulsion being the ultimate punishment.
home US Hundreds attend rally in support of Christian baker who refused to make same-sex wedding cake

Hundreds have gathered at a rally at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood on Wednesday to show their support for Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips, who declined to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

Phillips was found guilty of violating Colorado's anti-discrimination laws in 2014 for refusing to bake the same-sex wedding cake because it went against his religious convictions. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear his appeal, and the oral arguments in the case has been scheduled for Dec. 5.

The rally in support of Phillips was attended by religious activists, evangelical small-business owners, political leaders, as well as leaders from the Catholic, Jewish and Mormon communities.

Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Yaakov Menken, the managing director of the Coalition for Jewish Values, spoke at the rally saying the case is particularly relevant for Jews because behaviors and actions constitute most of their religious observance.

Menken argued that Phillips has as much right to bake a same-sex wedding cake that he feels violates his religious convictions as Jews do to refuse to eat non-kosher food.

"Jack Phillips says that he can only celebrate unions that conform with his beliefs. That is a positive statement, not a negative one. That is not discrimination but discernment," the rabbi said, according to The Christian Post.

"[If you] refuse to prepare me a wedding cake because I am a Jew, that is bigotry. But if you can only celebrate a Southern Baptist marriage, I understand and respect your religion and I would never imagine that I could somehow coerce you to violate your precepts. That is called tolerance," he continued.

Menken accused Phillips' critics of practicing the very intolerance they claim to abhor and warned that Jews could also be targeted.

"Current environment is that only people of faith can be described as bigots. That is why this case is so important and why the wrong decision would be so dangerous," Menken stressed.

"Because, the people who sued Jack Phillips are not opposed to discrimination but expert practitioners of the craft. And if they can do this to Christians, you can be darn well be sure they can do it to Jews," he went on to say.

The rally also featured Washington state florist Barronelle Stutzman, who was punished for refusing to serve flowers celebrating a same-sex wedding.

Phillip's bakery has stopped baking wedding cakes altogether after he lost his case in 2013. He told the rally that he had previously rejected several requests for custom cakes that violate his conscience, including cakes celebrating Halloween, bachelor or bachelorette parties, and anti-American sentiment.

The Colorado baker noted that he has lost over 40 percent of his business and many staff members since the beginning of his legal battle over five years ago.
home World Iraqi security forces discover mass graves containing up to 400 bodies

Mass graves containing up to 400 victims of the Islamic State were discovered by Iraqi security forces on Saturday in an area that was recently recaptured from the terror group.

Bodies of security forces and civilians were found in a former military base near the town of Hawija, which was liberated in early October.

"Not less than 400 people were executed," Kirkuk Governor Rakan Saeed said, noting that some were wearing the uniform of prisoners while others wore civilian clothing.

According to Kurdistan 24, the bodies were found at al-Bakara base, which used to be an American base before it was vacated in 2011.

Khalaf Luhaibi, a local shepherd who led troops to the site, said that ISIS fighters brought captives to the site and shot them or poured oil over them and then set them on fire.

Saad Abbas, a farmer from the area, noted that during the three years that ISIS had control of the town, its fighters had been seen "driving around in cars with their prisoners. They would shoot them and then throw them to the ground or burn their bodies."

The governor of Kirkuk did not say when the authorities would start exhuming the bodies, but he called on the U.N., the Iraqi government and the Commission of Human Rights to conduct DNA tests to identify the bodies in the graves.

Hawija was liberated by Iraqi forces at the beginning of October with the help of Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militia and Kurdish Peshmerga Forces.

ISIS fighters have been driven by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces from almost all the territory they once held, with some fighting still underway near the western border with Syria.

Several mass graves have been found since the rise of the terror group in Iraq in 2014. A total of 31 mass graves have been found in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar since 2015.

The graves contained the bodies of at least 1,646 Yazidis, including women and children, Mahma Xelil, the mayor of Sinjar, said in April.

ISIS has reportedly killed thousands of Yazidis, mostly men, and enslaved thousands of girls and women, after taking a control of large areas of Iraq in 2014.

Official government reports have indicated that nearly 6,000 Yazidi men, women and children were abducted in the first days of ISIS attack on Sinjar in August 2014.

An investigation conducted by The Associated Press in 2016 has found that between 5,200 and 15,000 people are buried in 72 mass graves in territories that were once under the control of ISIS.
home US Judge denies FEMA request to delay case over policy banning disaster relief for churches

A federal judge has rejected a request made by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to delay a case filed by three Texas churches over its policy of blocking disaster relief to houses of worship.

In a seven-page order issued on Friday, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison denied the FEMA's motion to stay the case and gave it three weeks to decide whether it is going to change its policy denying disaster relief to religious institutions.

Harvest Family Church, Hi-Way Tabernacle and Rockport First Assembly of God sued FEMA in September, arguing that the agency's ban on aid to religious nonprofits violates the First Amendment, Courthouse News reported.

Hi-Way Tabernacle, a Pentecostal church in Cleveland, Texas, had housed 70 people displaced by Hurricane Harvey and also served as a staging area for FEMA even though it had suffered flood damage from the storm.

"Houses of worship were among the first to respond in Harvey's aftermath and they continue to provide aid to their communities," Becket, a nonprofit religious liberty law firm representing three churches, said in a statement, according to World Net Daily.

"While the court heard arguments on Tuesday, Hi-Way Tabernacle was unloading several tractor trailers of food and goods for distribution to hundreds of people in their community. Bizarrely, FEMA's current policy discriminates against churches while at the same time using them for its own relief efforts," it continued.

The churches have pointed out that the FEMA policy is no different from a Missouri benefits program that excluded churches from applying for aid to resurface their playgrounds.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7a2 that the Missouri program violates the Free Exercise Clause, with Chief Justice John Roberts stating in the majority opinion that it is "odious to our Constitution" to exclude applicants from receiving public benefits solely because they are a church.

Justice Department attorney Kari E. D'Ottavio had asked the judge at a Nov. 7 hearing to stay the case for 60 days while the agency reviews the policy, which it has stopped enforcing.

Ellison denied the request and indicated in his order that he will likely grant the churches' motion for a preliminary injunction on Dec. 1, if FEMA does not defend the policy or come up with a new one by that time.

"If, by December 1, FEMA's position remains unchanged, the court will assume that FEMA concedes, at the very least, plaintiffs' likelihood of success on the merits of this case and that the injury being suffered by plaintiffs is irreparable," the judge wrote.
home US Judge dismisses lawsuit against West Virginia school district's elective Bible course

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a prominent secularist group against an elective Bible course that has been offered by a West Virginia school district since 1939.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed the suit against Mercer County Schools in January for offering a program called "Bible in the Schools," an elective course that had been available on a weekly basis in over a dozen elementary schools and three middle schools.

In May, the Mercer County Board of Education voted to halt the program for at least one year, pending review and possible revision of the curriculum.

On Tuesday, District Court Judge David A. Faber dismissed the lawsuit, arguing that there is currently no case as the district had suspended the program.

"Indeed, whether or not this court were to undergo an (albeit incomplete) factual analysis of the past BITS program, defendants might remain capable of developing, adopting, and teaching a new BITS curriculum in conformity with Establishment Clause jurisprudence," the judge wrote, as reported by The Christian Post.

"As a result, the clouded future of BITS classes in Mercer County would hang over the heads of the Does regardless of the court's substantive review," he continued.

The judge indicated that the court may grant a preliminary injunction if the program returns and there is a violation of the constitution.

Faber further noted that "Supreme Court jurisprudence has by no means established an absolute bar to the Bible being taught and studied in the public school system."

The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of local residents whose children were attending schools where the Bible class was offered, alleges that the elective Bible course "advances and endorses one religion, improperly entangles public schools in religious affairs, and violates the personal consciences of nonreligious and non-Christian parents and students."

One of the plaintiffs expressed concern that her daughter could be ostracized by not joining the program because most students choose to attend the classes.

The parent lamented that her only choices were to expose her child to Christianity against her will or subject her to the risk of ostracism.

Another plaintiff had reportedly moved her daughter out of the school system because other students were taunting her about the matter.

According to Christian News Network, the elective Bible course was funded by a non-profit organization, and the district has required schools to offer an alternative for students who did not want to take part in the program.

First Liberty Institute, which represented the school district, hailed the district court ruling, while the FFRF expressed plans to appeal the decision.
home US Kentucky governor draws praise after calling for resignation of lawmakers who settled sexual harassment lawsuits

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has drawn praise from the evangelical community after he called for the immediate resignation of lawmakers and other government employees who have settled sexual harassment lawsuits.

In a news conference on Nov. 4, Bevin said that the alleged sexual misconduct of some individuals in state government was "reprehensible," noting that the allegations had "not been denied" while "increasingly becoming corroborated by additional voices."

"Any elected official or state employee who has settled a sexual harassment claim should resign immediately," the governor said, without naming anyone.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. commended Bevin for his "moral clarity and candor" on the issue.

Mohler said that Bevin "stands out not only in the state of Kentucky but, frankly, in the entire national conversation for the fact that it is so laser-like."

The Southern Baptist leader noted that the Kentucky governor did not say that all individuals who were accused of sexual misconduct should resign, but implied that morally upright people should "invite ... investigation" while proclaiming their innocence.

According to WDRB, House Republicans were supposed to discuss the pension bill in Frankfort on Friday, but they spent almost three hours at a closed-door meeting discussing sexual misconduct allegations instead.

GOP House Speaker Jeff Hoover, who has allegedly settled a sexual harassment lawsuit, had initially criticized Bevin's remarks but resigned from his post the next day. He admitted the settlement as well as "inappropriate text messages," but denied that he had committed sexual harassment.

Hoover said that he would keep his seat in the legislature, but his family had said that he had been admitted to a hospital with a heart-related issue while asking for privacy.

Baptist Press reported that State Rep. Brian Linder, who admitted that he had signed a sexual harassment settlement agreement, was also considering resignation.

The lawmaker had apologized for his "actions that have led to this grief and embarrassment" and was temporarily relieved of his co-chairmanship of Kentucky's Pension Oversight Board pending an internal investigation of the sexual harassment claim.

Two other Kentucky lawmakers and one legislative staff member are also said to have settled sexual harassment claims, and the state's House Republicans have hired a law firm to conduct an investigation on the claims.

Other politicians have issued statements echoing Bevin's stance that sexual harassment by elected officials or state employees will not be tolerated.

"The House Democratic Caucus is against workplace harassment in any shape or form," said House Democratic Leader Rocky Adkins in a statement on Saturday.

"Given the allegations that have been publicized today and in the recent past, it is necessary that an independent, objective and full investigation be done. Those individuals who have been proven to have engaged in harassing conduct or anything else improper should do the right thing and resign from their positions," the lawmaker added.
home US Lawmakers abandon proposal to nix adoption tax credit

Republican lawmakers have abandoned plans to repeal the adoption tax credit following the outcry from numerous conservative and pro-life groups.

The proposed tax reform legislation unveiled by Republican lawmakers last week had included a provision to eliminate the adoption tax credit, which reduces the tax bill for adoptive families and allows them to claim $13,750 in adoption expenses.

However, the proposal had drawn criticism from pro-life advocates and Christian leaders, prompting the lawmakers to release an amendment to save the tax credit for adoptive families.

On Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee voted 24a16 to preserve the tax credit, much to the relief of adoption advocates such as Southern Baptist spokesman and adoptive dad Russell Moore.

"This is not just some other policy, but a lifeline to children in need and to families trying to welcome them into their homes," Moore, the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), told Christianity Today.

"It is in the national interest to see to it that vulnerable children are protected, not exiled in a system. I'm glad to see that interest upheld rather than torpedoed in the Senate's proposal," he added.

Rep. Trent Franks, co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, said that he was "deeply grateful" that his fellow Republican lawmakers had decided to preserve the adoption tax credit.

"The Republican Party has been and always will be the party of life. The adoption tax credit has enormous symbolic, practical, and humanitarian meaning and purpose," he said.

Adoption advocates have argued that supporting the adoption tax credit can be considered fiscally conservative, as some studies have indicated that the government saves between $65,000 and $127,000 for each child who is adopted rather than placed in long-term foster care.

Other studies have found that adopted children have a better chance of succeeding as adults compared to foster care children.

U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-New Jersey), who first introduced the adoption credit in 1990, stressed the importance of keeping the credit, noting that 74,000 people benefited from it last year alone. He contended that the adoption credit is aimed at making adoption more practical for the average family.

"It is targeted to people who might find it very hard without the credit to put together the economic piece to go ahead with their plans to adopt a child. We need to encourage adoption, it is a loving option to get kids in homes," he added.

On Thursday, Senate Republicans released their version of the tax proposal which included the adoption tax credit. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who sits on the Finance Committee, noted that the overall framework of the two bills will be very similar, but there are some differences.

According to CBN News, the Senate's version of the tax bill could potentially delay the lowering of the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent to ease the impact of the national deficit.

The House and Senate tax bills will have to be first reconciled before they can advance to the White House for President Donald Trump's signature.
home World LGBT activists urge Pope Francis to remove bishop for opposing funeral rites for unrepentant gays

LGBT activists have reportedly launched a petition calling on Pope Francis to remove the bishop of the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin from his position because he opposes funeral rites for unrepentant homosexuals.

Bishop Robert Morlino has drawn outrage after priests in his diocese received a guidance that reminded them of what the Code of Canon Law says about Catholic funerals for unrepentant "manifest public sinners," such as those in same-sex marriages.

A petition on Change.org has contended that Morlino had instructed the priest to consider withholding funeral rites for homosexuals, despite not being ordered by church leaders to do so.

"Bishop Morlino has instructed priests to consider withholding funeral rites or exclude the partner of the deceased to minimize 'risk of scandal or confusion.' This is not being directed by church leadership or being asked for by parishioners, but solely based on his own bigotry," the petition stated.

"Pope Francis is transforming the church to return to love and compassion where people like Bishop Morlino have tried to instill hatred and bigotry. It's why I'm calling on His Holiness Pope Francis to remove Bishop Morlino," it continued.

According to CNS News, the guidance about "Funeral Rites for a Person in a Homosexual or Notorious Union" was issued on Oct. 21 by the vicar general of the Madison Diocese, James Bartylla.

In a recent interview with EWTN's Raymond Arroyo, Morlino defended the guidelines from the vicar general, saying that it is the "straightforward teaching of the Church of which I approve and very much want to promote."

According to the Code of Canon Law, three conditions must be met before someone can be denied a Catholic funeral.

It states that the funeral must be withheld if the deceased is a manifest public sinner, has shown no signs of repentance, and if the funeral rite would cause scandal to the faithful.

Morlino noted that the deceased would be eligible for a Catholic funeral if the manifest public sinner has shown even the slightest sign of repentance.

He recalled that many Catholics in his diocese were scandalized when Sen. Ted Kennedy, whom he considered to be a manifest public sinner, received a Catholic funeral. But the bishop surmised that the churchmen involved with the funeral knew something that he did not about the senator showing signs of repentance.

The bishop insisted that the end goal for everyone is repentance, and he lamented that people wrongly think that he does not care about people with same-sex attraction. "I feel terrible about that," he said.

In response to the campaign against Morlino, faithful Catholics launched a petition in support of the bishop. The petition noted that the bishop's leadership has led to a significant rise in priestly vocations in the Madison diocese, which they say is the key to the "Church's continued ability to confer the sacraments."
home US Most Americans who claim to be 'spiritual but not religious' are religiously affiliated, survey reveals

A recent study conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) has found that most Americans who describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious" still identify with a religious tradition.

The findings, released on Monday, indicated that only 30 percent of self-identified "spiritual but religious" people are actually religiously unaffiliated.

PRRI found that 18 percent are white mainline Protestants and another 18 percent are Catholics. Ten percent are non-white Protestant and five percent are white evangelical Protestant.

The results also found that 13 percent belong to non-Christian religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism or Judaism.

Mark Tidsworth, a South Carolina-based church and leadership consultant, said that the results should serve as encouragement for churches that have long struggled with declining memberships, tithing and relevance.

"The spiritual but not religious segment of the population in the United States may be growing, yet they are still largely participating in our churches," Tidsworth, who serves as the president of Pinnacle Leadership Associates, told Baptist News Global.

"So those in our congregations who trend toward spirituality over religiosity largely do not flee for the exits," he added.

The polling firm further noted that 40 percent of Americans who identify as spiritual but not religious are liberal, compared to 24 percent of the general population.

For the study, PRRI asked respondents questions on eight statements about spirituality and placed them into the four categories of "spiritual but not religious," "spiritual and religious," "not spiritual but religious," and "neither spiritual nor religious."

The results revealed that 29 percent of Americans are both spiritual and religious, 18 percent are spiritual but not religious, 22 percent are not spiritual but religions and 31 percent are neither spiritual nor religious.

The study also indicated that only 29 percent of religiously unaffiliated Americans can be categorized as spiritual but not religious. Sixty-five percent of the religiously unaffiliated are neither spiritual nor religious, while five percent are not spiritual but religious. Only one percent identify themselves as both spiritual and religious.

Tidsworth argued that the PRRI study reinforces the practicality of small-group ministries, and also suggests that less emphasis should be put on dogma and theology on sermons.

"Focus on the experiential aspects of our faith over doctrinal stances in preaching and teaching. Most of the spiritual but not religious are involved in their churches (or other faith traditions), not abandoning the church. Even so, they are not so interested in the fine points of our theology or doctrinal concerns," he contended.
home World New Zealand's parliament considers dropping references to the Queen and Jesus Christ from daily prayers

The parliament of New Zealand is reportedly looking to remove reference to the Queen and Jesus Christ from the daily prayers that open its sessions.

According to NZ Herald, politicians are still being consulted on the wording of the prayer, but the new Speaker of the House, Trevor Mallard, has already opened the Parliament this week in Te Reo Maori without making references to the Queen and Jesus Christ.

The original prayer, which has been used for over 50 years, read: "Almighty God, humbly acknowledging our need for Thy guidance in all things, and laying aside all private and personal interests, we beseech Thee to grant that we may conduct the affairs of this House and of our country to the glory of Thy holy name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honor of the Queen, and the public welfare, peace, and tranquility of New Zealand, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Radio New Zealand reported that some opposition MPs had raised concerns that Mallard has already started using the new version even though the period of consultation has not yet finished.

Mallard said that he was still getting feedback from the MPs and vowed that he would take their views into account before making a final decision about changing the prayer.

New Zealand First deputy leader Ron Mark said that the caucus would discuss the issue next week, noting that he did not want the references to the Queen removed.

"I'm a commissioned officer and a royalist by nature, and New Zealand First has always had quite a conservative view on that," he said.

Greens co-leader James Shaw said that he did not have any objections to Mallard's changes. National MP Amy Adams said that she did not have an issue with the wording, but she preferred something "more secular and reflecting New Zealand's diverse and tolerant nature."

The prayer came under review in 2007, but most politicians opposed the change. In 2014, then-Speaker David Carter proposed dropping "Almighty God", "true religion" and "Jesus Christ" from the prayer, but kept a reference to the Queen, but he eventually declined to change it after opposition from National and NZ First MPs.

Last month, Jacinda Ardern, who was raised in a Mormon family but is now an agnostic, was sworn in as New Zealand's 40th Prime Minister in a non-religious ceremony.

Her oath of office reportedly did not include the phrase "so help me God," and replaced the word "swear" with "solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm."

Ardern, the youngest woman to lead the country at 37 years of age, had previously disclosed that she left the Mormon church in her early 20s because she could not reconcile her support for her gay friends with conservative positions on marriage.
home World Nigerian officials forbid rebuilding of churches that were torched by extremists a decade ago

Christians in the predominantly Muslim town of Tudun Wada Dankadai in Kano State are currently worshipping under a tree because the authorities are forbidding them to rebuild the churches that were destroyed by extremists a decade ago.

According to Morning Star News, eight churches were destroyed when local Muslims attacked and displaced Christians in late September 2007. The attack reportedly began after Christian students were accused of drawing a picture of Muhammad on a mosque wall and of planning an assault on Muslim students.

Joseph Opeyemi Ibinkule, a 42-year-old a Christian resident of the town, recalled that nine Christians were killed in the attack. In addition to the eight churches that were destroyed, the houses and shops owned by Christians were looted and charred, Ibinkule said.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported in October 2007 that there were suspicions that the death toll was far higher than originally stated. Local authorities have reportedly removed all corpses from the area in a possible attempt to obscure the true death toll and one policeman was allegedly heard complaining of being "fed up of packing corpses."

Ibinkule, a son of an Apostolic Church pastor, said that he has been worshipping under a tree with members of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) a decade after the attack.

ECWA leaders are now suing the Kano state government for prohibiting them from rebuilding their churches.

"The Kano state government stopped us from rebuilding the destroyed ECWA church in Tudun Wada, so we have taken the matter to court, and we hope we shall get justice at the end of the case," the Rev. Murtala Marti Dangora, vice chairman of the Kano State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), told Morning Star News.

The Rev. Ayuba Hassan, chairman of Tudun Wada chapter of CAN, said that ECWA is the only congregation that is trying to rebuild its church in Tudun Wada.

"We currently worship under a tree and have continued to insist that we be allowed to rebuild our place of worship. The government is not ready to allow us do so, as they claim that the Muslims in the town do not want to have any church there. We are waiting for the outcome of the case in court," he said.

Officers at the police station at Tudun Wada confirmed that ECWA members are currently worshipping under a tree.

Morning Star News noted that the only a wall remained near the tree where the church building once stood. The wall reportedly had an inscription by the Kano State and Land Survey agency warning against the redevelopment of the land.

When Morning Star News asked the officer about the church's pastor, he responded: "Sorry, the pastor does not stay in this town; he comes from Kano on Sundays. I also worship with them under a tree you see there. That's where we worship."
PHOENIX -- The state's jobless rate ticked down two tenths of a point last month as companies continued to add workers at a slow but steady rate.

New figures put Arizona's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October at 4.5 percent. That compares to 4.1 percent nationally.

Year-over-year employment is up by 32,000, a rate of just 1.2 percent. That is far below projections made by the state Office of Economic Opportunity a year ago. The office figured Arizona would add jobs between now and 2024 at a rate of 1.9 percent annually.

Doug Walls, the agency's research administrator, minimized that 1.2 percent figure, saying it still represents positive year-over-year growth, the seventh year this has occurred. But he was unwilling to say whether this lower growth rate over the past 12 months is representative of what Arizona can expect than last year's prediction.

"That's not something that we know now,'' Walls said. "We're going to have to wait and see what the numbers continue to show there.''

Gov. Doug Ducey, to whom Walls' agency reports, wasted no time in putting out a statement touting the new numbers, pointing out that the jobless rate is the lowest in nearly a decade.

"This is good news for hardworking Arizonans and good news for our economy,'' the governor said.

But the good news is not statewide, with most of that growth present in the Phoenix area.

And the economy in Pima County continues to lag: Even with 600 new jobs last month, companies report that they have 1,000 fewer employees now than a year ago.

That's only part of the picture.

A separate survey of Pima County residents not only found that total employment was down in the past year but that the labor force shrunk by 3,400. Those are people who have either stopped looking for work or have left the area entirely.

Ducey, at a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for a new firm that will bring 500 jobs to Tempe, suggested that any concern about Pima County's future economic development is misplaced.

"Tucson is a growing metro area,'' the governor said.

Still, Ducey said it might be appropriate to take a closer look at how to reverse the area's economic trend.

"There are some other things, in terms of what's happening in Southern Arizona and Pima County, that we need to look at in terms of proper investment and how some things are handled,'' he said. Ducey did not provide specifics.

"But it's an attractive place to be and we've had some big wins there,'' he said, including Caterpillar Inc. agreeing to bring a regional headquarters to Tucson along with 600 jobs and Comcast adding more than 1,100 call center jobs.

Statewide, Arizona added 17,300 private sector jobs in the past year. That compares with the post-recessionary average of 22,800.

The strongest sector of the economy remains leisure and hospitality, with a 2.8 percent year-over-year growth. This is fueled largely by bars and restaurants boosting employment in the past year--by 5,000.

Manufacturing is showing some signs of life, adding 700 jobs last month and bringing the number of workers in that field up by 3.2 percent.

Retail employment, by contrast, remains weak.

There were the expected seasonal gains as stores ramp up for holiday shopping. But there are 800 fewer people working in that sector now than there were a year earlier.

"We have seen slowing growth into declines as the retail industry tries to find its equilibrium dealing with online competitors,'' Walls said.

The situation was even worse in Pima County where retailers shed 500 jobs between September and October, leaving employment in that sector 3,100 below what it was a year earlier.
home World Pakistani Christian imprisoned for blasphemy despite mental illness

A 65-year-old Christian from the Fazlia Colony of Lahore, Pakistan has been charged with blasphemy and sent to prison despite being recognized as mentally ill.

According to World Watch Monitor, Iqbal Masih, a retired father of nine, was arrested on the day of his son's funeral earlier this month for allegedly insulting Islam.

A close family member noted that Masih was supposed to be on medication for his mental health issues, but he had stopped taking them after his son, Bobby, died following a short illness.

The complainant, Muhammad Waqas, said that Masih would go out into the street and shout abuse at passers-by whenever he fails to take his medicine.

"Bobby's body was at home and people from the neighbourhood were visiting to pay their condolences when Iqbal started shouting abuse, after which the women left his home," Waqas said.

"Iqbal then recited the kalima [the Islamic proclamation of faith] and shouted abuse. Realising that he was not behaving normally, the police were called to take him away so that tension between Christians and Muslims of the area might not arise," he continued.

Dilraj John, a local resident, said that several Muslim clerics and others were also angered by Masih's comments. He recounted that some wanted to set him on fire, but others suggested that he should be turned over to the police instead because of his mental health issues.

John further noted that Waqas and Masih had no previous disputes, and the sole reason for the complaint against the Christian father was the name calling.

Waqas said that Masih had previously sent to an asylum but the family could no longer afford to allow him to stay there. He said that he has asked the authorities to sent Masih to the asylum again, and added that Christians in the area also supported the decision to turn him over to the police.

According to a report from Amnesty International, those who are of unsound mind are exempted from criminal prosecution under the Pakistan Penal Code.

However, the report went on to note that the "burden to prove 'unsoundness of mind' is on the accused, the difficulty of which is compounded within a context of general stigma and lack of awareness about people with mental illnesses in Pakistan."

Pakistan has been ranked in the Open Doors USA's 2017 World Watch List as the fourth worst nation in the world when it comes to Christian persecution.

The country's high ranking was partly due to the existence of blasphemy laws, which, according to human rights groups, are being regularly used by Muslims to settle scores against religious minorities.

Under the Pakistan penal code, those who are found guilty of blasphemy can be punished with life in prison or even a death sentence.
home World Pakistani minister requests non-Muslim security escort after receiving threats from Islamists

A Pakistani minister has conducted a shake-up of his security detail and requested that only non-Muslim officers be deployed for his protection after he reportedly received threats from Islamists.

Intelligence agencies are reportedly conducting background checks on Pakistan's provincial law Minister Rana Sanaullah's security detail and have also asked him to restrict his movements. However, sources close to the minister have claimed that he was not satisfied with the background checks and has employed a private security firm to provide protection for him.

According to Rabwah Times, Sanaullah has also asked the Punjab police to provide him with a list of all Hindu, Ahmadi and Christian officers in the province.

The minister reportedly intends to replace his current police escort with non-Muslim officers who will be selected from the compiled list. He is currently being protected by Christian security guards from a private firm as he waits for the list.

Sanaullah drew outrage a few weeks earlier after he stated that there was minor difference between Muslims and Ahmadis, a minority Islamic sect that is considered heretical by the majority of Muslims.

His remarks came amid allegations that the government is trying to appease the Ahmadis by changing electoral laws in their favor.

In response to Sanaullah's statements, the recently-formed political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) organized countrywide protests to call for his resignation.

On Sunday, over 300 members of the party were arrested by the police in Punjab for creating unrest during the protest. Over a dozen activists and five policemen were reportedly injured during the clashes between the protesters and the authorities since Saturday.

"We have arrested more than 300 TLP workers from different cities of Punjab for creating law and order situation in the province," Punjab Police spokesman Niyab Haider said.

According to Haider, the activists who were booked were blocking roads, damaging public property and injuring policemen during the protests.

Sanaullah's concerns about his security follow the assassination of the former governor of Punjab in 2011 after he expressed his objections to Pakistan's blasphemy law.

Salman Taseer was killed by his own bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri just days after he met Asia Bibi, who is accused of blasphemy, in Sheikhupura jail in November 2010.

Qadri was assigned as one of Taseer's bodyguards after he had enraged conservative Muslims for calling for reform to the country's blasphemy laws. Many hardline factions hailed him as a hero after he was arrested for assassinating the governor.

Just days after Qadri's execution in February this year, thousands of religious hardliners defied a ban on demonstrations to rally in support of the assassin.
home US Pastors withdraw support for Roy Moore amid sexual misconduct allegations

Several pastors who previously endorsed Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore have reportedly withdrawn their support amid allegations that the GOP nominee had sexually pursued five women when they were all teenagers.

AL.com reported that some pastors are now asking their names to be removed from the letter of support for Moore after the candidate's wife, Kayla, posted it on Facebook to indicate support from more than 50 Alabama pastors.

In the letter, the pastors described Moore as an "immovable rock in the culture wars," adding that he has met attacks with a "rare unconquerable resolve."

However, Pastor Thad Endicott of the Heritage Baptist Church said that he was not contacted about Kayla's latest post, which appears to be a recycled version of the letter that was released prior to the GOP primary.

"The list that has recently circulated was evidently copied and pasted from the August endorsements without checking to see if I still endorsed Moore," he said, noting that he is now asking his name to be removed from the Moore endorsement.

Dr. George Grant of Parish Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee said that he was never asked to sign the original letter and he had not spoken to Moore's campaign since before the election. He further noted that he had not been in contact with Moore personally in a decade and he does not want to be involved in Alabama politics. "Not my state. Not my issues," he said.

Tijuanna Adetunji of the Fresh Anointing House of Worship in Montgomery also said that she had not been contacted about the letter, and she had not given permission for her name to be included in the endorsement.

Another local pastor said that he was upset that his name and church were included in Kayla's post. Pastor Joseph Smith of Pine Air Baptist Church in Grand Bay had admitted that he previously said he would support Moore during the primary, but contended that he did not give permission to put his name on the letter.

On Monday, Alabama resident Beverly Young Nelson became the latest woman to accuse Moore of sexually assaulting her when she was just a minor.

During a press conference in New York City with celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, Nelson said that she thought Moore was going to rape her during her encounter with the Republican nominee when she was just 16.

"I was determined that I was not going to allow him to force me to have sex with him. I was terrified. He was also trying to pull my shirt off. I thought that he was going to rape me. I was twisting and struggling and begging him to stop. I had tears running down my face," she recounted.

Meanwhile, Madison Baptist Church Pastor Mike Allison, who is listed among the 50 pastors, said that he is still supporting Moore despite the sexual misconduct allegations.

Allison, who endorsed Moore through the campaign website three months ago, said that his mind has not changed and does not think that the candidate should step down from the race.

When asked whether he thinks the other pastors on the list should keep supporting Moore, he replied: "Well that's up to them. Every person has to go by his own conscience, and I trust him. Until he says that he did it, I'm going to believe him." However, if the allegations prove true, the pastor said, "Well that would be another matter, yes."
home US Pediatricians warn against new app that allows teens to obtain contraceptives

Pediatricians are warning against a new mobile phone application that allows teenagers as young as 12 to obtain contraceptives and abortion pills without parental knowledge or consultation with a local physician.

Nurx, which is known to some as the "Uber for birth control," delivers contraceptive and abortive medications including the pill, vaginal ring, Plan B and Ella. The company, which started in 2015, aims to provide access to contraceptives to women and girls who live in areas that do not have access to public clinics.

The application, which has a minimum age requirement of 12, is now available in 15 states, and the company is aiming to expand to all 50 states in the future.

Dr. Patricia Lee June of the American College of Pediatricians Board of Directors has expressed concern that the new application allows teenagers to make reproductive health decisions without the knowledge of their parents.

"Nurx wrongly excludes those who know the child and her health history best a her parents and her physician, and places the full responsibility for a life-changing healthcare decision on a girl's shoulders. When it comes to achieving optimal teen health, connected parents a not Smartphones a are paramount," she said, according to Life Site News.

The Kansas City Star reported that Nurx is free in most states for those who have insurance, and costs $15 a month for those without.

Pro-life advocates in some states, such as North Carolina and Texas, are now urging lawmakers to introduce a legislation that would place restrictions on the mobile application.

John Seago, legislative director for Texas Right for Life, and Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life, expressed concern about the distribution of the morning after pill as they view it as an equivalent to the abortion pill RU 486.

"We believe life begins at fertilization. That's the point where we have an individual, and morally that's who we want to protect," said Seago, explaining his stance against emergency contraceptives.

Pro-life activists have also raised concerns about Nurx's lack of age limit, but the company has insisted that the application has more screening measures than pharmacies.

Users are reportedly required to answer medical questions, before receiving personal follow-up consultation with one of the company's medical officers, and each state's laws still apply in terms of age limits.

Nurx's mission, according to its website, states: "We believe that control over your own healthcare is a human right, and something everyone deserves. Every woman should have convenient access to birth control where and when she needs it."

"We want to challenge the status quo, break down unnecessary barriers and give women more control over their own health," it continued.
home US Southern Baptist Convention offers to pay for funeral costs of Sutherland Springs shooting victims

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has offered to pay the funeral costs of all 26 victims of the mass shooting that took place during the Sunday service at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs in Texas.

The denomination's North American Mission Board (NAMB) made the offer to cover the funeral expenses of the families on behalf of the SBC on Monday, according to Baptist Press. The mission board also made a plea to restore the church building, which was badly damaged in the attack.

SBC President Steve Gaines and SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page had visited the church town on Tuesday to offer prayers and support for the victims' families.

"Our Southern Baptist family grieves with this beloved church and the community it serves. Our prayers are ascending steadily to God's throne of grace. May God bring healing and hope to these that are hurting," Gaines told Baptist Press.

Gaines also confirmed on Twitter that he and Page visited First Baptist Pastor Frank Pomeroy, who lost his 14-year-old daughter Annabelle in the massacre.

"Just spent a few hours with @RichardsJim, @frankpagesbc with Pastor Frank Pomeroy and his wife, Sherri, here in Sutherland Springs. Godly people," he wrote.

ABC News reported that Pomeroy had told SBC's top executives about his plans to demolish the church building where the massacre took place because it would be too painful to continue using it as a place of worship.

SBC spokesman Sing Oldham said Pomeroy is hoping to turn the site into a memorial for the 26 victims and build a new church on property the church owns.

Police have disclosed that the gunman, Devin Kelley, had unleashed about 450 rounds of ammunition on the congregation. Many of his victims were children, including the unborn baby of one of the women slain.

At least 20 others were left with injuries and 11 people remain hospitalized as of Nov. 9. Seven of the injured are confined at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. The hospital noted that their conditions ranged from fair to critical but did not release additional details. Two adults and two children are confined at the University Health System in San Antonio. Doug Finley, a spokesman for the hospital, said that their conditions ranged from good to critical.

Authorities said that Kelley had died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was pursued by two residents when he exited the church.

The gunman's father, Michael Kelley, said that his family is grieving, and added that he does not want the "media circus" surrounding the mass shooting to destroy "our lives, our grandchildren's lives."
home US Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging California law that requires pregnancy centers to promote abortion

The U.S. Supreme Court has announced on Monday that it will hear the case against a California law that requires pregnancy centers to provide information about government abortion programs.

The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), which represents 137 of California's roughly 200 pregnancy centers, filed the lawsuit against the state's Reproductive Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care, and Transparency (FACT) Act, arguing that the law violates both free speech and religious freedom.

The law, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2015, requires pregnancy centers to post notices including contact information for local providers of free or low-cost abortions and contraception. It also requires unlicensed pregnancy centers to include large disclosures about their non-medical status even if they provide no medical services.

According to Life News, the law was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in October, prompting NIFLA to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.

"California enacted the Reproductive FACT Act with the stated purpose of targeting pro-life 'crisis pregnancy centers' based on their viewpoint that 'discourage[s]' abortion.... The Ninth Circuit candidly admits that it upheld the Act amidst a 'circuit split' over how to scrutinize regulations of speech by medical professionals on controversial health issues," the petition filed with the Supreme Court in March stated.

The high court has agreed to hear the case but noted that it will limit its consideration to the question of free speech, and is therefore not expected to address claims of religious freedom violations.

The law is the subject of multiple lawsuits, and it has been enforced against three pregnancy centers in Los Angeles since it took effect on Jan. 2016.

The Pacific Justice Institute is representing three medical clinics in a lawsuit, while the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is representing three more.

The government of California has defended the law by arguing that regulating professional speech in a medical context upholds its valid state interest in safeguarding public health.

In another case last month, a Southern California judge issued a permanent injunction against the FACT Act, saying it has violated free speech protections.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gloria Trask contended that the law "compels speech, and regulates content," adding that California's "ability to impress free citizens into state services in this political dispute cannot be absolute; it must be limited."

According to Christianity Today, the 2018 ruling on the case will apply to three other lawsuits challenging the FACT Act.

"This unbelievable government mandate forces pregnancy help centers and staff to be puppets of the government and channel the state's abortion message," said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which represents a case brought against California by Mountain Right to Life. "We are hopeful this forced speech law will be overturned by the Supreme Court," he added.
home World UK Catholic schools asked to drop terms 'mother' and father' from admission forms

Catholic schools in Britain have been asked to drop the words "mother" and "father" from admission forms due to concerns that the terms discriminated against "separated, step- and gay parents."

The Catholic Education Service (CES), an agency of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, has announced that it will be asking more than 2,200 schools to omit the words from the admission forms to comply with a government ruling that considered the terms too restrictive.

The Office of the Schools Adjudicator, which settles admissions disputes on behalf of the government, issued the ruling after a complaint from a parent who wished to enroll a child in Holy Ghost Catholic Primary School in London.

According to Catholic News Service, the parent complained that the school's admission form had discriminated against "separated, step- and gay parents" because it only left spaces for the names of "mother/guardian" and "father/guardian."

Peter Goringe, one of 12 adjudicators, noted that the parent objected on four grounds, but he did not uphold the three grounds, which were related to the taking of collection, asking for details of a parent's pattern of worship and asking the parish priest to endorse the completed form.

However, he upheld the complaint against the admission forms, saying, "in the absence of any clarification of the term 'parent', the use of the words 'mother' and 'father' might, as the objector suggests, be taken to imply that the school is restricting its definition."

Holy Ghost school can only admit 30 pupils each year, but 48 applicants have already made it as their first choice this year.

The school's admission form was found to be in breach of the code that prohibits admission authorities from seeking unnecessary information to apply their oversubscription criteria.

Goringe also noted that the school gives priority to those worshipping at Holy Ghost church, contrary to the diocese's own guidance. He said that he also found similar problems at two neighboring schools, St. Anselm and St. Boniface, and determined that all three schools should revise their admission policies by the end of February next year.

CES has already advised more than 2,200 schools to revise their policies to take account of the adjudicator's decision, but the bishops will still have the final decision over whether to accept the request for schools in the diocese.

"We expect all Catholic schools to comply with the school admissions code and we work closely with dioceses and the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) to ensure this happens," a CES spokesman said, according to Catholic Herald.

The spokesman further noted that "we have been working closely with dioceses and the OSA to develop a Certificate of Catholic Practice. This aims to produce a unified approach to admissions for all Catholic schools and which fully complies with the code."

Some reports from the British media have indicated that hundreds of Catholic schools have already started using the terms "parent 1" and "parent 2."
Norway, which relies on oil and gas for about a fifth of economic output, would be less vulnerable to declining crude prices without its fund investing in the industry, the central bank said Thursday. The divestment would mark the second major step in scrubbing the world's biggest wealth fund of climate risk, after it sold most of its coal stocks.

"Our perspective here is to spread the risks for the state's wealth," Egil Matsen, the deputy central bank governor overseeing the fund, said in an interview in Oslo. "We can do that better by not adding oil-price risk."

The plan would entail the fund, which controls about 1.5 percent of global stocks, dumping as much as $40 billion of shares in international giants such as Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc. The Finance Ministry said it will study the proposal and decide what to do in "fall of 2018" at the earliest.

Big Oil is under pressure, read more here

While the fund says the plan isn't based on any particular view about the future of oil prices or the industry as a whole, it will likely add to pressure on producers already struggling with the growth of renewable energy supplies. The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas index reversed gains after the announcement, sliding 0.3 percent as of 3:47 p.m. in London.

Built on the income that western Europe's largest energy supplier has generated for more than 20 years, the fund's investment decisions are guided by ethical rules encompassing human rights, some weapons production, the environment and tobacco. Norway's fossil-fuel investments are coming under increasing scrutiny from a public that aims to be a climate leader without jeopardizing one of the world's highest standards of living.

The fund has doubled in value over the past five years and was just given the go-ahead to boost its stock holdings to 70 percent of its portfolio from 60 percent to help drive returns. The government, which also controls Statoil ASA and offshore oil and gas fields, was forced to withdrew cash from the fund for the first time last year to meet spending commitments after oil prices dropped.

'Good Time'

Matsen said "now is a good time" for the proposal because otherwise the new 70 percent threshold will result in the fund buying even more oil and gas shares because it tracks indexes that include such stocks. The fund has a small amount of leeway to make individual investments and wants to keep oil and gas in its "investment universe," he said.

The fund said it doesn't expect returns or market risk to be affected "appreciably" by its proposal, emphasizing that cutting exposure to the energy industry would allow it to crank up investments in other sectors. Finance Minister Siv Jensen said the government will give the plan careful thought.

"This must be thoroughly assessed, I am not prepared to conclude in advance," said Nikolai Astrup, leader of the finance committee representing the ruling Conservatives. "It's important that the fund is managed in a way that's predictable and long-term."

But environmental groups praised the plan. "The world is changing fast, and it's very risky to put too many eggs in the same basket," said Marius Holm, the leader of the Zero Emission Resource Organisation. Sony Kapoor, a former adviser to Norway's government, said the plan is "a belated victory for common sense over the powerful oil and gas lobby in Norway," calling on the fund to now boosts its "green" investments at least tenfold.

The recommendation also received backing from the Conservative-led government's support parties, the Christian Democrats and Liberals. The Labor Party, the biggest opposition group, said it would like to study the proposal before making a decision.

"The government is responsible for the Norwegian economy as a whole and must take a broad and comprehensive approach to this issue," Jensen said in a statement.
Oil climbed, paring losses earlier this week, as Saudi Arabia moved to dispel doubts over Russia's readiness to extend output curbs.

Futures rose 1.5 percent in New York, trimming the weekly decline to 1.4 percent, after Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said OPEC should announce an extension of output curbs when it meets on Nov. 30. Russia is said to be hesitant to commit to a decision so soon, suggesting the group waits until closer to the deal's end-March expiry. U.S. crude output gained this week to the highest in more than three decades, according to government data.

Oil rose to the highest in more than two years last week amid near certainty that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies would prolong the output deal and heightened geopolitical tension in the Middle East. The recovery has abated in the last few days after the International Energy Agency said milder-than-normal winter weather is putting a brake on demand growth. While Russia's reluctance is causing concern, Saudi Arabia's Al-Falih is trying to reassure the market the deal will be extended.

"He was quite clear: he is working to get a deal at the end of November," said Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS Group AG in Zurich. "The U.S. data and uncertainty over Russia have been the main drivers of the oil market this week. A lot of positive news has also already been priced in, which makes it more difficult to see prices inching further up."

West Texas Intermediate for December delivery was at $55.95 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up 79 cents, at 11:31 a.m. in London. Total volume traded was about 72 percent above 100-day average. Prices lost 19 cents to $55.14 on Thursday.

Brent for January settlement was 65 cents higher at $62.01 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Prices are down 2.4 percent this week and headed for the first weekly drop since the start of October. The global benchmark was at a premium of $5.85 to January WTI.

OPEC is unlikely to reduce excess oil inventories to average levels by the time the current supply deal expires, Al-Falih said Thursday. The kingdom has had extensive consultations with Russia and the minister said he feels "fully convinced" the country will be "fully on board" when a resolution is made.
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Salem Lutheran Church has leased a 106,000-square-foot warehouse and covered space at 11211 FM 2920 in Tomball for the Heart for Texas program. Tomball-based BJ Services donated the space to assist with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

RELATED: Home Depot, Lowe's expand storage capacity in Harvey's wake

The church is using the space as a short-term receiving and distribution center supplying household goods and construction materials to those affected by the storm. Salem Lutheran Church was founded in Tomball in 1851.

Lex Parker of The Woodlands-based MHW Commercial Real Estate represented both parties in the lease. BJ Services consolidate some of its warehouse operations to make room for the church on its campus, Parker said.

RELATED: Looped In Podcast - Stories from Hurricane Harvey

BJ Services provides pressure pumping services such as hydraulic fracturing and cementing to oil and gas companies in North America.
Coconino County public health officials have confirmed a case of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in an individual who recently traveled to the county from outside of Arizona.

The individual traveled to several areas in northern Arizona and it is unknown where the person contracted the virus.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is transmitted to people who come into contact with or breathe infected urine, droppings and/or saliva of rodents, primarily deer mice, that carry hantavirus.

The illness has not been spread from person to person.

This is the first confirmed hantavirus case in Coconino County this year and the sixth case in the county since 2007. Two cases resulted in death from complications caused by the illness. Symptoms of the illness include fever, headache and muscle aches progressing rapidly to severe difficulty in breathing.

Hantavirus is present in many areas around the Southwest.
Dear Abby:

Our organization, No Greater Love, is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that honors America's fallen and their families, and promotes peace. I am reaching out to you and your millions of readers about an important event we are planning. NGL invites you and your readers to become links in our Chain of Prayer for Peace.

As you gather together at Thanksgiving, please consider adding a special prayer for peace. Our goal is to link children and adults of all religions by praying on that day - and every day possible - for peace in the world.

We have invited the five major world religions - Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism - all of which regard peace as a universal concept. While our specific beliefs may differ, we are all one through our quest for love and peace.

Carmella LaSpada

Dear Carmella:

I am sure my readers will agree that your idea is one worth trying. I'm reminded of the adage that when a stone is tossed into a pond, the ripple effect spreads much farther than the point of impact. It's my prayer that when readers of all faiths focus their positive energy on such an important outcome, something similar will happen.

Dear Abby:

My boyfriend, "Mark," and I have been dating for three months but have been friends for about eight years. Neither of us have it together (career-wise) at the moment. Mark is two years older than I.

For some reason, he's hesitant about getting his driver's license. When I brought it up when he was a senior in high school - we were just friends then - he said he was going to get it before graduation. That was seven years ago. Now he's my boyfriend, and I feel weird picking him up and dropping him off.

His excuse is he wants to perfect parallel parking. When I got my driver's license, I did just OK with parallel parking, but I passed the driving test. How do I approach him about getting his driver's license?

Getting Nowhere in Georgia

Dear Getting Nowhere:

For whatever reason, I suspect that Mark hasn't been completely honest about why he hasn't gotten his driver's license. Approach him directly, and tell him you are uncomfortable providing all the transportation. And if his excuse is he wants to perfect his parallel parking, suggest he take a driver's education course.

DearAbby.comDear AbbyP.O. Box 69440Los Angeles, CA 90069Andrews McMeel Syndication
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A 22-year-old teacher was recently arrested by police after investigators used a student's phone to confirm a meeting with the instructor, reports News 9.

Canadian County Police began to look into Hunter Day after parents allegedly found nude photos of her on their son's phone.
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Rebuilding Together plans to help restore Harris County to its former glory by donating home hardware products to families in need.

The products donated range in material needed to help restore a home impacted by Hurricane Harvey and are valued at retail for 1 million from National Hardware, a manufacturer of residential builders' hardware.

"Hurricane Harvey captured national attention because the storm was devastating for so many in Harris County," said Christine Holland, chief executive officer of Rebuilding Together - Houston.

Kwikset, top residential lock manufacturer, Pfister, prominent faucet and plumbing hardware manufacturer, brands of Spectrum Brands, Inc. (Hardware and Home Improvement Division) are also among the products listed.

"As we stand here three months after the storm, we are beginning to rebuild local homes from the ground up and we are beyond grateful for the donation from Spectrum Brands, Inc. - Hardware and Home Improvement Division," Holland said.

The non-profit will conduct home inspections during the week as to help homeowners get the hardware they need.

"We are motivated to help not only our Harris County employees but their families, friends, and neighbors," said Tim Goff, chief marketing officer for Spectrum Brands, Inc.

He added, "Three of our leading home hardware brands answered the call-to-action by donating home hardware products."

The organization has started work on 25 Harvey-impacted homes.

Holland said the organization is always accepting donations whether it be products, monetary, or time and service, those interested in joining the initiative to help rebuild the lives of those impacted by Harvey are welcome to join.

Rebuild Together Houston annually helps thousands of Houstonians by providing free home repairs for low-income elderly, U.S. Military Veterans, and people with disabilities. The organization was first established in 1982 and has reinvested more than $120 million in affordable housing throughout Harris County.

Those looking to apply for assistance may follow the application process online at the Rebuilding Together Houston website.
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The lows of a devastating hurricane and lingering oil-price slump mixed with the highs of hosting Super Bowl LI and the Astros winning the World Series prompted Houston Airport System Director Mario Diaz to use "A Tale of Two Cities" when describing 2017.

"To paraphrase Dickens: This year was the best of times, it was the worst of times," Diaz told more than 400 people attending the Greater Houston Partnership State of the Airports on Friday. "... We can all think of numerous ways in which this passage reflects Houston."

Houston's airports were spotlighted as some 190,000 travelers passed through its gates the day after Super Bowl LI. But lingering effects from the oil-price slump slowed the city's stream of business travelers. Many of those who do fly aren't in premium seats anymore.

The Houston Airport System is set to see 53 million passengers this year, down from 54.5 million last year. Diaz said flights disrupted by Hurricane Harvey and the impact to business connections following the storm account for most of the reduction in travelers. Prior to the storm, Houston's airports had about a 2 percent increase in traffic.

At HoustonChronicle.com: Airport System hopes to reignite international interest in Houston

Diaz also detailed some of the year's advances at Bush Intercontinental, Hobby and Ellington airports.

Bush Intercontinental saw the opening of United Airlines' $277 million Terminal C North. Hobby Airport continued benefiting from the international concourse that Southwest Airlines opened in October 2015. Hobby has averaged 800,000 new international passengers per year since that opening.

"The new business came at a time when the Houston economy began to experience that dip we discussed," Diaz said. "But the new service at Hobby provided some resiliency for us and delivered on the bottom line through the market fluctuation."

Ellington Airport celebrated its 100th anniversary. And despite a blip in attracting aerospace companies to its spaceport -- Blue Origin chose Huntsville, Ala., instead of Houston for a rocket engine manufacturing facility -- Ellington continues moving forward with its plans. A new air traffic control tower will have space for future mission control operations.

Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, said advances at Ellington Airport have been featured prominently in recent proposals to attract new businesses to Houston.

At HoustonChronicle.com: Ellington on the cusp of a new frontier

Looking forward, Diaz discussed plans to demolish and rebuild the Mickey Leland International Terminal and its surroundings. He said airport officials have begun the design phase of this project.

After a few "starts and stops," including having to redo the bidding process for some of the work contracts after city council expressed concerns, the Airport System plans to open the rebuilt terminal by 2021, Diaz said.

Diaz said Friday that the new terminal will have 12 gates with the capacity to accommodate the wide-body Airbus A380 aircraft. Diaz also said that passenger traffic was trending in the right direction, and he expressed optimism for Houston's recovering economy.

"A tale of two cities?" he asked. "Or is it maybe just a tale of one of America's greatest cities demonstrating determination, resilience and courage."

The room filled with applause.
Offshore oil rig workers will remain without broad whistleblower protections after a federal agency this week opted to withdraw recommendations made in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board opted to pull its worker participation and whistleblower protection recommendations after the federal agency that regulates offshore drilling, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, refused to enact the protections. Under President Donald Trump, the bureau has shifted its focus to reducing what it calls unnecessary regulations.

The chemical safety board is an advisory panel without regulatory authority. Its recommendations of April 2016, while President Barack Obama was still in office, would have allowed oil rig employees to stop work in the event of safety concerns and provide them legal whistleblower protections against retaliation.

The chemical safetly board voted 3-1 to withdraw the recommendations, citing confusion over which agency would oversee the implementation - the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Occupational Safety and Health Administration or Coast Guard. The only opposing vote was Rick Engler, who argued the safety bureau has oversight authority.

"The [chemical safety board] is entrusted by the American people to do all that we can do to prevent such catastrophes," Engler said. "The recommendations at issue, if implemented, can help prevent the next disaster."

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion killed 11 workers and resulted in a three-month discharge of nearly 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana. The resulting investigations determined that BP and its contractorscut corners and ignored warning signs.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement was created in 2011 because of the regulatory failings identified after the Deepwater Horizon tragedy.

Even with the downturn in oil prices and the reduced offshore drilling activity, the concerns remain great, Engler said. "Workforce cutbacks increase economic fears among workers, diminishing the likelihood that incidents, hazards and potential risks are discussed and reported," he said.

But Vanessa Sutherland, chairwoman of the chemical safety board, reiterated that it cannot force the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement to act. She's asking Congress to intervene and clarify the agency's authority. "It is clear that there is ambiguity within the federal government regarding the jurisdiction of offshore worker protections."

For now, the bureau, which is an agency of the Interior Department, is focused on relieving the offshore oil and gas industry of unnecessary regulations without jeopardizing safety, said Gregory Julian, a spokesman for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Douglas Morris, chief of the agency's offshore regulatory program, told the chemical safety board that it should instead work with industry groups such as the American Petroleum Institute and International Association of Drilling Contractors to develop voluntary guidelines for protecting offshore workers and whistleblower.

Under Trump, the Interior Department has promoted the expansion of oil and gas production both onshore and off. Trump's interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, has said the stars have lined up for the U.S. oil and gas sector to dominate global energy markets.
A 22-year-old Alabama man has been charged with rape and murder after police discovered his 9-month-old daughter dead Tuesday.

Christopher Conway, of Grand Bay, was arrested by the Clarksville Police Department in Tennessee after emergency medical professionals responded to his home, al.com reported. The infant, who was a twin, was pronounced dead at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
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Playboy is stepping out of its comfort zone by featuring Molly Constable, a plus-sized model.

The men's magazine teased Constable's photo shoot with photographer Heather Hazzan on Instagram with the caption, "@mollyconstable revisits her roots in the beautiful upstate New York countryside.

RIP HEFNER: Founder of Playboy magazine dies at 91

@mollyconstable revisits her roots in the beautiful upstate New York countryside. by @heatherhazzan Stylist: @calvy.click Hairstylist: @thisisclay A post shared by Playboy (@playboy) on Nov 7, 2017 at 7:47pm PST

Constable told Harper's Bazaar in February that she was discovered on Instagram. The social media platform has paid off for Constable, where she has over 27,700 followers. Fans have showered her with praise from the photos she's shared so far from her Playboy shoot.

4 PLAYBOY BY @HEATHERHAZZAN @CALVY.CLICK @THISISCLAY A post shared by Molly Constable (@mollyconstable) on Nov 7, 2017 at 9:17am PST

Constable told the Daily Mail that the fashion industry needs more diversity. "Your weight is not important. It's how you act toward people and feel on the inside," Constable said.

Now Playing: Hunter S. Thompsons widow, Anita, posted a photo with a heartfelt letter about a time the publisher helped her after the Thompsons suicide left her with very little money. Jose Sepulveda(@josesepulvedatv) has more. Video: Buzz60

Playboy made headlines in October when the magazine featured its first transgender Playmate.

Scroll through the gallery above to see celebrity Playboy models who have graced the magazine's cover.

Will Axford is a digital reporter for Chron.com. Read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter.
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It's possibly the biggest water plant project in the world and is expected to cost $1.4 billion.

Project engineers gathered at Woodcreek Middle School on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at a town hall meeting to discuss the expansion of the Northeast Water Purification Plant with members of the community who will be affected by construction.

In a video, Andrew Molly, senior assistant director with the city of Houston, looked over Lake Houston.

"This will be the future water supply for the city of Houston, for its surrounding region and all of its citizens for the next 50-100 years," Molly said.

The expansion will increase water capacity at the existing plant next to Lake Houston from 80 million gallons a day to 400. Water will be channeled through the Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project, at first through steel waterlines and then through a series of canals, from the Trinity River to Lake Houston. The water plant will treat the water through ozonation before it moved through transmission lines to western portions of the area. Ozonation disinfects the water and eliminates taste and odor.

There are two reasons the expansion is important, according to Ravi Kaleyatodi, project director  subsidence and growth.

The Houston region mainly is dependent on groundwater  one of the main causes of subsidence, which is when the ground shifts downward or collapses. The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District has mandated the region increase its dependence on surface water to 60 percent by 2025 and to 80 percent by 2035.

Because the plant is scheduled to be complete in 2024, it will meet the mandate, Kaleyatodi said.

Also, Kaleyatodi said, the greater Houston area is expected to grow from 6.5 million to 10 million in the next 14 years.

Dozens attended the meeting and wanted to know if the new plant would be able to withstand floodwaters and if the project would add silt to the lake. Engineers assured the crowd, the expansion would be higher up than the existing plant. They revised the plans after Hurricane Harvey.

Councilman Dave Martin insisted the problem with silt in Lake Houston is not the result of the plant expansion, but of sand picked up from the San Jacinto River, which pours into the lake. The river needs to be dredged, he said, and it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to dredge the lake.

The project is a partnership between Houston and the North Ft. Bend, North Harris County, West Harris County and Central Harris County regional water authorities.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2018.

For more information, visit greaterhoustonwater.com.
Cathy Davis has spent the last two years since she moved into Arrowhead Village Mobile Home Park working to make her house feel like home by adding landscaping, plants, installing new floors and remodeling the bathroom.

I wanted to make our home a cute little home, Davis said.

However, all the time and money she spent trying to improve the trailer, which she bought in March 2015, may soon be for nothing. On Wednesday, she and the other residents of Arrowhead Village off Blackbird Roost received a notice that the property had been sold and they had six months to have their trailers moved or abandon the buildings they have called home.

I am totally disabled, Davis said. This is my home, how am I supposed to move it?

Davis lives with her daughter, Rachael Watkins, in the single-wide mobile home, which is one of very few that is in sturdy enough condition to be moved away from the park. Davis estimates six trailers in the park of more than 50 are fit to be moved.

In the letter sent to residents, titled Notice of change of use from mobile home park to commercial use, residents are told they have until May 7 to either move or abandon their mobile homes. The letter says the new owner, Kings House Inc., is changing the use of the property.

Once the change has gone into effect no one will be allowed to live on the property, the letter states.

However, the propertys zoning does not allow commercial uses unless the owner receives a conditional use permit from the citys Planning and Zoning Commission or a rezoning from the City Council. The parcel is zoned manufactured home, which allows for residential use in manufactured homes as a primary use. The zone also permits conventionally framed or constructed single-family homes that are related or incidental to the primary use.

The letter, which directs residents to contact Keith Hammond, the attorney for the owner, tells residents that owners of a single-wide trailer may be compensated up to $7,500 and owners of a double-wide trailer could receive $12,500 through the states Mobile Home Relocation Fund if they choose to have their trailers relocated to another mobile home park within 50 miles. Owners of mobile homes who choose to abandon their homes can receive up to $1,850 for a single-wide trailer and $3,125 for a double-wide trailer, according to the letter.

Susan Ontiveros, a neighbor of Davis and Watkins, has lived in the mobile home park for 31 years and remembers the last time residents were told the park would be sold in 2013, which, like this time, was announced right before the holiday season.

Im really upset at these people, Ontiveros said of the propertys new owners. They think they can do something just because they have money.

In 2013, Landmark Properties, the developer of The Standard, wanted to buy the park in order to build the apartment complex on it. The developer eventually decided not to include the parcel in the plans for the apartment complex, which is now under construction on West Route 66.

Ontiveros trailer, which was made in 1978, is not in good enough shape to be moved, due to a flood that caused the trailer to sink into the ground.

I wouldnt move it anyway, it would fall apart if I tried, she said.

Davis and her daughter have started looking around for spaces available in the Flagstaff area, and she said the best case scenario would be finding a piece of land she could park her trailer on and lease to own.

Davis said the former owner of the mobile home park has offered her a space in one of his other parks, including places in Peoria and Apache Junction.

I dont want to go to the Valley, I dont do well with the heat, Davis said. My family is here, and with the income Im on, Ill never see them unless they come down.

Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans, who was involved in advocating for the parks residents in 2013 and 2014, said the notice, which leads the reader to believe the property already allows commercial uses, is misleading.

If the parcel does come up for rezoning before the council, Evans said she will give weight to how the occupants were treated when they were asked to relocate when making her decision on whether to allow the zoning change.

This is a disaster, Evans said. We already have an affordable housing problem in Flagstaff, and these are people who own their homes and are definitely low-income who are losing their homes.

Evans said the relocation of the occupants needs to be done in a humane way, and the process will be scrutinized if the new owner asks to rezone the parcel.

The entire city is watching, Evans said. In my opinion, a rezoning is a community right, and if that is their intention, how the people there are treated would weigh in to how the community would grant that right.

Residents of the park plan to attend the Flagstaff City Council meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to talk to the council about the notice.
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Several teenagers who often volunteer at Bay Area charity events will compete in the Miss Texas Teen USA pageant the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Lauren Hudson will swap her Girl Scout uniform for sportswear and an evening gown as she represents Clear Lake as an at-large contestant in the statewide preliminary to Miss Teen USA.

The Nov. 25-26 event at Hilton Post Oak in Houston will be the first pageant for the 16-year-old daughter of Brad and Mary Beth Hudson of Clear Lake.

She will join several familiar faces from the Bay Area who boast prior pageant wins, including Bryn Carden, 17, the winner of last summer's Miss Kemah Teen pageant; the previous year's Miss Kemah Teen, 18-year-old Skylar Bantz, who will represent San Marcos, where she's already a junior at Texas State University; and Rachel Epperson, 16, whose parents are Greg and Thuy Epperson of Friendswood.

Lauren Hudson

Lauren Hudson is a junior at Clear Lake High School, where she has played volleyball and is rehearsing her role as a soprano in the school's upcoming Christmas concert.

She is one of more than 90 at-large contestants vying for the title who represent their hometowns without the benefit of winning a preliminary pageant such as for Miss Kemah Teen that guarantees them sponsors.

However, Hudson said, she has benefitted from the advice of Kelly Williams, who was recently named the official director of the Miss Kemah Teen pageant, which Williams has co-directed since its founding six years ago. Miss Kemah Teen is open to girls from across the state.

"Because this is her first pageant ever, we visited about what she should expect at a state pageant," Williams said. "I told her the most important part of any pageant is to have fun and meet as many people as you can."

Bryn Carden

Miss Kemah Teen is Bryn Carden, the daughter of Mike and Lori Carden of Cypress, and a junior at Cypress-Fairbanks High School.

She placed as third runner-up in the 2017 Miss Houston Teen USA pageant last spring, then won Miss Kemah Teen 2017.

"She had heard so many good things about Kelly Williams and how well-organized the pageant is," Lori Carden said. "After winning, she spent the whole Fourth of July weekend in Kemah, riding in the parade and performing community service projects at a number of appearances."

"The city of Kemah and surrounding areas are ready to cheer her on," said Williams.

"On top of a busy schedule of school activities, Bryn designed bracelets to sell, with proceeds going to an international charity, Smile Train, which provides free surgery to children with cleft palates in developing countries. The bracelets can be ordered until December from www.BrynsStyleforSmiles.com.

Skylar Bantz

During Skylar Bantz's year as Miss Kemah Teen 2016, she made many appearances in the Bay Area while also earning an associate's degree in biology and graduating from Westside High School in Houston.

She is the daughter of Steven Bantz, a Houston businessman, and Sheila Ybarra, who was the first Miss Bay Area USA to compete at Miss Texas USA, in 1998.

As Sheila Coleman, a graduate of La Porte High School, Ybarra made the Top 10 at the state pageant and now operates Makeup by Sheila in Houston's Galleria area.

"I quit my engineering job to focus on running my own business," said Ybarra, whose husband, Moses Ybarra, owns El Toro Mexican Restaurants.

"As 2016 Miss Kemah Teen, Skylar did incredible and placed in the top 15 and was Top 3 for swimsuit," Williams said.

Rachel Epperson

Rachel Epperson didn't compete in a pageant until last spring, when she won the title of Miss Teen Lone Star Texas in a pageant system that emphasizes community service.

Last June, advancing to the national contest in San Antonio, Epperson was crowned Miss Teen United America.

Epperson became familiar with the Miss Teen USA system by attending the state pageant each year in Houston.

It's an annual tradition for Epperson and her mother, Thuy Epperson, and sister, Lauren, 13.

"Every Thanksgiving, we take a weekend just for the girls," explained Thuy Epperson, a Friendswood insurance agent.

This year, a total of 104 contestants will compete in three equally judged categories: personal interview, sportswear and evening wear.

Sportswear replaces last year's swimsuit category.

Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net
Authorities are looking for a man with a long gun after a homicide Friday morning in the 14300 block of Ella Boulevard, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

At least one person is dead after the shooting, which occurred about just after 10:30 a.m. in an apartment complex parking lot.

The gunman fled the scene and has not been apprehended, said Harris County Sheriff's Office Deputy Thomas Gilliland.

Witnesses said they heard gunfire in the parking lot on the west side of the complex. A man was shot, then tried to drive his pickup around to the other side of the complex. He lost control of his truck and crashed into several cars that were parked in the lot.

"He had suffered a gunshot wound and probably lost consciousness and hit the cars," Gilliland said.

When deputies arrived, the man in the truck was dead.

There have been no sightings of the suspect since the shooting, when he fled the scene. Witnesses described him as a man in his late twenties or early thirties wearing a white shirt and dark blue pants. He is armed with a long gun.

The 14300 block of Ella is near Kuykendahl in north Houston, just west of Interstate 45 and north of Beltway 8.
Houston ISD board members Thursday for the third time unanimously approved Kashmere High School's state-mandated turnaround plans, a proposal that must be approved to avoid state intervention.

The turnaround plan, required after Kashmere High School received an eighth straight "improvement required" rating for low academic performance, now includes additional detail requested by the Texas Education Agency. If state education officials don't accept the district's plan for Kashmere High School, the state education commissioner must close the campus, order new management of the school or take over the district's board of trustees.

District officials voiced optimism that the plan will satisfy requests from the Texas Education Agency. Houston ISD administrators communicated with state education officials in recent days about any shortcomings in the amended plan, and Superintendent Richard Carranza spoke with Education Commissioner Mike Morath over the week, district officials said.

"We went beyond, adding additional supporting details, so there's no question about what we're doing to turn Kashmere around," Houston ISD Chief Academic Officer Grenita Lathan said.

In a letter to the district, state education leaders said Houston ISD's second plan for Kashmere High School fell short in several areas, including a lack of documentation about budget, staffing and input from campus committees.

Carranza said some of the state's reasons for rejecting the plan were subjective, and district officials have responded to those opinions. The plan largely follows the district's $24-million "Achieve 180" initiative to improve 32 lower-performing campuses.

"I have never seen a turnaround plan with this much documentation in my 29 years of education," Carranza said.

Kashmere High School is the only school in Texas that has failed to meet state academic standards for eight consecutive years or more. About 5 percent of Texas schools fall short of those standards each year.

But school leaders and board members have touted progress at the campus in the past two years under Principal Nancy Blackwell. After falling significantly short of state standards before Blackwell's arrival, Kashmere High School missed the mark by a sliver in 2016 and 2017.

"Those things that are in this plan are the things that we're already doing," said Houston ISD Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones, whose district includes Kashmere High School. "I have confidence that they're working."

Even if the turnaround plan receives the Texas Education Agency's blessing, Houston ISD remains under threat of state intervention on another front. If 10 chronically low-performing campuses, including Kashmere High School, don't meet state standards this year, Morath must close failing schools or replace the district's entire board of trustees. Several campuses could get a reprieve if they convert to in-district charter schools.

Skillern-Jones and Trustee Jolanda Jones expressed frustration over the Texas Education Agency's level of involvement in Houston ISD's affairs, including the turnaround plan demands. Ultimately, both joined four other board members in approving the plan. Trustees Anna Eastman and Michael Lunceford were not present.

"I hate this TEA mandate that looms over us, but what I don't want to risk is closure of this school," Skillern-Jones said. "My students don't deserve that. So if this is what it takes to keep the school from being closed, then I'm all in."
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Three Texas men have pleaded guilty to criminal charges after they each poached a trophy whitetail buck, in three separate incidents, with a combined Boone & Crockett (B&C) score of over 535 inches.

A press release by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) said the men  John Walker Drinnon, 34, Timothy Kane Sweet, 37, Brian Eugene Culp, 47,  killed two 19-point bucks and a 10-point buck respectively and ended up having to pay civil restitution worth well over $34,000.

STARTING EARLY: Texas kids show off their hunting skills

According to the TPWD, the deer were killed in Grayson County, where the only legal means of hunting whitetail deer is with archery and crossbow equipment.

Now Playing: This buck is enjoying his lazy day in the countryside of Colorado, USA. The buck dozes in and out of sleep, adorably hitting his antlers off the wire behind him! Credit: James B via Storyful Video: Storyful

After first denying his action, Drinnon confessed to killing his buck  which scored 202 B&C  "in Grayson County from a public roadway with a rifle," according to TPWD. He was charged with hunting without a license, hunting from the public roadway and illegal means and methods among other things.

Simmilar to Drinnon, Sweet first denied claims that he'd shot the buck in Grayson County. However, his buck  which scored 177 B&C  has a unique rack which had been seen on game cameras in the county. He admitted to having "shot it five or six times illegally at night with a pistol," and also faced illegal means and methods charges, along with charges for hunting out of season.

HEARTWARMING: Texas non-profit helps vets reintegrate back into society through hunting

Culp's case was a little different. Instead of lying about where he shot his buck  which scored 157 B&C  or hunting out of season, the 47-year-old killed his whitetail in season, but tried to take advantage of hunting license benefits reserved for disabled veterans."

According to TPWD, the "Super Combo" license is available at no cost for disabled veterans, and Culp was not qualified to have one. He was charged with hunting without a valid license.

"These cases exemplify the hard work and dedication state game wardens deliver day in and day out to enforce Texas game laws," said Col. Grahame Jones, TWPD Law Enforcement Division Director in the press release. "I want to extend special recognition and gratitude to Grayson County game wardens Michael Hummert [the lead investigator] and Daron Blackerby for a job well done."

Take a look through the gallery at the top to see photos of the bucks that were poached.

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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Police in Central Texas arrested a man for an unsolved murder after a church member said he confessed his guilt to the congregation.

The Brownwood Bulletin reports Ryan Derek Riggs, 21, told the North Lake Community Church congregation on Wednesday that he killed Rhonda "Chantay" Blankinship in 2016.

SCANDALOUS: Ex-United pilot who ran Houston brothels gets probation and $2,000 fine

That confession led a church member to contact the Brown County Sheriff's Office and Riggs' parents drove him to authorities, the newspaper reports.

Now Playing: After service nearby, the congregation hosted a memorial honoring all 26 victims who their lives last Sunday. Video: Fox7

The Facebook group #Justice for Chantay# reports that she was from North Lake Brownwood and 25 years old at the time of her death. Riggs is also from North Lake Brownwood, according to reports.

North Lake Community Church is in May, approximately 15 miles away from Lake Brownwood.

The confession comes after the sheriff's office released a 3D rendering of the possible killer, using forensic DNA analysis recovered by police.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office did not respond to Chron.com's inquiries about Riggs' confession and Blankinship's murder on Thursday.

Blankinship was found beaten to death about five miles from her home on May 15, 2016, reports TV station KRBC. She was reported missing two days before her body was found, causing her photo to be shared thousands of times on social media, the news station reports.

News station KTXS-TV reports Riggs posted about Blankinship on Facebook after her death. The post is titled "Justice for Chantay." The news station reports Riggs shared the post eight days after Blankinship's murder.

The Brownwood Bulletin reports Blankinship's body was found with blunt force injuries to her neck, torso and face. The newspaper also reports there was evidence that Blankinship was sexually assaulted and that semen was collected at the scene. The newspaper did not specify if the semen was the DNA used to create the 3D rendering of the suspected killer.

TEXAS MURDER: Trials set for county deputy and husband charged in Denny's chokehold death

Riggs is charged with capital murder and illegal dumping. A bond has not been set for his murder charge, KTXS-TV reports.

Scroll through the gallery above to see how police sketches match up to arrest photos.
A Northern Arizona University professor was arrested Oct. 30 and indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury on five counts of felony stalking  one involving a student -- and three counts of giving false information to law enforcement.

Melissa Ann Santana, 36, who worked as an associate professor of interior design, is accused of habitually stalking and harassing two firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service hotshot crew in Flagstaff, the wife of one of the firefighters, one of their friends, and an NAU student.

The stalking occurred from February 2015 to September 2017 and was largely committed through electronic communication, according to U.S. District Court documents. Santana committed the offenses using many different identities, email addresses, social media accounts and temporary telephone numbers.

The names of the victims are redacted in the report.

Santana was arrested on the NAU campus on Oct. 30 by United States Forest Service law officers. NAU spokeswoman Kimberly Ott said on Monday that Santana was no longer employed at the university but would not comment on her arrest.

The university does not comment on what appears to be an ongoing criminal matter, Ott said.

Hotshots and false statements

Santana met both firefighters through the online dating app Tinder. She met the first firefighter, labeled as N.L. in court documents, in November 2015, where she used the online alias Ann, 29 according to court documents.

N.L. told law enforcement that he had a sexual relationship with the married professor, meeting mostly in her NAU office and his house, until June 2016, when he ended the relationship.

The second firefighter, labeled as K.T. in court documents, was matched on Tinder with Santana, also under the alias Ann, 29 in August 2016 and told her he wanted to meet in September 2016. He told law enforcement that he quickly learned that it was the same person who was harassing his coworker.

According to court documents, both men received harassing messages from Santana under multiple false names such as Laura Towner and Kendall Patterson.

The messages, according to the documents, ranged from sentimental, such as a text to N.L. that said I miss you so much, to malicious, with Santana telling K.T. to be like the Granite guys and go die in a fire, referring to the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died in the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.

She later sent a message to K.Ts fiance, under the alias Kelli Torrence, claiming that she was having a sexual relationship with K.T.

Santana allegedly vandalized one firefighters car by keying an expletive into the driver side door and slashing his tires. She also threatened to post another firefighters picture online and advertise him for sexual services.

In September 2016, Santana sent an email under the name Cathy McCarthy to multiple supervisors of the hotshot crew claiming that Flagstaff hotshots raped her 15-year-old daughter while heading to a fire near Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Rock Springs Police Department told Forest Service investigators that no Cathy McCarthy lives in the town, according to the federal courts criminal complaint. Investigators also confirmed that the IP address attached to the email belonged to Santana.

The criminal complaint also states that Santana sent a text message using a fake number to the Globe Hotshot Superintendent Dean Whitney on September 2016.

The text said, Can you please tell REDACTED to call me. He wont return my phone calls, Im pregnant, its his. He needs to take responsibility. Thanks.

She sent the same message to the Flagstaff hotshot crew superintendent.

Student harassment

One NAU student,, whose name was also redacted, told Forest Service investigators that he met Santana through a Craigslist post in 2014 and met her in person for the first time in February 2015. The student told the investigator that stalking on the NAU Facebook page began about a week later.

The student said he received harassing phone calls from various unknown numbers, emails and posts on his personal Facebook page.

He said the cyber-harassment also included a smear campaign against him that he had sexually transmitted diseases. The student did not mention Santana by name, but the Northern Arizona IP address shows that the computers user searched the names of the hotshot firefighters N.L. and K.T as well as their families.

Court documents state that the students friends were harassed online by Santana under the fake name Amanda Foster. One of his friends was fired from her job after continuous false post and emails that claimed she steals.

The student told investigators that he confided about being stalked to Santana and described the former professor as a friend.

Detained

United States Magistrate Judge Charles R. Pyle ordered Santana to be detained, according to court documents. He denied her release on the grounds that she was a danger to the public and a flight risk due to her use of multiple aliases over three years.

The document did not state where Santana is being held.

If convicted she faces a maximum sentence of 40 years, according to federal court documents.
On Monday evening, the White House hosted a panel promoting fossil fuels at the UN Climate Change Negotiations in Bonn, Germany. They brought in an executive from Peabody Coal, NuScale Power, and other fossil fuel representatives to promote coal as clean energy. Unavoidably, they were proven wrong. With our hands over our hearts, around 200 people from across the globe rose in song to stand against the US administrations message. I was one of the core team of 15 people that organized this massive walkout.

We disrupted their lies with song, singing to the tune of God Bless the USA. So you claim to be an American, but we see right through your greed, we sang as we held our hands over our hearts. After occupying the panel for 10 minutes, we walked out and left the White House and fossil fuel representatives talking to themselves while we gathered with hundreds more young people and global allies outside of the room who werent able to get inside.

These past two weeks, thousands from around the world have gathered in Bonn for the UN Climate Negotiations. On the second day, Syria joined the Paris Agreement, making the United States the only country not participating in this historical framework to solve the global climate crisis. It shows that the Trump administration is completely isolated and acting as a rogue nation, failing to support not only the interests of the international community but also its own people. As the world prepares to move forward with or without the US, the American people who are still in to fight for climate justice are welcomed with open arms.

Its clear we cannot count on this administration to protect our families and loved ones. Mondays panel showed how the US government has been bought out by the fossil fuel elite. I am here as an official youth delegate with SustainUS to represent the young people in the US who are worried about what climate change means for our futures. Im scared and angry because climate change is accelerating while our government has been corrupted by fossil fuel CEOs and the politicians theyve bought out.

This summer, Phoenix experienced record-breaking high temperatures. Pictures of melting trash cans and mailboxes in Phoenix went viral throughout the country. Heat-related deaths are projected to increase more in Arizona than most of the US. As each year passes with record-breaking temperatures, I feel more and more scared of the place I call home.

As a young person, the melting trashcans, uncontrollable fires, and relentless storms of 2017 weigh heavily on my mind. These occurrences are clear signs of our changing world, a sneak peek into the future world we will have to live in if we dont stop climate change. On a warming planet, how will we grow enough food, have enough water, and protect ourselves from increasing heat in the Southwest?

Our region, the Colorado Plateau, is an energy sacrifice zone within the US. This means that some of the most intensive and extractive energy infrastructure in the nation lurks in our backyards. Fracking wells poison our water, uranium mining spreads cancer among our people, and coal-fired power plants pollute our air. It is no accident that such a large portion of our region is also tribal land, and that so much of the health risks fall disproportionately onto tribal communities.

It feels as if the world is reaching its tipping point, and we are at a crossroads. We can choose to let the few, wealthy fossil fuel barons who have infiltrated our governments continue to worsen the melting trashcans, spark uncontrollable fires, and fuel destructive storms that are tearing our world apart. Or, we can fight back against these few individuals and build a world where everyone, no matter their ZIP code, has access to clean air, clean water and a stable climate. Im fighting for a world that is livable for all of us. Are you?
In an effort to end deadly high-speed chases, the Houston Police Department will begin allowing officers to use a controversial driving maneuver that they hope will stop fleeing motorists before they threaten others on the road.

Chief Art Acevedo announced Friday that officers would begin using the Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT maneuver, which was developed decades ago in Germany as an anti-terrorist tactic.

"We're doing this because the safety of our officers matters to us  the safety of our community really matters to us," Acevedo said, "And then the safety of the suspects matter as well."

Houston police have engaged in more than 4,000 vehicle pursuits since 2012, leading to injuries for more than 32 officers, about 1,000 innocent victims and 6,000 fleeing suspects, he said.

On average, five people died every year in pursuits. Last year, 13 people  including a Patton Village police sergeant  died in high-speed chases over a 13-week stretch.

"That's simply not acceptable to us," Acevedo said.

Police unveiled the maneuver publicly Friday for reporters at the department's training academy in north Houston.

To execute the maneuver, officers drive next to a fleeing suspect, match the car's speed and then nudge the rear corner of the vehicle behind the back wheel. If done properly, the maneuver forces the fleeing vehicle to spin out safely and stop, causing little damage to either vehicle.

When used at high speeds or with narrow vehicles that have a high center of gravity, however, the maneuver can cause vehicles to roll over, leading to injuries and fatalities, experts said.

"PIT maneuvers are really important tools for police, but they've got to be done right and in the right conditions," said Geoffrey Alpert, a professor at the University of South Carolina who has studied police pursuits extensively.

Acevedo said officers would not be performing the maneuver at high speeds, but declined to say exactly at what speeds the maneuver would be allowed, saying he did not want to reveal tactical specifics.

The move announced Friday drew support from state and local law enforcement leaders.

"If there's an opportunity to end a chase before it goes on for a prolonged period of time, that's a good thing and we need to explore that option," said incoming Houston Police Officers Union President Joseph Gamaldi. "Because the longer these chases go on, the bigger risk it is to the officers and the civilians out on the street."

'They've got to be done right'

Police pursuits have often ended in tragedy. In June 2016, a 39-year-old Patton Village police sergeant died after being struck by another vehicle while pursuing a suspect. In the same chase, an 11-year-old boy died and his 9-year-old sister was injured.

In July, two brothers fleeing police died in a fiery crash in north Houston. The pair fled in a pickup after police tried to pull them over for questioning about another accident. During the high-speed chase, they crashed into a concrete pillar.

Before Acevedo took over the department in December, HPD had not permitted officers to use the PIT maneuver.

Former Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland  who acknowledged that the maneuver can be effective in ending chases  said he prohibited PIT maneuvers because of concerns they endangered the safety of police officers, suspects and the public while putting more wear and tear on police cars.

A spinning car can also make it easier for a suspect to fire at an officer, he said.

"We were already in a situation where we had extreme car shortages," he said. "Officers routinely didn't wear their seatbelts, and got hurt in crashes... And I didn't want to create crossfire situations.

"I just didn't think it was worth it," he said. "I never bought the argument."

Law enforcement departments in at least 28 states train officers to use the maneuver. In Texas, the Department of Public Safety began training troopers to perform PIT maneuvers in 2015.

HPD officers would have to train for 10 hours before being certified to use the maneuver, officials said at the news conference.

But the maneuver also has detractors. Some police chiefs in other countries view it skeptically. A chief in Perth, Australia said the maneuver was "highly dangerous," according to a 2016 report by ABC News in Australia.

Support from rank and file

The Harris County Sheriff's Office does not currently permit deputies to perform the maneuver because of liability concerns.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Thursday he was "open and considering" the possibility of having sheriff's deputies use the PIT maneuver.

"I want to make sure we're looking into safety issues," he said.

A 2008 study commissioned by the Ford Motor Co. recommended PIT maneuvers only be used at low speeds.

"The authors do not endorse the use of PIT maneuver at high-speed situations," according to the study. "Because the ultimate purpose of PIT maneuver is to prevent the pursued from proceeding forward, instead of throwing it into complete instability, the execution of PIT maneuvers should be limited to relatively low speeds."

Law enforcement agencies have come under scrutiny for failing to impose such safeguards. A 2015 investigation by The Intercept found that the Georgia State Patrol has used the maneuver widely since implementing it in 1998, but without imposing speed limits for officers. Since then, more than two-dozen deaths and nearly 300 injuries were attributed to PIT-related pursuits, according to the Intercept's investigation.

The California Highway Patrol uses the maneuver but forbids officers from performing it if they are traveling at more than 35 mph. From 2002 to 2015, California officers ended 967 pursuits with a PIT maneuver  during which one person died and 83 were injured.

Other law enforcement labor groups also expressed support for allowing officers to use the maneuver, and said it was a decision departments don't undertake lightly.

"It's not some sort of whimsical helter-skelter item or issue," said Charley Wilkison, executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, a statewide labor group. "It's truly part of a strategy to save lives."

Harris County Deputies Organization President David Cuevas said he hoped deputies might be able to use the maneuver in the future.

"We need to be trained, have the ability to do the PIT maneuver," he said. "Why would you limit law enforcement's ability to effectively stop a moving threat?"

St. John Barned-Smith covers public safety and major breaking news for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Send tips to st.john.smith@chron.com.
It's best to stay off the road this Thanksgiving and finish those leftovers.

A new study by security research company ASecureLife ranked Houston as the most dangerous city to travel to this Thanksgiving, citing fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as the reason.
A longtime Houston police officer arrested in an extensive prostitution sting in October has been identified.

Robert Teweleit, 54, was arrested Oct. 4 during a 10-day sting at a massage parlor turned brothel that was taken over in early October by Houston Police Department, spokesman John Cannon exclusively told Chron.com Friday afternoon. He was charged with misdemeanor prostitution, according to Harris County District Court documents.

Teweleit's name and mugshot were initially withheld by police following the sting, which netted 138 other people. Those names and mugshots were immediately released. Teweleit was not identified because he was an undercover officer, Cannon added. Teweleit was last assigned to the auto theft division. He was sworn into the department September 1986.

READ MORE: HPD prostitution sting nets Houston cop among 139 clients

Cannon told Chron.com that they were comfortable releasing Teweleit's name, information, and mugshot Friday because enough time had passed since his arrest. Teweleit was initially suspended with pay until he retired from HPD on Nov. 1

Teweleit retained the legal services of Paul Gene Aman, who was unavailable for comment Friday. Aman's legal administrator, David Donahue, told Chron.com Friday afternoon that he worried of his client's identity being made public considering his undercover position in the department.

Teweleit is due back in court Dec. 11.

Once known as the "7 Star Spa" at 11316 Westheimer, the massage parlor with seven private rooms, two stand-up shower rooms and a kitchen/laundry room had a sordid history of prostitution busts before it was closed in 2016, police officials said during a news conference Oct. 26.

HPD's vice division reopened the spa in early October as "8 Star Spa," and officers disguised themselves as employees to make arrests. Most of the men were arrested at the brothel after money changed hands, and they were then booked into jail.

During a news conference Oct. 26, HPD Chief Art Acevedo said the undercover police officers charged an average rate of $60 as a door fee and $120 for sex acts.

"These 139 individuals are part of the reason the sex trade is alive here in Houston," Acevedo said during the conference. "These men should be ashamed."

Because Teweleit was arrested while off duty, the Houston Police Officers Union is not representing him, second vice president Joe Gamaldi told Chron.com. Teweleit's arrest and charge does not affect his pension, Gamaldi added.

"If the allegations are true, it is conduct unbecoming of a Houston police officer," Gamaldi said.

Fernando Alfonso III is a digital reporter at Chron.com. You can read more of his stories here and follow him on twitter at @fernalfonso. If you also like surreal GIFs and Polaroids, go here and here.


A woman accused of crossing the Hidalgo bridge with cocaine tied to her thigh was arrested by police on Monday, according to a report.

Lorena Barrera, 23, was apprehended while walking on the bridge from Reynosa to Hidalgo, reports news station CBS 4 News. Police said they found a kilogram of cocaine on Barrera while they searched her down.
Update at 11:17 a.m.: Officials with Hard Rock International said the stolen Eddie Van Halen guitar has been safely returned to the restaurant. They are now working with local authorities investigating the incident.

Original story: A thief walked into the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown San Antonio Friday morning, grabbed an iconic Eddie Van Halen guitar off the wall and then walked out.
AUSTIN  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will spend $5 billion in Texas to help rebuild damaged homes, businesses and other infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Harvey.

The funding, announced Friday, comes from HUD's Community Development Block Grant program, which received $7.4 billion for disaster relief in September. The remainder of the money will go to other disaster-affected areas, such as Florida and Puerto Rico.

"This is to meet the unmet housing needs here ... and to help Texans that have been displaced from their homes to rebuild their lives," said HUD Deputy Secretary Pamela Hughes Patenaude at a news conference with Gov. Greg Abbott. "We stand ready at HUD to help cut the red tape."

Abbott said the funding is "exactly what is needed" to help families rebuild. He commended Sen. John Cornyn for helping secure the funding. Cornyn, who was in Austin on Friday, said he wants to ensure that the federal government provides the funding Texas needs to recover.

Earlier this month, Abbott traveled to Washington seeking $61 billion in additional funding. But Congress is facing multiple recovery efforts. Florida was battered by Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, and California sustained significant damage from widespread wildfires.

"Texas has one of the largest delegations in the country, and we see it as our responsibility to do what we need to do in order to make sure the federal government lives up to its complete responsibility when it comes to Hurricane Harvey recovery," Cornyn said.

HUD will develop criteria for how to distribute the block grant money. Abbott expects that will take about two weeks. The money will then go to the state, to be divided among local governments following a public comment period.

That means it will likely take months for the money to reach Houston and other affected areas.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, who is overseeing the housing recovery efforts, said the $5 billion will help rebuild 1.2 million homes.

"We are now tasked with the largest housing recovery in American history, a role that we take very seriously," Bush said.

Alejandra Matos covers politics, education and immigration policy. Follow her on Twitter. Send her tips at alejandra.matos@chron.com.
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If only 1 percent of the information here is true, then, yes, we have been duped big time.

Global Research, by Tony Cartalucci

dupe (d p, dy p)

n.

1. An easily deceived person.

2. A person who functions as the tool of another person or power.

tr.v. duped, duping, dupes To deceive (an unwary person).

December 24, 2011  In January of 2011, we were told that spontaneous, indigenous uprising had begun sweeping North Africa and the Middle East in what was hailed as the Arab Spring. It would be almost four months before the corporate-media would admit that the US had been behind the uprisings and that they were anything but spontaneous, or indigenous. In an April 2011 article published by the New York Times titled, U.S. Groups Helped Nurture Arab Uprisings, it was stated:

A number of the groups and individuals directly involved in the revolts and reforms sweeping the region, including the April 6 Youth Movement in Egypt, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and grass-roots activists like Entsar Qadhi, a youth leader in Yemen, received training and financing from groups like the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute and Freedom House, a nonprofit human rights organization based in Washington.

The article would also add, regarding the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED):

The Republican and Democratic institutes are loosely affiliated with the Republican and Democratic Parties. They were created by Congress and are financed through the National Endowment for Democracy, which was set up in 1983 to channel grants for promoting democracy in developing nations. The National Endowment receives about $100 million annually from Congress. Freedom House also gets the bulk of its money from the American government, mainly from the State Department. 

It is hardly a speculative theory then, that the uprisings were part of an immense geopolitical campaign conceived in the West and carried out through its proxies with the assistance of disingenuous foundations, organizations, and the stable of NGOs they maintain throughout the world. As we will see, preparations for the Arab Spring and the global campaign that is now encroaching on both Russia and China, as predicted in February 2011s The Middle East & then the World, began not as unrest had already begun, but years before the first fist was raised, and within seminar rooms in D.C. and New York, US-funded training facilities in Serbia, and camps held in neighboring countries, not within the Arab World itself.

The Timeline  2008-2010 Preparing the Battlefield

December 3-5, 2008: Egyptian activists from the now infamous April 6 movement were in New York City for the inaugural Alliance of Youth Movements (AYM) summit, also known as Movements.org. There, they received training, networking opportunities, and support from AYMs various corporate and US governmental sponsors, including the US State Department itself. The AYM 2008 summit report (page 3 of .pdf) states that the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, James Glassman attended, as did Jared C0hen who sits on the policy planning staff of the Office of the Secretary of State. Six other State Department staff members and advisers would also attend the summit along with an immense list of corporate, media, and institutional representatives.

Shortly afterward, April 6 would travel to Serbia to train under US-funded CANVAS, formally the US-funded NGO Otpor who helped overthrow the government of Serbia in 2000. Otpor, the New York Times would report, was a well-oiled movement backed by several million dollars from the United States. After its success it would change its name to CANVAS and begin training activists to be used in other US-backed regime change operations.



Photo: Serbias Otpor, a model for future US-backed color revolutions.

.

Foreign Policy Magazine would report in their article, Revoluton U, that CANVAS assisted protesters in the Rose Revolution of Georgia, the Orange Revolution of the Ukraine, and is currently working with networks from Belarus, Myanmar (Burma), all across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as with activists in North Korea, and 50 other countries.

2009: In a US State Department funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Libery (RFE/RL) article titled, Exporting Nonviolent Revolution, From Eastern Europe to The Middle East, it was stated, Popovic then exported his nonviolent methods, helping train the activists who spearheaded Georgias Rose Revolution in 2003 and Ukraines Orange Revolution in 2004. And now, Popovic is deploying his new organization, called Canvas, even farther afield  assisting the pro-democracy activists who recently brought down despotic regimes in Egypt and Tunisia.

Activists from Iran, Belarus, and North Korea were also confirmed by RFE/RL as having received training from CANVAS. The RFE/RL article places the activists meeting with CANVAS sometime during 2009.

February 2010: The April 6 Movement, after training with CANVAS, would return to Egypt in 2010, along with UN IAEA Chief Mohammed ElBaradei. April 6 members would even be arrested while awaiting for ElBaradeis arrival at Cairos airport in mid-February. Already, ElBaradei, as early as 2010, announced his intentions of running for president in the 2011 elections. Together with April 6, Wael Ghonim of Google, and a coalition of other opposition parties, ElBaradei assembled his National Front for Change and began preparing for the coming Arab Spring.

Clearly then, unrest was long planned, with activists from Tunisia and Egypt on record receiving training and support from abroad, so that they could return to their home nations and sow unrest in a region-wide coordinated campaign.

An April 2011 AFP report would confirm this, when US State Departments Michael Posner stated that the US government has budgeted $50 million in the last two years to develop new technologies to help activists protect themselves from arrest and prosecution by authoritarian governments. The report went on to explain that the US organized training sessions for 5,000 activists in different parts of the world. A session held in the Middle East about six weeks ago gathered activists from Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon who returned to their countries with the aim of training their colleagues there. Posner would add, They went back and theres a ripple effect. That ripple effect of course, is the Arab Spring.

The Timeline  2011 Year of the Dupe

January 16, 2011: Al Arabiya News reported in their article, Tunisian exiled reformist to head back home, that Moncef Marzouki was returning to Tunisia (from Paris) amidst the chaos sown by US State Department trained, supported, and equipped mobs who were triggered by the convenient release of US State Department cables via Wikileaks. Quite clearly, considering the training Tunisian opposition groups received long before the cables were released, the Wikileaks cables were merely used as a planned rhetorical justification for long ago premeditated foreign-funded sedition. Since then, Wikileaks has been employed in an identical manner everywhere from Egypt to Libya, and even as far flung as Thailand.

Moncef Marzouki, it would turn out, was founder and head of the Arab Commission for Human Rights, a collaborating institution with the US NED World Movement for Democracy (WMD) including for a Conference on Human Rights Activists in Exile and a participant in the WMD third assembly alongside Marzoukis Tunisian League for Human Rights, sponsored by NED, Soros Open Society, and USAID.

A call for solidarity by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) mentions by name each and every group constituting the Tunisian opposition during the uprising in January 2011 as FIDH member organisations. These include Marzoukis Tunisian League for Human Rights, the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, and the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia, or CNLT. FIDH, acting as an international nexus for various foreign-funded organizations carrying out sedition worldwide under the guise of human rights, is itself fully funded by the US government through the National Endowment for Democracy, Soros Open Society, and many others with clearly compromised affiliations.

January 28, 2011: After a warning by journalist/activist Dr. Webster Tarply of World Crisis Radio, the alternative media began looking closer at the unrest in Egypt which began shortly after Tunisias growing crisis. In All is not what it seems in Egyptian Clashes, it was noted that protest leader Mohammed ElBaradei was in fact a devoted agent of the West, with a long standing membershipwithin the Wall Street/London funded International Crisis Group (ICG) along side senior Israeli officials including the current Israeli President Shimon Peres, the current Governor of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fischer, and former Israeli Foreign Minister, Shlomo Ben-Ami. The ICG also includes senior American bankers and geopolitical manipulators including George Soros, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Richard Armitage, Samuel Berger, and Wesley Clark.

Photo: ElBaradeis ties to the West go much deeper than merely play-acting within the ineffectual, genocide-enabling UN. He is also a member of the corporate-financier funded International Crisis Group.

.

Ironically, Western media outlets insisted ElBaradei was both anti-American and strongly anti-Israeli in a rouse best described a year earlier in March 2010 in the Council On Foreign Relations paper, Foreign Affairs article Is ElBaradei Egypts Hero?:

Further, Egypts close relationship with the United States has become a critical and negative factor in Egyptian politics. The opposition has used these ties to delegitimize the regime, while the government has engaged in its own displays of anti-Americanism to insulate itself from such charges. If ElBaradei actually has a reasonable chance of fostering political reform in Egypt, then U.S. policymakers would best serve his cause by not acting strongly. Somewhat paradoxically, ElBaradeis chilly relationship with the United States as IAEA chief only advances U.S. interests now. 

The most recent manifestation of this came when Israel farcically called ElBaradei an Iranian agent. This latest performance further illustrates the immense level of duplicity with which world events are being manipulated.

February 17, 2011: The London-based National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL) calls for a Libyan Day of Rage to match the US-destabilization rhetoric used in Tunisia and Egypt. The NFSL has been backed by the CIA-MI6 since the 80s and had made multiple attempts to overthrow Qaddafis government with both terrorist attacks and armed insurrection.



Photo: Please note the EnoughGaddafi.com signs. EnoughGaddafi.coms webmaster is listed on the US State Departments Movements.org as the Twitter to follow.

.

February 18, 2011: In the wake of Hosni Mubaraks ousting, it was revealed that the Open Society Institute supported the NGOs involved in the drafting Egypts new constitution. These civil society groups include the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information openly funded by the Open Society Institute and the Neo-Con lined NED funded Egyptian Organization for Human Rights. It appears that while the International Crisis Group was turning out the strategy, and their trustee ElBaradei leading the mobs into the streets, it is the vast array of US supported NGOs which were working out and implementing the details on the ground.
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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Press issues delay delivery of todays Chronicle Times Due to press issues, print subscribers will not receive the Nov. 16 issue of the Cherokee Chronicle Times in the...

Galva man charged with his brothers murder A Galva man with an extensive criminal history in Storm Lake was arrested on Sunday night for allegedly killing his...

Cherokee enrollment up 10% over 7 years Enrollment at most of Buena Vista and Cherokee Countys school districts increased across-the-board, according to estimates submitted to the Iowa...

Book Basket Project underway at library The 23rd-annual Book Basket Project is up and running at Cherokee Public Library. This silent auction launched on Monday and...
Operating a vehicle under the influence, Bagley Road: A Hartville man, 28, was arrested at about 11:45 p.m. Nov. 12 after police caught him driving drunk.

An officer was stopped at a red light on Eastland Road at Bagley when a Ford Five Hundred pulled up to his right. The driver - later identified as the Hartville man - was not wearing a seatbelt. The man's window was down, and his head was hanging out the window. The man stopped his vehicle past the stop bar and almost into the intersection. His rear license plate was obstructed by a dark plate cover.

The man's vehicle straddled two lanes as it turned right onto eastbound Bagley. Then the vehicle started weaving. Police stopped the Five Hundred on Bagley near Old Oak Parkway in Middleburg Heights.

The man smelled like alcohol but admitted drinking just one cranberry vodka. He failed field sobriety tests. The man repeatedly said he had served six years in the military, and asked the officer not to arrest him for that reason. He said he had experienced combat. The officer thanked the man for serving and asked him to name the military branch in which he had fought. The man said "the (blanking) 12th battalion."

The officer asked the man to provide his military occupational code, but the man said he didn't want to talk about it. Then he admitted, through crocodile tears, that he was never in the military. He said the lie sometimes gets him out of trouble with police.

Theft, West Bagley Road: Police are looking for a male and female who stole two bottles of wine and lunch meat at about 4:05 p.m. Nov. 13 from Dollar General, 390 West Bagley.

A store worker saw it happen and questioned the male and female, who then ran out of the store, jumped into a red Chrysler and drove away. The worker wrote down the car's license-plate number.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, Front Street: A Lakewood woman, 33, was arrested at about 9:10 p.m. Nov. 15 after police saw her driving 49 mph on Front near Emerson Drive, a 25-mph zone. The woman smelled like alcohol. She admitted drinking one martini with dinner.

Criminal damaging, Barrett Road: Someone slashed two tires on a Mercedes parked outside Tower in the Park Apartments, 55 Barrett. It happened between 9 p.m. Nov. 13 and 9:15 a.m. Nov. 14. The victim didn't know who might have committed the crime.

Marijuana possession, East Bagley Road: A Warren man, 19, was cited after police found marijuana shake, marijuana cigars and small nuggets of marijuana scattered throughout his car. Police had pulled the car over on East Bagley near Tressel Street because its headlights and taillights were off.

Damaged property, Jacob Street: A resident called police after seeing a group of young people damage a wooden fence on Jacob near Beech Street at about 6 p.m. Nov. 11. Police searched the area but didn't find the young people.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, Beech Street: A Brunswick woman, 63, was arrested at about 11:55 p.m. Nov. 11 after police saw her driving a Chevrolet Sonic with an open trunk. She smelled like alcohol and failed field sobriety tests.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, Depot Street: A Lakewood woman, 29, was arrested at about 2:40 a.m. Nov. 11 after police saw her Ford Escape stopped on Depot next to a no-parking sign. She told police she had run out of gas. She smelled like alcohol.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - A bidding war has erupted over the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities' former transportation center in Cleveland's Midtown area.

Legislation was introduced Tuesday at Cuyahoga County Council's meeting to sell the 3.44 acres at 7001 Euclid Avenue to CoLab Partners LLC for $2.5 million.

But council's Public Works Committee tabled the the proposed deal at its meeting on Thursday after one bidder, Tony George, said he would file a lawsuit if the land was sold because he had made a higher bid.

After an hourlong discussion, the committee members concluded the bidding was still ongoing and council's real estate broker should decide if the two entities should face off and bid against each other or submit a final sealed bid.

The property, which has access to Chester and Euclid avenues, is across the street from the new Dealer Tire headquarters. It is also adjacent to a proposed development that could include a hotel between East 69th and East 70th streets.

The property, technically owned by the county, was purchased and maintained as a transportation center by the developmental disabilities board with board funds.

The 62,610-square-foot building was vacated was in August.

CoLab, which was registered with the state on Oct. 31 by Cleveland-area investor Joel Scheer, includes Scheer and Gleeson Construction/Laboratory Services, according to information presented to the committee.

They plan to redevelop the building into a Next Gen bioscience and biotechnology laboratory and work with medical facilities, start-ups and companies in the Health Tech Corridor. The company, plans to collaborate with BioEnterprise.

George told the committee that he wanted to relocate his company, Apex Transit Solutions, into the building. "We transport veterans with disabilities and people with developmental disabilities and my use is the perfect use for that building," he said

Ryan Jeffers of CBRE, which was hired by the county to market the property, told the committee that bids submitted by George and CoLab in late July were rejected because they were around $1.1 million, far less than the $2.5 million the county hoped to get for the property.

Under the county's charter, Jeffers said, once original bids are rejected, offers can continue to be received until a contract is signed because that leads to the highest return to the county.

Both companies were notified their bids were rejected and the county made counteroffers. George submitted three other bids. The last, on Oct. 11, was for $2.15 million, Jeffers said. CoLab had bid $2.5 million.

Jeffers said he was told that George's last offer was his best and final offer.

"We felt we had been clearly told by the agent representing the George group that they were done," Jeffers said.

On Oct. 30, after being notified that the developmental disabilities board had accepted CoLab's offer, George submitted a bid of $2,562,500, which included a broker fee to be paid by the county of $62,500.

On Thursday, George said he would not require payment of the broker fee so his latest bid was $2.562,000. Jeffers said that was his sixth offer.

"This is not a typical experience," Jeffers said.

Council members agreed.

"This is the craziest one [sale] I have ever been involved in on the board," Jack Schron said. "But $2.562 million is a number we should look at and get more numbers."

George said he is willing to counter any future bid by CoLab. Jeffers said he would talk to CoLab's broker, George's broker and the county's lawyers.

"You . . . need to have some kind of an open-auction process with the two bidders and anybody else interested," council member Dale Miller said. "Gather them together in the room and auction it back and forth until someone gives up. The other option is to do it on a sealed bid basis and determine a winner."

Council member Scott Tuma said a deadline has to be imposed or offers could continue to come in as council prepares to vote on a resolution.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Illinois gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy is under scrutiny for the role he played in persuading Cuyahoga County politicians to fund the construction of what is now the Global Center for Health Innovation.

The Chicago Tribune examined Kennedy's involvement in the project and the lack of success for what at the time was called a Medical Mart.

The story focuses on how Kennedy touts his business successes, but fails to mention his time in Cleveland and the "troubled deal" that raised taxes and brought his firm millions.

The county's governing commissioners at the time, led by Commissioner Tim Hagan, a longtime friend of the Kennedy family, gave Chris Kennedy's company, Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., or MMPI, a no-bid contract to be the developer.

The commissioners also unilaterally raised the sales tax by a quarter cent in 2007 to pay for the $465 million building and adjoining convention space.

In 2009, Kennedy said the medical mart, envisioned as a showcase for medical technology and equipment, would turn Cleveland into a "Disney World for doctors."

Two years later, MMPI was already shifting its focus, moving toward tenants that offer educational services rather than expensive products. Kennedy resigned as president of MMPI to oversee other projects.

In September 2013, just three weeks before the med mart's grand opening, then Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald said that the county was in the process of replacing MMPI as the med mart's operator and manager.

"I can assure you, from the taxpayers' point of view and from an economic point of view, you'll have an operator that has better credentials to operate the project and it will economically be a superior model," FitzGerald said

Kennedy told the Chicago Tribune he was only trying to help Cleveland's leaders achieve their goals of a new convention center and a revitalized downtown. He said his company took on a project when few were looking at the city, and the long-term business plan shifted after he left.

"It certainly wasn't a secretive contract. It certainly wasn't done without public scrutiny," he said. "I don't know what generated more press coverage in Cleveland.

"Honestly, did we pull a fast one? Did we slide one by?" Kennedy added. "No, I don't think any of that happened. I think everybody knew everything by the time we completed our deal. That's what I believe."

Hagan told the newspaper that he stands by his decision to support Kennedy's project, but he acknowledged the development has fallen short.

"The point of what we were trying to do is make the convention facility ... more attractive for outside investments to come in for events," Hagan said. "Has it worked out ... as much as we thought it was going to work out, immediately? No, I don't think so."

In 2013, when the medical mart opened, Hagan was much more optimistic.

It's going to change Cleveland's image," he said. "Cleveland will be known now and in the future as a hub for medical technology and innovation. We will be at the cutting edge of that. And that has unlimited possibilities."

Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove declined multiple requests to talk to the Tribune.

Cosgrove first proposed the idea and he set up meetings with Kennedy and then-Mayor Jane Campbell.

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish has worked to revive the property.

BioEnterprise, which promotes and nurtures healthcare companies and bioscience technologies, will now oversee marketing, promotion and tenants at the struggling Global Center for Health Innovation.

The nonprofit company was retained in October by the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corp., the nonprofit organization that oversees the Huntington Convention Center and Global Center.

The county, the Cleveland Clinic and JumpStart announced a deal to bring Plug and Play Tech Center, which bills itself as the world's largest startup accelerator, to the city.

The Silicon Valley company that connects entrepreneurs with investors, will establish an accelerator focused on biotech and digital health innovation at the Global Center.

Accelerators are essentially business boot camps. They give startups or emerging companies mentoring and educational programs and usually end in some sort of exhibition day and connections to investors.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish now disputes months-old audit findings that his administration improperly paid $1.7 million in overtime to salaried employees.

Budish and his aides raised no objections in their written reply to the county's independent auditor in September, but they said Friday that they do not consider the payments to be overtime or in violation of rules governing compensation.

They said that they have the authority to pay salaried or "exempt" employees for hours worked beyond 40 hours a week. They also said the payments they made did not fit the definition of the word "overtime" because they reflected the employees' hourly rates rather than time and a half.

"If our exempt employees work more than 40 hours they can expect additional compensation," Budish said. "They can bank time to take off or get additional dollar compensation."

Budish and his executive team raised the objections for the first time publicly Friday during a meeting with cleveland.com editors and reporters. Budish cited a "general provision in the policy manual that gives the administration some discretion and says we can extend the work week for employees."

The county's policies and procedures manual does expressly permit exempt employees to take time off equal to the hours they worked each week in excess of 40 hours. But the manual makes no mention of paying salaried employees additional money.

Budish's administrators said they used their discretionary powers to make the payments because they could not afford to give time off to the employees because they were needed to perform vital tasks.

They could not name another government that gives additional pay to salaried employees who work more than 40 hours a week.

They also acknowledged that they did not seek County Council approval for the payments. But they said that approval wasn't necessary because they were not "changing" the policy.

"We are not changing, we are clarifying," said Matt Carroll, chief economic growth and opportunity officer.

Chief Talent Officer Douglas Dykes said the administration is completing a comprehensive overhaul of the manual, and will subject the finished product for council consideration in February.

The independent auditor publicly reported on Sept. 29 that 132 salaried employees at the county received overtime in 2014. Of those employees, 91 also received overtime in 2015 and 81 in 2016, the report said.

According to the county's policies and procedures manual "employees in overtime-exempt positions may receive exchange time on an hour-for-hour basis for time worked beyond forty (40) hours in a work week."

But the audit found "no formal policy allowing OT compensation for exempt employees; in fact, the policy prohibits it. There are no documented procedures on the OT approval process currently in use. The County is violating its own policy if HR Payroll continues to pay OT to exempt employees and increases its risk of litigation."

In their written reply to the auditor, Budish's administrators appear to accept the findings.

For instance, the audit recommended that the policy manual "should be followed as well as bargaining agreements on comp time, ET [exchange time] and OT payments, for both exempt and non-exempt employees."

The management response was: "Affected agencies will be notified by September 30, 2017 to ensure compliance with the PPM regarding exempt employees and OT moving forward."

Contacted by cleveland.com on Friday, Auditor Cory Swaisgood said it was his impression at the time that the county's Human Resources Department had accepted his findings.

"My response, too, was HR accepted my results as shown in their responses," he wrote in an email. "These results were communicated to HR management between December 2016 and April 2017. HR presented to the Audit Committee that the policy manual will be revised to align with current processes."

But on Friday, Law Director Bob Triozzi and Ed Morales, chief labor counsel for the Human Resources Department, said Swaisgood's audit was flawed.

"The auditor's assertion that the exempt employees received overtime at the violation of the policies and procedures manual is incorrect," Triozzi said.

He said Swaisgood overlooked a "significant provision" in the manual that acknowledges certain rights reserved by the administration.

"Unless restricted by law, the County reserves all rights to manage its workforce," the section states. "The policies and procedures contained in this Manual do not reflect or represent every conceivable factual situation, but those most often encountered. Situations may differ and will be handled as warranted by the circumstances and at the discretion of the County."

Triozzi said that section gives the administration the discretion to pay salaried workers for extra hours.

"There is no limitation based on the operational needs for the county to extend the work hours and compensate its employees in a fair and equitable manner," he said.

County officials could not explain Friday why they had not raised similar objections in their written response to the audit.

Most of the employees who were paid extra in 2014 worked in the medical examiner's office and in employment and family services.

The employees who are paid extra are too valuable to let take days off and can't be replaced, officials said.

"These individuals - we need them to work," Dykes said. "We don't want them to take time off." If they did, he said, the county would need to hire more staff.

Dykes said the county has added new procedures to allow with prior approval some critically-needed employees to be paid on an hour-for-hour basis if they work beyond 45 hours a week. That includes employees in the medical examiner's office.

"We have hard-working employees and no matter how you slice and dice the data, they are not getting paid a whole lot," Dykes said. "We want to continue to motivate our employees and have options in the policy manual that can address the three or four different ways we can compensate."
LYNDHURST, Ohio -- A Cleveland man and a teen are charged in a Lyndhurst bank robbery that involved a fake bomb, police said.

Taaja U. Anderson, 18, of Cleveland, is charged with aggravated robbery in the Wednesday incident at a PNC Bank on Mayfield Road at Richmond Road, police said.

A 16-year-old boy is also facing juvenile charges in the incident, Lyndhurst Lt. Norman Alexander said Friday.

The 16-year-old boy walked into the bank just after 1 p.m. and told employees he had a bomb, police said. Authorities determined after the robbery that the "bomb" was merely a suspicious box, but Alexander did not say what was in the box.

The teen took an undisclosed amount of cash before he ran outside and got into a stolen Jeep, police said.

A South Euclid police officer was unaware of the bank robbery when saw the Jeep run a red light minutes later on South Green Road at Anderson Road, South Euclid Asst. Chief Joe Mays said Thursday.

"It was kind of an unusual event," Mays said. "Our officer had no idea they were involved in a bank robbery when the crash happened. It was a matter of him being in the right place at the right time."

The officer chased the Jeep for approximately 20 seconds before he decided to end the pursuit because the Jeep was going too fast, Mays said. He could not see the Jeep when it crashed into another car on South Green Road near Monticello Boulevard.

The Jeep's driver - later identified as Anderson - ran from the crash, police said. Witnesses pointed the South Euclid officer in the direction he fled, but the officer lost sight of him, police said.

The 16-year-old boy and the other car's driver were taken to area hospitals to be treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

A Lyndhurst K-9 found Anderson hiding in a dumpster outside a nearby 7-Eleven, police said.

The South Euclid Police Department on Thursday released body camera video of the arrest. The video has been included at the top of this post.

The Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network bomb squad checked a suspicious package in the stolen Jeep and determined it was not a bomb, Alexander said.

Anderson will likely appear Friday afternoon in Lyndhurst Municipal Court, Alexander said. It's unclear when the 16-year-old boy will appear in juvenile court.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Friday's crime and courts comments section.
PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- Advocates for a Painesville woman facing deportation took their fight on Friday to the office of U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, hoping to enlist his help in blocking her ouster.

Veronica Dahlberg, executive director of HOLA Ohio, said at a rally outside of Joyce's Painesville office that Esperanza Pacheco was grabbed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Tuesday, when she went for what was supposed to be a routine check-in in Brooklyn Heights.

They isolated her, interrogated her for at least 45 minutes and would not allow her lawyer to be present, Dahlberg said.

Elizabeth Ford, Pacheco's lawyer, confirmed by phone Friday that ICE agents would not let her be present during the questioning, and she viewed the denial as illegal.

Now Pacheco is scheduled to board a plane out of the country on Tuesday, Nov. 21.

Dahlberg said Pacheco's supporters intend to file a form I-246 Application for a Stay of Deportation or Removal, even though ICE routinely rejects the application. Ford said ICE marks most of the requests as denied.

Nearly 100 attended the initial outdoor demonstration.

Then most of the people there went to Joyce's second-floor office near the Lake County Courthouse. The 14th District Republican was not there, but several of Pacheco's family members met with a person on Joyce's staff for around 30 minutes, briefing him about the issues.

Esmeralda Moctezuma, the oldest of Pacheco's four daughters, is a citizen and wants to petition the government to grant her mother permanent-resident status when the young woman turns 21 in 11 months.

Dahlberg said Pacheco's father, who was a legal resident of the U.S., filed a similar petition on Pacheco's behalf before he died in 2010, "but that fell through the cracks."

She said Pacheco's father became a naturalized citizen after legally working in the United States for 30 years, and everyone in her family is either a citizen or a permanent legal resident.
EUCLID, Ohio -- The Cleveland man beaten and manhandled by a Euclid police officer in a video that went viral said he feels vindicated after a city judge dismissed criminal charges against his girlfriend and him three months after the violent encounter.

"I'm still suffering through the pain and anxiety the officer put me through," Richard Hubbard III said during a Thursday evening press conference. "I'm taking it one day at a time. I'm happy that he's off the force and everything, and I'm happy all the charges were dropped. That's the main thing."

Special prosecutor Sara Fagnilli on Monday filed motions to dismiss the charges against Hubbard and his girlfriend Yolimar Tirado from the Aug. 12 incident with officer Michael Amiott. Judge Deborah A. LeBarron granted the motions the next day, Euclid Municipal Court records show. Fagnilli said it "was the appropriate thing" to do at this time.

Hubbard's attorney, Christopher McNeal, requested the charges be dropped Oct. 5.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice, which means prosecutors could re-file later.

McNeal, who is the process of investigating the possibility of a civil lawsuit against Euclid, said Hubbard and Tirado "were victimized in the most heinous, egregious and public manner."

"We need to be concerned about his (Hubbard) mental and psychological well-being, so I want to make sure that I exercise my full capacity to make him whole as fast as I can," he added.

Hubbard, 25, was slammed to the ground and punched multiple times by Amiott The incident was captured on video by a bystander and quickly went viral.

Mayor Kristen Holzheimer Gail fired Amiott on two days before he was set to return to duty due violating a number of police department rules.

Amiott was suspended following the incident with Hubbard.

The former officer was accused of using excessive force at least two other times this year, although no formal complaints were filed, a police spokesman said last month. Federal authorities are monitoring an investigation related to him.

Amiott has been disciplined before for losing his temper, losing evidence and hitting a suspect with his gun, according to records in his personnel file. The Mentor Police Department allowed Amiott to resign in 2014 after he conducted a traffic stop without probable cause and lied about it, records show.

As far as Hubbard, he wants to put this behind situation behind him for now and enjoy the holidays.

"I'm tired of seeing myself get beat up," he said regarding the captured video. "I'm tired of reliving that day."

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Operating on the principle that one good litter deserves another, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Friday morning will announce the birth of three Asian small-clawed otters.

Bitsie, the mother, delivered the all-male trio on Sunday, Sept. 24.

She was part of another trio born at the zoo in 2013. Kibble, father of the latest otters, was born at the Bronx Zoo in 2009.

Tad Schoffner, curator of animals at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, said in a telephone interview that 35 Asian small-clawed otters have been born at the zoo since 1996, and 25 of them survived more than 30 days.

Each of the newest otters weighed less than one pound as of Tuesday, Nov. 14.

Schoffner said that historically, this species of otter had been hunted for its fur. Pollution, global warming and competition from commercial fishing also threaten them in the wild, he said.

The yet-to-be-named newborn boys should be on exhibit in the RainForest next month, and the park system suggests tracking the otters' progress on the zoo's Facebook page. Their regular enclosure is across the aisle from the orangutan exhibit.

Schoffner said admission to the zoo and the RainForest will be free Thanksgiving Day.

As of Thursday, the zoo was also proud that it just surpassed 1 million visitors, making 2017 the 25th consecutive year for that achievement.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Councilman Jeff Johnson, who finished third in the city's 2017 mayoral primary, hasn't settled on whether he'll make another run for public office. What he settled is that his address will be in Cleveland.

Johnson's wife of two years, Felicia, and her daughters recently moved from Twinsburg into Cleveland, he told cleveland.com in a telephone interview. By early 2018, after Johnson leaves City Council, he will move from his current Cleveland residence and the couple will live under one roof on the East Side.

Johnson already has a special affinity for the home because of a previous resident. Fifty years ago, it was home to then-Cleveland Mayor Carl Stokes.

"When I walk through the house, it feels magical because I imagine him living within the walls during his time as mayor of Cleveland ... as he thought through and struggled with some of the biggest issues of the day," Johnson said.

Johnson was dogged during the 2017 mayoral campaign by rumors that he didn't live in Cleveland and instead had moved to Twinsburg. The rumors stemmed from his wife remaining in the Summit County city where her daughters attended school.

Another mayoral challenger, Eric Brewer, argued that Johnson should not be allowed to run for office or even vote in Cleveland elections because he was a Twinsburg resident. His challenge remains an active case with the Ohio Supreme Court.

Johnson still is weighing his options for after he leaves council.

He intends to be active with the nonprofit Glenville Collinwood Community Foundation, which he helped to organize a few years ago. The foundation's mission is to address community problems and support community activities, such as the annual Glenville festival.

Johnson also operates a political-consulting business, Prime Strategy Group. In 2016, he directed a statewide effort to get black voters to support Hillary Clinton for president.

And he hasn't ruled out running again for mayor.

Some political observers have suggested he might seek Rep. Bill Patmon's seat in the Ohio House. Patmon is barred by term limits from seeking re-election.

Johnson, though, says that's not going to happen. When Johnson moves into his new residence he won't live in Patmon's East Side district. The Ohio Constitution requires legislators live in their district at least a year before holding office.
OXFORD, Ohio -- A Cleveland man attending Miami University is facing multiple felony charges after being accused of raping an unconscious female student and recording the attack on video.

WLWT Channel 5 reports Nicolas Cristescu, 20, was indicted on charges of rape, sexual battery and 11 counts of voyeurism.

The female victim was assaulted over Oct. 11-12 in a room at the Pines Lodge residence hall at Heritage Commons on campus, the Journal News reports.

Cristescu was arraigned last week in Butler County Common Pleas Court and is being held in jail on a $75,000 bond, according to WLWT. A pre-trial hearing has been set for Nov. 27.

WCPO Channel 9 reports Cristescu pleaded guilty last month to a charge of drug abuse (marijuana) and to one count of an amended charge of disseminating material harmful to juvenile, both misdemeanors. He will be sentenced on those charges next month.

The second charge is because investigators found photos of a naked 16-year-old girl on Cristescu's cell phone, WLWT reports.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- An elementary teacher has been on indefinite leave since October after being accused of dragging a student by the arm, reports say.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Darla Fiedeldey, a teacher at Brent Elementary School in the Finneytown Local School District, is being investigated for a "substantiated" report of child abuse.

"Parents trust the care of their children to educators, and educators must use consistently good judgment in how to interact with their students," district spokeswoman Krista Ramsey tells the Enquirer. "Our district believes that dragging a child down a hallway by an arm is never acceptable or appropriate."

The Enquirer reports Fiedeldey has received good evaluations in the past and that a letter-writing campaign has been organized by a parent supporting her.

The school district has made no decisions on what action to take in regard to Fiedeldey.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State University is suspending fraternity organization activities effective today.

The suspension of all social, recruitment and new member activities comes on the heels of 11 chapters being placed under investigation for violations of the Code of Student Conduct.

This represents more than a quarter of the chapters at OSU, according to a letter sent to fraternity chapter presidents from Ryan Lovell, senior director of fraternity and sorority life.

"The university will not tolerate behavior that puts the health and safety of students at risk," Lovell wrote. "This proactive step is being taken so that the IFC community takes a pause to reflect and create individual, actionable strategies for the future."

The letter indicates that chapters must only conduct "essential activities," which excludes social and recruitment activities. Ohio State has 37 fraternities.

All fraternities are required provide the Sorority and Fraternity Life staff "a list of your organization's essential activities through January 7, 2018, including dates, times, locations and the rationale behind why your organization believes the activity is essential to the operation of your chapter," the letter said.

A university spokesman told student newspaper The Lantern that most of the investigations were hazing and alcohol related.

The following fraternities are under investigation this semester, according to tv10.com: Alpha Epsilon Pi, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Chi, Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Psi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Alpha Mu, Sigma Chi Tau Kappa Epsilon and Zeta Beta Tau.

Of the 11 chapters investigated, five are repeat offenders, all having left campus in the past, according to The Lantern.

Issues regarding alcohol and hazing problems at fraternities have plagued universities across the country.

Texas State University on Tuesday suspended the activities of all fraternity and sorority chapters on its campus indefinitely following the death of a Phi Kappa Psi fraternity pledge on Sunday night.

Denise Trauth, the university's president, said in a written statement that Texas State's vice president for student affairs, Joanne Smith, would lead a review of Greek life on the campus. That review would include "recommendations for reinstating fraternity and sorority chapters that demonstrate a commitment to the core values of Texas State and the ideas established by their respective national organizations."

Florida State University last week suspended Greek activities indefinitely after the death of a 20-year-old pledge.

Students at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor last week voted to suspend pledging activities and parties for most campus fraternities after recent fraternity incidents -- including a party at which dates were shackled to each other until they downed a bottle of champagne -- prompted concerns about student safety, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported.
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y.  The Southern Saratoga County community displayed its collective patriotism last week through a variety of events that honored military veterans as well as those still in service to the country.

There was the announcement of the newly re-designed Saratoga County veterans F.A.V.O.R. card on Thursday and the Veterans Day Dash on Friday morning. And, while residents took part in the democratic process of voting on election night, a few made their way to the second floor of the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library for Diane Payettes annual election night Wrapping For the Troops event.

For the past 20 years Payette has held her wrapping party where local residents can wrap packages of toiletries and incidentals in colorful holiday wrapping paper for shipment to military personnel overseas.

Last Tuesday was no different as 25 helpers busily wrapped mini packs of tissues, unscented huggies (for cleaning weapons), small bottles of sanitizer, toothbrushes, dental floss, and hand moisturizer. In the background patriotic instrumentals played softly from a boom box.

When we started this all these packages went to the Stratton VA Hospital, Payette said. When we went into Iraq we started sending them there. Thats where these are going. I hear from the troops and they tell me what they want. Thats how I found out they like the unscented items. Well wrap them and bring them over to Clifton Park Town Hall and from there the town will see that they get sent over.

Two nights later it was the Southern Saratoga YMCA that honored veterans with their 2107 Veterans Celebration. This was the third year the organization has honored the veterans and given them a public thank you for their service.

The 90 minute event drew an audience of around 100 including veterans, friends, family, local elected officials and interested YMCA members. This event was unusual in that most of the elected officials took a back seat to the veterans and those on duty.

A video slide presentation from a company of American soldiers stationed in Kuwait gave attendees a chance to see them and their machinery in action as they demonstrated just what it is they do there every day. As the video played, Valerie Plamondon and her daughter Natalie moved out of their chairs to be closer to the screen.

Natalie cried softly as she watched. The seven-year-olds muffled cries turned to sobs when her father appeared on screen to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving and bring the video to a close.

VFW Post 1498 Commander David Brinkmoeller then took the podium to explain what the VFW is and it does. Brinkmoeller served in Vietnam from Jan. 1, 1968 to Jan. 3, 1969.

In an at times emotional presentation, he explained how he, the VFW and its members continue to honor and show respect for the American flag and the country through the pledge which opens every VFW meeting to protect the U.S. from all her enemies through strength, fraternity, and patriotism.

When I served in Vietnam I formed a bond with my fellow soldiers, he said. I found it was a true fraternity. It didnt matter if you white, black, Hispanic, Christian or Jewish, the only thing that matter was our brothers. We learned the true meaning of patriotism by honoring our flag and those who served. And we preserve and strengthen our camaraderie every time we meet to perpetuate the memory of our posts dead.

The VFW, he said, has helped veterans recover funds that are due them, helped service families with unexpected financial difficulties due to deployments, sent packages to deployed troops and winter garments to Veteran Administration hospitals.

When you see a veteran handing out a poppy, understand all that your donation is doing, he said.

When Brinkmoeller had finished his remarks all the veterans were asked to come forward, give their name, rank, and branch and be honored by a receiving line of elected officials, members of the DAR, and members of Civil Air Patrol.

One veteran of the many who came forward was former Town of Colonie Town Councilman Michael Hoblock who wore his red and gold U.S. Marine Corps jacket. Hoblock served two tours in Vietnam.

This is a wonderful thing to do, he said. Im a member here and I get the biggest kick out of seeing all the kids. Its (recognition of military service) been building the last few years. Its getting better every year, and thats good.
After months of work to repair the roadway, bricks are now being placed back onto Second Street.

The brickwork in front of the Gage County Historical Society museum was removed in August. After a new road base and trench drains were installed, the original bricks from the turn of the 20th century could be put back into place.

At a Beatrice Board of Public Works meeting on Wednesday, City Engineer James Burroughs said the road base was installed, the original limestone curbing was in place, the trench drains were ready and the brick-laying crews were able to start in on their part of the work.

Once they come in, they just want to go to town and get the brick done as quick as possible, Burroughs said. They're kind of trying to get some area open, where they're not tripping over each other right now.

The city was approved for a transportation enhancement grant to do the work by the Nebraska Department of Roads, now the Department of Transportation, and the Nebraska State Historical Society, said Mayor Stan Wirth.

Getting a brick roadway ready for traffic is a little different than preparing a traditional asphalt road, Burroughs said, and it takes a lot of sand.

You have your concrete base, he said, Then, they'll do two inches of sand. The brick will set on that sand. Once they lay that brick, they'll probably broom in sand back over that to lock it into place.

Drainage is also a concern with a brick roadway, he said. Water can flow past the bricks, down through the two inches of sand, all the way to the concrete base and through holes drilled in the concrete.

It goes down through that and there's a rock layer underneath that concrete base that wicks the water over to these trench drains, which are 6-inch trench drains, Burroughs said. Then, that hooks into the storm sewer system.

BPW member Bob Moran asked what kind of subbase was used for the original roads, saying it seemed like the older ones lasted 50 to 70 years longer than current roads.

The brick was sitting on a crushed concrete base, Burroughs said, which is what a lot of other roadways in town are set on.

Don't get me wrong, bricks are a great product, Burroughs said. They show that they last the test of time. It's the base that goes away, and that's why you had such holes or undulations in that roadway because of the base going away.

BPW president Dave Eskra said he was happy to see the roadwork nearly finished.

You don't realize how much that road is used until you close it down for six months, Eskra said.
Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly has been nominated by President Donald Trump to be U.S. attorney for Nebraska.

Kelly, 61, was elected as county attorney in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. Prior to his election seven years ago, he served for a decade as chief deputy county attorney and counts more than 30 years of experience as a prosecutor in the county attorney's office.

"I'm honored by the nomination," Kelly said by phone Friday, deferring any further comment to the U.S. Justice Department.

The Republican's nomination will be submitted to the U.S. Senate for confirmation, though it wasn't immediately clear when a hearing would be held.

Robert Stuart has served as acting U.S. attorney for Nebraska since Deborah Gilg, President Barack Obama's appointment, retired last March.

Kelly was recommended to the White House by Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse.

"Joe Kelly is a highly respected prosecutor who will put the safety of Nebraska's families and communities first," Fischer said.

"It was my honor to recommend Joe to serve the people of our state in this capacity.

"His decades of experience, steady leadership and top-notch legal skills will make him an incredibly effective U.S. attorney for the District of Nebraska."

Sasse, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, Joe Kelly is a proven public servant with the humility and honesty that Nebraskans demand and respect. I look forward to working with Joe as he moves through the Judiciary Committee toward confirmation.

If Kelly is confirmed, the Lancaster County Board would select someone to fill his position until the next election in November 2018, said Kerry Eagan, the county's chief administrative officer. The board must name a temporary replacement within 45 days of the vacancy, according to state law.

Kelly's counterpart, Lancaster County Public Defender Joe Nigro, praised the nomination, calling Kelly an excellent prosecutor, skilled attorney and good guy.

Nigro met Kelly during their undergraduate studies at the University of Nebraska, and they attended law school there together, he said.

In court Kelly was a well-prepared, detail-oriented adversary, Nigro said.

The two fostered a good working relationship in their time advising the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners on staff salaries for the two competing offices.

And Kelly has been supportive of problem-solving courts such as drug court and veterans court, which offer alternatives to incarceration, Nigro said.

Kelly will likely spend less time in the courtroom in his new role managing the U.S. Attorney's Office and carrying out Justice Department policy, Nigro said.

Often U.S. Attorney nominees can be political appointments more than practitioners of the law, but Kelly is well-qualified, Nigro said.

"So I think Nebraska is fortunate in that way.
Its not often that a baby shower doubles as a 30th anniversary party.

In 1987, Mother-to-Mother opened its doors in Beatrice with the aim of giving new moms a place to make friends, as well as offer encouragement and support to one another through the good times and the bad. Thirty years later, theyre still working toward the same goal, but theyve added a few new challenges to the mix.

Mother-to-Motherlocated inside the Burwood Books store at Court and Fifth streets in Beatriceis throwing a baby shower to celebrate three decades of serving moms. There will be cake, baby shower games and punch or coffee. Like at any baby shower, gifts would be appreciated.

The organization is asking for diapers, baby wipes and formula to be donated to help local moms in need, said Mother-to-Mother Board President Kathy Thimm.

Thimm has been with the organization since the beginning.

Our main mission is still the same, has always been, to support young mothers and mothers with limited resources, she said. To support them with friendship and emotional support and any way that we can support them.

The organization has changed a lot over the years, she said, and theyve tried to change to meet the needs of mothers in the community.

The group got its start in a small office inside the family resource center at Southeast Community College before moving downtown. Inside what was once the old Burwood Hotel, across from Clabaughs Pharmacy, they set up shop in the lobby and opened up a bookstore they called Burwood Books.

In 2012, they moved to their current locationwhich previously held a Hallmark storeand reopened Burwood Books.

After we moved here, we didn't think we could change the name, Thimm said. I think it's a great name.

Mother-to-Mother offers several weekly and monthly activities for moms and their kids. On Tuesday mornings, the group meets at the Beatrice YMCA for a playdate activity where the kids can play inside the gym. On Wednesday mornings, the shop hosts a story time where kids can listen to stories while their moms can take a break.

Its a great place to meet new people, said Kellie Kovar, whos been bringing her son, Alex, to story time at Burwood Books since he was about two months old. She was a new mom and wasnt quite sure how to go about meeting other moms until she came across the bookstore.

There's a different kind of connection between the moms because it's a place where you can really just come together and chat, but I've met some of my really good friends here, Kovar said. It gave me a chance to not only introduce my son to a lot of things, but me as well.

Fellow Mother-to-Mother member Hillary Rose is a stay-at-home mom and was new in town when she discovered Burwood. She and her husband moved from the Omaha area when he got a job nearby, she said, and finding a place that offered activities for her daughter and a chance at adult conversation was a great relief.

You get a little bit of freedom, you get a little breather, she said. And everyone's so nice. I don't have to brew my own pot of coffee if I don't want to.

Story time sessions typically draw in around 10 to 25 kids and they can come from all around, said Marjorie Brubaker, who works in the bookshop.

We have one mother who brings her five kids from Kansas, Brubaker said. She homeschools, and this is an outing for them.

Mother-to-Mother tries to offer new and entertaining experiences for moms and their children, she said, like when they go to the Lincoln Childrens Zoo or to the Childrens Museum. The organization has hosted moms who have never been to a zoo before, Brubaker said, and some of them haven't been outside of Beatrice in several years.

There are monthly outings just for moms as well, she said. Sometimes, they go out to Valentinos or another local restaurant so they have a chance to chat.

Coordinator Diane Courtney said that introducing members to resources available within the community is an important part of Mother-to-Mother's mission.

We really pick as many community spots to go as we can, she said. We try to get people familiar with what's here in town.

In the last couple of years, Thimm said, Mother-To-Mother has started up what it calls its emergency diaper bank. Once a month, mothers who need it can come and get diapers, baby wipes and formula from the group. The baby shower, she said, is an attempt to restock the diaper bank.

While theyre looking for all sizes, the most popular diapers tend to be the larger ones in sizes four, five and six.

In October, not counting the mothers involved in their playdates, story times or outings, Mother-To-Mother helped 45 moms, Thimm said, and the need is growing.

The community has been very generous about donating to this organization, Thimm said. A lot of people have donated their baby clothes, so we give those to moms as well. So, the sizes are from newborn to about seven or eight. We have both boys' and girls' clothes.

Mother-to-Mother is also looking for volunteers, she said, which could help them to extend their hours at the shop.

According to Thimm, the group has been supported by the United Way for many years. Without the financial contributions from the United Way and from area residents, as well as physical donations, Mother-to-Mother wouldnt be where it is today, she said.

Jodi Hasse is a newcomer at Mother-to-Mothers events. She started bringing her grandsons, 4-year-old Chance Ward and 16-month-old Jasper Kistener, to story time. In about a month, shes already noticed a change.

Chance is in preschool, and hes had some time to learn how to socialize with other kids, Hasse said, but Jasper is just learning how to play and interact.

Jasper doesn't have anybody little, his age, until we started coming here, she said. It's taken a few weeks, but he's getting now where he will actually say 'hi' to the little people. That's really encouraging.

The baby shower at Burwood Books will be open on Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for a sack sale, where you can fill a plastic bag full of books for $6 and a larger brown paper bag for $10.
Amid this weeks explosive revelations and/or allegations of sexual misconduct  by Roy Moore, Al Franken, Presidents Trump, Clinton and George H.W. Bush, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and other men so far unnamed  most Americans probably have missed the emerging story of a very different Trump scandal.

According to reports today from NBC News, Reuters, and Global Witness, an international advocacy and investigative organization, a substantial portion of the presidents fortune  which Forbes Magazine estimates at $3.1 billion  was built on real estate developments financed at least in part by criminal networks.

The stories center on the Trump Ocean Club (TOC), a high-rise in Panama that includes a luxury hotel and residential and commercial units. Neither the president nor his family owns the tower, but Trump has licensed his name to the property and helped secure the financing that built it.

Its not clear whether the TOC development is part of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and the Trump campaigns possible involvement in the Russian effort. But the NBC, Reuters and Global Witness reports indicate the TOC was at least partially built with funds that originated in Russia, including some gained through criminal activity.

You can watch a Global Witness video summarizing the investigation here

Global Witness reports that the Trump organization got a cut of the sale of every TOC unit and a percentage of the financing Trump arranged. The Trump organization also was paid millions in management fees and in all likelihood continues to profit. A bond prospectus for the project said Trump stood to make up to $75 million on the tower.

The project was launched in 2006, at a time when a series of bankruptcies of Trump holdings made most conventional lenders wary of the Trump organization. To secure financing, the developers had to sell many of the units before construction even began.

The stories breaking today say many of the units were purchased by Russians and that up to 10 were bought by David Helmut Murcia Guzman, a Colombian fraudster and money launderer who recently completed a nine-year U.S. prison term and may be extradited to Colombia to serve an additional 23 years there.

We know that David Murcia Guzman laundered millions of dollars of drug money, including  as a U.S. court has found  through real estate, Global Witness reported. We also know that he purchased TOC units. In addition, well-placed sources indicate that he used cash trafficked from Colombia to carry out business transactions in Panama. On this basis, Global Witness concludes that Murcia Guzmans investment in the TOC laundered the proceeds of narcotics trafficking, and that Donald Trump was one of the beneficiaries.

If Trump  who as licensor was almost certainly entitled to call for sales information  did any checks into the buyers of TOC units, he either failed to pick up the Murcia Guzman connection or declined to act on it, Global Witness said.

Murcia Guzmans TOC purchases were brokered by Alexandre Henrique Ventura Nogueira, a Brazilian who told NBC he had a hand in the sale of up to 400 units in the tower. His services included creating anonymous offshore shell companies that investors could purchase and then use to buy TOC units.

Ventura Nogueira told NBC and Reuters that about half of his customers were Russians and I had some customers with some, you know, questionable backgrounds. He also said that he found out later that some customers were part of the Russian Mafia.

Reuters reports that one of Ventura Nogueiras Russian customers was jailed in Israel in the 1990s for kidnap and threats to kill; another was a Ukrainian investor who was arrested for alleged people-smuggling while working with Nogueira and later convicted by a Kiev court.

Three years after getting involved in the Trump Ocean Club, Ventura Nogueira was arrested by Panamanian authorities on charges of fraud and forgery, unrelated to the Trump project. Released on $1.4 million bail, he later fled the country.

Ventura Nogueira told Reuters that he did not inquire about the sources of money that investors used to buy TOC units and that neither Trump nor others involved in the development asked either. Nobody ever asked me. The banks didnt ask. The developers didnt ask. The Trump Organization didnt ask me. Nobody asked me: Who are the customers? Where did the money come from?

Reuters quoted legal experts who said Trumps failure to inquire, if proven, could be legally troublesome. Arthur Middlemiss, a former assistant district attorney in Manhattan and a former head of JPMorgans global anti-corruption program, told Reuters that because Panama was perceived to be highly corrupt, anyone in business there should conduct due diligence on others involved in their ventures. Failing to do so, would create a potential risk in U.S. law of being liable for turning a blind eye to wrongdoing.

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A Beatrice woman who was in possession of drugs while being arrested earlier this year on a warrant pleaded not guilty to two charges in Gage County District Court.

Alexandria M. Saul, 25, entered the pleas to charges of possession of a controlled substance. A pretrial conference is set for Jan. 4 in the case.

Beatrice police found drugs in a Sauls purse in June while arresting her on a warrant.

A Beatrice police officer was dispatched to the 300 block of South Eighth Street for a report of a man and woman arguing, and a motorcycle speeding up and down the alley.

The officer spotted a motorcycle driving down the alley, as well as a woman on foot.

Police asked the driver of the motorcycle what was going on, and court documents state he pointed at the woman and said she had been fighting with her boyfriend and he was trying to give her a ride.

The officer told the woman twice that she wanted to speak with her and that she was trying to figure out what was going on.

The woman gave the name Alex Smith when asked who she was, but she was later identified as Saul.

The officer recognized her from prior contacts as Saul, court documents state.

Saul also gave two different years of birth. A warrant check confirmed she had an active warrant out of Otoe County and was placed under arrest.

Documents state she was searched while being arrested, and officers found three small bags containing pills identified as Lorazepam in a purse. Two bags had a powdery substance identified as methamphetamine.

An identification card confirming the woman was Saul was also found in the bag.
The local health officials of Rajkot further revealed that that 18,000 vaccines of batch number M 1358 1, with the written expiry date of May 2018, were received by them when these were in the last expiry stage because temperatures were not being maintained properly when they were dispatched.

Health officials of Kutch and Morbi have also made similar complaints.

Revealing this, Congress national spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil told newspersons in Ahmedabad, It is criminal on part of Gujarat government to administer last stage or expired polio vaccine to people of Gujarat.

He alleged, In a scary and disgusting decision, even after the warning, the state government said these vaccines could be administered. The BJP government has played dirty with the parents and children who have used this vaccine.

Gohil wondered why the polio vaccines were not destroyed even after the district health officials clearly said they were in last stage, and possibly they had expired, when they actually reach the beneficiary despite clear communication in writing.

Shaktisinh Gohil
Nobody expects celebrities to actually be exactly the way they portray themselves publicly. Bruce Willis doesn't go around killing terrorists every day (that probably happens, like, every other weekend). When you're famous, it's understood that you'll have to fib a little and cultivate an image that appeals to your audience. But some do less cultivating and more top-to-bottom renovations. It's always shocking when famous people turn out to be the complete opposite of what they're famous for. And that's the case with ...

6 Kid Rock Was Born Rich And Grew Up In A Huge Mansion

No "celebrity goes into politics" story will ever be weird again, but the announcement that Kid Rock might run for Senate still managed to turn a few heads. After all, his most famous lyric is "Bawitdaba, da bang, da bang, diggy diggy, diggy said the boogie, said up jump the boogie." That sounds less like a music and more like Kid Rock attempting to summon a demon that also looks like Kid Rock.

But Bawitdaba aisde, Rock wants us to think he's some rough-and-tumble country boy. However, that couldn't be farther from the truth. His childhood home in Macomb County, Michigan recently sold for nearly $1.3 million, which we're reasonably sure would be enough to buy whole towns around there. It turns out that his dad owned two luxury car dealerships and made some not-insignificant amounts of money.
As a public service, the University of Illinois College of Law operates Bankr-L, an e-mail list on which bankruptcy professionals can exchange information. Bankr-L is administered by one of the Credit Slips bloggers, Professor Robert M. Lawless of the University of Illinois. Although Bankr-L is a free service, membership is limited only to persons with a professional connection to the bankruptcy field (e.g., lawyer, accountant, academic, judge). To request a subscription on Bankr-L, click here to visit the page for the list and then click on the link for "Subscribe." After completing the information there, please also send an e-mail to Professor Lawless (rlawless@illinois.edu) with a short description of your professional connection to bankruptcy. A link to a URL with a professional bio or other identifying information would be great.
Channel programs News

Black Box's Board Names New CEO, Company's Second In Two Years, Amid Persistent Sales Woes

Alec Shirkey

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The leadership shuffle continues at solution provider Black Box, whose board of directors said Friday that Joel Trammell will replace E.C. Sykes as CEO, effective immediately.

Sykes, who will retire, departs in the wake of continued financial troubles for the Lawrence, Pa.-based telecom specialist, No. 40 on the 2017 CRN Solution Provider 500. Revenue has declined to $194.2 million for the most recent fiscal quarter ended Sept. 30 from $218.8 million, down 11.2 percent year over year. Black Box also has seen its stock price steadily fall from $15.35 to $3.00 over the past year.

Trammell has been on the Black Box board since June 2013, during which time he also served as CEO of Austin, Texas-based business insight software developer Khorus. He is also a managing partner of Lake Austin Advisors and private equity firm Lone Rock Technology Group.

[Related: After Rocky Year, New Black Box CEO Takes Aim At Turnaround ]

"I have known Joel for a long time and been associated with his business successes," board chairman Thomas Greig said in a statement. "He brings a strong record of leading technology companies through significant change. We are looking for him to drive a culture of performance throughout the organization."

Black Box could not be reached for further comment.

Sykes took the executive helm at Black Box in February 2016 near the peak of the company's sales woes. His arrival followed the resignation of predecessor Michael McAndrew, under whom Black Box saw its stock price tumble nearly 64 percent from $21.01 to $7.62 in 2015.

McAndrew hammered his sales team toward the end of his tenure, calling its performance "unacceptable" during an October 2015 earnings call for failing to increase midmarket revenue. At the time, he said that had been the primary area of focus driving a major sales reorganization initiative, which saw Black Box replace around 30 percent of its sales staff in less than two years.

When Skyes took over, he promised to increase the company focus on expanding into faster-growing markets. That included the April 2016 purchase of desktop virtualization specialist Cloudium, a 12-employee company based in Limerick, Ireland.

But Sykes' efforts did not produce quick financial gains, as Black Box revenue and earnings have continued to fall. More recently, Sykes outlined a slew of problems during the company's August earnings call, including issues around centralizing its European supply chain and back-office efforts as well as delays involving its ERP integration service provider.

"We thank E.C. for his leadership and personal commitment to the company through difficult aspects of the company's transformation. He leaves us in a better position to execute on our initiatives," Greig said in the same statement.
Cloud News

Microsoft Delivers Reserved Instances For Azure

Joseph Tsidulko

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Microsoft made generally available reserved instances for its Azure cloud on Thursday, allowing its Infrastructure-as-a-Service customers to save on their virtual machine spending through one- and three-year contracts.

Those sustained usage discounts for pre-booked capacity yield savings for customers of 72 percent compared to pay-as-you-go prices, wrote Takeshi Numoto, corporate vice president for cloud and enterprise, on a Microsoft blog.

Hyperscale competitors Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services have long offered long-term cloud usage contracts as a payment option to their customers, whereas Microsoft's primary discounting vehicle in the past has been Enterprise Agreements.

[Related: New Offering Helps Microsoft Partners Bundle Services Directly Into Azure Marketplace]

"Azure RIs give you price predictability and help improve your budgeting and forecasting. Azure RIs also provide unprecedented flexibility should your business needs change," Numoto said.

That flexibility involves allowing customers to exchange reserved instances, to change regions or instance family types, or to cancel instances at any point during the contract for a refund, he said.

Azure reserved instances were introduced in a preview program in September at the Microsoft Ignite conference.

"Our customer base has a fairly diverse set of financial stakeholders, and this latest offering caters to a specific niche that weve heard from loudly," said Reed Wiedower, CTO at New Signature, a Microsoft partner based in Washington, D.C.

While many customers are looking to shift from capital to operating expenses, just as many have formed budgets around yearly, or even multi-year, spends, and want to pay in advance for extended Azure consumption.

Reserved instances deliver to those companies a solution that allows them to lock in virtual machines at a lower price and be confident their costs wont shift over time.

"Of course, you have to pay upfront, rather than by usage," Wiedower told CRN. "But these organizations are already used to large cash expenditures on a fixed pattern, so it allows us to map to their needs more efficiently."

New Signature believes as cloud resources increasingly become commoditized, the industry will continue a shift to a billing model that's much like a utility, where customers are metered and pay for consumption.

But that shift could take years to complete, especially for large enterprises, Weidower said. Reserved instances bridge the gap between that model and the legacy purchase motion.

"If thats the sticking point to getting a customer to adopt the use of the public cloud, Id rather have them pay the money up front, shift workloads, and then revisit the Capex/Opex story at a future date," Wiedower told CRN.

Availability of reserved instances for compute will make Azure more attractive to customers, some with existing Enterprise Agreements, looking to leverage more-advanced services up the stack, said Eric Stoltze, director of cloud infrastructure services at Neudesic, a partner based in Irvine, Calif.

As Microsoft continues to focus on Platform-as-a-Service and edge computing, the predictable cost structure for infrastructure will enable enterprises to take advantage of the new and emerging cloud technologies, Stoltze told CRN.
Cloud News

As Amazon Approaches $1 Trillion Market Cap, Solution Providers Place Their Bets

Gina Narcisi

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Wall Street firm Morgan Stanley believes that Amazon could be a $1 trillion company within the next twelve months, but solution providers have differing opinions on whether the unprecedented growth will translate into more opportunities for the channel.

A new report published this week by Morgan Stanley included revenues from five Amazon business segments, including its cloud computing business Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the provider's retail business. Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak, the report's author, estimated AWS to be valued at $270 billion.

"We see size as a good thing," said Marilyn Daly, vice president of marketing for Logicworks, a Premier Amazon Consulting Partner. "As Amazon continues to grow, the [concern] is that their partner ecosystem will grow too, and having the programs in place that [Amazon] has for partners will help us differentiate."

[Related: AWS Propels Amazon To Another Profitable Quarter]

The AWS Partner Network (APN) is Amazon's global partner program for its cloud services arm, which consists of consulting partners, including VARs, MSPs, and systems integrators. Consulting partners that meet Amazon's monthly recurring revenue requirements and who have built a professional services business around AWS can apply to join the AWS Channel Reseller program. Amazon also has a network of technology partners made up of hardware and software vendors. Combined, AWS has a robust ecosystem of thousands of partners.

Logicworks, a 25-year-old MSP, pivoted its business about five years ago to focus primarily on migrating, managing and automating enterprise workloads on highly customized AWS infrastructures. Today, the New York City-based company finds itself within the ranks of the Premier Partner group, which at last count during the AWS re:Invent 2016 show, totaled 55 companies.

Logicworks, which also recently began partnering with Microsoft Azure and is currently developing a practice around Google Cloud, sees Amazon's growth as exciting. On a smaller scale, Logicworks is on a similar growth trajectory as the cloud computing giant as more business customers seek AWS-specific expertise, Daly added.

But Amazon's meteoric growth won't necessarily encourage the cloud giant to become any more channel-friendly, said Jim Suss, co-founder and president of LAM Technology, a Fort Worth, Texas-based solution provider.

"I don't honestly think that Amazon's size will open the door for more partnership. When you're one of the biggest companies, many times you learn quickly that you don't need to partner with anyone," Suss said.

Solution providers said that despite hyperscale cloud providers not being necessarily known for their channel-friendly strategies, business customers are nonetheless asking for these popular services.

Deciding to place the lion's share of its bets on AWS as opposed to a cloud provider that conducts most or all of its business through the channel was the right decision for Logicworks and its base of health care, finance, and retail customers, Daly explained.

"From a business perspective, you might make more margin from a [channel-focused cloud provider], but from a customer value standpoint, offering knowledge and experience around AWS lets us be more of a partner to our end customer, which is ultimately the better business proposition for us," she said.

The opportunity around these hyperscale cloud services, such as AWS and Azure, lies in providing connectivity to the cloud and support services wrapped around popular cloud offerings, according to one cloud-focused solution provider that asked not to be named.

"We can navigate all the different options for customers, like private, public, and hybrid, regardless of who the cloud provider is, and then add support around the public cloud players, such as AWS and Azure," an executive for the solution provider said.

LAM Technologies, which got its start selling connectivity, now includes cloud services as a big part of its portfolio. Suss said that his company has been working with channel-friendly cloud providers, such as Rackspace and TierPoint, with more of a regional presence and local support.

Like LAM, the anonymous solution provider said it is presenting more channel-centric cloud players, like Rackspace and RapidScale, to its end customers looking for cloud services.

AWS, for its part, is investing in its partner network with education and certifications in topics like migration, security, and handling healthcare-related workloads, Logicworks' Daly said.

"AWS really wants to help customers find the right partner for moving or managing workloads in AWS," she said.

Amazon reported its Q3 2017 earnings in November, reporting that AWS closed in on a $20 billion revenue run rate. The company said that $1.17 billion in revenue for the quarter was generated by AWS.

Morgan Stanley's Nowak wrote that Amazon's stock price could reach $2,000 per share by the end of 2018.
Teismann On The Record

After Lenovo introduced pricing changes on Oct. 1 that jeopardized PC margins for some VARs, CRN spoke with partners who said the moves would ultimately result in them shifting business to competitors like HP Inc. and Dell Technologies. But Lenovo responded by working with solution providers to accommodate the pricing on existing contracts, preserving hundreds of individual deals, executives said. Now, Christian Teismann, who is the interim president for Lenovo North America, said Lenovo PC sales did not take a hit in the wake of the pricing overhaul. "It's now in effect for six weeks basically, but we are not seeing there is a slowdown in how the channel is driving our product," Teismann said this week. He added: "I have no concern that we have any issues [related] to our competition, quite frankly, based on the channel structure."

Teismann, who also heads the Enterprise Business Segment for Lenovo's PCs and smart devices division, discussed the changes with CRN at Lenovo's North American headquarters in Morrisville, N.C. In addition, he spoke about what's next for the company's ThinkPad line of devices, the arrival of new smart office products in Lenovo's portfolio, and the opportunities for partners around Lenovo's workstation products such as the ThinkStation P320 Tiny.

What follows is a portion of Teismann's conversation with CRN.
With a number of redevelopment projects recently completed or in the pipeline, downtown Bridgeport has a new leader to continue the neighborhoods growth.

The Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District announced Lauren Coakley Vincent will join the organization as president beginning Jan. 2. She succeeds Michael Moore, who after six years in Bridgeport is now vice president of operations for the Stamford Downtown Special Services District.

Coakley Vincent brings more than 10 years of experience in economic development, program management, public administration and community development to her new position. She spent the last five years at the New York City Department of Small Business Services as director of capacity building initiatives and neighborhood development. Her department was instrumental in the establishment of training and technical assistance services to strengthen business improvement district, organizations to grow and better serve their neighborhoods and commercial districts.

I grew up in Fairfield County and have always been enamored with the Park City, Coakley Vincent said. I am thrilled to be joining the DSSD and look forward to collaborating with all of the community partners already working hard to make downtown Bridgeport a vibrant, thriving district.

We are excited to welcome Lauren to Bridgeport, said DSSD Chairman Kim Morque. It was clear when we interviewed Lauren that she brings the passion, energy and expertise that we need to lead the organization.

In addition to her experience with economic development, Coakley Vincent has also worked in strategic planning, creative place-making and fundraising and is a board member of six New York City building initiatives and neighborhood development groups. She holds a masters degree from the New School in New York and a bachelors degree from Cornell University. She will begin her transition to DSSD work in December before assuming full time duties on Jan. 2.

As the business improvement district for the Park City, the Bridgeport DSSDs mission is to enhance the environment in which people shop, live and work. The DSSD is operated under the direction of a nine-member board of commissioners representing property owners in downtown Bridgeport.
The Connecticut Master Chorale, under the direction of Tina Johns Heidrich, will present its annual Holiday Prelude Concert at the First Congregational Church in Danbury on Nov. 19.

Sundays concert will include outstanding choral music reflecting many cultures, celebrating everything from Thanksgiving and Chanukah to Christmas and more.

According to a news release, the concert will open with a dramatic new rendition of Gloria in Excelsis Deo! The program also features A Celtic Christmas, an eclectic grouping of three Celtic pieces, and Christmas in the Great Hall, a majestic choral fantasy featuring unique arrangements of seven time-honored carols.

African Star Carol, from South Africa, and La Trulla, from Puerto Rico, and Believe, from the movie Polar Express, will contrast with the jazzy standard, Thats What I Want for Christmas, first made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, and a Big Band version of the spiritual Mary, Mary! the news release said.

Also included will be works by Dan Forrest, Ridgefields Stephen Schwartz, and a gorgeous musical setting of a Rachael Field poem, along with many other festive selections...

An exhilarating retelling of the Christmas story, Down in Bethlehem! will close the program.

The Connecticut Master Chorale is an ensemble of 55 vocalists in their 19th year of singing in western Connecticut. They will be accompanied by the Connecticut Master Chorale Holiday Brass and Joseph J. Jacovino on piano and organ.

First Congregational Church, 164 Deer Hill Ave., Danbury. Sunday, Nov. 19, 3 p.m. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. 203-743-0473. The venue is handicap accessible. Doors open at 2:15 p.m.
When I write about history, I am often struck by the fact that it is the little things  silly, even ridiculous, things  that tell us most about the anxieties and obsessions of our society.

No story could be more ridiculous than the fuss this week in Liverpool, where dozens of students have signed an online petition to remove the name of William Gladstone, that giant of Victorian politics, from a university hall of residence.

Yet no story is more revealing about the modish obsessions, the blind ignorance, the strident intolerance and sheer authoritarianism of the student activists who are now so distressingly prominent in our great universities.

You might, of course, think that since Gladstone served four times as Prime Minister between 1868 and 1894, championed political reform, home rule for Ireland and working-class rights, and even campaigned against the excesses of British imperialism, he would be safe from the lynch mobs.

No story could be more ridiculous than the fuss this week in Liverpool, where dozens of students have signed an online petition to remove the name of William Gladstone, that giant of Victorian politics, from a university hall of residence

Indeed, when I first read the story in yesterdays Mail, I thought it must be a spoof, for no satirist could invent some of the details.

It all began with a student, Alisha Raithatha, 20, from Birmingham. She spent her first year at Liverpool University living in the Roscoe and Gladstone Halls, apparently without ever wondering much about Gladstone.

But then  disaster! After visiting the citys slavery museum with friends, Ms Raithatha discovered that Gladstone, born in Liverpool in 1809, was the son of a local merchant, Sir John Gladstone.

As the owner of large sugar plantations in the Caribbean, Sir John was compensated with the equivalent of about 83 million today after slavery was abolished in 1833. It is worth noting that the slaves were Sir Johns, not his sons.

But, as a young man, William opposed abolition  not surprisingly, you might think, since his fathers business was bound up with slavery. And as a young MP he helped to get his father compensation from the government  again, not very surprisingly, since he was a loving and dutiful son.

The hall, one student said, should be renamed after somebody more appropriate  namely that titan of our history Jon Snow, the Channel 4 newsreader and darling of the virtue-signalling chattering classes, who was kicked out of Liverpool University as a young man for protesting against apartheid

To Ms Raithatha, however, all this came as a terrible shock. I didnt realise  I dont think anybody did, she told the Liverpool Echo.

I looked it up and realised William Gladstone wasnt in favour of abolishing slavery. I was a bit disgusted to live in the building without realising that history.

So she began a petition on the Liverpool Guild of Students website, explaining she was horrified by the news about Gladstones past.

We believe, the petition says, that someone with this controversial background should not have a university hall named after them, especially in a city where we try hard not to forget the atrocities that took place on our docks.

Where on earth do you start with all this?

For instance, hasnt it occurred to Ms Raithatha that times were different then? Has it not struck her that people in the past did not live with the same values as us? Does she not realise that thousands of otherwise decent people participated in and profited from the slave trade, which we now regard as so abhorrent?

Above all, can she not see that this is merely a footnote in Gladstones mighty career  one which made him a friend of the weak, a sworn opponent of cant and bigotry, a critic of imperialism, a voice for reform and one of the greatest Prime Ministers in our history?

If Gladstone is not safe from the fanatics who want to rewrite history, then no one is.

It is only a few weeks since a former BBC producer called for Lord Nelsons statue to be pulled down from his column in Trafalgar Square on the grounds that he used his seat in the House of Lords to support his friends who ran slave plantations in the West Indies

Indeed, it is only a few weeks since a former BBC producer, writing in the Guardian, called for Lord Nelsons statue to be pulled down from his famous column in Londons Trafalgar Square on the grounds that he used his seat in the House of Lords to support his friends who ran slave plantations in the West Indies.

How long, I wonder, before they come for Churchill?

But back to Liverpool. For not content with calling for Gladstones name to be removed from the student hall, Ms Raithatha offered a suggestion that is too glorious even for fiction.

The hall, she said, should be renamed after somebody more appropriate  namely that titan of our history Jon Snow, the Channel 4 newsreader and darling of the virtue-signalling chattering classes, who was kicked out of Liverpool University as a young man for protesting against apartheid.

I confess that when I read those words, I laughed so much I choked on my porridge. And even now I have a nagging suspicion Ms Raithatha is simply a parody invented by my Mail colleague, the satirist Craig Brown.

But when I switched on Radio 4s Today programme, who should be discussing the Gladstone fuss but Mr Snow himself! To his credit, he batted away the presenters attempts to compare him to Gladstone. But as a man of achingly pious opinions, he could not stop himself from a little virtue-signalling of his own.

The hall should be renamed after the hurricane-blighted Caribbean island of Barbuda, he said, explaining that it was inhabited almost entirely by the descendants of slaves.

And then he threw in another, no less right-on, suggestion. The students, he said, could also consider the BBC presenter Mishal Husain, who is a wonderful example of somebody whos become part of our multicultural society.

How patronising can you get! As it happens, Ms Husain was born in Northampton, so she has not become part of our multicultural society but is as English as Mr Snow himself.

She was educated at the fee-paying Cobham Hall School, located in a picturesque Tudor manor in Kent, and then at Cambridge University.

Her grandfather was an officer in the British Indian Army and helped to launch a coup against Pakistans civilian government in 1958. So it would surely not be long before student activists tore her nameplate off the hall, too.

All this stuff is pretty risible, of course. And although academic authorities are among the most spineless creatures in the animal kingdom, surely not even the University of Liverpool would be so weak as to ditch one of the greatest and most progressive Prime Ministers in our history. But there is a serious point here.

For what this story reflects is the sheer extent of the liberal activists self-righteousness, their obsession with race and their utter lack of historical knowledge and perspective.

For the new liberal authoritarians, it is not enough to change the present. Like the totalitarians who ran the Soviet Union, they want to erase the past, too.

To George Orwell, the greatest of totalitarianisms critics, all this would be depressingly familiar. In his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, he imagined a Britain where dissent is punished as thoughtcrime and history is rewritten by the Ministry of Truth.

Today, the self-appointed liberal activists in our Ministry of Truth want the statues to come down. They want to decolonise Cambridge Universitys English degree by turning it into a gigantic exercise in anti-imperialist self-mortification.

They even cast television adaptations such as the BBCs Howards End, now running on Sunday nights, with black characters who never appeared in E.M. Forsters novel.

Who controls the past, runs the slogan in Orwells book, controls the future; who controls the present controls the past. The message could not be clearer or more chilling.

If we let the historical vandals win, then we will not only lose control over our own past. We will lose our present; and we will also lose our future.
A woman at the receiving end of a vicious two-year stalking campaign by her partner's ex-girlfriend, said that the only way the nightmare would end was if she 'got hit by a bus'.

Carly, 30, who runs a charity in Watford rescuing cats, had never even met the woman who had she had been targeted by.

She explained in the BBC documentary Stalkers, that she had made numerous reports to the police and only when 29-year-old Poppy Carter posted a dead mouse through their letterbox did they take note of the escalation.

Sleep-deprived, angry and suffering from anxiety, Carly fought a long battle to get the police to take action against Carter with the help of charity Paladin, which fights to protect victims of stalking.

Eventually Carter was charged with stalking - a crime which carries a maximum of ten years in prison - and despite being found guilty by a jury she was handed a 500 fine and a two-year suspended sentence.

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Carly endured a two-year stalking campaign gathering evidence but it was only when a dead mouse was posted through her door did her case escalate

Poppy Carter was found guilty of stalking after posting a dead mouse through Carly's letterbox, but was handed a two-year suspended sentence and fined 500

Set up four years ago and staffed by domestic abuse case workers and former police and probation staff, Paladin advises victims on gathering evidence and how they can take action with police.

They believe that the police and Crown Prosecution Service should be handing out harsher sentences to stalkers to make it clear how serious the crime is.

WHAT IS PALADIN? Paladin are a National Stalking Advocacy Service which fights to protect victims of stalking. No police forces in the UK have dedicated stalking units. Set up four years ago and staffed by domestic abuse case workers and former police and probation staff. Paladin advises victims on gathering evidence and how they can take action with police. They can be contacted on 020 3866 4107 Advertisement

According to ONS every year a million people are stalked in the UK and fewer than one per cent of cases end in conviction.

Revenge of the ex

Poppy Carter started her campaign against Carly after she found out she was dating Alex, the father of her son.

A frustrated Carly was forced to spend her own money making herself feel safe and even moved house with Alex to escape her stalker.

'I dont think the police are taking me seriously,' she commented in the documentary.

'What measures are put in place to protect me? I dont have a panic alarm, I have cameras up that I put up myself that they didnt provide. I have to protect myself because nobody is listening.'

Imre Marton bought his own stab vest to protect himself as he feared for his life because of a vicious stalking campaign led by Charlie Howls

Charlie Howells (pictured right with former X-factor finalist Jahmene Douglas) took advantage of her free concessionary pass to travel around Oxfordshire in order to stalk and harass helpless driver Imre Marton

Police finally arrested Carly's stalker and she was placed on bail for harassment instead of stalking which Paladin slammed the CPS for, because they were looking at wrong charge.

Alex fumed: 'I just dont understand the reluctance to call it stalking because criminal damage and harassment could be just one off incidents. This is an obsession.'

Eventually Carter was charged with stalking but pleaded not guilty, the case went to trial in August of this year where she was found guilty and and handed the suspended sentence.

'My stalker ruined my life'

Imre Marton, 31, who lived in Oxford had been put through hell thanks to his stalker Charlie Howells, 22, a stranger who struck up an obsession with the bus driver.

He blames a catalogue of police errors that inadvertently revealed his identity to her when they issued a harassment warning that included his details - she was then able to access his full name, phone number and address.

Howells was a complete stranger to Imre, she became obsessed with him after spotting him driving a bus in Oxford

After a four-year campaign Imre's stalker - who had learned his bus route off by heart and waited up to eight hours to see him - was sentenced to two years in prison, but was released after just serving four months.

The Thames Valley Police were forced to place Imre in a safe house when they discovered that Howls was plotting to stab the bus driver.

Buying his own stab vest to protect himself, Imre was left in fear for his life and for those he knew.

Imre had been working closely with Paladin, who helped him through the 100 plus reports he made to the police about Howls, and they were able to deliver him good news that she was to be recalled back to prison to serve her full term.

But for Imre his life had been ruined, and when Howells, Wantage, Oxon, was released in August 2017 she immediately attempted to contact him on Facebook, which he reported to the police.

Stalkers airs on Monday, BBC One at 10.45pm
The Duke of Cambridge gave Mary Berry a run for her money when he judged a charity 'cook off' at a fundraising campaign launch in London.

William, 35, was the guest of honour at the launch of Pledge150, a joint venture from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and LandAid, at its headquarters in Parliament Square.

In 2018, RICS will be celebrating its 150 years anniversary and as part of the celebrations to mark this occasion have pledged to raise 2.25million for LandAid, the property industry charity working to end youth homelessness.

The Duke of Cambridge judged a charity 'cook off' on Friday. Pictured with competitors Sean Marsay and Rihana Senay

The money raised will fund 150 bed spaces for young people currently at risk of homelessness across all 12 regions in the UK.

Fundraising activities included a charity auction of luxury items and a charity cook-off compared by BBC TV presenter, Angellica Bell, winner of this year's Celebrity MasterChef.

The cook-off saw Sean Tompkins, RICS CEO and Paul Morrish, LandAid CEO compete against each other alongside LandAid beneficiaries to create a winning dish.

And according to onlookers, the Duke was less than impressed with RICS chief executive Sean Tompkins' efforts, quipping 'Is that it?' when presented with his mackerel dish.

The event was held in the hope to raise money to fund 150 bed spaces for young people currently at risk of homelessness

William was also presented with a gift of two miniature chefs' costumes for Prince George and Princess Charlotte

Sean Tompkins, a winner at today's cook off, hoped that the gift might encourage them to foster a love of cookery

After helping to judge the competition, William handed out the winning prize to Mr Morrish and Mr Marsay.

A wooden spoon went to Mr Tompkins and Ms Senay, who failed to live up to Mr Groves' MasterChef precision when they dropped their slice of mackerel on the plate, smothering the surrounding carrot puree.

William was also presented with a gift of two miniature chefs' costumes for Prince George and Princess Charlotte, in a gesture that Mr Tompkins said might encourage them to foster a love of cookery.

A jovial Prince William observes a cook-off during this afternoon's proceedings

In a passionate address to the audience, William said the Pledge150 campaign showed that RICS had got behind a 'bold call to action' to help their industry charity, LandAid, in their mission to prevent young people becoming homeless.

The Duke said that, according to Shelter, one in 200 people live on the streets or do not have a secure home.

He added that 'sofa-surfing', where people avoid sleeping rough but remain without permanent accommodation, meant many more homeless young people cannot easily be helped or recorded in official figures, and were often exposed to drugs and predators.

William said: 'Unrecorded, unnoticed, and too-often ignored - these young people are the 'hidden homeless'.

In a passionate address to the audience, William said 'Unrecorded, unnoticed, and too-often ignored - these young people are the 'hidden homeless'

Fundraising activities today included a charity auction of luxury items and a charity cook-off compared by BBC TV presenter, Angellica Bell (pictured with William)

'Centrepoint, a charity that I have been proud to support for many years, estimates that well over 80,000 young people experience homelessness every single year.

'When I meet young people in this situation, I see the very human face of this outrageous statistic, I hear the individual stories of young people who have lived through, or are living through, this situation now.'

He added: 'I am determined to do what I can to help end the situation where bright, able and ambitious young people are left vulnerable and without a future.'

LandAid brings together businesses and individuals from across the property industry to support charities delivering life-changing services for young people who are or have been homeless, or who are at risk of homelessness in the future.

As a charitable trust, LandAid award grants to exceptional small or medium-sized charities in the UK who are working to tackle youth homelessness. These grants are invested in capital projects which provide much-needed homes for young people.

At the launch event, The Duke of Cambridge will meet some of LandAid's beneficiaries as well as RICS's apprentices. His Royal Highness will also deliver a short speech.

LandAid's Chief Executive Paul Morrish said: 'Despite our huge wealth as a nation, a growing number of young people across the UK are begin their adult lives with nowhere safe to call home.

'There is a desperate shortage of accommodation for those vulnerable young people, despite the fact that around 65 per cent are actually in education, training, an apprenticeship or employment.

'Every year, at least 80,000 young people in this country will find themselves homeless, whether that be living in overcrowded or unsafe accommodation, 'sofa surfing', or in a few but tragic cases, sleeping on the streets.

'Business can make a real difference by working together, with LandAid, to tackle the problem. We are delighted to be teaming up with RICS to raise such a substantial amount of money to address the problem.

'The RICS is leading the way in taking coordinated corporate social action. We look forward to kick-starting this important and ambitious campaign on 17 November.'
University life can be expensive, with many students' loans barely covering their rent and expenses.

But one mother has grown tired of financially supporting her daughter through her studies, and found herself driven to extreme measures to keep an eye on her finances.

In a Mumsnet thread, the mother, known by her username as SnoopySnoop, asked if she was being unreasonable for going through her daughter's bank statements, and wondered if it would be acceptable to confiscate her cards.

According to the post, the student, 20, had spent 4,000 in three months and her mother was frustrated at having to lend her money.

Parents commenting on the thread were shocked by her decision to snoop on her daughter, with one calling it a 'massive invasion of privacy'.

A mother frustrated with her 20-year-old daughter's spending habits says she read through her bank statements in secret - and other mothers were shocked

The mother admitted that her daughter will 'go nuts' when she finds out that she'd read the statements, but was even considering confiscating her cards to manage her finances.

She posted: 'She is often pleading poverty and asked me to lend her money the other day for a trip abroad she is going on. She also said she couldn't afford Christmas presents.

'She left an opened bank statement on the table before she went out tonight so I had a look.'

The Mumsnet user said her daughter 'can't be a***d' to wait for a bus so spends 140 a week on Ubers and hundreds a pounds a month on takeaways and her phone bill.

The Mumsnet user said she was struggling to get by and had to lend her daughter money because she'd spent 4,00 in just three months

She said that she doesn't work so the family struggles to get by on her husband's income, leaving them with very little to lend to their daughter.

The mother added: 'Would I be unreasonable to confiscate her cards and give her spending money weekly (after taking some rent money too) and refuse to give her money for a trip to Paris next weekend so she won't be able to go?'

Other Mumsnet users who responded to the post were shocked by her admission, and accused the mother of invading her daughter's privacy.

ThePinkPanther commented: 'You are being unreasonable. What a massive invasion of privacy... opening her post is way out of line.'

Other Mumsnet users were shocked by her admission and said it was an invasion of the student's privacy

'You are still defending your right to look at her bank statements. I suspect the real issue is that you treat her like a kid, and so she behaves like a kid,' Brasty posted.

FeelingAggrieved wrote: 'She's 20. Don't look at her mail! It doesn't matter if it was open or not. And no, you can't take her cards off her.'

HighburyHattie agreed: 'I think you were being massively intrusive going through her bank statements, its just an invasion of privacy. I would be very annoyed if my mother did that and Im the same age as your daughter. The respect just isnt there.'

Others advised said she was in the wrong by looking at the bank statements, but advised the mother to stop lending her daughter money.

Some suggested that she have a conversation with her daughter about her spending, and stop lending her money

Ohwhatbliss commented: 'If you can manage to have a calm discussion with her about her spending and financial irresponsibility then thats the way forward. And definitely no more handouts.'

'I would just try and sit down and have an adult conversation with her about trying to help her sort out where she spends her money, being kind and not accusatory,' Berliozwooler wrote.

Slartybartfast said: 'You can tell her you saw her open bank statement. You can have a word with her about her spending. You can help her plan a budget. You can refuse to give her money. She needs help.'
There's nothing more annoying than falling into a deep sleep, only to be woken by the sound of a chainsaw reverberating from your partner's side of the bed.

But rather than head for the sofa, scientists claim there is one simple way to cease snoring, and it will cost you less than 15.

According to research, sleeping with a pineapple plant can help to reduce those midnight motors and help snorers  and their partners  get a better night's sleep.

NASA scientists claim that sleeping with a pineapple plant in your bedroom can help prevent snoring

NASA reports that pineapple plants produce more oxygen and improve air quality throughout the night and therefore, aid better (and quieter) sleep.

With almost a quarter of Brits regularly sleeping in different rooms due to their partner's snoring, this could be the bedroom revolution British couples have been waiting for to get them out of prickly night-time situations.

Grown in Holland, the plants take between 21 and 24 months to develop to produce the inedible, miniature pineapple that adorns the top.

The plant, which is now being stocked at Asda, produces oxygen and improve air quality throughout the night and therefore, aid better (and quieter) sleep

HOW DOES IT HELP? NASA reports that pineapple plants produce more oxygen and improve air quality throughout the night and therefore, aid better (and quieter) sleep. Advertisement

In the hope of staving off festive fall outs, British supermarket Asda has introduced the 'miracle' plant to its shelves.

Phil Smith, Asda Plant Buyer, comments: 'Snorts, snuffles and splutters affect a quarter of Brits, so for those 16 million snorers, Asda's Pineapple Plant could be a dream come true  even more-so for sleep deprived partners.

'For those lucky enough to sleep through the night without the disturbance of snoring, the plant is a chic addition to the home which is easy to care for and adds a little touch of The Tropics to any room.'
A mum-of-four with a penchant for organisation has made a living out of decluttering and reorganising people's pantries.

Tracy Bond, from Melbourne, started her business Love My Pantry by pure accident after cleaning out her sister-in-law's cupboard.

Now two years later, Tracy is praised nationwide for her pantry makeovers and even counts popular blogger Sophie Cachia as an adoring customer.

'My sister-in-law said to me after I did her pantry: "You're good at this, you need to do it as a business",' Tracy told FEMAIL.

Tracy Bond, from Melbourne, started her business doing household chores by a pure accident after cleaning out her sister-in-law's cupboard (Pictured before left and right after)

Now two years later, Tracy is praised nation-wide for her pantry makeovers and even counts popular mummy blogger Sophie Cachia as an adoring customer

'My sister-in-law said to me after I did her pantry: "You're good at this, you need to do it as a business",' Tracy (pictured with her kids)told FEMAIL

'I put a post in an online group and I asked "who's up for a free pantry makeover?" and the mums just went crazy.'

It's a domestic burden most people tend to put off for years with the promise 'next weekend!' will be the magical moment when motivation for cleanliness will suddenly strike.

But Tracy describes her work as 'satisfying' and actually enjoys purging the junk out of strangers' homes.

'I've come across a lot of hoarders who just need someone to hold their hand. It can be really emotional,' she said.

'I tell the mums to go out for a coffee and when they come back and see what I've done they're so happy... some even cry. Just knowing you are helping people and doing something good is so satisfying for me.'

It's a domestic burden most people tend to put off for years with the promise 'next weekend!' will be the magical moment motivation for cleanliness will suddenly strike (Pictured before left and right after)

Sophia Cachia took to Instagram to gush over Tracy's work after she organised her pantry (pictured)

But Tracy describes her work as 'satisfying' and actually enjoys purging the junk out of strangers' homes (Pictured before right and left after)

'I've come across a lot of hoarders who just need someone to hold their hand. It can be really emotional,' she said (Pictured left before Tracy's organisation and right after)

Her top tips for organising the perfect pantry - and making sure it stays that way - are to purge old food and items you never use, keep only the necessities and to embrace canisters and tubs.

'The first thing is to take everything out and have a look and check what you actually still use regularly and throw out anything old,' Tracy explained.

'People keep out-of-date stuff in their pantry for years or it is full of random things like Lego or old batteries.'

The second step of Tracy's pantry decluttering process is to put food in pretty tubs with clear labels which helps her clients know exactly what they have and where it is.

Her business started off exclusively for organising pantries but the mother has since branched out into linen cupboards, garages, playrooms and entire kitchens.

She said her clients are mostly mothers who are eternally grateful for Tracy's organisational expertise.

Her top tips for organising the perfect pantry - and making sure it stays that way - are to purge old food and items you never use, keep only the necessities and to embrace canisters and tubs

The second step of Tracy's pantry decluttering process is to put food in pretty tubs with clear labels which helps her clients know exactly what they have and where it is

Her business started off exclusively for organising pantries but the mother has since branched out into linen cupboards, garages, playrooms and entire kitchens

When she began her pantry makeover service Tracy had around one or two clients a week - and now she is almost completely booked up

'It's a lot of weight off mother's shoulders - even husbands love it too,' she said.

'I've done quite a few garages too, and some walk in robes - these days people have so much stuff they don't know what to do with it all.'

Young Mummy writer Sophie Cachia recently had her pantry re-organised by Tracy and she wasted no time gushing about the finished product.

'Tracy is a magic fairy who comes to your house, and within a few short hours, does what you told yourself you'd do "this weekend" for the last 5 years,' Sophie wrote.

'She gets boxes, she puts sexy little name tags on them, she organises you like never before. Oh Tracy. Everybody needs Tracy in their lives. My husband asked if Tracy would move. Tracy said no.'

When she began her pantry makeover service Tracy had around one or two clients a week - and now she is almost completely booked up.

It takes her around two hours to finish up a basic kitchen pantry, with a little extra time needed for butler's pantries and walk-in ones, and her price starts at $170.
Daphne Oz has celebrated her last month of pregnancy with a stunning photo shoot that sees her chowing down on her favorite foods while showing off her growing baby bump.

The 31-year-old cookbook author, who is expecting a baby girl around the holidays, modeled everything from a sultry slip dress to a cozy sweater while posing with her favorite snacks for her shoot with the maternity clothing brand HATCH.

'Im one of those weirdos that actually loves being pregnant,' she told the retailer's mommy blog. 'I feel no pressure to be anything other than in my own skin, growing this incredible little life. But talk to me three months postpartum when I still look six months pregnant.'

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Chowing down: Daphne Oz posed for a stunning new maternity shoot that sees her posing alongside her favorite foods

Letting loose: One of the pictures sees the 31-year-old modeling a slip dress while munching on Cape Cod chips

Enjoying herself: 'Im one of those weirdos that actually loves being pregnant,' she said

In one set of photos, Daphne can be seen wearing a slip dress and a cream cardigan over her shoulders as she munches on some Cape Cod chips.

The soon-to-be mother-of-three is sitting on the floor surrounded by fruit, avocados, and pickles, as she tears into the bags of snacks next to her.

Daphne also posed for photos at New York restaurant J.G. Melon, where she was photographed eating two cheeseburgers at once.

When asked about her cravings, Daphne said she wants 'all the carbs,' but she admitted that's not at all out of character for her.

'I always crave pizza, but I feel like thats just my everyday life,' she said.

Double fisting: Daphne struck a pose while holding two cheeseburgers in her hands and leaning over a plate of the restaurant's cottage fried potatoes

Stuffed? The expectant mom, who is nearly 38 weeks pregnant, showed off her baby bump - and had a plate of pickles, a food often craved by expectant mothers, on-hand

Out and about: Part of the shoot took place at New York restaurant J.G. Melon

Elegant: Daphne said she is amazed by how quickly her third pregnancy has flown by

The expectant mom also has big plans after she gives birth to chow down on uni (sea urchin), wine, and Doritos, which have been her 'push present' to herself the last two times she gave birth.

'Yes, I know theyre probably the worst things I could eat, but theyre so effing delicious,' she said.

Daphne and her husband, John Jovanovic, are parents to a three-year-old daughter, Philomena, and a two-year-old son, Jovan, and she admitted her third pregnancy has been a been different than her last two.

'Im just amazed at how fast its flown by! The first time, you count every day, every week,' she recalled. 'You know exactly what fruit or vegetable represents the size of your baby.

'The second time you pay a little less attention. The third and my doctor has to remind me what week Im in.'

Mom life: Daphne took to Instagram on Thursday to share a list of things she and her three-year-old daughter Philomena argued about that morning

Strike a pose: Daphne, who is over nine months pregnant, attended American Girl Place's grand opening benefit to support the New York Public Library last weekend

Doting mom: Daphne took her eldest daughter to the event held at American Girl Place

Daphne, who is nearly 38 weeks along, also noted that each of her births has been different so she has no problem 'going with the flow' as long as her baby is safe.

'I was able to have a natural birth with our son, and I found my recovery was much better than when I had to be medically induced with our daughter, so my goal is to go as naturally as possible,' she explained. 'But whatever gets me a healthy, happy baby is good with me!'

Although she looks utterly glamorous in her latest shoot, Daphne makes sure to remind her 278,00 Instagram followers that she has the same mom struggles that they do.

Daphne revealed on Thursday that she is dealing with a very opinionated three-year-old daughter while in the last weeks of her pregnancy.

The mom took to Instagram on Thursday to share a photo of her adorable daughter while listing all of the things they argued about this morning.

Milestone: Daphne and her husband, John Jovanovic, celebrated their two-year-old son Jovan's baptism over the weekend. They're pictured with two-year-old Jovan and Philomenia

All smiles: The family also posed for a photo outside Bryn Athyn Cathedral with Daphne's father, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and her mother, Lisa Oz

Almost there! Earlier this month, Daphne shared this photo of her baby bump in honor of her 36th week of pregnancy

According to Daphne, Philomena wanted to know why she 'gave away her favorite brown couch,' which is the 'same brown' as her mom's hair.

The cookbook author said she and Philomena went on to debate whether her purple and pink dress matches her purple and blue shoes, which she agreed was a 'legitimate question.'

The little girl wanted to know 'why she should wear hair bows if she doesn't get to see them when she's wearing them.'

Then they went on to argue about strawberry toothpaste versus minty toothpaste.

Philomena also questioned whether she or her brother Jovan, whom they call Johnny, had more syrup on their pancakes.

Finally, the mom's eldest child stressed that it was 'boring' to 'always be running out of time. She asked her mom if she could make the clocks go slower, and Daphne felt that was also a legitimate question.
The thought of Santa turning up with lumps of coal on Christmas night is every naughty child's worst nightmare.

But now, one Australian company has brought the nightmare to life in adulthood with their line of Christmas prank coal disguised as designer jewellery.

Perfect for 'coal-hearted' grinches, the prank coal by Yellow Octopus costs $20 and has been aptly named 'Joque Coal' to give off a high-end vibe.

An Australian company has launched a line of Christmas prank coal disguised as designer jewellery

Perfect for 'coal-hearted' grinches, the prank coal by Yellow Octopus costs $20 and has been aptly named 'Joque Coal' to give off a high-end vibe

'Joque Coal is a piece of coal (yes, coal) impeccably packaged in a gift box with silver leaf embossing, the whole shebang cleverly crafted to resemble a high end gift,' the website reads.

'The (un)lucky recipient will be impressed with the elegant, designer look of their gift box, eagerly lifting the lid on what theyll expect to be something thoughtful, expensive and altogether not a piece of coal.

'And there, nestled in delicate silver tissue will be a primo piece of flammable black rock, the stuff of stocking-filler legend, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity confirming its Vegan, Gluten-free, Cruelty-free and Ethically-sourced status.'

'Joque Coal is a piece of coal (yes, coal) impeccably packaged in a gift box with silver leaf embossing, the whole shebang cleverly crafted to resemble a high end gift,' the website reads

'The (un)lucky recipient will be impressed with the elegant, designer look of their gift box, eagerly lifting the lid on what theyll expect to be something thoughtful,' they wrote

'And there, nestled in delicate silver tissue will be a primo piece of flammable black rock, the stuff of stocking-filler legend,' they wrote

The coal also comes in two different styles - the first named the 'Think Youre Getting An Expensive Timeless Gift But Its Just Coal LOL' Gift Box.

This particular box is black with a 'high-end designer look and feel' and contains one piece of black coal.

The second style is called the 'Here Hunny This May Look Like A Ring But Its Just Coal LOL' Ring Box.

This one is smaller and blue and designed to look just like an engagement ring box.

The coal also comes in two different styles - the first named the 'Think Youre Getting An Expensive Timeless Gift But Its Just Coal LOL' Gift Box (pictured)

The coal is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity confirming its Vegan, Gluten-free, Cruelty-free and Ethically-sourced status

'Everyone takes Christmas so seriously these days. We wanted to lighten things up a bit. Everyone is in high spirits at Christmas, so its a perfect time to pull off a prank without seriously upsetting people', Yellow Octopus founder, Derek Sheen, said.

'Giving naughty children coal at Christmas time is as old as Christmas itself, but what about adults? Its time for the ultimate stitch up.'
With everyone owning a social media account these days, it's hard to stand out from the crowd.

But an online gallery shows the extreme lengths that selfie lovers have gone to in a bid to get the perfect picture.

From posing naked in the bathroom to eating noodles from the sink, these people really did go the extra mile - with rather bizarre results.

One girl appears to be levitating in her picture, while others show off their amazing flexibility.

There's so much going on in some of the pictures, you just don't know where to look...

Hilarious photographs show people going the extra mile to stand out from the crowd in their selfies. Pictured is a man posing naked, with two lemons taped to his chest

Meanwhile, this girl has gone to great lengths to make it appear as if she's levitating in this impressive picture

There is so much going on in this picture it's hard to know where to begin. It's not quite clear why he's pointing a gun at a Christmas tree

This man is trying to look nonchalant in his selfie - although he doesn't quite pull it off

Meanwhile, this bizarre picture shows a man apparently eating noodles from his bathroom sink, which isn't very hygienic

Another man is doing a headstand manoeuvre in the sink, although it's not clear why

This woman is showing off her impressive flexibility in this picture, as well as her incredible ability to balance her phone precariously on her foot

Props are involved in many of the pictures, including these two guys who went full out on their safari theme

This woman picked a rather interesting pink themed ensemble for her selfie, while posing with a large Hilary Duff alarm clock

Another man has made himself look exactly like the picture of Jesus hanging on his wall

One man is hovering on a tiny pink bicycle in his bizarre picture, while another is enjoying a nap while balanced on his door

Meanwhile, this teenager is exposing rather a lot in his nude selfie - although at least he's got his private parts covered up

Bicycles in the bathroom seem to be quite a popular choice when trying to go the extra mile

Others used props from the kitchen, including this rather creative helmet (left). Another woman showed off her baking efforts - after seemingly moving everything to the bathroom

This man clamoured onto the toilet seat to get a picture of his mate in the cubicle next door

Balancing on the door seems to be a rather popular choice for these creative selfie takers

He was probably trying to be romantic, but it's unclear why this man is gazing at another picture of himself

People carry all sorts of props into their bathroom in order to make full use of the mirror - including this man with his mattress

These two men went with aquatic themed props. One posed with his boat, while another inexplicably decided to stick his head into his fish tank
A model has admitted to using sugar daddies she's met online in order to fund her surgery to transform her into a human barbie - despite a breast augmentation almost killing her.

Amanda Ahola, 21, from Jyvaskyla, Finland, has dedicated her life to achieving the 'perfect Barbie look.'

To date, the webcam model has spent 15,000 on three breast augmentations - taking her B Cup breasts to a 30GG cup - 4,000 on a nose job and thousands of pounds on lip fillers and Botox injections.

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Amanda Ahola has so far had 19,000 worth of plastic surgery in order to emulate a Barbie doll

Amanda told Barcroft TV: 'My first surgery was my boob job, which was 460 ccs, which is quite large for an 18-year-old. Then my second surgery was [enlarging them to] 750ccs.

'The [third] implant size are 1200cs, and I honestly want to go bigger. It doesn't matter how big I go, it will never be big enough for me.

'My number one ambition is looking plastic, as plastic as I can. Barbie is really close to perfection and I want to get as close to perfection as I can.

'When people call me fake or Barbie, it makes me really happy.'

While she worked as a hospital cleaner to fund the majority of her surgeries Amanda also enlisted the help of a sugar daddy to fund her most recent breast augmentation

Amanda's mother says that even from a young age her daughter took an interest in glamorous accessories such as heeled shoes

Without family support and financial help, Amanda has worked long hours, and a variety of jobs to pay for her surgeries to continue her 'plastification' dream - including being a cleaner.

She said: 'When I was a cleaner at the hospital, I wasn't suppose to wear make up, and that was painful, but I did wear fake-eye lashes.

'It was a constant battle fighting with the people there as they always said my hair was too big and I was wearing too much make-up, like I was about to go to a party.

Amanda continued to develop her look over the years admitting she find it flattering when people say she looks 'fake'. Pictured: Amanda in her college years

Amanda's most recent breast enlargement nearly took her life after causing her to have a seizure and swelling on the brain

Amanda's family do not share her passion for plastic surgery but are supportive of their daughter. Pictured (L-R) Amanda's brother Veeti, mother Nina, Amanda Ahola, sister Wilma and father Tomi

'I think I'll always have this idea that when I grow up I'm going to look a certain way. At 16 I started making plans of how that was gonna go down. I had this vision of myself and I didn't look like it, so I just started changing things.'

Her third breast augmentation was paid for by a sugar daddy who she met online, much to the dislike of her boyfriend Aleksi.

Amanda explained: 'I found my sugar daddy on Instagram. I wasn't like looking for him. He asked me if there was anything that I would like and I said that I would like bigger boobs

'I have never met my sugar daddy. I've only spoken him with him on the phone.

For her next surgery Amanda is now considering a Brazilian Butt lift to create a perter derriere - but only if she can have it under local anaesthetic

Amanda now works as a webcam model which, she admits, has caused a few issues in her relationship with her boyfriend Alekski

'Obviously if someone wants to pay my bills or surgeries and is content to not having a physical relationship with me that is fine.

'My boyfriend doesn't like my sugar daddy.'

But the breast enlargement nearly took her life after causing her to have a seizure and swelling on the brain.

Amanda's concerned parents were by Amanda's bedside praying she'd survive.

She said: 'My latest surgeryI nearly died. I don't really remember but I have little flashbacks of going to the surgery room and then I remember waking up to a really weird dream that I was in a hospital bed and then I see my mum and my boyfriend.

'My mum did not know I was having the surgery. They started crying and my mum told me that something happened after the surgery and they asked me, "Do you remember us? Because you didn't yesterday."'

Amanda's mother Nina said: 'I received the second worse phone call a parent could receive.

'It's that your child is on emergency and might die. The worst is that she's dead already.'

Amanda added: 'I didn't regret what happened, because I made a choice and that was the consequence, but I was really devastated because I knew that this was going to be the end of having anymore surgery.'

However, six months later, Amanda is now considering a Brazilian Butt lift to create a perter derriere - but only if she can have it under local anaesthetic.

She said: 'Am I addicted to surgeries? Maybe in a way. I just know that I have to do all the things that I want to do because life could end at any second.'

Amanda admits that her aesthetic differs greatly from that of her family's.

'My family is really normal, and were brought up pretty humbly with not a lot of money, and their looks were never a concern to them,' Amanda said.

Her mum added: 'From a young age you would see from Amanda that she was different.

'When she was four we went shoe shopping to find shoes with a heel on them.

'In my opinion, I wouldn't want her to go to extreme but she is an extreme kind of person. All or nothing.

'As parents we've been asking her to see a psychiatrist, to ask her, "Why do want you this?", but it is her choice.'

Amanda's Barbie looks and webcam modelling job initially caused issues in her relationship with Aleksi.

She said: 'He doesn't like it and he thinks it's weird because when we met I was a lot more normal.

Alekski said: 'When it started, it caused issues in our relationship, but it has been dealt with and I've come to terms with it.'
Amazon has been accused of 'ruining Christmas' by sending out present deliveries in their original packaging.

The company, which has been criticised for over-packaging in the past, claims it is trying to reduce waste - but its response has done nothing to quell customers' anger.

Across the country, children's Christmas 'surprises' have been arriving on doorsteps in their manufacturers' original boxes with a simple shipping sticker attached.

Amazon UK's Facebook page has been inundated with complaints in recent days with irate customers calling on the retail giant to use their 'common sense'.

Paula Napier is just one of dozens of customers who have taken to Facebook in recent weeks to accuse Amazon of ruining their Christmas surprises by not packaging their deliveries

One customer, Paula Napier, wrote on Facebook: 'I know you are often criticised for too much packaging, but come on Amazon surely at Christmas time it would have been appropriate to even have wrapped this in brown paper rather than just sticking it in the mailing label to the outside of the actual box!!!

'Luckily I'm not having to explain why Santa needs Amazon's help.'

Another labelled the company 'ridiculous', blasting: 'A bit of common sense wouldn't go amiss at this time of year that anything ordered needs at least some sort of packaging!'

A recent complaint on Facebook. The firm, which has been criticised for over-packaging in recent years, claims it is trying to reduce waste - but its response has done nothing to quell customers' anger

Charlie Gemmell Chaildminder wrote: 'My son opened the door this afternoon thinking it was his wee friends coming out to play and saw this

One customer told how Amazon had 'ruined the whole Santa experience' for his six-year-old son who had asked for a Mega Mastodon Nerf gun.

Charlie Gemmell Chaildminder wrote: 'My son opened the door this afternoon thinking it was his wee friends coming out to play and saw this.

'No way could I lie my way out of this one. I'm so disappointed Amazon.'

Amazon responded to each of the posts individually with an explanation that they were trying to cut down on packaging.

Oops! Across the country, children's Christmas 'surprises' have been arriving on doorsteps in their manufacturers' original boxes with a simple shipping sticker attached

The firm has advised customers to either select the 'gift option' at checkout or to mark items as 'Ship in Amazon box'

Angry chorus: Amazon UK's Facebook page has been inundated with complaints in recent days with irate customers calling on the retail giant to use their 'common sense'

One of the responses read: 'I'm so very sorry that your surprise was ruined. We try to minimise the amount of packaging materials we use as much as possible.'

They advised customers to either select the 'gift option' at checkout or to mark items as 'Ship in Amazon box'.

Amazon also offers 'Frustration Free Packaging' which gives customers the option to cover the item contents in a box.

MailOnline has contacted Amazon for further comment.
Canadian nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer would not have become a serial killer if she had not been in the medical profession, an expert claims.

The 50-year-old, from Southwestern Ontario, dubbed the 'Angel of Death', was given a life sentence in June this year after confessing to killing eight elderly patients by injecting them with lethal doses of insulin, which was readily accessible to her.

In a new episode of CBS Reality's Voice of a Serial Killer, experts argue that she was 'not that exceptional', but had a 'ready supply of victims' in front of her, as well as a 'murder kit' in the form of drugs on the ward.

They also noted that there was a two-year period - during which time she was not working with the elderly - when she did not appear to have 'any driving motivation' to kill.

However, experts said she appeared to be 'turned on' by 'playing god' - deciding whether patients would live or die.

In fact, Wettlaufer claimed in her chilling confession tapes that her actions were driven by God, who she says told her This is how you work for me.

Although it is common for murderers to blame God, criminal experts say the nurse differs from other serial killers because of the 'guilt' she describes feeling following her patients' deaths - as well as the fact that she turned herself in to police.

Nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer, 50, from Southwestern Ontario, was given a life sentence in June after confessing to killing eight elderly patients by injecting them with lethal doses of insulin

Criminal experts described her as a 'lonely, sad, drug addict' who enjoyed the power that she got from taking her patients' lives into her own hands .

Clinical forensic psychologist Dr Mike Berry explained: 'Serial killers love to be in a powerful position.

'That moment when they decide you live, or you dont live. Thats a fantastic turn on for anybody whos into that kind of behaviour.'

However, experts say that in many ways, her profile was not typical of serial killers and that she would not have been committed her crimes had it not been for her role.

The 50-year-old confessed to killing and attempting to kill her patients while at a psychiatric hospital in Toronto, before turning herself into police

Her confession has been reconstructed on CBS Reality's Voice of a Serial Killer (pictured), which used real recordings of her police interview

Dr Eric Cullen, also a forensic psychologist, explained: 'She would not have been a serial killer if shed not been in that position, that place of trust, that place of opportunity, that place of vulnerability of her victims. And her professional knowledge.'

He added: 'She is not that exceptional, there are many people with similar profiles.'

Wettlaufer killed five women and three men in the Ontario towns of Woodstock and London between 2007 and 2014, with the victims aged from 75 to 96.

However, Dr Berry pointed out that there was a two-year period, when she wasn't working with the elderly, where she did not commit any murders.

'What's unusual with her is that there were a gap of about two years, when she wasn't working with the elderly, and she didn't kill,' he explained.

The 'mild-mannered' nurse's elderly victims Elizabeth Wettlaufer killed five women and three men at Caressant Care Woodstock Nursing Home and Meadow Park Nursing Home in London, Ontario between 2007 and 2014. She injected her first victim 84-year-old James Silcox, who suffered from dementia, with insulin in August 2007 - the same year that her marriage broke down. Her other victims were: Maurice Granat, 84; Gladys Millard, 87; Helen Matheson, 95; Mary Zurawinski, 96; Helen Young, 90; Maureen Pickering, 79, and Arpad Horvath, 75. Victim James Silcox, 84, pictured left, and Maurice Granat, also 84, pictured right Gladys Millard, 87, pictured left, and Helen Matheson, 95, pictured right Experts say that Wettlaufer treated her male and female victims differently, painting the man as abusers, while suggesting that the women needed to be put out of their misery. In her police interview, she claimed that Granat groped her before she killed him, saying she 'got that feeling inside that this was his time to go'. Wettlaufer also suggested that Young was 'miserable' and told nurses 'help me die'. She claimed that Zurawinski had told her to put her on her 'death bed' as she was going to die that night. Mary Zurawinski, 96, pictured left, and Arpad Horvath, 75, pictured right Maureen Pickering, 79, pictured, was killed in March 2014 in Woodstock Advertisement

'And there didn't seem to be any driving motivation for her to kill during that period.'

Fellow expert Dr Christopher Berry-Dee agreed, adding: 'Wettlaufer had a ready supply of victims literally laying in their beds, waiting for her to come along to kill them.'

He added: 'She didnt have to go trawling the streets like some serial killers, she had them laying in front of her.'

The nurse, apparently overwhelmed by her guilt, confessed to killing and attempting to kill her patients while at a psychiatric hospital in Toronto, where she was being treated for addiction to prescription drugs.

Staff reported her to police, and Wettlaufer subsequently agreed to being interviewed by officers, giving a two-hour long confession that experts liken to her 'admitting her sins to a priest'.

Experts who examined the recordings say Wettlaufer would not have become a serial killer if she had not been in the medical profession

In her chilling confession tapes, she claimed her actions were driven by God, telling her This is how you work for me

In her police interview, the nurse - who committed her first murder the same year as her marriage broke down - claimed that she had been instructed by God to kill.

Wettlaufer paints herself as a mercy killer, who ended the lives of her elderly victims - in particular her female victims - in order to ease their pain.

Describing a 'red surge' she felt prior to her killings, she told officers: 'There was always that red surging that I identified as God telling me "This is how you work for me".'

Wettlaufer also claimed she heard voices, saying: '[I]t was a like a voice said inside me saying "Ill use you, dont worry about it".'

Voice of a Serial Killer airs on Wednesday at 10pm on CBS Reality.
A glamorous Princess Charlene showed off her charitable side on Friday as she joined husband Prince Albert for a charitable gift giving event in Monaco.

The 39-year-old mother showcased her svelte physique in an elegant floor length black gown as she arrived at the headquarters of the Monaco Red Cross.

Her famous cropped blonde hair was coiffed to perfection and the former Olympic swimmer added a slick of festive red lipstick to complete her look.

Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco showcased their charitable side at a gift giving event on Friday

She and Albert presented gifts to those in need ahead of Monaco's National Day with presents including festive hampers and snacks.

The couple spent time chatting to visitors, shaking their hands and hearing stories about their lives.

Albert, 59, looked dapper in a fitted black suit and dove grey tie and showcased his well-styled moustache he has been sporting of late.

Charlene cut a glamorous figure in a floor length black gown while Prince Albert looked dapper in a classic suit and dove grey tie

Charlene and Albert presented gifts to those in need ahead of Monaco's National Day with presents including festive hampers and snacks

The Red Cross is a charity clearly close to the royal's hearts, with the couple hosting a gala ball in aid of the charity each July.

Monaco National Day, also known as The Sovereign Prince's Day falls on 19 November, this Sunday, and is an annual celebration.

The date of the National Day is traditionally determined by the reigning Prince. The previous Princes often chose the day of the saint they were named after.

However, when Prince Albert II ascended the throne he ended this tradition by choosing the same day as his father Prince Rainier III.

National day is typically celebrated with fireworks over the harbour the evening before and a mass in the St. Nicholas Cathedral the next morning. The people of Monaco may celebrate by waving the Monegasque flag.
She is well known for her sunny disposition but Queen Maxima looked especially cheerful on Friday as she attended Day of the Entrepreneur.

The Queen of the Netherlands could not stifle her laughter during her visit to the Octatube plant in Delft this morning.

The Argentinian-born royal's outfit was as bright as her mood on Friday dressing in an emerald belted dress for her engagement.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands was in especially good spirits today as she visited the Octatube plant in Delft

At 5ft 9 she may be one of Europe's taller royals but Maxima is never one to opt for a flat shoe today opting for an forest green suede heeled pump.

Always with a keen eye for coordination the mother-of-three added a pair of Jade earrings to her ensemble and could be seen clutching a deep green clutch bag.

The 46-year-old royal wore her golden tresses loose today and opted for a nude beauty look for her visit to Delft.

The Argentinian-born royal was especially animated as she took a tour of the plant on Entrepreneurs Day

In light of the cold weather Maxima wrapped up in a chic bright blue wool coat as she arrived in Delft

The royal's outfit was as bright as her mood on Friday dressing in an emerald belted dress

In light of the colder weather Maxima wrapped up in a bright blue wool jacket helping her to achieve a trendy colour-blocking look.

Today saw Maxima attend the annual report of the State of SME (Small and medium-sized enterprises).

The queen was given a tour of the plant joined by the Dutch Committee for Entrepreneurship and Finance, the State Secretary Keijzer for Economic and Climate Affairs.

She married her outfit with a host of green accessories including an elegant forest green clutch and Jade jewellery

The queen was given a tour of the plant joined by the Dutch Committee for Entrepreneurship and Finance

The report aims to gain a structural insight into the situation of SMEs. It also shows the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs.

The Day of the Entrepreneur celebrates entrepreneurship celebrating those working in the field of business.

The Day of the Entrepreneur s celebrated in several European countries on the third Friday of November.
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Vintage twentieth century photographs reveal just how popular and glamorous beauty pageants of the past really were.

Many of the monochrome images are from past Miss America pageants, the oldest pageant still in operation today. The iconic pageant, which was originally called Atlantic City's Inter-City Beauty Contest, was organized in 1921 by a local businessman looking to entice tourists to visit the New Jersey city.

The first contestants donned bathing suits and were judged solely on their appearance. The two-day event evolved into the Miss America pageant that we know today.

Stunning: Vintage photographs reveal just how popular and glamorous beauty pageants were in the twentieth century

Winner: Margaret Gorman (pictured), a 16-year-old from Washington, D.C. was crowned the first 'Miss America' after competing in the 1921 Inter-City Beauty Contest held in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Owning it: Margaret Gorman was all smiles as she posed wearing a large Statue of Liberty crown and a striped cape after she was named the first Miss America

Style of the times: Women are pictured wearing bloomers during a beauty contest in 1921

Old sashes: Mary Dague as 'Miss Wheeling,' Dorothy Haupt as 'Miss Easton,' Helen Lynch as 'Miss Fall River,' Ellen E. Sherr as 'Miss Allentown,' Paula E. Spoettle as 'Miss Bridgeport,' and Miss Margaret Gorman as 'Miss America' are pictured in 1922

New tradition: The 1922 Miss America contest was won by Mary Campbell (second from left). She is pictured with Armand T. Nichol, the director of the pageant (far left) and the previous year's winner Margaret Gorman (far right)

Historic: Mary Campbell (pictured) was the only person to win the Miss America pageant twice in addition to being the second woman in history to win the title

Making friends: Six beauty pageant contestants are pictured in their swimsuits in Atlantic City in 1923

Throwback: A group of Miss America contestants donned ornate headpieces while posing for a photo together in the 1920s

Added touch: In 1924, beauty contestants wore cloaks of satin with their bathing suits for the pageant in Atlantic City

Former Miss California: Fay Lanphier became the first national beauty queen from California after she won the Miss America pageant in 1925

Start of it all: Contestants are pictures in their swimsuits at the Inter-City Beauty Contest in Atlantic City in 1925. The Inter-City Beauty Contest later became known as the Miss America pageant

Beauty contest: The pageants first contestants donned bathing suits and were judged solely on their appearance

Start of it all: Contestants are pictures in their swimsuits at the Inter-City Beauty Contest in Atlantic City in 1927

Evolving: Atlantic City's Inter-City Beauty Contest evolved into the Miss America pageant that we know today

Famous grin: Norma Smallwood, Miss Tulsa, was named Miss America in 1926. She was said to possess a smile like that of Mona Lisa

Popular: In this image, a crowd can be seen gathering to watch a beauty pageant in the 1920s in New Jersey

Get ready: Beauty pageant contestants were photographed just moments before they were about to jump into a pool of oranges for the Miss Anaheim competition in Los Angeles in 1929

One image shows a large crowd of people surrounding the beauty pageant parade in Atlantic City, while another depicts a beautiful contestant smiling with music papers scattered around her.

In 1929, a group of beauty pageant contestants were photographed just moments before they were about to jump into a pool of oranges for the Miss Anaheim competition in Los Angeles, California.

Other pictures include a line-up of beauty contestants in their swimming suits in Huntington Beach, California, in 1925, and a group of stunning woman wearing sashes in Venice, Italy, for the Venice Bathing Beauty Pageant in 1926.

'A beauty pageant or contest is a competition manifestly based on an evaluation of contestants' appearance, and contestants are typically, although not invariably, for girls or women,' Carol Brooks Gardner said in the book Gender and Society, edited by Jodi O'Brien.

Strike a pose: A group of beauty pageant contestants posed together during the Venice Bathing Beauty Pageant in 1926

Bathing beauties: The women were seen wearing their sashes while they lined up in their swim costumes during the pageant held at Venice Beach

West Coast: Contestants are pictured at the Bathing Beauty Pageant at Huntington Beach, California, in 1925

Sun protection: Some of the women held parasols umbrellas while posing for photos on the beach

Modest swimwear: The women were seen wearing bathing suits that skimmed the top of their thighs

Going global: The First International Pageant of Pulchritude and Seventh Annual Bathing Girl Revue, was a beauty pageant held from May 15 to May 17, 1926, in Galveston, Texas

Spreading throughout North America: The previous editions of the Galveston Bathing Girl Revue had only featured contestants from the US. However, during the 1926 event, one contestant from Mexico and another from Canada entered

Attracting more contestants: The Second International Pageant of Pulchritude and Eighth Annual Bathing Girl Revue was held from May 21 to May 23, 1927, in Galveston, Texas

Growing in size: Women from Cuba, France, Italy, Luxemburg, Portugal, Canada, Mexico joined the US contestants for the international pageant

Annual event: The Fifth International Pageant of Pulchritude and Eleventh Annual Bathing Girl Revue was held in Galveston, Texas, from August 2 to August 6, 1930

Fancy dress: The women wore their sashes over their dresses while they posed together for the photo op

Having fun: Five beauty pageant contestants posed for a photo together on the beach in 1923

California's 'Beauty Quartette': Louise Heathman, Miss Southern California; Bertha Wiezel, Miss California; Ruby Smith, Miss Oakland; and Naomi Farrand, Miss San Francisco, are pictured together for competing in the Atlantic City beauty pageant

A moment in time: Seven beauty pageant contestants are pictured on the boardwalk in Atlantic City in 1927

Winning look: Henrietta Weaver is seen posing in a bathing suit for the 1935 Miss America pageant

On her thrown: Rose Veronica Coyle was crowned Miss America in 1936. She was the first contestant to receive an encore in the talent completion

A star is born: Dorothy Parker was crowned Miss Washington before competing for the title of Miss America in 1938 when she was 18 years old

By the beach: A group of women are seen walking on the boardwalk together ahead of a beauty pageant

'There is an implicit and obvious feminist criticism of the beauty pageant, which is most often a pyramidal contest that pits one woman against another and evaluates all in a series of eliminations.'

Entrepreneur Phineas Taylor Barnum staged the first modern American pageants in 1854, but his beauty contest had to be shut down due to a protest from the public.

'In addition to originating widely advertised contests that judged babies, flowers, and dogs, Barnum promoted 'feminine beauty' contests,' Carol said.

'These contests appealed to the American value of the competition, and they gained popularity thanks to the rise of the mass distribution newspaper and the technology of the daguerreotype.'

Old practices: A group of beauty pageant contestants are pictures being weighed in before the contest

Good odds: Bette Cooper was 17 years old when she was selected as the 'most beautiful girl in evening gown' at the Miss America pageant in 1937

Memorable day: Bette Cooper is photographed with her trophy after being named Miss America in 1937

Pageant royalty: Peggy Payne was photographed sitting on her thrown after being named Miss America in 1945

Parade: Miss Texas is pictured wearing a gown while riding on a float in Atlantic City in 1946

Passing on the torch: Marilyn Buferd, Miss America 1946, is pictured crowning the new Miss America, Barbara Jo Walker, in 1947, as five other contestants smile during the pageant held in Atlantic City

Stunning: Miss America contestant Yolande Betbeze was photographed sitting on the floor, surrounded by sheet music

Famous: Betbeze also posed on a railing at the top of a building in Atlantic City in 1950 (left) before she was crowned Miss America in 1951 (right)

Showing off her curves: Kay Douglas of New York City is pictured after winning the Miss New York State title

Success: Barbara Nan Hicks (center) captured the Miss Dixie title in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1955. Second runner up was Joan Faye Brown (left) and third was Margaret Anne Haywood

Miss America candidates Jacque Baker, Miss Iowa; Linda Mead, Miss Mississippi, Sharon O'Neal, Miss Kansas; and Suzie Jackson, Miss Arkansas, are pictured together in 1959

Happy as can be: Lee Ann Meriwether is pictured running down the beach after being named Miss America in 1955

Vintage pic: A group of women competing for the title of Miss New York City at Grace Darwin Airline Hostess School are pictured in their swimsuits in 1963

How things have changed: These days the swimsuit portion of the competition is seen as being incredibly controversial

Beauty contests grew in popularity in the 1880s, but these types of events were not regarded as respectable until the first Miss America contest held in 1921.

Margaret Gorman, a 16-year-old from Washington, D.C. was crowned the first Miss America that year after having won both the popularity and beauty contests.

The UK beauty pageant Miss United Kingdom was created in 1958 by British TV host Eric Morley the man behind the Miss World pageant.

European festivals from as far back as the medieval period, provided the most direct connection for beauty pageants.

English May Day celebrations always involved the selection of a May Queen.
The Victoria's Secret models have officially arrived in Shanghai ahead of the brand's annual fashion show, which will film on Monday and air on CBS on Tuesday, November 28.

With just days until showtime, the girls walking the glitter runway this year don't have time to deal with breakouts or dry and dehydrated, post-flight skin.

To ensure clear, glowy complexions, models like Karlie Kloss and Candice Swanepoel have prepped with visits to top facialists and filled their carry-ons with skin-boosting masks.

Shanghai here they come! Victoria's Secret models like Elsa Hosk (left), 29, and Jasmine Tookes (right), 26, have landed in Shanghai ahead of the brand's annual fashion show Monday

Saving face: Candice Swanepoel (left), 29, and Karlie Kloss (right), 25, helped their skin recover from the long flight to Shanghai with face masks

Karlie must have turned heads on her flight to the Chinese city when she applied Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery PowerFoil Mask in her seat.

The metallic silver sheet mask brightens, moisturizes and locks in hydration, making it the perfect treatment for a long plane ride.

After her 22-hour flight, Candice rejuvenated her skin with what appeared to be a clay mask. The Biotherm ambassador is a fan of the brand's Wonder Mud mask which cleanses and smoothes.

Second-timer Zuri Tibby stocked her suitcase with a smattering of masks and shared her favorites with her Instagram followers. Among her go-tos are Patchology Rejuvenating Eye Gels (which she wore on the plane), Etude House Lip Gel and Sephora eye masks.

Ready for anything: Zuri Tibby, 22, brought a stash of face, lip and eye masks in her carry-on and took a selfie wearing Patchology's Rejuvenating Eye Gels

Angel-worthy: Sara Sampaio, 26, treated herself to $249 24K gold eye masks before jetting off to Shanghai

Silky smooth: Grace Elizabeth, 20, got a silk peel to prep her skin for the runway. 'My skin has never felt as clean and bright as it does now!' she said

Before jetting off across the world, Sara Sampaio paid a visit to Mimi Luzon, a facialist known for her 24K gold treatments.

The model was pictured on the aesthetician's Instagram account wearing her 24K Pure Gold Eye Treatment, which you can buy yourself for a cool $249. According to the brand, the gold helps diminish puffiness and dark circles, promote collagen growth and firms and softens skin.

Grace Elizabeth opted for a purifying and exfoliating skin peel at New York City's SkinProLogica. 'My skin has never felt as clean and bright as it does now! Just in time for Shanghai!' she said on Instagram.
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Aging gracefully  and well  means something different in different parts of the world.

To illustrate these varying standards of beauty, SeniorLiving.org asked graphic designers from 18 different countries to work their retouching magic on a pair of photos: one showing a 55-year-old woman, and the other showing a 55-year-old man.

The graphic designers transformed each of the images, changing them to represent the ideal standards of beauty and aging in their respective countries, which proved to differ dramatically.

Experiment: Graphic designers from 18 countries were asked to Photoshop this image of a 55-year-old woman to make her better represent the 'ideal' woman of that age in their countries

Look of the locks: The most frequently-changed aspect of the model was her hair, which was both lengthened and shortened as well as colored

Modesty in the Middle East: While some made the model more'glamorous with jewelry and bigger hair, Egypt covered her up completely with a burkini

Adjusting the assets: Japan shortened the models legs while the Netherlands gave her bigger, rounder breasts

In the original female image, the 55-year-old woman is pictured standing before the camera in a pink one-piece swimsuit. She has pale skin, is of an average weight  with perhaps a little extra around the middle  and her hair is short and blonde.

After Photoshop, the designers from Chile and Serbia left her the most unchanged. Mexico didn't tweak much either, tightening the stomach and lifting the breasts just a bit and de-aging the skin.

Despite the minimal changes, the designer from Mexico said: 'In Mexico, people have very unrealistic beauty standards  especially for older people. Maybe it's because of celebrities, but older people are sometimes made fun of because of their loose skin. For women, they are expected to look thin and as young as possible. Fair skin is a desirable feature for both men and women.'

The UK also didn't change all that much, making the model a tad tanner and darkening her hair by just a bit.

On the other end of the spectrum, Egypt changed the model the most, putting her in a burkini. Her skin was made slightly darker and the little bit of lipstick was scrubbed from her lips  but naturally the most dramatic change was that her skin was almost entirely covered and her hair was made invisible under the cap.

'[The] "ideal body" might be a sort of taboo subject these days, since women are not supposed to be showing their bodies in modern-day Egypt, and women who do are treated like they are promiscuous,' the Egyptian graphic designer said.

Ukraine's transformation was also quite dramatic: In addition to giving the model lighter skin, shorter hair, and red lipstick, she was put in a flesh-colored bikini and her breasts were enlarged by several sizes.

More cushion: Interestingly, only the Philippines made the model larger, giving her additional weight around the middle

Nip tuck: Several of the designers slimmed the model's stomach and lifted her breasts

Busty: The Ukrainian designer dramatically englarged the models breasts and but her in a two-piece

Colombia added jewelry to the model and made her hair shoulder-length, blonder, and wavy. Argentina changed her hair, too, turning it brown and making it look much longer and wavy. Her legs and stomach were also slimmed out, and was dressed in a red swimsuit instead of pink.

'For Argentinians, I think the aging process is a very big challenge because it is still not accepted to have an older body, for both men and women. People exercise, have operations, and tan to perpetuate youthful beauty,' said the Argentinian designer.

Italy and Romania both gave her gray hair and lifted her breasts, while the Netherlands gave her a lift but dyed her hair strawberry blonde. Red was also the color of choice for South Africa, which picked an auburn color in addition to giving the model larger breasts and a slimmer stomach.

While many of the countries  including China, Spain, Peru  made the model thinner, especially in the stomach region, the Philippines went in the opposite direction. The graphic designer from that Southeast Asian country actually made the model considerably wider and heavier-looking, expanding her hips, shoulders, and stomach.

Oddly, Japan made the model's chest longer and legs shorter, making her look oddly proportioned.

The graphic designer from the US seemed to be trying to make the model look more youthful by smoothing out her legs and making them appear fuller, while at the same time nipping in her waist, enhancing her hips, and lifting her breasts.

Men next: The designers also played with this image of a 55-year-old man

Picture of youth: Argentina added tattoos, and China gave the man a more boyish face and abs

Every body: Colombia added chest hair and a mustache, Egypt added weight but subtracted hair, and Italy put on muscle and a beard

No baldies: Many of the designers darkened the man's hair or added more of it atop their heads

Surprisingly, it was the male model whose face and body underwent the most changes at the hands of the graphic designers. While the female model still looks like the same person in most of her edited images, the male version of the exercise looks like it includes images of several different men.

In the original image, the man models a Speedo, which shows off his mostly thin body. While not particularly muscular, he neither appears to be overweight or out of shape. He also has a full head of white hair and no facial hair.

Once again, Chile made few changes, and Mexico mostly lightened his skin color. The UK also barely touched the image. Nearly every other country, though, made similar tweaks: The man was given a more muscular physique, darker hair on his head, and in 7 out of 18 cases, facial hair.

Italy made the man more muscular and added gray hair and a short beard, the Netherlands gave him fuller gray hair and fashioned him to be a bit more toned, and China made him more muscular but gave him a boyish face with dark, fuller hair.

Argentina Photoshopped tattoos on each of the man's arms and dyed his hair black, giving a distinct appearance of youth. The designer explained: 'For Argentinians, I think the aging process is a very big challenge because it is still not accepted to have an older body, for both men and women. People exercise, have operations, and tan to perpetuate youthful beauty.'

Mixing it up around the middle: While Romania made the model buff, the Philippines gave him a flabby tummy

Wild: Both Serbia and Spain added beards to the men, while Serbia also put hair on everywhere else

Different types: The UK left the model mostly the same and the US gave him top-heavy proportions

South Africa added more muscular thighs and a six-pack. Romania made the model perhaps the most buff, also adding a white beard and chain necklace.

'In Romania, it's considered that in order to age beautifully, you need to be like wine and get better with age. Getting better means that you need to take better care of yourself  eat better, drink wisely, read more, exercise often, get in touch with culture, and take good care of your body,' said the designer.

Colombia and Serbia both added plenty of chest hair, while the latter also gave the model a beard.

'For men, it's much more relaxed in terms of [their] figure,' the Colombian designer said. 'But they have to maintain a certain elegance  with their hair well-trimmed and always being neat and tidy.'

Meanwhile, Egypt, the Philippines, and Ukraine all added weight but not necessarily muscle: Egypt's model was flabbier and bald (in more modest swim trunks), the Philippines' had a considerable paunch, and Ukraine's was made wider and dressed in boxers.

The US was the only country to change the man's proportions to make him top-heavy, giving him a slimmer stomach and a wider chest and shoulders.
Next month, the eagerly awaited second season of The Crown returns to our TV screens. The lavishly filmed story of the Queens early life was a huge success last year.

The Netflix series also prides itself on meticulous research. With eight full-time researchers drawing on official papers, newsreels, memoirs and private letters, it even employs an etiquette consultant. As the action this time moves from the Fifties into the Sixties, there will be a similar focus on accuracy.

So just how impressive has the production been? Here, we examine key moments from the new series by comparing them with photographs of the actual events at the time, or events close to them.

A kiss from Mummy for shy Charles

The scene from The Crown with the Queen (Claire Foy) kissing the head of her son (Billy Jenkins) is set 1957 when Charles was a pupil at Hill House in Knightsbridge, the first heir to the throne to attend school. In real life, Charles was already getting used to official portraits. In 1954, aged six he poses shyly with his mother (right)

During the Fifties, family and duty were firmly separated in the House of Windsor. Usually, the Queen went to the Buckingham Palace nursery to see Charles and Anne, but occasionally they were allowed to interrupt Mummy working at her desk with its red box of official papers.

More often they were in the charge of Mabel Anderson, a young Scottish nanny who looked after them for most of the day. The scene from The Crown with the Queen (Claire Foy) kissing the head of her son (Billy Jenkins) is set 1957 when Charles was a pupil at Hill House in Knightsbridge, the first heir to the throne to attend school.

In real life, Charles was already getting used to official portraits. In 1954, aged six he poses shyly with his mother.

After 124 days, prodigal Philip returns

Crisis averted. After Philips absence of 124 days on his 1956-57 solo world tour, which had led to headlines about the state of the royal marriage, the Queen and the Duke were reunited in Portugal for an official visit

Crisis averted. After Philips absence of 124 days on his 1956-57 solo world tour, which had led to headlines about the state of the royal marriage, the Queen and the Duke were reunited in Portugal for an official visit.

There are some curiosities here. The couple actually disembarked from a BEA airliner, but in The Crown they are descending from a BOAC jet.

However, the costume department has gone to great lengths to dress Philip in a tie decorated with hearts  just as he wore that day in February 1957.

Earlier at their private reunion, the Queen had, as a joke, put on a false beard because shed heard that Philip had grown one during his absence.

But when he emerged he was clean-shaven.

Charming the Lion of Africa

In the scene recreated for The Crown there is no handbag, but the sash, white gloves and ivory gown look spot on

Nothing symbolises the wind of change sweeping through Africa more starkly than the sight of the Queen dancing with Ghanas President Kwame Nkrumah  the Lion of Africa  during her state visit in 1961.

In the scene recreated for The Crown there is no handbag, but the sash, white gloves and ivory gown look spot on. They even have a copy of the Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara smuggled out of Bolshevik Russia and bought by the Queens grandmother, Queen Mary.

The visit to Ghana was crucial. By 1961, Nkrumah was increasingly authoritarian and stoked anti-British feeling. There were reports of bomb explosions in Accra, but the Queen was indignant at suggestions she should not go, feeling it would show a lack of moral fibre.

The visit was a resounding success. Nkrumah was captivated by the monarch, later presenting Prince Charles with his one of his most prized boyhood gifts of a bow and quiver full of arrows.

The visit to Ghana was crucial. By 1961, Nkrumah was increasingly authoritarian and stoked anti-British feeling

An ice-blue encounter with Jackie

An age gap of only three years separated monarch and First Lady (Claire Foy and Jodi Balfour) and both dressed in blue for their Palace dinner

Camelot meets monarchy. In 1962, apart from Hollywoods movie stars, the Queen and Jackie Kennedy were the most glamorous women on earth. But they were also rivals.

An age gap of only three years separated monarch and First Lady (Claire Foy and Jodi Balfour) and both dressed in blue for their Palace dinner.

The Prince Albert sapphire brooch worn by the Queen is recreated well, but, while HMs gown was a perfect fit, The Crowns version isnt. And, in reality, Jackie wore a much more demure dress than the shoulderless TV version.

A year earlier, Jackies husband, President John F. Kennedy. also dined at the Palace with the woman who, as a little girl, had made polite conversation with his father, Joseph, U.S. ambassador to London.

Despite the smiles, there was an edginess between the two women before the Queen was won over by Mrs Kennedys charm. But they were never friends.

Despite the smiles, there was an edginess between the two women before the Queen was won over by Mrs Kennedys charm. But they were never friends

The first televised Christmas message

In the official picture of the broadcast (right), the surroundings were remarkably similar to that of the scene which appeared in The Crown (left)

On December 25, 1957, the Queen made her first televised Christmas message from the Long Library at Sandringham.

Ever since her Accession, the Queen had resisted appearing on TV on Christmas Day on the grounds that most of the Commonwealth did not possess sets  and also because she did want to allow the paraphernalia of TV production to interrupt her own family celebration.

But radio ratings had dipped and she accepted the inevitable. In the official picture of the broadcast, framed pictures of Charles and Anne are visible on her desk  otherwise the two images are remarkably similar.

Charles arrives at 'Colditz with kilts'

Gordonstoun, 1963, and a pivotal moment in the life of the young Prince Charles

Gordonstoun, 1963, and a pivotal moment in the life of the young Prince Charles. Philip had decided that his son would be educated at the same spartan Scottish school where he himself had flourished.

He thought it would be the making of his timorous son.

The Queen Mother, displaying the wisdom of her years, had suggested that Eton, close to Windsor, would suit Charless temperament better.

As she had suspected, her sensitive, art-loving grandson hated Gordonstoun, later characterising the place as Colditz with kilts. He was bullied and miserable, and begged to leave. His parents refused.

Bearded Philip's solo world tour

Christmas 1956 and a bearded Philip, (Matt Smith, left) two months into the world tour hed embarked on, broadcasts to the nation from the Britannia. Had he a beard by then? Certainly by the time he and his equerry explored The Gambia by canoe the following February (right), he had what the Navy call a full set, but they were travelling in rough country

Christmas 1956 and a bearded Philip, (Matt Smith, left) two months into the world tour hed embarked on, broadcasts to the nation from the Britannia.

Had he a beard by then? Certainly by the time he and his equerry explored The Gambia by canoe the following February (right), he had what the Navy call a full set, but they were travelling in rough country.
Everyone wants to indulge in excellent food on a holiday abroad, but it can be tricky to find hidden gems when you're a tourist.

Now three top chefs have revealed where they dine out in three of the most beautiful parts of Europe - and they're not all pricey Michelin-starred options.

Some of their recommendations are for tiny gelaterias or small family-run restaurants that won't break the bank.

These are the secret food havens where you are guaranteed to eat well if you visit them if you're travelling to Lisbon, Crete or Sicily.

Just a few dishes you can tuck into at restaurants in Crete recommended by chef Marianna Leivaditaki

Chiltern Firehouse chef Nuno Mendes recommends picking up a classic Portuguese Pastel de Nata at Manteigaria in Lisbon

EasyJet Traveller magazine is on EasyJet flights now

The London-based chefs - Chiltern Firehouse head chef Nuno Mendes, Morito Hackney Road's Marianna Leivaditaki and Trullo and Padella chef patron Tim Siadatan - revealed their top restaurant tips in the newly relaunched Easyjet Traveller magazine, published by Ink, this month.

Surprisingly, not all will require you to take out hundreds of euros before your travels as they have picked some affordable gems too.

Their recommendations include a nightclub serving cool cocktails in a former monastery and a quirky family-un restaurant that only serves a few menu items.

Here, they explain why they visit these restaurant time and time again.

Nuno Mendes - Lisbon Portuguese-born Nuno  whose menus bear Iberian, Japanese and South American influences from his world travels  returned to Lisbon, home to five Michelin-starred restaurants. There he gorged on Iberico ham, sumptuous cow's milk cheese, aged for 24 months by local family the Brancos, and washed it down with a delectable (but lethal) sour-cherry liqueur known as ginjinha. Nuno Mendes, head chef at Chiltern Firehouse, gives his very affordable recommendations for travellers visiting Lisbon Nuno Mendes's top tips:  The Cinco Lounge, in Cais do Sodre (-): 'A trailblazer of the Portuguese craft-cocktail scene with 100 drinks on the menu.'  Gambrinus, in Baixa (): 'An old-school spot serving up some of the best fish and seafood in Lisbon. Go for their grilled sea bream.'  O Prado Restaurante, in Belem (): 'Run by Antonio Galapito, the old head chef at one of my restaurants. He'll be focusing on authentic, Portuguese produce-driven cooking.' Advertisement

Marianna Leivaditaki - Chania, Crete Marianna returned to her home city, Chania, on the island of Crete, where she and her family once rented an apartment over a couple who distilled raki, a potent grape-made alcoholic drink developed as an alternative to absinthe. Unsurprisingly, it was a main feature of her visit to her native Greece, which boasts five Michelin-starred restaurants. The other inevitability was generous portions: endless plates of food including octopus stewed in red-wine sauce, oyster mushrooms with seasonal wild greens and courgette flowers stuffed with lemon rice. Marianna Leivaditaki recommends a nightclub in a former monastery as one of her top picks for Chania in Crete Marianna Leivaditaki's top tips:  Portes, in Chania Town (-): 'A small restaurant right on the waterside. Sit outside in the evening and eat meze while watching the fishing boats in the harbour.'  Kibar, in Chania Town (-): 'A great place for a late drink It's an old monastery, absolutely exquisite.'  Kafenio, in Chania Town (): 'One of the oldest cafes They only do about five dishes and serve very nice raki.' Advertisement
A health watchdog has ordered a more explicit warning on labels of green tea extract products over concerns about the risk of liver injury.

The move by Health Canada follows a federal safety review, which was prompted after teenager Madeline Papineau took the pills as a weight loss aid and was left needing dialysis.

At least two deaths linked to the pills have been reported including 55-year-old Joyce Boudreau-Hearn, also from Canada, who lost her life in her attempts to shed the pounds.

Scores of cases of adverse affects have been reported in medical journals and newspapers worldwide in recent years, including a man in Australia who was given two weeks to live and required a liver transplant.

And in England, a 16-year-old girl was rushed to hospital with hepatitis after taking green tea slimming pills.

Last year, Norway's food safety authority issued a similar warning about the supplements.

The problem appears to lie when taking the pill son an empty stomach with experts now saying it may cause the active ingredients to have a more powerful and toxic effect on the liver

Madeline Papineau took the green tea pills as a weight loss aid and quickly developed liver damage and needed dialysis

The 17-year-old, from Cornwall, Ontario, woke up vomiting violently on the seventh day of taking the slimming aid

Health Canada has ordered a more explicit warning on labels of green tea extract products over concerns about the risk of liver injury (stock photo)

WORDING OF THE NEW WARNING Health Canada is asking companies to update all affected natural health product labels with strengthened warnings to advise that: Rare but serious cases of liver injury have been reported with green tea extract use

Consumers should stop using these products if symptoms or signs of potential liver injury appear (the revised warnings appear in the table below). Advertisement

Green tea capsules are a popular supplement marketed for their anti-cancer fighting properties, anti-oxidant benefits and as a slimming aid. They are sold in various forms including capsules, tablets, powders and liquids.

But experts now say taking the pills on an empty stomach especially may cause the active ingredients to have a more powerful and toxic effect on the liver.

Health Canada says the risk of liver injury has been legally required to be included on labels of products containing green tea extract since 2008.

But now it has announced it is asking manufacturers to include stronger wording in their warning.

CASES WORLDWIDE: ALL BELIEVED THAT GREEN TEA PILLS ARE 'HARMLESS' AND 'NATURAL' Madeline's liver count was dangerously high after taking the pills Madeline Papineau wanted to drop a few pounds to look good in her prom dress. The 17-year-old, from Cornwall, Ontario, took a green tea extract promising to increase calorie burn as directed. But on the seventh day, she woke up vomiting violently. Hospital doctors were alarmed by the yellowish tinge of her skin and blood tests revealed that her alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level  a measure of liver damage  was 2,575 units a litre, whereas normal is in the 7-to-35 range. The girl's liver and kidneys were shutting down, and the build-up of fluids in her body was starting to cause heart trouble. She was placed on dialysis and spent 10 days in intensive care, before needing a month at home recovering. 'I can't believe a teenager can just walk into a store and buy stuff like this,' her mother, Julie Papineau, reports The Globe and Mail. 'Madeline was critically ill.' She said she is pleased with the stronger warning on green tea extract products but feels it doesn't go far enough. 'I stand by my position that this product should be recalled.' Joyce Boudreau-Hearn's death was reportedly linked to green tea extracts Joyce Boudreau-Hearn, from Mulgrave, Nova Scotia, died of complications from liver failure in 2010 after multiple transplants led to infection. Her daughter, Jocelyn Stewart, says the 55-year-old had been healthy before she started taking a green tea extract sold as a weight-loss supplement. 'It says green tea extract  most of us link that to healthy,' Stewart said, according to CBC News. 'Everybody buys a green tea; you can buy it anywhere. You think you will lose a few pounds. She lost her life.' In 2015, a 16-year-old girl in England who was taking a green tea slimming pill turned yellow and developed hepatitis. The unidentified patient was treated at the A&E department of a Birmingham hospital, explained doctors describing the case in the journal BMJ Case Reports. When his liver failed, Matthew was given two weeks to live unless a replacement liver was found for him  and he ended up having to accept one with hepatitis B Last year, a 27-year-old man in Australia nearly died after consuming two weight loss products and developing liver failure, Matthew Whitby, from Geraldton, was given two weeks to live and had no choice but to accept an emergency transplant of a liver with hepatitis B. Doctors say the substance that most likely caused his condition was green tea extract. 'I just want people to know they should always do research and talk to their doctor before taking supplements,' he told Daily Mail Australia at the time. Advertisement

Health Canada is also asking companies making products aimed at children and adolescents either remove the green tea extract or revise the label to specify that it is only intended for adults over 18.

Green tea's active ingredient is a type of antioxidant called catechins. In particular, epigallocatchin gallate (EGCG)  the most abundant catechin appears to be the culprit.

Extracts contain these at much higher levels than are found in the brewed version of the popular drink.

The agency also warned that parents and caregivers should check to make sure that their child is not taking a green tea extract product.

It advised people to stop using the product and seek medical help if they develop yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), dark urine, sweating, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, unusual tiredness, or loss of appetite, as they may be symptoms of liver problems.

Mounting evidence

According to CBC's Marketplace, there are more than 60 cases worldwide of liver failure associated with green tea supplements documented in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Papers published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology have linked dozens of cases of liver damage to green tea EGCG.

CBC say at least two deaths have been partially linked to taking the capsules.

Last March, the Norwegian food safety authority issued a similar warning about the supplements.

Mattilsynet acted after it received several reports of adverse events, the majority of which were liver damage. It pointed to higher levels of EGCG as a concern.

Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council, said taking the pills on an empty stomach may be dangerous.

He told Nutra Ingredients: 'The presumption is that people are taking these EGCG-containing supplements on an empty stomach.

'Concentrated catechins that hit the liver in a fasting state might have an effect that is different than when the liver is metabolising food.;

Rare but a link exists

Health Canada's latest warning concludes that 'the available evidence confirms a link between green tea extract and rare liver-related adverse reactions'.

The statement on its website said: 'Green tea in any form, including as beverages, foods and an extract in natural health products, is considered generally safe for the majority of consumers.

'What remains unclear from the evidence is why some people may be more susceptible than others to liver injury.

I'n most cases, the liver-related side effects are reversible upon stopping use of the product and with medical attention.'
The world's first documented fatal marijuana overdose has been reported for the first time by two doctors in Colorado.

An 11-month-old boy died of a sudden heart attack that the doctors claim was caused by high levels of marijuana in his system.

He was brought to the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, where Dr Thomas Knappe and Dr Christopher Hoyte could find nothing to explain his heart inflammation, aside from his levels of THC - the psychoactive component of marijuana.

The case, originally published in a journal in August, has ignited debates over both the risks of marijuana and the legitimacy of the doctors claims since they came forward today.

A radiograph taken at the hospital shows the 11-month-old boy's chest cavity and heart shortly before he died of a heart attack in 2015, which, his doctors claim, was the first time anyone has died of a marijuana overdose

According to the original case study, the boy had been living in an unstable situation in a hotel, but had previously been healthy, and appeared well-fed to the doctors.

But that morning he was reportedly sluggish before having a seizure. After recovering he tried to vomit, and eventually lost consciousness.

When he arrived at the emergency department of the University of Colorado Colorado of medicine at Anschutz Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado, the infant was completely unresponsive, slipped into a coma and then had a heart attack.

Despite an hours worth of attempts to revive him, the little boy died at the hospital.

The doctors performed an autopsy, but claim that they could find no signs of infection, and nothing unusual to explain the heart inflammation that had killed him.

With one exception: His blood work revealed that he had 7.8 nanograms/ml of THC  the active ingredient in marijuana  in his blood.

THC causes the sensation of a 'high,' and is often excluded from medical marijuana which uses cannabidiol (CBD) to relax muscles without the psychoactive effects.

In Colorado, an adult is considered to be driving illegally under the influence if they have more than five nanograms of active THC in their blood.

The doctors were unable to determine how the boy had gotten exposed to so much of the psychoactive chemical. According to their report, the parents were unsure if he had eaten an edible, or ingested the cannabis some other way, but admitted to having drugs - including marijuana - in their household.

The claims of critics and anti-drug campaigns that weed can kill have long been debunked and even organizations like the National Institutes of Health and CDC acknowledge that there have been no previously documented cases of overdose.

But if the doctors conclusions are confirmed, this boys sudden death could drive new challenges to marijuana legalization and research efforts.

Much of the research done on cannabis and heart attacks, heart disease and stroke is based on people who were either also taking other substances, or had smoked marijuana. Since smoke inhalation has known effects on heart health, its difficult to establish to what extent these health problems are caused by the smoke or by the cannabis itself.

Marijuana-smoking has been shown to aggravate chest pain for those who already have heart problems, but, that is one of the few things scientists know for sure about marijuana and cardiovascular health, according to a Harvard University explainer on the subject.

It is unclear how exactly the infant came to have such high levels of THC in his blood, but his parents admitted that they had marijuana in some form in their household

Aside from people with heart disease, inexperienced cannabis users are the most likely to feel the effects of the substance on their hearts. Marijuana has been shown to drive heart rates and make the heart work harder, especially in new users.

But no deaths have ever been reported as directly caused by the drug.

This case study is also unique in that it involves a child. There is, of course, little research dedicated to cannabiss effects on people under 18.

Hospitals have seen an increasing number of children coming to the ER after cannabis exposure, according to recent research. Marijuana was legalized in Colorado in 2012. A study published in JAMA reported that marijuana cases for children under 10 increased by 34 percent in Colorado between 2009 and 2015.

While no one has been able to previously prove that cannabis was the cause of a death, a robust body of research has documented the therapeutic benefits of the previously reviled drug for cancer patients, a non- (or less, depending on what you read) addictive alternative painkiller to opioids.

It is also worth noting that most sudden cardiac arrests in children happen before they reach their first birthdays  as it did for the boy in the case study. Often they are caused by respiratory failure, but many are categorized as incidents of sudden infant death syndrome, and have no clear explanation.
Many would put her age-defying agility and enviable figure down to her professional ballet training and regular Pilates.

But Debbie McGee, one of the favourites for the Strictly Come Dancing crown this year - making her possibly the oldest winner in the show's history - has credited something much more bizarre.

The 59-year-old widow of magician Paul Daniels starts each day with a spoonful of finely ground silver particles.

The supplement she swears by is called Active Silver and contains what's known as 'colloidal' silver  microscopic particles suspended in water, which many believe helps ward off infection, boosts the immune system and can be used to treat everything from acne to eye infections.

Debbie McGee is one of the favourites for the Strictly Come Dancing crown this year

Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow is also a fan and uses hers as a spray when she goes on flights to ward off germs, she revealed on her lifestyle website, Goop recently.

And now, thanks to the 'Debbie effect', it's finding its way into more of our bathroom cabinets. Sales have increased 30-fold since she revealed her 'secret'. So should we all we going heavy with the metal this winter? SADIE NICHOLAS has the answers.

WHAT IS IT?

Microscopic silver particles are produced from silver bars in a process known as electrolysis and then suspended in ultra-pure or distilled water.

It's marketed as a mineral supplement to support the body's natural immune system as an effective antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and skin-healing solution.

Debbie McGee buys hers for 15 a bottle from Active Silver, which was launched two years ago by former communications worker Lucy Roberts and her father Dick Goodall. He has been involved in the water treatment industry for 40 years and has been making colloidal silver for over 20 years, including installing water purification systems into hospitals and airports using silver electrolysis technology.

The 59-year-old widow of magician Paul Daniels starts each day with a spoonful of finely ground silver particles

'We manufacture Active Silver under strict controls in our own premises in Berkshire, using the purest silver available which we buy in 1oz bars, and an advanced electrolysis technique,' explains Lucy.

Now for the science bit. Each brand differs wildly, but Active Silver is made from 99.99 per cent pure silver and water that has been through a nine-stage purification system.

It has a concentration of less than 10ppm (parts per million), with a tiny particle size between 0.0005 to 0.005 microns. (A micron is 10,000th of a centimetre.)

Dick explains: 'The smaller the particle size, the greater the number of active particles per bottle, and the easier it is for the body or skin to absorb, process and eliminate them.

'Once the concentration of colloidal silver goes above around 10ppm, typically the particle sizes become bigger and less effective.'

But should we really be ingesting what is essentially a metal, albeit in tiny concentrations? Val Edwards-Jones is emeritus professor of microbiology at Manchester Metropolitan University and says it's safe to take orally in low concentrations. More than 10ppm, and it could cause a build-up in toxicity. 'You can excrete silver from the body as long as it's not in high doses,' she says.

'So, there are preparations of colloidal silver that you can buy which are safe to take, and I know people who say they are wonderful.

'I personally don't take them because I haven't seen any evidence that demonstrates that they work internally.'

DOES IT WORK?

Silver is a 'cation', meaning it is a positively charged ion which seeks out negative ions and bacteria, and neutralises them.

But the big caveat here, explains Prof Edwards-Jones, is that although experts and the medical profession condone colloidal silver because of its proven record of treating wounds, what's needed  and currently lacking  is strong evidence to prove its efficacy as an oral supplement.'

Author and GP Dr Matt Piccaver urges extreme caution: 'I rely on large-scale trials of a compound before I can recommend a treatment,' he says.

'Using a product on the basis of someone on the TV advocating it does not make good science. If drinking colloidal silver was of proven benefit we'd be advocating it in the NHS. It isn't and we don't.

'Silver is contained in certain dressings, but I can find no compelling evidence that drinking it is of benefit to human health, and given the uncertainties surrounding this compound, I couldn't advise doing so.'

Lucy Roberts stresses that she does not advocate swapping traditional medicine for a spoonful of silver.

'We're not saying don't go to the GP. We're saying keep this in your cabinet as your go-to product for common ailments such as cuts, burns, bites and eczema, and give it a try if you feel a cough or cold coming on.'

WHAT'S THE PROOF?

Though it may sound like hokum, silver has been lauded for its antibacterial and health-boosting properties since Roman and Greek times, when a silver coin was dropped into a barrel of water to keep it fresh.

During the early 20th century, surgeons routinely used silver sutures to reduce the risk of infection, and in World War I soldiers used silver leaf to treat their wounds.

Although silver was sidelined when antibiotics were introduced in 1938, it's still found in sticking plasters and dressings, plus the coating on hospital implements and catheters, to prevent infection, as well as the water systems in space shuttles. Many airlines also use it to curtail water-borne diseases.

I give it to the whole family... and the dog Debs Davies, 42 Debs Davies, 42, a dance instructor and image consultant, lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two children, aged 11 and nine. She says: 'I've been taking colloidal silver on and off for 15 years. Last winter when there was a flu epidemic, I ended up giving away all of my bottles of Active Silver, leaving myself without any. It's the first time in 15 years I ended up getting flu too. 'After taking Active Silver again I was better within a few days. At this time of year, I take it every day to maintain my energy levels and good health in the run-up to Christmas. 'Even my kids squirt their mouths every morning before school. I also use it on my dog, cats and tortoise if they have an infection or a cut  and my vet is a fan. Three weeks ago I had emergency surgery on my hand after being attacked by a boxer dog while out walking. The first thing I applied to the bite wounds on my fingers en route to A&E was Active Silver spray. 'When I woke one day last week to find my fingers were swollen again, I applied more of the spray and in three days the swelling had gone and the bites had almost healed.' Advertisement

In 2013, scientists at Boston University conducted a study on rats which showed that giving tiny amounts of silver at the same time as antibiotics made the drugs between ten and 1,000 times better at fighting infections. In some cases, bugs classed as antibiotic-resistant became treatable.

The research, detailed in the journal Science Translational Medicine, also worked out how silver helps kill bugs: the metal makes bacteria more 'leaky', allowing antibiotics to get inside them and kill them.

However, other studies suggest that if used alone it has to be given in such high amounts to be effective that it can be poisonous to the body.

YOU MAY GO BLUE!

Manufacturers claim colloidal silver is non-toxic and safe for humans, animals, plants and all multi-celled living matter  but are yet to get the green light officially.

Although it is neither approved nor banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the Nineties the FDA ruled that 'drug products containing colloidal silver ingredients or silver salts for internal or external use are not generally recognised as safe and effective'.

Anthony Hilton is professor of applied microbiology at Aston University and says scientific evidence doesn't support the use of colloidal silver as an oral supplement. 'I'm not aware that any credible study has ever been done on colloidal silver when taken orally as an antimicrobial medicine,' he says.

It cured my ulcers and made me full of beans Emmajane Hughes, 45 Emmajane Hughes, 45, a former executive PA who is now a full-time mother, lives in Berkshire with her husband, Peter, 51, and two children, aged five and two. She says: 'I discovered Active Silver nine months ago while desperately searching for a product to eradicate the recurrent mouth ulcers that have blighted me since having my daughter in 2015. 'I take a spoonful every evening before bed and it's now four months since I had an ulcer, plus I feel more energetic generally. 'My GP was unhelpful and none of the over-the-counter remedies did anything. I was at my wits' end when a friend recommended Active Silver. 'The liquid does have a metallic tang but I haven't experienced any unwanted side-effects.' Advertisement

'It's quite an old therapy and probably stems from times when doctors would prescribe mercury, silver and other heavy metals to treat diseases like syphilis at a time when there weren't antibiotics. There are obvious side-effects to ingesting metals, including historical data which shows that exposure to mercury caused madness because it can be toxic to the brain and central nervous system.

'My view is taking colloidal silver orally is best avoided until evidence exists to suggest otherwise.'

One possible side-effect of long-term or overuse of colloidal silver is the rare condition argyria, where the skin becomes a bluish-grey colour. It is caused by silver building up in the body's tissue and, terrifyingly, is usually permanent.

The most extreme and famous example was an American called Paul Karason who was dubbed 'Papa Smurf' when his skin turned permanently blue, after self-medicating by drinking large amounts of colloidal silver for over a decade to treat dermatitis on his face.

Another American, Rosemary Jacobs, 71, also developed argyria four years after she began taking nasal drops containing colloidal silver at the age of 11.

Four years later a skin biopsy revealed a multitude of silver particles embedded deep beneath the epidermis all over her body, most noticeably on her face and neck, turning her skin a disturbing  and permanent  blue grey.

CAN STOP SPOTS

According to Lucy Roberts, colloidal silver can keep pimples away when it is mixed with the likes of aloe vera gel and used as a topical treatment or moisturiser.

Debbie McGee is also a fan of Active Silver's Glow facial moisturising gel, as is Emmajane Hughes (see box above), who says: 'It has helped to calm the redness on my face caused by rosacea and leaves my complexion with a subtle, natural sheen.'

Prof Edwards-Jones explains that although silver is proven as an antimicrobial within the medical profession, she isn't aware of any proven cosmetic benefits when applied as a spray or cream.

'Wound dressings contain silver suspended in hydrogel and are applied to the likes of ulcers and bed sores,' she says.

'The positive ions in the silver have the effect of drawing the microbes  bacteria  up from the wound into the gel within the dressing where they are then killed.

'When commercial colloidal silver is added to a cream for topical use, it's possible that there may be an aesthetic benefit because lots of the organisms we find on the skin are susceptible to silver at low concentrations.

'This means that applying colloid silver in a cream or gel, for example, may help to get rid of bad bugs and allow good bugs to flourish.

'But, yet again, we simply don't have the trials or evidence to know this for certain.'
The number of patients who have to endure the indignity of being on a mixed sex ward has hit a six-year high, figures revealed yesterday.

Some 1,140 patients had to sleep on the wards last month, the highest figure since October 2011.

Last year alone, 10,110 were put on the wards  an average of 200 patients every week.

This figure has doubled in two years and is four times higher than the same period in 2015. Critics say the wards are dehumanising and frightening, with one MP calling the practice an affront to basic human dignity.

Some 1,140 patients had to sleep on the wards last month, the highest figure since October 2011. File photo

It is particularly humiliating for the elderly, who are forced to share bathrooms with the opposite sex, often wearing little more than nightclothes or gowns.

Ministers repeated a promise to end the so-called wards of shame in 2010 following a long-running Daily Mail campaign.

They introduced 250 fines for hospitals for every time there was a mixed sex breach and initially the figures fell. But they have since climbed as cash-strapped hospitals have become overcrowded.

Figures published by NHS England show that 50 of the 150 hospital trusts reported at least one mixed sex breach last month.

East Kent Hospitals was the worst with 134 breaches, followed by Dartford and Gravesham hospitals in the same county at 104.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Judith Jolly said: It is an affront to basic human dignity. But these shocking figures show that progress made towards ending this intolerable practice is being completely undone.

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labours health secretary, said: It reveals a bigger picture of overcrowded and overstretched hospitals as a result of Tory underfunding and mismanagement. Ministers simply cannot carry on burying their heads in the sand.

Phillippa Hentsch, head of analysis at NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said: These figures are a reminder that when resources are overstretched there is a risk that the quality of care and patient experience may be affected.

Ministers first promised to end mixed sex wards in 1994.

The Labour government repeated the promises in 1999 but in 2008 said it was not achievable.

In 2010 the Coalition government announced they would abolish the wards once and for all and introduced 250 fines the following year.

Breaches dropped by 90 per cent over 2011. But they have since risen as hospitals are so full they are forced to place patients with the opposite sex.

A spokesman from NHS Improvement, which regulates hospitals, said: The overwhelming majority of breaches take place in acute trusts, who are dealing with emergency cases where the only option to ensure patient safety is to place them on a mixed ward.

Hospitals will struggle to cope this winter because they have failed to free up enough beds, the NHS watchdog has warned.

About 3,700 beds are currently occupied by bed-blocking patients who are well enough to go home. Hospitals were meant to reduce the number to 2,500 by September.

Jim Mackey, head of NHS Improvement, said: Winter pressures may be difficult and will place the system under even greater pressures.
Patients needing hip, knee and cataract surgery face being deliberately kept on hold on hospital waiting lists for a minimum of three months.

Under a controversial scheme to save money, patients will be made to wait a minimum of 12 weeks before they can even be considered for routine operations.

Managers claim some patients will get better while they are waiting and decide they no longer need the potentially life-changing surgery.

But critics said bosses were hoping patients would go private  or die  before their operation so the NHS would never have to pay.

Patients needing hip, knee and cataract surgery face being deliberately kept on hold on hospital waiting lists for a minimum of three months

The scheme is being considered by five health trusts in the East Midlands and Greater Manchester which collectively cover almost one million patients.

Astonishingly, NHS England  which runs the health service  defended the rules and said managers were facing difficult choices over how to spend money.

Demand for operations has reached an unprecedented level due to the ageing population and the rise of lifestyle-related conditions such obesity and diabetes.

The NHS is also experiencing severe financial pressures and although its budget has been increased, it has not kept pace with the growth in demand.

Last week the chief executive of NHS England Simon Stevens warned that a record 5 million patients would be waiting for operations without an injection of cash.

The minimum wait scheme  uncovered by Health Service Journal  is being considered by East, South, South West and West Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) as well as Trafford CCG in Greater Manchester

A sixth trust, Peterborough and Cambridgeshire CCG, introduced the policy over the summer but subsequently dropped it following criticism from campaigners.

Patients needing hip, knee and cataract surgery face being deliberately kept on hold on hospital waiting lists for a minimum of three months. File photo

Norman Lamb, former Lib Dem health minister said: This is a shameful indictment of the under-funding of the NHS.

It undermines the core principle of the NHS - that everyone should get compassionate treatment, as early as possible, when they need it.

Those who can afford to go private will be able get treatment on a timely basis, while others will be left waiting in pain and discomfort. This is simply impossible to justify.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, described the scheme as a highly dangerous tactic.

This is a signal that we are arriving at an NHS where patients are deliberately kept waiting in order to save money, and CCGs are apparently happy to admit as much without embarrassment.

Its also open to question whether these policies will improve efficiency at all.

Some patients may get better on their own, but others will suffer worse clinical outcomes because they were treated later.

The NHS will then have to spend more money helping those patients cope with the consequences of their inferior treatment.

Under NHS rules  the NHS Constitution  patients are meant to be treated within 18 weeks.

But many wait longer and figures uncovered earlier this week showed that some were facing delays of more than two years.

Experts said that making patients wait a minimum of 12 weeks before they could even be considered for surgery would drive up waiting times further.

Sue Hill, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons, said the policy was ethically wrong.

We strongly urge all these CCGs to reconsider this decision. Delaying surgery can mean a patients condition worsens, and can make surgery more difficult and less successful.

An NHS England spokesman said: CCGs face difficult choices about what can be afforded within the funds Parliament has made available, recognising the priority being accorded to emergency care, mental health, cancer and GP services.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire West CCG said they had a responsibility to ensure public money is spent effectively and efficiently.

They added: There is evidence that some conditions do get better over time and that, in some cases, surgery may be unnecessary.

A spokesman for Trafford CCG said: Trafford CCG is currently facing a real financial challenge and is constantly exploring all potential opportunities to reduce cost, improve effectiveness and spend money in the most efficient way possible.
The deadly plague will never be eradicated, scientists have warned amid fears the situation in Madagascar is spiralling out of control.

At least 171 people have died in the country off the coast of Africa's 'worst outbreak in 50 years' and 2,119 have been infected, World Health Organization figures show.

International aid workers are desperately battling to contain the 'crisis', which has prompted 10 nearby African countries to be placed on high alert by the WHO.

Professor Allen Cheng, an infectious disease expert at Monash University, warned of the dangers of the plague and said this year's outbreak has been 'unusual' - because it is airborne.

He wrote in a piece for The Conversation: 'Its not possible to eradicate plague, as it is widespread in wildlife rodents outside the sphere of human influence.'

Plague, caused by the Yersina pestis bacteria, killed hundreds of millions of people in three devastating outbreaks, including the Plague of Justinian in the 6th century.

It is easily treated with antibiotics in the current climate - however, experts are still concerned it will cause eternal havoc because it is constantly mutating.

Kyle Harper, a professor of classics and letters at the University of Oklahoma, said biological evolution is 'cunning and dangerous'.

More than 2,000 cases have now been reported in Madagascar, health chiefs have revealed, as 10 nearby nations have been placed on high alert

Professor Harper, author of The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire, told Project Syndicate: 'There still is no vaccine; while antibiotics are effective if administered early, the threat of antimicrobial resistance is real.

'That may be the deepest lesson from the long history of this scourge. Biological evolution is cunning and dangerous.

'Small mutations can alter a pathogens virulence or its efficiency of transmission, and evolution is relentless.

'We may have the upper hand over plague today, despite the headlines in East Africa.

'But our long history with the disease demonstrates that our control over it is tenuous, and likely to be transient  and that threats to public health anywhere are threats to public health everywhere.'

Two thirds of cases in Madagascar have been caused by pneumonic plague, which can be spread through coughing, sneezing or spitting and kill within 24 hours.

It is strikingly different to the bubonic form, responsible for the 'Black Death' in the 14th century, which rocks the country each year and infects around 600 people.

Others worry it will eventually hit the US, Europe and Britain, leaving millions more vulnerable due to how quick it can spread through populations.

And with the plague season expected to run until April, scientists believe there will be another spike of cases in the coming months.

Scores of doctors and nurses have already been struck down with the disease, and there are growing fears hospitals will be unable to cope if it continues its rampage.

But local officials are adamant the outbreak is slowing down as the number of new cases is on the decline.

Scientists are growing increasingly concerned this year's outbreak has reached 'crisis' point

HOW THE PLAGUE HAS ESCALATED DATE OF REPORT October 4 October 9 October 12 October 17 October 20 October 26 October 31 November 6 November 9 November 14 INFECTED/DEAD 194/30 387/45 684/57 849/67 1,297/102 1,309/93 1,801/127 1,947/143 2,034/165 2,119/171 Advertisement

Malawi was added to the growing list of nations placed urged to brace for a potential outbreak last weekend, becoming the tenth.

South Africa, Seychelles, La Reunion, Tanzania, Mauritius, Comoros, Mozambique, Kenya and Ethiopia have already been told to prepare.

Paul Hunter, professor of health protection at the world-renowned University of East Anglia, was the first expert to predict the plague could travel across the sea.

He previously told MailOnline: 'The big anxiety is it could spread to mainland Africa, it's not probable, but certainly possible, that might then be difficult to control.

'If we don't carry on doing stuff here, at one point something will happen and it will get out of our control and cause huge devastation all around the world.'

Adding to the fears, he has previously warned there is a risk the disease could spread 'globally'.

Officials in Madagascar have warned residents not to exhume bodies of dead loved ones and dance with them because the bizarre ritual can cause outbreaks of plague

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, he was adamant that it would be easy for an economically developed country to contain the treatable disease in its current form.

Professor Hunter's concerns echoed that of dozens of leading scientists, many of whom have predicted the 'truly unprecedented' outbreak will continue to spiral.

Professor Jimmy Whitworth, an international health scientist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, described it as the worst outbreak in 50 years.

And Professor Johnjoe McFadden, a molecular geneticist at Surrey University, said that the plague is 'scary' and is predominantly a 'disease of the poor'.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline two weeks ago, he also said: 'It's a crisis at the moment and we don't know how bad it's going to get.'

Professor McFadden added: 'It's a terrible disease. It's broadly caused more deaths of humans than anything else, it's a very deadly pathogen.

'It is a disease of poverty where humans are being forced to live very close to rats and usually means poor sewage and poor living conditions.

Schools and universities have been shut in a desperate attempt to contain the respiratory disease, with children known to come into contact with each other more than adults, and the buildings have been sprayed to eradicate any fleas that may carry the plague

HOW DID THIS YEAR'S OUTBREAK BEGIN? Health officials are unsure how this year's outbreak began. However, some believe it could be caused by the bubonic plague, which is endemic in the remote highlands of Madagascar. If left untreated, it can lead to the pneumonic form, which is responsible for two thirds of the cases recorded so far in this year's outbreak. Rats carry the Yersinia pestis bacteria that causes the plague, which is then passed onto their fleas. Forest fires drive rats towards rural communities, which means residents are at risk of being bitten and infected. Local media reports suggest there has been an increase in the number of blazes in the woodlands. Without antibiotics, the bubonic strain can spread to the lungs - where it becomes the more virulent pneumonic form. Pneumonic, which can kill within 24 hours, can then be passed on through coughing, sneezing or spitting. However, it can also be treated with antibiotics if caught in time. Madagascar sees regular outbreaks of plague, which tend to start in September, with around 600 cases being reported each year on the island. However, this year's outbreak has seen it reach the Indian Ocean island's two biggest cities, Antananarivo and Toamasina. Experts warn the disease spreads quicker in heavily populated areas. Advertisement

In Madagascar, a sacred ritual sees families exhume the remains of dead relatives, rewrap them in fresh cloth and dance with the corpses

'A TICKING TIME BOMB WAITING TO DECIMATE THE WORLD' Credible experts have warned that there is no threat to the UK, however, some have warned the plague outbreak will reach the UK. Richard Conroy, founder of Sick Holiday, has sent a chilling warning to UK authorities - saying it's 'only a matter of time' before the disease arrives on British soil. Mr Conroy warned it is inevitable due to the vast movement of people across the globe its inevitable that plague will continue its march. He told MailOnline: 'I believe that it's 100 per cent likely that plague will arrive in the UK once more - it's just a question of 'when', not 'if'. 'And it's not an exaggeration to say that this is a real threat - a ticking time bomb that's waiting to decimate the world. 'With the current outbreak still remaining treatable with antibiotics, however, the current risk is low.' Advertisement

'That's the root cause of why it's still a problem in the world. If we got rid of rats living close enough to mankind then we wouldn't have the disease.'

Professor McFadden warned in countries such as Madagascar 'people often need to walk more than a day to receive proper medical treatment'.

He added: 'Fortunately in plague, it has not developed much antibiotic resistance. If that kicks in, the plague will be far, far scarier.

'If you throw more and more antibiotics at patients, antibiotic resistance is more less inevitable.'

Commenting on previous WHO figures, Professor Robin May, an infectious diseases expert at Birmingham University, told MailOnline the outbreak was 'concerning definitely'.

Dr Derek Gatherer, from Lancaster Universitys biomedical and life-sciences department, told MailOnline the country would struggle to cope if cases continue to spiral.

He said: If it wasnt for the international aid coming in things, would definitely be much worse for them [Madagascar].

Amid concerns the plague had reached crisis point two weeks ago, the World Bank decided to release an extra $5 million (3.8m) to control the rocketing amount of cases.

The money will allow for the deployment of personnel to battle the outbreak in the affected regions, the disinfection of buildings and fuel for ambulances.

WILL IT TRAVEL ON PLANES AND BOATS? Fears have been raised that the plague epidemic which has quickly blighted Madagascar could spread through air travel and sea trade. However, experts stress the risk of this is low because of the screening protocols that have been implemented to curb the outbreak. But, some are concerned frequent flights and ferries between the island and the mainland of Africa could cause the disease to spread. Dr Ashok Chopra, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas, said the crisis in Madagascar had yet to peak. He told The Sun: If they are travelling shorter distances and they're still in the incubation period, and they have the pneumonic (form) then they could spread it to other places. 'We don't want to have a situation where the disease spreads so fast it sort of gets out of control.' Advertisement

The latest World Health Organization figures come days after aid workers on the ground revealed that police are having to seize the corpses of plague victims.

Charlotte Ndiaye, of the WHO, described the situation as being 'terrible', with many traditional families unwilling to part with their loved ones.

Hundreds of families are confused about what they should do with the dead bodies, Ms Ndiaye told South African's Mail & Guardian newspaper.

If officials suspect someone to have died from pneumonic plague, an officer armed with chemicals will be disposed to kill any bacteria on the corpse.

They are then placed in a sealed body bag and placed in a common grave - but the practice goes against the traditions of the Malagasy culture.

In the culture, there is an annual celebration to honour the dead - and aid workers previously warned this would fuel an increase in cases.

All Saints Day, otherwise known as the 'Day of the Dead', is a public holiday which takes place on November 1 each year. Crowds often gather at local cemeteries.

WHY DID THE 'GODZILA' EL NINO TRIGGER THE WORST PLAGUE IN 50 YEARS? Experts also believe last year's natural phenomenon El Nino - dubbed 'Godzilla', triggered an increase in rat populations in rural areas, sparking the beginning of the epidemic which has so far infected at least 1,300 people. Forest fires have also driven the rats and their plague-carrying fleas towards areas inhabited by humans, local reports state as a reason behind the surge in cases recorded this year. But Professor Matthew Bayliss, from Liverpool University's Institute of Infection and Global Health, suggested floods and heavy rains  triggered by Cyclone Enawo, may also be to blame. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, he warned the particularly aggressive El Nino of 2016 may be behind the aggressive start of this year's outbreak, which has seen it hit two heavily populated cities for the first time, including the capital Antananarivo. '2016 was the strongest El Nino on record, and was nicknamed by some 'Godzilla',' he said. Some have suggested the growing burden of climate change was to blame. 'It is a change to the movements of water in the Pacific Ocean which then has an effect on climate in many parts of the world, including east and southern Africa. 'Our own research suggests that El Nino played a role of the Zika outbreak, but it is also possible that the conditions have facilitated this large scale plague outbreak.' Experts believe the natural phenomenon dubbed 'Godzilla' triggered an increase in rat populations in rural areas of Madagascar, sparking the beginning of the epidemic Professor Bayliss, alongside colleagues including climatologist Dr Cyril Caminade, were behind a 2014 study that found outbreaks of plague in Madagascar are linked to the naturally occurring climate event in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they found large outbreaks tend to coincide with the fluctuation of air pressure and sea surface temperature, partly driven by El Nino. It was based on 48 years worth of data. They were also behind another study, released in the same journal in December last year, which found El Nino fuelled the Zika outbreak in South America. It went on to strike more than 70 countries and caused a surge in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads. What is El Nino? El Nino, along with its little sister La Nina, are part of a recurring shift in climate that occurs as warm water shifts from one side of the Pacific to the other. It is caused by a shift in the distribution of warm water in the Pacific Ocean around the equator. Usually the wind blows strongly from east to west, due to the rotation of the Earth, causing water to pile up in the western part of the Pacific. This pulls up colder water from the deep ocean in the eastern Pacific. However, in an El Nino, the winds pushing the water get weaker and cause the warmer water to shift back towards the east. This causes the eastern Pacific to get warmer. But as the ocean temperature is linked to the wind currents, this causes the winds to grow weaker still and so the ocean grows warmer, meaning the El Nino grows. This change in air and ocean currents around the equator can have a major impact on the weather patterns around the globe by creating pressure anomalies in the atmosphere. Advertisement

'In that type of situation, it may be easy to forget about respiratory etiquettes,' Panu Saaristo, the International Federation of Red Cross' team leader for health in Madagascar, previously told MailOnline.

Concerned health officials have also warned an ancient ritual, called Famadihana, where relatives dig up the corpses of their loved ones, may be fueling the spread.

To limit the danger of Famadihana, rules enforced at the beginning of the outbreak dictate plague victims cannot be buried in a tomb that can be reopened.

Instead, their remains must be held in an anonymous mausoleum. But the local media has reported several cases of bodies being exhumed covertly.

Despite the serious risks publicised by the authorities, few in Madagascar question the turning ceremonies and dismiss the advice.

People in Madagascar believe the ritual honours their dead relatives, who can be 'turned' every five, seven or nine years

Willy Randriamarotia, the Madagascan health ministry's chief of staff, said: 'If a person dies of pneumonic plague and is then interred in a tomb that is subsequently opened for a Famadihana, the bacteria can still be transmitted and contaminate whoever handles the body.'

Experts have long observed that plague season coincides with the period when Famadihana ceremonies are held from July to October.

Last week MailOnline revealed the 'Godzilla' El Nino of 2016 has also been blamed for the severity of this year's outbreak by causing freak weather conditions.

Plague season hits Madagascar each year, and experts warn there is still six months to run  despite already seeing more than triple the amount of cases than expected.

Usually the country sees cases of bubonic plague, which is transmitted by rat flea bites and was responsible for the 100 million fatalities from the 'Black Death' in the 14th century.

If left untreated, the Yersinia pestis bacteria can reach the lungs. This is where it turns pneumonic  described as the 'deadliest and most rapid form of plague'.

Health officials are unsure how this year's outbreak began, but local media report that forest fires have driven rats towards rural communities.

This year's worrying outbreak has seen it reach the Indian Ocean island's two biggest cities, Antananarivo and Toamasina.

AID WORKER ON THE GROUND REVEALS SCALE OF THE PROBLEM A senior aid worker on the ground in Madagascar has provided MailOnline with an exclusive snapshot of what is happening on the island. Panu Saaristo, the International Federation of Red Cross' team leader, has revealed thousands of infected adults are unwilling to seek help because they are scared of hospitals. Mr Saaristo said the cultural stigma associated with seeking medical help was masking the true scale of the problem as it means many of those who are infected are failing to be diagnosed. At the same time there is also a growing shortage of life-saving tests which can provide a rapid diagnosis. Speaking about the decline in plague cases reported today by Madagascan health officials, Mr Saaristo said he feared this is not really the case and that the true scale of the problem growing. He told MailOnline: 'No-one is happier than us, if that is indeed the case'. 'Fear of the fact if they get diagnosed with the infection and the long time they would have to spend in hospital' could be a factor in many not seeking treatment because they connect 'hospitals to death', he added. 'People start avoiding healthcare that may lead to a situation where people start dying.' He warned this year's outbreak has been 'truly unprecedented', and is 'not the plague as usual'. Figures show that at least 1,300 cases of the plague have been reported so far in this year's outbreak, with 93 official deaths recorded. However, UN estimates state the toll could be in excess of 120. Mr Saaristo warned more deaths are expected unless the urgent shortage of rapid diagnostic tests is immediately addressed, as the majority of plague cases spreading through Madagascar can prove fatal in just 24 hours. Advertisement

'It's one of Madagascar's most widespread rituals,' historian Mahery Andrianahag told AFP at a festival in Ambohijafy, a village outside the capital Antananarivo

Experts warn the disease spreads quicker in heavily populated areas. It is estimated that around 1.6 million people live in either city.

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.

This year's outbreak is expected to dwarf previous ones as it has struck early, and British aid workers believe it will continue on its rampage.

Olivier Le Guillou, of Action Against Hunger, previously said: 'The epidemic is ahead of us, we have not yet reached the peak.'

The most recent WHO figures dispute claims by Dr Manitra Rakotoarivony, Madagascar's director of health promotion, that the epidemic is on a downward spiral.

He previously told local radio: 'There is an improvement in the fight against the spread of the plague, which means that there are fewer patients in hospitals.'

THE OPENING OF THE RED CROSS' FIRST MAKESHIFT PLAGUE CLINIC Concerned humanitarians have opened a clinic attached to a major hospital in the country's capital in a desperate attempt to contain the plague outbreak. The International Federation of Red Cross has set-up a makeshift treatment clinic at the Andouhatapenaka Hospital in Antananarivo. Twenty beds are available to be used in the clinic, but it is unsure how many patients are currently being treated at the makeshift centre. Aid workers stress it will be able to offer 24/7 treatment to those infected, as officials continue their attempts to clamp down on cases. An international team of doctors are also providing supervision and training on plague treatment Advertisement

The ceremony sees the wrapped remains carried out into the open and carefully placed on a mat where they are rewrapped, or 'turned' in the new shrouds

WHAT IS THE FAMADIHANA RITUAL? The unique custom, originating among communities that live in Madagascar's high plateaux, draws crowds every winter to honour the dead and to honour their mortal wishes. 'It's one of Madagascar's most widespread rituals,' historian Mahery Andrianahag told AFP at a festival in Ambohijafy, a village outside the capital Antananarivo. Relatives invite all their fellow villagers to attend the ceremony and to take part in the procession as well as musical and food festivities, but the wrapping of the body is a purely family affair. The dead may be 'turned' more than once but only every five, seven or nine years, and can be wrapped in several shrouds if different parts of the family or loved ones want to honour them. The customary ritual, rather than a religious rite, is a celebration accompanied by music, dancing and singing, fuelled by alcoholic drinks. As soon as it is over, the mats on which the bodies are laid are pulled up. Many participants store them under their mattresses in the belief it will bring them good luck, harboring bacteria. Advertisement

The WHO, which issues a new report into the outbreak every few days, also remains adamant that cases are on the 'decline in all active areas' across the country.

The plague outbreak in Madagascar tends to begin in September and ends in April. Tarik Jasarevic of the World Health Organization confirmed it would be no different this year.

He said two weeks ago: 'After concerted efforts of the Ministry of Health and partners, we are beginning to see a decline in reported cases but there are still people being admitted to hospital.

'At this time we cannot say with certainty that the epidemic has subsided. We are about three months into the epidemic season, which goes on until April 2018.

'Even if the recent declining trend is confirmed, we cannot rule out the possibility of further spikes in transmission between now and April 2018.'

A WHO official added: '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.'

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 previously asked for $5.5 million (4.2m) to support the plague response, which has now been issued.

Despite its guidance, Air Seychelles, one of Madagascar's biggest airlines, stopped flying temporarily earlier in the month to try and curb the spread.

Schools and universities were shut in a desperate attempt to contain the respiratory disease, with children known to come into contact with each other more than adults. The buildings have been sprayed to eradicate any fleas that may carry the plague.

Dilys Morgan, head of emerging infections and zoonoses at Public Health England, said: 'The risk to people in UK is very low, but the risk for international travellers to and those working in Madagascar is higher.

'It is important that travellers to Madagascar seek advice before travelling and are aware of the measures they can take to reduce the risk of infection.

'The UK has robust systems in place for assessing illness in persons returning from travel or work overseas.

'Plague is no longer the threat to humans that it was centuries ago, as antibiotics work well if treatment is started early.'

For Madagascans, the famadihana ceremony is an intense celebration accompanied by music, dancing and singing, fuelled by alcoholic drinks
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been brutally taken down by Ralf Little in 42 tweets - after he challenged the actor to a 'double-dare'.

Little accused Hunt of lying on Twitter about claims he masterminded the 'biggest expansion of mental health provision in Europe' on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

The 37-year-old actor, famous for his appearance in the Royle Family, then sent a public tweet to the Tory: 'If I'm wrong, sue me. I double dare you.' It sparked a week-long war of words.

Hunt, MP for South West Surrey, eventually hit back at the accusation and provided a range of statistics backing his claim up to dismiss Little's scathing remark - and double-dared the actor to retaliate.

Little then responded after carefully fact-checking Hunt's disputed figures because he is 'never one to resist a challenge'.

In a series of 42 tweets, he exposed the truth behind Hunt's figures - and mocked his ability to use unverified statistics to his advantage.

He jokingly wrote under the hashtag 'quadrupleOscarwinner': 'I don't blame you - if no-one kept a record of Oscar winners, I'd be telling everyone I've got four.'

Thousands of Twitter users, including psychologists and mental healthcare workers, praised Little's 'destructive' takedown and issued a range of memes mocking Hunt.

Read the full takedown for yourself below

Ralf Little (right), 37, accused Jeremy Hunt (left) of lying on Twitter about claims that he masterminded the 'biggest expansion of mental health provision in Europe'

HUNT CAUGHT OUT... Hunt admitted inflating an increase in mental health workers by 43 times the actual figure during a Commons debate last month. He misled MPs by claiming there were 30,000 more mental health workers than when the Conservatives won power from Labour in 2010. However, Hunt in fact was referencing the increase in overall clinical NHS staff - Only 692 more people are working in mental health. This is just a 0.82 per cent increase from when the Tory-led Coalition was elected. The rise has been down to a large spike in the number of psychotherapists, despite there being 5,000 fewer mental health nurses than seven years ago. His claim came after fellow Tory MP Stephen McPartland asked issue during Heath Questions what steps had been taken to increase the UK's mental health workforce. Mr Hunt replied: 'Our mental health workforce has increased by 30,000 since 2010, and another 21,000 posts are planned.' But Channel 4 FactCheck spotted the error and prompted an admission from the Department of Health. A department spokesperson said at the time: 'This was an error and we will be correcting Hansard accordingly.' Advertisement

The heated exchange had been building up for some time, following Hunt's appalling House of Commons debate where he used skewed figures.

He then appeared on the Marr Show at the end of last month, where he made the controversial claim about helping the NHS to expand its mental health provision.

Little tweeted him almost immediately after his appearance on the show, for which he was ridiculed across social media.

However, it took 10 days for Hunt to respond to Little's initial tweet. The actor then fired off his series of messages a few days later.

Hunt promised earlier this year to employ 21,000 more people in mental health by 2021 - but experts warn much more is needed.

He said the aim was to treat an extra one million people over the next four years under one of the biggest boosts to mental care in Europe.

Hunt promised mental and physical health services will be integrated as part of a 1.3 billion drive to provide services seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Campaigners have long argued mental health in the UK is woefully underfunded  and warn psychological conditions are not treated as seriously as physical ones.

And inspectors warned in July that thousands of mental health patients are being treated in unsafe hospital units.

Two in five mental health services inspected in the last three years have not met safety requirements, the Care Quality Commission said.

FUNDING PROBLEMS IN THE NHS Mental health care has been identified as a major priority by Theresa May, who called shortfalls in services a 'burning injustice'. Hunt recently said mental health needed to be made a priority amid concerns it had been overlooked due to stigma. Earlier this year, BBC Panorama revealed mental health trusts in England have had their funding cut by 150 million over the past four years. In May, the Government announced it would create 21,000 mental health posts in the NHS by 2021 as part of a 1.3 billion drive. It was aimed to help treat an extra one million people. But critics immediately questioned the pledge and doubted that enough people could be trained in such a short space of time. Others said it would do little to replace the 6,000 mental health nursing posts lost since 2010. Sir Simon Wessely, former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said such staff will have to be 'cheap and not that well trained'. He warned they would struggle to manage the 'difficult stuff'. Advertisement

Thousands of Twitter users, including psychologists and mental healthcare workers, praised Little's 'destructive' takedown and issued a range of memes mocking Hunt

Little tweeted: 'This is what it looks like when a man goes on TV and knowingly lies to the public. If I'm wrong @jeremy_hunt, sue me. I double dare you'

Hunt responded: '4,300 more employed by mental health trusts, 2,700 more employed in talking therapies, 1,400 more people treated every day since 2010. Isn't it ur job 2 find a major European country that's done better and faster rather than make assertions you can't support? I double dare you [sic]'

Little said: 'So if statistics and facts aren't your thing and you only follow me for the silly jokes - look away now. But if you care about accountability and the NHS, read and RT this THREAD written in reply to @jeremy_hunt'

Little's first tweet read: 'Firstly @jeremy_hunt, if you think that's my job you seriously overestimate the responsibilities of actors. However, in response...'

Little added: 'You said to find a European country that's "done better" & "faster" than your quotes statistics. But firstly, are those stats legitimate? [sic]'

He continued: '.@FactCheck already proved you lied about mental health worker numbers, which you had to admit to [sic]'

He then re-posted his third tweet: 'REPORT with correct link. FactCheck already proved you lied about mental health worker numbers, which you had to admit to'

His fourth tweet read: 'So before I start with my task at hand, let's examine your latest stats more carefully. "4,300 more employed by mental health trusts"' [sic]

He added: 'Impressive sounding, but "employed" is a broad term... In terms of "employed", DOCTORS and NURSES; factcheckers FullFact.org disagree: we have in fact much FEWER of them, as described here' [sic]

Little said: 'Also according to Fullfact.org we have 14% fewer mental health nurses than we did in 2010. In real terms this amounts to 6,000. Six. Thousand. FEWER. Nurses' [sic]

Little's seventh tweet read: 'Psychiatry doctor numbers have remained almost flat, in fact falling slightly: We now have 170 FEWER fully trained doctors now vs 2010' [sic]

He added: 'The future doesn't look great either - training for new psychiatry specialists fell to only 69% of places filled this year after two rounds'

Little said: 'If these are just boring statistics for you (and anyone else reading) let me summarise... The mental health workforce in England is around 210,000 staff...' [sic]

Little added: 'Therefore an additional 4,300 more "employees", (not necessarily doctors or nurses), is JUST a 2% increase over 7 years. Meanwhile the WORKLOAD INCREASED by 28%. In real terms, almost a crisis. It certainly looks nothing like this manifesto pledge' [sic]

He continued: 'Now I appreciate this is a difficult problem to overcome, but it's your job. Firing out misleading stats on Andrew #Marr and Twitter helps no one, except perhaps you' [sic]

His next tweet read: 'Next up... "1,400 more treated every day since 2010". I assume you got that from this NHS Digital graph...' [sic]

He added: 'Seems ok at 1st glance, but unfortunately for you, fullfact.org have stated this figure is UNVERIFIABLE as they have changed the methods of measuring mental health user statistics over the time period' [sic]

He added: 'In addition, this figure was then confirmed UNVERIFIABLE by NHS Digital, the very people who created the graph in the first place!'

Little said: 'So in actual fact you are quoting a figure to state your position and measure your successes... that NO ONE CAN CONFIRM' [sic]

He continued: 'I don't blame you - if no one kept a record of Oscar winners I'd be telling everyone I've got four #quadrupleOscarwinner #Boom' [sic]

Little explained: 'There's another problem with this claim of yours. To get technical, quoting this as people "treated" is also misleading, as what the graph specifically shows is number of people "IN CONTACT WITH" a doctor' [sic]

He said: 'In the REAL world, outside of graphs and stats, that's an important distinction that someone in your position really should be aware of' [sic]

Little said: 'It could be the difference between seeing a doctor for an initial consultation ("in contact with") and actually prescribed a treatment plan with medication/follow up/therapy' ("treated") [sic]

He added: 'In terms of patient experience and care, that's a HUGE difference. To reword this statistic from "in contact with" to "treated" is horribly inaccurate, misleading, and simply NOT THE REAL TRUTH' [sic]

Little added: 'So... Either you know it's a lie and you said it anyway, or you were genuinely unaware of the distinction. Instead of name calling, I'll choose to believe you were unaware and said it in good faith' [sic]

His 22nd tweet read: 'The good news is, now that you - and Twitter - know that this statistic is total bullshit, you won't feel the need to use it again. On to your final claim...' [sic]

He added: '"2,700 more employed in talking therapies." Well. I think you're wrong, which might not surprise you. But what might be a surprise is. I have some good news for you...' [sic]

Little continued: 'In actual fact I think the stats are BETTER for your case than you have stated... As far as I can tell it's actually closer to 3,000 more in talking therapies - an INCREASE on the 2,700 you claimed' [sic]

He added: 'As you can see. I'm more interested in transparent discussion than mud-slinging, and happy to concede where appropriate, as in this case' [sic]

Little said: 'So... now to address your original challenge of finding a European country doing "better" and "faster"... Well, given what we've learned about those numbers you quoted, it's hard now to find a single metric for what is defined as "better"' [sic]

He said: 'But what I CAN say, based on the real (not "alternative") facts is the following...' [sic]

Little wrote: 'We have far fewer doctors, nurses and beds per mental health patient than 2010, so have in fact gone backwards in that regard' [sic]

He said: 'Even IF the workforce has risen as you say, it is not unreasonable to attribute this to the IAPT programme which started in 2008 - under the previous government' [sic]

Little continued: 'However, most other staff groups have fallen, and nurses more than any other' [sic]

He added: 'So to answer you succinctly, it may be difficult to categorically state we are doing "better" than other European countries, but it's pretty straightforward to say that we are doing considerably WORSE than we were in 2010' [sic]

Little wrote: 'I hope this meets the challenge you issued to me. Now it's my turn to issue a challenge in return' [sic]

He said: 'As I've demonstrated, you have a real problem with cherrypicking statistics to suit your needs. This may be acceptable in other jobs, but this is medicine, this is the NHS... this is SCIENCE' [sic]

Little added: 'Indeed when the world's smartest scientist Stephen Hawking himself called you out on this science, you were happy to claim your superior knowledge... of science, to the world's smartest scientist!... so I'm sure you'll happily do the same to me' [sic]

He added: 'But the fact remains that cherrypicking statistics is manipulative and damaging to the public office, and to the health service. And I'm afraid the science - and the scientists - back me up, no matter how much and how loudly you protest' [sic]

Little continued: 'So here's my challenge... I note you invited Prof. Hawking to meet and discuss these matters, and you repeatedly point out on Twitter that he hasn't yet agreed to' [sic]

He added: 'Well, whilst I don't pretend to possess even a fraction of his intellect, might I take up the offer?' [sic]

Little said: 'I suggest you and I sit down in real time, broadcasting live online, in the presence of fact checkers and medical professionals. Not about antagonism, but simply to reassure the public that your intention is to protect the NHS - free at the point of use' [sic]

Little wrote: 'Because, Mr. Hunt, no matter what you've said, I have to tell you, at this point pretty much no one believes that you don't want to privatise it, either openly or on the quiet' [sic]

He added: 'And even if your intention IS to privatise it, let's be honest about it, so the public can vote fairly and with all the facts. The NHS belongs to them' [sic]

Little said: 'So let's not call each other names - if you're the decent sort you say you are, and often appear to be on twitter, let's have an open conversation and some transparency on the future of everyone's healthcare. The British public deserve it' [sic]
A pensioner dubbed 'the man with two heads' can finally sleep with ease after having his giant facial tumour removed.

Jaroon Suanmali, 71, from Lopburi, Thailand, suffered years of unbearable pain after the growth ballooned and he could no longer afford to visit doctors.

Mr Suanmali's tumour made it nearly impossible to sleep, as well as taking away his hearing when it grew to cover his right ear.

Working as a rubbish collector, Mr Suanmali earned just 2 a day, however, a picture taken by a passer-by and posted in local media led to thousands of pounds worth of donations, allowing him to finally have the 15cm, 4.4lb (2kg) growth removed.

Mr Suanmali said: 'I have a feeling that's amazing, it's like nothing I could have imagined. I have a new life. I am a new person again.'

The pensioner previously said he wanted to die to end his suffering.

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Jaroon Suanmali, dubbed 'the man with two heads' can finally sleep easy after having surgery

Mr Suanmali suffered 'unbearable pain' but, earning 2 a day, was unable to afford treatment

The growth, which was 15cm and 4.4lb, was removed due to thousands of pounds of donations

'I am a new person'

Mr Suanmali said: 'I have a feeling that's amazing, it's like nothing I could have imagined.

'My neighbours weren't sure I would survive. I didn't even know if I could wake up after the operation. Now I have a new life. I am a new person again.'

Dr Worawat Kaewwichian, who performed the surgery, said: 'Tests are being carried out on the tumour and the patient is still hospitalised.

'He can return home next week. This was big surgery. But we're glad to know that the doctors here can treat this disease.'

Paetohpat Gangwinpong, permanent secretary and spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, said: 'We are pleased to announce the successful completion of life-saving surgery for the patient suffering a large-scalp tumour.

'The weight of this had made daily life difficult for him but he is now free again.'

A passer-by photographed Mr Suanmali, which was then shared by local media

Dr Worawat Kaewwichian, who performed the surgery, demonstrates the tumour's size

Dubbed 'the man with two heads'

Mr Suanmali first noticed the growth more than 10 years ago but local doctors told him it would subside.

Yet, the tumour continued growing, leading to him being cruelly dubbed 'the man with two heads' by his neighbours.

Doctors performed an MRI scan and finally diagnosed a tumour after an online appeal earlier this month.

Surgeons found the growth was not extending inside the skull, which allowed them to successfully operate on November 13 and remove the tumour and affected tissue.

The pensioner can even hear again.

Tests are now being conducted on the tumour in order to plan Mr Suanmali's future treatment.

Before the surgery, the pensioner questioned whether he wanted to live and lost his hearing

Mr Suanmali was forced to work to save for surgery despite his age (pictured: his home)

'I sometimes wish I would never wake up'

Before his image was shared across local media, Mr Suanmali said: 'I sometimes wish someone would give me a load of pills and I would never wake up.'

Forced to work despite his age and illness, Mr Suanmali scraped together as much money as he could and relied on the help of his sons.

He even questioned whether the surgery would be successful were he to have the funds.
A toddler nearly died after being infected with herpes from a kiss.

Parker, 16 months, contracted the virus back in August from a kiss from someone who had previously had a cold sore.

Despite developing a rash and blisters all over his body, doctors dismissed the toddler's symptoms three times, however, his mother Maria O'Neill, 22, from Derry, Northern Ireland, instinctively knew something was wrong and rushed him to A&E.

Parker, who was immediately put on a drip and had to stay in hospital for a week, has largely recovered but has since developed eczema and anaemia as a result of the ordeal.

Ms O'Neill said: 'The doctor told me that it was from the cold sore virus and that he'd got it by the kiss or the touch of someone with the virus.

'It could have been fatal if we didn't catch it in time. I'm so aware now about people cuddling him and kissing him.'

Ms O'Neill has decided to speak out to raise awareness of the dangers of herpes infections in the young.

Parker, 16 months, nearly died after contracting a herpes virus from a kiss

Doctors dismissed his rash and blisters three times (pictured with his mother Maria O'Neill, 22)

Despite doctor reassurance, Ms O'Neill knew something was wrong and took him to A&E

WHAT IS HERPES? The herpes viruses cause cold sores, which most commonly appear on the lips or genitals. They affect around seven in 10 people in the UK. Cold sores on the lips most commonly get passed on by being kissed by someone with an active cold sore. They begin as a small red patch that blisters before bursting, leaving a raw area that scabs. Cold sores are only transmitted by direct skin contact, not by sharing items such as towels or cutlery. Once injected, sufferers may experience a fever and flu-like symptoms. After healing, cold sores can reappear if triggered by stress, illness, alcohol or too much sunlight. Antiviral medication may be prescribed if someone frequently suffer outbreaks. Source: Herpes Viruses Association Advertisement

'It's unbelievable that it was a kiss that could have caused this'

Ms O'Neill said: 'Three different doctors said there was nothing wrong with my son. It's unbelievable that it was a kiss that could have caused this.

'It really was awful and very scary because I've read about it before, but I never thought it would happen to us. Luckily, I don't think Parker really remembers about it.

'He now suffers from eczema and he has to go to a dermatologist regularly.

'He's been such a brave boy throughout the whole experience. He's recovered mostly now, but he does still have flare ups. I'm so aware now about people cuddling him and kissing him.

She said: 'He's only just recovering now, he's still not back to himself and he also has anaemia, so that was another struggle for him.'

'I feel lucky that he's a bit older as I know it can be fatal in young and newborn babies.'

Once in hospital, Parker was put on a drip and stayed there for a week before going home

Although largely recovered, the youngster has since developed anaemia and eczema

Ms O'Neill says the ordeal has made her very conscious of people kissing or touching her son

She is relieved Parker is not a newborn, as herpes infections can be fatal in very young children

Ms O'Neil said the rash looked like sandpaper, making her instinctively know it was serious

'My mother's instinct kicked in'

Ms O'Neill said: 'He had a fever about two weeks leading up to these events, which progressed into a rash. I went to the doctors twice, but they just gave me cream for him.

'I just felt there was something else behind it; the rash didn't look normal and he wasn't going on normal.

'Every time the doctors turned me away it seems to get a lot worse so my mother's instinct kicked in and I knew there was something more to it.

'His rash looked like red blotches and it felt like sandpaper, then he started getting blisters all over his body.

'When I went to the doctors for a third time they handed me off again, saying there was nothing wrong with him.'

Once in hospital, Parker received antibiotics and antiviral drugs (pictured with Ms O'Neill)

If his infection had not been discovered when it was, his mother thinks Parker would have died

Ms O'Neill (pictured) wishes to raises awareness of the dangers of herpes infections

Ms O'Neill (pictured) has posted pictures online to make other parents aware of the symptoms

'It could have been fatal if we didn't catch it in time'

Frustrated, Ms O'Neill rushed Parker to A&E where he was finally diagnosed with a form of herpes.

She said: 'The doctor told me that it was from the cold sore virus and that he'd got it by the kiss or the touch of someone with the virus.

'He was immediately put on a drip and he had to stay in hospital for a week; he had three different antibiotics and one antiviral medicine.

'It could have been fatal if we didn't catch it in time.

'I stayed with him in the hospital for a week and I didn't leave his side.'

Parker has largely recovered from the virus, but now suffers from anaemia and eczema.

Ms O'Neill has shared pictures of Parker while ill online to raise awareness of the condition.

She said: 'I wasn't going to put it up on Facebook, but I saw other people who had done it before me and I just thought it'll be worth it if I can help someone.'
A girl with a rare genetic disorder celebrated her eighth birthday this week - and with a life expectancy in the early teens, every year counts.

Eliza O'Neill suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, a condition known as childhood Alzheimer's where toxic cells affect the brain resulting in dementia, loss of speech, blindness and eventual death.

She was the first patient in a new gene therapy clinical trial last year that her parents considered her only hope at maintaining motor functions and speech, as there is no cure for the condition.

Though she has lost the ability to speak, Eliza is still learning new skills and her birthday has sparked a campaign to raise $100,000 in 10 days to fund further research.

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A milestone: Eliza O'Neill happily celebrated her eighth birthday this week despite suffering a rare genetic disorder that has a life expectancy in the teens

Her birthday sparked a campaign to raise $100,000 to fund research for a cure for her debilitating condition, Sanfilippo syndrome

Eliza's father, Glenn O'Neill, told Daily Mail Online: 'She has an attention, a presence, a concentration that we haven't seen in a long time.'

He added that she runs, plays and has relearned to use a fork and feed herself, things that the family didn't expect her to be doing this far along in her condition.

Eliza was diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome when she was three years old after her parents noticed developmental delays.

WHAT IS SANFILIPPO SYNDROME? Sanfilippo syndrome is a genetic and terminal disorder that affects around one in 70,000 live births. Victims lack an enzyme that is essential for normal cellular function. The condition eventually causes a buildup of a toxic material - heparin sulfate - resulting in dementia, loss of speech, blindness and eventual death. The disease is referred to as childhood Alzheimer's due to the effects. Sufferers typically die before they are out of their teens. There is no known cure, however clinical trials are being conducted in order to find one. Advertisement

Sanfilippo syndrome is a neurodegenerative condition in children caused by a deficiency in one of the enzymes that cannot break down and recycle natural cellular waste.

This results in toxic enzymes infiltrating all of the cells, but most-severely impacting the ones in the brain.

Effects on the brain become apparent between two and six years old resulting in Alzheimer's-like symptoms including speech problems, developmental delays, challenging behaviors, extreme hyperactivity, and dementia.

Many children are initially diagnosed with autism before finding the underlying diagnosis.

Eliza's father took to Facebook three years ago, just before her fifth birthday, and said she was working on maintaining skills that she had learned earlier in the year.

'It is unlikely she will move forward from this point on... Her birthday gift tomorrow is part of that race to a treatment for these children,' he wrote.

But now Eliza is making small progress which may be the result of a new gene therapy study Eliza underwent last year as the first patient to receive a one-time shot in the clinical trial.

A report from the trial showed reduced levels of a toxin, heparin sulfate, in the spines of patients who had the treatment.

The family has done everything they can for Eliza, including going on a nearly two-year quarantine in their South Carolina home in order for her to not be exposed to a bacteria that would make her ineligible for the study.

The O'Neills created the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation and began a campaign before her fifth birthday to raise money for that trial which they saw as their only hope.

They raised more than $1.2million to help fund the study and Eliza's parents said now her sense of wellbeing is much better and she is happy most of the time.

Glenn said Eliza's birthday was 'fantastic' and she spent it at school where her classmates ate cupcakes and gave her handmade cards.

He said it is special to see that kind of inclusion from her peers and even more incredible how much she responds to the attention.

'She notices, lights up and smiles,' he added.

Her parents have done everything they can for Eliza, including starting a foundation and quarantining themselves in their South Carolina home for nearly two years

Father Glenn O'Neill told Daily Mail Online that she can run, play and has relearned how to use a fork and feed herself after taking part in a gene therapy clinical trial

Now their foundation has put out another call to action - to raise $100,000 in the 10 days leading up to Eliza's eighth birthday.

As of her birthday they have raised more than $80,000, but Glenn said that it continues to grow.

Three current projects are in need of urgent funding, according to Glenn.

Those are enzyme replacement, gene therapy, and mesenchymal stem cell to repair the brain.

The family's original goal in starting the foundation was to make Sanfilippo syndrome a household name by sharing their story.

Now the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation's 10-year goal is to discover treatment for newborns to halt the progression of the toxic storage in the brain.

They have since raised more than $5million, funding 10 different research projects around the world and inspiring 40 other families to join the fundraising and advocacy fight, to speak out and share their experiences with this deadly disorder.

Glenn said: 'As much as science and money is needed, the biggest thing we are battling is time.

'Eliza's future is completely unknown, it's experimental and that's a blessing in itself.'
Fans of ITVs Victoria have delighted in the return of the costume drama for a second series.

The popularity of the show, starring Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria and Tom Hughes as Prince Albert, has prompted a fresh debate over how the prince met his untimely end.

The Royal took his last breath at 10.50pm on the night of Saturday 14 December 1861 at Windsor Castle in the presence of the inconsolable wife and five of their nine children. He was just 42. Queen Victoria, who adored Albert, never recovered from his death and always wore black.

The official cause on his death certificate is 'typhoid fever: duration 21 days'. Yet a stunned public were sceptical over the diagnosis, with letters appearing in The Lancet and the British Medical Journal.

His death prompted many to ask, how could a vigorous man have died without warning? Now an academic has looked closely at the reports of Albert's symptoms.

Writing for The Conversation, Derek Gatherer, a lecturer in the division of biomedical and life sciences at Lancaster University, examines the key problem with the diagnosis: there were no cases of typhoid fever reported at any of the places Albert visited three weeks before his death.

An alternative theory is that Albert was suffering from a 'modern' condition not even known about then  Crohns disease  or even stomach cancer. Here Dr Gatherer outlines various theories.

ITVs Victoria stars Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria and Tom Hughes as Prince Albert

Queen Victoria, who adored Albert, never recovered from his death and always wore black

The case for typhoid

Grieving Victoria refused to allow a post-mortem to be carried out on her beloved husband.

And of course mid-19th century doctors had virtually no laboratory diagnostic resources and the first blood test for typhoid was not developed until 1896.

So doctors relied almost exclusively on observation of the patient. In Alberts case, the key sign was a rose spot rash.

The official cause on the Prince's death certificate is 'typhoid fever: duration 21 days'

HOW TYPHOID SPREADS Typhoid fever is caused by a type of bacteria called Salmonella typhi. This isn't the same bacteria that cause salmonella food poisoning, but the two are related. The Salmonella typhi bacteria will be in the stools (poo) of an infected person after they've been to the toilet. If they don't wash their hands properly afterwards, they can contaminate any food they touch. Anyone else who eats this food may also become infected. Less commonly, the Salmonella typhi bacteria can be passed out in an infected person's urine. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

In the last weeks of his life, Albert suffered from terrible muscular pains, insomnia, headaches and 'very heavy catarrh'.

A visit to the new Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in the pouring rain added to his woes, as did highly emotional a meeting at Cambridge two days later with his son, Bertie, the future King Edward VII, over his scandalous affair with a young actress, Nellie Clifden.

A few days later, at an Eton College parade on November 29, witnesses recorded that the Prince Consort looked very unwell.

It was on December 7 that a Royal physician noticed the characteristic pink-purple 'rose spots' of typhoid on the Prince Consorts abdomen and made the diagnosis of typhoid fever.

There was a slight improvement in the following days, but on December 12 fever, breathing difficulties and delirium returned with greater force and he died two days later.

Can this have been a description of typhoid?

The disease was rife in Victorian times, especially among the poor as bad sanitation and hygiene were risk factors. But even Royalty were not immune and Albert's cousins were said to have died from typhoid too.

'The slow progress of the disease over three weeks is very characteristic,' said Dr Gatherer.

'Likewise the sporadic delirium, rose spots, headache, coughing and progressive exhaustion are all typical symptoms.'

Why are there doubts?

If Albert had typhoid, the question then arises of when and where he contracted it.

'Biographers who disagree with the typhoid theory often point to the fact that December 1861 was a relatively quiet time for the disease,' explained Dr Gatherer.

'There were no cases reported in any of the locations where Albert was to be found in the three weeks or so before his death  neither in Windsor, Cambridge nor Sandhurst.

Critics of the typhoid theory say there were no reported cases anywhere Albert visited three weeks before death

'Albert was also eating virtually nothing at this time, also minimising the opportunities for typhoid transmission.'

But this critique fails to consider the issue of the incubation period of the disease, he points out. Typhoid has a clinical course of three to four weeks, but a wide incubation period of six to 30 days.

After examining the Prince's diary from a wider period  late October to mid-November  he notes that he made four trips to London, once via stopping for lunch in Stonehaven, on the coast near Aberdeen and a visit to his son in Cambridge.

There were no reports in the local papers of typhoid in Stonehaven or Cambridge and just 39 cases in London in November.

'It is possible that Albert was infected on one of his London trips but that is, of course, purely speculative.

'After that, Albert was based at Windsor until his death. So further investigation of the possible incubation period does not lend any obvious support to the typhoid theory.'

However, Dr Gatherer said the typhoid fever diagnosis ought not to be completely discounted.

'The junior of the main pair of royal physicians [who diagnosed Albert] was William Jenner, the worlds acknowledged expert on typhoid fever. If anybody knew typhoid, Jenner did.

'It is still a serious problem in many of the poorer parts of the world, but in the Victorian era, it could strike anyone, anywhere  even a prince.'

Did Albert die of Crohn's?

'One of the most favoured alternative theories is that Albert had stomach cancer (a disease that killed his mother at the age of 30), or perhaps Crohns disease,' explained Dr Gatherer.

'Certainly, Alberts health had been deteriorating intermittently for several years.'

Indeed, historian Helen Rappaport, who has spent three years researching his death for her book, believes Albert actually succumbed to the very modern affliction.

Crohns is a serious  and sometimes fatal  form of inflammatory bowel disease that today affects one in 500 people.

Experts have proposed he actually succumbed to a more modern affliction  Crohn's disease

While the exact cause is unknown, the condition is linked to a problem with the bodys immune system response.

Symptoms can come in waves and include debilitating and crampy abdominal pain, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, chronic diarrhoea, liver inflammation and weight loss.

According to Helen, Albert had been chronically sick on and off all his adult life and suffered from long-standing gastric problems.

Rappaport took her findings, contained in a detailed 14-page medical dossier, to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where Dr Chris Conlon, consultant in infectious diseases including typhoid, and Dr Simon Travis, consultant in gastroenterology, examined them in detail.

Having looked at the evidence, both doctors dismissed typhoid fever and cancer as possible causes of death and concluded the evidence for Crohns looked very strong.

What are the other theories?

Dr Gatherer points out that a rash can be sign of many afflictions.

'Infectious diseases often exhibit distinctive rashes or other skin lesion patterns  measles, chickenpox, smallpox, roseola, scarlet fever, syphilis, scabies, coxsackievirus, herpesvirus, Zika virus and papillomavirus as well as typhoid,' he said.

He also says that another possibility remains.

'Albert may have had an illness that is still unknown today,' he added. 'It is easy to be dismissive of the comparatively primitive medicine of the 1860s, but the medicine of our own age will be similarly dismissed 150 years from now.

'We can be sure that there are some things we still do not fully understand, and perhaps Alberts fatal decline is one of them.'
Two brothers suffering the same debilitating disorder face a greater risk of muscle deterioration and early death after the US Food and Drug Administration declined a drug that has kept them walking.

Elliot Johnson, 14, and Henry, 11, suffer from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare form of the disease that causes muscle weakness and leaves more than 90 percent of patients unable to walk by 15 and has an average mortality age of 25.

The FDA refused to approve the protein restoration therapy used to treat their specific condition last month, saying an additional clinical trial would be needed to prove the drug works.

The makers of the drug have filed an appeal but if it fails, the Johnson boys will be off the medication that they've taken for almost half their lives as early as December.

Elliot Johnson (left), 14, and Henry (right), 11, both suffer from the same muscle disorder but have been taking a drug called Ataluren as part of a clinical trial for nearly a decade

Their disorder is a severe form of muscular distrophy that leaves 90 percent of patients unable to walk by 15

The FDA pulled the trial drug for the third time citing the data is inconclusive. This was after the company PTC Therapeutic's year-long effort at bringing it to the market under the name Translarna.

Mother of the boys, Joanna Johnson, told Daily Mail Online both of her sons have taken the oral medications three times a day since her oldest son was five and the younger boy was seven.

She said the drug, Ataluren, has had the most profound effects on her oldest Elliot, especially when he was younger.

WHAT IS DMD? WHAT IS THE NEW DRUG? Duchenne's muscular dystrophy is a rare disease. DMD is caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact. The first symptoms are usually seen between three and five years of age and worsen over time. Life expectancy is usually in the 20s, though more and more sufferers are living into their early 30s. The disease often occurs in people without a known family history of the condition and primarily affects boys, but in rare cases it can effect girls. DMD occurs in about one of every 3,500 male infants worldwide. The disease causes loss of movement, weakness, and eventually death. Advertisement

'He went from not being able to jump to clearing two feet and from spider crawling up the stairs to walking up,' she said.

The family fears what will happen if the drug is pulled.

Joanna said her sons have asked how long it would take until they can no longer walk.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic mutation categorized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.

The disease is mainly in boys and affects one in 3,500 infants worldwide.

It is a severe type of muscular dystrophy and symptoms usually begin between three and five years old and worsen until a patient can no longer walk and function on their own.

More than 90 percent of patients are wheelchair-bound by 15.

Life expectancy is usually in the 20s, though more and more sufferers are living into their early 30s.

Ataluren is the drug designed to treat patients with what is called 'nonsense mutations' that prevent the body from producing a key protein needed for muscle development.

'We're involved in something now that is making a difference and the thought of starting from scratch is frustrating,' Joanna said.

The FDA has denied the approval of the drug, which the boys' mother Joanna said has given them the ability to walk and jump

Elliot was diagnosed in the summer of 2007 and shortly after, the parents took Henry for a test who was less than a year old at the time.

Once Elliot was diagnosed, the doctors said there was a 50 percent chance that Henry would also have Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

When Elliot turned five, he began the 48-week Ataluren trial and Henry waited until he was seven.

The initial 48-week trial expired and the brothers have been in the extension program for years since.

They travel to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia near their home for blood work every eight weeks and take their oral medicine regularly three-times-a-day.

Joanna said she also fears new trials will mean further travel to different hospitals for each son in Ohio and Florida.

The mother-of-two said she has reached out to key players of the FDA via social media to tell her sons' stories and explain why this drug is making a difference for her and other parents.

Their doctors at CHOP are behind the drug and signed a letter confirming they have seen patients progress and it merits approval.

This clinical trial has been ongoing for more than a decade and Joanna worries it may take up to five years for another trial of this drug to be proven.

She stressed an urgency of time - that if the FDA waits for new trials to be conducted, it may be too late for her boys.
Delhi residents protect Gandhi from smog

The National Green Tribunal is gasping for breath and fighting for its life while supervising measures intended to help save Delhiites from the current smog-pocalypse.

Thanks to non-filling of vacancies, the green court, set up six years ago as a specialised forum for effective and speedy disposal of cases pertaining to environment protection, forest conservation and compensation claims, is inching towards closure.

If urgent measures are not taken to appoint new judicial and expert members, the tribunal which has three courts in its principal bench in Delhi and four zonal benches (east, west, central and south) will soon be functioning with less than one-third of its sanctioned strength of 20.

Due to non-filling of vacancies against retirements, according to retirement dates of judges accessed by Mail Today, there will be only be three judicial members and two expert members left after February 12, 2018.

At present the strength is six (judicial members) and three (expert members) respectively. Alarmed at the state of affairs, the Delhi High Court recently asked the Centre if it 'planned to wind up the NGT'?

In September, the Centre had told the court that it has received 80 applications for the post of judicial members and 150 for expert members. But mysteriously, things have not moved any further.

School children march to express their distress on the alarming levels of pollution in the city

'Situation is so alarming that due to paucity of members, at present only one out of three courts of Delhi Principle Bench is functioning.

Two of the four zonal benches also stopped functioning mainly due to non-appointment of new expert members. As per the rules, each bench of the NGT should comprise of at least one judicial member and one expert member,' Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who moved Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the Centre to take steps for immediate filling of vacancies, told Mail Today.

The retirement of two expert members  PC Mishra (East Zone, Kolkata Bench) and P Satyanarayana Rao (South Zone, Chennai Bench)  on Wednesday brought the functioning of these two benches to a grinding halt.

National Green Tribunal office in New Delhi

Tourists using Protective masks to save themselves from inhaling Pollution particles

A judicial member posted at the Central Zone Bench in Bhopal will finish his term on Friday. Two judicial members  the chairperson of the tribunal Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice VD Salvi  will be attaining superannuation on December 31, 2017, and February 13, 2018, respectively.

An expert member, Bikram Singh Sajwan, will be retiring on December 9, 2017.

As per the eligibility rules till now, the NGT chairperson should be a retired judge of the Supreme Court. Other judicial members are retired judges of high courts.

'Expert members' should have a professional qualification and a minimum of 15 years experience in the field of environment/forest conservation and related subjects.

But despite the constraints, the NGT is not doing a bad job vis-a-vis disposal of cases. Out of the 23,341 cases filed in 2011, when it was set up, 19,970 have been decided and the pendency is just 3,371 cases.

The high court has been of late staying some orders passed by the NGT due to lack of quorum in the bench. This problem is only set to aggravate if the appointments are delayed.

Advocate Bansal, who is also an executive member of the NGT Bar Association, said in his petition: 'In short period of its existence, NGT has shown tremendous commitment towards delivery of environmental justice.

Despite that lackadaisical and apathetic attitude of the Central government regarding filling the vacancies is intriguing and appalling. Due to the red-tapism involved in bureaucracy, a fine institution like the NGT is heading towards a premature death.'

The shocking plight of the environment court comes out at a time when there is a buzz that the Centre is against a strong, active and assertive NGT.

The government has been at loggerheads with it on several occasions for creating roadblocks in fast-tracking of projects citing violation of environmental rules. The appointments may also be getting delayed as the Centre aims to have a major say in who will sit as judges of the NGT and other tribunals.

The Centre has modified the process of appointments. Instead of a senior judge, its chairperson will now be recommended by a five-member panel, which will be led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) or a nominee of the CJI, but a majority of the other members in the recruitment panel will be recommended by the environment ministry.

The new rules have been challenged in the Supreme Court.
The boss of Britain's biggest bicycle-maker has warned the anti-Brexit campaign is causing small businesses to panic and damaging the economy.

Brompton Bicycle's managing director Will Butler-Adams claimed firms would be able to cope if Britain left the European Union without a trade deal, which would see exports to the Continent face tariffs of 10 per cent under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.

Butler-Adams, 43, said: 'The debate about Brexit is massively over-rated, and half of the problem is we're spending so much time debating it that we're creating a momentum of fear.'

Freewheeling: Brompton Bicycle's managing director Will Butler-Adams claimed firms would be able to cope if Britain left the European Union without a trade deal

He added that Brompton, which specialises in fold-up bikes, is used to dealing with 30 per cent tariffs in China and steep duties in nations such as Japan, and that this was just a normal part of exporting.

He said: 'For businesses which are small, a change in 10 per cent for WTO rules is virtually irrelevant.

'What will make a difference for a business succeeding or failing is its staff, its vision and its ambition.

'I don't see Brexit as a massive disaster. Personally, I'm rather sad we're leaving but, crucially, we will get on.'
REVENUE BOOST Defence firm Qinetiq said it makes 26 per cent of its revenue outside the UK, up from 21 per cent last year, as its international business expands. Revenue for the first half rose by about 30million to 392.5million.

CATCHER PRODUCTION Oil explorer Premier Oil says its key Catcher development in the North Sea is on track to produce its first oil during December.

FIRM LISTED Housebuilder Galliford Try has joined the list of firms the Education and Skills Funding Agency will use in a 3.1billion schools and college-building programme.

HURRICANE HIT Construction firm Keller took a 3million profit hit from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

HOLIDAY SALES Aviation and distribution firm Dart Group, which owns airline and package holiday brands Jet2, sold 41 per cent more package holidays during the first half of the year than the same period last year, with 1.81m customers.

SPECULATION DISMISSED Investment house 3i has waved away speculation it could sell its Dutch discount retailer Action.

It reported returns of 655million in the six months to September 30, down from 1billion in the same period last year.

AIRBUS DEAL Plane maker Airbus sold two A330neo craft to Air Senegal for a potential 447million.

WATCHDOG RULING Power generators have been denied a 120million rebate by energy watchdog Ofgem. They had claimed they were overcharged to use the grid in 2015/16.

LOANS GROW The loan book at Close Brothers bank grew 1 per cent to 7billion in the three months to October 31. Its investment arm has 9.5billion of assets, up 6.5 per cent.

BURGER FRANCHISE Private equity giant Bridgepoint is to spearhead Burger Kings further expansion across the country after becoming the chains master UK franchisee.

PROFIT RISE Profits at bank Investec rose to 314.6million in the six months to September 30  up 11.8 per cent on a year earlier.

TAKEOVER BACKED The Competition and Markets Authority has approved Just Eats takeover of rival Hungryhouse in a 240million deal.

FLOAT PLAN UK medical device maker Belluscura expects to raise up to 10m when it floats on the junior stock market next month.
A hedge fund's bet that toxic debt is back has helped kill off one of the year's biggest stock market floats.

Bybrook Capital believes that debt collectors, who have been buying up piles of loans at the low-income end of the borrowing market, will never be able to recover many of them, and is braced to clean up if shares in the affected firms plummet.

Its gloomy view has now contributed to collection firm Cabot Credit Management abandoning a plan to go public for 1billion later this month.

Bybrook Capital believes that debt collectors, who have been buying up piles of loans at the low-income end of the borrowing market, will never be able to recover many of them

Sources said Cabot has become concerned by the share price performance of its closest rival, Arrow Global, which has fallen 10 per cent since last week.

Both companies buy overdue credit card and other unsecured debt from banks and lenders, then chase individuals for the unpaid money.

Cabot has bought 21billion of debt since it was founded in 1998, and is chasing around 7m people.

But, in Bybrook's view, the industry is heading for a fall, and it has built up a 1.7 per cent short position in Arrow's stock that will make money if the price drops.

A source close to Cabot said: 'There's a lot of hedge fund shorting of Arrow and the sector in general.'

At a conference in Oslo last month, the hedge fund gave a presentation on the debt collection industry, entitled: 'This is totally bonkers'.

It said the shares of one firm had 'no equity value', adding that another's debt might be 'worth zero'.

The industry is mostly focused on small loans for people with very low pay, and it is not seen as large enough to cause wider economic damage if it fails.

Cabot was due to be chaired by Andy Haste after the float, a businessman who is chairman of payday lender Wonga.

Cabot boss Ken Stannard said: 'The high level of engagement and interest we received from a wide array of investors was very encouraging, but the timing has been unfortunate with respect to initial public offering market conditions.'
Troubled UK construction giant Carillion lost almost half of its stock market value today after it warned on profits again and said it can't meet its loan payments.

Shares in the Wolverhampton-based firm, which provides facilities management and construction services around the world, plunged 48 per cent over the course of the day as investors abandoned the crisis-hit company.

The stock plunged 70 per cent in July on the back of a massive profit warning, but had recovered slightly in the autumn after it sold off parts of its business and came to debt agreements with creditors.

Off the rails: Carillion shared the 363million contract for the East London Rail project back in 2008 with building giant Balfour Beatty.

The firm today said annual profits looked set to be 'materially lower than current market expectations' after it was hit by delays and smaller-than-expected improvements to margins on UK support services contracts.

Despite efforts to drive down costs, haul in cash and push through disposals, the group said it would fail to hit its net debt to earnings ratio of 1 to 1.5 times by the end of 2018.

As a result, the firm expects to breach its financial covenants by the end of December this year, with annual average net borrowing to come in between 875million and 925million.

Carillion blamed 'a combination of delays to certain PPP disposals, a slippage in the commencement date of a significant project in the Middle East and lower than expected margin improvements across a small number of UK support services contracts' for its its disappointing earnings.

It is a major supplier to the government and helps to maintain schools and hospitals, and also part of a consortium building the 56bn HS2 high-speed rail link.

Chief executive Keith Cochrane said: 'Whilst we continue to target cash collections, reduce costs, execute disposals and focus on delivering for our customers, it is clear that significant challenges remain and more needs to be done to reduce net debt and rebuild the balance sheet.

'Constructive dialogue is continuing with our financial stakeholders, and I am grateful for their support.

'I remain focused on addressing this issue before my successor, Andrew Davies, takes up the role on April 2 2018.'

The group said it could 'require some form of recapitalisation' as it mulls options to curb its debts and shore up its balance sheet.

Nicholas Hyett, Hargreaves Lansdown equity analyst, said the 'horror show' at Carillion had continued.

He added: 'Some sort of recapitalisation was inevitable, but a possible debt for equity swap, with debt even higher than the group had anticipated, is probably as bad as anyone would have guessed.

'The group has made some progress on asset sales, and it sounds like some cost savings are being made. It's not what the group expected though, and it's clearly not enough.

'It's also probably irrelevant given the state of the balance sheet, with net debt already many multiples of the group's market capitalisation.'

Shares in Carillion closed 20p down at 21.5p, a drop of 48 per cent. Before July's profit warning they stood at 192p.

Carillion shares collapsed today as investors ditched them fearing for its future

The shares got a small boost last month when Carillion announced the sale of a large part of its UK healthcare arm to rival Serco and said its creditors agreed to lend it more cash.

Carillion said then it would have 170million and 190million of 'headroom' thanks to the agreement of new debt facilities worth 140million with its lenders and the deferral of some pension payments.

But that couldn't save the balance sheet from the mammoth half-year losses of 1.15billion revealed in July following a series of restructuring charges.

That saw former boss Richard Howson step down, with Carillion replacing him with Mr Davies, who is to take the hot seat in April. Mr Davies is currently the chief executive of Wates Group, where he has held the role since 2014.

Since Mr Howson's departure, Mr Cochrane has been interim chief executive and has overseen a refinancing and the sale of non-performing assets.
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The spot where Osama bin Laden's blood-soaked body was delivered to the USS Carl Vinson on the night he was killed has been marked in red, in a chilling reminder of the al-Qaeda chief's demise.

DailyMailTV has learned that sailors who witnessed the corpse of the terror boss being delivered by helicopter to the Vinson on the night of May 1, 2011 painted a 'padeye'  an attachment point to where fighter jets or helicopters are tethered - at the exact spot where his body arrived.

It's believed bin Laden - who was shot twice in the head during a Navy SEAL raid on his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan hours earlier - was still bleeding heavily when he arrived on the flight deck, DailyMail.com has learned.

The padeye is one of hundreds on the deck on board the Vinson.

The spot - photographed by DailyMailTV - can be found midway along the flight deck of the nuclear powered super carrier.

Historic mark: A 'padeye' aboard the USS Carl Vinson was painted red to mark the area where Osama bin Laden's bloodied body was laid after SEAL Team Six shot him dead

The round red marker on the deck of the warship is actually an attachment point to where fighter jets or helicopters are tethered

The USS Carl Vinson, a 95,000 ton vessel, transported the al-Qaeda leader's body after bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan hours earlier

DailyMailTV was invited on board the Vinson as it prepares for deployment to the western Pacific Ocean in early 2018.

One crew member on board said: 'That's where bin Laden arrived, his body was bloodied and people who saw it won't forget it in a hurry.

'The padeye is painted red as a reminder of the Vinson's role that night in what was a historic mission.'

Bin Laden's arrival by helicopter on the Vinson was confirmed by Rear Admiral Samuel Perez, the former commander of the Vinson's carrier strike group, in an email to Rear Admiral Charles Gaouette, the Vinson's public affairs officer, according to leaked documents.

Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks was shot twice in the head during a Navy SEAL raid on his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He was still bleeding heavily when he arrived on the flight deck, DailyMail.com has learned

A short time later bin Laden's body was secretly disposed of in the Arabian Sea.

Only a handful of top officials aboard the Vinson witnessed the burial, according to the leaked memos.

It was carried out in line with Islamic tradition and kept secret from most of the 3,500 ship's crew.

Emails released by President Barack Obama's administration gave a glimpse of the scene.

When asked by RDML Gaouette for 'any news on the package for us', RDML Perez replied: 'FedEx delivered the package. Both trucks are safely en route home base.'

Lt. Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, told DailyMail.com: 'Yes, we have a padeye on the flight deck painted red. We've had it for years. It symbolizes USS Carl Vinson's role in an important operation years ago that was part of the ongoing fight against terrorism.

'It's not uncommon for warships to symbolize their participation in a historic event. U.S. Navy vessels are on watch around the world every day, ready to answer the call.'

Lt. Cmdr Hawkins declined to confirm that the padeye was linked to bin Laden, however, and declined to discuss the mission or circumstances of the burial at sea.

Another email sent by RDML Gaouette to senior military officials described the 50-minute ceremony on board the Vinson, which was carried out at around 3am EST on May 2.

Operation Geronimo also recovered five videos from bin Laden's compound, including one showing the terrorist watching himself on television

That compound, which was an 'active command and control center' where the al Qaeda leader remained in strategic and operational control of the organization, was later demolished almost a year later

SEAL Team 6  an elite unit known for its ruthlessness and bravery  took bin Laden out in what was dubbed Operation Geronimo.

Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill, who believes he fired the fatal shot on the terror kingpin, said he had heard of the red pad eye and said the crew of the Vinson wanted to 'acknowledge historically' that that was where bin Laden came on the ship.

Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill, who believes he fired the fatal shot on the terror kingpin, said he had heard of the red pad eye and said the crew of the Vinson wanted to 'acknowledge historically' that that was where bin Laden came on the ship

He told DailyMailTV the Al-Qaeda leader was 'badly damaged' after being shot in the head several times so he was 'not surprised' he was still bleeding when he arrived on the carrier.

'I know what he looked like when we handed him off, so I'm not surprised,' he explained.

'He took some pretty severe head shots, I did three of them, he was very badly damaged.

'We were with him until we handed him to some Army special operators and they brought him out to the ship in the Gulf and that's where they buried him at sea, but I wasn't there for that.'

Bin Laden's body was taken to Afghanistan for positive identification, before it was taken aboard for its burial.

It's understood a lengthy CIA surveillance operation had discovered bin Laden was holed up in a remote compound in Abbottabad.

In a TV address on the night of the raid, President Obama said: 'I can report to the American people and the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda and a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.'
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On the far outskirts of Sydney behind a steel fence topped with razor wire is a secret bushland experimental facility where scientists from around the world come to visit the dead.

Inside this fortress-like compound under constant CCTV surveillance are the remains of 45 humans, some lying clothed on the surface under gum trees, some barely buried underground.

To the researchers who work here, this is the only open-air facility for the study of the decomposition of human remains from death until discovery - or taphonomy - outside the United States.

To the few beyond scientific circles aware of its existence it is Australia's 'body farm'.

Daily Mail Australia was this week granted exclusive access to what is formally known as the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER).

Professor Shari Forbes, director of Australia's only 'body farm', standing in bushland containing the remains of donors who have left their bodies to science; within the pink tape are 30 human corpses left on the surface to decompose

Australia's only 'body farm' - the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research at the base of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney - is surrounded by a steel fence topped with coils of razor wire and is under constant CCTV surveillance

There is room for 200 plots in the heavily-wooded site of the only 'body farm' outside the United States, the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, at the base of the Blue Mountains in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales

Professor Shari Forbes, director of the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Research Facility, points to a shallow grave marked by flags at the 'body farm' she runs at the base of the Blue Mountains in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales

Run by the University of Technology Sydney, this is a multi-disciplinary collaboration between academic, police and forensic agencies whose business is investigating death.

The work done here is helping improve our understanding of the human decomposition process which in turn will assist police find, recover and identify victims of misadventure and foul play.

Research on decomposing bodies will help scientists estimate times of death and improve investigations into missing persons, homicides, genocide and mass disasters.

The director of AFTER, Professor Shari Forbes, asked that we describe the facility's location only as being at the base of the Blue Mountains, in the Hawksebury region of New South Wales.

A 1.8 metre steel fence topped with a 60 centimetre barrel of concertina wire surrounds the 4.8 hectare site.

The fence is covered with a green screen and extends a further 30 centimetres underground. The front security gate has a ding-dong door bell like you might hear in a big old house.

Inside the fence there is one basic building, also green, to blend into the surrounds.

'If you weren't looking for it you'd never know it was here,' Professor Forbes says. 'And that's the idea.'

A 1.8 metre steel fence topped with a further 60 centimetres of concertina wire surrounds the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, the only 'body farm' outside the six facilities operating in the United States

Professor Shari Forbes, director of the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, suits-up in protective clothing before entering the grounds of the 'body farm' where she is often the only living soul on the 4.8 hectare bushland site

Flags, pegs and tape within the grounds of the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research - the only 'body farm' outside the United States - mark where a bodies have been buried or left on the surface to decompose

When Daily Mail Australia visits Professor Forbes is alone in this bushland graveyard for the decomposing corpses she respectfully calls her 'donors'.

'It is such a valuable gift to science and we would not have this facility without them,' she says of the hundreds of Australians who have pledged their bodies to science in this way.

We cannot photograph the exposed remains but death is all around. Every patch of ground marked with pink tape contains graves or 'surface depositions'.

There are 30 of these surface depositions. One was put out a month ago; some have been here in the open for almost two years.

Other bodies have been buried to replicate crime scenarios. Some are interred individually in shallow resting places. Ten are in one mass grave.

Some days the song of bellbirds breaks the silence but today the only sound is the piercing drum of cicadas.

'I don't find it eerie out here at all,' Professor Forbes says. 'It's just a very peaceful place.'

One small demountable building, painted green to blend into its bushland surroundings sits in the corner of the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research at the base of the Blue Mountains on the outskirts of Sydney

Professor Shari Forbes says there have been no security breaches at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, better known as the 'body farm', since it opened at the base of the Blue Mountains almost two years ago

Professor Shari Forbes, director of the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, says she finds her work environment peaceful rather than eerie: 'It's much better than sitting in an office,' the forensic scientist says

Bodies left in the open are covered with waist-high anti-scavenging cages to protect the cadavers from animals and birds. The body farm has a 'healthy population' of goannas, Professor Forbes says.

'We have to be able to contain all of the donors on the site. And it's also respecting the dignity of our donors. We don't want them being picked up by a bird and carried 5 kilometres.'

The perimeter fence also keeps out larger animals but just as importantly prying eyes.

'The local community knows we're here,' the 40-year-old forensic scientist says. 'There's nothing that we're trying to hide.

'We just don't want our donors to be exposed after death.'

There has never been a security breach. 'We've been open almost two years and our security has been outstanding,' Professor Forbes says. 'We've had no one attempt to get in the facility.

'It crossed our minds in the first year that we opened that if we were to have any attempts at breaches of security it would be Halloween and it might be local kids trying to scare themselves.

'Thankfully that didn't happen.'

Pink tape and orange flags mark the location of shallow graves inside the heavily-secured Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, better known as the 'body farm', west of Sydney at the base of the Blue Mountains

Professor Shari Forbes, director of the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, stands in the bushland setting of the 'body farm'; the pink tape in the background marks where donated bodies have been left to decompose

Before the establishment of this local body farm scientists relied on research conducted at six US sites, the first of which was the Anthropology Research Facility (ARF) at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, founded in 1980.

Crime writer Patricia Cornwell visited ARF for research and in 1994 published her novel The Body Farm. The informal name took off.

Professor Forbes says she rarely refers to AFTER as the 'body farm' unless she's talking to living donors, most of whom use that term.

'It is what it is,' she says.

While research conducted at the US facilities has been invaluable to forensic investigators around the world it was not always applicable to the process of decomposition in Australian conditions.

Temperatures, rainfall and humidity vary widely. Soil, insects and plants that affect decomposition are not the same. Solar radiation is harsher here.

Removing scavengers from the scenario is the only concession researchers have made to what is otherwise a realistic east coast Australian bush environment.

Bodies are buried or deposited in various states of dress, including underwear, shoes and socks. Every such decision is made with a forensic lesson in mind.

Some are left wearing jewellery and reading glasses. Wallets are sometimes left in pockets. Credit cards can be left in the wallets.

Forensic scientist Professor Shari Forbes captures smells to conduct research into identifying an accurate chemical profile of decomposition odour at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, better known as the 'body farm'

Any part of the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research - better known as the 'body farm' - marked with pink tape holds human remains left exposed in bushland as part of studies into the decomposition of human remains

'We're trying to mimic a real forensic scenario,' Professor Forbes says. 'It's wholly realistic.'

'All of our donors are teachers and we are just the students.'

The donors who end up at the body farm know exactly what happens out here. More than 500 Australians have signed up to the program.

'We weren't expecting that at all,' Professor Forbes says. 'We thought if we were lucky we'd get five to 10 individuals a year at best.'

Professor Forbes says donors have three main motives for leaving their bodies to AFTER and sometimes it is a combination of all three.

The fist is altruism - wanting to give something back to society. The second is an interest in environmental sustainability - wanting to return to the earth without a coffin.

'And the third is they're fans of CSI,' she says.

No signs point to the heavily-secured Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research in bushland at the base of the Blue Mountains but the only 'body farm' outside the United States is hard to miss in its tranquil surroundings

Every person entering the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, the only 'body farm' outside the United States, must be cleared by the University of Technology Sydney, which owns and runs the research site

Because the study of decomposition needs to start as soon as possible after death, the body farm does not currently accept donors from the Northern Territory or Western Australia.

'Decomposition starts immediately after death,' Professor Forbes says. 'The longer it takes for the donor to arrive here the more of the process were missing.'

Each donor has his or her own 'plot' and there is room for 200 plots on the site. 'We're nowhere near our capacity at the moment,' Professor Forbes says.

Professor Forbes is constantly getting requests from police for research into various body discovery scenarios.

Soon she hopes to bring a vehicle onto the site and place a body inside to see how that affects decomposition.

Further future experiments will likely include wrapping a body in a carpet, immersing a body in water and concealing a body under a log.

Eventually, Professor Forbes hopes to have a house built on the site to replicate the circumstances in which most homicide victims are found.

Exposing a body to fire will take more time. 'It is very important science but is is an ethical issue for us,' Professor Forbes says. 'We've had several donors happy to be involved in such research.'

The military-grade security at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research in bushland at the base of the Blue Mountains has not been breached since the country's only 'body farm' opened almost two years ago

Most of the donors to the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Research are elderly but some have been young people suffering terminal illnesses; pictured is a donor card carried by those who wish to bequeath their bodies to science

'I confirm that this is my wish, after my death, to have my remains made available to the Faculty of Science at the University of Technology Sydney'; pictured is a donor card carried by those who wish to bequeath their bodies to research

Elderly donors make up by far the greatest number of those bequeathing their bodies to AFTER.

'They're the people who think of what they want to happen after death,' Professor Forbes says. 'Young people don't.'

However, several younger people with terminal illnesses have donated their remains.

Professor Forbes's own parents have bequeathed their bodies to science but she has made it clear they will not end up on the body farm.

'They are the most supportive people in the world but that crosses the line,' she says.

One of the best lessons the body farm has taught researchers so far is that humans left out in these Australian conditions tend to mummify rather than skeletonise.

Another is that pig carcasses do not replicate human bodies in some forensic experiments as well as previously thought.

'They're the two things that have been surprising and have given us very valuable information,' Professor Forbes says.

Professor Shari Forbes, director of the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, walks towards a taped-off area of the country's only 'body farm' where human remains have been left on the surface to decompose

The taped-off bushland areas of the heavily-wooded Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research at the base of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, contain donated human bodies which have been left to decompose

Overseas researchers have shown great interest in the work being done at the body farm and the facility receives visiting scientists from around the world, including the United Kingdom, but particularly from other countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

Professor Forbes says crime novelists and artists are politely refused permission to tour the site.

Her own research focuses on identifying the chemical profile of decomposition odour. She doesn't mind the smell.

'In our environment most of our remains start to mummify,' Professor Forbes says. 'But on a hot day in the middle of summer with a recent donor the odour is more prevalent.

'There is definitely an odour being given off but you have to be very close. I personally find animal remains smell worse.'

Professor Forbes is used to those who learn what she does for a living wanting to know more.

'There is a natural curiosity about the unknown and very few people know what happens after death so of course they'll be curious.'

She loves her job.

'I love being out here. It's much better than sitting in an office.'
North Korea has released a bellicose tirade against its chief antagonist Donald Trump, sentencing the commander-in-chief 'to death' for his insults against the country's leader Kim Jong-un hours after the President returned from Asia.

North Korean state media on Wednesday ran a fierce commentary against the President, calling him a 'hideous criminal' who is hereby 'sentenced to death by the Korean people.'

The commentary added that the President has revealed his 'true colors as an old lunatic, mean trickster and human reject' following his 12-day, five country tour of the region.

North Korean state media on Wednesday ran a fierce commentary against the President

US President Donald Trump (C) watches as young girls wave US and Vietnamese national flags before boarding Air Force One to depart to the Philippines November 12, 2017

Trump set off on an official state visit to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines less than two weeks ago in an effort to bolster economic and security ties with key players in the pacific.

The fiery comments appear to be in response to a speech Trump delivered in South Korea last week, where the President took direct aim at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the 'dark fantasy' at the heart of his regime.

'I have (come) to this peninsula to deliver a message directly to the leader of the North Korean dictatorship,' Trump said last week. 'Every step you take down this dark path increases the peril you face.'

'North Korea is not the paradise your grandfather envisioned,' he added. 'It is a hell that no person deserves.'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting a launching drill of the medium-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket on September 16, 2017

The fiery comments appear to be in response to a speech Trump delivered in South Korea last week during a 12 day tour of the region

Trump and Kim Jong Un have clashed in a months-long war of words which began soon after the President took office in January

In response, the North Korean government lambasted Trump as a hypocritical, greedy thief who the regime 'sentenced to death' for his numerous insults against the Kim Jong Un and the 'Korean people.'

'Trump, who is no more than an old slave of money, dared point an accusing finger at the sun. He should know that he is just a hideous criminal sentenced to death by the Korean people. He will be forced to pay dearly for his blasphemy any moment.'

The 'tit for tat' has some security experts concerned, however, fearful the squabbling could escalate

'The worst crime for which he can never be pardoned is that he dared malignantly hurt the dignity of the supreme leadership of (North Korea),' the commentary added.

Trump and Kim Jong Un have clashed in a months-long war of words which began soon after the President took office in January.

Before Wednesday's remarks from Pyongyang, Trump hit out at Kim Jong Un after the 33-year-old called him a 'dotard,' or someone who is old, while on his tour of the region.

'Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat?' Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!' Trump tweeted on November 11.

The 'tit for tat' has some security experts concerned, however, fearful that the two famously volatile leaders in command of nuclear weapons could rapidly escalate tensions to a dangerous point.
Homeland Security is losing track of one in five illegal immigrants who have been trusted to live in communities before they are deported, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement allows more than 73,000 foreigners to live in towns and cities across the United States as part of the controversial Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program.

Instead of being locked up in detention centers, they are allowed to relocate before they are processed and sent back to their native countries.

They are required to check in regularly with immigration officials or wear ankle bracelets so their movements can be tracked.

But figures released to DailyMail.com through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request states ICE is losing track of more than 18% of the individuals chosen to be part of the program - including suspected gang members and residents from President Trump's six travel ban countries.

Some have wreaked havoc in the communities they have been relocated to, while others are arrested for violent crimes.

The shocking statistics have raised questions as to why potentially dangerous illegal immigrants are being placed in the program, which comes at a huge cost to taxpayers.

Homeland Security is losing track of one in five illegal immigrants who have been trusted to live in communities before they are deported, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal (file picture)

This map shows the top three cities in the US with ATD immigrantswith Miami, Florida having the most (5,669)

The majority that are allowed into the program are from Central America.

The most (18,853) hail from El Salvador - a country that is struggling to deal with deadly gang violence.

Guatemala (18,280), Honduras (15,362) and Mexico (8,343) follow closely behind.

Of those enrolled, 212 come from Trump's eight travel ban countries.

Immigrants from Romania (1,128) and Armenia (251) make up the highest proportion from Europe, while India (701), Haiti (5,238) and China (701) also feature in the top countries.

Eighteen are from Uzbekistan, the native country of Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, the terror suspect accused of killing eight people by mowing down with a Home Depot truck in New York on Halloween.

He was on a visa and not in the program.

WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVES TO THE DETENTION PROGRAM? The system was put in place by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a way to make sure illegal immigrants to meet the requirements of their 'detention', but while still living in the community. They use certain methods to keep track of those involved, including:

Parole/release on own recognizance

Bond Check-ins at ICE offices Home visits and check-ins

Telephonic monitoring GPS monitoring through an electronic ankle bracelet Advertisement

Abel Ezquivel, 23, was shot and killed with a stolen gun in San Francisco in August. One of the suspects charged in his murder was wearing an ankle monitor issued to him by ICE

Some are seeking asylum from the brutal MS-13 gang while others are trying to escape the constant violence created by drug cartels.

The documents also show where the illegal immigrants have been permitted to live and how many are residing in each area.

Cities where ATD immigrants are living Miami, Florida - 5,669 New York, New York - 4,557 Los Angeles, California - 4,083 Houston, Texas - 3,927 Baltimore, Maryland - 3,429 San Francisco, California - 3,085 Newark, New Jersey - 2,561 Dallas, Texas - 2,161 Charlotte, North Carolina - 2,034 Boston, Massachusetts - 1,963 Atlanta, Georgia - 1,759 Washington DC - 1,629 San Diego, California - 1,516 Delray, Florida - 1,388 San Bernardino, California - 1,364 New Orleans, Louisiana - 1,354 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 1,323 Detroit, Michigan -1,132 Orlando, Florida - 1,112 Nashville, Tennessee - 1,052 Manassas, Virginia - 1,011 Charleston, South Carolina - 1,005 Advertisement

Miami has the highest number of immigrants in the program (5,669), followed by New York (4,557).

Los Angeles, Houston, Baltimore and San Francisco also have more than 3,000 illegal immigrants living among residents waiting to be deported.

The alarming absconder rate raises questions over whether these illegal immigrants should be confined to a detention center, rather than be left in the community.

The ATD program is also expensive for the government. The ankle monitoring is sub-contracted to a host of private companies.

Jessica Vaughan, the Director of Policy Studies for the Center of Immigration Studies, told DailyMail.com: 'These stats are fascinating. It appears that many of them are asylum seekers, and part of the explosion in asylum seekers in recent years, primarily from Central America, as the citizenship data show.

'It is very interesting to see the geographic spread of the cases.'

'The absconder rate is rather concerning. ATD is an expensive option for ICE, and if one out of five are skipping out on their due process, then it is clear that ICE needs to be more careful about who is enrolled.

'It becomes even more expensive when ICE has to track down people for hearings and deportation, not to mention the fact that they join the rest of the illegal population.

'When weighing different options for how to deal with asylum seekers, DHS has to balance the need for humane treatment with the need to ensure that the process has some integrity and that people are not gaming the system by filing frivolous asylum claims knowing they will be released with or without a monitoring bracelet.

'Cost is also a factor, considering that all of this due process is at taxpayer expense. I believe it would be more cost-effective and humane to process asylum seekers as quickly as possible in the border region, where they are usually encountered, and avoid the need for long-term monitoring.'

In July, it was reported that Romanian immigrants, some of whom who were part of the Alternatives to Detention, were wreaking havoc in the town of California, Pennsylvania. Furious residents said they were defecating in the streets and publicly decapitating chickens

Members of the Californian Borough community in Washington County said they were repulsed by the behavior of their new neighbors, with over 600 residents signing a petition demanding that they alter their lifestyle

'People would get an answer on their claim right away, meaning that the genuine cases will be allowed in immediately to live their new lives, and the people filing bogus cases can be returned home quickly, which makes it much harder for the smugglers who encourage this premeditated asylum fraud to find clients.'

Nationalities of ATD members 1. El Salvador - 18,853 2. Guatemala - 18,280 3. Honduras - 15,362 4. Mexico - 8,343 5. Haiti - 5,238 6. Brazil - 1,930 7. Romania - 1,128 8. India - 701 9. China - 346 10. Ecuador - 268 Advertisement

Earlier this month, one member of the program who was wearing an ankle monitor was arrested and charged with murdering a community activist in San Francisco.

On August 14, 23-year-old Abel Ezquivel was shot and killed on the street in the city's Mission District.

Erick Garcia-Pineda, one of them charged in the slaying, was wearing an ankle monitor issued to him by ICE.

Garcia-Pineda was claiming asylum in the United States - claiming he was being hounded by MS-13 gang members, according to reports.

The gun used in the murder was registered to a San Francisco Police officer and was believed to have been stolen.

In July, it was reported that Romanian immigrants, some of whom who were part of the Alternatives to Detention, were wreaking havoc in the town of California, Pennsylvania.

Furious residents said they were defecating in the streets and publicly decapitating chickens.

Members of the Californian Borough community in Washington County said they were repulsed by the behavior of their new neighbors, with over 600 residents signing a petition demanding that they alter their lifestyle.

'What I've seen is men and children - never usually the women - the men and the children dropping their pants in the middle of the street, defecating, pulling their pants up and going on their way,' one man told Pittsburgh's Action 4 News.

Borough leaders the federal government is responsible for relocating the eastern Europeans to their town.

ICE confirmed that they were placed in the town as part of the ATD program.

The same happened with Romanian illegal immigrants who settled in Washington County, California, and provoked outrage among the 7,000 residents.

The families are believed to be Roma, a stateless ethnic minority from Eastern Europe, started arriving.

Miami (above) has the highest number of immigrants in the program (5,669), followed by New York (4,557)

A spokesman for ICE told DailyMail.com: 'The Alternative to Detention (ATD) program is a flight-mitigation tool that uses technology and case management to increase compliance with release conditions and facilitate compliance with court appearances and other case requirements.

'Each case is evaluated individually, and, as such, not every case requires electronic monitoring from release to removal. Individuals can be enrolled and removed from electronic monitoring multiple times before their case is fully adjudicated.

'The effectiveness of ATD is measured by whether the enrollee has met the requirements necessary within their case that led to them bring enrolled in ATD.

'Additionally, it is important to note that individuals are enrolled in the appropriate level of supervision based on their individual flight-risk factors , which is crucial to the success of ATD and contributes to the rates of compliance seen throughout the life of the program.'

They also commented on the case involving Garcia-Pineda. They said he was complying with the requirements of his detention until August, when he failed to appear for his scheduled appointment with ICE officials.

He was arrested for domestic violence, but was released from jail and was free at the time of the slaying.

Those in the program are required to check in regularly with immigration officials or wear ankle bracelets so their movements can be tracked

'U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an immigration detainer against Mr. Garcia-Pineda. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases indicate he is currently in removal proceedings before the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR),' they told DailyMail.com.

'Mr. Garcia-Pineda entered ICE custody in December 2016. He was detained by the agency until April of this year at which time an immigration judge with EOIR ordered Mr. Garcia-Pineda released with the requirement that he wear a GPS monitoring bracelet and report to ICE in-person on a regular basis.

'Databases indicate Mr. Garcia-Pineda was complying with terms of his release until August when he failed to appear for his scheduled appointment with ICE.

'It's important to note that following Mr. Garcia-Pineda's arrest in September on a domestic violence charge, ICE lodged a detainer against him with the San Francisco County Jail. Despite the detainer, local authorities released him back into the community without providing any notification to ICE.'

'Records reviewed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicate that Mr. Garcia-Pineda's GPS ankle bracelet was removed on August 19 while Mr. Garcia-Pineda was physically on the premises of 850 Bryant Street, which is the location of the San Francisco County jail.

'On that date, the contractor responsible for monitoring aliens released by ICE on ankle bracelets received a tamper alert emitted by Mr. Garcia-Pineda's device.

'Subsequently, ICE initiated efforts to locate this individual, but because the tracking device was no longer functioning the search was initially unsuccessful. ICE then communicated with Mr. Garcia-Pineda's attorney, instructing him to direct his client to report to ICE in person immediately. However, Mr. Garcia-Pineda failed to appear.

'Following Mr. Garcia-Pineda's arrest Sept. 3 by the San Francisco Police Department, ICE received an electronic notification through its Secure Communities system and lodged an immigration detainer against him.

Prototype sections of a border wall between Mexico and the United States are under construction in Tijuana

'As previously stated, local authorities failed to honor that detainer and released Mr. Garcia-Pineda back into the community.

'However, by that time ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations was aware this individual was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation and accordingly didn't take any action that might impede or jeopardize that investigation.'

Other investigations into ICE by DailyMail.com have uncovered that border officials use private jets to fly immigrants back to their home countries - costing the taxpayers $300,000 every day.

The agency spent $116 million in 2015 to transport 235,413 people in the United States illegally back to their home countries.

More than 40 per cent of those who had violated visa restrictions were convicted criminals while more than 1,000 were identified as gang members.

The ICE revealed to DailyMail.com that the average cost of every immigrant in 2015 was $12,213.

The cost includes identifying the immigrant, apprehending them, placing them in a detention center, their process through immigration court and their subsequent removal.

More documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request also found that housing an alien in the US' biggest immigration center in Dilley, Texas, costs more than a night's stay in the nearest five-star hotel.

Jesse Lerner-Kinglake from Just Detention International, a group campaigning to end all sexual abuse behind bars, highlighted the troubling accusations of guards sexually assaulting detainees.

He told DailyMail.com: 'These reports of staff sexual misconduct paint a depressing picture of US immigration detention facilities. And it's especially chilling to think how much longer the list of infractions would be if detainees felt safe reporting sexual abuse.

'The good news is that the Department of Homeland Security's Prison Rape Elimination Act standards provide a roadmap for protecting all immigration detainees.

'The incoming Trump Administration must make adopting these rules a priority.'
A Special Forces dog who helped save the lives of British troops in Afghanistan will today become the first living canine in seven years to get an animal Victoria Cross.

Mali, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, will receive the honour for its heroic actions during a covert operation in Kabul in 2012, where it helped flush out the Taliban from a tower.

The attack dog served alongside troops from Britain's Special Boat Service (SBS) in the top-secret seven-and-a-half hour mission.

Mali, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, will receive the honour for its heroic actions during a covert operation in Kabul in 2012, where it helped flush out the Taliban from a tower

It detected insurgents and sniffed out explosives while under ferocious fire.

The dog's citation says: 'The significance of his actions during this seven-and-a-half-hour mission saw him perform above and beyond the call of duty on numerous occasions.

'Mali displayed outstanding courage in the face of fire and there is no doubt that his actions throughout the operation were pivotal in the success of breaking an enemy stronghold, helping to save multiple lives and prevent further injury.'

Footage from the time showed Britain's elite unit, wearing the uniform of Afghan soldiers, scale the building where the Taliban had been hiding.

It then shows Mali, who was injured in three grenade blasts, carried away by its handler.

The handler's identity has been protected for security reasons but he was awarded a gallantry medal for his role in the assault.

The attack dog served alongside troops from Britain's Special Boat Service (SBS) in the top-secret seven-and-a-half hour mission

Mali, who is now attached to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), pictured in Afghanistan

Western forces said at the time that the mission was carried out by the Afghans, but last night military sources confirmed the assault involved a handful of UK Special Forces.

Mali, who is now attached to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), will be presented with the prestigious PDSA Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, at a ceremony in London today.

It is the highest award any animal can achieve while serving in military conflict.

The citation said: 'Mali, a Belgian Malinois, will receive the honour for his heroic actions during an operation in Afghanistan in 2012, where he assisted an assault force in securing a key enemy stronghold.'

During the assault in April 2012, Mali was sent through direct fire on two separate occasions to conduct searches for explosives.

'He also indicated the presence of insurgents numerous times, giving the assault force vital milliseconds to engage the enemy in close quarter combat', it was said.

During the operation, Mali was hoisted up the outside of the building several times to provide the assault force with a key foothold to attack the insurgents.

There was numerous casualties, including Mali, who was seriously injured by three grenade blasts.

The first two explosions caused injuries to its chest, front and rear legs. A further blast detonated close to his face, causing the loss of Mali's front tooth and damage to his right ear.

Mali, an Army dog who is to be honored with a PDSA Dickin Medal, is pictured with one of her handlers Cpl Daniel Hatley

The citation added: 'Despite his injuries, Mali continued his duties and pushed forward, remaining close to his handler.

'He played a key role in breaking the stalemate that had begun to develop in the building, providing impetus for the host nation and UK forces to continue to fight and bring about a successful resolution.'

After receiving emergency treatment for his injuries, Mali returned home from Afghanistan, where he made a full recovery.

Corporal Daniel Hatley, who trained Mali as a puppy before he was deployed to Afghanistan, said of his award: 'I am extremely proud of Mali.

'The way he conducted himself when it mattered most enabled my colleagues to achieve success in close combat.'

The Dickin medal is the highest award any animal can achieve while serving in military conflict

The PDSA charity's Director General, Jan McLoughlin, said: 'Mali has displayed a truly awesome ability and determination to seek out explosives and insurgents during a key operation.

'To achieve this while exposed to close combat and such intense enemy attack, makes him an incredibly worthy recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal.

'It is even more poignant that we were able to make Mali's award today on our charity's 100th birthday.'

Lieutenant Colonel Abby DuBaree from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps said: 'Stories like Mali's are sobering to read and help to demonstrate the key role that animals continue to play in our armed forces.'

Brigadier Roly Walker, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) said: 'As long as we've had soldiers, we've had animals; and I think we always will have them.

'Today's award of a PDSA Dickin Medal to Mali recognises this unique bond.'

Although retired from front line duties, Mali continues to work at the RAVC's Defence Animal Centre in Leicestershire, where he and his current handler Corporal Daniel Hatley, help to train new dog handlers.

The medal was instituted by PDSA's founder, Maria Dickin CBE, in 1943. Mali will be the 69th recipient of the award, recipients include 32 World War Two messenger pigeons, 32 dogs, including Mali, 4 horses and a cat.

The last dog to receive a Dickin Medal was Sasha, who was awarded it posthumously in 2014.

Sasha was killed in an ambush alongside her handler Lance Corporal Kenneth Rowe in Afghanistan in 2008.

The last living British dog to be given the medal was in 2010.

Treo received the honour for its actions in 2008, when it was deployed to Helmand Province to search for weapons and munitions concealed by the Taliban.

Its citation said: 'Treo's actions and devotion to his duties, while in the throes of conflict, saved many lives.'
Russia on Thursday named nine U.S. government-sponsored news outlets likely to be labelled 'foreign agents' under a new law that is being rushed through parliament in response to what Moscow says is unacceptable U.S. pressure on Russian media.

On Wednesday, Russia's lower house of parliament approved the law unanimously, allowing Moscow to force foreign media to brand news they provide to Russians as the work of 'foreign agents' and to disclose their funding sources.

The legislation needs approval from the upper house of parliament, which is likely to happen next week, and the signature of President Vladimir Putin, before it becomes law.

Human Rights Watch says the move from Moscow would be an attack on free speech that operates in the same way the Kremlin has punished nonprofit advocacy groups that are funded internationally.

Many NGOs have closed in response to the intense scrutiny. Under the new legislation, U.S. and other foreign media would have to present themselves as such on all paperwork and submit to intensive scrutiny of staffing and financing.

Radio Free Europe, based in Prague but funded by the U.S., will soon have to declare itself a 'foreign agent' in Russia

Russia's state-controlled Russia Today (RT) television has already been forced to register as a foreign agent in the United States, after US intelligence alleged that it was part of Moscow's campaign to meddle in American politics

'The US government's misguided decision to request for RT to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act gave the Kremlin a platform to retaliate, and they have done so with a full throttle attack on media freedom,' said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, in an interview with AFP.

'But sadly, the bill will not simply hurt foreign media, but worse, unjustifiably limit Russian citizens' right to access information and ideas,' he said.

'This legislation is tailor-made to be selectively and politically enforced, and to silence voices they do not want Russian people to hear.'

The Russian Justice Ministry on Thursday published a list of nine U.S.-backed news outlets that it said could be affected by the changes, which it said in a statement on its website were likely to become law 'in the near future.'

It said it had written to the U.S. government-sponsored Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), along with seven separate Russian or local-language news outlets run by RFE/RL.

One of the seven outlets provides news on Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, one on Siberia, and one on the predominantly Muslim North Caucasus region. Another covers provincial Russia, one is an online TV station, another covers the mostly Muslim region of Tatarstan, and the other is a news portal that fact-checks the statements of Russian officials.

A woman walks past the headquarters of Russia's state-controlled Rossiya Segodnya news agency and Russia Today (RT) television company in Moscow on November 12

Russia's broadside against U.S. media is part of the fallout from allegations that the Kremlin interfered in the U.S. presidential election last year in favour of Donald Trump.

U.S. intelligence officials accuse the Kremlin of using Russian media organisations it finances to influence U.S. voters. This week Russian state broadcaster RT complied with a U.S. request to register a U.S.-based affiliate company as a 'foreign agent', under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).

The Kremlin has denied meddling in the election and said U.S. restrictions on Russian broadcasters amount to an attack on free speech. The new media law in Russia is retaliation, it has said.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Washington was watching the draft legislation 'carefully to see whether it is passed and how it is implemented'.

'As we have told our Russian interlocutors, FARA promotes transparency without restricting or limiting expression.'

'FARA does not limit publishing of materials, it only requires registration, labeling, and record-keeping. Some governments have asserted FARA is being used as a tool to restrict political freedom. These assertions are completely erroneous,' the spokesperson said.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (left) and Margarita Simonyan (right), who is the editor-in-chief of Russia Today (RT) and Rossiya Segodnya agency, are pictured in 2015

The draft legislation states that Russian authorities can designate foreign media as 'foreign agents', making them subject to the same requirements that are applied to foreign-funded non-governmental organisations under a 2012 law.

Under that law, 'foreign agents' must include in any information they publish or broadcast to Russian audiences a mention of their 'foreign agent' designation.

They also must apply for inclusion in a government register, submit regular reports on their sources of funding, on their objectives, on how they spend their money, and who their managers are.

They can be subject to spot checks by the authorities to make sure they comply with the rules, according to the 2012 law, which has forced some NGOs to close.

RFE/RL said in a statement it did not want to speculate what steps Russia might take against it next, and looked forward to continuing its journalistic work. VOA Director Amanda Bennett has said the station remains committed to providing independent news to global audiences.
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These are the heartbreaking pictures of Rohingya Muslims who have been scarred for life after Myanmar's army launched a coordinated brutal attack against the minority ethnic group.

Since August this year, thousands of people have been forced to flee to Bangladesh each week, with many people injured in the chaos as they try to escape. Many have been forced to trek through forests and over mountains, with some making a hazardous river or sea crossing on the last leg of their flight to fellow-Muslim Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi infrastructure and international aid agencies are struggling to provide the medical care to those who have fled the ethnic conflict. Many have suffered severe psychological and physical injuries.

The Chittagong Medical College Hospital has taken in 261 casualties suffering from gunshot or explosion wounds since the crisis began, director Brigadier General Jalal Uddin said. Sixteen have died from their wounds and some have been crippled.

'We have had to amputate the limbs of some patients,' Jalal Uddin said.

And at the Sadar Hospital in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, a staggering 1,467 Rohingya have been treated. Some casualties have been treated for bullet wounds, broken bones, and cuts inflicted by knives or machetes, residential medical officer Shaheen Abdur Rahman Chowdhury said.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have escaped to Bangladesh since the conflict began more than three months ago. The United Nations rights agency described Myanmar's military operation in the Rakhine state as 'a textbook example of ethnic cleansing'.

Mohamed Heron, six, (left) and his brother Akhter, four, (right) were badly burnt when a rocket hit their home. Two of their siblings, one seven years old and the other a 10-month-old infant, died in the attack, according to their uncle, Mohamed Inus. Their father was held by the military and has not been heard of since

Anwara Begum, 36, woke up to find her home in Maungdaw township, in the northernmost part of Rakhine on fire. Before she could escape the roof collapsed, burning her nylon clothes to her skin. Her husband carrier her eight days to reach the Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh

His right arm swathed in bandages from the knuckles of his hand to well above the elbow, Imam Hossain, 42, lay exhausted on the roadside near the Kutupalong camp. He was returning home after teaching at a madrassa in his village when three men attacked him with knives

Mohamed Jabair, 21, had feared that he had also lost his sight in an explosion that ripped through his village home. He was knocked unconscious and badly burnt. He said: 'I was blind for many weeks and admitted to a government hospital in Cox's Bazar for 23 days. I was frightened that I would be blind forever'

Nur Kamal, 17, was assaulted by soldiers after they found him hiding in his home in Kan Hpu village in Maungdaw. He said: 'They hit me with a rifle butt on my head first and then with a knife.' His uncle found him unconscious in a pool of blood and it took them two weeks to get to Bangladesh

Rohingya refugee Kalabarow, 50, poses for a photograph at Leda refugee camp, in Bangladesh, October 15, 2017. Kalabarow said her husband, daughter and one son were killed when soldiers fired on her village in Maungdaw. During their 11-day journey to Bangladesh, a village doctor amputated her infected foot and four men carried her on a stretcher made of bamboo and a bedsheet

Abdur Rahaman, a 73-year-old merchant from Maungdaw, was ambushed while walking on a mountain path with other refugees. A machete thrown at his feet severed three toes as he ran from his attackers. With his foot bleeding through a tourniquet made from his longyi, or sarong, Rahaman walked for two more hours, before his nephew and friends carried him across the border

Curled up in a ball, 11-year-old Ansar Allah shows a large, livid scar on his right thigh - the result of a gunshot wound. 'They sprayed us with bullets, as our house was burning... I can't stop thinking, why did God put us in that dangerous situation?' his mother Samara said

Setara Begum, 12, was among nine siblings in their home in Maungdaw when it was hit by a rocket. She was rescued from the fire but was badly burnt. She received no treatment for the severe burns to her feet. Her feet healed. But she has no toes. The trauma has scarred her psychologically. 'She has been mute from that day, and doesn't speak to anyone,' her mother said
An elderly Australian couple who have been together 50 years have announced plans to wed after a vote supported the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

Arthur Cheeseman, 85, and John Challis, 89, are among the country's oldest gay couples and have always hoped for the chance to marry.

And following the result of postal survey indicating nearly 62 per cent of people support reform, they confirmed to the ABC they will tie the knot next year.

Sydney couple Arthur Cheeseman, 85, (left) and John Challis, 89, (right) who have been together 50 years, have announced plans to wed next year after a vote supported the legalisation of same-sex marriage

Mr Challis believed the historic vote had given them 'a new dignity, status and place in society' and left them feeling 'the same as everyone else'.

'The survey was a mistake but nevertheless it produced a good result,' he said.

The retired pharmacist and his partner, who met in 1967 at an art gallery, are planning on making their union official in January quietly and 'without any fuss'.

Potential plans include a small trip to the registry office or at their Sydney home with a celebrant friend and a cup of coffee.

Mr Challis is set to celebrate another milestone next year with his 90th birthday and said that they may even combine the two events.

He added that the importance of getting their marriage certificate was not just being equal before the community, but also in entitlements of things such as the legal right to inherit each other's superannuation savings.

The pair are believed to be one of Australia's oldest gay couples after meeting in 1967 and said that the historic vote had given them 'a new dignity, status and place in society' (pictured are people celebrating the vote outcome in Sydney)

The pair are planning to make their union official early next year with potential plans including a small trip to the registry office or a quiet get-together at their Sydney home with a celebrant friend and a cup of coffee (Pictured are same-sex marriage supporters at a rally)

It comes as Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed the result of the non-binding, $122 million postal survey in Canberra on Wednesday.

The 'Yes' campaign received 7,817,247 votes compared to 4,873,987 'No' votes, a significant victory for the campaign.

Liberal senator Dean Smith's private member's bill was introduced to Federal Parliament just hours after the results, representing one of the first steps to make the decision official.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on lawmakers to heed the result and commit to legalise gay marriage before Christmas.

Mr Challis said the outcome of the vote had not only endorsed gay marriage but 'endorsed gay and lesbian people'.

'We hope (no voters) get used to us and that they gradually find out that it is not the end of civilisation,' he said.
Labour MP Jess Phillips in her Parliamentary office

A female Labour MP has told how she fought off a mugger who tried to grab her iPhone from her hands as she stood outside Parliament.

Jess Phillips was in Westminster just yards from armed guards when a cyclist rode up beside her.

She was waiting for a taxi on Whitehall when the man tried to talk to her before brazenly attempting to steal her mobile phone.

The zealous politician who represents Birmingham Yardley got involved in the tussle on Tuesday night.

She tweeted: 'Man just rode past me on a bike outside Parliament and tried to grab my phone out of my hand.

'Reader, he failed.'

The prominent backbencher was in the spotlight in August when she revealed she had hit 'peak block, peak mute' on Twitter, receiving hundreds of death and rape threats a day for her attack on 'brocalists'.

Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, called left-leaning men the 'absolute worst sexists' two weeks ago, as she hit out at claims Jeremy Corbyn helped lead the fight for women's equality.

Talking of the mugging incident, she told The Sun: 'I was looking for a taxi when a man on a bike slowed down and said something to me, which I didn't hear.

'He then made a grab at my phone. I wouldn't let go, so we had a bit of a tussle, and then he gave up and shot off.

'I shouted back after him, "What the f*** are you doing?".'

Ms Phillips has been an outspoken critic of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, saying he has not appointed enough women to the top positions

In an interview with the Times in August, she said the statements had led to hundreds of death and rape threats.

She said her Twitter feed was full of 'men telling me I didn't understand sexism, that I deserved it, that I was fat, ugly, that I was probably on my period'.

Ms Phillips, who lives in a flat in South London with her husband and their two children, admitted she had filtered the word 'rape' from her feed.

She added that the fight against sexism in her own party was harder, because 'brocialists' would counter her by talking about women that they love, who happen to support leader Mr Corbyn.

The interview followed her comments attacking the inner-circle around Mr Corbyn, after she criticised him for failing to appoint women to top positions.

Ms Phillips last week at the Edinburgh International Book Festival where she spoke about sexism in the Labour party

She described how a leading Guardian journalist lectured her on how the party's former deputy leader Harriet Harman 'was not that great for women' and Mr Corbyn had done more for the cause.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival she said the reporter - who she refused to name - said Mr Corbyn had 'always voted the right way'.

The reporter is rumoured to be Jeremy Corbyn's chief aide Seumas Milne, although he denied it.

According to The Times, she added in a sarcastic tone she said: 'So yeah, Jeremy Corbyn better for women than Harriet Harman, obviously.

'I remember him in all those meetings, there with his banners for [equality]'.

The MP said that men on the left talk about being feminists but fail to recognise the achievements of women.

Ms Philips revealed that a Guardian reporter lectured her on how Labour's former deputy leader Harriet Harman (pictured) was not that good for women

She said: 'When they close their eyes at night and think of amazing people who have changed the world, it's always some white dude that pops into their head.'

Since being elected to Parliament in 2015, Ms Phillips has made a name for herself as being a prominent campaigner on women's rights.

She campaigned against the tampon tax, and made history last year when she read out the names of the 10 women murdered in Britain in a year.

And she told the festival how she is abused on Twitter by 'dunderheided Neanderthals'.

She said that after the murder of her friend and colleague Jo Cox, she reported all the death threats she got online to West Midlands police.

But she told how she refuses to let the sick threats she receives online cow her, and that she think ' f*** it, I am still going to buy milk from the corner shop'.
There are worse mistakes an organization armed with nuclear missiles can make, but Thursday's online Pentagon gaffe was plenty embarrassing.

The Department of Defense mistakenly retweeted an anti-Trump message that demanded the president's resignation.

The Pentagon quickly disavowed the retweet and explained that it was a mistake, removing it.

But the liberal protester who sent the tweet into cyberspace is having a field day with the disruption.

On Thursday the U.S. Department of Defense retweeted this anti-Trump message to its more than 5.2 million Twitter followers

The message called on Donald Trump to resign in the face of longstanding sexual misconduct accusations that, like those facing Democratic Sen. Al Franken and Republican Senate hopeful Roy Moore, date back to his pre-politics careers

The tweet, from unidentified Twitter user @ProudResister, equated Trump with other politicians who have drawn accusations of sexual misconduct that date back to before their political careers.

'The solution is simple,' it read. 'Roy Moore: Step down from the race. Al Franken: Resign from congress. Donald Trump: Resign from the presidency. GOP: Stop making sexual assault a partisan issue. Its a crime as is your hypocrisy.'

Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Dana White explained how an anti-Trump message made its way to the Defense Department's 5.2 million followers.

The Pentagon explained that an 'authorized' social media operator mistakenly retweeted the message, and 'caught this error'

A Los Angeles, California man who identifies himself on Facebook as Ryan Knight was responsible for the original tweeted message

This week has been a harsh one for male politicians in the harsh spotlight of sex-abuse charges, including Franken (left) and Moore (right)

'An authorized operator of the @DeptofDefenses official Twitter site erroneously retweeted content that would not be endorsed by the Department of Defense,' she wrote in a new tweet.

'The operator caught this error and immediately deleted it.'

The @ProudResister account is run by a Los Angeles, California man who identifies himself on Facebook as Ryan Knight.

Among his Facebook posts are some that identify Barack Obama as a 'patriot' and Donald Trump as a 'traitor.'

The originator of the tweet that make the Pentagon say 'oops' sells anti-Trump shirts online, including one that contains nine separate f-bomfs (pictured, left)

Another claims that while 'ObamaCare' and 'NFL players kneeling' offend Republicans, 'pedophiles' and 'white hoods' do not.

Knight's Twitter profile points to a commercial apparel business that sells a $23 t-shirt reading: 'All I want for Xmas is a new president.'

Another offering, a $26 sweatshirt, drops nine separate f-bombs.

They include claims that President Trump wants to 'f**k America' and that his spokeswoman, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, aims to 'f**k the truth.'
Victorian Labor MP Daniel Mulino (pictured) is being treated by paramedics after emergency services were called to the Victorian Parliament for a 'medical emergency'

A Victorian Labor MP who collapsed at parliament during a marathon debate over controversial assisted-dying laws says he is 'all good'.

Upper house MPs sat through the night to debate amendments to the proposed laws, with opponents of the bill aiming to drag out the process for as long as possible.

Labor's Daniel Mulino, an opponent to the assisted-dying bill, collapsed in his office and paramedics transported him mid-morning on Friday.

Government whip Jaclyn Symes later told parliament she had a message from Mr Mulino who said he was 'all good'.

Debate was adjourned until Tuesday.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the lengthy sitting was 'not an easy process to go through but we need to get this done'.

It was suggested to the premier it was 'ridiculous' to expect politicians to work for more than 24 hours straight.

'Most people think politicians could probably work a bit harder, that would be my sense of it,' Mr Andrews replied

The MP was rushed away in an ambulance after collapsing, suspending the heated debate (pictured)

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said it was 'pretty silly' the government didn't allocate extra sitting days for what it knew would be a long debate.

'It is distressing that an MP has collapsed. No one's functional after 30 hours of continuous work,' he told reporters.

'It's completely crazy that anyone would work 30 hours straight, let alone MPs trying to make laws.'

Despite the extremely long sitting, MPs dealt with just nine of more than 130 clauses and amendments that make up the bill.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said debate was mired as opponents dragged it out as long as possible to prevent a vote.

'Over the past 24 hours, there's been a degree of frustration more than emotion as we've been going through each clause,' she told ABC Radio.

The incident occurred after the Coalition's David Davis expressed concern for the health of the MPs, who had been awake all night debating the controversial voluntary assisted dying laws (pictured is Victorian Parliament)

The Upper House members have decided to adjourn the debate until next Thursday

Debate reached heated levels late on Thursday as bill opponents hurled abuse across the chamber including the word 'Nazi'.

The Labor government has agreed to a series of amendments to the assisted-dying bill in a bid to get the 21 votes it needs in the 40-member upper house.

So far 20 MPs have said they will vote yes.

Under the first set of amendments to be considered, patients must be a Victorian resident for at least a year, the coroner will be notified and assisted dying will be mentioned on the death certificate.
A council has been left with a 1million bill after a group of ten Vietnamese children were abandoned in a village.

The 'highly vulnerable' girls and boys aged 13 to 16 ended up in rural Shropshire after travelling to the UK from France in the back of a lorry.

They were taken into the care of the local council after they were spotted escaping from the back of the van in March, but the authority says it does not have the cash to cover the cost of their complex needs.

Peter Nutting, leader of Tory-run Shropshire Council, said the unforeseen situation has cost the authority more than 1million and was one of the reasons it now needed to save an extra 5million by the end of this financial year.

The children were spotted in Battlefield, near Shrewsbury, Shropshire, earlier this year in March

The children, who were with six adults, are believed to have been trafficked and are said to have endured extremely traumatic experiences. They were spotted in the village of Battlefield, near Shrewsbury, on March 11.

The adults were detained by Home Office immigration officials but the children were placed into the local authority's care.

Councils have a legal responsibility to care for children who arrive in their area from abroad. More than 4,200 child asylum seekers were in council care last year  a 54 per cent increase on the previous year.

Many are likely to have psychological problems because of horrors witnessed in their home country or on their journey to Britain.

Councils receive central government funding towards the care of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children of 114 a day for under-16s, but Shropshire Council said that in this case it was not enough because of the group's 'complex safeguarding needs' and 'high flight risks'.

Mr Nutting said: 'These children have travelled halfway around the world. We are now their corporate parents. They don't speak English, we've had all sorts of issues dealing with them.'

The children were placed in secure accommodation, a care home or with a foster family, but six have since gone missing.

On Wednesday the council voted for a spending freeze to tackle the predicted 5million overspend for all services, which is expected to include 3.9million in children's services.

The children escaped near the town of Shrewsbury (pictured) and they were placed into the local authority's care

Lib Dem group leader Roger Evans said: 'Five million pounds coming out of reserves is catastrophic. I understand about the extra incurred by the safeguarding of children, but there are other costs in there.

'Already I'm having complaints from villagers. There's a request for a bin at the side of the road so that the road can be cleared of litter and dog mess  refused, spending freeze.

Why they can claim asylum in Britain Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but its citizens face severe restrictions on their political freedoms. The communist government suppresses political dissent and all political parties, labour unions and human rights groups are banned. Vietnamese people may bring a claim for asylum in the UK on the basis of fear of persecution by the state because of their opposition to the government; because they are at risk of trafficking; or because they face persecution over their religious beliefs. A total of 759 asylum applications were made by people from Vietnam last year but only 71 were granted. Advertisement

'Request for a mirror on a bad road bend for road safety purposes  refused due to a spending freeze. A freeze from now until the end of March really holds the problem over so it is a catastrophe we are facing.' Mr Nutting said he hoped to balance the budget by the end of March.

The Local Government Association estimates it costs around 50,000 a year to fund a child in council care, but that can rise to 133,000 for a traumatised child needing specialist care.

If children are granted asylum, their local council will continue to provide for their accommodation and education until they are 25.

Shropshire Council said it currently has a total of 19 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and eight who were previously in that category who are still its responsibility. A council spokesman said: 'Children's safety will always be the key priority for us although it also needs to be recognised that the cost to the local authority to accommodate such placements considerably outweighs the amount we receive from central government.

'We do feel that the Government should review its budget allocation to children's services in local authorities.'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'We are grateful to those local authorities who continue to provide care and support to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

'Last year we significantly increased the funding we provide to local authorities for such children. We are currently conducting a review of the funding arrangements, in partnership with local authorities.'
A mother-of-three who almost died rescuing her children from a raging house fire has married her childhood sweetheart.

Angel Fiorini, 33, suffered third-degree burns over most of her body after the fire broke out at their home in Washington in October last year.

Her daughter Gianna, eight, also suffered severe burns over her arms, hands and belly. The pair spent weeks in the hospital recovering from their injuries.

And after a hard fight to get well, Angel married the father of her children Aaron, 34, in a beautiful wedding ceremony in July this year.

'It was such an emotional day,' Angel recalled. 'We were celebrating not only our wedding but mine and Gianna's survival too. Just being able to stand there in front of our family was truly a miracle.'

Angel Fiorini (left and right), 33, suffered third degree burns over most of her body after the fire broke out at their home in Washington in October last year. Angel has made an incredible recovery (right) since the fire

Her daughter Gianna (pictured after the fire), eight, also suffered severe burns over her arms, hands and belly and the pair spent weeks in hospital recovering from their injuries

And after a hard fight to get well, Angel married her children's' father Aaron, 34, in a beautiful white wedding ceremony in July this year

Angel was alone at her one story-house on October 28 with her kids Gianna, Vinnie, four, and Rosalie, two, while Aaron had gone out with friends.

At around midnight, she woke up but she struggled to breathe.

'I remember opening my house and feeling really confused,' she recalled. 'I felt really hot and I was breathing but it was like my lungs weren't working properly and I couldn't take a decent breath.

'I got up and opened my bedroom door  that's when I saw about a third of my home was on fire and my whole living room was full of thick, black smoke.

'I picked up Vinnie and Rosalie and ran outside with them. I remember looking at Gianna's bedroom window and I don't even think I screamed for help because there was no-one around.

'Then I ran back in for Gianna. I didn't have a doubt I wouldn't get to her  it was case of I had to rescue her no matter what. I think the adrenaline kicked in and I wasn't afraid.'

When Angel re-entered the house, the fire was worse and more than half her home was covered in 20-foot-tall flames.

She got down onto her stomach and she crawled army-style on her belly to get to Gianna's bedroom as she listened to her daughter moaning 'mom, mom'.

With her eyes closed as she felt along the wall, she managed to get into the bedroom and feel for Gianna.

'I pulled her to the ground and dragged her beneath me out of the room and along the corridor to get to the front door,' Angel said. 'It was hard work but I wanted to protect her as much as I could.

Gianna (center, standing) suffered from severe anxiety on the day of the wedding but she managed to watch her parents get married, on their special day

Gianna was treated in a separate room and her burns were less severe than her mother. Doctors said that if it hadn't been for Angel shielding her from the flames and the smoke, she would have been a whole lot worse

'I got to the front door and turned the handle  my hand literally melted on the door knob while the fire was chasing us as it took over the whole house  it was like something out of a movie!

'We both had horrible black, charred skin hanging from our hands and our arms and I remember thinking it was all going to be okay because we were alive but then I must have blacked out before we could get out of the house.'

Luckily, a retired firefighter and ambulance man Matt Burson saw the fire and raced to help.

He found Vinnie trying to get back into the house to find his mum, so he pulled him to safety.

Then he went into the house and found Angel and Gianna, close to the door. It was such a blessing that Angel had dragged Gianna from her room because it was all in flames.

Outside, Angel and Gianna woke-up in horrific pain as they waited for emergency services to arrive. Thankfully, Vinnie and Rosalie were perfectly fine in the arms of neighbors.

Gianna and Angel were flown to the University of Washington School of Medicine's Harborview Medical Center's specialist burns center in Seattle.

Angel had suffered 43 per cent third degree burns on her back, arms, hands and neck and she had suffered severe damage to her airways.

For several days she breathed through a ventilator as her swollen skin started to recover and her arms were suspended in nets to aid healing from the ceiling.

Angel (pictured after the fire) was alone at her one story- house on October 28 with her kids Gianna, Vinnie, four and Rosalie, two while Aaron had gone out with friends. At around midnight, she woke up but she struggled to breathe

For several days she breathed through a ventilator as her swollen skin started to recover and her arms were suspended in nets to aid healing from the ceiling

Gianna and Angel were flown to the University of Washington School of Medicine's Harborview Medical Center's specialist burns center in Seattle. Angel (pictured) had suffered 43 per cent third degree burns on her back, arms, hands and neck and severe damage to her airways

Gianna was treated in a separate room and her burns were less severe than her mother. Doctors said that if it hadn't been for Angel shielding her from the flames and the smoke, she would have been a whole lot worse.

Together, they started to recover but then Angel suffered a massive setback when she contracted bacteria pneumonia, sepsis and then she suffered multiple organ failure which led to her being in a coma for 10 days.

'My doctors told my family it was touch and go as to whether I would recover,' said Angel. 'Somehow, I pulled through. Aaron was keeping a 24 hour a day vigil while a family friend had the children for us  I had so many people rooting for me that I had to get better!

'I eventually had three skin grafts. One took the skin off my thighs and literally stapled it to my back and my arms  it was such a painful procedure but it had to be done if I was ever going to recover from the burns.'

Just five weeks after she was burned, Angel was allowed to go home where she says the community were incredible in helping the family get back on its feet.

A family they didn't know donated a mobile home as their house had been totally gutted by the fire, they were given a mini van and so many gifts for the kids from well-wishers.

The cause of the fire was deemed 'undetermined' by the fire department but Angel believes the cause could have been faulty heaters in one of the rooms, although no-one will ever know.

'It was hard getting back to a normal life,' said Angel. 'Gianna suffered from horrible nightmares and I had severe sweats caused by the skin grafts.

'And losing everything we ever had was so hard  all the pictures and memories that go up in flames when your house did are irreplaceable and we had to come to terms with losing everything.'

Just five weeks after she was burned, Angel was allowed to go home where she says the community were incredible in helping the family get back on its feet. A family they didn't know donated a mobile home as their house had been totally gutted by the fire

Aaron and Angel (pictured with their three children) have been together for 15 years and Angel had always thought that they would never marry because they were happy the way they were. But in January, Aaron asked Angel to marry him  and she said yes

The cause of the fire (pictured is what used to be their home) was deemed 'undetermined' by the fire department but Angel believes the cause could have been faulty heaters in one of the rooms, although no-one will ever know

But in January, Aaron had a surprise for Angel.

The pair had been together for 15 years and Angel had always thought that they would never marry because they were happy the way they were.

At a dinner they had arranged to thank friends and the community for all their help, Aaron asked Angel to marry him  and she said yes!

'It was such a wonderful surprise,' recalled Angel. 'After everything that we had been through, I think it had set Aaron thinking that we should get married at last.

'I was so thrilled  I couldn't wait.'

The pair were married in July in a beautiful white wedding in the mountains above their home. Vinnie was the ring bearer and Rosalie was a beautiful little flower girl.

Gianna suffered from severe anxiety on the day of the wedding and she managed to watch her parents get married, but it was still an incredibly happy day.

'I couldn't believe that we were finally married!' said Angel. 'It was such a wonderful day surrounded by everyone important to us.

'I thanked God for keeping us safe and I celebrated life! And if I had to do save my children again, I would. I wouldn't change a thing.

'Getting burned and being in the hospital was the worst time of my life but both Gianna and I survived. That puts losing the house into perspective.'
A man who sued police for detaining him for four minutes at a train station has been stripped of a $3000 compensation payout after a court ruled his 'false imprisonment' claim could not be justified.

Sam Le, 24, was detained by two officers who demanded to see his Opal card, pension concession card and ID at Liverpool station, Sydney, in January last year.

Mr Le filmed their conversation on his mobile phone, with the footage revealing one of the officers told him he could not leave despite not being under arrest.

Sam Le, 24, had his $3,000 compensation payout overturned after a court ruled his claim of being 'falsely imprisoned' for four minutes by police at a train station could not be justified

In the footage, one of the policemen was heard calling the man a 'smart a***' and asking if he 'had a problem listening'.

The video also showed one of the officers telling Mr Le - who refused to hand over his driving licence - that he was not leaving' until they had confirmed who he was.

Judge Matthew Dicker ruled that Mr Le had been falsely imprisoned by the police and awarded him $3,201 in damages.

The judge said the police had an 'honest suspicion' that the concession card Mr Le was carrying may have been stolen, but added that he was not held on 'reasonable' grounds.

The police believed Mr Le may have stolen the disability concession card he was carrying because he appeared to be 'young and fit'.

Mr Le was detained by two officers (one is pictured) who demanded to see his Opal card, pensioner concession card and ID at Liverpool station, Sydney, in January last year

However, Mr Le showed in court that he was on a disability pension and was entitled to the card.

It took a total of four minutes and 15 seconds for police to release Mr Le.

Judge Dicker ruled that Mr Le had been detained unlawfully, even though he was not put in handcuffs or physically stopped from leaving.

But the NSW Court of Appeal overturned the decision on Thursday.

A unanimous judgement was made by three justices who declared officers were, 'justified in the steps they took in stopping and detaining the respondent in order to obtain production of his Opal card and evidence of his entitlement to a concession card,' Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The amount was withdrawn on the basis that officers telling Mr Lee he was free to leave 'within a matter of seconds' of an officer telling him he was being detained.

Mr Le filmed their conversation on his mobile phone, with the footage revealing that one of the cops told him he could not leave despite him not being under arrest

The fact that the law required commuters to 'immediately comply' with such a request 'demonstrates that the time of the relevant detention will be quite short,' the court heard.

'A failure to comply will form the basis for taking other steps, including arrest, in relation to the commission of an offence. That stage was not reached in the present case.'

The case marked Mr Lee's second suing of the State - his first was settled out of court in 2015.

Mr Le's motivation for pursuing the case was to, 'send a message to the police force that they can't just approach someone and demand their personal identification ... when a person has not committed any offence'.

He will walk home empty handed, with the state of NSW agreeing to Mr Le's legal costs of the appeal.
Britain sent almost 50m in aid directly to China in 2016 and nearly 100m to India, where it was used for yoga lessons for heart patients

Britain sent 1.5 billion to the EU last year to spend on overseas aid projects, including help for coconut farmers in the Caribbean.

One scheme promoted African dancing and another funded juggling lessons in Tanzania.

Figures released yesterday showed the chunk of the UKs aid budget that is funnelled through the EU soared by 177million, or 13 per cent, in a year.

It came despite warnings about how we dont have any oversight over the way Brussels spends our aid cash.

The data also revealed how we sent almost 50million in aid directly to China in 2016 and nearly 100million to India, where it was used for yoga lessons for heart patients.

Tory MPs last night urged new International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt to get a grip on how the cash is spent.

A large proportion of Britains bloated aid budget, which topped 13 billion last year, goes via international bodies such as the EU. As long as the UK remains a member of the Brussels bloc, it has to fund one eighth of the European Commission aid budget.

Last month, while still in charge of the Department for International Development (DfID), Priti Patel said: We just give a chunk of money over to the European Commission which we dont have any oversight over. She added: There isnt much oversight and transparency and accountability.

Among the EUs projects were a 1 million scheme to help coconut farmers in the Caribbean boost the quality of their produce, and 167,740 for education in Dar es Salaam, including samba, acrobatics, juggling and trapeze lessons.

Some 581,152 went on promoting the cultural heritage of music and dance in North Tanzania.

Last year 1.5 billion of the UKs aid budget was sent to the European Commission, compared to 1.33billion in 2015. The money Britain gives to the EU contributes to the Governments target to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on aid. Our aid spending reached 13.4billion in 2016, up 1.3billion on the year before.

Tory MPs last night urged new International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt to get a grip on how the cash is spent

Meanwhile, despite pledges to stop sending aid directly to India, last year Whitehall officials spent 92.6 million on projects there. The amount sent to China jumped by 2.6 million to 46.9 million.

UK-funded schemes included 86,616 on testing whether yoga helps people who have had heart attacks in India.

In China, British aid cash went on improving dementia care in Qingdao and a programme encouraging pupils to eat less salt.

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: The problem with the set target is that it means money has to be spent. Spending money to teach money on yoga in India is spending money to teach Catholicism to the Holy Father.

Fellow Tory Sir Bill Cash said: People will find it hard to believe aid is going to places like China.

John OConnell, of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: The whole aid budget needs a serious overhaul so that it is based on helping those actually in need, not making politicians feel good about themselves at international meetings.

A DfID spokesman said: The UKs development funding through the EU reduces poverty. All EU development programmes are individually scrutinised and approved by the UK.
The wife of former NRL player David Fifita has been jailed for eight months for defrauding Centrelink of almost $50,000 in order to 'keep up with other WAGs'  but she could avoid spending even a day behind bars.

Jade Robinson, also known as Jade Fifita, pleaded guilty in June to two counts of receiving financial advantages from a Commonwealth entity totalling $48,500 over almost five years from 2011.

Magistrate Jennifer Price sentenced the mother-of-three to eight months' imprisonment for each charge, to be served concurrently, with a three-month non-parole period.

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The wife (pictured) of former NRL player David Fifita has been jailed for eight months for defrauding Centrelink of almost $50,000

Magistrate Jennifer Price sentenced the mother-of-three to eight months' imprisonment but she could avoid spending even a day behind bars

However, she could avoid spending even a day behind bars after Justice Price adjourned the matter until January so Robinson, 26, can be assessed for home detention.

'She felt competition to clothe her children in lovely outfits, buy a new car and keep up with others,' Justice Price said, according to Nine News.

'It is not in dispute she was motivated by greed.

'The desire to maintain an outward appearance of success grounded the offending.'

Jade Fifita , the wife of ex-NRL star David, pleaded guilty to fraudulently taking almost $50,000 in single-parent payments from Centrelink while living with her husband and kids

The 26-year-old lied about her relationship status to Centrelink, telling them she was a single mother renting in Bankstown, west Sydney, with her young children

Robinson was living with her husband and two children during the period, but told Centrelink she was a single mother renting a home in Bankstown, west Sydney.

At the time, Fifita - the twin brother of NSW and Australia star Andrew - was earning $160,000-a-season playing for Cronulla, at the top level in Australia, and also Tonga.

Robinson gave birth to the couple's third child earlier this year.

The court heard Robinson told a psychologist she fraudently claimed the money because she was sick of 'living in her husband's shadow', the Daily Telegraph reported.

Her solicitor Samar Singh-Panwar said she had been subjected to extreme hate online and had acted out of 'immaturity' and 'feelings of inadequacy.'

Robinson (centre) was flanked by her husband David, holding a baby in a bassinet, as she left court on Tuesday

David Fifita (pictured), who previously played for the Cronulla Sharks in the NRL as well as in France and England, has not been charged

'Her actions related to her feelings of inadequacy and judgment from others,' he told the court on Tuesday.

Mr Singh-Panwar said the offences occurred while Robinson was between the ages of 20 and 25, adding 'what is apparent is her level of immaturity.'

Robinson was flanked by husband as she arrived at court on Friday, shielding her face and ignoring requests from waiting reporters.

The court previously heard she joked with her husband about the fraudulent claims even when she was concerned about their finances.

The pair married in late 2014, but between 2011 and 2016, she reportedly ticked a box on Centrelink forms saying she was 'never married or lived with a partner'.

During that period, she and her husband even appeared on the NRL Footy Show to discuss their relationship.

Text messages (pictured) discovered on the couple's phones during a police raid on their home in Sutherland, an hour south of Sydney, revealed they were worried about money

By ticking a box on Centrelink forms saying that said she was 'never married or lived with a partner', Mrs Fifita (nee Robinson) raked in $48,507.52

But while the couple portrayed a happy life, it seems that behind closed doors things were different.

Text messages found on their phones during a police raid on the couple's home in Sutherland, south of Sydney, in May last year revealed they were worried about money.

'I just transferred $250.00 make it last the day babe. I really thought we had more money than that,' Robinson wrote in one message.

Fifita replied: 'That's heaps babe lol text you soon. Remember you get paid Tuesday x love you were fin (sic).'

When she replied that she gets paid the following week, he responded: 'No Centrelink lol. Haha.'

Fifita, who currently plays for Wakefield Trinity in the English Super league, has not been charged and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by him.
The United States has put its citizens on high alert about the threat of terror attacks in Europe over Christmas.

Washington has stepped up advice to travellers after a series of atrocities this year - with fears extremists could strike again during the festive season.

The announcement today comes with security services in the UK in a state of high vigilance.

Police have been in evidence at Christmas markets this week, although there is not thought to be any specific intelligence.

Police have been in evidence at Christmas markets this week. The market in Birmingham (pictured yesterday) has gone ahead despite security concerns

The UK has been hit with a series of terrorist incidents over the past year, including the London Bridge attack (pictured)

The current threat level is at severe, meaning that an attack is considered highly likely, but not expected 'imminently'.

The US has a long-standing warning to its citizens to beware extremist attacks in European cities.

In recent years it has expressly warned of dangers at festive events.

The latest advice states: 'Last year, mass casualty attacks occurred at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany in December and a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey on New Year's Eve.'

Last year a jihadist crashed a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people, while a New Year's Eve attack in Istanbul left 39 dead.

The State Department said recent attacks in Britain, Finland, France, Russia, Spain and Sweden show that both ISIS and Al-Qaeda remain active and capable.

'While local governments continue counter-terrorism operations, the department remains concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks,' the statement said.

'US citizens should always be alert to the possibility that terrorist sympathizers or self-radicalised extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning.'

Barriers have been put up to protect the Christmas market in Berlin amid security concerns
A woman has been banned from owning animals after using manuka honey to try to heal her cats cancer.

Denise Smith, from Northampton, used the natural product to treat her pet Blackys cancerous leg wound, according to the RSPCA.

Manuka honey is often sold as an alternative medicine  including on the RSPCA website  but Smith was found guilty at a court in Northamptonshire of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Blacky the cat had to be put to sleep after her owner, Denise Smith, tried to treat the animal's cancer using manuka honey. Ms Smith was banned from keeping animals for 12 months and fined 615

Blackys leg was amputated as a result of the cancerous wound and it was rehomed, but the cancer returned and the cat had to be put to sleep. On Wednesday, Smith, 58, was banned from keeping animals for 12 months and fined 615.

During the hearing at Wellingborough Magistrates Court, the court heard the RSPCA had been contacted on August 30 after a member of public expressed concern about the animals well-being.

Inspector Michelle Hare said: When we took the bandages off I could see that Blacky had a large and cancerous wound on her leg which was so deep it had gone down to her tendons. It looked incredibly painful and infected.

I took her to a vet, who decided that the best thing to do would be to amputate the leg.

It turned out that Smith had been treating the wound with manuka honey, after reading online that it had microbial properties  but it certainly isnt something which should have been used on a wound like Blacky had. Blacky should have been to see a vet at the earliest opportunity.

On an official RSPCA website, a manuka honey ointment is advertised for sale at 5.17. It says the product can be added to wounds to provide a moist wound environment conductive to healing.

It adds that the ointment can be useful for minor abrasions and lacerations, pressure sores, cavity wounds including abscesses. Manuka honey, which costs up to 20 for 500g at health food shops, is made from the nectar of the manuka bush, which mainly grows in New Zealand. It is said to contain an anti-bacterial compound called methyl-glyoxal (MGO).

Manuka Honey Manuka honey is produced in Australia and New Zealand from the nectar of the manuka tree

It is often sold as an alternative medicine, though there is no conclusive evidence of its dietary or medicinal value Advertisement

Levels of the chemicals vary according to whether the nectar is collected from only manuka bushes or from a variety of plants, or whether the manuka is mixed with other honeys.

The NHS website warns: Honey has long been known to have antibacterial properties and is sometimes included in licensed wound-care products. However, researchers discussing its use at a scientific conference have said it is not widely used because the way it works is not understood.

People should not try using honey bought from supermarkets to treat wounds at home.
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein appears to have ditched his previous disguise for a black fedora and sunglasses when he was spotted at a Arizona eatery Saturday evening.

Pictures obtained by TMZ show the suspected sexual predator at a restaurant in Carefree, Arizona having dinner with two blonde women.

The women reportedly met the former film executive to discuss an anger management program.

Harvey Weinstein was spotted in Carefree, Arizona on Saturday with two mystery blondes as he seeks treatment at a nearby rehab facility

The three were also waiting to meet with Weinstein's rehab sponsor, TMZ added.

A witness reportedly told TMZ that while Weinstein was waiting for his company to arrive at the unnamed restaurant, he had pre-ordered them two glasses of white wine.

Weinstein, who is currently in Arizona seeking treatment at rehabilitation facility, was said to have stuck to water.

The witness added that following the meal, Weinstein signed the tab under the alias 'Nick Starr.'

Weinstein's Saturday evening look was a departure from his first outing earlier this month when he was spotted grabbing some food with a male friend.

On November 3, Weinstein was pictured wearing a blond wig over his bald head and orange makeup covering his face before heading out in public.

Weinstein was pictured on November 3 in a blonde wig and makeup just days after checking into an Arizona rehab

Harvey Weinstein and now estranged wife Georgina Chapman attend Apollo in the Hamptons at The Creeks on August 12, 2017 in East Hampton, New York

His guest also appeared to be wearing a wig, with the man keeping a hand on the side of his head during their meal.

Weinstein has been in Arizona for more than a month, where he reportedly attended a week of in-patient rehab at an undisclosed location and is now receiving out-patient treatment.

Chapman has hired Bernard Clair and Robert Cohen (pictured) in the divorce proceedings against Weinstein

Meanwhile, Weinstein and his estranged wife, Georgina Chapman, have attained the services of Manhattan's top divorce attorneys to handle their upcoming separation.

Steven M. Silpe, Ivana Trump's former divorce lawyer, has been hired by Weinstein, while Chapman has hired Bernard Clair and Robert Cohen, according to Page Six.

Claire and Cohen have represented high profile clients in the past, including Christie Brinkley and Uma Thurman.

Chapman announced that she would be seeking a divorce from Weinstien last month just days after The New York Times published a report alleging the former movie producer engaged in a three decade span of sexual misconduct.

'My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions,' Chapman said in a statement announcing the divorce.

The two have been married for 10 years and have two children.

Nearly 100 women have accused Weinstein of sexual harassment and rape, with the NYPD currently investigating at least two alleged cases.

No documents have yet been filed in the divorce proceedings.
A man who suffered from a rare disease that was slowly turning his body to stone has died in hospital aged 44.

Auckland man Callan Fabian was first diagnosed with scleroderma - an incurable auto-immune disease - 12 years ago.

The illness, also known as systemic sclerosis, causes the body to produce too much collagen which attacks healthy organs causing them to be overtaken by scar tissue.

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A man (pictured) who suffered from a rare disease that was slowly turning his body to stone has died in hospital aged 44

Mr Fabian's death shocked his supporters, as specialists had predicted he would live until Christmas, The NZ Herald reported.

Ann Wills, of support group Scleroderma Auckland, said Mr Fabian's passing has left the community heartbroken.

Luckily Mr Fabian had been given an early Christmas celebration on Tuesday, receiving gifts organised by Ms Wills.

'I just had this funny feeling. And so I thought "I should wrap these up as Christmas presents",' she said.

'We put on Santa Hats and took him the presents; a nice soft blanket, a body pillow, a tri-pillow and a few different drinks that we though he'd enjoy.'

Mr Fabian's condition caused his skin to thicken and become tight, restricting his movement. He also suffered from painful ulcers on his joints and mouth.

Auckland man Callan Fabian (pictured) was first diagnosed with scleroderma - an incurable auto-immune disease - 12 years ago

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia before he died, Mr Fabian said he was doing all he could 'to try and stay positive'.

'I have hard nights because I am on a lot of Morphine, so every day I wake up is a bonus,' he said.

He revealed specialists first diagnosed with the condition more than a decade ago and he was given a 50 per cent chance then the disease would cause an early death.

Mr Fabian, who was born and bred in Auckland, left New Zealand to live in Australia as a teenager and moved back to his home country nearly five years ago after his illness, which had been dormant, began to seriously take hold.

In the last three years, he deteriorated badly, and limited family support meant six months ago he needed to move to the nursing wing of the Greenview Retirement Home in order to be cared for.

Scleroderma Auckland had set up a Givealittle page to help with Mr Fabian with day-to-day costs and raised $23,955 in the period leading up to his death.

Although Mr Fabian said staying positive was his priority, he was only too aware of how much suffering scleroderma brings.

'I wouldn't wish this disease on anyone because it's such a nasty thing.'
Australia Post have been slammed for launching a prototype robot delivery service after it was revealed the machine can only carry one parcel at a time, and needs to be accompanied by a human.

The autonomous robot - nicknamed 'Billy the Box' - is being trialled in New Farm, Brisbane in an experiment which began on Monday.

Robotics expert Dr Peter Corke slammed the prototype, saying he was concerned about the usefulness of the robot.

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Australia Post have been slammed for their prototype robot delivery service after it was revealed it can only carry one parcel at a time, and needs to be accompanied by a human

The autonomous robot - nicknamed 'Billy the Box' - is being trialled in New Farm, Brisbane in an experiment which began on Monday

'How does it cross the road? How do you stop it from being picked up and put on a truck and taken away?' he asked the New Daily.

'At face value it doesn't sound very useful,' he said.

'There are a lot of practical issues with this that are very difficult to solve.'

The robot is only able to carry one parcel at a time, and will allow resident to accept deliveries from 6pm to midnight.

When the robot arrives at a house, customers will receive a text message, and can unlock the robot by replying to the message.

Curtin University robot expert Dr Eleanor Sandry said the technology was 'very much in its infancy'.

Robotics expert Dr Peter Corke slammed the prototype, saying he was concerned about the usefulness of the robot

Curtin University robot expert Dr Eleanor Sandry said the technology was 'very much in its infancy'

'The real world environment is going to impact this technology a great deal, it needs to be able to navigate and move proportionately so it doesn't cause accidents,' she said.

Australia Post chief technology officer Tien Ti Mak said the robot aimed to make online shopping easier.

'We know that receiving a 'sorry we missed you' card can be frustrating. So we're looking at new ways to redeliver parcels after-hours when more people are likely to be home.'
Toby Mulholland (above) has been jailed for more than two years after admitting to a burglary where 3 was stolen

A burglar has been jailed for more than two years after admitting to a burglary where 3 was stolen.

Police were called to a couple's home in Lowestoft, Suffolk, early on Sunday, October 8, after residents went to investigate the sound of their dog growling.

Victims John Lyon and Cheryl Mia discovered a window had been smashed and 3 in loose change had been stolen from a handbag.

Traces of blood left at the scene linked Toby Mulholland, 32, to the address and he was arrested by officers four days later.

Detective Inspector Matt Adams said: 'Mulholland is a known repeat offender of burglaries, which the judge took into consideration as he handed down his sentence.

'Whilst the amount stolen was relatively low, the impact it has had on his victims should not be underestimated.

'Not only had Mulholland broken into their home and stolen their possessions, but he has also caused damage in the process.

'The courts treat home burglary very seriously and our officers will continue to target offenders who are responsible for these types of offences.'

Mulholland is a known repeat offender of burglaries, which the judge took into consideration as he handed down his sentence.

On November 10 he appeared at Ipswich Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to the offence so was given a reduced sentence of 876 days.
A teenager from a prestigious Melbourne school has been killed and another rushed to hospital following a single-car collision in Melbourne.

St Kevin's College schoolboy Hector Ryan, 18, died after losing control of the vehicle he was driving, before it slammed into a tree in Malvern East early Friday morning.

His passenger, an 18-year-old man from Ashburton, is in stable condition after being taken to The Alfred hospital with hand and leg injuries, The Age reports.

St Kevin's College schoolboy Hector Ryan, 18, (pictured) has died after the car he was driving slammed into a tree in Melbourne's south-east Friday morning

Emergency services were called to Moira Street around 1am after reports a car had struck a tree, police said.

However, paramedics were unable to save the Glen Iris teenager who died at the scene.

'It was a really loud crash or bang... When I heard the ambulances coming I knew that something wasn't right,' a witness told Nine News.

Officers examined the crash scene overnight, with pieces of wreckage seen strewn along the road beside the crumpled vehicle.

Mr Ryan's father reportedly attended the scene of the crash Friday morning, along with some of the teen's friends who left floral tributes.

The Year 12 student was said to be close to finishing his VCE exams and had been planning on going camping to celebrate.

Emergency services were called to Moira Street around 1am after reports a car had struck a tree, but paramedics were unable to save the Glen Iris teenager (pictured) who died at the scene

Shocked friends still coming to terms with his passing visited the scene Friday to leave floral tributes (pictured), along with Mr Ryan's father

Shocked friends still coming to terms told Fairfax that Mr Ryan was 'lovely' and 'a sensible type of teenager'.

A Moira Street resident who phoned the ambulance after hearing the crash said many people, including her 20-year-old daughter who sat with the passenger, had tried to help.

Police said they are investigating if speed and weather conditions contributed to the collision.

'Victoria police urges all drivers to show care, due attention to the road and drive to the conditions, their level of experience and competence,' Sergeant Roberto Zussa told Nine.

As many as 213 lives have been lost on Victorian roads this year to date, which is 38 less than last years final toll.

His passenger, an 18-year-old man from Ashburton, is in stable condition after being taken to The Alfred hospital with hand and leg injuries (Pictured is the scene of the crash)
The BBC upheld just one complaint out of a dozen it investigated, its first complaints bulletin has revealed  painting a picture of an organisation that rejects the vast majority of criticism.

The Corporation is being made to disclose details about complaints every fortnight after a battle with broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, in a bid to force it to become more transparent.

The first of the new BBC complaints bulletins, published yesterday, offered the bare minimum of detail.

But it was enough to throw new light on why the Corporation battled so hard to keep details of its complaints a secret.

The BBC upheld just one complaint out of a dozen it investigated, its first complaints bulletin has revealed

The BBC was inundated by 8,377 complaints during the two weeks from 30 October to 12 November, more than 5,500 of which were about particular programmes.

But it only completed investigations into 12 problem broadcasts during that period  and rejected all but two of them as groundless.

It upheld one complaint  an objection to bias on Radio 4's PM show  and partially upheld another, about an April episode of Victoria Derbyshire's eponymous BBC2 show.

Both of them were to do with coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict, although that is not made clear in the bulletin.

A BBC source said that the vast discrepancy between the number of complaints coming in the door and complaints being upheld was an indication that many of the objections were unjustified.

'Complaints are taken really seriously but the fact that someone complains doesn't automatically mean the point is justified, and we have lots of complaints which are clearly a result of lobbying or campaigning,' the source said.

'With 95 per cent of UK adults using our services each week and our channels having the biggest and most talked-about shows it's no surprise lots of people have an opinion and when we make mistakes we aim to put them right.'

However, even after its battle with Ofcom, the level of detail in the BBC's complaints bulletin stands in stark contrast to the watchdog's own bulletins about commercial broadcasters - including ITV, Channel 4 and Sky.

Ofcom's fortnightly report sets out precisely how many complaints each broadcaster has received for which programmes.

It also gives a broad description of the issues people have complained about, such as 'due accuracy', 'scheduling' or 'generally accepted standards'.

It upheld one complaint  an objection to bias on Radio 4's PM show  and partially upheld another, about an April episode of Victoria Derbyshire's eponymous BBC2 show

By contrast, the BBC's bulletin only names programmes that have registered more than 100 complaints  in this case, episodes of Strictly Come Dancing and Have I Got News For You - and does not give any indication of what the complaints were about.

It also fails to declare which complaints it will actually investigate, as Ofcom's equivalent bulletin does.

And, despite having months to prepare for the publication, the BBC also failed to give details of the decision-making behind its adjudications yesterday.

Instead, it listed a link to a website where it will eventually publish top-level details of the complaints that have been upheld. The Victoria Derbyshire show was listed there but there was no mention of the PM incident.

Last night, a BBC spokesman insisted: 'We are publishing the full information Ofcom has requested.'

And he added that the BBC is in fact more transparent than other broadcasters because its publishes the figures itself rather than relying on Ofcom to do so.

However, there is a crucial difference between the way complaints about the BBC and complaints about rival broadcasters are handled.

People who complain to Ofcom about BBC programmes are told to complain directly to the BBC.

They can only escalate the problem to the watchdog if they are unhappy with the way the problem has been dealt with first by the BBC's executive complaints unit and then by the BBC board.

By contrast, people can complain directly to Ofcom about programmes on ITV, Channel 4 and other commercial broadcasters.

The watchdog will make a decision about whether to launch a full-scale investigation, and will sometimes do so based on a single complaint.
Labour MPs and family planning campaigners were last night accused of renewing bullying campaign against the Boots chain over the morning after pill

Labour MPs and family planning campaigners were last night accused of renewing bullying campaign against the Boots chain over the morning after pill.

Just months after Boots was forced to plead for campaigners to stop harassing its senior executives, there was a new volley of bitter criticism over the companys pricing.

Senior Labour figures yesterday accused the high street store of failing to uphold womens reproductive rights by supplying cheap contraceptive pills in all its stores.

Boots insist they have been beset by a manufacturing issue which means only 69 of their 2,500 shops has stocked the cheaper version of the drugs.

But more than 130 MPs yesterday wrote to Boots UK managing director Elizabeth Fagan to demand the 15.99 version is rolled out immediately.

Abortion provider the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which has orchestrated a fierce campaign for cheaper contraceptives, said Boots had acted in an absolutely scandalous way by missing its own deadline for providing the pills.

The letter reignites a year-long row over the price of the morning-after pill, which usually retails for 26.

Pro-life charities said the letter was part of an established pattern of bullying by the abortion industry.

At the peak of the row in August Boots even issued legal warnings to BPAS accusing it of encouraging harassment of it senior executives.

BPAS had published the names of senior Boots staff on the internet and encouraged people to write to their personal email addresses via an online portal, and staff received 24,000 emails as a result.

Boots said the campaign caused immense personal distress to its senior executives.

Senior Labour figures yesterday accused the high street store of failing to uphold womens reproductive rights by supplying cheap contraceptive pills in all its stores

Clara Campbell of the Life charity said last night: This has now become part of an established pattern of bullying by the abortion industry and it political allies.

Not satisfied with bullying Boots into agreeing to reduce the price of emergency contraception, they now seek to dictate to this private pharmaceutical retailer when they should be reducing their prices.

The abortion industry should not be allowed to set a precedent of bullying the private sector.

Boots should as a matter of principle stand up to their tactics of intimidation and bullyism.

Labours public health spokesman Sharon Hodgson, who organised the letter, said yesterday: It is dismaying that Boots have not fulfilled their promise from earlier this year to provide cheaper, more affordable emergency contraception to women by October.

Whilst Boots say they have started the process of rolling out this product in the stores, the progress they have made so far can only be described as a drop in the ocean with a long way to go before it is accessible in each of their 2,500 stores across the country.

Clare Murphy of BPAS added: It is absolutely scandalous that Boots have failed to deliver on the clear pledge they made to roll out cheaper emergency contraception in all their stores.

There can be absolutely no excuse for their pathetically slow pace of progress, other than the fact that they simply do not want to provide women with an affordable product.

A spokesman for Boots UK said the firm remains committed to increasing accessibility of emergency contraception, but added: Unfortunately the manufacturer has experienced a batch failure due to quality issues which means that the stock we were expecting is not now available, and we are now waiting for a new batch to be produced.

Were pleased to confirm that we have now been able to roll this out to a further 31 stores taking the total number of Boots stores offering the service to 69.

Just months after Boots was forced to plead for campaigners to stop harassing its senior executives, there was a new volley of bitter criticism over the companys pricing

Dr Anthony McCarthy of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said: Instead of haranguing Boots for its failure to make the morning-after pill as cheap as it would like, BPAS should admit the scarcity of evidence that the morning after pill brings down the rate of known pregnancies or abortions.

What we do know is that rates of sexually transmitted infections rise with use of the morning-after pill, perhaps because couples feel safer so are taking more risks.

BPAS for the last year has co-ordinated a campaign against leading retailers in a bid to force them to lower the price of the morning-after pill.

Tesco and Superdrug this summer agreed to halve the cost from around 30 to 13.49, but Boots initially said it would not do so to avoid incentivising inappropriate use.

After a Labour-backed campaign against the store - including threats to boycott the company - Boots in July bowed to pressure and said it would reduce the price.

But the abuse has persisted because campaigners say stocks of the cheaper drug have not been supplied quickly enough.
A sheriff's deputy, who has been reassigned instead of being fired after photos emerged of her in blackface as Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, has sparked outrage in Virginia.

Jean Browning, of the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office, will no longer serve as a school Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program officer after the deputy appeared in a Halloween costume wearing the Congresswoman's signature red hat.

York-Poquoson Sheriff J.D. Diggs said in a statement on Facebook that Browning, who will now return to courtroom duty, has been a deputy for 20 years.

Diggs determined that reassigning her to a different position in the sheriff's office was the best punishment instead of terminating Browning.

Virginia sheriff's deputy, Jean Browning (left), has been reassigned after photos emerged of her in blackface as Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (right). Browning dressed up as Wilson for Halloween

Browning will no longer serve as a school Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program officer after she appeared in a Halloween costume wearing the Congresswoman's signature red hat. Her boyfriend (right) also dressed up as President Donald Trump

He cited her nine letters of commendation and her 'kind and caring' reputation as reasons for not firing Browning.

Diggs said Browning 'has never been accused of any type of racial transgression' since she's been in her position.

But the York-James City-Williamsburg (YJCW) Branch of the NAACP said that 'blackface in and of itself should be enough to warrant disciplinary action'.

'For decades, blackface has been synonymous with hate, degradation, and bigotry. Originally, white actors wore tattered and worn clothing, applied burnt cork to blacken their skin, and used soot to create the appearance of wider, fuller lips to imitate the appearance of African-Americans,' the YJCW branch of the NAACP said in a statement.

'White performers profited from blackface by mocking black behavior and culture and promoting false stereotypes that African-Americans were lazy, destitute, and unintelligible,' the statement continued.

Sheriff Diggs said he met with Brian J Smalls, the president of the YJCW branch of the NAACP, on November 6 to discuss what actions should be taken against Browning.

Diggs said he had to look at 'the degree of seriousness of the alleged offense, the intent of person involved, the history of the person, our relationship with the community, the impact on the community as a whole, and the proper remedy to the situation'.

The York-James City-Williamsburg (YJCW) Branch of the NAACP said that 'blackface in and of itself should be enough to warrant disciplinary action'. Browning is pictured with friends dressed as the Congresswoman

He claimed the Sheriff's Office takes 'race relations seriously', but still decided against terminating Browning.

'I have decided that it would be in the best interest for all concerned to reassign this deputy to another position within the Sheriff's Office,' he said in a statement.

'She did not mock her [Wilson] or make any attempt to degrade her,' Diggs said in the statement.

'Deputy Browning's intent was simply to portray Wilson as a political celebrity as Browning's boyfriend was in a costume portraying Donald Trump. The combined intent of the couple was to convey the message of how funny it would be for two political figures that were at odds with each other to go to a party together,' Diggs said.

But the incident in fact is not funny.

'Although it was acknowledged that our concerns were legitimate, it was clear that there would be no disciplinary action taken against Deputy Browning by the sheriff's department,' the NAACP's statement read.

Congresswoman Wilson (pictured in 2012) made headlines last month when she claimed that President Donald Trump told Gold Star widow, Myeshia Johnson, that her husband, Sgt La David Johnson knew 'what he signed up for' after he was killed in the line of duty

'It was commented to [the chapter's president] that had Deputy Browning been wearing a 'noose' or a derogatory sign, disciplinary action would be appropriate. However, it is the Branch's position that blackface in and of itself should be enough to warrant disciplinary action.'

The NAACP's statement went on to say that it's 'inappropriate and disheartening when anyone mocks someone's race, but it is inexcusable when someone connected with our law enforcement finds it acceptable to paint their face to impersonate African-Americans'.

Congresswoman Wilson made headlines last month when she claimed that President Donald Trump told Gold Star widow, Myeshia Johnson, that her husband, Sgt La David Johnson knew 'what he signed up for'.

Johnson was killed in the line of duty along with three other Green Berets in Niger on October 4.

Myeshia Johnson said that Trump 'made her cry even worse' during the call when Trump reportedly made the comment.

'He couldn't remember my husband's name,' Myeshia Johnson said on ABC's Good Morning America program on October 23.

Trump responded with insulting tweets, calling Wilson 'wacky' and accusing her of secretly listening.
Boris Johnson is blocking plans to increase the 20billion divorce offer to the EU.

The Foreign Secretary has warned Theresa May that he cannot accept a further 'unilateral' increase in the size of the divorce payment without written guarantees from Brussels on a future trade deal.

The EU is demanding agreement on a 53billion divorce bill by next Friday as a condition for starting trade negotiations this year.

Boris Johnson (pictured with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres) is blocking plans to increase the 20billion divorce offer to the EU

During talks in the Swedish city of Gothenburg today, EU Council president Donald Tusk will warn Mrs May that it is 'not a given' that Brussels will give the green light to trade talks next month unless there is 'progress' on the divorce bill.

Prominent German MEP Hans-Olaf Henkel yesterday said the UK would have to agree to 'unconditional surrender' to make progress.

Chancellor Philip Hammond and Business Secretary Greg Clark are urging the Prime Minister to increase her offer, arguing that it is essential for business to get trade talks started and secure agreement on a two-year transition deal.

Mrs May is sympathetic to the idea, and appears to have told an ally of German chancellor Angela Merkel that she will increase the UK's offer in the coming weeks.

But Mr Johnson is now digging in against the idea of handing over more cash. He is backed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.

Brexit Secretary David Davis is also said to harbour doubts about the idea of handing over more money without 'cast-iron assurances' that a comprehensive trade deal will be forthcoming.

A Cabinet source told the Daily Mail that discussions on the issue had reached an 'impasse'. The source added: 'Time is running out and there is no agreement.'

Mr Johnson was reluctant to back the initial 20billion offer made by the Prime Minister in her Florence speech in September. In July, he said the EU could 'go whistle' if it continued to table excessive demands for payment.

A close ally of the Foreign Secretary last night confirmed that he was resisting any increase in the offer. 'His feeling, along with that of others, is that once we have conceded the money we have lost any residual leverage we have in terms of the trading relationship,' the friend said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, left, speaks with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven during a bilateral meeting prior to an EU summit in Gothenburg, Sweden on Wednesday

'He is not opposed to making a payment but you cannot make that unilaterally before you know what you are getting in return.'

Next month's EU summit is seen by both sides as the 'deadline' for beginning trade talks in time for Britain's departure in March 2019. Failure to make progress will significantly increase the risk of the UK leaving without a deal.

Downing Street sources last night dismissed reports of a row as 'speculation'.

But Mr Johnson's determination to hold firm on the financial offer will be strengthened by evidence yesterday that the EU is proposing only a modest trade deal with the UK which would hit the City.

Pro-EU 'big band' that WE pay for Taxpayers money is being given to an opponent of Brexit  so he can compose a bizarre piece of music in support of the European Union. The Government is giving experimental musician Matthew Herbert a share of a 182,000 grant to produce music with his Brexit Big Band. His handout, which could total 50,000, comes from the Department for International Trade, which is headed by pro-Brexit campaigner Liam Fox. Mr Herbert will work on the project for the next two years, releasing an album on the day in 2019 when Britain leaves the EU. His project is now at the start of its taxpayer-funded collaborative project right across Europe celebrating artistic and musical collaboration and communities across national borders. Taxpayers money is being given to an opponent of Brexit  so he can compose a bizarre piece of music in support of the European Union He will accept any types of found sound and at a recent Brexit-inspired concert at Londons Barbican theatre, the percussion for one of his pieces was provided by ripping up a pile of copies of the Daily Mail. He said his project is designed to strike back against the idea of Britain retreating into an absurd little enclave. The musician, who once burnt a cello to see what it sounded like, suggested the Referendum leave vote was motivated by hate. He also wants to create something thats the opposite of Brexit  about collaboration, about creativity. Last year he was commissioned by the BBC to deconstruct Beethoven, which involved using a cutting machine to destroy a violin and other string instruments. Last night pro-Brexit Conservative MP Peter Bone said: This is not a good use of money. I think most taxpayers, whether Remainers or Leavers, will find it extraordinary that we are giving money to someone whose principal activity seems to be to campaign against the decision of the British people to come out of the European Union. If he is so anti what the Governments doing perhaps he might like to consider giving the money back. A spokesman for the international trade department said: Grants are awarded after being scrutinised and reviewed by a panel of industry experts who judge each application on artistic and commercial merits. Advertisement

Leaked documents prepared for the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, revealed an uncompromising stance.

While Mrs May has called for a 'deep and special' future relationship, Brussels negotiators are warning that a basic trade deal similar to that agreed with Canada last year is the only option available to the UK.

Such a deal would infuriate the City because it would mean that financial instituions could lose 'passporting' rights which allow them to operate across the EU.

Paul Drechsler, president of the Confederation of British Industry, said earlier this month that it would be insufficient because the deal only covers goods and not service industries.

The EU's stance emerged during internal discussion on the shape of a future trade deal between Mr Barnier and member states earlier this week. The so-called 'scoping' document, said that the UK's desire to break free from wide-ranging Brussels regulations meant that a broad free trade deal mirroring current trade ties with the bloc is 'not compatible'.

Last night MEP Mr Henkel, former head of the Federation of German Industry (BDI), said Mrs Merkel was in close alignment with Brussels on the need to drive the hardest of bargains.

'I think what the German government wants is identical to what Michel Barnier and (Guy) Verhofstadt want,' he said referring to the European parliament's lead Brexit co-ordinator. 'The BDI has consistently followed the line of the German government on this, so if I were to use a military term, what they want is unconditional surrender.'

But Mr Davis warned Germany not to put 'politics above prosperity'. Speaking at an economic conference in Berlin last night, the Brexit Secretary said Germany industry had much to lose if the EU failed to agree a comprehensive free trade deal before the UK leaves in March 2019.

Trade between the two countries is worth 160billion a year, while 220,000 Germans work for 1,200 British firms in Germany, Mr Davis said. 'In the face of those facts I know that no one would allow short-term interests to risk those hard-earned gains because putting politics above prosperity is never a smart choice,' he added.
Jo Cox was shot and stabbed as she attended a surgery in her constituency of Batley and Spen, West Yorkshire

Spending on the security of MPs has soared in the wake of the Jo Cox killing, according to their latest expenses claims.

There was a 15-fold increase in security spending from 160,000 to 2.5million, underling growing concerns about the safety of politicians following the murder of the Labour MP in June 2016.

The figure was released by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) yesterday in its review of claims for 2016-17.

Mrs Cox was shot and stabbed as she attended a surgery in her constituency of Batley and Spen, West Yorkshire.

Ipsa receives recommendations on appropriate measures from the police, including the counter-terrorism divisions. This can allow MPs to buy or lease security equipment such as alarm systems, CCTV and personal alarms. It will also fund any enhanced measures recommended by the police.

Chairman Ruth Evans, said: Following the tragic events of June 2016, there was a big increase in the total expenditure on security, rising to 2.5million during this year.

It is important that we take the security of MPs, and that of their families and their staff, very seriously.

Overall, Ipsa revealed that claims for spending on travel, subsistence and accommodation rose by seven per cent last year to 13million.

Travel and subsistence accounted for 5.3million  up from 4.89million  and the bill for accommodation for the 650 MPs was up from 7.26million to 7.7million.

However, the overall bill for running MPs offices fell from 113.6million to 109.9million as there was no additional election spending.

The general election in the 2015-16 period pushed up expenses and included around 10million in extra winding-up costs such as staff redundancies.

Office costs went up from 11.3million to 11.5million, while staffing claims rose from 80.2million to 84.6million.

The number of MPs employing connected parties  family members  fell from 195 in 2015-16 to 152 last year.

Labour MP Jamie Reed (left) was the highest claimer overall, with a total of 243,279. Alex Salmond (right) was the second highest expenses claimant with 235,128

Ipsa has banned politicians from taking on any new connected parties, meaning the figure should fall further in the future.

Labour MP Jamie Reed was the highest claimer overall, with a total of 243,279. He stood down in the Cumbrian constituency of Copeland at the June election and some of the costs are associated with the winding-up of his office.

Alex Salmond was the second highest expenses claimant with 235,128.

The former SNP leader lost his seat in June.

Ketterings Tory MP Philip Hollobone had the lowest expenses bill.

However, he also had 17,000 of misclaimed travel costs written off by Ipsa.

He had opted to receive the London Area Living Payment (LALP) of around 3,800 a year, reflecting the fact that his main residence was in the capital.

But he kept claiming for travel between his constituency home and London.

The issue was not noticed until a review by Ipsa highlighted that several MPs had unwittingly breached the rules over a number of years.

In all, 26,394 of wrongly claimed expenses were written off by the watchdog.

Ipsa concluded that there had been a high degree of compliance by MPs with rules on claiming expenses.
Benedict Allen with his wife Lenka at the Harvest Help charity film launch at the Fleming Hotel, London

A British explorer who got lost during an expedition to track down a tribe of headhunters has spoken of his relief after being found safe, as it was revealed he might have lost his way after developing malaria.

Benedict Allen, 57, was spotted by tribal chiefs near an airstrip in Papua New Guinea's remote Enga province after failing to return from his solo mission to find the 'last people on the planet' who have no contact with the outside world.

Mr Allen was then tracked down to Mount Hagen, one of the most remote mountains in the world, and is now recovering from a fever, suspected to be malaria.

He said: 'I was seriously worried I wouldn't get out of this one.'

After hearing that the father-of-three had been seen at last, his 35-year-old wife Lenka said: 'It is such a relief. I'm so happy, it's amazing.'

Mr Allen has been in the tropical rainforest for three weeks surviving on his wits.

His friend, the BBC journalist Frank Gardner, tweeted: 'Explorer @BenedictAllen is now recovering from fever, poss malaria, in Papua New Guinea having got disorientated on remote jungle trek.'

Mr Allen's agent said: 'We can confirm that Benedict Allen has been evacuated by helicopter and is now safe.

He is reported as feverish with suspected malaria. Benedict looks forward to being reunited with his family and friends but will need some time to get back to full health.

'He would like to send thanks for all the kind messages he has received.'

Adventure: Benedict Allen (standing in the back) in Papua New Guinea with the BBC's Frank Gardner (front) last year

Relief: Lenka is pictured with her children Natalya, ten, and Freddie, seven

Mrs Allen said: 'They are making preparations to get a helicopter to him. I found out about two hours ago ... It was a bit of a shock, but such a relief.'

The couple's two older children, Natalya, ten, and Freddie, seven, were at school yesterday when the news came through. Daughter Beatrice, two, has been pining for her father after the children were told: 'Daddy's lost.'

Mr Allen left for Papua New Guinea in early October and was supposed to have returned to civilisation by Sunday.

Benedict Allen during his expedition to Papua New Guinea

It is still unknown exactly what happened to him in the days he was missing, but last night he was understood to have reached a hut belonging to an old mission station deep in the vast rainforest.

The author and TV explorer, who has set endurance records in the Gobi Desert, Amazon and Arctic, does not carry a phone or GPS tracking device, as he considers using the devices as 'cheating'.

He was seeking to immerse himself with Yaifo headhunters but it is unknown whether he successfully located the 'lost' tribe before his quest went awry.

His family heard via a series of intermediaries that tribal chiefs in the area have reportedly spotted him, but they have not been able to make direct contact.

Mr Allen's agent Jo Sarsby said Keith Copley, the coordinating director for New Tribe Mission in Papua New Guinea, had confirmed to the family that Mr Allen was 'safe, well and healthy'.

Gardner, who previously travelled to the country with Mr Allen, said the explorer's planned route may have been scuppered by tribal infighting.

Mr Allen survived by eating his own dog during a 1982 trek across the Brazilian rainforest

His friend, the BBC journalist Frank Gardner, tweeted: 'Explorer @BenedictAllen is now recovering from fever, poss malaria, in Papua New Guinea having got disorientated on remote jungle trek'

He said: 'Although foreigners are rarely the target ... there is always a risk of being associated with one tribe that is at war with another.' Mr Allen's brother-in-law Paul Pestille said relatives will give him a 'severe ticking off' once he is back in Europe for leaving without a phone or GPS tracker.

Mr Copley warned the rescue would be tricky. He said: 'The rivers are completely swollen and so the terrain is not very good.

'Plus there are dangerous people out there who would take advantage of him. For the moment he is in the best place possible.'
Police definitively debunked conspiracy theories over the Grenfell Tower death toll yesterday.

Despite claims by left-wing MPs and community activists that 'hundreds' were killed in the inferno, an exhaustive Scotland Yard inquiry found 71 people lost their lives.

A senior officer expressed incredulity that anyone could still believe the authorities are interested in hiding the truth. Commander Stuart Cundy said: 'Why on earth would we want to be covering any of this up?'

Police have endured months of inaccurate claims accusing them, the local council and the Government of suppressing the scale of the tragedy.

The cover-up allegations were whipped up on social media as investigators warned it could take months to discover the true figure.

The Scotland Yard inquiry has found that 71 people were killed after the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June this year

Labour MPs Diane Abbott and David Lammy, as well as a left-wing blog linked to other Jeremy Corbyn allies, helped to fuel the inflammatory speculation.

Miss Abbott, shadow home secretary, claimed the true number would be in 'triple figures', while Mr Lammy claimed official numbers were kept low to avoid riots.

The Metropolitan Police named the final two victims yesterday as Victoria King, 71, and her daughter Alexandra Atala, 40.

Their family said they 'died at each other's side' after many years living together, and would always be remembered.

The pair joined the roster of 68 other victims, as well as an unborn baby called Logan, who succumbed to cyanide poisoning in the womb. Work to identify who died at Grenfell Tower, what exactly took place and who is responsible is the biggest operation not related to terror ever conducted by the UK's largest police force.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster 400 people were listed as missing, and the death toll was initially feared to be much higher as police took thousands of calls from worried families and friends.

But as officers untangled the reports they discovered one person who was said to be missing 46 times, and others who appeared several times under different names and spellings.

Labour MP Diane Abbott (pictured) claimed the true number would be in 'triple figures'

There were also a number of false claims. Eight people have been charged or are under investigation for fraud.

Earlier this month, Anh Nhu Nguyen, 52, admitted two counts of fraud after claiming his wife and son had died in the blaze to pocket 12,500 intended to help victims.

Specialist teams have spent months sifting through hundreds of tons of rubble using just their hands and sieves in a bid to retrieve human remains.

Investigators quickly discovered occupant records kept by the council and tenant management organisation were hopelessly inaccurate.

Instead, they used mobile phone location data and even information from local takeaway firms to try to identify every occupant. But the breakthrough came from a CCTV camera which captured footage of everyone who entered and escaped the building.

Officers meticulously identified and counted every person who entered in the hours and days before the fire, and then recorded everyone who had left or escaped.

Mr Cundy said he was aware of 'speculation and disbelief' about the final death toll, but he defended his officers' work.

'We have done a fingertip search, a forensic search of every single flat and every single communal area. We have pushed the boundaries,' he said. 'We have worked with experts and specialists from all over the world because we need the families to have absolute confidence in the process we have undertaken.'

Asked why some people did not believe the police figure, he added: 'I think there will still be speculation but why on earth would we want to be covering any of this up?

'We have put huge energy and effort from a huge team to get to this point. I am incredibly proud of this work, which has taken place in incredibly challenging conditions.

The devastating blaze in west London broke out on June 14 and more than 200 people managed to escape

'It is distressing for them but not half as distressing as for those who have lost loved ones.'

Police said the criminal investigation into what went wrong 'continues apace', with huge amounts of material collected from dozens of organisations. Officers are also investigating eight alleged cases of fraud, including several by people who falsely claimed they lost loved ones and received handouts.

Searches in the tower are expected to be completed within weeks. It could be released by the police by the spring, and will then be demolished.

Experts have been called in to recreate how the fire started and spread, in some cases using materials recovered from the undamaged lower floors.

Hundreds of tons of rubble, which potentially contains incinerated human remains, will be handed over to the coroner and eventually buried.

Asked about whether anyone could face corporate manslaughter charges, Mr Cundy said: 'Whether we  secure sufficient evidence to prove a criminal offence or ultimately to bring proceedings against an individual or person I'm not in a position to say. It is going to be a long and complex investigation.'

The unborn baby killed by cyanide fumes

The youngest victim of the Grenfell inferno was an unborn baby boy who was stillborn after being poisoned by cyanide fumes.

Andreia Gomes, 37, who was seven months pregnant, awoke from a medically induced coma to discover her baby, whom she had already named Logan, was dead.

She says her family were failed by the authorities, later telling council bosses: 'You killed my son.'

Mrs Gomes lived on the 21st floor of the tower block with her husband Marcio and daughters Luana, 12, and Megan, ten.

They made five 999 calls as they spent two hours trapped inside, but were told to 'stay put'  despite their curtains and furniture bursting into flames.

Shortly before 4am the family decided it was 'now or never' and left their home to stagger down a smoke-filled stairwell.

At one stage Mr Gomes, 38, an Ofsted inspector, realised his elder daughter was no longer with them and ran back up to find her unconscious. He said: 'We had to go down the stairs from the 21st floor. You couldn't see anything. We had to step over bodies.'

Andreia Gomes, 37, (pictured with her husband Marcio) was seven months pregnant and awoke from a coma to discover her baby was dead

Baby Logan was later delivered by caesarean section at King's College Hospital in South London, but did not have a heartbeat. Mrs Gomes said: 'They believed that the poisons went in and obviously everything goes to the baby. The amount he received, it was obviously enough to stop his heart.'

Mr Gomes had to break the devastating news to his daughters.

He said: 'We didn't use soft words. We didn't say her baby brother was sleeping with the angels. We used the real words and told her that Logan died and the reasons why Logan died.'

His wife blamed 'cut corners' during the renovation of the tower block for many deaths that could have been avoided. She said: 'When you go ahead ignoring something like that I feel that you don't care. You just killed so many people and you just killed my son.

'Because in a normal situation I could have gone out and he could have survived. But because of the conditions, he passed away.'

Richard Hull, a professor of chemistry at the University of Central Lancashire, said the toxic cyanide fumes may have come from plastic foam insulation.
Kim Jong-un's 'aggressive' bid to build his first ballistic missile submarine has been revealed in a satellite images showing a new 'pressure hull' at a key military base.

Overhead pictures, taken just weeks ago, show construction work and increased activity at North Korea's Sinpo South naval shipyard.

The images could be an indication that Pyongyang is pursuing an 'aggressive schedule' to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine, according to the respected Washington-based 38 North institute, which monitors the secretive state.

Kim Jong-un's 'aggressive' bid to build his first ballistic missile submarine has been revealed in a satellite images showing a new 'pressure hull' at a key military base. This image from November 5 shows a SINPO-class submarine and submersible test stand barge at the Sinpo South naval shipyard

Overhead pictures, taken just weeks ago, show construction work and increased activity at North Korea's Sinpo South naval shipyard. The images above shows one of North Korea's ROMEO-class submarines being overhauled at a dry-dock

Kim Jong-un (pictured) has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States

'The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarine's pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine - the follow-on to the current SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine,' 38 North said of the November 5 pictures.

Its report said that throughout 2017 there had been continued movement of parts and components into and out of two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the center of the shipyard.

It said the images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarine's pressure hull.

It said these appeared larger than those for North Korea's ROMEO-class attack submarine.

Images of a test stand indicated continued testing of a mechanism for ejection launch of missiles from a submarine.

38 NOrth said the images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarine's pressure hull. It said these appeared larger than those for North Korea's ROMEO-class attack submarine

The images could be an indication that Pyongyang is pursuing an 'aggressive schedule' to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine, according to the respected Washington-based 38 North institute. This November 5 image shows modernisation work at the port of Nopyong-ni ongoing

There are fears that work to create new piers (pictured) could be proof of Kim Jong-un's plans to build a new ballistic missile submarine

However, the report said no activity could be seen suggesting preparations for a new test of a submarine-launched missile.

North Korea has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States, sparking a major international crisis in which U.S. President Donald Trump has said that all options are under consideration, including military ones.

North Korea is also thought to be working on a solid-fuel missile for submarine launches.

Last month, The Diplomat magazine quoted a U.S. government source as saying U.S. military intelligence had detected a new diesel-electric submarine under construction at Sinpo and dubbed it the Sinpo-C.

A close-up image shows a missile test stand. North Korea has enraged the international community with its missile and nuclear tests

North Korea is also thought to be working on a solid-fuel missile for submarine launches. This images shows the building of a new construction hall

It said the submarine was likely a larger successor to North Korea's single experimental ballistic missile submarine.

North Korea has conducted dozens of missile tests this year and its largest and biggest nuclear test on September 3. The past two months have seen a relative lull and it has not tested a missile since firing one over Japan on September 15.

Another article in The Diplomat last month quoted a U.S. government source as saying that North Korea had tested a new solid fuel engine sometime between October 15 and October 21. U.S. intelligence officials have declined to comment on this.
A Port Melbourne man who has a history of drugs and violence has escaped jail time for 'aggressively' punching a woman in the face at a New Year's Eve party in 2015.

Gokturk Aktas was at a house party in Prahran with his then-girlfriend, Denise Thornburgh - the former wife of nightclub entrepreneur Darren Thornburgh who was found dead at his country Victoria home on Monday.

The 30-year-old, who goes by the name George Royal, was fined $10,000 for the attack after he pleaded guilty in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, The Age reports.

Gokturk Aktas (right) was fined $10,000 for injuring a woman who tried to break up an argument between him and his then-girlfriend Denise Thornburgh (left)

His victim, accountant Melissa Lawson, attended the same party and was trying to extinguish an intense argument between the couple when Aktas set on her.

'He started to get really aggressive and grabbed a knife from the car. It got really heated with Denise and I said 'enough is enough,' she recalled.

'That's when he turned on me.'

Aktas punch Ms Lawson, causing large scale damage to the inside of her mouth including breaking one of her teeth and damaging several others.

Aktas (pictured) was at a house party in Prahran with Ms Thornburgh when they became engaged in a heated argument and Ms Lawson intervened

Aktas punch Ms Lawson, causing large scale damage to the inside of her mouth including breaking one of her teeth and damaging several others

Denise is the former wife of nightclub entrepreneur Darren Thornburgh who was found dead at his country Victoria home on Monday

Ms Lawon believes one of the financial broker's large rings were responsible for the severity of her injuries.

Atkas frequently parades his ample jewellery collection along with photos of expensive cars and bottles of scotch to social media.

Ms Lawson has been left significantly worse for wear both financially and emotionally, with dentist bills to fix her damaged teeth amounting to $6000.

Ms Thornburgh has since split with Atkas, who has long dealt with a drug addictions

'I'm happy that it's over with, but I'm still out of pocket and have to deal with the physical and psychological damage he caused me,' Ms Lawson said.

Despite Atkas' former drug and violence convictions and extensive drug addictions, he was cleared from any form of custodial sentence.

His lawyer confirmed in court his client had sought professional help to deal with his substance abuse, of which had lasted for more than five years.
The Mandalay Bay hotel - which was used by the Las Vegas shooter as the base for his sniper's nest - has now installed security guards at its elevators.

Stephen Paddock took 23 guns - many semi-automatic rifles - and thousands of rounds of ammunition into his hotel room before opening fire on a country music festival on October 1, killing 58 people.

Now two permanent security guards are based at the entrance to the elevators, The Las Vegas Review-Journal has reported.

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The Mandalay Bay hotel is permanently installing security guards at its elevators in order to stop a repeat of the sniper attack based in two of its rooms (pictured) on October 1

Stephen Paddock smuggled 23 guns, many semi-auto rifles with bump stocks to allow full-auto rates of fire, into his room over days leading up to his deranged attack

Anyone now wanting to use the elevators must show the guards their room keys before they are allowed to enter, staff who did not want to be named told the site.

They said the hotel had previously only guarded the elevators during major events, but that the new security placements were permanent.

The new policy also applies to the Delano hotel, which is also run by MGM Resorts International and is part of the same complex on The Strip.

Paddock not only killed almost 60 people when he fired down from two connected 32nd-floor rooms in the Mandalay Bay, but also injured 546 people.

He was found dead in his room by police, along with almost two dozen guns, many of which were semi-auto rifles fitted with bump-stock modifications that allow for automatic-level rates of fire.

Paddock (left) killed 58 and injured 546 in the mass shooting on the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. The Mandalay Bay's sister, the Delano (right) will also have elevator guards

Bump stocks, also called replacement stocks, work by allowing AR or AK rifles to fire at up to 800 rounds per minute by pulling the trigger repeatedly each time the gun recoils

On Wednesday, a South Carolina Mayor declared that he would introduce a city ordnance banning bump-stocks and the similarly dangerous trigger cranks.

Trigger cranks repeatedly depress the trigger as the shooter turns a crank modification, again allowing for rates of fire of up to 800 rounds a second.

Mayor Steve Benjamin of Columbia, a Democrat, said: 'I believe in responsible gun ownership, and I believe in common sense,' ABC News reported.

'That's why I've decided to do what our federal and statement governments are either unable or unwilling to do.'

It's unclear when the ordinance will go into place.
A New Zealand immigrant father-of-three has been sentenced to six months in prison after violently punching a stranger in the face outside a Melbourne pub.

Jordan Ngaputa, 27, king hit a stranger outside the Grand Hotel in Frankston on July 8, 2017.

Ngaputa laughed as he arrived at Frankston Magistrates' Court on Thursday, according to 9 News.

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Jordan Ngaputa, 27, king hit a stranger outside the Grand Hotel in Frankston on July 8, 2017

The court heard Ngaputa was excessively drunk at the pub on July 8 and had tried to start fights with others

He pleaded guilty to charges of recklessly causing injury, behaving indecently and being drunk in public.

The court heard Ngaputa was excessively drunk at the pub on July 8 and had tried to start fights with others, according to the Herald Sun.

He also dropped his pants in an indecent act.

The victim was walking along Nepean Highway near Davey Street when Ngaputa punched him in the face in a random attack.

The man was unconscious before he hit the ground, such was the force of Ngaputa's punch.

Ngaputa then fled the scene of the attack in a friend's car.

Defence lawyer Pankaj Sharma said Ngaputa was too drunk to remember the attack, but he was remorseful

Defence lawyer Pankaj Sharma said Ngaputa was too drunk to remember the attack, but he was remorseful.

Magistrate Julian Ayres told Ngaputa the attack could've caused the victim's death.

'We need to protect the community from this type of behaviour, it is completely unacceptable and horrendous behaviour.'

Ngaputa was jailed for six months and placed on an 18-month community corrections order.

He has also been barred from any licensed premises for two years.
Penfolds had similar copyright issues in 2010, as did Henschke Wines in 2012

Alibaba, parent company of Taobao, alerted the police to the ongoing wine scam

Bottles with fake Rawson's Retreat, Grange and Bin 128 labels were being sold

Police arrested thirteen people in connection with the scam, including suppliers

More than 14,000 bottles of wine purporting to be Penfolds were seized in China

The vulnerability of Australia's wine industry to counterfeiting has been exposed by a raid in China which uncovered more than 14,000 bottles labelled as being Penfolds' top-shelf products but filled with cheap substitute.

Parent company Treasury Wine Estates lodged an official complaint in August, which came to fruition on Wednesday police arrested thirteen people in connection with the scam after a three-month investigation.

Bottles with fake Rawson's Retreat and Bin 128 labels - as well as iconic top-of-the-line Grange labels that can retail for upwards of a thousand dollars - were being sold on Taobao for as little as $40.

Shanghai police have arrested and detained 13 suspects accused of selling fake Penfolds wine

Police in Shanghai have seized over 14,000 bottles of fake premium Australian Penfolds wine

Alibaba - the company that owns the consumer-to-consumer sales site Taobao - tipped off the authorities, the Herald Sun reported.

Subsequently, police discovered about 2000 bottles of wine in a Shanghai warehouse belonging to a Mr Dai.

Authorities also found 10,000 more bottles in two separate warehouses in the port city of Xiamen, owned by Mr Dai's supplier Mr Su.

Fairfax Media reported that police located another 2000 bottles during the arrests of five online retailers who were selling to pubs, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Treasury Wine Estates have applauded Chinese police for their role in helping bring down the fraudulent operation.

'This is a significant step forward in helping combat illegal operators,' Treasury Wine Estates said. 'Importantly, legitimate sales of Treasury Wine Estates' quality wines remain to be extremely strong.'

This isn't the first time that Penfolds has run into difficulties in the Asian market - 'Benfolds' wine, with similar packaging to Treasury Wine's Penfolds brand, was found in China in 2010.

But Penfolds is not the only brand to have issued with counterfeit products bearing their brand name being sold in China.

The wines were being sold on a consumer-to-consumer online marketplace called Taobao

The Penfolds brand has had problems with counterfeit in the China market since at least 2010

In 2012, Barossa Valley's Henschke Wines was forced to contemplate legal action over fake 'Hill of Glory' brand that was being promoted.

'Hill of Grace' retails in Australia for more than $300 a bottle, but the company was told that Chinese law did not recognise intellectual property.

Grope Hamilton Lawyers intellectual property specialist Michael Hamilton told Adelaide Now that small and medium Australian wineries such as Henschke would find it 'absolutely impossible' to contemplate taking legal action in China.

The Export Group's chief executive for Greater China, Shanghai-based marketing consultant Matthew McKenzie, said that fakes were an 'absolutely critical issue' for Australian brands because they risked brand integrity.

He advises high-risk companies to put a unique QR code on the product before it arrives in China.
It's hard to live without home comforts when you're backpacking.

But one Aussie reached breaking point this week  and messaged his favourite Mexican chain to rant about the lack of a good burrito in his life.

Cal Ryan, from Brisbane, has spent the past six months eating his way across Europe but still missed his favourite meal from home.

In a last-ditch effort, he took to Guzman Y Gomez's Facebook page and challenged them to fly him home from London (and back) just to get his burrito fix.

Cal Ryan (above), from Brisbane, has spent the past six months eating his way across Europe

Guzman Y Gomez are flying Cal home to get his burrito fix next week after he complained about the lack of a good burrito in his life

'Hi there, I would just like to report my disgust in your inability to provide Guzman over in Europe,' Cal wrote.

'I feel deprived and marginalised. It's been 6 months now that I've been backpacking Europe.

'And although the abundance of exotic cuisines has tested and changed my palette, there is one food that still chases me in my dreams each night.

'A chicken fajita burrito bowl with brown rice and guacamole (guacamole is a given).'

He challenged them to fly him home for the treat, which they happily took him up on.

Cal says he's been craving a chicken fajita burrito bowl with brown rice and guacamole

Guzman Y Gomez said they'd fly Cal home for a meal if he racked up 3,000 comments and 1,000 shares on the post

Guzman shared Cal's post and said he needed to rack up 3,000 comments and 1,000 shares by November 26 and they would fly him home for the chicken burrito he so craved.

And Australia quickly jumped on the campaign to 'Bring Cal Home for a burrito.'

The goal was hit within 24 hours, so next week, Cal will be flown home to attend Guzman's 100th store opening on the Gold Coast.

Guzman will be flying him to the opening of their 100th store on the Gold Coast next week

CAL RYAN'S FACEBOOK RANT Hi there, I would just like to report my disgust in your inability to provide Guzman over in Europe. I feel deprived and marginalised. It's been 6 months now that I've been backpacking Europe. And although the abundance of exotic cuisines has tested and changed my palette, there is one food that still chases me in my dreams each night. A chicken fajita burrito bowl with brown rice and guacamole (guacamole is a given...). I put forward a proposition for a new campaign, or gofundme page. 'Bring Cal Home for a burrito.' Where I'm flown from London to Brisbane for a burrito, and then back to London where I shall continue to live my life. If this is something you're open to. If you're open to collaboration, please let me know. Yours faithfully in Mexican spices, Cal Ryan Advertisement

From there, he'll be flown to Canberra to receive his burrito by drone before heading back to London.

Understandably, Cal is delighted.

'GUYS  THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Guzman Y Gomez IS FLYINE ME LONDON > HOME FOR A BURRITO > LONDON,' he wrote on Facebook.

'A massive thank you to everyone who saw my dream with me and supported. I love you guys!'
A man hunt is under way for two men who ram raided a Melbourne service station early Friday morning before colliding head-on with a police car as they fled the scene.

The gold-coloured Nissan smashed through the doors of the business on Wellington Street in Montmorency about 5.30am, 3AW reports.

Clad in high visibility clothing, the thieves stole cigarettes from the store before fleeing in the sedan on the wrong side of the road.

A man hunt is under way for two men who ram raided a Melbourne service station early Friday morning

The pair were travelling down Bolton Street in Eltham when their car smashed into a police vehicle, causing it to spin around before becoming wedged on some rocks.

Neither of the two officers were injured in the crash, but the police car sustained extensive damage.

The offending vehicle, which has no number plates, has not yet been located and the bandits are still on the run.
Police have smashed an alleged organised crime syndicate, seizing cash and drugs in a series of raids on secret meth labs.

Detectives from Strike Force Cower shut down three alleged clandestine drug labs located in Sydney's west and arrested three men and a woman during the operation.

Specialist police wearing orange boiler suits and Fire and Rescue officers were called in to search the three alleged drug laboratories and a small hydroponics set-up.

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Police have smashed an alleged organised crime syndicate, reportedly seizing cash and drugs in a series of raids on secret meth labs (pictured is a man arrested during the raids)

Detectives from Strike Force Cower shut down alleged three clandestine drug labs located in Sydney's west and arrested three men and a woman during the operation

Specialist police wearing orange boiler suits (pictured) and Fire and Rescue officers were called in to search the alleged three drug laboratories and a small hydroponics set-up

After arresting a 37-year-old Bankstown man in Liverpool on Thursday afternoon detectives executed seven search warrants across the city's western suburbs.

Police then raided homes in Bankstown, Bonnyrigg, Cabramatta, Canley Heights, Green Valley, Mt Pritchard, and Parramatta.

Along with ice, ephedrine, amphetamine, cannabis, LSD, ice, and heroin, police allegedly seized 27 cannabis plants, ammunition, electronic equipment and mobile phones.

They allegedly found precursors, glassware and other items used to manufacture the illegal drug ice, as will as various liquid which will undergo testing.

After arresting a 37-year-old Bankstown man in Liverpool on Thursday afternoon detectives executed seven search warrants across the city's western suburbs (pictured is a man arrested during the raids)

Police then raided homes in Bankstown, Bonnyrigg, Cabramatta, Canley Heights, Green Valley, Mt Pritchard, and Parramatta (pictured is cash seized by police)

Along with ice, ephedrine, amphetamine, cannabis, LSD, ice, and heroin, police allegedly seized 27 cannabis plants, ammunition, electronic equipment and mobile phones (pictured are items found in the drug labs)

Police (pictured) allegedly found precursors, glassware and other items used to manufacture the illegal drug ice, as will as various liquid which will undergo testing

Over $57,000 in cash was allegedly found in metal boxes and bags, as well as $3800 in US dollars.

During the raids Strike Force Cower detectives arrested a 29-year-old Mount Pritchard man, a 23-year-old Cabramatta man and a 31-year-old Bankstown woman.

The 37-year-old was charged with with 15 counts of drug supply, as well as being hit with 21 other charges, including knowingly participate in criminal group assist crime.

Over $57,000 in cash was allegedly found in metal boxes and bags, as well as $3800 in US dollars (pictured is a man arrested during the raids)

During the raids Strike Force Cower detectives arrested a 29-year-old Mount Pritchard man, a 23-year-old Cabramatta man and a 31-year-old Bankstown woman (pictured are items found in the drug labs)

The 37-year-old was charged with with 15 counts of drug supply, as well as being hit with 21 other charges, including knowingly participate in criminal group assist crime (pictured are the raids in progress)

He was refused bail and will appear at Liverpool Local Court on Friday.

The 29-year-old was charged with two counts of manufacture prohibited drug, seven counts of drug supply, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity, along with three firearms charges.

The 31-year-old woman was charged with two counts of manufacture prohibited drug, two counts of supply prohibited drug, deal with property proceeds of crime, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity.

They were refused bail and will appear at Bankstown Local Court on Friday.

The 29-year-old was charged with two counts of manufacture prohibited drug, seven counts of drug supply, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity, along with three firearms charges (pictured is a man arrested during the raids)

The 31-year-old woman was charged with two counts of manufacture prohibited drug, two counts of supply prohibited drug, deal with property proceeds of crime, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity (pictured is cash seized by police)

The 23-year-old man was charged with two counts of possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit, take part in manufacture of prohibited drug, possess prohibited drug, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity (pictured are items seized in the raids)

The Drug Squad's Chemical Operation Unit began an investigation into the manufacture and supply of ice in Sydney's southwest in June 2017 (pictured are the raids in progress

The 23-year-old man was charged with two counts of possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit, take part in manufacture of prohibited drug, possess prohibited drug, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity.

He was granted strict conditional bail and will face Liverpool Local Court on December 11.

The Drug Squad's Chemical Operation Unit began an investigation into the manufacture and supply of ice in Sydney's southwest in June 2017.

Strike Force Cower detectives allegedly seized three firearms, ammunition, ice, heroin, cocaine, and MDMA before the latest series of raids.

Strike Force Cower detectives allegedly seized three firearms, ammunition, ice, heroin, cocaine, and MDMA before the latest series of raids (pictured is cash seized by police)
Christian Democrat Party leader Reverend Fred Nile has claimed 'God' prompted him to incorrectly recount a story about euthanasia while debating against voluntary assisted death laws in the NSW Parliament.

A bill to allow patients 25 years or older, whose deaths are imminent and are in excruciating pain, the option to choose how they die was voted down by one vote on Thursday night.

During the heated discussion, Reverend Nile recalled a story about a patient in the U.S. state of Oregon, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Christian Democrat Party leader Reverend Fred Nile (pictured) has claimed 'God' prompted him to incorrectly recount a story about euthanasia while debating the subject in the NSW Parliament

Despite backing up his story when it was called into question by Nationals MP Trevor Khan (pictured), Reverend Nile admitted on Friday that he had made an error

He claimed the female patient had elected to die via lethal injection but changed her mind at the last minute.

'The doctor said, "But you have signed a consent form." She said, "No." The doctor said to her relatives, "Would you hold her down while I give her the lethal injection?'',' he told the room of MPs.

Despite backing up his story when it was called into question by Nationals MP Trevor Khan, Reverend Nile admitted on Friday that he had made an error.

The specific case actually occurred in the Netherlands and the elderly female patient who had dementia had awoken after being sedated so relatives needed to assist the doctor, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

The doctor was investigated and cleared.

Reverend Nile said he had not intended to mention the story but it appeared in his mind during the debate.

'Whether God prompted me  I got a full blown visual of that report so I just started quoting from memory,' he said.

'I probably should have had it in front of me'.

A bill to allow patients 25 years or older, whose deaths are imminent and are in excruciating pain, the option to choose how they die was voted down by one vote on Thursday night

During the heated discussion, Reverend Nile recalled a story about a patient in the U.S. state of Oregon who he claimed had elected to die via lethal injection but changed her mind at the last minute

Advocates for voluntary euthanasia are 'devastated' proposed legislation has been voted down in NSW's upper house but are vowing to continue their fight to change the state's laws.

MPs teared up as they made their pleas for and against the bill during a lengthy debate in the Legislative Council which ran late into the night.

In the end, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017 was defeated 20 votes to 19.

Dying with Dignity advocate Shayne Higson was overwhelmed after the result.

'We knew the numbers would be tight but we were led to believe we just had the numbers,' Ms Higson said on Friday.

'But 24 hours before the debate two members of the upper house changed their position.

'It was challenging emotionally to sit through this debate. It really felt like politicians were unwilling to listen to the vast majority and were turning their back on terminally ill people and their families.'

'Whether God prompted me  I got a full blown visual of that report so I just started quoting from memory,' Mr Nile (pictured) said

Ms Higson says most objections to the bill were on religious grounds.

A recent Australia-wide opinion poll suggested 87 per cent of Australians support letting patients die when they are hopelessly ill and experiencing unrelievable suffering.

Nationals MP Trevor Khan, who introduced the private members bill into parliament, on Friday vowed he'd 'never give up the fight''.

'You've just got to pick yourself up and look at how you move forward, otherwise you're not doing the right thing by the people you're trying to help,' he told AAP.

Mr Khan said the Parliamentary Working Group on Assisted Dying will 'regroup' before re-introducing another draft bill before the next state election in March 2019.

Adam Wright from Family Voice welcomed the defeat of the NSW bill.

'We're obviously very happy with this victory - but the bigger issue is the need for better end-of-life care,' he said on Friday.

'NSW is spending $100 million over four years but the experts are saying that's not enough and the option to euthanise shouldn't be the way to compensate.'

Victorian MPs, meanwhile, are currently debating that state's assisted dying bill, with a vote due in the upper house later on Friday or early on Saturday.
A Northern Territory royal commission wants the notorious Don Dale Youth Detention Centre closed and an Australian-first increase in the age of criminal responsibility after shocking failures it says have been ignored at the highest levels.

The $54 million juvenile justice inquiry also wants Don Dale's high security unit where boys have been tear gassed, wearing spithoods and shackled shut immediately before the centre's full closure and an end to long periods of isolation and restraint for youth inmates.

The child protection and youth justice royal commission pushes for a major policy shift favouring rehabilitation and community-led measures over electorally popular 'tough on crime' solutions.

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Dylan Voller was one of the high-profile faces of the youths handcuffed, hooded and strapped to restraint chairs at Don Dale in the footage aired on TV last year that sparked the inquiry

'The time for tinkering around the edges and ignoring the conclusions of the myriad of inquiries that have already been conducted must come to an end,' commissioners Margaret White and Mick Gooda said on Friday as their final report was released.

The commissioners said systemic failures occurred over many years and were ignored at the highest levels.

'The failures we have identified have cost children and families greatly, they have not made communities safer and they are shocking,' they said.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner promised the most comprehensive overhaul of youth justice in territory history.

The $54 million juvenile justice inquiry also wants Don Dale's high security unit where boys have been tear gassed, wearing spithoods and shackled shut immediately

'The failures we have identified have cost children and families greatly, they have not made communities safer and they are shocking,' the commissioners said about Don Dale (pictured)

Mr Gunner said it was sobering that the report was borne out of the treatment of children in the NT government's care at Don Dale

'We cannot let this report sit on the shelf gathering dust like so many that have come before,' he told a community event for the final report's release.

Mr Gunner said it was sobering that the report was borne out of the treatment of children in the NT government's care.

'It will live as a stain on the Northern Territory reputation,' he said.

'For this I am sorry. But more than this I'm sorry for the stories that live in the children we failed.

'Youth justice is supposed to make our kids better, not break them.'

The commissioners said systemic failures at the centre occurred over many years and were ignored at the highest levels

'For this I am sorry. But more than this I'm sorry for the stories that live in the children we failed,' NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the attorney-general and indigenous affairs minister said most of the royal commission's recommendations are matters for the NT but the federal government will carefully consider the findings.

Many of the recommendations have wider implications for all jurisdictions, they said.

The royal commission believes its youth justice recommendations will save the NT government nearly $336 million over the next decade.

In contrast, if no action is taken youth detention costs would rise to $113 million a year, from $37 million, by 2026/27.

Dylan Voller (pictured) was one of the high-profile faces of the youths handcuffed, hooded and strapped to restraint chairs at Don Dale in the footage aired on TV last year that sparked the inquiry

The commissioners advised the Gunner NT government, which has already committed to replacing Don Dale (pictured), to instead invest in small facilities

'Human costs dwarf financial considerations and if no action is taken these will continue to escalate beyond the already unacceptable levels,' Ms White and Mr Gooda said.

The commissioners advised the Gunner NT government, which has already committed to replacing Don Dale, to instead invest in small facilities.

Dylan Voller was one of the high-profile faces of the youths handcuffed, hooded and strapped to restraint chairs at Don Dale in the footage aired on TV last year that sparked the inquiry.

'Dylan Voller & other detainees who gave evidence have been vidicated,' he lawyer Peter O'Brien tweeted.

Ms White and Mr Gooda said youths like Mr Voller were incarcerated, ignored and deprived of their basic needs and held in unspeakably bad conditions at Don Dale (pictured)

Ms White and Mr Gooda said youths like Mr Voller were incarcerated, ignored and deprived of their basic needs and held in unspeakably bad conditions.

The commission wants the age when children can be charged, brought to court and imprisoned lifted from 10 years to 12, in what would be a first for Australia.

It also called for an end to the detention of kids under 14 years unless they have been convicted of a serious crime and to the use of restraints and isolation for managing detainee behaviour.

The NT's peak Aboriginal organisations want the commission's recommendations implemented fully.
A Sydney man has been jailed for at least 33 years for the sexual assault and brutal murder of a 16-year-old boy in a vacant house.

Aymen Terkmani, 24, was found guilty in August of sexually assaulting and murdering Mahmoud Hrouk in May 2015 at an unoccupied Fairfield East home.

NSW Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum on Friday sentenced Terkmani to a maximum of 45 years in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years.

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Maha Dunia (right) watched as her son, Mahmoud Hrouk's rapist and killer, Aymen Terkmani, was sentenced to 45 years behind bars on Friday

Mahmoud's mother, Maha Dunia, thanked the court for its decision as she addressed media outside on Friday, ABC news reports.

'We all believe in the laws, we are all under the law here,' she said.

Mahmoud had reportedly been affected by ecstasy when he was beaten with a toaster and rolling pin, before he was then strangled and sexually assaulted on May 16.

While describing Terkmanis horrific actions as psycho-sexually motivated, Justice McCallum said he should not be regarded as beyond redemption.

She described the victim as a kind-hearted, generous teenager who worked hard to support his family and hoped to one day build a mansion for his mother.

His numerous injuries included a skull fracture, brain damage, fractured ribs, fractured eye socket, collapsed lung and internal injuries.

The teenager's half-naked body was reportedly discovered the following morning in a pool of blood.

Mahmoud's family had frantically searched the neighbourhood for him following his disappearance, with his mother Maha Dunia last speaking to him at 9.42pm.

Mahmoud's family and friends attended the sentencing at the New South Wales Supreme Court on Friday

Mahmoud (pictured) was brutally bashed and sexually assaulted in an unoccupied Fairfield East home in May 2015. His body discovered the following morning

Aymen Terkmani, 24, (pictured) faces a maximum of 45 years behind bars for the sexual assault and murder of Mahmoud Hrouk

The now 24-year-old Terkmani claimed he parted from the teenager at 7.30pm after they ate at McDonald's

The teenager had whispered 'Mum, I'm with Aymen,' before their call was cut off.

Ms Dunia testified she was in bed when Mahmoud left for his labouring job about 5.30am and asked her: 'Mum do you need anything before I leave?'

She replied no and said 'God bless you' as he left the house and later phoned him around 9pm to tell him to come home.

He replied he was with a friend and would come home on his pushbike, but in a second call, she told him: 'Don't worry about the bike I'm coming to pick you up.'

The family began searching the neighbourhood and reported Mahmoud missing to police.

Terkmani showed no reaction to the verdict and is due to be sentenced in October

During the search, Ms Dunia allegedly saw her son's pushbike outside Terkmani's house but by the next morning it was in a nearby street.

Mahmoud's father, Azzam Hrouk, told the jury that during the search he kept looking for someone on the ground next to a bicycle.

'I thought he might have fallen, had an accident,' he said.

After he was told the bike was seen outside Terkmani's house, Mr Hrouk went there around 4am and spoke to Terkmani who said 'I don't know any Mahmoud'.

Terkmani later claimed he parted from the teenager at 7.30pm after they ate at McDonald's.

Footage later revealed Terkmani (pictured) visited the Fairfield Police Station just hours before committing the gruesome offence

His father testified his son was at home at the time of the murder, with Terkmani showing no reaction to the verdict as it was handed down.

Footage showed Aymen Terkmani visiting Fairfield Police Station on May 16, 2015, just hours before he sexually assaulted and killed Mahmoud.

The 24-year-old had attended the station around 4pm for bail conditions related to a prior drugs charge.
A passerby spotted what she thought was a dead rabbit and alerted authorities - but it turned out to just be sleeping.

Karlee, 18, spotted what she thought was a dead rabbit in the window of Pets in Melbourne Central on Friday.

She went in to the shop and alerted the RSPCA, before City of Melbourne inspectors arrived at the store.

A Melbourne shopper spotted what she thought was a dead rabbit in the window of Pets in Melbourne Central on Friday (pictured)

Karlee said the rabbit looked like it wasnt breathing, and had red eyes.

It wasnt moving at all, she told 3AW.

A staff member at the shop named Poppy told Daily Mail Australia the rabbit was 'fine', and only sleeping.

'Our staff clean the cages every morning and make sure they are healthy.

'The rabbit is fine, it's asleep, it's not dying.'

A City of Melbourne spokesman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they inspected the store twice and the rabbit was sleeping.

'On the second occasion the rabbits were all awake and all in good condition,' he said.
A Florida man has been found guilty of shooting dead his ex-girlfriend in front of their young son, before murdering her parents and new boyfriend in 2014.

Adam Matos, 32, of Hudson, may face the death penalty after he was convicted of the brutal quadruple murder on Thursday.

The body of his ex-girlfriend Megan Brown, 27, was found dead on top of a hill in Pasco County, alongside her parents, Margaret and Greg Brown, both 52, and her new boyfriend, Nicholas Leonard, 37.

Adam Matos, 32, (pictured in court Thursday) of Hudson, may face the death penalty after he was convicted of the brutal quadruple murder on Thursday

The body of his ex-girlfriend Megan Brown, 27, (pictured) was found dead on top of a hill in Pasco County, alongside her parent sand her new boyfriend in 2014

Cops say his shot dead his ex, and her father, at their home, before he battered Brown's mother and new boyfriend to death with a hammer.

Matos was arrested on September 5, 2014, at a Tampa Bay area hotel with his missing four-year-old autistic son, Ismael Tristan Santisteban.

The suspect sat emotionless in court as the verdict was read out on Thursday while the victim's family erupted into sobs.

'The worst part is over,' Leonard's mother, Paula Rystrom, told the Tampa Bay Times.

Matos sat emotionless in court as the verdict was read out on Thursday while the victim's family erupted into sobs

Matos (left and right in previous court appearances) stunned the court by dramatically confessing from the witness stand Thursday

Arrest: SWAT teams swarmed the Floridian Hotel in Tampa on September 5 2014 and arrested Adam Matos

Matos had denied murdering his ex and her family, as well as her new partner, and refuted a police report that stated he had threatened Megan Brown with a knife on August 28, - the last day anyone had heard from her. He offered up his own theory of what happened, claiming a woman was stalking Brown and sending her threatening letters.

But the 32-year-old stunned the court by dramatically confessing from the witness stand Thursday.

He said a combination of self-defense and 'paranoia' drove him to kill the family of his ex, and had left his four-year-old son, who has autism, alone at the murder scene when he went to buy a shovel to bury the bodies.

Killed: The body of Nicholas Leonard, pictured here, was found on top of a hill in Pasco County

Margaret and Greg Brown, both 52, were found dead in 2014 at the hands of Matos

He described August 28, 2014, as 'the worst day of my life, a horrible experience, like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.'

Matos, who was born in Philadelphia and had lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and New York City, said he met Brown six years ago but the relationship ended two weeks before the murders.

The sentencing phase begins Monday and Assistant State Attorney Chris LaBruzzo said prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty. A jury must reach a unanimous decision for a death penalty to be imposed.

'Either way his life is over,' said Leonard's father, Daniel Leonard after the trial, 'and that's basically all we can really ask for, to keep him off the streets, because obviously he was not a very good person.'
Veteran newsreader Tracey Spicer - investigating sex offenders in the Australian media industry - met with Hey Dad! victim Sarah Monahan this week

The most famous victim of Hey Dad! paedophile Robert Hughes has urged women abused by Australian media identities to come forward.

Sarah Monahan was sexually abused by the famous actor when she played his daughter Jenny on the Seven Network sitcom from 1987 to 1993.

In a new interview, Ms Monahan said the stream of women coming forward with allegations against international celebrities was making her very happy.

'It's so exciting there's so many coming out now,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'Every day I'm like, who's it going to be? Who's it going to be today?'

And with knowledge and contacts from her years spent helping bring Hughes to justice, Ms Monahan has pitched in to help veteran newsreader Tracey Spicer.

Spicer recently launched a local investigation into the behaviour of Australian media identities in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

The journalist has vowed to name and shame 'serial predators' in the industry who she had said were responsible for a 'tsunami' of sexual assault.

Sarah Monahan (pictured) told the Daily Mail she was 'excited' by the number of women publicly making allegations - having been there, done that, herself

Hey Dad! star Robert Hughes is serving a 10-year and 9-month jail sentence for molesting four girls during the 1980s

Ms Monahan said she women who had suffered in silence 'should find the strength - whether they do it publicly or privately - to go to police and lodge a police report.

'We dont know how many each one (of these men) has attacked.

'They (victims) could be the one that changes everything.'

The rolling scandal - which has seen allegations leveled against the likes of Weinstein and House of Cards' Kevin Spacey - had just one key lesson for men, she said.

'Don't touch people without their consent,' she said.

Earlier this week, Ms Monahan - who lives in the United States but is in Australia to promote the SeeSayDo incident reporting app - told Radio 2GB she heard one of the men targeted by Spicer had sought legal advice.

Ms Monahan, who played Jenny on Hey Dad!, has predicted more Australian celebrities will be exposed as sex offenders

'Ive heard one of them has already contacted lawyers because they know theyre about to be outed,' she said on Thursday afternoon.

Celebrities the Australian public hadn't suspected of being sex offenders would be exposed, she claimed.

'It will be interesting and it will be people that some people will go, "Oh yeah that makes sense".

'And I think some of them will be people that nobody ever expected,'

Hughes, now 69, was jailed for 10 years and nine months in 2014, with a minimum six-year non-parole period, for the sexual and indecent assault of four young girls, including friends of his daughter.

Sarah Monahan (far right as Jenny in 1987) with fellow season one cast members of Hey Dad! Robert Hughes, Paul Smith, Simone Buchanan and Julie McGregor

He was convicted of 10 indecent and child sex charges committed during the 1980s.

This occurred four years after Monahan told Woman's Day and later A Current Affair she was molested on the set of Hey Dad!, a sitcom about a widowed architect Martin Kelly.

Several months before Hughes was convicted, fellow Hey Dad! cast members Christopher Truswell, Simone Buchanan, Julie McGregor and Ben Oxenbould spoke out about him on the Nine Network program.

In June Hughes, who is incarcerated at Goulburn jail in southern New South Wales, lost a High Court challenge to his convictions.
Mafia 'Boss of bosses' Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died in an Italian prison on Wednesday at the age of 87, while serving more than two dozen life sentences for his brutal crimes.

The Sicilian, nicknamed 'The Beast', succumbed to his battle with cancer at a prison hospital in Parma shortly after being put in medically-induced coma.

Riina was serving 26 life sentences and is believed to have ordered the killing of more that 150 people.

'God have mercy on him, as we won't,' an association for victims told the Fatto Quotidiano daily

The most high-profile murders he ordered were those in 1992 of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who had worked fearlessly to bring more than 300 mobsters to trial in 1987.

Riina was serving 26 life sentences and is believed to have ordered the killing of more that 150 men

Giuseppe Di Matteo who was kidnapped was strangled and his body dissolved in acid in a bid to stop his father from spilling Mafia secrets

Riina ordered the killings of fearless anti-Mafia judges Giovanni Falcone (left) and Paolo Borsellino

The aftermath of the bomb which killed Judge Borsellino in 1992. Riina is believed to have first murdered aged 19

Judge Falcone was also killed by a car bomb, in Palermo, Sicily, in 1992. Riina becamea foot soldier for volatile and vain boss Luciano Leggio, before taking over from him

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano looks at the remains of a police car destroyed during of the assassination of top judge Giovanni Falcone during a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the murder

His reign of terror continued from behind bars and he also famously ordered the brutal murder of a 13-year old boy Giuseppe Di Matteo who was kidnapped was strangled and his body dissolved in acid in a bid to stop his father from spilling Mafia secrets.

The boys father Santino Di Matteo made a desperate trip to Sicily to try to negotiate his son's release but on January 11, 1996 after 779 days, the boy, who by now had also become physically ill due to mistreatment, was finally strangled.

The body was subsequently dissolved in a barrel of acid to prevent the family holding a proper funeral at which they could mourn and to destroy evidence, a practice known as the 'lupara bianca'.

One of his life sentences was for ordering the hit, known as the 'Lazio Street Massacre', in which five people were gunned down in Palermo shootout.

Riina also planned a hit on Rudolph Giuliani, when the former mayor of New York was a state prosecutor in the 1980s.

Giuliani, a second generation Italian immigrant, went on to become the city's mayor and a national hero for his work combatting organised crime.

Riina, who was also dubbed 'U Curtu' ('Shorty') due to his 5-foot-2-inch (1.58) height, for years denied all links to the Mafia, nicknamed 'the octopus' for its tentacled reach into all areas of society.

Salvatore Riina when he was arrested for the death of Judge Giovanni Falcone

Salvatore 'Toto' Riina in court during a preliminary hearing in Palermo, Sicily, Italy in 1993

Italy's high court caused outrage earlier this year when they ruled that Riina 'deserved to die with dignity' in his own home as he fought terminal cancer

In 2009 he broke the Mafia code of 'omerta' - a vow of silence - and surprised those who thought he would take his secrets to the grave by admitting his link to the mob.

He was caught on a wiretap earlier this year saying he 'regrets nothing' and 'they'll never break me, even if they give me 3,000 years' in jail.

He is believed to have first murdered for the Mafia aged 19 and followed that a year later by killing a man during an argument - landing him behind bars for a six-year manslaughter stretch.

Once out, he became a foot soldier for volatile and vain boss Luciano Leggio, eventually taking over from him at the end of the 1970s when the cigar-puffing fugitive was caught and jailed.

Riina went on the run himself in 1969, but continued to lead the Corleonesi clan from hiding, increasing his influence by bumping off rivals such as Filippo Marchese, a hitman who garroted his victims in a 'room of death'.

The mobster would elude police efforts to snare him for almost a quarter of a century - without ever leaving Sicily - and took charge of Cosa Nostra's key businesses, from drug trafficking to kidnapping and racketeering.

Rudolph Giuliani pictured in 1987 with his prosecutors (from left to right) John Savarese, Michael Chertoff and Gil Childers in New York

His bloody victory in the Mafia War of the 1980s was to prove his undoing however, as mobsters from defeated rival families began turning state witness against him, and police tracked him to a house in Palermo.

The justice ministry had allowed his family a bedside visit at a hospital in Parma shortly before his death.

Earlier this year, Italy's highest court ruled that due to Riina's terminal illness, he had a right to 'die with dignity' under house arrest like any other terminally ill prisoner.

The decision drew fierce criticism from across the Italy's political spectrum and wider society.

The decision was left with a parole board in the northern city of Bologna, near Parma, where Riina was being held, but failed to make a ruling before his death on Wednesday.

The mobster was married to Antonietta Bagarella, a teacher from a mafioso family. He was father to four children, one of whom is behind bars for four murders.

'You're not Toto Riina to me, you're just my dad. And I wish you happy birthday dad on this sad but important day, I love you,' one son, Salvo, wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

Giuseppe Salvatore Riina, the son of the late mafia boss, waves as he leaves his mother's house in Corleone, southern Italy (left) and is pictured (right) leaving prison in 2008

Giovanni, Riina's eldest son, followed in his father's footsteps and is now serving a life sentence in jail.

His other son, also a mobster, last year sparked outrage in Italy by giving an interview in which he described his childhood as 'nice' and refused to denounce the mob.

Salvo has written a book about growing up as the son of Italy's most wanted man, Salvatore 'Toto' Riina, and appeared on RAI's premier talkshow to promote it.

But not once during the interview did Riina criticise his father, and he refused to acknowledge the existence of the mafia, saying cryptically: 'It could be everything or it could be nothing'.

'The Beast's' other son, Giuseppe, is confined by law to the city of Padua.

Riina, due to his famed secrecy, is an enigmatic figure in Italian society. That has not stopped film makers from trying to dramatize his life on the silver screen.

In 1999, HBO produced the television film 'Excellent Cadavers' staring Victor Cavallo as Riina.

In 2007, Italian film makers produced a six-part miniseries on Riina based on his life and crimes.

Is superboss Riina's death the end of the Sicilian Mafia? With Mafia king Toto Riina's death, and heir Matteo Messina Denaro on the run, is it game over for Sicily's once all-powerful Cosa Nostra? 'Boss of bosses' Riina, who was nicknamed 'The Beast' because of his cruelty, led a reign of terror including the brutal daylight assassinations of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. He died Friday aged 87, just months after being caught on wiretaps in jail boasting afresh about his bloody crimes. 'Riina will go down in history as the man who destroyed Cosa Nostra,' Mafia expert Attilio Bolzoni said. 'With his strategy of bloody massacres in Sicily and across Italy... he turned an invisible Mafia visible, with hundreds, thousands of murders, carried out first with Kalashnikovs, then bombs.' 'For the first time in history, the state reacted mercilessly,' Bolzoni said, with the arrest of hundreds of bosses and the introduction of harsh anti-mafia laws that saw imprisoned gangsters held in utter isolation. Caught and jailed in 1993 after nearly a quarter of a decade as a fugitive, his revenge was swift: Cosa Nostra launched a series of bombings in Rome, Milan and Florence that killed 10 people. But he was unable to stop the decimation of the crime group - once nicknamed 'the octopus' for its tentacled reach into all areas of society - which was gradually supplanted by the Camorra in Naples and 'Ndrangheta in Calabria. 'An absolute monarchy' 'It's infinitely less powerful than before. After the deaths of (boss Bernardo) Provenzano and Riina, the only one at liberty is being hunted by the police,' the head of Italy's national anti-mafia body, Maurizio De Lucia, told AFP. Multi-murderer playboy Messina Denaro, one of the world's most-wanted men, is seen by many as Riina's natural heir but has been on the run since 1993. 'Cosa Nostra is a very strictly structured organisation, similar to an absolute monarchy. While the king still lives, it's not possible to think of picking a successor,' De Lucia said. 'The question now is whether the organisation is strong enough to identify and appoint an heir. Many of its bosses have been arrested, and enormous amounts of its patrimony has been seized' over the years, he said. 'We'll have to see whether Riina's death will lead to a new start - which I think unlikely - or whether it will be another step towards the crime group's demise,' he said. 'The truth' But prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, who spent 20 years in the DDA organisation of anti-mafia prosecutors, warned the days of shootouts and car bombs may be gone, but Cosa Nostra has been growing fat instead on political deals. 'We have greatly weakened the military apparatus of the Mafia, the massacres are over, murders are rare. But the Mafia has undergone a genetic modification,' Cartosio told AFP. 'The political sector has lent itself greatly to... (organised crime's) infiltration of the social fabric' and, as a consequence, 'the Mafia presence in the political sphere is much greater than before,' he said. And the battle is not only against 'the octopus' but also the 'Stidda', a rival group formed by former Cosa Nostra members during the Second Mafia War of the early 1980s. 'The Mafia is less military, less bloody than before, but it's very efficient,' he said. Pietro Grasso, Italy's senate speaker and a former anti-mafia magistrate, stressed Friday that the battle is not over. 'Riina takes with him many mysteries that would have been essential in uncovering the facts about alliances, political links, internal and external Mafia accomplices,' he said in a post on Facebook. 'But none of us must stop searching for the truth'. Advertisement




A Melbourne tradie has revealed the moment he was stuck in a sewer for two hours fearing for death.

Brandon Grech, 20, was buried alive up to his neck by mud in a five-metre sewer in Essendon, in Melbourne's north, after a wall collapsed Thursday afternoon.

The young father told Neil Mitchell on 3AW he thought he 'was gone'.

Melbourne tradie Brandon Grech (pictured) revealed moment he was stuck in sewer for two hours fearing for death

He started frantically digging himself out, but as the situation worsened a fire brigade was called to help lift him out of the underground sewer (pictured)

'I feared for my life. I thought I was gone,' Mr Grech said.

'Just doing my job, doing the maintenance on the sewer, and yeah, it come in on me.'

The 20-year-old tradie soon found himself pinned down and unable to move his legs.

He started frantically digging himself out, but as the situation worsened a fire brigade was called to help lift him out of the underground sewer.

'My shoelaces everything got cut off me, lost me work shorts as well,' Mr Grech said.

'I just told him I wanted to go home to my kids. [The firefighter] said he wanted to go home to the dogs that he had.'

According to 9 News, the young tradie was taken to hospital but only had a sore hip.
Ms Merrall was found guilty for storing and selling items stolen by Apex gang

Mr Merrall's mother Sue, 51, was last year charged with handling stolen goods

Mr Stevens, 33, died after being struck of his motorcycle by a stolen BMW

Tommy Merrall is accused of taking part in car accident that killed Keith Stevens

A teenager accused of being part of the car accident that killed a 33-year-old motorcyclist has been identified as the son of the 'matriarch' of the Apex gang.

Tommy Merrall, 18, is facing several charges for his alleged role in the death of Scottish tradie Keith Stevens, who was hit and killed on November 8 in Melbourne.

Mr Merrall's 51-year-old mother Sue reportedly allowed her property to be a safe house for members of the notorious gang, who would store their loot at her home after often violent and terrifying crime sprees.

Sue Merrall (pictured) is the mother of teenager Tommy Merrall, who is accused of being part of the car accident that killed a 33-year-old motorcyclist in Melbourne last week

Ms Merrall is the 'matriarch' of the notorious Apex gang, charged for handling goods stolen by the gang and on-selling the items for profit last year

Ms Merrall last year pleaded guilty to several charges relating to deception, handling stolen goods and dealing with proceeds of crime and perjury.

The mother-of-five appeared in Dandenong Magistrates court in February last year, charged with being 'actively involved in fencing these items, in receiving them and providing a safe haven for the Apex gang,' Magistrate Julie Ann ODonnell said.

The court also heard that 'Apex members were committing aggravated burglaries in the region and Sue was selling the items for cash'.

Ms Merrall is serving a community corrections order after spending 100 days on remand, the Herald Sun reports.

Police allege four people in a stolen BMW four-wheel drive hit Keith Stevens, 33, (pictured) as he rode his motorbike through Mitcham last week

Police allege four people in a stolen BMW four-wheel drive hit Mr Stevens as he rode his motorbike through Mitcham last week.

Mr Stevens' family called him a 'loving father, partner and son' in a statement.

'Keith was our gentle giant. Born in Scotland, he called Australia home. His death is being felt by the lives he touched around the world,' it read.

The 33-year-old died in hospital on November 9 after suffering multiple fractures and burns to 50 per cent of his body.

Police allege Ms Merrall's son Tommy stole a BMW X5 station wagon valued at $55,000 and a Camry worth $5000 on the day Mr Stevens was run down.
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Activists were yesterday drumming up support for a huge state-sponsored mass demonstration against Robert Mugabe.

Video has emerged of activists of ruling party Zanu-PF, which is demanding the resignation of its leader Mugabe, driving around the streets of Harare.

A man is seen standing on the back of a Zanu-PF truck shouting: 'Everyone irrespective of political affiliation, come and let's meet in Harare.

'We are tired of Mugabe running this country like his private company. Let's all come together and install a new leader for Zimbabwe.'

The astonishing public display of anti-Mugabe sentiment would have been unthinkable just a week ago. It shows how dramatically the political climate in Zimbabwe has shifted since the army took over power on Tuesday.

It emerged yesterday that Mugabe has pleaded for 'a few more days, a few more months' as he continues to resist demands that he resign. The request was revealed by Zimbabwe's war veterans' association.

It came as Mashonaland East province passed a motion of no confidence against the 93-year-old today, with a further 10 sections of his ruling party expected to follow suit in the coming days.

The president of Botswana, Ian Khama, added his voice to the pressure on Mugabe, insisting that he must go.

'I don't think anyone should be president for that amount of time,' he said. 'We are presidents, we are not monarchs. It's just common sense.'

Meanwhile, thousands are expected to take to the streets of Zimbabwe today in what is thought to be the first ever state-sanctioned protest against Mugabe.

Zimbabwe's influential National Liberation War Veterans Association called for an anti-Mugabe rally on Saturday and said the 'game was up' for the veteran leader and his wife.

Robert Mugabe (pictured) appeared to fall asleep as he stepped out in public for the first time since a military takeover

This morning, Mugabe, clad in academic gown and hat, made his first public appearance since the coup at a university graduation ceremony on the outskirts of Harare. With his presidential security team present, he walked slowly in a procession on a red carpet to a podium as a marching band played in front of thousands of appaluding graduates of the Zimbabwe Open University

Once on the podium, Mr Mugabe joined the crowd in singing Zimbabwe's national anthem and he was applauded as he announced the opening of the ceremony

Mr Mugabe, who looked drawn but energetic and determined, was not scheduled to make a speech at the event. Instead, the pro-Vice Chancellor will address the audience before Mr Mugabe places mortar boards on the heads of students

The demonstration has since been given the green light by police - another example of the growing freedoms Zimbabweans have been enjoying since Mugabe's house arrest began.

Yesterday footage showed the dictator appearing to fall asleep as he attended a university graduation ceremony on the outskirts of the capital Harare today.

With his presidential security team present, the 93-year-old had earlier walked slowly in a procession on a red carpet to a podium as a marching band played in front of thousands of graduates of the Zimbabwe Open University.

There was still no sign, however, of Mugabe's wife, Grace, 52, who is said to have been with the tyrant when the pair were placed under house arrest at their 7.5million Blue Roof mansion in Harare earlier this week.

Robert Mugabe could be fired by Zimbabwe's ruling party on Sunday if he refuses to stand down and will face impeachment next week as his party says there is 'no going back'. He is pictured second from right alongside Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantino Chiwenga (right) and South African envoys

Robert Mugabe (back centre) was placed under house arrest in a military coup and there are now claims he is refusing to step down as Zimbabwe's president. Also in the room, is military chief General Constantino Chiwenga (in fatigues), defence minister Sydney Sekerayami (to Mugabe's left), State Security Minister Kembo Mohadi (red tie) and South African politician Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula (yellow head wear)

Pictures emerged in state newspaper The Herald yesterday amid claims the deposed leader was refusing to immediately resign during talks with generals

There was still no sign, however, of his wife, Grace, 52, who is said to have been with Mugabe when the pair were placed under house arrest at their 7.5million Blue Roof mansion in Harare earlier this week

The military remains in the streets of the capital Harare as the mood is tense. Regional officials are meeting to discuss the crisis as civil society groups and churches in Zimbabwe issue appeals for calm

A demonstration planned for tomorrow has been given the green light by police - another example of the growing freedoms Zimbabweans have been enjoying since Mugabe's house arrest began

In a statement today, the military said it had made 'significant progress' in an operation 'to weed out criminals around President Mugabe' but others were being sought for 'committing crimes that were causing social and economic suffering in Zimbabwe'.

The army is seeking Cabinet ministers and other top officials who had been associates of Grace Mugabe, part of a political clique dubbed the G40 because many were in their 40s and 50s.

Amid a power struggle to succeed the veteran leader, Zimbabwe's former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking last week triggered the military's takeover, has returned to the country.

Army troops and armored vehicles continued to patrol the capital, Harare, as Zimbabweans went about their daily business today.

The military has had Mugabe under house arrest since late Tuesday, yet it is taking pains to show respect for the world's oldest head of state, by referring to him as the president and the commander-in-chief.

The ongoing negotiations appear to be trying to get Mugabe to agree to hand over to a new government. But difficulties could include the timing. The ruling party is set to meet next month, and Mugabe's term ends next year. An election date has not been set.

The deposed 93-year-old was placed under house arrest in his 7.5million, palatial residence, known as the Blue Roof. Tanks and soldiers are patrolling the streets of the capital Harare

Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest in his palatial mansion (pictured), a sprawling 44-acre estate with 25 bedrooms

Robert Mugabe is insisting he remains Zimbabwe's only legitimate ruler, an intelligence source said, and is resisting mediation by a Catholic priest to allow the 93-year-old former guerrilla a graceful exit after a military coup

The Chinese military held a welcoming ceremony for General Constantine Chiwenga during his visit last week. China's Foreign Ministry has said that the visit was merely a 'normal military exchange'

Zimbabwean army commander General Constantino Chiwenga, who appears to have taken control of the country, visited Beijing last week. He is pictured shaking hands with Chang Wanquan, the Chinese minister of defence

In a striking image of the fluidity of the political situation, the Zimbabwe Herald on Thursday published photos of Mugabe jovially shaking hands with army commander Constantino Chiwenga, the general who ordered the president's arrest.

Meanwhile there was speculation that military chiefs may have asked China for its blessing before launching the coup.

China's Foreign Ministry has said that the visit to Beijing last week of General Constantino Chiwenga, who appears to have taken control of Zimbabwe, was merely a 'normal military exchange'.

But analysts have suggested that China may have given Chiwenga its tacit blessing to launch the coup, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Asked whether Chiwenga briefed Chinese officials on any plans for a military takeover in Zimbabwe, government spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that the Defense Ministry had handled arrangements for the visit and he was 'not aware of the details.'

'What I can tell you is that his visit was a normal military exchange as agreed by the two countries,' Geng said at a regularly scheduled news conference.

In a November 10 posting on its microblog, the Defense Ministry showed Chiwenga smiling and shaking hands with Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan at the ministry in central Beijing. A separate photo showed the two seated with their delegations at a conference table.

Soldiers were still patrolling the streets of Harare yesterday as attempts were made to negotiate a transition of power

On patrol: Troops have been stationed at strategic points around the capital Harare. A Catholic priest is said to be mediating negotiations over a transfer of power

Soldiers check a gun as they stand on an armoured vehicle parked in the central district of Harare, Zimbabwe yesterday

People across Zimbabwe are facing another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule

A picture taken by lawyer Fadzayi Mahere appeared to show a line of police officers sitting on the ground in the capital being watched by soldiers earlier this week. Mahere, who aims to be an MP in the city, took the picture from the window of her office. It is not known what happened to the men

Catholic priest Father Fidelis Mukonori (pictured) was mediating a potential political exit for Mugabe - but the veteran leader is insisting he can only be removed via a party leadership vote, political and intelligence sources said yesterday

China has been a resolute supporter of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe despite rising international criticism over his authoritarian rule and human rights violations. Military ties between the sides date from Chinese support for Zimbabwe's armed struggle against white minority rule in the 1970s.

Mugabe and his family also have close ties to the Chinese special administrative region of Hong Kong, where they were involved in a legal case involving a luxury property and his daughter Bona was a university student.

Mugabe's wife Grace was also accused by a photographer of assaulting him during a shopping excursion in the city in 2009. Mugabe left the territory without being charged.

It comes amid suggestions China is attempting to increase its own military influence in Africa. In July, it emerged that Beijing had sent troops to the Horn of Africa to establish its first international base.

Ships were reported to have set sail from the southern city of Zhanjiang, around 260 miles west of Hong Kong for the small African country of Djibouti.

The new base, just four miles from US Camp Lemonnier, was seen as China's first step towards international military power.

The base was established under agreement between China and Djibouti after 'friendly negotiations, and accords with the common interest of the people from both sides,' Chinese state news agency Xinhua said.

The world's oldest dictator: Tyrant whose savage rule was dominated by bloodshed and vote-rigging Robert Mugabe's legacy as one of the most ruthless tyrants of modern times will remain long after his days as notorious statesman of Zimbabwe are over. What could turn out to be the 93-year-old leader's final night in charge of the troubled south African nation concluded in typically chaotic fashion with the army saying it had Mugabe and his ambitious wife Grace in custody following a takeover of the state broadcaster. Tensions escalated after the first lady appeared to be positioned to replace Mugabe's recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, leading many in Zimbabwe to suspect she could eventually succeed her husband. The elderly politician's second wife - after Sarah Hayfron died in 1992 - remained unpopular with some Zimbabweans because of her lavish spending, including in London's plush stores, while many around her struggled against the country's crippling economy. Ageing: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, 93, who has been in power since 1980, is in increasingly fragile health and makes regular trips abroad for medical treatment Tensions over the succession of Mugabe, recently erupted into the open, and had pitched First Lady Grace Mugabe against now-sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa Mugabe's savage rule over Zimbabwe was dominated by murder, bloodshed, torture, persecution of political opponents, intimidation and vote-rigging on a grand scale. He was the man who, in 1980, became the head of government of Zimbabwe, chosen to guide the country towards 'democracy' after 14 years of rebellion against the Crown headed by white Southern Rhodesian leader Ian Smith. Much of Mugabe's dirty work was carried out by his bullying henchmen, 'veterans' of the guerrilla war against the Smith regime. They attacked and often murdered white farmers, burning their homes, looting their possessions and confiscating their land, while his political opponents were often beaten, sexually abused and sometimes charged with treason and homosexual offences. The economy of this mineral-rich country descended into chaos with thousands of people reduced to grinding poverty, many of them suffering from near-starvation and worse. Mugabe's relationship with the Commonwealth, which he dubbed an 'Anglo-Saxon unholy alliance', was always stormy. Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth in March 2002 after Mugabe was denounced for vote-rigging his own re-election. During the Commonwealth heads of government conference a year later, he quit the organisation while member states were arguing about Zimbabwe's future. In 1980, Mugabe (shown in 2005) became the head of government of Zimbabwe, chosen to guide the country towards 'democracy' after 14 years of rebellion against the Crown headed by white Southern Rhodesian leader Ian Smith Princess Diana is pictured meeting President Robert Mugabe during a British Royal visit to Zimbabwe in 1993 Robert Gabriel Mugabe was born on February 24 1924 in Kutama. He was educated at Kutama Mission School and Fort Hare University and obtained degrees in correspondence courses with other educational establishments, including London University. He worked as a teacher at various schools in Zimbabwe (or Southern Rhodesia as it was then) and in neighbouring countries. Mugabe became publicity secretary of the National Democratic Party in 1960 and the following year was appointed acting secretary-general of the Zimbabwe African People's Union, which was eventually banned. He suffered political detention in 1962 and the following year co-founded and became secretary-general of ZANU. Again he was sentenced, without trial, to political detention in 1964, but escaped in 1974 to Mozambique from where he led the armed struggle against the regime right up to 1979. When, through Lord (Christopher) Soames, Margaret Thatcher brokered a deal in 1979 to end the Ian Smith rebellion, to everyone's surprise, the Marxist Mugabe - with what was described as 'a mix of conciliatory and intimidatory rhetoric' - became prime minister from 1980 to 1987. From 1988 he was president of Zimbabwe. The new government, anxious to attract foreign investment, declared that white farmers were a welcome and integral part of the new Zimbabwe. Then the land seizures took place. Plans to redistribute land peacefully were not working and ultimately the wartime 'veterans' were sent in to dispossess the white farmers of their land, often violently. Mugabe's savage rule over Zimbabwe was dominated by murder, bloodshed, torture, persecution of political opponents, intimidation and vote-rigging on a grand scale. He is pictured with his wife Sally s in 1987 In many cases the fertile land went to wrack and ruin, leading to acute food shortages and a dramatic downturn in Zimbabwe's economy. Meanwhile, as Mugabe grew into his 70s he became paranoid. He believed his opponents were trying to kill him. Any voice of dissidence was met with violence and, in the case of an independent newspaper, shut down. Political enemies were accused of homosexuality, and thrown into jail. Peter Tatchell, the human rights campaigner, was assaulted by Mugabe's bodyguards in 2001 when he tried to make a citizen's arrest on the Zimbabwean leader. The sanctions imposed on the country at one stage barred Mugabe and his family and supporters from visiting Britain. But despite an EU travel ban, he was allowed to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome in 2005. While there he shook hands with the Prince of Wales, who was seated one place away from the president. Clarence House said Charles was 'caught by surprise' when Mugabe leaned over to greet him. Under Mugabe many humble Zimbabweans became billionaires, but ones on the brink of starvation and unable to pay for fuel because their money was worth so little thanks to stratospheric inflation. In 2008 and 2009, the state's central bank printed so much of its currency - the Zimbabwe dollar - that the country experienced mind-boggling hyperinflation that reached 500 billion per cent, according to the International Monetary Fund. The result was that items such as a loaf of bread would often cost millions of Zimbabwean dollars. In 2008 Mugabe was stripped of his honorary knighthood, awarded in 1994, over his abuse of human rights and 'abject disregard' for democracy, the Foreign Office said at the time. The Queen approved the annulment Inflation was only brought under control when the government abandoned the Zimbabwe currency and used the US dollar as its main medium of trade. Last year this was replaced with a new currency called bond notes. As his dictatorial reign continued, many voiced their concerns about the power-obsessed leader. The then Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, cut up his dog collar on live television in a dramatic protest. In 2008 Mugabe was stripped of his honorary knighthood, awarded in 1994, over his abuse of human rights and 'abject disregard' for democracy, the Foreign Office said at the time. The Queen approved the annulment. But he was admired by some. In late 2015 he was awarded China's alternative to the Nobel Peace Prize, the Confucius Peace Prize, for what its committee called his inspired national leadership and service to pan-Africanism. Mugabe had two sons and one daughter with Grace, while his first marriage produced one son who died. Zimbabwe President's long rule at a glance: 1980: Mugabe named prime minister after independence elections 1982: Military action begins in Matabeleland against perceived uprising; government is accused of killing thousands of civilians 1987: Mugabe changes constitution and becomes president 1994: Mugabe receives honorary British knighthood 2000: Land seizures of white-owned farms begin; Western donors cut off aid 2005: United States calls Zimbabwe an 'outpost of tyranny' 2008: Mugabe and opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirayi agree to share power after contested election; Britain's Queen Elizabeth II annuls Mugabe's honorary knighthood 2011: Prime Minister Tsvangirayi declares power-sharing a failure amid violence 2013: Mugabe wins seventh term; opposition alleges election fraud 2016: (hash)ThisFlag protest movement emerges; independence war veterans turn on Mugabe, calling him 'dictatorial' 2017: Mugabe begins campaigning for 2018 elections November 6: Mugabe fires deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, appearing to position first lady Grace Mugabe for vice president post November 15: Army announces it has Mugabe and his wife in custody as military appears to take control Advertisement

Yesterday, Catholic priest Father Fidelis Mukonori was mediating a potential political exit for Mugabe - but the veteran leader is insisting he can only be removed via a party leadership vote, political and intelligence sources said.

Mukonori is said to have known the president since the 1970s and is regarded as 'the spiritual father' of Mugabe, state-media has previously reported.

Sources suggested that army officials were intending to hammer out a 'roadmap' that would detail an interim administration pending snap elections, thought to be called before the national poll is scheduled next June.

Zimbabwean intelligence reports seen by Reuters suggest that former security chief Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was ousted as vice-president this month, has been mapping out a post-Mugabe vision with the military and opposition for more than a year.

Fuelling speculation that that plan might be rolling into action, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been receiving cancer treatment in Britain and South Africa, returned to Harare late on Wednesday to say Mugabe should 'step down immediately' in the interest of the country.

He indicated that he and his party would be willing to play a role in any transitional government under the leadership of Emmerson 'the Crocodile' Mnangagwa.

The opposition leader praised the military, referring to soldiers as 'our liberation fighters' and adding that 'we appreciate the fact that the military has assured the sanctity of human life'.

A frail-looking Mr Tsvangarai, who had been receiving treatment for cancer in South Africa before flying back to Zimbabwe yesterday, underscored the fact that the army is in control, saying: 'the military are the only ones who can decide whether Mugabe and his wife can receive immunity.'

And he suggested that fresh elections are a foregone conclusion, calling on 'each and every one over the age of 18 to vote when the elections come.'

According to CNN, a senior member of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) party, said yesterday that talks talks were underway with military leaders over a possible administration involving the opposition. The source added that this was already a 'done deal'.

Soldiers manning the few checkpoints on roads leading into downtown Harare are greeting motorists with a smile, searching cars without hostilities and wishing motorists a safe journey.

This was the scene in the centre of Harare in Zimbabwe yesterday as soldiers patrolled the streets after a 'bloodless correction' of power

The US Embassy is advising citizens in Zimbabwe to 'limit unnecessary movements' as the country's political uncertainty continues

Central Harare remained calm yesterday, with citizens going about their day-to-day lives in a state of bewilderment

Fear dominated the streets of Harare yesterday as residents tried to carry on with their normal lives in the shadow of tanks and armoured cars after the dramatic ousting.

There were unconfirmed reports that people were beaten by soldiers in the early morning after straying too close to tanks. Very few pictures from Harare have been posting on social media because of the danger involved in taking photographs in the street.

Heavily armed troops continued to hold strategic positions in the centre of the city, blocking access to streets where government buildings were located and keeping a close watch on passers-by.

Last night, while Mr Mugabe was locked in negotiations with senior army figures, citizens stayed indoors and few people dared venture out, turning Harare into a ghost town.

Fast food outlets like Chicken Inn closed their doors and people who habitually sleep outside banks to be first in line to withdraw cash in the morning were nowhere to be seen.

As the sun rose, however, stunned residents tried to carry on as normal. Queues started to build up outside banks with people jostling for position and arguing as tensions simmered.

Tourists and foreigners have been noticeably absent from the streets all day, with most following advice from embassies including the UK and US to stay indoors.

A motorcade was seen leaving the Blue Roof mansion where Mugabe has been locked in negotiations with military figures, at about midday but no details were released about its occupants.

The army has been at pains to describe the takeover as a 'democratic correction' but other officials branded it a coup.

'This is a coup. They have taken over those guys, and it is not reversible,' one unnamed senior diplomat told a local paper.

He added: 'Officially no one has called it a coup yet, even the generals themselves are not calling it a coup, but that is what it is... [Mugabe] is no longer in charge; he is basically under house arrest.'

It is understood that options for the coming months include Mr Mugabe stepping down immediately, opening the way for Emmerson 'Crocodile' Mnangagwa to assume power at least until the next elections, or for a transitional authority to be set up to lead the country until a new leadership is elected.

'Gucci Grace': How Zimbabwe's first lady has divided opinion Zimbabwe's first lady has been a divisive figure since marrying Robert Mugabe in a lavish ceremony in 1996. The influence of 52-year-old Grace Mugabe, dubbed 'Gucci Grace' for her love of shopping, has grown over the years to the point where she was being lined up as a potential successor to her husband. But the former secretary, who was expecting to be appointed vice-president at a party congress next month, is widely loathed in her homeland. Her recent escapades include seeing a journalist detained for saying she donated used underwear to supporters, and relying on diplomatic immunity to evade charges for assaulting a model in South Africa. Zimbabwe's first lady Grace Mugabe has been a divisive figure since marrying Robert Mugabe in a lavish ceremony in 1996. The couple are pictured together in 2004 The 52-year-old, 41 years younger than her husband, has bought homes in Dubai and South Africa, spent 3million of state funds on her daughter's wedding, and recently bought a 300,000 Rolls-Royce. Grace began an affair with Robert Mugabe while working as one of his typists and while his first wife, Sally, was terminally ill. He is said to have wooed Grace Marufu over tea and scones. They went on to marry in an extravagant ceremony in 1996. Her three sons, one from a previous marriage, angered Zimbabweans by flaunting their wealth. The 52-year-old, 41 years younger than her husband, has bought homes in Dubai and South Africa, spent 3million of state funds on her daughter's wedding, and recently bought a 300,000 Rolls-Royce One receipt posted online showed a single night's spending of $3,000  three times the average annual income. The youngest recently filmed himself pouring expensive champagne over a diamond-encrusted watch, bragging he owned the timepiece because 'daddy runs the whole country'. In her earlier years as Mugabe's wife, Grace had been known as a quiet figure known for her shopping and charity work. But she became increasingly involved in politics and Mugabe named her head of the ruling ZANU-PF party's women's wing in 2014. She has always been a key supporter of her husband, but admitted in 2014: 'They say I want to be president. Why not? Am I not a Zimbabwean?' Advertisement

A diplomatic source told local media: 'The military still has residual respect for Mugabe. They don't want to stampede him out of power. They are looking for an honourable exit.'

The secretary of the youth wing of Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party issued a dramatic apology on national television at midnight yesterday asking for forgiveness after his previous vociferous support for Mr Mugabe.

On Wednesday, the secretary had publicly called for Mr Mnangagwa to account for $15billion worth of diamonds which Mugabe said went missing last year.

Jacob Zuma, the chair of the Southern African Development Community, sent defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and state security minister Bongani Bongo to assist the tense negotiations, local media reported.

The US Embassy issued another statement yesteday condemning the current situation and urging the army to abide by the constitution.

The African Union issued a statement yesterday urging the army to enact a peaceful transition.

Zimbabwe's military stormed the country's national broadcaster's studios on Tuesday night to declare there was no coup after explosions and gunfire were heard in the capital

A military tank is seen with armed soldiers on the road leading to President Robert Mugabe's office in Harare, Zimbabwe

Soldiers and an armoured vehicle are pictured on patrol on a street in Harare, Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean military appeared to have taken control of state institutions, saying that it was 'targeting criminals' in the government

What next for Zimbabwe: The key players in a possible post-coup deal Zimbabwe's army appears to be pushing for a quick and bloodless end to 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe's 37 years in power, to be replaced by a national unity government headed by his former deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa. According to political sources in Harare, Mugabe - now under house arrest in his lavish Harare home - was resisting pressure to stand down voluntarily. Assuming he does, the following are likely to be key players in the expected settlement, according to political sources in Zimbabwe and South Africa and several years of Zimbabwean intelligence documents seen by Reuters: EMMERSON MNANGAGWA (LIKELY PRESIDENT) - A lifelong Mugabe aide and 1970s liberation war veteran known as 'The Crocodile', Mnangagwa, 75, was in the pole position to succeed Mugabe until his progress was impeded by the dramatic political ascent of Mugabe's wife, Grace. His sacking as vice-president this month cleared a path for Grace to the presidency and appears to have been the trigger for the army to step in to advance its preferred successor. Deposed vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa (in the dark blue suit) has been pictured after returning from exile MORGAN TSVANGIRAI (LIKELY PRIME MINISTER) - A former union leader who founded the Movement for Democratic Change in the late 1990s, Tsvangirai, 65, has been Mugabe's main political rival for two decades. He served as prime minister in a 2009-2013 unity government formed after violence-ridden elections in 2008. Tsvangirai has been undergoing treatment for cancer outside Zimbabwe but returned to Harare late on Wednesday. A former union leader who founded the Movement for Democratic Change in the late 1990s, Morgan Tsvangirai, 65, has been Mugabe's main political rival for two decades CONSTANTINO CHIWENGA (POSSIBLE VICE-PRESIDENT) - As the military chief who pulled the trigger on the coup, Chiwenga is expected to win a senior role in the interim administration. Chiwenga, 61, who has served in the armed forces since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, was sanctioned by the United States and European Union although the latter removed him from its list of restricted individuals in 2014. Tensions have been rising in the land-locked African country after Zimbabwe's head of the military, General Constantino Chiwenga (pictured), challenged Mugabe over his decision to sack the vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa JOICE MUJURU (POSSIBLE VICE-PRESIDENT) - A liberation war veteran with the nom de guerre 'Spill Blood', Mujuru, 62, formed her own political party after being ousted as vice-president in 2014. Her husband, Solomon Mujuru, a general who died in suspicious circumstances in 2011, was regarded as one of the most feared men in Zimbabwe and one of the few people capable of challenging Mugabe. A liberation war veteran with the nom de guerre 'Spill Blood', Joice Mujuru, 62, formed her own political party after being ousted as vice-president in 2014 DUMISO DABENGWA (POSSIBLE VICE-PRESIDENT) - Moscow-trained Dabengwa, 77, nicknamed 'The Black Russian', fought in the 1970s anti-colonial struggle for ZIPRA (Zimbabwe People's Liberation Army), a rival to Mugabe's ZANLA (Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army). His incorporation in any unity government would ensure it represented both wings of the liberation struggle. TENDAI BITI (POSSIBLE FINANCE MINISTER) - A lawyer by training, Biti, 51, won international plaudits as finance minister in the 2009-2013 government that stabilised the imploding economy. He told Reuters he would be happy to reprise this role if Tsvangirai, his former political mentor, was on board. Advertisement

Zimbabweans are happier than they have been for more than 30 years now that dictator Robert Mugabe has been removed from power, the country's only independent MP has said.

He also blamed the unrest on the First Lady, 'Gucci' Grace Mugabe, accusing her of rudeness, profligate spending and seeking to usurp power.

Commenting after the army deposed Mr Mugabe and took control of the country, Temba Mliswa said:

'This is the biggest celebration since 1980 independence. The people of Zimbabwe have been oppressed. The democracy that was there has been violent.

'When the government is not sticking to its core values from an economic point of view it creates problems.'

Mr Mliswa, who used to represent Mr Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party before going independent, slammed Mr Mugabe's wife Grace for trying to usurp power.

'The army cannot take orders from the First Lady. It takes them from the President. But orders are now coming in from the First Lady,' Mr Mliswa said.

'She has not been behaving the way we expect of a first lady. She has been insulting people, going around the world beating people. She has also been spending money extravagantly in South Africa when the country is suffering.'

Former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured in January with wife Auxilia), 75, a veteran of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation wars who was sacked by Mugabe earlier this month, has returned from exile. The dismissal left Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, in prime position to succeed her husband as the next president - a succession strongly opposed by senior ranks in the military

The outspoken politician also called for Mr Mugabe to recognise that his reign is over and go quietly. 'When a process that put you in power is also convened to get you out of power, allow it to happen,' he said.

There was little evidence of jubilation on the streets of Harare, however, where tense residents went about their business under the shadow of tanks and armoured cars.

Most Zimbabweans have not known a time without Mugabe, who has been at the epicentre of public life since coming to power in 1980 on the country's independence from Britain.

The nation was left stunned after the ailing leader was confined to his residence late on Tuesday as soldiers took up positions at strategic points across Harare and senior officers commandeered state television.

The Southern African Development Community bloc, currently chaired by Zimbabwe's powerhouse neighbour South Africa, was to meet in Botswana yesterday to discuss the dramatic situation.

And though nothing has been heard from Mugabe or his wife Grace directly since the start of the army operation, many Zimbabweans are hopeful that the crisis will mark the beginning of a more prosperous future.

'Our economic situation has deteriorated every day - no employment, no jobs,' Tafadzwa Masango, a 35-year-old unemployed man, told AFP.

'We hope for a better Zimbabwe after the Mugabe era. We feel very happy. It is now his time to go.'

Derek Matyszak, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, said he expects Mugabe and the military are thrashing out a handover to a new head of state.

'I think Mugabe can still stay in the country. I think they would like to present him as a liberation icon and accord him due respect.

'The difficulty, and this has always been the difficulty for the Mugabe family, is guaranteeing Grace Mugabe's safety... on the demise of Robert.'

The international community will also be watching the next phase of the crisis closely.

On Wednesday the African Union issued an unusually terse statement that said the situation on the ground 'seems like a coup' and called on the military to pull back and respect the constitution.

Britain, Zimbabwe's colonial ruler until independence, called for calm and warned against handing power to an unelected leader.

'Nobody wants simply to see the transition from one unelected tyrant to the next,' said British foreign minister Boris Johnson.

Zimbabwe's army was set on a collision course with Mugabe last week when he abruptly fired his vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa - a lynchpin of the defence and security establishment.

Mnangagwa, 75, was previously one of Mugabe's most loyal lieutenants, having worked alongside him for decades.

But he fled to South Africa following his dismissal and published a scathing five-page rebuke of Mugabe's leadership and Grace's political ambition.

Army chief General Constantino Chiwenga gave an unprecedented press conference on Monday, flanked by dozens of officers, and warned Mugabe that he would intervene if the president continued to purge the ruling ZANU-PF party.

Mnangagwa has been embroiled in a long-running feud with Mugabe's wife Grace, 52.

Both were seen as leading contenders to replace Mugabe but Mnangagwa had the tacit support of the armed forces, which viewed Grace - a political novice - with derision.
Donald Tusk today extended the EU's two-week deadline for the UK to offer more money for the Brexit divorce bill.

After talks with Theresa May in Sweden, the EU Council President said he still wanted concessions on cash and the Irish border before triggering trade talks next month.

But he kicked a deadline down the road to early December after Britain rejected a two-week warning issued EU negotiator Michel Barnier at the last round of talks.

Following the talks today Mrs May admitted there was still 'more work to be done' ahead of the next full summit next month.

On the sidelines of a meeting in Sweden today she has met Mr Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron and Irish premier Leo Varadkar.

Donald Tusk today abandoned the EU's two-week deadline for the UK to offer more money for the Brexit divorce bill after sitting down with Theresa May in Sweden (pictured)

Theresa May appeared to be struggling with her translation earpiece as the summit got under way in Sweden today

Donald Tusk, pictured centre with EU premiers in Sweden today, had a tough message for Theresa May in talks today

Mrs May grabbed a chat with French President Emmanuel Macron between sessions at the summit today

Mr Tusk said: Discussed with PM Theresa May the calendar of Brexit talks.

'Only if UK makes progress by early December will I be ready to propose new guidelines on transition and future relations at December European Council.

In today's talks, Mr Tusk and Mr Macron made clear they had not yet seen enough progress to move on to the next phase of talks.

In another rebuke, Mr Macron insisted that 'more progress' had to be achieved in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Irish PM Leo Varadkar held his own showdown with Mrs May, complaining that Britain has not 'thought through' its plans for the border with the Republic.

The warnings come amid signs of a bitter row within government over how far to bow to Brussels' demands for more cash.

Mrs May has already pledged to pay 20billion into EU coffers during a two-year transition period. But Cabinet Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are said to be resisting upping the offer without commitments from Brussels over a trade deal.

In other developments today Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is in Ireland for bilateral talks. He is pictured on a visit to Trinity College, Dublin

At a joint press conference with foreign minister Simon Coveney (pictured) Mr Johnson dismissed Irish claims the Brexit transition should last up to five years

LABOUR VOWS TO PUT SINGLE MARKET BACK ON THE TABLE Labour would 'reset' Brexit talks and put the single market back on the table if it wins power before March 2019, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said today. Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London also suggested the UK could still be subject to the jurdisdiction of the European Court of Justice in some instances. He said: 'We have an incredibly weak government. I can't think of a period in time when a government has been this weak so early in the parliamentary 5 year cycle. 'Labour has to stand ready to take over and if that were to happen we would reset the negotiations.' He added: 'Labour would start the negotiations with options back on the table, including remaining within a customs union, subject of course to the negotiation, including a changed relationship with the single market, including a new role for the European court of justice or an independent court to oversee future EU/UK relationships.' Advertisement

Brexit Secretary David Davis said today that so far the UK was making most of the 'compromises' and European countries had to do their part.

Arriving at a summit in Gothenburg this morning, Mrs May said she hoped the European Union would respond 'positively' to her approach to Brexit.

She repeated her promise that the UK will 'honour our commitments' amid speculation she is prepared to increase the amount she is prepared to pay in the divorce settlement with the EU.

But after her talks with Mr Tusk Downing Street said they had acknowledged there is 'more work to be done'.

'Prime Minister May and President Tusk agreed that there is more work to be done and discussed how to take further steps forward together in advance of the European Council in December,' a spokesman said.

Mrs May and Mr Macron were said to have had 'constructive' discussions but No10 said the leaders 'looked forward to further progress being made' before the summit.

A Brussels source said earlier: 'Mr Tusk will inform Mrs May that such a positive scenario is not a given, it will require more work and that time is short.

'And he will ask Mrs May how the UK plans to progress on the three key issues for phase one.'

Mrs May enjoyed a joke with irish PM Leo Varadkar (left) about his socks - but the pair clashed over how close the sides were to a deal on the post-Brexit border

BORIS DISMISSES CALL FOR FIVE YEAR TRANSITION DEAL Boris Johnson held a press conference with Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney today Boris Johnson was forced to dismiss calls for a five-year Brexit transition today after his Irish counterpart surprised him with the idea at a joint press conference. Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said his Government's top priority was giving business certainty and claimed this meant a much longer transition to Brexit. Theresa May set out plans for a strictly limited implementation period of around two years at her Florence speech and Mr Johnson scrambled to defend the UK policy. The dramatic press conference took place in Dublin this morning following bilateral talks between the two foreign ministers. 'I think the appropriate timetable is closer to four or five years than it is to two,' Mr Coveney said. Appearing surprised by the claim, Mr Johnson insisted: 'Everybody want to have the maximum possible reassurance. 'I think it is possible to do that within a much shorter time scale.' Advertisement

The three issues where 'sufficient progress' must be made include the financial settlement, citizens' rights and the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Speaking to the BBC in Berlin this morning, Mr Davis insisted many EU countries 'want to move on'.

'They see it as very important to them. Countries like Denmark, countries like Holland, countries like Italy and Spain, countries like Poland can see the big, big benefits in the future deal we are talking about.

'They have all got things to benefit from that. This is not a one-way street, this is not something for nothing, this is something that benefits everybody.'

But Irish PM Mr Varadkar again sounded a hard line, suggesting that the UK had not 'thought through' the difficulties Brexit would cause.

'I think it's certainly possible that we can come to conclusions in December allowing phase two talks to begin, but if we have to wait until the New Year, if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it,' the Taoiseach told reporters.

'But I think it would be in all of our interests that we proceed to phase two if we can in December.

'It's 18 months since the referendum, it's 10 years since people who wanted a referendum started agitating for one.

'Sometimes it doesn't seem like they have thought all this through.'

He added: 'Britain having unilaterally taken the customs union and single market off the table, before we move to phase two talks on trade we want taken off the table any suggestion that there will be a physical border, a hard border, new barriers to trade on the island of Ireland.'

Theresa May urged the EU to 'move forward' in Brexit negotiations as she arrived at a summit in Sweden today

Brexit Secretary David Davis, pictured in Berlin last night, said today that so far the UK was making most of the 'compromises' and European countries had to do their part

Theresa May, pictured speaking to Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven last night, has already pledged to pay 20billion into EU coffers during a two-year transition period

After the UK and Irish leaders met, Downing Street said they had a 'constructive' discussion.

But an Irish source described the meeting as a 'solid exchange of views' and said Mr Varadkar was 'optimistic but slightly frustrated in terms of we are so close but so far, really'.

DAVIS WARNS EU NOT TO PUT 'POLITICS ABOVE PROSPERITY' David Davis has urged Germany not to put 'politics above prosperity' in the Brexit talks as he laid out his vision for close trade links after we leave. The Brexit Secretary said he is 'under no illusions' that the negotiations are tough but said real progress has been made. And he said Britain wants to continue to work closely with the bloc on trade and security after the UK leaves in March 2019. Addressing German business leaders in Berlin last night, he warned it is 'never a smart choice' to put politics above the wealth and prosperity of your country. And he said said the two countries do a lot of lucrative trade with each other, with one in three of every cars sold in the UK made in Germany, and this must not be thrown away in Brexit talks. Advertisement

The source said: 'We just want a clear commitment, a clear form of words that points to a solution with regards to the Irish situation that would allow us to move on to phase two.' Ireland 'cannot make a leap in the dark', the source added.

A British Government source said there was 'work to do' on the issue and 'everyone's very honest about that'.

The PM also held talks with Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven last night.

He said the UK needs to clarify what the financial settlement would cover, and it was 'very difficult to say' whether trade talks would be given the go-ahead in December.

If leaders do not agree to move to the second phase at the summit in Brussels on December 14-15, the next opportunity for progress will not be until the European Council meets again in March.

That would add to business uncertainty and increase the potential for the UK to leave without a Brexit deal.

The Gothenburg social summit brings together political leaders and other key players to discuss a new European Pillar of Social Rights for workers' rights.

Mrs May will take part in a working session on fair employment and working conditions and is expected to highlight the findings of the Taylor report published in July which examined the treatment of workers in the so-called gig economy.
The Iranians are holding three more Britons as well as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe amid claims of a vendetta against Theresa May, it emerged today.

Tehran is said to have been left furious when the Prime Minister detained and deported two of its officials when she was Home Secretary in 2013.

Today it emerged that up to four dual British-Iranian nationals are in jail there, including Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was imprisoned last year.

Another Briton in the notorious Evin jail near the capital is grandfather Kamal Foroughi, 78, who was also arrested for alleged espionage six years ago.

The Iranians are holding four Britons as well including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and grandfather Kamal Foroughi, 78, right. Both are dual nationals held on spying charges

The oil and gas worker was jailed in 2013 for eight years but it only came to light two years ago when his family spoke out.

His son Kamran said: 'My dad has always strenuously maintained his innocence and we believe him. We are not aware of any evidence that justifies the espionage charge'.

Mr Foroughi holds dual British-Iranian citizenship and said he was working for Malaysian energy giant Petronas in Iran when he was arrested

He told the Guardian: 'My daughters have lived half their lives without seeing Grandpa and keep asking when he is coming home. All I can do is give them a hug'.

Mr Foroughi holds dual British-Iranian citizenship and said he was working for Malaysian energy giant Petronas, working with officials in Tehran and offering scholarships to students.

It is not clear what led to his arrest but he was given seven years in prison for spying and an extra year for having alcohol in his home.

Human rights experts have said that Iran's police and secret services are very suspicious of dual nationals, especially if they are British or American.

The UN has said this has increased since 2015 when Barack Obama struck a nuclear deal, which President Trump now says they are violating.

Whitehall sources have also told The Sun that Theresa May upset Tehran when she was Home Secretary and detained two Iranian officials when they landed at Heathrow even though they had visas.

They were placed in an immigration detention centre and deported within a week.

Nazinin's husband Richard Ratcliffe wants the Foreign Secretary to take him to Iran and guarantee him 'safe passage' so he can see his wife and daughter Gabriella for the first time in 19 months. The pair met for the first time this week

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was visiting her parents in Iran with her young daughter Gabriella when she was arrested by the Revolutionary Guard in Tehran Airport

Boris Johnson said today everything is being done to free jailed British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from prison in Iran.

In Dublin for talks with his Irish counterpart, the Foreign Secretary briefly responded to the question as he entered the meeting.

When asked what he would do for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Mr Johnson said: 'No stone unturned.'

The Foreign Secretary is set to discuss paying a 400million 'debt' to Iran within weeks amid claims the decades-old dispute is being settled hastily to help free a jailed British mother.

The long-running controversy over the money will be raised when the Foreign Secretary visits the country next month, say Whitehall sources.

There are fears that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 38, is being held as a 'bargaining chip' in the dispute.

It dates back to a 1970s arms deal, when the Shah of Iran ordered and paid for 1,750 Chieftain tanks and support vehicles from a firm owned by the Ministry of Defence.

But the deal was halted after the Shah was deposed in 1979, and Britain kept the money.

An international court ordered the UK to reimburse Tehran, but international sanctions mean Britain has so far been unable to return the money, which is being held by the High Court.

Now Mr Johnson and Chancellor Philip Hammond are said to have authorised Government lawyers and officials to work a way around the UN sanctions in order to settle the 'debt'.

According to reports, Iranian regime hardliners have said they expect the deal to be settled as part of a list of demands before freeing Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been held in Tehran since April 2016.

Last night both the Government and Iran strenuously denied any link between the two issues.
Police are appealing for public assistance in their search for missing Victorian woman Kylie Phillips, 44, who is believed to have gone kayaking on Thursday.

Ms Phillips' car was located at the Canadian Bay Yacht Club, on the Mornington Peninsula, yesterday, but police believe the car may have been there since Wednesday.

Investigators are urging anyone who may have seen a blue Holden Viva station wagon, registration ULP 346, in the vicinity of the yacht club on Wednesday afternoon to come forward.

Police are appealing for public assistance in their search for missing Victorian woman Kylie Phillips, 44, (pictured) who is believed to have gone kayaking on Thursday

Ms Phillips is a Mount Eliza local who is believed to have taken her green kayak out on the water.

Air and water searches have been called off on Friday evening to resume on Saturday morning.

Ms Phillips is described as being about 170cm tall, with a slim build, and shoulder-length wavy brown or red hair.

Anyone who sights or may have seen her in a green kayak in the Canadian Bay area is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The hero father who ran into a raging fire to save his two young children has written a letter to his eldest boy who died from his injuries.

Nathan Perry, 34, was asleep at his home in the Queensland town of Weranga on Tuesday night before he woke to find his house filled with smoke and his sons' bedroom on fire.

As Jeremy, three, and four-year-old Blade became engulfed in flames, Mr Perry ran through the blaze to pull his children to safety.

As Jeremy (left), three, and four-year-old Blade (right) became engulfed in flames, their father Nathan Perry ran through the blaze to save his children. Blade tragically later died

But Blade died on Wednesday afternoon after the family decided to turn off his life support, Nine News reports.

'To my little mate, This is not how its meant to be. I will never forget the great times we shared or your beautiful face. You were the best thing that ever happened to me; the best big brother; the best mate anyone could ever have,' the letter reads.

'If I could swap places with you I would in a heartbeat. Im so lost without you. You will forever have my heart.

'You do as many donuts as you like buddy and make sure you find some good fishing holes for when we meet again.

Mr Perry, 34, was asleep at his home in the Queensland town of Weranga on Tuesday before he woke to find his house full of smoke and his sons' bedroom ablaze

Jeremy (pictured) remains in hospital in an induced coma with burns to 90 per cent of his body

'Love you to the moon and back my little mate.'

Blade's brother Jeremy is still in hospital with burns to 90 percent of his body.

Mr Perry, who also sustained considerable injury from the house fire, previously opened up about the worst night of his life.

'I knew it was a fire straight away I guess I made a mistake by opening the door and letting the air in and that's when it went berserk,' Mr Perry told Nine News.

'I had to run through the flames and drag the children out. I did what I could. I feel like I failed with Blade because he didn't make it.

'It was the scariest thing I have ever seen in my life. I don't even want to think about it. It's going to haunt me forever.'

All three were rushed to hospital before Mr Perry, who suffered horrific burns to his arms, legs and face, was released to be with his sons.

The boys' grieving mother Tamika Frid described the tragedy as 'the worst day of her life'.

The two brothers (pictured) were airlifted from the home in Wangera to Lady Cilento Hospital

The boys' grieving mother Tamika Frid (pictured) described the tragedy as 'the worst day of her life'

On Wednesday, the heartbreaking decision was made to turn off Blade's life-support. He died soon after. The brothers are pictured resting together

'I wish everything was just a dream and we can we just wake up and everything will just be better again,' she said.

'Always tell you kids you love them and give them as many hugs as you can because you don't know what will happen the next day.'

Jeremy is fighting for his life in hospital and is in an induced coma with burns to 90 per cent of his body.

Investigations are continuing to determine what caused the blaze.

'My little mate, he was my best friend - he was everything to me. I'm heartbroken,' Mr Perry said

Investigations are continuing to determine what caused the blaze which killed Blade and left Jeremy fighting for life




Mouldy fish, insect-infested flour and out-of-date dairy are just some of the food breaches inspectors found at an Adelaide supermarket.

Mohammad Yunous Sharafat pleaded guilty to 35 charges relating to the cleanliness at his Star Supermarket on Prospect Road, Kilburn.

Sharafat was fined $45,000 on Friday for breaching food safety regulations which included selling food past their used-by dates, failing to properly label products and failing to store food from contamination, according to the ABC News.

Mouldy fish, insect-infested flour and out-of-date dairy and raw meat carcasses (pictured) are just some of the food breaches inspectors found at an Adelaide supermarket

Mohammad Yunous Sharafat pleaded guilty to 35 charges relating to the cleanliness at his Star Supermarket (pictured) on Prospect Road, Kilburn, north of Adelaide

Sharafat was fined $45,000 on Friday for breaching food safety regulations which included selling food past their used-by dates (pictured)

Food inspectors found dairy which had been expired for up to seven months as well as large carcasses of raw meat which was left uncovered.

'I hope [the fine] makes it clear that you need to make sure this is not repeated ... these are serious offences with potentially serious consequences for the public,' Magistrate Bob Harrap said according to Adelaide Now.

The 34-year-old was first charged with 54 food standard breaches after a routine inspection by the council.

Inspectors alleged they found mouldy bread and mouldy dried fruit and insects in packets of flour.

Sharafat gave 'no comment' when Daily Mail Australia contacted him Friday evening.

'Why you making it a big deal?' Sharafat said.
The actions of big game hunters have been exposed in a shocking new documentary.

In the movie, Texas sheep farmer Philip Glass is shown hunting wild animals - including a lion, hippo and elephant - in South Africa.

Trophy, which is produced by the actor Tom Hardy, follows Glass as he pays to hunt the 'Big Five' - elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino - and praises God for granting humans 'dominion over the animals'.

In shocking scenes, Texas sheep farmer Philip Glass (pictured) can be seen savagely slaughtering wild animals - including a lion, hippo and elephant - in South Africa

Trophy, which is produced by the actor Tom Hardy, follows Glass as he pays to hunt the 'Big Five' - elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino - and praises God for granting humans 'dominion over the animals'. Pictured: A young hunter in the film

In the film, one particularly odd hunter can be seen shooting a crocodile after shouting, 'Let me put my beer down'

The film's footage has been released as US President Donald Trump announced he will allow big game hunters  like his sons Donald Jr and Eric  to import trophies from slain elephants into America again.

The new White House regulation overturns an Obama-era ban on elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia.

In the film, one particularly odd hunter can be seen shooting a crocodile after shouting, 'Let me put my beer down'.

He then wails: 'Oh, yeah, motherf*****!'

The film shines a light on a philosophy - summed up as 'if it pays, it stays' - which claims that conservation of endangered animals is best achieved by offering them up to be shot by paying hunters

The documentary, made by Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau, also offers a glimpse at the world's largest convention for hunters in Las Vegas (pictured)

Christo Gomes, who owns the Mabula Pro Safaris in South Africa, offers hunters the chance to kill - and take home - any big African animal for between $25,000 and $100,000

Southern Africa now has just 20,000 white rhinos and 20,000 lions. A man in the film with a rhino horn

The film's barbaric footage has been released as US President Donald Trump announced he will allow big game hunters  like his sons Donald Jr and Eric  to import trophies from slain elephants into America again

Later in the film, after shooting a wildebeest, the strange man can be seen enjoying a perverse kiss with a woman over the top of the animal's corpse.

The documentary, made by Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau, also offers a glimpse at the world's largest convention for hunters in Las Vegas.

While there, we learn about the people who believe the only way to conserve wildlife is to offer it up for slaughter by rich hunters.

Their philosophy - 'if it pays, it stays' - means the lives of majestic animals in southern Africa are sold for tens, and sometimes hundreds, of thousands of dollars.

International wildlife organizations reacted earlier on Thursday with fury to the Trump administration's decision. Above is Donald Trump Jr pictured with the tail of an elephant (left) on one of his hunting trips to Zimbabwe in 2011 while right he can be seen with his brother Eric after killing a leopard

Donald Jr seen here with a Cape Buffalo Bull, which his tour guide said he shot with 'the precision of a true marksman'. The Trump administration said managed hunting can benefit the conservation of some species

They believe that doing so guarantees the survival of wildlife because.

One man in the film explains: 'Give me one animal that's gone extinct while farmers were breeding it and making money out of it. There's not one.'

Christo Gomes, who owns the Mabula Pro Safaris in South Africa, offers hunters the chance to kill - and take home - any big African animal for between $25,000 and $100,000.

Gomes tells customers they can 'pick the animals you want to shoot', allowing them to choose the size and sex of their prey.

He says that about 70 per cent of his business comes from the US.

Southern Africa now has just 20,000 white rhinos and 20,000 lions.


Agafya Lykova, 73, is the last survivor of a devout family who opted out of Stalin's repressions in 1936 and fled into the forests where they existed undetected for more than 40 years

A governor loyal to Vladimir Putin is seeking to force one of the world's most remarkable hermits to abandon the only home she knows in the Siberian wilderness to come and live in a town.

Agafya Lykova, 73, is the last survivor of a devout family who opted out of Stalin's repressions in 1936 and fled into the forests where they existed undetected for more than 40 years until their hideaway was spotted from the air.

Her mother died long ago in a winter of extreme cold when they were forced to eat their leather shoes to survive.

The other members of her family perished soon after a Soviet team was sent to find them in 1978 - but she remains all alone in remote and mountainous taiga in Russia's Khakassia republic, where she is some 120 miles from the nearest town.

With a few exceptions, she lives like a Russian peasant from the tsarist era and eschews modern comforts.

But now the local governor Viktor Zimin - a close Putin ally - is seeking to force her from her home, claiming it is increasingly expensive to help provide supplies for her as she gets older.

The controversial politician has now banned helicopter flights to assist her when she needs food beyond what she grows herself, or to cut logs for her.

Agafya is pictured inside her family's cabin in 1983 with her father Karl, left. They were regularly visited by scientists

Agafya's(pictured) mother died long ago in a winter of extreme cold when they were forced to eat their leather shoes to survive

With a few exceptions, she lives like a Russian peasant from the tsarist era and eschews modern comforts

Lykova's cabin, pictured in an undated file photo. This is regularly visited by scientists wanting to record her dialect and hear her knowledge of history

It means she will not be able to summon help when she is threatened by encroaching brown bears.

Zimin's aim is to force her to live in a village or town and abandon the wooden shack built by her father and brothers, but Agafya - an Old Believer, from a deeply religious sect that retreated to Siberia after a 17th century schism in the Orthodox Church - is steadfastly refusing to budge.

Lykova and priest Valdimir Goshkoderya

The main help to Agafya in recent years has come not from Zimin but from the governor of a neighbouring region Kemerovo, Aman Tuleyev, also 73, who regards her as a friend.

But Zimin warned him via a radio phone-in: 'One more flight to land there, and that's it, you have violated the country's law.

'You have no right to fly there and no right to land there. And don't shame us, posing like you are her sole suppliers.'

He also appeared to mock the hermit's faith saying: 'As for babushka (granny) Agafya, she doesn't carry any great deeds linked to religion.'

Zimin complained the hermit 'has had multiple offers to relocate from the territory of the nature reserve, but she did not agree'.

It now cost millions of roubles and the time of nature park rangers to look after her because as she ages she can no longer live a self-sufficient life in her families hideout from Stalin.

Lykova and Vladimir Makuta, head of Tashtagolskyi district, who is seen bringing her gifts

The main help to Agafya in recent years has come not from Zimin but from the governor of a neighbouring region Kemerovo, Aman Tuleyev, also 73,(right) who regards her as a friend

'Perhaps you can't measure life by money. But what if every citizen could have such life free of charge, with food and other supplies delivered....?'

Tuleyev hit back that he 'cherished' his 'long friendship' with Agafya and would not stop seeking to help her.

'It's not just food and presents, but volunteers came to visit her and helped with errands,' his aide said, according to The Siberian Times.

'Rangers protected her from bears. You can't ban friendship.'

Her father Karl(pictured) took the decision to flee in 1936 after a communist patrol arrived at the fields where he was working and shot dead his brother

Pictured is a marker showing the site of Karl's grave, which lies beneath several inches of snow in the forest

It now cost millions of roubles and the time of nature park rangers to look after her because as she ages she can no longer live a self-sufficient life in her families hideout from Stalin

In one concession to modernity, she has been issued a satellite phone and can summon assistance in emergencies in a region where temperatures can fall to minus 45C in winter.

Siberian TV presenter Andrey Grishakov - who has visited Agafya - said: 'She is not the kind of person who would agree to leave her place and move to the "big land". She is scared of everything modern.'

Because she comes from a sect that even if the Romanov era cut themselves off from society 'she is a gold mine of knowledge, experience and culture of Russia as it was five, six centuries ago.

'Scientists study her dialect, record her vocabulary and make notes of her habits. I have no doubt that we should be helping her.'

Her father Karl took the decision to flee in 1936 after a communist patrol arrived at the fields where he was working and shot dead his brother.

In one concession to modernity, she has been issued a satellite phone and can summon assistance in emergencies in a region where temperatures can fall to minus 45C in winter

Siberian TV presenter Andrey Grishakov - who has visited Agafya - said: 'She is not the kind of person who would agree to leave her place and move to the "big land"'
The toddler daughter of a British woman jailed in Iran is struggling under the pressure of her mother's incarceration - lashing out at a guard after their weekly colouring session during a prison visit was cut short.

Gabriella, three, is only allowed to see Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been held in Tehran on suspicion of spying since last April, for 45 minutes twice a week.

The little girl is oblivious to the global attention on her mother's plight or her father's high profile meeting with Boris Johnson to help and try and secure her freedom in time for Christmas.

The Foreign Secretary is now at the heart of the diplomatic struggle after after he appeared to make the situation worse by saying Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in Iran teaching journalists.

Her family have always insisted she was on holiday but the Iranian authorities seized on his comments as a reason to try and increase her sentence.

But the impact on Gabriella is really starting to show, her father said, and became apparent when a recent visit to her mother ended unexpectedly.

Richard Ratcliffe told MailOnline how the little girl - who lives with her maternal grandmother in Tehran -became increasingly clingy, burst into tears and shouted at the security guard overseeing a recent precious visit.

Gabriella is struggling under the pressure of Nazanin's incarceration - lashing out at a guard after a prison visit was cut short. Gabriella normally colours in pictures drawn by her mother, such as the family reunited (above - Nazanin, Gabriella, Richard and Nazanin's mother)

Gabriella, three, is only allowed to see Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been held in Tehran on suspicion of spying since last April, for 45 minutes twice a week

The little girl is oblivious to the global attention on her mother's plight or her father's high profile meeting with Boris Johnson to help and try and secure her freedom in time for Christmas but the impact is starting to show

Gabriella normally colours in pictures that her mother draws - with one shown here of their dream of the family altogether again with Gabriella, her mum, her dad and her grandmother and another of British character Paddington Bear.

Mr Ratcliffe said: Gabriellas routine on those visits is that her mother draws pictures and she colours them in.

But on Sunday for some reason, which was not malicious, Gabriella had to leave before she had the chance to do that.

She would have been tearful, she clung to her mother and she even confronted the guard for denying her what she saw as her right.

'This wasnt just about colouring in, this was clearly a reaction to how her life is now different from everyone elses at her nursery. But this was the only way that she knew how to express her feelings.

Theres nothing that upsets Nazanin more than the burden that all this is taking on Gabriella, or her daughter being distressed, so it would have been difficult for her too.

When Nazanin called her two days later last Tuesday, she asked if she was going to get to do her colouring in during their visit the next day. So she remembered her resentment.

When a recent visit was cut short, Gabriella was distraught, said Mr Ratcliffe: 'This wasnt just about colouring in, this was clearly a reaction to how her life is now different from everyone elses at her nursery. But this was the only way that she knew how to express her feelings'

The Foreign Secretary (pictured with Richard Ratcliffe) is now at the heart of the diplomatic struggle after after he appeared to make the situation worse by saying Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in Iran teaching journalists

Her family have always insisted she was on holiday but the Iranian authorities seized on his comments as a reason to try and increase her sentence

Richard Ratcliffe told MailOnline how the little girl became increasingly clingy, burst into tears and shouted at the security guard overseeing a recent precious visit

Yesterday MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Government not to pay back a 450million debt demanded by Iran to free her, as it would be seen as a blackmail ransom, while others said it could open a Pandoras Box used as an excuse to set ransoms for other British inmates.

The prominent Tory backbencher spoke out after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson vowed to leave no stone unturned while scrambling to secure the release of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Diplomats are reportedly trying to find a way to get around UN sanctions which have prevented the UK paying the Iranians the fee over a 1970s arms deal.

Mr Ratcliffe spoke about how Gabriella is caught in the crossfire, assuming she cant see her parents because theyre both in jail.

She asks to see her creature comforts back in the UK, her bed, the mobile that hangs above her bed and her Peppa Pig chair when they speak over Skype.

He continued: She doesnt remember her UK life, but she asks to see what she can recall, her bed, her mobile and her Peppa Pig chair that she used to sit on to watch TV.

'Nazanins grandfather died in Tehran a while ago, and Gabriella wanted to see her favourite cushion given to her by Nazanins grandfather.

Mr Ratcliffe (pictured with his family) said his wife was horrified at the impact on her daughter: Theres nothing that upsets Nazanin more than the burden that all this is taking on Gabriella, or her daughter being distressed, so it would have been difficult for her too'

Mr Ratcliffe said Gabriella, who lives with her maternal grandmother in Tehran, assumes she cant see her parents because theyre both in jail. When talking to her father, Gabriella asks to see her bed and her Peppa Pig chair when they speak over Skype

Mr Ratcliffe also told how despite being a married father, he's living like a bachelor, while his imprisoned wife worries about him looking after himself

Nazanins mother, Gabriellas grandmother, is her full-time parent in Iran now, and I only speak to her when I can if shes not too engrossed in something like watching cartoons.

'But her grandmother here, my mother, hasnt seen her since Nazanin was imprisoned last April.

'All she can do is FaceTime her every day for contact, which has an impact and makes her angry and distressed.

Im also aware that if I help free Nazanin, her grandmother in Iran will lose all of her contact with her granddaughter when she returns to the UK. Its really tough.

Mr Ratcliffe also told how despite being a married father, he's living like a bachelor, while his imprisoned wife worries about him looking after himself.

He said: Im a different person now. Im living like a single man, with my wife worrying that Im cooking dinner and looking after myself. Ill suddenly realise that I havent cooked in a week and that the only time I clean the house is for media visits.

Our marriage is different now too. A month ago we had normal conversations, talking about what others are doing with their lives.

The family is waiting for Boris Johnson to make the next move as they keep up the pressure to get Nazanin released

'Its important I tell her whats going on, but its tough for her to hear that everyone else is having holidays, moving house etc.

But at the moment her case is all we can talk about. Its taken over. And when all this calms down again we have to try to go back to being normal.

'This is an obvious strain on us and on our relationship. Weve got to find a way back to a nurturing space and to learning how to be a normal family again.

As Richard awaits a response from his Boris Johnson meeting, he added: Im no longer in that initial state of shock about whats happened to Nazanin.

'But whatever Im going through I just have to stay strong to cope because all I can focus on is keeping her going and getting her home again.
Saudi authorities are demanding princes detained in a luxury hotel following a supposed anti-corruption purge pay billions of dollars to secure their release.

The deals involve separating cash from assets like property and shares, and looking at bank accounts to assess cash values.

It comes after reports King Salman plans to step down and announce his son Prince Mohammed bin Salman as successor in a move seen as the culmination of a power grab by the 32-year-old.

The demands for cash come after reports King Salman plans to step down and announce his son Prince Mohammed bin Salman(left) as successor in a move seen as the culmination of a power grab by the 32-year-old

Dozens of princes, senior officials and businessmen, including cabinet ministers and billionaires, have been detained in the graft inquiry at least partly aimed at strengthening the power of the prince, known as MBS.

These include billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the kingdom's most prominent businessmen.

One businessman had tens of millions of Saudi riyals withdrawn from his account after he signed.

In another case, a former senior official consented to hand over ownership of four billion riyals worth of shares, a source told Reuters news agency.

The Saudi government earlier this week moved from freezing accounts to issuing instructions for 'expropriation of unencumbered assets' or seizure of assets, said a second source.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government on the deals and the sources declined to be identified because these agreements are not public.

Analysts said the deals may help end uncertainty about the anti-corruption crackdown but could have an impact on Saudi Arabia's risk perception among investors.

'Eliminating uncertainty about what the Saudi authorities are going to do goes a long way towards giving the market comfort that the regime is getting its house in order, and plugging its deficit,' said Louis Gargour, founder and senior portfolio manager at London-based hedge fund LNG Capital.

Dozens of princes, senior officials and businessmen, including cabinet ministers and billionaires, have been detained in a function room of the Ritz Carlton

Riyadh has been cutting spending while raising taxes and fees to curb a state budget deficit caused by low oil prices.

The deficit, which hit $98 billion in 2015, is shrinking but at a high cost to the economy - data in late September showed Saudi Arabia in recession during the second quarter.

The Saudi government has in recent years been pressing wealthy individuals to invest more in the kingdom and bring home some of their wealth from overseas.

'From a civil liberties point of view obviously incarcerating people doesnt give us comfort, and thats why weve seen spreads on Saudi bonds go 50 basis points or so wider,' Gargour said.

Funds started selling Middle East bonds early this month after Saudi Arabia detained dozens of senior officials and businessmen in an unprecedented crackdown on graft.

Credit spreads and the cost of insuring debt against default have increased not only for Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, but across the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Qatar, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi.

Those detained include billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the kingdom's most prominent businessmen

According to the Financial Times, the government is seeking to appropriate as much as 70 percent of suspects' wealth to channel hundreds of billions of dollars into depleted state coffers.

A third source told Reuters said if people are willing to return 'ill-gotten gains' then their punishment will be 'time served' in Riyadh's Ritz Carlton hotel, where they are being detained.

The Saudi authorities have help from international auditors, investigators and people with experience in tracing assets.

Bank representatives are on hand to execute the decisions immediately.

Saudi authorities have said they have questioned 208 people in an anti-corruption investigation and estimate at least $100 billion has been stolen through graft, an official said last week as the inquiry expanded beyond the kingdom's borders into the United Arab Emirates.

Those detained include other high-profile businessmen such as Mohammad al-Amoudi, whose wealth is estimated by Forbes at $10.4 billion, with construction, agriculture and energy companies in Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia; and finance and healthcare magnate Saleh Kamel, whose fortune is seen at $2.3 billion.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is trying to use the anti-corruption purge as a way of boosting his popularity with the Saudi population, said Jason Tuvey, Middle East economist at Capital Economics.

'But he may have realised that by doing this hes gone a step too far and ruffled too many feathers, and he is maybe trying to find a way out that means these people dont end up in prison forever and can carry on their business operations as before.'
Australia's oldest man will be returned home 42,000 years after he first walked the land.

Mungo Man was returned to his ancestral homeland in remote outback NSW on Friday with a ceremony to remember his life.

The oldest human remains were excavated more than four decades ago but some say his journey is far from over yet.

Mungo Man's remains (pictured) are more than 42,000 years old, making him oldest Australian

The Aboriginal man was found in the 1970s at Mungo Lake, in remote outback NSW, and is finally being laid back to rest

The casket of 'Mungo Man' (pictured) was seen during a repatriation ceremony at Lake Mungo

Australia's oldest man will be returned home 42,000 years after he first walked the land

Pallbearers move the casket of 'Mungo Man' (pictured) during a repatriation ceremony

Sissy Peddit is seen during a repatriation ceremony in Lake Mungo, New South Wales on Friday

While there is no long-term plan for a permanent resting place for Mungo Man, there was a ceremony held at Lake Mungo on Friday.

The ice age Aborigine was dubbed Mungo Man after the dry salt Lake Mungo where he was found in 1974 in remote New South Wales, 750 kilometres west of Sydney.

Scientists from the Australian National University took him away to Canberra for analysis, deeply upsetting indigenous communities.

The university handed him back to traditional owners two years ago and formally apologised for the pain caused by his removal.

The casket of Mungo Man (pictured) was seen at Lake Mungo during the ceremony Friday

Sissy peddit (pictured) was spotted at the ancestral homeland of Mungo Man on November 17

Mungo Man was returned to his homeland in remote outback NSW with a ceremony to remember his life (pictured)

The oldest human remains were excavated more than four decades ago but some say his journey is far from over yet

While there is no long-term plan for a permanent resting place for Mungo Man, there was a ceremony held at Lake Mungo on Friday (pictured)

Crowds (pictured) gather to witness burial of 'Mungo Man' during a ceremony at Lake Mungo

'It's so good to have him back after all those years he has been taken away ... I'm so glad he is back, to put him in his resting place,' Ngiyampaa elder Aunty Joan Slade told reporters.

Local Aborigines burnt eucalypt leaves in a traditional smoking ceremony to welcome the black hearse that carried his remains in a coffin.

'His spirit will be relieved and then he will be released when we put him back in the ground to his place where he came from,' Aunty Patsy said, an elder of the Mutthi Mutthi tribe.

NSW Heritage Minister Gabrielle Upton said local Aboriginal people had been instrumental in the significant journey.

The return of the remains was 'not only for them and for the local Aboriginal community but for NSW, for the nation and for our world,' she said at Lake Mungo.

The ice age Aborigine was dubbed Mungo Man after the dry salt Lake Mungo where he was found in 1974

He was studied at the Australian National University, which handed him back to traditional owners two years ago and formally apologized for the pain caused by his removal
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When the alarm goes off each morning, most of us have dreamed of swapping the rat race for a more sedate way of life.

And for one family, that dream has become a reality.

Patrick and Hannah Canavan have taken their children Esmae, six, Eira, five and two -year-old Elfie from their home in Caterham to the idyllic island of Bali, where they say they can live comfortably on 1,000 a month.

The pair, who were renting in London and left last month with 5,000 savings, were inspired by a backpacking trip to Thailand they took 10 years ago and decided to ditch their 9-5 routine in the capital in search of a more relaxed lifestyle in Indonesia.

Their three children were already home-schooled but Mrs Canavan, 28, believes travelling offers a better education than what was available in London.

Patrick and Hannah Canavan (pictured) have taken their children Esmae (right), six, Eira (left), five and two -year-old Elfie (centre) from their home in Caterham to the idyllic island of Bali, where they say they can live comfortably on 1,000 a month

The pair, who were renting in London and left last month with 5,000 savings, were inspired by a backpacking trip to Thailand they took 10 years ago and decided to ditch their 9-5 routine in the capital in search of a more relaxed lifestyle in Indonesia

Mr Canavan, 31, quit his personal trainer job and his wife will support the family through freelance writing

The family are originally from Croydon, south London (pictured), where gritty TV police drama The Bill was filmed

But they traded in the commuter town for the beautiful island of Bali, the idyllic Indonesian island best known for its forested volcanic mountains, golden beaches and coral reefs

Mr Canavan, 31, quit his personal trainer job and his wife will support the family through freelance writing, according to the Standard.

The family, originally from Croydon but living in Caterham, Surrey when they decided to move, also run a travel blog and YouTube channel.

Writing on her blog, Mrs Canavan said: 'We have been dreaming of taking our kids on an adventure like this since before they were born.

'In todays hectic society its increasingly difficult to carve out quality time as a family, and I cant think of anything more valuable to our girls than being able to have their dad to themselves for a year or so.

'Without the distractions of the office, the "ping" of emails flying to our phones and endless housework, were hoping that we will be able to improve our relationships, make memories and benefit from a different perspective of the world.'

The family describe themselves as Christian and say Hannah is a vegan, Patrick is a marathon runner and Jayne is a pro at yoga.

They left London on October 3 on Elra's fifth birthday.

Each morning, Ms Canavan will begin the day writing while her husband takes the three girls to the beach.

Their three children were already home-schooled but Mrs Canavan, 28, believes travelling offers a better education than what was available in London

The family left London on October 3 on Elra's fifth birthday. Each morning, Ms Canavan will begin the day writing while her husband takes the three girls to the beach

Mrs Canavan, who now spends her days doing yoga, believes many families do not realise how attainable escaping the city rat race for a more relaxed lifestyle abroad is

Their afternoons tend to be spent relaxing together or volunteering at charities.

And the family believe many families do not realise how attainable escaping the city rat race for a more relaxed lifestyle abroad is.

Mrs Canavan said: 'People think you have to be super rich to do this but it actually costs a lot less to live and explore here than it does just to live in London.

'Our rent here in Bali costs 300 per month and the house has a swimming pool and is five minutes from the beach.

'We will have lived for 1000 for the whole month, by eating local food and cooking at home on our one small gas hob ring.

Patrick (right) and Hannah Canavan (centre) are travelling with their children Esmae (front, centre), six, Eira, five (left) and two -year-old Elfie (right) as well as Mrs Canavan's mother Jayne Davies (left)

The family flew out to Bali last month and Mrs Canavan says they are living 'comfortably' on 1,000 a month

Mr Canavan, a personal trainer, quit his job so the family could spend their time travelling abroad

Mrs Canavan said they plan on assessing the situation in a year and claimed the only thing she misses about London is the people - but not the 'house cleaning or the weather'

'Lots of people could do this, but they don't realise.'

The family are accompanied by Mrs Canavan's mother, 55-year-old nurse Jayne Davies, who joined for a 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity after retiring.

Hannah told MailOnline: 'We're thrilled she has come- she has always been very close to the girls, she's an amazing mum and nana and she loves helping with homeschooling the girls. She does craft and workbooks with them and then goes off and does what she likes, yoga etc, and it's just lovely being together.

'I think after 35 years nursing she realised that life is short and that you can't get the time back when the kids are little, and if she could travel the world and be with her grandkids that was a win-win! She is also looking to give something back and do charity work with us and use her skills to help those in need.'

They are unsure if they will ever return to the UK and in the next few weeks they plan on travelling to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.

Mrs Canavan said they plan on assessing the situation in a year and claimed the only thing she misses about London is the people - but not the 'house cleaning or the weather'.

She added: 'We are not special - if we can do this, lots of people can.'
Disturbing photographs of Brits mocking Shannon Matthews have been taken at a fancy dress festival in Benidorm.

The outrageous prank, carried out by four Britons during an all-day bender in the Spanish party resort, saw the men dress up as members of the kidnap victim's family.

One man, sporting a red wig, appears to be impersonating Shannon's mother Karen, who was eventually convicted of hatching the kidnap plot of her own daughter.

Another looked to be dressed as Karen's partner Craig Meehan, while a friend carried a mattress - a nod to Shannon's discovery inside a divan bed - under his arm.

Disturbing photographs of Brits mocking Shannon Matthews have been taken at a fancy dress festival in Benidorm

The young girl's face had even been photoshopped to appear like that of another friend, in a 'Help find Shannon' banner that the group carried around the resort.

Britons back home were quick to criticise the 'distasteful' costumes, which appeared in photos posted on Facebook.

Marie Bloxham wrote: 'Disgusting. Why would they find it funny to dress up like that is beyond me.'

Byron Smith added: 'So sick, especially for those with a child genuinely missing. Some things just aren't funny.'

The Costa Blanca festival even saw some boozed-up tourists donning offensive 'blackface' costumes.

Two men appeared to be wearing outfits depicting the controversial golliwog, a children's doll which has become a symbol of reviled racist stereotyping.

Most Britons back home were quick to criticise the 'distasteful' costumes, which appeared in photos posted on Facebook

Karen Matthews became a figure of hate in the UK after claiming that her daughter Shannon had been kidnapped in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in February 2008.

Shannon was found, following a police search costing 5million, 24 days later less than a mile from her home in a house belonging to Michael Donovan.

The youngster had been tied up, drugged and hidden in the base of a divan bed at the home of Donovan, who was the uncle of Karen's partner Meehan.

It is thought that Matthews staged the kidnap in order to claim the 50,000 reward for her return.

She was convicted of kidnapping, false imprisonment, and perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to eight years along with Donovan.

Matthews was released after serving four years at New Hall prison in West Yorkshire and Foston Hall prison in Derbyshire.
City firms have drawn up plans to move 4,000 jobs from London to Paris after Brexit, French officials claimed today.

Despite several banks publicly scaling back re-locations, Arnaud de Bresson, the general delegate of Paris Europlace, which promotes Paris as a financial centre, said major moves would still take place.

He claimed Brexit would leave London as a smaller - if still important - financial centre compared to its European rivals.

Arnaud de Bresson, the general delegate of Paris Europlace, which promotes Paris as a financial centre, has claimed 4,000 jobs are to set to move from London to Paris

Mr de Bresson said he hoped for 10,000 job transfers by the time Brexit actually takes place in March 2019.

He said: 'London will still be an important financial centre but it will be a little bit reduced in size.'

His words were backed by Ross McInnes, the Oxford-educated, Franco-Australian chairman of Safran, the aerospace giant, who is also the Paris region's economic ambassador.

He told the Times: 'Brexit is like a British breakfast. You can have your eggs hard or soft, but so far it looks to me like it's scrambled. That doesn't help London.'

In Paris, on the other hand, the outlook was 'hugely positive' following the election of President Macron and the acceleration of pro-business reforms designed in part to attract financial institutions from Britain, Mr McInnes said.

Last month, HSBC became the latest bank to launch a climb down on threats to move jobs out of London and into Europe after Brexit.

HSBC last month became the latest bank to launch a climb down on threats to move jobs out of London and into Europe after Brexit

After posting strong financial results the bank admitted it 'may' move fewer than the 1,000 jobs forecast.

The announcement came just days after UBS also pared down plans to move banking jobs to Europe amid Brexit uncertainty.

There is particular concern about 'passporting' rights that would allow euros to be traded outside of the European Union.

Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein took to Twitter to detail a recent trip to Frankfurt where the US bank is planning to relocate some of its own business

HSBCs finance director Iain Mackay said today: 'It may be less than 1,000 employees, but its up to 1,000.'

Previous comments from senior HSBC executives had emphasised the number of jobs to move would be 1,000.

Mackay said the bank had booked $12 million in costs for the third quarter in relation to Brexit, mostly spent on legal advice regarding contingency planning.

HSBC still expects to spend $200-$300 million in total on Brexit relocation costs, he said.

In a less positive signal, Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein 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.'

Reports have emerged that the group  which employs around 6,500 people in the UK  had signed a contract to lease eight floors of a skyscraper in the city, capable of holding 800 staff.
A Special Forces dog who helped save the lives of British troops in Afghanistan has become the first living canine in seven years to get an animal Victoria Cross.

Mali, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, received the honour for its heroic actions during a covert operation in Kabul in 2012, where it helped flush out the Taliban from a tower.

The attack dog served alongside troops from Britain's Special Boat Service (SBS) in the top-secret seven-and-a-half hour mission.

It detected insurgents and sniffed out explosives while under ferocious fire.

Mali, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, received the honour for its heroic actions during a covert operation in Kabul in 2012, where it helped flush out the Taliban from a tower

Dogged determination: Mali has been praised for his ability to assist the armed forces in overseas pursuits without giving up

Mali the Belgian Malinois has been awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal for his bravery. He is pictured, right with his handler Corporal Daniel Hatley

Mali's citation says: 'The significance of his actions during this seven-and-a-half-hour mission saw him perform above and beyond the call of duty on numerous occasions.

'Mali displayed outstanding courage in the face of fire and there is no doubt that his actions throughout the operation were pivotal in the success of breaking an enemy stronghold, helping to save multiple lives and prevent further injury.'

Footage from the time showed Britain's elite unit, wearing the uniform of Afghan soldiers, scale the building where the Taliban had been hiding.

It then shows Mali, who was injured in three grenade blasts, carried away by its handler.

Mali was injured by three grenade blasts while helping British forces in Afghanistan

The handler's identity has been protected for security reasons but he was awarded a gallantry medal for his role in the assault.

Western forces said at the time that the mission was carried out by the Afghans, but last night military sources confirmed the assault involved a handful of UK Special Forces.

Mali, who is now attached to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), was presented with the prestigious PDSA Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, at a ceremony in London today.

It is the highest award any animal can achieve while serving in military conflict.

The citation said: 'Mali, a Belgian Malinois, will receive the honour for his heroic actions during an operation in Afghanistan in 2012, where he assisted an assault force in securing a key enemy stronghold.'

During the assault in April 2012, Mali was sent through direct fire on two separate occasions to conduct searches for explosives.

'He also indicated the presence of insurgents numerous times, giving the assault force vital milliseconds to engage the enemy in close quarter combat', it was said.

The medal dates back to 1943 when it was brought in to honour the work of animals in WWII

Mali is now helping to train other dogs carry out the similar work he did for the military

During the operation, Mali was hoisted up the outside of the building several times to provide the assault force with a key foothold to attack the insurgents.

There was numerous casualties, including Mali, who was seriously injured by three grenade blasts.

The first two explosions caused injuries to its chest, front and rear legs. A further blast detonated close to his face, causing the loss of Mali's front tooth and damage to his right ear.

The citation added: 'Despite his injuries, Mali continued his duties and pushed forward, remaining close to his handler.

'He played a key role in breaking the stalemate that had begun to develop in the building, providing impetus for the host nation and UK forces to continue to fight and bring about a successful resolution.'

After receiving emergency treatment for his injuries, Mali returned home from Afghanistan, where he made a full recovery.

Mali, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, received the honour for its heroic actions during a covert operation in Kabul in 2012, where it helped flush out the Taliban from a tower

The attack dog served alongside troops from Britain's Special Boat Service (SBS) in the top-secret seven-and-a-half hour mission

Corporal Daniel Hatley, who trained Mali as a puppy before he was deployed to Afghanistan, said of his award: 'I am extremely proud of Mali.

'The way he conducted himself when it mattered most enabled my colleagues to achieve success in close combat.'

The PDSA charity's Director General, Jan McLoughlin, said: 'Mali has displayed a truly awesome ability and determination to seek out explosives and insurgents during a key operation.

'To achieve this while exposed to close combat and such intense enemy attack, makes him an incredibly worthy recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal.

'It is even more poignant that we were able to make Mali's award today on our charity's 100th birthday.'

Mali, who is now attached to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), pictured in Afghanistan

Lieutenant Colonel Abby DuBaree from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps said: 'Stories like Mali's are sobering to read and help to demonstrate the key role that animals continue to play in our armed forces.'

Brigadier Roly Walker, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) said: 'As long as we've had soldiers, we've had animals; and I think we always will have them.

The Dickin medal is the highest award any animal can achieve while serving in military conflict

'Today's award of a PDSA Dickin Medal to Mali recognises this unique bond.'

Although retired from front line duties, Mali continues to work at the RAVC's Defence Animal Centre in Leicestershire, where he and his current handler Corporal Daniel Hatley, help to train new dog handlers.

The medal was instituted by PDSA's founder, Maria Dickin CBE, in 1943. Mali is the 69th recipient of the award, recipients include 32 World War Two messenger pigeons, 32 dogs, including Mali, 4 horses and a cat.

The last dog to receive a Dickin Medal was Sasha, who was awarded it posthumously in 2014.

Sasha was killed in an ambush alongside her handler Lance Corporal Kenneth Rowe in Afghanistan in 2008.

The last living British dog to be given the medal was in 2010.

Treo received the honour for its actions in 2008, when it was deployed to Helmand Province to search for weapons and munitions concealed by the Taliban.

Its citation said: 'Treo's actions and devotion to his duties, while in the throes of conflict, saved many lives.'
A man in south-east China had an eel removed from his body after allegedly putting it into his rectum.

The patient claimed to have experienced acute pain in his abdomen on the night of November 10 and had to rush to the hospital.

He remains under intensive care after surgeons removed the long fish during an operation.

Doctors performed surgery and took out an eel from the man, who was reported to be aged 40

A CT scan shows a snake-like object appearing inside a Chinese patient's abdominal area

According to local news website, Kan Kan News, the patient, said to be 40 years old, rushed to The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University in Jiangxi Province at around 8pm last Friday.

He was sent to the Emergency Room to run tests and scans by the doctors.

A CT scan showed a snake-like object trapped inside his abdominal area.

Doctors performed a surgical operation on the patient and successfully removed the object, later confirmed to be an eel.

Picture of the eel suggested it was longer than the surgical forceps.

It's believed that the eel had went in from the anus and swam up to his abdominal area

Kan Kan News said the man was staying in an intensive care unit on November 15.

However, he refused to explain how the eel had got into his body.

Doctors confirmed to the reporter that the eel had been inserted into the patient from the anus.

The patient is currently recovering.
A three-month-old kitten is recovering after surviving a 300 mile journey from France to Britain trapped in the bumper of a car - for 14 HOURS.

Doug and Renee Bliss, both 68, were left stunned after finding the stowaway cat firmly wedged in the grille on their Hyundai i30 after they got home from holiday.

They had been making their way back from the St Malo, in the north of France, when the puss is believed to have got stuck just before they boarded a ferry.

Doug and Renee Bliss, both 68, were left stunned after finding the stowaway cat firmly wedged in the grille on their Hyundai i30 after they got home from holiday

After the pensioners arrived at Portsmouth International Port around 12 hours later, the cat then endured a 37 mile journey at 70mph to Sutton Scotney Services.

It was at that point they heard a faint meowing and discovered their unwanted passenger clinging to the car near the headlight when they opened their bonnet.

Retired science teacher Doug said: 'He seemed to be trapped in front of the radiator behind the headlamp.

'You could barely see him when he was trapped. I had to bend down and reach into the car from below just to touch him.

The couple had been making their way back from the St Malo, in the north of France, when the puss is believed to have got stuck just before they boarded a ferry

The couple, from Duston, Northampton, couldn't pull the kitten out and called Britannia Rescue to the service station on the A23 on October 17

'We can't imagine how he got in there.'

Renee added: 'We left the car at 8pm French time and drove away again at 7am the next morning, UK time. He could've been in there for over 12 hours.

'When we stopped at the services I couldn't believe what I was hearing, meowing coming from the bonnet of the car.

'We had just driven for almost an hour and a half without stopping.

'There was heavy traffic on the M27 and M3 and it was a stop-start journey. It must have been horrendous for him.'

The puss, later named Malo, was quarantined for 21 days before being taken to charity Blue Cross who have now put him up rehoming. Pictured: Malo with Lara Alford, Blue Cross Southampton Centre Manager

The car was then taken to the nearest garage, Bakers of Oakley, in Basingstoke, Hants., where mechanics removed the entire bumper to free the distressed kitten

The couple, from Duston, Northampton, couldn't pull the kitten out and called Britannia Rescue to the service station on the A23 on October 17.

The car was then taken to the nearest garage, Bakers of Oakley, in Basingstoke, Hants., where mechanics removed the entire bumper to free the distressed kitten.

The puss, later named Malo, was quarantined for 21 days before being taken to charity Blue Cross who have now put him up rehoming.

Rennee, a retired laboratory technician, said: 'When he was finally freed, the poor little thing looked terrified.

'He's absolutely gorgeous, and if we didn't already have two rescue cats of our own, we would have jumped at the chance to take him on ourselves.'

Lara Alford, centre manager for Blue Cross Southampton, said: 'Little Malo is so lucky to be in good health.

'They drove all the way to Sutton Scotney Services for a pit stop where they heard a cat meowing.

'They looked at the car and could see through the front grille a kitten clinging on for its life. It's such a scary journey for such a small animal.'

'As soon as we met Malo we knew he'd be a wonderful addition to someone's family.

'He's had quite a journey to get here, so would love to find a loving home to settle down in and really be able to show his true colours.'

Rennee, a retired laboratory technician, said: 'When he was finally freed, the poor little thing looked terrified'
David Davis has denied harbouring ambitions to take over from Theresa May as PM - insisting he retire when Brexit is complete.

The Brexit Secretary, regarded by many as a likely replacement should Mrs May be abruptly dethroned, said his career would 'end' when the UK left the EU.

The comments came as Mr Davis urged Germany not to put 'politics above prosperity' in the increasingly bad-tempered negotiations.

The Cabinet minister said he was 'under no illusions' about the challenge he faced, but said real progress was being made.

Brexit Secretary David Davis, pictured in Berlin last night, said today that so far the UK was making most of the 'compromises' and European countries had to do their part

Theresa May urged the EU to 'move forward' in Brexit negotiations as she arrived at a summit in Sweden today

As the session with business leaders in Berlin wrapped up last night, Mr Davis was asked whether he thought he might make a good PM at some point.

He replied 'no', saying that Mrs May was very, very good and would 'be there for the duration of the Brexit process and beyond.

He added: When the Brexit process comes to an end, Ill come to an end too.

I wont be there. I have no ambitions beyond that.

The remarks seem to confirm rumours about Mr Davis's retirement that have been swirling at Westminster for months - although he has previously laughed off the idea.

It is not clear whether Mr Davis meant the end of negotiations, or the end of any Brexit transition period.

The news emerged as Mrs May attending a summit in Sweden and urged the EU to 'move forward' in Brexit negotiations today.

European council president Donald Tusk is expected to deliver a tough message when he meets the Prime Minister later.

As Brussels ramps up pressure over the huge divorce bill, Mr Tusk will caution that sign-off on trade talks when EU leaders gather next month cannot be taken for granted.

The thinly-veiled threat come amid signs of a bitter row within government over how far to bow to Brussels' demands for more cash.

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron were also attending the meeting today along with Mrs May

Mrs May has already pledged to pay 20billion into EU coffers during a two-year transition period.

But Cabinet Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are said to be resisting upping the offer without commitments from Brussels over a trade deal.

Mr Davis said in a BBC interview today that so far the UK was making most of the 'compromises' and European countries had to do their part.

The Brexit Secretary told business leaders last night it was 'never a smart choice' to put politics above the wealth and prosperity of your country.

And he said said the two countries do a lot of lucrative trade with each other, with one in three of every cars sold in the UK made in Germany, and this must not be thrown away in Brexit talks.
A mother was bludgeoned with a crowbar and left for dead by her infatuated stalker after he abseiled into her bathroom through a skylight, a court heard.

Fatmir Stafasani, 49, allegedly warned Blerta Sulaj: This is your last day before smashing her over the head in her own top-floor apartment in Fulham until she lost consciousness.

Ms Sulaj identified Stafasani as her attacker and claimed to have known him for a number of years from her homeland.

She said that she believed he was obsessed with her, infatuated, and that he had threatened her previously that if she would not become his wife he would degrade her and claim, in fact, that they were married, said prosecutor Michelle Fawcett.

Ms Sulaj (left) identified Stafasani (right) as her attacker and claimed to have known him for a number of years from her homeland

He was that infatuated with her.

Examinations of the crime scene and surrounding area on March 20 this year uncovered black webbing straps, typically used by climbers, secured by a metal loop and spring-loaded gate closure to pipework on the roof.

The webbing, which bore Stafasanis DNA as did a discarded orange juice bottle lying nearby, hung down from a damaged skylight towards the bathroom floor, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Wheelchair-bound Stafasani, who has refused to take part in the trial and has subsequently found to be mute by malice, denies attempted murder and aggravated burglary.

Wheelchair-bound Stafasani (right, with Ms Sulaj), who has refused to take part in the trial and has subsequently found to be mute by malice, denies attempted murder and aggravated burglary

But Ms Fawcett said: Why else would he have broken into the flat if it was not to seriously injure or harm Blerta Sulaj?

Because nothing was stolen.

No property was taken - her mobile phone and handbag were still on the bed when police arrived.

The meticulous planning that must have gone into this offence; climbing ladders, gaining access through a skylight using webbing, lying in wait for over an hour, being armed with weapons.

All this demonstrates that the sole reason for the defendant being there was to attack Ms Sulaj.

And attack her he did - viciously, callously, repeatedly - after telling her he was going to kill her.

This is your last day.

He then smashed her over the head with a metal bar.

Jurors heard Ms Sulaj told officers she arrived home from shopping and let herself into the locked flat with a key shortly after lunchtime on March 20.

Ms Sulaj (left, with Stafasani) was eventually left with serious head injuries including a fractured skull, severe bruising to her back and bottom, and fractured hands

She then made her way to the bedroom to remove her shoes when she felt a blow to the back of her head.

Officers heard the woman fingered Stafasani for the assault, claiming he had emerged from behind a wall in the bathroom.

When she screamed and shouted for help, her attacker closed the door and resumed his onslaught.

Ms Sulaj was eventually left with serious head injuries including a fractured skull, severe bruising to her back and bottom, and fractured hands.

She spent four weeks in hospital.

Is there any doubt in your mind at all who attacked you? Ms Fawcett asked her.

It is him and only him, Ms Sulaj said after naming Stafasani from behind a screen.

The court heard the first two met while she was working as a nurse in Albania in 2012 before settling in the UK last year.

Ms Sulaj (left) described pleading with Stafasani to leave her alone and told jurors she was curious to find out how he tracked her down to her new home in Fulham

Ms Sulaj confirmed she considered them to be friends.

I would talk to him as friend to friend, she added.

Not anything else, not anything more.

I dont know how his imagination works.

The mother initially met Stafasani in Thornton Heath but she soon realised what his true intentions were.

His real intention was to belong to him as if I was an item, the court was told.

He found the address, he was on the search.

Wherever I put my step his shadow was behind.

She described pleading with him to leave her alone and told jurors she was curious to find out how he tracked her down to her new home in Fulham.

Her son arrived home while police were still examining the apartment and showed them an image of Stafasani when asked who may have been behind the attack.

He claimed to have seen him sitting in a blue Mercedes around 20 times during the past month.

DNA tests on the orange juice bottle and strapping as well as an identity parade with Ms Sulaj all pointed to Stafasani and he was arrested on 11 May.

Stafasani, of Brunswick Court, Bermondsey, southeast London, denies attempted murder and aggravated burglary.

The trial continues.
Ireland's leader likened Theresa May to a want-away wife who wants to sleep around as he sunk Brexit talks to a new low.

Shortly after meeting the Prime Minister, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar jibed Britain as they threatened to veto Brexit trade talks.

Demanding a five-year transition phase, the Irish chief added: 'After 40 years of marriage, most of them good, now Britain wants a divorce but an open relationship the day after.'

Ireland also warned it could block the start of trade talks at Christmas without new answers on the Brexit border today despite a new diplomatic push.

Speaking in Sweden, Irish premier Leo Varadkar claimed the UK was trying to secure an 'open relationship' after divorcing the EU

Theresa May sat down with Irish premier Leo Varadkar on the margins of a summit in Sweden today while Boris Johnson held bilateral talks in Ireland.

Securing agreement on 'sufficient progress' in sorting out how the Ireland-UK border will work is one of three crucial issues ahead of an EU summit next month.

All sides are opposed to creating a hard border and checkpoints between Northern Ireland and the Republic but there is no consensus on alternatives.

Britain has proposed high tech systems using cameras and regulations but Ireland wants Northern Ireland to stay inside the EU customs union, effectively putting the border in the middle of the Irish sea.

Mr Johnson meanwhile appeared surprised by demands from his country Simon Coveney for a five year transition to help business confidence.

British policy is for a strictly limited two year transition to get on with Brexit and make clear the long term arrangements between the UK and EU.

Theresa May (right) held talks with Irish Premier Leo Varadkar (left) on the sidelines of a summit in Gothenberg today. The pair then sat near each other during a discussion session of the meeting (pictured)

Speaking in Sweden, Mr Varadkar claimed the UK was trying to secure an 'open relationship' after divorcing the EU.

'To me it seems that, after 40 years of marriage - most of them good - Britain now wants a divorce and wants an open relationship the day after,' he told Sky News.

'That's a very difficult position to accept but I'm sure we'll work something out.'

He added: 'I'm not in the business of threatening vetoes, I don't think that would be a constructive way to come to an agreement - and we do want to come to an agreement.'

He told ITV News that Brexit has 'caused enormous problems for the rest of Europe and for Ireland'.

There is a 'lot of work to do' on resolving the border issue and 'certainly we have not achieved sufficient progress as of today'.

He added that despite 18 months of 'the right language' from the UK on what it wanted to achieve there had not been any proposal from Mrs May 'which makes any sense'.

The Taoiseach said it was 'certainly possible' that trade talks could be given the go-ahead next month 'but if we have to wait until the New Year, if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it'.

Downing Street said Mrs May's talks with Mr Varadkar had been 'constructive' following their meeting on the sidelines in Gothenberg.

A spokesman said: 'On Northern Ireland, the PM was clear that the Belfast agreement must be at the heart of our approach and that Northern Ireland's unique circumstances demand specific solutions.

'The PM said it was important to protect progress made in Northern Ireland over recent years.

'Both leaders agreed to work together to find solutions which ensure there is no return to the borders of the past.'

Boris Johnson (pictured with Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney at a press conference this morning) was forced to dismiss calls for a five-year Brexit transition today after his Irish counterpart surprised him with the idea at a joint press conference

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney (pictured left with Mr Johnson) said his Government's top priority was giving business certainty and claimed this meant a much longer transition to Brexit

Mr Coveney said the priority should be to provide certainty for business as opposed to 'other political considerations'.

'When there is as fundamental a change as we are trying to negotiate here, we do need to give those affected by the change the time and the space to plan in a way that is orderly and managed,' he said.

Mr Johnson appeared surprised by the Irish claim transition might need to last five years

'In my view, the primary issues and concern there needs to be the need for business to adjust over time as opposed to any other political considerations.

'We think it is possible over the next 12 months to put a framework agreement in place in terms of what the future relationship may look like, but we also think it is going to take a number of years to really finalise the detail.

'I think the appropriate timetable is closer to four or five years than it is to two.'

Appearing surprised by the claim, Mr Johnson insisted: 'Everybody want to have the maximum possible reassurance.

'I think it is possible to do that within a much shorter time scale.'

The Foreign Secretary insisted the time had come for the two sides to get into the 'meat' of the negotiations and start discussing Britain's future relationship with the EU - including a new free trade agreement.

'The issues of the Northern Irish border and how it works are intellectually intimately bound up with the questions of the customs union, the single market and Britain's relationship with those,' he said.

'Those questions have been reserved by the (European) Commission for study in stage two of the negotiations. I think, logically, now is the time to proceed with stage two of the negotiations.'

Theresa May (pictured today arriving at an EU meeting in Sweden) set out plans for a strictly limited implementation period of around two years at her Florence speech and Mr Johnson scrambled to defend the UK policy.

However, Mr Coveney said they still needed greater 'clarity' of the UK's proposals for dealing with the border issue before the talks could move on to phase two.

'We all want to move on to phase two of the Brexit negotiations but we are not in a place right now that allows us to do that,' he said.

'We also have very serious issues in phase one, particularly around the border and the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process that need more clarity than we currently have.'

Mr Coveney admitted that the talks on the Irish border were at 'somewhat of an impasse'.

He said: 'We simply don't see how we can avoid border infrastructure, whether it's on the border or somewhere else on the island if we have regulatory divergence in Northern Ireland versus the rest of the island.

'When you have a different rule book applied to trade and business, well then, you are starting to go down the road of having to have checks and inspections.'
Shocking footage shows a scooter mount a pavement inches from a group of pedestrians gathered outside a pub before the thieves on board grab a phone from an unsuspecting pedestrian.

The thugs barge past the group before careening down the pavement and snatching a mobile from a lone pedestrian on Junction road in Tufnell Park, north London on Wednesday night at 7.45pm.

This is the latest recorded example of moped gangs targeting the public in unsettling, opportunistic crimes.

And north London has been badly hit. A raid was filmed metres away on the same road when a brazen thief rushed into the Bread and Bean Cafe and grabbed a laptop while a victim worked on it on October 17.

And a hammer-wielding moped thief was fought off by a hero manager and customers in nearby Bar Esteban, a tapas restaurant in Crouch End, last week when he tried to steal a laptop off the counter.

According to Met Police figures, there were 7,265 incidents in which scooters and mopeds were used to commit snatch offences in London last year. The figure is 16 times higher than it was five years ago.

So far this year, there have been more than 21,722 of these offences in the capital.

Shocking footage shows a scooter mount a pavement inches from a group of pedestrians gathered outside a pub before the thieves on board grab a phone from an unsuspecting pedestrian

The thugs barge past the group before careening down the pavement and snatching a mobile from a lone pedestrian on Junction road in Archway, north London on Wednesday evening

One of the moped thieves grabbed the unsuspecting man's phone in north London

Footage in this latest incident, captured by a witness who asked not to be named, shows the scooter mount a pavement, feet from a group of pedestrians outside the Boston Music Rooms pub, with one person driving and one sitting on the back.

They target one lone pedestrian and grab his phone before they veer back onto the road.

He runs after the thieves but they power on out of reach and veer onto the road again before the video cuts out.

The witness said that the scooter seemed to be acting as part of a team because moments after the robbery, another scooter drove in the opposite direction without head lights on.

The witness said that he has seen similar crimes in the area before and he shared the footage to alert people to the dangers of moped gang.

The victim ran after them, desperately trying to retrieve his mobile phone

But the thieves just veered onto the road and rode away. There have been more than 21,722 of these offences in which theives ride mopeds to commit opportunistic thefts the capital in 2017

Police have warned people in the capital to be vigilant and to protect their belongings at all times as mopeds are increasingly used as the vehicle of choice for criminals.

Mopeds have become the vehicle of choice from many criminals in Britain, with

The Met Police told MailOnline that it is working to combat this rapidly escalating form of crime, but it also urged the public to be vigilant.

A brazen moped thief pulled a laptop from the hands of a customer at the Bread and Bean cafe in Archway, north London on October 17

Detective Inspector Greg Coates of the Islington force in north London said: 'Operation Attrition is committed to detecting, disrupting and arresting those involved in moped and motorcycle enabled crime.

'Police are working hard to keep the public safe and make the streets hostile territory for criminals who use mopeds, motorbikes and bicycles to snatch valuables from members of the public.

'Islington is mobilised to tackle these offenders using local knowledge to tailor the policing required for their area, which may include daily patrols in cars and on motorcycles and bicycles, Automatic Number Plate Reader deployments, detectives conducting investigations and operations, intelligence led action on individuals, and DNA capture.'

'These offenders rely on the unwariness of the public to snatch their phones while they make calls so it is so important that the public is aware of their surroundings at all times and protect their personal property, particularly when emerging from a train or underground station or anywhere where they might suddenly decide to take out and use their phone.

'Smartphones and IPads are very valuable to these criminals and they can snatch them in an instant.

He stressed that preventative measures could dramatically lesson the amount of scooter, moped, motorbike and bicycle thefts which would mean that they could not be used in the commission of crime.

'It is important that the public is aware of their surroundings at all times and protect their personal property, as this crime happens in an instant,' he said.

The police urge the public to report any any suspicious activity and share information about who is committing these crimes by calling 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

How to reduce your chances of falling victim to moped thefts Be aware of your surroundings at all times and keep your personal property secure. Don't text while you're walking as you won't notice potential thieves approaching. Use the security features on your phone. Try going hands free or stand away from the roadside close to a wall so no one can come up behind you. Your phone comes with a range of security features, such as keypad locks and remote data wiping. Make sure they are all activated to stop thieves from accessing your phone and personal data. Know how to identify your phone if it's stolen. Find your IMEI number by dialling *#06# from your phone and keep a written note of it. If the phone is stolen, report it to the police and your mobile provider to stop it being used. Register your phone on www.immobilise.com Source: Metropolitan Police Advertisement
A university student who thought hot water bottles heated themselves up is taking the internet by storm.

The advertising student messaged her flatmate to ask why her new hot water bottle was not working.

Josh Moody, from Glasgow, was informed by Megan Ellis that she had put water in hours ago and the bottle still had not heated up.

Mr Moody shared a screenshot of their conversation on Twitter with the caption: 'My flatmate ladies and gents'.

Josh Moody, from Glasgow, was informed by Megan Ellis that she had put water in hours ago and the bottle (shown right) still had not heated up

Mr Moody (left) shared a screenshot of the conversation with Megan (right) on Twitter with the caption: 'My flatmate ladies and gents'

The post has had 36,000 likes since it was shared on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old bought Megan a hot water bottle to stop her complaining about feeling cold and save on heating bills.

Her message to him read: 'The hot water bottle you gave me doesn't work. I put water into it like two hours ago and it's still not heating up.'

Josh replied: 'Did you heat the water up before you put it in?'

Megan, also 20, replied: 'I thought that was the bottle's job?'

Reaction on social media ranged from CRE Mullins writing 'Genuinely quite angry at this' to Nunupie admitting: 'I used to think this too, shame I must confess.'

The post has had 36,000 likes since it was shared on Tuesday, with many expressing their shock at the student's misconception

SushiRollPhan asked: 'Had he never done a hot water bottle before? He'd never had a cold or a tummy ache?'

While Maestro wrote: 'I'm shocked.'

Jac Lucas said simply: 'Oh my god, hahahaha I canny breathe.'

Josh said today: 'It was actually me that bought the hot water bottle because she was always complaining at how cold our flat was. I thought it would be a good way to save money on heating.

'When I saw the text I thought she shouldn't have moved out of her mum's house if she didn't know how to work a hot water bottle.'

When asked what Megan thought about the tweet going viral, Josh replied:'She thinks it's funny how big it has become.'
Former lieutenant commander Charles Howeson is on trial for groping a younger sailor as well as other alleged attacks

The Royal Navy has been accused of trying to cover up a high-ranking officer's alleged sexual assault on a sailor in a bid to avoid a scandal.

Charles Howeson, 67, who was a lieutenant commander, is on trial accused of several sex attacks including groping a junior on the frigate HMS Cleopatra in 1985.

The court heard claims that, despite complaints made against Howeson, he was allowed to carry on in his role as it would have 'looked bad' for the Navy if the scandal had got out.

His alleged victim, who was in his 20s at the time, said he believed no action was taken because the service wanted to keep it quiet.

Howeson, of Plymouth, Devon, joined the Royal Navy in 1967 and also held a senior role at the Queen's bank, Coutts and Co. He denies 12 sex offences.

The former Cleopatra crewman, who cannot be named, told the court he was called to Howeson's cabin on the pretext of conducting a man overboard exercise.

As they carried a large dummy upstairs he said Howeson groped his genitals in a 'disgusting, revolting incident'.

The former naval officer is pictured outside court in Plymouth ahead of his trial this week

The alleged victim told the court that he only found out last year that no formal action had been taken against Howeson, despite him making the accusation more than 30 years ago.sex

He said he immediately told senior officers and was later told Howeson would be forced to leave - but nothing happened.

He said: 'I believe the Navy wanted to keep this quiet because it was going to be a scandal.

'A First Lieutenant and a young sailor would have been a nice juicy story in the papers.

'Here he is groping a sailor, the last thing the navy would want would be any scandal in the service.

'I honestly thought he had been kicked out of the service. The Navy didn't want that to happen here because it would have looked bad.'

Howeson denies 11 indecent assaults and another sexual assault against nine victims, both boys and men, between December 1985 and September 1994.

The alleged victims were lower ranks, civilians in and around his home and some men working for a charity where he was the boss, a jury heard.

After leaving the Navy in 1990, Howesen (pictured with wife Emma) went on to hold a number of positions in business, including for First Great Western and the Queen's bank Coutts

The first complainant to give evidence, a former junior rating, said he was 'shocked' and 'like a rabbit in the headlights' when the sex attack took place.

But, he said, he immediately complained to a senior officer and the Master at Arms, who was in charge of on-board discipline.

The man, in his 20s, said he was then interviewed by two members of the Navy's Special Investigations Squad.

The witness said he never saw Howeson again after the incident. The defendant was moved from the ship on health grounds, the jury were told.

The complainant said he was later told that no record of the incident he reported could be found.

The witness said that he was contacted by police more than 30 years later in 2016. Only then, he said, did he realise that Howeson had continued in the Navy.

Daniel Janner QC, defending Howeson, suggested to the witness: 'You did not actually care (what happened in the investigation). Either it had not happened or it was so trivial that you were not fussed.'

Howeston served in the Navy for 22 years. He denies 12 charges at Bristol Crown Court

The man replied: 'It happened. It was disgusting. It was a revolting incident. If I had done anything to touch an officer, I would have been hung out to dry. It has been kept quiet for the Navy's sake.'

The barrister later suggested: 'He tripped over a rope and that was the only grabbing of you and that was effectively it.'

The complainant said: 'No.'

Howeson told investigators more than 30 years ago it was 'inconceivable' he had sexually assaulted the junior rating on HMS Cleopatra.

After being flown off the ship, he was later interviewed and said: 'I completely refute the allegation.'

Members of the service's Special Investigations Squad have told the court that they pursued the matter thoroughly before passing the file to the Provost Marshal.

The trial and is expected to take four to six weeks.
Karen Fonseca was booked into Fort Bend county jail on Thursday. Seen above in her mugshot

The owner of a pickup truck featuring a huge decal on its back window saying 'f*** Trump' has been arrested.

Karen Fonseca was booked into Fort Bend county jail on Thursday after sheriffs discovered she had an outstanding warrant for fraud from August this year.

Sheriff Troy E Nehls had initially put out an appeal to find Fonseca with the idea of issuing her a citation for disorderly conduct over the offensive message.

But he later backed away from the idea after the district attorney warned the case would not meet the standard required to prosecute, and the American Civil Liberties Union stepped in to say the sign was constitutionally protected.

Nehls also received a personal backlash over the suggestion, with an assistant saying he had been sent threats against him and his family.

Trucking hell: This truck has been causing consternation in Texas - and now cops in Fort Bend County want to track down its owner on grounds of 'disorderly conduct'

Fonseca is the owner of a pickup truck featuring a huge decal on its back window saying 'f*** Trump '

Fonseca had said she would not remove the decal. She said she had been stopped by law officers, but that they have no grounds to issue a citation.

'It's not to cause hate or animosity,' the 46-year-old Fonseca told the Houston Chronicle. 'It's just our freedom of speech and we're exercising it.'

Free speech: Sheriff Troy E Nehls (pictured) says he may back off if the sticker is modified - but his threats are undermined by a Supreme Court constitutional ruling

She was booked into jail at 2pm on Thursday, records show, and has been granted bail set at $1,500.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas posted on Facebook that Fonsecas message is protected speech and urged her to reach out to the organization.

The ACLU noted a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned the conviction of a man for disturbing the peace for wearing a jacket with an expletive as part of an effort to protest the military draft and the Vietnam War.

In the case Cohen v California, the Supreme Court overturned a conviction against a 19-year-old Paul Robert Cohen for wearing a jacket reading 'F**k the draft' in a courthouse.

In a statement, Justice John Marshall Harlan II wrote: 'Absent a more particularized and compelling reason for its actions, the State may not, consistently with the First and Fourteenth Amendments, make the simple public display of this single four-letter expletive a criminal offense.'

He added: 'One man's vulgarity is another's lyric.'

Court in the act: As pointed out by the ACLU, in 1971 the Supreme Court overturned a man's conviction for wearing a 'F**k the draft' T-shirt in a courthouse, saying it was protected speech
The first wife of Charles Bronson has revealed how the man dubbed Britain's most violent prisoner is 'protective, kind and compassionate'.

Irene Dunroe gave an insight into her marriage to Bronson - then known as Mick Peterson - and claimed the notorious prisoner was not violent, despite him 'having fights at the end of the night'.

Ms Dunroe appeared on This Morning alongside reality star Alex Reid, who spoke about Bronson's wedding to actress Paula Williamson earlier this week.

Irene Dunroe gave an insight into her marriage to Bronson - then known as Mick Peterson - and claimed the notorious prisoner was not violent

Bronson is one of the country's most notorious prisoners and has spent the majority of the past four decades imprisoned for a series of violent crimes

Bronson is one of the country's most notorious prisoners and has spent the majority of the past four decades imprisoned for a series of violent crimes.

Charles Bronson was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974

In recent years he has turned his hand to art and changed his surname from Bronson to Salvador in tribute to the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali.

He was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974, but during his time inside he has taken hostages in 10 prison sieges, attacked at least 20 prison officers and caused 500,000 in damage in rooftop protests.

He has been moved prisoners more than 120 times during his 43-year spell behind bars - much of which has been in solitary confinement.

After two failed marriages, his new wife Paula Williamson says her husband has changed his ways.

And on This Morning, his first wife Irene described her ex-husband as a 'handsome and protective man'.

She said the pair met in a pub called The Bull in Great Sutton, Cheshire, and instantly hit it off.

She said: 'He walked in with his friend and that was it, we both fell for each other. He was really nice looking, he had a gorgeous white suit on.

'He was always very immaculate he had jet black hair, thick sideburns and a little Mexican moustache.

'He was such a gentleman, he used to open car doors for me he was protective as well.'

On This Morning, his first wife Irene described her ex-husband as a 'handsome and protective man'

In recent years Bronson has turned his hand to art and changed his surname from Bronson to Salvador in tribute to the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali

However host Eamonn Holmes asked her: He also used to open peoples heads basically, you know, in a violent way  when did you find out about all that?

Ms Dunroe replied: Ive never actually seen him be violent. He used to go out on benders but I was very naive at the time.

Irene Dunroe said: 'If a fight started Mick would be in the middle of it but he would never leave me and go and start fighting'

'Hed say he had a really bad hangover and hed been missing for about three days we had a child, Michael, by then.

'Ive never actually seen him be violent when hes with me - hes never gone up to people and started punching their heads in.'

The pair married in 1972, when Bronson was working as an industrial painter and they had a son, Michael Jonathan, in the same year.

Their relationship hit the rocks when Charles was jailed at the age of 22 for seven years in 1974 for the armed robbery of a post office.

She carried on visiting him for two years but they divorced in 1977.

Ms Dunroe added: 'I did see him having a few fights but that was at the end of the night when he used to take me to a pub in Elsmere Port  it was quite rough but there was a fabulous Chinese restaurant there but right in the back there was a pub and people used to keep drinking all night.

'If a fight started Mick would go into it and be in the middle of it but he would never leave me and go and start fighting.

'I wish the new Mrs Salvador all the best Ive got no malice towards any of them

'Hes violent in prison because prison has made him violent. People dont know the other half of the story, thats the trouble.'

Appearing via a video link, cage fighter and Katie Price's ex-husband Alex Reid also sung Bronson's praises.

He said: 'Yeah hes done some bad things but give the guy a chance, Im all about rehabilitation. The headlines create a circus.

The new Mrs Charles Bronson Paula Williamson, pictured, was all smiles as she left a hotel in Wakefield the day after marrying the notorious prisoner

Ms Dunroe told the show: 'Ive never actually seen him be violent when hes with me - hes never gone up to people and started punching their heads in'

Appearing via a video link, cage fighter and Katie Price's ex-husband Alex Reid also sung Bronson's praises. He said: 'Give the guy a chance, Im all about rehabilitation.' Reid is pictured here taking part in the Centrepoint Sleep Out 2017 at the Greenwich Peninsula in London

Paula Williamson has been pictured being taken into HMP Wakefield for her wedding to Charles Bronson hidden under a blanket

'It wasnt a straightaway thing [our friendship] - it took some time before I got in contact. I thought Im gonna give the guy a chance thats all people need is a chance.

'I think hes a reformed character.

'He was mucked around a bit at the wedding ceremony, things were taken away from him to try and push him and prod and he was just like, oh well it is what it is.

'The goalposts were moved quite extremely and it would upset anybody but it was a testament to his character.

'The press are romantic with the truth hes never gonna get a chance to rehabilitate properly

'I was sitting next to Charlies senior prison warden. They had nothing but good things to say about him.'
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Ten people have been caned for adultery in the Indonesian province of Aceh, where strict sharia law is in force.

The pictures show a man and a woman, who is in obvious distress, being led to a specially erected covered area where they are caned by a masked sharia enforcer, known as an 'algojo'

The woman is forced to kneel before her punishment begins, which usually consists of the prisoner being hit up to 29 times for their so-called crime.

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A woman is forced to kneel before being caned for adultery in the Indonesian province of Aceh

The province is the only part of the sprawling Muslim nation that has Sharia law. The vast majority of the country's Muslims describe themselves as moderate

Those convicted under Sharia law are hit between 10 and 29 times by masked enforcer known as an 'algojo'

Man and women have been know to collapse during the canings, which can be administered for standing too close to a partner in public or being seen alone with someone they are not married to

Anybody caught engaging in consensual gay sex is punished with 100 lashes, 100 months in jail or a fine of 1,000 grams of gold

Earlier this year footage emerged of a woman collapsing in pain due to the severity of their injuries inflicted during the beatings.

The barbaric punishments, which occurred today in Banda Aceh, are the latest to emerge from the only province in the country to implement the Islamic punishment.

Despite than 90 per cent of the 255million people who live in Indonesia describing themselves as moderate Muslim, the region is allowed to retain brutal sharia punishments as part of a peace deal that ended a three decade insurgency.

A peace agreement signed in 2005 granted special autonomy to Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra, on condition that it remained part of the sprawling archipelago.

The woman is led out to be flogged. A peace agreement signed in 2005 granted special autonomy to Aceh, allowing it to retain Sharia law

People are still flogged for a range of offences including gambling, drinking alcohol, gay sex or any sexual relationship outside marriage

The law also set out punishment for sex crimes, unmarried people engaging in displays of affection, people caught found guilty of adultery

People are still flogged for a range of offences including gambling, drinking alcohol, gay sex or any sexual relationship outside marriage.

Back in September 2014, Aceh approved an anti-homosexuality law that can punish anyone caught having gay sex with 100 lashes.

Anybody caught engaging in consensual gay sex is punished with 100 lashes, 100 months in jail or a fine of 1,000 grams of gold.

The law also sets out punishment for sex crimes, unmarried people engaging in displays of affection, people caught found guilty of adultery.

People can be caned for something as innocent as standing too close to a partner in public or being seen alone with someone they are not married to.
The 31-year-old man who allegedly 'shredded' Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster's jacket has been charged with assault.

Ms Forster was left shocked after Manus Island protesters tore her jacket in half as she made her way into a Liberal fundraiser on Friday afternoon.

Four people including a 32-year-old man, a 27-year-old man and a 24-year-old man were charged over the protest.

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Ripped right up the side! The crowd of protesters managed to wrangle Christine Forster out of her jacket where four men have now been charged over the protest

Christine Forster (pictured) can be seen trying to escape the stampede of protesters

The 32-year-old man was charged for malicious damage in relation to a fence and the 31-year-old man was charged with assault.

A crowd of thousands assembled outside Australian Technology Park at Eveleigh, near Redfern, ahead of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's speech at the event.

Mr Dutton has been heavily criticised this week for refusing to evacuate refugees on Manus Island, despite there being no running water and inadequate food supplies.

Ms Forster and her partner Virginia Edwards said it took 30 to 40 police officers to prevent the growing crowd from completely overpowering them

Ms Forster can be seen trying to move away from the growing crowds

Just as police stepped in to move the pair away, a few protesters allegedly grabbed onto Ms Forster's jacket, where a 31-year-old man has now been charged

Ms Forster and her partner Virginia Edwards said it took 30 to 40 police officers to prevent the growing crowd from completely overpowering them.

'They were spitting, they were snarling,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'I support peaceful political protests, that's fine. But don't assault people.'

Just as police stepped in to move the pair away, a few protesters allegedly grabbed onto Ms Forster's jacket.

According to Ms Forster the protesters were spitting and snarling at her

'I had about about three or four people grabbing onto me to try and stop me from getting in and in the course of that my jacket got shredded,' she said

Ms Forster was not pleased by the reception she received ahead of the Liberal fundraiser

A protester comes face to face with the Liberal senator at Redfern

Others had fruit thrown at them as they exited the building (pictured)

'I had about about three or four people grabbing onto me to try and stop me from getting in and in the course of that my jacket got shredded,' she said.

Earlier, disturbing footage from inside the Manus Island detention centre revealed the filthy conditions faced by the men who have refused to leave the camp.

Video obtained by activist GetUp group shows men sleeping outside on tables in an attempt to escape sweltering conditions inside cramped shipping containers.

It also shows how washing facilities aren't working, toilets are blocked due to a lack of running water, and the fact the men have dug for water and built wells using wheelie bins to stay hydrated.

Disturbing footage from inside the Manus Island detention centre has revealed the filthy conditions faced by the men who remain at the camp

Men have dug for water and built wells using wheelie bins to stay hydrated

Men have been forced to make wells out of wheelie bins to collect drinking water

It's been nine days since the Australian government cut off food, water, medical assistance and electricity to the refugees at the centre.

There are still 580 men living at the detention centre who are protesting against the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments who want to move them to facilities near the township of Lorengau.

Even after running out of food, medication and clean water, the men believe it is safer to stay at the old compound rather than risk being attacked by locals at the new facility.

GetUp's human rights co-director Shen Narayanasamy spent eight hours in the camp filming the video.

'Death or serious illness is inevitable in coming days. These men are sick, thirsty and hungry. The conditions are appalling and it's obvious you wouldn't choose to stay here if you thought you could be safer elsewhere,' Ms Narayanasamy said.

'There is a great threat of violence from the PNG army and the Manus Island community has made it very clear it doesn't want the men to move into accommodation closer to town.'

It's been nine days since the Australian government cut off the food, water, medical assistance and electricity to the refugees at the centre

Squalid conditions: footage from inside Manus Island show mould covered bathrooms

GetUp's human rights co-director Shen Narayanasamy spent eight hours in the camp filming the video (pictured)

Manus Island shame: Toilets are blocked due to a lack of running water

PNG authorities posted a warning notice on Thursday instructing the asylum seekers to leave immediately.

'If necessary, force may be used to relocate those who refuse to move voluntarily for your own sake,' the memo says.

The UN's refugee agency says substantial parts of the alternative accommodation are not yet ready.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton insists those claims are wrong.

'The only difference in the new centre is that where we serve three meals a day at the (detention centre), we're asking people to prepare their own meals with food supplied and some think that that's not good enough for them,' he told 2GB.

Video obtained by activist GetUp group shows men sleeping outside on tables in an attempt to escape sweltering conditions inside cramped shipping containers
A Cambridge PhD student whose fellow academic former fiance was cleared of punching her in a fit of rage has hit back - insisting she WAS the victim of domestic violence.

Zoology student Sophia Cooke, 26, had accused Cambridge lecturer Dr Matthew Baron of common assault but a court cleared him of the charge.

Today it emerged that Ms Cooke has since written a withering blog about their relationship and the case in which she again accused Mr Baron of abusing her.

Zoology student Sophia Cooke, 26, (right) had accused Cambridge lecturer Dr Matthew Baron (left) of common assault but a court cleared him of the charge

Although she does not identify him by name, she also included a voice recording of Dr Baron she says is proof of him being 'very emotionally abusive.'

Dr Baron described Ms Cooke as 'unspeakably evil' for publishing the blog and said he would take legal advice.

Miss Cooke included a voice recording of fellow Cambridge academic Matthew Baron in her 'Victims Can Be Strong' page.

She claims it includes an admission by Dr Baron that he had hit her.

Miss Cooke (right) included a voice recording of Dr Baron (left) in her 'Victims Can Be Strong' page

Dr Baron described Ms Cooke as 'unspeakably evil' for publishing the blog and said he would take legal advice

The recording was not heard in the trial where magistrates branded her account 'not credible and inconsistent' in September.

Dr Baron, who was cleared of hitting her after she admitted cheating on him in a scientific field trip on February 12, has branded the blog an 'unspeakably evil' attempt for her to ruin his blossoming academic career.

He was on Friday seeking legal advice to sue her and bring about criminal charges against her for using 'coercive and controlling behaviour' saying that he was himself was a domestic abuse victim.

In the blog of the relationship up to the trial, she wrote: 'Having declined to comment at the time, I have now decided to share my story, in the hope that it might help others to understand domestic abuse better and to recognise the signs, which can be very subtle at first, both in their own relationships and those of others.

'Only the incident on 12th February was tried and evidence of previous assaults (including the voice recording) was not considered.

'It is not a one-sided rant at my abuser; it is an account of what happened, including my own behaviour, even when I was not proud of my actions.'

Dr Baron was on Friday seeking legal advice to sue Ms Cooke and bring about criminal charges against her for using 'coercive and controlling behaviour' saying that he was himself was a domestic abuse victim

She has, however, declined to comment further 'as I have included in my blog everything that I would like to say at this stage'.

Dr Baron, who has written four academic papers after passed his final exams and being granted his PhD in marine palaeontology - dinosaurs of the sea - four days after the trial, denied the accusations of assaults and domestic abuse.

He said: 'I want to be absolutely explicitly clear that I deny all of that in no uncertain terms.

'It is beyond unspeakably evil, what it actually is.

'I'm currently in the middle of applying for jobs... I cannot help but think this is a deliberate attempt to try to wreck my career further.

'We thought the clear not guilty verdict was enough. We didn't want to do anything against her but at the moment it looks like she's leaving us no choice.

'It's slanderous, it's libellous to imply guilt when someone has cleared their name, it's defamation of character, me and my family are going to speak to the police and speak to legal advice to see how we can go about it.'

He accused her of posting the blog because of the recent media coverage of sexual abuse by high-profile politicians and actors: 'She is really using that to her advantage as much as possible and that's absolutely despicable.

'This girl has played a victim of a serious offence to get sympathy and attack her former partner completely cynically.

Matthew Baron, 26 from Cambridge pictured with dad Cliff Baron

'It is absolutely abominable that she is currently using the trauma and worry of real victims of violence to further her own lies and her own attempts to have a go at me.

'As someone who has been on the receiving end of an abusive relationship and is having to deal with it, I would strongly encourage victims to go to the police with their cases and seek support from friends and family.'

On the vocal recording where she alleges he admitted assaulting her previously, he said: 'It sounds like I'm admitting it but it's not, it's absolutely completely false.

'It's in a position in the blog which makes its appear to be the proof, the smoking gun - it's the complete opposite of that.

'I had no idea I was being recorded, that's something else we are going to have to speak to the police and seek legal advice on.

'It's harassment and slander and libel and possibly illegal distribution of my voice without consent.

'The whole thing was thrown out (by police), the controlling and coercive - that material shouldn't be any where public.

'It's been completely reworked and edited and it's completely misrepresentative about what was said, it's had huge sections cut of it.

'In her version of events she says "Matt then slaps himself" which is absolutely ridiculous.

'We are going to have her ideally charged with an offence and I hope when that comes out people will see that she has been horribly and brutally and very cynically and calculatedly used the suffering of real people and of women in particular to put herself under that umbrella and create her own nonsense.'

He was arrested on suspicion of common assault, criminal damage and coercive or controlling behaviour at Christ's College on February 15.

Officers questioned him over the domestic abuse allegation but he was only convicted of smashing Miss Cooke's car stereo during the alleged assault.

The comprehensive school-educated academic said he was donating 'a couple of hundred of pounds' he was paid for media interviews following his trial to a charity for domestic abuse victims.

He added: 'I've had some big successes and I'm right on the verge of getting my life on track.

'I'm so beyond done with it, I've a new partner now and we are happy.'
The 19-year-old film extra arrested on suspicion of the murder of Gaia Pope chatted with Harry Styles while they were making the Hollywood blockbuster Dunkirk.

Nathan Elsey was an extra on the movie and got the chance to chat with the former One Direction star making his film debut.

Nathan has been released under investigation after being arrested on suspicion of murder of 19-year-old Gaia Pope.

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Nathan Elsey was an extra in the movie Dunkirk (circled) and got the chance to chat with Harry Styles as he made his film debut

Nathan Elsey pictured today leaving his grandfather Gregory Elsey's house

Gaia Pope's family maintain she is alive and have thanked members of the public for their support, as the hunt for the teenager continues

Nathan's 71-year-old grandmother Rosemary Dinch was also arrested.

Both Nathan and Rosemary were released pending further inquiries but on Thursday afternoon, officers from the Dorset Police Major Crime Team arrested Nathan's uncle, Paul Elsey, 49.

Nathan's mother Debbie told Mail Online: 'He just said to Harry he was amazed how he coped with all the fame.

'They were filming in Swanage and there were lots of girls around.'

Rosemary, Gregory and Nathan Elsey were pictured leaving Gregory Elsey's home this morning. Gregory and Rosemary's son Paul remains in police custody on suspicion of murder

Mrs Dinch, 71, was arrested hours after she was interviewed on local TV where she described how Gaia 'pounded' on her door, saying 'help me, help me'

Mrs Dinch and Nathan were driven to meet a solicitor in Southampton today by her ex-husband, retired car dealer Greg Elsey.

Their son Paul, 49, is the third member of the family to be arrested by Dorset police on suspicion of murder.

Nathan's mother, 50, said she was baffled as to why police had arrested her son and mother.

'They did not harm anyone,' she said. 'It just does not make any sense.'

Defiant: Paul's father Greg Elsey told MailOnline his son was innocent and said he believed police were unfairly targeting his family. Above, Nathan Elsey, 19, pictured left with grandfather Greg, right on Thursday

Police yesterday cordoned off a section of the South West coast path around 200 yards inland from the cliff edge, between the beauty spots of Anvil Point and Dancing Ledge

Greg Elsey, father of arrested 49-year-old Paul Elsey, today said his son had been kept in custody at Poole police station overnight.

He said: 'Paul's barrister has asked me not to make any further comment while he is in there.

'We don't know when he might be out and they won't let anybody see him. I am hoping that he will be out this evening.

'He will come back here and then I will have all three of them.'

Mr Elsey added as he got into his car: 'We are going to see Rosemary's solicitors in Southampton.'
This is the party-loving drug addict whose minor car crash has led to the downfall of the two top police officers in Massachusetts and has created a scandal that threatens to reach all the way to the state's governor.

No one was injured when Alli Bibaud, 30, hit a guard rail on an interstate bridge  but the reverberations of the accident have stretched right into the top echelons of the state.

Now Republican Governor Charlie Baker is being forced to defend Director of Public Safety Daniel Bennett as he comes under fire for allegedly ordering that comments Bibaud made about trading sex for drugs to be removed from the police report.

Bibaud  a self-admitted heroin addict  is the daughter of politically connected district judge Timothy Bibaud, a Democrat who runs a drug court in Dudley, Massachusetts.

When heroin was found in her car, she allegedly said: 'Do you know how many people I had to b**w to get that?' But top cops ordered the arresting officer to remove that line from the arrest report.

Judge Bibaud, 58, has adamantly denied that he had anything to do with the suppression of his daughter's comments, saying that she should face the consequences of her actions.

And on Friday, Alli Bibaud choked back tears as she was sentenced to serve 14 months of probation after she completed an inpatient rehab program.

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Alli Bibaud is at the center of a scandal that jeopardized the careers of two Massachusetts troopers when top officials ordered them to remove sexual comments she made about trading sex for drugs and her release in her arrest report. She is the daughter of a district judge

Bibaud, 30, who is a self-admitted heroin addict, is the daughter of Timothy Bibaud (right). When officers found heroin in Bibaud's car, she allegedly said: 'Do you know how many people I had to b**w to get that?' Judge Bibaud has adamantly denied that he had anything to do with the suppression of his daughter's comments, saying: 'It's a bald-faced lie'

'It's a bald-faced lie that I orchestrated it,' he told Worcester Magazine.

'It wasn't even an issue for me. I never had anything to do with contacting the State Police or the DA. My sole concern was toward my kid. She's going to taste her medicine like she deserves,' he told the magazine.

He said the first he heard of the report was when a fellow judge called him as he was diving home after visiting his daughter in rehab. That judge had called the report 'outrageous.'

Alli's arrest set off an earthquake that has already claimed the scalps of both Superintendent Richard McKeon, the head of the state's police, and his deputy Francis Hughes  and could go further.

McKeon, 62, retired last week, followed within days by Hughes, who said he was leaving to give a new superintendent the chance to choose their own number two.

Now Baker has appointed Kerry Gilpin  who joined the police after her 15-year-old sister was murdered  the new head of the force.

Gilpin, 47, is faced with the uphill task of rebuilding morale among state troopers after McKeon admitted to using his power to try to protect Bibaud. On her first day in office she announced she would launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the altered report.

State Trooper Ryan Sceviour has filed a federal lawsuit alleging the top brass forced him to remove comments Bibaud made offering him sex if he let her off and admitting that she bought her drugs with money earned through sexual favors.

A second trooper, Ali Rei, who was called in to help him, has also filed suit.

Alli Bibaud choked back tears as she was sentenced on Friday to 14 months probation on condition she complete an inpatient rehab program

State Trooper Ryan Sceviour (left) has filed a federal lawsuit alleging the top brass forced him to remove the comments Bibaud made offering him sex. Trooper Ali Rei (right), who was called in to help him, has also filed suit

'Bibaud admitted to using heroin on this date and stated that she had acquired her heroin this morning for her and her boyfriend. She stated,' Sceviour wrote but her actual words were again blacked out. Pictured: Bibaud with her boyfriend John McLean

According to court records, strawberry blonde Bibaud has been in rehab at the AdCare Hospital in Worcester, just three miles from the home she shares with her parents.

She was due to move to the Plymouth House facility in Plymouth, New Hampshire, on Friday after a bed opened up there.

Dressed demurely in black, Bibaud appeared in court in Framingham, Massachusetts, on Friday, charged with driving under the influence of both narcotics and alcohol.

She was sentenced to 14 months probation on the condition she complete an inpatient rehab program. After that she will have to live in a halfway house.

No mention was made in court of offers of sexual favors. Defense attorney Michael Wilcox said she has been sober since her arrest. 'The overwhelming concern is that she receive the treatment she so desperately needs,' he said.

She choked back tears and kept her head down as she tried to hide behind Wilcox from an array of cameras in court.

State Chief Justice Paul Dawley had ordered the case moved to Framingham from Worcester in a bid to 'prevent a conflict of interest or the appearance thereof.'

The mess that has embroiled the state started when Bibaud crashed her 17-year-old Toyota Corolla into a concrete guard rail on Interstate 190 in Worcester around 7.30pm on October 16.

When Trooper Sceviour, 29, approached her she could hardly keep her eyes open. She stunk of booze, and appeared 'lethargic and groggy as I spoke to her,' he wrote in his report.

She admitted she had used heroin that day and had drunk 'a couple of nips' of liquor and Sceviour found a 'heroin kit' containing a dozen hypodermic needles, a metal spoon and corner-cut plastic baggies in her car. Her arms had fresh trackmarks.

But it was what she said on the way to the state police barracks in Holden, Massachusetts, that led to the downfall of the state's top two cops.

Alli admitted she had used heroin that day and had drunk 'a couple of nips' of liquor and Sceviour found a 'heroin kit' containing a dozen hypodermic needles, a metal spoon and corner-cut plastic baggies in her car. Her arms had fresh trackmarks

Head of the state's police Richard McKeon and his deputy Francis Hughes (right) both stepped down after the scandal. McKeon admitted using his power to try to protect Bibaud

Anderson (center) claimed the order had come from Massachusetts secretary of public safety Daniel Bennett and McKeon had passed it on, the lawsuit claims. Bennett's office has denied he played any part in the matter

In the police car on the way to the barracks Alli told Trooper Sceviour: 'My fathers a f**king judge. Hes going to kill me.

The cop told her he didnt believe her and she then offered him sex for leniency.

According to Sceviour she offered sexual favors if he let her off. But he says he was later forced to remove that comment from his report. The official report now reads: 'During transport Bibaud hysterically screamed and cried and stated,' with the rest of the sentence blacked out.

Once at the police station she was breathalyzed and found to be nearly three times over the state's blood/alcohol limit.

'During the performance of the breath test Bibaud made multiple inappropriate comments,' wrote Sceviour, again with her actual words redacted.

'Bibaud admitted to using heroin on this date and stated that she had acquired her heroin this morning for her and her boyfriend. She stated,' Sceviour wrote but her actual words were again blacked out.

He said that Bibaud was upset because her boyfriend John McLean had used all the drug while she was driving when he was supposed to have split it with her.

'Ms. Bibaud stated that she was 'sick of living like this,' Rei said in her federal lawsuit. When Rei asked her what she meant she 'responded by stating that she had to perform multiple sexual acts in order to obtain the drugs for 'us' (presumably, her and her boyfriend.'

In his lawsuit, Sceviour also said the judge's daughter admitted trading sex for money to pay for the drugs and he wrote that in the report which was subsequently approved by his immediate superior Sgt. Jason Conant.

Three days after the arrest, Sceviour was on a day off at his home in Marshfield, Massachusetts, when, he says, he was woken by 'a loud banging on the door of his house.'

Defense attorney Michael Wilcox said Alli Bibaud (pictured) has been sober since her arrest. 'The overwhelming concern is that she receive the treatment she so desperately needs'

The mess that has embroiled the state started when Bibaud crashed her 17-year-old Toyota Corolla into a concrete guard rail on Interstate 190 in Worcester around 7.30pm on October 16

According to Sceviour she offered sexual favors if he let her off. But he says he was later forced to remove that comment from his report. The official report now reads: 'During transport Bibaud hysterically screamed and cried and stated,' with the rest of the sentence blacked out

In his lawsuit, Sceviour also said the judge's daughter admitted trading sex for money to pay for the drugs and he wrote that in the report which was subsequently approved by his immediate superior Sgt. Jason Conant. Pictured: A portion of the redacted report

'When he answered, a fellow state trooper greeted him,' Sceviour's lawyer wrote in his lawsuit. 'The trooper told him that he was to report to the Holden barracks immediately.'

He drove 90 miles to the barracks where he says both he and Conant were reprimanded for including Bibaud's comments about sex in their report.

'The written reprimand indicated that Trooper Sceviour was being disciplined for the 'negative and derogatory statements included within the gist of your report,' the attorney wrote.

'Sergeant Conant was reprimanded for 'approving this report and allowing inappropriate commentary to be included in the report.'

But Sceviour said the lieutenant who gave the reprimands said the two cops 'had done nothing wrong' and admitted he would have included the statements if he had prepared the report. The lieutenant said he was 'forced' to reprimand the pair on orders from above.

Sceviour and his union rep then met Major Susan Anderson who had demanded the reprimand. He claims she also said he had done nothing wrong but 'it was ordered by the Colonel,'  referring to McKeon.

He said she told him to amend his report but he replied that doing so was 'morally vacant.'

But she insisted, said Sceviour. 'This is an order,' Anderson allegedly said. '[W]e all have bosses.'

Sceviour and his union rep then met Major Susan Anderson who had demanded the reprimand. He claims she also said he had done nothing wrong but 'it was ordered by the Colonel,'  referring to McKeon

Bibaud is the party-loving drug addict whose minor car crash has led to the downfall of the two top police officers in Massachusetts and has created a scandal that threatens to reach all the way to the state's governor

Bibaud had been in an inpatient rehab program at the AdCare Hospital (pictured) in Worcester since her arrest, but she was transferred to a facility in New Hampshire after her case was heard on Friday

She claimed the order had come from Massachusetts secretary of public safety Daniel Bennett and McKeon had passed it on, the lawsuit claims. Bennett's office has denied he played any part in the matter.

Sceviour said he even asked his union rep what would happen if he refused to make the changes but was told he would be charged with insubordination and could be fired.

'If this was some random person and not a judge's kid, none of this would be happening,' Sceviour replied.

He is asking a federal court to expunge his reprimand and to award him unspecified damage and an apology for the damage to his reputation and emotional distress.

Rei, the second trooper to sue, said she was told to shred her records of the arrest and remove Bibaud's ribald statements from computer logs, but she did not.

'Despite Major Anderson's direct order, Trooper Rei did not shred the copies of the Administrative Journal extract and did not alter her DRE report to remove the incriminating statements made by Ms. Bibaud,' her lawsuit said.

'Trooper Rei is in fear of being disciplined and terminated from her employment because she did not obey Anderson's illegal orders. As a result, Trooper Rei suffered and continues to suffer from severe emotional distress as a result of the orders that were given to her by Major Anderson to commit illegal acts.'
Surveillance video captures the horrific crash Thursday which left two boys ages 7 and 9 dead and their mother injured near downtown Los Angeles.

The three were run into after a chain collision involving a Los Angeles Sheriff's deputy car and two other vehicles on Thursday.

The eight-second film shows a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy vehicle careening onto the sidewalk after it hit the pedestrians.

The mangled car is seen driving as it drags a trash can along. A few moments later, the body of what appears to be a woman is seen rolling onto the sidewalk.

The video, first obtained by the Los Angeles Times, was shot by surveillance cameras installed above the parking lot right next to Green Mill Liquor Store in the Boyle Heights section of LA.

Surveillance video captures the horrific crash Thursday which left two boys ages 7 and 9 dead and their mother injured near downtown Los Angeles

The three were run into after a chain collision involving a Los Angeles Sheriff's deputy car and two other vehicles on Thursday

The eight-second film shows a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy vehicle careening onto the sidewalk after it hit the pedestrians

The mangled car is seen driving as it drags a trash can along. A few moments later, the body of what appears to be a woman is seen rolling onto the sidewalk

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy vehicle crashed into another car and was sent hurtling toward a pedestrian sidewalk near downtown LA.

The second car involved in the collision then hit a third car, 'causing injury to two additional adult pedestrians in the crosswalk,' a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson said.

Just after 7:20pm, the accident took place near the intersection of Indiana Street and Whittier Boulevard, according to the LAPD.

The deputies were responding to an emergency call of a reported gunshot victim when the three-car collision took place, KTLA-TV reported.

The LAPD is handling the investigation.

The impact of the collision thrust the sheriffs vehicle onto the sidewalk, where the three pedestrians were struck, authorities told the Los Angeles Times.

Two children were killed and three other pedestrians were injured when a Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy vehicle struck them while responding to a reported shooting near downtown LA on Thursday evening

Just after 7:20pm, the vehicle was driving through the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles when it collided into the pedestrians near the intersection of Indiana Street and Whittier Boulevard, according to the LAPD

The deputies were responding to an emergency call of a reported gunshot victim when the three-car collision took place, the LAPD said

One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene. Another was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead

One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene. Another was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.

Authorities have yet to reveal the names of the victims prior to notifying next of kin.

The LAPD says a total of seven people were transported to the hospital for treatment - two deputies, three pedestrians, and two others from one of the other vehicles involved in the accident.

One of the injured pedestrians is their mother, who was rushed to hospital in critical condition, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Authorities have also not announced the extent of the pedestrians injuries.

The sheriffs deputies involved in the collision suffered injuries and were reported in stable condition.

They are expected to be released from the hospital soon.

The other two drivers involved in the collision were not injured. Both remained at the scene of the crash.

'I was inside in my home and I heard the crash. Within seconds, I was outside and just a few feet from the incident,' an eyewitness, Paulette de la Cruz, told KABC-TV.

'When I got there I saw a little boy with a white blanket over him. Another one across, I'm not sure if he was conscious or not, but it didn't look like he was.'

Authorities are encouraging anyone with information to call the East Los Angeles Sheriffs Station at 323-264-4151 or the LAPD Hollenbeck Community Police Station at 323-342-4100.

Anonymous tips can also be left by calling 877-527-3247.
A teenager winked and smiled at a fellow pupil just before he stabbed teacher Ann Maguire to death in her classroom, an inquest jury has heard.

Will Cornick, 15 at the time of the murder, killed Ann Maguire, 61, by stabbing her seven times - including one wound that penetrated entirely through her body.

At the inquest into Mrs Maguire's death today, the jury heard a number of statements from students who attended Corpus Christi school in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Ann Maguire was stabbed to death by 15-year-old Will Cornick during a Spanish lesson in 2014

The boy he winked at before the stabbing told Wakefield Coroner's Court that Cornick showed him a large kitchen knife before he killed Mrs Maguire.

In a statement read to the court, the teenager explained that he and Cornick were working in the room next to where Mrs Maguire was just before the incident.

He told police officers how Cornick got a large knife out of his bag and showed it to him.

The boy said Cornick asked 'if I wanted to touch it to see how sharp it was'.

In his statement, the teenager said Cornick then tried to conceal the knife up his sleeve, but said it was 'too visible, too obvious' and changed his mind, putting it in a pocket in his blazer.

The boy said Cornick then left to go into the next door room where Mrs Maguire was teaching some other pupils.

A statement read to the court by a fellow student of Cornick's, referred to as DP to protect their identity, told of the moment he 'casually' walked into the class before stabbing Ann Maguire in the back.

The student said: 'Lesson one and two were normal. Will kept talking about it at break.

'I started to get worried, I thought 'what if he actually does it?' He said, 'you go tell someone and I will do it faster.' I didn't know what to do.

'We got up to Spanish and he sits there not doing anything, he seems normal.

Don and Emma Maguire, the husband and daughter of Mrs Maguire, are attending the inquest

The student described how Cornick had two sides to his personality - 'the normal part where you could talk to him and he was normal' but also 'had a dark part where he wouldn't talk to anyone'.

'Miss was helping people with stuff at the desk and there was a queue.

'I think there were two people I'm not sure.

'Will just walked into the room, just casually walked into the room.

'I thought he was just going to ask about work or something. He started queuing.

'He came up behind her and stabbed her in the back and everybody started screaming.

'Everybody started running, I didn't know whether to hide or run.'

The student said he ran out the corridor and went downstairs to find a teacher.

He said he was told later what had happened and was interviewed by an officer.

The student also said he told Cornick it would be national news if he stabbed Mrs Maguire.

He said Cornick replied: ''I can't, I can't back out now'.'

Steve Mort, headteacher of Corpus Christi College in Leeds, West Yorkshire, told the jury he was 'still of the opinion there isn't an issue prevelant to the college that students carry knives.'

He said: 'It was an incident that no other school had gone through.

'I am incredibly proud of the school community despite the challenges the college has faced in the past three years.

'In the aftermath of the tragedy the best advice I recieved was I was the person with the experience of running the school, you know what is most effective.

'I saw it as my responsibility to continue running the school the best we could.

'We had around 40 students who had witnessed the incident.

'Ann's legacy lives on and the impact of the incident lives on.'

Mr Mort also paid tribute to the 'incredibly welcoming' Mrs Maguire during his evidence.

He said: 'I found Ann to be incredibly welcoming as she was to everybody, incredibly respectful.

'She was very forthright of her views and opinions but never in front of students or other members of staff.

'I tried very hard to draw upon her experience as I realised she was a much respected member of staff.'

Mr Mort said Mrs Maguire was 'incredibly proud' of the school.

He added: 'She was a teacher who was still wanting to learn about the latest teaching strategies, she never gave up on a child even if they were giving up on themselves.

'All she wanted for the children at Corpus Christi was what she wanted with her own children.'

The boy said: 'He just winked and smiled at me as he left the room.'

The boy said he did not know what happened after that until he heard noises next door.

He said he did not know why he did not immediately report that Cornick had a knife.

The boy said: 'I was in shock. I did not really know what to do.

'I know I should have told someone, but in the room I was in there wasn't any teachers supervising us.'

A sea of flowers were left outside the school after the shocking attack on the popular teacher

The jury has heard how Cornick told a number of children on the morning of the tragedy what he was planning to do to Mrs Maguire and two teachers.

Nick Armstrong, the barrister representing Mrs Maguire's husband - Don - and their four children, has explained to the jury how one of the key issues for the inquest is why none of these children reported what they had been told.

Cornick, who was 15 years old at the time of the incident, admitted murdering Mrs Maguire. He was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years in custody.
Russia is building a 30million space ship to explore the moon as part of its ambitious plan to become a superpower in space .

The Luna-25 will explore its south pole and collect soil samples to be sent back to earth for analysis.

No astronauts will travel in the lunar orbiter, which comes 40 years since Moscow's last mission to the moon in the Luna-24.

The Luna-25 will explore the its south pole and collect soil samples to be sent back to earth for analysis

The Luna-24 will instead serve as an automated space station directing unmammed aircraft, according to a Russian news agency TASS.

It is expected to be launched in 2020.

Russia has previously announced plans to colonise the moon by the year 2030 by setting up a base there.

In 2016, the European Space Agency said it was interested in joining Russia's attempts.
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Italy has held a mass funeral for 26 young Nigerian women, some aged just 14, who drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya.

A Catholic bishop and a Muslim imam both said prayers at the simple ceremony in the southern city of Salerno today, with wooden coffins each decorated with a single white rose.

The only two identified victims were named as Marian Shaka, who was married, and Osato Osaro. Both were pregnant.

A Catholic bishop and a Muslim imam both said prayers at the simple ceremony in the southern city of Salerno today, with wooden coffins containing the 26 women each decorated with a single white rose

The only two identified victims were named as Marian Shaka, who was married, and Osato Osaro. Both were pregnant. Pictured: A mourner who attended the service

Some of the women are thought to have been victims of sex trafficking. Two suspected traffickers have been taken into custody. Pictured: A mourner cries next to a coffin

Salerno Archbishop Luigi Moretti(pictured) told the crowd that the women, none of whom were aged over 18, 'lost their lives as they were seeking freedom and a better life'

Salerno Archbishop Luigi Moretti told the crowd that the women, none of whom were aged over 18, 'lost their lives as they were seeking freedom and a better life.'

Some of the women are thought to have been victims of sex trafficking. Two suspected traffickers have been taken into custody.

Italian officials are working to contact their relatives using phone numbers they had hidden in their clothes.

The bodies were retrieved from the sea on November 3 by a Spanish rescue ship, while some 64 people were unaccounted for and feared lost, bringing the total dead to around 90.

Survivors found on nearby rubber boats said the women were all Nigerian and had left Libya hoping to make it to Italy.

The loss of the girls has been described by the Nigerian foreign ministry as 'a monumental loss and a sad moment for our country'.

Italian officials are working to contact the women's relatives using phone numbers they had hidden in their clothes. The ceremony today was attended by dozens of locals, including this woman(pictured)

The bodies were retrieved from the sea on November 3 by a Spanish rescue ship, while some 64 people were unaccounted for and feared lost, bringing the total dead to around 90

Survivors found on nearby rubber boats said the women were all Nigerian and had left Libya hoping to make it to Italy. Pictured: A mourner at the service today

The loss of the girls has been described by the Nigerian foreign ministry as 'a monumental loss and a sad moment for our country'. Pictured: Their bodies being brought onshore on November 3

According to the post-mortems carried out in Salerno in southern Italy, 25 of the girls died of asphyxiation in the water, most of them when the inflatable dinghy they were travelling on sank. Pictured: Hearses lined up containing the women's bodies

According to the post-mortems carried out in Salerno in southern Italy, 25 of the girls died of asphyxiation in the water, most of them when the inflatable dinghy they were travelling on sank.

One girl suffered a wound to her liver.

The autopsies found no recent trace of physical or sexual violence.

'It is very likely that these girls were victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation,' said Federico Soda, director UN migration agency IOM for the Mediterranean.

A recent IOM report had estimated that 80 percent of Nigerian girls arriving in Italy by sea might be trafficking victims.

'It is very likely that these girls were victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation,' said Federico Soda, director UN migration agency IOM for the Mediterranean. Pictured: Mourners at the service today

Almost 115,000 migrants, mainly African men, have reached Italy so far this year, according to government data released on Friday, against just over 167,000 in the same period last year. Pictured: A mourner at the service today

Coffins are seen ahead of the funeral service for the women, who died last week while crossing the Mediterranean Sea, at the Salerno cemetery

A mourner places a white Rose on one of the coffins before the funeral service at the southern town of Salerno today

Almost 115,000 migrants, mainly African men, have reached Italy so far this year, according to government data released on Friday, against just over 167,000 in the same period last year.

IOM said at least 2,925 people died trying to cross the Mediterranean from Jan 1 to Nov 5 against 4,302 last year.

The Italian government has worked with Libyan authorities to block migrants from leaving the north African state, leading to a sharp fall in new arrivals since the summer.

The government says its policy has cut the number of sea deaths, while critics say it has left thousands of refugees and migrants trapped in appalling conditions in Libya.
North Korea on Friday ruled out negotiations with Washington as long as joint U.S-South Korea military exercises continue, and said that Pyongyang's atomic weapons program would remain as a deterrent against a U.S. nuclear threat.

In an interview with Reuters, Han Tae Song, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, brushed off the new sanctions which the Trump administration has said it is preparing, as well as the possibility of North Korea being added to a U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism.

South Korea and the United States agreed on Friday to keep working for a peaceful end to the North Korean nuclear crisis, but a U.S. envoy said it was difficult to gauge the reclusive North's intentions as there has been 'no signal.'

Han, asked about those bilateral talks in Seoul, replied: 'As long as there is continuous hostile policy against my country by the U.S. and as long as there are continued war games at our doorstep, then there will not be negotiations.'

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North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations Han Tae Song says his country won't negotiate with the U.S> over its nuclear weapons ambitious

The hermit kingdom, a communist dictatorship in the Far East, has fired more than a dozen ballistic missile tests this year, but none in the last few months

North Korean despot Kim Jong-Un has resisted international calls to walk back his nuclear weapons program and negotiate with the West

'There are continued military exercises using nuclear assets as well as aircraft carriers, and strategic bombers and then...raising such kinds of military exercises against my country,' he said.

He, who is ambassador to the U.N.'s Conference on Disarmament, was speaking at the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) mission in Geneva, where the DPRK and the United States secured a 1994 nuclear deal which later fell apart.

He said he had no information on when North Korea might test a ballistic missile again, after the last one two months ago.

'The DPRK, my country, will continue to build-up its self-defense capability, the pivot of which is nuclear forces and capability for a triumphant ... strike as long as U.S. and hostile forces keep up nuclear threat and blackmail,' Han said.

'Our country plans ultimate completion of the nuclear force,' he said.

President Donald Trump has said in recent weeks that he wouldn't rule out talking with Kim, bust also warned him during a speech in South Korea: 'Do not try us!'

North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations Han Tae Song reads documents during an interview with Reuters on November 17, 2017

China said on Thursday that a 'dual suspension' proposal to handle North Korea was still the best option, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had rejected a 'freeze for freeze' agreement.

Han, asked about China's latest appeal for a freeze, said 'the situation is far from those things'.

Han said that U.S. administrations had 'never accepted' halting joint military exercises, adding: 'So if they accept such things, then we will think what we do in the future.'

North Korea could not consider abandoning its nuclear program, he said, adding: 'This is the deterrent, the nuclear deterrent to cope with the nuclear threat from America.'

This image of a SINPO-class submarine and submersible test stand barge off North Korea are evidence that the country is working on underwater nuclear delivery vehicles too

Han said that Trump was expected to announce further sanctions against North Korea. Existing sanctions have constituted 'large-scale human rights violations' that had delayed delivery of aid and consumer goods, he said.

'It is obvious that the aim of the sanctions is to overthrow the system of my country by isolating and stifling it and to intentionally bring about humanitarian disaster instead of preventing weapons development as claimed by the U.S. and its followers,' he said.

Han, asked whether new U.S. sanctions were expected against North Korean individuals or financial structures, said:

'The media is saying the Americans and Trump are considering such things.

'But that is their business and then we don't mind what they want to do against my country since the aim is quite clear.

'So we are ready for such kinds of measures taken by America against my country,' he said.
Nathan Wyatt, who was questioned over the alleged hacking of Pippa Middleton's iCloud account, has been jailed for fraud

A fraudster questioned over the alleged hacking of Pippa Middleton's iCloud account has been jailed after admitting blackmail and using a bank card in the name of his dead stepfather.

Nathan Wyatt was arrested last year by police investigating the hacking of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister's account, amid reports pictures of Kate and her children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were among thousands of images taken.

The father-of-three was released with no further action in relation to that case in September.

Later that month at Southwark Crown Court, Wyatt admitted 20 counts of fraud, one of possessing a false passport, and one count of blackmail in relation to a demand for 10,000 euro from a law firm.

Sentencing him to a total of three years in prison at the same court on Friday, Judge Martin Griffiths said: 'A rather more sceptical mind would say there was a great deal more to this behaviour than there is in these counts.'

He added: 'I consider this was a sophisticated piece of offending by you.'

A solicitors' firms' email account was hacked and Wyatt demanded they hand over 10,000 euros in bitcoin, signing the demand 'The Dark Overlords'

Wyatt's offences occurred over a period of six months, both before and after he was arrested in relation to the alleged iCloud hack.

They included using credit cards, including in the name of his dead stepfather, to buy items such as hair straighteners, mobile phones, a Nutribullet, Guitar Hero games and a Disney Frozen toy.

Just before Christmas last year the 36-year-old blackmailed a solicitors' firm, demanding payment of 10,000 euro in bitcoins in an email threat which he signed off 'Regards, The Dark Overlords'.

Miss Middleton's personal account was plundered and 3,000 photographs taken

Wyatt, of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, had gained login details to the computer system of the firm, located in the north of England, and accessed personal documents including passports and driving licences which he then attached to the first of two threatening emails.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan said: 'While it may not be possible to prove Mr Wyatt was responsible for the original level of hacking in this case we do know that at a secondary level he gained unauthorised access to at least the solicitors' firm's computer.'

In an email sent to the firm and read to the court he wrote: 'We are ready to now use or sell all of your data on the dark net markets ... we make a single offer to you to prevent this data being used or sold to Russian and Chinese buyers.'

Mark Gatley, in mitigation, said his client had used an 'enormously stupid strategy' at a time when he felt under pressure to get money for Christmas presents for his children.

Last year the High Court heard that Mrs Matthews, who was then Miss Middleton, had 'good reason' to fear that all information held in her iCloud account had been hacked.

Mrs Justice Whipple made orders barring publication of photographs and other material held on the account after Mrs Matthews and her husband, then fiance, James Matthews took civil court action against a 'person or persons unknown' as a result of pictures allegedly being taken from the account.
The father of a teenager who died in a single-car crash early on Friday morning had posted a message of pride for his son just days before.

St Kevin's College schoolboy Hector Ryan, 18, died after losing control of the vehicle he was driving, before it slammed into a tree in Malvern East, in Melbourne.

The teenager had just finished his final exams, and on Monday his father, Peter, had posted photos of his son and friends on Facebook as they neared the end of their schooling.

'Almost there Hector!', Mr Ryan wrote, The Herald Sun reports.

'Very proud of our young man, and a great bunch of mates who have seen you through.'

Hector Ryan, 18, (pictured), of St Kevin's College, died after the car he was driving slammed into a tree in Melbourne's south-east Friday morning

Mr Ryan 18-year-old passenger, a rowing friend, is in stable condition after being taken to The Alfred hospital with hand and leg injuries, The Age reports.

Edward Gusman, a friend of Mr Ryan, said the teenager was excited about the life he had ahead of him.

'He didn't want to waste the education he had,' Mr Gusman said.

Mr Gusman left a note to his friend and rowing mate at the base of the tree which Mr Ryan slammed into, among the growing number of flowers and tributes.

'Men aren't taught to tell other men that they love them,' the note read.

'I never had the chances to say how much I really loved him and the fact I can't say or do it now...I'll remember him for all the mucking around we did at rowing camp and all the mischief we got up to.'

'Very proud of our young man, and a great bunch of mates who have seen you through,' Mr Ryan's father Peter has posted just days before his son's death

Emergency services were called to Moira Street around 1am after reports a car had struck a tree, police said.

However, paramedics were unable to save the Glen Iris teenager who died at the scene.

'It was a really loud crash or bang... When I heard the ambulances coming I knew that something wasn't right,' a witness told Nine News.

Officers examined the crash scene overnight, with pieces of wreckage seen strewn along the road beside the crumpled vehicle.

Shocked friends still coming to terms with his passing visited the scene Friday to leave floral tributes (pictured), along with Mr Ryan's father

Mr Ryan's father reportedly attended the scene of the crash Friday morning, along with some of the teen's friends who left floral tributes.

The Year 12 student had finished his last exam on Wednesday and had been planning on going camping to celebrate.

A Moira Street resident who phoned the ambulance after hearing the crash said many people, including her 20-year-old daughter who sat with the passenger, had tried to help.

Police said they are investigating if speed and weather conditions contributed to the collision.

His passenger, an 18-year-old man from Ashburton, is in stable condition after being taken to The Alfred hospital with hand and leg injuries (Pictured is the scene of the crash)
Mexican police have discovered an enormous bazooka used to shoot packages of drugs across the border into Arizona.

The military and federal officers in Agua Prieta, Sonora also recovered 1,800 pounds of marijuana divided up into 200 packages and nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition near the so-called weapon.

The powerful device used by smugglers was found inside a small van.

Mexican officials have again seized a cargo van containing an air cannon designed to launch bundles of marijuana over the fence separating Douglas, Arizona and the city of Agua Prieta

Mexican authorities seized a jury-rigged bazooka and nearly one ton of marijuana in the border town of Agua Prieta in Sonora state, the Mexican Attorney General said in a statement

The air cannon was designed to launch drugs into the United States

Authorities also found more than 1,800 pounds of marijuana, nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and 26 magazines

Photographs provided by officials show a white van with a large steel pipe and air compressor inside that was said to launch the bundles.

Catapults and ultralight aircraft have also been used to move drugs across the border fence.

In February, Border Patrol agents found a catapult that was capable of hurling marijuana across the border. It was found near the Douglas Port of Entry.

In December 2016, two teenagers were arrested in Cochise County after an air cannon fired packages of marijuana over the border fence into the United States.

The tubular mechanism with a compressor was found inside a small van. Mexican authorities believe it was used to shoot drug packages over the border into the United States

Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona have seized a nearly 100-pound bundle of marijuana after spotting it flying over the border fence

Federal police discovered the van last week parked on a street in Agua Prieta, Mexico, which borders with Douglas (shown above on map)

Three months earlier, authorities in Agua Prieta found another air cannon inside a van that was used to shoot packages of marijuana across into the U.S. and the town of Douglas.

Federal authorities say in recent years, smugglers have thrown drug bundles over the border or shot them over with devices such as air-powered cannons and catapults.

Smugglers also have placed vehicle ramps next to the border fence or wall and using ultralight aircraft to drop shipments in the desert.

The Border Patrol has said in the past that the most common form of throwing bundles over the border fence involves softball-sized marijuana packages that sometimes land in residents backyards.

Smugglers pay people on the U.S. to retrieve the packages, which are then sent around the country.

Authorities in the US believe that traffickers have been using such homemade cannons since 2012. This particular one was found last year

In September 2016 Mexicoan federal police officers found a van with an air compressor and a metal tube that was nearly 10 feet long

The Border Patrol has said in the past that the most common form of throwing bundles over the border fence involves softball-sized marijuana packages that sometimes land in residential backyards. The Mexico-Arizona border in Sonoyta, Mexico is seen in the above stock image

High-pressure air cannons can launch much heavier packages.

Smugglers have also used trebuchets, a catapult-type launch that can be made out of wood.

Despite smugglers' creative methods to cross drugs into the U.S., marijuana seizures have dropped significantly in the Southwest over the last several years.

Agents seized 2.5 million pounds at the Southwest border in 2011.

By last year, that number had dropped to 1.3 million pounds.

The Tucson Sector, which covers most of Arizona, also saw a steep drop in pot seizures, from 1 million pounds in 2011 to 728,000 pounds last year.

Meanwhile, photos released last month show laborers hard at work on eight different prototypes for the new border wall, which Trump hopes will more effectively keep would-be illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S.

The prototypes are being constructed in the California desert, near San Diego. Construction began at the end of September, after being stalled three months when firms that didn't win contracts protested.

Reporters and photographers were invited by Customs and Border Patrol to visit the construction site where crews already had large slabs of concrete poured.

Most of the prototypes seemed to be concrete-based, contradicting President Trump's comments last week that the wall would be see through.

Each prototype will be up to 30 feet high and 30 feet long. Bidding documents say four of the prototypes are to be solid concrete and four are to be made of 'other materials.'

This is a full shot of how the eight walls are starting to stack up with an empty spot second from right and two at the farthest end in the middle of construction

Building a new border wall was the cornerstone of Trump's presidential campaign. At first, he said that Mexico would pay for the wall, but the Mexican government has said time and time again that they will not foot the bill.

Trump still maintains that Mexicans will pay for the wall eventually, but says American taxpayers will front the cost until they do.

The companies that have totally completed their imposing structures so far are: Maryland's ETLA North America Inc, two completed from Caddell Construction Co, LLC, of Alabama, a wall by Texas Sterling Construction Co. of Houston and a wall completed by Arizona's Fisher Sand & Gravel which was among the first to complete construction of it's prototype.
Germany's foreign ministry says it will press Kuwait about a law that prevented its national airline from transporting an Israeli citizen on a flight originating in Frankfurt.

Deputy foreign minister Michael Roth said Germany's ambassador has been asked to raise the issue with Kuwaiti authorities.

The move follows a Frankfurt court ruling Thursday that Kuwait Airways didn't have to transport the Israeli on a 2016 flight that included a stopover in Kuwait City because it would have faced legal repercussions at home.

Kuwait Airways check-in counters at Kuwait Airport. A German court has ruled that Kuwait's national airline didn't have to transport an Israeli citizen because the carrier would face legal repercussions at home if it did.

The court noted the airline wasn't allowed to have contracts with Israelis under Kuwait's boycott of Israel.

Roth said: 'It is incomprehensible to me that in today's Germany a passenger cannot board a plane simply because of his nationality.'

The ruling angered Jewish groups and others, who argued that it condoned anti-Semitism after Kuwait Airways cancelled the passenger's ticket for a flight from Frankfurt to Bangkok.

The Israeli citizen, who was identified in court papers as Adar M., a student living in Germany, sued Kuwait Airways after it canceled his booking for a flight from Frankfurt to Bangkok that included a stop-over in Kuwait City.

The cancellation came a few days before his scheduled departure in August 2016 when he revealed he had an Israeli passport.

Germany's Central Council of Jews condemned the ruling, calling it 'unbearable that a foreign company operating based on deeply anti-Semitic national laws is allowed to be active in Germany'

The airline offered to book him on a nonstop flight to Bangkok with another carrier.

The man refused the offer and filed the lawsuit, seeking compensation for alleged discrimination. He also insisted the airline should have to accept him as a passenger.

The court rejected his discrimination claim ruling that German law covers discrimination based on race, ethnicity or religion, but not nationality.

Germany's Central Council of Jews condemned the ruling, calling it 'unbearable that a foreign company operating based on deeply anti-Semitic national laws is allowed to be active in Germany.'

Frankfurt Mayor Uwe Becker agreed, adding: 'An airline that practices discrimination and anti-Semitism by refusing to fly Israeli passengers should not be allowed to takeoff or land in Frankfurt, Courts in the United States and Switzerland previously have ruled in favor of plaintiffs in comparable cases, the German news agency dpa reported.

The passenger's lawyer Nathan Gelbart said passenger called the verdict 'deeply shocking.'

'This is an embarrassing ruling for democracy and for Germany. It cannot be allowed to stand like this.'
A homeless man with a taste for the finer things in life walked into a five-star hotel, ordered a steak and bottle of Dom Perignon champagne and left without paying.

Michael Andrew Phillips, 52, ran up a 400 bill when he decided to treat himself to an expensive meal at the plush Old Court House hotel in Jersey.

Staff told him he was not allowed to remain in the bar without ordering food so he ordered prawn cocktail, ribeye steak and several drinks including champagne.

Michael Andrew Phillips, 52, ran up a 400 bill while having dinner at the Old Court House hotel in St Aubin harbour on Jersey, with a meal which included steak, prawns and champagne

He then asked for a room in the 150-a-night hotel overlooking St Aubin harbour, before ordering two more bottles of wine.

Phillips handed over his driving licence as proof of his identity but then walked out of the hotel without paying, taking the wine with him.

He was tracked down and charged with criminally and fraudulently obtaining food and lodgings.

Phillips, of no fixed above, admitted the offences at the island's magistrates' court.

Centenier Amanda Wright, an senior elected member of Jersey's honorary police force, said: 'He had prawn cocktail, ribeye steak, wine and a bottle of Dom Perignon.

'The bill was not paid and he asked for a room.

'He gave his driving licence as identification and had two bottles of unopened wine on him as he headed toward the hotel room.'

Phillips used his driving licence as ID to check into the hotel before ordering his food, champagne and wine

Mrs Wright said that there was no sign of him in the hotel the next morning and no indication he had slept in the bed.

Phillips was later arrested and positively identified by staff. He told police he had very little recollection of the evening.

Advocate John McCormick, defending, said Phillips suffered from mental health problems and had not been taking the correct medication at the time.

He said: 'My understanding is that he is currently excluded from the various shelters and that includes Sanctuary House.'

The court arranged for Phillips to attend an immediate appointment at the community mental health services who would try to find accommodation for him.

Magistrate Bridget Shaw told Phillips: 'You were not on the right medication at the time.

'As long as you keep taking your medication, there is no reason to believe that you will do anything like this again.'

She ordered him to repay the hotel compensation equal to its losses and he was bound over to be of good behaviour for 12 months.
Doctors believe three members of the same family who are in a 'vegetative state' after eating contaminated wild boar may have contracted botulism.

The family from Putaruru, on New Zealand's North Island are in a critical condition at Waikato Hospital after eating the animal they shot on a hunting trip.

Paramedics found Shibu Kochummen, 35, his wife Subi Babu, 32, and his mother Alekutty Daniel, 62, lying unconscious in their home on Friday night after Mr Kochummen fainted while calling an ambulance.

Paramedics found Shibu Kochummen (centre), his wife Subi Babu (left) and his mother Alekutty Daniel (right) lying unconscious in their home on Friday

Shibu Kochummen, 35, his wife Subi Babu, 32, are responding to botulism anti-toxin in hospital

A spokeswoman from Waikato Hospital told the NZ Herald the family are recovering.

What is Botulism? Botulism is a rare but potentially fatal condition that causes progressive weakness. It is caused by toxins made by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. The bacterium is found in soil, sediments, raw foods (including seafoods) and honey. Foods that are not properly cooked, preserved or canned can be the vehicles for human botulism. Treatment options include purging techniques and antitoxin medication. Source: Better Health Advertisement

'While we don't know the exact cause and source of this illness, we now believe it is botulism,' she said.

'The three patients are responding to botulism anti-toxin and are recovering in hospital.

'We have sent samples off to a specialist centre in Queensland for testing but it may take several weeks before we get the results. We have no evidence to believe there is any public health issue.'

The family, who moved from Kerala in India to New Zealand five years ago, have two children aged seven and one.

The children were not fed the contaminated meat, as they were already in bed.

Friend and member of local church group Hamilton Marthoma Church Joji Varghese said it was initially believed the family were poisoned after eating a wild boar they had caught on a hunting trip.

The family, who moved from Kerala in India to New Zealand five years ago, have two children aged seven (pictured) and one

Mr Varghese told Daily Mail Australia that within 30 minutes of eating the meat the family started vomiting.

'Shibu's mother started vomiting and then collapsed. Shibu called an ambulance but fainted half way through the call.

'When paramedics arrived they found three people collapsed on the floor and two children in bed sleeping.'

Three members of the same family have been left in a 'vegetative state' and may be paralysed for life after eating contaminated wild boar they shot on a hunting trip (stock image)

'It was just something they had decided to have for dinner they put the kids to bed before they cooked the meat,' Mr Varghese said.

Mr Varghese said Mr Kochummen was a 'keen outdoorsman' who went hunting with friends about once a month.

He went hunting with a group of friends locally in Putaruru on Friday when they caught the boar.

He said it wasn't the first time the family had eaten wild boar.

'We've shared boar on a number of occasions,' Mr Varghese said.

The family's young children are being looked after by the church group.
Saudi police have arrested a man for speaking to a woman during his lunch break after she approached him outside a fast food restaurant.

Footage emerged online showing a woman approaching the restaurant worker behind the eatery in the city of Mecca in the kingdom's west.

The clip, in which the pair appear to have a brief conversation, divided opinion online with some outraged by their 'immoral' behaviour and others saying there was nothing wrong with the interaction.

However, the worker was soon identified before being arrested and 'punished', according to police.

Saudi police have arrested a man for speaking to a woman (left) during his lunch break after she approached him outside a fast food restaurant

Footage emerged online showing a woman approaching the restaurant worker behind the eatery in the city of Mecca in the kingdom's west

According to Stepfeed, Mecca police said in a statement: 'After a thorough investigation into the matter, officers identified the place where the incident happened. It is a fast food restaurant located behind a school.

'The woman seen in the video is a student at the school and approached the man during the lunch break, going against our norms and values.

'After police officers identified the man, he was arrested, investigated and punished according to our rules and regulations.'

The video emerged just weeks after the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince vowed to restore 'moderate, open' Islam, breaking with ultra-conservative clerics in favour of an image catering to foreign investors and Saudi youth.

The country has recently started to loosen its ultra-conservative rules, including allowing women to drive and hosting a mixed-gender national day.

The clip, in which the pair have a brief conversation, divided opinion online with some outraged by their 'immoral' behaviour and others saying there was nothing wrong with the interaction

The worker was soon identified before being arrested and 'punished', according to police

However, women are still barred from having any interaction with a man who she is not related to without permission from a male guardian, and have no rights in custody battles when the children reach a certain age.

The nation is also known for its feared religious police with lashings handed out for infringements as minor as a woman not wearing her hijab.

The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, as it is officially known, is responsible for ensuring Islamic laws are not broken in public.

But it has repeatedly been accused of human rights violations.

In 2002, the committee refused to allow female students out of a burning school in the holy city of Mecca because they were not wearing correct head cover. The decision is thought to have contributed to the high death toll of 15.

Another recent case has seen a blogger sentenced to a thousand lashes for insulting Islam having created a website called Free Saudi Liberals.
A federal judge's ruling issued Friday blocks Ohio State University from ordering a service dog out of the Chi Omega sorority house.

A sorority sister sued her university after officials told her to move out of her dorm because her service dog is causing another student's allergies to flare up.

Ohio State sophomore Madeline Entine suffers from panic attacks that can be severe enough to interfere with her daily activities and cause difficulty breathing.

Madeline Entine is suing Ohio State University after the school said she must move out of her sorority house with her service dog Cory because another student has allergies

The judge ruled that the dog is been allowed to stay in an Ohio sorority house until the courts sort out whether it needs to move. The injunction says that an Ohio State official didn't determine if it was the dog that had aggravated the other student's allergies

Entine says her dog Cory knows when she is having an episode, meaning she has had fewer attacks.

However, Entine was told by the school that the pair had to move out of the house after sophomore Carly Goldman complained that Cory inflamed her allergies and in turn triggered her Crohn's disease.

Entine has now filed a lawsuit against the school under the Americans with Disabilities Act after administrators told her she must remove her service dog Cory from the Chi Omega sorority house because another student has complained.

Entine suffers from panic attacks that restrict her breathing ability and can cause her to hyperventilate

Carly Goldman (pictured) complained that Entine's dog was causing her allergies to flare up. She told the judge at a hearing last month that the dog's presence aggravated digestive issues that left her ill for weeks

'The panic attacks restrict her breathing ability and cause her to hyperventilate. They also cause her muscles to lock up and prevent her from walking on her own,' court documents obtained by CNN said.

Her certified therapy dog Cory is trained to lay on her stomach during an attack. Cory also helps her have fewer panic attacks, according to court documents.

'Cory's presence on Ms. Entine's torso helps relieve her panic attacks and restore her ability to breathe and move,' Entine's complaint says.

A school official decided that both students were protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the solution was to allow Goldman to stay because she signed up for her room first. OSU says they have used the same solution in other situations.

Entine filed a temporary restraining order against the university on October 26, allowing her to stay in the house with Cory while a federal judge makes a decision.

Entine filed a temporary restraining order on October 26 allowing her to stay in the Chi Omega sorority house while a federal judge decides if she can remain

She suffers from panic attacks and her certified therapy dog Cory is trained to calm her down

Entine (pictured) was told by the school that the pair had to move out of the house after sophomore Carly Goldman complained that Cory inflamed her allergies and in turn triggered her Crohn's disease

Goldman told the judge at a hearing last month that the dog's presence aggravated digestive issues that left her ill for weeks.

'You about feel dead because you're so helpless,' Goldman said.

Cory is not allowed on the floor where Goldman lives, but she claims that because the dog is regularly played with by other members of the sorority, dander and hair are transferred to her room.

The university offered to move either student to other housing, but they both refused.
Argentina has launched a search mission for a submarine two days after the vessel last made contact.

The ARA San Juan was last heard from on Wednesday when it was sailing roughly 250 miles off the coast of Patagonia, the country's Navy said in a tweet.

The sub was travelling from a naval base at Ushuaia in the far south to Mar del Plata, around 200 miles south of Buenos Aires, when it vanished.

The ARA San Juan (pictured in a file photo) last contacted the Argentine navy on Wednesday while 250 miles off the coast of Patagonia and has not been heard from since, a spokesman said

In total there are 44 people on board, according to the BBC.

It said it was carrying out operations to restore contact, and officials said the sub is not considered lost.

'There isn't any serious indication from the submarine,' Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told the Todo Noticias channel.

Instead he suggested the vessel had suffered an electrical fault, though it is not clear if he provided any evidence to support this claim.

The San Juan is a German-built TR-1700 type diesel-electric submarine. They are among the fastest diesel-electric subs in the world and the largest to be made in Germany since the end of the Second World War.

There are only two currently in operation, and both are used by the Argentine Navy. Four others are planned.
Astonishing footage shows the devastation US fighter planes caused in the Vietnam War during the brutal Operation Rolling Thunder.

Clips show thick smoke billowing into the air and explosions rocking the surrounding woodland as bombs were dropped.

The onslaught was part of a gradual and sustained aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the U.S. 2nd Air Division, U.S. Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 2 March 1965 until 2 November 1968, during the Vietnam War.

Other parts of the war-time clip show how much of the landscape has been destroyed by the sustained bombing campaign.

Operation Rolling Thunder was the title of a gradual and sustained aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the U.S. military for three years as part of the Vietnam War

The operation became the most intense air/ground battle waged during the Cold War period; it was the most difficult such campaign fought by the United States since World War II

The four objectives of the operation were:

To boost the sagging morale of the Saigon regime in the Republic of Vietnam

To persuade North Vietnam to cease its support for the communist insurgency in South Vietnam

To avoid taking any ground forces into communist North Vietnam

To destroy North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, and air defenses, and to halt the flow of men and material into South Vietnam.

The war was made difficult by both the restraints imposed upon the U.S. and its allies by Cold War exigencies and by the military aid and assistance received by North Vietnam from its communist allies, the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China and North Korea.

The operation became the most intense air/ground battle waged during the Cold War period.

Supported by communist allies, North Vietnam fielded a potent mixture of sophisticated air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons that created one of the most effective air defenses ever faced by American military aviators

Rolling Thunder was not aimed at specific actions on the part of the North Vietnamese, but was intended as a larger response to the growing hostilities as a whole

Rolling Thunder called for an eight-week air campaign consistent. It was believed that selective pressure would prevail and compel Hanoi to end its aggression

It was the most difficult such campaign fought by the United States since the aerial bombardment of Germany during World War II.

Supported by communist allies, North Vietnam fielded a potent mixture of sophisticated air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons that created one of the most effective air defenses ever faced by American military aviators.

Operation Rolling Thunder lasted for almost three years.

In total, 643,000 tons of bombs were dropped - more than any other military operation since World War II.

Almost 900 US aircraft were lost, not to mention the financial cost of Operation Rolling Thunder was huge.

The majority of strikes during Rolling Thunder were launched from four air bases, in Thailand: Korat, Takhli, Udon Thani, and Ubon

Rolling Thunder exposed many problems within the American military. The Air Force was unprepared for the operations it was undertaking

864,000 tons of American bombs were dropped on North Vietnam during Rolling Thunder, compared with 653,000 tons dropped during the entire Korean War and 503,000 tons in WWII

It was estimated that the damage done to North Vietnam by the bombing raids was $300 million. However, the cost to the US of these raids was estimated at $900 million.

The operationOperation Rolling Thunder ended when President Johnson offered its termination as a way of securing the North Vietnamese to a negotiating table.

Peace talks began in earnest in January 1969 just two months after Johnson ordered the ending of Operation Rolling Thunder.

Johnston later noted: 'By keeping a lid on all the designated targets, I knew I could keep the control of the war in my own hands.

'If China reacted to our slow escalation by threatening to retaliate, we'd have plenty of time to ease off the bombing.

'But this controlso essential for preventing World War IIIwould be lost the moment we unleashed a total assault on the Northfor that would be rape rather than seductionand then there would be no turning back. The Chinese reaction would be instant and total.'

Rolling Thunder had begun as a campaign of psychological and strategic persuasion, but it changed very quickly to a tactical mission

Rolling Thunder reached the last stage of its operational evolution during 1967 and 1968

The entire complexion of the American effort was altered on 8 March 1965, when 3,500 U.S. Marines came ashore. From that point onward, the aerial campaign became secondary
Britain is ready to pay a 450million debt to Iran 'within days', Tehran's ambassador said today.

The government is said to be preparing to hand over the cash despite fears it will be seen as a 'blackmail ransom' for a jailed British mother.

Boris Johnson has vowed to leave 'no stone upturned' as he scrambles to try to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who is locked in a Tehran jail.

Diplomats are believed to be trying to find a way to get around UN sanctions which have stopped the UK paying the country the cash which dates back to a 1970s arms deal.

Hamid Baeedinejad, Iran's envoy to the UK, reportedly said today that the payment is imminent.

'An outstanding debt owed by the UK to Tehran will be transferred to the Central Bank of Iran in the coming days. The payment ... has nothing to do with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case,' he wrote on his Telegram channel.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, pictured with their daughter Gabriella, and her husband, is desperate to be released from jail. Diplomats are said to be looking at repaying a 450m debt to try to secure her release

Boris Johnson, pictured on a visit to a science gallery in Dublin today, is scrambling to secure the release of British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe after he mistakenly told MPs she was arrested after travelling to Iran to train journalists

Mr Johnson, pictured posing for a selfie with sisters Kate (left) and Annie Madden in Dublin today, has been facing calls to quit over the row

Mr Johnson, pictured at Trinity College in Dublin today, has vowed to leave no stone unturned in his bid to secure her release

UK politicians have said linking the money with her release could 'open a Pandora's Box' if other regimes used it as an excuse to set ransoms for other British inmates.

Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg warned yesterday that it would 'look more like a ransom' if the UK repaid the money now.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who has been supportive of Mr Johnson during the row, told MailOnline he believed Britain probably did owe the debt.

But he said: 'I think it is important as a principle of public policy that we do not, and do not appear to be, paying ransoms...

'I don't think it can be in relation to any particular case.

'They (the government) must make sure they do not break the principle of paying ransoms.'

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, Tory MP for North west Leicestershire, told Mail Online: 'If we owe any other country money we should always pay it, just as we would expect them to pay any debt to us.

'But this payment must be in anyway linked to the release of a British citizen otherwise it would be seen as a ransom and that opens a Pandora's Box and puts UK citizens in danger around the world if countries believe the UK will pay blackmail ransoms.'

Tory MPs Andrew Bridgen (pictured left) and Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured right) have warned that linking the repayment to her release would look like a ransom payment - which Britain does not pay

Boris Johnson, pictured on Wednesday meeting Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of jailed British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Britain's ambassador to Iran hit out at Iranian TV for misrepresenting what Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing in the country

The MP added: 'As they could have paid back the money at any point since 1979, choosing to do it while there is a hostage does make it look more like a ransom.'

The debt dates back to the late 1970s when the Shah of Iran paid Britain 650million for 1,750 Chieftain tanks but only 185 had been delivered when he was toppled in 1979 and the new government cancelled the order.

Britain was told to pay back 450million by the International Chamber of Commerce in a 2009 ruling but sanctions on military equipment prevent the payment going straight to Tehran.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband Richard, who yesterday met Mr Johnson, told the Sun: 'It is important that the UK honours its international legal obligations, so that Iran can honour its legal obligations.

'They are separate things, but it is good for the atmosphere if they are all served.'

King Hussein of Jordan drives a Chieftain tank at Bovington, Dorset in 1966. The debt relates to the sale of the tanks to The Shah's regime - which stopped when he was toppled in 1979

Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South told MailOnline that dual nationals held in Iran are by their very nature bargaining chips at the mercy of the Iranian regime.

Mr Murray, who is a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said: 'There are huge concerns about linking those kind of things together, but we don't know if that's the case.

'But if it is the case then obviously everybody should be hugely concerned that these people are being used as bargaining chips.

'But of course people who are detained are by their very nature bargaining chips.'

Mr Ratcliffe wants the Foreign Secretary to take him to Iran and guarantee him 'safe passage' so he can see his wife and daughter Gabriella for the first time in 19 months

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was visiting her parents in Iran with her young daughter Gabriella when she was arrested by the Revolutionary Guard in Tehran Airport

He added: 'Anybody detained in such circumstances end up being used as bargaining chips, it is up to the Foreign Office to use their diplomatic expertise to get the release of UK nationals.

'You would be very concerned if people are linking the lives of mothers and wives detained to monies which may be owed  but it would be good to get her home.'

The government officially insists the debt repayment and the release of Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe are not connected.

A government spokeswoman said: 'This is a long standing case and relates to contracts signed over 40 years ago with the pre-revolution Iranian regime.

'Funding to settle the debt was paid to the high court by the Treasury in 2002. Iran's Ministry of Defence remains subject to EU sanctions.

'It is wrong to link a completely separate debt issue with any other aspect of our bilateral relationship with Iran.'
Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States until he was recalled last summer, said this week in an interview that it would take him 20 minutes to list the Trump administration officials he's come into contact with.

'First, I'm never going to do that,' he said in a Russian-language interview, according to CNBC. 'And second, the list is so long that I'm not going to be able to go through it in 20 minutes.'

Kislyak is known to have met with Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year. His phone conversations with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn contributed to the Trump aide's firing.

Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States until he was recalled last summer, said this week in an interview that it would take him 20 minutes to list the Trump administration officials he's come into contact with

President Trump brought Kislyak into the Oval Office in May - the representative of the Kremlin could have come into contact with any number of Trump administration officials at the White House that day

Kislyak is known to have met with Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year (left, at a hearing this week on Capitol Hill); his phone conversations with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn contributed to the Trump aide's firing

He is also said to have spoken to Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to the president, during the period between Election Day and Inauguration Day.

President Trump brought Kislyak into his office alongside Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, in May.

The representatives of the Kremlin could have come into contact with any number of Trump administration officials on their way in and out of the White House on that day.

Kislyak's meetings with Trump campaign officials last year have come under scrutiny in investigations on Capitol Hill and the Department of Justice. He had been in the U.S. in his position since 2008.

The diplomat was recalled to Russia in July amid the fury in the U.S. about alleged collusion between the sitting president's campaign and the Kremlin.

In his interview with Russia-1, Kislyak insisted that allegations that his country meddled in the election to hoist Trump into the Oval Office are 'nonsense' and 'very sad,' per CNBC's translation.

He is also said to have spoken to Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to the president, during the period between Election Day and Inauguration Day

CNN has reported that he is one of Russia's top spies - a charge the Kremlin has adamantly denied.

Commenting on his meeting with Sessions, Kislyak told Russia-1, 'I will tell you that in not one meeting, not with Sessions, not with anyone else, did we use any kinds of techniques or arguments that I would not be able to speak about publicly.'

Sessions has been dogged by revelations that he came into contact with Kislyak three times in five months: at a Trump foreign policy speech, at the Republican National Convention and another time in the then-Alabama senator's office.

He told senators during his confirmation hearing that 'did not have communications with the Russians' only to amend his testimony later.

'I did not mention communications I had with the Russian ambassador over the years because the question did not ask about them,' Sessions said in a written statement.

He recused himself 'from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the United States' earlier this year.

It's the one-on-one meeting with Kisylak in his senate office that has caused Sessions the most trouble.

'First, I'm never going to do that,' he said in a Russian-language interview. 'And second, the list is so long that I'm not going to be able to go through it in 20 minutes'

At a hearing this week, Rep. Ted Lieu of California asked Sessions how long the meeting lasted.

'I doubt it was 50 minutes, but it may have been,' Sessions said.

Kislyak told Russia-1 after the Sessions grilling, 'The questions are all the same. There's absolutely nothing new. But most important, this is no longer about us.

'This is no longer about me. This isn't about contacts with us. This is a war that's going on between the opponents of the president, the president and everyone surrounding him.'

Trump met with Kislyak the day after he fired former FBI Director James Comey, raising eyebrows.

Kushner reportedly spoke with Kislyak and Flynn about creating a 'back channel' between Trump and Vladimir Putin during the transition.

After less than a month on the job, Trump fired Flynn because he misled the vice president about the nature of a conversation he had with Kislyak regarding U.S. sanctions on Russia.

Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Claire McCaskill, have also met with the diplomat at one point or another during his long tenure in Washington.

They say that Sessions' election-time meeting alone in his office with the Russian diplomat is what was problematic.
Peter Sahnow (pictured) stole more than 1,100 pounds worth of books in a year

A serial book thief has been banned from every branch of Waterstones in the country.

Pensioner Peter Sahnow stole more than 1,100 pounds worth of books in a year from his local store in St Albans, hoping to sell them over the internet.

Sahnow started stealing books to clear his debts, having sold all of his own and that of his mother.

The 72-year-old appeared at St Albans Crown Court to plead guilty to three offences of theft after staff finally cottoned on to his repeat visits.

Over the course of a year, Sahnow had regularly walked into the shop in St Peter's Street, St Albans before sneaking out again with books he had not paid for.

The three charges covered 40 books, which police were able to recover when they searched his home in Bricket Wood, St Albans.

Karl Volz, prosecuting, said: 'When he had exhausted his supply and his mother's he resorted to stealing books from Waterstones. It was done for commercial gain.'

Judge Stephen Warner was told that Sahnow, a retired IT manager had been hording the books at his home, when he was finally caught and all were returned to the store.

Carina Clare, defending, said the pensioner was now 'extraordinarily remorseful and embarrassed'.

She added that his wife of 43 years was disgusted with him over his thieving, telling the court: 'It was systematic dishonesty.'

He was sentenced to six months imprisonment, which was suspended for 21 months.

Sahnow will also have to complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay 200 court costs.

He was also made the subject of a two-year exclusion order banning him from entering any Waterstones branch in the country.
Teenager Gaia Pope was terrified of coming face to face with attackers who left her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a gang assault when she was just 17.

The troubled teenager's family have said the 'very vulnerable' 19-year-old was splitting her time between her parents in Langton Matravers and her aunt's house in Swanage when she vanished ten days ago.

Her father Richard Sutherland, a business development manager, said his 'distressed' daughter had been told she could die at any moment because her epilepsy was so severe.

And she was also battling post-traumatic stress disorder after a 'devastating' assault by 'some guys' when she was 17, he said, made worse because the main perpetrator is reportedly set for release from prison.

Mr Sutherland said his daughter was upset and sometimes confused after the trauma of being attacked and suffering severe ill health - her mother Natasha, an actress who appeared in The Bill and Inspector Morse, fears she could be a 'prisoner' somewhere.

Gaia Pope, 19, from Dorset, (pictured) has not been seen for ten days and was last seen on CCTV in a petrol station looking pale and tired (right). Her family have described how she has suffered terribly over the past two years

Gaia's father Richard Sutherland said his daughter was vulnerable because of her health problems and her life was devastated after she was atatcked by a gang, at least one of was jailed

Two days before her disappearance she posted a desperate message on Instagram suggesting she feared for her safety and used the hashtag #sexualassault

Her fits were often daily occurrences and at times she was confused and unable to remember her own family, her cousin Marienna said today.

Describing her state of mind before she vanished her father said: 'Gaia was very upset. She suffered a trauma a couple of years ago. She was involved in a situation where some guys assaulted her. This had a really devastating effect on her. I think this had been coming back into her head. She was scared.

'I think her headwith the epilepsy which messes with her head anyway, she gets confused, she has memory loss. A combination of different thingsshe gets emotional'.

Gaia was training to be a nurse and wished to help others after severe epilepsy and an attack left her vulnerable

Her father told Good Morning Britain today: 'She had great ambitions in her life to be in nursing or some sort of health and social care.

'The doctors have said that she is at risk of sudden death from epilepsy, or sudden epileptic death. It's pretty serious'.

He added: 'But it's entirely possible that her epilepsy has played a big part in this and that's meant it's been more difficult to find her'.

Gaia appeared worried before her disappearance and CCTV from a petrol station where she bought her ice cream an hour before her last sighting showed her looking tired and pale.

An Instagram post from her account on November 5 said she feared being 'shut up and put in a cell'.

She also suggested she thought that police were looking at her phone so she planned not to use it for at least three days.

One friend left a comment urging her to 'run somewhere safe'.

Her family said they were aware Gaia feared that a man or group of men who attacked her in 2015 were due for release from prison.

Gaia (left with Russell Brand and right on social media) was epileptic and also badly affected by a traumatic incident two years ago, her family has said

This is the last sighting of Gaia Pope shown running up Manor Gardens in Swanage at 4pm on November 7

Around an hour earlier she was seen buying an ice cream at a petrol station in Valley Road between Langton Matravers and Swanage, where she split her time between her parents and aunt's house

A motorist claims this grainy footage, recorded just outside Gaia's home village of Langton Matravers in Dorset at 11:35pm on November 7, could show the teenager being dropped off

The last known CCTV sighting of the teenager showed her sprinting up a street in Swanage to the home of he last person to see her, Rosemary Dinch, 71.

The pensioner, who was later arrested on suspicion of murder and bailed, said she Gaia 'pounded' on the door and was 'very upset' before allegedly taking off some of her clothes and leaving.

She has not been seen since then, around 4pm on Tuesday November 7.

Today a driver claimed to have captured chilling dashcam footage of Gaia near a coastal road hours later.

They told police the passenger appeared to be saying goodbye to someone in the dark.

This week police have arrested three people including a female pensioner, her grandson Nathan, 19, and her son Paul, 49. Only her son remains in custody.

Detectives are treating it as a murder investigation but her family fears her epilepsy may have played a part in her disappearance and have not given up hope she will be found alive.

But hopes appear to be fading after some clothes believed to belong to Gaia were found around a mile from her parents' home near 70ft cliffs.

Gaia's cousin, Marienna Pope-Weidemann, 26, today said the discovery of the clothes had been 'incredibly distressing' for the family.

She told the BBC: 'It's been a profoundly shocking 24 hours. The discovery of these clothes was incredibly distressing for the whole family.

'We don't know what they mean as of yet. We are just desperate for for answers.'

She also revealed that her cousin's battle with epilepsy had got harder.

She said: 'Gaia's condition has been really deteriorating over the last six months to a year. She rarely gets through a day without a seizure.

'Sometimes they're very small, she'll break conversation for a minute or so and then she's back to her old bubbly self. Other times they're very serious - we've had to call the paramedics many times.

'Those bigger seizures are often accompanied with quite prolonged periods of confusion and disorientation.

'There's been times when she's not recognised us for a short time afterwards, not really understood where she is. That's a big part of what's made this case so complicated.'

Rosemary, Gregory and Nathan Elsey were pictured leaving Gregory Elsey's home this morning. Gregory and Rosemary's son Paul remains in police custody on suspicion of murder. Rosemary has been bailed and so has Nathan

Nathan Elsey was arrested on suspicion of killing Gaia before being bailed. She was said to be visiting regularly before she vanished but his grandfather said they had fallen out

Natasha Pope, the mother of missing teenager Gaia Pope, (pictured with Jeremy Corbyn) is an actress who appeared in ITV's police dramas The Bill and Inspector Morse

She added: 'Gaia's been a bit of a home bird for the past couple of years as her epilepsy has got worse but she is still very creative and loves art and music.

'She was studying health and social care at Poole and Bournemouth College. Having been in and out of hospital for the last couple of years, she really wanted to do something to help other people in that situation'.

Police are believed to have Paul Elsey, 49, in custody and continue to question him on suspicion of murder.

His nephew Nathan, 19, was arrested on Tuesday and neighbours had said she was visiting up to three times a week in recent months.

He had recently broken up with his girlfriend but it is not known if he and Gaia were romantically linked.

According to Greg Elsey, Paul's Elsey father, the suspect was carrying out work on a flat he owns in Weymouth, Dorset, on the day of Gaia's disappearance last week.

Mr Elsey added reports suggesting his grandson and Gaia were close are false.

'They had known each other since they were six but about a year ago they had a big falling out and have not spoken to each other. She was not round there every week'.

Searches are continuing to hunt for Gaia and volunteers are being asked to join mass searches of Swanage on Saturday.

People are being asked to gather at midday at three separate locations to join line-searches.

In a post on the Find Gaia Facebook page, organisers said: 'We will be line-searching as much of the rural area as we possibly can. It's time to Find Gaia.

'We will have maps with a rough grid system. From there, we will be asking you to form long lines with approximately two feet between each person.

'We will then comb the area looking for any and every sign, clue, or piece of information we can find.

'Thank you all so much. You've helped more than can be possibly expressed. Tomorrow will be the MOST IMPORTANT day of volunteer search efforts yet. We hope to see you all there.

'Let's go find Gaia. Please share this post as far and wide as you can.'
Tory policy chief George Freeman launched the extraordinary attack on his own side in a private letter to the Prime Minister in September

Theresa May's policy chief has warned her government risks branding the Tories 'a narrow party of nostalgia, hard Brexit, public sector austerity and lazy privilege'.

George Freeman launched the extraordinary attack on his own side in a private letter to the Prime Minister in September.

The missive, which was revealed today by The House magazine, warns Mrs May to make clear she had learned the lessons of the snap election in June.

Withing weeks the Tory leader attempted to use her disastrous party conference to promote domestic policies including a cap on household energy bills.

The push was swamped by Brexit after Mrs May coughed and spluttered through her main speech memorable only for a stage invasion and collapsing set.

In his letter to the PM, Mr Freeman said: 'We are now in a new battle of ideas which is reshaping 21st century politics.

'We need to move fast to show that the Conservative Party has learnt the lessons of the last election and is serious about intellectual, organisational and cultural renewal.

'If we allow ourselves to be defined as a narrow party of nostalgia, hard Brexit, public sector austerity and lazy privilege we risk alienating ourselves from an entire new generation of voters.'

Mr Freeman, who was life sciences minister under David Cameron, lost his government post when Mrs May came to power.

He was appointed to head the Conservative Policy Forum, a body designed to allow members to have an input into decision-making.

The missive, which was revealed today by The House magazine, warns Mrs May (pictured today in Sweden) to make clear she had learned the lessons of the snap election in June.

Asked whether Mrs May shared his concern about how the Conservatives might be seen, a Downing Street spokesman said: 'No.

'As seen yesterday in the housing announcement, the Government has a broad and ambitious programme domestically and internationally, delivering on important issues like housing.'

In a controversial speech earlier this week, Mr Freeman said young people could desert Britain and Brexit may be 'the moment we finally failed as a great nation and became a second or third tier nation'.

Mr Freeman gave the chilling warning as he urged the country to rise to the challenge and become a leader in new technologies.

But his gloomy words are likely to spark anger among his Brexiteer colleagues who have said Britain is in line for a huge economic boost if it takes advantage of quitting the bloc.

Warning of a bad scenario which could lie ahead, he told an event hosted by the IPPR think-tank in London that Brexit lead to Britain's decline.
ISIS supporters have called for terror attacks over the festive period in a Christmas card-style propaganda image offering 'just terror and a terror-filled New Year'.

The post, which appeared on an pro-ISIS Telegram channel yesterday, shows the text pasted between a Father Christmas hat and beard.

On the left-hand side is a hunting knife in front of a black background.

The post, which appeared on an ISIS-supporting Telegram channel yesterday, shows the text pasted between a Father Christmas hat and beard

The image was provided to Mail Online by MEMRI terror monitoring service.

Similar messages have been released in recent days. They generally come from Isis supporters rather than its central propaganda agency.

A poster circulated by the pro-ISIS Wafa Media Foundation earlier this week shows a masked figure driving towards St Peter's Basilica with a gun inside his car.

At the top of the poster is the message 'Christmas blood' with the line 'so wait...' written in red underneath.

Analysts have warned of a possible upsurge in ISIS attacks overseas following the collapse of their so-called Caliphate in the Middle East.

Washington has stepped up advice to travellers after a series of atrocities this year - with fears extremists could strike again during the festive season.

The announcement today comes with security services in the UK in a state of high vigilance.

Wafa Media Group, a pro-ISIS organisation, posted this image online on Tuesday threatening to attack the Vatican on Christmas

Police have been in evidence at Christmas markets this week, although there is not thought to be any specific intelligence.

The current threat level is at severe, meaning that an attack is considered highly likely, but not expected 'imminently'.

The US has a long-standing warning to its citizens to beware extremist attacks in European cities.

In recent years it has expressly warned of dangers at festive events.

ISIS has previously used Christmas celebrations as a focus for their attacks. Last year terrorist Anis Amri drove a truck into a festive market in Berlin, killing 12

The latest advice states: 'Last year, mass casualty attacks occurred at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany in December and a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey on New Year's Eve.'

Last year a jihadist crashed a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people, while a New Year's Eve attack in Istanbul left 39 dead.

The State Department said recent attacks in Britain, Finland, France, Russia, Spain and Sweden show that both ISIS and Al-Qaeda remain active and capable.
Bipin Desai (pictured at an earlier hearing) walked free from court today

A High Court judge has ordered a jury to clear a chemist of murder after he gave his elderly father a lethal dose of morphine.

Bipin Desai, 59, walked free from court after hearing Mr Justice Green praise his 'kindness and compassion' over the death of 85-year-old father at their family home.

He denied murdering his father but admitted assisting in a suicide and was allowed home with just a nine-month jail sentence suspended for nine months.

The judge ruled that a murder trial involving Desai should be halted despite hearing how he helped his father end his life with a smoothie laced with stolen morphine.

The jury had earlier heard how Desai poured the painkiller into a drink for his father, whose body was later found at their 1.2million home in Farnham, Surrey.

Desai checked on elderly Dhirajlal Desai five minutes after kissing him goodnight and then injected him with insulin as he slept, the jury had heard.

The pharmacist was two weeks into a murder trial when Mr Justice Green ruled that his father had wanted to die and instructed the jury to offer not guilty verdicts.

The jury had already heard that Desai admitted assisting in a suicide and two charges of theft by an employee, relating to the insulin and morphine.

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Green described the theft as trivial and indicated that the sentencing was only for the assisted suicide.

He said: 'In your mind that was part of your responsibilities as your father's carer, to perform this final act of assistance, kindness and compassion.'

He added: 'Your acts of assistance were acts of pure compassion and mercy. Your father had a solid and firm wish to die.

'For him, being assisted to die would be fulfilling his wish of going to heaven to see his wife and being put out of his misery.'

The jury had earlier heard how Desai poured the painkiller into a drink for his father, whose body was later found at their 1.2million home in Farnham, Surrey (pictured)

He continued: 'The ripple effects of having been wrongfully accused of murder have been profound and extremely severe.'

He said: 'The thefts are trivial and only form part of the fabric of the wider case. The owner of the pharmacy said in his evidence that you were an honest, respectful and decent man.

'He cared not for the small bottle of [concentrated morphine solution] Oramorph or the small amount of insulin.'

He added: 'You are free to now go with your family and start the process of rebuilding your life.'

'Ordeal is finally over' Speaking after being cleared of murder, Mr Desai said: 'The past two years have been a time of immense stress for our entire family and it is huge relief that this ordeal is finally over. 'I have been greatly moved by the enormous support I have had from my family, friends, colleagues and neighbours, to whom I will always be grateful. 'We now want to start to put our lives back together and to grieve for my father, who we called Bapuji.' Desai was acquitted of murder after his defence barristers Natasha Wong QC and Michael Field argued that the prosecution case was so weak no reasonable jury could properly convict. The defence made their formal application at the close of the prosecution case on Tuesday but it can only be reported today for legal reasons. Desais solicitor, Kishoree Kotecha-Pau, from Freemans Solicitors, said outside court: 'This is a very sad case. Dozens and dozens of people came forward to give us character references, attesting to Mr Desais compassion and love for his father. Many of them came to court to offer their support.' Advertisement

The court had already heard how the elderly Desai made repeated attempts for help in ending his life following the recent deaths of his wife and dog.

Defending, Natasha Wong QC said: 'The reality, in this case, is a very sad situation because what we have is a man who wanted to die, not because he was terribly ill but, sadly, because he had just had enough of life and there are no real authorities who deal with that situation.'

A letter to the judge, written by Desai's wife of 29 years, Dipti Desai, was read out to Guildford Crown Court by Ms Wong, which explained that her husband had tried to commit suicide himself on several occasions.

'Since August 2015 our lives have been turned completely upside down and have never been the same for any of us,' she read.

'We have seen [Desai] completely crumble before our eyes.'

She continued: 'The boys and I have had to watch Bipin shrink to a shell who struggles to communicate with anyone. He has no joy in his life, he is just existing, not living.'

She said: 'We are asking for Bipin to recover his health and start the process of grieving for his father, which he has been unable to do.'

Ms Wong also read a statement written by Desai's eldest son Nichil which revealed he had also been asked for help with the elderly man's suicide.

'I have lost my grandfather, a man who I loved,' she read. 'To have him ask for help to 'go up' was the worst experience of my life.'

She continued: 'My father is a completely changed father from the man he was in early 2015. We can barely get him to communicate with us these days.'

Desai's autistic son Samir begged the judge not to imprison his father in another statement, again read to the court by Ms Wong.

'If you truly love someone you want to ease their suffering,' she read.

'My dad is the best person I know. He was left with an impossible choice and chose the road which gave my grandfather peace. He didn't think of himself in this and that is my dad, always thinking of others before himself.

The court heard Mr Desai bought the morphine mixture from Vaughan James Pharmacy (pictured) where he worked in February last year, before carrying out the murder in August

'He's already had his dad taken away from him, please don't take our dad away from us.'

In his judgment that the prosecution had insufficient evidence of murder, Mr Justice Green said: 'The defendant's evidence in interview was that his father had grown weary of life following the death of his wife, whom he doted upon, in 2003 and the death of his dog, whom he also adored, in 2010.'

He added: 'He was a firm believer in the afterlife. He had repeatedly and insistently beseeched and asked the defendant for assistance to die.

'He generally articulated this in Gujarati. He spoke of wanting to go to heaven to see his wife and dog. He wanted to go upstairs, he had had enough of life.

'He had communicated this to the defendant at Christmas 2014 and asked for help then or just after in 2014.

'Over the circa six months leading up to August 2015, during which time the father had been living with the defendant and his family, he had become increasingly persistent and insistent.'

He continued: 'He asked almost every day for help. He said to the defendant that he should get him some Dawa, which Gujarati for medicine, to send him to sleep.

'He had had a good life, now was the time to see his wife. I reject the prosecution submission that this account is uncorroborated.'
A handful of industries are toasting the Senate Finance Committee's passage of $1.5 trillion tax cut legislation for individual provisions benefitting brewers, film producers, and citrus growers.

The Finance Committee reported its version of the tax cut bill on a 14-12 vote Thursday, setting up a floor vote next week as Senate leaders race to get a final bill done by Christmas.

Beer and wine

In addition to sweeping provisions on corporate taxes and individual income tax rates, the Senate tax bill has provisions to benefit large and small brewers.

Large brewers would see a cut in the centuries-old beer excise tax from $18 per barrel to $16 per barrel.

Large brewers would see a cut in the centuries-old beer excise tax from $18 per barrel to $16 per barrel. They are one of several industries that got special provisions in a Senate tax cut bill

Small craft brewers, part of a burgeoning market trend, would see the tax drop from $7 per barrel to $3.50 per barrel for the first 60,000 barrels they produce.

'We think this is going to be a shot in the arm for an industry that has been around the United States for hundreds of years,' Jim McGreevy, CEO of the Beer institute told DailyMail.com.

He said the provision, backed by Republican Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri and Rob Portman of Ohio, has the support of 55 senators and 297 House members, giving it a good chance of survival if the Senate bill advances to be negotiated with the bill the House passed Thursday.

Small craft brewers would see the tax drop from $7 per barrel to $3.50 per barrel for the first 60,000 barrels they produce. Pictured is Cisco Brewery on Nantucket Island

The barrel room at Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales December 29, 2016

The provision was one of a number that were released around midnight when Senate Finance chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah released the latest bill.

'Many of these are small business so any little bit helps in terms of being able to build their businesses,' said McGreevy, though big producers like Anheuser-Busch (ABInBev) also benefit, as do beer and wine importers.

The lower $16 per barrel tax for large brewers would apply on the first 6 million barrels produced by the brewer or importer.

Films

Another provision gives the movies a shot at the 100 per cent small business 'expensing' provisions meant to goose investment by allowing industry immediate write-offs.

The latest version 'expands the definition of qualified property eligible for the additional first-year depreciation allowance to include qualified film, television and live theatrical productions.

The provision takes effect in retroactively, to September 27 of this year  but expires in six years, which keeps the cost lower unless Congress decides to extend the break.

The Joint Committee on taxation estimates the cost to be $1 billion through 2022, Politico reported.

CUT! One provision 'expands the definition of qualified property eligible for the additional first-year depreciation allowance to include qualified film, television and live theatrical productions

Aircraft

Another provision helps people who own or lease aircraft from 'aircraft management companies.'

The would no longer have to pay costs associated with upkeep, storage and operating a plane.

According to bill language the Hill quoted, 'Applicable services include support activities related to the aircraft itself, such as its storage, maintenance, and fueling, and those related to its operation, such as the hiring and training of pilots and crew, as well as administrative services such as scheduling, flight planning, weather forecasting, obtaining insurance, and establishing and complying with safety standards.'

Word of the provision follows the resignation of Rep. Tom Price as Health and Human Services secretary after racking up more than $1 million in government private jet costs.

The Senate Finance Committee reported its version of the tax cut bill on a 14-12 vote Thursday

Trees

The modification released by Hatch also helps citrus growers who lose trees during frosts and other weather events that plague Florida, a critical election state.

Growers can get tax deductions for plants lost by freezing, disease, or natural disasters. The citrus growers would gain eligibility to a deduction other plant growers can get.

Citrus growers can get tax deductions for plants lost by freezing, disease, or natural disasters

The unborn

One provision could help families get a jump on college savings by allowing them to open up tax-deferred college funds while when their future offspring is only an embryo.

The provision would give mutual fund companies who run the plans a jump on savings. But abortion rights groups are blasting the inclusion the inclusion of the technical language as a back-door way to try to define birth as beginning at conception.

START SAVING: One provision allows parents to open up a tax-deferred college fund while their future offspring is only an embryo, though abortion rights groups blasted the provision as a back-door way to create a legal definition of life

But bill states that nothing would prevent an 'unborn child' from benefitting from the plans.

'For these purposes, an unborn child means a child in utero, and the term child in utero means a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb.'

"Asserting an anti-abortion provision under the guise of college affordability is a new low even for this anti-choice GOP," NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue said in a statement, CNN reported.

'A child in the womb is just as human as you or I, yet until now the U.S. tax code has failed to acknowledge the unborn child,' said Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life.
Penn State fraternity pledge Tim Piazza, 19, died in February after consuming a dangerous amount of alcohol and suffering fatal injuries when he tumbled down flights of stairs

The parents of a Penn State fraternity pledge who died after consuming 18 alcoholic beverages in just under 90 minutes as part of a hazing ritual said on Friday that those on trial for their son's death tried to cover up their involvement by deleting video footage of the events from that fateful night.

Prosecutors charged an additional 12 members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity on Monday in the death of 19-year-old student Timothy Piazza after examining the recovered surveillance-camera video from the night he died.

Piazza, an engineering student from Lebanon, New Jersey, died on February 4 after consuming a dangerous amount of alcohol and suffering fatal injuries when he tumbled down flights of stairs.

The additional charges were filed after authorities recovered deleted security video that shows several fraternity brothers supplying Piazza with the drinks in a hazing ritual that turned deadly.

I think it tells you about the mindset of this group of fraternity members,' Piazza's father, Tim, told NBC Today's Megyn Kelly on Friday when asked about the newly unearthed video.

'For eight days we listened to defense attorneys talk about their clients not being there, my client didnt do this, my client didnt do that.

'These videotapes in the basement show everything that happened, shows they were there. Shows they did all these things, and they knew it. They knew it.

His parents, Evelyn (left) and Tim Piazza, said on Friday that those on trial for their son's death tried to cover up their involvement by deleting video footage of the events from that fateful night

I think it tells you about the mindset of this group of fraternity members,' Piazza's father, Tim, told NBC Today's Megyn Kelly (right) on Friday when asked about the newly unearthed video

The Piazzas were joined on air by their attorney, Tom Kline, who said he expects those charged with manslaughter to be convicted. 'The odds [of a conviction] are very good,' he said

'Im convinced that they knew what went on but they were hiding it from the court thinking the tapes werent going to be recovered.'

Tim Piazza's wife, Evelyn Piazza, dismissed those who say that her son willingly participated in the hazing ritual and that the students on trial should not be punished since excessive drinking is rampant on college campuses.

'They dont understand the concept of hazing,' Evelyn Piazza said.

'Theres a whole psychology to it. Even if they consent its not consent. Theyre being forced to do it otherwise theyre not getting in.'

Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said the new charges came after they recovered deleted security camera footage taken inside a Penn State fraternity house.

Investigators on Monday said they recovered deleted security camera footage taken inside the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at Penn State from the night Piazza died

Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller (above in May) announces findings into the death of Penn State fraternity pledge Tim Piazza in February

The footage was the basis for charges against 12 new defendants, as well as five who had been charged previously.

Braxton Becker, one of the fraternity members, is accused of deleting the video footage while State College police were in the room to seize the recording equipment.

Tim Piazza said on Friday that the tapes confirmed his belief that his son was 'treated like road kill.'

PENN STATE FRAT BROTHERS CHARGED Twelve new members charged after video was uncovered: Joshua Kurczewski, Ryan Burke, Jonathan Kanzler, Bohan Song and Aiden O'Brien, Joseph Ems, Brian Gelb, Patrick Jackson, Reggie Goeke, Mike Fernandez, Donald Prior and Braxton Becker. Five members now facing additional charges from video: Luke Visser, Gary Dibilio, Nick Kubera, Michael Bonatucci and Parker Yochim Eleven members previously charged: Brendan Young, Daniel Casey, John Neuman, Gary DiBileo, Joe Sala, Michael Schiavone, Craig Heimer, Lars Kenyon, Parker Yochim, Ed Gilmartin and Ryan Foster Advertisement

'The criminal charges stem from all the things that led up to that,' Tim Piazza said.

'Its the hazing, its the furnishing of the alcohol. Its the abuse that happened.

'At the end of the day, this is all abuse. Change the word "hazing" to "abuse" and people take a different look at it.

'The fact that they treated him like road kill, the fact that they treated him so poorly and didnt help him  that just goes to show you the character of the individuals that were there.'

When asked if any of the parents of those charged reached out to him or his wife, Tim Piazza said: 'A couple of parents sent us letters saying "Were sorry for your loss, my son wasnt there."

'In a couple of cases, their son was right in the middle of it. Its nice to get the letters, but is there really sincere remorse? I dont think so.'

Evelyn Piazza said it's important to raise awareness of her son's death so that parents can warn their children about the dangers of peer pressure.

'Talk to your kids,' she said. 'Have this conversation.

'Dont do anything you dont feel comfortable with. If youre gonna pledge or join any of these organizations, have a buddy system.

Frat member Braxton Becker (above in August) is accused of deleting the video footage while State College police were in the room to seize the recording equipment

Brendan Young, the fraternity's president, was charged earlier this year with reckless endangerment, evidence tampering, hazing and furnishing alcohol to a minor

'Do it with a group. Do it with a friend Make a pact.

'If something doesnt feel right or its gone bad, then just leave.'

The Piazzas were joined on air by their attorney, Tom Kline, who said he expects those charged with manslaughter to be convicted.

'The odds [of a conviction] are very good,' he said.

'In order to prove either reckless endangerment or involuntary manslaughter, the legal standard is recklessness.

'This is not a crime of intent. This is a crime of recklessness and I think, at the end of the day, that will happen.

'For sure, were going to see either convictions or pleas, I predict, as to hazing.'

In response to the Piazzas' comments on Kelly's show, Penn State University released a statement saying: 'The University will not forget their loss as we continue our efforts to hold individuals accountable and prevent any reoccurrence.

'The University took the strongest action possible against the former Beta Theta Pi Fraternity by permanently revoking its recognition.

Joseph Ems had charges against him dismissed in September, but he was charged again on Monday with hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors in relation to the video

'The breadth of the Universitys investigation makes clear our commitment to hold all students who jeopardized the safety of another student accountable.'

At least 26 people now face charges in the case, including involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, hazing and furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor.

The house's security system had captured many of the events the night Piazza was injured and that footage had already been played at a preliminary hearing for those charged previously.

But until recently, that did not include the basement, where Piazza was found the next morning.

While the lead detective had initially said the cameras in the basement did not record the night of the hazing, he realized it had been deleted and got help from the FBI to restore the missing footage.

Authorities said the video captured games involving the rapid consumption of wine, beer and vodka in the fraternity house's basement during a party for newly accepted members.

It allegedly showed Piazza being given at least 18 drinks over a period of 1 hour and 22 minutes.

'He never once obtained those drinks for himself, brothers came up and gave them to him,' Parks Miller said.

Piazza and other pledges had convened in the basement, which housed a bar, for about an hour after completing what was called 'the gauntlet' - a series of stations inside the fraternity house where they were instructed to quickly down beer and wine.

Miller said the basement video 'clearly depicts a continuation of the hazing activity previously captured upstairs at the gauntlet.'

Michael Schiavone (left) and Joe Sala (right) were both charged earlier this year with reckless endangerment and furnishing alcohol to a minor

As they returned to the first floor, the pledges appeared to show signs of intoxication, and Piazza had to be helped to a couch, according to the grand jury and witness testimony during a lengthy preliminary hearing.

Piazza subsequently stumbled toward the basement steps and then fell down them.

Over the rest of that evening, fraternity members were recorded pouring liquid on him, strapping a loaded backpack to him and taking other ineffective or counterproductive steps to deal with his condition.

The video showed Piazza stumbling around in the dark at several points, then disappearing from view.

After someone noticed his shoes were on the first floor the next morning, fraternity members located Piazza, unconscious, in the basement.

They carried him back upstairs, but it was another 40 minutes before an ambulance was summoned.

Lars Kenyon (left) and Luke Visser (right) were charged earlier this year with reckless endangerment, hazing and furnishing alcohol to a minor

Piazza was found to have suffered a fractured skull, shattered spleen and other injuries.

His blood-alcohol content was estimated at several times the legal limit for adult drivers.

Joshua Kurczewski, Ryan Burke, Jonathan Kanzler, Bohan Song and Aiden O'Brien have been charged with a range of offenses, including involuntary manslaughter.

Joseph Ems, Brian Gelb, Patrick Jackson, Reggie Goeke, Mike Fernandez and Donald Prior were charged with hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors.

Charges against Ems and Becker had previously been dismissed back in September.

Five frat members who had previously been charged also now face additional charges based on the basement video.

Luke Visser, Gary Dibilio, Nick Kubera, Michael Bonatucci and Parker Yochim now also face charges of supplying alcohol to minors.
Eleven people including American and German tourists are dead after a plane crash in Tanzania.

Two Americans, two Germans, six Tanzanians, and a South African pilot were all killed when their Cessna Caravan aircraft crashed in Ngorongoro National Park.

Coastal Aviation, which owned the aircraft, said it is not clear what caused the crash, but confirmed investigations are ongoing.

Eleven people including two American tourists and two Germans have been killed after a Cessna Caravan tour plane came down in remote Tanzania

Six Tanzanians working in the tourist industry and their South African pilot also died in the crash which happened on Wednesday in Ngorongoro National Park

The crash happened on Wednesday, and the nationalities of the dead were confirmed to The Sun on Friday.

The names of those on board are being withheld so their families can be informed.

'We are deeply saddened to report that eleven people have died after a single-plane accident this morning in Northern Tanzania,' the company said in a statement published on its website.

'Obviously, we are in shock. This is devastating,' said Coastal Aviation managing director Julian Edmunds.

'I fly our planes regularly. I have the utmost faith in our crew and our equipment.

It is believed that all of the bodies have been recovered except for the pilot, but the names of the dead are being withheld until their families can be informed

Coastal Aviation, which operated the plane, said its workers are still investigating the crash and do not know what caused it

'On behalf of the entire team at Coastal, we will be doing everything we can to assist the pending investigation.'

The company said the accident took place at 11:00am, and access to the remote site had been difficult.

An official at the nearby Serengeti National Park, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the bodies of all the victims had been retrieved except for the pilot's.

'There are some foreigners among the dead, but also Tanzanians working in the tourism industry,' he said.
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Pictured for the first time since the army seized power, this is the 7.5million Blue Roof mansion where Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe has been held under house arrest since Tuesday.

The 93-year-old was permitted to leave for the first time today in order to officiate at a graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University, where he was filmed apparently falling asleep. After the event, his motorcade took him directly back to his mansion.

The luxurious Blue Roof property has rarely been pictured on account of Zimbabwe's draconian penalties for those taking photographs of the presidential home.

Set in extensive grounds, the property boasts 25 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and spas, massive reception rooms and a suite of offices.

The luxurious Blue Roof property - belonging to Robert Mugabe - has rarely been pictured on account of Zimbabwe's draconian penalties for those taking photographs of the presidential home

This morning, Mugabe, clad in academic gown and hat, made his first public appearance since the coup at a university graduation ceremony on the outskirts of Harare

There was still no sign, however, of his wife, Grace, 52, who is said to have been with Mugabe when the pair were placed under house arrest at their 7.5million Blue Roof mansion in Harare earlier this week

Set in extensive grounds, the property boasts 25 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and spas, massive reception rooms and a suite of offices

The mansion is located in a suburb of Harare called Borrowdale, Zimbabwe's most exclusive postcode

MailOnline's exclusive pictures clearly show the iconic blue roofs after which the property was named. It is understood to be three times bigger than Mr Mugabe's official residence, the State House.

The mansion is located in a suburb of Harare called Borrowdale, Zimbabwe's most exclusive postcode. Originally built to house the ruling white elite during the colonial era, it is now home to Zimbabwe's leadership  both those loyal to Mr Mugabe and those who oppose him.

Less than two miles away, MailOnline pictured the secretive home of Emmerson 'Crocodile' Mnangagwa, 75, the sacked vice-president who is widely tipped to take over as president if Mr Mugabe finally steps down.

Screened from the street by extensive trees and foliage, high walls and a guard hut manned by police, this - the home of Emmerson 'The Crocodile' Mnangagwa - could soon become the mansion from which Zimbabwe's new ruler governs the country

Former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured in January with wife Auxilia), 75, a veteran of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation wars who was sacked by Mugabe earlier this month, has returned from exile

Less than two miles away from Mugabe's home, MailOnline pictured the secretive home of Emmerson 'Crocodile' Mnangagwa (pictured), 75, the sacked vice-president who is widely tipped to take over as president if Mr Mugabe finally steps down

The mansion is located in a suburb of Harare called Borrowdale, Zimbabwe's most exclusive postcode

Originally built to house the ruling white elite during the colonial era, it is now home to Zimbabwe's leadership  both those loyal to Mr Mugabe and those who oppose him. Pictured: The Crocodile's lair

A white iron fence and a distinctive row of black-and-white stones marked out the boundary of the property. Officers in blue uniforms were on high alert behind the gate

Augustine Chihuri, Zimbabwe's chief of police, also has a luxury home in Borrowdale. He was arrested on Tuesday night as part of the takeover by the army. Pictured: Another shot of sacked vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa's Harare home

Screened from the street by extensive trees and foliage, high walls and a guard hut manned by police, this could soon become the mansion from which Zimbabwe's new ruler governs the country.

A white iron fence and a distinctive row of black-and-white stones marked out the boundary of the property. Officers in blue uniforms were on high alert behind the gate.

MailOnline also photographed the nearby palatial home of General Constantino Chiwenga, the commander of Zimbabwe's armed forces, who has been spearheading the recent takeover.

Located just down the road from both Blue Roof and Mr Mnangagwa's home, the general's white mansion, which is built on modernist design principles and sits on the crest of a hill, dominates the area.

Augustine Chihuri, Zimbabwe's chief of police, also has a luxury home in Borrowdale. He was arrested on Tuesday night as part of the takeover by the army. The close proximity of all of these properties underscores how power in Zimbabwe is held by a small and hugely influential elite.

It comes as speculation continues to mount as to the future of the country as Mr Mugabe continues to resist efforts to persuade him to step down.

The two main demands made by the generals were that 'Gucci' Grace Mugabe, the president's controversial wife, must leave politics immediately and Mr Mnangagwa, who was recently sacked as vice president, be reinstated.

In return, army leaders said they were willing to allow Mr Mugabe to continue in his role as leader until the Zanu-PF congress in December, where he would step down and allow Mr Mnangagwa to take his place.

MailOnline also photographed the nearby palatial home (pictured) of General Constantino Chiwenga, the commander of Zimbabwe's armed forces, who has been spearheading the recent takeover. The 'C' stands for 'Constantino' and the 'M' for 'Mary', after his wife

Tensions have been rising in the land-locked African country after Zimbabwe's head of the military, General Constantino Chiwenga (pictured), challenged Mugabe over his decision to sack the vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa

Zimbabwean army commander General Constantino Chiwenga, who appears to have taken control of the country, visited Beijing last week. He is pictured shaking hands with Chang Wanquan, the Chinese minister of defence

Located just down the road from both Blue Roof and Mr Mnangagwa's home, the general's white mansion (pictured), which is built on modernist design principles and sits on the crest of a hill, dominates the area

Mr Mugabe is understood to have refused, however, complaining that the list of demands was 'too long'. Instead, he made a set of counter-demands.

Top of his list was the immediate release of the finance minister Ignatius Chombo and other officials who were dramatically arrested in the takeover. He also asked that he and his family be assured protection if he were to resign.

The atmosphere of the talks was described as 'filled with animosity' by sources in Zimbabwe, with neither side willing to back down, leading to fears that the stalemate would harm the normal running of the country.

It came as the ruling Zanu-PF party called for a 'gratitude and appreciation march' through Harare to support the Zimbabwe Defence Forces tomorrow.
Melissa Humphreys of Colchester, Essex walks to court this morning to be sentenced to three years imprisonment after she admitted stealing 179,000 from her parents over several months as well as a string of fraud offences dating to 2006

A cruel daughter who stole up to 180,000 from her elderly parents whilst they were on a dream retirement trip has been jailed for three years.

Melissa Humphreys, of Colchester, Essex, maxed out their credit cards and cleared their bank accounts when they were travelling around Europe in a motorhome.

Wearing a pink scarf and grey jacket the brunette fraudster wept in the dock as her crimes were laid bare.

Over the course of four years Humphreys stole her parents - Elizabeth, 79, and Terence Fordham - life savings, leaving them 'living in misery'.

Her devastated 80-year-old dad said he felt betrayed and a victim impact statement revealed: 'What has happened has been life changing for me, there's not a day goes by without something triggering it and the emotions and memories come back to me.

'I love my daughter Melissa to me she was my first born and the sun shone from her eyes.

'To this day I don't understand why or how she could do this to us, she has let the whole family down.'

And added: 'As the enormity of it was revealed it was like the bottom of my world had fallen out.'

Chelmsford Crown Court heard today that the trainee financial advisor was entrusted with her parents finances after they left in 2006.

Over the course of four years she frittered the cash away and used five credit cards to run up the debt and kept her parents in the dark.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard today that the trainee financial advisor was entrusted with her parents finances after they left in 2006

She did not splash the cash on holidays, cars and expensive clothes and the court was told she had nothing to show for her crimes.

The wrongdoing was only uncovered when Elizabeth and Terence Fordham tried withdrawing cash from their bank accounts whilst in Spain after Humphrey's sister Gail visited.

They asked her to investigate when she returned home, and Humphreys didn't produce any bank accounts claiming they had all been 'shredded'.

It was only when she contacted the banks directly and saw the overdrawn accounts that Gail found out what had happened.

The wrongdoing was only uncovered when Elizabeth and Terence Fordham tried withdrawing cash from their bank accounts whilst in Spain after Humphrey's sister Gail visited

In an email she told Humphreys she was 'ruining peoples lives and she could be going to prison because of it'.

Prosecutor Matthew Bagnall said: 'Miss Humphreys was entrusted with her parents bank accounts and their finances and over an extended period of time Miss Humphries drained their bank account and used credit cards to fund her own lifestyle.

'They sold their house after retiring in March 2006 for 225,000 they bought the motorhome for 125,000, settled other debts left with 54,820.64 in a Halifax banK account.

'They planned to travel around Europe in their motor home and to assist them in their financial matters they arranged for their daughter to have access to the bank account ie savings to pay for any expenses incurred.

'This was restricted for day to day management for parent's expenses not for personal gain or use.'

In mitigation Steven Levy said his client had not intended to steal so much but the debt spiralled out of control.

He told the court: 'Ultimately her thoughts were I will take 50 and pay it back at the end of the month, but this was a snow ball that never stopped.'

Mr Levy also claimed Humphreys had been using the cash to help her ex-husband out financially after he was made redundant and said Humphreys had been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Sentencing Judge Patricia Lynch QC said: 'You reduced your parents who left you in charge of their hard earned money to virtual penury.

'They have worked hard all of their lives, they have saved, they have paid off all their debts and bought themselves a motor home intending to travel and ultimately retire in France after a lifetime of working hard.

'They left you in charge of their finances in effect entrusting you with their bank account and credit card and you systemically drained their hard earned money to fund your own lifestyle.

'I have read their victim impact statement and it is not only pain of knowing you as your father described, a beloved daughter, doing this to them, it's not losing all of their money.

'It is the agony of the threats and the shame of being in debt as a result of other debt you ran up on the credit cards and the threatening phone calls they receive.

'You have left them living in misery instead of enjoying their retirement they are left them without anything in a motor home miles away from their roots.'

Humphreys previously admitted four counts of fraud and two of theft.

Her family declined to comment after the hearing.
Republican Alabama Senate candidate's latest accuser Tina Johnson spoke out on Friday about her alleged experience with him in 1991, claiming that she was left 'scarred for life' when he groped her in his office during a meeting about her son's custody.

Johnson, who this week emerged as the ninth woman to accuse Moore, 70, of sexual misconduct, went on the Megyn Kelly Today show to provide details of her encounter with the beleaguered candidate while he worked as an attorney in Alabama more than two decades ago.

Johnson was then 28 and in a strained marriage, and was visiting with her mother who had hired Moore to handle a custody petition involving Johnson's son.

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Accuser speaks out: Tina Johnson, one of nine women who so far have accused Roy Moore of sexual misconduct, spoke out about the allegations on Megyn Kelly Today on Friday

Johnson told Kelly Moore 'forcefully grabbed her behind' as she was leaving his office in 1991

'As soon as we came into his office, it was ongoing flirting, telling me I was pretty,' Johnson recounted for Kelly.

Johnson said Moore asked her out on a date, even though he was married - a fact she was not aware of at the time, she said.

'He got out of his desk and his sat on the end...his knee was touching my knee and I could smell his breath even,' the accuser recalled.

Johnson, who also had two young daughters, said Moore complemented her on her eyes, asked how old her girls were and inquired if they had her 'beautiful eyes.'

'I was just shocked,' she told Kelly, referring to Moore's comments. 'It was already uncomfortable when he started mentioning the two girls. Bells went off.'

As Johnson and her mother got up to leave Moore's office at the end of the meeting, Johnson said, he groped her buttocks.

Strong words: Johnson said of Moore: 'I think that he wanted to take my power so he could feel powerful.' She also claimed the candidate (pictured right on Thursday) scarred her for life

'He just grabbed my behind. I mean, forcefully grabbed it. And I didn't even react, I just walked out,' she said. 'I was so ashamed. I thought I did something.'

Choking back tears, Johnson added: 'The day he'd done that, he scarred me for life. I was vulnerable from the start, and he was in a position of power. I think that he wanted to take my power so he could feel powerful.'

Johnson told Kelly that she has no interest in politics, and that people in her home state have not been supportive of her decision to air her 'dirty laundry' in public, but she decided to come forward after learning that another woman claimed Moore initiated a sexual encounter with her decades ago when she was 14 and he was in his 30s.

Just hours after Johnson's interview, Moore's wife, Kayla Moore spoke out in her husband's defense at a press conference in Montgomery, Alabama, saying they have been married for over 32 years and the Army veteran has always been an officer and a gentleman.

Moore's campaign on Thursday lashed out at the women accusing him of sexual misconduct, declaring 'let the battle begin,' despite mounting calls from Washington Republicans for the candidate to step aside.

You ask me if I believe the girls. No, I don't believe the girls. I believe Judge Moore," Moore strategist Dean Young said. Let the battle begin. ... Get ready to fight Mitch McConnell. We're going to fight you to the death on this.

President Donald Trump, through a spokeswoman, called the allegations of sexual misconduct against the former judge very troubling. The Republican president stopped short of calling on Moore to quit the race, however, breaking with most Republican leaders in Washington, including McConnell, the Senate majority leader.

Standing by her man: Kayla Moore held a press conference in Montgomery, Alabama, on Friday, during which she defended her husband and described him as a gentleman

Kayla was stern as she spoke in her husband's defense and said he would not step down despite the allegations

He thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, declining to clarify whether Trump continued to back Moore.

In Alabama, Moore appeared alongside more than a dozen religious leaders, who took turns bashing the Christian conservative's many critics - especially his female accusers.

This is a man who does not lie. Compare that to his accusers, charged Gordon Klingenschmitt of the group Pray in Jesus' Name.

With Moore looking on, Klingenschmitt quoted the Ten Commandments in a message aimed at two women he called out by name - one has said she was 14 and the other that she was 16 when Moore initiated sexual contact as a district attorney in his 30s.

Thou shalt not bear false witness, Klingenschmitt declared.

Another Moore supporter, professor Joel Brind of Baruch College, singled out Gloria Allred, the attorney for one of the accusers, for supporting an agenda designed to enable serial child predators - a reference, Brind said, to Allred's support for abortion rights.

Moore called the allegations unsubstantiated, 'unproven and fake. They're not only untrue, but they have no evidence to support them, he insisted, refusing to answer any questions from reporters about the allegations.

The fifth accuser, Beverly Young Nelson, held an emotional press conference on Monday alleging that Moore sexually assaulted her in his car in 1977

Wendy Miller (left) says she was just 14 and dressed as an Elf who was a 'Santa's helper' at the mall when Moore allegedly asked her out. Kelly Harrison Thorp (right) said she was asked on a date by Moore when she was just 17 years old

Debbie Wesson Gibson says she was 17 when Moore allegedly kissed her once in his bedroom and once at a local country club pool

Moore's attorney has demanded that one of the accusers, Beverly Young Nelson, release a yearbook she contends Moore signed so it can be analyzed by a handwriting expert to prove its authenticity. Nelson says that Moore aggressively groped her in a locked car when she was 16.

The Moore campaign dug up Nelson's divorce papers, which had been signed by Moore, and held them up to cameras suggesting she had copied the signature.

It was unclear whether the campaign was taking other steps to probe the background of his accusers. Moore strategist Dean Young said no when asked Thursday whether the campaign had hired a private investigator.

Not backing down: A defiant Moore appeared alongside more than a dozen religious leaders in Birmingham, Alabama, Thursday

Gloria Allred, Nelson's attorney, said she and her client were prepared for Moore's slash and burn approach.

If in fact his attempt is to intimidate her or me, he has failed miserably, she said. We prepared. We knew that this would be a battle for the truth, that this is someone who most likely will fight to the end.

At least three new allegations of misconduct surfaced on Wednesday, including one by Tina Johnson, who initially told AL.com about the alleged 1991 groping inciden.

Two others told The Washington Post they were young women when Moore courted them as a district attorney in his 30s. Three other women told the newspaper last week that they were teens when Moore tried to initiate romantic relationships. One said she was 14 when Moore touched her over her bra and underwear.

The Alabama Republican Party reiterated its support for Moore on Thursday, a day after its 21-member steering committee privately contemplated the situation.

The state GOP has the power to revoke Moore's GOP nomination and ask election officials to ignore ballots cast for him, although the state party has little interest in alienating Moore's followers a year before statewide elections.

Meanwhile, the National Organization For Women condemned the attacks against Moore's accusers, suggesting that the tactics help explain why many victims of sexual harassment are afraid to go public.
Texas cops have served Apple a search warrant to gain access to the church gunman's iCloud account and the iPhone that was found on his body after the massacre.

Rangers served legal papers to the tech giant in a bid to look at any files Devin Patrick Kelley may have downloaded or saved in the build-up to the November 5 shooting spree in Sutherland Springs that left 26 people.

The warrant was obtained by the Rangers on November 9, four days after the shootings, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

The Texas Rangers search warrant request included a photograph of Kelleys silver-and-white iPhone, which is marked with numerous blood stains.

Investigators want to comb through Kelleys personal files, including digital photos, messages, documents, and other types of data.

Texas Rangers submitted a search warrant to tech giant Apple after the gunman in the November 5 shooting, Devin Patrick Kelley (above), was found with an iPhone after he killed himself

Investigators want to comb through Kelleys personal files, including digital photos, messages, documents, and other types of data. Law enforcement officials are seen above outside the First Baptist Church on November 5 hours after 26 people were killed and 24 were wounded

Authorities want Apple to provide records of all files stored on Kelleys iCloud account.

iCloud is Apples cloud storage and computing service that allows users to store information that can be downloaded and shared across numerous platforms, including iOS, macOS, and Windows.

So far, authorities say they have come upon four different email addresses that Kelley used: thelifeofdevin@gmail.com; devinkelley1991@gmail.com; sevenup555@yahoo.com; and kelleydevin1991@gmail.com.

Apple says its company policy is to turn over all iCloud content to authorities if it is required to by a search warrant.

Last year, Apple was locked in a dispute with the federal government over investigators efforts to break into the iPhone of one of the two gunmen involved in the 2015 massacre at San Bernardino.

The government had insisted that it had no way to access the phone used by Rizwan Farook, one of the two killers in the December 2015 massacre in San Bernardino, California, except to force Apple to write new software that would disable the password protection.

The Justice Department obtained a court order directing Apple to create that software, but Apple has fought back, arguing that the order is an overreach by the government and would undermine computer security for everyone.

In March of last year, the government dropped its request of Apple after it revealed that it was able to break into Farooks phone with the help of a third party.

Fourteen people were killed in the San Bernardino shooting.

It was also learned on Friday that in addition to the iPhone SE found in Kelleys possession on the day of the shooting, the gunman also possessed another device  an older LG 328BG phone.
Navy officials are failing to see the funny side of the efforts of a mischievous pilot who drew enormous penises in the sky above Washington this week.

The unnamed pilot from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, was lambasted by officials who have since apologized for the obscene display in Okanogan.

'The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable,' they said in a statement.

They described the act as 'immature' and 'unethical' and said that action was being taken to punish the crew responsible.

While they failed to see the humorous side, the internet exploded with appreciation for the pilot's drawings.

The Navy has taken the blame for penis drawings which appeared in the sky above Okanogan, Washington, this week, saying it was one of their pilots who is to blame

Navy officials issued an apology on the matter, and called the incident 'unacceptable'

'The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable'

Some people in the town were offended by the illustration and reported it to local news stations including KREM.com.

Others saw the funny side as they watched the pilot complete their masterpiece.

'After it made the circles at the bottom, I knew what it was and started laughing,' one said to the SeattlePI.

'It was pretty funny to see that ...You don't expect to see something like that.'

Twitter users shared their appreciation in their droves.

'A grateful nation thanks you for your service,' said one user. Another asked cheekily: 'Willy be punished?'

The Navy did not disclose what was being done to reprimand the pilot responsible.

The drawings appeared this week and sparked controversy in the town where some were offended
Chris Christie is opening up about his eight years in office and his failed presidential bid as he prepares to hand over over the keys to the governor's mansion to his replacement.

A long exit interview with Politico that came out on Friday charts Christie's rise and fall in Republican politics, including the Bridgegate scandal, and rips the curtain off of several incidents involving sitting president Donald Trump.

Trump never dispatched Christie to get McDonalds for him, the profile revealed. And he didn't send the New Jersey governor home last February from the campaign trail on a separate plane, following his endorsement, as a 'f***ing punishment.'

Chris Christie is opening up about his eight years in office and his failed presidential bid as he prepares to hand over over the keys to the governor's mansion to his replacement. In an exit interview, he ripped the curtain off several incidents involving the sitting president

In fact, Christie says Trump offered him a handful of jobs in the administration - despite having him fired as head of the transition - and he turned them down.

Christie, who talks to Trump a couple times a week, or so he says, remains close with the president. He believes that it wasn't Trump's idea to have him booted from the transition team, although he won't say who, if not the president engineered his ousting.

'Oh, I asked,' Christie told Politico, recalling a heated conversation he had with Steve Bannon over the dismissal. 'He didnt answer. But [based on] subsequent conversations Ive had with the president, I just dont believe this was the presidents decision.'

The president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is said to have undermined Christie, the New Jersey prosecutor who put away his father. His involvement in the coup has never been confirmed.

But Christie says his own personal ties ran deep enough with the president that Trump offered 'me two different Cabinet positions and three other really senior positions in the administration.

'And Ive turned them all down because they werent stuff I was interested in,' he explained.

Christie says his own personal ties ran deep enough with the president that Trump offered 'me two different Cabinet positions and three other really senior positions in the administration. He's seen here at the White House in March

An incident in the primary when Trump told Christie to 'get on the plane and go home' was also miscast, Christie said.

'People were acting like it was a f***ing punishment. The guy gave me his smaller plane and said, "Leave early so you dont have to wait for me, because youve been so great to me the last two days doing this for two days."And then a**hole reporters write that he was like, "Get Chris off the stage," ' the New Jersey governor said. 'Thats the stuff that drives you crazy.'

A rumor that Trump sent Christie to McDonalds was also wrong, the profile revealed.

Sam Nunberg, one a top aide to Trump, told the article's author that he made the whole thing up.

'The sad reality is that it was believable,' said.

Christie also spoke about 'Bridgeate' - the political scandal that derailed his second term in office and his 2016 presidential bid.

'I was on trial,' he said. 'I wasnt allowed to be there, I wasnt allowed to respond, but the case was tried against me, not against the people who actually were sitting with the courtroomwith absolutely no evidence I had any involvement.'

He told Politico, 'I dont even think the true story has ever been told about why it was done.

'I dont buy the fact and Ive never bought the fact that this was done to penalize the mayor of Fort Lee,' he said, repeating a common claim that his aides shut down two traffic lanes leading into the George Washington Bridge to hamstring the city's Democratic governor.

White House adviser Ivanka Trump, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, right, speak with Christie in New Jersey on Monday

Two months later, before the lane closures became a national scandal, Christie was reelected with 61 percent of the vote in New Jersey to a second term.

'No one can ever take that away from me, and whatever is happening now doesnt make that any less real,' he said of the exuberance he felt going into the 2013 election. '

What I really thought was, like, "Let the good times roll." It wasnt even that good things were coming. They were all happening, and I didnt expect them to stop. But you never do,' he said.

Christie hasn't said what he plans to do when he leaves office - but it won't be a job in the Trump administration, he says. The Republican politician who dropped out of last year's race after the second contest has also ruled out another bid for president.
A Texas man has confessed to a 2016 murder following the release of a sketch of the suspect using DNA from the scene which bore an uncanny resemblance to him.

Ryan Riggs, 21, admitted to sexually assaulting his 25-year-old neighbor and beating her to death with a lawn mower blade shortly after investigators released the profile on November 8.

According to Brown County Sheriff Vance Hill, Riggs confessed to the 2016 murder of Chantay Blankinship first to his church congregation, then to investigators.

A lab in Virginia developed the imagery, which included eye, skin, and hair color, along with ethnic background - all based on the genetic information found at the scene of the crime.

Ryan Riggs (left) has admitted sexually assaulting and beating his 25-year-old neighbor to death with a lawn mower after a DNA sketch implicated him to the crime (right)

Riggs, 21, admitted murdering Chantay Blankinship (above), police say. She attended the same church as the suspect

This DNA profile was created using samples found out the scene of the gruesome crime. Riggs bares a striking resemblance to the picture and was subsequently arrested

Hill said that Riggs has been charged with capital murder.

Riggs sexually assaulted Blankinship and bludgeoned her with a blade from a lawn mower, a ccording to a report by KTXS.

Both the victim and the confessed killer attended the same church.

'Why did you make her suffer?' Blankinship's stepfather Steven McDaniel, asked. 'Why did you do the horrible, horrible, horrible things that you did to her?'

Riggs became a person of interest in the case shortly after the DNA sketch was released.

The sketch identified the suspect as having brown or light brown hair.

Police have not revealed why they believe Riggs (left) killed Blankinship, 25 (right)

Riggs was not suspected of the crime until the DNA sketch was released. A picture from his Facebook shows what appears to be an assault rifle mounted on his wall

After the sketch was released to the public, the Brownwood Bulletin received a number of tips regarding the identity of the perpetrator.

Riggs was among those identified as a possible suspect - according to the Brownwood Bulletin, Riggs knew both Blankinship and her boyfriend.

Riggs was also a suspect in an unrelated dumping case. He was arrested for the murder Wednesday.

The sheriff's office said Thursday it was unclear whether the death penalty would be pursued in the case.
Explorer Benedict Allen begged his wifes forgiveness as the Mail rescued him from the jungle yesterday.

Weak from malaria, the veteran adventurer had become trapped between warring tribes in one of the most remote spots on Earth.

After the Mail found the father of three yesterday and handed him a satellite phone to call his wife Lenka, he told her: Im so sorry Ive put you through this, Linky.

Ive been missing you and fighting every inch of the way to get back to you and the family. I never quite gave up. Thanks for not giving up on me.

Explorer Benedict Allen begged his wifes forgiveness as the Mail rescued him from the jungle yesterday. Pictured above, the explorer found with a local tribe

On learning that he was being rescued, Mr Allen, 57, exclaimed: I cant believe it. Hells bells.

The Mail launched the mission after a frantic Mrs Allen, 35, raised the alarm, saying her husband was missing. Following tip-offs from tribal chiefs, we hired a helicopter and found him deep in the jungle amid towering volcanic peaks.

The explorer, who has six BBC TV series to his name, had been trying to reach a lost tribe called the Yaifo  the last people on Earth with no contact with the outside world.

He spent three days with them but ran into trouble trying to make his way back to civilisation, apparently contracting malaria and finding himself stranded in the Hewa valley. Dubbed the land that time forgot, the valley has become a war zone, with the Hewa people and their Paiela neighbours fighting with bows and arrows.

Mr Allen said last night: Im known as a survivor, but it just wasnt looking good. I didnt think Id make it.

But I had to believe somehow that something would happen, and you came out of the clouds.

Mr Allen said last night: Im known as a survivor, but it just wasnt looking good. I didnt think Id make it'

Missing explorer Benedict Allens first words to his wife, Lenka, after disappearing into a hostile jungle three weeks ago, were: I am sorry, so very sorry I have put you through this. Then, feverish with malaria, this inveterate adventurer broke down in tears.

Benedict, 57, was speaking via satellite phone at a deserted missionary base in the remote Enga province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) five days after Lenka, the mother of his three young children, Natalya, ten, Freddie, seven and two-year-old Beatrice, had reported him missing.

She has barely slept for worry since. Benedict had set off on an expedition to reach the remote Yaifo tribe  which is thought to be one of the last on Earth to have no contact with the outside world  with no satellite phone, no GPS device and no companion. Benedict might still be there now were it not for a rescue mission by the Daily Mail which involved hiring a helicopter and airlifting the stricken explorer from a war-torn and very remote area of PNG.

M issing explorer Benedict Allens first words to his wife, Lenka, after disappearing into a hostile jungle three weeks ago, were: I am sorry, so very sorry I have put you through this'

The remote village of Hewa in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea where explorer Benedict Allen sought help

Benedict, 57, was speaking via satellite phone at a deserted missionary base in the remote Enga province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) five days after Lenka, the mother of his three young children

When the Mail finally found him in the early hours of yesterday morning, it was immediately clear that everyones worst fears were well-founded. For Benedict was fast giving up hope of ever seeing his young family again after finding himself caught up in a tribal war and struck down by malaria

Speaking for the first time since news of his disappearance made headlines around the world, he said: I cant thank the Mail enough. I am so grateful. Im known as a survivor, but things were not looking good. I had this terrible dilemma: do I stay out here in a remote village and believe that, somehow, a miracle would happen and a plane would come  or do I try to control my destiny somehow and head out to find help when Im weak?

Lenka too is grateful her husband is safe  but also angry with him for worrying them sick  and for not taking a phone with him.

When the Mail finally found him in the early hours of yesterday morning, it was immediately clear that everyones worst fears were well-founded.

For Benedict was fast giving up hope of ever seeing his young family again after finding himself caught up in a tribal war and struck down by malaria.

Hed embarked on a hellish trek through jungle aiming to cover 30 miles in an unsuccessful bid to reach the rendezvous point, and just 24 hours before the Mail arrived, his fever  which comes and goes in cycles  had such a desperate hold of him that he was too weak to stand.

But Benedict had survived thanks to kindly tribesmen whod found him and looked after him, feeding him sweet potato to build his strength as he lay sweating and confused for ten days. Overnight, his fever abated. He awoke realising that if he remained there he would surely die, so was preparing to take his chances on foot through the jungle when he saw our helicopter circling.

Hed embarked on a hellish trek through jungle aiming to cover 30 miles in an unsuccessful bid to reach the rendezvous point, and just 24 hours before the Mail arrived, his fever  which comes and goes in cycles  had such a desperate hold of him that he was too weak to stand

Hed embarked on a hellish trek through jungle aiming to cover 30 miles in an unsuccessful bid to reach the rendezvous point, and just 24 hours before the Mail arrived, his fever  which comes and goes in cycles  had such a desperate hold of him that he was too weak to stand

But Benedict had survived thanks to kindly tribesmen whod found him and looked after him, feeding him sweet potato to build his strength as he lay sweating and confused for ten days

Its still just an illusion youre here, he said, after we landed on the remote Hewa airstrip near the abandoned missionary station where Benedict was being cared for. Ashen-faced and disorientated, he said: Ive had to focus so hard and hold myself together so much. I just thought forest, forest, Ive got to get out, got to get out, so youre just a dream to me.

It wasnt looking good. I knew deep down as an experienced explorer that the calculations were bad. I didnt think Id make it

It wasnt looking good. I knew deep down as an experienced explorer that the calculations were bad. I didnt think Id make it.

But I had to believe, somehow, that something would happen.

His survival is nothing short of a miracle. Benedict set off to the jungle on October 26 after working as a guide to a private party of tourists for two weeks in PNG.

He phoned Lenka, to whom he has been married for ten years, at the family home in Prague while he waited for the helicopter that was going to drop him in the jungle. It was to be the last she would hear from him for 22 days.

Overnight, his fever abated. He awoke realising that if he remained there he would surely die, so was preparing to take his chances on foot through the jungle when he saw our helicopter circling

Lenka, 35, who met Benedict when she was studying in London as a 19-year-old, had argued long and hard against his going  with good reason.

After becoming a father, Benedict  who as a single man was forced to eat his dog to avoid starving in the Amazon, was shipwrecked canoeing to Australia and has been shot at by drugs hitmen  vowed to settle down and put his family first, but then temptation got too much.

Benedict was actually setting out to rediscover the lost Yaifo people he first encountered as a 23-year-old, during which time he underwent a brutal initiation ceremony with the Niowra tribe to become as strong as a crocodile.

He told Lenka the tribe, with whom he lived for six months, were like a family to him. Today, he carries hundreds of tiny scars on his back and front from the bamboo cuts administered during the ceremony. His legs are also covered with tribal tattoos. 

I had settled down, he says. It was all going very well until I agreed to take [BBC reporter] Frank Gardner to PNG last year to make a programme about birds of paradise.

During that trip I met one of the people Id walked with to find the Yaifo. He said: Benedict, theyre still there and no one has seen them since you saw them.

That made me want to go there  I just woke with this impulse. No one paid me to go. There was no TV commission.

Yesterday, after a meal and some sleep, Benedict conceded he was, perhaps, too impulsive. Im driven by dreams and this irrational passion, he says. Its good and bad. As we can see it gets me into trouble. Indeed.

Benedict arranged to be dropped by helicopter at Bisorio abandoned missionary station deep in the jungle. It took ten days of hard trekking to reach the tribe, through torrential rain and flash floods.

But when you are pushed to the limit you feel more alive. Thats why I go to the jungle

The ants literally rain down on you. They get really angry when it rains. They bite the first thing they see. But my biggest concern was always disease. It distorts your mind so you cant think straight.

But when you are pushed to the limit you feel more alive. Thats why I go to the jungle.

Youre setting off into your own world. You are in charge of your destiny. Its very different from when youre in a family and youre besieged. This is your own thing. When Benedict eventually reached the Yaifo people on November 5 it was just as he remembered all those years before. They did the same dance. Last time it was threatening but this time it was friendlier because they remembered me.

He said the tribe, with whom he lived for six months, were like a family to him. Today, he carries hundreds of tiny scars on his back and front from the bamboo cuts administered during the ceremony. His legs are also covered with tribal tattoos

Benedict was actually setting out to rediscover the lost Yaifo people he first encountered as a 23-year-old, during which time he underwent a brutal initiation ceremony with the Niowra tribe to become as strong as a crocodile'

Benedict arranged to be dropped by helicopter at Bisorio abandoned missionary station deep in the jungle. It took ten days of hard trekking to reach the tribe, through torrential rain and flash floods

His expedition had been a success so, after three days with them, Benedict, armed with his video camera, set off back into the jungle to return to civilisation, heading back to Bisorio abandoned missionary station where hed been dropped off

Unbeknown to Benedict, a violent bow-and-arrow feud was raging between the Paiela tribe and Hewa people. Then, hampered by torrential rain, he began to recognise signs of malaria, which hes had five times before

They settled down around me and there was Korsi, the man who guided me out all those years ago, embracing me. He looked exactly the same  the headdress, the spines sticking out of his nose, the canes around his waist  but a bit older, as I do.

His expedition had been a success so, after three days with them, Benedict, armed with his video camera, set off back into the jungle to return to civilisation, heading back to Bisorio abandoned missionary station where hed been dropped off. He planned to fly to Hong Kong from PNGs capital, Port Moresby, and give a talk on his adventures. But that was when it began to go wrong. For as he made his way across the Central Range of mountains he had warnings from locals of fierce fighting ahead.

I was very wet and cold. By now I was walking through the territory of the Hewa tribe, and met people telling me I couldnt go on

Unbeknown to Benedict, a violent bow-and-arrow feud was raging between the Paiela tribe and Hewa people. Then, hampered by torrential rain, he began to recognise signs of malaria, which hes had five times before.

Every night I made a shelter out of palm leaves, but each night there was a terrible tropical storm which tore through my palm leaves and left me completely soaked through. I was spending four hours each night out of my sleeping bag trying to repair the shelter in the mud.

When he did sleep, biting centipedes and poisonous spiders the size of fists crawled around his sleeping bag.

But he said the worst peril was electrical storms that sent whole trees crashing down like a hammer at night  pulverising everything in their path.

I was very wet and cold. By now I was walking through the territory of the Hewa tribe, and met people telling me I couldnt go on. I was still trying to brave it out. But my legs were bad  I had deep cuts from hacking through thorn trees. The forest was wearing me down.

Then the fever kicked in, and I remembered when I had malaria before and the horrible feeling.

I didnt want to turn into a zombie again. I reached some huts called Yaowi village and stayed there a night, but the people said the war was closing in on us and people were dying.

Its still just an illusion youre here, he said, after we landed on the remote Hewa airstrip near the abandoned missionary station where Benedict was being cared for

Ashen-faced and disorientated, he said: Ive had to focus so hard and hold myself together so much. I just thought forest, forest, Ive got to get out, got to get out, so youre just a dream to me

Concerned villagers told him to head to the abandoned mission station  which was where he eventually met the two brothers who were to be his saviours

By now I had piercing headaches and pains in my spleen.

Im not sure the Hewa people realised how ill I was  they just thought no white man ever walks over those mountains and he looks knackered.

I was really dehydrated. I was spent. I really needed water. I set off along a trail but began fainting  that has never happened to me before.

Concerned villagers told him to head to the abandoned mission station  which was where he eventually met the two brothers who were to be his saviours.

I had a gruelling march over a ridge. I was going ten steps and then having to stop. The Hewa thought I was ruined. To my humiliation, they were carrying all my bags to the missionary station.

Benedict cannot recall much after this. He knows he was there for days, and that without the kindness of the Hewa tribespeople, he would be dead.

Ive always found my way home and this is the first time it looked like I really wasnt going to.

As for not taking the satellite phone, he says: To me, exploration is about being honest and mentally immersing yourself.

My objective is simply to go and listen to local people so if I want to do that Ive got to leave my world behind and be prepared to deal with the consequences if things go wrong. Its not until youre a father that you start to think: what if something goes wrong at home?

It begins to eat away at you. There I was lying in that Hewa mission hut thinking, Ive got malaria. Yesterday, my head felt like it was in a vice. I was trying to keep my head clear, but thats when the family photos I carry started to haunt me.

These people who are your life, your legacy  theyre what you live for  and youre in a terrible trap. This is the first time Ive had to face that. There was nothing I could do. He looks desolate for a moment.

The villagers of the remote village of Hewa in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea where explorer Benedict Allen sought help

Lenka contacted Benedicts agent, his sister Katie and a TV location producer in Hong Kong, Steven Ballantyne, who began co-ordinating a search

Meanwhile in Prague, where his older children are at school, Lenka was beginning to panic.

I was waiting to hear from him on Saturday and didnt. On Sunday I checked his emails and saw one saying, we are expecting you in Hong Kong tomorrow, are you OK? Then there was another on the Monday saying, we are at the airport where are you?

I began to get desperately worried. Id just had this sense over the weekend that something was wrong, then when everyone else started to worry I realised he was missing.

Lenka contacted Benedicts agent, his sister Katie and a TV location producer in Hong Kong, Steven Ballantyne, who began co-ordinating a search.

When I discovered from Steven that he didnt have a satellite phone I was cross, says Lenka. I understand thats the way he does things. He doesnt like fakery. He is always determined to be authentic. But, I felt: How dare he risk his life when hes got three kids? How am I going to cope if something happens to him? How will we survive?

Adventure: Benedict Allen (standing in the back) in Papua New Guinea with the BBC's Frank Gardner (front) last year

Lenka barely slept and also had to tell the children. Freddie said, I think Daddy is probably just walking. Hell be fine.

But Natalya was anxious. When she saw what was being written about him in the papers she kept hugging me and saying, Mummy he will be OK, wont he?

Unbeknown to Lenka, though, her husbands rescue was already starting. The two brothers from the Hewa tribe whod met Benedict at the missionary station set out on a two-day journey to get out the message that they had found him.

Eventually, they came across a village with one mobile telephone, then walked 30 miles to climb a mountain for a signal.

Word soon reached Christian missionary Keith Copley who passed on the news and Benedicts location to Mr Ballantyne.

In co-operation with Lenka, the Mail flew to the city of Mount Hagen in the highlands of PNG, where helicopter pilot Craig Rose took us on a 55-minute flight to Benedicts location.

Below us, Benedict prepared to leave his missionary refuge. As we soared over a 4,000ft mountain ridge, our pilot spotted movement. He threw the helicopter into a circle and made three circuits of the valley before the unmistakeably white face  atop a particularly tall body  emerged from the long grass. We landed on the deserted Hewa airstrip and I stretched out my hand to him, saying, Mr Allen I presume? Your wife has sent us to collect you.

I would have found a way home, Linky

Had we arrived half an hour later, Benedict would by then have set off into one of the most hostile terrains on the planet  which doesnt bear thinking about.

I wasnt expecting it. You were like angels. One minute I was thinking, Ive got one last chance at this, then you dropped out of the sky, he says.

That emotional conversation with Lenka via satellite phone follows: I would have found a way home, Linky, he said. I had my doubts in the middle of the night, I have to say, but Ive been fighting every inch of the way to get back to you and the family. I never quite gave up. Thanks for not giving up on me.

The call ends. His blue eyes dance. Its difficult to say I wont do it again and not cross my fingers. I guess boys will always be boys, or explorers will always be explorers. He laughs. Alone.
An Indian man strangled his wife to death after she refused to have sex with him, police have claimed.

Sanjiv Kumar 35, allegedly killed his wife Suman after a fight over sex in their home village of Jogna Khera in India's Haryana state.

The man confessed to the crime and was arrested by police in the north of the country.

Married housewife Suman Kumar was allegedly strangled by her husband after she refused to have sex with him. A case of domestic violence is reported every five minutes in India. File image used

They are believed to have been married for over a decade and had two children together, the BBC reports.

A murder investigation has been launched at a local police station, according to The Times of India.

A police officer at Kurukshetra University Police Station in Haryana told the newspaper: 'During investigation, Sanjiv confessed he had wanted to have intercourse with his wife, but she had refused.

'After she scolded the accused for trying to force himself on her, Sanjiv lost his cool and strangled her, leading to her death.'

Sanjiv Kumar 35, allegedly kileld his wife Suman after a fight over sex in their home village of Jogna Khera (pictured) in India's Haryana state

The Indian daily claims the housewife had been avoiding sex because her husband had been suffering with Dengue fever symptoms.

A case of domestic violence is reported to the police in India every five minutes, but activists say the real numbers are even higher.

It has been the most reported violent crime against women in India for more than a decade.

The country introduced a new law in 2005 to protect women from domestic violence, but it has failed to improve the situation as those incidents registered under it are not treated as crimes.
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Armed police area searching streets close to the home of John Ibrahim's mother after his bodyguard was gunned down outside.

Cops were seen scouring drains close to the detached house in Sydney's Merrylands following the shooting of Semi Ngata, known as Tongan Sam, on Friday evening.

The 59-year-old was treated at the scene after being hit in the back before being taken to Westmead Hospital in a serious condition.

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Semi Ngata, known as Tongan Sam, (pictured centre back with Daniel and John Ibrahim) was shot in the back in Merrylands, in Sydney's west on Friday night at 10.45

Police search the streets outside John Ibrahim's mother's home (pictured) on Saturday morning

Media gathered outside the Merrylands home (pictured) owned by John Ibrahim's mother on Saturday morning

Police said they were investigating whether more than one bullet had been used in the shooting on Price Street but couldn't say whether it was a drive-by attack, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Officers are also looking into whether a burnt-out car found on Rees Street in nearby Mays Hill is linked to the shooting.

A police spokeswoman said: 'We've got detectives canvassing the area and investigations are ongoing.

'We are looking at that as a line of inquiry but it's not been confirmed at this stage if it's linked.'

Ngata has worked as a bodyguard for nightclub boss John for more than a decade after the pair met in Kings Cross in the 1990s.

Tongan Sam (left with Fadi Ibrahim and Salim Mehajer) was taken to Westmead Hospital, where he is in a serious condition

Police patrol past John Ibrahim's Dover Heights residence in the aftermath of the shooting of Tongan Sam

Police said they were investigating whether more than one bullet had been used in the shooting but couldn't say whether it was a drive-by attack (pictured is Tongan Sam, right, with Sam Ibrahim, left, outside court in 2009)

Police searched streets around the spot where John Ibrahim's bodyguard Tongan Sam was shot

Police searched the streets around the scene of the shooting, which took place in Merrylands in Sydney's west

His loyalty to his boss was shown in 2014 when he was pictured wearing a T-shirt with John's face emblazoned across it.

The shooting comes just weeks after Ibrahim brothers Fadi and Michael were detained in a dramatic police sting in Dubai and extradited back to Australia over a drug and tobacco syndicate.

Fadi was released from jail on strict bail conditions after a $2.2million surety was put up.

The Merrylands home belonging to John's mother was searched by police during the raids, and a loaded 9mm handgun was seized from the property.

After Tongan Sam was shot in the back on Friday night police set up a crime scene, continuing to search the area on Saturday morning (pictured)

Police (pictured)searched bins on the street near John Ibrahim's mother's home in Merrylands

Police were out in force on Saturday morning, searching the streets around the scene of the shooting

Police walked down the streets of Merrylands in a line after the shooting of John Ibrahim's bodyguard Semi Ngata on Friday night

Officers are also looking into whether a burnt-out car (pictured) found nearby is linked to the shooting

John's home was also raided as part of the investigation in August - but he was not arrested or charged with any offences.

John and his three brothers - Sam, Michael and Fadi - have all been either shot or stabbed over recent years.

Michael - the most recent victim - was gunned down on Macquarie Street in Sydney's CBD in 2015, while Fadi was shot five times as he sat in his Lamborghini.

Sam was also hit in the legs in a 2011 drive-by shooting, and John was stabbed in Kings Cross while a teenager.

Semi 'Tongan Sam' Ngata was taken to Westmead Hospital (pictured) in a serious condition

The shooting took place outside John Ibrahim's mother's home, pictured here being searched by police after Ibrahim brothers Michael and Fadi were arrested in August

Pictured is a loaded 9mm semi-automatic Beretta handgun seized from the home of John Ibrahim's mother during raids in August 2017.

Officers are also looking into whether a burnt-out car found nearby is linked to the shooting (pictured is Tongan Sam, centre, with Sam Ibrahim, left, and lawyer Stephen Alexander, right, outside court in 2009)
Black men are given harsher prison sentences compared to white men who have committed the same crime, according to new government data released on Friday.

According to the US Sentencing Commission, African-American males serve on average 19.1 percent longer prison terms than white men convicted of the same crime.

The data shows that the disparity cant be explained by prior convictions or a history of violence.

Violence in an offenders criminal history does not appear to contribute to the sentence imposed, the agency said in the report.

Black men are given harsher prison sentences compared to white men who have committed the same crime, according to new government data released on Friday

The charts used in the study divide the periods between Koon (1998 to 2003); PROTECT (2003-2004); Booker (2005-2007); Gall (2007-2011); and Post-Report (2011-2016).

Koon is a reference to the Supreme Court decision of Koon v. United States, which allowed US federal courts to hand down more lenient sentences than those prescribed by US Sentencing Commission guidelines based on circumstantial factors of an individual case.

That case was an appeal of the 30-month federal sentence handed down to Stacey Koon, one of the four Los Angeles Police Department officers involved in the beating of Rodney King in 1991.

PROTECT refers to The PROTECT Act of 2003, which mandated tougher prison sentences for sex offenders who target children, particularly if they had a prior record.

The Booker period is the one that comes after the United States v. Booker Supreme Court decision.

The Court ruling gave federal judges significantly more discretion on sentencing.

It allowed judges on the bench to determine sentences beyond those called for in US Sentencing Commission guidelines.

Gall refers to the period from 2007 until 2011; and Post-Report refers to the period from 2011 until 2016.

According to the US Sentencing Commission, African-American males serve on average 19.1 percent longer prison terms than white men convicted of the same crime. The charts divide the periods between Koon (1998 to 2003); PROTECT (2003-2004); Booker (2005-2007); Gall (2007-2011); and Post-Report (2011-2016)

When the sentencing judge took an offenders violent past into account, black men still received sentences that were on average 20.4 percent longer than that of white men.

The report found that the disparity in sentences handed down to blacks and whites has been exacerbated by the 2005 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Booker.

Instead of being limited by recommendations of the guidelines, judges were free to impose harsher sentences when taking factors of the case into account.

The findings also suggest that judges were more likely to pass down more lenient sentences to whites.

When judges did grant more lenient sentences to blacks, those prison terms were still harsher than lenient sentences handed down to whites.

The study also found that females were given lighter sentences compared to white men

The USSC is a bipartisan agency that operates under the authority of the Justice Department.

The report is an analysis of demographic prison data collected from 2012 until 2016.

The study also found that the imprisonment rate of black women is twice that of white females.

Overall, African-Americans are incarcerated at a rate of more than five times that of white Americans.

The African-American population in the US numbers about 39 million, while whites account for 198 million, according to the 2010 Census.

The chart above measures the disparity in sentences handed down to males. It found that male blacks were more likely to receive longer sentences than white men

Another significant finding in the study is that females of all races received on average lighter sentences for the same crime than white males

The data shows that the disparity cant be explained by prior convictions or a history of violence

If blacks and Hispanics were incarcerated at the same rates as whites, the prison population in the United States would fall by almost 40 percent, the report found.

Despite being just five percent of the worlds population, the US has the worlds largest prison population  2,145,000 inmates.

The number represents a 500 percent increase over the last 40 years, according to The Sentencing Project.

China, the worlds most populous nation with nearly 1.38 billion people, has the second largest inmate population at 1,649,804, according to the World Prison Brief.

Critics of the US prison system say that the stiff sentencing and racial disparities are contributing to the disproportionately large inmate population.
Megyn Kelly has blasted President Donald Trump for criticizing Senator Al Franken for kissing and groping a radio-host without her consent in 2006, calling the president a 'tone deaf' hypocrite.

During a segment on Friday's Megyn Kelly Today, the NBC host called out Trump for for sharing his condemnation of the apologetic Democrat Senator when he has said nothing of allegations against Republican Roy Moore.

She also reminded viewers of the numerous women who last year publicly accused the president of sexually assaulting or harassing them.

'Who that has been accused of sexual assault would have the gall to preach to others about sexual misconduct?' Kelly said, sarcastically.

'How infuriating that would be! How tone deaf, Mr. President,' she said.

Franken has twice apologized over a photograph which showed him groping former model Leeann Tweeden while she slept in 2006.

Moore and his campaign team have however denied the accusations of nine women who have spoken out to accuse him of sexual assault.

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Megyn Kelly blasted President Donald Trump's comments on Senator Al Franken after a photo of him groping a radio host went viral

Speaking of all time lowwe could soon have not one, but two sitting US Senators accused of sexual assault @MegynKelly pic.twitter.com/Z11g3s2WDO  Megyn Kelly TODAY (@MegynTODAY) November 17, 2017

'The allegations against Moore, which go back decades, and which Moore's campaign insists are politically motivated, range from unwanted pursuit to groping to assault,' Kelly said, adding: 'So is this guy going to be our next senator?'

Kelly was no more merciful in her criticism of Franken and his comment that a photograph of him groping Leeann Tweeden was a 'joke'.

'If that's the case, you're doing it wrong. We should both be laughing. You've failed,' she said.

Trump dubbed the senator 'Al Frankenstien' in a series of tweets - wrongly spelling Frankenstein - and also accused him of being a hypocrite.

'Who that has been accused of sexual assault would have the gall to preach to others about sexual misconduct?' Kelly said, sarcastically, about Trump's tweet condemning the photo of Ranken groping Playboy model-turned- TalkRadio 790 KABC morning host Leeann Tweeden

Trump tweeted his criticism of Franken on Thursday after the photograph emerged

'The Al Frankenstien(sic) picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?' he tweeted.

Playboy model-turned-TalkRadio 790 KABC morning host Leeann Tweeden had released a photo of him touching her breasts well she slept on a military aircraft in 2006, as she accused him of sexual harassment.

She said Franken had also forced his tongue into her mouth when she expected to be rehearsing a scene where they would fake a 'kiss' for the military audience.

The senator, a former comedian and SNL writer, has since issued a public apology to Tweeden.

'The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women,' Franken wrote in a statement hours after Tweeden went public.

'There's more I want to say, but the first and most important thing  and if it's the only thing you care to hear, that's fine  is: I'm sorry.'

'I respect women. I don't respect men who don't,' the accused government groper added. 'And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.'

The president has however said nothing of allegations against Roy Moore (left) who has been accused o f sexual misconduct by nine different women

Kelly criticized all three men in her segment, one of many in the week which focused on public sexual harassment allegations

But Trump, who was famously caught on tape saying that famous men can 'grab' women with impunity, accused Franken of being a hypocrite and brought up his 'Lesley Stahl' tape.

'And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?' he tweeted.

Tweeden has since spoken out about Franken's apology, saying during a press conference that 'people make mistakes. I'm not calling for him to step down. That's not my place to say that.'

But the mother of a young son and daughter, both toddlers, hinted that if other women were to come forward with similar stories, that may change.

'I've gotten a phone call from a woman that has  I've only gotten a message  that says something similar has happened to her. And I haven't returned it yet. So that's to be determined. I don't know,' Tweeden said.

Franken issued a public apology soon after Tweeden came forward and insisted that the gesture was a joke, but Kelly was not a fan of that reasoning

Tweeden (pictured) said Franken had also forced his tongue into her mouth when she expected to be rehearsing a scene where they would fake a 'kiss' for the military audience

Trump is also yet to comment on Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore's growing misconduct allegations.

Nine women have now accused Moore of sexual misconduct dating back several decades. The candidate has dismissed their accusations and vowed to continue campaigning.

Similar to Moore's dismissal came those from the White House when in October they denied a dozen more claims that Trump assaulted them.

In response to a question at an October 27 press briefing about whether the women are lying, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: 'We've been clear on that in the beginning, and the President's spoken on that,' CNN reports.

Roy Moore's wife Kayla spoke in his defense at a senate campaign rally on Friday in Montgomery, Alabama

Trump fielded a question about sexual harassment claims on Monday, October 16. He branded them as 'totally fake news'.

Attorneys representing Summer Zervos, a 2007 'Apprentice' contestant, had obtained a subpoena ordering the Trump campaign to hand over any documents it had related to Zervos.

The subpoena seeks 'all documents concerning any woman who asserted that Donald J. Trump touched her inappropriately'.

Summer Zervos, one of several women who accused the president of sexual misconduct during the presidential campaign. She is pictured in 2016

'All I can say is it's totally fake news. It's fake and made-up stuff and it's disgraceful what happens, but that happens in the world of politics,' Trump told reporters at the White House.

During the campaign, numerous women came forward to accuse Trump, who was then a candidate, of harassing them or assaulting them over several decades.

Trump denied all of their allegations repeatedly and used one of the presidential debates against Hillary Clinton to dismiss them.

He was also slammed for his treatment of Kelly - at that time a Fox News host - who he fought with on-air and made distasteful remarks about after she hosted the GOP Debate.
A court will have the final say over how Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock's multi-million dollar estate will be divided up among his victims.

Attorneys are due in court on Friday to argue over who should handle Paddock's estimated $5million, comprised of both his gambling takes and real estate profits, and who will be able to claim portions of it.

Craig Eiland, an attorney representing several of Paddock's shooting victims, filed paperwork asking for an independent probate court to handle the money in a 'constructive trust.'

The court will decide how Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock's estimated $5million estate will be distributed and who will be in charge of it

The Las Vegas Victims' Fund is set to discuss how the more than $14million raised will be dispersed to victims of the shooting and what priority level claims will be assigned. Paddock staged the mass shooting out of a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel

'I'd like to get the estate, all of the estate, for just my clients. But that's just not the right thing to do,' Eiland told Las Vegas Now, noting that he wants to make sure that all the victims have access to the funds and that 'it's an open and transparent process.'

Paddock's family has already said that they would like his $5million estate to be distributed among the victims and families of October's mass shooting and their lawyer is seeking to be the one who controls how the funds are dispersed.

In a joint statement made by multiple lawyers representing the victims, Eiland noted that the Paddock family lawyer also represents one shooting victim's father, which is an 'over the top' conflict of interest, which is why he and the other lawyers are requesting a third party handle the funds.

FIfty eight people died and more than 540 people were injured at an outdoor concert when Stephen Paddock opened fire on them from above

An attorney representing multiple Vegas shooting victims believes a third party probate court should be put in charge of distributing Paddock's estate funds and who should receive money

Fifty eight people died and more than 540 people were injured at an open-air concert died after Paddock opened fire on them on October 1.

Also due to be discussed in coming days during town halls is the application process for dispensing money to the shooting victims and their families from the Las Vegas Victims' Fund.

The fund already has more than $14million in donations via a GoFundMe campaign, the National Compassion Fund and a Nevada State Bank account, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

According to a draft protocol for doling out the donations, the Victim's Fund is aiming to prioritize individual claims involving victims who died, suffered permanent brain damage or paralysis, KVVU reported.

They would 'receive the highest level of payment,' according to the draft.

The next claims category would be for those who suffered physical injuries that required hospitalization, following by those who were injured and admitted to the hospital within two days of the October 1 shooting.
Police forces across the country were last night accused of applying a random approach to cracking down on speeding drivers. File photo

Police forces across the country were last night accused of applying a random approach to cracking down on speeding drivers.

A Daily Mail investigation has exposed the glaring differences between the chance of drivers being caught and punished in different regions.

Analysis of Home Office figures shows in some areas around a tenth of the local population were caught speeding last year.

But in others there appears to be virtually no chance of being spotted. And even when caught, the punishments can vary greatly from region to region.

One motoring campaigner last night described enforcement as a postcode lottery.

Avon and Somerset has emerged as the speeding hotspot of the UK, with more than one ticket handed out every four minutes.

But in Wiltshire, a county of more than 700,000 people, just 974 drivers were penalised last year.

The figures, which come from fixed speed cameras and mobile vans, reveal the areas with a slim chance of speeders being caught also include Kent, Cheshire, Nottinghamshire and Lancashire.

There is also a disparity in the way drivers are treated if they are caught. Some forces, including Dorset and Kent, give nearly all motorists a fixed penalty notice, which includes a minimum fine of 100 and at least three points on their licence.

Others, including Cleveland and Durham, allow the majority, around six in ten, to go on speed awareness courses instead.

With minor offences, drivers are often allowed to choose between a 100 fine and three points, or a speeding course, which costs around 85.

Avon and Somerset has emerged as the speeding hotspot of the UK, with more than one ticket handed out every four minutes. But in Wiltshire, a county of more than 700,000 people, just 974 drivers were penalised last year. File photo

But the variations in the latest figures suggest some forces may be capitalising on the courses, while also allowing drivers to avoid harsher punishment.

Part of the course fees go to police, whereas fines go to the Treasury. Of the 184,654 drivers caught in Avon and Somerset last year  the highest number in England and Wales  more than four in ten were sent on a speed awareness course.

As forces collected 35 of the course fees last year, Avon and Somerset police would have pocketed an estimated 2.8million.

The findings have fuelled concerns that the law is being inconsistently applied, with some police forces accused of being too soft on dangerous driving and others being too punitive.

Tory MP Julian Knight said: These figures are really stark  and show an incredible difference between areas. My concern is that the law needs to be applied around the country as evenly as possible.

Dr Adam Snow, lecturer in criminal law at Liverpool Hope University, who analysed the figures for the Mail, said: Motorists could be forgiven for thinking there is a degree of randomness when it comes to roads policing.

Howard Cox, of campaign group FairFuelUK, said: It seems that depending on where you live or drive its a postcode lottery as to whether you are caught.

A Wiltshire police spokesman said it does not have any dedicated mobile speed vans like other forces, adding: We are committed to dedicating resources into targeting speeding drivers and will continue to look at areas where speeding is a particular concern.

A National Police Chiefs Council spokesman said: There will be variation between police forces in part because of differences in population or kinds of roads but also based on the force and local authorities assessment of problem areas for speeding and particular local vulnerabilities.
The devastated parents of an Australian diplomat who plunged to his death from his New York apartment rooftop have begun preparations for his funeral.

Julian Simpson, 30, died Wednesday after falling from the seventh floor of the Lower East Side building.

His distraught family members have since said they are too upset to speak and are in lock-down, according to the Herald Sun.

The devastated parents of Australian diplomat Julian Simpson (pictured), who plunged to his death from his New York apartment rooftop, have begun preparations for his funeral

'Were not in a place to speak, we just cant right now,' a family member said.

Mr Simpson had reportedly been out with his wife and their friends before returning to the apartment to see the Empire State Building, which had been lit up in rainbow colours for Australia's same-sex marriage vote.

He had been playing a drunken 'trust game' when he fell after his brother-in-law, James Waugh became upset Mr Simpson had swung his wife around on the rooftop.

'I will prove that you can trust me,' Mr Simpson said as he leaned over his balcony ledge, according to police sources.

He is believed to have been sitting on the railing of the seven-storey building before he fell backwards, with Mr Waugh telling police he lost his grip when he tried to catch him.

Distraught family members said they were 'not in a place to speak'

The 30-year-old had been playing a drunken 'trust game' when he fell after his brother-in-law, James Waugh (pictured) became upset Mr Simpson had swung his wife around on the rooftop

Mr Simpson landed on a second-storey terrace at about 1.30am, with a neighbour telling the South China Morning Post that he saw paramedics performing CPR on a bloody body.

Mr Simpson was taken to Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital where he was pronounced dead, News Corp reports.

He's described as somebody who liked to play games and had sat on the balcony railing and accidentally lost his balance,' NYPD spokesman Martin Brown said.

Everyone who was interviewed by police admitted to consuming alcohol on the night, according to the New York Post.

Mr Simpson fell from the seventh floor of his apartment building in the Lower East Side (above)

Mr Simpson had been out with his wife and friends before they returned home to admire the view of the Empire State Building, which was lit up in rainbow colours

A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said it was not known when Mr Simpsons body would be repatriated.

Mr Simpson (pictured), was a second secretary to the United Nations for Australia

The minister released a statement following Mr Simpson's death, writing he was 'dedicated to the service of our nation'.

'Julian was a diligent, professional and highly skilled diplomat, whose support I valued, particularly during UN Leaders' Week,' Ms Bishop said.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also described Mr Simpson's death as a 'shocking tragedy'.

While Labor senator Lisa Singh described him as ' a very fine young man' and a 'very fine young diplomat'.

Mr Simpson was just months away from finishing his three-year posting in New York.

The youngest of three brothers, Mr Simpson was a second secretary to the United Nations for Australia, with he and his wife moving to New York in 2015.
Murderer: Serial killer Rose West

Next year she will celebrate her 65th birthday. And like anyone approaching that landmark, she finds keeping up appearances takes a bit of extra effort.

So as well as visiting the gym to hit the treadmill, she has embraced the 'wellness' craze, attending yoga classes several times a week.

Heeding warnings from doctors that she risks developing diabetes, she managed to lose a few pounds  which isn't the only thing that has changed about her look.

Having taken a hairdressing and beauty therapy course, she now cuts her own hair in a short, feathered style, dyed dark brown.

When the occasion allows, she swaps her grey tracksuit for fashionable trousers and 'glitzy' tops bought from catalogues.

No doubt those of a similar age, stretched by the demands of work and family or struggling to get by on a pension, would like to be able to devote as much effort to themselves.

But then, if there is one thing that the subject of this story has on her hands it is time - because this is Rose West, Britain's most notorious female serial killer.

In 1995, she was convicted of the 'depraved' murders of ten young women and girls mostly at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, the terrace house she shared with her husband Fred.

Lodgers, babysitters, children, as well as strangers they picked up off the street, were tortured and abused before being buried in the cellar or under the patio of their home.

The victims at the 'House of Horrors' included the couple's eldest daughter Heather, who was killed in June 1987, aged 16.

While her husband cheated justice by hanging himself in prison as he awaited trial, next Wednesday marks the 22nd anniversary of the day Rose West was sentenced to life in prison.

In the words of the judge that day: 'If any attention is paid to what I think, you will never be released.'

With her sentence subsequently confirmed as whole-life tariff, and with her having long ago decided not to appeal, it means the only way West will leave prison is in a coffin.

Which is why the news that spread earlier this week that she was suffering from a mystery, life-threatening illness caused such widespread interest.

'The rumour is that it's very serious, and could even finish her off,' a source at HMP Low Newton, County Durham, where West is held, was reported as saying. But it was, it seems, a case of wishful thinking.

With the prison authorities dismissing the story as 'completely untrue', the Mail has been told that West was in fact seen walking around the prison fit and well just days ago.

A prosecution illustration 6 October showing the alleged positions of the bodies found in Rose West's house

'There's nothing wrong with her, more's the pity,' said the source. 'But it's hardly surprising, is it? She's treated like royalty in there.'

In 2008, Rose West was moved from Bronzefield prison in Ashford, Surrey, to top-security Low Newton.

It was reported that shortly before the move, prison staff had discovered a plot to attack her. Five balls had been stolen from the pool table  to be placed, it was feared, in a sock or stocking which would then be used to bludgeon West.

Since her transfer the 63-year-old  her birthday is at the end of this month  has spent most of her time on F-Wing, along with other women prisoners serving life and long-term sentences.

She has her own en-suite cell, complete with curtains at the window, a 'fluffy rug' on the floor and a coffee machine, TV and radio.

Hers is undoubtedly a comfortable set-up and one that she makes the most of.

Fred And Rose - The West Murders

There, listening to The Archers, she entertains other prisoners, teaching them how to cross-stitch (an elaborate form of embroidery), playing Monopoly, or giving one another foot massages. According to sources in the jail, West likes to see herself as the prison matriarch.

'She is always very welcoming to new convicts and often befriends some of the harder cases coming into the prison,' said a second source.

'Despite her years in prison, she has always maintained her innocence and encourages others to fight their cases if they also claim they are not guilty.

'She sees herself as a barrack-room lawyer and will spend a lot of time helping people with legal problems.'

West, who has had a number of lesbian flings while inside, currently counts inmates Carole Fishburn and Myra Wood among her friends.

Fishburn was jailed for 16 years for a catalogue of vile sex offences against girls. The 43-year-old was convicted of rape, sexual activity with a child, taking indecent images and cruelty.

A court heard Fishburn was 'obsessed' with sex involving young children. She gave one of the girls alcohol during one of the offences and made another watch pornography while she abused her.

As for Wood, 50, to whom West is said to be particularly close, she was jailed in June for nine years for her role in the brutal killing of a vulnerable man, Jimmy Prout.

The 45-year-old was tortured for months before being found dead on a patch of wasteland in North Shields.

A trial at Newcastle Crown Court heard how he was forced to eat one of his testicles and had his teeth knocked out with a chisel during a campaign of sickening abuse by a gang of which Wood was part.

While her husband (right cheated justice by hanging himself in prison as he awaited trial, next Wednesday marks the 22nd anniversary of the day Rose West (left) was sentenced to life in prison

As well as showing new inmates the ropes, West likes to share with them the skills she has learned while attending courses run at the jail.

'She often cuts other inmates' hair and does their make-up, something which is encouraged by the guards,' said the source.

'A lot of the lifers suffer from depression and they go to her, and others, for a makeover to give themselves a bit of a boost.

'She is allowed to cut hair but it must be under strict supervision and only safety scissors can be used  the blades are sharp but the scissors have no points  which is the same process for all inmates.'

Another passion is cooking. West has access to a kitchen and is able to request ingredients from the prison canteen which she then uses to create her own meals.

Her meat-and-potato pie is said to be something of a speciality, and a particular favourite with inmates and prison staff alike.

West has earned many of the privileges she enjoys through good behaviour, once telling a penpal: 'Being a model prisoner is the only thing that has afforded me any kind of dignity over the years.'

And, given the avalanche of criticism heaped on the prison authorities following Fred West's suicide on New Year's Day, 1995, no effort has been spared to ensure the same fate does not befall her.

Of course, given the treatment she receives, it is hardly surprising that resentments fester among other prisoners. Some also dislike the fact she appears to get on well with prison staff, and that she continues to enjoy a certain 'celebrity' status. Despite the nature of her crimes, she receives 'fan' mail in prison.

West is aware of these tensions and the risk of physical attack. Sources say that when she is mixing with the general prison population she is accompanied at all times by two prison guards, primarily for her own protection.

Not that they can always prevent attacks directed at her.

The only way West will leave prison is in a coffin

One such incident happened in October last year when West used the prison's dining hall, instead of eating on her wing. On that day they were serving fish and chips  a dish to which she is said to be particularly partial.

Despite guards being close by, 39-year-old inmate Julie McAllister was able to attack West, punching her and leaving her with a black eye and bruised face.

'They were all talking about what cakes she'd been making for the guards and laughing and joking,' McAllister told me this week. 'Bearing in mind we didn't even have a kitchen, never mind the pleasure to cook cakes, it was the final straw.'

McAllister, who was serving a two-year sentence for arson but has since been released, says that as she was escorted from the room she was applauded by the other prisoners.

However, she claims a guard warned her that she would have to 'watch her back' because other inmates whom West had befriended might seek revenge.

McAllister was subsequently placed in segregation for two weeks before being transferred to a different prison, a six-hour round journey away from her home in Newcastle. This meant her children were unable to visit her.

Despite this, she says she does not regret what she did and says that people would be horrified if they knew the lifestyle West enjoys in prison.

'I think all criminals should be punished, that paedophiles who rape and kill children should not get yoga and be on best terms with prison guards,' she says.

'The other girls just think to themselves: 'I'll make the most of my sentence, keep my head down and be civil to her.' But I am a mother, I just can't live with someone like that. I hate her.'

West no longer has any contact with any of her surviving children.

She cut ties with them in 2006, telling them (in something of an understatement) that she could never be a good parent.

Not that the shadow of Cromwell Street does not continue to haunt the West family.

Last week, her nephew Steven Letts was jailed for 18 years after abducting a girl and raping her.

The 39-year-old was found guilty of pouncing on a 12-year-old and plying her with drugs before the sickening attack. He was also convicted of the terrifying aggravated burglary of a house in Gloucester when a young couple and their two children were threatened with a knife.

Letts is the son of Rose West's younger brother Graham. A decorator, Graham helped Fred West to lay concrete on the floor of the cellar of 25 Cromwell Street, unaware some of West's victims were buried beneath.

Sentencing Letts, Judge Jamie Tabor QC said he had studied the defendant during the two trials and found 'he is a very volatile man, he is a compulsive liar and a man steeped in the use of drugs'.

The court also heard that Letts should be classed as 'dangerous'  meaning he will not be released from his rape sentence until the Parole Board rules he is safe.

But while he at least has some distant prospect of release, his aunt does not. It is a fate she has come to terms with, confiding to those close to her that she is happy to die in jail and make the best of the rest of her life there.

Given the conditions she enjoys in prison  at a cost of 50,000 a year to the taxpayer  that is perhaps hardly surprising.
A psychiatrist sexually assaulted three vulnerable patients over more than a decade, plying his victims with addictive drugs and abusing them  all while charging them for each session.

Julian Kent has been barred for practising for life after pleading guilty to professional misconduct after women gave graphic evidence of his sexual liaisons at his consulting rooms in Glenelg, west of Adelaide, according to The Advertiser.

The South Australia Health Practitioners Tribunal barred Kent after hearing about the abuse, which happened to two women at his consulting rooms while a third victim was abused at her home, at his home, in his car and in public places.

Julian Kent has been barred for practising for life after pleading guilty to professional misconduct

The women were charged for the sessions with Kent in which they were abused. They are now negotiating out-of-court settlements with Kent, and it is understood they will receive several hundred thousand dollars.

Kent has avoided criminal prosecution despite an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Branch.

In a victim impact statement, one of the women who was abused revealed the sickening impact of Kent's actions.

'I gave myself up to a doctor's care hoping that he would do his very best for me. And in my desperate hour of need, he promised to do that. Little did I know that I was a sitting duck,' she said.

'Over the 10 years he ploughed me with addictive drugs, told me that we had a special relationship, told me that no hospital in Adelaide wanted to treat me, leaving me totally at his mercy and helplessly co-dependent, phoning him constantly asking what I could and couldn't do.

In a victim impact statement, one of the women who was abused revealed the sickening impact of Kent's actions (stock image)

'His relentless sexual abuse of me over 10 years means that any possibility of recovery is incredibly remote.'

A friend of one of the women who was abused said Kent's 'predatory behaviour had taken a terrific toll on her mental health'.

'No amount of money would have made this all right,' she said.
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The Prince of Wales lifted the spirits of staff and pupils at a shelter in Antigua and Barbuda on the first day of his tour of the hurricane-ravaged nation.

He was given a red-carpet welcome when he landed on Friday afternoon before being taken to Antigua's National Technical Training Centre which is serving as a shelter for those made homeless by hurricane Irma.

Prince Charles lifted morale by sharing jokes with staff and greeting boys and girls who looked delighted to meet the heir to the throne.

He also talked sympathetically with mothers whose homes were ruined by the Category 5 hurricane which bombarded the nation in September.

The Prince's visit started as the UK Government reaffirmed its commitment to 'stand by' the islands devastated by the natural disasters and announced a further 15million in support.

The Prince of Wales lifted the spirits of staff and pupils at a shelter in Antigua and Barbuda on the first day of his tour of the hurricane-ravaged nation. He is pictured at a shelter in Antigua

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales meets displaced Barbudans as he visits the National Technical Training Centre

The Prince of Wales during a visit to the temporary shelter at the National Technical Training Centre in Antigua

The Prince of Wales speaks to a resident at the temporary shelter at the National Technical Training Centre in Antigua

He also talked sympathetically with mothers whose homes were ruined by the Category 5 hurricane in September

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales meets displaced Barbudans as he visits the National Technical Training Centre

Antigua escaped the worst of Hurricane Irma's high winds and lashing rain, but neighbouring Barbuda bore the brunt of its destructive powers.

This is Charles's first official visit to the Commonwealth nation whose head of state is the Queen.

The heir to the throne arrived on a scheduled British Airways flight accompanied by the new International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt.

The Portsmouth North MP, who is making her first overseas visit since replacing Priti Patel, earlier announced the new financial package - 12million for Dominica and 3million for Antigua and Barbuda.

Delight: One boy looked overjoyed to meet the future king. Prince Charles also spoke to mothers and their children

Prince Charles meets kitchen staff as he visits the National Technical Training Centre on the first day of his trip

The Prince of Wales views donations of shoes during a visit to the temporary shelter at the National Technical Training Centre in Antigua

During the three-day trip that will also see Charles visit the British Virgin Islands and Dominica, the Prince and the Cabinet minister will meet survivors, see the devastation and thank the military and NGOs for their efforts.

Waiting to meet the Prince on the runway was the governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda, Rodney Williams, and the country's prime minister, Gaston Browne.

The red carpet welcome included a guard of honour and a band who played the national anthems of Britain and Antigua before Charles inspected the troops.

Ms Mordaunt said: 'The UK aid mission was huge, covering small islands stretching more than 1,000 miles apart, where buildings, airports and infrastructure had been razed to the ground.

The heir to the throne arrived on a scheduled British Airways flight accompanied by the new International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt

Waiting to meet the Prince on the runway was the governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda, Rodney Williams, and the country's prime minister, Gaston Browne

The Prince of Wales views a guard of honour as he arrives at V.C Bird International Airport in Antigua

'I want to pay tribute to the governments of the Overseas Territories, our humanitarian staff and to the military effort, which has been absolutely essential in delivering relief.

'Now as we move on from the immediate response phase, on to the long-term future of the islands, Britain will continue to stand by people whose lives were devastated.

'We are also talking to the international private sector who can support the reconstruction efforts to make sure the islands can build back, and better.'

Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to barrel through the Caribbean in decades, devastated huge swathes of the British Virgin Islands in September and left Barbuda almost uninhabitable after destroying nearly all of its buildings.

Less than two weeks later, the region was rocked by a second major storm, Hurricane Maria which decimated Dominica and Puerto Rico.

With the announcement of the 15million package - plus 15million recently allocated for the affected Overseas Territories of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos - the UK Government has now committed 92 million to help recovery and long-term reconstruction in the region.

The Prince of Wales views a guard of honour as he arrives at V.C Bird International Airport in Antigua

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales arrives at V. C. Bird International Airport on November 17, 2017 in Saint George, Antigua and Barbuda

Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to barrel through the Caribbean in decades, devastated huge swathes of the British Virgin Islands in September
A baby has been born at London's Waterloo station after his mother went into labour on a train.

The newborn is believed to be the first child to be delivered at the country's busiest railway hub.

Evelyn Brandao, 24, was travelling with her family from Woking yesterday when she suddenly realised she was going into labour.

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Arriving on time: Baby Reign was delivered by train staff at London's Waterloo on Thursday after his mother went into labour on a train

Pictured: Evelyn Brandao with baby Reign and partner Hervon Charles and Justyna Syla Station Shift Manager Network Rail

The mother-to-be panicked and alerted the train guard at 3.45pm and said she was about to have her son.

The worker managed to rush her into the station's first aid room where she gave birth to baby Reign at 4.10pm.

Ms Brandao puts the quick birth down to the the raspberry leaf tea she had been drinking earlier that day. She told the BBC: 'It must have really worked'.

Ms Brandao said she had been 'hoping that Reign would wait, but there was no chance' and the baby arrived just 25 minutes later, weighing 6lb 8oz (2.9kg).

After being checked over by paramedics, the family were taken to nearby St Thomas' Hospital.

Waterloo station shift manager Justyna Syla, who took the call from the train guard, told the BBC: 'it was a first for me and something that will live long in the memory'.
In defending his friend and fellow rapper Meek Mill, Jay-Z has taken things to a new level by writing an op-ed piece calling slamming the criminal justice system.

The Philadelphia native was sentenced by Common Pleas Court Judge Genece Brinkley earlier this month to serve between two to four years in prison for a probation violation stemming from a 2008 gun case.

But now a new judge has agreed to hold a bail hearing for the 30-year-old rapper, named Robert Rahmeek Williams, on November 27th, after his lawyers filed a motion to get him out of jail pending an appeal of his prison term for that probation violation.

According to Philly.com, Brinkley will be present at the upcoming hearing.

The news of the hearing comes the same day Jay-Z wrote an op-ed piece for The New York Times claiming Mill's jailing comes from a racist criminal justice system.

'For about a decade, (Mill's) been stalked by a system that considers the slightest infraction a justification for locking him back inside,' the 21-time Grammy winner wrote in his piece, titled 'The Criminal Justice System Stalks Black People Like Meek Mill'.

'What's happening to Meek Mill is just one example of how our criminal justice system entraps and harasses hundreds of thousands of black people every day.'

In defending his friend and fellow rapper Meek Mill (left), Jay-Z (right) has taken things to a new level by writing an op-ed piece calling slamming the criminal justice system

The Philadelphia native was sentenced by Common Pleas Court Judge Genece Brinkley (right) earlier this month to serve between two to four years in prison for a probation violation stemming from a 2008 gun case.

The Brooklyn, New York native noted how Mill, who is currently signed to his management company Roc Nation, was convicted for drug and gun possession when he was 19 years old and served an eight-month prison sentence for the crime.

'Now he's 30, so he has been on probation for basically his entire adult life,' Jay-Z wrote.

'For about a decade, he's been stalked by a system that considers the slightest infraction a justification for locking him back inside.'

The father-of-three rapper then took special aim at the probation system.

'Probation is a trap and we must fight for Meek and everyone else unjustly sent to prison,' Jay-Z wrote.

'It's time we highlight the random ways people trapped in the criminal justice system are punished every day.

'The system treats them as a danger to society, consistently monitors and follows them for any minor infraction  with the goal of putting them back in prison.'

But now a new judge has agreed to hold a bail hearing for the 30-year-old rapper (above) on November 27th, after his lawyers filed a motion to get him out of jail pending an appeal of his prison term for that probation violation. Brinkley will be present at the upcoming hearing

He added, 'Instead of a second chance, probation ends up being a land mine, with a random misstep bringing consequences great than the crime.

'A person on probation can end up in jail over a technical violation like missing a curfew.'

The 47-year-old also asserted that Mill's prison sentence is going to cost taxpayers in the City of Brotherly Love without providing them a service.

'I bet none of them would tell you his imprisonment is helping to keep them safer,' Jay-Z wrote.

Hundreds of protesters gathered earlier this week outside of Philadelphia's Criminal Justice Center to call for Mill's sentence to be overturned.

Fellow rapper Rick Ross and Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving both were in attendance for the protest.

In the op-ed piece Jay-Z (left) wrote for The New York Times about Mill (right), he said: 'For about a decade, he's been stalked by a system that considers the slightest infraction a justification for locking him back inside.'

Mill said he was badly beaten by police when they arrested him in 2008 and used a bloodied mugshot of himself as the cover of his "DC4" mixtape.

His most recent album, "Wins and Losses," went to number three on the US chart earlier this year.

Probation, which dates from English common law, was initially seen as a compassionate way for courts to grant freedom to people who pose little risk.

But a recent survey by The Marshall Project, a non-profit news organization that covers the US judicial system, found that at least 61,250 people and probably far more are in prison across the United States for minor parole violations such as missing appointments, failing drug tests or staying out past curfew.

"The system treats them as a danger to society, consistently monitors and follows them for any minor infraction -- with the goal of putting them back in prison," Jay-Z wrote.

Of the 4.65 million people on probation, parole or supervised release across the United States in 2015, 30 percent were African American, according to Justice Department figures.
An East Coast drifter, who authorities say killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003 while driving a van he called the 'murder mobile', has been sentenced to life in prison.

William Devin Howell, 47, was sentenced to 360 years in prison by a New Britain, Connecticut superior court judge on Friday, after pleading guilty to six of the murders in September.

The Hampton, Virginia, native was previously convicted of manslaughter in the death of one victim, Nilsa Arizmendi, and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Victims' relatives who spoke during the emotional hearing on Friday had angry words for Howell and described how the killings devastated their lives.

The killer, a native of Hampton, Virginia, apologized in court, saying his acts were 'monstrous, cowardly and selfish'.

Howell is believed to be the most prolific serial killer in Connecticut history - not counting mass shootings like the Newtown school massacre.

William Devin Howell, 47 (pictured), who killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003, was sentenced to 360 years in prison on Friday

Howell is the most prolific serial killer in Connecticut history. The victims' bodies were found behind a strip mall. Pictured: Victims Nilsa Arizmendi, 33, (left) and Marilyn Gonzalez, 26

Howell committed the killings while driving a van he called the 'murder mobile' (above)

The strip mall at 539 Hartford Road where the bodies of the seven victims were found

The bodies of his victims, six women and a man, were found buried in a wooded area behind a strip mall at 539 Hartford Road in New Britain. Three bodies were found in 2007, and the other remains were discovered in 2015 when authorities went back to the site.

All seven victims disappeared in 2003, when Howell was mowing lawns and working other odd jobs in central Connecticut.

They were identified as: Joyvaline Martinez, 24; Diane Cusack, 53; Mary Jane Menard, 40; Melanie Ruth Camilini, 29; Marilyn Gonzalez, 26; Danny Lee Whistnant, 44; and Arizmendi, 33.

Howell sexually assaulted three of the women and kept one of the bodies in his van for two weeks, sleeping next to the body and calling the victim his 'baby', according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Howell also told a cellmate 'there was a monster inside of him that just came out', described himself as a 'sick ripper' and called his van the 'murder mobile', according to the warrant.

All seven victims disappeared in 2003, when Howell was mowing lawns and working other odd jobs in central Connecticut. He allegedly sexually assaulted three of the women and kept one of the bodies in his van for two weeks, sleeping next to the body and calling the victim his 'baby' (From left to right: victims Mary Jane Menard, 40, and Joyvaline Martinez, 24)

Howell also told a cellmate 'there was a monster inside of him that just came out', described himself as a 'sick ripper' and called his van the 'murder mobile', according to the warrant. When authorities searched Howell's prison cell in 2015, they found notes referencing a serial killer memorabilia website (From left to right: Diane Cusack, 53; Danny Lee Whistnant, 44; Melanie Ruth Camilini, 29)

When authorities searched Howell's prison cell in 2015, they found notes referencing a serial killer memorabilia website and a newspaper article about Florida's death penalty, court records show.

The seven killings topped the Connecticut body count of serial killer Michael Ross, who killed six women in eastern Connecticut and two in New York. He was executed in Connecticut in 2005. The state no longer employs the death penalty.

In September, New Britain State's Attorney Brian Preleski praised a task force of local, state and federal authorities that investigated the killings.

'We express our sincere thanks to all who have worked so long and so hard on this difficult investigation, and we again express our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of these innocent victims,' Preleski said.
Pornography described as extreme found on the deputy prime minster's computer would have been illegal if it had been discovered just weeks later, it has been claimed.

The computer was seized in a raid on the deputy PM's office in November 2008 during an inquiry into government leaks.

Some images found on the system were said to be so vile that police took advice from the CPS on whether to prosecute.

But they were told there was no relevant law was in place when Mr Greens office was raided.

The computer was seized in a raid on the deputy PM's office in November 2008 during an inquiry into government leaks. Pictured, Damian Green (left) and the prime minster (right)

The law was changed eight weeks later, in January 2009.

A source close to the investigation told the Sun: 'Porn was being accessed on an almost virtual daily basis. Police were told nothing could be done.

'Quite simply, it was not illegal to be in possession of extreme images before January 2009.

'If the raid had happened a few weeks later it would have been.'

The First Secretary of State is clinging to his job as he faces a Whitehall 'sleaze' inquiry after a female journalist said he 'fleetingly' touched her knee two years ago.

He said of the latest claim last night: 'As I have said throughout I did not put or view pornography on the computers taken from my office.'

It is unclear who could have downloaded the porn. It did not feature sexual images of children.

Accessing extreme porn became illegal under sections 63 to 67 of the 2008 Crime and Immigration Act which came into force on January 26, 2009.

The 2009 law made it illegal to possess images featuring acts which threaten life, cause serious injury to a persons private parts or depict sex with animals or a corpse.

It came into force following a four-year campaign by the parents of murdered Jane Longhurst.

Her killer Graham Coutts, 46, of Brighton, had a strangulation fetish and accessed violent images of simulated murders and rapes.

Mr Green has previously said police never told him that any improper material had been found on a parliamentary computer.

He also also denied making any sexual advances to the journalist Kate Maltby.
While dating and personal ads have been around for decades, the way we meet the people we date has changed dramatically in the last five years.

Dating apps such as Tinder have captured a large portion of the online dating market.

These apps, but especially Tinder, have transformed the way we represent ourselves online when we date.

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Men are likely to signal specific resources or potential for acquiring resources, while women are more likely to signal pro-social behaviours such as benevolence, charitable work or virtue, researchers found.

WHAT YOUR PICS REVEAL ABOUT YOU While attractiveness is important, users are actually signalling much more than just stereotypical looks. Instead, they use specific visual cues in their profile pictures and keywords in their short bios. Men are likely to signal specific resources or potential for acquiring resources, while women are more likely to signal pro-social behaviours such as benevolence, charitable work or virtue. These cues are not necessarily at the forefront of our mind, but rather instinctual decisions. Advertisement

Tinder is one of the first dating apps specifically designed for mobile phones as opposed to a full dating website.

Launched in 2012 across college campuses, it has quickly become the most used dating app in the world, with more than 10 million daily active users.

On Tinder, date seekers upload profile photos and concise bios between 100-500 characters long.

Compare this to more conventional dating sites which use more information  longer profiles as well as algorithms to match people.

Most online dating sites give the users the option to fill out a full profile, or even complete a survey about themselves.

But because of Tinder's popularity, online daters must now selectively convey more information using less: Fewer words and more information through their profile pictures.

Although Tinder is often stereotyped as a sex app or a hook-up app, research suggests there is little difference between the motivations for using online dating websites versus using Tinder.

Tinder pulls from a user's Facebook profile information about their gender, age and page 'likes.'

This information is strictly limited, and users rely on their reactions to profile pictures and brief bios to determine if they like (swipe right) or dislike (swipe left) a potential match.

When two users swipe right for each other, they are connected  and only then are they able to start chatting.

Because Tinder is based primarily on pictures with limited substantial information about a person, it is often assumed that Tinder users focus solely on the appearance of their potential match.

However, in my preliminary research as a PhD candidate in marketing at Concordia University, I examine underlying motives for the the way people present themselves on dating apps.

I use theories from evolutionary psychology to help provide an explanation for mating behaviours.

I also conducted a content analysis of Tinder profiles.

Tinder profiles were examined and coded for signals people may be displaying such as conspicuous consumption, blatant benevolence and virtue.

Tinder profiles were examined and coded for signals people may be displaying such as conspicuous consumption, blatant benevolence and virtue.

I argue people signal more than just attractiveness in their profiles.

While attractiveness is important, users are actually signalling much more than just stereotypical looks.

Instead, they use specific visual cues in their profile pictures and keywords in their short bios.

Psychologically speaking, how we compete for dates

Men are likely to signal specific resources or potential for acquiring resources, while women are more likely to signal pro-social behaviours such as benevolence, charitable work or virtue.

These cues are not necessarily at the forefront of our mind, but rather instinctual decisions.

Some of these gender differences in online dating behaviour and self-representation can be explained by parental investment theory.

Differences manifest due to the levels of investment in one's offspring.

That is, the amount of time we invest in child-rearing has an impact on how picky we are with our mates.

According to parental investment theory, the sex that has the higher investment in their offspring is likely to be more selective when choosing a mating partner.

Therefore, women will be more choosy when it comes to selecting a mate, given that they are more invested in their potential offspring.

On the other hand, men can increase their chances for genetic survival by having sex with as many women as possible throughout their lifetime.

Their minimum investment is merely copulation.

Because, psychologically speaking, it is in the male's interest to copulate with as many females as possible, but it is in the female's interest to be as selective as possible, males have developed a predisposition to be more competitive for potential dates.

This theory speaks to basic needs for which we look for in a potential date and how we compete for dates.

I use Tinder as a context to explore these tendencies further.

THE PEACOCK EFFECT The quality of the peacock's tail is an honest signal to the quality of its genetic makeup and fitness How do these different strategies manifest in Tinder profiles? Costly signalling theory suggests that people engage in behaviours that can be costly to signal positive information about themselves and their genetic fitness to others. The classic example used to describe this phenomenon is the peacock's tail. The quality of the peacock's tail is an honest signal to the quality of its genetic makeup and fitness. A higher-quality tail is costly because it requires energy and resources to grow and maintain. As well, a high-quality tail can be detrimental to the peacock by attracting predators. And only a peacock in good health has the traits needed to survive the burden of being extra-attractive - therefore it is also a sign of genetic fitness. Essentially, humans will also display costly signals. Even on Tinder, with only pictures and short bios, we want to give a potential match as much information as possible. Advertisement

The ability to provide for offspring (such as having or being able to acquire resources) is a valued trait in men (by women).

It has been suggested that conspicuous consumption, the act of spending money to impress others by showing that one can purchase unnecessary items, is an honest signal of resources to potential mates.

Therefore, in order to signal resources (a valued trait by females), a male will use conspicuous consumption.

On the other hand, it has been suggested that men value benevolence and virtue in a mate. Men want to know that their offspring will be taken care of, and that they can trust that they will actually be investing in their own offspring and not someone else's because of infidelity.

So, even if men may be more likely to be open to uncommitted sex, they look for virtuous and loyal traits in a woman.

Women are likely to depict themselves playing with children, volunteering abroad or engaging in other charitable work  all signals of benevolence.

As such, in order to signal these traits, women will use expressions of commitment to a long-term relationship  virtue and loyalty  and blatant displays of benevolence or charitable behaviours.

Currency in the age of Tinder

How are visual cues in pictures and key terms in the short bios the new currency of dating?

In my content analysis of Tinder profiles, I noticed visual signs of conspicuous consumption, blatant benevolence and virtue.

My initial findings suggest that men do, in fact, use more conspicuous consumption in their profile pictures compared to women.

This can be displayed through expensive brands being shown, nice cars in their pictures or even expensive-looking vacations.

women are more likely to signal commitment to a relationship. Phrases such as 'no hookups,' or 'no one-night stands' and 'only looking for long term' are most often seen in female profiles.

This is mostly displayed through their profile pictures because their bios rarely say anything substantial.

On the other hand, women are more likely to signal commitment to a relationship.

Phrases such as 'no hookups,' or 'no one-night stands' and 'only looking for long term' are most often seen in female profiles.

Women seem to be signalling that they want committed relationships, a trait important to males (even if they are open to uncommitted sex).

In the pictures themselves, women are likely to display these preferred traits in their profile pictures.

They are likely to depict themselves playing with children, volunteering abroad or engaging in other charitable work  all signals of benevolence.

As we can see, there is more to a Tinder profile than meets the conscious mind. While attractiveness is important, it is not the only factor.

In fact, subtle cues to specific traits  such as potential for resources, benevolence, and virtue  are just as important and are the dating currency in the Tinder age.
Hundreds of conspiracy theorists have flocked to a sell-out 'Flat Earth' conference in North Carolina.

The first annual Flat Earth International Conference was billed as a social gathering for those who believe our planet is shaped like a flat disc instead of a sphere.

The conference, which charged up to $249 (188) per ticket, saw as many as 400 people attend from around the world.

Sessions at the event, many of which were hosted by popular Flat Earth YouTubers, included 'Nasa and other space lies' and 'Waking up to mainstream science lies'.

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Hundreds of conspiracy theorists have flocked to a sell-out 'Flat Earth' conference in North Carolina. The first annual Flat Earth International Conference was billed as a social gathering for those who believe our planet is shaped like a flat disc (pictured) instead of a sphere

FLAT EARTH THEORY Those who believed the Flat Earth Theory claim our planet is shaped like a flat disc instead of a sphere. Because Earth's surface looks and feels flat when we walk around it, the conspiracy theorists denounce all evidence to the contrary. The leading theory suggests Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the centre and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall (45-metre) wall of ice, around the rim. Theorists claim that satellite images and evidence pointing to a spherical Earth are part of a 'round Earth conspiracy' orchestrated by Nasa and other government agencies. Followers of the bizarre theory also claim the Earth is stationary in space rather than orbiting the sun. But the international scientific community has consistently denounced the bizarre theory, putting forward decades of space imagery and astronomical research to back their claims. Advertisement

Hosts and attendees claimed their experiments and rationale proves the international scientific community is wrong about the Earth's shape.

The event was held at a centre in Raleigh, North Carolina, last week from November 9-10.

Its website read: 'Join us this November to learn why we dissent from the spinning heliocentric theory of cosmology.

'At the 2018 Flat Earth International Conference, we will uncover and debunk pseudo-scientific "facts" while presenting the true evidence which shockingly points to our existence on a flat, stationary plane.'

Mark Sargent, who has over 40,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, said in a Q&A session at the event: 'Science is gonna have to address this, plain and simple. They cannot dodge us forever.'

In spite of the conference's title, the event didn't just discuss Flat Earth theory, with sessions over the two-day meet-up covering a range of conspiracy theories.

The supposed 'faked moon landing' was examined along with 'international treaties' that cover up the true nature of Antarctica - which some believe is at Earth's edge.

Hosts and attendees claimed their experiments and rationale prove science is wrong about the Earth's shape. YouTuber Mark Sargent (pictured) said: 'Nobody likes this uncomfortable feeling to be in this tiny ball, flying through space in this cast end of the universe'

The conference, which charged up to $249 (188) per ticket, saw as many as 400 people attend from around the world

Other talks claimed the 9/11 terror attacks were faked and that the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary school were a government cover-up.

Organisers have already planned a follow-up, with the 2018 Flat Earth International Conference scheduled for next November.

Mr Sargent told BBC News: 'Nobody likes this uncomfortable feeling to be in this tiny ball, flying through space in this cast end of the universe.'

Holding up a disc-shaped model of what he believes the Earth looks like, Mr Sargent added: 'So as far as what's underneath this, I don't know, it could be this thickness.

'It doesn't even have to be that think, because we can only drill down eight miles [13 km]. Heck, this is only fifty miles [80 km] deep, we don't know.

'Don't take my word for it - I could be a mental patient recently released from an institution.'

Sessions at the event, many of which were hosted by popular Flat Earth YouTubers, included 'Nasa and other space lies' and 'Waking up to mainstream science lies'. Pictured are some of the Flat Earth models on display at the conference

In spite of the conference's title, the event didn't just discuss Flat Earth theory, with sessions over the two-day meet-up covering a range of conspiracy theories. Pictured are two of the conference's attendees discussing Flat Earth theory

Organisers have already planned for a follow-up, with the 2018 Flat Earth International Conference scheduled for next November. Pictured is an attendee at the event

Those who believed the Flat Earth Theory claim our planet is shaped like a flat disc instead of a sphere.

Because Earth's surface looks and feels flat when we walk around it, the conspiracy theorists denounce all evidence to the contrary.

The leading theory suggests Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the centre and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall (45-metre) wall of ice, around the rim.

Theorists claim that satellite images and evidence pointing to a spherical Earth are part of a 'round Earth conspiracy' orchestrated by Nasa and other government agencies.

Followers of the bizarre theory also claim the Earth is stationary in space rather than orbiting the sun.

But the international scientific community has consistently denounced the bizarre theory, putting forward decades of space imagery and astronomical research to back their claims.
The race to conquer the driverless car market has stepped up a gear, with the first ever tests of an autonomous vehicle built in Britain on the country's public roads.

Jaguar Land Rover is leading the pack with its 'major landmark' trial, which aims to help vehicles react in a similar way to people.

The pilot project is part of a government-backed bid to encourage more widespread use of automated cars by 2020.

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The race to conquer the driverless car market has stepped up a gear, with the first ever tests of an autonomous vehicle built in Britain on the country's public roads. Jaguar Land Rover is leading the pack with its trial, which aims to help vehicles react in a similar way to people

UK AUTODRIVE The UK Autodrive project is the UKs largest trial of connected and autonomous vehicle technology. Project partners Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Tata have begun to collaboratively trial a number of connected car features in the city of Coventry. The connected car trials are exploring the benefits of having cars that can talk to each other and their surroundings. Connected traffic lights, emergency vehicle warnings and emergency braking alerts are among the other technologies being trialled. Advertisement

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is conducting the tests on the streets of Coventry, the historic heart of the British car industry, where the firm is headquartered.

JLR hopes the testing will allow it to understand more about how self-driving vehicles interact with other cars and road infrastructure, such as traffic lights, and how models can replicate human behaviour whilst driving.

Further trials are scheduled to take place in Coventry and Milton Keynes early next year, followed by a final series of open road demonstration events in both cities during the second half of 2018.

Nick Rogers, the firm's Executive Director for Product Engineering, said: 'By using inputs from multiple sensors, and finding intelligent ways to process this data, we are gaining accurate technical insight to pioneer the automotive application of these technologies.

Politicians are trying to make it as easy as possible to test new driving technologies in Britain, seeking to build an industry to serve a worldwide market expected to be worth around 900 billion ($1.2 trillion) by 2025.

An Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill is currently being debated in parliament to set out how new technologies will operate in Britain.

Carmakers Tata, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover, are part of driverless car projects in Britain, as part of the UK Autodrive group.

A Jaguar Land Rover research vehicle, equipped with the company's self-driving technology, have been navigating its way through Coventry city centre, the historic heart of the British car industry, where the firm is headquartered

The pilot project is part of a government-backed bid to encourage more widespread use of automated cars by 2020

The project is the UKs largest trial of connected and autonomous vehicle technology.

The connected car trials are exploring the benefits of having cars that can talk to each other and their surroundings.

Connected traffic lights, emergency vehicle warnings and emergency braking alerts are among the other technologies being trialled.

Major automotive firms are seeking to head off the challenge from technology firms like Google, which is also developing autonomous vehicles.

Waymo, Google's driverless car company, said earlier this month that it will launch a ride-hailing service with no human behind the steering wheel.

It has been testing the fully self-driving cars on public roads in the US state of Arizona.

But manufacturers still need to overcome a number of technological and legal obstacles, including determining who would be responsible in the event of an accident.

DRIVERLESS CARS WORLDWIDE Nissan tested a prototype of its most advanced autonomous car on public roads in Tokyo for the first time in October. The ProPILOT operates autonomously on urban roads and freeways using artificial intelligence from 12 sonars, 12 cameras, nine millimetre-wave radars, six laser scanners and a high-definition map. Developers say this allows it to analyse complex scenarios in real time and navigate even the most challenging city conditions such as crossing busy intersections. Nissan tested a prototype of its most advanced autonomous car on public roads in Tokyo for the first time in October Nissan tested the next-generation ProPILOT technology on a modified Infiniti Q50 sports sedan. The final product due to be ready by 2020. Laws in the US vary from state to state and companies there have been taking advantage of regions of the country that don't impose restrictions on the vehicles. Alphabet Inc's Waymo self-driving unit announced last week that it is launching a ride-hailing service in Phoenix, with no human driver behind the steering wheel. Alphabet Inc's Waymo self-driving unit announced last week that it is launching a ride-hailing service in Phoenix, with no human driver behind the steering wheel The firm has been testing such fully self-driving cars on public roads in Arizona. Uber has run similar trials in a number of US cities, including in Pittsburgh in September 2016. A fleet of self-driving Ford Fusions picked up Uber riders who opted to participate in the test program. Advertisement

Britain is aiming to be more flexible in its approach to driverless testing than some other major economies.

Germany says it will require black boxes to be fitted in such vehicles and automakers are having to navigate different rules across US states.

JLR is working on self-driving systems, while Ford is developing technology that will enable cars to communicate with each other.

As well as the on-road testing of connected and autonomous cars in Milton Keynes and Coventry, UK Autodrive is also trialling a fleet of up to 40 self-driving pavement-based pod vehicles in Milton Keynes.

Both types of vehicle due to take part in the projects final technology demonstrations next year.

Carmakers (left to right) Tata, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover, are part of driverless car projects in Britain, as part of the UK Autodrive group. This images shows each company's test vehicle in front of Coventry Cathedral

Ford is developing technology that will enable cars to communicate with each other. This image shows a Ford vehicle equipped with connected car technology, displaying a change of speed limit alert during public road trials on the streets of Coventry

This would mean that if a nearby car has to brake suddenly, surrounding vehicles will be warned.

In February and March, Nissan demonstrated one of its autonomous electric Leaf cars on roads around Londons ExCel centre.

It was the Tokyo companys first test of the technology on European roads.

Last October, a pod heavily adapted from a compact Renault car was the first autonomous car to take to Britain's streets.

It was part of government-backed trials aimed at seeing more widespread use of such vehicles by 2020.

Mumbai based manufacturer Tata has also been taking part in the trial, with its own driverless vehicle

This image shows a safety driver in the Tata vehicle, ready to take over in an emergency

The government is encouraging technology companies, carmakers and start-ups to develop and test their autonomous driving technologies in Britain.

The pod, like a small two-seater car, was developed by a company spun out from Oxford University and was tested in Milton Keynes.

It operates fully without human control, using data from cameras and radars to move around pedestrianised areas.

It was made by Oxford University firm Oxbotica, with software developed by the university's Oxford Robotics Institute.

Organisers in Milton Keynes ran a number of exercises ahead of the trial including mapping the town and conducting safety planning with the local council.
The Google Doodle for November 16th celebrates Chinua Achebe, the renowned Nigerian author, on what would have been his 87th birthday.

Who is Chinua Achebe?

Born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe on 16th November, 1930 to Protestant convert parents in the Nigerian Igbo village of Ogidi, Chinua Achebe is considered to be the father of Africas modern literature.

Novelist Chinua Achebe pictured speaking at Asbury Hall (Wikipedia/Stuart C. Shapiro)

Excelling academically from an early age, Achebe won a scholarship to study medicine at university. It was there, having been exposed to more European literature, that Achebe became deeply disturbed by its colonial representation of Africa. In his later teachings Achebe would describe Joseph Conrad, author of Heart of Darkness, as a thoroughgoing racist and a man obsessed with the physicality of the negro.

Choosing to write in English, Achebe confronted this type of narrative with stories that put Nigeria, the continent and its people at their heart. His novel Things Fall Apart explore life in a Nigeria that is undergoing seismic political, cultural and generational changes. Characters that so often served stereotypical, bit-part roles in Western literature were suddenly the protagonists, exploring their humanity in a postcolonial world.

Chinua Achebe is celebrated by Google in another colourful and creative Doodle (Google)

In celebrating Achebe, the Google Doodle notes, his pen brought to life the land and traditions of the Igbo: the hum of everyday village life.

Chinua Achebe died on March 21st 2013, aged 82, in Boston after a short illness.

What is a Google Doodle?

Google Doodles are the search engines way of celebrating cultural events. Every day, the Google logo on the homepage is changed to mark a significant cultural that happened on that day. It didnt use to be an every-day thing, but users quickly responded positively to the frequent changes to the homepage.

Chinua Achebe's life celebrated in the earlier concepts of the Google Doodle (Google)

The very first Google Doodle was drawn by Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 1998. It was of a stick man behind the second o of Google to mark the founders trip to that years Burning Man Festival.

Today, there is a team of Doodlers - illustrators, graphic designers, animators and artists who produce the Google Doodles. The logos are hyperlinked to give users more information about the cultural event.

The Google Doodle for November 15th, celebrated the life of Cornelia Sorabji, India's first female lawyer, on what would have been her 150th birthday.
The Google Doodle for the 17th of November 2017 celebrates the Czech Republics National Day of Freedom.

This public holiday represents the struggle this Central European country went through to obtain government reform, democracy and freedom. The 17th of November is also significant for Czech people because of the student demonstration held against Nazi occupation in 1939.

What is the Czech Republic National Day of Freedom?

The Czech Republic National Day of Freedom started off as a demonstration by university students in Prague in 1989 and quickly turned into a protest that created a movement, now known as The Velvet Revolution or The Gentle Revolution.

Research carried out by the Medea agency found that although 84% of Czechs know the 17th of November is a public holiday to celebrate The Velvet Revolution, only 30% of people under the age of 30 are aware of this fact.

The latest Google Doodle features keys, symbolising the unlocking of new doors (Google)

As depicted in todays Google Doodle, Czech protesters would jingle their keys to symbolise the unlocking of new doors and looking toward a hopeful future post-communism.

The Czech Republics capital Prague will be celebrating in full swing with parades, music and candle-lighting ceremonies on this public holiday.

What is the Velvet Revolution?

As the BBCs Simona Kralova wrote on the 25th anniversary of The Velvet Revolution, the 17th of November 1989 saw Prague university students gather to commemorate International Students Day.

The national flag for the Czech Republic will be waved all over the nation today (Wikipedia)

Their protest was the trigger the Czech Republic needed to end communist government rule and restore democracy with the eventual election of playwright Vaclav Havel as president.

The Velvet Revolution is a term used to refer to the protests that followed in Czech and Slovak cities after the initial non-violent demonstration. Alongside this, with the fall of the Berlin Wall happening just nine days before on November 9th 1989, Czechs were given hope for change.

What is a Google Doodle?

Google Doodles were introduced in 1998 by Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. The first Google Doodle simply featured a stickman and was created to mark their trip to the Burning Man Festival that year. The creative changes to the Google logo and homepage were well-received so Google releases new Doodles on a daily basis.

Yesterdays Google Doodle for November 16th, celebrated the life of renowned Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe.
The world's first human head transplant has been carried out on a corpse in China, according to Italian professor Sergio Canavero.

During an 18-hour operation, experts demonstrated that it is possible to successfully reconnect the spine, nerves and blood vessels of a severed head.

A similar operation on a live human will take place 'imminently', the controversial professor claims.

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The world's first human head transplant has been carried out on a corpse in China , according to Italian professor Sergio Canavero (file photo). During an 18-hour operation, experts successfully reconnected the spine, nerves and blood vessels of a severed head

PREPARATION FOR THE PROCEDURE In May, scientists carried out a head transplant on a rat in a practise run for controversial human experiment. Researchers used three rats for each operation: a smaller rat, to be the donor, and two larger rats, acting as the recipient and the blood supply. To maintain blood flow to the donor brain, they connected the blood vessels from that rat to veins of the third rat using a silicon tube, which was then passed through a peristaltic pump. Then, once the head had been transplanted onto the second rat's body, the researchers used vascular grafts to connect the donor's thoracic aorta and superior vena cava to the carotid artery and extracorporeal veins of the recipient. Advertisement

Professor Canavero, director of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, made the announcement at a press conference in Vienna this morning.

The procedure was carried out by a team led by Dr Xiaoping Ren, who last year grafted a head onto the body of a monkey.

A full report of the Harbin Medical University team's procedure and a timeframe for the live transplant are expected within the next few days.

Speaking at the press conference, Professor Canavero said: 'For too long nature has dictated her rules to us.

'We're born, we grow, we age and we die. For millions of years humans has evolved and 110 billion humans have died in the process.

'That's genocide on a mass scale.

'We have entered an age where we will take our destiny back in our hands.

'It will change everything. It will change you at every level.

'The first human head transplant, in the human mode, has been realised.

'The surgery lasted 18 hours. The paper will be released in a few days.'

'Everyone said it was impossible, but the surgery was successful.'

Professor Canavero added that the team's next step is to perform a full head swap between brain dead organ donors.

'And that is the final step for the formal head transplant for a medical condition which is imminent,' he said

'It will be for a medical, neurological condition, not for life-extension.'

Asked whether the eventual plans for live procedures would go worldwide after initial tests in China, Professor Canavero said: 'Given the amount of mean criticism we recieved I don't think we should go international.

'For instance, if you still stick to the Frankenstein schtick, which doesn't make sense, then no.

A similar operation on a live human will take place 'imminently', the controversial professor claims. Professor Canavero (right) made the announcement at a press conference in Vienna this morning (live stream pictured)

'This is a medical condition for people who are suffering awfully so it isn't a joke.'

Response from the medical community to news of the procedure has been wholly critical.

Many professionals have branded the experiment as having negligible scientific or medical and have questioned Professor Canavero's ethics.

Dr James Fildes, NHS principal research scientist at the University Hospital of South Manchester's Transplant Centre, said: 'Unless Canavero or Ren provide real evidence that they can perform a head, or more appropriately, a whole body transplant on a large animal that recovers sufficient function to improve quality of life, this entire project is morally wrong.

THE CONTROVERSIAL PLAN FOR A HUMAN HEAD TRANSPLANT In September 2016, the controversial neurosurgeon outlined plans to conduct 'Frankenstein' experiments to reanimate human corpses to test his technique. Professor Canavero and his collaborators discussed trials to test whether it is possible to reconnect the spinal cord of a head to another body with tests that will stimulate the nervous system in fresh human corpses with electrical pulses. Severely handicapped Russian computer scientist Valery Spiridonov volunteered to be a human guinea pig, by undertaking the world's first head transplant. Russian Valery Spiridonov (pictured right with Dr Canavero, centre, on Good Morning Britain) had volunteered to be the first person to have the operation, but has since accepted his hopes of his head being grafted onto a new healthy body are over Mr Spiridonov, 31, now accepts his hopes of his head being grafted onto a new healthy body are over. The aim of the surgery is to first cut the spinal cord and then repair it before using electrical or magnetic stimulation to 'reanimate' the nerves and even movement in the corpse. In an article for the Surgical Neurology International, Dr Canavero and his colleague in South Korea and China drew parallels to the infamous story of Frankenstein, where electricity is used to reanimate the fictional monster. He pointed to experiments conducted in the 1800s using the corpses of criminals who had been hung as proof such tests could be successful. Advertisement

'Perhaps far more worryingly, this endeavour appears to revolve around immortality, but in each case a body is needed for the transplant, and therefore a human needs to die as part of the process.

'Where does Canavero propose to get the donor body from if the goal is to tackle the laws of nature?

'Has Canavero considered how he will tackle acute rejection of the constituent parts of the head?

'What will rejection of the skin, muscles, eyes, and brain manifest as? I hope this is not just egotistical pseudoscience.'

Dr Jan Schnupp, professor of neuroscience at the University of Oxford, added: 'I find it inconceivable that ethics committees in any reputable research or clinical institutions would give a green light to living human head transplants in the foreseeable future.

'Indeed, attempting such a thing given the current state of the art would be nothing short of criminal.

In May, scientists carried out a head transplant on a rat in a practise run for controversial human experiment. In the disturbing experiment, researchers in China affixed the heads of smaller, 'donor' rats onto the backs of larger rats, that lived an average of just 36 hours

CRITICS OPPOSE THE HEAD TRANSPLANT Critics say Dr Canavero's plans are 'pure fantasy'. The Italian has been compared to the fictional gothic-horror character Dr Frankenstein and Arthur Caplan, the director of medical ethics at New York University's Langone Medical Centre, has described Dr Canavero as 'nuts'. Dr Hunt Batjer, president elect of the American Association for Neurological Surgeons, told CNN: 'I would not wish this on anyone. I would not allow anyone to do it to me as there are a lot of things worse than death.' Advertisement

'As a neuroscientist, I would really quite like the general public to be reassured that neither I nor any of my colleagues think that beheading people for extremely long shot experiments is acceptable. It is not.'

Professor Canavero first made his shocking plans public in 2015.

Severely handicapped Russian computer scientist Valery Spiridonov initially volunteered to be a human guinea pig, by undertaking the world's first live head transplant.

Mr Spiridonov, 31, now accepts his hopes of his head being grafted onto a new healthy body are over.

It is likely the first transplant will be carried out on someone from China, and a large number of volunteers are already claimed to have come forward.

In preparation, scientists attached the head of a rat onto the body of another in May.

In the disturbing experiment, researchers in China affixed the heads of smaller, 'donor' rats onto the backs of larger recipients, creating two-headed animals that lived an average of just 36 hours.

The team, which involved Professor Canavero, managed to complete the transplant without causing blood loss-related brain damage to the donor.

In the study, researchers from Harbin Medical University in China and Professor Canavero built upon earlier head-grafting experiments to figure out how to avoid damage to the brain tissue during the operation, as well as long-term immune rejection.

The researchers used three rats for each operation: a smaller rat, to be the donor, and two larger rats, acting as the recipient and the blood supply. To maintain blood flow to the donor brain, the connected the blood vessels from that rat to veins of the third rat using a silicon tube

Previously, scientists have attempted the procedure on dogs and monkeys, which helped to test neural preservation when blood flood to the brain had been cut off, they explain in the paper published to CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics.

But, long-term survival of the specimens was not a priority.

The researchers used three rats for each operation: a smaller rat, to be the donor, and two larger rats, acting as the recipient and the blood supply.

To maintain blood flow to the donor brain, they connected the blood vessels from that rat to veins of the third rat using a silicon tube, which was then passed through a peristaltic pump.

Then, once the head had been transplanted onto the second rat's body, the researchers used vascular grafts to connect the donor's thoracic aorta and superior vena cava to the carotid artery and extracorporeal veins of the recipient.

According to the team, there was no injury to the donor brain tissue as a result of blood loss in the experiment.

And, after the surgery, the donor head was still able to blink and feel pain.

The two-headed creatures lived 36 hours on average following the procedure, Business Insider reported.

Still, with the addition of the peristaltic pump and vascular grafting to the technique, the researchers say long-term survival could be a possibility.
A number of gold pieces of artwork found in King Tutankhamen's tomb made in Syria have been revealed for the first time in almost a century.

Almost 100 decorative fittings for bow cases, quivers and bridles were transported hundreds of miles to be placed in the Pharaoh's 3,340 year old tomb.

Their story can finally be told after they lay in a wooden box for more than 90 years after being discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922.

The box had laid undisturbed in a Cairo museum for decades before researchers spent four years restoring its deteriorated contents.

Among the finds are images of fighting animals and goats at the tree of life that are foreign to Egyptian art and must have come from the Levant, or modern day Syria.

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Some of the gold artefacts (pictured) found in King Tutankhamen's tomb were actually made in Syria rather than Egypt. Almost 100 decorative fittings for bow cases, quivers and bridles were transported hundreds of miles to be placed in the Pharaoh's 3,340 year old tomb

DISCOVERY OF TUTANKHAMUN In 1907, Lord Carnarvon George Herbert asked English archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter to supervise excavations in the Valley of the Kings. On 4 November 1922, Carter's group found steps that led to Tutankhamun's tomb. He spent several months cataloguing the antechamber before opening the burial chamber and discovering the sarcophagus in February 1923. Tutankhamun was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, and ruled between 1332 BC and 1323 BC. He was the son of Akhenaten and took to the throne at the age of nine or ten. When he became king, he married his half-sister, Ankhesenpaaten. He died at around the age of 18 and his cause of death is unknown. Advertisement

Lead researcher Professor Peter Pfalzner, of the University of Tubingen in Germany, said: 'Presumably these motifs, which were once developed in Mesopotamia, made their way to the Mediterranean region and Egypt via Syria.

'This again shows the great role that ancient Syria played in the dissemination of culture during the Bronze Age.'

The embossed gold relics were found by his team in the very same crate in which they were placed in 1922 after the famed find by Carter.

At the time, the relics were photographed and packed into the crate, where they were left to deteriorate for almost a century.

During four years of detailed work, conservators at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, reassembled the fragments to produce the almost complete embossed gold decorations.

They also made drawings of the items and carried out comprehensive research.

Professor Pfalzner and colleagues examined and categorised the artwork on the artefacts.

The team distinguished Egyptian motifs from those that could be ascribed to an 'international', Middle Eastern canon from the Levant.

Among them are images of fighting animals and goats (pictured) at the tree of life that are foreign to Egyptian art and must have come from the Levant - or modern day Syria

EGYPTIAN IMPORTS The team distinguished Egyptian motifs from those that could be ascribed to an 'international', Middle Eastern canon from the Levant. These would have been shipped around 400 miles (645 km) to modern day Cairo across desert and water. The ancient Egyptians didn't build roads to travel around their empire as they didn't need them, thanks to the Nile. Most major cities were located along the banks of the iconic river. As a result, they used it for transportation from very early on, becoming experts at boat building and navigation. Boats used to carry huge stones weighing as much as 500 tons from rock quarries to pyramid building sites. Advertisement

These would have been shipped around 400 miles (645 km) to modern day Cairo across desert and water.

The ancient Egyptians didn't build roads to travel around their empire as they didn't need them, thanks to the Nile.

Most major cities were located along the banks of the iconic river.

As a result, they used it for transportation from very early on, becoming experts at boat building and navigation.

The embossed gold relics were found by his team in the very same crate in which they were placed in 1922 after the famed find by British archaeologist Howard Carter

THE BIZARRE BURIAL OF KING TUT Researchers from the American University in Cairo believe the king's appendage was embalmed at a 90-degree angle to make the young pharaoh appear as Osiris, the god of the underworld. The angling of the penis was a feature worn by 'corn-mummies', created in honour of Osiris. The mummy was also covered in black liquid to resemble Osiris' skin. Elsewhere, Tutankhamun's heart was missing when the tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. Religious texts claimed Osiris' heart was similarly removed by his brother Seth.On the outside of the tomb, decorations depicted Tutankhamun as Osiris. Advertisement

At first they were long, thin and made of papyrus plant, and were steered with oars and poles.

But eventually bigger cargo ships made of wood, acacia from Egypt and imported cedar from Lebanon were built, with sails jutting from the middle and a large rudder at the back.

The Egyptians sailed these ships up and down the Nile and into the Mediterranean Sea to trade with other countries.

Some were used to carry huge stones weighing as much as 500 tons from rock quarries to pyramid building sites.

The restored artefacts can now be seen at a special exhibition at the Egyptian Museum, which opened on Wednesday.

Professor Pfalzner said similar artefacts with images along a comparable theme were found in a tomb in the Syrian Royal city of Qatna.

There, his team discovered a pristine king's grave in 2002. It dates back to the time of around 1340 BC, just a bit older than King Tut's tomb dating back to 1323 BC.

The restored artefacts can now be seen at a special exhibition at the Egyptian Museum, which opened on Wednesday

Prof Pfalzner said: 'This remarkable aspect provided the impetus for our project on the Egyptian finds.

'Now, we need to solve the riddle of how the foreign motifs on the embossed gold applications came to be adopted in Egypt.'

He said chemical analyses has been illuminating.

As well as showing the incredible craftsmanship in ancient Egypt, the researchers believe that the bed also provides an insight into the aspirations of King Tut

Almost 100 decorative fittings for bow cases, quivers and bridles were transported hundreds of miles to be placed in King Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings

'The results showed the embossed gold applications with Egyptian motifs and the others with foreign motifs were made of gold of differing compositions.

'That does not necessarily mean the pieces were imported. It may be various local workshops were responsible for producing objects in various styles - and that one used Near Eastern models.'

He added that, almost a century after they were discovered, the scientific analysis of these artefacts from one of Egypt's most sensational archaeological finds has finally been completed.
A morbid deathbed request from one of the world's greatest pianists has led scientists to discover the cause of his death, more than 170 years later.

Inspired by his fear of being buried alive, composer Frederic Chopin asked that his heart be removed from his body in Paris, to be enshrined in his native Poland.

Medical experts, who studied the pickled organ, have now diagnosed that the musician suffered pericarditis, a rare complication of chronic tuberculosis.

A morbid deathbed request from one of the world's greatest pianists has led scientists to discover the cause of his death, more than 170 years later. Inspired by his fear of being buried alive, exiled composer Frederic Chopin asked that his heart be removed from his body

CHOPIN'S HEART Frederic Chopin was born near Warsaw in 1810 to a Polish mother and French emigre father. He lived in Warsaw until 1830, when he made his way to Paris, where he chose a life of exile because of the brutal repressions imposed by Imperial Russia after a failed uprising. As Chopin gasped for air on his deathbed in Paris in 1849, he whispered a request that became the stuff of musical legend: Remove my heart after I die and entomb it in Poland. It was sealed in a jar of liquor believed to be cognac, where it was then smuggled into Warsaw, past Russian border guards. It would eventually be laid to rest within a pillar in Holy Cross Church. Advertisement

The finding, which may end speculation over Chopin's early death at the age of 39, was made by researchers from the Polish Academy of Sciences.

A number of theories have been put forward over the years, including the inherited disease cystic fibrosis.

One suggested a deficiency of alpha-1-antitrypsin, a relatively rare genetic ailment that leaves the people it afflicts prone to lung infections.

Another proposed that mitral stenosis, a narrowing of the heart valves, may have been the cause of the composer's untimely demise.

When the Polish team examined the jar containing Chopins heart, however, they found it was surrounded by a thin layer of white fibres, as well as a number of small lesions.

This led them to the conclusion that pericarditis was the lethal factor.

Speaking to The Observer, Professor Michael Witt said: 'We didn't open the jar.

'But from the state of the heart we can say, with high probability, that Chopin suffered from tuberculosis while the complication percarditis was probably the immediate cause of his death.

'Some people still want to open it in order to take tissue samples to do DNA tests to support their ideas that Chopin had some kind of genetic condition.

'That would be absolutely wrong. It could destroy the heart and in any case I am quite sure we now know what killed Chopin.'

Frederic Chopin was born near Warsaw in 1810 to a Polish mother and French emigre father.

He lived in Warsaw until 1830, when he made his way to Paris, where he chose a life of exile because of the brutal repressions imposed by Imperial Russia after a failed uprising.

As Chopin gasped for air on his deathbed in Paris in 1849, he whispered a request that became the stuff of musical legend: 'Remove my heart after I die and entomb it in Poland'.

He wanted the symbol of his soul to rest in the native land he pined for from self-imposed exile in France.

As Chopin gasped for air on his deathbed in Paris in 1849, he whispered a request that became the stuff of musical legend: 'Remove my heart after I die and entomb it in Poland.' Pictured is the shrine where it was laid to rest

First it was sealed in a jar of liquor believed to be cognac, where it was then smuggled into Warsaw, past Russian border guards.

Fulfilling Chopin's deathbed wish, which was also inspired by the composer's fear of being buried alive, his sister Ludwika carried it into the city, probably beneath her skirts.

After being kept in the family home for several years it was eventually passed through the hands of several relatives before being enshrined within a pillar in Holy Cross Church.

It remained there until World War II, when the Nazi occupiers removed it for safekeeping during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.

Chopin's heart inspires a deep fascination in Poland normally reserved for the relics of saints. This photo from shows a monument dedicated to the 19th century composer in a park in Warsaw

Even as they slaughtered Poles block-by-block, killing 200,000 people in retribution for the revolt, they took pains to preserve the relic of a composer that the Germans have sometimes claimed as their own, because of the influence great German composers had on him.

After the fighting was over, they returned it to the Polish church in a ceremony meant to show their respect for culture.

Ever since, the composer's body has rested in peace at the famed Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, while his heart has endured a wild journey of intrigue and adulation.

Chopin's heart inspires a deep fascination in Poland normally reserved for the relics of saints.

For Poles, Chopin's nostalgic compositions capture the national spirit and the heart's fate is seen as intertwined with Poland's greatest agonies and triumphs over nearly two centuries of foreign occupation, warfare and liberation.

The full findings of the study were published in the American Journal of Medicine.
A U.N. panel agreed Friday to move ahead with talks to define and possibly set limits on weapons that can kill without human involvement, as human rights groups said governments are moving too slowly to keep up with advances in artificial intelligence that could put computers in control one day.

Advocacy groups warned about the threats posed by such 'killer robots' and aired a chilling video illustrating their possible uses on the sidelines of the first formal U.N. meeting of government experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems this week.

More than 80 countries took part.

The meeting falls under the U.N.'s Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons - also known as the Inhumane Weapons Convention - a 37-year old agreement that has set limits on the use of arms and explosives like mines, blinding laser weapons and booby traps over the years.

ROBOT RULES The meeting falls under the U.N.'s Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons - also known as the Inhumane Weapons Convention - a 37-year old agreement that has set limits on the use of arms and explosives like mines, blinding laser weapons and booby traps over the years. The group operates by consensus, so the least ambitious goals are likely to prevail, and countries including Russia and Israel have firmly staked out opposition to any formal ban. The United States has taken a go-slow approach, rights groups say. Advertisement

Ambassador Amandeep Gill of India, who chaired the gathering, said participants plan to meet again in 2018.

He said ideas discussed this week included the creation of legally binding instrument, a code of conduct, or a technology review process.

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, an umbrella group of advocacy groups, says 22 countries support a ban of the weapons and the list is growing.

Human Rights Watch, one of its members, called for an agreement to regulate them by the end of 2019 - admittedly a longshot.

The meeting falls under the U.N.'s Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons - also known as the Inhumane Weapons Convention - a 37-year old agreement that has set limits on the use of arms and explosives like mines, blinding laser weapons and booby traps over the years.

The group operates by consensus, so the least ambitious goals are likely to prevail, and countries including Russia and Israel have firmly staked out opposition to any formal ban.

The United States has taken a go-slow approach, rights groups say.

U.N. officials say in theory, fully autonomous, computer-controlled weapons don't exist yet but defining exactly what killer robots are and how much human interaction is involved was a key focus of the meeting.

The United States argued that it was 'premature' to establish a definition.

The concept alone stirs the imagination and fears, as dramatized in Hollywood futuristic or science-fiction films that have depicted uncontrolled robots deciding on their own about firing weapons and killing people.

Ambassador Gill played down such concerns.

'Ladies and gentlemen, I have news for you: The robots are not taking over the world.

'So that is good news, humans are still in charge ... We have to be careful in not emotionalizing or dramatizing this issue,' he told reporters Friday.

The United States, in comments presented, said autonomous weapons could help improve guidance of missiles and bombs against military targets, thereby 'reducing the likelihood of inadvertently striking civilians.'

Autonomous defensive systems could help intercept enemy projectiles, one U.S. text said.

Some top academics like Stephen Hawking, technology experts such as Tesla founder Elon Musk and human rights groups have warned about the threats posed by artificial intelligence, amid concerns that it might one day control such systems - and perhaps sooner rather than later.

'The bottom line is that governments are not moving fast enough' said Steven Goose, executive director of arms at Human Rights Watch. He said a treaty by the end of 2019 is 'the kind of timeline we think this issue demands.'
Conspiracy theorists are yet again convinced that the world is about to end thanks to the mysterious plant Nibiru.

Nibiru was meant to destroy Earth on September 23 after a Christian numerologist claimed it was about to collide with our planet.

After the prediction flopped, some have claimed Nibiru will instead trigger apocalyptic earthquakes on November 19 that will obliterate our planet.

In response to the rumours, a top Nasa scientist has said the planet can't exist because its gravitational forces would have already stripped Earth of its moon.

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Conspiracy theorists are yet again convinced that the world is about to end thanks to the mysterious plant Nibiru (artist's impression). Some are claiming Nibiru will trigger apocalyptic earthquakes on November 19 that will obliterate our planet

WHAT IS NIBIRU? Nibiru, sometimes referred to as Planet X, is a hypothesised planet on the edge of our solar system that reportedly orbits the sun every 3,600 years. Conspiracy theorists believe the gravitational influence of the 'rogue planet' Nibiru disrupted the orbits of other planets in the solar system hundreds of years ago. They claim the next disruptive passage could happen at any time, with the planet predicted to either collide directly with Earth or trigger apocalyptic weather patterns across its surface. Some claim that this planet is sending 'plasmatic energy particles' through our solar system. The flow of energy will disrupt the 'core flows' of the Earth and trigger catastrophic changes in Earth's climate. Conspiracy theorists often blame natural disasters and freak weather patterns on the planet. 'Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an internet hoax,' Nasa has said. 'Obviously, it does not exist.' Advertisement

Dr David Morrison, an astronomer at Nasa Ames Research Centre, said if the system made it into the inner solar system, it would disrupt the position of the all planets, and 'eject the moon from Earth's orbit.'

So-called Nibiru truthers claim Nasa is part of a conspiracy to 'hide the truth' from the general population while the 'global elite' escape to the safety of secret underground bunkers.

Nibiru, sometimes referred to as Planet X, is a hypothesised planet on the edge of the solar system that orbits the sun every 3,600 years.

Conspiracy theorists believe the gravitational influence of Nibiru disrupted the orbits of other planets in the solar system hundreds of years ago as the object ringed the sun.

They claim the next disruptive passage could happen at any time, with the planet predicted to either collide directly with Earth or trigger apocalyptic weather patterns across its surface.

Dr Morrison's comments were made during a podcast released by the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Institute (SETI) website.

It was part of the 'Big Picture Science Radio Show', which broadcast an episode called 'Skeptic Check: Nibiru! (Again!)'

When asked what would happen if Nibiru entered the solar system, Dr Morrison said: 'If a big object was coming into the solar system its gravity would perturb the orbits of the planets, and we would have detected that long before it came close to the Earth.

'The planet's orbits are very regulated, and, if some massive object came along every so often and came through the inner solar system, it would all be screwed up, the planets would not be coplanar.

Nibiru, sometimes referred to as Planet X, is a hypothesised planet on the edge of the solar system that orbits the sun every 3,600 years. It was supposed to collide with Earth on September 23 after conspiracy theorists claimed it would destroy our planet (stock image)

'The moon would have been ejected, and obviously that is not the case.'

However, Dr Morrison said it was pointless describing what would happen as 'Nibiru does not exist.'

Nibiru has been the focus of a host of conspiracy theories over the past twenty years, and the latest rumours originated from Planetxnews.com.

A team of conspiracy theorists behind the site followed the growing number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that have hit Earth in the last few months.

THE NEW NIBIRU THEORY Nibiru has been the focus of a host of conspiracy theories over the past twenty years, and the latest rumours originated from Planetxnews.com. A team of conspiracy theorists behind the site followed the growing number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that have hit Earth in the last few months. They claim the disasters were caused by the gravitational pull of Nibiru and that their frequency has risen as the planet's path brings it closer to Earth. 'Global seismic activity reaches a peak in the second two weeks of November moving into December 2017,' claimed writer Terral Croft. Advertisement

They claim the disasters were caused by the gravitational pull of Nibiru and that their frequency has risen as the planet's path brings it closer to Earth.

'Global seismic activity reaches a peak in the second two weeks of November moving into December 2017,' claimed writer Terral Croft.

Nibiru was supposed to collide with Earth in September according to Christian numerologist David Meade (pictured)

'The predicted backside alignment quake event is scheduled for November 19, 2017, when the Earth passes behind the sun relative to the Black Star [Nibiru],' he told the Express.

Back in September, Nasa was forced to publicly state that Nibiru does not exist in an attempt to quell doomsday fears.

'The planet in question, Nibiru, doesn't exist,' the space agency said in a statement.

'Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims.'

'If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye.

'Obviously, it does not exist.'

After Nasa's predictions rang true when the apocalypse didn't come on September 23, 'Christian numerologist' David Meade, who first claimed Nibiru was on its way in a series of YouTube posts, clarified his story.



Mr Meade, who also writes for Planetxnews, said that the apocalypse has in fact been delayed, and was never predicted to arrive on September 23.

In late August, Christian numerologist David Meade said that 'Nibiru' would hit Earth between September 20 and 23. He claimed the clues were written somewhere in the pyramids in Giza (stock image)

Speaking to the Washington Post, Mr Meade said the date only marks the beginning of the end of times.

'The world is not ending, but the world as we know it is ending,' he said.

Mr Meade used the 'biblically significant' number 33 and his interpretation of the Bible's Book of Revelation to suggest that the legendary - and widely debunked - planet Nibiru would strike Earth on September 23.

The impact would set in motion cataclysmic events, according to Mr Meade.

Nibiru would strike 33 days after the total solar eclipse. In his analysis, Meade cited how Jesus allegedly lived for 33 years.

Despite a lack of evidence for the hidden world, which Nasa has previously stated is an 'internet hoax', many people believe it is real.

The scientific community has repeatedly asserted that Nibiru does not exist.
Have you ever ended up in a new, unfamiliar neighborhood, desperately searching for the nearest coffee shop?

If so, Google Maps' latest update may be what you've been looking for.

The tech giant has updated its map color scheme and added new icons to help users quickly identify different points of interest.

Places like a cafe, church, museum, zoo or hospital will have a designated color and icon to make it easier for users to find what they're looking for.

For example, if you're looking for a coffee shop in a new neighborhood, you could open Google Maps and look for the nearest orange icon - the color code for Food and Drink places.

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Google Maps has also updated the driving, navigation, transit and explore maps to better highlight the information most relevant to each experience - such as construction work signs for driving and train stations for transit

The new updates are set to roll out over the news few weeks in all Google products that incorporate Google Maps.

Google Maps has also updated the driving, navigation, transit and explore maps to better highlight the information most relevant to each experience - such as gas stations for navigation and train stations for transit.

Google made a cheat sheet of the new colors and icons to help users become acquainted with the new look

Google made a cheat sheet of the new colors and icons to help users become acquainted with the new look.

Google products set to incorporate the new feature include Google Assistant, Google Search, Google Earth, and Android Auto.

Over time, the new style will also appear in the apps, websites and experiences offered by companies that use Google Maps APIs as well.

Google has updated its map color scheme and added new icons to help users quickly identify different points of interest. For example, if you're looking for a coffee shop, you could open Google Maps and look for the nearest orange icon - the color code for Food and Drink places

The new Google icons will help people looking for places of worship. The list includes dedicated icons for Mormon Temples, Hindu Temples and Shinto Temples

Other recent additions to Google Maps include the new video review feature.

The feature, launched in September, allows users to create 10-second video clips in the Maps app or upload 30-second clips from their camera roll to describe their experiences at destinations in a new way.

Google first rolled out the feature to Local Guides, a community of users who share tips and photos about places on the Maps app.

Anyone can join Local Guides, but it appears only Android users can post videos so far (though anyone using a web browser can view them)

To create a video on the app, Local Guides can simply: search and select a place on Google Maps, scroll down and tap 'Add a photo,' tap 'camera' and hold the shutter button for up to 10 seconds.

Google has added a new feature to maps: video reviews. Now users can create 10-second clips in the Maps app or upload 30-second clips from their camera rolls. Google first rolled out the feature to Local Guides, a community of users who share tips and photos about places

They can also post videos up to 30 seconds long from their camera rolls by tapping 'Folder' and selecting a video to upload.

Though many Local Guides are already asking, the new tool doesn't yet support 360 videos.
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At first glance, it looks like R2D2 haas finally been blasted in space.

But in fact, the MX-1E from Moon Express could revolutionise space exploration - and pave the way to mine the moon.

The privately owned, Cape Canaveral based Moon Express hopes to take America back to the moon 45 years after NASA's last lunar landing, and this week the rocket that could take it there began its final testing.

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The MX-1E spacecraft is slated to fly before the end of the year aboard a Rocket Lab Electron booster, which launches from New Zealand and will attempt to win the $20M Google Lunar XPRIZE

The firm is is developing a fleet of low-cost robotic spacecraft that can be assembled like Legos to handle increasingly complex missions

The initial spacecraft, known as MX-1E,is a similar size and shape to the R2D2 droid from Star Wars, and is slated to fly before next year aboard a Rocket Lab Electron booster, which launches from New Zealand.

It will hop across the lunar surface on its legs.

Ultimately the company plans to establish a lunar outpost in 2020 and set up commercial operations on the Moon, mining material and returning it to Earth to sell.

THE LUNAR X-PRIZE Google is offering a top prize of $20 million for the first privately funded team to land a spacecraft on the moon; have it fly, drive or hop at least 1,640 feet (500 meters) and relay pictures and video back to Earth. The second prize is $5 million. Contenders have until Dec. 31 to launch their spaceships. Google also is offering bonus money for other milestones, such as traveling 5 km (3.1 miles), touching down near an Apollo landing site or finding evidence of water. Advertisement

He says the firm could also one day develop lunar colonies.

'I love the thought of kids looking up and seeing lights on the moon, he told Wired.

Moon Express hopes the endeavour will clinch a $20 million prize from Google, but CEO Bob Richards said the win is not essential.

Moon Express has raised more than $45 million from private investors to build its first spacecraft and buy launch services.

'The Google Lunar X Prize ... is icing on the cake,' Richards said.

Google is offering a top prize of $20 million for the first privately funded team to land a spacecraft on the moon; have it fly, drive or hop at least 1,640 feet (500 meters) and relay pictures and video back to Earth.

The second prize is $5 million.

Contenders have until Dec. 31 to launch their spaceships.

Google also is offering bonus money for other milestones, such as traveling 5 km (3.1 miles), touching down near an Apollo landing site or finding evidence of water.

Richards presented the spacecraft design in Washington on Wednesday, revealing plans for a single, modular spacecraft that can be combined to form successfully larger and more capable vehicles.

Moon Express says it is self-funded to begin bringing kilograms of lunar rocks back to Earth within about three years.

'We absolutely intend to make these samples available globally for scientific research, and make them available to collectors as well,' said Bob Richards, one of the company's founders, in an interview with Ars.

Besides vying for the X Prize, Moon Express will fly science equipment and payloads for at least three paying customers, including Houston-based Celestis, which offers memorial spaceflights for cremated remains.

His parents' ashes will be on the flight.

He said they used to sing the song 'Fly Me to the Moon' to him, 'and I'm going to.'

MX-1E is a similar size and shape to the R2D2 droid from Star Wars (right)

The company uses a Diana Krall recording of the song for its telephone hold music.

Richards said the company would pay for the initial mission, with customers funding subsequent ones.

The company plans to set up a permanent robot-operated base on the moons south pole to prospect for water and other materials.

By 2020, Moon Express expects to return lunar samples to Earth for research and commercial sale.

The MX series of spacecraft also can be scaled up for travel to other destinations, such as the moons of Mars.

The company expects to complete the first spacecraft in September.

The team from the US will be using a hopping lander, and has signed a multi-mission launch contract with Rocket Lab USA for three lunar missions by 2020.
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It has been dubbed 'the flying bum' die to its radical design, and the 20-tonne Airlander 10 took a step closer to commercial flying today with its most impressive test yet.

The flight, in Cardington, Bedfordshire was carried out as night fell, and Airlander was guided into the sky by Chief Test Pilot Dave Burns on her sixth test flight.

The latest test flights will push Airlander to fly higher (up to 7000 feet), faster (up to 50 knots) and further away from its airfield (up to 75 nautical miles away).

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Carried out in Cardington, Bedfordshire, the latest series of flights will see Airlander fly up to 7000 feet high, reach speeds of 50 knots and travel 75 miles

HOW THE AIRLANDER GETS ITS LIFT Airlander is the largest aircraft in the world, bigger even than the Airbus A380 - but would be dwarfed by the historic zeppelins developed in Germany during the 1930s. It produces 60 per cent of its lift aerostatically, by being lighter-than-air, and 40 per cent aerodynamically, by being wing-shaped, as well as having the ability to rotate its engines to provide an additional 25 per cent of thrust up or down. This means the Airlander can hover as well as land on almost any surface, including ice, desert and water. It will be able to stay in the air for two weeks at a time, cruising at more than 90mph (144km/h), and travel at heights of up to 20,000ft (6,100 metres) with a 10-tonne cargo. Advertisement

'We're thrilled to have commenced the next round of testing; our world class team have really done well and we can't wait to showcase Airlander across the UK in coming months,' said Steve McGlennan, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles, the firm behind the craft.

The company hopes the Airlander - which can carry 10 tonnes and up to 60 passengers - will be used for luxury commercial flights over the world's greatest sights from 2019.

'It was a fantastic new flying experience and I am very excited about soon being able to fly on the Airlander around the UK and share some of that thrill with more of the country,' said Andrew Barber, who was on board the Airlander for the very first time today.

It is soon set to be tested by luxury travel firm Henry Cookson Adventures next year.

It says it hopes to take the craft wherever clients want to go, promising passengers will 'experience landscapes that vary as diversely as the North Pole, Bolivian Salt Pans and Namib Desert'.

The ability to stay aloft for days at a time, in virtual silence, with floor-to-ceiling windows and fresh air make Airlander perfect for cruising in exceptional locations, Hybrid Air Vehicles, the firm behind it says.

'I have flown Airlander a number of times now, and am really excited about the possibility of taking the first passengers on board.

The company hopes the Airlander - which can carry 10 tonnes and up to 60 passengers - will be used for luxury commercial flights over the world's greatest sights from 2019.

'I can imagine the awe and excitement of seeing the world in luxury, with amazing views, quietly and whilst respecting the environment,' said Dave Burns, Airlander Chief Test Pilot.

In 2018, Henry Cookson Adventures (HCA) will become the first private excursion company to trial Airlander 10, anticipating her arrival to revolutionise ultra-high-end travel.

The craft is set to get a luxury interior as part of the plan, and Hybrid Air Vehicles and Design Q have been awarded a 60,000 grant for an 'Airlander Luxury Tourism Design Development Project'.

The Airlander 10 is to be tested by luxury travel firm Henry Cookson Adventures next year

Airlander is the largest aircraft in the world, bigger even than the Airbus A380 - but would be dwarfed by the historic zeppelins developed in Germany during the 1930s.

Design Q is one of the leading independent design consultancies with automotive and aviation clients throughout the world, including BAE Systems, Bombardier and Virgin Atlantic.

'We are excited with the prospect of working on such a unique project, not only is it the largest flying aircraft in the world but it demands an interior that truly breaks new ground and provides an experience that will be unlike anything seen before,' said Howard Guy, C.E.O and joint founder of Design Q.

'This will be something that passengers will treasure all their lives.'

The Airlander over Glastonbury: Henry Cookson Adventures says it can take the craft anywhere customers want to go

The 20-tonne Airlander 10 is set to be tested by luxury travel firm Henry Cookson Adventures next year, and will be fitted with a luxury interior meaning it can stay aloft for weeks at a time. Pictured, the craft over the Grand Canyon

The world's longest aircraft, dubbed the 'flying bum', took the skies earlier this year for a surprise test flight.

Hundreds of people gathered to watch the 20-tonne Airlander 10 perform aerial manoeuvres in a four-hour flight that took off from Cardington, Bedfordshire.

The 92-yard-long part-airship part-aeroplane was badly damaged when it nosedived during a test flight on 24 August last year.

Hundreds of people gathered to watch the 20-tonne Airlander 10 perform aerial manoeuvres in a four-hour flight that took off from Cardington, Bedfordshire

The 92-yard-long part-airship part-aeroplane was badly damaged when it nosedived during a test flight on 24 August last year

Following extensive repairs, it reached the highest altitude so far in its fourth test flight after taking off from hangars at 6.05pm on Tuesday.

A spokesman for its manufacturers Hybrid Air Vehicles said the flight had not been announced to avoid a mass of spectators gathering in the village.

Passers-by spotted the 38,000 cubic-metre prototype preparing for take-off in Cardington Airfield.

Hundreds of people gathered around the airfield after a local group of 'blimp spotters' also used the weather conditions to predict the test flight.

Roger Skillin, 38, of St Neots, Cambridgeshire, took these incredible photos of the flight after he heard its engine was on.

Hundreds of people gathered around the airfield after a local group of 'blimp spotters' also used the weather conditions to predict the test flight

The amateur photographer had wanted to take behind-the-scenes shots of the film sets at the hangar for a new Justice League superhero movie and a Dumbo movie.

He said: 'All the cars just suddenly stopped in the middle of the road.

'I was stood along the edge of the main road looking out to the airfield - just as it was to cross the road there was screeching of brakes and the brake lights going on.

'I think it was just the sheer size of it - you can see it sitting on the ground but you don't really appreciated it until it actually takes off.

'It was maybe 150ft up but considering the size of it it would have been massive and was covering your line of sight.

The company hoped the Airlander - which can carry 10 tonnes and up to 60 passengers - will be used for luxury commercial flights over the world's greatest sights from 2019

A spokesman for the company hailed the prototype's test a success after it reached record heights of 3,800ft on the flight

It took off at 6.05pm, carried out a series of landing practice runs, reaching speeds of 37 knots. The aircraft can reach heights of 16,000ft and speeds of 80 knots - 93 miles per hour - and fly for up to five days

'It's like - how can something that big be gracefully moving over you in the sky?

'There's not really anything in nature you can compare it to.'

A spokesman for the company hailed the prototype's test a success after it reached record heights of 3,800ft on the flight.

It took off at 6.05pm, carried out a series of landing practice runs, reaching speeds of 37 knots.

The aircraft can reach heights of 16,000ft and speeds of 80 knots - 93 miles per hour - and fly for up to five days.

The spokesman said plans were going ahead to have more built for commercial flights for between 48 to 60 people over tourists spots such as the Niagara Falls and rivers in Europe.

'Blimp Spotter' Trevor Monk, of local aircraft enthusiast group Cardington Sheds, said: 'There were a few hundred around the airfield.

'It's the longest current aircraft in the world and it's just sitting on an airfield in Bedfordshire but apart from that it's the technology involved - it's a brilliant idea, it's called a hybrid because it's an airship which is an inflated wing.

'It can land on water or a small field that's the beauty of it - it can do a lot of stuff.'
As the sun moves through its 11-year cycle, it experiences active and quiet periods known as the solar maximum and solar minimum.

While solar maximum can present itself in a host of different ways, a new study has found that microwaves emitted during the solar minimum have largely remained the same for more than half a century.

The discovery is surprising, the researchers say, and could help to provide a clearer understanding of the processes that give rise to sunspots and other solar activity.

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While solar maximum can present itself in a host of different ways, a new study has found that microwaves emitted during the solar minimum have largely remained the same for more than half a century. Researchers analyzed data going back to 1957, as illustrated above

THE SOLAR CYCLE Conventional wisdom holds that solar activity swings back and forth like a simple pendulum. At one end of the cycle, there is a quiet time with few sunspots and flares. At the other end, solar max brings high sunspot numbers and frequent solar storms. It's a regular rhythm that repeats every 11 years. Reality is more complicated. Astronomers have been counting sunspots for centuries, and they have seen that the solar cycle is not perfectly regular. Advertisement

Astronomers in Japan have been continuously monitoring solar microwaves across four-frequencies since 1957.

This began at the Toyokawa Branch of the Research Institute of Atmospherics, Nagoya University, and was later relocated in 1994 to the NAOj Nobeyama Campus.

In a new study, researchers analyzed the solar microwave data collected during the telescopes six decade observation, revealing that the microwave intensities and spectra for solar minimum were the same every time in the last five cycles.

The solar maximums, however, varied in both intensity and spectrum from cycle to cycle.

Other than sunspot observations, uniform long-term observations are rare in solar astronomy, says lead researcher Masumi Shimojo.

It is very meaningful to discover a trend extending beyond a single solar cycle. This is an important step in understanding the creation and amplification of solar magnetic fields, which generate sunspots and other solar activity.

NASA recently revealed that the sun is heading toward solar minimum.

In this time, certain types of activity, such as sunspots and solar flares will drop  but, its also expected to bring the development of long-lived phenomena including coronal holes.

According to NASA, solar minimum could also enhance the effects of space weather, potentially disrupting communications and navigation systems, and even causing space junk to hang around.

The sun is heading into a period known as solar minimum, during which activity at the surface will change form. While sunspots were relatively high back in 2014, theyre now heading toward a low point expected in 2019-2020, according to NASA

The sun follows roughly an 11-year cycle. While sunspots were relatively high back in 2014, theyre now heading toward a low point expected in 2019-2020, according to NASA.

This is called solar minimum, said Dean Pesnell of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. And its a regular part of the sunspot cycle.

The change, however, doesnt mean that activity ceases altogether, the expert explains.

Instead, different types of events tend to take hold.

For instance, during solar minimum we can see the development of long-lived coronal holes, Pesnell says.

We see these holes throughout the solar cycle, but during solar minimum, they can last for a long time  six months or more.

These are areas in the suns atmosphere where the magnetic field opens up, sending streams of solar particles into space.

HOW SOLAR WIND IS FORMED The sun and its atmosphere are made of plasma  a mix of positively and negatively charged particles which have separated at extremely high temperatures, that both carries and travels along magnetic field lines. Material from the corona streams out into space, filling the solar system with the solar wind. But scientists found that as the plasma travels further away from the sun, things change. Views of the solar wind from NASA's STEREO spacecraft (left) and after computer processing (right). Scientists used an algorithm to dim the appearance of bright stars and dust in images of the faint solar wind The sun begins to lose magnetic control, forming the boundary that defines the outer corona  the very edge of the sun. The breakup of the rays is similar to the way water shoots out from a squirt gun. First, the water is a smooth and unified stream, but it eventually breaks up into droplets, then smaller drops and eventually a fine, misty spray. A recent Nasa study captured the plasma at the same stage where a stream of water gradually disintegrates into droplets. If charged particles from solar winds hit Earth's magnectic field, this can cause problems for satellite and communication equipment. Advertisement

When the resulting solar wind hits Earths magnetic field, it can cause space weather events including geomagnetic storms, auroras, and disruptions to communications and even satellites.

According to NASA, it can even effect the space debris floating around Earth.

The drag experienced as objects circle Earth helps to keep low-Earth orbit clean, the space agency explains.

This is the result of heating by ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

When solar minimum occurs, the upper atmosphere cools down, reducing the drag.

And, NASA explains, this means space junk is more likely to linger.

During solar minimum, the suns magnetic field weakens and provides less shielding from these cosmic rays, Pesnell says.

This can pose an increased threat to astronauts travelling through space.
From stopping the rain to delivering a baby, hotel staff are asked all sorts

Budget hotel chain reveals the oddest requests from the past 12 months

Can you come and help me find Pikachu? Can we use your hotel for our school nativity play? Where can we see wild haggis?

These three questions have all been aimed at Travelodge staff - but there's more.

The budget hotel chain polled staff across its 552 UK properties about the weirdest requests they've had over the past 12 months to produce a master list of ridiculous questions.

Travelodge polled staff across its 552 UK properties about the weirdest requests they've had over the past 12 months

The range of oddities from some of the chain's 18million customers is quite startling, though some were no doubt said in jest.

Blackpool South Shore was asked to move a guests entire room to the beach as they wanted to hear the ocean, while London Tower Bridge was expected to accommodate a yacht.

Another team were asked if they could stay up all night sewing crystals onto a wedding dress.

And there are some requests that are just obviously silly, such as asking where the zebra crossing is on the M25, what kind of unicorn food they serve at the Brighton Beachfront hotel and whether the wind and rain can be stopped.

And in Slough the team were asked directions to The Office to meet Ricky Gervais fictional character, David Brent.

Business travellers sometimes ask staff to fill in as office staff including chauffeurs and book-keepers

But staff arent always left scratching their heads.

When asked can you please deliver my baby? by a woman who had gone into labour at the Doncaster M18 Travelodge, receptionist Karen Dyas stepped in.

She delivered the baby and unblocked the newborns airways. She knew something was wrong because it didn't cry when it emerged.

One guest wanted their entire hotel room moved onto the sand at Blackpool Beach, pictured

Meanwhile, an increase in business travellers for the chain has led to quite a few strange business requests.

A member of the Travelodge team in Halifax had a request to be a chauffeur from a guest because I have an important meeting and want to impress my clients'.

One wanted to be taught Spanish in an hour to impress Spanish investors, another one wanted a staff member to write a blog post while others have been asked to do VAT returns and fill out expenses forms.

And finally, there's the guest who wanted Travelodge staff to transform into wedding planners, asking if they could arrange for a ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral.
He's the AFL hot-shot who is married to one of Australia's most successful models.

But while it's usually his wife Jesinta Campbell who is recognised for her love of fashion, it's Lance 'Buddy' Franklin's sartorial journey that has caught the attention of fans in recent years.

Having debuted a new pair of hipster-inspired spectacles this week, it's clear that the football star has enjoyed quite the style evolution since he started dating five years ago.

Won't lose him in a crowd! It's clear that Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, 30, has enjoyed quite the style evolution since he started dating five years ago (pictured November 2017)

Buddy's first major foray into the world of fashion took place in 2009 when he launched his debut fashion brand Nene and Pasadena.

The street-wear brand sparked controversy at the time thanks to its use of explicit images of naked women in print designs and advertising material.

In 2012, AFL bosses slammed Buddy for his involvement in the fashion line, with corporate affairs manager James Tonkin telling the Herald Sun: 'We consider it inappropriate and inconsistent with our respect and responsibility policy and we'll be considering our options.

Buddy's first major foray into the world of fashion took place in 2009 when he launched his debut fashion brand Nene and Pasadena (pictured wearing a shirt by Nene and Pasadena on the red carpet with ex-girlfriend Kasia Z 2010)

Sparking controversy: The street-wear brand sparked controversy at the time thanks to its use of explicit images of naked women in print designs and advertising material

Suited and booted! Meanwhile, Buddy was moving up the ranks in the fashion world, having starred in fashion campaigns for menswear brand Politix between 2014 and 2016

Meanwhile, Buddy was moving up the ranks in the fashion world, having starred in fashion campaigns for menswear brand Politix between 2014 and 2016.

Perhaps following in Jestinta's footsteps, Buddy was seen posing up a storm in an array of schmick suits and trendy apparel by the popular label.

'I wouldn't say I feel too comfortable [being a model] but it's a little bit of fun,' he said in a statement released by Politix in June 2015.

Style king: Speaking of his own fashion style, Buddy said in a statement released by Politix: 'I wear a lot of jackets, beanies and hoodies. I'm a winter person'

'You've got to enjoy doing something outside of footy. But it's not a second job for me.'

Speaking of his own fashion style, Buddy went on: 'I really love winter, probably because of living in Melbourne for so long.'

'I wear a lot of jackets, beanies and hoodies. I'm a winter person,' said the former Hawks champion.

Nice kicks! Buddy was also developing a penchant for acquiring fancy footwear, taking to Instagram in to share a photo of his brand new orange-hued Balenciaga kicks in May 2015

Can't win 'em all! Buddy donned this bizarre unitard ensemble in 2016

Buddy was also developing a penchant for acquiring fancy footwear, taking to Instagram in to share a photo of his brand new orange-hued Balenciaga kicks in May 2015.

In November 2016, Buddy's delved deeper into the world of high-end designer fashion when he donned a Hugo Boss suit at his wedding.

While it was no surprise glamazon Jesinta decided to sport a Vera Wang gown for the lavish affair, it was Buddy's chic ensemble that thrilled fans.

Looking sleek! While it was no surprise glamazon Jesinta decided to sport a Vera Wang gown for the lavish affair, it was Buddy's chic ensemble that thrilled fans

Pricey garbs: He was spotted looking decidedly chic in an eye-popping Gucci sweater, worth $1,350, during a low-key lunch date with Jesinta in July 2017

In June 2017, Buddy reached new heights when he starred in a campaign for Dior's perfume Sauvage Very Cool Spray.

Indeed, a month later he was spotted looking decidedly chic in an eye-popping Gucci sweater, worth $1,350, during a low-key lunch date with Jesinta.

The Swans player opted for a relaxed look in black tracksuit trousers and white Yeezy Boost sneakers paired with the ritzy sweater.

Think pink! Buddy shared this photo of his newly unboxed Pink Givenchy sneakers this week

Recently speaking to Men's Health about his newly-honed sartorial senses, Buddy advised: 'I think for men it's about keeping it simple with your basics and finding key pieces each season that make a statement.

'Invest in some good hoodies and jumpers,' he says. 'I like to wear mine with a leather or denim jacket.'

'I only buy loose fitting t-shirts and have a good supply of long sleeved polos.'
Meek Mill desperately wants out of solitary confinement, according to a new report.

Lawyers for the imprisoned rapper say he is in solitary for 23 hours of each day and it is hurting Meek's mental health, according to TMZ.

Meek is seeking to be a part of the general population and believes his popularity as a hip hop artist will lend him respect among his fellow inmates.

His attorneys are also asking for him to be released from prison and for his probation to be terminated.

Judge Genece Brinkley sentenced the rapper last week to two to four years in prison for violating probation in a nearly decade-old gun and drug case.

She cited a failed drug test, failure to comply with a court order restricting his travel and two other unrelated arrests in ordering the prison time, saying, "You basically thumbed your nose at me."

Meek Mill desperately wants out of solitary confinement as his lawyers seek his release from prison (This November 2017 photo provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections)

In an appeal filed Wednesday, his lawyers make a number of arguments, including that Meek Mill's probation officer and a prosecutor with the district attorney's office didn't recommend a prison sentence as punishment.

They say the sentence was too harsh for his relatively minor offenses.

On Tuesday, they asked Brinkley to step down from the case in a motion that alleges Brinkley has gone beyond the bounds of a proper judicial role and has made the case inappropriately personal.

Among the examples cited was the judge suggesting Mill record a version of the Boyz II Men song "On Bended Knee" and specifically mention the judge in it. The lawyer says after Mill declined, the judge replied: "Suit yourself."

Due to his celebrity, Mill has been put in protective custody at the state prison. The only housing units the prison has for such custody is in solitary confinement, where he spends 23 hours a day, seven days a week, according to the motion.

On Monday, former Philadelphia 76er Julius Erving and rapper Rick Ross were among hundreds of people gathered to protest Mill's imprisonment at a rally near City Hall.

Billboards, buses and bus shelters with messages reading "Stand With Meek Mill" have popped up around the city after his sentence.

A bus with a message of support for Meek Mill drives in view of City Hall in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017. A lawyer for Meek Mill is asking a Philadelphia judge to recuse herself before he appeals the rapper's sentence of two to four years in prison. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Rapper Meek Mill arrives at the criminal justice center in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. A Philadelphia judge has sentenced rapper Mill to two to four years in state prison for violating probation in a nearly decade-old gun and drug case. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
They made a name for themselves on hit show The Block.

But their fiery tempers were far from evident in an adorable childhood photo shared on Thursday.

With their brunette locks long and flowing, cute little fringes and retro sun dresses, they are almost unrecognisable from the women they are today.

Guess who! They were The Block contestants known for their fiery tempers and knock-out designs... but would YOU recognise them from this throwback photo?

The brunette sisters won the 2013 series of The Block with their knock-out designs and competed again a year later on The Block: Fans v Faves, when they infamously launched an 'f-bomb' tirade at judge Shaynna Blaze.

But did you recognise twins Alisa and Lysandra Fraser from this throwback picture?

The image was captioned: '#tbt to our badass biker chick days! Kinda wish we could still rock the hair style too! #notevenjoking #bikerchicks #badass'

The Fraser sisters said that The Block 'changed their life,' as they left their jobs with the police force to launch their own design studio.

Fan favourites: Alisa and Lysandra won the 2013 series of The Block and competed again a year later on The Block: Fans v Faves

Alisa and Lysandra appeared in the Sky High season of The Block and then returned for Fans vs Faves.

As winners of Sky High they netted $395,000 and then collected a whopping $616,000 for their time on Fans vs Faves.

Savvy: The twins used their Block prize money to buy a Victorian terrace home in Albert Park, Melbourne and to set up their own design business called Alisa & Lysandra Interiors

The twins used their prize money to buy a Victorian terrace home in Albert Park, Melbourne.

They also used their winnings to start up their own design business called Alisa & Lysandra Interiors.

In late 2016, they starred in their own reality TV series Alisa & Lysandra to the Rescue.

In it, the sisters helped out an Adelaide-based family who were in need, by completely making over their house.
She currently co-hosts Strictly Come Dancing with fellow presenter Tess Daly.

And Claudia Winkleman, 45, was all smiles as she rocked up to a British Airways event in her trademark androgynous attire in London on Thursday.

The event was in celebration of the airline raising 17 million for Comic Relief through its Flying Start Partnership at The British Museum.

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Tomboy chic: Claudia Winkleman, 45, was all smiles as she rocked up to a British Airways event in her trademark androgynous attire in London on Thursday

The 45-year-old wore her raven tresses in her classic heavily fringed hairstyle, which accentuated her dark lined eyes and nude lip.

Opting for all black attire, Claudia stood on biker boots, but added a pop of colour with her plum painted nails.

Sports broadcaster Gary Lineker, 56, was also in attendance as he put on a smart display in a tailored grey suit, teamed with a crisp white shirt.

All smiles: The 45-year-old wore her raven tresses in her classic heavily fringed hairstyle, which accentuated her dark lined eyes and nude lip

On the scene: Sports broadcaster Gary Lineker, 56, was also in attendance as he put on a smart display in a tailored grey suit, teamed with a crisp white shirt

The event was in celebration of the airline raising 17 million for Comic Relief through its Flying Start Partnership at The British Museum

Flashy pair: Gary is pictured with Kurupt FM's Chabuddy G, real name Asim Chaudhry

Funnyman: Russell Kane put on an energetic display as he jumped on the red carpet, despite his dashing suit

Fundraisers: Claudia Winkleman and comedian Lenny Henry pictured with British Airways representatives Wesley Goode, James Van der Hoorn and Jane Lloyd Mostyn

Welsh duo: The Voice UK finalists Dane Lloyd and Taylor Jones of Into The Ark looked dapper in matching black and burgundy combo

This appearance came shortly after Claudia attended the Leopard Awards in Aid of the Prince's Trust at Goldsmith's Hall in London on Wednesday.

Claudia Winkleman was also present at the event and made a stylish display in an all-black look.

She completed the look with her signature eyeliner look and accessorised with funky dangling earrings.

The presenter suffered every parent's worst nightmare when her young daughter was burned in a horrific Halloween accident in 2014.

Youthful: Actor Shane Richie, 53, looked ageless in smart tailored blazer and straight leg jeans at the event

Co-stars: Rupert Penry-Jones will play James Nesbitt's enemy as he is set to join Stan Lee's Lucky Man for its third series

Proud: British Airways chairman Alex Cruz gives a speech at the event

Presenter: Lenny Henry, 59, also gave a talk at the celebratory event

She admitted that she is still haunted by her daughter Matilda's screams three years after her Halloween costume caught fire, and that life will never be the same.

The star relived the agonising moment of the accident, saying: 'I don't like Halloween because three years ago it turned out our screams were real.

'She "went up" is the only way I can describe it - it was a spark, and she screamed out for me.

'It was like those horrific birthday candles that you blow out and they come back. It was really fast. It was definitely life-changing for me.'
Her daughter is known for her incredibly toned body.

And it Roxy Jacenko's mother Doreen is also doing her best to maintain her slender shape.

The age-defying beauty took to her Instagram to share a video of herself lying back on a bench, lifting up heavy dumbbells on her sea-view balcony.

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Like mother, like daughter! Roxy Jacenko's age-defying mum Doreen impresses fans by lifting heavy weights

She captioned her post: 'Easy Friday,' but the exercise looked like no quick task.

The fit grandmother took her time pumping the weights, as the camera captured her bicep definition.

Roxy's own Sweaty Betty staff were even impressed with her efforts, including Grace Garrick commented: 'Go Dorsy!!!!'

Keeping in shape: Roxy's own Sweaty Betty staff were even impressed with her efforts, including Grace Garrick commented 'Go Dorsy!!!!' on the video

Doreen, who also dotes on her grand kids Pixie, six, and Hunter, three, has been making great efforts to keep in shape, thanks to her personal trainer Matty Flynn.

She has even shared videos of herself doing beach runs and core strengthening workouts.

Earlier in the year, she posted photos of herself wearing a two-piece swimsuit during her Grecian holiday.

With her little angels: Doreen, who also dotes on her grand kids Pixie, six, and Hunter, three, has been making great efforts to keep in shape, thanks to her personal trainer Matty Flynn

One hot grandma! Earlier in the year, she posted photos of herself wearing a two-piece swimsuit during her Grecian holiday

Doreen proudly flaunted her tanned physique in a pool alongside a female friend, over looking Santorini, at the luxurious Katikies Hotel.

The socialite also posted a photo of herself reclining on a beach towel wearing another tiny, black and white two piece on a boat staring off into the distance.
Last week she revealed she had landed her 'dream job' as the new face of Seafolly Australia.

And on Thursday, Elyse Knowles took to Instagram to share her first shot from the campaign with her 847,000 followers.

Channelling Pamela Anderson in Baywatch, the 25-year-old flaunted her enviable physique in a racy red one-piece.

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Channeling Pamela? On Thursday, Elyse Knowles took to Instagram to share her first shot from her Seafolly campaign

'Pumped to reveal the first official pic from my Seafolly shoot,' she captioned adding the hashtag; '#dreamsdocometrue'.

Launching the international campaign for Faces of Seafolly, a very bronzed Elyse showcased her trim waist and lean, long legs.

The blonde bombshell wore her locks loose and styled into natural waves.

Landed her dream job: 'Pumped to reveal the first official pic from my Seafolly shoot,' she captioned adding the hashtag; '#dreamsdocometrue'

Natural beauty: Sporting a luminous glow, Elyse donned a radiant complexion with a subtle bronze eye

Elyse's makeup was kept simple. With radiant, luminous skin she sported subtle, bronze eye makeup.

Announcing her new role earlier in this week, The Block winner revealed she had always wanted to model for the internationally-renowned brand.

'Pretty damn excited. Been a big dream of mine but dreams do come true,' she said.

Time to shine: After announcing her new role earlier in the week, The Block winner revealed it had been a big dream to model for the internationally renowned brand

She added: 'Work hard, play hard.'

With famous models such as Gigi Hadid, Shanina Shaik and Jessica Gomes previously representing the brand, Seafolly's latest competition hopes to uncover the next generation of supermodels.

The brand is searching for the 'perfectly imperfect' woman and hopefuls who want to apply to be its next face only need to upload and tag photo of themselves wearing the current Seafolly range to Instagram.

Finalists will be announced every Friday and will win a $500 gift card - the ultimate winner of the competition will be announced on January 1, 2018.
"Dick Cheney shot me in the face* and other tales of men in pain"

By Timothy OLeary

The title of Timothy OLearys new collection, "Dick Cheney shot me in the face* and other tales of men in pain," captures the spirit of these stories. Offering a generous helping of dark ironic humor, OLeary delves into his protagonists psychological shadows. The plots are sometimes extravagant, but the characters are generally ordinary people whose lives, like everyones, sometimes turn in unexpected ways.

The most convincing stories, such as One Star and Fake Girlfriend, reveal unforeseen consequences of a characters actions through risky but effective twists. In the former story, for example, the point of view unexpectedly shifts from that of a frustrated diner who posts a patently unfair restaurant review to focus on the hard-working proprietor of the establishment. In the latter tale, a lonely everyman finds himself trapped in a fictional relationship he created.

The collection is fast-paced and efficiently rendered. In a compact 252 pages, OLeary presents 18 stories, the majority of them fully developed. Though the book could use another close round of copy editing, the writing is engaging and crisp. Many of the stories have appeared in periodicals, but reading them together reveals the authors characteristic subject matter, as well as his distinctive stylistic quirks, including at least one in-joke, with a character from one story referenced in another. As the title indicates, the point of view is invariably male.

OLeary was born in Billings and lives part time in the Pacific Northwest, and Montana and Oregon form the backdrops for most of these tales. The stories are set in contemporary times, with a rare exception being OLearys foray into early 20th-century Red Lodge in The Purification. OLearys West is occasionally glitzy but often seedy, a more humorous but equally bleak version of the world of Richard Fords "Rock Springs." Even Bouncing, with its Las Vegas aura of high-roller gambling and international wheeling and dealing, is told from the point of view of a skilled and well-trained, but ultimately working-class, casino bouncer.

OLearys confident glibness reflects his career as a television and advertising writer. According to his press biography, he has won over 100 awards for advertising/television creativity. Not surprisingly given his background, he peppers stories with pop culture references and is not averse to dropping brand names. Occasionally, as in the title story, OLearys plots seem gimmicky, and in some cases, such as in The Big Chocolate Whizzle and Midnight Elvis, the humor descends to an adolescent level. The most troubling aspect of the collection is its tendency to hug the boundary between evoking genuine there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I empathy for marginalized characters and exploiting the sensationalist aspects of lives gone out of control.

Mostly, though, OLearys deft, even dazzling, handling of narrative momentum makes for a good read, and the collection amply illustrates the valuable insight that apparently ordinary circumstances can quickly change in uncomfortable, bewildering ways.
They made their chart debuts in the early 1990s.

And over two decades later, Boyz II Men, TLC and Shaggy's careers are still going strong, with the trio of acts set to tour Australia in February 2018.

The stellar 'RNB Vine Days' line-up was announced on Friday as a spin-off to the successful 'RNB Fridays' franchise, set to visit wineries in NSW, QLD and VIC.

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Throwback: Boyz II Men, TLC and Shaggy's careers are still going strong, with the trio of acts set to tour Australia in February 2018

The Illusive Presents tour will kick off on Saturday, February 3 at the Bimbadgen Winery in New South Wales' famed Hunter Valley.

It will then head north the following day to Sirromet Wines in Mount Cotton, Queensland.

The third and final gig featuring the three acts lands on Saturday, February 10 at Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley, Victoria.

Winning: The stellar 'RNB Vine Days' line-up was announced on Friday and is set to visit wineries in NSW, QLD and VIC. Pictured: Boyz II Men performing in August on ABC TV

Still got it: The Illusive Presents tour will kick off on Saturday, February 3 at the Bimbadgen Winery in New South Wales' famed Hunter Valley. Pictured: TLC perform in LA in July

Veteran: The 'RNB Vine Days' concept is an offshoot of the successful nationwide 'RNB Fridays' tour. Pictured: Shaggy performing at Hot 97's Summer Jam in June

Boyz II Men and TLC also have earlier, separate dates booked across New Zealand and Australia in Christchurch, Canberra and Sydney.

The 'RNB Vine Days' concept is an offshoot of the successful nationwide 'RNB Fridays' tour, which is held in association with the Hit Network.

All three acts are no strangers to Australian shores, having toured the country numerous times as individual acts and on featured line-ups.

Booked: Boyz II Men and TLC also have earlier, separate dates booked across New Zealand and Australia in Christchurch, Canberra and Sydney

Grammy winners Boyz II Men, who have enjoyed a long-running residency at the Mirage casino in Las Vegas, recently released a covers album, Under The Streetlight.

TLC released their self-titled fifth album in June this year, funded by a Kickstarter campaign that featured donations from New Kids On The Block and Katy Perry.

Shaggy, 49, whose first hit 'Oh Carolina' came in 1993,collaborated with Australian artist Lisa Viola in April this year on her single 'Show Me Day Way'.

Class act: Grammy winners Boyz II Men, who have enjoyed a long-running residency at the Mirage casino in Las Vegas, recently released a covers album, Under The Streetlight
Rose Byrne has given birth to her second child with actor Bobby Cannavale.

That's according to an anonymous source quoted by People on Thursday.

No further details such as the baby's sex or name are known.

The actress, 38, also shares a 21-month-old son Rocco Robin with Cannavale, 47, whom she's been in a relationship with since 2012.

Byrne was last photographed in public on October 22 in New York City as she ran errands ahead of welcoming her new baby.

Parents again: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale have welcomed their second child together, People reported Thursday citing an anonymous source

The couple announced in August that they were adding to their family.

Speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Cannavale said: 'Were just really, really over the moon. Were in bliss right now.'

The actor also raises son Jake, 22, from his previous marriage to actress and screenwriter Jenny Lumet, 50, from 1994 to 2003.

Expanding family: Byrne, 38, pictured in New York's West Village on October 22 is also mom to son Rocco. Her first child with Cannavale was born in February 2016

Loves her new role: The actress has spoken previously about how naturally she's transitioned into being a mom

Speaking to Australian publication Confidential, she said of the joy of motherhood: 'It's amazing how easily you just get used to it. It's like I've done it all my life.

'My parents are very no-nonsense Australians, they don't like fanfare or fussiness. They're incredibly self sufficient. I hope I'm like them in those ways.'

The actress previously joked that she didn't leave the house for three months after welcoming Rocco into the world.

She told news.com.au in May 2016: 'I havent even left my apartment in three months. It takes an hour and 45 minutes to get out of the house with a baby, and by the time Im ready, Im exhausted.'

'I have a new appreciation for motherhood having just become a parent. Really, Ive turned around a lot. Im tired, but even so, all of its great. But you definitely go into a cocoon.'

Happy couple: The actors will have two under two now as they already have a son Rocco, born in February 2016

Byrne, who was born and raised in Australia, is known for her roles in the horror film Insidious and its sequel, the comedies Bridesmaids and Neighbors and the franchise movies X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Apocalypse.

New Jersey native Cannavale garnered critical attention with his performance in the film The Station Agent and won an Emmy for his recurring guest role on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace.

He's also appeared in Nurse Jackie and Boardwalk Empire and is currently filming Ant-Man And The Wasp, reprising his role from the 2015 first film Ant-Man.
When it comes to fashion and embracing new styles, she's long been known for marching to the beat of her own sartorial drum.

And Miley Cyrus showed just how easily she can slip into contrasting looks when she rocked three very different ensembles as she filmed a commercial for Converse sneakers in the Venice Beach neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday.

The 24-year-old We Can'r Stop hitmaker sizzled in tiny denim shorts as she walked along the shore in the chilly ocean holding a pair of bright blue sneakers.

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Sexy style: Miley Cyrus flashed her tummy and beautiful legs in teeny denim shorts as she filmed a commercial for Converse sneakers on the beach in Venice, Los Angeles, on Thursday

She flashed her toned and tanned tummy in a long-sleeved crop top in shades of sea green and blue.

Her blonde tresses were styled in an updo with blue and silver extensions sticking up like feathers from the top.

For her second look, Miley slipped her slender figure into pink jeans and a matching T-shirt that she tied into a knot to reveal her abs.

Shore thing: The look was among three outfits the 24-year-old hitmaker donned for the shoot

Water girl: She teamed her shorts with a crop top in shades of sea green and blue that showed off her toned and tanned tummy as she walked in the chilly ocean holding her sneakers

Great rear view: The Voice judge showed off her delightful derriere in the barely there shorts

The former Hannah Montana star donned bright pink high-top Chuck Taylor sneakers as she walked through the streets of the oceanfront community.

And she got herself into a sticky situation as she stepped into a comically-sized piece of gum.

This time the Wrecking Ball singer's hair was tied up and twisted into delicate knots on top of her head, held together with red and pink ribbons.

Uh oh! Later Miley got herself into a sticky situation as she stepped into a comically-sized piece of gum while filming

Rosy glow: This time Miley slipped her slender figure into pink jeans and a T-shirt that she tied into a knot to reveal her abs plus bright pink Converse sneakers

Help from mom! Her look-a-like mother Tish Cyrus, 50, stayed by Miley's side in between shots

Her lookalike mother Tish Cyrus, 50, stayed by Miley's side in between filming shots.

Later in the afternoon, Miley made a quick change into a breezy, striped summer dress for the commercial.

She added a pair of blue low-top Converse sneakers to her outfit in addition to a neon green sun hat.

Sunny day! Later in the afternoon, Miley made a quick change into a breezy, striped summer dress teamed with sky blue Converse sneakers

Hairs a thing: Miley's blonde tresses were styled in two braids that fell onto her shoulders

Darling look: A neon green sun hat finished off The Voice judge's summery style

Miley, who is dating Australian Liam Hemsworth, posted a heartfelt message on social media after the country's historic vote to legalize same sex marriage on Wednesday.

'Yes!!!!! Congrats Australia! Every step taken is one closer to World Peace! Love love love you! Proud to be Australian by association lol,' she wrote.

Other celebrities tweeting about the decision included Ellen DeGeneres and her Australian wife Portia de Rossi, Blondie's Debbie Harry and pop star Sia.

Action! The singer looked cute in her feminine dress and green straw hat
He made headlines after blasting a male concertgoer for 'touching and feeling on girls' at a Sydney show on Wednesday.

But the following night, Drake seemed in a far better mood as he danced and partied at his plush hotel.

The 31-year-old is staying at the ritzy Park Hyatt on Sydney Harbour, and appeared to be making the most of his final days in the city.

Private party! On Thursday, Drake was seen dancing and partying until the wee hours at the ritzy Park Hyatt hotel where he is staying in Sydney

Capping off a successful series of shows in Sydney, Drake took to Instagram Stories to share two short clips of himself rapping to Booggz's tack, Recount It.

It seems Drake is supportive of his fellow Canadians, with Booggz an up-and-coming rapper hailing from the North American nation.

The song was played from the DJ decks by two men who seemed the only two people in the room at Drake's VERY private party.

Drinks and dancing: Capping off a successful series of shows in Sydney, Drake took to Instagram Stories to share two short clips of himself rapping to Booggz's tack, Recount It

The Toronto-based rapper wore one of his signature turtleneck sweaters in the clips, while impressively rapping all of the song's lyrics, which included the repeated lines: 'I break the law'.

The uploads came just 24 hours after Drake jumped to the defence of his female fans at his after party on Wednesday night.

Headline hitting: On Wednesday, Drake jumped to the defence of his female fans at his after party

The star was filmed threatening a male concertgoer after catching him 'touching and feeling on girls', in a clip which was shared online.

Midway through his performance, Drake slammed the male fan, telling him: 'If you don't stop touching girls imma (sic) come out there and f**k you up!'

The incident occurred while Drake was performing at Marquee nightclub after his Sydney concert at Qudos Bank Arena.

The superstar is set to perform three shows in Melbourne from this weekend to cap off the Australian leg of his Boy Meets World tour.
She got her modelling breakthrough when she signed a contract with American fashion house Calvin Klein in 2008.

And philanthropist Toni Garrn, 25, cut a stylish figure in a black and pink high-low frock as she attended her Vestiaire Collective x Toni Garrn charity sale to benefit her foundation, alongside Natalia Vodianova in Paris.

The model hosted a series of pop-up shops across European capitals London, Berlin and Paris this month.

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Leggy display: Toni Garrn, 25, cut a stylish figure in a black and pink high-low frock as she attended her Vestiaire Collective x Toni Garrn charity sale to benefit her foundation in Paris on Thursday evening

The 25-year-old put on her best model behaviour as she posed for the cameras in the revealing frock, showing off her toned figure.

Her radiant complexion was met with nude-toned makeup; peachy blush on her chiseled cheekbones, mousse lipstick on her plump lips and heavily lined eyes.

Toni teamed her attire with neutral coloured heels, and dainty jewellery, giving the floor to her striking outfit.

She wore her golden mid-length locks down in a natural centre parting, as she was joined by Russian model Natalia Vodianova.

Model behaviour: She was joined by fellow model Natalia Vodianov, who wowed in a quirky sleeveless patched dress, paired with leather boots, adorned with a white star

Stunning: Her striking blue eyes were highlighting with burnt orange eyeshadow, and a nude lip, which corresponded well with her auburn tresses

Natalia, 35, looked stunning in a quirky sleeveless patched dress, paired with leather boots, adorned with a white star.

Her striking blue eyes were highlighting with burnt orange eyeshadow, and a nude lip, which corresponded well with her auburn tresses.

Created in 2016, the Toni Garrn Foundation aims to help empower girls in Africa.

The foundations first project is providing girls in Zimbabwe access to their rights of a quality education, while supporting gender equality in the girls respective communities.

Showcasing her pieces: Her radiant complexion was met with nude-toned makeup; peachy blush on her chiseled cheekbones, mousse lipstick on her plump lips and heavily lined eyes

Generous: Toni teamed her attire with neutral coloured heels, and dainty jewellery, giving the floor to her striking outfit

Blonde beauty: Her radiant complexion was met with nude-toned makeup; peachy blush on her chiseled cheekbones, mousse lipstick on her plump lips and heavily lined eyes

With all funds raised going directly to the charity, The Toni Garrn Foundation will be able to build boarding houses for less fortunate girls in the continent.

Since her modelling debut in 2008, Toni has gone on to walk the runway for fashion designers such as Dior, Chanel and Stella McCartney.

Toni was in a 18-month relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio from May 2013 until December 2014.
Her cancer is in remission.

And Shannen Doherty looked quite carefree on Thursday as she stepped out for a bite to eat with her mother Rosa Elizabeth.

The 46-year-old charmed star chose quite a relaxed look for the outing.

Mother daughter day! Shannen Doherty looked quite carefree on Thursday as she stepped out for a bite to eat with her mother Rosa Elizabeth

On top she opted for a classic denim jacket layered over a white graphic tee with dark piping around the collar.

Down below she donned a pair of black leggings which revealed her lithe limbs.

She also took the unusual step of turning up the hems of her tight-fitting pants. Black trainers rounded out her laid-back ensemble.

Nothing fancy: On top she opted for a classic denim jacket layered over a white graphic tee with dark piping around the collar

Her mother Rosa Elizabeth also kept things quite informal with a plaid sweater paired with navy sweatpants and black trainers.

She also sported a pair of stylish aviator shades.

Shannen underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation during her battle after being diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2015.

Fighter: Shannen underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation during her battle after being diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2015

She's used social media as a tool to not only reach out to other victims and survivors, but to also share her experiences battling through the disease.

And the cancer hasn't slowed down the actress one bit, as she's been busy filming the reboot of her 1988 movie Heathers.

Back in an August Instagram post, the star opened up about how happy she was to be back to work acting following two years battling breast cancer.

The starlet shared an image of her looking pretty and healthy while donning a long brunette wig, captioning the picture: 'I'm grateful for today. Grateful for everyday,' while thanking the cast and crew of Heathers.
He recently hit the at the airport for cocaine possession.

And Charlie Heaton was bouncing back from his recent ordeal - which saw his mother rushing to his defence - when he attended the GQ 2017 Men of the Year Awards at the Palace Hotel in Madrid on Thursday.

The Stranger Things actor, 23, was looking dapper as he rocked the red carpet in a smart suit, posing like a pro.

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Dapper: Charlie Heaton was bouncing back from his recent ordeal when he attended the GQ 2017 Men of the Year Awards at the Palace Hotel in Madrid on Thursday

Charlie - who dates his Stranger Things co-star Natalia Dyer - was looking handsome in a slim fitting suit and skinny tie.

The British star cut a nonchalent figure, posing with his hands slung in his pockets.

Charlie has seen some troubles recently, which involved his situation at the airport last month, where cocaine was detected on him.

The refusal to enter the States caused Charlie to miss the eagerly-anticipated premiere for the second season of Netflix 's breakout hit Stranger Things.

With series three of the show being confirmed, it is unclear whether Charlie will be allowed to return to the States for future filming endeavours.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Charlie for further comment.

Suave: The Stranger Things actor, 23, was looking dapper as he rocked the red carpet in a smart suit, posing like a pro

In a carefully worded statement, Heaton said he was working to 'rectify' the situation, which is said to have occurred after sniffer dogs detected the cocaine on his person.

'My planned travel to the U.S. last week was affected by an issue at U.S. immigration, and I am working to rectify it as soon as possible,' the 23-year-old told People magazine.

'I do want to clarify that I was not arrested or charged with a crime, and cooperated fully with the U.S. officials at LAX.'

Following the drug's detection, Charlie was questioned before being sent back to England on a return flight, and was unable to attend the premiere for the second season of Stranger Things.

Bust: Charlie has seen some troubles recently, which involved his situation at the airport last month, where cocaine was detected on him

'Im sorry to all the fans and my Stranger Things family for missing the premiere,' he said. 'We are all so proud of this season and I would never want this story to negatively impact the show.'

Heaton's mother and sister previously said a small amount of cocaine found its way on to his wallet at a party two weeks earlier, or at a bar or at a shop without his knowledge.

Family of the actor, who plays Jonathan Byers in the Netflix supernatural drama series, say he has never done drugs in the past and was not under the influence at the time he was stopped at LA airport.

Heaton has since undergone tests, including a hair and urine sample, which have come back all clear, according to his family.

They are now hoping the 'misunderstanding' blows over 'sooner rather than later' to allow the British star and continue filming for Stranger Things.

But they have criticised how Charlie was treated by US officials, claiming he was interrogated for three hours and wasn't allowed to call anyone or ask for a lawyer.

On-screen partners: Charlie dates his Stranger Things co-star Natalia Dyer

They blamed his treatment on his TV star status and claim he was used 'as a target'.

Speaking at the family home in Bridlington, east Yorkshire, his mother Michelle Lowe, 50, said: 'All that rubbish, it's completely fabricated. I know that but that's all I'm allowed to say on it.

'He's never done drugs in the past. It's completely made up, that's what papers do. I'm not his agent, I'm just his mum so I can't really say too much.

'He is sort of between here, London and America. It would be awful if he wasn't allowed back to America to film but I don't see it shouldn't be.

'He has proven his innocence. It could happen to any of us, you go to a bar or a party. It's just unfortunate really.

'I know that's what has happened. I hope it blows over.'
Lisa Wilkinson has made quite an impact on Hollywood's biggest stars after co-hosting a gala dinner for The Fred Hollows Foundation with Joel Edgerton.

Taking to Instagram to share a selfie with the actor, socialite Paris Hilton was quick to gush over the 57-year-old, calling her 'beautiful' and praising her for the smooth running event.

Amazing event last night! Such a wonderful cause' Paris wrote in the comments under one of Lisa's picture.

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New best friends? Hotel heiress Paris Hilton gushes over Lisa Wilkinson and tells her to 'keep up the good work' after new Project host makes her mark in Hollywood at gala dinner

'You looked beautiful on stage last night. Keep up the great work!'

Leaving such a mark on the hotel heiress, Paris is now following Lisa on Instagram.

Lisa joins Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Pattinson, Kate Beckinsdale, Al Pacino and Chris Pine on the committee for The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Hosts with the mosts: Lisa co-hosted the gala alongside Aussie actor Joel Edgerton

Star power was on show at Hollywood's Dream Hotel when Joel staged the inaugural fundraising gala for the foundation named after the Australian ophthalmologist whose trailblazing work has restored eyesight to more than a million people.

Paris and her boyfriend Chris Zylka, Lara and Sam Worthington, Camille Belle, Jai Courtney and Mecki Dent, Tim Minchin and Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers all attended the gala on Thursday night.

For a good cause: 'The Foundation now works tirelessly in 25 countries around the world to end avoidable blindness...often for just a handful of dollars'

After landing Stateside over the weekend, the new Project host has been documenting her trip throughout social media.

'Sometimes life takes you places you weren't expecting....but you're so glad it did. Like here. #LosAngeles. Watch this space' she captioned a recent shot of palm trees.

The trip comes after it was reported Lisa is set to become 'Network's Ten Oprah' when she starts her new role at the network from 2018.
He's a staunch defender of his father, Australian rock icon Jimmy Barnes.

And David Campbell is demanding an apology from Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, who said his dad's track 'Big Enough' with Kirin J. Callinan, was on a 'Do Not Play' list.

The 44-year-old spoke with Fitzy & Wippa on Friday to have a laugh about his playful tirade and joke how he has taken his demands to the highest levels of government.

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Defensive: David Campbell is demanding an apology from Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, who said his dad's track 'Big Enough' with Kirin J. Callinan, was on a 'Do Not Play' list

'Obviously I've spoken to [Foreign Minister] Julie Bishop about it this morning; I think this is a huge international concern!' the Today Extra host told Fitzy and Wippa.

'We're putting aside our differences with North Korea and really going hard on Jimmy Fallon,' he continued.

David, who is Jimmy's first-born son, revealed he hasn't heard anything back from Jimmy Fallon's camp as yet, and labelled the incident 'all a bit of fun'.

Loyal: David, who is Jimmy's first-born son, revealed he hasn't heard anything back from Jimmy Fallon's camp as yet, and labelled the incident 'all a bit of fun'

'We're putting aside our differences with North Korea and really going hard on Jimmy Fallon,' he continued

While he acknowledged he hasn't discussed the issue with his dad yet, he said the funniest part was memes that have been created since it happened.

'There are memes of my dad screaming in Jurassic Park, Game Of Thrones, Star Wars with his silly cowboy hat on - it's hilarious,' he described.

'At the end of the day it's brilliant it got noticed by Jimmy Fallon, but come on - he could have at least credited the screamer!' he observed.

David said there is a now an online petition with the hashtag '#GetBarnesyOnFallon' and he will let everyone know 'immediately' if he hears from the talk show host.

'He's a national icon': David Campbell (pictured left) demands Jimmy Fallon apologise to his father Jimmy Barnes after the comedian slammed his new track

'Hey Jimmy Fallon, big fan here,' David began as he hosted Today Extra earlier in the week.

'I just want to clear up that that scream, was my old man, his name is Jimmy Barnes, he's a national icon.'

'I mean, you may as well have gone after the Sydney Harbour Bridge, or lamingtons, or Ferry McFerryface. Do you know how many babies have been made to my dad screaming over a loudspeaker? Three quarters of the entire population of Brisbane, my Yankee friend.'

Not a fan: In a spirited message, David unleashed on Jimmy Fallon (pictured) after the comedian slammed his father Jimmy Barne' new track with Kirin J Callinan

Using his voice: Jimmy Barnes is pictured singing in the film clip for Kirin J. Callinan's new song

He then said he wants Fallon to apologise to his father - and to Australia.

'So I think you owe us, the Australian people, my father, Barnesy, a heartfelt apology. And before you think you're better of us here in Australia. We didn't elect a Trump. To you, Fallon!'

He added: 'He's taken on an icon, you can't do that.'

Jimmy Barnes, 61, is known for tracks including Working Class Man and Stone Cold, as well as fronting Cold Chisel.

Kirin also shared a scathing statement aimed at Fallon.

'Show some dog gamn (sic) respect,' he wrote on Instagram.

Defending him: David said he wants Fallon to apologise to his father - and to Australia

'Whilst it might be fun to sit on your TV throne in the land o (sic) make believe n (sic) believe u (sic) can blittle (sic) the little fella; truth is youve less made a mockery of me, more shown your inexcusable ignorance and in the process, insulted a nation.'

He added: 'This wont be the last you hear from the unrelenting blizzard that is the ice cold wrath o (sic) the land Down Under,' he said.

Jimmy Barnes meanwhile added on Twitter: 'I'm with you Kirin. I think you are a very talented young man. Tell Jimmy if hes not careful we will move next door to him.'
They've been married for nearly three years and share two sons together.

And Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) and her movie star husband Sam appear more in love than ever.

Arriving at the Fred Hollows Foundation gala in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, chivalrous Sam was seen taking Lara's mobile phone and placing it in the pocket of his pants before affectionately clutching his wife's hand.

Affectionate: Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) and her movie star husband Sam shared a cute moment on Wednesday night, as they arrived at the Fred Hollows Foundation gala in Los Angeles

Lara, 30, was seen grappling with her large mobile device, but with no pockets on her silk pink dress, her husband quickly came to her aid.

Forgoing a clutch, Sam became her own walking handbag, as the Avatar star Sam took the phone and placed it in his pocket.

The hunk then took Lara's hand and clutched it tightly as they made their way into the charity event, hosted by fellow Australian Joel Edgerton.

A helping hand: 30-year-old Lara was seen grappling with her large mobile device, but with no pockets on her silk pink dress, her husband quickly came to her aid

Handy! Forgoing a clutch, Sam became her own walking handbag, as the Avatar star Sam took the phone and placed it in his pocket

Ever the protective husband, Sam took the lead, walking before his model wife as she trailed behind.

Inside, the two put on more affectionate displays as they cosied up together on the red carpet.

Lara placed her hand tenderly on Sam's chest as she gazed adoringly at him.

Taking the lead: Ever the protective husband, Sam took the lead, walking before his model wife as she trailed behind

The New York based couple share sons, Rocket, two, and Racer, one.

Back in July, Lara could not help but gush of her husband, in an interview with Elle Australia.

Admitting the actor made her feel more comfortable than anyone else, she said: 'Meeting Sam is when things really changed for me. Until then, I never really trusted anyone entirely.

'When I was younger, I think maybe I'd try to impress a person by adapting to their ways, but with Sam, from the get-go, I was just myself.'
Principal Joe Walsh may as well have had a cheerleader-style megaphone during an assembly at Newman Elementary on Thursday.

Teachers led students in cheers as a handful of visitors were sorted into the school's house system during a welcome ceremony for Educator For a Day, an event sponsored by the Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools that opens up schools to visitors, mostly from community businesses.

Newman is one of a handful of schools in Billings that uses a house system, which helps harness an excitement-based approach espoused by Ron Clark Academy, a school in Georgia at which several School District 2 educators have attended training sessions.

In Sarah Walter's fifth-grade class, she led students in a math-based song, "long division style," set to 2012 hit "Gangnam Style." Students alternately broke down lyrics mirroring division rules with dance moves, worked on math problems, and paraded in circles around the classroom.

The group of visitors, which included Mayor-elect Bill Cole, also observed several other classes, including a remedial reading program.

Cole asked if Newman benefited from the 2013 bond that pumped money into deferred maintenance projects around the district, in addition to building new middle schools.

The school had some work done, but the biggest benefit was space freed up by moving sixth-graders to the middle schools permanently, freeing up more elementary classrooms, Walsh said.

He highlighted intervention work with students in small groups or one-on-one settings. In previous years, that work occurred in hallways or closet-like spaces, he said.

"We have a room we can actually use now," he said.

Cole also inquired about test scores, noting that Newman typically performs worse than most schools in the district. He asked specifically if students' home lives affect test scores.

Walsh noted that students often enter school at different academic levels, but also expressed a no-excuse approach.

"We have to ultimately be responsible," he said.

In schools in Billings and nationwide, test scores typically correlate strongly with the economic status of students in a school. Newman has a high percentage of students from low-income families.
Simply for theatrical spectacle, you are unlikely to find a show to match Network at the Royal National. Director Ivo van Hove throws every trick to keep the eye entertained.

There are TV screens, live outdoor action, an onstage restaurant for the public, a shocking moment of violence and more  all brilliantly stage-managed by the insistently fashion-conscious Van Hove.

After so much plod and stodge at the National under Rufus Norris, this production is thrillingly watchable. Though I have one or two reservations, lets celebrate its sheer panache.

Bryan Cranston, from TVs Breaking Bad, is superb as the craggy, deranged Beale

Howard Beale is a struggling U.S. TV anchor, a poor mans Walter Cronkite.

Told his career is over, he throws an on-air wobbly, ranting at the awfulness of the news world.

The viewers are so gripped, Beales job is saved and he becomes a national celebrity as the man who told Americans: I want you to get mad.

Soon thousands are shouting out of their windows: Im mad as hell and Im not gonna take this any more. Or as we said last year, vote Brexit. And the Americans said, vote Trump.

The Lyttelton stage has been divided: one side is a TV news studio with a glass box for the producers; the other side has cabaret-style seating where some audience members are fed and given drinks.

How they concentrate on the show, I dont know.

On-stage cameras relay the action to a big back screen (with distractingly out-of-synch sound/lip movements). The film footage takes us a move away from the storys characters. Mr van Hove specialises in this multi-layered yet slightly shallow reality. Here, he is on top form.

He is a ringer for City PR man Roland Rudd, who was in the first-night audience. Now theres a massager of the news!

Bryan Cranston, from TVs Breaking Bad, is superb as the craggy, deranged Beale. He is a ringer for City PR man Roland Rudd, who was in the first-night audience. Now theres a massager of the news!

And it is one of the plays messages  that mainstream news may be flawed. It also argues for the importance of the complexity of people. Yet we do not get to peer much inside Beales soul. Nor are many other characters explored to the full.

The TV executives around Beale engage in corporate politics, but apart from a broken marriage sub-plot, it is all rather metallic. And network TV types, in my experience, tend to be a great deal more snooty.

The sort who are depicted here may fit the old stereotype, but todays broadcast execs are often infuriatingly pious and preachy.

The TV executives around Beale engage in corporate politics, but apart from a broken marriage sub-plot, it is all rather metallic

Michelle Dockery is well cast as icy Diana, a hard-bitten producer who sees Beales madness could be saleable. Consider The Jeremy Kyle Show in Britain today and this story, originally a 1976 film, seems visionary.

In other respects, the years have not been kind to the plot (which is here adapted arrestingly by Lee Hall). The film passed sharp comment on the power of network television, but that has now been surpassed by the internet. And in time, inevitably, social media and Facebook and Twitter and their ilk will be surpassed by other news providers.

Nonetheless, Im all in favour of people getting mad. It was fun to watch the Establishment audience at the National quivering at the fiery polemic from Beale. The one nagging worry I have is that for all the presentational brio from director Van Hove, this production may itself be hyping a story simply for ratings purposes.

In other respects, the years have not been kind to the plot (which is here adapted arrestingly by Lee Hall). The film passed sharp comment on the power of network television, but that has now been surpassed by the internet

Prolific James Graham has opened another play, this time about Charles Ingram, the coughing Major found guilty of cheating on ITVs Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Mr Graham, whose past subjects have included Parliament and Seventies Fleet Street, turns his hand to popular culture and the Law.

Chichesters Minerva Theatre has been turned into the set of Millionaire with Keir Charles doing a jokey (vocally quite accurate) impersonation of quizmaster Chris Tarrant. Beside him sits Gavin Spokes as a too-chubby Ingram. Did Ingrams wife Diana (Stephanie Street) and her acquaintance Tecwen Whittock (Mark Meadows) prompt Ingram by coughing when he considered the multiple-choice answers that won him his million pounds?

The TV company produced a tape that certainly seemed to suggest it. After hearing that evidence, the Chichester theatre crowd pressed electronic buttons to pass an 83 per cent guilty verdict on Tuesday.

An hour later, after the case for the defence, the audience thought by 59 per cent that Ingram should have been acquitted. Was this a bad miscarriage of justice? So it might seem. Yet Daniel Evanss production aims for japes, accents caricatured, cameos hurried, the staging gimmicky. There is a sequence when the public keep coughing at the Ingrams in the street. Audience members are invited to answer pub quiz questions. The Law frolics and a senior Army officer sings Gilbert and Sullivan, ha-ha.

In some respects, it is little more than happened in life  the case was infected by media titillation and courtroom silliness. But I would have enjoyed greater dramatic anger.

Should the lawyers not be speared? Could the TV executives not be satirised more savagely? Some involved rose high in our public life  one prosecutor is now a judge and the top TV guy became a BBC trustee.

Come on, Mr Graham. We know you can do souffle appetisers. Lets now have some meat.
Oscar nominee Salma Hayek did not exactly receive the VIP celebrity treatment while going through the security line at LAX Airport in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Under the watchful eye of the Transportation Security Administration, the Mexican-American 51-year-old removed her platform shoes and black coat for agents.

Rather than choosing the optional pat-down, the Beatriz at Dinner actress went through a full-body scan in the Advanced Imaging Technology imaging portal.

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Down-to-Earth: Oscar nominee Salma Hayek did not exactly receive the VIP celebrity treatment while going through the security line at LAX Airport in Los Angeles on Thursday

Hayek (born Jimenez) could have caught a private jet or applied for TSA Precheck, which promises travelers 'a five-minute wait or less' without the body checks.

For her departing flight, Salma dressed her 5ft2in hourglass figure in a silk seafoam-patterned pussy-bow blouse and black pants fastened with a Gucci belt.

That same day, the Hitman's Bodyguard actress weighed in on the recent storm of powerful men (many in Hollywood) being accused of sexual harassment and/or misconduct.

'I have so many [thoughts] I've tried to write something for a month, and it's so disturbing I can't even write it,' the Cooler Cleanse co-founder told the Los Angeles Times.

Safety first: Under the watchful eye of the Transportation Security Administration, the Mexican-American 51-year-old removed her platform shoes and black coat for agents

Arms up: Rather than choosing the optional pat-down, the Beatriz at Dinner actress went through a full-body scan in the Advanced Imaging Technology imaging portal

No diva: Hayek (born Jimenez) could have caught a private jet or applied for TSA Precheck, which promises travelers 'a five-minute wait or less' without the body checks

Globetrotter: For her departing flight, Salma dressed her 5ft2in hourglass figure in a silk seafoam-patterned pussy-bow blouse and black pants fastened with a Gucci belt

'I don't know if I can use words when I'm still trying to figure out how to express all the things I think about what is happening. All I can say is it's part of a bigger problem, and that is the devaluation of women in the industry and this is why we fight for equality.'

Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein produced (and his company Miramax distributed) eight of Hayek's films - including Julie Taymor's 2002 classic, Frida.

An eye-popping 70 women have accused the disgraced 65-year-old, who's currently the subject of around 14 sexual assault investigations in four different cities.

'I've tried to write something for a month, and it's so disturbing I can't even write it': That same day, the Hitman's Bodyguard actress weighed in on the recent storm of powerful men (many in Hollywood) being accused of sexual harassment and/or misconduct

Subject of 14 criminal investigations: Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein produced and his company Miramax distributed eight of Hayek's films - including Julie Taymor's 2002 classic, Frida (pictured in 2003)

'This is why we fight for equality': Salma and her beloved billionaire husband, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault (M), have frequently been pictured partying in Cannes with the disgraced 65-year-old as recent as 2015 (pictured in 2013)

'#HappyHalloween!' The How to Be a Latin Lover stunner and the 55-year-old Frenchman are the proud parents of 10-year-old daughter Valentina

Salma and her beloved billionaire husband, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, have frequently been pictured partying in Cannes with Weinstein as recent as 2015.

The How to Be a Latin Lover stunner and the 55-year-old Frenchman are the proud parents of 10-year-old daughter Valentina.

The Daytime Emmy winner will next reunite with 30 Rock's Alec Baldwin to play the Teagartens, a scheming impoverished couple in Fred Wolf's suburban comedy Drunk Parents due out next year.
A who's who of Australian stars turned out for the Fred Hollows Foundation gala in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

So it was no surprise to see Tim Minchin front and centre at the VIP event.

The comedian and musician, 42, hobnobbed with the A-List crowd which included Sam Worthington, Lara Bingle and host Joel Edgerton.

Fancy seeing you here! Tim Minchin was spotted among the stars who turned out for the Fred Hollows Foundation gala in Los Angeles on Wednesday night

International celeb favourites, such as Paris Hilton, Robert Pattinson and Ricky Martin, were also in attendance.

However, despite the star-studded guest list and the glitz and glamour of the occasion, Tim chose to rock a notably dressed-down ensemble.

Wearing his trademark locks out, the Matilda The Musical co-creator forwent a tux in favour of grey skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

He added a casual black jacket to shield himself from the cool California climes.

Dressed down: Despite the star-studded guest list and the glitz and glamour of the occasion, Tim chose to rock a notably casual ensemble

The star, who frequently appears as a guest on TV quiz shows, wore a pair of black ankle boots to complete his look.

At the gala, the comedian was seen chatting with Joel as they sat together on a table with Dr Wondu Alemayehu.

Tim was later seen beaming as they posed for a photograph.

Hobnobbing with the elite! Tim cosied up for a picture with Joel Edgerton and Dr Wondu Alemayehu

And it appears the Perth-born talent has much to smile about, with his new play Groundhog Day recently hitting Broadway.

His adaptation of Billy Murray's cult film has earned rave reviews.

Tim has been married to wife Sarah since 2001, but it appears he went solo on Wednesday night's outing.
She's currently en route to Shanghai ahead of the 2017 Victoria's Secret Show.

But before she struts her stuff on the catwalk of the internationally-renowned show, Georgia Fowler has been holidaying in Mexico.

Flaunting her enviable, runway-ready physique on Wednesday, the 25-year-old was all smiles as she frolicked in the Tulum ocean.

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Ready for the show! Ahead of next week's Victoria's Secret, earlier in the week, Georgia Fowler flaunted her ample cleavage and washboard abs in a racy bikini

'How happy I am about this new emoji - those that know me, will understand,' captioned Georgia with a mermaid symbol.

Georgia donned a black two-piece for the impromptu shoot.

Sitting in the water, she drew attention to her ample cleavage and washboard abs.

Beach babe: 'How happy I am about this new emoji - those that know me, will understand,' captioned Georgia with a mermaid symbol

Stunner: Reminding fans why she was chosen as a top model for the coveted show, another shot saw the New Zealand native cover up in a blue sarong

Reminding fans why she was chosen as a top model for the coveted show, another shot saw the New Zealand native cover up in a blue sarong.

The sultry selfie taken at golden hour saw the sunlight radiate off Georgia's face.

With her hair flying whimsically, the blue-eyed stunner added a pair of large hooped earrings to her natural look.

And she's off! Earlier in the day, Georgia took to Instagram Stories to reveal she was off to China for the fashion show set to bring in $12 million

Friends: Posing alongside Australian Victoria's Secret veteran Kelly Gale (left) and Devon Windsor (right), the stunner threw her hands up in the air

Earlier in the day, Georgia took to Instagram Stories to reveal she was off to China for the fashion show set to bring in $12 million.

Posing alongside Australian Victoria's Secret veteran Kelly Gale and Devon Windsor, the stunner threw her hands up in the air.

2017 will be Georgia's second time walking for the International brand.
She first made her name as a co-founder and designer for her shoe brand Mara & Mine, originally based in Los Angeles.

And it looks as though Karl Stefanovic's girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough is set to open her first Australian boutique in Sydney.

The 33-year-old took to her Instagram story to share the first glimpses of the interior of the store.

Cream interiors, plush furniture and a nude painting on the floor: Karl Stefanovic's girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough shares a sneak peek of the modern interior of her first Australian shoe boutique

Her first snap featured modern nude art painted on the floor by Daimon Downey.

The image featured her black embroidered slippers, as well as a representation of a naked female figure, along with the caption: 'New store's coming along well'.

In her next photo, Jasmine was seen posing on a white couch in a short black dress and a cape jacket with the words: 'Coming soon' scrolled on the image.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Jasmine for comment.

Modern interior: The 33-year-old took to her Instagram story to share the first glimpses of the interior of the store

The blonde beauty first established her Mara & Mine shoe company with her best friend and business partner Tamie Ingham.

The pair developed the brand in Los Angeles, and now have a successful business with celebrity clientele, including the likes of Margot Robbie, Kendall Jenner and Julianne Hough.

Earlier in the week, Jasmine and her Today show host boyfriend celebrated the 'Yes' result in the same-sex marriage postal survey.

The boyfriend and the best friend: Jasmine first established the company with her best friend and business partner Tamie Ingham (pictured right), developing the brand in Los Angeles

It's a yes! Earlier in the week, Jasmine and her Today show host boyfriend celebrated the 'Yes' result in the same-sex marriage postal survey with Karl's Today co-host Richard Wilkins and restaurateur Luke Mangan

The couple shared the same photograph to each of their Instagram accounts, causing many to ask if they would get married soon.

In the picture, both Karl and Jasmine have their hands in the air and wear wide smiles on their faces alongside Karl's Today co-host Richard Wilkins and restaurateur Luke Mangan.

They first went public with their romance in February, after photos surfaced of the pair kissing on a luxury yacht in Sydney Harbour.
Elizabeth Hurley has claimed she wasn't aware of alleged sexual misconduct by Mark Schwahn.

The 51-year-old Royals showrunner was suspended on Thursday after the cast of his old show One Tree Hill accused him of sexual harassment.

When Royals' star Alexandra Park confirmed she too had 'been exposed to this reprehensible behavior', her onscreen mother published an open letter on Twitter claiming she had never witnessed anything in the four years the three worked together.

Elizabeth Hurley has claimed she wasn't aware of alleged sexual misconduct by Mark Schwahn

She said she 'felt sick' she had missed it, and had let a younger cast member down, adding that she could and would have helped her but 'I didn't know'.

However shortly after the 52-year-old tweeted, a statement signed by 25 of her Royals co-stars and crew was released accusing Schwahn of 'repeated unwanted sexual harassment of multiple female members of cast and crew.'

The Royals cast and crew statement, like Park, credited the bravery of the One Tree Hill statement for inspiring them to come forward.

'Despite hearing rumours about his behavior on One Tree Hill those of us involved from the early stages went into the filming of the pilot hoping they were just that  rumours,' they wrote. 'By the time we wrapped this had irrevocably proven not to be the case.'

Mark Schwahn has been suspended from his job producing E! drama The Royals due to allegations of sexual misconduct by cast members from his old show

'Where we should have been excited to meet new female cast and crew members, we felt nauseating concern in case they too should have him track down their mobile number,' they wrote. 'Where we should have offered our friends who auditioned for The Royals scene help and advice, we offered warnings about the man they would meet in the room.'

The statement was signed by 'The Ladies of The Royals': Hatty Preston, Sophie Colquhoun, Alex Watherson, Lydia Rose Bewley, April Church, Annalise Beusnel, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Florence Chow, Charlie Jones, Isabella Artitzone, Jade Armstrong, Rachel Walsh, Tania Vernava, Bonnie Vannucci, Merritt Patterson, Kate Benton, Jerry-Jane Pears, Jodie Simone, Kate Royds, Leonie Hartard, Lisa Mitton, Marie Deehan, Alice Woodward, Rachel Lennon, Kimberly Macbeth.

Schwahn hasn't responded to the allegations, and his representatives did not respond to a request for comment by Variety. The Royals was created by Schwahn, and its fourth season is set to premiere in March

The obvious name missing from the list was Hurley's, who according to her own statement, was completely oblivious to what was going on.

'I have loved working alongside Alexandra and Mark for four years while shooting The Royals, and had absolutely no idea that she was feeling frightened and sexually intimidated by Mark during this time,' she wrote.

'I have never personally felt scared, intimidated, psychologically manipulated or been the recipient of inappropriate behavior in 30 years of making movies and television. This includes my years working closely with Mark Schwahn. yes, he flirts and tells risque jokes  but so do I.

'To hear that there was more than this is a shocking surprise. I never witnessed it.

She concluded: 'I may have failed Alexandra but it wont happen again on my watch.'

On Thursday E! announced Schwahn would be indefinitely suspended from the show as the investigation into his actions continues.

The One Tree Hill letter which was signed by 18 women on the show, was sent to Variety to accuse him of harassment after Audrey Wauchope, a former writer on the series, took to Twitter on Saturday to speak about her experiences with the showrunner.

The decision comes after cast members from the Warner Bros TV Drama One Tree Hill, including Hilarie Burton (left) and Sophia Bush (right), came forward Monday to accuse Schwahn of sexual harassment

A letter, which was signed by 18 women on the show, was sent to Variety to accuse him of harassment after Audrey Wauchope, a former writer on the series, took to Twitter on Saturday to speak about her experiences with the showrunner

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Wauchope said she and other women who worked on One Tree Hill, were often times subject to unwanted touching.

'To say we left that job demoralized and confused is also an understatement. One of the 1st things we were told was that the showrunner hired female writers on the basis of their looks. That's why you're here - he wants to f**k you,' she tweeted.

She also talked about how Schwahn would allegedly show naked pictures of actresses he'd slept with to male staffers without the actress' knowledge.

In a series of tweets, Wauchope said she and other women who worked on One Tree Hill, were often times subject to unwanted touching

'Men on staff were shown naked photos of on an actress he was having an affair with. Naked photos she didn't know were being passed around.

'Naked photos they didn't want to see. This is such a violation, both to the actress and to the men forced to look and participate,' she wrote.

In Monday's letter, the likes of Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz said they stood behind Wachope's allegations.

'Many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally,' the letter reads.

The cast and crew members who wrote the letter supporting Wauchope said they are all 'deeply grateful for Audrey's courage'. Pictured cast members (l-r) Burton, Murray, Bush, Lafferty and Lenz

'More than one of us is still in treatment for post-traumatic stress. Many of us were put in uncomfortable positions and had to swiftly learn to fight back, sometimes physically, because it was made clear to us that the supervisors in the room were not the protectors they were supposed to be.

'Many of us were spoken to in ways that ran the spectrum from deeply upsetting, to traumatizing, to downright illegal. And a few of us were put in positions where we felt physically unsafe.'

Cast members Bush, Burton, Lenz, Danneel Harris, Michaela McManus, Kate Voegele, Daphne Zuniga, India DeBeaufort, Bevin Prince, Jana Kramer, Shantel Van Santen, and Allison Munn all signed the letter. Crew members, Audrey Wauchope, Rachel Specter, Jane Beck, Tarin Squillante, Cristy Koebley and JoJo Stephens also signed the letter.
Teddi Jo Mellencamp was shown struggling as the newcomer on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills in a trailer released Thursday for the hit Bravo show.

The 36-year-old daughter of rocker John Cougar Mellencamp, 66, will join returning housewives Erika Girardi, Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Lisa Rinna and Dorit Kemsley for season eight.

'Some of these women make it very hard to feel at ease. I'm not going to back down when I know I'm right,' Mellencamp said.

New addition: Teddi Jo Mellencamp was shown struggling as the newcomer on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills in a new trailer released Thursday for season eight

Mellencamp seemed to jump right into things as she was seen calling Rinna a 'schizophrenic'.

Kemsley meanwhile was shown calling Mellencamp a 'psycho'.

The trailer also showed Lisa Rinna, 54, bonding with RHOBH regular Camille Grammer, 48, as both have become model moms.

Rinna and Grammer were shown strutting side-by-side in black lingerie as they looked runway ready just like their daughters.

Model moms: Camille Grammer and Lisa Rinna walked side-by-side in lingerie in the trailer

Real housewives: Dorit Kemsley, Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Erika Girardi, Teddi and Rinna will be the main cast members for the upcoming season

Lisa Vanderpump, 57, and Kyle Richards, 48, were shown helping clean up rescue dogs for the Vanderpump Dog Foundation.

Girardi, 46, also was seen striking a pose in a photoshoot.

Kemsley, 41, and Girardi appeared to have moved on from last season's Panty Gate fiasco and were shown enjoying their time together.

Dog wash: Vanderpump and Kyle were shown washing a dog apparently at the Vanderpump Dog Foundation

Good times: Good sport Kyle was shown cracking up while cleaning up the dogs

Having fun: Erika and Dorit appeared to have move beyond last season's Panty Gate and were shown having fun together in several scenes

Enjoying it: Vanderpump said that one has to enjoy Beverly Hills

Digging in: The restaurateur was shown digging into some caviar

They were shown gambling together with Kemsley rejoicing after winning at the roulette table.

Kemsley also was captured in 'design mode' as she prepared to launch a swimwear line and said it was all about 'fashion, fashion, fashion.'

Kyle in the trailer also got some help with her pooches from dog whisperer Cesar Millan.

Overseas visit: The Oberbaum Bridge was shown as the ladies headed to Berlin

Teeming metropolis: The RHOBH cast also will visit New York City in season eight

Tokyo trip: The women's trip to Japan also was captured for season eight

Slimy stuff: Erika reacted after ingesting a slimy piece of fish

Model looks: The blonde beauty who performs as Erika Jayne posed for a photo

Girardi in a confessional bluntly said, 'You have to cut the head off the devil'.

She added: 'This whole thing boils down to three bitches that are competitive over friendship'.

The trailer ended with Vanderpump driving off in a huff and telling Richards and Kemsley: 'I'm going home to my husband who would rather spend time with me than you would.'

Sin city: A trip to Las Vegas also will be shown during season eight

High rollers: Dorit sat down and was ready to wager with $5,000

Roulette wheel: The right number came up and Dorit jumped up as she won

Proud mother: Rinna called herself a model 'momager' as she was shepherding daughters Delilah and Amelia

Model moment: The reality star pointed up to a billboard featuring one of her daughters

Special appearance: The trailer also featured Boy George who is managed by Dorit's husband

Kemsley and Richards stood with their mouths open in stunned silence.

Grammer starred as a main cast member during the first two seasons of RHOBH and was returning for season eight with Friend status.

The upcoming season will include trips to Berlin, Tokyo and New York City.

Seasone eight of RHOBH will premiere on December 19 on Bravo.

Front row: The RHOBH cast sat front row at a fashion show

Hanging out: Kyle was spotted hanging out near a panda
She is one of the best dressed actresses in Hollywood.

And on Thursday, Naomi Watts once again showcased her sartorial style as she attended the Guggenheim's International Gala in New York.

The 49-year-old stunned in a sheer black designer frock.

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Sheer delight! Naomi Watts showcases her sartorial style as she slips into a whimsical designer dress for gala

Cinching in at the waist, Naomi's dress showcased her lean physique.

With a netted shoulder and decolletage, attention was drawn to her chest with a bright and colourful design.

Concealing her long and lean legs, the remainder of the frock sported a tulle ruffle effect.

Designer: With a netted shoulder and decolletage, attention was drawn to her chest with a bright and colourful design

Ensuring her dress was the main attraction, The Glass Castle actress complimented her look with black pumps.

Naomi sported a radiant and luminous complexion for the gala with no facial lines in sight.

Drawing attention to her deep-set blue eyes, the mother-of-two added a sweep of blush and a glossy red lip.

Fashion forward: Ensuring her dress was the main attraction, The Glass Castle actress complimented her look with black pumps

Materialistic do: Naomi's shoulder-length locks were brushed onto one side and styled into a loose wave

Naomi's shoulder-length locks were brushed onto one side and styled into a loose wave.

She kept her accessories simple with floral black studs and a matching ring.

Keeping warm, Naomi added a dusty pink overcoat to her ensemble.

The star's next big screen role is in the romance drama Ophelia, which offers a telling of Hamlet from the perspective of the young noblewoman.
She is currently touring Australia as part of the SupaNova comic convention.

And Millie Bobby Brown has been spotted trying to keep a low profile as she arrived at Adelaide Airport on Friday.

The 13-year-old kept it casual wearing a jumper with a neon blue flower from Drake's The Boy Meets World Tour, just days after meeting the Canadian rapper.

She's a fan! Stranger Things starlet Millie Bobby Brown was spotted trying to keep a low profile arriving at Adelaide Airport. She kept it casual wearing a jumper with a neon blue flower from Drake's The Boy Meets World Tour

As she walked, Millie appeared to be busy on her phone, likely catching up with her many social media messages, as she made her way up the ramp.

Millie teamed the look with a denim shorts, black trainers and completed her ensemble with a pair of chic, white-rimmed sunglasses.

The British actress recently met the Hotline Bling musician, who is also touring Australia, and took to Instagram to share their photo.

Busy girl! The 13-year-old appeared to be distracted by her phone, likely catching up with her many social media messages, as she made her way up the ramp

'This guy!': The British actress recently met the Canadian rapper, who is also touring Australia, and took to Instagram to share their photo

She simply captioned the image: 'This guy... '

Fans of the Stranger Things star loved her post, including one who wrote: 'The hottest rapper... Oh and Drake.'

'It looks like Drake is her biggest fan. She's cool, calm and collected,' another commented.

Mutual fandom: Fans of the Stranger Things Star loved her post, including one who wrote: 'The hottest rapper... Oh and Drake'

But it seems the fandom is mutual, with Drizzy also posting a snap of their meeting pretending to do a pose in the style of Millie's character Eleven.

He captioned: 'Hawkins Very Own,' a cheeky reference to his record label October's Very Own and the fictional town where Stranger Things is set.

Millie is set to star in Godzilla: King of Monsters, set for release in 2019.
She's one of Australia's most in-demand glamour models.

And judging by the stunning display Natalie Roser treated her fans to on Instagram Friday, it's not hard to see why.

The blonde bombshell flaunted her assets in a series of jaw-dropping lingerie sets to end her 887, 000 followers working weeks on a high note.

TGIF! On Friday, Natalie Roser (pictured) flaunted her assets in a series of jaw-dropping lingerie sets to end her 887, 000 followers working weeks off on a high note

In the first post, the beauty slipped into a cheeky green lace ensemble and is seen flashing her pearly whites in a selfie video.

Natalie stuck her tongue out and danced, keeping the camera on her bronzed frame.

During a break from her glamour shoot, the model found time for another quick video, this time offering a seductive pout.

She looked stunning in a purple-grey two-piece, which added a touch of class via intricate lace detailing.

After putting on a bubbly display in a lacy green two-piece, the model found time for another quick video, this time offering a seductive pout in an intricately detailed purple-grey number

Despite the fact Natalie was wearing perhaps her most revealing piece yet - a strapless, frilly pink number - she focused her attention elsewhere for her next snap.

'Always on her phone,' the beauty said into the camera she had trained on her clearly pre-occupied makeup artist.

'No idea what's going on,' she continued, before zooming in on her unsuspecting co-star, who went bright red with embarrassment.

Busted! The blonde bombshell focused her attention elsewhere for her next snap, busting her makeup artist for spending too much time on her phone

She also stripped down to some racy lacy lingerie during a shoot for Frederick's of Hollywood this week.

Natalie recently attributed her fabulous figure to an alkaline cleanse, and her success in kicking an 'eating and sugar addiction.'

She revealed the cleanse helped get her 'back on track with my eating and sugar addiction.'

Loving the lingerie! She also stripped down to some racy lacy lingerie during a shoot for Frederick's of Hollywood this week
A judge has voided an attempt by 11 people to claim an interest in the St. Francis Upper building in downtown Billings.

The group had filed a notice on Oct. 23 seeking shares of the building's deed. They said they were heirs with potential interest in staking their claims. Now court documents say that the attorney representing the 11 out-of-state heirs has agreed to withdraw.

By the time the group filed their notice on Oct. 23, District Judge Gregory Todd had also issued an order giving the Diocese claim to the property due to a lack of response from most of the 434 identified heirs.

Court documents note that it's unclear which came first. Nevertheless, the group had also agreed to give up on their claims, according to the court papers.

An attorney for the group didn't return a request for comment.

Judge Todd signed an order in favor of the Diocese's motion on Nov. 6. That clears the road for Billings Catholic Schools to assume full ownership of the property's deed, which was granted in 1916 by Kate Fratt.

Fratt deeded the property to the Diocese but also granted shares to family members if it wasn't used as a parochial school. Now that Billings Catholic Schools has moved out of the building, it sought a judge's rule to assume full ownership of the deed for a potential sale.

The judge's order helps to clear the way for Billings Catholic Schools to sell the St. Francis Upper building. No court hearing has been set in the case.
She clearly felt like giving everyone a peace of her mind.

For jolly professional clotheshorse Kelly Bensimon could not resist flashing the V-sign as she went for a trot around New York on Thursday.

The cheeky model looked like she was having a great time as she stretched her legs in the Big Apple.

She comes in peace: Kelly Bensimon could not resist flashing the V-sign as she went for a trot around New York on Thursday

Former Real Housewives Of New York favourite Kelly, 49, looked every inch the thoroughbred as she trotted down the street in a black top, tight-fitting leggings and orange trainers.

And the fine filly certainly proved that age is no barrier to physical performance as she effortlessly cantered around in front of thrilled pedestrians.

Mother-of-two Kelly had been married to French photographer Gilles Bensimon from 1997 until 2007, and in 2000 the ill-starred couple had welcomed their younger child, a daughter they called Thadeus.

Back in 2009, when she was still a Real Housewife, Kelly had squawked that her general motherhood tip was to 'just live every day like it's your last.'

Ageless beauty: It is hard to believe the model is really 49-years-old

Literally stopping traffic: Cars had to wait as she jogged through an intersection

V for victory: Winston Churchill would have been impressed at her form

She bellowed: 'It doesn't matter how much sleep you had or if you're wearing the same sweatpants from last week. Enjoy every single moment because life is so short.

'It sounds simple, but it's true. Every moment you're not there, you miss. You can't bring it back. It doesn't matter how savvy you are with the computer.'

Motherhood, in her view as she'd expressed it back then, 'empowers you to become a better person,' in the sense that 'It's not about going to the bar anymore.'

She'd held that 'Life becomes about building a bar, or financing a bar,' explaining the metaphor: 'You just think bigger, and it's exciting!,' adding that 'It's crazy.'

Mother-of-two Kelly had been married to French photographer Gilles Bensimon from 1997 until 2007, and in 2000 the ill-starred couple had welcomed their younger child, a daughter they called Thadeu
Will Reeve, the youngest son of Superman actor Christopher Reeve, attended the annual fundraising gala for the nonprofit established in his parents' names on Thursday.

And Will, 25, bore a striking resemblance to his famous father with the same chiseled jawline and dark hair.

Christopher Reeve died in 2004 at the age of 52 after spending the last nine of his years paralyzed from the neck down as the result of a horse-riding accident.

His father's son: Will Reeve, the youngest son of Superman actor Christopher Reeve, bore a striking resemblance to his famous dad as he attended a fundraising gala on Thursday

Before he passed away, the Hollywood star established the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation to support the search for treatment and ultimately a cure for spinal cord injury.

Following the lung cancer death of his wife, and Will's mother, Dana in 2006 at the age of 44, the charity was renamed the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

A Magical Evening, held in New York Thursday, is the foundation's biggest fundraiser and this year it was hosted by actor Jerry O'Connell with guests including Glenn Close.

Also joining Will at the event was his older half-brother Matthew Reeve, 37. Matthew and his sister Alexandra are the children of Christopher and his longtime partner Gae Exton.

Hollywood star: Christopher, pictured in 1982, was catapulted to international stardom after starring as Clark Kent in 1978's Superman, a role he reprised in three sequels

Keeping the memory alive: Will, 25, was only 11 when his dad died. He is a college graduate and dabbled in acting before focusing on a career in sports broadcasting

Christopher died in 2004 at the age of 52 after spending the last nine of his years paralyzed from the neck down as the result of a horse-riding accident. His wife Dana, Will's mother, passed away from lung cancer two years later at the age of 44. The three are pictured in 1997

According to the nonprofit's website , the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation 'is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.'

In addition, 'The Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) is the support side of the Reeve Foundation and offers a free, comprehensive, national source of informational support for individuals living with paralysis and their caregivers.'

Raising money: Joining Will at the A Magical Evening fundraiser for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation was his older half-brother Matthew Reeve and actress Glenn Close

Emcee: The event was hosted by actor Jerry McConnell who looked dapper in a dark blue suit with a white shirt and a blue, black and white tie
Ben Affleck was grilled by chat show host Stephen Colbert on Thursday about the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the actor's own allegations of sexual misconduct.

The 45-year-old Oscar winner made an appearance on this show to promote his new movie Justice League on The Late Show and was ribbed by Colbert, 53, for President Donald Trump's past Twitter endorsement of his portrayal of Batman.

However, when Colbert waded into dark waters by stating that the 'person who started your career was [disgraced film producer] Harvey Weinstein', a seemingly blindsided Affleck responded: 'This is a comedy show, correct?'

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Hot seat: Ben Affleck while promoting Justice League on The Late Late Show on Thursday was grilled about his association with disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein

Colbert said the show also covers 'subjects of the moment' and asked Affleck about his association with Weinstein.

The actor let out a long sigh before noting he understood the reasoning, as he said: 'It was awful to see the extent of these terrible crimes. I haven't worked with Harvey for more than 20 or 15 years.'

Screen star Affleck said the Weinstein scandal has 'tainted' his affinity for movies such as Shakespeare In Love, Chasing Amy and other Weinstein films that he starred in, knowing now that women had been allegedly assaulted and traumatized.

The host: Stephen Colbert also questioned Affleck about sexual abuse allegations levied against the actor

Affleck said he was going to donate his residuals from Miramax movies to charities that benefit women.

'I don't want to cash a check from the guy,' Affleck said to applause from the audience.

Colbert then brought up that Affleck himself had been 'accused of a few things' and noted that he apologized for his behavior before asking if the awareness would be a 'passing thing' in Hollywood.

'What I was accused of by a woman [Hilarie Burton] was of touching her breast while giving her a hug. I dont remember it, but I absolutely apologized for it. I certainly dont think shes lying or making it up,' Affleck said.

Lighter topics: Affleck during the first part of the interview talked about playing Batman and how his children respond to him portraying a superhero

Comedy show: Affleck asked if he was on a comedy show as the topic turned to Weinstein

'Its just the kind of thing we have to as men, as we become more aware of this, be more mindful of our behavior and hold ourselves accountable and say, ''If I was ever part of the problem, I want to change. I want to be part of the solution.' And to not shy away from these awkward or strange encounters we might have have had,' he added.

Affleck acknowledged being uncomfortable during a recent interview when the subject arose and lauging awkwardly.

'I think the most important thing to do is to support the voices coming forward, believe them, and create a business where more women are empowered and in place so less of this happens. And so that there is a way of reporting this stuff so that people can feel safe doing it,' he said.

Tainted love: The actor said his experience with Miramax Films was 'tainted' by Weinstein and he was going to donate his residuals from them to charities that benefit women

Own allegations: Colbert also asked Affleck about allegations brought against him

Affleck also addressed male privilege as he said: 'I thought I had a sense of the scope of the problem and I thought I understood it and the truth is I really didnt.'

'I didnt understand what its like to be groped, to be harassed, to be interrupted, talked over, paid less, you know, pushed around, belittled: all the things that women deal with, for me as a man, I have the privilege of not having to deal with.

'Part of this for me has been listening to people I really care about and love as they tell me stories of stuff that has happened to them, this is men and women, and recognizing its a real thing.

'Im not spokesman, Im not a superhero, I cant change it by myself. I can just be accountable for myself and my actions,' Affleck said.

Candid conversation: The Oscar winner said that he wanted to be part of the solution

Colbert initially kept it light during the first half of the interview and asked Affleck what his children thought about him playing a superhero.

Affleck said his five-year-old son Sam with ex-wife Jennifer Garner loves it, but his 'daughters [Violet and Seraphina] are over me and don't think I could possibly be any less cool.'

The chat show host also reminded Affleck that his ex Garner used to babysit for him back when she was on Spin City.

Affleck then shared a cute story about how he expected Sam to be Batman for Halloween, but the boy actually wanted to be superhero The Flash.

Team up: Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Affleck as Batman and Ezra Miller as The Flash are shown in a still from Justice League

Colbert after a commercial break brought up Affleck's 1997 movie Good Will Hunting that he co-wrote and starred in with Matt Damon.

The critically acclaimed drama also starring the late Robin Williams was produced by Miramax Films and its co-founder disgraced Hollywood producer Weinstein.

Affleck recalled how he and Damon - who were both relatively unknown back then - imitated famous actors they envisioned for the movie, including Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman.

'I did a terrible De Niro, just the face,' Affleck said while impersonating the famed actor's facial expression.

Justice League opens wide on Friday in the US.
Demi Moore and daughter Rumer Willis kept each other company as they attended a designer collection launch in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Demi, 55, and Rumer, 29, looked almost like sisters as they posed together for photos.

The occasion was the Christian Louboutin and Sabyasachi Unveil Capsule Collection at Just One Eye.

Celebrity mother and daughter: Demi Moore, 55, and Rumer Willis, 29, kept each other company as they attended a designer collection launch in Los Angeles on Thursday

Rumer, whose father is Bruce Willis, has followed her famous parents into show business.

The 29-year-old won season 20 of ABC's Dancing With The Stars and has gone on to carve out a career as an actress, starring on Broadway in Chicago.

She and her former A-lister mother Demi have been appearing on Fox's hit show Empire.

Rumer, whose father is Bruce Willis, wore a black dress with short sleeves and added black pumps. Her shoulder-length hair was dyed a dark orange and she sported dark red lip color

Rumer wore a black dress with short sleeves and added black pumps.

Her shoulder-length hair was dyed a dark orange and she sported dark red lip color.

Demi was dressed in a black turtle neck top and matching black slacks along with patterned heels.

She added a Varsity jacket and wore her long raven locks loose.

Demi was dressed in a black top and matching black slacks along with patterned heels. She added a Varsity jacket and wore her long locks loose as she posed with Christian Louboutin

On trend: Burlesque dancer and model Dita Von Teese, 45, wore a sleeveless black dress with a sweetheart neckline and a white tulle hem

Also at the event was Dita Von Teese.

The burlesque dancer and model, 45, wore a sleeveless black dress with a sweetheart neckline and a white tulle hem.

Joining in the fun was Pom Klementieff, a French-Canadian actress who plays Mantis in the Marvel Universe.

The 31-year-old blonde paired leopard print culottes with a black top and silky white jacket along with a black cumberband as well as black heels with bows at the ankles.
They have moved in together following a whirlwind romance.

And beaming Vogue Williams, 32, certainly looked content as she joined her beau Spencer Matthews, 28, at the Natural Therapy launch party in London on Thursday.

On the arm of her handsome man, the Irish model caught the eye in her skintight leather trousers and pointed heeled boots - and also turned heads due to bringing along her dog Winston to the event.

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It's puppy love! Beaming Vogue Williams looked content as she joined Spencer Matthews and her dog Winston at Natural Therapy launch in London on Thursday

Vogue added an overlay blouse which was adorned with sequins in a striped pattern.

The Bear Grylls: Mission Survive 2015 winner toted a Louis Vuitton handbag for the occasion.

Casually-clad Spencer proved completely smitten with his stunning girlfriend as he wrapped his arm around Vogue's waist.

Looking loved up, Vogue planted an affectionate kiss on her boyfriend's cheek.

Sealed with a kiss! Vogue proved to be completely smitten as she planted a smooch on her beau Spencer's cheek as the evening came to a close

The Made In Chelsea star's hair was back to his trademark style after he embraced a buzz cut when he filmed the celebrity version of Channel 4's Hunted.

Hunky Spencer smartened up his slim-fit blue jeans with a navy dinner jacket and form-fitting shirt for the star-studded occasion.

Vogue and Spencer were joined by the great and the good of the showbiz world including the likes of Daisy Lowe, Danielle Armstrong and Tiffany Watson.

The couple have gone from strength to strength since they fell in love on the set of reality series The Jump.

Sparks were flying: Casually-clad Spencer looked smitten with his stunning girlfriend as he wrapped his arm around Vogue's waist

However, Vogue was forced to pull out of the competition after she suffered from a knee injury when she was training for the winter sports.

The television personality revealed the secret to success with their relationship is that they never argue in a recent interview with The Sunday Mirror.

'He is my best pal. I remember thinking we would be best friends forever. It is the first relationship where I don't have fights with people,' she told the publication.

Must be love: On the arm of her beau, the Irish model rocked skintight leather trousers and pointed heeled boots as she brought along her dog Winston

The lovebirds have taken their relationship to the next level as they now live together but Vogue denied reports she moved into Spencer's Chelsea home.

Vogue told ITV's Loose Women panel: 'We moved in together last night. He arrived home at four in the morning from Greece and forced me to get up to have a glass of champagne to toast the new house. He didn't want me to move in to his house.

'He lives in a one-bed in Chelsea and I have a lot of clothes so that was never going to work. And I lived with two Irish boys so I think we've always wanted to have our own place so that's what we started looking at straight away.'

She's got style: Beaming Vogue cut a trendy figure in a overlay blouse which was adorned with sequins in a striped pattern

Besotted Vogue also admitted she and her family fell in love with Spencer after they met him for the first time.

Famed for his lothario womanising ways on Made In Chelsea, the starlet confessed she finds it 'cringe-worthy' when people suggest she has 'tamed' him.

Vogue added: 'My mum loved him... even my step-dad, who would've been the tougher one to crack, fell in love with Spencer and we get on really well with one another's family.

How to accessorise: Showing off her eye for staple designer accessories, the Bear Grylls: Mission Survive 2015 winner toted a Louis Vuitton handbag for the occasion

'He is very charming. I think when Spencer was on Made in Chelsea he was 21. As a 21-year-old boy, he was doing what a lot of 21-year-old boys wanted to do.

'He didn't want to be in a serious relationship for too long. I haven't tamed him in anyway which I keep reading about, it makes me cringe because I haven't done anything he was just like that when I met him.'

Previously, Vogue was married to Westlife's Brian McFadden for three years before they parted ways in July 2015.
The Australian model has admitted to adopting a more minimal, functional and often monochromatic wardrobe since welcoming second son Racer last year.

But Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) added a bright pop of colour to her look on Wednesday night as she attended a Zimmerman dinner in Los Angeles.

The blonde bombshell, 30, stunned in a summery floral frock with a tiered frill skirt and long sleeves.

Blooming beauty! Lara Bingle flaunts slender frame in floral frock as she attends star-studded dinner for Australian fashion label Zimmermann in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Lara, who is married to actor Sam Worthington, happily supported the Australian fashion label at the event and posed up a storm for photographers.

The floral number had a string tie around her svelte waist, highlighting the mother-of-two's enviable post-baby frame.

Lara chose to forgo accessories and wore her short blonde locks in a simply chic style tucked behind her ears.

She added quirky brown heels to her ensemble, which features an ankle strap made of faux fur.

Fit mama! The floral number had a string tie around her svelte waist, highlighting the mother-of-two's enviable post-baby frame

'Girls Night Out': Australian model Jessica Gomes, also dressed head-to-toe in floral, posed with Lara and fellow Aussie model Nicole Trunfio during the evening and shared the snap to her 209k fans on Instagram

Australian model Jessica Gomes, also dressed head-to-toe in floral, posed with Lara and fellow Aussie model Nicole Trunfio during the evening.

Jessica, 33, captioned the image of the three homegrown hotties on Instagram: 'Girls Night out!'

Wearing a blue floral jumpsuit, Jessica flaunted her taut stomach through the design's strategic cut-outs over the midriff.

Taut-al babe! Wearing a blue floral jumpsuit, Jessica flaunted her toned stomach through the design's strategic cut-outs over the midriff

Natural beauty: Jessica appeared to opt for neutral shades and toned for her makeup and left her raven locks down in loose waves

Lucky! She narrowly avoided flashing cleavage with a large transparent section down the center of the ensemble

She narrowly avoided flashing cleavage with a large transparent section down the center of the ensemble.

Not afraid of showing some skin was model and mother-of-one Nicole, who seductively flaunted her bare thighs in a pair of thigh-high boots and a spotty blouse dress.

Adding to her monochrome look, she draped a black coat over her shoulders and wore large white statement ear rings.

Thigh's the limit! Not afraid of showing some skin was model and mother-of-one Nicole, who seductively flaunted her bare thighs in a pair of boots and a spotty blouse dress

A vision in black and white! Adding to her monochrome look, she draped a black coat over her shoulders and wore large white statement ear rings

Australian actress and former Home And Away star Samara Weaving looked trim in a pattern-clashing outfit.

The 25-year-old paired a striped turtleneck sweater with a short floral skirt with loop embellishments lining its hemline.

Flaunting her flat stomach, the two items of clothing were purposely worn to not meet as she posed for the cameras.

Unlike the other stars, she opted for comfort in a pair of crisp-white sneakers and toted around a burgundy clutch.

If it works: Australian actress and former Home And Away star Samara Weaving looked trim in a pattern-clashing outfit

Slender star: Flaunting her flat stomach, the floral skirt and striped turtleneck sweater were purposely worn to not meet as she posed for the cameras

Sensible style: Unlike the other stars, she opted for comfort in a pair of crisp-white sneakers and toted around a burgundy clutch

Zimmermann founder and designer Nicky Zimmermann started the designer label more than 20 years ago, selling dresses at Sydney's Paddington Markets in 1991.

The brand has now become a staple for many global stars, with plenty of Australian celebrities among their loyal supporters.

American stars Madeline Brewer, Carson Meyer, Amanda Steele and Anna Torv were also in attendance at the Zimmermann Los Angeles Dinner on Wednesday night.

Humble beginnings: Zimmerman founder and designer Nicky Zimmerman (Pictured) started the designer label more than 20 years ago, selling dresses at Sydney's Paddington Markets in 1991
She famously flummoxed fans after having a third boyfriend's name tattooed on her.

But now Lauren Goodger has hinted that she's ready to remove the latest inking dedicated to jailbird Joey Morrison.

The former TOWIE star, 31, sparked up a romance with Morrison despite him being behind bars.

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Tat-two of you done? Lauren Goodger has hinted that she's ready to remove the latest inking dedicated to jailbird Joey Morrison

The pair tried to make their unlikely relationship work, before the star revealed in September that they had split.

In recent weeks the pair have been thought to have reunited after she shared pictures of her with his family on social media - but Lauren shot the claims down.

However, the star has now asked fans for advice on having a tattoo removed sparking speculation she is done with her beau for good; she had his name inked on her wrist earlier this year.

She wrote on an Instastory: 'Can anyone do semi permanent tattoo removal? Holla?'

Hinting? The pair tried to make their unlikely relationship work, before the star revealed in September that they had split - but has now asked fans about tattoo removal months after having his name tattooed on her wrist

Behind bars: Joey and accomplice, Marvin Russell Jacobs, were sentenced to 16 years in jail for a series of drugs-related and violence charges

What was she inking? The star flashed her tribute tattoo during her candid discussions on Channel 5's In Therapy

TOWIE fans will remember one of the iconic first scenes of the show when Lauren flashed her intimate 'Mark' tattoo on her bikini line in tribute to her ex-fiance Mark Wright.

She also had the name of her subsequent boyfriend Jake McClean, 24.

The former TOWIE star, 30, took to Instagram on Sunday to share a number of snaps with Joey's pregnant sibling Char, and even referred to herself as 'Auntie LG' - indicating that she may have reconciled with her ex.

Lauren fuelled rumours that she and her ex have reunited by enjoying a glamorous night out in Chigwell, Essex for the birthday of Joey's sister.

Awkward: TOWIE fans will remember one of the iconic first scenes of the show when Lauren flashed her intimate 'Mark' tattoo on her bikini line in tribute to her ex-fiance Mark Wright

Blast from the past: Lauren had to undergo laser removal on the inking

Clad in a chic black co-ord with a striking white trim, Lauren looked more than happy to be present at the celebrations, as she cuddled up to the pregnant beauty for a sweet snap on Instagram.

With Joey's sibling proudly cradling her blossoming baby bump, the TV personality was also quick to gush of her excitement for the new arrival to her followers.

She wrote in the caption beside the beaming snap: 'Happy Birthday baby sis @miss_morrissonx can't wait to meet the princess.'

Proving her close relationship with the family further, she then added the intimate hashtag: 'Auntie LG.'

Lauren confirmed in September that she and Joey had broken up, after weeks of swirling split rumours.

MailOnline has contacted Lauren's representatives for comment.

On again? Lauren hinted that she and jailbird Joey Morrison are already back together, after enjoying a night out with his pregnant sister (above) last week

Special day: She also shared a sweet tribute to his sister on her Instagram story

Having enjoyed a 15-month romance, the reality star recently confessed to her followers that she and Joey were still on speaking terms, and planned to see each other when he is released from prison.

However, Lauren broke down when setting things straight about her crumbled romance with the jailbird on Loose Women the following month.

Joey and accomplice, Marvin Russell Jacobs, were sentenced to 16 years in jail for a series of drugs-related and violence charges.

Single: Lauren confirmed in September that she and Joey had broken up, after weeks of swirling split rumours

'He was meant to come out, last year, in November and things were great,' she explained, composed at first. 'But where things got set back, it put strain on us. I couldn't wait no more. It was too much pressure.'

Despite sharing hopes that she would marry and have children with him, Lauren's dreams were snatched out of reach when his sentence was extended.

'I was going out and drinking,' she said, of her coping methods. 'It was mentally draining. And I don't want to bad mouth him - it was a lot of pressure for him too.'
It will swap London's Elstree Studios for the glitz and glamour of Blackpool's iconic Tower Ballroom this weekend.

And it seems this year's Strictly Come Dancing stars have become seriously taken with the town after arriving in the seaside resort ahead of this weekend's performances.

Both Gemma Atkinson and Debbie McGee have been spotted stocking up on wacky Blackpool souvenirs, with the latter carrying a whole bagful of goods - before kicking off their last minute rehearsals on Friday morning.

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Blackpool mania! Gemma Atkinson and her Strictly Come Dancing partner Aljaz Skorjanec appear to have become rather taken with the seaside town as they entered Friday's rehearsal session in a pair of jazzy, novelty sunglasses

Meanwhile, soap star Gemma and her dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec posed up a storm in a pair of jazzy Blackpool sunglasses.

It came after Strictly fans were treated to a sneaky glimpse of the world famous dance floor as it undergoes its transformation.

Celebrities including Mollie King and Alexandra Burke were pictured descending on the north east seaside town on Thursday night, allowing them a couple of days to polish up their routines at the charming venue.

She's bananas! Gemma showed Aljaz around her native Northern England as she sported the pair of comedy specs

Somebody's a fan! Debbie McGee seemed to have stocked up on a bagful of Blackpool goodies

Behind the scenes: Strictly Come Dancing fans have been treated to a sneaky glimpse of the world famous Tower Ballroom dance floor as it undergoes its transformation ahead of this weekend's show

A post shared on the show's official Instagram page depicted the crew hard at work to ensure the ballroom was looking tip top ahead of this weekend's return.

The words 'WE ARE HERE' were branded across the image, which also pin-pointed its Blackpool Tower location.

While nerves are no doubt running high for the remaining dance pairs, the stars appeared in high-spirits as they arrived in the town, with Mollie and partner AJ Pritchard even making a stop-off in Hull.

Ready to go! Celebrities including Mollie King and Gemma Atkinson arrived for last minute rehearsals at the venue on Friday morning

It's almost time... Mollie looked fresh-faced and ready to dance when she and AJ made an early call at the Tower Ballroom on Friday morning

The Saturdays star made a surprise visit to a children's dance class in the city and later posted a selfie with the beaming group of youngsters.

Despite her action-packed day, Mollie looked fresh-faced and ready to dance when she and AJ made an early call at the Tower Ballroom on Friday morning.

The beauty packed a broad smile as she put a stylish spin on her black gym gear with a smart grey coat.

Casual: The pair looked already for rehearsals as they snapped up a coffee and a snack

Wrapped up: Gemma attempted to banish the British chill with the help of a padded jacket and woolly hat, though she still stopped to greet fans before her rehearsals began

Gemma and her partner Aljaz Skorjanec also seemed ready for action as they assembled outside the venue.

The soap star attempted to banish the British chill with the help of a padded jacket and woolly hat, though she still stopped to greet fans before her rehearsals began.

The dance partners looked to be in a rather playful mood too, as they were snapped modelling a pair of wacky Blackpool sunglasses.

What drama? Alexandra Burke and Gorka Marquez brushed feuding rumours aside as they arrived for rehearsals

Stunning: Karen Clifton was a make-up free beauty as she departed her hotel

Something to smile about? The star seemed unfazed by rumours she is in a feud with Debbie

But they weren't the only ones who seemed to be taken with the northern town, as Debbie McGee was seen carrying an 'I love Blackpool' carrier bag when leaving her hotel earlier that morning.

While her celebrity counterparts were clad in head-to-toe workout togs, Debbie - who is partnered with Giovanni Pernice - opted for a chic all-black ensemble.

Her emergence follows reports that the widow of magician Paul Daniels is said to have launched a 'military operation' to keep her routine 'top secret'.

Tipped to win: Alexandra and Gorka are among the favourites to win this year's show

Giving it their all! Holby City star Joe McFadden and Katya Jones beamed broadly as they arrived at the venue

He's a fan! Davood showed off his tourist purchase as he posed in an I Love Blackpool jumper

Meet and greet: Kevin and contestant Susan Calman posed as they headed to the Tower Ballroom
She's the former Bachelorette star who is finally set to make her highly anticipated debut on Home And Away next week.

And on Monday, fans caught a glimpse of what to expect from Sam Frost on the show, as she put on a breathtaking display in a revealing outfit while on-set.

The 28-year-old was spotted in a skimpy crop top and very small shorts while filming scenes for the Australian soap at Sydney's Palm Beach.

On crop of her game! Sam Frost shows off her fit figure in a crop top and small shorts while filming for Home And Away

The blonde bombshell's incredibly toned physique was on show in the patterned crop top which showcased her toned midriff.

Her Home And Away character teamed it with a pair of white, ripped denim shorts that were frayed at the bottom and displayed some cheek.

And she looked every bit a part of Summer Bay, as she completed the casual ensemble with a pair of white flip-flops.

Sam's character looked effortlessly cool by accessorising the outfit with a pair of thinly framed sunglasses.

Sneak peek! The 28-year-old was spotted in a skimpy crop top and very small shorts while filming scenes for the Australian soap at Sydney's Palm Beach

Gym-honed: The blonde bombshell's incredibly toned physique was on show in the patterned crop top which showcased her toned midriff

Breathtaking: Her Home And Away character teamed it with a pair of white, ripped denim shorts that were frayed at the bottom

Meanwhile, her luscious locks were let out and allowed to flow freely in a casual style.

Sam's makeup appeared to be lightly applied, which provided her the opportunity to showcase her naturally stunning looks.

The former Bachelorette was seen filming what appeared to be a light-hearted scene with co-star Cariba Heine.

Sam's character Jasmine will have a troubling past, as she is due kill off cop Kat Chapman (played by Pia Miller) in a tragic car crash during her series debut.

The accident is due to air in the 2017 season finale next week, with Sam to be properly introduced to viewers in early 2018.

Effortless: Meanwhile, her luscious locks were let out and allowed to flow freely in a casual style

On set: The former Bachelorette was seen filming what appeared to be a light-hearted scene with co-star Cariba Heine (pictured)
She shot to fame as Hannah Ashworth on Channel 4's Hollyoaks.

But Emma Rigby has well and truly left Chester behind her to flex her acting talents in Hollywood, in very erotically-charged new film, Hollywood Dirt.

Playing the role of Summer Jenkins, she is seen getting hot and heavy with her hunky co-star Johann Urb as he wakes her up from a nap and makes passionate love to her on their bed.

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Raunchy: Hollyoaks starlet Emma Rigby, 28, naps in a skimpy thong before being sensually woken up and seduced by hunky Johann Urb, 40, in VERY erotic sex scene for new film Hollywood Dirt

Hotting up: The actress, 28, is seen in a seriously steamy tryst with her co-star Johann Urb, 40

Career beginnings: Emma shot to fame in Channel 4's Hollyoaks, which she first took on in 2005, at the age of 15

The scene sees the shirtless actor, 40, walk in to find his lover, 28, asleep, clearly unable to control his passion for her.

He is seen tenderly waking her up by climbing on to the bed behind her and leaning over her, kissing her behind and slowly waking her up.

She then stirs and wakes to find the hunky blonde running his lips over her toned derriere, slowly removing her skimpy red underwear.

Clearly enjoying the wake up call, the actress allows him to climb on top of her as she remains on her front, as he works his way up her back with his mouth.

A far cry from Chester: She shot to fame as Hannah Ashworth on Channel 4's Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks to Hollywood: Emma has well and truly left Chester behind her to flex her acting talents in Hollywood, in very erotically-charged new film, Hollywood Dirt

Dirty: Playing the role of Summer Jenkins, she is seen getting hot and heavy with her hunky co-star Johann as he wakes her up from a nap and makes passionate love to her on their bed

The look of love: The scene sees the shirtless actor walk in to find his lover asleep, clearly unable to control his passion for her

Morning glory: He is seen tenderly waking her up by climbing on to the bed behind her and leaning over her, kissing her behind and slowly waking her up

Moaning in pleasure, Emma seems eager for her on-screen lover's mouth to reach hers, which he finally does.

He kisses her neck, as she turns to face him, grabbing his neck and pulling him in closer for a kiss.

Things then get x-rated as Johann begins to make love to the blonde beauty, seeing them in an array of intimate positions.

This scene follows on from a prior moment in the film which sees her strip totally naked and make love to him on the kitchen worktop.

Branching out: She departed the soap to pursue other projects, and went on to star in the likes of Prisoners' Wives and Ripper Street

Queen: Emma has also been seen as the Red Queen in American fantasy-drama Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

Up with the lark: She then stirs and wakes to find the hunky blonde running his lips over her toned derriere, slowly removing her skimpy red underwear

Wakey wakey: Clearly enjoying the wake up call, the actress allows him to climb on top of her as she remains on her front, as he works his way up her back with his mouth

Steamy: The scene sees the pair unable to keep their hands off each other, as they rid themselves of their clothes

Intimate: He is seen kissing her neck as things get saucier

'Its about the acting': The talent admitted she purposely doesn't have any social media accounts, as she has no real desire to be 'famous' - but just loves the process of creating films

The new film, titled Hollywood Dirt, follows Emma as Summer, who lives in the small, wealthy town of Quincy.

However, her life is turned upside down when a film crew arrive to create a new movie - leading her to fall for the recently divorced Hollywood star Cole Masten, played by Urb.

The film is based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, and was shot in Augusta.

Sealed with a kiss: Things soon hot up between their characters as they engage in passionate sex

Is it hot in here? Moaning in pleasure, Emma seems eager for her on-screen lover's mouth to reach her's, which he finally does

Seriously steamy! The pair continue their passionate romp atop the bed sheets

Enamoured: Urb's character removers her underwear slowly

Emma shot to fame in Channel 4's Hollyoaks, which she first took on in 2005, at the age of 15.

She was highly praised for her anorexia storyline on the soap, and even bagged a British Soap Award nomination for Best Actress in 2008.

She departed the soap two years later to pursue other projects, and went on to star in the likes of Prisoners' Wives and Ripper Street.

However the actress appears to be making a return to screens in the flick, after turning her back on Hollywood in favour of more charitable projects earlier this year.

Enjoying the moment: He kisses her neck while she lies on the bed

Cheeky flash: The raunchy moment sees the pair remove their clothes as the scene goes on

Leading lady: As she turns to face him, grabbing his neck and pulling him in closer for a kiss

Mouth to mouth: Things then get x-rated as Johann begins to make love to the blonde beauty, seeing them in an array of intimate positions

Lovers: The new film, titled Hollywood Dirt, follows Emma as Summer Jenkins, who lives in the small, wealthy town of Quincy

In June, Emma jetted into Northern Kenya to assist CAFOD - an aid agency that is a member of the Disaster Emergency Committee.

She met with communities that are currently living in desperate conditions and are forced to live on aid, as they have been left with nothing due to their tumultuous living environment and lack of access to resources.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline about the trip, Emma - who is an ambassador for CAFOD after reaffirming her Catholic faith earlier this year - admitted it had been 'overwhelming'.

She described her experience of meeting with the different communities and witnessing the conditions they live in as 'heartbreaking and devastating to see'.

Single: Urb's character Cole has split from his Hollywood superstar wife in the flick

Original: The film is based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, and was shot in Augusta

Twist: Summer's life is turned upside down when a film crew arrive to create a new movie - leading her to fall for the recently divorced Hollywood star Cole Masten, played by Urb

Passion: The couple throw themselves into the tryst in the bedroom scene

Varied career: Rigby's first acting role was Lisa Gunstone in Born and Bred

Praise: She was given praise and recognition for her anorexia storyline in Hollyoaks, in which she was nominated for various awards

'It's really making me realise how things need to change,' Emma said. 'How we live our lives and the things that we think are significant... it's almost like being on another planet.'

The acting talent admitted that she purposely doesn't have any social media accounts, as she has no real desire to be 'famous' - but just loves the process of creating film and TV projects.

'I don't have any social media, it doesn't interest me whatsoever,' she insisted. 'It doesn't matter what you look like, it's who you are that should be celebrated.

'For me, I'm a very private person. It's not something I have an interest in. I'm an actress - I don't necessarily want to be famous and a celebrity, it's about the acting.'

Left, came back: Emma extended her contract for an additional six months and would remain on-screen until February 2010 in Hollyoaks

Climax: Her final episode of Hollyoaks was broadcast on 11 February 2010

Comeback: However the actress appears to be making a return to screens with the flick, after jetting into Kenya to assist CAFOD - an aid agency - in June
Yellowstone County commissioners dropped the idea of consolidating the auditors office with another county department after a discussion meeting Thursday.

Commissioners Robyn Driscoll and Denis Pitman both said they did not support the idea, while Commission Chairman John Ostlund said he was interested in it.

But, Ostlund said, without support from another commissioner, there was no point in bringing the matter to a formal board meeting.

The informal decision reached by commissioners came after they and other county officials and staff heard about how consolidated and non-consolidated offices work in two other Montana counties.

The possibility of auditor consolidation arose because Yellowstone County Auditor Debby Hernandez is retiring on Nov. 30, and the county is in the process of appointing someone to fill the job.

Hernandez, who has filed three workplace complaints against the county, including two this year against the finance department, has said she opposes consolidation.

State law requires Yellowstone County, because of its size, to have an auditor. And the law also authorizes the county commission to consolidate county offices. Previously, the county has consolidated the treasurer, assessor and superintendent of schools into one office and the surveyor is in the clerk and recorders office.

The only qualification for an elected county auditor under state law is that the person be a county resident of voting age with no felony record.

If consolidation were to have proceeded, the county would have faced tight deadlines to advertise its intention and adopt a resolution. The commission still would have had to appoint someone to the job for a year to complete the four-year term, which expires at the end of 2018.

With the job remaining an elected position, whoever is appointed will have to run for election in 2018 to retain the post.

Cascade County Clerk and Recorder Rina Fontana Moore described how her office works with having auditor duties included in her department.

Gallatin County Auditor Jennifer Blossom also discussed how her office functions as an independent office.

Both Blossom and Moore are elected officials.

Blossom, who was elected in 2003, said consolidation comes up every few years in Gallatin County. Blossom said she thinks the independent nature of being a separate office is important. The intent of the law, she said, was to be a watchdog over tax dollars.

Moore, whose office includes clerk and recorder, surveyor, assessor, auditor, elections and other duties, said her auditors are stand alone and independent.

Moore said she had no opinion on whether she would have consolidated the auditor office. I was elected to do a job. Im confident in each area of her department, she said.

Pitman asked Moore whether she had too many eggs in one basket.

Moore responded that she has good managers.

Driscoll said she opposed consolidation, saying having an auditor office not dependent on any other department is important. She also said she didnt think consolidation would save the county money.

Pitman also said independence was important. He questioned whether adding the auditor duties to another department would be too much.
He's ready to have a second shot at love on Bachelor in Paradise after winning the nation's heart on The Bachelorette, but not Sophie Monk's.

And now Apollo Jackson has revealed who he is interested in pursuing when filming begins for the Channel Ten reality spin-off series.

The 24-year-old - who admitted to feeling lonely after Sophie's rejection - also discussed who he will stay away from on the Fijian island, when speaking to BW magazine on Saturday.

Second chance: On Saturday, The Bachelorette 'good guy' Apollo Jackson revealed to BW magazine who he will pursue on Bachelor in Paradise and who he will stay away from... after admitting he has been feeling lonely since Sophie Monk rejected him

The hunky entertainer said former Bachelor 'villain' Keira Maguire doesn't have a shot with him, and that he already has his eyes set on fellow fan favourite Tara Pavlovic.

'I haven't watched much of the previous season, but personality-wise Tara was an absolute cracker, and even though she's got her fun, wild, silly side  which is similar to mine  I think she's mature and grounded as well,' he told The Daily Telegraph publication.

Meanwhile, he said he will keep clear of Keira and other attention-seekers on the island, adding: 'Everyone's personality is different, but I have no time for drama.'

Apollo has been confirmed as a contestant on Bachelor in Paradise, along with Michael Turnbull, Jarrod Woodgate and Laurina Fleure.

'I get a bit lonely': The 24-year-old also admitted to feeling lonely after Sophie's rejection when speaking to the Daily Telegraph publication

Good match? The entertainer said former Bachelor 'villain' Keira Maguire doesn't have a shot with him, and that he already has his eyes set on fellow fan favourite Tara Pavlovic (pictured)

'Tara was an absolute cracker': Apollo gushed over The Bachelor fan favourite Tara

He said appearing on the show is his next opportunity at finding a 'special someone', after narrowly losing to 44-year-old millionaire Stu Laundy on The Bachelorette.

The 'Mr Nice Guy' admitted to feeling lonely since his rejection, saying that he has been single for longer than he would like.

'I get a bit lonely and I don't have someone to share my experiences with and spoil. I love going out on dates and organising surprises. I feel like my life is pretty complete but I'm just missing a partner,' he said.

Apollo said that he 'never' received attention from girls when growing up, and would 'dress like Bon Jovi' while doing magic tricks and reading comic books.

And despite receiving national fame on The Bachelorette, Apollo confessed he still hasn't kissed a girl since returning from the show.

'Everyones personality is different, but I have no time for drama': Apollo said he will keep clear of Keira (pictured) and other attention-seekers on the island

Better luck next time! Apollo said appearing on Bachelor in Paradise is his next opportunity at finding a 'special someone', after narrowly losing to 44-year-old millionaire Stu Laundy on The Bachelorette

Never been kissed (since)!: Despite receiving national fame on The Bachelorette, Apollo confessed he still hasn't pashed a girl since returning from the show
Elsa Hosk joined Martha Hunt in gearing up for their trip to China on Thursday, where they will be hitting the catwalk for the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Before heading to the airport to join the rest of the Victoria's Secret models in Shanghai, Elsa - who just turned 29 last week - posed with her luggage and her pal, 28 - who masked her eyes with red mirrored shades.

This comes as Gigi Hadid has revealed that she will no longer be walking the show, just a few months after she came under fire in China over a controversial video showing her squinting her eyes to imitate Buddha.

This wasn't stopping the rest of the girls getting in the mood though - with Elsa and Martha jutting out their hips and showing off their lengthy pins in skin-tight jeans and baggy tees.

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Walking on air! Elsa Hosk and Martha Hunt put on a leggy display as they strike an excitable pose with their luggage before jetting to Shanghai for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Martha wore her blonde locks straight around her features, with a grey 'Angel' T-shirt on, tucked into vintage denim jeans and a black leather belt by FRAME.

She smartened it up with a dark grey blazer and grinned, looking incredibly excited for their trip.

Elsa wore a candyfloss pink top with 'Love' written across it, tucked into black jeans.

She wore black clunky boots and added a black Sandy Liang jacket with a fur-lined trim, also in pink.

Packed and ready to go: Martha wore her blonde locks straight around her features, with a grey 'Angel' T-shirt on, tucked into vintage denim jeans and a black leather belt from FRAME. Elsa wore a candyfloss pink top with 'Love' written across it, tucked into black jeans

Ab-tastic: Elsa is back and ready to join the rest of the Victoria's Secret models in Shanghai, China, for the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

She wore her blonde locks loosely around her features, pouting for the camera.

She swung around her red purse, vibrantly distinct from the girls' black and grey suitcases.

Elsa took a quick snap of her toned abs with her phone in a personalized case by Casetify, before heading to her final workout before the big show - which takes place next week and airs on November 28 on CBS.

The Swedish model wrote alongside her photo: 'Today is the day. one last workout before the [plane emoji] #vsfashionshow17'

This will be Elsa's seventh fashion show appearance for the lingerie company, and her second year as a brand Angel.

No show: Meanwhile, 22-year-old Gigi - who was slated to walk the runway with her sister Bella Hadid - took to Twitter on Thursday morning to say that she won't be traveling to China to do the show

Made it! Elsa wasn't the only model to show off her excitement for the upcoming lingerie show; Romee Strijd and Jasmine Tookes both shared a photo as soon as they touched down in China

The 29-year-old will also be wearing the Swarovski Crystal Anniversary bra which will feature 275,000 multicolored crystals.

Elsa will be following the footsteps of Josephine Skriver who wore the statement piece in 2016.

The Stockholm-born beauty told WWD: 'When I found out I was wearing the Swarovski look I was so excited as Ive always wanted to wear it. I cant wait to walk down the runway in it.'

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Gigi - who was slated to walk the runway with her sister Bella Hadid - took to Twitter on Thursday morning to say that she won't be traveling to China to do the show.

'Im so bummed I wont be able to make it to China this year,' she wrote. 'Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year!'

Angelic: Romee was even seen wearing a Victoria's Secret gray T-shirt that read 'angel' to prepare for the fashion show festivities

Toasty: She also kept warm in a fluffy pink cropped coat

In September, furious Chinese people warned the supermodel not to attend this year's show after Chinese web users left thousands of angry comments to boycott Gigi for her eye-slant joke. She had to issue an apology on a Chinese social media platform to make amends.

Gigi did not reveal why she pulled out of the show, although it was recently reported that some models were having trouble getting their Chinese visas approved.

Fashionista reported on Tuesday that four models, Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva and Irina Sharipova from Russia and Dasha Khlystun from Ukraine, had allegedly been denied visas, according to Instagram fan accounts.

Although there was no mention of Gigi having issues with her visa, Chinese fans have been demanding that she be denied entry into the country because of her 'racist' video.

Travel issues: Gigi did not reveal why she pulled out of the show, although it was recently reported that some models were having trouble getting their Chinese visas approved

This comes as it's been reported that fans in China are getting scammed into buying fake tickets to the fashion show.

According to TMZ: 'The Chinese equivalent to eBay is now littered with offers to purchase tickets ... we found the rock-bottom price was $7,000 and the highest was a staggering $35,000 which supposedly got you a seat in the first 5 rows. And get this for audacious ... the $35k includes a phantom afterparty.'

The show is not open to the public and is invitation only.

Meanwhile, Elsa and Martha weren't the only models to show off her excitement for the upcoming lingerie show; Romee Strijd and Jasmine Tookes both shared a photo as soon as they touched down in China.

What trip? Her blonde locks were parted in the middle and fell down past her shoulders, while light blush and rose lipstick made the model glow

Both models sported millennial pink wardrobe pieces while posing in front of all their suitcases.

Romee was even seen wearing a Victoria's Secret gray T-shirt that read 'angel' to prepare for the fashion show festivities.

She also kept warm in a fluffy pink cropped coat, and some grey sweatpants. Simple white sneakers rounded out her traveling ensemble.

Her blonde locks were parted in the middle and fell down past her shoulders, while light blush and rose lipstick made the model glow.

Match up! Josephine was spotted wearing a red Victoria's Secret pull-over sweatshirt which also read 'Angel', just like the one Romee was seen wearing

Tea time! Candice on the other hand skipped the alcoholic beverages for a warm tea while kicking her feet back and relaxing before the fashion show mayhem

Kicking back: Angels such as Candice Swanepoel, 29, and Josephine Skriver, 24, shared their excitement while on their flight to Shanghai

Megan Williams, 23, and Nadine Leopold, 23, were spotted apparently on their way to the airport in New York.

Megan mixed sweats with a long black and white plaid overcoat, while Nadine opted for a burgundy track suit.

Angels such as Candice Swanepoel, 29, and Josephine Skriver, 24, shared their excitement while on their flight to Shanghai.

Josephine was spotted wearing a red Victoria's Secret pull-over sweatshirt which also read 'Angel', just like the one Romee was seen wearing.

Family flight! The legendary Alessandra Ambrosio, 36, was also wearing a grey 'Angel' sweatshirt, as she traveled with her daughter Anja

Upon arrival: Sara Sampaio shared a snap of herself with some fans waiting for her outside of the airport

Cute! The Portuguese model looked all smiles as she captioned her snap :'Hi guys.'

The 24-year-old seemed to be celebrating the fashion show a bit early as she was seen sipping on a glass of champagne during her flight.

Candice on the other hand skipped the alcoholic beverages for a warm tea while kicking her feet back and relaxing before the fashion show mayhem.

The legendary Alessandra Ambrosio, 36, was also wearing a grey 'Angel' sweatshirt, as she traveled with her daughter Anja.

Sara Sampaio shared a snap of herself with some fans waiting for her outside of the airport.

The Portuguese model looked all smiles as she captioned her snap :'Hi guys.'

Taylor recorded herself in her Shanghai hotel room, and gave her followers a quick look of her amazing city skyline view

The 21-year-old model Taylor Hill also shared her excitement with multiple Instagram stories.

Taylor recorded herself in her Shanghai hotel room, and gave her followers a quick look of her amazing city skyline view.

Another model who was excited about traveling to Shanghai was Karlie Kloss.

The 25-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel-who took two years off from the brand- wished her long-time friend Lily Aldridge a happy birthday.

Karlie wrote: 'Wishing a very happy birthday to this angel @lilyaldridge. Love you with all my heart...and cant wait to celebrate in Shanghai!'

It seems like Lily will be having an eventful 32nd birthday, as she will be celebrating with all her model friends.

Flying away! Another model who was excited about traveling to Shanghai was Karlie Kloss

Karlie wrote: 'Wishing a very happy birthday to this angel @lilyaldridge. Love you with all my heart...and cant wait to celebrate in Shanghai!'

Adorable: The 25-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel-who took two years off from the brand- wished her long-time friend Lily Aldridge a happy birthday

Other models such as sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid will be stepping out on the Shanghai runway for a second time together.

As of now, press coverage for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has been hard due to China's government's strict guidelines.

Bloggers who were invited to the show are cancelling flights due to not being able to receive a visa.

A source told Page Six: 'Its just a nightmare for all the media trying to cover [the show].These TV companies are spending a fortune on it, and they dont even know what they can shoot when they get there.'

The show will be taped for the first time in November and will air November 28 on CBS.
She's the younger sister of Cody Simpson who is forging a singing career of her own.

But on Thursday, Alli Simpson took some time out to attend the Maybelline New York FH18 Launch Party.

The 19-year-old cut a stylish figure at the event at Quixote Studios in West Hollywood, Los Angeles.

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Effortlessly chic! Songstress Alli Simpson (pictured) turned up the style as she stepped out for the Maybelline New York FH18 Launch Party on Thursday

She stepped out wearing a statement blue blazer with a faint, white checkered pattern.

The eye-catching garment also featured a white collar, buttons, and shoulder pads which gave it a box-like look.

Alli wore it on top of a black playsuit, which she dressed up with a black belt with a silver buckle.

The blonde beauty teamed the ensemble with a pair of black, thigh-high boots which accentuated her long, slender pins.

She accessorised with some silver jewels, including a dainty necklace, drop earrings and a sparkly ring.

Top of her game! The 19-year-old cut a stylish figure at the event at Quixote Studios in West Hollywood, Los Angeles

Sampling the goods! Alli took some time at the event to trial the makeup company's products, and was seen applying some mascara

Her luscious blonde locks were pulled back tightly and worn in a high ponytail.

Meanwhile, the Why I'm Single hitmaker opted for a generous application of makeup and a pink lip.

Alli took some time at the event to trial the makeup company's products, and was seen applying some mascara.

Now considered a LA local, Alli and her family moved to America from the Gold Coast after brother Cody's career took off seven years ago.

Alli now owns a home in LA, and dedicates all of her time to working on her budding career as a musician.

She has also been dating fellow musician and boyfriend Conrad Sewell - who is 10 years her senior - since 2015.

Working on it! Alli dedicates all of her time to working on her budding career as a musician
The Gold Coast-based horse racing carnival has been going for more than 25 years.

And in a major coup for the Magic Millions racing carnival, Channel Seven have now confirmed it will extend live coverage of its race days for the next three years.

In a joint statement released by Seven Group Holdings and Magic Millions on Friday, details of the TV broadcast deal were revealed.

Were excited about starting the party: Channel Seven confirm new three-year broadcast deal with Magic Millions racing carnival with ambassador Francesca Cumani (pictured) to cover the expanded coverage

Magic Millions is co-owned by Australian entrepreneur Gerry Harvey and his wife Katie Page-Harvey.

The Magic Millions carnival runs from January 10 to 16, 2018, with race day events and thoroughbred sales over the week.

Seven West Media's Chief Revenue Office Kurt Burnette said: 'The Magic Millions Raceday is an enormously popular fixture on Seven's racing schedule and this long-term partnership demonstrates our commitment to Katie and Gerrys vision to grow and evolve the event every year. There is nothing else quite like it in Australia - if not the world. What happens on the Gold Coast in January sets the tone for racing in Australia for the rest of the year.'

Magic Millions is co-owned by Australian entrepreneur Gerry Harvey (right) and his wife Katie Page-Harvey (left)

'This long-term partnership demonstrates our commitment to Katie and Gerrys vision to grow and evolve the event every year': In a major coup for the Magic Millions racing carnival, Channel Seven have now confirmed it will extend live coverage of its race days for the next three years

He added that Gerry and Katie have built something special with Magic Millions that has a unique offering on the Australian and international horseracing calendars.

'The carnival is also proving an enormously popular fixture on Sevens racing schedule and this long-term partnership demonstrates our commitment to Katie and Gerrys vision to grow and evolve the event every year. There is nothing else quite like it in Australia, if not the world,' Kurt said.

'There's nothing quite like it in Australia': The Magic Millions carnival runs from January 10 to 16, 2018, with race day events and thoroughbred sales over the week

Katie said Seven's live coverage of the Raceday, which began in 2015, has been instrumental to the growth in popularity and presence of the Magic Millions.

'It's going to be a breakout year for the Gold Coast with the Commonwealth Games on the horizon and we're excited about starting the party with a stunning 2018 Magic Millions Carnival,' Katie told News Corp on Friday.

According to the Friday edition of The Daily Telegraph, racing presenter Francesca Cumani is set to kick off her role as ambassador for the network's expanded Magic Millions coverage.

New gig: According to Friday's Daily Telegraph, racing presenter Francesca Cumani (pictured) is set to kick off an expanded role working on Channel Seven's Magic Millions coverage

The publication reported Francesca is set to join colleagues Hamish McLachlan and Amanda Abate for a VIP launch on Friday for the big announcement.

Seven Media Group's bigwigs Kerry and Ryan Stokes as well as Tim Worner were also anticipated to attend the exclusive launch at the Gold Coast Turf Club.

VIP attendees: Hamish McLachlan (left) and Amanda Abate (right) joined Francesca for an exclusive launch at the Gold Coast Turf Club on Friday

Francesca recently made headlines at this year's Derby Day when she was spotted wearing the same dress as Jennifer Hawkins.

The stylish British commentator began presenting from Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse in a Jonathan Simkhai cocktail frock, before deciding to put on a black jacket after the model arrived.

Meanwhile, the 33-year-old Myer ambassador flaunted her figure in the same extravagant monochrome dress in the Birdcage.

Seeing double: Francesca recently hit the headlines at this year's Derby Day when she was spotted wearing the same dress as Jennifer Hawkins (left)

Jennifer told Daily Mail Australia she couldn't have cared less about the debacle.

'No biggie! It's never happened to me before. Francesca looked so gorgeous!' she said.

Reportedly, Francesca had to wear a brand stocked by Myer as part of an arrangement with Channel Seven.
Charlotte McKinney is well known for her bombshell curves and stunning body.

The 25-year-old model got hearts racing in a black and red look Thursday in West Hollywood where she attended the launch of Aritzia x Levi's collaboration at Craig's.

The 5foot7 beauty turned heads, donning a red hot leather jacket on top of a cropped white tee which showcased her toned-as-can-be abs.

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Red hot! Charlotte McKinney got hearts racing in a black and red look Thursday in West Hollywood

Charlotte also rocked black bell corduroy bottoms on her near endless legs.

The star, who is repped by Wilhelmina Models, matched her jacket to pointy red booties.

She tied her hair into a high ponytail, amping up her bombshell appeal with a dramatic cat eye and lush nude pout.

The beauty checked her phone briefly before entering the event.

Abs-olute stunner! The 25-year-old model turned heads in a red hot leather jacket on top of a cropped white tee which showcased her toned-as-can-be abs

Bombshell! The 5foot7 beauty tied her hair into a high ponytail, amping up her bombshell appeal with a dramatic cat eye and lush nude pout

Boots on the ground! The Wilhelmina Models repped beauty matched her jacket to pointy red booties

While Charlotte's not usually camera shy, the Orlando, Florida native blocked her face with a quilted Chanel purse as she headed into the restaurant.

The celeb was joined by a blonde pal who donned a chic fur jacket and ripped jeans with a grey Chanel bag.

The model/actress will soon take the big screen in the crime drama First We Take Brooklyn.

Bell of the ball! Charlotte rocked black bell corduroy bottoms on her near endless legs

Under the radar: While Charlotte's not usually camera shy, the Orlando, Florida native blocked her face with a quilted Chanel purse and later her hand as she headed into the restaurant

Starring Harvey Keitel as Israeli ex-prisoner Mikki Levy, the film follows the newly released convict as he's forced to make tough choices as he tries to make a life in America.

First We Take Brooklyn's official release date is still forthcoming.

Charlotte last appeared in Flatliners, where she played Girl On Bicycle.

Screen star! The model/actress will soon take the big screen in the crime drama First We Take Brooklyn

Gotta have friends! The celeb was joined by a blonde pal who donned a chic fur jacket and ripped jeans with a grey Chanel bag

Before that the blonde hit the sand in this Summer's Baywatch, where she got to flaunt her fabulous body in one of the franchise's iconic red one pieces.

The buxom blonde first made her mark in a 2015 Carl's Jr. commercial where she paraded through a farmer's market touting the burger spot's 'all natural beef.'

Charlotte appears to be naked as people around her gawk, before the commercial reveals she's wearing a tiny bikini.
A Los Angeles court has granted Jesse Williams permission to have overnight visits with his kids.

The Grey's Anatomy star, 36, has been embroiled in a bitter legal battle with his estranged wife Aryn Drake-Lee, 34 over the custody of the couple's kids, Sadie, three, and Maceo, two, according to TMZ.

The Cabin In The Woods star has recently been linked romantically with his Gray's Anatomy co-star, 37-year-old Minka Kelly.

Happier times: Jesse Williams, 36, has been embroiled in a bitter legal battle with his estranged wife Aryn Drake-Lee, 34 over the custody of the couple's kids

The Law & Order actor and his real estate broker ex reached other terms in their settlement, including no Uber or Lyft rides for the kids, that both parents must childproof their homes and that they must ensure the kids wear helmets while riding bikes.

Last month, Jesse reached a custody agreement with Aryn regarding their two children; they will share joint legal custody, according to TMZ.

The website reports that he agreed to pay Aryn $100,000 for child and spousal support and $60,000 for other fees, including her lawyer's costs; the money will be paid to her in three installments.

Getting closer: Last month, Jesse reached a custody agreement with Aryn regarding their two children; they will share joint legal custody, according to TMZ

The former model has long been rumored to be dating Grey's Anatomy co-star Minka Kelly.

The Grey's Anatomy actor and Minka were seen grabbing dinner together in mid-August; the month before they went to the movies.

Minka shared a Instagram picture with Jesse and a friend in January while in Paris; they said they were working on a video game together.

The other woman? The Cabin In The Woods star has recently been linked romantically with his Gray's Anatomy co-star, 37-year-old Minka Kelly; pictured here in July 2017
Jennifer Hudson has alleged her former fiance David Otunga physically abused her in front of their young son.

The singer also claims the professional wrestler left out guns to intimidate her - after her mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew were murdered by her sister's estranged husband in 2008.

In court papers obtained by DailyMail.com, Hudson, 36, made the claims in her petition for order of protection against Otunga, who she was engaged to for nearly ten years.

Hudson has also been granted full temporary custody of their son after filing for an emergency protection order against Otunga.

Claims: Jennifer Hudson has alleged her ex David Otunga pushed her into their master bathroom as she held their eight-year-old son, David Otunga Jr. (pictured 2016)

Hudson claimed in her petition for order of protection that Otunga has 'a history of physical and emotional abuse'.

'I am afraid D. Otunga will continue to physically intimidate and abuse me,' reads the petition, seen by DailyMail.com. 'He has a history of physical and emotional abuse, I am afraid that his physical attacks will continue to escalate, especially due to the contentious nature of our parentage proceedings.'

Otunga has since been denied parenting time, and Hudson was also granted exclusive possession of their home, which was first reported by The Blast.

TMZ reported that on Wednesday, Otunga attempted to get a hold of Hudson while she attended a recording session in Chicago with their son by calling her multiple times.

Sad news: According to her rep, Hudson and David Otunga 'have been in the process of ending their relationship for a number of months' (couple pictured in February 2015)

Hudson alleges Otunga then asked their son to begin recording the scene when he was unable to connect with her.

The singer says Otunga made this request because he wanted proof she was dating a producer - which she denies doing.

When Hudson returned home, she claims Otunga was angry, and she alleges he grabbed their son by the hand and pushed her out of the master suite.

She says the incident was witnessed by their son, an assistant, and a makeup artist.

Hudson says the incident was just the latest to occur as part of a pattern of escalating and threatening behavior, according to TMZ.

Working: Hudson has continued to work consistently and will next appear in the crime drama Monster, which is now is post production. She has a recurring role on The Voice (pictured 2017)

A domestic battery investigation has been opened up and it has been classified as a misdemeanor, police told the website.

The website also alleged Otunga believed Hudson was secretly dating producer Mali Music for months, yet Hudson has denied having any relationship with Mali.

The couple reportedly split after Otunga confronted Hudson over his belief that she was romantically involved with the producer, adds the site.

TMZ also reported that in Hudson's order of protection, she alleges Otunga left a gun and holster out on the kitchen counter - which Otunga says was a movie prop.

However the sight of the gun triggered deep emotions for Hudson, she claims, as she remains traumatized following the murder of her family nine years ago.

'David knows that I am and have been very sensitive to firearms after my mother and my brother were murdered by a firearm.

Custody: Hudson has also been granted full temporary custody of their son after filing for an emergency protection order against Otunga (pictured 2016)

'I believe that he left it out to taunt, intimidate and frighten me, which he absolutely accomplished.'

Jennifer asks the judge in her custody petition for 'significant decision-making responsibilities'.

She also says in the petition she's been 'solely responsible for making all major decisions' for their son, though sources say Otunga claims it's 'exactly the opposite', according to TMZ.

Otunga, a host and commentator for WWE events, has now pulled out from working the upcoming Survivor Series event on Sunday as he's decided to concentrate on his custody battle with Hudson, according to TMZ.

It comes after Hudson was granted a restraining order against Otunga, her fiance of 10 years, after 'ending their relationship'.

The split news was first reported by People on Thursday after which a representative for the Dream Girls actress released a statement revealing news of 'the protective order' she took out in interest of their eight-year-old son David Daniel Otunga Jr.

In the confirmation, the star's aide revealed: 'Today, Jennifer requested and received a protective order against her ex-fiance. Jennifers actions are solely taken in the best interest of their son.'

Contentious: The statement concluded with 'Today, Jennifer requested and received a protective order against her ex-fiance. Jennifers actions are solely taken in the best interest of their son' (pictured November 9th)

Otunga said through his lawyer Tracy Rizzo that Hudson intentionally didn't notify him of her court appearance in a gambit to stay a step ahead in the contentious process - and make him look bad - as it was clear they would not reach an accord on a custody arrangement as of Wednesday.

'All of the allegations ... are false,' he said in court docs, according to TMZ. 'I have never physically pushed J. Hudson or in any other way harmed or threatened J. Hudson or our son.'

Otunga is seeking a court date for Tuesday to have the order lifted in order to spend Thanksgiving with David Jr. He issued a statement through his lawyer in which he denied committing any acts of violence, and claimed Jennifer requested the order because she fears losing access to her son.

The statement read: 'David Otunga has been trying to negotiate the terms of an amicable parenting agreement with Ms. Hudson for several weeks now.

'However, when it became apparent to Ms. Hudson that Mr. Otunga would be the parent granted residential care of the child, as a result of Mr. Otunga being the child's primary caregiver while Ms. Hudson pursues her career all over the world ... Ms. Hudson decided to file a meritless Petition for Order of Protection in an effort to gain an unfair advantage in the custody dispute.'

Hudson has continued to work consistently and will next appear in the crime drama Monster, which is now is post production. She has a recurring role on The Voice.

Things then got somewhat ugly, with Rizzo claiming that Jennifer's real motives for requesting the order of protection were petty in nature.

He went on: 'As a result of Mr. Otunga's career in the WWE, Ms. Hudson felt that she could give an award winning performance in court to portray herself as the victim. Mr. Otunga has never abused or harassed Ms. Hudson or their son.'

Jennifer and David got engaged in 2008, after a little less than a year of dating.

Earlier this year, Jennifer revealed David 'saved her life' in 2009 when her mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were shot in Chicago, while Her seven-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found dead in the backseat of a car.

Had she not been spending time been David, with whom she had become engaged shortly before, as she was planning to visit her mother but stayed with her fiance instead.

She told Ebony magazine: 'Thats one of the things that saved my life, because I could have been home with my mom then, David wanted me to come out to Florida with him instead of going to Chicago. I flew out to see him; thats why Im still here.

'Ive never said that before, and I cant believe I just said that now. But I didnt know. He was just like: "Im going to this wrestling thing, and its in Tampa. Im going out there now, so you can come out there and see me versus going home."'
She was one of the first Harvey Weinstein accusers, who led more than 60 other women to speak out about their experience.

And Ashley Judd was spotted getting back to work on the set of A Dog's Way Home in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday.

The actress, 49, looked happy to be back to work as she wore a brown pea coat while hanging out with the movie crew before shooting one of her scenes.

Filming: Ashley Judd was spotted back on set of A Dog's Way Home in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday

Recently, Ashley publicly discussed her personal accusations of harassment by Weinstein.

She was one of the brave women whose stories were included in the initial report that led to the movie mogul's downfall.

According to Ashley, the assault happened 20 years ago when she was filming the movie Kiss the Girls.

The actress said Weinstein invited her to a Beverly Hills hotel for a business meeting, and was sent up to his room.

Back to work! The actress, 49, looked all smiles as she wore a brown pea coat while hanging out with the movie crew before shooting one of her scenes

The Twin Peaks star told Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America: 'Weinstein asked to give me a massage, and then asked for me to give him one.'

Ashley continued: 'Volley of nos. Maybe he heard them as yeses. Maybe it turned him on.'

The actress said she was so traumatized by the experience she can still remember the layout of the room.

The 49-year-old actress was honored for her act at the Women's Media Center Awards in October.

Judd accepted the Truth to Power accolade at the event, alongside Hillary Clinton.

All smiles: Recently, Ashley has been trying to get back to work after discussing her personal accusations of harassment by Weinstein

The Sisters starlet began her acceptance speech recounting her own incident with Weinstein: 'I came right downstairs and my dad could see it in my face that I was shattered and I told him everything and I've been telling folks for about 20 years and I am very happy that I've finally been heard.

'We've been able to talk about how perpetrators are shameless and they put their toxic shame onto their victims and we internalize it and take it around with us.'

Since Ashley has spoken out about her experience, it has led other women in the industry to follow suit.

Dozens of A-listers, journalists and budding actresses have spoken out against Weinstein throughout the recent months, including Lupita Nyong'o, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Lea Seydoux, and Asia Argento.
He left fans terrified for his life in June after being involved in a terrible car accident which left the star hospitalised.

And while Richard Hammond was not seriously injured by the accident, he was seen donning crutches in a new The Grand Tour clip.

The 47-year-old TV presenter was seen using the support after his horror crash in June, in a new behind-the-scenes look at the Amazon Prime series.

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Half-a Romeo! Richard Hammond was seen donning crutches in a clip from the new series of The Grand Tour, set to air on December 8, in light of his horror crash in June

Ahead of the show's second season premiere on December 8, the clip showed the iconic trio of Richard, Jeremy Clarkson and James May slicing a 30,000 Alfa Romeo in half for a new celebrity segment.

In the clip Jeremy is seen noting that the new segment will replace the previous season's Celebrity Brain Crash challenge.

Despite the bright idea, upon James May's testing of the new car it appears to be much more challenging, with the car eventually veering off of the track due to an inability to reverse.

Jeremy then declares that the new segment will work, recruiting a member of the crew to also try out the car, with the same disastrous outcome.

A bright idea? In the clip, the series iconic trio are seen debating a new celebrity segment to replace Celebrity Brain Crash

Axed: Frontman Jeremy Clarkson is seen taking a call stating the old segment must be axed

Hilarious: Despite the team's idea, James May tests the vehicle, and eventually veers it off the road

It works! Despite scepticism, Jeremy declares the segment will work

Test dummy: A member of The Grand Tour crew is asked to try out the car as well, with disastrous results

Fans were left terrified when Richard was airlifted to hospital following his accident in June after flipping a 2million electric supercar which then burst into flames as he filmed his new Amazon show The Grand Tour.

But he miraculously escaped the fireball horror with little more than a fractured knee and was 'conscious and talking' after freeing himself from the vehicle.

His Grand Tour colleagues May and Clarkson were 'staggered' he survived because there was 'nothing left' of the vehicle.

Shocking: Amazon later released this image showing the burnt-out wreckage of the car laying upside down on a hill

Horror crash: Richard was treated in hospital after flipping a 2million supercar which then burst into flames as he filmed his new Amazon show

Footage: This is the moment the former BBC star crashed in the supercar as he and co-hosts filmed their new show

Closed off: The crash is reported to have happened on a road that was closed for the Bergrennen Hemberg race

Horrific: The vehicle appeared to have rolled down a hill following the crash in Switzerland

Shock images: Pictures from the scene showed a car in flames alongside a road in St. Gallen before the blaze was extinguished by firefighters

Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Grand Tour executive producer Andy Wilman said: 'Jeremy and James both raced down to the scene of the crash as soon as it happened. When they saw the wreckage on fire they thought Richard was dead. It was really bad.

'They were staggered he had got out of it alive, because there was just nothing left. Everyone is so relieved. If Richard had been a few seconds slower getting out, he would have been incinerated.'

Pictures from the scene showed the Rimac Concept One car in flames alongside a road in St. Gallen before the blaze was extinguished by firefighters.

Cruising: The presenter was driving a Rimac Concept One, an electric super car built in Croatia

Attending the scene: Firefighters were pictured putting out the burning wreckage of the car

Grand Tour producer Amazon later released images showing the burnt-out wreckage of the car laying upside down on a hill.

The crash is reported to have happened on a road that was closed for the Bergrennen Hemberg race.

A spokesperson for The Grand Tour said: 'Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash after completing the Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland in a Rimac Concept One, an electric super car built in Croatia, during filming for The Grand Tour Season 2 on Amazon Prime, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury.

A source said: 'The crash was really bad. The car completely flipped and then burst into flames'

'Richard was conscious and talking, and climbed out of the car himself before the vehicle burst into flames.

'He was flown by Air Ambulance to hospital in St Gallen to be checked over revealing a fracture to his knee.

'Nobody else was in the car or involved in the accident, and we'd like to thank the paramedics on site for their swift response.

'The cause of the crash is unknown and is being investigated.'

Filming: Mr Hammond was earlier pictured filming the second series of The Grand Tour - his new Amazon show

Grand Tour co-star Jeremy Clarkson tweeted: 'It was the biggest crash I've ever seen and the most frightening but incredibly, and thankfully, Richard seems to be mostly OK.'

A source told The Sun: 'The crash was really bad. The car completely flipped and then burst into flames.

'There was real concern for Richard but the emergency services were quickly on hand and he's a very lucky boy.

'It brought back horrendous memories of the 2006 crash for those who witnessed it.'

Happy to help: Mr Hammond took a selfie with fan moments before the crash took place and suffered just a knee fracture

After the news broke, several fans took to Twitter to voice their concern and send him their best wishes, while others highlighted his unbeatable fearlessness.

Twitter user JGA wrote to his co-stars Mr Clarkson and Mr May and said: My best wishes to @RichardHammond. Hope he is ok. Nothing puts him off  I know hell be getting back in a car soon.

Vitesh Patel said: Get well @RichardHammond, dont want to speculate what happened, just get better!

Tommy Jack wrote: Hope Richard Hammond is ok, looked proper nasty crash.

Shocked: Concerned fans flocked to Twitter after the accident

It comes just weeks after Mr Hammond toppled off his motorcycle and banged his head while riding through a 'remote' part of Mozambique.

In a blog post, he wrote: 'It's true, I did fall off a motorbike whilst filming recently for The Grand Tour in Mozambique.

'I banged my head, yes, along with pretty much everything else apart from my left thumb, which remains un-bruised.

'Can't tell you more yet about the how and why of it; that's all for later in the year on the show. As for injuries; well put it this way, I don't think I can get a book out of it.'

Another incident: In 2006 Hammond nearly died after crashing a jet powered car at 288 mph

In 2006 Hammond nearly died after crashing a jet powered car at 288 mph and slipped into a coma during an attempt to break the British land speed record for the BBC show.

He was driving a jet-powered Vampire dragster when the front-right tyre burst leading the vehicle to spin out of control during a stunt at Elvington airfield near York.

Hammond suffered serious head injuries and he was in hospital for five weeks before returning home to his wife Mindy and their two daughters, Isabella and Willow.

The TV presenter, nicknamed 'Hamster', later told how he struggled 'mortally with depression' and spoke regularly to a psychiatrist following the incident.

Terrifying: He was driving a jet-powered Vampire dragster when the front-right tyre burst in 2006
At 48 she has carved out a reputation as one of Hollywood's most glamorous superstars.

And Catherine Zeta-Jones has set jaws dropping with her latest cinematic transformation as she romps with her on-screen lesbian lover in steamy scenes from her latest TV film Cocaine Grandmother.

The Oscar winning actress. transforms into Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco who ruled the Miami cocaine drug trade during the 1970s and early 1980s, for the Lifetime original movie.

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Steamy: Catherine Zeta-Jones has set jaws dropping with her latest cinematic transformation as she romps with her on-screen lesbian lover in steamy scenes from her latest TV film Cocaine Grandmother

New role: Further explosive scenes from the trailer show the actress, who plays Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco, inspecting a parade of scantily clad beauties before stuffing packages of drugs into their underwear

And the explosive trailer shows the brunette beauty stripping off for an incredibly steamy sex scene with her glamorous co-star, with a busty Catherine showing off her braless chest as she passionately kisses her lover.

Further explosive scenes from the trailer show the actress, who previously admitted to gaining weight for the role, inspecting a parade of scantily clad beauties before stuffing packages of drugs into their underwear.

She growls: 'Ive been in prison since the day I was born. Im used to it. Trust no one, in this life. No more weakness'.

'Women are like spiders. They pull you into their web until you can no longer breathe.'

Transformation:The Oscar winning actress. transforms into Colombian drug lord Griselda who ruled the Miami cocaine drug trade during the 1970s and early 1980s, for the Lifetime original movie.

Fierce: She says: 'Women are like spiders. They pull you into their web until you can no longer breathe'

Tears: She is seen crying and holding onto the limp body of her on-screen lover

Different look: Catherine looks worlds away from her usual glossy Hollywood look (right)

Violent: She is also seen being hit around the face by her lover and engaging in a struggle with him

She is also seen being hit around the face by her lover and coldly shooting down an apparent cheating husband.

Griselda was a part of the popular HBO docu-series Cocaine Cowboys that documented the rise of the drug in Florida in the 1970s.

She was depicted as a violent, vain drug lord who killed anyone who stood in her way.

It is believed she ordered the murders of 200 people in her lifetime.

Assassin: The blonde wigged star is seen coldly shooting down an apparent cheating husband.

Troubled times: Catherine dons a floral dress as she stares into the distance during one moody scene

Mourning: Griselda was nicknamed the Black Widow during her drug ring reign

She first dipped her toe into drug dealing when she was living in Queens, New York.

She then moved to Miami and staffed up.

When her second husband died she was given the nickname The Black Widow.

She amassed an incredible amount of wealth but when her enemies closed in, she moved to California.

When she was deported to Colombia in 2012 she was quickly gunned down.

Unrecognisable: The film, which will air in January features Catherine as never seen before

Close: Catherine shows off her softer side as she cuddles up to her onscreen lover

Family: Other scenes show a happy family before the explosive action begins

Catherine told Deadline of the role: 'I gained weight, I was hunched over. If I had balls, Id have grabbed them from time to time. I wanted to let it all hang out.

The Oscar winner added: 'She thought she was beautiful. She was the movie star starring in her own movie. She didnt give a s***.'

And the Chicago actress said she was happy to play someone who was so tough.

'As women we get knocked down for being ambitious. I often wish we could take a little bit of that true ambition and be proud of it,' said the Zorro star.

Kingpin: Griselda was a part of the popular HBO docu-series Cocaine Cowboys that documented the rise of the drug in Florida in the 1970s

Over: She amassed an incredible amount of wealth but when her enemies closed in, she moved to California. When she was deported to Colombia in 2012 she was quickly gunned down

'I wouldnt be talking to you today if I didnt have an inherent ambition. You make your own luck. Yes, there are people who help along the way, but weird enough, the harder I work, the luckier I get Take credit for yourself.

'The humble crap is good, but it gets boring.'

Catherine did not want to 'homogenize her or find a sympathetic quality' for the criminal.

'I dont think she had one. I applaud Lifetime and A+E. It would have been easy to rose-tint this story,' said Zeta-Jones.

Cocaine Grandmother will air on Lifetime in January.

Preparation: Catherine told Deadline of the role: 'I gained weight, I was hunched over. If I had balls, Id have grabbed them from time to time. I wanted to let it all hang out'

.
A United States Senate hopeful who seems attracted to teenage girls, details of which emerge years later, and a scandal that makes the front page of most newspapers.

We're talking about Alabama's Roy Moore, right?

Not entirely.

More than a century ago in Montana, the state's richest citizen, who also happened to be one of its senators, William Andrews Clark, found himself embroiled in a scandal that parallels what the embattled Moore is facing today.

Four in '04

Arguably the richest man in America at the time, Clark  er, Sen. Clark  found himself in a predicament to which he was thoroughly unaccustomed. The man who had made fortunes in nearly every business he touched, from merchandising to banking to mining to railroads, found himself on the verge of the being derailed.

At least four women had captured the interest of the press in connection with Clark, who had been widowed in 1893. He certainly felt the walls closing in on him.

He was being sued by Mary McNellis for $150,000 for breach of contract in New York City because he allegedly "seduced, debauched and impregnated her," while promising marriage.

The judge in the case ruled against her, but the case itself remains sealed. Later, it was discovered that McNellis' lawyer had suddenly sold his interest in a Canadian mine to none other than Clark  everyone assumes for a tidy profit.

In Bill Dedman's book "Empty Mansions," he noted that McNellis and Clark had met during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1896, and apparently kept in contact. McNellis claimed that Clark had wooed her with a dinner of oysters and champagne at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City in October 1900, according to Dedman.

Clark, using a defense that seems strikingly modern, claimed that indeed he had known McNellis and she was "rather agreeable and very intelligent."

But Clark stopped short of admitting anything inappropriate.

"(I did not promise) to marry Miss McNellis, or ever made love to her or induced her to believe that I was going to marry her," Clark was quoted as saying.

The case disappeared, although some have speculated Clark's money eventually bought her silence.

Meanwhile, noted abolitionist Hattie Rose Laube was still warring with Clark and his family because she claimed Clark had written her a promise of marriage while the senator was traveling in Europe.

Everyone seemed to want him  or his money.

But McNellis and Laube were the adult women.

There was also Kathlyn Williams, who was just a girl when Clark agreed to "sponsor" her.

Williams was described as a "blonde beauty" who came from modest means in Butte. She caught Clark's eye while acting in Butte's theater circuits.

The details of their relationship remain clouded, but Clark sent Williams to New York to study opera. Later, he bankrolled her career switch to acting.

He was 40 years her senior.

Williams would go on to have a noted career as an actress on stage, and during the early days of silent film she appeared in several dozen films and several "talkies."

She would later credit Clark for helping her career and, she added, the careers of other "boys and girls." As Dedman notes, "The names of no boys survive."

These reported dalliances almost certainly caught the attention of a young woman in France, Anna La Chapelle.

So she became the fourth woman to emerge in 1904 as one of Clark's lovers. But, she had something those other women didn't have  Clark's child.

Handsome child to Mrs. Millionaire

Likely reading about her rivals and worrying that she, too, may be discredited or discarded, La Chapelle asked Clark for a "competency," a quaint old-fashioned term hiding a racy reality. A competency, or settlement, was money that would have ensured financial stability for La Chapelle and her child, Louise Amelia Andree Clark, who would later be called "Andree."

In his kiss-and-tell biography of the family, William Mangam, who worked for the Clarks for more than a quarter-century, claimed Andree's first and real given name was Wilhemina Andree, a feminine form of her father's name, William Andrews. However, that report, like so many surrounding Clark, has never been corroborated.

Clark had sent La Chapelle from Montana to France when she was 16 to study music. Eight years later, Clark made a move as shrewd as any he had ever made in business.

Knowing that he'd have a difficult time disputing La Chapelle or the child  Clark's own sister had been serving as her chaperone  he couldn't simply deny or ignore the reports. Acknowledging paternity of Andree might cause a stir, but an even larger scandal might break out when some nosy reporter put together the rest of the story  that Clark would appear to abandon a girl who'd been in his care as a teenager and with whom he'd fathered a child. Leaving La Chapelle disgraced might tarnish his reputation, which was still recovering from the shame of not being seated in the U.S. Senate four years earlier when it was revealed he'd bribed the Montana Legislature for his seat.

So Clark did the only other thing he could think of: he fabricated a complete but effective lie.

The firestorm of public attention that erupted when a 65-year-old senator married a 20-something musician broke in a Montana newspaper, and not the one Clark himself owned.

On July 12, 1904, The Anaconda Standard ran with a front-page story that had the headline:

THEY'RE MARRIED

AND HAVE A BABY

The Anaconda Standard, which had been owned by Clark's arch-enemy and rival Marcus Daly before he died, delighted in breaking the news that Clark had not only been secretly married, but had a child, too.

The paper reported the story that Clark and his bride concocted a tale that gave everyone cover, but hardly had a scrap of verifiable truth.

The Standard mocked, "The ceremony was performed that made the handsome child of the western mining fields the bride of the many-times millionaire."

Clark claimed the couple had actually been married more than three years earlier on May 25, 1901. That date was convenient on several counts. First, Clark had indeed been in France at the time, so it was plausible. More importantly, the date was also more than nine months before the birth of Andree on Aug. 13, 1902.

Keith Edgerton, chairman of the history department at Montana State University Billings, wrote an article on the curious romance of Clark and La Chapelle in the most recent edition of Montana, The Magazine of Western History.

In "A Copper King's Mysterious Marriage," Edgerton reviewed the purported circumstances surrounding the nuptials and found, like others who tried piecing parts of it together, the story was virtually free of facts.

Clark had indeed been in France at the time, but because of his status as one of the richest men in the world, and because Clark craved the spotlight, his 1901 trip to France was well covered in the press. A check of his itinerary revealed Clark was having a good time touring France, but no mention is made of a marriage.

For example, Edgerton notes that Clark was in Blois and allegedly married the next day in Marseilles, a distance of 500 miles. In order for the story to be true, Clark would have also had to skip a honeymoon, rush off to London to meet his son, and forget to tell William Jr. that he had just married a woman, leaving her behind in France.

The Clarks also claimed they'd been married by a priest in Marseilles, but no record of the wedding or document has ever been discovered. Clark was known as a stalwart Presbyterian and Mason, and yet claimed the ceremony was performed by a Roman Catholic priest.

Several years later, when Anna La Chapelle Clark wanted to come home with her two children, she signed an affidavit that said, "no record of said marriage is known to exist."

After news of the surprise marriage broke, Clark's spin doctors at The Butte Miner newspaper responded on July 13  a day later  to the salacious story that had been gleefully reported by its rival.

It claimed that La Chapelle had been taken in by Clark as a ward when her father had died. Later, another flourish was added to the story: La Chapelle's father had perished in one of Clark's Butte mines.

But Pierre La Chapelle was not a miner. He was a quack doctor who likely lived long enough to see his daughter leave for France. Pierre La Chapelle had his own fake stories as authorities in Butte had charged him with practicing medicine illegally.

The Standard followed up its coverage and claimed that nearly a decade earlier, a young La Chapelle had asked a local banker to support her fledgling acting career. The banker declined, but sent La Chappelle to Clark. The Standard's implication was obvious: Everyone knew Clark wasn't likely to turn down a teenage girl.

"There was one thing that Clark loved more than money," said a source in Edgerton's article. "That one thing was what women had to give."

Dedman's book puts it this way, "(He) was an ardent admirer, if that's what one wishes to call it, of the fair sex."

Later, almost a decade after the bombshell wedding announcement, Clark would tell the story differently, that he had first noticed La Chapelle playing the piano and a violin duet at a commencement where Clark was keynote speaker.

Clark's recollections don't mention how La Chapelle, whose parents had to take in boarders in one of Butte's grittiest neighborhoods to make ends meet, had managed to scrape together tuition for a college 70 miles away in Deer Lodge where Clark just happened to be a trustee.

After graduation, Clark claimed, he agreed to help the teenager by sending her to study in Paris. At that time, both of La Chapelle's parents were still living, not dead from a mining accident.

After La Chapelle was sent to France, Clark started to provide financial support for her mother, Philomene, as well as Anna's two siblings, Arthur and Amelia.

Damage control or no big deal

What may be most difficult about Clark and these relationships is knowing the exact nature of them. Unlike today and unlike the allegations against Roy Moore, few details and specifics of these relationships have been disclosed.

In the case of McNellis, in which she argues Clark impregnated her, the court record was sealed.

It's impossible to know the exact nature of Clark's odd relationship with teenage actor Kathlyn Williams. And it's even harder to pinpoint when and how Clark and La Chapelle met.

Edgerton, who has studied Clark for years, said there's no definitive evidence of improper sexual relationships between Clark and teenage girls. Yet, Clark's behavior doesn't seem normal, even by Victorian standards.

"Is it weird because we don't know about it and are looking at it through our lens of today?" Edgerton asked. "Or is it just weird?"

To make matters more difficult, it's even harder to tell what the average Montanan thought of these events because there was no social media, no feedback sections, and even letters to the editor were heavily scanned for propriety and selectively chosen. In Montana, many mining companies found the easiest way to control their message was to own a newspaper, Edgerton said.

The only possible clue is how the newspapers positioned the story; the Clark marriage made the front page in both Butte and Anaconda. Usually, the front page was reserved for world events. Local stories were usually only moved to the front page when they were considered huge news.

The Butte Miner, Clark's mouthpiece, seemed to be in full damage-control mode after the news broke.

Having been beaten on a story about its owner, The Miner triumphantly declared, "(the marriage) is not a surprise to their relatives and close friends in Montana. It had been known for many years that the Senator was very fond of his young ward and his marriage was known to his legal advisers and closest friends both in this country and in Europe."

The same article seemed to grasp at ways to describe the romance of the senator and a woman 39 years his junior.

"He learned that his early affection for this beautiful girl had ripened into love," the paper said in an article that contained a picture of Clark, La Chapelle and baby Andree. "It was a happy moment in Senator Clark's life when he understood that his love for Miss La Chapelle was reciprocated."

Some of his relatives, legal advisers and closest friends may have known about Anna and Andree, but one group didn't.

His other children.

Poor Papa

Anna La Chapelle was younger than any of Clark's four living children, a fact they seemed to disapprove of only slightly less than the concern about what would happen with their father's estate and vast fortune.

Mangam's book recounts a "dejected and dispirited" old man moping to visit his two daughters in New York City, late in June 1904, just two weeks before the news hit the papers.

Katherine Clark Morris writes to her brother, William Jr., to urge him not to be too angry with "dear father."

The letter from sister to brother arrived just five days before The Standard broke the news:

"While both May and I are greatly grieved and dreadfully disappointed we must all stand by dear father and try and make it as easy for him as possible as already he realizes his mistake  your heart would have ached could you have seen him the night he left us for St. Louis, and indeed I can't get over the way he looked so badly ... and dear, be as good and kind to him as you can for it is hard for dear father."

Mangam also manages to recount the note Clark wrote to his son about the situation, a letter the senator apparently ordered his son to destroy.

In it, Clark urged his son to understand the "alliance" he made with Anna, and that it wouldn't change the relationship with his older children.

Clark assured his son that Anna would not be permitted in his mansion on Fifth Avenue, and also said that "previous civil marriage is necessary to validate a marriage in France, but not necessary in the case of a citizen of the United States and Montana whose laws relating to the solemnization of marriages are familiar to you."

In other words, the made-up story was just the cover he needed to make the story hold up back in the United States.

But word of the family's dissatisfaction with the marriage had already leaked back to Butte, and The Miner was once again forced to go on the defensive. It published a column-long statement from Clark himself: "It has been stated that my family objected to this union. Whatever apprehension, if any, may have existed in this respect on my part, it was entirely dissipated when the facts were disclosed by cordial reception of the information and their approval of these relations which were so essential to my happiness."

After all, Clark continued, the real reason for all of this fuss and sudden announcement, had nothing to do with him, a scandal, his career or his family.

"I wanted my child to be educated in America and brought up as a resolute and patriotic American," Clark closed,

Meanwhile, just over the hill in Anaconda, The Standard had published a slightly different take.

It showed a cameo portrait of the aging senator, who was then 65. Next to it, a much larger line drawing of La Chapelle, who looked like a slightly cross-eyed teenager. The pictures were enhanced by cartoon hearts.

And a very noticeable stork.
Josh Hutcherson goes fully nude in Hulu's racy sci-fi comedy series Future Man.

The 25-year-old actor bares it all for the cameras as he fights a clone version of himself in one of the scenes.

The Hollywood hunk plays a bored janitor whose only source of enjoyment is playing hours long of video games.

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Baring it all! Josh Hutcherson has taken on a whole new character in Hulu's racy sci-fi comedy series Future Man

Josh soon realizes that his favorite game is actually a recruiting tool for potential real-life warriors.

The Zathura star quickly finds himself drawn into action that could help save the world from disaster.

The show- which premiered on Wednesday -shows Josh running around with a prosthetic male organ hanging out.

In the nude: The 25-year-old actor shows a new side of himself that he hasn't shown before, baring it all for the cameras as he fights a clone version of himself in one of the scenes

In the show: The Hollywood hunk plays a bored janitor whose only source of enjoyment is playing hours long of video games (Photo from Josh's Instagram)

In the scene, Josh and his clone are in a hilarious argument about whose genital area is larger.

Their bickering later ends in a small brawl that leads one of the men down laying on the bathroom floor.

The streaming series is definitely a change up from his dramatic independent films, such as The Disaster Artist and In Dubious Battle.

Taking a walk on the wild side! The streaming series is definitely a change up from his dramatic independent films, such as The Disaster Artist and In Dubious Battle (November 2017)

The Future Man scene is so graphic that it even had to be rated TV-MA.

The Hulu series is produced by no other than raunchy funny-man himself Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

Alongside Josh onscreen is Ed Begley Jr., Eliza Coupe, Glenne Headly and Derek Wilson.

All 13 Future Man episodes are currently available to be streamed on Hulu.
No pain, no vain, as the old Kardashian mantra goes.

Kourtney extolled the benefits of vampire facials on her premium app this week.

The procedure extracts blood, separates the plasma, smears it back onto  and injects back into  ones face for that youthful, glowing look.

No pain no vain: Kourtney Kardashian extolled the benefits of vampire facials on her premium app this week

Her sister Kim famously underwent the treatment a few years ago on Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, and appeared barely able to handle the pain, whimpering throughout.

Nevertheless Kourtney  who herself had one over Halloween  insisted this week it is all worth it.

'You've probably seen my sisters and me getting a vampire facial,' she wrote. 'This treatment may look scary, but it is SO beneficial to your skin.'

She explained the process involves the application of the PRP (platelet-rich plasma) in your blood onto and into your skin.

Ouch: Her sister Kim famously underwent the treatment a few years ago on Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, and appeared barely able to handle the pain, whimpering throughout

'First, your blood is drawn and run through a centrifuge that spins the blood to separate the lighter plasma from the rest of the contents,' she continued.

'Before the treatment, your skin will be prepped and you'll receive microneedling or microdermabrasion. The PRP will then be applied like a serum and penetrated into the skin with small needles.

'After the treatment, your skin will be a bit redthey advise to not put anything on your skin at all for 24 hours. If I'm home for the weekend, I will keep my skin product-free even longer.'

In Kim's infamous clip, the surgeon tells her the process 'stings a little bit, but it's very tolerable.'

Bloody hell: Kourtney  who herself had one over Halloween  insisted this week it is worth it

Kim clearly doesn't agree, squirming in pain as the motorized needles rove her face, while the site of her covered in blood almost had BFF Jonathan Cheban gagging.

'This procedure causes trauma to the skin, tricking it into believing that it has been injured,' Kourtney explained.

'Your skin goes into recovery mode by creating new collagen, blood vessels and cells. The blood platelets applied to your skin contain antioxidants, stimulate cell turnover, increase collagen, hydrate, rejuvenate and restore your skin.'

She concluded: 'Your skin look feel refreshed and healthy, with a glowing after-effect.'
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They never fail to bring the glamour to a glitzy soiree.

So it was no surprise to see Ashley James, Kimberley Garner and Jessica Wright looked sensational as they lead the arrivals at the Chain Of Hope Gala at at Grosvenor House in London on Friday.

Former Made in Chelsea star Ashley, 27, glittered in a navy blue sequinned bardot gown which flaunted her cleavage, and flowed into a dramatic feathered train.

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Terrific trio: It was no surprise to see Ashley James, Kimberley Garner and Jessica Wright looked sensational as they lead the arrivals at the Chain Of Hope Gala at at Grosvenor House in London on Friday

Glamorous: Ashley showed off her sensational figure in a plunging navy sequined gown that was adorned with feathers as she joined best friend Charlotte De Carle who wasn't afraid to bare in a black dress with mesh detailing

Her platinum locks were styled into an elegant updo and she opted for a light dusting of glowing make-up for her ethereal look.

The star carried a silver box clutch and accessorised with sparkling diamond earrings.

She was joined by a stunning Jess Wright, 32, with the former TOWIE star sizzling in a black gown with racy semi sheer panels which showcased her incredible hourglass curves.

Glamour: Her platinum locks were styled into an elegant updo and she opted for a light dusting of glowing make-up for her ethereal look

Terrific trio: Ashley and Charlotte were joined on the red carpet by Ainsley Harriott who seemed in good spirits

Playful: Ainsley looked delighted to be in the company of Ashley and Charlotte as he cracked a broad grin

Laugh out loud: Ainsley looked delighted as he laughed out loud while looking dapper in a black suit, bow tie and rose waistcoat

Racy: She was joined by a stunning Jess Wright, 32, with the former TOWIE star sizzling in a black gown with racy semi sheer panels which showcased her incredible hourglass curves

Glossy: The reality starlet wore her brunette locks in a sleek side ponytail and made her peepers pop with smoky eyeshadow and false lashes

The reality starlet wore her brunette locks in a sleek side ponytail and made her peepers pop with smoky eyeshadow and false lashes.

She accessorised with a cream clutch bag and diamond dropper earrings.

Ensuring all eyes would be on her as she made her way into the event, 27-year-old former Made In Chelsea star Kimberley Garner opted for a strapless black ballgown that showed off her sensational figure.

Stylish: Ensuring all eyes would be on her as she made her way into the event, 27-year-old former Made In Chelsea star Kimberley Garner opted for a strapless black ballgown

Head turner: Clinging to her hourglass curves, the figure-hugging satin garment featured sequinned detailing that caught the eye

Lithe: Keeping her make-up neutral so as not to detract from her glamorous ensemble, the blonde bombshell finished off the look by wearing her glossy tresses in a sleek centre parting

Perilous: Kimberley had to watch the train of her dress as she went into the revolving doors at the venue

Statuesque: Arizona Muse wowed in a velvet corset and ethereal watercolour tulle skirt, paired with dramatic flicks of eyeliner

Bridal inspired: Tiffany Watson glowed in a white semi-sheer tulle gown decorated with polka dots

Glowing: A bronzed Andrea McLean flashed her lacy bra in a plunging jumpsuit at the glittering event

Clinging to her hourglass curves, the figure-hugging satin garment featured sequinned detailing that caught the eye.

Flaring out into a dramatic full length train, the gown followed her as she walked, ensuring she looked every inch the stylish starlet on the outing.

Keeping her make-up neutral so as not to detract from her glamorous ensemble, the blonde bombshell finished off the look by wearing her glossy tresses in a sleek centre parting.

Glamour: Lady Colin Campbell rocked a pink floaty gown and a beehive updo as she posed with a pal at the event

Dapper: Chris Eubank Jr (L) joined a suave Piers Morgan (M) and actor Steven Berkoff at the star-studded event

Glamour: Lady Emma Weymouth and MIC star Mark Francis Vandelli enjoyed a quick chat before posing for snappers

Smart: Actor Omar Djalili cracked a relaxed smile in a navy suit as he joined Mark who rocked a velvet suit jacket and Rupert Everett who looked dashing in a black suit

Dynamic duo: Former footballer Robert Pires and his stunning wife Jessica co-ordinated in chic black outfits

Kimberley is a renowned swimwear designer who has just returned from the States where she is hoping to launch the brand.

Speaking to MailOnline, the designer admitted she was mixing business with pleasure during her first trip to the Floridian city.

'I am over in Miami on a girls holiday,' she said. 'It's been really fun and the first time I have been to Miami.

'I will be staying a little longer over here for work on Kimberley London Swimwear, but London is definitely still home.'

Sporting greats: Chris joined Olympic javelin throwing legend Tessa Sanderson for a sweet snap at the event

Glittering: Doreen Lawrence wowed in a gold brocade shift dress while model Christina Estrada rocked a red bow detail dress

Kimberley has fully thrown herself into herself into swimwear design over recent years, designing several swimwear lines since leaving Made in Chelsea in 2012.

She previously revealed she has fully embraced the challenges that come with running a business, saying: 'I have some really cool new designs coming out over the next few months which I am excited about.

'They are still all made in London, which is really important to me.

'I love being a young female running a start up. Learning every section of what it take to run a company has been amazing and challenging but am really excited to see it grow and can't wait for next year's collections.'

Fun times: Ainsley pulled off a playful pose with Charlotte (left) while Made in Chelsea stars Julius Cowdrey and Ella Willis put on a chic display

Beautiful: Tiffany Watson was a vision in her delicate and chic dress, which flashed a glimpse of her taunt tummy in the semi-sheer panels

Drama: Alexandra Akhmerova wowed as she showed off some serious skin in the backless Gothic-inspired floor-length gown, toting a scarlet clutch bag she accessorised to contrast with her dress for the maximum effect

Sparkling sensation: Ashley James put her famous curves on display in her off-the-shoulder floor-length gown, which featured a feathered design and glittering gemstones

Glittering: The former Made In Chelsea star scraped her trademark blonde locks off her face into a neat bun for a polished look as she ensured all her eyes were on her dangling sparkling earrings

The Wright way to dress! Jessica showcased her slender limbs in a perilous split gown, drawing further attention to her assets with its sizzling lace panels

Red hot: Christina Estrada looked sizzling in her off-the-shoulder scarlet gown, teamed with a red lip and crimson handbag as well as a glittering golden pair of heels

How low can you go? Arizona Muse went braless in a plunging V-shaped fitted corset, teamed with a slinky cape for added sex appeal and a semi-sheer skirt which flashed a glimpse of her slender limbs

Heating up a storm! TV chef Ainsley Harriot caught the eye with his quirky floral waistcoat, which was decorated with scarlet rose embroidery and emerald green leafy

Glamorous as ever: Viscountess Weymouth went braless in her plunging gown, featuring bow ties for her sleeves to add a touch of elegance to her evening ensemble

He's bow-tiful: Mark-Francis Vandelli looked dapper in his two-piece tuxedo, complete with a huge bow tie and a checkered handkerchief as well as shiny brogues

Lavish beauty: Kimberley showcased her svelte figure in the extravagant ballgown, which featured a form-fitting bodice and billowing Fishtail skirt that trailed across the red carpet

Way to Garner attention! Kimberley grappled with her extravagant ballgown as she struggled to fit sweeping train into taxi after the Chain Of Hope Gala Ball in London on Friday

That'll Garner attention: Perched in the waiting vehicle, the former Made In Chelsea star tugged at the billowing skirt of her Fishtail garment as she attempted to bundle it into the car

That'll Garner looks: Careful not to tear her excessive garment, it is no surprise the reality star also struggled to get through the revolving door into the glamorous venue

Impressive: The London beauty looked magnificent in her lavish dress which featured a dazzling striped pattern that highlighted her phenomenal figure

What a figure! Accentuating Kimberley's petite waist, the impressive ballgown was brought in with a form-fitting bodice which clung to her envy-inducing curves

She's a star: Famed for her brief stint on Made In Chelsea from March 2012 until the November of the same year, the swimwear designer knew how to catch the eye at the gala

She's a natural beauty: Letting her golden locks down for the night's festivities, Kimberley didn't detract attention away from her dress as she opted for a minimal dusting of make-up

Dazzling: Kimberley wore a simple bracelet to inject further sparkle into her enchanting appearance at Grosvenor House in London
John Ibrahim's bodyguard was shot in the back outside the King Cross identity's mother's home on Friday night.

And after waking up to the news on Saturday, Real Housewives of Sydney star Lisa Oldfield couldn't help but send her well-wishes to Semi Ngata, known as Tongan Sam.

Taking to Instagram, the 42-year-old recalled a time when the bodyguard had helped her, and called him her 'superhero'.

Scroll down for video

Weighing in: After hearing about John Ibrahim's bodyguard Semi Ngata was shot on Friday night, Real Housewives of Sydney star Lisa Oldfield sent her well wishes

'Very sad to hear that @tonsgansm has been shot!'

'Seven years ago, when Harry was 6 weeks old and I was struggling to get the #baby and #pram up a huge flight of stairs at a large cathedral for a #funeral, Sam simply walked over picked up the laden @bugaboostrollers complete with Harry and took it to the top,' she wrote in the lengthy post.

Continuing on to share how 'frazzled' she was as a new mum with 'leaking boobs', she said she'd be forever grateful.

Nothing but love for Sam: Continuing on to share how 'frazzled' she was as a new mum with 'leaking boobs', she said she'd be forever grateful

Sending her love: On Saturday, Lisa Oldfield weighed in about Tongan Sam's shooting

'Sam, I'll never forget your act of #kindness and #praying for your swift recovery and a #brutal end to your attackers.'

At 10:45pm on Friday night, Tongan Sam was shot in the back at Sydney's Merrylands.

The 59-year-old was taken to Westmead Hospital, where he is in a serious condition.

Shooting: At 10:45pm on Friday night, Tongan Sam was shot in the back at Sydney's Merrylands

Police said they were investigating whether more than one bullet had been used in the shooting but couldn't say whether it was a drive-by attack, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Officers are also looking into whether a burnt-out car found nearby is linked to the shooting.

A NSW police statement said: 'A crime scene has been established by police from Holroyd Local Area Command [and] inquiries are now underway.'

Ngata has worked as a bodyguard for nightclub boss John Ibrahim for more than a decade after the pair met in Kings Cross in the 1990s.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016

Britain on Thursday denied any link between a longstanding debt of 400 million ($530 million, 450 million euros) to Iran and the fate of a British woman jailed in Tehran, after a report cited diplomats saying the money could help secure her release.

The debt dates back to an arms contract for which Britain had received an advance payment from Iran but which was halted by the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

The money is being held in a frozen bank account in Britain, but sending the funds to Iran is complicated because of European Union and US sanctions on the country.

Separately, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has vowed to make every effort to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was imprisoned 19 months ago on charges of sedition.

"We don't see any link between these two issues," a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi also denied any link in comments to Iran's IRNA state news agency.

"The case of Mrs. Nazanin Zaghari and the repayment of this debt are two distinct issues and there is no connection between them," he said.

But The Daily Telegraph cited diplomats saying that repayment of the debt could speed up her release from jail.

The newspaper also quoted two senior government sources voicing concern that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was being held as "collateral" to get the money released.

The money is part of a payment of 650 million made by Iran in the 1970s to buy 1,500 Chieftain tanks from Britain and repair 250 more.

After the Shah was deposed in 1979, the deal was blocked and Britain kept the money.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian dual national who works for the Thomson Reuters Foundation -- the media organisation's philanthropic arm -- was arrested at the Tehran airport in April 2016.

She is now serving a five-year jail sentence for alleged sedition, and has been threatened with further charges and a new trial that could double her sentence.
Verizon online division Oath -- which includes AOL and Yahoo -- is cutting less than 4 percent of its workforce in a reorganization

Verizon's online unit Oath -- which includes the AOL and recently acquired Yahoo brands -- is cutting several hundred jobs as part of a reorganization, a source familiar with the move said Thursday.

The reductions represent "less than four percent" of the Oath global workforce of an estimated 12,000, according to the source.

The move represents a second round of cuts at Oath since the $4.5 billion acquisition of Yahoo in June.

A statement from Oath offered no details on the numbers or segments facing cuts.

"Oath's strategy is to build brands one billion users around the world love," the company said.

"We're about four months post-close of Verizon's acquisition of Yahoo, and we've made these changes to our team to further align our global organization to our 2018 roadmap. Oath remains committed to building a company talent loves and we continue to hire across our priority business units."

Some media reports said the move would eliminate an estimated 560 jobs in different Oath business units such as advertising and engineering.

Verizon so far has maintained the Yahoo brand, which has some one billion users worldwide for its email, news and other services.

Yahoo's sale capped a long decline from when it had a peak market value of some $125 billion in 2000.
The 4,324 km (2,700 mile) long Keystone oil pipeline runs from the Canadian province of Alberta to oil terminals in Cushing, Oklahoma, and Patoka, Illinois

The Keystone oil pipeline was shut down Thursday because of a spill in South Dakota, its operator TransCanada said.

Around 5,000 barrels of oil spilled before dawn for unknown reasons, the company said.

A probe is under way and the company has mobilized emergency crews and contacted US regulators.

The spill forced the company to shut down the 4,324 km (2,700 mile) long conduit running from the Canadian province of Alberta to oil terminals in Cushing, Oklahoma, and Patoka, Illinois.

In the spring President Donald Trump gave the green light for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which his predecessor Barack Obama had barred.

With Keystone XL, TransCanada's goal is to more than double the current flow volume of the line and have a direct hook up with oil terminals in Texas on the Gulf of Mexico.
A toxic gas attack in the northwestern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun on April 4 triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide

Japan on Thursday asked the UN Security Council to renew for 30 days a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria, according to a draft resolution obtained by AFP.

The request came after Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution that would have extended for a year the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) and a second Russian-proposed measure failed to win enough votes at the Security Council.

Japan's proposed measure would allow more time to negotiate a possible compromise to allow the panel to continue its work of identifying those responsible for toxic gas attacks in Syria.

The draft measure would renew the JIM mandate for 30 days and task UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with submitting to the council in 20 days "proposals for the structure and methodology" of the panel.

Japan requested a vote for Thursday, but diplomats said it was more likely that the council would consider the measure on Friday morning.

Russia earlier cast its 10th veto on Syria at the top UN body, blocking the one-year extension of the JIM as proposed in a US-drafted resolution that won 11 votes.

A Russian-drafted resolution fell short of the nine votes required for adoption, garnering just four votes in favour.

Russia has sharply criticized the JIM after its latest report blamed the Syrian air force for a sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun that left scores dead.

The attack on April 4 triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide, prompting the United States to launch missile strikes on a Syrian air base a few days later.

Syria has denied using chemical weapons, with strong backing from Russia.

The joint UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel was set up by Russia and the United States in 2015 and unanimously endorsed by the council, which renewed its mandate last year.
The bullet trains are famous for their punctuality

A Japanese railway operator has issued a deep apology for the "tremendous nuisance" caused by a train departing 20 seconds early, surprising even a nation renowned for both punctuality and politeness.

The Tsukuba Express train linking Tokyo and the capital's northern suburbs pulled out of Minami Nagareyama Station at 9:44:20 instead of 9:44:40.

"We deeply apologise for causing tremendous nuisance to customers," said the Tsukuba Express company.

"There was no complaint from customers over this incident," said the firm, which added that no one missed the train due to the premature departure.

Japanese railway services, including shinkansen bullet trains, are famous for their world-beating punctuality.

Even the slightest delay prompts an effusive apology from the train guard, which often lasts longer than the hold-up itself.

With trains running the same route every few minutes to cope with huge numbers of passengers, even brief delays can back up the whole network causing overcrowding.

Stations in Toyko employs dozens of staff -- with their famous white gloves -- to ensure the prompt departure of trains and to manage the crush during rush hour.

The bullet trains in Japan are also famed for their customer service, with one offering passengers an onboard footbath to soothe their travelling woes.

The train firm said it was "surprised" by the attention the story was getting, saying: "We have issued similar apologies for trains that departed earlier than scheduled before."

A spokesman told AFP the apology was issued because strict safety procedures were not followed.

"What matters is not the 20 seconds... The point is that our formal procedure should be this: A sound rings 15 seconds before the departure, followed by an announcement asking for caution due to the closing doors, and then the doors shut," he said.

Lax management could cause safety problems in the future, the spokesman said. "There are sometimes passengers who try to jump on the train... they could be caught in doors" if the doors shut without warning, he said.

But the apology had several social media users scratching their heads.

"This is surprising even to Japanese," said one user with the handle @takamin_.

"A weird country in which a 20-second difference prompts a sincere apology while faking quality data on aluminium and steel products or misconduct on car check-ups are done just like that," another tweet read.

This was a reference to a recent string of corporate scandals that has floored the reputation of Japan Inc.

Car giants Nissan and Subaru have admitted that uncertified staff had inspected vehicles while Kobe Steel has been embroiled in a quality data-faking scandal.

However, @cindy176 just commented: "Everyone should be more relaxed."
An Eastern Montana rancher who admitted killing a bald eagle through a pesticide-poisoned calf carcass was sentenced to probation in Billings on Thursday.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan sentenced Dale Duwayne Buerkle, 66, to one year probation, fined him $1,000 and ordered $1,000 restitution.

Buerkle pleaded guilty in August to a misdemeanor count of unlawful taking of a bald eagle.

Cavan dismissed two other counts under the terms of a plea agreement.

Buerkle told the judge he took full responsibility for the eagles death.

Cavan noted that while Buerkles actions were unlawful, he did not intentionally try to kill a bald eagle. He also had no criminal record.

In 2016, coyotes were killing Buerkles calves, costing him about $20,000, the judge said. Buerkle learned from others about injecting carcasses with poison to kill coyotes, he said. Buerkles actions killed three coyotes along with an eagle and a hawk.

Prosecutors said an investigation into a bald eagle carcass found on a landowners property led to Buerkle, who admitted to injecting carbofuran into two calf carcasses to kill coyotes.

When questioned, Buerkle admitted he knew using the pesticide was illegal but that he didnt know it would kill birds. He also admitted knowing the poison was not selective, prosecutors said.

Buerkles attorney, Albert R. Batterman of Baker, recommended 90 days to six months of probation along with a fine and restitution.

He screwed up. He wants to put this behind him. You are not going to see this man again, Batterman said.

Prosecutor Tom Godfrey recommended probation, a $1,000 fine and $1,000 restitution. While the government takes the deaths of bald eagles seriously, Buerkle took responsibility, cooperated and had no criminal record, he said.
Conservation experts warn Ahmedabad, one of the world's most polluted cities, faces a mammoth task defending its newly won UNESCO status as its fragile cultural icons decay under neglect, traffic and trash

Traffic chokes the centuries-old stone archway into Ahmedabad's historic quarter, the snarl of honking rickshaws and sputtering buses coats the monuments of India's only heritage city in a greasy layer of soot.

Conservation experts warn Ahmedabad, one of the world's most polluted cities, faces a mammoth task defending its newly won UNESCO status as its fragile cultural icons decay under neglect, traffic and trash.

The 600-year-old enclave was named India's first 'World Heritage City' in July -- despite warnings from some of UNESCO's own experts that it lacked a convincing plan for protecting its ancient citadels, mosques and tombs.

Ahmedabad hosts the towering Bhadra fort, the legendary stone latticework of the 16th-century Sidi Saiyyed mosque, and countless relics fusing the unique Hindu and Muslim architectural styles of its conquerors.

Authorities hope the global recognition from the UN's cultural body will restore community pride in the crumbling, garbage-strewn old city.

"They themselves also will be slightly more restrained in dirtying the places," said P.K Ghosh, chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporations heritage conservation committee, of the city's inhabitants.

But many families that once fastidiously tended to ornate wooden homes in the old city are leaving in droves for the comforts of the modern city outside, tired of shabby living conditions.

- Treasures in ruin -

Jagruti Vyas, a long-term resident, hoped the UNESCO listing would bring standards in her dilapidated neighbourhood into line with newer areas beyond the old city's walls.

"We hope to see similar changes, such as this part of the city becoming cleaner," she told AFP from the narrow doorway of her wooden home.

But it is the pressures of modern Ahmedabad -- the chronic air pollution, crushing traffic and chaotic urban sprawl -- that experts say are also rapidly eroding its cultural capital.

The pressures of modern Ahmedabad -- the chronic air pollution, crushing traffic and chaotic urban sprawl -- that experts say are also rapidly eroding its cultural capital

The cramped heritage district was never built for cars, yet today thousands of trucks and rickshaws are diverted through its narrow lanes and alleys.

The grinding congestion tears apart roads and fouls the air with fumes, streaking stone-carved monuments with black exhaust stains.

Long-flouted laws banning construction near heritage sites have also hampered efforts to save Ahmedabad's treasures from ruin.

In the heart of the old quarter, just the dome of a medieval mosque is visible behind a tangle of shops, electricity wires and flats illegally erected around the sultanate-era relic.

Ornate homes have been torn down and replaced by garish structures "totally incongruous" with history, said Ghosh.

He said the heritage listing would give teeth to those safeguarding Ahmedabad's architectural heritage.

"There will be stricter enforcement of the rules. "Pulling down the exquisite old architectural pieces will not be easy now," he told AFP.

- Challenge starts now -

Some long-neglected quarters, sealed off from the outside world by labyrinthine alleys, are well beyond restoration.

Many traditional 'pols' -- clusters of settlements identified by UNESCO as bearing "enormous" historical value -- are all but abandoned, the iconic wooden homes collapsing from neglect.

A small boy was injured in October when a balcony caved in, while at least two people died in July when monsoon rains brought whole houses crashing down, media reported.

Once grand havelis -- beautiful multi-level wooden mansions -- are being rented to poor migrants and businesses looking for warehouse space.

Conservation architect and old city expert Khushi Shah said Ahmedabad was "one of the most unique urban settlements in India" that could not be recreated once it was gone.

"The city which we call a 'living heritage entity' will no longer be so if people start moving out," she told AFP.

The 600-year-old walled city of Ahmedabad was awarded heritage status in July against the advice of UNESCO's own experts, who warned the city lacked a convincing plan for protecting its ancient citadels, mosques and tombs

Ahmedabad's conservation committee has three years to document close to 3,000 buildings of heritage value to strict UNESCO standards -- a monumental task for Ghosh's small team.

UNESCO could revoke or downgrade Ahmedabad's listing to "heritage in danger" should the deadline be missed and the committee fail to show it has slowed the decline and destruction of the old city.

Jigna Desai, associate professor at CEPT University's architecture faculty in Ahmedabad, said the coveted UNESCO inscription would mean little if there was nothing left to protect.

"How do you make sure that this evidence does not deteriorate, that the evidence stays for the world to see, or the next generations to see?" she told AFP.

Ghosh's deputy at the heritage council, P.K.V Nair, agrees: "Getting the listing was one thing, now meeting that challenge is more important."
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he is "confident" there will be progress in his long-cherished goal of amending Japan's pacifist consitution

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is "confident" of progress in amending Japan's pacifist constitution, he said Friday, in his first policy speech since his landslide election victory.

Abe's conservative coalition held a two-thirds "super majority" in the 465-seat lower house last month, giving him the numbers to realise a long-held dream.

"I'm confident that debate on amending the constitution will be able to advance," he told the newly formed parliament.

However, in his Friday policy speech, he steered clear of giving any timeframe and has previously said he will move cautiously on the divisive issue.

Nationalists like Abe say the constitution is a humiliating relic imposed by US occupiers after Japan's defeat in World War II.

Abe wants to change the wording of the document to affirm Japan's right to have a full-fledged military.

The country's well-equipped and well-trained armed forces are technically known as the "Self-Defense Forces", and do not have the right to an aggressive strike.

The premier said he would keep the constitutional clause that prevents Japan from waging an offensive war.

Many Japanese feel a strong attachment to the constitution's peaceful ideals and changing it sits close to the bottom of their to-do list.

However, North Korea's recent firing of missiles over the country has focused minds on security.

Any tentative move towards revamping the constitution could trigger alarm bells in China and the Koreas given Japan's history of military aggression in the region.
Aboriginals make up about three percent of the national population of 24 million people but are among the most disadvantaged Australians, with many living in the Northern Territory

Aboriginal children are subjected to "shocking" treatment at youth detention centres in northern Australia, an investigation revealed Friday, after a video of violence against mostly indigenous boys sparked outrage.

The damning report said detained children suffered physical abuse, were encouraged or paid to perform humiliating acts and denied essentials like food, water and the use of toilets.

It also found that isolation was used inappropriately and punitively, which "caused suffering to very many young people and likely caused them enduring psychological damage".

The government ordered the royal commission, a national inquiry, into youth detention last year after public broadcaster ABC aired footage showing children being tear-gassed and mistreated at the Northern Territory's Don Dale detention centre in 2014 and 2015.

The disturbing scenes included a 17-year-old boy hooded and shackled to a chair, which was likened to the treatment of suspected militants in Guantanamo Bay.

The royal commission looking into the Northern Territory abuse said the "shocking and systemic failures occurred over many years and were known and ignored at the highest levels".

It added that the region's government failed to provide proper support to children and families, to prevent youth detention.

"Shocking" treatment of children in detention

The commission has called for the closure of Don Dale and made a raft of recommendations to overhaul the territory's youth justice system, including a ban on the detention of children under 14 and wider engagement with Aboriginal organisations for child protection.

The federal government on Friday described the commission's findings as "abhorrent", pledging to work with the territory government to address the recommendations.

"All children deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. All children deserve to be safe," federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion told reporters on Friday.

Aboriginal groups said the finding highlighted issues that have been known for decades.

"For too long we have had reports, royal commissions, buck-passing between Commonwealth and state level and territory governments," said Donna Ah Chee, chief executive of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress.

"We are going to watch with great vigilance that (these recommendations) are implemented."

Aboriginals make up about three percent of the national population of 24 million people but are among the most disadvantaged Australians, with many living in the Northern Territory.

Aboriginal children are 24 times more likely to be detained than non-indigenous Australian children, according to Amnesty International. A government-backed report said last year that their imprisonment rate had increased 77 percent over the last 15 years.

Shahleena Musk, a lawyer with the Human Rights Law Centre, who has worked with children in Don Dale, demanded changes to the youth justice system and called on the government to release funding to allow the implementation of the report's recommendations.

"Its time to turn our backs on punitive approaches like mandatory sentencing and unfair bail laws that trap children in the bottomless pit of the criminal justice system," she said in a statement.

"Instead, children should be diverted into community support programmes that help them succeed in life."
The US-backed military campaign to retake Marawi claimed the lives of more than 1,100 people including around 900 militants, displaced 400,000 residents and reduced large parts of the city to rubble

Philippine troops detained and tortured civilians trying to flee a besieged southern city during a five-month battle with militants loyal to the Islamic State group, Amnesty International alleged Friday.

The US-backed military campaign to retake Marawi claimed the lives of more than 1,100 people including around 900 militants, displaced 400,000 residents and reduced large parts of the city to rubble.

Amnesty called on Manila to investigate claims of "serious violations of international humanitarian law and other serious violations and abuses of human rights law" in a report released a month after President Rodrigo Duterte declared the city liberated from pro-IS gunmen.

"Philippine government forces violated the prohibition against torture and other ill-treatment of detainees, and allegedly committed the crime of pillage," the report said.

The rights group said it interviewed eight people, including seven Christian construction workers, who described how they were subjected to "sustained beatings and threats of execution" by Philippine marines.

Amnesty also said it spoke with several people who alleged that government forces looted civilian property of television sets, antiques, and computers while the militants stole weapons, jewellery and money from homes.

"Government forces may also have carried out disproportionate air and ground attacks," it said, adding that the civilian death toll from bombings and militant killings "is likely significantly higher than the official count".

The military said Amnesty had been in contact with authorities as it was writing the report and was asked to submit the document to the foreign department or the permanent mission to the United Nations so the government could reply.

"We have told them that we are committed to respecting international humanitarian law and respecting human rights," military spokesman Major-General Restituto Padilla told reporters, adding the cases cited were probably "isolated incidents".

However, Padilla added that a military official and five soldiers are under investigation over allegations of taking appliances from the battle zone.

He also stressed that the military observed "proportionality" in employing force against the militants, downplaying Amnesty's suggestions that the intensity of the bombing campaign exceeded requirements.

Hundreds of local and foreign gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS rampaged through Marawi, the principal Islamic city in the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23.

The rebellion was put down with the help of US and Australian surveillance planes and drones, with China and Russia also sending weapons to Filipino troops.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis last month praised the Philippine military for upholding human rights during the brutal urban battle.

But Amnesty said it had documented "a variety of serious violations of international humanitarian law by all parties" in the conflict.

Its report said witnesses described the militants killing at least 25 mostly Christian civilians, by shooting them or slitting their throats -- murders it described as war crimes.
Israeli soldiers stand guard at the Gush Etzion junction in the West Bank on January 5, 2016

A Palestinian rammed his car into two Israeli civilians in the occupied West Bank Friday before trying to stab soldiers and being shot, the Israeli army said.

In a statement the army said the attacker drove his car into the two Israelis near the Gush Etzion junction in the southern West Bank, leaving them both injured.

"The assailant proceeded by exiting the vehicle, armed with a knife, and attempted to stab (Israeli) soldiers," it added, saying he was shot and "severely injured" before harming anyone.

The Palestinian assailiant and one of the wounded were evacuated to the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said the Palestinian was 17 and in critical condition.

Since a wave of violence broke out in October 2015, at least 308 Palestinians or Arab Israelis as well as 51 Israelis and seven foreigners have been killed, according to an AFP count.

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.

Gush Etzion junction, next to a major Israeli settlement in the southern West Bank, has been the site of multiple attacks during that time.

Violence has subsided significantly in recent months.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrives for a press conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh on November 16, 2017

Iran said on Friday that "biased" French policy was stoking crises in the Middle East after Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accused it of "hegemonic" ambitions in the region.

"Unfortunately it seems that France has a biased and partisan approach to the crises in the region and this approach, whether intentionally or not, is even contributing to turning potential crises into real ones," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said.

Le Drian made his comments in Iran's arch rival Saudi Arabia on Thursday during a visit aimed at resolving a crisis sparked by the shock resignation earlier this month of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a staunch critic of Iran.

Hariri's resignation, which has not been accepted by President Michel Aoun, was widely seen as the latest salvo in an intensifying proxy war between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, which back opposing sides in regional conflicts in countries including Syria and Yemen.

"The concerns you express fly in the face of regional realities and are addressed to the wrong side," Ghassemi said in response to Le Drian's comments.

"Ignoring regional realities and echoing baseless concerns that have been pulled out of the air by deluded, warmongering Saudi officials and are aggressive towards Iran do not contribute towards settling the crises in the region in which Saudi Arabia clearly plays a destructive role."

Ghassemi urged the international community to focus instead on "arms sales by some foreign powers to regional countries, which are used in particular in the devastating war in Yemen, and the support being given to Saudi Arabia and its allies, which only makes them more brazen."

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition in Yemen since 2015 in support of its beleaguered government.

Riyadh accuses Tehran of backing rebels who control the capital Sanaa and much of the north of the country.

The coalition has repeatedly rejected UN appeals to lift an aid blockade on rebel-held territory that it imposed on November 6, despite warnings from UN agencies that "untold thousands" of needy civilians risk death.
Shares in the world's most valuable distiller Kweichow Moutai, tumbled after Chinese state media questioned the basis for its skyrocketing price

Shares in the world's most valuable distiller, China's Kweichow Moutai, tumbled four percent Friday after state media questioned whether the index heavyweight's skyrocketing stock price had risen too much, posing a risk to the overall market.

Kweichow Moutai, which makes "baijiu", a fiery grain alcohol popular in China, has seen its share price double this year on good earnings and bullish market sentiment.

Shares climbed more than four percent on Thursday to a record high close of 719.11 yuan, giving the firm a market capitalisation of more than 900 billion yuan, making it China's eighth most valuable listed company.

But they fell as much as 5.7 percent on Friday, closing 4.01 percent lower at 690.25 yuan, after state mouthpiece Xinhua news agency published a piece saying the company's soaring stock price was not justified by its earnings.

"It is as if Moutai is not selling liquor, but golden water," said the Xinhua article, a rare case of an individual company being singled out by state media.

The report, issued late Thursday, blamed "shortsighted speculation" for the stock's rise.

Moutai broadly concurred in a statement to the Shanghai stock exchange Friday morning that likely added to the shares' fall.

The statement said some stock analysts had issued "overly-high target prices and valuations" that the company did not agree with.

China's government is keenly sensitive to movements in the country's stock prices after markets tumbled more than 40 percent in a little over two months in 2015 and remained among the world's worst performers last year.

Regulators have since sought to keep markets stable, but controlling the impulses of China's unpredictable investors remains a challenge, and the benchmark Shanghai index is up around 10 percent this year, boosted by solid economic growth.

"The stability of its (Kweichow Moutai's) stock price influences not just its own market image and brand or the reasonable profits of investors," Xinhua said.

"It also has a spillover effect. Pulling out one hair can affect the whole body of China's A-share market stability, especially stock prices in the Chinese baijiu and consumption sectors."

Kweichow overtook London-based Diageo as the worlds most valuable liquor maker earlier this year, and now has a greater market capitalisation than such giants as China's Sinopec, the worlds biggest oil refiner.
A fire swept through the main building of Cameroon's parliament in Yaounde overnight, causing substantial damage but no injuries.

The apparently accidental blaze broke out in the administrative part on the rear facade of the building, the government said, but the debating chamber is believed to have been spared.

The fire was completely out by dawn on Friday, an AFP photographer saw.

"A violent fire devastated the rear facade of the main building of the Ngoa Ekelle Glass Palace last night," Cameroon's public broadcaster CRTV reported, referring to the west African nation's parliamentary building.

The fire broke out around 9:00 pm (2000 GMT) Thursday, and the flames were under control six hours later after causing "a lot of material damage" across four floors but without claiming any casualties.

By the time firefighters arrived, "the fourth and fifth levels had already completely burned out," CRTV reported.

"The fire was already spreading to the upper levels -- the sixth and seventh floors -- as a helpless crowd looked on."

By Friday morning the rescue operation was over, but some firefighters remained on the scene which police had sealed off.

Images posted to social media showed flames rising several metres as burning debris shot into the night sky above the blaze.

"The auditorium has not been touched," a police officer told an AFP journalist at the scene.

"According to the clues we have today, the cause of the fire is accidental," Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary told CRTV.

"All available national expertise is being used to assess the damage and tell us precisely the origin of the fire," Tchiroma said, as he thanked rescuers for their work.

"The government has taken, and will take, all measures... for the National Assembly to sit as normal without experiencing any disturbance," he added.

Lawmakers have been meeting this week to discuss the country's 2018 budget.
Washington considers RT television a propaganda arm of the Kremlin

A Russian law that could require international media outlets to register as "foreign agents" in response to US pressure on the Kremlin-backed RT television is an attack on free speech, Human Rights Watch said Friday.

The legislation, which won unanimous backing from Russia's lower house this week and is set to be voted on in the Senate, would allow Moscow to target foreign media outlets in a similar way it has punished NGOs that receive international funding.

Many NGOs have closed in response to the intense scrutiny.

Under the new legislation, US and other foreign media would have to present themselves as such on all paperwork and submit to intensive scrutiny of staffing and financing.

"The US government's misguided decision to request for RT to register under (the Foreign Agents Registration Act) gave the Kremlin a platform to retaliate, and they have done so with a full throttle attack on media freedom," said Hugh Williamson, the director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch.

"But sadly, the bill will not simply hurt foreign media, but worse, unjustifiably limit Russian citizens' right to access information and ideas," he said.

"This legislation is tailor-made to be selectively and politically enforced, and to silence voices they do not want Russian people to hear."

Russia's justice ministry said Thursday that it had already contacted the US-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to inform them they might have to start labelling themselves as "foreign agents".

Once the Senate approves the legislation, expected this month, the "foreign agent" amendments to an existing media law would enter into force immediately on being signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During a visit to the offices of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Friday, the US ambassador to Moscow, Jon Huntsman, said the Russian law was "not reciprocal at all" and went further than measures imposed by Washington.

"We're going to follow the work that is going on in the Duma (parliament) and the legislation that is being drafted very, very carefully. Because we're concerned about it," he said.

RT television, which is funded by the Kremlin to give a Russian point of view on international affairs, confirmed Monday that it had registered as a foreign agent in the United States, meeting a deadline from the US Department of Justice.

Washington considers RT a propaganda arm of the Kremlin and told it to register its American operation under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which is aimed at lobbyists and lawyers representing foreign political interests.
US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One after attending the 31st ASEAN Summit in Manila on November 14, 2017

An Islamist plot to bomb a Manila shopping mall as US President Donald Trump and other world leaders arrived in the city for a summit has been foiled, Philippine police said Friday.

Three alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf militant group were arrested on November 10, authorities said, a day before leaders began descending on the capital for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and other meetings.

"A terror attack could have happened if not for that interdiction," the police said in a statement, adding that pistols and grenades were seized from the suspects.

The high-profile gatherings ended on Tuesday without any security incidents and there was no suggestion world leaders were ever in danger.

The summit meetings were held in sealed off venues to which access was strictly limited.

Police said they monitored one suspect's Facebook posts, in which he hinted at a plan to launch terror attacks in Manila. Police did not say when the suspects were planning to carry out the attacks.

The posts included photos of powerful firearms and improvised explosive devices, with captions saying they would be used to kill "kaffir" (non-Muslims) and "munafiq" (apostates).

He also posted pictures of targets, including a mall and a park in the capital, police said.

However, police added they had asked prosecutors to file charges against the three for having unlicensed handguns, not in relation to a bomb plot.

Philippine police chief Ronald Dela Rosa told reporters officers were checking whether the suspects were linked to previous attacks.

The alleged militants -- two 19-year-olds and a 24-year-old -- were living in a northern Manila slum, largely populated by Muslim migrants. Police said the men came from the remote island of Basilan, an Abu Sayyaf stronghold around 900 kilometres (560 miles) south of the capital.

Abu Sayyaf originated as a loose network of Islamist militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network. It later splintered into factions, with some involved in crimes like kidnapping for ransom.

A faction in Basilan recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. It besieged the southern city of Marawi in May, sparking a five-month battle with government forces that left over a thousand dead.
LINCOLN, Neb.  Discovery of a 210,000-gallon oil leak from the Keystone pipeline would seem to be poor timing four days before regulators in Nebraska decide whether to allow a major expansion of the system, but officials say state law does not allow pipeline safety to be a factor in their decision.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission was scheduled to rule Monday if a Keystone XL expansion pipeline proposed by TransCanada Corp. can cross the state. The commission's decision is the last major regulatory hurdle for a project that has faced numerous local, state and federal reviews and lawsuits since it was announced in 2008.

Keystone operator TransCanada Corp. shut down the existing pipeline early Thursday morning and workers were testing to determine the cause of the spill on agricultural land in Marshall County, South Dakota, near the North Dakota border, about 250 miles (402 kilometers) west of Minneapolis.

State and company officials said the spill was not a threat to waterways or drinking water, but critics were quick to use the leak as an example of what they see as the risks to the environment.

The Nebraska vote Monday will be on a proposed route for Keystone XL, a massive expansion that also would be operated by TransCanada. The new pipeline would carry an estimated 830,000 barrels of oil a day from the oil sands areas of Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it would connect with the existing Keystone pipeline.

The decision will hinge on testimony and documents generated from public hearings over the summer and from more than 500,000 public comments, Nebraska Public Service Commission spokeswoman Deb Collins said. A state law passed in 2011 prevents the commission from factoring pipeline safety or the possibility of leaks into its decisions.

"The commission's decision ... will be based on the evidence in the record," Collins said.

The Keystone XL proposal has faced intense opposition in Nebraska from a coalition of environmental groups, Native American tribes and some landowners who don't want the pipeline running through their property.

Nebraska lawmakers gave the five-member commission the power to regulate major oil pipelines in 2011 in response to a public outcry over the pipeline and its potential impact on the Sandhills, an ecologically fragile region of grass-covered sand dunes.

But when they passed the law, legislators argued that pipeline safety is a federal responsibility and should not factor in the state decision.

Opponents of Keystone XL are incensed that the leak won't be considered.

"There is a reason TransCanada and the big oil lobby did not want this information on the record," said Jane Kleeb, director of the Bold Alliance, a coalition of groups that have opposed the Keystone XL for nearly a decade.

President Donald Trump issued a federal permit for the expansion project in March even though it had been rejected by the Obama administration.

The existing Keystone pipeline, where the leak was discovered, transports crude from Canada to refineries in Illinois and a major storage hub in Oklahoma, passing through the eastern Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. It can handle nearly 600,000 barrels daily, or about 23 million gallons.

Since 2010, companies have reported 17 spills in the U.S. the same size or larger than the leak announced Thursday, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records.

Officials in South Dakota said they weren't notified about the leak until roughly five hours after TransCanada discovered it. Brian Walsh, an environmental scientist manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said officials would likely inquire about the delay but were focusing immediately on the spill.

TransCanada said Friday the leak was controlled and posed no threat to public safety. The company has sent more than 75 workers to the spill site, including environmental, engineering and emergency response specialists.

TransCanada spokesman Matthew John said the company will need to do "extensive testing" along with federal regulators and independent testing facilities before they can pinpoint a cause.

An aerial photo released by TransCanada on Twitter that the company says is of the spill, shows a darkened area on flat agricultural land. There do not appear to be any waterways or towns nearby.

Residents near the site reported a surge of activity as cleanup crews arrived at the scene.

Suzie Easthouse, general manager at the Front Porch in Langford, a city southeast of the spill area, said the restaurant will be catering for TransCanada workers at the site. Easthouse said she's serving Friday supper and a middle-of-the-night shift meal for 80 people, with meals for 100 people on Saturday.

"I'm pretty much going to be working a 24-hour shift here now," Easthouse said.

Easthouse said she has mixed emotions about the pipeline, a tug between the business it has brought to the area and her environmental concerns. She said she thinks the spill will have lasting effects in the area.

"It's almost like everybody's fears have come true with it," Easthouse said. "It's not the notoriety we really want in small town South Dakota."
The seven members of the jury at the city's High Court found Rizzy Pennelli, 24, guilty of one count of conspiracy to make explosives and two counts of possessing explosives

Three men were found guilty of possessing and conspiring to make explosives ahead of a contentious 2015 vote on political reform by a Hong Kong court Friday.

The trio were arrested along with two others at a time of heightened political tension in Hong Kong, following the failure of mass "Umbrella Movement" rallies to win democratic reform for the semi-autonomous city.

The five were detained as legislators prepared to vote on a Beijing-backed reform bill on how the city should choose its next leader, a year after the widespread protests that were seen as an unprecedented rebuke to China.

The legislation, which stipulated that candidates must be vetted by a committee loyal to Beijing, was eventually voted down by pro-democracy lawmakers.

The men were arrested along with two others at a time of heightened political tensions in Hong Kong, following the failure of mass "Umbrella Movement" rallies to win democratic reform for the semi-autonomous city

The jury at the city's High Court found Rizzy Pennelli, 24, guilty of one count of conspiracy to make explosives and two counts of possessing explosives.

Cheng Wai-shing, 31, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to make explosives and one count of possessing explosives, with Chan Yiu-shing, 36, guilty of one count of possessing explosives.

Defendants Wu Kai-fu and Man Ting-lock were acquitted.

The court had heard how the defendants had joined an anti-government group which had discussed causing "chaos" around the vote.

Local media previously reported that the group advocated independence for Hong Kong.

Calls for self-determination or even a full split from China grew out of the Umbrella Movement's failure to win concessions through largely peaceful protests.

On the trial's first day prosecutors said the group had tried to make explosives at an abandoned graffiti-covered television studio in the northeastern district of Sai Kung.

Police had seen flashes and smoke coming out of the building and had discovered acid, hydrogen peroxide and acetone during a raid, prosecutor Jonathan Man Tak-ho told the jury.

"There was a shadow of threat, there was a threat that never was carried out," John Haynes, defending Pennelli, told the judge Friday.

"At the time of the arrest... the state of materials wasn't in a condition for completing some sort of a massive bomb," he added.

The sentencing hearing was set for December 8.

Judge Kevin Zervos called the offences "very serious" and "totally unacceptable" and remanded the trio in custody.

Conspiring to manufacture explosives carries a maximum jail term of 20 years.
The Old City of Mosul remains largely deserted more than four months after Iraqi government forces declared victory over the Islamic State group as fear of bombs and sleeper cells deters most residents from trying to rebuild their battered homes

Hussein Faleh has only one dream: to return to his home in the ravaged Old City of Iraq's Mosul.

But, more than four months after government forces declared victory in their operation to push the Islamic State group out of its largest stronghold, moving back into his house remains a distant prospect.

"I would love to go back and rebuild my house, but the security forces don't allow it," the unemployed father-of-three, 29, told AFP.

While the fierce street battles to reclaim the winding alleyways of the second city's historic centre ended in July, officials and residents say the deadly legacy of jihadist rule still haunts Mosul's old heart.

The famed area that once boasted traditional houses, mosques and churches is now largely a deserted tangle of metal and rubble -- stalked by fears of booby traps left behind by IS or sleeper cells of fighters ready to strike at any moment.

"Civilians regularly fall victim to explosions," said Ghazwan al-Dauaui, who is in charge of human rights for the local authorities.

- 'Hiding in cellars' -

Only the sound of the nearby Tigris river or the noises of stray animals can be heard among the ruins of buildings that still bare IS slogans.

Every once in while, a blast rings out as the security forces combing the Old City detonate ordnance left behind.

But their main job still remains hunting for any IS members who might have managed to go to ground when government troops arrived.

Much of the Old City of Mosul has been reduced to rubble but many residents believe that fugitive jihadists still lurk in hiding more than four months after Iraqi government forces proclaimed its "liberation"

"IS fighters are still hiding in cellars where rubble has not been cleared away," said Khalaf al-Hadidi, a member of the provincial council.

"They survive thanks to stores of food and water."

Hadidi said that Iraqi personnel regularly flush out and kill fighters but they "do not announce" it because the authorities are desperate to convince the population that they are finished with IS.

In this limbo of fear, it is no surprise that rumours swirl.

One has it that some jihadists manage not to come out for months as they feed intravenously and wear adult nappies.

- Wind in the ruins -

Sociologist Hamed al-Zubeidi, who is based in Mosul, says that so long as these "sleeper cells" remain, life cannot return to the city's historic centre.

"It delays the reconstruction and will lead to a new collapse of security," he said.

For now, life in Mosul appears to be a tale of two cities.

Compared to the west bank of the Tigris where the Old City is located, the districts on the east bank are "paradise", says 28-year-old civil servant Safad Yassin.

Residents of Iraq's second city Mosul say it is split into two worlds by the Tigris river, with districts on the east bank a "paradise" compared to the devastation of the west bank where the Islamic State group made its last stand

He has decided to rent a flat for his family across the river, while they wait, he hopes, to return to their home.

Provincial police chief Wathiq al-Hamdani says that in east Mosul "95 percent of residents have returned to their homes".

Some 39,000 families have supposedly moved back into outlying districts on the west bank but not to the Old City.

"Stabilising the situation will take some more time, a lot of effort and the rebuilding of public services," Hamdani said.

For the few who have returned, the nights in the Old City are filled with anxiety as each sound stirs fears of unseen threats.

"All sorts of rumours are spreading because of these noises," said Umm Mohammed, 33.

"But perhaps it is only the wind blowing through the ruins."
Afrin is controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) which Turkey considers a terrorist group

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said the Kurdish militia-held Syrian town of Afrin had to be cleared of "terrorists", days ahead of a summit meeting with Russia and Iran on Syria's future.

Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to launch a military operation on Afrin, which is controlled by the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) considered by Turkey to be a terror group.

But the YPG has been the main ally of the United States in fighting jihadists in Syria, a policy that has infuriated Ankara.

"Afrin needs to be cleared of the YPG terror group," Erdogan said in a televised speech, adding that Turkish troops needed to be deployed there as in Idlib province.

"Otherwise, different terror groups will occupy the area."

He slammed the United States over its support for the YPG, saying former president Barack Obama had failed to keep his promises while under Donald Trump Washington had continued to cooperate with the same group under the name Syria Democratic Forces (SDF).

"It was a big disappointment for us that America has not kept its promises, to a large extent, since the start of the Syrian crisis," he added.

"We don't want to enter into the same game in Afrin. A problem that we could solve quite easily together as allies is being dragged out by American intransigence," he added.

Turkey has watched from the sidelines as towns including Raqa have been recaptured from jihadists by the SDF.

He also scoffed at the idea that the United States was fighting against Islamic State (IS) jihadists.

"That's the headline. But what did you do? You paid a lot of dollars to Daesh (IS)," he said, reaffirming an claim he has raised in the past and has been rubbished by Washington.

Ankara and Moscow announced on Thursday that Erdogan and Russian and Iranian counterparts Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani would meet for a summit on Syria on November 22 in Sochi.

The three countries are now calling themselves the "guarantor powers" for Syria, with no mention of the United States.

"Turkey, Russia and Iran have reached the point of having a common stance" on Syria, Erdogan added.

This was not always the case. Russia, along with Iran, is the key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Turkey, however, has backed the rebels seeking Assad's ouster in a conflict that has left more than 330,000 dead.

But Russia and Turkey have been working together since a 2016 reconciliation deal ended a crisis caused by the shooting down of a Russian war plane over Syria.
An Israeli soldier stands guard in a tank in the town of Metula along Israel's border with Lebanon on November 16, 2017

A rare interview given by a top Israeli general to a Saudi-owned news site has raised speculation of joint military action against Iran and its allies, but analysts say it appears unlikely.

Though Saudi Arabia and Israel have no official diplomatic ties, they share a common enemy in Tehran, with both seeking to limit the Islamic republic's expanding influence in the Middle East.

Tensions between the Saudis and Iran have intensified in recent weeks, with Riyadh-backed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri stepping down over what he called Iran's grip on his country.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which is dominant in Lebanon, is also a great enemy of Israel -- with which it fought a war in 2006.

Hezbollah and Iran have accused Saudi Arabia of pressing Israel to launch attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia has also accused Iran of meddling in Yemen by supporting Huthi rebels against the Riyadh-backed government.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah is an arch-foe of Israel, with which it fought a war in 2006

In this context, comments by Israel's military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot to Elaph, a British-based news website founded by a Saudi businessman, caused a stir on Thursday.

Eisenkot said Israel and Saudi were in "total agreement" that Iran was the greatest threat to the Middle East, adding that the Jewish state was "ready to exchange experience with the moderate Arab countries and exchange intelligence information to face Iran."

Eisenkot pointed out that while Saudi Arabia and Israel had no formal relations, the two states had never directly been to war.

- Quiet could shatter -

Speculation about a formal Israeli-Saudi alliance has been fuelled by the election of US President Donald Trump, a vociferous critic of Iran.

Eisenkot said Trump's victory had created an opportunity for a "new international alliance in the region and a major strategic plan to stop the Iranian threat."

The rise to power of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has led to a more forthright Saudi foreign policy

The rise to power of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also led to a more forthright policy, as he looks to militarily confront what he sees as Iranian influence across the region, including in Yemen.

Trump's first foreign trip took in Riyadh and Israel and his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner has reportedly formed a bond with Prince Mohammed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also spoken repeatedly and with pride about growing rapprochement with "moderate Arab states" without naming them, although he is assumed to be referring to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies.

Israel has been alarmed by Iran's nuclear activities and the danger that Tehran, militarily engaged in Syria, will establish a new front near Israeli borders.

The Jewish state closely monitors the demarcation lines with Syria and Lebanon, beyond which Hezbollah is located.

An Israeli army vehicle drives along the border fence between Lebanon and Israel near the northern Israeli town of Metula on November 16, 2017

On Thursday, from a vantage point near Metula, the northernmost Israeli town flanked by Lebanon on three sides, an Israeli tank's cannon tracked to and fro.

"Hezbollah is here, we see it and its activities day and night," Lieutenant Colonel Elad Efrati, who commands a battalion guarding the northernmost 25 kilometres of the frontier, told AFP.

"The relative quiet here is deceptive. On the other side Hezbollah and the Lebanese army are gathering information on our forces non-stop."

"This relative quiet could shatter in an instant."

- Spiral of events -

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday accused Riyadh of asking Israel to bomb Lebanon, calling it "shameful."

But Eisenkot said Israel had no intention of "initiating" a conflict with Hezbollah.

Analysts agreed that while there was no Israeli willingness for a new war, in such a volatile region, events can quickly spiral out of control.

"For many years now Saudi Arabia and Israel have found themselves figuratively in the same trench versus Iran," said Joshua Teitelbaum, of Israel's Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies.

"But now that the conflict has been dialled up Israel is trying not to be pulled in. It needs to operate on its own terms.

"Israel will not be dragged into a war on behalf of Saudi Arabia."

Writing in Israel's Haaretz newspaper, defence correspondent Amos Harel warned that in the complex dance of military and diplomatic brinksmanship, accidents can happen.

"Vigorous Saudi actions are fuelling tensions in an arena where Israel and Hezbollah are often only two mutual missteps away from war."

Karim Bitar of the Paris-based Institute of International and Strategic Affairs took a similar view.

"There is a combination of very disturbing factors," he said. "We have Saudi impulsivity backed by an American president who is equally impulsive."

Harel wrote that twice in the past Riyadh had counted on Israeli military action, first hoping it would hit Iran's nuclear sites and then wanting intervention against the forces of Assad.

"Both times it was disappointed," he said.

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Refugees are penned inside vast, squalid camps, and UNICEF estimates that 25,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition that could easily become a major killer

A host of foreign ministers from Asia and Europe descend on Bangladesh Saturday for talks on the Rohingya refugee crisis that has left the impoverished nation reeling.

An estimated 618,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled mainly Buddhist Myanmar since a military crackdown was launched in Rakhine in August, which the United Nations and watchdogs have said amounts to ethnic cleansing.

The talks will discuss international support for Bangladesh, according to an EU statement.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A. H. Mahmood Ali will take his counterparts from Germany, Sweden and Japan, together with the European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, to the border town of Cox's Bazar Sunday to see the camps.

Refugees are penned inside vast, squalid camps, and UNICEF estimates that 25,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition that could easily become a major killer.

Dhaka has prohibited the Rohingya from leaving the camps, fearing an influx in its bigger cities.

"It is hoped that the visit will garner further international support for the Rohingya community," said a Bangladesh foreign ministry statement.

The ministers will also meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also arriving in Dhaka Saturday, although it is not clear whether he will travel to Cox's Bazar.

China is a key ally of Myanmar, which has faced intense international pressure over the Rohingya violence.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya but are still tussling over the details.

Asian and European foreign ministers are due to meet in Myanmar on Monday and Tuesday.
Emmerson Mnangagwa has been sacked as vice president by President Robert Mugabe who accused him of being "disloyal"

Emmerson Mnangagwa is well-placed to become the next leader of Zimbabwe, after his sacking as vice president triggered the military's intervention and the fall of Robert Mugabe.

On Sunday Mnangagwa was named as president of the ruling ZANU-PF party in place of Mugabe, putting him one step away from the top job with Mugabe told to resign or be forced from office.

Nicknamed "Ngwena" (The Crocodile) because of his fearsome power and ruthlessness, Mnangagwa, 75, appeared to have been outfoxed by Mugabe's wife Grace.

The first lady, who is 41 years younger than her husband, lobbied the veteran head of state to ditch his long-serving lieutenant to further her own political ambitions.

But Mnangagwa has close ties with the military, which was deeply opposed to Grace, and the generals stepped in to take power on Tuesday.

It was the climax of a long feud between Grace and Mugabe's then deputy to be in pole position to replace the ailing leader when he died or retired.

Mnangagwa -- a long-time party loyalist and hardliner who could prove as authoritarian as Mugabe -- initially fled to South Africa after his sacking.

But the dramatic seizure of power by the military returned him to centre-stage.

"The army are in negotiations with Mugabe and Mnangagwa," Derek Matyszak, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, told AFP.

"The easiest way to present a veneer of legality is that Mugabe reappoints Mnangagwa as vice president, briefly -- Mugabe then retires."

Under Zimbabwe's constitution, the first of the two vice presidents would automatically become acting president for 90 days when the president goes .

In the early days after independence from Britain in 1980, Mugabe made Mnangagwa, who was then a young trainee lawyer, minister for national security.

Since then Mnangagwa has occupied a host of cabinet positions -- but relations between him and his political mentor have not always been cosy, and the younger man is no stranger to presidential purges.

In 2004 he lost his post as the secretary for administration in the ruling ZANU-PF party after being accused of openly angling for the post of vice president.

- Political comeback -

The 2008 elections, when he was made Mugabe's chief election agent, changed Mnangagwa's fortunes.

Mugabe lost the first round vote, and Mnangagwa allegedly supervised the wave of violence and intimidation that forced the opposition to pull out of the run-off vote.

In the same year Mnangagwa took over as head of the Joint Operations Command, a committee of security chiefs which had been accused by rights groups of organising violent campaigns to crush dissent.

He was targeted by EU and US sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his close allies over the elections and ensuing violence, but was promptly handed control of the powerful defence ministry.

Born in the southwestern Zvishavane district on September 15, 1942, Mnangagwa completed his early education in Zimbabwe before his family relocated to neighbouring Zambia.

His grandfather was a traditional leader and his father a political agitator for the repeal of colonial laws that disadvantaged blacks.

In 1966, Mnangagwa joined the struggle for independence from Britain, becoming one of the young combatants who helped direct the war after undergoing training in China and Egypt.

He was arrested and sentenced to death but his sentence was later commuted to 10 years in prison because of his young age.

After independence in 1980, he directed a brutal crackdown on opposition supporters that claimed thousands of lives in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

The Gukurahundi massacres remain the biggest scar on his reputation among many Zimbabweans.

He once remarked that he had been taught to "destroy and kill" -- although he later claimed to be a born-again Christian.

Takavafira Zhou, a political analyst at Masvingo State University, previously described Mnangagwa as "a hardliner to the core".

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Setya Novanto, the speaker of Indonesia's parliament who has been accused by critics of trying to dodge anti-corruption officials, was transferred by stretcher between hospitals in Jakarta

The speaker of Indonesia's parliament, implicated in a $170 million corruption case, was in hospital Friday after a bizarre drama in which he claimed to have been injured in a car crash shortly after a failed raid on his palatial estate.

The story has dominated headlines and news broadcasts this week in the graft-riddled southeast Asian nation, where images showed a grim-faced Setya Novanto laying in a Jakarta hospital bed with medical tubes in his nose.

Critics lashed out at Novanto, accusing him of trying to dodge anti-corruption officials who want to question him in one of Indonesia's worst graft scandals.

"These kinds of actions will make people question everything -- how can a leader have such little dignity?" said Jusuf Kalla, the country's vice president and a member of Golkar, Indonesia's second-biggest political party, which is headed by Novanto.

"Leaders have to obey the law and be trusted by people. If they run away like this, how can they be trusted?"

On Wednesday night, officials from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) raided Novanto's multi-million-dollar estate in a ritzy part of the capital, known for its extreme gap between rich and poor.

But Novanto was nowhere to be found, sparking a frantic city-wide search amid fears he had left the country.

Indonesian parliament speaker Setya Novanto during an official function at the parliament in Jakarta

The 62-year-old politician was put on Indonesia's most-wanted list before he reappeared in hospital Thursday following what he claimed was a car crash, though he showed no sign of serious injuries.

Authorities want to question him over allegations he and other politicians siphoned millions of dollars in public funds linked to a state project that issued new ID cards to Indonesia's 255 million residents.

The allegations earlier this year caused widespread shock even by the standards of one of the world's most corrupt countries.

Novanto's lawyer insisted Friday his client was not trying to dodge questions, saying he was "very, very weak" and feared he would be treated unfairly by the powerful anti-corruption body.

"He doesn't want to be persecuted," Fredrich Yunadi told AFP. "He has a right to be treated according to the law."

Novanto has faced corruption allegations before, including a case in which he was recorded trying to extort money from the local unit of Freeport-McMoRan in exchange for extending the US-based miner's right to operate in the country. He has never been prosecuted.

Two years ago, Novanto appeared at a news conference at Donald Trump's eponymous Manhattan skyscraper, where the now US president described him as an "amazing man" who would do "great things for the United States".
'China-Panama relations have turned over a new leaf,' Chinese leader Xi Jinping said during talks with Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela

Panama and China agreed Friday to study the possibility of reaching a free trade agreement after the Central American nation ditched Taiwan and recognised Beijing.

The memorandum of understanding was among 19 cooperation agreements signed by the two countries as Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.

The two nations also reached agreements related to agriculture, civil aviation and maritime transport, as well as tourism to facilitate visits by Chinese tour groups to Panama.

After the United States, China is the second-most frequent user of the Panama Canal.

"China-Panama relations have turned over a new leaf," Chinese leader Xi Jinping said during talks with Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Varela was treated to a state visit as he met Xi at the massive Great Hall of the People. On Thursday, Varela inaugurated his country's new embassy in Beijing.

With Panama establishing relations with China in June, Taiwan is now only recognised by 20 nations.

Mainland China and Taiwan split after a civil war in 1949 and while Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign nation, it has never formally declared independence.

Beijing sees Taiwan as a renegade province that is part of Chinese territory and will be brought back into the fold at some point.
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Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was on Friday preparing to leave Saudi Arabia for France, a move aimed at defusing political turmoil sparked by his shock resignation in Riyadh.

The Lebanese premier is due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday after allegations from Hariri's political rivals back home that he was essentially being held hostage by the Saudi authorities.

The announcement of the visit came after Hariri met French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh Thursday, with Lebanon's former colonial power Paris hoping to ease a crisis that has driven up tensions between regional titans Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Hariri, a dual Saudi citizen, has been in Riyadh since issuing a statement on television there on November 4 that he was stepping down because he feared for his life while also accusing Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his nation.

The announcement -- which reportedly took even some of Hariri's closest aides by surprise -- and his subsequent failure to return home to officially quit in person, fuelled speculation that he was acting under orders from his Saudi patrons.

Both Hariri and Riyadh denied claims he was being held against his will, with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir insisting he could leave the country "when he pleases".

Macron's office said the French leader would meet Hariri at noon on Saturday.

- 'Start of a solution' -

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, who had accused Saudi authorities of "detaining" Hariri and refused to accept his resignation from abroad, welcomed the news about the trip to Paris.

"We hope that the crisis is over and Hariri's acceptance of the invitation to go to France is the start of a solution," he said Thursday on the official presidential Twitter account.

A picture taken on November 15, 2017 shows a poster of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri hanging at a street junction in the capital Beirut

"If Mr. Hariri speaks from France, I would consider that he speaks freely, but his resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he will have to remain there until the formation of the new government," Aoun said later in a statement issued by his office.

France's intervention was the latest in a string of European efforts to defuse the tensions over Lebanon, where divisions between Sunni Hariri's bloc and Shiite Hezbollah have long been part of the broader struggle between Riyadh and Tehran.

There is no indication what Hariri plans to do after visiting Paris, but Macron had insisted he would then be free to return to Lebanon to either hand in or rethink his decision to quit.

- Regional clash -

Hariri's resignation comes as temperatures have soared in the long-standing regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with Riyadh undergoing a major shake-up under ambitious Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

The two powers are backing opposing sides in the protracted wars in Yemen and Syria -- entangling them in a complex web of proxy conflicts.

Supporters of Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri hold up placards demanding his return from Saudi Arabia on the starting line of Beirut's annual marathon on November 12, 2017

France sparked ire from Tehran after Le Drian accused it of "hegemonic" ambitions in the region during his visit to Riyadh.

"France has a biased and partisan approach to the crises in the region and this approach, whether intentionally or not, is even contributing to turning potential crises into real ones," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said Friday.

Meanwhile mutual suspicion of Iran also appears to have pushed US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel closer together, despite the two countries having no official diplomatic ties.

In a rare interview with an Arabic-language outlet published Thursday, Israel military chief Gadi Eisenkot said his country was prepared to share information with Saudi Arabia to face Iran's plans "to control the Middle East."

Earlier both Hezbollah and Iran accused Saudi Arabia of pressing Israel to launch attacks in Lebanon.

burs-del/dr
The UN is concerned by an upsurge in violence as calls for secession emerge from Cameroon's anglophone regions

The United Nations on Friday underscored its commitment to Cameroon's "territorial integrity and unity" as the francophone-majority country grappled with violence and separatism in two English-speaking regions.

The UN's Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) said it was deeply concerned by the upsurge in violence, "particularly against the civilian population and state agents."

UNOCA chief Francois Lounceny Fall, who is also the secretary general's envoy for central Africa, recalled the commitment of the UN to "the territorial integrity and unity of Cameroon."

He called for calm and restraint and the holding of an "inclusive dialogue."

The statement was issued after violence erupted in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon, where most of the country's English-speaking minority live.

Anglophones, who represent about a fifth of the country's population, say they suffer discrimination in education, justice and the economy at the hands of the francophone majority.

Agitation in the two regions broke out last year and is developing into a deeper crisis, with the emergence of a movement demanding the two regions break away from the rest of the country.

President Paul Biya has rejected demands for secession and more moderate calls for a federal structure.

A crackdown by security forces has led to the death of at least 14 people, as well as five prisoners killed while trying to escape jail, according to a toll compiled by AFP.

International monitors, in contrast, say at least 20 and possibly 40 people have been killed in clashes since late September.

There have also been casualties on the government's side -- four soldiers were killed this month in less than a week, in attacks attributed to secessionist "terrorists."
The people of Laurel elected Dave Waggoner to be their mayor. Now city officials are wondering whether that's a good idea.

It was an underdog win on Nov. 7 when the 58-year-old Waggoner defeated his opponent, a city councilman, with 53 percent of the vote, the Laurel Outlook reported.

Now mayor-elect, Waggoner will officially take the position in early January. According to Laurel officials, that will happen when Waggoner resigns from a decade-long stint as a city employee operating the wastewater treatment plant.

A little more than a week after the election, conflict-of-interest concerns have arisen.

Anybody can run for mayor," said outgoing Mayor Mark Mace at a city council meeting on Tuesday. "Lets put it that way: if the city employee becomes mayor or wins the mayor election, he must pick between his job at the city water plant or as mayor.

Mace also announced briefly the resignation of the city's chief administrative officer, Heidi Jensen, who will leave in December. But council members' comments wrestled more with the office of the mayor.

Waggoner said his phone "blew up" on the night of that council meeting, but other than that he hasn't heard anything official from the city.

Waggoner calls himself "pretty outspoken" about the city's leadership. He said his years in the public works department helped him to identify the city's infrastructural weak spots. He's been critical of the water intake project that cost the city millions, saying it still isn't fully online months after the city announced completion.

He said that being a city employee and the mayor, a part-time position, hadn't been an issue during the campaign.

They kind of blindsided me with this," Waggoner said. "You had three months, and this is the first time hearing about it. And now youve come up with this thing whether you're going to be a part-time mayor of a full-time employee."

In Laurel's form of government, the mayor doesn't have a vote on the city council, except to break a tie. The mayor does have veto power and the ability to prepare the city budget in concert with other officials. According to the city charter, the mayor can also appoint department heads with the council's consent.

Another potential conflict in Waggoner's mayorship could be in labor negotiations with Waggoner's union. The city council would have final say in a labor deal, and the mayor conducts the council meetings.

Waggoner said that he would abstain from any contract negotiation situations and step in only to sign the final deal after it's been negotiated.

Among his detractors is City Councilman Tom Nelson, who was also Waggoner's challenger in the mayoral race.

Anybody who thinks that they can negotiate a union contract for the union they work for has got to have rocks in their head, Nelson said on Thursday.

Now the city will seek legal opinions on the subject. Nelson said they're relying in part on a 1998 opinion by Joseph Mazurek, the Montana Attorney General at the time. The opinion concerned a Glendive public works director who ran for city council.

Mazurek noted that in that case, the city council has supervisory control over the hiring or firing of the public works director. Therefore, one person shouldn't occupy both positions.

Waggoner's view is that because the mayor isn't a voting member of the city council, he wouldn't enjoy the same supervisory control over his city job.

From what I gather about the structure of our government, I am still answerable to the council," he said. "They are the final say. I dont see where it says that I can hire or fire myself.

Councilman Doug Poehls, who was defeated in his re-election bid, said that his concern is that the city will be forced to undergo an expensive special election.

Nelson said the council could end up appointing someone to the mayoral position once the new city council is sworn in. He said he would accept such a nomination.

Waggoner feels the law is on his side, and that he's up to the task that the voters gave him.

I dont believe I have to make that choice between my job and the mayorship, he said.
Campaigners say that promoting human rights, including religious freedom, should be part of Washington's policy towards Sudan

A top US official Friday called on Sudan to stop demolitions of churches, insisting that Washington would push for human rights and religious freedom in the country.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan also said that how Khartoum promotes freedom of expression and other human rights will be "critical" to future relations between the two countries.

Sullivan is the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit Khartoum since the United States lifted a decades-old trade embargo on October 12.

"The government of Sudan, including the federal states, should... immediately suspend demolition of places of worships, including mosques and churches," Sullivan said in a speech at Al-Koran Al-Karim University in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum on the western bank of the Nile.

Activists accuse Khartoum of restricting freedom of expression and political space for opposition groups.

The Washington-based Enough Project and others have accused Khartoum of "persecution of religious minorities" in the country.

Enough Project's John Prendergast said that since largely Christian South Sudan gained its independence from Khartoum in 2011, the Sudanese government "has focused greater attention on reducing the number of churches and their activities in Sudan".

His comments came days before Washington lifted its sanctions.

After years of strained diplomatic relations, ties between Washington and Khartoum improved under the presidency of Barack Obama, later resulting in the lifting of US sanctions against Sudan by his successor President Donald Trump.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan delivers a speech in the Sudanese capital's twin city of Omdurman on November 17, 2017

Rights groups now insist that promoting human rights including religious freedom should be part of Washington's policy towards Sudan.

For decades Washington has designated Sudan as a "Country of Particular Concern" given its record of human right violations.

On Friday Sullivan proposed a "round table" to discuss such concerns.

"I have told the government to overcome" the issues, he said.

- Media freedom -

Sudanese media has cited officials saying disputes over property registration or construction irregularities were likely behind the demolition of some churches.

It is unclear how many such places of worships have been demolished.

Khartoum insists it already promotes human rights in the country.

"Sudan... enjoys religious freedom, which is exemplified with several churches existing adjacent to mosques," the foreign ministry said earlier this year.

But Sullivan said Washington will be watching how Sudan promotes human rights.

"As we move forward in our relationship, the United States will not ignore violations of human rights, including the right to religious freedom," he said.

In the years ahead one "measure of strength" between the two countries will be improvements in Sudan's record on human rights, particularly religious freedom, he said.

"Supporting human rights, including religious freedom, has been and will continue to be a critical part of United States bilateral engagement with Sudan," Sullivan told a gathering of religious leaders, civil society members and activists at the university.

He also urged Sudan to allow political space for opposition groups and to encourage media freedom.

Rights groups have accused Sudan's security forces of arbitrarily detaining journalists, opposition politicians and human rights defenders.

Sudan's powerful National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) often confiscate entire print-runs of newspapers without giving a reason, particularly when they publish articles opposing government policies.

The "United States calls on Sudan to protect political opposition members, human rights defenders, civil society groups and the media," Sullivan said as he wrapped up his two-day visit to Khartoum.

On Thursday, he said Sudanese leaders had assured him that Sudan would cut all its ties with North Korea, and Washington was prepared to talk to Khartoum over removing it from a US list of "state sponsors of terrorism".
Ikram Indama was found guilty of the November 13, 2007 murders of House of Representatives member Wahab Akbar and three other people in a motorcycle bomb attack

The former driver of a Filipino politician was jailed for life Friday over the assassination of a rival congressman in a bombing a decade ago, officials said.

Ikram Indama was found guilty of the November 13, 2007 murders of House of Representatives member Wahab Akbar and three other people in a motorcycle bomb attack, which wounded seven more including two other legislators.

Indama had worked as a driver for Gerry Salapuddin, a former congressman and Akbar's bitter political rival in the mainly-Muslim southern Philippine island of Basilan.

State prosecutor Peter Ong told AFP Indama helped to assemble the bomb and then parked the vehicle outside the lobby of the House of Representatives.

"The court finds accused Ikram Indama guilty beyond reasonable doubt," Manila regional trial court judge Ralph See said in his ruling.

Akbar was assassinated six months after his wife defeated Salapuddin in the Basilan gubernatorial election and the attack stood out even among the country's many deadly political rivalries.

The court heard that Indama and several other suspects assembled the motorcycle bomb at a Manila house owned by Salapuddin.

Murder charges against Salapuddin were thrown out by the Philippine Supreme Court in 2013.

Indama and two other suspects were arrested by Manila police two days after the assassination and pleaded not guilty.

His two co-defendants were found not guilty Friday for "insufficiency of evidence", said the ruling provided to AFP by Ong.

Three other suspects including a police officer remain at large, according to court records.
Japanese patrol boats and aircraft were searching for 15 missing North Korean crew members after they rescued three fellow fishermen clinging to the hull of the boat

Three of 12 North Korean fishermen missing after their boat capsized in high seas were found dead on Friday, Japan's coastguard said, adding that four separate bodies were found in another overturned vessel nearby.

The coastguard found the three bodies inside the upset boat in waters 360 kilometres (225 miles) northwest of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Japanese patrol boats and aircraft were searching for the missing seamen after they rescued three fishermen clinging to the hull of the boat who said they were part of a crew of 15.

The rescued trio have already returned to North Korea in line with their wishes, the coastguard said.

The troubled boat was spotted on Wednesday by a Japanese Self Defense Force jet patrolling the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

"We are still searching for the remaining nine crew members near the site," a coastguard spokesman said.

Separately, the coastguard on Friday found four male bodies inside another capsized fishing boat some 50 kilometres away from the site.

"The four men have yet to be identified, but we believe the four people are not part of the original missing crew," the spokesman said.

Public broadcaster NHK said Japanese authorities suspect the four victims were also North Korean nationals.

Japan and North Korea have tense relations, with Pyongyang routinely issuing verbal threats as well as firing missiles near or above Japan.

But the Japanese coastguard occasionally rescues North Korean fishermen in maritime accidents in regional waters.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson greets participants during a meeting of African leaders at the State Department on November 17, 2017

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that the people of Zimbabwe must be allowed to choose their own government through democratic elections, after the military took power.

"We all should work together for a quick return to a civilian rule in that country in accordance with their constitution," he said, ahead of talks with African foreign ministers.

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe made a defiant appearance at a university graduation, but power in Harare has clearly shifted into the hands of the army.

Washington was no friend of Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for the entire 37 years of its independence, but is also reluctant to defend what appears to most observers as a military coup.

The African Union, which has taken a strict line on some other recent military takeovers, has in this case left the matter in the hands of the South African-led SADC regional bloc.

Reports from the region suggest South Africa was aware in advance of the Zimbabwe military's plan, launched after 93-year-old Mugabe sacked vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Coincidentally, Tillerson was hosting a pre-planned meeting with three dozen African foreign ministers in Washington.

The top US envoy, who said he plans to visit the continent early next year, urged his guests to see the crisis as a chance to push Zimbabwe into meaningful reform.

"Zimbabwe has an opportunity to set itself on a new path, one that must include democratic elections and respect for human rights," he told the ministers.

"Ultimately, the people of Zimbabwe must choose their government," he insisted, calling on his guests to "discuss concrete ways that we can help them through this transition."
The Gaza Strip's Rafah border crossing with Egypt is due to reopen for three days

The largely sealed border between Gaza and Egypt was set to open for three days for the first time since the Palestinian reconciliation deal, an official said on Friday.

Interior ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozum told AFP the Rafah crossing from the coastal Palestinian enclave into Egypt would be open from Saturday.

However, only humanitarian cases registered with the ministry would be allowed to leave, with this including up to 20,000 people in the empoverished enclave of two million, he added.

Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip had been totally sealed since August, and was largely closed for years beforehand.

Under the terms of a Palestinian reconciliation agreement reached last month, Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas are supposed to cede power to West Bank-based rivals Fatah by December 1.

As a first step, they handed over control of the crossings on November 1.

That Egypt-brokered deal is expected to lead to more regular opening of the Rafah crossing, which Cairo has largely shuttered in recent years.

Saturday's opening is temporary, however, with the crossing due to close again on Monday.

In a related development, the head of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority's security services arrived in Gaza on Friday.

Majid Faraj met senior Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

All Palestinian factions are due to meet in Cairo next week to discuss ways to move reconciliation forward.

Both Israel and Egypt have maintained blockades of Gaza for years, arguing that they are necessary to isolate Hamas.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, left, with his Spanish counterpart Alfonso Dastis in Madrid on Friday

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Friday accused Hezbollah, which Riyadh blames for the shock resignation of Lebanese premier Saad Hariri, of holding Lebanon hostage and using its banks to launder money.

Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Madrid that the Shiite group was destabilising Lebanon by maintaining its arsenal and fighters in the Mediterranean nation.

"You cannnot have a militia with a military force that operates outside the scope of the government," he told reporters after talks with Spanish counterpart Alfonso Dastis.

"We see Hezbollah hijacking the Lebanese banking system to launder money, we see Hezbollah hijacking Lebanese ports in order to smuggle drugs, we see Hezbollah engaging in terrorist activities and interfering in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen," he added.

"Unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a (solely) political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and by extension Iran," he said.

"This is not acceptable to us and is not acceptable to the Lebanese."

Lebanon, long abused by regional powers seeking to exert influence, was plunged into uncertainty this month after Hariri's shock resignation, announced on television from Riyadh.

Hariri said he was stepping down because of Hezbollah and Iran's "grip" over his country.

The resignation -- which caught even some of Hariri's closest advisers off guard -- comes at a time of mounting tension between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are backing opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

His subsequent failure to return home to officially quit in person fuelled claims that he was acting under orders from his Saudi patrons.

But both Hariri and Riyadh have denied allegations he was being held against his will, with the Lebanese leader on Friday dismissing all speculation about his situation as "rumours".

"We are supportive of Prime Minister Saad Hariri but we are against Hezbollah's takeover of Lebanon," Jubeir said.

Hariri was expected to leave Saudi Arabia for France later Friday, a move aimed at defusing political turmoil sparked by his resignation.
A sarin gas attack on April 4, 2017 triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide, prompting the United States to launch missile strikes on a Syrian air base a few days later

Russia on Friday opposed a last-ditch bid at the Security Council to salvage a UN-led investigation tasked with identifying the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria, a day after it vetoed the panel's renewal.

The council met behind closed doors to discuss a Japanese draft resolution on extending the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) for 30 days, to allow time for negotiations on a compromise.

But Russia's Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told the council that Moscow "will not accept the Japanese draft," said a diplomat attending the closed session.

In Moscow, a senior foreign ministry official said the 30-day technical rollover was pointless and that there was no need to take urgent action on the fate of the panel.

"We don't see the point of a technical rollover," Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the non-proliferation department at the foreign ministry, told RIA Novosti news agency.

"We can have consultations and if these turn out to be productive, then in some time, maybe not too far off, the Security Council can take a decision to renew the activities of the JIM," he said.

"For the time being there is absolutely no reason to rush."

The Japanese proposal came after a Russian veto -- Moscow's 10th on Syria -- while a separate Russian draft resolution failed to garner enough votes for adoption, leaving the JIM's fate in limbo.

"This is a way to avoid the death of the JIM, a way to give us time to think seriously about a lasting solution," French Ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters on the Japanese proposal.

The meeting ended with no decision on the way forward and diplomats said talks would continue on whether the draft resolution would be put to a vote, despite Russia's renewed opposition.

- Syria peace talks -

Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko said he was not optimistic and that the panel "was already dead yesterday" when Russia vetoed the renewal.

Russia has strongly criticized the JIM after its latest report blamed the Syrian air force for a sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun that left scores dead.

The attack on April 4 triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide, prompting the United States to launch missile strikes on a Syrian air base a few days later.

Syria has denied using chemical weapons, with backing from its main ally Russia.

After the Russian veto, US Ambassador Nikki Haley accused Moscow of dealing a "deep blow" to international efforts to deter chemical attacks and said it bodes ill for Russia's future role in Syrian peace efforts.

"How then can we trust Russia's supposed support for peace in Syria? How can anyone take Russia's proposal of political talks in Sochi seriously?" she said.

The United Nations is preparing a new round of peace talks to open on November 28 in Geneva, but Russia has proposed hosting negotiations in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

The Japanese draft resolution would task UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with submitting to the council in 20 days "proposals for the structure and methodology" of the panel.

The joint UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel was set up by Russia and the United States in 2015 and unanimously endorsed by the council, which renewed its mandate last year.

Previous reports by the JIM have found that Syrian government forces were responsible for chlorine attacks on three villages in 2014 and 2015, and that the Islamic State group used mustard gas in 2015.
Turkey's Erdogan ordered 40 troops to be removed from a NATO drill after an image of Ataturk and his own name were included as "targets"

NATO apologised to Turkey on Friday after Ankara pulled its troops from a military exercise in Norway where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the country's modern founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had been portrayed as enemies of the alliance.

The alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, himself Norwegian, moved quickly to say sorry after an angry intervention by Erdogan over an embarrassing episode that risked creating a further rift between Turkey and its allies.

The incidents took place during NATO's "Trident Javelin" exercise in the southern Norwegian city of Stavanger aimed at increasing coordination between the allies at headquarters level, which wound up Friday.

Erdogan said that Ankara had withdrawn its 40 troops from the exercise in protest, adding: "It's not possible to have this kind of alliance".

Norway's Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen, speaking to AFP, also expressed "regret" over the incident.

- 'Pull them out now' -

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg moved quickly to say sorry after an episode that risked creating further strife between Turkey and its allies

Turkey's foreign ministry said that an image of a statue of Ataturk had been used to portray an enemy protagonist in a scenario at the exercise.

In a second incident, a chat account was opened under Erdogan's name during a virtual scenario as a collaborator with a "leader of an enemy state".

Erdogan said Turkey's top general Hulusi Akar and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik -- who were on their way to a NATO conference in Halifax, Canada -- had informed him of the incident.

"They said 'this has happened... and we are going to take out our 40 soldiers'," Erdogan said while speaking in front of giant pictures of himself and Ataturk.

"And I said 'Absolutely, don't hesitate, take them out right now'."

Ataturk founded modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire in 1923 and is widely credited with salvaging a functioning Turkish state in the 1919-1923 War of Independence.

Insulting his memory is a criminal offence in Turkey that is punishable by jail. It is also an offence to insult top state officials such as Erdogan.

Ankara prosecutors said in a statement they had opened a criminal investigation against an individual or individuals who had denigrated and insulted Ataturk and Erdogan in the incidents.

While critics accuse Erdogan of tainting the secular vision of Ataturk, the president has in recent months made increasingly clear his admiration for Turkey's modern founder.

On the November 10 anniversary of Ataturk's death in 1938, Erdogan eulogised Turkey's first president, saying he should be remembered with "grace and gratitude".

- 'Valued NATO ally' -

Turkey, which became a member of NATO in 1952, is a key member of the alliance but tensions have grown in recent months over its crackdown after a failed coup and Ankara's increasingly close alliance with Russia.

Its Western allies have been particularly troubled by a deal for Ankara to purchase an S-400 air defence system from Russia and the cooperation between Ankara, Moscow and Tehran on the Syria crisis.

Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, in his apology emphasised the importance of Turkey within the alliance.

"I apologise for the offence that has been caused. The incidents were the result of an individual's actions and do not reflect the views of NATO," Stoltenberg said in a statement.

"Turkey is a valued NATO ally, which makes important contributions to allied security."

Stoltenberg later passed on the apology in person to Akar at a meeting in Halifax, the Turkish army said.

The Trident Javelin exercise in Stavanger is described on a NATO website as a "computer assisted exercise without troops on the ground", aimed at improving command structures for major operations.

Stoltenberg also said the individual responsible for the incident was not a NATO staff member.

"He was a civilian contractor seconded by Norway and not a NATO employee," Stoltenberg said.

"It will be for the Norwegian authorities to decide on any disciplinary action. NATO has been in contact with the Norwegian authorities on this issue."
Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, pictured in Doha in October 2017, is in Washington to lobby US officials as part of his country's stand-off with Saudi Arabia and its allies

Qatar's foreign minister on Friday compared Saudi Arabia's political maneuvers in Lebanon to its boycott of his country, and accused Riyadh of a dangerous escalation.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, in Washington to push the Gulf emirate's case in its diplomatic stand-off with the kingdom and its allies, said Saudi Arabia has triggered crises across the region.

He insisted Qatar is ready to come to the table to resolve the dispute under US mediation, and played down reports that President Donald Trump has taken Riyadh's side.

But he maintained Qatar's tough stance, arguing that Riyadh is responsible for detonating a series of Middle East crises, by intervening in Lebanon, boycotting Qatar and bombing Yemen.

"This is something we have just witnessed in the region: Bullying small countries into submission," the foreign minister said, suggesting that Saudi aggression is a new regional threat.

"Exactly what happened to Qatar six months ago is happening now to Lebanon," he told reporters in Washington, where he hopes to meet US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson next week.

In June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced they had severed ties with Qatar, sealing off the emirate's only land border in the wide-ranging boycott.

They accuse Qatar's government of supporting Islamist extremism and fostering close ties with Iran.

- Intimidatory tactics -

Qatar denies the charges, claiming the dispute is an attack on its sovereignty. Both sides refuse to back down, but Doha says it is ready to engage with US and Kuwaiti mediation.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led intervention against Huthi rebels in Yemen has only escalated, amid warnings that its recent blockade of the country could lead to mass starvation.

And earlier this month, Lebanese premier Saad Hariri appeared on Saudi television from Riyadh to resign, reportedly on the orders of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Riyadh accuses its foe Iran of supplying Yemen's Huthis with advanced rockets and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia of holding Lebanon and its coalition government "hostage."

Hariri insists he stepped down because of Hezbollah and Iran's "grip on his country," but observers and regional powers see the Saudi crown prince's hand behind the recent escalation in the crisis.

Qatar's foreign minister played on this growing concern in his meeting with US reporters, saying: "What we have seen now in the region is a lot of crises being started."

"The leadership in Saudi and the UAE should understand that there is a world order that should be respected. International law should be respected," he said.

"There is no right for any country to interfere in other countries," he argued, warning: "There is a pattern that is very risky for the region, and very intimidatory."
President Donald Trump says he will keep a ban on importing trophies of elephants hunted and killed in Zimbabwe, pending further review

President Donald Trump said Friday he will uphold a ban on importing trophies of elephants hunted and killed in Zimbabwe, pending further review, reversing his own administration's decision from just a day earlier after a public outcry.

"Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts. Under study for years. Will update soon with Secretary Zinke. Thank you!" Trump tweeted.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the pair came to the decision after they "talked and both believe that conservation and healthy herds are critical."

Just hours before, Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders had defended the US Fish and Wildlife Service's move to end the 2014 ban initiated under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama.

The service said Thursday that it would begin issuing permits to import "sport-hunted trophies from elephants hunted in Zimbabwe" between January 21, 2016 and December 31, 2018.

Zambia would also have been covered under the revised rule.

The move was met with a barrage of criticism from animal rights groups and activists.

It also came on the same day that the US State Department presented to Congress its first annual report on wildlife trafficking which, it said, "remains a serious transnational crime."

- 'Unfit for office' -

French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot had previously criticized US President Donald Trump over his administration's move to loosen restrictions on hunting bears and wolves on federally protected land in Alaska

French screen legend and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot added her voice to the growing chorus of criticism, slamming Trump as "unfit for office" after his administration's "shameful actions."

"No despot in the world can take responsibility for killing off an age-old species that is part of the world heritage of humanity," Bardot said in a letter to Trump, released through Fondation Brigitte Bardot.

The move is "a cruel decision backed by Zimbabwe's crazy dictator and it confirms the sick and deadly power you assert over the entire plant and animal kingdom," the 83-year-old actress added.

"Your shameful actions confirm the rumors that you are unfit for office."

According to the Great Elephant Census project, African Savanna elephant populations fell by 30 percent between 2007 and 2014, while Zimbabwe saw a drop of six percent.

Despite an overall fall in poaching, Africa's elephant population has declined in part because of continued illegal killing, said a report this year by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

African ivory, in particular, is highly sought in China where it is a status symbol.

A provision in the Endangered Species Act says the import of such trophies can be legal if accompanied by proof that the hunting benefits broader conservation of the species.

Trump's sons are known to have a passion for hunting.

In one widely shared photograph, Donald Trump Jr poses with a knife in one hand and an elephant tail in the other, the animal's corpse beside him.

The US decision follows tumultuous days in Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe refuses to resign after the military seized control of the country.
The owner of a coal-fired power plant in Hardin has lost money from the site since 2014 and plans to leave town.

Gary Arneson, vice president of operations for Heorot Power, said in a Nov. 15 letter to the Montana Public Service Commission that if the company can't find a buyer for the facility, it could close by the first or second quarter of 2018.

The Hardin plant, constructed in 2006, is among the newest in the state. Heorot has relied on short-term energy contracts to sell electricity from the plant.

Rocky Mountain Power is the local entity that owns the plant. It's operated by Colorado Energy, which is owned by Heorot Power.

The plant employs 30 people. In his letter, Arneson wrote that though overhead is low relative to other thermal generators, the plant still lost money.

"Unfortunately, these losses are no longer sustainable, and the Company is forced to make a decision about the plaint's future," he said.

Taylor Luther Group, a Helena law firm, is representing the owners of the plant.

Pam Bucy, an attorney at Taylor Luther, said that the company has kept up payments on its $3 million payroll, despite market conditions that temporarily halted operation.

A shutdown of the plant would affect the Absaloka Coal Mine on the neighboring Crow Reservation. Arneson said in his letter that the tribe would suffer losses from royalties derived from about 550,000 tons of coal mined annually to supply the Hardin plant.

Arneson also said a shutdown would "eliminate" $440,000 in annual property tax payments to local governments. But the plant hasn't paid those property taxes for 2014 and 2016. The company owes more than $2 million to Big Horn County in delinquent taxes and penalties.

Those payments would have benefited local schools, infrastructure, and the city of Hardin's tax increment financing district.

Hardin issued about $12 million in bonds in 2006 to build infrastructure supporting the power plant. Payments on those bonds have been in default, as they relied on revenue from the plant.

The plant did pay 2015 taxes, but nothing since then, said Big Horn County Treasurer Jody Guptill.

Bucy said that the company is actively seeking buyers. She said that interest in the power plant includes those in the renewable energy sector. An environmental assessment was already completed as part of a solar array proposal from 2012.

The plant is also two miles from a natural gas pipeline.

Bucy said that the company's exit might be slowed if it can identify a buyer by the end of the year. In the meantime, representatives have met with tribal and local government officials.
Senator Al Franken is facing an ethics investigation after apologizing for sexually inappropriate behavior with a radio host

From the White House to Congress to the Supreme Court, Washington has had its share of sexual scandals.

But the #MeToo wave exposing sexual misconduct which began in Hollywood slammed into the US capital this week, triggering a dizzying slew of allegations, apologies and resignations.

Democratic Senator Al Franken said he was sorry after a radio talk show host accused him of forcibly kissing her in 2006 -- two years before voters in Minnesota sent him to the Senate -- and for posing for a picture which showed him groping her breasts as she slept.

President Donald Trump, despite numerous allegations that he has personally engaged in lewd conduct towards women, was quick to pile on, calling him "Al Frankenstien" (sic) and saying the picture was "really bad."

When asked by reporters on Friday the difference between the allegations against Trump and those against Franken, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders replied: "Senator Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the president hasn't."

"I think that's a very clear distinction," she added.

Trump's Twitter attack on the Democratic senator was in stark contrast to his relative silence over another scandal -- allegations that the Republican candidate for the US Senate in Alabama, Roy Moore, once preyed on teenage girls.

Meanwhile, two female members of the House of Representatives -- one Democrat and one Republican -- have accused two lawmakers, who they declined to name, of sexual harassment.

And a congresswoman's chief of staff resigned amid allegations that he had sexually harassed co-workers.

Former president George H.W. Bush, 93, has also found himself in the line of fire, accused by half a dozen women of groping them during photo ops, both before and after he became confined to a wheelchair.

"There are lot of nervous people around wondering what -- who will be next," Trump aide Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.

- Hastert, Thomas, Clinton -

One of the most recent and high-profile cases of sexual misconduct in Congress involved the former Republican speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, who pleaded guilty in 2015 to making illegal payments to hush up his molestation of teenage boys.

Supreme Court judge Clarence Thomas's Senate confirmation hearing in 1991 was overshadowed by allegations he sexually harassed a staffer, Anita Hill, charges which he denied.

House Speaker Paul Ryan has announced mandatory anti-harassment training for lawmakers and staff

And then of course there is former Democratic president Bill Clinton, who admitted to having sexual relations with an intern, Monica Lewinsky, while serving in the White House.

The Trump presidential campaign repeatedly brought up Clinton's indiscretions during the bitter 2016 White House race against his wife Hillary.

At the same time, the Trump campaign rejected the claims of multiple women that the billionaire real estate tycoon had acted inappropriately towards them -- a pattern of behavior Trump more or less admitted in a notorious 2005 recording.

"I'm automatically attracted to beautiful -- I just start kissing them," he said in the audiotape, which surfaced during the campaign. "It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.

"Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything," Trump said.

On Capitol Hill, Congress is attempting to be proactive in containing the fallout from the new allegations against lawmakers.

Republican speaker Paul Ryan announced this week that the House would adopt "mandatory anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training" for lawmakers and their staff.

"Our goal is not only to raise awareness, but also make abundantly clear that harassment in any form has no place in this institution," Ryan said.

The Senate made anti-harassment training mandatory last week.

With the debate over sexual misconduct roiling American institutions, a Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio came out Friday with a somewhat unusual statement.

Bill O'Neill, a state supreme court justice, said he was "disappointed by this national feeding frenzy about sexual indiscretions decades ago" and was making a preemptive strike.

To spare his political rivals conducting opposition research, O'Neill said in a Facebook post that he had been "sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females."

The post immediately earned scorn -- even from O'Neill's own Democratic Party.
Turkish cleric and opponent to the Erdogan regime Fethullah Gulen at his residence in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania in July 2016

Turkey's foreign minister blamed the alleged mastermind of the failed 2016 coup for a legal case in the United States against Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab that has angered Ankara.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the group of the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen -- who denies being behind the coup -- had succeeded in infiltrating the US justice system.

Zarrab is due to go on trial alongside Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank, on November 27 in New York on charges of violating sanctions against Iran, a case some commentators see as potentially damaging for Ankara.

"This case is very much FETO-motivated," Cavusoglu told reporters. "This is for sure.

"And all those indictments and files that they have fabricated here, they were taken back to the United States."

Ankara accuses Gulen of running a group called the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO). Gulen's supporters ridicule the term, saying he runs a peaceful organisation called Hizmet (Service).

The arrest of Zarrab last year intrigued opponents of the government in Turkey, where Zarrab had been linked to a 2013 corruption scandal that had ensnared the elite at a time when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was prime minister.

All suspects arrested in the probe were subsequently released. Zarrab had spent 70 days in custody in Turkey over the scandal, which Erdogan denounced as a plot by Gulen to bring down his government.

NBC in the United States reported Thursday that Zarrab was now cooperating with prosecutors, raising the prospect that he may be seeking a plea bargain deal and give evidence for the prosecution.

Neither Zarrab, 34, nor his lawyer attended a court hearing in Manhattan on Thursday to discuss the case ahead of the trial

Turkey has in the last days expressed concern over his whereabouts, even sending a diplomatic note to Washington.

But Cavusoglu said Ankara had nothing to fear even if Zarrab was cooperating.

"Why should I be concerned? We have a saying in Turkey 'if I did not drink bad milk, why should I worry about my stomach?'." he said.

He added: "Of course if something is fabricated we also have something to say."

He said the former top prosecutor for Manhattan Preet Bharara, who brought the charges, is "very close to FETO and he is not hiding this." Bharara has in the past ridiculed such accusations.

President Donald Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn is reportedly being investigated by special prosecutor Robert Mueller for alleged talks with Turkey on deporting Zarrab and Gulen in exchange for money.

Turkey and Flynn's lawyers have denied any such negotiations.
The jihadists are losing ground in the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, pictured here on November 4, 2017, to two separate offensives that have come close to ousting IS from Syria

A car bombing blamed on the Islamic State group killed at least 26 displaced people in eastern Syria on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

The Britain-based Observatory said 12 children were among the victims of the attack on a gathering at a checkpoint run by US-backed fighters in Deir Ezzor province.

The jihadists are losing ground there to two separate offensives that have come close to ousting IS from Syria.

"Dozens of people were wounded, and the death toll could rise because of the number of serious injuries," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

The displaced people had been on their way to neighbouring Hasakeh province, where camps have been set up to house them in Kurdish-controlled territory, Abdel Rahman said.

Syria's state news agency SANA also reported an IS car bombing targeting "a gathering of displaced families from Deir Ezzor", giving a toll of 20 dead and 30 wounded.

IS controls roughly one quarter of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province but is battling for survival on two fronts.

One offensive is by Syrian regime forces backed by Russian air power, while the second is by a US-backed Kurdish and Arab coalition, the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The jihadist group appears to be seeking to prove it still has the capacity to carry out major attacks despite losing much of its cross-border "caliphate" to multiple assaults in Iraq and Syria.

In early November, an IS car bombing killed at least 75 displaced civilians who had fled fighting in Deir Ezzor, the Observatory reported.

IS fighters are now cornered in part of Deir Ezzor province around the border town of Albu Kamal on the frontier with Iraq.

Many civilians have tried to flee the affected areas.

The jihadist group seized large areas of both Syria and Iraq in a lightning 2014 campaign, but this year has lost much of the territory it once held.

Government forces fighting to flush the group from Syrian territory on Thursday entered Albu Kamal, the last town in the country held by the Islamic State group, the Observatory said.

Losing the town completely would cap the group's reversion to an underground guerrilla organisation with no urban base.

The Iraqi army on Friday retook the last IS-held town in the country, the small Euphrates valley town of Rawa, near the Syrian border.
Hip-hop superstar Jay-Z has called for a concerted campaign to reform probation, which he says can be a "land mine" instead of a second chance

Hip-hop superstar Jay-Z on Friday urged an overhaul of the US concept of probation, saying the prison term handed to rapper Meek Mill showed an unjust system that ensnares black men.

Jay-Z, who earlier took to social media and stopped a concert to press Mill's case, penned an op-ed for The New York Times to call for a concerted campaign to reform probation.

"What's happening to Meek Mill is just one example of how our criminal justice system entraps and harasses hundreds of thousands of black people every day," Jay-Z wrote.

"Instead of a second chance, probation ends up being a land mine, with a random misstep bringing consequences greater than the crime," wrote the 47-year-old rap mogul, who said he saw the same ordeals as a poor teenager in Brooklyn.

A judge in Philadelphia last week sentenced Mill to two to four years in prison for parole violations, raising audible gasps in the courtroom as prosecutors had not recommended any incarceration.

Mill, who is signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation management, has been appearing before the judge since a 2008 arrest on gun and drug possession charges.

The judge pointed to recent incidents including an altercation involving Mill at the St. Louis airport, although the now 30-year-old rapper was not charged.

His case has generated growing protests including a rally by hundreds of supporters outside the Philadelphia courthouse.

Mill said he was badly beaten by police when they arrested him in 2008 and used a bloodied mugshot of himself as the cover of his "DC4" mixtape.

His most recent album, "Wins and Losses," went to number three on the US chart earlier this year.

Probation, which dates from English common law, was initially seen as a compassionate way for courts to grant freedom to people who pose little risk.

But a recent survey by The Marshall Project, a non-profit news organization that covers the US judicial system, found that at least 61,250 people and probably far more are in prison across the United States for minor parole violations such as missing appointments, failing drug tests or staying out past curfew.

"The system treats them as a danger to society, consistently monitors and follows them for any minor infraction -- with the goal of putting them back in prison," Jay-Z wrote.

Of the 4.65 million people on probation, parole or supervised release across the United States in 2015, 30 percent were African American, according to Justice Department figures.
A new joint force, the G5 Sahel, aims at strengthening security in five vulnerable countries on the rim of the Sahara

At least five people were killed in northern Burkina Faso and one person died in eastern Chad, in the latest attacks in two Sahel countries badly hit by jihadists and militias, officials said Friday.

A armed group on Friday attacked Taouremba, a Burkinabe town about 60 kilometres (30 miles) from the Malian border, killing at least five people, said a local security source, reached by phone.

"At least four koglweogo [members of a self-defence group] and a municipal councillor were killed," the source said.

A security source in Abinda put the toll at "six or seven dead," adding that the assailants, numbering about half a dozen, had fled on motorbikes towards Djibo, the main town in Soum province.

Northern Burkina Faso, which shares a border with Mali and Niger, has borne the brunt of cross-border jihadist raids since early 2015. According to an official toll, 80 attacks have been carried out, leaving 133 dead.

In eastern Chad, meanwhile, "heavily armed men" raided the town of Koulbous late Wednesday, plundering the market, killing one person and wounding another before crossing into neighbouring Sudan, said a military source reached by phone from the capital Ndjamena.

Chad's border with Sudan is highly porous, and militia groups from the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur frequently cross into the country.

Chad and Burkina Faso are members of a new joint force, the G5 Sahel, which aims at strengthening security in five vulnerable countries on the rim of the Sahara. The other members are Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria.

Chad also has an arrangement with Sudan, dating to 2010, under which a joint force patrols their common border.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived in France on Saturday from Saudi Arabia, where his shock resignation announcement two weeks ago sparked accusations that he was being held there against his will.

Hariri is in Paris at the invitation of France's President Emmanuel Macron, who is attempting to help broker a solution to a political crisis that has raised fears over Lebanon's fragile democracy.

The 47-year-old resigned as PM of Lebanon earlier this month, saying he feared assassination but many Lebanese felt Saudi Arabian officials forced him out to wreck his compromise government with Hezbollah.

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Saad Hariri's shock resignation has triggered a political crisis which has raised fears over Lebanon's fragile democracy

He resigned as PM of Lebanon earlier this month, saying he feared assassination but many Lebanese felt Saudi officials forced him out to wreck his compromise government with Hezbollah.

Hariri and his wife landed in France just before dawn, and were quickly whisked to their Paris residence under tight security

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said he had spoken by telephone to Hariri, who said he would be back in Lebanon for Independence Day celebrations on Wednesday.

Hariri and his wife, who flew in overnight from Riyadh and were whisked to their Paris residence under tight security, were due to meet Macron at noon.

They arrived without their children, with the younger two , Loulwa and Abdelaziz, born in 2001 and 2005, staying behind in Riyadh 'for their school exams', a source close to Hariri said.

Their elder son Houssam, born in 1999, was due to arrive in Paris separately from London.

'Hariri does not want to mix his children up in this affair,' the source said.

Hariri, who along with Saudi officials has repeatedly denied that he was being held under house arrest in Riyadh, hammered home the message just before his departure.

'To say that I am held up in Saudi Arabia and not allowed to leave the country is a lie,' he said in a Twitter post.

Saad Hariri's rssignation was widely seen as an escalation of the battle for influence between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, regional arch-rivals which back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen

A source close to Hariri said the premier had held an 'excellent, fruitful and constructive' meeting with the powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman before he left.

Hariri, a dual Saudi citizen who has previously enjoyed Riyadh's backing, announced his resignation on November 4.

He said he feared for his life, accusing Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his country.

But Hariri's failure to return from Saudi Arabia prompted claims he was essentially being held hostage there, including from Lebanon's president, who refused to accept his resignation from abroad.

Hariri's resignation was widely seen as an escalation of the battle for influence between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, regional arch-rivals which back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Supporters Saad Hariri hold placards demanding his return from Saudi Arabia on the starting line of Beirut's annual marathon

His attempt to step down also coincides with a purge of more than 200 Saudi princes, ministers and businessmen.

Hariri met French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh on Thursday as Paris, which held mandate power over Lebanon for the first half of the 20th century, seeks to ease the crisis.

In another development, Riyadh on Saturday recalled its ambassador to Berlin in protest at comments by Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel which were interpreted as a suggestion that Hariri acted under Saudi orders.

Without mentioning Saudi Arabia directly, Gabriel had said Thursday that he shared concerns about the threat of instability and bloodshed in Lebanon and warned against 'adventurism'.

'Lebanon has earned the right to decide on its fate by itself and not become a pinball of Syria or Saudi Arabia or other national interests,' he had said earlier in the week.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's King Salman in Riyadh

Ahead of Hariri's departure, Aoun, an ally of Hezbollah, welcomed the trip to Paris, expressing hope that it was the 'start of a solution'.

'If Mr. Hariri speaks from France, I would consider that he speaks freely,' Aoun said.

'But his resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he will have to remain there until the formation of the new government.'

France's intervention was the latest in a string of European efforts to defuse tensions over Lebanon, where divisions between Hariri's Sunni bloc and Shiite Hezbollah have long been a focal point in a broader struggle between Riyadh and Tehran.

Hariri, whose father, ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri, was killed in a 2005 car bombing blamed on Hezbollah, took over last year as head of a shaky compromise government which includes the powerful Shiite movement.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir insisted from Madrid that 'unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and, by extension, Iran'.

Hariri's resignation comes as the long-standing rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran intensifies and as Riyadh undergoes a major shake-up under the ambitious crown prince.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Talal Ali Sello, pictured here in 2015, is "in the hands of" the Turkish intelligence after handing himself over to pro-Ankara forces, a Turkish daily reported on November 17, 2017

A spokesman for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighting Islamic State extremists is "in the hands of" the Turkish intelligence after handing himself over to pro-Ankara forces, a Turkish daily reported Friday.

Talal Sello "gave himself up" to Syrian opposition fighters -- which Turkey calls the Free Syrian Army (FSA) -- on Wednesday, according to Turkish reports.

Sello was then taken to the southern Turkish province of Gaziantep bordering Syria, the Hurriyet newspaper said, adding that he was "giving answers to questions" from the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) about the activities of the Syrian Kurdish militia.

The fate of the burly Sello -- who became a prominent face due to his media updates during the SDF's fight with jihadists for Raqa -- has been shrouded in mystery since it emerged this week that he had left the force.

Mohammad al-Abdallah, of the Syrian rebel group Forqat al-Hamz, speaking to AFP in Beirut, described Sello's move as a "defection".

But the SDF denied he had defected, saying it believed Sello was taken "as a result of a special operation by Turkish intelligence."

The SDF added that Sello "received threats against his children who are in Turkey."

The SDF includes Arab forces but is dominated by Syrian Kurdish fighters from the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG). Sello is of Turkmen origin.

Ankara views the YPG as a terror group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. It has dismissed the SDF has merely a front for the YPG.

The PKK is blacklisted as a "terrorist" organisation by Ankara, the United States and the European Union.

While Washington views the YPG as the most effective fighting force on the ground against Islamic State jihadists in Syria, Ankara has railed against the American support.

The Kurdish-led force expelled IS from its de facto capital Raqa in northern Syria last month, one of a series of defeats against the group.

Turkey has cautioned against the creation of a "terror corridor" in northern Syria and had repeatedly warned it could launch an operation against the militia in the YPG-controlled town of Afrin.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Afrin "needs to be cleared of the YPG terror group."

According to Hurriyet, Sello answered questions from Turkish officials about the "activities of the YPG, its structure and the situation in Afrin".

Crucially, he was also asked about what kind of preparations the YPG was making in the event of an attack by the Turkish military on Afrin, the daily added.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed that Sello was in the hands of Turkish intelligence and said he had been "brought to Turkey by trickery."
A sarin gas attack on April 4, 2017 triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide, prompting the United States to launch missile strikes on a Syrian air base a few days later

Russia cast a second veto in as many days at the United Nations Security Council on Friday to block the renewal of a probe to identify the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

A draft resolution put forward by Japan would have extended the UN-led Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) for 30 days to allow time for negotiations on a wider compromise.

But Russia used its veto power to prevent adoption after 12 council members voted in favor of the measure, effectively ending the mission. China abstained, while Bolivia voted no.

It was the 11th time that Russia has used its veto power to stop council action targeting its ally Syria.

"Russia is wasting our time," US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council after the vote. "Russia has no interest in finding ground with the rest of this council to save the JIM."

"Russia will not agree to any mechanism that might shine a spotlight on the use of chemical weapons by its ally, the Syrian regime," she said.

"It's as simple and shameful as that."

A resolution requires nine votes to be adopted at the council, but five countries -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- can block adoption with their veto power.

Syria: Khan Sheikhun chemical attack

Japan put its proposal forward after Russia on Thursday vetoed a US-drafted resolution that would have allowed the expert investigators to continue their work for a year.

A separate Russian draft resolution that called for changes to the JIM failed to garner enough support, with just four votes in favor.

"Any extension of the JIM's mandate for us is possible only provided fundamental flaws in its work are rectified," said Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia.

- Fictitious investigation -

The Russian ambassador accused the JIM's leadership of having "disgraced itself with its fictitious investigation" of the sarin gas attack at the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun.

The panel "signed its name on baseless accusations against Syria," he charged.

In a report last month, the JIM concluded that the Syrian air force had dropped the deadly nerve agent on Khan Sheikhun, leaving scores dead.

The April 4 attack triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide, prompting the United States to launch missile strikes on a Syrian air base days later.

After the veto, the council met behind closed doors at Sweden's request to hear another appeal for a temporary extension, but Russia again refused, diplomats said.

Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog said council members must "make sure that we are absolutely convinced that we have exhausted every avenue, every effort before the mandate of the JIM expires tonight."

Italian Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, who holds the presidency, told reporters after the meeting that the council "will continue to work in the coming hours and days constructively to find a common position."

The final efforts turned to finding some technical ruse that would have allowed the JIM to avoid shutting down and would not require a resolution, diplomats said.

UN officials confirmed late Friday that the panel would end its work at midnight (0500 GMT Saturday) as there was no decision from the council to keep it in place.

The row over the chemical weapons inquiry came as the United Nations was preparing a new round of peace talks to open on November 28 in Geneva to try to end the six-year war.

The joint UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel was set up by Russia and the United States in 2015 and unanimously endorsed by the council, which renewed its mandate last year.

Previous reports by the JIM have found that Syrian government forces were responsible for chlorine attacks on three villages in 2014 and 2015, and that the Islamic State group used mustard gas in 2015.
A Boeing EA-18G Growler, similar to the plane involved in Thursday's incident in Washington state

The US Navy was left red-faced Friday after a pilot painted an enormous outline of a penis in the sky using the condensation trails from his multi-million-dollar warplane.

Residents of the town of Okanogan, in the western state of Washington, had been stunned to see the F-18 jet scrawling the phallic symbol on Thursday, and several photos quickly circulated online.

Navy officials acknowledged one of their crews was behind the stunt, saying the aircraft "left a condensed air trail resembling an obscene image to observers on the ground."

"The actions of this aircrew were wholly unacceptable and antithetical to Navy core values," Lieutenant Commander Leslie Hubbell, a spokeswoman for the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island, said in a statement.

"We have grounded the aircrew and are conducting a thorough investigation -- and we will hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

"The Navy apologizes for this irresponsible and immature act," she added.

Many onlookers on the ground posted images of the drawing on social media and appeared amused by the stunt.

Ramon Duran told The Spokesman-Review that he was running errands when he noticed the jet drawing the male genitalia.

"After it made the circles at the bottom, I knew what it was and started laughing," Duran said.

"It was pretty funny to see that. You dont expect to see something like that."

Photos of the sky drawing in question can be seen at: http://u.afp.com/4j7F
Republican candidate Roy Moore has fallen behind his Democratic rival in the race for one of Alabam's US Senate seats, according to the latest polls

Roy Moore, the Republican candidate from Alabama accused of preying on teenage girls when he was in his 30s, trails his Democratic rival in the race for the crucial Senate seat, according to the latest polls.

A Gravis survey published on Friday had Moore, a 70-year-old former state supreme court judge and hard-line conservative, trailing Democrat Doug Jones, a 63-year-old US Attorney, by 47 percent to 42 percent.

A Fox News poll on Thursday put Jones at 50 percent and Moore at 42 percent, while a local Fox 10 poll had Jones up 49-43.

The polls had margins of error of between two and 3.5 percentage points.

Before The Washington Post published the first allegations against Moore, the Republican was heavily favored to win the December 12 election in the state where Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by nearly 28 points.

Moore has denied the allegations against him and his wife held a press conference on Friday to defend her husband.

"He will not step down," Kayla Moore told reporters in Montgomery, Alabama. "He will not stop fighting for the people of Alabama.

"In his words and I quote, "I will not stop until they lay me in that box in the ground," she said.

The Senate election, being held to replace Jeff Sessions, who was named attorney general, has national repercussions because Republicans hold only a slim 52-48 majority in the chamber.

A number of Senate Republicans, including majority leader Mitch McConnell, have called on Moore to quit the race, but he has adamantly refused to do so.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday that the president finds the allegations against Moore "extremely troubling" but that it was up to the people of Alabama to decide.
LARAMIE, Wyo.  Graduate student Brad Lyke recently arrived in Laramie to begin work on an astronomy Ph.D. at the University of Wyoming, but it was not that long ago that he had never heard of the place.

As an undergraduate at California State University, Long Beach, Lyke was given the opportunity to do research alongside other undergraduates from across the country in UW's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

"I came here and realized this is the best school possible for me," he said. "So, it was being here that actually got me to come back."

The department's research internship program dates back to 1987.

Every summer eight undergraduate students from across the U.S. are invited to take part in a collaborative research project on the UW campus.

Starting in summer 2015, UW astronomy professors Danny Dale and Chip Kobulnicky struck up an agreement with Alex Rudolph of California State Polytechnic University-Pomona to reserve two of those eight internships for students coming out of the California higher education system.

The arrangement introduces students such as Lyke  who would have never considered UW otherwise  to the university and to Laramie, Dale said.

"(Lyke) probably wouldn't have thought of a school that's in a pretty rural location, coming from a big town like San Diego, but he came here and he saw how cool it was and he's coming here," Dale said. "I don't think he would have given us a second thought if we hadn't had these sort of agreements in place with these people in California."

The agreement also makes it more likely students from diverse backgrounds hear about UW and what it has to offer, Dale said.

Earlier this month, Dale and Rudolph signed a memorandum of understanding stating the UW Department of Physics and Astronomy will strongly consider some graduating California students for entry into its graduate program.

"Basically, they help advertise our program to Cal State students," Dale said. "And then we do a few things on our side that will help them get a second, closer look than they might (not) otherwise get."

The majority of California State universities are Minority Serving Institutions, meaning they have a more diverse pool of potential graduate students than UW. And in the large California higher education system and elsewhere, many students are knocked out of consideration for advanced degree programs on the basis of solely their GPA or GRE score, Dale said.

"We'll make sure we give them a second look  like look at the letters of recommendation and if they have research experience and their grades in the last couple of years in their specialty classes," he said. "We waive the application fee for the students with the partnership."

Cal-Bridge  the California program that places these students in graduate programs across the country and, since 2015, has encouraged these students to apply to UW  tries to find the talented students who would otherwise fall through the cracks, Dale said.

"On their end, they're trying to make sure students who might otherwise get overlooked get a shot," he said. "And you can find the diamonds in the rough, who might not have had the opportunities earlier in life, but they definitely have the motivations and skills and they turn it on in grad school."

In addition to bringing in diverse students, the agreement also helps the astronomy program maintain a 50-50 gender parity among its graduate students.

"We recruit a very diverse population of students from across the state of California, which is of course very diverse," Rudolph said. "A lot of these programs are trying to reach out more broadly than to people who are traditionally involved in physics or astronomy and get to a broader segment of the population  to so-called underrepresented minorities and women."

Many of these students would have never considered UW, much less going on to do research or obtain an advanced degree, Rudolph said.

"The types of students we get don't come from backgrounds where family members have gotten Ph.D.s," he said. "In fact, most of our students are first generation college students. They are overlooked in the sense that they would never have probably found their way to a program like Wyoming  or any other program we send students to  without our being there to be able to guide them toward those opportunities."

Lyke, for example, is the first member of his family to earn a bachelor's degree and the first to pursue an advanced degree.

The agreements between Dale and Rudolph  both the agreement to save spots in the undergraduate research internship program and the new agreement to consider California students for graduate school  also introduce several students to a completely new place and way of life, by giving them a taste of Wyoming, Rudolph said.

"I think that's a really special thing in our current, somewhat polarizing environment where people don't necessarily interact the way you'd like them to," he said. "So, I just think it's really great."

Lyke said he was drawn to the undergraduate summer internship because of the benefits associated with UW's program  a focus on collaborative research and the opportunity to take part in all parts of that research  but decided to come back for graduate school because of the small-town atmosphere.

"(California's) pretty much paved for half the state," Lyke said. "And I like this small-town feeling. Everybody here was absolutely wonderful. The whole town was nice, as opposed to where I'm from, which is L.A. and San Diego. People there are not as nice."
US troops train with a Patriot air and missile defense system at a test range in Sochaczew, Poland as part of an exercise in 2015

The US State Department said Friday it had approved the sale of a Patriot anti-missile system to NATO ally Poland, a move likely to irk Russia.

The State Department said it had notified Congress on November 14 of its approval of the deal, which is worth up to $10.5 billion, and would mark the first time Poland has bought the sophisticated system.

"A secure Europe capable of deterring air and missile threats and other forms of aggression promotes peace and stability within NATO and on the European continent," officials said in a statement.

Congress has 15 days to raise any objections to the deal, though that would be unlikely given the close military-to-military relationship with Poland.

The total deal includes up to four radar sets, four control stations, 16 launching stations, 208 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, as well as additional equipment, training and spare parts.

The Patriot is a mobile air-defense system made by Raytheon and designed to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, low-flying cruise missiles and aircraft.

News of the sale comes after the US military temporarily deployed a Patriot battery in Lithuania as part of multinational NATO exercises in the Baltic country.

Moscow last year deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles into its Kaliningrad exclave, which borders Lithuania and Poland, rattling nearby NATO members.
WASHINGTON (AP) - North Carolina's two Republican senators say they oppose President Donald Trump's pick to oversee chemical safety at the Environmental Protection Agency, putting Michael L. Dourson's nomination at serious risk.

Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis issued statements saying they will vote against Dourson to serve as head of EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

Environmentalists and Senate Democrats have vehemently opposed Dourson, a toxicologist with close ties to the chemical industry. That means only one more Republican "no" vote would likely be needed to torpedo his nomination.

In this Sept. 20, 2017, file photo, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., listens on Capitol Hill in Washington. Burr and Sen. Thom Tillis issued statements Nov. 15, saying they will vote against Michael Dourson to serve as head of EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told reporters Thursday she is also leaning against supporting Dourson, but has not yet made a final decision.

The White House and EPA did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday or Thursday.

Despite the fact he hasn't yet been confirmed by the Senate, Dourson has already been working at the agency as a senior adviser to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. The agency's press office did not respond to emails seeking how much he is being paid.

The Associated Press reported in September that Dourson has for years accepted payments for criticizing studies that raised concerns about the safety of his clients' products, according to a review of financial records and his published work.

Past corporate clients of Dourson and of a research group he ran include Dow Chemical Co., Koch Industries Inc. and Chevron Corp. His research has also been underwritten by industry trade and lobbying groups representing the makers of plastics, pesticides, processed foods and cigarettes.

Burr and Tillis, both of whom are considered reliably pro-business conservatives, cited Dourson's past work and worries among their home-state constituents about tainted drinking water in opposing his nomination.

"Over the last several weeks, Senator Tillis has done his due diligence in reviewing Mr. Dourson's body of work," said a statement from Tillis' office. "Senator Tillis still has serious concerns about his record and cannot support his nomination."

Marine veterans and their families blame decades-old contamination of wells at a North Carolina base with solvents and dry-cleaning chemicals for infant deaths and serious health problems that include cancer.

More recently, concerns have been raised about undisclosed discharges of chemicals used to manufacture Teflon and GoreTex into the Cape Fear River, a source of municipal drinking water for Wilmington and other southeastern North Carolina communities.

Dourson worked at the EPA for more than a decade, leaving in 1994 as the manager at a lab that assessed the health risks of exposure to chemicals. The following year, he founded Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment, a private toxicity evaluation nonprofit organization that tests chemicals and produces reports on which chemicals are hazardous in what quantities.

Dourson's views toward industry are consistent with others Trump has selected as top federal regulators. Among them is Pruitt, who in March overruled the findings of his agency's own scientists to reverse an effort to ban chlorpyrifos, one of the nation's most widely used pesticides.

Court records show Dourson and his work have often been called on when his corporate clients are seeking to fend off lawsuits.

DuPont was accused of polluting a West Virginia town with Perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, a chemical that the company's internal tests had long ago concluded was toxic. Corporate officials discussed hiring Dourson as part of a strategy to defend themselves.

Dourson led a team that found in 2002 that PFOA levels up to 150 parts per billion were safe, a level higher than was found in testing of 188 private wells and springs.

That was also well above the 1 part per billion that Dupont's own scientists had concluded could be considered safe years before. The EPA now says that only 70 parts per trillion of PFOA are acceptable - or only 0.05 percent of what Dourson's team said was safe.

DuPont and a former subsidiary, Chemours Co., later paid $761 million to settle 3,550 lawsuits stemming from its use of the chemical.

Chemours is the company whose spills of a chemical called GenX, a replacement for PFOA, are now at issue in North Carolina's Cape Fear River.

"I will not be supporting the nomination of Michael Dourson," said Burr, the state's senior senator. "With his record and our state's history of contamination at Camp Lejeune as well as the current GenX water issues in Wilmington, I am not confident he is the best choice for our country."

The stand was quickly praised by environmental advocacy groups that rarely find common ground with the two Tarheel Republicans.

"No one who has spent decades arguing on behalf of the chemical industry for weaker safety standards should be charged with reviewing chemicals for the EPA," said Scott Faber, a senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group. "It would be like putting an arsonist in charge of the fire department."

___

Follow Associated Press environmental reporter Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was shown meeting Thursday with the army commander who put him under house arrest, as negotiations with a South African delegation and a Catholic priest at the state house pushed for a resolution to the political turmoil and the likely end to Mugabe's decades-long rule.

The state-run Zimbabwe Herald newspaper published what it called new photos of the meeting Thursday afternoon. It said details were to come.

South Africa President Jacob Zuma, speaking in parliament, said the political situation "very shortly will be becoming clear."

A person passes a newspaper headline in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. People across the country are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country last week. (AP Photo)

Seizing on the political limbo to speak out, civil society groups and opposition leaders urged Mugabe to step aside after 37 years in power and for the country to transition into free and fair elections.

Mugabe has been in military custody, reportedly with his wife, since the army stepped in overnight Tuesday. There was no sign of former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose firing last week angered supporters in the military amid widespread concern that unpopular first lady Grace Mugabe would take his place.

The military remained in the streets of Harare. Southern African regional officials were meeting in neighboring Botswana on the crisis.

A joint statement by more than 100 civil society groups urged the 93-year-old Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, to peacefully step aside and asked the military to respect the constitution. A joint statement by churches also appealed for calm.

One analyst said he believed the negotiations "have pretty much reached an end point" to get Mugabe to step aside and that it was a "matter of hours or days."

Knox Chitiyo, associate fellow with the Africa program at Chatham House, warned that speculation remains high but said the aim was a peaceful, managed transition. He said the military wants a dignified exit for Mugabe, who has ruled since independence from white minority rule in 1980 and remains widely known, even praised, in Africa as a liberation leader.

Chitiyo said he doesn't know where the ailing Mugabe would go but that the destination is "likely driven by his health." Mugabe routinely seeks medical treatment in Singapore.

Opposition leaders spoke out but said they had not been contacted as part of the Mugabe negotiations.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who shared power with Mugabe between 2009 and 2013, said Mugabe must resign and said his party would participate in talks on a transitional mechanism if approached.

He pointedly referred to Mugabe as "Mister."

A vice president who was fired in 2014, Joice Mujuru, called for "free, fair and credible elections" following a transition arrangement that draws from a range of communities.

Zimbabwean Evan Mawarire, the pastor whose #ThisFlag social media campaign last year led to the largest anti-government protests in a decade, asked: "Should we just sit and wait or shall we at least be part of this transition process?"

Across the country, Zimbabweans long frustrated by crackdowns on dissent and a collapsing economy were enjoying freedoms they haven't had in years. For once, they weren't contending with bribe-seeking police officers who mounted roadblocks every few miles (kilometers).

Soldiers manning the few checkpoints leading into downtown Harare greeted motorists with a smile, searching cars without hostilities and wishing motorists a safe journey.

Street vendors who endured police raids after Mugabe ordered their removal were working without hassles. Trade unions urged workers to go about their business.

"The situation is quite OK because they are now returning to their jobs," said one resident, Clinton Mandioper.

Human rights groups urged respect for rights as the drama played out.

Amid questions about the whereabouts of first lady Grace Mugabe, one Namibian newspaper, the New Era, reported that the country's foreign minister denied she had fled there.

The U.S. Embassy advised citizens in Zimbabwe to "limit unnecessary movements" as political uncertainty continues. The British government also urged its citizens to avoid large gatherings and any demonstrations.

Soldiers sit on a military vehicle parked on a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. People across the country are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country last week. (AP Photo)

Workers walk past a photograph of President Robert Mugabe at a government building in Harare, Zimbabwe Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A woman resident looks out from behind the metal grill of an apartment block, on which a mural is painted, in the low-income neighbourhood of Mbare in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

People pass a newspaper headline in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. People across the country are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country last week. (AP Photo)

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai speaks to the Associated Press after giving a press conference at his home in Harare, Zimbabwe Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Tsvangirai said President Robert Mugabe must resign and called for a negotiated, inclusive transitional mechanism as well as comprehensive reforms before elections. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A worker walks past a photograph of President Robert Mugabe at a government building in Harare, Zimbabwe Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A military vehicle is seen on a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. People across the country are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country last week. (AP Photo)

A military vehicle is seen on a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. People across the country are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country last week. (AP Photo)

Children carry a lunch of chips past their apartment block in the low-income neighbourhood of Mbare in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A woman resident assists another to put her baby on her back in the low-income neighborhood of Mbare in Harare, Zimbabwe Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Children walk past their apartment block in the low-income neighborhood of Mbare in Harare, Zimbabwe Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Men play pool at an open-air pool hall next to an apartment block in the low-income neighborhood of Mbare in Harare, Zimbabwe Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A man has a shave at a street barber, next to a covered poster of President Robert Mugabe, in the low-income neighborhood of Mbare in Harare, Zimbabwe Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai speaks to the Associated Press after giving a press conference at his home in Harare, Zimbabwe Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Tsvangirai said President Robert Mugabe must resign and called for a negotiated, inclusive transitional mechanism as well as comprehensive reforms before elections. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Workers walk past a photograph of President Robert Mugabe at a government building in Harare, Zimbabwe Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Pedestrians pass a newspaper headline in Harare Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. People across Zimbabwe are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country last week. (AP Photo)

Soldiers sit on a military vehicle parked on a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. People across the country are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country last week. (AP Photo)

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai speaks to the Associated Press after giving a press conference at his home in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Tsvangirai said President Robert Mugabe must resign and called for a negotiated, inclusive transitional mechanism as well as comprehensive reforms before elections. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A military vehicle is seen on a street in Harare Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. People across Zimbabwe are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe's decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country last week. (AP Photo)

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai speaks to the Associated Press after giving a press conference at his home in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Tsvangirai said President Robert Mugabe must resign and called for a negotiated, inclusive transitional mechanism as well as comprehensive reforms before elections. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A general view of Harare, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017. In an extraordinary statement after taking over the state broadcaster during a night of unrest, Zimbabwe's army said early Wednesday it was only targeting "criminals" around President Robert Mugabe, and sought to reassure the country that "this is not a military takeover." (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

FILE - In this June, 2, 2017 file photo Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, left, and his wife Grace follow proceedings during a youth rally in Marondera Zimbabwe. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday Feb, 10, 2016 file photo, Zimbabwean vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa greets party supporters at the ZANU-PF headquarters in Harare. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, File)
Emerson Electric again boosted its buyout offer for Rockwell Automation, adding about $1.4 billion to entice the industrial automation company.

Rockwell Automation said Thursday it is reviewing the unsolicited offer.

The new bid is worth $225 per share, consisting of $135 per share in cash and $90 per share in Emerson stock. The total value is about $29 billion, the St. Louis company said.

In October Rockwell Automation, based in Milwaukee, rejected an offer then worth $215 per share, or $27.61 billion. Emerson's original bid of $200 per share was made in August.

In morning trading, Rockwell Automation shares jumped nearly 7 percent, or $12.90, to $201.64. Emerson Electric shares dipped $1.19 to $57.91.
EASTON, Pa. (AP) - State troopers were justified in using deadly force in a roadside confrontation in which a trooper was shot and critically injured, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli announced at a news conference that the troopers were justified when they shot at Daniel Clary during the Nov. 7 struggle on the right lane of busy Route 33, in Plainfield Township, north of Philadelphia, following a traffic stop.

Morganelli said video shows Clary breaking away from the troopers and reaching into his car, and the suspect then "comes out shooting" at the troopers, whom the prosecutor called "sitting ducks." He said the troopers exercised restraint during the violent encounter, using a stun device twice and only opening fire as a last resort.

"I'm very proud of how they operated in this case," Morganelli said. "They followed their training."

Cpl. Seth Kelly, a 13-year veteran, was helping another trooper arrest Clary, whom they suspected of driving under the influence of marijuana, Capt. Richard D'Ambrosio said earlier in the week. Kelly was shot in his neck, shoulder area and leg during the close-quarters fight. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, but was later upgraded to stable condition.

The gravely wounded Kelly had the presence of mind to grab the tourniquet he wore on his service belt and apply it to his bleeding leg, "more than likely saving his own life," said D'Ambrosio.

Clary, 22, was hospitalized for five days and then taken to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $1 million bail on attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault and other charges.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - Lawmakers in El Salvador approved stricter prison sentences for crimes against security forces amid a wave of police killings and as part of a broader crackdown on powerful gangs.

Legislation passed late Wednesday raises the penalty for murders of police officers, soldiers or their relatives from 40 to 60 years in prison to 50 to 60 years. Threats against those same groups, previously punishable by eight to 12 years, will now carry 12 to 15.

And a newly created article of the penal code calls for 10 years for other hostile actions such as intimidation, persecution, stalking or surveillance. That rises to as many as 15 for suspects who belong to a gang or use a firearm to commit the crime.

"This could to a certain degree put the brakes on actions by the criminal groups," said Marvin Reyes, leader of the Police Workers movement. But "it's not a total solution, because other strategies are needed to be able to safeguard the lives of police and their families."

He called on authorities to improve working conditions amid increasing attacks that have killed police and sometimes their spouses and children.

So far this year gangs have slain 41 officers, 21 soldiers and three prison guards, mostly when the victims were off-duty.

Lawmakers recently approved a series of prison and administrative measures aimed at toughening treatment of jailed gang members and preventing them from running criminal operations from behind bars.

An estimated 67,000-plus people make up El Salvador's "maras," or street gangs, which are involved in drug trafficking, extortion and other organized crime activities. The country has had among the world's highest homicide rates in recent years.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Minister Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, on Thursday called on President Donald Trump to repent for America's sins and chastised Americans who are upset with Trump's image, saying "he's your reflection."

Farrakhan, in a wide-ranging, two-hour speech at the Watergate Hotel, touched on issues as varied as North Korea, race relations and relations between Muslims in the Middle East in what he called an address to Trump.

"Mr. President, you won't make America great again, not in our time," said Farrakhan, 84, referring to the president's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. "She became great killing Native Americans. She became great enslaving us, bringing us from Africa into America to work the cotton fields. You're not going to get that opportunity back anymore."

The Nation of Islam, formed in Detroit in the 1930s, in part aims to free blacks from "servitude" to Western civilization - white society.

Farrakhan called on Trump to "repent for all of the evils that America has done to us, to the peoples of the world."

During the presidential campaign, Farrakhan sent mixed signals about Trump, indicating he saw some reflection of his worldview in the candidate's rhetoric, including the Republican's talk of a "global power structure" that has rigged the economy. Farrakhan has long promoted conspiracy theories, blaming Israel and Jews for the Sept. 11 attacks, and accusing Jews of controlling the American government.

Trump has called some Mexican immigrants rapists, advocated policies that put Muslims under general suspicion and has been criticized for being slow to condemn white supremacists.

Farrakhan on Thursday called Trump "transparent" and "real," and said "he is what he is."

Some "wanted him to put on a suit and act dignified, like the thieves and robbers who dress in suits and tell lies," he added.

"He's telling lies all right, and you're angry because he's your reflection," Farrakhan said. "He's an anomaly. You can't make him what you desire him to be so you can say, 'That's my president.' He wasn't made that way."
NEW YORK (AP) - The Venezuelan government and its state-owned oil company PDVSA have officially defaulted on billions of dollars' worth of bonds, the latest chapter of the country's deep financial collapse.

The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, a group of banks and brokers that determines whether an entity like Venezuela has failed to make on-time payments on its debts, voted Thursday to say that Venezuela had defaulted.

The vote will trigger what is known as a "credit event" on securities like credit default swaps, which investors buy as a type of insurance against a potential default. The 15-member group must now decide how it will settle the swaps.

Two rating agencies - Fitch and Standard & Poor's - already determined this week that Venezuela's government was in default.

PDVSA bonds were trading at 26.5 cents on the dollar, compared with roughly 30 cents back in September, according to FactSet.

Venezuela's debt skyrocketed to over $120 billion under the late President Hugo Chavez as the government spent heavily on social programs while oil prices were high. About half its debt is in the form of dollar-denominated bonds.

A drop in oil prices and mismanagement crushed the economy, leading to widespread shortages of food and other basics amid triple-digit inflation.

At a meeting with investors Monday, Vice President Tareck El Aissami tried to assure creditors that the country's debts will continue to be paid. But those in attendance said they learned of no concrete plans for reorganizing the debt.
MANITOWOC, Wis. (AP) - An attorney for a Wisconsin man convicted of homicide in a case featured on the Netflix series "Making A Murderer" is again asking a judge to reconsider a prior ruling rejecting a request for a new trial.

Attorney Kathleen Zellner filed a 113-page document Thursday on behalf of Steven Avery in Manitowoc County. WLUK-TV reports Zellner says she is ready to take the case to a higher court.

A judge last month rejected Avery's request for a new trial, saying his attorneys failed to establish any grounds to warrant a new trial. Avery was sentenced to life in prison for the 2005 slaying of Teresa Halbach, a 25-year-old photographer. Avery maintains police framed him.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice declined to comment on Thursday's filing.
US Sen Kirsten Gillibrand says former Democratic President Bill Clinton should have resigned over his sexual affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky 20 years ago.

The New York Democrat made the remark in an interview with The New York Times for a podcast airing Saturday that is called 'The New Washington' after being asked if she believed Clinton should have stepped down at the time.

'Yes, I think that is the appropriate response,' she said, adding that 'things have changed today, and I think under those circumstances there should be a very different reaction'.

US Sen Kirsten Gillibrand (left) says former Democratic President Bill Clinton (right, should have resigned over his sexual affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky 20 years ago

The New York Democrat made the remark in an interview Thursday after being asked if she believed Clinton (left, when he was president) should have stepped down at the time of the affair with Lewinsky (right)

'Yes, I think that is the appropriate response,' she said, adding that 'things have changed today, and I think under those circumstances there should be a very different reaction'. Clinton and Lewinsky are pictured in 1998

'And I think in light of this conversation, we should have a very different conversation about President Trump, and a very different conversation about allegations against him,' she added.

A spokesperson told the Times that Gillibrand was trying to underscore that Clinton's actions, had they happened in the current era, should have compelled him to resign.

Gillibrand is the highest-profile elected Democratic official to say that the former president should have stepped down as a result of his affair.

The House in 1999 voted to impeach Clinton of perjury and obstruction of its investigation into the affair. The Senate acquitted him.

Gillibrand's remarks came to light on the day Democratic US Sen Al Franken of Minnesota apologized after a Los Angeles radio anchor accused him of forcibly kissing and groping her during a 2006 USO tour.

Franken is the latest in a long line of high-profile men to face a sexual assault accusation, after TalkRadio 790 KABC morning host Leeann Tweeden wrote of her experiences and published a photo that shows Franken grabbing her breasts while she was asleep on a military aircraft.

Gillibrand was an early supporter of Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton is pictured during her husband's presidency

Gillibrand's remarks came to light on the day Democratic US Sen Al Franken (left) of Minnesota apologized after a Los Angeles radio anchor accused him of forcibly kissing and groping her during a 2006 USO tour

She says Franken forced his tongue into her mouth when she expected to be rehearsing a scene where they would fake a 'kiss' for the military audience.

After hearing of his apology, Tweeden said during a press conference that 'people make mistakes. I'm not calling for him to step down. That's not my place to say that'.

But the mother of a young son and daughter, both toddlers, hinted that if other women were to come forward with similar stories, that may change.

Gillibrand also called Franken's behavior 'very disturbing'.

She said: 'I was very disappointed. But it's important that survivors are coming out and speaking truth to power and telling their stories.'

Gillibrand was an early supporter of Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign.
Montanas U.S. Sen. Jon Tester is cutting ties with Al Frankens money, after allegations were made Thursday that the Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota had groped and forcibly kissed a woman in 2006.

Tester denounced Franken on Twitter, acknowledging that the Minnesota senator had donated $25,000 to Testers campaigns. Tester said he would donate an equal amount to the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

What Al Franken did was inappropriate and unacceptable. He must be held accountable, as should anyone who treats women this way, Tester tweeted. In light of his actions, I will be donating the $25k from Franken to support the important work of @MT_CADSV.

Tester is up for re-election in 2018.

Television broadcaster and former model Leeann Tweeden said Thursday that Franken had groped and forcibly kissed her in 2006 while the two were on a USO tour performing to soldiers stationed abroad. A photo of Franken, arms extended, reaching for Tweedens breasts as she slept on a military flight, went viral on social media as news of the encounter spread.

Franken apologized and requested the Senate launch an ethics investigation into his conduct.

Franken has been a significant contributor to Democratic candidates and organizations this decade. In addition to donating to Tester, Franken has given $12,500 to the Montana Democratic Party since 2011. A state party spokesman told The Gazette that Montana Democrats would not be making donation arrangements similar to Tester's.

The accounts where that money was contributed do not even exist anymore," said Roy Loewenstein, a party spokesman. "Sen. Frankens actions were appalling, and we condemn them completely."

Kelsen Young, executive director of the MCADSV, said the organization welcomed Testers donation.

We appreciate Sen. Tester and are grateful for his support, Young wrote in an email to The Gazette. We are excited for the opportunity to use these funds to make a difference in Montana.

Young said she learned about Testers plans for the donation around 2 p.m. Thursday, and since the announcement was unexpected, the organization had no immediate plans for how to use the money.

Young said Testers office contacted MCADSV shortly before announcing the donation on Twitter.

Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale, one of five Republicans hoping to challenge Tester in next year's general election, called on Montana's senior senator to return Franken's money almost at the same time Tester was renouncing Franken.

"The disturbing images and account of Senator Franken today leave no doubt in my mind that serious wrongs have been committed," Rosendale posted on Twitter. "Not only should Jon Tester denounce Mr. Franken, but he should return Franken's $25,000 in donations immediately."

It has been a rough couple weeks of shame by association for congressional candidates loosely associated with Franken this week or Alabama Republican senatorial candidate Roy Moore last week.

Democrats were quick to point out last week that Rosendale and Moore were both endorsed by Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for President Donald Trump.

Rosendale had appeared on nationally syndicated radio personality Laura Ingraham's show Tuesday, during which he advised Americans not to rush to judgement on Moore.
LAKE MUNGO, Australia (AP) - The oldest human remains found in Australian were on Friday returned to the Outback desert that he roamed some 42,000 years ago in a ceremony celebrated by traditional owners.

The ice age Aborigine was dubbed Mungo Man after the dry salt Lake Mungo where he was found in 1974 in remote New South Wales state 750 kilometers (470 miles) west of Sydney.

He was studied in the national capital Canberra at the Australian National University, which handed him back to traditional owners two years ago and formally apologized for the pain caused by his removal.

In this image made from video, the oldest human remains in a coffin are unloaded and placed on the ground during a traditional ceremony in Lake Mungo, Australia, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. The human remains found in Australia have been returned to the Outback desert that he roamed some 42,000 years ago in a ceremony celebrated by traditional owners. The ice age Aborigine was dubbed Mungo Man after the dry salt Lake Mungo where he was found in 1974 in remote New South Wales state, west of Sydney. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP)

Local Aborigines burnt eucalypt leaves is a traditional smoking ceremony to welcome the black hearse that carried his remains in a coffin.

An Ngiyampaa tribal elder, who identified herself as Aunty Joan, told reporters: "I'm so glad he is back, to put him in his resting place."

"His spirit will be relieved and then he will be released when we put him back in the ground to his place where he came from," said Aunty Patsy, an elder of the Mutthi Mutthi tribe.

State Heritage Minister Gabrielle Upton said indigenous people had been instrumental in bringing Mungo Man back to where he was laid to rest around 42,000 years ago with his hands crossed over his groin and his body sprinkled with ochre.

In this image made from video, the oldest human remains in a coffin are unloaded from a hearse for a traditional ceremony in Lake Mungo, Australia, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. The human remains found in Australia have been returned to the Outback desert that he roamed some 42,000 years ago in a ceremony celebrated by traditional owners. The ice age Aborigine was dubbed Mungo Man after the dry salt Lake Mungo where he was found in 1974 in remote New South Wales state, west of Sydney. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP)
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A massive fire at a senior living community in Pennsylvania has injured nearly 30 people and forced dozens more, many of whom are unable to walk, into the cold night.

The mayor of West Chester says there are still some people missing after the massive fire at Barclay Friends Senior Living Community.

Mayor Jordan Norley said Friday that it's unclear how many people are unaccounted for in the late-night blaze.

He says there aren't any confirmed fatalities. West Chester is located about 35 miles west of Philadelphia.

An emergency management official says that much of the scene is too unstable for investigators to enter.

Fire engulfs the Barclay Friends Senior Living Community in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on Thursday night

Elderly residents, some with oxygen tanks, are bundled in blankets and sit in their wheelchairs after being evacuated from the Barclay Friends Senior Living Community on Friday night after the fire

A resident of the senior citizen home is wheeled out of the facility during the fire early Friday morning

People are seen pushing the bed of one of the residents of the senior living center in West Chester

The outside temperature in West Chester was in the low 40s when the fire hit

The two units destroyed in the fire housed a total of 143 beds

Police said they believe that those affected in the fire did not suffer life-threatening injuries

Anxious residents of the senior living center are gathered near the scene of the fire early Friday

The fire was brought under control around 1:30 a.m. Friday and firefighters are still dousing smoldering hotspots.

Many neighbors helped with the rescue effort, wrapping the elderly in blankets and carrying them to ambulances in makeshift gurneys.

A spokeswoman for a Pennsylvania hospital says seven patients have been admitted with conditions related to smoke inhalation.

Spokeswoman Bridget Therriault said Friday that the seven patients at Paoli Hospital are in fair condition.

Kendal Corp. spokeswoman Colleen Ryan Mallon said Friday there were about 132 residents present when the fire spread through the complex.

Mallon says fire officials at the scene haven't told her anything about the cause of the blaze.

The fire quickly spread to multiple buildings and flames shot from the roofs and windows. Residents evacuated into the cold night, and aerial footage showed dozens of them lined along the street, some wrapped in blankets and in wheelchairs.

The two units that were completely destroyed by the blaze housed 143 beds, police told Philly.com.

The blaze was reported around 11pm on Thursday.

The town's fire chief would not comment Friday on the extent of the injuries or if there were any deaths. It is not clear what started the fire.

Firefighters were still dousing hot spots Friday, even though the inferno was declared under control just before 1:30am

The blaze was reported around 11pm on Thursday at Barclay Friends Senior Living Community in West Chester, about 35 miles west of Philadelphia

A resident of the Barclay Friends Senior Living Community is assisted away from the scene of the fire in West Chester, Pennsylvania before dawn on Friday

According to its website, Barclay Friends offers various levels of care including memory care, skilled nursing and post-acute rehab. Firefighters are seen above working at the scene Friday morning

Early Friday morning, the local chapter of the American Red Cross said on Twitter that it had multiple teams on the scene and that it was working with county officials and facility staff to assist displaced residents

Smoke from the fire could still be seen emanating from the facility after sun-up on Friday morning

People are seen above walking from a bus in the aftermath of the fire on Friday morning

A pile of blankets and walkers set by the side of the road are seen near the facility on Friday

A couple walks in the vicinity of the facility as thick smoke continues to blanket the area

Firefighters are seen resting in the aftermath of the fire after working hours to bring the blaze under control

The fire quickly spread to multiple buildings and flames could be seen shooting from the roofs and windows of the structures.

Residents were forced to evacuate outside into the cold, with temperatures overnight hovering in the low 40s.

News helicopter video showed dozens of residents on the lawn or along the street, wrapped in blankets.

Many of them had been pushed in wheelchairs or rolled on beds to safety.

Chester County emergency officials said at least 20 people were taken to area hospitals for treatment.

The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

A spokeswoman for Main Line Health, a not-for-profit health system, said one of its hospitals also was prepared to provide shelter to some additional residents of the senior living community.

Some residents were taken to nearby West Chester University.

According to its website, Barclay Friends offers various levels of care including memory care, skilled nursing and post-acute rehab.

Early Friday morning, the local chapter of the American Red Cross said on Twitter that it had multiple teams on the scene and that it was working with county officials and facility staff to assist displaced residents.

A cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Messages left for West Chester Mayor Jordan Norley and Assistant to the Mayor and Chief of Police Rachelle Sellers weren't immediately returned.

Barclay Friends is a senior citizen complex that has reported revenues of $14 million, according to Philly.com.

The facility has a 98-bed skilled nursing complex as well as a 49-bed personal care unit, according to 2015 tax returns.

Just over half of its residents are listed as paying out-of-pocket while just a third are covered by Medicaid. Fourteen percent of patients are covered by Medicare.

Officials urge family members of residents to report to the Goodwill Fire Station located at 552 E. Union Street in West Chester or to call 610-757-5863.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A campaign stop for Rep. Luke Messer in his bid for Senate involves traveling from his family's home in suburban Washington back to Indiana, where aides say he typically stays overnight with his mom.

Although living outside the state is hardly a first for members of Indiana's congressional delegation, past elections signal Messer's address could complicate his plans to win the Republican primary and ultimately unseat Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly next year.

Towering figures in Indiana politics, including former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh and Republican Sen. Richard Lugar, were toppled in recent years after struggling to explain whether they still lived in the state. Others took major steps to head off the issue, including former GOP Sen. Dan Coats, who rented and later purchased a home in Indiana, while selling off one elsewhere.

FILE - In this June 17, 2017 file photo, Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., appears on Capitol Hill in Washington. Messer is running for Senate in Indiana, though he primarily lives with his family in suburban Washington. It could complicate his plans to win the Republican primary and unseat Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly next year. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Then there's Messer. His family lives in McLean, Virginia, keeps a vacation house in Dandridge, Tennessee, yet sold their home in Indiana two years after his election to Congress in 2012. They now say a two-bedroom house Messer co-owns with his mom in Greensburg is the family's Indiana residence.

One of his chief primary rivals, fellow Rep. Todd Rokita, has already seized on that as a line of attack.

"Luke Messer doesn't live in the state - I do," Rokita told Indianapolis-based WXIN-TV in July. "I'm accountable to voters and taxpayers here. I live among them every week."

For his part, Messer says he relocated his family in order to stay close. He was raised by a single mother and wanted to be engaged in his three kids' day-to-day lives, unlike his own father. Plus, his family's move to Virginia was well known and never a secret, he said.

"I am proud to serve our state, but being a dad comes first," Messer said in a statement Wednesday. "My opponents think that's gonna cost me this election. If it did, I would never regret it."

Still, changes made to the mortgage on the family's Virginia home in August 2016 suggest he's aware it's a liability.

Messer and wife, Jennifer, switched the home's designation from a "principal" residence to a "second home," records show. His campaign says the change was made on their bank's recommendation while refinancing the house.

But the switch also coincides with a rough patch in Bayh's bid for his old Senate seat, when he faced widespread ridicule for forgetting his Indianapolis address during a TV interview.

Additionally, Messer's other home in Tennessee, which overlooks a lake at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains, also carries a "second home" designation, according to records.

Messer's campaign says he sleeps at his mom's house in Greensburg when staying overnight in the state. He's listed on the deed and pays a portion of the mortgage. The address appears on his driver's license and is where he is registered to vote.

"It's Luke's house," said campaign manager Chasen Bullock.

But as recent as May, he was not on the water bill and is not listed as the "borrower" on a second mortgage taken out on the home, records show.

Jennifer Messer, an attorney, lists the home as her in-state business address. However, voting records show she's no longer registered in Indiana and hasn't cast a ballot since her husband's 2012 election.

With two bedrooms and approximately 1,500 square feet, it's also far smaller than the roughly 2,700 square-foot McLean residence where Messer, his wife and three children live, when basements are factored in, records show.

"When the entire family is home (in Indiana), they stay at Luke's brother's because there's not enough room at the Greensburg house," Bullock said.

A memo from a Rokita strategist declared that Messer's "decision to sell his home in Indiana" will be "the death knell of his campaign."

Over the summer, Messer's Wikipedia page was mysteriously edited to include a section titled "Residency controversy." Messer blames Rokita, who denies responsibility.

"Todd Rokita believes he can keep his own political career alive by attacking Luke's family. He underestimates the fundamental decency of Hoosiers," Bullock said.

Charles Taylor, director of the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University, says residency attacks are a way for Rokita to distinguish himself when both candidates have similar voting records.

"Fights within the family are often the bitterest," Taylor said.

In addition to Bayh, Lugar's 36 years in the Senate came to an end in 2013 after it was revealed during the primary that he was registered to vote at an Indianapolis home he hadn't lived at since the 1970s.

As a campaign tactic, though, it hasn't always worked.

Coats was attacked in 2010 by Democrats and Republican state Sen. Marlin Stutzman. But Coats still won after he acknowledged that he was house hunting in Indiana and planned to sell a home in North Carolina.

Six years later it was Stutzman, by then a congressman, who was targeted during a GOP Senate primary for moving his family to Virginia. Rep Todd Young beat him and later defeated Bayh to become Indiana's junior senator.

Purdue University political science professor James A. McCann says President Donald Trump's vilification of Washington and the political culture that surrounds it could play into Rokita's hand - at least in the short term.

"I think a lot of the Republican primary electorate in this state is going to be primed and susceptible to these messages," McCann said.
ROME (AP) - Cosa Nostra's "boss of bosses," who was serving 26 life sentences as the convicted mastermind of dozens of murders of rivals for power on his Sicilian turf as well as prominent anti-Mafia heroes, died Friday in an Italian hospital prison ward.

Salvatore "Toto" Riina's passing, a day after his 87th birthday, is likely to trigger a scramble for power among Mafia clans in Palermo, the traditional hub of the crime syndicate's leadership.

Nicknamed "the beast" for his ferocity, Riina leaves behind a significantly weakened Cosa Nostra after his ferocious killing campaign eventually backfired, triggering a fierce government crackdown aided by a small army of turncoats who broke with the centuries-old Mafia "honor" code and started collaborating with authorities.

FILE - In this April 29, 1993 file photo, Mafia "boss of bosses" Salvatore "Toto" Riina, is seen behind bars, during a trial in Rome. Italian media is reporting that Mafia 'boss of bosses' Salvatore 'Toto' Riina has died while serving multiple life sentences. He was 87. The justice ministry on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, had allowed his family a bedside visit at a hospital Parma shortly before his death. He had been placed in a medically induced coma after his health deteriorated following two recent surgeries. (AP Photo/Giulio Broglio, File)

Still, experts described the Sicilian Mafia as very much a vital criminal force, now focused on growing revenues gained through extortion and other traditional lucrative rackets.

A farmer's son from Corleone, a medieval Sicilian hill town that was home to the murderous Corleonesi crime clan, Riina orchestrated a bloody strategy of eliminating Palermo-area rivals to climb to the top of the syndicate's leadership as "capo di capi" - boss of bosses.

Even after his capture in 1993, a year after twin bombings snuffed out the lives of Italy's two leading anti-Mafia prosecutors, Riina continued to hold the scepter of power despite imprisonment under a special regime of isolation reserved for Mafiosi that allows little contact with relatives and other links to the outside world.

"He was still considered the 'boss of bosses,' even in prison," top anti-Mafia prosecutor Franco Roberti told The Associated Press.

Former Palermo anti-Mafia magistrate Alfonso Sabella agreed. "Up to 3:37 a.m." - the time of Riina's death - "he was still the 'capo' of Cosa Nostra," he told Sky TG24 TV.

Helping Riina keep the respect of his henchmen was his steadfast refusal to repent or in any way cooperate with law enforcement, authorities said.

"His death will lead to a power struggle at the top of the Cosa Nostra," Roberti said, even though the severe restrictions on outside contacts during his decades in a Milan prison cell ensured he no longer had any day-to-day operational influence.

Much attention is focused on Italy's No. 1 longtime fugitive boss, Matteo Messina Denaro, as a possible successor, whose power base is the Trapani area of western Sicily. But a report by Italy's special multi-force anti-Mafia investigative agency DIA noted that the various Sicilian Mafia crime families would likely oppose having someone not from the Palermo hub command their clans.

Agreeing with that assessment was Riina's former driver and bodyguard, Gaspare Mutolo, who became one of Italy's most prominent "pentiti," or turncoats in 1991, offering to give his intelligence to top anti-Mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone, who along with fellow prosecutor Paolo Borsellino was killed in the 1992 bombings masterminded by Riina.

"Usually, the Mafia chieftains are almost always in Palermo," Mutolo, who was freed several years ago after serving a lengthy prison term, told a gathering of the foreign press corps in Rome.

Asked what qualities kept Riina at the helm of the Cosa Nostra for so many decades, Mutolo replied: "Riina didn't seem so intelligent but he was evil inside."

Arriving in a ski mask that showed only his eyes and lips to disguise his identity, Mutolo noted that Riina was the first to break with the Mafia's code of conduct barring the killing of women or children.

It was during Riina's reign, that, in a failed bid to stem the steady growth of turncoat ranks, the 15-year-old son of one of those collaborators was murdered, his body found dissolved in acid in 1996, two years after the boy was kidnapped.

Convicted of killings that began in the 1950s, Riina carved out a particularly ruthless reputation in a crime syndicate notorious for its ruthlessness. Rival bosses were mowed down in the 1970s and early 1980s at a rate of practically one a day in the Sicilian capital as Riina orchestrated his rise to power.

Captured in 1993 in Palermo, where he had been holed up in an apartment hideout, Riina was convicted in 1996 of conspiring in the murder of Borsellino and five bodyguards, followed a year later by his conviction in the deaths of Falcone, Falcone's wife and three bodyguards in a bomb blast along a highway near Palermo's airport.

Born in the central Sicilian town made famous by novelist Mario Puzo, who borrowed the town's name, Corleone, for the main character in his 1969 novel "The Godfather," Riina went into hiding that same year after being ordered by the state to leave Sicily after he had finished serving a five-year prison sentence for Mafia association.

He married a local woman 14 years his junior, Antonina Bagarella, who was trained as a schoolteacher and was the sister of two alleged Cosa Nostra bosses. Riina was handed his first life sentence in 1987 after being tried in absentia on murder and drug trafficking charges.

In the years since Riina's capture, Cosa Nostra has witnessed a degree of marginalization when compared to the Calabrian-based 'ndrangheta organized crime syndicate that, awash in cocaine trafficking revenue, has spread northward through Italy and across much of Europe.

"But as always happens, these periods alternate and there are changes. We are now seeing an increase in activities on a financial level by Cosa Nostra subjects," Roberti added. "We are monitoring this."

The DIA intelligence offered a similar assessment.

"Cosa Nostra is shaping up as a still very viable organization, with a pragmatic approach to business, aimed at profitable investments of dirty money, the creation of laundering enterprises to guarantee solid footing even to their own heirs and to filling coffers that were significantly impoverished by the blows inflicted by the state" through confiscation of ill-gained property and other wealth, it said.

Although noting "growing signs of impatience with the Corleonesi leadership," the agency said the death last year of another top Corleone-native boss, Bernardo Provenzano, failed to trigger any rustlings of rebellion among Mafia dons.

Riina, who died hours after the Justice Ministry had agreed to allow family members at his bedside, had been in a medically induced coma following two surgeries in recent weeks in the prison wing of a hospital in Parma in northern Italy.

Monreale Archbishop Michele Pennisi, whose diocese includes Corleone, where Riina's wife still lives, told the AP that he didn't know if the family intended to transfer Riina's body to Corleone. But he said that a public funeral would not be allowed since Riina was a "public sinner."

"If the family members ask, a private prayer in the cemetery will be considered," he added.

___

Barry reported from Milan.

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 1993 file photo, Mafia boss Salvatore Riina is shown at Police headquarters in the Sicilian town of Palermo, southern Italy, shortly after his arrest. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Nino Labruzzo, files)

FILE - In this Jan. 16, 1996 file photo, Mafia ''boss of bosses'' Salvatore ''Toto'' Riina, center, enters handcuffed into Bologna's bunker-courtroom, escorted by Carabinieri, Italian paramiliary police, in Bologna, Italy. Italian media is reporting that Mafia 'boss of bosses' Salvatore 'Toto' Riina has died while serving multiple life sentences. He was 87. The justice ministry on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, had allowed his family a bedside visit at a hospital Parma shortly before his death. He had been placed in a medically induced coma after his health deteriorated following two recent surgeries. (AP Photo/Gianni Schicchi, File)

FILE - This undated black and white file photo shows Mafia boss Salvatore Riina. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/files)

FILE - In this March 4, 1993 file photo, Mafia boss Salvatore Riina waves to family and supporters as he is taken away by police following a court appearance in Palermo, southern Italy. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo, files)

FILE - This May 24, 1992 file photo shows the damage at a highway that links Palermo to its airport a day after a bomb blast killed anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three policemen escorting them. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Nino Labruzzo, files)

FILE - In this July 19, 1992 file photo, a police officer walks by the charred remains of a car bomb that killed Sicily's top anti-Mafia investigator Paolo Borsellino and his bodyguards. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Alessandro Fucarini, File)

FILE - This May 23, 1992 file photo shows the damage at a highway that links Palermo to its airport after a bomb blast killed anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three policemen escorting them. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Nino Labruzzo, files)

FILE - In this April 24, 2006 file photo a crucifix towers over the Sicilian town of Corleone, southern Italy, the ancestral home of Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, files)

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 1993 file photo, Mafia boss Salvatore Riina is shown at Police headquarters in the Sicilian town of Palermo, southern Italy, shortly after his arrest. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Nino Labruzzo, files)

FILE - In this March 1, 1993 file photo, Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina, left, is escorted by a carabinieri police officer inside a courtroom in Palermo, southern Italy. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Alessandro Fucarini, files)

FILE - This July 19, 1992 file photo, shows the scene of a car bomb that killed Sicily's top anti-Mafia investigator Paolo Borsellino and his bodyguards. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/ Files)

FILE - This 1990 file photo shows Italian magistrates Giovanni Falcone, left, and Paolo Borsellino. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Alessandro Fucarini, File)

FILE - This May 23, 1992 file photo shows the scene on the highway near the Sicilian town of Palermo, southern Italy, after a powerful bomb killed anti-Mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three bodyguards. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Bruno Mosconi, files)

FILE - This Feb. 1992 file photo shows prosecutor Giovanni Falcone. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/files)

FILE - This undated file photo shows prosecutor Paolo Borsellino. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/files)

Police stand outside the special section for inmates at the hospital where Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died, in Parma, northern Italy, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Riina, 87, died early Friday in a hospital while serving 26 life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate rivals as well as Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down Cosa Nostra. (Sandro Capatti/ANSA via AP)

A view of the special section for inmates at the hospital where Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died, in Parma, northern Italy, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Riina, 87, died early Friday in a hospital while serving 26 life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate rivals as well as Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down Cosa Nostra. (Sandro Capatti/ANSA via AP)
Demonstrators burned an effigy of President Donald Trump during a rally to protest his visit and the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) summit in Manila, Philippines. Twenty-one leaders from ASEAN and their dialogue partners, which included Trump, held a summit that discussed North Korea, the South China Sea and other issues facing the region.

In other images from the Asia-Pacific region this week, Rohingya Muslim Abdul Karim, 19, used a yellow plastic oil container as a flotation device as he swam the Naf River while crossing the Myanmar-Bangladesh border in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh. Rohingya Muslims escaping the violence in their homeland of Myanmar are now so desperate that some are swimming to safety in neighboring Bangladesh, even if they have never been in the water before.

A woman twirled lights as members of the gay community and their supporters celebrated the result of a postal survey calling for same-sex marriage rights in Sydney. Australians supported same-sex marriage in a survey that ensures Parliament will consider legalizing such weddings this year.

In this Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, file photo, protesters burn an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump during a rally to protest his visit and the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) summit in Manila, Philippines. Twenty one leaders from ASEAN and their Dialogue Partners, which included President Trump, are having a two-day summit which is expected to discuss North Korea, South China Sea and other issues facing the region. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)

Kashmiri villagers watched from a window of a house as mourners carried the body of Ashiq Ahmed Bhat during his funeral in Palhalan, north of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir. Gunbattles left three rebels and an Indian army soldier dead in the disputed Himalayan regionr, police said.

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This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Toru Takahashi in Tokyo.

___

Visit the AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com

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In this Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, center, reacts as he does the "ASEAN-way handshake" with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, left, and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on stage during the opening ceremony at the ASEAN Summit at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in Manila. Trump initially did the handshake incorrectly. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

In this Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, center, and other leaders do the "ASEAN-way handshake" on stage during the opening ceremony at the ASEAN Summit at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, in Manila. Trump is on a five-country trip through Asia traveling to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

In this Sunday Nov. 12, 2017, file photo, a mock U.S. flag is reflected on the sunglasses of a protester during a rally near the venue of the ASEAN summit and meetings in Manila, Philippines. The group is protesting against the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump, who was on a trip to Asia with the Philippines as his last stop for the ASEAN leaders' summit and related summits between the regional grouping and its Dialogue Partners. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)

In this Nov. 4, 2017, file photo, Rohingya Muslim Abdul Karim, 19, uses a yellow plastic oil container as a flotation device as he swims the Naf river while crossing the Myanmar-Bangladesh border in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh. Rohingya Muslims escaping the violence in their homeland of Myanmar are now so desperate that some are swimming to safety in neighboring Bangladesh, even if they have never been in the water before. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)

In this Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, file photo, Rohingya Muslims use a makeshift raft made with plastic containers to cross the Naf river from Myanmar into Bangladesh, near Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad, File)

In this Nov. 14, 2017, file photo, a Rohingya Muslim girl cries as she waits squashed against other children to receive food handouts distributed to children and women by a Turkish aid agency at Thaingkhali refugee camp in Ukhiya, Bangladesh. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm over the plight of Rohingya Muslims in remarks before Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders from a Southeast Asian bloc that has refused to criticize her government over the crisis. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad, File)

In this Nov. 15, 2017, file photo, a woman twirls lights as members of the gay community and their supporters celebrate the result of a postal survey calling for gay marriage right in Sydney. Australians supported gay marriage in a postal survey that ensures Parliament will consider legalizing same-sex weddings this year. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

In this Nov. 14, 2017, file photo, Kashmiri villagers watch from a window of a residential house as people carry the body of Ashiq Ahmed Bhat, a local rebel during his funeral in Palhalan, some 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. A pair of gunbattles have left three rebels and an Indian army soldier dead in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, police said on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File)

In this Nov. 3, 2017, file photo, fireman Phinyo Pukphinyo holds a python on garage roof in Bangkok, Thailand. When the latest distress call came into Phinyo Pukphinyo's fire station in Bangkok, it was not about a burning home or office building. Instead, the caller needed urgent help with a far more common problem facing Thailand's capital: snakes. City authorities say the number of snakes caught in Bangkok homes has risen exponentially in recent years, from 16,000 reported cases in 2013 to about 29,000 in 2016. Figures for the first half of 2017 are over 30 percent higher than last year. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

In this Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, file photo, rescuers attempt to push stranded whales back into the ocean at Ujong Kareng beach in Aceh province, Indonesia. An official said whales were stranded at the beach and attracted hundreds of onlookers who posed for pictures with them. (AP Photo/Syahrol Rizal, File)
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Discovery of a 210,000-gallon oil leak from the Keystone pipeline would seem to be poor timing four days before regulators in Nebraska decide whether to allow a major expansion of the system, but officials say state law does not allow pipeline safety to be a factor in their decision.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission was scheduled to rule Monday if a Keystone XL expansion pipeline proposed by TransCanada Corp. can cross the state. The commission's decision is the last major regulatory hurdle for a project that has faced numerous local, state and federal reviews and lawsuits since it was announced in 2008.

Keystone operator TransCanada Corp. shut down the existing pipeline early Thursday morning and workers were testing to determine the cause of the spill on agricultural land in Marshall County, South Dakota, near the North Dakota border, about 250 miles (402 kilometers) west of Minneapolis.

This aerial photo shows spills from TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, that leaked an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil onto agricultural land in northeastern South Dakota, near Amherst, S.D., the company and state regulators said Thursday, but state officials don't believe the leak polluted any surface water bodies or drinking water systems. Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning and activated emergency response procedures after a drop in pressure was detected resulting from the leak south of a pump station in Marshall County, TransCanada said in a statement. The cause was being investigated. (DroneBase via AP)

State and company officials said the spill was not a threat to waterways or drinking water, but critics were quick to use the leak as an example of what they see as the risks to the environment.

The Nebraska vote Monday will be on a proposed route for Keystone XL, a massive expansion that also would be operated by TransCanada. The new pipeline would carry an estimated 830,000 barrels of oil a day from the oil sands areas of Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it would connect with the existing Keystone pipeline.

The decision will hinge on testimony and documents generated from public hearings over the summer and from more than 500,000 public comments, Nebraska Public Service Commission spokeswoman Deb Collins said. A state law passed in 2011 prevents the commission from factoring pipeline safety or the possibility of leaks into its decisions.

"The commission's decision ... will be based on the evidence in the record," Collins said.

The Keystone XL proposal has faced intense opposition in Nebraska from a coalition of environmental groups, Native American tribes and some landowners who don't want the pipeline running through their property.

Nebraska lawmakers gave the five-member commission the power to regulate major oil pipelines in 2011 in response to a public outcry over the pipeline and its potential impact on the Sandhills, an ecologically fragile region of grass-covered sand dunes.

But when they passed the law, legislators argued that pipeline safety is a federal responsibility and should not factor in the state decision.

Opponents of Keystone XL are incensed that the leak won't be considered.

"There is a reason TransCanada and the big oil lobby did not want this information on the record," said Jane Kleeb, director of the Bold Alliance, a coalition of groups that have opposed the Keystone XL for nearly a decade.

President Donald Trump issued a federal permit for the expansion project in March even though it had been rejected by the Obama administration.

The existing Keystone pipeline, where the leak was discovered, transports crude from Canada to refineries in Illinois and a major storage hub in Oklahoma, passing through the eastern Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. It can handle nearly 600,000 barrels daily, or about 23 million gallons.

Since 2010, companies have reported 17 spills of oil or petroleum products in the U.S. the same size or larger than the leak announced Thursday, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records.

Officials in South Dakota said they weren't notified about the leak until roughly five hours after TransCanada discovered it. Brian Walsh, an environmental scientist manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said officials would likely inquire about the delay but were focusing immediately on the spill.

TransCanada said Friday the leak was controlled and posed no threat to public safety. The company has sent more than 75 workers to the spill site, including environmental, engineering and emergency response specialists.

TransCanada spokesman Matthew John said the company will need to do "extensive testing" along with federal regulators and independent testing facilities before they can pinpoint a cause.

An aerial photo released by TransCanada on Twitter that the company says is of the spill, shows a darkened area on flat agricultural land. There do not appear to be any waterways or towns nearby.

Residents near the site reported a surge of activity as cleanup crews arrived at the scene.

Suzie Easthouse, general manager at the Front Porch in Langford, a city southeast of the spill area, said the restaurant will be catering for TransCanada workers at the site. Easthouse said she's serving Friday supper and a middle-of-the-night shift meal for 80 people, with meals for 100 people on Saturday.

"I'm pretty much going to be working a 24-hour shift here now," Easthouse said.

Easthouse said she has mixed emotions about the pipeline, a tug between the business it has brought to the area and her environmental concerns. She thinks the spill will have lasting effects in the area.

"It's almost like everybody's fears have come true with it," Easthouse said. "It's not the notoriety we really want in small town South Dakota."

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This version of the story corrects that there have been 17 leaks the same size or larger than the Keystone spill instead of 17 larger than this spill. One of the spills was the same size.

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Nord contributed from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Associated Press reporter Matt Brown in Billings, Montana, also contributed to this story.

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Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte

This aerial photo shows spills from TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, that leaked an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil onto agricultural land in northeastern South Dakota, near Amherst, S.D., the company and state regulators said Thursday, but state officials don't believe the leak polluted any surface water bodies or drinking water systems. Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning and activated emergency response procedures after a drop in pressure was detected resulting from the leak south of a pump station in Marshall County, TransCanada said in a statement. The cause was being investigated. (DroneBase via AP)
BERLIN (AP) - A German federal court has dismissed a Berlin police officer accused of having far-right tattoos and repeatedly giving the Hitler salute, 10 years after he was first suspended.

The Federal Administrative Court ruled Friday that people who reject the German constitutional order are unfit for public service, even if their behavior isn't a criminal offense.

Berlin prosecutors in 2007 opened several investigations of the officer. They were closed because, among other things, investigators couldn't prove he had given the stiff-armed Nazi salute inside Germany or shown his tattoos in public.

Lower courts largely rejected disciplinary measures against the officer.

The federal court said his "fundamental and lasting departure from the principles of constitutional order" was proven by his tattoos, posing in front of a Nazi flag and collection of Nazi memorabilia.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Actor Tom Sizemore is denying recent allegations that he groped an 11-year-old Utah girl during a 2003 photo shoot.

Sizemore called the claims "highly disturbing" in a statement late Thursday. He lamented his history of drug abuse and domestic violence arrests, but says he would never inappropriately touch a child.

A Salt Lake City police report says the girl reported that Sizemore kissed and groped her during production of the movie eventually titled "Born Killers." Utah prosecutors didn't file charges, citing witness and evidence problems.

The report says the woman responsible for juvenile performers didn't see inappropriate touching. A lawyer said Sizemore was fired from the production. Sizemore says he was allowed back after an investigation.

Sizemore's career has included prominent roles in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down."
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a Florida man left a 3-month-old baby and a 3-year-old child in the backseat of a car while he was inside a strip club.

Lee County jail records show that Fort Myers police arrested 23-year-old Willie Lee Jordan Jr. shortly before 4 a.m. on Nov. 10 and charged him with two counts of child neglect.

Jordan told police he was inside the strip club for a matter of minutes, but Scarlett's General Manager Christopher Mays told WBBH-TV he was inside for at least 30 minutes.

A customer heard the infant crying and helped the older child unlock the car with the help of staff. Police say the baby was found upside down.

The Department of Children and Families is investigating.

It's unclear if Jordan has a lawyer.

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Information from: WBBH-TV, http://www.nbc-2.com/
BRUSSELS (AP) - The Latest on the political crisis in Catalonia (all times local):

6:55 p.m.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed as "intolerable" claims by a leading pro-independence Catalan politician that Spain's government had threatened to send in troops and that there would be "bodies on the streets" if the region pushed ahead with its independence drive.

A woman holds a placard reading in catalan "freedom for political prisoners", during a demonstration in front of the Palau Generalitat in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Demonstrators fill Sant Jaume Square in front of the seat of the Catalan presidency, to mark one month of imprisonment for leaders of the two separatist civil platforms, ANC and Omnium. Eight ex-Catalan cabinet members have also been jailed provisionally. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Republican Left of Catalonia party politician Marta Rovira said that the message had been passed on to then Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and his No. 2, Oriol Junqueras, head of Rovira's party, following a banned Catalan independence referendum Oct. 1.

She said the threat had come from known Spanish government sources, but didn't identify them.

Rajoy said the claim was "an enormous lie" and "shameful."

He said that "in life, not everything goes," and that while people may defend their stances as they wish, this was "intolerable."

Catalonia's regional parliament declared independence on Oct. 27.

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5 p.m.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy say he will respect whatever decision the Belgian courts make regarding Spain's extradition request for fugitive Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his sacked ministers in Brussels.

Speaking on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Goteborg, Sweden, Rajoy said Friday that respect for the independence of the judiciary and acceptance of judicial decisions was a basic principle of the European Union and it would not be a good idea to begin questioning that now.

Given this, he said "from me you will not hear, no matter what happens, anything but respect for and compliance of the decisions of the judicial tribunals" in the extradition case.

He was speaking after Puigdemont and the ex-ministers appeared in a Brussels court for a first hearing in the extradition case. Another hearing will be on Dec. 4.

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3:35 p.m.

The lawyer for ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont says that the court hearing for his client and four secessionist allies on whether they should be extradited to Spain has been pushed back until Dec. 4.

Paul Bekaert said in a short statement that no decision was taken on Friday but that the case would be picked up again early next month.

Bekaert said that "the prosecutor today asked for the execution of the extradition request." But the lawyer said that "we can still give written replies. So nothing has been decided today."

The court started its proceedings in the early afternoon and finished a little over an hour later.

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1:25 p.m.

Spain has supplied a Belgian prosecutor with information detailing the jail conditions for fugitive Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont should he be extradited.

The Interior Ministry confirmed Friday that it had sent a document answering 14 questions sent by the prosecutor, regarding cell conditions, security guarantees, recreation, hygiene and food at the jails to which Puigdemont and four of his ex-cabinet ministers with him in Brussels would be sent.

Spain explained that Puigdemont would be sent to the modern Estremera prison outside Madrid and would have a cell of his own with a shower and toilet, or he could share it with one of his ex-ministers.

The ministry said the ousted Catalan government members, who are being sought for rebellion, sedition and embezzlement, would have access to their lawyers.

Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said Thursday all the information requested had been sent but pointed out that "Spain is a state of law for many years," adding "Nobody in Europe is going to give us lessons."

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11:25 a.m.

The prime ministers of Spain and Belgium have held talks over their testy bilateral relations as ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four secessionist allies prepare for an extradition court appearance in Brussels.

Friday's court hearing for the five is the latest step in their flight from Spain and refusal to return from Brussels to face a rebellion investigation amid a push for Catalan independence.

The Belgian government has steadfastly said it can't intervene in Spain's extradition request since it's up to the independent judiciary to make a decision. Friday's court decision can still be appealed.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Belgian counterpart Charles Michel met on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Goteborg, Sweden.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy arrives for an EU social summit for fair jobs and growth in Gothenburg, Sweden, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT News Agency via AP)

Protesters hold placards reading in catalan "freedom for political prisoners", during a demonstration in front of the Palau Generalitat in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Demonstrators protested Thursday in Sant Jaume Square, in front of the seat of the Catalan presidency, to mark one month of imprisonment for some of the Catalan separatist leaders. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
I am concerned that the Nov. 14 Gazette opinion is based on incorrect information as the writer did not interview anyone from the Auditors Office.

It would appear that the statement that the county auditor is an accounts payable clerk is not in agreement with the Montana Code Annotated statutes that govern the office. I would recommend a review of the statutes. It is unfortunate that an opinion completed by the County Attorneys Office from 1992 continues to surface in Yellowstone County. That opinion is out of date and does not agree with current operations of other county auditors in the state of Montana. I have continued to request an attorney general opinion but have meet resistance for 15 years I have been in office.

The current budget of $230,861 is 0.19220 percent of the total Yellowstone County budget of $120.1 million. As comparison, the Finance Department budget of $610,171 is 0.5079 percent of the total budget.

The computerization of Yellowstone County, which was a goal set and met by myself as county auditor, has enabled an improvement in the management of the financial information. However, computerization by itself does not prevent errors and potential fraud by users.

This opinion indicated that the Finance Department audits payroll and payables. They do neither. The only office that does is the Auditors Office. We review payroll for all county employees each payroll cycle. All payables, as per statute, are required to be reviewed and approved by the county auditor. We review all payables to guarantee the correct documentation, account allocation, contract compliance, as well as accuracy to meet policies and statutes. A quick view of potential overpayment corrections for FY17 was $493,499, FY16 was $53,029, and FY 15 a total of $42,994. The budget amount for Auditors Office operations is insignificant in light of the county dollars saved.

The office has had at least one accountant on staff in the last eight years. This has been an ongoing issue to recognize the staff for their abilities. Although the county has refused to pay the staff as accountants, we have been fortunate to acquire skilled accountants. The current staff has an associate degree accountant currently in school and an experienced CPA.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on allegations of sexual misconduct against Sen. Al Franken (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

The White House says there's a difference between the sexual assault allegations against President Donald Trump and Democratic Sen. Al Franken.

FILE - In this July 12, 2017 file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington. Franken apologized Thursday after a Los Angeles radio anchor accused him of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour and of posing for a photo with his hands on her breasts as she slept. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says: "Sen. Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the president hasn't. That's a very big distinction."

Sanders says Trump maintains that the more than one dozen accusations against him are baseless, adding the outcome of the November 2016 election justifies his position. "The American people spoke pretty loud and clear when they elected him president," she says.

Sanders adds the nation's confrontation with allegations of impropriety by powerful men across the media, business and political worlds is "an uncomfortable conversation for the country."

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1:20 p.m.

A Minnesota woman and rape survivor who worked with Sen. Al Franken to craft legislation for fellow survivors says the senator should take his name off the bill.

Abby Honold, 22, was brutally raped by a fellow University of Minnesota student in 2014. Her rapist was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty in 2016.

She worked with Franken on an upcoming bill to fund special training for law enforcement officers interviewing trauma victims. But those plans changed after allegations surfaced Thursday that Franken forcibly kissed a Los Angeles radio anchor and was photographed reaching out to grope her while she slept during a 2006 USO tour.

Honold said Friday that someone else should champion the bill - and said Franken's office agrees. She calls his conduct disappointing.

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12:50 p.m.

The woman who accused Sen. Al Franken of forcibly kissing her and groping her during a 2006 USO tour read a letter she received from him in which he apologizes.

In an appearance on ABC's "The View" on Friday, Leeann Tweeden said Franken also discussed a photo showing Franken posing in a joking manner, smiling at the camera with his hands on her chest as she naps wearing a flak vest aboard a military plane.

Franken wrote to her: "Dear Leeann, I want to apologize to you personally. I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture. But that doesn't matter. There's no excuse. I understand why you can feel violated by that photo."

Franken did not acknowledge groping Tweeden and said he remembered the events differently. Still, he said, he was ashamed that his actions ruined the USO experience for her.

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11:05 a.m.

Several women who worked for Minnesota Sen. Al Franken are vouching for him after allegations of sexual harassment by a radio host.

Los Angeles radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden alleged Thursday that the former comedian forcibly kissed her while rehearsing for a 2006 USO tour performance and later was photographed reaching out to grope Tweeden as she slept during a flight.

Franken apologized to Tweeden but said he remembers the rehearsal differently.

A group of eight former Franken employees issued a joint statement Friday morning saying the senator treated them "with the utmost respect."

The statement credits Franken for fighting for women's issues in the Senate and promoting female employees within his office.

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10:30 a.m.

Organizers of a major book festival in Atlanta where Sen. Al Franken was scheduled to speak say the senator has abruptly canceled his appearance.

A Los Angeles radio anchor on Thursday accused Franken of kissing and groping her during a 2006 USO tour.

The Minnesota Democrat had been scheduled to speak Monday night, the closing night of the two-week-long Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta.

Keely Sime, the center's marketing director, said Friday that festival organizers received word Thursday that Franken would not attend his sold-out appearance.

Tickets for Franken's appearance ranged from $32 to $75 for VIP access, and included a copy of the senator's book "Al Franken, Giant of the Senate." Sime said the center is contacting those who purchased tickets.

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7:30 a.m.

The Los Angeles radio anchor who accused Sen. Al Franken of forcibly kissing and groping her during a 2006 USO tour says it's up to voters to decide whether he should stay in office.

Leeann Tweeden tells ABC's "Good Morning America" Friday that she decided to come forward with her story because she hopes to encourage other victims of sexual harassment and assault to tell their stories in "real time." Tweeden says she didn't speak out at the time of the incident because she felt complaining would hurt her career.

When asked if Franken should step down, Tweeden says: "That's not my call. I didn't do this to have him step down ... I think that's for the people of Minnesota to decide."

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3:50 a.m.

Sen. Al Franken is the latest public figure to be caught in the deluge of revelations of sexual harassment and misconduct- and the first member of Congress.

The Minnesota Democrat has apologized to Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden and said he would welcome an ethics inquiry.

In a post Thursday on the KABC website, Tweeden accused Franken of forcibly kissing her and groping her during a 2006 USO tour. She later said that she accepts his apology.

Fellow Democrats have condemned Franken's actions, mindful of the current climate as well as the prospect of political blowback. Democrats and Republicans have called for the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate.

President Donald Trump weighed in, too, saying Franken just last week was lecturing people on sexual harassment and respect for women.

In this still image taken from video provided by KABC-TV, Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden discusses her allegations of sexual harassment by Al Franken during a 2006 overseas USO tour, before he became a U.S. senator from Minnesota, at ABC7 studios in Glendale, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. Franken faces a storm of criticism and a likely ethics investigation. He is the first member of Congress caught up in the recent wave of allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior. Franken has apologized, and Tweeden said she accepted his apology. (KABC-TV via AP)

In this image provided by the U.S. Army, then-comedian Al Franken and sports commentator Leeann Tweeden perform a comic skit for service members during the USO Sergeant Major of the Army's 2006 Hope and Freedom Tour in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, on Dec. 15, 2006. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., apologized Nov. 16, 2017, after Tweeden accused him of forcibly kissing her during the 2006 USO tour. Colleagues, including fellow Democrats, urged a Senate ethics investigation. Tweeden also accused Franken of posing for a photo with his hands on her breasts as she slept, while both were performing for military personnel two years before the one-time comedian was elected to the Senate. (Staff Sgt. Patrick N. Moes/U.S. Army via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) - At least 25 transgender people in the United States have been homicide victims so far this year, the highest annual total on record, according to advocacy groups that have been monitoring the grim phenomenon and seeking ways to reduce the toll.

The Human Rights Campaign, in a report released Friday, calculated that 102 transgender people have been killed in the U.S. over the past five years - including 25 this year. Its report, jointly sponsored by the Trans People of Color Coalition, was issued ahead of Monday's annual Transgender Day of Remembrance observations, commemorating the hundreds of transgender people killed worldwide each year.

Another monitoring group, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs , has tallied 26 homicides of transgender and gender-nonconforming people in the U.S. so far this year.

FILE - In this Friday Nov. 3, 2017 file photo, Katrina Johnson becomes emotional at the South Lee County Courthouse in Keokuk, Iowa after the jury returned a guilty verdict for Jorge Sanders-Galvez in the death of Johnson's transgender child, 16-year-old Kedarie Johnson. At least 25 transgender Americans have been homicide victims as of mid-November 2017, the highest annual total this decade, according to advocacy groups that have been monitoring the grim phenomenon and seeking ways to reduce the toll. (John Lovretta/The Hawk Eye via AP, Pool)

Both groups say their counts may be incomplete because transgender victims are sometimes misidentified in police and news reports. In some cases, it has taken weeks or months for friends and family to publicly clarify the gender identity of a victim who had transitioned from the gender given in initial police accounts of the death.

The Human Rights Campaign provided a statistical breakdown of the 102 killings since January 2013. It said that 88 of the victims were transgender women, and that nearly all of them were black or Hispanic. Nearly three-quarters were under age 35, including four minors. And 55 of the victims were killed in the South, including 16 of this year's victims.

"Their killings were committed by lovers, acquaintances, family members, neighbors and strangers," the report said. "While every story highlighted in this report is unique and tragic, they all also reflect a legacy of intolerance, hate and discrimination that transgender people must navigate and surmount every day."

The report noted that most states do not have laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender people.

"Indeed, in many states, anti-transgender bias is ingrained and systematically enforced in nearly all aspects of life, including in laws and government agencies, schools, housing, health care and employment," the report said.

The result, said the report, is a disproportionately high rate of poverty - 30 percent - among transgender people.

"Many of those living in poverty rely on the underground economy to survive, including sex work, drug sales and other currently criminalized work," the report said. "These dangerous situations may put transgender people at a higher risk of police harassment, sexual assault and fatal violence."

While many of the transgender homicides draw no more than scant local news coverage, two recent cases have attracted national attention.

In Missouri, LGBT activists have asked the state attorney general to oversee an investigation of the death of a transgender teenager whose body was mutilated and burned in September. Activists have raised concerns about the response of the local sheriff and prosecutor to the death of 17-year-old Ally Lee Steinfeld. The local officials insist the slaying wasn't a hate crime.

The U.S. Justice Department sent a federal hate crimes lawyer to Iowa to help prosecute a man charged with killing a transgender teenager last year, an unusual decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions even as he takes other steps to weaken the rights of transgender people. A jury on Nov. 3 convicted Jorge Sanders-Galvez, 23, of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Kedarie Johnson in Burlington, Iowa, in March 2016. A trial for a second man charged with murder in the case, Jaron Purham, 25, is set for Feb. 20, 2018.

Sessions says the Justice Department no longer considers transgender people shielded from workplace discrimination under federal law, and he has issued sweeping guidance on protecting religious freedom that undercuts protections for LGBT people.

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Follow David Crary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CraryAP
MILAN (AP) - The death Friday of Salvatore "Toto" Riina, the long-time "boss of bosses" of the Sicilian Mafia, puts the spotlight back on Cosa Nostra, which waged a bloody campaign in the 1980s and 1990s of bullets and bombs to counter Italy's crackdown on the Mafia.

Cosa Nostra only lost its pre-eminence as its top bosses were captured and became turncoats, helping give rise in recent decades to the powerful Calabrian 'ndrangheta crime group.

Here are five things to know about 87-year-old Riina and the Sicilian Mafia he once ruthlessly controlled:

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 1993 file photo, Mafia boss Salvatore Riina is shown at Police headquarters in the Sicilian town of Palermo, southern Italy, shortly after his arrest. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Nino Labruzzo, files)

THE CRADLE OF COSA NOSTRA:

The Italian town of Corleone, Riina's birthplace, has been Cosa Nostra's stronghold during both his reign and that of reputed chieftain Bernardo Provenzano, who died last year a decade after his capture in Sicily following some 40 years of hiding in the countryside near the hill town.

The town inspired the fictional crime clan's name in "The Godfather" novel and hit movies. The Italian government last year dissolved Corleone's municipal government on suspicion that Mafiosi had infiltrated it. Using intimidation tactics, the Cosa Nostra frequently influences decisions and public contract bidding and delivers votes, prompting some politicians to curry the mob's favor.

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BEWARE THE NICKNAME

Mafia "dons" all sport colorful nicknames, many in the Sicilian dialect. Salvatore "Toto" Riina was no exception. Recognized as the "boss of bosses" of the Cosa Nostra, he was also known as "The Beast (La Belva)" for the ruthless bloodbaths he instigated against anti-Mafia prosecutors and law enforcement. Those included the 1992 murders of anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. He also was known as "u curto," Sicilian for "the short one," for his physical stature.

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A POWER STRUGGLE IS UNLEASHED

Top anti-Mafia prosecutors say Riina's death is sure to spark a power struggle in the Sicilian Mafia, even if the strict terms of his imprisonment would have prevented him from exercising day-to-day control for the last 24 years. Prosecutors won't discuss who they think the top contenders might be, but long-time Cosa Nostra fugitive Matteo Messina Denaro remains Italy's most-wanted Mafioso. The 55-year-old, whose power base is in Trapani, in western Sicily, has evaded arrest since 1993. He is wanted for his role in the bombing assassination of magistrates in the 1990s as well as other Mafia hits and crimes.

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FAMILY TIES

Riina had four children. Giovanni is serving life sentence for four murders, while Giuseppe Salvatore "Salvo" Riina is under special surveillance in Padua after serving an eight-year sentence for Mafia association. Salvo Riina made news in recent years for a prime-time interview on RAI state television and then for traveling to Corleone, against the terms of his prison release, to serve as godfather, against Vatican rules, for a niece. One daughter remains in Corleone, while a second has relocated to Puglia, according to Italian media.

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THE COSA NOSTRA TODAY

During Riina's day, the Cosa Nostra was the most powerful of the Italian crime syndicates, controlling an international heroin smuggling ring and declaring war on the Italian government with a bloody campaign against anti-Mafia magistrates.

The Cosa Nostra has lost pre-eminence in recent years, due in part to the state crackdown that either jailed or forced top bosses to hide, giving rise to the 'ndrangheta, which has infiltrated businesses in affluent northern Italy. Some progress has been made in the battle for hearts and minds, with young people in Sicily inspiring many shopkeepers and industrialists there to stop paying the Cosa Nostra protection money. Still, prosecutors say there are signs that Sicily's Cosa Nostra is again gathering strength.

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 1993 file photo, Mafia boss Salvatore Riina is shown at Police headquarters in the Sicilian town of Palermo, southern Italy, shortly after his arrest. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Nino Labruzzo, files)

FILE - This 1990 file photo shows Italian magistrates Giovanni Falcone, left, and Paolo Borsellino. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Alessandro Fucarini, File)

FILE - This May 23, 1992 file photo shows the scene on the highway near the Sicilian town of Palermo, southern Italy, after a powerful bomb killed anti-Mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three bodyguards. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Bruno Mosconi, files)

FILE - This undated black and white file photo shows Mafia boss Salvatore Riina. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/files)

FILE - This May 23, 1992 file photo shows the damage at a highway that links Palermo to its airport after a bomb blast killed anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three policemen escorting them. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Nino Labruzzo, files)

FILE - In this April 24, 2006 file photo a crucifix towers over the Sicilian town of Corleone, southern Italy, the ancestral home of Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, files)

FILE - In this March 1, 1993 file photo, Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina, left, is escorted by a carabinieri police officer inside a courtroom in Palermo, southern Italy. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Alessandro Fucarini, files)

FILE - This July 19, 1992 file photo, shows the scene of a car bomb that killed Sicily's top anti-Mafia investigator Paolo Borsellino and his bodyguards. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/ Files)

FILE - In this March 4, 1993 file photo, Mafia boss Salvatore Riina waves to family and supporters as he is taken away by police following a court appearance in Palermo, southern Italy. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo, files)

FILE - This May 24, 1992 file photo shows the damage at a highway that links Palermo to its airport a day after a bomb blast killed anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three policemen escorting them. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Nino Labruzzo, files)

FILE - In this July 19, 1992 file photo, a police officer walks by the charred remains of a car bomb that killed Sicily's top anti-Mafia investigator Paolo Borsellino and his bodyguards. Italian media reported Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 that Mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina died at the age of 87 in the hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. (AP Photo/Alessandro Fucarini, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 16, 1996 file photo, Mafia ''boss of bosses'' Salvatore ''Toto'' Riina, center, enters handcuffed into Bologna's bunker-courtroom, escorted by Carabinieri, Italian paramiliary police, in Bologna, Italy. Italian media is reporting that Mafia 'boss of bosses' Salvatore 'Toto' Riina has died while serving multiple life sentences. He was 87. The justice ministry on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, had allowed his family a bedside visit at a hospital Parma shortly before his death. He had been placed in a medically induced coma after his health deteriorated following two recent surgeries. (AP Photo/Gianni Schicchi, File)

FILE - In this April 29, 1993 file photo, Mafia "boss of bosses" Salvatore "Toto" Riina, is seen behind bars, during a trial in Rome. Italy's justice minister has given special permission for family bedside visits to the comatose top Mafia boss. Italian media reports Riina died early Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Giulio Broglio)
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Ousted Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma said he plans to take his fight against Venezuela's socialist government to Europe after he escaped house arrest and fled to Colombia on Friday. The flight was an apparent embarrassment for security forces who had been keeping close watch over one of Venezuela's most prominent opposition leaders.

"I'm more useful fighting for Venezuela's democracy abroad than I am as a hostage at my home," Ledezma told The Associated Press in a phone interview minutes before boarding a Madrid-bound plane in Colombia's capital.

He said the decision to flee Venezuela was his alone, kept secret even from his family, which has been living abroad. He provided no details of how he sneaked past the Sebin intelligence police officers stationed 24 hours a day outside his residence, but said that during the long, nighttime drive past several national guard checkpoints to Venezuela's western border, he relied on the help of members of the security forces he described as increasingly fed up with President Nicolas Maduro.

Holding a national Venezuelan flag, ousted Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma waves from inside El Dorado international airport, as he prepares for departure, in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Ledezma, one of Venezuela's most prominent opposition leaders, said he plans to take his fight against Venezuela's socialist government to Europe after he escaped house arrest in Caracas, and fled to Colombia on Friday. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

"This decision I took consulting only my conscience," he said, adding that he had spoken by phone to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who offered his support.

Colombian immigration authorities said in a statement that Ledezma entered the country legally after crossing the Simon Bolivar bridge separating the two countries.

As Venezuelans were waking up to the news of Ledezma's escape and resurfacing in Colombia, several heavily armed police officers surrounded his residence in Caracas.

Speaking on a state television broadcast later Friday, Maduro acknowledged the man he tauntingly refers to as "the vampire" had escaped the country.

"The vampire is flying free through the world," he said chidingly. "Going to Spain to live the good life, to have a glass of wine on the Gran Via."

Ledezma, 62, was removed as mayor of Caracas and detained in 2015 on charges of plotting to oust Maduro. After a few months in jail he was released and placed under house arrest due to health issues.

He was one of the leaders of anti-government in protests that rocked Venezuela in 2014 that also led to the jailing of other prominent opponents, including his former cellmate Leopoldo Lopez, who remains under house arrest.

He said the decision to abandon his homeland was driven by unspecified threats intended to force the opposition to resume politically fraught negotiations with the government. Ledezma was forcibly taken from his home in the middle of the night in August and thrown back in jail for a few days as the government cracked down on opponents following criticism of a vote granting the ruling party nearly unlimited powers.

Ledezma has adamantly criticized other members of the opposition alliance for being too accommodating with the government. Lawmakers from his Alliance for the Brave People political party were among a small group of hardliners who this week formed their own parliamentary bloc after the main opposition alliance sent representatives to the Dominican Republic to discuss an agenda for future talks with senior officials. Those negotiations are slated to begin Dec. 1 under international mediation from six nations, including Maduro's leftist allies Nicaragua and Bolivia.

"I've never been an enemy of dialogue, but these talks are a joke," Ledezma said.

Having outlasted months of deadly unrest and consolidated his grip on power, Maduro is hoping he can convince the opposition to sign off on plans to restructure Venezuela's foreign debt as U.S. financial sanctions exacerbate the country's economic misery. Years of mismanagement and decline in oil output have brought Venezuela's economy to its knees, with inflation running in the triple digits and many people struggling to eat three meals a day.

This week, several ratings agencies and a finance industry group said Venezuela had defaulted on its foreign bonds after missing several payments. Maduro has blamed a financial "blockade" imposed by the Trump administration for delaying payments and said Venezuela will continue to honor its debt, as it has for years.

Maduro is betting that talks with the opposition will help him get backing for a plan to restructure the $120 billion debt, about half of which consists of dollar-denominated bonds. Meanwhile, his opponents want guarantees that presidential elections scheduled for next year will be fair and transparent after widespread international condemnation of vote rigging in recent gubernatorial elections that pro-government candidates swept despite widespread rejection of Maduro.

Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have crossed into Colombia fleeing their nation's volatile economy and political hostility in recent years, many crossing through the same bridge that Ledezma took. Thousands of others cross through hundreds of "trochas," unpaved dirt roads along Venezuela's porous 1,370-mile (2,200-kilometer) border with Colombia.

In August, Venezuela's ousted chief prosecutor, Luisa Ortega Diaz, came to Colombia after first fleeing to Aruba. Other opposition leaders and magistrates have also sought refuge in the neighboring Andean nation.

Ousted Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma greets a journalist before boarding a plane at El Dorado airport in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Ledezma, who was removed as mayor of Caracas and detained in 2015 on charges of plotting to oust President Nicolas Maduro, escaped house arrest and fled to Colombia. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Police patrol outside the building where the ousted Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma was residing, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Ledezma, who was removed as mayor of Caracas and detained in 2015 on charges of plotting to oust Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, escaped house arrest and fled to Colombia. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Ousted Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma greets a journalist at El Dorado international airport, as he walks to his gate for departure, in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Ledezma, one of Venezuela's most prominent opposition leaders, said he plans to take his fight against Venezuela's socialist government to Europe after he escaped house arrest in Caracas, and fled to Colombia on Friday. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A major agribusiness company asked an Arkansas judge Friday to halt the state's plan to ban an herbicide that's drawn complaints from farmers across several states who say the weed killer has drifted onto their fields and caused widespread damage.

Monsanto asked a Pulaski County judge to strike down the rule approved by the state Plant Board earlier this month that would prohibit the use of dicamba from April 16 through Oct. 31. The ban is expected to go before a legislative panel next month, but the Missouri-based company said action is needed now because farmers are already buying their products for next year's growing season.

"The ban severely curtails Monsanto's ability to sell its new dicamba-tolerant seed and low-volatility dicamba herbicide within the state, and every day the ban remains in place costs Monsanto sales and customers," the company said in its filing.

FILE - In this Tuesday, July 11, 2017, file photo, East Arkansas farmer Reed Storey shows the damage to one of his soybean plants in Marvell, Ark. Storey said half of his soybean crop has shown damage from dicamba, an herbicide that has drifted onto unprotected fields and spawned hundreds of complaints from farmers. Monsanto, a major agribusiness company asked a Pulaski County judge Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 to strike down the rule approved by the state Plant Board earlier this month that would prohibit the use of dicamba from April 16 through Oct. 31. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo File)

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Dicamba has been around for decades, but problems arose over the past couple of years as farmers began to use it on soybean and cotton fields where they planted new seeds engineered to be resistant to the herbicide. Because it can easily evaporate after being applied, the chemical sometimes settles on neighboring fields. The state earlier this year approved a temporary ban on the herbicide's sale and use, and has received nearly 1,000 complaints about dicamba this year.

The request to halt next year's ban was added to a lawsuit Monsanto filed last month over the board's decision in 2016 to prohibit the use of dicamba.

In its amended lawsuit filed Friday, the company argued the Plant Board exceeded its authority by banning dicamba and did not consider the financial impact on the state's farmers. Monsanto said it would ask the court to move quickly on its complaint, and hoped the board would join in that request.

"This is all about having the newest technology available to growers so they can choose what products they wish to use to combat those difficult-to-control weeds," said Scott Partridge, the company's vice president of global strategy. "There's no reason to delay."

The company also challenged the makeup of the 18-member board, arguing a state law that gives private groups such as the state Seed Growers Association power to appoint members violates Arkansas' constitution.

Farmers have also complained about dicamba causing damage to their crops in other states, including Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Tennessee. The Environmental Protection Agency last month announced a deal with Monsanto and two other makers of dicamba herbicides, BASF and DuPont, for new voluntary restrictions on the weed killer's use.

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Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The Latest on a pipeline still that leaked 210,000 gallons of oil in rural South Dakota (all times local):

1:40 p.m.

Operator TransCanada Corp. says the leak of oil from the Keystone pipeline is "controlled" and not a threat to public safety.

FILE- This Nov. 6, 2015, file photo shows a sign for TransCanada's Keystone pipeline facilities in Hardisty, Alberta, Canada. TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline leaked oil onto agricultural land in northeastern South Dakota, the company and state regulators said Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, but state officials don't believe the leak polluted any surface water bodies or drinking water systems. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

The company says in a news release Friday that it has sent more than 75 people to the site of a spill in a rural area of South Dakota and crews were working "around the clock."

TransCanada says among those responding to the spill are specialists in "environmental management, metallurgy, engineering, pipeline integrity and emergency response."

The company shut down the pipeline early Thursday after discovering the 210,000-gallon spill on agricultural land in Marshall County, just south of the border with North Dakota.

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1:15 p.m.

A South Dakota official says there was a roughly five-hour lag between TransCanada Corp.'s detection of a leak from its Keystone pipeline and its notification of state environmental officials.

Brian Walsh, an environmental scientist manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said Friday that officials would likely look into the notification gap to determine if there was an appropriate reason.

But Walsh says the delay isn't a major concern. He says the primary focus is that TransCanada is on site and addressing the spill.

TransCanada reported Thursday that the pipeline leaked an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota.

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1 p.m.

A leak from the Keystone oil pipeline in South Dakota has brought business to a tiny nearby town.

Suzie Easthouse, general manager at the Front Porch in Langford, says the restaurant will provide meals at the spill site for TransCanada workers who hurried to the Keystone leak location. She'll serve Friday supper and a middle-of-the-night shift meal for 80 people, with meals for 100 people on Saturday.

Easthouse is planning chicken and roast beef with mashed potatoes for the Friday dinner.

She has mixed emotions about the pipeline, which has brought business to Langford, population 300, but also raised environmental concerns. She says: "It's almost like everybody's fears have come true with it. It's not the notoriety we really want in small town South Dakota."

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This version of the story corrects that Easthouse is serving the meals at the spill site not in town.

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10:20 a.m.

Nebraska state officials say an oil spill from the Keystone pipeline in South Dakota won't affect their decision to approve or deny a route for the related Keystone XL project.

A spokeswoman for the Nebraska Public Service Commission said Friday that commissioners will base their decision solely on evidence presented during public hearings and from official public comments.

Supporters and opponents of the project argued their cases to the commission at a four-day hearing in August.

A Nebraska law approved in 2011 prevents the commissioners from factoring pipeline safety or the possibility of leaks into their decisions. Lawmakers argued at the time that pipeline safety was a federal responsibility that pre-empts state law. Opponents say oil interests lobbied for the restriction.

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9:40 a.m.

A federal pipeline safety agency has sent technical experts to the site of an estimated 210,000-gallon oil spill from the Keystone pipeline in South Dakota.

A Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration representative said Friday that the agency's investigation is ongoing.

TransCanada Corp. crews shut down its Keystone pipeline Thursday after a drop in pressure was detected from the leak south of a pump station in Marshall County.

State officials say the buried pipeline leak is on agricultural land and don't believe it has polluted any surface water bodies or drinking water systems.

The pipeline delivers oil from Canada to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma. The leak was found just days before Nebraska regulators are to announce whether they approve an expansion of the Keystone system

TransCanada says it expects the pipeline to remain shut down as the company responds to the leak.

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12:10 a.m.

The Keystone pipeline has leaked 210,000 gallons of oil in rural South Dakota but officials don't believe it has polluted water.

The pipeline operator, TransCanada Corp., says it has shut down the system and the state has sent an inspector to the site near the border with North Dakota.

According to U.S. government data, there have been 17 oil leaks in the U.S. larger than the new spill since 2010.

But it comes just four days before Nebraska regulators are due to announce their final decision on whether a major expansion of the pipeline system, called Keystone XL, can pass through the state. The expansion has been fiercely opposed by environmental activists, American Indian tribes and some landowners.

President Donald Trump has approved a permit for the expansion.
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. (AP) - An upstate New York man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in the death of his 7-week-old son.

Michael Heil, of Middletown, says he didn't cause the injuries that killed his son, Zachary, but admits that he delayed getting medical help. He was convicted of murder and manslaughter.

The Times Herald-Record of Middletown reports that a judge cited Heil's continued denials on Thursday as part of the reason he handed down the harshest possible sentence.

Relatives testified that Zachary was behaving normally before he was left alone with Heil. According to medical testimony, the infant was grabbed by the torso and slammed, shaken or thrown. He died after being taken off life support following surgery for bleeding and swelling in his brain.
LONDON (AP) - An aircraft and helicopter collided in mid-air Friday northwest of London and a "number of casualties" were reported, authorities said.

Fire and ambulance services rushed to the scene at 12:06 p.m. GMT (7:06 a.m. EST) near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. Two ambulance crews, two ambulance officers and a rapid response vehicle were deployed, the South Central Ambulance Service said.

"We're aware of a number of casualties following an incident this afternoon," Thames Valley Police said in a tweet. "There were a number of road closures following the incident, which have now been lifted."

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was sending a team to the site of the accident, which is in dense woodland.

The crash took place near Waddesdon Manor, which is managed by the Rothschild Foundation, a family charitable trust, on behalf of the National Trust. The manor said the crash did not happen at the site and there were no casualties at the manor.

A nearby military base, RAF Halton, also said no military aircraft were involved.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior by Florida Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Bittel (all times local):

12:15 p.m.

The Florida Democratic Party chairman is resigning after a report that he makes women feel uncomfortable.

Stephen Bittel released a brief statement on the party's Twitter account Friday shortly after four of his party's candidates for governor called for him to step down.

Bittel apologized and said he didn't want his personal situation to be distraction ahead of next year's elections.

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham and businessman Chris King all issued statements demanding Bittel leave the post he's held since January.

It was a response to a Politico report quoting anonymous women saying that Bittel would leer at them, make comments about their appearances or breasts and exhibit other behavior that made them uncomfortable. He also had a breast-shaped stress ball in his office.

None of the women said he groped or assaulted them.

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11:42 a.m.

Four Democratic candidates for Florida governor are asking the state party chairman to step down after a report that he makes women feel uncomfortable.

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham and businessman Chris King called on Stephen Bittel to resign Friday. It was a response to a Politico report quoting anonymous women saying that Bittel would leer at them, make comments about their appearances or breasts and exhibit other behavior that made them uncomfortable. He also had a breast-shaped stress ball in his office.

None of the women said he groped or assaulted them.

Bittel didn't immediately return a message left on his cellphone. He did apologize in a statement to Politico and promised to do better.
CHICAGO (AP) - The Rev. Jesse Jackson disclosed publicly Friday that he has been seeking outpatient care for two years for Parkinson's disease and plans to "dedicate" himself to physical therapy to slow the progress of the disease.

In a letter to supporters, the 76-year-old civil rights icon said family and friends noticed a change in him about three years ago, and he could no longer ignore symptoms of the chronic neurological disorder that causes movement difficulties.

"Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it," he wrote. "For me, a Parkinson's diagnosis is not a stop sign but rather a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy."

FILE - In this Feb. 12, 2015 file photo Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks during a news conference in Chicago. Rev. Jackson says he's been seeking outpatient care for two years for Parkinson's disease and plans to "dedicate" himself to physical therapy. In a Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 letter to supporters, the 76-year-old says family and friends noticed a change in him about three years ago and he could no longer ignore symptoms. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green File)

Jackson, who declined to be interviewed, also released a letter from Northwestern Medicine confirming his diagnosis and care.

He vowed to use his voice to help find a cure for the disease.

About 60,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson's annually, according to the Parkinson's Foundation.

It can start with tremors, and symptoms generally worsen over time. The exact cause is unknown. Treatments include medications, surgery and physical therapy.

The disease itself is not fatal but people can die from complications. Jackson said Parkinson's "bested" his father. Noah Lewis Robinson Sr. died in 1997 at age 88 after suffering a heart attack.

It was unclear how his treatment would affect his leadership of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Chicago-based civil rights group he founded more than two decades ago. Jackson has remained active in his advocacy and travels, including traveling to Puerto Rico last month for a hurricane-relief mission and hosting a symposium in Washington, D.C., earlier this week.

A protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jackson was instrumental in guiding the modern civil rights movement on a wide variety of issues, including voting rights and education.

Twice a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 1980s, he has remained a strong voice in numerous anti-discrimination efforts, including advocating for affordable housing. He's often seen at protests nationwide and has continued regular forums at Rainbow/PUSH's headquarters.

He said Friday in the letter that he is also working on a memoir.

"I will continue to try to instill hope in the hopeless, expand our democracy to the disenfranchised and free innocent prisoners around the world," he wrote. "I steadfastly affirm that I would rather wear out than rust out."

The Rev. Al Sharpton said he spent the last few days with Jackson in New York City.

Jackson "has changed the nation and served in ways in which he never got credit," Sharpton said in a statement. "We pray for him, just as he fought for us."

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Follow Sophia Tareen on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sophiatareen .
One month ago, The Washington Post and 60 Minutes revealed how a federal law enacted in 2016 allowed prescription narcotics to flood the black market, exacerbating Americas opioid addiction crisis.

On Tuesday, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox joined 43 other state attorneys general to urge repeal of the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016.

The act is a step backward in our collective effort to prevent the diversion and misuse of prescription drugs and address our worsening epidemic of opioid addiction and overdose deaths, the National Association of Attorney General said in a letter to congressional leaders.

The Washington Post-60 Minutes investigation showed that by defining language in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, drug industry supporters in Congress upended more than four decades of DEA practice, the Post reported. The new law made it virtually impossible for the DEA to impose an immediate suspension order on distributors of highly addictive painkillers that had failed to report suspicious orders of drugs such as oxycodone placed by pharmacies and other dispensers.

Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pennsylvania, chief sponsor of the act for two years until it finally passed, was President Donald Trumps nominee to head the DEA. Investigative journalists found that Marino had received $100,000 in campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry. Marino withdrew from consideration for the DEA leadership job two days after the scandal was reported.

In a National Public Radio interview, Scott Higham, one of the Washington Post reporters who wrote the investigative story, explained the laws impact: Say a distributor in Ohio or in Michigan was sending pills downstream to pharmacies in Florida. And one month, that pharmacy was ordering 10,000 pills, and the next month, that pharmacy was ordering a hundred thousand pills. Well, that's supposed to be reported to the DEA as a suspicious order. And a lot of these companies were not doing that.

It's almost impossible to show that a company that is a thousand miles away is posing an immediate threat to a community. Now, they may be able to show that a doctor in your hometown or a pharmacist in your hometown is posing an immediate threat, and they can shut that person down. But the big companies, the distributors and the manufacturers  they're not going to be able to go after them.

What we're talking about here is the abuse and sale of hundreds of millions of doses of oxycodone and Vicodin to the black market, Higham said.

Montana, like other states, has tried to prevent abuse of painkillers. Thats why the Billings Police Department and other Montana law enforcement agencies encourage people to turn in their unused or expired medications for disposal. The Montana Board of Pharmacy was directed by law to set up a prescription drug registry to discourage doctor shopping. County attorneys and the U.S. Attorneys Office prosecute illegal painkiller distributors. All those sources of painkillers are small compared with the enormous quantities of narcotics manufactured legally and diverted through unscrupulous people in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry.

My office is working to address all aspects of substance abuse in Montana, Fox said in a news release. This includes joining forces with my attorney general colleagues, urging Congress to repeal laws like this that stand in the way of getting the substance abuse crisis under control.

We commend Fox for joining in this bipartisan effort to correct a law that is fueling addiction and death across America. We want to see Montanas entire delegation  Jon Tester, Steve Daines and Greg Gianforte  stand strongly in favor of repealing that 2016 law. The repeal effort hasnt moved forward for lack of a Republican sponsor. Daines and Gianforte should rectify that problem.
SALERNO, Italy (AP) - More than two dozen young Nigerian women who drowned during a migrant crossing from Libya were honored Friday with an interfaith funeral, closing out a gruesome new chapter in the years-long tragedy of desperate migrants trying to reach Europe and dying along the way.

To date, only two of the 26 women whose bodies were recovered Nov. 3 by Spanish rescue ships have been identified: Marian Shaka, a Muslim, and Osato Osara, a Christian.

Prosecutors are working to contact relatives of the others, using phone numbers the women had hidden in their clothes before setting off from Libya's lawless shores. So far, investigators have reached family members of three of them. Relatives were able to provide general descriptions of their girls, and confirmed they hadn't heard from them.

Women passes by coffins during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Autopsies showed all but one drowned. The other had internal bleeding from a ruptured liver as a result of blunt trauma before falling in the water. None bore signs of recent physical or sexual abuse, prosecutors said in a statement Friday. Two of the women were pregnant.

Overall, 100 people were believed to have drowned in the crossing. The other bodies were lost at sea. They had all set off aboard a blue rubber raft. Sixty-four survived.

On Friday, 26 wooden coffins were laid out in a circle in the middle of Salerno's cemetery for the interfaith funeral ceremony. There was no indication the Nigerian Embassy or Consulate sent a representative.

Salerno Archbishop Luigi Moretti told the crowd that the women "lost their lives as they were seeking freedom and a better life."

"And we give the last farewell not only to the 26 girls but also to two lives that these girls were carrying in their wombs," he added.

Imam Abderrhmane Es Sbaa offered a prayer before he and Moretti blessed the coffins, with Moretti sprinkling holy water on them. The crowd silently passed by, placing white roses on each one.

Overall this year, nearly 168,000 migrants have arrived in Italy, a 32-percent decline over last year thanks to a deal Italy struck with the Libyan government and its militias to curb the exodus. The U.N. refugee agency estimates around 3,000 have died trying, though the number is likely much higher given the unknown number of shipwrecks that are never reported.

It's not clear whether the 26 women were part of the huge human trafficking business that brings thousands of Nigerian women to Italy every year to work as prostitutes.

The past three years has seen a 600-percent increase in potential sex trafficking victims arriving in Italy, most of them from Nigeria, according to the International Organization for Migrants. IOM statistics show 1,454 girls arrived from Nigeria in 2014 and the number soared to 11,009 in 2016.

Alessandra Galatro, who works to help young Nigerian women escape prostitution, came to the funeral with a group of Nigerian girls who stood at a distance during the ceremony then shyly approached the coffins at the end, gently touching them one by one.

"It is not easy for them because they have all made that crossing, that journey," Galatro said. "The cruelty that these women faced in Libya, they all experienced."

A hand touches a coffin during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Writing on a nameplate reads "Salerno landing of 05.11.2017, number 23, id. A15 D007" on a coffin during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Schoolchildren place colored flowers on the coffins of the two pregnant victims among the 26 Nigerian women, during the funeral service at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman places flowers on coffins during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Imam Abderehmane Es Sbaa, center, delivers a Muslim prayer during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Writing on a nameplate reads "Salerno landing of 05.11.2017, number 5, id. A15 D009" on a coffin during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

People put flowers on the coffins during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman holds roses as she looks at the coffins during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman places roses on the coffins during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Mons. Luigi Moretti blesses blesses the coffins during a funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. Behind Moretti is an Imam identified as Abderrhmane Es Sbaa. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman places roses on the coffins at the end of a funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman places roses on the coffins at the end of a funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman kneels by a coffin during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman touches a coffin ahead of the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday, Nov.17, 2017. The young women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

People walk by and touch the coffins at the end of a funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman kneels by a coffin during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman places white roses of the coffins ahead of a funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday, Nov.17, 2017. The young women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman cries by a coffin during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday, Nov.17, 2017. The young women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Cemetery workers place roses on coffins before the start of a funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The young women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Mons. Luigi Moretti blesses the coffins during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. At left is Imam identified as Abderrhmane Es Sbaa who is expected to deliver a Muslim prayer. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman cries by a coffin during the funeral service for 26 Nigerian women, at the Salerno cemetery, southern Italy, Friday Nov.17, 2017. The young women died last week while crossing the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to reach Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Latest on a sexually detailed Facebook post by Ohio Supreme Court Justice William O'Neill (all times local):

6:55 p.m.

An Ohio state Supreme Court justice running for governor has a message for people who've criticized him for volunteering candid details about his sexual past on Facebook: "Lighten up folks."

FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2010, file photo, William O'Neill, an Ohio appeals court judge selected as the Democratic nominee for U.S. House of Representatives to represent Ohio's 14th District, laughs during a campaign stop at the Democratic party headquarters in Mentor, Ohio. O'Neill, now an Ohio Supreme Court justice campaigning for the Democratic nomination to run for Ohio governor in 2018, volunteered candid details of his sexual past on Facebook, saying Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, that he was taking a swipe at the "media frenzy" over sexual misconduct. The post was immediately attacked as inappropriate and led to calls for his ouster. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)

Democrat William O'Neill posted Friday he's been "sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females" including "a gorgeous blonde" in a hay loft. He says the post grew out of frustration over Democrats' calls to remove Al Franken from the U.S. Senate over sexual misconduct allegations.

Critics say O'Neill is trivializing the issue.

O'Neill says when a U.S. senator "commits a non criminal act of indiscretion" and his apology is accepted by the victim "IT IS WRONG for the dogs of war to leap onto his back and demand his resignation."

He says people calling for him to quit his job are "sanctimonious judges."

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3:15 p.m.

Another candidate for Ohio governor is calling on state Supreme Court Justice and gubernatorial contender William O'Neill to resign over a Facebook post in which he volunteered candid details of his sexual past.

Former state Rep. Connie Pillich, a fellow Democrat, condemned O'Neill Friday for "joking and trivializing sexual assault." She also plans to give O'Neill's past campaign donations to organizations helping women.

O'Neill says the post grew out of frustration over Democrats' calls to remove Al Franken from the U.S. Senate over sexual misconduct allegations and his belief that the story line was taking accounts of people's "sexual indiscretions" too far.

Ohio Democratic Chairman David Pepper also commented on the quickly escalating controversy, calling it "just a terrible post" that dehumanized women and trivialized an important national conversation about rape culture and sexual assault.

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2:45 p.m.

The campaign spokesman for Ohio State Supreme Court Justice and Democratic gubernatorial candidate William O'Neill has resigned over a Facebook post in which his boss wrote about his sexual past.

Christopher Clevenger says on Twitter that, as a victim of sexual assault, he "cannot in good faith" remain a part of O'Neill's campaign team. He called the post "disturbing and misguided" and said he had no prior knowledge O'Neill was making it.

Clevenger's decision came as criticism mounted over O'Neill's Friday posting. It said he'd been "sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females," then detailed two specific encounters.

O'Neill says the post grew out of frustration over Democrats' calls to remove Al Franken from the U.S. Senate over sexual misconduct allegations and a belief that the story line had gone too far.

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2:25 p.m.

Several leading Ohio women are condemning a state Supreme Court justice and gubernatorial candidate for writing a Facebook post that containing candid details of his sexual past with "approximately 50" women.

Former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, a leading Democrat in the governor's race, called for Supreme Court Justice William O'Neill to resign immediately, saying he was trivializing sexual harassment and assault.

Republican Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, also a candidate for governor, says his "crass post is ill-timed and dismissive at best."

Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, the first woman to hold that position, also condemned the post.

O'Neill says the post grew out of frustration over Democrats' calls to remove Al Franken from the U.S. Senate over sexual misconduct allegations. He said he revealed details about himself because he suspects, as a governor candidate, he'll soon also be a media target.

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1:15 p.m.

A state Supreme Court justice running for Ohio governor has volunteered candid details of his sexual past on Facebook, saying he was trying to de-legitimize the national "media frenzy" over politicians' sexual indiscretions.

Democrat William O'Neill posted Friday that he has been "sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females." He says the women included "a gorgeous blonde" with whom he "made passionate love" in a hay loft and a "drop dead gorgeous red head" from Cleveland.

O'Neill told The Associated Press that the post grew out of frustration over Democrats' calls to remove Al Franken from the U.S. Senate over sexual misconduct allegations.

After posting the message Friday, he edited it to remove some identifying information about the women.

O'Neill said the misconduct story has gone too far.
CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on the Rev. Jesse Jackson disclosing a 2015 Parkinson's disease diagnosis (all times local):

1:50 p.m.

Civil rights leaders are weighing in on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's disclosure that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015.

The Rev. Al Sharpton calls Jackson a mentor and says in a video released on Twitter that he had spent the last few days with him in New York City.

Jackson announced Friday that he has been seeking outpatient care for two years and plans to devote time to physical therapy to help slow progression of the disease.

It's unclear how the disease will affect his leadership at the Chicago-based Rainbow/PUSH Coalition which he founded. Jackson has remained active in his work and travels in recent years, including hosting a symposium in Washington, D.C., earlier this week.

Jackson declined an interview Friday.

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11:45 a.m.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson says he's been seeking outpatient care for two years for Parkinson's disease and plans to "dedicate" himself to physical therapy.

In a Friday letter to supporters, the 76-year-old says family and friends noticed a change in him about three years ago and he could no longer ignore symptoms.

He says the diagnosis isn't a sign to stop working but a "signal" to make "lifestyle changes" to slow progression of the chronic neurological disorder that causes movement difficulties.

The civil rights icon also released a Northwestern Medicine letter saying he was diagnosed in 2015 and has sought outpatient care.

Jackson runs the Chicago-based Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. He's remained a strong voice in anti-discrimination efforts, including advocating for affordable housing, and been a fixture at protests nationwide.

Jackson declined further comment Friday.
NEW YORK (AP) - The commission appointed by New York's mayor to evaluate statutes and monuments and ensure there are no "symbols of hate" on public property held its first hearing Friday, featuring a mix of citizens who thought some monuments should be taken down and others who lambasted the committee's work as an exercise in political correctness.

"This is a country built on freedom and democracy, not bureaucrats telling us what is correct and what is not correct," said Gerald Mattacotta, a 72-year-old teacher at Queensboro Community College.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, announced the creation of the commission in August, days after hundreds of white nationalists protesting the planned removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia, brawled with counter-protesters, leaving one woman dead.

The mayor initially said the commission would perform a 90-day review of monuments, with an eye toward possibly identifying some that should be removed. In a tweet, de Blasio himself suggested one that should go: a plaque on Broadway for Philippe Petain, a World War I hero later convicted of treason for heading the collaborationist Vichy government in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.

Since then, the mayor has softened his tone, saying committee's main purpose was to develop guidelines on addressing monuments that might be seen as "oppressive and inconsistent with the values of New York City."

About 20 people spoke Friday at Queens Borough Hall during the first of five planned public hearings the committee is conducting before making its recommendations.

A few singled out the statue of Christopher Columbus that stands atop a high column in Columbus Circle, at the southwest corner of Central Park.

Columbus is revered by some as an explorer and reviled by others for having spread European colonialism and slavery to the New World.

"The Columbus statues glorifies a figure who is against all the things the Statue of Liberty represents," said Rick Chavolla, board chairman of the American Indian Community House, a nonprofit serving Native Americans. "Symbols like this cannot remain and need to be taken down."

Glenn Cantave, 24, the founder of Movers and Shakers, a group that advocates for marginalized communities, called Columbus "a terrorist, and that's why his statue should not stand."

Robert Holden, a Queens civic leader who will become a city council member in January after winning election this month, urged a cautious approach.

"This country made mistakes obviously. Our history is full of them," said Holden, a registered Democrat who ran as a Republican after losing a primary. "But we shouldn't judge our art or monuments on today only. The history is very, very important."

Philip Orenstein, the president of the Queens Village Republican Club, questioned whether tearing down statues would start a domino effect of removing names from history books and curriculum.

"To tear down our statues is just plain wrong," he said.

The panel's co-chairman, city Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Tom Finkelpearl, said the group plans to make recommendations to the mayor by the end of the year.
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) - An East Coast drifter who killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003 and drove a van he called the "murder mobile" was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

A state judge handed down six consecutive life sentences to William Devin Howell during an emotional hearing where victims' relatives spoke about how the killings devastated their lives. Howell pleaded guilty to murder charges in September.

"He stripped away the youth from us and made me and my brother orphans," said Tiffany Menard, daughter of victim Mary Jane Menard.

FILE - This Sept. 18, 2015 file booking photo provided by the New Britain Police Department shows William Devin Howell, who killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003. Howell pleaded guilty to six murder charges in September and is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. He's also serving a 15-year prison sentence for manslaughter in the seventh victim's death. (New Britain Police Department via AP, File)

She called Howell a "monster" and said she tried to kill herself two times after her mother disappeared.

Howell is believed to be the most prolific serial killer in Connecticut history - not counting mass shootings. The seven killings topped the Connecticut body count of serial killer Michael Ross, who killed six women in eastern Connecticut and two in New York, and was executed in 2005.

The 47-year-old Howell, from Hampton, Virginia, cried and apologized to the victims' families during the hearing, saying he deserved the death penalty and his acts were "monstrous, cowardly and selfish." The state Supreme Court abolished Connecticut's death penalty in 2015.

"I know what awaits me ... a slow painful death in prison," said Howell, who talked about his diabetes and possible limb amputation and organ failure in the future. "I hope that provides some comfort to each of the families."

The bodies of all seven of Howell's victims were found buried in a wooded area behind a strip mall in New Britain, about 15 miles southwest of Hartford.

Three bodies were found in 2007, and the other remains were discovered in 2015, when authorities went back to the site.

All seven victims disappeared in 2003, when Howell was mowing lawns and working other odd jobs. They were identified as Mary Jane Menard, 40, of New Britain; Joyvaline Martinez, 24, of East Hartford; Diane Cusack, 53, of New Britain; Melanie Ruth Camilini, 29, of Seymour; Marilyn Gonzalez, 26, of Waterbury; Danny Lee Whistnant, 44, of New Britain; and Nilsa Arizmendi, 33, of Wethersfield.

Howell was arrested in May 2005 in Hampton, Virginia, in connection with Arizmendi's death and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

He sexually assaulted three of the women and kept one of the bodies in his van for two weeks, sleeping next to the body and calling the victim his "baby," according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Howell told a cellmate there was a monster inside him and described himself as a "sick ripper," according to the warrant.

He also told the fellow inmate he kept one of women's bodies wrapped up in his van because it was too cold outside to bury her, the warrant said. He said he cut off the tips of her fingers, dismantled her bottom jaw and disposed of the body parts in Virginia, the document said.

Authorities said they found blood in the van that matched the blood of one of the victims, along with videotapes of Howell having sex with women.

Police said a main connection among most of the victims was their use of drugs.

Howell called the burial site his "garden" and said the victims should have known they were going to die because of the lifestyles they led, the warrant said.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto has signed a new law aimed at addressing the country's staggering number of unsolved disappearances.

Mexico has more than 30,000 missing people, many victims of the country's drug violence or corrupt security forces. Advocates are hailing the law as a long-awaited start, but caution that the law's implementation will be critical.

Roberto Campa is the Interior Department's deputy secretary for human rights. He said Friday on Radio Formula that Mexico's two earthquakes in September had tightened government finances, but there would be enough funding to launch the effort.

FILE - In this April 24, 2016 file photo, relatives of 43 missing students who have not been heard from since they were taken by local police in Sept. 2014 in the city of Iguala, Guerrero state, hold photos of their missing loved ones as they listen to an international experts group's report in Mexico City. Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto signed a new law Thursday, Nov. 17, 2017 aimed at addressing the country's staggering number of unsolved disappearances by creating a National Search System with local branches in the states. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)

The law signed Thursday would create a National Search System with local branches in the states.

It would also create new special prosecutors to handle disappearances and provide more forensic resources to investigations.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Jeff Sessions is making light of the grilling he's received over contacts with Russians.

Sessions opened a speech Friday to the conservative Federalist Society by asking if the former Russian ambassador was in the room. Sessions recused himself from the Justice Department's investigation into Russia's election meddling after acknowledging two encounters with the ambassador that he had not previously disclosed.

There have been suggestions Sessions had a third, unreported contact with the ambassador in April 2016, at Washington's Mayflower Hotel. That's where Sessions spoke Friday.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions reacts to the audience as he arrives to speak at the Federalist Society 2017 National Lawyers Convention at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, about maintaining and strengthening the rule of law. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

"Before I get started here. Any Russians? Anybody been to Russia?"

The crowd roared with laughter.

In testimony to Congress this week, Sessions displayed a hazy memory of the campaign's dealings with Russians in the election, denying he ever lied about those contacts.
WOODBURY, N.J. (AP) - Prosecutors say a New Jersey woman who was beaten to death while house-sitting was killed by a burglar who used to live in the home as a foster child.

Nineteen-year-old Brandon Wilson is charged with murder in the death of 26-year-old Shawneeq Carter, whose body was found in the Woodbury home of an acquaintance on Sept. 23.

Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton says Wilson killed the victim after breaking in a day after his release from Bucks County jail, where he was held on drug charges.

Authorities said Carter was beaten to death with a piece of gym equipment. Carter's father told WPVI-TV in Philadelphia that his daughter's 5-year-old son found her body.

Wilson, of Paulsboro, is jailed in an unrelated case. It's unclear whether he has an attorney.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday criticized as "completely inadequate" the Trump administration's $44 billion request to Congress for disaster relief in his hurricane-ravaged state and other areas hammered by storms. The White House shot back that Texas may want to foot more of the bill for its own recovery.

Abbott has lavished praise on the federal government since Hurricane Harvey killed more than 80 people, triggered historic flooding in Houston - the nation's fourth largest city - and caused an estimated $180 billion in damage. On Friday, he refused to criticize President Donald Trump by name, but said his administration's request "is completely inadequate for the needs of the state of Texas, and I believe, does not live up to what the president wants to achieve."

"The president has told me privately what he's said publicly, and that is he wants to be the builder president," Abbott said at a news conference inside his Texas Capitol office. "The president has said that he wants this to be the best recovery from a disaster ever."

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2017 file photo, rescue boats fill a flooded street as flood victims are evacuated as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise in Houston. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is criticizing the Trump administration's $44 billion disaster aid request to Congress, saying it is "completely inadequate." Speaking at a Texas Capitol news conference, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, Abbott said the request "does not live up to what the president wants to achieve" even though it came from Trump's administration. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip File)

A short time later in Washington, however, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeared to contradict that, suggesting that Texas hasn't put up enough of its own money for Harvey recovery.

"We feel strongly that they should step up and play a role and work with the federal government in this process," Sanders said. "We did a thorough assessment and that was completed and this was the number that we put forward to Congress today."

The request is Trump's third since hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria hit Texas, Florida and the Caribbean. If approved, it would bring the total appropriated for disaster relief this fall close to $100 billion - and that doesn't include most of the money to rebuild Puerto Rico's devastated housing stock and electric grid.

Abbott complained that Congress approved more funding, more quickly to areas affected by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 "which was half the storm of what Hurricane Harvey was."

"You can see that this falls short," Abbott said. "Hopefully, this is just one of multiple steps along the pathway."

Abbott has visited Washington repeatedly in recent weeks, lobbying for $61 billion in disaster relief he says his state needs just for infrastructure - including ambitious projects meant to combat future floods. Not only is Friday's request far less than that, but Texas will have to share it - which didn't sit so well with Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the chamber's powerful majority whip.

"It's really time for the federal government to live up to its responsibilities," Cornyn said at the same Austin news conference.

He recalled that Puerto Rico's governor requested more than $90 billion, just for his island's recovery.

"Just imagine, given the size and scope of our great state, extrapolate that," Cornyn said. "We're not asking for that. We are asking to be treated fairly. And we intend to fight for that."

At the same event, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that $5 billion was being allocated to Texas in federal grants that will help meet the long term needs of people whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Harvey. But even that may be a relative drop in the bucket since Abbott has said that, ultimately, his state will likely seek more than $50 billion in federal housing funding alone.
Eds: Major scheduled events for the week of November 19-November 25. Note that many events are subject to change at the last minute.

The following economic reports will be issued in Washington (all times EDT), unless otherwise noted:

SUNDAY: No events of note.

MONDAY: No events of note.

TUESDAY: National Association of Realtors releases existing home sales for October, 10 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m.; Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates, 10 a.m.; Commerce Department releases durable goods for October, 8:30 a.m.; Federal Reserve releases minutes from its October interest-rate meeting.

THURSDAY: No events of note.

FRIDAY: No events of note.

SATURDAY: No events of note.

___

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19

No events of note.

___

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20

WASHINGTON - Supreme Court on break until Nov. 27.

WASHINGTON - Congress on break until the week of Nov. 27

WASHINGTON - Presentation of the White House Christmas tree.

___

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21

President Donald Trump pardons the national Thanksgiving turkey, and is expected to travel to Florida for the holiday, through Nov. 26.

Lowe's Cos. reports quarterly financial results before the market opens.

___

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22

No events of note.

___

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23

Thanksgiving Day-Markets Closed.

___

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24

BERLIN - Germany's Ifo institute releases its monthly business confidence index, a key indicator for Europe's biggest economy.

___

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25

No events of note.
Royal Mail has seen profits drop by nearly a third and warned that efforts to reach a deal with unions over workers pay and pensions could hit its financial performance.

The FTSE 250 firm said it was a priority to reach an agreement with the CWU  the communications union  with the mediation process likely to run until Christmas or beyond.

While the companys annual results hang on the crucial festive period, Royal Mail said the industrial relations environment could knock its second-half performance.

A picture of Royal Mail workers sorting letters (PA)

It came as pre-tax profits tumbled 30% to 77 million, down from 110 million for the 26 weeks to September 25 last year.

Adjusted operating profit before transformation costs  the Royal Mails preferred measure  climbed 7% to 323 million over the period.

Revenues also rose 2% to 4.8 billion, with the lions share of the growth coming from its Europe-focused parcel business General Logistics Systems (GLS), helping to offset flat revenues at its UK letters and parcels arm.

Chief executive Moya Greene said the firm had enjoyed a good start to the year.

She added: GLS delivered a strong performance with revenue up 9%. Outside the EU, GLS is also growing through selective acquisitions to capture higher growth markets.

UKPIL revenue was broadly unchanged, having declined by 2% in 2016-17. Our investment in our business is paying off. We have won new parcels business; volumes were up 6%. There was a resilient letters performance.

As previously announced, we are now in external mediation with the CWU. Our priority is to reach agreement with the CWU to help underpin the sustainability of the business.

Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: The privatisation of Royal Mail has never has never looked more ridiculous that it does today. The half-year results see a record 68 million go to private shareholders at the same time postal workers are under more pressure than ever to work harder, faster and cheaper.

The CWU will be working with the Labour Party in the coming months to ensure that when a change of government takes place, returning Royal Mail to public ownership is a priority.

For now, it is clear this company can afford to reward our members for the work they do on a daily basis and we will be making sure they do.

Revenues at GLS  which largely operates in Germany, Italy and France  rose to 1.205 billion for the half-year, up from 942 million in 2016.

UKPIL recorded marginally lower revenues of 3.624 billion, down from 3.641 billion over the same six-month period last year.

Focusing on Christmas, Ms Greene said: Our performance for the full year, as always, will be dependent on the important Christmas period.

We are opening six temporary parcel sort centres and recruiting over 20,000 staff. We are also extending opening hours at many of our Enquiry Offices to help retailers and consumers.
Downing Street has described as speculation reports that Theresa May is preparing to offer a further 20 billion to help clear the way for Brexit trade talks.

The Sun reported the offer would be made ahead of a crunch Brussels summit in December, when leaders of the remaining 27 EU states will decide whether sufficient progress has been made on the UKs divorce bill  as well as citizens rights and the Irish border  to move on to the second phase of Brexit negotiations, dealing with the future relationship.

If confirmed, the 20 billion figure would bring to around 38 billion the total sum Britain is prepared to pay to settle its liabilities  well short of the 60 billion euros (53 billion) sought by Brussels.

Mrs May has so far held back from putting any figure on the financial settlement in public, and it is thought likely that any offer ahead of the December 14-15 summit would come in the form of clearer guidance on what commitments the UK is ready to cover.

Theresa May

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said reports of a 20 billion figure were yet more speculation.

He declined to confirm suggestions from senior MEP Manfred Weber  a close ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel  that Mrs May had indicated a readiness to compromise in a meeting on Wednesday.

Meeting with PM @theresa_may in 10 Downing Street today.

My impression is that progress in the #Brexit talks is possible. There is a willingness for compromise. pic.twitter.com/CX9T370vYE  Manfred Weber (@ManfredWeber) November 15, 2017

Following their talks at 10 Downing Street, Mr Weber, who leads the centre-right EPP in the European Parliament, told reporters: I am more optimistic. There is progress and a will to see progress.

On the financial settlement, Mr Weber said that while the UK did not have to state a figure at this stage, it did need spell out which of its outstanding commitments to the EU it was prepared to honour.

Mrs Mays spokesman described the meeting as constructive, adding: The Prime Minister set out her determination to secure a unique deal for Britain, but one that works in both our interests. She also set out a very clear position in terms of an implementation period that will serve both Britain and the EU, providing clarity for business and others.

Good talks with Home Secretary @AmberRuddHR and #Brexit Secretary @DavidDavisMP in London on the recent negotiations and future partnership EU UK. pic.twitter.com/uFORpDAt5p  Manfred Weber (@ManfredWeber) November 15, 2017

Failure to secure agreement at the December summit would be a major setback for the Prime Minister as the next opportunity for EU leaders to green light the second phase talks will not be until March.

It would almost certainly prompt demands from hardline Brexiteers for Mrs May to walk away from the negotiating table.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell told Sky News: Our problem is this  we do not know from one day to another what the Governments strategy is or which coalition there is in the Cabinet that is actually ruling the roost at the moment.

In that way, theres an inconsistent approach. We have a Government in disarray. Theres no way you can negotiate a decent deal when really the Government thats meant to be doing these negotiations is directionless.
A police force is to introduce spit guards after the number of assaults against officers doubled.

Avon and Somerset Police will roll out spit guards to all operational officers from January next year, following training.

Four officers were spat at last week, while 79 assaults against officers at the force since April have involved spitting.

Screengrab from video of police officer arresting man who is spitting

The spit guards will only be used when a person threatens to spit, has attempted to spit or has already spat.

Spit guards  already used in 25 other forces  will only be used when an officers body worn camera is switched on.

Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Cullen said: The increase in reports of spitting against our officers has convinced us that we need spit guards to protect ourselves.

Each day we face being spat at, putting us at risk of HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis and the degrading assault can have a lasting psychological impact.

Only last week a woman with hepatitis C was spitting infected blood and saliva at four female officers as they looked after her for 11 hours in custody.

The only protection currently available was riot helmets to protect their faces.

We believe our officers should have the right kit to do their job and this includes spit guards. We also hope their introduction will deter people from spitting at police officers in the first place.

Use of spit guards will be recorded and the data will be made public.

The Police and Crime Commissioners Scrutiny of Police Powers Panel  made up of local people  will also review the use of spit guards as part of their quarterly meetings.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said spit guards will be rolled out once officers have completed their training.

The decision to introduce the device is part of the forces support for the Police Federations proposed Assault on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill.

I was upset that night. I couldnt come home and kiss my children like I normally would. #SpatAt



Were introducing spit guards from January to protect our officers while theyre keeping the public safe. More details: https://t.co/XrCgCh7I5Y#ProtectTheProtectors pic.twitter.com/jyXxNdnyTB  Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) November 17, 2017

Vince Howard, chairman of Avon and Somerset Police Federation, said: We are pleased to see the introduction of spit guards for front line officers.

This option affords those officers, who are increasingly subject to this abhorrent act, the opportunity to protect themselves from the risks of serious communicable diseases.

This is a protection and prevention measure and we welcome the support offered by the Constabulary in making this equipment available.

Data for spitting incidents reported on the Welfare Information Form shows that there have been 79 spitting incidents out of 487 recorded assaults since April.

A force spokesman said this was a large increase on previous reports, adding that the number of assaults on officers doubled between 2014 and 2017.
Harry Fry is a hoping a long-term plan comes to fruition when Kylemore Lough makes his first appearance for the Dorset trainer in the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Fry has had this valuable prize in mind ever since he was sent the Grade One-winning eight-year-old from Kerry Lees stable in late spring.

Weve been grafting away at home and we are happy with his progress and what he has shown us, said Fry.

A first Grade 1 for @beaubai as Kylemore Lough won @Fairyhouse today under @BarryJGeraghty https://t.co/wKcMCQa3Vw  At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 27, 2016

He was top weight when fifth in the Caspian Caviar off 2lb higher than what he goes into Saturdays race. He has got a good record fresh as well, hence why we targeted the BetVictor when we mapped out his campaign.

The nice thing is that he turned up at the end of May. We were able to assess him, give him a break and start afresh with him. It is not as though he turned up a couple of weeks ago.

This was always going to be his starting point.

Le Prezien, seen here coming off second best to Foxtail Hill, is one of two runners for Paul Nicholls

Paul Nicholls has two good chances in Le Prezien and Romain De Senam.

It was not always the aim for Romain De Senam until he won at Chepstow. He caught me by surprise a bit that day, but I think that race did fall apart and they went quite quick. He ran again six days later, but I had to run him as he was going to go up 12lb. He won and won two good races in a week, said Nicholls.

I thought Le Prezien was going to get there most of the way (at Cheltenham last month), but he didnt. He ran very well, he was only beaten a neck and obviously gets further than two. That was a good run. It sharpened his jumping up and two-mile-five probably suits him better than two miles.

Champion trainer Nicky Henderson is double-handed with the consistent Theinval and Days Of Heaven while Nigel Twiston-Davies reckons Foxtail Hill will be suited by what is a step up in trip.

Owner Barry Connell fancies the chances of his Tully East

Owner Barry Connell believes Tully Easts liking for Cheltenham will stand him in good stead.

Hes been there twice. He won last season and ran well in the Martin Pipe the year before, Connell told At The Races. He seems to like the place and it looks an open enough race this year.

Everythings gone well. We had a prep run over hurdles and he schooled over fences at Naas last weekend. We couldnt be happier. Its a nice pot. Hes a course and distance winner and after he won in Cheltenham, we just felt it was the obvious race for him. Its a nice way to start off.

Ballyalton, with part-owner Lee Westwood, after winning at the Festival in 2016

Ian Williams enjoyed a big-race double last weekend with London Prize and Saunter, and reports Ballyalton to be in prime shape for this test.

He is in great form. Tom (OBrien) schooled him on Tuesday and he schooled very nicely for him, said the West Midlands trainer.

He does come into the race with limited chasing experience against some of his rivals, but he has always performed well around Cheltenham and has enjoyed the track. We are looking forward to it, but it is a big ask.
The Prince of Wales was welcomed with pomp and ceremony to Antigua and Barbuda as his tour of hurricane-ravaged Caribbean islands began.

His visit started as the UK Government reaffirmed its commitment to stand by the islands devastated by the natural disasters and announced a further 15 million in support.

Charles was making his first official visit to the Commonwealth nation whose island of Antigua escaped the worst of Hurricane Irmas high winds and lashing rain, but neighbouring Barbuda bore the brunt of its destructive powers.

The Prince of Wales has arrived in Antigua and Barbuda. He is greeted by the Governor General and Prime Minister. #RoyalVisitATG pic.twitter.com/ySmcvBH4j7  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) November 17, 2017

The heir to the throne arrived on a scheduled British Airways flight accompanied by new International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt.

The politician, who is making her first overseas visit since replacing Priti Patel, earlier announced the new financial package  12 million for Dominica and 3 million for Antigua and Barbuda.

During the three-day trip that will also see Charles visit the British Virgin Islands and Dominica, the Prince and the Cabinet minister will meet survivors, see the devastation and thank the military and NGOs for their efforts.

The Prince of Wales speaks to a member of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force and Royal Police as he arrives at VC Bird International Airport in Antigua

Antigua has the Queen as head of state, and waiting to meet the Prince on the runway was the governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda, Rodney Williams, and the countrys prime minister, Gaston Browne.

The red carpet welcome included a guard of honour and a band who played the national anthems of Britain and Antigua before Charles inspected the troops.

Ms Mordaunt said: The UK aid mission was huge, covering small islands stretching more than 1,000 miles apart, where buildings, airports and infrastructure had been razed to the ground.

(Victoria Jones/PA)

I want to pay tribute to the governments of the Overseas Territories, our humanitarian staff and to the military effort, which has been absolutely essential in delivering relief.

Now as we move on from the immediate response phase, on to the long-term future of the islands, Britain will continue to stand by people whose lives were devastated.

We are also talking to the international private sector who can support the reconstruction efforts to make sure the islands can build back, and better.

HRHs visit comes following the widespread devastation in the region caused by Hurricanes #Irma and #Maria in September 2017. #RoyalVisitATG pic.twitter.com/BPjH9QgFTy  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) November 17, 2017

Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to barrel through the Caribbean in decades, devastated huge swathes of the British Virgin Islands in September and left Barbuda almost uninhabitable after destroying nearly all of its buildings.

Less than two weeks later, the region was rocked by a second major storm, Hurricane Maria which decimated Dominica and Puerto Rico.

With the announcement of the 15 million package  plus 15 million recently allocated for the affected Overseas Territories of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos  the UK Government has now committed 92 million to help recovery and long-term reconstruction in the region.
PARIS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron has chosen the former head of insurer Generali's French business, Eric Lombard, to lead public-sector lender Caisse des Depots (CDC), his office said on Thursday.

Lombard, a former advisor in Socialist governments in the 1990s, rose through the ranks of BNP Paribas bank before taking the helm of the Italian insurer's French business in 2013.

His nomination must be confirmed in both houses of parliament.

The CDC manages deposits in popular tax-free savings accounts and also holds stakes in many top French companies, including CNP Assurances, Icade, the biggest office space developer in the Paris region, and Compagnie des Alpes, which operates the biggest ski resorts in France. (Reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey; Writing by Michel Rose, Editing by Leigh Thomas)
By Corina Pons

CARACAS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Venezuela's sacked former chief prosecutor on Thursday asked the International Criminal Court to capture and try President Nicolas Maduro and other top officials for crimes against humanity over murders by police and military officers.

Luisa Ortega, who broke with Maduro this year after working closely with the ruling Socialist Party for a decade, was fired in August after she opposed Maduro's plan to create an all-powerful legislature called the Constituent Assembly. She fled the country and has traveled the world denouncing alleged acts of corruption and violations of human rights.

Ortega said her complaint, filed on Wednesday with the Hague-based tribunal, was prompted by some 8,290 deaths between 2015 and 2017 at the hands of officials who received instructions the government.

"(They happened) under the orders of the executive branch, as part of a social cleansing plan carried out by the government," she told reporters in the Hague.

The government did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

The accusation refers to incidents of torture, extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrest. Some of them took place during a crackdown on anti-government protests that rocked the country between April and July and left at least 125 people dead, some of them at the hands of military and police officers.

The Maduro government accused Ortega of turning a blind eye to violence by opposition supporters, and has also leveled a raft of corruption charges at her.

Ortega's request also makes reference to killings that took place during police raids known as "Operations to Free the People," which have been heavily criticized by human rights groups since they began in 2015.

"Nicolas Maduro and his government must pay for this," she said.

The complaint also accuses top officials such as Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and intelligence chief Gustavo Gonzalez of involvement in the alleged abuses.

Ortega's critics say she was closely allied with Maduro's efforts to crack down on dissent and, before her break with him, had helped jail opposition leaders on trumped-up charges.

Maduro's government insists it respects human rights and says opposition demonstrations were Washington-backed efforts to violently overthrow him.

Despite their bitter differences, Venezuela's government and opposition agreed on Wednesday to a new round of foreign-mediated talks in the Dominican Republic on Dec. 1. (Reporting by Corina Pons and Eyanir Chinea; Writing by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Richard Chang)
BEIJING, Nov 17 (Reuters) - China supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and achieve greater development, President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia's King Salman, at a time of regional tensions between Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen.

China has traditionally played little role in Middle East conflicts or diplomacy, despite its reliance on the region for oil. But it has been trying to raise its profile, with Salman visiting China in March.

Speaking by telephone, Xi told Salman that China's determination to deepen strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia will not waver, no matter how the international and regional situation changes, China's Foreign Ministry said late on Thursday.

Remarking on the importance of maintaining close communication between the two countries' heads of state, Xi said China and Saudi Arabia are comprehensive strategic partners whose strategic mutual trust is deepening.

"China supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and realise greater development," the ministry cited Xi as saying, without elaborating.

The statement made no specific mention of issues like the resignation as Lebanon Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri while in Saudi Arabia, railing against Riyadh's bitter foe Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

Saudi-led forces, which back the government in Yemen, have also been targeting the Iran-allied Houthis in a more than two-year war there.

China has had to tread a fine line between Riyadh and Tehran as Beijing has close ties with Iran as well.

The ministry statement said Xi and Salman also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern, but gave no details. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)
Nov 17 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Friday.

DEBT TENDER

Romanian debt managers rejected all bids at a tender to sell February 2019 treasury bonds on Thursday, central bank data showed.

CEE MARKETS

Central European currencies and equities mostly firmed on Thursday on relief that the past week's global stocks sell-off had not continued in Asia overnight, indicating less risk aversion.

EUROBANK

Eurobank EURBr.AT made a 61 million euro ($71.8 million) net profit in the third quarter, up 64 percent from the previous quarter, as provisions for impaired loans remained broadly flat, Greece's third-largest lender by assets said on Thursday.

But it slipped to a loss of 15 million euros after taking account of one-off expenses related to discontinued operations and restructuring costs from a planned disposal of assets in Romania.

NON-PERFORMING LOANS

Non-performing loans in the Romanian banking system fell below 8 percent this fall, central bank chief economist Valentin Lazea said. Ziarul Financiar

TAROM

Ileana Daniela Dragne, the manager of Romanian state-owned air carrier Tarom resigned on Thursday. She is the fourth Tarom manager to resign this year. Ziarul Financiar

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By Duncan Miriri and Thomas Mukoya

NAIROBI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - At least five people were killed on Friday as Kenyan police tried to disperse supporters accompanying opposition leader Raila Odinga from the airport to central Nairobi, police said.

Police fired tear gas at the convoy in which Odinga was travelling and used water cannon as they tried to stop it reaching the capital's main business district.

Some protesters threw stones at police. Two vehicles, including a police truck, were set on fire.

A Reuters photographer saw two bodies with gunshot wounds as police and protesters fought on one of the main roads leading to the business district.

Police said five people were stoned to death by angry mobs after they were caught stealing and denied they had used excessive force against the opposition supporters.

"These incidences occurred before the police arrived at the various scenes," the police service said in a statement.

Police retreated several times along the route after the protesters were unmoved by the teargas and water cannon spray. They finally held their ground near the city's main park, where Odinga, just returned from the United States, intended to address a rally that had been banned.

He blamed President Uhuru Kenyatta for the violence.

"My anger is with that guy called Uhuru Kenyatta. I went abroad... After you welcomed me well, he sent policemen to teargas you, to beat my people, to fire bullets at them. Isn't this barbaric?," he told his supporters after driving to safety.

Odinga has called for a "National Resistance Movement" to protest against the outcome of a repeat presidential election last month which saw Kenyatta win a second, five-year term with 98 percent of the vote after Odinga boycotted the contest. Only 39 percent of registered voters took part.

The repeat poll was ordered by the Supreme Court after it annulled the results of the August election, won by Kenyatta, over procedural irregularities.

The court will rule on Monday on cases that seek to nullify the rerun election.

The political crisis has stirred fears for the stability of Kenya, a regional hub for trade, diplomacy and security.

Earlier on Friday, demonstrators threw up burning barricades on Mombasa Road, the highway that links Nairobi's downtown business district and the airport.

Despite a partial police ban on protests in the capital, hundreds of people had gathered in the morning near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to await Odinga's return. Police fired into the air to disperse them.

Once Odinga landed, motorcycle taxi drivers and people on foot shouted their support as the motorcade, which included lawmakers from Odinga's opposition coalition, began moving toward central Nairobi.

Dozens of international flights depart and arrive daily at Nairobi's main airport. The national airport authority said on Twitter just before midday that operations were running normally.

Kenya Airways said it had been "impacted" by the disruptions around the airport and offered to book travellers who missed their flights on subsequent ones.

Kenya's prolonged election season has disrupted its economy. Human rights groups say at least 66 people have died in bloodshed surrounding the two elections.

Ahead of Monday's Supreme Court ruling, Kenya Airways' chairman told an investor briefing on Friday: "Hopefully we dont have another presidential election so we can get on with life." (Reporting by Duncan Miriri and Thomas Mukoya Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
MEDORA  From a Badlands overlook across from the Elkhorn Ranch, Jay Clemens admires the same view Theodore Roosevelt once had while sitting on his porch.

Its a pretty stunning area, said Clemens, as an eagle flies overhead.

But when he looks in the opposite direction on his western North Dakota property, Clemens can see oil wells, stockpiles of gravel and equipment drilling a saltwater disposal well.

The encroachment of development is increasing on his land along the Little Missouri State Scenic River. Clemens, a North Dakota native who lives in the San Francisco Bay area, is working to protect the views from Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the land he owns directly across from the Elkhorn Ranch unit.

The impacts, I think, are going to be very, very substantial unless we do something about it, he said.

Clemens, an attorney whose career included working for Lenovo and eBay, rediscovered the Badlands in the early 2000s after he was invited to serve on the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation.

Every time I went out there, I felt wonderful. I wanted to spend more time, said Clemens, who grew up in Mandan.

Clemens decided to buy a ranch in the Badlands and ended up acquiring two neighboring properties, including the Buckhorn Ranch that is directly across from the secluded area Roosevelt chose for his ranch in the 1880s.

Clemens supported having his land included in the Theodore Roosevelt Elkhorn Ranchlands Historic District.

This is a big part of American history in terms of the birth of the conservation ethic, said Clemens, who serves on the board of trustees for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Clemens, a board member for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, is at the ranch several times a year while in North Dakota for meetings or visiting family. He also has a caretaker who watches over the property and helps promote it as a hunting and recreation destination.

In the past year, Clemens has seen an increase in requests for easements related to oil development such as proposed new wells, a road to access wells, new pipelines and a proposal for a saltwater disposal well. Billings County also is developing gravel resources in the area, including test holes on his property.

When you dont own the mineral rights or the surface rights, you cant say no, Clemens said. The best you can do is have conversations with people and try to limit the intrusiveness of what theyre doing to the area.

With each request, Clemens tries to work with the company to protect the views from the Elkhorn Ranch.

Right now, hes considering a request for a new pipeline to transport saltwater, a waste byproduct of oil production. While Clemens prefers to disturb the land as little as possible, he also wants to limit the impact of truck traffic to the area.

Its really about providing the best environment for the park and the people who come out here, he said.

Clemens said he turned down a request from the oil industry to access water from the Little Missouri River across from the Elkhorn Ranch for use in hydraulic fracturing. He believes more study is needed to determine the impact of industrial use on the river ecosystem and the sustainability of the practice.

I really do think its crazy to pull water out of the Little Missouri, Clemens said. You have a hard time persuading me thats the best use.

An oil company thats developing wells in the Little Missouri River Valley, NP Resources, is taking steps to minimize impact in the sensitive Badlands areas, said President Clayton Miller.

That includes drilling multiple wells from a single location, using existing well sites when possible and connecting to pipelines right away so natural gas is only flared in an emergency.

Instead of above-ground pump jacks that bob up and down, NP Resources uses submersible pumps with equipment that is below ground.

At a Billings County well site adjacent to Clemens property, NP Resources drilled a saltwater disposal well on the same pad as oil wells so wastewater can be injected there rather than piped or trucked elsewhere.

At a different location in the same county, the company upgraded an abandoned well site rather than construct a new well pad and access road. NP Resources designs its well sites to federal standards, even if theyre not on federal property.

We use the same standard for all of our facilities, which is the highest standard, Miller said.

At one site, NP Resources used flexible temporary pipe to access water for fracking from the Little Missouri River about 5 miles away rather than trucking it a much greater distance from Belfield.

The company, which has temporary water permits through the State Water Commission, schedules fracking operations for times when the river flows are high.

You cant see the difference in the river flow, Miller said.

NP Resources uses about 8 million gallons of water to frack each well, while some companies in North Dakota are experimenting with up to 20 million gallons per well.

The Little Missouri River Commission, a recently reactivated advisory board, is considering the states policy on industrial water permits from the river. The group delayed action last month on making a recommendation to the State Water Commission.

Denver-based NP Resources operates only in the Bakken, with offices in Beach and Fairfield. The wells in the Little Missouri River area are assets NP acquired from Whiting Petroleum.

The number of wells NP Resources has planned in the Badlands is unknown because the company is developing the area slowly, operating one rig at a time as it tests the geology in that area.

Were a pretty careful driller, Miller said. Were not going to run multiple rigs and do a lot of aggressive things out here too quickly because were not real sure what the economics are.

The Badlands Conservation Alliance has closely watched the preliminary plans NP Resources has submitted to state regulators and is concerned about the potential for significant development.

A stakeholder group called the Badlands Advisory Group is working to implement recommendations released last May after an assessment involving research and interviews about oil development in the Badlands.

Most of the people we talked to were in favor of oil development, but they thought there needs to be more attention paid to protecting the surface resources, the Badlands themselves, the grasslands and reclamation, said Rod Backman, a spokesman for the group.

The recommendations include encouraging the North Dakota Industrial Commission to do larger landscape planning, initiating a wildlife habitat improvement program and promoting a pilot project for oil companies to test some of the groups recommendations.

The group is planning to meet in December to discuss next steps, Backman said. They are talking to NP Resources about participating in a pilot project.

Clemens and other conservationists also say they support broader landscape planning, looking at the cumulative impact of oil development on the area.

Clemens said he has offered to donate his land for a national monument designation or to extend the boundary of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, but so far it's not something anyone has wanted to pursue.

The goal is to keep it as pristine as possible, Clemens said. Theres nothing quite like it in the U.S. Its a very special place.
By Promit Mukherjee and Nidhi Verma

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - India's state oil refiners are planning an aggressive push into natural gas in coming years to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal of making the fuel a bigger part of the country's energy mix.

State-owned oil companies - Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum - are planning to raise gas contributions to between 5 and 15 percent of their incomes over the next few years, up from nearly none now, company executives said.

This in line with a government target to raise the natural gas portion of India's primary energy mix to 15 percent by 2030, up from 6.5 percent now, to help meet climate targets and rein in rampant pollution.

The increase would come mostly at the expense of coal, which is dirtier than gas and is India's most-used energy source. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports will cover the greater part of the growth, although the government also hopes to recover untapped domestic reserves off its east coast.

"Gas is an important part of our portfolio going forward," M.K. Surana, chairman of HPCL told Reuters, noting that the government push was expediting the development of gas in India.

With China, Pakistan and Bangladesh also increasing gas use, the surge in Asian demand is expected to help eat up a global glut of LNG supplies by 2021-2022.

BPCL, another leading Indian refiner, sees natural gas pulling in 5 to 10 percent of its overall revenue in less than a decade, from barely any now, its director of refineries, R. Ramachandran, told Reuters.

The state oil companies' plans involve building LNG import terminals and domestic pipelines, and bidding to set up urban gas networks across potential major demand centres, particularly in the eastern part of the country.

India's natural gas consumption is expected to rise to 70 billion cubic metres (bcm) by 2022 and 100 bcm by 2030, according to a government think tank and the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, up from 50 bcm now. India burns just 7 percent of what top user the United States consumes in a year with about a quarter of India's population.

At 100 bcm, India would move into the top 10 of global natural gas consumers at current consumption figures.

BIG PLANS

India needs to invest an estimated $100 billion in natural gas infrastructure by 2022, according to Oil Ministry figures, including setting up a gas grid across 228 cities. A major chunk of this investment would come from the state oil companies.

HPCL, soon to be taken over by state-owned explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp, is planning to expand its natural gas businesses via joint ventures, including its city gas distribution unit.

BPCL said it has also gone after city gas licenses and secured rights to supply gas to households and vehicles in four cities starting 2016/2017.

Both BPCL and HPCL - which are also separately looking to set up LNG import terminals - declined to say how much they are investing in their moves towards gas.

The biggest challenge preventing more gas use so far has been a lack of infrastructure, mainly gas pipelines and regasification terminals.

Still, India is already the world's fourth-largest importer of LNG, behind Japan, South Korea and China. Last year, India imported about 19 million tonnes of LNG, or 25 bcm, up around 15 percent over the previous year, according to government data.

There is "a clear push from the government ... (and) a genuine belief ... they can push the gas economy idea," said Rahool Panandiker, a partner at Boston Consulting Group.

India's biggest refiner, Indian Oil, told Reuters in October that it aims to generate 15 percent of its revenues from natural gas businesses in five years.

The nation's appetite for gas and the government push to build infrastructure has also pushed Reliance Industries and its partner in India, BP Plc, to relook at their dormant gas marketing business.

(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee in MUMBAI and Nidhi Verma in NEW DELHI; Editing by Henning Gloystein and Tom Hogue)
BEIRUT, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said on Friday a crisis triggered by the resignation of its prime minister was part of an "attempt to create chaos in the region", in an interview with Russia Today.

Saad al-Hariri quit as prime minister in a broadcast from Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, saying he feared assassination and criticising the Saudis' regional arch-rival Iran along with its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

The actions of Hariri, a Sunni Muslim leader and long-time Saudi ally, plunged Lebanon into a political crisis, putting the country centre stage in the rivalry.

He has yet to return to Beirut and is expected to leave Saudi Arabia this weekend for France, where he will meet with President Emmanuel Macron.

Bassil is touring European and other capitals seeking diplomatic help to end the crisis.

"We will respond and we have the full capacities to do so, but we hope it doesn't get to that," Bassil said in Moscow. His comments to Russia Today were reported earlier on Friday by Lebanese broadcasters al-Jadeed, al-Manar and LBC without attribution.

French officials said they did not know how long Hariri would stay before returning to Beirut, but hoped his visit would help ease the crisis by demonstrating he was not being held in Saudi Arabia. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington, Ellen Francis; Editing by Samia Nakhoul, John Stonestreet and Peter Graff)
PRISTINA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - A court in Kosovo on Friday sentenced four people, including a member of parliament, to prison terms ranging from 2 to 8 years for taking part in a grenade attack against the parliament building last year.

The four were found responsible for throwing a rocket propelled grenade at the building in August last year in order to halt adoption of a border deal with Montenegro. No one was injured in the attack.

Tensions between opposition parties and the then-ruling coalition rose last summer as the parliament was getting ready to adopt border deal with Montenegro, key for Kosovo to get visa-free travel regime with the European Union.

Opposition parties opposed the deal saying the country of 1.8 million is losing land by handing over some 8,000 hectares (19,700 acres)of Kosovo territory to Montenegro.

In a protest over the deal, opposition deputies released tear gas in the parliament chamber, while its supporters clashed with the police during street protests.

Frasher Krasniqi, parliament deputy of the biggest opposition party Vetevendosje was found guilty and sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Adea Batusha, 23, a niece of Vetevendosje's leader, was sentenced to two years in prison.

One of the defendants was found dead in his cell in November 2016 before the trial started. Vetevendosje blamed the authorities for this death but police said he killed himself.

"For all these unjust judgements, sooner or later, those criminals who ordered these fabricated trials will be held accountable, before the law and before the history," Frasher Krasniqi wrote in his Facebook page after the verdict.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nearly a decade after NATO bombing drove Serb forces from its territory. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Ivana Sekularac/Jeremy Gaunt)
By Ron Bousso, Simon Jessop and Susanna Twidale

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund's proposal to ditch its oil and gas shares, though hugely symbolic in the battle against climate change, is unlikely to cause a rush to the exit by major investors in the sector in the short term.

The move by the $1 trillion fund, the world's largest, rattled stock markets, exposing what is seen as one of the biggest threats to companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and BP as the world shifts towards renewable energy such as wind and solar.

But in the meantime, expectations of growing global demand for oil and gas for decades to come mean reliance on these companies is likely to continue.

And although the Norwegian initiative will encourage those seeking to hasten the move to a low-carbon economy, the degree to which other investors can follow the fund's example, at least in the short term, is less clear.

The European oil and gas index fell on Friday to its lowest since late September, extending declines following the Norwegian fund's announcement.

For some, it was seen as an opening shot in the decline of the 150-year-old sector in the battle to slow global warming and reduce carbon emissions, reminiscent of the demise of coal.

"The investor exit from oil and gas as a fuel source will be slower than coal, but the emissions reduction maths is clear and so this inevitable transition has started," said Nathan Fabian, director of policy at Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a United Nations-backed group that represents asset managers with holdings of over $60 trillion.

But other investors do not draw the same parallels.

"I do not see this as the start of a broader trend among major investors," said Rohan Murphy, energy analyst at Allianz, which holds shares in several oil majors.

"Coal is a more obvious SRI (sustainable responsible investment) sell compared to oil and gas - coal is dirtier."

"Gas, which is a big part of all the big oil businesses today, is the answer for the medium-term energy transition to gas from coal for power generation," Murphy said.

Petroleum companies see natural gas as a cleaner alternative to coal for power generation in the effort to wean the world off fossil fuels by the end of the century.

"Many wish for a quick and revolutionary role reversal between the oil and gas industry, and the renewable and new electric industry. But undue haste and an overly ideological approach could bring great economic and social damage," Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in a speech last month.

Also, demand for oil in transportation and plastics is not expected to decline significantly until 2050, according to many forecasts.

The Norwegian announcement came as more than 195 nations met in Bonn, Germany, to decide how to comply with climate targets agreed in Paris in 2015 to limit a rise in global temperatures.

SCALE

But beyond our dependence on oil and gas, the size of the world's top oil companies would make mass divestment a huge challenge. The top five publicly traded companies - Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP and Total - together have a market value of over $1 trillion.

Coal companies, on the other hand, have always been smaller.

For now, there is no viable alternative to oil and gas to meet the world's demand, several investors said.

"My guess is that after the initial market adjustment ... the move may not damage the sector's long-term performance significantly," said Kevin Gardiner, global investment strategist at Rothschild Wealth Management.

The Norwegian wealth fund's move, echoing Saudi Arabia's plan to list part of its national oil company, was aimed at making Norway less exposed to volatile oil prices and less reliant on revenue from fossil fuels.

If approved, it would most likely take years for the Norwegian fund to unwind its large investments in the sector and find new homes for the money.

And while there is also growing demand from retail investors to invest in 'responsible' or 'sustainable' funds, oil and gas companies are not commonly excluded and any change here would be gradual.

Dropping oil and gas companies would also mean missing out on a rich source of dividend income, a prized asset at a time of low bond yields.

Three - Shell, Exxon and Gazprom - were among the top-10 dividend payers globally in the third quarter.

In absolute terms, the number of oil and gas companies in leading stock indices varies, with 14 in the STOXX 600 index of leading European companies, or 2.3 percent; and 26 in the S&P 500, or 5.2 percent.

The size of some of the largest can have a disproportionate impact on returns relative to their index peers. While there are just two companies in Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 index, for example, they make up 14 percent of the index's value.

While the Norwegian fund has long been a trend-setter for issues around socially responsible investing, particularly in Scandinavia, the reason for this decision is relatively unique.

Its desire to make treasury receipts less dependent on the oil price is not a challenge faced by most pension funds, which make up a large slice of the money invested globally.

Any decision to ditch oil and gas would arguably leave them less diversified, not more, said investors, although charitable endowments may have more flexibility to do so.

(Additional reporting by Helen Reid in London, Gwladys Fouche in Oslo; editing by Giles Elgood)
By Oleg Vukmanovic

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) rose this week as state-run Korea Gas Corp purchased around 10 shipments for winter and outages curbed supply.

Spot prices <LNG-AS> for December delivery rose 25 cents to $9.70 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), and January prices were assessed at $9.85 per mmBtu.

Korea Gas Corp, or Kogas, purchased at least 10 cargoes in the past week for January delivery at prices in the high $9 per mmBtu level with Vitol, Engie, Petronas and Royal Dutch Shell closing sales deals, a trader said.

Signs of South Korean buying could draw Japanese end-users into the market, he added. It remains to be seen how colder temperatures in Seoul and the impact of this week's earthquake on South Korea's nuclear fleet influence gas demand.

Estimates of Kogas' buying varied, including forecasts for between six to nine cargoes for delivery in December and January. The importer has taken more LNG from its long-term suppliers, such as Qatar, in order to limit its reliance on spot markets, traders said.

Qatar, meanwhile, has all but sold out of winter supply after committing much of its spare output to China and South Korea, a development that could tighten Asia's gas markets as the peak demand season bites.

Taiwan's state-run power utility CPC bought a January cargo on Thursday but the price level could not be confirmed, a trader said.

Royal Dutch Shell may be seeking LNG for its portfolio from February.

In addition to that, a weekend outage hindered output from Australia's 16.3 million tonne/year North West Shelf liquefaction plant.

Four of five production units, or trains, were back in service by Monday this week, but the fifth may remain offline, traders said.

Chevron's Gorgon facility in Australia also shut down its third production unit this week for a planned maintenance lasting up to Dec. 25, trade sources said.

Despite this, supply was offered from multiple sources, including via tenders and bilaterally.

Russia's Sakhalin-II export plant put up two January cargoes for sale with bids due on or before Nov. 22 and the tender valid until Nov. 23, traders said.

In Australia, the Gladstone project marketed a early December cargo.

Angola LNG on Friday offered a Nov. 23-25 loading cargo.

"Three cargoes are being offered in January excluding these latest tenders and the Chinese have got a lot of offers for December and January cargoes," a Singapore-based trade source said.

Trading house Gunvor is picking up a cargo from Trinidad in mid-December and another from Sabine Pass in the United States later in the month, trade sources said.

Gunvor chartered the Excalibur tanker to pick up its Trinidad cargo for around $30,000/day, well below prevailing market rates of between $50,000-$60,000/day because the vessel needs to be cooled down with LNG before it becomes operational, shipping sources said.

Gunvor is seeking a second vessel for its Sabine Pass cargo in late December. The Woodside Chaney tanker left Singapore empty and is sailing toward the Atlantic around Africa currently, potentially incurring a hefty positioning fee for the charterer, trade and shipping sources said.

Pakistan LNG also reduced its requirement for December and January deliveries. A cargo by Trafigura due to be delivered in December and two by Gunvor due in January are no longer needed.

Gunvor may be due to supply the first commissioning cargo to Pakistan's second LNG import terminal, the BW Integrity, at the end of the month, several trading and market sources said.

(Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic; Editing by Edmund Blair)
BERLIN, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The German government should revoke landing rights for Kuwait Airways given its ban on Israeli passengers, a senior Justice Department official said on Friday, saying such discrimination was intolerable.

Christian Lange, parliamentary state secretary in the ministry, appealed to Chancellor Angela Merkel to personally advocate a ban on Kuwait Airways' operations in Germany.

A German court ruled on Thursday that the airline had the right to refuse to carry an Israeli passenger due to his nationality, a verdict that Jewish groups said condoned anti-Semitism.

Lange told Merkel in the letter that he had received countless phone calls from members of the Jewish community and from others in Israel, expressing shock about the court ruling, made just days after Germany solemnly marked the anniversary of the Nov. 9, 1938 Nazi pogroms against the Jews.

"We cannot say 'Never again' at a remembrance ceremony, but then remain silent when activists in Germany call for a boycott of Israel, or, as in this case, when an airline refuses to carry Israeli citizens," Lange said.

"Especially the German government must make clear that we reject this form of discrimination and hate, and that we stand by the side of our Israeli friends," he told the chancellor.

The Lawfare Project, the legal group that represented the plaintiff in the case, has vowed to appeal against the ruling.

"To see a Jewish person banned from exercising his freedoms in Germany in 2017 is chilling enough. To see that discrimination whitewashed and legitimized by a German judge is grotesque," said the group's executive director, Brooke Goldstein.

Deputy German Foreign Minister Michael Roth also criticized the airline's policy, telling Die Welt newspaper that he had contacted the Kuwaiti ambassador in Germany about the issue.

German Transport Minister Christian Schmidt told Bild newspaper that it was not acceptable to discriminate against airline passengers because of their nationality, and said the German government would address the matter with the Kuwaiti government.

"This requires contacts at the ministerial level," Schmidt told the newspaper in an interview to be published on Saturday.

"We will do all we can within our legal means to prevent something like this in the future," Schmidt told the paper.

There was no immediate response to a request for comment emailed to the airline. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Editing by William Maclean)
By Brad Brooks

AMERICANA, Brazil, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors in Brazil are conducting a criminal investigation into alleged international money laundering by a man at the center of a Reuters inquiry into U.S. President Donald Trumps first international hotel project.

Reuters reviewed more than 350 pages of a sealed investigation by federal police into Alexandre Ventura Nogueira, who spent two years in Brazil after fleeing Panama in 2012. The inquiry has not previously been disclosed. Nogueira was instrumental in selling many units in the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower in Panama City, an investigation by Reuters and NBC News found.

"Federal prosecutors in Sao Paulo have been investigating Alexandre Henrique Ventura Nogueira since 2013 for financial crimes and money laundering," the prosecutors office said in a written statement. The inquiry slowed after Nogueira fled Brazil in October 2014, but the statement added: "The case remains open, Brazilian authorities are aware of the targets suspicious activities in other countries, and we hope that will help to locate his whereabouts."

Nogueira, 43, told Reuters he had laundered money for corrupt officials in Panama but said he was not aware of a federal investigation into him in Brazil. He denied wrongdoing in Brazil, and does not face criminal charges there.

Nogueira was arrested by Panamanian authorities in 2009 on charges of fraud and forgery, unrelated to the Trump project. Released on $1.4 million bail, he fled the country and is considered a fugitive by Panama.

Prosecutor Karen Kahn said the Brazilian federal investigation began in 2013 after the Finance Ministrys financial crimes unit noticed several transfers of more than 1 million reais ($305,500) from accounts in Panama with HSBC and Citibank registered under the name Alexander Ukstin to Nogueiras Brazilian accounts at the state-run Banco do Brasil, Citibank and Santander.

Nogueira confirmed to Reuters that he had made money transfers from Panama to Brazil, sometimes using a pseudonym, including the name Ukstin, but said it was his own money.

Citibank in Brazil, Banco do Brasil and Santander had no comment. U.S.-based spokespersons for HSBC and Citibank declined to comment about Nogueiras accounts in Panama.

Nogueira also faces 19 civil lawsuits filed in Sao Paulo state courts. They run to more than 3,100 pages, mostly related to allegations of fraud at five gas stations he opened in and around Americana, a city of 233,000 people located 125 kilometers (80 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo.

Nogueira told Reuters the businesses were legitimate and the cases arise from events beyond his control. He said he left Brazil with only a few thousand dollars. His former business partners in Brazil allege in lawsuits that he cheated them of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Brazils federal police have sought the assistance of Interpol, who confirmed Panamanian police also opened an inquiry into alleged money laundering by Nogueira but did not provide further details.

Brazilian police say they last knew the whereabouts of Nogueira in 2015 - when they tracked him to a country in South-East Asia. But with no arrest warrant or charges in Brazil, police could only monitor his movements.

(Edited by Dan Flynn and Richard Woods)
WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Qatar's foreign minister on Friday criticized "reckless leadership" in the Gulf for a number of crises including the Gulf rift and Lebanon, taking apparent aim at Saudi Arabia.

The diplomatic crisis, in which Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have boycotted Qatar, has been brewing since the summer after the four countries cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar, accusing it of financing terrorism. Doha denies the charges.

Saudi Arabia and its allies are fighting for sway across the region against a bloc led by Iran, which includes the heavily armed Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group.

Attention on the dispute has shifted recently especially in the wake of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's shock resignation announcement this month while in Saudi Arabia.

Hariri's abrupt resignation and his continued stay in Riyadh have caused fears over Lebanon's stability and thrust it into the bitter rivalry between Riyadh and Iran. Saudi Arabia and Hariri - whom Riyadh backs - say his movements are not restricted. Riyadh also denies accusations it forced Hariri to resign.

"We see a pattern of irresponsibility and a reckless leadership in the region which is just trying to bully countries into submission," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in Washington.

"What we are witnessing now in the region ... it's something we just witness(ed) in recent history, bullying small countries into submission.

"Exactly what happened to Qatar six months ago is happening now to Lebanon. The leadership in Saudi Arabia and the UAE need to understand ... there is no right for any country to interfere in other countries' affairs," he told a group of reporters.

Asked to comment on those remarks, the Saudi Embassy in Washington's spokeswoman, Fatimah Baeshen, said:

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy has always been premised on regional stability, peace, and security. The Kingdom does not interfere with its neighbors domestic affairs."

Riyadh says Qatar backs terrorism and cozies up to Iran. Qatar rejects the accusation and says it is being punished for straying from its neighbors' backing for authoritarian rulers.

Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rose to power less than three years ago, Riyadh has struck a more aggressive posture towards Iran, launching a war in Yemen, leading the boycott of neighboring Qatar, and ratcheting up its rhetoric against Hezbollah.

U.S. efforts to bring an end to the dispute have yet to bear fruit. Qatar hosts the largest U.S. air base in the region which is used in the international coalition fighting Islamic State.

Thani said Qatar's Boeing C-17 transport aircraft, used by Doha for logistical support within the coalition, were forced to fly over Iran given that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have blocked Qatari planes from flying over their airspace.

"So if we imagine that any emergency will happen, those C-17 planes which might have U.S. troops will land in Iran.

"So this is the impact of this blockade ... on the global coalition and on U.S. military operations there," Thani said. (Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by James Dalgleish)
In commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka, an Exhibition of Photographic work titled Sri Lanka and China In the Eyes of Photographers will be held.



The exhibition is to be inaugurated by Minister of Petroleum Resources and Development Arjuna Ranatunga as the Chief Guest and Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang for Sri Lanka the as Guest of Honour.



The exhibition with 150 artistic Photographic work is by an exchange arrangement of photographers of the two countries and there will be two Sri Lankan photography artists Panduka de Silva and Ravindra Ranasinghe, touring select provinces of China; Beijing, Shanxi, Hangzhou and Shanghai, while their counterparts from China Wang Ling and Wang Yi extensively covering locations in Sri Lanka.

A delegation of four headed by Hu Sishe, Vice President of CPAFFC will also be gracing the opening ceremony and the exhibition.



The Exhibition co-hosted by the Sri Lanka China Society and the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign countries (CPAFFC) in Beijing will be declared open at 9.30 am on Thursday, November 23 with the exhibition open till 6.00 pm on Friday, November 24 at the J. D. A. Perera Gallery, 46. Horton Place, Colombo 7.



Further details and information



Jinith de Silva - Vice President Sri Lanka-China Society
There is a huge need for childrens fiction in Sinhala, especially for adolescents. Attempts have been made to fill this void by translating popular childrens adventure books from the west such as the Biggles series by Capt. W. E. Jones, that doesnt diminish in any way the crying need for indigenous writing of this genre.



Martin Wickremasinghes Madol Duva may be called as the last, significant childrens adventure story we have seen, though some might question it being called as such (in that case, what else is it?)

Palitha Lokupothagamas Yakage Mala is a step in this direction, though it might be called an adventure story with an educational purpose, the latter given more importance than the adventure. It takes place in a farming village in the Kurunegala district. The normal placid life of an agricultural village is disrupted by the arrival of an American company which begins a mysterious construction in an abandoned rubber plantation. Tharaka, Haritha, Ruwan and Sarani, Year 10 students and friends from the same school, decide to investigate. But the property is enclosed by high walls and there is a mysterious white man at the gate, barring entry.



The author talks about organic farming and ecology along the way, and obviously feels the need to educate his readers. Palitha Lokupothagama, a school teacher for 21 years, quit after feeling that there was nothing more he could contribute to that sphere and that his creative talents lay elsewhere. Today, hes a renowned dramatist in the sphere of school drama while running his own modest publishing firm based in Giriulla.



In 1988, his school drama Kaputa Saha Keju Kella won 8 awards at the youth club drama festival. The drama Salli won first place at the Rupavahini Muthuhara childrens drama festival in 1989. Wessa a full-length drama, followed in 1990. Noba Venuven Mal Pipevi won three awards including third place at the 1997 state childrens drama festival. Amara Giya Divya Loke won five awards including first place at the 1998 state drama festival, and Rupa Pettiya reached the finals in the limited section of the school drama festival.

The normal placid life of an agricultural village is disrupted by the arrival of an American company



In addition, he is the author of several childrens books, including Sapaththu Kade published in 2015. Two of his dramas have been included in government school syllabuses.



This author is unusual in that he doesnt hesitate to offer DVDs of his dramas to the public. Most Sri Lankan dramatists object to any video record of their work, claiming that it will harm their market. But Palitha has a video team filming all his plays, and they are for sale at his centre at Giriulla, along with DVDs of quality foreign dramas, movies and classical music performances.
Leeann Tweeden, who has said that Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken forcibly kissed and groped her, said Thursday that Franken's forced kiss on her years ago was "persistent" and "uncomfortable."

Speaking on CNN's "The Lead" with Jake Tapper on Thursday, Tweeden said that the incident, which occurred in 2006, before Franken was a senator, left her "so angry, I was in disbelief."

"To this day I talk about it and my hand clenches into a fist," Tweeden said.

Tweeden explained the incident happened backstage before a USO skit after Franken suggested they rehearse the kiss scene.

Despite reservations, Tweeden said she eventually agreed to it, and Franken "puts his hand on the back of my neck and comes in so fast. There was not finesse to it at all -- let's put it that way. And he just mashes his mouth to my lips. It was wet and he puts his tongue in my mouth and I push his chest away with my hands."

Earlier Thursday, Tweeden had said Franken groped her and kissed her without her consent in 2006 while they were on a USO tour overseas. A morning news anchor on TalkRadio 790 KABC in Los Angeles, she posted her story on the station's website.

She included a photo in which Franken appears to grabbing Tweeden's breast while she's asleep.

In a statement to reporters, Franken said he doesn't remember the forced kissing, but said he shouldn't have conducted his behavior as he did in the photo.

Tweeden has accepted Franken's apology, and told Tapper she believes the senator's apology is "heartfelt."

While Tweeden didn't see the photo until after the trip, she said that looking back on it now, she recognizes Franken's later actions during the USO trip as a "last laugh."

"That was like his parting gift, like 'Haha, she's going to see that after we're all gone,'" she said. "It was belittling. It was humiliating. Is that funny? Is that ever funny? Is that funny if that's your wife or your daughter or your mom?"

Tweeden went on to say she's been holding her anger about the incident inside for years.

"I've been angry about it, Jake, for over 10 years," she said.

Remarking on the recent slew of sexual harassment charges that have hit various public figures, Tweeden said she empathized with the accusers, "It's embarrassing. Why do you think there are people, there are still a lot of people who haven't told their stories," she said.

Franken said he would cooperate with an ethics committee investigation following remarks from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, who called for one to begin.

When asked if she thought Franken should step down, Tweeden said, "That's not why I came out with my story. I'm not asking for him to step down for senator. if someone else calls for that, but that's not what I'm asking."

CNN's MJ Lee and Juana Summers contributed to this story
The construction of the new road along the west bank of west Beira Lake, adjoining the former Army Headquarters, Baladaksha Mawatha, Colombo 2, is in full swing as scheduled by Access Engineering PLC.



With the increasing number of vehicles entering the city of Colombo every day, the vehicular traffic sometimes comes to a standstill during the peak hours. Out of all the arterial roads driving traffic towards the city of Colombo, the Colombo-Galle Road (A2) is reported to be one of the highly congested roads that requires urgent attention.



With the completion of many hotel and condominium developments within the city, especially along the Colombo-Galle Road, the anticipated traffic volume will be doubled bursting the city roads at seams. In order to ease out the anticipated complexities, the Colombo Municipality Council initiated the construction of a ring road from Colombo-Galle Road (0+000) to Justice Akbar Mawatha (1+186.27) creating a direct pathway to access the upcoming hotels and condominium developments in and around Galle Face and along the Galle Road without disturbing the current flow of traffic.



The construction work is entrusted to Access Engineering PLC and the scope of the work includes the construction of the 1.15-kilometre-long four-lane carriageway, where the width of a single lane would be 3.3 metres. The road is to be constructed along with a 1.8-metre-wide footpath on the right side and a 0.75-metre-wide footpath on the left side and a seven0metre-wide two-lane connection road connecting to the Galle-Colombo Road.



The removal of the army officers buildings and the clearance of the land for the pathway was quiet challenging and several soft ground treatment methods were designed in order to address the settlements in the ground areas, which were previously filled with demolished road debris, said Priyantha Rathnayake, Project Manager of the construction of new road along the west bank of west Beira Lake project.
Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne today issued an arrest warrant on former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States, Jaliya Wickramasuriya.

Mr. Wickramasuriya was earlier arrested for allegedly misappropriating funds allocated for purchasing a building for the Sri Lankan Embassy in US. He was later released on bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate.

Mr. Wickramasuriya had gone abroad citing medical treatment as the cause. The arrest warrant was issued since he failed to appear in the court today when the case was taken up for hearing.

The Magistrate also issued notices on the persons who signed as securities to grant bail for the accused. (Yoshitha Perera)
A stock of the banned chemical Glyphosate worth Rs.3.3 million, was seized at the Rank Container Terminal (RCT) in Orugodawatta today, Customs Superintendent Ranjith Kumarasinghe said.

He said during the investigations, Customs officers found 656 kilograms of Glyphosate powder packed in 14 boxes.

Each box contained 20 packets of Glyphosate weighing 100 grams each and 10 packets of one kilogram each packed in 14 separate boxes, Mr. Kumarasinghe said and added that the 20-foot container had arrived at the Colombo Port from Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

He said the container was loaded with sacks of potato and green chillies and the consignment declared as potatoes.

When examining the Customs declaration papers, the officers found a scanned copy of the invoice attached to the declaration papers. The Customs Officers who felt suspicious of the documents, had started investigations, Mr. Mr. Kumarasinghe said.

The officers had noticed the boxes of Glyphosate after the potatoes were unloaded. They were under sacks of green chillie, Mr.Kumarasinghe said.

The importer was identified as a businessman from the Ja-ela who was also a resident of Saindamadu in Kalmunai.

Some 12,710 kilograms of potatoes worth Rs.800,000 and 1,806 kilograms of green chillies worth Rs.1.8 million were among the goods unloaded from the container. It is illegal to import green chillies to Sri Lanka. The stock of potatoes and green chillie could have been contaminated with Glyphosate. The customs will release the stock of potatoes after an inspection by food inspectors," Mr. Kumarasinghe said.

The raid was carried out on the instructions of Customs Director H.M.S. Premarathne under the supervision of Deputy Director G.G Premasiri. Investigations were carried out by Customs Deputy Directors Ranjith Kumarasinghe, Chandana Dharmapriya, R.M.C.U. Ratnayaka, Customs Appraisers Ms. Chandani Senavirathne, Chandana Gamage Nalin Perera, Keerthi Herath, G.K. Ravihansa and Assistant Superintendent L. Tennakoon. (Chaturanga Pradeep)

Pics by Kushan Pathiraja
EU GSP Plus has delivered its most prominent success for Sri Lankan exports to-date since its announcement.



As a result of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes efforts on GSP Plus, our apparel exports from January to September this year has increased by 11.3 percent to US $ 1.67 billion, said the Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka in Colombo. Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the launch event of the third edition of Intex South Asia 2017 in Colombo this week joined by Prime Minister Ranil Wicremesinghe, South African High Commissioner in Sri Lanka R. P. Marks and High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri Taranjit Singh Sandhu.



Having completed two previous fairs in 2015 and 2016 in Colombo, Intex has now become the largest and sole international textile sourcing event in South Asia for yarns, apparel fabrics, and accessories. A strong presence of Chinese, Indian and Hong Kong participants is seen-along with leading multinationals such as Reliance Industries, Bombay Rayon Fashions Ltd., Mekotex, The Woolmark Company are showcasing their material at this event.



Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called for more events like Intex as a way for Sri Lankas integration with the region. Intex is the largest textile sourcing exhibition in the region said PM Wickremesinghe and added: It is also an indication of how we are integrated to the global trading system. SL apparel industry is important for our economy and is important for integration of Sri Lanka with the global trading system and the rest of South Asia. But there is more to be done. There are many opportunities in the value chain in the region that we have not taken. This type of events will lead to closer integration with South Asian countries.



Minister Bathiudeen stressed that the EU GSP Plus has delivered for Sri Lankan apparel exports.

Our governments special efforts to improve our international relations were successful and has resulted in Sri Lanka receiving EU GSP Plus which greatly strengthened our exports, specially apparel exports said Minister Bathiudeen and added: Our apparel exports to EU has increased by only 2 percent from January to September 2016 in comparison to the same period in 2015. Even though US market was not connected to EU GSP our apparel exports to US too have increased this year by 12 percent to US$ 1.8 billion (in January to September). I am also pleased to say that our overall apparel exports to all countries this year January to September increased by 13.4 percent to US $ 3.97 billion in comparison to the same period last year at US $ 3.5 billion. We believe this growth trend would continue and therefore expect even better performance next year.



In 2016, Sri Lankas apparel exports were at US$ 4.86 billion, claiming 43 percent of total Sri Lankan exports basket of that year.
Evidence before the Bond Commission revealed that former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and his family spoke to Arjun Aloysius over 750 times in total during the period February 5, 2015 to June 20, 2017.

There were 84 calls between Aloysius and the former Minister between February 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 the period of the controversial Bond Issuance, out of the total of 387 calls.

Aloysius had been in communication with the wife of the Minister 320 times and a total of 23 times with the daughters of the Minister Onella and Shenella Karunanayake.

The Minister earlier giving evidence denied any intimate knowledge of Arjun Aloysius and said he had met him "once or twice at family gatherings".

When messages were played out which referred to Ravi K" and Hon Ravi" and the coincidence of flights to Singapore with Aloysius the Minister denied any knowledge of reference or meeting Aloysius.

The revelations were made during evidence of Sub Inspector Yasanka Jayasinghe of the Technical aid Division of the Criminal Investigations Department. (Shehan Chamika Silva and Hafeel Farisz)
Selyna Peiris, Director - Business Development at Selyn

One of the country's largest social enterprises, nurturing over 1000 artisans across the island, Selyn has been at the forefront of the handloom industry as an ethical fashion and lifestyle brand since its inception. Built on Selyns strong fair-trade roots, Sthri by Selyn is a culmination of 25 years of ethical enterprise and curates collaborations with other ethical fashion designers and social brands with the mission to empower the women of Sri Lanka.

This collection was exclusively launched on 11 November 2017 at Park Street Mews, Colombo and unveiled collaborations with Arosha Rosenberger, an ethical fashion designer of Sri Lankan origin running the Tuschimo fashion label in Germany, and social brands such as Emerge and Salvage. Together they presented a range of everyday wear, sarees and fashion accessories, which include bags, sandals and jewelry. The collection caters to the working woman and incorporates outfits to carry her from day to night taking into account her busy schedule. All items are handmade using hand-woven fabric by women in Selyns networks in Kurunegala and the Eastern and Western Provinces.

The pieces are now available at the Selyn Flagship store at No: 102, Fife Road, Colombo 05 and will be available at their stores in Kandy, Negombo and Kurunegala shortly.

As we complete 25 years in business, we are proud to announce our first sub-brand, Sthri by Selyn. Its a collaborative effort in every sense with many supporters, partners and our own team coming on aboard to make it what it is. This is more than a fashion collection, its a collective for women and we hope it will evolve into a social movement to empower the women of Sri Lanka, shared Selyna Peiris, Director - Business Development at Selyn.

Combining fashion and social movement, Sthri represents empowered fashion for women, by women.
With the rains comes various diseases. Speaking to the Health Capsule Prof. Arjuna de Silva, Professor in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ragama, explained the different water borne diseases and infections that are commonly present in Sri Lanka. Such diseases can spread due to the contamination of drinking water with sewage water. He further sighted examples such as dengue, gastroenteritis, typhoid, Hepatitis A and skin rashes as the most common illnesses. There are various parasitic diseases that can happen, but the worm infestation an amoebiosis is less because of improved conditions. Cholera too can occur, but not in Sri Lanka unless it is imported, explained the professor.



Dengue



Prof. de Silva stated that one of the main diseases to watch out for during the rainy season, in the current context, is dengue. Although it is not transmitted through water it is one of the most deadly illnesses that spreads during the rainy season.



He further explained where the disease can originate. During the rainy season dengue can spread due to the increase in breeding sites for mosquitoes. Generally the mosquito breeds in clear water, so there are sights outside the house as well as inside such as plants and gutters where the water accumulates. Recent research has shown that the mosquito is adapting and can even breed in salt water or dirty water. However the main breeding site is still the accumulation of clear water. he explained.



Prof. de Silva continued to explain the symptoms that are experienced. There will be high fever, pain behind the eyes, headaches and aches in the body. The fever can even drop and return. The main problem is when patients exert themselves. Patients should take bed rest and take paracitamol. They shouldnt take asprin or any drugs that are used for joint pains. You should do a dengue antigen test within the first twenty four hours. Even if the test or the blood count are normal initially it is important to rest and keep checking the blood to make sure the platelet count is not dropping. Because the dengue antigen test is not 100% accurate, he said.



Speaking of preventive measure that should be taken the professor said, A vaccine is being made. But there are other measures that should be taken. You must make sure the environment is clean and there are no breeding sites. The Government alone cant do that, people also have to chip in. You must make sure that you are not bitten by mosquitoes by wearing mosquito repellant whenever you leave the house and wear long clothing, keeping skin exposure to a minimum. But the main thing is to make sure that the breeding sights are destroyed.



Prof. de Silva went on to explain about diseases that increase due to flooding. Diseases such as gastroenteritis, typhoid and hepatitis A are transmitted through oral means.



Gastroenteritis



Prof. de Silva explained gastroenteritis, its symptoms and treatment, This is the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that involves the stomach and the small intestine. It is quite a broad term and one of the main diseases that are spread during the rainy season, especially when there is flooding. The symptoms that you can experience are abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea along with fever. If it is immediate you have to take bed rest. If there is fever and no vomiting you have to give the patient liquids like jeevani. And if there is vomiting you have to admit the patient and give him/her an IV as well. Fluids and bed rest are the main treatment options and if it is a bacterial infection antibiotics have to be given said the professor.



Typhoid



Typhoid is a bacterial illness which is caused due to bacteria called paratyphoid and typhoid. This causes fever, headaches, abdominal pain and can even cause diarrhea. Antibiotics are prescribed as well, explained Prof. de Silva.



Hepatitis A



Prof. de Silva explained, Hepatitis A is a viral infection which can damage the liver. A definite symptom is yellow discolouration of the eyes. Others include fever, abdominal pain and weakness. There is a vaccine that is given for this condition, in addition to bed rest and fluids that are recommended. Hepatitis B is not commonly seen in Sri Lanka,he added.



Skin Rashes



Speaking of skin conditions that can be transmitted he said,These are mainly allergies. These are skin conditions that are developed due to muddy and contaminated water. You can develop rashes and experience itching. You must avoid contact with water, wear boots and suitable clothing. If contacted, wash it off as soon as possible. Generally it is an allergic reaction. When you develop a skin infection you can apply an antibiotic cream. Asteroid cream can be used if it is an allergy.



Prevention



Speaking on preventive measures that should be taken the professor said, If there is flooding it is difficult to sort out. Consume boiled and clean water, bottled water and make sure that the water source is secure. Make sure that the food that you use is not raw and is cooked well. When you have vegetables wash and cook them. You should not have things like salads otherwise there is a higher chance of getting infected.
Trump in Philippines:

When Donald Trump stretched his hand across our television screens on Sunday to shake the hand of the Philippines president, Rodrigo Duterte, and then said he had a great relationship with him I felt my gorge contracting. Having tasted the great, if sometimes flawed, (remember the totally counterproductive policy of arming the Afghani mujahedeen against the Soviet invaders) campaign of another US president, Jimmy Carter, to put human rights at the centre of American foreign, policy to see this bald regression is a bitter fruit to swallow.



Duterte recently boasted that he personally killed a man in a fight when he was 16. During his presidential campaign he darkly hinted at other killings he had made and since then has waged a no-hands-barred fight against suspected drug dealers. Arrests, courts, justice? Forget it.



But then under President Donald Trump we have seen presidential support, as we did under President George W. Bush, for torture. (President Barack Obama reversed the Bush policy.)

Winding the clock back to the time of Dumbarton Oaks where the UN Charter was drafted, the US joined the Soviet Union and strongly demanded that references in the draft to human rights be deleted. Fortunately, two years later, when the delegation to the writing of a Convention of Human Rights was headed by Eleanor Roosevelt, the US pushed for the most inclusive language possible, and the UN ended up with its second most important document.



But then, with the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan and with its tolerance of notorious dictators in Chile, Guatemala, China and Zaire, the US betrayed its own principles.

This surely explains why negative books, articles and TV headlines get more attention



However, during the conservative presidency of Ronald Reagan, the US ratified the UN Convention Against Torture. Yet when important parts of the press and Congress were lambasting Bush jnr. for the use of torture, the Convention was rarely mentioned. The American body politic seemed to have amnesia. Today too it is rarely mentioned.



Despite this, I would maintain that the world as a whole has taken more steps forward on human rights than backwards. For example, the number of countries inflicting capital punishment has fallen dramatically. There is less genocide, there are a declining number of battle deaths and civilians killed in war.

Thanks to the steady coal-face work of Amnesty International the number of political prisoners has declined. The international tribunals to try the initiators of the wars in ex-Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and East Timor were largely successful. In 1998 there was the founding of the International Criminal Court with most of the countries of the world signing up. (But not China, India, Israel, Russia and the US, although under Bush jnr. and more under Obama it gave it a good deal of practical support.) Now prosecutions and investigations that might lead to prosecutions have a wide reach- the behaviour of some American troops in Afghanistan is under investigation.



So why do many observers conclude that Human rights observance has gone down? According to Harvard professor, Kathryn Sikkink, in her new book Evidence for Hope, humans are cognitive misers  because we cannot process all information equally, we prioritize what we are going to process. People spend more time and care processing bad information. One study found that people were more than twice as likely to remember bad events as they were to remember good ones. There may be a good evolutionary reasons for the negative bias- humans who paid attention to and remembered bad things, such as predators, would have been more likely to survive. Humans also have a more detailed and systematic analysis and vocabulary to explain negative experiences and their resulting emotions, than positive ones, which may be related to the fact that we process positive and negative information in different hemispheres of the brain.



This surely explains why negative books, articles and TV headlines get more attention. We are likely to give more weight to criticism. We tend to ruminate more about unpleasant events than happy ones.



I admit on one human rights issue things have deteriorated. That is torture, which in recent decades has spread fast. It is strange that after the Second World War when the Allies arrested many of the German and Japanese leadership they never used torture to extract precious information. The receipt of information came from intensive interrogation and the war crime trials. Today, polls show that 6 out of 10 Americans support the use of torture, particularly against alleged terrorists. Yet in recent years only an average of four people a year have died from acts of terrorism.



Still, there are not many countries, apart from those mentioned above, where there has been a serious deterioration- most important of the declining countries has been China with growing censorship and the persecution of free-speech advocates. Even there executions have sharply decreased.



On balance, we are going forward.



For 17 years the writer was a foreign affairs columnist and commentator for the International Herald Tribune/New York Times.
The British woman who was deported from Sri Lanka for having a tattoo of Buddha on her arm said she had to leave Facebook after being abused by extremists, the BBC reported today.

The 41-year-old Naomi Coleman from Coventry won compensation on Wednesday after being detained in the country for four days, in April 2014.

Ms Coleman, a Buddhist herself, said she will not return to Sri Lanka.

Following her deportation, she says she received online messages telling her she should die and burn in hell.

"I have never experienced anything like this with Buddhism. They mostly seemed to be sent from Buddhist extremists in Sri Lanka. They were writing that I should die and burn in hell. I came completely off Facebook for a few weeks and have now changed my name on social media. To me, this is not the Buddhist way. Buddhism is about compassion and understanding,she said.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court said Ms. Coleman's treatment while she was in custody was "scandalous and horrifying" and awarded her compensation of 800,000 Sri Lankan rupees - about 4,000.

It said there was "no legal basis" for her arrest and she had been subject to "degrading treatment" by some officers and a prison guard.

Ms Coleman, who has been a Buddhist for about 10 years, has travelled widely and continues to go to retreats in Thailand and Nepal.

She said she was "overwhelmed" by the ruling but would not be returning to Sri Lanka.

"It's a shame - it's a beautiful country and most of the people are very welcoming. However, it seems there is a small percentage of people who want to cause trouble for me. I'm not sure if it's because I am a woman travelling alone. But, at the moment, I wouldn't feel safe going back," she said.
Small scraps of parchment inscribed with tiny Hebrew letters. They look like countries cut out of a map or lost pieces from a jigsaw puzzle nobody could solve.

Some scholars say they're pieces of the renowned Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish texts that date to the days of Jesus. Others suspect the fragments are expensive forgeries meant to dupe American evangelicals, including the family behind the splashy new Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC.

Last week, as the museum prepared for its grand opening on Friday, workers put finishing touches on its five floors of exhibits. They assembled the virtual reality ride through Washington, washed windows with clear views of the Capitol building, and wired the interactive displays that wind through the museum's 430,000 square feet.

The museum's exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls hasn't been as easy to nail down.

With a price tag of $500 million, the Bible museum represents a heavy investment by its evangelical founders, particularly the Green family.

Depending on your zip code, you may know the Oklahoma billionaires best for their chain of Hobby Lobby craft stores, or for their religious freedom battle with the Obama administration.

Either way, the Museum of the Bible's goal is the same, says Steve Green, its founder and chairman.

"I hope that, as people leave here, they will get inspired to get to know the Bible's story for themselves."

The Dead Sea Scrolls are an important part of that story, Green says. At nearly 2,000 years old, they testify to the reliability of the Bible, to scripture's timeless truths.

But Arstein Justnes, a professor of biblical studies at the University of Agder in Norway, says the Greens' fragments tell quite a different story. This one is about a burgeoning scandal in the world of biblical antiquities.

On his website, "The Lying Pen of Scribes," scholars and scientists have identified more than 70 Dead Sea Scroll fragments that have surfaced on the antiquities market since 2002. Ninety percent of those are fake, Justnes says.

If Justnes is correct, the Dead Sea forgeries could be the most significant sham in biblical archeology since the "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" fiasco, a forgery that hoodwinked a Harvard scholar and made worldwide news in 2012.

Steve Green won't say how much his family spent for their 13 fragments. But other evangelicals, including a Baptist seminary in Texas and an evangelical college in California, have paid millions to purchase similar pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Some scholars believe they are all fake.

Kipp Davis, an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls at Trinity Western University in Canada, is one of several academics trying to warn Christians, including the Green family, about the forgeries.

"The evangelical movement is really getting played here."

'They were buying everything'

It's hard to overstate how important the Dead Sea Scrolls are to biblical archeology.

"Any reputable Bible museum almost has to have Dead Sea Scrolls," said David Trobisch, the Museum of the Bible's director of collections.

Before the scrolls were discovered 70 years ago, the earliest and most complete version of the Hebrew Bible was from the 9th century.

But then Bedouin shepherds stumbled on the scrolls, hidden away for nearly 2,000 years in caves in Qumran, on the western shore of the Dead Sea.

The discovery was so vast, with more than 900 manuscripts and an estimated 50,000 fragments, it took six decades for scholars to excavate and publish them all.

The Israeli Antiquities Authority keeps a tight hold on most of the Dead Sea Scrolls, displaying them in the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. For decades, it was almost impossible for private collectors to get their hands on even scraps from the famous archeological find.

But in 2002, new fragments began mysteriously appearing on the market. The Greens bought their 13 fragments between 2009-2014. At the time, they were deeply involved in the antiquities trade, amassing a collection of some 40,000 artifacts.

Some scholars accused the Greens of buying too many artifacts too quickly, without being sure exactly where they came from, or who had owned them in the past.

"They made it widely known that they were buying everything," said Joel Baden, a professor at Yale Divinity school and co-author of "Bible Nation," a new book about the Greens.

"Every antiquities seller knew the Greens were buying everything and not asking questions about anything."

Eventually, the Greens landed in the crosshairs of the Justice Department, which said their company, Hobby Lobby, had received thousands of smuggled artifacts.

The company was warned that buying artifacts that were likely from Iraq carried with them the risk that they had been looted, the Justice Department said.

But Hobby Lobby still bought 5,500 items for $1.6 million from a dealer in the United Arab Emirates.

On some customs forms, the smugglers listed the artifacts as "ceramic tiles" and estimated their worth at $1 per item, prosecutors said.

"We should have exercised more oversight and carefully questioned how the acquisitions were handled," said Steve Green, who, in addition to being chairman of the Museum of the Bible, is also president of Hobby Lobby.

Green also says the Museum of the Bible was not involved in the smuggling scandal.

But at a news conference at the museum last month, Trobisch said some of the confiscated objects had been destined for an exhibit on writing in ancient history. The museum had to borrow artifacts from another collection instead.

At the same news conference, the museum unveiled more stringent acquisition policies.

But some scholars -- even those hired by the Greens -- still have questions about the items already in the museum's collection, including the Dead Sea Scroll fragments.

Dead Sea doubts

Almost immediately, Kipp Davis had doubts.

In the world of biblical studies, the 44-year-old still considers himself a "junior scholar." He occasionally spices conversations with "Star Wars" references.

But in addition to his scriptural expertise, Davis also has experience in paleography, the study of ancient writing, which is often used to date manuscripts.

In 2014, the Greens hired Davis to study their collection of Dead Sea Scrolls, helping to prepare them for publication with a top academic book publisher. It was the kind of assignment that comes rarely in a young scholar's career.

But as he looked at high-resolution and multi-spectral images of the Greens' collection, something bugged Davis.

The leather parchment appeared ancient enough, but the writing looked stretched and squeezed to fit the misshapen fragments. Some had bleeding letters and other markers of a scribe struggling to write on a weathered surface. One had what appeared to be an annotation from a 1937 edition of the Hebrew Bible, an almost unbelievable anachronism.

Paleography is an impressionistic science, which is a fancy way of saying that scholars often disagree about how to interpret its findings, and Davis is a careful scholar.

But the evidence added up, and he became convinced that at least six of the Greens' 13 fragments are almost certainly forgeries.

They reminded Davis of other Dead Sea Scroll fragments he had studied a few years before. After he and other scholars raised doubts about the authenticity of nine, scientific tests confirmed that eight were forgeries. The tests were inconclusive about the ninth. In one instance, the forger had spread table salt on a fragment, perhaps hoping to simulate the sediment around the Dead Sea.

Justnes, the biblical scholar from Norway, believes all 13 of the Greens' fragments are modern-day forgeries.

Rather than the smooth pen strokes of an experienced scribe, the writing on the fragments is "brutal and hesitant," he says.

"They don't look like authentic Dead Sea Scrolls."

'I have not seen the proof'

Emanuel Tov, a professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is perhaps the world's leading expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Davis calls him one of the most important biblical scholars of the last 50 years.

Like Davis, Tov was hired by the Greens to study their fragments and help edit the scholarly book about them. Tov says he is not convinced the fragments are fake.

"I will not say the Museum of the Bible has no inauthentic fragments," Tov said. "I will say I have not seen the proof."

The handwriting anomalies Davis describes also occur in authentic Dead Sea Scrolls, Tov says. To determine whether the Greens' fragments are forgeries, they need to be compared to a larger sample size of scrolls.

"We should not be so fast in thinking that we know everything about the scribe of these little fragments. We need very thorough research on the intricacies of the problems with the handwriting."

Like staffers at the Museum of the Bible, Tov also noted that one of the world's leading paleographers, Ada Yardeni, has studied the museum's fragments.

"She is accepted by everyone as the best paleographer in the world, and she has not raised one issue with the handwriting being non-authentic," Tov said.

Yardeni did not respond to emails from CNN requesting comment for this story.

But Tov said he still has some questions about the Greens' Dead Sea Scroll fragments.

For one, 12 of the 13 fragments bear snippets from the Hebrew Bible. That's an unusually high percentage considering that less than a quarter of all known Dead Sea Scrolls pertain to scripture.

"It is a very doubtful situation that most of the new fragments that have come to the market after 2002 are biblical. It is really very fishy."

But Tov said he had recently solved the riddle, perhaps. Maybe the fragments do not come from Qumran, where most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Maybe they come from another spot in the Judean Desert, where biblical texts were more common.

Of course, that raises more questions about the Greens' fragments. If they weren't found in Qumran, where were they found? And who found them?

"I do not know such things," Tov said. "Whether that's good or bad, I don't know. It's probably not good."

Where did they come from?

Clean cut and earnest, Steve Green projects an air of calm certainty, like a salesman who truly believes in the product he's selling.

But on some matters related to his family's expensive collection of artifacts, Green seems surprisingly uncertain. During a recent interview at the Bible museum, for instance, he said he wasn't sure who sold him the Dead Sea Scroll fragments.

"There's been different sources, but I don't know specifically where those came from."

The question of provenance -- documentation of an artifact's chain of custody -- is crucial to museums and modern collectors, scholars say. It protects against forgeries and looting.

A growing number of scholars say artifacts without provenance should not be the subject of academic study or displayed in museums.

The Museum of the Bible has dealt with provenance problems before. Trobisch, the collections director, said the museum will not display a fragment of St. Paul's letter to the Galatians because it cannot adequately trace its chain of ownership, including why it showed up on eBay in 2012.

But Trobisch says the museum knows -- and will display -- the provenance of the Dead Sea Scroll fragments.

All but one, he said, can be traced back to the Kando family, Palestinian antiquities dealers who became trusted middlemen between the Bedouins who found the Dead Sea Scrolls and the scholars who bought them decades ago. For years, the thinking among scholars has been: If an artifact came from Kando, it's likely legit.

Still, Trobisch said the museum does not know where the fragments first came from.

According to Tov, the Kandos listed the fragments as coming from "Qumran Cave 4," one of the 11 caves where Dead Sea Scrolls have been discovered. But both Tov and Trobisch question that.

"I personally don't think anyone in the world can know where they came from," Trobisch said.

William Kando, who runs the family business, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Some academics have their own suspicions about where they came from.

The world of Dead Sea Scroll scholars is small, and few have the level of skill and knowledge to forge believable artifacts.

"Whoever is behind this may be someone who we all know," Davis said.

Meanwhile, several fragments from the Green collection were sent to a scientist in Germany for further study. It's the same scientist who found forgeries in the other collection Davis studied. The results could be public as soon as next year.

At the Museum of the Bible, they've decided to "teach the controversy," to borrow a phrase from the science vs. scripture fight over teaching evolution in public schools.

At a media tour this week, six fragments were displayed in the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, including three that Davis' suspects are forgeries. When the museum opens, a display panel will acknowledge some of the doubts about the fragments' authenticity, as well as note the forthcoming scientific test results.

Here's what the panel will say:

Are these fragments? Research continues

In 2002, dozens of previously known "Dead Sea Scroll" fragments began appearing with antiquity dealers. Universities, museums and private collectors acquired many of these "new" fragments. As scholars began to study them, some noted puzzling features and labeled them as forgeries.

MOTB (Museum of the Bible) published the initial research on its scroll fragments in 2016, but scholarly opinions of their authenticity remain divided. Scientific analysis of the ink and handwriting on these pieces continues.
NEW TOWN -- The investigation into the disappearance of Olivia Lone Bear got off to a "very slow start," the chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation said Thursday, adding that protocols for responding to missing person cases should be improved.

Chairman Mark Fox said while search efforts have become stronger in recent days, he is talking to federal, state and tribal leaders about getting more support to find the missing 32-year-old New Town woman.

I believe its very critical that we get the assistance of others, Fox said. I mean state, federal agencies, everybody. This is getting to a point where we need that kind of help to find her.

Lone Bear, a mother of five, was last seen the evening of Oct. 24 leaving the Sportsmans Bar in New Town, according to her family. She was reported missing to Three Affiliated Tribes police on Oct. 27.

Family members say they wish police had treated the report with more urgency and publicized it that weekend.

For me, its too slow, said Texx Lone Bear about the response to his daughters disappearance. Of course, I want her home already, so anything would be too slow.

Family members started searching on their own, but the first organized search meeting wasnt held until Nov. 1, about a week after her disappearance. The MHA Energy Division is working with her family to coordinate search efforts, with support coming from law enforcement in neighboring counties, tribal departments, state agencies, volunteers and others.

A contingent from Roosevelt County, Mont., has helped search for about a week, including several from the sheriffs office who searched rugged terrain on four-wheelers and a pilot who helped conduct aerial searches.

Texx Lone Bear said the Roosevelt County representatives have brought a lot of expertise on searches, but he wishes hed had their guidance sooner.

Theres just so much we could have done earlier, and we couldnt because we didnt know, he said. Thats the frustrating part about it. Every day I find out something new we should have done three days ago.

Sam Lincoln, lead detective for Three Affiliated Tribes law enforcement, said he has consulted with other agencies with experience in searches, including working closely with Roosevelt County.

Ive been reassured that our office is doing everything possible in this investigation, Lincoln said.

Fox said he thinks the investigation and search effort took a while to ramp up, in part because there is no evidence of foul play that would have elevated the response.

We need to improve our protocols and our procedures when somebody is missing, Fox said. Im not going to diminish the effort so far, but we do need to improve.

Lincoln said he agrees that new protocols should be developed to guide law enforcement on missing person cases.

A lot of times, you do fly by the seat of your pants and you do what common sense would tell you, Lincoln said.

Despite what some consider a slow start, the search effort has had as many as 60 people in the field on some days, with between 15 and 30 more recently. Surrounding counties and other agencies have helped provide boats, K-9 units and aircraft, as well as personnel. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is planning to bring more people and equipment.

Weve been getting cooperation from just about every entity in the state, Lincoln said.

On Thursday, Fox met with North Dakota Indian Affairs Commissioner Scott Davis about additional state resources that can be deployed to help.

The governor is very concerned about this, Davis said. The state is ready to provide resources.

Bureau of Indian Affairs representatives also met with Fox on Thursday but said they were not authorized to talk to the media. A BIA spokeswoman did not return an email seeking comment.

The FBI has assisted with some interviews, but the agencys role has been limited because theres no evidence that a crime has been committed, Lincoln said.

We have no proof or probable cause that she was abducted, he said. Until we can prove a crime has been committed, then they would be in full force.

Fox said while the tribe cant control how outside entities will respond, they can maximize their search efforts on the nearly 1 million acres of the reservation.

Each day, the search begins with a meeting at 8:30 a.m. at the MHA Energy Division, in a room with a timeline and maps on the wall. Searchers then disperse throughout the reservation and return before dark.

A key focus is trying to find the pickup Lone Bear was last seen driving, a blue Chevy Silverado 2500 HD LT crew cab with North Dakota license plate 839 BRC.

The owner of the truck, James Hofhenke, has been interviewed twice by police and consented to have investigators look through his phone and search his property, Lincoln said.

Hofhenke said, in an interview with the Bismarck Tribune, he and Lone Bear are friends and she often borrowed his truck. He said he tried to get OnStar to reactivate the system in the vehicle, but was told its been inactive for too long.

Hofhenke said he has not reported the vehicle stolen, but it is connected to the missing person report that has been distributed by law enforcement.

The family is now offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to finding Lone Bear or a conviction. The tip line is 701-627-6141 and law enforcement line is 701-627-3617.

Im at the end of my rope, really, Texx Lone Bear said. Whatever anybody can do to help, we sure appreciate it.
The head of the State Historical Society of North Dakota declined to say Thursday, whether the agency planned to appeal a jury verdict awarding almost $1.4 million to the firm that built the Heritage Center expansion.

But the Historical Society may not have the funding to pay that sum.

The State Historical Board met behind closed doors to consult with attorneys the day after a Bismarck jury said the agency breached its contract with Comstock Construction by failing to pay the balance of the contract and for extra work. Comstock, based in Wahpeton, was the general contractor for the museums recent $51.7 million, 97,000-square-foot expansion.

Historical Society Director Claudia Berg declined to comment after the meeting when asked whether they would appeal the verdict.

Weve consulted with our attorney and thats all that needs to be said at this point, Secretary of State Al Jaeger, a board member, said at the end of the meeting.

The board cited the attorney consultation exemption from the states opening meeting law in closing the meeting to the public.

Allen Knudson, a budget analyst and auditor with the state Legislative Council, said the Historical Society has about $386,000 that it was retaining to pay the projects final costs.

They are going to be about $1 million short, he said.

Berg declined to say whether the agency has enough money to pay the $1.4 million verdict, but she said the retainage -- the portion of a contractors payment thats withheld until work is complete -- is all taken care of.

Earlier this year, lawmakers set aside $50,000 in litigation expenses for the State Historical Society.

The Legislature budgeted $39.7 million in state general funds for the project in 2009, along with $12 million in federal or special funds to be raised by the Historical Society. The museum held a grand opening for the expansion in November 2014, and Comstock filed its lawsuit against the state in March 2016.
According to the international media, Polands March of Independence this weekend portends a growing threat of fascism in Eastern Europe. However, the media accounts may not be entirely accurate, and Polish young people fervently reject the underpinnings of fascism  because of their support for the free market.

Polish writer Marcin Rzegocki explores international media coverage of this weekends Polish Independence Day march in a new essay for Religion & Liberty Transatlantic. He finds that Polands March of Independence was not like its being portrayed. He writes:

The march has been portrayed by the mainstream media, both Polish and foreign, as a mass exercise in hatred and bigotry. This criticism was often based more on oversimplifications and stereotypes than a true accounting of all the facts. Indeed, some of the articles are not based on facts at all.  CNN and The Washington Post published articles suggesting that the marchs motto was Pray for Islamic Holocaust, something later shared on social media by former Hillary Clinton spokesman Jesse Lenrich. In fact, this phrase was taken from a banner hung at an entirely different rally, in the city of Poznan, in 2015.

The march is a fast-growing but relatively new phenomenon, he notes, one that has taken on an air of defiance as Poles who uphold traditional values and pro-liberty philosophies felt increasingly isolated:

The march, which takes place in Warsaw, has grown over the last decade from hundreds of participants to more than 70,000 in 2016. This year nearly 60,000 mostly young people and families participated. It has also grown into an ever-larger symbol of resistance by the younger generation to the ideologies of socialism, atheism, gender fluidity, multiculturalism, and new models to replace the traditional family. It is true that the march was originally organized by the National Radical Camp and All-Polish Youth, two nationalist associations, and some of the marchers held indefensible views. Nevertheless, since 2010 the March of Independence has attracted generally patriotic Poles who do not share those organizations agendas. It has instead become the marchers expression of their belief in the traditional values of faith, family, and patriotism (not nationalism). It grew into a protest against leftist culture during the most recent administration of the left-wing Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska, or PO) from 2007 to 2015. This years march slogan was We Want God  the opening words of a famous Catholic hymn quoted by President Donald Trump during his speech in Warsaw earlier this year.

Poland has been presented as teetering on the edge of fascism due to the actions of its ruling Law and Justice Party. The party has been accused of threatening the independence of the judiciary and trying to curtail the freedom of the press.

There is clear reason for hope, Rzegocki writes. After analyzing copious amounts of polling data compiled over the course of 27 years, Marcin finds that young Polish voters reject the party heartily  and not just for civil libertarian reasons. Young Poles have shifted away from describing themselves as on the Right because of the partys intervention in the economy.

Their love of the free market may help Poland stave off the allegedly growing threat of fascism.

Marcin writes:

This change is significant, if viewed through contemporary Polish politics. Young people in Poland shifting from Right to undecided is, by some observers, associated with the fact that the major party that is identified with the Right, Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc), is de facto in favor of state intervention in economics. Young people who support the free market reject the party on these grounds.  International observers concerned about the Law and Justice Party should be pleased that young people support free markets and, on that basis, other political options. Supporting the market distances voters from any historic form of fascism. Without that viewpoint, events may indeed push them one day to embrace the very political and cultural options that observers fear.

Read his full essay here.

(Photo credit: Cinematographer / Shutterstock.)
A mother whose son was shot two years ago in his Charlottesville home is still seeking answers from the city.

Robin Bryant sat outside City Hall on Thursday with a sign addressed to Mayor Mike Signer, pleading with him to order Charlottesville police Chief Al Thomas to allow the FBI to assist with the investigation into the death of Jason Lee Jay Shifflett, 31.

My sons murder is not going to be put into a file cabinet, said Bryant, who said she is frustrated with the lack of progress in the investigation. Im hurting, [Jays] son is hurting and the family is hurting.

At about 1 a.m. Sept. 3, 2015, police said Shifflett heard a knock at his front door in the 1500 block of Carlton Avenue, and when he answered it, three masked men entered and demanded money. Just minutes after bursting into the home, one of the men shot Shifflett and they left without taking a thing.

Bryant said police have stopped answering her phone calls and have not been providing her with updates in the case.

Police Lt. Steve Upman said there are not currently any updates in the investigation.

Signer said Thursday he was not aware of Bryant being outside City Hall and that she did not contact him ahead of time regarding her request. He said that when he met with her last year, he explained that, in a council-manager form of government, he has no role in policing matters like criminal investigations.

I have, however, conveyed the urgency of her concerns to the appropriate agencies, including during and after a meeting last year, Signer said in an email.

Police ask anyone who has information on Shiffletts slaying to call investigators at (434) 970-3985 or Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000.
 Antioch Baptist Church (Scottsville) holds the Very Merry Joyful Noise gospel sing at 7 p.m. Dec. 1. 4422 Antioch Road. (434) 286-6315.

 Community Thanksgiving Service (Keswick) with Pastor Bud Reedy of First Church of the Nazarene preaching, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Union Run Baptist Church, 3220 Keswick Road. In addition to the preceding two churches, other participating churches are First Christian, Grace Episcopal, South Plains Presbyterian, St. John Baptist and Zion Hill Baptist. (434) 295-5537.

 Congregation Beth Israel continues its lecture series with Richard Bonnie presenting Unraveling the Opioid Problem: A Daunting Challenge, 4 p.m. Sunday. 301 E. Jefferson St. (434) 295-6382.

 Crozet United Methodist Church holds a Christmas Bazaar from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 2. 1156 Crozet Ave. (434) 823-4987.

 Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Greenwood) celebrates Homecoming with history tours, music, childrens activities, nature walks and refreshments, 3 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. 7599 Rockfish Gap Turnpike. (540) 456-6334.

 First United Methodist Church will use video technology to worship with its partner church in Kaunas, Lithuania, at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 26. 101 E. Jefferson Street. (434) 296-6193.

 Grace Episcopal Church (Keswick) holds the annual Blessing of the Hounds service at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. 5607 Gordonsville Road. (434) 293-3549.

 Healing4Charlottesville Prayer Walk, led by local Christian pastors and lay leaders, begins at 1 p.m. Dec. 2 from local churches and the University of Virginia Grounds. Groups will assemble at 2 p.m. at the Sprint Pavilion on the Downtown Mall. Details and meeting places are available by calling (540) 761-0386 or (434) 227-0811.

 James River Brewery (Scottsville) hosts Hops & Hymns from 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday. 561 Valley St. (434) 286-7837.

 Olivet Presbyterian Church holds a Community Thanksgiving Service at 7 p.m. Tuesday. 2575 Garth Road. (434) 295-1367.

 Operation Esther Prayer Circle meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays at the Christian Study Prayer Room on Chancellor Street and at 6 p.m. Fridays at the Overseas Students Mission, 257 Bob Finley Way. (434) 227-0811.

 PCC Church (Bremo Bluff) holds a free Community Thanksgiving Dinner from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday. 2723 James Madison Highway. (804) 598-1174.

 Scottsville Presbyterian Church holds a Service of Thanksgiving with music by Julia Kwolyk and Ethan Hamburg, 11 a.m. Sunday. Donations of non-perishable food items will be collected for the food bank. 148 Bird St. (434) 409-3324.

 The Senior Center holds a Thanksgiving Day potluck meal from noon to 3 p.m. Thursday. 1180 Pepsi Place. (434) 974-7756.

 St. Josephs Catholic Church (Columbia) holds a Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9 a.m. Thursday. 28 Cameron St. (434) 842-3970.

 St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Orange) holds a service of Choral Evensong at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. 119 Caroline St. (540) 672-3761.

 Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Palmyra) holds a Thanksgiving Day Mass at 11 a.m. Thursday. 4309 Thomas Jefferson Parkway. (434) 589-5201.
In honor of Veteran's Day, Alabama Power Service Organization members in Bay Minette recently rolled up their sleeves and volunteered at the William F. Green State Veteran's Home in Bay Minette. APSO members planted flowers and vegetables in raised planter beds located in courtyards at the home. The project was organized by Bay Minette Business Office Manager Tripp Ward. The group has honored to meet several residents at the home, including Mr. Jim Waters who helped with the planting. The 89-year-old veteran is a native of Headland, AL and currently lives at the veteran's home.

The William F. Green Veteran's Home provides 24-hour nursing care and a physician on call 24 hours a day as well as physical, occupational and speech therapy services on site. The facility is home to 150 U.S. military veterans. The Bay Minette location is one of four state veteran's homes in Alabama.
 Tucker Carlson Allows Max Blumenthals Anti-Israel Comments to Slide | Main | NBC's Anachronism: Israel's 'Ongoing Occupation' of Gaza 

November 17, 2017

Wheres the Coverage? Israel Offered to Help Iranian and Iraqi Earthquake Victims



An Israeli offer to assist Iranian and Iraqi earthquake victims was immediately rebutted? by Baghdad and Tehranand widely ignored by major U.S. news outlets.

As The Times of Israel reported on Nov. 14, 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a group of North American Jewish leaders that Israel had offered the aid via the Red Cross, following Sundays magnitude 7.3 quake that killed at least 530 people in Iran and several people in Iraq, and injured thousands across the region (Israel offers quake help to Iran, Iraq, but immediately turned down?).?

Netanyahu said that he saw heartbreaking images of men and women and children buried under the rubble,? prompting him to offer assistance to two countries that fail to recognize the Jewish state.

As CAMERA and others have noted, Iran routinely calls for Israels destruction and supports terrorist groups, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) that wage war against it. Yet, the Israeli Prime Minister said: We have no quarrel with the people of Iran. Our quarrel is only with the tyrannical regime that holds them hostage and threatens our destruction. But our humanity is greater than their hatred.?

Despite the devastation of the earthquake, both Iran and Iraq refused the aid, leading an official from Netanyahus office to note: This shows the true face of the Iranian regime.?

While Iran and Iraq rejected the offer, the media rejected coverage.

Many major U.S. news outlets, including The Washington Post, USA Today and The Baltimore Sun, failed to provide a detailed report on Israels offer. The Post did, however, republish a November 14 Associated Press brief that noted Israels offerbut not the subsequent rejection.

The Posts failure to offer readers an original report on the subject is striking. As CAMERA has pointed out, the paper has reported on Chinese tourists purportedly being overcharged at an Israeli restaurant, among other comparably frivolous stories.

Posted by SD at November 17, 2017 09:21 AM

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You know Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo as the men who parody your favorite ballet variationsand make it look good. But theres more to the iconic troupe than meets the eye.

A new documentary, Rebels on Pointe, goes behind the scenes of the company, and its full of juicy tidbits about what its like to be a Trock. These were some of our favorite moments:

1. When James Whiteside completely fangirled

If the Trocks had a fan club, American Ballet Theatre principal James Whiteside would probably be the president. I just dont understand how they do it, he says in the documentary. And how they do it so well. He also talks about what the company means to him as a gay man, adding: In every single role I am playing counter to my nature. Thats tiring sometimes. Every once in a while I get to dance with a dude, and its super-hot.



2. When we got an inside look at their shoe fitting

If we had to guess the most asked question about the Trocks, we would say its Where do they get their shoes? Now we have an answer: Gaynor Minden makes shoes big enough for most of the Trocks. But even they dont make shoes wide enough for a few of the dancers (and now were left to wonder whos cornered that market).

3. When dancer Raffaele Morra taught the Dying Swan variation to the most enthusiastic senior citizens

While on tour in Scotland, Morra taught a master class to some local seniors. And they came prepared: Some even dressed to the nines in outfits (and makeup) clearly inspired by the Trocks. They had just as much commitment to the choreography, tackling the Trocks signature burned-out-diva-swan character with sass.

4. When we learned about the history of the Trocks

Artistic director Tory Dobrin explains how the company was modeled after old-school Russian touring companies, which is where the group derives the clever pseudonyms the dancers use (like Lariska Dumbchenko and Nina Immobilashvili). But Dobrin also talks about the companys relationship to LGBT history, how they formed in the late 70s during the gay rights movement and, shortly thereafter, lost many of their dancers to the AIDS crisis. Today, they honor this history by wearing red ribbons on their Go For Barocco costumes, and doing outreach work at LGBT centers.

5. When Chase Johnsey spilled the secret to how the Trocks captivate audiences

The Trocks are known for being experts at skirting the line between the serious and the ridiculous. The effect is what makes the company so irresistible to watch. In the documentary, dancer Chase Johnsey says something that encapsulates the Trocks magic: I like to do pretty makeup. Because then I feel like the audience thinks I look pretty and they buy into it. And just when they do that, I break it. I just throw it out the window. Who knew that breaking ballets conventions starts with a bit (okay, a lot) of makeup?

Catch a screening of

Rebels on Pointe at a theater near you.
Mumbai/ Belagavi: The Maharashtra government is doing a security assessment of actor Deepika Padukone and will also provide security to theatres, if needed, in the wake of protests against Bollywood film 'Padmavati', Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said on Thursday.

The film's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has already been provided security, he said.

The minister also said that a communication from Rajput community objecting to the "content" in the upcoming Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie had also been received.

The government is doing a security assessment for actor Padukone, who plays the lead role in the film, he said.

There were reports of threats to the actor from fringe groups amid the controversy over the movie's content. Organisations like the Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) have been protesting, claiming the film distorts history and hurts sentiments.

The SRKS has called for a country-wide bandh on December 1, the day the film is slated to be released.

"We have received a communication from the Rajput community. Different members of the community from various places across the state have put forward their demands. We are ascertaining the steps to be taken. Our first priority is a middle path, that is agreeable to both parties," Patil told PTI.

If mediation doesn't work out, the government will provide security to theatres as per protocol and past precedents, he added.

Asked to comment on the SRKS's reported threats, Patil said the government is assessing the security of the actor.

"We have already provided security to Sanjay Leela Bhansali as he was found to be at risk. Now, a security assessment of Deepika Padukone is being done. If she is found to be at risk, adequate steps will be taken. However, nobody's threat can be taken at the face value until the government assesses it," he said.

Padukone had on Tuesday hit out against those protesting the release of 'Padmavati' and reportedly said that "we've regressed as a nation".

Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that the state government will ensure adequate security to maintain law and order during the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed period drama 'Padmavati' in the state.

He also said that the censor board's decision will be final on the concerns relating to the content of the movie.

Reddy was responding to BJP MLC Leher Singh during the zero hour in Karnataka Legislative Council.

Pointing to large scale protests and outrage that the movie is facing in different parts of the country including Bengaluru, Singh urged the state government to ban it keeping maintenance of law and order in mind.

Rajput community members had on Wednesday staged a huge demonstration and held a rally in Bengaluru against the film, alleging it distorted history.

The protesters claimed that the movie was fictitious and portrayed in a poor light, Rani Padmavati, the legendary 13th century queen of Chittor, whom they worship as a Goddess.

Noting that the government cannot take any decision on the movie without knowing what has been depicted in it, with the censor board being the final authority in such cases, Reddy said, "on law and order, we will provide adequate security."

Bhansali has been facing trouble since he started shooting for the movie.

The set of the movie was vandalised twice -- in Jaipur and Kolhapur -- and the director was roughed up by members of the Karni Sena during the Jaipur schedule of the film earlier this year.

The Supreme Court had recently refused to entertain a plea seeking a stay on the release of 'Padmavati', saying the censor board was yet to certify the movie.
Mumbai: Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati is seeing one of the most violent and unprecedented opposition seen by a film in recent times, which is getting uglier day by day.

After the most vocal group Rajput Karni Sena, which had attacked Bhansali in Jaipur and vandalised a theatre in Noida few days ago, now threatening to harm the lead actress Deepika Padukone by referring to the nose chopping of Surpanakha, few more shocking threats have been issued by outfits around the country.

Another prominent opposer, Meerut-based Sarv Bhahmin Mahasabha, had shot off a petition with blood to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and announced a bounty of Rs five crores on Bhansali's head.

And now, a Thakur leader from the city has also included the lead actress Deepika Padukones name in a gross threat.

Anyone who brings the head of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone will be rewarded with Rs 5 crore. Rani Ma Padmavati had sacrificed her life with 12,000 other women in mass immolation (Jauhar), and Bhansali has raised a question on her courage by showing her in bad light in his film. This is unacceptable. Either both of them should leave the country or get ready to be beheaded, Thakur Abhishek Som, national president of Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Yuva Mahasabha, was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Apart from this, several leaders from BJP, Congress and other outfits have demanded that the film be banned.

The Supreme Court had refused to stay the release, leaving the ball in the CBFCs court, with the makers submitting the film to the board few days back.

The makers have also agreed to screen the film to a committee consisting of prominent leaders of some of the offended outfits.

Padmavati is scheduled to release on December 1.
Kangana Ranaut continues to remain controversys child, and even when shes not saying anything, she seems to be embroiled in one. While people may have felt that matters around her had settled down, Aditya Pancholi, at a recent event, gave some strong statements against her.

The industry has given you so much, you should be thankful to God, Aditya said. You should try to help people, instead of ruining the image of senior actors and directors. Who are you? You are nobody. Youre an okay actor, he continued.

Claiming that all she was doing was a publicity stunt, Aditya went on, She didnt spare anyone; she spoke about Hrithik (Roshan), producers (Karan Johar), nepotism. She didnt spare anyone. She doesnt have any right to speak about nepotism. My wife and I have filed a complaint against her and her sister. Ask her to prove whatever shes said about me in her interviews.

Going on with his tirade, Aditya added, Its important for people to know what the facts are, and how a single person can ruin a familys life just to promote a film or herself. Its high time we stand for the truth. When I go out, people say Look, hes the one who kept Kangana under house arrest. That feels so bad. But had I kept quiet, Id never be able to prove myself.
Like the historic Charminar, which is a symbol of monumental beauty, this Coorg beauty has encountered something special with another kind of Charminar!

After making a mark in Kannada, Telugu and Tamil, Harshika Poonacha has now bagged a beautiful ticket to Mollywood. In her debut movie in Malayalam titled Charminar, she plays a Mallu girl based in Bengaluru. The actress who is fluent in all South Indian languages including Kodava, Tulu and Konkani, talks all about her new exciting journey, and much more.

Even as my debut Tamil movie Un Kadhal Yerrindhal is yet to release, I have taken up a very special project in Malayalam. I could not have asked for more especially when I was told that the team had auditioned at least 1,500 girls for the role. It may sound exaggerated but the team was very particular about the girls character who had to look good in both Indian and as well hold herself well as a Western super model. Some matched perfectly for the models part and others for Indian girls character, and hence the search continued. Finally, when someone referred my name along with my portfolio, I fit both the roles, as a pakka desi, geeky looking girl and a model, so they approached me, says Harshika Poonacha.

Her debut Malayalam movie is being directed by Ajith C Logesh, and has two male actors in the lead  Ashwin Kumar and Hemanth Menon. While her latest Kannada movie Upendra Matte Baa, starring alongside Real Star Upendra sees her play a special cameo appearance, it also includes a real foot tapping number releasing this week, she has signed another in Kannada titled Chitte.

Back to her Mollywood debut, the actress reveals that it has a special connection with namma Kannada. As I play a Mallu girl in Bengaluru, I get to speak Kannada in some parts of Charminar. This is something I improvised and convinced my director that I would speak in Kannada whenever I am happy and excited. As I said, I have two shades to my character, the transformation from an ordinary typical Indian girl to super model is the best part.

With regard to her multi-lingual skills, she adds that living in Bengaluru has helped her learn all the south Indian languages. Language has never been a problem and I feel it is a power to me. I can speak Kannada, Kodava, Konkani, Tuli, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and English fluently. Nobody reads me my lines, I understand the emotions behind it and deliver, she adds. Before flying away like a Chitte, she shares her Bollywood dreams: When I had been for my photoshoot, I did come across several offers to work including a project of Madhur Bhandarkar, and another one starring Sanjay Dutt. I was almost starting shooting for one them but they asked me to shift my base to Mumbai. I was in a confused state of mind with commitments down South and my prime intention was to make a name for myself in Kannada first, thus it kept me from it. Moreover, I could not leave my parents. I, sometimes regret it but I am hopeful about it, and also glad that I am heading in the right direction, she signs off.
Many around the world are known to employ different methods for enhancing sexual pleasure as people are getting adventurous in their sex life. But some people tend to go to far in their attempts as they end up in mind boggling situations.

Recently a boy landed in trouble after pushing metal balls up his penis and now a man from China has been moved to a hospital with a small padlock stuck in his bladder. The 31-year-old actually pushed to lock down his penis for sexual pleasure.

X-rays showed a locked stuck in his organ as doctors had to conduct tests to make sure its safe to operate. They had to cut a hole in the mans bladder in order to remove the small lock.

He is still at the hospital and his actions may have caused permanent damage. Previously a man was rushed to the hospital after inserting 15 rusty needles in his penis for pleasure.
The model believes the act of selling womens virginities online is liberating (Representational Image)

In a bizarre case, a 19-year-old model claims to have sold her virginity online for 2m to a wealthy Abu Dhabi businessman.

The American teenager, who goes by the name Giselle, made the controversial transaction through a German-based website Cinderella Escorts and intends to use the money to fund her university tuition fees, says The Sun.

Speaking to The Sun, she said that she would never have dreamed that the bid would rise so high and they would have reached 2.5 million euros. This is a dream come true, Giselle said.

The model believes the act of selling womens virginities online is liberating, adding that it shocks her that so many people are against it.

She added that if she wanted to spend her first time with someone who is not her first love, thats her decision. The website works by auctioning off womens virginities to the highest bidder.

In this instance, it was a businessman from Abu Dhabi and Giselle will be accompanied by a security guard to meet with him.

The German-based website first made headlines in 2016 after an 18-year-old Romanian model, Alexandra Kefren, reportedly sold her virginity to a Hong Kong businessman for 2m.

The site is run by 27-year-old Jan Zakobielski in Dortmund, Germany.
Hyderabad: A 46-year-old businessman-turned-politician was found murdered in an open space at a busy residential area in Sanathnagar on Thursday morning. The police said the victim, Vallabhaneni Srinivas Rao, a TRS leader, was hit on his head by a log and beer bottles. It was found that Srinivas had consumed alcohol with three unidentified persons till late night on Wednesday. According to sources, he had enmity with a local TRS leader and had approached the police complaining of a threat. The police, however, rejected his claims. On Wednesday night, he approached the SR Nagar police complaining of nuisance by a group of people in front of his house.

V. Srinivas Rao, hailing from West Godavari district in AP, moved to Hyderabad after his post-graduate studies. After working for a private company for a few years, he founded the VCR Charitable Trust and was residing in Lingaiah Nagar in Balkampet. He also established VS Rao Educational Consultancy, offering jobs to youths in India and abroad.

On Wednesday night, he came to Sanathnagar along with three unidentified men. According to eyewitnesses, all of them consumed liquor on the ground floor of an under-construction building in front of the the Sanathnagar bus stop. On Thursday morning, the residents found him lying in a pool of blood and alerted the police. The police said that the suspects could have hit him with a wooden log and beer bottles.

The motive behind the murder is not known and we are verifying the facts. We are working on different angles and will soon solve the case, said Dr Y. Sai Shekar, DCP Balanagar. On Wednesday night, Srinivas approached the police, stating that a few persons were creating nuisance near his house.A police team went there, but the situation was peaceful, Mr M. Waheeduddin, inspector of SR Nagar, said.

Srinivas accused in 2 criminal cases

Srinivas Rao has two criminal cases and a petty case pending against him at the SR Nagar police station. During a party meeting recently, he was assaulted by TRS activists and a case was registered at the Sanathnagar station.Srinivas was married in 2000 and divorced in 2005. He married again in 2006 and was staying at Balkampet. After his wife left for Malaysia a few months ago, he was staying alone.

Srinivas wifes relative had filed a criminal case against him. A few months ago, Ms Seshu Kumari, Amee-rpet corporator, had lodged a complaint for insulting the modesty of a woman. According to sources, though he was into charity, he often picked up arguments with others. Earlier, he was working with the Congress. However, his entry into the TRS fold did not go well with the local leadership. Many party leaders had differences with him.

Cops left clueless over defective cctvs

Two CCTV cameras, installed by the police in the vicinity where Srinivas was found murdered, are not functioning, leaving the police clueless on the electronic evidence. One of them was installed recently and is dysfunctional due to a technical snag.

According to sources, one of the cameras, installed more than a year ago, was located about 30 meters away from where Srinivas body was found. It went off a few weeks ago and was awaiting repair. A new camera, installed recently, was located 10 meters away from the spot and could have captured the incident if it was functioning properly.
Attaching a report on his party's allegations on the Rafale deal, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said, 'Modi ji - nice touch removing the suit. What about the loot?' (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Ignoring Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence Limited's threat to sue the Congress, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday continued the attack on the BJP government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal and asked the Centre to explain its "Reliance" over a leading business group with no experience in aerospace technology.

In a series of taunting tweets, Rahul said Reliance Defence Limited has been picked to partner French firm Dassault in an act of "crony capitalism".

"Self 'Reliance' is obviously a critical aspect of Make in India Can you explain 'Reliance' on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?" Rahul said in a series of tweets.

Self "Reliance" is obviously a critical aspect of "Make in India."  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 16, 2017

Can you explain "Reliance" on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 16, 2017

The Congress has alleged that the Government neglected the interests of public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as French manufacturer of Rafale aircraft Dassault Aviation refused to transfer technology to it and instead entered into an agreement with Reliance Defence.

Also Read : France rejects Cong's charge of Rafale deal scam, Reliance Defence may sue

It has also alleged that the aircraft was being purchased at much higher rates than what was decided after the completion of the tender process under the previous UPA government.

Rahul also took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, in the past, he has accused of running a "suit-boot ki sarkar" or government for the rich.

"Modi ji - nice touch removing the suit. What about the loot?" the Congress vice-president tweeted, attaching a report on his party's allegations on the Rafale deal.

Modi ji - nice touch removing the suit. What about the loot?https://t.co/4rGsBtNJ2D  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 16, 2017

The Congress had on Wednesday alleged that the Rafale deal amounted to compromising on national interest and security and promoted "crony capitalism", while causing a loss to the public exchequer.

Also Read : Rahul attacks PM on Rafale, alleges deal changed to benefit a businessman

Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence Limited has threatened to sue the Congress if it does not retract its charge, according to a report in NDTV.

Reliance Defence said, "Government policy issued on 24 June 2016 allows for 49 per cent FDI in the Defence Sector under the automatic route, without any prior approval. No approvals from the Union Cabinet or CCS were required for the formation of the aforesaid Joint Venture company under the automatic route."

Meanwhile, PTIs French diplomatic sources on Wednesday asserted that the Rafale fighter aircraft deal was in India's interest.

They said the military jet was selected for its "outstanding performance" and "competitive price", while refusing to directly counter the Congress' allegation, terming it a "domestic political issue".

"Rafale has been selected for its outstanding performance and competitive price, following a transparent procedure. The offset clause is going to help develop the defence industry in India," the sources told PTI, adding that there was a need to "check the facts" before making claims on the contrary.

Under the agreement, the French side has made a 30-per cent offset commitment for military aerospace research and development programmes and the rest 20 per cent for manufacturing the components of the Rafale aircraft.

Asked whether France was keen on augmenting the deal, the sources maintained that it was up to India, but added that the focus currently was on delivering the 36 aircraft on time.

"If there are further needs, we will be more than happy to propose our cooperation. But that is not for us to decide and we are not focusing on it currently," they said.

With inputs from PTI.
The police are still clueless about what triggered Wednesdays violence in Belagavi which saw mobs go on the rampage, setting fire to vehicles, and pelting stones and bottles in several areas of Belagavi even as the winter session of the state legislature is underway in the city.

Despite the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Home Minister and the state's top cops in the city, the government failed to control the violence that left several top police officers, including Commissioner T G Krishna Bhatt, DCP Amarnath Reddy and DySP Balachandra injured.

Despite the indiscriminate firing by the rampaging mob in the heart of the city, the police arrived only an hour later, going by eyewitnesses. Some claim that officers of the Market Police Station, close to the affected areas, too did not arrive on the scene even two hours after the incident. It is also alleged that some of the top police officers of Belagavim except for DCP Reddy and Seema Latkar, were reluctant to enter the trouble-torn areas Wednesday night.

" Several local leaders alerted the police officers about stone-throwing soon after it began at Kangral Galli and Chandu Galli at 10.30 pm but none of police officers arrived at the spot for one hour,'' said a resident of Darbar Galli.

On Thursday the police said they had no idea what provoked the pitched battle between the Muslims and Hindus at Chandu Galli, Kangral Galli, Khadak Galli, Ghee Galli, Darbar Galli, Chavat Galli, and other areas. Besides throwing stones, several groups of youth torched vehicles including a police jeep, and four two-wheelers near Darbar Galli and damaged a number of vehicles parked outside the houses here late in the night.

Speaking to the Deccan Chronicle, DCP Reddy said, based on CCTV footage, 22 youth had been taken into custody from both sides and five were found to be innocent. "Both the Hindus and Muslims are blaming each other for the violence, but it's not clear what led to it. We suspect the involvement of some local leaders, who will be arrested shortly," he added.
Activist fighting for inclusion of Tulu under 8th schedule of the Constitution, now want the Tulu font to be included in the Gboard.

Mangaluru: The Central government has still not included Tulu language in the 8th schedule of the Constitution but the California-based Google has given Tulu language recognition by including the language in Gboard-the Google Keyboard app.

Tulu is a language spoken by people of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts in Karnataka and parts of Kasargod district in Kerala.

The inclusion of Tulu in the 8th schedule of the Constitution has been a long standing demand by the Tulu speaking community. Recently the demand was placed before Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade during his visit to Ujire. But the Central government has not done much on this. However there is good news for Tuluvas as Google has recognised Tulu and included the language in its Gboard app.

Gboard is a virtual keyboard app developed by Google. Various languages of India and the world can be typed using this app. Languages are regularly added to the app and the recent update has added several foreign and Indian languages.

Indian languages like Tulu, Haryanvi, Abkhaz, Marwari, Garhwali and Bhojpuri are the new additions to the Gboard in the recent update. Inclusion of their language in the Gboard has made the Tulu speaking people happy and proud as they feel that their language has been recognised by Google. Typing Tulu has become more easy with this option.

Earlier Tulu could be typed using Kannada script (using Gboard or other apps). Though Gboard uses Kannada script for typing Tulu, the benefit is the Tulu word suggestion. While typing a sentence in Tulu, the app provides Tulu word suggestions which are not available in Kannada font. The app provides the next possible word in the sentence. Hence for those typing in Tulu, it would be an easy task to type Tulu as they can click on the suggested word.

Activist fighting for inclusion of Tulu under 8th schedule of the Constitution, now want the Tulu font to be included in the Gboard.
MANGALURU: Private Doctors in Dakshina Kannada district will go on strike from Friday. Though their colleagues in other districts went on strike from Thursday, doctors in DK decided to do so on Friday.

Sources said that there was no unanimity on going for bundh in the meeting held earlier in the district and thus a meeting was held again on Wednesday.

However when the meeting was held again on Wednesday, all the members unanimously agreed for strike.

"We decided to give a notice of 24 hours time to the administration before we went on strike. Thus we will be going on strike on Friday, IMA district secretary Dr Ullas Shetty told Deccan Chronicle.

However some members already had gone on stirke on Thursday.

There are about 1,500 members of IMA in district. We have received support from AYUSH doctors and other associations including dental association, orthopedic, psychiatry, Dr Shetty said. About 5,000 doctors are expected to go on strike on Friday.

In Udupi, the doctors started their protest on Thursday. Patients who went to private hospitals had to return. The number of patients in the government hospital was more on Thursday.
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh is likely to emerge as the first state to introduce eco-friendly electric vehicles. As part of the move, minister for IT Nara Lokesh took the initiative to sign an MoU with Toyota Kirloskar Motors. For the first time in the country, electrically run buses will be operated in Amaravati capital and Tirumala. Initially, the buses will run on a trial basis.

The MoU between the state government and Toyota Motors was signed in a special programme held at the CM Camp Office in Vijayawada on Thursday. Principal secretary of IT, K. Vijayanand, Electronics and IT agency, CEO Ch. Tirumala Rao and Toyota Kirloskar Motors MD Akito Tachibana were present and participated in the signing of the agreement. MoU is meant for the execution of research by Toyota in Andhra Pradesh on the feasibility of Eco Friendly Electrical Vehicles like Prius PHEV and Small EV Commuter. The company will work out the infrastructure requirements to be set up for the plying of these vehicles like charging stations, etc.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Lokesh said, An action plan has been formulated to develop plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to prevent pollution. This will be done with the co-operation of Toyota Motors, which has an experience of two decades in producing electric cars. The company will distribute electric vehicles in December or January for a trial run in Amaravati capital region. The electrical buses will be introduced in Tirumala at first. Mr Lokesh added that 20 minutes of charging would help to run the vehicle for 70 km.Toyota Kirloskar Motors managing director Akito Tachibana, said they would make efforts to supply efficient electrical vehicles to prevent pollution in the region.
Gandhinagar: The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Thursday alleged that the Gujarat chief minister and state BJP unit chief were behind the "morphed" sex clips of its leader Hardik Patel, a charge rejected by the ruling party.

The BJP dismissed the allegation as "baseless" and termed the circulation of the video clips as the "fallout" of a dispute within the PAAS.

"We have learnt that a Surat-based builder who is a BJP supporter and another person are behind these morphed clips. They did it at the behest of the Gujarat chief minister (Vijay Rupani) and the state BJP unit president Jitu Vaghani to tarnish Hardik's image ahead of the polls to save the BJP," PAAS convener Dinesh Bambhania alleged at a news conference.

This was done as part of a "Rs 40 crore deal", he alleged, but did not elaborate.

Bambhania, a close aide of Hardik, further alleged 52 more such "morphed" videos were prepared outside India by the two Surat-based persons on the directions of the BJP.

At least three 'intimate' videos purportedly of Hardik are currently reported to be in circulation. Hardik had attacked the BJP after the first clip surfaced.

"As the BJP is worried about Hardik's rising popularity, they have planned to put him behind bars ahead of the polls to stop further damage to the party," Bambhania alleged.

"Our sources have told us that 52 such morphed clips are still there, out of which, 22 clips are of Hardik while remaining clips are of other PAAS leaders," he said.

Bambhania said PAAS will initiate legal action in the coming days after consulting lawyers and will make the "evidences" public to prove BJP's "involvement".

Refuting the charges against the BJP leaders, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said there is a "strong possibility" that the sex clips were prepared by a dissident PAAS worker out of a grudge or a dispute.

"As PAAS has claimed that 52 more CDs are still there, it shows that they are aware that their own workers might have prepared them. It is an internal matter of the PAAS. BJP leaders have nothing to do with it. Instead of giving excuses, PAAS leaders need to come out clean and give proofs," Patel told reporters.

It is "very much likely" that one of the two persons the PAAS is claiming to be behind the videos was associated with the Patidar body before parting ways "over distribution of funds, allegedly given by the Gujarat Congress to PAAS for fanning protests," he said.

"All the allegations against our CM and state party chief are baseless. It is very much possible that the dispute within the PAAS regarding the funds led to this shameful episode. The BJP is nowhere in the picture," Patel added.

Hardik is posing a challenge to the ruling BJP as he holds sway over a chunk of Patidars, considered as loyal voters of the saffron party.

The Congress has been trying to wean away Patidars ahead of polls for caste consolidation. Though Hardik has not yet opened his cards, he has put the commitment to reservation for Patidars as a pre-condition to support the Congress.
The BJP's parliamentary board, led by Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah met on Wednesday at the BJP's national headquarters in Delhi to discuss probable candidates for Gujarat Assembly elections. (Photo: PTI | File)

Ahmedabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released the first list with 70 candidates for the two-phase poll in Gujarat on December 9 and 14.

The list names Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani as candidate from Rajkot West. Gujarat Deputy CM Nitinbhai Patel will contest from Mahesana and state party president Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West.

The names were finalised by BJP's Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj among others, party leaders said.

The Lok Janshakti Party on Friday said it would not field any candidate for Gujarat polls and announced its support to ally BJP in the election, following a hectic campaign by its chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan in favour of the saffron party.

In the run up to the polls, which will be held in two phases next month, the BJP has deployed Ram Vilas Paswan in its campaign in an attempt to woo Dalit voters.

Election Commission on October 26 announced a two-phase poll in Gujarat on December 9 and 14, setting off a high-decibel face-off between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress.

Counting will be held on December 18 along with that of Himachal Pradesh.

While the first phase will be held in 89 of 182 seats, the notification for the second phase will be issued on November 20 for the other 93 seats in 14 districts.

With inputs from PTI
Hyderabad: The police from the three commissionerates in the city will be overseeing the security of Metro Rail on the inauguration day. The local police will be taking care of the security till a separate force is constituted. As of now, the local police will be taking care of the security at the stations. An inspector- rank official will be in-charge of Metro stations and the security arrangements will be coordinated by an SP-rank official, said a senior police official. On Thursday, the police inspected Metro stations and drafted a security plan. Assistance from Metro Rail is sought for baggage checking and frisking, said the official.

A dedicated force on the lines of the government railway police will be created to look after Metro Rail security. As of the now, men from the city armed reserve, Telangana special police force and home guards will be posted to man security at Metro stations. There are 26 stations on the Miyapur- Nagole stretch passing through Tarnaka, Begumpet, Ameerpet and Kukatpally.
Madras HighIn her petition dated November 12, 2016 and January 23, 2017 she has requested six months leave to make arrangements for the wedding of her daughter. Court

Chennai: Opposing the plea of S. Nalini, serving life sentence in Vellore prison in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, seeking ordinary leave (parole) for six months to make arrangements for her daughter's wedding, the state government has informed the High Court that her request deserves no merit and prayed to dismiss her petition.

"In view of the gravity of offence committed by the petitioner, having international ramification, the respondents (authorities) can reasonably apprehend that the petitioner, if released on leave, may escape from the lawful custody," said the state government.

D. Daniel, Deputy Secretary to government, Home department said this in his counter affidavit filed in Madras High Court in response to the petition filed by Nalini, which sought six months leave to make arrangements for the wedding of her daughter.

In her petition dated November 12, 2016 and January 23, 2017 she has requested six months leave to make arrangements for the wedding of her daughter.

In this regard, it was submitted that the petitioner herself states that her daughter was living in London, United Kingdom with her grandparents and was not a citizen of India. The petitioner has not given any valid proof like copy of visa, travel documents of her daughter in support of her request for grant of ordinary leave, he added.

He said as per Rule 24 of the Tamil Nadu suspension of sentence rules, 1982, all petitions for grant of ordinary leave submitted to the government or to the Superintendent of Prison shall be referred to the Probation Officer concerned for reports on the advisability of the ordinary leave of the prisoner. The probation officer shall personally enquire into and send his report to the government or to the Superintendent in Form-I.

If the Probation Officer feels that the release on leave of a prisoner was likely to involve breach of peace in the locality, he shall consult the local sub-inspector of police solely with a view to avoid any breach of peace and record the views of the sub-inspector of police in said Form.

In this case, neither the petitioner has given any valid proof of her daughter visit to India to verify the genuineness of her request through the Probation Officer concerned.
Belagavi: The much talked about Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017, was passed amidst stiff opposition from the BJP and senior JD(S) leader, H D Revanna, in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

Leading the debate , Mr C. T Ravi of the BJP contended that the government could not be selective in curbing superstitious practices of Hindus alone and ignore those of the minority communities .

Observing that people hurt themselves during Moharram, he wanted to know if having halal meat could also be termed as a superstition. When Mr Basavaraj Rayareddy of the Congress intervened to explain that people hurt themselves in Moharram to mourn the brutal killing of Hazarat Imam Hassan and Hussein in battle, Mr Ravi wondered how such a practice could continue after so many centuries.

Defending Made Snana, which is banned under the Bill, Mr Ravi said it should be left to people's discretion to practice it or not and the government should take action only if someone was forced to do it. It should be the same with walking on fire, he argued.

Mr Visveshwar Hegde Kageri of the BJP kicked up a row by asking if the Sunnat practices of the Muslims were superstitions or a matter of belief. Contrary to his party's line on the bill, Mr Revanna too urged the government not to interfere in people's beliefs. Please don't pass this bill till the 2018 assembly elections," he pleaded .

However, Mr Y S V Datta of the JDS wanted the Bill to cover the Mahamastabhisheka of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola scheduled for February, arguing that lakhs of litres of milk would be wasted on the occasion.

Social Welfare Minister, H Anjaneya, who moved the Bill, promised to incorporate some of the suggestions made when issuing a notification on it . The Bill was later passed by a voice vote.

Supporters of Made Snana say they will approach the court

The passing of the Anti- Superstition Bill in the Assembly on Thursday has upset temple devotees, who are keen on continuing with the Made Snana ritual that it seeks to ban. Bhaskar Bendodi, president of the Rajya Adivasi Budakattu Hitharakshana Vedike, has even warned they will challenge the Anti-Superstition Bill in court if the government does not withdraw its ban. " We want the government to drop Made Snana from the ambit of the Bill. If it does not, we will approach the court," he declared.

The ritual, which sees devotees roll on plantain leaves carrying leftovers of meals eaten by Brahmins, was stayed by a Supreme Court order of December 2014. In its place devotees now do Yedey Snana ritual, offering rice to the deities and placing it on plantain leaves to feed cows. They later roll on these plantain leaves. But Mr Bendodi does not find this an adequate substitute . "Made Snana has been practiced for centuries, there is no harm in it. When the government has not banned devotees from putting their hand in boiling oil, which is dangerous, why is it targeting this harmless ritual?" he demanded, adding, "We believe that if any traditional practice is discontinued in Kukke, we could be in trouble. We have no objection to devotees voluntarily giving up Made Snana and will see it as the will of God. But we don't approve of the government's interference."
Bengaluru: Rajiv Gandhi University of Health and Sciences (RGUHS) has decided to act tough against colleges not teaching Kannada, despite being made mandatory.

"There are 680 colleges under RGUHS and it is must to teach Kannada. If they are not following it then we will issue the notice for such colleges, said Prof M.K. Ramesh, in-charge vice chancellor and registrar (Evaluation), RGUHS.

A committee, headed by H.C. Boralingaiah, had earlier recommended making Kannada mandatory in medical and engineering colleges in Karnataka from 2016-17 for at least two semesters.

Earlier this year RGUHS had laid down the policy to introduce Kannada. Two different books were also introduced in the curriculum; Kannada Kali, for students who hail from other states and Kannada Manassu for students from the state.

Way back in 2002, the Kannada Development Authority (KDA) Chairman, Baragur Ramachandrappa, had directed professional institutions to introduce Kannada in their curriculum.

Professor S.G. Siddaramaiah, President, KDA, said, "We had insisted that Kannada be made mandatory but the bureaucrats are hindering the process. Even after the committee's approval why are they not implementing? I will write letter to the government to take action."

Regarding the issue a Professor of Anatomy at BGS Global Institute of Medical Science said, This is not the first time that the colleges are being told to teach kannada. It was there for the past 10 years, but most colleges are not doing it cut costs."

He said that learning Kannada will help students when they go for rural posting or while dealing with patients. There are so many colleges located in rural areas and even they are not teaching Kannada. The Government should take necessary action," the professor added.

For outstation students It is a struggle when they are posted in rural areas or sent for assignments. Durgesh, a medical student from Kalaburagi and who hails is from North India said, Even though we try to learn Kannada from our friends, we still face a lot of difficulty during rural posting. There is no course in the college that teaches Kannada.
Mumbai: The release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film 'Padmavati' is likely to be delayed from December 1, as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) or the censor board on Friday had sent back the film to the filmmakers due to technical reasons.

According to sources to ANI, 'Padmavati' has been sent back to the filmmakers by CBFC due to technical reasons. The film will be reviewed as per set norms once it is sent back to censor board after sorting out the issue.

The film based on the mythical character of 'Padmavati' has irked many Rajput groups including Karni Sena who alleged the film has hurt the feelings and sentiments of the community.

Padmavati was embroiled in several controversies after speculation that there was a dream sequence showing Rani Padmini and Alauddin Khilji together.

Though Bhansali has clarified there was no such sequence some have raised objections over a song available online. During the shooting of the film at Jaipurs Jaigarh Fort, Bhansali was attacked and the films sets vandalised. He had then released a video where he claimed there was nothing objectionable in the film.

The Mumbai Police on Thursday beefed up the security of actor Deepika Padukone after Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) warned of physical harm in case she did not refrain from "inciting public sentiments".

Also Read : Padamavati row: Deepika's security beefed up after nose chopping threat

Karni Sena leader Mahipal Singh Makrana invoked the nose chopping of 'Surpanakha' in the epic Ramayana and said if the Bollywood film 'Padmavati' was not banned and Padukone does not refrain from fanning sentiments with her provocative language, the Rajputs will not lag behind in acting in a similar fashion.

Also Read : Padmavati row: Will cut Deepika Padukones nose, threatens Karni Sena

Protesters from Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal also declared a bounty of Rs 50 lakh on director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone as well.

Protest against #Padmavati in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, protesters say they have declared a bounty of Rs.50 lakh on director Sanjay Leela Bhansali & actor Deepika Padukone. pic.twitter.com/GaPcDRFNSu  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 17, 2017

Padukone had on Tuesday hit out against those protesting the release of 'Padmavati' and reportedly said that "we've regressed as a nation".

Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Wednesday called for a nationwide bandh on December 1 against the release of the film which it said had distorted facts and presented queen Padmavati in bad light. VHP, Bajarang Dal and Hindu Janajagruti Sena are among groups protesting the release of the film.

Also Read : 'Padmavati' row mounts as Rajput Karni Sena calls for nationwide strike on Dec 1

The chairperson of the Rajasthan State Commission for Women, Suman Sharma, has written to CBFC asking for screening of the film for members of the Rajput community. Former chairman of ICHR, Y Sudarshan Rao, said artists and filmmakers cannot take the liberty of fictionalising history and presenting it to public through mainstream cinema.
The CM enquired about the first visit of 34 farmers/landowners to Singapore, who gave their land for Capital building.

Vijayawada: The Singapore government established Amaravati Partnership Office (APO) in Singapore exclusively to promote Amaravati, the Greenfield Capital city and to coordinate with investors, technologies, and developers like Singapore consortium in developing Amaravati, grounding investments and trade.

The APO has been set up to coordinate the master development of startup area in Amaravati, enhancing capacities of different departments of Andhra Pradesh and to promote bilateral trade and investments. Giving impetus to the establishment of APO, Singapore trade and industry minister Iswaran is coming to Amaravati on Friday to discuss the promotion of development activities as well as investment and trade initiatives in the state.

As a prelude to Mr Iswarans visit, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held a teleconference from Visakhapatnam with minister P. Narayana and other officials. The CM said, The Greenfield Capital city, which would become the economic hub of the world, has received another feather in its cap. Its a great gesture for development of Amaravati that the Singapore government established an office in Singapore to promote the trade and economic activity of Amaravati.

The CM enquired about the first visit of 34 farmers/landowners to Singapore, who gave their land for Capital building. The second visit, scheduled from November 28 to December 1, 2017, to make farmers a part of construction of a world-class Capital city, will also be coordinated by the Singapore officials.
The meeting over lunch between Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and former CM of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav also ended speculations about RJDs growing differences with Congress party in Bihar. (Photo: Twitter | @yadavtejashwi)

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Yadavs younger son Tejashwi Yadav having a one on one luncheon meeting with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has created a flutter in the state politics.

Rahul Gandhi invited me for lunch. I feel grateful and thank him for that, Former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said on twitter and also released photographs of the meeting on Friday.

Thank you @OfficeOfRG for taking me out for wonderful lunch. Feel appreciated and grateful. Again thanks for taking out time out of ur tight schedule. pic.twitter.com/wqIg8Ss3xm  Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) November 17, 2017

He, however, did not reveal what transpired between them but RJD insiders claim that both the leaders met to discuss political situation of the state.

The meeting also ended speculations about RJDs growing differences with Congress party in Bihar.

Political observers are also discussing the timing of the meeting as few leaders in the state unit of the Congress party had started staking claims on Araria Lok Seat which is a minority  dominated constituency and was earlier held by RJD.

The seat fell vacant after the sudden demise of RJD MP Mohammad Taslimuddin in September this year.

Congress party must contest from a minority-dominated constituency in order to fight against communal forces. Congress is a national party and it should contest from Araria Lok Sabha constituency, Congress leader Ashok Chaudhary who was removed as state unit chief in September had floated the idea on Thursday in Patna.

The rift had widened between RJD and Congress after a section led by former Congress state president Ashok Chaudhary had started opposing partys alliance with RJD after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the grand secular alliance and formed a government with the BJP in July this year.

A sizeable number of Congress party legislators had even urged Rahul Gandhi to snap ties with RJD Chief Lalu Yadav who is facing a string corruption charges.

Ashok Chaudhary was removed from the post of state unit chief in September on the reports that he was trying engineer a split in Bihar Congress in favor of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Rajnath Singh, who met Bill Gates in Delhi on Thursday, had requested him to initiate health awareness programmes in the country. (Photo: Rajnathsingh.in)

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday requested Microsoft founder and head of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, to concentrate on making "Model Villages" to inspire the local people.

Singh, who met Gates in Delhi on Thursday, had requested him to initiate health awareness programmes in the country.

The home minister suggested that the Foundation should concentrate on developing villages and make them model ones.

He also appreciated various welfare works being undertaken by the Gates foundation in India.

Gates explained the various technologies being adopted by them in the field of agriculture and sanitation.

He also assured the home minister that the Foundation will offer constructive support to India.
Hyderabad: Mr Shabbir Ali, Leader of Opposition in the Council, said on Thursday that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos claims that he would secure 12 per cent reservations for Muslims had been weakened by the Supreme Court ruling on the reservation quota in Rajasthan. Mr Shabbir Ali said that the SC had held that the quota for socially and economically backward classes should not cross the 50 per cent cap at any cost. With this the bluff and deception of TRS government on hiking Muslim reservations in Telangana state to 12 per cent has been exposed again, he said.

Speaking to mediapersons at the Assembly, Mr Shabbir Ali asked, Can KCR make Prime Minister Narendra Modi issue a statement favouring 12 per cent quota in contradiction to his party line and the Supreme Court verdict?

He demanded that the Chief Minister issue an executive order increasing reservations for Muslims to 12 per cent since an Act had been passed in the Legisla-ture. He said the declaration Mr Rao that he would seek inclusion of the quota under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution and fight for the Tamil Nadu model move would need a Constitutional amendment.
Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari on Thursday told Legislative Council that the government had made teaching of Telugu language mandatory in all schools and junior college from 2018. Mr Srihari, who is also the education minister, was replying to TRS members Gangadhar Goud and N. Laxman Rao question. He said the education department had constituted a steering committee under the chairmanship of Telugu University Vice-Chancellor S.V. Satyanarayana to submit a report to implement the measure.

He said it was likely that there could be different syllabii for English medium students as the government had decided to include Telugu as a compulsory subject. He said it was the wish of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao that whoever studied in Telangana schools and colleges should have basic knowledge of the Telugu language.
Hyderabad: Urdu became the second official language of the state on Thursday, with the Assembly adopting the Telangana State Official Languages (Amendment) Bill, 2017. The Bill amended the 1966 Telangana State Official Languages Act, under which each district was taken as a unit, while in the amended Act, the state has been taken as a unit.

In undivided AP, the Act covered only nine out of 10 erstwhile districts of Telangana. Khammam was exempted from adopting Urdu citing lack of Urdu-speaking and reading people. The 1966 Act remained only on paper as none of the districts implemented it in letter and spirit. Chief Minister K. Chan-drasekhar Rao announ-ced in the House recently that the government would adopt Urdu as the official second language and for this it will appoint Urdu administrative officers in all important government institutions  from the Assembly, CMO, Cabinet ministers to district headquarters  to enable correspondence between the government and people.

MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi who has been demanding for long that Urdu be made the second official language, thanked the Chief Minister and described it as a momentous occasion. Roads and buildings Tummala Nageswara Rao said the amendment was needed because of the creation of 21 new districts in October 2016. As per the earlier Act, the district was taken as a unit for implementation of Urdu. The 21 new districts were not covered under the Act. Moreover, Khammam district was exempted earlier. Now, the new Act has covered all the 31 districts and will take the entire state as a unit for making Urdu the second language, he said.

BJP floor leader G. Kishan Reddy said it was no use bringing in such Acts if the government lacks sincerity. Take the case of Telugu, which was made the official first language. No government correspondence happens in Telugu. and all GOs and other important documents are issued only in English. If government is really sincere about Urdu, it should first try to implement Telugu as the official first language in letter and spirit.
Hyderabad: AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu welcomed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) clearing the construction of the capital Amaravati, saying, This is a good sign, from now onwards the construction of the capital city will be done faster. We have been proceeding according to the rules right from the beginning.

Mr Naidu said that he wanted to build a dynamic capital city that employed modern technology.

He said that 1,500 electric vehicles would be introduced in Amaravati in the near future.

NGT says ITS not floodplain

The principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) refused to accept the contention that construction of the capital city was being carried out in a floodplain.

The bench disposed of applications filed by retired IAS officer E.A.S. Sarma, Pandalaneni Srimannarayan and others challenging the AP governments construction of the capital city in a floodplain region, without environmental clearance. The AP government contended that what was being referred to as a floodplain was not a floodplain as understood in common parlance, or legally. It said that a regular bund had been constructed to protect the area from the rigours of flooded rivers.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu with the co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates at the AP AgTech Summit 2017 valedictory programme at APIIC Grounds in Visakhapatnam on Friday. (Photo: DC)

VISAKHAPATNAM: Expressing concern over the farming crisis, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday asked Mr Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), to offer support in agriculture, nutrition and health sectors of AP, and help the state government develop a model for tech-based agriculture, healthcare and sanitation.

Speaking at the valedictory of the three-day AP Ag Tech Summit-2017 here Mr Naidu said, I dont ask money from the American billionaire and philanthropist. I am appealing to Bill Gates to help AP government in terms of technology support in agriculture sector, nutrition for everyone and health sector.

Recalling his first meeting with Mr Gates in 1995-96 in India, Mr Naidu said that the meeting was fixed for just 10 minutes but it lasted over 40 minutes. Praising the Microsoft co-founder, Mr Naidu said that Mr Gates had donated huge amounts for good causes. BMGF would now help in digital soil mapping.

Gates calls Naidu his best friend

Calling Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu his best friend, Bill Gates said that he would like to see a transformation in the field of agriculture so that it was run like a business  to be efficient, profitable, and meets the needs of producers and consumers.

While delivering the valedictory speech at the AP AgTech Summit-2017, he stressed on how the productivity of small and marginal farmers could be increased and market linkage could be improved with technology.
Hyderabad: A delegation of state Congress legislators led by TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday met Assembly Speaker S. Madhusudana-chary and submitted copies of documents pertaining to over 10,000 farmers whose interest on crop loans was not paid by the government.

Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy said the documents included the farmers individual applications, notices served to them and communication sent by district collectors.

He said the papers were submitted to the Speaker to counter Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao statement on closure of the loan waiver scheme. He said that the TRS government had cheated the farmers by splitting the crop loan waiver scheme into four instalments. This had led to delays, leading to banks levying penal interest on farmers loan accounts.

The delegation included TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramar-ka, PAC chairman J. Geetha Reddy, MLAs G. Chinna Reddy, Rammo-han Reddy, N. Padmava-thi, A. Sampath Kumar and Vamsichand Reddy and TPCC Kisan Cell chairman M. Kodanda Reddy.
Belagavi/Bengaluru: In a huge relief for thousands of patients across the state, who have been deprived of treatment over the last few days, private doctors on strike were able to arrive at an understanding with the government on the Bill to regulate their services at their crucial meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Belagavi on Friday.

Emerging from the four-hour brainstorming session, the Chief Minister told reporters here that a modified Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill would be introduced in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, incorporating the changes suggested by the agitating doctors.

The doctors are satisfied with the modifications to be made to the Bill, which the government has decided to introduce in the larger interest of the medical fraternity and the common man, he said.

While Mr Siddaramaiah claimed the doctors had agreed to call off agitation, the IMA was more cautious. Unlike the CM, who had no hesitation saying, "I will tell you on behalf of doctors that they agreed to withdraw their hunger strike at the meeting," IMA, Karnataka chapter president, Dr Ravindranath, who was present at the press conference, was more hesitant, saying he would take a final call on withdrawing the agitation after holding a meeting with association members. Though the CM did not disclose the changes being made to the Bill, Dr H. Sudarshan Ballal, chairman, Manipal Hospitals, later revealed that the government had agreed to remove the imprisonment clause for doctors violating the provisions of the new law and have the grievance redressal committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner with doctors and various women representatives as members and refer any case of clinical negligence to the Karnataka Medical Council, which was already handling such cases. "It has also been decided to introduce a clause on cases filed by the people to harass doctors. Overall, it was an amicable meeting and IMA Karnataka will be resuming work from Saturday," he said. Meanwhile, explaining the government's stance, the Chief Minister said that acting on the High Court's orders, he held meetings with experts, senior cabinet colleagues and doctors on the KPME Bill over the last few days. "After a two-hour meeting with my senior cabinet colleagues Thursday night, we decided to make changes to the KPME Bill and clarify the doubts of doctors and of the people about it," he said. Asked about the deaths of 25 patients during the doctors' strike, he shot back saying, "Do you have any evidence to show that they died due to the ongoing strike?" Dr Ravindranath, however, said he was prepared to own moral responsibility for the deaths, whether or not they were caused by doctors' agitation.

Health Minister Ramesh Kumar highlighted some of the positive aspects and advantages of the Bill , saying it would redress the problems in the healthcare mechanism of the state.
Hyderabad: In a massive relief for the AP government, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday accorded approval for construction of the capital city Amaravati. It observed that there was no better site than the one presented before the tribunal.

While declining to set aside the environmental clearance granted for the capital city project on October 9, 2015, a three-member bench of the NGT said, We hold and declare that the project falls under category B of the EIA Notification of 2006, and thus the imposition of additional conditions would be necessary.

NGT Bench: Various factors balanced while giving the nod

The bench comprising chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, Justice Raghuvendra S. Rathore and expert member Bik-ram Singh Sajwan made it clear that the conditions put forth by the NGT would be applied mutatis mutandis (making necessary alterations while not affecting the main point at issue) to the conditions mentioned in the environmental clearance granted for the project by the competent authority.

The bench said that the tribunal had to balance various factors, which was an essential feature of the principle of sustainable development.

The bench felt that large-scale works related to the project had been executed at public expense, so any prohibitory directions at this stage would not only jeopardise the financial interests of the state but also pose a serious issue capable of causing environmental and ecological degradation to the disadvantage of the public.

The bench said that the following conditions were to be read as part of the environment clearance:
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday announced in the Legislative Assembly that the World Telugu Conference would be held in Hyderabad for five days from December 15 in a grand manner.

He said the state government had sanctioned Rs 50 crore to take up preparatory works for the event. Eminent Telugu personalities will be invited for the event on behalf of the state government, he stated.

Mr Rao made a statement in the House on the significance of World Telugu Conference and exemplary contribution of Telangana for Telugu language, literature and culture.

He said the main venue for the event will be LB Stadium and side events will be held at Ravindra Bharathi, Indira Priyadarshini Auditorium and Telugu University auditorium.

The government will provide accommodation, food and transport facility to invitees during their stay in the city.

Historical evidence proves that Telugu language has been in vogue in Telangana for the past 2,000 years. However, darkness engulfed the hoary literary tradition of Telangana in the erstwhile AP state. Only a partial interpretation of the literary history is in circulation, he said.

The works of our literary giants gathered dust and remained unknown to the world. The very nativity of the likes of Vemulavada Bhima Kavi and Bammera Pothana were distorted. At one point of time, an extremely skewed argument to paint the picture that Telangana never gave birth to any poet of repute became prevalent, he said.

It was at this juncture that the eminent historian and litterateur Suravaram Pratapa Reddy began publishing Golakonda Poets consisting 354 poets after going around the nook and corner of Telangana. That remains a turning point of Telangana self respect and literary high point, Mr Rao said.

Those who want to take part should contact the World Telugu Conference special office at Ravindra Bharathi or register their names on the website designed for the purpose.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Suchitwa Mission has urged Sabarimala pilgrims to strictly comply with the green protocol, especially avoiding plastic and other non-biodegradable materials in irumudikkettu. The mission in a release said Sabarimala and premises are susceptible to serious sanitation and hygiene and environmental problems on account of indiscriminate litter. The state government has imposed curbs on the use of disposable cups and plates. Pilgrims should be careful to avoid them completely and use only steel vessels. Use only cloth bag instead of plastic cover.

Pilgrims who halt for cooking at Erumely, Ettumanur, Kaduthuruthy, Thirunakkara, Kadappattoor and others resting points must carry steel vessels. Care should be taken to rid Pandalam, Appachimedu and Nedlimala of garbage. Those who bathe in Pamba should not leave cloth and other materials in the holy river. Pilgrims should use public toilets and other facilities for primary needs. Lakhs of pilgrims congregate at Sabarimala every season. As their numbers increase so does the waste pile. Pilgrims should realise that keeping the sanctum sanctorum of Ayyappa premises is god worship.
Chennai: The state unit of the BJP described Governor Banwarilal Purohit's review meetings as his new initiative and claimed that the Governor's treatment will invigorate Tamil Nadu.

At a time when opposition parties in the State, including the saffron party's erstwhile allies, criticised Mr Purohit for meddling with the administration, BJP justified his action and the party president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said he had launched clean India campaign. Hailing his efforts, she said his treatment will invigorate Tamil Nadu. His review shows his interest (to better the state) and not interference, she said.

Flaying the opposition parties for criticising him, she said it was normal and respectable for the Governor to consult officials in Coimbatore. Opposition parties are protesting to gain political mileage, Dr Tamilisai added.

The party's national secretary H. Raja too came out in support of Mr. Purohit and asserted that it was the duty of the Governor to consult officials. The Governor had expressed his intent to continue such meetings in other districts, he said and added that it is the wish of the people that such meetings continue.

A day after he participated in the Swachch Bharat Campaign in the Textile City, the Governor interacted with farmers in Tirupur on Thursday. On Wednesday, the Governor wielded a broom and swept the premises of the Gandhipuram Town bus stand and later inspected the e-toilets and a public toilet in and around the bus stand. He had told reporters that he would visit all districts in the state every year.
Chennai: Days after veteran actor Kamal Haasan sparked a controversy over his Hindu extremism column in Tamil news magazine Ananda Vikatan, invoking the spontaneous ire of the BJP and other Hindu groups, here, the actor has said in his latest article published on Thursday that Hindus are in a majority, and they should embrace others and correct them if they do wrong.

He also advised his readers to pay their taxes, and likened tax evasion to treachery, and writes: We can't pay Turkey berry (sundakkai) as tax and expect pumpkin in return. The actor equated tax to student pocket money we give to the government.

In today's column, he wrote: Hindus are in a majority. They have the responsibility of an elder brother. When Hindus they say we are big their hearts too ought to be big. They should embrace others and correct them if they do wrong. We've given courts the responsibility to punish people. Let them do that.

I have no problems if I am dragged to courts. I am on people's journey, he added. Perhaps, his remarks in the latest edition appear to be linked to the outrage that had ensured on his previous article. On his 63rd birthday last week, the actor had declared that a new app titled maiyamwhistle would be the interface between him and fans who want to share feedback or ideas on what issues he should embrace in a political role.

Elaborating on the app in his column, he informed: I am not entering politics relying on my app alone. Plenty of actions are coming up.

To return donors Rs 30 crore; hints at visiting Modis Varanasi

The megastar said he will return the money he received as donation to launch his political outfit back. "People have started sending me letters and money. But if I accept it now, it is illegal and hence I am sending them back," Haasan wrote.

"Don't think that I am stepping back. I want to create the fundamentals before accepting the money.the moment people started sending money, the political party had begun. But I need to create proper infrastructure so that even after me, this movement should continue," he wrote. Haasan said his fans have spent Rs. 30 crore so far "for the welfare of people."

The truth, he said, is that even he can't arrange such huge sum on his own, he wrote. On his future plans, Haasan also made a subtle hint in his column at visiting Varanasi, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had won in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. "I have started my journey to meet the people and I would take this as a part of it. If they want me to come to Varanasi, I would not hesitate. I have been there while shooting for Hey Ram", he wrote.

He accused the Congress of "word play" on his alleged Hindu terror remarks, and said, "I did not say Hindu terrorism. I wouldn't call my fans a 'terror fan.' The word play is the stand of the Congress which is against the BJP. I am still maintaining that extremism is spreading but I didn't use the word terrorism," he said.
Kochi: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday said that the three-and-a-half-year rule by the BJP-led NDA alliance headed by Mr Narendra Modi had proved to be a complete failure in all areas of governance. Addressing the Padayorukkam rally in Kochi, Dr Singh listed out a series of failures by the Modi government and termed demonetisation as a historic blunder. Within three-and-a-half years, the BJP government at the centre which came to power making tall promises has failed to implement any of them, Dr Singh said.

Recalling the promise made by Mr Modi of bringing back all the black money and depositing Rs 15 lakh into the account of each citizen, he said that nowadays the people of India ask what the Indian citizen has gained from the BJP rule? The prices of essential commodities are going up. Unemployment is increasing. The promise of creating one crore jobs every year has proved to be hollow, he said. He came down heavily on demonetisation and the haphazard manner in which the goods and services tax system has been implemented.

The two decisions were responsible for pulling down the GDP growth to 5.7 percent in 2017-18 from 7.2 percent in 2016-17. Modi said demonetisation was meant to unearth black money, curb terrorism and check the flow of fake currency from Pakistan. But what have the people of India gained from this adventure except to be fresh recipients of hardships, he said. He also listed out the achievements of the Congress rule during the past years in the country.
Sometimes I recall fragments

Of songs that dont exist

The tune, the lyrics, the twist

The insistence of the line:

Where was the girl who stole the sunlight?

A phantom girl,

The eclipsed sun that didnt shine...

From Hai Mishter Tamburaja by Bachchoo

The Archbishop of Canterbury has issued an injunction, a piece of advice rather than a fatwa, that nursery and infant school teachers ought to allow children under their care to choose their gender orientation. They ought to be able to choose whether they wear ballet tutus or superman uniforms, regardless of whether they are boys or girls. I agree, and can see no harm in it. As an infant growing up in Pune I remember raiding the decrepit leather suitcase on the back veranda full of my aunts discarded dresses and high-heeled shoes, trying them on and parading round the house. I wasnt allowed out in this attire but my adopting it never met with objections. Boys will be girls in play seemed to be the familial assumption. The news coverage of the Church of Englands statement is ambivalent. Some of the headlines and comments say that the Archbishop of Canterbury is in favour of four-year-olds choosing to dress and behave as they want but darker headlines imply that he advocates four-year-olds choosing to be boys or girls. Does he mean that girls who like to play with guns and identify with Batman should have plastic surgery to simulate penises and hormone therapy to give them beards?

Or is he saying that a four-year-old boy who wears his aunts discarded apparel should be appreciated as gender-confused and have his penis and testicles amputated and replaced through years of surgery with a pseudo-vagina?

Perhaps the prelate is saying none of these things, but he and his established church are certainly making an attempt to identify with the frontiers of the struggle for equal rights. It began in the western world with a fight for racial equality. It was a world-wide inevitability, from the militant and political fight to end apartheid in South Africa to the Civil Rights movement in the USA and the movement for those rights by ex-colonial immigrants in the UK and Europe. The battle for female equality is centuries old but triumphed in significant ways through the latter decades of the twentieth century in very many parts of world. The recognition of gay rights in the West followed, not through mass insurgency or a militant uprising, through the logical extension of racial and feminist advocacy and advance. Thats not to say that there wasnt vociferous and militant gay advocacy, but it triumphed through the general victory of race, gender and sexual-preference equality in societies that profess to be liberally, rationally, democratic.

Several questions in these societies have been resolved through the law. Should people of colour sit at the back of the bus? No! Should women be paid less for the same job as men? No! Should people of the same sex be married? Yes! La lotta continua! And so to an increasingly popular idea among some of those who fought for, or passively benefited from, race and sex equality and gay rights that people who feel that they are born into the wrong-gendered body should be afforded political and social recognition. Western societies seem to have accepted that this is a prevalent human condition and people who feel that they were born into the wrong gender should be recognised as trans-gender. If I feel I am really a woman, I should be afforded the status of one, regardless of the sexual organs or chromosomes I was born with. I realise, through having discussed and scrutinised this assertion with sisters, daughters and friends that questioning whether the feeling that you are n the wrong body has any basis is tantamount to declaring in Mecca that God cant dictate books. Trans-gender feeling is religious and not rational territory. Why? Because all religions believe that humans have a body which a soul inhabits. They believe in a ghost in the machine, a conscious thing enclosed in a box of flesh. Anatomical science tells us that the brain, a muscle, thinks and feels, that the body as its chromosomes determine is the person. There is no ghost or sprit rattling about in the box. The box is all.

Of course ones brain may feel that one is of a different race  that though you were born Caucasian with a white skin you feel you are really African and want surgical intervention to change your skin colour and plastic surgery to change your features. The feeling that this spirit, soul, self, trapped inside an alien can go further. It can feel that its an elephant trapped in a womans body. Should the world recognise her right to have a trunk transplant, grow as large as hormone treatment can grant, have surgery on her limbs and drugs to turn her skin grey and thick.....? Yes, these are absurdities, but surgical and anatomical experts tell us that they can amputate penises and testicles and fashion vaginas of sorts in their place, but that doesnt turn a man into a woman. The Archbishops statement rings some alarm bells. Does it sanction parents to assess their children as trans-gender candidates and put them through surgical transformation? Surely the law should protect young children from gender mutilation because their parents believe that their little boy as a girl trapped inside him?

The right of the individual in free societies to subject themselves to surgery is not in question. Nor is the fact that people can freely assert their gender. But will say a man who says he is a woman be granted the right, as is being mooted and implemented in parts of the West, to avail of female-only changing rooms and lavatories? And if I feel I am a dog trapped in a Parsi body, can I be legally allowed to urinate on trees and lampposts in public? Bow wow!
Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone  we find it with another.

- Thomas Merton, Love and Living

We all have a wonderful gift which we alone can give. The greatest gift you can give to another is the purity of your love. We all have immense capacity for love, and it costs nothing. It may be a heartfelt smile to people around us, our family, our colleagues. It may be kindness shown to a frustrated youth, help to a poor and hungry soul, consolation to an aggrieved man, love and affection to an orphan child, or medical aid to a serious patient. A bright face, a little appreciation and sympathy, a ready hand and a kind encouraging voice  they send a fellow traveller on her way refreshed, strengthened and comforted. Dont we all want a reason for being born, and a way that is worthwhile to spend our time on this earth? There is no second chance. Now is the time. There are countless people who contribute to improving others quality of life and whose small deeds of kindness instill courage and hope for those in anguish. It. To love someone says Fyodor Dostoevsky, means to see him as God intended him.

One of the greatest tragedies of modern man is the alienation and abandonment that haunt him. This is an ailment which no hospital can treat, no medicine can heal, no surgery can cure; neither the ancient wisdom of the East nor the modern science of the West has an answer for this. Kindness and love are not about giving away money or buying expensive gifts, When you give of your possessions, you give little. When you give of yourself, you give all. Without the individual who offers bread to the hungry, who cares for the sick, who brings help to the refugees, all assistance is devoid of soul. Loving your brother or sister means more than feeling properly disposed toward them. Loving your neighbour means having your hands dirtied, your knees callused and your back bent in trying to see that your brother and sister have enough to eat, a place to sleep, adequate healthcare, and a shelter that gives proper protection.

Attention is the most basic form of love. By paying attention we let ourselves be touched by life, and our hearts naturally become more open and engaged. There is no greater teacher of morals than love itself, for the first lesson that one learns from love is, I am not, you are. The marvelous thing about love is that once the unhappy person feels that somebody cares about him he is often able to begin caring more about others. Love liberates love: it is as direct and miraculous as that. Love is a golden coin, a highly precious thing which can work magic. Learn to pay it graciously and gladly, and the dividends will come pouring back to you. The love that transcends love is a love that liberates. It brings both fullness and mindfulness. We therefore have to teach our consciousness and our hearts to love in the absolute of the moment and in full awareness of time. The finest love transcends separation, longing and death.
China enforces strict internet censorship rules, which have hardened this year with new restrictions on media outlets and surveillance measures for social media sites.

Chinas top cyber authority on Thursday rejected a recent report ranking it last out of 65 countries for press freedom, saying the internet must be orderly and the international community should join it in addressing fake news and other cyber issues.

Ren Xianliang, vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), said the rapid development of the countrys internet over two decades is proof of its success and that it advocates for the free flow of information.

We should not just make the internet fully free, it also needs to be orderly... The United States and Europe also need to deal with these fake news and rumours Ren told journalists without elaborating.

China enforces strict internet censorship rules, which have hardened this year with new restrictions on media outlets and surveillance measures for social media sites.

On Tuesday, US NGO Freedom House released an annual report ranking China last in terms of internet freedom for the third year in a row, criticising censorship activity targeting ethnic minorities, media and regular citizens.

The report also said the manipulation of social media had undermined elections in 18 countries over the past year.

This year China brought in new rules banning virtual private networks (VPNs) and other methods used to circumvent the countrys Great Firewall, which blocks foreign social media and news sites in the country.

The Cyberspace Administration also introduced laws making members of messaging app groups legally liable for content deemed offensive to socialist values.

It comes as China prepares to host the World Internet Conference, the countrys top public cyber policy forum, next month, where members of international governments and the UN will join local officials for a series of discussions on cyber governance.

Several foreign tech firms will also attend the event, including representatives from Facebook Inc, which is blocked behind the Great Firewall but used regularly abroad by Chinese state media outlets.

Ren on Thursday said China welcomed foreign firms to work in the country, on the condition that they abide by local rules and regulations.

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Chief Executive Elon Musk has described electric trucks as Teslas next effort to move the economy away from fossil fuels.

Tesla Inc will today unveil a prototype electric big-rig truck, which may be able to drive itself, throwing the company into a new market even as it struggles to roll out an affordable sedan central to the companys future.

Chief Executive Elon Musk has described electric trucks as Teslas next effort to move the economy away from fossil fuels through projects including electric cars, solar roofs and power storage.

Some analysts fear the truck, named Tesla Semi, will be an expensive distraction for Tesla, which is burning cash, has never posted an annual profit, and is in self-described manufacturing hell starting up production of the $35,000 Model 3 sedan. Still, Tesla shares rose on Thursday.

The young market for electric cargo trucks is mostly focused on medium duty, not the heavy big rig market Tesla is after. The power capacity, weight and cost of batteries all limit a trucks ability, analysts say.

Tesla arrives in a much more crowded field than when it developed electric cars. Manufacturers such as Daimler AG, Navistar International Corp and Volkswagen AG are joining a host of start-ups racing to overcome the challenges of substituting batteries for diesel engines as regulators crack down on carbon dioxide and soot pollution.

Reuters in August reported Tesla was working on self-driving technology for the truck. Several Silicon Valley companies see long-haul trucking as a prime early self-driving technology market, citing relatively consistent speeds, scarcity of cross-traffic on interstate highways and benefits of allowing drivers to rest while travelling.

The truck would have a working range of 200 to 300 miles (320 to 480 km), at the low end of what is considered long-haul trucking, Reuters reported. Diesel trucks are capable of travelling up to 1,000 miles (1,600 km) on a single tank of fuel.

Musk, who has pushed back the debut twice, said this week the truck would "blow your mind clear out of your skull" when it was introduced in a web-cast at Tesla website.

Semi specs are better than anything Ive seen reported so far. Semi eng/design team work is aces, but other needs are greater right now, Musk tweeted in October, announcing the second delay.

It can transform into a robot, fight aliens and make one hell of a latte, he added on Wednesday, posting a picture of a backlit, shadowed Semi with trapezoidal blue headlights. He has forecast large-scale production within a couple of years.

Tesla would need to invest substantially to create a factory for those trucks. The company is currently spending about $1 billion per quarter, largely to set up the Model 3 factory, and is contemplating a factory in China to build cars. Charging and maintaining electric trucks that crisscross the country could be expensive and complex.

A Tesla truck with a range of 300 to 450 miles would be able to address less than half of the total semi-truck market, estimated Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi in a note on Monday.

It is somewhat unclear why the company needs another major initiative ... on its already full plate, wrote Sacconaghi.

Shares of Tesla, which have risen 48 percent this year to make the company the No. 2 US automaker by market value, were up 1.7 percent to $316.66 in midday trade in New York.

The launch event can be seen live at https://livestream.tesla.com.

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It can be seen as a desperate attempt to avoid a possible delisting.

Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corp has entered into negotiations to sell its personal computer operations to Taiwans Asustek Computer Inc, the Nikkei reported on Friday.

China's Lenovo Group Ltd has also expressed interest in the Toshiba business, according to the newspaper. The move is part of a larger restructuring plan by Toshiba, as it scrambles for funds to cover billions of dollars in liabilities arising from its now bankrupt US nuclear unit Westinghouse.

The news comes after earlier reports that Toshiba considering $5.3 billion capital injection to avoid de-listing from Tokyo Stock Exchange.

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Graces political plans were backed by the so-called G40, a group of young supporters that has earned a reputation for aggression. (Photo: AP)

Harare: President Robert Mugabes downfall was caused by the ambitions of his combative wife Grace, whose emergence as his likely successor proved a step too far for Zimbabwes military, analysts say.

Grace Mugabe - 41 years younger than her husband - was once dismissed as a lightweight shopping addict.

But she became increasingly active in public life in recent years, and became the frontrunner to take the top job when Mugabe last week sacked her arch-rival, vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The military - determined to stop Grace, 52, being named as the new vice president - moved in on Wednesday, taking control of the country and signalling the imminent end of Mugabes rule.

The crisis has been triggered by Grace because she wanted to grab power and to have Mugabe remove a lot of people, Shadrack Gutto, director of the Centre for African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa, said.

She overreached herself. She has done a lot to accelerate the removal of her husband from power.

Read: Buying time? Zimbabwe Prez Mugabe meets generals, refuses to stand down

The military decided that enough is enough.

Graces political plans were backed by the so-called G40, a group of young supporters that has earned a reputation for aggression.

The faction, which includes some ministers, has been the primary target of the military officers who announced on state TV in the early hours of Wednesday that they would bring criminals close to Mugabe to justice.

They had to act

The Zimbabwean army feel they have the right to have a president they approve of, Knox Chitiyo, of the Chatham House think-tank, said.

They had to act now before Grace was appointed as vice president at the ZANU-PF party congress in December. Graces team got within weeks of success.

Grace, born in South Africa, was one of Mugabes secretaries when their affair began in 1987, and they had two children in secret before the presidents wife died in 1992.

The couple then married at a lavish ceremony in 1996 attended by Nelson Mandela, before having a third child.

Grace was awarded a doctorate by the University of Zimbabwe, where her husband is chancellor, reportedly just three months after enrolling, and in 2014 became the head of the ZANU-PF partys womens wing.

She has often been accused of extravagant spending on luxury clothes and international travel, and of involvement in corrupt land deals.

Gucci Grace

Dubbed Gucci Grace, The First Shopper or even DisGrace, she showed her political mettle in 2014 with her campaign against then-vice president Joice Mujuru, who was a contender to succeed her husband.

Grace launched sustained verbal attacks against Mujuru, accusing her of plotting to topple the president.

Read: One coup to another: Zimbabwes uncertain future after Prez Mugabe

Soon afterwards, Mujuru was ousted and later expelled from the ruling ZANU-PF party.

But Graces attempt to neutralise Mnangagwa ended very differently - leaving her and her husband languishing under house arrest in Harare.

Grace Mugabes confrontational approach and distant public image have brought her little popular affection in Zimbabwe.

Despite that, her supporters have sought to popularise nicknames like Dr Amai (Doctor Mother) and queen of queens.

In speeches she had railed against anyone accused of disloyalty to the president, and her short temper hit the headlines in August when she allegedly assaulted a model who was with two of her sons at a South African hotel.

Grace was granted diplomatic immunity and made a swift exit from the country.

She once told a South African television programme that she is no longer concerned about what people think of her.

I have developed a thick skin, I dont even care, she said. My husband says ignorance is bliss.

With President Mugabe in increasingly poor health, Grace may now seek exile or try to secure some level of protection for her and her family as Zimbabwe enters a new era.
Modi and his team have been quite outspoken against Chinese President's ambitious project, Director of Center on Chinese Strategy Michael Pillsbury said. (Photo: PTI)

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only world statesman to have stood up to China's Belt and Road Initiative even though the US has been silent on the ambitious project till recently, a top American expert on China said on Friday.

During a Congressional hearing, Michael Pillsbury, Director of Center on Chinese Strategy at the prestigious think-tank Hudson Institute, told lawmakers that Modi and his team have been quite outspoken against Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious project.

"The only statesman in the world who stood up to it yet, is Prime Minister Modi. He and his team have been quite outspoken, partly because the Belt and Road Initiative includes violation of Indian sovereign claims," Pillsbury said.

"But the US government, until now and this is a five-year-old initiative if you count the early part of it, has been silent," he said.

Praising the Trump administration for its new Indo-Pacific strategy, the former Pentagon official said in recent days people have heard more than 50 times by members of the Trump administration including the president himself mentioning "free and open" Indo-Pacific region.

"The Chinese have already attacked this. They don't like it," said Pillsbury, who is considered an authority on China-related issues.

"The Indians, fairly recently, were joking about we want to make the Indian Ocean the Indian Ocean, by which they meant the purchase of several billion dollars worth of American PA aircraft, which have weapon systems in the back that can sink ships, frankly, and other improvements including maritime situational awareness and a big new center in Delhi where the Indians can keep track of both blue holes and grey holes going through the Indian Ocean," he said.

"Chinese are very angry about this. They have criticised the Obama administration for its effort to, as they say, boost India, to a higher rank order in comprehensive power than the Chinese believe India deserves," the top American expert on China said in response to a question.

Senator Ed Markey said China's signature Belt and Road Initiative that aims to position China as the uncontested leading power in Asia "may further coerce" its neighbours through loans they cannot repay.

The BRI aimed at building a vast network of infrastructure projects expanding China's expertise and capital to different parts of the world includes USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) over which India has protested as it traversed through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

India boycotted the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) organised by China in May this year to highlight its concerns over Beijing pushing projects through the the PoK.

He said the US companies face the threat of intellectual property theft with reports that China has been stealing cutting-edge research as well as sensitive trade secrets from the US. And that includes companies working in the clean energy sector who cannot compete with state-backed firms, he alleged.

Pillsbury said Chinese are offering low interest loans to countries that cannot afford it.

"We're already saw the example of Sri Lanka, which fell behind in its payments and then was the subject of coercion that if you transfer the main port here in Sri Lanka to Chinese control, we will forgive the debt. The Sri Lankans did it," he said.

There were concerns of debt burden brought in by the BRI projects after Sri Lanka opted for long-term lease of its Hambantota port for USD 1.12 billion debt swap.

"...So we are beginning to see, just through the media, what the Belt and Road Initiative may mean," Pillsbury told the lawmakers.

Senator Markey said China is challenging the very underpinnings of the global order that has brought peace and prosperity.

China has not lived up to its international obligations to help denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, he said.

"No country has greater leverage than China, which is responsible for approximately 90 per cent of North Korean trade," he noted.

Markey said, "China is challenging the international system elsewhere as well. It has constructed in violation of international law, military bases on artificial islands and disputed areas of the South China Sea."

"Through economic coercion, Beijing undermined the sovereignty of its smaller neighbours and countries including South Korea and the Philippines face Chinese retaliation for taking legal and sovereign actions in their own defence," he said.
Name a market worth $18 billion in a few years with a 500% growth rate that almost no one knows about. If you guessed Fog Computing then well, thats because my readers tend to be above-average in their tech knowledge.

For those of you who are new, here is a refresher on what the term represents. It is basically the idea of edge-computing as it relates to IoT devices. Sensors are generating north of 2 exabytes of data and it cannot all be sent to the cloud.

In a similar manner to client-server, there is a partnership between cloud and local devices which allows them both to play to their strengths. In other words, devices at the fog layer can do things like data element analysis and transformation.

Said another way, fog is a system-level horizontal architecture that distributes computing, storage and networking closer to users, and anywhere along the cloud to things continuum.

Defining characteristics of the Fog are: low latency and location awareness; wide-spread geographical distribution; mobility; very large number of nodes, predominant role of wireless access, strong presence of streaming and real time applications, heterogeneity.

Here are some details about the market:

Key transitions fueling the growth include investments in energy infrastructure modernization, demographic shifts and regulatory mandates in transportation and healthcare.

Hardware will have the largest percentage of overall fog revenue (51.6%), followed by fog applications (19.9%) and then services (15.7%). By 2022, spend will shift to apps and services, as fog functionality is incorporated into existing hardware.

Cloud spend is expected to increase 147% to $6.4 billion by 2022.

Fog computing addresses inherent challenges in IoT deployments that neither cloud nor edge gateways can resolve alone, such as latency, network bandwidth and security, said Rhonda Dirvin, director of Marketing at Arm, and Board Director at the OpenFog Consortium. Fog enables advanced use cases, including autonomous vehicles, drones, real-time production control systems, and 5G. While relatively new, fog is not only important for IoT  its vital for efficient, scalable IoT solutions.

Rhonda will present a keynote at IoT Evolution Conference and Expo being held January 22-25, 2018 at Disneys Contemporary Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

Her keynote will focus on the role of fog computing in IoT and describe how it works with both edge gateways and end devices. She will discuss how fog enables advanced use cases that require ultra-low latency, additional security and high network bandwidth. Fog-enabled IoT use cases across a range of industries will also be highlighted.

IoT Evolution Expo is the leading educational and networking forum for the enterprise looking to understand how to develop and implement IoT solutions that drive measurable results and business transformation. The event will feature a robust exhibit floor, powerful keynotes, case studies, live demos, unique sessions, special events, networking opportunities and much more. Dirvin will deliver her keynote on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at 9:30 AM.

We hope to see you there!
Sini Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested in October, went out for dinner with their biological daughter on October 6, leaving Sherin behind because she refused to drink her milk, police in the US state of Texas said. (Photo: File)

Houston: The foster mother of Indian girl Sherin Mathews, found dead in October in a culvert in Dallas, was arrested on Thursday after police alleged that the Indian- American couple left the 3-year-old home alone the night before she was reported missing.

Sini Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested in October, went out for dinner with their biological daughter on October 6, leaving Sherin behind because she refused to drink her milk, police in the US state of Texas said.

The 35-year-old mother, an Indian-American registered nurse, was arrested after her attorney took her to the Richardson police station.

She is being held in the Richardson jail on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at USD 250,000, police said. A state jail felony in Texas is an offence that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.

Police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when they returned home an hour and a half later, the Dallas Morning News reported.

An affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where they left her.

The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office is continuing to work on determining the cause of death. Those results will be made available when complete, Richardson Police said in a Facebook post.

Wesley, the 37-year-old foster father, who has since been charged in connection with Sherins death, remains in the Dallas County Jail on a charge of injury to a child. Bail has been set at USD1 million. The crime is punishable with up to 99 years in prison.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk. He later changed his story and to say he physically assisted Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Sherins death prompted external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to ask the Indian Embassy in the US to be actively involved in the case and keep her informed. She also sought a probe into the adoption process of Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year from Bihar.

Following Sherins case, India decided that passports to adopted children will be issued only with clearance by the ministry of women and child development.
The US State Department has warned that recent attacks in Britain, Finland, France, Russia, Spain and Sweden show that both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group remain active and capable. (Photo: AFP/Representational)

Washington: The United States on Thursday updated its advice to travellers heading for Europe, warning of an increased terrorist threat over the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

Washington has a long-standing warning to its citizens to beware extremist attacks in European cities, and in recent years it has expressly warned of dangers at festive events.

"Last year, mass casualty attacks occurred at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, in December and a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey on New Year's Eve," the latest warning noted.

Last year, a jihadist attacker crashed a truck into Christmas merrymakers in a Berlin market, killing 12 people, while a New Year's Eve attack in Istanbul left 39 dead.

The US State Department has warned that recent attacks in Britain, Finland, France, Russia, Spain and Sweden show that both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group remain active and capable.

"While local governments continue counterterrorism operations, the department remains concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks," the statement said.

"US citizens should always be alert to the possibility that terrorist sympathizers or self-radicalized extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning."
The foster mother of three-year-old Indian girl Sherin Mathews found dead last month in a culvert in Dallas has been arrested and charged with child abandonment, with police alleging that the Indian-American couple left the kid in the kitchen alone and went out for dinner. Sini Ann Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested last month, went out for dinner with their three-year-old biological daughter October 6, the night before she was reported missing by her adoptive father.

The couple from Kerala, allegedly left Sherin alone in the kitchen because she refused to drink milk, police in Richardson, Texas said on Friday. The 35-year-old mother was arrested on Friday after her attorney took her to the Richardson police station. She is being held in the Richardson jail on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at $2,50,000, police said. Sini, a nurse who works at Childrens Medical Center Dallas, could face different or additional charges, police Sergeant Kevin Perlich said on the case which has been widely reported in the international media.

Sini appeared before a family court judge on Monday in an attempt to regain custody of her biological daughter, who is expected to be moved at some point out of foster care to live with an extended family member. A state jail felony in Texas is an offence that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.This all stems from this ongoing investigation with Sherin. Its sort of a culmination of everything weve got so far, Perlich said.
In this April 29, 1993 photo, Mafia "boss of bosses" Salvatore "Toto" Riina, is seen behind bars, during a trial in Rome. (Photo: AP)

Rome: Gangster Boss of bosses Toto Riina, who has died at the age of 87 according to Italian media reports, was one of the most violent and feared Godfathers in the history of the Sicilian Mafia.

Salvatore Toto Riina, nicknamed The Beast because of his cruelty, lead a reign of terror for almost 20 years after taking control of the islands powerful organised crime group Cosa Nostra in the 1970s.

The 87-year old had been serving 26 life sentences since 1993. He is thought to have ordered over 150 murders. The most high-profile were the assassinations in 1992 of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who had worked fearlessly to bring more than 300 mobsters to trial in 1987.

Riina, who was also dubbed U Curtu (Shorty) due to his 5-foot-2-inch (1.58) height, for years denied all links to the crime group--nicknamed the octopus for its tentacled reach into all areas of society.

In 2009 he broke the Mafia code of omerta--a vow of silence--and surprised those who thought he would take his secrets to the grave by admitting his link to the mob.

He was caught on a wiretap earlier this year saying he regrets nothing.

Theyll never break me, even if they give me 3,000 years in jail. The son of a poor farmer, Riina was born on November 16, 1930 in Corleone, a vendetta-haunted village inland from Palermo and the birthplace of Don Corleone, the fictional Godfather in Francis Coppolas popular movie trilogy.

Dissolved in acid

He is believed to have first murdered for the Mafia aged 19 and followed that a year later by killing a man during an argument -- landing him behind bars for a six-year manslaughter stretch.

Once out, he became a foot soldier for volatile and vain boss Luciano Leggio, eventually taking over from him at the end of the 1970s when the cigar-puffing fugitive was caught and jailed.

Riina went on the run himself in 1969, but continued to lead the Corleonesi clan from hiding, increasing his influence by bumping off rivals such as Filippo Marchese, a hitman who garroted his victims in a room of death.

Riina would elude police efforts to snare him for almost a quarter of a century -- without ever leaving Sicily -- and took charge of Cosa Nostras key businesses, from drug trafficking to kidnapping and racketeering.

His bloody victory in the Mafia War of the 1980s was to prove his undoing however, as mobsters from defeated rival families began turning state witness against him, and police tracked him to a house in Palermo.

But the violence did not end there: from behind bars Riina ordered the murder of a 13-year old boy who was kidnapped in a bid to stop his father from spilling Mafia secrets. He was strangled and his body dissolved in acid.

Just my dad

In revenge for Riinas arrest and a new anti-Mafia law that saw jailed mobsters kept in total isolation, the group launched a series of bombings in Rome, Milan and Florence that killed 10 people.

After years in which only his lawyers were allowed to visit him, an ageing and cancer-riddled Riina asked in July 2017 to be released from prison on the grounds of serious illness -- a request that was denied.

On Thursday, days after he was placed into a medical coma by prison doctors, Italys Health Minister Andrea Orlando signed a waiver allowing Riinas family to visit him and say their goodbyes.

The mobster was married to Antonietta Bagarella, a teacher from a mafioso family. He was father to four children, one of whom is behind bars for four murders.

Youre not Toto Riina to me, youre just my dad. And I wish you happy birthday dad on this sad but important day, I love you, one son, Salvo, wrote on Facebook on Thursday.
The aim of the exercise was to jointly practice defence against missiles and how to handle "sudden and provocative attacks on the two countries' territories by ballistic missiles and cruise missiles", the ministry said. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Beijing: The Chinese and Russian militaries will hold anti-missile drills in Beijing in December, China's Defence Ministry said on Friday, amid concern in both countries about the deployment of a US anti-missile system in South Korea.

China and Russia have both expressed opposition to the basing of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea, which Seoul and Washington say is needed to defend against the threat of North Korean missiles.

China, along with Russia, has repeatedly expressed opposition to the THAAD deployment, saying it will do nothing to help ease tension with North Korea.

China also fears THAAD's powerful radar system can look deep into is territory, undermining its security.

China's Defence Ministry said in a statement a computer drill would take place from Dec. 11 to Dec. 16.

The aim of the exercise was to jointly practice defence against missiles and how to handle "sudden and provocative attacks on the two countries' territories by ballistic missiles and cruise missiles", the ministry said.

"The drill is not aimed at any third party," it said, without elaborating.

While China and South Korea agreed in October to move beyond their year-long stand-off over THAAD, a dispute that has been devastating to South Korean businesses that rely on Chinese consumers, China has stuck to its opposition to the system.

China and Russia have close military and diplomatic ties, and they have repeatedly called for a peaceful, negotiated solution to the North Korea nuclear and missile crisis.
Islamabad: China has asserted that there is no contradiction in its policy to block India's bid to designate Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN, saying the BRICS declaration was against terror groups and not individuals, Pakistani media on Thursday reported.

A veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India's move to impose a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

The latest technical hold by China came on November 2 when it blocked another proposal by the US, France and the UK to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. Beijing had blocked such a move in February this year.

Speaking to a delegation of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors in Beijing this week, Counselor and Asia Division Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chen Feng said vetoing a resolution against Azhar after the BRICS declaration against terror outfits did not reflect a contradiction in China's policy as BRICS members have not entered into any such agreement.

The Chinese move was not in contradiction with Chinese policy in the context of BRICS declaration against terrorism, Chen was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

Chen clarified that the BRICS summit discussed only banned organisations and not individuals, Pakistan Today reported.

The BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - at a summit in China in September named, for the first time, Pakistan-based groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Haqqani network in a joint declaration condemning terror.

In early November, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: "we raised a technical hold so as to allow more time for the committee and its members to deliberate on this matter. But there is still absence of consensus on this matter."

Defending the repeated technical holds, Hua said China's actions are meant to ensure and safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council.

China in the past has also asked India to discuss the issue directly with Pakistan to reach an understanding on Azhar's listing.

In the last two years, China has stonewalled efforts by India to declare Azhar as a global terrorist.

The senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official also briefed the Pakistani editors about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an ambitious project that is opposed by India as it is passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Chen said Beijing was trying to convince India that the multi-billion dollar project is based on economic cooperation and that its main aim is to promote peace and prosperity in the region.

"The CPEC is neither a way to achieve political aims nor to be used in regional conflicts. Basic aim of the economic plan is to expand the mutual relations. China wants to engage other countries in the economic corridor too," Chen said.

He said China had time and again clarified it to India that it had no hegemonic designs in the region.

"We rather view CPEC as a way of forming equal relationships with regional countries and to promote friendship and neighbourhood in the region," he added.

Feng clarified that China was not a party in the Kashmir dispute.

"India's accusation of Chinese occupation on any part of Kashmir is baseless. We have denied such claims in the past as well. Kashmir is a bone of contention between India and Pakistan, peaceful solution of which is the only way to regional peace and prosperity," he was quoted as saying.
An Army jawan was injured as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Jammu districts, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said today.



Pakistani Army resorted to ceasefire violation for the third consecutive day today.

"Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 0745 hours in Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC)," a senior Army officer said today.

Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively. The firing is still on, he said.

In another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired on forward posts along the LoC in Khour belt of Akhnoor sector last night to Indian troops gave a befitting reply, the officer said.

An Army jawan sustained minor injuries in the exchange of fire, he said.

On Wednesday, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch sector.

On November 2, a BSF jawan was killed when Pakistani Rangers attacked a patrol party along the International Border in Samba district.

A girl was injured when Pakistani troops opened fire from small arms along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch district on October 31.

On October 18, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling in the district.
President Robert Mugabe's downfall was caused by the ambitions of his combative wife Grace, whose emergence as his likely successor proved a step too far for Zimbabwe's military, analysts say.



Grace Mugabe -- 41 years younger than her husband -- was once dismissed as a lightweight shopping addict.

But she became increasingly active in public life in recent years and became the frontrunner to take the top job when Mugabe last week sacked her arch-rival, vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The military -- determined to stop Grace, 52, being named as the new vice president -- moved in on Wednesday, taking control of the country and signalling the imminent end of Mugabe's rule.

"The crisis has been triggered by Grace because she wanted to grab power and to have Mugabe remove a lot of people," Shadrack Gutto, director of the Centre for African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa, told AFP.

"She overreached herself. She has done a lot to accelerate the removal of her husband from power.

"The military decided that enough is enough."

Grace's political plans were backed by the so-called G40, a group of young supporters that has earned a reputation for aggression.

The faction, which includes some ministers, has been the primary target of the military officers who announced on state TV in the early hours of Wednesday that they would bring "criminals" close to Mugabe to justice.

"The Zimbabwean army feels they have the right to have a president they approve of," Knox Chitiyo, of the Chatham House think-tank, told AFP.

"They had to act now before Grace was appointed as vice president at the ZANU-PF party congress next month. Grace's team got within weeks of success."

Grace, born in South Africa, was one of Mugabe's secretaries when their affair began in 1987, and they had two children in secret before the president's wife died in 1992.

The couple then married at a lavish ceremony in 1996 attended by Nelson Mandela, before having a third child.

Grace was awarded a doctorate by the University of Zimbabwe, where her husband is chancellor, reportedly just three months after enrolling, and in 2014 became the head of the ZANU-PF party's women's wing.

She has often been accused of extravagant spending on luxury clothes and international travel, and of involvement in corrupt land deals.

Dubbed "Gucci Grace", "The First Shopper" or even "DisGrace", she showed her political mettle in 2014 with her campaign against then-vice president Joice Mujuru, who was a contender to succeed her husband.

Grace launched sustained verbal attacks against Mujuru, accusing her of plotting to topple the president.

Soon afterwards, Mujuru was ousted and later expelled from the ruling ZANU-PF party.

But Grace's attempt to neutralise Mnangagwa ended very differently -- leaving her and her husband languishing under house arrest in Harare.

Grace Mugabe's confrontational approach and distant public image have brought her little popular affection in Zimbabwe.

Despite that, her supporters have sought to popularise nicknames like "Dr Amai (Doctor Mother)" and "queen of queens".

In speeches, she had railed against anyone accused of disloyalty to the president, and her short temper hit the headlines in August when she allegedly assaulted a model who was with two of her sons at a South African hotel.

Grace was granted diplomatic immunity and made a swift exit from the country.

She once told a South African television programme that she is no longer concerned about what people think of her.

"I have developed a thick skin, I don't even care," she said. "My husband says ignorance is bliss."

With President Mugabe in increasingly poor health, Grace may now seek exile or try to secure some level of protection for her and her family as Zimbabwe enters a new era.
When Dave Banerjee hailed an Uber at the Bengaluru airport, he probably did not think the driver would take such offence to the request of a seatbelt to the end of beating him up with a mob of his fellow drivers.



But such is the claim of the man, who went to Twitter to share his anguish and Uber's utter disregard of his predicament, with a handful of photos to prove his story.











And when he went about using the emergency assistance, the message shown to him was sure to rile him up even further (just look at the green bar on the top):





Naturally, when a post of this nature goes viral, the company had to respond, but the response could not have been any more vague than a "we'll get in touch"





This sounds concerning, Dave. Our team will reach out to you.  Uber India Support (@UberINSupport) November 14, 2017

Of course, that did not satisfy Dave in the least. Let's be honest, though, if someone was beaten up by a mob of drivers, chances are they won't be satisfied with a "we'll get in touch". In some countries, such responses would be grounds to sue.





Thats your response? I reached out to you and you did jack. The worst was after my call to you. https://t.co/z3iDVAwQ82  Dave Banerjee (@DaveBanerjee) November 14, 2017

And what sort of company refuses to disclose what actions are being taken against erring drivers?




Germany will spend an initial 10 million euros to help remove mines from the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the Handelsblatt newspaper said in Friday editions.



The foreign ministry is set to announce the increased funding as part of a pact with the United States on Friday, the paper added.

The agreement calls for Germany to help fund Tetra Tech, a US government contractor working to clear mines from Raqqa, where US-backed militias last month declared victory over the Islamic State extremist group.

The US military continues to press Germany for additional aid in Syria, but Germany is waiting for measures on how to stabilise Syria, the newspaper said.

Norbert Roettgen, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, told the paper that financial aid for rebuilding must be "combined with a reliable solution and political stability for Syria".

The paper said the German contribution to the effort to de-mine Raqqa could be stepped up if the situation stabilised.
The U.S. Department of Education hosted a meeting Friday of educators who have concerns about 2014 guidance from the Obama administration that pushed school officials to ensure that their discipline policies dont have a disproportionate impact on students from certain racial and ethnic groups.

Civil rights groups and their advocates in Congress worry the meeting could serve as a prelude to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos ultimately revoking the guidance. It would be the latest move by DeVos and her department to end Obama-era guidance concerning transgender students and sexual assault on college campuses under Title IX.

Civil rights and student groups have put the prospect that this discipline guidance could be reversed at the top of their list of concerns since President Donald Trump took office.

Disparate Impact

The 2014 guidance, which was long anticipated by civil rights groups before it was released, put schools on notice that they could be found in violation of federal civil rights laws if they have discipline rates that are disproportionately high for students in one racial group, even if the schools policies werent written with discriminatory intent.

For example, if a school suspends black students at higher rates than their peers, federal officials might explore data to see if they are facing harsher punishments for the same rule violations compared to their peers.

Supporters of the guidance said it would help to slow the so-called school-to-prison pipeline, a term they use to describe overly punitive discipline policies that research links to negative outcomes for students.

But critics said the guidance amounted to putting racial quotas on school discipline and that it had a chilling effect, causing schools to avoid disciplining students for some behaviors.

Michael Petrilli, the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation participated in the meeting, along with the Center of the American Experiment in Minnesota, and some Minnesota teachers. One of those teachers suffered a permanent brain injury when a student tackled him in the cafeteria, Petrilli said. Also on hand: Jason Botel, who is filling the role of assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education; Candice Jackson, who is the acting assistant secretary for civil rights; and Hans Bader, an attorney who works in the Education Departments Office of the General Counsel.

Bader asked a number of questions about the legal implications of the guidance, Petrilli said. But otherwise, the department didnt tip its hand on what it plans to do next.

It was really mostly a listening session, Petrilli said. The teachers were just sharing their stories, that was most of it.

Petrilli, for one, would like to see the Obama-era guidance on this issue rescinded sooner rather than later.

Its a reasonable question to say whats taking them so long, he said. I think the clearest path is just to go back to the world as it was in 2013, which is that the [office for civil rights] would investigate complaints of discrimination. Leaving the guidance on the books, he said, is really creating some dangerous circumstances in our schools. Ending racial disparities in discipline is important, he said, but cant come at the expense of student safety or teacher safety.

However, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., the top Democrat on the House education committee, urged DeVos to keep the 2014 guidance.

Any effort to address school discipline must also consider the deeply rooted inequities, including documented and pervasive racial bias, in school discipline practices that disproportionately harm students of color and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, Scott said in a statement.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund also called on the Education Department to keep the 2014 guidance intact.

Research shows that students of color do not misbehave more than their white peers, but are often disciplined for subjective infractions, such as disrespect of authority, the organization wrote in a statement. The 2014 guidance helps schools avoid the arbitrary application of school discipline, identify unexplained racial disparities, and take steps to address them, such as providing school-based interventions for students.

Judith Browne Dianis, the executive director of the Advancement Projects national office, seconded those sentiments.

The desire to return to ineffective and discriminatory zero-tolerance policies is about protecting the comfort of adults, not improving the safety of school communities, she said in a statement. It is a well-established fact that Black and Brown students behave no worse than their white counterparts. Its simply easier for adults to remove Black and Brown students from the classroom, than build community within their schools, develop relationships and address the root cause of a students behavior. Schools must do the hard part of implementing restorative justice, not pushing students out of the classroom and into the criminal justice system.

News of the meeting was first reported by Politico.

Evie Blad and Alyson Klein contributed to this post.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
The Legislative Council on Friday decided to form a house committee to look into alleged irregularities in a scheme to provide free laptops to college students.



The panel has to submit its report within 15 days, Legislative Council chairman D H Shankaramurthy said.

The state government had announced the Rs 300-crore scheme to provide free laptops to nearly 1.5 lakh students who have got admitted to government or aided medical, engineering and first-grade colleges in the 2017-18 academic year.

Opposition BJP and JD(S) raised concerns over the scheme, citing a letter IAS officer M N Ajay Nagabhushan wrote to the chief secretary highlighting irregularities in the procurement of laptops.

Nagabhushan wrote to the chief secretary last month after he was transferred from the post of commissioner for collegiate education.

Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi said the government was open to the idea of constituting a house committee. Interestingly, Rayareddi informed the Council that he was not aware of Nagabhushan's letter.

When he was Commissioner for Collegiate Education, Nagabhushan had raised objections to the manner in which funds were released to the Bengaluru Dr B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE) in Bengaluru. Nagabhushan is now Commissioner for Cane Development and Director of Sugar.
The United States has updated its advice to travellers heading for Europe, warning of an increased terrorist threat over the Christmas and New Year holiday season.



Washington has a long-standing warning to its citizens to beware of extremist attacks in European cities, and in recent years it has expressly warned of dangers at festive events.

"Last year, mass casualty attacks occurred at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany in December and a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey on New Year's Eve," the latest warning noted.

Last year, a jihadist attacker crashed a truck into Christmas merrymakers in a Berlin market, killing 12 people, while a New Year's Eve attack in Istanbul left 39 dead.

The state department warned that recent attacks in Britain, Finland, France, Russia, Spain and Sweden show that both the Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group remain active and capable.

"While local governments continue counterterrorism operations, the department remains concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks," the statement said.

"US citizens should always be alert to the possibility that terrorist sympathisers or self-radicalised extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning."
Satellite images taken this month of a North Korean naval shipyard indicate Pyongyang is pursuing an "aggressive schedule" to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine, a US institute reported on Thursday.



Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, cited images were taken on November 5 showing activity at North Korea's Sinpo South Shipyard.

"The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarine's pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine - the follow-on to the current SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine," 38 North said in a report.

The report said that throughout this year there had been a continued movement of parts and components into and out of two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the centre of the shipyard.

It said the November 5 images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarine's pressure hull. It said these appeared larger than those for North Korea's ROMEO-class attack submarine.

Images of a test stand indicated continued testing of a mechanism for ejection launch of missiles from a submarine. However, the report said no activity could be seen suggesting preparations for a new test of a submarine-launched missile.

North Korea has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States, sparking a major international crisis in which US President Donald Trump has said that all options are under consideration, including military ones.

North Korea is also thought to be working on a solid-fuel missile for submarine launches.
The foster mother of Indian girl Sherin Mathews, found dead last month in a culvert in Dallas, has been arrested after police alleged that the Indian-American couple left the 3-year-old home alone the night before she was reported missing.



Sini Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested last month, went out for dinner with their biological daughter October 6, leaving Sherin because she refused to drink her milk, police in the US state of Texas said.

The 35-year-old mother, an Indian-American registered nurse, was arrested yesterday after her attorney took her to the Richardson police station.

She is being held in the Richardson jail on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at USD 250,000, police said.

A state jail felony in Texas is an offense that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.

Police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when they returned home an hour and a half later, the Dallas Morning News reported.

An affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where they left her.

"The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office is continuing to work on determining the cause of death. Those results will be made available when complete," Richardson Police said in a Facebook post.

Wesley, the 37-year-old foster father, who has since been charged in connection with Sherin's death, remains in the Dallas County Jail on a charge of injury to a child. Bail has been set at USD 1 million. The crime is punishable by up to 99 years in prison.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk.

He later changed his story and to say he "physically assisted" Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Sherin's death prompted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ask the Indian Embassy in the US to be actively involved in the case and keep her informed. She also sought a probe into the adoption process of Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year from Bihar.

Following Sherin's case, India decided that passports to adopted children will be issued only with prior clearance by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
While the OPD services in Bengaluru city and a few districts in the state have returned to normalcy on Friday, the situation is still worse in parts of the state including Hyderabad-Karnataka region.



On Friday, three persons including a woman died as they could not get timely medical attention. The deceased have been identified as Fathima Begum of Kadamgera, Shivaraya, both from Shahpur taluk and Ramu from M Hosalli in Yadgir taluk.

The doctors of private hospitals in Yadgir have continued to struck work because of which the OPD services in the district is hit badly.

Many people with serious ailments from Yadgir and other Hyderabad-Karnataka districts are going to Hyderabad in Telangana for treatment

A girl from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district, who suffering from kidney failure, died on Friday as she could not get dialysis as the private hospitals in the town were shut following the doctors' strike. On Thursday, she developed complications and was rushed to a government hospital in Puttur, where she died a day later.

The IMA chapters of Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Dakshina Kannada and several other districts continued their strike on Friday, opposing the proposed Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Bill.
Protesters on Friday blocked the entry to the Chittorgarh Fort, which houses Padmini's Palace, amid protests against Bollywood film Padmavati across Rajasthan and various parts of the country.



However, SP of Chittorgarh Prashan Kumar Khamsera said the fort, a world heritage site in Rajasthan, is not officially closed.

"We have been informed by the protesters that entry to the fort will be blocked for tourists. We have made ample security arrangements to deal with the situation," he said.

Member of Sarv Samaj Sangathan and president of Jauhar Samriti Sansthan, Ummed Singh said, "A dharna demanding a ban on Padmavati is continuing for the last eight days at Padan Pole. The Chittorgarh Fort will be closed for tourists today (Friday)."

The Sarv Samaj Sangathan and some other outfits have termed a song in the film, which shows actor Deepika Padukone as Queen Padmini dancing in a courtyard, "crossing dramatic license".

The Karni Sena had claimed distortion of historical facts in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film starring Deepika, Shahid Kapur and Ranveer Singh.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) Managing Director Pradeep Kumar Board has ruled out any change in operations of the luxury train - 'Palace on Wheels' - and said the train would be operating through the circuit and will be going to Chittorgarh.

On whether the tourists would be taken to Chittorgarh Fort, he said the local administration be able to comment on it better.
All issues can be resolved through dialogue, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said here today after meeting Muslim leaders as part of his efforts to mediate a solution to the protracted Ram temple dispute.

Ravi Shankar, who was in Ayodhya yesterday and met various leaders across the religious spectrum, said he respected the courts but they cannot connect hearts.

"Even after 100 years, the judgements of courts will remain but if we find a solution through our hearts it will be recognised through the ages," Ravi Shankar told newspersons after meeting the rector of the Farangi Mahal Islamic Centre of India, Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangimahli, and other community leaders.

Farangimahli is also a senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

"We accept that it is a little late for such efforts but we want that the issue should be resolved soon," Ravi Shankar said.

"I am confident we will achieve something big for the country through this," he added.

According to Ravi Shankar, a new message of brotherhood needs to be taken forward.

Asked if his efforts are aimed at a settlement before the court decision on the issue or even after that, he said, "We are not leaving any possibility... we are not working on an agenda but trying to find a way."

The Art of Living founder asked for time and said there was no hurry, religious heads would come together and talk.

Giving his take on the talks, Farangimahli said differences will be removed if leaders of both sides sit together and talk regularly.

Ravi Shankar yesterday met Dinendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara as well as Muslim intellectuals in Ayodhya and Faizabad.

His efforts to mediate have found favour only with a section of both communities with major parties, including the AIMPLB and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, expressing their reservations.

A day before visiting Ayodhya, he had met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow and said he wanted "unity and amity".
A 29-year-old woman was allegedly raped and robbed by a taxi driver and his accomplice in Greater Noida after she was picked up from Ansal Plaza here, police said.



On November 15, the woman approached K N Katju police station with a complaint alleging that she had been raped the night before.

She told police that around midnight, she took a taxi from near Ansal Plaza to go to her home in Rohini.

The taxi driver allowed another person to board the taxi and soon, they started misbehaving with her, the police said.

The duo threatened her and took her to Greater Noida where they raped her.

The accused took away her gold ornaments, cell phone and Rs 12,000 in cash, the police said.

She managed to reach home and informed her family and subsequently a complaint was lodged with the police.

Since the woman boarded the taxi from Ansal Plaza, which falls under the jurisdiction of Hauz Khas police station, a case was registered there.

A probe is ongoing, said an officer.
The ED has issued fresh summons to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's wife Rabri Devi and his son Tejashwi Yadav in connection with its money laundering probe into the railway hotels allotment corruption case of the UPA-I tenure, official sources said today.



They said that while Tejashwi has been summoned for questioning on November 20, his mother Rabri, a former Bihar chief minister, has been called on November 24.

While Tejashwi, a former Bihar deputy chief minister, was grilled last in this case on November 13 for the second time, Rabri had skipped six such Enforcement Directorate summonses in the past.

The sources said that the two were required to be questioned at length in the case and hence the fresh dates summoning them was issued.

The agency has registered a case against Lalu Prasad, his family members and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In July, the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a criminal first information report and conducted multiple searches on the properties of Lalu Prasad, who is also a former Bihar chief minister, and others.

The CBI FIR alleged that Lalu Prasad, during his tenure as the railway minister, handed over the maintenance of two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation hotels to a company in 2004 after receiving a bribe in the form of a prime land in Patna through a 'benami' company owned by Sarla Gupta, 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 has 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 P K Goel.

The CBI FIR was registered on July 5 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'.
Cheers, chants, and applause broke out in Philadelphia on Thursday night after a majority of the members on the School Reform Commissionthe state created body that oversees the citys school systemvoted to dissolve.

The people united, will never be defeated, the people united, will never be defeated, meeting attendees chanted after the 3-1-1 vote to dissolve the School Reform Commission on the grounds that the district was no longer in distress.

That was the term the state used 16 years ago, when then-Republican Gov. Mark S. Schweiker and Democratic Mayor John F. Street agreed to a state takeover of the school system.

The move to dissolve the School Reform Commission, which had become increasingly unpopular in recent years, jumped into high gear about two weeks ago when Philadelphias Democratic Mayor James Kenney publicly called for the SRC to dissolve itself and return the school board to local governance.

But Kenney is not proposing an elected school boardwhich some speakers at the meeting on Thursday said was their ultimate goal. Instead, the mayor is proposing a return to the kind of board outlined in the citys charter, in which a nominating committee will recommend potential board members to the mayor.

The city council has called for getting a say in who gets to serve on the board.

Many of us have been waiting for today for a long, long time, Councilwoman Helen Gym, who testified frequently at SRC meetings before she was elected to the city council in 2015, said before the vote.

The takeover, she said, did not solve the districts problems, and the premise that Philadelphians were incapable of governing their school system was wrong, she said.

She also acknowledged that the new school board will not meet many residents vision of what local control should look like. She said they will continue to fight for funding equity, and make sure that any new school board is representative of the city and is accountable to residents.

But this is a first step, she said.

What Happens Next?

The SRC will send its resolution to disband to Pedro Rivera, the states education secretary.

To have a local board in place by the beginning of next school year, Rivera will have to issue a decision on the dissolution by Dec. 31.

The city is planning to make applications available to those interested in serving on the school board by December. New board members are expected to be appointed in late February, with training beginning in March. And a reorganization meeting with the new board members is expected before July 1.

While district officials touted academic gains recent years, along with some measure of fiscal stability, the district faces a deficit of about $450 million in 2021.



William Green, an SRC member who at one time chaired the panel, voted against the measure. He said he appreciated the desire for local control, but the rushed time frame made it difficult to support the resolution. He also had concerns about continuing funding for the district and argued that voting to disband the SRC removes the leverage the district had over the city over increasing revenues for the school system and will make it difficult to go back to the state and ask for additional funding after essentially telling the state to get lost.

I truly hope that I am proven wrong, that the promised funding appears and there is a smooth transition from the SRC to a local board, Green said.

Finances were also the reason that commission member Farah Jimenez cited when she abstained from voting. She said there was no question that the district was still in distress.

Chairwoman Joyce Wilkerson acknowledged some of the continuing financial challenges, but said she supported the move.

I think none of us is deluded into thinking that by simply changing the governance were going to change things overnight, Wilkerson said.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolfe said through a spokesman that he supported local control and that the education department will review the resolution, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

RIP SRC

The state swooped in to take charge of Philadelphias schools in December 2001 amid disagreements over finances and with some city residents, parents, activists, and teachers protesting the decision . At the time, it was the largest state takeover of a district in the country.

The last 16 years have been a bumpy one for the SRC, which has seen its popularity plummet. Board meetings are often a litany of complaints and questions about school funding, staffing, and charter schools.

Facing a significant budget shortfall in 2013, the SRC voted to close nearly two dozen schools and lay off more than 4,000 district staff. Nurses and counselors were cut from schools.

Two years ago, voters approved a non-binding resolution to return the district to local control.

In presentations before the vote, Superintendent William Hite focused on the academic progress the district had made, while the chief financial officer emphasized the strides made in stabilizing finances. The district will end fiscal year 2018 with a positive fund balance of $85.6 million. The district has also committed to having a nurse and counselor in every school.

Residents in the audience were jubilant about the impending demise of the SRC. Even as they expressed joy that the SRC was on its way out, some thanked members of the commission.

Others said they will continue to fight for fair state funding for the citys schools. Some said they had testified 16 years ago against the state takeover.

Lisa Haver, a former teacher, said she was there to celebrate the beginning of the end of the SRC, and that she will continue to fight for fair wages, schools that serve the majority of the districts children, against charter expansion, and against backdoor deals that put education vendors over students.

One sign read: The nightmare is over. Local control is here. RIP SRC. 

Shakeda Gaines, left, president of the Philadelphia Home and School Council, celebrates with Arlene Kenpin, outside the school district building where the School Reform Commission was meeting on Nov. 16 in Philadelphia. --Geneva Heffernan/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
Indian-American pharmaceutical billionaire John Kapoor, accused of bribing doctors in the US to over-prescribe a powerful opioid to patients, has pleaded not guilty and asked the court to remove his GPS monitoring bracelet.



Kapoor, the founder of Arizona-base drug company Insys Therapeutics Inc that manufactures a fentanyl spray approved only for extreme cancer pain, was arrested by the FBI from his home last month.

During his appearance in the court yesterday, Kapoor urged the judge to cut off his GPS monitoring bracelet, which his attorney said is burdensome to the 74-year-old jogger, the WCVB news channel reported.

"He definitely would have fled by now if he wanted to," Kapoor's attorney, Brian Kelly, said outside the federal court in Boston.

Kapoor pleaded not guilty to five charges, including racketeering conspiracy.

The US attorney alleged that Kapoor and six other executives were running a bribery and kickback scheme, paying prescribers for a sham speaking programme and deceiving insurance companies to sell the drug to people who don't have cancer.

"He's got nothing to do with that," Kelly said. "They made allegations about different marketing and sales techniques by the company He wasn't involved in that."

With a fortune estimated at USD 2 billion, prosecutors fear he could flee on a private plane. But Kapoor's attorney says he shouldn't be punished for his wealth.

"He's not a flight risk. Hes known about this case for more than a year," Kelly said. "They referred to him as a co-conspirator as recently as two months ago. He knew about this investigation. He wants to stand and fight."

Magistrate Judge Jennifer Boal took the motion about the GPS bracelet under advisement.

The Amritsar-born entrepreneur and well know philanthropist had migrated to the US from India in 1960s.

According to Insys website, Kapoor received his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a BS in Pharmacy from Bombay University in India.

The building that is home to University of Buffallo's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences bears the name of Kapoor and his wife in recognition of their long-time philanthropic support for the school and the university.

Kapoor has served on Insys board of directors since its formation in 1990 and has served as Chairman from 1990 to 2004 and Executive Chairman from June 2006 to January 2017.
Iraqi forces said they retook the last town in the country still held by the Islamic State group near the border with Syria today in a lightning offensive.



Government troops and paramilitary units "liberated the whole of Rawa and raised the Iraqi flag on all of its official buildings," General Abdelamir Yarallah of the Joint Operations Command said in a statement.
Denmark, Sweden and Norway are expecting Indian tourists to consume more than 3.5 lakh hotel room nights in a year as the three Scandinavian nations are going all out to attract travellers from the country by promoting their tourism destinations.



The Scandinavian Tourist Board (STB) has been actively holding promotional events in India in its bid to reach out to Indian travellers so that they visit Denmark, Sweden and Norway the three northern European countries that were largely unexplored by Indian tourists in the past.

Following the recent increase in the number of Indians visiting Scandinavia, Air India in August this year launched direct flights from India to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Earlier, these destinations, along with Oslo, were connected via Dubai.

Mohit Batra from the STB said India is one of the most important regions in the world and that is why the three Scandinavian countries are going all the way to woo Indian tourists.

"Indians are more loved and welcomed by the European countries and people are looking forward to cultural exchanges from both sides," Batra said while elaborating some of the reasons behind the recent surge in the number of Indian tourists to Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

"We are looking at Indians consuming 3,50,000 hotel room nights in Scandinavia in a year," he said, adding that on an average, these numbers are expected to grow at 10 percent.

In Asia, India is ranked as Sweden's second source market after China.

Ruth Dolla, Project Manager India of Visit Sweden, said India has emerged as the world's fastest-growing outbound market and it is second only to China.

"The number of Indians travelling overseas is set to rise from around 15 million now to 50 million by 2050. That 50 million is a huge number. This will mean a big growth in spending overseas," she said.

Dolla said the introduction of direct flights from India to Sweden and Denmark will definitely lead to a sharp rise in the numbers of Indian tourists visiting the three Scandinavian nations.

"We see India as a huge market for tourism source to Sweden. We have been working in the Indian market since 2015. We have seen a very good increase in the number of tourists coming to Sweden. There are 150 Swedish companies operating in India.

"We have received an 18 percent increase in the number of Indian tourists this year. We have got 1,76,000 visitors from India last year. It is increasing every year and month. We have registered a 35 percent increase in tourism in August this year compared to the corresponding month last year," she said.

A perfect combination of authentic nature experiences, world-class and modern progressive cities and a friendly, modern, sustainable lifestyle sets Sweden aside as a unique destination for travellers, she said.

Flemming Bruhn, Director of Visit Denmark said India is a very exciting and developing market for Scandinavia.

"We have seen a double-digit growth in the number of Indian tourists visiting Denmark. This year, unfortunately, Copenhagen has been fully booked by travellers and it has been very difficult for Indian travellers to find (hotel) rooms.

"We will increase hotel capacity by 20 percent in the next two years to accommodate the rising number of travellers," he said.

Norway has witnessed a 16 percent increase in the number of Indians visiting the country since 2016.

In the first half of this year, more than 11,000 visas were issued to Indians by the Royal Norwegian Embassy. In 2007, only 3,500 visas were issued to Indians. The number grew to roughly 4,000 by 2010 and 6,000 by 2014.

Denmark, Sweden and Norway are part of the Schengen visa system.

Bengt Hammer, Sales and Key Account Manager Asia and Oceania at Visit Flam, Norway said India is a big promising market.

"India's economy is growing fast. Indians are visiting Norway in a large number. They love the destinations there. Last year, we experienced a 10 percent increase in Indian tourist arrival. Around 15,000 Indians are in Flam city.

"We also see a role of Bollywood in promoting tourism in Norway. Some Indian films have been shot in the country," Hammer said.

Norway, well known for its natural, untouched beauty and some of the best architectural attractions in the world, has eight attractions listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Clearing the final hurdle for construction of Andhra Pradesh's new capital Amaravati, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday quashed objections raised by environmental activists.



The NGT directed the government to set up an implementation committee and a supervisory committee. The supervisory committee will closely monitor adherence to the NGT's guidelines.

The green body delivered its judgment in favour of the state government in response to a petition filed by former bureaucrat E A S Sarma and a few environmentalists opposing the destruction of lush green fields and flora and fauna on the banks of the river.

Activists filed petitions before the NGT in 2015 challenging the proposal to build Amaravati. They challenged the conditional clearances given by the environment ministry.

The ministry had laid down 192 conditions for protection of the environment. The NGT heard the arguments for about 22 months. The green body examined about 10,000 pages of documents in favour and against the proposed capital.

The petitioners argued that the proposed site for Amaravati faces an inundation threat by the Kondavagu stream.

According to them, a capital close to a river makes it vulnerable to frequent floods. They urged the NGT to take into consideration the fact that land tracts on the banks of the river Krishna are highly fertile and converting them into an urban conglomerate will damage the ecosystem.

The state government, however, argued that the reservoirs would be built to reduce the flood impact in Kondaveeti Vagu.

It also assured that a new construction technology will be used to lay the foundation for all buildings to withstand water logging. The state has decided to allocate a certain area for agriculture on the fringes of the capital.

Coinciding with the NGT's clearance, a team from Singapore government headed by Minister Easwaran visited Amaravati on Friday for further discussions on the constructions of Amaravati.
With just six days left for the 83rd All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, the organisers are leaving no stone unturned to make it a success by drawing more people to the event.



A 24-member team (all artistes) has been constituted for the purpose. The artistes would be visiting schools and colleges to create awareness on the importance of holding the literary festival by rendering 'Nadageethe' and related songs highlighting the culture and tradition of the state and Kannada language. They would also invite the students to attend the convention in large numbers and make it a huge success.

Kannada and Culture Assistant Director H Chennappa told DH that the main objective of the literary convention is to create awareness on the richness of Kannada language among the students. The artistes would sing songs highlighting the festival, at important circles of the city, he added.

5K students in procession

The schools and colleges have been showcasing a tableau, which has received a positive response. Around 5,000 students, attired in traditional costumes would take part in the procession on the day. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat will also install cut-outs of 11 Kannada poets, including Jnanpith awardees, he added.

The procession will be launched at 9 am on November 24, in front of Kote Anjaneyaswamy temple. It will pass through Ashoka Road, Irwin Road, KR Hospital Circle, Basaveshwara Circle, Ramaswamy Circle and reach Maharaja's Grounds. The literary fest will be inaugurated at 11 am, Jayanna said.
Marking the fifth death anniversary of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, the proposed site at the Mumbai Mayor's bungalow at Shivaji Park-Dadar was dedicated, on Friday.



Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dedicated the site in presence of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, in Mumbai, amid the presence of senior leaders of the two saffron parties.

"We pay our respect to our guiding force," Fadnavis said. Uddhav, on his part handed over a cheque of Rs 2 crore to the chief minister's farmers relief fund for the welfare of the farmers in the state.




Patients faced inconvenience following a protest by private hospital doctors against the proposed amendments to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, on Friday.



The district has 12 private hospitals and over 200 clinics. Somwarpet taluk has no private nursing home. By closing down the OPD services in nursing homes at Madikeri and Virajpet taluks, the medical practitioners have extended their support to the IMA Karnataka unit.

As the talks with the government failed, the hospitals decided to close the OPD services on Friday.

Along with OPD, even X-ray, emergency, dialysis facilities were also not provided in three private hospitals in Madikeri.

A large number of patients were seen waiting in District Government Hospital and PHCs in the district. Many had to leave for hospitals in Sullia and Mangaluru for emergency treatment.

"On Thursday 10% of the hospitals had remained closed. On Friday 75% of the hospitals did not function," said a doctor. Medical shops situated adjacent to private hospitals wore a deserted look on Friday.
American billionaire, philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has called for making Indian agriculture profitable with fair doses of technology and innovation, helping small farmers.



He was addressing the valedictory of AP Agri-Tech Summit2017 at APIIC grounds in coastal city of Visakhapatnam on Friday.

"When I say agri transformation I mean a shift from agriculture based merely on subsistence into one that is run like a business. It is efficient, profitable and meets the needs of producers and consumers," Bill Gates explained. He said that half of India's population suffers malnutrition and small farmers and women are malnourished and trapped in subsistence farming. "That is why investment in agriculture and health are top priority of our Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation," he said.

He further said that efforts must be taken to help farmers to contribute to national growth rather than forcing them to drag the economy. "Then growth will become inclusive leading to a larger GDP that lets people out of poverty. We can produce enough nutritious food for a healthy labour force for the future. We need to increase the productivity of small farmers and provide them linkages to markets," he said calling for transfer of technology from labs to land.

Lauding India's efforts to convert cash economy into digital, he said digital financial services can be of help as small holder farmers need money to buy seeds, fertiliser and veterinary care. "In cash economy, borrowing is expensive. India is becoming a leader in digital financial inclusion. It is great to see Andhra Pradesh delivering fertiliser subsidy through digital transfer," he said. "The future of AP depends on small holder farmers. The state is improving roads connectivity, micro irrigation and digital soil mapping transforming agri-sector and setting model for others," he said.

Naidu welcome

Recalling Bill Gates' association with him way back when he was chief minister of united AP, Nara Chandrababu Naidu requested Bill to be the honorary chairman of the organisation proposed to be set by AP government for sanitation. Earlier, Bill Gates got a grand welcome by Naidu on his arrival at the Visakhapatnam airport.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday described the Congress allegation of a "huge scam" in the 36 Rafale fighter aircraft deal as "shameful and a disservice to the armed forces."



She said Congress-led UPA government could not take a decision on the much-awaited deal for 10 long years, despite knowing the void in the Indian Air Force.

"It was a grim situation when NDA-2 came to power. We had to move forward quickly so that IAF's preparedness doesn't remain unattended," Sitharaman said, countering the allegations made by the Congress party leadership, including its vice president Rahul Gandhi.

The principal opposition party claimed Narendra Modi government inked the controversial defence deal at an inflated price of Rs 1,570.8 crore per aircraft as against the Rs 526.1 crore per aircraft price negotiated by the UPA.

"Per aircraft cost with fully loaded weapons and systems is better than the deal negotiated by the UPA government," she said, without disclosing the figures.

The defence minister said she was not running away from releasing specific figures and brushed aside the allegations of the benefits that Reliance company would accrue from the deal.

"Bickering on cost is shameful. They have done a disservice to the nation and armed forces. Inspite of the negotiation and identification of the L1 (lowest bidder), they could not close the deal. Don't they owe an answer and now they are bickering over the price," she said.

The 7.87 billion Euro (nearly Rs 59,000 crore) contract was inked in Delhi by the DGA France and Deputy Chief of Air Staff in September 2016 in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his French counterpart Jean Yves Le Drian a almost 15 months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement during his trip to France in April 2015.

All procedures were scrupulously followed and the Cabinet Committee on Security approval was obtained before an inter-governmental agreement was signed between India and France in 2016, Sitharaman said.

No tech transfer

She pointed out since the 36-jet deal was an "emergency procurement," it made no economic sense for a technology transfer.

The minister asserted the contract to acquire 36 fully weaponised Rafale combat jets for the IAF was a much better deal than what had been negotiated by the Congress-led UPA government for ten years.

French officials too denied the allegations of corruption. "The fighter jet has been selected for its outstanding performance and competitive price through a fully transparent and competitive process," a French official stated. Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa too defended the deal.
Declaring that distortion of history could not be permitted, some Hindu seers have lent their support to the demand for a ban on Padmavati and the registration of a sedition case.



The seers said the producer, director and actors of the film must be prosecuted for sedition.

"We cannot allow distortion of history in the name of freedom of speech and expression," said prominent Hindu seer and All India Akhara Parishad (AIAP) president Mahant Narendra Giri on Friday.

"Those who have made the film should be charged with sedition and be put behind the bar," he said.

Giri justified the ongoing protests in some parts of the country against the movie saying no one should be allowed to the hurt the sentiments of any community.

Meanwhile, protests against the film continued in different parts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

A group of protesters staged a demonstration before a cinema hall in Hapur town, about 400 km from here, warning the owners not to screen the movie if and when it is released.

The Uttar Pradesh government has already written to the Information and Broadcasting and Home ministries seeking deferment of the release of the film, saying its release could trigger law and order problems in the state.

Former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, however, refused to join the row saying that he has no idea about the content of the movie.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Thursday justified the protests and said that history should not be distorted in films.
High-quality early-childhood programs boost graduation rates, reduce grade retention and cut down on special education placements, according to a new analysis of several other early-education research studies that adds fresh fuel to long-running policy debates about the effectiveness of pre-K.



These results suggest that the benefits of early-childhood education programs do in fact persist beyond the preschool year, said Dana Charles McCoy, an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, in an email interview. McCoy was the lead author on the analysis, which was published Thursday in the journal Educational Researcher.

Given how costly retention, special education, and dropout can be for both individuals and societies, our results suggest that investments in high-quality early-childhood education programming are likely to pay off in the long term, McCoy said.

The findings contrast with other research, such as on the federal Head Start program and on Tennessees preschool program , that have found that the behavioral and academic benefits of those programs fade over time.

The Head Start and Tennessee studies, however, examined child outcomes a few years into participants elementary school years. In contrast, this new analysis took a longer view; many of the studies tracked children into high school and beyond. The researchers found that participants in early-childhood programs had an 8.1 percentage point reduction on special education placement and an 8.3 percentage point reduction in grade retention compared to similar peers. Participants also had an 11.4 percentage point increase in high-school graduation.

New Analysis Combines Results of Previous Early-Childhood Research

The new paper combines the results of 22 research papers on early-childhood programs that were conducted from 1960 to 2016. The researchers included only papers that met a strict research designfor example, the comparison groups of children were similar at the outset, the studies didnt have a large percentage of children dropping out, and there was enough data to calculate the effects of the early-childhood program on each of three areas researchers were looking at.

Some of the studies included are well-known, such as the Perry Preschool project conducted in Ypsilanti, Mich., in the 1960s, or the 1970-era Abecedarian early-childhood program conducted in 1970s. Those particular programs have been well-studied for their long-lasting benefits to children. But they were particularly intensive, and early-childhood programs dont look much like that any more, critics have noted.

The new analysis, however, includes newer research, including studies of children attending preschool in some of New Jerseys poorest urban districts; research on children attending a birth-through-5 program in Tulsa, Okla., and the Chicago Child-Parent Centers, which enrolled primarily black children from low-income families and tracked their outcomes.

One of the primary advantages of our study is that we are able to include more than five decades worth of programs, including recent studies that are more representative of the modern early-childhood landscape, McCoy said.

With that said, because we are looking at outcomes that are only observable yearsor even decadesafter children attend preschool, we cant necessarily make conclusions about whether the programs that are being implemented today will show benefits like the ones we observe in our study.

Even so, the early-childhood field is in agreement that high-quality early-education does work, both for supporting children and for supporting working families, McCoy said.

Image by iStockPhoto
Under pressure from striking doctors, the state government on Friday agreed to water down the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Bill.

The revised bill will drop jail for doctors and exclude clinical complaints from the purview of the district redressal committees.

Doctors, as a result, called off their five-day-old strike. Earlier in the day, the High Court had expressed shock at the continued shutdown of outpatient services in the districts. Terming the right to life as fundamental, it pulled up doctors for not heeding its request to restore services.

Doubts cleared: CM

Chief minister Siddaramaiah announced the truce. "The doctors had fears, doubts and a sense of terror. They have been clarified and we have agreed to make some changes," he told a press conference after meeting doctors here.

Narayana Health founder Dr Devi Shetty and Manipal Hospitals chairman Dr H Sudarshan Ballal were among those who represented private medical establishments at the meeting. A revised Bill will be tabled in the Assembly on November 20, Siddaramaiah said.

"We have convinced doctors and at the same time, we have safeguarded the interests of the common man," he told reporters.

All imprisonment clauses will be dropped, except for those running medical establishments without registration.

"It was agreed upon that clinical complaints will be handled by competent bodies such as the Karnataka Medical Council or the Medical Council of India," Dr Ballal said.

Doctors are free to field lawyers to represent them before the grievance redressal committees.

Those filing false complaints before the committee will be penalised, health minister K R Ramesh Kumar said.

The government will fix rates only for procedures under government-funded insurance schemes such as Yashaswini and Vajpayee Arogyashree.

Implementation of the state's ambitious Universal Health Coverage scheme, expected to cover nearly 1.40 crore households, is dependent on the passage of the KPME Bill.

"The two are integrated. The private sector will cooperate with us. No one will fish in troubled waters anymore," Siddaramaiah said.



Doctors' apology

In the last five days, 20 patients have died reportedly for want of timely medical attention.

"We are sorry if the deaths were caused because of our protest," said Dr H N Ravindra, head of the Karnataka chapter of the Indian Medical Association.

Siddaramaiah demanded proof to show the deaths were caused by the stand-off between the government and the doctors.

"No one knows why those people died," he said, when asked if the government took responsibility for the deaths. "A hundred people died because of demonetisation. Who is responsible for that?"

No advance



Doctors have agreed not to insist on an advance if the patient, at the time of admission, is not clinically stable.

Changes coming up in draft law

* No imprisonment for doctors. Only quacks will be jailed.

* Grievance redressal committees will not deal with clinical complaints.

* Lawyers can represent doctors before such committees.

* Ceiling only for procedures covered under government-funded insurance schemes.
The Election Commission on Friday recognised the Nitish Kumar faction as the authentic Janata Dal (U) and allotted it the party's poll symbol "arrow," while dismissing the claim made by Sharad Yadav faction.



According to the EC, the Nitish faction demonstrated "overwhelming majority support" in the legislature wing of the party as well as "a majority" in its apex body a the national council.

The poll panel's order came as a setback for Yadav and paved the way for Kumar-led faction to field candidates with JD(U)'s poll-symbol in the elections to the Gujarat assembly.

The EC rejected the petition submitted by Chhotubhai Amarsang Vasava, a legislator of the JD(U) in Gujarat, whom the faction led by Yadav last month declared as acting president of the party, replacing Kumar.

The poll panel applied the principle of majority support in the organisational and legislative wings, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in Sadlq Ali vs Election Commission of lndia and others.

Kumar's decision to end the JD(U)'s alliance with the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal in July this year irked Yadav. The differences eventually resulted in a split within the JD(U).

The JD(U) faction led by Yadav had in August first moved the EC staking claim on the party's symbol "arrow". When the poll panel asked it to submit documents in support of its claim, Yadav-led faction sought four weeks time, stating that it would hold a national executive meeting of the party on September 17 followed by a meeting of the national council on October 8. The EC on September 27 conveyed to Yadav faction that it might move a fresh petition along with supportive documents.

Yadav faction on September 17 removed Kumar from the helm of the party and elected Vasava as its acting president. Vasava then moved the EC staking claim on the "arrow" symbol afresh.

Vasava claimed that the JD(U) national council consisted of 1,098 members and submitted individual affidavits by 450 committing support to him. Kumar-led faction claimed that the party's national council consisted of 195 members and submitted affidavits of support of 138 of them.

EC goes by proof

The EC accepted the claim of Kumar-led faction on the total number of members of the national council, going by the records it submitted.

Vasava also provided affidavits of support by two out of 10 JD(U) MPs in Rajya Sabha. But Kumar faction filed affidavits from the party's two MPs in the Lok Sabha, seven out of 10 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, all the 71 MLAs and 30 MLCs of the party in Bihar. A party MLC from Maharashtra submitted affidavits of support to both the factions, the EC noted.
Amid the raging controversy over Sanjay Leela Bansali's "Padmavati" film, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday slammed fellow party leader Shashi Tharoor's criticism of the country's "so called valorous maharajas."

"I think he should study history. I am Jyotiraditya Scindia and I am proud of my past," Scindia, who belongs to the Gwalior royal family, said.



After Scindia's criticism and outbursts from others against him on the Twitter, Tharoor clarified his statement. "Some blind followers of the BJP are spreading false propaganda that I have commented on Rajput honour. Speaking against British rule, I discussed those royals that stood by the side of our colonisers," Tharoor said.





On Thursday, Tharoor had claimed that India's erstwhile kings were "less concerned about their honour when the British were trampling all over it," adding that they are going after "a Mumbai filmmaker because their honour is at stake."



He had said, "In fact, every single one of these so-called valorous maharajas, who today are after a Mumbai filmmaker because their honour is at stake, they were less concerned about their honour when the British were trampling all over it. They scurried to accommodate themselves. So let's face it, there is no question, that we were complicit."



After Scindia criticised him, Tharoor said,"Keeping our cultural diversity in mind, I fearlessly say that it is our duty to respect the sentiments of the Rajput community. Their valour is a part of our history that can't be questioned. BJP and the Censor Board should respect this."



Earlier, Union Minister Smriti Irani had also questioned Tharoor and even mocked some of the Congress leaders who have a royal lineage. "Did all Maharajas bend down before the British? What do the likes of Jyotiraditya Scindia, Capt Amarinder Singh and Digvijaya Singh have to say?" she had said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to start two new divisions to exclusively deal with emerging challenges of radicalisation and cybercrime. One of the dedicated wings, named 'counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation' (CTCR) division, will be mandated to focus on the online reach of global terrorist groups such as the IS and devising strategies to counter their propaganda. This well-intentioned step, which has been long overdue, could mark a significant step towards improving India's internal security and counterterrorism capabilities.



Fortunately, India has not seen the kind of religious radicalisation that has spread elsewhere. The high level of integration of Muslims in Indian society as well as the traditionally moderate nature of Islamic faith in India, as compared to its Pakistani counterpart, are the reasons. But if the recent spate of arrests of IS recruits or sympathisers is any indication, it is reasonable to argue that India is not entirely immune to the waves of religious radicalisation.

It also debunks the long-held notion that ideologically motivated Islamist terror had bypassed mainland India, despite Kashmir having been subjected to separatist Islamist insurgency. The IS seems determined to spread its tentacles in India, as reflected in a growing number of Muslims from mainland India becoming radicalised.

Early this month, the Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorism squad arrested Abu Zaid at Mumbai airport soon after he arrived from Riyadh. Zaid was allegedly radicalising Indian Muslims through social media to recruit them into the terror outfit. On November 2, Kerala police confirmed that six more youths from Kannur had joined IS. In July this year, Shajahan Velluva Kandy, an IS operative and a resident of Kannur, was arrested on his deportation by Turkish authorities.

Last month, Philippines authorities arrested Karen Aisha Hamidon, a leading female online recruiter who had been acting on behalf of IS on Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp. In December 2015, an Indian Oil Corporation manager, Mohammad Sirajuddin, was arrested from Jaipur and a computer engineer from Tamil Nadu, Mohammad Naseer, was deported from Sudan. Both had claimed that they were influenced by Karen. In September 2017, an IS operative was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his possible involvement in a conspiracy to carry out terror attacks across Tamil Nadu. The list is too long to fit here.

Most Indian suspects arrested for terror related activities are youth, having a good education and well employed, often motivated through internet propaganda. Since spreading hateful and distorted messages or triggering a conflict through cyberspace is low-cost but has potentially devastating impact, terrorists throughout the world are relying heavily on cyber mobilisation to recruit, finance and train more fighters to their cause.

In fact, cyber radicalisation has already reached alarming proportions in Kashmir, leading Dineshwar Sharma, the newly-named interlocutor for talks in Jammu and Kashmir, to set de-radicalisation of Kashmiri youth and militants as the topmost priority so as "to prevent Kashmir from turning into a Syria of India".

Islamic radicalisation may be described as a gradual transformation from a non-violent and religiously based understanding of the Islamic faith to one with a violent and politically motivated ideology premised on the belief that Islam is in danger and the only viable solution for the survival of Islam is to perpetrate acts of violence. These radicals are playing havoc across much of the democratic world, resulting into 'lone wolf' terror attacks in several Western cities. The latest massacre of innocents in Manhattan in America by a radicalised Uzbek is yet another indicator of the grave threat IS poses to the world, particularly to all countries and societies with sizable Muslim populations.

The recent trends in jihadist terrorism and radicalisation around the world highlight the limits of conventional counterterrorism approaches that place a single-minded focus on security measures. What is really required is a smarter approach one that goes beyond countering terrorists with law enforcement or military tactics. An effective strategy would be one that incorporates measures to prevent susceptible people from getting converted into dreaded terrorists in the first place. It begins by addressing the forces that radicalise people to join terror groups.

Success in counter and de-radicalisation policies would largely depend upon a whole-of-government approach, which includes an effective and efficient governing mechanism. Besides, law enforcement agencies must work closely with civil society academics, professionals, religious and local leaders in tapping the talents of local communities in developing counter-narratives.

Last but not the least, the police leadership must adequately prepare the policemen on the streets to play a leading role in preventing and countering radicalisation by listening to and addressing the grievances of the people they often claim to serve. One must hope that the CTCR division will keep these factors in view while formulating a comprehensive response to counter radicalisation.

(The writer is Assistant Professor, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, Sardar Patel University, Jodhpur)
Seven more patients died in the state on Friday due to non-availability of medical treatment on the fifth day of doctors' strike against the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendments) Bill.



Two people in Tumakuru district and a four-month-old baby in Chikkaballapur district breathed last for want of timely medical assistance.

Sadashivaiah (55) of Koratagere in Tumakuru district developed chest pain in the early hours of Friday. He was taken to a private hospital where treatment was not available. He died en route to the government hospital.

Prashanth Kumar (35) of Kaggere village in Kunigal taluk of Tumakuru district suffered a heart attack and was taken to a private hospital in Kunigal town. Since the hospital was shut down, he was shifted to a government hospital. He died on the way, his family members said.

A four-month-old male baby died of respiratory problems in Chintamani of Chikkaballapur district. The yet-to-be-named child of Munikrishna and Shwetha was taken to a private hospital in Kolar.

Meanwhile, patients in Pavagad taluk of Tumakuru district have been heading to the hospitals in Madakasira, Hindupur, Kalyanadurga and Ananthpur in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh for treatment. R L Jalappa hospital in Kolar has been functioning, providing treatment to the patients.

Two women died in Mangaluru for lack of medical attention. Puja (19), a college student was suffering from a kidney ailment and had been undergoing dialysis. Her family members alleged that she could not undergo dialysis due to protest by doctors as a result of which she died. A woman in Belthangady, who had consumed poison, died for want of emergency treatment.

A 24-year-old man, who was married five days ago, died for want of treatment in Gajendragadh in Gadag district. The deceased has been identified as Ravi Bhajanthri (24), a driver. He developed a high fever on Thursday and was taken to local private hospitals where treatment was refused, sources in his family said. His condition worsened on Friday morning and he passed away even as his family members were planning to shift him to a hospital.

Kusumavva Balappa Sadalagi (57) of Mygoor village in Jamkhandi taluk of Bagalkot district, who was bitten by a snake, died as she did not get timely treatment. She was bitten by a snake while working on an agricultural farm. Her family members took her to private hospitals in Jamkhandi where treatment was not available. By the time she was shifted to the government hospital in Jamkhandi, Kusumavva had breathed last.
After the introduction of reserved parking system and pink autos for women, Mayor R Sampath Raj plans to study about setting up pink toilets for women in the city, similar to Delhi model.



"I cannot say that we are introducing the pink toilets now. There are space constraints in the city. There is a plan and we will be studying about it. We will see what to do in the coming days," said Mayor R Sampath Raj.

When asked why is the corporation planning the pink toilets when it finds it difficult to maintain the existing public toilets, he said: "We are just planning to look at the proposed idea. It is for the betterment of women. The maintenance and other challenges come only after the implementation of the project," said Raj.

Members of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) had visited the city municipal corporation and there was an exchange of ideas about various programmes and initiatives that have been undertaken in both cities. During the visit, Narendra Chawla, chairman, Appointments, Promotions, Disciplinary and Allied Matters Committee, SDMC drew the attention towards the pink toilets in Delhi.

Chawla, who visited the MG Road metro station boulevard and the reserved parking space on the Brigade Road, said he was also planning to set up a boulevard at metro stations in Delhi.

Box

Bommanahalli zone to get a facelift soon.

The Mayor visited Bommanahalli zone on Friday and ordered the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities to develop the ward. The projects for the ward include -

* Rejuvenation of 21 lakes in the ward and provide boating facility.

* Prepare a detailed project report on the construction of high-tech hospitals, markets and the BBMP schools.

* To implement total station survey to measure property tax.

DH News Service
The state government's decision to revise some provisions of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Bill following doctors' strike has drawn positive and negative reactions in equal measure.



While healthcare activists want the bill to be passed in its original form, doctors have welcomed the government's climbdown.

A host of progressive organisations conducted a press conference here on Friday and argued that diluting the bill was a betrayal of people's trust. "Why is the government talking only to doctors, not the people?" asked Vinay Sreenivasan, of Alternative Law Forum, which has been fighting for the enactment of the bill. When a joint committee of the legislature had given suggestions on the bill, what was the need to talk to doctors again, he asked. He said the fight would go on until the government took a positive decision.

Doctors expressed happiness following their meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar in Belagavi.

"Doctors are happy and so is the government. The government has made changes to the KPME Bill as requested by us," said Dr Devi Shetty, the founder and chairman of Narayana Health. He added that all the contentious provisions had been dropped except that on running private medical establishments without registration. He maintained that had doctors had not protested vehemently, the bill would have been passed in the Assembly.

Dr R Ravindra, the secretary of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association, said: "It's a win-win situation. Though we had asked for dropping the provision on district redress cells, it has been modified in such a way that frivolous complaints by patients will not be entertained."

Dr Naveen Jayaram, consultant psychiatrist, Sakra World Hospital, said: "Patients already have no trust in doctors. Had the bill been passed, things would have gone worse. We were more worried about the district redress committee, which has now been settled."
France has pitched for selling more Rafale aircraft to India, but the defence ministry is yet to take a decision.

"Yes, the French minister raised the matter, but I have not given any response," said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman when asked whether her French counterpart Florence Parly took up the issue in her official meeting last month.

In September 2016, India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to purchase 36 French origin combat jets for the IAF in a flyaway condition. The first one is expected to touch down by September 2019.

But two squadrons of Rafale are far too less as against IAF's requirement to have 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft that were negotiated in the UPA regime.

While procurement of 36 French fighters is an emergency option, one of the tasks before the defence ministry is to source the remaining 90 aircraft and some more that IAF needs.

Buying more Rafale is one of the choices on the table. Another option is to have a single-engine fighter aircraft assembly in India, on which two companies USA's Lockheed Martin and Sweden's Saab evinced interest. The government, Nirmala pointed out, has not taken any decision.

On the offset agreement linked to the French deal, the defence minister said the contracts had not yet been signed for the 36 Rafale deal (worth nearly 59,000 crore). "We will sign it and abide by the inter-governmental agreement," she said.
France on Friday said that its Rafale fighter jet deal with India was one of the "most emblematic" of the bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian referred to the Rafale fighter jet deal and the P-75 Scorpene submarine project as the most emblematic of the defence cooperation between India and France. Le Drian, who is currently on a visit to New Delhi, however, noted that the range of the defence cooperation between the two nations was much wider.

"Our defence partnership is well known through the Rafale and Scorpne projects to mention only the most emblematic ones but it is far broader than that, similar to our cooperation in the Indian Ocean," the French foreign minister said, as he and his host, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, addressed the media after a meeting on Friday.

Le Drian referred to the Rafale deal at a time when a war of words broke out between the Congress and the BJP over the purchase of the 36 fighter jets from Dassault Aviation of France for the air force.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweaked the deal to ensure benefit for one businessman.

The agreement for the purchase of 36 Rafale jets by India from Dassault Aviation of France in flyaway condition was signed last year.

Le Drian, who was earlier defence minister of France, played a key role in clinching the deal on behalf of the French government.

He visited New Delhi several times to push for the deal. He and the then defence minister of India, Manohar Parrikar, signed the agreement in New Delhi on September 23, 2016.

Le Drian called on the prime minister on Friday. A press release quoted Modi telling Le Drian that the significance of India-France Strategic Partnership was not limited to the bilateral context, but it acted as a force for peace and stability in the regional and global context as well.

The contract for six Scorpene submarines from M/s DCNS of France was signed in October 2006. All six submarines would be built under technology transfer at the Mazagaon Docks Limited in Mumbai. The first two submarines, Kalvari and Khanderi, has already been built.

"India-France defence cooperation has been growing very strong encompassing institutional interactions, joint military exercises, acquisition, training, and research and development," Sushma tweeted.
The Jammu & Kashmir Police on Friday assured the family of Majid Khan that no charges will be pressed against their son.

Addressing a press conference, IGP (Kashmir) Muneer Khan said, "Majid is the only son of his parents. He displayed boldness and strength in his decision. On his return, the security forces have reassured him and his family that no charges will be pressed against him."

Asked whether the Lashkar-e-Toiba acknowledged that Majid was part of their outfit, the IGP said, "You seriously expected Lashkar to say he was in their group? What are you saying? They kill people and then they don't own up, how will they acknowledge this?"

General-officer-Commanding, Victor Force, Maj Gen B S Raju said, "Majid has neither surrendered nor was he apprehended by the security forces. It was his (Majid's) decision to join the terror group and he has returned on his own."

Victor Force in Awantipora town oversees all anti-militancy operations of the army in south Kashmir.
In the midst of bitter tax and healthcare debates, at least one bipartisan bill seems to be gathering steam on the Hill: the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act .

The billintended to begin implementing recommendations on federal data research and privacy by a Congressionally appointed committeepassed the full House on Wednesday, after 45 minutes of debate and a strong push from sponsor Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. A sister bill introduced by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. , has not yet been voted out of the Senates governmental affairs committee.

Theres good reason for education researchers to watch its progress. It introduces strong privacy protections for personally identifiable information in federal databases, but it also makes it clear that aside from items explicitly prohibited, federal agencies should work to share data to help researchers and policymakers study and build evidence for policies and programs.

Daniel Castro, director of the Center on Data Innovation, lauded the bills focus on building infrastructure for data sharing: The federal government controls an enormous supply of valuable data. These datasets exist because of taxpayer support for government operations, so they should freely available to the public. This, in turn, would encourage innovation, spur economic growth, increase government transparency, and power new tools and services to address some of the countrys most pressing economic and social challenges, he said in a statement.

Michele Jolin, co-founder of the advocacy group Results for America, argued in favor of the bills requirement that every federal agency appoint a chief evaluation officer and set annual plans to use federal data to build evidence systemically.

You can see more details on the bill here .

Related:
In the wake of continuous shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, authorities on Friday ordered shutting down of educational institutions in the district till further orders.



Reports said that Pakistani troops resorted to firing and shelling, targeting Indian forward posts and border hamlets along the LoC in Poonch sector for the third consecutive day, Friday, leaving an army personnel injured.

"They (Pakistani troops) used mortars, automatics and small arms to target our positions in Digwar, Shahpur, Khari, Karmara and Malti areas," an army official said and added that the Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively.

"The schools have been closed as a precautionary measure as there has been escalation in shelling and firing on the border since Thursday," an official said.

In some areas, the school campuses have been designated as temporary camps for migrants from border areas.

In July this year, more than 100 students were trapped inside two schools in Nowshera sector of Poonch after Pakistani troops violated ceasefire.

The children had to be later rescued in bullet proof bunkers by the security forces.

The ceasefire violations and sniper attacks by Pakistani troops have been on rise since last several months. 600 ceasefire violations have been reported till the start of this month in which nine civilians and 16 security personnel have been killed.

The number of violations was significantly less at 228 for the entire 2016, according to Army figures.
In what could be a huge embarrassment for the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP, a senior leader of the party virtually threatened the members of Muslim community of serious consequences if they did not support his wife, who was in the fray for the post of the chairperson of a municipality, in the forthcoming local body polls.



''You (Muslims) may have to face a lot of difficulties...no one can save you...it is in your interest to vote for the BJP,'' senior BJP leader Ranjit Bahadur Srivastava reportedly said while addressing a public meeting in Barabanki town, about 40 km from here.

Srivastava's utterances came to light, when a video purportedly containing his speech, went viral on the social networking sites.

In the video Srivastava, whose wife Shashi Srivastava is contesting for the post of chairperson of Barabanki Municipality, could be heard telling the community members that they would be ''happy'' if they supported the BJP nominee.

He is also heard telling them that no development work would be undertaken in their localities if they did not vote for his wife.

Incidentally his outbursts came in the presence of two state ministers, who were also there.

As the rival candidates lodged a complaint with the police in this regard, police said that they were examining the content of the video and would take appropriate action.

The opposition parties have demanded stern action against Srivastava and disqualification of his wife. ''It shows the true character of the BJP....it can go to any extent for votes,'' said an SP leader.

The saffron party leader's words came at a time, when the BJP had been trying hard to woo the muslim community. The party has given tickets to around three dozen muslims in the local body polls.
Padmaavat Row LIVE Update: Karni Sena Stoops To New Low By Announcing A Film On Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Mother
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Washingtons supreme court on Wednesday agreed that the states legislature has come up with an adequate way to boost teacher payas the states court demanded it do five years agobut that the money wont arrive in teachers pockets soon enough.

The states legislature has been pushing the courts patience for years since the courts 2012 McCleary v. Washington ruling that K-12 funding formula was inadequate. It appears the courts justices are just about fed up with waiting for a new formula to actually go into effect.

The legislature last year came up with a new statewide property tax in order to boost the base salaries of the states public school teachers as a way to satisfy the McCleary ruling. But the $7.3 billion needed to pay for that increase in salaries wont reach teachers pockets until the 2019-20 school yeara year after the courts deadline.

That timing doesnt satisfy the justices which has already fined the state more than $82 million for missing its many deadlines.



The program of basic education cannot be said to be fully implemented by Sept. 1, 2018, when it puts off full funding of basic education salaries until the 2019-20 school year, the court wrote in its Nov. 15 ruling. If compliance by 2019-20 is close enough, why not 2020-21 or the following year?

Legislators admit that they will miss the 2018 deadline but say it takes time to set up a new formula, collect the money, and then distribute that money to schools.

The last thing I want to see is this thing jammed into place so quickly that it doesnt work or creates more problems than it fixes, said Democratic House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan in response to the latest ruling, echoing a similar argument the states attorney general made in court.

The court didnt buy it.

The courts constitutional responsibility is to the school children of this state, the court wrote. We cannot erode that consitutional right by saying that the state is now close enough to constitutional.

The court said by the start of the 2018-19 school year, teachers should see their salaries rise. And, knowing legislators propensity to drag their feet into special sessions, the court said it needs to see a report by April 9 detailing the plan or else it will ramp up the sanctions already imposed.

Speaking of, whatever happened to that $100,000 the legislature was supposed to be fined for every day it is in session and doesnt come up with a plan?

Turns out the legislature never set it aside, giving it instead to districts to spend.

That especially upset the nine-member elected supreme court, which said that it expects its directives to be obeyed.

And since the court has ordered the payment of sanctions into a dedicated account, the state may not expend the funds in that account without the courts authorization, even if up to this point the state has kept only an accounting of the accumulating sanctions rather than actually establishing an account, the court said.

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.
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Denver's bid welcomes Amazon to new frontier'

The redacted version of the HQ2 invite was released by an economic development group representing nine Colorado counties.



By JAMES ANDERSON

Associated Press

DENVER  Welcome to Your New Frontier. That's the title of Colorado's concise invitation to Amazon to consider Denver for its proposed $5 billion second headquarters. A redacted version of the invite was released Thursday by a metro-area economic development group representing nine Colorado counties.



. . .

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Loyd Blankfein, the chief executive of US investment bank Goldman Sachs, has suggested on Twitter that the UK should hold a second referendum on Brexit, in his latest foray into the political arena. Blankfein (63) is an infrequent tweeter, having posted only 26 times, but has had a dig at Brexit - either directly or indirectly - on four occasions. His account has 70,000 followers. In his latest comments, Mr Blankfein said, ''Here in UK, lots of hand-wringing from CEOs over #Brexit. Better sense of the tough and risky road ahead. ''Reluctant to say, but many wish for a confirming vote on a decision so monumental and irreversible. So much at stake, why not make sure consensus still there?'' His comments come as the City's calls intensify for swift clarity on the terms of Brexit to prevent the triggering of relocation plans, says The Telegraph. The Bank of England warned this month that up to 10,000 jobs could be lost on day one of Brexit if no deal is struck. According to The Daily Mail, Blankfein is a key figure in the City's ferocious lobbying operation to make sure banks are prioritised above everything else in negotiations. His comments triggered an immediate backlash, with one senior MP saying it was ''unwise'' for an American banker to lecture the country's public. John Longworth, a former head of the British Chambers of Commerce who now works for pro-Brexit group 'Leave Means Leave', said, ''Blankfein will naturally put the interests of his organisation ahead of those of the British people.'' Goldman employs 6,000 staff in the UK with its new headquarters due to be completed just as the country leaves the EU in March 2019. It is not clear how many staff will move into the new building, which is near Fleet Street in central London. Blankfein's first Brexit intervention, a month ago, was sent as he was leaving Frankurt, the German city hoping to benefit from business that London risks losing as a result of Brexit. ''Great meetings, great weather, really enjoyed it. Good, because I'll be spending a lot more time there,'' he said. Less than 10 days later he sent a tweet of an aerial shot of the new 350=million European headquarters the bank has under construction in London, with the words ''expecting/hoping to fill it up, but so much outside our control''. Two days ago, he tweeted from Paris where he said he was ''struck by the positive energy'' and remarked upon the ''good food''. Firms are warning the government that they will have to start implementing contingency plans by the end of March next year. Goldman's plans include taking the top eight floors of a 37-storey block under construction in Frankfurt, which is expected to be ready for occupation in the third quarter of 2019. It could hold 1,000 staff  compared with the 200 it already employs in the German city. Earlier this week fellow City firms JP Morgan and Prudential told a House of Lords committee they had already begun putting their relocation plans in motion. JP Morgan said it had begun telling affected staff if they are required to move to Ireland, Germany or Luxembourg. Prudential is moving some of its funds to Luxembourg.








Right to a Jury Trial Denied in Revived McAfee Shareholder Case

In reviving a shareholder action against McAfee, the California Court of Appeals, for the Sixth Appellate District, explained that the plaintiffs still did not have a right to a jury trial. Though the appellate court did revive the case, sending it back down to the court to try the matter as to a few of the several defendants, including McAfee, the matter will only be heard by a judge.

The case itself involves some rather juicy details and allegations of corporate misconduct, including board members acting out of self-interest, rather than on behalf of shareholders. However, the resolution of which state's law to apply and when, particularly as it applied to the right to a jury trial certainly will make the case worth noting.

Appellate Decision of Equity

The appellate court reviewed the lower court's dismissal of the case on summary judgment. The appellate court found that the plaintiffs had presented evidence of triable issues of material fact as to their claims against a few defendants. However, when it came to the claim that the trial court erred in denying the right to a jury trial, the appellate court disagreed, but not without a lengthy discussion.

It reasoned that the claims being made, particularly after examining the prayer for relief, sounded in equity more so than law, and as such, were proper to be tried to a judge rather than a jury. The court, after examining the case, explained that: "As discussed, it is the gist or nature of the action that determines whether a jury trial is available as a matter of right." Despite the cause of action sounding in law, the court found the overall gist sounding in equity.

Details of the Misdeeds

Essentially, the shareholders are alleging that certain high level executives and board members colluded in a buyout, or had conflicts of interest, and as such, violated their fiduciary duties to the shareholders. Specifically, it is claimed that a higher price per share was not sought, and could have been. Furthermore, it is alleged that the CEO lied, and failed to disclose material information that would have influenced the deal and the shareholders' returns.

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In signs that China will not be able to push further with massive infrastructure projects even in Pakistan, Islamabad has requested Beijing to withdraw a high-cost dam project in Occupied Kashmir from the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan unexpectedly withdrew a request to include the strategic $14-billion Diamer-Bhasha dam in the Gilgit-Baltistan area of PoK from the CPEC earlier this week. While this may alter the cost projections for CPEC, Chinese experts deny any damage to ties with Islamabad or the multi-billion-dollar economic corridor project as a whole. Chinese experts say bilateral ties with Pakistan have deep roots and that there are multiple channels of engagement between the two countries so that the status of one project will not impact bilateral relations. On the contrary, Chinese experts say the fact that Pakistan could withdraw a project from the CPEC shows that the CPEC works on mutual consultation. The CPEC, the flagship project under President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), involves connecting China with the rest of Asia and Africa and beyond through complex network of road, rail and sea routes. While China-Pakistan ties look intact, at least for the present, the huge finances involved in the projects that do more good to Chinese firms than countries where these projects are being implemented, is a cause of worry for the host countries. Experts dismissed any talk of rift in the ''iron-clad'' alliance. ''I don't think that China's strict conditions on the dam will affect China and Pakistan's economic relations because China-Pakistan relations have lasted for a long time,'' Shi Zhiqin, executive dean of the One Belt, One Road Strategic Institute in Beijing told Hindustan Times, adding that the two countries cooperate in many areas. ''The development should not be a big issue. China and Pakistan have many channels (to communicate,'' said Hu Shisheng , director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian and Oceania Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the paper. Hu added that CPEC is based on consultation between the countries involved, adding that China is a ''responsible country'' despite its close ties with Pakistan. ''I think that Pakistan dropped the PoK dam project in CPEC mainly it could not raise the money from World Bank and other institutions because of objections raised by India. So, perhaps, this will impact Pakistan-India ties (and not China-Pakistan relations,'' said Wang Dehua from the Shanghai Municipal Centre for International Studies. India has repeatedly objected to the CPEC as it runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, saying it's a sovereignty issue. Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) chairman Muzammil Hussain told the parliament's Public Accounts Committee this week that the Chinese conditions for financing the dam were ''not doable and against our interests''. Briefing the parliamentary panel on the status of the much-delayed mega project, he said the Chinese conditions included taking ownership of the project, operation and maintenance costs, and providing security for the Diamer-Bhasha project by pledging another operational dam. ''These conditions were unacceptable. Therefore, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi approved a summary to finance the dam from the country's own resources,'' he was quoted as saying. Of course, it's not the end of the road for China's involvement in the particular project and it could yet help Pakistan with the finances. ''Of course it remains to be seen whether China can help Pakistan raise the money from other banking services,'' said Wang. Chinese diplomats are believed to be sorting out the issue while Beijing authorities ensured that it was not discussed in the official media.








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Jackson County Commissioners met in special session Thursday.

Board members had hoped to talk with the lawyer handling the countys interests in the pending sale of Campbellton-Graceville Hospital, to discuss the possibility of lingering risk of liability for the hospitals old debts or other issues once a final deal is made, but the attorney couldnt make it to the meeting, so the matter was set aside, instead.

The board did address the only other specific topic that had been mentioned Tuesday as potentially coming up Thursday, along with several other matters that made their way on to the agenda between meetings.

Commissioners, as expected, reviewed the capital improvements element of its comprehensive plan, looking out five years at some of the money they plan to spend on things like courtroom improvements, Russ House renovations, computer software and hardware upgrades, water and sewer expansions along Blue Springs Highway and in the Indian Springs subdivision, along with several road improvement projects and other plans.

With some adjustments needed in the timing of the spending schedule, the board took no actions other than directing staff to make the adjustments before it is presented at a public hearing and possible subsequent adoption of the updated document. The element is reviewed annually for possible changes.

With the board also considering changes to the overall comprehensive plan, audience member Chad Taylor asked the board to consider adding some regulations to address whether exploratory wells would be allowed in the county. He cited a situation in neighboring Calhoun County, where local officials have given the green light for the construction of an exploratory well to determine whether significant oil supplies exist underground on large swath of land not far from Dead Lakes.

Commissioners made no comment on his suggestion.

Taylor, on another topic related to the comprehensive plan, also asked the board to consider following the recommendations of its planning staff by adopting state standards in the landscaping element of the code. The advisory planning commission wants to strip the regulations from the code entirely, but staff wants the county to adopt best management practices encouraged by the state.

Commissioners made no comment on this suggestion, either, and did not discuss landscaping regulations at all.

TRASH TALK

The board did talk at length about how they should handle garbage pick-up now that it has terminated its contract with Goodwill Industries to provide that service and to mow along the shoulders of the countys paved roads. Expressing dissatisfaction with Goodwills job performance on the mowing duty and speaking of disappointment in the litter pick-up, commissioners are trying to figure out how to keep litter under control until it can make long-term arrangements with a new contractor for those services. Ultimately, staff was directed Thursday to explore temporary contracts with JCARC and Twin Oaks organizations for litter pick-up. Both already provide those services for others.

OTHER ITEMS

In other matters addressed at Thursdays meeting, board members agreed to pay up to $500 to help take care of final arrangements for a Grand Ridge man, originally from Haiti, who died locally with no family to help pay those expenses.

Commissioners also considered a request to make a policy change that would give county retirees the same $1,500 contribution that active employees receive from the county toward paying their insurance premiums.

County retirees are allowed to stay on county insurance, but do not currently receive the stipend. Of the 60 retirees now in the system, 27 took the option to stay on the county insurance. Including current retirees in the stipend, and adding other retirees as they come out of service, could get costly over the years, commissioners were advised.

Something like that can snowball on you, insurance agent Michael John Milton told the board Tuesday, adding that the board should give long and hard thought about what youre doing here.

They took no immediate action on the request, but asked for further research into the matter.

Commissioners may also have to decide whether to allow the retirees who are not currently taking advantage of the insurance option to re-think that decision and potentially sign on after initially having elected to come out of it. The option could become more attractive to more of them if the county ultimately decides to give retirees the $1,500 contribution.

To give the 27 retirees currently on the plan the $1,500 stipend, it would cost the county roughly $38,500 more each year in its insurance costs. The offset costs the county $64,800 a year now to cover active employees. If employees not currently exercising the option were to all come back into play and if they were to receive the stipend, that would cost the county about $50,000 for the additional 33 stipends alone.

The boards order for research also included recommendations about how Medicare eligibility would play into the picture once retirees hit the age of 65.

REVERSALS

At Thursdays meeting, the board also turned its attention back to some matters it had addressed Tuesday in regular session. On Thursday, commissioners reversed two decisions theyd made at the earlier meeting.

Instead of buying a semi low-boy hauler on an emergency basis, as theyd agreed to do Tuesday, the board decided to bid out the purchase instead. Doing so should only delay the purchase by about three weeks, they were told Thursday. On Tuesday, the lag was suggested as being potentially much longer, if the bidding process were used instead of going the emergency route.

Commissioners also reversed its Tuesday decision on a road improvement. The board will seek fresh bids from contractors to pave Arizona Street. Earlier, the board had hoped to get that work done via a change order to an existing job that Baxters Asphalt was doing in the vicinity, work that had been funded in part by the county and by the state Department of Transportation. The plan was revisited when DOT advised the county that it wanted to conclude that initial contract with no add-ons. Baxter had given the county a price on Arizona, at a vastly reduced rate, in exchange for not being assessed liquidated damages on another project it had finished after deadline.

On Tuesday, the county voted to attach the Arizona Street job to another project Baxter had going for the county, not the one involving DOT dollars, and then let other contractors try to match or better Baxters price. However, after the board attorney reviewed that decision further, the board elected to start fresh on the Arizona Street bidding process.
The Alabama Secretary of States office has conducted a review of the City of Dothans elections process and determined it meets legal requirements, Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba said Thursday.

The announcement comes as a response to allegations that District 1 Commissioner Kevin Dorsey does not live in the district he represents. Two residents made the accusations during the privileges of the floor portion of the Dothan City Commissions administrative meeting on Nov. 7.

Saliba said he asked for the Secretary of State review following the allegations, and the review found no fault with the citys process to verify its candidates residency.

As the mayor of Dothan, ensuring the legal, moral, and ethical integrity of our municipal elections is of utmost importance, he said. The Secretary of State's office has informed me that they are legally satisfied with the methods our city clerk uses for elections. In fact, our process meets or exceeds most municipalities in Alabama."

In a Nov. 8 article, city clerk Tammy Danner told the Eagle that each candidate for a municipal election must bring in a notarized form that includes their current address. Her office then crosschecks the address with voter registration records to further verify the statement.

Danner noted nothing appeared out of the ordinary with Dorseys form when he qualified in June for the Aug. 1 municipal election.

On the form, Dorsey listed 205 Doris Lane as his home  a statement he backed up following the allegations. The home at this location is under foreclosure, according to a legal printed in the Eagle on Oct. 20.
Washington Supreme Court: Immigration Status 'Generally Inadmissible' in Court

There are times when a person's immigration status will be relevant in a court of law. Say, if a person is accused of falsifying documents to hide that status. It could also come up if a witness is receiving some immigration benefit in exchange for or in order to facilitate their testimony. In an on-the-job personal injury case? Immigration status is not so relevant.

So said the Washington Supreme Court back in 2010, when it granted an injured worker a new trial on the grounds the jury in his first may have been prejudiced by knowledge that the man had overstayed his visa. Last week, the court officially adopted that rule of evidence, making immigration status "generally inadmissible" in both civil and criminal court.

Criminal Status

In criminal cases, "evidence of a party's or a witness's immigration status shall not be admissible unless immigration status is an essential fact to prove an element of, or a defense to, the criminal offense with which the defendant is charged, or to show bias or prejudice of a witness." It's the "bias or prejudice part" that had defense attorneys in the state resisting the new rule.

U-Visas allow crime victims to stay in the country legally to help investigations or prosecutions, and defense attorneys will often point this out to jurors as a possible reason for bias in the victim's testimony. "If somebody is being granted a benefit in exchange for their testimony," defense attorney Angus Lee told the Seattle Times, "Supreme Court case law for due process makes very clear that's relevant and admissible for impeachment." The new rule will require defense attorneys to file a pretrial motion asking to admit such evidence and argue it during a hearing.

Prosecutors, on the other hand, welcomed the rule, citing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents hanging around courthouses nationwide. "People are scared," King County deputy prosecuting attorney David Martin said. "They're scared because of what they hear coming out of the federal government. Immigration does come up in criminal cases, and sometimes it's entirely appropriate that the status is examined, but what this rule says is you have to have really good reasons."

Civil Status

In regards to civil claims, "evidence of a party's or a witness's immigration status shall not be admissible unless immigration status is an essential fact to prove an element of a party's cause of action." This goes back to that 2010 ruling, where the Washington Supreme Court said the danger of unfair prejudice upon being presented with immigration status outweighed the evidence's value, therefore ruling that a lower court's decision to admit the evidence was "an abuse of discretion."

The court turned out to be right. In the first trial, a jury found a scaffolding company liable for using ladders that violated safety codes, but didn't award the worker who was seriously injured in a fall from one of those ladders, Alex Salas, any damages after hearing evidence of his immigration status. After the state supreme court granted him another trial, wherein the jury did not hear that Salas's visa had expired at the time of the accident, he was awarded $2.6 million in damages.

Washington's new rule will go into effect September 1, 2018.

Related Resources:
A DUNDALK drone company has said that an increasing number of recreational drone users in Co Louth are breaking the law.

Niall Carroll from The Drone Guys told The Dundalk Democrat that the company is backing a safety campaign launched by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

The safety campaign is needed. More and more I see people in and around Dundalk, Blackrock and Carlingford breaking the law where they are flying their drones, said Niall.

It's illegal to fly over someone's property if you dont have their permission, totally illegal to fly over public roads unless you have a safety operate in place and illegal to fly over crowds of people not under your control.

Mr Carroll added: I see these being broken all the time. It's only going to take one drone to fall from the sky onto a public road, hit a car and god know what will happen then.

Drones are extremely useful tools when used in the right hands, responsibly and within the laws. I strongly feel that these are not toys in any way and shouldnt be bought as Christmas presents for kids.

The IAA launched a campaign today (Friday, November 17) which aims to raise awareness with drone users of the safe and responsible operation of drones.

The campaign includes a short informative video which can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6guSwGlDv7g
Digiweb Electric Broadband  Powered by SIRO is now available to 65,000 premises in fourteen locations and your home could be one of the first to get it.

Powered by light, this 100% fibre optic internet service delivers speeds up to an incredible 1 Gigabit per second (thats 1,000 Megabits per second).

SIROs differentiator is that it is a 100% fibre-optic internet connection, making it better than any other broadband infrastructure in Ireland.

Three times as powerful as the market leading service in Dublin and 10 times more powerful than the fastest average speed in Ireland.* This technology, known as FTTH uses the existing ESB electricity network to deliver fibre optic cables all the way to the building or home and has no copper connections at any point to slow down the network.

This life changing broadband enables streaming video from multiple devices, online gaming without any lag and instantaneous uploads and downloads.

Digiweb have continued to improve telecommunication services year on year and are delighted to provide this new Electric Broadband service in Carlow, Limerick, Letterkenny, Dundalk, Drogheda, Laytown, Mornington, Bettystown, Newbridge, Portlaoise, Tralee, Castlebar, Westport and Carrigaline. Launching soon in Naas. Packages are available for both residential and SME businesses from as little as 45 per month.

Since launching in 1997, Digiweb have been connecting customers nationwide to the future with the latest technology. The vision of Digiweb has always been simple: provide customers with a superfast, reliable, internet connection and telephone service at a reasonable price which is supported by customer focused staff. From the beginning, the positive experience of customers has driven everything we do.

Weve attributed our success to being customer centric. This is clearly evident on consumer review site Trustpilot with customer testimonials such as best broadband provider by far and top class service and reliability.
Louth Deputy Declan Breathnach has slammed David Daviss assertion that putting politics above prosperity is never a smart choice.

In a statement to The Democrat, Breathnach - Spokesperson on North-South Bodies and Cross-Border Co-Operation and Vice-Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement - questioned David Davis' understanding of the issues at hand.

Clearly he hasnt a clue of the myriad of issues affecting the island of Ireland, both sides of the Irish border", stated Breathnach. "He has a paper-book knowledge but clearly if he spent time along the border area he would realise that leaving the single market and customs union which will result of some form of border control would be detrimental for the entire island of Ireland.

I firmly believe that the people who voted to leave the EU were sold a pig in a poke, and if given a second chance to vote on the issue, it would be defeated, said Breathnach.

The talks are currently in deadlock, despite Theresa Mays best efforts to put a positive spin on things. Donald Tusk is saying that progress on to the next phase of Brexit talks cannot be taken for granted.

Our own Taoiseach has been very unclear on whether talks can move forward or not, considering the impasse in negotiation around the border with Northern Ireland. We need clarity, and while all parties agree that we cannot return to the borders of the past, businesses need to plan ahead, and at least know what faces them.

With many now citing the possibility of the talks breaking down, our Government needs to publish detailed sectoral plans dealing with integration, issues of trade and people movement and more importantly safeguarding the Good Friday Agreement and the Peace Process concluded Breathnach.
Mary Kay Philippines, one of the biggest skin care and cosmetic companies in the world, throws our drowning wallets and schedules a lifeline as it launches the Beauty On-the-Go Starter Kit. A beauty and skin care arsenal that you can purchase when you sign up to be a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, this lifesaver lets you be the ultimate #girlboss for only PHP 1,500.00.

The Beauty On-the-Go Starter Kit

Inside the Beauty On-the-Go Starter Kit are beauty and skincare must-haves that Independent Beauty Consultants can sell in their own time and for their own profit. Each Kit includes a:

Botanical Effects Evolution Cleansing Gel,

an On-the-Go Mineral Pressed Powder (in Ivory 2),

a Gel Semi-Shine Lipstick (in Red Smolder),

and a Brow Definer Pencil (in Brunette)

Also included in the Kit are new and exciting literatures and makeover tools that are designed to help beauty consultants conquer the world one beauty junkie at a time.

Of course, every #girlboss makes sure to dress to slay. Mary Kay Philippines has got that base covered because the Beauty On-the-Go Starter Kit is an incredibly stylish black bag adorned with fun and colorful patches, and may be worn as a shoulder bag, a backpack, or a cross body bag, making it the ultimate accessory to complete your look.

Alternatively, Mary Kay also offers the TimeWise Starter Kit, also at PHP 1,500.00, which includes anti-aging products. Simply visit the Mary Kay Beauty Center to sign up to be an Independent Beauty Consultant, to purchase the Starter Kit, and to learn more about Mary Kay products.

For more information, you may visit the Mary Kay Beauty Center at the 2nd Floor of the Allegro Center, 2284 Pasong Tamo Extension (Makati City), G/F, Philam Life, Rizal Street (Davao City), and 2/F YPC Building, Veterans Avenue 7000 (Zamboanga City). You may also call 859-MARY (859-6279) in Makati City, (082) 224-5956 in Davao City, and (062) 992-6222 in Zamboanga City. You may also visit www.marykay.com.ph, MaryKayPhilippines on Facebook and YouTube, and @ilovemarykayph on Twitter and Instagram.
ECSU Competes at National Honors Programs Conference

by Zachary Singletary, Senior Honors Program Student

Members of the Elizabeth City State University Honors Program traveled to Atlanta, Georgia for the 26th annual conference of the National Association of African American Honors Programs.

The NAAAHP promotes honors education, scholarship, leadership and success for high academically performing students. Thirty-five honors programs at HBCUs around the country were represented in Atlanta. This years conference was held at the downtown Atlanta Hilton Hotel with several activities and events on the Morehouse College campus.

For the Full Story Read Here.
Alltech to open first office in Cambodia



To sustain its fast growth in the country, Alltech has announced it is opening its first office in Cambodia in Phnom Penh.



Over the past 12 months, Alltech's business in Cambodia has jumped 33%. The Cambodia team will be led by Channarith Ky, who has more than 20 years of experience in agriculture as a business director and nutritionist.



Over the past five years, Cambodia has experienced the largest percentage of growth in GDP among Southeast Asian countries. Matt Einarson, regional director for Alltech in Southeast Asia, sees this as an opportunity.



"Cambodia's agriculture sector is teeming with potential," said Einarson. "What's needed now are the right nutritional technologies and on-farm services to help livestock producers improve profitability and efficiency."



Alltech already works with producers in Cambodia, supporting them with Alltec's proprietary acidifiers and organic trace minerals, but establishing a base in the region will position the Alltech team to become a stronger local partner. Domestic feed production has doubled in tonnage since 2013, and it is expected that it will double again within the next three to four years as Cambodia's agriculture sector becomes increasingly self-sufficient.



Livestock numbers have also grown significantly. Swine and poultry are the strongest species sectors, with more than 27 million poultry and nearly 2.5 million pigs raised in the country.



Alltech serves customers in more than 120 countries in all regions of the world. Asia, in particular, has seen increased investment by Alltech, with the most recent new market for Alltech being Mongolia.
Bowalley Road Rules



The blogosphere tends to be a very noisy, and all-too-often a very abusive, place. I intend Bowalley Road to be a much quieter, and certainly a more respectful, place.

So, if you wish your comments to survive the moderation process, you will have to follow the Bowalley Road Rules.

These are based on two very simple principles:

Courtesy and Respect.

Comments which are defamatory, vituperative, snide or hurtful will be removed, and the commentators responsible permanently banned.

Anonymous comments will not be published. Real names are preferred. If this is not possible, however, commentators are asked to use a consistent pseudonym.

Comments which are thoughtful, witty, creative and stimulating will be most welcome, becoming a permanent part of the Bowalley Road discourse.

However, I do add this warning. If the blog seems in danger of being over-run by the usual far-Right suspects, I reserve the right to simply disable the Comments function, and will keep it that way until the perpetrators find somewhere more appropriate to vent their collective spleen.


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News / National

by Stephen Jakes

The war veterans and social groups in Zimbabwe have planned a massive march involving everyone in the country to be staged in solidarity with the military for a swift transition of power and calls for President Robert Mugabe to step down.The march come amid the military on Wednesday placed Mugabe under house arrest and arrested some of his ministers they regarded as criminal around him.The military commander General Constantino Chiwenga on Thursday spent better party of the day holed in at State House with the President in a Sadc facilitated negotiation where the military was calling for Mugabe's exit. But indications are that the agreement reached is that he can only do so after the congress of Zanu PF in December much to the chagrin of millions of citizens who hoped that a new dawn with a new leader for the country had arrive.Following the leaked indications of the said agreement, War veterans faction led by Christopher Mutsvanga and social groups have started mobilizing all Zimbabweans to join in a march which will start at Mugabe Square in Harare to State House on Saturday 18 November.A notice and invite for the citizens circulating in the social media reads, "calling on all comrades. You are invited to join us as we march to show our gratitude and appreciation to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces for safeguarding our values and restoration of order in our country."The war vets have come out clear calling for Mugabe to step down. Also MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai called for Mugabe to quit just for the sake of suffering citizens but according to information received it appears the president is only concerned about power, self, family and nothing else.
Fire crews tackle JCB fire at farm

Fire crews had to tackle a blaze at a fire in the north of the Island that threatened to spread to nearby barns.

The fire when a JCB telehandler caught fire shortly after midday yesterday.

The farmer managed to release cattle from the barn to a place of safety, before firefighters tackled the flames.

It's thought the fire was started by a mechanical fault.
Chief Minister to be asked for EU VAT update



Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK

The Chief Minister will be asked about VAT in the European Union when Tynwald sits this month.

Onchan MHK Julie Edge is seeking an update on the European Parliament's investigation into the action plan for a single EU VAT area.

Howard Quayle will also be asked about any changes to VAT which could come in before Britain leaves the European Union.

The Chief Minister will make a statement when Tynwald sits on Tuesday.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president Johannes Ndanga has distanced himself from allegations that he is the one who called for First Lady Grace Mugabe's interface rally for the various apostolic sects.Ndanga said that some people in the ACCZ wanted to make it look like he was an agent of Zanu-PF, but he was only invited to the rally."With this political situation, people are now in a blame game, and they want me to look like an agent of Zanu-PF who pioneered the rally, yet I wasn't even part of it," Ndanga said."I was only sent invitation letters by the Zanu-PF party and the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture. If you look at the video, you will see that I wasn't even given a chance to speak. I was only told to speak for a short period because they said that I was not the reason for the meeting."We almost got into a fight with them for that reason because I wanted to tell them that we do not want people who only come to congregate with us when it's around electiontime."Ndanga showed NewsDay two invitation letters which he received from the Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture ministry and Zanu-PF.The letter, which was directed to him dated November 2, 2017 and was signed by the Minister Makhosini Hlongwane, read: "An invitation is being made to you and your entire congregation to an interface meeting with Her Excellency the First Lady Dr G N Mugabe."This is an opportunity for the indigenous churches to interact with the First Lady and share views and opinions on the development of the church."The invitation from Zanu-PF, signed by Zanu-PF provincial commissariat secretary Shadreck Mashayamombe, read: "The leadership of Zanu-PF Harare has the pleasure of inviting you and your congregants to the convention of the Apostolic and Zion churches, to be held on Sunday November 5, 2017 at Rufaro Stadium in Harare starting at 10 am."The convention, dubbed Super Sunday, will be addressed by the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, the national secretary for women's affairs, Amai Dr Grace Mugabe, who is the guest of honour."Ndanga said no one could have said no to such invitations. Mashayamombe and Hlongwane were both unreachable yesterday.
Kourtney Kardashian and Younes Bendjima may have seemingly been dating for nearly a year but when it comes to her kids, the 38-year-old Keeping Up With the Kardashians star has not yet introduced her boyfriend to the children.

According to a new report, Kardashian may ultimately allow Bendjima into her life at home with her kids, including 7-year-old Mason, 5-year-old Penelope, and 2-year-old Reign, but for now, both she and the children's father, Scott Disick, are waiting to introduce their children to their significant others until things grow more serious.

Kourtney and Scott have an agreement that they wont introduce any new partners to the kids until they know the relationship is serious, a source close to Kardashian told Hollywood Life on Nov. 13. If Scott gets to that point with Sofia, then Kourtney will have no issues with her being around the children.

Kardashian and Disick's romance ended in 2015 after the troubled reality star was caught by photographers in France as he got cozy with his ex-girlfriend Chloe Bartoli. Since then, the former couple has had an up and down relationship as they attempt to successfully co-parent their kids.

Even though she no longer wants to be in a relationship with him, Kourtney still loves Scott and she wants him to play an active role in their kids lives, the insider explained. If Sofia is a calming influence on him, then Kourtneys all for it, because, if Scott is living a healthier and happier lifestyle, its one less thing she has to worry about.

Around the time that Kardashian went public with Bendjima following several months of rumors, Disick and his girlfriend Sofia Richie confirmed their romance on Instagram. Since then, they have been traveling around the country with one another, much like Kardashian and Bendjima have been doing since going public with their own relationship.

Kourtney really doesnt care about why Scott has quit partying, shes just relieved that he has, the source added. Although both Kardashian and Richie have faced pregnancy rumors since starting up their new romances, neither rumor appears to be true.

For more of Kourtney Kardashian, Scott Disick, and their family, including her sisters, Kim, Khloe, Kendall, and Kylie, don't miss new episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians season 14 on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on the E! Network.
On Nov. 6, it was reported that Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick was implicated by actress Kristina Cohen of sexually assaulting her. After Kristina, another one stepped forward and made a similar claim against the star. Now, a third woman has spoken up and alleges that Westwick raped her as well.

Rachel Eck spoke exclusively with Buzzfeed News to recount the incident that took place in July 2014. Eck went into detail about the alleged assault and claims she filed a police report against the actor when it happened. Eck stated that she met the actor through her ex-boyfriend, who was a producer, after her ex invited her to the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood, on the eve of the 86th Oscars.

Eck elaborated that she was informed that Westwick would be at the hotel with the former couple and Westwick requested she brings a friend for him. When she arrived at the hotel at 2:30 am without her friend, Westwick made advances towards her. Eck says she was alone with Westwick and the actor groped her. Once she informed her ex of the situation, he tried to defend the actor by stating he didn't mean it. Later on in the evening, when Eck went to find her ex into the room, she found Westwick waiting for her instead.

"Ed then pulled me onto the bed and aggressively groped me. I shoved him off as quickly as I could and left," Eck stated.

Westwick took to Twitter to express his disappointment in the allegations made against him.

When his first alleged victim, Cohen, spoke out against him on Facebook, the actor denied ever meeting the woman. Westwick starred on the CW hit drama for the entire six seasons as Chuck Bass. Ironically enough, Westwick's character was known to be a serial 'ladies man' and on various occasions, was seen getting a little rough with his various love interests.

Westwick is currently starring in the BBC drama White Gold and is scheduled to be featured in Ordeal by Innocence; however, given the current circumstances surrounding the allegations, the network has decided to place Ordeal by Innocence on hold.

"These are serious allegations which Ed Westwick has strenuously denied. The BBC is not making any judgment but until these matters are resolved we will not include Ordeal by Innocence in the schedules," the network states.

Westwick is one of the many actors that have recently been accused of sexual misconduct. Following the Weinstein expose, actors Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman, Richard Dreyfuss, and Andy Dick have all been named as sexual predators.
Rap superstar and Grammy-winning recording artist Drake was high up on stage singing at a packed club in Australia when he abruptly stops his song midway and starts yelling at someone in the crowd with his microphone.

"Stop that sh--. If you don't stop touching girls, I'm gonna come out there and fu-- you up," he shouts. "If you don't stop putting your hands on girls, I'm going to come out there and fu--your ass up."

The whole drama was filmed and has been posted on Instagram which has now gone viral. You can clearly see the rapper furious over what he had witnessed.

Drake, who currently dates model Bella Hadid, kept repeating his warnings to the man who groped the girl.

Fans in the club were quick to support his outrage. They erupted in cheers and echoed the sentiments of the rap star.

This is not the first time that a celebrity or artist has spoken out to defend victims of sexual abuse.

Public Defenders Stand Their Ground

Also on video, UK rapper Loyle Carner told a male fan to leave a music venue where he was performing at. The man made lewd, sexual remarks at his female band member. He stopped the show and called him out, prompting the heckler to leave the club.

CW actress and Supergirl star Melissa Benoist also made public statements in support of the 19 accusers who came forward to complain about her boss, T.V. producer Andrew Kreisberg regarding his inappropriate behavior around film sets. He was immediately suspended by the network.

Then there's Rose McGowan who was one of the first of many victims who went public with her own story to stand in solidarity with other victims. She had accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of rape.

Recently, comedienne Sarah Silverman has delivered a monologue in a video in which she discusses her close friendship with Louis C.K.

"Can you love someone who did bad things?" she wondered.

Silverman started the monologue by declaring that "calling-out of sexual assault has been a long time coming."

There is somehow a silver lining throughout all the sexual allegations and harassment circulating all over the news recently. It seems that zero-tolerance has become the key to curbing the rise and propagation of sexual harassment.
Last year, it was reported that Danny Masterson was being investigated by the LAPD after accusations against him had been made by four women, who allege he raped them. However, the Los Angeles District Attorney claimed that there wasn't enough evidence to pursue the case at the time.

One of his accusers, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, has now decided not only to publicly go after Masterson but Netflix as well, because Masterson is still on the original show, The Ranch.

Bixler claims that she was raped by Masterson in the early 2000's, same with the other alleged victims. She states that when the incident occurred, she filed a police report and also contacted the Church of Scientology since Masterson is an active member. Bixler alleges that the church persuaded her not to go public with her accusations. Four months after she made the police report, it was announced that Netflix would renew The Ranch for another season.

"I was sick when I read Netflix's statement on continuing with The Ranch and continuing their working relationship with a man who has violently raped and abused so many women. For me, what Netflix has done, feels like a continuation of how the Church of Scientology made me feel when I reported my rape to them," Bixier said.

The names of the other women who are accusing Masterson have not been released.

Bixler's husband has even spoken out against Masterson on Twitter.

"All my wife ever wanted was an apology from Danny Masterson for raping her. All she got was a letter from him that would make your skin crawl. Can you imagine how the other 3 victims feel? Allegations my a** we are stuffed to rafters in evidence," he tweeted.

Masterson played the wise-cracking, sarcastic, and sometimes rude Stephen Hyde on That 70's Show. The show, which also featured his current co-star, Ashton Kutcher, and Kutcher's wife, Mila Kunis, was a hit series and still has a cult following.

Masterson was out of the public eye for awhile until he landed his current role opposite Kutcher and Sam Elliott on the Netflix series. Masterson portrays 'Rooster' Bennett, the level-headed older brother of Kutcher's character Colt Bennett. The two brothers work on the family ranch, ran by their difficult father, Beau Bennett (Elliot). Before landing this role, Masterson made several guest appearances on MADTv, King of Hill, and Royal Pains.

Masterson has denied all claims made against him with his lawyer stating that they were 'aware' of the accusations and that they were only brought to light after Bixler spoke to former Scientologist, Leah Remini.

Bixler reinforced her claims after it was announced that Kevin Spacey's show House of Cards and Ed Westwick's Ordeal by Innocence were put on hold due to the accusations.
News / National

by ZUPA

ZUPA National Delivery Committee

ZUPA is the Zimbabwe Unemployed People's Association (ZUPA) representing the interests of millions of unemployed Zimbabweans. It has representation in all provinces of Zimbabwe, with local communities choosing their own ward council leadership in a bottom up model of involving the communities in their own affairs. For media enquiries or further information please contact us on email thepresidiumzupa@yahoo.co.uk

The Zimbabwe Unemployed People's Association (ZUPA), which represents the interests of millions of unemployed Zimbabweans, is appealing to all parties responsible, involved in the addressing issues around the ongoing and week-long crisis to immediately seek an amicable solution.To take immediate and effective preventive steps aimed at averting the loss of lives even for the accused. We are of the view that the army must now return to the barracks to enable any civilian negotiations by all political parties for a transitional government that is legitimate and representative of the people of Zimbabwe. As ZUPA, we strongly believe that no negotiations to secure a transition to a people's government should be initiated before the army's withdrawal to the barracks and accounting for the missing government officials regardless of their alleged crimes.Remember some of the missing are elected officials whose constituency and families must know their whereabouts. Our understanding is that there is no coup in Zimbabwe and the constitution has not been suspended. This means there is no martial law hence the judicial process must be followed. The targeted criminals must now be brought before the courts.Regarding the solidarity march called Mr Lumumba for Saturday 18-11-2017, we strongly believe that such a move will fuel tension and result in conflict and loss of lives. We advise the organisers of such an event to reflect on our concerns and exercise caution as this could present an opportunity for opposing sides to resort to dangerous levels of violence.We hope that the authorities and organisers will listen to our request to delay such an event given that our country is already at a tipping point. ZUPA has utmost sympathy with the people of Zimbabwe including the army. We are also concerned by alleged reports that other countries are threatening to send their troops into Zimbabwe. We believe that they could use such a march to send their troops and cause a lot more suffering to our people. We are all aware that Zimbabwe continues to go through challenges, but believe that we can only succeed in resolving issues if political leaders, the army and citizens conduct themselves in a way that leaves no one doubting that we are in this together as Zimbabwean-able to resolve our own problems. We trust that maturity and leadership would be employed to resolve current problems in the best interest of the country and its proud citizens.
The 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will be taking place in Shanghai, China, in less than two weeks but the lineup will not include supermodel Gigi Hadid.

The 22-year-old took to Twitter to announce that she will not be walking the runway along with sister Bella, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Karlie Kloss among others at the big annual event this year, which kicks off on Monday, Nov. 20.

Im so bummed I wont be able to make it to China this year. Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year! :) x  Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) November 16, 2017

In August, the model revealed on Instagram that she would be walking the ramp at this year's VS show in Shanghai.

"Forever and ever and ever a dream come true to be asked back to the VS Show!!!," Hadid captioned a picture of herself in an outfit from last year's show. "Thank you my friends @ed_razek @10magazine @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro for another unforgettable opportunity; every aspect makes me feel like a dreaming kid again."

Gigi Hadid's Visa Denied?

Although Hadid did specify the reason behind her absence at this year's VS show, speculation suggests that the supermodel was denied a Chinese visa along with four other models. These include Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva and Irina Sharipova from Russia and Dasha Khlystun from Ukraine.

Rumors have it that Hadid has been denied entry into China after she mocked Asians in a social media post back in February. As previously reported, the post shared on Instagram showed the model holding up a chocolate dessert shaped like a sumo wrestler's face and imitating the face by squinting her eyes.

Model Apologizes For 'Racist' Post

The said post sparked a backlash from citizens of China who accused her of being insensitive and racist. Hadid reignited the controversy when she announced that she's coming to Shanghai for the VS show this year.

The hashtag "GigiGetOutofChina" started trending and Hadid was forced to disable comments on her Instagram after being flooded with outraged posts and issued an official apology on China's Twitter-like microblogging platform Weibo in September.

"It hurts me to hurt anyone, and I want you all to know that it was never my intent to offend anyone through my actions and I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt or felt let down by me," she wrote in her apology. "I have the utmost respect and love for the people of China and cherish the incredible memories I have made while visiting in the past."
The European Union has reaffirmed that it would not give a green light to the Algeria-supported Polisario Front. The EU shall not recognize the SADR even if it participates in the EU-Africa Summit, EU spokesperson Catherine Ray commented. The upcoming EU-Africa summit is scheduled to take place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from 29-30 November. Any participation in this summit, as is the case for all international meetings of this nature, does not mean a change of the EUs position regarding the non-recognition of SADR, Ms. Ray added.

The SADR  the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic  that was proclaimed by the Polisario Front in 1976 is partially recognized as controlling a thin strip of area in the Western Sahara region, though it is claiming sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara. Polisario is a former communist liberation force and a Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement aiming to end Moroccan presence in the Western Sahara.

While the EU clearly would not recognize the SADR even if it takes part in the summit, EU spokesperson also stressed that during the preparation of the summit, it was possible to ask some questions about the participation of a particular member of the organizations concerned, particularly with regards to SADR, she said. In this regards, our constant position has been to give each party, the African Union and the European Union, the responsibility for their respective list of participants, she added.

This firm statement has effectively dashed the hopes nurtured by Algeria that the Polisarios participation in the summit would pave the way towards its recognition by the EU. This is all more frustrating especially given the fact that even within the African Union, most member states do not recognize the SADR.
News / National

by Ndou Paul

We firmly reject the prospect of the South African government granting Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, access into the country on so-called "political asylum". #Zimbabwe  Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) November 17, 2017

The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa's official opposition to the governing African National Congress (ANC) said it reject the prospect of the South African government granting Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, to exile in South Africa."We firmly reject the prospect of the South African government granting Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, access into the country on so-called "political asylum".There were reports in the media that President Robert Mugabe on Thursday reportedly "agreed in principle" to step down after 37 years in power, adding that he was set to exile in South Africa."He [Mugabe] has agreed in principle to step down. Details of his exit package are being worked out. He will exile in South Africa," a NewsDay report quoted military and security sources as saying.The report said that details of Mugabe's exit conditions were still "closely-guarded".


From the beginning of December citizens of Romania and Bulgaria will no longer need a visa to travel to Canada, it has been announced.Instead they will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) which they need to get online before travelling and immigration officials are urging those with plans for travel from 01 December 2017 to make sure they get one.They will need to have the ETA in order to board a flight to Canada with the application process raking only a few minutes online.Romanians and Bulgarians who already have a valid Canadian visa can continue to travel to or transit through a Canadian airport with that visa until it expires and do not need to apply for a new ETA.An Immigration spokesman also confirmed that those who already have an ETA can continue to fly to Canada with that ETA until it expires or they get a new passport.However everyone is urged to check what their status is. For example those with dual Canadian citizenship cannot apply for an ETA and need a valid Canadian passport to enter Canada.Canadian permanent residents need to travel with a valid Canadian PR card or PR travel document and valid passport and this applies to former residents of Canada as PR status does not expire. If you once lived in Canada, you could still have PR status, said the spokesman.Eligible Romanian and Bulgarian citizens can apply immediately for an ETA to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport and Romanian and Bulgarian citizens who are also lawful permanent residents of the United States can apply.It is always best to get the appropriate travel documents before booking a flight to Canada. If you are not eligible to apply for an ETA, you can either apply for a visa, or wait until 01 December to apply for an ETA, the spokesman explained.An ETA costs $7 dollars and applicants need to have the details of their passport, a credit or debit card to pay and an email address. Most ETAs are approved within minutes.However, some requests can take several days or even longer to process if applicants need to submit supporting documents. Thats why it is best to apply before booking a flight to Canada, the spokesman added.The ETA is only needed for those travelling to Canada by air. For example, travelling by car, bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship, from the United States, does not require an ETA.From 01 December visa exempt travellers will not need an ETA or visa when arriving by car, bus, train or boat.
Despite that, a man paid the ultimate price today for breaking the ban when he died in a fire that he had lit. Bombeiros were called to a blaze near Mangualde today where they found the man already dead.
Texas hiring rebounded significantly in October from a Hurricane Harvey-induced employment drop in September as state unemployment reached a record low, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported Friday.

Texas added a whopping 63,400 jobs in October, largely due to a 22,900 job gain in the Houston area and continued strong employment growth along the Interstate 35 corridor from San Antonio to Dallas/Fort Worth.

The Texas unemployment rate dipped to 3.9 percent, a record low. The states unemployment rate had never been below 4 percent since the start of the Federal Reserves statewide records in January 1976.

The San Antonio area, meanwhile, continued its pattern of slightly faster hiring by adding 3,000 jobs in October, staying on track for 3 percent job growth for 2017, compared to the states forecast of 2.6 growth this year. Texas jobs grew only 1.2 percent in 2016, but so far this year has seen jobs grow at a 2.7 percent rate.

The strong job market has made hiring a challenge for San Antonio area employers.

Finding qualified talent remains our biggest challenge. All of the skilled people are in high demand, said Kandace Hawkins, CEO and president of staffing agency Tri-Starr Personnel in San Antonio.

We are having to go to other cities in Texas and outside of Texas to find qualified people in information technology, especially in the software development space, Hawkins said.

Tri-Starr Personnel concentrates in the information technology and technology fields, along with helping staff call centers, Hawkins said. They seek personnel for contract work, usually tied to employer projects, and temporary-to-hire services.

The customer service business is growing quite well, Hawkins said. We are having a difficult time finding qualified people to hire for accounting positions, she added.

Plenty of people are seeking jobs and submitting applications. We have plenty of people on the job boards, but we have to cull through them to find what our clients are looking for, Hawkins said.

We will face this imbalance until we close the skills gap with more education, she said.

The Dallas Fed revised its report of 4,400 jobs losses in Texas during September, now saying only 1,400 jobs were lost that month after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas on Aug. 25, flooding the coastal area.

Texas is back on path. The Gulf Coast is rebounding, too, said Dallas Fed Senior Economist Keith Phillips in San Antonio.

Despite all of Hurricane Harveys disruption and destruction, the story remains the same for Texas, with the state resuming its 2017 job growth forecast.

There was a loss of wealth in the flooding among homeowners, but in terms of job growth, the state has now bounced back as expected, Phillips said.

The construction and leisure-and-hospitality sector accounted for the most growth in hiring in October after visitors steered clear of Houston in September. Some repair workers in October in Houston stayed in hotels and dined out more than usual, Phillips pointed out.

Houston added 10,600 construction jobs in October after losing 8,400 in September, according to Dallas Fed data.

Texas largest cities all saw drops in their unemployment rates during October. San Antonios jobless rate fell from 3.9 percent in September to 3.6 percent in October, the lowest rate for the San Antonio area since 3.4 percent in December.

Austins unemployment rate was 2.6 percent, Dallas was 3.2 percent, Fort Worth was 3.8 percent and Houston was 4.5 percent.

It validates what weve been hearing from Texas employers in the last year, that it is more difficult to find workers. I believe (the low unemployment rates) will constrain job growth in the future. But Texas attracts workers into the state from net migration, and the state will continue to see job growth, Phillips said.

Like Houston, San Antonio had a construction-job surge in October, adding 1,700 positions.

Construction has been growing well in San Antonio all year, but the increase in October could be crews of San Antonio construction companies rebuilding on the Gulf Coast, Phillips said.

The leisure-and-hospitality sector grew by 4,200 positions in October in San Antonio, while education and health care added 400 jobs.

Phillips said the health care and government hiring sectors have been the strongest sectors year to date in San Antonio. Retail has been among the weakest, especially earlier in 2017 when the Mexican peso had its lowest purchasing power.

In San Antonio, the retail sector added only 60 jobs, but the total number of retail jobs year to date is down 2.2 percent.

Retail also is weak statewide and nationally. The big-box retailers are adjusting to online shopping, Phillips said.

Staffing firm Robert Half is seeing the pace of hiring pick up in certain industries.

Its been a great year. New roles are emerging all the time, said Scott Steele, Robert Half vice president and San Antonio branch manager.

In the accounting and finance sectors, demand is high for staff and senior accountants, financial and business analysts and internal auditors, Steele said.

Were looking for well-rounded skills in those areas. Theres also an uptick at legal firms for paralegals, especially with three years of experience, in litigation, commercial law and real estate law, Steele said.

Steele cited a recent survey among San Antonio area law firms. Four out of 10 law firms in San Antonio plan to spend more money next year for cybersecurity. That is great for San Antonios cybersecurity industry. Its in high demand, Steele said

dhendricks@express-news.net
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The fifth of what have been contentious rounds to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement officially got underway in Mexico City on Friday, with stakeholders in the blocs roughly $1.2 trillion in trade increasingly nervous the pact wont survive.

The last round of talks in Arlington last month ended with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer criticizing Mexico and Canada for resistance to change and calling to extend the discussions into next year to allow more time between sessions. That pushes passage of any agreement closer to pressures that could arise with the Mexico presidential election and the midterm U.S. elections next year. The current round ends Tuesday.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland criticized a winner-takes-all mindset and said proposals turn back the clock on 23 years of predictability, openness and collaboration under NAFTA.

Mexico has been speaking about a macroeconomic backup plan should NAFTA end. Mexico also has hinted at less cooperation both in curbing illegal immigration to the U.S. and sharing intelligence on violent drug cartels.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a strong proponent of the agreement, has railed against poison pill proposals that could doom the deal.

Robert Barnett, a San Antonio-based partner of the U.S.-Mexico law firm Cacheaux Cavazos & Newton, said Mexico and Canada werent budging on some big negotiating points.

There are some issues that the Mexican delegation and Im sure the Canadian delegation for their part are bright lines. They wont talk about them, he said.

The three countries sent teams several days early to work on the meat and potatoes of the different chapters before higher-level negotiators reach the table, Barnett said. He said the tense tone differed dramatically from the original negotiations in the 1990s.

The negative comments and the frustration in all three parties, I dont remember that in the first round, he said.

Here are what trade experts widely agree to be key sticking points:

A sunset clause that would effectively force the three nations back to the table every five years.

While the Trump administration sees this as necessary to ensure the deal is up-to-date and even the trade balance, Mexico and Canada balk at the uncertainty this would cause. They also point out the six-month pullout clause that the U.S. already has threatened to use.

I think that investors will be very weird about doing long-term projects in North America because who knows what the politics will be five years from now, said Antonio Ortiz-Mena, a former Mexican government official who is senior adviser with the Albright Stonebridge Group in Washington, D.C. What companies dont like, small and large companies alike, are surprises.

Rules of origin determining what percentage of materials must come from member countries.

The U.S. has proposed hiking the regional content rules on automobiles to 85 percent from 62.5 percent. Its also asking that U.S. content of vehicles be at least 50 percent, with the reasoning being it will foster more manufacturing in the U.S. Neither proposal is popular with NAFTA partners, and automakers say it will lead to more expensive cars and a less competitive North American auto industry.

Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, said NAFTA withdrawal would amount to a $10 billion tax on the industry. Freeland has said automobile manufacturers are already bypassing the NAFTA rules and settling for tariffs set by the World Trade Organization of 2 to 2.5 percent.

Dispute settlement, to include state-to-state disputes covered under NAFTAs Chapter 20, anti-dumping and countervailing duty cases under Chapter 19, and investor-state disputes under Chapter 11.

U.S. officials have been open about wanting to gut Chapter 19, which provides for a third-party arbitration system to settle disputes. But Canada has drawn a line on that one, with Freeland calling it absolutely central to the Canadian interest.

The U.S. has been the target of the most Chapter 19 cases, including Canadas current notice to challenge U.S. anti-dumping duties on softwood lumber. According to reports, the United States wants to replace the Chapter 20 dispute mechanism with nonbinding advisory panels. Chapter 11 is meant to protect foreign investors from discrimination by allowing them to sue foreign governments without first going through the countrys foreign court systems. The United States wants this to be an opt-in mechanism.

Government procurement. NAFTAs Chapter 10 requires the three countries to treat one anothers bidders on government contracts as though they were national and not give preference to their own domestic suppliers of goods and services.

According to reports, the Trump administrations Buy America agenda has negotiators proposing less access for Canada and Mexico. But both countries want to be able to bid more. U.S. negotiators have proposed a dollar for dollar approach to North American procurement, so that the total value of U.S. contracts won by Canadians and Mexicans dont exceed what U.S. firms win in Canada and Mexico.

Agricultural issues. Dairy tends to get a lot of ink in NAFTA talks. U.S. producers are fighting to export more milk to Canada. Jim Mulhern, CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, has said a derailed NAFTA could cost the Mexican market. Mexico is the commoditys most important market, accounting for more than $1 billion in annual sales.

Since Canada and Mexico are the two largest markets for U.S. agriculture in general, higher tariffs post-NAFTA could be devastating. More than 80 food and farm groups last month sent to a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross warning that notification of NAFTA withdrawal would cause immediate, substantial harm to American food and agriculture industries and to the U.S. economy as a whole.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told Iowa farmers in a recent visit to prepare for a bumpy ride. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., during a Chamber of Commerce event, said he warned Trump against a Humpty Dumpty NAFTA strategy.

You cant push him off the wall, Roberts said. Putting that back together is very difficult.

Focus on the deficit. Trumps call to renegotiate NAFTA stems largely from his stance that neighbor countries are winning at the expense of the U.S. under the deal. The goods trade deficit in 2016 was $63.2 billion with Mexico and $12.1 billion with Canada.

But some say this doesnt account for the trade in value added, since goods imported from Mexico have roughly 40 percent U.S. content. And the U.S. in 2016 has a trade-in-services surplus of $7.6 billion with Mexico and $24.6 billion with Canada. Christine Bliss, president of the Coalition of Services, has noted that U.S. firms provide the insurance for three-fourths of Mexican government employees.

Im pretty concerned that the trade deficit looms large in U.S. politics, and I dont know how negotiators will square the circle, Ortiz-Mena said.

lbrezosky@express-news.net
One of the great things about the huge variety of flavors in beer is that its possible to get a great pairing with almost any kind of food.

Though Thanksgiving is all about turkey, there are so many ways to prepare it and almost as many settings to eat it in, theres no one beverage that fits in every case. But theres still a beer for every one.

First, lets take the formal family that sets the table with the nice china. They baked the turkey without any strong spices, so its a moderately flavored white meat. For them, Id suggest a Belgian-style pale ale or a tripel.

Both are fairly malty, so they will stand up to hearty foods, but light on hops, so they wont overshadow the flavors of the dishes. The Belgian yeast strains used to make them add some pome fruit and light spicy phenols, so they dont seem flat by comparison.

A Belgian pale ale is the lighter of the two, typically having around 5 percent alcohol by volume and a fairly clean character for a Belgian style. Theyre typically dry but much less bitter than an American-style pale ale. De Koninck and Palm Speciale are examples of this style, but when you shop for them, check that they are in date since they do not age well.

Tripels are much more substantial beers, topping out at over 10 percent ABV. Despite this strength, they hide their alcohol well, which can be dangerous if you dont realize what youre drinking. The yeast provides a perfumy, fruity aroma, while the malt underneath is smooth and dry.

Good examples abound, from Trappist beers like Westmalle tripel to secular versions such as Duvel or Save the World Princeps Pacis. Its common to serve these beers in stemmed tulip glasses, which will fit right in on the formal table setting.

For those that like to smoke their turkeys, different rules apply. Smoke is a pervasive flavor that lingers on the palate, so a paired beer needs to be more assertive. Id look to the hoppy aisle for a selection here.

Hop bitterness lingers on the tongue as well, so unless youre really a fan of a mass of strong flavors all at once, avoid the super bitter IPAs and shoot more for the middle of the road. Real Ale Axis IPA, Saint Arnold Art Car IPA or Ranger Creek OPA work well here. All have substantial hop flavor to stand up to a big dose of Texas mesquite smoke.

A tradition not quite as old as serving turkey on Thanksgiving, but just as fervently held by some, is watching the Dallas Cowboys play while eating a plate full of food in front of the television. Im going to hazard a guess that no matter what the particulars of the turkey preparation are, lighter beers are more popular here. These days, its quite possible to skip the big three (Bud, Miller, Coors) and patronize a Texas-based company for beers like this.

Big Bend Brewing Co., which is based in Alpine but will soon open its second brewery and tap room in San Antonio, has its Tejas line of lighter lagers. The Prima is the lightest, a 4.6 percent ABV American lager. Its straw-yellow color, fleeting perfumy hoppiness and very light malt character wont necessarily do much to complement the meal, but it will certainly wash it down.

That said, its made well and lacks the obvious fermentation flaws that come from maximizing alcohol content in an adjunct-rich light lager. (Adjuncts are nonmalt fermentable ingredients in beer, typically rice or corn, used to lighten the character of a beer.) Some other choices in this category are Alamos Golden Ale, Robert Earl Keen Honey Pils, brewed by Pedernales Brewing Co., and Real Ale Firemans #4.

Whichever style of celebration suits your familys fancy, happy Thanksgiving, and dont be afraid to enjoy a brew with your bird.
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Texas Rangers investigating the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs have served a search warrant on Silicon Valley giant Apple Inc. and are seeking digital photos, messages, documents and other types of data that might have been stored by gunman Devin Patrick Kelley, who was found with an iPhone after he killed himself.

Court records obtained by the San Antonio Express-News show Texas Ranger Kevin Wright obtained search warrants on Nov. 9 for files stored on Kelleys iPhone, a second mobile phone found near his body and for files stored in Kelleys iCloud account  Apples digital archive that can sync iPhone files.

The iCloud feature is an optional service. Obtaining such records, if they exist, directly from Apple could aid authorities investigating the worst mass shooting in modern Texas history.

Apples policy regarding iCloud content states that material may be provided to law enforcement agencies if they obtain search warrants.

For iPhones, Apple has clashed with the FBI in the past to protect the privacy of its customers.

In the case of the San Bernardino, California, mass shooting in 2015, which killed 14 people, the FBI tried to force Apple to create software that would unlock an iPhone owned by one of the attackers. The court dispute was finally resolved when the FBI announced it found a way to access the phone.

An Apple spokesman said the company does not comment on law enforcement matters. The court records dont show whether authorities have obtained the files from Kelleys phones.

Christopher Combs, the FBI special agent in charge in San Antonio whose office is helping Texas Rangers, complained last week that the FBI was unable to access the files on Kelleys phone. Combs declined to say at the time what kind of mobile phone Kelley was carrying.

Im not going to describe what phone it is, because I dont want to tell every bad guy out there what phone to buy, Combs said.

Court records show Kelley was found with an iPhone SE, and he also had a second phone that has gone unmentioned by authorities  a low-tech LG 328BG.

A photo included in the application for the search warrant shows Kelleys silver and white iPhone was spattered with blood. Investigators want access to Kelleys phone and iCloud account to dig into his messages, calls, social media applications passwords, address books, photos, videos and data since Jan. 1, 2016.

Four email addresses belonging to Kelley have been discovered: thelifeofdevin@gmail.com, devinkelley1991@gmail.com, sevenup555@yahoo.com and kelleydevin1991@gmail.com.

Dressed in black tactical gear and body armor, Kelley was armed with a Ruger AR-556 military-style rifle when he opened fire on the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. During the Nov. 5 rampage, he killed 26 people and injured 20 others  many of them children.

A neighbor and former gun instructor for the National Rifle Association, Stephen Willeford, heard the gunfire, grabbed his AR-15 rifle and raced to the church. Kelley, armed with a handgun when he saw Willeford, exchanged gunfire and was shot twice  once in the torso and once in the leg.

Kelley drove away in a Ford Expedition. Willeford flagged down motorist Johnnie Langendorff and the pair chased the gunman.

Authorities believe Kelley killed himself during the high-speed pursuit.

According to the court records obtained Thursday, authorities found Kelleys body lying outside the driver door of his Ford Expedition, with his head in the dirt.

A bullet had entered Kelleys head above his right ear and exited through the back left side of his head. At least one pistol magazine was found in a holder on Kelleys belt and his black body armor looked partly stripped off. A medication prescribed to Kelley was found in the Exhibitions console.

Investigators discovered a pistol under his feet, and his silver and white iPhone SE was sitting on the vehicles front floorboard. Two days after the shooting, a second phone, the black LG model, was found in a pocket in the drivers side door, and officials want access to the device to forensically search for evidence of capital murder.

jtedesco@express-news.net | Kelsey Bradshaw contributed to this report.
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AUSTIN  Texas Democrats are drawing hope from wins around the country, but they dont agree on exactly how to apply those election lessons to reverse a losing streak that has left them without a statewide victory here for more than two decades.

Do they run with a hard-left message to stir a Democratic base distraught over actions by President Trump and statewide Republican officials? Or do they present a moderate message to appeal to Republicans who may no longer see themselves reflected in the increasingly far-right GOP?

For Ed Espinoza, executive director of Progress Texas, the results in Virginia and elsewhere show Democrats here should run with a truly progressive message that resonates with workers, with the middle class, with communities of color, with young people.

That means a rights message, he said: immigrant rights, reproductive rights, voting rights, civil rights that encompass the LGBTQ community along with racial and ethnic groups.

There is no great hunger for Democratic conservatives anywhere right now. I dont even know what that means, said Espinoza. Part of the problem is we have moderated our message in the past. We have tried to be Republican lite. When you try to be Republican Lite, you are not giving your people a reason to support you. In Virginia, they ran a strong progressive campaign, and they were rewarded for it.

If we want to effect change, we have a better chance of mobilizing our growing progressive base than we do in trying to convince Trump voters to change their mind, he said.

Andrew White, son of the late Democratic former Gov. Mark White, is weighing a run for the Democratic nod for governor as just the type of candidate that Espinoza doesnt understand.

You can call me a moderate Republican. You can call me a conservative Democrat. I dont care, White told the Express-News, repeating a line that drew attention when Texas Monthly first reported he was exploring a challenge to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

The labels dont help us, said White. What we have in Texas is an almost 25-year history of the middle voters, the independent-minded voters, voting Republican. And today, I think that Republican Party no longer exists.

White sees an opportunity in appealing to moderate Republican voters who arent in line with Trump and arent impressed with top statewide leaders efforts to restrict the restrooms that transgender people can use, ban sanctuary cities and institute taxpayer-funded vouchers for private school tuition.

The goal is to help the independent-minded voter realize that the interests of the Democratic Party are really more aligned with their interests  which is a strong public school education, fixing property taxes so that theyre fair, and expanding Medicaid so we can get access to the money weve already paid the government, White said. Virginia is a clear example. When you have Democrats winning in suburban areas where they havent done well in the past, you see that people are ready for a change.

White gets pushback from former state Sen. Wendy Davis, who lost to Abbott by more than 20 percentage points in 2014 in a campaign launched by her nationally noted filibuster against tighter abortion laws. She has taken issue with Whites stand on abortion. White says he supports Roe v. Wade, which upheld womens right to abortion, but that the state should be finding ways to make it rare.

Abortion is a very complicated issue, and we have given ourselves only two choices, White said, emphasizing that he supports Planned Parenthood and womens health care.

Davis, who called him an anti-choice man and advised on Facebook, Just no, agreed with Espinoza that it makes no sense to run as a lite candidate.

Lessons learned: No. 1, fighting for health care is an important and electorally valuable fight, Davis said. The other lesson learned from Virginia really is the value of infrastructure.

Virginia has benefitted from hotly contested statewide elections and a focus in presidential elections, she said, and that has resulted in the ability to contact and turn out voters. And thats key. Thats something that were missing here in Texas.

But to Democrats benefit, she said, Texas is seeing an organic rise in activity by progressive groups like Indivisible and Pantsuit Nation.

I do think that was happening in Virginia, too.... I think weve got a really strong wave of that going on, she said.

She also cited qualified Democratic candidates stepping up to run for congressional and legislative seats.

Whoever runs now at the statewide level in Texas, I am sure will do dramatically better than we did in 2014, she said.

Differences among Democrats are longstanding, exemplified by the 2016 presidential primary battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

But Manny Garcia, deputy executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, said the national debate about whether the party needs to move toward a complete economic agenda versus identity politics presents a false choice.

Garcia said the key is to emphasize that regardless of the issue, We have to be fighting for the little guy in all of these situations. Thats who we are at our core.

Some Republicans have scoffed at Democratic wins in the hotly contested governors race in Virginia, in which Trump supported the Republican, and telling races in that states House of Delegates, and the race for New Jersey governor.

The fact that Democrats won in Democrat states isnt at all surprising, said Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey.

But Democrats also can point to legislative victories in conservative states like Oklahoma and Georgia. And in Alabama, mounting abuse claims against Republican U.S. Senate nominee Roy Moore have helped his Democratic opponent and could add to a dim view of the GOP.

Abbott senior adviser Dave Carney, in a memo obtained by the Express-News that first was reported by the Houston Chronicle, warned the governors team that it would be a huge mistake to write off Texas Democrats as disorganized and focus on Virginias differences from the Lone Star State.

The results point to serious problems for Republicans among suburban voters, Carney wrote, adding that Democrats will turn out to vote in higher numbers than ever before to voice their displeasure with President Trump.

Without Clinton to push them away, Carney wrote, swing voters will lean Democratic in reaction to the national political environment.

The enthusiasm gap that we face is real. It is going to take a concerted effort by the campaign to overcome it, not just for ourselves, but for the down-ballot races that will be depending on us to pull them over the line, he wrote.

Most of the attention on Texas Democratic fortunes has focused on the party not yet blessing a major challenger to Abbott, who has more than $40 million in his campaign warchest.

But there are prospects in addition to White, including Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, who would elevate the race into a nationally watched one in part since she has tangled with Abbott over her jail policies on immigrants.

U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke, a charismaticcampaigner who has traveled Texas in his fight against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, is the only statewide Democratic hopeful who has drawn much attention.

But further down the ballot, Democrats see opportunity in congressional seats that have been held by Republicans, including the always hard-fought Congressional District 23, represented by Republican Will Hurd, and now Congressional District 21, from which Republican Lamar Smith has announced his retirement. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added Smiths districts to its priority list of districts to flip, along with Hurds and the seats held by John Culberson (district 7) and Pete Sessions (district 32).

Democrats also see a chance in the state House, with 10 Republicans holding seats in districts that Clinton won in 2016.

Next year is going to be a difficult election for Republicans. Mid-term elections are always tough for the party in power, and this time around, President Trump represents a real millstone around Republican candidates neck, said Rice University political scientist Mark Jones.

That could create some real problems for candidates in targeted congressional districts, Jones said. But when it comes to statewide races, Jones said, the Republican cushion in Texas is far too large for any GOP candidates to be vulnerable.

Every single Republican is going to win statewide in 2018, he said. There is nothing that can change that.

The best message is a dilemma for Democrats, he said.

If the Democratic Party goes with an excite-the-base type strategy, that might help them in a small number of swing seats. But the same thing that helps you win those tossup seats can hurt you statewide, he said. If your goal is to pick up some marginal seats that are held by vulnerable Republicans, the turnout message is best in the short term. If your long-term goal is to actually become the majority party in Texas you are not going to win that with an agenda that is too far to the left.

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said the key is always finding good candidates to fund and run. Virginia Gov.-elect Ralph Northam had his critics, but Sabato said the core reason for his victory besides the anti-Trump wave was Northam himself.

People liked and trusted him, he said. The combination of Trump repudiation and trust in Northam produced a near-landslide.

Virginia Democrats recruited an exceptionally large group of state legislative candidates who worked hard, even in tough districts, he said. They put themselves in position to catch hold of a wave, and sure enough, there was a wave.

And in the Alabama race, a Fox News poll released Thursday showed Moores Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, with an 8-point lead

If a Senate race in deepest red Alabama can get competitive as this one has, Sabato said, then Texas is not a lost cause for Democrats.

pfikac@express-news.net | Twitter: @pfikac
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WASHINGTON  In a big victory for Texas Republican Kevin Brady, the House passed a sweeping tax overhaul Thursday on a narrow party-line vote, setting up a showdown in the Senate that will test the unity of the GOPs slim majority.

The 227-205 vote brought President Donald Trump a step closer to a long-held GOP campaign promise: Dramatically cutting the rates for corporations, individuals and families, while taking away many deductions and credits.

Taxes, on average, would go down, Republicans said. But Democrats and some independent analysts predicted uneven benefits from the GOP legislation, which they said would further enrich the wealthy, deepen deficits and increase the overall tax burden on as many as 36 million middle-class Americans.

Significant changes are expected in the Senate, possibly even including the repeal of the individual mandate under former President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act.

That provision was added to the Senate version Tuesday, cheering hard-right conservatives still smarting from their defeat on repealing Obamacare. But it also set up a battle that could narrow the Trump administrations prospects for a much-needed legislative victory in Congress.

Brady and House Speaker Paul Ryan, who was cheered by Republicans on the House floor, promised across-the-board tax relief for middle-class Americans, with an average savings of $1,182 for a typical family of four.

You pass this bill, you grow the economy, Ryan said in a final appeal before the vote.

Despite a closed-door, GOP pep rally with Trump at the Capitol, 13 Republican lawmakers voted against the House bill  none from Texas. Facing unified Democratic opposition, Republicans could afford to lose only 22 votes from their side.

But even with the defections, the vote represented a career capstone for Brady, a Republican from The Woodlands and one of the chief tax-writers in Congress as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

For Brady, a longtime Houston congressman, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was the culmination of several years of internal GOP negotiations balancing lower tax rates, fewer credits and deductions, and large corporate tax breaks. The result, he vowed, would be simpler tax accounting, bigger paychecks and more plentiful work from strong economic growth and business dynamism.

He also called it the most significant rewrite of the U.S. tax code since the presidency of GOP icon Ronald Reagan, who signed a major tax reform bill in 1986 with bipartisan support.

With this historic bill well provide real simplicity for every taxpayer, and well deliver real fairness to every hard-working American, Brady said in the final House debate. Washington special interests who are now being propped up by absurd carve-outs and loopholes, get ready to stand up on your own.

Brady acknowledged, however, that the House vote is only step one.

There are still some areas where we will and can make improvements, he promised lawmakers wary of jettisoning popular middle-class tax deductions for mortgage interest and state and local taxes.

Democrats and some mainstream economists cast doubt on the promise of a tax-cut-fueled economic boom, while Republicans from high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California balked at the prospect of facing constituents with bigger tax bills.

Critics also pointed to estimates that GOP tax cuts would shrink federal revenues by some $1.5 trillion over the next decade, forcing cuts in major social programs like Medicaid and Medicare. Those deficit concerns appear to have sealed the opposition of centrist Democrats that Brady and others had courted.

It is easy to vote for a tax cut, said Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. It is harder to pay for what we buy.

Brady and other GOP leaders argue that the official estimates of lost revenue dont take into account the economic stimulus of the tax cuts, which some conservative economists believe would pay for themselves. For Republicans, one of the chief selling points of the tax legislation would be the lowering of the top corporate rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, which is intended to spur domestic investment.

But Republicans still face significant obstacles in the Senate, where at least two members of their caucus  representing the difference in their 52-48 majority  have expressed doubts in recent days. One, Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson, said he opposed both versions of the tax bill because they favor large corporations over smaller so-called pass-through businesses. Another, Susan Collins of Maine, one of three Republicans who voted against a GOP effort to repeal Obamacare, said she has concerns about taking away that laws individual mandate.

A number of independent analyses have estimated that the House bill, though it lowers tax rates and doubles the standard deduction for families and individuals, could still end up costing taxpayers more in lost deductions, especially those in wealthy areas with high property values.

State, local taxes

The House bill would repeal most state and local taxes except for real estate taxes, which would be capped at $10,000. It also would limit the mortgage interest deduction to $500,000 of a loan. The Senate version would repeal all state and local tax deductions, though it would maintain the current mortgage write-off.

Some Democrats also lamented the loss of working-class write-offs for certain types of educational, work, and medical expenses.

This is not the American Dream tax plan. This is the American nightmare, a tax scam of the worst proportions, said Houston Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, warning that the lost deductions could be a setback for constituents trying to rebuild their lives after Hurricane Harvey.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of San Antonio, the senior Democrat on the Ways and Means tax-writing panel, delivered a scathing appraisal on the House floor that included a jab at Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore.

The promise of tax reform has degenerated into little more than a scam to aid tax dodgers, Doggett said. While public attention is diverted to scandal in Alabama, Republicans rush through this sham of a tax bill, developed in the dark with lobbyists, before most Americans realize what is about to hit them in the face.

But U.S. Rep. Will Hurd of San Antonio, targeted like many other Republicans on the tax plan, said the need for revising the tax system is long overdue. Potential Democratic challengers showed up this week at his North Side office to assail Hurd on taxes.

Republicans hope to get a final bill through the Senate around Thanksgiving, giving House and Senate negotiators time to hash out differences and get a bill to the presidents desk before the end of the year.

But they know they have little room for error.

Democrats, meanwhile, are seeking to exploit potential GOP differences over tax cuts that they say would most likely be financed by deficit spending. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, making her closing argument against the bill, said, Oh where, oh where are the deficit hawks?

Washington Bureau Staff Writer Bill Lambrecht contributed to this report.
Courtesy photo

A San Antonio man accused of kidnapping a toddler this week apparently believed that he was in his own car with his own child, according to court records.

Victor Miguel Torres, 31, is accused of hopping into a running Ford Mustang around 7:20 p.m. Monday near South Brazos and Jean streets while the driver went inside a cellphone business. She was picking up her boyfriend from work.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

The wife of Defence Forces Commander General Constantino Chiwenga was today one of the graduates capped by her husband's prisoner President Robert Mugabe who is under army's house arrest pending his stepping down soon.Marry Chiwenga nee Mubaiwa was one of the graduates who graduated at the Zimbabwe Open University today.Mugabe is expected out of office soon amid celebrations among citizens that a new Zimbabwe under the new leadership is emerging at last.
A commander with the call sign Killer and a Harvard pedigree took the reins of the Air Education and Training Command on Thursday and gave hundreds of airmen a college-level lecture about how innovative learning has helped create a nimble and lethal Air Force.

Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, an Air Force Academy graduate who holds a masters degree in public policy from Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government, looked back on history to make his point.

But as I reflect on the last 22 civilizations since recorded history, I wonder why none of them are around today. Why is not the Roman Empire still here? Byzantine Empire? Babylonian Empire? Ottoman Empire? he asked.

Why does this happen and what is it in the human condition that creates this, and why should we as Americans think that were going to be around forever? What drags down a civilization? But maybe more importantly, what perpetuates a generation and civilization to be perpetually relevant and adaptive, and powerful enough to secure those values?

Standing before the Air Forces chief of staff, Gen. David Goldfein, and a large crowd inside a hangar on Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph that included the retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole, the last surviving member of the 1942 Doolittle raid on Tokyo, Kwast took over a sprawling command headquartered on the historic installation. Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, a command pilot who has flown the F-4, F-15, F-16 and F-22, will retire after commanding AETC for the past 2 years.

Cole, 102, of rural Comfort, received a standing ovation, with his daughter, Cindy Chal, at his side.

Sir, youre a part of us and were a part of you, Goldfein told him. Thank you for what youve done for this nation.

AETC is responsible for recruiting, training and educating airmen. Its force of more than 60,000 active-duty airmen, reservists and civilians oversees more than 340,000 American and international students each year at installations across the country, including JBSA-Lackland, home of Air Force basic training. It had been a four-star command for 23 years until a symbolic handoff of commanders flags July 21, 2015, when Roberson took over.

A four-tour combat veteran, Roberson led the command at a time in which the Air Force launched a campaign to increase the number of trainees at its bases in Texas and the nation, including an effort to cope with a worsening pilot shortage. AETC also was conducting a study to determine if another Undergraduate Pilot Training wing is needed and, if so, where it would be based.

Roberson, a former Thunderbird pilot with 5,150 flight hours, 865 in combat, told the San Antonio Express-News last summer that AETC would consider adding another UPT base if it graduates more than 1,400 pilots a year after Oct. 1, 2018  the first time thats happened in years. He and his wife will live in San Antonio, joining 330 retired general officers who call Texas home.

So, its time to bid farewell.  But its tough to say goodbye to the AETC command, said Roberson, who served 34 years. I woke up every day re-energized and enthused because of the energy of the new airmen that are coming into our command every day.

Kwast, AETCs 33rd commander, led the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and was vice commander of Air University at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, where hed studied decades earlier. In addition to holding a bachelors degree in astronautical engineering, Kwast also is a four-time combat veteran with more than 3,300 hours  650 in the war zone.

Goldfein noted that Kwast flew the first combat mission employing the F-15E.

Kwast, military aide to then-Vice President Al Gore, also has flown the T-38, T-37 and T-6, and he holds the Air Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters. He was the Air Force Fighter Weapons Schools outstanding graduate in 1994, and the next year received the 1995 Robbie Risner Award.

Brig. Gen. Robinson Risner, one of the most decorated pilots in the Korean and Vietnam wars, led POWs in a Hanoi prison dubbed the Hanoi Hilton and was known for his resilience and defiance. A San Antonio resident at one time, he died four years ago in Virginia at 88.

In Killer, we have an airman whose resume strikes the balance of combat warrior, intellectual and leader, Goldfein told a mostly military crowd that ranged from senior airmen to generals.

In explaining why AETC mattered not only to the Air Force but to the nations future, Kwast said it boils down to having the ability to learn and adapt quickly, explaining, the one common denominator that keeps a civilization alive and relevant and perpetually innovative is the habit of humility and learning at speed. This is what Air Education and Training Command does.

We teach the next generation how to learn more rapidly than their adversaries and their competition. We teach them how to innovate more broadly across a larger series of networks to seed more ideas and bring together more creative awareness, he said. And we teach them how to network with other human beings in trust so that whether its a sister service or another country that shares our values, we as a human race move forward together.

sigc@express-news.net
Steve Mostyn, a high-profile Houston trial lawyer and a top Democratic Party megadonor who spent millions in a failed bid to turn Texas blue, has died. He was 46.

In a statement Thursday, his family confirmed his death at his Houston home Wednesday after a sudden onset and battle with a mental health issue.

Steve was a beloved husband and devoted father who adored his children and never missed any of their sporting events, the statement reads. He was a true friend, and a faithful fighter for those who did not have a voice.

While no cause of death was made public, the family statement said if you or a loved one are thinking about suicide, or experiencing a health crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline right now. In requesting privacy, the statement said details of a celebration of Mostyns life would be announced at a later date.

Mostyns unexpected death leaves the Texas Democratic Party without one of its most significant donors of the past two decades, and a driving force behind its dream of regaining clout in statewide politics after an electoral drought dating back to 1994. Since 2000, Mostyn and his wife, Amber, had donated more than $24 million to political causes, according to campaign finance records.

Steve Mostyn was larger than life. A Texan through and through, he was full of grit, filled with passion, said Lillie Schechter, chairwoman of the Harris Democratic Party and a longtime close friend. In a state known for powerful corporate interests, Steve was never afraid to stand up for the powerless or to advance the cause of working families.

Born John Steven Mostyn in Whitehouse, a small town in East Texas just southeast of Tyler, Mostyn graduated from the South Texas College of Law in 1996 and joined a Houston firm. He went on his own to create what he called a uniquely different Texas law firm  Mostyn Law  focused on corporate negligence and wrongdoing.

Hailstorm and windstorm lawsuits against insurance companies became a specialty of the firm, attracting the ire of insurers and the Republican officials they supported politically. Lawsuits filed by his firm after Hurricane Rita struck the Texas coast in 2008 took up the cause of homeowners who thought they had been underpaid for damages, in what became a litigation model for subsequent storms.

Republican lawmakers responded by changing state law to limit lawsuits over storm and hail damages, invoking Mostyns name and citing the 1,200 suits his firm filed after Rita and another flurry of cases he filed in 2012 over a hailstorm in Hidalgo County.

The latest bill designed to end weather-related lawsuit abuse was signed into law this year and took effect last September.

Amid that legislative pushback, Mostyn became a multimillion-dollar donor to Democratic causes, seeming to relish his big-bucks challenge to the Republican power structure that controlled Texas. In 2010, he paid for full-page ads in Texas newspapers calling Gov. Rick Perry a coward for refusing to debate his Democratic rival at the time, former Houston Mayor Bill White.

In 2012 alone, Mostyn donated $5.2 million to various pro-Democratic Super PACs ranging from Planned Parenthood to Texans for Americas Future to Priorities USA Action, a pro-Barack Obama PAC, according to the Center for Public Integrity. In 2014, he and his wife donated nearly $3 million more to Democratic candidates, including state Sen. Wendy Davis, who ran an unsuccessful race against Republican Greg Abbott.

I am heartbroken, Davis tweeted Thursday. Texas has lost an extraordinary person. Steve was a committed and effective fighter for justice, a wonderful husband, father and friend. He leaves behind a lasting impact on everyone whos life he touched.

The Mostyns were co-founders of the Ready for Hillary PAC, a political action committee supporting Clintons unsuccessful campaign for president. At the same time, state campaign finance records show he contributed to a police-affiliated PAC that supported some Republican primary candidates.

The couple also help fund the Texas Organizing Project and Battleground Texas, two Democratic comeback strategies for the party.

This is a man who never backed away from a fight  the good fight, said Ginny Goldman, the former director of TOP.

Russ Tidwell, former political director for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association when Mostyn became politically active, said his motivation was as a fighter for justice. Injustice makes him angry.

He understood much more than most trial lawyers that the battle had to be engaged in elections, that the deck was going to be stacked against the little guy if elections did not go well, Tidwell said. He did well by doing well for people.

Mostyn had served as the youngest president of the trial lawyers group at age 41.

While the Mostyns contributed more than $1.8 million to Texas politicians in 2016, most of it to Democrats, Steve Mostyn recently had said he was pulling back to spend more time and energy on his family. He told the Texas Tribune in September that he was growing tired of almost single-handedly funding Democratic candidates in a state that remained steadfastly Republican. He said it was time for other donors to step up.

As word of his death spread Thursday in Austin, Democrats who had cheered him and Republicans who had cursed him offered prayers for his family  and immediately began questioning to whom Democrats will turn for the millions needed to fund upcoming campaigns, much as questions surfaced after Dallas attorney Fred Baron, a Democratic Party megadonor and fundraiser, died in 2008.

Its hard to really quantify the hole it leaves for progressives, said Jay Aiyer, a political science professor at Houstons Texas Southern University. Hes probably the first true financial benefactor for progressives in Houston, and I say that because its really different than supporting individual candidates the way trial lawyers have collectively in the past. He really supported the underlying causes, which is a different kind of take, and Im not sure that gets filled, certainly not immediately.

Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas who has followed Texas political donations for decades, said although the Mostyns support has been a key for Democrats for two decades, his widow who shares his passion may well continue their generosity. But even with that, the fact of the matter remains that Republicans appear to be in a position of remaining in control in Texas at the statewide level for some time to come, he said.

In Austin, political activists and Democrats  many of whom had benefited from his benevolence over the years  reacted with surprise and sympathy. Many said his passing will leave a void.

Steve was a giant. He was the epitome of a Texas Democrat  big, bold, fearless, and caring. He dedicated his professional and personal life to fighting for the little guy, said Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa. Millions of Texans live better lives because of the advocacy, philanthropy and sheer willpower of Steve Mostyn. Our state and our world are better because he fought so hard for us all.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Mostyn touched the lives of many people and made a difference. He was a tenacious litigator and was passionate about increasing voter registration and participation.

State Sen. Sylvia Garcia, a Houston Democrat and longtime Mostyn friend now running for Congress, called his death heartbreaking.

He was a friend and supporter, but, in many ways, I consider the Mostyns family, she said in a statement. Many peoples lives were touched by Steves spirit and generosity. Im just thankful to have known him and had the chance to fight the good fight with him.

Echoing sentiments from other officials, Harris County Pct. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a former state senator and longtime friend, said Texas has lost a great man  He was dedicated to the ideals of equal rights for all people, particularly our most vulnerable residents.

Several friends and political allies cited Mostyns credo, summed up in a quote included on a painting of legendary Texan Sam Houston that hangs in the lobby of his law firms Austin office: Do right and risk the consequences.
Authorities in the San Antonio area arrested at least eight people Friday morning as part of a crackdown on crime on the East Side, including a man believed to be connected to the drive-by shooting death of a 4-year-old boy this summer.

The July 19 shooting death of 4-year-old De-Earlvion Whitley at his home came as federal agents and San Antonio police conducted surveillance nearby.
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Born in 1806 in San Antonio de Bexar, an isolated outpost of soldiers, missionaries and Indians on the northern edge of New Spain, Juan N. Seguin took up arms with other Tejanos against Mexico decades later in the Texas Revolution.

Sent from the besieged Alamo for reinforcements in March 1836, Seguin lived to fight another day, as Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Annas army overran the old mission and executed the survivors before help could arrive.

Six weeks later and 200 miles to the east, Seguin led a unit of Tejano soldiers in Sam Houstons army at the Battle at San Jacinto, which ended in a bloody rout of the Mexican army.

I am pleased to say that Capt. now Col. (Juan) Nepomuceno Seguin, a native of Bexar, and whom I have known from a boy, commanded 25 men, all natives of the same place, and performed wonders, read an account attributed to Stephen F. Austin, leader of the Anglo colonization of Texas.

Every man signalized himself in the most distinguished manner. One of them, with a Bowie knife, killed 25 of his countrymen, the writer added.

But winning independence from Mexico and then becoming part of the Republic of Texas proved a fleeting cause for celebration for Seguin and many other Tejanos, especially those native to San Antonio.

Before the arrival of the Anglo-Americans, these descendants of Indian, Canary Islander, Spanish and other European bloodlines had enjoyed an isolated and insulated existence.

San Antonio had developed as a Mexican town on the northern frontier of New Spain, and because it was so far from everything, it developed in its own way, with its own sense of authority, said Gerald Poyo, chairman of the history department at St. Marys University.

And although Seguins personal stature continued to rise as he became San Antonios military commander and mayor, and was elected to the Texas Senate, the long-range outlook for his countrymen was ominous.

Seguin soon became bitterly disillusioned with the new political and social order in which the native Tejanos were marginalized and exploited by the aggressive, often racist Anglo-American newcomers.

In those evil days, San Antonio was swarming with adventurers from every quarter of the globe.  There were many bad men, fugitives from their country, who found in this land an open field for their criminal designs, he later wrote in his memoir, A Foreigner in My Own Land.

The treacherous newcomers, he wrote, were beginning to work their dark intrigues against the native families, whose only crime was that they owned large tracts of land and desireable property.

As a Tejano war hero and mayor of San Antonio, Seguin tried to stand up for his people.

At every hour of the day or night, my countrymen ran to me for protection against the assaults or exactions of those adventurers.  Were not the victims my own countrymen, friends and associates? Could I leave them defenceless, exposed to the assaults of foreigners, who, on the pretext they were Mexicans, treated them worse than brutes? he wrote.

Threatened with violence himself, Seguin soon resigned as mayor in 1842 and fled to Mexico, where he spent six years in exile, serving in the Mexican military against Texas.

He died in 1890 in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. In 1974, his remains were returned for a ceremonial burial in Seguin, a town named for him.

Not until 1981, a mere 139 years after Seguins term, was another Hispanic, Henry Cisneros, elected mayor of San Antonio.

Century of conflict, loss

The title of a recent presentation about 19th-century Tejanos, given by Poyo at St. Marys, aptly summarizes their fate in an epoch of wrenching change.

From Autonomy to Subjugation studies the rapid decline of fortunes of the Tejanos who had once claimed the vast emptiness of Tejas as their own. For them, the 19th century was one of upset, conflict and loss.

In the first half of the century, Tejanos went from being subjects of Spain to Mexico to the Republic of Texas to the U.S.

Over roughly that same period, they were buffeted by repeated conflicts, including the Mexican War of Independence from Spain, the Texas Revolution and the war between the U.S. and Mexico that cost the latter half its territory. Soon to follow was the Civil War, which brought more tumult to Texas, which sided with the Confederacy.

Most critically, beginning about 1820 when immigrants from the U.S. attracted by offers of land began arriving in Texas, the Tejanos were confronted with waves of opportunistic newcomers.

Many of the Anglo-Americans, it was soon clear, came not to assimilate but to dominate and had little regard for either Tejanos or Mexicans, sometimes overlooking the distinction.

Led by Austin and encouraged by the Mexican government, the Americans began with settlements in East Texas, with the hope of growing cotton. But as Austin confided, there was a bigger plan in play.

My object, the sole and only desire of my ambitions since I first saw Texas, was to redeem it from the wilderness, to settle it with an intelligent, honorable and enterprising people, he wrote, and by that, he meant Protestant white people.

I wish a great immigration from Kentucky, Tennessee, everywhere, passports or no passports, any how, he said, adding, Nothing shall daunt my courage or abate my exertions to complete the main object of my labors  to Americanize Texas.

And at first, some of those in power in San Antonio who resented Mexican rule welcomed the energetic, resourceful newcomers.

The elites in San Antonio supported this immigration. They even supported the arrival of slavery and sought an exemption from the (Mexican) federal government for slaves. But by 1836, there were about 30,000 Anglo-Americans in Texas, and only 4,000 Tejanos, said Poyo in his recent presentation at St. Marys.

When the Anglos began arriving in Texas en masse, despite a federal law imposed in 1830 to halt more immigration, a profound cultural and political clash followed.

In his book They Called Them Greasers, historian Arnoldo De Leon presents an exhaustive record of the racist attitudes and actions of many Anglos toward Tejanos during the 19th century, especially in San Antonio.

Spanish was eventually replaced by English as the lingua franca (common language) of Texas, a cash economy replaced a barter economy, and the Anglo-Americans eventually imposed a judicial system that was foreign to the Tejanos and often did not recognize traditional claims of land ownership. Eventually, a property tax system was begun that also led to loss of land.

Poyo echoed De Leons views. There was hatred toward Mexicans because of the Alamo. Mexicans were the bad guys in the story, said Poyo, adding, The economic benefits of racism were that if you could denigrate a people, you could take their land without justification.

What was really a Mexican town became a non-Mexican town, as almost all Latinos were relegated to second-class citizens. There was a loss of land and wealth, he said of many of the Tejanos.

As evidence, Poyo cited 19th-century statistics that showed the wholesale transfer of downtown property in San Antonio from Hispanics to Anglos, the rapid increase in the percentage of foreign-born citizens in the city and a steep decline in the number of Hispanic aldermen on the City Council.

A broader attempt to disenfranchise Tejanos surfaced in 1845 in Austin during the critical writing of a state constitution required for Texas to join the U.S.

Representing Bexar was Jose Antonio Navarro, one of the great Tejano statesmen of the era, who had recently served time in a Mexican prison for his role in a misguided mission to try to seize Santa Fe.

Navarro, one of three Mexican signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, had been elected to the Texas Congress to represent Bexar.

At the Constitutional Convention, the future voting rights of Tejanos were put at risk in an early proposal to limit suffrage to white males.

As described by author David McDonald in his biography of Navarro, one Anglo delegate warned of the dire consequences of letting Texans of color have the vote.

Hordes of Mexican Indians may come here from the West, and may be more formidable than the enemy you have vanquished, began Francis Moore, a newspaperman from Houston.

Silently they will come moving in; they may come back in thousands to Bexar, in thousands to Goliad, and perhaps to Nacogdoches and what will be the consequences? Ten, twenty, thirty; forty, fifty thousand may come in here and vanquish you at the ballot box, though you are invincible at arms. This is no idle dream: no bugbear; it is the truth, he warned.

Moore went on to rage against the descendents of the degraded and despicable race which Cortez conquered and warned against allowing the mean, groveling yellow race of Mexico to live in equality with the free born races of Europe, but to no avail. Navarro and his allies, including Anglos, preserved the Tejano right to vote.

According to Poyo, it was another great historical conflict of the early 20th century that led to the eventual cultural and political resurgence of the Mexican-Americans of San Antonio and South Texas.

During the Mexican Revolution, thousands of Mexicans came to Texas, and this was the moment when San Antonio reclaimed its Mexican identity, among both working-class and upper-class citizens, he said.

If the 19th century was a time of decline, the 20th century was one of great growth in reclaiming the Mexican culture. The Mexicans again became a majority in San Antonio and were able to reclaim their place, he said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A senior Zapu official has sensationally remarked that President Robert Mugabe does not deserve to be buried at the National Heroes Acre because of his role in activities that contributed to Zimbabwe's poor human rights record.John Dlamini, Zapu's deputy national organising secretary, said there was sufficient evidence to deny the Zanu PF leader a place at the national shrine.He spoke as emotions are still high over Zanu PF's refusal to grant renowned musician Dick Chingaira national hero status despite his immense contribution to the liberation struggle.Otherwise known as Cde Chinx, Chingaira was buried recently at the Glen Forest Memorial Park, on the outskirts of Harare, after succumbing to cancer.Dlamini narrated how Mugabe, using the North Korean trained Fifth Brigade, descended on civilians in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.He also spoke about Operation Murambatsvina, which resulted in the demolition of illegal structures and the displacement of families.He also gave reference to a recent incident where Zanu PF thugs went on a rampage and beat up a headman and his family in Insiza District over a land dispute."For these and many other violations against Zimbabweans, Mugabe does not deserve to be buried at the national shrine, let alone to even be considered for burial at all," he said.
Two innovative research centres at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) will bolster their expertise in water security and agricultural technologies thanks to an investment of over $2.7 million from the Government of Canada.

The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada.

The Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) will receive more than $1.3 million to establish the Smart Water Systems Laboratory to deliver transformative technological capabilities for water-related observation and data collection. The facility will develop and commercialize sensors and software to improve forecasting and prediction tools for water-related threats such as floods and droughts.

The Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) will receive more than $1.3 million for the creation of the Omics and Precision Agriculture Laboratory (OPAL), which supports state-of-the-art precision agriculture using high-throughput digital phenotyping of crops integrated with genomics data and analysis expertise. Precision agriculture processes and products developed by OPAL will be clean technologies that can improve crop yields and quality, while mitigating negative environmental impacts and over-use of valuable resources like soil nutrients and water.

Source: CISION
Two crops or one? Sometimes, growing two crops simultaneously on the same piece of land  called intercropping  can benefit farmers. But it needs careful planning and resource management.

In some parts of Africa, farmers intercrop sorghum  a grain  and peanuts. But they face a major information gap. There hasnt been much research on optimal levels of fertilizer use for intercropping sorghum and peanuts in these areas.

A new study has filled this information gap. Researchers from Niger, Mali, and the United States have developed a method to help farmers determine how much fertilizer to apply when intercropping.

Using fertilizers efficiently can help farmers improve profits from their crops, says Charles Wortmann, an agronomist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. That can help many break out of cycles of poverty and increase food production and food security.

In the study, researchers, including Wortmann, developed mathematical equations to calculate crop yields as the level of application for a nutrient, such as nitrogen, changes. These equations  called crop nutrient response functions  also consider local soil properties and climate.

They can help determine how much fertilizer to apply based on fertilizer cost, grain value, and money available for fertilizer use, says Wortmann. This knowledge can help farmers optimize fertilizer use and maximize profits.

Similar research in the past has focused on grain crops, like rice and corn. There has been much less research on legume crops, such as peanut, says Wortmann. Also, very little work has been done on sorghum-peanut intercropping.

In this study, researchers developed crop nutrient response equations for sorghum grown in Sahel areas in Mali and Niger. The Sahel lies south of the Sahara and has little rainfall. The soil is sandy with little organic matter. Conditions are often harsh and stressful for crops.

The researchers determined sorghum responses to several nutrients, including nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Then they used the data to create similar equations for intercropping sorghum and peanut.

Our findings will allow farmers to optimize their fertilizer use during intercropping with little or no additional research, Wortmann explains.

Thats important because both sorghum and peanut are vital crops in many parts of Africa. They are used primarily for human consumption.

Sorghum is ground into flour and cooked as porridge. It is an important source of energy as well as protein. Additionally, both sorghum grain and the non-grain parts of the plant may be used for livestock feed.

Peanuts are commonly crushed and cooked with a vegetable. That provides a good balance of energy from the peanut oil to complement the protein, vitamins, and nutrients provided. It also makes for a very tasty vegetable dish! Wortmann adds.

With intercropping, the yield of each crop may be lower than if these crops were grown individually. However, the combined yield of the two crops generally exceeds the yield of sorghum or groundnut grown by itself.

Intercropping can also benefit farmers in several other ways. If one crop does poorly  due to insects or pests, for instance  the other crop may not be affected.

Click here to see more...
From the Big Sky Country of the US far north, its then a short trip across the border into Canada and onto Calgary in time for the spectacular Calgary Stampede.
Warrenton, VA (20186)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 28F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 28F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
On November 28, 2017, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Digital Realty Trust v. Paul Somers on the question of whether the whistleblower protections of the Dodd-Frank Act extend to internal whistleblowers, or only to those who report to the SEC.

Research shows that the majority of employees who report misconduct do so internally, through informal discussions with managers and other conduits. If the Court interprets the Acts protections as extending only to those who provide information to the SEC, it could stymie and complicate the important work of ethics & compliance officers.

One of the primary goals of most compliance programs is to create a speak-up culture in the organization, encouraging employees to voice their ethics concerns and observations of impropriety. It is the best way for companies to learn about misbehavior before the problem gets too big  and before it is reported externally, which could damage the organizations reputation and stability.

Moreover, the Federal Sentencing Guidelines encourages cultivating an environment that supports the internal reports by employees, stating that organizations  take reasonable steps to have and publicize a system . . . whereby the organizations employees and agents may report or seek guidance regarding potential or actual criminal conduct without fear of retaliation.

Speaking-up in the workplace is among the most difficult decisions for employees. Most employees choose to not discuss noticed misbehavior. To overcome this reluctance, researchers recommend that organizations create internal cultures and environments that promote employee voice and dissent.Evidence shows that employees are most likely to report misconduct when they perceive that their supervisor supports them and that the organization is likely to be responsive to the complaint.

Some argue that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) already provides protection for those who report internally. Empirical evidence shows a different story, however.

From the effective date of SOX until 2011, among those individuals who filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as mandated by SOX for bringing whistleblower claims, employees won only 1.8 percent of all cases.

There are a myriad of factors contributing to this low success rate, including stalled administrative procedures and the burden of proof. These numbers raise the question of whether internal whistleblowers should trust the system.

Corporate anti-retaliation policies that are not backed-up with legal protections send mixed signals to employees, and that is likely to stifle speech.

What we know about ethical culture in organizations through Linda Trevino and Katherine Nelsons research is that alignment between an organizations actions and norms of behavior and its policies is of prime importance to reducing unethical behavior.

To advocate for this critical alignment, Ethical Systems submitted an amicus brief (pdf), with the support of Jason P. Steed of Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton, LLP, encouraging maximum legal protections for internal whistleblowers.

To construe the Dodd-Frank Act narrowly, so as to strip it of anti-retaliation protections for employees who report internally, would steadily undermine the development of ethical corporate culture and would be counter to the public interest.

____

Azish Filabi, pictured above, is Executive Director of Ethical Systems, a research collaboration dedicated to strengthening organizational ethics and culture through social science research. Shes a lawyer and previously served as an AVP and Ethics Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of NY. She can be contacted here.


The press in Israel reported this week that Aeronautics Ltd., one of the largest military drone manufactures in Israel, is being investigated for suspected bribery of a foreign public official.

If confirmed, the investigation into foreign bribery offenses would be the fourth in Israel. The others involve Teva Pharmaceuticals stemming from its $519 million resolution in 2016 with the U.S. DOJ and SEC, an investigation into Beny Steinmetz related to the activities of BSRG in Guinea, and an investigation of the construction company Shafir for bribery related to activity in Romania.

In addition, based on public filings, the Israeli company Elbit Imaging has reported potential FCPA violations which could potentially be violations of Israeli law as well.

Israel to date has had one conviction of a company on acts of foreign bribery. Nikuv International Projects Ltd. or NIP pleaded guilty in Tel Aviv and paid a fine of 4.5 million NIS (about $1.2 million).

The current investigation of Aeronautics is under a blanket gag order put in place by the Israeli courts. The only information released is that the investigation is in relation to a deal with a key client.

In August this year the Defense Export Control Agency (DECA) of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, suspended an export license that had been granted to Aeronautics. This suspension came after complaints that the company had demonstrated the use of one of its kamikaze drones in actual combat. Aeronautics denied these claims.

In its public filings Aeronautics said the Defense Ministry had frozen the marketing and export licenses of its Orbiter 1k to an important customer of the company in a foreign country. The company didnt mention the name of the country. It is still permitted to conduct sales with other nations.

DECA requires all Israeli defense exporters to sign declaration that they have not and will not participate in bribery of a foreign public official as part of each license request. Further the General Director of the Ministry of Defense issued a letter to all defense exports require them to implement an anti foreign bribery compliance program.

The Ministry of Defense in Israel has always played an important role in the enforcement of foreign bribery, Upon the enactment of Israels foreign bribery statute in 2008, Israels Attorney General issued guidelines for the implementation of the statute and therein called specifically upon the Ministry of Defense to assist in investigations of this matter.

There are no public indications of any connection for Aeronautics between the bribery allegations and export control issues. Those issues converged in the United States enforcement action against UK-based BAE Systems.

In 2010, BAE pleaded guilty to a conspiracy that involved impeding U.S. investigators, making false statements about its FCPA compliance program, and violating the Arms Export Control Act and ITAR.

A year later the U.S. State Department fined BAE $79 million for violations of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Earlier this month, Airbus Group SE said it found inaccuracies in filings made with the U.S. Department of State under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The company is already under investigation in the UK and France for suspected corruption.

____

Chaim Gelfand, pictured above, is a Partner at Shibolet and Co. and head of its Anti-Corruption Compliance Practice  one of the first (if not the first) dedicated anti-corruption compliance practices in any of Israels first tier law firms. He has been dealing with anti-corruption compliance in large multinational companies for almost a decade. He can be contacted here.
News / Press Release

by Israel Dube

Israel Dube ( infomlo13@gmail.com )

MLO Secretary for Information and Public Affairs

MLO would like to make it crystal clear that the military coup staged by Zimbabwe Defence Forces will not solve Matabeleland grievances as it seeks to replace one dictator and genocidist with another. The coup itself shows how chaotic and disorderly Zimbabwe is.This is one of multiple reasons why Matabeles must restore their statehood as a mater urgency.It is a shame to note that the Zimbabwe National Army that has since 1980 been used to serve the narrow interests of Zanupf has now stooped even lower to be used to settle political scores on behalf of Lacoste faction. This goes on to prove that the Zimbabwe National Army is military wing of Zanupf and thus can be engaged or involved in factional fights in Zanupf.Once again the British are at it to install Emmerson Mnangagwa as President of Zimbabwe through this military coup and later demanding that he should form a transitional authority or government of national unity that would have a life span for 3 to 5 years to consolidate his position.and this will once again fail as we have said it before.Their shenanigans stink and are deplorable.We are tired of British dirty games believing that everyone would not see their DNA in this coup. It is common knowledge that Emmerson Mnangagwa and Morgan Tsvangirai were made to meet in South Africa to knit the composition of the so called Government of National Unity which shall be dominated by the Karangas.Sadly our unsophisticated Dumiso Dabengwa is being drawn into the plot like a moth, without any benefit that would flow into Matebeleland except for hsi personal gain.Emmerson Mnangagwa who is currently being sanitised and imposed on the masses by the coup plotters and their backers is known for bad reasons in Matabeleland. We know him as "uZandla Ezbomvu" ( the one who's hands are dripping with innocent blood). The military Junta can fool everyone but not the people of Matabeleland about Mnangagwa. His genocide history smells to the highest heavens. His hate speeches during Matabeleland genocide are well recorded and remembered as if they were said yesterday.There is no guarantee that if he takes power he will not unleash another genocide as he is a denialist and has refuses to apologise to the people of Matabeleland.Criminals cannot get rid of other criminals if it is not for the purpose of taking over power and loot themselves. This false claim that coup plotters are intervening to arrest criminals surrounding President Mugabe must be dismissed with the laughter it deserves.The coup plotters cannot turn around today and tell us that they are better than their friends in crime, with whom they have committed acts of genocide, looted state coffers and mismanaged the economy until Zimbabwe was rendered a failed state. They share the same DNA of corruption period!Cold hearted Mnangagwa has already denied Matebeles their independence before he even takes power. He referred to MLO President Cde Paul Siwela as one possessed by demons of legion (many demons) for advocating for the restoration of the statehood of Matabeleland.Even the proposed wishful list of the so called transitional government which names Mnangagwa as president relegates Matabeles to useless positions of vice president. Only a foolish Matebele can be art of such so called transitional government. Such positions will only be accepted by a few well known Shona supremacist boot lickers and sellouts who are always ready to save their masters.Call it an ice cream coup, bloodless correctiion or whatever it is not for us the people of Matabeleland. It is for the uncivilised, violent and chaotic shona people who seem happy to welcome a genocidaire to be a president without posing to see the grave danger posed by having Emmerson Mnangagwa as leader of the country.He has begun by arresting his opponents in Zanupf and one can shudder to think what he would do to his opponents in other political parties.He is a dangerous man who should not and never be allowed to be near the seat of power.Let the failures in the Zimbabwe opposition fall over each other for positions in the so called transitional government.Blinded by the hunger for power and financial gains they are not even aware that they are sleep walking into a trap to legitimise a coup. They are not aware that they are setting a wrong precedent. Should the plot succeed, which we doubt, the leaders must dance to the tune of the army generals. Failure to that the trigger happy national army would be happy to come back and effect another bloodless coup to install another criminal and looter.For patriotic Matabeles this is a God given opportunity never to be missed. We demand Matabeleland independence or death. Watch this space.
A man was arrested for drink driving after ordering 200 hash browns.

Man orders 200 hash browns from McDonald's

After being told he couldn't have any chicken nuggets for breakfast at 4.05am, the man became irrated and did four laps of the drive thru in Sydney.

When police turned up, he was still outside the takeaway giant waiting for his hash browns and when he was breathalysed he was found to be three times over the drink drive limit.

He subsequently had his licence suspended and is set to appear at Hornsby Court at the end of the month, according to the Metro newspaper.

McDonald's was forced to explain why nuggets aren't served in the morning and in a statement they said: ''We only have the capacity to cook one set of products at a time. Breakfast and main menu items cook at different temperatures and we need the same set of equipment to cook sausage and eggs and beef patties.

''We also would not cook beef and pork on the same grill at the same time. There is limited space in the kitchen and we have the maximum amount of grills at the moment in all our restaurants.''
A man had to be rushed to hospital after he got a padlock wedged in his willy.

Man stuffs padlock in willy

An experimental 31-year-old gentleman - whose name is not known - dashed to the emergency room in Fuzhou, China, because he was left doubled over in pain after he'd stuffed the metal object up inside his urethra as part of an odd sexual desire.

But, rather than tell doctors what he'd done, the man remained tight-lipped and it wasn't until he was given an X-ray that medics found the lock stuck in his bladder.

According to Pear Video, the man - who was accompanied by his family - later told doctors that he had a habit of ''playing with his sexual organs''

He's set to undergo an operation over the next few days.

It's not yet known whether the metal sex play will have any last damage.
Gal Gadot almost quit acting, as she found the "rejection" hard.

Gal Gadot

The 32-year-old actress can now boast being cast as the iconic Wonder Woman, but prior to landing the role in the eponymously titled DC Comics movie, the beauty has admitted she was considering backing away from Hollywood entirely, because being rejected from roles began to take its toll.

Speaking during an interview on 'Sunday Today' which will air this weekend, she said: "I was as close as it gets [to quitting]. I never thought about becoming an actress and the opportunity kind of came my way. I started to become more curious about it, and then I fell in love with the profession - but it wasn't like I was growing up dreaming of becoming an actress.

"There's so much no. There's so much rejection in this world that I thought, 'Maybe it's not for me ... Maybe I should go back to law school instead of dragging my family with me.'"

Gal's comments come after she previously said the past year has been "overwhelming" for her, since joining the DC Comics franchise.

She said: "Honestly, the thing is, everything that's happening right now is so overwhelming. I mean, all the way from Russia and Israel to here, red carpets, talking to you, wearing [great gowns]. It's been such an amazing, crazy ride that I think I'm gonna get what's happening only in two years from now or something."

It isn't the first time the 'Keeping Up With the Joneses' star has spoken about her near miss with her acting career, as she previously said she had considered going back to her native Israel to study.

She said: "Before I got 'Wonder Woman', I was thinking about never coming back to Los Angeles, [I thought I'd] stay in Israel, work as an actress here and there, go back to university and do something else."
Joel Edgerton has splashed out $25,000 on a painting owned by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Joel Edgerton

The 'Great Gatsby' star forked out the huge figure on the artwork at the Inaugural Fundraising Gala for The Fred Hollows Foundation in Los Angeles, and the Hollywood actor appeared to have a great night at the event, which raised $500,000.

He wrote on Twitter: "Last night a group of amazing people gathered in L.A and raised 500,000 dollars for @FredHollows...

"... I want to thank everyone who lent a hand and support in the amazing @FredHollows event. @audi you are amazing! (sic)"

Several other big-ticket items were auctioned off at the Gala, which took place at The Highlight Room by Casa Noble Tequila, including a dinner with Al Pacino, Robert Pattinson and Joel that sold for $22,000, according to The Blast.

Paris Hilton donated $5,000 without even winning anything on the auction, and two set visits to Martin Scorsese's movie 'The Irishman' with star Robert DeNiro went for $20,000 and $18,000.

Joel co-hosted the event, which featured performances from Seal and Flea.

The Fred Hollows Foundation - founded by the eye surgeon of the same name - works with local doctors, health workers and nurses in 25 countries to help them develop the skills to treat eye issues.

The charity is aiming to put an end to avoidable blindness and give people in developing countries the same "quality eye care the rest of the world takes for granted".

Joel has seen the work the Foundation does first-hand.

He told the Hollywood Reporter: "I finally had some time. I took a trip to Nepal, and then I took trips to regional Australia and had a look at the work they were doing.

"I kind of got a little intoxicated by it because the work they're doing is so immediate, it's so present."
Sylvester Stallone has been accused of sexually harassing a 16-year-old girl over 30 years ago.

Sylvester Stallone

The Hollywood icon is the latest star to face allegations of historic sexual misconduct, after an unnamed woman claimed that in 1986 - when she was just 16 years old - Stallone forced her to have sex with him and his bodyguard in a Las Vegas hotel room.

According to a police report which was filed at the time and obtained by the Daily Mail newspaper, the woman did not want to press charges because she was scared and humiliated by the ordeal, and signed a "no prosecution" form.

However, the 'Rocky' star, 71, has categorically denied the allegations made against him, and a representative for the actor has branded the claims as "ridiculous" and "false".

Speaking to TMZ.com, his spokesperson Michelle Bega said: "This is a ridiculous, categorically false story. No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone. At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter. It never happened."

The allegations against Stallone come after disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein was accused by a number of women of sexual harassment cases spanning a 30-year period, and actor Kevin Spacey has faced claims of sexual misconduct from several males, including Richard Dreyfuss' son Harry and 'Star Trek: Discovery's Anthony Rapp.

Comedian Louis C.K. was also accused of having exposed himself and masturbating in front of at least five women, and has since said the allegations are "true", but thought at the time his actions were okay because he had asked permission first.

He said: "At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my d**k without asking first, which is also true. But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your d**k isn't a question. It's a predicament for them."
Gigi Hadid has pulled out of the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Gigi Hadid

The 22-year-old model has announced she will no longer be taking to the runway in Shanghai, China, for the lingerie giant's annual fashion show, and whilst she hasn't given a reason for her cancellation, she has insisted she'll be supporting her fellow models "in spirit".

In a tweet posted to her Twitter account on Thursday (16.11.17), she wrote: "I'm so bummed I won't be able to make it to China this year. Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year! :) x (sic)"

As of the time of writing, it is not known why the blonde beauty - who is in a relationship with musician Zayn Malik - decided to pull out of the show.

Gigi confirmed in August that she was due to return to the runway at this year's fashion extravaganza, and admitted it was "a dream come true" to model for the brand.

She wrote on Instagram at the time: "Forever and ever and ever a dream come true to be asked back to the VS Show !!! (sic)."

Whilst Gigi won't be strutting her stuff on the catwalk this year, her younger sister Bella, 21, is still expected to appear in the line-up alongside Victoria's Secret Angels Alessandra Ambrosio, Candica Swanepoel and Adriana Lima.

Previously Bella had also shared the exciting news of her upcoming venture on her photo-sharing site.

She wrote: "@victoriassecret I am so excited!..!!!!Thank you @[email protected] @johndavidpfeiffer and of course the wonderful, incredible @ed_razek + everyone on the team for making this dream come true again.. I feel so crazy humbled to get the opportunity to be a part of this show again...Walking into the offices this year i felt so happy, healthy, and honored.. I can't wait for another incredible experience!!! Congrats to all of the beautiful ladies I will be walking beside. I can't wait! Xx (sic)."
In The Beguiled, writer-director Sofia Coppola explores the cosseted lives of three Southern belles (Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning) whose world is forever changed when they shelted a wounded enemy soldier (Colin Farrell) at the height of the US Civil War. Here, Coppola discusses the film, why she took on the remake and more

The Beguiled comes to Blu-ray and DVD on November 20

What initially attracted you to The Beguiled?

I saw the 1971 Don Siegel film starring Clint Eastwood and thought it was such an interesting premise. So I tracked down the book, which is told from the female characters point of view, and thought Id love to reimagine the story from the female characters perspective.

Is this the first time youve done a remake?

Yes. A friend of mine said, You have to see The Beguiled, I think you should remake it. At first, I thought Id never remake someone elses film. But this is really a reinterpretation, seeing the same story from another side. So after I saw the first film and thought about making my own version, I tried to not look at it. I tried to imagine a new way of how Id approach the material. Of course, Im excited to see the original film again, now that Ive made this film. But I really tried to make my own version of it.

How did you approach the casting?

When I started thinking about this film I was excited, because I love working with Kirsten Dunst and thought she could play the school teacher. And now Elle is old enough to play the older student. Last time I worked with her (Somewhere; 2010) she was 11, so now shes a young woman and its a really different role for her. And then Ive always admired Nicole Kidman. I thought shed be amazing to have as the headmistress. Im so glad that it worked out, to have these three women together and to see how they all relate to each other and how they all have a different dynamic with Colin Farrell, our enemy soldier.

And how did Colin do as the only man in the mix?

He was such a good sport, I have to say (laughs). I think it takes a real man to let the women be in charge and to be that kind of object for the story.

You also have some new faces in your cast

We do  we have a group of young actresses; ages 12 to around 16 (Oona Laurence, Angourie Rice, Emma Howard, Addison Riecke) playing the younger students. Its always exciting to see new actresses and they all worked really well together.

What was it like taking the film to Cannes?

It was so exciting to see the film for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival. For me, it was the first time Id seen the finished film with the sound and pictures together. And the cast  it was the first time theyd seen it too. You know, it was really nerve-wracking, but exciting to see it there in the Palais  an unforgettable experience.

What was the biggest challenge when making The Beguiled?

Its always challenging getting a movie made and putting it all together  getting the cast you want and the financing. To me, its always amazing that a movie simply can get made; there are so many elements working together. And we shot it very quickly. That was challenging; shooting a film like this in 26 days. Especially with such young cast members, where your work hours are limited.

What will you remember most from the experience?

Thats such a good question. For me, I think just being together in New Orleans, working with our amazing team, the cast and crew. And of course, its exciting to see it now that its finished.

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Below, you can also see five of Coppola's most successful movies, starting off of course with The Beguiled

1) The Beguiled

The Beguiled unfolds during the Civil War, at a Southern girls boarding school. Its sheltered young women take in an injured enemy soldier, but as they provide refuge and tend to his wounds, the house is taken over with sexual tension and dangerous rivalries, with broken taboos leading to an unexpected turn of events.

2) Lost In Translation

Stranger in a foreign land, the two find escape, distraction and understanding amidst the bright Tokyo lights after a chance meeting in the quiet lull of the hotel bar. They form a bond that is as unlikely as it is heartfelt and meaningful.

3) A Very Murray Christmas

Bill Murray rounds up an all-star cast for an evening of music, mischief and bar room camaraderie in this irreverent twist on holiday variety shows.

4) The Virgin Suicides

In an ordinary suburban house, on a lovely tree-lined street, in the middle of 1970s America, lived the five beautiful, dreamy Lisbon sisters, whose doomed fates indelibly marked the neighbourhood boys who to this day continue to obsess over them.

5) Marie Antoinette

The retelling of Frances iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the end of her reign as queen, and ultimately the fall of Versailles.

-

The Beguiled is available now on digital download, and comes to Blu-ray and DVD on Monday, November 20.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Michelle Williams is in negotiations to star in 'Rio'.

Michelle Williams

The 37-year-old actress is said to be in talks to feature in the motion picture based in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro and directed by Luca Guadagnino from a script by Steven Knight.

According to Variety, the movie will star Jake Gyllenhaal as a financial reporter who heads to Rio to visit his rich pal, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, but he gets caught up in a plot to fake his friend's death.

Cumberbatch will produce the motion picture alongside Adam Ackland, and Studiocanal are to finance the film.

Williams looks set for a busy 2018 as in September it was reported she had signed up to appear in 'Spider-Man' spin-off movie 'Venom'.

Her role is not yet known but she is set to appear alongside Riz Ahmed and Tom Hardy, who will take on the titular role of the webslinger superhero's arch-nemesis.

Sony Pictures confirmed Hardy will take on the part in May.

They wrote on Twitter: "Tom Hardy is Eddie Brock in #Venom, the upcoming film from Sony's Marvel Universe releasing October 5, 2018 - production starts this fall. (sic)"

It also looks like being a busy end of the year for Williams as she and Mark Wahlberg are said to be re-shooting parts of their movie 'All the Money in the World' after Kevin Spacey was replaced by Christopher Plummer.

Spacey was dropped from the role of J Paul Getty in the wake of sexual harassment and assault allegations made against him.

The movie is still scheduled to be released on December 22.
Dutch textile company Vlisco Group recently discussed with Nigerian finance minister Kemi Adeosun its proposed investment in the countrys cotton textile industry. The investment would boost growth and jobs in Nigeria across the entire value-chain from cotton to fashion, according to company CEO David Suddens, who led the delegation to the discussion.The group plans to invest in sourcing of cotton, textile printing, wholesale, retail and e-commerce distribution, garment manufacturing and supporting and training of Nigerian fashion designers, according to Nigerian media reports.

Dutch textile company Vlisco Group recently discussed with Nigerian finance minister Kemi Adeosun its proposed investment in the country's cotton textile industry. The investment would boost growth and jobs in Nigeria across the entire value-chain from cotton to fashion, according to company CEO David Suddens, who led the delegation to the discussion.#

Foreseeing 10,000 jobs in Nigeria in the medium term, Suddens said the group had formed partnership with two spinning and weaving companies in China and Pakistan to help build the Nigerian cotton textile industry.The two partners, according to him, are expected to start operations with a weaving mill of between 120 and 140 looms, with each mill producing annually nearly 12 to 15 million metres of cotton fabric. Spinning mills will be established later.Minister Adeosun urged Suddens to take advantage of the Nigerian Governments incentives for cotton, textile and garment sub-sector to expand its brand portfolio in Nigeria.Founded in 1846, the Vlisco Group designs, produces and distributes fashion fabrics for the West and Central African market and African consumers in global metropolitan cities. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Opinion / Columnist

There are several historical issues that we have to look at in trying to see what the future holds for Zimbabwe and for that we need to look at some history before we get to a post-Mugabe Zimbabwe.First, let us enter the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) for short and see what role it had in shaping post independence Zimbabwe. The CIO's first Chief, Ken Flower was an immensely influential man in the International Intelligence Community and he always maintained very close ties with MI6, most notably Sir Dick Franks and later with Alastair Morrison OBE & MC who was the 2IC for the 22nd SAS Regiment that is very close to MI6.As intelligence Chief Flower served Britain, Rhodesia and Zimbabwe without pause making him the world's first Intelligence Chief to serve 3 completely different masters. After serving his full term he went peacefully on pension with excellent relations with Britain,Zimbabwe and the Socialist block remaining remaining intact.His successor, Danny Stannard also served out his full tenure before going on pension in 1996. Danny's brother Richard served as the Chief of the Directorate of Military Intelligence for the Zimbabwean Army under Mugabe and his cousin also Richard was directly involved in the hijacking of an Air India Aircraft in the Seychelles by South African Hired mercenaries in 1981.It has been alleged beyond a reasonable doubt that Danny Facilitated Mossad into Zimbabwe to start an operation to facilitate the transfer of Plutonium from the Congo through Zimbabwe. Unfortunately Mossad also found out that theStannard's were facilitating sales to North Korea, Syria and Iran through the two Richards. His brother Richard continued to cement close ties with a former Rhodesian Army Colonel Lionel Dyck who is a business partner of EmersonMnangagwa.Colonel Dyck started a lucrative Mine Clearing Company called Minetech which today is owned by Exploration Logistics whose Chairman is Alastair Morrison, thus cementing the ties between big business in Zimbabwe, British Intelligence and Organized Crime as the core value that the CIO rendered the Government of Britain, Smith and Zimbabwe was shadowy business deals, sanctions busting and gunrunning.This created a world class Intelligence outfit with the sole aim of doing illegal deals and today Mnangagwa is the Minister of Defense, the de facto Chief of the CIO and the only contender to run for President and he has made no secret of his ambitions.This is why we see that Mnangagwa is engaging the Western press, trying to get rid of the image and nickname of "Crocodile" and generally letting up in public on his hard line stance. Yet in Zimbabwe no one is as feared as the Crocodile.We also see clear maneuvering from Mnangagwa in the following:- The 2005 MDC Split, when Colonel Dyck approached Tsvangerai with offers that was believed by many to be true to become the next Chief of Staff in of the Zimbabwean National Army.- The sinister death of General Solomon Mujuru the former Chief of the Zimbabwean Army and the only person that could have been a real opposition for Mnangagwa.- There have been reports of financial irregularities with Tsvangerai and still bitterness when he decided to enter the Government of National Unity as Prime Minister.We will therefore see a concentrated effort by ZANU (PF) to become more "acceptable" and is why to a degree Tsvangarai will be tolerated in the chained capacity that he is in, but not as the President, Wiki Leaks "leakers" will not be punished and gentle measures are looked at to remove Mugabe from office before he dies which seems with the latest information to be quite serious.Upon closer inspection of the MDC's actual capacity to organize support we see that the party has a very good capacity to drum up support, but no capacity to organize people in the rural areas where the inherent ZANU  PF strengths lie.The MDC has no support within the Security Structures and also very little capacity to actually govern a country.Whether we like it or not Emerson Mnangagwa has much more acumen, presence and money to be more effective than Tsvangerai and he also has much larger support from the British Intelligence Community that has close ties with big business interests.
Sweden is seeking a collaborative project with the Aditya Birla Group in smart textiles to increase bilateral trade, Swedish minister for enterprises and innovation and rural affairs Sven-Erik Bucht said in Mumbai recently. If the talks succeed, a joint venture between Swedish firm Domsjo and the Birlas along with the two governments will be signed, he said.As the target is to boost development of smart textiles using viscose staple fibre (VSF), cellulosic fibre and pulp as an alternative to cotton, the Birla group is a natural choice with its easily blendable cellulosic fibre, he said addressing select media.Sweden is investing heavily in developing textiles made from sustainable raw materials, he said after visiting the Birla Group's textile research application development centre at Kharach in Gujarat.The Birla Group is the world's largest manufacturer of VSF, a man-made bio-degradable fibre with characteristics similar to cotton.

His visit follows the Make in India event in Stockholm organised by Indias commerce and industry ministry. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Key issues in regulation, from cybersecurity to the legal environment in China, were on the agenda as FinanceAsia hosted its 6th Compliance Summit Asia at the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong on November 8.

More than 300 industry professionals with a focus on compliance and regulatory issues gathered to hear a day of lively discussions on a host of hot topics.

Delegates heard how financial institutions in the region are stepping up their cybersecurity game to cope with new threats and how regulatory technology is changing the role of the compliance officer. As FinanceAsia's sister site, Corporate Treasurer, reported, there was also discussion of what to do when the regulator knocks on your door in China.

We present a gallery of photographs from the event.

FinanceAsia's sister brand Corporate Treasurer will partner with TMF Group for a webinar discussing how Asia will be affected by the OECD's recent focus on information transparency and AML regulations. Click here to register now for the webinar, which takes place on Thursday, November 23,
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 16, 2017 / Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation into Tezos concerning possible violations of federal securities laws in relation to Tezos' Initial Coin Offering (ICO).

Recent reports note a significant falling out between Tezos's co-founders, Arthur and Kathleen Breitman, and Johann Gevers, president of the Tezos Foundation, a Swiss non-profit foundation with significant control over Tezos' operations.

Following this news, the value of Tezos Tokens futures contracts dropped as much as 60%, according to the futures/derivatives markets which track their value. To obtain additional information, go to: http://www.zlk.com/pslra-sbm-cc/tezos or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Levi & Korsinsky, LLP

Eduard Korsinsky, Esq.

30 Broad Street - 24th Floor

New York, NY 10004

Tel: (212) 363-7500

Toll Free: (877) 363-5972

Fax: (212) 363-7171

www.zlk.com

SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
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.
LONDON, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

- 28% are unfamiliar with the new regulation they will need to adhere to in less than a year

- Over half (51%) believe the regulation is too complex for SMEs and middle market businesses, but agree that increased regulation around the use of personal data is necessary

Businesses across Europe are unprepared for the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into law in May 2018, according to new research conducted for RSM, the 6th largest audit, tax and consulting network, by the European Business Awards. The survey, completed by 400 of Europe's successful business leaders, asked about their preparedness for GDPR and how the new regulation will impact their operations.

Less than 12 months before the new regulation comes into effect, only 8% of business are ready for GDPR, and have made the necessary changes to be compliant with the regulation. Meanwhile, one in four business leaders (28%) are completely unaware of the regulation they will have to adhere to. Worryingly, 26% of business leaders familiar with their GDPR strategy, admit their organisation will not be compliant by the May 2018 deadline.

Businesses that fail to comply before the deadline could face fines of up to 4% of global turnover or 20 million, whichever is higher.

The process of preparing for GDPR is already impacting business operations. The survey highlights that a concerning number of businesses are cutting back in other areas including plans to create innovative new products (23%) or to fuel growth through international expansion (22%).

Jean Stephens, CEO, RSM, commented: "In less than 7 months, businesses across the continent will have to adhere to GDPR. We have seen an increase in clients asking us about GDPR consulting services, however, it is clear from this research that many businesses do not fully comprehend the hurdles they will have to overcome ahead of the fast-approaching deadline.

Business leaders need to understand that this is not a simple tick-box exercise. They will likely need to implement significant changes that could impact their organisation as a whole and so the sooner they begin to prepare, the better."

The complexity of the GDPR regulation is starting to weigh on European businesses. Of those that are looking at the regulation, 51% believe it is too complicated for SMEs and middle market businesses. Two out of five companies (41% of those involved in or aware of their organisation's strategy) believe the requirements of the GDPR regulation will significantly increase their business expenditure, including spending on consulting services. The use of external expertise is increasingly prevalent, with 60% of businesses looking for external support in order to deliver their compliance project before the May 2018 deadline.

Despite the complexity of the regulation, businesses do appreciate the necessity of GDPR. Business leaders across Europe support the changes with the majority (52%) agreeing that regulation to monitor the use of personal data is necessary.

Adrian Tripp, CEO, European Business Awards said: "While most European businesses support the need for change around personal data, it is clear that many firms are either finding the GDPR regulations challenging, or are unaware of the requirements to them. As the clock is ticking it is important these businesses review the legislation, seek help if needed, or risk facing large scale fines next year."

The European Business Awards is the largest cross sector business competition in Europe. Its primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community.

RSM is currently advising companies on GDPR planning and compliance. Information can be found on its GDPR webpage http://www.rsm.global/gdpr or firms can hear from its experts direct and register for RSM's GDPR webinar on 30 November 2017 at 12.30GMT.

About the survey

Research was undertaken among European businesses who have entered the European Business Awards which are sponsored by RSM. The majority of businesses surveyed were European middle market businesses which are here defined as having employees in the hundreds or thousands. The sample included businesses from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, UK, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Turkey, Spain and Sweden and more.

About RSM

RSM is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, encompassing over 120 countries, 800 offices and more than 41,400 people internationally. The network's total fee income is US$4.9 billion.

RSM is the lead sponsor and corporate champion of the European Business Awards promoting commercial excellence and recognition of entrepreneurial brilliance.

RSM is a member of the Forum of Firms, with the shared objective to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide.

RSM is the brand used by a network of independent accounting and advisory firms each of which practices in its own right. RSM International Limited does not itself provide any accounting and advisory services. Member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base.

About the EBA

The European Business Awards' primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe.

For all citizens of Europe, prosperity, social and healthcare systems are reliant on businesses creating an even stronger, more innovative, successful, international and ethical business community - one that forms the beating heart of an increasingly globalised economy.

The European Business Awards programme serves the European business community in three ways:

 It celebrates and endorses individuals' and organisations' success

 It provides and promotes examples of excellence for the business community to aspire to

 It engages with the European business community to create debate on key issues

The European Business Awards is now in its 11th year. This year it engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries. Last year's public vote generated over 227,000 votes from across Europe. Sponsors and partners include RSM, ELITE and PR Newswire.

http://www.businessawardseurope.com
MUMBAI, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

In an endeavour to continuously provide best customer experience for its commercial vehicle range, Tata Motors today announced its second edition of its Global Service Camp, which will be held from November 21st to 23rd with a target to service over 25,000 commercial vehicles across 900 touchpoints in over 40 countries.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/394096/PRNE_Tata_Logo.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/606133/Tata_Motors_Global_Service_Camp.jpg )



During the three-day long global service camp, commercial vehicle customers of Tata Motors can avail free comprehensive vehicle health check-ups, free labor and special schemes on lubes along with various value-added services. The company will also offer attractive discounts on Tata Genuine Parts and incentivize owners who report with their vehicle to the service camp. In addition, the camp will also offer 'High Mileage' Awards as a recognition for our customers.

Through the camp, customers can avail special pricing on the company's range of commercial vehicles and experience some of Tata Motors' new products and services. The service camp will also act as a platform for various training initiatives for drivers cum operators, introducing and briefing them on new commercial vehicle technologies, safety practices and vehicle productivity.

Mr. Rudrarup Maitra, Head, International Business, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors said,"With the immense success of the inaugural edition in 2016, we are excited to announce the second edition of Global Service Camp in 2017. This camp not only allows us to address the servicing needs of our customers' vehicles, but also gives us an opportunity to interact with all our stakeholders and assess their needs to better our product and service offerings going forward. It also serves as a good platform to strengthen our brand presence."

With the most extensive range of commercial vehicles arising from day-to-day needs, Tata Motors is among the top 10 truck and bus manufacturers globally. With vast global experience, the company brings a deep understanding of customer expectations from diverse markets and is well positioned to cater to the ever changing automotive norms and commercial vehicle trends across the globe. The company continues to invest in its products and sales & service network with an aggressive customer centric approach of anticipating customer requirements.

About Tata Motors

Tata Motors Limited, a USD 42 billion organisation, is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, buses, trucks and defence vehicles. As India's largest automobile company and part of the USD 100 billion Tata group, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa, and Indonesia through a strong global network of 76 subsidiary and associate companies, including Jaguar Land Rover in the UK and Tata Daewoo in South Korea. In India, Tata Motors has an industrial joint venture with Fiat. Engaged in engineering and automotive solutions, with a focus on future-readiness and a pipeline of tech-enabled products, Tata Motors is India's market leader in commercial vehicles and among the top in passenger vehicles with 9 million vehicles on Indian roads. The company's innovation efforts are focused on developing auto technologies that are sustainable as well as suited. With design and R&D centres located in India, the UK, Italy and Korea, Tata Motors strives to pioneer new products that fire the imagination of GenNext customers. Abroad, Tata cars, buses, and trucks are being marketed in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, South America, Australia, CIS, and Russia.

To know more, please visit (www.tatamotors.com; follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TataMotors)

Media Contact Information

Tata Motors Corporate Communications

E-mail: indiacorpcomm@tatamotors.com

Tel: +91-22-66657613








LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Today's Daily Dose brings you news about Aerie's progress in phase II trial of glaucoma drug in Japan; phase III results of Egalet's pain pill; FDA approval of GlaxoSmithKline's COPD drug; expanded labeling for Pfizer's kidney cancer drug Sutent and Roche's double blessing on Thursday.



Read on...



Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AERI) has commenced patient dosing in its phase II clinical trial of Netarsudil ophthalmic solution in Japan.



The study will include three arms of about 60 patients each - a netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.02% arm, a netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.04% arm, and a placebo arm, all taken once daily in the evening.



This Phase 2 study will be conducted in the United States, enrolling Japanese and Japanese-American subjects as a precursor to Phase 3 trials that are expected to be subsequently conducted in Japan, noted the Company.



Netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.02% is known by the name Rhopressa in the United States, and is under FDA review for the proposed treatment of glaucoma - with a decision expected by February 28, 2018.



AERI closed Thursday's trading at $59.70, up 0.67%.



Alkermes plc's (ALKS) New Drug Application for Aripiprazole Lauroxil NanoCrystal Dispersion for initiation onto ARISTADA extended-release injectable suspension for the treatment of schizophrenia, has been accepted for review by the FDA.



The regulatory agency's decision on the NDA will be known by June 30, 2018.



ALKS closed Thursday's trading at $47.75, down 0.69%.



Shares of Egalet Corp. (EGLT) soared more than 38% on Thursday, following positive top-line results from a phase III safety study of Egalet-002, an abuse-deterrent, extended-release oxycodone, in opioid-experienced patients with moderate-to-severe chronic noncancer pain.



According to the Company, Egalet-002 was generally well-tolerated and the incidence of adverse events reported was generally consistent with outcomes expected following treatment with an extended-release oxycodone formulation.



A phase III trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of Egalet-002 in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic pain is expected to be completed by year end.



EGLT closed Thursday's trading at $1.15, up 38.55%. In after-hours, the stock was up another 17.39% to $1.35.



The European Commission has approved GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) and Innoviva Inc.'s (INVA) Trelegy Ellipta, a once-daily single inhaler triple therapy, as a maintenance treatment for appropriate patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.



Trelegy Ellipta is a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), and a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (LABA), delivered once-daily in GSK's Ellipta dry powder inhaler.



The first European launch of Trelegy Ellipta is expected to take place before the end of the year.



Trelegy Ellipta was approved by the FDA as recently as September, and it is expected to be launched in the US in the middle of November.



INVA closed Thursday's trading at $12.97, down 0.15%.



The FDA has approved Pfizer Inc.'s (PFE) SUTENT for a new indication, i.e., as an adjuvant treatment for adult patients who are at high risk of their renal cell carcinoma returning after surgery.



Since its approval in 2006, SUTENT has been a standard of care for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer.



The expanded approval of SUTENT comes nearly 2 months ahead of the FDA's decision date, which was originally scheduled for January 2018.



The drug logged global sales of $805 million in the first nine months of 2017 compared to $823 million in the year-ago period.



PFE closed Thursday's trading at $35.56, up 0.57%.



The FDA has approved Roche's (RHHBY) Gazyva in combination with chemotherapy for people with previously untreated advanced follicular lymphoma.



Follicular lymphoma, the most common slow-growing form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is incurable and becomes harder to treat each time it returns.



The drug is already approved in combination with chlorambucil, for people with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), and in combination with bendamustine for people with certain types of previously treated follicular lymphoma.



In the first nine months of 2017, Gazyva recorded sales of 202 million Swiss Francs, up 40% over the comparable year-ago period.



Thursday was a day of double blessing for Roche as yet another drug of the Company, Hemlibra, too received the FDA nod.



Hemlibra, previously known as emicizumab-kxwh, has been approved for routine prophylaxis to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adults and children with haemophilia A with factor VIII inhibitors.



Hemlibra is the first new medicine in nearly 20 years to treat people with haemophilia A with inhibitors.



RHHBY.OB closed Thursday's trading at $28.89, up 0.57%.



Shares of Vascular Biogenics Ltd. (VBLT) were down more than 7% in extended trading on Thursday, following its proposed public offering of 2.5 million ordinary shares.



The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for the advancement of clinical programs, product development, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.



Near-term catalysts:



-- Initiate a phase III study of VB-111 in ovarian cancer by year-end 2017. -- Top-line results from phase III study of VB-111 in recurrent glioblastoma, dubbed GLOBE, are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2018.



VBLT closed Thursday's trading at $9.00, up 17.26%. In after-hours, the stock was down 7.78% to $8.30.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- The Ontario Federation of Labour will lead a rally to stop hate, build unity and fight for decent work, on November 22, in Toronto.

The rally for fairness, unity, and justice is part of the OFL 14th Biennial Convention. Community members are invited to join the rally and march, which will start in front of the Sheraton Centre Hotel in downtown Toronto.

"You can't have truly decent work without fairness and equity, and decent work is the foundation of strong, healthy and sustainable Ontario communities", said OFL President Chris Buckley. "Now is the time for us to resist the rise of racism in our streets and in our workplaces. It's time to call on our government to implement fair wages, end racial discrimination, and ensure equity across the province for all workers."

When: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. Where: Meet in front of the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 120 Queen St. W.

Since its inception in 1957, the OFL has grown to represent more than one million Ontario workers belonging to more than 1,500 locals from 54 affiliated unions, making it Canada's largest provincial labour federation. This year, the OFL proudly celebrates 60 years of strong membership and solidarity.

For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.

Contacts:

Meagan Perry

Director of Communications

mperry@ofl.ca

416-894-3456




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- TECSYS Inc. (TSX: TCS) will release its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2018 ended October 31, 2017 on November 30, 2017. TECSYS' President and CEO, Mr. Peter Brereton, and Mr. Brian Cosgrove, CFO, will host a conference call on December 1, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. EST to present and discuss the results with the analysts.

Subject: Q2 FY2018 Results Conference Call Date: December 1, 2017 Time: 8:30 a.m. EST Phone number: (416) 359-3126 or (800) 672-2065

The call can be replayed until December 8, 2017 by calling (416) 626-4100 or (800) 558-5253 (access code: 21862899).

About TECSYS

TECSYS provides transformative supply chain solutions that equip our customers to succeed in a rapidly-changing omni-channel world. TECSYS solutions are built on a true enterprise supply chain platform, and include warehouse management, distribution, transportation management, supply management at point-of-use as well as complete financial management and analytics solutions. Customers running on TECSYS' Supply Chain Platform are confident knowing they can execute, day in and day out, regardless of business fluctuations or changes in technology, they can adapt and scale to any business needs or size, and they can expand and collaborate with customers, suppliers and partners as one borderless enterprise. From demand planning to demand fulfillment, TECSYS puts power into the hands of both front line workers and back office planners, and unshackles business leaders so they can see and manage their supply chains like never before.

TECSYS is the market leader in supply chain solutions for health systems and hospitals. Over 600 mid-size and Fortune 1000 customers trust their supply chains to TECSYS in the healthcare, service parts, third-party logistics, and general wholesale high-volume distribution industries. TECSYS' shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TCS.

The statements in this news release relating to matters that are not historical fact are forward looking statements that are based on management's beliefs and assumptions. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties, including but not limited to future economic conditions, the markets that TECSYS Inc. serves, the actions of competitors, major new technological trends, and other factors beyond the control of TECSYS Inc., which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. More information about the risks and uncertainties associated with TECSYS Inc.'s business can be found in the MD&A section of the Company's annual report and annual information form for the fiscal year ended April 30th, 2017. These documents have been filed with the Canadian securities commissions and are available on our website (www.tecsys.com) and on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

Copyright  TECSYS Inc. 2017. All names, trademarks, products, and services mentioned are registered or unregistered trademarks of their respective owners.

Contacts:

Solutions and general info: info@tecsys.com

Investor relations: steve.li@tecsys.com

(514) 866-5800 ext. 4120

Media relations: media@tecsys.com



TECSYS Inc.

(514) 866-0001 or (800) 922-8649




Opinion / Columnist

With regards to what's happening in Zimbabwe right now. Whether you regard it as a revolution or a military coup/take over  suit yourself with whatever definition. One thing stands proud - this is and has never been about protecting the interest of the general Zimbabwean population. As such this should never be legitimized, not by SADC - not by AU and most importantly not by any conscious Zimbabweans. So, if anyone says let's go to the streets and support the army, stand up proud and say #zimcoupNotinmyname because two wrongs can never make a right!One major problem in Zimbabwe's power dynamics is that the military does not know the difference between protecting interest of a party called Zanu-PF and that of a nation called Zimbabwe. To them these two are just but siamese twins (ie) they are mutually inclusive of each other. When the party is under attack, albeit in democratic processes, to the military it'll appear as though the nation of Zimbabwe is under attack. It is not by coincidence that ZANU's and Zimbabwe's flags are pretty much identical. The army can use state machinery to revive and rescue ZANU-PF. The army, just like their undying so called Commander In Chief Mugabe, have always treated Zimbabwe as though it was their toilet. In a functioning democracy, this will be unacceptable.As much as I believe Mugabe has run down Zimbabwe and so would like to see him gone as soon as yesterday. A military takeover in whatever form will set a wrong precedence in our country and we as Zimbabweans should learn to call a spade  by its name. We should not lose sight of a Zimbabwe we want and are fighting for just because of a temporary feeling. We would like a Zimbabwe where rule of law is prevalent, where freedom of speech and that of association is a given. We would like to see a unified and peaceful Zimbabwe but we should be careful not to use a wrong precedence to achieve this - and certainly a military takeover is not a way forward. There's been a text going viral on WhatsApp and it's been attributed to Professor Sabelo J Ndlovu- Gatsheni (UNISA)"Two most abused words with reference to Zimbabwe: 'revolution' and 'transition.' The current intervention of the army in politics is justified as protecting the 'revolution' and those celebrating the intervention speak of a potential 'transition.' We are thirsty for both but not yet there. What we see might just a reshuffling of old cars for the purpose of perpetuation of the same old politics. Not too optimistic"I agree with him fully. We as Zimbabweans are behaving like little children whom after getting spunk you can easily be cheered up by a sweet as a consolation or a sorry. What total nonsense!The army must think we are fools. This very army doesn't realise that we as Zimbabweans know very well that this is not about us per se but about the military usurping power from Mugabe so they could give it to Mnangagwa who was fired by his party Zanu-PF and in so doing rescue a dying horse. But what legitimacy will Mnangagwa have? It's clear all those partisan army generals were not impressed by the firing of Mnangagwa. They were out maneuvered by their own Mugabe's G40 - hands down! To them the gun barrel leads the ballot not otherwise. On a lighter note, it's sad that the ZANU-PF s game of thrones series is about to come to an end. It was an interesting series though, in particular Cersi Gucci Grace was my favorite character If you still think the army generals are our saviors because they want Mugabe removed. Ask yourself these questions.1. Is it not on record that this army said they would never salute anyone who doesn't have liberation war credentials? RE : Tsvangirai.2. Is it not on media record that the army coerced and beat up people to vote for Mugabe?3. Is it not on media record that this very army that now brags about upholding the constitution that they barely understand, helped Mugabe rig the elections in 2008 and 2013 which were out rightly won by MDC-T.We can go way back to the '80s etc where this very army and in particular most of the generals up there over saw a genocide in Matebeland and the midlands. It's on record that they wanted to kill Father Zimbabwe. For that purpose it's a highly compromised army which I as a Zimbabwean, will not be happy with. They cannot weed out criminals when their hands drip of innocent blood!In all this I hope you can see for yourselves, that our army will never do anything unless it's benefiting them as a clique. To them, ordinary Zimbabweans don't matter as much as Jongwe reZANU. PeriodTo conclude, it's even sad to see that the Zimbabwean opposition has not condemned Mugabe's actions out rightly as much as one would expect them to because they claim to be advocates for democracy. God bless Zimbabwe
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- Companion of the Order of Canada, long-time labour mediator, and celebrated humanitarian Stephen Lewis will speak at the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) 14th Biennial Convention, November 20-24. The OFL is celebrating 60 years under the banner "Power ON."

"We are delighted to have Mr. Lewis, one of Canada's most influential commentators on social affairs, international development and human rights, share his knowledge with our convention delegates," said OFL President Chris Buckley. "I am always inspired by his viewpoint on the power of advocacy in the fight for social justice, global health, and gender equality."

When: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. Where: Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto Ontario Speaker: Stephen Lewis

Founded 1957, the OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.

Contacts:

Meagan Perry

Director of Communications

416-894-3456

mperry@ofl.ca




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress will address the delegates of the Ontario Federation of Labour at the 60th anniversary convention in Toronto. Delegates at the 14th Biennial convention are gathering under the banner "Power ON."

"The Canadian Labour Congress and the Ontario Federation of Labour are steadfast in their goal of improving the lives of workers in Ontario and beyond," said OFL President Chris Buckley. "The OFL is proud to celebrate this milestone year when workers have pushed so hard to win changes to Ontario's labour and employment laws."

When: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. Where: Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto Ontario Speaker: Hassan Yussuff, President, Canadian Labour Congress

Follow the convention blog by clicking here. Founded 1957, the OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.

To download the convention app for Android click here.

To download the convention app for iPhone click here.

Contacts:

Ontario Federation of Labour

Meagan Perry

Director of Communications

416-894-3456

mperry@ofl.ca




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- Ontario New Democratic Party Leader, MPP Andrea Horwath will speak to delegates at the Ontario Federation of Labour 60th Anniversary Convention. Delegates at the 14th Biennial convention are gathering under the banner "Power ON."

"The OFL has always worked to create a fairer and more just Ontario for all workers and their families," said OFL President Chris Buckley. "I'm pleased to welcome Andrea Horwath to speak to the delegates at our convention, who are committed to working for fairness across this province."

When: Monday, November 20, 2017 at 2:15 p.m. Where: Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto Ontario Speaker: Andrea Horwath, Leader, New Democratic Party of Ontario

Founded 1957, the OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.

Contacts:

Meagan Perry

Director of Communications

mperry@ofl.ca

416-894-3456




DUBLIN, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Agricultural Machinery Market in the US 2017-2021" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

The agricultural machinery market in the US to grow at a CAGR of 5.17% during the period 2017-2021.

Agricultural Machinery Market in the US 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.



The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is Rise in technological innovation. Manufacturers are targeting a new customer base by providing innovative and cost-effective products that are expected to enhance the market growth during the forecast period. For instance, Europe's CNH Industrial, globally known for its IH tractor brand, revealed an autonomous concept tractor in Iowa at Farm Progress Show.

It is unmanned round the clock and uses GPS and sensor technology. The machine can be remotely controlled and monitored using devices such as a tablet. It also has a driver cabin for manually controlled in situations that are not favorable for automated control, such as commuting between fields or going through suburban or rural roads. Similarly, Deere & Company and AGCO, two rival brands, also have similar technology in their portfolios.



According to the report, one of the major drivers for this market is High labor cost and workforce scarcity. The scarcity of skilled workforce is decelerating the agriculture sector in the US. The population engaged in agriculture is gradually shifting toward the service sector or the urban job culture, due to which the remaining workforce has the leverage of the labor cost charged.



The growing labor cost has been boosted by the increasing need for labor in the agriculture industry, as agriculture is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. Hence, the deployment of labor has become expensive as there is a shortage of localized labor supply throughout the country, due to the aging population and workforce shift toward other jobs. The average age of American farmers is estimated to be around 58 years.



Further, the report states that one of the major factors hindering the growth of this market is Fluctuating raw material prices. The price of any machinery highly depends on the price of the raw materials used. In agricultural machinery, raw materials used are mainly steel, rubber, and iron. The cost of these raw materials fluctuates at a higher rate in the international market as well as the US market. This leads to the high price of the machinery.



The increase in prices affects the preference of farmers for purchasing agricultural machinery. To maintain the sales of these machinery, manufacturers need to lower the prices, which hampers their profit margin and subsequently hampers their interest. Thus, the fluctuating price of raw materials has become a major challenge for manufacturers operating in the US market to produce efficient agricultural machinery at affordable prices.



Key Market Trends



Rise in technological innovation

Increased M&A activities

Growing demand of larger farm machinery

Shift toward sustainable agriculture practices

Establishment of combined solutions for optimized agriculture practices

Key vendors

Deere & Company

CNH Industrial

AGCO

Kubota

Other prominent vendors

CLAAS

Daedong- USA

Krone

KUHN Group

Lely

Mahindra & Mahindra

Vermeer

Key Topics Covered:



Part 01: Executive Summary



Part 02: Scope Of The Report



Part 03: Research Methodology



Part 04: Introduction



Part 05: Market Landscape



Part 06: Market Segmentation By Product



Part 07: Decision Framework



Part 08: Drivers And Challenges



Part 09: Market Trends



Part 10: Vendor Landscape



Part 11: Vendor Analysis



Part 12: Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/rtpgp5/agricultural





Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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Partnered with the British Journal of Photography

LONDON, Nov. 17,2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Send Anywhere, the unlimited and intuitive file sharing service announced the grand prize winner of the Send Anywhere Awards, an award partnered with the BJP that sets out to provide a photographer the chance to shoot their dream project anywhere in the world.

Out of the ten shortlisted photographers from more than 550 submission all around the world, Sarah Pannell has been selected as the winner for her proposal to investigate the daily lives of Egyptians in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. She plans to visit Cairo's tourist hotspots - including, the Pyramids of Giza and the Valley of the Kings - during Winter.

"Sarah is an emerging photographer with a highly developed visual language and an acute eye for composition and detail. Her pictures convey wanderlust and curiosity, but also a sense of the complexity of the places and communities she makes her subject," commented Simon Bainbridge, the Editorial director of BJP.

After the launch of its service in Europe, Send Anywhere has been making steady progress, engaging with creative community whilst updating its service to better accommodate user behaviour. Recently, it introduced a new feature, 'My Link,' that allows users to manage all Send Anywhere share links created from different devices.

"Send Anywhere has been receiving lots of interest from photographers as our service allows photographers to retain the original quality of photos without compression," said Seung-Hyun SON, the CMO at Send Anywhere.

You can download a free e-book featuring the best works shortlisted photographers from the following link. http://sendanywhe.re/SAAFINAL10

About Send Anywhere:

Founded in 2012 inSeoul, Send Anywhere, the brainchild of Estmob Inc. is a file sharing service that takes an easy, quick, and unlimited approach to file sharing. Easily, it lets you transfer any file type, across any platform, all without requiring signing up or logging in. Quickly, given network conditions, it finds the optimal network path to ensure the fastest transfer. As for unlimited, you can send any sized file, as many times as you want, all for free. Send Anywhere works across Amazon Kindle, Android, iOS, Windows PC and Phone, Mac, Linux, Web Widget, API, WordPress Plugin, and for Samsung Printers.

For more information, please contact:

Jaeman Lee

jaeman.lee@estmob.com

Related Links:

https://send-anywhere.com

http://sendanywhe.re/SAAFINAL10

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/606792/The_Daily_Lives_of_Egyptians.jpg


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian and NZ dollars slipped against their major counterparts in early European deals on Friday, as European shares dropped on disappointing earnings updates and investors digested comments by ECB President Mario Draghi at the Frankfurt European Banking Congress.



The German DAX was down 0.1 percent, France's CAC 40 index was declining 0.2 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was losing 0.3 percent.



Speaking in Frankfurt, the European Central Bank President Mario Draghi defended the bank's monetary policy, saying there is little evidence that the monetary policy is currently doing harm to banks' profitability.



'If there are any negative effects of low rates on net interest income in the future, they should be largely offset by the positive effects of monetary stimulus on the other main components of profitability, such as the quality of loans and therefore on loan-loss provisions,' he told.



In the U.S., Special Counsel Robert Mueller issued subpoena to over a dozen top campaign officials in mid-October, calling for documents and emails related to Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported.



Investors look ahead to U.S. housing starts data due for release later in the day for more direction.



In economic front, data from Statistics New Zealand showed that NZ's output producer price index rose 1.0 percent on quarter in the third quarter of 2017.



That followed the 1.3 percent increase in the previous three months.



Both the aussie and the kiwi dropped against their major rivals in the Asian session.



The kiwi weakened to a 1-1/2-year low of 0.6783 against the greenback, off its early 2-day high 0.6883. The next possible support for the kiwi is seen around the 0.66 region.



The kiwi slipped to a 6-month low of 76.36 versus the yen, 3-day low of 1.1130 versus the aussie and more than a 2-year low of 1.7386 against the euro, from its early highs of 77.51, 1.1043 and 1.7166, respectively. If the kiwi extends decline, 75.00, 1.12 and 1.75 are likely seen as its next support levels against the yen, the aussie and the euro, respectively.



Simultaneously, the aussie declined to a 1-1/2-year low of 1.5638 versus the euro, near 5-month lows of 0.7542 versus the greenback and 84.87 versus the yen, coming off from its early highs of 1.5504, 0.7608 and 85.85, respectively. The aussie may possibly challenge support around 0.73 against the greenback, 83.00 against the yen and 1.58 against the euro.



The aussie hit 0.9617 against the loonie, its lowest since July 2016. Next key support for the aussie-loonie pair is seen around the 0.94 mark.



Looking ahead, at 8:00 am ET, Deutsche Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann speaks at the Frankfurt European Banking Congress.



In the New York session, Canada CPI, U.S. housing starts and building permits for October are due.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 17, 2017 / Fang Holdings Ltd. Sponsored ADR Class A (NYSE: SFUN) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q3 Earnings Call to be held on November 17, 2017 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time.

To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/2214.

To receive updates for this company you can register by emailing info@investornetwork.com or by clicking get investment info from the company's profile.

About Investor Network

Investor Network (IN) is a financial content community, serving millions of unique investors market information, earnings, commentary and news on the what's trending. Dedicated to both the professional and the average traders, IN offers timely, trusted and relevant financial information for virtually every investor. IN is an Issuer Direct brand, to learn more or for the latest financial news and market information, visit www.investornetwork.com. Follow us on Twitter @investornetwork.

SOURCE: Investor Network
Stem cell technology innovator continues rapid growth, plans further global expansion to become the global leader in hiPSC-based drug discovery development solutions

Ncardia, an emerging drug discovery and development stem cell technology company whose mission is to deliver cardiac and neural solutions based on its best-in-class human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived technology, today announced the completion of a 10.5 million series B financing round. The round was led by Epimede, a Belgium venture capital firm.

Ncardia is a privately-held company with operations in Europe and the US, that produces and commercializes high-quality, fully-functional human iPSC-derived cardiovascular and neuronal cell types. Using its cell products, Ncardia develops and commercializes assay services for drug safety and efficacy testing. Additionally the company has built up a strong portfolio of patents covering the use of stem cell models for these applications.

Stefan Braam, CEO of Ncardia, commented: "At Ncardia, important progress has been made on product and service programs for drug safety and efficacy screening. We have built strong and dedicated teams, to execute our plan to become the trusted leader in human iPSC-based drug discovery solutions. I am delighted with the continued support from our current investors and I am very happy to welcome Epimede as our new investor."

Marc Foidart, Investment Manager at Epimede said: "Ncardia has had a very strong and encouraging start. We are convinced of the added value Ncardia will deliver in the coming years. We are very pleased to join the strong syndicate of existing investors and to support Ncardia growth acceleration."

The participants in this funding round include Epimede, InnovationQuarter, SRIW, SambrInvest, Vesalius Biocapital and SFPI-FPIM. The funds raised will be used by Ncardia to speed-up its already promising international growth, to develop the next generation safety assays and to expand capabilities in the cardiovascular drug discovery and high throughput screening domain.

Ncardia (www.ncardia.com) believes that stem cell technology will help to get better medicines to patients faster. The company develops, produces and commercializes highly-predictive human cellular assay systems for safety and efficacy testing. The product portfolio encompasses frozen cardiac and neural products, as well as the CardioplateTM, consisting of quality-controlled, ready-to-use assay plates.

Ncardia is committed to delivering to its clients working assays solutions through in-house assay development and extensive support. In addition, Ncardia develops and provides its customers with a broad portfolio of cardiovascular services from disease modeling to cardiovascular drug efficacy screening.

Ncardia is based in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the USA. The company is privately held and has been established following the merger of Pluriomics and Axiogenesis.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171117005334/en/

Contacts:

Ncardia

Stefan Braam

CEO

Stefan.braam@ncardia.com
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 17, 2017 / Buckle, Inc. (NYSE: BKE) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q3 Earnings Call to be held on November 17, 2017 at 9:30 AM Eastern Time.

To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/2879.

To receive updates for this company you can register by emailing info@investornetwork.com or by clicking get investment info from the company's profile.

About Investor Network

Investor Network (IN) is a financial content community, serving millions of unique investors market information, earnings, commentary and news on the what's trending. Dedicated to both the professional and the average traders, IN offers timely, trusted and relevant financial information for virtually every investor. IN is an Issuer Direct brand, to learn more or for the latest financial news and market information, visit www.investornetwork.com. Follow us on Twitter @investornetwork.

SOURCE: Investor Network
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - November 17, 2017) - Loadsmart, the logistics technology company specializing in full-truckload shipping, today announced it was awarded the (Norwegian) DOGA Award for Design and Architecturefor interaction design.

A prestigious prize given to projects in collaboration with Norwegian companies, the jury looks for projects that demonstrate how design and architecture have contributed to innovative results, including form and function as well as the value of the outcome on society, the environment and economy.

Loadsmart won the award for having considered design as one of the main pillars since product inception, and leveraging it to innovate and spearhead a logistics revolution. EGGS, a multidisciplinary design and innovation consultancy, delivered the front-end experience for shippers and carriers, a mobile app for drivers, and the renewal of the Loadsmart identity.

"Since day one design and technology teams have been working side-by-side on product development," said Felipe Capella, Chief Product Officer, Loadsmart. "Introducing cutting-edge technology in a traditional industry is only possible by leveraging design as a behavioral change catalyst. Optimizing for design enables for better product adoption, more efficient workflows and creates user loyalty."

"Loadsmart represents modern and young entrepreneurships, where great unity of design and technology is the platform for success. The way the team has embraced the user experience and branding from day one is inspired from other digital service phenomena such as Airbnb," said Paal Holter, Creative Director for Digital Design, EGGS.

The Loadsmart platform uses extensive data analysis and machine learning processes to enable shippers to quote and book a truckload within seconds. Its enterprise solution provides executable spot-load prices for hundreds of lanes within seconds. On the carrier side, truckers and dispatchers can accept loads on the platform or on their mobile phones with only one click. Loadsmart removes the need for calls and emails to execute truckload shipping.

"Creating a user experience from scratch, including developing the brand and interface, required excellence across many design disciplines and was no mean feat," said Victor Stelmasuk, Lead Designer, Loadsmart. "The main and perceptive competitive differentiators are the user-friendliness, speed, transparency, precision and reliability that the Loadsmart interface and service provides to customers. The team set a new standard in the logistics industry. Transactions now happen faster and with less friction, impacting a $300 billion industry."

Today, Loadsmart offers instant rates for around 900.000 lanes and operates in the entire U.S. Following initial investments, the team quadrupled and is moving thousands of loads for companies like Anheuser-Busch, Safeway and Albertson's. Most recently, the company was also awarded the 2017 Stevie Award for Most Innovative Tech Company.

Notes to editors: see here for Loadsmart's views and thoughts on the logistics industry.

About Loadsmart

Loadsmart is a technology company that specializes in full truckload shipping. Its online platform helps shippers move freight fast and carriers keep trucks full. Headquartered in New York, Loadsmart is leveraging automation into the complex freight brokerage cycle bringing technology to every single aspect of the business; from the sales process, instant quoting and booking, to intelligent sourcing of carries. https://loadsmart.com/

About EGGS Design

EGGS is a multidisciplinary design and innovation consultancy. They are independent and international. The award-winning team specialize in service design, product design, digital design, branding and technology.

EGGS creates innovations, applications, experiences, products and services that provide added value and establish organizational efficiency. They help companies work smarter, stay ahead of the curve and be more future-proof. www.eggsdesign.com

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/11/16/11G147859/Images/Felipe_Capella-6bac197aceb0848aba9c11cfffcc1c7f.jpg

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/11/16/11G147859/Images/Loadsmart-EGG-7d31dbbc255d80d084431510feba30ae.jpg

For more information:

On behalf of Loadsmart

Tinne Teugels

Email: tinne@tinneteugels.com

Call: 1 (646) 520 5548
Opinion / Columnist

For the last eighteen months I have been warning of a gathering perfect storm in Zimbabwe - the unique convergence of several factors including Robert Mugabe's frailty, his inability to hold his own party together, disunity in the opposition, a collapsing economy, a region distracted by its own domestic problems and an international community focused on Isil terrorism and Brexit. The de facto take over by the Zimbabwean military is its inevitable result.The military have been at pains to argue that this is not a coup d'etat and that they are acting within the constitution. Their announcements still recognise Mugabe as president. They have reassured all concerned that their focus is on ZANU-PF - which they feel has been hijacked by a cabal around Grace Mugabe. It is clear that their intention is to ensure that former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa takes over, and in so doing prevent a Mugabe dynasty.Yet this is clearly a coup. Mugabe has been effectively under house arrest since Tuesday. The constitution makes it clear that troops can only be deployed "with the authority of the President". The military have arrested Cabinet Ministers, a power solely reserved for the Attorney General and police. By law, this is treason writ large. But the main reason the Generals are so anxious that this not be described as a coup is because they know that both the African Union and Southern African Development Community will not recognise any government which emerges from a coup. Given the calamitous plunge of the Zimbabwean economy the Generals understand that they cannot keep a restive population at bay if they don't stabilise the economy quickly; and to do that they need international support.Undoubtedly they have calculated that there is such distaste for a Mugabe dynasty that the world will look the other way. There are indeed many who are quietly celebrating the Mugabes' political demise. In my view that is foolhardy. Aside from the obvious illegality, which no democrat can rejoice in, there is a more fundamental concern. Some of the coup's Generals participated in the genocide which occurred in the 1980s in Matabeleland, in the gross violence perpetrated against the opposition MDC in the last 17 years and the subversion of the 2013 general election. Accordingly there is a danger that the intention of the Generals is not to move Zimbabwe towards democracy, but to ensure that one of their own remains in control of ZANU PF and the country.So while the end of Mugabe's ruinous tenure is welcome, that must not blind Zimbabweans and the international community to the need to respect the constitution. Although the military action is a fait accompli, it must be made clear that their actions will not be ignored unless there is a rapid return to civilian rule and strict compliance with the constitution in the lead up to the elections scheduled for next year. If Mugabe is forced to resign from office, that should not automatically result in any successor being recognised as legitimate. A resignation induced by coercion is as illegal as a president being deposed.However we cannot avoid the need for a practical solution to the legal and political quandary Zimbabwe is now placed in. That solution will be found in the formation of a transitional civilian government and the holding of elections next year which fully comply with the letter and spirit of the constitution. This includes the state controlled media being opened up to all parties, all Zimbabwean citizens being enabled to register and vote (including citizens in the diaspora) and the Electoral Commission being run by non-partisan technocrats.Anything less than this will simply perpetuate Zimbabwe's problems. The current situation provides an opportunity for our country to embrace democracy, which in turn is the key prerequisite for long term stability and economic development. Britain has an important role to play in this regard. It has the economic strength and historical interest to rally financial support to stabilise the Zimbabwean economy and assist in attracting desperately needed investment. But it needs to exercise this leverage judiciously. It must act in concert with regional powers, particularly South Africa, to insist on an irreversible process towards free and fair elections."
WASHINGTON, DC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- Stein Mitchell Cipollone Beato & Missner LLP (Stein Mitchell), a top-tier, Washington D.C.-based litigation law firm, announced today that renowned D.C. trial lawyer Bruce J. Klores has joined the firm as Of Counsel. A 30-year advocate for justice, Klores has won hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. As Of Counsel, he will work with the firm's Medical Malpractice & Serious Personal Injury, Healthcare Fraud, Professional Responsibility and Business Litigation attorneys.

"Bruce is a prominent and well-respected lawyer, a leader in the profession and has repeatedly demonstrated that he obtains top results for clients. We are extremely pleased to have him join our firm," said Stein Mitchell Partner Denis Mitchell. "He is an invaluable addition to our team of attorneys and beneficial advocate for our clients."

Previously, Klores was the founder of Bruce J. Klores & Associates, where for three decades he worked tirelessly on behalf of his clients in pursuit of justice. He is one of a handful of attorneys in the nation with a great depth of experience handling medical negligence claims on behalf of members of the military and their families. He obtained a $28 million dollar verdict for a military family in court. Klores has also procured numerous favorable results under the Military Claims Act, which does not allow for litigation.

"I am a firm believer that reputations are earned by hard work, discipline and integrity and Stein Mitchell embodies those values," noted Klores. "I am looking forward to continuing to help those seeking winning litigation strategies and working with a firm committed to delivering innovative solutions and successful results for their clients."

Klores is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and International Academy of Trial Lawyers, invitation-only organizations with membership limited to the top 1% of trial lawyers. He received his Juris Doctor from Catholic University, Columbus School of Law; and Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University.

Klores Photograph: http://bit.ly/BKloresPhoto

Nationally recognized for its complex, high-stakes litigation counsel, Stein Mitchell has a 50-year history of efficiently delivering innovative solutions and successful results, providing maximum value for its individual clients and corporations. The firm has earned national prominence for providing respected and effective counsel to its clients in their most challenging, complex and significant legal matters. For more information, visit www.steinmitchell.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Susan E. Jacobsen

Email Contact

+1 202.251.8184




NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- CannabisNewsWire ("CNW"), a multifaceted financial news and publishing company for the cannabis industry, today announces the publication of an editorial featuring SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: SING), a client of CNW focused on strengthening its position in the marijuana industry through the acquisition of, or investment in, small to mid-sized cannabis companies.

The publication, titled, "Meteoric Rise of Bitcoin, Open Embracing of Blockchain by Sector Majors," briefly discusses the price of bitcoin reaching for new highs before delving into the operations of a handful of public companies utilizing the cryptocurrency.

To view the full publication, visit: https://www.cannabisnewswire.com/meteoric-rise-bitcoin-open-embracing-blockchain-sector-majors/

"SinglePoint, Inc. (SING) in 2010 cut its teeth in payment innovations as a pioneer of payment enabled text messaging. ... Earlier this week, the company announced the soft launch of a bitcoin exchange (app.singleseed.com) designed to solve the specific payment challenges in the cannabis industry. Recognizing that the cannabis payments space lacks a leading solutions provider, SinglePoint cites demand for convenience as the primary driver for building the app, which will process credit or debit cards -- something unique to the cash-only transaction model currently used in the cannabis industry due to federal regulations and banks' hesitancy to provide services to cannabis businesses. Through an easy-to-use sign up form and ID verification, SinglePoint's exchange will enable customers to set up their account online beforehand or sign up within seconds directly at the point of sale.

"'We are very pleased with what we have built out and executed on with this solution. SinglePoint now has a base to continue innovating on for the cannabis payments space. Businesses are contacting us daily about payment services and with this solution we feel confident we will be on boarding many of these customers. This is just the beginning of a solution that will ultimately serve cannabis businesses much beyond payments. The overall goal is to have a fully integrated solution for businesses to manage their day-to-day operations from beginning to end," Wil Ralston, president of SinglePoint stated in the press release (http://cnw.fm/uE1c7).'"

About SinglePoint, Inc.

SinglePoint, Inc. (SING) has grown from a full-service mobile technology provider to a publicly traded holding company. Through diversification into horizontal markets, SinglePoint is building its portfolio by acquiring an interest in undervalued subsidiaries, thereby providing a rich, diversified holding base. Through its subsidiary company SingleSeed the company is providing products and services to the cannabis industry.

Connect on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/SinglePointMobile

www.twitter.com/_SinglePoint

www.linkedin.com/company/SinglePoint

www.youtube.com/user/SinglePointMobile

For more information, visit www.SinglePoint.com or www.SingleSeed.com

About CannabisNewsWire (CNW)

CannabisNewsWire ("CNW") is a specialized information service that (1) aggregates cannabis news, (2) provides CannabisNewsBreaks that quickly updates investors in the space, (3) enhances corporate press releases, (4) helps companies with distribution and optimization of social media, and (5) delivers comprehensive corporate communication solutions. CNW is uniquely positioned in the cannabis market with a strong team of journalists and writers who can help private and public companies reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public through our ever-growing dissemination network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets. CNW is bringing unparalleled visibility, recognition and content to the cannabis industry.

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains 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. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

CNW Contact:

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)

Denver, Colorado

www.CannabisNewsWire.com

303.498.7722 Office

Email Contact




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA and SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- Compass Gold Corp. (NEX: CVB.H) (Compass or the Company) announces the results of its annual and special meeting of shareholders held on November 16, 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

At the meeting, the shareholders of the Company approved of all the resolutions set out in the management information circular, including the:

-- re-election of members of the Company's Board of directors; -- acquisition of all of the Shares in Mali Gold Exploration Pty Ltd (Acquisition); -- continuance of the Company's corporate existence from the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) to the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (Continuance); -- ratification of the rolling stock option plan of the Company; -- approval of a restricted share unit plan; and -- appointment of the auditors, Dale, Matheson Carr-Hilton LaBonte LLP.

The Company will now proceed to the completion of the Acquisition and Continuance, including the completion of the previously announced private placement. share consolidation and all other requirements of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Company re-iterates that the trading in the Company's shares will continue on a pre-consolidation basis until the completion of the Acquisition and related matters.

About Compass

Compass is a public company organized under the laws of British Columbia. Compass is currently listed on the NEX board of the Exchange.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF COMPASS GOLD CORP.

"Lara Iacusso"

Lara Iacusso, Director

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.

Contacts:

Compass Gold Corporation

James Henderson

E: Jamie@transoceangroup.com

Tel: +61 2 8823 3100 or +61 403 603 377

Website: www.compassgoldcorp.com




Aircraft Will Be Operated by Asiana Airlines' Subsidiary and Low-Cost Carrier Air Busan

CDB Aviation Lease Finance DAC ("CDB Aviation"), a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited ("CDB Leasing"), announced that the company delivered one Airbus A321-200 aircraft to South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines.

The A321-200 aircraft will be sub-leased to Asiana Airlines' subsidiary and low-cost carrier Air Busan, and will be operated on its network of services from its Busan Gimhae International Airport main base.

"We are delighted to welcome two new customers, Asiana Airlines and Air Busan, to CDB Aviation's growing customer base in the Asia Pacific region," said CDB Aviation Chief Commercial Officer, Patrick Hannigan. "We look forward to building a long-term relationship with both carriers and supporting Air Busan's efforts to meet the booming air passenger demand in the South Korean market."

About CDB Aviation

CDB Aviation Lease Finance DAC ("CDB Aviation") is a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited ("CDB Leasing") a 33-year-old Chinese leasing company that is backed mainly by the China Development Bank. China Development Bank is under the direct jurisdiction of the State Council of China and is the world's largest development finance institution. It is also the largest Chinese bank for foreign investment and financing cooperation, long-term lending and bond issuance, enjoying Chinese sovereign credit rating. www.cdbaviation.aero

CDB Leasing is the only leasing arm of the China Development Bank and a leading company in China's leasing industry that has been engaged in aircraft, infrastructure, ship, commercial vehicle and construction machinery leasing and enjoys a Chinese sovereign credit rating. It took an important step in July 2016 to globalize and marketize its business listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX STOCK CODE: 1606).

Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines was founded in 1988 and has continued to maintain its 5-star rating by Skytrax for 11 consecutive years since 2007. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Asiana Airlines operates 77 international passenger routes to 63 destinations in 23 countries and 23 cargo routes to 25 cities in 11 counties. Asiana Airlines has recently introduced state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft with in-flight connectivity to provide the ultimate travel experience. Asiana's A350 fleet is flying to San Francisco, London, Hanoi and Fukuoka. Asiana Airlines became a Star Alliance member in 2003. For more information, please visit http://kr.flyasiana.com/C/en/main.do

Air Busan

Air Busan was established in October 2008 as a regional airliner based in the southern area of Korea. Air Busan operates 24 international routes and 4 domestic routes from southern Korean major cities, Busan and Daegu. Air Busan has been selected as the best airliner in the aviation service sector of LCC conducted by Korean Standards Association for five consecutive years since 2013. Air Busan is also the only airliner that received the level A (Most excellent) in both domestic and international flights of 'Airline Service Assessment' announced by the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. For more information, https://en.airbusan.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171117005397/en/

Contacts:

CDB Aviation Lease Finance

Paul Thibeaum, +1 612-594-9844

Paul.THIBEAU@CDBALF.com
SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- CFN Media Group ("CannabisFN"), the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces publication of an article discussing the need to develop a wide variety of standardized cannabis plants for a vast array of potential applications, and the efforts of Future Farm Technologies Inc. (CSE: FFT) (CNSX: FFT) (CN.FFT) (OTCQB: FFRMF) to solve the problem.

The cannabis industry is expected to experience a significant growth spurt next year following the legalization of recreational cannabis in California and across Canada. While the industry should see significant demand, many companies still struggle to produce reliable products in terms of cannabinoid, terpene, and flavonoid profiles. Cloning technology could help address many of these problems by creating genetically identical cannabis plants.

What are Cannabis Clones?

The most common way to breed cannabis plants is to cross a male and a female plant through pollination to create seeds. Since these seeds are a genetic hybrid of both parents, they don't necessarily have the same characteristics. This creates a problem in the medical cannabis industry where researchers rely on stable concentrations of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids to deliver a consistent therapeutic benefit to patients.

Clones are tissue-cultured produced plants that are genetically identical to the plant from which they were taken. In its most basic form, clones are simply branches that are cut from the parent plant that eventually grow roots of their own. The benefit is that growers can create exact replicas of their best performing plants that will have the same characteristics, while they don't need to spend the time and money needed to pop new seeds.

Industrial scale cannabis cloning enables growers to access specific cannabis strains that have ideal concentrations of cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Rather than buying seeds and taking a gamble, these growers can be certain that they're getting exactly what they want in terms of the plant's characteristics. They can then reliably produce extracts and other products from these plants over time.

Rahan Leads the Market

The cloning process may be relatively simple in its most basic form, but mass-scale cloning requires significant technology and expertise. Rahan Meristem Ltd. is a world-renowned global agro-biotechnology company that has established itself as an expert in the space. With more than 250 employees across five locations, the company produces millions of plants each year that are exported to more than 20 countries around the world. It is also conveniently headquartered in Israel, which is in many ways the epicenter of cutting edge cannabis research.

For example, the company has recently worked with Evogene Ltd. to develop banana plants that are resistant to Black Sigatoka disease. Evogene contributed the genome editing technology and Rahan contributed its propagation know-how and massive seeding production lines that could bring the breakthrough to scale. The company works with a number of partners like these to develop breakthrough plant clones.

In addition to its mass production capabilities, Rahan specializes in molecular and classical genetics, plant cell and tissue cultures, plant biochemistry and physiology, and industrial biotechnology. This means that the company has the personnel and technology to help not only mass produce clones, but optimize their genetics to meet end market needs. It is also important to note that Rahan's approach to maximizing and refining genetics does not produce plants that are labeled GMO, or Genetically Modified Organisms.

Promising Joint Venture

Future Farm Technologies recently announced a new 50/50 joint venture with Rahan Meristem Ltd. Under the agreement, Future Farm will provide funding and an indoor, air conditioned laboratory in the United States or Canada and Rahan will contribute its proven and proprietary technology to mass produce elite clones of cannabis and hemp plants that can be sold for medical purposes around the world.

"We are thrilled to partner with Rahan Meristem, an esteemed leader in the agro-biotechnology industry," said Future Farm Technologies CEO Bill Gildea. "Rahan has shown long term dedication to producing elite clones of bananas, plantains, and other plants for its customers worldwide. We are lucky to have Rahan's desire to take its proven technology to work on producing the same results for cannabis and hemp."

A major aspect of the agreement is the 50/50 rights to the Intellectual Property that results from the collaboration. In other words, the plants developed are patentable, and the companies have agreed to share in the profits. The potential end markets are very large, including growers of both hemp and cannabis, biopharmaceutical companies looking to develop drugs, and companies developing nutraceutical and personal care products based on the plant.

Together, the companies should be able to create hyper-specific strains to meet a variety of needs. For example, a pharma company's research may indicate that a certain mix of cannabinoids and terpenes shows promise for the treatment of a disease indication. That exact mix is not easily produced with more traditional methods of propagation, but Rahan has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to effectively and efficiently create reproducible plant strains with very complex and specific requirements.

Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/future-farm-partners-israeli-company-develop-elite-cannabis-clones/

About CFN Media

CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed.

Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany

Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8

Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com

Disclaimer:

Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CFN Media and CannabisFN.com, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

CFN Media

Frank Lane

206-369-7050

flane@cannabisfn.com




SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- CFN Media Group ("CannabisFN"), the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces publication of an exclusive CEO interview and article covering Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. (CSE: LDS) (CNSX: LDS) (LDS.CN) (OTCQB: LDSYF), its new state of the art facility in Adelanto, California, and the potential for the company as California implements new regulations for adult-use of marijuana.

California's Burgeoning Market

California voters approved Proposition 64 -- or the Adult Use of Marijuana Act -- last November to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. On November 9, 2016, California citizens gained the right to use and grow marijuana for personal use. On January 1, 2018, California will launch a scheme to tax and sell recreational marijuana statewide. This will mirror the recreational markets already in place in states like Colorado and Washington.

Also see: How Big is California's Marijuana Market, Really?

New Frontier estimates that California's cannabis industry will top $6.5 billion by 2020, making it the largest cannabis market in the world. Over the next three years, the analyst projects that annual legal cannabis sales will grow at a 23.1% compound annual growth rate from $2.8 billion in 2016 to $6.5 billion by 2020. These trends are driven by the state's 39.2 million residents, which eclipse the six nearest legal marijuana states combined, as well as the approximately 251 million people who visit the state every year.

Since the state's existing marijuana industry is largely unregulated, there is no empirical data providing accurate statistics regarding the number of nurseries, growers, manufacturers, and dispensaries. But a "back of the napkin" approach suggests that between 70% and 90% of these cannabis firms will either not be properly licensed or will not be able to provide a clear "chain of title" and some 80% of existing cannabis is contaminated with pesticides.

Growing Facility Up and Running

Lifestyle Delivery Systems aims to capitalize on these dynamics with its 20,000 sq. ft. facility located in Adelanto, CA (known as the "Green Zone"). After spending $6 million to retrofit and equip the facility, the operation is up and running with eight isogenic rooms, an agricultural nursery, a cultivation division, three distillation and extraction labs, and a manufacturing division for sublingual dissolvable strips (CannaStrips).

On October 31, the company announced that it began extraction and distillation of raw fresh frozen plant material for the purpose of conversion into medicinal cannabis products. An independent third party laboratory showed no trace amounts of pesticides, fungicides, mold, or infestation, while the fresh frozen whole plant material is designed to preserve the complex array of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.

LDS CEO Brad Eckenweiler lays out the case for investors, saying, "Only a handful of companies will be positioned to create up to $3 billion worth of medicinal and adult-use cannabis oils in 2018 and we're one of those few that are properly licensed and that can scale with organic grade quality biomass, predicated on sales. In addition, because we don't have any middle men or brokers to deal with, our margins are extremely attractive."

In terms of future expansion, the company purchased 24.25 acres of additional land in Adelanto, CA that would enable it to create up to 30 indoor grow facilities. Management's goal is to create relationships with other license holders that would use its unaltered, organic-grade seeds and follow its time-tested procedures to grow high-quality cannabis products. The company's innovative CannaStrips also provide a unique delivery mechanism.

Please follow the link to see the interview and read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/exclusive-onsite-ceo-interview-lifestyle-delivery-systems-running-5-billion-market/

About CFN Media

CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed.

Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany

Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8

Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com

Disclaimer:

Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CFN Media and CannabisFN.com, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

CFN Media

Frank Lane

206-369-7050

flane@cannabisfn.com




A champion of women in leadership, Drexler brings wealth of experience at both commercial-stage and start-up medtech and healthcare companies

Also at annual meeting of shareholders, long-serving Director Chris Roberts announced his retirement

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD) today announced it has elected accomplished healthcare executive Karen Drexler to its Board of Directors.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7462953-resmed-board-of-directors-karen-drexler/

Additionally, Dr. Chris Roberts is retiring after serving on ResMed's Board for more than 25 years. Ms. Drexler's appointment and Dr. Roberts' retirement both took effect following the company's annual meeting of shareholders held Thursday afternoon.

Ms. Drexler has been a board member for public and private digital health, medical device, and diagnostic companies for more than a decade, and has extensive management experience as both a founder and CEO. She currently serves as CEO and board member of Sandstone Diagnostics, a commercial-stage consumer diagnostics company.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Karen Drexler to ResMed's Board," said ResMed Founder and Board Chairman Peter Farrell. "Her deep expertise in advising and managing medical device, digital health and diagnostic companies, and particularly her experience in technology and out-of-hospital care models, will serve ResMed well as we continue to deepen our leadership in connected care and digital health."

"I'd also like to thank Chris Roberts for his long and meaningful service to ResMed spanning more than a quarter-century," said Farrell.

Ms. Drexler is an active mentor and advisor with Astia, a global nonprofit focused on female founders, and is a founding member of Astia Angels, a network of investors who fund such founders. Ms. Drexler was also president and CEO of Amira Medical Inc., developer of minimally invasive glucose monitoring technologies, from 1996 until it was sold to Roche Holding AG in 2001. From 1984 to 1995, she held various positions at LifeScan and played a key role in the company's sale to Johnson & Johnson in 1986.

Dr. Roberts served as a member of ResMed's board from 1989 to 1990, and from 1992 until his retirement. Dr. Roberts is a longtime medtech innovator. From 2004 to 2015, he served as CEO, president and board member of Cochlear Limited, a leader in the treatment of severe and profound hearing impairment.

About ResMed

ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD) changes lives with award-winning medical devices and cloud-based software applications that better diagnose, treat and manage sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic diseases. ResMed is a global leader in connected care, with more than 4 million patients remotely monitored every day.Our 6,000-strong team is committed to creating the world's best tech-driven medical device company - improving quality of life, reducing the impact of chronic disease, and saving healthcare costs in more than 120 countries. ResMed.com | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

For media: For investors: Alison Graves Agnes Lee +1 858-836-6789 +1 858-836-5971 news@resmed.com investorrelations@resmed.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/588826/RESMED_INC__LOGO.jpg
DUBLIN, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The "State of College Course Materials 2016-2017" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

In State of College Course Materials 2016 - 2017, examines the changing dynamics of the higher education market that impact the industry and how the industry is responding.

The College Course Materials Market Trends & Forecast annual reports provide an overview of the changing market for instructional resources in higher education in the U.S. This new edition continues that tradition in two parts. The first part, State of College Course Materials 2016 - 2017, is now available and focuses on two main areas: the current market landscape and the competitive environment for publishers and distributors of instructional resources for college programs.

Topics covered in of College Course Materials 2016 - 2017 include:

Student enrollment by institutional type, 2015

Changing shape of the for-profit career-college market segment

Growth in appeal of distance learning for college students

State fiscal support for higher education in fiscal 2017

Outlook for federal student aid and expanding access, fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018

Course materials sales by segments for 2015 and 2016with 2017 projections

Changing balance of print and digital media

Impact of open educational resources (OER) on publishers and distributors

Powerful relevance of textbook rental programs

Competitive analysis of four leading course materials providers

Growth of publisher ecommerce channels

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1: Market Size & Structure

Institution Types And Numbers

For-Profit/Non-Profit Split Among Private Institutions

Two-Year Vs. Four-Year

Earning a Ba at a Community College

Where Students Are Enrolled

A Decade of Growth to One of Change

Full-Time Vs. Part-Time

Student Demographics

For-Profits Try to Regain Footing

Going Online Slowly

Degrees of Choice



Chapter 2: Policy & Funding

Introduction

Costs of Attending College in 2016-2017

Federal Focus: Reduce Spending And Regulation

Year-Round Pell Grants Reinstated; Gi Bill Updated

Protracted Review for Gainful Employment And Debt Repayment

Fiscal 2018 Budget Requests And Cuts

States Hedge On Higher Ed Funding; Free Tuition Plans Increase

States Turn On the Free Tuition Switch



Chapter 3: Course Materials

Introduction

California Moves to Change Approach to Remediation in Math And English

Student Spending On Im Continues to Decline

Health Leads Student Spending On Course Materials

2016 Was Year of Significant Volatility for Publishers

Segmenting Market Sales

The Decline of Print Textbooks

Digital Media Secures a Foothold in Higher Education

Publishers Confront Tough Market Conditions in 2016

Jockeying for Digital Position

Protecting Print Textbooks



Chapter 4: Distribution

Introduction

The Competitive Campus Store Landscape

Amazon And the Virtual Store

Bookstores And Publishers As Rivals

Publishers' Ecommerce Efforts

Openstax Epitomizes Oer Use

Publishers, Book Stores Adapt to Oer

Oer Impact On Publishers

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/vppnkf/state_of_college





Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The United States has warned that there is a 'heightened risk' of terrorist attacks throughout Europe, particularly during the upcoming Christmas and New Year holiday season. This was announced by the Department of State in a travel alert issued on Thursday. In the Travel Alert, which is valid up to January 31, it urged U. S. citizens heading for Europe to exercise caution at holiday festivals and events. Citing recent incidents in France, Russia, Sweden, Britain, Spain, and Finland, the State department warned that the Islamic State, Al-Qa'ida, and their affiliates have the ability to plan and execute terrorist attacks in Europe. In December last year, 12 people were killed when a terrorist rammed a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, and 39 others were killed in another attack at a nightclub in Istanbul on New Year's Eve. While local governments continue counter-terrorism operations, the U S Government remains concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks. 'U. S. citizens should always be alert to the possibility that terrorist sympathizers or self-radicalized extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning,' the Travel Alert says. Extremists continue to focus on tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities as viable targets. U. S. citizens have been advised to be vigilant in locations such as hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, high-profile events, educational institutions and airports, which could be targets for possible attacks. 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) -- 11/17/17 -- Bombardier Business Aircraft today inaugurated its state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence, where high-precision completion work for the segment-defining Global 7000 business jet will take place. Bombardier is actively recruiting to fill approximately 1,000 new positions in Montreal over the next 18 months for completion work on its Global 7000 aircraft.

The inauguration marks another timely milestone in the Global 7000 aircraft program, as completion activities ramp up. The highly anticipated aircraft program has four out of five test vehicles in flight, and is on track for entry-into-service during the second half of 2018. The Global 7000 aircraft will be the largest purpose-built business jet in the industry and will revolutionize business aviation thanks to its unparalleled combination of size, range and comfort.

Bombardier is investing $65 million (US) in the Centre of Excellence. The investment will allow Bombardier to combine 21st century forward-looking production methodology and tools with a highly skilled local workforce comprised of craftspeople, artisans and engineers.

"We are so proud that this meticulous work on the most advanced business jet in the world is being done in Montreal," said Alain Bellemare, Bombardier's President and Chief Executive Officer, Inc. "We have world-class expertise right here, and we want to reach out to that skilled workforce to help us continue shaping the future of business aviation."

Mr. Bellemare was joined by Dominique Anglade, Quebec's deputy Premier and Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation.

"The Government of Quebec is proud to support Bombardier in strengthening and giving renewed vitality to the local aerospace industry," said Ms. Anglade. "We are delighted that Bombardier's Centre of Excellence is offering world-class career opportunities to our local workforce. Moreover, its development, and innovation in general, are part of the four areas of intervention around which the Quebec Aerospace Strategy 2016-2026 is articulated."

With its Global 7000 aircraft, Bombardier will set itself apart from all competitors. The Global 7000 aircraft will feature the industry's most well-appointed kitchen, four distinct living spaces and an advanced wing design that will ensure an exceptionally smooth ride.

Bombardier's Global 7000 aircraft interior is the product of fine craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. At the Centre of Excellence, skilled craftspeople with expertise in areas such as cabinet making, cabinet finishing and upholstery gather to create an aircraft interior that is truly unparalleled in design and comfort.

Bombardier Business Aircraft, which employs approximately 5,500 people in the Greater Montreal area, is proud to be a driving force in the Quebec economy. The business unit is headquartered in Dorval, which is also home to a state-of-the-art facility for the interior completion and delivery of the Global family of business jets, and a facility that builds Challenger business jets from start to finish.

About Bombardier

Bombardier is the world's leading manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.

Bombardier is headquartered in Montreal, Canada and our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, we posted revenues of $16.3 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Notes to Editors

Follow @Bombardierjets on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Business Aircraft.

To receive our press releases, please visit the RSS Feed section.

Bombardier, Challenger, Global and Global 7000 are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

Contacts:

Mark Masluch

Director, Communications and Public Affairs

Bombardier Business Aircraft

514-855-7167

mark.masluch@aero.bombardier.com




Opinion / Columnist

The 1893 Mthwakazi Human Rights Restoration Movement notes with grave concern the current events unfolding in Zimbabwe and wishes to put its own perspective on the current issues and what is of great importance for the people of Matebeleland.As the SADC and AU and the international Community gets involved, there are two issues that stick up like a sore thumb in Zimbabwe. The issues are none other than the Matebeleland Question in terms of the Restoration of the Matebeleland state and the issue of the Gukurahundi Genocide that took place in the 80s as well as other on-going forms of genocide and human rights violations that are taking place today in Matebeleland in the form of cultural and linguistic genocide and the banning of the right to assembly as a people.SADC, the AU and the International community can not arrive at a long-lasting solution of the Zimbabwean problem without these issues being put at the table. They are fundamental and are very key in the whole puzzle.The 1893 Mthwakazi Human Rights Restoration Movement calls on all players, local, continental and global to take note of these serious issues and ensure that any discussion about a lasting solution in Zimbabwe tackles the Matebeleland Question and the Matebeleland Genocide. These are key and fundamental, and any half-baked decisions will merely delay solving these issues once and for all.The British government, due to its colonial history, and assisted by the international community, has a vital and a special role to play in these Matebeleland issues, particularly the issue of the Restoration of the Matebeleland Kingdom. An imperfect decolonization process took place in 1979/1980 and as a result the current Zimbabwe we have today is a two state Zimbabwe with Matebeleland being a submerged state in Zimbabwe with Zimbabwe acting as a colonising entity. Zimbabwe's rule over Matebeleland is illegitimate. Matebeleland is a state without freedom and independence and it needs its independence soon.The International community has a special role to play in the issue of Matebeleland Genocide in terms of Truth, Justice and Reparations for the Matebeleland people for this genocide.The reason why Zimbabwe is in a crisis today and why Mugabe refuses to leave power and why all other players are scrambling to install their own leadership for their own insurance post the Mugabe era is because of their involvement in the Matebeleland Genocide and other forms of gross human rights violations that have taken place for the past 37 years.The Matebeleland Question and Matebeleland Genocide otherwise known as Gukurahundi Genocide are at the heart of this crisis in Zimbabwe. Mugabe will not go or dare leave power because of these issues.Any activity we observe and any state power capture we observe today is deeply rooted in these two Matebeleland issues. Of course, there are external players who are making a scramble for the resources of Matebeleland and Zimbabwe in general and that is noted, and their invisible and yet visible hand is seen by all.Therefore SADC, AU and the International Community will be naive to ignore the Matebeleland issues at play since 1893 when Matebeleland Kingdom was destroyed by Rhodes and his accomplices and merged with Mashonaland to form Southern Rhodesia now known as Zimbabwe.Once more, SADC, AU and the international community will be naive to ignore the 1983 Matebeleland Genocide that was committed by the government of Mugabe against our people in their intervention at present. These are serious matters that need to be dealt with during this crisis for a lasting solution.Matebeleland voices cannot and must not be ignored in any solution that will be tabled.Matebeleland needs a fair deal from this crisis. A deal that will ensure it gains its independence and freedom as well as Justice for the genocide perpetrated against it.More importantly Matebeleland needs a velvet divorce from Zimbabwe and a new progressive beginning for itself and its people. Freedom for Matebeleland means freedom for Zimbabwe.THE 1893 MTHWAKAZI HUMAN RIGHTS RESTORATION MOVEMENT: WHO ARE WE?A movement representing Mthwakazi Nation and all tribes and races found in it.A movement for restoration of the collective land, local resources, social, economic, educational, languages and diverse cultural Rights of the Mthwakazi Nation.A movement for the Restoration of a Mthwakazi Kingdom that was destroyed by Rhodes and his colonial forces in 1893 war at Gadade.A movement campaigning for Truth, Justice and Reparations for Gukurahundi Genocide committed in 1983 to 1987 in our Kingdom,Our Nation is identified by the pride of our ancestors' rock (cave) paintings of abaThwa (San people) scattered around the hills and mountains of Mthwakazi, especially Matopo Hills, within the Jameson line, that is the border between Mthwakazi and Mashonaland.The rock paintings are one of the first inventions of writing that was done by our ancestors in an art form in Africa.The movement is not a political party. All Mthwakazi people can join the Movement regardless of organizational affiliations and beliefs.We also appreciate, value and treat all Mthwakazi people equally regardless of age, sex, beliefs, social status or geographical location.KEY COLONIZATION DATES OF OUR GREAT MTHWAKAZI KINGDOMFebruary 1888: The Fraudulent Moffat Treaty of friendship with Britain signed with King Lobhengula by Johan Moffatt, a colonial agent of Cecil John Rhodes, at the instigation of the deceptive and colonial crook Cecil John Rhodes. This treaty was deceptively signed with the full understanding and recognition that King Lobhengula was the legal and executive authority over the Matebeleland Kingdom.30th October 1888: The Fraudulent Rudd Concession for exclusive mining rights for Rhodes and his colonial cronies was deceptively obtained by Charles Rudd; another colonial agent of Cecil John Rhodes. This treaty was once more a deceptive one signed however with the full understanding and recognition that King Lobhengula was the legal and executive authority over the Matebeleland Kingdom.October 1893 to January 1894: Matebeleland Kingdom was invaded by Rhodes leading to one of the greatest wars ever fought in Southern Africa. The war is referred to as the First Matebele War. Impi YoMvukela Yakuqala.18th July 1894: The 1894 Matabeleland Order in Council legal instrument that defined the administrative power of the British South Africa Company (BSAC) over Matabeleland and Mashonaland. Matebelelan and Mashonaland are run independently as separate states with 2 Governors hence two state houses we have today.20th October 1898: The 1898 Matebeleland Order in council successor legal administrative instrument to 1894 Order council leading to renaming of Rhodesia as Southern Rhodesia, accented to by the British Crown. Matebeleland and Mashonaland are still run independently with 2 governors.March 1896 to October 1897: Second Matebele War otherwise known as Impi YoMvukela Yesibili.27th October 1922: A whites only Referendum (without black Matebele consent and vote) is conducted to decide whether Matebeleland becomes a province of South Africa or is governed as a single entity with Mashonaland. The outcome was for a single entity of Governance as Southern Rhodesia much to the benefit of Mashonaland.1983 to 1987: Gukurahundi Genocide committed by the regime of Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his cronies, where hundreds of thousands died and millions remain displaced into neighbouring countries and overseas.OUR 1893 MOTTO: RESTORE REBUILD & PROSPERWathint' i1893, Wathint' oNdukuzibomvu!1893 MRM: A MTHWAKAZI HUMAN RIGHTS RESTORATION MOVEMENTBy Mr Thembani Dube1893 Co-Secretary of information and Publicity
WEST CHESTER, OH -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) said today that it is pleased to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of its Mountain State Carbon LLC operations in Follansbee, West Virginia. Mountain State Carbon employees, including representatives from AK Steel and United Steelworkers Local 9545, and community leaders celebrated the milestone event this week.

"It certainly is not every day that a business celebrates decades in operation, let alone 100 years in one community," said Roger K. Newport, Chief Executive Officer of AK Steel. "We are proud of Mountain State Carbon's incredible achievement, made possible by the support of the Follansbee community, leaders across the region and state, and especially the dedicated work of every employee."

Mountain State Carbon is a wholly owned subsidiary of AK Steel. The site produces high quality coke that is used to manufacture innovative carbon steels across AK Steel operations, including advanced high strength steels for the automotive industry.

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 with 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.

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






BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) has warned that the United States' military advantage against near-peer competitors Russia and China is eroding, and it is no longer as decisive as it was some years ago.



General Joseph Dunford sounded the alert while speaking at the Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts.



He said Russia and China and other nations have examined U. S. operations since the Gulf War and invested in capabilities and doctrines to counter America's conventional upper hand. 'America must invest in capabilities to ensure deterrence,' according to the four-star General.



Gen. Dunford said the United States has better advantage than the two major powers: the network of allies and its ability to project power around the world. But that dominance is coming to an end due to Russian and Chinese improvements in tactics and technology, warned Dunford, who is the highest-ranking and senior-most US military officer.



He cited as an example the naval alliance in Europe, where Russia understands that the transatlantic link is critical for US to meet its NATO commitments. The 'anti-access, area denial' strategy looks to develop systems to limit U. S. ability to move into the region and then to operate freely within the region to meet alliance commitments, Dunford said.



Russia, China and others have concentrated funding and resources in areas such as electronic warfare, cyber capabilities, anti-space capabilities, anti-ship cruise missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles, he added. Russia has absolutely no desire to fight a conventional war with the United States and NATO, Dunford said.



He cited the strategy China used when THAAD (termina) high-altitude area defense missiles] was fielded in South Korea, by putting really heavy economic pressure on South Korea. 'The decision they made -- the costs imposed on South Korea for fielding THAAD -- is billions of dollars. That affects political decision-making,' said Dunford, who is also the principal military advisor to the President.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 17, 2017) - Highvista Gold Inc. (TSXV: HVV) ("Highvista" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement (the "Asset Purchase Agreement") with Prince Arthur Capital Corporation ("PAC") an "affiliated entity" used to facilitate the transaction, of two leased properties and one development property located in Windsor, Ontario and the optioning of one development property located in St. Catharines, Ontario (collectively, the "Properties"). The acquisition of the Properties will constitute a Change of Business from mineral exploration to an investment company and a Reverse Takeover transaction under the rules of the TSX Venture Exchange ( the "TSXV")( the "Transaction").

Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, the Asset Purchase Agreement provides for Highvista to satisfy the $6.8 million Purchase Price with the issuance of $1,419,180 of common shares at a deemed value of $0.10 per common share, $1,419,180 of 6% preferred shares of Highvista at a deemed value of $1.00 per share, Highvista agreeing to assume existing mortgage debt associated with the Properties of approximately $3,861,640 and Highvista agreeing to the issuance of $100,000 of common shares at a deemed value of $0.10 per common share to purchase all option rights related to the St. Catharines property.

In connection with the Transaction, the Company will also complete the following transactions:

(a) a "butterfly transaction" to spin off its existing Mexican mining holdings to its shareholders (the "Spin-Off Entity"); (b) an interim debt financing of up to $600,000 to help pay certain past liabilities and associated expenses in connection with the transaction; and (c) unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties, Highvista will complete a Concurrent Financing (the "Concurrent Financing") to raise aggregate gross proceeds of up to a maximum of $3,000,000 through the issuance of up to 30,000,000 Highvista units (the "Units") at a price of $0.10 per Unit. Each Unit will be comprised of one (1) common share of Highvista and one (1) common share purchase warrant of Highvista (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one (1) common share of Highvista for a period of 36 months from the date of the issuance of the Warrant, at an exercise price of $0.15 per share. The Concurrent Financing shall close on or before the Closing of the Transaction in a minimum gross aggregate amount sufficient to obtain TSXV approval of the Transaction.

The Asset Purchase Agreement contemplates material conditions precedent to be fulfilled prior to the Closing, including customary due diligence and board approvals being obtained. Until satisfaction of these and other conditions precedent, the likelihood of closing the Transaction is uncertain and trading in the securities of the Company would be highly speculative. Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including, but not limited to the receipt of all necessary regulatory, corporate and third party approvals, compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, satisfactory financing arrangements and absence of material adverse changes in the condition of the Properties or prospects of any of the parties to the Transaction.

Each of the Properties have medical/healthcare tenants or letters of intent to enter leases with tenants) that provide ancillary facilities and services to hospitals, with a focus on mental health and addiction patients. Hospitals (funded by the Provincial government budgets) are suffering from significant bed-shortages, infrastructure and software/equipment challenges and other budgetary constraints. These core hospital projects are also excellent "anchors" for broader development projects with related uses such as pharmacies, medical testing or lab facilities, medical file storage and applicable medical, emergency service and related social-services offices. Several additional properties and locations have been secured or identified for future expansion in the Province of Ontario and properties in British Columbia are also being reviewed.

Providing investment solutions for government-funded entities, such as hospitals and legions, regarding their facilities and related services and infrastructure will be one of the primary areas of the investment focus of Highvista, as part of its previously announced Change of Business from a mining company to an investment company making property and other infrastructure and healthcare-oriented "social infrastructure investments" with a focus on facilities and equipment financing. The Company is currently reviewing several equipment financing transactions.

Highvista intends to retain their existing four directors and pursuant the terms of the Asset Purchase Agreement it is proposed that three new additional directors be selected for approval as members of the Board of Directors by the shareholders of the Company. If and when such candidates are selected, the Company will issue a subsequent news release in accordance with the policies of the TSXV which will include the names and biographies of such candidates as well as any additional information on the Transaction not contained herein.

To the knowledge of the directors and officers of Highvista and PAC, as of the Closing of the Transaction, no shareholder will beneficially own or exercise control or direction over the common shares of Highvista carrying more than 10% of the votes attached to such common shares.

The trading of common shares of Highvista has been halted as a result of this announcement and will remain halted pending receipt by the TSXV of certain required materials from Highvista and until Highvista engages a sponsor or a sponsorship exemption is granted. The Company intends to apply for an exemption from the sponsorship requirements of the TSXV in connection with the Transaction. There is no assurance that such sponsorship exemption will be granted or be granted on terms satisfactory to the parties.

The Transaction is also a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Shareholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") as Gerry McCarvill, a director, officer and shareholder of the Company, is also a director, officer and sole shareholder of PAC. As a consequence, the Transaction is subject to minority shareholder approval requirements.

The Transaction is subject to the approval of the shareholders of Highvista and of the TSXV.

The Company has commenced the process of drafting an information circular (the "Information Circular") providing details of the Change of Business Transaction and any concurrent financings related thereto, in accordance with the rules of the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable corporate and securities laws.

Further details of all of these activities and a formal investment policy will be provided in the Information Circular.

About Highvista

Highvista owns 100% of a Mexican subsidiary that controls various mining properties in Sonora, Mexico. Its properties are located in the Sonoran Gold Belt, with the Canasta Dorada Gold Project located immediately adjacent to Alamos Gold's El Chanate Mine ("Alamos"). Details of Highvista's Canasta Dorada Project can be viewed at the Company's website at www.highvistagold.com.

Reader Advisory

Completion of the transaction described herein is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSX Venture Exchange acceptance and disinterested shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Highvista Gold Inc. should be considered highly speculative.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. When used herein, words such as "anticipate", "will", "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Highvista Gold Inc.'s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.highvistagold.com.

For further information, please contact:

Highvista Gold Inc.

Paul Crath, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (416) 504-4128

Fax: (416) 504-4129

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 press release.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Treasuries showed a lack of direction over the course of the trading session on Friday before ending the day roughly flat.



After seeing initial weakness, bond prices rebounded in morning trading but pulled back going into the close. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, edged down by less than a basis point to 2.354 percent.



The choppy trading on the day came as traders expressed uncertainty about the outlook for Republican lawmakers' tax reform plans.



While the House approved their tax reform bill on Thursday, significant differences with the Senate version could still hinder final passage of the legislation.



On the U.S. economic front, the Commerce Department released a report showing a much bigger than expected jump in housing starts in the month of October.



The report said housing starts spiked by 13.7 percent to an annual rate of 1.290 million in October from a revised 1.135 million in September.



Economists had expected housing starts to climb to an annual rate of 1.185 million from the 1.127 million originally reported for the previous month.



Building permits, an indicator of future housing demand, also surged up by 5.9 percent to a rate of 1.297 million in October from a revised 1.225 million in September.



Next week's trading may be somewhat subdued due to the Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday, although reports on existing home sales and durable goods orders are still likely to attract attention.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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The latest market research report by Technavio on the global smart card IC marketpredicts a CAGR of more than 8% during the period 2017-2021.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171117005761/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global smart card IC market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The global smart card IC market has been categorized into different segments based on application (telecommunication, financial, government, transportation, and others), microprocessor architecture (16bit and 32-bit), and geography (the Americas, EMEA, and APAC). It provides a detailed illustration of the major factors influencing the market, including drivers, opportunities, trends, and industry-specific challenges.

Here are some key findings of the global smart card IC market, according to Technavio hardware and semiconductor researchers:

Increase in number of financial frauds: a major market driver

In 2016, the telecommunication segment dominated the application segments of the market

The Americas dominated the global smart card IC market in 2016

Infineon Technologies, NXP Semiconductors, Samsung, and STMicroelectronics are the key players

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

Market growth analysis

Increase in number of financial frauds across several countries is one of the major factors driving the global smart card IC market. Magnetic tapes are used by most debit cards and credit cards to store data. As these tapes can be easily tampered, it leads to insecure monetary transactions and monetary loss for users. Card skimming, a technique wherein the details of the customer are stolen from the magnetic strip on the cards is an example of frauds that can be carried out using magnetic stripe cards. This information can be used to forge duplicate cards and hence be used to make fraudulent transactions.

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.

Geographical analysis

According to the Technavio researchers, the Americas has a lesser market share in the global smart card IC market when compared to APAC and EMEA. This is mainly because of the late adoption of Europay Mastercard Visa(EMV) standard in the region. Countries like the US began the adoption of EMV standard in 2015 compared to the countries in EMEA and APAC. The increasing number of financial frauds across the Americas has resulted in the adoption of EMVs. Some of the biggest hacks include the Target in 2013 and Home Depot data breach in 2014. These data breaches compromised the private information of millions of the US citizens.

According to Raghu Raj Singh, a lead analyst at Technavio for research on embedded systems, "In the Americas, the increasing transition towards EMV cards for healthcare systems is one of the key factors driving the smart card IC market. Patients receiving medical treatments from different doctors should undergo complicated paperwork, insurance coverage, and reimbursements. The health savings account (HSA) debit card, which is a tax-advantaged medical savings account for the US citizens has been developed to address this issue. The HSA cards used a magnetic stripe previously but, new versions of the card have integrated a smart card IC into the plastic body. The higher volume of payments, increasing value of each transaction, and the presence of several different payments acceptance systems will drive the adoption of EMV cards in healthcare systems in the US."

Competitive vendor landscape

There are several major vendors who are present in the global smart card IC market and these vendors dominate the market. This has resulted in a high threat of rivalry. The concentration of these vendors is very high, which prevents new entrants from entering the market. The global smart card IC market is dominated by top four vendors, namely, Infineon Technologies, NXP Semiconductors, STMicroelectronics, and SAMSUNG. The major factors that are considered for the competitive scenario are performance of the product, quality and reliability of the IC, the price of the product, and the possible customization opportunities of the IC.

Get a sample copy of the global smart card IC market report free of cost

Access Technavio's continuously growing embedded systems research library and find expert analysis on hundreds of markets.

About Technavio

Technaviois a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171117005761/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

www.technavio.com
DUBLIN, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Global Rugged Tablet Market - Forecasts from 2017 to 2022" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

Global rugged tablet market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.92% over the forecast period to grow to US$592.906 million by 2022, increasing from US$466.225 million in 2017



A rugged computer is one which can be particularly devised to be operated under harsh usage environments. Harsh environments include extreme temperatures, wet or dusty conditions or strong vibrations.



The research study examines the Global Rugged Tablets market report on the basis of various segments - by type, application, and geography.



The market report provides an estimation of the overall market size in terms of value (US$) while providing a comprehensive analysis of the key segments and the geographical subdivisions in details. The analysis presents in-depth information regarding the development, trends, and industry policies and regulations implemented in each of the geographical segments.



Moreover, the research study analyzes the overall regulatory framework of rugged tablets market, offering stakeholders a better understanding of the various policies and laws and regulations. It also contains in-depth information gained through primary and secondary research methods which have been assessed through various effective analytical tools. Thus, the research report presents near-accurate market estimates based on the data attained from such systematic research.



The research report also analyzes the competitive landscape of the rugged tablets market by reviewing the company profiles of the leading market players. This section also identifies the market hierarchy by analyzing the mergers and acquisitions, current developments and strategies of key players.



Segmentation



Rugged Tablet Market has been segmented on the basis of type, applications, and geography as follows:



By Type

Semi Rugged

Fully Rugged

Ultra Rugged

By Application

Defense

Industrial

Commercial

Government



Key industry players profiled as part of this section are HP, Zebra, Panasonic, Getac, Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, MilDef, DT Research, Xplore, Mobile Demand and LEONARDO DRS among others.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Research Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Market Dynamics



5. Global Rugged Tablet Market Forecast by Type (US$ million)



6. Global Rugged Tablet Market Forecast by Application (US$ million)



7. Global Rugged Tablet Market Forecast by Geography (US$ million)



8. Competitive Intelligence



9. Company Profiles



HP

Zebra

Panasonic

Getac

Honeywell Scanning & Mobility

MilDef

DT Research

Xplore

Mobile Demand

DRS Technology



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/tzhbpx/global_rugged

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
DUBLIN, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Hearth Market - Forecasts from 2017 to 2022" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

The global hearth market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 2.03% over the forecast period to grow to US$11.379 billion by 2022, increasing from US$10.293 billion in 2017.

Hearths are one of the oldest forms of space heating appliance. Earlier used for domestic purposes now they have found application in wider areas such as creating relaxing and comfortable ambience in non-domestic buildings. The average increase in disposable income, improving lifestyle and demand for modernized infrastructure has raised the demand for aesthetic home decor among the customer which, in turn, has further spurred the demand for Hearth.

Furthermore, growing global tourism industry has augmented the demand for hearth system within hospitality and leisure sector. Extremely cold climatic conditions in several geographical areas are also boosting the demand of electric hearths in the major regional markets, as it is cost efficient, space efficient, easy to clean, and environment-friendly. However, traditional hearths are not eco-friendly and growing environmental sustainability concerns will hamper the market growth. Geographically, the hearth market is dominated by North America because of the presence of key players of global hearth market in the region.

Key industry players profiled as part of this section are HNI Corporation, Travis Industries, Innovative Hearth Products, FPI Fireplace Products International, and Empire Comfort Systems among others.



Segmentation



By Fuel type

Gas

Wood

Electric

Others

By Product

Insert

Stove

Fireplace

By Placement

Indoor

Outdoor

Portable

By Design

Traditional

Modern

By End User

Resident

Commercial

Hospitality

Others



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Research Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Market Dynamics



5. Hearth Market Forecast by Fuel Type (US$ billion)



6. Hearth Market Forecast by Product (US$ billion)



7. Hearth Market Forecast by Placement (US$ billion)



8. Hearth Market Forecast by Design (US$ billion)



9. Hearth Market Forecast by End User (US$ billion)



10. Hearth Market Forecast by Geography (US$ billion)



11. Competitive Intelligence



12. Company Profiles



FPI Fireplace Products International

Montigo

HNI Corporation

Empire Comfort Systems

Hearth Products Controls

Pacific Energy

Innovative Hearth Products

Napoleon Products

Travis Industries

Hearthstone Stoves

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ndxp5w/hearth_market





Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/17/17 -- Maya Gold & Silver Inc. ("Maya" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: MYA) is pleased to announce an agreement (the "Agreement") with Mackie Research Capital Corporation ("Mackie") to provide market maintenance services for Maya in compliance with regulatory guidelines. Mackie will provide market stabilization and liquidity services of the shares on the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Agreement is for a period of six month and may be terminated by either party with a written notice of 30 days. There are no performance factors contained in the Agreement and Mackie will not receive any shares or options from Maya as compensation for the services it will render. Maya and Mackie are unrelated and unaffiliated entities but Mackie and/or its clients may have an interest, directly or indirectly, in the securities of Maya.

Mackie is one of Canada's largest independent full service investment firms, and proudly traces its roots back to 1921. Mackie offers a full complement of capital markets and wealth management services to private clients, and growth companies.

ABOUT MAYA

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.

Forward-looking statements

This news release contains statements about our future business and planned activities. These are "forward-looking" because we have used what we know and expect today to make a statement about the future. Forward-looking statements including but are not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work and analyses. Forward-looking statements usually include words such as may, intend, plan, expect, anticipate, and believe or other similar words. We believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, actual events and results could be substantially different because of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business or events that happen after the date of this news release. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. As a general policy, we do not update forward-looking statements except as required by securities laws and regulations.

Contacts:

Maya Gold & Silver Inc.

Noureddine Mokaddem

President and CEO

+1 514-978-6111/+212 661-196-111

nmokaddem@mayagoldsilver.com



Maya Gold & Silver Inc.

Sophy Cesar

Investor Relations

514-866-2008

scesar@mayagoldsilver.com

www.mayagoldsilver.com




Arterys Inc., a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an AI platform for medical image analytics, closed its $30M Series B financing round.

The investment was led by Temasek, strategic investors Northwell Health Ventures, NewYork-Presbyterian, Varian Medical Systems and GE Ventures, and joined by Fosun, DNA Capital, Emergent Medical Partners, and ORI Capital.

The company plans to use the funding to expand its web-based artificial intelligence platform, and launch several products in oncology and neurology, and to accelerate the commercialization of its cardiac offering.

Led by Fabien Beckers, PhD, founder and CEO, Arterys has created a web based platform for medical image analytics that enables physicians to benefit from vast amounts of computation, process their patient cases with support from AI algorithms that are embedded in their workflow. The proprietary technology protects patient information and complies with data privacy regulations in the U.S. and EU.

The cloud platform supports a variety of imaging modalities, such as MRI and CT, providing image interpretation with artificial intelligence tools, case sharing, and automated reporting.

The companys Cardiac MRI, the first product of its kind to obtain FDA clearance for use as a diagnostic support tool, is cleared in Canada and the EU. The platform and cardiac MRI suite have been used to help diagnose more than 15,000 patients worldwide, in many cases leading to more informed clinical diagnoses and treatment decisions.

FinSMEs

16/11/2017
Opinion / Columnist

The Ndebele culture and important cultural institutions continue to be destroyed since the time of the advent of settler colonialists of the 1800s.It is not possible to have coronation of a Ndebele King in the name of Bulelani Colin Lobengula Khumalo on the 3rd March, 2018 as announced through the independent papers and social media by Chief Mathema. Umthwakazi are too astute to be fooled. The people need to realize that the fact that any Chief makes an announcement does not necessarily equate the acts to legitimacy. It is sad and unfortunate to realize that a Chief who abuses his respected position to peddle falsehood and not care about the damage it is doing to the Monarch system the Ndebele people are so desperate for to attain closure in their attaining full identity.The reasons why the Bulelani coronation remains imaginary are many. Bulelani Colin Khumalo, whilst a descendant of the King Lobengula family, was not identified by King Lobengula's family. The King Lobengula family, as the last house to rule, was given a mandate to identify the heir from among them on the 6 November, 1997 which was confirmed on the 31ST December, 2014 by the Khumalo Clan. Whilst the House was going through the process, since January 2015, some members of the Khumalo clan who are not descendants of King Lobengula clandestinely went to South Africa and suddenly pitched up with Bulelani Colin Khumalo as the Crown Prince. Ayanda Khumalo, Chief Hlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni and now Chief Mathema have been making the announcements of him as the Crown Prince. All this, they have been doing without consulting with King Lobengula's house.The five Khumalo Clan Houses have different roles and only King Lobengula's house is mandated to identify the heir to the Ndebele throne. The King Lobengula Royal Trust requires that the heir be handed over to the Chiefs by the King Lobengula family and not just any Khumalo. The Chiefs can only inform the public after this order of events. Any of the descendants of King Lobengula cannot be a King without going through the process followed by the family and those aspects guided by the King Lobengula Royal Trust. Mathema's announcement is a bubble in that the Lobengula House was not consulted and the procedure followed is not in tandem with the guidelines of the Trust. The use of the Trust guidelines is a safety net against personal interests overriding Ndebele national desires.Mathema has gone on to inform Chief Charumbira of the Chiefs Council before the owners of the Institution are properly informed and ignoring the representation in that Council from Matabeleland and many other Chiefs in Matabeleland. Chief Charumbira also sounded surprised when on the 27 October, 2017 he quibbled, ''oh, I thought the letter sent to me yesterday came from King Lobengula's House''. This institution belongs to the Ndebele people. It just smacks something fishy when announcements are rushed to the Chiefs Council and politicians by Chief Mathema when the name he has given to them is in dispute.It is a false that all Chiefs are in agreement with what he has done because some Chiefs have phoned King Lobengula's House sounding very surprised how such an announcement can be made through social media and newspapers when they have also not been informed or consulted. The Monarch is a very important institution among the Ndebele peoples. It is absurd that the issues of this institution should be handled so clumsily by Chief Mathema that hails from a respectable chieftaincy that include historical cultural leaders and legends like Dliso Mathema and Sigombe Mathema. These Chiefs were orderly and not excitable by being awarded positions and they left leadership legacies that the Ndebele nation will continue to cherish. The King Lobengula House has no intention to embarrass Chief Mathema, but it is its humble observation that he should avoid meddling up in the internal political dynamics of the Khumalo family in their attempt to come up with a legitimate and respectable procedure for this oppressed nation. As a Chief, he would have played a better role as an arbitrator in any disputes that the family found themselves in than to take sides without even examining carefully what mud he is being led into.The Chief has no idea how inaccurate he is when he states that the choice of Bulelani Colin Khumalo was arrived at in a way consistent with our cultural values, customs, traditions, practices and historical precedents. If he had asked, he would have known that Rhodes House was at least represented twice by Bulelani Colin Khumalo, out of the many meetings that King Lobengula's House held, deliberating on the issues before somebody intending to divide the House snatched him. At one of these minuted meetings, all the Houses of Lobengula, including the Njube House, confirmed their family trees. Bulelani's mother's surname, whilst of pure Nguni origin, as confirmed by him, could never be acceptable in the Ndebele culture and norms as a parent that could produce a Khumalo Crown Prince for the Ndebeles.Umthwakazi needs to note that the bloodline of the mother is the highest in the scale of determining a Crown Prince in the Nguni culture. It can only be over-ridden by the incumbent King's choice should there be reasons such as poor health, or skewed moral continuum around the prospective heir born of a mother with a royal bloodline. It is also unheard of that the Khumalo elders can go and consult spirit mediums to identify the heir among King Lobengula's descendants without the descendants being represented in that process. In the Ndebele culture doing that is more of witchcraft than a proper cultural procedure. They made Bulelani 'win' a one man race. Surely something is wrong in this whole Chief Mathema announcement. The bad part is that it is trivializing the all-important Ndebele institution and a Chief accepts to do that and goes public about it.King Lobengula Royal Trust continues to advise that 'akusikugijima okuyikufika'. The House is aware of the very strong desire to have a Monarch. There are many enemies to the process of restoring the Ndebele Monarch. As a house that announced the assumption of its cultural leadership role on the 28 July, 2017 the initial focus is the Ndebele nation's unity. The establishment of the King Lobengula Royal Trust has been done to unite the people and protect the people's institution as it is already doing. It will continue to protect and defend the institutional interests of the Ndebele people. It awaits launching it very soon. It is worthwhile to confirm that a number of Chiefs attached their signatures, and some used their stamps in approving its establishment and registration. These are available for inspection if requested. Secondly, the focus is on identity of this nation. King Lobengula's House has considered this as second most important element. In other nations people of the same ethnic group can identify each other even before they speak to each other when they meet. That is critical and very necessary against a situation in which a foreigner introduces people of the same nationality to each other.The long awaited surprise gift from King Lobengula Royal Trust and family of a properly identified and legitimate Crown Prince that carries the dignity of the revered Ndebele Monarch institution. This Crown Prince has 100% local content in birth and understanding the needs of the Ndebele and other local people that cherish the institution. Unlike the case announced by Chief Mathema, in which information is trickling out that, in fact, attempts are to be made to get him local documents through clandestine means. It needs to be noted that Bulelani Colin Khumalo has no father in this country, is fifth generation from King Lobengula, and any forgery of documents on his behalf would be illegal.The above point is one reason why there has been hitches in him attending the meeting of the 19 August, 2017 in which his name was mentioned in his absence; secondly him not appearing at Mhlahlandlela on the 9 September, 2017 to meet the people during the King Mzilikazi commemoration. It is possible that on the 3rd March, 2018 one Khumalo, we understand from some Bulelani's issue handlers, Ayanda Khumalo has been suggested as likely to stand for him. Ah, what a scandalous joke! This is one reason that created challenges to fixing the date because some of the advocates for Bulelani to be King do not agree with a regent or 'ibambela'. Indeed this is as improper as imposing Bulelani Colin Khumalo on the Ndebele nation using false history that Njube was heir to King Lobengula's throne when King Lobengula out of his sons he identified Nyamande as his successor. Nyamande was coroneted at Entumbane on the 25 June, 1896. The new and legitimate King for the Ndebele nation will, thus, come from King Nyamande's House as agreed to by King Lobengula's House.King Lobengula's House still welcomes Bulelani Colin Khumalo to its fold in dealing with all the issues relating to the Royal family and its mandates. The House is aware of the fact that some of the Khumalos that have brought him forward have spent time in United Kingdom working with the late Mr Mthunzi trying to access King Lobengula's imagined royalties that the British Government owes us. They hit a snag when they could not be identifiable in the King Lobengula's lineage. Bulelani Colin Lobengula Khumalo, that is both innocent and ignorant about why the Ndebeles need a King, and is to be their King, has the right name to put forward to the House of Lords on their next attempt to have access to the royalties. The King Lobengula Royal Trust is not sure if this is the motivation spurned on Chief Mathema to find himself so excited as to fail to do sufficient due diligence on the matter and the process of identifying the heir to King Lobengula's throne. As an educated man he probably needs to research in the history archives as all the information is there that tells us how White colonialists destroyed our Monarch by sidelining other children, conscripting them in isolation camps like King Nyamande and promising first Nguboyenja and then Njube kingship which they never or could never fulfill. Whilst there is current debate about Nyamande and Njube, the pertinent fact is that these sons of King Lobengula were divided by imperialists and both physically and emotionally oppressed by the same. It is unfortunate that what Chief Mathema and other handlers of the Bulelani issue are doing to our grandson is a replica of what the racist White colonial regime did to his forefathers Njube and Nguboyenja, this time just for personal gain of the selfish handlers.Having responded in detail to Chief Mathema's unfortunate announcement that is conspicuous for his intended grand standing, which is the only success in that action, as chairman of the so-called crown council, King Lobengula Royal Trust sees opportunities for the mend on all damaged fronts in our endeavor to restore the Ndebele Monarch. Stanley has to stop masquerading as a King and join politics full-time. He just doesn't seem to see where his talent lies. It can only be done by somebody completely ignorant of cultural issues when he calls for Inxwala the third time in a year. Bulelani must be let free, to rejoin the King Lobengula family, by these people that seem to be motivated by self enrichment and are destroying an institution of pride among the Ndebele people. King Lobengula's family should prepare a good 2018 new year's present. Unity among ourselves will foster positive nationhood. Chiefs need to afford the people space so that they, the chiefs, enjoy their roles as custodians of culture. They should jealously protect the respect afforded them by their positions among the people they lead and unlike Chief Mathema, desist from meddling in other people's or family affairs.For Umthwakazi as a whole, we should pray that this current political situation eventually settles down. Our hope should be that the good statement that came out that traditional leadership focus on custodianship of culture, norms, customs and heritage carries the future. In the light of that, it is prudent for Umthwakazi to remain calm, peaceful, progressive and forward looking. If a new dispensation comes about, it should be our prayer that our endeavours to restore cultural institutions like the re-enactment of our legitimate King Lobengula Monarch system gets full government support. We assure government that the Ndebele Monarch will be ceremonial and non-partisan. We will therefore work well for the benefit of Umthwakazi nation with the Government.Issues of cessation are not in our program as this will be cultural. The boundary of our Kingdom will not be geographic. If there is a person in Chiredzi who owes allegiance to the Ndebele Monarch, the Kingdom boundary will extend to as far as the location of the allegiance. The Kingdom will thus be part of the cultural institution whose geographic space is not measurable, but huge. The King Lobengula family would like everyone to be part of the Kingdom in time and once one owes allegiance to the Monarch no matter ones ethnic identity. The restoration of cultural institutions ethnic group by ethnic group is encouraged to enhance ethnic identity in Zimbabwe.zwide54@gmail.com
Pure Harvest Smart Farms, a Abu Dhabi, UAE-based arid climate agri-company, raised $4.5m in seed funding.

Backers included Shorooq Investments, the companys technology partners, and a consortium of angel investors from around the world (David Scott, Sultan bin Khalid, Magnus Olsson, Hazem Abu Khalaf, Jim Finnigan, Peter Satow, Abdulrahman Kaki, Anmol Budhraja, Charles Anderson, Florian Weidinger, Douglas Kelbaugh FAIA, Mohammed Khudairi, Troels Andersen, Husam Al Zubair, Muhammed Al Zubair, Bina Khan, James Joy, Edmund Ang, and Theodore Cleary.

The round followed an earlier $1.1m pre-seed round led by Shorooq Investments.

The company will use the proceeds for the construction of its high-tech, fully climate controlled greenhouse facility in Nahel, United Arab Emirates.

Led by Sky Kurtz, Co-Founder & CEO, Pure Harvest Smart Farms focuses on the production of fruits & vegetables in the extreme climates of the Arab Gulf region, using high-tech, climate controlled greenhouse production technology to deliver vine crops (tomatoes, capsicum, strawberries, cucumbers, eggplants, etc.).

The company expects to complete the above mentioned facility by mid-year and to begin selling its products in the second half of 2018. Following the demonstration of its technology and its ability to serve the demand for fresh local produce, Pure Harvest intends to quickly expand in the region.

FinSMEs

17/11/2017
New Delhi: The Centre approved the enhancement of the carpet area of houses for the middle income group (MIG) category under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U), a move hailed by realtors bodies CREDAI and NAREDCO.

Under the MIG-I category, the carpet area of the houses has been enhanced from 90 sq.mtr to 120 sq.mtr, while under the MIG-II segment, it has been increased to 150 sq.mtr from the current 110 sq.mtr, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters yesterday while briefing them about the Union cabinet decisions.

For the MIG-I category, a four-per cent interest subsidy is provided to the beneficiaries with an annual income of Rs 6-12 lakh on a loan of up to Rs 9 lakh.

Under the MIG-II category, the beneficiaries with an annual income of Rs 12-18 lakh get a three-per cent interest subsidy on a loan of up to Rs 12 lakh.

Hailing the cabinet decision, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said it would attract more people in the MIG category to buy houses under the scheme.

An official said many people were not opting to buy houses under the scheme as the previous carpet area did not seem very attractive to them.

Now that the carpet area had been increased, more people would come forward to avail of the benefits, he said, adding that the Centre was expecting an enhanced expenditure of about Rs 1,000-1,200 crore because of the decision.

National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) Chairman Rajeev Talwar and President Niranjan Hiranandani said the decision would help meet the aspiration of millions of home buyers in the MIG category.

The decision, besides helping in clearing the unsold stock, would also encourage the developers to launch new projects, which in turn would boost the economy, GDP growth and employment opportunities, they said, adding that the move would now bring the entire demand for affordable housing under the interest subvention scheme.

Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI) President Jaxay Shah said, "Housing for All by 2022 has taken a huge leap forward thanks to the increase in the unit size of MIG houses under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme.

"The average middle-class in smaller towns and cities will now be able to afford bigger and better quality homes."

Under the PMAY-U, the Centre aims to provide houses to all the urban poor by 2022. Currently, the shortage of houses is pegged at over 10 million in the urban areas.

The housing and urban affairs ministry is implementing the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme for Middle Income Group (CLSS for MIG) under the PMAY-U since January 1 this year. The scheme is currently effective till March 31, 2019.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2018, click here.
Mumbai: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a media briefing on Friday welcomed Moody's upgrade of India's sovereign rating from Baa3 to Baa2 and changing of outlook from positive to stable. "Moody's rating upgrade comes after a long gap of 13 long years that means the world has acknowledged India's structural reforms," Jaitley said. A sovereign rating by the global agency evaluates a country's friendliness to foreign investors and an upgrade means a more conducive environment for doing business.

The finance minister while continuing his media briefing listed out major structural reforms undertaken by Narendra Modi government. He said setting up of Monetary Policy Committee, demonetisation and roll-out of the Goods and Services Tax were sweeping policy changes that changed world's view for India.

Last time when Moody's upgraded India's rating important for foreign investors was back in 2004 when the erstwhile Atal Vajpayee government was in power. According to Jaitley, all these steps constitute major reforms and are directional in nature, he told the media persons. Explaining why these reforms were directional, Jaitley added, "These reforms were being taken for over past few years that follow a particular road map, a particular direction," he informed.

While taking a dig at detractors of policies of present government, Jaitley said many who had doubts in their minds in India's reforms process would now seriously introspect into their own position. He also pointed out World Bank's recent 'ease of doing business' ranking for India. The country jumped 42 ranks in the index from earlier 142 to 100th position which, according to Jaitley, was due to the reforms of the present NDA government. "For the three consecutive years, India has been among the fastest growing major economies," Jaitley added.
The knowledge that the setting up of an anti-profiteering mechanism under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime was inevitable does nothing at all to mitigate the dread one feels at the cabinet giving the formal nod to the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) on Thursday.

Thats because of how the idea of setting up this authority came up. The following anecdote was told to this writer by a very reliable non-government source who attended the meeting where this happened.

At one of the meetings of the empowered committee of state finance ministers (before it became the GST Council) last year, representatives of the chambers of commerce had also been invited. One of the state finance ministers asked whether businesses will pass on the benefits of lower rates to the consumers. The attention now turned to the chambers. The representative of one chamber said glibly: Competition and market forces will take care of it.

The uttering of that M word that unites all manners of socialists  red, pink, saffron  that our politicians basically are, sealed it. A communist finance minister exploded and asked for some institutional mechanism and the anti-competitive mechanism was conceived right then. The bureaucrats who can put any socialist to shame then came up with a set of rules that mock at the assurances given by finance minister Arun Jaitley and revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia that this was not a tool for harassment.

At a television panel discussion which this writer was also part of just before the launch of GST, Adhia said this would not be used against small businesses, especially retailers. So, one cannot go to the NAA that a neighbourhood department store was not reducing prices. This was, he said, to serve only as a warning to large companies which were not passing on tax cut benefits  We are watching you.

But there is nothing in the rules (indeed, there cannot be) that distinguish between big and small players. It says an interested party can write to the Standing Committee and Screening Committee with a complaint about prices not being reduced. And `interested party is defined merely as suppliers/recipients of goods and services.

Now look at indignation over restaurant bills since 15 November, when the GST on restaurants was reduced to 5 percent from 18 percent. Bills showing that restaurants have only jacked up prices so that the post-15 November bill amount is either the same or higher than the pre-15 November ones have gone viral. What is to stop an outraged customer or two from dashing off a written complaint about a restaurant in the neighbourhood? That could well apply to large department stores and white goods retailers. The possibility of the anti-profiteering mechanism being used by business rivals is not as improbable as those who dreamed up this idea would like people to believe.

True, a complainant cannot directly approach the NAA. The complaint has to go to a standing committee/screening committee which, after satisfying itself that there could be a prima facie case, will pass the complaint on to the Director General of Safeguards who will then investigate the matter and give its report to the NAA, which will then look into the findings and then arrive at a decision.

This multi-level process has often been cited to show that there are inbuilt checks and balances to prevent arbitrary action by the NAA.

But the Standing Committee and Screening Committees are all staffed by bureaucrats, whose instinct to interfere and control is more than that of the politicians. It is quite possible that the multi-level checks and balances later become multi-level avenues for harassment.

As this writer had pointed out in an earlier article, the multi-slab design of GST in India complicated the anti-profiteering mechanism unlike other countries which had such a mechanism in place  those economies had a one or two slab structure. So, in India, the entire manufacturing chain will have to be examined to determine whether a price cut not being passed on or a price increase was justified or not. This does, therefore, have the potential to increase meddling.

Jaitley, Adhia and state finance minister have been assuring that India will eventually move to a two-slab structure. But they have also indicated that this may take one or two years. So the scope for harassment by anti-profiteering investigations can continue.

Accepting our politicians reflexive distrust of Market Forces, the issue could have been left to existing institutions like the Competition Commission and/or the Director General of Safeguards. Unfortunately that was not done and there are very draconian provisions for penalty, including de-registration of defaulting companies.

The only saving grace in this is that the NAA will be around for only two years  thats around the time prices are generally seen to rise post-GST. All that is left is to hope that a flood of complaints dont ensue. Unfortunate, but that is the reality.
In September 2016, Moodys Investors Service was not in the good books of the Narendra Modi government. The finance ministry had then raised a strong objection to the agencys statement that it was unlikely to upgrade Indias sovereign ratings anytime soon, ahead of a meeting with finance ministry officials on Indias macro-fundamentals.

"The due process has to be followed and you cannot jump the gun, if you are reaching a conclusion before interaction with the finance ministry and the other ministries, then somewhere we see the entire rating process, the methodology, was deficient and that is something we pointed out," then economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das was quoted by Mint, while speaking at the sidelines of a BRICS infrastructure financing conference.

"You cannot say that I will give zero weightage and I will wait till infinity to see that these reforms take roots," Das was quoted as saying.

The Modi government had argued that Moodys must take into account the reforms being undertaken such as GST and bankruptcy code. But, Moodys maintained that credit implications of reform measures such as GST, bankruptcy code will only become apparent in the medium term. It further highlighted the concerns that weak private investments, slower fiscal consolidation and a high level of bad loans in the banking sector constrain Indias sovereign rating.

Just over a year later, Moodys has returned with good news for the Modi government by upgrading Indias sovereign rating to by a notch to 'Baa2', with a stable outlook (Also read: Full Text: Moody's Investors Service upgrades India's sovereign credit rating to Baa2) citing improved growth prospects driven by economic and institutional reforms. An upgrade from Moodys comes after a gap of 13 years  Moody's last upgraded India's rating to 'Baa3' in 2004. In 2015, the rating outlook was changed to 'positive' from 'stable'. The rating action is a big thumbs up to the Modi government and comes on the heels of American think-tank Pew Research Center's report that Modi continues to be the most popular leader in Asias third-largest economy of 130 crore people.

The rating upgrade particularly mentions the structural reforms being undertaken by the Modi government. "Key elements of the reform program include the recently-introduced GST which will, among other things, promote productivity by removing barriers to interstate trade; improvements to the monetary policy framework; measures to address the overhang of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the banking system; and measures such as demonetisation, the Aadhaar system of biometric accounts and targetted delivery of benefits through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system intended to reduce informality in the economy," Moodys said.

This is certainly a big acknowledgement of the reform work committed by the Modi government and, if taken ahead in the desired momentum, can launch the economy on a higher growth path.

The other side

But, Moodys doesnt fail to remind the government about the pending reforms and the concerns in the economic outlook arising from high debt burden. "The high public debt burden remains an important constraint on India's credit profile relative to peers, notwithstanding the mitigating factors which support fiscal sustainability. That constraint is not expected to diminish rapidly, with low income levels continuing to point to significant development spending needs over the coming years," Moodys said.

Similarly, a material deterioration in fiscal metrics and the outlook for general government fiscal consolidation would put negative pressure on the rating," the agency has warned. Also, the rating could also face downward pressure if the health of the banking system deteriorated significantly or external vulnerability increased sharply, it said. The agency also reminds the government about crucial land and labour market reforms, which, it said, relies to a great extent on cooperation with and between the states.

If one briefly revisits the concerns Moodys highlighted a year ago  weak private investments, slower fiscal consolidation and a high level of bad loans, the first and third factors continue to be painful areas for the government. There has not been any marked improvement in the private investment scenario and banking sector NPA situation. The economy has to revive the private investment momentum and reduce reliance on government spending to push growth in a sustainable manner.

There is a serious problem of not enough jobs being created and beyond recapitalisation, the government has been largely reluctant to go ahead with bold reforms in the banking sector including a clear roadmap to cut government stake in state-run banks. Acquisition of land and labour is still a troublesome area for anyone who wants to set up factories in India. These are important reforms that need to be undertaken.

For now, the Moodys rating upgrade is big boost for India. With the improvement in the credit profile, it will reduce the borrowing costs of Indian companies and government and, more importantly, help to improve the perceptions of global observers on the Indian economy. The Modi government deserves credit for the reform work it has done, particularly the launch of the GST and reforms in archaic bankruptcy laws.
Los Angeles: Actor Amber Heard said she believes the term "LGBTQ" does not help the marginalised community as much as it did at one point of time, especially in Hollywood.

The 31-year-old actor said even educated people tend to hide behind such terminology by "adding letters" and remain stuck with regressive ideas.

"I didn't come out. I was never in. It's limiting, that LGBTQ thing. It served a function as an umbrella for marginalised people to whom rights were being denied, but it loses its efficacy because of the nuanced nature of humanity.

"As we become more educated and expand the facts of our nature, we keep adding letters. It was a great shield, but now we're stuck behind it," Heard told Allure magazine.

The actor, who will next be seen in Justice League, said she was warned by people in the film industry that coming out as a bisexual would cause damage to her career.

But she eventually dared her opponents and proved them wrong.

"Everyone told me: 'You cannot do this.' I had played opposite Nicolas Cage (in one movie), and in another I was playing opposite Johnny (Depp - ex-husband).

"And everyone said, 'You're throwing it all away. You can't do this to your career, and I said, 'I cannot do this any other way. Watch me'," she said.
Los Angeles: Disney has been sued for copyright infringement over the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Screenwriters Lee Alfred II and Ezequiel Martinez Jr and producer Tova Laiter, filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Colorado alleging that the studio committed "willful infringement of plaintiff's original copyrighted expression of themes, settings, dialogue, characters, plot, mood (and) sequence of events contained in an original spec screenplay entitled Pirates of the Caribbean."

The writers alleged they submitted the script to Disney executive Brigham Taylor in August 2000, while working on Red Hood project.

"The opportunity to have a major film studio, such as defendants, take a screenwriter's original spec screenplay and turn the work into a major motion picture is the ultimate dream. A Lee Alfred II and Ezequiel Martinez Jr almost realised that dream.

"... This dream quickly turned into a nightmare, when their original work, 'The Screenplay' was intentionally copied and commercially exploited by defendant's, creating a billion-dollar franchise, with no credit or compensation to Alfred or Martinez," states the lawsuit, according to Deadline.

However, the documents also state that Taylor had "suggested that the idea of a film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride had been suggested over the years.

"Themes, settings, plot, several characters, and dialogues from 'The Screenplay', some practically verbatim, have been copied by the defendants into Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and in every subsequent sequel, including the 2017 release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Opinion / Columnist

Zimbabwe's smart coup was engineered and conceived by Chinese and Iranian allies of both former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Commander of ZDF, Constantine Chiwenga well before the army seized power from the 93 year old veteran leader Cde R.G. Mugabe. The army boss went to Beijing where he held high profile meetings with Chinese officials from the Ministry of Defense. The Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted that General Chiwenga's visit was just a normal and routine visit. Earlier on, the crocodile personally travelled to Iran where he is alleged to have entered into an arms deal with Iranian arms dealers, it has emerged. However, the Iranian Government denied the allegations.The feared crocodile has several business interests in that Middle Eastern country. It is alleged that under the Iranian weapons deal, the "crocodile" purchased an assorted calibers of mortars and 107mm rockets designed to attack static targets and used by armies to support infantry units and shells for a 23mm anti-aircraft guns. Despite close and cordial relations between Tehran and Harare, Iran has a free and open arms trade policy. The sale of arms in Iran is strictly on commercial basis. It may be recalled that in 2010, the Gambian Government severed diplomatic ties with Iran after Nigerian security forces intercepted an arms cargo which was destined for Gambian rebels. The Iranian Government has been accused by the international community of funding, providing equipment, weapons, training and giving sanctuary to terrorists. The United States State Department describes Iran as an active state sponsor of terrorism. Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice elaborated stating "Iran has been the country that has been in many ways a kind of central banker for terrorism. Iran supports shia militias and militant groups that engage in insurgencies or terrorist acts, including the Iraqi shia in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the popular front for the liberation in Palestine, Hamas in Gaza and Houtis in Yemen among others. A 2007 UN Security Council resolution prohibited Iran from supplying, selling or transferring directly or indirectly from its territory or by its nationals any arms or related materials.The arms deal was calculated at augmenting the military takeover of the country. Currently, the Zimbabwean Treasury authorities are broke and the military is believed to be receiving budgetary support from Mnangagwa's personal funds.According to high ranking Government insiders, Tehran also agreed to supply Harare with advanced cyber-warfare weapons and technology, as the ruling Zanu-PF party is leaving no stone unturned in the fight against cyber terrorism, cyber crimes and social media platforms such as wassup, telegram, twitter and facebook. The new secret campaign is also said to be targeted at Diplomatic Missions, Non-Governmental Organizations and opposition political parties.The former Vice President has a considerable number of allies in the ranks and files of Foreign Affairs, CIO and the Military which made it easy for him to seize power from Mugabe with the assistance of Foreign Powers who now share the same view with the generality of Zimbabweans that the 93 year old leader is now a liability to the country.According to our Zanu PF Politbro sources, since 2007 Tehran, has been involved in massive training programs of Zimbabwe's Intelligence and Military operatives. Further information shows that the then National State Security Minister, Didymus Mutasa was instrumental in establishing the training programs, with assistance from Iranians. Mutasa, before being fired from Government and Zanu-PF, visited Iran in March 2010.Today President Mugabe was forced by the army to officiate at the Zimbabwe Open University graduation ceremony as international relations public posture. Mugabe has been reduced to a lame duck President with his key strategists from the G40 faction detained in military custody.Zimbabweans are happy, Police road blocks are now history in Zimbabwe, said one Zimbabwean Nationality interviewed in Harare today. The international community has not been that hostile to the "smart coup".Meanwhile, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veteran's Association Leader, Ambassador Chris Mutsvangwa has implored all Zimbabweans to attend a rally to be held at the Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfields, Harare (Saturday) in solidarity with the military which seized control of the country this week.
Actor George Clooney will direct and star in the drama miniseries Catch-22, making his return to television after 20 years.

The series is based on author Joseph Heller's 1961 novel of the same name, reported Variety. Set in Italy, the six-part series follows the story of Yossarian, a US Air Force bombardier who doesn not like the increasing number of flight missions being assigned. He is angered by a bureaucratic rule, Catch-22, which specifies that being concerned for ones safety is proof of sanity.

The 56-year-old actor will play the role Yossarian's commander Colonel Cathcart. Clooney and Grant Heslov, who serve as executive producer, will direct the limited series. The episodes for the series have been written by Luke Davies and David Michod, who are also executive producing the project.

Clooney's stint for a TV series was in medical drama E.R. in the early 1990s.
The year 2017 has been a spectacular one for the Telugu film industry at the box-office. However, off-screen, there has been no dearth of drama and controversies. First, it was the drug racket that rocked Tollywood with several actors, directors and technicians coming under the scanner, and then, an ugly war between fan clubs over the credibility of box-office numbers of big-ticket films. And just when everyone thought that all is well, the industry has once again been hit by a new controversy, thanks to the Nandi Awards which were announced by the Andhra Pradesh government earlier this week.

For the first time since the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the latter government announced the Nandi Award winners for the years 2014, 2015, and 2016. While the Nandi Awards for 2015 and 2016 didnt rock the boat as such, the list of winners for 2014 has turned into a major controversy and in less than 48 hours after the list was unveiled, allegations of political favours, casteism, and negligence are rife in the industry.

So, what happened in 2014 and why did the Nandi Awards issue spiral out of control? For the uninitiated, Race Gurram, Manam, Legend, Chandamama Kathalu, Oohalu Gusagusalaade, Drushyam, Run Raja Run, Geethanjali, Loukyam, Govindudu Andharivadele and Karthikeya were some of the noticeable releases of 2014. Among them, Manam, which had three generations from the Akkineni family including ANR, Nagarjuna, and Naga Chaitanya, along with Samantha and Shriya playing principal characters, went on to become a critical and commercial success. Race Gurram was the biggest hit of 2014, and Balakrishna-starrer Legend, which released just ahead of the 2014 general elections, too was a blockbuster.

The jury committee ended up choosing Legend for Best Feature Film over Manam (which was given second best feature film award), and also voted for Balakrishna as Best Actor, Boyapati Srinu as Best Director for Legend. On the whole, the film won eight awards, whereas Manam won four awards. Race Gurram, 2014s biggest hit, won two awards  Best Comedian (Brahmanandam), Best Male Dubbing Artiste. This choice, so to speak, has turned into a major controversy with a big section of movie buffs questioning the logic behind choosing Legend over Manam. Directed by Vikram Kumar, Manam was ANRs last film before he passed away and the film itself was praised for its story-telling, cinematography, music, direction among many other things upon its release.

A day after the awards were announced, when TV9 called two jury members  Prabhu and Prasanna Kumar  to take part in a televised debate over the awards controversy, their reasons behind why Legend was chosen over Manam left everyone baffled. Legend had a good message for society and the film also ran for almost 1170 days in one theatre. Compared to that, Manam is a film about reincarnation which doesnt meet certain criteria for the awards, said one jury member. No wonder, the jury became a laughing stock on social media. For the record, Legend was a political drama that had become a springboard for Balakrishna to compete in the 2014 elections from Hindupur constituency on behalf of TDP. He won with a huge margin.

Thats not all. Some people even highlighted a clear conflict of interest behind all this since Balakrishna himself was a member of the jury committee. However, when the list of committee members was announced, it had become evident that Balakrishna was part of the jury committee for NTR National Film Awards, BN Reddy, Nagireddy and Chakrapani National Film awards, and Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, but not in the jury committee for the Nandi awards. Perhaps, it comes as no surprise that director Boyapati Srinu, who had worked with Balakrishna on Simha and Legend  both of which were massive hits in Balakrishnas career  was bestowed with the prestigious BN Reddy Award 2016 for his contribution to cinema. He directed seven films in the past 12 years. He had also worked closely with the Andhra Pradesh government to organise the Godavari Pushkaralu in 2015.

Meanwhile, the makers of Race Gurram were downright upset about their film being sidelined completely by the jury committee. Producer Nallamalupu Bujji went on record saying, Race Gurram was the biggest hit of 2014, but it was completely ignored. Recently C Kalyan (producer) advised others to not make a huge issue out of these awards, and all I want to say is that he would know the pain of a filmmaker if he produces a hit film. I dont know if they were really serious about giving awards or just distributing them to those who are in favour of the government. It feels like a clear case of Kamma lobbying. Why didnt Prabhas win the Best actor award for Baahubali in 2015? Why was Allu Arjun given an award for Best Character Artiste? We look up to the Nandi Awards for recognition and its meant to encourage more filmmakers to make good films, but what has happened feels like an insult.

Bunny Vas, a close associate of Allu Arjun and Allu Arvind, didnt mince any words either. He alleged that the entire 'Mega family' (Megastar Chiranjeevis family) was given step-motherly treatment when it comes to the state awards. Mega familys movies contribute nearly 50 percent of the revenue in the Telugu film industry, but when it comes to support from the government, its always sidelined. Allu Arjuns Race Gurram was a huge hit, but the film was neglected. In the past, Pawan Kalyans Gabbar Singh too had met a similar fate. Back then, the jury had stated that it was a commercial film and hence, it wasnt considered for major awards; however, if we see the awards from 2014-16, nearly 75 percent of the awards were given to commercial films, Bunny Vas said.

On the other hand, Ram Gopal Varma took on the jury committees decision to give eight awards to Legend saying, The jury committee deserves an Oscar for their choice. In fact, if James Cameron hears about what Nandi Awards jury committee has done, he would give away all his 11 Oscars (which he won for Titanic) to Boyapati Srinu.

Perhaps, the most emotional response came from filmmaker Gunasekhar, who was visibly heartbroken that his passion project Rudhramadevi was ignored by the state government. Back in 2015, when his film was up for release, the Telangana government announced a tax exemption for the film since it highlighted the life of Queen Rudhramadevi, who was one of the most prominent rulers of the Kakatiya kingdom. However, the Andhra Pradesh government didnt announce any such tax exemption, although it changed its mind when Balakrishna-starrer Gautamiputra Satakarni, which was about the Satavahana Dynastys greatest emperor, released in early 2017.

In an open letter to the Andhra Pradesh government, Gunasekhar lambasted the jurys decision saying, Im dismayed with the governments choices for Nandi Awards and Im told that whoever questions the decision will be ineligible for the awards for the next three years. Are we living in an autocratic country or independent India? Why wasnt Rudhramadevi considered for one of the three Best Feature Film awards, despite its subject, which highlighted the achievements of a queen? Wasnt it even good enough for a jury award? Or did you think that it was pointless to give recognition to a film which brought alive a chapter of our history which was long forgotten? Or did you believe that youll send a wrong signal to the society by giving an award to such a film? If thats the case, then I sincerely apologise for making a film like Rudhramadevi.

If this wasnt embarrassing enough for the Andhra Pradesh government and the jury committees, producer Bandla Ganesh dubbed the awards as Cycle Awards while others called it Yellow Awards, referring to the party symbol and the colour of Telugu Desam Partys flag (Andhra Pradeshs current chief minister is Chandrababu Naidu, whos the head of TDP. And Balakrishna, actor and TDP MLA from Hindupur, is Chandrababu Naidus brother-in-law). Another filmmaker dissed the awards saying that the range of choices was quite tasty, which is a satire on the casteist subtext that several award winners belonged to the Kamma caste.

The controversy surrounding the awards will, perhaps, fade away in the next few days; however, the debate surrounding the Nandi awards, and almost every other award ceremony, sends a clear message that theres a desperate need to overhaul the selection process. Whats the criteria to win a state award? Should blockbuster films be chosen over others? Or should the government recognise those which were critically acclaimed? And how does a state award differ from one of the million other award shows? The Andhra Pradesh government isnt alone in facing this dilemma. Recently, the makers of Premam criticised the Kerala state government for ignoring their film. Similarly, the makers of Lunchbox were shocked when the Oscar committee chose to send The Good Road instead as Indias official entry to the Oscars a few years ago. Its not often that everyone agrees with a jurys decision; however, the controversy over the Nandi Awards brings up a far more important issue  Is it credible enough, anymore?

The day the government has answers for all these questions, then may not have to answer the burning question right now  Awards icchara, leka panchara? (Were the awards given or distributed among themselves?)
A PIL in Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the setting up of an expert committee of historians and social activists prior to the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama film Padmavati on 1 December.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Akhand Rashtrawadi Party said the committee headed by a retired Delhi High Court Judge should include a Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) member and ensure there were no "distortions" in historic facts in respect of Rani Padmavati of Chittorgarh.

The committee should ensure that no sentiments are hurt with the release of the film, said the plea.

"The petitioner has come to know from reliable sources that the movie portrayed the imaginary or fictitious character of Rani Padmavati and there is distortion of historic facts about her. No individual or a group has any right to play with the sentiments or emotions of any caste or community by distorting Indian history or a historic icon," said the plea.

The plea said the CBFC requires to examine/re-examine the movie's contents with the help of historians or authors with excellent knowledge of historic facts about Rani Padmavati, so that wrong or fictitious image of the queen will not go before people worldwide nor public sentiments hurt.

The PIL, filed through lawyer Puneesh Grover, made the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, producer Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, director-producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, movie's scriptwriter and the CBFC as respondents.
Actress Shay Mitchell, star of the concluded hit show Pretty Little Liars, is in India for a photo-shoot, and is making the most of her travels around Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. From the quintessential pilgrimage to the ethereal Taj Mahal to the streets of the blue walled city Jodhpur, Shay is on a self-titled Shaycation as reported by Mumbai Mirror.

WE A post shared by Shay Mitchell (@shaymitchell) on Nov 8, 2017 at 10:54pm PST

Early mornings call for extra coffee  A post shared by Shay Mitchell (@shaymitchell) on Nov 16, 2017 at 3:20pm PST

One more thing crossed off the bucket list, seeing the Blue City, Jodhpur. #modeliste @modelistemagazine A post shared by Shay Mitchell (@shaymitchell) on Nov 10, 2017 at 7:24pm PST

Who needs skydiving and roller coasters for an adrenaline rush Just come to India and take a leisurely drive in one of these jk- my favorite way to get around/ really the only way. A post shared by Shay Mitchell (@shaymitchell) on Nov 10, 2017 at 6:03pm PST

According to the report, apart from visiting Agra, she watched the Ganga aarti on the ghats of Varanasi, ate samosa and enjoyed rickshaw rides, and when she was not shooting, explored the by lanes of Jodhpur city. The Mirror has quoted her, "This place is overwhelming. Everywhere I look is a picture, a backdrop, a moment in time I will never forget," said Shay about the streets and towns of Uttar Pradesh.

The actress also noted her experiences in Varanasi as reported in the Mirror, she said, "Never in my life have I witnessed the cycle of life in such a raw form. The burning of pyres runs for 24 hours a day, all year long, just downstream from the bathing ghats. Estimates say 100,000 bodies of various cremations levels are tossed into the Ganges every year. Its also reported that she will next explore the Buddhist monuments and indulge in some good old shopping.
In a recently leaked CCTV footage, actor-turned-MLA Karunas, along with his friends and associates, was found getting into a brawl in Chennai last week.

The News Minute reports that a few minutes after Karunas got into the scuffle, he fell down and walked away. An FIR has been lodged at the MRC Nagar police station against Karunas' friends and the others involved in the fight. The FIR however, doesn't have Karunas' name in it.

A casual night out turned into a fist fight at a popular nightclub at MRC Nagar in Chennai, with actor-turned-politician Karunass associates getting involved in a brawl on Saturday night.

CCTV footage from the nightclub shows a heated argument cropped up between a few men and Karunas' associates. Once it turned more serious, one of his allies' was pushed by the other party which later got escalated into a fist fight and several punches and kicks were flung by both the parties.

It has also been reported that Karunas tried to pacify both the parties but he was pushed and he fell down. The inspector of MRC Nagar police station told the media that a complaint was filed on Sunday morning by a businessman named R Bharaneeshwaran, as stated in the same report.

R Bharaneeshwaran was later contacted by the media when he said, There is a group called Defenders, they are mostly advocates. There are two brothers Dhamodharan and Gopalakrishnan who are heading this. They all are part of Karunas party. I met Karunas at the club and then he introduced me to a person named Ajay and I shook hands with him. After which, I went back and sat on my seat when Dhamodharan came to me and said, Im defender Dhamodharan, Im the general secretary of Karunas party and Im the cousin of Ajay," he said, to The News Minute.

He said that he is coming to me and speaking and I cant respect him. So I said, do you want me to stand up and salute at you? He immediately started hitting me and badly abusing me. From the back, Ajay jumped at me and broke a bottle at me. I fell down. After I fell, they were hitting me. First, six to seven people came and hit me on my face, it was bleeding badly. The hotel management came and stopped the fight, he added, as per the same report.

Bharaneeshwaran was left injured after the fight and he is now under medication at a Chennai hospital.
Karthis Theeran Adhigaram Ondru, directed by H Vinoth, is one of the finest realistic cop stories in recent times. It is a well made movie based on a sensational and gruesome crime committed by organised roaming gangs that do not leave evidence, and in police records some of them remain unsolved.

A super-cop film has always been a favourite for larger-than-life Tamil stars. All top stars have an affinity to don the khakee and have done this role umpteen times in commercial movies. Karthi too has done a commercial cop character in his super hit film Siruthai. However, there is an ocean difference between the two films, as the script of Theeran Adhigaram Ondru is based on real life, raw scenes brimming with drama.

Karthi holds the film together as a gritty and dedicated police officer who takes on the dacoit gang.

The story starts right as the credits roll. An organised gang of hooded dacoits loot and murder residents of highway farm houses in Tamil Nadu. The gang leaves no clues behind, and the police go around in circles and at times close the case. Enter Theeran Thirumaran (Karthi)  a young and idealistic cop  after a local MLAs farm house is ravaged by the dacoits. Theeran painstakingly starts investigating the case and finds out that it is the handiwork of a criminal gang operating in Northern India.

What makes Theeran Adhiragam Ondru crackling is that it is not your regular formulaic cop story.

In fact our hero takes a lot of time and uses his brain more than his brawn to finally nail the culprits. But at the end it is only a Pyrrhic victory as he loses everything in life to nab the deadly gang. It is an honest film, well researched and documented, that is able to strike a chord with the audiences.

The film is very different in tone and presentation. The makers authentically portray the functioning of police and how they investigate. They have also shown us the practical difficulties in arresting criminals who operate outside the state without much commercial glorification or melodrama.

The only commercial compromise Vinoth has made is to have a romantic plot for the hero for the regular family moments, comedy and background songs. In fact Rakul Preet Singh as Priya is a sweet, traditional and homely Tamizh ponnu  the romantic interest of the Theeran. Karthi and Rakul have good chemistry in the lighter moments in the film. But beyond a point the romance and her character gets irritating, and slows down the pace in the second half.

Meanwhile, the villains look raw and real and Abhimanyu Singh as the deadly dacoit is terrific. Bose Venkat as Karthis assistant has a meaty role.

Dhilip Subburayans action scenes especially in the desserts of Rajasthan are superbly choreographed and Sathyan Sooryan's camera work is in sync with the story including the grey tone. Ghibrans music and background score creates the gritty feel but at times a bit too loud. On the downside, the film is too long at 2 hours and 37 minutes and needs some trimming.

Nonetheless, kudos to director Vinoth and Karthi for taking the road less travelled in a commercial cop story. Theeran Adhiragam Ondru is an engaging watch.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A key round of talks to update the NAFTA trade pact formally opened on Friday with Canada and Mexico seeking to show more flexibility about addressing hard line U.S. demands that they had previously dismissed as unworkable. A NAFTA banner is seen during the fifth round of NAFTA talks involving the United States, Mexico and Canada, in Mexico City, Mexico November 17, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos JassoU.S. President Donald Trump, who says the North American Free Trade Agreement is a disaster, has frequently threatened to ditch the pact unless big changes are made. There is relatively little time left to thrash out a deal under the current schedule. Negotiators met in Mexico City for the fifth of seven planned rounds that are due to wrap up by the end of March to avoid affecting Mexicos presidential election. Were just getting started. Theres a long ways to go. Its a challenging negotiation, chief Canadian negotiator Steve Verheul told reporters. Canadian and Mexican officials initially indicated they would simply not discuss contentious U.S. proposals such as a five-year sunset clause, and boosting the North American content of autos to 85 percent from the current 62.5 percent. The focus in Mexico City would be on making arguments to the U.S. side as to why their proposals as written would not work, a Canadian government source said. Canada, the source added, was happy to discuss so-called rules of origin governing auto content but insisted the 85 percent figure was impossible. Canadian sources said on Thursday they were open to a Mexican proposal to review NAFTA every five years rather than the U.S. plan to bring in a sunset clause that would automatically terminate the deal if it was not renegotiated. Canada and Mexico both send a large majority of their goods to the United States and prefer the treaty continue rather than deal with the economic disruption caused by a U.S. withdrawal. SENDING A MESSAGE A security guard stands next to a NAFTA banner during the fifth round of NAFTA talks involving the United States, Mexico and Canada, in Mexico City, Mexico November 17, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos JassoThat said, Mexico has stepped up its efforts this year to find alternative markets. Mexicos Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Friday to emphasize openness to doing business with nations other than the United States. At the same time as we carry out this negotiation process, Mexico is expanding its commercial horizons, Videgaray told a news conference. A senior official in Mexicos foreign ministry said the remarks were intended to send a message to Washington that we dont depend on them. A Mexican official said the United States needed to make clear what it hoped to achieve with tougher rules of origin, given the difficulty of raising the threshold. Noting that 85 percent North American content was not feasible, the official said Mexico did not want a rupture to occur in the talks. However, the official added that the North American auto industry has previously argued in favor of lowering the figure to improve its competitiveness with foreign rivals. Washington also wants NAFTA to set a 50 percent minimum U.S. content requirement for autos, which Canada and Mexico say cannot work. Once (the Americans) have explained all that, we can see about finding common ground, the Mexican official said. A schedule for the fifth round seen by Reuters showed rules of origin would be discussed beginning Saturday during the four final days of the talks. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said killing NAFTA meant manufacturing states would lose hundreds of thousands of jobs that depend on trade with Canada and Mexico, with automotive-intensive Michigan topping the list with 366,000 jobs put at risk. The Peterson Institute for International Economics said on Friday around 187,000 direct export-focused manufacturing jobs would disappear, with the highest concentration in autos.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indias state oil refiners are planning an aggressive push into natural gas in coming years to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modis goal of making the fuel a bigger part of the countrys energy mix. An Indian Oil tanker driver waits outside a fuel depot in Mumbai, India, October 6, 2017. REUTERS/ Danish SiddiquiState-owned oil companies - Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum - are planning to raise gas contributions to between 5 and 15 percent of their incomes over the next few years, up from nearly none now, company executives said. This in line with a government target to raise the natural gas portion of Indias primary energy mix to 15 percent by 2030, up from 6.5 percent now, to help meet climate targets and rein in rampant pollution. The increase would come mostly at the expense of coal, which is dirtier than gas and is Indias most-used energy source. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports will cover the greater part of the growth, although the government also hopes to recover untapped domestic reserves off its east coast. Gas is an important part of our portfolio going forward, M.K. Surana, chairman of HPCL told Reuters, noting that the government push was expediting the development of gas in India. With China, Pakistan and Bangladesh also increasing gas use, the surge in Asian demand is expected to help eat up a global glut of LNG supplies by 2021-2022. BPCL, another leading Indian refiner, sees natural gas pulling in 5 to 10 percent of its overall revenue in less than a decade, from barely any now, its director of refineries, R. Ramachandran, told Reuters. The state oil companies plans involve building LNG import terminals and domestic pipelines, and bidding to set up urban gas networks across potential major demand centres, particularly in the eastern part of the country. Indias natural gas consumption is expected to rise to 70 billion cubic metres (bcm) by 2022 and 100 bcm by 2030, according to a government think tank and the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, up from 50 bcm now. India burns just 7 percent of what top user the United States consumes in a year with about a quarter of Indias population. At 100 bcm, India would move into the top 10 of global natural gas consumers at current consumption figures. A Bharat Petroleum oil pump station displays the price of unleaded petrol (0.89$) and Diesel (0.66$) as a pedestrian walks past in New Delhi, India, February 3, 2016. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/FilesBIG PLANS India needs to invest an estimated $100 billion in natural gas infrastructure by 2022, according to Oil Ministry figures, including setting up a gas grid across 228 cities. A major chunk of this investment would come from the state oil companies. HPCL, soon to be taken over by state-owned explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp, is planning to expand its natural gas businesses via joint ventures, including its city gas distribution unit. BPCL said it has also gone after city gas licenses and secured rights to supply gas to households and vehicles in four cities starting 2016/2017. Both BPCL and HPCL - which are also separately looking to set up LNG import terminals - declined to say how much they are investing in their moves towards gas. The biggest challenge preventing more gas use so far has been a lack of infrastructure, mainly gas pipelines and regasification terminals. Still, India is already the worlds fourth-largest importer of LNG, behind Japan, South Korea and China. Last year, India imported about 19 million tonnes of LNG, or 25 bcm, up around 15 percent over the previous year, according to government data. There is a clear push from the government ... (and) a genuine belief ... they can push the gas economy idea, said Rahool Panandiker, a partner at Boston Consulting Group. Indias biggest refiner, Indian Oil, told Reuters in October that it aims to generate 15 percent of its revenues from natural gas businesses in five years. The nations appetite for gas and the government push to build infrastructure has also pushed Reliance Industries and its partner in India, BP Plc, to relook at their dormant gas marketing business.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP on Thursday hit out at Farooq Abdullah for his remarks that 70 years had passed but India could not get back PoK, saying that it was the NC chiefs father Sheikh Abdullah who convinced first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to announce a unilateral ceasefire when the Indian Army was poised to liberate PoK.

State Spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir BJP Anil Gupta said the wavering stand and conflicting statements of Abdullah, MP and president of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, were pushing the Kashmiri youth towards extremism.

"The lingering fear of Kashmiri speaking Muslims becoming a minority and Sheikh Abdullah virtually losing the race to Premiership to some non-Kashmiri speaking leader made Sheikh convince the then prime minister Nehru to announce a unilateral ceasefire, when Indian Army was poised to liberate the remaining parts of the state, resulting in creation of PoJK," he said.

"Rather than liberating POJK as promised by his father and the unanimous resolution passed by Indian Parliament, Abdullah has meekly submitted to the Pak narrative which has added to the confusion of Kashmiri youth," he said.

Gupta said Abdullahs recent statements have added to the confusion of Kashmiri youth who are already faced with a dilemma of politics versus religion.

"Let down by politicians like Farooq and other members of his bandwagon, they are gravitating towards radicalisation. Terrorists like Zakir Musa are emerging as new icons. The reality is that disillusioned Kashmiri youth is looking for direction," he added.

The BJP leader said that the youth wanted to join the national mainstream but when leaders like Abdullah parrot the Pakistani leaders and make pro-Pakistan statements, they are compelled to re-think.

"After the prime minister of Pakistan denounced the concept of "Azadi" for Kashmir, he also came out with a ditto statement unmindful of his earlier statements on the subject," he said.

Gupata said Abdullah was repeatedly talking of Pakistan as a nuclear nation, giving credence to the statements of Pakistan political and military leadership resorting to nuclear blackmail of India.

"Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence and not war- fighting, Abdullah should stop creating fear psychosis among the common masses," he said.
New Delhi: Accusing Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of misleading the public over pollution in the NCR, the BJP on Friday said it will approach the Supreme Court over non-utilisation of green cess by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and thus "violating" court order.

"Our party will move a contempt plea in the Supreme Court on the issue of non-utilisation of environmental cess fund," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari told reporters.

Tiwari said the Delhi government had issued a notification on 20 October, 2015, in accordance with Supreme Court directive to impose the cess on all goods vehicles entering Delhi.

The government was expected to give quarterly accounts of the cess collected to the Supreme Court, he said.

The BJP leader alleged that the fund was to be used for improvement in public transport system, cleaning and repairing roads, but Kejriwal neither gave any record of collected funds to the Supreme Court not use the same for its intended purpose.

The AAP government has came under attack from opposition after a Right to Information reply revealed non-utilisation of Rs 787 crore collected as environmental cess in 2017.

The Delhi government, in a reply to RTI activist Sanjeev Jain, said it received Rs 50 crore in 2015, Rs 387 crore in 2016, and Rs 787 crore as environment cess from 1 January to 30 September in 2017.

The Kejriwal government said it had spent Rs 93 lakh of the cess in 2016, but there was "no mention of any expenditure" in 2017.

Tiwari also accused the ruling AAP of trying to privatise bus services in the city.

"The government tried to approve a proposal on privatisation in the name of a premium app-based bus service but was withdrawn due to strong opposition by the BJP," Tiwari said.

Leader of the Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said: "The Kejriwal government has announced several times to purchase new buses. But the operational fleet of Delhi Transport Corporation has depleted."

"DTC staff is facing difficulties in getting wages/salaries and the government is pushing the corporation into a financial crisis only for political gains," Gupta said.

Gupta alleged mismanagement in DTC bus depots and said that despite a parking space for about 1,500 buses in four rural bus depots at Ghumanhera, Dichaukalan, Narela, and Bawana, only 163 buses were being parked there.

Gupta said the government had put forth a proposal to buy 2,000 new buses but these will not ply on roads before December 2018.
Australia Said "Yes" To Marriage Equality, But The Fight Isn't Over Yet

Over the past three months, every Australian on the federal electoral roll was mailed a letter by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Inside, a survey form asked a simple question: "Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?" On Wednesday, November 15, the results were revealed: 61 percent of the population voted to change the law to allow same-sex marriage, with 38 percent voting against. This decisive majority seems like a win for the queer community and their allies, paving the way for equal rights. More than 12.7 million people across the country, or 79.5% of the population, took part in the survey with every state and territory returning a majority "yes." Parties were held across the country to celebrate, and the joy was tangible on social media. After years of campaigning by activists, which became particularly intense over recent months as the survey was sent out, Australians made their voices clearly heard in favor of equality.

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But the real issue is that Australia's LGBT+ community never wanted this survey in the first place. For a start, it was just that: a survey. It was not required to participate and has no legally-binding implications, and only reported what had already been found in countless other polls. At a cost of US$100 million, the marriage equality survey was, at best, a stalling tactic by conservative members of the government and, at worst, a last-ditch attempt to oppress the queer community. In fact, the change in law would not have even been necessary if the marriage act hadn't been amended in 2004 to specifically exclude same-sex couples. A group of same-sex marriage advocates took the government to Australia's High Court in an attempt to prevent the survey, but their case was dismissed in a unanimous decision.

An even more pressing concern was that the "No" campaign would use divisive and cruel rhetoric in an attempt to influence the vote and, unsurprisingly, this fear became reality. Rainbow flags were sprayed with Nazi symbols in Brisbane and "No" advertisements claimed same-sex marriage would lead to "radical gay sex" education in schools. One pamphlet compared gay relationships to the dysfunction of a seatbelt with two sides the same, reading, Its biology not bigotry, and fliers calling homosexuality a tragedy of a family, appeared throughout Australia's big cities. This homophobia was not restricted to fringe groups but played out in government chambers and across social and traditional media.

In September, some mental health support groups reported a spike of up to 20 percent in demand for advice related to LGBT+ issues since the postal survey became government policy. Subsequently, five of these mental health groups released a campaign in favor of same-sex marriage, claiming the reform could prevent up to 3,000 high school suicide attempts every year. From questions from well-meaning friends and family members to outright confrontation with strangers, queer people shouldered the majority of the burden. A queer friend told me that, more than anything, she was exhausted by the constant discussion of whether or not she should have equal rights.

The controversy around the campaign reached fever pitch when ex-Prime Minister Tony Abbott claimed to have been head-butted by a "Yes" campaigner. Around the same time, another ex-Prime Ministers godson posted photos of his bloodied face, allegedly the result of being attacked by a "No" campaigner. In an incident verging on the absurd, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce had a lemon meringue pie shoved in his face by a "No" protestor. Macklemore stepped into the chaos by performing "Same Love" at the National Rugby League Grand Final, in the face of a viral petition that attempted to ban the song from politicizing the event. But despite all this manufactured and homophobic panic, the majority of Australians were determined to show their support for the queer community by voting "Yes."

So what's next for Australia? Politicians have already begun discussing the specifics of the same-sex marriage bill. However, even ahead of the release of the results, conservative politicians inside the Australian parliament were indicating they would attempt to draw out the process. Conservative senator James Paterson proposed and then abandoned a marriage bill allowing wide-ranging discrimination against same-sex weddings, and has now declared his intention to seek a series of amendments to the bill introduced by Senator Dean Smith. This bill is likely to be the one that passes parliament but first, it will be debated, as multiple senators have expressed concerns about the extent of protection of "religious freedoms."

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Throughout this protracted process, the majority of Australians have continued to say "Yes" to equality. The postal survey was insulting, unnecessary and expensive, but at least it's over. It's time to legislate for real change and treat queer Australians with the respect they deserve.

Header image via Flickr/Paris Buttfield-Addison.



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Molly McLaughlin is a travel and culture writer currently based in Mexico City. Her work has appeared in publications including Lonely Planet, Refinery29 and Ms. Magazine. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @mollysgmcl.
Mumbai: Apparently spurred into cutting red-tape by the recent stampede at Elphinstone Road station, the Central Railways (CR) has managed to award a tender for the construction of a foot-over bridge (FOB) within 24 hours.

This new FOB, estimated to cost Rs 2.97 crore, will come up at the Mumbai CSMT-end of Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), from where long-distance trains originate.

CR officials said work on the FOB began on Thursday.

"The CR has created a record in finalising a tender in 24 hours for a new foot-over bridge at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus," Chief PRO Sunil Udasi said.

"The tender for the construction of this FOB opened on 14 November and was finalised on the same day. The acceptance letter was issued and physically handed over to the contractor immediately," Udasi added.

Udasi informed that work on the FOB commenced from 16 November and it was likely to be completed within six months.

Giving details of the FOB, Udasi said the bridge would be 6-metre wide and connect all five platforms at Kurla LTT.

Twenty-three people were killed in a stampede that occurred on a narrow bridge that connects Elphinstone Road station on the Western Railway with Parel on the Central Railway in September-end.
Beijing: India and China on Friday held their first meeting on the border consultation and coordination mechanism after the Doka La standoff and reviewed the situation in all the sectors of their border and exchanged views on enhancing CBMs and military contacts.

The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing, a press release from the Indian Embassy said.

The WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas.

It was established to deal with the tensions over recurring border incursions as well as to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation, including between the border security personnel.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Friday's talks were held in a constructive and forward-looking manner, the release said.

Both sides reviewed the situation in all sectors of India-China border and agreed that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is an important prerequisite for sustained growth of bilateral relations, it said.

The two sides also exchanged views on further confidence building measures (CBMs) and strengthening of military-to-military contacts, it said.

The talks between the delegations headed by Pranay Verma, Joint Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs and Xiao Qian, Director General, Department of Asian Affairs, were the first such dialogue between the two countries after the 72-day-long standoff at Doka La in the Sikkim section.

The standoff which began in mid-June ended on 28 August after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's Chicken Neck corridor. India objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by the Chinese troops in the area also claimed by Bhutan.

This is the first round of talks between the two countries after Chinese president Xi Jinping began his second five-year term as the chief of the ruling Communist Party of China last month.

Friday's talks took place ahead of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's planned to visit to India to take part in the Russia, India and China (RIC) foreign ministers meeting expected to be held in New Delhi next month.

Chinese officials earlier said Wang is expected to meet his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj as well as top Indian leaders.

The contentious issues bedevilling both the countries, including the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as well as Bejing's veto blocking UN listing of JeM leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist are expected to be discussed during Wang's talks with Indian leaders.

Ahead of the talks, Chinese officials have expressed optimism that differences over the listing of Azhar by China in the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council may be resolved soon. China has blocked India's application last year and vetoed a similar resolution sponsored by the US, the UK and France twice this year.

Also the 20th round of India-China border talks headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, who are the designated Special Representatives, are expected to be held in New Delhi next month.

The dates for both RIC and border talks are yet to be announced.

The Special Representatives were also mandated to discuss all issues related to India-China relations. The delegations at today's talks comprised of diplomatic and military officials from each side.

The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the WMCC at a mutually convenient time, the release said.
Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Thursday revised the dengue toll in the state to 38 before the Calcutta High Court and claimed that the media was sensationalising the issue by creating a situation "out of nothing".

Advocate General (AG) Kishore Dutta submitted before a division bench of Acting Chief Justice J Bhattacharya and Justice Arijit Banerjee that 23 people had died of the vector-borne disease in the state-run hospitals and another 15 in private facilities since January.

The private hospitals had reported 40 dengue deaths, of which 15 had been confirmed, the AG submitted, adding that another 22 cases were being verified, while three were rejected.

Questioning the maintainability of the public interest litigation (PIL) petitions filed with regard to the alleged dengue outbreak in the state, the AG said the petitioners had relied on newspaper reports and not on any independent research.

He claimed that the media reports were attempting to "sensationalise" the issue and giving out the death toll and numbers of affected people without "proper verification".

"A situation has been created out of nothing. Dengue is nothing new, it occurs worldwide", Dutta said.

The bench said it was not an adversarial litigation, but a social issue which had to be addressed accordingly.

The AG said around 1.3 lakh people had been tested for dengue at government facilities in the state and of them, around 21,000 had been confirmed to be suffering from the disease.

Private hospitals have reported treating 6,000 dengue patients, Dutta said, adding that these figures pertained to the period between 1 January and 15 November this year.

Additional Solicitor General Kaushik Chanda, representing the Centre, told the court that he himself was treated for dengue at a private hospital before Durga Puja, but his release certificate showed that he had suffered from a viral fever.

The petitioners have alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state is hiding the actual figures of those affected by dengue and prayed for a direction to it to submit the actual number of people who died of the disease and those found to be suffering from it.

The state government had, in an affidavit to the high court on November 9, stated that the spurt in dengue cases could have been caused by the abrupt behaviour of the climate, combined with a huge movement of people during the long holiday season in October.

The affidavit by the state Director of Health Services (DHS), Biswa Ranjan Satpathy, had said 19 people had died of the fever, while 18,135 had been affected in the state since 1 January to 9 November.
Air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) showed no improvement on Friday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the "very poor" category. The US embassy put the figure for Friday at 299 at 7 am.

In central Delhi, the Lodhi Road monitoring station put the PM10 levels at 246 and the PM2.5 levels at 347, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). The situation was almost as bad in south Delhi, with PM10 levels at 242 and PM2.5 levels at 357 on Mathura Road.

Similar situations prevailed near the airport, where the levels were at 211 and 339 for PM10 and PM2.5 respectively. North Delhi was more of the same, with Pitampura reporting 227 and 341.

AQI on Thursday was at 362

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) will take a decision on banning construction activities and the Delhi government's plea for exemptions to the odd-even traffic scheme on Friday.

On Thursday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded AQI of Delhi-NCR at 362 at 6 pm as compared to 353 on Wednesday. Weather monitoring stations of the CPCB at DTU and Anand Vihar stations found air quality in those areas in the "severe" bracket, while other 17 stations in the capital showed air quality in the "very poor" category. AQI for neighbouring Noida and Gurugram was found to be "severe" on Thursday.

The major pollutant PM2.5 or particles with diametre less than 2.5 micro metres, recorded 362 units putting it in "very poor" category while PM10 concentration was found at 281 units  considered "poor".

While the Supreme Court-monitored Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) lifted its ban on entry of trucks and on construction activities in Delhi, the ban on construction activities was to remain in force as the NGT did not pass any order in this regard on Thursday.

Pollution levels predicted to rise

EPCA member and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) researcher Usman Nasim told IANS the pollution levels in the region may go up in the coming days due to climatic conditions. "Pollution may increase in next few days due to withdrawal of north-west winds. As wind speed goes down, pollution levels to go up. As per SAFAR, AQI will remain in very poor quality," Nasim said.

He said the major contributing factor would be local vehicular emissions, and an increase in the moisture would aggravate it. He added that stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana had "almost" ended.

Nasim warned that certain actions from EPCA may come again, in case AQI enters the severe category.

EPCA had imposed restrictions under the "severe-plus" or "emergency" category of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on 7 November, after a thick yellow blanket of smog covered Delhi due to the cumulative effect of stubble burning in neighbouring states and meteorological reasons.

Under the "severe-plus" category, movement of trucks in Delhi was stopped, construction work was banned, odd-even scheme for vehicles was imposed and schools were shut.

The very-poor GRAP comes into effect at a time when PM2.5 levels are between 121-250 units and PM10 levels are between 351-430 units. Under very-poor, diesel generator sets are also banned and motor parking fees are hiked to discourage private cars on roads.

On Thursday, the EPCA lifted the restrictions following improvement in the air quality.

As NGT deferred its decision on odd-even scheme to Friday, construction activity would remain suspended till further notice. "As far as construction is concerned, it will not be allowed since the NGT ban is there," Nasim said.

According to the report, titled 'India State-level Disease Burden' and released by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, indoor air pollution is having an adverse impact on India's health. "The contribution of air pollution to disease burden remained high in India between 1990 and 2016, with levels of exposure among the highest in the world," it said.

With inputs from IANS

Click here to get LIVE updates on air pollution in Delhi
High level of air pollution in Delhi has affected the health of the Costa Rican envoy in New Delhi, prompting her to retreat to Bengaluru.

Ambassador of Costa Rica to India Mariela Cruz Alvarez appealed to the people, saying the "blue planet is crying" due to pollution.

In a personal blog post, she said, "This past week the levels of pollution in Delhi reached impossible numbers. The consequences of breathing this air I had no idea-until I reached Bangalore and my system collapsed."

The post was written last week on 10 November. She wrote another piece highlighting the environmental concern.

"What happened last week in Delhi was her voice speaking to the whole world. Headlines spoke about poisonous air, doctors claim the city was to be evacuated. I was there as millions watched how we breathed her hideous fumes."

"But they are not hers only even though she is taking the blame for all. The pollution comes from a blue planet that is crying," Alvarez said.

The envoy, in her emotion-laden post appealed to the society and humanity to listen to the cry of the planet.

"Factories expelling poison into her in exchange for money and conveniently forgetting about their environmental responsibility. Those who charge us with their profits in exchange for our healths and well-being, brainwashing us into futile needs that are superficial and empty.

"Those who don't care about children or anybody. Those who think they will be able to eat their bills when there is no more clean water or breathable air. Those who are patenting life as if they were gods," she said.

"India I love you and I'm here to tell the world you are not alone," she added.

"I'm not a visitor, I'm yours also. My voice is there to claim justice because we are all responsible for your pain."

"I could have planted more trees and consumed less plastic. I could walk more and ride my car less. I could have used less electricity and eaten less processed food in the past. But I chose to be selfish. I chose to look the other way," she said.

"I'm as guilty as anyone in this country because the atmosphere is one for all. What happens in America affects Asia and the rest of the world. We are all in this together and those who choose the other way will keep their denial going," the envoy said.

According to The Indian Express report, on Tuesday, Alvarez posted a video message saying she took her medicines and was feeling better, as she was recuperating in the lush green surroundings in south India.

I am sick with this poison as thousands are around the world in big cities India is doing us all a favour, me in particular. I was in denial, I saw climate change as a subject in my Masters degree or as a problem for others, hidden in my cocoon. My Costa Rica a paradise and I never experienced the damage that is happening worldwide in such a clear way, The Indian Express quoted Alvarez's blog post as saying.

Alvarez, according an NDTV report, in a Facebook post, said if there was a "flood or an earthquake" in Delhi, the authorities will move "fast". "But since the poisoning is not deadly today, the headlines go out and then die. And everyone stays the same, passively lingering in a stagnant atmosphere that is killing their brains also and won't let them think sharply and take action."

On Thursday, News18 reported that due to smog situation in Delhi, many diplomats already left or were planning to leave the national capital. The report added that most embassies were reporting an increased number of sick leaves among its staff. Some foreign missions were also considering whether to ask their governments to declare Delhi as a hardship posting.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that Delhi's Lieutenant Governor (L-G) has more power than the Governor of a state as he does not have to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers all the time.

It said that the governor of a state has to more or less act on the aid and advice of the government expect in the case of discretion that could be exercised by the office.

The Delhi government claimed that the L-G cannot govern Delhi, has no role in the affairs of the national capital. It is only the council of ministers, headed by the chief minister, which can govern, it said.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that under Article 163, the governor has to act on the aid and advice of the council of minister except in the case where he has to exercise his discretion. The court is hearing a batch of pleas on who enjoys supremacy in governing the national capital, referred to in Article 239AA of the Constitution.

"The language of Article 163 is similar to Article 239AA sub clause 4 but the only difference is that the Legislative Assembly cannot make laws with respect to entries 1, 2 and 18 in which the LG can exercise his discreation. Thus, the L-G has more power than a governor of state," a bench also comprising justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan said.

It said land, police and public orders fall in the domain of the Centre and the Delhi Assembly cannot make laws with regard to these subject.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan, appearing for the Delhi government, said that Article 239AA and the GNCTD Act of 1991, made it clear that the L-G is just a delegatee of the President and can only act on his own in case of an urgency. "The L-G cannot run Delhi. He has no role to run the affairs of Delhi. That role is assigned to the council of ministers headed by the chief minister. Nowhere in the Constitution such power has been given to the L-G," he said.

Dhawan questioned as how can the L-G say that this officer will stay in a particular department or the officer needs to be transferred to another department. "Delhi does not have its own public service commission though it has power to establish one but still it has not done so. The officers posted in Delhi are from all-India cadres of the IAS, IPS and IRS and they listen to the directions of the L-G," Dhawan said.

He said that the LG can interfere in the affairs of Delhi only in two cases  if the state government crosses its powers or if Delhi is under some kind of a threat.

Dhawan cited the Jat agitation when lakhs of people from Rajasthan and other adjoining states poured in the national capital. "The LG can't pick and choose from the wide canvas of Delhi's various allocations of business. If there is some disagreement between the council of ministers and the LG over some issue, then it has to be resolved through negotiations and if that too fails, then the President has to take a call," he said.

The senior lawyer further said that there were instances when same parties ruled at the Centre and in Delhi and at that time simple request was enough to get the work done, but now different parties are at the helm and they are at loggerheads.

The AAP government said that the aid and advice of the council of ministers has some meaning and it is not limited since it is from the elected representatives of the people. Dhawan said that land, public order and police are with the central government but it cannot be stated that the Delhi government has no say. He cited the violence at Ramlila Maidan that took place during a protest led by yoga guru Ramdev against black money in 2011 and said in those cases when there is threat, chaos and law and order problem, the L-G can step in.

To this, the bench said that there cannot be any disagreement over the subjects like land, police or public orders which fall within the domain of the Centre and not the Assembly. It said that allocation of the business rules does not confer absolute power to the government and they have to work through the provisos. The apex court had on Wednesday said the Constitution provided restrictions on the legislative powers of the Union Territory of Delhi.

The AAP government had told the court that Parliament's power to override legislative authority of the states was an "emergency" power.

The apex court had said that with regard to Delhi's legislative powers, the state and concurrent lists have been merged into one where both the state and Union have legislative powers. Earlier, the apex court had raised a question whether the constitutional scheme on division of executive powers between the Centre and the states can be made applicable to Delhi.

The court is hearing a batch of appeals filed by the AAP government challenging the Delhi High Court verdict holding that the L-G was the administrative head of the national capital.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said that it has summoned RJD chief Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav in connection with a money laundering probe into the 2006 Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotel maintenance contract case.

An Enforcement Directorate official, confirming the dates of the summons, said: "We have summoned Tejashwi and Rabri Devi on 20 and 24 November respectively."

On 13 November, the financial probe agency had questioned Tejashwi Yadav, for the second time for over eight-and-a-half hours.

He was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for over nine hours on 10 October.

Rabri Devi, against whom the Enforcement Directorate has issued seven summons, has not testified before the agency for questioning in the case.

The Enforcement Directorate is probing financial irregularities in the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Tejashwi, his father and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad and other family members.

On 27 July, the Enforcement Directorate had registered a case under the PMLA following an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and is probing the trail of funds allegedly transferred through shell companies.

The CBI registered a corruption case on 5 July against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav for alleged irregularities in the allotment of contracts for two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006 to a private firm when the RJD chief was the Railway Minister.

The contracts were given to Sujata Hotels, a company owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochhar, allegedly in lieu of bribe in the form of a plot of prime land in Bihar, the CBI said.

Apart from Ahluwalia Contractors' promoter Bikramjeet Singh Ahluwalia, who has also been questioned in the case, former Union minister Prem Chand Gupta's wife Sarla Gupta and then IRCTC Managing Director PK Goel are also accused in the case.
Lucknow: Amid Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's attempts to mediate on the Ayodhya dispute, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said everyone knows where talks would lead, especially when the Supreme Court is going to hear the matter from 5 December on a day-to-day basis.

"The Supreme Court is going to hear the matter on a day-to-day basis from 5 December. Everyone knows where the talks would lead... Had the solution (to the dispute) been possible, it would have been reached earlier," he told reporters.

"Even after this, if someone initiates talks there is no harm. The government is not a party to this. In my first visit to Ayodhya, I had said that if both the parties reach consensus on the issue, the government could consider. The government cannot take an initiative in this regard as the matter is before the Supreme Court," he added.

On his meeting with the Art of Living founder on Wednesday, Adityanath said, "See we did not have any discussion on the matter (Ayodhya dispute). It was a courtsey meeting as he was known to me and had arrived in Lucknow."

Ravi Shankar had on Wednesday met Adityanath but said he had no proposal yet to discuss with the stakeholders. His offer for mediating in the dispute has received a tepid and skeptical response from key protagonists on both sides, with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) voicing reservations about his role.

When his attention was drawn to comments by some Muslim leaders rejecting his proposal to resolve the dispute, Ravi Shankar had on Wednesday said he had no proposal at the moment so any question of rejection does not arise.

"Neither have I given any proposal nor have I got it from anyone," he had said. Ravi Shankar is apparently exploring ways for a reconciliation between the warring parties locked in the protracted legal dispute over the land on which the Babri mosque stood before being pulled down in 1992.

The VHP and the AIMPLB have, however, rejected the relevance of mediation efforts by Ravi Shankar. "It is being said that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is talking to all the stakeholders in the case but he has not yet contacted the top leadership of All India Muslim Personal Law Board which is leading the Muslim side," AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani said.

He said Ravi Shankar had made a similar move to resolve the dispute some 12 years ago and concluded that the site be handed over to Hindus.

The VHP too appeared dismissive, saying no dialogue on the issue was needed as courts go by evidence and archaeological evidence was in favour of Hindus.

"There is no relevance of the (recent) clamour for agreement over Ram Janmabhoomi after the archaeological evidences in this regard have been found to be in favour of Hindus... the courts go by evidence," regional spokesman for the VHP Sharad Sharma said in a statement.

A bench headed by the then Chief Justice JS Khehar had said in March that such religious issues can be resolved through negotiations and offered to mediate to arrive at an amicable settlement.
Hyderabad: A five-year-old boy was allegedly hit by his teacher with a stick at a private school in Tarnaka area in Hyderabad on Thursday, police said.

The boy, a UKG student, was taken to a hospital for treatment, they said.

In a complaint, the boy's father said the teacher hit his son with a stick on his back, Osmania University police station Inspector V Ashok Reddy said.

Following the complaint, police registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and were questioning the teacher, he said.

The boy was later taken to a hospital, Reddy said.

The boy had allegedly beaten up some of his classmates and to control him, the teacher apparently hit him, the police official said, citing preliminary investigation.
New Delhi: Joint India-Bangladesh Training Exercise "Sampriti 2017", which was being conducted at Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte in Mizoram, culminated on Thursday with a validation exercise.

It was the seventh such exercise in the Sampriti series. The 13-day-long field training exercise commenced on 6 November.

The exercise was aimed at strengthening and broadening the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between the Indian and Bangladesh armies, an official statement said.

The final exercise was reviewed by Major General Mohammed Moshfequr Rahman of the Bangladesh Army and Major General MS Ghura of the Indian Army.

"Besides promoting understanding and interoperability between the two armies, it further helped in strengthening bilateral ties," the statement added.
Anniston Alabama Home to New viiz Call Center

viiz communications announced the opening of its new call center in Anniston, Alabama. This is its second new call center this year  viiiz also opened one in Calgary, Canada in early fall. The employees at the Anniston center will assist viiz customers with Emergency Services, Operator Services, Directory Assistance, Message Relay Services, IP Relay Service, VoIP 911 Service, and Customer Care support.

Staffing has already begun and will continue through the new year. This will be a promising opportunity for viiz to expand and a positive impact on local economy with the opportunity for job creation.

Opening the Anniston call center is another step forward as we expand our partnerships with telecommunications and telematics customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The City of Anniston has been very welcoming, and were excited to be a part of the community. Our new team members here in Anniston share our companys commitment to superior customer service and value for our customers  viiz and Anniston are a great match, said James MacKenzie, President & CEO of viiz.

A communications and full-service call center provider, viiz is also a long distance carrier, VoIP and wireless reseller for the North American market. Anniston Mayor is excited to have viiz join its town.

We are excited that viiz will be opening a call center in Anniston. It is a well-respected firm within the telecommunications industry, and I have enjoyed meeting with viiz team members. I am confident that viiz will be a great corporate citizen in Anniston, and we look forward to working with them for many years to come. This is even further evidence that Anniston is indeed open for business.

viiz is determined to continue investing and continues to research further opportunities for growth and expansion.

Edited by Erik Linask
BJP general secretary Ram Madhav has said it's time to de-link issues of Kashmir and Pakistan, and to treat the two disputes as independent of each other.

As per a report on Hindustan Times, Madhav said the Kashmir issue shouldn't be part of dialogue with Pakistan, for the "good of Kashmir" and "general peace in the country".

"Pakistan is a neighbour. If we need to have dialogue with it, there are several issues and the government of India will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time. As far as the present Kashmir issue is concerned, we believe  may be our partner has other ideas  it is purely a domestic issue for the governments in Jammu and Kashmir and at the Centre," he was quoted as saying.

Madhav, who was in the Valley recently, had praised the central and state governments for a series of recent initiatives taken to bring about peace in the troubled region. These include the appointment of former IB director Dineshwar Sharma as the interlocutor to the state, saying Sharma has the "mandate" to talk to all stakeholders in the dispute. "Whosoever will come forward, he (Sharma) can talk to him. He has that mandate.... You should ask this to the Hurriyat whether they are ready to talk," Madhav had said.

Even back then, Madhav had tried to delink issues of Pakistan from Kashmir, saying Sharma will talk only to the groups within Jammu and Kashmir and not to Islamabad.

But trying to delink Kashmir and Pakistan would be easier said than done, as Madhav and Sharma soon realised, with the separatists giving the interlocutor's five-day visit to the Valley a complete miss, and former chief minister of the state Farooq Abdullah saying a possible solution to the problem would be to have Pakistan retain control of PoK and India keep the rest of Jammu and Kashmir.

Madhav brushed aside the National Conference patriarch's comments, saying he has done many such "somersaults" in the past. "He has done many somersaults in the last few years. His own party, the National Conference, in the beginning, had fought against the Kashmiri invaders. His father Sheikh Abdullah opposed Kashmiri invaders. Today if Farooq Abdullah thinks that those parts belong to Pakistan, at least that is not the view of the Indian Parliament," Madhav was quoted as saying in the Hindustan Times report.
Bengaluru: Private hospitals across Karnataka, including Bengaluru would reopen their Out Patient Departments (OPDs) on Friday on the advice of the Karnataka High Court on Thursday, said two officials of the medical associations.

"OPDs in all private hospitals across Bengaluru will re-open on Friday as advised by the High Court bench," state Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) president-elect C Jayanna told IANS in Bengaluru.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by an advocate (NP Amruthesh) against the doctors' strike on Wednesday, a division bench of the High Court headed by Acting Chief Justice HG Ramesh and Justice PS Dinesh Kumar directed the private doctors and their associations to withdraw the strike and restore the OPD services from Friday.

Hundreds of private hospitals across the state on Thursday shut their OPDs again as thousands of doctors intensified their strike against the penal provisions in the amendment bill to the KPME Act drafted by the government.

The four-day strike began on Tuesday. The OPDs were also shut on 3 November.

"The OPDs in all private hospitals across the state will function normally from Friday, as we do not want patients to be affected. We have given an assurance to the high court bench to keep the OPDs open," Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Karnataka Chapter Secretary B Veeranna told IANS.

Though the bench said it could pass an order, it was refraining, giving time for the doctors to withdraw their strike and directed the state government to address their demands on the stringent provisions in the amendment bill to the Karnataka Private Health Establishment Act, 2007.

"The state Advocate General (Madhusudan Naik) has submitted a letter to the bench from the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) assuring the high court that the state government would discuss the provisions of the amendment bill with the representatives of the doctors association on Friday at Belagavi," said Veeranna quoting Naik.

The chief minister also assured the high court the amendment bill would be tabled in the legislative assembly only after discussing its provisions with all the stakeholders, including the doctors, the legislative select committee members and the lawmakers.

The bench adjourned the case for further hearing to Friday.

The state government had included stringent provisions in the amendment bill to regulate the functioning of private hospitals, including their costs of treatment and redressing the grievances of their patients.

Of the registered 1.25 lakh doctors in the state, only about 10,000 work in the state-run hospitals, while over a lakh are employed in about 40,000 private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics.

The private doctors are staging the hunger strike at Belagavi, about 500 kilometres from Bengaluru, where the 10-day winter session of the legislature began on Monday.

The four main demands are inclusion of government doctors under the KPME Act, no grievances redressal committees, no penalty on erring doctors or their imprisonment for the death of any patient due to medical negligence and ceiling on cost of treatment only for government health schemes under which eligible patients are treated in private hospitals or clinics.
Jabalpur: Two teenage girls were allegedly raped in separate incidents in Jabalpur and Sagar districts of Madhya Pradesh, the police said on Thursday.

In the Jabalpur incident, a 15-year-old girl was lured by two persons under the pretext of offering her work and was allegedly raped by one of them in an under-construction room at Khajri-Khiriya bypass on Wednesday.

The police have arrested the two accused, identified as Imran and Manoj Sen, the latter the neighbour of the girl.

Aadhartal Police Station in charge Vipin Tamrakar said while Sen lured the girl to the site under the pretext of offering her work, Imran, a construction supervisor, took her to a room and allegedly raped her.

Sen was booked for abetting the crime, he said.

An FIR has been registered against the duo under section 376 (D) and the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The officer said the duo also threatened the girl of dire consequences if she disclosed the incident.

In another incident which occurred in Sagar district on Wednesday evening, a 15-year-old orphan girl was allegedly raped by four men.

Police arrested Guddu Rai, Ravi Yadav, and S Khan in connection with the rape and one Laxmi Lodhi for allegedly abetting the crime. Another accused, identified as Tahir Khan, is absconding, Gharhakota police station inspector RN Tiwari told PTI.

While Rai, Yadav, and Khan have been booked under various sections of the IPC including 376 D and under the POSCO Act, Lodhi was booked under section 34 (criminal conspiracy).

In her complaint, the girl stated that the incident occurred last evening at Makronia in the district.

Further investigation is on, Tiwari said.
Chennai: The Madras High Court on Thursday upheld a CBI court order convicting son-in-law and daughter of jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala's sister in a Rs 1.68 crore disproportionate assets (DA) case registered two decades ago.

Justice G Jayachandran dismissed appeals filed by SR Baskaran, a Reserve Bank of India employee, and his wife B Sreedaladevi challenging the Special CBI court order of 26 August, 2008, convicting and sentencing them.

Sreedaladevi is the daughter of B Vanithamani, sister of Sasikala, who is serving a four-year jail term in a wealth case. Deposed AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran is Sreedaladevi's brother.

The CBI had registered a case in November, 1997, against Baskaran and Sreedaladevi and conducted searches against them at various places, during which the investigating agency seized movable and immovable assets including 80 gold bars from a bank locker.

The agency had charged Baskaran with amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, to the extent of Rs 1,68,54,305, which stood in the name of his wife.

The trial court held them guilty for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code sections, and sentenced Baskaran to undergo rigorous imprisonment for five years and his wife to three years, besides imposing a fine of Rs 20 lakh and Rs 10 lakh on them respectively.

Confirming the lower court order, Justice Jayachandran held that the "investment in movable and immovable assets, cash, gold and silver articles, seized during the searches, by no stretch of imagination gave an impression that they were acquired through legal source".

Through documentary and ocular evidence, the prosecution has proved the guilt of the accused to the core, he said.

Referring to the appellants filing Income Tax returns admitting undisclosed income and coming forward to pay the tax after the searches and seizures, the judge held mere declaring of income to authorities belatedly without accounting for the same would not make the source (of income) a lawful one.

Baskaran had joined the RBI in 1988 as a clerk.

According to prosecution, before joining RBI, Baskaran disclosed his total assets at Rs 2,96,816. At the end of the check period, as on 31 July, 1998, his total immovable properties were Rs 87,96,823 and the movable Rs 2,28,91,994.
New Delhi: Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Thursday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed with him various welfare initiatives of the American philanthropies in India.

The meeting assumes significance as registration of one of the Indian NGOs, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), which has been working in the field of public health, was cancelled by the home ministry in April.

The Gates Foundation was one of the donors to this NGO.

The home minister met Gates, co-chair and trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, here, an official statement said.

Singh appreciated the various welfare works being undertaken by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in India and he requested Gates to initiate health awareness programmes in India.

The home minister also suggested that the foundation should concentrate on developing villages and make them "model villages" so that the local people get inspired, the statement said.

Assuring constructive support to India, Gates also explained about the various technologies being adopted by them in the field of agriculture and sanitation, it said.

Asked whether the issue related to cancellation of licence to the PHFI came up during the discussion, a spokesperson of the Gates Foundation said in reply to a text message that "nothing of that sort was discussed".

In an email statement, the spokesperson said Gates' meeting with the home minister focused on the progress made in the partnership with the government across the foundation's priority focus areas  health, urban sanitation, digital financial inclusion and agricultural development.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to working collaboratively with the government of India in providing global and local technical expertise to advance the country's ambitious development goals, the statement said.

After the cancellation of the FCRA registration in April, the NGO was barred from receiving foreign funds.

As per the government rules, an organisation that intends to receive foreign funds must have registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.

The action against the PHFI was taken after the home ministry found that the NGO was allegedly violating provisions of the FCRA by "diverting" foreign funds for purposes other than intended for, another official said.

The PHFI claims it is a non-profit, public-private initiative working in the field of public health in India.

According to the PHFI website, the NGO was launched by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2006.

The NGO claimed that the governments of Gujarat, Telangana, Odisha, Meghalaya, Karnataka and Delhi are its supporters, besides Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other such bodies.

According to the PHFI website, they include Infosys Foundation, HT Parekh Foundation, HCL Corporation, Rohini Nilekani, Reliance Industries, GMR Projects Pvt Ltd.

The PHFI claimed that the chairman of the executive committee of its governing body is Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy.
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday refused to interfere with the environment clearance granted to Amaravati, the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh.

The green panel formed two committees  a supervisory committee and an implementation committee  to monitor work on the project site of Amaravati.

Earlier, the NGT had sought responses from the Centre and Andhra Pradesh after a plea filed by activist P Srimannarayan, EAS Sarma and others. The petition claimed the site is a flood-prone area and the state government had not considered the ecological and environmental aspects of the project while selecting the location for the greenfield capital city.

The NGT had directed Andhra Pradesh government not to carry out any operation to clear the land falling in the project area without obtaining environmental clearance to the project.

However, the green panel said in 2016 that there was no stay on construction activity for the proposed capital on the banks of the Krishna but made it clear that continuation of the project would be subject to final decision of the Tribunal and the orders already passed by it.

The petitioners have made Ministries of Environment and Forests, Urban Development and Water Resources, AP government and Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) parties in the case. The plea contended that the government had proposed large scale urbanisation and infrastructure development on areas, comprising flood plains, wetlands and fertile agricultural land which were primarily paddy fields.

The plea alleged that APCRDA was procuring land by signing agreements with land owners and farmers for minimal prices. It sought directions to constitute an expert committee to analyse the environmental and social aspects associated with the areas identified for development of the capital city.

It also urged the tribunal for an immediate stay on the acquisition of flood plains, wetlands and fertile lands for purposes of urbanisation and infrastructure development till a comprehensive environment assessment was undertaken.
The National Green Tribunal's order to install rainwater harvesting systems in all Delhi schools and colleges is being received well by the educational institutions, but they say that the two-month deadline to implement the same should be extended as it may not be enough time to complete the formalities.

The order comes at a time when the capital has seen an alarming depletion of its groundwater resources. A report in The Wire highlighted the groundwater crisis in Delhi: "About 49 percent of the region's wells have suffered from water level drops, with about 66 percent of wells deviating from long-term decadal averages by about two metres. About 12 percent of wells deviate from the same by over four metres, indicating major depletion in the groundwater levels."

No wonder then that the order to set up rainwater harvesting plants has enthused many in the teaching community.

"If all the schools and colleges in Delhi resort to the practice of setting up of rainwater harvesting plants then I think not only the city's water table will get recharged substantially, but it would enhance the awareness among the students to conserve nature and its gifts to us," says Shashi Kant Singh, principal of a co-ed school in Dwarka. He has installed rainwater harvesting systems in four schools where he had served, of his own accord.

Delhi has more than 5,000 schools and more than 100 colleges where such plants are to be set up. On Thursday, the NGT ordered Delhi schools and colleges to follow through with its order failing which would attract a fine of Rs five lakhs.

"The Tribunal constituted a joint inspection team, comprising senior officials from the Delhi Jal Board, the Central Ground Water Authority, representatives from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Directorate of Education," The Hindu reported.

The NGT also said that those institutions exempted by the committee for non-feasibility would have to pay an environmental compensation, "which shall be compensated by installing rainwater harvesting systems in the area".

What is a rainwater harvesting plant?

"Rainwater harvesting is done to conserve rainwater either by utilising the collected water for daily purpose or to recharge the groundwater," says Mahendra Pandey, an environmental activist and a former scientist with the Central Pollution Control Board. "," he adds.

"There are two types of rainwater harvesting plants. In the first type, a large overhead tank is set up on the roof of a building. The rainwater collected in it is used for different purposes after treatment," he explains.

But he also says that this type of plant is not feasible in Delhi schools and colleges as it requires a good amount of space, which is not available in many such institutions.

"In the second type, rainwater from the roof and the ground of a campus is channelised to the aquifers of the underground water resources through a bore well," he adds.

He also says that it takes normally one month to construct such a plant and it costs around Rs 2,50,000. The cost of construction of the plant may also depend on the size of the campus. The second type of plant can be easily installed in smaller areas too and is feasible in Delhi schools and colleges.

"In a campus spread across an area of four acres, such a construction may cost up to Rs eight lakhs," said Shashi Kant Singh.

The flipside

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, president of the All India Parents Association, warned about the dangers of drilling borewells in schools. "Numerous fatal accidents have taken place in schools in India because of children stepping into these wells. I think the NGT should have thought about this risk before passing this order."

As per a study conducted by Analytics India, at least 34 children have died in accidents of slipping into a borewell during the period 2006 to 2014. The data also shows that the percentage of occurrence of such accidents increased to 34 percent from three percent during this period.

Pandey too said that risk of such accidents was high if the drilling of the bore well is done when the schools are open. "It is advisable to drill the borewell during holidays," he says.

But Shashi Kant says that borewells dug for the purpose of rainwater harvesting are different from the ones drilled for pumping out drinking water.

"They are structurally different from other types of borewells. Though this type of borewell can also be up to 70 feet deep, a person who steps into it would find himself on a hard surface made of sand and rocks just six feet beneath the ground. This layer, created to ensure that only Filtered water seeps into the ground, is not available with the other types of borewells in which accidents normally take place," he says.

But, many parents still see this as a frightening proposition as six feet is also an unreachable height for a small child. Apart from the risk of accidents, there are also few other practical problems schools and colleges may face while implementing the NGT order.

Pointing out one such problem, Pandey says: "In rainwater harvesting plants, many open channels are used to carry water to the bore wells and sometimes sewage water may get into groundwater through this route."

Significantly, contamination of groundwater with sewage is a serious issue in Delhi. Only this year, the Noida Authority decided to clean 14 drains to preserve groundwater after an IIT Roorkee report highlighted the risk they pose to the groundwater quality.

But Shahsi Kant says that there is hardly any risk of sewer water seeping into the groundwater through the open channels in schools and colleges.

"These channels are normally not connected to any other channels outside the premises. So, there is hardly any chance of sewer water entering the borewell. A risk of this nature may exist in rainwater harvesting plants on industrial estates but not in schools," he said.

But the aspect of the order which worries schools and colleges the most is the two-month deadline set to install the rainwater harvesting plants.

"The installation would take nearly a month. But government schools and colleges normally take more time than the private ones as they have to complete the paperwork before they actually begin with the implementation of a project. So, two months may not be enough for them," adds Pandey.
We seem to have fallen into a strange trap when it comes to pollution  taking cognisance of an event only when it becomes a problem so convoluted that we dont know how to solve it anymore. Delhis air quality didnt deteriorate as an aftermath of one tangible event or because of one governments rule. The degeneration occurred over a long period of time because of neglect, bad governance decisions over decades and most importantly, lack of public awareness and opinion regarding the state of our immediate natural environment.

A similar event is unraveling in our midst pertaining to water. This case revolves around the clusters of pharmaceutical companies operating from different parts of India. The Patancheru-Bollaram area close to Hyderabad is one such cluster, which accounts for almost a fifth of Indias total pharmaceuticals exports, most of it is generic drugs.

What makes India a formidable player in the pharma supply chain is its grip on the entire pharma spectrum  from supplying active pharma ingredients to intermediaries and finished products. But manufacturing drugs is a hazardous industry, which releases toxic waste. Many studies have identified that untreated waste flowing out of manufacturing units in Patancheru has critically polluted the region's ground and surface waters with some of the highest levels of pharmaceuticals ever detected in the environment.

While so far this was a problem only for villagers with agricultural lands in the area, studies conducted by European universities have linked antimicrobial resistance (emergence of drug-resistant bacteria as a result of untreated waste in landfills and water bodies) to pharmaceutical waste, thereby making the Patacheru problem a foreseeable and formidable global problem.

Earlier this month, the NGT Chennai delivered a 370-page judgment in the matter of industrial pollution of pharma companies, in a case that has been going on in courts for almost 30 years.

Unpacking the judgment yields strange results. While the tribunal agreed that effluents from industries had adversely impacted the environment and human beings in the area, it refused to apply the "polluter pays" principle and recommended further studies to establish links between antimicrobial resistance (as well as health hazards) and industrial pollution.

Until now, all industries were sending untreated waste to a common effluent treatment plant (CETP), which was unable to treat the cocktail of effluents, a problem prevalent in the textile industry in India as well. On this point, the NGT has thankfully ruled that every factory should treat its own waste before sending it to the CETP and that this should be monitored strictly by the state government.

However, it has also said that industries will not be shut down as a punitive action and has given companies three months more to comply (in light of the fact that some companies have had more than 30 years to treat their waste). The tribunal, while admitting that the Patancheru area is critically polluted, also said that industrial units can be further expanded in the area if it is in "public interest" and if a company puts forth 1 percent of its annual turnover towards a Relief Fund.

Regarding the woeful condition of the water bodies in the Patancheru area, the tribunal said that lake remediation should happen within six months of the judgment. It is interesting to note that the Supreme Court ordered remediation in 1999 and the same was repeated by the high court in 2001. A fact-finding committee headed by Justice A Gopal Rao had stated that "no one has cared to take any efforts to make complete remediation of the polluted water bodies, something which was quoted in the NGT judgment as well. Yet, the tribunal somehow believes that something the high court, the Supreme Court and 18 years couldn't do, will somehow be miraculously be done in the next six months.

It wont be done in six months and there will be another case, a few more committees, a couple more in-depth studies until the situation is so dire in Telangana that therell be no more fit water bodies left.

Once all Telangana waters have been completely polluted we will most probably start using technology to supply water from rivers in other states. There would be another case reviewing the current judgment, giving "strict instructions for regulation" to the state government in yet another landmark 400-page judgment, until Telangana waters become as polluted as Delhis air.

What seems to be happening in courts is that there is cognisance of environmental damage but when it comes to apportioning responsibility for the damage, there is a meek admonishment of the actual culprit (industry in this case) followed by a thunderous chiding of the government for things they didnt do and asking them to address the problem.

While it is the governments responsibility to ensure that public assets such as water bodies are not polluted by industries, the responsibility of the judiciary should be more than calling out the government on its omissions. It should be the responsibility of the judiciary to ascribe highest punitive liquidated damages in such a case, whereby human health and the health of an entire ecosystem have been treated with an insensate fashion by those benefiting from it. Sadly, this is not reflected in the Patancheru judgment.
Islamabad: China has asserted that there is no contradiction in its policy to block India's bid to designate Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN, saying the BRICS declaration was against terror groups and not individuals, Pakistani media reported on Thursday.

A veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India's move to impose a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

The latest technical hold by China came on 2 November when it blocked another proposal by the US, France and the UK to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. Beijing had blocked such a move in February this year.

Speaking to a delegation of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors in Beijing this week, Counselor and Asia Division Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chen Feng said vetoing a resolution against Azhar after the BRICS declaration against terror outfits did not reflect a contradiction in China's policy as BRICS members have not entered into any such agreement.

The Chinese move was not in contradiction with Chinese policy in the context of BRICS declaration against terrorism, Chen was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

Chen clarified that the BRICS summit discussed only banned organisations and not individuals, Pakistan Today reported.

The BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - at a summit in China in September named, for the first time, Pakistan-based groups like the Lashkar-e- Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Haqqani network in a joint declaration condemning terror.

In early November, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: "we raised a technical hold so as to allow more time for the committee and its members to deliberate on this matter. But there is still absence of consensus on this matter."

Defending the repeated technical holds, Hua said China's actions are meant to ensure and safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council.

China in the past has also asked India to discuss the issue directly with Pakistan to reach an understanding on Azhar's listing.

In the last two years, China has stonewalled efforts by India to declare Azhar as a global terrorist.

The senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official also briefed the Pakistani editors about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an ambitious project that is opposed by India as it is passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Chen said Beijing was trying to convince India that the multibillion dollar project is based on economic cooperation and that its main aim is to promote peace and prosperity in the region.

"The CPEC is neither a way to achieve political aims nor to be used in regional conflicts. Basic aim of the economic plan is to expand the mutual relations. China wants to engage other countries in the economic corridor too," Chen said.

He said China had time and again clarified it to India that it had no hegemonic designs in the region.

"We rather view CPEC as a way of forming equal relationships with regional countries and to promote friendship and neighbourhood in the region," he added.

Feng clarified that China was not a party in the Kashmir dispute.

"India's accusation of Chinese occupation on any part of Kashmir is baseless. We have denied such claims in the past as well. Kashmir is a bone of contention between India and Pakistan, peaceful solution of which is the only way to regional peace and prosperity," he was quoted as saying.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday lifted its ban on construction activities in the National Capital Region (NCR) while directing that preventive measures to control air pollution be taken.

The tribunal further added all other prohibitory orders regarding industries, stubble burning etc. will still remain in place. It also said that sprinkling of water will continue where particulate matter is high including in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

It also directed the Delhi government to ensure that only CNG vehicles get stickers for exemption during the odd-even scheme. Furthermore, the NGT also asked the Delhi government and its neighbouring states to submit an action plan on steps to curb pollution within the next two weeks.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority had on Thursday lifted the ban on construction but Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had kept it in abeyance as the matter was pending with the NGT on Friday.

Meanwhile, Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot asked EPCA chief Bhure Lal to recommend to all other cities in NCR to implement the odd-even scheme to curb air pollution, reported The Hindu. Citing the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), Gahlot wrote, "It needs to be appreciated that unless GRAP is implemented across all NCR towns, pollution level in Delhi as well as neighbouring towns cannot be brought down, according to the report.

Air quality still 'very poor'

Air quality in NCR showed no improvement on Friday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the "very poor" category. The US embassy put the figure for Friday at 299 at 7 am.

In central Delhi, the Lodhi Road monitoring station put the PM10 levels at 246 and the PM2.5 levels at 347, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). The situation was almost as bad in south Delhi, with PM10 levels at 242 and PM2.5 levels at 357 on Mathura Road.

Similar situations prevailed near the airport, where the levels were at 211 and 339 for PM10 and PM2.5 respectively. North Delhi was more of the same, with Pitampura reporting 227 and 341.

Air quality to worsen over weekend

SAFAR on Friday forecast that air quality may dip over the weekend due to incursion of moisture and fall in inversion layer which will keep pollutants trapped near the surface.

EPCA member and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) researcher Usman Nasim also told IANS the pollution levels in the region may go up in the coming days due to climatic conditions. "Pollution may increase in next few days due to withdrawal of north-west winds. As wind speed goes down, pollution levels to go up. As per SAFAR, AQI will remain in very poor quality," he said.

'Only God can save us'

As pollution level climbed to 12 times above the recommended limit this week, government officials said they knew what was needed to control the smoky haze, but nothing would be done, at least this year.

An estimated $600 million is needed to provide farmers with alternatives, but the Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition parties in power in New Delhi and nearby Punjab, Haryana states are squabbling over who will pay, said three federal government officials who have been briefed on the situation.

Nothing more is likely to happen this year, one of them told Reuters. Were now praying. Only God can save us.

The official said he had bought pollution masks for his family and installed air purifiers at his home in New Delhi, now the most polluted city in the world, according to the Brookings Institute. The city is home to more than 20 million people.

Weve tried our best to tackle the situation, but as policymakers weve failed to address the main problem of stubble burning, the government official said.

Diplomatic intervention

Expressing concern over the adverse smog condition in Delhi, the dean of Diplomatic Corps, Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos said he will be meeting the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday to discuss the poor air quality in the city, reported ANI. "We'll meet MEA and discuss measures which were taken by other countries facing similar problem," Castellanos said.

"As a diplomat we are concerned for our tourists coming to India and the nationals living here but this doesn't affect only us," he added.

Meanwhile, high levels of air pollution in the national capital has affected the health of the Costa Rican envoy in New Delhi, prompting her to retreat to Bengaluru.

Ambassador of Costa Rica to India Mariela Cruz Alvarez appealed to the people, saying the "blue planet is crying" due to pollution. In a personal blog post, she said, "This past week the levels of pollution in Delhi reached impossible numbers. The consequences of breathing this air I had no idea-until I reached Bangalore and my system collapsed."

With inputs from agencies
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. DEON HEPBURN, Defendant-Appellant. No. 17-10850 Decided: November 16, 2017

Before MARCUS, MARTIN, and JULIE CARNES, Circuit Judges.

In November 2016, a jury convicted Defendant Deon Hepburn on six counts of knowingly bringing an alien into the United States for private financial gain in violation of 8 U.S.C.  1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) and 18 U.S.C.  2. Defendant appeals, arguing that there was not sufficient evidence to support his convictions. Specifically, Defendant contends that the Government's key witness was not credible and that there are alternative explanations for his actions. After careful review, we affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background 1

Johnny Elpidio Villar, a citizen of the Dominican Republic who was previously deported from the United States after a felony drug conviction, testified for the Government during the trial of Defendant. He stated that he wanted to return to the United States to find better job opportunities. In May 2016, a friend introduced him to Marvin Johnson, who agreed to help Villar move to the United States in return for $12,000. Johnson helped Villar obtain a falsified permit to work in the Bahamas, allowing Villar to travel there from the Dominican Republic. After spending a day traveling in the Bahamas, Johnson drove Villar to a hotel where he joined four Brazilian men and a Cuban woman who were also trying to illegally enter the United States. At midnight on May 17, they drove a short way from the hotel to the water.

At the water, Villar saw a small boat; Defendant and a man named Walter Reckley were already on board. During the trip, Reckley captained the boat and Defendant assisted. Reckley and Defendant were friends and Defendant agreed to help run the boat over to the United States in exchange for $300. Defendant knew that the passengers were traveling to the United States illegally in order to find better opportunities.

Villar, the four Brazilian men, and the Cuban woman boarded the boat with Reckley and Defendant. Villar expected the trip to take 45 minutes, but due to bad weather, it took 14 to 16 hours. During the trip, Defendant used a GPS device to navigate and provided Reckley with directions. Defendant also refilled the fuel tank with gasoline from gasoline drums and restarted the engine several times when it failed.

When the boat reached Florida, Reckley told everyone to run. He abandoned the boat on the beach, and everyone took off in different directions. Shortly thereafter, the Indian River County Sherriff's Office was alerted to their presence. At around 4:00 p.m., Indian River County deputies saw the boat and the empty gasoline drums on the beach. The Sherriff's Office, with assistance from the Indian River Shores Department of Public Safety, the United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security, and the Fish and Wildlife Service, found all six passengersas well as Reckley and Defendantand took them all into custody. Defendant and Reckley had been sighted walking out of a wooded area. Defendant had $300 in U.S. currency and some of what the apprehending officer believed was Bahamian money. Reckley carried $200 in U.S. currency and several cell phones. The law enforcement officers determined that none of the people on the boat had permission to enter the United States.

At around 2:30 a.m., two officers interviewed Defendant, after the latter had acknowledged and waived his Miranda rights. Defendant told the officers that he agreed to help run the boat over to the United States for $300. Defendant and Reckley had planned to drop the passengers off and return to the Bahamas, but the boat's engine could not support a trip back. When asked by the officers, Defendant affirmed twice that he knew that the individuals on the boat were entering the United States illegally:

Officer Robert Vasquez: Did you know that they were trying to come here illegally?

Defendant: Uh, basically  basically, yeh, because 

Officer James Macek: It's Okay

Defendant: Yeah



Officer James Macek: Not only did it [the boat] have people on it but they were coming to this country illegally.

Defendant: Right.

B. Procedural Background

In August 2016, a grand jury indicted Defendant on six counts of knowingly bringing an alien into the United States for private financial gain in violation of 8 U.S.C.  1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) and 18 U.S.C.  2. During the one-day trial, the jury heard testimony from Villar and the six officers who captured and interviewed the individuals from the boat. The jury also heard and read a transcript of an excerpt from Defendant's interview on the night he was captured. At both the close of the Government's case and at the close of all evidence, Defendant moved for judgment of acquittal. The court denied the motion and the jury convicted Defendant on all six counts. Defendant was sentenced to 60 months' imprisonment.

II. DISCUSSION

Defendant argues that the district court erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal because there was insufficient evidence to convict. Specifically, Defendant argues that Villar was not a credible witness and that there are explanations for his conduct that do not imply any illegal behavior on his part. We affirm, concluding that there was sufficient evidence for a jury to convict Defendant of knowingly bringing an alien into the United States for private financial gain.

A. Sufficiency of the Evidence

We review sufficiency of the evidence de novo, viewing all evidence and drawing all inferences and credibility determinations in the light most favorable to the Government. United States v. Young, 39 F.3d 1561, 1565 (11th Cir. 1994); United States v. Thompson, 422 F.3d 1285, 1290 (11th Cir. 2005). A verdict is supported by sufficient evidence if a reasonable jury could find that the evidence established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Calhoon, 97 F.3d 518, 523 (11th Cir. 1996). For the evidence to support a conviction, it need not exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence or be wholly inconsistent with every conclusion except that of guilt, provided a reasonable trier of fact could find that the evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Perez-Tosta, 36 F.3d 1552, 155657 (11th Cir. 1994) (quotation omitted). We only reverse for lack of sufficient evidence if there was not enough evidence for a reasonable factfinder to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Young, 39 F.3d at 1565.

B. 8 U.S.C.  1324(a)(2)(B)(ii)

Under 8 U.S.C.  1324(a)(2)(B)(ii), it is unlawful for

Any person who, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has not received prior official authorization to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, brings to or attempts to bring to the United States in any manner whatsoever, such alien  for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain.

8 U.S.C.  1324(a)(2)(B)(ii). To establish a violation, the Government therefore must prove that the defendant: (1) knowingly brought an alien into the United States, (2) knew, or recklessly disregarded the fact, that the alien did not have official authorization to enter the United States, and (3) acted for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain. United States v. Kendrick, 682 F.3d 974, 984 (11th Cir. 2012). The defendant need not have the specific intent to break the law; knowingly merely means that the defendant knew the facts constituting the offense. Id. The defendant recklessly disregard[s] if he is aware of, but consciously and carelessly ignore[s], facts and circumstances clearly indicating that the person transported was an alien who had entered or remained in the United States in violation of the law. Id. (quoting United States v. Perez, 443 F.3d 772, 781 (11th Cir. 2006)). Finally, to act for private financial gain means that the defendant acted with the purpose of profiting financially. United States v. Dominguez, 661 F.3d 1051, 1066 (11th Cir. 2011). The defendant can violate the statute even if the smuggling is a financial failure or the defendant is never actually paid. Id.

C. Analysis

There was clearly sufficient evidence for the jury to find that Defendant violated 8 U.S.C.  1324(a)(2)(B)(ii). Based on Defendant's admissions and Villar's testimony, a reasonable jury could find that Defendant knowingly brought aliens into the United States with the knowledge that they were not authorized to enter. Defendant obviously helped to bring aliens into the United States from the Bahamas: he navigated the boat, refilled the fuel tank, and restarted the engine. During Defendant's interview with the arresting officers, the latter asked him twice if he knew that the individuals on the boat were entering the United States illegally. Defendant answered affirmatively both times. Indeed, Defendant was helping to pilot a small boat that left the Bahamas after midnight, and the captain of the boat told all the passengers to run once the boat reached the Florida shore. These facts would lead a reasonable jury to conclude that Defendant had knowledge of, or recklessly disregarded the fact, that the passengers were not authorized to enter the United States.

In arguing that there was insufficient evidence to prove his knowledge and conduct during the voyage, Defendant challenges Villar's credibility as a witness. Specifically, he says Villar is a convicted felon who hoped to receive a lighter sentence because he had testified at trial. Further, according to Defendant, Villar's testimony was inconsistent with his previous statements to officers. But Defendant had ample opportunity to attack Villar's credibility on all these points during cross-examination. The jury's verdict of guilt suggests that it found Villar credible, and we defer to that determination. See Thompson, 422 F.3d at 1285 (stating that we accept credibility determinations made in the Government's favor unless they are incredible as a matter of law); United States v. Rivera, 775 F.2d 1559, 1561 (11th Cir. 1985) ([T]he fact that the witness has consistently lied in the past, engaged in various criminal activities, thought that his testimony would benefit him, and showed elements of mental instability does not make his testimony incredible.) (quotation marks omitted).

There was also sufficient evidence for the jury to find that Defendant acted for the purpose of private financial gain. Defendant told the officers that he agreed to work on the boat because Reckley paid him $300. In fact, one of the arresting officers found $300 when he frisked Defendant. Although this is not a large amount of money, a  1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) violation does not depend on how much money the defendant pocketed, it depends on whether the defendant acted for the purpose of making money. See Dominguez, 661 F.3d at 1066. Defendant's statement that he worked on the boat because he want[ed] to make a little change provided sufficient evidence to infer that Defendant acted for the purpose of his own financial gain.

Notwithstanding this abundant evidence against Defendant, he offers alternative explanations for his conduct. Defendant argues that the Government's evidence does not contradict an inference that he was merely a passenger on the boat. According to Defendant, a passenger might add gas to the fuel tank, navigate, and restart a broken engine as an act of self-preservation, given how threatening was the weather during the passage from the Bahamas. However, [i]n rebutting the government's evidence, it is not enough for a defendant to put forth a reasonable hypothesis of innocence, because the issue is not whether a jury reasonably could have acquitted but whether it reasonably could have found guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  United States v. Jiminez, 564 F.3d 1280, 1284 (11th Cir. 2009) (quoting United States v. Thompson, 473 F.3d 1137, 1142 (11th Cir. 2006)). And here, there was clearly sufficient evidence for a jury to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CONCLUSION

For the above reasons, we conclude there was sufficient evidence for a jury to find that Defendant violated 8 U.S.C.  1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) and 18 U.S.C.  2 by knowingly bringing an alien into the United States for private financial gain. We therefore AFFIRM.

FOOTNOTES

. Because a jury found Defendant guilty of the present charges, the facts are presented in the light most favorable to the Government, with all reasonable inferences and credibility determinations resolved in favor of the jury's verdict. United States v. Doe, 661 F.3d 550, 560 (11th Cir. 2011).

. Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966).

PER CURIAM:
Not many Indian leaders are accorded a State funeral, let alone those who never held any official post. Bal Thackeray was an exception to the rule. On 17 November, 2012, the Shiv Sena founder breathed his last. It brought to an end a colourful life, one that started in a remarkably different manner.

Bal Keshav Thackeray not only played the main role in mounding Maharashtrian politics but also had an impact on the national stage. He was also regarded as the central point of many controversies.

He was the son of Prabodhankar Thackeray, a prominent figure of the Samyutka Maharashtra movement (an organisation created for demanding separate a speaking state for Marathis speaking Maharashtra), The Quint reported.

His son Bal Thackeray began his career as a cartoonist with the Free Press Journal in Mumbai. His cartoons were also published in the Sunday edition of The Times of India. Later, he launched his own cartoon weekly, Marmik, which came to be known for its campaign against the growing influence of non-Marathi people in Mumbai  especially targeting Gujaratis and South Indians.

The fight to secure the rights of Maharashtra's "sons-of-the-soil" took another turn when Thackeray formed Shiv Sena, a political party to fight for the cause of the Marathi Manoos on 19 June, 1966, according to Hindustan Times. "I am offering my 'Bal' for the cause of Maharashtra," the report quoted Thackeray as saying at the time.

At the party's first-ever Vijaya Dashmi rally on 30 October, 1966, he berated politics, terming it an "eczema". He added that politics would play only a 20 percent role in the Shiv Sena, with 80 percent of its work in the social sphere, Live Mint reported.

Vikram Doctor wrote in The Economic Times Thackeray was a "brilliant political innovator, and provided a cynical estimation of what modern political parties could aim for and achieve". He further added:

"Thackeray was by training a visual artist, so could develop a commanding and distinctive visual identity for the party. The logo of a snarling tiger, the bow and arrow emblem, the saffron-coloured swallow-tail flag and the later design of shakhas or local offices in the shape of small forts -- all helped create a thrilling, war-like identity for the party."

In alliance with the BJP, the party scaled new heights of success, when it clinched power in the 1999 Assembly elections in Maharashtra. Of the 288 Assembly seats, the 30-year old party won 73, while the BJP managed to get 65 seats. Manohar Joshi went on to became the first Shiv Sena chief minister.

Though Thackeray had undoubtedly helped secure victory for the party with his strategies, he personally stayed out of the political limelight, saying he would rather hold the "remote control" of the alliance government, according to The Hindu.

And though he was embroiled in a fair share of controversies, especially for his outspoken ways, he never shied from saying what he felt. These controversies ranged making inflammatory statements, to be being called anti-Muslim, to professing an affection for Adolf Hitler because he was an "artist", to his many anti-Gujarati, anti-south Indian and anti-North Indian sentiments, as a report in Hindustan Times said.

In fact, in 1999, Thackeray was even banned from voting and contesting elections for a period of six years, after he was found guilty of seeking votes in the name of religion. The ban was lifted in 2005, and he voted for the first time in the 2007 BMC elections, according to a report in India Today,

But his divisive nature meant he was constantly battling rebellion within his party, with several senior members including Narayan Rane, Chhagan Bhujbal and Ganesh Naik leaving the party. In 2005, nephew Raj Thackeray  once thought to be the true heir to Bal Thackeray's legacy  left the Sena to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

On 17 November, 2012, Thackeray died in Mumbai after a prolonged illness. His death had led to the city of Mumbai being shut, showcasing his power even after his demise.

Over a million people attended his funeral, that stretched over two kilometres  from his residence in Kalanagar to Shivaji Park in Dadar, where the party office is located. Since his death, there have been calls for memorials and the renaming of public spots in his honour. Currently, a memorial is proposed at the current residence of Mumbai's mayor at Shivaji Park.

With inputs from agencies
Jammu: An army jawan was injured as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Jammu districts, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said on Friday.

Pakistani Army resorted to ceasefire violation for the third consecutive day on Friday.

"Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 0745 hours in Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC)," a senior Army officer said.

Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively. The firing is still on, he said.

In another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired on forward posts along the LoC in Khour belt of Akhnoor sector last night to Indian troops gave a befitting reply, the officer said.

An Army jawan sustained minor injuries in the exchange of fire, he said.

On Wednesday, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch sector.

On 2 November, a BSF jawan was killed when Pakistani Rangers attacked a patrol party along the International Border in Samba district.

A girl was injured when Pakistani troops opened fire from small arms along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch district on 31 October.

On 18 October, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling in the district.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday opposed the bail plea filed by Pinto family-owners of Ryan group of institutions, in connection with the murder of a Class 2 student, said media reports.

According to News18, the CBI has filed a status report in the murder case in Punjab and Haryana High Court.

#BREAKING -- CBI files status report in Punjab and Haryana High Court and opposes bail for Pintos in the Ryan murder case #RyanMurderTwist pic.twitter.com/tRqRhqKGmT  News18 (@CNNnews18) November 17, 2017

The court has set next date of hearing on bail plea on 21 November and has asked CBI to bring along the case diary.

#BREAKING -- Ryan Murder Case: Next date for Pinto's bail plea hearing is November 21 in Punjab & Haryana High Court. Court asks CBI to bring along the case diary #RyanMurderTwist pic.twitter.com/oevbd1GXEe  News18 (@CNNnews18) November 17, 2017

On 10 November, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had adjourned the hearing in the bail plea of Pinto family till 17 November, Business Standard had reported.

The child's family on 9 November had demanded that the CBI must question the Pintos, and that the arrested 16-year-old student of the school, now a prime suspect, should be tried as an adult.

"The CBI should grill, interrogate and arrest the Pintos' family," Barun Chandra Thakur, father of the murdered Class 2 student, told IANS.

He also said that the Pintos should not be given any "leeway" just because they are "high and mighty".

"They should not go scot free from this incident (murder). Earlier on two occasions they have been able to go scot free pertaining to the deaths of two kids in other branches of the school," he said.

The CBI in the Punjab and Haryana Court had opposed the anticipatory bail plea of Ryan Augustine Pinto, CEO of the school. The owners of the Ryan School -Francis Augustine Pinto, Grace Pinto and Ryan Pinto -had filed the anticipatory bail petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court which granted interim bail to them till 5 December, which was challenged by Thakur in the Supreme Court.

Thakur, a resident of Madhubani in Bihar, had said that CBI should not leave any stone unturned to bring out the actual culprit behind the murder. The probe should go into aspects like negligence, lapses and deficiencies in the school premises, which were confirmed and acknowledged by the CBSE in its fact-finding report, he said.

With inputs from IANS
The slurring match between the BJP and the Congress, represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi respectively, in the Gujarat arena is, at best, a second-rate bout of invective and insult.

The latest sucker punch in this 'everything's allowed' scrap hits at the deal for 36 Rafale fighters purchased from Dassault in France with the option of building 108 (with extra options) more in India. Gandhi has accused the prime minister of messing about with the figures and upping the ante ostensibly to please a specific businessman. Without an iota of evidence.

Gandhi would have done well if he had elected to be specific and mention exactly what he has in mind with his accusation rather than playing 'guess what' games. It is easy to muddy waters with a handy stick when you cannot back it with facts. Why tease the country and get cute over an $8.9 billion deal that is pretty much done and dusted.

Since none of us are privy to the pricing range or the exact impact of the offset factor in the pricing or the specific payment terms (imagine the interest on this sum) one can only look at the available facts.

If anyone should be angry it should be Cairo. Egypt picked up 24 Rafales for $5.9 billion and Qatar spent $7.2 billion for 24 units, thereby indicating that India paid less ($8.7 billion) for its 36 aircraft. The agreement covers weapon systems for the aircraft, a comprehensive supply of spare parts and maintenance for five years.

One cannot overlook the cost factor of the Meteor air-to-air missiles (150-kilometre range), Scalp air-to-ground cruise missiles (300-kilometre) and top of the range avionics, including the Israeli built heads-up helmet mounted display systems. Named Targo 2, the system allows pilots to plan, rehearse, fly and debrief using their personal helmets, providing them with increased situational awareness, safety levels and operational abilities.

France also intends to give back 30 percent of this cost in offset programmes, although some reports give that figure as 50 percent of the total value. That makes it a steal.

And if the financial figures thrown over the past five years fluctuate, and thereby confuse, there is yet more obfuscation over the need for India to have opted for the Rafale and the capability envelope of the plane. Other contenders were Boeing's F/A-18s, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Sweden's Saab's Gripen.

It is exactly this element of confusion that Gandhi is exploiting rather mindlessly. The Rafale is as good as any others in its fourth generation peer group of fighters. Yes, we could have gone back to Russia and loaded up with the MiG 29s and MiG 35s and Sukhoi 35s and other variations at a cheaper price. Lockheed Martins hugely successful upgrade F16 Fighting Falcons Block 60 was another inexpensive choice. But we did not go for those options.

Maybe because the other 'goodies' were not on offer. Maintenance and weaponry are vital to a deal and the finger pointing at Modi for cutting through the red tape and shoring up national security by pulling in a slack of ten years of indecision in choosing a replacement is not an act of corruption.

These factors compelled Modi to go for it, cancel the 2014 deal and ask for 36 ready to fly aircraft without the transfer of technology clause. The aim then was to fast-track a painfully slow decision-making process that started in 2007 and was going nowhere in a hurry. Our fighter force was literally falling out of the sky. If Gandhi has concrete evidence that something was out of kilter, then he should spit it out.

And if the Congress was so sure it had got a good deal, why didn't it sign the agreement whose negotiations began in 2012 when it was in power. One also has to factor in the difference in the currency worth between then and now, in calculating the final bottom line.

Unless Gandhi can show exactly how anyone, including the businessman in question, was benefited by the deal and give the public chapter and verse on the inside, he would be well advised to shut up.

You see, this is not some tawdry local issue but a question of national security. You cannot do a quid pro quo because the BJP brought up the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

It is also very unlikely that France and Dassault specifically would go into a Rs 30,000 crore joint venture with Reliance Defence purely to sweeten the Rafale deal. It is mutually exclusive, predicated on the offset understanding between two countries and spread well beyond Reliance as a singular beneficiary.

If Reliance has threatened to sue the Congress and the party's yet to be anointed leader, it has the law on its side. The conglomerate has been quoted widely as saying: "Government policy issued on 24 June, 2016, allows for 49 percent FDI in the defence sector under the automatic route, without any prior approval. No approvals from the Union Cabinet or CCS were required for the formation of the aforesaid Joint Venture company under the automatic route."

Let's also understand one point. The Rafale is not in grand demand. If anything, Dassault would have been simpering for a sales break, rescued as it was by Egypt spending its Saudi loan.

In this case, why not give Modi the credit for shoring up the weak fighter arm of our air force with a little muscle and going for those 36 aircraft.

The alternative: back of the line, restart negotiations with other contenders and leave our feeble air force vulnerable to Pakistan and China. What is the price on that?
Houston: The foster mother of Indian girl Sherin Mathews, found dead last month in a culvert in Dallas, has been arrested after police alleged that the Indian-American couple left the 3-year-old home alone the night before she was reported missing.

Sini Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested last month, went out for dinner with their biological daughter 6 October, leaving Sherin because she refused to drink her milk, police in the US state of Texas said.

The 35-year-old mother, an Indian-American registered nurse, was arrested on Thursday after her attorney took her to the Richardson police station.

She is being held in the Richardson jail on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at USD 250,000, police said.

A state jail felony in Texas is an offense that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.

Police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when they returned home an hour and a half later, the Dallas Morning News reported.

An affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where they left her.

"The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office is continuing to work on determining the cause of death. Those results will be made available when complete," Richardson Police said in a Facebook post.

Wesley, the 37-year-old foster father, who has since been charged in connection with Sherin's death, remains in the Dallas County Jail on a charge of injury to a child. Bail has been set at USD 1 million. The crime is punishable by up to 99 years in prison.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk.

He later changed his story and to say he "physically assisted" Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Sherin's death prompted external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to ask the Indian Embassy in the US to be actively involved in the case and keep her informed. She also sought a probe into the adoption process of Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year from Bihar.

Following Sherin's case, India decided that passports to adopted children will be issued only with prior clearance by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
New Delhi: India on Friday assured a medical visa to another Pakistani national who is seeking to donate a kidney to a fellow national undergoing treatment at a hospital in Delhi.

"Please don't worry. I am asking Indian High Commission to give visa for the second donor," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted in response to a request from one Faiza Malik, who said that her nephew Faraz Malik was undergoing treatment at Fortis Hosipital.

Faiza Malik said that doctors rejected the previous donor and a now a visa was required for new donor Abdul Razzaq.

On Independence Day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had announced that India would provide medical visas to all bonafide Pakistani patients.

As ties between the two countries soured over various issues, the ministry had announced in May that only a letter of recommendation by then Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz would enable a Pakistani national to get a medical visa for India.

The action was termed "highly regrettable" by Islamabad, which said that asking for such a letter violated diplomatic norms and such a requirement had not been prescribed for any other country.

However, a patient from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, seeking treatment in New Delhi for liver tumour, was given a visa on 18 July.

Sushma Swaraj then said that he needed no recommendation from the Pakistani government for a medical visa because the territory "is an integral part of India".

Since 15 August, however, Pakistani nationals seeking medical treatment have not been denied visas.
New Delhi: After officials of India, the US, Japan and Australia held the first-ever quadrilateral meeting in Manila last week on the security and development of the Indo-Pacific region, India and France on Friday agreed to cooperate on the security architecture of the Indian Ocean region.

"In terms of maritime security, both sides discussed increasing cooperation in the Indian Ocean region where the presence of India and France is very important," external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said in a joint address to the media with french minister for Europe and foreign affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian after delegation-level talks.

"This cooperation is aimed at ensuring unhindered trade and movement and security of the international sea lanes, fighting maritime terrorism and piracy, creating awareness about the oceanic region, building capacities on regional and international platforms and increasing coordination at the official level," she said.

Her comments come after Sunday's India-US-Japan-Australia meeting in the Philippines capital where the officials agreed that "a free, open, prosperous and inclusive" Indo-Pacific served long-term global interests, giving impetus to an emerging quad of democracies amid China's rising military and economic power.

Sushma Swaraj said that in Friday's talks, both sides discussed all bilateral issues and matters of regional and global concern.

The India-France relationship was elevated to that of a strategic partnership in 1998. India is the only country in Asia with which Paris has such a relationship.

Stating that both India and France were for a multi-polar world, she said that defence and security cooperation, space cooperation and civil nuclear cooperation formed the three pillars of the bilateral relationship.

She said that both sides also agreed to make their military logistics stronger.

"France has been a partner in our space programme from the very beginning," she said.

"We have together started many projects and have completed many missions. Today, we discussed ways to give a clear shape to our space cooperation."

In terms of civil nuclear cooperation, the Indian minister said that both sides agreed on an early start to the work on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP).

French utility EDF and Nuclear Power Corp of India Limited (NPCIL) signed an agreement in March 2016 to construct six reactors of the JNPP, each of 1,650 MW.

Sushma Swaraj said France has supported India's bid for membership in the UN Security Council as in the Multilateral Export Control Control Regime that includes the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement.

"We have also agreed to further strengthen our cooperation, both at the bilateral and multilateral levels, in the fight against terrorism," she said.

"We have appealed to all countries in the world to unitedly oppose those countries which finance and provide safe havens to terrorists," she said.

On economic ties between India and France, Sushma Swaraj said that with bilateral trade standing at $10.95 billion, there was immense scope to increase this.

There are around 1,000 French companies operating in India with a total turnover of $20 billion and employing around 300,000 people.

Le Drian, here to lay the groundwork for French president Emmanuel Macron's visit to India early next year, said that both sides discussed a "wide range of issues" on Friday.

He said France wanted to help India in areas like smart cities, ecomobility and waste management.

Le Drian, who arrived here on Thursday on a four-day visit to India, will leave for Jaipur on Saturday to inaugurate Bonjour India, a French festival in India that will see around 300 events spread across 33 cities.

Earlier on Friday, the French minister met Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Ram Kumar Singh.
Raipur: The CBI has taken over probe into the controversial 'sex CD' scandal allegedly involving Chhattisgarh minister Rajesh Munat after issuance of a notification by the Union government on Thursday.

The move comes after the state government requested on 28 October for the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The state chief secretary Vivek Dhand has been intimated about the notification and the subsequent initiation of the CBI probe.

A CBI team will soon visit Raipur and take possession of all the relevant documents on the case from the state police.

A complaint in the case stands registered at the Pandri and Civil Lines police station.

Last month, Munat had claimed that the said CD was fake and urged Chief Minister Raman Singh for a high-level inquiry.

The case came to light after journalist Vinod Verma was arrested from his house in Indirapuram in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh for alleged blackmailing over the issue.

Verma claimed that the state's Bharatiya Janata Party government was framing him as he possessed the 'sex CD'.
New Delhi: Top Congress leaders on Friday discussed possible candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections which the party said would be declared in a day or two.

The party sources said the Congress leaders, at a meeting of its Central Election Committee chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, discussed candidates for all the 182 Assembly seats but refrained from announcing any names.

Congress general secretary in-charge for Gujarat Ashok Gehlot later told reporters that though all the candidates have been discussed, the party was yet to discuss the seat-sharing arrangements with its possible allies with whom it was yet to finalise its discussions.

He said the list would be declared in a day or two. The sources said the party is in talks with the JD-U faction led by Sharad Yadav and the Nationalist Congress Party. The Congress is also seeking to make some arrangements with Patidar leader Hardik Patel, Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, and Alpesh Thakor, with whom it is seeking to share some seats.

The Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP in Gujarat after being in the political wilderness for over two decades now.

The sources said the Congress CEC has already discussed some candidates for the first phase of the elections for 89 seats in its meeting last week, but has not declared any candidate so far. The process of nomination for the first phase of election for 89 seats in Gujarat has already started with the issue of notification on 14 November.

The last date for filing of nominations is on 21 November.

The election process for the second phase of polling on 14 December starts on 20 November with the issue of notification. The votes will be counted on 18 December, along with those of Himachal Pradesh, where elections were held on 9 November.

The BJP has already declared its first list of candidates on Friday.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the process of handing over land at the mayor's bungalow in the Shivaji Park area of Mumbai's Dadar suburb is in the last stage. He said that the state government will do "all that it takes to construct a befitting memorial for late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray". The announcement for this national memorial comes on the Sena patriarch's fifth death anniversary on Friday.

The offer for the site on the banks of the Arabian Sea can be seen as a possible thaw in strained ties between BJP and Shiv Sena, reports PTI. The report added that Fadnavis, who holds the urban development portfolio and current Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray met for the first time in public since the allies faced off in a bitter battle for a civic election in the Mumbai suburb of Kalyan-Dombivali.

"I bow humbly before our guiding force, Balasaheb Thackeray. The work on handing over the property for the memorial is in its final stage. We are making efforts to clear it on priority," Fadnavis said at the event, sharing the dais with his ally.

During the event, Uddhav took the opportunity to announce a donation of Rs 2 crore to the Chief Minister's Farmers Relief Fund for Farmers' Welfare, which he handed over to to the Maharashtra chief minister.

"Balasaheb was the man responsible for making the alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena. He had been a guiding light for all of us who helped make Maharashtra that is respected everywhere. A memorial befitting his status will be set up at the mayor's bungalow and the entire cost will be borne by the government," Fadnavis added at the joint press meet with Uddhav.

The amount was collected through a donation of one month's salary of all elected leaders of Shiv Sena, starting from the Gram Panchayat to MLAs and MPs, besides the biggest chunk of Rs 1 million from Thackeray himself, reports IANS.

The prime sea-facing property, measuring around 11,500 sq mt, was handed over to the 'Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Nyas' (BTRSN) in February, paving the way for the memorial. The BTRSN is now headed by Uddhav and the memorial site, which includes the sprawling bungalow constructed in the late 1920s, has been the mumbai mayor's official residence since 1964.

Earlier on Friday, the entire Thackeray clan including Uddhav, his wife Rashmi, their son and Yuva Sena chief Aditya, besides other family members accompanied by top Shiv Sena leaders, including former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi and others, paid homage to the late Thackeray at the proposed memorial site. Later, Fadnavis, accompanied by several Cabinet ministers and other party leaders, arrived and paid floral tributes to Thackeray before dedicating the memorial site.

Shiv Sena activists across Maharashtra visited the memorial site on Friday and offered tributes in memory of Bal Thackeray, who passed away on 17 November in 2012, aged 86.

With inputs from agencies
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. DAVID LEE GREEN, Petitioner-Appellant, v. SECRETARY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, ATTORNEY GENERAL, STATE OF FLORIDA, Respondents-Appellees. No. 16-11239 Decided: November 16, 2017

Before MARCUS, JORDAN, and JULIE CARNES, Circuit Judges.

Petitioner David Green, a Florida prisoner, appeals the district court's dismissal of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed pursuant to 28 U.S.C.  2254. The district court dismissed Petitioner's  2254 petition as untimely after concluding that his motion for reduction of sentence under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800(c) did not toll the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act's (AEDPA) one-year statute of limitations. While Petitioner's appeal was pending in our Court, we issued Rogers v. Secretary, Department of Corrections, 855 F.3d 1274, 127879 (11th Cir. 2017), in which we held that a Rule 3.800(c) motion tolls the AEDPA's one-year statute of limitations. In light of our decision in Rogers, we conclude that the district court erred by determining that Petitioner's  2254 petition was time-barred. We reverse the district court's dismissal of Petitioner's federal habeas petition and remand for further proceedings.

I. BACKGROUND

In 2002, a jury found Petitioner guilty of solicitation to commit murder in the first degree. Petitioner was sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment. His conviction and sentence were affirmed on June 6, 2003.

On August 18, 2003, Petitioner filed a Rule 3.800(c) motion to reduce or modify his sentence. The Florida trial court denied Petitioner's motion on October 26, 2004. Petitioner filed a petition for certiorari with the Florida appellate court, which was dismissed on July 8, 2005.

In the meantime, on June 9, 2005, Petitioner filed a motion for state post-conviction relief pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850, in which he raised several claims related to ineffective assistance of counsel. After the Florida trial court denied Petitioner's motion, the Florida appellate court reversed and remanded one claim back to the trial court. The Florida trial court denied that claim on April 1, 2011. The Florida appellate court affirmed, and the mandate issued on November 16, 2012.

On April 2, 2013, Petitioner filed his  2254 petition in federal district court. The State responded that Petitioner's habeas petition was untimely, as it was filed outside of the one-year statute of limitations. Specifically, the State argued that Petitioner's Rule 3.800(c) motion did not toll the statute of limitations.

Finding the State's argument persuasive, the district court dismissed Petitioner's  2254 petition as time-barred. The district court explained that because Petitioner's conviction became final on September 4, 2003, without any tolling motions, the one-year statute of limitations under  2244(d)(1)(A) expired on September 7, 2004. In particular, the district court concluded that Petitioner's Rule 3.800(c) motion did not toll the limitations period. Accordingly, the district court dismissed the habeas petition.

A member of this Court issued Petitioner a certificate of appealability on the following issue:

Whether [Petitioner's] Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.800(c) motion to reduce his sentence tolled the statute of limitations, such that the District Court erred when it dismissed his 28 U.S.C.  2254 petition for a writ of habeas corpus as untimely.

II. DISCUSSION

We review de novo the district court's determination that a petition for federal habeas corpus relief is time-barred under 28 U.S.C.  2244(d). Steed v. Head, 219 F.3d 1298, 1300 (11th Cir. 2000).

The AEDPA imposes a one-year period of limitation on applications for a writ of habeas corpus by state prisoners. 28 U.S.C.  2244(d)(1). The one-year period begins to run from the latest of four triggering events, including the date on which the judgment became final by the conclusion of direct review or the expiration of the time for seeking such review. Id.  2244(d)(1)(A). However, section 2244(d)(2) provides that [t]he time during which a properly filed application for State post-conviction or other collateral review with respect to the pertinent judgment or claim is pending shall not be counted toward any period of limitation under this subsection. Id.  2244(d)(2).

Petitioner's conviction became final on September 4, 2003, the date on which the 90-day period for filing a petition for certiorari with the United States Supreme Court expired. See Nix v. Sec'y for Dep't of Corr., 393 F.3d 1235, 123637 (11th Cir. 2004) (concluding that a state prisoner's conviction became final for purposes of  2244(d)(1)(A) on the date the 90-day period for filing a certiorari petition in the U.S. Supreme Court expired); Bond v. Moore, 309 F.3d 770, 77374 (11th Cir. 2002) (same). Without tolling, Petitioner's one-year limitations period expired on September 7, 2004. See 28 U.S.C. 2244(d)(1)(A). Petitioner filed his Rule 3.800(c) motion on August 18, 2003, before his conviction became final and prior to the expiration of the one-year limitation period. It is undisputed that if Petitioner's Rule 3.800(c) motion tolled the statute of limitations, his  2254 petition was timely filed. Indeed, the district court stated that Petitioner's 2254 petition was filed within the one-year limitation if both the Rule 3.800(c) and the Rule 3.850 proceedings tolled the limitation.

Relying on our decision in Alexander v. Secretary, Department of Corrections, 523 F.3d 1291 (11th Cir. 2008), however, the district court determined that Petitioner's Rule 3.800(c) motion did not toll the one-year statute of limitations. Our decision in Alexander held that a Rule 3.800(c) motion is not an application for State post-conviction or other collateral review with respect to the pertinent judgment because it does not attack the legality of a sentence. Alexander, 523 F.3d at 129798. Because such a motion was not an application for state post-conviction or other collateral review, we concluded that a Rule 3.800(c) motion does not toll the AEDPA's one-year statute of limitations. Id. at 1298.

Following our decision in Alexander, the Supreme Court issued Wall v. Kholi, 562 U.S. 545 (2011), in which it held that a motion to reduce a sentence under Rhode Island Rule of Criminal Procedure 35(a) is an application for collateral review that tolls the AEDPA's limitations period. Kholi, 562 U.S. at 55354, 556. In so holding, the Supreme Court explained that the term collateral review refers to a judicial reexamination of a judgment or claim in a proceeding outside of the direct review process. Id. at 553.

After the filing of Petitioner's initial brief, we issued our decision in Rogers, where we considered whether the Supreme Court's decision in Kholi abrogated Alexander. See Rogers, 855 F.3d at 127778. We concluded that it did because Kholi made clear that an application for collateral review need not challenge the legality of a sentence. Id. at 127778. We determined that a Rule 3.800(c) motion fell within the Supreme Court's definition of an application for collateral review because it is a judicial reexamination of a judgment or claim in a proceeding outside of the direct review process. Id. at 1275, 127779. We thus held that a Rule 3.800(c) motion tolls the limitation period under  2244(d)(1). Id. at 127879.

In light of our decision in Rogers, the district court erred by determining that Petitioner's Rule 3.800(c) motion did not toll the AEDPA's one-year statute of limitations. See Rogers, 855 F.3d at 127779; see also Wright v. Sec'y for Dept. of Corr., 278 F.3d 1245, 1259 (11th Cir. 2002) (explaining that we are bound to follow our prior panel precedent). Petitioner's 3.800(c) motion was filed on August 18, 2003, before his conviction became final, and his Rule 3.850 motion was filed while his Rule 3.800(c) motion was still pending. Because both motions tolled the statute of limitations, the one-year limitations period did not begin to run until the conclusion of Petitioner's Rule 3.850 proceedings on November 16, 2012. See Rogers, 853 F.3d at 127779; Cadet v. Fla. Dep't of Corr., 853 F.3d 1216, 1219 (11th Cir. 2017) (indicating that a Rule 3.850 motion sufficiently tolls the AEDPA's statute of limitations). Because the limitations period did not expire until November 18, 2013, Petitioner's  2254 petition filed on April 2, 2013, was timely. Accordingly, we reverse the district court's dismissal of Petitioner's  2254 petition as time-barred and remand for further proceedings.

REVERSED AND REMANDED.

FOOTNOTES

. In its response, the State asserted that it did not have access to a copy of Petitioner's 3.800(c) motion. However, the State did not challenge the assertion that the Rule 3.800(c) motion was filed on August 18, 2003, and, in fact, appears to concede that the motion was filed on that date. Indeed, the State asserts in its brief on appeal that it accepts the description of the course of proceedings as stated in Petitioner's initial briefwhich provides in relevant part that Petitioner's Rule 3.800(c) motion was filed on August 18, 2003.

. Because September 4, 2004, fell on a Saturday and September 6, 2004, was a federal holiday, the expiration of the one-year statute of limitations was the following Tuesday: September 7, 2004. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(1)(C) ([I]f the last day [of the period] is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period continues to run until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.).

. This date accounts for the fact that November 16, 2013, fell on a Saturday. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(1)(A), (C).

PER CURIAM:
Bhopal: In a retort to Rahul Gandhi's jibe terming the GST as 'Gabbar Singh Tax', Union minister Giriraj Singh on Friday said the body language of the Congress leader resembled that of Gabbar Singh, the tobacco-chewing dacoit made famous by actor Amjad Khan in film 'Sholay'.

Last month, Rahul Gandhi had lashed out at the Modi government, calling the Goods and Services Tax 'Gabbar Singh Tax', meant to extort money from people.

"Some people are making a hue and cry. The prince (Rahul) is saying that this is 'Gabbar Singh GST'. This is not Gabbar Singh tax. You are making a mistake. Your language resembles that of Gabbar Singh. Your body language resembles that of Gabbar Singh," Singh said.

The Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) was addressing a convention of small and medium entrepreneurs in Bhopal.

"Behind closed doors, your finance ministers (of Congress-ruled states) extend support to the GST, but outside, you term it as Gabbar Singh Tax. These are double standards," he said.

Singh said the concerns of the business community were being addressed by the government.

In a tweet last week, Gandhi stated, "We will not allow BJP to impose a Gabbar Singh Tax on India. They cannot break the back of the small and medium businesses, crush the informal sector and destroy millions of jobs."

The Congress vice president repeated his jibe at election rallies in Gujarat.

Singh claimed that MSME sector provided jobs to around 10 crore youth.

Eighty percent of jobs, he said, was provided by the small and medium businesses with only 20 percent of total investment, while 80 percent money was invested in big businesses that employed only 20 percent of the industrial workforce.

Singh defended demonetisation and said despite facing problems people's faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained unshaken.

"(BR) Ambedkar had also suggested that currency should be demonetised every 10 years. But Indira Gandhi (former prime minister) could not dare to demonetise the currency," he added.

In his address, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the US adopted talent from across the world and that led to its success.

"If there were no Indian doctors, half the US would remain ill," he said.

At the convention, Chouhan announced sops for the state's MSMEs, including 40 percent subsidy on the machinery required for setting up small-scale industries as the previous subsidy regime ended upon introduction of the GST.

He also said that the small-size plots would be provided to the MSMEs as per their need, besides simplification of other rules.

A large number of small and medium-size entrepreneurs are attending the two-day convention.
New Delhi: The government is not "running away" from Parliament and will soon take a decision on dates for its Winter Session, Union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal said on Friday.

Many Members of Parliament had requested that they want to focus on the Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, Goyal said responding to a question on delay in holding the Winter Session of Parliament.

"I don't think there is any such situation where we have to run away from facing Parliament. The government will soon take a decision on parliament dates," he said.

Earlier, the Congress had attacked the BJP-led NDA government for delaying the Winter Session and said the Centre was using state Assembly polls as an excuse to avoid facing Parliament.

The Winter Session of Parliament traditionally convenes from the third week of November.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) headed by Union home minister Rajnath Singh decides the dates of the parliament session.

According to sources, the government is considering a truncated Winter Session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released the first list of candidates for upcoming Gujarat Assembly election with less than a month left for the polls.

BJP releases a list of 70 candidates-Vijay Rupani to contest from Rajkot West, Nitinbhai Patel from Mehsana, Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West #GujaratElections2017  ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2017

According to the press release, a list of 70 candidates was finalised in a meeting with party president Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Rajnath Singh, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and other members of the BJP Central Election Committee.

As per the list, the state's chief minister Vijay Rupani will contest from Rajkot West, deputy chief minister Nitinbhai Patel from Mehsana, and state BJP chief Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West. Former Congress leader CK Raulji, who recently switched over to the BJP, got a ticket from Godhra.

One of the main reasons for delay in announcement was that both BJP and Congress were waiting for the other side to come out with its nominees first, sources said. The last date of filing nominations for the first phase of the polls  when 89 seats will see voting on 9 December  is 21 November.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah met in New Delhi to discuss the list of candidates, and Union minister JP Nadda later said that the list "would be announced at an appropriate time". This despite a preliminary list already being prepared by the party's state unit.

Staying ahead of the opposition party in the announcement, the saffron party list shows that it has repeated most of the sitting MLAs in their constituencies - contrary to what was speculated.

The noteworthy fact about the list is that six of the 14 Congress MLAs who had defected to the saffron party in August have been given tickets to contest from their constituencies. It remains to be seen how the opposition Congress party reacts to it and how it challenges it before the Election Commission of India (ECI) and in the judiciary regarding the anti-defection law.

Surprisingly and contrary to speculation, both the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) members, Varun Patel and Reshma Patel, have not been included in the first list of candidates.

Two BJP MLAs, Vadhwan constituency's Varshaben Doshi, and BJP MLA from Dhari constituency, Nalin Kotadia, have been dropped. Instead, Dhanjibhai Patel is to contest from Vadhwan and Dileep Sanghani will be contesting from Dhari.

On Friday morning, the BJP chief held a meeting with Prime Minister Modi and other senior leaders of the party in Delhi as well as Gujarat senior leaders, before announcing the list.

Election will be held in 93 assembly constituencies in the second phase on 14 December. Counting of votes in Gujarat, which has a 182-member assembly, will take place on 18 December.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in power in Gujarat for 22 years, winning five successive elections.

With inputs from IANS
Yesteryear Bollywood baddie Ajit would have easily recognised the mood of the voter in Gujarat as being in "liquid oxygen". Like he possibly never said, liquid is not letting him live, oxygen is not letting him die. Read BJP in place of liquid and Narendra Modi in place of oxygen and you will decode the Gujarat election scene with equal facility.

On the ground, the Gujarat voter has a litany of complaints against the state and Central governments. Businesses are suffering because of the complicated GST mechanism of multiple rate slabs and tedious compliance chores. In rural areas, farmers and labourers are still hurting because of demonetisation. The youth are upset that there are no fresh jobs. Various caste groups and communities are eager to assert their identity as separate from the Virat Hindutva Parivar. And there is 22 years of accumulated anti-incumbency.

For the Congress, in some other age and a different political milieu, Gujarat 2017 could have been like Paris in World War II  ready to be captured without firing a shot. But, the oxygen called Narendra Modi just won't allow the BJP to choke.

The equation between the Gujarati voter and Modi is more and more like a love that has turned into an addiction. The average voter is just not ready for the trauma of a breakup with Modi, however painful the relationship. If politics were cinema, Modi would have been to voters what Angelina Jolie is to Antonio Banderas in the Original Sin. Voters know that all promises have not been delivered, yet they cant give up on Modi.

The biggest reason for this inability to look beyond Modi is the Gujarati mindset that sees Modi as its own creation. "In 2012, Gujaratis voted for Modi so that he may go on to become the prime minister. After nurturing his career, sending him to Delhi, seeing their dream of Gujaratis dominate Indian politics, voters can't think of harming him in his own backyard. It would be like destroying their own creation," says political analyst Shyam Parekh.

The other reason for Modi's apparent invincibility is his image of a protector of Hindus. Since the 2002 riots, the Hindus have started believing that the state is with them, and will always back them. This sense of security  though it is difficult to understand the insecurity of the majority  makes them repose their faith again and again in Modi. This sense of security, or the lack of it, is evident in what a Gujarati woman told Firstpost: "If Modi goes there will be a lot of mosques in Gujarat."

This is not to say that voters are not unhappy with Modi. Deep inside they are hurting because of his inability to deliver what he had promised. Ankita Oza, an Ahmedabad-based student of journalism, says this is the first time she has seen people at home and college ask serious questions about Modi. But, in the end, every answer leads to back to him as being the only one.

This confusion among voters is reflected in two things you would hear everywhere in Gujarat. One, the Congress is putting up a good fight, and this is its best chance in two decades to beat the BJP. And two, ironically, whatever the Congress may do, in the end, victory would be the BJP's. The reason: Modi hai na.

A week is a long time in politics. The first phase of polling is more than three weeks away. If the Congress continues to build on the gains it seems to have made in the last few months, there might still be a surprise in there for the BJP.

In 2012, with the "Modi for PM" buzz, the BJP had a ten percent vote share lead over the Congress. So, even a five percent swing away from the BJP could bring both the parties neck-and-neck. This time around there is enough evidence to suggest that the gap might narrow down because of the combined effects of anti-incumbency, downturn in businesses, lack of jobs and anger among Dalits and Patidars. According to a survey by Lokniti and CSDS, over the last two months, the Congress has reduced the difference in expected vote share from 30 points to just six percent.

But, the problem with the Congress is that the Modi campaign juggernaut has still not entered the fray. In a few days, he will hit the ground with close to 50 rallies in two weeks. He will go on an all-out attack against the Congress and appeal to Gujarati asmita (pride) to change the trajectory of the election.

Yes, the situation on the ground is indeed fluid. The BJP is indeed straining under the weight of voter fatigue. But the oxygen called Modi may just give the BJP a new lease of life.
The public discourse over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati has taken a worrying turn. Feigning 'hurt sentiments', thuggish right-wing groups are indulging in mindless violence, vandalism, blocking tourists from Chittorgarh Fort, announcing bandhs, threatening on-camera to cause grievous bodily harm to the film's actor and director.

Mainstream political parties, meanwhile, are either pandering to the violent fringe or staying steadfastly silent. One would have imagined the spectre of right-wing goons running uncontrolled and intimidating everyone over the release of a Bollywood movie is a godsend for the Congress in the middle of an election season.

However, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who leaves no opportunity these days to prick Narendra Modi with his shiny new acerbic tongue, is staying curiously quiet. The prime ministerial aspirant's Twitter feed, instead of calling for the immediate arrest of Karni Sena activists, has no mention of the word 'Padmavati'. Has the cat got his tongue? Why isn't he putting the prime minister on the mat over his failure to ensure creative freedom for artists?

During the controversy over Tamil movie Mersal, the Congress vice-president had warned Modi against trying to "muzzle" dissenting voices.

Mr. Modi, Cinema is a deep expression of Tamil culture and language. Don't try to demon-etise Tamil pride by interfering in Mersal  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 21, 2017

This is all the more reason, then, to ask why he isn't performing the role of an Opposition leader this time. The deeply disturbing answer takes us to the heart of the controversy over Bhansali's beleaguered film.

Politicians of all hues are ideology-agnostic. Their only true allegiance is towards power. BJP, Congress and other mainstream political parties in India would have noted that Indian polity has reached an inflection point.

Decades of vacuous minority appeasement in the name of "secularism" has run its course. This poll tactic seems to have become politically inexpedient. Instead of self-correcting to the middle, however, the polity is taking a turn to the right, and the mainstream political parties  regardless of their ideological disposition  are eager to be on the right side of it.

In several states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Jharkhand, right-wing fringe groups across various states have been stepping up the rhetoric and in some cases violencewithout any censure from party leaders or administrators.

It is not as if the threats are implicit. One Mahipal Singh Makrana of the Rajput Karni Sena, which has courted overnight infamy over its strident stand against the movie's release, in a self-propagated video threatened to maim Deepike Padukone.

Rajputs never raise a hand on women but if need be, we will do to Deepika what Lakshman did to Shurpanakha: Mahipal Singh Makrana of Rajput Karni Sena in a self-made video #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/82AWKGO7IU  ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2017

One Thakur Abhishek Som from a little-known Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Yuva Mahasabha offered a bounty of Rs 5 crore on the heads of Padukone and Bhansali. These open threats should have been taken seriously, acted upon and these hoodlums should have been immediately arrested and made to face the full might of the law.

Instead, we have Union ministers and prominent leaders pussyfooting, tiptoeing around and even justifying the violence.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Nitin Gadkari blamed the filmmakers for not respecting cultural sensitivities and distorting history. He sermonised that freedom of speech is not absolute and pointed out that people have the right to get offended.

We don't need the Union minister to tell us that freedom of speech is subject to reasonable restrictions. He needed to open up on why the goons are getting a free pass from state governments, many of which are ruled by the BJP, but he didn't.

The Congress tried to skulk around the controversy and somehow blame the BJPnot for failing to punish the goonsbut allowing the film to go through.

"I have not watched the movie as yet, but definitely the Central Board of Film Certification formulated and formed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government has seen it and passed it without cuts But any movie that hurts the sentiments of any community... a film is not made to hurt any community," Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said.

This attitude from politicians has ended up incentivising violence, threat of violence and vandalism from thugs. The media has played no small a part, playing into the hands of these fringe groups by magnifying manifold their voice and threats. The space for a rational debate on creative freedom has been completely squeezed in favour of a macabre spectacle. When criminals threaten to kill someone, their place isnt TV studios but prison cells.

It is important that the movie is released on time. The right message needs to be sent. There is space in a democracy for creative freedom and dissent, but absolutely no space for violence.
Mumbai: Hitting out at the Centre over demonetisation, Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor has said that telling the people that they cannot have access to the money in their accounts was "nanny-ism carried to an extreme."

The former Union minister, who was speaking at an event on Thursday evening, also criticised the BJP-led government over the way GST was rolled out, although, he said, the concept of one nation one tax was "a great idea."

"Demonetisation was an exercise in telling people what notes they could hold...The government telling us that you cannot have access to your own money in your account was nanny-ism carried to an extreme," Tharoor said.

He was participating in a debate on 'We are living in a nanny state', chaired by Vir Sanghvi, at the eighth edition of Tata Literature Live.

Tharoor was speaking for the motion along with JNU professor Makarand Paranjape, while senior journalist Chandan Mitra and industrialist Sunil Alagh were against the motion.

"Intention of GST was a wonderful thing. Having one nation one tax is a great idea but in practice what this government has done, it has created something for the state, the bureaucrats and not to help the people.

"Instead of one nation one tax, we have been given three taxes, six slabs underneath and 37 forms a year to be filed...There is a nanny state sitting over you," Tharoor said.

He also criticised the beef ban, saying it has destroyed livelihoods of millions in Maharashtra alone.

"The beef ban in its conception and intention is indeed nanny state behaviour. The government is trying to determine what people put in their mouths, even in their homes...This nanny state has destroyed the livelihoods of millions in Maharashtra alone," the former Union minister said.

He also referred to the controversy over the Information and Broadcasting Ministry pulling out two movies, S Durga (Malayalam) and Nude (Marathi) from the 48th edition of International Film Festival of India to be held in Goa from 20 to 28 November.

"Censorship is another example, where you saw very recently in the news, withdrawal of two films from the International Film Festival of India by the government, not by the jury.

"You have a censor board which demands 72 cuts in Udta Punjab, an Amartya Sen documentary where the censor insists the word Hindu and cows should be cut out. If this isn't a nanny state then what is," Tharoor asked.

The Congress leader said the "nanny state rule" extended to "homophobic laws" and even the anti-Romeo squads.

"You also have the homophobic laws in our books. Before the heterosexuals get too complacent, we have got Yogi Adityanath's anti-Romeo squads in Uttar Pradesh."

"So this state believes, like nannies, they know what's best for the country and what isn't. Nannies may be good at babysitting, but in this analogy, we the people are the baby and the government is sitting on us," he said.

"The principle of my mind is that the government's job is in public policy, in creation and administration of public goods, in defending our borders, making infrastructure...Those things are alright.

"But getting into the kitchen, into the bedroom, into people's personal life, it's not the business of the state. We must stand up against it whoever is in the government," Tharoor said.
Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a survey conducted by US think tank Pew and Moody's rating upgrade for India.

Rupani slammed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for criticising major reforms of the Modi government like demonetisation and GST and accused him of giving "wrong" figures regarding Gujarat.

"The Pew Research Center has come out with a survey which said popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increased after three years of his rule," Rupani said.

According to the survey conducted by the American think, Modi remains "by far" the most popular figure in Indian politics.

Modi at 88 per cent is 30 points ahead of Rahul Gandhi (58%), 31 points ahead of Congress president Sonia Gandhi (57%) and 49 points ahead of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (39%), said the survey conducted between 21 February and 10 March.

"Today, international rating agency Moody's upgraded India's rating due to the hard work done on the economic front by the Modi government," he said.

"This proves the Union government is going in the right direction under Prime Minister Modi," he said.

Gandhi's criticism of the Modi government on its key policy decisions have no meaning, the BJP leader said. "Rahul Gandhi has been criticising our government on the issues of demonetisation and GST during his poll campaign in Gujarat. Now his claims have been punctured," Rupani said.

The Congress leader is giving "wrong" figures about job scenario in the BJP-ruled state, Rupani said.

"Rahul has been claiming that state has 30 lakh unemployed youth. However, the figure is just below six lakhs. Rupani said, "As per the figures released by the Central government, Gujarat created 83 per cent of all jobs in the country in 2016."

Gandhi has been giving wrong figures on the issue of schools also, Rupani said.

"I challenge him to declare the source of his figures that he has been quoting in his speeches in Gujarat. All the figures are wrong," he said.
In a bid to seek votes for his wife who is contesting the civic polls in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki, BJP leader Ranjeet Kumar Srivastava warned Muslim voters there of "difficulties" if they did not vote for her.

A video of Srivastava, who reportedly spoke at a public meeting on 1 November, showed him vouch for his party's governance. "This is BJP's government, not Samajwadi Party's... None of your leaders can help you. Roads, drains, lanes are the work of the municipal corporation. You may face some other difficulties as well. Today you don't have any advocates in the BJP," he said.

He added: "If you don't vote for Ranjeet sahab's wife and get her elected, then you will distance yourself. The Samajwadi Party won't come to your rescue. This is the BJP's reign. You may have to face difficulties which you did not have to face earlier. Therefore, I'm telling Muslims to vote (for us). I am not begging. If you vote, you will be at peace. If you don't, the difficulties you will face will become obvious." According to The Indian Express, two ministers from Yogi Adityanath's Cabinet were present on the stage during the speech.

BJP leader, Ranjeet Kumar Srivastava, while campaigning for his wife warns Muslims to vote for her or face difficulties pic.twitter.com/0fjc6q7tLA  TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 17, 2017

Srivastava's spokesperson, RP Singh, said that the remarks were in the interest of the Muslim voters. He was telling them that since the BJP is in power in the state, if a non-BJP candidate wins, the elected person may not be able to get their work done, Singh was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

BJP has fielded Srivastava's wife Shashi for the seat of chairperson of Nawabganj Nagar Palika, which is currently occupied by him.

Activist Rahul Eashwar slammed Srivastava's approach to seek votes on Friday.

Hope BJP will take action against Ranjeet Kumar Srivastava - Elections are Won by Inspiring Confidence not Threatening Voters. & What is the use of Threatening Muslims or any other Community when it is secret ballot system ? Negative Way, Wrong Approach. https://t.co/JolqLyQZEv  Rahul Easwar (@RahulEaswar) November 17, 2017

Speaking to ETV, Srivastava had claimed that his speech was to meant persuade Muslims to vote for the BJP, not threaten them. "I was just trying to make them understand that there is a huge difference between Hindu and Muslims and these differences should come to an end," he said, according to News18.

He was quick to add that if Muslims didn't understand, it's not the Hindus who would regret but they themselves. "If someone thinks that I am threatening, I am ready to threaten a thousand times more," he said.

He went on to claim that BJP was a party of "mards", taking names of PM Narendra Modi, CM Yogi Adityanath, and he himself. "I won the election last time with Hindu votes, the remaining votes didn't matter. I am not begging for their (Muslims) votes," he said.

The Officer on Special Duty of State Election Commission, JP Singh denied receiving any formal complaint against Srivastava. "I have requested for a copy of the video, and only after seeing the video, the decision on any punishment will be taken, he was quoted as saying by News18.

District Magistrate of Barabanki Akhilesh Tiwari also denied have received any complaint in the matter but assured appropriate action on receiving one. Barabanki SP Anil Kumar Singh said that Election Commission should take proper action.
PTI

India's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel has announced two new effectively low-cost 4G smartphones with Karbonn Mobiles, continuing its offensive in the Indian telecom market that has seen an onslaught of bundled offerings in the last few months.

Launching the two new Android-based 4G smartphones A1 Indian and A41 Power "at the price of a feature phone", Airtel said the devices would be available at an "effective price" of Rs 1,799 (against MRP of Rs 4,390) and Rs 1,849 (against MRP of Rs 4,290) after taking into account the cash refunds on offer.

Both 4G smartphones come bundled with Airtel's monthly pack of Rs 169.

"The launch is part of Airtel's Mera Pehla Smartphone initiative, which is aimed at enabling every Indian to buy a 4G smartphone and get on to the digital superhighway," the Airtel statement said.

Over the last few weeks, telecom service providers have joined forces with mobile phone manufacturers to bring bundled 4G smartphones that give consumers attractive combination of low-cost handset along with voice and data plans.

To counter JioPhone, Bharti Airtel has teamed up with Celkon and Karbonn Mobiles to offer low-cost bundled 4G smartphones.

Vodafone India too has partnered with mobile handset firm Micromax to launch a 4G smartphone at an effective price of Rs 999.

Outlining the details of the latest offering, Airtel said downpayment for A1 Indian 4G smartphone is Rs 3,299 and for the A41 Power 4G smartphone it is Rs 3,349.

The offer requires 36 continuous monthly recharges of Rs 169 pack, the statement said adding that customer will get a cash refund of Rs 500 after 18 months and another Rs 1,000 after 36 months.

This takes the total cash benefit to Rs 1,500, it said.

In case customers do not wish to opt for the Rs 169 bundled plan, they can also go for recharges of any denomination and validity.

But the cash refund benefit will only be available if recharges worth Rs 3,000 are done in initial 18 months (for first refund instalment of Rs 500) and Rs 3,000 over the next 18 months (for second refund instalment of Rs 1,000).

All devices under the Airtel-Karbonn partnership will also be available on Amazon India, the statement added.

Raj Pudipeddi, Director, Consumer Business and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Bharti Airtel said the partnerships will help the company contribute towards transforming India into a smartphone nation.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
tech2 News Staff

Google has announced a number of new updates for its virtual assistant, the Google Assistant. One of the key announcement as part of these updates is the added support for Indian English in addition to Spanish, Italian, Portuguese languages. Google has limited the support for these new languages to the users as developers can also use the language to develop functionality in their apps.

For starters, Google is updating its Explore tab. These include Whats New and Whats trending in the app directory so that the user does not miss out on any trending topic.

It is also bringing new sub-categories. Example the Food & Drink categories will be divided into Order Food or View a Menu. This will give the user options to connect with other apps. According to the blog post, Google is planning to add a description to these apps, in addition to using invocation queries to understand what the user mostly wants.

In a bid to increase user-engagement, third-party apps will feature in the Google Assistant app. The company has named this new feature as 'Implicit discovery' where users can access third-party apps through Google Assistant with the help of contextual queries such as "OK Google, find me a cab", or service centers. This works even if the user forgets the name of the app.

Other updates include the For Families badge which would be tagged on the apps appearing on Google Assistant. This badge will be used to show family-friendly apps.

For businesses, Google Assistant is adding an API in the form of 'Speaker to phone transfer' where the Google Assistant in a user's smartphone can converse with the Google Assistant present in a Google Home. For app makers, this can be especially useful where the user can list the things they want and Actions such as Google Maps, or make a grocery list. The entire billing transaction will appear on the user's phone. Users can follow this by completing the transaction on their smartphone.

Google has added more features to make the user experience more interactive with personalised apps, improved SSML studio for web simulator, linking account during the course of the conversation instead of adding the account in the beginning and improvements in the 'Cancel event'.

Additional updates for app developers include push notifications such as stock options for traders, directory analytics where the user can get an idea of how it is faring in terms of user engagement and daily updates on the same kind of content from any particular app. The company has rolled out the update to both Android and iOS platforms.
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Rudell L. Clark MULLINGS, Defendant-Appellant. No. 16-1694 Decided: November 15, 2017

Present: ROBERT A. KATZMANN, Chief Judge, RAYMOND J. LOHIER, JR., CHRISTOPHER F. DRONEY, Circuit Judges. For Appellee: Hiral D. Mehta (Jo Ann M. Navickas, on the brief), for Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn, NY. For Defendant-Appellant: Howard J. Bashman, Willow Grove, PA.

SUMMARY ORDER

Defendant Rudell L. Clark Mullings appeals from a judgment of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Korman, J.) sentencing him principally to 84 months' imprisonment. We assume the parties' familiarity with the underlying facts, the procedural history of the case, and the issues on appeal.

Mullings was a corrections officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan. In 2015, Mullings had sex with a female inmate incarcerated at MCC. Federal law makes it illegal for anyone in a Federal prison to knowingly engage[ ] in a sexual act with another person who is(1) in official detention; and (2) under the custodial, supervisory, or disciplinary authority of the person so engaging. 18 U.S.C.  2243(b). Mullings pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a ward in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2243(b) in November 2015. The statutory maximum sentence for this offense is 15 years. Id.

Relying on statements from the victim, the Probation Office, in its Presentence Investigation Report (PSR), concluded that Mullings had used force to compel the inmate to have sex with him. Mullings's sentencing submission denied this allegation. In light of this factual dispute, the district court twice asked whether Mullings wanted a Fatico hearing. Mullings ultimately declined a Fatico hearing and withdrew his objection to the factual recitation contained in the PSR. The Probation Office initially calculated Mullings's Guidelines range to be 12 to 18 months but later adjusted the recommended Guidelines range to 27 to 33 months. In light of the district court's view that these Guidelines ranges were absurd and ludicrous given the offense conduct, App'x 118, 122, the district court ultimately imposed a sentence of 84 months' imprisonment. In imposing its sentence, the district court twice referenced New York criminal law, including observing that rape under New York law carries a mandatory minimum 60-month sentence.

Mullings now argues that the sentence must be vacated because, in imposing its 84-month sentence, the district court relied on an impermissible factor, namely, the sentence that he would have received had he been prosecuted in state rather than federal court. A challenge to the reasonableness of a sentence may invoke substantive reasonableness, which requires an examination of the length of the sentence,  or procedural reasonableness, which addresses  the procedure employed in arriving at the sentence.  United States v. Chu, 714 F.3d 742, 746 (2d Cir. 2013) (per curiam) (quoting United States v. Johnson, 567 F.3d 40, 51 (2d Cir. 2009)). Considering an impermissible factor when imposing a sentence constitutes procedural unreasonableness. See United States v. Park, 758 F.3d 193, 19799 (2d Cir. 2014) (per curiam).

This Court has held that a district court is not required to consider federal and state sentencing disparities under 18 U.S.C.  3553(a)(6), but we have not addressed whether a district court is permitted to consider state law under  3553(a)(6) or any of the other  3553(a) factors. United States v. Johnson, 505 F.3d 120, 12324 & n.4 (2d Cir. 2007). Although Mullings contends that reliance on state law is improper in the context of sentencing, we need not address that question here, nor need we resolve the parties' dispute regarding the standard of review, because the district court's sentence did not rely on New York law, despite twice referencing it in passing. In the first instance, the district court said that it had looked to a provision of New York's law regarding sex between inmates and correctional employees just out of curiosity. App'x 121. Mullings concedes that this comment, standing by itself, is not sufficient to constitute reliance. After announcing the sentence and setting forth its reasons under the  3553(a) factors, the district court observed that the sentence it had imposed was actually above the minimum for rape in New York which is five years, but emphasized that the sentence [was] appropriate under the circumstances. App'x 12122. Read in the context of the district court's entire sentencing discussion and the written statement of reasons, which made no mention of New York law, the two oral references are insufficient to conclude that the district court relied on New York law.

Indeed, if any inference can be drawn from the second reference, it is that the district court was aware of but declined to give credence to the disparity between Mullings's federal sentence and New York law. Instead, the district court repeatedly emphasized that the sentence was appropriate based on the forcible nature of the crime, Mullings's position of authority over his victim, and the need to deter others from engaging in such serious criminal conduct. The government's sentencing submission focused in large part on these factors, and use of force became such a point of contention that the district court asked Mullings twice, sua sponte, whether he wanted a Fatico hearing. The government's presentation at the sentencing proceeding itself also focused on the violent nature of the offense, and the sole question the district court asked the government during its argument at sentencing proceeding focused on the forcible nature of the crime. Additionally, the district court observed, both in its oral remarks and its written statement of reasons, that Mullings's offense conduct involved forcible sexual assault and abuse of a position of authority. Finally, what the district court characterized as the most important and necessary reason for the sentence was to send a message to people who are in positions similar to his, that this conduct is totally unacceptable and deserves severe punishment. App'x 121.

Because the seriousness of the offense and the consequent need for deterrence were the clear focus of the sentencing submissions, the parties' oral presentations, and the district court's oral and written statements of reasons, and because the references to New York law were made in passing, we conclude that the district court did not rely on New York law in formulating Mullings's sentence. Accordingly, assuming arguendo that reliance on state law is impermissible in the context of the  3553(a) factors, there is no basis to conclude that the district court erred.

We have considered all of Mullings's arguments and find in them no basis for vacature. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

FOOTNOTES

. Contrary to Mullings's claim, we have never held that a district court is categorically precluded from referencing state sentencing law when sentencing a defendant. In United States v. Haynes, 985 F.2d 65 (2d Cir. 1993), we held that a departure under the then-mandatory Guidelines was not justified by disparities between federal and state sentences for controlled substance crimes, in part, because such disparities were not atypical or unusual, id. at 70, which was the standard the Supreme Court set for such departures in Koon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81, 94 (1996). Because the Guidelines are no longer mandatory, see United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 245 (2005), this analysis is not controlling. See United States v. Mejia, 461 F.3d 158, 162 (2d Cir. 2006) ([P]re-Booker cases do not control this appeal.).
PTI

The Karnataka government has announced launch of a Rs 40 crore Centre of Excellence for data science and artificial intelligence with Nasscom as its programme and implementation partner.

The centre is based on a public-private partnership model and will accelerate the ecosystem in Karnataka by providing impetus for development of data science and artificial intelligence across the country, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge said.

Centre of Excellence (CoE) will provide high-end technology capabilities, data, expertise, thought leadership, and curated programmes to augment capabilities across academia, enterprises, government, innovators and advanced startups.

CoE aims to position Karnataka as one among the top five global innovation centres of Artificial Intelligence (AI) over the next five years, he told reporters.

NASSCOM President R Chandrashekhar said the centre will position India as a disruptor in the space and the IT body will evangelise such a programme across the country to supplement Indias vision to be leader in the digital economy.

IBM, Intel, Digital Ocean, and NVIDIA have in-principle agreed to support this programme, he said
IANS

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the national space agencies of the Asia-Pacific region are looking towards collaboratively developing small and cube satellites, a senior Indian space official said on Friday.

Heads of space agencies from 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific Region along with various government bodies had come together for the 24th session of the Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) that was held here from 14-17 November.

At the forum, working groups with space representatives from different countries had put forth few recommendations regarding space-industry-related collaborations between the countries.

"Some of the salient points that emerged during the working group recommendations include national space agencies in Asia-Pacific region collaboratively developing small/cube satellites, as data from these satellites could provide inputs to solve various issues which the region commonly faces," said Chairman of the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) A.S. Kiran Kumar at a media briefing here on the sidelines of APRSAF.

CubeSats are the light-weight satellites, weighing no more than 1.33kg per unit, that can be used for scientific research, earth observation etc.

The recommendations also looked to promote educational activities in the countries using space, space application in the fields of rice crop monitoring, global rainfall monitoring, haze monitoring and disaster management, the ISRO chief stated.

Attended by over 600 delegates from 35 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the recommendations by the countries would be followed up for implementation in the years ahead, Kumar added.

The space agency forum was organised jointly by ISRO, Japan's Ministry of Education, Sports, Science, Culture and Technology (MEXT) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Sustainable development goals, space policy and exploration and space technology for better governance were some of the aspects on which the countries had deliberated upon during the four-day conclave.

Heads of space agencies from countries like India, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, Israel, Thailand, France and Russia had participated in the forum.

The space agency heads asserted that working together through collaborations is advantageous for the countries as the resources are shared.
Reuters

Three days before Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd announced quarterly results this summer, a message circulated on a private WhatsApp group saying the Indian drugmaker would not post good numbers.

Dr. Reddy's was going to report a loss, according to the message on the Market Chatter group, which was posted on 24 July from a mobile phone number that Reuters traced back to Nishant Vass, an auto analyst at ICICI Securities, a leading Indian brokerage. The WhatsApp group had 45 members, mostly traders.

The loss would have been a surprise to many analysts, as consensus forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters at the time showed expectations of a profit of 3 billion rupees.

The message proved prescient: On 27 July, Dr. Reddys reported a loss of 587 million rupees (9.05 million dollars), a result its chief executive said was below expectations, sending shares down as much as 4.4 percent.

The post that circulated in the WhatsApp group three days earlier had predicted a loss of more than 500 million rupees.

A person who identified himself as Vass returned a call from Reuters using the telephone number from which Dr. Reddys numbers had been posted on the WhatsApp group. He denied writing or sharing posts in the group, adding later in a separate WhatsApp message from the same number that it was totally baseless that he had done so.

Reuters has documented at least 12 cases of prescient messages about major Indian companies, including Dr. Reddys, being posted in private WhatsApp groups.

Two of the messages appeared in the transcripts of six groups reviewed by Reuters, including the Market Chatter group where Dr. Reddys numbers appeared. The others were shared on condition of anonymity by two other members of other WhatsApp groups.

The posts with prescient numbers in the WhatsApp groups were circulated hours or days before official company statements.

The messages shared could involve lucky guesses or astute forecasts based on publicly available information, and not all metrics shared among the 12 cases were exactly the same as reported.

Reuters could not determine where the numbers posted on the WhatsApp groups originated or whether any of the market participants who received the messages had traded on the basis of the numbers they had seen.

According to two lawyers who were former senior officials at the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the countrys capital markets regulator, if any numbers being posted on WhatsApp groups were determined by regulators to be unpublished price-sensitive information, the people circulating them would be breaking the law.

The mere sharing of information that could be unpublished insider information is outlawed, even if you dont misuse the information to trade on it, said Sandeep Parekh, a lawyer with Finsec Law Advisors who used to head SEBIs enforcement division.

SEBI did not respond to requests for comment.

India significantly toughened insider trading rules in early 2015, expanding what constitutes unpublished price-sensitive information to include any information that is not generally available and that could have a market impact.

The law also expanded the scope of who constitutes an insider to include anyone in possession of or having access to unpublished price-sensitive information regardless of how they came in possession of or had access to such information.

You dont need to have gotten inside information from a company. You could get it from anywhere, said Vaneesa Agrawal, a partner with Suvan Law Advisors who formerly worked in SEBIs legal department. As soon as you have information that could be insider information you are an insider, and you are not supposed to either pass it on or trade on it.

Circulating unpublished price-sensitive information can result in penalties of up to 250 million rupees and a jail term of up to 10 years. The monetary amount can be higher if it can be proven that an individual traded on such information.
Paris: The head of the African Union said on Thursday that the body "will never accept the military coup d'etat" in Zimbabwe.

"We demand respect for the Constitution, a return to the constitutional order and we will never accept the military coup d'etat," Alpha Conde said in an interview with French journalists in Paris.

"We know there are internal problems. They need to be resolved politically by the ZANU-PF party and not with an intervention by the army," added Conde, who is also Guinea's president.

Zimbabwe's military was in control of the country on Wednesday as President Robert Mugabe said he was under house arrest and his generals denied staging a coup.

Mugabe's decades-long grip on power appeared to be slipping as armoured military vehicles blockaded parliament, soldiers took up positions at strategic points across Harare and senior soldiers commandeered state television to broadcast a late-night address.

Zimbabwe was left stunned at the military intervention against Mugabe, 93, who has ruled the country since independence from British rule in 1980.

Despite Mugabe's refusal to resign, attention has shifted to the prominent figures who could play a role in any transitional government.
Bracing for the next hit job on non-immigrant visas in the US? The H4 dependent visa is a prime candidate.

On the other side of the Christmas hols is a long pending decision on whether spouses of H1B workers are eligible for employment in the US or not.

The Obama government, in its penultimate year, passed a regulation (not a law) allowing work authorisation for people on H4 visas who by virtue of their spouses applying for a green card, could apply for a work permit. This was in 2015 and met with whoops of joy and relief across the Indian H4 community.

The long view: Beaten and bruised, H1B survives 365 days on Planet Trump

The resistance came quickly with groups opposed to the fundamental concept underpinning the H1B visas challenging the enhanced permits for the H4 visa in court. Save Jobs USA has been pushing the government to dial back the H4 work authorization and this is not a new demand. A district court judge struck down Save Jobs USAs case in September 2016 but the political climate had undergone deep shifts by then as we now know from hindsight. Despite the court setback, the same group filed an appeal in less than 3 days coinciding with the stunning rise of Trump in Americas political scene. The decision in the ongoing Save Jobs USA versus Department of Homeland Security case holds the key to the immediate future of the H4 visa holders life and work in America.

The Trump administration has asked for time to review the Obama-era regulation through the lenses of the Buy American Hire American Executive Order which is also the first time the H1B visa figures in a Trump-led EO.

Thats shorthand for grim news to the limited context of the H4.

The case is on hold but the outlook is not promising given the fact that the administration is not supporting the H4 rule being promulgaed by the Obama administration is not a good sign at all, says ace immigration attorney Cyrus Mehta.

Link: Immigration attorney Cyrus Mehta on H1B, H4 visas

In case the decision goes against work permits for H4 visa holders, then its back to the pre 2015 years for these folks. Note that neither the H1B nor the H4 figured in the highest level talks between Teams Trump and Modi in June this year. This was a clearly thought out tack by the Indian side and the America view on it is brusque and crystal clear - "Our position is well known. It is under review so we have nothing more to say."

Both Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions overall negative positions on foreign guest worker programs remain highly popular with Trump's core vote bank - a group that erupts in wild cheers when the US President taps into the cultural fault lines split wide open by Americas swiftly changing social fabric.

Up until the summer of 2015, H4 visa holders could not legally hold paid employment in the United States. The fag end of the Obama years changed all that and was met with wild celebrations among Indians in the US. With Trump in office and the prospect of benign neglect to immigration red flags that marked the Obama presidency now gone, H-4s already have a lot to be edgy about even if nothing eventually changes.

Although the H-4 is not applicable to all H1-B workers dependants, it covers a lot of ground. Work authorisation for H4 covers dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants on two conditions - the more crucial one being that the H1-B visa holder is the principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker which is an upgrade of the plain vanilla H1B under which an IT worker may have entered the US.
Beijing: China is set to dispatch a special envoy to North Korea on Friday, a trip hailed as a "big move" by US president Donald Trump, who has urged Beijing to pile pressure on its nuclear-armed ally.

Song Tao is officially travelling to Pyongyang to brief officials on the recent Chinese Communist Party Congress and "other issues of mutual concern" on behalf of President Xi Jinping.

But analysts expect Song to address the nuclear standoff, which has roiled relations between the two Cold War-era allies, as China has backed United Nations' sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests and sixth nuclear blast.

Trump, who warned Xi during his trip to Beijing last week that time was "quickly running out" to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter on Thursday to hail the mission as "a big move", and said "we'll see what happens".

The US leader wants China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the reclusive regime.

But experts do not believe Song's visit will yield major breakthroughs. "We can expect some face-saving assuring, but very general and abstract commitments with no substance changes in North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes," said Yuan Jingdong, a specialist in Asia-Pacific security issues at the University of Sydney.

The visit is "more about warning North Korea against going to extremes than forcing it to give up the nukes" because China's top priority remains maintaining regional stability, he said.

Song would likely "assure Kim that if he behaves within a reasonable bound he can expect Beijing to continue providing some assistance and resist broadening the sanctions", Yuan said.

China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enacting a series of UN measures that include bans on imports of coal, iron ore and seafood from the North. But Beijing fears that squeezing Pyongyang too hard would cause its collapse.

Song will be the first Chinese envoy to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited.

China's relations with North Korea are currently at "the lowest point they've been in history", said Lu Chao, director of the North Korea Research Centre at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, adding that it has left North Korea diplomatically at its most isolated.

As a high-level diplomat, Song would likely meet directly with North Korea's top leaders, he said. "As far as North Korea is concerned, China's opinion is still an important one and will certainly arouse their full attention," Lu said.

As nuclear tensions have soared, Xi has pushed for negotiations and a "dual track approach" in which the US would freeze its military drills in the region while North Korea halts its weapons programmes.

Trump claimed this week that Xi had agreed to drop his plan during their talks last week, but Beijing stood by its policy.

"It can not only ease the current tense situation, but also solve the most pressing security concerns for all parties, provide opportunities and create conditions for resuming peace talks and find breakthrough to get out of the stalemate," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Thursday.
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodias government faced international criticism on Friday after the main opposition party was dissolved ahead of elections and the European Union raised a potential threat to vital trade preferences. A man uses a smartphone to take photo of a sign of opposition party Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) along a street to Battambang Province, Cambodia, October 11, 2017. Picture taken on October 11, 2017. REUTERS/Samrang Pring The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved on Thursday by the Supreme Court at the request of the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose rule of more than three decades was under threat at next years general election. The CNRP leader, Kem Sokha, was arrested for treason on Sept. 3, charged with planning to take power with American assistance. Hun Sens critics called the dissolution of the CNRP an attempt to steal the election and the death knell for democracy in a country where Western donors have spent billions of dollars since 1993 trying to build a multiparty system after decades of war. An electoral process from which the main opposition party has been arbitrarily excluded is not legitimate, a statement from a European Union spokesperson said. Respect of fundamental human rights is a prerequisite for Cambodia to continue to benefit from the EUs preferential Everything But Arms scheme. That scheme giving tariff free access - and similar trade preferences in the United States - have helped Cambodia build a garment industry on low cost labour. Between them, EU and U.S. markets take some 60 percent of Cambodias exports. The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment. U.S. Republican Senator John McCain said the dissolution of the CNRP meant there was no way the elections scheduled for 2018 can proceed in a manner that is free or fair and called on U.S. President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Cambodia. The Trump administration should move quickly to sanction all senior Cambodian government officials responsible for violating human rights and subverting freedom in Cambodia, he said in a statement. CALL FOR SANCTIONS Australia said it was deeply concerned about the dissolution of the CNRP and a five-year political ban on 118 of its members. The United Nations said it was up to the Cambodian government to provide a free environment without fear for fair elections. So far Western countries have shown little appetite for sanctions and the opposition itself has shied away from calling for steps to restrict garment exports because of the hundreds of thousands of workers who depend on them. But leaders of the CNRP now say they support some sanctions. Sanctions are the best leverage for negotiation for free, fair and inclusive elections, said Mu Sochua, a deputy to CNRP leader Kem Sokha who fled Cambodia fearing arrest. The government has dismissed threats of international action and has the support of China, the biggest aid donor and investor in Cambodia. In a televised address on Thursday, Hun Sen told Cambodians the election would go ahead as normal and appealed to politicians from the CNRP who had not been banned to join his Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP). There was no immediate government response to the EU statement and other foreign criticism. U.S.-based campaign group Human Rights Watch said the court ruling should lead Cambodias donors and trade partners to impose targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans on Hun Sens inner circle. The European Union, Japan, and other donors should immediately suspend all financial and technical election assistance for the 2018 elections unless the CNRP is fully reinstated and permitted to compete, it said.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
GENEVA (Reuters) - North Korea on Friday ruled out negotiations with Washington as long as joint U.S-South Korea military exercises continue, and said that Pyongyangs atomic weapons programme would remain as a deterrent against a U.S. nuclear threat. A flag is pictured outside the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva, Switzerland, November 17, 2017. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseIn an interview with Reuters, Han Tae Song, North Koreas ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, brushed off the new sanctions which the Trump administration has said it is preparing, as well as the possibility of North Korea being added to a U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism. South Korea and the United States agreed on Friday to keep working for a peaceful end to the North Korean nuclear crisis, but a U.S. envoy said it was difficult to gauge the reclusive Norths intentions as there has been no signal. Han, asked about those bilateral talks in Seoul, replied: As long as there is continuous hostile policy against my country by the U.S. and as long as there are continued war games at our doorstep, then there will not be negotiations. There are continued military exercises using nuclear assets as well as aircraft carriers, and strategic bombers and then...raising such kinds of military exercises against my country, he said. He, who is ambassador to the U.N.s Conference on Disarmament, was speaking at the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) mission in Geneva, where the DPRK and the United States secured a 1994 nuclear deal which later fell apart. He said he had no information on when North Korea might test a ballistic missile again, after the last one two months ago. The DPRK, my country, will continue to build-up its self-defense capability, the pivot of which is nuclear forces and capability for a triumphant...strike as long as U.S. and hostile forces keep up nuclear threat and blackmail, Han said. Our country plans ultimate completion of the nuclear force, he said. NUCLEAR DETERRENT North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations Han Tae Song attends an interview with Reuters at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva, Switzerland, November 17, 2017. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseChina said on Thursday that a dual suspension proposal to handle North Korea was still the best option, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had rejected a freeze for freeze agreement. Han, asked about Chinas latest appeal for a freeze, said the situation is far from those things. Han said that U.S. administrations had never accepted halting joint military exercises, adding: So if they accept such things, then we will think what we do in the future. Slideshow (3 Images)North Korea could not consider abandoning its nuclear programme, he said, adding: This is the deterrent, the nuclear deterrent to cope with the nuclear threat from America. Han said that Trump was expected to announce further sanctions against North Korea. Existing sanctions have constituted large-scale human rights violations that had delayed delivery of aid and consumer goods, he said. It is obvious that the aim of the sanctions is to overthrow the system of my country by isolating and stifling it and to intentionaly bring about humanitarian disaster instead of preventing weapons development as claimed by the U.S. and its followers, he said. Han, asked whether new U.S. sanctions were expected against North Korean individuals or financial structures, said: The media is saying the Americans and Trump are considering such things. But that is their business and then we dont mind what they want to do against my country since the aim is quite clear. So we are ready for such kinds of measures taken by America against my country, he said.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Rome: Salvatore "Toto" Riina, the Sicilian Mafia's most powerful boss of the 20th century who was convicted for ordering dozens of murders, died of natural causes early on Friday after almost a quarter of a century in jail.

Riina, who turned 87 on Thursday, died in the prison ward of a hospital in Parma, the northern Italian city where he had been serving 26 life sentences for homicides committed between 1969 and 1992. His victims included the two magistrates who led the campaign to bring Mafia figures to justice.

He had fallen into a coma after complications during surgery a few days ago, and his family had been given permission to be by his side on Thursday, the justice ministry said.

Nicknamed "the Beast", Riina began his violent criminal career on the streets of Corleone after World War Two and became the Sicilian Mafia's boss of bosses when it reached its 20th century apex.

Riina oversaw a flourishing economic period for organised crime group Cosa Nostra, or "Our Thing", when it was trafficking heroin to North America and pulling the levers of political power in Palermo and Rome.

But due to Riina's savagery, hundreds of mobsters broke their code of silence in the 1980s and 1990s and testified against him, allowing magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino to uncover the long-hidden secrets of Cosa Nostra and prosecute its leaders for the crimes of its soldiers.

Riina's January 1993 arrest, after more than 20 years as a fugitive, came just months after Falcone and Borsellino were blown up on his orders, and coincided with the tumultuous downfall of Italy's corrupt post-war political system.

Since then, Riina has been held under high security with little access to his family in accordance with a law written to prevent bosses from commanding from prison. Refusing to cooperate with investigators until the end, Riina's secrets now will never be known.

Given various nicknames over the years - Toto, Shorty, the Beast among them - Riina was 13-years-old when his father, a poor farmer, was blown up while trying to remove explosives from a bomb leftover from the war.

When he was 19, he shot a man dead during a gang fight in Corleone and spent six years in prison, a rite of passage for a mafioso.

When he returned to Corleone, he and his childhood friend Bernardo Provenzano, who would lead Cosa Nostra after Riina's arrest, fell under the sway of Luciano Leggio.

Leggio took over the Corleone mafia with Riina and Provenzano at his side by killing the towns wartime mafia boss, medical doctor Michele Navarra, in 1958. US author Mario Puzo would later name the main character in The Godfather after the town.

In 1969, Riina and Provenzano led a hit squad against feared boss Michele "the Cobra" Cavataio, ambushing him inside an office in Palermo, killing the Cobra, another mafioso and two innocent bystanders.

The so-called "Lazio Street Massacre" gave the Corleone clan a foothold in Sicily's capital and a post on Cosa Nostras governing body, the "Commission", and the arrest of Leggio in 1974 made Riina the acting boss of the Corleone crime family.

The slaughter

The 1981 murder of mob boss Stefano Bontate signaled the beginning of a two-year killing spree known as "The Slaughter", in which Riina sought to annihilate his many rivals.

Fearing for their lives and for those of their families, hundreds of mobsters broke their code of silence, or omerta, and cooperated with investigators.

The turncoat testimony was a key component in Falcone and Borsellinos landmark case against Cosa Nostra, which in January 1992 ended by holding mob bosses responsible for crimes committed by their underlings.

Two months later, mafia assassins gunned down Salvo Lima, Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti's right-hand man in Sicily, sending a clear message about what Riina thought of the court ruling and Romes failure to stop it.

In May of the same year, a massive bomb that blew apart a motorway near Palermo killed Falcone, his wife and three bodyguards. In July, Borsellino was blown up by another car bomb with his five bodyguards.

Riina was arrested in Palermo six months after Borsellinos murder and never broke his code of silence, leaving a shroud of mystery over suspected negotiations between Cosa Nostra and Rome said to have taken place after Falcones assassination.

The law-enforcement crackdown that followed the 1992 bombings severely hobbled Cosa Nostra, whose presence in Sicily is still felt, but whose economic and political might has faded.

Today, Calabria's Ndrangheta is considered by investigators to be Italy's most powerful organised crime group thanks to its role as the biggest European importer of South American cocaine.

The mafia tradition has been carried forward by Riina's two sons, Giovanni and Giuseppe, who remained loyal to their father. Giovanni has been sentenced to life in prison for four murders, and Giuseppe spent several years in jail on mafia charges.

Riina is also survived by two daughters, Maria Concetta and Lucia, and his wife Antonietta. His funeral is likely to be a private ceremony in Corleone, police said.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran accused France on Friday of fuelling tension in the Middle East by taking a biased stance on Tehrans regional policy, and President Emmanuel Macron said Tehran misunderstood its balanced position. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian attends a joint news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 16, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al NasserIt seems that France has a biased view towards the ongoing crises and humanitarian catastrophes in the Middle East, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state TV. This view fuels regional conflicts, whether intentionally or unintentionally. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday France was worried about Irans involvement in the Middle East crisis and its disputed ballistic missile programme. Irans role and the different areas where this country operates worries us, Le Drian told a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel Jubeir in Riyadh. I am thinking in particular of Irans interventions in regional crises, this hegemonic temptation and Im thinking of its ballistic programme, he said. Iran has repeatedly rejected Frances call for talks on its missile programme, saying it is defensive and unrelated to its 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers. Asked at an EU summit in Gothenburg about Irans accusations, Macron said Tehran misunderstood Frances balanced position of talking to everyone and not taking sides between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Our wish is that Iran has a less aggressive strategy in the region and that we can clarify its ballistic missile strategy which seems to be uncontrolled, he said. Iran is a power that we wish to have a dialogue with and that we will continue to talk to. Paris suggested this week that new European Union sanctions against Iran could be discussed over its missile tests. But EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini seemed to dismiss that idea on Tuesday. Shiite-dominated Iran and its regional arch-rival Sunni Saudi Arabia are involved in proxy wars across the region, backing opposite sides in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon. Jubeir told Reuters on Thursday that the kingdoms actions in the Middle East were a response to what he called the aggression of Iran. Qasemi said Jubeir was repeating baseless claims, the state news agency IRNA reported on Friday. Saudi Arabias foreign ministers gestures and his blame game will definitely not reduce the responsibility of this country in undermining the regional stability and security, Qasemi said.

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United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. Richard Max CRAWFORD, III, Appellant v. State of PENNSYLVANIA; Secretary Pennsylvania Department of Corrections; Superintendent Cresson SCI No. 16-1688 Decided: November 15, 2017

Before: HARDIMAN, ROTH, and FISHER, Circuit Judges. Caleb Kruckenberg, Esq., Brian J. Zeiger, Esq., Levin & Zeiger, Philadelphia, PA, for Plaintiff-Appellant William J. Higgins, Jr., Esq., Bedford County Office of District Attorney, Bedford, PA, for Defendants-Appellees

OPINION *

In 2006, a Bedford County, Pennsylvania jury convicted Richard Max Crawford III of several sex crimes. Crawford now seeks federal habeas review of his convictions. The District Court declined to grant relief, and we will affirm.

I

A

Beginning around March 1992, Crawford began sexually abusing his live-in girlfriend's daughter, J.M. Crawford was twenty-four years old at the time, while J.M. was just seven. The abuse continued for another five years, ending when J.M. reached age twelve. J.M. did not disclose the abuse until 2004, when she informed her mother and a Pennsylvania state trooper.

Crawford was subsequently arrested and charged with 504 counts of various sexual offenses. Prior to trial, the Court of Common Pleas of Bedford County granted Crawford's motion for a bill of particulars. The Commonwealth filed the bill, which set out the factual bases for each count. At the same time, the Commonwealth conceded that, because J.M. was unable remember specific dates on which the abuse occurred, it could not give a specific date and time for the bulk of the charges.

On December 22, 2006, the jury found Crawford guilty of 392 of the counts charged, and he later received a sentence of twenty-five to fifty years' imprisonment. The Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed the convictions and sentence, rejecting, inter alia, Crawford's argument that the bill of particulars was so vague and imprecise as to deny him adequate notice of the offenses for which he was charged. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined Crawford's petition for discretionary review. His efforts to obtain post-conviction relief in the Pennsylvania courts were likewise unsuccessful.

B

In July 2013, Crawford applied to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania for a writ of habeas corpus. Relevant here, Crawford argued that the Commonwealth violated due process and the Sixth Amendment by charging him with numerous, undifferentiated counts of the same offenses, rather than separate, specific, and identifiable incidents of child sexual abuse. The magistrate judge recommended that the writ be denied, and that a certificate of appealability (COA) issue with regard to Crawford's due process and Sixth Amendment challenge. The District Court adopted the Magistrate Judge's recommendation as to the denial of relief, but declined to grant a COA. This Court then granted a COA along the lines recommended by the Magistrate Judge.

II

The District Court had jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.  2254. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.  1291 and 2253. Our review is plenary. Under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA), Crawford is eligible for federal habeas relief if the Pennsylvania Superior Court's ruling on direct appeal was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States In order for a state court's decision to be an unreasonable application of [the Supreme] Court's case law, the ruling must be objectively unreasonable, not merely wrong; even clear error will not suffice.

III

The Sixth Amendment provides that [i]n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right  to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation No principle of procedural due process is more clearly established than that notice of the specific charge, and a chance to be heard in a trial of the issues raised by that charge, if desired, are among the constitutional rights of every accused in a criminal proceeding in all courts, state or federal. To meet this constitutional requirement, a charging document must: first, contain[ ] the elements of the offense charged and fairly inform[ ] a defendant of the charge against which he must defend, and, second, enable[ ] him to plead an acquittal or conviction in bar of future prosecutions for the same offense.

In support of his due process and Sixth Amendment claim, Crawford asks us to follow the Sixth Circuit's decision in Valentine v. Konteh. In that case, the Sixth Circuit held that the Ohio Court of Appeals' affirmance of 35 counts of child sexual abuse was an unreasonable application of clearly established federal law because the indictment at issue failed to apprise the defendant of what occurrences formed the bases of the criminal charges he faced.

In relying on Valentine, Crawford invites us to exceed our discretionary bounds. The question before us is not whether we find the reasoning of Valentine to be attractive or persuasive, but rather whether the Pennsylvania Superior Court's decision was an unreasonable application of clearly established federal law as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States. In making this determination, we are forbidden from adopting a specific legal rule that refine[s] or sharpen[s] a general principle of Supreme Court jurisprudence. To be sure, AEDPA permits us to apply the rationales of Supreme Court decisions to new and different facts and circumstances as long as the new facts and circumstances are substantially the same that were in the mind of the Supreme Court when it laid down the rule. But what we may not widen the scope of or  enlarge Supreme Court rules. We must take the law as it is, and we cannot say that the decision of the Pennsylvania Superior Court was an unreasonable application of that law.

The Supreme Court precedent in this area is very general and lacks a specific application to the problems encountered in prosecutions of child sexual abuse. Perhaps the logical next step from the Supreme Court's decisions would be to hold that due process and the Sixth Amendment require a more particularized charging document in a case like this one; but then again perhaps not. AEPDA therefore requires that we defer to the reasoned judgment of the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

* * *

The judgment of the District Court will be affirmed.

FOOTNOTES

. This disposition is not an opinion of the full Court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not constitute binding precedent.

. Commonwealth v. Crawford, 981 A.2d 309 (Pa. Super. 2009) (unpublished opinion).

. Commonwealth v. Crawford, 985 A.2d 970 (Pa. 2009).

. Commonwealth v. Crawford, 55 A.3d 131 (Pa. Super. 2012) (unpublished opinion), appeal denied, 69 A.3d 599 (Pa. 2013).

. Washington v. Sec'y Pa. Dep't of Corr., 801 F.3d 160, 164 (3d Cir. 2015).

. 28 U.S.C.  2254(d)(1).

. Virginia v. LeBlanc, 137 S. Ct. 1726, 1728 (2017) (per curiam) (internal quotation marks omitted).

. Cole v. Arkansas, 333 U.S. 196, 201 (1948); see also In re Oliver, 333 U.S. 257, 273 (1948) (A person's right to reasonable notice of a charge against him, and an opportunity to be heard in his defensea right to his day in courtare basic in our system of jurisprudence).

. Hamling v. United States, 418 U.S. 87, 117 (1974); see also United States v. Resendiz-Ponce, 549 U.S. 102, 108 (2007); Russell v. United States, 369 U.S. 749, 763-65 (1962).

. 395 F.3d 626 (6th Cir. 2005).

. Id. at 634; see id. ([States] do not have the power to prosecute one for a pattern of abuse through simply charging a defendant with the same basic offense many times over.).

. Lopez v. Smith, 135 S. Ct. 1, 4 (2014).

. Washington, 801 F.3d at 170 (alterations and internal quotation marks omitted).

. Id.

. White v. Woodall, 134 S. Ct. 1697, 1707 (2014).

FISHER, Circuit Judge.
Colombo: A Sri Lankan court has summoned the commander of the country's Army over the disappearance of 24 Tamils since their arrest in 1996 by security forces during the internal conflict with the LTTE.

Sri Lankan HC to summon Army Chief Mahesh Senanayake on Saturday over disappearance of 24 Tamils in 1996

The Jaffna High Court has asked Army chief Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake along with two other state officials to appear in court on Saturday. Judge Ilancheliyan ordered them to appear in court when a case filed by parents and relatives of the 24 missing persons was taken up on 15 November.

The relatives have claimed that the 24 had gone missing since July 1996 when the security forces had arrested them in Navatkuly, Jaffna.

Sri Lankan troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have faced international condemnation for alleged human rights violations during the long-drawn conflict. The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in three successive resolutions has urged for independent international investigation into alleged abuses blamed on both sides.

Judge Ilancheliyan also urged the Jaffna security officials to crack down on the gangs who wield swords and intimidate the locals in the wake of the reported rise in such attacks recently. The police said they have arrested six people.

Jaffna along with Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya are the five districts that constitute Sri Lanka's Northern Province, which was the main theatre of the Sri Lankan civil war.

The island country has a population of 18.5 million of whom the majority are Sinhalese (74 percent). Other ethnic groups are made up of Sri Lankan Tamils (12.6 percent), Indian Tamils (5.5 percent).

According to the government figures, around 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the civil war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east which claimed at least 100,000 lives.
HARARE (Reuters) - The spectacular rise and fall of Zimbabwes uncompromising First Lady, Grace Mugabe, had an unusual beginning: an office affair. FILE PHOTO: President Robert Mugabe's wife Grace addresses a rally of the ruling ZANU (PF) in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe, July 29, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File PhotoIt was the early 1990s when President Robert Mugabes eye fell upon one of his shy young typists. She would become his wife, a ferociously ambitious politician and, more than two decades later, a contributor to the downfall of her 93-year-old husband. President Mugabe is trying to cling to power after the military took over this week in response to his purge of vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, a liberation war fighter and Graces sworn enemy. Mnangagwas aides even accused her of trying to poison him with ice cream from her dairy farm this year. She denies this. Grace, now 52 and under house arrest in Harare, had been calling for Mnangagwas removal for weeks as the two fought an increasingly bitter winner-takes-all contest to succeed the man who has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980. It wasnt the first time Grace had wielded influence over her husband. When it appeared former vice president Joice Majuru was in line to succeed Mugabe in 2014, he fired her following public rallies at which Grace derided Majuru. This time she appears to have gone too far. The purge of Mnangagwa and many of his comrades irked the military, who had no intention of allowing Grace and her youthful Generation 40 (G40) faction of the ruling ZANU-PF to take over the political reins. Deeply unpopular among much of the Zimbabwean public due to her alleged corruption and volatile temper, Grace does not have the liberation credentials the military believe are required to be a Zimbabwean ruler. The lavish lifestyle that earned her the nickname Gucci Grace and the political ambition that almost propelled her to the presidency were not evident when she met her future husband. He just started talking to me, asking me about my life, she told a South African journalist in 2013. I didnt know it was leading somewhere. I was quite a shy person, very shy. At the time, they were both married. President Mugabes wife, Sally, was desperately ill and died in 1992. Grace and Robert were married in 1996 and have three children. President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace attend a rally of his ruling ZANU (PF) in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe, July 29, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon BulawayoDIS-GRACE At first Grace stayed out of politics and was better known for her spending habits, including buying mansions in South Africa, rare diamond jewellery, and Rolls-Royce limousines for her playboy sons. Then there are the repeated allegations of violence. In Singapore in 2009, photographer Richard Jones says Grace flew into a rage when he tried to take her picture. She ordered her bodyguards to hold his arms back while she punched him repeatedly in the face. Grace denies the assault. In August this year, Grace was accused of beating a young South African model who was partying with her sons. According to Gabriella Engels, Grace burst into a hotel room where she was talking with friends and whipped her with an electric cable as bodyguards looked on. Grace says she acted in self-defence after Engels tried to stab her with a knife. The reports of lavish spending and explosive temper earned her the title Dis-Grace back home in Zimbabwe, where an economic crisis had left most of the 16 million population mired in poverty and unemployment. Zimbabweans also question Graces credentials. Eyebrows were raised in 2014 when she gained a PhD in three months. Her thesis, on the changing role of the family, has never been published. This hasnt stopped her trying to reach the political summit. When Majuru was removed, Grace became head of the ZANU-PF Womens League, giving her a seat at the partys top table. She used her political platform to take on Mnangagwa and his allies and made a push to succeed her frail husband. They say I want to be president. Why not? Am I not a Zimbabwean? Grace said at a recent rally.

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A scene from the days of the Boston Tea party in 1773 was recently replayed in Gilgit, in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. At the time of strong resistance against the British, irate demonstrators in Boston had thrown chests of tea into the sea, on the rallying cry of no taxation without representation. That call was recently heard in the streets in that "Other Kashmir" during a three-day complete shutter down strike against taxes imposed by faraway Islamabad. The hashtag #notaxationwithoutrights was briefly trending on Twitter, but the issue remained unreported by the rest of the world. Even Srinagar media did not bother to report the event, let alone national dailies.

Demonstrators of 1773 had probably more ability to influence London than todays Gilgit-Baltistan has over Islamabad. Essentially the area that was earlier called the Northern Areas, exists in a legal black hole. Once part of the Dogra kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir for nearly a century, it had a 16-day independent existence, under the leadership of among others, a certain Major Mirza Hassan Khan who had declared independence in a move that was coordinated with the British head of Gilgit Scouts Major Brown and a Captain Mathieson. That date  1 November, 1947  is celebrated as Independence Day.

A request for accession was made by this rebel leadership, without any consultations with the people of the area. According to Pakistani sources, the Major had adequate time to regret his decision, and was later part of political activities against the tyranny of the Pakistani state. The practice of deciding the fate of the people over their heads continued when the Karachi Agreement 28 April 1949 was signed that gave the administration of the area to Pakistan rather than the so called government of Azad Kashmir. Not a single representative of Gilgit or Baltistan was present to even witness this secret agreement that divided up their state. Suitably enough, the whole area was given no formal name, but were simply called Northern Areas to denote a general direction.

When the Kashmir issue reached the United Nations, Pakistans demand for a plebiscite was based on the fact that it held the larger area that included Gilgit and the rest of PoK, which would, therefore, ensure a comfortable win in any such exercise. The request for accession was rejected, and Gilgit-Baltistan remained in a constitutional limbo. Over the years, successive Pakistani governments have doled out limited self governance measures, but which retained the overarching control of what was then called the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas.

Ironically, it was General-President Pervez Musharraf who went the furthest in granting more local government. He vastly expanded the Legal Framework Order to allow greater fiscal responsibility and created the Northern Areas Legislative Assembly, with decision making powers over 61 subjects. The chairman of the Assembly however remained a Pakistani minister. The key was that it also allowed the Assembly to make some changes to the Order, a liberal gesture that was withdrawn by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Another exercise began to provide some autonomy to the region.

It was thus only in 2009 that the area finally received a formal name of Gilgit-Baltistan. Discussions on a new administration were held within the Pakistani ministry, and again there was little consultation with the people. In the event, the result was a sham.

The office of a chief minister was created, as also a Governor to give a semblance of likeness to the rest of Pakistan. But there it ended. The powers of the Assembly were diluted by creating a Council wherein nine of fifteen members were Pakistani government representatives. Unsurprisingly the Council usually met in Islamabad. A portent to the future was apparent in division of powers. The Council had far more powers than the Assembly. A reading of the Rules of Business for instance, indicates that all matters relating to Power and Water are under the Council. For instance decisions on granting of power projects to the Chinese under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, will primarily be the work of the Council. Minerals are also part of the Council s charter under Entry 41 of Schedule III, as are forests and tourism. Simply put, any exploitation of the riches of the Gilgit Baltistan non-province, are therefore at the discretion of the Pakistani state only.

That, however, does not prevent Pakistan from levying any taxes its chooses in an attempt that is portrayed as bringing Gilgit-Baltistan into the mainstream. The present agitation is against a withholding tax , somewhat like an advance tax, under Section 148 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. While the sum has to paid by those who import goods, these importers are not allowed credit at the time of assessment by Gilgit Baltistan Income Tax Authorities since the tax collected is not transferred to the Gilgit-Baltistan Income Tax Authorities by the Pakistan Income Tax Authorities.

That is surreal, considering that legally, the Income Tax Ordinance cannot apply to a territory which is not part of Pakistan. Though Pakistans tax regime has been incorporated by the Council and the Legislative Assembly through the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Adaptation of Laws Act, 1959 and the Gilgit-Baltistan Council Income Tax (Adaptation) Act, 2012, it is still an anomaly. It is, therefore, not surprising that market associations, lawyers and businessmen are up in arms, supported by various opposition parties including the Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, a Shia organisation that operates in mainland Pakistan, to protect the rights of the embattled Shia. Shias are majority populations in two of the ten districts, and have significant representation in another three.

The strange position of Gilgit-Baltistan is unique in the world. In sum, it is not part of the territory of Pakistan according to the Pakistani Constitution. It is not even marginally independent like the so called Azad Kashmir.

It has no representation in Parliament, and therefore is not entitled to funds from the common divisible pool, from which each province is sanctioned finances. Political parties may never take part in activities prejudicial to the ideology of Pakistan  which may mean almost anything  and newspapers and magazines virtually dont exist. There is the ultimate irony. Time after time, the people of Gilgit and Baltistan have demanded union with Pakistan as a province.

This has been rejected by the rump Azad Kashmir on the grounds that it is part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, and would therefore militate against the final goal of self-determination. There is another interesting position from Azad Kashmir leaders, where they insist that any change in the position of Gilgit Baltistan, should be decided by Muzaffarabad, and not Pakistan. Which brings everything back to square one. Tired of the whole squabble, the people of the area have called for merger with India, or at least a road through Kargil into India that would prevent them from being marooned, when the Karakorum highway is closed, as it often is. That demand is seen as treacherous, and many locals have disappeared thereafter. Into this mess, came China with its offer of an Economic Corridor and all that comes with it. But everytime a power project is awarded, or a road is built, the fundamental question that arises is, whos land is it? Closely followed by the question, should taxes be paid to. For Chinese banks, that could be a nightmarish legal tangle.
London (United Kingdom): Pussy Riot, the Russian art collective who became the nemesis of President Vladimir Putin after performing a punk protest in a cathedral, are taking their activist message to London with a new exhibition.

The 2012 stunt saw the all-female group hit the international headlines, but resulted in two members serving two years in penal colonies, gaining them notoriety and the support of Western politicians and mega-artists like Madonna.

London's Saatchi Gallery is hosting artwork from the group and other Russian activists in an exhibition entitled "Art Riot", marking the 100th anniversary of the country's revolution.

Political art is as vital as ever in the country, said Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina at the show's press launch ahead of its opening to the public on Thursday.

"Political art is a way to change something," Alyokhina, one of the two members jailed for the 2012 protest, told AFP.

"We didn't expect a prison term, nor attention, you just have to do things and see what happens," she added. "All big things were small at the beginning."

As part of the exhibition, fellow member Nadya Tolokonnikova has recounted her experience in the penal institution through immersive theatre.

Such an exhibition would not be allowed in Russia, said Alyokhina while highlighting Siberian artist Vasily Slonov's work -- a pile of Lenin-era books whose spines have been sculpted into a face.

'Last free person'

The London show, where each room is dedicated to a different artist, was organised by curator Marat Guelman.

Some critics, and even allies like Putin opponent Alexei Navalny, have dismissed the group's art as "petty crimes for the sake of publicity," but Guelman insisted they had missed the point.

"We want to show an exhibition where the artist is important, not only the art," he explained.

"Especially when politics goes down and there is no free media, the artist has become the last free person, who speaks to government and says truth, and is not afraid."

The reaction of Orthodox Christians to the feminist group's performance at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was also "very important," he said.

"Some were more Orthodox than Christian, meaning 'we will kill this Pussy Riot because they came to the church.'

"Some parts are more Christian than Orthodox, so think there must be freedom. It was very important in helping society understanding itself better."

Among the Pussy Riot works on show are videos of the group's most controversial guerilla performances and giant portraits of the group's founders in their trademark brightly-coloured balaclavas.

Other artists featured include Oleg Kulik, who lived as a "man-dog" in a belief that it embodied the period after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Pyotr Pavlensky, who nailed his scrotum to Moscow's Red Square in a symbolic protest.

While some try to affect change from inside Russia, Guelman said many like him had been forced to leave.

"It was impossible to do exhibitions," he told AFP.

"It was a joke that a lot of talented people were born in Russia, but not a lot died in Russia," he said, adding that the Russian diaspora was now a "very powerful" cultural force.

Despite the limitations, both Alyokhina and Guelman believe Russia can still be the incubator of great art.

"Everything is possible!," said Alyokhina.
Ankara: Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Ankara had pulled out 40 Turkish troops from a NATO exercise in Norway, in a new outburst of tensions with its Western allies.

Erdogan said in a televised speech to ruling party members he had ordered the troops to be removed from the exercise after an incident on Thursday deemed offensive to himself and the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Turkey, which became a member of NATO in 1952, is a key member of the alliance but tensions have grown in recent months over its crackdown after the failed coup and Ankara's increasingly close alliance with Russia.

Without going into detail over the incident, Erdogan said an image of Ataturk and his own name were used "and these were the targets".

He said Turkey's top general Hulusi Akar and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik  who were on their way to a NATO conference in Halifax, Canada  had informed him of the incident.

"They said 'this has happened... and we are going to take out our 40 soldiers'. And I said 'absolutely, don't hesitate, take them out right now'" Erdogan said.

"It's not possible to have this kind of alliance," he added, speaking in front of giant pictures of himself and Ataturk, who founded modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire in 1923.

Turkish officials contacted by AFP said there were for now no further details on the incident. There was also no immediate comment from the Norwegian military.

Some Turkish media speculated that his comments indicated that images of Ataturk and Erdogan had been used for target practice in the exercise.

NATO's website lists two military exercises that are currently ongoing in Norway. It was not clear what drill Erdogan was referring to and there was no immediate comment from NATO.

While Turkey is still playing an active role in the alliance, its Western allies have been particularly troubled by a deal for Ankara to purchase an S-400 air defence system from Russia.
Cox's Bazar: Widowed and alone 21-year-old Umme Kulthum had hoped for a fresh start in Bangladesh, but was forced into prostitution instead, falling victim to what aid groups and officials say is a growing trafficking scourge targeting refugees.

Women and children make up the majority of the more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence in Myanmar for neighbouring Bangladesh, many escaping with only the clothes on their back and desperate to survive any way they can.

Confined to congested tent cities near the border without any prospect of work, refugees are willing to take whatever comes their way  and many have fallen prey to traffickers, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Young girls in particular are at high risk, with the IOM documenting cases of refugees being lured with promises of marriage or jobs in big cities that end instead in forced labour or sex work. "In one case, a number of adolescent girls, who were promised work as domestic helpers in Cox's Bazar and Chittagong, were forced into prostitution," the IOM said in a statement this week.

Kulthum lost her husband in the ethnic violence that tore through Myanmar's Rakhine state in 2017. Separated from her parents and children during the journey to Bangladesh, she was approached by a Rohingya man after arriving in Kutupalong, a gigantic camp housing hundreds of thousands of refugees. His marriage proposal offered a brighter future away from the squalor of the camp and a chance to lay her unhappy memories to rest.

But the couple were never married. Instead Kulthum  not her real name  said she was taken to a brothel, where she was dosed with methamphetamine and forced to have sex with up to seven men a day. She later learned the man who promised to marry her had been paid 8,000 taka ($100) to deliver her there.

"I became scared, but didn't have the least idea what was in store for me," she told AFP in the border district of Cox's Bazar. "I was sold to become a prostitute," she said, weeping at the memory of the ordeal.

Police crackdown

Human trafficking networks have expanded as the refugee population has climbed and are now "rife" throughout the camps, the IOM said.

Bangladesh has deployed its top police unit, the Rapid Action Battalion, to Cox's Bazar to crack down on traffickers, many of whom manage to evade detection despite restrictions on non-authorised personnel entering the refugee camps.

"The traffickers are not sitting idle. They are targeting women and children, especially those coming alone," the battalion's chief in Cox's Bazar, Major Ruhul Amin, told AFP. Traffickers also attempt to separate refugees from their families during the chaos that accompanies their arrival in Bangladesh, Amin said.

A checkpoint in the coastal town of Teknaf set up a month ago has already rescued 30 women and children from the clutches of traffickers, he added.

Another security official, who asked to remain anonymous, said there had been cases of criminal syndicates organising fake passports for Rohingya women who are then sent abroad, especially to Malaysia and the Middle East. The IOM said it was also aware of cases of Rohingya refugees being trafficked overseas.

Falling prey

Dhaka has prohibited the Rohingya from leaving the camps, fearing an influx in its bigger cities, and has set up checkpoints along the roads leading to the tented settlements.

More than 20,000 Rohingya have been turned back but aid workers say that unless the refugees are taught about the dangers of trafficking, they will keep trying to leave the camps in search of a better life.

Local charity worker Mohammad Hossain Shikder runs workshops in the camps to educate refugees about the tactics employed by people smugglers. "They will always come up with a lucrative and believable offer, like a job in a garment factory or marriage to a well-off person," Shikder told a group of 20 young men and women in Kutupalong. "Sometimes, parents are convinced by upfront payments of 40,000 taka or more. They are sold dreams that a woman can even make 500,000 taka, which is an impossible amount."

For many of the stateless refugees stuck inside the camps, the prospect of earning a living is enough to lure them into the trap laid down by traffickers.

Months after she was sold into prostitution, Kulthum managed to escape from the brothel, but found herself back in Kutupalong, penniless and alone. Eventually she returned to the sex trade and now lives in a seedy hotel room in Cox's Bazar.

"One day I hope to find my children and parents again. I am saving money for them," she said.
United Nations: Russia has vetoed at the UN Security Council a US-drafted resolution on the extension of a UN-led probe to determine who was behind the chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

The US, its allies and human rights groups have termed Russia's 10th veto a serious blow to the efforts of the Joint Investigation Mechanism (JIM), whose operations ceased when its current mandate expired at midnight last night.

The US draft resolution, which was supported by 11 of the 15 Security Council members, was vetoed by Russia as China and Egypt abstained while Bolivia joined Russia.

"Russia has killed the Joint Investigative Mechanism, which has an overwhelming support of this Council," the US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said at the UN headquarters in New York.

"By eliminating our ability to identify the attackers, Russia has undermined our ability to deter future attacks. Assad and Islamic State will no longer be on notice for the use of chemical weapons by Russia's actions today. The message to anyone listening is clear: in effect, Russia accepts the use of chemical weapons in Syria," Haley said.

She further said that regardless of what its Russian protectors do here in the Security Council, the Assad regime should be on clear notice: "the United States does not accept Syria's use of chemical weapons."

Haley said that as the US did in April, it will do it again if it must. "We will defend the international standard against chemical weapons use. It would be wise for the Assad regime to heed this warning," she added.

Slamming Russia, she said, "What a shame it is that Russia has revealed itself to be a government whose allegiance is to the Syrian regime, not the truth or the protection of innocent civilians."

Russia may have succeeded in silencing one independent voice in Syria today, but there are others who will carry on this work, Haley added.

Francois Delattre of France expressed alarm at the wielding of the veto by the Russian Federation. The Mechanism had worked with professionalism and tenacity, seeking the truth in Syria, providing clear, well-documented truth proving the culpability of the Assad regime in certain attacks and that of Islamic State in other attacks, he said.

British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft also said that the JIM is a panel created by the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to monitor whether Syria is upholding a treaty that bans their use.

Both the Syrian government and militants of the Islamic State are being blamed for using chemical weapons in the war that grew out of protests in 2011.

"It is Russia that has failed. They have failed in their duties as a permanent member of this Security Council, they have failed as a state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, they have failed as a supposed supporter of peace in Syria," he said.

In a statement, Human Rights Watch said Russia has entered the realm of double digits with its tenth veto on Syria since 2011, sending another shameful message that they will protect the Syrian government at the cost of the Syrian people.

"UN member states should insist on continued investigations into chemical attacks so perpetrators can be held to account," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.

The Russian ambassador Vassily A Nebenzia said his country had been unable to support the draft resolution drawn up by the US, but it is not true that his delegation had not engaged in communications in that regard.

Over the course of several weeks, it had explained that it could not take the proposal seriously, because it was erroneous from the outset and geared towards entrenching the Mechanism's flaws.

Today's statement by the US delegate had not focused on the Mechanism, but instead, on the Russian Federation, he alleged.

Russia has been highly critical of the JIM's findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015. It also used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last 4 April that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others who survived the nerve agent.
Riyadh: Former Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri is free to leave Saudi Arabia "when he pleases", the kingdom said on Thursday, rejecting accusations from Beirut that he was being held in Riyadh following his shock resignation.

Hariri has been in the Saudi capital since announcing on 4 November that he was stepping down.

Lebanese president Michel Aoun this week accused Saudi authorities of "detaining" the premier.

Aoun on Thursday said that Hariri's decision to accept an invitation to travel to France could be the "start of a solution" to the crisis sparked by his resignation.

Speculation has swirled around the fate of Hariri, who is a dual Saudi citizen.

But Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Riyadh that Hariri was free to leave "when he pleases".

Jubeir is the highest ranking Saudi official to comment on the situation.

Aoun has refused to accept the prime minister's resignation from abroad.

"We hope that the crisis is over and Hariri's acceptance of the invitation to go to France is the start of a solution," Aoun said on the official presidential Twitter account.

"I am awaiting the return of prime minister Hariri from Paris for us to decide the next step with regards to the government," Aoun added.

The announcement that Hariri had accepted an invitation to travel to France and meet President Emmanuel Macron came from French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday during a visit to Riyadh.

"He will come to France and the prince has been informed," Le Drian told reporters, referring to powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman with whom he held talks the night before.

Asked about the date of the visit for talks, Le Drian replied: "Mr Hariri's schedule is a matter for Mr Hariri."

Hariri in an interview on Sunday had vowed to return to Lebanon in a matter of days.

Hariri also left open the possibility that he may withdraw his resignation if certain conditions are met - in particular an end to the involvement of Lebanon's powerful Shiite militant group Hezbollah in regional conflicts.

The French president's office said on Wednesday that Hariri and his family had been invited to France for a "few days" but that did not mean he would stay there in exile.

Macron has stressed that Hariri should be able to return to Lebanon to confirm or withdraw his resignation in person.

In his resignation statement, Hariri accused Iran and its ally Hezbollah of taking over his country and destabilising the broader region.

Hariri's resignation came against the backdrop of mounting tensions between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, which back opposing sides in power struggles in hotspots such as Syria and Yemen.

Many observers saw his stepping down as a power play of Riyadh against Tehran.

Le Drian raised concern over Iran's role in the region.

At a press conference with Jubeir on Thursday, he echoed Riyadh's concerns over Iranian "intervention in regional crises" and "hegemonic" intentions.

"I'm thinking specifically about Iran's ballistic programme," Le Drian added.

France has however sought to maintain a nuanced position in the region.

Macron, on his first state visit to the Middle East last week, called for vigilance towards Tehran over its ballistic missile programme and regional activities.

But he cautioned against creating a "new front" in a region already fraught with conflicts, including the war in Yemen.

The Arab League is to hold an extraordinary meeting next Sunday at the request of Saudi Arabia to discuss alleged "violations" committed by Iran in the region.
Islamabad: Top Pakistani and US military commanders have blamed each other for not doing enough to stop cross-border terrorism, the media reported on Friday.

The two-day visit of US Central Command (Centcom) Commander general Joseph Votel, in which he held meetings with senior Pakistani military commanders, including Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa, reinforced the perception that Pakistan and the US had not been able to narrow their trust deficit despite a series of high-level meetings, reports Dawn news.

Votel's trip, which was his fourth to Islamabad, was believed to be a preparatory visit for the upcoming trip of US Defence Secretary James Mattis, who is expected to visit Pakistan next month.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Bajwa told Votel on Thursday that Pakistan's committed efforts for peace in Afghanistan were not being reciprocated. He pointed towards the latest cross-border attack on a Pakistani post in Bajaur in which two soldiers were killed.

Votel "stressed the administration's message that Pakistan must prevent all militants from operating within and across its borders".

It was essentially the reiteration of the demand for action against the alleged "safe havens", the ISPR said.

Pakistan and the US have had a series of meetings to bridge their differences since President Donald Trump's remarks on the new US policy for the region and Afghanistan in which he bitterly criticised Pakistan for "insincerity" in fight against terrorism while getting billions of dollars from America.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said efforts were continuing "to bridge the gap between the perceptions of the two countries in the wake of Trump's South Asia and Afghanistan policy, and to arrive at a consensus on moving forward and exploring avenues of cooperation between both sides", Dawn reported.

He noted that Pakistan was "actively engaged in dialogue with the US at all levels, and believes that dialogue is the best way forward to enhance cooperation between the two sides".
(Reuters) - Conservation groups decried U.S. President Donald Trumps decision this week to allow trophy hunters who kill elephants in two African countries to bring home the endangered animals tusks or other body parts as trophies. FILE PHOTO: Elephants graze inside Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, August 1, 2015. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File PhotoThe move triggered protests from conservation groups and a frenzy on social media from opponents who posted pictures of Trumps adult sons, who are avid hunters, posing with the cut-off tail of a slain elephant and other dead wild animals on Twitter. Infuriating, Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wrote on Twitter. Will increase poaching, make communities more vulnerable & hurt conservation efforts. Reversing a policy implemented by the Republican presidents Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service disclosed at a meeting in Tanzania organised by a pro-trophy hunting lobbying group that it would allow the import of trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia through 2018. It said the two countries had developed robust conservation programs that would enhance the survival of African elephants, the worlds largest land animals. The move came the same week Zimbabwe was rocked by a coup detat that left its president, Robert Mugabe, under house arrest. The original ban was enacted based on detailed findings on the condition of elephant populations on the ground, and it strains credulity to suggest that local science-based factors have been met to justify this change, M. Sanjayan, chief executive of Conservation International, said in a statement. Several pieces of jewelry made of banned African elephant tusk ivory from Nigerian man at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, U.S. are shown after its confiscation on May 1, 2013. Courtesy CBP/Handout via REUTERS The outrage echoed that seen in 2015 after a Minnesota dentist killed a well-studied lion nicknamed Cecil after he was lured out of a protected national park. The population of African elephants had fallen by some 30 percent between 2007 and 2014, with poaching the primary reason for the decline, according to a report released last year. Slideshow (2 Images)A growing number of countries, including China, Singapore and the United States, have banned the trade in ivory. Advocates for big-game hunting contend that it can help preserve wildlife by generating income for poor countries that can promote conservation and improve the lives of impoverished people. Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit certain species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement. Hunting group Safari Club International, which sponsored the meeting in Africa, praised the decision. These positive findings for Zimbabwe and Zambia demonstrate that the Fish and Wildlife Service recognises that hunting is beneficial to wildlife, said the groups president, Paul Babaz.

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United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Euneisha HEARNS, Defendant-Appellant No. 17-40355 Decided: November 14, 2017

Before DAVIS, CLEMENT, and COSTA, Circuit Judges. James Andrew Williams, Esq., U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Texas, Plano, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee Frank Warren Henderson, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Office of the Federal DefenderEastern District, Frisco, TX, for Defendant-Appellant

Euneisha Hearns appeals her 46-month, within-guidelines sentence for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Hearns's sentence includes a 14-level enhancement based on attributable losses of $ 865,940.18 from 10 transactions involving her submission of fraudulent mortgage loan applications. See U.S.S.G.  2B1.1(b)(1)(H). Hearns challenges the sufficiency of the evidence that she was a knowing participant in six of those transactions, evidence of which was not introduced at trial but which the district court found to be relevant conduct under the Guidelines. See  2B1.1(b)(1); U.S.S.G.  1B1.3(a)(2); United States v. Bernegger, 661 F.3d 232, 242 (5th Cir. 2011). Hearns concludes that the court erred by attributing the losses resulting from those six transactions to her for purposes of calculating her sentence.

The presentence report (PSR), supported by the affidavit and testimony of Rodney Connor, reflects that Hearns prepared and submitted mortgage loan applications for the six properties at issue containing material misrepresentations about the borrowers' finances and falsely stating that the borrowers would provide funds for the down payment and closing costs. Such funds were in reality provided by members of the conspiracy. The borrowers stated that they did not supply the false information to Hearns. Additionally, two of Hearns's accomplices confirmed that Hearns knew at the time that the borrowers were not providing their own down payment and closing funds, thus contradicting her representations to the lenders.

Beyond making conclusory assertions, Hearns does not challenge the reliability of the PSR or other evidence. See United States v. Ollison, 555 F.3d 152, 164 (5th Cir. 2009); United States v. Valles, 484 F.3d 745, 759 (5th Cir. 2007). Nor does she dispute that the loan applications she submitted for the relevant properties were materially false. She argues only that there is no direct evidence that she falsified any of the information or had actual knowledge of any material falsity at the time. From the facts contained in the PSR, however, the district court could plausibly infer that Hearns submitted those loan applications knowing that they contained materially false information about the borrowers' finances and the source of the down payment and closing funds. See United States v. Coleman, 609 F.3d 699, 708 (5th Cir. 2010) (holding that a factual finding is not clearly erroneous if it is plausible in light of the record as a whole). The district court thus had a sufficient evidentiary basis for attributing the resulting losses to Hearns. See Bernegger, 661 F.3d at 242.

With respect to the ensuing issue of whether Hearns's fraudulent actions constituted relevant conduct under the Guidelines, she fails to provide adequate briefing. See United States v. Reagan, 596 F.3d 251, 254 (5th Cir. 2010). As a result, Hearns fails to show that the district court's relevant conduct determination or its attribution of loss under  2B1.1(b)(1) was clearly erroneous. See United States v. Reasor, 541 F.3d 366, 369 (5th Cir. 2008). Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court. See United States v. Fernandez, 770 F.3d 340, 342, 344-45 (5th Cir. 2014).

AFFIRMED.

FOOTNOTES

.

PER CURIAM: * FN* Pursuant to 5th Cir. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Cir. R. 47.5.4.
GOTHENBURG, Sweden (Reuters) - There is more work to be done to unlock Brexit talks, British Prime Minister Theresa May was told on Friday, as the European Union repeated an early December deadline for her to move on the divorce bill and border with Ireland. May met fellow leaders on the sidelines of an EU summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, to try to break the deadlock over how much Britain will pay on leaving the bloc in 16 months. She signalled again that she would increase an initial offer that is estimated at some 20 billion euros, about a third of what Brussels wants. But without any immediate plans to detail which financial commitments Britain was planning to cover and with a growing row with Ireland over their shared border, European Council President Donald Tusk, who coordinates Brexit for the blocs other 27 leaders, concluded Britain must take further steps. He increased the pressure on May to make progress by early December, in time for the EU to react at a summit on Dec. 14-15, or risk losing a chance to push the talks to a discussion of future trade ties, something London desperately wants so it can offer some certainty to nervy businesses. Asked about Brexit minister David Davis complaining that Britain had made all the running in finding compromises on the third key divorce issue -- the rights of expatriate citizens, Tusk said pointedly: I can say only that I really appreciate Mr. Daviss English sense of humour. He told the news conference: While good progress on citizens has been made, we need to see much more progress on Ireland and on the financial settlement. In order to avoid any ambiguity about our work calendar, I made it very clear to prime minister May that this progress needs to happen at the beginning of December at the latest. It was an echo of the ultimatum issued by the EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, who a week ago gave Davis until the end of the month to detail the British approach to the financial settlement -- and effectively increase the money on the table. But Tusk, who met May earlier on Friday, added another demand - more progress on the future status of the border between EU member Ireland and Northern Ireland, which Britain says is almost impossible to make without discussing the future trade deal as that would determine the kind of customs needed. PRESSURE AT HOME, AWAY Under pressure at home from lawmakers in her own party who are concerned she is preparing for Britain to walk away with no deal and from the EU, May has tried to gloss over the differences and emphasise how far the talks have come. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May meets with her Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven (not pictured) at Gothia Towers Hotel on the eve of the EU Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Gothenburg, Sweden November 16, 2017. TT News Agency/Bjorn Larsson Rosvall via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDENWeve agreed that good progress has been made. More does need to be done. But were clear, and Im clear, that what we need to do is move forward together and that is how we can ensure that we are going to get the best deal for the United Kingdom and the European Union, May told reporters. But a growing row with Ireland broke into the open on Friday, with Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney saying Dublin was not ready to allow the talks to move onto a discussion of future trade next month. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar went further. I cant say in any honesty that its close on the Irish issue or on the financial settlement, he told Sky News. After 40 years of marriage, most of them good, now Britain wants a divorce but an open relationship the day after. With German Chancellor Angela Merkel absent from the summit because of government formation talks in Berlin, it was left to French President Emmanuel Macron to speak for the heavyweight powers which are taking a tough line with London: We wont change the agreed process in any way, and we wont open talks on the future relationship as long as the conditions set in the first phase have not been met, he said Sweden. But May, weakened after losing her Conservative Partys majority at a June election she did not need to call, has little room for manoeuvre. Some of her team of ministers are pressing her to hold off from naming a figure, seeing it as one of the few levers Britain has to press for better trade deal. Despite the tough language, Tusk offered some hope. I feel much better, safer after my meeting with Theresa May, everything is possible, the former Polish premier said. There was very visibly goodwill on both sides. We still have a chance to achieve our first goal -- to achieve the finalisation of the first phase of negotiations. I am very cautious. But optimistic. ($1 = 0.8480 euros)

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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Friday on a Japanese-drafted resolution to renew for one month an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria, but diplomats said Russia opposed the measure. A Syrian woman walks past damaged buildings in Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria November 15, 2017. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh It was not clear if Russia would cast its second veto in as many days or abstain. Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia was not immediately available to comment. Russia vetoed on Thursday a U.S.-drafted resolution to renew the joint inquiry by the U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which found that the Syrian government used the banned nerve agent sarin in an April 4 attack. The inquirys mandate expires on Friday. French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre said on the Japanese draft resolution: This is a way to avoid the death of the JIM (Joint Investigative Mechanism). This is a way to give us time ... to work hard and to try to find the spirit of unity that is absolutely needed, when the very future of the non-proliferation regime is at stake, he said. The 15-member council also voted on a Russian-drafted resolution on Thursday to renew the inquiry, but it failed after only garnering four votes in favour. Japan then proposed the council consider a 30-day extension. As closed-door negotiations got under way on the Japanese text earlier on Friday, Russia told its counterparts that it could not accept the draft, did not want the body to show false unity and did not want to waste everyones time, said council diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity. The U.S. State Department on Friday urged Russia to support the Japanese draft. White House Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of Russia on Friday: We do hope that moving forward they want to get on board and work with us on this. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, France, Russia, Britain or China to be adopted. While Russia agreed to the 2015 creation of the inquiry, it has consistently questioned its findings, which also concluded that the Syrian government used chlorine as a weapon several times. Russia has vetoed 10 resolutions on Syria, including blocking an initial U.S. bid on Oct. 24 to renew the JIM, saying it wanted to wait for the release two days later of the inquirys report that said the Syrian government used sarin. The April 4 sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed dozens of people prompted the United States to launch missiles on a Syrian air base. Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013 under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States.

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Bonn: The Asia-Pacific economies account for more than 50 percent of global emissions. And if the nations maintain discharges as usual, rising seas could affect 1.4 billion people by 2060, climate experts said on Friday. For this, the countries need to scale up regional action to meet global goals.

Countries from Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East met on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn to explore opportunities for scaling up climate action to meet the ambitious targets set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The high-level participants recognised the need to boost climate action across the region if the aim of staying within two degrees Celsius of temperature increase is to be attained.

While many countries in the Asia-Pacific have ambitious climate plans, collective efforts under Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are not nearly enough to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

It has been estimated that humanity is left with a 'carbon credit' of between 150 and 1,050 GtCO2 to meet the Paris target.

However, at the current emission rate of 41 GtC02 per year, the lower limit of this range would be crossed in four years, and the midpoint of 600 GtCO2 would be passed in 15 years.

"In the Asia-Pacific region, population growth, environmental degradation and climate change could be a major challenge for the countries in the area. This is the negative future scenario. We have detailed these substantial risks in a major report for the Asian Development Bank just recently," Founder and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber said in his keynote speech.

He said there is a positive scenario too.

"Asia-Pacific could be at the forefront of human ingenuity to achieve change. This could really make the region a worldwide innovation leader," he added.

At Friday's event organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap), United Nations under Secretary General and Excap Executive Secretary Shamshad Akhtar said vulnerable countries have a critical stake in ensuring that global emissions trajectories are corrected downward.

Many countries in the region are showing leadership in putting into place policies and measures to mitigate emissions and to strengthen resilience.

Carbon markets and their increased linkages across national boundaries can play a critical role to achieve these climate ambitions at least-cost.

"NDCs show countries are willing to raise their ambition, but need more financial, technological and capacity-building support," Akhtar said.

"We can strengthen regional cooperation in carbon pricing to further exploit cost savings. And we will step up our efforts with the financial sector to ease countries' barriers to access to finance and risk-transfer measures," he noted.

Sun Zhen, Deputy Director General (Climate Change Affairs) at China's National Development and Reform Commission, said: "China is strongly committed to cope with climate change and to meet our greenhouse gas control commitments."

"Our experience shows that if we make the right political decisions and trust the potential of low carbon development, our policies should not limit economic growth. Rather they will create opportunities for sustainable, climate friendly and green growth," Sun said.

Participants also highlighted the key role of the UN regional commissions in supporting implementation of the NDCs, especially through their regional convening platforms where they bring together all stakeholders to leverage regional cooperation and promote learning.

India is ranked 14th in this year's Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) out of 56 nations and the European Union by environmental organisation Germanwatch, a position improved from last year's 20th for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by opting electricity sector transformation towards green technology.

China with its high emissions and a growing energy use over the past five years still ranks 41st.

The report, Climate Change Performance Index 2018, was made public this week at the UN Climate Change negotiations.

Fifty-six countries and the EU are together responsible for about 90 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the report, global energy transition is taking up speed but no country is doing enough. For this, the countries have to strengthen targets and implementation.
Washington: The US Congress passed a nearly $700 billion American defence budget for 2018, which among other things, seeks advancement in defence cooperation with India.

The 2018 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) sailed through both the chambers of the Congress  House of Representatives and the Senate  by a voice vote. It now heads to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign it into law, which he is expected to do before the Thanksgiving holidays.

The budget also imposes tougher conditions on Pakistan for military and security assistance and accommodates last minute additional White House's financial request implementing its new South Asia strategy.

The NDAA-2018 asks the secretary of state and the defence secretary to come out with a common definition that recognises

India's status as a "Major Defence Partner".

Welcoming the move, top Republican senator Ted Cruz said few partnerships in the 21st century carried more strategic significance than the US-India partnership. During the legislative process, Cruz secured an amendment that calls on the Department of Defence to reassess its approach to partnering with India and to appoint an individual to oversee this process.

Additionally, Cruz co-sponsored Senator Mark Warner's amendment, which was adopted, to develop a strategy of defence cooperation between the US and India. The NDAA-2018 also asks the Pentagon to develop a "forward-looking" strategy for defence ties with India "that would build upon current objectives and goals, underlining a mutual desire to develop an enduring defence relationship with India".

According to it, the two countries "should work closely with Afghanistan" to promote stability in the region to include targeted infrastructure development and economic investment, means to address capability gaps in country, and improved humanitarian and disaster relief assistance.

The US Congress had designated India as a "Major Defence Partner" in its military budget for 2017. In its latest conference report, the Congressional leaders said that the designation is unique to India, and institutionalises the progress made to facilitate defence trade and technology co-operation between the two nations to a level equivalent with the closest allies of the US.

"The designation promotes joint exercises, defence strategy and policy co-ordination, military exchanges, and port calls in support of defence cooperation between the United States and India," it said.

The NDAA-2018 also makes $350 million available to Pakistan under coalition support fund (CSF) contingent upon certification from the secretary of defence that Pakistan is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani Network.

In the last two years, two successive US defence secretaries, Ashton Carter and his successor Jim Mattis, refused to give such a certification to Pakistan, in the absence of Islamabad taking demonstrable and satisfactory actions against the Haqqani network.

An accompanying conference report passed by the House and the Senate note that action on the part of Pakistan against Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as other terrorist groups operating within the borders of Pakistan, remains a priority for the US.

It urged the Department of Defence to closely monitor US security assistance to Pakistan, to ensure that Pakistan is not using such assistance to support terrorist groups, and "to take appropriate measures to demonstrate to the Pakistani military the consequences of continuing to support" such terrorist organisations.

The report also sought from the secretary of defence to ensure that Pakistan is not using any assistance provided by the US to persecute minority groups.
United Nations: Rival US and Russian resolutions to extend the mandate of experts trying to determine who was responsible for chemical attacks in Syria were defeated Thursday at a heated Security Council meeting that reflected the deteriorating relations between Washington and Moscow.

The result of the two votes means that the expert body  the Joint Investigative Mechanism known as the JIM  will cease operations when its current mandate expires at midnight Thursday.

The US, its allies and human rights groups called it a serious blow to efforts to hold accountable those responsible for carrying out chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

During a three-hour drama, Russia first vetoed the US draft resolution which was supported by 11 of the 15 Security Council members. Bolivia joined Russia in voting "no" and China and Egypt abstained. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia withdrew the Russian resolution over Moscow's insistence that it be voted on second not first as required under council rules. But using another council rule, Bolivia then resubmitted and called for a vote on that resolution.

It failed to receive the minimum nine "yes" votes required for adoption. Only Russia, China, Bolivia and Kazakhstan voted in favour while seven council members voted against and four abstained.

Japan late Thursday proposed a 30-day extension of the JIM and the Security Council was expected to discuss it on Friday.

At the heart of the dispute was the demand by Russia, Syria's most important ally, for major changes in the way the JIM operates and the US insistence that the JIM's current mandate and independence be preserved. After the votes, the United States and Russia blamed each other for ending the JIM's operations, both insisting they wanted it to continue.

"To my Russian friends, the next chemical weapons attack is on your head," US Ambassador Nikki Haley said. "By not having a JIM, you are basically telling the entire world that chemical weapons are OK to use. That's what we should be embarrassed about today." Russia's Nebenzia shot back saying: "Today it became absolutely clear we need a robust professional mechanism that will help to prevent the threat of chemical terrorism in the region, and you need a puppet-like structure to manipulate public opinion  which on the basis of false information will time after time accuse the Syrian government of violating international norms."

Those who voted against the Russian resolution put forward by Bolivia "bear the full brunt of responsibility for the cessation of the operations of the JIM," Nebenzia said.

Russia has been highly critical of the JIM's findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015, and used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last 4 April that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others who survived the nerve agent.

Syria repeated its denial of using chemical weapons.

The JIM has also accused the Islamic State of using mustard gas in 2015 and again in September 2016 in Um Hosh in Aleppo.

Nebenzia accused the JIM of "fundamental flaws" in blaming President Bashar Assad's government for the attacks. He cited its use of "remote working methods" and failure to visit Khan Sheikhoun, "focusing solely on dubious testimony from opposition and even terrorist groups, the disregard for the whole range of rules and methods provided for under the Chemical Weapons Convention."

Haley countered that Russia and its allies "want a JIM that doesn't have independence." "They want a JIM that doesn't have reporting," she said. "They want a JIM that they can micromanage, or that any member can micromanage."

Haley noted that this was the 10th veto by Russia to support Syria. "You have to realise when a country is playing games with people's lives," she said. "That's exactly what is happening here. And it's been happening for 10 times."

The vote took place against the backdrop of the military and political situation in Syria, where Assad's forces have gained the upper hand. A new round of UN-hosted Syrian peace talks is scheduled to start in Geneva on 28 November.

Haley said: "The only thing that today has proved is that Russia cannot be trusted in the political process with Syria." "Russia will not be a good and trusted actor because they want to control who's at fault," she said. "They want to control what happens. They want to control that area because they want to work with Iran and Syria to make sure that they have it all under control."

Nebenia said Haley "betrayed what was trying to be hidden all the time, but in fact the whole thing was envisaged and invented to show that Russia should not be trusted in the Syrian political process." "It's not coincidental," he said, "because the political process in Syria is ... slowly gaining momentum and Russia is very instrumental in it. And so this is the very opportune moment to tell that Russia should not play the role here."

Nebenzia said he didn't think Thursday's votes would affect the Geneva talks which Russia supports.

Italy's UN Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, the current council president, told reporters that "we encourage any effort by any member of the council to continue ... examining possible consensual solutions" to revive the JIM.
United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "very much disappointed" that the Saudi-led coalition is refusing to lift its blockade of Yemen and has written directly to Riyadh's representative, his spokesman said on Friday.

The coalition shut down Yemen's sea and airports as well as borders on 6 November in response to a missile attack by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels near Riyadh.

After repeated appeals by UN officials were ignored, Guterres wrote to the Saudi ambassador on Friday to ask for an end to the blockade which he said "is already reversing the impact of humanitarian efforts".

"The secretary-general is very much disappointed that we have not seen a lifting of the blockade," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres and his top aid officials are "heartbroken at the scenes we are seeing from Yemen and the risk of continued suffering of the Yemeni people," Dujarric added.

"This is a man-made crisis," continued the UN spokesman, adding that Guterres had called it a "stupid war".

The United Nations has listed Yemen as the world's number one humanitarian crisis, with 17 million people in need of food, seven million of whom are at risk of famine.

Yemen is also battling one of the world's worst outbreaks of cholera, that has left nearly one million people ill and killed 2,200 people.

In the letter to Saudi Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi, Guterres called on the coalition to allow UN flights to Sanaa and Aden, and to reopen the key ports of Hodeida and Saleef in rebel-held territory.

The direct appeal to Saudi Arabia's ambassador from the UN chief highlighted growing frustration and alarm over Yemen's humanitarian crisis and the coalition's refusal to open up access to aid.

In the letter, Guterres offered to send a UN team to Riyadh for talks on tightening up inspections at Hodeida port, once the aid shipments have resumed.

The coalition argues that ships docking at Hodeida port are used for arms smuggling to the Huthi rebels.

Earlier, the heads of three UN agencies warned that without deliveries of vital supplies such as food and medicine "untold thousands of innocent victims, among them many children, will die".

The joint appeal came from the World Health Organization, the UN children's agency UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

The coalition has partially eased some restrictions on ports controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, but the United Nations is insisting on access to Hodeida and Saleef ports.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. CLEMENCIA YOLANDA GARCIA-MORALES, Petitioner, v. JEFFERSON B. SESSIONS III, U.S. Attorney General, Respondent. Case No. 16-4121 Decided: November 15, 2017

BEFORE: DAUGHTREY, MOORE, and SUTTON, Circuit Judges.

Border Patrol agents arrested Clemencia Yolanda Garcia-Morales when she illegally crossed the border from Mexico into Arizona. She applied for asylum. An immigration judge rejected her application after she failed to prove that she was a Guatemalan national. The Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed the immigration judge's decision and denied her motion to remand. We deny the petition for review.

In January 2014, Border Patrol agents apprehended Garcia-Morales in Arizona. She told them that she had come to the United States to find work and did not fear being returned to her home country. On March 17, 2014, she attended a hearing in which she raised her intention to apply for asylum. After being released on bond, she relocated to Memphis, Tennessee. By November, she was represented by counsel from the Memphis Immigration Advocates. She appeared with her counsel before an immigration judge on December 2, 2014. He scheduled her asylum application hearing for May 20, 2015. On April 21, 2015, Garcia-Morales moved for a continuance to give her more time to obtain documentation from Guatemala. A.R. 167. The judge granted the continuance and scheduled the application hearing for August 20, 2015.

At the August hearing, Garcia-Morales said that she feared returning to Guatemala for two reasons. A man in Guatemala raped her when she was 16 and had harassed her in the years since. In addition, she feared her sister-in-law, who had threatened her, extorted money from her family, and was affiliated with a gang.

The immigration judge asked Garcia-Morales about her identification documents. She admitted she did not have any Guatemalan identification and that she had not asked her Guatemalan father to procure a copy of her birth certificate until a week or two before the hearing. The judge asked the government if it had any identification documents for Garcia-Morales. The government produced a Mexican birth certificate for a woman born the same year as Garcia-Morales but with a different name on the certificate, found in a backpack Garcia-Morales had been carrying when the border agents arrested her.

She asked for a second continuance to give her more time to obtain a Guatemalan birth certificate. The judge denied the motion and rejected her application because she had not shown she was a Guatemalan national.

Garcia-Morales appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals. She attached a copy of a Guatemalan birth certificate, issued in 2015, that she received after her immigration hearing. The Board affirmed the immigration judge's decision to reject the application, deny the continuance, and designate Mexico as the primary removal country. It also denied her motion to remand the case. This petition for relief followed.

Denial of asylum. We treat Board opinions as final agency determinations. But we include the immigration judge's decision in our review where the Board adopts the immigration judge's reasoning, as happened here. Review is deferential. We respect the Board's (and immigration judge's) findings of fact unless the record requires otherwise. See 8 U.S.C.  1252(b)(4)(B); Khalili v. Holder, 557 F.3d 429, 435 (6th Cir. 2009).

To warrant asylum, Garcia-Morales must be a refugee under the Immigration and Naturalization Act. 8 U.S.C.  1158(b)(1). That requires her to prove she is from the country from which she seeks asylum. See 8 U.S.C.  1101(a)(42); In re O-D-, 21 I. & N. Dec. 1079, 1083 (BIA 1998). An applicant's testimony as to her nationality may suffice where her testimony is believable, consistent, and sufficiently detailed to provide a plausible and coherent account. See In re M-D-, 21 I. & N. Dec. 1180, 1182 (BIA 1998). However, a failure to produce reasonably available corroborating evidence may justify an adverse finding. See Shkabari v. Gonzales, 427 F.3d 324, 331 (6th Cir. 2005).

The record supports the Board's finding that Garcia-Morales did not show that she was a Guatemalan national. She had no official Guatemalan identification at the time of the hearing. She did not collect that evidence during the months leading up to the hearing before the immigration judge, even after being given a continuance to allow more time to collect documentation supporting her asylum claim. Though Garcia-Morales submitted letters from her family, her sister's Guatemalan passport, and court documents from proceedings against her sister-in-law, such documents do not compel the conclusion that she was a Guatemalan national.

This missing evidence was important because Garcia-Morales had two backpacks at her arrest in Arizona, one of which included a Mexican birth certificate. Although neither the Board nor the immigration judge expressly made a credibility finding, both pointed to the Mexican birth certificate as reason to require greater corroboration from Garcia-Morales. The Board and the immigration judge determined that a Guatemalan identity document was reasonably available and should have been timely provided. The record does not compel the conclusion that the Board and the immigration judge erred in requiring greater corroboration to show that she was from Guatemala.

Garcia-Morales points out that the record does not contain the Mexican birth certificate the immigration authorities mentioned in their credibility determination. But the hearing transcript confirms that the Mexican birth certificate was in her file, that the immigration judge reviewed the birth certificate, considered it at length, and shared it with Garcia-Morales' counsel, all without protest as to its contents or objection as to its use. Having failed to object to its contents or use then, she has forfeited any objection now. Ayyoub v. INS, 93 F. App'x 828, 834 (6th Cir. 2004).

Even now, Garcia-Morales does not argue that the immigration judge's consideration of the document was improper. Her pro se brief does not mention it, and her counseled brief does nothing more than mention, in the fact section of the brief, that the birth certificate was not in the record. A party forfeits an issue that it does not raise in its briefs. Bi Feng Liu v. Holder, 560 F.3d 485, 489 n.4 (6th Cir. 2009).

Motion for continuance. Garcia-Morales argues that the immigration judge and the Board abused their discretion when they denied her second motion for a continuance. To obtain a continuance to collect corroborating evidence, the petitioner must show good cause and make a reasonable showing that the lack of preparation occurred despite a diligent good faith effort to be ready to proceed as scheduled. In re Sibrun, 18 I. & N. Dec. 354, 356 (BIA 1983); see also Badwan v. Gonzales, 494 F.3d 566, 570 (6th Cir. 2007); 8 C.F.R.  1003.29. A prior continuance may justify a denial, see Al-Najar v. Mukasey, 515 F.3d 708, 717 (6th Cir. 2008), as may the opposition of the government, In re Hashmi, 24 I. & N. Dec. 785, 791 (BIA 2009); Badwan, 494 F.3d at 568. We may reverse a continuance decision only if it is an abuse of discretion, which is to say a decision made without a rational explanation, that inexplicably departed from established policies, or that rested on an impermissible basis such as invidious discrimination. Haddad v. Gonzales, 437 F.3d 515, 517 (6th Cir. 2006).

The immigration authorities did not abuse their discretion when they found that Garcia-Morales had not put a good-faith effort into establishing proof of her nationality. She appeared before an Arizona immigration judge for a master calendar hearing on March 17, 2014, when the government told her it would seek her removal and she explained that she would seek asylum. In opting to seek asylum, she assumed the statutory burden of proving the elements of the claim, including the burden of proving that she was a Guatemalan national. See 8 U.S.C.  1158(b). The relevant asylum statute notes that the trier of fact might require her to present corroborating evidence establishing her nationality. Id.

Garcia-Morales moved to Memphis, where she was represented by counsel from the Memphis Immigration Advocates no later than November 5, 2014. On December 2, 2014, she appeared before an immigration judge who scheduled the asylum hearing for May 20, 2015. In April 2015, her counsel asked the immigration court to grant her a continuance until August 20, 2015, to gather evidence to support her asylum claim. Yet she did not ask her father to seek a copy of her birth certificate from the authorities until a week or two before the August 20 hearing, and she gave the immigration judge no reasonable explanation for the delay. On this record, we cannot say that the immigration authorities abused their discretion when they found that she did not put in a good-faith effort to collect the evidence. On top of that, Garcia-Morales had already requested and received one continuance without collecting the necessary evidence, which alone can justify denying a second request for a continuance. Add to that the government's fair opposition to a second one, and the absence of an abuse of discretion becomes clear.

Garcia-Morales claims that the Board departed from established immigration policy and the Immigration and Naturalization Act in denying the continuance without considering whether doing so would prejudice her claim on the merits. But a petitioner must show a good-faith effort to prepare for a hearing and that she would suffer prejudice in the absence of a continuance. See In re Sibrun, 18 I. & N. Dec. at 35657. Because the immigration authorities did not abuse their discretion when they ruled that she had not met the first requirement, they did not err when they chose not to address the second one.

Her broader policy argument does not help either. While the United States may have a general policy favoring refugee protection, that same policy places the burden of proof on the applicant and requires her to take reasonable steps to collect evidence to support her claim. See 8 U.S.C.  1158(b); In re Sibrun, 18 I. & N. Dec. at 35657. The immigration authorities reasonably decided that Garcia-Morales did not fulfill her responsibilities.

Motion to remand. Garcia-Morales separately claims that the Board abused its discretion when it denied her motion to remand the case so that the immigration judge could review the Guatemalan documents she obtained after the hearing. While the immigration regulations do not mention motions to remand, they do speak to motions to reopen. We generally treat them the same. Ahmed v. Mukasey, 519 F.3d 579, 585 n.7 (6th Cir. 2008). The Board may grant a motion to remand for consideration of new evidence only if it appears that the evidence is material and could not have been discovered before the hearing. See 8 C.F.R.  1003.2(c)(1). The same abuse-of-discretion standard applies. Haddad, 437 F.3d at 517.

No such abuse occurred here. Garcia-Morales never adequately explained why she did not ask her father to retrieve the certificate from the Guatemalan authorities before her hearing. And what happened after the hearing confirms that she could have submitted the certificate in time. She received it in the mail and submitted it to the Board about two months after she asked her father to track it down. The Board reasonably found that Garcia-Morales could have obtained the certificate by the hearing date had she acted with the due diligence expected of applicants. See Sakhawati v. Lynch, 823 F.3d 852, 85761 (6th Cir. 2016).

Garcia-Morales responds that the Immigration and Naturalization Act and its regulations do not require the Board to deny a motion to remand when the new evidence was reasonably available before the formal hearing. Perhaps so. But that does not establish an abuse of discretion when the Board denies such a motion. Our precedents at any rate say that motions to remand should be treated like motions to reopen, which the regulations do address and which do suggest that the Board should deny motions like hers. See Ahmed, 519 F.3d at 585 n.7; In re Yewondwosen, 21 I. & N. Dec. 1025 (BIA 1997). Nothing in the Act or regulations required the Board to grant a motion to remand in this setting.

Garcia-Morales points to a pair of Board decisions that purportedly remanded cases like hers. Even aside from their unpublished (and non-precedential) status, both are distinguishable. The short opinion in Matter of Rupert Barrington Richards offers no explanation why the Board thought the new evidence justified a remand. A34 090 101  Houston, 2007 WL 1194787 (BIA Mar. 30, 2007). And Matter of Julio Lopez-De Dips remanded the application because the new evidence, a visa petition filed by the petitioner's citizen wife, was not available prior to trial. In that case, the petitioner had married three days before the final hearing and could not reasonably have submitted the new evidence in time. A206 011 402  Atlanta, 2016 WL 1084489 (BIA Mar. 1, 2016). Neither case advances Garcia-Morales' position.

For these reasons, we deny her petition.

SUTTON, Circuit Judge.
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Michael COLLINS, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. VILLAGE OF PALATINE, ILLINOIS, Defendant-Appellee. No. 16-3395 Decided: November 16, 2017

Before Bauer, Posner,* and Sykes, Circuit Judges. Martin J. Murphy, Attorney, Law Office of Martin J. Murphy, Chicago, IL, for PlaintiffAppellant. Michael E. Kujawa, Attorney, Schain Banks Kenny & Schwartz, Brandon K. Lemley, Attorney, Querrey & Harrow, Chicago, IL, for DefendantAppellee.

When a plaintiff files a complaint on behalf of a proposed class, the statute of limitations for the claim is tolled for each member of the class. Am. Pipe & Constr. Co. v. Utah, 414 U.S. 538, 550, 94 S.Ct. 756, 38 L.Ed.2d 713 (1974). The tolling continues until the case is stripped of its character as a class action. United Airlines, Inc. v. McDonald, 432 U.S. 385, 393, 97 S.Ct. 2464, 53 L.Ed.2d 423 (1977) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 23 advisory committee's note to 1966 amendment). This stripping occurs immediately when a district judge denies class certification, dismisses the case for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction without deciding the class-certification question, or otherwise dismisses the case without prejudice. The question before us is whether a dismissal with prejudice also strips a case of its class-action character. The district court concluded that it does. We agree and adopt a simple and uniform rule: Tolling stops immediately when a class-action suit is dismissedwith or without prejudicebefore the class is certified.

I. Background

On a summer day in June 2007, a police officer in the Village of Palatine issued a parking ticket to Michael Collins. When Collins returned to his car later that day, he found the bright yellow ticket under his car's windshield wiper blades. The ticket listed personal information about him, including his name, address, driver's license number, date of birth, sex, height, and weight. Collins claims that the display of his personal information violated the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), 18 U.S.C.  2721 et. seq. So on March 29, 2016, he sued the Village of Palatine on behalf of himself and a proposed class.

Ordinarily the long delay in filing suitalmost nine yearswould be fatal to his claim; the DPPA's statute of limitations is four years. But the timeliness of Collins's claim is complicated by the earlier filing of a nearly identical class complaint against Palatine.

Jason Senne faced a similar ticketing scenario. He left his car illegally parked overnight, and a Palatine police officer placed a parking ticket displaying his personal information on the car's windshield. On August 27, 2010, Senne sued on behalf of himself and all similarly situated individuals alleging that Palatine violated the DPPA. Because the lawsuit was brought as a class action, the filing of the complaint tolled the DPPA's statute of limitations for everyone in the proposed class.

Senne's case had a short life in the district court. On September 22, 2010, before Senne filed a motion to certify a class, the district court granted Palatine's motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. A panel of this court affirmed the dismissal, but the full court reheard the case and reversed. See Senne v. Village of Palatine, 695 F.3d 597, 599600 (7th Cir. 2012) (en banc).

On remand Senne moved to certify a class. The district judge heard argument on the motion but deferred ruling, instead inviting Palatine to file a motion for summary judgment. Palatine complied. The judge entered summary judgment for the Village and terminated the motion for class certification as moot. See Senne v. Village of Palatine, 6 F.Supp.3d 786, 797 (N.D. Ill. 2013). We affirmed, Senne v. Village of Palatine, 784 F.3d 444 (7th Cir. 2015), and on November 2, 2015, the Supreme Court denied certiorari,  U.S. , 136 S.Ct. 419, 193 L.Ed.2d 318 (2015).

On the day the Supreme Court denied certiorari, Senne's attorney, Martin Murphy, filed a successor class action on behalf of himself and a proposed class. His complaint was just a placeholder to preserve the class's claims. Murphy later filed this suit naming Collins as the class representative; he then sought voluntary dismissal of his own complaint.

Palatine moved to dismiss, arguing that Collins's claim was time-barred because the statute of limitations resumed when the district court dismissed Senne's lawsuit. Collins responded (through Murphy, his counsel) that the dismissal on timeliness grounds was inappropriate at the pleadings stage, and even if procedurally proper, the suit was timely because the limitations period was tolled until the Supreme Court denied Senne's petition for certiorari. He also separately moved to certify a class.

The judge agreed with Palatine that Collins's claim was time-barred and granted the motion to dismiss. The judge summarily denied the motion for class certification, apparently on mootness grounds, though he did not give a reason. This appeal followed.

II. Discussion

Although the statute of limitations is an affirmative defense, dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure is appropriate if the complaint contains everything necessary to establish that the claim is untimely. See Bonnstetter v. City of Chicago, 811 F.3d 969, 974 (7th Cir. 2016). Moreover, judicial notice of public court documents is appropriate when ruling on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss. White v. Keely, 814 F.3d 883, 885 n.2 (7th Cir. 2016). Because the complaint and court documents contain everything necessary to decide the timeliness issue here, it was procedurally proper at the pleadings stage for the judge to consider whether Collins's claim was barred by the statute of limitations.

We review the dismissal order de novo, accepting all well-pleaded facts in the complaint as true. See McCauley v. City of Chicago, 671 F.3d 611, 61516 (7th Cir. 2011). Here, timeliness turns on the question of tolling. If tolling ended and the limitations clock resumed when the Senne suit was dismissed, Collins's claim is untimely. But if tolling continued until the appeals in Senne were exhausted, then Collins's claim is still live. This is a pure question of law: At what point does class-action tolling end?

A. Tolling the Statute of Limitations

To determine what starts and stops the limitations clock in the class-action context, we begin with the seminal case, American Pipe & Construction Co. v. Utah, 414 U.S. 538, 94 S.Ct. 756, 38 L.Ed.2d 713 (1974). In American Pipe, Utah sued several companies alleging that they colluded to drive up the price of steel and concrete pipe in violation of the Sherman Act. Id. at 541, 94 S.Ct. 756. The suit was filed as a class action with just 11 days left under the applicable statute of limitations. Id. Six months later the district judge held that the suit could not be maintained as a class action. Id. at 542, 94 S.Ct. 756. Within eight days of that order, more than 60 towns, municipalities, and water districts claiming to be members of the original class moved to intervene as plaintiffs. Id. at 54344, 94 S.Ct. 756. The question facing the Supreme Court was whether those motions to intervene were time-barred or whether Utah's class complaint tolled the statute of limitations for the class.

The Supreme Court first clarified that when federal law supplies the period of limitations, federal courts have the power to toll statutes of limitations. Id. at 558, 94 S.Ct. 756. The Court then moved to the main event, holding that the commencement of the original class suit toll[ed] the running of the statute for all purported members of the class who ma[d]e timely motions to intervene after the court  found the suit inappropriate for class action status. Id. at 553, 94 S.Ct. 756. In other words, members of the putative class still had live claims and could intervene because the filing of the class action tolled the statute of limitations for each of their claims.

The Supreme Court grounded its decision on concerns about judicial efficiency in the class-action context. The Court explained that without tolling, only those potential members of the class who had earlier filed motions to intervene in the suit could participate, which would incentivize all potential class members to file protective motions to intervene or to join in the event that a class was later found unsuitable. Id. If every class member rushed to intervene, class actions would lose the efficiency and economy of litigation[,] which is a principal purpose of the procedure. Id. On the other hand, the twin policies underlying statutes of limitationsensuring essential fairness to defendants and  barring a plaintiff who has slept on his rightswould not be undermined by tolling. Id. at 554, 94 S.Ct. 756 (internal quotation marks omitted). That is so, the Court said, because the commencement of a class suit notifies the defendants not only of the substantive claims being brought against them, but also of the number and generic identities of the potential plaintiffs who may participate in the judgment. Id. at 555, 94 S.Ct. 756.

In the years following American Pipe, appellate courts considered whether its tolling rule applies only to class members seeking intervention after the denial of class certification or if it also applies to class members who file separate actions. See Parker v. Crown, Cork & Seal Co., 677 F.2d 391 (4th Cir. 1982), aff'd 462 U.S. 345, 103 S.Ct. 2392, 76 L.Ed.2d 628 (1983); Pavlak v. Church, 681 F.2d 617 (9th Cir. 1982), vacated and remanded, 463 U.S. 1201, 103 S.Ct. 3529, 77 L.Ed.2d 1382 (1983); Stull v. Bayard, 561 F.2d 429 (2d Cir. 1977). In Crown, Cork & Seal Co. v. Parker, the Supreme Court resolved that important question, refusing to confine the American Pipe rule to intervenors and instead making clear that tolling also appl[ies] to class members who choose to file separate suits. 462 U.S. at 352, 103 S.Ct. 2392. Any other rule, the Court said, would diminish the efficiency of class actions by creating an increase in protective filings in all class actions. Id. at 353, 103 S.Ct. 2392.

B. Resuming the Limitations Clock

Together, American Pipe and Crown, Cork & Seal explain that the filing of a proposed class action immediately pauses the running of the statute of limitations for all class members. But neither opinion addresses whether tolling continues during the pendency of an appeal after the suit is dismissed or class certification is denied.

As a general matter, the consensus view among the circuits is that once certification is denied, the limitations clock immediately starts ticking again. We've been emphatic on this point: Resumption is automatic Lewis v. City of Chicago, 702 F.3d 958, 961 (7th Cir. 2012). The circuits also agree that the limitations clock resumes at other procedural intervals as well, such as when a class member opts out of a certified class, when the class component of a suit is voluntarily dismissed, or when the court dismisses an uncertified class-action suit for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. In other words, the statute of limitations resumes for putative class members of an uncertified class when the suit is dismissed without prejudice or when class certification is denied. Culver v. City of Milwaukee, 277 F.3d 908, 914 (7th Cir. 2002).

Here we face a slightly different scenario. The question of class certification was never addressed because the district court (1) initially dismissed the case with prejudice and (2) later entered summary judgment. Does it matter for tolling purposes whether a suit is dismissed with prejudice or not?

We've suggested before that it doesn't. See In re Copper Antitrust Litig., 436 F.3d 782, 793 (7th Cir. 2006). The plaintiff in In re Copper argued that tolling continued through appeal of an order dismissing an earlier putative class action with prejudice. Id. We rejected that approach, holding that the plaintiff was not entitled to take advantage of tolling  beyond the date when the district court dismissed the earlier suit. Id. At that point, we said, the parties are on notice that they must take steps to protect their rights or suffer the consequences. Id.

We are not aware of any federal court that has reached a contrary conclusion. The Fifth Circuit has held that tolling continues on appeal from a dismissal with prejudice but only when a class has been certified. See Taylor v. United Parcel Serv., Inc., 554 F.3d 510, 52021 (5th Cir. 2008). The court explained that members of the certified class may continue to rely on the class representative to protect their interests throughout the entire prosecution of the suit, including appeal. Id. But, the court observed, [t]he same result does not flow for members of a putative class that has not been certified, noting a distinction between putative members of an uncertified class and members of a certified class in determining the application of tolling principles. Id. at 517. The Fifth Circuit's reasoning in Taylor is fully consistent with a rule that the limitations clock resumes when a noncertified class claim is dismissed with or without prejudice.

Finally, it's important to note again that American Pipe and Crown, Cork & Seal struck a balance between judicial efficiency and the policies underlying statutes of limitations. Concern for judicial efficiency loomed large in American Pipe; without tolling, individual class members would have to file suit in order to protect their claims from becoming time-barred. But continuing to toll the limitations period beyond the dismissal of a noncertified class claim would encroach more severely on the interests underlying statutes of limitations, the purpose of which is to protect defendants against stale or unduly delayed claims. Credit Suisse Secs. (USA) LLC v. Simmonds, 566 U.S. 221, 227, 132 S.Ct. 1414, 182 L.Ed.2d 446 (2012) (quoting John R. Sand & Gravel Co. v. United States, 552 U.S. 130, 133, 128 S.Ct. 750, 169 L.Ed.2d 591 (2008)). [E]xtending a statute of limitations after the pre-existing period of limitations has expired impermissibly revives a moribund cause of action Hughes Aircraft Co. v. United States ex rel. Schumer, 520 U.S. 939, 950, 117 S.Ct. 1871, 138 L.Ed.2d 135 (1997).

The trend in this circuit, and in federal courts generally, points to a unified rule that is clear and easy to enforce. In re Copper, 436 F.3d at 793. An uncertified class-action suit is decidedly not a class action once all class claims have been dismissed. The statute of limitations immediately resumes.

C. Applying the Rule

The DPPA's four-year statute of limitations on Collins's claim commenced on June 14, 2007, when he discovered that personal information was displayed on his parking ticket. The statute was tolled when Jason Senne filed suit on behalf of a proposed class on August 27, 2010. And it began to run once again when the district court dismissed that case on September 22, 2010. Once the claim was dismissed, American Pipe 's tolling rule no longer controlled. The statute of limitations for Collins's claim immediately resumed. The limitations period expired on July 10, 2011, long before he filed this suit.

We note in closing that a district court's dismissal of a class complaint prior to ruling on a class-certification motion may impact the preclusive effect of the court's judgment. Rule 23 encourages an early certification decision: At an early practicable time , the court must determine by order whether to certify the action as a class action. Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(c)(1)(A). [A]s soon as practicable usually means before the case is ripe for summary judgment. Cowen v. Bank United of Tex., FSB, 70 F.3d 937, 941 (7th Cir. 1995). But we've explained that the word  practicable allows for wiggle room and  usually is not always.  Id.

Embracing this wiggle room here, the judge dismissed Collins's claim as time-barred and summarily denied the motion for class certification, undoubtedly because it was moot (though, as we've noted, he did not give a reason). Collins challenges that approach, relying on Wiesmueller v. Kosobucki, 513 F.3d 784 (7th Cir. 2008). That case dealt with very different circumstances.

Wiesmueller was a suit by an out-of-state law student challenging Wisconsin's diploma privilege, which waives the bar exam for graduates of the two in-state law schools. The district court dismissed the case and denied the plaintiff's motion to certify the class. The plaintiff appealed, but in the meantime passed the Wisconsin bar exam so his individual claim became moot. We clarified that an appeal from the denial of class certification is not necessarily moot simply because the named plaintiff's individual claim is moot, especially when an unnamed class member  ha[d] ex-pressed interest in substituting for the plaintiff as class representative. Id. at 786. We added, however, that we were not say[ing] that the district judge may never dismiss a case on summary judgment without first ruling on the plaintiff's motion to certify a class. Id. at 787. We have repeatedly affirmed that a judge may do precisely that. See, e.g., Costello v. BeavEx, Inc., 810 F.3d 1045, 1057 n.3 (7th Cir. 2016).

Here, the dismissal of Collins's claim made the class-certification question irrelevant. When the plaintiff's own claim is dismissed, he can no longer be the class representative. At that point either another class representative must be found or the suit is kaput. Hardy v. City Optical Inc., 39 F.3d 765, 770 (7th Cir. 1994) (citations omitted). No one stepped forward to pick up the spear after Collins's claim was dismissed. Cowen, 70 F.3d at 941. That makes sense. Because the limitations period was not tolled during the pendency of the Senne appeal, it's not likely that any class member has a timely claim. That's not to say that no one could step forward to bring a class claim. If there are class members for whom the statute of limitations has not run, the district court's summary denial of class certification would not bind them. See Sawyer v. Atlas Heating & Sheet Metal Works, Inc., 642 F.3d 560, 564 (7th Cir. 2011).

The limitations clock on Collins's claim resumed when the Senne class action was dismissed with prejudice prior to class certification. Accordingly, his claim is time-barred. The judgment of the district court is

Affirmed.

FOOTNOTES

. Phipps v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 792 F.3d 637, 650 (6th Cir. 2015) (When the district court denied class certification , American Pipe tolling ended); Giovanniello v. ALM Media, LLC, 726 F.3d 106, 116 (2d Cir. 2013) (We now take this opportunity to join our sister circuits and hold that [American Pipe] tolling does not extend beyond the denial of class status.); Taylor v. United Parcel Serv., Inc., 554 F.3d 510, 519 (5th Cir. 2008) (Therefore, it is clear from these cases that if the district court denies class certification under Rule 23, tolling of the statute of limitations ends.); Bridges v. Dep't of Md. State Police, 441 F.3d 197, 211 (4th Cir. 2006) ([T]he statute of limitations remains tolled for all members of the putative class until class certification is denied for whatever reason.  (quoting Crown, Cork & Seal v. Parker, 462 U.S. 345, 354, 103 S.Ct. 2392, 76 L.Ed.2d 628 (1983))); Stone Container Corp. v. United States, 229 F.3d 1345, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2000) ([T]olling ends with the district court's dismissal of the class action); Armstrong v. Martin Marietta Corp., 138 F.3d 1374, 1378 (11th Cir. 1998) (en banc) ([W]e hold that the tolling of the statute of limitations ceases when the district court enters an interlocutory order denying class certification.); Nelson v. County of Allegheny, 60 F.3d 1010, 1013 (3d Cir. 1995) (concluding that the tolling period ended when the district court denied certification of the class); Tosti v. City of Los Angeles, 754 F.2d 1485, 1488 (9th Cir. 1985) (The statute begins running anew from the date of notice that certification has been denied.); Fernandez v. Chardon, 681 F.2d 42, 48 (1st Cir. 1982) ([T]he statute will resume running when class certification is denied.).

. See, e.g., Realmonte v. Reeves, 169 F.3d 1280, 1284 (10th Cir. 1999) ([W]e hold that the fact that the Realmontes' participation in the class action terminated with a decision to opt out of a certified class rather than with the denial of class certification is irrelevant to the applicability of the American Pipe tolling rule.); Adams Pub. Sch. Dist. v. Asbestos Corp., 7 F.3d 717, 718 n.1 (8th Cir. 1993) (The fact that this participation ended with a decision to opt out rather than with denial of class certification is irrelevant to the applicability of the American Pipe rule.); Tosti, 754 F.2d at 1488 ([T]he statute begins running anew from the date when the class member exercises the right to opt out); Appleton Elec. Co. v. Graves Truck Line, Inc., 635 F.2d 603, 610 (7th Cir. 1980), cert. denied, 451 U.S. 976, 101 S.Ct. 2058, 68 L.Ed.2d 357 (1981) ([W]e hold that the statute is tolled as to any particular defendant until such time as he is notified of the suit and chooses to opt out.).

. See, e.g., Glidden v. Chromalloy Am. Corp., 808 F.2d 621, 627 (7th Cir. 1986) (The voluntary dismissal of the class component of a suit also must restart the time.); Torkie-Tork v. Wyeth, 739 F.Supp.2d 887, 895 (E.D. Va. 2010) (Thus, the prior class action suit operated to toll the applicable statute of limitations for the ten-month period between filing and voluntary dismissal.); Anderberg v. Masonite Corp., 176 F.R.D. 682, 689 (N.D. Ga. 1997) ([A]lthough the filing of a class action complaint tolls the applicable statute of limitations for absent class members, a voluntary dismissal would start the statute of limitations running again.).

. Hemenway v. Peabody Coal Co., 159 F.3d 255, 266 (7th Cir. 1998) (Well, then, should it matter that Kelce [v. Peabody Coal Co., 1993 WL 35249 (W.D.Ky.) ] was dismissed for want of subject-matter jurisdiction rather than because class status was inappropriate?).

Sykes, Circuit Judge.
Givaudan

About Givaudan

Givaudan is the global leader in the creation of flavours and fragrances, with its heritage stretching back over 250 years, the Company has a long history of innovating tastes and scents. From a favourite drink to your daily meal, from prestige perfumes to cosmetics and laundry care, its creations inspire emotions and delight millions of consumers the world over. The Company is committed to driving purpose-led, long-term growth while leading the way to improve happiness and health for people and nature. In the fiscal year 2019, the company employed over 14,900 people worldwide and achieved sales of CHF 6.2 billion and a free cash flow of 12.7% of sales. Lets imagine together on www.givaudan.com.

About Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing

Powered by innovation and creativity, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing aims to shape the future of food by becoming the co-creation partner of choice to its customers. Built on its global leadership position in flavours and taste, the Company goes beyond to create food experiences that do good and feel good, for body, mind and planet. With an expanded portfolio of products across flavours, taste, functional and nutritional solutions and a deep knowledge of the food ecosystem, Givaudans passion is to collaborate with customers and partners to develop game changing innovations in food and beverage. Lets imagine together the future of food. Learn more at www.givaudan.com/taste-wellbeing.
An oil spill in South Dakota, where 210,000 gallons were leaked, has reignited the long-standing feud with environmentalists over President Donald Trumps proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

The pipelines operator TransCanada said early Thursday morning an estimated 5,000 barrels leaked from a pressure drop in our operating system and the incident was completely isolated within 15 minutes. The spill, however, is the largest one to date in South Dakota.

The safety of the public and environment are our top priorities and we will continue to provide updates as they become available, TransCanada said.

The incident comes just four days before the Nebraska Public Service Commission is set to decide whether it will issue a permit to TransCanada to start building the Keystone XL. The new proposed pipeline that will stretch from Hardisty, Alberta in Canada to Steele City, Nebraska by passing through Montana and South Dakota. In March, Trumps administration officially issued a permit that approved its construction, reversing President Obamas decision to block the project. Trump said the project would be a big win for American workers.

However, a spokesperson for the Nebraska Public Service Commission told The Associated Press Friday that the latest spill wont impact the committees vote as the decision will be based solely on testimony and documents during public hearings over the summer and from more than 500,000 public comments.

Yet, many activists still say the latest spill is a wake-up call to stop XLs production in its tracks.

This latest Keystone spill makes crystal clear that the Nebraska Public Service Commission should not approve another risky pipeline that threatens communities, drinking water and the climate. We're all too familiar now with the unfortunate truth that oil spills are not uncommon, Travis Nichols, Greenpeace USA spokesperson, told FOX Business.

The three companies proposing to build tar sands pipelines  TransCanada, Kinder Morgan and Enbridge  have seen an average of one spill per week since 2010. The Keystone XL pipeline could expect 59 significant spills over a 50-year lifetime. That's unacceptable. It's time for America to move on from dirty fossil fuels and embrace the clean energy future, he added.

Jane Kleeb, head of the Nebraska Democratic Party and longtime activist against the Keystone XL, told The Washington Post that TransCanada cannot be trusted.

Image of Amherst incident taken earlier today by aerial patrol as part of our initial response. For more updates, visit https://t.co/8yWI1Oq2EM pic.twitter.com/uRNtYUdVjL  TransCanada (@TransCanada) November 16, 2017

I have full confidence that the Nebraska Public Service Commission is going to side with Nebraskans, not a foreign oil company, Kleeb said.

A TransCanada spokesperson did not immediately respond to FOX Business request for additional comment or how the spill could possibly affect its permits going forward.

Brian Walsh, a spokesperson for South Dakotas State Department of Environment and Natural Resources told FOX Business that while he cant comment on how the spill will affect XLs production going forward, he did say the recent spill could have possibly affected shallow ground water at the site.

The oil has not touched any surface water or threaten any drinking water systems but it is possible that shallow ground water could have been affected, Walsh said. It will take several days to get the dirt removed and get access to the pipeline to find out.

The latest spill is the second one in two years at the same site. In April 2016, 16,800 gallons of oil leaked, which took over two months of cleanup.

TransCanada released an image of the spill site late Thursday on Twitter to show residents the impacted area.
After an ugly and protracted downturn that's lasted far longer than almost anyone expected, oil prices are starting to creep up. Both Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude futures are up about 20% in the past few months, putting crude at the highest levels in more than two years.

That's not to say oil prices can't -- or won't -- fall again. If there's anything investors should have learned by now, it's that oil prices can always go lower. But at the same time, the companies still operating have largely figured out how to make money at far lower oil prices than they needed in the past.

Three of our energy-industry contributing investors who have followed the oil market since before the turndown have identified three stocks they think are top buys right now: ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Cheniere Energy Partners LP (NYSEMKT: CQP), and Core Laboratories N.V. (NYSE: CLB). Not only have these companies survived the downturn, but they're built to make money in the current environment and have very real catalysts that could help their profits soar.

Built for this market

Matt DiLallo (ConocoPhillips): Last year, ConocoPhillips laid out an ambitious strategy to turn an already strong oil company into an even stronger one. However, instead of taking three years to get to that top-tier level, the company laid the entire groundwork in less than a year by jettisoning several high-cost assets, and using that cash to pay down debt and buy back stock. As a result, the company can excel no matter what the oil market throws at it.

With oil at $50, for example, ConocoPhillips can generate enough cash flow to increase production by a 5% compound annual growth rate, while paying a growing dividend and buying back about $1.5 billion in stock per year. Meanwhile, if crude slumps into the $40s, the company can still generate enough money to maintain its current production rate and dividend. That's quite an impressive feat, since many rivals need oil in the mid-$50s just to sustain their current production rate.

Because the company thrives at lower oil prices, it has even more upside as prices improve. With oil at $60, for example, the company's current operating plan would generate several billion dollars in excess cash, giving it more money to return to investors and reinvest in high-return growth projects.

ConocoPhillips has turned itself into a cash-flow machine. That positions it to deliver a compelling growth rate, as well as return boatloads of cash to investors at current oil prices. That combination should fuel excellent returns over the long term, even if crude doesn't recover any further. There's also ample upside potential if it does.

Dividend increases coming to a portfolio near you

Tyler Crowe (Cheniere Energy Partners): With a dividend yield of more than 6.2%, Cheniere Energy Partners looks rather compelling. The company has completed all four liquefaction trains for phase one of its Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Louisiana. As a result, the facility is generating enough cash flow to meet all of the financial milestones necessary to start increasing its dividends, even with that substantial yield.

What's most impressive about this feat is that the company has been able to do so with only three of its four liquefaction trains fully operational. That's about to change, though, as management announced substantial completion of train four in early October. While we won't see the impact of this train in its third-quarter results, we'll most certainly see an increase in revenue over the next few quarters as it sells LNG to the spot market and starts its 20-year contract with GAIL (India) Limited in March.

On top of the immediate payout bump we're likely to see with the completion of train four, we're less than two years away from the completion of train five, which will likely result in another significant increase. Beyond that, growth is a little less clear, but options include a sixth train that's awaiting a final investment decision, or the possibility that parent company Cheniere Energy (NYSEMKT: LNG) drops its Corpus Christi facility further down the road.

Either way, today's already attractive payout is likely due for some significant increases in the near future. For investors, that makes November an opportune time to pick up shares.

This oil-patch technology leader keeps making money

Jason Hall (Core Laboratories N.V.): For businesses providing services in the oil patch, it's been a hard few years. That's been the case for Core Lab, which has seen profits fall sharply. But while many of its peers have struggled to break even since oil producers cut spending in 2015, the company has continued to make money and generate positive free cash flows:

How has Core Lab pulled this off? In short, by being a different kind of company.

While most oil-field service providers tend to be "picks and shovels" businesses, either selling or operating the equipment that drills for, produces, or transports oil and gas, Core Lab is in the data analysis business. Its most important assets are the technology and intellectual property that it uses to help oil and gas producers get more product out of each reservoir more quickly and cheaply. This "asset light" model means Core doesn't have the high fixed costs of heavy equipment, and its services are still important when oil is cheap. If there are lower costs, the company still can sell a still-important service.

Looking forward, the company is well-positioned to profit. Oil prices are creeping up, and more producers are focused on higher returns, which should drive increased demand for Core's services. This should drive strong incremental profit growth that could make Core Lab's current stock price look cheap within a few years.

10 stocks we like better than Core LaboratoriesWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

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*Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017

Jason Hall owns shares of Core Laboratories. Matthew DiLallo owns shares of ConocoPhillips and Core Laboratories. Tyler Crowe owns shares of Core Laboratories. The Motley Fool recommends Core Laboratories. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Kennett James MCELDERRY, Defendant-Appellant. No. 16-3618 Decided: November 16, 2017

Before LOKEN, MURPHY, and COLLOTON, Circuit Judges. Counsel who represented the appellant was Manvir Kaur Atwal, AFPD, of Minneapolis, MN. Counsel who represented the appellee was Laura M. Provinzino, AUSA, of Minneapolis, MN.

Kennett McElderry pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2252(a)(2) and 2252(b)(1). The district court determined that his advisory guideline range was 235 to 240 months in prison. Varying downward, the court imposed a 130-month sentence. McElderry appeals, arguing that his sentence is substantively unreasonable because the district court abused its discretion in failing to consider the sentences of other similarly situated defendants in the District of Minnesota who were less cooperative and more culpable, and had more extensive criminal histories than McElderry. We affirm.

Prior to sentencing, McElderry's attorney submitted a lengthy Sentencing Memorandum that urged the court to impose a 60-month sentence, the statutory mandatory minimum, based primarily on his extensive cooperation with law enforcement, the nature of his crime, his behavior while on pre-trial release, his expression of remorse, and his overstated criminal history. Near the end, the Memorandum compared the sentences imposed by six District of Minnesota judges on thirteen defendants convicted of prior, unrelated child pornography offenses. At sentencing, the district court stated that it had considered the 18 U.S.C.  3553(a) sentencing factors and finds that the [130-month] sentence imposed is sufficient and not greater than necessary to afford adequate deterrence to future criminal conduct. Defense counsel urged the court to reconsider because in other cases there's been prior hands-on offenses or prior viewing where people have gotten less time. The court noted that it had read that portion of the Sentencing Memorandum and declined to reconsider the sentence.

On appeal, McElderry argues that his sentence is greater than necessary because the district court failed to consider a mandatory sentencing factor: the need to avoid unwarranted sentence disparities among defendants with similar records who have been found guilty of similar conduct. 18 U.S.C.  3553(a)(6). Comparing his sentence to other defendants convicted of similar crimes, McElderry argues, it is clear his sentence is unreasonable.

Although sentencing-disparity arguments are properly raised to the district court, we decline to impose a procedural requirement that a district judge  must compare and contrast the defendant under consideration with a similar offender who has been sentenced by another federal judge. United States v. Barron, 557 F.3d 866, 869 (8th Cir. 2009). As we said in United States v. Soliz, 857 F.3d 781, 783 (8th Cir. 2017) (citations omitted):

The sentencing practices of one district court are not a reference point for other courts. An argument that non-conspirator defendants received shorter sentences for comparable offenses is at base a disagreement with the weighing of the  3553(a) factors. This disagreement does not demonstrate an abuse of discretion.

McElderry correctly notes that we did remand for resentencing two similarly situated co-conspirators who were given extremely disparate sentences by different district judges in United States v. Lazenby, 439 F.3d 928 (8th Cir. 2006). But we have limited that decision to the unusual circumstances there presented, which included a consolidated appeal involving both conspirators that permitted a remand for resentencing of both parties. United States v. Fry, 792 F.3d 884, 892-93 (8th Cir. 2015). When the argument is, as in this case, that the district court's sentence created unwarranted disparities with the sentences imposed on thirteen unrelated offenders by six different judges, there is no principled basis for an appellate court to say which defendant[s] received the appropriate sentence. Id. at 893 (citation omitted). Thus, McElderry's reliance on  3553(a)(6) on appeal is misplaced.

Reviewing the substantive reasonableness of McElderry's sentence under our deferential standard, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion by imposing a substantively unreasonable sentence. See United States v. Feemster, 572 F.3d 455, 461 (8th Cir. 2009) (en banc) (standard of review).

The judgment of the district court is affirmed.

FOOTNOTES

. The Honorable David S. Doty, United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota.

PER CURIAM.
Franco-Nevada (NYSE: FNV) has taken full advantage of a lucrative opportunity to provide financing to the natural resources industry. By using streaming agreements with mining companies and obtaining royalty interests from oil and natural gas producers, Franco-Nevada shares in the success of its partners and avoids the daily operational challenges of running mines or drilling operations.

Franco-Nevada recently reported solid quarterly results, and following that report, executives spoke with analysts about the company's future. Here are some of the highlights of the conference call and what you should take away from Franco-Nevada's latest experience.

1. Franco-Nevada does have exposure to precious metals prices

Franco-Nevada has worked hard to diversify its natural resources exposure recently, and those efforts paid off in the most recent quarter. Although gold and silver revenue were down, increases in the rising oil and gas segment helped to offset those declines. Moreover, Franco-Nevada also has streaming arrangements that involve other types of metals, including both platinum-group metals on the precious metals side of the industry and base metals. That latter group was the big contributor to Franco-Nevada's production growth, more than tripling from year-earlier levels and preventing an overall decline in production. Gold and silver remain key drivers for Franco-Nevada, but investors can't ignore the other elements that contribute to the company's overall success.

2. Costs have been on the rise

Franco-Nevada's streaming model gives it exceptionally high margins. The company's streaming agreements call for it to make relatively low payments to its mining partners, compensating Franco-Nevada for the up-front cash that it provides to miners.

This quarter, those costs rose, with CFO Sandip Rana attributing the rise to the higher gold prices that Franco-Nevada's arrangement with the operators of the Guadalupe mine includes. That deal pays $800 per ounce on gold production from Guadalupe, double the more common $400-per-ounce figure in most deals. With production from Guadalupe on the rise, that higher cost has applied to a larger part of Franco-Nevada's overall production. Nevertheless, costs were just $300 per ounce during the quarter, leaving margins of $978 per ounce for Franco-Nevada's bottom line.

3. Franco-Nevada looks to the oil sands

Franco-Nevada has focused more on oil and gas deals lately, but much of its recent attention has been on U.S. energy production areas. The Orion project is in the Cold Lake region of Alberta, and it currently produces 7,500 to 8,000 barrels per day. With a planned expansion, Orion hopes to boost production eventually to as much as 20,000 barrels per day, phased in over the next several years. With a long projected life and good cash flow, Franco-Nevada is excited about its ability to complement its U.S. acquisitions with diverse geographical exposure in Canada.

4. Expect more from the Permian Basin

Despite its efforts to the north, Franco-Nevada wants to be where the action is in oil and gas, and that means ramping up exposure to the Permian Basin in West Texas. As company executives have noted, the Permian is one of the most attractive areas in the energy industry right now, and Franco-Nevada has every intention of taking advantage of opportunities in the region. Executives didn't give any specifics, merely saying that they expect royalties to grow there over the next five to 10 years.

Keep an eye on Franco-Nevada

Franco-Nevada remains positive about its future, and its moves throughout natural resources are paying dividends for shareholders. Investors should hold management accountable for its promises, but things look good for Franco-Nevada in its immediate future.

10 stocks we like better than Franco NevWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

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Even though unemployment sits near historic lows, many workers have not seen any benefit from the strong job market. In fact, more than half of all American workers (52%) did not get a raise over the past 12 months, according to a new survey from Bankrate.

And the numbers are actually worse than they look, because in reality only 38% of workers saw their pay increased at their current job. Another 18%, which includes 8% of those surveyed who also got a raise from their previous employer, saw their wages go up when they got a new job.

For older workers, the numbers are even worse. Nearly two-thirds of those aged 53 and up did not get a raise at their current job or get a new job that pays better over the past 12 months. That compares to a 47% rate among workers younger than 53.

What's happening in the market?

Employers are being cautious, and so are employees. Even though the unemployment rate has been low and the number of available jobs hit 6 million in August according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), workers are reluctant to move on from their current position.

That job openings number is only slightly down from July, which set a record for the data tracked by the BLS since 2000. But, despite all the demand, the "quits" rate, which measures the percentage of people who voluntarily left their jobs in a month, was only 2.1% in August. That's virtually unchanged over the past two years, according to data analysis done by Jon Talton at the Seattle Times.

If employees won't quit their jobs when they don't get raises (or at least be willing to) it removes incentive for companies to pay workers more. But workers may not hold the lack of a raise against their company for the same reason they aren't willing to leave their job, despite the market being healthy -- they're nervous about the economy's ongoing prospects.

Those concerns may not be valid, but the Great Recession happened recently enough (December 2007 through January 2009, though those dates are debatable) that people remember it. That may have left a lingering hangover that keeps some people -- in fact, quite a lot of them -- from pushing for a raise and being willing to leave when they don't get one.

How were raises given out?

Among the American workers who did get a pay raise from their current employer, a growing number got one by getting a promotion and new responsibilities. That number grew to 24% of those getting raises, up from 10% last year.

About a quarter of raises (27%) came through cost-of-living increases, while performance-based raises were the top reason (52%) workers saw their pay rise. Another 8% cited a different reason, and 4% did not know why their pay was increased, according to Bankrate, which noted the likelihood of getting a raise from your current employer rises steadily with income and education level.

"While the economy continues to improve, it's disappointing that Americans' wages have not," said Bankrate.com Chief Financial Analyst Greg McBride. "Though younger workers are experiencing career advancement, older Americans are hampered by stagnant incomes. This makes it even more vital to start saving early, since significant wage gains become less frequent as you get older."

Don't expect a raise

There are a number of fields where wages have risen, but that has not emboldened workers in less in-demand jobs to push for more money. What's clear is that in many cases companies are not offering raises and employees are not asking for them.

If you want a raise, it makes sense to test your marketability. If you get another offer for more money, you can either take it or use it as leverage. Some employers may not respond well to that, but others will fight to retain valuable employees.

Take the lead in your own employment situation. Ask for a raise, and if the request is denied, ask for parameters to earn one over a reasonable period of time (3 to 6 months). If your employer won't negotiate, it may be time to test the job market.

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Sears (NASDAQ:SHLD) is driving up discounts for the critical holiday shopping season.

The retailer, which has closed hundreds of stores amid a sharp decline in store traffic, kicked off a promotional campaign this month that brings record-level discounts to Sears and Kmart. Sears is offering sale prices of 10% to 50% off, the company confirmed to FOX Business. Kmart shoppers can find discounts of up to 40%.

Sears spokesman Brian Hanover told the Chicago Tribune that the holiday sales are unprecedented for the 131-year-old company.

News of the hefty discounts sent the companys shares into a slump Friday. Sears tumbled 7.4% to $4.23.

Analysts expect the industry to rely on aggressive promotions for Black Friday and the extended holiday season, as retailers look to fend off fierce competition from Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and other e-commerce players.

Sears plans to start Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving Day at 6 p.m. Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), Kohls (NYSE:KSS) and J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP), among others, also plan to open their stores on Thanksgiving.

Sears and Kmart Chief Marketing Officer Kelly Cook said the number of return customers at the department-store chains has increased since the November promotions began. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Cook added that Sears launched the campaign in a way that was economically appropriate for our business.

In the latest quarter, sales at Sears locations open at least 12 months dropped 17% in the latest quarter. Kmart reported a 13% decline in comparable sales.

Sears has amassed roughly $11 billion in losses since 2011, the last year it turned a profit. Seeking to turn things around, Sears has spun off more than 200 locations into a real estate investment trust, closed hundreds of other stores and sold Craftsman, its iconic tool brand. The retailer has also emphasized its loyalty program, Shop Your Way. CEO Eddie Lampert said in May the retailer has all the customers we could possibly want, assuring investors that he is not in denial.

Appliances are one of the few bright spots for Sears, but last month, it lost one of its largest suppliers. Sears ended a century-long partnership with Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) amid a dispute over the pricing of its appliances. Although Whirlpool will continue to make some products that are sold under Sears Kenmore brand, the retailer will no longer sell appliances from Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid or Jenn-Air.
Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC) has fired its head of consumer lending over an inappropriate interaction with a former team member, the bank said on Friday, the latest bout of upheaval at a lender roiled by scandals over its culture and treatment of customers.

Codel acted in a manner that was contrary to the company's policies in a communication he had with a former team member regarding that employee's termination, Wells Fargo said.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % WFC WELLS FARGO & CO. 46.20 -0.52 -1.10%

A permanent successor to Codel is expected to be announced by the end of the year. In the interim, the heads of consumer lending's four main lines of business will report to Wells Fargo Chief Executive Tim Sloan.

The company said Codel, who was senior executive vice president of consumer lending for just over a year, was not dismissed over the business's operations or its sales practices.

As head of consumer lending, Codel was at the brunt of Wells Fargo's recent car loan problems where more than 800,000 people who took car loans from the company were found to have been charged for auto insurance they did not need.

A review of the collateral protection insurance (CPI) program was started in July 2016 and the bank discontinued the program in September, based on the findings.

The San-Francisco-based bank has been mired in scandal since September last year after government investigators found that employees opened as many as 2 million accounts without customers' knowledge to meet sales targets.

Following last year's scandal, Wells Fargo eliminated sales goals in its retail banking and fired 5,300 people.

Wells Fargo's stock had fallen about 1 percent this year compared with the S&P 500 index's 15.5 percent climb.

(Reporting by Nikhil Subba in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Martina D'Couto)
Jason Aldean is speaking out in his first interview since the mass shooting in Las Vegas that occurred during one of his shows.



Speaking on NBC's "Today" show, Aldean, who was on stage when a gunman opened fire on the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, said that he initially thought a speaker had blown when he heard a sound like a crackling over his in-ear monitors. After the shooting continued, he looked over to the side of the stage to figure out what was going on.

"When I turned to look, my guitar player had run behind me and was telling me to move, like 'Let's go,'" Aldean said. "And my security guy was running on stage telling me to run."

Fifty-eight people were killed and hundreds more injured in the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history after gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of a hotel-casino. SWAT teams with explosives then stormed his room and found he had killed himself.

"Everyone was scrambling, just didn't know what was going on," Aldean said. "It was panic. That's probably the best way to describe it."

The country star cancelled some of his tour dates, but resumed touring about two weeks after the shooting. "Honestly being back on stage probably helped us more than anything," he said.

Aldean did not address gun control in the interview.

"At the end of the day, we're all in this together," Aldean said. "We spend so much time arguing with each other and not enough time like working on the issue that is really the problem."

Aldean was joined in the interview by fellow country stars Dierks Bentley and Lady Antbellum, who were all gathered in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday to raise money for hurricane and Las Vegas victims. The Country Rising concert, which also featured performances by George Strait and Chris Stapleton, raised more than $4 million for relief efforts.

"I just hope everybody can start to heal," Aldean said. "Some of this stuff you can never get over. I hope it gets better for everybody as time goes on.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The gang finds itself taking sides in an age-old scientific debate on the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory. When Sheldon takes credit for the guys work, the rift almost becomes more than they can handle.

The episode opens with the group converging at Leonard and Pennys place to watch a documentary about the rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. They explain to Penny, in an extremely snobby way, that Edison was merely a publicity hog that wouldnt have made his greatest discoveries without the research of real innovators such as Tesla. She pretends to be interested.

The next day, Sheldon reveals that hes still working for the military despite the whole team being fired at the end of last season. Leonard and Howard are incredibly upset and call the Colonel to find out whats going on.

Meanwhile, Bernadette gets a visit from Raj and Ruchi. Last week, the two started a casual sexual relationship thats progressed a bit. Later, Bernadette confesses to Raj that shes worried Ruchi is trying to steal her position at work and asks if hell do some reconnaissance for him.

The next time they have sex, he asks her afterwards if shes happy Bernadette is gone. She admits that shes loving being able to tackle all her projects, forcing Raj to report the news to Bernadette. Unfortunately, it doesn't do any good and just leaves her feeling insecure.

In one of Rajs more boneheaded moves, he tells Ruchi everything, and mentions he stuck up for her with Bernadette. She reminds him that hes not her boyfriend and that they dont need to stick up for each other.

Were in a relationship, youre going to have to find a way to deal with it, he says.

Just like that, Ruchi dumps him.

While this is happening, Leonard and Howard continue to gripe about Sheldon going behind their back to the military. It turns out that he is using the work they all did together as a springboard for another project. The duo accuse Sheldon of being an Edison to their Tesla, which offends him greatly. While Sheldon figures out what to do, the boys dream up a breakthrough that will improve on what Sheldon is doing. Not wanting to enlist his help, they go to Sheldons rival, Kripke, who is all-too-thrilled to stick it to Sheldon intellectually.

Sheldon is definitely shaken, as he even goes as far as to shamelessly wipe some of Kripkes calculations off the whiteboard. Fortunately for Howard and Leonard, his research is undeterred. The next day they discuss pitching it to the military when Sheldon comes over to congratulate them.

They quickly go ask Kripke if he has gone over their head to pitch the idea to the military, but he can only tell them the answer to that question is classified.
Actress Rose McGowan was arraigned Thursday on a felony cocaine charge, days after she alleged in The New Yorker that the drugs may been planted to discredit her.

One of the most outspoken actresses to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse, McGowan told the magazine that shes been so fearful of the movie mogul that she hired her own private investigator to make sure the drug warrant against her was real.

Weinstein has denied the allegations.

McGowan, 44, is accused by prosecutors of possessing cocaine that was found in a wallet recovered by an airline crew after her Jan. 20 flight to Washington Dulles International Airport, where she had flown to join the Womens March in the nations capital.

McGowan said she reported the lost wallet to the airline after landing. She told the magazine that it must have been taken from her backpack while she was traveling, possibly when she left it on her airline seat while using the restroom.

McGowan had been expected to appear in a courtroom for her arraignment, but a judge agreed to waive her appearance at the request of her lawyer. The judge scheduled a preliminary hearing for Jan. 23. McGowan told the magazine that she will clearly plead not guilty.

McGowans lawyer, James Hundley, declined to comment as he left the courthouse.

McGowan appeared in the Charmed television series and in numerous films, including Scream in 1996.

This article originally appeared in Page Six.
Late-night talk show hosts used their platform to condemn Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., for the sexual misconduct claims made against him Thursday by a Los Angeles TV and radio host.

Leeann Tweeden accused Franken of kissing and groping her during a USO tour in 2006. Before he was a senator, Franken made his career in comedy and was a former writer for Saturday Night Live.

Seth Meyers, a fellow Saturday Night Live alum, cringed at the photo that emerged of Franken grinning over Tweeden.

SARAH SILVERMAN BREAKS SILENCE ON LOUIS C.K.S SEXUAL HARASSMENT SCANDAL

That is horrifying, Meyers said. Shes wearing Army gear because its a USO tour, but honestly, who could blame women if they started wearing military gear whenever theyre around men? Where are you going in a helmet and a flak jacket? The subway.

Meyers said the allegations should be taken seriously regardless of Franken's political affiliation.

And on The Daily Show, Trevor Noah took a serious approach to the allegations and said it was another example of how, at all levels, we men have been complicit in perpetuating the culture that devalues women.

I dont care who you are: Democrat, Republican, black, white, rich, poor, Noah continued.

Because you forget its not just Al Franken in the picture," the Daily Show host said. Its the guy whos taking the picture... Whos that guy?

Stephen Colbert, meanwhile, said it seemed like every day recently we find out about another high-profile sexual harasser.

TRANSPARENT CO-STAR ALLEGES IMPROPRIETY BY JEFFREY TAMBOR, WANTS AMAZON TO REMOVE THE PROBLEM

I guess there are no good people left, so lets just get it over with, Colbert said. Just tell us whatever you did, Jimmy Carter! Barack Obama! Tom Hanks! Malala!

Colbert explained to the audience the claims made against Franken and joked they were techniques used by actors called sexual harassment. Colbert then criticized Franken for saying the photo was meant to be funny.

No. Your movie Stuart Saves His Family was intended to be funny but wasnt, Colbert said. That photo was intended to embarrass her. Thats why he did it while she was asleep.

The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon joked Franken was already a front-runner for president in 2020. Fallon was referring to the sexual misconduct allegations made against President Trump.

Jimmy Kimmel called Tweedens vest she wore in the photo a grope-proof vest.

Following the backlash, Franken has apologized to Tweeden and called for an ethics investigation.
A former aide to President Trump admitted that he made up a story about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie being sent to pick up a McDonalds for the president.

A 2016 story by Ryan Lizza in The New Yorker said that Christie transformed himself into a sort of manservant who is constantly with Trump at events.

One Republican told me that a friend of his on the Trump campaign used Snapchat to send him a video of Christie fetching Trumps McDonalds order, Lizza wrote.

Christies office denied that he ever picked up McDonalds food for Trump, and now we know that it was literally fake news.

Former Trump aide Sam Nunberg told Politico that he simply wanted to embarrass Christie.

The tale of Christie, who is often shamed by comedians and liberal pundits for his appearance, quickly spread and many people assumed it was a fact since it appeared in the prestigious New Yorker.

The sad reality is that it was believable, Nunberg told Politico, which added that he was chuckling as he came clean.

Christie wanted to occupy the White House himself and was a participant in early debates during the GOP primaries. He eventually dropped out and pledged his loyalty to Trump, but was mocked by the left for a variety of things such as glowingly starring at Trump during a campaign rally.

Christie was thought to have an inside track on a key role in Trumps administration because of his loyalty, but things didnt work out in his favor for a variety of reasons  but at least we know messing up the presidents McDonalds order isnt among them.

The soon-to-be-former New Jersey governor is no stranger to embarrassing controversy, from the drama surrounding the infamous Bridgegate saga to being photographed sitting on a beach that he had ordered closed to the public.

Any fair assessment of Christies legacy has to reckon with the highs and the lows, the Politico article points out.

Luckily for Christie, one of the lows has been officially proven to be what Trump would refer to as fake news.
Famed explorer Benedict Allen has been rescued from Papau New Guinea where he was working on a documentary about a lost tribe of indigenous headhunters when he went missing for days.

Allen, 57, had become feverish and disoriented with what was suspected to be malaria, the BBC reports. He was looked after by Christian missionaries during his trek, the report said.

Allen had been working on the doc for the network when he failed to show up for a planned rendezvous, sparking fears for his safety.

Allen was helicoptered to the Papau New Guinea capital of Port Moseby and was expected back in England on Sunday, the report said.

"Benedict looks forward to being reunited with his family and friends but will need some time to get back to full health," his agent said in a statement. "He would like to send thanks for all the kind messages he has received."

"Benedict looks forward to being reunited with his family and friends but will need some time to get back to full health"  Allen's agent Jo Sarsby

Allen set out alone in the jungle three weeks ago to make a documentary with neither a satellite phone nor a GPS in an effort to find a tribe of indigenous people hed discovered roughly 30 years ago.

The explorers family was fearing the worst after he missed his pick up out of the jungle, and he missed a flight to Hong Kong to deliver a speech at the Royal Geographical Society on Tuesday.

He never caught the plane and that is very out of character for him really because he has it all organized, his older sister Katie Pestille told The Daily Mail. He was going with a local guide to a remote part of Papua New Guinea to try to track down this tribe that he had been with 20 or 30 years ago to reconnect with them. I have not heard from him in about three weeks and I was expecting something from him on Sunday or Monday and then I got an email from my sister-in-law yesterday saying he had not got on his flight.

According to the Telegraph, Allen, a father of three, was attempting to track down the Yaifo tribe, one of the few left on earth not to have regular contact with the outside world.

"Last time, the Yaifo 'greeted' me with a terrifying show of strength, an energetic dance featuring their bows and arrows," he said in a September blog post outlining his plans. "On this occasion who knows if the Yaifo will do the same, or run off, or be wearing jeans and T shirts traded eons ago from the old mission station.

Before setting off on his journey, Allen tweeted a message to the world suggesting they not worry about his whereabouts.

Marching off to Heathrow. I may be some time (dont try to rescue me, please  where Im going in PNG you wont ever find me you know)"

Allen was spotted Thursday near an airstrip.

This isnt the first time that Allen went missing in the wild.

The explorer, whose career spans six TV series for the BBC, was previously out of communication for three months. At one point, he even had to eat his own dog in order to survive.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Appellee, v. MAXWELL DELVON JONES, AKA Money Defendant-Appellant. No. 16-30261 Decided: November 16, 2017

Before: LIPEZ,**WARDLAW, and OWENS, Circuit Judges.

MEMORANDUM*

In November 2014, the district court sentenced Maxwell Jones to 144 months' imprisonment on three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. We vacated that sentence in May 2016 because the district court improperly relied on three of Jones's uncounseled prior convictions in fashioning his sentence. United States v. Jones, 653 F. App'x 861, 862 (9th Cir. 2016) (mem.) (Jones I). In remanding the case for resentencing, we observed that Jones had been convicted and sentenced on state robbery charges that were pending at the time of his initial sentencing, and instructed the district court that it could consider this intervening sentence as a prior sentence to calculate Jones's criminal history category. Id. The district court resentenced Jones and imposed an 84-month term of imprisonment, a six-month upward departure from the guideline range of 63 to 78 months. In pronouncing sentence, the court referenced Jones's prior uncounseled convictions, stating that Jones had a couple of assault convictions, a couple of convictions for drug distribution, [and] possession of stolen property. Jones appeals, arguing that the district court once again relied on his prior uncounseled convictions, and also erred by adding his intervening sentence to his criminal history score. We affirm.

Intervening Sentence

The district court did not err by including Jones's intervening state sentence in calculating his criminal history score. In Jones I, we explicitly advised the district court that it could consider the sentence for that purpose. 653 F. App'x at 862. Our instruction was consistent with the Sentencing Guidelines and with Ninth Circuit case law. See U.S.S.G.  4A1.1, 4A1.2(a)(1) & cmt. n.1; United States v. Klump, 57 F.3d 801, 802 (9th Cir. 1995). Jones urges us to revisit our rule that district courts may consider post-sentencing sentence[s] at resentencing hearings. Klump, 57 F.3d at 803. We have no occasion to reexamine Klump, however, as one three-judge panel of this court cannot reconsider or overrule the decision of a prior panel. United States v. Gay, 967 F.2d 322, 327 (9th Cir. 1992).

Nor does the district court's decision to consider Jones's intervening sentence violate the constitutional prohibition on ex post facto laws. U.S. Const. art. I,  9, cl. 3; art. I,  10, cl. 1. The Ex Post Facto Clause is aimed at laws that retroactively alter the definition of crimes or increase the punishment for criminal acts.  Cal. Dep't of Corr. v. Morales, 514 U.S. 499, 504 (1995) (quoting Collins v. Youngblood, 497 U.S. 37, 43 (1990)). Jones can point to no such law, as his punishment increased due to a change in factsnamely, his state court sentencing based on conduct predating his original federal sentencingnot a change in law.

Uncounseled Convictions

We review the district court's consideration of Jones's prior uncounseled convictions for plain error because Jones did not object during his resentencing hearing. Fed. R. Crim. P. 52(b); see also United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 731 (1993). Plain error review has four components. First, there must indeed be an error ; that is, a non-waived [d]eviation from a legal rule. Olano, 507 U.S. at 73233. Second, the error must be plain. Id. at 734.  Plain is synonymous with clear or, equivalently, obvious.  Id. Third, the appellant must demonstrate that the plain error affected his substantial rights. Id. In sentencing appeals, this requires showing a reasonable probability that he would have received a different sentence but for the error. United States v. Waknine, 543 F.3d 546, 554 (9th Cir. 2008). Finally, courts of appeals typically correct a plain forfeited error affecting substantial rights only if the error seriously affect[s] the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings.  Olano, 507 U.S. at 736 (quoting United States v. Atkinson, 297 U.S. 157, 160 (1936)).

Jones satisfies the first two Olano factors, as the district court plainly erred when it considered his constitutionally infirm prior convictions. See United States v. Bryant, 136 S. Ct. 1954, 1962 (2016); United States v. Tucker, 404 U.S. 443, 44849 (1972). However, Jones has not demonstrated that the district court's error affected his substantial rights. Even discounting Jones's uncounseled convictions, his criminal history is long and serious by any measure. It includes convictions for resisting arrest, second-degree robbery, possession of a stolen firearm, conspiracy to possess oxycodone, and first-degree robbery. Furthermore, district courts may take the conduct underlying a constitutionally infirm prior conviction into account when imposing sentence. E.g., United States v. Williams, 782 F.2d 1462, 1467 (9th Cir. 1985). Our review of the sentencing transcript indicates that the district court placed significant weight on Jones's history of serious criminal conduct. Lastly, the district court justified its sentence on factors unrelated to Jones's criminal history, including the seriousness of his offense conduct. For these reasons, Jones has not shown a reasonable probability that he would have received a different sentence but for the district court's plain error. Waknine, 543 F.3d at 554.

AFFIRMED.
U.S. Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota was exposed on Thursday as a sexual predator, but it took some on the left a while to figure it out - and when they finally did, it served as an excuse to bring up alleged misconduct by President Trump.

Franken was accused of sexual harassment from an incident 11 years ago that was captured in a damning photograph of him grabbing at the breasts of a sleeping woman. The victim, Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden, also said that Franken shoved his tongue into her mouth during an unwelcome kiss on a USO tour in 2006.

The photo is clear evidence of twisted behavior by Franken, but most mainstream media outlets softened the situation with terms that make it seem like the harassment is merely a rumor. The Associated Press published a story headlined, Franken faces ethics probe after woman says he groped her, and didnt embed the photographic evidence until more than 20 paragraphs into the story.

The Washington Post published a story pointing out the way various media outlets covered the photo with words such as allegedly and "says" despite the undeniable evidence. Sexual harassment specialist and Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law professor Camille Hebert told the Post, These sort of qualifiers are incredibly frustrating it seems to me that the media might be going beyond cautious and instead leaving the impression that we can't even believe women's claims of harassment and assault when our eyes and pictures provide proof that it happened.

MSNBCs Kasie Hunt even downplayed the incident, referring to it as not actually groping, but mock groping. CNN was a tad later than its competition to cover the Franken news, but once the network decided to cover it featured panel discussions where the actions of the former Saturday Night Live star were downplayed because he was just a comedian when the assault occurred.

Others took to Twitter to defend Franken or point out the liberal bias in news coverage:

Eventually, the mainstream media decided it was time to scrutinize Franken and hold him accountable. But they typically raised in the same breath the case of Roy Moore, the embattled Alabama Republican Senate candidate accused of inappropriate behavior with underage girls in the 1970s. When Trump chimed in on Twitter, it turned into a perfect opportunity for the anti-Trump crowd to bring up old allegations against the president.

A panel discussion on CNN resulted in Trump criticizing Franken being referred to as an example of hypocrisy and lack of moral leadership from the president. Media Research Center Vice President Dan Gainor told Fox News that the media desperately wants to move the story away from Franken and back to the right -- Roy Moore, President Trump or absolutely anyone else.

The New York Times published a story headlined, Trump, a Veteran of Sexual Harassment Accusations, Scolds Franken. Gainor said that when Trump took to Twitter to mock Franken on Thursday night, it gave them the opportunity they wanted.

Check out some of the tweets that invoked Trump:
On November 15, 1959, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith entered the Holcomb, Kansas, home of Hebert Clutter, believing he kept as much as $10,000 in his safe.

There was about $50 in the house.

Consequently, the prominent farmer, his wife, and their two teenage children were all shot to death after being bound and gagged. The murders were chronicled in Truman Capotes nonfiction novel titled In Cold Blood, which became a literary sensation.

It led to a 1967 film, a CBS miniseries in 1996, followed by the critically acclaimed Capote film in 2005 and Infamous the following year. Phillip Seymour Hoffman earned an Oscar for his portrayal of Capote.

The book, which has been translated in numerous languages, also launched the true crime genre that continues to fascinate people today.

Nearly 60 years later, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker wants to set the record straight.

SundanceTVs Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders is a two-part documentary produced and directed by Joe Berlinger, which explores the aftermath of the vicious slayings and how it continues to impact a small town.

The crime is fascinating, Berlinger told Fox News. In 1959 in the middle of rural Kansas, a time and place where you wouldnt even think about locking your doors, you have these two ex-cons who met in person and take a long journey by car because they heard a tip that the Clutter family had $10,000, which back then was a huge amount of money.

"When they got to the home, they realized there was no safe, it was a false story. And because they came away with nothing, basically $50 and a few trinkets, they still shot everyone in that family in the head with a shotgun. It was everybodys worst nightmare.

For the miniseries, the 56-year-old managed to track down descendants of the Clutters, who were hesitant to come forward and speak out for the first time about their family tragedy.

It was not an easy decision on their part and they had to think long and hard about it, said Berlinger. And I think some of them still feel ambivalent about participating One of the results of In Cold Blood' is that we have a lot of sympathy for the killers, because of how Truman Capote told that story not excusing them for what they did, but seeing them as three-dimensional human beings. ..[and] all of these films kind of celebrate the killers in a perverse way. the family felt very violated by the experience. They felt violated by In Cold Blood.

While the family was reluctant to participate in Berlingers film, they ultimately agreed in hopes of exposing how Capotes story continues to impact them today. And even though both Hickock and Smith were executed in 1965, the descendants felt little closure after Capotes book was released the following year.

 Over the years there were so many fans of the book and the movie, that theyve been approached by people wanting souvenirs, said Berlinger.  Continued focus on this story have all just reminded them of this tragedy. And it also reminded them that people are exploiting this tragedy for their own benefit without taking the family into consideration.

One of the things the relatives wanted to stress was that the Clutters werent nameless victims. Herb and Bonnie Clutter were a well-regarded farm family. Nancy and Kenyon were teens getting ready to embark into adulthood. The family's two older daughters, who were not home at the time, were spared from the killings. However, they would have to face the brutal massacre of their loved ones.

The family also felt Capotes story wasnt completely factual.

I think the most notable thing [was] the degree to which they were unhappy with the portrayal of family, particularly of the mother Bonnie Clutter, who was portrayed as somebody who was kind of depressed and didnt get out of bed and all sorts of things they feel [are] just not true, said Berlinger. She had some pain issues that she managed, but she embraced life and she was beloved by all the family, extended family.

And Capote, who earned great fame and fortune after In Cold Blood was released, reportedly never reached out to the Clutters and addressed their concerns.

As far as my understanding, there was some initial contact to get some access, and then once the book came out, there was no contact, said Berlinger. And no attempt to rectify their feelings of the portrait being problematic I believe there should have been a greater attempt to address their issues. The evidence demonstrates that there was no such attempt.

Capote died in 1984 at age 59.

Friends and relatives of the Clutters still reside in Kansas and hope their story will educate viewers of a family lost forever.

Theyve moved on, said Berlinger. I think theyre all happy, positive people who are involved in their lives but this is a shadow that has been cast over them, so I hope the show provides some closure for them That theyve had the chance to make peace with the past and have an opportunity to move on and know that theres at least one documentary series out there that addresses their concerns. I hope its a healing experience for them to watch it.

Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders premieres Saturday, November 18 on SundanceTV.
A couple in Florida claims they found a dead frog in their drinking water during a recent visit to Waffle House  and they weren't too hoppy about it.

Claire Sheats says she and her husband were preparing to dine at a Tallahasse Waffle House on Nov. 5, but soon noticed something amiss about his water glass.

"In my husband's drink, there's a whole frog just floating around in the water," Sheats told WCTV.

WHY WAFFLE HOUSE STAYS OPEN DURING HURRICANES

According to Sheats, she and her husband emptied the glass on the table for a closer look, and were able to confirm that there had been a small dead frog floating in his drink. Worse yet, Sheats says her husband had already been drinking from the glass before they made the disgusting discovery.

Sheats claims the staff was just as shocked as they were, but the manager offered an apology.

Sheats and her husband also elevated their complaints to Waffle Houses corporate offices and the local health department, the latter of which dispatched health inspectors to the restaurant on Nov. 9.

"It's a whole frog in a water drink and you're at a restaurant, Sheats told WCTV. You have hairs in your food sometimes or maybe a little piece of plastic from packaging. But, this is an amphibian and that's not something that  you definitely lose your appetite immediately."

The station reports that health inspectors found 11 violations at the Tallahassee Waffle House location, though none were of immediate concern to the public.

Waffle House spokesman Pat Warner, meanwhile, tells Fox News that the company is "not clear how this happened," but claims that Waffle House is "trying to get to the bottom of it" to find out how, exactly, the dead frog ended up in Sheats' husband's water glass.

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Warner also told Fox News that the regional manager personally called Sheats to apologize, and invited both her and her husband back to the restaurant, where he would personally cook a do-over dinner for them. They accepted, according to Warner.

Serving quality food and delivering a quality experience are responsibilities we take seriously, and we will continue to review this matter, he added in a statement obtained by WCTV.
An English woman born with a severe facial deformity found her happy ending when she got married last week.

Cody Halls birthmark, thought to be a haemangioma, was so severe it distorted the left side of her face, and doctors said there was nothing they could do until she was six, according to Yahoo Lifestyle.

DONALD AND MELANIA TRUMP 2005 WEDDING CAKE UP FOR AUCTION, PRICE SPIKES

Her determined family found a surgeon in the U.S. who would operate on Hall. They launched an appeal to raise about $303,462 so their one-year-old daughter could receive her first treatment at Roosevelt Hospital in New York.

Hall received 18 more operations over the next 14 years, including facelifts, rhinoplasty, skin grafts, liposuction, dermabrasion, eye surgery and laser surgery.

Growing up, Hall said she struggled sometimes with being different. "When I started at secondary school I did get a lot of people asking questions and in the street there would be people staring, she told SWNS. All the attention would sometimes get me upset and I would come home and say I didn't like it. But over the years people have realized I am who I am.

Hall met her now-husband Lewis eight years ago while undergoing one of her surgeries. The two were engaged earlier this year, and finally wed just last week.

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"It was an emotional day and there were some tears, especially when I saw Lewis at the altar, but only tears of joy, she said. "I just want to show people that there is a happy ending."
A bunch of bird-brained atheists are suing a New Jersey animal shelter for holding a blessing of the animals.

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American Atheists filed the lawsuit in federal court against the Bergen County Animal Shelter  claiming the law was broken when a Franciscan bishop conducted a blessing of the animals ceremony.

According to the lawsuit, Candice Yaacobi dropped by the shelter in search of a Chihuahua. Instead, she stumbled upon the animal blessing ceremony and the bishop dressed in full religious vestments.

The atheists may not be aware, but many Protestant denominations host animal blessing ceremonies, too  from pot-bellied pigs to exotic birds. My denomination, Southern Baptists, normally bless our animals after theyre slathered in barbecue sauce.

American Atheists described the event as a ritual performed by Franciscan clergy annually on October 4th in honor of the Catholic saint, Francis of Assissi [sic].

The atheists may not be aware, but many Protestant denominations host animal blessing ceremonies, too  from pot-bellied pigs to exotic birds.

My denomination, Southern Baptists, normally bless our animals after theyre slathered in barbecue sauce.

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They claim the animal shelter violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by forcing a religious viewpoint on people like their client.

Religion is a suspect class and governmental policies which classify individuals based on their religion are subject to strict scrutiny, the lawsuit states.

Religion is a suspect class? Now, wait just one doggone minute

The government established one religious sect, Catholicism, over all others, the lawsuit further states.

The animal shelter has not responded to the lawsuit.

This is a suit that we shouldnt have had to file, American Atheists attorney Geoffrey Blackwell told Atheists.org. We warned the shelter that using government resources to promote a religious event was unconstitutional, but they chose to ignore our claims.

The shelter has been holding the annual blessing for the past two years without a whisper of a complaint  from human or animal.

Ive lived in New Jersey for more than 20 years, American Atheists president David Silverman said in a statement. When I walk into a government building to use government services, the government should be absolutely neutral on religious matters. Allowing a Franciscan friar to conduct religious services with staff is the antithesis of neutrality.

Well, I cant imagine the puppies or the kittens or any other furry critter having any objections to receiving a blessing from the One who made the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air and the beasts of the field.

That being said, I suspect the real reason for the atheistic angst had more to do with concerns that the Chihuahua was going to convert.

They say that all dogs go to heaven  but as for unrepentant atheists -- well, that's a different story.
Earlier this year, Vice President Mike Pence was ridiculed and mocked for saying he wont eat a meal alone with a woman whos not his wife, with his critics actually saying that his policy hurts women. Enter Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and a picture that was released this week that showed him groping a radio anchors breasts while she slept on a flight during an overseas USO tour.

Whose behavior is it that really hurts women?

In his apology, Franken said the picture was intended to be funny. Except nobody is laughing, so now hes apologizing.

Frankens disturbing sense of what is funny goes beyond this picture and Leann Tweedens claim that he also forcibly kissed her. However, also in his apology, he said he doesnt respect men who dont respect women.

Except that he doesn't respect women.

Is Franken making some kind of awkward indictment of himself? Or are we supposed to accept with a straight face that there are two Al Frankens  simultaneously a liberal crusader for womens rights, and middle school class clown with the maturity of a 12-year-old?

Frankens problem isnt a he said-she said dispute, left for his constituents and the rest of the country to try and judge. Its right there for the world to see in full-blown color.

Before becoming a senator, Franken joked about child rape during a comedic roast of director Rob Reiner. And in a 2000 Playboy article, he joked about raping 60 Minutes reporter Lesley Stahl.

According to the Congressional Office of Compliance, $15.2 million in taxpayer hush money was paid out between 1997 and 2014 for sexual harassment complaints against members of Congress or members of their staffs. Thats an astounding figure. We, the taxpayers, are footing the bill while being left completely in the dark as to who were shelling out this money to protect.

Was Franken a beneficiary of the hush money? Dont we have a right to know?

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the issue of Frankens behavior should be referred to the Ethics Committee for review.

However, after calling for Republican candidate Roy Moore to withdraw from the Alabama U.S. Senate race, why wouldnt McConnell also apply the same standard to Franken and call for him to resign from the Senate?

Regardless of what your opinion is of Moore, this appears to be a disturbing two-faced approach in which Moore and Franken are wrongly being held to two completely different standards.

If you believe the women making accusations against Moore, and therefore believe he is unfit to hold the office of U.S. senator, then shouldnt the same be said of Al Franken?

Why are there not calls for resignation by Frankens colleagues rather than just punting it off to the Ethics Committee? Particularly given that Frankens situation is compounded by the fact that his accuser, who comes across as credible, has a picture of him groping her  which Franken does not dispute, except to call it a joke.

Frankens problem isnt a he said-she said dispute, left for his constituents and the rest of the country to try and judge. Its right there for the world to see in full-blown color.

So why this nonsense about a Senate Ethics Committee investigation? If Franken were a Republican, can anyone really say with a straight face that there wouldnt be universal screams for his head, reverberating so emphatically that his political life might be over already?

With all these stories in the news about sexual misconduct since the first Harvey Weinstein bombshell  and more inevitably coming  Ive seen evidence of a lot of harm being done to women by men in power, but none of it due to the fact that the vice presidents dining habits.

The vice president is a man who honors his marriage and presents himself as a role model for his children. Perhaps its time we lose the political correctness and start respecting men like him who dont take advantage of women, rather than ridiculing them.

If we are serious about protecting women from sexual predators and not just saying that as a political talking point, then Al Frankens colleagues in the Senate need to call on him to resign his seat immediately.
As the Trump administration continues to rattle sabers at North Korea with rhetoric eerily similar to the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the possibility of a preventive U.S. war with North Korea may be more real than foreign and defense policy experts recognize.

It would be both foolish and naive to think that all the tough talk coming out of the Trump administration is simply meant to intimidate North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un into giving up his nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

The three so-called adults in the room who are apparently the strongest voices influencing President Trumps foreign policy are National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.

McMaster is an active duty lieutenant general in the Army. Mattis and Kelly are retired Marine Corps generals. Their common experience is commanding ground forces in the Iraq War. If they are shaping the Trump administrations North Korea policy, it stands to reason that their views would have a decidedly military tilt.

If President Trump decides to take military action, what might it look like?

Needless to say, the nuclear option would be a big gamble. If we were not 100 percent successful, we would have to expect that North Korea would retaliate with its full range of conventional and nuclear weapons.

Any unprovoked U.S. military action would be a preventive strike. That is, a military strike intended to prevent North Korea from acquiring a future capability to attack the U.S. That is different from a preemptive strike that is launched to stop an imminent military attack from an adversary.

So what military options are truly available to President Trump?

Option 1: Preventive nuclear strikes.

Its impossible to completely rule out the possibility  however remote  that the U.S. might use nuclear weapons in a preventive strike against North Korea.

If North Koreas nuclear program and weapons are in deeply buried and hardened bunkers, nuclear weapons might be the only way to destroy them with a high rate of confidence. A relatively little-known fact is that the United States has a nuclear bunker buster: the B61-11 low- yield nuclear gravity bomb.

About 50 B61-11 bombs are believed to be deployed. Theoretically, the B61-11 could be mated with GPS guidance to make it a precision strike weapon. Also, the B61-11 could theoretically be outfitted with the BLU-113 hardened steel-tipped warhead to penetrate more than 30 feet of concrete.

But wouldnt using nuclear weapons be beyond the pale?

Under ordinary circumstances, yes. But the Trump administration may not believe these are ordinary circumstances.

If the administration assumes military conflict with North Korea is inevitable and views North Korea as 1945 Japan, the rationale would be very similar: Using nuclear weapons would bring about a quick resolution and would save thousands of lives that would otherwise be lost in a conventional conflict. As a point of reference, more than 30,000 U.S. soldiers died in the Korean War.

Needless to say, the nuclear option would be a big gamble. If we were not 100 percent successful, we would have to expect that North Korea would retaliate with its full range of conventional and nuclear weapons.

While the U.S. homeland would not be threatened, both South Korea and Japan would be. And the nearly 35,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in South Korea would certainly be at risk  as would the estimated 200,000 or more U.S. citizens living in South Korea.

Option 2: Decapitation strikes by bombers or submarines.

Another big gamble would be a decapitating air and missile strike. This would be military action based on the belief that if North Koreas leadership  Kim Jong Un and his most loyal top military and civilian leaders  could be killed, the regime would implode and collapse.

Success would depend on near-perfect intelligence about all the targets whereabouts. Moreover, we would have to assume that many of them  including Kim himself  would be in deeply buried and hardened bunkers that would be difficult to destroy, even with precision conventional missiles and bombs.

And we know from experience that we were not able to immediately take out Saddam Hussein and the other 54 most wanted Iraqis when we invaded Iraq in 2003.

If a decapitating strike failed, we would have to assume that North Korea would retaliate and we would be drawn into a protracted ground war.

At a minimum, North Korea would likely unleash a conventional artillery barrage on Seoul, which has a population of 10 million. While such an attack might not level Seoul, it would still cause significant damage and extract untold casualties. Kim might launch his nuclear weapons, believing he had nothing to lose.

Option 3: Conventional ground attack with hundreds of thousands troops.

So that leaves a conventional ground attack, which would likely be preceded and backed up by air and missile strikes.

Given the experience of McMaster, Mattis, and Kelly  as well as the fact that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford, is a Marine  such an option makes sense and seems more likely. After all, expeditionary war is exactly what these generals know how to do.

However, almost all the experts believe that any such war would be drawn out and costly perhaps as many as 20,000 deaths per day in South Korea.

And remember, Kim Jong Un would have the nuclear option at his disposal, along with his chemical and biological weapons. Such is the risk of any military action against a nuclear-armed country.

Option 4: Deterrence.

But the U.S. does have another military option. It just doesnt involve the actual use of military force. Its called deterrence.

North Korea has had nuclear weapons for at least a decade and has not used them against either South Korea or Japan. Presumably this is because of the threat of a U.S. nuclear response looms over Pyongyangs head. If thats the case, even in the worst case scenario of North Korea having the ability to launch a missile at the continental United States, deterrence would still hold.

Deterrence worked when America and the Soviet Union had thousands of warheads pointed at each other. Supposedly crazy or irrational leaders with nuclear weapons  such as Josef Stalin in the Soviet Union and Mao Zedong in China  were successfully deterred.

Indeed, Kim Jong Un would have to be suicidal to actually attack the U.S., knowing that we could respond with utterly devastating force that could result in his death and the total annihilation of his country. However, the Kim dynasty has repeatedly demonstrated its larger interest is its own survival and perpetuating the regime.

Ultimately, the larger problem is that President Trumps policy objectives are unattainable.

Denuclearization is a non-starter from North Koreas perspective because Kim believes  not without reason  that nuclear weapons are a matter of regime survival, having seen what happens to leaders in countries like Libya when they give up their nuclear programs.

As long as President Trump insists on complete, verifiable and total denuclearization, Washington is walking America down a path that leads to (likely nuclear) military conflict.
Thou shall not study thy Bible -- at least not during lunchtime.

That's the new commandment at Hudsonville Elementary School in Michigan. The school district shut down a lunchtime Bible study for fifth graders that was led by a teacher.

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"The teacher (who thought the Bible discussion was appropriate because it was during lunch and voluntary) immediately put an end to these lunch meetings," Hudsonville Public Schools wrote in a statement to television station WOOD. "We will continue to communicate and educate staff at all levels on the District's policies related to religion in schools."

The controversy started after the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists ratted out the young Bible scholars. And they wasted no time in gloating over their victory.

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"This illegal and unconstitutional activity was being conducted without parental notification or consent," the organization said in a news release. "One parent told MACRA that their child, who is only 10-years-old, was singled out and subjected to peer pressure for declining to attend the Bible studies."

The school district pretty much threw the teacher under the bus -- telling MLive.com they had no idea the group was even meeting during lunchtime.

"We'd like to see the district take a more proactive stance in communicating across the district that teachers and volunteers are not to be involved with religion during the school day," a spokesman for MACRA told MLive.com.

Apparently the biggest disciplinary issue in Hudsonville Public Schools is young people sneaking a peek at the Good Book while they're eating a bologna sandwich.

I could see where that would trigger microaggressions among non-believers -- and maybe a little indigestion.
Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators have subpoenaed the Trump campaign for documents from a number of people as part of his probe of Russian interference in last year's election campaign, a source with knowledge of the investigation told Fox News late Thursday.

The subpoena, which was issued last month, was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reported that the special counsel's office is seeking documents and emails from more than a dozen campaign officials that reference certain Russia-related keywords. The paper described it as Mueller's first official order for the Trump campaign to produce information.

The source described the subpoena to Fox as a "cleanup operation" aimed at collecting any missing information and ensuring that Mueller had the same documents as the three congressional committees conducting their own investigations.

Separately, the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said earlier Thursday that White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner -- President Trump's son-in-law -- hasn't been fully forthcoming with the panel's probe into Russian election interference, asking him to provide emails sent to him involving WikiLeaks and a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite."

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., sent a letter to Kushner's lawyer saying the collection of documents he has provided the committee is "incomplete." The committee gave Kushner a Nov. 27 deadline to provide the additional documents, including the emails and Kushner's security clearance form that originally omitted certain contacts with Russian officials.

The senators noted they have received documents from other campaign officials that were copied to or forwarded to Kushner, but which he did not produce. Those include "September 2016 email communications to Mr. Kushner concerning WikiLeaks." Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., corresponded with WikiLeaks that month and, according to The Atlantic, sent an email to several Trump campaign advisers to tell them about it.

Grassley and Feinstein wrote that other parties have produced documents concerning a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite" that Kushner forwarded but has not given to the committee. It is unclear what overture and dinner invite they are referring to.

The senators are also asking Kushner for correspondence with former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who is a subject of an investigation by Mueller.

Abbe Lowell, Kushner's lawyer, said in a statement that Kushner has been "responsive to all requests."

"We provided the Judiciary Committee with all relevant documents that had to do with Mr. Kushner's calls, contacts or meetings with Russians during the campaign and transition, which was the request," Lowell said. "We also informed the committee we will be open to responding to any additional requests and that we will continue to work with White House Counsel for any responsive documents from after the inauguration."

The new request is a sign that the panel is still moving forward with its probe into the Russian interference and whether Trump's campaign was involved.

In the letter to Kushner, the senators noted they had asked him to provide documents to, from, or copied to him "relating to" certain individuals of interest to investigators, but Kushner responded that no emails had been found in which those individuals were sent emails, received emails, or were copied on them.

"If, as you suggest, Mr. Kushner was unaware of, for example, any attempts at Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, then presumably there would be few communications concerning many of the persons identified in our second request, and the corresponding burden of searching would be small," the senators wrote.

The committee also asked for the additional documents related to Flynn, detailing a long list of search terms, and rebuffed Kushner's lawyer's arguments that his security clearance is confidential and unavailable because it has been submitted to the FBI for review.

The Senate and House intelligence committees interviewed Kushner in July. The Judiciary panel has also sought an interview with Kushner, but his lawyers offered to make the transcripts available from the other interviews instead, according to the letter. The senators say those panels haven't provided them with those transcripts, and ask Lowell to secure that access.

Then "we will consider whether the transcript satisfies the needs of our investigation," Grassley and Feinstein wrote.

Fox News' John Roberts and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.
President Donald Trump reacted strongly Thursday night to the news that a vocal Democratic Party critic of the GOP  U.S. Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota  had been accused of sexual harassment from an incident 11 years ago that was captured in a damning photograph.

The Al Frankenstien [sic] picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words, the president tweeted shortly after 10 p.m. EST. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? .....

The president followed that up with a second tweet.

And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?

Trump seemed to be referring to a 1995 article in New York magazine, in which Franken described an idea for an unused comedy sketch for Saturday Night Live, for which Franken once worked as an actor and writer. Frankens idea called for an actress playing CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Stahl be raped by a colleague.

The criticism from the president capped off what was undoubtedly a long day for Franken. The senator first heard the accusations of Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden, then issued an apology, then heard numerous Washington lawmakers  including several of his most prominent Democratic colleagues  call for Franken to face a Senate ethics investigation over his pre-Senate personal conduct. Finally came criticism from the White House.

Long before he came to Washington, Franken, 66, was an outspoken critic of conservatives and Republican Party figures  first in comedy routines on television, then as an author of satirical books and a supporter of Democratic candidates. Finally, he was elected a U.S. senator himself in November 2008  by a margin so slim that Frankens victory had to be determined by the Minnesota state Supreme Court long after voters went to the polls.

His re-election six years later was more decisive.

Prior to Thursdays developments with the Los Angeles radio anchor, Franken most recently made headlines for his questioning of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions over possible meetings between Trump campaign officials and Russian operatives during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Trump, meanwhile, has also faced allegations of sexual misconduct, for which critics say he should be held accountable. Much of the criticism stems from remarks about women that Trump has made in public over the years, and also from the recorded remarks on the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape from the 2016 presidential campaign.
Roy Moore's wife isn't just standing by his side as the Republican Senate candidate faces sexual misconduct allegations -- she's out in front leading the charge against his critics.

He has always been an officer and a gentleman, Kayla Moore said Friday at a Women for Moore press conference held outside the Alabama state capitol. He is a loving father and grandfather and most important he is a Christian."

Kayla Moore has emerged as one of the Alabama Senate candidate's most ardent defenders, as he battles allegations of pursuing and making unwanted advances toward teenagers -- and even sexual assault -- when he was a young prosecutor.

Friday's press conference featured supportive remarks from several women who know and have worked with the GOP nominee.

Kayla Moore said the stories about her husband were fabricated by the media, claiming The Washington Post -- which published the initial accusations -- prints whatever anyone says without checking to see if its correct.

To the people of Alabama, thank you for being smarter than they think you are, she said.

She concluded by saying her husband will remain in the race.

So let me set the record straight even after all the attacks against me, attacks against my family, attacks against the foundation and now against my husband, he will not step down, Kayla Moore said to loud applause.

The wives of political men accused of sexual misconduct aren't always so vocal. But Kayla Moore has been actively defending her husband ever since The Washington Post reported last week on allegations he pursued sexual relationships with women in their teens when he was in his 30s.

On Monday, a new accuser, Beverly Young Nelson, came forward alleging that Roy Moore sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager.

In response, Kayla Moore defended her husband as "gentle" and "godly."

She also has been active for days on her personal Facebook page, sharing dozens of articles, videos and statements defending her husband.

"Enough is enough of this political assassination! she wrote in one post in which she shared interviews refuting the claims.

Would have been nice if the press would find out the truth first before they run with gossip, she wrote in another.

She also shared a controversial letter signed by over 50 pastors expressing support for her husband. Since the post, at least four have asked to have their names removed, Al.com reports.

In Washington, Republicans and Democrats alike have called for Moore to step aside, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., saying he's "not fit" to serve in the chamber.

But the nominee has refused to leave the race, in turn saying McConnell should resign.

Kayla and Roy Moore have been married for 32 years, and have four children and five grandchildren.

Roy Moore reportedly met Kayla Kisor at a church Christmas party when he was 37 and she was 23, and they married a year later. She was divorced with a young daughter at the time.

Kayla Moore has been an active supporter of her husbands Senate campaign, appearing at many of his campaign events. She also is the president of his nonprofit organization The Foundation for Moral Law.
Recent news about prominent men facing allegations of sexual misconduct apparently has some Democrats reassessing the presidency of Bill Clinton.

The second-guessers include at least one Democrat who has long been considered a Clinton supporter.

On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., asserted that, in retrospect, Clinton should have resigned from the presidency after the disclosure of his extramarital affair with intern Monica Lewinsky.

Yes, I think that is the appropriate response, Gillibrand told the New York Times, when asked if Clinton should have left the White House.

"Yes, I think that is the appropriate response."  U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., on whether President Bill Clinton should have resigned.

Gillibrands remarks were reported on the same day that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other prominent lawmakers from both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill called for U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., to face a Senate ethics investigation into his 2006 conduct with a Los Angeles radio host during a USO tour.

On Thursday, Gillibrand announced that she would donate $12,500 she received from Frankens political action committee to Protect Our Defenders, a group working to end rape and sexual assault in the U.S. armed forces, the Hill reported.

Gillibrands comments Thursday made her the most prominent Democrat to link this years increasingly low tolerance for mistreatment of women to the Clinton years. The senator noted, however, that sexual misconduct was regarded less harshly in the 1990s than today.

The senator added that perhaps President Donald Trumps past behavior and comments about women also deserve more scrutiny.

And I think in light of this conversation, we should have a very different conversation about President Trump, and a very different conversation about allegations against him, she said.

Gillibrand has been a U.S. senator since 2009, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.

On Wednesday, Gillibrand and U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., introduced legislation to improve the prevention and reporting of sexual harassment on Capitol Hill, PBS NewsHour reported.
Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill ONeill apologized Saturday after boasting, unprovoked, in a viral Facebook post this week that hes had sexual relationships with at least 50 women in his life.

"If I offended anyone, particularly the wonderful women in my life, I apologize," O'Neill wrote on Facebook.

Earlier, O'Neill's opponents for governor had called on him to resign from the state Supreme Court.

Sexual harassment, degrading and devaluing women is not a joke, tweeted Democratic candidate, Nan Whaley. Justice ONeill should resign.

"As an attorney I'm appalled at these remarks of @billforohio, a Justice, as a democrat I'm horrified he would belittle victims of sexual harassment/assault this way and as a woman I'm outraged he would equate sexual assault with indiscretion. He should resign immediately," former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, who is also running for governor, said Friday.

ONeills sexcapade diary was in response to the Al Franken scandal, and included a hayloft romp with a "gorgeous blonde" and a fling with a "red head from Cleveland."

Now that the dogs of war are calling for the head of Senator Al Franken I believe it is time to speak up on behalf of all heterosexual males, ONeill posted on Facebook. As a candidate for Governor let me save my opponents some research time.

ONeill went on to say: In the last fifty years I was sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females. It ranged from a gorgeous blonde who was my first true love and we made passionate love in the hayloft of her parents barn and ended with a drop dead gorgeous red head from Cleveland.

According to Cleveland.com, the initial version of the post provided more specific information about the women in question.

The post was met with a cascade of stunned criticism, with users offering commentary ranging from "Mother of God" to "What did I just read" to "Dear god please tell me your facebook account was hacked."

The candidate apparently later deleted the more personal information about the women, responding to commenters: "Hey I do listen. I have deleted all references to the women involved. That was disrespectful."

But he defended his post in an interview with Cleveland.com, while also defending Franken and Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who is facing claims of sexual misconduct from multiple women.

"Roy Moore apparently seems to be a challenged individual when it comes to morality," O'Neill reportedly said. "I think that's very, very clear. He's been convicted of nothing and he's never had the opportunity to defend himself and that violates due process in America. The media is about to determine the election of a United States Senate campaign."

But it was the groping allegations against Democratic Sen. Franken that apparently prompted the post, which the Ohio candidate concluded with a pivot back to legislative issues.

Now can we get back to discussing legalizing marijuana and opening the state hospital network to combat the opioid crisis. I am sooooo disappointed by this national feeding frenzy about sexual indiscretions decades ago, he wrote.

A spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party told Fox News that ONeills post added nothing to the important national conversation about sexual harassment.

Were having a serious national conversation about rape culture and sexual harassment, and its crucial for men to take time to listen to women and consider their experiences and insights, Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirstin Alvanitakis told Fox News. Unfortunately, Justice ONeills Facebook comments that dehumanize women add nothing to this important conversation, which is actually about harassment and abuse, not encounters between consenting adults.

ONeill is one candidate in a crowded Democratic primary field in the race to replace Republican Gov. John Kasich. There are currently five Democrats and four Republicans who have announced their gubernatorial bids.
As Americans sign up during Open Enrollment for health insurance in 2018, those on the Obamacare exchange are seeing higher premiums. Its similar to what happened a year ago, President Obamas last year in office, when premiums went up an average of 25 percent.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, premiums in 2018 are rising an average of 18 percent for Gold and Bronze plans and 32 percent for Silver plans. President Trump blames the Affordable Care Act. When the price hikes were announced just prior to Open Enrollment, Trump tweeted, As usual the Obamacare premiums will be up (the Dems own it) but we will Repeal and Replace and have great Health Care soon after Tax Cut!

But many Democrats are trying to turn the tables.

In a report from the pro-Obamacare group called Protect Our Care, 20 states blame President Trump for at least part of the increases. Many insurance commissioners in states controlled by Democrats appear to be going even further. Californias Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones wrote: 2018 health insurance rates higher thanks to Trump and Republicans. Washington States Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued a press release claiming President Trump has taken deliberate steps to undermine the health care system and put lives at risk.

All of the negative things the Trump Administration has said since he came into office is affecting the market overall, said Washingtons Deputy Insurance Commissioner Steve Valandra. Its made it unstable and created a lot of uncertainty and thats something that health insurers dont like.

President Trump did discontinue cost-sharing subsidies, which were direct payments to insurance companies to defray some of the cost of providing health care. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners estimates the move added 12 percent to 15 percent to the cost of Silver plan premiums. Nineteen Democratic state attorneys general are suing Trump over the stoppage.

But the Trump Administration says it was only complying with a federal judges order, which declared the CSRs or Cost Sharing Reductions to be illegal because Congress never appropriated the funding. President Obama ignored that fact and paid the subsidies anyway.

Republicans also point out that premiums have gone up every year under Obamacare.

Its Obamacares regulations that have more than doubled premiums over the last four, five years, said Avik Roy from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, and its the sloppy drafting of Obamacare that has led to the illegal cost sharing subsidies that the Obama Administration has been spending without authorization from Congress.

Despite the finger pointing, consumers are still looking into and signing up for coverage. Washington States Health Benefit Exchange has received a steady stream of inquiries.

Were seeing traffic both on our website as well as the number of new applicants, and the call center has been getting a lot of calls, about 30 percent over where we were last year, said Michael Marchand, Chief Marketing Officer of the Washington state Health Benefit Exchange.

Marchand says with health care being in the media so much recently, its driven up interest. He also thinks consumers are less interested in the politics and most just want a solution that works for them and their family.
Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch has had enough of Democrats accusing GOP senators of pushing tax reform to benefit the rich.

In a Senate Finance Committee meeting Thursday where lawmakers ultimately endorsed the latest version of the GOP tax bill, Chairman Hatch, R-Utah, angrily rebuked Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown for again claiming the plan helps the wealthy and not the middle class.

I come from the poor people. And Ive been working my whole stinking career for people who dont have a chance. And I really resent anybody saying Im just doing this for the rich, Hatch said in response to comments from Ohio Sen. Brown. I think you guys overplay that all the time and it gets old and frankly you ought to quit it.

Brown interrupted Hatch, saying: Mr. Chairman, the public believes it.

But a visibly irritated Hatch raised his hand and said: Wait a minute! Im not through.

He continued, I get kind of sick and tired of it. True, its a nice political play, but its not true.

Brown fired back and said he gets sick and tired of the richest people in the country ... getting richer and richer and richer.

The hearing room, typically subdued, broke out into shouts and yells calling for regular order, Mr. Chairman, order, order, as Hatch began banging his gavel on the lectern throughout Browns rebuttal.

We do a tax cut for the rich and the middle class gets [inaudible] over and over and over again, Brown shouted amid the chaos. How many times do we do this before we learn this?

ListenIve honored you by allowing you to start off here and what you said is not right  thats all Im saying. I come from the lower middle class originally and we didnt have anything, Hatch said. So dont spew that stuff on me. I get a little tired of that crap.

The explosive exchange occurred during the fourth day of a mark-up on The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which was slightly altered by Hatch to temporarily cut taxes for individuals and ax the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. The bill, which passed out of committee late Thursday 14-12, also includes a repeal of the Affordable Care Acts individual mandate.

Earlier in the day, the House passed its version of a tax bill in a 227-205 vote.

The legislation still faces hurdles in the full Senate. But Republicans celebrated the advance of the bills, claiming they would support the middle class in America, while denying Democratic lawmakers accusations that the bill favors the wealthy and big corporations and will potentially leave millions of Americans without health insurance.

Fox News' Lukas Mikelionis and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
One year after losing the presidential race, 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is still questioning the legitimacy of President Trumps victory, accusing Republicans of voter suppression tactics in swing states and Russians of influencing votes through a disinformation campaign.

I think that there are lots of questions about its legitimacy, Clinton said of the election during a video interview posted online Friday by the liberal Mother Jones website.

Clinton lamented how we dont have a method for contesting the election in the United States and called for an independent commission to get to the bottom of what happened.

She suggested that she believes the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians, something Special Counsel Robert Muellers team has been investigating but the president has flatly denied.

As we learn more about it, we know that the web of connections between people on Trumps team and Russian representatives just gets more and more dense, Clinton said.

Clinton, who has been promoting her book on the campaign and has been headlining paid live events, said she believes the Russians very successful disinformation campaign contributed to her loss.

CLINTON CALLS URANIUM ONE STORY A DISTRACTION, WARNS OF DICTATORSHIP

I think it was one of the major contributors to the outcome, she said. Propaganda works. Advertising works. Its a form of propaganda. So the Russians may have started out a little heavy-handed and clumsy about it, but they were clearly getting guided as to where to target a lot of their fraudulent claims and phony news.

She also singled out Wisconsin, a state she lost, and accused Republicans there of voter suppression through things like voter ID laws, which require voters to show identification to vote.

Clinton said the very clear policy of the Republican administration in Wisconsin to shrink the electorate and suppress votes certainly cost me votes, and very well could have cost me the election there.

During the campaign, Clinton attacked Trump over whether he would accept the results of the election.

Donald Trump refused to say that hed respect the results of this election, Clinton tweeted in October of last year. Thats a direct threat to our democracy.
As the sexual assault allegations against Roy Moore came to light, Washington Republicans looked for ways to handle their potential colleague.

Moore, who had the backing of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, is the Republican nominee for Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions former Alabama Senate seat.

Republican voters in Alabama could elect Moore, 70, in the Dec. 12 special election, choosing the candidate who has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct over Democratic candidate Doug Jones. If thats the case, Sen. Cory Gardner, the National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, said the Senate should expel Moore when hes sworn into office.

How many senators have been expelled and why?

A total of 15 senators have been expelled since 1789 with the latest senators kicked out in 1862.

The first expulsion was Sen. William Blount of Tennessee in 1797. Blount, a signer of the U.S. Constitution, was expelled due to his disloyalty to the United States.

His case began after then-President John Adams obtained a letter from Blount that included his thinly disguised desire to have Native Americans attack the Spanish-held Florida and Louisiana and have those territories transferred to Great Britain. Blount had apparently fallen under financial hardship at the time.

Aside from Blount, 14 other senators were expelled between 1861 and 1862 for support for the Confederate rebellion.

Those senators include: Jesse D. Bright of Indiana; Waldo P. Johnson of Missouri; Trusten Polk of Missouri; John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky; Louis T. Wigfall of Texas; John Hemphill of Texas; Charles B. Mitchel of Arkansas; William K. Sebastian of Arkansas; Alfred O.P. Nicholson of Tennessee; James Chesnut, Jr. of South Carolina; Thomas Bragg of North Carolina; Thomas Clingman of North Carolina; Robert M.T. Hunter of Virginia and James M. Mason of Virginia.

The Senate ultimately reversed its decision to expel Sebastian in 1877, but he had already died.

What about in more modern times?

The process to expel senators has occurred in more recent times  but unsuccessfully.

Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., resigned in 1995 after the Senate Ethics Committee unanimously voted to recommend expulsion. Packwood was found guilty by the committee of various sexual harassment and misconduct charges.

The Senate Ethics Committee also unanimously recommended expulsion for Sen. Harrison Williams, D-N.J., in 1981. Williams was indicted in 1980 on charges that included bribery, conflict of interest and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Williams ultimately resigned from the Senate.

How does the expulsion process work?

The U.S. Constitution states, Each House [of Congress] may determine the Rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.

Would it work for Moore?

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would need to garner support of expulsion from at least 20 Republicans  assuming that all Democrats and independents would be on board.

That move would also almost certainly be a legal headache. A 1969 Supreme Court decision, Powell v. McCormack, dictated that the House of Representatives could not exclude an elected member who fit the constitutional requirements to serve. A key distinction though: the House then moved to exclude former Rep. Adam Powell  not expel him.

Expelling Moore would be an unprecedented move, Derek Muller, an election law expert and associate law professor at Pepperdine University School of Law, told Fox News.

Expel him, but not others accused of wrongdoing over the course of their lives? Why him? What makes it different? Muller said.
As tensions continue to escalate in East Asia, Japan is bolstering defense measures in response to what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called his nation's most serious security threat since World War II.

Abe outlined his plan Friday during a policy speech in parliament. His agenda included strengthening Japan's missile defense capability and purchasing more U.S.-made missile defense systems.

Japan's leader said the country will take concrete action under the Japan-U.S. defense alliance to respond to any emergency amid Pyongyang's "escalating provocation."

"We will strengthen Japanese defense power, including missile defense capabilities, in order to protect the people's lives and peace," Abe said.

"We will strengthen Japanese defense power, including missile defense capabilities, in order to protect the people's lives and peace."  Shinzo Abe, prime minister of Japan

Since taking office in 2012, Abe has steadily increased Japans defense spending.

The prime minister also called on the international community to help put pressure on North Korea.

Meanwhile, the North Korean threat appears to be drawing Japan closer to its traditional regional rival, China.

In an uncharacteristic move, Abe opted not to comment on any disputes in the South China Sea during the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Manila, even though the issue has been a key concern of his for the past five years, the South China Morning Post reported.

Abe concluded the summit by suggesting that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet next year to further improve relations, the paper reported.

The change in the security atmosphere in East Asia, especially when confronted by an increasingly provocative Pyongyang, made the two leaders sense the urgency to meet and cooperate, Zhou Yongsheng, a Japanese affairs expert at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Post.

President Donald Trump recently held meetings with Abe and Xi, as well as Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, during his first official Asian tour, where the North Korea threat was a key topic of discussion.

Abe told Fox News earlier this month that he hoped to further solidify the U.S.-Japan alliance against North Korea.

"North Korea has used those talks just to gain time to further develop the nuclear program as well as missiles," Abe told Bret Baier. "So North Korean dialogue just for the purpose of dialogue is meaningless. That is our experience."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The owner of pickup truck that drew attention this week because of a profane anti-Trump sticker was arrested in Houston on Thursday on an outstanding warrant.

Karen Fonseca was arrested about 2 p.m. on an outstanding fraud warrant issued in August by the Rosenberg, Texas, Police Department, Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office records show.

Mike Fonseca, her husband, posted her $1,500 bond Thursday night and she was released an hour later, Houston's KHOU-TV reported.

A sheriffs spokesman didn't respond to a message seeking details about the warrant.

Previously, Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls threatened Fonseca with a disorderly conduct charge over the decal. However, District Attorney John Healey said he didnt think the case would have stood up in court because of First Amendment protections on free speech.

Fonseca defended her right to keep the sticker on the vehicle.

"It's not to cause hate or animosity," Fonseca, 46, told the Houston Chronicle. "It's just our freedom of speech and we're exercising it."

Fonseca said the message has been on the rear window of the pickup for nearly a year and it'll stay there for the time being.

"There's no law against freedom of speech, nothing in the law book here in Texas," she told KHOU-TV. "I've been stopped numerous times, but they can't write me a ticket."

Nehls on Wednesday posted a photo of the profane sticker on his Facebook page, threatening the then-unidentified Fonseca with a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

A spokeswoman for the sheriffs office said Thursday that Nehls removed the post after Fonseca was identified.

"Due to the hate messages he has been receiving toward his wife and children, the sheriff will not be commenting on the matter further," the spokeswoman said in an email.

Lynne Rambo, a law professor at Texas A&M University specializing in First Amendment issues, said Thursday that a 1971 Supreme Court case made two points clear: the state's attempt to regulate profanity or civil discourse is not a sufficient reason to justify restricting speech, and profane language directed at a specific person is different from vulgar content that's broadly disseminated.

"It's state action to threaten as (Nehls) did and he really ought to know First Amendment law better than that," Rambo said.

Nehls said he supports freedom of speech but worried that profane messages could incite others and lead to confrontations that would disturb the peace he's pledged to keep.

The Fort Bend County district attorney has no plans to file charges over the sticker, KHOU reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
RE/MAX Renaissance Realtors kicked off the Thanksgiving season by hosting a Vendor Appreciation reception at the new Red Sauce restaurant at 14 W. Kent Street on the Northshore. The theme of the evening was, Thank Your for Being a Friend.

Over 50 guests attended the party where agents were able to personally thank area service providers for helping grow their businesses. Broker, Maria Chavez, said our agents have had a great year and we wanted to pause and say, thank you. In the real estate industry, it takes many business partners to get the job done.

The event last night was followed by a luncheon on Thursday at The Chattanoogan where owners, Frances Vantrease and Beth Dodson, thanked the agents from both RE/MAX Properties and RE/MAX Renaissance for their support and hard work in year 2017. A $15,000 check was also presented to the Childrens Hospital Foundation for the Childrens Miracle Network.
The Defense Department said Thursday it "erroneously" retweeted a message calling for the resignation of President Donald Trump and Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) over sexual assault allegations.

The tweet, posted by @ProudResister and retweeted to the Pentagons more than 5.2 million followers, also called on Alabamas Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore to drop out of the race. At least eight women have accused Moore of sexual harassment or assault while they were in their teens.

"The solution is simple Roy Moore: Step down from the race. Al Franken: Resign from congress. Donald Trump: Resign from the presidency. GOP: Stop making sexual assault a partisan issue. Its a crime as is your hypocrisy," the tweet read.

The message was posted briefly to the official Defense Department twitter account before being taken down.

Col. Rob Manning, director of the Defense Departments press operations, swiftly issued a statement acknowledging an "authorized operator" of the official account "erroneously retweeted content that would not be endorsed by" the Pentagon.

Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon.
The six-member Senate Ethics Committee could soon be very busy.

Alabama voters could send Republican Roy Moore to the Senate in the Dec. 12 special election. Moore has been accused of sexual misconduct against multiple women when they were in their teens, and he was an adult. One woman said she was 14 years old when Moore had alleged sexual contact with her.

The last time the Senate Ethics Committee investigated a sitting senator for sexual misconduct was in 1995. Then, the committee unanimously voted to recommend expulsion of Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., but the senator resigned.

And Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was recently on trial for bribery. After a mistrial was called in November, the Senate Ethics Committee said it would relaunch its probe into whether Menendez traded political favors for perks.

Heres a look at what the Senate Ethics Committee does and what it could soon be investigating.

What does the ethics committee do?

The committee must at least launch a preliminary inquiry for all complaints and allegations suggesting that a Senator or staffer may have violated rules within the Committees jurisdiction, according to its website. Once a preliminary investigation is completed, the committee will then determine whether there is enough evidence to suggest a violation has occurred.

Following that determination, the committee can issue a public or private admonition. The committee can also request that the Senate take a disciplinary action, which includes: censure, expulsion or payment of restitution.

IF ROY MOORE IS EXPELLED FROM THE SENATE, HED BE THE FIRST SINCE THE CIVIL WAR-ERA

A censure does not remove a senator from office, but it is considered to be a severe formal rebuke. Nine senators have been censured since 1789.

An expulsion removes a senator from office. Since 1789, the Senate has only expelled 15 members, the last being in 1862. Fourteen senators were expelled in 1861 and 1862 for support for the Confederate rebellion. The other senator was expelled in 1797 for his disloyalty to the United States.

The permanent Select Committee on Ethics was created in 1977; it replaced the Select Committee on Standards and Conduct, which by that time, had been widely seen as ineffective.

Who is on the committee?

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., heads up the committee with Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., serving as its vice chairman.

Other members include: Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.; Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; James Risch, R-Idaho; and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.

What could they be tasked with soon?

Bob Menendez

Sen. Bob Menendezs corruption and bribery trial finally ended in November when a judge declared a mistrial after the jury failed to come to an unanimous conclusion.

The New Jersey Democrat was accused of accepting a plethora of donations and gifts from a wealthy friend in exchange for political influence.

The Senate Ethics Committee said it will resume an inquiry into Menendez that started in 2012. That probe was deferred because of the criminal investigation.

Roy Moore

Roy Moore isnt even in the Senate and already senators have called for an ethics investigation into him should he be elected on Tuesday. The GOP Alabama Senate candidate has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct. The majority of women were teenagers  as young as 14  when they allege Moore sexually touched or assaulted them.

Moore, already a polarizing politician, has denied the allegations, and lost support from many prominent Republicans  including in the Senate. Cory Gardner, the National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, said the Senate should immediately move to expel Moore once he is sworn into office  a process that would begin after an ethics committee probe.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said Moore would face a swift ethics probe should he be elected.

Moore told radio station WERC that an ethics probe would be unconstitutional because the nature of the investigation would be pre-Senate conduct.

Al Franken

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., found himself under scrutiny after a Los Angeles TV and radio host released an inappropriate photo that showed him grabbing her breasts when she was asleep on a USO tour in 2006. The host, Leeann Tweeden, also said in a blog post for KABC that Franken forcibly kissed her without her permission.

After Tweedens post, multiple women came forward to accuse Franken of sexual misconduct. He announced earlier this month that he would resign from the Senate at a later date.

Former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson, R, said in a blog post that Franken should stay in the Senate until a legal determination has been made about the allegations.

The simple fact is that Al Franken has been the Senates most effective challenge to Trump and his subordinates. The possibility of any rigging by Roger Stone and his associates should cause all of us to call for a rescinding of the Franken resignation and a prompt and thorough review of all allegations by the Senate Ethics Committee, Carlson said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Senate Finance Committee voted late Thursday in favor of its version of the tax bill, paving the way for the first major legislative victory for the Trump administration.

The panel's 14-12 vote means the bill will likely reach the Senate floor sometime after Thanksgiving.

Earlier Thursday, the House passed its bill in a 227-205 vote.

"For the millions of hard-working Americans who need more money in their pockets and the chance of a better future, help is on the way," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement.

"For the millions of hard-working Americans who need more money in their pockets and the chance of a better future, help is on the way."  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

When the Senate returns after Thanksgiving, I will bring this must-pass legislation to the floor for further debate and open consideration," he added.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), slightly altered by Finance Committee Chairman and U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, during the four-day markup, would temporarily cut taxes for individuals and ax the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent.

It would also include a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, adding an estimated $338 billion in revenue over 10 years. Earlier this year, Republicans failed to repeal the ACA, the 2010 health care measure commonly called ObamaCare.

This is a good bill that delivers on our promise to provide middle-class tax relief and grow our economy, Hatch told reporters before the Senate panel's vote, according to the Hill.

The earlier House vote drew praise on Twitter from President Donald Trump. Big win today in the House for GOP Tax Cuts and Reform, 227-205. Zero Dems, they want to raise taxes much higher, but not for our military! Trump tweeted.

Republicans celebrated the potential tax overhaul, claiming it would support the middle class in America, and denied Democratic Party lawmakers' accusations that the bill favors the wealthy and big corporations and will potentially leave millions of Americans without health insurance.

I come from the poor people," said Hatch, 83, who was the first member of his family to attend college. "And Ive been working my whole stinking career for people who dont have a chance. And I really resent anybody saying Im just doing this for the rich. Give me a break.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., meanwhile, called the bill indefensible, partisan legislation," the Hill reported. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said the bill was flawed.

"Its not surprising that a flawed process has produced a flawed product, but we can change course," Carper said in a statement, according to Business Insider. "I implore Chairman Hatch and our colleagues on the other side of the aisle: Lets go back to the drawing board and start anew on a real bipartisan basis."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump is known for giving his political opponents and critics nicknames, especially on social media.

Read on for a list of Trump's most iconic nicknames.

Wacky Omarosa

Omarosa Manigault-Newman lasted one year in the White House, and her departure has been anything from cordial.

In particular, Manigault-Newman has been under fire from the Trump administration for secretly recording the chief of staff John Kelly in the Situation Room, raising national security concerns. She's since released some of the tapes.

Trump, in a series of tweets, called Manigault-Newman "wacky" and a "lowlife."

"Wacky Omarosa, who got fired 3 times on the Apprentice, now got fired for the last time. She never made it, never will. She begged me for a job, tears in her eyes, I said OK," Trump said. "People in the White House hated her. She was vicious, but not smart. I would rarely see her but heard really bad things."

"Nasty to people & would constantly miss meetings & work. When Gen. Kelly came on board he told me she was a loser & nothing but problems. I told him to try working it out, if possible, because she only said great things about me - until she got fired!" Trump said.

"While I know it's 'not presidential' to take on a lowlife like Omarosa, and while I would rather not be doing so, this is a modern day form of communication and I know the Fake News Media will be working overtime to make even Wacky Omarosa look legitimate as possible. Sorry!" he continued.

Slippery James Comey

Trump dubbed former FBI Director James Comey the "worst" in history while blasting his new tell-all book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership." In a series of tweets, Trump also nicknamed the former FBI chief "Slippery James Comey."

Slippery James Comey, a man who always ends up badly and out of whack (he is not smart!), will go down as the WORST FBI Director in history, by far! Trump tweeted.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017, citing the ex-director's handling of the FBIs investigation into Hillary Clintons email practices.

Trump also called Comey a slimeball and suggested the former FBI director deserved jail time for mishandling the Clinton email probe.

Animal Assad

In the aftermath of a suspected chemical attack in Syria, Trump blasted Syrian President Bashar Assad and warned that those responsible would pay a big price. Trump also nicknamed the Syrian president Animal Assad.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world, Trump alleged in a tweet. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!

Trump also blamed former President Barack Obamas foreign policy decisions for Animal Assad.

And in a later tweet, Trump warned Russia against shooting down any missiles the U.S. would fire at Syria in retaliation for the purported attack, saying the country shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Little Rocket Man

Trump has never really had kind things to say about North Korea leader Kim Jong Un  referring to him on Twitter as a maniac a whack job" and "rocket man"  which is a President Trump original," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News.

Trump tried out the "rocket man" nickname at the 2017 United Nations General Assembly.

He's also tried out the moniker on Twitter.

"The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man. Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch," he tweeted.

In addition, Trump has called the North Korean leader a "sick puppy."

Lamb the Sham

Ahead of a tight special House election in Pennsylvania, Trump visited the Keystone state to stump for Republican Rick Saccone  and hit Democrat Conor Lamb.

Trump accused Lamb of saying nice things in order to get elected in Trump country, but promised those at a rally that the Democrat is not going to vote for us if elected. And the president dubbed the 33-year-old Marine Lamb the Sham.

Lamb the Sham. Lamb the Sham. He is trying to act like a Republican. He won't give me one vote, Trump said.

Trump also said he is better looking than Lamb.

Sloppy Steve

Steve Bannon used to be in the presidents good graces, but the pair has had a very public falling out. Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and ex-Breitbart executive, was quoted in a blistering tell-all book, painting the presidents son in a negative light.

Trump heavily rebuked Bannon in a public statement, saying Bannon lost his mind after he was fired from the White House.

Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books, Trump said.

Ahead of the release of the controversial book by Michael Wolff, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Trump slammed both the author and Bannon on social media  giving Bannon his nickname.

Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve, Trump warned.

Trump reiterated the Sloppy Steve nickname in other tweets, including one which he praised the Mercer family  wealthy conservative mega-donors  for having dropped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon.

Pocahontas

The president reused one of his favorite nicknames for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., while he honored Navajo code talkers at the White House in November. At the event  held to honor the Native Americans who used their native language during World Wars I and II to help the U.S.  Trump mocked Warren as Pocahontas.

Trump has often criticized Warren, specifically over her claim to be of Native American heritage.

Shes got about as much Indian blood as I have. Her whole life was based on a fraud, Trump told The New York Times in May 2016.

Warrens potential Native American heritage was first questioned during her 2012 Senate run.

Trump also calls Warren goofy.

Dicky Durbin

Trump made waves when he referred to Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as Dicky Durbin online.

Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our military, said Trump in a tweet.

Durbin was part of a group of lawmakers who visited Trump at the White House in January to discuss immigration reform. After reports surfaced that Trump referred to certain nations as s---hole countries at the bilateral meeting, Durbin accused the president of saying things that were hate-filled, vile and racist.

Trump has admitted to using tough language at the meeting but denied certain remarks attributed to him.

Sneaky Dianne Feinstein

A transcript of a Fusion GPS official's August interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee was unilaterally released by the committees ranking member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

The release of the bombshell interview drew ire from some Republicans, including the president and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

In a tweet following the release, Trump blasted the 84-year-old senator and called her Sneaky Dianne Feinstein.

The fact that Sneaky Dianne Feinstein, who has on numerous occasions stated that collusion between Trump/Russia has not been found, would release testimony in such an underhanded and possibly illegal way, totally without authorization, is a disgrace, Trump tweeted. Must have tough Primary!

Jeff Flakey

Like Trump and Sen. Bob Corker, Trump and Republican Sen. Jeff Flake have been feuding for quite some time. In announcing his retirement from the Senate, Flake slammed both the Republican Party and Trump.

Flake was also caught on a hot mic saying if the GOP becomes the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, were toast. That comment gave Trump the opportunity to dub the Arizona senator Jeff Flakey.

Sen. Jeff Flake(y), who is unelectable in the Great State of Arizona (quit race, anemic polls) was caught (purposely) on mike saying bad things about your favorite President. Hell be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is toast, Trump tweeted.

Al 'Frankenstien'

After Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., was accused of kissing and groping Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden during a USO tour in 2006, Trump blasted the lawmaker on Twitter.

"The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?" Trump wrote, including an apparent misspelling of "Frankenstein." "And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?"

Liddle' Bob Corker

The feud between Trump and Sen. Bob Corker has been going on for some time, but the Tennessee senator finally got a nickname.

The Failing [New York Times] set Liddle Bob Corker up by recording his conversation. Was made to sound a fool, and thats what I am dealing with! Trump tweeted on Oct. 10.

Corker slammed Trump in an interview with the newspaper and said the president is so reckless that he might be on the path to World War III. A transcript from the interview revealed that Corker acknowledged the conversation was on the record.

Wacky Congresswoman Wilson

Trump and Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., became locked in a public feud involving a Gold Star family  earning the Florida congresswoman her nickname.

The Fake News is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson (D), who was SECRETELY on a very personal call, and gave a total lie on content! Trump tweeted.

Wilson accused Trump of making insensitive remarks to the pregnant widow of one of the four American soldiers killed during an attack in Niger. The White House, including chief of staff John Kelly, has ardently defended the presidents comments.

Jerry Moonbeam Brown

Trump hasn't seen eye-to-eye with California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, throughout much of his time in office  but the president was especially critical after Brown pardoned 56 convicted felons, including five ex-convicts facing deportation.

Trump blasted the pardoning on Twitter, calling the governor Jerry Moonbeam Brown.

Is this really what the great people of California want? Trump said.

Trump cant take full credit for Browns nickname. The Moonbeam moniker was given to the governor first in the 1970s by a columnist who said Brown was garnering the "moonbeam vote," or the younger, more idealistic voters in his gubernatorial campaign, according to The New York Times. The nickname continued as Brown pressed for California's space programs.

Crazy Joe Biden

It all started when former Vice President Joe Biden addressed an anti-sexual assault rally in Florida and cited lewd comments Trump made about women in the infamous Access Hollywood tape more than a decade ago.

Biden, who has crusaded against sexual assault and harassment, said, If we were in high school, Id take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.

A few days later, Trump lashed out on Twitter, nicknaming the former senator Crazy Joe Biden.

Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault, Trump said on March 22. He doesnt know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Dont threaten people Joe!

In the past, Trump has referred to Biden on social media as our not very bright vice president.

Little Adam Schiff

Trump accused Rep. Adam Schiff of leaking confidential information from closed committee hearings and called for him to be stopped. The president also referred to the Democrat from California as Little Adam Schiff.

Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, Trump said in a tweet, comparing him to former FBI Director James Comey, former National Intelligence Director James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan. Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!

Schiff is the ranking minority member on the House Intelligence Committee which released a controversial memo that detailed alleged improper surveillance techniques used in the Russia investigation. Schiff was critical of the memos public release  supported by Republicans  calling it misleading and undermining of the probe.

Crooked Hillary

Throughout the presidential campaign, Trump would often hit his opponent, Hillary Clinton, with criticisms on social media. Trump gave her the nickname Crooked Hillary, usually when he mentioned her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.

The first time Trump tweeted about Crooked Hillary was in April 2016.

Sometimes Trump switched it up and would call the former first lady Lyin Hillary.

Wild Bill Clinton

While criticizing former FBI Director James Comey's memoir, Trump referenced the now-infamous meeting between former President Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch on a Phoenix airport tarmac in June 2016. The meeting was questioned because the then-attorney general was leading the investigation into Hillary Clintons email scandal.

Comey throws AG Lynch under the bus! Why cant we all find out what happened on the tarmac in the back of the plane with Wild Bill and Lynch? Trump said. Was she promised a Supreme Court seat, or AG, in order to lay off Hillary. No golf and grandkids talk (give us all a break)!

Lynch has said she and Clinton discussed only innocuous things on the tarmac but acknowledged that her speaking to the former president raised concerns in peoples minds about whether or not there was going to be any impact on the email investigation.

Cheatin Obama

Trump praised his own approval ratings on social media  while taking a jab at former President Barack Obama.

The president said the honest polling of Rasmussen shows his approval rating at 50 percent, which is higher than Cheatin Obama at the same time in his Administration.

The April 2 Rasmussen poll showed 50 percent of likely U.S. voters approved of Trump. However, 49 percent disapproved.

Little Marco

The rhetoric among the Republican presidential contenders hit a different kind of low as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio went after Trump for having small hands and Trump started to call the senator Little Marco. The two also discussed the size of Trumps hands  and other things  during a GOP debate in March 2016.

Trump first tweeted the Little Marco nickname in February 2016.

Lyin Ted

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump didnt start out as enemies during the 2016 campaign, but the two Republican contenders were soon at each others throats. Trump dubbed Cruz Lyin Ted when he went after him for his immigration policies in a campaign ad in March 2016.

Low Energy Jeb

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also got a Trump nickname when he was a 2016 Republican presidential contender  Low energy Jeb Bush.

Despite the exclamation point in Bushs campaign logo, Trump started to use the nickname to criticize his opponent during the campaign. Trump told Business Insider that there wasnt a backstory to the nickname, he just seemed like a low energy person to Trump.

1 for 38

When Ohio Gov. John Kasich attempted to team up with Cruz during the Republican primary to deny Trump the partys nomination, Trump took to Twitter to dole out a new nickname. And Kasich became 1 for 38.

Trump assigned Kasich the name because he won only one state in the primary and lost the others, Trump said in a statement in August 2016. Eventually Kasich would also be referred to as 1 for 42 by the eventual president.



Crazy Bernie

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the white-haired Independent socialist who became a progressive icon during the 2016 election, earned himself the nickname Crazy Bernie from Trump.

Trump first tweeted about Crazy Bernie in May 2016 when he criticized Crooked Hillary for looking very bad against Sanders.

Crying Chuck

After Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, N.Y., criticized Trump for firing F.B.I. Director James Comey, Trump hit him right back  with an original nickname.

Cryin Chuck Schumer stated recently, I do not have confidence in him (James Comey) any longer. Then acts so indignant, he tweeted on May 9, 2017.

Schumer shed some tears when he discussed Trumps immigration ban earlier in 2017.

But Schumer wasnt crying after Trump agreed to the Democrats short-term debt-limit increase and Hurricane Harvey aid.

Crazy Jim Acosta

Trump had a surprising tweet of gratitude Tuesday morning for CNNs White House correspondent, Jim Acosta  while also bestowing a nickname on his media adversary.

Even Crazy Jim Acosta of Fake News CNN agrees: Trump World and WH sources dancing in end zone: Trump wins againSchumer and Dems cavedgambled and lost. Thank you for your honesty Jim! Trump tweeted.

Trumps tweet referenced Acostas earlier social media post.

The president and his administration has often slammed Acosta and CNN for coverage they deem unfair  or fake news. Trump has also kicked Acosta out of the Oval Office.

Sleepy Eyes

Trump has thought NBC reporter Chuck Todd has looked sleepy long before the election or campaign. He first dubbed Todd sleepy in a 2001 tweet, but upgraded his nickname to Sleepy Eyes by 2012.

And in 2018, at a campaign rally for a Republican congressional candidate, Trump slammed the NBC anchor as a son of a b-----.

Trump mentioned a 1999 "Meet the Press" appearance when he discussed North Korea.

Its 1999, Im on 'Meet the Press,' a show now headed by sleepy-eyes Chuck Todd, Trump said. Hes a sleeping son of a b----, Ill tell you.

Dumb as a Rock Mika

From writer Toure to National Review, Trump has called many things dumb as a rock. But Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBCs Morning Joe earned the nickname in July after she and Joe Scarborough criticized the president.

Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses, he tweeted. Too bad!

His attack on the news anchor continued, as he called her low I.Q. Crazy Mika and said she was bleeding badly from a face-lift when she came to Mar-a-Lago around New Years Eve.

Psycho Joe

In a Twitter rant about his dislike of MSNBCs Morning Joe program, Trump dubbed host Joe Scarborough Psycho Joe.

Crazy Megyn

Trumps comments about then-Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly were often criticized and deemed misogynistic by critics. During their feud, Trump took to calling Kelly Crazy Megyn.

Little Jeff Zucker

Trump criticized CNN in an April tweet  and called its president Little Jeff Zucker.

Check out the fact that you cant get a job at ratings challenged [CNN] unless you state that you are totally anti-Trump, the president alleged on social media. Little Jeff Zucker, whose job is in jeopardy, is not having much fun lately. They should clean up and strengthen CNN and get back to honest reporting.

Fox News' Matt Richardson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Ohio state legislature rocked by allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior saw another resignation this week as a first-term Republican representative abruptly departed.

Republican House Speaker Clifford Rosenberger said he learned Tuesday that Rep. Wes Goodman, of Cardington, had engaged in "inappropriate behavior related to his state office." Sources told the Columbus Dispatch that the incident happened weeks ago in Goodmans office and involved a male in a consensual situation.

"We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life," Goodman, who is married, said in a statement Wednesday. "That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service. For those whom I have let down, I'm sorry."

No harassment complaints have been filed against the 33-year-old, but someone informed House Chief of Staff Mike Dittoe of the situation on Tuesday, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

Rosenbergers spokesman Brad Miller said the male was not a Statehouse employee or legislative member, and that the speaker and Goodman had agreed the encounter, which he would not elaborate on, was activity unbecoming of a state representative.

"I met with him later in the day where he acknowledged and confirmed the allegations," Rosenberger said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. "It became clear that his resignation was the most appropriate course of action for him, his family, the constituents of the 87th House District and this institution."

According to his website, Goodman is a conservative Christian and former congressional campaign staffer to Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan. He served as managing director of the Conservative Action Project, leading "the fight for conservative principles like balanced budget, lower taxes, repealing Obamacare, life, and religious liberty," his site says.

A Jordan spokeswoman told the Columbus Dispatch that she heard no allegations of wrongdoing and received no accusations of misconduct during the six years Goodman spent with the Jordan camp.

Congressman Jordan is deeply disappointed by this troubling news, and believes Mr. Goodmans resignation was the best course of action, Melika Willoughby said.

Goodmans resignation is the latest to hit the Ohio Legislature.

Veteran Ohio Sen. Clifford Hite, a Republican from Findlay, resigned Oct. 16 after a sexual harassment complaint was filed against him. According to an investigative memo, Hite had inappropriate conversations and physical contact with a female legislative staff member for two months and repeatedly propositioned her for sex.

The Ohio House subsequently released a cache of documents requested by reporters that showed three state representatives had been disciplined and a staff aide had been fired following harassment claims in recent years.

Then on Monday, Senate Democrats' chief of staff, Michael Premo, resigned over unspecified allegations of inappropriate conduct. His single-sentence resignation email provided no details.

Fox News' Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Al Franken's political future has been thrown into doubt as the Minnesota senator faces calls to resign in his home state on top of widespread condemnation from Hill colleagues who say an ethics probe of new sexual misconduct allegations is in order.

The comedian-turned-politician has little to smile about after Los Angeles TV host Leeann Tweeden accused him of groping and kissing her without her consent during a USO tour in 2006.

The Democratic senator repeatedly has apologized and sought to make amends, agreeing on Thursday to an ethics investigation.

I believe it is in the best interest of Minnesotans and of women everywhere for Senator Franken to resign, and to set an example to powerful men across America that sexual harassment will not be tolerated."  Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Otto

Whether the fallout stops there remains to be seen.

While most congressional Democrats have stopped short, two prominent Democrats from the senators home state are calling on him to leave office.

AL FRANKEN ACCUSED OF KISSING, GROPING LA TV HOST WITHOUT CONSENT

I believe it is in the best interest of Minnesotans and of women everywhere for Senator Franken to resign, and to set an example to powerful men across America that sexual harassment will not be tolerated, Minnesota state auditor and gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Otto said in a statement.

The president of the states Democratic Farmer-Labor-Partys Feminist Caucus, Megan Thomas, told the Washington Examiner that Frankens misconduct was every womans nightmare on a bus.

The political answer is to wait and not overreact, Thomas wrote in a Facebook post. But I also know the next time I see him in person I will, however fleeting or unneeded, be afraid because of what he is doing in that picture. No one should fear their elected representatives, so, sadly, for me, I think the Senator should resign.

New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg, who had written in a recent column that she was even hoping Franken would consider a 2020 presidential run, also is now calling for Franken to step aside.

I would mourn Frankens departure from the Senate, but I think he should go, and the governor should appoint a woman to fill his seat, Goldberg wrote Thursday. The message to men in power about sexual degradation has to be clear: We will replace you.

But on Capitol Hill, there is no groundswell yet for Franken to leave. Rather, there is a bipartisan agreement to launch an ethics investigation into the allegations facing him.

As with all credible allegations of sexual harassment or assault, I believe the Ethics Committee should review the matter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Thursday. I hope the Democratic Leader will join me on this. Regardless of party, harassment and assault are completely unacceptable  in the workplace or anywhere else.

The Democratic leader agreed.

SCHUMER AND TOP DEMS SEEK ETHICS PROBE OF AL FRANKEN GROPING ALLEGATIONS

Sexual harassment is never acceptable and must not be tolerated, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement Thursday. I hope and expect that the Ethics Committee will fully investigate this troubling incident as they should with any credible allegation of sexual harassment.

The most recent lawmaker to resign amid allegations involving sexual misconduct -- related to an affair and efforts to keep it secret -- was Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who abandoned his seat before the ethics investigation was complete.

Frankens accuser is not calling for his resignation, even though she said she felt "violated" and "humiliated" by his actions more than a decade ago.

'UNACCEPTABLE': DEMOCRATS TURN ON FRANKEN OVER GROPING ALLEGATIONS

People make mistakes. Im not calling him to step down, Tweeden said on Thursday. Thats not my place to say that. If there are other people who come out and say hes done this, I dont know.

On Friday, during an appearance on ABC's "The View," Tweeden said that she received a personal letter of apology from Franken.

Tweeden, who detailed the Franken incident in a blog post Thursday morning, published a picture of what seemed to be a grinning Franken standing over her as she slept, with his hands over her breasts.

The allegations caught many lawmakers and supporters by surprise, as the Minnesota Democrat has been a proponent for womens rights and a leading voice in speaking out against sexual harassment.

FLASHBACK: FRANKEN SPOKE OUT ON WEINSTEIN, SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Many of us spent years working for Senator Franken in Minnesota and Washington, seven female former Franken staffers said in a statement on Friday. In our time working for the Senator, he treated us with the utmost respect. He valued our work and our opinions and was a champion for women both in the legislation he supported and in promoting women to leadership roles in our offices.

Franken apologized in a lengthy statement, indicating he intends to stay put and work to regain voters' trust.

And the truth is, what people think of me in light of this is far less important than what people think of women who continue to come forward to tell their stories. They deserve to be heard, and believed. And they deserve to know that I am their ally and supporter. I have let them down and am committed to making it up to them, he said.

But despite the support from former staffers, Democrats are still condemning Frankens alleged behavior.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said any credible allegation should be subject to a probe, and told Fox News that we are at a watershed moment and now is the time for Congress to overhaul how it deals with the issue of sexual harassment.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., went a step further, and tweeted that she had donated $30,000 in campaign contributions from Frankens Midwest Values PAC to food banks in her home state.

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
The first step in what USA Today says would be an "audacious" therapy reportedly took place in China Friday: the world's first human head transplant, achieved with two corpses.

And Sergio Canavero, the Italian doctor behind the alleged procedure, says he plans to do the same thing next on two brain-dead patients, followed by an "imminent" surgery with a living one, the Telegraph reports.

Per Newsweek, Canavero described the procedure Friday at a Vienna press conference, explaining that his team had taken the head off one body and placed it on another, fusing the spine, blood vessels and nerves.

The procedure with a living patient is set to happen in China in December, mainly because the U.S. and Europe refuse to host it. Medical experts say there haven't been enough studies or trials, and cite both ethical issues and the potential for "incredible pain." Mystery surrounds the living patient at the center of the storm, whose healthy head would be transferred to the disease-free body of a brain-dead patient  technically this a "body transplant," not a head transplant, USA Today notes.

That recipient was originally said to be 33-year-old Russian Valery Spiridonov, who suffers from a muscle-wasting disease. But an April release cited by Newsweek said a Chinese citizen would undergo the procedure, not Spiridonov, and the magazine on Friday quoted Canavero as saying a "high number" of people have volunteered.

Canavero gives the procedure a 90% chance of success. Meanwhile, a Guardian columnist takes issue with Canavero's work. "The human body is not modular," writes Dean Burnett.

"You can't swap bits around like you would Lego blocks." (Canavero, way back when this all started.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: World's First Head Transplant on Corpse a Success, Doc Says
Archaeologists in Denmark have unearthed the remains of a 1,500-year-old farming village near the famed Viking site of Jelling in central Jutland.

The excavated village contains traces of up to 400 farm buildings, including several longhouses that would have each formed the center of a family farm.

Based on the distinctive shapes of the buildings, researchers have dated the remains to between A.D. 300 to 600  a time known as the early medieval period in Europe, during the Germanic Iron Age in Denmark. [See Photos of the Remains of 1,500-Year-Old Farming Village]

"The carbon-14 dates will come later," said Katrine Balsgaard Juul, an archaeologist and curator with the Vejle Museums in southern Denmark, who led excavations at the site from October 2016 until this October. "Weve taken soil samples from all the main houses, but they are still being processed." (Dating sediments using the carbon-14 isotope can offer more precise ages, the researchers noted.)

"But in Denmark we have a very long tradition of excavating early medieval settlements, so we are quite confident with the dates, even without the carbon-14 dating," she said.

The site at Jelling is the largest early medieval settlement unearthed in Denmark, although several smaller sites are well-known to archaeologists, such as those at Vorbasse in southern Denmark and at Nrre Snede, also in central Jutland, reported Science Nordic.

"The significance is in the size of the site  it makes it possible for us to test the knowledge that we already have," Balsgaard Juul told Live Science. "We have an idea of how the society developed at this time and how these villages developed, but now it is actually possible for us to test whether we can recognize these features in a large excavation such as this," she said.

Post holes

Balsgaard Juul said the main features of the site were the thousands of post holes left by buildings constructed at different times during the 300-year period.

"We basically found 20,000 post holes, and that's quite a lot, especially for my colleague, who measured it all with a GPS," she said.

The position of many post holes showed that many buildings had been constructed on the same plots of land used by earlier buildings.

"It seems likely that there was some sort of core within this early medieval village, where the houses were rebuilt at least five times in a row," she said. "We usually say that these types of houses have a duration of at least 30 years, so it means that some areas of this village were inhabited for a very long time."

The ancient village included between eight and 10 longhouses at different times, each around 110 feet (33 meters) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide.

Each longhouse would have been the main building of a family farm, and home to between eight and 15 people, she said.

According to the traditions of the time, the villagers would have shared the longhouses with their animals: "We have the living area in one side of the house, and then in the middle of the house there's an entrance area, and on the other side there was a stable for animals and for whatever else you need for living in the [Germanic] Iron Age."

The villagers would have farmed crops in fields around their farmsteads, while the animals would have grazed on pastureland and in open forests nearby, Balsgaard Juul said.

Ancient farmsteads

In addition to the longhouses, hundreds of smaller outbuildings occupy the site. The smallest, around 6 by 6 feet (2 by 2 m), may have been granaries or storehouses, Balsgaard Juul said.

Others may have been working areas for making pottery or woolen fabric, she said.

They also found an area where iron-smelting ovens appeared to have been used at the time. The iron would have come from the ore-rich soil found in many bogs in Denmark, and one of the smaller buildings is thought to have been a smithy where the metal was worked. [Fierce Fighters: 7 Secrets of Viking Seamen]

The newly discovered village is about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) from the UNESCO World Heritage site at Jelling, which features a historic church and two burial mounds from the Viking Age, along with the runic Jelling Stones placed by King Harald Bluetooth in the 10th century to mark the introduction of Christianity to his kingdom.

But Balsgaard Juul explained that the early medieval site was not directly connected with the later Viking Age developments.

Now that the excavations have been completed, the site will be developed into a modern village of about 40 houses, she said, but the memory of one of the ancient longhouses will be preserved.

"We have made plans with the city hall [to] mark out one of the [early medieval] houses on the site," Balsgaard Juul said. "We will make it visible above the ground where the post holes were, and then people can come and see where the actual village was situated in the early medieval period."

Original article on Live Science.
More antimatter particles stream toward Earth than scientists can explain  and new research from a mountaintop observatory in central Mexico deepens the mystery by crossing off one possible source.

The Earth is constantly showered by high-energy particles from a variety of cosmic sources. Physicist Victor Hess used a balloon to provide the first evidence of the extraterrestrial nature of cosmic rays in 1912. Since then, scientists have identified and accounted for a variety of different types, but the origin of some of these particles continues to elude experts.

The recent finding, detailed in the journal Science today (Nov. 17), concerns positrons, the antimatter complements of electrons. High-energy particles, usually protons, traveling across the galaxy can create pairs of positrons and electrons when they interact with dust and gas in space, study co-author Hao Zhou, at Los Alamos National Lab, told Space.com. In 2008, the space-based PAMELA detector measured unexpectedly high numbers of earthbound positrons. This was about 10 times what they were expecting to see, according to Zhou. [Supernova Face-Off May Solve 40-Year-Old Antimatter Mystery]

After years of work, camps coalesced around two distinct explanations, according to a statementby Michigan Technological University, which was involved in the new study. One hypothesis suggests the particles come from nearby pulsars, rapidly spinning cores of burnt-out stars, which can whip particles like electrons and positrons to incredible speeds. The other group posits a more exotic origin for the excess positrons, perhaps involving dark matter, an unknown yet pervasive entity that accounts for 80 percent of the universe's mass.

Particles like positrons that carry an electric charge are difficult to detect on Earth since they can be deflected by the planet's magnetic field. But scientists have a workaround. The particles also interact with the cosmic microwave background  an ever-present stream of low-energy photons left over from the birth of the universe. "The high-energy electron, or positron, [will] kick the low-energy photon ... so this the photon becomes a high-energy gamma-ray," Zhou said. "These gamma-rays, which have no electric charge, can pass right through the magnetic field and make it all the way to Earth's surface.

Zhou's team made detailed measurements of the gamma-rays coming from the direction of two nearby pulsars  Geminga and its companion PSR B0656+14  that are the right age and distance from Earth to account for the excess positrons. To do this, the scientists used the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-Ray Observatory, located about 4 hours east of Mexico City. HAWC comprises more than 300 tanks of extra-pure water. When gamma-rays plow into the atmosphere, they create a cascade of high-energy particles. As this shower of particles passes through HAWC's tanks, it emits flashes of blue light, which scientists can use to determine the energy and origin of the original cosmic ray.

The data from HAWC revealed that particles are streaming away from the pulsars too slowly to account for the excess positrons, according to a statement by the University of Maryland, whose researchers also contributed to the work. In order to have arrived here by now, the particles would have needed to leave before the pulsars had formed, Zhou said.

Zhou's colleagues are quick to point out an important caveat. "Our measurement doesn't decide the question in favor of dark matter, but any new theory that attempts to explain the excess using pulsars will need to match the new data," University of Maryland physicist Jordan Goodman, the lead investigator and U.S. spokesman for the HAWC collaboration, said in the statement from Maryland.

By observing the rotations of galaxies, scientists determined that the universe contains more mass than the objects we can observe. They call this mysterious extra mass dark matter. Aside from seeing dark matter's gravitational influence from afar, no one has directly detected it otherwise. However, a popular model of the substance involves weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPS, which interact with regular matter solely through gravity. If these proposed particles were to decay, or be annihilated somehow, they could conceivably generate pairs of electrons and positrons, Zhou said.

There are other astrophysical processes to consider as well. Supernova remnants and microquasars  extremely bright objects formed as matter spirals toward a black hole  can produce positrons, Zhou said. And there's the possibility that the initial model of particle interactions with the cosmic microwave background is inaccurate. "In order to confirm a detection of dark mater, I guess, there's still a long way to go," Zhou said. "We have to rule out all these astrophysical processes."

Zhou's team plans to take advantage of HAWC's incredibly wide field of view to narrow down these alternatives in future studies.

Original article on Space.com.
The Nutcracker Christmas Carol: A Holiday Musical, with book and lyrics by Rex Knowles and music by Mr. Knowles, Sherry Landrum, and Allan Ledford, returns this year.

Performances will be Dec. 1, 2, and 3. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. It will be held at the Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre.

Review for The Nutcracker Christmas Carol:

The Nutcracker Christmas Carol has been deemed "a holiday classic", innovative, a hoot, original and captivating and phenomenal by reviewers. The musical combines all the great Christmas stories into one hilarious, heartfelt hour.

Will Ebenezer Scrooge save the ballet? Will his critics finally acknowledge the genius of Charles Dickens? Will Tiny Tim's dream of becoming a dancer come true? Will Fritz get a Red Ryder carbine action BB gun? Will Bob Cratchit get to spend Christmas at home? Learn the answers at the Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre this holiday season.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for non-Chattanooga State students with I.D. Children 12 and under are $5. Tickets may be purchased in advance at www.chattanoogastate.edu/theatre.
Frank Abrams had no idea he was getting his hands on a valuable piece of history when he bought a grainy 19th-century photo for $10 at a North Carolina flea market.

However, high-tech analysis of the group photo has revealed that it shows both Billy the Kid and his killer Pat Garrett, which could potentially mean that it is worth millions of dollars.

This is completely unknown, that Garrett and Billy are in a picture together, Abrams, an attorney, told Fox News. This is amazing, everybody is excited.

NEW IMAGE SHOWS BILLY THE KID PLAYING CROQUET

Abrams said that the tintype was in a set of photos that he purchased in Fletcher, North Carolina, in 2011. It sat on my wall for four years or so, he added.

However, a National Geographic documentary in 2015 about the discovery of another photo showing Billy the Kid playing croquet prompted Abrams to take a closer look at his own photo. The croquet story came out and I Google Billy the Kid and I see Pat Garrett, and I look at him and I look at the picture and I say thats the same person!

Garrett, a former friend of Billys who became a sheriff, famously gunned the outlaw down in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, in 1881. Born Henry McCarty, Billy the Kid also used the alias William Bonney. He was 21 years old when he died.

RARE PHOTO SHOWS JESSE JAMES WITH HIS KILLER, SAYS FORENSIC ARTIST

Abrams consulted a number of experts on the photo, which is dated Aug. 2, 1880. A forensic video expert in Los Angeles used facial recognition software on the image, which indicated that Garrett and Billy the Kid were both in the picture. A handwriting expert also compared a Garrett signature on the image to other documents known to have been signed by him and confirmed that it was the same person.

Abrams thinks that set of pictures once belonged to Pat Garretts friend Marshall Ashmun Upson, better known as Ash Upson. The journalist and author was the ghostwriter of Garretts book The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid.

Another photo, for example, shows Upson on a horse - ASH is written on the back of the photo in handwriting identified as Garretts. A third photo shows Upsons niece Florence Muzzy.

COUPLE DISCOVER 19TH-CENTURY LOG CABIN DURING HOME RENOVATION

There are very few images of Billy the Kid in existence. The photo of Billy playing croquet, for example, was appraised and insured for $5 million.

A portrait of Billy the Kid taken in Fort Sumner, in 1880, sold for $2.3 million in 2011. In that photo, Billy the Kid is packing a Colt revolver and 1873 Winchester Carbine rifle.

Abrams thinks that his group photo shows Billy, Garrett and their companions enjoying themselves. They are all celebrating  they have cigars, they have booze, he said.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS MAKE 'EXCITING' DISCOVERY IN ALAMO DIG

Intriguingly, Abrams notes that a price tag may also be visible on Billys the Kids sweater. It may be that Billy is saying theres a price on my head, so heres a price on my sweater, he said.

Abrams told Fox News that the picture is now stored in a safe deposit box.

I have never put a price on it, others can speculate from here to kingdom come, he said. Whether it will be sold in the future will be a decision we will make when the right time comes around."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
Kaspersky Lab is again challenging allegations that it stole classified files from an NSA employee's computer, pointing to new analysis that says the computer in question may have been infested with malware.

The computer had 121 pieces of malware on the system, including backdoors, exploits, and Trojans, according to Kaspersky. "It is possible that the user could have leaked information to many hands," the security firm said.

The data comes as Kaspersky Lab battles accusations that its security software helped the Russian government to commit cyber espionage. Russian government hackers reportedly detected the classified files on the NSA employee's computer by using Kaspersky antivirus software, which was installed on the system.

Moscow-based Kaspersky has been poring over internal logs, which it says detected alerts for 121 malicious files on the computer, which may have come from pirated software. Among them was a file called Backdoor.Win32.Mokes.hvl, which was sold on Russian underground forums and infected the NSA employee's computer in October 2014.

During the time of the infection, the Mokes malware had been communicating to a command control server from a "Chinese entity" going by the name Zhou Lou, using the email address zhoulu823@gmail.com, according to Kaspersky Lab.

The computer became infected after the NSA employee disabled antivirus software to install a pirated version Microsoft Office 2013, the security firm claims. "The malware consisted of a full-blown backdoor which could have allowed other third-parties to access the user's machine," the company said.

Additional software piracy tools were detected on the computer as well, which may explain why it had so many malicious files on the system. But it's unclear if the 120 other pieces of malware ever executed on the computer, Kaspersky Lab said.

It's also unclear if the new findings will lift the controversy around the security firm. The US Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal agencies to remove Kaspersky Lab software from their systems. Retailers such as Best Buy have also dropped it from store shelves.

Last month, Kaspersky Lab admitted it had inadvertently downloaded classified files from the NSA employee's computer, but only because the company's antivirus software had flagged them as malware. Those files reportedly contained NSA hacking tools, including the computer code. Once Kaspersky Lab realized the files had actually come from the US government, it promptly deleted them from its own database.

Kaspersky said its software is no different from competing antivirus products, which also scan system files for potential malware. But the downloading of classified files from an NSA computer, even if inadvertent, probably doesn't sit well with the US government.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
If you thought the rise of the machines was going to take years  think again.

Boston Dynamics, the company known for its terrifying-looking robots, has released a new video of its humanoid robot. Ordinarily, this would be cause for attention, but the new video shows the robot jumping from block to block and it eventually does a backflip, further casting a light on our robot-pocalypse future.

A number of commenters on the video expressed their concerns about what they witnessed, with one describing it as "scary but amazing." Another said he could envision it having a machine gun in 10 years, while another joked and said "Boston Dynamics is determinated to erradicate the human race and make the real Terminator one of these years."

BOSTON DYNAMICS IS TRYING TO MAKE ITS ROBOTS LESS TERRIFYING - BUT IS IT WORKING?

If that wasn't enough to creep you out, the 54-second video even shows the robot raising its arms in triumph. At the end, the robot does fail, falling off one of the blocks in an apparent attempt at humor.

Boston Dynamics has acknolwedged that its robots can cause fear, with its CEO, Marc Raibert, once making a joke about it in a presentation.

In February, Raibert showed off the wheeled version of one of its robots and described it as "nightmare-inducing."

"This is the debut presentation of what I think will be a nightmare-inducing robot if you're anything like me," Raibert is quoted as saying.

Earlier this week, Boston Dynamics, which was sold by Google to Japanese tech conglomerate Softbank in June, showed off its SpotMini robot dog in a new video. SpotMini received a paint job and was put on grass in an attempt to make it less terrifying.

Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
Officials are calling it a "big digital divide between rural communities and urban areas. Many towns across the United States still don't have the option to have high-speed Internet, and officials say they're at risk for being stuck on slow Internet for longer than expected.

What was acceptable in terms of speed and quantity is just no longer appropriate, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissioner David Sweet told Fox News. [The issue] is widespread throughout the United States.

Some small-town residents say its nearly impossible to do simple tasks like check email and stream videos. Eric Pelka, a post office employee in Julian, Pa., told Fox News at times they had to turn seven to eight people away a day because of poor Internet connection.

"We couldnt accept any credit cards without the Internet, Pelka said about customers trying to purchase stamps and other products. "Those seven to eight people a day I turned away, thats revenue for this office that could help keep it afloat. Just wasnt here because I couldnt charge them

SIX-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALIST JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE WANTS TO CLOSE AMERICA'S DIGITAL DIVIDE

Now officials say these towns might not get fast Internet anytime soon because they say Verizon declined $140 million in federal help through the FCC. The federal agency created the Connect America Fund initiative to give high-speed Internet access to rural communities. "Reform will not only drive economic growth in rural America, but will expand the online marketplace nationwide, creating jobs and businesses opportunities across the country, the FCCs website states.

Telecom companies took $160 million in help for Pennsylvania residents, but the $140 million that Verizon rejected could be lost for good. That money will now be put in a pool of funding to be auctioned, and the bidders may not use that money for Pennsylvania communities, Sweet said.

Sweet added its not fair for the funds to be auctioned to another bidder because that money comes directly from a surcharge Pennsylvania residents pay on their phone bills. It kind of adds insult to injury to pay this fee and have it go to Washington and not get any of it back" Sweet and other state officials are petitioning to the FCC in hopes that the money will be given back to the state where he says they need it most.

Verizon says it supports the efforts to bring that money back into the state, even though the telecom giant declined it. "We committed to a certain amount of Fios network build and since 2010 have focused on completing that work before looking at building fiber in new areas, the telecom company said in a statement.

Meanwhile, many residents are hoping their petition for high-speed Internet will give them a resource they say they need.

Every single day were running thousands of dollars worth of payments on the cars and if we have no Internet, we cant do that, Chad Andrus said about his used car dealership in Julian, Pa.

This office could get cut down even more down to a four-hour office which, I know from talking to people in this town, they dont want to see that happen, Pelka said of the small-town post office.
This is a rush transcript from "The Ingraham Angle," November 14, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

LAURA INGRAHAM, HOST: Good evening, everyone from Washington. Thanks for joining us. This is "The Ingraham Angle."

All right. We have so much news for you tonight. We could actually use two hours, but we are going to take one. We have an infuriating opening segment for you. Congress is spending your money to cover up sexual harassment.

And some major developing stories for you on other fronts. President Trump returned moments ago from his 12-day trip to Asia. We're going to have a report about what he's doing next.

And why are immigration agents complaining about the president? We'll tell you that as well.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified today before Congress about possible investigations into Hillary Clinton and that Uranium One deal. What's coming? We'll tell you.

But first our top story, pulling back the curtain, sexual harassment inside the halls of Congress and how you're paying for the secret settlements. Sexual misconduct scandals have engulfed Hollywood, media, and now politics with the Roy Moore revelations.

But did you know that you've been funding payoffs for congressional harassment claims for decades. According to the Congressional Office of Compliance, between 1997 and 2014, hundreds of women have been paid $15.2 million in total in awards and settlements for Capitol Hill workplace violations. The House Administration Committee held a hearing on the matter yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKIE SPEIER: In fact, there are two members of Congress, Republican and Democrat right now, who serve who have been subject to review or not have been subject to review but have been engaged in sexual harassment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This member asked the staffer to bring them over some materials to their residence and the young staffer is a young woman, went there, and was greeted by a member in a towel. It was a male who then invited her in. At that point, he decided to expose himself. She left and then she quit her job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Joining us of our reaction here in Washington is Jenny Beth Martin. She is a cofounder of Tea Party Patriots. She has a new piece on this growing scandal. And Scott Bolden, former chairman of the Democratic Party in Washington, D.C., and a former sex crimes prosecutor.

Jenny Beth, let's start with you. This is so ridiculous. It's $15.2 million and this is started by a senator I really respect and admire, Chuck Grassley, what was the thinking behind this? We'll go through the procedures that women have to go through.

JENNY BETH MARTIN, PRESIDENT, TEA PARTY PATRIOTS: It was part of the Congressional Accountability Act, which -- at the time, they were trying to make congressmen live under the law. So, they had passed including Title VII under Civil Rights Act.

They are trying to make sure that they lived under several other laws and they also wanted to create something to deal with sexual harassment. But in doing this, they have instituted a culture of corruption and they have created much more intimidation for people who want to step forward.

INGRAHAM: Scott, let me share this with you. This is the Office of Compliance, the steps a woman has to go through to file a complaint. First the victims have 180 days to complain, that's not bad. You should get a little bit more if you are traumatized.

Victims who wants to continue must start 30 days of mediation. So, they force you into mediation, then finally, the Office of Compliance Administration does a hearing, or you can file a federal lawsuit and it's all confidential.

The problem, of course, is pushing women into mediation. It seems to be geared toward stopping the claim. If I look at this as a former attorney, this is kind of pushing -- you don't really want to file this.

SCOTT BOLDEN, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION, PAC: This is all about power. Within the mediation, it's also a counseling pieces and when I first read this, I said, what are they counseling the women on? Either this happened, or it didn't happen, but again, this is all about power.

Remember, elected officials on the Hill are products, if you will, and the other thing that you didn't show was the lack of disclosure unless they go to court. So, this is all very confidential and it's all about taking care of each other.

As opposed to pulling the sheets off of it, if you will, and say, listen, we have a problem. I think the Republicans and the Democrats on the Hill have a chance to lead by fixing this.

INGRAHAM: It's a slush hush fund. Don't say anything.

MARTIN: Its mandatory counseling. If you've been traumatized, do you really want your employer mandating that you must go to counseling before you can go to mediation?

INGRAHAM: So, now the Senate is working on mandatory sexual harassment training in the Senate. The House still hasn't really been able to push through changes. I know Congresswoman Speier, who I usually don't agree with on much, but she's right on this. They want to get rid of that wait time for being able to push through and actually file an actual complaint.

BOLDEN: But, Laura, you know, in the reformation or the amendment of this legislation on both sides, you've got to make it uncomfortable for bad behavior. You have to be intentional about it.

One of the most shocking things you lead with was that the public tax dollars are paying for these settlements. A little less than a million a year. You know what? If you remove that rule and make the congressman either get employment, defense insurance or made them pay out their campaign PAC funds and stuff. I tell you, you would force a lot less of this bad behavior because that hits them where their pocketbooks are.

INGRAHAM: I have a question. There was a point in this research that I was reading today, apparently, a congresswoman was warning about the congressmen who sleep in their offices like those are the ones -- I don't know if that's fair, because I know some who sleep in their offices and they are great people, but apparently that's a problem.

What is really going on here, though? Is it's just the usual stuff where you get into a position of power? Maybe you were kind of a geeky guy -- they didn't have a lot of chicks, and then you get to Capitol Hill. It's all these 22-year-old gals running around.

This is nothing new. I mean, I remember being in the White House elevator during the Reagan administration and Strom Thurmond made a few interesting comments to me and I was 22 years old. I was laughing, is not a big deal.

You don't want to chill the workplace. That's another thing I am a little bit worried about here. You can't even say to someone you look at great, nice dress like people are afraid. I know men who are afraid to have any interaction at any time with a woman alone.

Because it ten years later, even if you didn't do anything you could be accused -- where do you go to defend yourself? You can't defend yourself. So, we have to look at the other side here as well and not make it so sterile and antiseptic a workplace, that no one even enjoys the job. You're so afraid of saying anything.

BOLDEN: You always have to be careful because the (inaudible) made it that way. The reality, though, is that women are standing up now in the last six months to a year and saying me too.

And I think that's the difference because as you see each of these industries go with these disclosures whether it's Hollywood or some other industry, now you're seeing the government.

And now the government who enforces and makes laws, if they won't lead on this, then I got to tell you, where in the space of the hypocrisy bucket, if you well.

INGRAHAM: Grassley said if this law isn't working, should revise it, change it. I mean, I guess, after the (inaudible) thing, I thought this is actually going to accomplish something. But why did it take so long for this to get so much notice?

It's just Harvey Weinstein and all the other stuff swirling around, I guess, this is just what people are talking about? (Inaudible), OK, Congress, what are you doing?

SMITH: Yes, I think that may be some of it and now we are getting a little bit of light shed on it. Until a week and a half ago, I didn't even know this fund existed. But I'll tell you what it's intimidating, if you are a woman, who truly has been harassed by a member of Congress, you need to be able to address that and to have it handled.

Not to be told you must go to counseling. You must go to mediation. We are going to have you sign an NDA. You can never tell anyone. It's all designed to shame the woman. Whether it's intentional or not, you wind up shaming the victim, and I understand also you've got to make sure --

INGRAHAM: Harvey Weinstein went around trying to get nondisclosures too, right?

BOLDEN: Well, he paid a lot of money also --

(CROSSTALK)

INGRAHAM: Let's not forget men and young boys have been victimized, abused, and often times this happens in Hollywood but not only Hollywood. It happens in a theater. I've been hearing about this for a long time.

We are talking about Congress because, you know, we are here in Washington, and they are the one supposed to be the lawmakers, but this is across the board. It's people in positions of power, who usually have some problem within themselves.

They have no self-esteem or their father didn't love them. I don't know what it is. They don't know how to treat people and maybe, just maybe will learn how to treat people better.

BOLDEN: That's transparency that were talking about. It's going to make it uncomfortable. This is a place of power, careers are made or lost. You've got to make it a safe space for women and men, who are victimized by sexual harassment to come forward, to be protected. And quite frankly, if there is transparency, I think you'll see less bad behavior.

INGRAHAM: There are people who make false charges, it does happen. You can't say anyone who makes a charge, you know, we are going to throw laurels around your neck. I mean, it's not necessarily the case.

I mean, you do have a presumption of innocence and sometimes I think in this climate, it's so white-hot, I'm not talking about Roy Moore. I'm talking just in general. It's so white-hot that if a woman who seems fairly credible makes a charge, your career is over.

SMITH: You have to allow people -- if you've been accused of it, you have to be given the opportunity to defend yourself and clear your name. You can't just try everything in the court of public opinion, there has to be a proper process.

INGRAHAM: Is that where the confidentiality comes into play? I mean, are you going to go into Congress and have all these interns running around if you think that my gosh, at any moment, you know, I open the door for someone, I'm going to be accused of being demeaning. You've got to be careful how you do this. You can go way overboard on the other side.

BOLDEN: But one way to address that issue, as a former sex crimes prosecutor, we would require corroboration. I mean, the cases where it's one person's word against another. There is no scientific evidence. There is no corroboration whether there was more about sexual touching or not.

It's still has to be corroborated and I think that standard would be good in Congress too because then you have that balance, if you will, because congressmen want to get reelected, OK. They don't want bad press and they don't want to have to go --

INGRAHAM: I have a question about that with sex crimes. In how many cases, it's usually men, of course, who are accused of sex crimes, domestic abuse, is substance abuse involved?

BOLDEN: You know what? Quite a bit. Your testing my memory, but I would say, not the majority but at least over 50 percent, I just don't know how much. There are other socioeconomic factors that come into play.

And the other thing is getting women to come forward and prosecute if the father or the husband is the top of the breadwinner or is needed at home with the kids, I've got to tell you some women in that position don't feel like they have many choices, and they dropped charges against the very people who have abused them.

SMITH: A lot of times abuse is simply about power. It's not about --

BOLDEN: It's not about sex.

SMITH: It's substance abuse. It's not even about sex. It's about power, raw power.

INGRAHAM: You guys, great to see you. Thanks for coming in.

Directly ahead, new fall out in the Roy Moore scandal, how will Alabama voters deal with Washington meddling in the state Senate race?

Plus, Roy Moore just addressed this controversy moments ago. We'll play you the tape.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROY MOORE, ALABAMA REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm the only one that can unite Democrats and Republicans because I'm being deposed by both. They spent over $30 million to try to take me out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Those comments from Roy Moore just moments ago after uneventful and chaotic day in the Alabama Senate race. The Republican National Committee has announced it is withdrawing support for Judge Moore's candidacy and pulling out of a joint fundraising agreement for the Alabama special Senate election.

This is all in response to multiple allegations now that Moore had made unwanted sexual advances toward teenagers back in the '70s. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is even floating the idea of Attorney General Jeff Sessions returning to his old Senate seat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL, R-KY., MAJORITY LEADER: The Alabamian who would, you know, fit that standard will be the attorney general and he is totally well-known and extremely popular in Alabama.

I haven't spoken with the president. He called me from Vietnam largely about this on Friday. I talked to General Kelly on Saturday. Obviously, we are in discussion here about how to salvage this seat if possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: But it's not all bad news for Judge Moore, Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan has not turned Moore yet and told local media yesterday, quote, "It would be a serious error for any current elected GOP official or candidate to publicly endorse another party's candidate, an independent or a third-party candidate or a write-in candidate in a general election as well," closed quote.

And a new poll from Fox 10 in Alabama shows Moore leads his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, by six points. Joining us now for reaction in Birmingham is Alabama's Secretary of State John Merrill, in New York, conservative commentator, Monica Crowley, and here with me in Washington is Katherine Mangu-Ward, who is editor-in-chief of Reason magazine.

Great to see all of you. Monica, let's start with you. This has been a wild few days in this Roy Moore situation. You got the establishment types turned on him pretty fast, but then you had Mike Lee in Utah, senator of Utah.

You had Ted Cruz, and now my colleague, Sean Hannity, says basically you have 24 hours to clear up the discrepancies in your statement. How can Roy Moore possibly hang in under these circumstances?

MONICA CROWLEY: I'm not sure he can, Laura. I mean, there are certain political realities at play here and gravity does tend to (inaudible) especially when the money starts to disappear.

The RNC pulled the funding as well as the field operation that they are going to implement to get out and vote for Roy Moore. With those two things missing, Laura, I don't see how he is able to survive.

It doesn't sound tonight like he's willing to go anywhere yet, but when these realities start to kick in over the next 24 hours, when the money disappears, you know, you can't run a campaign on fumes or love.

That I think is when the hard choices are going to come in front of Roy Moore when he doesn't have the institutional support to continue this campaign.

INGRAHAM: Let's go to the secretary of state, John Merrill. John, what happens if the election is held, and those absentee ballots are left over if in fact Roy Moore steps aside. The party, you know, relinquishes any connection to Roy Moore. Do the absentee ballots still count in that case?

JOHN MERRILL, SECRETARY OF STATE OF ALABAMA: Well, Laura, they do. And I think it's very important for your viewers to know that our people have been voting since October the 18th. That's when the absentee ballots first went out for consideration and for our voters to be able to have their opinion known and have their voice heard.

And that's just not (inaudible) military overseas voters, that's the number of voters throughout the entire state of Alabama. I think it's important to note that if Judge Moore withdraws from the campaign or if the state party disavows their association with Judge Moore and determines that they no longer support him.

And both of those actions have to take place formally by them indicating to our office that they no longer wish to pursue the candidacy of Judge Roy Moore in the U.S. Senate, that even though Judge Moore's name will still be on the ballot, if he gets the most votes as a plurality winner on December 12th, then our election will be null and void.

INGRAHAM: Katherine, now Mitch McConnell is saying perhaps they won't seat him or that once he's in if he gets elected that they'll move to remove him. Now if you're someone in the south and you know, you don't follow this much and maybe think Roy Moore like dating 17-year-olds or 18-year- olds.

It might come across to you as this is the old guard tell the southerners they are stupid bunch of hayseed types. And they might just be like, you know, something, he is seated. This is another example of the elites kicking people like us around.

KATHERINE MANGU-WARD, REASON MANAGING EDITOR: I think this is Congress reaping the fact that they are wildly unpopular. Congress has like a 19 percent approval rating. The idea that they don't have the trust of the American people.

That they are not in a position to say this is an extraordinary circumstance. We want to take the high road here. We want to do an investigation. I would love to see them do an investigation through a trusted third party.

They don't have to think The Washington Post (inaudible). They don't have to believe that (inaudible) research if that's what they think is going on, but I do think they need to take it seriously.

Particularly, if they want to say, listen, we are better than the Democratic Party, who is constantly apologizing for their guys when they get accused of this kind of thing.

INGRAHAM: Monica, need we go back to the Menendez trial. There was a time where there were allegations and the Daily News and a lot of publications went with them that, you know, allegedly, he took trips to the Dominican Republic and had sexual relationships with underage hookers.

I don't recall a single Democrat calling for his resignation. Same thing with the old story about Barnie Frank all those years ago and many others. So, you know, the Democrats seem to cover for their own, but I guess, the Republicans, they want to come across with a lot better than that.

CROWLEY: Well, Democrats have always circled the wagons and protected their candidates and protected their presidents and protected their own for a really long time. Republicans always went into the circular firing squad, Laura.

But I think what makes these cases so different right now is that we are in a completely different cultural moment with all of these stories of sexual harassment coming out of Hollywood and the media elites, the modeling world, the music world and so on.

Given this moment, these folks cannot survive it. Even folks at the high ends of leadership of both parties and both establishments, et cetera, are now no longer saying that this is acceptable, and are less willing, Laura, to cover for these folks.

You are seeing is now happening on both sides and that's why I think in the Roy Moore situation, in many ways, he is going to be a casualty of this moment. Perhaps he may have survived.

Look, Donald Trump in the tail end of the campaign with the Access Hollywood tape, he was able to sort of harness a boomerang effect where people felt that that was a pile on and they came out and rallied around him.

But Donald Trump was an exceptional figure. I'm not so sure that Roy Moore is going to be able to do it.

INGRAHAM: Moore is not Donald Trump. Secretary of State, I just want to close out with you. In your estimation right now, I know you are still kind of standing behind Roy Moore. Does he stay in this race? Does he get elected?

MERRILL: Well, I think it would be highly unusual for Judge Moore to step aside. That would be against every type of example that he has set. I don't see him getting out of the race.

INGRAHAM: Does he win?

MERRILL: Well, I'll tell you it's going to be extremely close, Laura. I hear mixed reviews all around the state of Alabama. This is a very disconcerting time for our state. This is not how we like to be featured in the national limelight.

INGRAHAM: Thanks for joining us, John. I'm going to hold over Katherine and Monica because President Trump just a short time ago returned to Washington after that a very long 12-day, five-nation Asia trip where America's trade deals were a major topic. We are going to go right to it right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: From a standpoint of security and safety, military, very proud, and trade, you will see numbers that you won't believe over the years. They will be treating us much differently than they have in the past.

People were taking advantage. Countries were taking advantage of the United States. More than just as we do but the world and those days are over. We are going to be fair and reciprocal as I said in my remarks before. If they are doing it, we're doing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Katherine, what did you think about this trip? Give us your assessment.

MANGU-WARD: So, my real assessment is I'm glad that the president didn't do anything that isn't fundamentally reversible. That (inaudible) because there was a real risk that he was going to make good on his campaign promises, go to Asia, and just light the whole thing on fire.

INGRAHAM: What do you mean?

MANGU-WARD: Well, he's been quite clear that he doesn't like the status quo in terms of U.S. trade agreements in Asia and --

INGRAHAM: Do you like the status quo?

MANGU-WARD: I like the status quo.

INGRAHAM: Which part of a $350 billion trade deficit do you like?

MANGU-WARD: I like more open trade. I think the idea of thinking about in terms of deficits is wrongheaded. We absolutely benefit from trading with other --

INGRAHAM: You can buy a $7.99 pair of pants?

MANGU-WARD: Absolutely.

INGRAHAM: (Inaudible) with the American workers back here, it doesn't matter?

MANGU-WARD: I think $7.99 pair of pants --

INGRAHAM: It fundamentally changes the country.

MANGU-WARD: I don't think it fundamentally changes the country where our country --

INGRAHAM: You don't have a problem with enriching -- every president put in tariffs. Republican presidents, Democrat presidents, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan.

MANGU-WARD: When their goal was to get a one-upsmanship on other nations.

INGRAHAM: You don't think America should have a one-upsmanship attitude toward other nations?

MANGU-WARD: No, I think we should have a cooperative attitude and I think if they want to sell their stuff, we should be allowed to buy it.

INGRAHAM: You don't think bilateral trade agreements are better for policing them and for making sure they actually enforced? What's wrong with that?

MANGU-WARD: I would take any trade agreements. What I don't want to see is us pulling back from the world at a time that we are anxious, and we are not necessarily good to make --

INGRAHAM: I see what Katherine is saying, but I don't see any indication frankly that Donald Trump is pulling back from the rest of the world. He went to Saudi Arabia, Israel, went to see the pope, did the trip to Europe. He's gone to Asia. I mean, I think his foreign trips frankly have been pretty successful, especially the trip to visit our NATO allies and the first trip to Saudi Arabia, and I think this trip turned out great.

CROWLEY: I totally agree, Laura. I think in some ways he's much more effective when he is abroad rather than at home. His speeches abroad have been absolutely magnificent. What he was able to accomplish on this Asia trip has been quite extraordinary. What we are hearing behind closed doors, this president applied a lot of pressure on the Chinese leadership.

There were two main issues that he was there to discuss. We are talking about trade and the structural trade imbalance with a Chinese that has been in place now for decades. It's going to be incredibly difficult to reverse. What the president is saying is I need to deal with structural trade imbalance, I'm going to do it via economic and trade policy tools.

INGRAHAM: He also turned up the heat, Monica, on North Korea and told the Chinese we need your help, we need real help, and we are not going to be patsies on the trade deal. We want to work with other nations. We want to trade with them. We want to have relationships -- the only country we can have a relationship with his Russia.

The Chinese communists are great, but the Russians are the worst. Every time someone says we should do more with China, I say, OK, then why should we work more with Russia?

CROWLEY: And to that point, Laura, what the president was able to do, and we'll see whether this really bears fruit. He coupled the North Korean cooperation on North Korea with the economic policies.

INGRAHAM: All right. Both of you we could talk forever about this, thank you so much for joining.

When we return, Jeff Sessions grilled on Capitol Hill today and a special counsel maybe appointed to investigate Hillary Clinton, really? Stay tuned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's it going to take if all that not to mention the dossier information, what's it going to take to actually get a special counsel?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: Welcome back. As we've been reporting, after years of rumors, comedian Louis C.K. has finally admitted to sexual misconduct. In the fall out C.K. was dropped from performing at John Stewart's annual Night of Too Many Stars. It's a charity event which benefits autism programs. Stewart, a longtime friend of C.K.'s was out promoting the event today. Throughout his entire career, remember, Louis C.K. told filthy, disgusting sexual jokes touching on his own proclivities, yet Jon Stewart offered this response when questioned on the "Today" show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TODAY"/NBC)

MATT LAUER, CO-HOST: What was the impact on you when you heard not only the accusations but his admission?

JON STEWART, COMEDIAN: Stunned, I think. You give your friends the benefit of the doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: You were stunned about the accusations and revelations, really Jon? I heard the man's act for three minutes and knew he was a total perv. Comedians joked about his habits for years, and rumors of his misdeeds have been reported since back in 2012. So I guess Mr. Daily Show wasn't as well-informed as we all thought. The only thing I can support is his autism fundraiser, which is great.

And as for Louis C.K., he was dealt another setback today. International distributors announced that they were joining their American counterparts in dropping distribution of his latest movie, "I Love You Daddy," which is another filthy thing, and I'm sure it will be available on his website so all the dirty old men who chase underage girls can have a good laugh. What a degenerate.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in the hot seat today testifying before the House Judiciary Committee. Republicans wanted to know why the Justice Department hasn't investigated Hillary Clinton's scandals. And as for the Democrats, surprise, surprise, they spent their time focusing on Mr. Sessions past statements about meetings with, wait for it, Russians, and his private conversations with President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF SESSIONS, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: You made statements that he did in fact at the meeting, I pushed back. I can't be put into a position where I can't explain. I'm not going to be able to answer if I can't answer it completely.

REP. TED LIEU, D-CALIF.: Did Donald Trump ever ask you to pledge an oath of loyalty to him?

SESSIONS: No.

LIEU: If Donald Trump were to ask you to pledge loyalty to him or take such an oath, would you do so?

SESSIONS: Well, I don't know what a pledge of loyalty oath is.

I met with the ambassador in my office with at least two of my staff, senior, respected patriots, colonels retired in the Army. And nothing improper occurred at all.

REP. ERIC SWALWELL, D-CALIF.: Once and for all can we answer the question?

SESSIONS: I am once and for all answering the question, Congressman. I don't understand why you won't take my answer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Joining us now for reaction is a member of that House Judiciary Committee Andy Biggs, a Republican from Arizona. I also think about what I would do if I was a member of Congress and I had to be at these hearings, Congressman. But this kind of took the cake. Jeff Sessions is sitting there and every five seconds from a Democrat, you are basically lying, Attorney General Sessions. You really met with the Russians and you're really part of the collusion. Give us a sense inside that room today.

REP. ANDY BIGGS, R-ARLIZ.: You're exactly right. So it showed the stark difference between the Republicans who were trying to get the attorney general to do something, about a special counsel to investigate, and the Democrats who are fixated on trying to paint him as some kind of lying colluder with Russia with no evidence. It's just amazing to me.

INGRAHAM: And by the way, we invited Sheila Jackson Lee on, but apparently she was involved in a late night briefing on the tax reform bill so maybe they're going to come all along with you guys on tax reform.

BIGGS: It could happen.

INGRAHAM: We invited a bunch of other Democrats because we wanted to have both sides on the show tonight. So I have to say that. Let's talk about that flash point today, and we'll play the sound bite. This is Congressman Jim Jordan who was on with us last night. I think this was probably the most interesting moment at today's hearing. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM JORDAN, R-OHIO: If you're now just considering it, what's it going to take to get a special counsel? We know that former FBI Director James Comey misled the American people in the Summer of 2016 when he called it the Clinton investigation a matter. Obviously investigation.

SESSIONS: It would take a factual basis that meets the standards of the appointment of a special counsel.

JORDAN: That's what it looks like, and I'm asking you, doesn't that warrant in addition to all the things we know about James Comey in 2016, doesn't that warrant naming a second special counsel?

SESSIONS: Looks like is not enough basis to appoint a special counsel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: What's your sense here? Are you on the special counsel bandwagon on this, because there's an argument against special counsel that I find fairly persuasive?

BIGGS: In this case I am because you've got an attorney general who has kind of left it away. He's stepped away from it. We have to get to the bottom of this. We know that there's conflicts of interests, all of that A.G.'s office. So we need a special prosecutor, a special counsel in my opinion. I think Jim is right. We've been waiting for a long time. Yesterday we get the notice saying we're considering it after months of asking.

INGRAHAM: Don't you think that looks like a tit for tat. You've got the Mueller investigation of Trump. It looks like to some people that President Trump is pressuring Congress to do a special counsel to go after Hillary and Clinton Foundation, Uranium One. And Jeff Sessions really isn't recused from anything involving Hillary Clinton. He's recused himself from anything involving the Russian investigation. But I think he's well within his right in this case to appoint a terrific prosecutor with a great team of assistant prosecutors to do this job. And then you won't have this sprawling investigation that goes on and on forever, frankly wastes the taxpayers' dollars, and I don't think it's necessary in this case. Sessions can just appoint a great prosecutor and do the real investigation. Why do you need a whole merry band of prosecutors to waste our money?

BIGGS: I think you're right in the sense that Jeff Sessions could, but look at who his chief deputies are. You've gone Rod Rosenstein, and you've got Andrew McCabe still in that office influencing things. And I think walking away today, I think many of us said I don't know if Attorney General Sessions believes he has the authority or if he doesn't have the authority.

And that's why we kept coming back to the same questions. So we want to get this investigated. If it doesn't take one, fine.

INGRAHAM: Congressman, it's great to see you, as always.

BIGGS: Thank you.

INGRAHAM: And for more analysis let's bring in two top legal experts, from Columbia, South Carolina, Sol Wisenberg who was Ken Starr's deputy in the investigations into Bill Clinton's scandals. And here in Washington, Joe DiGenova, former U.S. attorney in Washington D.C. All right, gentlemen, take it away. Let's talk first about the idea of a special counsel. Andy McCarthy at "National Review" I think makes a compelling case with in this issue of Uranium One, the Clinton Foundation, Hillary's emails, that a well-respected prosecutor could actually handle this case well. Joe?

JOE DIGENOVA, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Yes, clearly this does not require a special counsel. I agree with Andy 100 percent. And there's ample predicate, factual information for an investigation right now for a grand jury based on the Clinton Foundation, the $500,000 to the president during the consideration of Uranium One, $145 million to the Clinton Foundation. Everything involving all of the things you've listed, especially the email server involving Mrs. Clinton. There is no doubt that the standard Justice Department criminal division can handle this. There's no need for a special counsel.

And by the way, what I found fascinating about the attorney general's answers today was he said when there is a sufficient factual predicate for a special counsel. Guess what? There is no factual predicate for Robert Mueller. There's been no crime ever announced that he was investigating. So to me, if you were going to do a special counsel you can do it if you want to. I would give it to the criminal division in main Justice and let them run with it. There's plenty of predicate, lots of information.

INGRAHAM: Sol, with all your experience with Ken Starr's investigation, you know how these things start. They start as one thing, they become something much bigger. In the case, we don't have an independent counsel now, the statute has expired, but we can still appoint special counsels. In this case, with all the questions now about how they are trying to influence and stop witnesses from testifying before Congress, the shady dealings with the bribery and kickbacks involved with that Uranium One, I mean, uranium, 20 percent to the Russians, I think anyone off the street would say that was a crazy idea.

SOLOMON WISENBERG, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Let's focus on whether or not a special counsel would be appropriate, and I disagree with Joe on this. I think, first of all, the special counsel regulation is relatively vague. It says if there's a conflict of interest or extraordinary circumstances.

Here you have President Trump who has repeatedly called for his Justice Department to investigate this issue, and we are just talking about Uranium One here. I'm not talking about Fusion GPS, because I think that's already within Mueller bailiwick. But President Trump has said you need to investigate, you need to investigate. So on the one hand, if Sessions says I'm going to find somebody within DOJ to do it, the Democrats are going to cry foul and say this is outrageous, you're doing this for political reasons.

On the other hand, if Sessions takes a look at it and says I don't think there's anything there, the people on the right are going to scream and say that's because Rod Rosenstein is involved and he was U.S. attorney in Maryland when some of this stuff took place.

So I think there are extraordinary circumstances. You can have a lot of the stuff of running around about the Uranium One investigation. We don't know if it's true or not true. I think you appoint an honest broker who is special counsel who is well respected. It's by no means automatic that they'll expand it. Senator Danforth didn't expand his investigation into Waco, he kept it very limited.

I understand what you're saying, I understand what Joe was saying, these investigations can get out of hand.

INGRAHAM: It goes for years. Lawrence Walsh, how long did that go, Sol, seven years?

WISENBERG: That's true, but here the president like he has in so many situations unfortunately, by opening his mouth has made things much more difficult for Jeff Sessions.

INGRAHAM: It's better for him to hang back. I agree with that. I think we all probably agree with that it's better for the president not to comment on ongoing investigations in general. Joe, do you agree was back?

DIGENOVA: Yes, that would be good. By the way, if Jeff Sessions wants to appoint a special counsel, it's OK with me. My point is very simple. The Uranium One, the Clinton Foundation, all the kickbacks require an investigation. There is now existing a sufficient predicate for a federal grand jury. There has been one for more than four years. I don't give who investigates it. It needs to be investigated.

INGRAHAM: Great to have you both on, Sol and Joe, thanks so much. When we come back, ICE agents are now up in arms. Why they say Obama era holdovers are causing havoc and even putting agents lives at risk, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: Welcome back. In a surprising move, the union that represents ICE officers has launched a new website claiming that President Trump has, quote, betrayed them. The National ICE Council endorsed Donald Trump in the 2016 election, but the group is now upset that the Trump administration has been really slow to reverse the policies of the Obama years.

A post on the web site reads in part, quote, "While officers view the president's position on enforcement as courageous, the Trump administration has left all of the Obama managers and leadership in place. Tensions are on the rise between Trump's army and Obama holdovers."

So joining us now for reaction, from Orland David Ward, a board member of the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers, and here in Washington, Stephen Dinan, a reporter with The Washington Times who wrote about this today.

Stephen, this is odd, but it's something we've heard about in other departments. What is the percentage of Obama holdovers still working with Immigrations Customs Enforcement?

STEPHEN DINAN, THE WASHINGTON TIMES: So the ICE council didn't say the number, and they actually didn't even name names. They left it vague for now, but they went through a number of different issues. The website is actually fascinating. Not only does it give this sort of overall sense with the Obama holdovers, it gives it a whole bunch of different specific examples of where those are having an effect, including an incident in Philadelphia where an ICE officer who went into a very bad neighborhood in Philadelphia, we're told they had to remove their bulletproof vest to go make an arrest because it would offend the community where they were going into.

INGRAHAM: It offends them, David, it offends the ICE officers, does it not, when they get shot because they are not wearing a bulletproof vest for fear that it will offend I guess one of the illegal immigrants. What are we talking about here? This is insanity.

DAVID WARD, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FORMER BORDER PATROL OFFICERS: It is insanity. We've lost over 162 immigration agents killed in the line of duty. And for a manager to come up with an order such as that to take off their bulletproof vests because they are going into a neighborhood is absolutely insane. In fact that manager and those people involved in that should be removed from their office for incompetency.

INGRAHAM: And do we have any idea, David, how many Obama holdovers are clogging the administration here at the immigrations customs enforcement? The website is very fuzzy on this. We don't know how many. Is it 12, is it 500? What are we talking about?

WARD: The Trump administration has been in office for 11 months now, and the swamp is pretty big and it is vast within the federal government, so it's going to take time to weed out those that are sworn to their office as the oath that they took, those that have sworn to the globalism which brought us sanctuary cities and lack of enforcement of title eight. It's going to take a wild to weed those people out.

INGRAHAM: Stephen, let's talk about how the priorities of president Trump and Obama do differ. Whether you have the right people in place, that's infuriating, but I remember the ICE officers during Obama's two terms, the morale was horribly low because they wanted to do their jobs and they were held back.

DINAN: Yes, and there's no question, in fact I think there is not a single department and probably not a single agency other than ICE where there has been as big a change in the culture between the Obama administration and the Trump administration.

We actually did calculations. Under the Obama administration upwards of 80 percent of illegal immigrants were put out-of-bounds for deportation because of the priorities that the administration, the previous administration set out. Now the number is probably closer to only about a million, basically DACA recipients are the folks who are put completely out of bounds, and the rest of the 11 million illegal immigrants are at least potential targets for deportation.

It's made a huge difference for those ICE officers they've talked about. And they will admit, they are thrilled with that overall direction that they are getting from President Trump. The issue is the actual specific decisions such as the Philadelphia one we talked about, and there's a case out of Utah where they are told they have to give a heads up before they go into the community, in some cases seven days heads up before they go out to make arrests. Lo and behold, when they finally get there, the illegal immigrants they are targeting have been tipped off and have basically fled. So those are the sorts of specifics that they would like to get cleaned up. But they absolutely appreciate the difference in the top-down direction.

INGRAHAM: David, I remember a couple of years back when the border patrol, different from the ICE officers, but the border patrol under Obama were told that they couldn't shoot at a vehicle that was attempting to run them down. That was one of the other crazy things. And again, here they are, they don't make a lot of money. They are trying to do their job, it's very dangerous. And oftentimes they are in very remote areas. But in other cases they are being targeted by the illegal immigrants who are trying to get into the country, because they are all valedictorians, I know that, but they're trying to get into the country, and I guess these ICE officers have to jump out of the way and hope for the best.

WARD: Under the eight years of the previous administration, the immigration force became probably the most dysfunctional I've seen in 34 years in working for the agency enforcing immigration law.

When Trump came into office, the apprehension rate went up 37 percent in the first four months by these agents being allowed to do their jobs that they took an oath to do. And now we need to get the managers in there that are going to back these men up under the same guidelines by standing up for the oath that they took and follow the law. Title eight is very clear. Trump has been criticized about creating things when in fact he hasn't.

It's the immigration law that has been on the books from day one. The Democrats, the previous administration refused to go by it. Jeh Johnson was loath to even read the book let alone let the guys go out and do their jobs. So we have an administration now I would say that it's going to take time a little bit of time to clean out the swamp like we're trying to do. But another thing, he is faced with the obstruction of Congress and the Senate on getting his appointees into office.

INGRAHAM: Stephen, we are out of time on that, but he has to get his people in place. He's not going to eliminate all the positions. He has to get his people in place. He's being undercut, by the way, at that climate event --

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

INGRAHAM: Before we go tonight, a quick reminder, check out my new book "Billionaire at the Barricades," because I take you through the immigration wars of the past 25 years between the populists and the old establishment. And as you just heard in our previous blog, we are still fighting those same battles today, amazing.

That is it for us tonight. Shannon bream and the "Fox News @ Night" team takes things from here.



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This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," November 16, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: All right, Tucker. Thank you so much. Welcome to "Hannity." Major breaking news tonight, Democratic Senator Al Franken accused of sexual misconduct by one woman and harassment by another. These allegations are so bad that the liberal outlet Slate Magazine tonight is calling for the senator to resign.

Tonight you will hear from Senator Franken's accusers. And if you were shocked or even surprised by these allegations, you shouldn't be. Because Senator Franken has a long history of very vile and repulsive behavior. Now, we're going to give you the information I promise you won't see anywhere else tonight about Senator Al Franken including how he joked about drugging and raping women.

Now these new accusations are part of a pattern that we have evidence tonight. We will expose it in tonight's breaking news opening monologue.

All right. In the case of Senator Al Franken, here is what we have. He admitted to some of it and we have irrefutable photographic evidence. Let me explain. Actress, model, radio host Leanne Tweeden, who has been on this program many times came, forward today with stunning allegations against Democratic Senator Al Franken, that he is now admitting too and he is now apologizing for.

Now, according to Tweeden, during a 2006 USO tour in Afghanistan, then-citizen Al Franken had written a skit where he kissed Tweeden and Franken demanded that they quote, "rehearse it back stage." After Tweeden refused, she described what allegedly happens next at a press conference earlier today. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEANNE TWEEDEN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: He just put his hand on the back of my head. And he mashed his face against -- I mean, it happened so fast. He mashed his lips on my face and he stuck his tongue in my mouth so fast. And all I could remember is that, his lips were really wet and it slimy. In my mind I called him fish lips the rest of the trip because that's just what it reminded me off, I don't know why. And he stuck his tongue down my mouth. And I remember I pushed him off with my hands. And I just remember -- I almost punched him. So, because every time I think of him now like my hands clinch on the fist and I'm sure, that's probably why. And I said, "If you ever do that to me again, I am not going to be nice about it at the second time."

I was violated. I just felt like, you know, he betrayed my thrust and obviously that is not what I wanted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And it gets worst from there. Look at this photo. While leaving from Afghanistan, Tweeden fell asleep and Franken proceeded as you can see there to grope her. Now Tweeden says that she didn't even know what happened until after she got home and looked at the pictures of this trip.

Now Tweeden further detailed the incident at a news conference earlier today. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TWEEDEN: There's photo of Al doing his, you know, this on my breasts like looking at the camera just kind of like smirking and smiling like, "Hey, look at me."

He just thought he could get away with it and that it was OK and that it was funny.

Nothing like that is ever funny. I mean, is it funny if he does that to your sister or your daughter or your wife?

In context of already assaulting me backstage and all the little petty things he was doing to belittle me and how he treated me and sort of, you know, in succession and then it ended with that.

Look, I was afraid to speak out 11 years ago. I wanted to say something and there are people around me who said, oh my God, you will get annihilated and you will never work in this town again and I was afraid of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And this afternoon, Leanne Tweeden did an interview and she got very emotional. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CNN)

TWEEDEN: It's not a feel good thing. And I still feel sort of embarrassed about it.

You know, you're always -- and I want to be cliche but you know, you talk about trying to leave the world a better place for your kids, you know? Sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing to be sorry about.

TWEEDEN: I don't think I was going to do that. But you know, you do, you want to live, you know, you try to set an example for your children, right? You want to leave the world a better place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, I also interviewed Leanne Tweeden on my radio show earlier today, listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: What do you think should happen? I know they were trying to pressure you in the press conference. Does something like that warrant -- does he belong in the Senate?

TWEEDEN: You know, I'm not calling for him to step down. That is not why I came out with this, I just want other people -- there might be other girls that he did this to. And obviously, you have one on the phone right now that's talking with me and there might others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Al Franken did issue a statement apologizing for the photo but claims to not remember the backstage kissing incident. It reads in part, quote, "I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture and it doesn't matter. There's no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn't funny. It's completely inappropriate."

Now Franken is also agreeing to a Senate ethics investigation which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for and then Democrats like Chuck Schumer, Clair McCaskill quickly supported because they have no choice. An ethics investigation in my mind takes too long and by the way, is it a delay tactic? It's also funny how some Republicans are giving Franken, well, are they giving him a pass by only calling for an investigation? Leanne Tweeden is also weighing in and saying, it should go even further than that by having an outside investigation into this senator's inexcusable actions.

Now what Franken has admitted too, which we have photographic evidence right there, and what he was accused of doing is pretty downright creepy. But sadly, it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Al Franken. Things you probably won't hear on any other show.

For example, on the Senate floor in 2010, Senator Franken described his USO trips and call Leanne Tweeden beautiful. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. AL FRANKEN, D-MINN.: I was kind of a co-host with a beautiful woman named Leeann Tweeden and we'd do comedy routines and introduce the music and introduce the cheerleaders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now Franken is also being accused of harassing a second woman, Melanie Morgan, a radio TV personality. Also the co-founder of the website Media Equalizer. Morgan is alleging it back in 2000 while appearing with Franken on Bill Maher's show on ABC "Politically Incorrect," the two had a heated debate on camera which then continued backstage. According to Melanie Morgan, Franken then got her phone number from one of the show's producers and called her three separate times, she said harassing her, until Morgan threatened to call the police.

Now, I interviewed Melanie Morgan about these accusations of harassment on my radio show earlier today. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Melanie, what are people to think when we don't have a picture like in the case of Leanne? How do people sort through and get to the truth?

MELANIE MORGAN, CO-FOUNDER, MEDIA EQUALIZER: That is a great question. And it's one as a journalist of over 30 years of experience, I wrestle with every single day. You know, you have to take these instances and these testimonials by different women -- and it's usually women, although in Hollywood as we've learned, sometimes it's men -- and you have to look at the whole content in which these allegations are made.

You know, I wanted to give Judge Roy Moore the benefit of the doubt because it was 40 years ago that he was accused of doing some inappropriate things. I think that people of Alabama are definitely going to make a judgment on what they think is true and what is not true. I can only speak to the truth that I experienced which was a very aggressive and almost obsessive behavior that Senator Al Franken displayed towards me when he was a writer and performer on "Politically Incorrect" with Bill Maher.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, like in the case of Senate candidate Roy Moore, these are all very serious allegations that needs to be fully investigated in this case by the Senate's Ethics Committee. And to be fair, we did reach out to Senator Franken. We did invite him on the show to tell his side of the story. You just heard part of my radio interviews with Leanne Tweeden and Melanie Morgan. Now, we also invited those that had accused Roy Moore on this program. We will also reached out to Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, so far they didn't get back to us. No comment.

Now, when it comes to Senator Al Franken here is what you probably haven't heard. He has a long history of making all kinds of vicious, vile, completely out of line comments. He is also a massive hypocrite when it comes to sexual harassment.

For example, in 1995, he was working on "Saturday Night Live" on a quote "skit" where he suggested drugging and raping Leslie Stahl from "60 Minutes." He said at the time, quote, "I give the pills to Leslie Stahl then when Leslie's passed out I take her to the closet and rape her. And that's why you never see Leslie until February. Or when she passes out I put her in various positions and take pictures of her."

What kind of a person is making jokes about drugging and raping women?

Then in 2000, Al Franken wrote a, quote, So called "satirical article" for Playboy magazine with the headline "Porn-o-Rama!" Most of it is too vulgar to read on TV. But impart, one part in particular, Franken wrote, "I'm talking about the internet which is a terrific learning tool. For example, a couple of years ago, when he was 12, my son used the internet for a sixth grade report on bestiality." And then the article, Franken goes onto fantasize about a machine that would perform oral sex on him.

And it gets worse. In 2008, when Franken was running for Senate, he was forced to apologize for what he wrote in Playboy and his crude in appalling comments about Leslie Stahl. But in his new book, Franklin actually said that he faked those apologies in order to win votes. His own words. He writes, "To say I was sorry for writing a joke was to sell out my career, to sell out who I've been in my entire life. And I wasn't sorry that I had written Porn-o-Rama or pitched that stupid Leslie Stahl joke at 2 in the morning. I was just doing my job."

So I guess based on his own words from this point forward, we can only assume that any apology from "Senator Grope," it will only be lies in order to win votes in the future.

Examples of Franken's despicable behavior don't end there. During a Friars Club roast of Rob Reiner, Franken made jokes about infant rape. How sick do you have to be to make jokes about raping babies?

Then you have Senator Franken explaining how he considered calling Republicans, quote, "gay" when they didn't attend a hearing on an LBGT bill. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: We had a bill called -- to you know, end discrimination in employment. Employment non-discrimination act. So, no Republican showed up for the hearing which I had never seen before. I had been there for four or five months. And this is the first hearing I had been in where a whole party just didn't show up. So, I am sort of last in line. And I think of saying, like, "I think it's a shame that none of the gay members of the committee showed up. "

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, that's what the devil on one side says?

FRANKEN: Well that's the -- the devil was saying, "Tell the joke! It will kill!"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: To top it all off, there is this photo from 2000 of Al Franken actually again groping Joy Behar on the red carpet. Now maybe they thought it was funny but it makes a lot of people uncomfortable, especially in light of the photo we saw Leanne Tweeden. It looks repulsive. He doesn't even try to hide it. Two cases he's literally posing for the camera. It makes you wonder, are there other photos of Franken doing the same thing?

Just to recap, quickly. Franken is accused of groping and kissing a woman, accused of harassing another, he's made comments about drugging and raping women, and he's also homophobic clearly.

And it doesn't end there. Senator Al Franken is also a hypocrite when it comes to women speaking out about sexual abuse. Just take a look at some of his tweets. Well, "We must address sexual harassment. Reforming arbitration laws will insure survivors can seek justice in court. Thanks to courageous people who have shared #metoo stories including Senator Heitkamp and Senator Hirono and Senator Claire McCaskill and Senator Warren."Now, Franken also praised the women who exposed Harvey Weinstein. It's kind of hypocritical.

Think about this for a second. Just one second tonight. That picture of Leeann Tweeden -- just for one second. You see that got released today. Imagine it was showing a Republican. Imagine the President Trump was in that picture. How would the media act on the issue tonight? They would be the apoplectic. They would be the biggest news story of the year. They would be breathlessly condemning the incident, demanding that person resign immediately not just calling for an ethics committee hearing.

Tonight, Senator Al Franken, well, he should be ashamed as he said he is because it is repulsive. Leanne Tweeden is asleep.

We have to ask again, given this information, everything we now know now considering everyone's raising question who is fit for this office and who is fit for that office, is Senator Franken fit for office?

Now Senator Franken clearly is a pretty sick twisted individual with a warped sense of humor in his own mind that really isn't funny but his actions do need to be evaluated. At the end of the day, it will be the people and his home state that decide. And what's really shocking, what's really outrageous, is that Senator Franken is not alone when it comes to accusations of sexual misconduct against members of Congress.

According to a new office compliance numbers that were release today since 1997, 15 million of your taxpayer dollars have been used to settle allegations of sexual misconduct, discrimination and other cases against members of Congress. Why don't they pay themselves? In other words, you're subsidizing their behavior and for years it's been kept secret even though there have been 264 cases settled.

Now there are also reports about what is being called the Capitol Hill creep list which helps warn people about which members of Congress and congressional employees to avoid.

And finally tonight, a quick update on the Clinton's day of reckoning. For years, we have been shedding a light on the allegations of sexual misconduct by Bill Clinton and how Hillary smeared all of those accusers and all of their friends did -- they smeared, slandered, besmirched. We went into great detail last night in our opening monologue. We broke it down on all of its detail. We encourage you if you didn't see it, go back, you may want to see it.

So now after nearly 30 years of covering for Bill Clinton, now the media is finally realizing, "Oh, wait a second, Bill Clinton, we kind of enabled him, he is a sexual predator."

Take a look at some of these headlines. One from Vox. It says, "Bill Clinton should have resigned: What he did to Monica Lewinsky was wrong and he should have paid the price." The New York Times even says, "What about Bill? Sexual misconduct debate revives questions about Clinton."

We have to ask what took everyone in the liberal mainstream media so long. Is it because they're Democrats and they like their policies? It's time they all come forward. They enabled that abusive predatory behavior for decades. And by the way, as a result many women suffered.

We have a lot more to come tonight.

Coming up, reaction to this monologue. Also, we have some on the left turning on the Clinton's. And later, fake news, CNN, you will not going to believe what they have done. They have so out done themselves. I will explain this incredibly idiotic story that they call news. You won't want to miss this tape. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: I want to say one thing to the American people. I want to you listen to me. I am going to say this again. I did not have sexual relations with that woman. Ms. Lewinsky.

Indeed I did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky, that was not appropriate. In fact it was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on my part for which I'm solely and completely responsible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: That was President Bill Clinton's infamous lie about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. For years, we have been shining a light on the allegations of sexual misconduct by President Clinton and again, liberals have given him a pass for nearly 30 years.

The women that have been involved smeared, slandered, besmirched, thrown down the stairs, bimbo eruptions. We have left wing comedian Chelsea Handler actually tweeted an apology last night to Juanita Broaddrick for not knowing her story. Handler's tweet read in part, quote, "You're right I apologize to you for not knowing your story. Democrats along with the Republicans and the rest world's political parties all need to do a better and respect the first-hand accounts of victims. I believe you."

Joining us with reaction to my opening monologue and more. Fox News contributors Tomi Lahren, Jessica Tarlov, I call him "Senator Grope." I mean, he is grabbing a sleeping women's breasts. This isn't an allegation. It's not he said and she said. We have the evidence.

JESSICA TARLOV, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. We do have the evidence. Irrefutable as you said in your opening monologue as well. Democrats are swift to condemn it. I actually haven't seen anyone defend it, including Senator Franken himself and he even called the foreign investigations into his own actions. Think he acted pretty responsibly considering the irresponsible actions that sets this all off.

And most importantly we need to consider the facts that we are officially in the territory of no partisan affiliation with this. We have gross guys on both sides of the isle. And we shouldn't be making any arguments on the basis of who we would like to see in office.

HANNITY: It's interesting. In the case of the Roy Moore situation, I said the same thing. If true it's despicable. If true it's disgusting. I did a hard interview with him. A lot of people, you know, praised me for the interview. And I said, you have to answer these questions. At the end of the day it's going to be the people of Minnesota and the people of Alabama.

TARLOV: Absolutely. I think the real difference here where you look at what Al Franken and how he is responding and you look at a Roy Moore, you even look at what happened when Donald Trump was accused of sexual assault. And there has been --

HANNITY: By the way, in the case of Donald Trump, I interviewed most of those women in The New York Times, they all said it was false. One after another.

TARLOV: They all said I accused him of this and I take it back, it never happened.

HANNITY: No, they came on this program. Go back and look at that article. I brought many of them on this show and they all said, they were taken out of context purposely by the New York Times.

TARLOV: Well, either, I know that -- still moving forward. Either way there is a proper way to deal with these allegations. Whether you think that --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: -- that was Donald Trump, that picture.

TARLOV: Well, he would still be president. People heard the Access Hollywood tape. And you said in your opening monologue, what would the media be doing if this was --

HANNITY: Here is my question.

TARLOV: The media went crazy when it was Donald Trump.

HANNITY: Didn't the media and liberals in this country protect the Clintons for 30 years?

TARLOV: I haven't been alive and -- that long. It would appear that way, yes. And there are a lot interesting points --

HANNITY: More than it appears, they did.

TARLOV: No. But this is also being led by younger generation. I think that point is important.

(CROSSTALK)

No. And I think that that's important. There are people who did not grow up with the Clintons. They were not paying attention.

HANNITY: Okay. But we know they got a pass even in 2016.

TARLOV: They got a pass, she's lost the election.

HANNITY: Well, no, they got a pass because she took money from countries that abused women, killed gays and lesbians, persecuted Christians and Jews and nobody wanted to hear when that second debate happened. And Juanita and Paula and Kathleen were there, Tammy.

TOMI LAHREN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, and this goes beyond Bill Clinton. It goes to Hillary as well. And I know that the liberals hate it when we still talk about Hillary. But it's important when we go all the way back to Bill and then we follow through Hillary. She just ran for president on the whole women card, the whole female empowerment. Hillary is just as responsible as Bill was. As you've mentioned, bimbo eruptions squad, come on!

TARLOV: Tomi, if Bill Clinton raped Juanita Broaddrick, I don't know how you can say that Hillary Clinton is just as responsible as Bill Clinton. I think about what you're saying here. I understand you want to say, she enables --

LAHREN: Isn't she an enabler? Jessica, won't make her an enabler? If you have a bimbo eruption --

(CROSSTALK)

TARLOV: Rape and enabling.

LAHREN: -- you work to blackmail and discredit the accusers, are you not also responsible?

TARLOV: There is responsibility and then there is raping someone. They are completely different. You are conflating to a very different things that I don't think that anyone --

HANNITY: I just got some breaking news. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is now saying, Bill Clinton should have resigned over the Lewinsky affair.

LAHREN: And here is the point I made last night. I think you know more about the Clinton's. You know Doug Schoen very well. I do.

HANNITY: But the reality is, you have Kathleen Willey. I took the time and I went to interview them. The second interview that Juanita gave first to Lisa Meyers and me. And nobody wanted to pay attention in the media. In this campaign it was brought up. Hillary, it's old news. Is it really when you say you're the woman's champion of the world? You take money from countries that abuse women. She's never said that, she said, women have a right to be believed but she never commented on the women that accused her husband. Is that hypocritical on her part?

TARLOV: Yes. It is. And she suffered for it. I mean, if you look at the female turn out for her. If you look at even what happened in the Democratic primaries where Bernie Sanders won 18 to 29 year olds. And I believe within 80 percent of the context by six to one ratio. You know that she was hurt by her brand of feminism. And a lot of thing that she was saying did not ring true to people.

Again, I'm going back to what Tomi just said. It's really a separate issue to have been the wife of someone who is accused of rape and to have actually raped someone. I think that Clintons were certainly --

HANNITY: You never saw an interview with Juanita Broaddrick.

TARLOV: I did. I actually did on the network last week.

HANNITY: Did you believe her?

TARLOV: It's certainly a compelling story. I brought a lot of accounts on this.

HANNITY: Do you believe Kathleen Willey?

TARLOV: If you believe that every woman should have the right to --

HANNITY: Gennifer Flowers was thrown down the stairs on "60 Minutes" in '92 and turned out Bill Clinton had to admit he had an affair with Gennifer Flowers.

TARLOV: Yes. I mean, he obviously had an affair with this woman. I understand how serious these accusations are. If we are going to be the party of women --

HANNITY: But Kathleen Willey, Paula Jones and Juanita were not, that was not consensual. All three of them. All right. Tomi, let's bring you in.

LAHREN: Well, of course it wasn't consensual. And now look at this staff, we go back and we look at it. You have to set a precedent, and the precedent was Bill and everyone was looking at a way when it was Bill. And then all of a sudden when there are Republicans, now the wives being shown on them, of course we're still talking about Donald Trump. We're talking about an "Access Hollywood tape."

Meanwhile, we have discussing pictures right in front of us. Why are we still going back to Donald Trump, I don't understand when we should be talking about the President setter which was Bill Clinton, which was Hillary Clinton. I am still going to stick to that. Hillary was a part of this. She covered up for Bill. The mainstream media covered up for them - -

TARLOV: Tomi, if you're going by a time line I believe Roy Moore was allegedly assaulting 14-year-olds before Bill Clinton was doing --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: One at a time. Hang on. Tomi, I will give you a chance to answer. Go ahead.

LAHREN: We didn't know about Roy Moore until two weeks ago. It might have happened long, long ago. But how long have we known about Bill? How long have we known this? And how long has the mainstream media shielded him, shielded Hillary, still said, I'm with her. Female empowerment, first, female president, I'm sorry I didn't want that as my first female president. Someone that had a bimbo eruption squad and were to discredit Bill accusers. I'm not with her. But still you stood by her, you are with her. Where were you? Where were the feminists, Jessica? Where were you?

TARLOV: They were sitting right here in this chair, they were sitting all over the country supporting a woman who was advocating agenda that would have made women's lives in this country better by raising the minimum wage. By getting quality affordable healthcare. I totally --

HANNITY: But wait, I got to jump in. She took money from countries where women --

TARLOV: The State Department --

HANNITY: Excuse me. She took millions of dollars from countries where her foundation that abuse women. Women are told how to dress. They can't travel without a male permission. They can't vote in some of these countries. Marital rape is legal in some of these countries. Domestic abuse is legal in some of these countries. She took millions from most countries. Jessica, you wouldn't take a dime from people that have those beliefs, would you?

TARLOV: Well, I don't work in that kind of business.

HANNITY: I didn't say that. If you have the chance --

TARLOV: No. You're also talking that. When she was in the State Department --

HANNITY: No, I'm talking about, the Clinton Foundation.

TARLOV: No. Her husband's foundation --

HANNITY: Excuse me. Would you take --

TARLOV: Donald Trump has business in those countries.

HANNITY: Would you take money from countries that abused women, killed gays and lesbians for who they are and persecute Christians and Jews? Would you?

TARLOV: No there are better countries to take money from. But Donald Trump has businesses operating in these countries as well as Jared Kushner.

HANNITY: Lahren?

LAHREN: It is amazing how we're back to Donald Trump. We really cannot stay on the Clintons, we can't talk about Hillary. Because it always goes back to Trump. Well, he has businesses --

TARLOV: It's the only thing you talk about, Tomi.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Let me ask you both a really tough question. We have about 20 seconds each. Tomi, let's start with you. What do you do in these cases when it's he said, she said. And then it becomes he said versus she said, she said, she said. How do people -- I think it's important for people to know truth. How do you get to the truth?

LAHREN: I don't know how you get to the truth. But I am hoping if there is a silver lining on all of these is that the young women either side of the political divide will find the courage to speak up and not wait 20 years. I think moving forward, that's going to be the best solution. So, if you have an issue or a problem, someone touched you, you don't want to be touched, say something as it's happening because we are in a climate right now where you have the opportunity to stand up. And so, I would hope that women across the board would be able and empowered enough to do that.

HANNITY: Jessica. Twenty seconds.

TARLOV: I agree with. Women in this country are having a moment. And I think it's incredibly important or people who are interested in hearing our stories. And I would also add that there are a lot of industries that are not being paid attention too. We happen to work in media. And media and politics are shiny and bright and people would pay attention to that.

HANNITY: Hollywood, the music industry, the casting couch.

TARLOV: Absolutely. There are countless people who are working in fast food restaurants were getting harassed every day who are, you know, working in homes and not being treated properly.

HANNITY: Understood.

TARLOV: So, speak up and use whatever platform you can.

HANNITY: Thank you both for being with us. I appreciate it.

TARLOV: Thanks a lot, Sean.

HANNITY: Thank you, Tomi.

All right. When we come back, Hillary Clinton is feeling the heat. She is lashing out at the possibility. We have breaking news tonight, special counsel to investigate her corrupt Uranium One deal. Sebastian Gorka, Peter Schweizer are here.

Also, later, we'll show you the most insane fake news report from CNN in their history. And that says a lot. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: The Uranium One story has been debunked count less time. It's a false charge that the Trump administration is trying to drum up in order to avoid attention being directed to them. This is such an abuse of power. It goes right to the rule of law. If they sent a signal that we're going to be like some dictatorship, some authoritarian regime were political opponents are going to be unfairly, fraudulently investigated, that rips at the fabric at the contract we have, that we can trust our justice system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Really. Hillary talking about the rule of law and a possibility that a special counsel to investigate her role, and that whole corrupt Uranium One deal. She is obviously getting nervous. Here more with reaction, author of the bestselling book "Clinton Cash." Really? We're getting a lecture on the rule of law? I watch people now assail you even the Trump crowd is now trying to come to the defense I noticed of Hillary Clinton. I want to give you a chance to explain to people all of the connections here. I will hand it to you.

PETER SCHWEIZER, "CLINTON CASH," AUTHOR: Thank you, Sean. Look, this is a story that begins in 2005. Bill and Hillary Clinton helped Frank Giustra, a Canadian investor get very, very rich, and uranium deposits in Kazakhstan from a Kazakhs government. And we now have a video deposition from the Kazakhs uranium minister at the time, going through detail how they were extorted by then Senator Hillary Clinton to grant those concessions to Frank Giustra. She was on the services committee and she wouldn't meet with Kazakhs officials. Her committee had responsibility of the distribution of funds for them. She made it clear no uranium for Giustra. You are not going to get your support from the federal government. After Giustra got the uranium deposits he sent $30 million to the Clinton foundation.

HANNITY: What is the time line on that?

SCHWEIZER: Yes. That is 2005, that is when the deal happens. Within two months he sends the first $30 million to the Clinton foundation. 2007 they do what was called a reverse merger. They take those Kazakhs assets and put them in a company called Uranium One. They acquire uranium assets in the United States. In 2010 the Russian government said we want to buy Uranium One. That triggers the federal approval of the United States as the U.S. federal government and the state department is considering that deal, the chairman of Uranium One sends $2.35 million to the Clinton foundation, to a private foundation. It was never disclosed. It was only discovered by going through Canadian tax records. Bill Clinton gives a half million dollar speech. That is going through for approval to a company in Russia that is involved financially with Uranium One. The ties and the deals go on and on. Sean, it's about to get more interesting, because we know some details about this lobbyist. This source coming forward.

His name is William Campbell who lives in Florida, he was with Cassidy and associates a big lobbying firms in D.C. were he lobbied on Russian interests from 2007 to 2008. Then he started his own firm and was paid $50,000 a month by the Russians for lobbying. His contract was "to improve the media and political environment in the U.S. in respect to the surprise of the Russian uranium products" and "to set up meetings with U.S. administration officials, members of congress and other key opinion elite and Russian government officials." This is a very inside guy coming forward, a whistle blower.

HANNITY: We had Putin bad actors in the United States. Mueller was the FBI Director. Eric Holder was one of the nine signing off on the deal. Committee. Then you have bribery extortion, kickbacks, money laundering, and racketeering. Mueller had to know. A FBI informant. Four years informant, then he got tapes, documents, e-mails firsthand account. Putin was using, breaking all of the laws to get a foothold in the uranium market they knew in 2009.

SCHWEIZER: You're right, Sean. In fact the purchase of Uranium One was announced by Vladimir Putin himself. It was reported in the Moscow Times. Which was an English language publication in Moscow. He personally released the funds to purchase Uranium One in the United States. The argument the Clinton defenders use is other government agencies that were involved in the process, she didn't do it by herself. From the stand point of bribery, that is irrelevant.

If you're a Congressman on a committee and the committee votes unanimously for something, but you got paid to vote for that, it doesn't matter what your colleagues did. You committed bribery and this needs to be investigated.

HANNITY: All right. Peter, we will stay in on this. And by the way the FBI informant, we are just talking about, his name was revealed today, we have John Solomon and Sarah Carter coming, thank you Peter. Here now with reaction to all of that. Fox news national security strategist, former deputy assistant to the president, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Dr. Gorka you respond to that we import uranium into the country. We now these things were happening and Putin built a network in the United States, why anyone would allow a foreign entity to have interest in uranium. We need more and have to import it. It never made sense, did it?

SEBASTIAN GORKA, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIST: Not at all. Not only do we need it. There is legislation that is active today that says America should be absolutely self-sufficient on uranium. It's a strategic asset and we must not rely upon anyone else. Hillary Clinton, as the chairman, the chairman of that committee approved this deal. The question is how far up the chain does this go. Does it go to President Obama as well? If you look at the statements from Hillary the last 48 hours. To quote, the lady does protest too much. The heat is on. Finally we have a chance. I know Fox viewers had been very, very cynical. That these people are Teflon coated and they never paid the price for their crime. But it seems that finally, under Trump administration, this rampant criminal cartel which goes by the name of Clinton will finally see some form of justice in the near future.

HANNITY: Let me dovetail to the issue of "Senator Grope," Al Franken and that disgusting picture. Your thoughts.

GORKA: If, you know, someone said to me tonight, you know poor Judge Moore all he has to do is change ticket and become a Democrat. Then he would be Teflon coated as well. At the end of the day this things are outrageous. The fact that the left seems to have double standard on the issues. Only Republicans get in trouble for these kinds of behaviors. These are all inexcusable. Any kind of sexual act of this nature. Whether it is an assault or something that shames a woman afterwards. Taking a photograph while they are asleep, a sexual nature. Al Franken, I don't want to see, not just the GOP. I want to see the Democrat Senators to call for Al Franken's removal, resignation and recall.

HANNITY: When you talk about a double standard all the years Democrats have bent over backwards, they had thread every need and skated every razor's edge so they could defend the Clinton's. There was in this sense, we knew there was collusion when Hillary stole the primary from Bernie. We knew there was media collusion to help Hillary to win. And that was proven. We knew that, via WikiLeaks. Here we are 30 years later. They did all the way up and through until last year's election. We have to wonder how do they hold the mantle in their minds when it's not accurate they're for women rights, gay and lesbian rights, freedom of religion. She takes money from those other countries. No word from Hillary today. Had a hit squad going out, there bimbo eruptions smearing all those women that did speak out. Your thoughts.

GORKA: They preach one thing and they do the opposite. Democrats are to be the Party of sexual quality, trans rights, protecting the victim. What do we find? The exact opposite. It's a good rule of thumb they accuse someone else of doing something, they are probably doing it themselves. But the interesting thing Sean, look at the article in The New York Times just two days ago. Calling Bill Clinton out for being a sexual predator. It looks as if Hillary and Bill are no longer relevant to the DNC. They will be thrown under the bus. It took 30 years, but it might be happening.

HANNITY: Dr. Gorka, thank you for being with us. When we come back you have heard about the FBI informant. The news media have now outed him. John Solomon and Sarah Carter is up next. You will see one of the most ridiculous reports on fake news CNN, you don't want to miss this straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity" as we reported last night, the Hill John Solomon out with another huge massive bomb shell story on the FBI's investigation and to Hillary Clinton's private email server. According to this report deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe issued an e-mail declaring the Clinton investigation has been given "a special status" and handled by a small team of high ranking FBI officials. There is more tonight on the Russian bribery case. Reuters now has released the name of the FBI informant. One that had the NDA lifted. John is also reporting that tonight the Democratic Senator from the state of California Dianne Feinstein wants to speak with him.

Joining us now, The Hill's John Solomon along with investigative reporter, Sarah Carter. I don't know where to begin. The fact that this informant's name was released. That is troublesome to me, but more troublesome, I will let you both address this. John, first, more troublesome is the fact their Justice Department is leaking, he doesn't have information when I know that is a lie.

JOHN SOLOMON, THE HILL: Yes, are you right, Sean. We have seen the Attorney General Jeff Sessions try to say there was no connection between Uranium One and the Russian bribery case. We have seen the Deputy General say that. Now we saw two anonymous officials saying that. That what we say back to that is people should tune into the hill next week. We will show people the real FBI documents that the FBI learned in real time about the Russian bribery case and the connection to the Uranium One. There will be no doubt about it, when the documents are put into the public domain.

HANNITY: You guys are going to be Woodward and Bernstein by the time this is all over. Sarah, let me get your take on this. You know who the FBI informant is. You both know. You have both talked to him. We know who the attorney is. How extensive, they're trying to down play what he has. How extensive is it and what do you think of the release of his name.

SARAH CARTER, CIRCA NEWS: Well, I know he is very concerned about the release of his name. He didn't authorize that. He was contacted by the reporter from Reuters. I asked him what he would want me to say through his attorney when I speak to Sean tonight. He said what he like to get out there at the time the reporter contacted him you know he has been terribly ill. He has been battling cancer, not only with the U.S. government but he is very sick. He is battling cancer and going through chemo. All of these now are coming out. He is in a battle for not only his life, but in a battle against what he perceives is people in the U.S. Government that don't want this story to come out. There is so much information, Sean that he is willing to share with the public to set the record straight. Believe me, we are getting it out there. He will have his say. His voice will be heard.

HANNITY: Four years an informant. He knew about the bribery, extortion, kickbacks and money laundering of Putin's agents if you will in the U.S.?

CARTER: Yes and he will be able to lay that out for everyone and he will do that for congress. Specifically for congress. John and I have been working on this for months and months. Another clarification in the story. They called him a lobbyist. He was not a lobbyist. He was a consultant. Whish was very different. Remember, he was the one that came to the U.S. Government. He came to the Justice Department with this information.

HANNITY: I guessing, John, at the end this FBI informant will be the hero that helps -- go ahead.

SOLOMON: I don't know if he is a hero that is other people's decisions. The white hats and black hats on people. He is going to be an extraordinary fact witness, because he has gathered so much information. There are video tapes of Russians opening up brief cases full of cash. This are the people that we then gave uranium and nuclear fuel contracts.

HANNITY: This is happening before signing off on Uranium One. They knew about bribery, extortion, kickback, money laundering before, they knew it was Putin and did it anyways. The Russians must think we're really dumb.

SOLOMON: That is funny you say that, Sean. There was a conversation with the informants that she said that about Americans. The Russians really had thought they played America on this one.

HANNITY: Wow, all right. We will get to the bottom of this. Let me go back to the story of McCabe. We had the tarmac meeting. We had Sarah, it's not an investigation it's a matter. The exoneration letters written beforehand. Now Andrew McCabe was given a special status. Is that equal justice under the law, Sarah? Special status, do I get special status when they investigate me?

CARTER: No, we don't. According to FBI officials involved in the investigation that is something they were so concerned about. A lot of the FBI agents had reported this, they're reporting this, this is very important. There was no special status for other people. There was special status for Hillary Clinton. We can see progressively by all of the evidence what former Director James Comey did and how he changed things. Gross negligence was removed. These are issues the congress as well as the DOJ is looking into. Remember there is an inspector general investigation. So we will see where this will lead. But I can tell you this, Sean, there are FBI agents out there that truly believed there was no equal justice here.

HANNITY: Thank god for those few. John, don't think you slipped and passed me, when you are not catching it. You talked about next week and Monday. Don't think you're getting off the show without me asking you specifically where are you going with this next step? This is unpeeling the layers of an onion. And I think when we get to the core, it will be pretty rotten.

SOLOMON: Listen there are allegations in the public this guy didn't have anything to do with Uranium One reporting. We will show that is simply not true.

HANNITY: That Reuters -- the Justice Department leak was wrong?

SOLOMON: What the lawyers are quoted as saying. They don't think there is a connection to Uranium One and the case. We have seen documentation that absolutely refutes that.

HANNITY: Sarah?

CARTER: Absolutely, it absolutely refutes that. So stay tuned.

HANNITY: Let me go back to the Russian dossier. Sarah I will stick with on this, this is another matter, we had been all over the email server, and I think this will all come back into play. The Russian dossier we know that Hillary bought and paid for this will Michael Steele and we know that I was false. And we know that is salacious and yet they ran with it to influence an election. Here is my question. They look at Trump-Russia collusion and they have nothing. Even the Manafort indictment is nothing related to this. And you have Hillary paying a guy, flying from Russia, why is that not investigated by Robert Mueller, Sara?

CARTER: Who knows? I mean, I don't know. Maybe he is. We would hope that he would be, right. He went beyond the realm of investigation when he wrapped up Paul Manafort and others to hand out indictments. We just don't know. I don't want to make any assumptions there, but we do know the judiciary and other committees are looking at this very closely. We know that Glen Simpson the owner of fusion GPS testified and also talked about spreading this dossier.

HANNITY: What about Session's testimony this week about the special council, reaching the standard?

CARTER: Well I can only hope that Session stands by his word, the Attorney General stands by his word and moved forward with that.

HANNITY: All right guys. We are looking forward to that report on Monday. Thank you for being with us. You will see the most insane ridiculous fake news by liberal CNN. You don't want to miss it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right. Welcome back to Hannity. Before we go tonight. We wanted to share something with you. On this show we repeatedly expose fake news, liberal's CNN's ridiculous coverage of President Trump. Tuesday night they put out one of their dumbest reports yet. Anchor Errol Barnett actually aired the segment about how the inside of a dog's ear look like President Trump's face. Wow this is CNN, watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERROL BARNETT, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWSROOM HOST: We like seeing things, cheeses and a Cheeto. The Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese. A question mark on a cow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does she have any other punctuation marks on her?

BARNETT: but if you think you have had an earful of Donald Trump? Check out what's in the ear of a beagle in Britain named Chief. Brace yourself.

(DOG HOWLING)

Some howled with.

(LAUGHTER)

Others found it violently upsetting. Owner Jane Robinson was taking photos of her beagle's ears to give to the vet, because she had an ear infection. A friend first noticed the resemblance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was like no, no, there is something in the ear. She says it's Donald Trump.

BARNETT: Jade posted the photo to Facebook. Chief went viral.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: You can't make this up. Now, what's worse? That report or when this is CNN reported that President Trump likes two scoops of ice cream and only gives his guests one. You decide. Unfortunately, that is all the time we have left this evening. This show is not the mainstream left wing biased destroy Trump media. We are fair and balanced. Thanks for being with us.



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A woman is accusing American Airlines of forcing her to fly with her child seated in her lap, even though she purchased separate seats for both of her children.

Kelly Duvall was flying with her 18-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son from Phoenix to Chicago back in August, Forbes reports.

Duvall said she had purchased two aviation-approved car seats for each of children, as well as separate tickets.

Duvall, who searched American Airlines website on the protocol of bringing car seats aboard a flight, said she lugged the two recommended car seats, along with all of their luggage and her two children to the airport by herself.

BIRD SMASHES INTO AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT, GETS EMBEDDED IN NOSE OF PLANE

However, once she got to the gate, Duvall said she was confronted with a rude agent who told her that she would have to check one of the car seats, as it was American Airlines policy.

He simply said, You can't bring two car seats. Duvalls complaint says.

Though Duvall pointed out that nowhere on the website did it say two car seats were prohibited  and the FAAs own website specifically states the safest place for a child is in an approved child restraint system and not sitting on a parents lap  the gate agent still forced her to check one of the seats.

Now, the airline and FAA are reportedly investigating the incident after Duvall filed written complaints with both the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Duvall's claims range from being forced to check the car seats to being denied early family boarding for unknown reasons.

I asked if I could board early for family boarding and he crossly told me, We don't offer family boarding. When I mentioned I had read on the website that families can board early, he said Only families that need extra time. I explained again that I was traveling alone with two small children and had two car seats that I needed to get onto the plane, in addition to all our luggage, she writes.

After her request, she was denied early entry and erroneously told that two car seats are not allowed on the plane. FAA rules state no airline may "prohibit a child, if requested by the child's parent...., from occupying a child restraint system furnished by the child's parent... provided the child holds a ticket for an approved seat, Forbes reports.

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I expressed how disappointed and frustrated I was that my children were not going to be safe on the flight, but he continued to be quite short and rude with me, as I was standing with both of my children, now feeling overwhelmed, saddened, scared, and frustrated. I also explained that nowhere on the American Airlines website had I seen anything about having to put a car seat in the window seat, or not being able to put more than one seat in a row, and he responded with a blank stare and said, Well that's the rule," her complaint concluded.

Since her complaint, Duvall says American Airlines' customer service issued an apology, but have refused to confirm the airlines policy on car seats.

Currently, the FAA is investigating another incident on a United Airlines flight regarding a child over two being forced to fly on his mothers lap after the airline gave the childs ticket away to a standby passenger.
A California man had both his legs amputated after he was hit by a suspected drunk driver Sunday while helping a driver push her disabled vehicle.

Mark Poss, 29, stopped on a Sacramento highway to help a driver, Arlette Lovato, and her friend Mario Sanchez, push the car to a nearby gas station, FOX40 reported.

"So not in the driving lane. We were in the emergency lane. We were pulled over out of the way completely, Lovato told FOX40.

Poss and Sanchez were pushing the vehicle from behind when another car slammed into the back of it, injuring the two men.

CALIFORNIA PROPOSAL: NO KIDS? THEN DONT PAY SCHOOL TAXES

Poss, the father of a young son, was transported to a hospital, where they had to amputate both of his legs. Doctors were reportedly working to save Poss left knee and his right leg was severed at the ankle, the Sacramento Bee reported.

"Right away I knew he had no legs. And I ran to Mario and I told the guy, 'We're going to get you help, just hold on,'" Lovato said.

Sanchezs legs were both fractured as a result of the car accident, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Jacob Daniel Olson, 24, was arrested at the scene and charged with two felony charges related to causing bodily injuries while driving under the influence, the Sacramento Bee reported. Olson posted $50,000 bail and was released from the Sacramento County Jail. He was slated to appear in court on Thursday.

CALIFORNIA GUNMANS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN HOME, AUTHORITIES SAY

Following the incident, Poss co-workers set up a GoFundMe to help raise money for his family and medical costs.

As of Thursday, the campaign has raised more than $106,000 for Poss family.

"Mark, we love you. We are here for you, whatever you need, we are continuously thinking about you and your family. You'll be in our prayers," Jena Balangue, Poss co-worker, told FOX40.
John T. Fitzmaurice, a homeless veteran, recently passed away on the streets of Boston. He died with no living family members or friends -- meaning that no one would attend his burial. But that all changed when Catholic Memorial high school decided to step in to give Fitzmaurice a final farewell.

In a partnership with a local ministry and funeral home, Catholic Memorial planned a funeral for Fitzmaurice, holding a full mass for him in the schools chapel prior to his burial, CBS Boston reported.

Fitzmaurice was buried Wednesday with full military honors, according to CBS Boston. Many of the schools students attended and participated in the funeral -- paying their respects to the veteran despite not knowing much about him.

We have a lot of veterans in my family so I know the sacrifice he made for the country and I know the service he committed in the years he committed to serving our country, senior class president Will Padden told CBS Boston.

Rev. Chris Palladino led the mass and said the eulogy.

After the mass, some of Catholic Memorials seniors took Fitzmaurices flag-draped casket to the waiting Army hearse.

John, in this case, needed a family and we were there to be John's family, Padden said.
A Connecticut middle school canceled a planned talk by a Muslim woman to a history class after the teacher received threatening calls and emails, the districts superintendent said.



Northeast Middle School in Bristol last week sent a letter home to parents announcing a presentation about the Islamic faith to be given by local resident Annam Choudhry on Nov. 22.

[The] mission is to train Muslim women to inform others about the Islamic faith and to dispel misconceptions that are prevalent in todays society. This presentation will enrich our curriculum on world history," the letter read, according to FOX61.

When the letter made its way to a Facebook community discussion group, however, some posted messages of support, while others claimed the presentation was a snub of Christianity, the Hartford Courant reported. Eventually, some responses prompted the school to cancel the speech.

I canceled this speaker because the teacher felt threatened -- she was getting phone calls and emails that were, in her words, threatening, Bristol Public Schools Superintendent Susan Kalt Moreau told the newspaper on Wednesday.

Several parents were upset by the move.

How do we teach our children diversity and then go ahead and do something like this? Bristol resident Dawn Chagnon told FXO61. It makes for more ignorance of other religions and other cultures and other races. Its not okay.

Tony Denote, another resident, said he had "no problem with the different faces coming into the school as long as all of them have the chance to talk."

School board chairman Chris Wilson said he understood some emails to the principal and the teacher were very confrontational."

The superintendent thought for safety reasons we should pull the program, Wilson said.

The citys police department said it had not received any complaints.

An employee at a Best Buy that Choudhry is listed as working at said she was not there Friday after Fox News asked to speak to her. FOX61 also said Choudhry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"It is my hope that the opinions of a few Bristol residents are not seen as the opinion of the Bristol community."  Bristol Public Schools Superintendent Susan Kalt Moreau

The local chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations blasted the cancellation, calling it another example of Islamophobia."

It should not be controversial to be talking about religion in the context of a social studies class in a secular curriculum, chairperson Farhan Memon told FOX61.

Memon said the school was also planning to host a talk by a Rabbi about Judaism, but that was nixed, too.

That's really disheartening because I think rather than succumbing to public pressure, they should have cooperated with the Bristol Police Department and had adequate security there so the curriculum could go forward as planned, Memon said.

Moreau said she hopes to in the future to instead present a panel discussion consisting of representatives of many religious groups where members of our community, including students, may learn more about how much the same we all are and the cultural differences that make us all unique."

It is my hope that the opinions of a few Bristol residents are not seen as the opinion of the Bristol community, Moreau said in a statement.

Fatma Antar, a longtime Bristol resident who teaches economics at Manchester Community College and is a board member of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut, said the suburban city needs to come together and embrace all religions.

When is this going to stop, when do we stop hating each other? she told the Hartford Courant. Weve been here 37 years -- we are senior citizens of this town. I respect peoples choices about their faith -- why dont people who make threats accept our choices?
Americana Troubadour Robert Earl Keen will bring his upcoming show to the Tivoli Theater on Monday, Nov. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available here.

Review for Robert Earl Keen:

Before Keen hits the Vegas stage with George Strait or the road with Lyle Lovett in 2018, he'll be kicking off his final tour of 2017. The 19 stop "REK's Fam-O-Lee Back to the Country Jamboree tour kicks off on Nov. 27 in Chattanooga. This tour is his largest tour and most expansive set to date and it takes place all within only five weeks.

Often referred to as the Jimmy Buffet of Christmas, Robert Earl Keen is ready to give the Chattanooga area a high-energy night out to remember. He'll bring visions not only of sugar plums, elves and maybe a cow or two, but also the spirit of country musics greatest artists, both past and present along with some of Keens greatest hits.
Underscoring its promise earlier this year to crack down on a brutal gang, the Trump adminstration on Thursday announced the arrests of dozens of members of MS-13.

Operation Raging Bull, conducted Oct. 8-Nov. 11 across the United States, resulted in 214 arrests, officials said.

The operation was led by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in conjunction with local and federal officials.

It was the second phase of a two-part operation. Authorities made 53 arrests in Venezuela in September after an 18-month investigation.

"We will not rest until every member, associate and leader of MS-13 has been held accountable for their crimes," said Thomas Horman, director of ICE.

More than 1,200 gang members have been convicted so far this year, and about 4,000 have been arrested and charged, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

Sessions promised an all-out assault on the violent gang last month, designating it a "priority" for the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

They leave misery, devastation and death in their wake. They threaten entire governments. They must be and will be stopped," the attorney general said in Philadelphia last month.

In the most recent roundup, charges included murder, aggravated robbery, racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearms offenses and assault, with roughly 60 arrests being illegal border crossings by unaccompanied children, officials said.

The gang originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s, then entrenched itself in Central America when its leaders were deported.

MS-13s motto is mata, viola, controla  which means "kill, rape, control," according to Robert Hur, a Justice Department official.

Fox News' Kaitlyn Schallhorn and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stephen Paddocks estimated $5 million empire  including money he won from gambling and profits he made in real estate  is up for grabs Friday, as a court decides how the Las Vegas shooters wealth is to be split up.

Attorney Craig Eiland, who is representing some of the victims, has filed paperwork demanding a constructive trust be formed to handle Paddocks assets.

Paddock's brother, Eric Paddock, has already indicated the $5 million fortune should go to the victims of the Oct. 1 massacre, KLAS reported. But an attorney who represents Paddock's family -- and is trying to be named administrator of the estate -- is also representing the father of one of the shooting victims, Eiland said, a conflict of interest that is "over the top." Eiland is on a team of lawyers who've filed an objection to block the attorney from taking control of the money.

"I'd like to get the estate, all of the estate, for just my clients. But that's just not the right thing to do," Eiland said. "We want to make sure all lawyers and their victims have that right and it's an open and transparent process."

The Las Vegas Victims Fund committee also announced Thursday it plans to hold two town hall meetings to discuss the distribution of funds raised for victims, according to FOX5 Las Vegas.

A draft protocol put forward by the 16-member group, made up of community representatives, said claims for death, paralysis and permanent brain damage "will receive the highest level of payment." Next will be injury claims for those who required hospitalization.

LAS VEGAS SHOOTING VICTIMS FILE MORE LAWSUITS, PRESS FOR ANSWERS

The group currently has access to around $14 million from GoFundMe donations, the National Compassion Fund and a Nevada State Bank account, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Meanwhile, at Mandalay Bay  the Las Vegas Strip resort and casino where Paddock staged the massacre  security is being beefed up in a bid to prevent potential future incidents and to reassure hotel guests.

Workers there who spoke anonymously to a local newspaper said the hotel recently has set up permanent guard posts next to the elevators leading to rooms. MGM Resorts on Thursday confirmed the move.

Our team works around the clock to protect the safety of our guests and facilities, and our procedures are always improving and evolving, the owner of Mandalay Bay said in a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. To that end, we have determined that positioning 24-hour security at the elevator banks improves our surveillance capabilities and enhances security for all of our guests and facilities.

Guests looking to get on the elevators now must show their room keys. Previously, guards were only stationed at the elevator banks for major events, workers told the Review-Journal.

The added security comes despite reports Paddock used a different elevator  the hotels service elevator -- to transport an arsenal of weapons to his suite on the 32nd floor in the lead-up to the attack. On Oct. 1, he fired out of the window down onto the crowds at a country music festival below, killing 58 and injuring hundreds.

PADDOCK LOST SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY BEFORE ATTACK, POLICE SAY

The massacre has also put a dent into the hotels business, resulting in layoffs, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

We have disclosed publicly that occupancy this year at Mandalay Bay will be slightly lower than normal, Alan M. Feldman, MGMs Executive Vice President of Global Industry Affairs, told the newspaper. We are trying to handle this with the least possible interruption to our employees schedules, but in some cases, reduced schedules may not be sufficient. We are striving to impact as few employees as possible.

Debra DeShong, the companys vice president of global industry affairs, said several hundred employees are being affected.

MGM CEO Jim Murren told a recent conference call with financial analysts the companys business slumped in the wake of the attack.

Murren said there was a spike in non-group cancellations in October, the Las Vegas Sun reported.

Of course, our bookings declined immediately after Oct. 1 because we were suspending our outbound marketing programs and focusing on what mattered -- taking care of victims, their families, first responders, our employees and all the guests that are here, Murren said, adding an optimistic note: Weve seen bookings improve, our business improve, here in November."
The old, without medicine, are coming. The young, without classrooms, are coming. And those in between are coming, too.

Two months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, residents of the island are heading to Florida in seemingly unprecedented numbers. Since the hurricane battered the U.S. territory on Sept. 20, at least 164,000 residents of the island have fled to the Sunshine State, according to the Floridas Division of Emergency Management.

The long-term impact of that massive influx is still unclear, but already cities like Orlando and Miami are feeling the squeeze. The Mariel boatlift in 1980, when 125,000 Cubans crowded into boats to Miami, dramatically reshaped the political and cultural landscape of the state. Demographers are still trying to figure out the impact of this years surge.

One-stop shopping centers at Miami International Airport and in Orlando have been set up to provide housing, medical care, food, and employment. The surge is straining local resources, including charities like Latino Leadership in Orlando, a local non-profit trying to help the new arrivals find jobs and housing.

The flood of arrivals is also affecting schools, where dozens of new students without transcripts arrive each day, said Osceola County Schools Superintendent Debra Pace. There are 2,500 new students in Osceola County, more than 80 percent of whom don't speak English.

AFTER MARIA, US SCHOOLS GET INFLUX OF PUERTO RICAN STUDENTS

Pace said she is seeing dozens of new students every day.

We enrolled 72 yesterday," she said.

Some arrive alone. Each new student costs the district roughly $28,000  an unbudgeted expense of more than $70 million, say school officials.

"It's like adding two elementary schools to our population that we were unable to plan for and project," Pace said.

The county is waiting on answers for state and national funding.

Even before the storm, Puerto Ricans were fleeing a debt-ridden economy  at the pace of 80,000 a year from an island whose population is just 3.5 million.

But now that flight has turned desperate.

Half a million Puerto Ricans are expected to come to Florida in the next four years to join the one million already in the state.

Mirbelys LaJara and her two daughters are Hurricane Maria victims from Areceibo, Puerto Rico.

"My children don't have school, don't have work, I don't have nothing," she said.

Eight weeks after the hurricane, much of Puerto Rico remains without power, internet or phone service. Many also lack running water.

Stephen Vazquez grew specialty hot peppers and cilantro.

"I'm kind of stuck in the air, you know, Vazquez said. I produce hydroponically as well so without light, water issues, I can't even really produce."

A farmer without light or water who has come to Orlando with two pairs of pants and a shirt.

"Starting from zero, Vasquez said. We're starting from zero."
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Developing now, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017:

GOP tax-relief bill nears President Trump's desk after Senate panel OK late Thursday following House approval

Democrats in disarray after Sen. Al Franken apologizes for groping a woman, prompting calls for an ethics investigation

Special counsel Robert Mueller subpoenas members of the Trump campaign for Russia-related documents

Embattled Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore strikes back at national GOP leadership, calls for Mitch McConnell's resignation

THE LEAD STORY: The Senate Finance Committee voted late Thursday to advance the GOPs tax-relief bill to the full Senate for a vote, just hours after the full House passed the sweeping legislation. Both votes were along party lines  The Thursday votes were good news for President Donald Trump, whos looking for his first major legislative victory. But the future of the Senate tax reform bill, which includes a repeal of ObamaCare's individual mandate, is still very much up in the air, despite Thursdays 14-12 committee vote ... Earlier, the House bill passed 227-205. House Speaker Paul Ryan celebrated the passage, calling it "nothing short of extraordinary." But the Senate version still faces pushback from some GOP senators. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., announced his opposition Wednesday. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee have expressed concerns about the bill but have not signaled which way they would vote.

THE AL FRANKEN DEBACLE: Sen. Al Franken, the former comedian, has been condemned by Democrats and Republicans alike after Los Angeles TV and radio host Leeann Tweeden accused him of kissing and groping her without consent during a USO tour in 2006. Her allegations were accompanied by a damning photo that went viral. But will Franken resign? ... Leaders of both parties in the Senate called for an ethics investigation of Minnesota Democrat, who has apologized and pledged to fully cooperate with officials. Meanwhile, his joke about raping journalist Lesley Stahl in a 1995 New York magazine article may be even more damning. Republicans have called on Democrats return campaign funds raised by Franken's Midwest Values PAC. So far, at least three least female lawmakers pledged to do so: Sens. Claire McCaskill, Tammy Baldwin and Kirsten Gillibrand.

RUSSIA PROBE RAMPS UP: Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators have subpoenaed the Trump campaign for documents as part of his probe of Russian interference in last year's election , while Senate lawmakers have asked White House senior adviser - and Trump son-in-law - Jared Kushner to produce Russia-related emails ... The Wall Street Journal reported that Mueller's office is seeking documents and emails from more than a dozen campaign officials that reference certain Russia-related keywords. A source told Fox News the subpoena is a "cleanup operation" aimed at collecting any missing information and ensuring that Mueller had the same documents as the three congressional committees conducting their own investigations. Separately, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday that Kushner hasn't been fully forthcoming with the panel's probe on Russia and asked him to provide emails sent to him involving WikiLeaks and a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite."

MOORE DEFIANT: Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore is going on offense against national Republicans who have called on him to step aside after accusations of sexual misconduct. But Moore says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is the one who needs to resign ... Meanwhile, the chairman of the Alabama Republican Party announced that, despite the scandal surrounding Moore, the committee will continue to stand by him as the partys U.S. Senate nominee.

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS

BLESS ROSIE'S HEART: "Let the liberal elites cry because they lost the election."  House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, on "The Story with Martha MacCallum," House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, reacting to an expletive-laced message from comedian Rosie O'Donnell after the House passed its tax reform bill. WATCH

TRUMPING TRUMP'S CRITICS: "He is a national treasure. No wonder Joe and Alec can't quit him. Trump's better at [comedy] than they are."  Greg Gutfeld, on "The Five" calling out actor Alec Baldwin and "Morning Joe" co-host Joe Scarborough, two of President Trump's most prolific detractors . WATCH

ACROSS THE NATION

Sen. Bob Menendez vows political vengeance after mistrial in bribery case.

Manhunt for suspect in deadly ambush of Baltimore cop intensifies.

Keystone Pipeline leaks 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota.

Some dispute authenticity of $450 million Leonardo da Vinci painting.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

The S&P 500 hasn't done this in 52 years.

Tesla unveils electric big-rig truck in midst of Model 3 factory 'hell.'

Thanksgiving dinner costs fall to the lowest in five years - here's why.

NEW IN FOX NEWS OPINION

Over 70,000 military sexual assaults took place last year -- Congress must take action.

Across the USA, governments have a gender hypocrisy gap.

Chick-fil-A VP: Here are five hallmarks of outstanding hospitality.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

Sylvester Stallone responds to allegations he sexually assaulted and threatened a 16-year-old.

Transparent co-star alleges Jeffrey Tambor behaved inappropriately during filming.

American Music Awards 2017: What to know.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

How many calories are in a Thanksgiving meal?

Starbucks' holiday cups accused of pushing 'gay agenda.'

Why a man's arm looks like Popeye's.

STAY TUNED

On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: "Clinton Cash" author Peter Schweizer sounds off on the calls for a special counsel in the Fusion GPS-Trump dossier and Uranium One scandals; Geraldo Rivera and Fox News contributor Rachel Campos Duffy take on the Sen. Al Franken sex scandal.

Tucker Carlson Tonight, 8 p.m. ET: Tucker will have a new update in the Las Vegas massacre investigation.

Fox News @ Night, 11 p.m. ET: We'll go inside the newly opened Museum of the Bible with chairman of the board Steve Green.

On Fox Business:

Well have all the fallout from the House's passage of its tax bill, a closer look at the Senate's proposal on tax reform  and analysis from all the guests below!

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Kevin Hassett, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers for the White House; Rep. Louie Gohmert; and Robert Kaplan, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Andy Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants, and Rep. Bill Johnson of the House Budget Committee.

Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: Comedian and economic commentator Ben Stein.

On Fox News Radio:

The Tom Shillue Show, 3 p.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET: Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren joins Tom to discuss the sex misconduct allegations made against Sen. Al Franken and other lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The Fox News Rundown Podcast: #MediaBuzz host Howard Kurtz explains why he believes we are seeing an international cultural reckoning on sexual harassment and discusses the latest allegations against Roy Moore, Al Franken and more. As the ISIS caliphate is crumbling in the Middle East, American lawmakers and tech giants search for a way to take terrorists offline. Ambassador Mark Wallace, CEO of the Counter Extremist Project, and Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson discuss what's being done and how we got to this point in the war on terror. Plus, Good News from Tonya J. Powers and a commentary from Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace.

Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

#OnThisDay

1973: President Richard Nixon tells Associated Press managing editors: "People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook."

1925: Actor Rock Hudson is born Roy Harold Scherer Jr. in Winnetka, Ill.

1869: The Suez Canal opens in Egypt.

Thank you for joining us on Fox News First! Enjoy your Friday and weekend! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Monday morning.
A Georgia police dispatcher was fired from her department after allegedly telling cops at the scene of an accident that she had a lot to drink.

Athens-Clarke County Police arrested Laura Ricketts Saturday night and charged her with DUI.

I had a lot to drink, a woman identified as Ricketts is heard in a bodycam video telling an officer. I am very drunk.

Ricketts, who was seen in the video sitting in a car at an intersection in Athens, repeated insisted that she wasnt behind the wheel, despite police saying witnesses told them otherwise.

She also is heard saying she had three gin and tonic drinks.

"It's disappointing that she was involved in this incident and it's unfortunate for her," Athens-Clarke County Police Captain Keith Kelley told FOX5.

Ricketts refused to take a sobriety test and was being held at Clarke County Jail.

Police say Ricketts ran a red light and hit a vehicle -- but kept driving before slamming into a second vehicle.

"We hold our employees to high ethical standards, just like any other person," Kelley said.

He added: "If you are drinking, just call someone...whether that be a taxi, an Uber or a friend, just call."
An East Coast drifter who killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003 and drove a van he called the "murder mobile" was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

A state judge handed down six consecutive life sentences to William Devin Howell during an emotional hearing where victims' relatives spoke about how the killings devastated their lives. Howell pleaded guilty to murder charges in September.

"He stripped away the youth from us and made me and my brother orphans," said Tiffany Menard, daughter of victim Mary Jane Menard.

She called Howell a "monster" and said she tried to kill herself two times after her mother disappeared.

Howell is believed to be the most prolific serial killer in Connecticut history  not counting mass shootings. The seven killings topped the Connecticut body count of serial killer Michael Ross, who killed six women in eastern Connecticut and two in New York, and was executed in 2005.

The 47-year-old Howell, from Hampton, Virginia, cried and apologized to the victims' families during the hearing, saying he deserved the death penalty and his acts were "monstrous, cowardly and selfish." The state Supreme Court abolished Connecticut's death penalty in 2015.

"I know what awaits me ... a slow painful death in prison," said Howell, who talked about his diabetes and possible limb amputation and organ failure in the future. "I hope that provides some comfort to each of the families."

The bodies of all seven of Howell's victims were found buried in a wooded area behind a strip mall in New Britain, about 15 miles southwest of Hartford.

Three bodies were found in 2007, and the other remains were discovered in 2015, when authorities went back to the site.

All seven victims disappeared in 2003, when Howell was mowing lawns and working other odd jobs. They were identified as Mary Jane Menard, 40, of New Britain; Joyvaline Martinez, 24, of East Hartford; Diane Cusack, 53, of New Britain; Melanie Ruth Camilini, 29, of Seymour; Marilyn Gonzalez, 26, of Waterbury; Danny Lee Whistnant, 44, of New Britain; and Nilsa Arizmendi, 33, of Wethersfield.

Howell was arrested in May 2005 in Hampton, Virginia, in connection with Arizmendi's death and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

He sexually assaulted three of the women and kept one of the bodies in his van for two weeks, sleeping next to the body and calling the victim his "baby," according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Howell told a cellmate there was a monster inside him and described himself as a "sick ripper," according to the warrant.

He also told the fellow inmate he kept one of women's bodies wrapped up in his van because it was too cold outside to bury her, the warrant said. He said he cut off the tips of her fingers, dismantled her bottom jaw and disposed of the body parts in Virginia, the document said.

Authorities said they found blood in the van that matched the blood of one of the victims, along with videotapes of Howell having sex with women.

Police said a main connection among most of the victims was their use of drugs.

Howell called the burial site his "garden" and said the victims should have known they were going to die because of the lifestyles they led, the warrant said.
WARNING: ARTICLE CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES

The Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington admitted one of its aircraft was involved in drawing lewd images in the sky Thursday.

Residents of Okanogan County, Wash., sent photos of the obscene skywritings to KREM. The photos resembled a phallic symbol.

One woman told KREM that she was upset and was unsure how to describe the drawings to her young children.

3 US NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIERS OPERATE OFF KOREAN PENINSULA

Officials from the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island told Fox News in a statement that the drawings were wholly unacceptable" and have begun an investigation into the incident.

"The actions of this aircrew were wholly unacceptable and antithetical to Navy core values. We have grounded the aircrew and are conducting a thorough investigation - and we will hold those responsible accountable for their actions," the Navy told Fox News in a statement.

"The Navy apologizes to anyone who was offended by this unacceptable action," the statement concluded.



The Federal Aviation Administration told KREM that the graphic drawings did not pose a safety risk and there was nothing it could do about it.

COLLISION WORRIES PROMPT NAVY REVIEW OF ALL STAFF, SHIPS

The FAA official told KREM they cannot police morality.
A New Jersey woman who fell into a septic tank was stuck 11-feet underground for three hours before firefighters managed to free her.

The 57-year-old woman, who was not identified, fell into the sewage tank in Mullica Township, N.J. and screamed for help for 30 minutes until her son found her, FOX29 reported.

Updated with video: ACFD R1 E2 B1 and Training 1 traveled nearly 30 miles away today, to Mullica Township to rescue a woman who was stuck in a 11 foot well for almost 3 hours. She was safely lifted and packaged for further evaluation. Great job by all. pic.twitter.com/BxTplyA9tM  Atlantic City Fire Dept Firefighters IAFF L198 (@AtlanticCityFD) November 16, 2017

The Atlantic City Fire Department and Mullica Township Police were called to the scene where it took nearly three hours to rescue the woman.

She was hospitalized at Atlanticare Regional Medical Center after injuring her back in the fall.
An openly gay former humanitarian officer in the Israel Defense Forces said he was shouted down, mocked and laughed at while he was giving a speech at a public university.

Hen Mazzig, a 28-year-old Israeli writer and international speaker, said he felt harassed by the Students for Justice in Palestine during a speech at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign on Monday night, according to Campus Reform.

When I shared my story of coming out of the closet, they laughed. When I shared the story of my Iraqi grandfather killed for being Jewish in 1951 they giggled, Mazzig tweeted. He said the group also mocked him when he shared a story about almost dying in a terror attack at an ice cream shop when we was 12 years old.

This is the face of hate, bigotry and fascism, he wrote.

STUDENT GROUP ADMITS USING ANTI-SEMITIC PROPAGANDA TO UNSEAT JEWISH CAMPUS LEADER

Neither the Students for Justice in Palestine nor the university responded to requests for comment from Fox News.

Mazzig said hes faced protesters before. But this, he told Fox News, was one of the most disturbing events.

He said the group reacted angrily when he said that in Gaza, gay Palestinians are being killed.

Video of the speech shows they jumped up and started yelling at him. They were holding signs that read fascists off our campus, and Israel Occupation Forces.

Mazzig, who is pro-Israel, served as COGAT commander in the IDF where he worked with Palestinians, the UN, and NGOs in the West Bank/Judea Samaria. He said he had to cut Monday nights speech short because of the disruptive behavior.

Members of the group who invited Mazzig to speak on campus, Students Supporting Israel, said they were appalled at how their speaker and their group were treated.

We were greeted with the utmost disrespect, and hatred far beyond what we could imagine, SSI told Fox News.

Mazzig said hes not backing down and will be speaking at Columbia University on Sunday and then at University of California, Berkeley on Monday.

Universities are not a safe place for students who support Israel, Mazzig said. My goal is to continue fighting for and advocating for equality and justice.
A 29-year-old Fort Bragg soldier died Tuesday after collapsing during physical training, officials said.

Sgt. Robert Thornton Jr., of Cairo, Georgia, was running on Ardennes St. in Fort Bragg, which was closed to traffic, when he collapsed, a spokesman for the 528th Sustainment Brigade told the Fayetteville Observer.

Thornton Jr. was rushed to Womack Army Medical Center.

Officials said the cause of death is unknown and it is under investigation.

We mourn the loss of this dedicated soldier and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, Lt. Col. Shaw Pick, the soldiers battalion commander said. He was a member of our team, and his life was spent in service to his family, his friends and his country.

The 528th Sustainment Brigade is a part of the 1st Special Forces Command at Fort Bragg, the Observer reported. Soldiers in the unit support Special Forces, civil affairs and psychological operations soldiers around the world.

Thornton Jr. was a power generation equipment repairer and had been part of the brigades 112th Signal Battalion since January.

According to officials, he enlisted in the Army in 2012 and trained at Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Lee, Virginia. He previously served with units at Benning and Yongsan Garrison, South Korea.

Throughout his military career, he received the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge.

Thornton Jr. is survived by his wife Danielle, and two children, Jaylen and Kinsley.
Here is the weekly road construction report for Hamilton County:

I-24 East bridge repair over Chestnut Street at mile marker 178.6 near the U.S. 27 interchange and safety improvements on the bridges over the CSX Railroad and over U.S. 27: Work on this project is completed pending final inspection. Estimated project completion date is November. [Dement Construction Co., LLC/Pruett/CNR031]

U.S. 27 (I-124) widening from I-24/U.S. 27 interchange to north of the Olgiati Bridge over the Tennessee River, including widening the Olgiati Bridge: Work on this project continues. The speed limit on U.S. 27 in the construction zone is 45 MPH. Weather permitting, the contractor may implement temporary lane/shoulder closures on weeknights between the hours of 7 p.m.-6 .am. At least one lane will remain open in each direction on U.S. 27. THP will assist with traffic control on the project as necessary. Estimated project completion date is July 2019. [Dement Construction Co., LLC/JM/CNP230]

SR-320 (East Brainerd Road) grading, drainage, installation of signals, construction of seven retaining walls and paving from east of Graysville Road to east of Bel-Air Road: Work on this project continues. During this report period, the contractor may have intermittent lane closures between 9 a.m.-2 p.m. This work may affect either direction of East Brainerd Road or side streets from Graysville Road to Bel-Air Road. Because the contractor needs to access the left side of the road to work on the next phase of the project, he recently performed a traffic shift on East Brainerd Road from Fuller Road to end of project past Banks Road. Traffic is currently traveling on the newly-paved section from Fuller Road to the end of project. Banks Road traffic will access the new section by traveling West on the existing pavement and entering the new section of roadway at Everett Drive. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed. Estimated project completion date is June 2018. [Jones Brothers Contractors, LLC /Pruett/CNN383]

SR-153/SR-319 (Hixson Pike) bridge repair on Hixson Pike over SR-153: Work on this project continues. The bridge is slated to be fully open to traffic by Wednesday in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday shopping period. It will stay this way until after the first of the year, and if there are any lane closures needed to finish up the project, they will be temporary and not happen until next year after the holidays. Estimated project completion date is May 2018. [Mid-State Construction Co. /Micka/CNQ941]

U.S. 11 (SR-2/Brainerd Road) resurfacing from McCallie Tunnel (LM 11.83) to east of Moore Road (LM 13.85): Work on this project is complete pending final inspection. Estimated project completion date is November. [Talley Construction/Pruett/CNR218]

The tunnel cleaning of the McCallie Tunnel on U.S. 11 (US 64, SR-2), the Stringers Ridge Tunnel on U.S. 127 (SR-8), and the Bachman Tubes on U.S. 41 (U.S. 76, SR-8): The nighttime cleaning operation of McCallie Tunnels, Stringers Ridge Tunnel, and Bachman Tubes occurs between 8 p.m.-6 a.m. Tunnels will be closed during cleaning, and detours will be marked accordingly as each tunnel is cleaned. Contract completion date is June 2018. [ETI Environmental, Inc./Micka/CNR223]


Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe met with army commander Constantino Chiwenga Thursday to discuss the countrys ongoing turmoil and a likely transition of power following Tuesdays military takeover and Mugabe being forced into house arrest.

The presidents motorcade was seen driving through the capital, Harare, earlier in the day, followed by helicopters overhead. Photos posted to the Zimbabwe Herald showed the pair together at the state house. Details of the conversation were not made available.

The meeting came after Mugabe was taken into military custody earlier this week. Military officials took control of the country and placed the president and his wife on house confinement, but they have insisted that it is not a coup.

Mugabe, 93, has been president of Zimbabwe since its independence from Britain in 1980 and is the worlds oldest head of state.

ZIMBABWE CRISIS: WHO ARE THE KEY PLAYERS?

Chiwenga had threatened to step in to calm tensions after Mugabe fired Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, which caused a stir in the country.

Quiet talks have since continued in Zimbabwe to resolve the country's political turmoil and the likely end of Mugabe's decades-long rule.

Speculation lingered throughout the day with no official word on Mugabes status as leader but analyst Knox Chitiyo, an associate fellow with the Africa program at Chatham House, said a transition of power appeared to be close.

"What is clear, it is now a matter of hours or days before he steps down," Chitiyo said, adding that the transition is aimed at being peaceful and controlled.

MUGABES 37-YEAR REIGN IN ZIMBABWE APPEARS OVER AFTER MILITARY TAKE CONTROL

Meanwhile Joice Mujuru, the former vice president of the country who was fired by Mugabe in 2014, has called for free, fair and credible elections following a transition arrangement.

She is calling for an election "in reasonable time" monitored by regional and international institutions under the eye of the United Nations.

The call for elections comes as cabinet ministers from four countries in the 15-nation Southern African Development Community call for an emergency summit to discuss the political turmoil in the country - a move widely seen as essential to giving Mugabe a dignified exit from power.

Additionally, a joint statement by more than 100 civil society groups have urged Mugabe to peacefully step aside. The groups have asked the military to quickly restore order and respect the constitution.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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.
Doctors discovered an "enormous number" of parasitic worms slithering inside the body of a man who defected from North Korea this week, the ghastly find illustrating the food and hygiene problems rampant inside the guarded walls of the Hermit Kingdom.

The North Korean defector, who hasn't been identified, was a soldier who made a desperate dash for freedom Monday at the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. But the man was shot at least five times by his former comrades as he made his escape.

South Korean doctors said the defector was in stable condition after surgery for his gunshot wounds. But physicians identified another reason for alarm: an enormous number of parasitic worms that are complicating his recovery, Reuters reported.

Doctors believed the soldier could have had the parasites for a while.

AMERICAN MAN WHO TRIED TO ENTER NORTH KOREA FROM SOUTH WANTED TO HELP RESOLVE TENSIONS, OFFICIALS SAY

Lee Cook-jong, the defector's lead surgeon, showed photos of the parasitic worms, including an 11-inch long worm found in the man's digestive tract.

In my over 20 year-long career as a surgeon, I have only seen something like this in a textbook, Lee told reporters.

Cook-jong said they were treating the patient carefully to avoid complications due to the worms, the BBC reported.

Doctors said they discovered corn kernels in the man's stomach leading them to believe the worm's may be related to the hygiene and food problems experts have for years expected in North Korea.

Although we do not have solid figures showing health conditions of North Korea, medical experts assume that parasite infection problems and serious health issues have been prevalent in the country, Choi Min-Ho, of the Seoul National University College of Medicine, told Reuters.

Min-Ho said the injured defectors condition was not surprising at all considering the norths hygiene and parasite problems.

NORTH KOREAN SOLDIER WHO DEFECTED TO SOUTH KOREA AT DMZ WAS SHOT 5 TIMES, MILITARY SAYS

The BBC reported parasites can get into humans through contaminated food or being bitten by an insect or by the parasite entering through the skin.

The impoverished farmers of North Korea reportedly use human waste as fertilizer for its crops, the BBC reported. It's possible the feces is contaminating vegetables grown in the soil.

"North Korea is a very poor country and like any other poor country it has serious health problems," Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University told the BBC.

Lankov warned the health conditions in North Korea could be a problem for decades in South Korea if the two countries ever reunified.
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The Latest on the political crisis in Catalonia (all times local):

1:25 p.m.

Spain has supplied a Belgian prosecutor with information detailing the jail conditions for fugitive Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont should he be extradited.

The Interior Ministry confirmed Friday that it had sent a document answering 14 questions sent by the prosecutor, regarding cell conditions, security guarantees, recreation, hygiene and food at the jails to which Puigdemont and four of his ex-cabinet ministers with him in Brussels would be sent.

Spain explained that Puigdemont would be sent to the modern Estremera prison outside Madrid and would have a cell of his own with a shower and toilet, or he could share it with one of his ex-ministers.

The ministry said the ousted Catalan government members, who are being sought for rebellion, sedition and embezzlement, would have access to their lawyers.

Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said Thursday all the information requested had been sent but pointed out that "Spain is a state of law for many years," adding "Nobody in Europe is going to give us lessons."

___

11:25 a.m.

The prime ministers of Spain and Belgium have held talks over their testy bilateral relations as ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four secessionist allies prepare for an extradition court appearance in Brussels.

Friday's court hearing for the five is the latest step in their flight from Spain and refusal to return from Brussels to face a rebellion investigation amid a push for Catalan independence.

The Belgian government has steadfastly said it can't intervene in Spain's extradition request since it's up to the independent judiciary to make a decision. Friday's court decision can still be appealed.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Belgian counterpart Charles Michel met on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Goteborg, Sweden.
One of Sicilys most notorious Mafia boss of bosses, Salvatore Toto Riina, died early Friday while serving multiple life sentences for plotting the assassination of Italian prosecutors and law enforcement trying to the Cosa Nostra.

The Italian media reported that Riina, 87, died just hours after the Italian justice minister allowed family members to visit him Thursday for his birthday. Riina had been placed in a medically induced coma and his health deteriorated after two surgeries.

Monreale Archbishop Michele Pennisi, who serves the community in Riinas hometown of Corleone, said Friday that the mobsters death ends the delusion of the Cosa Nostra boss of bosses omnipotence, but warned that although Riina is dead, Mafia has not been defeated and we should not let down our guards.

Pennisi added that it he was not aware if the family seeks to transfer the mobsters body to the hometown, noting that a public funeral would not be allowed in such event as Riina was a public sinner and only a private prayer in the cemetery will be considered if family members express their interest.

Rinna, who was among the top Cosa Nostra Mafia bosses and led the criminal empire for more than two decades, was serving 26 life sentences for murder convictions. He was imprisoned in 1993 and was placed in isolated sections of prisons with restricted time outside his cell.

He rose through the ranks of the Cosa Nostra by turning his rivals against each other and then backing out while they engage in bloodshed. Riina went underground in 1969 after the government ordered him to leave the country after serving a five-year prison sentence for Mafia association.

For decades, Riina ignored and mocked authorities, entering and leaving Italy as he pleased and ordering murders of top anti-Mafia authorities.

Italian authorities have also accused the mobster of masterminding a plan to assassinate countrys prosecutors, police officers and others who were working against the Cosa Nostra. The plan, however, failed and led to his capture.

After being captured, Riina declined to cooperate with the authorities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mexican authorities have seized more than 800 pounds (371 kilograms) of cocaine being transported toward the U.S. border inside a truck bearing markings of the country's Social Security Institute.

A Defense Department statement says soldiers discovered the packets of drugs hidden inside the vehicle's mobile medical scanner at a highway checkpoint Wednesday night.

The white truck's logos correspond to a government social program that serves the poor and in disaster response.

It had departed the Tamaulipas state capital of Ciudad Victoria bound for Reynosa, across the border from McAllen, Texas.

Soldiers detained three people on board who said they were employees of the Social Security Institute.

The institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for a return to civilian rule in Zimbabwe, saying the southern African country must hold free and fair elections in the wake of signs that longtime authoritarian leader Robert Mugabe will be forced from power.

We should work together for a quick return to civilian rule in that country in accordance with their constitution, Tillerson said Friday at a gathering of African foreign ministers and diplomats at the State Department.

He continued: Zimbabwe has an opportunity to set itself on a new path: one that must include democratic elections and respect for human rights. Ultimately the people of Zimbabwe must choose their government.

Tillersons comments come as Mugabe made a public appearance at a university graduation  his first public outing since the military put him under house arrest earlier this week.

ZIMBABWE'S MUGABE MAKES 1ST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE MILITARY TAKEOVER

The U.S. Embassy in Harare said in a statement Thursday the U.S. government is deeply concerned by the actions taken by the Zimbabwean military.

We call on the Zimbabwean military leaders to exercise restraint, respect the rule of law, uphold the constitutionally-protected rights of all citizens, and to quickly return the country to normalcy, the statement said.

The military has announced "significant progress" in talks regarding Mugabe's departure and has arrested some of his allies. Branches of Mugabe's ruling party, meanwhile, began to pass no-confidence votes in the world's oldest head of state who has been in office for 37 years.

Despite his arrest, Zimbabwe's military has taken pains to show respect for the 93-year-old leader by referring to him in public statements as the president and the commander in chief.

WHO IS GRACE MUGABE, AFRICA'S MOST POLARIZING FIRST LADY?

There was no sign of first lady, Grace Mugabe, at Friday's graduation ceremony, which allowed Mugabe to project the image of leadership. Some Zimbabweans worried Mugabe, the only leader many have ever known, would somehow find a way to stay on.

The Trump administration has taken a largely hands-off approach to Zimbabwe in contrast to the three previous U.S. administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

All three actively sought to isolate Mugabe and his ruling clique due to increasing human rights abuses, hoping to encourage a democratic transition. Since Trump moved into the White House in January, however, Washington has been virtually silent on the matter.

Tillerson's comments on Friday appear to be only the second time he has mentioned the country in a public setting. The first was a three-sentence written statement released by the State Department on the anniversary of Zimbabwe's independence day in April.

ZIMBABWE CRISIS: WHO ARE THE KEY PLAYERS?

All five of his immediate predecessors as secretary of state  Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry  delivered speeches in which they had denounced Mugabe's consolidation of power through violent suppression of dissident voices, other rights abuses and the controversial seizures of white-owned land.

U.N. envoy Nikki Haley mentioned Zimbabwe and Mugabe in a June speech but her critique was focused on excoriating the U.N. Human Rights Council for failing to address despotic regimes in general.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The U.S. military has launched airstrikes this month in Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Friday, for the first time since September, in Libya.

According to a defense official, the drone strike in the desert of central Libya Friday killed "several" ISIS militants in a sign the Pentagon may be ramping up pressure on terror groups in Africa.

The most recent strike comes a year after the military launched nearly 500 airstrikes against ISIS in the coastal city of Sirte, located halfway between Tripoli and Benghazi. The September strike killed 17 ISIS fighters.

One day before leaving office in January, President Barack Obama launched an around-the-world airstrike that used B-2 stealth bombers from a base in Missouri to target ISIS in Libya, killing 85 fighters. The two bombers were refueled 15 times in the air while traveling to and from Libya.

As the air war over Iraq and Syria winds down, U.S. officials tell Fox News to expect more strikes in Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia as well as Libya.

Since the fall of Raqqa -- ISIS' so-called capital in Syria -- to US-backed fighters last month, the military has conducted its first airstrikes against ISIS in Yemen and Somalia.

Over the past week, the U.S. military conducted six days of airstrikes against ISIS and al-Shabaab in Somalia. In all, 28 airstrikes have been launched against Somalia in 2017, according to the U.S. Africa Command.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has conducted over 100 airstrikes against ISIS and Al Qaeda in Yemen this year.

Since President Trump took office, the U.S. military has already dropped twice as many bombs on the Taliban and ISIS in Afghanistan than it did all of last year. The stepped-up air operations come amid the arrival of 3,000 additional American troops.

There are now more than 500 U.S. troops on the ground in Somalia, up from just two dozen troops in 2014. On Thursday, the Pentagon denied it was ramping up operations in Somalia.

"No, I would not associate that with a build-up," said Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie the director of the Pentagons Joint Staff. "I think it's just the flow of forces in and out as different organizations come in that might be sized a little differently, and I certainly don't think there's a ramp-up of attacks."
The decision by embattled Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to prepare his government for the days when he no longer rules has brought about the apparent end of that controversial rule itself.

The sacking last week of his Vice President was a seeming bid to pave the way for the 93-year-old Mugabe's reviled wife to assume the presidency -- setting up a dynastic succession -- and likely prompted Zimbabwe's military to finally step in.

Grace Mugabes political profile has soared in the past few years as the 52-year-old has positioned herself as her husbands successor  even publicly challenging him earlier this year to officially name one.

She's been dubbed "Gucci Grace" due to her extravagant spending and twice used diplomatic immunity as a shield from accusations of assaulting a British photographer in Hong Kong and whipping a South African model with an electrical cord.

Grace, however, was not always such a polarizing, high-profile figure.

US DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT POLITICAL SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE

Born in Benoni, South Africa, Grace grew up in a dusty mining town to the east of Johannesburg -- a town which also spawned actress Charlize Theron.

While married to an air force pilot, Grace met the much older president years ago when she served as a secretary in his office.

He came to me and started asking about my family, she told South African journalist Dali Tambo in 2013, in a rare interview. He just started talking to me, asking me about my life. Were you married before, things like thatI didnt know it was leading somewhere. I was quite a shy person, very shy.

Despite the various obstacles before them -- including a 41-year age gap and the fact that Robert Mugabe was still married to his first wife, Sally  the president wooed his future wife over tea and scones.

I felt a bit uncomfortable when he proposed to me since he was still married to Sally, Grace said.

Sally, who was suffering from a terminal illness, died in 1992. Four years later, Mugabe and Grace married in an extravagant ceremony attended by 40,000 people -- including former South African leader Nelson Mandela.

By the time of their wedding, the couple already had two children, and a third arrived a year later.

According to analysts, Grace seemed to struggle to emerge from the shadow left behind by the presidents first wife and mostly kept to herself. She focused primarily on her charity work and rarely got involved in politics herself.

Grace has also became a powerful businesswoman. While she has run several failed mining businesses, Grace built her own dairy farming empire on five farms previously owned by white Zimbabweans. The former owners had been evicted from their lands during the countrys controversial land reform process.

In 2014, she raised eyebrows by getting a PhD in sociology from the University of Zimbabwe in just two months. Her thesis, unlike those of other students, was never filed and has never been made available.

Since then she's become fully engaged in the political world, pulling no punches when attacking political opponents or fiercely defending her husband. She also became the head of the ruling partys womens league  a position that gave her a seat on the partys decision-making body.

Grace Mugabes rise to power has also been marred with international scandals, including earlier this year when a South African model accused Grace of whipping her with an extension cord in a Johannesburg hotel room. The first lady was granted diplomatic immunity by South Africa despite calls for her prosecution. She later accused the 20-year-old of being the aggressor.

Additionally, in 2008, the first lady escaped charges, again through diplomatic immunity, after allegedly assaulting a British journalist who tried to photograph her while she was shopping in Hong Kong.

"Her controversies will not do much to stop her," Harare-based political analyst Alex Rusero said. "In [the ruling party], they seem to be accepting her as her husband's successor. The problem might be getting the support of other Zimbabweans who feel she is simply not presidential material."

Most recently, Grace Mugabe has taken a front row seat in political conversations, including openly criticizing Vice President Emmerson Mnanagawa and accusing him of allegedly plotting to oust her husband.

So I have said to the president, you can also leave me in charge. You can also give me your position. Give me the job and I will do it very well because I am good. I can do a great job," Grace said in a recent speech.

She appears to have the support of the ruling party's youth wing and led a faction of party leaders in their 40s and 50s amid a growing generational divide.

Despite Grace's vocal support of her husband and his nearly four-decade reign, she has remained deeply unpopular with the wider Zimbabwe population, who have been incensed by reports of her extravagant spending.

Grace's legendary and lavish shopping sprees even garnered her the nickname Gucci Grace from her critics. On one shopping expedition, she reportedly racked up a $98,000 bill.

Last month, the first lady approached a Harare court to recover more than $1 million she said she paid for a 100-carat diamond ring.

In the meantime, Zimbabwe remains in a tense standoff between supporters of the president and the army, who on Wednesday took control of the state-run television and placed the president in home arrest.

Mugabe was shown meeting Thursday with the army commander who put him under house arrest, as negotiations with a South African delegation and a Catholic priest at the state house sought a resolution to the political turmoil.

The state-run Zimbabwe Herald newspaper published what it called new photos of the meeting, saying details were to come. One showed Mugabe and the army commander shaking hands. The photos did not show the first lady.

Zimbabwe's ruling party is scheduled to hold a key congress in December.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Emmerson Mnangagwa took over as president of Zimbabwe Friday after the extraordinary exit of Robert Mugabe.

Mnangagwa served as Mugabes vice president until he was fired and fled the African nation for his safety. Mugabe resigned earlier this week as the countrys Parliament moved to impeach him.

We must work together. You, me, all of us who make up this nation, Mnangagwa said at his inauguration in front of 60,000 people. He urged Zimbabweans who fled the country in recent years to come back.

Military officials in Zimbabwe took control of the capital earlier this month. According to critics, that move put Mugabe in a position to promote his wife, Grace Mugabe, to succeed him.

Read on for a look at the key players in the Zimbabwe leadership change.

Robert Mugabe

Robert Mugabe led Zimbabwe since the countrys independence from Britain in 1980.

Mugabe was born in Rhodesia, which is now called Zimbabwe. After graduating from college in 1945, Mugabe taught in Rhodesia and Ghana for 15 years, according to History.com.

In 1960, Mugabe entered Zimbabwe politics when he joined the pro-independence National Democratic Party and became its publicity secretary. Mugabe later left the National Democratic Party, which was re-formed as the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union in 1961, for the Zimbabwe African National Union (now known as Zanu-PF). He is still with Zanu-PF today, according to History.com.

Mugabe was imprisoned in 1964 when he opposed white colonial rulers. He was freed 10 years later, according to History.com. He then fought in Rhodesia's war for independence. In 1980, he became prime minister of the newly independent country. In 1987, Mugabe became president of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe, 93, led the country under authoritarian rule since 1980. Critics argue that he became increasingly authoritarian over time, while supporters say he represents Zimbabwes poor. According to the BBC, Mugabe is arguably best known for his land reform program in the 1990s that redistributed white-owned farms to black peasants.

The country has experienced considerable political and economic turmoil during his rule.

Mugabe recently sacked his Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa in favor of his wife. Mugabe married Grace, his second wife, in 1996.

Mugabe finally resigned as Zimbabwes president this week as the Parliament was moving to formally impeach him.

Grace Mugabe

Grace Mugabe, who was born in South Africa in 1965, was the first lady of Zimbabwe. She is 41 years younger than her husband.

The couple has three children together, according to the BBC: Bona, Robert and Chatunga.

Critics have called her Gucci Grace -- a reference to her lavish shopping habits, according to the BBC.

She did charity work before becoming more active in the Zanu-PF party. A polarizing figure, Grace was named the head of Zanu-PF women's league in 2014.

Grace Mugabe spearheaded the ousting of former Zimbabwe Vice President Joice Mujuru in 2014, according to the BBC. Mnangagwa, whom Grace once called loyal and disciplined, later replaced Mujuru. But Grace recently called on her husband to replace him, claiming that Mnangagwas supporters were planning a coup.

Prior to the military maneuvers, it was thought that Grace would become the country's vice president in December, according to the BBC.

Emmerson Mnangagwa

Until recently, Emmerson Mnangagwa, 71, was Mugabes vice president.

He received military training in Egypt and China, but later returned to then-Rhodesia to help lead the country in its fight for independence. Like Mugabe, Mnangagwa was arrested and imprisoned for nearly 10 years. He was allegedly tortured during his time in jail.

He is also one of the founders of the Zanu-PF party, and has been in government ever since the country gained independence, according to the BBC.

Known in the country as crocodile, Mnangagwa is said to be politically cunning. He served as the countrys minister for national security before becoming vice president in 2013, according to the BBC.

Mnangagwa fled Zimbabwe, citing threats to his life, after Mugabe fired him. He returned on Wednesday and was sworn in as the country's new leader Friday morning.

General Constantino Chiwenga

Gen. Constantino Chiwenga, 61, has led the countrys national army since the early 1990s, according to the BBC. Chiwenga, a close ally of Mnangagwa, joined the war for independence in the 1970s. He trained with Zimbabwe's African National Liberation Army in Mozambique.

He was sanctioned by the European Union, U.S. and New Zealand in 2002 before being promoted to commander general of Zimbabwe's combined armed forces in 2003, according to the BBC.

On Nov. 13, he warned that the military would step in if its historical political allies continued to be removed or targeted.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Salvation Army has identified 75 needy families and registered them for Thanksgiving baskets. McCallie School was made aware of this need- and stepped up to assist the hungry and vulnerable.

Both The McCallie Middle School and Upper Schools collected turkeys/hens, potatoes, yams, vegetables dressing, and cranberry sauce for our local families who might not otherwise have a complete Thanksgiving meal to cook at home.

"I love that community service is a part of the McCallie educational experience and the students serve beyond their campus," said Kimberly George, marketing director of The Salvation Army. "This teaches our younger generation so much more than what can be learned in the classrooms and we are so grateful McCallie is joining us in 'doing the most good'."

The greater community is encouraged this holiday season to give their time just like these students. Volunteer opportunities can be found on www.csarmy.org. Folks can also call The Salvation Army at 756-1023.

Monetary donations are also needed to assist with this year's increase in Christmas needs. Donations can be made by visiting www.csarmy.org, by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY or can be mailed to: The Salvation Army, 822 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403.

For more information on The Salvation Army, please contact Ms. George at 756-1023 or by email to Kimberly.George@uss.salvationarmy.org
Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe made his first public appearance since the countrys military took control of the countrys affairs earlier this week and placed him under house arrest.

The 93-year-old Mugabe attended a university graduation ceremony Friday morning and was welcomed with a polite applause. His appearance comes during an extraordinary series of negotiations with regional leaders over his departure after 37 years in power.

There was no sign of first lady Grace Mugabe at Friday's graduation ceremony, which allowed Mugabe to project the image of leadership. Some Zimbabweans worried that Mugabe, the only leader many have ever known, would somehow find a way to stay on.

ZIMBABWE PRES. MUGABE MEETS WITH ARMY COMMANDER FOLLOWING MILITARY TAKEOVER

Mugabe didn't make a speech, merely announcing its opening to applause. Arriving in suit and tie, he put on an academic gown and cap and walked slowly in a red-carpet procession as a marching band played.

The military reportedly announced significant progress in talks to remove Mugabe after it arrested some of his key allies. However, it is taking pains to show respect by still referring to him as the president and commander-in-chief.

A statement from the military, as reported by the state-run newspaper, quoted leaders as saying they were engaging with the Commander-in-Chief President Robert Mugabe on the way forward and will advise the nation of the outcome as soon as possible.

Significant progress has been made in their operation to weed out criminals around President Mugabe, the statement added, noting that the military detained a number of such individuals, while those still at large had been committing crimes that were causing social and economic suffering in Zimbabwe.

MUGABE'S 37-YEAR REIGN IN ZIMBABWE APPEARS OVER AFTER MILITARY TAKE CONTROL

However, it seems patience within the ruling ZANU-PF party is thinning as party branches passed no-confidence votes in the provinces of Mashonaland East and Manicaland. Others among the countrys 10 provinces, including Midlands, Masvingo and Harare, were said to follow suit.

Parliament is expected to resume sitting on Tuesday, and it is possible that ZANU-PF could use party procedures to impeach Mugabe with the support of opposition lawmakers.

Former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose firing last week led the military to step in, will return to Zimbabwe only after processes to remove Mugabe are complete, high-level supporters told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters about the matter.

A rally has been called for Saturday in Harare in support of the military's move  another example of the growing freedoms Zimbabweans have been enjoying since Mugabe's house arrest began.

As Mugabe tries to hang on, he has asked for "a few more days, a few more months," the chairman of the influential war veterans' association in Zimbabwe told reporters.

Chris Mutsvangwa, a Mnangagwa ally, said that "between now and tomorrow" they will warn Mugabe that the game is over. "If he doesn't leave, we will settle the scores tomorrow."

Mutsvangwa also said three Cabinet ministers have been arrested in the military's efforts to pursue Mugabe allies. Education minister Jonathan Moyo, local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and finance minister Ignatious Chombo "are in jail" along with a number of others.

The military is seeking associates of unpopular first lady Grace Mugabe, part of a clique dubbed the G40 because many were in their 40s and 50s. They are of a different generation from the one that fought for independence from white minority rule.

Grace Mugabe's rapid political rise had alarmed many who feared she could replace Mnangagwa and then succeed her husband as president.

Headlines in some local newspapers declared the Mugabe era over. "Dawn of a new era," one said. "Mugabe remembered for brutal 37-year rule," said another.

The ongoing negotiations appear to be trying to get Mugabe to agree to hand over to a new government. But difficulties could include the timing. The ruling party is set to meet next month, and Mugabe's term ends next year. An election date has not been set.

In another striking image of the fluidity of the political situation, state-run media on Thursday published photos of Mugabe jovially shaking hands with army commander Constantino Chiwenga, the general who ordered the president's arrest.

Others pictured in the first round of talks at State House, the president's official residence, include Defense Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Intelligence Minister Kembo Mohadi, South African Cabinet ministers who are acting as mediators and a local Catholic priest, Fidelis Mukonori, whom Mugabe has used as a mediator before. Grace Mugabe was not pictured.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A federal judge today refused to order the Stafford County Electoral Board to count 55 absentee ballots in the contested 28th District House race that arrived a day after the deadline.

Attorneys for Democratic candidate Joshua Cole wanted the judge to require that the absentee ballots be counted and included in the certified results. They claimed the voters did everything they could do to meet the voting requirements, but the Postal Service mishandled the ballots.

Cole trails Republican Bob Thomas by 82 votes in the election to succeed retiring House Speaker Bill Howell in the district that includes parts of Stafford and Fredericksburg.

The only evidence introduced in court by Cole's attorneys Friday was an email sent by Stafford Registrar Greg Riddlemoser to state election officials, expressing frustration over the late ballots.
The driving force behind Germanna Community Colleges asphalt technology program, Ed Dalrymple, was honored recently for his commitment to area students.

The colleges educational foundation named him its 2018 philanthropist of the year for helping create the Virginia Education Center for Asphalt Technology, which allows students to study, work and earn money while joining an industry that needs a steady workforce. He was recognized at dinner Friday night.

They really take care of you, said Alex Campbell, an apprentice in the colleges workforce program for electricians at Dalrymples Cedar Mountain Stone quarry in Rapidan. Im working 60 hours a week and turning down more hours.

Campbell said he couldnt have achieved so much without Dalrymples help. The 25-year-old Orange resident recently moved out of his parents house and purchased a vehicle of his own. Hes also got a job that provides health insurance along with sick and vacation leave.

Theres no other employer in the region that can give you the opportunity theyve given me, he said. They gave me a chance and a proving ground and the sky is the limit.

Campbell is studying for his journeymans test, the next step in a career he thought hed never have. And Dalrymple, he said, made everything possible.

Dalrymple, president of Chemung Contracting Corp., Dalrymple Holding Corp. and Cedar Mountain Stone, said his companies provide full-time jobs for apprentices, with offers to continue once the complete the VECAT program.

They will earn an associate degree and can transfer to a university. But they dont have to go to a university because [salary] is going to be $85,000 to $100,000 and theyre going to have a full-time job with us, he said.

VECAT is part of GCCs new Fredericksburg Center for Advanced Technology.

GCC president Janet Gullickson said the programs launched by Dalrymple will support business growth and jobs creating, increased competitiveness for the states asphalt industry and create a supply chain to replace retiring workers.

Andy Babish, state materials engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation, said of VECAT, The labor pool we all pull from is getting smaller and smaller and this is providing a mechanism to reverse that and all will benefit from a growing, skilled workforce.

With VDOT investing more than $500 million in asphalt paving each year through new construction and maintenance, the quarrys safety and equipment manager Mickey Carr said asphalt will continue to be a growth industry for new workers.

Roads always need to be repaired and infrastructure needs to be maintained, plus new infrastructure is always needed, said Carr.

Dalrymples contribution to the college has been worth "more than anyone could calculate, said Ben Sherman, head of the colleges workforce programs.

Ed was crucial in developing the partnership, directing the curriculum and creating an understanding of what was needed, said Sherman. Hes been an advocate for using the apprenticeship to give them a job opportunity and a ladder to climb for success.

Currently 11 apprentices participate in the program at the quarry, with another five to six coming on board next year. The program takes four years, with 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and more than 570 hours of classroom work.

Cedar Mountain Stone pays for tuition, books and a living wage while students progress through the program. Most earn between $35,000 to $40,000 after one year and when theyre finished can earn six figures, said Sherman.

Dalrymple said hes humbled by the award. Hes also got no idea how many hours he may have invested in the project.

I feel as though its our responsibility, he said. Business has a need because a big portion of our workforce is getting older and we need to be able to transfer the knowledge from the older people as mentors to the younger people.

We need a better workforce.

Sherman estimates the investment by Dalrymples companies well exceeds $1 million. The program has also received several grants during the past two years.

Joseph Allen Miller had been looking for a way to get back into school.

College isnt for everyone and not everyone realizes it, said Miller, 31, who just completed his first year as an apprentice.

He said the program can be intensive, requiring long hours and math skills, but itll be worth it when hes finished. He spends time learning every aspect of asphalt technology, from heavy equipment operation to working in a laboratory, but he loves the program for its flexibility and variety.

From day to day, your schedule can change, Miller said.

Sherman said its important to provide apprenticeships in todays economy but the practice goes back to the 1600s. Passing knowledge down to students who emerge from programs fully trained reaps many benefits, he noted.

Ed has committed his life to the betterment of our service region, said Sherman. Hes a gentleman and a scholar in many ways and he puts his money where his mouth is. The number of lives hes changed  people need to know about it. Ed needs to be recognized.
Stafford County Registrar Greg Riddlemoser described himself as very upset when he shot off an email that would become the basis for a lawsuit over 55 late absentee ballots.

But he testified Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria that he had no evidence the U.S. Postal Service had mishandled the ballots, despite his email last Wednesday to state elections officials asserting: There is no possible way in my military mind that these ballots should not have been available to us on Election Day before close-of-polls.

This email, for lack of a better word, was unnecessary and unfortunate, testified Riddlemoser, a retired Air Force colonel.

Shortly after that testimony, U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton denied a Democratic House of Delegates candidates request for an order requiring the 55 absentee ballots to be counted and included in the certified results. The campaign of Democrat Joshua Colewho lost the 28th District House election last Tuesday to Republican Bob Thomas by 82 voteshad filed a lawsuit earlier this week asking for the court order.

Staffords three-member electoral board voted 21 Tuesday to disqualify the 55 absentee ballots because the registrar received them at 10 the morning after Election Day. The lawsuit, citing Riddlemosers email, alleged that an apparent error by the Postal Service caused the delay.

Judge Hilton said he found no evidence of wrongdoing, delivering a blow to House Democrats hoping to win control of the chamber. He suggested that mail is not always delivered when people want it to be, adding: Thats something that happens to all of us.

Attorney Amanda Callais, who represented the Democratic candidate, repeatedly quoted parts of Riddlemosers email in an attempt to convince the court that disqualifying the ballots would be an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote. Virginia Elections Commissioner Edgardo Cortes, a Democratic appointee and one of the emails recipients, also testified that he had no reason to doubt the registrars comments.

These words are not to be taken lightly, Callais said of the email. She declined to comment after the hearing.

Attorney Michael Matheson, who represented Riddlemoser and the Stafford Electoral Board, said Virginia law plainly states that absentee ballots must be returned before polls close. Its not a subjective standard where they get to look at it on a case-by-case basis and decide which votes count and which dont, he added.

The plaintiff had based its case on innuendo in a single email rather than concrete evidence of any irregularities, Matheson said. I think, in hindsight, [the email] was maybe impulsive, he said, adding that emotions were high at the time.

Patrick Lewis, an attorney for Delegate-elect Thomas, offered a similar argument after the judge granted his request to speak at the hearing. Counting the late absentee ballots would set a precedent that contradicts state law, he argued. Elections have to be fair for everyone, he said. And that means clear, predictable and uniform rules.

Riddlemoser testified that Gene Sellers, the father of Stafford Supervisor Laura Sellers, was in his office when he sent the email to state elections officials. The father was upset about the late ballots, and Riddlemoser said he became upset, too, adding that he is very fond of the Sellers family.

Laura Sellers, a Democrat, lost her re-election bid to Republican Mark Dudenhefer by 12 votes. She said Friday she may request a recount or even contest the election.

Riddlemoser, who has been registrar for six years, said he routinely gets absentee ballots a day late, noting that 110 came in on the day after last years presidential election.

In a brief interview, he said he has been taken to court twice and vindicated both times.

Cole said he was disappointed by the judges decision, but continues to explore his options. This whole fight  had nothing to do with us winning or losing because we dont know who those votes went for, he said. But we were willing to fight to make sure those voices were heard.

He said hes not sure if he will request a recount for the seat that represents parts of Fredericksburg and Stafford.

Parker Slaybaugh, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Kirkland Cox, RColonial Heights, lauded the judge and electoral board for applying the law fairly and evenly. We hope House Democrats will end the unnecessary litigation so Bob Thomas can begin preparing to serve the people of the 28th District, he said.
Unums Julio Ortiz (center), who was on the auction block, talks with guests during the VIP Reception prior to the auction photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG Nick Coussoule is titled, The Big Cheese of ChaTechs 2017 CxO Auction. Carla Askonas (left), executive director of ChaTech, presented the award. photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG Kacee Nazor and Brent Messer, CIO, City of Chattanooga photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG Leslie Smith, event planner and marketing specialist for ChaTech; Vincent I. Phipps, MC for the event; and Carla Askonas, executive director of ChaTech photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG Previous Next

ChaTechs Big Cheese for 2017 is Nick Coussoule, senior vice president and chief information officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. This is the fourth time in six years that he has earned the title of The Big Cheese at ChaTech's annual CxO Auction, making him the winningest chief information official in the Chattanooga area.



The fundraiser, held at Stratton Hall, was a full house of contributors, sponsors and other supporters, including the event sponsor Comcast Business, and DC BLOX, runway sponsor.

"Internet technology vendors and professionals bid on coveted B2C or B2B expertise from eight local technology leaders (the CxOs). The individual receiving the highest bid is crowned, 'The Big Cheese. Proceeds will benefit programs and services, including coding camps for youth, scholarships for college students in IT majors and educational programs for professionals," officials said.Other IT leaders on the auction block included, Chris Bursch, CBL Properties; Knut Hilles, Volkswagen Chattanooga; Steve Hitchings, Kenco Group; Brent Messer, City of Chattanooga; Julio Ortiz, Unum; Shane Pilcher, Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation; and Jeff Seibenhener, U.S. Xpress.
A Republican lawmaker assailed the Democratic House Caucus claim that more than 600 Fredericksburg voters received ballots for the wrong House of Delegates race, calling the allegation demonstrably false.

In a news release Thursday morning, Del. Todd Gilbert, RWoodstock, said the Democrats rationale is shoddy legal work at best or something more nefarious at worse. Attorney Marc Elias, who is representing House Democrats, wrote a letter Wednesday asking the State Board of Elections to decline to certify a winner in the tightly contested 28th District House race because of improperly cast votes in Fredericksburg.

But Gilbert, the House majority leader designee, stated that, Elias and his highly paid legal team either missed or blatantly ignored an entire section of state code. Republican Bob Thomas holds an 82-vote lead over Democrat Joshua Cole in the 28th District race, which is likely headed for a recount and could determine control of the chamber.

Elias claimed that Virginia law states Fredericksburg voters at polling places 201 and 402 should cast ballots for 28th District candidates only. But 668 voters at those Democratic-leaning precincts instead received ballots listing the 88th District candidates, while 1,760 voted in the 28th.

Gilbert, the Republican leader, said the General Assembly approved the House district boundaries in April 2011, adding that state code clearly says they are based on local and precinct lines as they existed at that time. The polling places at issue included only District 28 at the time, he added.

Seven months later, Gilbert wrote, Fredericksburg City Council approved its own redistricting plan, which created the split precincts at issue. State law clearly says, however, the House District lines remain the same notwithstanding any subsequent change to precinct lines by localities, he stated, adding that Fredericksburgs registrar did not do anything wrong.

City Attorney Kathleen Dooley said in an email that Fredericksburg redrew its boundaries in November 2011 to equalize the population between its four wards as required by federal law.

All of Fredericksburg used to be in the 28th District until the Republican-controlled General Assembly split it up in 2011. Critics blame gerrymandering for the confusion.

Gilbert also criticized Democrats for falsely claiming that the 55 uncounted absentee ballots in Stafford County were from military personnel. The Cole campaign filed a lawsuit this week asking that those ballots be counted.

They are attempting to distort and deceive their way to victory, and all of their claims should be treated with skepticism, Gilbert said.
Alan L. "Al" Black, 62, of Woodford passed away Monday, November 13, 2017 at Spotsylvania Regional Hospital. Mr. Black was a U.S. Air Force veteran and was employed by the U.S. Postal Service. He was a semi-professional Bass Angler. Survivors include his wife, Judy Black; three children Anna Boley (Sean), Brandy Riddle, Alan Black; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; mother Allie Black; brother Rodney; sister Velma; three nieces and one nephew. The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, November 19 at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg. A service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, November 20 at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be private. Online guestbook available at covenantfuneralservice.com.




Pendleton Square Trust Company, which has an office in downtown Chattanooga, hosted a dinner with Greg Gonzales, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, which was held during the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel National Meeting.In attendance were estate and trust attorneys from across the country, several of whom are active in Tennessee trust reform. The commissioner commented on the favorable trust laws of Tennessee and how a collaborative approach is used with out of state attorneys and families when establishing new trusts in the state.Commissioner Gonzales has been instrumental in the efforts to make Tennessee a national leader for trusts.Trust companies like Pendleton play an important role in highlighting the strong economic environment in Tennessee and the emergence of Tennessee as an important trust jurisdiction, said Commissioner Gonzales. Our Department looks forward to continuing to partner with financial institutions to serve the economic needs of customers in Tennessee and beyond.
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Weekly Fig, Erwin Marine Riverfront and The Southern Belle, each family-owned Chattanooga businesses, are combining efforts to present Holiday Cheer at the Pier, Friday, Nov. 24, from 5-9 p.m.

Weekly Fig will organize activities at Rosss landing, presenting local vendors, Christmas tree and wreath sales, crafters and food trucks.

At Rosss Landing, Cheer at the Pier will feature photos with Santa and 98.1 The Lake and US101 will play Christmas music on their loud-speakers. Criders Landscaping and The Barn Nursery are teaming up to decorate Santa's North Pole Tent.

We saw an opportunity to help support our Buy Local scene while enhancing the overall Holiday experience for attendees," said Weekly Fig Co-Founder Anju Wilson. "Since we have existing relationships with all-things-local, it just made good sense and were eager to help.

Shopping, dining and visits with Santa begin at 5 p.m.

For information on vendor and sponsor opportunities contact info@weeklyfig.com, 708-2255.

At 7 p.m. the skippers of more than 40 decorated boats will take the helm led by Marty Puryear of Erwin Marine Riverfront.

Well make a wide loop from the Olgiati Bridge all the way around the Walnut Street Bridge, said M.r Puryear.

Erwin Marine Riverfront still has some limited spaces for overnight docking. Call Jill Price at 266-1316 to check availability and make a reservation.

The Grand Finale of the event will be a fireworks display presented by The Southern Belle and the 3rd Deck Burger Bar at Pier 2. The Reinert family, owners of the Chattanooga Riverboat Company, wanted to provide a memorable finish to the event for the community.

To ride the Southern Belle Dinner Cruise and watch the parade and fireworks from the center of the parade, tickets are still available. There will also be views from the 3rd Deck Burger bar at Pier 2. Visit chattanoogariverboat.com or call 266-4488 for reservations.

For more information about this event contact Anju Wilson at 708-2255.
No more interim, Batchler named new Blacksburg football coach Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Josh Batchler achieved one of his dreams when he was named the new Blacksburg High head football coach Monday evening. He had served as...

Indians hit growth spurt just in time Gaffney coach Dan Jones never wavered when the Indians were blown out by South Pointe in the season opener. He never wavered when the Indians struggled to beat Hammond. He...
Expressing gratitude, being thankful is a quality we appreciate in others. All of us long for people to show their gratitude for the things we do. Giving thanks is commanded and commended in the Bible. Living with an attitude of thanksgiving is promoted in the Scripture also. The Old Testament Hebrew word denoting thanks is hard to translate. Various translations have sometimes rendered it thanks and sometimes praise.

The object of that thanksgiving was always God Himself. Often it was accompanied by a proclamation of Gods mighty deeds to the watching world. Thus, it seems to me that the main point is that thanks and praise are inseparably intertwined and that we ought to regularly and consistently direct it towards God, while making it widely known to others. Giving thanks in the Old Testament almost always included the idea of magnifying God. Our words and actions do not make God any larger or smaller, but they do act as a magnifying lens or reducing lens, making Godlarger or smaller to others. We ought to endeavor to always magnify the Lord. With very few exceptions, those of us who live in the United States of America have lived in relative luxury. When compared with times past and with other parts of the world, we have experienced lives filled with great and abundant provision. Almighty God, Creator of the universe and all it contains, has gone to great lengths to make abundant provision for us in every way.

The New Testament is filled with examples of thankfulness. Jesus is clearly shown giving thanks to His Father on several occasions. He gave thanks for food, for miracles, for His Father hearing Him, for the understanding granted to His disciples. Romans chapter one makes it very plain that it is the duty of all mankind to give thanks to the Creator. When Paul arrived in Rome as a prisoner, he was visited by some believers. It prompted him to give thanks to God. We ought to learn from Paul and those believers. We should take care to encourage others. We should thank those who encourage us but we should also remember to thank/praise God for those who encourage us. Colossians 3:16-17 shows us how everything we do, no matter how trivial or mundane can become an act of worship if we do it in a spirit of thanksgiving to God. Philippians 4:6 tells us not to be anxious about what we do not have, but rather to be thankful for what we do have and for what God will provide in the future. Ephesians 5:19 declares that our corporate time of prayer/worship should be characterized by thankfulness. Ephesians 5:4 tells us that when we become believers in Christ, thanksgiving must replace obscenity, foolishness, coarse jokes, etc. Scripture tells us to be thankful in all things. Paul took time to give thanks for food in the face of an imminent shipwreck.

1 Corinthians 15:57 says, Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (NASU) We deserve nothing more than eternal separation from God. Everything else, air, water, food, shelter, life, eternal life is purely undeserved, the result of unmerited mercy and grace. 1 Timothy 3:2 tells us that being ungrateful is one of the identifying characteristics of apostate humanity during the end times. The great proclamations of the elders around the throne in Revelation chapters 4, 7, and 11 all turn quickly and often to thankfulness to Him who sits on the throne forever and ever. This Thanksgiving season and all year long take time to thank Him from whom all blessings flow. If you are a believer in Christ that is exactly what you will be doing for all eternity.
A Pinch of Salt: The election is over, I think, so what now?
Every actor worries about forgetting one or two lines during the course of a play performance, but that's not the worst thing that can happen to them on stage.

Consider, for example, the plight of George Spelvin, the main character in "The Actor's Nightmare." He wakes up backstage in a theater, and doesn't know how he got there.

Then things get worse.

"He ends up in his underwear and is shoved on stage, and the play keeps changing around him," said Isaac Newton, who's directing the one-act comedy by Christopher Durang at Linn-Benton Community College. The play opens Thursday night at LBCC's Russell Tripp Performance Center.

Spelvin, played by Matthew Shelton, is an accountant who is mistaken for an understudy. The play begins with George backstage trying to explain to Meg, the stage manager (Aislin Goldrick), that he has no idea why he is there.

George eventually finds himself on stage, expected to perform in an unknown play among three actors: Sarah (Sophia Brown), Ellen (Breonna North) and Henry (Jake Tudor).

"It's a crazy series of events that he can't wrap his head around exactly what's going on," Newton said. "It comes with a surprise ending."

Newton, a graduate of Lebanon High School, was assigned Durang's play to direct as a student production. He has previously acted and been an assistant director in several plays at LBCC, though this is his first time directing for the main stage.

Newton said he had to study the script before he knew what to do to put the play together.

He worried a little about not having enough people to fill the crew, since many students transferred away to other schools last year, he said. But on that front, his worries were unfounded.

"Right now we have the involvement of more than 50 people, so it's really just exploded," Newton said. "Students have been excited to come in and help out."

Twenty to 25 students also auditioned for the five roles in the play, he said.

Newton, who plans to pursue a bachelor of fine arts in directing and possibly a masters in theater management once he transfers from LBCC, expects that audience members will find "The Actor's Nightmare" a fun time.

"I think this is a show where you can just leave your worries at the door. Watch someone else stress out for a change, and pick it all back up when you leave," Newton said.

Proceeds from the play will support the theater club, The Black Curtain Society, on its trip to the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Spokane, Washington in February.

The large theater festival invites college theater programs from seven states to perform 10-minute plays for a competition, has auditions for scholarships, and more, Newton said.

"That's the fun thing for me right now. I'm doing this (play), and found out I was chosen to direct the plays this year," he said.
A Canadian geologist who delves into the mysteries of ancient water and the rocks that surround it in search of clues to the origins of life on earth will deliver this years Thomas Condon Lecture at Oregon State University.

University of Toronto scholar Barbara Sherwood Lollar will present Where Capt. Nemo Got It Right, and Wrong: Life in the Deep Earth at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 at OSUs LaSells Stewart Center, 875 W 26th St. in Corvallis.

Her talk is free and open to the public. It will be preceded by a reception at 6:15 p.m.

Lollars presentation will focus on microscopic organisms that survive in some of the deepest, darkest recesses of the planet, from black smoker vents on the ocean floor to deep fracture waters nearly two miles beneath the surface of northern Canada to South African gold mines.
Leonard Higgins will get his day in court next week.

The 65-year-old former Corvallis resident goes on trial starting Tuesday in a Montana courtroom for his role in a climate change protest that grabbed headlines last year for briefly cutting off the flow of crude oil from the Canadian tar sands to refineries in the United States.

Higgins was one of five activists who took part in a coordinated action on Oct. 11, 2016, to close emergency shutoff valves on five pipelines in four states to focus attention on what they see as an urgent need to curb global warming by halting the use of fossil fuels.

All five of the valve turners were charged with felonies in the states where the protests took place. Several other individuals who either videotaped their actions or acted in support roles also were charged (see sidebar with this story).

Higgins faces a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass and a felony charge of criminal mischief for closing an emergency shutoff valve on the Spectra Energy (now Enbridge Corp.) Express Pipeline in a remote part of Chouteau County, Montana. A conviction on the more serious offense could bring a penalty of up to 10 years in the state prison at Deer Lodge.

None of the valve turners attempted to leave the scene or avoid prosecution for their actions. Instead, each waited patiently to be arrested and then requested a jury trial as a platform to air their views on climate change.

The whole action was focused on communicating the emergency that were in and the failure of government and business to respond, Higgins said, and the fact that even though were beginning to turn the tide, its woefully inadequate to protect ourselves, and certainly our children, from climate change.

Higgins will be represented in the case by two pro bono attorneys, Herman Watson IV of the Watson Law Office in Bozeman, Montana, and Lauren Regan of the Eugene-based Civil Liberties Defense Center.

Chouteau County Attorney Steven Gannon is prosecuting the case.

Watson said hes not used to representing a defendant like Higgins.

Most people come into my office saying, I want to beat these charges or Im not guilty. Leonard came to me with, Here is what happened and heres why I did it,'" Watson said.

Im excited for Leonard to have the chance to tell his story, which is what this trial is all about.

That being said, Watson added that he intends to vigorously contest the criminal mischief charge against his client. For the offense to qualify as a felony under Montana law, the prosecution has to show that Higgins caused damage worth more than $1,500.

I believe in the merits of our case and the defense weve prepared, regardless of the symbolic outcome I think Leonard is seeking, Watson said.

Its something I feel very confident presenting to a jury.

If Higgins is convicted on the felony charge, however, he insists that hes prepared to serve his sentence.

Ive talked to my loved ones about the possibility of that, said Higgins, who has five grown children and two grandchildren. Ive tried to explain why I think its important  and more important than my freedom.

Higgins had hoped to be able to use the necessity defense in his Montana trial, which would have allowed him to argue that his illegal acts were necessary to prevent greater harm from climate change, but the judge in his case refused to allow it.

On Saturday, however, hell get the chance to present that argument in a mock trial on the University of Montana campus in Missoula. Expert witnesses he had hoped to call in his defense, including Tom Hastings from Portland State University and the University of Montanas Steve Running, will speak at the event, where the audience will be asked to act as the jury.

Higgins was recently convicted of trespassing in another case stemming from a climate change protest last year in Anacortes, Washington, where he was fined $250 and ordered to perform eight hours of community service. Despite the outcome, he considers that case a victory for his activism.

What was remarkable was that the judge complimented and praised our efforts in regard to climate change, Higgins said. I think we changed some peoples minds.
 ROSE (roz) n. One of the most beautiful of all flowers, a symbol of fragrance and loveliness. Often given as a sign of appreciation.

 RASPBERRY (razbere) n. A sharp, scornful comment, criticism or rebuke; a derisive, splatting noise, often called the Bronx cheer.

We hereby deliver:

 ROSES to the Corvallis organizers and volunteers behind the Zoe Bear Project, which aims to deliver candy-filled teddy bears to young cystic fibrosis patients at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that can cause severe lung problems; it also can block the release of digestive enzymes, resulting in malnutrition and poor growth. For that reason, people with the disease often need a lot of extra calories to stay healthy.

When Oregon State University student Zoe Watterson of Corvallis was receiving treatment for cystic fibrosis at Doernbecher, her co-workers at Home Life got the idea to give her a stuffed animal filled with high-calorie treats to boost her energy. Watterson was delighted. And then one of those Home Life co-workers, Melinda McMurry, got the idea to deliver similar bears to young patients with the disease.

So on Wednesday, about 15 supporters gathered for a bear-stuffing party at a Corvallis housing complex. The goal, McMurry said, is to have 150 or so bears ready for delivery to patients at Doernbecher in a month or two. Her hope is that the project, in addition to raising the spirits of patients, will raise awareness about cystic fibrosis as well.

For more information about the project, visit its website at www.zoebearproject.com. To arrange a donation of candy or unused teddy bears, contact McMurry at 541-466-3290. It's a fun project and a terrific cause.

 ROSES to Brownsville's Winnie Barron, the founder of the the Makindu Children's Center in Kenya. For 19 years now, the center has worked with thousands of underprivileged African children, providing high-protein meals, education, income-generating projects, and treatment for HIV and AIDS.

The Children's Center recently was in the national spotlight: The organization was named the winner of the 2017 World of Children Humanitarian Award. (World of Children is an international philanthropic organization founded by business leaders Harry Leibowitz and his wife, Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz.)

The award was well-deserved. And the grant money that came with the award and the contacts Barron made during the festivities in New York City will be invaluable to the Children's Center.

It can be easy to despair about the power of one person to make a difference in the world. But Barron shows us that it can be done  and you don't necessarily have to travel to Africa to do it. There are opportunities close to home as well. But the first step is being open to those opportunities when they present themselves.

 ROSES to you, Thanksgiving holiday traveler, if you're planning to be prepared for the unexpected during next week's road trip. Travel in late November can offer some surprising weather conditions, and smart drivers will be ready to deal with those.

One thing is for sure if you're driving next week: You won't be alone.

The AAA reported this week that it expects 50.9 million Americans to travel more than 50 miles away from home during the holiday. That includes an estimated 647,000 Oregon residents, and most of us (556,600 or so) will be driving. It's expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving for travel since 2005. The busiest travel day is expected to be Wednesday; no surprise there.

 RASPBERRIES to a bit of related news: AAA also reported that the average price of a gallon of gasoline will be 40 cents higher than last year. It's the most expensive gas price during the Thanksgiving holiday since 2014.

 RASPBERRIES to the latest internet scam making the rounds, as reported by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Here's how it works: You receive a Facebook "friend" request, and because you're a friendly person, you accept it. It's followed immediately by a Messenger request which suggests that, now that you're friends and all, you should send along some nude photos of yourself.

Unless you're disgraced former New York politician Anthony Weiner, you probably can see the potential problems in this request. But say you do send along the photos. The next notice you get from your "friend" is a ransom demand: Pay up, or your nude photos will be posted all over the internet.

This seems like a relatively easy scam to avoid: Be cautious when accepting Facebook friend requests from people you don't know. And save your nude photos for your memoir. (mm)
Whitfield County Emergency Management Agency will be giving away 75 NOAA Weather Radios this coming Monday from 10 a.m.-noon at the Dalton-Whitfield Library, 310 Cappes St. in Dalton.



The radios will be presented to Whitfield County residents on a first-come, first-serve basis, one per household with proof of residency. If you received a radio from EMA last year, you will not be eligible this year.



Whitfield EMA received a grant from Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security to purchase and distribute 600 NOAA Weather Radios. Other dates and locations for giveaways will be announced soon.

"Just this year weve experienced a tornado, severe thunderstorms and tropical storms  all in Whitfield County. Heres an easy way to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of severe weather," officials said.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
UN World Climate Conference : COP23 Participants explore Bonns city centre

BONN A visit to Bonns Beethoven House is a must for many participants of the World Climate Conference. The taxi ranks are as busy as a dovecote. More and more COP23 guests are exploring the city centre.

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A visit to Bonns Beethoven House is a must for many participants at the World Climate Conference. The taxi stalls are as busy as a dovecote. More and more COP23 guests are exploring the city centre. The Bonn visitors love shopping, sightseeing and most of all: food. German cuisine seems very popular, according to many restaurant owners in Bonns city centre.

Also very busy: The Beethoven House, which attracts many of the climate conference participants. People who are accredited for the World Climate Conference can visit our house free of charge, says Ursula Fontani, spokesperson of the Beethoven House. The COP23 guests are easily spotted as they carry their conference passes on blue ribbons around their necks, even when not on the conference grounds in the Rheinaue or the WCCB. Fontani is convinced that the COP23 participants found out about Beethovens birth house through the Beethoven Pastoral Project.

The project meant that artists from all over the world were invited to network with each other by communicating Beethovens Pastoral Symphony and make a creative statement for environment protection and sustainable development. Even before opening and after closing many climate conference guests take pictures of the Beethoven House. Like a dovecote is the direct translation for a German phrase, describing some very busy hustle and bustle.

Like at the taxi rank near the main Bonn train station. Just like the old days, when Bonn was still capital of Germany, says taxi driver Ibrahim Hamu. People from all over the world come to Bonn and we can show them around. But this also means a lot of work, making a break is nearly impossible. He says he tries to get out of the car at every stop and walk around for a few moments. We work in the entire city, but most people want to be driven to their hotels or to the city centre. Particularly the guests from African countries who came back with big shopping bags.

Like Aboubacar Youla from Guinea, who really wants to buy some shoes. After trying TK Maxx, he continues shopping at Kaufhof and Sinn Leffers. I want to bring something nice back home, he says. And a selfie picture at the Beethoven statue cant be missing. But time is scarce for many delegates and journalists. We just have so much to do, says Brazilian reporter Heitor Vascancello. He is having dinner in the Sudhaus in Bonn with three colleagues from other parts of Brazil. First, we couldnt find a typical German restaurant. But then they found Haxe, Sauerkraut, Wurstchen, Weibier and Kolsch on the Sudhaus menu. We tried stuff like this at home, but this here tastes much better, says Gabriel Faria.

Sudhaus owner, Rolf Hiller, is visibly enjoying having so many guests from all over the world who call in to his restaurant at the Friedensplatz mainly during the evenings. Last Sunday we had a Korean delegation with 38 members here, he recalls. Including the Lord Mayor of Seoul. But they had sent people to test the food the day before, he says and laughs. The Korean delegation ordered Haxe with mashed potatoes and Wiener schnitzel, but also rice with fish. The department store TK Maxx notices an obvious plus in customers. The retail business benefits from large events like the World Climate Conference, says a company spokesperson.

Also popular: The Haribo wine gum shop and the Swiss chocolate company Lindt (Am Neutor) as well as the Birkenstock branch in the Sternstrae. Mira from Bulgaria is now the proud owner of three new pairs of sandals, one of the them even with golden ornaments.

Original text: Lisa Inhoffen, Nicolas Ottersbach
Marktgarage parking lot reopened : Renovation cost almost six million Euro

Bonn The last small tasks had to be finished, but the Marktgarage parking lot reopened on Friday at 10am after a year of renovations. 279 parking spaces on three levels are available for customers now.

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The last small tasks had to be finished, but the Marktgarage parking lot reopened right on schedule on Friday at 10am after a year of renovations. 279 parking spaces on three levels are available for customers now.

Thats less than the 350 spaces the car park had before, but the spaces are now wider, 2.50 meters instead of 2.20-2.35 meters - a response to the increasingly larger new car models. City centre visitors, coming from the South, will be very happy - for them the search for a parking space was very difficult over the past few months during the closure of the Marktgarage, because the university parking lot was so poor it needed renovating. Only in 2017 did revamping begun.

Under the market square, the customers of the Bonner City Parkraum (BCP) GmbH can avail of twelve women parking spaces, five parent-and-child parking spaces and five handicapped spaces. There are also four spaces for electric cars, with charging stations. Not only the concrete of the underground car park from 1968/1969 was redone, but also the ventilation system, the drainage system, the electrics and the fire protection systems.

Instead of a sprinkler system there were jet exhausts installed in cooperation with the fire brigade, which blow the smoke into certain areas and create smoke-free exits. Meanwhile the city council announced that the overground parking spaces at the train station wont be accessible from Monday on due to construction work at the Nordfeld.

Original text: Philipp Konigs
World Climate Conference : UN Police ensures security at COP23

Bonn In the negotiation zones of the climate conference ends the sovereignty of the German police. Here, the UN cops are in charge. Yet, they need a little bit of support.

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With their blue uniforms and their golden police badges, the officers of the United Nations are easily spotted. German uniforms are not around. According to GA information, German police officers are not even allowed to carry guns on conference grounds. At the entrance to the Bula zone, where delegates from 193 countries negotiate, the sovereignty of the German police ends. During the climate conference, the 90,000 square meters between WCCB, UN campus and the area behind the Deutsche Welle, are extraterritorial territory of the UN.

Its like we relocated a part of our headquarters in New York to Bonn, says head of security Kevin OHanlon, who is in charge of this assignment. The 51-year-old Irishman heads the security department of the UN in Vienna and brought 85 officers with him to Bonn. The UN Corps is very international. More than 30 nationalities are represented in the team, from UN headquarters in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Santiago de Chile, Beirut, Bangkok and The Hague. Our team ensures the security around the clock, says OHanlon, for whom this is the eighth climate conference. A quarter of the team is female and there is one German UN police officer among the squad.

One part of the task is to control the entrances to the conference grounds. The UN police officers also guard the doors of the conference rooms and are in charge of personal safety and bodyguard tasks. Yet, the UN officers need a little bit of support. They are assisted by a private security firm with 250 employees at the conference. But they are being supervised by the police. To make the assignment of the UN Corps possible, a bilateral contract between the United Nations and Germany was necessary, says the head of security. That contract determines the terms and conditions of the assignment and pegs the extraterritorial area. Basically, like an embassy which got a bit too big.

OHanlon was in touch with the Bonn Police Marshall Helmut Pfau for a year and met with him approximately 20 times in Bonn. Together the security concept was developed. This concept involves UN cops handing over culprits to German colleagues when they broke German laws. There were no arrests made in Bonn, and no other incidents were recorded. In the past, for example, people have been charged with burglary. In the Bonn zone and all other parts of the conference grounds, the German police were in charge.

1,300 officers were on duty, says spokesperson Robert Scholten. Goods deliveries at the conference also get checked by the German police. And there is a German officer as connecting cop on duty in the operation centre of the UN police, in constant contact with the Bonn collegues. He is the only German uniform in the UN area. But nobody is envious of the UN uniform style. We are very happy with our outfits, says Scholten. But is is nonetheless nice to see others, for a change.

Original text: Andreas Dyck
Gloria Deml, PH.D, ME.D, BSN of Chattanooga announces the opening of her counselling practice.

She is a 2007 graduate of the National Christian Counselor Association in Sarasota, Fl. and a 2016 graduate from Winchester School of Christian Counseling and Seminary. Dr. Deml additionally holds a BSN in nursing from the University of Maryland and a masters in education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.



Her office is located at 5113 Hwy. 58, Suite A1 in Chattanooga. She specializes in depression, anxiety, grief counselling and prenatal grief as well as marriage and family dysfunction.



Dr. Deml has been a practicing medical professional since 1959 and is now retired. Her experience includes over 25 years at Erlanger Medical Center. Additionally, she has taught at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the nursing department for 25 years and at Chattanooga State for 11 years.



Dr. Deml says she strives to educate her clients by focusing on the mind, body and spirit. She strives to meet her clients in an atmosphere of comfort, love and concern while encouraging them in the Christian faith, while helping her clients reach their life goals.



Dr. Deml can be contacted at 423-903-7494 by cell or 423-531-4265 office.
Article

Protecting the worlds oceans  an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy

The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
Ron Harr, host of WTCI's local program, EXPLORE health, addressed the Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hamilton Place and discussed health topics that impact the local community.

"Sometimes the message isn't fun to hear, but it's too important to go unheard. Ron raised our awareness about important health issues within our city, state and across our nation," officials said."Tennessee has three of the leading cities in the nation with high obesity rates and unfortunately, Chattanooga is rated at number one, and that is not where we want to be.

"Tennessee ranks high in the nation with numerous chronic health problems which is a huge issue for our state's economy and resident's quality of life. Our city overcame the nickname of 'dirtiest city in the nation' and Ron stated he believes we can overcome our negative health status as well. However, it will take a culture change, increased awareness and talking about where we are health wise, and where we need to be to make a difference and see results," officials said.



EXPLORE health airs each Thursday at 8 p.m., and discusses topics such as asthma, obesity, opioids, mental health, Alzheimer's disease, and digestive health. These are only a few of the topics, and all program segments are shown on their website to review or watch a program that you may have missed.
clarajancita at 17-11-2017 01:56 PM (4 years ago) (f)

Twenty-six coffins were laid out in Salerno's Monumental Cemetery this morning, watched by a military guard, local politicians, rescue workers and journalists. A Catholic archbishop and a Muslim imam both said prayers. Each coffin bore a white rose on top, though only two were marked with names: Marian Shaka and Osato Osaro.

Twenty-six coffins were laid out in Salerno's Monumental Cemetery this morning, watched by a military guard, local politicians, rescue workers and journalists. A Catholic archbishop and a Muslim imam both said prayers. Each coffin bore a white rose on top, though only two were marked with names: Marian Shaka and Osato Osaro.

The bodies will be buried in different cemeteries around Salerno. The city's mayor declared Friday a day of mourning. Local schools have been asked to hold a minute of silence, while light displays in the city centre will be switched off on Friday evening in remembrance.



The girls' bodies were recovered at sea and brought to Italy on November 3rd. Post-mortem examinations revealed that 25 of the victims had drowned, while one had a wound to her side.



All of the girls are believed to have been Nigerian nationals between 14 and 30 years old. Five have been identified so far. Two of them were pregnant, including Osaro with twins. Her coffin bore a pink and a blue rose in their memory. So sad. Is Nigeria even saying a word about this. REALLY REALLY SAD. To think they were all below 30 and were in search of a better life, even makes the tears flow more.

The bodies will be buried in different cemeteries around Salerno. The city's mayor declared Friday a day of mourning. Local schools have been asked to hold a minute of silence, while light displays in the city centre will be switched off on Friday evening in remembrance.The girls' bodies were recovered at sea and brought to Italy on November 3rd. Post-mortem examinations revealed that 25 of the victims had drowned, while one had a wound to her side.All of the girls are believed to have been Nigerian nationals between 14 and 30 years old. Five have been identified so far. Two of them were pregnant, including Osaro with twins. Her coffin bore a pink and a blue rose in their memory. So sad. Is Nigeria even saying a word about this. REALLY REALLY SAD. To think they were all below 30 and were in search of a better life, even makes the tears flow more.

Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 17-11-2017 01:56 PM (4 years ago) | Hero
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Carla Askonas, Executive Director of ChaTech, presents The Big Cheese award to Nick Coussoule of BlueCross photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG Kacee Nazor and Brent Messer, CIO, City of Chattanooga photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG Leslie Smith, Event Planner and Marketing Specialist for ChaTech; Vincent I. Phipps, MC for the event, and Carla Askonas, Executive Director of ChaTech photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG Unums Julio Ortiz (center), who was on the auction block, talks with guests during the VIP Reception prior to the auction photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG ChaTech scholarship recipients, Nathaniel Zietlow and Nathaniel Henriques, with Carla Askonas, Executive Director of ChaTech. Both students received scholarships from proceeds generated from the Auctions Paddle Raise portion of the event. Both now attend Covenant College, with majors in technology. photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG The Big Cheese, Nick Coussoule of BlueCross BlueShield, with Steve Williams of Advocate Insiders photo by J. Adams, Letterbox CMG Previous Next

ChaTechs Big Cheese for 2017 is Nick Coussoule, senior vice president and chief information officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. This is the fourth time in six years that he has earned the title of The Big Cheese at ChaTech's annual CxO Auction, making him the winningest chief information official in the Chattanooga area.

The fundraiser, held at Stratton Hall, was a full house of contributors, sponsors and other supporters, including the Event Sponsor, Comcast Business, and DC BLOX, Runway Sponsor. Internet Technology (IT) vendors and professionals bid on coveted B2C or B2B expertise from eight local technology leaders (the CxOs). The individual receiving the highest bid is crowned, The Big Cheese. Proceeds will benefit programs and services, including coding camps for youth, scholarships for college students in IT majors, and educational programs for professionals.



Other IT leaders on the auction block included, Chris Bursch, CBL Properties; Knut Hilles, Volkswagen Chattanooga; Steve Hitchings, Kenco Group; Brent Messer, City of Chattanooga; Julio Ortiz, Unum; Shane Pilcher, Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation; and Jeff Seibenhener, U.S. Xpress.



The evening was capped off with statements from ChaTech scholarship recipient Nathaniel Henriques, a Covenant College student.



ChaTech serves the Chattanooga area by connecting the regional technology community, investing in the regions technology workforce and talent, promoting Chattanooga as a top technology hub, and by helping grow the regional economy. It is a membership-supported agency.



Learn more about ChaTech, the CxO Auction, and ways you can give, by calling 423 826-8700.


Finnish English

Espoo, Finland, 2017-11-16 16:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SRV GROUP PLC PRESS RELEASE 16 NOVEMBER 2017, AT 17.00

REDI is Construction Site of the Year 2017

The REDI construction site, implemented by SRV at Kalasatama, Helsinki, has been awarded first prize in Rakennuslehti magazines Construction Site of the Year 2017 competition. In assessing the site, attention was given to, for example, the scope of the project, site management and thereby ensuring good cooperation, information management, occupational health and safety, quality assurance, risk management and utilisation of data modelling.

It is the fourth time that the prize has been won by the duo leading the construction site, namely Site Manager Jukka Nikkola and Project Director Markku Muhonen, who retired from his position in October. REDI is an exceptionally large urban site, but in construction the basic issues are always the same. In addition to professional skills, strong willpower and belief in what you are doing are required, says Nikkola, SRVs Site Manager on the REDI project.

The Construction Site of the Year award principally commends the shopping centre site, but in addition to the shopping and experience centre comprising 64,000 square metres of commercial premises, Finlands tallest residential buildings will also be built at the REDI complex. The elevator shafts and stairwells of the residential towers have been built to the roof level of the shopping centre simultaneously with the shopping centres framework. Construction began in August 2011 with preparatory earth construction and excavation work. In August 2013, two major contracts were completed at the site: a waste station and the relocation of a metro bridge. Other construction work was halted in summer 2012 due to a city planning appeal. Construction work resumed in April 2015 with a significant earth construction phase, the excavation of a three-hectare pit, which lasted just over a year. During that time, a total of 900,000 cubic metres of material was removed from the site. During the entire excavation period, the metro operated normally, and blasting work was timed taking the busy metro timetable into account.

Before excavation began in the area, a significant bridge relocation task was completed, when a new section of bridge was built for the metro to replace track previously supported by bedrock. A new bridge deck was constructed so that bedrock could be excavated from underneath it.

The general public became aware of the REDI site in a concrete way when traffic on the Itavayla highway was shifted at REDI onto a detour built to the south side of the route. This was done to enable bedrock beneath the Itavayla highway to be excavated and removed. The Itavayla highway was restored to its former location in September 2017, when the new roadway and bridge built to replace the excavated material were completed. The first concreting works, namely the casting of foundations, elevator shaft bases, electrical substations and driveways, began at the REDI site in autumn 2015.

REDI is Finlands largest urban construction project and is also Finlands largest 3D data modelling project. In a project of REDIs size, the amount of planning and design material is huge. The data model includes plans for the shopping centre, eight residential towers and a parking facility as well as for the streets of area, public utility services, the metro station, underground support structures and bridges. The 3D model facilitates, for example, more detailed lists of materials and quantities, schedule preparation and higher quality construction site plans. Quality is the number one issue nowadays. The production of good quality is based on planning and on ensuring that everything on the site is done according to plan, explains Nikkola.

Creating a good atmosphere is an important part of site management. On the REDI site are working long-standing SRV professionals who have been involved in major construction projects before. One of them is Purchasing Manager Kirsi Weinreich, a member of the team that has won the Construction Site of the Year award for the fourth time. A good atmosphere is very important. The good atmosphere and team spirit on the REDI site encourages very one of us to give 100% in our work and to believe in our common goal, says Weinreich.

Building at a major transport intersection has presented particular challenges for site logistics. Everything has to take place precisely on schedule to ensure that loads are received in the correct order without disrupting the traffic passing around the site. There are also no storage areas on the site, so materials must be installed quickly.

The REDI construction site spreads out on both sides of the metro track. The passing of the metro across the site has also posed its own challenges for construction. No lifting could be done over the metro track, and some of the work stages, such as building a roof over the metro track, had to be scheduled for night time, when the metro does not operate.

The interior completion phase is now under way at the site. The REDI shopping centre will open its doors in autumn 2018.

https://www.srv.fi/en/site/redi

REDI, implemented by SRV at Kalasatama, Helsinki, will comprise the inner citys largest shopping and experience centre as well as eight tower buildings. Below the centre will be a 2,000-space parking facility, usable by both the towers residents and the shopping centres customers. Construction work at REDI, Finlands largest urban construction project, was launched in spring 2015 and is expected to continue until 2023. The REDI shopping centre as a whole will open in autumn 2018 and Majakka, the first of the tower buildings to be completed, will receive its first residents in spring 2019. The remaining tower buildings will be completed in stages by 2023. www.redi.fi/en/

For further information, please contact:

Heli Pulkkinen, Communications Specialist, REDI by SRV, tel. +358 50 411 0787, heli.pulkkinen@srv.fi

www.srv.fi/en

www.redi.fi/en/

You can also find us on the social media:

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SRV - Building for life
Washington, D.C., Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ambassador John Bolton announced today that he will endorse Amie Hoeber for the U.S. House of Representatives in Marylands 6th Congressional District. In addition to the endorsement, the John Bolton PAC will make a $10,000 contribution to Hoebers campaign. The endorsement comes as part of a larger effort by Ambassador Bolton to ensure that top foreign-policy-minded candidates are elected to Congress.

Amie is a national security expert and business leader who has what it takes to be an effective member of Congress, said Ambassador Bolton. As a former Deputy Under Secretary of the Army, Amie worked to strengthen Americas defense and national security. In the Pentagon, Amie led efforts to protect our troops from chemical and unconventional weapons. Her experience strengthening our resolve and protecting the homeland make her a valuable addition to Congress, and I am proud to endorse her candidacy.

Amie Hoeber on the endorsement:

"I am grateful for Ambassador Boltons endorsement, said Hoeber. We both have concerns about American security, domestically and abroad. In Congress, I will work with the Ambassador and others to re-establish Americas role as a world leader. As a member of Congress, I will represent all of my constituents."

With this announcement, Ambassador Bolton has endorsed 19 candidates for U.S. Congress and his PAC has contributed a collective $185,000, which is the most contributed by a leadership PAC in 2017. For the 2016 elections, the John Bolton PAC contributed a total of $680,000 and endorsed 94 candidates, making it the most active leadership PAC in the country, and earning the PAC numerous industry awards.

About John Bolton PAC (www.boltonpac.com): The John Bolton PAC was founded by former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John R. Bolton to raise the importance of American national security in federal elections. The PAC will support and contribute to candidates who are committed to restoring strong American economic and national security policies that secure America's interests in a challenging world.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dcefa70c-6586-4807-899a-da811247341b
George Washington High School English teacher Heidi Huntley discovered the stash earlier this year in an old dark room once used for the schools long-gone photography program.

Hundreds and hundreds of old yearbooks, dating back as far as 1947, were discovered while the English department was attempting to itemize old collections of novels and clear off a theater practice stage.

Now, the schools branch of the National Honor Society is trying to track down old students and help them reconnect with their past at the school.

Theyre really happy because they cant really find their yearbooks anywhere else, said senior Zoey Everett, who is helping Huntley with the project.

In a classroom off the high schools main hallway, hundreds of yearbooks line the walls and sit out on large bookshelves. Older yearbooks sport intricately engraved covers, while newer ones have bright, eye-catching designs on the front.

Huntley, who is also the faculty advisor for the honor society, said selling the yearbooks wasnt the first thing that came to mind when they were uncovered.

Our first goal was to make sure that our library had a complete archive, she said.

With approval from school administration, the honor society began to sell the old yearbooks to students and their family members and other loved ones.

This project became so much larger than we had originally planned for, Huntley said, added that students from many of her English classes had pitched in to help.

Huntley said the project has led to several students stepping up and developing their leadership skills. She said she had even attempted to leverage an internship in history archiving for one GW student.

They really help sort books and pack up and organize, she said. Its been nice to have that spark in them.

Sophomore Dymonique Williams said she began staying after school, helping Huntley organize the books.

I personally like helping people out and I wanted to give her a hand, Williams said.

She said former students were overjoyed when they discovered they could get an old yearbook and see picture of them or their relatives and loved ones.

So it was a memory from the past coming back, Williams said.

The process is harder than it looks, Everett said.

I just think its really fun, she said. The yearbooks are definitely heavy, so its really a workout.

One favorite of the process is looking at the old hairstyles from past decades.

I think its really cool seeing how everythings changed over time, Everett said.

For more information on how to purchase an old yearbook, contact Huntley at hhuntley@mail.dps.k12.va.us.
President Joe Biden says he is feeling really good about Democrats chances in the midterm elections, even as he traveled to the Chicago area to support two House members who are facing more competitive reelection battles than expected. Biden says he is not buying the notion that Democrats are in trouble. He spoke at a political reception in a hotel for U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten. The president ticked off his administrations signature legislative achievements on infrastructure, climate and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, efforts he said were achieved in collaboration with Underwood and Casten.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 16, 2017 / Roughrider Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: REL) ("Roughrider") is pleased to announce the acquisition by staking of the 3,056 hectare "Silver Ace" property, located five kilometres south of Houston, BC and 16 kilometres north of New Nadina Exploration's Silver Queen property and 28 kilometres northwest of the former producing Equity Silver Mine, respectively. The Equity Silver mine had cumulative production of 33.8 million tonnes grading 64.9 g/t silver, 0.4% copper and 0.46 g/t gold (MINFILE references 093L-001).

The Silver Ace property lies within the Stikine Terrane of central British Columbia. The Silver Ace claims were staked to completely contain a single mapped, 1.3 kilometre diameter intrusive body of the Late Cretaceous Bulkley Plutonic Suite, where it intrudes volcanic arc assemblages of the Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group (Telkwa Formation) and the Upper Cretaceous Kasalka Group. No known mineralization is reported on the Silver Ace property.

Roughrider's VP Exploration, David Tupper, commented, "The recent discovery news has heightened interest in the Houston-Equity Silver area. Bulkley intrusive stocks are proximal and important to the formation of most known mineralization in the region. The combination of open ground, a known intrusive stock and a nearby reported high-grade silver occurrence in a generally outcrop poor and underexplored setting such as we now have at Silver Ace looked like a great place to start."

Copper-molybdenum-gold-silver mineralized systems in the region are commonly associated with rocks of the Bulkley Plutonic Suite, including New Nadia's Silver Queen prospect, the former producing Equity Silver, Bell and Granisle mines, the suspended Huckleberry mine and the Berg, Poplar, Seel, Damascus, and Ox deposits. The Silver Ace property partially surrounds the small inlying Beholder claim that covers the Peacock occurrence, an east-west trending, vuggy quartz tetrahedrite vein that reports significant historic results to 5,002 g/t silver and 4.01% copper (Sample 2005-PCB; MinFile 093L-008).

Roughrider is investigating the acquisition of additional properties in the region, either through staking or earn-in agreements. Exploration plans for Silver Ace and other area projects, if acquired, will be reported when compilation and interpretation of historic and regional results are completed.

Genesis Uranium Update:

As noted in the news release of October 10th, Roughrider and partner Kivalliq Energy recently completed a 1,223 km. ZTEM survey over four grid areas on the Genesis Uranium project in the Athabasca Basin area of Saskatchewan. The goal of the survey is to further define drill targets on this large project area. Management expects to receive final modelled results and interpretation from the survey in the next few weeks.

Qualified Person

David Tupper, P. Geo. is a qualified person ("QP") within the context of National Instrument 43-101, and has prepared, read and approved the technical aspects of this news release.

About Roughrider Exploration Limited

Roughrider and its partner Kivalliq Energy are exploring the Genesis uranium project located in the Wollaston-Mudjatik geological trend extending northeast from Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin. In addition, Roughrider recently acquired an option to earn a 100% interest in the Iron Butte project in Nevada which contains a historic bulk tonnage gold resource and has now added the Silver Ace project in central British Columbia.

For further information, please contact:

Scott Gibson

Chief Executive Officer

604 6970028

Neither 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.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING HISTORICAL INFORMATION:

Historical information contained in this news release regarding properties adjacent to or in the area of Roughrider's Silver Ace property is repeated for historical reference only, do not indicate the presence of mineralization on the Silver Ace property and cannot be relied upon as its QP, as defined under NI-43-101 has not prepared nor verified the historical information.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release, including any information as to our strategy, projects, plans or future financial or operating performance, constitutes "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, geological and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. 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. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to: fluctuations in market prices, exploration and exploitation successes, continued availability of capital and financing, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, expropriation or nationalization of property and general political, economic, market or business conditions. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release, or incorporated by reference, are qualified by these cautionary statements. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Roughrider Exploration Ltd.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 17, 2017 / Copperbank Resources Corp. ("CopperBank" or the "Company") (CSE: CBK; OTC PINK: CPPKF) announces that it has hired Auracle Geospatial Science Inc. ("Auracle") to complete a remote sensing radar and hyperspectral survey for the Pyramid and San Diego Bay projects located on the Alaskan Peninsula. This study will allow CopperBank to acquire data relative to the nature of the alteration and its distribution pattern associated with the different types of mineralization present on the properties. The additional satellite radar study will assist in detecting the main structures controlling the mineralization that are masked at the surface by rubble, gravel, and vegetation. The new data shall be completed early 2018 and help the Company in the design of future exploration programs on both projects.

About Auracle:

Auracle is a geospatial technology company that has developed a world-class system to transform geospatial data captured from satellites, drones, and aircraft into high-resolution visual information about the earth. Auracle has developed a suite of mapping technologies that offers structural analysis and mineral classification to identify and map mineral occurrences and alteration zones associated with precious and base-metal deposits. What makes Auracle's technology and mapping suite unique is the way it combines radar and optical satellite data to penetrate vegetation, ground cover, water, ice, rocks, and soils.

"Auracle's technology works at, near and under the earth's surface enabling it to see through things that no other technology can claim," explains David McLelland, President & CEO of Auracle. "We are excited to apply The AURACLE SYSTEM to model the structure, texture, and lithology and to differentiate rock and formation types within this project area. We believe our geological interpretation and upgraded geological maps will help CopperBank's technical team to understand the host system, even when direct identification isn't possible in an extremely remote part of the world, to narrow prospective targets," said Mr. McLelland.

About Pyramid

The Pyramid project is located on private property with the subsurface controlled by The Aleut Corporation, an Alaska Native-owned corporation. Pyramid is a porphyry copper deposit containing a historical inferred mineral resource estimate of 122 million tonnes at 0.41% copper, 0.02% molybdenum, and 0.10 g/t gold (SRK, 2013) applying a 0.4% copper equivalent cut-off, divided into three main recognized zones: Main, North, and West. The mineralization is related to a multi-phased calk-alkaline intrusion, intruding sediments of Tertiary Age. The porphyry system is of a minimal extent of 1.5 km2, displays a leached cap, phyllic, propyllitic, and potassic alteration analogous to the other copper deposits of the Circum-Pacific Belt. The observed mineralization consists mainly in disseminations of chalcocite, chalcopyrite, and local molybdenite and sulphide veinlets. Bornite, malachite and chrysocolla are also reported as accessory minerals.

About San Diego Bay

The San Diego Bay project is located on private property and covers an area of 170 square kilometers with the subsurface controlled by The Aleut Corporation, an Alaska Native-owned corporation. The

lithologies are dominated by Tertiary andesitic porphyritic lava flows and volcaniclastics, minor dacite and rhyolite overlying Tertiary sediments and intruded by several felsic porphyritic intrusions. Alteration composed of iron oxides is characterized by deep, orangey colours spreading over several tenth of square kilometers. Historically collected pan concentrate sediments returned several copper (up to 0.24% Cu) and gold (up to 10 g/t Au) anomalies. Minimal historical exploration brought to light mineralized quartz veins and areas of highly clay/sericite/silica altered andesites. Gold values in collected rock samples reported up to 4 g/t Au and copper values as high as 16% Cu. Epithermal gold and copper porphyry mineralization will be the target of the future exploration programs.

For more information on CopperBank Resources, visit our website at www.copperbankcorp.com.

Contact Gianni Kovacevic, President and Executive Chairman of CopperBank, at:

Address: Suite 1500, 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1T2

Tel: 604-889-0852

E-mail: gk@copperbankcorp.com

Website: www.copperbankcorp.com

CopperBank is a Canadian exploration mining company focused on energy-related metal exploration in the United States of America.

The Company trades on the Canadian Securities Exchange - CSE under the symbol "CBK."

Advisory Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information in this release constitutes forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws and necessarily involves risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable law, CopperBank does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management of CopperBank's expectations or beliefs regarding future events. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans," or "believes," or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will be taken," "occur," or "be achieved," or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's ongoing review of its existing portfolio, the involvement of CopperBank in any potential divestiture, spin-out, partnership or other transactions involving the Company's portfolio assets, and the ability of the Company to complete any such transactions, the ability of CopperBank to enter into transactions that will ultimately enhance shareholder value, and potential future work or activities in respect of the Pyramid project or the Contact project. Although CopperBank believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements have been based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information available to CopperBank. Forward-looking statements are based, in part, on assumptions and factors that may change or prove to be incorrect, thus causing actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking information. Such factors and assumptions include but are not limited to the Company's ability to identify and complete one or more transactions involving the Company's portfolio assets that enhance shareholder value as part of management's ongoing review of strategic alternatives in the current market conditions. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk that the Company will not be able to identify and complete one or more transactions involving the Company's portfolio assets that enhance shareholder value as part of management's ongoing review of strategic alternatives in the current market conditions. Although CopperBank has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For more information on CopperBank and the risks and challenges of its businesses, investors should review the continuous disclosure filings that are available under CopperBank's profile at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: Copperbank Resources Corp.
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People examine relics on Tuesday that were recovered in a special operation in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. [Photo by Huo Yan/China Daily]

An online platform featuring information on China's lost or stolen cultural relics was launched Thursday.

The platform (bdww.sach.gov.cn) is intended to help solve cases involving historical items lost at home and abroad, according to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH).

The entries will be shared with Interpol, according to Chen Shiqu, deputy director of the criminal investigation bureau of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

More than 2,200 pieces of information have been collected and will be posted in batches. About 200 pieces of information, including pictures and descriptions of lost treasures, have already been posted in Chinese and English.

The public is encouraged to report new information via the platform, developed by the public security department of Shaanxi Province under the guidance of the SACH and MPS.
It takes longer to walk a block in Salt Lake City than anywhere else in the U.S. I discovered this the hard way during a recent stay downtown. At first, I would walk to restaurants that seemed close by -- just four or five blocks away -- only to discover that they took 20 minutes to reach. After a while, I just drove everywhere, despite having located centrally.This is because Salt Lake City has the largest blocks and widest streets of any major U.S. city. As I recently pointed out in my publication, downtown blocks in Salt Lake are 660 x 660 feet. By comparison, Austin and Little Rock, Ark., have block lengths and widths around 300 x 300 feet. Portland, Ore., which is known nationwide for its walkable downtown, has blocks that are 200 x 200 feet. Its not just Salt Lake Citys blocks that are wide. Its streets are too: At 130 feet, theyre double the width of those in Manhattan, Portland and San Francisco.This layout is a byproduct of the citys Mormon heritage. In 1833, several years after founding the religion in upstate New York, Joseph Smith outlined how Mormon cities should look and feel. The plan drew from that eras East Coast design principles, as well as the churchs desire for order. Smith called for a temple at the center of a grid and for large blocks that enabled family farming.In the early years, the church, thanks to persecution, had trouble finding a permanent settlement where it could execute these plans. But when Mormons finally entered Utah in 1847, the churchs then-president, Brigham Young, applied Smiths principles to Salt Lake City. Temple Square -- the current headquarters of the Mormon Church -- is in the center of the city. While Smiths plan didnt call for wide streets, Young added them, claiming that they would enable farmers to easily turn their cattle around without resorting to profanity.Today, the only group cursing Salt Lakes large blocks are urbanists. They consider them anachronisms for a densifying city, since they endanger pedestrians, separate uses and hinder walkability. Various activists have suggested implementing a complete streets strategy that features bike lanes, bulb-outs and medians. The Kentlands Initiative, a local nonprofit, has gone further, suggesting that the city build new housing and retail right in the middle of the streets. In this sense, Salt Lake Citys obscenely wide streets, while a problem, could also be an opportunity.But while the city government is somewhat receptive to that notion, its unlikely to happen. There are challenges with being too creative, says Molly Robinson, an urban designer for the planning department, especially in the actual roadways. Robinson says that Utahs arid climate makes plant-filled medians expensive to maintain, and that city residents cherish their mountain views. Putting trees, much less buildings, in the medians might block such views, which would be politically unpopular. So, for now, the Mormon planning principles that made Salt Lake Citys streets wide open remain intact.
(David Kidd)

Americas largest mental health hospital is the Cook County jail. With a daily population of some 9,000 inmates, its the biggest single-site penal facility in the country, and its estimated that as many as one-third of the people housed there have mental health issues. When you walk around, you cant help but feel youre in the wrong place, says Sheriff Tom Dart. You feel like youre in a mental health hospital. If theyre going to make it so that I am going to be the largest mental health provider, were going to treat these people as patients.Since becoming sheriff in 2007, Dart has worked to transform the jail from a warehouse for prisoners into a facility that provides its occupants with the mental health care and resources they desperately need. Three-fifths of Darts correction officers have mental health training; all new incoming staff now must complete 60 hours of advanced training in mental illness treatment. In 2015, he chose a psychiatrist to be warden of the jail, said to be the first such appointment in the nation. Dart has implemented mandatory screening for behavioral and substance abuse disorders when suspects are detained, and he refers them to treatment outside the jails confines if they seem to need it. For those sentenced to hard time and ineligible for treatment outside, Dart instituted group therapy. To reduce recidivism, he established a 24-hour telephone hotline for ex-inmates struggling after they are released.Dart didnt set out to be the sheriff of the nations second-largest county. In fact, he grew up wanting to be a priest. But after beginning his career as a prosecutor and then serving for a decade as a state lawmaker, Dart saw the job of sheriff as one in which he could work on the health and social welfare issues that mattered most to him.As sheriff, Dart is also responsible for foreclosure evictions, and he has fought to limit them. As the housing crisis was cresting in 2008, he made news for refusing to process evictions against tenants he believed had been treated unfairly by lending institutions. He installed new rules that make it harder to kick out tenants when their landlords have fallen behind in their mortgage payments. His efforts won national attention; TIME magazine put him on its list of the 100 most influential Americans.After asking what he called basic questions about the Illinois child welfare system, Dart realized that states often dont try to find runaway foster kids. In 2012, he established a task force to track down children in Cook County whove left foster homes. Our child welfare system does not look for these kids, Dart says. How can we accept that?Dart is politically popular, but his tenure hasnt been without controversy. Correctional officers unions have criticized him for protecting inmates at the cost of officer safety. Hes fought with County Board President Toni Preckwinkle over staffing levels. Hes been called Sheriff Goofy for sponsoring chess tournaments, teaching inmates to raise chickens, and allowing them to make and serve pizza to each other. But he says he wears that nickname proudly.And the results speak for themselves. Thanks to Darts diversion programs, the Cook County jail population is at its lowest point in more than a decade -- a trend that could save taxpayers more than $180 million over the next 10 years.-- By Mattie Quinn
Roy Moore won a reprieve in his struggle to survive as a U.S. Senate candidate Thursday when the Alabama Republican Party affirmed it would continue backing him despite allegations that he sexually assaulted teenagers."Judge Moore has vehemently denied the allegations made against him," state GOP Chairwoman Terry Lathan said in a written statement announcing the decision of a party steering committee to stand by Moore. "He deserves to be presumed innocent of the accusations unless proven otherwise. He will continue to take his case straight to the people of Alabama."She framed the election as a contrast between Moore, a conservative who backs President Donald Trump, and a Democrat who would thwart Trump's agenda."We trust the Alabama voters in this election to have our beloved state and nation's best interest at heart," she said.Trump, who has faced his own accusations of sexual harassment and assault, declined to join fellow Republicans in urging Moore to drop out of the race."Look, the president believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a briefing Thursday in Washington.Asked to explain his distinction between the allegations against Moore and the ones against Trump, she said: "I think the president has certainly a lot more insight into what he personally did or didn't do, and he spoke out about that directly during the campaign."Trump supported the Republican National Committee's withdrawal of financial support from Moore's campaign, and he believes Moore should step aside if the accusations are true, she added.Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey confirmed Thursday that she would not postpone the election, as some Republicans in Washington have suggested.Moore gathered in Birmingham with leaders of the religious right Thursday to show solidarity in fighting what he called the "scurrilous false allegations" that started emerging last week in The Washington Post. He blamed Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell for the barrage of accusations."This is an effort by Mitch McConnell and his cronies to steal this election from the people of Alabama, and they will not stand for it," he said after 90 minutes of testimonials by religious conservatives."I want to tell you who needs to step down _ that's Mitch McConnell," Moore added.The scandal has imperiled Republicans' lock on the Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, giving Democrats a startling opportunity to weaken the GOP's already fragile 52-48 vote majority.A Moore defeat in the Dec. 12 special election would mark an extraordinary breach in the Deep South's allegiance to the Republican Party. The scandal has given Democrat Doug Jones a realistic shot at winning the seat.A Fox News poll released Thursday found Jones leading Moore among likely voters, 50 percent to 42 percent.The allegations have threatened to undercut Moore's standing in this strongly conservative state. One woman, Leigh Corfman, says that Moore molested her when she was 14 and he was 32, sexually touching her after the two stripped to their underwear.Another woman, Beverly Young Nelson, says Moore sexually assaulted her when she was 16 and he was 30, grabbing her breasts and bruising her neck when he shoved her face into his crotch. A third woman, Tina Johnson, says Moore grabbed her buttocks when she visited his law office in 1991, when she was 28.Multiple other women say Moore made unwanted advances when they were teenagers.Moore, 70, has denied all the allegations. He says he never met Corfman, and he has accused Nelson of producing a forged Moore signature in her high school yearbook to back up her false allegation.Leaders of the Republican Party have withdrawn their support from Moore. However, apart from Sen. Richard Shelby, who suggested Moore should consider stepping aside, Alabama's GOP establishment has stuck by Moore."A lot of the stuff that's out there is already being disproved," said Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala. "As time goes along, you're going to find some other things are going to be disproved."Nonetheless, K.B. Forbes, a veteran GOP campaign operative who lives in Alabama and used to support Moore, launched a super PAC on Thursday to support Jones."We are encouraging lifelong Republicans to do the honorable thing: vote against pedophilia and sexual misconduct," Forbes said.
Cook County prosecutors dropped all charges Thursday against 15 men who alleged they were framed by corrupt former Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts and his crew.Ten of the men were in court as Judge LeRoy Martin Jr., presiding judge of the criminal division, threw out the convictions en masse -- believed to the first mass exoneration in county history.And there could be more ahead. Joshua Tepfer, the lead attorney for the 15 men, said Watts led a crew of cops -- many still on the force -- who made some 1,000 arrests. Authorities still must deal with more than 400 convictions tainted by Watts and his men, he said."It needs to be investigated and vetted about how many of those are appropriate to overturn," Tepfer told reporters at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. "We are very much in the process of doing that."Mark Rotert, head of State's Attorney Kim Foxx's Conviction Integrity Unit, said prosecutors continue to review Watts-related convictions on an individual basis -- what he called "a very exacting process.""Cases have to be evaluated individually and on their own facts," Rotert said following the dismissal of the charges against the 15 men.It marks the third consecutive day that prosecutors dropped charges at the county's main criminal courthouse because of alleged police misconduct. Jose Maysonet, 49, walked free Wednesday after 27 years in custody for a double murder when a sergeant and four detectives -- all retired -- indicated they would assert their Fifth Amendment right and refuse to answer questions about the alleged confessions they obtained.On Tuesday, Arthur Brown, 66, was released after county prosecutors reversed course and dropped murder charges against him, saying "significant evidentiary issues" raised "deep concerns" about the fairness of his conviction. Brown had been in custody 29 years for a double murder.The mass exoneration Thursday comes two months after lawyers for the 15 men filed a joint petition seeking to overturn a total of 18 criminal drug convictions, alleging that Watts and his crew framed all of them between 2003 and 2008.Because of the age of the cases, all 15 men had completed their sentences; two remain in custody on unrelated charges.Watts and an officer under his command were sent to federal prison in 2013 for stealing money from a drug courier who'd been working as an FBI informant.Tepfer, of the Exoneration Project at the University of Chicago Law School, said Thursday that he was "extraordinarily heartened" by the state's attorney's decision to throw out all the convictions at once."This is something that's rarely done in the country, as far as I know, where cases are looked at en masse because of some sort of law enforcement or official problem and in the interest of justice that we have to do a clean sweep," he said.A state's attorney spokesman said nobody in the prosecutors' office could recall ever dropping so many convictions at one time.Since last year, the Chicago Tribune has written several front-page stories detailing the scandal over Watts' nearly decadelong run of corruption.Five people had previously seen their Watts-related convictions thrown out, so Thursday's move brought the total to 20. In addition, two Chicago police officers who alleged they were blackballed for trying to expose Watts' corruption years ago won a $2 million settlement in their whistleblower lawsuit.Watts has repeatedly been accused of forcing residents and drug dealers alike to pay a "protection" tax and putting bogus cases on those who refused to do so. In case after case, when Watts' targets complained -- to the Police Department or in court -- judges, prosecutors and internal affairs investigators all believed the testimony of Watts and other officers over their accusers, records show. In addition to the alleged frame-ups by Watts, the petition filed in September highlighted a broken system of police discipline that allegedly protects bad officers and punishes those who tried to expose his corruption.Despite mounting allegations, Watts continued to operate for years amid a lengthy police internal affairs division probe as well as investigations by the state's attorney's office and the FBI, according to court records. When Watts was finally caught, it was on relatively minor federal charges, and he was given a break at sentencing by a federal judge who talked tough but in the end handed him only 22 months in prison.Meanwhile, at least seven other officers who were part of Watts' team are still on the force, including one who has since been promoted to sergeant and another who was found by a jury this year to have shot a teen in the back without justification.Among the petitioners whose case was overturned Thursday was Leonard Gipson, who filed a complaint with the Chicago Police Department in 2003 alleging the sergeant had framed him on a drug charge because he'd refused to pay "protection" money.Gipson's complaint went nowhere. Four months later, with his drug case pending, Gipson was visiting his girlfriend in the Ida B. Wells public housing complex when he again ran into Watts, who had been notified of the complaint against him."Let me see if you can bond off on this," Watts said to Gipson before handcuffing and planting 28 grams of heroin on him, Gipson alleged in the petition. After two years in jail awaiting trial, he pleaded guilty on the advice of his attorney, who noted it was his word against the police's.On Thursday, Gipson was among those in court to witness history."Watts always told me, 'If you're not going to pay me, I'm going to get you,'" Gipson told reporters. "And every time I ran into him, he'd put drugs on me. Every time."Gipson, 36, said he feels like "a brand new baby" now that his record has been cleared.Another alleged victim, Taurus Smith, was 17 years old at the time he claimed Watts had him falsely arrested on a narcotics charge. Shortly after he bonded out, Smith's mother took him to file a complaint with the now-defunct Office of Professional Standards.The next day, Watts and two other officers confronted Smith outside a building at Ida B. Wells, where Watts made it clear that he knew the teen had dared complain, according to Smith's sworn statement in the petition."Watts had his service weapon on his waist and another gun in his hand," Smith said in the statement. "He said to me, 'This is grown-man s---.' ... He then threatened he would plant the gun on me if I didn't leave it alone."Smith said he again reported the incident to his mother, who told him they were going to have to move. Weeks later, they packed up and left the Ida B. Wells complex, he said.Gipson said in his sworn statement that everyone in the neighborhood knew of Watts' reputation as a crooked cop. Watts had warned him that if he didn't pay his street tax, Gipson said, "I would go to jail every time he ran into me." Gipson tried to fight his drug charges in court, but after a Cook County judge sided with the officers and denied his motion to suppress evidence, he had little option but to cut a deal. He pleaded guilty to both counts in exchange for four months in boot camp.But it wasn't over for Gipson. In August 2007, two years after his release from custody, he was leaving his girlfriend's house in Ida B. Wells when Watts spotted him and asked, "Do you have something for me?" according to Gipson's affidavit.Gipson left the building, but when he came back a short time later, Watts and several members of his team surrounded him, he said. Watts took a bag of drugs out of his pocket and said, "These are your drugs, hard-ass," then handcuffed Gipson and took him to the station, according to Gipson's statement.Court records show Gipson pleaded guilty to heroin possession and received four years in prison. His only criminal convictions are the three cases involving Watts, according to records.
Ken Miki's "APPLE+ Learning to Design, Designing to Learn" exhibition [Photo/shine.cn]

What color is an apple? Most people will say "red, green or yellow." But if you visit Ken Miki's "APPLE+ Learning to Design, Designing to Learn" exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (MoCA) in People's Park, you will be surprised to find 8,000 color samples extracted from an apple covering the ground of the exhibition hall.

"This is not just to bluff you. There are a sweet red faintly tinged with yellow, a sour red subtly suffused with green and an acerbic red with a generous dose of brown," says Miki, an award-winning Japanese graphic designer based in Osaka.

"We have added 6,000 more colors since I had my first APPLE+ exhibition at the Ginza Graphic Gallery in Tokyo in 2015."

Ken Miki explains his design idea at his exhibition in Shanghai. [Photo/shine.cn]

Over the past five years, Miki, a professor at the Osaka University of Art, has developed a course for freshmen studying design for the first time. Using an apple, something familiar to everyone, he tries to address topics such as color, scale, surface, texture, writing, line and body  fundamentals for all designers.

Altogether 14 activities in Miki's design course are showcased, based on the concept of becoming aware. The forms and characteristics of the apple are used to address various concepts, cultivating insight through such key words as thinking, making, conveying and learning.

One aspect is observing the apple physically and realizing that you don't really know as much about apples as you thought.

Ken Miki's "APPLE+ Learning to Design, Designing to Learn" exhibition [Photo/shine.cn]

What is the surface area of an apple? By peeling off its skin, cutting it into small pieces and arranging them in a rectangle or a square, you can determine the area roughly. But what if you use the little bits to form a map of the world? How big is the area then?

"Having the vision to create a flexible concept is a valuable skill in design," says Miki. "The key is to make your own rule."

Miki says at his design studio, bookshelves are not organized. That means it takes time to find the book you are looking for, but you may also have wonderful and inspiring encounters with other books during the process.

"In this case, happy accident is the rule," says Miki, "because I keep hitting on concepts and ideas. Often my brain hums with delighted inspiration at a passage in a book that I was not originally looking for."

Born in 1955, Miki established his design office, Ken Miki & Associates, in 1982. From that base in Osaka, he has been active in a remarkably broad spectrum of design genres, including branding, advertising, packaging, editorials and spatial design.

Among his most prominent works are his kit created for the 2003 Icograda Congress in Nagoya, promotion materials for IBM Japan for the ThinkPad and logos for BELLE MAISON and KEIKYU Department Store.

In recent years, he has devoted himself to educating tomorrow's designers. In 2015, Miki held the first "APPLE+" design exhibition in Tokyo after winning the 18th Yusaku Kamekura Design Award for his "APPLE+" posters and for his unique approach to education behind their creation.

The book "APPLE" which introduces Mike's course in English was later published by Lars Muller Publishers of Switzerland. With the opening of his "APPLE+" exhibition last month in Shanghai, a Chinese version of the book was published by the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publication House, with a lot more recently developed content and detailed procedures added.

Q: What does design mean to you?

A: Design has been closely linked to our lives for ages. It is the act of making a smooth connection between people and tangible things, or people and intangible things through communication by identifying a certain state of mind or set of circumstances. Thus, in addition to traversing a professional field, design necessarily embodies a rich sustainable life.

Design visualizes ideas and concepts that provide solutions to a variety of problems. This calls for the discovery of social themes and a special sense of awareness to convert them into new values. And attaining this level of awareness requires profound insight.

Q: How did the APPLE design course come into being? And what's your main objective?

A: At the 13th anniversary of my design firm, Ken Miki & Associates, I accepted a teaching position in the Design Department at Osaka University of Arts. I was asked to oversee a freshman course in basic design practice. After approaching design from a variety of angles during the first year, they will begin to concentrate on a specialty as a sophomore. Not all of them, however, are aiming to become designers in the future.

My aim is to think logically. Open up your senses. Constantly moving back and forth between your intellect and sensitivity is what makes design attractive and enjoyable. Rather than being satisfied with the things we have or striving for more, the real question is how to discover our own way of living. This is what I want to convey to my students.

Q: Why an apple?

A: My goal was to create an accessible workshop that would help my students understand the essential nature of design by the end of this 15-week course. This required content that would get to the heart of design rather than only skimming the surface. I thought that using something familiar to everyone might lead to deeper understanding.

Apples are connected to everything  seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting. And I thought that by the end of each class, we would be able to digest the content in exactly the same way we eat an apple. By doing this, I thought I could give "awareness" a physical form. But more than that, by choosing an apple, I thought I could make this a "delicious" class.

"APPLE+ Learning to Design, Designing to Learn"

Date: Through December 4, 10am-6pm

Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai

Address: Gate 7, People's Park, 231 Nanjing Rd W.
Description

GIS - 17 November, 2017: The Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China donated a sum of one million rupees to the Le Reduit Appeal Fund. In this context, the State House in collaboration with the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China and the Chinese Cultural Centre organised a donation ceremony yesterday at the State House Reduit in the presence of the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Dr Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Mauritius, Mr Sun Gongyi and other personalities.

The fund has been raised through the ballet Le Lac des Cygnes performed by the Tianjin troupe on November 3 and 5 2017 at the J & J auditorium. On the same occasion, Rs 500 000 was donated to associations working for the welfare of children with disabilities namely Association des Parents pour la Rehabilitation dinfirmes Moteurs and Association pour les handicaps de Malherbes.

In her address, President Gurib-Fakim stated that in the context of the celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Mauritius diplomatic relations, the generous act aims to further reinforce bilateral and economic cooperation between Mauritius and the Peoples Republic of China

.

For his part, Ambassador Gongyi highlighted the long-standing relationship that Mauritius and China share and expressed keen interest to consolidate existing links while moving to new sectors of development and avenues of cooperation.

Diplomatic relations between Mauritius and China dates back to 1972. Since then the relationship between the two countries has evolved remarkably with China being a strategic partner to Mauritius. China has since then been providing both technical and financial support for the economic development of the country.
(TNS)  The Sacramento city auditor is investigating the citys parking meter program at the request of a councilman who said hes alarmed by a spike in erroneous expired meter tickets this year.It is really a matter of trust, Councilman Steve Hansen said. If the city cant enforce its parking regulations correctly, the public cant trust us.The number of improper expired meter tickets issued by the city spiked this year to more than 3,900, nearly twice the number of dismissals over the first 10 months of last year, according to citation data. The issue was first highlighted in stories by the Sacramento Business Journal.The dismissals amount to more than 5 percent of tickets issued this year at expired meters. Last year, 4.2 percent of tickets were dismissed and less than 3 percent were tossed out the year before.City parking officials acknowledged last month they have begun proactively dismissing erroneous tickets after discovering problems with their ParkMobile app, a wireless payment device that allows motorists to pay via smartphone rather than put coins or a credit card in the meter.Parking division head Matt Eierman referred to the problem as an anomaly that affected a small percentage of drivers who used the app for 16 days in October.The data, however, suggests the problem is more widespread and has taken place over a longer period of time, Hansen said. Many of the erroneous tickets were issued in the early months of the year, long before the October glitch.It is potentially thousands of wrongly issued tickets over a couple of months, Hansen said. Thats a staggering number.Hansen said he wants the citys independent auditor to determine whether there are systemic issues and how they should be addressed.City Auditor Jorge Oseguera said his office has started its investigation and will assess the magnitude of what may have gone wrong and how long its been going on. He said he does not expect his investigation to be completed by the end of the year.James May, a Southside Park resident who works downtown, said he and his wife have gotten three erroneous tickets in the last year, most recently in July when he still had four minutes on the meter. They challenged all three and got the city to dismiss them, but are left wondering what is going on.There seems to be a glut. We are wondering how many people  ended up paying these things instead of challenging, he said. I cant imagine the business community is thrilled with that. The idea is to bring people into downtown, but if they are getting illegal parking tickets, then its ultimately going to be self-defeating for the city.City Manager Howard Chan said the spike in dismissals this year is partly due to a city policy in place in the months after Golden 1 Center opened last year to be lenient with parking meter tickets.We wanted people to come downtown and not have a bad experience because everyone was saying this is going to be the worst thing ever, parking is going to be terrible, its going to be Carmageddon, there are going to be citations everywhere, Chan said. We certainly didnt want that.Still, the city is issuing far more citations this year than it has in the past few years. Through the end of October, parking officers wrote 71,316 tickets at expired meters in the city, according to numbers provided by the city. That places the city on pace to write 32 percent more expired meter citations in 2017 than it did in 2016, data shows.The city operates 5,800 meters in the central city and downtown core. Almost all are smart meters, installed over the last few years, that take credit cards, work with the ParkMobile app and are able to send a signal alerting city officials if they are malfunctioning.In a memo to the City Council this week, Chan defended the citys new parking meter system, saying there have been glitches, but we do not believe that this is a widespread issue.The infusion of technology in any application comes with a potential for errors to occur, Chan wrote. In this instance, weve experienced an error rate of less than 1 percent.He cited data from 2015 to the present showing 14.1 million payments at street meters. The city issued 210,758 meter-related citations since 2015, Chan wrote, and, of those, 8,873 were dismissed. Some were for expired meters, some for other violations.Chan said the 2017 increase in citation numbers is due, in good part, to the fact that the city increased its parking meter hours one year ago. Previously, almost all meters shut down daily at 6 p.m. Now, many in the downtown core must be fed until 10 p.m., and others in a slice of midtown must be fed until 8 p.m.Chan said city parking officials have added secondary checks into their system to ensure that citations are no longer being issued in error.He said the city plans to buy hand-held citation devices for code enforcement officers on the street that will give them real-time data aimed at showing whether a motorist has paid, even if the meter light is red.
(TNS) - Some relief is on the way for Lake County residents whose homes flooded this past summer after Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation Thursday providing up to a $750 credit to homeowners who reported flood damage from the historic water levels in July."July's severe storms pushed rivers and lakes over their banks across a wide swath of Illinois," Rauner stated in a press release announcing the passage of SB 403. "Many home and business owners are still working to restore their properties after the inundation of water, debris and mud they suffered through, in some cases for weeks."Describing the flooding triggered by heavy storms across northeastern Illinois on July 11-12 as "unprecedented," Rauner's statement added that, "This tax credit offers a measure of much-needed relief."Residents in 18 counties are eligible for the credit, according to the press release, including Cook, Lake and McHenry. Rauner declared that all those counties were state disaster areas following the floods.State Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, introduced the legislation along with state Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake. The two spoke at a press conference Thursday at Round Lake Park Village Hall, along with Round Lake Park Mayor Linda Lucassen and Lake County Chairman Aaron Lawlor."We didn't get the FEMA dollars," Bush said, explaining that one reason she introduced the legislation was because the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not assist residents of Lake County with relief funds. "We didn't make the numbers for FEMA."Yingling said many in Lake County are still struggling with damage from the flood."There are still a number of families trying to recover from the devastation," he said. "This is much-needed relief."In an earlier news release, Bush stated that the flooding that occurred this summer, "caused thousands of dollars in property damage to Lake County homes and businesses. This tax credit will provide relief to flood victims who are still trying to pick up the pieces, and rebuild their homes and businesses."At Thursday's appearance in Round Lake Park, Bush added that, "a lot of (property owners) just don't have the resources" to recover from the flood.Lucasson estimated there were more than 100 families in Round Lake Park who would qualify for the credit."There is going to be some help," she said. "Some of our residents are still not in their homes."Lawlor announced that Lake County has waived permitting and other fees for housing damaged by flooding."Together we are making sure that we step up for our Lake County families," Lawlor said. He added that he believes thousands of Lake County families will receive a tax credit under this bill.Rauner's office estimates the bill will cost the state $4.6 million.In order to qualify for the grant, Yingling said, the homeowners must have reported the damage in July to the Lake County Emergency Management agency. In addition, he said, homeowners who received the Natural Disaster Reassessment are not eligible.In addition, officials said, homeowners seeking the credit must attach a letter from their township assessor's office to the tax form.Lucasson said Round Lake Park did all it could to make sure its residents reported the damage correctly in order to receive assistance. Village representatives visited flooded areas following the storm to spread the word, she added."We walked the streets and handed out fliers," Lucasson said.In addition to the tax credit, the lawmakers announced the Small Business Administration will provide low interest loans to homeowners and business owners in Lake County.Lawlor said a temporary SBA Help Center at 1303 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Libertyville, behind Winchester House, has hours available in November for Lake County residents affected by the flooding.Mary McIntyre is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.2017 the Lake County News-Sun (Lake County, Ill.)Visit the Lake County News-Sun (Lake County, Ill.) at www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sunDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Las Vegas shooting was a reminder of painful lessons learned time and again during active threat events. One of the most compelling points is that on average, these types of events last just 12 minutes, and 60 percent of them are over before police arrive, according to the FBI. While calling 911 is essential to ensure help is on the way, the data shows that that alone will not save your life.Our professional first responders, fire, police, emergency medical services, and the larger emergency management community are invaluable resources and deserve our respect and praise for their selfless service. But, the true first responders, those who are present when the disaster occurs, deserve a fresh look considering their role on the front lines during a crisis.The devastating shooting in Las Vegas comes on the heels of hurricanes Maria, Irma and Harvey, wildfires throughout the Western states, earthquakes in Mexico, a vehicle-borne attack in Edmonton, Alberta and others. In the world of natural hazards  floods, fires, and hurricanes  the idea of community involvement is not a new one. Two FEMA administrators, Craig Fugate and Brock Long, have now promoted this approach, acknowledging the important role citizens play in response efforts. During FEMA Administrator Longs Aug. 28 press conference, he stated, We need citizens to be involved  we need the whole community.What would you do if you were in the crowd when shots are fired, or on the street when a truck is speeding your way, or in a movie theater, a school, or your workplace when an active shooter strikes? Many are left asking these questions, but rather than feeling helpless, it is time we empower our public with the same authority that we have done for natural hazards. When seconds matter, first response must be crowdsourced and driven by the community, our neighbors, friends and family.As we learn more about the tragedy in Las Vegas, there are countless examples of survivors implementing spontaneous evacuations, sheltering, triage, treatment and transport. Stories like these, and others from the past two months, reinforce this truth: We are a responder nation. It is everyday heroes who rise to the occasion. Civilians with modest training can make a difference. Equipping the public can take many forms; it may be teaching non-linear protective actions, such as Lock Out, Get Out, Take Out, or basic methods of treating traumatic injuries, such as applying a tourniquet to stop the loss of blood. Proper interventions performed quickly reduce impact and improve survival rates.The entire community has a role in building a responder nation, and it must start with each one of us. We cannot rely exclusively on the governments efforts. There have been top-down attempts at general preparedness (ready.gov, Stop the Bleed, CPR/AED and first aid), but most have been only modestly effective. In the area of active threat events, many agencies urge the public to be prepared, but there has yet to be a widely adopted national standard.On Sept. 11, 2017, Long said, I really think that we have a long way to go to create a true culture of preparedness within our citizenry in America. The first step? Lets start with a subtle shift in mindset from how we view preparedness today. I agree with Long, and would add that during an active threat event, your body cannot react to what your mind cannot perceive. The threat is real. We all have a role in preparedness. We are a responder nation, and the next step is yours.
Hundreds of angry people at community meetings

Thousands of angry (really angry) emails to congress

Congressmen and -women sending letters to FEMA asking for explanations

GAO investigations as to how money is being spent

Congressional hearings

FEMA IG (in about three to five years) asking people to repay payments erroneously paid to them by FEMA

Repeat hundreds of angry emails to Congress

For you younger readers, here is the ad from years ago:You can substitute "housing" for "beef."The accolades for the wonderful disaster response in Texas and Florida are but distant memories. They are back there, three months, in the rearview mirror. Now the nitty-gritty of putting people back in homes becomes very real. In this case, I don't think FEMA will be offering to fly people to Puerto Rico as an option for not having housing in Texas.Check out thismagazine article on the problems that emerging in Texas,I think Texas will be more of a problem for FEMA than Florida because of the sheer number of homes impacted and those without flood insurance.What is coming next:
(TNS)  WASHINGTON  The U.S. Federal Communications Commission next month is planning a vote to kill Obama-era rules demanding fair treatment of web traffic and may decide to vacate the regulations altogether, according to people familiar with the plans.The move would reignite a years-long debate that has seen Republicans and broadband providers seeking to eliminate the rules, while Democrats and technology companies support them. The regulations passed in 2015 bar broadband providers such as AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp. from interfering with web traffic sent by Google, Facebook Inc. and others.FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, chosen by President Donald Trump, in April proposed gutting the rules and asked for public reaction. The agency has taken in more than 22 million comments on the matter.Pai plans to seek a vote in December, said two people who asked not to be identified because the matter hasnt been made public. As the head of a Republican majority, he is likely to win a vote on whatever he proposes.One of the people said Pai may call for vacating the rules except for portions that mandate internet service providers inform customers about their practices  one of the more severe options that would please broadband providers. They argue the FCCs rules arent needed and discourage investment, in part because they subject companies to complex and unpredictable regulations.Democrats and technology companies say the rules are needed to make sure telecommunications providers dont favor business partners or harm rivals.The agency declined to comment on the timing of a vote. We dont have anything to report at this point, said Tina Pelkey, a spokeswoman for the commission.Pai in April proposed that the FCC end the designation of broadband companies as common carriers. That would remove the legal authority that underpins the net neutrality rules.Pai could also choose not to find authority in the FCCs powers to promote broadband. That would leave the rules without an apparent legal footing, leading in turn to a conclusion the agency lacks authority even to issue revised, less-stringent regulations.The April proposal also asked the agency to consider lifting bans on blocking web traffic or on building fast lanes that favor those willing to pay more for faster service.News of the December vote drew immediate reactions.Abandoning bipartisan net neutrality principles threatens to kill the streaming revolution and will hurt businesses, large and small, who are migrating to the cloud at record speeds, said Chip Pickering, chief executive officer of the Incompas trade group with members including online shopping giant Amazon.com Inc. and video streamer Netflix Inc.Chairman Pais affection for AT&T and Comcast holds great political risk for President Trump and the entire Republican Party, Pickering said in an emailed statement. No one wants to see the internet turned into cable and have to pay more for streaming services they love.Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, part of the FCCs Democratic minority, said the agency is headed down a destructive path that doesnt help consumers.What consumers want is access to a free and open internet without fear of being throttled or assessed a toll by their broadband service provider, Clyburn said in an emailed statement.The current regulations forbid broadband providers from blocking or slowing web traffic, or from charging higher fees in return for quicker passage over their networks.Supporters of the rules say they are needed to keep network owners from unfairly squelching rivals and discouraging web startups. Critics say the rules discourage investment while exposing companies to a threat of heavier regulation including pricing mandates, and that marketplace competition will discipline broadband providers.The regulation survived a court challenge from broadband providers last year.Trumps White House has opposed the rules. In July, as Pais critics protested, a White House spokesman said the administration supports the FCCs efforts to roll back burdensome, monopoly-era regulations.
(TNS)  A bill concerning small cell wireless installations that Aurora area communities united to oppose has been held in the state Senate.SB1451, known as the Small Cell Wireless Bill, was held by State Senate President John Cullerton, although the bill did pass both the House and Senate during the recent veto session.The hold will give state officials a chance to negotiate with local officials to address what the locals fear would take away local regulation.More negotiation is what Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico, along with three county board members and seven mayors of other area communities, asked for when they held a news conference last week to show a united front against the bill.The local officials said SB1451 would take away local regulation of small cell wireless installations  both in where they are located in local rights-of-way and on existing municipal light and power poles, and how many are allowed in any one place.Officials agreed they want the resulting technology addressed in the bill  the more powerful 5G network for cell phones. But they said they need to be able to control what goes in local rights-of-way, and where.This week, Irvin said he "would hope" the bill was held because state officials heard what local officials were saying during events like the press conference Aurora and Naperville held."They have to listen to what the cities are saying," Irvin said.
(TNS)  Local and state officials Thursday ceremonially topped out the steel frame of a $60 million cybersecurity training center scheduled to open next July.Workers on the Hull McKnight Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center actually put the final steel beam in place, on the highest point of the mid-rise building, Nov. 10. But Thursdays gathering more formally recognized the progress of the facility, including a barbecue lunch to thank the projects work crews.For weeks before the topping-out, project partners and the local community were invited to sign the final beam for posterity. The beam features more than 150 signatures. A crane raised an American flag and a Georgia state flag at the building site Thursday, both of which were flown over the State Capitol on Oct. 1, the first day of National Cyber Security Awareness Month.With the signing and the placement of this beam, Augusta takes a step forward as the potential cybersecurity capital of the nation and soon to be the world, Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis said. Our skyline and our community have been forever changed by the addition of this state-of-the-art facility.Calvin Rhodes, the states chief information officer and executive director of the Georgia Technology Authority, said the beams signatories represent only a fraction of the number its taken to make this possible today.The GTA is overseeing construction and operation of the 167,000-square-foot center. It describes the center as the nations single largest investment in a cybersecurity facility to date.Rhodes said that the cyberworld is changing so rapidly that its probably the slowest its ever going to be today. The work that will be done in the center will support a future that we really cant even envision today.The education and training center will prepare professionals to protect the nation from cybersecurity threats. The center is aligned with Augusta Universitys Cyber Institute and AUs recently launched School of Computer and Cyber Sciences. The center will anchor AUs Riverfront Campus.The center also will house an incubator for startup cybersecurity companies and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations new cybercrime unit.The center also is partnered with Augusta Technical College. Its president, Terry Elam, said the center will help give an opportunity for students to, in many cases, have a seamless transition from high school to two-year college to four-year college to graduate school, all in our community. Thats something we look forward to.Youre not just building a building here in Augusta, AU President Dr. Brooks Keel said. Youre building the future. Youre building the future of how this region of the country prepares itself for the cybertsunami thats coming.Jones Lang LaSalle is the construction project manager, and is providing leasing information for the center. M. Arthur Gensler Jr. and Associates Inc. is the architect. New South Construction is the general contractor. Cranston Engineering Group is handling the engineering work.
The European Union's new anti-dumping law that grants separate treatment for imports under "significant market distortions" is not in compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday.

The concept of "significant market distortions" is not stated in the WTO rules, while there are no rules regarding "social and environmental dumping," the MOC said in an online statement.

The move is therefore groundless and will cause "serious damage" to the WTO's anti-dumping legal system, and has already been questioned by many WTO members, including China, according to the statement.

In its plenary session on Wednesday, the European Parliament gave the green light to amendments on its regulation for anti-dumping and anti-subsidized imports from countries outside the union.

The core of the amendment is using the "significant market distortions" concept as a replacement of the "analogue country methodology" when calculating dumping margins.

According to WTO requirements, anti-dumping investigations against imports from China under the "analogue country methodology" expired on Dec. 11, 2016. The methodology calculates the value of products from so-called "non-market economies" using costs of production in a third country.

As an important member of the WTO, the European Union should respect international rules, the MOC said.

China reserves its rights under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, and will take the necessary measures to protect the rights of Chinese companies, it said.
TransLoc, a technology provider of flexible agency-owned microtransit solutions, is partnering with three California transit agencies readying to deploy microtransit in their respective communities: Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (CCCTA) and the San Joaquin Regional Transit District (SJRTD).

Microtransit is a highly flexible, on-demand mode of transportation that couples traditional fixed-route services, such as public buses and trains, with demand-driven options to serve the specific needs of cities and communities. Microtransit can positively impact a communitys social mobility and economic viability while also addressing concerns stemming from traffic and parking congestion.

Powered by TransLocs MicroTransit Simulator, a predictive modeling service that can simulate rider demand and determine fleet operations for successful new pilot programs for on-demand transit services, OCTA, CCCTA and SJRTD are now in the initial stages of rolling these new services out to the public. By introducing new agency-owned flexible transit services, each transit agency is now better able to serve their community with their own unique brand of services.

Located southeast of Los Angeles, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) serves 34 cities, including Anaheim, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, California. OCTAs microtransit service, called OC Flex, will help the agency reduce parking congestions, grow ridership and provide more efficient service for public-transit riders.

OCTA says it plans to launch OC Flex in the summer of 2018 in two zones within the countyone serving the cities of Huntington Beach and Westminster, and the other serving Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel.

In the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area, CCCTA plans to deploy microtransit to complement its current demand-response services, as well as help its riders connect more seamlessly with the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Walnut Creek station. CCCTA currently transports 20-40 commuters per day on its demand-response service that requires call-ahead scheduling. The new microtransit service is about providing CCCTA riders with a positive customer experience that will help to grow ridership numbers.

San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) in Stockton, California is currently leveraging microtransit services, powered by TransLoc, to better serve its rural residents. RTD piloted microtransit in its community to make it possible for riders to request on-demand rides in both real-time and also to schedule services in advance. San Joaquin RTDs microtransit pilot began in July 2017.
China will open up its payment industry in a balanced and orderly way, Fan Yifei, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), said at a forum Thursday.

The country would give overseas-funded financial institutions "pre-establishment national treatment," which means giving equal treatment to overseas and domestic companies even before they make investments, coupled with the negative list approach, according to Fan.

"The government will significantly ease market access and push forward opening in the e-payment sector," Fan said at the Sixth China Payment and Clearing Forum.

Front-end trading and settlement will be opened up first.

Being an important part of the financial service, all payment businesses from public, private and foreign-funded institutions should ask for permission and be subject to supervision in the country.

The central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan called for more reform and opening up of the country's financial sector earlier this month.

Zhou also said in June that opening up helped to build a strong and competitive financial sector, and that protectionist behavior limiting the participation of foreign players would lead to laziness and weakness, causing poor competitiveness and hurting the industry's development.
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Airbus Thursday announced that its second global innovation center will be established in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, with the aim to accelerate innovation and shape the future of flight.

The Airbus China Innovation Centre will serve to strengthen the European aviation giant's plan to shape a future-oriented worldwide innovation ecosystem following its A3 innovation center located in Silicon Valley.

"China will be the leader of the future flight. Airbus is willing to define and build the future of the global sky in joint hands with China," said Paul Eremenko, chief technology officer of Airbus.

The new innovation center will benefit from the advantages of policy planning, talent resources, and a favorable investment and financing environment in Shenzhen to impact global aviation innovation, Eremenko said.

In July 2017, Airbus appointed Luo Gang as CEO of the Airbus China Innovation Centre, without confirming where the center would be located. Luo's team has already set up a number of ongoing initiatives in autonomous flight, unmanned vehicle, and in-flight experience.

As a pioneering city in China's reform and opening-up, Shenzhen boasts global competitive advantages in technology research and development, industrialization, and international expansion.

Airbus Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Invest Shenzhen to establish a long-term strategic partnership on innovation.

According to the MOU, both sides will work together to accelerate research and development, application, and industrialization of in-flight experiences, connectivity, new energy, and urban air mobility (UAM).

Both sides with be devoted to cultivating an integrated hardware and software ecosystem, relying on Shenzhen's high-end aviation research and development and advanced manufacturing industry value chain.

"China will surely become a pivotal power in defining the future of the world's skies," said Eric Chen, president of Airbus China. "Airbus will continue to deepen mutually-beneficial and multi-dimensional cooperation with China."

By the end of August, the Airbus fleet in China had exceeded 1,480 aircraft, around half of the country's in-service civil airplanes.
GREENSBORO  After less than three months on the job, Austin Petty will step down as executive director of Community Theatre of Greensboro, and a new hire will take his place.

CTG Board President George Carson called Pettys departure a beautifully mutual separation.

We are parting ways on fantastic terms, with nothing but positive feelings in terms of CTG toward Austin and vice versa, Carson said.

Petty, 35, started at the nonprofit CTG on Sept. 5. He replaced longtime executive director Mitchel Sommers, who asked to move into a new role supporting the artistic side.

The son of former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and grandson of racing legend Richard Petty, Austin Petty brought management and fundraising experience from his work at Victory Junction. His family founded the nonprofit camp in Randleman for children with serious medical conditions.

Carson described Petty as a very likeable person with a strong skill set, but said that his skills werent the right fit for CTG.

CTG runs its programs on an $800,000 annual budget with four full-time staffers.

As a nonprofit organization with a much smaller staff than Victory Junction, CTG needs an executive director with the expertise to be responsible for all aspects of the organization, Carson said.

I really dont have a working knowledge of the arts, Petty said Thursday. I said that from the very beginning. Im not a theater guy. I think my lack of knowledge really was hindering me to do the best job that I could do for them.

After a long discussion with CTGs board, We said that whats best for this place is for us to find somebody else, Petty said.

CTG has done that with Jody Cauthen Kaizen.

Kaizen, longtime theater manager for the UNC-Greensboro School of Theatre, will become the community theaters executive director on Jan. 2.

She will manage a 68-year-old organization that produces plays at its own Starr Theatre at 520 S. Elm St. and at the nearby Carolina Theatre, home to its popular annual production of The Wizard of Oz.

Kaizen was a finalist during the boards earlier search for a director.

It was an extremely close decision, Carson said. We went with Austin because of that stronger nonprofit fundraising background.

But Jody has a number of strengths that balance that, Carson added. She comes with a very strong theater-management background as well as strong leadership skills.

Had Petty not accepted the job, Kaizen would have been offered the job, Carson said.

I am so ecstatic that we were still able to reach out to Jody and that she was available, Carson added.

Kaizen, 46, has spent 18 years in her current post at UNCG. She handles marketing, audience development, community relations, fundraising and special endowments.

She also taught courses in theater management.

At the same time, she spent three years as program director of UNCGs arts-administration program, until it required a full-time director.

Before coming to UNCG, Kaizen worked as business manager for the Barn Dinner Theatre.

A Kentucky native, she holds a masters degree in arts administration from St. Marys University of Minnesota.

I am really excited by the opportunity to work with people from all realms of the community, not just college-age students, Kaizen said. I grew up in a community theater and have a soft spot for what a community theater can provide for a city.

Although she has not been involved with the community theater, Kaizen knows Sommers and others who have worked, directed and performed there.

She also knows the local theater audience and theater philanthropy.

Kaizen wants to research the theaters alumni and impact on the community. There may be an opportunity for an endowment or scholarship fund, she said.

The theater has a strong staff that wont miss a beat until Kaizen arrives, Carson said.

Among them is Rozalynn Fulton, who will take on the expanded role of artistic director, Carson said. Fulton also will keep her duties as education and youth director.

Sommers now acts as theater consultant. He will continue to direct shows periodically and lead OnStage and Inclusive, a spring program for people with disabilities.

Today is Pettys last day with the community theater.

Petty and the theater agreed on the departure date, and Petty did not receive severance pay, Carson said.

Petty said he likely will return to motorsports and work in media or sales. He spent four years with the Petty Enterprises racing team as an apprentice and executive-offices manager.

He plans to continue volunteering with nonprofits serving children who are ill or in need.

Petty said he will remain a theater supporter. He plans to attend The Wizard of Oz this weekend.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections received one incident report involving a party-appointed poll observer on Election Day, and seven more during one-stop early voting. Election officials were on high alert for unruly observers after the board received reports of more than a dozen conduct violations during the May primary. Overall, the board received reports of 21 conduct violations during the general election, involving both observers and campaigners. They included 12 instances of alleged voter intimidation, one instance of possible voter interference and eight instances of potential election official intimidation. Campaigners were the most common perpetrators. Board spokesperson Patrick Gannon said there may be additional incidents that have not yet been reported.
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Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) giant Baidu has unveiled a plan to mass produce its self-driving mini-bus by July 2018, Economic View reported.

A self-driving car developed by Baidu. [File photo/Xinhua]

Baidu CEO Robin Li announced the news on Thursday at Baidu World 2017, a conference for AI developers.

The company tested its self-driving vehicle on the fifth ring road of Beijing back in July, with Li sitting in the passenger seat.

The complete test was live streamed, and the company received a traffic ticket for it.

"I can tell you that we did receive a traffic ticket for the self-driving test. What I want to say is that there is already a traffic ticket for self-driving and will it be far for the mass production of self-driving vehicles?" said Li.

He added that the first batch of self-driving mini-buses will be a cooperation between Baidu and King Long, a well-known bus manufacturer in China.

Baidu also plans to jointly produce self-driving vehicles with other Chinese automakers like JAC, BAIC, and Chery in the future.

Apollo, the open-source platform for autonomous driving solutions launched by Baidu in April, is currently being used by over 6,000 developers, according to Li.

The platform is powered by Baidu Brain, the company's core AI system, featuring advanced technology for recognizing and processing speech, images, words as well as building user profiles based on big data analysis.
GREENSBORO  Mark Johnson, North Carolinas state superintendent of public instruction, toured the STEM Early College at N.C. A&T on Thursday with hopes of learning about some of the innovative education ideas used at the high school.

He asked students about their career goals and college plans, and how they found out about the program. Student Joshua Harrington asked Johnson for something in return  a quick photo-op.

The STEM Early College is an application-only public high school run by Guilford County Schools. Students take Advanced Placement and Honors classes their freshmen and sophomore years, speeding their way through high school.

Juniors and seniors are basically devoted to taking A&T classes, students said, with some exceptions, such as taking a high school foreign language class online.

Junior and senior STEM students said that freshmen and sophomore year classes are tougher than the college courses that come later.

Its basically a big push during those years to make sure they get through the material ready and prepared for college. Not everyone can hack it, students said. Of this years current junior class, seven out of 50 students left the program during freshman year, they said, though the senior class is still 50 for 50.

The college classes, even if they arent typically as difficult, have their own challenges  no one forces you to study, so you have to be self-disciplined when you could be goofing off, students said. Being in a college classroom can be a little intimidating at first, one student said, but older students are friendly and professors are willing to help students with the transition.

At STEM Early College, the focus is on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, along with more typical high school courses. In one class, Johnson saw students giving a presentation to the class about the short 3-D animated movie they were making, about the interaction between a jock character and a nerd character. Other students asked for tips on how they formed a characters head in the software they were using.

Students had a variety of ideas about what they wanted to do in their careers. One of the students who led the tour told Johnson she originally wanted to be a surgeon, but through her experiences and people shes met at A&T, she now is interested in civil rights and law.

Student Aaron Watlington thought he might become a research scientist, and Harrington said hes interested in engineering.

He advised students thinking about Early College STEM to think about what they want to do with their careers. As another student pointed out, STEM Early College can mean sacrifices, like some social opportunities or the opportunity to take part in high school band or orchestra classes. But there are also rewards.

If they really want to do something big, this would be the best option, Harrington said.
Warning: Above video may be offensive to some.

A show of military might?

The U.S. Navy has admitted that one of its aircraft was involved in obscene skywriting seen in the skies above a Washington state county, according to KREM.

Photos of the phallic jet-jotting were sent to the TV station and have been shared on social media by some witnesses.

A mother in Okanogan County complained about the scandalous sky scribble to the TV station saying she was upset she might have to explain to her young children what the drawings were.
Nearly 90 percent of students infected in a tuberculosis outbreak at a middle school in August had returned to school or were able to do so by Wednesday, the government of Taojiang county, Hunan province, said on Thursday.

The outbreak occurred at Taojiang No 4 Middle School on Aug 19, prompting the Taojiang government to take emergency measures. It also immediately reported the outbreak to the Hunan provincial center for disease control and prevention, the statement said.

The government invited experts from the Hunan Center for Disease Control and the Hunan Tuberculosis Control Institute, to help with treatment. It organized four rounds of screening tests covering all staff and students at the school, as well as tests for other high-risk groups, including those who had close contact with the confirmed cases, the statement said.

The county's health authority also sterilized the school, the statement said.

In addition, the government provided computers and internet access to infected students who had to stay at home, allowing them to study online alongside their peers.

The government has also covered all medical expenses beyond those reimbursed by health insurance programs, for all infected students, the statement said.

The county government will continue to provide treatment for infected students and watch closely those who had close contact with them to prevent new cases. It will also intensify education on preventing the spread of TB among residents, it said.

The statement did not give the number of confirmed cases or the cause of the outbreak.

Neither the county's publicity department nor the school answered phone calls on Thursday.

A staff member at the Taojiang CDC said more than 30 suspected TB cases were found at the school in tests conducted in August and September. More than 20 cases have been confirmed, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.

TB, which can spread from person to person through the air, is curable. An infected person may not show symptoms for many months, which can result in transmission of the disease to others, according to the World Health Organization.

Although the incidence of TB is declining in China, about 900,000 new cases are confirmed every year in the country, which ranks third in the world, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
In a large tank filled with cold water, an orphaned beluga calf slurps and gulps with gusto six times a day. Feeding time for this bouncing baby boy in the 24/7 critical care unit of the Alaska SeaLife Center involves buckets, tubes and rubber nipples originally intended for livestock. Tyonek, as the 11-week-old is known, guzzles formula made from powdered milk substitute supplemented with salmon oil and herring filets and pureed in a Vitamix blender.

The calf was rescued in late September after stranding on a quicksand-like flat on the remote western edge of a frigid arm of water near Anchorage. And his rescue represents a collaborative, creative and extreme effort - by experts in Alaska and others who traveled thousands of miles to contribute to his care - to help save a species: The endangered Cook Inlet Beluga.

With a population of only about 300, the species needs every individual. Even if Tyonek lives in captivity for the rest of his life, the baby beluga will provide data about health and behavior critical to saving his species. But to get to that point, the whale must first grow.

So how exactly does one bottle-feed a whale calf? It actually takes three humans to prepare the delicious (to a beluga) and nutritionally sound meal and then bottle feed about a liter to the cetacean. In the wild, a baby beluga would swim alongside its mother to nurse. In the center's cleverly named I-Sea-U, things are a bit less natural.

"The calf swims up, and we present the bottle," said the center's director of husbandry, Brett Long. The little guy then pushes his tongue forward, rolls it "into a little taco" around the nipple and, usually, starts suckling.

Caregivers feed the baby around the clock, filling his belly with about six liters of the fishy formula each day. If he doesn't take enough on his own, they use a soft, flexible feeding tube that delivers the magical mix directly to his stomach.

It's working. Tyonek, whose name means "little chief" in the local language of the village near where he was found, weighed 135 pounds when he was found. He's since packed on about 60 more.

That progress certainly wasn't guaranteed when Carrie Goertz, the center's animal health director, got to him.

The first person to spot him on that sunny Saturday was a keen-eyed officer from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He and a pilot had flown in a helicopter that morning with Goertz to perform a necropsy on another whale that had died after stranding. After dropping Goertz back at the center in Seward, about 90 miles away, the officer caught sight of the baby beluga from the air.

The officer and pilot landed and tried to push the calf back out into the water. It didn't work, so they went back for Goertz.

When she arrived, she noticed damage to the beluga's fluke, or tail, probably from pecking birds and cuts from rocks. She guessed he'd been there at least two hours, but maybe as long as 12. But he was breathing, and his eyes were in good shape.

Still, Goertz knew the calf wouldn't survive without help, even if they could get him to deeper water.

"I thought, maybe we can do something for this guy," she said. "It's great to be able to learn from the dead, but being able to help the living has its own rewards."

She went into problem-solving mode. A pickup by boat would take hours and add additional danger. So Goertz and the NOAA officers scoped out the back of the helicopter and moved things around. They measured the calf - he was more than five feet long - and figured he'd fit, and then hoisted him inside.

It would not have worked if the animal resisted. But he didn't. They bolstered him with soft objects and took off for Anchorage. Two hours away at the center, staff prepared for the calf's arrival, moving a young rescued walrus named Aku into another room.

Twenty minutes later, they transferred the little whale into a truck where he was made comfortable on a thick foam mat. A caravan headed south along the Seward Highway, which, for part of the way, hugs the harsh waters of Cook Inlet. Beluga experts from five aquarium partners - Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, SeaWorld San Diego, Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut and Vancouver Aquarium in Canada - immediately said they'd come to help, too, and some arrived within 24 hours.

"There is a significant effort in studying this population," Long said. Being in a position to respond quickly to individual animals, and possibly aid in the species' recovery, is crucial, he said.

The rescue was very unusual for the SeaLife Center. It is often called on to rehabilitate seals, sea otters and other animals (like Aku, who was found orphaned in Nome, Alaska, in the summer and has since moved to SeaWorld Orlando), but rarely cetaceans. A one-day-old beluga calf it took on in 2012 was in very poor shape and did not survive.

But Tyonek didn't have significant injuries. Caregivers focused on feeding him every two to four hours, tweaking the recipe for his formula and making sure he didn't sink in his tank - a common problem for exhausted and weak cetaceans. "We needed him to . . . float well, which is not always the case with cetacean rehab," Long said.

Fortunately, he said, "we're not having to reinvent a lot of wheels," when it comes to feeding. Having lots of expertise devoted to the case helps, Long said. So does the fact that the calf already knew how to nurse.

Nobody manufactures beluga nipples, so the team has had to make do with some created for cows and sheep. Caregivers meet every morning at 8 a.m. to discuss Tyonek's daily weigh-ins, his temperature, and the ins and outs of his digestion (which they monitor by ultrasound). Ultrasound imaging also helps the team monitor the growth of his important blubber layer. And then there's the constant cleaning and sanitizing.

"There's not a lot of idle time," Long said.

Now the baby is on a reliable schedule. He hams for the camera with a cuteness that rivals that of the world-famous Fiona the hippo. And in early November, he moved to an outdoor pool that, at about 30 by 50 feet, gives him more room to grow.

Tyonek will stay in intensive care for another month and then continue to be looked after 24 hours a day. The National Marine Fisheries Service will determine whether he's a candidate for release. It's a long shot. In the wild, his mother would have given him two years of education in survival skills.

But for now, the baby beluga seems content with his caregivers. He head butts them in the water and chirps and clicks to them. "He's very tactile," Goertz said. "Typically a beluga calf is touching his mom most of the time . . . He's definitely looking for that type of interaction."

She says he'll turn his body to get rubbed in a particular spot. "Not to be anthropomorphic," she said, "but you get the feeling he's saying 'Oh yeah, that feels good,' or 'Now scratch this spot.' "

When it comes to helping a terribly rare Cook Inlet beluga, Goertz added, "every day is a victory."

- - -

Jazynka is a freelance writer, children's book author and animal lover in Washington, D.C. You can find her online at @KitsonJ.
Gu Tiquan, former boss of China's biggest shipbuilder, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for taking bribes and embezzlement.

Gu, former CEO of the state-owned Shanghai Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co, was found to have taken 5.34 million yuan (US$805,758) in bribes and to have embezzled 520,000 yuan over 15 years, according to No. 1 Branch of Shanghai People's Procuratorate.

The 58-year-old asked his old friend Gao Liansheng to open a company in 1997. Gu took advantage of his position as a high-ranking official with Jiangnan Shipyard Group to seek profits for the company. In return, Gao gave 2.3 million yuan "bonus" payments to Gu from 2002 to 2013.

Also, under Gu's request, Gao bought more than 10 properties for him, and paid for overseas tours for Gu and his family.

Gu stood trial at Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court in December 2014.




Haiti - Security : The Ministry deplores the bloody incident at Evangelical College Maranatha





Following the anti-gang operation at the beginning of the week, in the zone of the avenue Bolosse, close to Martissant, which made at least 7 dead among the civilians of which a guard and a professor of the "Evangelical College Maranatha" (4th Avenue in Bolosse) as well as 2 police officers of the Departmental Unit of Maintenance of Order (UDMO), information confirmed by Alain Auguste, the Director of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) of the Department of the West; the Ministry of National Education deeply deplores the fact that a school is the scene of such bloody events that can cause a great trauma on students and staff of the institution.



The Ministry reminds all of us that a school must be a sanctuary for our children, the reference center for the academic, moral, civic and intellectual training of our young people for the future of tomorrow.



The Ministry expresses its sympathies to all those affected by this regrettable incident, especially to the educational community in the area, to all the staff and students of the Evangelical College Maranatha and the Haitian National Police, the families and comrades of the deceased police officers.



The Ministry hopes that the investigation by the judicial authorities will alloz to shed light on these unfortunate events.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22702-haiti-security-2-udmo-agents-fall-under-the-bullets.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Environment : Installation of a Responsible for Biodiversity





Joseph Ronald Toussaint the Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of the Environment (MOE) proceeded the week to the installation of Mr. Michelet Louis, head of the Directorate of Biodiversity (DB), newly created technical structure within the institution. The assistance of this Ceremony unfolded in the Conference Room of the said Ministry, is composed of Executives, technical directors and employees of the entity.



In his speech, Mr. Toussaint praised Mr. Louis's sense of professionalism and responsibility. Then he argued that the establishment of this structure is part of the institutional reform initiated by Minister Georges recently. If it is part of its desire to strengthen the visibility and image of the Ministry, it aims above all to meet the prerogatives of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity of which the country is a party, he continued.



"Indeed, a great step was taken with the creation of the National Agency of Protected Areas (ANAP) whose mission is limited to protected areas, but that of this structure turns out, because it is responsible for the management of all species, especially those unprotected from the national territory," he concluded.



For his part, Mr. Louis, says he is proud to be the one who has the reigns of the DB. He took the opportunity to thank his superiors of the Ministry, the Minister in particular, for the trust placed in him.



The biodiversity ; support of life on earth is a major issue for humanity, hammered the Director. As such, it also plays a pivotal role in the fight against climate change to which the country is very vulnerable.



Indeed, Haiti, despite its size, is considered a real species factory. It is one of the most biodiverse countries of the "Hotspot of Biodiversity of the Caribbean". There are a variety of ecosystems that are at the base of its rich biodiversity.



However, for lack of excessive human actions and good care, this heritage is very threatened. To reverse this trend, the Responsible for Biodiversity s committed to working hard to meet these environmental challenges.



Not wanting to go it alone, the new owner of the DB said he was ready to work in synergy with the other technical departments of the Ministry, in order to fulfill its mission properly.



An agronomist by training, Michelet Louis was former Technical Director of the National Agency for Protected Areas (ANAP), which became an autonomous agency of the Ministry since June 2017.



S/ HaitiLibre


















Speakers: Mr. Ren Xianliang, vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China Ms. Ge Huijun, member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee Mr. Sheng Yongjun, Secretary of the CPC Tongxiang Municipal Committee in Zhejiang Province Chairperson: Hu Kaihong, spokesperson of the State Council Information Office of China Date: Nov. 16, 2017

Hu Kaihong:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference. As the Fourth World Internet Conference is approaching, we invited Mr. Ren Xianliang, vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, Ms. Ge Huijun, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, as well as Mr. Sheng Yongjun, secretary of the CPC Tongxiang Municipal Committee in Zhejiang Province, to introduce the preparatory work of the conference. They will also answer some of your questions.

Ren Xianliang:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference. Now, I'd like to make an introduction of the work related to the Fourth World Internet Conference.

The conference will be held from Dec. 3 to 5 in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province. The Chinese government has attached great importance to it. Senior officials will be present and deliver speeches. Currently, the preparatory work is almost finished. Compared with the previous sessions, this year's conference has the following highlights.

First, this year's conference features a prominent theme and a clear-cut direction. The theme is, "Developing the Digital Economy for Openness and Shared Benefits  Building a Cyberspace Community of a Common Future." Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, reiterated his proposal of building a community involving a shared future for humanity in his report at the 19th CPC National Congress last month. As an important international event being held in China so soon after the CPC National Congress, the conference will thoroughly implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and firmly reflect his proposal on the governance of cyberspace. We will focus on the digital economy and highlight the importance of openness and shared benefits. We will exert great efforts to build a platform for enhancing interconnectivity between China and other countries and for the achievement of a global internet that will be shared and governed by all. We hope such efforts will help to narrow the digital gap between developing and developed countries, and make contribution to governance of the global internet through China's solution of "jointly building a community of a shared future in cyberspace."

Second, this year's conference is highly informative with several new topics to be discussed. It will give full play to functions of the three major sections: forums, release of advanced technological achievements around the world and the "Light of the Internet Expo," as well as publicizing important development initiatives, such as the national cyber development strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative and the "Internet Plus" action plan. Focusing on the five sectors of the digital economy, cutting-edge technology, the internet and society, cyberspace governance, and exchange and cooperation, the conference will feature a total of 20 sub-forums focusing on various topics such as a sharing economy, artificial Intelligence, internet-driven poverty alleviation, online protection of underage users, and international cooperation along the "Digital Silk Road." The "Light of the Internet Expo" will gather more than 400 renowned internet enterprises and innovative companies to demonstrate trends in the global internet and advanced technologies. A number of the most advanced technological achievements this year will be unveiled. Different activities, including welcome banquets, memorial tree planting, special art performances and the "Wuzhen Gathering" will also be staged.

Third, the conference involves synergic efforts of the entire country and pools wisdom from across the world. Profundity and inclusiveness will be further explored with the support of an open policy. In doing so, we have extended our invitations to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) to become our partners. We have also invited 32 international organizations, national ministries, industrial guilds and renowned enterprises to jointly host the event. A total of 26 institutes, universities and enterprises will join us in fostering the preparatory work for the conference, which is expected to attract 1,500 guests, including executives of international organizations, leaders and celebrities from the internet sector as well as experts and scholars worldwide.

Fourth, we are expecting fruitful achievements through age-old Chinese wisdom and the solutions China is offering. For the first time, we will publish two blue books, namely, "World Internet Development Report 2017" and "China Internet Development Report 2017," in an effort to offer a panoramic and objective view of internet capacity and the distinctive features among different countries as well as the present state and future course of China's internet development. Conclusive documents issued during the conference this year will contribute Chinese wisdom to global Internet governance and foresee the development in coming years. What we will publish simultaneously is a casebook of the best practices in global Internet developments, summarizing and referring to various international experiences. The conference will also press ahead with a slew of cooperative agreements between governments, social organizations and enterprises.

Fifth, we'll facilitate the conference proceedings with smarter software and hardware to ensure it can run smoothly. With another year-long preparation, the area of Wuzhen has been expanded, the ecological surroundings have been much improved and more infrastructures have been installed or revamped. We have introduced dozens of smart programs to upgrade the first-hand conference experience. The APP being launched this time can provide a variety of digital services. Besides, the cognitive technologies adopted for the recognition of car plates and faces will be available and individual cell phones can be used to summon a sightseeing bus simply by sweeping a two-dimensional code. Our 1,000 volunteers are expected to offer meticulous and considerate services. I believe some of you have already attended the previous three sessions as journalists, and your arrival this time will be a refreshing experience with the new look of Wuzhen.

The World Internet Conference has been successfully held for three consecutive years, having drawn immense attention and achieving broad consensus. Wuzhen has created an outstanding monument in the history of global Internet evolution. The curtain of the Fourth World Internet Conference will rise in less than 20 days and we expect to welcome you with the splendid sceneries of Wuzhen and the outstanding performance of the conference. Thank you.

Hu Kaihong:

Thank you, Mr. Ren. Now the floor is open to Ms. Ge.
Published on 2017/11/17 | Source

Added episode 11 captures for the Korean drama "Avengers' Social Club" (2017)

Advertisement

Directed by Kwon Seok-jang

Written by Hwang Da-eun, Kim Yi-ji

Network : tvN

With Lee Yo-won, Ra Mi-ran, Myung Se-bin, Lee Jun-young, Jang Yong, Choi Byung-mo,...

12 episodes - Wed, Thu 21:30

Also known as: "Buam-dong Revenge Social Club", "Avengers Social Club" and "Revenge Social Club" ( , bok-su-ja so-syeol-keul-leob)

Synopsis

This webtoon adaptation tells the story of three women from different walks of life - the daughter of a chaebol, an ahjumma in a fish market, and a housewife - come together to enact revenge.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/10/11

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The week that was

By Jo Gilbert

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have put together a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.



Top Stories: A new venue for the Wines from Spain Tasting, a presentation on varietal clones from Argentinas Nieto and a new look for supermarket Aussie staple Jacobs Creek all caught the attention of readers this week.

We also followed the decision by the Supreme Court to clear the way for minimum pricing in Scotland  a decision which has been four years in the making.

More on minimum pricing on the section below.



Pricing, pricing, pricing: The culmination of Scotlands minimum pricing debate and the looming Budget put the spotlight squarely on pricing this week.

Despite strong opposition from the Scotch Whisky Association, the UKs Supreme Court ruled in favour of a move to introduce 50p-per-unit minimum pricing in Scotland  which the judge called a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Elsewhere, we looked ahead to next weeks Budget and what the implications are for the trade.



Analysis and Insights: A spike in production in the Cremant de Bordeaux AOC led Features and Insights Editor Jo Gilbert to look at how France is responding to the fizz in the sparkling category.

Harpers also looked at how environmental factors in South Africa could possibly dampen things for the countrys quality winemaking scene.





People and Opinion: Harpers editor Andrew Catchpole caught up with Vistamar winemaker Irene Paiva to talk about Chiles on-going winemaking evolution.
Underrated and under-priced Beaujolais gets a kick out from under Georges Duboeufs shadow

By Jo Gilbert

Beaujolais Nouveau Day is long past its heyday in the late 1980s when merchants made a mad dash to southern France to pick up the first release of the year. In 2017, however, Londons restaurants, bars and independents are using the day as a way to celebrate the regions unsung heroes.

Three decades have passed since Beaujolais negociants, led by king of the marketing ploy Georges Duboeuf, turned the release of Beaujolais Nouveau into something of a Thunderbirds parody, with merchants notoriously setting out by plane, train and car to bring the first wines back to the UK.

Old ways die hard however, and while the release no longer has the cache it once did, the third Thursday of November when Beaujolais Nouveau - the vibrant, young wine made from Gamay and released straight after harvest  traditionally went on sale is still being marked by many in London this week.

To celebrate the occasion, major Beaujolais fans Noble Rot brought back their Fete du Beaujolais for the second year in a row to champion not only Beaujolais Nouveau but also the 10 crus  the most famous of which is probably Moulin-a-Vent - and Beaujolais AOC wines.

Just dont mention the name Georges Duboef in the presence of Noble Rot co-owner, Mark Andrews, however, who feels frustrated by the negociants lingering shadow.

He said: People of a certain age deem the George Duboeuf era to be Beaujolais. But those of us at the sharp end over the last decade or so, and younger consumers have a completely different view. Their contemporary perception is that the cru appellations are distinctive in terms of terroir and full of small artisanal quality producers.

We dont care about six million bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau being sold, we care about beautiful wines being celebrated more than they should. We care about Beaujolais being an underrated wine region with under priced wines.

He talks about the Beaujolais renaissance that has been slowly gaining pace in recent years as reclaiming Beaujolais from a highly commercialised marketing bubble to an approach which is more driven by terroir  although he insists Dubeouf was always just a distraction from the quality that was already there.

Lapierres Chateau Cambon Nouveau and Remi Dufaitres Nouveau are two examples of Nouveau which are making appearances at various celebrations in the capital this week, along with Le Grappin, founded in 2011 by Andrew and Emma Nielsen.

The Nielsens are also responsible for driving Nouveau via BoJo NuVo, a Beaujolais event which returned for its second year on Wednesday night at Sager + Wilde on Hackney Road, where well-known Beaujolais names such as Foillard, Metras and Thevenet were also poured.

Far from being relegated to the Dubeouf era, Andrews said the new generation of producers led by the likes of Domaine Mee Godard and also past masters such as Foillard, famous for Cote du Py, are enthusiastic producers of Nouveau wine.

The core, relevant end of the market is made up of artisanal wines that are terroir driven. They are more relevant today than they have been for a long time, he said  and that goes for the crus as well as Nouveau.

The artisans are pulling back the tradition of Nouveau wine and showing that it doesnt have to be full of sugar and yeast - it can reflect the terroir. Nouveau is where it should be, although that maybe hasnt always been the case. Top producers arent looking down their noses at Nouveau. Its just one of the cogs in the wheel that is very complex and underrated.

In recent years, Beaujolais has seen a low-scale exodus from Burgundy fuelled by rocketing prices in the Cote-d'Or, which has led to interesting cross-pollination of regional styles.

Producers looking to make white wines are heading to Macon and red to Beaujolais, said Will Hargrove at Corney & Barrow.

They are making Burgundy wine but with Gamay. The result is not as rich as Rhone wines but has fuller fruit like Pinot Noir in Burgundy.

Beaujolais relevance will continue to grow as producers look increasingly outside of Burgundy for alternatives, Hargrove predicted  and increasingly the Rhone.

In the Rhone people are willing to explore out to places like Rasteau. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is becoming more and more decentralised.

Looks like Beaujolais Nouveau will be back in 2018, then.








A tuberculosis outbreak in central China's Hunan Province has recently drawn public attention.

Authorities with Hunan's provincial health and family planning commission announced on Friday that 29 students in a middle school in Taojiang County had been diagnosed with tuberculosis as of Thursday, while five other students are suspected of having been infected.

The infection began in August, and 38 students have resorted to prophylactic medication. So far, 72 students have received treatment, according to the commission.

On Friday afternoon, staff with the National Health and Family Planning Commission arrived in Taojiang to help deal with the outbreak.

According to the local government, the school has about 3,000 students. Of the infected ones, 25 are in the same class. All infected students are those expected to sit the national college exam soon.
University Departments Endorse Campus Anti-Fascist Network

by Nikita Vladimirov, CampusReform.org, November 16, 2017

The Campus Anti-fascist Network (CAN) claims that it has been endorsed by at least five university departments and dozens of other organizations nationwide.

Antifa has participated in acts of vandalism and violence across the country that have destroyed property, caused people bodily harm, and torn communities apart.

One of those endorsers, the University of Hawaii's Department of English, was quietly removed from the list after Campus Reform contacted every faculty member in the department.

UPDATE: Trinity University has denied that any of its departments have endorsed CAN, speculating that the Antifa website may have been referring to another school that also bears the name "Trinity."

The Campus Anti-fascist Network (CAN) claims that it has been endorsed by at least five university departments and dozens of other organizations nationwide.

According to the official list of CAN endorsements touted on the groups website, the sociology departments at Trinity University and the College of Mount Saint Vincent, the History Department of Occidental College, the Department of English at the University of Hawaii, and the Department of Cultural Studies at Claremont Graduate University have all declared their support for the Antifa network.

The University of Hawaiis English Department, however, was quietly removed from the list of organizational endorsers after Campus Reform reached out to every faculty member listed on the schools website.

When asked whether department members are aware of the endorsement, and if so, whether you approve of it, only one professor replied, telling Campus Reform that we are, and I am.

Other requests for comment from more than 100 faculty members at Trinity University, the College of Mount Saint Vincent, Occidental College, Claremont Graduate University, and the University of Hawaii remained unanswered, though some students are not pleased with the endorsements.

Im deeply disappointed that at a University that values inclusion and diversity, one of our departments has made the decision to throw Trinity Values out the window in order to score cheap political points, Manfred Wendt, a student government senator, told Campus Reform, calling Antifa a far-left, fringe movement categorized as a terrorist organization.

Organizations like [this] have no place on Trinitys campus or any institution that claims to value actual discussion of differing views, he added, noting that Antifa has played a key role in the continued polarization of our nations political dialogue.

Wendt also disclosed that he is calling for a formal investigation into Trinitys Sociology department in order to determine how this decision came about, as well as an immediate retraction of the endorsement.

Endorsing CAN is against Trinitys values, one of the most important of which is community, he maintained. Antifa has participated in acts of vandalism and violence across the country that have destroyed property, caused people bodily harm, and torn communities apart.

Notably, CAN was originally organized by two activist professors in August, who envisioned it to be a big tent for anyone committed to fighting fascism.

According to its mission statement, CAN looks to mass counter-mobilizations and broad-based coalitions as key to the fight against fascism.

In addition to protests, we encourage the development of educational and political spaces on campuses for teach-ins, reading groups, workshops, and strategy sessions on the history of fascism in its many guises and how to combat it, the website states.

Stanford University Professor David Palumbo-Liu, one of the founders of CAN, previously stressed that the group only supports self-defense" on the part of "those who are being threatened by fascists.

The University of Hawaiis English Department chair did not immediately return Campus Reforms request for an explanation as to why the department is no longer on the list.

UPDATE: Trinity University has denied that any of its departments have endorsed CAN, speculating that the Antifa website may have been referring to another school that also bears the name "Trinity."
Sustainable Tourism Development and Overtourism

From UHERO, November 15, 2017

Everyone agrees that tourism should be developed in a sustainable way. Yet, nearly 25 years after the term sustainable tourism became fashionable, sustainable tourism development remains elusive.

Residents in many popular destinations around the world complain about being overwhelmed by too many tourists, or overtourism. The United Nations World Tourism Organization blames the problem on poor management, and not because of growing number of tourists.

This brief report examines how some destinations are dealing with the problem of overtourism. The report also examines the growth of tourism in Hawaii since the late 1980s.

While there are many problems in managing tourism growth in Hawaii in a sustainable way, the report concludes that Hawaii is not yet at the stage of overtourism.
 Flash

China's friendly policy toward Zimbabwe will not change in spite of the current situation in the African country, a Chinese spokesperson said Thursday.

"We sincerely hope that the situation in Zimbabwe will become stable and the issues will be resolved peacefully and appropriately," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily press briefing.

On Wednesday, the Zimbabwean military announced that it has taken control of all government institutions in the southern African country. Zimbabwe's 93-year-old president Robert Mugabe and his wife have reportedly been put under house arrest since early Wednesday.

Military leaders said on state television that they were not taking over the government, but "targeting criminals around" Mugabe, and that Mugabe and his family are safe and their security is guaranteed.

When answering a question on Chinese investment in Zimbabwe, Geng said the friendly cooperation between China and Zimbabwe is comprehensive, benefiting the people of both countries.

"China's friendly policy toward Zimbabwe will not change," said the spokesperson.

"We will continue to advance friendly cooperation with Zimbabwe in line with the principle of equality, reciprocity and win-win cooperation," Geng said.
(Reuters) A U.S. judge on Thursday ordered a mistrial in the corruption case against the former head of New York Citys correction officers union and a co-founder of the now-defunct hedge fund firm Platinum Partners, after jurors said they were deadlocked..

To read this article:
The question falls within the purview of Paula Risikko (NCP), the Minister of the Interior.

Silvia Modig (Left Alliance) has submitted a written question concerning the forced returns of unsuccessful asylum seekers who have yet to receive a decision on their employment-based residence permit applications.

The forced returns of unsuccessful asylum seekers who have found employment and applied for an employment-based residence permit before their asylum application was rejected have recently kindled widespread public debate in Finland.

An Afghan family based in Kyyjarvi, Central Finland, for example, was to be removed forcibly from the country despite the father having applied for an employment-based residence permit after essentially securing a permanent job in Finland. The deportation was ultimately suspended because his wife and young child could not be located by law enforcement authorities.

Paivi Nerg, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, told Uusi Suomi in September that the issue has been identified and that measures to address it have been taken.

Both Nerg and Risikko have also encouraged asylum seekers who find employment while waiting for a decision on their asylum application to apply for an employment-based residence permit.

Modig underlines in a press release that a smooth flow of information between the authorities responsible for processing and acting on different types of residence permit applications is key for ensuring no applicant is removed forcibly from the country before their application has been processed.

It is both inhumane and stupid to pick up someone who earns a living, is attached to the society and is very likely to receive an employment-based residence permit, to place them in a detention centre and, ultimately, to use coercive measures to fly them to a conflict region, she slams.

Finland needs labour immigration to be able to address the sustainability deficit and rectify the dependency ratio. It is not only economically rational but also humane to promote labour immigration in circumstances where a historically high number of people have left their home country to seek a better life.

Perhaps this is a good opportunity rationalise our strict bureaucracy, writes Modig.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Markku Ulander  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
The objective of the overhaul is to create a fairer responsibility-sharing system for examining asylum applications between the member states.

The European Parliament on Thursday voted 390 to 175 in favour of commencing negotiations with member states for revising the Dublin Regulation, a regulation prescribing that the member state of first arrival is responsible for examining the application of an asylum seeker.

The Parliament is recommending that the member state of first arrival should no longer be solely responsible for examining asylum applications and that asylum applicants be distributed more evenly across the European Union. A member state that refuses to shoulder their share of the burden would also risk losing part of their funding from the union.

Most Finnish Members of the European Parliament voted for the proposal. Jussi Halla-aho (PS) was the only to vote against the proposal, while Paavo Vayrynen (CP) and Hannu Takkula (Centre) voted blank.

Finland has a total of 13 representatives in the European Parliament.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
POLICE have closed an investigation into a gang rape during this years Henley Royal Regatta.

They say all CCTV and forensic evidence in relation to the incident in the early hours on July 2 has been examined but nobody will be charged unless new information comes forward.

The victim, who was in her twenties, was attacked after leaving the Chinawhite nightclub, off the towpath on the Remenham bank of the Thames. She walked to a car parked near Harspden Road and Reading Road with a group of people she had met at the venue. She was then raped outside the vehicle before three men drove off in it.

The victim was found by a member of the public in Reading Road shortly before 2.30am and called the police. Three men were arrested on July 19.

A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said: Three men, aged 23, 24 and 26, who had been arrested on suspicion of rape, were released without charge on October 20.

Following extensive enquiries, including CCTV and forensic work, the investigation has concluded pending any new lines information coming to light. The victim continues to be offered support.
 Flash

U.S. Senator Al Franken. [File photo/VCG]

U.S. Senator Al Franken released an apology Thursday after being accused by a Los Angeles radio anchor of kissing and groping her forcibly during a 2006 tour in the Middle East before he took public office.

Leeann Tweeden, a radio anchor at Los Angeles station KABC, wrote in a post on the station's website that Franken forcibly kissed her while they rehearsed a skit during a tour to entertain U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Additionally, a photographer took a photo of Franken grabbing Tweeden's chest while she slept.

"I've decided it's time to tell my story," wrote Tweeden on her personal Twitter page.

"Senator Al Franken kissed and groped me without my consent, and there's nothing funny about it," she added.

"I wanted to shout my story to the world with a megaphone to anyone who would listen, but even as angry as I was, I was worried about the potential backlash and damage going public might have on my career as a broadcaster. But that was then, this is now. I'm no longer afraid," wrote the radio anchor.

Tweeden said that she is telling her story because there may be others and she want "the days of silence to be over forever." She called upon all the other victims of sexual assault to be able to speak out immediately.

Franken, a Democrat from U.S. state of Minnesota, apologized to Tweeden immediately amid a growing outcry over sexual harassment in the nation.

"The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women," wrote Franken in a statement.

"I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed," he continued.

"For instance, that picture. I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn't matter. There's no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn't funny. It's completely inappropriate. It's obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture," he wrote.

"And, what's more, I can see how millions of other women would feel violated by it -- women who have had similar experiences in their own lives, women who fear having those experiences, women who look up to me, women who have counted on me," wrote the senator.

Franken said he is asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken and he will gladly cooperate.

Franken became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a writer and performer on the television comedy show Saturday Night Live. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008 and re-elected in 2014.
TELLICO PLAINS, Tenn. -- About 20 elderly people sat down for an early Thanksgiving meal Thursday at a church in East Tennessee, unaware that the pleasant afternoon would take a grim turn.

During their meal, they decided to discuss gun safety in light of recent mass shootings  an idea that came to them after a neighboring countys sheriffs department chose to hold similar seminars at its local churches, said Tellico Plains Police Chief Russ Parks.

Well, Ive got my gun on me, an 81-year-old member of First United Methodist Church in Tellico Plains said, according to Parks, whose department investigated the incident. He pulled out his holster, which held a .38-caliber Ruger handgun. He removed the magazine, cleared the chamber and showed the gun to the other parishioners. They talked about how to safely bring guns to church  and how sad it was that so many people nationwide had been killed in recent mass shootings.

Earlier this month, a gunman killed 26 people when he opened fire with an assault-style gun during Sunday service at a small Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

The 81-year-old man put the magazine back into the gun and put the gun back in the holster, Parks said. Later, while people were cleaning up, a church member who had missed the demonstration asked to see the weapon.

Just as he was about to show it to the church member, the man accidentally pulled the trigger without realizing the gun was loaded.

A bullet fired across the palm of the 81-year-olds hand and toward his 80-year-old wife, who was sitting in a wheelchair next to him. It ripped through her lower left abdomen, out the right side of her abdomen, into her right forearm and out the backside of her forearm. The bullet then struck the wall and ricocheted, landing under the wifes wheelchair, Parks said.

Panic swept the church. Most people werent aware of the second demonstration and  having just discussed mass shootings  assumed an active gunman entered the church.

They had their backs to it, Parks said. Somebody hollers, Hes been shot! Shes been shot! Call 911! So someone grabs their cellphone and calls 911, and says weve had somebody shot at church.

What came next was a muddle of misinformation. The dispatcher answering the call shortly after 1 p.m. assumed someone had entered the church and was shooting. As a result, the local hospital and several local schools were put on lockdown, Parks said. Because of their old age, Parks said, the husband and wife were flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in critical condition.

About 45 minutes later, police realized someone had accidentally discharged a handgun. The hospital and school lockdowns were lifted, Parks said.

The husband and wifes conditions have been stabilized as of Thursday evening and no charges will be filed, according to police.
An archaeologist holding a pendant discovered during excavations of the Sobibor death camp in Poland in 2016.

BERLIN (JTA)-In late 1943, the Germans were desperate to cover all traces of their death camp in Sobibor, Poland. They demolished buildings, bulldozed the evidence, planted trees.

More than 70 years later, archaeologists led by Yoram Haimi of the Israel Antiquities Authority set about excavating the site, uncovering gas chambers, mass graves-and, late last year, a girl's silver pendant. It is engraved with a date, the place name "Frankfurt" and the Hebrew words "mazal tov."

A cry from the earth, the remnant from a killing ground has opened up a tragic past to a family that knew little about it.

Thanks largely to a grandson of Holocaust survivors who is an amateur genealogist, the living relatives of the girl whose pendant it was have been identified.

On Nov. 13, more than 30 relatives of the girl, Karoline Cohn, gathered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to dedicate a "stumbling stone" memorial-a small brass plaque with the date of her birth and place of deportation at her last known address, Thomasiusstrae 10.

The memorial was installed by artist Gunter Demnig, who created the project in 1996. Since then, more than 50,000 of the memorials have been installed throughout Europe.

Many of Karoline's kin have never met before. They will be coming from the United States, Israel, Japan, Great Britain, Nicaragua and Hong Kong to honor the memory of someone they never knew.

"We had this person who was completely forgotten, even by her surrounding relatives," said the amateur genealogist, Chaim Motzen, who pieced together Karoline's family tree. He said some people he contacted did not even know they had any connection to the Holocaust.

"Through this pendant, people are learning about each other and their history, and about Karoline," said Motzen, speaking from Jerusalem, where he lives. "We now know the fate of Karoline's cousins, aunts and uncles, many of whom were murdered in the Holocaust; people who were mostly forgotten."

It wasn't easy. Soon after the pendant's discovery, researchers at Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust Archive, led by Joel Zisenwine, used records to link the place name and birth date on the pendant, July 3, 1929, to Karoline Cohn. Papers revealed that she and family were deported from Frankfurt to Minsk on Nov. 11, 1941, when the girl was 11. Karoline may have been among the 2,000 Jews sent to Sobibor in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1943.

Spurred by the news of the sensational find at Sobibor, Motzen, a renewable energy entrepreneur by day, set about piecing together a family tree of living relatives of Karoline Cohn and also those who perished in the Holocaust. He found clues in the Yad Vashem archives, in obituaries, in marriage and death records. One contact led to another. Motzen recently located relatives in California who have "a trove of letters, including one from the mother of Karoline to her niece in America." They are being translated.

He managed to identify more than 100 cousins around the world. Among them was Barry Eisemann, 72, of Arlington, Virginia, and his extended family. A first cousin of Karoline Cohn, Eisemann hadn't even known of her existence until Motzen contacted him and his daughter, Mandy, in January.

Motzen, who also attended the memorial ceremony, "started talking about the pendant, and how the only other one known had belonged to Anne Frank," Mandy Eisemann told JTA in a call from her home in Maryland. "I didn't understand why he was calling me until he revealed that he believed that my father and his sister Michele were the closest living relatives to the little girl."

The triangular pendant is nearly identical to one that Anne Frank, who was also from Frankfurt, was known to have worn.

From Motzen, Barry Eisemann learned that his father's sister, Elsa, had married Richard Cohn, and that they had had two daughters, Karoline and Gita-Eisemann's first cousins. All of them died in the Holocaust.

"I did not even know their names before," Barry Eisemann told JTA, speaking from his home. His father, Morris (formerly Moritz) "never really talked about the Holocaust and what happened to the family... He was protecting my sisters and me from knowing about the tragedy and the horror."

While in Germany, Barry Eisemann will visit the town of his father's birth, Bad Orb. And his daughter is bringing her children on the trip.

"I wanted them to experience this because it's not just our family history which they should know about, but also Jewish history and world history," Mandy Eisemann said. "I want them to understand how fortunate we are to be here."

The stepping-stone event was sponsored by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which funded the filming of the excavation at Sobibor and backs the Yad Vashem Archive.

Following the memorial ceremony, archaeologists Haimi of Israel and his Polish colleague Wojciech Mazurek spoke at the Philanthropin Jewish school in Frankfurt, which Karoline most likely attended. Teenagers from the Anne Frank Public School attended, and held a workshop and dialogue.

"We always talk about Anne Frank, but sometimes we forget that there were many other families, many other children that maybe experienced something similar and are never really mentioned," principal Nicola Gudat said in a telephone interview. "We thought it would be interesting for our students to think about another girl about the same age, also living in Frankfurt, about how her life would have been."

Some 1.5 million children were murdered in the Holocaust.

"Some people understand the magnitude," said Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the New York-based Claims Conference. "But the names and stories of specific people are not known, they are forgotten.

"We are using this one story, putting together the known pieces, and trying to say that we can't forget who these people were and how they were murdered."

In all, some 250,000 Jews were murdered at the extermination camp in less than two years.

A pendant found at an excavation of the Nazi death camp in Sobibor, Poland, was identified as belonging to Karoline Cohn, a Jewish girl from Frankfurt, Germany, who is not known to have survived the war.

About 10 years ago, the archaeologists began searching for clues in the ruins of Sobibor. They found the remains of the hut where women were forced to undress and shaved before being gassed. They located the remnants of four gas chambers, each capable of killing up to 100 people at a time. They found hairpins, jewelry and other small objects.

Karoline's pendant reportedly will be kept at a Holocaust memorial in Poland.

What happened to her "happened for hundreds of thousands of people," Schneider said.

"To me, the image is haunting," he added. "She left us a clue along the way, and she is calling out, 'don't forget me.'"

For Barry Eisemann, a whole chapter of history and a branch of his family tree have been restored-a chapter and a branch his father had withheld.

Now he has one wish: "To hold that pendant in my hand. It is no bigger than an inch, or an inch and a quarter. But I think if I held it in my hand," he said, "I would feel a spiritual connection to Karoline."
(JTA)-Mark Zuckerberg wrote last December on Facebook that for him, "religion is very important." Looks like he meant it.

The Facebook co-founder has been invoking Judaism a lot lately. In May, he quoted a Jewish prayer at Harvard's commencement. Two weeks ago he posted a picture of his daughter with a family kiddush cup. And on Saturday night, he posted a public apology at the end of Yom Kippur.

It's quite a transformation for a public figure who once defined himself as an atheist.

Although he was a member of the Jewish fraternity AEPi before he dropped out of Harvard, Zuckerberg didn't discuss his Judaism much before 2015. Replying to a comment last year, Zuckerberg wrote that he "went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important."

Zuckerberg's recent string of Jewish affirmations began nearly two years ago following then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States. Being raised as a Jew, Zuckerberg wrote, made him sensitive to attacks on all minorities.

"After the Paris attacks and hate this week, I can only imagine the fear Muslims feel that they will be persecuted for the actions of others," Zuckerberg wrote, referring to that year's terror attack in the French capital. "As a Jew, my parents taught me that we must stand up against attacks on all communities. Even if an attack isn't against you today, in time attacks on freedom for anyone will hurt everyone."

Zuckerberg invoked his Judaism again after the August white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.

"It's a disgrace that we still need to say that neo-Nazis and white supremacists are wrong-as if this is somehow not obvious," he wrote.

But judging from his Facebook profile (and in his case, shouldn't we?), Zuckerberg has reconnected with his Judaism not just as a national figure but as a person and a father. His post featuring a collage of a kiddush cup, Shabbat candlesticks and homemade challah waxed about passing the cup from generation to generation.

"For Shabbat tonight, we gave Max a kiddush cup that has been in our family for almost 100 years," he wrote, referring to his eldest daughter. "Her great-great-grandfather Max got it after our family immigrated here and it has been passed down through our family ever since."

At the Harvard commencement, Zuckerberg told graduates that he sings an adaptation of the Mi Shebeirach-the traditional Jewish prayer for the sick-when he tucks her in at night.

"And it goes, 'May the source of strength, who's blessed the ones before us, help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing," he told the graduates in May, quoting a version of the prayer by the late Jewish songwriter Debbie Friedman and lyricist Rabbi Drorah Setel. "I hope you find the courage to make your life a blessing."

While the mogul's newfound piety may be attracting attention, he is doing what any young Jewish parent might, said Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, director of CLAL-the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. Plenty of Jews lose interest in their religion, then reconnect to it after having kids.

"There are a million people in his age cohort who are deeply proud of being Jewish and are trying to figure out what it means," Hirschfield said. "You marry and partner and have a family, and it's not surprising that the questions of 'How do I have a more meaningful life and build a better future' become more important and powerful and imminent"

InterfaithFamily.com was especially pleased that Zuckerberg, whose wife, Priscilla Chan, is not Jewish, has posted about his family's Jewish rituals.

"The fact that such a super-influential couple clearly are making Jewish choices for their family is the best news with which to start the new year," wrote Ed Case, founder of InterfaithFamily.com. "Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan could really change the course of Jewish history if they got involved in efforts to engage interfaith families in Jewish life."

Zuckerberg got Jewishly personal again when he asked for forgiveness at the end of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of repentance. His critics might say he has a lot to atone for.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Facebook was accused of allowing Russian hackers to post thousands of ads influencing the election. And users also were allowed to target ads based on phrases like "Jew hater" and "how to burn Jews." (Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, who also is Jewish, said the company would address the problem.)

"For those I hurt this year, I ask forgiveness and I will try to be better," he wrote Saturday night. "For the ways my work was used to divide people rather than bring us together, I ask forgiveness and I will work to do better."

It isn't the first time that Zuckerberg has encountered trouble because of the content published on his site. In 2015, some 20,000 Israelis filed a class-action lawsuit against Facebook for ignoring incitement to terrorism on the network and enabling terrorists to find sympathizers. The case was dismissed this year.

While Zuckerberg may not have always talked publicly about his Judaism, he has surrounded himself with people who do. His college roommate moved to Israel and became a Conservative rabbi. Sandberg has spoken frequently about how Jewish rituals helped her cope following her husband's untimely death in 2015. And his sister, Randi, is open about her Jewish observances. She says her family unplugs for a "digital Shabbat" each weekend, and sang "Jerusalem of Gold," a classic Israeli song, at the Davos World Economic Forum.

Davos also occasioned the first JTA clip about Zuckerberg, published in 2008. While he attended the forum that year, Israel's delegation invited him to visit the country.

He has yet to accept. But after giving his daughter a kiddush cup and atoning on Yom Kippur, maybe this is the year.
The great wonder known as the Dead Sea is shrinking at an alarming rate. This calamity has brought Dead Sea explorer and researcher Noam Bedein to lecture halls across the U.S. with the hope of bringing awareness on what changes we may be witnessing in the coming years. On Oct. 23, Bedein spoke to the students at the University of Central Florida. The event was sponsored by the student organization Knights for Israel and CAMERA on Campus. Bedein's stunning photography and virtual reality displays showed clearly what his thought-provoking presentation argued; water levels in the Dead Sea have reached historic lows.

Beginning in 2016, Bedein sought to capture the alluring scenery deep within the Dead Sea, in places one can only reach by boat. On his voyage, he was in awe as he found salt caves, chimneys, and pillars that were mostly underwater. It wasn't until his second trip five months later, when he realized the majority of those same salty structures appeared to be out of the water and more visible. While climate change has helped Bedein capture the hidden beauty beneath the Dead Sea, it comes at a great cost. With the structures out of water, they fall victim to intense dry heat, and over time, can breakdown and crumble. In his presentation, Bedein stated that scientists estimate that the sea level drops one and a half meters a year, and by 2050, the Dead Sea will be nothing more than a puddle.

At UCF, Bedein filled a lecture room with a captivating photo exhibit of his findings in the northern portion of the Dead Sea. He explained to us how climate change has left a large ecological footprint, not only on the Dead Sea, but on the Jordan River as well. A huge source of the Dead Sea's water supply comes from the Jordan River, whose depth has also been reduced significantly. As a result, what's left of the Jordan River can no longer sustainably replenish the Dead Sea. Today, Israel and her neighbors in the Palestinian Authority Territories, Syria, Jordan, and even Saudi Arabia, are looking to find viable solutions that would save the lowest point on Earth from reaching even lower depths.

UCF students holding some of Noam Bedein's photographs. Bedein is kneeling in front in the blue shirt.

To help make light of a dark situation, Bedein brought out his virtual reality demonstration, made with the help of CNN VR Productions. Twice a month, Bedein takes tourists and Israeli citizens with him on his expedition but since he couldn't bring his audience to the Dead Sea, Bedein brought the Dead Sea to his audience. One by one, students impatiently waited to try on the VR headset and see what it's like to explore the Dead Sea. It was an experience that had us craving the real thing, and I don't doubt that many of these students will visit the sea on their next trip to the Holy Land.

After speaking with students across the country, Bedein believes that there is an environmental activist in all of us. By continuing to reach out to colleges as he did for the students of UCF, Bedein hopes to evoke an appreciation for the Dead Sea's beauty and inspire his audience to do what they can in order to keep the Dead Sea afloat.

Jake Suster is a CAMERA Fellow as well as a finance major in his third year at the University of Central Florida.
NEW YORK (JTA)For many home cooks, spices are an afterthought, sprinkled on a dish lacking in flavor. Israeli-born, French-educated chef Lior Lev Sercarz wants to change that.

If you want to make good food and beverages you need to know about spices, and I would like to help you know more about it, whether youre a home cook, whether youre a professional, Sercarz, 45, told JTA recently at La Boite, the small spice and biscuit shop he opened in the Hells Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.

Since opening La Boite in 2011, Sercarz has amassed some 50 clients, including restaurants, bakeries and breweries, as well as cheese, popcorn and chocolate makers. He has also published two books about spice blending and created a unique line of spices for Eataly, a chain of luxury Italian upscale indoor markets.

Now Sercarz, who grew up in a secular family on a kibbutz in the Israeli Galilee, but also lived in Belgium and Italy during his childhood, hopes to expand his work to his native country. He is working with the Jewish National Fund-USA to create a culinary institute in the Galilee, with hopes of opening the first part of the program in two to three years.

Its an idea that was in my head for many years, Sercarz said. I always felt bad that young men and women in Israel or the region dont necessarily have where to go to learn about cooking and the culinary studies. There are a few private schools now, which is great, but not at the scale that I would want it to be.

At his shop, whose walls are lined with framed vials of the seeds, fruits, roots and bark from which spices are derived, Secarz offers 70 spice blends he has created for the restaurants and food-related businesses with which he works, as well as some 85 blends for the general public.

Spice blends include combinations such as desert rose (halva, sesame and rose petals), pierre poivre (which contains eight different peppers) and apollonia (cocoa, orange blossom and pepper). A small container of the single spices costs $9 to $30; blends go for $13 to $27 for a small container (around two ounces, depending on the spice).

The idea of the blends is that theyre not meant for a particular dish or recipe, he said. We really want to have people play around with them, and what you use today for a savory preparation you can use [tomorrow] for a sweet preparation or a beverage, so one blend can really be a solution for hundreds of different recipes.

Sercarz says his Israeli school, which will be located in the city of Kiryat Shemona, will be unique in that it wont only offer cooking instruction. Sure, there will be instruction in breadmaking, cheesemaking, beer brewing and, of course, spice mixing. But students can also learn about a variety of food-related fields such as food science and technology, agriculture, and food writing and advertising.

There isnt anything like that that exists in the world. Were really aiming to be a very unique place, Sercarz said.

Israels Bishulim and Danon culinary schools, both of which offer professional cooking and pastry classes, and the Culinary Institute of Israel, which offers study abroad programs for cooking, are among the current options available in Israel.

Sercarzs school will focus on the direct connection between agriculture and cooking, JNF Communications Director Adam Brill told JTA in an email. JNF is currently assessing the funding needs for the school, he said.

This one-of-a-kind academy will allow students to learn directly from the farmers and growers who produce the ingredients they cook with. Unlike most schools where students encounter those ingredients for the first time in the kitchen, at the academy, classes can take place out in the fields where they are grown, Brill said.

Sercarz knows a thing or two about cooking. He earned a degree from at the Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyon, France, whose founder is a heavyweight in the nouvelle cuisine cooking method. He later relocated to New York, where he worked with the famed chef Daniel Boulud at his flagship restaurant, Daniel.

But after six years at Daniel, Sercarz wanted to change directions. He started experimenting at home with spices and cookie baking, earning him praise from friends. In 2011, after three years of working with spices at home while maintaining a gig at a corporate dining hall, he decided to pursue his passion full-time, opening La Boite.

Sercarz, who lives on the Upper West Side, also sells cookies, which he flavors with nuts, chocolate, dried fruits and, naturally, spices. An eight-ounce box sells for $65.

He draws inspiration from Jewish and Israeli cuisine, as well as his own family background. Sercarz is three-quarters Ashkenazi, but jokes that luckily he has a Tunisian grandfather. His grandmother would incorporate the flavor of her husbands country into her European cooking.

Youd find the mamaliga, the Eastern European version of the Italian [polenta], with harissa in it, so a very interesting mixture of cuisines, which worked great, he recalled.

Sercarz says cooks shouldnt be afraid to mix spices from different cuisines, like his grandmother.

I think the fact that you werent born in India doesnt mean that you cannot do [cooking with Indian] spicesyou should, he said So you could make a meatloaf or an eggplant parmesan and add seasoning from there. I dont think youre insulting anybody.

I think that the fact that your grandmother from Italy was making chicken parm a certain way, you can still honor her by continuing making chicken parm, but you can play with flavors a little bit.
How sweet it is (or isn't)...

Wow! What can't Israel do? They are leading the world in cures for many diseases, coming up with fabulous inventions that make our lives easier... and now... a new App that assesses fruit freshness!

I read the following in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along:

"As published in the Times of Israel, an Israeli startup-Aclar Tech-has developed a mobile app that monitors, in real time, the ripeness, freshness and quality of fruits.

The AclaroMeter can change the way farmers make decisions, potentially revolutionizing the global food market by helping prevent wasted products. Today, farmers use instinct or lab tests to decide when to pick fruit. Both are extremely inefficient and non-standardized methods that lead to a yearly loss of approximately 50% of worldwide grown fruit, the company said.

With the AclaroMeter, users scan the fruit with a built-in smartphone camera and a standard portable molecular sensor. This captures data about the fruit and its environment, including the fruit's sugar, content, acidity, firmness, weight and color, as well as its GPS location and weather conditions at the time of sampling. The data is then processed by a tailor-made algorithm that compares it to tens of thousands of other samples of previously inspected fruit.

The scanned fruit is then graded for freshness, ripeness and quality within a few seconds. This data can help farmers decide when to pick their produce and monitors its freshness as it moves along the food chain via packaging houses to retailers and consumers."

(I can't wait for Israel to come up with a device that removes all calories from food so I can eat to my heart's desire!)

Remembering Jewish History...

On Oct. 26, 1994, the Israel-Jordan peace treaty is signed. Jordan was the second Arab country, after Egypt, to sign a peace accord with Israel. The treaty settled relations between the two countries, adjusted land and water disputes, and provided for broad cooperation in tourism and trade. It included a pledge that neither Jordan nor Israel would allow its territory to become a staging ground for military strikes by a third country.

The Roth JCC Mitzvah...

The Roth Jewish Community Center's 3rd Annual Family Mitzvah Day will take place on Sunday, Nov. 26th at the Build-A-Bear in the Altamonte Mall, 451 East Altamonte Drive #1369 in Altamonte Springs beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Join other young families as they participate in a very special mitzvah, building bears and making smiles for 60 children patients at Nemours Children's Hospital. Each family will make at least one stuffed animal to donate-just in time for the holidays!

Rabbi RICK SHERWIN, chaplain at Nemours, joins in once again to share stories and songs about friendship and acts of kindness!

After making your donation bear, join in upstairs in the food court for a "beary" delicious activity!

For further information, including how to register for the event, phone the JCC at 407-645-5933.

And more about happenings in Altamonte Springs...

On Sunday, Nov. 26th, the Altamonte Chapel Jazz Jam will take place from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Our own ALAN ROCK is emcee.

STEVEN SMITH and his group, featuring Steve on Trombone, will perform. The super-talented group consists of Steve, MARK McKEE on piano, GERALD STOCKTON on bass and WALT HUBBARD on drums.

The Altamonte Chapel is located at 825 East SR 436, Altamonte Springs. The phone number is 407-339-5208.

And more about good music...

SCOTT BERRY will be performing with TINA STEFANOS at Hannibal's on Friday, November 24th from 8 until 11:30 p.m.

For directions and reservations, phone 407-599-2929.

A wonderful, talented lady...

Of course I mean NANCY LUDIN, Jewish Pavilion CEO. She recently gave a talk to the Maitland Chamber of Commerce.

As a social worker with expertise pertaining to the elderly (pertaining to me??) she taught a few techniques to deescalate a conflict.

For example, when arguing, address the situation or issue, not the person (no name calling.) Tell the person how you feel and suggest a solution.

Because no name calling was involved, and no accusations were made, it was easy to terminate the argument before it escalated.

(I could have used that advice throughout my marriage!)

One for the road...

18-year-old Daniel, an up-and-coming Jewish rapper, is visiting the USA for the first time. When he gets to his hotel room, he picks up the phone and says to the operator, "I'd like the number for Rachel Cohen in Brooklyn, New York, please."

After a short pause the operator says to Daniel, "I have 8 listings for a Rachel Cohen in Brooklyn. Do you have a street name?"

Daniel thinks for a second, then replies, "Well, most of my friends call me 'Danny the pisher.'"
Do you know the history of the $1 bill? And do you know who Haym Solomon was? You may be in for quite a surprise!

Looking at the backside of the One Dollar bill, you will see two circles. Together, they comprise the Great Seal of the United States. The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.

If you look at the left-hand circle, you will see a pyramid. Notice the face is lighted and the western side is dark. This country was just beginning. We had not begun to explore the west or decided what we could do for Western Civilization. The pyramid is uncapped, again signifying that we were not even close to being finished. Inside the capstone you have the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklin's belief that one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could do anything.

The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means, 'God has favored our undertaking.'

The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means, 'a new order has begun.'

At the base of the pyramid is the Roman numeral for 1776. (MDCCLXXVI)

If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you will learn that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States.

It is also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell, Florida National Cemetery, and is the centerpiece of most heroes' monuments.

Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the United States, and it is always visible whenever he speaks, yet very few people know what these symbols mean.

The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons: First, he is not afraid of a storm; he is strong, and he is smart enough to soar above it. Secondly, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England.

Also, notice the shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its own.

At the top of that shield there is a white bar signifying congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as one nation.

In the Eagle's beak you will read, ' E PLURIBUS UNUM' meaning, 'from many-one.'

Above the Eagle, we have the 13 stars, representing the 13 original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one.

Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows.

And finally, notice the arrangement of the 13 stars in the right-hand circle. You will see that they are arranged as the Star of David.

This was ordered by George Washington who, when he asked Haym Solomon, a wealthy Philadelphia Jew and political financial broker, what he would like as a personal reward for his services to the Continental Army. Solomon said he wanted nothing for himself, but he would like something for his people. The Star of David was the result.

Although this story about the Star of David appears to have little basis in fact and is oft-repeated, Solomon's fundraising and personal lending helped provide over $650,000 (approximately $16,870,212.74 in 2013 dollars [8]) in financing to George Washington in his war effort. His most meaningful financial contribution, however, came immediately prior to the final revolutionary war battle at Yorktown.

In August 1781, the Continental Army had trapped Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis in the Virginian coastal town of Yorktown. Washington and the main army and Count de Rochambeau with his French army decided to march from the Hudson Highlands to Yorktown and deliver the final blow. But Washington's war chest was completely empty, as was that of Congress. Without food, uniforms and supplies, Washington's troops were close to mutiny. Washington determined that he needed at least $20,000 to finance the campaign. When Robert Morris, the Superintendent of Finance, told him there were no funds and no credit available, Washington gave him a simple but eloquent order: "Send for Haym Solomon." Solomon raised $20,000, through the sale of bills of exchange. With that, and the $1,400,000 personally loaned by Robert Morris, Washington conducted the Yorktown campaign, which proved to be the final battle of the Revolution. Solomon died a pauper a few years later.

Therein lies America's Judeo-Christian beginning.

Most American children do not know any of this. They are not taught because their history teachers do not know this. (They were not taught!)
Moscow's Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, since its opening in 2012, has tackled the subject of Jewish revolutionaries.

(JTA)-Of all the many loaded issues tied to the bloody history of Jews in the former Soviet Union, none is as sensitive today in that part of the world as their role in the 1917 revolution that brought the communists to power.

The outsized prevalence of Jews in the ranks of the revolution that broke out a century ago on Nov. 7 has remained a mainstay of anti-Semitic vitriol in the area.

During the Holocaust, it served as a pretext for the murder of countless Jews across Eastern Europe by self-proclaimed enemies of communism and Russia. And it's still being used today to incite hatred against local Jews, including among devout Christians who were persecuted by the anti-religious Soviet authorities.

Living in religious societies that by and large feel victimized by communism or its effects, many Russian-speaking Jews and their leaders have either remained silent on communism or downplayed the Jews' role in it.

It's a logical strategy, given the rhetoric of senior politicians like Peter Tolstoy, the deputy speaker of the Russian parliament At a January news conference, he blamed Jews with interfering in a plan to relocate a church in Saint Petersburg. Tolstoy said Jews use their positions in the media and government to continue the work of ancestors who "pulled down our churches" in 1917.

Or the anti-Semitic hate campaign leveled at a Jewish director, Alexei Uchitel, whose studio in the same city was firebombed in September, presumably for his unfavorable depiction in a feature film of Nicholas II, the czar whose reign the revolution ended.

Yet ahead of the centenary, Russia's main Jewish museum-which since its opening in 2012 has tackled head-on the subject of revolutionary Jews in its permanent display-unveiled an exhibition that underlines unapologetically how and why Jews became central to the revolution.

"For many years, neither Jews nor the authorities wanted to open up the subject, which became the stuff of myths for the ultranationalists, neo-Nazis and other anti-Semites," said Boruch Gorin, chairman of Moscow's Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. "But now the time has come to look at the facts."

The facts emerge from hundreds of photographs, documents, propaganda leaflets and artworks that comprise the exhibition. It opened last month under the title "The History of One People During the Revolution."

They bust some myths, including the fallacy repeated in 2013 by none other than President Vladimir Putin, who said at the museum that anti-Semitic persecution of Jews in the former Soviet Union occurred even though "the first Soviet government was 80-85 percent Jewish." (In fact, it had one Jewish member-Leon Trotsky, founder of the Red Army).

But the facts also reaffirm in essence assertions like the ones made by Mark Weber, a promoter of Holocaust denial. In 2003, he wrote, "Although officially Jews have never made up more than five percent of the country's total population, they played a highly disproportionate and probably decisive role in the infant Bolshevik regime," adding this was a "taboo" that many historians for decades preferred to ignore.

The Bolsheviks were members of the radical faction that ultimately dominated other streams in the communist revolutionary movement against the czar's rule.

Among the items in the exhibition, which opened on Oct. 17, is a picture from 1918 of activists for the Socialist Poale Zion group flying a Hebrew-language banner in what today is Saint Petersburg.

Regardless of the exact makeup of the first Soviet government, "there was great and undeniable enthusiasm among basically all the elements that made up Russian Jewry during the revolution," said Gorin, who runs the $50 million state-of-the-art museum that last year won an award from UNESCO for its promotion of tolerance.

Though the first Soviet government-the Council of People's Commissars-was mostly non-Jewish, Jews did occupy very prominent positions throughout the Bolshevik and communist chains of command vastly disproportionate to their percentage of the general population, Gorin confirmed.

Jews in the top echelon of the Communist Party during its early days in power included Yakov Sverdlov, its executive secretary; Grigori Zinoviev, head of the Communist International; press commissar Karl Radek; foreign affairs commissar Maxim Litvinov; as well as Lev Kamenev and Moisei Uritsky.

"The observant Jews thought in 1917 that the communists would allow them to extend Jewish life, the Zionists thought the revolution would advance their goals and there was a feeling of liberation," Gorin said.

But it's not like Russian Jews ever really had a choice.

"At a time when the Red Army had posters denouncing anti-Semitism, the monarchists fighting for the czar had posters disseminating [anti-Semitism] as a pillar of what they were fighting for," he said. The exhibition includes such posters.

Gorin says the exhibit "tells honestly and openly of how Jews did have an outsized role in the revolution. But it also shows that there were very good reasons for this."

Similarly, were it not for the adoption of anti-Semitism by the Whites-the enemies of the communist Reds -- "many Jews may well have made cause with the Whites, who were not all monarchists but included also democrats," Gorin hypothesized.

Among the more evocative displays in the permanent exhibition is a video based on contemporary testimonies recounting the story of a Jewish man and his son who were captured by the monarchists. The man volunteered to confess to spying for the Bolsheviks if the monarchists spared the son's life. Both were hanged after the confession in what today is Ukraine.

"The revolution offered Russia's Jews many opportunities, equal rights and education and a chance to fill the vacuum left by an elite that was forced into exile," Gorin said. "But above all it was a haven from a wave of pogroms in which 150,000 Jews in present-day Ukraine were murdered in what some historians call a dress rehearsal for the Holocaust. A Jew in 1917 had two choices: revolution or exile."

During the Holocaust, the alignment of many Jews with the communist cause was cited as justification for wholesale slaughter by collaborators with the Germans. They resented not only communism but Russian domination in countries across Eastern and Central Europe.

The Jewish role in communism is used by anti-Semites to justify the Holocaust.

Zsolt Bayer, a co-founder of Hungary's ruling Fidesz party, last year wrote in an op-ed: "Why are we surprised that the simple peasant whose determinant experience was that the Jews broke into his village, beat his priest to death, threatened to convert his church into a movie theater -- why do we find it shocking that twenty years later he watched without pity as the gendarmes dragged the Jews away from his village?"

The exhibition goes on to explore how the hopes for Jewish emancipation through communism were ultimately dashed, making some Jews prominent perpetrators of repression and turning many other Jews into victims.

"In the exhibition, we placed on the left a display of the many Jews that made up the NKWD," said Gorin, naming the dreaded communist security police that was a precursor of the KGB. The NKVD was an instrument for the murder of countless people, before and under the bloodthirsty and anti-Semitic reign of terror of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. "On the right we have a display of the many Jews they killed: authors, liberals, soldiers."

Gorin said the juxtaposition is designed to impress upon visitors that "ultimately Jews are a people made up of very different individuals with different goals who, in 1917, were facing some very difficult choices."
What do you get when you combine a healthy dose of appreciation, a gourmet luncheon with friends, and a one-of-a-kind holiday shopping bazaar? The answer is the Jewish Pavilion's "JP Connections," honoring this year's dedicated volunteers, Shirley Schoenberger and Dolores Indek.

"Our annual luncheon is a yearly opportunity for us to show our appreciation and to connect with our wonderful volunteers and members who support the Jewish Pavilion in so many ways," noted Pamela Ruben, marketing and communications director for the Jewish Pavilion. "This year, we celebrate two special women who have touched the hearts, and given their time to the seniors we serve in more than 70 senior living communities throughout greater Orlando."

"The lyrics, 'Who can turn the world on with their smile?' may have been written for Mary Tyler Moore, but they can also can be applied to volunteer, Shirley Schoenberger, as well," commented, Nancy Ludin Jewish Pavilion executive director.

Honoree Shirley Schoenberger discovered the Jewish Pavilion 4 1/2 years ago, inspired by dedicated volunteer, Gloria Newberger, who was in her 80s and coordinating a weekly happy hour and ice cream social for residents of Savannah Court in Maitland (with many residents younger than herself!). Schoenberger said she fell in love with the Pavilion's mission to bring community and Jewish life to residents in assisted-living and skilled-nursing facilities. In the past few years, she has become a familiar face at the Pavilion's happy hours and senior programs. Her signature smile lights up the room at Brookdale Island Lake's weekly Shabbat programs. "Happy Hour" at Savannah Court is just a little bit happier when Schoenberger attends, often with grandchildren in tow. She remarks that she has become close with many of the residents who have come to feel like 'adopted' family. This past fall Schoenberger added leadership to her long list of volunteer skills, chairing the Pavilion's Music Fest.

Schoenberger's desire to give back to the community came at an early age, when she was a candy striper in her hometown of Cleveland. Later, she volunteered in the school system and joined the Junior League. After relocating to Central Florida 20 years ago, her interests changed as her three daughters grew up.

A horrific car accident 15 years prior left Schoenberger with many broken bones, two years of rehab, and an increased sense of compassion for the mobility impaired and the aged. A child of Polish Holocaust survivors, the late Jack and Sally Rettman, Schoenberger has attended several conferences for descendants of survivors to help understand her parent's experiences, and the effects on future generations. She has adopted her mother's motto, "Live life to the fullest," and her total engagement in community and family are her parent's legacy.

Schoenberger has always been a people person, from her first job with the May Company (it merged with Macy's in 2005) when she was 16. She comments, "I always wanted to go in retail, but wound up being an X-ray technician. Later, when I met my husband, Peter, two dreams came true." Peter came from a retail background-his family owned Havres, a Cleveland department store. For 30 years the couple worked side-by-side, with Shirley as merchandise buyer and store designer, while Peter handled the financial end.

Dolores Indek

Schoenberger is the devoted mother of three daughters, Tracy Weiss (Damon), Debby Weiss (Evan), and Lisa Nelson (Matt); as the well as the grandmother of seven grandchildren. She noted, "One of my biggest joys is bringing my two grandsons, Noah and Jared, with me on visitations. I have enjoyed watching them become comfortable and compassionate around older adults."

Read about Dolores Indek's special contributions to the senior community in next week's Heritage.

Please join the Jewish Pavilion at "JP Connections", honoring volunteers Dolores Indek and Shirley Schoenberger on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 11 a.m. at Maison & Jardin Event Center in Altamonte Springs. Paid-Up Membership Luncheon (join for just $36) includes Volunteer Appreciation Event & Holiday Shopping Bazaar. Couvert, $28 Register online at http://www.jewishpavilion.org or call 407-678-9363.
Brazilian students simulate Nazi human experiments for science fair

RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA)Brazilian high school students simulated medical experiments that the Nazis conducted on concentration camp prisoners during the Holocaust.

The students at Milecimo da Silva high school in Rio De Janeiro were recently assigned to re-create a Nazi laboratory for a science fair. According to the Brazilian Israelite Confederations, the countrys umbrella Jewish group, the purpose of the exhibition was to highlight the supposed scientific progress made by Nazi doctors working in concentration camps.

Photos posted on Facebook show a red banner hung in the school with swastikas and white letters saying Nazi laboratory. In the darkened fake blood-stained lab, students playing doctors wear medical uniforms and swastika armbands. Others pretend to be suffering patients.

The Rio State Department of Education reportedly has opened an investigation to determine whether the school promoted Nazism, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine.

During World War II, a number of German physiciansnotably Josef Mengeleconducted painful and often deadly experiments on thousands of concentration camp prisoners without their consent. The experiments sought to improve the performance of Nazi soldiers and advance the Nazis racial ideology, including the inferiority of Jews, 6 million of whom were exterminated during the Holocaust.

In April, a third-grade classroom in a private school in Recife, in northeastern Brazil, was decorated with Nazi flags during a lesson on totalitarian regimes. The teacher wore a Nazi armband. The school later praised him on social media for the lesson.

After facing criticism, the schools officials conceded that the tone of their post was inappropriate and took it down, but they refused to apologize for the lesson, according to the local Jewish federation.

Congressional bill would prevent US funding for Israels detention of Palestinian children

(JTA)A Minnesota congresswoman has introduced a bill that seeks to prevent the United States from funding Israels military detention of Palestinian children.

The legislation introduced Tuesday by Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat, has at least nine co-sponsors. It would require the secretary of state to certify annually that U.S. assistance to Israel has not been used in the previous year to militarily detain, interrogate or abuse Palestinian children.

The purpose of this act is to promote and protect the human rights of Palestinian children and to ensure that United States taxpayer funds shall not be used to support the military detention of Palestinian children, the bill reads.

Among the bills backers are the co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.

McCollum said the bill highlights Israels system of military detention of Palestinian children and ensures the United States does not support human rights violations.

Congress must not turn a blind eye to the unjust and ongoing mistreatment of Palestinian children living under Israeli occupation, she said on her website.

A number of progressive and religious organizations have endorsed the legislation, including Churches for Middle East Peace and Jewish Voices for Peace. The latter and some of the other supporting groups back the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

Jewish tradition teaches that each and every single person has inherent dignity and worth and must be treated accordingly, JVP said in a statement. This legislation recognizes and acts upon the inherent dignity and worth of Palestinian children and sends the message that the United States is committed to a future with freedom, safety, and equality for both Palestinians and Israelis.

Israel processes Palestinians who are not Israeli citizens through a military court system. A 2017 report by the Military Court Watch nonprofit that monitored the treatment of more than 450 minors in Israeli military detention between 2013 and 2016 found that last year, 60 percent of the minors arrested reported experiencing physical violence at the hands of their detainers and 43 percent reported verbal violence.

Just 5 percent were allowed to see their parents during interrogation, and 10 percent were allowed to see a lawyer.

However, the children were treated more leniently than in 2013.

In response to the report, the Israeli army said it has dealt in recent years with a growing phenomenon of minors involved in West Bank offenses, including security offenses, and takes their age into consideration when enforcing the law.

Israels president plays peacemaker between his government and American Jews

LOS ANGELES (JTA)Reuven Rivlin played peacemaker Monday nightbetween American Jews and Israelis.

Speaking at the annual General Assembly of the North American Jewish federation movement, Israels president sympathized with attendees complaints that Israel was ignoring their calls for religious pluralism there, but also urged patience with Israels political process.

Whether we like it or not, in the only Jewish democratic state, religion and state is a political issuemaybe the most explosive one, said Rivlin, addressing some 3,000 Jewish professionals and volunteer leaders. You know, my friends, around five Israeli governments have fallen on questions like can combat aircraft, not on-mission, land in Israel on Shabbat? Or on the question of who is a Jew? That is democracy.

Rivlins address at the JW Marriott Hotel here came a few hours after the Jewish Federations of North America issued a resolution highly critical of the Israeli government for freezing a deal on non-Orthodox prayer at the Western Wall and for its support for a bill that would give Orthodox authorities in Israel a monopoly on religious conversions to Judaism. Local Jewish federations raise and distribute money for Jewish causes in their communities and Israel, and usually try to avoid criticizing the latter.

Leaders and allies of the Reform and Conservative movements, representing the majority of affiliated North American Jews, say these recent moves by the Israeli government are alienating their followers and dampening Jewish support for Israel. Changing policy at the Western Wall, whose Orthodox authorities prevent types of prayer typical in non-Orthodox synagogues, has become a goal and a symbol for proponents of Jewish religious diversity in Israel.

Rivlin alluded to these concerns in his 30-minute address.

On the painful issue of the Kotel agreements, it causes such pain that the symbol of unity, the wall of our tears and joy, has become a symbol of division and disagreement, he said, using the Hebrew word for the Western Wall. The challenge of building the relationship between us must begin with getting to know each other better.

Rivlin asserted that the Western Wall agreement, frozen in June after being thrashed out in 2016 by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government with representatives of the federations, the Jewish Agency, Women of the Wall and the non-Orthodox streams, was led by our government in order to try and bridge the gap between Israel and the Diaspora. I hope that in the future we can return to the table together and reach an understanding on this important issue.

The avuncular Rivlin also reminded the crowd of the traditional issues that have tended to bind Jewish fundraisers to Israel, including Israels security needs, a mutual fight against anti-Semitism, and the movement to boycott Israel and U.S. support for the Jewish state. He also recounted, to warm applause, his pedigree as a member of a Jewish family that has lived in Jerusalem since 1809.

But at the end of his speech he returned to the theme of frayed ties, saying he would be happy to plan a conference at his residence in Jerusalem for Jews and Israelis to work on shared goals.

Lets put the arguments aside and work together, he concluded. Lets develop our mutual commitment as a value and as action. For the good of the Jewish people, for the good of the State of Israel, for the good of the whole world.

In 1989 Rivlin, then a member of the Israeli Knesset, visited a Reform synagogue in Westfield, New Jersey, and afterward shocked his hosts by calling Reform Judaism idol worship and a completely new religion without any connection to Judaism.

In a news briefing before Rivlins address Monday, his spokesman said the president had changed his view regarding the Jewish communities around the world, especially North America.

In the three years since becoming Israels 10th president, during which he reached out to Reform leaders, he started realizing the importance of the Jewish community and the need for the strong bonds between Israel and the Jewish community, said David Saranga.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the General Assembly via satellite on Tuesday.

US security officials arrive in Israel to discuss Syria border deal

JERUSALEM (JTA)U.S. National Security Council officials arrived in Israel for talks with their Israeli counterparts.

Representatives of other security agencies are also participating Tuesday in the discussions, which are focused on the recent U.S.-Russia cease-fire agreement for Syria as well as on Iran.

The agreement, announced in a joint U.S.-Russian statement Saturday, calls for the reduction and ultimate elimination of foreign fighters from southern Syria, including Iranian troops and proxies. However, it does not set a timetable.

According to an Israeli official, militias would be allowed to maintain positions as close as 3 to 4 miles to some parts of the border while being pushed up to around 19 miles away in others, Reuters reported Monday.

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that the agreement does not include a Russian commitment to ensure Iran-linked militias are pulled out of the country. Lavrov said Irans presence in Syria is legitimate, according to the Interfax news agency.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that Israel will not be bound by the deal.

I have clarified to our friends in Washington and our friends in Moscow that we will operate in Syria, including southern Syria, in accordance with our understanding and in accordance with our security needs, Netanyahu said, describing Israels security policy as the right combination of firmness and responsibility.

On Friday, a Western security official told the BBC that Iran was setting up a permanent base on a site used by the Syrian army near el-Kiswah, 8 miles south of Damascus and 30 miles from the Israeli border.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Eisenkot reportedly flew secretly to Brussels on Thursday to meet with Gen. Curtiss Scaparrotti, head of the U.S. Armys European Command, and discuss Iranian moves in Syria.

Israel has lobbied against allowing Iran to maintain any presence in Syria. In September, Haaretz reported that Israel asked the United States and Russia to keep Iran and its proxies at least 30 miles away from the border, but the Russians agreed to only 3 miles.

Netanyahu has warned that Iran plans to create a permanent presence in the country, including with naval and air force bases, and that Israel will not allow it to happen.

Police investigate Israeli drone maker accused of bombing Armenia in demo

JERUSALEM (JTA)Israeli police launched a criminal investigation of an Israeli drone manufacturer that allegedly tried to bomb the Armenian military on behalf of Azerbaijan during a product demonstration.

Hebrew media reported the existence of the probe of Aeronautics Defense Systems on Monday as an Israeli court approved a gag order on most details. Police confirmed that they were investigating the firms deal with a significant customer.

In September, the Defense Ministry opened an investigation of Aeronautics Defense Systems after it received a complaint that the manufacturer demonstrated the use of a kamikaze drone in Azerbaijan by attacking a manned position of the Armenian army earlier this year.

According to the complaint, the firm sent a team to Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, to demonstrate its unmanned Orbiter 1K system, which can be equipped with a small explosive and flown into an enemy target on a suicide mission. During the demonstration, the company was asked to conduct a live-fire test against the Armenian position, the complaint said.

The two Israelis operating the two Orbiter 1K drones refused to carry out the attack despite threats from their superiors, according to the complaint. Two senior members of the Aeronautics Defense Systems team then attempted to fulfill the Azerbaijani request, but failed to hit their targets, the complaint said.

Azerbaijan and neighboring Armenia have been engaged in a violent territorial and ethnic conflict for three decades that has escalated since last year.

Under Israeli law it is illegal to carry out weapons tests on real targets without a permit, which is rarely granted. In August, the Defense Ministry froze Aeronautics Defense Systems license to export to the significant customer.

Aeronautics Defense Systems denied the substance of the complaint at the time.

The firm said it expected to make a $20 million deal over the next two years with the significant customer, according to publicly available details of the investigation. Azerbaijan is a major importer of Israeli weapons and an important ally given its border with Iran.

Responding to reports of the investigation, Aeronautics Defense Systems said it would cooperate with police.

Aeronautics Defense Systems has also reportedly had dealings with the Myanmar military junta, which is accused of ethnic cleansing the countrys Muslim Rohingya minority.
This is the November 1896 Thanksgiving menu for The Taylor restaurant, located in the Taylor Block, at 203-207 N. Bridge St.

James Taylor bought the hotel at this address in 1879. In 1883 it burned down, and Taylor rebuilt The Taylor Block in 1885.

The new building was home to several businesses including restaurant. In 1896 at the time this menu was advertised Jesse Thomas was running the restaurant.

He sold the building in 1902.

Among his many accomplishments, Taylor was the first mayor of Chippewa Falls, the first engineer of the Chippewa Falls Fire Dept., the second superintendent of schools and served in the Wisconsin Legislature.

The Taylor Block was later known as the Cobban Block.
One of Israelis prime time evening news programs ran a series on what it called the Palestinian middle class. It featured glitzy hotels, shopping malls, and restaurants in Ramallah and other West Bank cities, interviews with managers and patrons, details of West Bankers, Israeli Arabs, and overseas tourists sharing in what seems like the good life, and interviews with individuals seeing their future in Palestinian high tech

Some of the extravagance portrayed was over the edge, too much for a modest Israeli to enjoy. The design of hotels and restaurants suggested the excesses of nouveau riche Jews portrayed in Goodbye Columbus, and the pink Cadillacs favored by Harlem politicians and pimps in the 1950s.

The prices are a fraction for anything comparable within Israel.

For that, Palestinians can thank low taxes, low rates of tax collection, and low wages.

The positive side of what we saw is consistent with the experience of an Arab friend. We used to meet regularly at the Hebrew University swimming pool, until he transferred his swim to Ramallah. He may feel more comfortable in an Arab/Palestinian setting. And it is probably less expensive.

The same friend sent me an email, including an attachment describing the benefits to West Bankers associated with economic opportunities, which he labeled with the title of this note, i.e., Its the economy, stupid.

When politics has been going nowhere, economic progress provides a great deal of what people want.

Gaza is significantly less attractive than the West Bank, but there are also snippets on the Internet showing that the area is not entirely a miserable prison. It also has high-end apartments and other opportunities to live the good life, albeit with minimum international travel.

Theres news of Israeli Christian Arabs, using Palestinian passports or Jordanian documents to visit Christian sites in Lebanon.

Those who object to them using Palestinian passports might also object to me, and about 100,000 others required to exit and enter Israel with Israeli passports, and enter the US with an American passport.

Along with this are encounters on our walks around French Hill. Weve passed by individuals and couples, including women in shorts and fashionable jerseys, some with thoroughbred dogs, speaking with their partners in Arabic. Women in shorts and expensive dogs are part of what people describe as Israelization.

Some time ago, when there was an uptick in individual knife attacks by enraged Palestinians/Israeli Arabs, walkers in this neighborhood, not far from Isawwea and Shuafat, showed more than the usual care as to who was near them. I was walking faster than a young couple, dressed like any Israeli Jews in jeans and shirts, holding hands and talking as if they were enjoying life and one another. As I approached, they both turned and examined me briefly, until my age and/or something else seemed to mollify their suspicion. Then as I passed, they continued their conversation, in Arabic.

More recently, when passing by the neighborhood primary school during the rush of kids leaving for their afternoon freedom, I passed by a well dressed woman speaking in Arabic on her cell phone. Then the boy she was meeting burst out of the gate chatting in Hebrew with his mates.

A sociologist friend found that a majority of Israeli Arabs are willing to fight for their country. To be sure, the picture is mixed.

Polls range widely in showing both distrust and rejection of accommodation between Israeli Jews and Arabs, as well as attitudes in both communities that life is good.

Israel must continue to invest heavily in its security, including a level of intelligence that penetrates, and brings discomfort to our Arab and Palestinian neighbors.

There are Israeli Arabs and Palestinians demanding a return to a time before most of them were born, and willing to end their lives in order to kill Jews.

On yet another hand, are Jews who reject the idea of sharing a country, neighborhood, or the entire Land of Israel with Arabs.

More moderate than either are Arabs, including individuals who have risen to high positions in the Israeli government, who stand silently during the singing of the national anthem, and refrain from celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.

One Arab politician participates in ceremonies to remember the Holocaust, but couples this with citation of the losses experienced by his own people.

Somewhere close to the equivalent may be Jews who do not want the entire Land of Israel, but who work to keep Arabs from renting or buying apartments in their building, saying that it is sure to lower the value of their own holding.

There are Jews who work to keep ultra-Orthodox families out of their buildings, for the same reason.

We should remember the long history of the Jewish people, never completely sovereign in a setting entirely Jewish, usually but not always getting along with their neighbors. And arguing who is a Jew? and What about mixed couples?

Now perhaps for the first time, Jews have maintained a strong nation where they are a large majority, capable of resisting pressure and enmity from countries large and small. The economy and culture suggest what Jews can do when not restrained by quotas, gentlemens agreements, or suspicious neighbors and employers.

The notion of a bi-national state, as opposed to a Jewish state, is something that can increase Jewish tempers.

The reality is that we already have a bi-national state, or maybe a multi-national state, taking account of ethnic/racial differences among the Jews, and the many people who identify as Jews but are not recognized as such by the Rabbinate. Yet none should expect Israel to give up the Judaic symbols of flag, anthem, Law of Return that favors Jews, and the verbiage in its Declaration of Independence. Arab citizens, and Arab residents of Jerusalem who have rejected Israeli citizenship, can accept a great deal of accommodation, and better overall standards of living and politics than in any other Middle Eastern country, without aspiring to undoing history.

Israels prominent minority lives better, and is more thoroughly integrated, for the most part, than the prominent American minority.

Israeli Arabs have only one-tenth the chance of being incarcerated as African Americans, and Israeli Arab males, on the average, live five and one half years longer than African American males.

Peace and harmony are not on the horizon. Issues of boundaries, mutual recognition, along with a number of detailed disputes seem insoluble. However, a lot of people, Jews and Arabs, seem to have reached a higher level of accommodation than the politicians claiming to represent them.

We might also worry about the fragility of Palestinian society and politics. They have high levels of unemployment, corruption, and crime. But those conditions also appear in many other countries. Concerns about the future of Palestine is somewhere in the category with concerns about stability throughout the Third World, along with the escalating tensions between Spain and Catalonia, and that strange man who is President of the United States.

With respect to Palestine, the best bet, along with all the appropriate worries, is that it would be stupid to overlook the advantages of economic development.

Ira Sharkansky, Irashark@gmail.com. Comments welcome.
What an eventful day Sunday, Nov. 12, was! It was the opening of the Kehillah: A History of Jewish Life in Greater Orlando exhibit, and it is an amazing history. As a volunteer for the project, I attended the opening thank you luncheon for volunteers and sponsors. During the program, Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, exhibition curator, said in the word history is the word story, and this is the living story of this Jewish community.

Walking through the exhibit is enlightening, but to walk through with descendants of the first Jews to arrive in Central Florida made it heartwarming.

As I read about the Bornsteins, Shaders, Ettingers and Meitins, (forgive me if I missed some families) there stood Mardi and Ron Shader and Bernie Kahn with me. Kahn pointed out his grandfather and mother in pictures. Ron Shader was about 12 in one family portrait. Tess Wise was there, and she doesnt look that much different from the photo of her and Abe Wise when they were first married.

Eva Ritt and I viewed all the artifacts about Soviet Jewsletters and passports of those this community helped free from the confines of the Soviet Union. Thats my pendant! exclaimed Ritt as she pointed to a triangle necklace on display.

This opening event was like a reunion. People who hadnt seen each other in years were hugging and reminiscing. A nice surprise was to see Paul and Faye Jeser, who flew in from Los Angeles. Paul was once the executive director of the Federation and Faye, with her many talents, was a spark of life at Congregation Ohev Shalom.

Also in attendance was Myrtle Rutberg with her son, Gerald. It suddenly occurred to me that she is older than the exhibit itself! Which just goes to show that 100 years isnt that long a period of time.

This exhibit is priceless. The work that Roz Fuchs, Zerivitz, Lisa Schwartz, Rachel Heimovics Braun, Sara Stern and Richard Schwartz put into it over the past three years is phenomenal. Every one must go see this history of the Jewish people here in Orlando. And I mean everyoneJews and non-Jews, because it is very apparent that the Jewish pioneers of Central Florida really built this community, from the citrus industry to real estate to technology. It just makes a person proud to be called a Jew or to be associated with the Jewish people. And that is pretty precious at this time because there is so much anti-Semitism in the world.

I think it should be mandatory that every student from first to 12th grade visit the exhibit and take hold of this history. Perhaps some of these descendants who were at the opening can be there with them?

For those who cant see the entire exhibit (it probably takes about a good three hours to read everything), there is a catalog of the exhibit (and more articles and photos) available in the History Centers gift shop. It is $20 and well-worth the investment, and all the proceeds go to the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando.

The exhibit will be on display at the Orange County Regional History Center through Feb. 20, 2018. There is a public parking garage across the street and ubering is always a good idea when trying to get around downtown. Admission is $8 for adults; $7 for seniors, students and military; $6 for children age 5-12; free for members and Florida educators.

Christine DeSouza
US President Donald Trump initiated an important change in US policy toward Iran.

No, in his speech de-certifying Irans compliance with the nuclear accord it struck with his predecessor Barack Obama, Trump didnt announce a new strategy for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, or stemming its hegemonic rise in the Middle East, or limiting its ability to sponsor terrorism. Trumps move was not operational. It was directional.

In his address Friday, Trump changed the policy dynamics that dictate US policy on Iran. For the first time since 2009, when Obama backed the murderous regime in Tehran, spurning the millions of Iranians who rose up in the Green Revolution, Trump opened up the possibility that the US may begin to base its policies toward Iran on reality.

Trump began his remarks by setting out Irans long rap sheet of aggression against America.

Starting with the US embassy seizure and hostage crisis, Trump described Irans crimes and acts of war against America in greater detail than any of his predecessors ever did. Trumps dossier was interlaced with condemnations of the regimes repression of its own people.

By merging Irans external aggression with its internal repression, Trump signaled a readiness to drive a wedgeor expand the wedgebetween the authoritarian theocrats that rule Iran and the largely secular, multiethnic and pro-Western people of Iran. Trump then turned his attention to Irans illicit ballistic missile program, its sponsorship of terrorism, including its links to al-Qaida, its aggression against its neighbors, its aggressive acts against maritime traffic in the Straits of Hormuz, and its bids to destabilize and control large swaths of the Middle East through its proxies.

It is notable that these remarks preceded Trumps discussion of the nuclear dealwhich was the ostensible subject of his speech. Before Trump discussed Irans breaches of the nuclear deal, he first demonstrated that contrary to the expressed views of his top advisers, it is impossible to limit a realistic discussion of the threat Iran constitutes to US national security and interests to whether or not and it what manner it is breaching the nuclear accord. This was a critical point because for the past two years, US discourse on Iran has focused solely on whether or not Iran was complying with Obamas nuclear pact. By placing the nuclear deal in the context of Irans consistent, overarching hostility and aggression, Trump made it self-evident that no US interest is served in continuing to give Iran a free pass from congressional sanctions.

After accomplishing that goal, Trump turned his attention to how Iran is actually breaching the letter and spirit of the nuclear pact. Only then, almost as an afterthought, did he announce that he was decertifying Iranian compliance with the nuclear deal, setting the conditions for the renewal of congressional sanctions on Iran and opening the floodgates of congressional sanctions on Iran in retaliation for the full spectrum of its aggressive and illicit acts against the US, its interests and allies.

By empowering Congress to prohibit economic cooperation with Iran, Trump put the Europeans, Chinese and Russians on notice that they may soon face a choice between conducting business with the US and conducting business with Iran.

After putting them on notice, Trump discussed the possibility of improving Obamas nuclear accord. Among other things, he suggested expanding the inspection regime against Irans nuclear installations and canceling the so-called sunset clause that places an end date on the restrictions governing certain components of Irans nuclear advancement.

Trumps address has the potential to serve as the foundation of a major, positive shift in US policy toward Iran. Such a shift could potentially facilitate the achievement of Trumps goals of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, containing its regional aggression and empowerment and defeating its terrorist proxies.

Unfortunately, it is also likely, indeed, it is more likely, that his words will not be translated into policies to achieve these critical aims.

Trumps decision to transfer immediate responsibility to Congress for holding Iran accountable for its hostile actions on the military and other fronts is a risky move. He has a lot of enemies, and the nuclear deal has a lot of supporters on Capitol Hill.

Obama would have never been able to implement his nuclear deal if Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, hadnt agreed to cast the Constitution aside and ignore Obamas constitutional duty to present the nuclear deal to the Senate for ratification as a treaty.

Over the past week, Trump and Corker have been involved in an ugly public fight precipitated by Corkers announcement that he will not be seeking reelection next year.

Today Corker has nothing to restrain him from scuttling Trumps agenda. If he wishes, out of spite, Corker can block effective sanctions from being passed. And he may do so even though the implications for his Senate colleagues would be dire and even though doing so would render him an unofficial protector of Irans nuclear program.

What is true for Corker is doubly true for the Democrats. Leading Democratic senators like Robert Menendez, Ben Cardin and Chuck Schumer, who opposed Obamas Iran deal may now feel that as opponents of the Trump administration, they are required to oppose any change to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act.

Indeed, given the rise of radical forces in their party it is likely that they would rather give Iran a free pass for its anti-American aggression and nuclear proliferation than work with Republicans on Capitol Hill and in the White House.

Then again, by framing the issue of Irans threat to America as he did, and by transferring responsibility for reinstating sanctions and passing further sanctions on Iran to Congress, Trump opened up the possibility that Congress will conduct substantiverather than personaldebates on Iran.

And the more substantive those debates become, the further away the US discourse will move from the mendacious assumptions of Obamas Iran policythat the Iranian regime is a responsible actor and potential US ally, and that there is nothing inherently aggressive or problematic about Irans illicit nuclear weapons program.

The second major risk inherent in Trumps approach is that he will get his way; that the Europeans, Russians and Chinese and the Iranians will agree to improve the nuclear deal. The problem here is not obvious. Clearly, it is better if the deal is amended to delete the sunset clauses and expand the inspections regime.

Yet even an amended, improved deal will still serve as a shield to Irans nuclear program. An improved deal wont destroy Irans centrifuges.

It wont take away Irans enriched uranium. It wont destroy Irans nuclear installations. And it wont bring down the regime, which by its nature ensures all of these things will remain a menace to the US, its allies and international security as a whole.

So long as the US continues to maintain a policy based on the false view that all that is necessary to destroy the threat of a nuclear armed Iran is a combination of the nuclear deal and economic sanctions, it will continue to ensure that Iran and its nuclear program remain a major threat. Distressingly, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, the most outspoken supporter of decertifying Iranian compliance in the Trump administration, told NBC on Sunday that the US intends to remain in the nuclear deal.

To understand what must be done we must return to Trumps speech and its strategic significance.

By taking a holistic view of the Iranian threatgrounded in a recognition of the inherent hostility of the regimeTrump opened up the possibility that the US and its allies can develop a holistic policy for confronting and defeating Iran and its proxies. If the Iran deal and sanctions are two components to a larger strategy rather than the entire strategy, they can be helpful.

A wider strategy would target Irans regional aggression by weakening its proxies and clients from Hezbollah and Hamas to the regimes in Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. It would target the regime itself by empowering the ayatollahs domestic opponents. It would pin down Iranian forces by arming and otherwise assisting the Iraqi Kurds to defend and maintain their control over their territory along the Iranian border while strengthening the ties between Iranian Kurds and Iraqi Kurds.

Friday, Trump created the possibility for such a strategy. It is up to members of Congress, and US allies like Israel and the Sunni Arab states to help Trump conceive and implement it. If they fail, the possibility Trump created will be lost, perhaps irrevocably.

Originally published in The Jerusalem Post.

Caroline Glick is the senior Middle East Fellow at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, DC, the deputy managing editor of The Jerusalem Post and a contributor to the Jewish World Review.
WASHINGTON (JTA)What is MBS? Why did Lebanons prime minister resign, and why in Saudi Arabia? Whats Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas doing in Saudi Arabia? Where is Jared Kushner in all this?

And what does it all mean for Israel?

Its been a busy week in the Middle East and, for a change, the two ground-shifting storiesthey may be the same story, but well get to thatdont directly involve Israel.

Mohammed bin Salman (the MBS contraction is so cool, its already uncool), the recently minted Saudi crown prince, has placed a stack of his rivals under luxuriant house arrest, and Saad Hariri, the prime minister of Lebanon, has resigned, saying the country was ungovernable as long as Iran interfered in its affairs.

But of course Israel is involved: When does something happen in the Middle East that does not eventually involve Israel?

What happened, Part 1

Mohammed, 32, was named crown prince by his father, King Salman, in June. That in itself was an upheaval, as succession had been an opaque, delicate process aimed at preserving balance among the welter of descendants of the kingdoms founder, Abdulaziz. Salmans declaration that his son would succeed him rattled the extended family.

Already the defense minister since 2015, Crown Prince Mohammed moved quickly to make clear he was in charge (his father is ailing). He placed his predecessor as crown prince under house arrest, talked repeatedly about modernizing the kingdom and made good on a promise when his father decreed that women may drive.

This weekend he rounded up another 11 princes and dozens of other high-ranking officials and placed them under house arrest, many in Riyadhs Ritz Carlton. Officially, father and son were cracking down on corruption.

What happened, Part 2

Guess who else was in Riyadh? Hariri, the Saudi-backed prime minister of Lebanon. Former prime minister, that is. He said he was quitting because Iran is controlling the country through its proxy, Hezbollah, and that he feared for his life.

Hezbollah controls a militia that dwarfs the Lebanese army in firepower, and effectively has had a veto on all things Lebanon for decades. And it is widely believed to be behind the 2005 killing of Hariris father, Rafik, who also was a prime minister.

So why quit now?

This may be the same story.

Crown Prince Mohammed has, since becoming defense minister in 2015, been behind an aggressive Saudi bid to reassert dominance in the region in the face of an increasingly assertive Iran. He is driving Saudi Arabias war with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Pulling Hariri out of Lebanon is a piece with a broader strategy of keeping Iran teetering.

As he guides Saudi Arabia into bolder confrontations with Iran in the region, the crown prince may feel he needs to consolidate his power at home.

MBS has taken a very assertive approach to Saudi foreign policy, said Tamara Cofman Wittes, a senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. Its happening simultaneously with his efforts to consolidate internal control.

So, Saudi Arabia confronting Irangood for Israel, right?

The Israeli government seems to think so. Ron Dermer, its ambassador to Washington, told the Israeli American Council on Monday that he was more optimistic now because I see a change in the region.

Dermer was not referring directly to the events of the weekend but to broader changes. Still, it was significant that he delivered what has now become a familiar message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Hariris resignation and the Riyadh crackdown.

The Arab governments are in a different place than they were five years ago, certainly 10 years or 15 years ago, because they see our interests as being aligned with theirs, Jewish Insider quoted Dermer as saying. Many things are happening underneath the surface, many remarkable things.

Israels Channel 10 news quoted an Israeli Foreign Ministry cable to diplomats that listed pro-Saudi talking points on Hariris resignation and on the kingdoms intervention in Yemen.

Jonathan Schanzer, the vice president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the Netanyahu government was seizing an obvious opportunity.

Hariris resignation is just one more indicator of a possible regional architecture that could be built between the Sunni states and Israel, he said. If MBS succeeds in creating a modern Saudi Arabia, one can imagine a Saudi Arabia somewhere down the line where Israel and Saudi Arabia could have open ties.

Schanzer cautioned, however, But we are in very early days.

Nimrod Novik, a former Israeli peace negotiator, said Saudi Arabias sudden summoning of Abbas was another positive sign signaling Crown Prince Mohammeds moderating tilt.

Novik, who is now the Israel Fellow of the Israel Policy Forum, said it was significant that the summons came a week or so after a quiet visit to Saudi Arabia by Kushner, President Donald Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser. The Trump administration wants Abbas to reassert control of the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas.

Saudi Arabia, working with other Sunni moderates in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, is pressing Abbas to take the necessary risks by offering him a bulletproof vest, as Novik put ita change from previous years when the Saudi tendency was to offer only qualified backing for Israeli-Palestinian peace moves.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in Riyadh, he said.

Lets not get carried away.

There are lots of risks for Israel in the recent upheaval.

Daniel Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador there who is now a fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, said Israel should be wary of being drawn into a war with Hezbollahone that would damage Hezbollah, a key goal of Crown Prince Mohammed, but one that would cost Saudi Arabia little and Israel plenty.

Israel and Saudi Arabia may be strategically aligned in seeking to contain Iran, Shapiro said, but they are not tactically aligned.

He said Hezbollah may take the bait, as it suffers from a blow to its ambitions to be a Lebanese unifier.

It may accelerate the confrontation Hezbollah already wants with Israel because [war with Israel] would be a unifying event for the Lebanese, Shapiro said.

And whatever Netanyahu says, a temporary tactical alliance does not mean long-term peace benefits, said two Persian Gulf scholars with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Simon Henderson and Lori Plotkin Boghardt.

Boghardt said the Saudis may be coordinating with Israel behind the scenes, but there are not yet incentives to make the relationship open. Henderson, joining her in a conference call for reporters, said there remained plenty of disincentives, preeminently popular opinion, noting the hostile reception for Israeli athletes at a judo competition in Abu Dhabi.

Thats an indication of the difficulty of selling a pro-Israeli policy to these people, Henderson said.

What about Jared?

Kushner said his visit to Saudi Arabia was simply to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace. Accompanying him to Riyadh was Jason Greenblatt, whose mission is brokering the peace. Greenblatt continued on to Israel and the Palestinian areas.

Iran prefers to see a conspiracy. Javad Zarif, its foreign minister, said on Twitter that Kushners visit led to Hariris bizarre resignation while abroad.

That was the buzz in Washington as well.

David Ignatius, the Washington Post columnist known for his deep sources in the U.S. intelligence community, wrote after the events in Riyadh that it was probably no accident that last month, Jared Kushner, Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law, made a personal visit to Riyadh. The two princes are said to have stayed up until nearly 4 a.m. several nights, swapping stories and planning strategy.

Trump may have boosted the conspiracy theories late Monday when he tweeted his support for Crown Prince Mohammeds crackdown.

I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing, he said on Twitter.

The Brookings Institutions Wittes said that if anything, MBS was taking cues not from Kushner or anyone else in the Trump administration, but instead is filling a vacuum created from what at times has seemed to be a rudderless U.S. foreign policy.

The U.S. government is not putting anything on the table, she said. In the absence of that, what youre seeing is Israel and Saudi Arabia trying to pull the United States into the region.
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A Hertfordshire mum has been banned from taking her baby daughter out of the country over fears the child will be subjected to female genital mutilation.

The woman, who is her 20s, converted to Islam after meeting her daughters father while working in an Egyptian hotel, Londons High Court heard.

The one-year-old girl was born in England but her mum planned to take her to Egypt regularly to visit her father and his family.

But her plans have been scuppered by Mrs Justice Russell who has banned her from taking the child out of the country until she turns 16.

The judge found that there was a real risk the little girl would suffer FGM if she was taken to Egypt.

The procedure is illegal in Britain and the father, as well as his family, had insisted they had no intention of subjecting the child to it.

In Egypt more than 90 per cent of women are subjected to FGM, but the little girls relatives were "largely dismissive" of it being a problem in the country.

The judge said the babys father viewed the procedure as part of "Egyptian culture and tradition" believing it should be legalised and carried out in hospitals.

He was "frankly disinterested" in whether his sisters had undergone FGM and was "surprised" the mother had not had it done herself.

His family disapproved of his relationship with the childs mother and he thought that every girl had undergone the procedure.

The case was brought to court by Hertfordshire County Council after a health visitor grew concerned about the little girl's welfare.

Mrs Justice Russell ordered that the child's passport be retained by the court to prevent her travelling to Egypt until 2032, when she will be 16.

Her mother was also banned from taking her daughter anywhere outside the UK "to prevent onward travel to Egypt".

The judge concluded: "It is not intended that the girl should not be able to see her father or members of the paternal family and the court would encourage the father and his family to visit her in England."
VALE  Pastor Ernie Richards, a Baptist preacher in western North Carolina, has avoided the splenetic, anti-gay rhetoric of some of the other religious leaders in his state.

Pastor Charles Worley, well . . . hasnt.

Among the more controversial ideas Worley has spouted from the pulpit: Imprisoning the nations gay men and lesbians behind a great big large fence . . . and have that fence electrified until they cant get out.

Worley once told his parishioners that he could never get his idea past Congress but that his genocidal logic is sound: In a few years, theyll die out. You know what, they cant reproduce.

So early Monday, when Richards learned that his church had been burned and someone had spray-painted anti-gay hate group on the sidewalk, he quickly assumed it was a case of mistaken church identity.

The word assume is a very bad word, but I just assumed that since that graffiti is on our sidewalk, and it says anti-gay hate group, that they were talking about the other church, he told The Washington Post. I dont get up in the pulpit and rage about stuff like that.

Richards preaches at Providence Baptist Church in Vale, North Carolina.

Worley preaches at Providence Road Baptist Church, in nearby Maiden, North Carolina.

Authorities told ABC affiliate WSOC that the fire is suspicious, but they havent said anything about a possible motive - or mistaken identity.

Richards received an urgent call at 2 a.m. after a firefighter, who is a member of his church, responded to the blaze.

The fire started near the boiler in the church basement, which is destroyed, Richards said.

Firefighters stopped the blaze from spreading too far beyond the basement, but the smoke poured upstairs, seeping into anything made of fabric and turning every light surface black. All of it, the pastor said, has to be fixed or replaced.

Outside, Richards said, investigators found a ski mask.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and police have not announced any arrests or suspects to Richards or the public.

And recent cases of misdirection - where suspected hate crimes were eventually found to be perpetrated by people from the victimized communities - have given church leaders and investigators a reason to keep an open mind about possible motives and suspects.

Anyone can use spray paint, Richards said. And anyone can set fire to a boiler.

There are a lot of North Carolina churches - and streets and subdivisions - with Providence in their names.

The word means divine guidance or care and speaks of Gods power sustaining and guiding human destiny, according to Merriam-Websters.

Providence Baptist Church is on Providence Church Road.

Providence Road Baptist Church is on Providence Mill Road.

Not surprisingly, people have confused the two Catawba County churches before.

Every now and then, when Worley says something particularly provocative, or something about him is published, Richards gets nasty phone calls.

His reply, he said, is simple: Wrong guy, wrong church.

I dont do that, he said of anti-gay sermons. Im a more positive person. Theres all kinds of sins. And Im not opposed to any one of them more than the others.

Weve got people that come to our church that have an alternative lifestyle, just like weve got folks that come here thats living together without being married. The people here dont scream and bellow and spit. We just have a good Bible study.

Worley did not respond to messages left at his home and church.

A woman who answered his home number hung up upon hearing that the call was from a Post reporter.

Setting fire to houses of worship, especially in the South, is reminiscent of painful discriminatory moments in U.S. history.

The 16th Street Baptist Church fire, which killed four girls and injured many others in 1963, drew national attention to the civil rights movement. The Birmingham, Alabama, church had been a meeting place for civil rights leaders.

Some intentionally set church fires in recent months have been identified as hate crimes; but others have been outed as cases of misdirection.

When a black church in Greenville, Miss., was set on fire last year - and the words Vote Trump were spray-painted outside - the suspected hate crime made national headlines. But authorities later charged an African American parishioner with intentionally setting the fire in the weeks before the 2016 presidential election.

We do not believe it was politically motivated, Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney told the Associated Press. There may have been some efforts to make it appear politically motivated.

In Houston, authorities said the person who set fire to a mosque on Christmas Day was a Muslim who prayed there several times a day.

After Mondays early-morning fire in North Carolina, Richards said his church will temporarily hold services in a fellowship hall undamaged by the flames. Repairs will start shortly; the church is also installing security cameras outside.

Richards said he is already mulling themes for Sundays sermon  the first scheduled service after the fire.

Hell thank God that none of the firefighters were hurt trying to save the church, he said.

And hell pray for whoever set the fire.

He hopes whoever is responsible for the conflagration and the graffiti hears the prayer in person.

I wish the people would come in and see what kind of church we actually are, he said.
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The literary scene was quite different when Bookaroo  Indias first childrens literature festival  began its humble journey. This year, it turns 10 and over 60 award-winning writers, illustrators, poets and storytellers, from 18 countries will entertain young audiences at the festival in Delhi.

The literary event is scheduled to take place on November 25 and 26 at Childrens Park near India Gate.

It has been an incredible journey from the seed of an idea born in a bookshop to the celebration of our 10th birthday  an event that is celebrated by the entire city, M. Venkatesh, Co-founder Bookaroo Trust and Festival Director said.

Young readers will have an opportunity to step into the Indian Jungle with Vivek Menon, a renowned wildlife conservationist, and discover amazing facts about the animal world with author Ranjit Lal.

Bookaroo Childrens Literature Festival, organised by Delhi-based Bookaroo Trust, is Indias first literature festival of its kind. The nine-city festival began in November 2008 as a solo event in the capital. The New Delhi edition is annually held during the last weekend of November.

The success of Bookaroo lies not only in bringing children and books together but by providing a platform for everyone involved in the world of childrens books, said Jo Williams, Co-founder Bookaroo Trust and a Festival Director.

The organisers also said that entry to the festival is free and open to all. Though some school groups come to attend the festival, the major emphasis is on families. The festival aims to take reading from being a school chore to being an enjoyable family activity.

Alongside the weekend festival, Bookaroo also has an outreach programme, Bookaroo in the City (BIC), with visits to schools, hospitals, orphanages, homes and schools for children with special needs. The idea is to take a flavour of the festival to those who may not be able to make it to the main festival.

Young readers will have an opportunity to step into the Indian Jungle with Vivek Menon, a renowned wildlife conservationist, who will share his experiences of the jungle and wildlife with children. One can also discover amazing facts about the animal world with Ranjit Lal, the author of over 30 books  fiction and nonfiction  for children and adults. Among other noted names participating in the lit fest are Avanti Deosthale, Anita Nair, Anushka Ravishankar and Christian Duda.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
For anyone interested in history, the natural starting point of the learning curve would be books. But for some people, that process alone doesnt do it. Meet the numismatics experts, people who believe in the evidence of objects and in particular currency as a way of tracing history. Coin collectors, as they are known in laymens terms, are usually seen as hobbyists, even fanatics. They collect all sorts of objects from stamps to coins, jewellery, diaries, even tokens sold in canteens. But there is an entire world operating on history, heritage and intrigue.

AIFACS is hosting a three-day exhibition displaying Indian coins and currency dating back to more than 2,500 years. Close to 50 stalls and 25 collections will offer a mixed bag of coins, paper currency, stamps, paintings and other objects that are not just artifacts but historical rarities.

Left: Gold mohur from Mughal emperor Akbars reign; Right: Delhi Sultanate, gold dinar issued in the name of Mohammad bin Tughlaq. (Mohd Zakir/HT PHOTO.)

Delhi-based collector and dealer Mukesh Verma, who helped set up the Royal Numismatic Society as late as December last year, is participating in the exhibition. There are probably 50 other societies in India with smaller, regional chapters. Ours is perhaps the only pan-India society today, he says. Eight years ago, Verma gave up his diamonds business to enter the world of heritage collection. Calling it stamps and coins dumbs it down. People think we are fanatics or madmen. This is the business of heritage. We save and savour heritage, he says.

Verma, who both collects and sells, says that every collector has either a specialised area or a niche interest. Someone might only be interested in Mughal currency. Someone else may look at the Gupta period. I have always focused on British India currencies. I have everything from metallic coins to paper money, issued between 1835 and 1947, he says.

Banaras Hindu University (BHU), which also has one of the oldest numismatic societies currently active (est 1910), offers a course in numismatics, but usually the field falls under the broad spectrum of history. However, hardly any of the people actively involved in collecting and trading old currency or stamps have come to it through academia.

Bangalore based 51-year-old Rajender Maru, who runs his own auction house Marudhar Arts, specialises in the currency of ancient India until the Mughal era. His collection amounts to around 10,000 items and that is in coins alone.

Left: Bengal Sultanate, coin issued in the period of Jalal-ud-din Mohammad Shah; Right: Gold coin from Samudraguptas reign, issued around 335 AD. (Mohd Zakir/HT PHOTO.)

My grandfather who also served in the Second World War started collecting after he retired from service. Ever since the age of 12 I was surrounded by these things. But it really grew on me with age. I now know more about Indian history through my collection than I gather from books, he says.

There is reason why Maru thinks the way he does. Currency has always been a sound identifier of region, reign and prosperity, among other things. And at times it is not just evidence, it is history itself.

Maru says coins from the Mughal and Gupta period are the most sought after in India. To the extent that at a recent auction held by the auction site Todywalla auctions, a Mughal coin went under the hammer for 1 crore 50 lakh rupees. That said, there are all sorts of reasons for which a certain object can rise so drastically in value. I probably have the only currency note that was signed by Mahatma Gandhi at this ashram in Sabarmati. I have travelled to auctions within India and abroad but I am yet to come across a note bearing his signature in ink, Maru says.

Then there are notes from 1978, the last time Indian currency was demonetised, that sell for thousands in the collectors market. Sher Shah Suri once stamped a coin on a leather belt to commemorate the one-day reign of a common man he himself chose. That is just one coin. You will find at least seven or eight people in India who claim to have it. But it is impossible to tell, Verma says.

Left: A five- rupee currency note used during the British rule; Right: A twenty- rupee note that was in currency in Goa when it was a Portuguese colony; Below: Currency notes like this one, printed in India, were used in Pakistan soon after Partition.

From discovery to collecting and pricing, almost everything in the world of numismatics works to the market-decides format. But that doesnt mean that it is easy or can be operated without know-how. Verma has the entire literature of years between 1835 and 1947, and says he reads when he is not doing anything else. There are of course other motivations too. Dealing in old currency and other collectibles is highly lucrative.

There are, according to Verma, at least five lakh people in the business of collecting and selling old currency within India. Some people have collections that are worth 600-700 crores. They may have a coin or a note or a stamp that is extremely rare, but they wont take it out today. They will wait until years go by, the object becomes rarer and the price goes up. It is like any other business at the end of the day, he says.

Why do they hold regular exhibitions and spread the word on something they would want to keep limited? We want people to understand the importance of these things. Sometimes you throw them away or give them to the kabaadi. But they are of huge historical importance. You might not know why. So the more people understand that, the better this field will grow.

WHAT: Paintings, coins, currency and stamps fair 2017

WHEN: 10:30 am - 6:30 pm, till November 23

WHERE: All India Fine Arts & Craft Society, 1 Rafi Marg

Nearest Metro Station: Central Secretariat
A futuristic Chinese library has wowed book lovers around the world with its white, undulating shelves rising from floor to ceiling, but if you read between the lines youll find something is missing. Those rows upon rows of book spines are mostly images printed on the aluminium plates that make up the backs of shelves.

Pictures of the sleek Tianjin Binhai Library have gone viral on Chinese social media and abroad since its opening last month, with headlines trumpeting it as the worlds best library and a book lovers dream. On weekends, an average of 15,000 visitors flock to the six-storey space in the eastern port city of Tianjin.

Designed by Dutch architectural firm MVRDV, the building looks like an eye when viewed from the still unfinished park outside, with a spherical auditorium as the iris at its centre. (Courtesy: MVRDV)

Designed by Dutch architectural firm MVRDV, the building looks like an eye when viewed from the still unfinished park outside, with a spherical auditorium as the iris at its centre. The library contains 2,00,000 books and it has grand ambitions to grow its collection to 1.2 million. But readers expecting to pluck tomes from most of the terraced shelves are in for a surprise. Most books are in other rooms with more classic library bookshelves.

Theres quite a big difference between the photos and reality, said Jiang Xue, a 21-year-old medical student left perusing one of the more robustly stocked sections: propaganda about the ruling Communist Partys recent congress.

The library contains 2,00,000 books and it has grand ambitions to grow its collection to 1.2 million. (Courtesy: MVRDV)

Give it a soul

An essential part of the original concept was for the upper bookshelves to be accessible via rooms placed behind the atrium, MVRDV told AFP, but a fast-tracked construction schedule forced them to drop the idea. The decision was made locally and against the MVRDVs wishes, its spokeswoman Zhou Shuting said.

But Liu Xiufeng, the librarys deputy director, blamed the design for putting them in a bind. Liu said the plan finally approved by authorities stated that the atrium would be used for circulation, sitting, reading, and discussion, but omitted a request to store books on shelves. We can only use the hall for the purposes for which it has been approved, so we cannot use it as a place to put books, Liu laughed, adding that they would likely soon have to remove all those temporarily on display.

Theres another quirk: The irregular white stairs have proven hazardous for selfie-snappers with eyes glued down to their phones or up at the stylish ceiling. People trip a lot. Last week, an old lady slipped and hit her head hard. There was blood, said one guard, who yells warnings at visitors.

Most books are in other rooms with more classic library bookshelves. (Courtesy: MVRDV)

China is notorious for building astronomically expensive cultural facilities that open to great fanfare, only to end up standing empty without concerts or programming to fill them. It is also no stranger to controversy over book faking. Last month, Beijings Liyuan Library, a non-profit space internationally recognised for its beautiful wooden reading spaces and design, suspended operations after its books were found to contain pirated and explicit content.

But the Binhai librarys viral image has boosted readership, with checkouts quadrupling since the opening. The childrens rooms downstairs bustled with families flipping through illustrated stories. The architecture they completed is like a newborn infant delivered into our hands. Now its up to us to give it a soul, said Liu.

I dont touch real books

Building membership, however, may prove a challenge for Liu in a country where readers increasingly flip through novels on smartphone apps. The popularity of reading apps has led to a boom in online publishing.

Shares in China Literature  the countrys biggest player in the business, comparable to Amazons Kindle Store  shot up more than 60% on their debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange last week, after raising $1.1 billion in an IPO. Yuan Jiwen, an e-commerce major fond of online novels set in the Three Kingdoms period, held an unread paperback like a prop as he people-watched in the atrium. I dont usually touch real books, he said. But it feels appropriate to be holding one here.

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The village of Lake Hallie and its police department want to be dismissed as defendants in a lawsuit brought by the estate of a woman shot to death at the Walmart in Lake Hallie in 2016.

Melissa M. Abbott, 25, originally from Black River Falls, was killed by Officer Adam Meyers on Monday, April 8, 2016. The Chippewa County District Attorneys office declined to prosecute Meyers, saying Meyers was acting in self-defense.

Abbotts estate is suing the village, Meyers, officials from the Northern Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled and Walmart. Chippewa County Judge James Isaacson will hold a hearing for motions in the lawsuit at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19.

The lawsuit says Melissa Abbotts injuries and death were proximately caused by the negligence of the Lake Hallie Police Department and/or its agents and employees, including and not limited to defendant Adam Meyers.

In a motion filed Wednesday, the village argues the police department should not be sued because the village of Lake Hallie Police Department is a municipal agency. (The lawsuit) must be dismissed entirely from this action as a matter of law.

The motion by the village goes on: The village must be dismissed as a matter of law because it cannot be held vicariously liable for acts of its employees. The motion said the complaint by the Abbott estate does not allege the village itself engaged in any wrongful or illegal acts.

The village and police department should also be let out of the lawsuit because Abbott wasnt being detained by police when she was killed. Here, Abbott was a free citizennot a pretrial detainee at the time of the seizure (when she was shot), the motion said.

The village is also arguing the estates complaint doesnt have sufficient facts to back up a claim of excessive force or negligence. In fact, the complaint does not even specify what conduct serves as a basis for (the) plaintiffs negligence claims, the motion says.

Walmart in a June 19 court filing also argued that it be dismissed from the lawsuit. Walmart had no duty or ability to control the actions of a third party on its premises and did not and could not have caused Abbotts injuries, Walmart said.

The Northern Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled and its director, Jacqueline Neurohr, on May 19 filed a motion to be dismissed from the suit.

Police were called to Walmart when two Northern Center chaperones said a woman they had taken shopping became disorderly. Lake Hallie Police Chief Cal Smokowicz said last year that Abbott, a center resident, armed herself with a hatchet in the sporting goods department at the store and struck items with it. He said Abbott refused to follow several verbal commands given by Meyers to drop the hatchet.

Abbott was shot in the leg and in the right upper abdomen.

The suit seeks unspecified damages, punitive damages, reasonable attorneys fees and interest. It also seeks that the village, the village police department and the Northern Center provide necessary training, personnel, and resources to adequately protect the constitutional rights of citizens and patients of the Northern Wisconsin Center.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced on Friday its first list of 70 candidates for assembly elections in Gujarat, retaining most of its state heavyweights and accommodating rebels from the rival Congress.

The list belied speculation that the BJP would drop most of its sitting members of the assembly. It re-nominated 49 lawmakers, including chief minister Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitinbhai Patel as well as many from the Patidar community.

The re-nomination of sitting Patidar legislators signalled the BJP was unwilling to change tack on the politically influential group that has lately sought to coalesce against the party under the leadership of Hardik Patel.

The list also figures five Congress rebels who sided with the BJP in this years presidential election as well as the Rajya Sabha polls that saw Congress leader Ahmed Patel winning narrowly. It has 16 fresh faces and just four women.

While caste balances have been considered, above all, because of merits and performance of the MLAs and ministers, they have been continued, deputy chief minister Patel said.

Voting to elect 182 members to the assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The results are expected on December 18. The list includes candidates for both the phases.

The contest in Gujarat, Modis home state where the BJP has been in power for 22 years, will be keenly watched for signs of voter reaction to some of his radical economic policies that the opposition Congress party is trying to leverage to regain political ground.

Also, angry protests by Patidars  traditionally its supporters  demanding quotas in education and government jobs is a headache for the BJP, although most experts see the party retaining power in its citadel.

For the BJP, which has said it will win no less than 150 seats, its a prestige battle. The party has been extending its reach across the country, emboldened by a string of state election victories and consistently high public approval for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But with the economy still reeling from last years cash clampdown and the bumpy implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, the party appears to have lost, for the first time since its resounding national victory in 2014, some of its unbridled confidence.

For the Congress, the stakes have never been higher, given that a good showing in BJPs bastion could help the party recover nationally from a raft of bruising election defeats. Over the past few months, its vice-president Rahul Gandhi has displayed a new confidence in his public speeches as well as social media campaigns that have triggered some unease in the BJP.

The elections are also a test of Gandhis ability to stitch political alliance in the state which is seeing the emergence of several young leaders, especially along caste lines, who oppose the BJP and whose support could be a swing factor.

The Congress has reached out to the most popular among them, Hardik Patel, as well as Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani. The party has already enlisted the support of Alpesh Thakor, who leads a section of the Other Backwards Classes (OBC) who are opposed to the Patidars demand for quota.

The BJP has responded with several incentives for voters in the state, including loans without interest for farmers, jobs for sanitation workers and big ticket infrastructure projects.

Of the 70 names, 17 are Patels, 18 OBCs, three Scheduled Castes and 11 Scheduled Tribals, party sources told news agency PTI. A majority of OBC candidates are Thakors followed by Kolis, the sources added.

(With agencies)
Teething problems with Indias new unified national tax system might have left some industries dissatisfied but the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is likely to be a boost for the pharmaceutical industry in Gujarat that goes to the polls in December.

Industry leaders say the GST, which subsumed a string of local and state levies and was launched with much fanfare on July 1, will help Gujarat compete better with states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand that announced tax sops in the past decade. With Goods and Service Tax (GST) in place, a level playing field has been created among all states. As a result, life has become much easier for pharma manufacturers. Our new investment plans will be in Gujarat, said Pankaj Patel, chairman of Cadila Healthcare, Indias second-most valuable pharmaceutical company in terms of market capitalisation.

Speaking over the phone, Patel confirmed that the companys future investments plans for setting up new factories have been lined up for Gujarat over other states.

The Ahmedabad-based company that has 11 manufacturing facilities, including an overseas factory in Brazil  the maximum being in Gujarat  has in the past set up factories in places such as Baddi in Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

Gujarats pharma industry, which accounts for almost a third of the countrys annual production according to state government figures, is a critical piece in the Bharatiya Janata Partys development narrative to win the western state for the sixth straight time. The Rs 65,000 crore industry flourished during the partys 22-year rule, industrialists say, and employs, directly and indirectly, more than a million people, according to government data. The buoyant pharmaceutical industry in the state is also an important success story of the GST, which the opposition Congress has repeatedly targeted  party vice-president Rahul Gandhi calls the reform Gabbar Singh Tax and alleges it looted the common man  for causing a loss of jobs and hardships.

The present (BJP) state government has given a lot of emphasis on infrastructure in the last 12 to 15 years, the state government has ensured that round-the-clock electricity is supplied to industries, said Viranchi Shah, chairman of Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA), Gujarat.

The state has the highest number of ports in the country and good rail, air and road connectivity, along with skilled manpower and state government support that were crucial for the pharma industry, he added.

Unlike other states, labour issues are not very severe here and also, there is a lot of skilled manpower due to a large number of educational institutes here, said Shah of IDMA.

But in the past decade, the pharma industry in the state saw a downturn as several firms shifted to other states that offered tax benefits for 10 years, starting from the time of commencement of the said facility.

During this time, Gujarats share in pharmaceutical production fell to 25% from 40%. There were 4,000 licensed pharma companies in Gujarat but this number came down to 3,000 about 10 years ago when a tax holiday was declared in hilly states. Today, with GST in place and tax holiday in hilly states ending soon, a lot of fresh investments from pharma companies are coming in Gujarat, said H G Koshia, commissioner, Food and Drug Control Authority, Gujarat.

The number of applications for setting up new pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing facilities in Gujarat had tripled after GST was implemented, he added.

Brand Gujarat has been in high demand all over India, specially for the pharma sector, given the fact that Gujarat produces the highest quality of pharma products in the country with lowest failure ratio among all states. Also, 40% of the machinery used for pharmaceutical is made in Gujarat and the state is also a chemical hub. All these make Gujarat the most attractive destination for pharma companies, added Koshia.

Another factor that helped Gujarat was the lack of skilled manpower and snags in electricity supply in the hill states.

Koshia said with the tax breaks in the hill states ending in the next couple of years, Gujarat was at an advantage because of its superior infrastructure.

After GST rollout, while there is some incentive still in store for the units in tax havens, the difference in cost of production between Gujarat and the hilly states has narrowed down a lot, he added.
The Congress appears to be caught in a bind over the distribution of seats to Hardik Patels Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and other smaller parties for Gujarat elections.

The opposition party had on November 10 finalised the names of 70 candidates for both the phases of polling but kept the list on hold till Congress chief Sonia Gandhis return from Goa.

On Friday, Gandhi will chair the second meeting of the central election committee (CEC), a party panel that clears the names of contestants, on Gujarat polls.

Though the Congress could release its first list of candidates on Friday, there is also a possibility that the party might wait for the BJP to come out with its names.

The meeting will also decide how many seats Congress will allocate to PAAS, Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani and Sharad Yadavs Janata Dal (United).

JD(U) leader Chhotubhai Vasava, whose crucial vote ensured senior Congress leader Ahmed Patels victory in the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat in August this year, is demanding 25 seats.

Though Other Backward Classes (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakor has formally joined the Congress, he,too, is seeking tickets for his close associates.

Once Hardik Patel forwards his list of candidates by Friday, the Congress will field them as its nominees and allot them the party symbol. November 21 is the last date for filing nominations for the first phase of polling.

Congress sources also claimed that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had sent feelers for a renewal of alliance in Gujarat but the leadership was yet to take a call on it.

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The BJPs first list of candidates for next months Gujarat polls is devoid of any surprises, indicating the partys confidence on the same of set of leaders many of whom faced public ire during the violent Patidar agitation two years ago.

Chief minister Vijay Rupani leads the list of 70 candidates, of which 49 are sitting legislators, contrary to speculation that the party would drop a significant proportion of them to beat possible anti-incumbency 22 years into its rule in the state.

The list announced on Friday also includes 15 new faces, 16 Patidar leaders, four women and five former Congress legislators, who switched sides during the Rajya Sabha elections in August.

Voting for the states 182 seats will be held on December 9 and 14.

Rupani, also the partys chief ministerial face, and deputy chief minister Niten Patel will contest in their strongholds, Rajkot West and Mehsana respectively. Rupani could face the Congresss Saurashtra strongman Indranil Rajyaguru, who has been nurturing the Rajkot West seat for over a year.

But the spotlight will be mainly on Patel who was under severe pressure during the height of the Patidar quota agitation led by Hardik Patel.

Patel once faced angry Patidar women beating steel plates with rolling pins and was forced to leave several venues at Mehsana, the epicentre of the agitation.

To his credit, he managed to convince several influential Patidar leaders to sit down and discuss their demands; all the demands, except the OBC quota for Patidars were met.

Similarly, Varachcha sitting MLA Kumar Kanani, who too faced angry protests by Patidars, figures in the list. Since 2015, when the agitation began, the BJP has not been able to hold a single rally in this constituency.

Besides ministers, the BJP has also senior retained MLAs such as Mahendra Mashru and Padubha Manek, who have never been allotted ministerial berths despite winning for a couple of terms.

Five Congress rebels in list

As many as five rebel Congress leaders figure in the BJPs first list of 70 candidates released on Friday.

Raghavji Patel (Jamnagar Rural), Dharmendra Jadeja (Jamnagar North), CK Raul (Godhra), Ramsinh Parmar (Thasra) and Mansinh Chauhan (Balasinor) were among the 12 Congress legislators who defected to the BJP ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha elections. Some of these legislators supported the NDA in the presidential polls as well.

However, Bholabhai Gohel, a former Congress legislator who won the 2012 assembly elections from Jasdan, failed to make it to the BJPs first list. The ruling party fielded its own nominee Bharatbhai Boghra instead.

The rebellion in Congress was triggered by veteran leader Shankersinh Vaghela who wanted the opposition party to name him the chief ministerial candidate or the state president ahead of the assembly elections.

However, Vaghela and his son Mahendrasinh Vaghela did not join the BJP and later formed a new political front, Jan Vikalp (Peoples Alternative), to counter both the ruling party and the Congress.

As a result of the desertions, the contest for one of the three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat turned bitter and Congress president Sonia Gandhis political secretary Ahmed Patels snatched victory in a nail-biting finish to get re-elected to the Upper House for the fifth time.

The fate of the other six Congress rebels hangs in the balance and it remains to be how many of them will be accommodated by the BJP in the subsequent lists.

By fielding outsiders or Congress rebels, the BJP runs the risk of antagonising its leaders who were eyeing the seats and could play spoilsport.

For its part, the Congress is also expected to re-nominate the 43 legislators who voted for Ahmed Patel as a reward for their loyalty.

In the evening, the Congress held its second meeting of the central election committee to discuss the names of its candidates for 112 seats. The party has already finalised its nominees for 70 other seats but not released the list.
India and Russia have discussed ways to boost bilateral trade and investments to strengthen economic ties, the commerce ministry said on Friday.

Commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu met Russias Minister for Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin in Moscow on Thursday and discussed the current level of trade between the countries and ways for its enhancement.

They also discussed opportunities that the fast growing economy of India provides for doing business, particularly in the field of manufacturing, the ministry said in a statement.

Prabhu is on a visit to Russia from November 15-17, to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting of the ministers of member states responsible for foreign economy and trade.

This is the first ministerial conference on trade organised by the organisation after India became a full member in June.

Prabhu also met the Member of Board (Minister) for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EaEC), Veronika Nikishina and discussed early start of negotiations of the proposed free trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Commission.

Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are EaEC members.

A joint feasibility report on the proposed agreement was completed last year. It concluded that the proposed pact is feasible and mutually beneficial with substantial potential welfare gains and augmentation of trade in goods.

Further, it said Prabhu participated in a round table interaction with 30 of Russias leading business leaders from sectors including steel, engineering, railways, financial services and nuclear energy.

The minister told the gathering about the new initiatives of the Government of India, particularly with regard to ease of doing business, priority areas like financing in the nuclear energy sector, natural gas and railways, the statement added.
A federal jury in Dallas on Thursday ordered Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics unit to pay $247 million to six patients who said they were injured by defective Pinnacle hip implants.

Delivering a third straight win to patients, the jury found that the metal-on-metal hip implants were defectively designed and that the companies failed to warn consumers about the risks.

Six New York residents implanted with the devices said they experienced tissue death, bone erosion and other injuries they blamed on design flaws.

J&J, which faces more than 9,700 Pinnacle lawsuits in state and federal courts across the United States, said in a statement it would immediately begin the appeal process.

A DePuy spokeswoman said the company was still committed to the long-term defense of the allegations in these lawsuits, adding that the metal-on-metal hip implants were backed by a strong record of clinical data showing they were effective.

Plaintiffs claimed the companies falsely promoted the device, most commonly used to treat joint failure caused by osteoarthritis, by saying it lasted longer than similar implants that include ceramic or plastic materials.

We thank this jury for sending a very strong message about the responsibility the defendants have to take care of their consumers, Mark Lanier, who represented the New York patients, said in a statement.

Thursdays verdict came in the fourth test trial over the devices in Dallas federal court, where some 9,000 of the cases are pending. Test cases have been selected for trial, and their outcomes will help gauge the value of the remaining claims and inform potential settlement talks.

J&J won the first Pinnacle test trial in 2014, but subsequent juries determined the companies to be liable.

This nine-week trial was a disservice to everyone involved because the verdict will do nothing to advance the ultimate resolution of this six-year old litigation, attorney John Beisner, who represented the companies, said in a statement. He said the firms would seek further appellate guidance.

A jury in March 2016 awarded five Texas plaintiffs $500 million in damages. That award was later cut to $150 million.

J&J and DePuy were also found liable at a trial in March, during which a jury awarded six California patients $1 billion - a verdict that was later reduced to $543 million.

DePuy ceased selling the metal-on-metal Pinnacle devices in 2013 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration strengthened its artificial hip regulations.
The Indian Express carried a report in the context of the Paradise Papers about Go4i.com (Bermuda), promoted by a subsidiary of The Hindustan Times Ltd, the holding company of HT Media Ltd. The report misrepresented the facts about the nature of the Bermuda company and its transactions. In order to set the record straight and present an accurate account, The Hindustan Times Ltd sent across a detailed note to the Indian Express on 13. 11.2017. Since the Indian Express has chosen to neither acknowledge nor publish the note, hindustantimes.com is carrying the entire text of that note below:

Subject:Incorrect contents in Article published by The Indian express titled Paradise Papers: Hindustan Times Group set up firm in Bermuda, Showed Rs. 7 cr loss on 07.11.2017

Dear Sirs,

1.We wish to point out certain serious misrepresentations, grave inaccuracies and falsehoods that have been published in the Article dated 07.11.2017 titled Paradise Papers: Hindustan Times Group set up firm in Bermuda, Showed Rs. 7 cr loss (the said Article) in all print and web editions of The Indian Express as set out below.

2.Incorporating a company overseas, including in Bermuda, is perfectly legitimate and permissible in Indian law and as per the regulatory regime, so long as necessary regulatory approvals, clearances are taken and the operation of such company is duly disclosed to the Indian Authorities, which were duly complied with in our case with all requisite permissions from RBI having been obtained. This company was set up in partnership with an American Private Equity fund to pursue internet related opportunities. Most media companies at the time were pursuing such opportunities. The structure was common for companies partnering with Private Equity funds investing out of America. Your said Article in a most misleading manner insinuates otherwise and projects a sinister scenario when there exists none and tarnishes the unblemished image of our Company, a result of hard work and careful adherence and compliance of laws for nearly 100 years.

3.The said Article specifically points a finger at our Chairperson, Ms. Shobhana Bhartia and alludes to her involvement with setting up of Go4i.com (Bermuda) Ltd. Such perception, which the said Article has portrayed and fortified, is totally erroneous and unwarranted.

4.We wish to specifically point out that:

a)HT Ltd. did not, as a matter of fact, have any direct shareholding in Go4i.com (Bermuda) Ltd., since Go4i.com (Bermuda) Ltd. was a step down subsidiary of HT Ltd. and your statements to the contrary are incorrect;

b)You have falsely insinuated that one of our subsidiary HT Media Ltd., has some connection with Go4i.com (Bermuda) Ltd. when HT Media Ltd. has nothing whatsoever to do with the incorporation or business/operation of Go4i.com (Bermuda) Ltd.;

c)You say that HTBC Ltd. has its registered office situate in Mumbai, which is completely wrong as it is a company incorporated in Bermuda and cannot have its registered office in Mumbai;

d)The Article falsely points to some non-disclosure on the part of HT Ltd. w.r.t. the business and revenue of Go4i.com(Bermuda)Ltd. when all required details of Go4i.com(Bermuda)Ltd. are disclosed in its Annual Reports.

e)Contrary to what the said Article insinuates, Go4i.com (Bermuda) Ltd. was wound up and once a company comes under the purview of an Official Liquidator, the Directors of the company lose control over the management and affairs of the company, including the drawing of accounts, which are thereafter within the domain of the Official Liquidator. Once the company is wound up there is no requirement of filing of annual returns;

f)Correct information in relation to the subject of the said Article was readily available in the public domain, inter-alia in the very material you claim to have based your article on, apart from records of the Registrar of Companies, including in the response our Company sent to you.

5.The said article should, therefore, be 

a.permanently removed from your website  www.indianexpress.com and all hyperlinks and references to the article from your website and from any caches should be deleted; and

b.you should also tender your unconditional apology regretting the publication of the incorrect and false material.

6.Considering that your newspaper claims to be an evangelist for truth and accuracy, we expect a positive response from you. Needless to add that this letter is issued without prejudice to rights and remedies (civil and/or criminal) available to us under applicable laws.
About 7,000 trees will be axed to widen the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh stretch of the national highway 9 in Uttarakhand under a project that aims to connect four Hindu shines with all-weather roads, a senior engineer said.

The Rs 12,000-crore road project, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, will connect the char dhams -- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Pilgrims also take the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh highway to go to Kailash Mansarovar.

More than 33,000 trees will be chopped in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand to execute the project. The Tanakpur-Pithoragarh highway stretch  around 150 kms -- passes through the Kumaon region.

About 7,000 trees will be uprooted in Kumaon for the road project on 100 hectares, including 11 hectares of civil land, said LD Mathela, executive engineer of NH 125 Lohaghat division, who is in charge of road construction.

The Tanakpur-Pithoragarh section of the old NH 125 has been merged with NH 9.

Mathela said the road, after its widening, would bear the load of defence vehicles carrying armaments and equipment to India-China border posts, about 200km from the Pithoragarh town.

Unlike in the Garhwal region, no over-bridges and tunnels will be constructed in Kumaon. Besides the non-rocky hills on the entire portion of the road between Tanakpur and Pithoragarh, the cost factor has not permitted us to construct tunnels; the 150-km portion of the road will be without over-bridges and tunnels, Mathela said.

We have assigned the project to four companies after examining their experience in construction of all-weather roads.

The 12-metre-wide road will be constructed by 2019, said sources at NH 125 office at Lohaghat in Champawat district. According to the design submitted by the construction companies, sliding portions of the road will be protected to making it weather-resistant, Mathela said.
In what might lead to a tectonic shift in Uttarakhands development paradigm Niti Ayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar has asked the state government to shift its focus on strengthening the core service sectors like horticulture, farm and tourism.

The planning body would also help resolve the fund crunch facing the key sectors owing to the changed funding pattern, Kumar assured during his interaction with officials here recently.

Finance secretary Amit Negi admitted that the Niti Ayog suggested that the state government needs to focus more on the service sector.

They asked us to strengthen the service sector including tourism, horticulture and farm, so the development gets a further boost without causing damage to the fragile hills, he said.

We will now reframe our policies for those sectors (tourism, horticulture and agriculture etc) so that they get a boost.

During the interaction, officials also brought to Kumars notice the severe fund crunch the state has been facing in the infrastructure, education and other sectors.

Those sectors are dogged by the severe shortage of funds following a change in the funding pattern after Niti Ayog replaced the planning commission, said a top source.

According to him, Kumar assured that he would help resolve the financial crunch facing the state government owing to the changed funding pattern. He (Kumar) assured that he would take up the issue with the BJP-led government at the Centre, the source said.

The manufacturing sector is dogged by a severe fund crunch despite an increase in the states share in the central taxes from 32% to 42%.

The Centre increased the share by 10% as per the 14th finance commission recommendations.

But this increase in funds failed to boost the manufacturing sector because the Centre stopped block grants that we used to get under three heads, a source in the planning department said referring to the Normal Central Assistance, Special Central Assistance and Special Plan Assistance.

Incidentally, the previous Congress regime too repeatedly took up the issue of fund crunch with the BJP-led Centre. In fact, the then ruling party had even made the shortage of funds one of its main poll planks in the assembly polls.

But the problem persists despite the BJP ruling both in the state and at the Centre. Officials also took up with Kumar the issue of 34% of the hydropower projects planned for the state pending for the past several years.

These projects, which are a major source of revenue for us are in limbo owing to orders by the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court, the source said adding the apex court had already directed the Centre to resolve the issue of the pending hydropower projects.

During our interaction with Kumar we urged him to remind the Centre about the order in question, he clarified. Its (Centre) intervention was also sought on the issue of the Centres order notifying the Bhagirathi valley as an Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ), which has hampered development in that region.

Officials said Kumar had assured that some relaxations might be granted on the ESZ issue on the pattern of the Western Ghats.

When contacted, additional secretary, planning Ranjit Kumar Sinha said the long pending issues pertaining to forest clearances were brought to the notice of the Niti Ayog chairman.

Citing an example, he clarified that it was incumbent for the state government to deposit the Net Present Value of the forestland obtained for various projects.

Besides, in lieu of that (forestland) we also have to part with double the land, elsewhere, he said. We, therefore, urged the Niti Ayog to relax the related rules.

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Yoga guru Ramdev-led Patanjali group has inked a MoU with the Telangana government to set up a food processing unit in the state that was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

K Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, visited Patanjali headquarters in Haridwar earlier this week with a battery of officials to sign the MoU.

Earlier, Patanjali inked similar MoU with the Uttarakhand and Haryana governments.

Telangana officials gave presentation about availability of fruits and other raw stuff require for running the unit in the state during an hour long meeting with Ramdev and Patanjalis managing director Balkrishna.

MOU signed to establish a food processing park by the Pathanjali group in Nizamabad. This unit will be of great value addition to the farmers & will aid in rural job creation (sic), @RaoKavitha, MP from Nizamabad, wrote on her Twitter handle.

Over the years, Patanjali with a turnover of 10,000 crore has spread its footprints across India from Assam in northeast to Telangana in south.

The MP (Kavitha) expressed her expectation from Patanjali to make fruits and vegetable of the Telangana region sustainable, Balkrishna said.

Under the MoU, Patanjali will cooperate in five sectors - organic farming, herbs, branding and marketing of coarse cereals, establishment of Ayush villages in state and opening of a cow shelter (dairy facility). The company would make investments to the tune of 1000 crore.

From yoga to ayurvedic medicines, from noodles to beauty creams, Patanjali has forayed in almost every businesses.

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The 2021-22 Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District (CFAUSD) and schools report cards were released publicly by Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) on Tuesday.

Out of nine schools, one school received the designation of Significantly Exceeding Expectations, three schools received Exceeds Expectations, and four schools received Meets Expectations.
The Uttarakhand government on Friday imposed a blanket ban on visits abroad by all its personnel, including civil servants, to attend training courses, seminars or for their personal work.

Visits abroad by all personnel of the state government have been restricted so that the implementation of various works is not interrupted before the current fiscal concludes, for which hardly four months are left, an order signed by chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, reads.

(Consequently), visits abroad by all government personnel (including civil servants) to attend training courses, seminars or for their personal work, have been restricted, it added.

The directive states that the restriction has been imposed to ensure the implementation of all flagship projects of the state government and the Centre before the current fiscal comes to an end.

(Besides), in that short duration, all approvals have to be granted for the financial sanctions for the supplementary budget that is slated to be passed in the assemblys coming session, the order stated.

The proposed assembly session is slated to be convened at Gairsain from December 7. (So), it is mandatory for all officials and employees discharging duties in the field (districts) or at the secretariat to be present so that the implementation of (various projects and) works is not interrupted or delayed.

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Delhi air quality improved marginally on Friday but scientists warned that it may deteriorate in the coming days.

The National Green Tribunal will take up the Arvind Kejriwals review petition on the odd-even vehicle rationing plan, which exempts women drivers and two-wheelers.

The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Control and Prevention) Authority (EPCA) rolled back the ban on entry of trucks into Delhi and fourfold hike on parking fees.

Here are the highlights:

2pm: Sprinkling 75,000 litres of water for nearly an hour from one of the tallest buildings in the city, Vikas Minar, failed to bring down pollution levels at ITO, a congested and polluted office hub in the heart of the national capital.

Read full story here.

12.35pm: NGT directs Delhi and neighbouring states to file status report within two weeks.

12.20pm: Sprinkling of water will continue in Delhi, to be implemented in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh: NGT.

12.05pm: Prohibitory order regarding industries, burning of crops shall continue.

11.55am: Well meet MEA and discuss measures which were taken by other countries facing similar problem: Ambassador of Dominican Republic to India Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos on meeting Ministry of External Affairs today over poor air quality in Delhi.

11.05am: National Green Tribunal allows construction activities in the national capital, asks for preventive measures to be taken in order to control air pollution.

11am: Ban on entry of trucks lifted but should be properly regulated, says National Green Tribunal.

8.35am: The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 344, which was a very minor improvement from Thursdays 348 but still remained in the very poor category.

8.30am: The sky is likely to remain clear over the weekend. There is also no prediction of rain, Met officials said.

8.10am: Forty trains delayed, 13 rescheduled and six cancelled at New Delhi Railway Station
The elite commandos at Delhi airport will now be able to test their firing skills at a portable shooting range at Mahipalpur.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has procured a containerized tubular shooting range for Rs 80 lakh which will be stationed at its Mahipalpur complex next week solving the problem of lack of a firing range nearby. The shooting range will be the first of its kind in Delhi.

Till now, the CISF personnel had to go all the way to the National Security Guard (NSG) shooting range at Manesar. While it is mandatory for those deployed with the airports Quick Reaction Team (QRT) to participate in shooting practice every fortnight, the other security staff have to undergo the test once a year.

The shooting range has been developed in a 40-feet container for live indoor firing practice with small arms like Pistol, AK-47, INSAS, MP-5 and Carbine Machine Gun. The firing range will also be used for training commandos posted in Delhi metro and VIP security.

The tubular firing range is equipped with a smart target system which digitally display and maintain the record of accuracy. It works on the principal of tubular booth, fire retarding material, acoustic and ricochet preventing material, compressed rubber and armoured steel butt with smart target system. The tubular range provides a flexible firing setting ranging from 10 metre to over 300 metre, a CISF official said.

As the CISF is observing 2017 as the year of training, the frequency of tests for all personnel has been increased from once a year to once in six months. The force will also introduce fire-and-move and fire-and-cordon drills where commandos will be prepared for firing in real-life situations.

While all CISF personnel need to be fit and quick, our special focus is on the airports. The frequency to test their firing skills has been revised and we will check how accurate and quick they are, CISF director general OP Singh said.

CISF guards 59 airports in the country, and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has been asking the force to start tactical deployment of personnel to improve response time in case of a terror attack.

The Delhi airport, which comes under the category of hyper-sensitive airports, is also witnessing changes and personnel have been asked not to be static while on duty.

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The Delhi Police on Thursday seized Rs 6.6 lakh in counterfeit currency notes, their largest seizure since last Novembers demonetisation move, and claimed that the inflow of high quality fake Rs 2,000 notes has picked up in recent months.

Last month, Delhi police arrested two men with counterfeit currency worth Rs 5.98 lakh.

Last Tuesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested four persons from Howrah railway station and recovered Rs 9.1 lakh fake currency from them.

Kashid, a 54-year-old man arrested with the counterfeit currency on Thursday, claims to have already supplied fake notes worth Rs 2 crore in the last four-five months since he resumed business after demonetisation, PK Kushwah, DCP (special cell), said on Friday. The two men arrested last month in Delhi are his associates.

All the counterfeit notes seized were of Rs 2000 denomination and had most of the security features of the new currency notes, including the watermark and the security thread.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation last November, he listed eliminating counterfeit currency as one of the objectives of the exercise. The new Rs 2,000 note pushed into the market after demonetisation was believed to be difficult to replicate.

In April, the government informed Parliament in April that a total of Rs 5.6 crore, all in Rs fake 2,000 notes, had been seized by different law-enforcement agencies across India after demonetisation.

The Delhi Police said the notes seized near Anand Vihar bus terminal on Thursday were very similar in appearance and texture to genuine Indian currency. The manufacturers used paper of fine quality and texture and security features were inserted. The fake currencies were not easily detectable, Kushwah said.

The obvious giveaway was that most of the counterfeit notes had the same serial numbers printed on them. Of the 330 notes seized from us, 250 had the same serial numbers. The remaining 80 had four different serial numbers distributed among them, said Kushwah.

Kashid reportedly told police that printing different serial numbers added to the manufacturing cost. The accused would buy the fake currency at the rate of Rs 600 per note and sell them for Rs 900, said Kushwah, adding that Kashid has been in this business for the last 15 years.

Delhi police refused to comment on the source of the counterfeit notes, but people familiar with the matter said these were being manufactured in Pakistan and being pushed into India through Bangladesh and Nepal. The smugglers usually prefer the porous borders between India and Bangladesh in West Bengals Malda district, they added.

Interestingly, Kashid is a native of Gopal Nagar in Malda, the hub of fake notes. Many other persons in his village as well as in other parts of Malda are into this business. They contacts across the border throw bundles of fake notes over the wire fencing, said Kushwah.

A Reserve Bank of India spokesperson declined comment.
Sprinkling 75,000 litres of water for nearly an hour from one of the tallest buildings in the city failed to bring down pollution levels at ITO, a congested and polluted office hub in the heart of the national capital.

The apparent ineffectiveness of Wednesdays exercise raised questions about the efficacy of the Delhi governments proposal to spray water from helicopters to bring down pollution levels in the city.

We had deployed four water-jets and sprayed around 75,000 litres of water for around 50 minutes between 4pm and 5pm on Wednesday. The sprinkling was done from Vikas Minar, the tallest building in ITO area, said Atul Garg, additional director of Delhi Fire Services.

But data from CPCBs air quality monitoring station at ITO revealed that the measure had little effect on pollution levels. The level of PM2.5  ultrafine particles that can penetrate deep inside our lungs  continued to escalate even after the aerial water sprinkling.

From 106 ug/m3 (satisfactory category) at around 4pm, the level of PM2.5 in the region shot up to 129 ug/m3 (very poor category) by 5pm. By 11pm, it had shot up to around 227 ug/m3.

The measure was undertaken on the directions of National Green Tribunal. The green court had on Tuesday asked Delhi government to identify one of the most polluted areas in the city and spray water from a height there. The pollution control board was asked to monitor the air quality. The data was submitted to the NGT on Thursday.

Ground level water sprinkling was also done in several areas including in and around ITO at around 9am. This exercise appeared to yield partial results as pollution levels came down to some extent, before shooting up again within five hours.

Pollution levels came down temporarily after ground level water sprinkling. But it went up again when vehicles increased during peak hours in the afternoon. The aerial sprinkling however had little effect. We need to control pollution from the source. Water sprinkling is just a temporary measure to control pollution levels when it reaches alarming levels, said D Saha, head of the air quality laboratory at CPCB.

Scientists had earlier told Hindustan Times that such measures are effective only when the source of pollution is confined to a limited area and the pollution is short-lived. It also depends on other factors such as the nature of pollutants, size of water droplets and wind.

Delhis air quality improves temporarily even on a rainy day, but pollution levels shoot up soon after the rain ceases. Aerial sprinkling could help in removal of plumes coming from a reactor accidents or pollution from a temporary and limited source such as forest fires, but not pollution in a city like Delhi which has multiple emission sources, said SN Tripathi coordinator of the Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering at IIT Kanpur.

Despite having the wettest June in more than a decade with nearly 191.9mm of rain, Delhis air quality toggled between moderate and poor levels. While the AQI improved to satisfactory for just one day, Delhiites didnt get to breathe any good quality of year even in this years wettest month.

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NEW DELHI

Delhi Police remained tight lipped about the motive behind Mondays shooting in Rohini Court which claimed the life of an undertrial. The police had on Friday anoounced that three other people were involved in the conspiracy.

DCP (Rohini) Rishi Pal on Friday said that they had arrested two more men and apprehended a minor in connection with the murder of undertrial Vinod at Rohini Court earlier this week. The recent arrest takes the total number of accused nabbed to four, with prime suspect, Abdul Khan  the man who pulled the trigger-- having already surrendered after the murder.

The two people arrested on Friday were Praveer Chahar and Vikram Sehrawat.

Pal said police were not yet sure why they wanted to kill Vinod. He, however, clarified that the target was indeed Vinod and there was no question of a mistaken identity.

While sources had earlier maintained that the killing to be a fallout of a gang rivalry in which Khan was contracted to kill a rival of jailed gangster Neeraj Bawana and mistakenly shot Vinod dead, the DCPs statement seemed to clarify that wasnt the case.

It was Vinods picture which was shown to Khan. According to their plan, Vikram, Abdul Khan and the juvenile reached Rohini court in a car. On the way, they consumed some intoxicating tablets and syrup. The photograph of Vinod was shown to Khan and he was tasked to carry out the hit, said Pal.

Despite repeated requests, Pal did not clarify what history Vinod shared with the men held for his murder. The press statement issued by Pal highlighted their previous criminal involvements but skirted any association with Vinod.

Praveen Chahar is a resident of Mundka and has two previous criminal cases against him. The cases pertain to the year 2015 and 2010 regarding hurt and restraining and assault on public servants while on duty. Accused Vikram Sehrawat, a resident of Bawana, also has two previous involvements of carjacking. The third accused who is juvenile has also been involved in heinous cases previously, said the statement.

Pal added that Chahar provided shelter to the accused Vikram Sehrawat and the delinquent juvenile. They lured the accused Abdul Khan into committing the crime and planned the murder.

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A meeting to review the measures taken to curb air pollution in the city, chaired by Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal turned into a full blown war between the Arvind Kejriwal government and the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, on Friday.

Officials who attended the high-level meeting said chief minister Kejriwal and EPCA member Sunita Narain had a verbal spat, with the former alleging that the Supreme court appointed panel should have been proactive towards curbing stubble burning by meeting governments of the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Defending the panels actions, Narain allegedly replied to Kejriwal saying EPCA was not doing any politics and that its measures under the Graded Response Action Plan were notified by the Centre.

Hearing this, a furious Kejriwal was allegedly heard saying, Leave the politics to us. Instead of containing pollution, your steps (like banning entry of trucks and increasing parking fee) are instead putting people in trouble. The Haryana CM told me around Rs 1,600 crore is required for giving subsidy to farmers. Why didnt the EPCA take the matter up with the Centre?

Narain and EPCA chairperson Bhure Lal replied to Kejriwal saying that the emergency measures werent effective because of the governments poor public transport system. To this, transport minister Kailash Gahlot stated that in the last three years, the government had brought over 700 buses under the cluster or orange buses.

The meeting that went on for an hour and a half got so stormy that the L-G had to conclude it abruptly without any concluding remarks, which is the usual protocol. However, he later said on Twitter that agencies have been asked to strictly enforce ban on open burning of waste and use of diesel generator sets.

Emergency measures lifted. But measures like prohibition on open burning of garbage, mechanical sweeping of roads, increased frequency of Metro and ban on use of generator sets will continue, he said.

Apart from deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also raised the stubble burning issue, environment minister Imran Hussain pointed out that the EPCAs ban was resulting in people using diesel generators illegally and touts charging more than twice the fee for temporary electricity connections.

The meeting had two government ministers apart from the CM and a number of top officials, including the chief secretary. Commissioners of the municipal corporations were also present.

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Psephologist-turned-politician Yogendra Yadav on Thursday tweeted out a message in favour of An Insignificant Man  a political documentary, which, going by the trailer, is about his estranged Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) colleague and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Usually expressive about his love for movies, Kejriwal, however, has so far curiously refrained from making any comment on the 90-minute film releasing on Friday.

It is an honest film. Its not about one or two individuals, but about all of us. Its not just about AAP or Delhi, its about possibilities and perils of modern politics. An Insignificant Man releasing in theatres tomorrow. Do watch it, Yadav tweeted on Thursday, on a day when no one from the AAP or the Delhi government attended the special premiere of the movie at a Connaught Place cinema hall.

Going by the trailer and posters, the film seemingly eulogises Arvind Kejriwal  mapping his rise from an activist to a politician. Yet the evident cold shoulder by Kejriwal and his trusted lieutenants in his party has puzzled many. That too when Yadav, whose exit from AAP was rather unceremonious, was going on to shower praises .

Party insiders said earlier promotions indicated the movie was about Arvind Kejriwal. But later they were informed it was more about Yogendra Yadav, who eventually emerged as the hero in the movie .

The movie was supposed to be about Arvind Kejriwal. But we reliably came to know that Yogendra Yadav is the real hero. So the party has decided to stay away from sharing anything about the movie on social media, said a party leader.

The initial reviews of the movie suggested Yadav is projected as someone who meticulously planned the strategies during the campaign that catapulted Kejriwal to his spectacular electoral success.

That is perhaps why he is going gaga over the movie, the leader said. No one from the party or the government attended the screening of the movie at PVR Connaught Place or in Bengalaru held on Thursday.

Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were expelled from the party in 2015 for anti-party activities. They later founded Swaraj Abhiyan, a political party.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking stay on the nationwide release of the movie, directed by Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla , which the petitioner claimed was based on the life of Kejriwal.

We have been getting mixed response on whether the documentary is about Arvind Kejriwal or Yogendra Yadav. It is not about any individual. It is just a story that we wanted to narrate, director Ranka told HT.

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New Delhi: Over 20 Delhi University colleges, including St Stephens, Hindu, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Lady Shri Ram, attended a University Grants Commission (UGC) orientation programme on autonomous institutions.

Sources said while St Stephens has already submitted an application to become an autonomous college with the university, more colleges across the country are likely to apply.

According to sources, one of the major concerns raised by the colleges was slashing of funds if they go for autonomous college status. We told the colleges that we will not cut their funds at all rather efforts will be made to increase the fund allocation, said a senior UGC official.

Officials further said that a number of colleges raised the issue of universities not forwarding their applications seeking autonomous status.

Under the new rule once a college moves an application seeking autonomous status a copy of that is sent to us also. In case the university fails to dispose it within a month it is automatically assumed that it has been approved. So this concern has been taken care of, said a senior UGC official.

A total of 120 colleges participated including 20 DU colleges, the official said.

A presentation was given to us about what it means to become an autonomous institute. The UGC said the decision to become an autonomous institute will be up to the colleges and it wont be imposed, said Suman Sharma, principal the Lady Shri College.

Sharma said the college has no plans right now to apply for autonomy. It needs consensus from all stakeholders, including students and parents. We have no plans as of now to apply for autonomy, she said.

A top DU official said they have not received application from any other college except St Stephens.

A source said that a number of states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra pointed out they are unable to follow the provisions of autonomous colleges regarding faculty and hence cant apply. We have told them that this issue will be taken up with the states. Through we cant force them to change their guidelines, said the official.

According to the UGC Guidelines for Autonomous Colleges-2017, a college coming under the scheme will be able to determine and prescribe its own courses; restructure and redesign the syllabi to suit local needs; and make it skill-oriented in consonance with job requirements.

Meanwhile, DU teachers association (DUTA) protested outside the venue of the meeting and alleged that the move to convert well-established DU colleges into autonomous colleges is a part of the agenda to further commercialization that will lead to steep increase in cost of education.
Hunting interests have scored a major victory with the Trump administrations decision to allow Americans to bring home body parts of elephants shot for sport in Africa. Another totemic species now looks set to follow suit  lions.

As the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) was announcing it was lifting a ban on the import of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia, it also quietly published new guidelines that showed lions shot in the two African countries will also be eligible to adorn American homes.

This all suggests that rather than being the protectors of wildlife, the federal government is now a promoter of trophy hunting, said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States.

They are rolling out the red carpet to the next Walter Palmer and that same sort of situation will happen all over again, Pacelle added, referencing the Minnesota dentist who sparked an international furore after he shot and killed Cecil, a famous black-maned lion that was lured from a protected reserve in Zimbabwe.

In 2014, American hunters were barred from bringing home parts of elephants shot in Zimbabwe due to concerns over the conservation of the animals in the country. Last year, the FWS, under the Obama administration, also listed the lion as a threatened species and placed tighter restrictions on bringing back heads, paws and other body parts.

The Trump administration has begun to peel away this legacy in unusual fashion by announcing the lifting to the elephant ban at the African Wildlife Consultative Forum, a pro-hunting event held in Tanzania, rather than on its website or in the federal register.

The event is co-hosted by Safari Club International, an Arizona-based group that lobbies against hunting restrictions and auctions off trips to members to head to Africa to hunt the big five  lions, rhinos, elephants, Cape buffalo and leopards. SCI joined with the National Rifle Association (NRA) to legally challenge the ban on elephant trophies.

President Trump is about to allow hunters like his sons import dead elephant heads as trophies. pic.twitter.com/vABpEbBaDd  ATTN: (@attn) November 17, 2017

Chris Cox, the executive director of the NRAs institute for legislative action, said the Trump administration had backed sound scientific wildlife management and regulated hunting through its decision. Conservation groups fear the administration is now held in the sway of SCI and the NRA to the detriment of species such as lions and elephants  both of which have suffered sharp declines in recent years.

This is political fealty to the NRA and SCI, said Pacelle. Here we are telling black Africans they cant kill elephants for tusks but its OK for rich white people to show up and shoot them. Its the height of hypocrisy.

Pacelle said it was a farce that Zimbabwe was now considered a responsible steward for elephants in the midst of an apparent coup by the military against Robert Mugabe, the nonagenarian president who celebrated a birthday in 2015 by feasting upon a baby elephant.

Zimbabwes elephant population has dropped in recent years with a spate of poaching, including cyanide poisonings, killing thousands of the animals. However, the FWS said the lifting of the trophy import ban was rooted in science and that the situation has changed and improved since 2014.

The fact that Trump has lifted President Obama's ban on elephant trophies being imported into the country is a devastating blow to the survival of these beautiful animals. It's savage and pointless. It breaks my heart. pic.twitter.com/iclfxN6TXr  Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) November 16, 2017

The agency said Zimbabwe had a new management plan that includes a hunting quota of 500 elephants, with money from wealthy western hunters distributed to rural communities.

There has been a fierce battle between some conservationists and hunting groups over whether funds from shooting trips actually improve the fortunes of endangered species or local communities, but it is clear that the trajectory of almost all megafauna in Africa is one of rapid decline.

The pro-hunting outlook of the Trump administration has a champion in Ryan Zinke, the secretary of the interior. Zinke, whose agency also oversees the FWS, has pushed for greater hunting access to public land, reversed a ban on lead ammunition that is linked to the poisonings of bald eagles and is attempting to open a vast wildlife refuge in Alaska to oil drilling.

This agenda dovetails with Republicans in Congress who have taken aim at endangered species protections, putting forward bills that would allow the trapping of wolves in the US and remove non-native species  such as lions and elephants  from protected status.

The presidents sons are also both keen hunters, with pictures emerging in 2012 of Eric and Donald Trump Jr with a dead elephant, buffalo and other animals while on safari. Donald Jr posed holding a severed elephants tail while the two brothers beamed at the camera while clutching a dead leopard.

Donald Trump Jr, the presidents eldest son, has said he is known as the Fifth Avenue redneck by friends due to his love of hunting and estimates he has killed 15 or 16 species in Africa.

A group of elephants, believed to have been killed by poachers, lie dead at a watering hole in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park on October 26, 2015. (Reuters File Photo)

Last year, Donald Jr said the FWS should be encouraging American hunters legally and ethically hunting abroad, not hindering them.

We have to make sure were heard, he said . Lately, weve been a forgotten group. I want to change that now and forever.

And we are going to do whatever we can to make sure that any kind of Trump presidency is going to be the best since Theodore Roosevelt for outdoorsmen, for hunters, for our public lands, and for this country as it relates to anything in the great outdoors.

(Published in arrangement with The Guardian)
Another court session over the sale of the Gordys Market store in Neillsville is being scheduled because, in part, the court appointed receiver wants to keep some information away from the public.

Judge James Isaacson will hold a court session via telephone at 4 p.m. Tuesday on receiver Michael Polskys motion for the court to seal specific documents related to the disputed sale.

The emergency motion contains sensitive information regarding the current dispute between (grocery store founder) Gordon Schafer and some of his children regarding the ownership of the real estate (the Neillsville Property), where Gordys Neillsville Foods Inc. operated a grocery store ... including some of the parties efforts to resolve the dispute by way of settlement discussions, Polskys motion said.

The motion dated Thursday continues: These proceedings have garnered substantial press coverage and the substance of the emergency motion would likely be reported by the press if the emergency motion was not filed under seal.

At an auction in September, Family Foods was the highest bidder for the Neillsville store at $150,000 plus inventory. Hansens IGA and Keng Enterprises have objected and are trying to stop the sale to Randy Goetz of Family Foods.

Goetz is scheduled to give a deposition in the case at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Iowa City, Iowa.

Both Jeffrey and Rick Schafer of Gordys Markets have given affidavits in the matter on Oct. 27. According to those affidavits:

Jeffrey and Rick Schafer are members of whats called Schafer Properties II along with their sister, Jennifer, and brother, David. Jeffrey and Rick Schafer have a 52 percent interest in Schafer Properties II, while Jennifer and David have a 48 percent interest.

Schafer Properties II is the landlord of the Neillsville store and went ahead with assigning the stores lease to Randy Goetz.

Jennifer and David Schafer voted in favor of the transaction, while Rick and Jeffrey Schafer voted against.

An auction of six remaining Gordys Market stores is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 29, in Milwaukee. Madison attorney James Sweet said he represented some members of the Schafer family wanting to buy the six stores. However, there is no guarantee that will happen.

A separate court session before Isaacson is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11. That session will decide the fate of the six Gordys stores, including ones in downtown Chippewa Falls, Lake Wissota, Cornell, Barron, Chetek and Ladysmith.

Grocery supplier Nash Finch filed a lawsuit against Gordys Market, seeking $86 million while Settlers Bank of Madison is seeking $4.9 million.

Gordys in October said the amount it owes Nash Finch is $44,154,136, plus what it calls liquidated damages, costs and attorney fees. Polsky said employees of Gordys have put in claims they are owed $51,650 as of Monday, Oct. 23. That number has since risen.
Shilpa Shetty is the latest celebrity to button-up in pantsuits. The actor made a powerful case for the two-piece, when she ditched predictable dresses for separate events on Thursday and Friday.

Shilpa, 42, attended a Ficci event in Hyderabad on Friday, wearing a much sleeker look than the slew of floaty dressed shes been spotted in during her recent outings.

A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) on Nov 16, 2017 at 8:58pm PST

The Life in a Metro actor, who was speaking at Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017, chose an uber-cool pantsuit by Ashish N Soni that dished just the right amount of sex appeal for a corporate event. The fancy suit mixed androgynous style and textures with a fitted one-shoulder blazer and loose-fit trouser.

A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) on Nov 17, 2017 at 12:40am PST

While Shilpa was showing a bit of skin with her white sleeveless BCBG Max Azria shirt, having one full sleeve on her trendy blazer kept her vibe effortless, while putting a spin on a buttoned-up look. She finished off her ensemble with Christian Louboutin stilettos and Cartier watch.

A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) on Nov 16, 2017 at 7:35am PST

On Thursday, for her appearance on kids dancing reality show Super Dancer, Shilpa raked up fashion points as she wore a figure-flattering Nalandda Bhandari pantsuit. The silhouette was formfitting and clean -- a classic, professional style you could probably wear at the office. But, the printed white-and-grey hued blazer gives it an unexpected pop that makes you want to wear your workwear after hours.

A post shared by Nalandda Bhandari (@nalandda) on Nov 16, 2017 at 8:14am PST

Between the rich Mehernosh Heeramaneck diamond and emerald neckpiece, well-fit high-waisted pants and the low V-neckline, the mother-of-one was looking every bit the definition of sultry. She accessorised her look with a pair of sparkly rings from Aurelle by Leshna Shah.

If you are looking for an outfit that really makes a statement, Shilpas androgynous style should be the one you take inspiration from. All you have to do is style your look with comfortable pumps and enough bling, and youll be ready to take on the world.

So, which one of Shilpas two suits, suits your taste better?

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Parents, you may want to avoid spanking your kids, suggests a recent study. Children who have been spanked by their parents by age 5 show an increase in behaviour problems at age 6 and age 8, relative to children who have never been spanked, according to new findings.

The study, which uses a statistical technique to approximate random assignment, indicated that this increase in behaviour problems cannot be attributed to various characteristics of the child, the parents, or the home environment  rather, it seems to be the specific result of spanking. Lead author Elizabeth T Gershoff (University of Texas at Austin) said that the findings suggest that spanking is not an effective technique and actually makes childrens behaviour worse not better.

Historically, trying to determine whether parents use of spanking actually causes children to develop behaviour problems has been difficult, because researchers cannot ethically conduct experiments that randomly assign parents to spank or not.

Early spanking can lead to later child behaviour problems where children may argue, fight and act impulsively. (Shutterstock)

Gershoff and coauthors Kierra MP Sattler (University of Texas at Austin) and Arya Ansari (University of Virginia) examined data from 12,112 children who participated in the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. When the children were 5 years old, their parents reported how many times they had spanked their child in the past week (if any). The researchers classified any child whose parent provided a number other than zero as having been spanked.

The researchers then matched children who had been spanked with those who hadnt according to 38 child- and family-related characteristics, including the childs age, gender, overall health, and behaviour problems at age 5; the parents education, age, and marital status; the family socioeconomic status and household size; and factors related to parenting quality and conflict in the home.

Pairing the children in this way yielded two groups of children whose main difference was whether their parents had spanked them, effectively accounting for other factors that could plausibly influence the behaviour of both parent and child. This approach allowed the researchers to approximate the random assignment of participants to groups, a hallmark of experimental design.

To gauge childrens behaviour problems over time, Gershoff, Sattler, and Ansari examined teachers ratings when the children were 5, 6, and 8 years old. Childrens teachers reported the frequency with which the children argued, fought, got angry, acted impulsively, and disturbed ongoing activities.

The results were clear: Children who had been spanked at age 5 showed greater increases in behaviour problems by age 6 and also by age 8 when compared with children who had never been spanked. The fact that knowing whether a child had ever been spanked was enough to predict their levels of behaviour problems years later was a bit surprising, said Gershoff. It suggests that spanking at any frequency is potentially harmful to children.

Although dozens of studies have linked early spanking with later child behaviour problems, this is the first to do so with a statistical method that approximates an experiment, she concluded. The study appears in journal Psychological Science.

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The Delhi government has ordered the suspension of Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals licence for kidney transplants till January 5 after police busted a kidney racket involving secretarial staff of doctors working at the hospital last year.

During the suspension period, the hospital cannot register new kidney transplant patients, but close to 40 patients who have been cleared by the committee for transplantation will continue with their treatment.

On average, the hospital carries out around 15 kidney transplants each month.

Hospital sources said the management will appeal against the decision as no one employed by the hospital was involved in the illegal dealings.

In June 2016, two personal secretaries staff of a senior nephrologist and three touts were arrested for being involved in a racket of buying and selling kidneys.

Under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, only a close relation -- parents, siblings, spouse, son, daughter or grandchild -- can donate a kidney.

If a match within the family isnt found, a non-relative can donate after it is proven the deal is not commercial and is on compassionate grounds.

All hospitals have ethical committees to ensure the donor and recipient are related or that no sale is involved.

A police probe revealed a racket run by middle men who facilitated transplants at the Apollo hospital with fake and forged documents after luring the poor with money to donate their organs.

The hospital has a very tight system of verifying the authenticity of the donors and recipients, including biometric check of the Aadhar card, and the probe committee feels the same. Even then some cases miss the scanner, said an Apollo hospital source.

In India, nearly two lakh new patients are put on the kidney transplant list every year and only 8,000 of them end up getting an organ. The massive shortage leads to illegal trafficking of organs where poor people are paid to pose as compassionate donors.
On Thursday, old police reports in which Sylvester Stallone was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old in a Las Vegas hotel room in 1986 were published online. The allegations have since been described as categorically false by the stars reps.

Daily Mail claimed to have obtained police records detailing the allegations. The young woman said that while she consented to have sex with Stallone, who would have been 40 then, she did not give her consent to the threesome Stallone initiated with his bodyguard.

According to records obtained by the Baltimore Post-Examiner, who first published the story in early 2016, when Stallone was up for an Oscar for Creed, no charges were filed against the star or his bodyguard because Nevada law states that the age of consent is 16, and the victim consented.

Stallones bodyguard Michael The Duke De Luca, who was 27 in 1986, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in 2013 by California police.

USA today attempted to contact the Las Vegas police, who said they had no records of the 31-year-old case, and the documents obtained by Daily Mail does appear to be in the format of an officers report for that time period.

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Traffic chokes the centuries-old stone archway into Ahmedabads historic quarter, the snarl of honking rickshaws and sputtering buses coats the monuments of Indias only heritage city in a greasy layer of soot.

Conservation experts warn Ahmedabad, one of the worlds most polluted cities, faces a mammoth task defending its newly won UNESCO status as its fragile cultural icons decay under neglect, traffic and trash.

The 600-year-old enclave was named Indias first World Heritage City in July -- despite warnings from some of UNESCOs own experts that it lacked a convincing plan for protecting its ancient citadels, mosques and tombs.

Ahmedabad hosts the towering Bhadra fort, the legendary stone latticework of the 16th-century Sidi Saiyyed mosque, and countless relics fusing the unique Hindu and Muslim architectural styles of its conquerors.

Authorities hope the global recognition from the UNs cultural body will restore community pride in the crumbling, garbage-strewn old city.

The parking lot next to the nearly 200 year old Swaminarayan Kalupur Temple in Ahmedabad. (AFP Photo)

They themselves also will be slightly more restrained in dirtying the places, said P.K Ghosh, chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporations heritage conservation committee, of the citys inhabitants.

But many families that once fastidiously tended to ornate wooden homes in the old city are leaving in droves for the comforts of the modern city outside, tired of shabby living conditions.

Treasures in ruin

Jagruti Vyas, a long-term resident, hoped the UNESCO listing would bring standards in her dilapidated neighbourhood into line with newer areas beyond the old citys walls.

We hope to see similar changes, such as this part of the city becoming cleaner, she told AFP from the narrow doorway of her wooden home.

A Gujarati language warning notice related to a structurally damaged old heritage building in Ahmedabad. (AFP Photo)

But it is the pressures of modern Ahmedabad -- the chronic air pollution, crushing traffic and chaotic urban sprawl -- that experts say are also rapidly eroding its cultural capital.

The cramped heritage district was never built for cars, yet today thousands of trucks and rickshaws are diverted through its narrow lanes and alleys.

The grinding congestion tears apart roads and fouls the air with fumes, streaking stone-carved monuments with black exhaust stains.

A stray dog sits outside the construction site of an old heritage building being renovated in Ahmedabad. (AFP Photo)

Long-flouted laws banning construction near heritage sites have also hampered efforts to save Ahmedabads treasures from ruin.

In the heart of the old quarter, just the dome of a medieval mosque is visible behind a tangle of shops, electricity wires and flats illegally erected around the sultanate-era relic.

Ornate homes have been torn down and replaced by garish structures totally incongruous with history, said Ghosh.

He said the heritage listing would give teeth to those safeguarding Ahmedabads architectural heritage.

There will be stricter enforcement of the rules. Pulling down the exquisite old architectural pieces will not be easy now, he told AFP.

A heritage home in an overbuilt urban area of Ahmedabad. (AFP Photo)

Challenge starts now

Some long-neglected quarters, sealed off from the outside world by labyrinthine alleys, are well beyond restoration.

Many traditional pols -- clusters of settlements identified by UNESCO as bearing enormous historical value -- are all but abandoned, the iconic wooden homes collapsing from neglect.

A small boy was injured in October when a balcony caved in, while at least two people died in July when monsoon rains brought whole houses crashing down, media reported.

Once grand havelis -- beautiful multilevel wooden mansions -- are being rented to poor migrants and businesses looking for warehouse space.

Conservation architect and old city expert Khushi Shah said Ahmedabad was one of the most unique urban settlements in India that could not be recreated once it was gone.

The entrance gate of the nearly 200 year old Swaminarayan Kalupur Temple in Ahmedabad. (AFP Photo)

The city which we call a living heritage entity will no longer be so if people start moving out, she told AFP.

Ahmedabads conservation committee has three years to document close to 3,000 buildings of heritage value to strict UNESCO standards -- a monumental task for Ghoshs small team.

UNESCO could revoke or downgrade Ahmedabads listing to heritage in danger should the deadline be missed and the committee fail to show it has slowed the decline and destruction of the old city.

Jigna Desai, associate professor at CEPT Universitys architecture faculty in Ahmedabad, said the coveted UNESCO inscription would mean little if there was nothing left to protect.

How do you make sure that this evidence does not deteriorate, that the evidence stays for the world to see, or the next generations to see? she told AFP.

Ghoshs deputy at the heritage council, PKV Nair, agrees: Getting the listing was one thing, now meeting that challenge is more important.
As Umar Mohammeds body was wheeled in for autopsy, his distraught and emaciated wife walked into the labour room for their ninth child. The dead father and the newborn reached home the same day.

The 38-year-old Khursheeda gave birth to a boy on Wednesday afternoon at a community health centre (CHC) in Pahadi, about 10km from their village  Ghatmika in Rajasthans Bharatpur.

A thatched room without doors and a plot of open space, where the family keeps its buffalo and three goats, constitutes their home. Umars wife lies in a straw shack covered with a tarpaulin. The reddish newborn lies beside her.

The child wails for comfort, but his voice fails to pierce the gloom surrounding the village dotted with bare brick houses, cattle and chicken crisscrossing rustic roads, and a woody smoke in the air.

His 42-year-old father was shot dead by assailants in Alwar in early on November 10 when he was transporting cows to his village.

Umars body was found on railway tracks in Alwars Ramgarh on Friday evening and sent to Jaipur by police ahead of the chief ministers visit to the area. The autopsy was delayed till Wednesday because of objections from the family.

Hundreds of people gathered in Ghatmika, mostly from villages in the Muslim-dominated Mewat region, on Thursday. Bearded men, turbans over weather-hardened faces, and clad in mud-stained white. The women wore chadors around their faces and clenched with teeth to keep them in place.

As the baby slept in the shack, the imam began his sermon at Umars funeral.

Umar is going from this world with empty hands. This is how all of us will go, he said.

The imam named the newborn Ibran Khan. Hes the first to be named by somebody other than his father.

Before the burial, a public meeting was held to decide whether to bury the body or stage an indefinite protest at the collectorate.

Zareena, Umars elder sister who took her sister-in-law to the hospital, said the delivery was difficult. Somebody forces some water or tea down her throat once in a while and thats all shes taken in the past six days. Ajeeb murdayi chhayi hui hai us pe (a strange sadness engulfs her), she said, sitting on a cot next to her frail and teary-eyed mother.

Sitting on his haunches near Zareena is Maqsood, Umars eldest son, with an amulet around his neck and hennaed toenails on his dust-caked feet matching the colour of his red slippers.

The 18-year-old betrays ignorance about the craft of making a living.

He was killed in a way that even the cruel would pity, said Fazluddin, a relative from Nuh, another district in the Mewat region. Umar had gone to buy cows so that he could have milk for the newborn, he added.

But police suspect Umar and his friends were cow smugglers and what happened on the morning of November 10 was a clash between two criminal groups. There is one case of cattle smuggling against Umar and three against Tahir Khan, his friend, Alwar police said in a press note.

The police are lying. The supposed case against Umar is actually against another guy named Umaruddin. The name of the suspects father is also different, says Shifat Ahmed, a retired bank manager, who was at the funeral meeting.

Umars relatives accuse cow protection vigilantes of murder and alleged that police were hand in glove with them.

Another dairy farmer, Pehlu Khan, was killed by the vigilantes in Alwar in April this year. The so-called cow protectors have targeted cattle and meat traders, transporters and even farmers walking their animals.

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A doctor in Varanasis Banaras Hindu University and his programmer associate have created an application that will block access to pornographic websites and begin playing Hindu devotional songs when a user makes an attempt.

The creators of the application  called Har Har Mahadev  are Ankit Srivastava and VN Mishra, a neurologist who also describes himself as a sociologist, social awakener and an anti-pornography crusader.

By next month we will give a religion option. For example, if a Muslim tries to open (a pornographic website) then Allah o Akbar will be played, similarly chants of other religion will be loaded as well, Mishra, said, according to news agency ANI.

The medical superintendent of BHU said the effort will help curb corruption of mentality. This is a very good step, it will help curb the corrupted mentality being spread in society. This is the land of Madan Mohan Malviya, hum maryadaon ke pujari hain (we worship dignity), said OP Upadhyay, the medical superintendent of BHU.

The application appears to be currently limited to the Microsoft Windows platform and its website describes it as being in a beta phase.

Are you overwhelmed by the internet of today? Is the onslaught of trash and inappropriate material bombarding your family? Har Har Mahadev understands why todays families have trouble logging on; with all the pornography, violence, and vulgar messages, it would seem easier to simply stay off the internet, the About section of the website said.

Mishra said the programme can block over 2,000 websites.

Such applications are not new. But what has been a matter of much amusement, at least for people on social media, is how the programme apparently starts playing bhajans when someone tries to access porn.

Did we just discover anti-Viagra? pic.twitter.com/2HsX9TNrnV  Debayan Sen (@debayansen) November 16, 2017

Neurologist, app, porn, Bhajan, BHU.



Never thought I'd hear these words together in a sentence. https://t.co/3WNqWdNYyc  Galavant (@RageMonk) November 16, 2017

Raat Ke do baj rahe the aur achaanak Suresh ke room se "har har mahadev" ki awaaz pure hostel ne suni. Agale din Suresh college main mooh chipata ghoomata Mila!  Prashant (@pcytotoxic) November 16, 2017
Microsoft founder Bill Gates held a long meeting with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday when they agreed to extend and expand welfare projects being carried out by the charity that Gates runs along with his wife.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) will continue for another five years its assistance to the state government, and will join hands in fighting Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), diseases that claim the lives of hundreds of children every year.

BMGF has been helping out in those efforts since 2012 when they formed a five-year understanding with the then administration. In addition to renewing the pact, the BMGF will now also help strengthen the National Institute of Virologys regional field station in Gorakhpur and provide technical help to improve soil in order to help better farm incomes.

The CM said informed Gates about the immunisation programme launched by his government that has covered over 92 lakh children this year.

BMGF has also agreed to help in fighting Kala-azar in Kushinagar district.

A spokesperson said BMGF would provide soil testing technology spectroscopy to support the state governments endeavour of increasing income of famers.

An official spokesman said while Gates left to attend a programme on farmers in Andhra Pradesh, meetings between the state government and BMGF officers were still on to give final touches to the memorandum on the scope of cooperation.

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The BJP has not announced the names of candidates in two dozen assembly constituencies, mostly in north Gujarat which is an area of influence of Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor, after a mismatch between the recommendation from its state unit and findings of an independent survey, sources have said.

The Bharatiya Janata Partys central election committee met in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss the rest of the seats.

We have started fresh consultation with the district units on these seats. We hope to make the announcement for all 182 seats soon, a BJP leader privy to the matter said.

November 21 is the last day to file nomination for 89 seats that will vote in the first phase of election on December 9.

While the BJP is confident of winning Gujarat again, it does not want to leave anything to chance. The fresh round of consultation over seats in north Gujarat is to ensure picking right candidates and fixing responsibility of the local leaders to ensure victory.

BJP leaders claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured members of the election committee that all was well in Gujarat and the party would win by a greater margin than before.

He asked party leaders not to get swayed by the media buzz around the Congress or the young leaders such as Patel and Thakor and be assured that Gujarat was very much in the grip of the party.

The Congress election committee is meeting in New Delhi on Friday to decide its candidates. It has to take a call on the demands from Patel and Thakor to leave 30-odd seats for them. Janata Dal(United)s Chhotubhai Vasava too has demanded 25 seats from the Congress even as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has sent feelers signalling its intention to enter into a pre-poll pact with the grand old party.

The BJP wants to take the first movers advantage by declaring all candidates before the Congress and launch a high voltage campaign well in advance.

It depends heavily on the popularity of the Prime Minister  Gujarats son of the soil  to take the wind out of Congress sail. According to the partys assessment on Gujarat, it has an advantage over Congress as Rahul Gandhi is an outsider in the western state.

The BJP plans to launch its campaign on November 25, which will see Modi visiting all 41 districts before canvassing ends on December 12. Gujarat has 33 administrative districts but the BJP has divided it into 41 for organisation purposes.

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Fifty-three-year-old Ram Madhav is the go-to man in the BJP for Kashmir-related affairs, northeast and internal security matters.

A former RSS pracharak and, now, one of the most influential BJP leaders, Madhav spoke to HT about Centres recent peace overtures in the Valley. The BJP general secretary said Kashmir and dialogue with Pakistan needed to be de-linked.

Excerpts from the interview:

The timing of the appointment of a special representative for Kashmir came as a surprise. What led to this decision?

There was a demand from various sections in Kashmir for talks with the state government and the Centre. Home minister (Rajnath Singh) made a couple of visits to the Valley and several groups met him. It is difficult for a person of his stature to engage in any parley on a sustained basis. We decided to have someone (Dineshwar Sharma) who will be available for a sustained dialogue. So timing should not be a big question.

Is there a time frame for this dialogue?

The appointment order says it will be a sustained dialogue. It will go on for some time.

Will he (Sharma) talk to Hurriyat leaders as well?

If Hurriyat comes forward, he will talk to them. The dialogue has to happen in a very open manner, without any precondition. We have a multi-pronged approach to tackle Kashmir issue. The dialogue initiative is one of them. People at times misconstrued it as the only initiative undertaken to establish peace in Kashmir. Thats not true.

What are the other options?

Militancy needs to be tackled with a tough hand, which we are doing. Public protest, such as stone pelting, is the second dimension of Kashmir problem, which has been strongly dealt with while ensuring there are no casualties.

Third dimension includes businessmen, politicians, so-called NGO groups, who are overt support mechanism for the militants and anti -India activists. We adopted a legal mechanism to tackle them- through the NIA (national Investigation Agency) and other agencies. The fourth is development activities. Now we added this fifth dimension (of sustained dialogue).

Can action against relatives of separatist leaders and dialogue go together?

The NIA does not act on the basis of relationship. It acts on the basis of material evidence . It is not a matter of consideration for the NIA to see who is related to whom. It is doing its job as per the law. Let me tell you, when you are in an agitation, you will face jail. But that should not prevent you from having a dialogue. I dont think these two things should be mixed up.

The J&K chief minister suggested to the Centre to follow former prime minister Vajpayees line on Kashmir. Has anything changed between Vajpayees time and now in the context of the governments Kashmir policy?

This is all for the sake of argument. Vajpayee said we will engage and address the Kashmir issue under the purview of three broad principles- Jamhooriyat, Kashmiriyat and insaniyat. We, as the government, made efforts at that time. Subsequently, the UPA came to the power and ruled for 10 years. They made their own efforts. Today we have another BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. Each government adopts a particular way of tackling an issue. Is it different? Dont we follow insaniyat? Of course we do. So things continue at one level. We all follow the principles, whether it is the UPA or the NDA. But, each government can have a slightly different approach-- different way of handling the issue.

What is your response to former chief minister Farroq Abudllah, who said new dialogue process to resolve issues in Kashmir will not succeed until India talks to Pakistan as a part of the region belongs to the neighbouring country.

He has done so many somersaults in the last few years. His own party, the National Conference, in the beginning, had fought against the Kashmiri invaders. His father Sheikh Abdullah opposed Kashmiri invaders. Today if Farooq Abdullah thinks that those parts belong to Pakistan, at least that is not the view of the Indian parliament.

Is it time for resumption of dialogue with Pakistan?

A: I am not competent to talk about it. Kashmir issue and dialogue with Pakistan should be delinked, for the good of Kashmir and for general peace in the country. Pakistan is a neighbour. If we need to have dialogue with it, there are several issues and the government of India will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time. As far as the present Kashmir issue is concerned, we believe-- may be our partner has other ideas-- it is purely a domestic issue for the governments in J&K and at the Centre.

What kind of solution you envisage from the latest dialogue process.

Everybody has stakes in Kashmirs peace. If you have political demands, sky is the limit. But, you cannot have a gun in one hand and then say that I want this or I want that. That wont be accepted.

What do you think about Rahul Gandhis evolution as a leader?

I dont want to really demean or ridicule the opposition leader. His party has very high hopes on him. Good luck to them. India needs a good opposition party. The Congress in the last three years has not demonstrated any quality of a good strong opposition. We have been running the country as though there is no opposition. At one level it is good. But there is no real fun (laughs). You need good opposition. But I dont see much happening for the Congress on the ground. You will see the results of two states (Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh). Having said that, Rahul has to grow. He has to rise as a powerful force in the country. We would like to see greater challenge coming to the BJP from the Congress. But now that is not the case.

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Workplace safety inspectors on Friday announced a $1.8 million fine for what they called a preventable explosion on May 31 that destroyed a corn processing plant, killed five workers and injured 12 others, including a 21-year-old employee who suffered a double leg amputation after being crushed by a rail car.

The penalty for the Didion Milling Inc. plant about 40 miles north of Madison is the largest fine to emerge from a single investigation in Wisconsin, officials with the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration said.

The OSHA investigation concluded the explosion at the plant in Cambria could have been avoided if the company had followed safety precautions that are well established in the industry.

The company issued a statement saying it disagreed with the severity of the penalties and was working with lawyers on a response.

OSHAs five-month investigation found that Didion failed to control highly combustible grain dust that leaked from enclosures and accumulated throughout the plant, and the company didnt maintain equipment to prevent heat or sparks that can ignite the dust.

Didion Milling could have prevented this tragedy if it had addressed hazards that are well-known in this industry, said OSHAs Chicago-based regional administrator, Ken Nishiyama Atha. Instead, their disregard for the law led to an explosion that claimed the lives of workers, and heartbreak for their families and the community.

Because the investigation is considered open until Didions opportunities for appeals are exhausted, OSHA didnt disclose what it determined about the specific ignition source. Typical sources include overheated machine bearings, motors, misaligned conveyor belts, or welding and cutting operations.

OSHA cited Didion for 14 willful violations, which are issued when employers knowingly fail to follow rules or are indifferent to employee safety. Eight of the willful violations were also classified as egregious because they happened repeatedly. Five other citations were considered serious. Most involved fire and explosion hazards.

The company has been placed in OSHAs Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which allows OSHA to inspect its other facilities.

Didions website says it employs 150 in its Johnson Creek offices, and in Cambria at an ethanol plant, a corn intake facility and  before the explosion  at the mill.

Cambria village president Glen Williams said the company has poured the footings for a new mill, but hasnt yet sought a building permit. Didion placed many of the mill workers at other plants, but they lost substantial overtime pay, so a food pantry has been busy, Williams said.

The community as a whole has come together quite well, Williams said.

Still, emergency workers who responded to the explosion scene, and family members of the dead and injured, continue to suffer aftereffects, he said.

There are some people who are still struggling with the incident, and there are still some hard times coming for those people, Williams said. I cant really say theres an opinion against, or a hatred for Didion, but I cant say that it doesnt exist, just that I havent witnessed it.

Didion questions

severity of penalty

OSHA officials said they provided Didion with the 45-page citation document Friday morning. The company issued a statement in the afternoon.

Didion does not agree with the severity of the penalties levied against our family-owned business or the conclusions released by OSHA today, spokeswoman Aisha Bachlani said. We are working with our legal counsel to determine how to address the findings from this federal agency.

The statement touted Didions importance as an employer and processing center for farmers and its intention to rebuild the mill in a way that will utilize the latest technology and industry best practices, creating one of the most efficient, effective and safe operational systems available, Bachlani said.

The Didion team continues to mourn the loss of our team members who died or were injured that tragic day in May  we will never forget what happened, Bachlani said. Our thoughts remain first and foremost with the families of those affected, our employees and the community.

Asked why the company viewed the penalties as too severe, Bachlani said Didion disagreed with the way OSHA categorized the violations.

We have established a record of solid operating procedures, she said. Safety is embedded in everything we do.

Didion is continuing to work with its own experts to investigate the explosions cause, she said.

Didion has 15 business days to comply with the citations, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Willful and serious violations cited

Under a 1970 federal law, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthy workplaces.

Dust is the main source of explosions in grain processing and storage operations, according to OSHA.

A small explosion can shake loose caked dust, creating clouds that ignite in a much larger secondary blast.

In the last 35 years, more than 500 grain dust explosions have been recorded in the U.S., killing more than 180 people and injuring more than 675, according to OSHA.

Didions willful citations were issued under OSHAs grain handling standards for machine maintenance and dust control. The company was cited for failures to shut down ignition sources, prevent static electricity, provide adequate employee protective equipment, correct malfunctioning dust collectors, and maintain safety controls.

OSHA cited the company because it didnt provide workers with fire resistant clothing, or install an alarm system so employees could escape as soon as a small fire started.

The company also failed to inspect and maintain safety controls on equipment, and didnt ensure that air filters worked properly.

OSHA said the company didnt regularly shut down milling equipment for inspection, lubrication and removal of debris to reduce risk of heat and sparks that can ignite dust.

The company was cited for not creating a written dust-removal plan and schedule, and not training employees or verifying a plan was followed. Instead of requiring sweeping, Didion allowed workers to use compressed air to clear dust from surfaces around machinery that could ignite it, OSHA said.

The serious citations included violation of rules requiring dust filtering machinery installed inside a building to be equipped with explosion-suppression devices.

Previous citations

for explosion hazards

Complaints prompted some of the seven OSHA inspections of Didion between 2010 and 2014.

The company faced fines from OSHA in 2011 for failing to install equipment to protect workers from dust that can ignite and explode.

An OSHA inspection report said Didion didnt keep its corn processing facility free from recognized hazards that caused or were likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Employees were exposed to the hazards associated with dust explosion, deflagration or other fire hazards.

Six filters set up to collect dust in the facility werent equipped with explosion protective systems and conveyor equipment wasnt properly bonded to ducts that are used to control particulate matter, inspectors said then.

Records show Didion paid a $3,465 fine and the case was closed in September 2013. OSHA hadnt cited the plant for anything since, records show.

The records also show that in 2011 OSHA informally settled without fines several citations alleging Didion didnt provide adequate respiratory protection for employees.

In 2010 Didion agreed to pay the state $1.05 million to settle state Department of Justice lawsuits alleging the company violated air and water pollution regulations dozens of times over the previous decade. The air violations related to inadequate measures to prevent dust from escaping the plant and polluting the air outside. The water violations concerned pollution from Didions ethanol operation.

The state helped the company win $5.6 million in stimulus funding to expand its milling and ethanol facilities, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism has reported.
India assured a medical visa to another Pakistani national who is seeking to donate a kidney to a fellow national undergoing treatment at a hospital in New Delhi.

Pls dont worry. I am asking Indian High Commission to give visa for the second donor, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted in response to a request from one Faiza Malik, who said her nephew Faraz Malik was undergoing treatment at Fortis Hosipital.

Faiza Malik said doctors rejected the previous donor and a now a visa was required for new donor Abdul Razzaq.

On Independence Day, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) had announced that India would provide medical visas to all bonafide Pakistani patients.

As ties between the two countries soured over various issues, the ministry had announced in May that only a letter of recommendation by then Pakistan Prime Ministers Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz would enable a Pakistani national to get a medical visa for India.

The action was termed highly regrettable by Islamabad, which said asking for such a letter violated diplomatic norms and such a requirement had not been prescribed for any other country.

However, a patient from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, seeking treatment in New Delhi for liver tumour, was given a visa on July 18.

Sushma Swaraj then said that he needed no recommendation from the Pakistani government for a medical visa because the territory is an integral part of India.

Since August 15, however, Pakistani nationals seeking medical treatment have not been denied visas.
The Madras high court on Friday upheld a two-year prison sentence for M Natarajan, husband of jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala, and four others in a custom duty evasion case.

The order came as a further blow to the Sasikala-led rebel faction of the ruling party.

Natarajans house was also among the properties of various Sasikala relatives raided by the Income Tax Department earlier this month for alleged tax evasion.

Sasikala herself is serving a four-year prison term in a disproportionate assets case.

The high court held five persons, including Natarjan, guilty of evading duty to the tune of Rs 1 crore while importing a luxury car, Lexus, in 1994, by allegedly forging the model of the car in the documents.

Apart from Natarajan, four others against whom the CBI, which investigated the case, pressed charges are V Bhaskaran, S Balarkrishnan ( based in London) his son Yogesh Balakrishnan, Sujaritha Sundararajan, a branch manager in the Indian Bank and assistant branch manager R Bhavani.

Among the accused, Balakrishnan is absconding while Bhavani turned an approver and gave evidence against the others.

Following the trial, the CBI court in 2010 awarded two-year jail term to each of the convicts. The conviction was challenged by Natarajan and others in the Madras High Court.

Pronouncing the judgement, high court judge Justice D Jayachandran refused to give time to Natarajan to surrender.

Now the CBI would have to procure an arrest warrant and proceed in the matter.

Sasikala and members of her extended family, dubbed as Mannargudi clan by her detractors, have diverse business interests, and wield considerable political clout in Tamil Nadu.

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Nearly 1,000 officers of agriculture and horticulture departments of the Telangana government are scheduled to fly to Israel in December on a study tour for skill enhancement and learning hi-tech agriculture practices.

The officials will spend a minimum of 15 days to a maximum of three weeks in Israel, undertake field visits and interact with local farmers and agriculture experts, besides learning modern methods of cultivation and water harvesting techniques.

The tour, which official sources said will cost the Telangana government an estimated Rs 25 crore to Rs 30 crore, has come under fire from the opposition Congress which described the exercise as sheer waste of public money.

Official sources said the tour will include officials ranging from field officers and technical staff to officials of various heads of department ranks in both agriculture and horticulture wings. The estimated expenditure of Rs 25 cr to Rs 30 cr includes cost of transportation, boarding and lodging and field visits.

Its big money, but is worth spending. It is not just a flying visit or holiday junket. It helps in expanding the horizons of the knowledge of the officials and change their mind set. All these days, our officials have been like frogs in the well without any skill enhancement and functioning in a routine manner. The tour will help them to gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the modern methods of cultivation and new technologies, Telangana agriculture secretary C Parthasarthy told Hindustan Times.

The modalities of the official tour are being worked out and will be finalised once the training module is decided in consultation with the Israeli government, he said.

Parthasarthy said Israel was chosen for the official tour, because it was a pioneer in the modern agriculture techniques. The Israelis are known for intensive cultivation with less water but with high productivity in agriculture using hi-tech methods. They install sensors near the crops so that whenever the water supply is less, they give signals and water is released automatically into the fields. Like power grid, they have water grids, which measure the quantum of water released into fields and farmers are charged accordingly, he said.

The senior IAS officer said the Israelis have also mastered post-harvest management with simplified methods of picking and grading of agriculture produce. They have warehouses and processing units just adjacent to their farms so that they cut down transportation costs.

They are also known for robotic cultivation and maintenance of dairy farms. Just 10 people can manage hundreds of cows and buffalos with the help of robots, he said.

In the next phase, the Telangana government is planning to send a select group of farmers as well to Israel. These model farmers are likely to be identified by the farmers coordination committees to be set up shortly with the ruling party-affiliated famers.

The opposition is not impressed by the governments priorities with the Congress saying the study tour is an unnecessary replication of a similar exercise in 1999 in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Where is the need to send so many officers? In fact, during the combined Andhra Pradesh regime itself, several officials visited Israel in the name of study tours. The Israel method of cultivation is already being implemented in Kuppam of Chittoor district. What is new that these officials are going to learn? Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Dr Dasoju Sravan asked.
It didnt take much time for Nirmala Sitharaman to notice that soldiers seemed confused over how to address Indias first full-time woman defence minister.

During her visits to the countrys frontiers over the last two months, Sitharaman has been variously greeted with Jai Hind, memsaab; Jai Hind, sir; and Jai Hind, madam salutations. Officials from her entourage confirmed to the Hindustan Times that many soldiers she interacted with were unsure of the most appropriate way to address the minister.

The minister has been addressed as sir, madam and memsaab on different occasions. During informal interactions, some jawans even asked how they should address the minister. The minister said, You can just call me Raksha Mantri please, a source said.

An army officers wife is called memsaab by troops and sir can be a generic term that covers women officers too.

The 58-year-old Sitharaman is only the second woman to hold the defence portfolio.

As prime minister, Indira Gandhi twice doubled up as the defence minister, in 1975 and in 1980-82. Some of the troops may get around to addressing her as Raksha Mantri and some could struggle with the appropriate greeting to accompany their salute, a retired army commander said.

 Its a nice gesture on the Raksha Mantris part to help resolve the dilemma of our troops, a senior army officer said.
Protests against the movie Padmavati intensified on Friday in several places across the country with hundreds taking to the streets in Rajasthan, Haryana, and even southern Tamil Nadu demanding a ban on the Bollywood film that they say has distorted facts and hurt their sentiments.

Protesters blocked the entrance to the Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthans Chittor, which is associated with the legendary Rajput queen Padmini, saying they will not allow the film based on her life to be released.

The Rajput community and organisations such as the Karni Sena have alleged that Sanjay Leela Bhansalis film depicts an amorous relationship between Padmavati  portrayed by actor Deepika Padukone  and Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji  played by Ranveer Singh.

Makers of the film have denied the allegations on several occasions.

The Sarv Samaj Sangathan and some other outfits have also said a song in the film, which shows Padukone dancing the traditional ghoomar, crossed dramatic license.

A dharna demanding a ban on Padmavati is continuing for the last eight days at Padan Pole. The Chittorgarh Fort will be closed for tourists today (Friday), member of Sarv Samaj Sangathan and president of Jauhar Samriti Sansthan Ummed Singh said.

However, superintendent of police of Chittorgarh Prashant Kumar Khamesra said the fort, a world heritage site, is not officially closed.

We have been informed by the protesters that entry to the fort will be blocked for tourists. We have made ample security arrangements to deal with the situation, he said.

New agency ANI reported that several shots were fired during the protests against the film outside Chittorgarh fort. The Hindustan Times could not verify the report.

In March, the Chittorgarh Fort was vandalised by a group of men who broke the mirrors installed at the so-called Padmini Palace.

Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) managing director Pradeep Kumar Borad has ruled out any change in the operations of the luxury train  Palace on Wheels  and said it would run through the circuit and will go to Chittorgarh. Borad, when asked whether the tourists would be taken to Chittorgarh Fort, said the local administration be able to comment on it better.

Members of the Rajput Karni Sena in Tamil Nadus Coimbatore also demanded the film be banned.

Protest march in Hisar

In Haryanas Hisar, Karni Sena staged a motorcycle march from the IG chowk to DC office and burnt the effigy of Bhansali. More than 50 members of the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena were led by its state president Bhawani Singh.

The protesters also handed over a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded a ban on the screening of Padmavati in India.

The filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali did this movie without knowing proper facts about Rani Padmavati. Bhansali is mocking history, Bhawani Singh told the Hindustan Times. We have only one demand from the Prime Minister that they must not allow the screening of the movie in the state and in India also, Singh added.

Deepika is trying to provoke us

Rajput Karni Sena chief Kalvi on Friday lashed out at Padukone, saying she was not the president of India to roll out orders on the release of Padmavati.

Who will tolerate the fact that Rani Padmavati is being shown as the lover of Allauddin Khilji? Deepika Padukone, in her statement, said that the film would be released at any cost. She is not the president of this nation. She is trying to provoke us, Kalvi was quoted as saying by ANI.

He also condemned Bhansali for using Rani Padmavatis name. If I ever meet him I will ask him to not use my mothers name. I will not tolerate this, Kalvi said in Patna, the capital of Bihar.

He added it was not just the Karni Sena but everyone in the society has come forward to speak against the film.

Now, I will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a stand and stop this film from being released. The Centre needs to decide what has to be done here, Kalvi added.

Kalvi said earlier the lakhs of Senas members will gather for a nation-wide shutdown on December 1, when the film is scheduled to be released.

Women belonging to the Rajput community also protested against Padmavati in Patna and said they will not let the film be released in the state.

Padmavati dragged to court again

A lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma filed a fresh petition on Friday in the Supreme Court against Padmavati, seeking the removal of objectionable scenes. The top court said it would consider the plea but refused to give any date for a hearing.

Last week, a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, dismissed the petition filed by three individuals, saying the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not yet issued a certificate to the movie.

It said the CBFC is an independent body and the court should not intervene in their jurisdiction.

The movie has been facing trouble since January this year.

The first attack took place at Jaipurs Jaigarh fort when scores of Karni Sena members barged into the sets and assaulted movie staff, including Bhansali.

The incident triggered outrage and drew condemnation from Bollywood but Bhansali soon appeared to reach a compromise with the protesters by agreeing to delete the sequences.

Senas patron Kalvi, who claims to be the 37th descendant of Ratan Singh of Chittorgarh, said Bhansali did not honour the commitment and released films trailer.

The controversy over the film took an ugly turn on Thursday after a leader of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena warned Deepika Padukone against inciting sentiments and threatened to main her citing an episode from the Hindu epic Ramayana.

The Rajput Karni Sena is fighting to protect the image of women being portrayed in the films. We never raise a hand on women but, if need be, we will do to Deepika what Lakshmana did to Shurpanakha for violating the rules and culture of India, Mahipal Singh said.

Mumbai Police tightened the security of Padukone as well as at Bhansalis residence in Versova area of the city.

Both the Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have spoken in favour of the Rajputs, an influential vote bank in the state. Rajasthan goes to polls in December 2018.

Members of former royal families, including Jaipurs Diya Kumari who is a BJP legislator, and even a non-Rajput royal Vishvendra Singh of Bharatpur  who is a Jat and a Congress legislator  have raised their voices against the film.
Pakistani troops on Friday fired at Indian posts and forward villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, an Indian Army official said, amid the growing violation of the 2003 ceasefire agreement in the past few months.

Defence spokesperson Colonel NN Joshi said the firing was unprovoked and indiscriminate and the Pakistani army used small arms, automatic weapons, and mortars on Indian posts and in Poonch from 7.45am.

The Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively. Firing is still on, he added.

A police officer said heavy exchange of fire going on in Poonch Azot and Digwar areas.

Pakistan has been frequently and continuously firing at Indian posts in Poonch and Rajouri districts since May 1 this year. Pakistan opened heavy fire in Laam area of Nowshera sector in Rajouri district last Friday.

A high-powered panel of officials of the Union ministry of home affairs led by special secretary (internal security) Rina Mitra met villagers living close to the Line of Control (LoC) in the two border districts of Rajouri and Poonch last Saturday.

The team visited Jhangar, Langar and Dhanaka villages along the de facto border to assess the quantum of damages, peoples problems and demands amid the continued firing and shelling by Pakistani forces.

Before that, Union home minister Rajnath Singh asked the Border Security Force (BSF) and army to avoid opening first fire but respond well if Pakistan fired even a single bullet at India during his visit to the area in September.

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In a retort to Rahul Gandhis jibe terming the GST as Gabbar Singh Tax, Union minister Giriraj Singh on Friday said the body language of the Congress leader resembled that of Gabbar Singh, the tobacco-chewing dacoit made famous by actor Amjad Khan in film Sholay.

Last month, Rahul Gandhi had lashed out at the Modi government, calling the Goods and Services Tax Gabbar Singh Tax, meant to extort money from people.

Some people are making a hue and cry. The prince (Rahul) is saying that this is Gabbar Singh GST. This is not Gabbar Singh tax. You are making a mistake. Your language resembles that of Gabbar Singh. Your body language resembles that of Gabbar Singh, Singh said.

The Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) was addressing a convention of small and medium entrepreneurs here.

Behind closed doors, your finance ministers (of Congress ruled states) extend support to the GST, but outside, you term it as Gabbar Singh Tax. These are double standards, he said.

Singh said the concerns of the business community were being addressed by the government.

In a tweet last week, Gandhi stated, We will not allow BJP to impose a Gabbar Singh Tax on India. They cannot break the back of the small and medium businesses, crush the informal sector and destroy millions of jobs.

The Congress vice president repeated his jibe at election rallies in Gujarat.

Singh claimed that MSME sector provided jobs to around 10 crore youth.

Eighty per cent of jobs, he said, were provided by the small and medium businesses with only 20% of total investment, while 80% money was invested in big businesses that employed only 20% of the industrial work force.

Singh defended demonetisation, and said despite facing problems peoples faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained unshaken.

(B R) Ambedkar had also suggested that currency should be demonetised every 10 years. But Indira Gandhi (former prime minister) could not dare to demonetise the currency, he added.

In his address, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the US adopted talent from across the world and that led to its success.

If there were no Indian doctors, half the US would remain ill, he said.

At the convention, Chouhan announced sops for the states MSMEs, including 40 per cent subsidy on the machinery required for setting up small-scale industries as the previous subsidy regime ended upon introduction of the GST.

He also said that the small-size plots would be provided to the MSMEs as per their need, besides simplification of other rules.

A large number of small and medium-size entrepreneurs are attending the two-day convention.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report and day to day record of its probe in the murder of Pradhyumn Thakur, the eight-year-old student of Gurgaons Ryan International School.

The order was passed by the high court while hearing the petitions filed by the chief executive of Ryan Group of Institution Ryan Pinto and his parents, founding chairperson Augustine Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto.

The central agency said its role cannot be ruled out at this stage since it is still carrying out the probe. The Pinto family, on the other hand, argued that they had no role in the case and the CBI has already arrested a school student for the murder.

The high court sought the status report from the agency by Tuesday.

The high court bench of justice Surinder Gupta advanced the date of hearing on the bail pleas to Friday after it was apprised by Barun Chandra Thakur, father of the victim, that the Supreme Court had given 10 days time for the disposal of the matter in its order of November 6.

The Pinto family filed a please for anticipatory bail on September 19. The high court had stayed their arrest on September 28.

The pleas were filed after the school was accused of negligence in the death of Pradyuman, who was murdered in a toilet inside the school on September 8. The local police initially arrested a bus conductor, Ashok Kumar, for the crime.

The additional district and sessions judge adjourned hearing in his bail plea to November 20 on Thursday.

The CBI, which is now probing the matter, detained a Class 11 student of the school on November 7 for murdering the second grader to get his examinations and a parent-teacher meeting (PTM) deferred.

Pradhyumns father has filed a petition in the juvenile justice board seeking the trial of the 16-year-old accused as an adult, saying the crime he committed was chilling, horrific, monstrous and serious in nature.
The Karnataka governments decision to introduce an ordinance that allows people to hold a controversial bull race in the state has come under judicial scrutiny with the Supreme Court stating on Friday that the move was fraud on the Constitution.

A bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra took strong exception to the ordinance because a bill legalising the bull race, called Kambala, was returned by the President in May for reconsideration.

The top courts concern came while it was hearing a writ petition filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), challenging Karnataka governments Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017.

A traditional folk sport, Kamabala is held every year from November till March in coastal Karnataka under the auspices of local landlords and households. The state government had introduced the ordinance in the Karnataka assembly on Thursday to preserve and protect peoples tradition.

The bench asked Attorney General KK Venugopal, who was appearing on behalf of the Centre, whether the Karnataka governments move to pass the ordinance was permissible within the Constitution.

On one hand the President refuses assent to the bill passed by the legislature and sends it for reconsideration and on the other you (Karnataka) bring an ordinance. Is it permissible under the Constitution? Can you (Karnataka) commit a fraud on the Constitution? it asked.

The bench also posed questions to Karnataka governments counsel Devdutt Kamat, asking Tell us what is the states concern with this sport, which has cruelty inherent in it? Can you do something which is not permissible under the Constitution?

Justice DY Chandrachud, who was part of the apex courts bench, pointed that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was a central legislation. Does the state have an ordinance-making power if the President refuses to give assent? the bench asked the counsel. This is disturbing us.

In his response, Venugopal said that the bill returned by the President was withdrawn and the ordinance passed by the state had addressed the objections raised by him.

PETAs lawyer, senior advocate, Siddharth Luthra disputed the AGs claim and said the bill was pending when the ordinance was passed. He asked for a stay on the governments order, arguing that there was no difference in the returned bill and the ordinance.

When the AG tried to justify the ordinance by stating that it had the deemed consent of the President, Justice Chandrachud said: That would be far reaching if you say that the ordinance on a law made by Parliament will continue to be valid. When the bill is not valid for the President to give his assent how can the Ordinance be valid for him?

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All issues can be resolved through dialogue, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said here on Friday after meeting Muslim leaders as part of his efforts to mediate a solution to the protracted Ram temple dispute.

Ravi Shankar, who was in Ayodhya yesterday and met various leaders across the religious spectrum, said he respected the courts but they cannot connect hearts.

Even after 100 years, the judgements of courts will remain but if we find a solution through our hearts it will be recognised through the ages, Ravi Shankar told newspersons after meeting the rector of the Farangi Mahal Islamic Centre of India, Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangimahli, and other community leaders.

Farangimahli is also a senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

We accept that it is a little late for such efforts but we want that the issue should be resolved soon, Ravi Shankar said.

I am confident we will achieve something big for the country through this, he added.

According to Ravi Shankar, a new message of brotherhood needs to be taken forward.

Asked if his efforts are aimed at a settlement before the court decision on the issue or even after that, he said, We are not leaving any possibility... we are not working on an agenda but trying to find a way.

The Art of Living founder asked for time and said there was no hurry, religious heads would come together and talk.

Giving his take on the talks, Farangimahli said differences will be removed if leaders of both sides sit together and talk regularly.

Ravi Shankar yesterday met Dinendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara as well as Muslim intellectuals in Ayodhya and Faizabad.

His efforts to mediate have found favour only with a section of both communities with major parties, including the AIMPLB and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, expressing their reservations.

A day before visiting Ayodhya, he had met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow and said he wanted unity and amity.
As the centennial year of Lake Wissota draws to a close, the time has come for a renewed focus on the future of this jewel of the Chippewa Valley.

When the completion of the Wissota dam in 1917 created the impoundment we call Lake Wissota, the concept of managing natural resources was in its infancy. Few people gave much thought to how land and lake use policies might affect the future of the resource. A century later, the lake is showing its age. But today we have a better understanding of how water flowing into the lake carries sediment and nutrients that degrade water quality.

Users and residents of the lake are well familiar with the algae blooms that limit recreational use, impact the fishery and ultimately reduce the attractiveness and economic benefits of Lake Wissota to the community. Fortunately, in recent years efforts have been made to translate this better understanding of the dynamics of the lake environment into action.

The Little Lake Wissota Stewardship Project began as a five-year pilot project thanks to the generosity and commitment of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company and the Chippewa County Land Conservation Department. With the cooperation of landowners, stream buffers and sediment basins were installed to reduce runoff in the watershed. About 40,000 trees and shrubs were planted as part of the effort.

Scientific models suggest that these installations have the potential to reduce the volume of nutrients delivered to the small lake by an estimated 672 pounds per year, resulting in a reduction of algae growth by 168 tons per year. The model measures the gains by added clean water days.

However, the participation of Leinenkugels was an effort of get the project started, and it is time for the people who love and use the lake the take over the efforts, which are being led by the Lake Wissota Improvement and Protection Association. Chippewa County has asked the LWIPA to commit to a contribution of $50,000 a year for the next five years to not only continue, but extend the project to the entire lakes watershed.

Thanks to the support of local businesses, Lake Wissota landowners, and many other friends of the lake, the LWIPA can announce that it has secured enough funds to meet the $50,000 installment for 2018. Efforts to raise funds and pledges totaling $250,000 are ongoing to ensure that the Lake Wissota Stewardship Project reaches the goal set by the county. Chippewa County has asked that the balance of funds needed for the next five years be pledged by January 1, 2018.

To learn more about the Lake Wissota Stewardship Project and how you can help, visit http://www.lwipa.net.

Lake Wissota was still young when Wisconsins legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold, known as one of the fathers of the conservation movement, was first making his mark. In urging the public to adopt a land ethic, he was under no illusions that there would someday be a perfect balance between nature and mans use of nature.

We shall never achieve harmony with the land, any more than we shall achieve absolute justice or liberty for people, Leopold wrote. In these higher aspirations the important thing is not to achieve but to strive.

Lake Wissota will never have crystal clear, pristine water, but we can stop the degradation of water quality, and even make it better. Lets strive together to make it happen.
A militant of Zakir Musas al-Qaeda group in Kashmir died on Friday hours after he was wounded in the shootout on the outskirts of Jammu and Kashmirs summer capital Srinagar in which a police officer was killed and another wounded.

Security forces also managed to capture one of the two attackers in the latest gunfight at Srinagars Zakura between security forces and rebels in the restive state.

Police said that the body of Mugees Ahmad Mir, who is alleged to be a member of Ansar Ghazwatul Hind led by Musa, reached home at Parimpora Srinagar late in the evening.

Mugees was fatally injured in the gunfight at Zakura in which one of our sub inspector was martyred. However the militant managed to escape from the spot. He must have succumbed. His body taken home by the locals, said superintendent of police, Amod Nagpure.

Earlier, officials said, the police launched a cordon and search operation after receiving information about the presence of militants in Zakura area of Srinagar.

J&K: Wreath laying ceremony of Sub-Inspector Imran Tak, who lost his life during terrorist attack in Zakura Hazratbal. pic.twitter.com/fdqQSsJM3I  ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2017

Militants opened fire on the search party seriously wounding a sub-inspector and a special police officer, Srinagars senior superintendent of police Imtiyaz Parray said.

Inspector general of police (Kashmir range) Muneer Khan later confirmed to the Hindustan Times that sub-inspector Imran Ahmad succumbed to his injuries.

More than 1,500 police personnel have been killed in the valley since insurgency broke out in 1989. In June, a deputy superintendent of police  Mohammed Ayub Pandith  was lynched by a mob outside Srinagars main mosque.

Several policemen have been killed or attacked and their homes ransacked by suspected militants in recent months, seen as warnings to local police personnel to stop participating in counter-insurgency operations.
Stubble burning has turned out to be a trouble for farmers this time as well with dense smog caused by fires has delayed the sowing of wheat crop by a fortnight in several districts of the state.

Due to inadequate sunshine, worried farmers are waiting to their fields to get dried as they have high moisture content due to fog, so that they could start wheat sowing soon. The first two weeks of November are considered ideal for this.

With the annual wheat acreage about 25 lakh hectares in the state, wheat production remains 115 lakh tonnes.

Weather is not suitable for wheat sowing as of now. We are waiting for our fields to dry for the past three weeks. It will take at least one more week as there was not sunshine for the past couple of days. Besides, there is also prediction of rain in the next few days, said Sunil Kumar, a farmer from Karnal.

We do not know the reason behind the delay, but there is too much moisture in the fields which need to be dry for tilling, said Parveen Kumar, another farmer.

However, the farmers are not ready to acknowledge that burning of paddy residue cause the early fog. They said blaming crop burning for pollution is wrong and the government should also take action against the industries that pollute the air throughout the year.

The problem is the high-moisture content in fields due to early fog, but by November 20 farmers can sow wheat as the weather has started improving for the past two days, said Karam Chand, deputy director, Haryana agriculture department. Also, the officials said the weather will be normal by the next week and there are lateral varieties of wheat which can be sown by mid-December.

The farmers said the delay in sowing may bring down the per acre yield by 4-5 quintals.

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A Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader has lodged a police complaint against Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, saying he has hurt the sentiments of the Hindus by praising Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad state.

BJYM Hyderabad unit vice president Singapuram Bharat Raj said the Telangana chief minister was distorting the history of Hyderabad and extolling the Nizam only to appease Muslims, particularly the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which openly declared its alliance with the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

Thousands of people of Telangana, particularly the Hindus, had lost their lives in fighting against the oppressive regime of the Nizam. It was recorded in the history that the private army of the Nizam had resorted to large-scale atrocities on Hindus, raped thousands of women and paraded them nakedly on streets, Raj told the Hindustan Times.

KCR is ignoring all these facts and is praising the Nizam only to appease the minorities for the sake of power, he added.

In his complaint filed on Thursday, the BJYM leader also pointed out that the Nizam had at one stage refused to merge Hyderabad state with the Indian Union and even negotiated with Pakistan for a merger.

KCR is now praising such a tyrant, thereby hurting the sentiments of the Hindus and insulting the sacrifices made by thousands of martyrs who laid down their lives for the liberation of Hyderabad, he said and added that he asked the police to initiate necessary action against the chief minister.

Inspector of Mahankali police station in Secunderabad B Ramesh confirmed that he had received a complaint from the BJYM leader but said no case has been registered so far.

We are examining the genuineness of the complaint and further action will be taken only after taking the legal opinion, Ramesh said.

The BJYM leader said if the police failed to register the first information report against KCR, he would move a court seeking justice.

During a discussion on minority welfare last week, the Telangana chief minister described the last Nizam as a noble ruler, who had taken up several welfare and developmental projects in Telangana, including construction of the Nizam Sagar irrigation project and the first orthopaedic hospital in the country.

He also pointed out that the Nizam had magnanimously contributed six tons of gold to the Union government during the 1962 war with China.

The erstwhile Andhra rulers had wrongly projected the Nizam and showed him as a villain. I am going to get the history of Hyderabad rewritten to project the true picture of the Nizam. After all, he was our king, KCR said.

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Two days after three persons died in a suspected hooch tragedy in Vaishali, the district police on Friday seized 660 cartons of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and arrested four people for illegal transportation of alcohol in Bihar where the state government has implemented total prohibition since April last year.

Superintendent of police (SP) Rakesh Kumar said the value of the liquor seized from two trucks at district headquarters Hajipur, 22 km north of Patna, was Rs 70 lakh.

The SP said a police team intercepted a truck on the new Hajipur-Sonpur bridge and recovered 540 cartons of IMFL. The team, led by Hajipur town police station SHO Sunil Kumar, also arrested four people, including the driver, he added.

The town police intercepted another truck at Minapur village and recovered 120 cartons of. The driver and the cleaner, however, managed to escape, Rakesh Kumar said.

The SP said the trucks had registration numbers of Rajasthan and Haryana.

The arrested persons had been identified as Ranvir Kumar, Ganjendra Singh (both from Bharatpur in Rajasthan), Binod Yadav (Jaunpur in UP) and Amarnath Mahto (Chapra in Bihar).

On Wednesday, three people had died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor at Basauli village under Baradi Sahai police station of Vaishali district.

Consuming, keeping or dealing in liquor is an offence under the states new excise prohibition law, which provides for imprisonment up to 10 years.
The Bundi police on Friday recovered the automated teller machine (ATM) of the Central Bank of India, which was stolen from Nainwa road in Bundi town a couple of days ago.

The ATM was recovered from a deserted forest area near the Bundi railway station, said Rajendra Verma, the additional superintendent of police of Bundi. Money was missing from the ATM, he added.

Apparently, the burglars had dismantled the ATM, taken out the money and abandoned it in the area, the police said.

The vehicle used for carrying the stolen ATM was also found. The vehicle was recovered from Bada Nayagaon village near Bundi town on Friday, said Prem Kumar Meena, sub-Inspector, Kotwali police station. However, the unidentified burglars are still at large. The police are searching for them, Meena said.
No haulage charges will be levied on Rajasthans luxury tourist train Palace on Wheels (PoW), railway minister Piyush Goyal told chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Friday, assuring assistance for the operation of new trains in the state.

Haulage is the business of transporting goods by rail or road.

Raje also urged Goyal in Delhi for relaxation in recovery of pending charges on the Royal Rajasthan Wheels (RRW) train.

With the railway ministrys permission, Raje said, the state is running RRW this tourism season instead of PoW as it has become old. She also proposed running of PoW as a heritage train.

The CM urged Goyal to maintain the heritage importance of 70-km-long Dholpur-Sarmathura rail line. Without removing the historic rail line, she said, new broad-gauge line can be laid in parallel.

A broad-gauge line is being laid between Sarmathura and Gangapur (75km) to connect Delhi with Chennai as well as Mumbai via Dholpur-Karauli, Raje said. The project cost is estimated to be above Rs 2000 crore.

Raje demanded increase in railway racks to strengthen coal transport and ensure 24x7 electricity supply to the state.

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A section of the students of the new law college hostel under Calcutta University continued their demonstration outside the vice-chancellors office for the third day on Friday, to protest against alleged ragging of four students on November 9 at the hostel.

Around 20 students including two juniors who had allegedly been ragged were demonstrating outside the VCs office but they are not hindering movements of Vice-Chancellor Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee.

Banerjee said, A two-member inquiry committee has been formed comprising the registrar and the official in charge of hostels. The panel will talk to the hostel employees, the super of the said hostel and the inmates to investigate their allegations. We can think about follow-up action once they submitted their findings.

In the preliminary inquiry conducted after the complaints were received, ragging charges were not proved, the VC said.

We now intend to conduct a full-fledged inquiry and we request the students to wait till the inquiry report is submitted, she said.

The agitators said this is a symbolic protest against the VCs chair.

We demand the university takes exemplary action against the guilty students and put a stop to incidents of ragging by a section of seniors at the law college, one of the agitating students said.

The agitating students said they did not belong to any political group.
Justice League

Director - Zack Snyder

Cast - Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, JK Simmons, Ciaran Hinds, Henry Cavill

Rating - 3/5

Of course it makes all the sense in the world for Justice League to have turned out the way it did.

As lifelong fans of these characters  an arrangement that affords the filmmakers certain liberties, yes, but also makes them vulnerable to more scrutiny  weve shrugged at Man of Steel and weve seethed at Batman v Superman, weve tolerated Suicide Squad and weve celebrated Wonder Woman. And as strange as it sounds, Justice League is emblematic of all these ups and downs, these ebbs and flows. More than being the movie we need (or, to dust off that old chestnut, the movie we deserve), it is a movie we must learn to accept.

Because this Justice League certainly isnt for everyone, and even as I write this, I wonder if it is for me. It is the sort of movie that can be excruciatingly dumb at any given moment; with forced jokes that have the hit rate of a drunk stormtrooper, jaw-droppingly inane plotting that often pales in comparison to the original DC animated series, but it can also make a houseful crowd of excited fans positively palpitate with pure joy.

And part of the reason for this unevenness is the story  credited to director Zack Snyder and Oscar-winner Chris Terrio. It requires you to be well versed in the polarizing plots of the DC Extended Universe, and hinges precariously (and quite bafflingly, considering how many people detest the film it happened in) on one particular event: The death of Superman.

Supermans demise has sent the planet into mass mourning, with large black banners draped over the worlds most iconic landmarks in his memory - and in a particularly terrific opening scene in Gotham City - pushing even criminals into a full blown existential crisis.

But Supermans death  besides striking Bruce Wayne with plunging guilt  has also made our planet vulnerable to alien attacks. As hinted previously (in BvS)  once again, this movie is sort of exclusive that way  a powerful otherworldly being (but more of a minion, really) who calls himself Steppenwolf arrives on Earth in search of a magical object known as a mother box. There are, if I followed the inelegant plot correctly, three in existence -- one underwater, with the Atlanteans, another with the Amazons, and a third, on Earth.

Sensing Steppenwolfs arrival, Bruce (now all jacked up on hope) lassoes Wonder Woman in on the plan, and together they embark on a mission to unite the metahumans first glimpsed in those terrible QuickTimes in BvS.

In Central City, Bruce finds Barry Allen, aka The Flash, who is unfortunately relegated to being the comic relief  to the extent that I genuinely believe he never says anything with a straight face in the entire film, even his odd literary references. Theres a sense that a lot of Ezra Millers screen time - as with the others - was left on the cutting room floor.

Meanwhile, Diana makes a feeble attempt at convincing Cyborg, who is essentially the modern day equivalent of Frankensteins Monster (his real names Victor, you guys), into joining the team. This he later does, after vaguely turning her down, seemingly on a whim.

On a different corner of the planet, Bruce runs into Arthur Curry, aka the Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa, who is  and itll be hilarious if he admits to it in some interview  doing a (fairly spot-on) impression of James Hetfield from Metallica.

United for the first time on a Gotham City rooftop  with the Bat Signal illuminating the dreary sky above, and Commissioner Gordons weathered shoes splashing in days-old puddles down below  Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg and the Flash make a decision. Through silent looks and palpable concern, they vow to defend Earth from the forces that threaten it.

Justice League continues the DC Extended Universes bizarre trend of producing films that are direct reactions to their immediate predecessors. Batman v Superman made an ambitious attempt to address the nihilistic third-act mayhem of Man of Steel, and failed so spectacularly that it derailed the entire franchise, forced Warner Bros to shelve at least half-a-dozen future films, and with only a few months to go, drastically alter the tone of David Ayers Suicide Squad.

But these are details that would not concern the average moviegoer. Which begs the question: Do they even matter? Because Justice League will certainly play differently to those who have been closely tracking the behind-the-scenes drama that went down over the past few months.

To us, for it to have turned out OK (dont lie, you were worried too, werent you) is almost miraculous. For a film to have lost its director essentially midway through production, and to have the antithesis of that director come in and finish the job would be a reasonable cause for concern for anyone.

But against all odds, the diametrically opposite tones of Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon have come together (right now!) to find  if not harmony  but (at least) synthesis. This is unprecedented on such a scale, and with a similar tactic being employed over at the Han Solo Star Wars movie, also quite worrying about the role of the filmmaker on big studio pictures. On paper, the idea makes all the sense of Barack Obama writing a letter of recommendation for Donald Trump, or Rahul Gandhi defecting to the BJP. But in practice  God save us all  it works.

But now I address you, the average moviegoer directly: Do you even care? If you skimmed the last couple of paragraphs, you probably dont. At the end of the day, when the warm sunlight has cut through the blood-red skies of Justice Leagues fever dream of a final showdown, were all looking for the same thing: A superhero movie that shows us a good time.

And for all its faults  an ugly third-act show down that looks like a mid-2000s PlayStation 2 video game, Danny Elfmans instantly forgettable (and shamelessly rehashed) musical score, one of the most unimaginative (and cheap-looking) main villains in recent memory, and more than an hour spent on just build-up  Justice League isnt as terrible as it could so easily have been.

I cannot tell you how long Ive waited to hear Bruce Wayne utter the words Im putting together a team. And I cannot express the wave of nostalgia that struck when the familiar notes of childhood escaped the cacophony of Elfmans terrible score (did I mention it is terrible?).

And it is with these small joys that Justice League accomplishes its epic mission. It is the least ambitious of the DCEU films, and often feels almost too slight an entry in this famously mythic franchise, but it is a film that has hope in its eyes and optimism in its heart. It would be mean to burst its bubble.

Watch the Justice League trailer here

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The author tweets @RohanNaahar

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Film: Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru

Director: H Vinoth

Cast: Karthi, Rakul Preet Singh, Abhimanyu Singh and Bose Venkat

Rating: 3.5/5

In Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, quite early on, we witness a gang of dacoits brutally murder a family, leaving behind a gory crime scene. A couple of scenes later they strike again. This time, another family is killed ruthlessly and then robbed. These visuals are sure to leave the viewers shocked, but director Vinoth - who made a terrific directorial debut with Sathuranga Vettai in 2014 -- doesnt flinch at showing violence like no recent Tamil film, making this Karthi starrer a bonafide no-holds-barred, riveting police procedural.

Theeran cant be merely brushed aside as just another addition to the long list of cop films in Tamil cinema. It earns its place and rightly so by giving us a competently-made film which almost shines in every department, particularly in action. Its easily one of the most extensive action films in Karthis career and going by Tamil cinemas standard, it sets a new benchmark. The action stretches are terrifically shot, especially one that unfolds inside a moving bus and then slowly shifts to on top of the vehicle.

One of the reasons why Theeran is instantly likable and laudable is for its realistic portrayal of cops, making us view their lives in a completely different light. Set in the early 2000s, we follow a team of cops - lead from the front by Karthi - on a nation-wide trip to hunt down the gang of ruthless, cold-blooded dacoits. Abhimanyu Singh, in easily his best performance since Ram Gopal Varmas Rakht Charitra, plays the antagonist and he wreaks havoc with his gang in the first half of the film, giving the entire police department sleepless nights. We get a solid back-story for Abhimanyus gang and these are not men who rob and kill not for the heck of it.

Extensive research has gone into the making of the film and its evident in its screenplay. Vinoth shines as writer and director in making Theeran, while steering away from the usual cliches associated with cop films, stand out and root for characters for a change instead of actors. Karthi is terrific in one of his best roles. Hes fit and owns his part comfortably. There are no needless hero elevation scenes or punch dialogues which is usually the case with most films in this space. Instead, Vinoth makes us root for an upright police officer and were made to realize hes the best in what he does.

Except for the tiresome romantic portion which can be overseen by the end of the film, Theeran is a gripping, explosive action drama that works despite its lengthy running time. The edge-of-the-seat narrative is extremely well supported by Ghibrans score and he proves yet again why hes one of the most underrated contemporary composers.

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With the stage set for a tough fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress during the Gujarat Assembly elections slated for next month, both parties have deployed leaders and workers from Mumbai to campaign and convince voters.

The BJP has deployed around 100 sitting Gujarati-speaking MLAs, corporators and workers in Surat and other parts of the state, while the Congress Mumbai unit has announced that it will dispatch 200 workers to southern Gujarat.

The BJP Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar is camping in Surat, 285 km from Maharashtras capital, with workers from the partys various wings. He is responsible for coordination in Surats 12 Assembly constituencies. Gujarati-speaking corporators from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, workers attached with the Uttar Bharatiya Morcha and the minority wing will be stationed in 16 constituencies in Surat and its rural outskirts.

Other Gujarati-speaking leaders from Mumbai, including Mangalprabhat Lodha, Raj Purohit, Yogesh Sagar and senior corporators such as Manoj Kotak are responsible for campaigning in other parts of Gujarat.

The BJPs Mumbai team has been asked to use the missed-call initiative, implemented two years ago, to reach out to new voters. We will focus on getting them to go and vote in the first two hours of the day of the election. The team has been asked to establish personal contact with them before the candidates are announced in the next couple of days. We have deployed almost one worker per voter in these constituencies, said a BJP leader from Mumbai.

He said the Mumbai leaders expertise will play a crucial role in the Gujarat polls.

Mumbai and Gujarat share a business relationship, as well as an emotional one. Mumbais business communities have relatives who live in Gujarat. Decades ago, both states were one . This helps leaders from Mumbai and Maharashtra appeal to voters. Our late leader Pramodji Mahajan had introduced a system of exchange of inter-state workers in elections. This helped create Maharashtra leaders who had expertise in elections, said BJP MLA Raj Purohit.

Congresss Mumbai unit, led by Sanjay Nirupam, said it would send 200 workers to tap into the voter base in Gujarat. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is getting increasing support for the elections. According to a survey, the gap between voters supporting the BJP and us has reduced from 30% to 6%. Our workers will help convert the support to votes. We will be camped in these constituencies for the next three weeks, Nirupam said.

The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will be play smaller roles. The NCP, which had two MLAs in the dissolved Assembly, is yet to decide whether to contest in alliance with the Congress or to join forces with Shankarsinh Vaghela. The Shiv Sena is likely to contest 50 candidates, especially in constituencies with Marathi-speaking voters. Though we are contesting the Assembly elections after a gap of 15 years, we have a fair chance of winning seats. Party MPs, MLAs, corporators from Maharashtra will actively participate in campaigning for candidates in Gujarat, party spokesperson Hemraj Shah said.
Congress city unit chief Sanjay Nirupam has alleged that Pravin Darade, secretary to chief minister and additional metropolitan commissioner of Maharashtra Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), has flouted norms to favour a private firm in allotting contracts.

Nirupam said Darade played a key role in allotting contracts for towing vans and software work by various government agencies. Darade and the chief ministers office have denied the allegations calling them malafide.

Nirupam, who alleged that this was a case of crony capitalism by CM Devendra Fadnavis, said the company was given several contracts in various departments after the BJP-led government took over in 2014. Nirupam said the government tweaked the conditions of the contract to favour the firm. He also alleged that after the company was given the contract, the charges went up by 430%.

The company prospered only after the Fadnavis government took over. Darade, as secretary to chief minister, has played an important role in all these allotments. He had given the contracts of computer operations and software application to the firm when he was heading the Nagpur Improvement Trust in 2014. After he was shifted to CMO, the firm was allotted contracts in Mumbai, Thane, Amravati collectorates and railway commissionerate. The firm was given the contract of towing two and four wheelers by Mumbai police despite the fact that the firm had never operated in this field. The firm has also been illegally given a space of 1,000 sq ft at headquarters of the traffic police at Worli without charging any rent, said Nirupam.

The CMO has issued a clarification over these allegations saying they are baseless and were levelled with malafide intentions. Neither CMO not Darade is involved in allotment of these contracts. It was allotted by joint commissioner of police only after appointing KPMG as technical consultant. The firm was selected as it quoted a lowest period of seven years. It was also appointed to introduce state of the art mechanism in towing as Bombay high court had expressed unhappiness over the techniques in practice. However, a writ petition has been filed in the allotment of the contract and the government will present its stand in the court, the statement issued by CMO said.

While defending himself, Darade said, I have nothing to do with the firm. It was allotted the contract by the BMC in 2011, even before I was transferred to Mumbai in 2014. It is an attempt to malign my image.

Meanwhile, Nirupam also pointed at the high charges being levied for illegal parking. The penalty for illegal parking has gone up to Rs426 for two-wheelers and Rs660 for four-wheelers from merely Rs150 to Rs200. This is a loot, he said.
The state government is considering banning the use of plastic water bottles in government offices and in star hotels. The environment departments proposal is the states first step towards banning plastic completely by Gudi Padwa next March.

State environment minister Ramdas Kadam said the move was aimed at making the state plastic-free. We want to eventually ban the use of plastic in the state and are working towards it. We know that the use of plastic creates environmental issues globally, Kadam told HT.

The government banned plastic bags below 50 microns after the 2005 deluge that claimed several lives in Mumbai and its suburbs. However, senior environmental department officials said Phase 1 includes a ban on the use of plastic bottles in residential hotels and government offices across the state. An amendment to accommodate the ban will be introduced in the winter session of the state Assembly in December.

Satish Gavai, principal secretary, environment, said the environment should take precedence over convenience. We have tried half measures before and they havent succeeded. This time, the intention is to impose a complete ban, with the peoples involvement. Earlier, convenience took precedence over the environment. We want to reverse it. Plastic bottles and bags come at the cost of the environment, he said.

Kadam convened a meeting of all municipal corporations across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region on Thursday. According to officials, the government plans hold municipal corporations responsible for implementing the ban.

Officials said hotels can use water bottles made of reusable glass. We will enforce the ban rigidly in the government offices and hotels. We will try to convince the public and private sector offices to enforce it as it will later be imposed on them, Gavai said.

Another senior official said the state also plans to cancel the licences of shop owners who sell plastic bags, once the ban is in place. The government also plans to sensitise people across the state on the hazards of using plastic.

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The state government is likely to invite members of trade unions to discuss the proposed amendment in the Industrial Dispute Act before it is sent to the cabinet for approval. After the reforms met with strong opposition from trade unions, the government said it would hear them too.

Labour minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar has said that the government will hold talks with the stakeholders to know their views on the proposal and address their concerns.

The opposition parties too have decided to raise the issue in state legislature and take it to the streets if the government tries to push through the amendment using their majority. Leader of opposition in legislative council Dhananjay Munde said the opposition will chalk out a plan to oppose the reforms that are likely to uproot the workers once the government puts the agenda for winter session for discussion. We have been opposing these so called reforms, which are not in the interest of workers, whenever the government brought them in form of bills. This time too, in consultation with other opposition party, we will chalk out a strategy to oppose it, he said.

The trade unions have decided to step up their opposition if the government tries to push for the amendment. We are waiting for the government to call us for the discussion over the proposed amendment. If it fails to discuss the issue and passes it in the cabinet, we will intensify the agitation against the proposal. We are launching a state-wide protest from Pune from next month, said Anil Ganacharya, Mumbai chief of Indian National Trade Union Congress.

Trade unions  such as Bhartiya Majdoor Sangh and Bhartiya Kamgar Sena  which are affiliated to the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena too have opposed the proposal.

Officials from the labour department said it would be difficult to scrap the proposal as the Centre wants it to be implemented. It is a central law and the states have been directed to amend theirs. States like Rajasthan have already amended it. Though there is opposition, it may be difficult for the state to scrap the proposal. It may be moved before the cabinet anytime now. The final call will have to be taken by the cabinet, an official said on the condition of anonymity.
Congress corporator Vikrant Chavan, one of the accused in connection with the suicide of Thane builder Suraj Parmar, was booked once again on Friday for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets.

On October 7, 2015, Parmar, the then Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry president, shot himself on the right side of his neck. He left behind a 15-page suicide note, in which he had mentioned the names of four corporators  Najib Mullah and Hanumanth Jagdale from the NCP, Vikrant Chavan, and MNS corporator Sudhakar Chavan  who, he said, provoked him to take the step. Police said the names had been crossed out and Parmar had written, I do not want these people to harass my family after my death.

Police said Vikrant had allegedly blackmailed Parmar. He had served a jail term of four months and is now out on bail.

A search of 10 properties that are in Vikrants name revealed that he had 136.37% (Rs2.5 crore) extra assets, which he acquired between 2012 and 2015, said Param Bir Singh, Thane police commissioner. A permissible limit is 10% to 15% over and above the actual income, said sources.

The Kasarwadavli police registered a case under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code. We are investigating. We added sections of corruption to the charges after we found that Vikrant had threatened and extorted money from Parmar. We will seize the properties if we find anything amiss, said an officer. The accused booked in connection with the fresh case include Vikrant, his wife Aruna, his father-in-law Ravindra Nayar and mother-in-law Shanta Nayar, his party colleagues Umesh Kamble, Santosh Gawde, Prakash Bhosle, Bhaskar Gadami, Anant Ghadge, Mahesh Shirke, Paresh Rohit and Kalpataru Properties vice president Sanjay Daga.

We checked the rooms and shops and found no bank transactions relating to their purchase. We suspect that Chavan used his designation to acquire these assets. We have not arrested anyone yet as we are investigating, said an officer.

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The Amboli police are questioning 11 people in connection with the third-year Bachelor of Media Studies (BMS) examination papers leak. Among them, is a computer technician from a Kandivli-based college, who police believe masterminded the leak, along with three agents and six students.

Preliminary investigations revealed the papers were leaked by the computer technician, who allegedly downloaded them from the college server and emailed them to these agents, who in turn sent it out to students on WhatsApp, said police officers.

The computer technician has confessed to the leak, said the police.

On Thursday, an Andheri-based college registered a case at Amboli police station after a third-year BMS student was caught with a mobile phone inside the examination hall, and a leaked paper was found on her phone, said officials. Police booked the girl and one more student, who allegedly sent the paper to her before the exam, under several sections of the IPC including the IT Act, said the officer.

Inspector Daya Nayak and his team are investigating the case with guidance from DCP Paramjit Singh Dahiya.

We first questioned the girl and later a Kandivli-based student. Their questioning led us to the residence of an agent in Malad, who took us to the two other agents. The three then led us to the computer technician, who is the mastermind of the leak, said police officer, on condition of anonymity.

Police said the computer technician was working at the college since 2008, and was aware the university sends a password to the college principal and technical coordinator working at the institution, who download the examination papers one-and-a-half hours before the exam begins. The computer servers were linked so he copied the saved papers from the folder and sent them to his mail box and later to the agents, said the officer.

The leaked papers reached the students 15 to 20 minutes between 9:45am to 10:00am, while the exam started at 11am, added official. After getting the paper from an agent, one of the students sent it on a WhatsApp group that included 26 students of an Andheri-based college. The paper was then circulated to several other groups across the western suburbs, said the officer.

Read more:

Mumbai student caught sitting for BMS exam with leaked paper on mobile phone
A 39-year-old man, who was wanted in several robbery cases including one in Wadala last month, was nabbed on Tuesday after he tried to evade arrest by pulling out a urine bag attached to his waist to fool the police saying he was unwell and they had mistaken him for someone else, said the police.

Mumbai crime branchs property cell officers said they had received a tip-off from their informers that Salim Abdul Latif Shaikh alias Salim Kubda, 39, was going to come to Govandi. Salim and his three accomplices  Mohammed Kalandar Shaikh, 23, Abdul Hamid Shaikh, 30, and Babu Shigwane, 36  had allegedly stolen jewellery worth Rs15 lakh from a Wadala residents home a month ago.

Vinayak More, from the property cell, said the gang used to target locked flats. After robbing the place, Salim used to flee to Ajmer and leave the other three in Mumbai asking them to get arrested for the offence, but not tell the police his name or where the booty was hidden. The three used to eventually get bail as the cops were unable to extract any details from them. They then used to meet Salim and get their share in the robbed items. The three gang members had already been arrested by the Wadala police after they surrendered one by one, said More.

On Tuesday, when cops cornered Salim, he removed his urine bag attached to his waist and claimed he was unwell and that the officers have mistaken him for someone else. The officers however did not fall for his bluff and arrested him, said the cop. On searching his Kalwa residence, the cops not just found the stolen ornaments from the Wadala house, but also Rolex watches worth lakhs and other valuables.
A one-hectare mangrove forest in Marve near Malad was cleared of 350kg of plastic trash on Friday, thanks to nine hours of efforts by schoolstudents, government officials and volunteers from environment group Vanshakti.

Members of the NGO said during the drive they made students aware of the importance of conserving mangroves, especially in a coastal city like Mumbai.

The aim was to spread awareness among students. We gave them an idea of mangrove ecosystem and how it can prevent coastal inundation, said Madhavi Sawant, project officer, Vanashakti. We found plastic trash that had washed into the mangroves during high tide accounted for maximum garbage stuck in the mangroves.

Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants, a common natural feature along the Mumbai coast. The aerial roots, however, can trap plastic and other trash dumped in the forest or brought in by waves.

Sawant said 56 students and teachers from Kendriya Vidyalaya, INS Hamla, Marve, and other volunteers collected 13 large bags of trash and handed them over to the forest department, which sent it to the municipal corporation to discard it at the dumping grounds.

Three mangrove cell officers were present at the site to ensure safety of students.

Clearing plastic allows the trees to breathe, as their roots get choked by the plastic, said Prashant Deshmukh, range forest officer, state mangrove cell.

Deshmukh said a similar clean-up was planned on Sunday at Dahisar. Hundred Mumbaiites and forest officers will clean up a two-hectare patch, said Deshmukh.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation may soon see its major Opposition parties uniting to form a firm voice against the two majority parties  the ruling Shiv Sena, and its ally in the state government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a first of its kind proposal, Rais Shaikh, leader of the Samajwadi Party in the civic body, urged the Congress, Nationalist Congress party (NCP), and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to unite so they can vote and formulate policies in the BMCs statutory bodies. However, Shaikh has excluded the SPs arch rival, AIMIM, from this proposal.

In a letter addressed to the three parties, Shaikh called Shiv Sena helpless, owing to internal party politics, terming the BJP a self-proclaimed watchdog. He has blamed petty politics between the two parties for stalled civic policies and delayed development projects.

BJP corporators take it upon themselves to oppose and discourage the Shiv Sena, which hampers progress on big policies. If this needs to be addressed, we need to come together to form a united block, which can vote together and pass policies in the general body and standing committee, said Shaikh.

However, his letter received a lukewarm response from the other parties.

This is not a decision that can be taken in a day. I will have to read the letter and consult my party, said Ravi Raja, leader of the Opposition.

It is not a decision I can take alone. I do not even know if I am group leader of the MNS yet. My party will take a call on this, said lone MNS corporator Sanjay Turde.

Waris Pathan, AIMIM spokesperson, said his party sits in the Opposition. In that sense, we oppose the ruling party Shiv Sena, BJP and even the Congress and SP, he said.
The Bombay high court (HC) on Friday rapped the railway authorities for failing to come up with a solution to the problems faced by local residents after the demolition of Hancock Bridge.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation complaining about lack of access from east of Sandhurst Road to the west after the bridge on the central railway line was pulled down. We fail to understand why railway engineers get paid, if they cant find a solution [to the problem], said a bench of chief justice Manjula Chellur and justice Mahesh Sonak.

Petitioners lawyer Pradeep Thorat said there are six public schools in the area and a large number of schoolchildren are compelled to take a 8-10km detour because of removal of the bridge.

Thorat pointed out that the petitioner had suggested seeking help from defence forces to come up with a temporary arrangement, but railway engineers turned it down. Your chief engineer [who was present in the court on Friday] just cant keep saying no to every suggestion, said the judges. May be the suggestions are faulty, but then he must also come up with a solution. It cant simply stop at that [saying no].

You cant be so blind and deaf to the problems faced by people, the bench said, ordering additional solicitor general Anil Singh: Children and aged people are required to take an unnecessary turn of 10km and you know what it takes to travel 10km in Mumbai traffic.

The judges were irked on knowing that the railway authorities had constructed a wall to stop people from crossing tracks near Sandhurst Road railway station and avoid track deaths, but nothing was done to resolve the issue. You cant just construct a wall and forget about the problem, said the bench.

On Friday, Singh told the court that the Supreme Court has recently lifted the stay on construction of a new road overbridge at the site of Hancock Bridge, which was demolished in January 2015. The judges were miffed on finding out that the construction of ROB will take at least 18 months, after completion of the bidding process, which is yet to get over.

The PIL will come up for hearing on Wednesday.
The family members of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shiv Kumar, who was gunned down while travelling in his Fortuner, have filed a police complaint, alleging role of four persons and several other unidentified persons involved in the shooting incident that took place at Tigri, near NH-24.

The incident left four, including a minor girl, dead. The girl was run over by the victims SUV as the driver had lost control of the vehicle. The girl, Anjali Tiwari, was from Behrampur area of Vijay Nagar in Ghaziabad.

In their complaint, Shiv Kumars cousin Yogesh Yadav alleged the role of four persons who he said were seen at the scene of the crime by two family members. As per the complaint, the police said, the family had identified four persons but could not identify others.

We have a rivalry with these people (that spans over 30 years). They are from Old Haibatpur, Yogesh said.

The complaint also mentions that Kumar had told two of his family members that one of the four persons named in the complaint had issued threats to kill him over the existing rivalry.

In the long-standing rivalry between the two groups over a land dispute, Kumars father was murdered in 1983 and his uncle was murdered in 2002.

Meanwhile, Rais Pal, one of the three occupants of the Fortuner SUV that was fired at indiscriminately, also succumbed to his injuries late Thursday night at a hospital in Delhi. Kumar and his driver Bali Nath had died soon after the incident while Pal succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Love Kumar said.

Aggrieved by the bloodbath and the three deaths, the families of the victims placed the bodies of Kumar and Bali Nath at the Sector 71 crossing in Noida on Friday morning and demanded a CBI probe into the incident.

We told the police to crack the case within two days. Else, we will press for a CBI probe into the killings, said Shiv Ram, Kumars cousin.

Noida MLA Pankaj Singh also visited Behlolpur on Friday and said that justice will be done and the people behind the incident will be dealt with in a strict manner.

However, with victims family members claiming to be eyewitnesses to the incident and spotting four of their rivals, the polices job has become tricky, as they have to rule out four persons if their role cannot be established.

We have lodged the FIR as per the complaint that was given by the victims family. However, the police will probe all angles and do a free and fair investigation, SSP Kumar said.

Police officers said that the complainants statements will be registered under Section 161 of CrPC and the case will be probed thoroughly before the filing of a chargesheet.

The police officers attached to the investigation said that they have picked up five persons for questioning. They also said that they are trying to trace the assailants, who they suspect are hired shooters and may have come from western UP areas.

The police have also ruled out indiscriminate firing from an automatic weapon such as AK-47, as the pattern of fire on the SUV suggested that shots were fired from pistols.

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The streets of Behlolpur village in Noidas Sector 65 were teeming with those who were heading to the house of Shiv Kumar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who was gunned down in his SUV on Thursday afternoon along with his driver and personal security guard.

The Yadav-dominated village on Noidas outskirts near Chhijarsi is Kumars ancestral place, where hundreds of relatives, family members and well-wishers arrived to meet the aggrieved family. Kumars family members said that his father, Rajbir, and uncle, Charan Singh, were also murdered in 1983 and 2002, respectively.

The two previous murders took place over property disputes with a rival group in Behlolpur. The accused were sentenced to life imprisonment in both cases and many of them are already dead. We suspect their involvement but our relations with them had normalised as we greeted each other whenever our paths crossed, said Shiv Ram, Kumars cousin.

He said the family is stunned by the incident in which armed assailants indiscriminately opened fire on Kumars Fortuner when he was leaving Haibatpur after visiting his under-construction school. Kumar, his driver Bali Nath and personal security guard Rais Pal, were shot dead.

Both Nath and Pal stayed in Haibatpur. Pal is from Etah, the police said.

Kumar is a father of four, a 14-year-old girl and three younger boys. He stayed in Pratap Vihar of Ghaziabad for the education of his children. Kumar owned two schools  Maa Bhagwati Devi which is operational and Bala Devi International School, which is under construction.

Our family has nearly 400-500 bighas of land in Behlolpur and Haibatpur. The killing could be because my brother had grown in stature as he entered politics and joined BJP five years ago. He was on good terms with BJP leaders and was also a candidate in panchayat elections but the elections got cancelled, Ram said.

In Haibatpur, there are a number of banners that project Kumar as Yuva Neta (young leader) of BJP. Locals said he was in the process of getting a road constructed from the main road to the school, a stretch of around 100 metres.

We suspect that the problems with my brother started as he entered politics. The relations with the rival group had normalised. He came to Haibatpur from Vijay Nagar on Thursday and was wearing a tracksuit. The three men, including my brother, had licensed weapons but the firing was intense and they could not take out their weapons to defend themselves, said Yogesh Yadav, another cousin.

Family members said that of the three bodies, Kumars had the most number of bullet injury as he was the primary target.

Until Friday evening, the family remained undecided on whether to name suspects in an FIR or to lodge it against unidentified assailants.

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The police arrested four persons on Friday from Mamura village of Noida in connection with an alleged honour killing of a taxi driver in September.

The Phase-3 police arrested Sandip alias Billa, Vikas alias Lallu, Pankaj and Neeraj for the murder of Ajay Kumar, a taxi driver, on September 27 in Noida.

While Billa, Vikas and Pankaj are from Mamura village, Neeraj is a resident of Ghaziabad. The prime accused in the case, Deepak, who is Pankajs brother, was already arrested by the police on September 29.

It was Deepak who provided us with the information regarding the whereabouts of the four persons. We laid a trap and finally arrested the remaining four persons connected with the murder on Friday, said Akhilesh Pradhan, station house officer, Phase-3 police station, Noida.

According to Pradhan, the victim, Kumar, had eloped with the Deepak and Pankajs sister six months ago. Police are also investigating the role of Narendra, the father of the prime accused, in the murder and he is absconding at present.

Ajay Kumar, a resident of Gulawati, Bulandshahr, was found murdered in his Swift Dzire car in the early hours of September 28 at D-block market in Sector 63. Various bruises were found on his body and a post-mortem examination suggested that he was strangulated and his body dumped in the car. Kumar had been working as a taxi driver for the last one year in Noida.

Acting on the information provided by the family members of Kumar, police had arrested Deepak for the murder two days later. However, his family members had fled by then.

Pradhan said, Kumar married the sister of Deepak and Pankaj at an Arya Samaj temple. However, he did not take his wife to his home. She continued to stay at her house in Mamura and Kumar used to come to their house from time to time to meet his wife. This annoyed the family members of the woman and fearing loss of honour in the village, Deepak, Pankaj and his three of their friends murdered Kumar, placed his body in his car and left the car in D-block of Sector 63.

According to the police, the five have admitted to their role in the murder and have been booked for murder and conspiracy under relevant sections. The police are now probing the role of the womans father.

The family members had fled after the murder. We are also suspecting Narendra s role in the murder. He is absconding at the moment but he will be caught soon, said Pradhan.

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With the spectre of a destabilising power imbalance looming large in the worlds most dynamic region, the Indo-Pacific, the imperative to establish what Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once called a democratic security diamond has prompted Australia, India, Japan and the United States to renew efforts toward a strategic constellation of democracies.

Close strategic collaboration among key democracies can help institute power stability and equilibrium in the Indo-Pacific. At the core of a potential constellation of democracies is the strategic quadrilateral of Australia, India, Japan and the US.

On the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Abe held meetings between themselves. Foreign-ministry officials from the four countries separately held a joint meeting to examine ways to address common challenges in the region.

Lets be clear: The alternative to a liberal, inclusive, rules-based order is an illiberal, hegemonic order with Chinese characteristics. Few would like to live in such an order.

Yet this is precisely what the Indo-Pacific might get if regional states do not work to counter the growing challenge to the rules-based order. China has prospered under the present order. But having accumulated economic and military power, it is now challenging that order, including by flouting established rules and norms on territorial, maritime and trade issues.

Before the Manila summit, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson pitched for a concert of democracies in his first Asia-Pacific policy speech since taking office. To succeed, such an endeavour must reckon with certain realities, including by drawing lessons from the failed effort a decade ago to sustain the exploratory Quadrilateral Initiative. After the quad held its inaugural meeting in May 2007, Beijing was quick to see the apparition of an Asian NATO. Through intense diplomatic and economic pressure, Beijing sought to unravel the quad. Ultimately, it succeeded.

Did the quads disbanding help change Chinas behaviour in a positive direction? Chinas behaviour changed for the worse.

Had the quad stood up to the Chinese pressure, China would likely have had less space to strategically alter the status quo in the South China Sea in its favour. Chinas success in extending its control in the South China Sea by artificially creating seven islands and militarising them has only emboldened its aggressive designs in the Himalayas and the East China Sea.

The lost decade since the first quad experiment means that democratic powers cannot afford to fail again. They need to come together through meaningful collaboration and co-ordination, especially because no single power on its own has been able to stop Chinas territorial and maritime creep or rein in its increasingly muscular approach.

To be sure, a democratic coalition is unlikely to take the shape of a formal alliance. A loose coalition of democracies can draw strength from the concept of democratic peace. Democratic powers, however, must proceed slowly but surely, without unduly publicising their meetings or intentions.

Japan and India, facing direct Chinese military pressure, have a much greater interest in the formation of a concert of democracies than the geographically distant US and Australia. An ongoing political crisis in Australia could trigger an election early next year, potentially bringing to power the opposition Labour Party, which seemingly favours a China-friendly foreign policy. Having caused the collapse of the first quad experiment, Australia remains the weak link in the reconstituted quad.

Meanwhile, the praise Trump lavished on China and its neo-Leninist dictator Xi Jinping during his recent Beijing visit raises the question whether Trump fully shares Tillersons Indo-Pacific vision. To be sure, the success of the reconstituted quad hinges on the US being fully on board. The absence of a joint statement after the revived quad met underscores the challenge the nascent initiative faces. Each quad member-state issued its own statement.

The resurrected quad  the result of Abes diplomatic doggedness  is intended to serve as an initial framework to promote a four-way security dialogue and encourage a web of interlocking partnerships among an expanding group of democracies.

Given that contrasting political values have become the main geopolitical dividing line in the Indo-Pacific, establishing a community of values can help underpin regional peace and stability. Such a community can also ensure that Chinas defiant unilateralism is no longer cost-free.

The plain fact is that the Indo-Pacific democracies are natural allies. The US-India-Japan-Australia strategic trapezium is best placed to lead the effort to build freedom, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific and make sure that liberalism prevails over illiberalism.

Brahma Chellaney is a geostrategist and author

The views expressed are personal
The law of physics says whatever goes up must come down. But such a law does not necessarily apply to political parties; some of them go up and down like a yo-yo, some keep going up and up and some vanish without a trace. Take the case of the Republican Party of India (RPI) founded by Indias first Dalit icon, Babasaheb Ambedkar. A series of fratricidal divisions later, today it totters on the brink of dissipation, a token minister in the NDA government notwithstanding.

The second serious attempt to forge a Dalit party, spearheaded originally by Kanshi Ram and taken to dizzy heights by his compatriot and chosen successor, Mayawati, is now facing an existential problem: Can the party recover from the abyss into which it has sunk and, if so, through what strategic innovation? Had it not been for its near obliteration in Uttar Pradesh after this years assembly election, Mayawati loyalists may have entertained some hopes of its phoenix-like rise. But with its decimation in the one state which it once ruled, even its hard-core supporters will find it difficult to paint an optimistic picture.

The biggest question the feisty Dalit leader must be asking herself now is where have her supporters disappeared? What about the fabled organisation Kanshi Ram had bequeathed to her? Whatever happened to her flirtation with Bahujan (Dalits plus OBCS plus underprivileged Muslims) and later Sarvajan (an all inclusive if ephemeral phalanx of all castes and communities)? The unkindest cut of all for Mayawati is that today even her core support base of the Dalits seems to have deserted; the rest could not have been banked upon anyway.

Kanshi Ram was an organisation builder. Starting with a trade union of government employees called BAMCEF, he built the fledgling DS4 (Dalit-Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti), focusing on his home state of Punjab. The DS4 achieved no real electoral success and Kanshi Ram realised that without a firebrand leader (which he was not), a new political party would never make a mark. He zeroed in on a school teacher from western UP to don that mantle, and after several false starts, Mayawati began to taste success in the early 1990s.

In 2007, the BSP swept to power in UP on the back of its Sanskritised poll plank Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay (in the interest of all, for the happiness of all). By then she had realised that the Dalits alone could not propel her to office. Disastrous power sharing arrangements, first with the Samajwadi Party and later, the BJP, convinced her that her authority even as chief minister in any coalition regime would be limited. Besides be it the OBCs (read Yadavs) or upper castes, none would readily treat the Dalits as equals. But directly reaching out to them on her new-found Sarvajan platform yielded rich dividends, when a sizeable section of upper castes, non-Yadav OBCs and a smattering of Muslims switched to the BSP.

But much water had flowed down the Ganga and Yamuna by the time Mayawati attained her ambition of becoming UP chief minister with a clear majority in the assembly. The influence of Mandal versus Kamandal politics may have waned somewhat by then, but it remained a potent force. More importantly, Mayawatis record of five years in office did little to enhance her credibility even among the Dalits.

She enacted several legislations to curb atrocities against members of her community, posted Scheduled Caste officers in the administration and police in most districts, but could not do anything to change feudal mindsets or break the dominance of the Rajputs, Brahmins and Yadavs in rural society. Moreover, her reputation as a corrupt and self-serving politician steadily gained ground. Her claim that Dalits should be proud that a Dalit ki Beti was seen in glittering solitaires did little to enthuse her impoverished followers.

But she might have retained her grip on the Dalits had the BJP not launched an aggressive campaign to reach out to them, using Deen Dayal Upadhyays message of Antyodaya. But even more devastating was Narendra Modis stupendous success in selling the prosperity dream to the Dalit and other backwards. Both in 2014 and 2017 election campaigns, Modi sold aspiration to the people, pointing to development as panacea to their abject poverty.

The BJP took identity politics head on and convincingly asked the Dalits how Mayawatis rule had benefited them economically. Having gained little from BSP rule, the Dalits were prepared to experiment, especially in 2017. The fact that Mayawati failed to make headway in any other state, primarily on account of her authoritarian style, appears to have convinced even her core supporters that the brand of Dalit aggression championed by her was on the decline.

Relegated to a cul-de-sac, Mayawati can only hope for a miraculous turnaround in her fortunes. Dismissed as an untrustworthy ally, she will also find it difficult in future to strike electoral alliances. The present cul-de-sac may well be the end of the road for the woman who was once touted as a potential prime minister.

Chandan Mitra is editor of The Pioneer and is a two-time Rajya Sabha MP from the BJP

The views expressed are personal
Sometimes the very nature of political narrative reveals a lot about the art and state of politics. The stories you hear, the editorials you read, convey a sense of the artificial. It is as if the elections on the ground are not real, the excitement seems simulated. The press appears to make a concerted effort to convey excitement, but the excitement seems staged. Even cameo characters like Hardik Patel hardly dent the BJP prospects. This does not mean that these are not potential threats, but in their present state appear like mere irritants.

The Gujarat elections otherwise appears like a thought experiment, a simulation conducted by Amit Shah to test out the prospects for 2019, a symbolic act of testing future waters. The narratives from the ground and those from an overall perspective appear starkly different. Cameos of Patel or even Rahul Gandhi make them appear like part-time actors, as distractions. Next to these storms in a small teacup, Shah is presented as urbane, in command, a grandmaster of political chess who has already worked out the vital combinations. One then realises that numbers in the Gujarat election have a symbolic function.

Shahs grasp of politics, his knowledge of Gujarat is not in doubt. What is in doubt is the dramatic power of these contests. Another fact which adds to the symbolic power of Modi is the support he is receiving from spiritual gurus like Murari Bapu, and the head of the Swami Narayan sect. These men wield tremendous influence, know the impact of their power and have mastered the subtlety of its use. It conveys a command of the whole, even if the behaviour of some parts is embarrassing. The media expands bit roles into future prospects but it knows the realism that eventually haunts political choices. As an observer added, The RSS at the ground level is as real as you can get.

Shah has another advantage here. The Congress has not been in power for decades. In fact the younger generation may have few memories of the Congress. The interesting aspect to this demographic fact is that this generation celebrates the power of social media. Gujarat is displaying the dynamic role of digital democracy. In fact the digital politics of Gujarat maybe more dynamic, quarrelsome than the conventional dramas.

Election time, especially midterm elections, is a time for feedback, to test how the BJPs policies on demonetisation and the GST have worked. The tweaking of these reforms allows the BJP to set its future course. The GST in particular is a major issue in a state with preponderance of the trading class. It is here that Gandhis attack and the Congress propaganda have hit home and it is such damage that Shah seeks to rectify.

The Gujarat elections in fact reveal the orchestrated power of the BJP electoral politics. With Shah in control, and myriads of the RSS workers in every sector, the ground is literally cleared for the entry of Modi.

The Congress needs to rethink its long-term strategy. The immediate task it is engaging in, to balance the demands of Patel, Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mevani, is more the immediacy of balancing tickets and interests. These are crucial and piecemeal issues. However, what one senses is a reactive politics, with Gandhi questioning every BJP move but not being able to dent the electoral imagination.

Today the Congress does not appear a holistic party, autonomous in its decision-making. It is content to play a hyphen, an auxiliary even to two-bit players in every region. It is true Gandhi appears more dynamic but his moves appear like a game of Chinese checkers, while Modi and Shah play out the grand strategies of chess. The differences in style and inevitability of results makes one almost pity the Opposition, saying promising things about every hiccup raised by Patel and Gandhi. These almost appear like distracting antics before the cinematic interval. After the interval, in the final lap, one senses the BJP juggernaut taking over. It is such inevitability that makes Gujarat politics eventually distressing and less hopeful for the Congress.

Shiv Visvanathan is professor, Jindal Global Law School and director, Centre for Study of Knowledge Systems, OP Jindal Global University

The views expressed are personal
He dodged serving in the Vietnam war because his feet were painful due to bone spurs. For so delicate a personage, Donald Trump certainly likes to portray himself as some kind of latter day Davy Crockett, a real man. He surrounds himself with four star generals, poses in bomber jackets and talks about his awesome nuclear power. So, it is no surprise that his administration is now reversing an Obama regime order banning bringing to the US the trophies of elephants hunted in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Trumpian logic is that this will enhance the survival of the species though this beggars all logic. Imports will be allowed for elephants killed between January 2016 and the end of 2018. The Interior secretary Ryan Zinke who has strived with might to promote hunting puts it in his own worthy sentiments. Some of my best memories are hunting and fishing with my dad and granddad, and then later teaching my own kids to hunt and fish. Thats something I want more families to experience, Zinke said in a September statement. The National Rifle Associations lobbying arm praised the decision on elephant hunting. It has escaped Zinke that catching a mackerel is not quite the same as hunting an elephant.

Elephants are part of the threatened species and the global community has pushed back on hunting them or using ivory. Now Trump declares that it is open season on elephants. Hunting is quite a family tradition with the Trumps. The Trump sons who have proved less than bright on many fronts displayed their valour by posing with dead leopards, antelope, giraffes and an elephants tail while on a game hunt in Africa. One of them spoke feelingly about how the hunt is the thrill and not the actual pulling of the trigger of the high calibre weapon with which they sneak up on the unsuspecting animal and shoot it dead.

Among the notable cowards who hunt big game was the dentist from some hick town in the US who paid a tracker to take him to a magnificent lion and then wounded the animal. When the weakened animal could no longer move, the criminal went and shot it dead. The lions son was later killed by another trophy hunter. Since the first lion was a beloved of game watchers, this created a furore. But, it had no effect on people like Trump who no doubt revels in the bravery of his sons.

The kind of people who indulge in such blood lust would probably not be able to face a small Pomeranian on a good day. And there is something seriously psychologically wrong with someone who needs to pose with the carcass of an animal to feel important or valorous. In the sort of game hunting that the brothers Trump engage in, the spotters and trackers do all the work leaving the so-called hunters to merely pull the trigger at close quarters. Not much bravery required for that. Some people out to kill animals in the wild do get their comeuppance. One such person got eaten by the very crocodiles he was hunting, another by an elephant he was trying to kill. But the hunters will come in with more firepower and help. Now that Zinke has given the green light, there will be more people crawling out of the woodwork to prove their masculinity in the wilds of Africa. Yet another example of Trump setting his sights on the wrong target and getting his aim way off the mark.

@LalitaPanicker

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IndiGo offloaded four Kashmiri youths, reportedly for the erratic behaviour of a teenager among them from a Delhi-bound flight Thursday evening.

Those offloaded from the Patna-Delhi IndiGo flight (6E-6325) were identified as Mukhtar Ahmed Gani, his elder brother Javed Ahmed Gani and friends Md Munib Wali and Haroon Rashid. They were released later in the evening after preliminary screening.

The CISF, responsible for airport security, screened their baggage for explosives and did a background check on all the youths before releasing them.

The four young men were offloaded after some passengers complained about their erratic behaviour. A passenger, requesting anonymity said he initially saw the youths squabbling in the security hold area, trying to coax a reluctant Mukhtar to board the flight.

I later heard the youth say that he will go and sit in the cockpit of the aircraft. His behaviour was erratic. It was then that I alerted the airline staff, who immediately offloaded all the four youths, he said.

Mukhtar, 16, was earlier turned out of the 11, Bihar Batallion, NCC National Integration Camp, which he came to attend in Patna. The camp which began on November 8 is scheduled to run till November18.

Read more: IndiGo was late in reporting manhandling of passenger: Probe report

Sources said the commanding officer of the camp had reportedly found the youth behaving in an erratic manner on November 14. He immediately contacted Mukhtars family in Jammu and asked them to take him back. His brother Javed, along with his two friends Md Munib and Haroon Rashid, studying in Panjab University, had come to take back Mukhtar when IndiGo offloaded them.

NCC commanding officer Col. Dharmendra refused to talk to HT over phone about the incident involving Mukhtar.

Security agencies, however, ruled out any terror angle. They said the youth was depressed and in unsound mental condition. He was blabbering consistently, prompting the airlines to declare him unfit to fly.

Efforts to contact the CISF proved futile.

In a statement on Friday, IndiGo acknowledged the incident but said passengers safety was not compromised. It did not mention anything about a passenger alerting the airline staff.

An IndiGo passenger Mr Mukhtar Ahmad (accompanied by 3 family members) who was scheduled to travel to Delhi from Patna was offloaded on grounds of unusual behaviour, yesterday (Nov 16). Mr Mukhtar Ahmads brother informed the staff on board about his behaviour and attributed it to some disorder. Empathising with Mr Ahmads state, the staff explained the safety protocols to Mr Ahmads brother and asked them to deplane and cooperate with the staff. CISF was immediately informed about the situation, and all four passengers were probed. During the probe, CISF found that Mr. Ahmad was in Bihar for the NCC training and even during his training he had displayed some unusual behaviour.

Mr Mukhtar Ahmads brother regretted this behaviour to the concerned authorities. Our staff was with the CISF and the family throughout.

At no point, safety of the passengers was compromised, the IndiGo statement said.

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Declining since the start of the week, day temperature in the city went to 22.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, which was five notches below normal and this seasons lowest so far. However, Friday onwards the day temperature will witness slight increase to settle close to normal.

The meteorological department has ruled out rain for now, and predicted shallow fog in the morning and evenings.

Minimum temperature on Wednesday night was 13.6 degrees, two notches above normal.

Also, air quality index in Industrial Area has come down to moderate at 123. The AQI  acceptable up to 100  was very poor at 375 on November 8.

As for transport, Shatabdi Express trains between New Delhi and Chandigarh, delayed everyday by three hours over the past week, came back to normal.

But eight other trains ran behind schedule on Thursday. Affected by fog and smog in the region, these included Kalka Mail, which was late by two hours and 30 minutes, Barmer-Kalka Express by 55 minutes, Unchahar Express by 4 hours and 45 minutes, Lucknow-Chandigarh train by five hours and 27 minutes, Ferozepur-Chandigarh by 40 minutes, and Patliputra-Chandigarh by one hour.

Also, seven flights, including those to Delhi and Mumbai, were late by half an hour.
Even after claiming to have solved the cases of targeted killings of right wing leaders in the state, the Punjab government still wants the National Investigating Agency (NIA) to go ahead with its probe in one of the cases, that of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) local leader Ravinder Gosains murder in Ludhiana last month.

The probe into Gosains killing was handed over to NIA by the state after the RSS top brass raised this demand before chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

Punjab police have last week nabbed five persons accused of killing people under a conspiracy to spread communal violence.

Though we have solved the cases and Gosains murderers are also the same men who killed the others, we still want the NIA to go deeper into the case. The NIA has expertise in dealing with inter-country terror issues, thus it would be in the interest of the nation if the central agency investigates the case further as perpetrators of these killings are in other countries, including Italy, UK, USA, Germany and Canada, director general of police (DGP), Punjab, Suresh Arora told HT.

The DGP also wrote to the NIA on November 15, giving details of fresh findings, including the alleged role of Pakistans ISI and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), and requested to continue with the case. It was the reason why the NIA on Thursday issued a notification about formally taking over Gosains killing.

On a campaign run by some activists in the UK against the arrest of one of the accused, Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, in which claims are being made that Jaggi is innocent and being tortured, Arora again said the police have all the evidence to establish his involvement. Moreover, now when the NIA will probe the case, investigation done by Punjab Police will also remain under check, he added.

Punjab last week have claimed to busted a terror module behind these killings and arrested four persons, including Jammu resident Jimmy Singh when he landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, upon returning from the UK. Jaggi, who is also a UK resident, was nabbed from Rama Mandi in Jalandhar district. He had landed in India on October 4 for his marriage.

Two alleged shooters  Hardeep Singh Shera and Ramandeep Singh alias Canadian  were arrested from Fatehgarh Sahib and Jalandhar, respectively. A gangster Dharmender Guggni lodged in Nabha jail has also been made accused.

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Three youths, allegedly under the influence of drugs, jumped off a moving train in Mansa on Friday afternoon. Two of them lost their lives while the third was injured.

The government railway police (GRP) said the three youths hailing from Bathinda, identified as Baggi Singh, Deepu Singh and Gurpreet Singh, were on board the Abha Toofan Express and they jumped off the train near Bareta town.

While Baghi and Deepu were killed in the accident, Gurpreet sustained a head injury and was admitted to the civil hospital at Mansa.

While the GRP claimed they jumped off the train after noticing the presence of police personnel on the train, injured Gurpreet said the cops forced them to jump off the train.

Bathinda GRP SHO Harjinder Singh said, The three of them were coming from New Delhi and were under the influence of drugs. They jumped off the train as they were scared by the police.

Gurpreet and his two friends were found lying on the railway track near Dariyapur village in Budhlada.

The SHO claimed that a small packet of drugs was also recovered from spot.

However, injured Gurpreet said, We had boarded the train from New Delhi and had consumed drugs in the train. Near Bareta railway station in Mansa, three cops boarded the train and started checking our tickets. The cops started threatening us since we were under the influence of drugs. The cops forced us to jump off the train.

The police are yet to record Gurpreets statement.

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It is 11 Oclock on a grey November morning. We are in Sector 9, assembled to pay tributes to the fallen soldiers from India, Canada, and the United Kingdom during the First World War.

Gathered here are the consulate general of Canada, the British deputy high commissioner, members and veterans of the Indian Army, among others. The chief minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, a war veteran himself, is the chief guest.

Every year since 2014, the consulate general of Canada and the British high commission have jointly been hosting the Remembrance Day ceremony in the city. Generally observed by the Commonwealth Nations on November 11, Remembrance Day commemorates the end of World War 1. It was on this day in 1918 that hostilities ended, and Germany signed a peace agreement. Of late, soldiers killed in international peacekeeping missions are also remembered on the occasion.

The ceremony commenced with buglers from the army playing The Last Post, followed by a two-minute silence for the martyrs.

They didnt fight their war, but ours

Speaking about the contribution of Indian troops during World War 1, Andrew Ayre, British deputy high commissioner, termed it as immense. They did not fight their war, but fought one that was ours. The freedom and liberty that we enjoy today, is because of their sacrifices in Africa, Europe and Asia during the war.

He added that over the years, awareness of the role played by Indian troops in both World Wars, alongside British, Canadian and other allied forces, has grown considerably due to various WW-1 centenaries.

Loyalty of Indians during WW-1 unmatched

Recounting the World War 1 experience in Europe from a book, Captain Amarinder Singh said it is a soldiers duty to fight but we must realise the gigantic price humanity paid during the war. Overall, 9.7 million soldiers were killed, about 9 million taken as prisoners of war, of which many never returned. Add to this nearly 6.8 million civilians killed in the war.

He also spoke about the conditions in which Indian troops served and said when they reached Europe, they were in summer clothes. It was only until May next year that the first lot of winter clothes were issued to them, forcing them to brave the winter, which turned out to be the coldest of that decade.

The loyalty of the Indian troops was unmatched. Often sentries would be found frozen to death because they refused to abandon their posts, despite hostile climate, he said.

Remember those who fight for freedom

This year also marks the 100 years of the Battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele where Canadian troops had fought bravely and suffered terribly. In his address, Dr Christopher Gibbins, counsel general of Canada in Chandigarh, said, No one wins in a war. Even the victors are traumatised and dehumanised.

He added that besides veterans, these are important occasions to also remember all those who lost their lives seeking freedom and those who continue to seek it in different parts of the world.

Poppies bloom in Flanders fields

Over the years, besides commemorating the martyrs, Remembrance Day has also been associated with the red poppy flowers. This is in recognition of the war-time poem In Flanders Field, written during the horrors of World War 1 by Canadian poet Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

The story goes that McCrae wrote the poem after the funeral of his close friend who was killed in the war. On the other hand, he also found red poppy flowers blooming on the graves of fallen soldiers in Flanders field, Belgium. The flowers have now become symbol of the Remembrance Day ceremony and the poem is often quoted whenever there is a reference to the brutality of the First World War.

About a century after McCrae wrote:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt down, saw sunset glow,

loved and were loved,

and now we lie

...we shall not sleep, though poppies grow

in Flanders fields.

These lines continue to remind us how brutal, unforgiving, and dehumanising war can be.

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Tamil film music director Santhosh Narayanan, who scored music for the Rajinikanth-starrer Kabali, accused the Sydney Airport authorities today of racial profiling and alleged that a rude officer insulted him. The music composer claimed that he was randomly picked up by the authorities at the Sydney Airport.

I was randomly picked up for the eighth time in a row at the Sydney airport for a chemical substance test and a rude officer insulted my intelligence, the composer tweeted. Racial profiling needs to stop. @SydneyAirport, he added.

In response to his tweet, the Sydney Airport said, Hi Santhosh, thanks for reaching out to us, our aim is to provide all passengers with a positive experience, @SydneyAirport. Screening standards are set by the government. Screening officers are required to select people on random and continuous basis for screening with the explosive trace detection method, it said in a series of tweets.

I was "randomly" picked up for the 8th time in a row at the Sydney airport for a chemical substance test and a rude officer insulted my intelligence. Racial profiling needs to stop. @SydneyAirport  Santhosh Narayanan (@Music_Santhosh) November 16, 2017

Hi Santhosh, thanks for reaching out to us, our aim is to provide all passengers with a positive experience. Screening standards are set by the Government. Screening officers are required to select people on a random and continuous basis for screening with the explosive trace 1/3  Sydney Airport  (@SydneyAirport) November 17, 2017

2/3 detection (ETD) method. This means that as soon as the last person is cleared, the screening officer selects the next person going through security. Under this arrangement, persons passing through the screening point have  Sydney Airport  (@SydneyAirport) November 17, 2017

3/3 an equal probability of being selected. We hope this explains the method to screening. Sydney Airport  Sydney Airport  (@SydneyAirport) November 17, 2017

Thanks @SydneyAirport for the response.I wholeheartedly vouch for any public safety measure taken for any number of times in a row.Please do not let some officers misuse this based on their personal racial preferences.  Santhosh Narayanan (@Music_Santhosh) November 17, 2017

The method is that as soon as the last person is cleared, the screening officer selects the next person going through security. Under this arrangement, persons passing through the screening point have an equal probability of being selected. We hope this explains the method to screening.Sydney Airport, the tweets read.

Responding to the tweets, Narayanan said he wholeheartedly vouched for any public safety measure taken for any number of times in a row. Please do not let some officers misuse this based on their personal racial preferences, he said in another tweet.

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The UK unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched a drive to raise funds for candidates contesting the forthcoming assembly elections in Gujarat, with a customised van carrying a Flame of Hope traversing towns across the country.

AAP UK spokesperson Sandeep Bisht told Hindustan Times on Friday the van had been flagged off by Jarnail Singh, party MLA in the Delhi assembly, from Leamington-Spa.

It is traversing Leicester, Birmingham and other areas before a final stop at Wembley on December 2. After this, the flame is scheduled to be taken to Gujarat, he added.

AAP had raised more than 57,000 before the Punjab assembly election and 10,000 for the Goa election. Several UK-based volunteers travelled to India during the elections in Delhi, Punjab and Goa.

Bisht said the UK units efforts are focussed on fund-raising, call campaigning and social media. Distributing the partys manifesto for the Gujarat election is part of the ongoing campaign.

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China, Pakistan have deep ties, multiple channels of engagement and the status of one project will not impact bilateral relations, leading Chinese experts have said following Islamabads decision to withdraw the request to include a PoK dam within the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.

Pakistan unexpectedly withdrew a request to include the strategic $14-billion Diamer-Bhasha dam in the Gilgit-Baltistan area of PoK from the CPEC earlier this week.

In fact, that Pakistan could withdraw a project from the CPEC shows that the project is hinged on mutual consultation, experts said.

The CPEC is the flagship project under President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a complex connectivity project connecting China with Asia and Africa.

It immediately raised questions whether cracks were appearing in the ties between the iron brothers because of the huge finances involved in the multiple projects in the CPEC.

Experts here dismissed any such talk.

I dont think that Chinas strict conditions on the dam will affect China and Pakistans economic relations because China-Pakistan relations have lasted for a long time,

Shi Zhiqin, the executive dean of the One Belt, One Road Strategic Institute in Beijing told Hindustan Times, adding that the two countries cooperate in many areas.

The development should not be a big issue. China and Pakistan have many channels (to communicate, said Hu Shisheng , director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian and Oceania Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told Hindustan Times

Hu added that the development showed that as China has repeatedly said earlier, the CPEC is based on consultation between the countries involved.

It is not a surprise because the guiding principle of the BRIC is mutual consultation, Hu said.

Shi added that it showed that China is a responsible country despite its close ties with Pakistan.

I think that Pakistan dropped the PoK dam project in CPEC mainly it could not raise the money from World Bank and other institutions because of objections raised by India. So, perhaps, this will impact Pakistan-India ties (and not China-Pakistan relations, said Wang Dehua from the Shanghai Municipal Centre for International Studies.

India has repeatedly objected to the CPEC as it runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, saying its a sovereignty issue.

Pakistans Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) chairman Muzammil Hussain told the parliaments Public Accounts Committee this week that the Chinese conditions for financing the dam were not doable and against our interests.

Briefing the parliamentary panel on the status of the much-delayed mega project, he said the Chinese conditions included taking ownership of the project, operation and maintenance costs, and providing security for the Diamer-Bhasha project by pledging another operational dam.

These conditions were unacceptable. Therefore, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi approved a summary to finance the dam from the countrys own resources, he was quoted as saying.

Of course, its not the end of the road for Chinas involvement in the particular project and it could yet help Pakistan with the finances

Of course it remains to be seen whether China can help Pakistan raise the money from other banking services, said Wang.
An Argentine military submarine with 44 crew members on board was missing at sea on Friday, prompting a massive search to locate the vessel which may have suffered a communication error, a navy spokesman said.

The vessel was in the southern Argentine Sea when it gave its last location two days ago.

We are investigating the reasons for the lack of communication, Argentine naval spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters. If there was a communication problem, the boat would have to come to the surface.

Balbi said the submarine, which left the southern city of Ushuaia for Mar del Plata, both in Argentina, has food supply for several days and is likely to continue its journey despite communication problems.
Gangster Boss of bosses Toto Riina, who has died at the age of 87 according to Italian media reports, was one of the most violent and feared Godfathers in the history of the Sicilian Mafia.

Salvatore Toto Riina, nicknamed The Beast because of his cruelty, lead a reign of terror for almost 20 years after taking control of the islands powerful organised crime group Cosa Nostra in the 1970s.

The 87-year old had been serving 26 life sentences since 1993. He is thought to have ordered over 150 murders. The most high-profile were the assassinations in 1992 of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who had worked fearlessly to bring more than 300 mobsters to trial in 1987.

Riina, who was also dubbed U Curtu (Shorty) due to his 5-foot-2-inch (1.58) height, for years denied all links to the crime group--nicknamed the octopus for its tentacled reach into all areas of society.

In 2009 he broke the Mafia code of omerta--a vow of silence--and surprised those who thought he would take his secrets to the grave by admitting his link to the mob.

He was caught on a wiretap earlier this year saying he regrets nothing.

Theyll never break me, even if they give me 3,000 years in jail. The son of a poor farmer, Riina was born on November 16, 1930 in Corleone, a vendetta-haunted village inland from Palermo and the birthplace of Don Corleone, the fictional Godfather in Francis Coppolas popular movie trilogy.

Dissolved in acid

He is believed to have first murdered for the Mafia aged 19 and followed that a year later by killing a man during an argument -- landing him behind bars for a six-year manslaughter stretch.

Once out, he became a foot soldier for volatile and vain boss Luciano Leggio, eventually taking over from him at the end of the 1970s when the cigar-puffing fugitive was caught and jailed.

Riina went on the run himself in 1969, but continued to lead the Corleonesi clan from hiding, increasing his influence by bumping off rivals such as Filippo Marchese, a hitman who garroted his victims in a room of death.

Riina would elude police efforts to snare him for almost a quarter of a century -- without ever leaving Sicily -- and took charge of Cosa Nostras key businesses, from drug trafficking to kidnapping and racketeering.

His bloody victory in the Mafia War of the 1980s was to prove his undoing however, as mobsters from defeated rival families began turning state witness against him, and police tracked him to a house in Palermo.

But the violence did not end there: from behind bars Riina ordered the murder of a 13-year old boy who was kidnapped in a bid to stop his father from spilling Mafia secrets. He was strangled and his body dissolved in acid.

Just my dad

In revenge for Riinas arrest and a new anti-Mafia law that saw jailed mobsters kept in total isolation, the group launched a series of bombings in Rome, Milan and Florence that killed 10 people.

After years in which only his lawyers were allowed to visit him, an ageing and cancer-riddled Riina asked in July 2017 to be released from prison on the grounds of serious illness -- a request that was denied.

On Thursday, days after he was placed into a medical coma by prison doctors, Italys Health Minister Andrea Orlando signed a waiver allowing Riinas family to visit him and say their goodbyes.

The mobster was married to Antonietta Bagarella, a teacher from a mafioso family. He was father to four children, one of whom is behind bars for four murders.

Youre not Toto Riina to me, youre just my dad. And I wish you happy birthday dad on this sad but important day, I love you, one son, Salvo, wrote on Facebook on Thursday.
A Sri Lankan court has summoned the commander of the countrys Army tomorrow over the disappearance of 24 Tamils since their arrest in 1996 by security forces during the internal conflict with the LTTE.

The Jaffna High Court has asked Army chief Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake along with two other state officials to appear in court on Saturday.

Judge Ilancheliyan ordered them to appear in court when a case filed by parents and relatives of the 24 missing persons was taken up on November 15.

The relatives have claimed that the 24 had gone missing since July 1996 when the security forces had arrested them in Navatkuly, Jaffna.

Sri Lankan troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have faced international condemnation for alleged human rights violations during the long-drawn conflict.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in three successive resolutions has urged for independent international investigation into alleged abuses blamed on both sides.

Judge Ilancheliyan also urged the Jaffna security officials to crack down on the gangs who wield swords and intimidate the locals in the wake of the reported rise in such attacks recently.

The police said they have arrested six people.

Jaffna along with Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya are the five districts that constitute Sri Lankas Northern Province, which was the main theatre of the Sri Lankan civil war.

The island country has a population of 18.5 million of whom the majority are Sinhalese (74%). Other ethnic groups are made up of Sri Lankan Tamils (12.6%), Indian Tamils (5.5%).

According to the government figures, around 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the civil war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east which claimed at least 100,000 lives.
Endless cups of coffee, long hours at office for days, and working in tandem with a group of elite Chinese translators.

Thats what British citizen Holly Snape went through to complete the official translation of President Xi Jinpings 200-minute speech from Mandarin to English before he delivered it at the Communist Partys congress in October.

It was a key speech (or a work report) at an important Communist Party event, closely tracked, and it was Snape and her teams English translation, circulated soon after Xi delivered the speech, that was widely picked up and quoted worldwide.

It helped that all the effort was strung together  as Snape, 35, herself put it to Hindustan Times  with a sense of mission and her love for Chinese society, culture and, of course, language.

It was a lot of hours and a lot of coffee. You know, it took a real sense of willpower, a real sense of dedication and I would say there was a sense of mission because I was part of a team and it wasnt a big team you knowpart of a very close team that worked togetherand I think thats keythese were incredibly skilful translators, Snape told Hindustan Times after a rare interaction with a small group of journalists organised by the State Council, Chinas cabinet.

And, if you work with a sense of mission, you almost dont have a sense of so much of the time, she said, adding that the focus was on getting the job done.

The work on the long speech began a month before October 18, the day Xi delivered it at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

A draft in Chinese was circulated among select translators at the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau (CCTB) in September. It was then marked to separate teams designated to translate the speech and edit it in several languages.

British citizen Holly Snape is a translator with Chinas Central Compilation and Translation Bureau. (Courtesy: State Council Information Office)

The project was confidential and those involved were not allowed to talk about it.

Finally, Snape and her colleagues got less than two weeks to discuss and debate and give final shape to the speech in their respective languages.

Whats really interesting about this translation is that its really concise because often its very difficult to translate Chinese expression, to capture the meaning. It becomes a little wordy in English, Snape said. You will find there is a balance between the number of words in Chinese and the English translation.

The trick is to try your best to understand the Chinese version, and once you have got that, then work on it to capture it in a concise way which is faithful to the original.

That she has been able to do, no doubt.

At the CCTB since 2014, Snape, married into a Chinese family, has already worked on the translation of a book by General Secretary Xi - as Snape dutifully calls him - besides other Communist Party documents.

The busy man that General Secretary Xi is, he found time to meet the translating team after the congress, posed for a group photo and shook hands.

He took the time to take a photo. I was delighted, Snape said.
President Robert Mugabes downfall was caused by the ambitions of his combative wife Grace, whose emergence as his likely successor proved a step too far for Zimbabwes military, analysts say.

Grace Mugabe -- 41 years younger than her husband -- was once dismissed as a lightweight shopping addict.

But she became increasingly active in public life in recent years, and became the frontrunner to take the top job when Mugabe last week sacked her arch-rival, vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The military -- determined to stop Grace, 52, being named as the new vice president -- moved in on Wednesday, taking control of the country and signalling the imminent end of Mugabes rule.

The crisis has been triggered by Grace because she wanted to grab power and to have Mugabe remove a lot of people, Shadrack Gutto, director of the Centre for African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa, told AFP.

She overreached herself. She has done a lot to accelerate the removal of her husband from power.

The military decided that enough is enough.

Graces political plans were backed by the so-called G40, a group of young supporters that has earned a reputation for aggression.

The faction, which includes some ministers, has been the primary target of the military officers who announced on state TV in the early hours of Wednesday that they would bring criminals close to Mugabe to justice.

They had to act

The Zimbabwean army feel they have the right to have a president they approve of, Knox Chitiyo, of the Chatham House think-tank, told AFP.

They had to act now before Grace was appointed as vice president at the ZANU-PF party congress next month. Graces team got within weeks of success.

Grace, born in South Africa, was one of Mugabes secretaries when their affair began in 1987, and they had two children in secret before the presidents wife died in 1992.

The couple then married at a lavish ceremony in 1996 attended by Nelson Mandela, before having a third child.

Grace was awarded a doctorate by the University of Zimbabwe, where her husband is chancellor, reportedly just three months after enrolling, and in 2014 became the head of the ZANU-PF partys womens wing.

She has often been accused of extravagant spending on luxury clothes and international travel, and of involvement in corrupt land deals.

An armoured personnel carrier stations by an intersection as Zimbabwean soldiers regulate traffic in Harare on November 15, 2017. (AFP Photo)

Gucci Grace

Dubbed Gucci Grace, The First Shopper or even DisGrace, she showed her political mettle in 2014 with her campaign against then-vice president Joice Mujuru, who was a contender to succeed her husband.

Grace launched sustained verbal attacks against Mujuru, accusing her of plotting to topple the president.

Soon afterwards, Mujuru was ousted and later expelled from the ruling ZANU-PF party.

But Graces attempt to neutralise Mnangagwa ended very differently -- leaving her and her husband languishing under house arrest in Harare.

Grace Mugabes confrontational approach and distant public image have brought her little popular affection in Zimbabwe.

Despite that, her supporters have sought to popularise nicknames like Dr Amai (Doctor Mother) and queen of queens.

In speeches she had railed against anyone accused of disloyalty to the president, and her short temper hit the headlines in August when she allegedly assaulted a model who was with two of her sons at a South African hotel.

Profile of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. - AFP / AFP / JEAN MICHEL CORNU (AFP)

Grace was granted diplomatic immunity and made a swift exit from the country.

She once told a South African television programme that she is no longer concerned about what people think of her.

I have developed a thick skin, I dont even care, she said. My husband says ignorance is bliss.

With President Mugabe in increasingly poor health, Grace may now seek exile or try to secure some level of protection for her and her family as Zimbabwe enters a new era.
Maintaining peace along the border and increasing military-to-military contacts were in focus when top officials from India and China met in Beijing for a round of official talks on the frontier for the first time since the resolution of the Doklam standoff.

It was the 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), a mechanism initiated in 2012 to maintain peace along the disputed border.

Details of Fridays meeting were not immediately available but it is believed both sides took stock of the situation along the border, especially in the aftermath of the standoff at Doklam or Donglang near the Sikkim border, where troops from the two countries were locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation for more than 70 days.

The talks were held in a constructive and forward-looking manner. Both sides reviewed the situation in all sectors of India-China border and agreed that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is an important prerequisite for sustained growth of bilateral relations, said a statement issued by the Indian embassy on Friday evening.

In this regard, the two sides also exchanged views on further confidence-building measures and strengthening of military-to-military contacts, it added.

The Indian delegation, comprising diplomats and military officials, was led by Pranay Verma, joint secretary (East Asia), and the Chinese delegation was led by Xiao Qian, director general, department of Asian affairs in the foreign ministry.

The WMCC is different from the talks between the Special Representatives on the border issue, which is the most important mechanism to resolve the dispute. The WMCC specifically focusses on maintaining peace and tranquillity till a final resolution.

The body will undertake other tasks that are mutually agreed upon by the two sides, but will not discuss resolution of the Boundary Question or affect the Special Representatives Mechanism, according to the agreement on the WMCC.

The body is meant to study ways and means to conduct and strengthen exchanges and cooperation between military personnel and establishments of the two sides in the border areas.
The foster mother of Indian girl Sherin Mathews, found dead last month in a culvert in Dallas, was arrested on Thursday after police alleged that the Indian- American couple left the 3-year-old home alone the night before she was reported missing.

Sini Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews, who was arrested last month, went out for dinner with their biological daughter on October 6, leaving Sherin behind because she refused to drink her milk, police in the US state of Texas said.

The 35-year-old mother, an Indian-American registered nurse, was arrested after her attorney took her to the Richardson police station.

She is being held in the Richardson jail on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at $250,000, police said. A state jail felony in Texas is an offence that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.

Police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when they returned home an hour and a half later, the Dallas Morning News reported.

An affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where they left her.

The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office is continuing to work on determining the cause of death. Those results will be made available when complete, Richardson Police said in a Facebook post.

Wesley, the 37-year-old foster father, who has since been charged in connection with Sherins death, remains in the Dallas County Jail on a charge of injury to a child. Bail has been set at $1 million. The crime is punishable with up to 99 years in prison.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk. He later changed his story and to say he physically assisted Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Sherins death prompted external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to ask the Indian Embassy in the US to be actively involved in the case and keep her informed. She also sought a probe into the adoption process of Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year from Bihar.

Following Sherins case, India decided that passports to adopted children will be issued only with clearance by the ministry of women and child development.
The Iraq army said it launched an assault on Friday on the small Euphrates valley town of Rawa, the last in the country still held by the Islamic State group.

Operations to liberate Rawa began at dawn, the Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

The launch of the attack as the Syrian army battled for a second day to retake the town of Albu Kamal just across the border.

An army general contacted by AFP at the front predicted that the battle for Rawa would be swift as the majority of IS fighters who were in the town have fled towards the Syrian border.

The US-led coalition battling the jihadists said on Thursday that they had lost 95 percent of the cross-border caliphate the size of Britain that they declared in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
Israels military chief of staff said in an interview on Thursday that his country was prepared to cooperate with Saudi Arabia to face Irans plans to control the Middle East.

We are ready to exchange experience with the moderate Arab countries and exchange intelligence information to face Iran, Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot was quoted as saying by Elaph, a Saudi-run news site.

Asked whether any information had been shared recently with Saudi Arabia, he said we are ready to share information if necessary. There are many common interests between us and them.

Israels army confirmed the contents of the interview, which was rare as Israel and Saudi Arabia have no official diplomatic ties.

Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia has long been at loggerheads with Shiite, non-Arab Iran but friction has spiralled in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri announced from Saudi capital Riyadh that he was quitting, citing Irans grip on his country.

The leader of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group supported by Iran, has accused Saudi Arabia of pressing Israel to launch attacks against it.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made similar allegations this week.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating war in 2006.

Eisenkot said that we have no intention of initiating a conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and reaching a war, but we cannot accept strategic threats to Israel there.

I am very happy with the calm on both sides of the border, which has lasted 11 years. On the other hand, we see Iranian attempts to escalate.
Emmerson Mnangagwa appears well-placed to return to a leading role in Zimbabwe following the armys takeover in response to President Robert Mugabes sacking of the former vice-president.

Nicknamed Ngwena (The Crocodile) because of his fearsome power and ruthlessness, the 75-year-old has a reputation for taking no prisoners.

He appeared to have been outfoxed by Grace Mugabe, who is 41 years younger than her husband, after she apparently convinced the veteran head of state to ditch his long-serving minister.

But following the armys dramatic seizure of power and reports that Mnanagagwa has left South Africa where he has been since his dismissal, Mnangagwa could be preparing to return to Zimbabwe and assume a leadership role.

I think the army are in negotiations with Mugabe and Mnangagwa, Derek Matyszak, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, told AFP.

The easiest way to present a veneer of legality is that Mugabe reappoints Mnangagwa as vice-president, briefly -- Mugabe then retires.

Under Zimbabwes constitution, the first vice-president would automatically become acting president for 90 days.

Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe, left, sits next to vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the Zanu pf headquarters in Harare. (AP File Photo)

Matyszak suggested that in that time, ZANU-PF would agree on a new party leader who would also become president which would undoubtedly be Mnangagwa.

In the early days after independence from Britain in 1980, Mugabe made Mnangagwa, who was then a young trainee lawyer, minister for national security.

Since then Mnangagwa occupied a host of cabinet positions -- but relations between him and his political mentor have not always been cosy, and the younger man is no stranger to presidential purges.

Following his removal last week, Mnangagwa issued a searing five-page condemnation of Graces ambition and Mugabes leadership style.

In 2004, he lost his post as the secretary for administration in the ruling ZANU-PF party after being accused of openly angling for the post of vice-president.

Four years in the political wilderness followed, during which his then rival Joice Mujuru became vice-president and the favourite to succeed Mugabe.

She was ultimately deposed following a campaign orchestrated by Grace Mugabe who convinced the President she was not to be trusted.

Political comeback

The 2008 elections, when he was made Mugabes chief election agent, changed Mnangagwas fortunes.

Mugabe lost the first round, but his supporters were not going to make the same mistake in the second round, which was marred by violence, intimidation and allegations of vote rigging.

In the same year Mnangagwa took over as head of the Joint Operations Command, a committee of security chiefs which has been accused by rights groups of organising violent campaigns to crush dissent.

He was targeted by EU and US sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his close allies over the elections and violence, but promptly given control of the powerful defence ministry.

It was a return to the home that made him a force in Zimbabwean politics in the first place.

Anti-colonial fighter

Born in the southwestern Zvishavana district on September 15, 1942, he completed his early education in Zimbabwe before his family relocated to neighbouring Zambia.

His grandfather was a traditional leader and his father a political agitator for the repeal of colonial laws that disadvantaged blacks.

In 1966, Mnangagwa joined the struggle for independence from Britain, becoming one of the young combatants who helped direct the war after undergoing training in China and Egypt.

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe looks on as his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa reads a card during Mugabe's 93rd birthday celebrations in Harare, Zimbabwe. (Reuters File Photo)

He was arrested and sentenced to death but his sentence was later commuted to 10 years in prison because of his young age.

Destroy and kill

After independence in 1980, he directed a crackdown on opposition supporters that claimed thousands of lives in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

He once remarked that he had been taught to destroy and kill -- although he later claimed to be a born-again Christian.

Takavafira Zhou, a political analyst at Masvingo State University, previously described Mnangagwa as a hardliner to the core.

Mnangagwa reputedly has deep pockets should he decide to launch a political comeback.

A US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks in 2008 claimed Mnangagwa had amassed extraordinary wealth during Zimbabwes 1998 intervention in gold- and diamond-rich Democratic Republic of Congo.
Myanmars Catholic cardinal has defended Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi against unfair criticism over Myanmars military crackdown on Muslim Rohingya, and says terming it ethnic cleansing is unhelpful and premature.

Cardinal Charles Bo spoke to The Associated Press on Friday ahead of Pope Francis visit next week to Myanmar and Bangladesh  to where nearly 620,000 Rohingya have fled to escape the violence in Myanmars poverty-wracked Rakhine state.

Bo said Suu Kyi certainly should have spoken out earlier. But he said: Aung Sung constitutionally has no voice to say anything to the military. And she is in her own clever way trying to negotiate with the military.

He urged Francis to avoid using the term Rohingya on the trip, or at least make clear that he wasnt making a political statement.
Oops! The Pentagon says it accidentally retweeted a tweet that urged President Donald Trump to resign over sexual harassment allegations.

Without mentioning the content of the original tweet, a Pentagon spokesperson, Colonel Rob Manning, said it would not be endorsed by the Department of Defense.

The tweet was posted Thursday by a person whose Twitter handle is @ProudResister. It said, The solution is simple. Roy Moore: Step down from the race. Al Franken: Resign from congress. Donald Trump: Resign from the presidency. GOP: Stop making sexual assault a partisan issue. Its a crime as is your hypocrisy.

The Defense Department's official Twitter account -- @deptofdefense -- retweeted a comment saying Trump should resign. It's since been unretweeted pic.twitter.com/bLA8QAo4Sc  Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) November 16, 2017

Manning says the person who had retweeted the item was an authorised operator of the official Defence Department Twitter account, which has 5.2 million followers. Manning said the person caught this error and immediately deleted it.

This isnt the first mistake to be made by Pentagons Twitter handle this week. The military command responsible for monitoring US nuclear weapons tweeted on Wednesday an article claiming the country has secret silos and B-1 bombers that can drop them (nuclear weapons) from the air.

It was soon pointed out there are no secret silos in America and the B-1 bomber doesnt have the capability to drop nuclear weapons, reported Vox.

(With inputs from Associated Press)
Saudi King Salman plans to step down and name his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as his successor, according to a report.

After the move, King Salman will continue only as a ceremonial figurehead, the Daily Mail reported citing a source close to the Saudi royal family.

The move will likely take place next week unless something dramatic happens, the source claimed.

The source said that once the transfer of power is complete, the new king will ramp up hostilities against Saudi Arabias bitter rival Iran, with fears of a possible military clash. Mohammed will also target Hezbollah, the Shia militia in Lebanon that is backed by Iran, the source said.

MBSs plan is to start the fire in Lebanon, but hes hoping to count on Israeli military backing. He has already promised Israel billions of dollars in direct financial aid if they agree, the source was quoted as saying, referring to the crown prince by his initials.

If what the report claims is accurate, then the transfer of power will be the final step in Mohammeds power grab. It would also come close on the heels of the arrest of more than 40 Saudi princes and officials in a corruption probe, which is being seen by many quarters as Mohammed ridding himself of rivals.
An international aid group says an estimated 130 children or more die every day in war-torn Yemen from extreme hunger and disease.

Save the Children said late on Wednesday that a continuing blockade by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemens Shiite rebels is likely to further increase the death rate. It says over 50,000 children are believed to have died in 2017.

Saudi Arabia blocked Yemens ports after a rebel missile attack near Riyadh earlier in November. It said Monday the coalition would lift the blockade after widespread international criticism.

On Thursday, the leaders of the World Health Organization, the U.N. childrens agency and the World Food Program issued a joint appeal for the easing of the blockade.

While the Saudi-led military coalition has partially lifted the recent blockade of Yemen, closure of much of the countrys air, sea and land ports is making an already catastrophic situation far worse, they said.

The space and access we need to deliver humanitarian assistance is being choked off, threatening the lives of millions of vulnerable children and families.

The Saudi-led coalition went to war against the rebels, known as Houthis, in March 2015 on behalf of Yemens internationally recognized government. But the coalition has made little progress, and the rebels still control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

The war has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced 3 million. Yemen was the Arab worlds poorest country even before the conflict began.

The U.N. officials said more than 20 million people, including 11 million children, are in need of urgent assistance, with 7 million totally dependent on food assistance. The U.N. has called it the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Even with a partial lifting of the blockade, the World Food Program estimates that an additional 3.2 million people will be pushed into hunger. If left untreated, 150,000 malnourished children could die within the coming months, the officials said.

Later Thursday, the U.N. spokesman said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has written to Saudi Arabias U.N. ambassador, saying the kingdoms failure to reopen key airports and sea ports in Yemen is already reversing humanitarian efforts to tackle the crisis in the impoverished country.

Stephane Dujarric said Guterres welcomes the reopening of the port in the city of Aden but that this will not meet the needs of 28 million Yemenis.

Dujarric said the United Nations is urging the Saudi-led coalition to resume U.N. humanitarian flights to Aden and Sanaa, and to reopen the ports of Hodeida and Salif for food and medical deliveries.

Like the capital, Sanaa, Hodeida and Salif are in rebel-held territory.
A UK special forces dog was on Friday awarded a medal equivalent of the countrys highest military honour for his role in saving hundreds of troops during his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Mali, a Belgian Malinois, has been awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal  the equivalent of the human Victoria Cross  for his heroic actions in sniffing out Taliban booby traps during a highly sensitive military operation in 2012.

The eight-year-old dog was instrumental is assisting troops to clear militants from a Kabul tower block despite suffering serious shrapnel injuries.

He is credited with saving British and Afghan lives as he took part in the Special Boat Service (SBS) assault.

Congratulations to incredible Mali who receives prestigious @PDSA_HQ Dickin Medal today for his heroic actions in Afghanistan #PDSA100 pic.twitter.com/MRN522cUHw  British Army (@BritishArmy) November 17, 2017

Despite sustaining quite horrendous injuries, he absolutely stayed by his handlers side and forged forward with them to help them carry out their duty. Its that gallantry and devotion to duty that we are recognising, said Jan McLoughlin, director-general of the veterinary charity, Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

Mali was part of a mission aimed at ending a major siege by an armed suicide squad holed up in the tower block in Kabul and securing a key Taliban stronghold during the operation.

He stayed by the side of his military handler, who cannot be named, as he was sent through direct fire on two separate occasions to conduct searches for explosives.

He successfully indicated the presence of insurgents numerous times, giving the UK assault force vital seconds to engage the enemy in close quarter combat.

Mali was seriously injured by three grenade blasts, with the first two explosions causing injuries to his chest, front and rear legs.

A further blast detonated close to his face, causing the loss of his front tooth and damage to his right ear.

The dog, who has since recovered from his injuries, is believed to have played a key role in breaking the stalemate that had begun to develop in the war in Afghanistan.

I am extremely proud of Mali. The way he conducted himself when it mattered most enabled my colleagues to achieve success in close combat. Being awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal recognises Malis vital role within the force that day, said Corporal Daniel Hatley, his current handler.

Now retired from frontline duties, he works at the RAVCs Defence Animal Centre in Leicestershire, where he and Hatley help train new dog handlers.

Dogs were highly valued during the Afghanistan campaign for their ability to sniff out homemade bombs and explosives.

Special forces units also regularly used attack dogs during raids.

The Dickin Medal was instituted by PDSA founder Maria Dickin in 1943 as the highest award any animal in the world can achieve while serving in military conflict.

Previous recipients include 32 pigeons, 31 dogs, four horses and one cat.

As Mali received his award today he also marked the 100th centenary of the charitys inception.
The United Nations on Friday closed the first-ever talks on fully autonomous weapons, with experts warning that time was running out to set rules for the use of the machines dubbed killer robots.

The UN is facing mounting pressure to act against weapons systems  likely to be battle ready soon  that can identify and destroy targets without human control.

The five-day meeting of the UNs Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), marked an initial step towards an agreed set of rules governing the weapons.

Twenty-two countries, mostly those with smaller military budgets and lesser technical know-how, have called for an outright ban, arguing that automated weapons are by definition illegal as every individual decision to launch a strike must be made by a human.

The prospects for ban treaty remain dim for now, diplomats said. But in a statement summing up the discussions, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots pressure group said a majority of states now accept that some form of human control must be maintained over weapons systems.

The question now is deciding what effective human control means in practice, the head of the Arms Unit at the International Committee of the Red Cross, Kathleen Lawland, told AFP in an email.

The ICRC has not called for a ban, but Lawland warned that some kind of action was needed as the technology was moving fast.

Given the rapid development of robotic weapon systems with ever increasing autonomy, the ICRC is convinced that internationally agreed limits are urgently needed to address the fundamental legal and ethical concerns, she said.

Weapons of mass destruction

Academics attending the UN talks said that the glacial pace of the discussions was failing to respond to an emerging threat.

The arms race has happened (and) is happening today said Toby Walsh, an expert on artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales.

These will be weapons of mass destruction, he added during a side-event at the UN this week.

I am actually quite confident that we will ban these weapons ... My only concern if whether (nations) have the courage of conviction to do it now, or whether we will have to wait for people to die first.

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots said a majority of countries now support some kind of legally-binding instrument, which was not the case before this weeks meeting.

But the group voiced concern about the prospects for the path forward.

A tentative plan for nations to meet on killer robots for just 10 days next year is inadequate to make significant progress, the campaign said.
The US Congress has passed an enhanced $700 billion defence bill, which directs the administration to find a common definition of ties with India as a Major Defence Partner (MDP) and operationalise it by designating an official responsible for it.

The bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2018, also keeps up the pressure on Pakistan to act against terrorists by tying certain defence payments to actions against the Haqqani Network.

A move by the Senate to add Lashkar-e-Taiba to this list was blocked by the defence department, as reported earlier by Hindustan Times.

NDAA 2018 has been sent to President Donald Trump to sign into law.

The MDP designation  unique to India-US ties, as neither country uses it for any of their global partners  seeks to promote defence cooperation, trade, co-production and co-development of military hardware.

The moniker was codified into law by the 2017 defence budget act, months after it had first been announced by former US President Barack Obama at a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington. It also committed all future administrations to the same, unless specifically struck down.

NDAA 2018 moves the ball forward by institutionalising the relationship. Section 1258 of the bill, titled Advancements in defence cooperation between the United States and India, directs the departments of state, defence and commerce to jointly produce a common definition that recognises Indias status as a Major Defence Partner for joint use by the three departments.

The legislation also directs the state and defence departments to appoint an official responsible for shepherding MDP ties. It presses for urgency and gives the administration 90 days from enactment to come through with the appointment.

The two departments are also required to brief appropriate committees of the House and Senate on actions taken to advance defence ties between the two countries.

The bill adds new clauses in keeping with the Trump administrations new strategy for Afghanistan. It says the US should work with representatives of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Government of India to promote stability and development in Afghanistan.

It also urges the US to pursue with India the signing of Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation  two of the remaining foundational agreements Washington wants New Delhi to sign.

NDAA 2018 also enjoins the administration to add to ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries an enhanced role for US partners and allies and support joint exercises, operations, and patrols and mutual defence planning with India.
A Yemeni man who dressed as a hooded suicide bomber for a Halloween party has been fined in Malaysia for causing a public nuisance, his lawyer said on Friday.

Amjad Jalal Ahmed Al-Dahan wore a fake beard and a cardboard belt with two empty water bottles taped to it.

He also had on a white robe with a scarf wrapped around his head at the party in an apartment complex in Petaling Jaya, a city next to Kuala Lumpur.

Al-Dahan, 34, pleaded guilty and was fined 400 ringgit ($100), the maximum fine for the offence, his lawyer Saraswathy Devi told AFP.

Largely Muslim Malaysia has arrested hundreds of suspected militants in recent years, including several people connected to the Abu Sayyaf group operating in the southern Philippines.

Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia have been on alert after Filipino militants backed by foreign fighters and waving the black Islamic State (IS) group flag seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi in May.

The Philippine government and security analysts said the attack on Marawi is part of an IS plan to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia.
John Barry fought for his adoptive country at sea and presided at the birth of the U.S. Navy

Royal Navy Lieutenant Richard Boger was vexed. The commander of the eight-gun sloop tender HMS Edward had been chasing an unidentified merchantman since just after dawn on April 7, 1776. He had finally overtaken the vessel off the Delaware Capes, but it refused to lay to, even in response to a warning shot fired across its bow. Certain the stranger was running contraband for the rebellious American colonies, the British officer directed his helmsman to pull Edward alongside and then, yelling across the gap, ordered the mystery ship to submit or risk being sunk.

The response was not what he expected.

Hardly had the words left Bogers lips when the colors of the Continental Navy broke atop the other ships mast. Almost simultaneously gun ports opened along the merchantmans starboard side, eight cannons rumbled out and a thundering broadside hammered Edwards rigging. The British vessel shuddered under the impact, and its gunners scrambled to return fire. For more than an hour the warships traded blows at nearly point-blank range, and though both suffered in the exchange, Boger realized further battle would result in Edwards destruction. He therefore ordered its guns silenced and colors struck. The sloop tender thus became the first vessel of the Royal Navy to surrender to an American man-of-war.

That ship was the 16-gun brigantine USS Lexington. Its captain was John Barry.

The man Americans would later acknowledge as a founding father of the U.S. Navy was born in County Wexford, Ireland, on March 25, 1745.

Like many young Irish Catholics living in a land ruled by the Protestant English, John Barry was poor from birth and had few prospects. Almost the only route to a better life was to leave Irelandeither through emigration or by going to sea. When Barry was 9 years old, his parents chose the second option for him, using family connectionsan uncle was a ships captainto secure him a billet as a cabin boy. A quick learner, the boy quickly absorbed the skills that would stand him in good stead the rest of his life.

After some years at sea, 15-year-old Barry immigrated to America. There again family connections helped him, at least for a while, as he initially lived in Philadelphia with a female relative and her husband. He didnt rely on their generosity for long, however, for he soon found employment with maritime merchants and in 1766 was offered his first command of a vessel. Barry continued to advance in his maritime career and by 1775 was in command of Black Prince, one of newest and largest merchantmen operating from Philadelphia. During one Atlantic crossing in Black Prince Barry set a record by traveling 237 miles by dead reckoning in a 24-hour periodthe fastest known sailing day recorded in the 1700s. Tragedy had struck at home in 1774, however, when his wife of six years, the former Mary Cleary, died.

The years 1774 and 1775 proved difficult for other reasons. Increasing tensions between Britain and its American colonies worried Philadelphias ship captains. During the course of several commercial voyages to British ports Barry personally experienced the condescension with which some Englishmen regarded the disloyal colonists on the other side of the Atlantic. An ardent supporter of his adopted homeland and its quest for independence, Barry knew he could not remain neutral in any conflict that might erupt between the Crown and the colonies.

He could never imagine just how important a role he was destined to play.

The Second Continental Congress convened for the first time in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, seeking to address the myriad issues surrounding the creation of an independent nation from Britains North American colonies. The delegates made many important decisions, but the one that most directly affected Barry transpired on October 13the day delegates authorized the establishment of the Continental Navy. That authorization made provision for the purchase of two merchant vessels and their conversion into the new services first warships.

Merchantmen in the days of sail were intended to make money for their owners and thus tended to have smaller crews and fewer sails than warships. The ships Congress selected for the new Continental Navy, therefore, had to be re-rigged to accommodate more sail, and Barry was tapped to oversee the process for one of those vessels, the brig Defiance. Following its conversion and commissioning as USS Andrew Doria, Barry was assigned to also manage the re-rigging of the second ship, a vessel he already knew wellhis former command Black Prince. With a new sail plan, strengthened hull and cannons set behind newly constructed gun ports, the ship was commissioned as USS Alfred. It went on to see service under the command of John Paul Jones before falling prize to the British in 1778 and being put it into Royal Navy service under the same name.

As useful as Barrys expertise had been in the conversion of the merchant vessels, it was his skill as a seaman that led the Continental Congress to decide he was too valuable to be wasted ashore. On Dec. 7, 1775, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Continental Navy. His first wartime command would be the brigantine USS Lexington, then undergoing conversion in Philadelphia. In addition to re-rigging, the work included the addition of 14 four-pounder cannons, two 6-pounder cannons and a dozen swivel guns. The work was completed by the spring of 1776, and on the last day of March Barry and his 110-man crew took Lexington to war.

The first obstacle for the newly minted Continental warship was HMS Roebuck, a 44-gun man-of-war patrolling the mouth of the Delaware River. Outgunned and unwilling to engage the British vessel, Barry skirted around his heavier adversary by keeping to shallow waters where it could not follow. Having eluded Roebuck, Barry went in search of prey. He found itor rather, it found himon April 7.

The capture of Edwardand the British merchantmen Lady Susan and Betsy over the subsequent weeksearned Barry and crew the adoration of Philadelphians on their return to port in late September. Barry was reassigned to command the 28-gun frigate Effingham, then under construction. While waiting for it to be fitted out, Barry and many of his prospective crewmen volunteered for duty ashore with George Washingtons army. In that capacity Barry helped facilitate the crossing of the Delaware, participated in the battles of Trenton and Princeton, and served as a courier for Washington, carrying dispatches to British Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis under a flag of truce.

Barry returned to Philadelphia in the summer of 1777, both to oversee the completion of Effingham and, on July 7, to marry Sarah Austin. Tempering the newlyweds bliss was the fact that British forces under General Sir William Howe were steadily advancing on the de facto American capital. By mid-September the situation had worsened to the point Barry was ordered to get the still unfinished Effingham out of Philadelphia and seek a safe anchorage along the upper reaches of the Delaware. Soon after the frigate got under way a smaller vessel came alongside and an individual (possibly Barrys Tory brother-in-law William Austin) came aboard with an astounding offer. The man promised Effinghams commander 20,000 gold guineas plus command of a Royal Navy ship if he would surrender the frigate to the British. Barry had no interest and in his Irish brogue angrily spurned the eyedee of being a treater.

Though Barry was safely upriver when Howes troops marched into Philadelphia on September 26, Effingham remained bottled up on the Delaware with little likelihood of ever reaching the sea. Badly in need of men to crew the American warships that remained at liberty, and fearful the British might capture Effingham for their own use, Washington ordered Barry to scuttle the frigate. Barry was disgusted with the command. Not until November 30four weeks after having received the order, and only after repeated appeals to the Navy Boarddid he comply. Even then Navy Board chair Francis Hopkinson himself insisted on overseeing removal of plugs from through-holes in Effinghams hull. A sullen Barry watched from shore as the frigate settled into the shallows just below Bordentown, N.J. Passing British troops later burned the ship to the waterline.

With Howe in Philadelphia and Americas largest frigates scuttled, it would take men of courage and uncommon creativity to strike at the British. Barry rose to the occasion, first attacking vessels of the Royal Navy with the few small craft availablerowboats, barges and longboats. Despite the odds, he was remarkably successful, capturing several British vessels, destroying others and garnering useful intelligence. He also managed to slip across the river to New Jersey and burn forage intended for British cavalry and artillery horses.

Though pleased with Barrys successes, the Continental Congress decided he would be far more valuable to the war effort if provided with a ship better suited to his talents. On May 30, 1778, the Navy Board assigned him command of the 32-gun USS Raleigh. Barrys tenure aboard the frigate was relatively brief, however, for after departing Boston on September 25 as an escort for two small merchantmen, Raleigh came under pursuit by the 50-gun ship of the line HMS Experiment and 20-gun post ship HMS Unicorn. Barry ordered the merchantmen back to port while he lured the British warships north. Forty-eight hours into the chase Unicorn fired a broadside that carried away two of Raleighs topmasts, rendering it unable to elude its pursuers. A fierce gun battle followed, though with nightfall Barry was able to break contact and seek shelter among a group of islands off the coast of Maine. When both British ships caught up and re-engaged, Barry purposely ran Raleigh aground, intending to burn it before it could be captured. Though the British managed to thwart the planned scuttling and capture Raleigh, Barry and most of his crew escaped by rowboat, making it back to Boston in early October.

Anxious to return to sea, Barry accepted command of the 10-gun brig Delaware, a privateer out of Philadelphia. After securing a letter of marque from Congress on Feb. 15, 1779, he directed a small fleet of privateers, that summer leading two successful raiding excursions to and from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. But his heart was in the nascent Navy, and in August 1780 he took command of the 36-gun USS Alliance. The frigate already boasted a colorful war record, having been part of a squadron sent to France under John Paul Jones. Alliance had participated in the storied Battle of Flamborough Head, which pitted Jones Bonhomme Richard against HMS Serapis. Under Barry the frigate would have the distinction of fighting the Continental Navys final battle.

Though Barry longed to get back into the fight, his first mission as commander of Alliance was to transport a party of VIPs to France. The group included Colonel John LaurensAmericas newly appointed envoy to Parisand leading revolutionary thinker Thomas Paine. Ordered to cross the Atlantic quickly and avoid contact with enemy forces, Barry departed Boston on Feb. 11, 1781. After an eventful voyageincluding a struggle with sea ice, the suppression of a planned mutiny by British-born sailors and, despite orders, the capture of an English privateerBarry brought Alliance into Lorient on March 9.

Barry and crew remained in port nearly three weeks. When Alliance left for home on March 29, it was escorting a merchantman bearing arms and uniforms destined for the Continental Army. What should have been a straightforward voyage turned into something of a fiasco, however, after a pair of British privateers attacked Alliance and its charge on April 2. Barry captured both brigs, but the master he put in charge of one of the prizes absconded to France with the ship, and the merchantman defected soon after. The other prize got separated from Alliance in bad weather, though it dutifully sailed on to the Delaware Capes. Barrys search for the ships and lightning damage to Alliances main-topmast kept the frigate at sea longer than its captain had intended. But his troubles werent over. Barry had to put down yet another brewing mutiny, and the cumulative delays led to one of the most close-run battles of Barrys career.

At sunrise on May 29 two British sloops of warthe 16-gun Atalanta and 14-gun Trepasseycaught up to Alliance. The smaller, more maneuverable enemy vessels initially had the advantage. The wind had died, immobilizing the frigate, while the sloops were able to use sweeps (long oars) to position themselves on Alliances aft quarters and pound away at will. Lacking sweeps, the American vessel was unable to bring its main batteries to bear, at most a gun or two at a time. Barry defended the vessel as best he could, even after being struck in the shoulder by grapeshot, but he soon lost consciousness from blood loss, and crewmen carried him below. As the fight intensified, Barrys second-in-command sought permission from the semiconscious commander to strike their colors. Barry angrily refused. No, sir, the thunder! he growled. If this ship cannot be fought without me, I will be brought on deck. To your duty, sir. Fortunately, a breath of wind picked up soon afterward, enabling Alliance to swivel toward its antagonists and brings its main guns to bear. The frigate mercilessly pounded the sloops until both struck their colors.

Following his victory over Atalanta and Trepasseyand after recuperating from his woundsBarry was tasked with a prestigious mission. The surrender of British forces at Yorktown, Va., on October 19 had effectively ended the ground combat phase of the American Revolutionary War in North America, and Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, had chosen to return to France. Alliance was to transport him and his retinue. Barry got the ship under way from Boston on Christmas Eve. After disembarking the French party in early January 1782, Barry chose to remain in European waters, harassing British shipping in cooperation with the French until returning to the East Coast in May. Through late fall Alliance operated primarily in the Caribbean, capturing several enemy vessels before heading to France on favorable winds.

Leaving Lorient in early December, Barry shaped a course for the West Indies and arrived in Martinique in early January 1783. From there he was ordered to Cuba, where Alliance was to take on a most unusual cargoa fortune in Spanish dollars bound for the Continental Congress. On arrival in Havana, Barry found work crews had already loaded the treasure aboard the 20-gun armed transport USS Duc de Lauzun, and Alliance was tasked with escorting its sister ship to Philadelphia. The American vessels were unable to leave Cuba until early March, and once again a delay put Barry in harms way.

Almost immediately after leaving Havana, Alliance and Duc de Lauzun found that two British frigates, the 32-gun Alarm and 28-gun Sibyl, were shadowing them. Bearing for the Carolinas, Barry and his charge were initially able to elude the enemy. But on March 10 Alarm and Sibyljoined by the sloop of war HMS Tobagocaught up with the American ships off Floridas east coast. When Sibyl fired on the trailing Duc de Lauzun, Barry furiously defended the smaller treasure vessel in a running fight with the British sloop, eventually driving off all three attackers. The clash turned out to be the last sea battle of the war and the last fought by a ship of the Continental Navy.

At wars end in September 1783 there was little official interest in maintaining a navy, and under the Articles of Confederation the central government was not really capable of doing so. Following the 1785 dissolution of the Continental Navy and the sale of its ships, John Barry returned to his prewar occupation as a merchant captain, undertaking several highly profitable voyages to China.

The nascent nations lack of a formal navy emboldened the Barbary pirates, who attacked American merchant ships with impunity in the western Mediterranean and in the Atlantic off the northwest coast of Africa. Their depredations and the 1789 implementation of the Constitution prompted Congress to formally establish the U.S. Navy in March 1794. Barry received the first commission with the rank of commodore, thus holding the distinction of being both the first commissioned officer and first flag officer in the sea service. During the 17981800 Quasi-War with France Barry commanded the 44-gun USS United States, capturing several French privateers and later transporting American envoys to France to end the undeclared conflict.

As commander of United States Barry also helped train many officersincluding Richard Somers and Stephen Decatur Jr.who would go on to greater things in battle against the Barbary pirates and in the War of 1812. His challenging years at sea had prematurely aged the commodore, however, forcing him to leave active service in March 1801. Barry remained in official command of the Navy until his death in Philadelphia on Sept. 13, 1803.

John Barry was the quintessential naval officer. A fine seaman in both peace and war, he oversaw the birth of the Continental Navy, captured dozens of enemy ships, trained countless younger officers aboard his commands and remained loyal to his adopted homeland despite offers of rank and fortune were he to switch sides.

All things considered, despite his relative obscurity, Commodore Barry amply deserves the moniker Father of the U.S. Navya title he shares with Captain John Paul Jones and President John Adams. Not bad shipmates.

David Harris is a first-time contributor to Military History. For further reading he recommends John Barry: An American Hero in the Age of Sail, by Tim McGrath; Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy, by Ian W. Toll; and George Washingtons Secret Navy, by James L. Nelson.
News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits.

Tuesday, October 25, 4:30  7 p.m.

Orr Area EMS Open House

Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798.

Orr Fire Hall

4540 Lake St., Orr

Tuesday, October 25, 12  6 p.m.

Essentia Health Job Fair

Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org.

901 9th St. N., Virginia
Despite initially stating that they had received no complaints against Kevin Spacey, one of the UK's major theatrical institutions now admits that 20 men have stepped forward to tell horror stories about their personal dealings with the Hollywood star during his time at The Old Vic.

In the wake of last month's sex scandals, The Old Vic decided to launch an internal investigation into the actor's time with them as artistic director.

Spacey was with The Old Vic for 11 years, starting off in 2004. And The Old Vic last night offered a public apology to the men effected by Spacey's inappropriate behaviour during his time with them.

The Old Vic last night admitted that their investigation "resulted in 20 personal testimonies shared of alleged inappropriate behaviour carried out by Kevin Spacey during his time as Artistic Director".

The Old Vic chairman, Nick Clarry said: "On behalf of The Old Vic Board of Trustees, to all those people who felt unable to speak up at the time, The Old Vic truly apologises. Inappropriate behaviour by anyone working at The Old Vic is completely unacceptable.

"We will foster a safe and supportive environment without prejudice, harassment or bullying of any sort, at any level. We want anyone who works here to feel confident, valued and proud to be part of The Old Vic family."

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Artistic director at The Old Vic, Matthew Warchus had this to say: "I have genuine and deep sympathy for all those who have come forward and said they were hurt in some way by my predecessor's actions.

"Everyone is entitled to work in an environment free from harassment and intimidation.

"The Old Vic is now actively engaged in the process of healing and the process of prevention.

"These allegations have been a shock and a disturbing surprise to many of us.

"It is incorrect, unfair and irresponsible to say that everybody knew. But as a result of the investigation, what we have learnt is how better to call out this behaviour in future."

A statement from The Old Vic theatre reads: "The investigation resulted in 20 personal testimonies shared of alleged inappropriate behaviour carried out by Kevin Spacey during his time as Artistic Director.

"Despite having the appropriate escalation processes in place, it was claimed that those affected felt unable to raise concerns and that Kevin Spacey operated without sufficient accountability.

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"This is clearly unacceptable and The Old Vic truly apologises for not creating an environment or culture where people felt able to speak freely.

"'This investigation concluded that there have been 20 personal allegations of incidents relating to The Old Vic ranging from 1995 to 2013, with the majority (all but two) falling before 2009."

It adds: "No legal claims, formal grievances, formal disputes, settlement agreements or payments made or authorised were made at all in relation to Kevin Spacey during his tenure.

'It has also not been possible to verify any of these allegations, and it is important to note that Kevin Spacey has not commented on them.'

"The given testimony shows that in all but one case, those individuals alleging inappropriate behaviour by Kevin Spacey did not come forward at the time or asked that no formal action be taken.

"During his tenure, The Old Vic was in a unique position of having a Hollywood star at the helm around whom existed a cult of personality.

"The investigation found that his stardom and status at The Old Vic may have prevented people, and in particular junior staff or young actors, from feeling that they could speak up or raise a hand for help.

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"With the exception of one of the claims, none of the reported incidents were raised formally or informally with management.

"Staff who observed this behaviour claimed they were unclear about how to respond; in some cases they did not consider allegations of misconduct to be serious and, where they clearly did, they said they did not feel confident that The Old Vic would take those allegations seriously given who he was.

"The following factors may have contributed to this escalation problem: star power; lack of clarity of The Old Vic's accepted code of behaviour; confusion regarding the impact of reporting misconduct; career insecurity; tribalism between operational and creative staff during his tenure causing information gaps.

"Calling out this behaviour could have been easier if there had been a non-formal and confidential mechanism in place by which complaints could be raised safely within the organization.'

"For those who were affected during Kevin's tenure, our victim support counselling service will continue to be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for the next 12 months.

"We hope this goes some way towards providing a support structure for those affected, together with the knowledge that the testimonies they have shared will help inform the way forward at The Old Vic and in the wider industry."
The 'Happy' star made only one copy of '100 Years  The Song We'll Only Hear If We Care', and has locked it in a water-vulnerable safe.

Pharrell Williams teamed up with cognac brand, Louis XIII, and wont release the aforementioned song for 100 years.

The track itself has been engraved on clay made from soil taken at the Louis XIII vineyard. In its water-vulnerable safe, the idea is to raise awareness for global warming.

Its not the first type of time capsule marketing that the cognac brand have run with. They also made a film with actor John Malkovich that won't be released until 2115.

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WASHINGTON - The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to allow a single company to own a newspaper and television and radio stations in the same town, reversing a decades-old rule aimed at preventing any individual or company from having too much power over local coverage.

The Republican-led FCC eliminated the restrictions, known as a media cross-ownership ban, in a 3-2 vote along party lines. As part of the vote, the agency also increased the number of television stations a company could own in a local market. A company will more easily be able to own two of the four largest stations in a market, instead of only one.

The vote was the latest action in a deregulatory blitz at the agency cheered on by most media, broadband and cable corporations, but opposed by many Democrats and consumer advocates, who say Americans will be hurt from greater consolidation in those industries.

In April, the agency relaxed other limits on television ownership. Shortly after, Sinclair Broadcast Group reached a deal with Tribune Media for a $3.9 billion merger that would allow Sinclair to reach 70 percent of U.S. households. Some lawmakers have called for an investigation into the relationship between the agency's chairman, Ajit Pai, and Sinclair.

Pai, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, has said the media ownership rules - including the cross-ownership ban between newspapers and television and radio stations - was outdated. He said most Americans get their news from a variety of sources.

Local media organizations, he has argued, would have a greater shot at competing against internet giants like Facebook and Google by combining resources in local markets.

"It's a simple proposition: The media ownership regulations of 2017 should match the media marketplace of 2017," Pai said Thursday. "That's the proposition the FCC vindicates today - nothing more, nothing less. And it's about time."

Local stations

Democrats on the commission said that rolling back the rules would hurt people who rely on local stations for news coverage.

"During the first 10 months of 2017, the FCC majority has given the green light to more than a dozen actions that are a direct attack on consumers and small businesses," said Mignon Clyburn, a Democratic commissioner, who voted against the orders. "And most Americans are unaware that the agency established to protect the public interest has traded in that role for the chance to grant the wish lists of billion-dollar companies."

Public interest groups fear major corporations like Sinclair or CBS would grow more powerful through the relaxation of rules. Private equity investors who have purchased television stations and newspapers to flip them for a profit are also expected to take advantage of the changes.

"Our media ownership numbers are already dismally low," said Carmen Scurato, the director for the National Hispanic Media Coalition, a nonprofit that promotes greater diversity in media. "These actions on Thursday shut out our voices."

Unusual coalition

The Sinclair deal also has drawn criticism from an unusual coalition: consumer advocacy groups that generally oppose media consolidation, conservative media companies that are rivals to the right-leaning Sinclair and cable and satellite TV companies that worry that a beefed-up Sinclair will be able to get even higher fees from them.

The rule changes, however, would not apply to AT&T's pending deal for Time Warner because the FCC is not reviewing that and neither company owns a TV or radio station or a local paper. The Justice Department is still reviewing that $85 billion deal. Its widely expected approval has run into hurdles.

The FCC has already taken steps favorable to broadcasters and Sinclair. It scrapped a rule that required TV and radio broadcasters to maintain a local studio and withdrew a technical measure that hindered media consolidation. Sinclair would reach 72 percent of American households if the Tribune Media deal goes through.

'Next-gen TV'

The FCC also voted Thursday to allow a new broadcasting standard known as "next-gen TV," which Sinclair and the broadcasting lobby has pushed for.

It will allow for better-quality video and improved reception, let broadcasters beam TV programming directly to phones and, they hope, make money from advertising targeted to consumers based on data about them, like Facebook and Google do.

The two Democratic commissioners dissented, saying the agency's approach will mean higher costs for consumers if they have to buy new TV sets to get the signals, just as they had to buy digital TVs or converters when analog transmissions ceased in the past decade. The government offered $40 coupons for converter boxes to help defray costs during that transition. According to the Democrats, there are no provisions for similar subsidies this time.

The agency also voted Thursday on party lines to pursue new limits on Lifeline, a program that makes internet service cheaper for the poor and serves about 12 million people.

The FCC also made it easier for phone companies like AT&T and Verizon to ditch their old copper networks as they upgrade to newer technologies.

Democrats say these measures will make it more difficult for poor people to go online and harm rural customers who depend on their landlines.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As Republicans continue trying to chip away at the Affordable Care Act, the Internal Revenue Service has begun, for the first time, to enforce one of the law's most polarizing provisions: the employer mandate.

Thousands of businesses - many of them small or midsize - will soon receive a letter saying that they owe the government money because they failed to offer their workers qualifying health insurance. The first round of notices, which the IRS began sending late last month, are being mailed to companies that have at least 100 full-time employees and ran afoul of the law in 2015, the year that the mandate took effect.
The Trump administration has plans to stop granting work permits to spouses of H-1B holders, a move that would overturn a 2015 rule and affect thousands of foreigners currently in the United States, sources say.

About 100,000 spouses and children of H-1B visa holders come to the U.S. on H-4 visas each year, a number that has been steadily increasing since 2012. Before President Barack Obama created a work permit for certain H-4 visa holders in 2015, these foreigners  often women  were not allowed to hold a job here or be issued a Social Security number.

From October 2015 to September 2016, 41,526 people were approved for the work authorization. Complete figures for the most recent government fiscal year, which ended in September, are not yet available.

In recent years, spouses with H-4 visas have been able to seek work. Overturning the H-4 work authorization may have a domino effect, as couples may be less inclined to stay in the U.S. if both cannot work, said Emily Neumann, an immigration attorney.

Those who are here and waiting for so long may just get tired and might leave, Neumann said. Why not go to Canada where they feel more welcome?

But critics of the program say rescinding the work permits will help preserve American jobs.

The Department of Homeland Security is currently facing a lawsuit that challenges the right of H-4 visa holders to work in the U.S. The plaintiff, a group of technology workers called Save Jobs USA, says the government should not have the ability to grant work permits to immigrants through a rule rather than congressional approval. The administration used a similar argument to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and delay the International Entrepreneur Rule.

John Miano, an attorney for Save Jobs USA, said the president should not have such power over foreign work permits.

We would hope that (the regulation) would have some acknowledgment that the original employment authorization was unlawful, he said.

The administration has delayed making a decision in the case since February. But in the meantime, it has been drafting a new regulation to rescind the H-4 work authorization, according to sources familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified in order to speak freely about the administrations plans.

It is unclear how exactly the administration will seek to overturn the work authorization, and the provisions of the draft currently circulating could change by the time it is published.

Officials from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Immigration experts have widely expected the administration to overturn the H-4 work authorization since Trump took office  especially in light of a recent motion filed by government lawyers in the Save Jobs USA case that cites the Presidents Buy American and Hire American executive order. That order requires reviews of existing immigration policies in the interest of protecting American jobs.

The court deadline for the H-4 litigation is fast approaching, Lynden Melmed, former chief counsel of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, said in an email. That means the government is far along in finalizing a regulation, and at every stage they have signaled a desire to rescind the work authorization for all H-4 spouses.

Melmed, now a partner at Berry Appleman & Leiden who oversees the immigration law firms government affairs practices, said he and his colleagues are warning clients that a decision on the H-4 work authorization is imminent.

The next court deadline is Jan. 2.

The majority of H-4 visa holders are women who decided to come to the U.S. with their spouse to keep their families together, and perhaps start their own path to permanent residency. An H-4 visa holder is only eligible for a work permit if their spouse has been approved for a green card.

This work authorization is particularly helpful for spouses from India and China. Because of the high numbers of immigrants from those countries seeking permanent residency in the U.S., the wait for a green card for Indian and Chinese nationals can be more than a decade. Doug Rand, former assistant director for entrepreneurship in the Obama White House who helped implement the H-4 work authorization rule, said the Obama administration created the regulation to help Americans-in-waiting.

Fortunately, Congress gave the executive branch the authority to let these spouses get a job or start a business if they can  putting their considerable education and talents to work for our economy during the excruciatingly long and unconscionable wait for a green card, said Rand, who now is the co-founder of Boundless, a Seattle startup that helps people navigate the immigration process.

Despite the lawsuit, H-1B spouses are currently still able to apply for work permits. Even if the Trump administration decides to unravel the rule, such an action would require a lengthy notice-and-comment period, a requirement that has hindered other efforts by the administration to swiftly revoke Obama-era rules.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani
Casper, the online mattress retailer that ships products in seemingly impossibly small boxes, has opened a new retail concept shop in The Galleria so customers can try before they buy.

The store, the first in Houston and one of 14 nationwide, showcases the full line of ergonomic-designed foam mattresses and other products such as dog beds, sheets, mattress protectors, duvets and bed frames. Customers can book an appointment in one of the in-store nap pods.
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McGREGOR - The Marines have a saying that translates to the fast-paced work of developing rockets and forging a path toward colonizing other planets. Semper Gumby: Always flexible.

For one thing, the launch pad is an unpredictable place, with fires like one two weeks ago a concern. Then there's the technical challenge of achieving liftoff and propelling a rocketship through the heavens. And always, astronauts must be protected from radiation and other deep-space hazards.

As the commercial space industry assumes a larger role in the evolving national space race, one of its top private companies is finding military veterans an integral part of its workforce. At the SpaceX test facility in McGregor, a third of more than 550 full-timers have military backgrounds. Employees say they are used to mission-driven tasks.

"What more compelling mission is there than to make humanity an interplanetary species, right?" said Zachary Ledford, a former Army field-artillery officer who now works with SpaceX's human resources' data and automation team. "There's nothing else going on in the world right now that's more exciting and more compelling."

SpaceX, the Hawthorne, Calif.-based brainchild of a boundary-pushing billionaire, Elon Musk, and Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com fame, are among the biggest players working on powerful rockets for the next generation of space travel. Both have operations in this state, with SpaceX rooted in the Central Texas prairie.

Since 2003, Musk's company has steadily increased the size and workload at its McGregor test site, where it brings every one of its engines for testing. Technicians and engineers build and maintain 14 test stands that secure rocket engines for testing, diverting the flames into a concrete trench. They work with their counterparts in Hawthorne to turn big-picture ideas into feats of modern science.

"We're where the action is at," said Michael Adams, a Navy Reserve officer and a SpaceX build-reliability engineer. "There's a lot of test ops out here. We're firing off engines. We're firing off stages. There's a lot to be done out here."

Co-worker Joel Fecke likens the work to his critical high-tempo job in the Army overseeing maintenance of vehicles, weapons and equipment of a cavalry scout squadron.

"The way we work together as a team, it's really what speaks to the veterans," said Adams, who served aboard a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine.

Dozens of missions

SpaceX has successfully launched 45 missions since 2008, when it made history by getting the first privately developed liquid-fuel rocket into orbit.

The rockets carry cargo into space for NASA, place satellites into orbit for commercial customers and complete national security missions for the U.S. government. First-stage boosters have successfully landed on drone ships or solid ground 19 times - another history-making feat for SpaceX - and three missions have reused one of the previously flown boosters.

"It is an optimistic time to be in the space industry," said Bill Ostrove, space market analyst for Forecast International, which provides consulting for aerospace and other industries. "There is a lot of capital and talent flowing into the industry right now. We're definitely seeing a lot of advances that haven't been made in a long time."

RELATED: After explosion, much is riding on SpaceX launch

The space industry received more than $2 billion in equity investment through the first nine months of this year, according to a report from Space Angels, a network of angel investors focused on early-stage commercial space investments. That includes personal investments from individuals in the business like Bezos, Musk, Robert Bigelow and Richard Branson.

A handful of commercial companies are launching payloads into orbit or developing rockets. Orbital ATK used a medium-lift rocket earlier this week to deliver cargo to the International Space Station as part of its contract with NASA. Blue Origin recently completed a hot-fire test of its BE-4 engine, which is capable of producing 550,000 pounds of thrust at sea level.

The BE-4 engine will be used to power Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. The first-stage booster will have seven reusable liquid-oxygen, liquefied natural gas engines generating 3.85 million pounds of thrust.

SpaceX is developing a heavy-lift and super-heavy-lift rocket of its own. The Falcon Heavy will have 27 Merlin first-stage engines, three times more than the Falcon 9 that SpaceX is currently flying, fueled by liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene. The engines combine for a total of 5.13 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

"There's a lot of interest and a lot of excitement in this area right now," Ostrove said of overall launch vehicle development.

Musk is targeting Mars, ultimately. SpaceX is developing an even heavier-lift rocket, with new Raptor engines, that could one day reach the Red Planet. The vehicle is being called "BFR." With 31 Raptor engines on the BFR booster, it's expected to be more powerful than the Saturn V rocket that NASA used to propel astronauts to the moon.

The Raptor engines will be fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid methane, the latter being available on the surface of Mars for the return journey to Earth. Raptor engines have been tested for a total of more than 1,200 seconds of firing across more than 40 main engine tests.

SpaceX, Blue Origin and NASA are the main U.S. players developing heavy- and super-heavy-lift rockets, Ostrove said. The commercial companies, however, are taking opposite approaches to rocket development.

SpaceX has less powerful engines but is building more of them. The rationale is that more practice will accelerate learning and bring down costs, Ostrove said. Blue Origin is putting fewer, more powerful engines on its rockets. Its rationale, he added, is that fewer working pieces will make it easier to integrate the various rocket elements.

Blue Origin declined to comment for this article.

Ostrove said the big question moving forward is whether the market can sustain both companies. That will largely depend on their pricing to carry payloads to the moon, Mars or beyond.

"I think it's still very far out there, but we're a lot closer to have, sort of, an economy around these heavy-lift launch vehicles," he said. "We're probably closer to that now than we've ever been."

Quiet prominence

McGregor, near Waco, has quietly fulfilled an essential role for SpaceX over the past 14 years, becoming the company's second-largest location in terms of employees. Testing all those engines in preparation for their less-than-three-minute journey into orbit keeps employees at attention.

"We had a phrase in the Marine Corps that we used to use called Semper Gumby, which means 'always flexible,' " said Steve Fuchs, who used reverse-osmosis equipment to create clean drinking water for troops. "That's very much the same here at SpaceX. ... You may come to work thinking you're going to do a certain job, and that may change three times by the end of the day."

Fuchs, currently director of fabrication and support in McGregor, started working for SpaceX in 2005. He was living on the Kwajalein Island, in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia, when the young company arrived with plans to launch rockets. Fuchs worked as a civilian contractor for the island's Army base, but he was immediately intrigued by SpaceX.

He soon got a job preparing the launch pad and helping integrate the rocket. But "everyone did everything" in those days, so Fuchs also captained the 40-foot catamaran that ferried employees to and from the smaller island where launches would occur.

He witnessed two liftoffs - neither completely successful - before moving to Texas in 2007. In the early days, most of McGregor's SpaceX employees worked out of an underground bunker, a vestige of the site's extensive history developing explosives and missiles.

The bunker had one restroom, a kitchen and offices. Fuchs recalled technicians working from two shipping containers pushed together. It was common for vehicles to get stuck in the mud and for the power to go out.

Much has changed. The original test stand, left behind by Beal Aerospace, has been augmented with one more closely resembling a launch pad. Multiple buildings spread across more than 4,000 acres house desks, work areas for technicians and rocket stages awaiting testing. That underground bunker is now a test control center.

Ups and downs

Complex systems are celebrated in the SpaceX Hall of Flame, with pictures depicting different iterations of engines undergoing testing. Employees' cubicles are adorned with mission patches of successful launches.

One notable Texas monument is the Grasshopper. Used to test guidance, navigation and control systems for landing a rocket booster vertically, the prototype's namesake comes from large, insect-like landing gear. The Grasshopper started with hops of only a matter of inches, but ultimately it flew half a mile into the air.

The celebrations of such successes also come with the recognition of setbacks. On Nov. 4, an engine caught fire during a qualification test that occurred before ignition. One test cell was damaged. No one was injured, and SpaceX doesn't expect the incident to affect its launch schedule.

The engine being tested was a Block 5 Merlin, and SpaceX rockets are currently using the Block 4 Merlin.

Testing of Block 4 Merlin and other engines has continued as planned. Such testing generally occurs twice a day, six days a week, so frequent that many employees hardly notice the noise. Yet some still go outside to watch. Fuchs can tell the type of engine and where it's being tested by simply listening to the sounds reverberating through his workspace.

Adams can watch second-stage tests from the window near his desk.

"I do take about 15 seconds," he said. "I lean back and I look at it. And I'm like, 'Yeah, that's cool. We do this for a living.' "

Adams was transitioning to the Navy Reserve and working on his master's degree in aerospace engineering when he stumbled across SpaceX. He had been interviewing with the more established space organizations and planned to be a company man.

"That's what space was. Space was the pencil ties and the pocket protectors," he said.

But as government funding dried up, the established aerospace players weren't able to pay for his level of experience. Adams stumbled across a SpaceX booth at a career fair. His quality assurance experience with high-risk submarine systems fit nicely with his current role of minimizing and eliminating risk while testing second-stage rocket boosters.

RELATED: Private firm leading new space pioneers

SpaceX recruits employees with the skills and drive for making humans a multiplanetary species, said Brian Bjelde, vice president of human resources. In a statement, he described veterans as "smart, passionate and driven individuals who are committed to achieving that mission and they bring a wide array of skills that can be deployed in so many of our roles."

Ledford, the former artillery officer, was recruited via LinkedIn while earning his MBA at Baylor University. His grandfather worked at Vandenberg Air Force Base, where SpaceX launches some of its rockets. As a kid, Ledford read books on solar systems and built rockets out of Legos.

"I really couldn't believe it," he recalled of the cold call from SpaceX. "I was trying to hold back excitement."

Fuchs said he can find himself talking about his job for hours with friends and family.

"I didn't join the company knowing we're going to get this far," he said. "So to be part of that journey, to see what we've done so far and then to know the potential of what we have to go, is just incredibly exciting."
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Greta Gerwig is spreading her wings as a filmmaker, and she soars with "Lady Bird."

The actress, best known for co-writing and starring in "Frances Ha," makes her directorial debut with an intimate study of an eccentric high school senior in Sacramento, Calif. Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is just dying to stand out - and insists that everyone call her Lady Bird.

Set in the early 2000s, the film opens with Lady Bird's stern but loving mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf) driving the teen to her Catholic high school. One passive aggressive comment from Marion sparks a defiant act from Lady Bird and sets up the dichotomous mother-daughter dynamic that continues over the film's 93 minutes.

Lady Bird, who is pegged as an outcast from the get-go with her dyed pink hair and contrasting schoolgirl threads, charms with innocent and clever musings. We giggle along with our protagonist as she navigates teenage life over a one-year span: trying out school plays, boyfriends, best friends, applying to colleges while longing to escape her hometown and working part-time jobs as she grapples with her family's modest means.

"Lady Bird," which Gerwig also wrote, is not exactly autobiographical, but definitely self-reflective. Gerwig, like her title character, is a Sacramento native with a computer programmer dad and nurse mom who attended an all-girls Catholic school. But the coming-of-age story does not align chronologically with Gerwig's life. Of course, Gerwig's past experience as a teen informs the narrative and makes Lady Bird's story feel authentic. Gerwig's current view, as a mature New York woman, imbues the script with a sort of dramatic irony - and a lot of laughs.

More Information 'Lady Bird'Rated R: for language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity and teen partying Running time: 93 minutes See More Collapse

Ronan and Tony winner Metcalf are the obvious scene stealers, but the entire cast is excellent. Tracy Letts is all heart as out-of-work dad Larry, whose sympathetic parenting style balances out his wife's authoritativeness. Lucas Hedges lends an emotional wallop as Lady Bird's first boyfriend, Danny.

Music, in particular, helps nail the story's 2002-03 setting. Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" blasts on the stereo during a house party. In the car, Lady Bird tells her dad that Alanis Morissette wrote "Ironic" in just a few minutes, to which he replies, "I believe it." And Gerwig manages to evoke genuine feeling with a Dave Matthews Band motif, eschewing the "too cool" attitude and embracing the song "Crash into Me" as wholly meaningful.

With that last feat Gerwig marks herself as a true artist, and hopefully, an auteur in the making.
If there's one meal at which family drama is on full display, it's Thanksgiving. Expectations and emotions run high, and there are a lot of moving parts to cause friction. Even Anthony Bourdain, who is seemingly immune to the criticism of others, feels the pressure to pull off the most anticipated meal of the year.

In fact, he dedicated a whole chapter to Thanksgiving in the book I co-wrote with him last year, "Appetites: A Cookbook." There, you'll find recipes from Bourdain that are capable of distracting from any and all uncomfortable conversations.

Below, a list of "exactly what you're doing wrong for the big day."

1Don't start cooking on Thanksgiving Day.

Preparing your whole meal in one day - even two - is a recipe for system failure. Order your fancy farmer-raised turkey now. Or, if you are going to buy a more plebian bird from a regular market, get your hands on it no later than the Monday before Thanksgiving.

2You're not planning well enough.

Plan for three days - that's right, three days - of full-on Thanksgiving prep. Make a list of everything that needs to get done and follow it. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, you should be organizing your supplies and tools, making sure you have enough roasting pans, mixing bowls and storage containers and banging out advance vegetable prep.

3You're not giving yourself enough time to thaw everything out.

Do not wait until Thanksgiving to lay out your nonperishables and frozen items. The vast majority of holiday turkeys are sold frozen, and it takes about six hours per pound to defrost in the refrigerator. No amount of prayer, salting, or hastily applied hairdryers can speed up this process if you've waited until Wednesday to thaw a 12-pound bird. Your microwave isn't big enough. You can jolly it along a bit with a cold water bath, which thaws the meat at approximately 30 minutes per pound, but do not float your turkey in your bathtub.

4Don't forget to make stock when it's all over. It's liquid gold for cold weather.

Stock is the underrated superhero of the Thanksgiving meal, the product that comes out of nowhere to save almost everything except your pie. You should make stock out of your Thanksgiving turkey carcass - but the use of a good, dark, gelatinous-when-refrigerated stock that you have on hand before the meal is what's going to upgrade your stuffing and gravy. Buy about 5 to 7 pounds of turkey wings and necks as the base for a deeply roasted stock, or invest in a couple of quarts of the best-quality turkey stock you can find a few days (or weeks) before the holidays. Use the stock made from your Thanksgiving birds for winter soups and stews.

5You only make one turkey? That's hilarious.

My top Thanksgiving rule: Prepare a stunt turkey and a business turkey. My motto is "never let 'em see you sweat." To impress guests, roast and artfully arrange a small turkey, using any and all manner of garnishes and props, including (but not limited to): chop frills, rainbow pinwheels of skewered citrus fruit slices, maraschino cherries, curly kale, lit sparklers and crisp, new $100 bills and/or gold leaf. While guests admire your artistry (and drink your Burgundy), carve the larger, roasted business turkey in the kitchen. The stunt turkey should be edible, of course. Use it to supplement the meal as needed, or lean on it entirely for care packages and day-after leftovers.

6Don't throw away the fat.

Do not discard the copious amounts of grease your bird has generously provided you with; use it to boost flavor. Butter is good, but turkey fat is better for delivering quintessential flavor. Save the grease that runs off the roasted birds and use it for the gravy and as a moistening agent for your stuffing.

7Don't try anything crazy. This is not the time for wild experimentation.

Stick with tradition on Thanksgiving. You have 364 days of the year to experiment with the cuisines of the world, your dehydrator and your sous-vide machine. Give the people what they want on Thanksgiving: the likes of buttery mashed potatoes, savory stuffing with mushrooms or chestnuts or oysters, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, cranberry relish, bacon-enhanced Brussels sprouts, creamed onions, pumpkin or apple pie with real whipped cream, and above all, a straight-ahead bronzed turkey, roasted in the oven.

8Don't give it all away at the end of the meal.

A good turkey sandwich, enhanced with a layer of stuffing and gravy, eaten in peace after your guests have gone, is the whole point of hosting Thanksgiving in the first place. By all means, send your friends and family home with care packages, but first, make sure you've tucked away enough additional stuff for yourself.
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A little bit of Round Top has arrived in Houston, as Susan Horne Antiques has opened a pop-up shop at the River Oaks District.

Horne travels to Europe several times a year to gather antiques, lighting and home accessories for her Round Top stores - House Rummel at the historic Rummel Square and a showroom at Market Hill/Paul Michael Company.
With our Theater District performing arts groups either back in their buildings or in temporary post-hurricane locations, the holiday arts season is looking as rich as ever. Here are the best events to usher in an even better new year.

Wei-Huan Chen

'Handel's Messiah'

Jones Hall, Dec. 14-17

The singing of Handel's "Messiah" is one of the most sacred of musical Christmas traditions, shorn of the modern American trappings of sales, parades and Christmas decorations. Handel's harmonic masterpiece is a full-bodied kind of concert that involves hundreds of performers filling the room. Paul Agnew conducts, while Betsy Cook Weber directs the Houston Symphony Chorus.

'The Nutcracker'

Smart Financial Centre, Dec. 10-23; Hobby Center, Dec. 30-Jan. 6

The Houston Ballet's show-must-go-on move to Sugar Land and to the Hobby Center was a bold decision - splitting a production up into two locations due to the flooding of the Wortham means bigger costs than expected. But it's worth the while, as Stanton Welch's new production of "Nutcracker" is a visual marvel and an excellent gateway to the ballet's more contemporary and lesser-known shows.

'The House Without a Christmas Tree'

George R. Brown Convention Center, Nov. 30-Dec. 17

Ricky Ian Gordon and Royce Vavrek are behind this brand-new production from the Houston Grand Opera, based on Gail Rock's children's book that was made into a 1972 television movie. It's the kind of sad, but ultimately heartwarming tale, about a father and daughter coping with the passing of the mother, that's perfect for the holidays.

'A Midnight Clear: A Musical Tale of Christmas'

Stages Repertory Theatre, through Dec. 24

There's an unspoken art to doing a Christmas show right, one that demands honesty, showmanship and an understanding of what holiday spirit means. Kenn McLaughlin, artistic director at Stages Repertory Theatre and author of this new Christmas musical, has that quotient on lockdown as the presenter of crowd-pleasing musicals and pantos for a broad audience. He's joined by composer David Nehls in creating this world-premiere piece about a church concert in 1964.

'Rhinoceros'

MATCH, through Dec. 10

Catastrophic Theatre artistic director Jason Nodler says his theater presents Christmas fare for all those who despise the typical holiday spirit. Eugene Ionesco's absurdist classic couldn't illustrate that idea better. About a town where people randomly transform into rhinoceroses, this darkly comic play is ideal for those who don't want to see another "Christmas Carol."
Maybe it's not surprising that there aren't many museums devoted to the Baroque, the artistic and architectural style that's been described as "clumsy in form and extravagant in contorted ornamentation" and whose name may derive from the Spanish word for "wart." Even little-b "baroque" can be synonymous with having bad taste.

And yet, the Baroque is also "Don Quixote," Descartes, Rubens, Rembrandt, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Isaac Newton, Shakespeare. For a century and a half, the style pervaded nearly all artistic disciplines and aspects of trans-Atlantic culture, a strange, frantic expression of the newfound contact between two hemispheres that would profoundly change the lives of people on both sides of the ocean. In Mexico, the Baroque left its most indelible mark on the colonial city of Puebla, two hours southeast of Mexico City.

After visiting Puebla's new International Museum of the Baroque, I'm not sure I understand the style any better, but the journey, at least, was thought-provoking. Gallery after gallery in the spectacular all-white building, designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, is filled with paintings, sculptures, installations and digital interactive displays that attempt to explain what exactly the Baroque meant and how it expressed itself. Exiting a temporary exhibition this spring, I was left with the feeling that the Baroque is everywhere and nowhere, a kind of "know it when I see it" aesthetic that snares works from artists as diverse as Johann Sebastian Bach and David Bowie.

The museum's delicate white exterior walls catch the eye from miles away. They look like sheets of paper stood on end and precariously assembled. Doubled by the surrounding reflecting pools, the walls, when seen up close, aren't fragile at all but are made of 14-inch-thick cast concrete.

"We try to break and dissolve the cold and rigid order to achieve fluid spaces," the architects wrote in a statement timed to the museum's unveiling last year. "We hope that when people move from one room to another, they experience a baroque space."

Ito, who won architecture's Pritzker Prize in 2013, designed the building to be earthquake-resistant, a feature that was put to the test (and passed) when a 7.1-magnitude temblor struck less than 100 miles away in September. Inside, a sweeping curved staircase is bathed in sunlight streaming in through a vast glass wall that looks out on a central courtyard.

"In baroque art, light symbolizes a revelation from God opposing the darkness of ambivalence," the architects wrote. "In this project, light also acquires a special meaning."

More Information If you go WHERE TO STAY Rosewood Hotel: 10 Norte #1402, Col. Barrio del Alto; rosewoodhotels.com/en/puebla. The fourth Rosewood in Mexico, this newly opened 78-room property incorporates stunning colonial architecture and work by Mexican artisans. There's also a rooftop pool offering scenic views of Mexico's twin volcanoes. Rooms from $225. WHERE TO EAT Mural de los Poblanos: Avenida 16 de Septiembre 506, Centro Historico; elmuraldelospoblanos.com. This classic restaurant is named for the detailed mural that graces one of the dining room walls, depicting characters from Puebla society past and present. On the menu, don't miss the mole sampler, which comes with chicken, turkey, pork or shredded duck and five different kinds of mole sauce ($12.65). Breakfast daily from 8 a.m. to noon; lunch and dinner from 1 p.m. until about 11 p.m. WHAT TO DO International Museum of the Baroque: Via Atlixcayotl 2501, Puebla; mib.puebla.gob.mx/en. Designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the museum is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Admission is about $4.20; free on Sundays. INFORMATION visitmexico.com/en/main-destinations/puebla/puebla See More Collapse

A recording of choral music welcomed us as we entered the galleries, setting the tone for the journey to come, which can take several hours if you let it. A timeline written on one wall explained that the Baroque lasted roughly from 1598 to 1752, capturing a moment when Western Europe was beginning to grapple with shifts, including the conquest of the Americas and the Protestant Reformation.

Silver and gold extracted from Spain's colonies were flowing to the Far East and to Europe, where the Roman Catholic Church had responded to Martin Luther's threat by building temples of worship that bombarded the senses with excessive decoration and copious amount of gold. They reminded all who entered of the awesome power the church wielded. This intimidation tactic is on full display throughout the Americas, including in several remarkable Baroque churches that still stand in Puebla.

One gallery was filled with a room-size scale model of the city's centro historico, where visitors could touch a button that lit up the location of this or that Baroque structure, including the intricately tiled Casa de Alfenique and the Church of Santo Domingo. We had a chance to visit the latter, which contains the gold-dipped Capilla del Rosario (Rosary Chapel), a shining (literally) example of Mexican Baroque with acres of gold leaf coating its every surface. The museum's auditorium also provides a virtual tour of the chapel, along with other famous Baroque churches around the world, on its four video screens.

Wall texts explained that the Baroque aimed to spark awe in the viewer. Drama, exaggerated emotion, theatricality and sensuality were core elements of the style, which also took on a local dimension in Mexico, the Philippines and Italy. In Cholula, one of Puebla's nearby suburbs, the eye-popping Church of Santa Maria Tonantzintla features cherubs with distinctly indigenous features, carved into every last inch of the church's stucco interior.

Another gallery demonstrated the interest that upper-class Europeans developed in the "exotic" cultures they were increasingly hearing about from merchants and explorers. They started collecting artifacts and animal specimens to display in their lavish homes. One installation re-created such a collection room, complete with "cabinets of wonders," taxidermied birds, animal tusks and furniture from faraway lands.

The museum's permanent exhibition is divided among several galleries, each devoted to a different discipline (art, theater, music, literature, clothing, etc). Most come complete with some kind of interactive technology, such as headphones that demonstrate how a Baroque cello should sound, and touch screens that explore the differences between Mexican and European Baroque architecture.

Between the luxurious 18th-century gowns, the urns made from Guatemalan silver and Peruvian gold, and the artifacts on loan from institutions such as the Prado and Madrid's National Museum of Decorative Arts, it's too much to see in one stretch. The interior courtyard is a relaxing place to take a break next to a mesmerizing reflecting pool, where an eddy of swirling water speeds up and slows down unpredictably.

For a longer pause, we headed upstairs to Barroco, a chic power-lunch spot whose menu was designed by celebrated Mexico City chef Martha Ortiz. Golden ears of corn adorn every table, each draped in crisp white linen. The dishes are refined takes on poblano classics such as chalupas (small fried tortillas topped with chicken or pork and doused in red salsa, green salsa or mole) and tacos arabes (spit-roasted spiced-meat tacos originally brought to Mexico by Lebanese or Iraqi immigrants). The day we visited, the dining room was quiet, except for a few tables of men in expensive suits having business meetings.

Like the Catholic Church centuries before, the museum projects gilded elegance at every turn, reflecting its hefty price tag. Local papers have estimated its cost to be somewhere between $350 million and $560 million (depending on the exchange rate), a sum that left many poblanos wary. The governor of Puebla has said that he hopes the museum will do for Puebla what the Guggenheim did for Bilbao, but it doesn't seem to be getting that kind of traction, at least not yet.

In the end, the museum is awe-inspiring, sometimes clumsy, and has a lot going on - a bit like the Baroque itself.
Twenty-eight. This was a number I once boasted about at dinner parties and on dates. In a single year, I had stepped foot on six continents and visited 28 countries, not to mention more than a dozen American states.

A whirlwind of work trips gave me 24 hours in Singapore; 48 hours in Bogota, Colombia; and a long layover in Munich. I spotted lions on safari in South Africa, snapped photos at Machu Picchu and was so exhausted come December that I never left my lounge chair at a beach resort in Thailand.

I might have seen the world that year, but I didn't truly connect with a single place.

When I was in my 20s, the thought of returning to a destination seemed like a waste of a passport stamp. How naive I had been to approach the world as one big bucket list. This "been there, done that" mentality has unfortunately become pervasive, fueled by apps such as BucketListly, Visited and Trip Bucket, that rank your miles flown and countries visited against other travelers, as if globetrotting were a competition.

As I've gotten older, I've discovered a genuine pleasure in returning to the same destinations again and again. A first visit is often like a new romance, charged with excitement and mystery. A return is like a great love, a heady mix of comfort and never-ending surprise.

SEE THE WORLD: Venezuela, by memory

My first trip to Marrakech, six years ago, was more like a first date gone wrong. Google Maps was useless at helping me find my way through the labyrinth of alleys in the medina. I made the rookie mistake of paying far too much money for a Berber rug in the souks. And my first hammam experience felt more like water torture as a beefy woman scrubbed me within an inch of my life and yelled at me in Arabic as she doused me with buckets of scalding, soapy water.

Luckily, I gave Marrakech another chance. The next year, without the stress of navigating a new city, I was able to fall into a strange place of familiarity and unfamiliarity. To get beneath the surface of a city like Marrakech takes patience and friends. An expat couple showed me the best shops for carpets, hidden away in alleys I'd have never found on my own. The woman who owned my hotel opened my eyes to the struggles of local women during a visit to her nonprofit, which empowers girls through afterschool activities.

By my third visit, the evening call to prayer sounded soothing, and I finally gave up on finding decent coffee and acquired a taste for the sugary, Moroccan-style mint tea. On my sixth trip, I still got lost lost in the medina, but I now wandered with calm confidence, unbothered rather than panicked, by the heckling shop owners.

Peter Adams / Getty Images

London, on the other hand, was love at first trip. I was instantly attracted to the city's welcoming pubs, walkable neighborhoods and royal history. Early on, I explored the city like a tourist, eager to walk across the London Bridge, see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and museum-hop from the Tate Modern to the V&A.

Once I'd seen the obligatory main attractions, I was able to embrace the city like a local, minus the headaches of insane rent and daily frustrations like a morning commute. Days were no longer dictated by sightseeing agendas but rather cherished rituals, such as a morning run around Hyde Park and Sunday brunch at Rochelle Canteen.

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With every return, there was a sense of both anticipation and fear. It was like visiting a lover after months spent apart. Would London and I still have our spark? Yes, my favorite base, the once-gritty Shoreditch neighborhood now has an Ace hotel and bars full of gentrified hipsters, but I knew that in my absence change was inevitable, and in some small way I felt a sense of pride that I had known its potential for cool long before the masses.

As a revisitor, you form a special intimacy with a place. My returns to Maui, an island I've visited since 2007, have let me check out of reality and play out my carefree yogi, surfer fantasy life.

Instead of staying in the five-star resorts that line the shores of Wailea and Kaanapali, I rent a cottage each year in the upcountry jungles of Haiku and buy groceries at Mana Foods, the beloved hippie food store in Paia.

Though most visitors see Maui as having one permanent summer, over the years, I've picked up on the subtleties of its seasons. Winter brings monster-size swells and migrating whales, and summers bring winds and trees loaded with mango and avocado.

The ability to slow down and settle in allows us to take in a place, even the familiar, with fresh eyes  a reminder that rediscovery brings just as much awe, if not more, than the discovery.

Jen Murphy is a writer based in Boulder, Colo. She contributes regularly to the Chronicle's Luxe Life magazine, as well as writes the Wall Street Journal's "What's Your Workout?" column. She previously was travel editor at Food & Wine magazine.

Bookmark Gray Matters. It rents a cottage each year.
A 44-year-old Angleton resident was ordered to prison Thursday after being charged with distributing, possessing and receiving child pornography, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Texas.

U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr. sentenced John Waldrip to two 175-month sentences and 120 months in prison for possession, receipt and distributing child pornography. The man originally plead guilty to the crime in June 2017.

Waldrip will be on supervised release for 10 years following his 175-month sentence, the release stated. He will have restricted access to children, the Internet and also be required to register as a sex offender.

Law enforcement discovered the man's involvement through an investigation where they tracked people on the Internet who were using peer-to-peer software to traffic in child pornography, according to the news release.

A Pearland police detective was able to find a computer that offered to receive child pornography videos through the peer-to-peer network. Police were able to then figure out the computer was at an Angleton residence, the release stated.

Law enforcement on June 30, 2016 took the computer after executing a search warrant on the home. 81 videos and 512 images of child pornography were found on the computer through a forensic exam, according to the release.

Some of the videos feature known victims who were identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children .

Waldrip will remain in custody as he waits for a transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
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Three people are facing charges after the death of a Montgomery County special-needs girl in October 2016 that was all caught on surveillance cameras.

Tommieretta Gunner, 43, and Marreissa Jones, 28, were charged with a first-degree felony injury to a child charge while the girl's father, Anthony Maurice Jackson, 42, is facing a third-degree felony injury to a child charge. All three were arrested Tuesday, Nov. 14 and are being held in the Montgomery County Jail.

Montgomery County Sheriff's detectives claim Gunner and Jones drugged the 14-year-old girl, who prosecutors did not identify, with two different high blood pressure medications over a three-week period in fall 2016 at her home in the 29500 block of Raestone Street, which is in the Fox Run subdivision off Rayford Road. While the girl was required to take daily doses of antipsychotic medication and sedatives to treat her several medical issues, she was not prescribed the blood pressure medications, according to court documents.

'SHOCKING AND HEINOUS': Oklahoma parents get 130 years in child abuse case

Gunner and Jones were caretakers for the child. Jackson is accused of shocking his daughter with a stun gun seven times and threatening her at least 15 other times in the three months before her death.

Surveillance video in the home captured the girl's pattern of normal behavior in the preceding months followed by bursts of lethargy after Gunner, Jones and Jackson would give her the medication, detectives said. She would be able to perform normal daily routines, such as making her bed, but would lose the ability to walk normally or stay awake when on the medication.

Detectives became aware of the girl's condition on Oct. 15, 2016, when Jones called 911 because the girl was not breathing and had a faint heartbeat, according to court documents. Jackson had left for the day around 11 a.m., leaving the girl alone in the home with Jones, court documents show.

Gunner showed up at the home right after noon with a prescription bag, detectives said. Detectives believe the girl took the blood pressure medication shortly after Gunner arrived and started to show signs of what they called "intoxication" minutes later.

Gunner left around 12:45 p.m., detectives said, meaning the girl was again alone in the home with Jones.

She started to stumble as she walked back and forth between her room, the living room and kitchen, detectives said, and appeared unable to stay awake or stand on her own. She eventually wound up slumped down on a couch in the living room hours later as Jones was in the kitchen.

Jones moved into the living room where the girl was lying down and tried to make her move by pulling her arm, detectives said. She did not seem to move, they said.

Detectives said Jones went back into the kitchen and made some food but went back to check on the girl's pulse, later telling detectives it was weak. She initially had labored, shallow breathing, Jones told detectives.

Jones called Jackson first, who told her not to call 911 and wait for him to get home before doing anything. Jones again checked the girl's breathing, which had stopped altogether, and called 911. She was rushed to the emergency room at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center where she was pronounced dead about an hour later.

An autopsy conducted by Montgomery County Forensic Services ruled the girl's manner of death a homicide caused by toxic effects of the blood pressure medication, court documents show.

Gunner and Jones are facing up to life in prison if convicted, while Jackson is facing up to 20 years in prison. Jackson's third-degree charge would normally carry a maximum 10-year sentence if he is convicted, but he has three felony convictions in Harris and Montgomery counties stemming back from 1995.

Gunner and Jones are being held on a $150,000 bond each while Jackson is being held on no bond because of his criminal history, court documents show.

Montgomery County Special Victims Prosecutor Shanna Redwine said the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone with information about the girl to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 936-760-5800 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-392-STOP (7867).
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As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we can relate to the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. In November 1621, they held a weeklong feast - but not because Pilgrims ate turkey.

Rather, it's because they had suffered a hard year. The winter had been brutal; only half of the roughly 100 members of the colony had survived. But the resilient Pilgrims, aided by Wampanoag Indians, learned to plant crops for an eventual autumn celebration.

Houstonians also have suffered a hard year, enduring the ravaging floods of Hurricane Harvey. Resilient citizens began rebuilding homes and celebrated "Houston Strong" while jumping with joy for the World Champion Astros.

We'll enjoy a well-deserved Thanksgiving feast, as did the Pilgrims. But our feast, with perhaps a big, juicy turkey, will not quite resemble the historic feast of 1621.

The Pilgrims harvested vegetables from hard-worked fields for their feast and went out to hunt ducks and geese for meat. The Indians added deer to the feast. There was no pumpkin pie - due to lack of butter and wheat flour to make the crust.

And there's no proof the Pilgrims ate turkey.

More Information Information Wild turkeys are native to North America and Mexico and related to partridges, pheasants, and grouse. They eat grasses, weeds, seeds, acorns, fruits and insects. Males utter gobbling calls, and both sexes utter yelps, clucks, purrs and whines. North American birds were nearly exterminated by the early 20th century due to over-hunting and deforestation. Legislation and game management restored populations to current level of about 7 million. President Abraham Lincoln designated Nov. 26 as a Thanksgiving holiday in 1863 at the insistence of cookbook editor Sarah Josepha Hale, whose recipe for roasted turkey became a Thanksgiving centerpiece. See More Collapse

A pilgrim girl named Lizzy wrote about the feast. "Four men went hunting wild fowl and brought back enough geese, ducks and other birds to last nearly a week," she said.

Those "other birds" could have included wild turkeys that were then common in New England. But the wary, secretive birds would have been difficult to hunt with the kind of guns Pilgrims owned - they still are with modern hunting rifles.

Some food scholars believe passenger pigeons, abundant at the time, could have been served at the first Thanksgiving. But those now extinct birds were migratory and would have arrived in Texas by November 1621.

Which brings us to a feast of thanksgiving held by Spanish colonists and Manso Indians in the autumn of 1598 near El Paso. Autumn feasts had been common among North American Indians long before Europeans arrived on the continent.

What makes the feast at El Paso intriguing is the relationship of Manso Indians to the Aztecs who had long since domesticated wild turkeys for food. Turkey meat was likely a staple at Indian autumn feasts.

Spaniards loved turkey meat enough to haul domesticated turkeys from the New World to the Old World where poultry farmers eventually bred barnyard turkeys that were later transported to American barnyards to wind up on dinner tables at Thanksgiving.

Not on our Thanksgiving table, though. My wife, Kathy, is a vegetarian.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, received and forwarded emails about a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite" during last year's campaign that he kept from Senate Judiciary Committee investigators, according to lawmakers demanding that he produce the missing records.

Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking Democratic member Dianne Feinstein, Calif., sent a letter Thursday to Abbe Lowell, Kushner's attorney, charging that Kushner has failed to disclose several documents, records and transcripts in response to multiple inquiries from committee investigators.

Lowell disputed the committee's characterization of Kushner's compliance, saying Thursday that he has "been responsive to all requests" and provided the Judiciary Committee with all relevant documents."

In their letter, Grassley and Feinstein instruct Kushner's team to turn over "several documents that are known to exist" because other witnesses in their probe already gave them to investigators. The correspondence include a series of September 2016 messages to Kushner concerning WikiLeaks, the website that published hacked Democratic emails at the height of the campaign. The committee leaders say Kushner had forwarded those messages to another campaign official. Earlier this week, Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. revealed that he had had direct communication with WikiLeaks through private Twitter messages during the campaign.

Committee leaders said Kushner also withheld from the committee "documents concerning a 'Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite' " that he had forwarded to other campaign officials. And they said that Kushner had been made privy to "communications with Sergei Millian" - a Belarusan American businessman who claims close ties to the Trumps and was the source of salacious details in a dossier about the president's 2013 trip to Moscow - but failed to turn those records over to investigators.

Spokesmen for Grassley and Feinstein did not offer any additional information about the missing records when asked about them.

According to two people familiar with the exchanges, in one of the disputed emails Rick Clay, a conservative Iraq War contractor, passed on a request for Kushner or other campaign officials to meet with people connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kushner told a campaign aide to "take a pass." Kushner wrote that he feared people exaggerated their connections and could later brag about access to the Trump campaign, these people said.

No meeting happened, at Kushner's direction, according to the people familiar with the exchanges. Maria Butina, a Russian gun rights activist, was part of a group that sought Clay's help in arranging a meeting with the campaign in June 2016 to discuss persecution of Christians around the world.

Clay later said "they made the right call" in turning down the meeting.

The second email is one that Donald Trump Jr. forwarded to Kushner and other top aides, the two people said, after he received a direct message from the WikiLeaks twitter account in September 2016.

In their letter, Grassley and Feinstein complained that Kushner had withheld additional information.

"You also have not produced any phone records that we presume exist and would relate to Mr. Kushner's communications," they wrote.

Grassley and Feinstein demanded that Kushner comply with their request for documents by Nov. 27 but stopped short of issuing a formal threat to subpoena those records if Kushner misses the deadline.

Lowell said he and Kushner "will be open to responding to any additional requests."

Kushner's team last supplied documents to the committee Nov. 3, according to Grassley and Feinstein, who stressed that what they received "appears to be incomplete." They noted that their letter was an effort "to clarify the scope" of the committee's request, after Lowell asked for more details about precisely what the committee was seeking.

In addition to the emails and records that Grassley and Feinstein noted as missing, the Judiciary Committee is waiting for Kushner to turn over promised transcripts from his interview with other committees. Kushner has spoken with investigators from both the Senate and House intelligence committees, who are probing Russia's interference in the 2016 election, but has not met with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Grassley and Feinstein also wrote that Kushner's team "should produce" his security clearance forms, which Kushner had to update on more than one occasion because he left out contacts with foreign individuals. Kushner's team has argued that the forms are confidential.

The committee leaders also expressed general frustration that Kushner's team had left out communications about individuals they had identified when asking Kushner to turn over his records.

Finally, the committee leaders asked Kushner's team to search for a series of records of communications with and about former national security adviser Michael Flynn, including any that Flynn may have simply been copied on involving many of the Russian individuals and businesses that were known to have contact with members of Trump's campaign team.
University of Houston System regents on Thursday unanimously voted to create a medical school, a long-time dream aimed at increasing the supply of primary-care doctors for Texas' most underserved areas.

Under a proposal that must be approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and a national accrediting body, UH would begin enrolling its first class of medical students in fall 2020, and reach a full complement of 480 by 2027. It would ask the Texas Legislature for $40 million over 10 years to cover some of its expenses.

"There is a tremendous need in the community here in Houston, in inner cities and in rural areas," said UH President and Chancellor Renu Khator, who called the vote "a historic day" for UH. "Our model will help us do that while preparing primary care physicians who are trained to practice in community-based clinics."

Texas ranks 47th out of 50 states in the ratio of primary care doctors per person and the shortage is expected to get worse. Despite recent pushes to increase the pipeline of doctors in Texas' rural and urban areas, a significant number of counties and communities, many in the Houston area, continue to be classified as medically underserved.

A UH medical school would be the first new Houston medical school in nearly half a century. The last to open, in 1972, was the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

It nevertheless would add to a crowded field, with Baylor College of Medicine and the UT McGovern Medical School in the nearby Texas Medical Center, plus UT Medical Branch at Galveston 55 miles to the south and Texas A&M Medical School 100 miles to the north.

In addition, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville is pursuing a school of osteopathic medicine it says will be 100 percent self-funded.

Khator emphasized the planned UH College of Medicine would "complement" rather than compete with the other institutions, a notion echoed by Bill McKeon, president of the Texas Medical Center. He commended Khator and UH regents for "taking this bold step forward."

"UH's medical college will not duplicate the current medical schools - exemplary in their own right - that we are fortunate to have in the medical center," said McKeon. "Instead, it will add a new dimension to medical education, providing high-value care to patients, families and communities in geographic areas with a shortage of primary care and mental health providers."

State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, said "the initiative is important because the education will be based on a team of nurses and doctors taught to work together side by side to improve care."

At Thursday's meeting, seven months after state lawmakers asked UH to evaluate the need for a medical school, regents approved four actions: establishing a college of medicine; applying to the state's higher education coordinating board for approval; initiating the accreditation process; and finalizing a partnership for new residency programs where newly minted doctors will train in primary care and other "needed" specialties, such as psychiatry and general surgery.

The university has a letter of intent with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Gulf Coast Division to create eight new residency programs and more than 100 first-year slots by 2020.

Board Chairman Tilman Fertitta said the board would "fight on" in pursuit of the college and pledged to work with state lawmakers to "make this happen." Stephen Spann, the medical school's planning dean, said conversations with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and legislators have been "very positive."

Approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is necessary for new degree programs, not individual colleges. Raymund Paredes, the agency's leader, was at Thursday's regent committee meeting where the proposal was presented but left before the vote. A spokeswoman later said Paredes would not speculate on how the agency would receive the plan.

The price tag for the new school is expected to exceed $272 million over 13 years. In addition to the state funding, UH's plan also calls for $40 million in philanthropic gifts over 10 years, tuition revenue to cover $51 million and other revenue to cover remaining costs.

Spann said the university would not be able to mandate where graduates practice. Instead, he said, it would try to admit students who seem suited to serving urban and rural communities. Indicators could include a background in community service or being from an underrepresented racial group, he said.

The college's curriculum, too, would emphasize primary care health disparities by region in an effort to develop student passion for treating underserved communities, he said.

UH would not be the only Houston medical school targeting underserved communities and emphasizing primary-care. Baylor and UTHealth doctors staff Ben Taub Hospital and Lyndon B Johnson Hospital, the Harris Health System's two safety-net hospitals. More than 40 percent of both schools' graduating medical students were matched to primary-care residencies this year.

In a statement to the Chronicle, Baylor President Dr. Paul Klotman noted the existing effort to train primary care doctors and reach out to underserved communities.

"It's understandable UH wants to help increase access to health care in the community," said Klotman. "We all do and welcome them to join us. Baylor has been leading the effort since its move to Houston 75 years ago and tries to expand what we do to serve our community every year. This year, for instance, our physicians were quick to volunteer at the George R. Brown to take care of Hurricane Harvey victims."

UH hopes to submit an application to the coordinating board for a Doctor of Medicine program in February and to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education for accreditation in August. Administrators would begin the approval process to construct a new building for the college in August.
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In December 1836, the Congress of the fledgling Republic of Texas agreed to convey some 4,600 acres of land -- one league and one labor, in the real estate jargon of the time -- to a Canadian entrepreneur named Michel B. Menard. The property on Galveston Island's east end included an area known today as Porretto Beach.

Menard paid $50,000 to the new government, and President Sam Houston signed the deed on Jan. 25, 1838, according to the website of the Rosenberg Library. Within months, Menard and his partners were selling lots through their newly created Galveston City Company.

These transactions created a framework for private ownership of beach property on Galveston Island. Almost 200 years later, a dispute over the future of Porretto Beach reflects the continuing tension between property rights and the idea -- unknown in the early 19th century -- that beaches should belong to everyone.

"These are our beaches," Galveston resident Rick Smith said during a Nov. 8 City Council hearing on a proposal that would clear the way for the sale and development of Porretto Beach.

The Texas Supreme Court came to a different conclusion in 2014, when it ruled that beach property between Sixth and Tenth Streets belonged to the Porretto family -- or more precisely, to the family's bankruptcy estate.

The Porrettos for years collected parking fees and rented chairs, umbrellas and other items to beach-goers. But the business has been idle since Sonya Porretto, the daughter of its founder, declared bankruptcy in 2011. A rusty chain is stretched across the entrance to the former parking area; the arrow on the "parking entry" sign points to a deserted patch of sand and vegetation.

Now the bankruptcy trustee has a buyer lined up for the property, but the deal can't close until the City Council agrees to abandon 10 public rights-of-way that weave through the site. That was the subject of the hearing, which ended with the council delaying a decision until December.

According to a report by Samantha Ketterer in the Galveston County Daily News, Smith was one of eight residents who urged the council not to abandon the rights of way. Smith said the city should purchase the property and preserve the beach.

Such disputes rarely arise in other Texas coastal communities, where virtually all beach property is publicly owned. Over the years, the state of Texas has reclaimed most of Galveston Island's beaches, but Porretto Beach remained in private hands - thanks in part to the deal between Michel Menard and Sam Houston.

"Unlike what happened on other parts of the coast, this was a full land grant," said Dwayne Jones, the executive director of the Galveston Historical Foundation.

"People weren't thinking of the beach as we would in the 20th century, as a recreational area," Jones said. "It was just practical."

Indeed, more than a century would lapse between the Menard land grant and the Legislature's 1959 passage of the Texas Open Beaches Act, intended to ensure public access to the state's entire shoreline.

The year before the law passed, the Texas Supreme Court held that a complicated formula based on high-tide levels should determine the boundary between the "wet beach" (public) and "dry beach" (potentially private.) The high court has upheld this standard in a series of legal skirmishes with the Texas General Land Office, most recently in 2012.

These issues loomed in the background as the bankruptcy trustee, Randy Williams, urged the City Council to abandon the unused rights of way so he can sell the property to pay Porretto's creditors. Williams said the council had approved the abandonment in 1978, but relevant records have been lost.

Williams told me by phone that the prospective buyer, a limited partnership company, wants to build a parking and retail development on the site.

"There are no plans to build a high-rise on the property," Williams said, although the parking structure would be higher than the seawall.

It's clear that resistance to new beachfront development is part of what's driving the opposition. A beach with a building on it can still be public, but it's not a pristine playground.

Williams noted that development of the property would add to the tax base of a city still struggling to recover from Hurricane Ike, which struck Galveston in 2008. But considering the swirl of political, cultural and historical forces at work, he's unsure how the dispute will be resolved.

"It's Galveston," he said, "so anything's possible."
The reappearance of an ongoing mumps outbreak has shut down visiting for some sections of two Texas prisons, officials said Thursday.

"We've had several different outbreaks over the last year," said Lance Lowry, a spokesman for the Texas Correctional Employees union in Huntsville.

But medical experts say the Texas Department of Criminal Justice isn't at fault, as the suspected infections come amid a widespread uptick in the disease.

"Mumps has been pretty prevalent down in South Texas," TDCJ spokesman Jason Clark said. "And what you see in the community often makes its way into the prison system." A health department spokesman confirmed an increase in cases, but said they were not necessarily in the southern part of the state.

In addition to the dozens of prisoners at Willacy County State Jail north of Brownsville and the Stringfellow Unit in Brazoria County on medical lockdown with a halt to visitation, some inmates at Estes Unit near Fort Worth are also barred from visits due to a gastrointestinal illness, Clark said.

Visitation is slated to open up again at Estes this week for the potentially exposed inmates. But at Willacy the medical restriction won't be lifted till Nov. 22 and at Stringfellow it could be early December. Only two prisoners - one at each unit - are currently showing symptoms, Clark said.

Confirmed cases are put in isolation cells, while any inmates who may have been exposed are put on medical restriction. Just the Trusty Camp at Stringfellow and 2D and Willacy are barred from visiting. Between the two facilities, roughly 150 prisoners are on medical lockdown.

Stringfellow, one of the units forced to evacuate when it flooded during Hurricane Harvey, suffered a mumps outbreak in 2011 when five sick inmates shut down visitation at the Rosharon lock-up.

This time, the sickness ended up at Stringfellow when one inmate transferred from South Texas started exhibiting symptoms after the move.

The viral infection, which typically affects the salivary glands, is transmissible for up to three days before symptoms appear, according to state health officials. Symptoms can include swelling, rashes and fever. It remains contagious for 5 days after symptoms start.

When suffered in childhood, mumps generally is mild. Males past puberty, however, have a 30 percent risk of testicular swelling, a condition which can result in infertility.

The disease surfaced earlier this year in Texas, and made its way into the prison system around April, hitting Willacy and the nearby Lopez State Jail in Edinburg, according to TDCJ. At one point, roughly 10 inmates had confirmed cases, Clark said. Since then, the disease had receded, only to resurface a few weeks ago.

"The primary mode of transmission is through water droplets," Clark said. "We're utilizing bleach and have stepped up cleaning at the facility."

State health officials clarified nasopharangeal secretions can also transmit the disease.

TDCJ offers vaccines for incoming inmates born after 1957, but the recent outbreaks come amid a nationwide uptick.

"There have been at least 150 outbreaks in the U.S. between the beginning of January and the middle of this past summer, said Dr. Robert Atmar, professor and interim chief of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine.

Texas has seen 419 individual cases of the disease this year, the most since 1990 when there were 470 cases, according to Department of State Health Services spokesman Chris Van Deusen. The biggest outbreaks were in Dallas and Johnson counties with 111 and 83 cases this year, though Willacy County has seen 25 cases.

"This is a vaccine preventable disease," Atmar said, "and the thought is ...that immunity is waning and a lot of the people who've been affected in these outbreaks have been persons who have had a number of years since they've had a mumps vaccine."

He added that the prisons are "not at fault, per se," and that many of the recent outbreaks have been on university campuses.
Earlier this week, Texas State University suspended all Greek activities following the death of a 20-year-old sophomore.

Matthew Ellis of Atascocita, Texas was found dead Monday morning after attending a fraternity event the night before.

Sadly, tragic incidents like Ellis' death have occurred in Texas fraternity history before.

ARREST WARRANT: Houston man acted in 'Bible Study' activity before LSU fraternity pledge death

In November of 2006, freshman Tyler Cross died after falling from his dorm's fifth-floor balcony. Investigators said Cross and other Sigma Alpha Epsilon members were given half-gallon bottles of liquor to drink and beaten with large bamboo sticks and paddles as part of a pledge ritual.

Now Playing: San Marcos police are investigating the death of a 20-year-old Texas State University student. Video: Fox7

In December of 2005, University of Texas freshman Phanta "Jack" Phoummarath died from alcohol poisoning at a Lambda Phi Epsilon binge-drinking party.

When Phoummarath passed out at the pledge event, partygoers used markers to write obscene statements and drawings on Phoummarath's head, face, torso, legs, and feet. His body was found a day later with a blood-alcohol level of 0.41, more than five times the legal limit for driving in Texas.

ICYMI: Costumes of Texas State University sorority draw criticism

Unfortunately, promoting alcohol safety among fraternities is a difficult task, one that researchers are still examining.

A 2016 study published by the American Psychological Association found that "interventions designed to reduce alcohol use among fraternity members are no more effective than no intervention at all."

In other words, when looking to prevent alcohol-related deaths in Greek letter organizations, universities may have abandon old methods that would normally work on college drinking students and think outside the box.

Above: See controversial moments from college fraternities.
An elderly Texas woman who told police she didn't want medical attention because all she needed was a Big Red soda now has enough of the drink to at least get her through the rest of the year.

Earlier this month, police found the 76 year old on the floor of her home, with no strength to stand.

According to the Tyler Police Department, one of the paramedics at the scene said the woman had no life-threatening injuries, but was still encouraged to go to the hospital.

The woman refused and said, "All I want is a Big Red to drink and I will be fine."

BANNED TREAT: Kinder Egg is back  sort of

That's when one of the officers, Sergeant Noble, promised to buy her a Big Red if she went to the hospital. The compromise worked and Noble made good on his promise while she received treatment at the hospital.

On Thursday, Noble went above and beyond and showed up to the woman's residence with several cases of her favorite drink.

With so much Big Red, there's no doubting another 76 years are in store for the tough-as-nails Texas woman.

See the weirdest alternative uses for Big Red soda 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.
When Dickinson ISD finally reopened after a two-week Hurricane Harvey delay, 16 students came to school barefoot.

They "walked through stinky debris piles without shoes to board a school bus," Superintendent Vicki Mims told the Senate Education Committee earlier this month.

Mounds of soggy sheetrock and insulation and piles of ruined textbooks and sodden records have been mostly cleared away from Texas' schools, but the hard work of fixing the less visible damage still remains.

Texas' children need help to recover from the trauma.

Students in the hardest hit districts even exhibit PTSD-like symptoms.

In Clear Creek ISD, Superintendent Greg Smith told the committee, a mere rainy day is enough to make students so upset that they want to go home.

During a normal year, about 1 in 3 children and 2 in 5 youth will suffer from mental health and substance abuse disorders, according to a report by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. That translates into about 310,000 children in Harris County. Now add to the mix the estimated million-plus school children who have been impacted by Harvey - some of whom already had prior needs - in a state already grappling with an ongoing mental health crisis.

The Texas Education Agency has announced a much-needed Hurricane Harvey Task Force to address the mental health concerns at schools and universities affected by the hurricane. This task force lacks the funding or the authority necessary to take many of the steps needed. Nevertheless, it can perform a valuable service by vigorously working to develop a district-by-district list of student needs alongside available services.

An assessment of what's available is the first step to developing a comprehensive mental health plan for Texas youth - a plan that our state has lacked for some time.

Resilient adults who are struggling might have the resources to reach out, but children are often dependent on others for help, which makes schools a convenient and effective way to provide services. But today the state simply isn't keeping track of which students are receiving mental health services at school or how robust their care is.

Two state sponsored programs - Communities in Schools and Services to At-Risk Youth - provide students with non-academic support. Together they can help fewer than 90,000 students per year, according to a new report by Texans Care for Children.

Some students benefit from student-based health centers, but it's not apparent how many centers are able to respond to mental health needs.

Some districts partner with community providers to offer school-based mental health services to students, but the state has no idea how many do so.

The task force needs to thoroughly document the services that Texas already provides.

The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute already has mapped the school-based clinics in Harris County. The institute found a high need and no school-based clinics in Spring, Sheldon, Crosby and Deer Park ISDs. How many other mental health care deserts exist around the state? The task force should identify the gaps.

One thing is clear at the outset: The long-term mental health needs of children are going to exceed current state resources. The task force should develop a strategy to increase access to Medicaid for eligible children.

The positive side of those students showing up shoeless for school, according to Superintendent Mims, "is they and their parents knew if they could get to school, we could take care of them."

Texas lawmakers need to ensure that these hurricane survivors aren't misplacing hope when they rely on our schools. Historically our state has failed to prioritize youth mental health services. After Harvey, this must change.
Lex orandi, lex credendi - the law of prayer is the law of belief. Christians have long known that we believe as we pray, and we pray as we believe.

In the wake of tragedy, we are accustomed to hearing calls for "thoughts and prayers." We have heard them from prominent political figures, both Democrats and Republicans. But more recently, such calls have drawn harsh criticism from the left.

In response to the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., responded: "Thoughts and prayers are not enough, GOP." Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, bluntly told Republican leaders that their prayers weren't needed: "We have pastors, priests and rabbis to offer thoughts and prayers." Perhaps the most striking tweet came from Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who wrote, "They were praying when it happened. They don't need our prayers. They need us to address gun violence and pass sensible legislation."

What does it mean when a political leader says that the nation's "thoughts and prayers" are with those who are in sorrow and grief? It could mean nothing. Or even worse than nothing, the words could be evasive and misleading, covering political irresponsibility or conveying no more than empty sentiment. "Thoughts and prayers" could be a quick way of moving on without meaning to do anything.

Or it could be an expression of what is called "civil religion," the common spiritual language of the American people. Robert Bellah, a sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley, famously argued that "every nation and every people come to some form of religious self-understanding whether the critics like it or not." Some critics clearly do not like it.

Nevertheless, expressions of civil religion are necessary for a president of the United States - any president - who must lead the nation as mourner in chief.

To the deeply committed Christian, civil religion is far too little in terms of theological content. To the atheist or agnostic, civil religion is far too theological. Thoughts might be OK. Prayers are a step too far.

To millions of Christians in the nation, saying that our "thoughts and prayers" are with the needy, the hurting and the sorrowful comes as naturally as our own requests for prayer.

Praying is not a way of avoiding responsibility, but of affirming it. Prayer is not escapism. It is obedience to Christ and following the example of the apostles.

Understandably, this is perplexing to non-Christians and perhaps even infuriating to the secular-minded. But to Christians who pray in light of God's love, power and mercy, prayer comes as naturally as a child with a need goes to a loving parent.

Christians are taught to pray for our own needs, and for the needs of others. Prayer reminds us of our fundamental lack of self-sufficiency, even as it reminds us of our responsibility to others. We pray for those we know, but we also pray, quite naturally and eagerly, for those we may never know - such as the people of Sutherland Springs, Las Vegas or Orlando. We pray in the face of moral evil such as mass murder, and we pray in the face of natural evil like a devastating tsunami.

When we say our "thoughts and prayers" are with them, we are not washing our hands of duty; we are expressing our heartfelt urgency to pray. We are affirming the power of God to save, to heal and to comfort. We are praying for human agents, doctors and first responders, friends and neighbors, to do what we cannot, prompted by the leading of God.

Dismissing the language of "thoughts and prayers" may serve political expediency or offer a bit of moral catharsis (or even virtue signaling), but it does not help us move toward healing and unity. We desperately need a common moral vocabulary, and "thoughts and prayers" rightly reminds us of the common moral vocabulary that was once quite uncontroversial in America.

Just look at the language of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan or Barack Obama. Do we not want our leaders to call us to thoughts and prayers for those in grief?

Jesus taught his disciples to pray, and he told them to pray to the Father, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" [Matthew 6:10]. That is the most revolutionary prayer any human can pray, and in that light, my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Sutherland Springs, and everywhere else on Earth.

Mohler is president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. This op-ed first appeared in the Washington Post.
Brynn Anderson/STF

In Texas and Washington, politics seems to be getting uglier and uglier.

Take, for instance, the U.S. Senate campaign of Alabama justice and conservative icon Roy Moore, who has been accused of groping and trying to date young girls years ago. Appearing at a rally to support Moore was Houston doctor and conservative Texas Republican Steven Hotze, who insisted that those trying to force Moore from the race are part a left-wing conspiracy.
Officers searched Friday afternoon for the occupant of a white Dodge truck wanted by a Texas County deputy as part of an investigation.

The vehicle, the patrol said, was last seen traveling north of Kinderpost Road. The search began before 1 p.m. Friday after a shot was apparently fired by the county officer, according to the state patrol.

An earlier report to officers on who fired the shot was incorrect, authorities said. The area was northwest of Licking.

Roving patrols continued Saturday in the area by state and county officers who later recovered a 2001 Dodge red pickup that was later towed from the search area.
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Without doubt, one of the greatest joys of working at any UK rescue centre is seeing a happy dog heading out the gates with their new two-legged companion, both ready to start an exciting new chapter in their lives together. For 157 years Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has been finding homes for dogs that, for whatever reason, have been rejected or abandoned. And for these new owners, their 'Heinz 57' rescue dog with a mix of many breeds, has long been a great source of pride.

But whilst there are plenty dogs of all shapes and sizes in rescue centres across the UK, all longing for their second chance in life, we're starting to observe a worrying new trend, as increasingly people are looking overseas for their new family pet. By-passing the pleading eyes of Britain's canine homeless, they prefer to rescue a dog from a life on the streets of Bucharest not Bath, or Larnaca instead of London, telling their friends how they've helped save the animal from a tragic fate.

Many of these owners will no doubt be trying to do the right thing, perhaps even going through animal charities who work tirelessly to help stray animals overseas by rehoming them in the UK. But for every new owner who does try to go through the right channels, there are countless more who will be duped into thinking they're helping, when actually they're making unscrupulous breeders richer and fuelling the growing puppy farming trade in 'designer' breed dogs.

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Just recently, The Times writer Lucy Cavendish described the process she had gone through to get a new puppy for her family, waiting in a service station car park, "At 9.10am a Transit van ...pulls into the car park. About 20 or so people emerge from various cars into the parking area. It turns out that we have all come to collect dogs, all of which have come from Greece...and it isn't just our Transit that is in the car park. There is at least one more, surrounded by people waiting for dogs."

At Battersea we're all too aware that rehoming dogs out of a van in a service station is precisely the way in which some unscrupulous breeders will line their pockets, but how many other well-meaning new owners will fall into this trap? Only a few will have seen TV footage of profiteers being pulled over in their vans for importing puppies from the EU, exposed by the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and the Police. This type of breeder knows they can make thousands of pounds from selling on French Bulldogs and Pugs, and sadly, animal welfare isn't given a second thought.

The happy, eager families waiting to have a wriggling puppy thrust into their arms, will for the most part have no idea that they're proliferating a barbaric trade where sometimes hundreds of breeding bitches of every type, are kept in squalid conditions to be bred from time and time again. Often starved of natural light, exercise, and company, these frequently sick dogs are left to crawl over one another in excrement-filled cages while their puppies are taken from them at too early an age and transported hundreds if not thousands of miles in crates and boxes, without food and water to be touted on a service station car park or through an online dealer with a smart looking website, purporting to be a home breeder.

Furthermore, these adoring new owners will often know very little about the medical history of their dog, with forged vaccination records and passports all too commonplace. Puppies transported and sold in this way are often sick, weak, and poorly bred and face years of problems, if they make it past six months and all too many kind and decent owners, are left heartbroken and thousands of pounds poorer.

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This is a real crisis, and it is being brought into the UK every day. Just this week, 100 puppies were seized at the border in Kent and found to be in an appalling state - in feeble health, covered in vomit and faeces, and having been smuggled into the country in cramped conditions without air conditioning.

Charities like Battersea take in thousands of dogs every year. Last year Battersea received over 22,000 calls for help from dog owners alone. At any one time our own three centres will have almost 300 wonderful dogs desperately looking for new homes. These are simply unlucky dogs, sometimes unwanted; too big, too small, too boisterous, too quiet, or just too inconvenient. Sadly, there will also be the ones whose previous owner may have moved to a new home where landlords don't allow animals, or illness, divorce or even owner's death has meant there's no place for these pets to go but to a shelter.

And the sad reality is that it's the UK rescues who will also pick up the pieces when the so-called 'quality puppies' referred to in Ms Cavendish's article lose their initial appeal, when their medical or behavioural issues become too difficult or expensive for the well-intentioned new owner to bear.

At Battersea we're taking in many more animals with foreign microchips, and we're increasingly coming to the rescue of owners who have rehomed their dog from overseas. These dogs come from many different countries, and because they're often strays, we know nothing about their medical history and whether they are carrying any diseases. So, our vets have no choice but to put them into quarantine until we can do all the essential medical checks to establish they're safe and well enough to rehome.

Battersea is a member of the EU Dog & Cat Alliance, a group of animal welfare organisations who are working to protect dog and cat welfare throughout Europe. They say international rehoming for dogs and cats is simply not sustainable in the long term as it only provides stop gap measures, rather than addressing the root causes of companion animals living in shelters or being homeless.

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In short, rehoming a dog from abroad may help that one dog but not the thousands more who still suffer. The Alliance cites the very real risk of spreading diseases such as rabies across borders, including to the UK, and the fact that such dogs are much more likely to experience problems when contained in a home environment.

Which brings us back to the many dogs languishing in UK rescue centres, desperate to find a new home and a fresh start. These dogs deserve a second chance just as much as any other. By choosing to rescue from a UK shelter you'll have the peace of mind to know that your new pet has been medically and behaviourally assessed, vaccinated, and of course matched to you and your specific lifestyle needs. Most will come with four weeks free insurance and access to long-term aftercare support and advice. Yes, those wanting a Cockapoo, or a French Bulldog for their Instagram account might not find what they want quite as easily, but surely that's a good thing.
Over the last week, several UK media sources ran stories on a striking piece of research publicised by Barnabas Fund. The story centres around Home Offices figures obtained by the religious aid organisation. The figures highlight the very low number of religious minority Syrians who have been recommended for resettlement by the UNHCR, and eventually resettled by the UK government.

According to the research, out of 2,637 Syrians recommended for resettlement to the UK by the UNHCR in 2015, only 57 of them identified as religious minorities persecuted in Syria: 43 were Christians, 1 was Shia Muslim, and 13 were Yazidis. The individuals who were eventually resettled by the UK government in 2015 totalled 1,194 Syrians. Of those, 41 individuals belonged to religious minorities: 40 Christians, 1 Shia Muslim, and 0 Yazidis.

The figures were even lower in 2016. 7,499 Syrians were recommended for resettlement to the UK by the UNHCR. Only 45 individuals belonged to religious minorities: 27 were Christians, 13 Shia, and 5 Yazidis. From a total of 4,369 Syrians eventually resettled in the UK, 60 individuals belonged to religious minorities: 20 Christians, 12 Shia Muslims, 18 Yazidis, 6 Druze, and 4 Eastern Orthodox.

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The numbers of the religious minority Syrians proposed for resettlement or actually resettled may be perceived as being reasonable and (more or less) proportionate to the religious demographics in Syria. Indeed, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims are minorities in predominately Sunni Muslim Syria. However, such statistical approach is flawed. It neglects the nature of the atrocities perpetrated by Daesh against religious minorities in Syria (and beyond).

Photograph taken during my trip to the Nineveh Plains in November 2016. (Photo credit: Ewelina U. Ochab)

It is a matter of fact that the largest number of causalities in Syria are the Sunni Muslims. Sunni Muslims are the majority population in Syria. Hence, even without specifically targeting Sunni Muslims, they would statistically be the biggest victims of the ongoing atrocities perpetrated by the government, the opposition, and the various militia groups involved (of which Daesh is only a small part of).

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Yet, in early 2014, Daesh unleashed a genocidal campaign against religious minorities with the purpose of eliminating religious pluralism from the region. It has been confirmed by international and state actors; Daesh targeted religious minorities, Christians, Yazidis, Shia Muslims and others in an attempt to establish a purely Islamic state. In accordance with Daesh' ideology, there was no space for religious minorities under Daesh's caliphate. Hence, while the Syrian Civil War has been ongoing for years, early in 2014 another conflict emerged. It followed different rules. It's aim was to create a purely Islamic state, separate from Syria and the Syrian internal conflict.

The recognition of the Daesh atrocities against religious minority groups in Syria (and Iraq) as genocide is not insignificant. Genocide is the crime of crimes. Under international law, this is the worst crime there is. While crimes against humanity or war crimes many lead to similar or even greater number of causalities than genocide, the crime of genocide is different because of the underlying intent. As its goal, Daesh planned to destroy protected groups in whole or in part.

It means that if the perpetrator is not stopped, if the genocidal campaign is not stopped, there is a risk that the targeted groups would disappear from the surface of the earth. The nature of the crime justifies a broad range of actions: from military intervention to humanitarian assistance to the survivors. Resettlement to a safe haven should be included as one of these actions. It is necessary to ensure that the what remains is temporarily or permanently removed from the conflict zone, depending on the situation and the needs, to ensure its survival. This consideration, justifying the favourable treatment of persecuted religious minorities as a priority for resettlement, appears to be removed from the debate.

The recent genocidal atrocities perpetrated against religious minorities cannot be neglected and vulnerable victims cannot be left without assistance.

There may be two main problems. The first problem centres around the designation of the refugee status and the second, the designation of who is particularly vulnerable and resettling based on this consideration. Religious minorities struggle to be recognised under either.

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It's easy to take a toilet for granted - lock the door, do your business, flush when finished, and forget all about it. But for 2.3 billion people worldwide - almost one in three - such a normal part of daily life is out of reach.

Can you imagine restricting what you eat and drink to avoid needing the toilet until nightfall, when you can go out under the cover of darkness to find somewhere private to relieve yourself, worried about who might see you? Think of how dirty your community would become if everyone was doing the same, day after day. And think of where the children would play, oblivious to the risks posed by such a polluted environment.

Such a situation is most dangerous for women and girls, who are exposed to an increased risk of harassment and attack when finding somewhere to do their business, find it more difficult to cope during their periods, and spend more time ill and caring for others who are sick.

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WaterAid's new report, Out of Order: The State of the World's Toilets 2017, revealed Ethiopia as the worst in the world for having the highest percentage of its population without household toilets. Despite also being the country that has made the most progress in reducing open defecation, a staggering 93% have nowhere safe to go to the toilet, holding women and girls back from fulfilling their potential.

Woinshet, from Oromia, Ethiopia, spends a lot of time caring for her daughter, Kisi, 8, who often misses school because of sickness caused by not having clean water or toilets in their community. She almost died last year.

Woishet said: "We don't have a toilet so we go to the bush. Kisi is skinny and fragile because whatever she eats gets lost through diarrhoea and vomiting. The doctor said she has worms because of dirty water and the lack of sanitation. Medical fees are expensive; last time I paid 180 birr, which could have bought enough maize to feed my family for a month."

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Woinshet with her daughter Kisi, who is often sick with diarrhoea and vomiting. Credit: WaterAid/ Behailu Shiferaw

Regular bouts of diarrhoea in childhood contribute to malnutrition, which can lead to stunting, causing impaired development and weakened immune systems. This has an impact later on, too; women who are stunted face a higher risk of pregnancy complications and giving birth to a low-weight baby, and the cycle continues.

WaterAid's analysis reveals that India is still the nation with the most people without toilets, with more than 355 million women and girls waiting for access to basic sanitation. This contributes to the appalling death toll from diarrhoeal disease of more than 60,000 children a year.

However, there has been some good progress in improving access to sanitation through the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, helping put India in the top 10 for progress on reducing open defecation and improving access to basic sanitation.

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Progress in other countries in South Asia is encouraging too. Cambodia has emerged from decades of conflict to become one of Asia's fastest growing economies. It comes second for progress in reducing open defecation as well as improving access to basic sanitation.

Bangladesh has almost eradicated open defecation in cities completely by investing heavily in shared latrines used by more than one family, particularly in fast-growing slums. One-fifth of the population now has access to this limited sanitation service, an important stepping stone to better health and dignity.

However the country still ranks in the top five countries for having the highest number of people without household toilets, with more than 85 million people still lacking basic facilities.

Potemma, 70, from Dhaka, Bangladesh, says her community toilets are dirty, inaccessible and lack privacy. As a result, diarrhoea is common. WaterAid and Andrex are working together to renovate the toilet blocks. Credit: WaterAid/ GMB Akash/ Panos.

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If the world is going to come anywhere close to achieving toilets for everyone everywhere, there must be a substantial increase in political commitment, and concrete actions globally. In 2015, the world pledged to ensure everyone everywhere has safe water and toilets by 2030 - a deadline that requires a step change in approach because the rate of progress to date will not be enough.

Governments must invest more money, spending it efficiently, while paying particular attention to the needs of women and girls. The provision of toilets also needs to be taken seriously by every sector - extraordinary as it may seem, around one third of schools and one fifth of healthcare facilities do not have decent toilets. We need to work together to make sure every school, health centre, workplace and public space has toilets that are safe for all women and girls, no matter their physical ability.
Happy birthday to Frederick Banting and Happy World Diabetes Day to you all!

This years World Diabetes Day focuses on Women and Diabetes and the right to a healthy future. Whilst one in ten women have diabetes, treatment and support can be a postcode lottery. As a type 1 diabetic myself I have been very fortunate in the last few years to have been offered an insulin pump but I know and reminded myself such a gift is not to be taken for granted. Because in the past few years I've known women who've had bake sales to fund treatment not available on the NHS, had their prescriptions pushed to be changed without warning or consultation and who have fought an up hill battle to obtain the treatment they need.

This is not to say that the men and women who run diabetes services across the UK should not be thanked for the work they do. So many work tirelessly for an increasing caseload that shows no signs of stagnating, my own support team included. Because despite Diabetes being the fastest growing health threat today, diabetes specialist nurse numbers are faltering. In State of the Nation 2016, a report published by Diabetes UK the organisation found that over a "quarter of respondents reported that specialist nurse posts had recently been cut in their hospital or team, and nearly a third said that posts had been left unfilled". This has led to concerns from both those in the profession and patients about patient safety. One Diabetic Specialist Nurse comments in the report: "I am unable to provide the intensive support to patients that I would like. With more people being diagnosed with diabetes and more complex medication choices available, I feel that our service should not have to be affected by budget cuts."

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Cuts to funding means a lack of staff, and a lack of staff mean that services available to individuals with diabetes can be significantly varied depending on how lucky your area is. The State of the Nation found that nearly "one in ten hospital sites did not have any consultant time for diabetes inpatient care and almost one third of sites have no diabetes inpatient specialist nurse available". These positions are vital for those living with diabetes both in times of crisis and day to day activities as Diabetes is tied to every aspect of daily living.

For women this includes everything from period management and sexual relationships to pregnancy. Pregnancy especially requires a significantly high level of support for women with diabetes with a third of babies born to women with diabetes requiring intensive or specialist neonatal care. Diabetes UK reports that first contact with a specialist antenatal diabetes team should happen as early as possible and that "while 52 per cent of women with Type 1 diabetes had their first contact with this team prior to eight weeks gestation", only "37 per cent of women with Type 2 diabetes had their first contact with the team in this time frame. With such an intense level of support needed during such a significant body change concern is mounting over the healthcare systems ability to cater for the mother and the child to the high standard needed.
We are now 2  years on from launching Grey Model Agency ltd and indeed it has been a steep learning curve; not only for us but the international fashion, beauty and advertising industries too.

While we have received much coverage and some great commissions; including runway shows such as Youjai Jin at London Fashion Week to global hair campaigns (Aesop Haircare), and changed the face of many high-street windows (Primark, Ahlens, H&M, M&S and Selfridges) there is still much work ahead to change the perception of mature models - both male & female. To harness the potential of mature models, casting must include A-typical models as well as Classic looks. It is time to move on from lazy briefs that seek carbon copies of Helen Mirren, George Clooney, or when they are daring to tread more boldly, Iris Apfel - fulfilling a stereotype of what eccentric ageing must look like - and represent the strength, vigour and attitude of this 50+ demographic.

All the above are of course great role models but when signing models to Grey boards we seek faces, personalities and identities that are exceptional, different and above all memorable; to place a brand into a new and exciting genre that not only embraces age but also diversity within age.

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Italy seems to be a forerunner in recognising this strength. Grey Italian male model, Alessandro Bodio, being the choice for the forward-thinking clothing brand, DOPPIAA.

Doppiaa Clothing, Italy

Happily DOPPIAA replicated their approach the following year including two Grey models, Zvona and Sanjay.

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Doppiaa Clothing, Italy

Likewise, Vogue Italia are biting the bullet and including a variety of less Classic mature models within their fashion pages featuring Grey models, Alex Bruni and Zvona Vuckovic:

Timeless Issue, Vogue Italia, Oct 2017

And Swiss style magazine, Encore! Embraced Alessandro Bodio once more for their front cover and fashion feature last month.

Encore! Magazine, Nov 2017

Which is fabulous, if only this style of casting was the rule rather than the exception. Grey has built its reputation on providing #NextGenerationGrey - the gritty, elegant, eccentric representation of the 40+. We sign arresting looks over pretty faces, strength of character over neighbour-next-door. Sheilah, Stefanie and Donna-Marie are the sum of this and for some time now I am querying why we are not 'set-upon' by brands and their marketers or advertising agencies to scoop up the horse-at-water and make them drink.

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This year I was asked to sit on a panel session at London Fashion Week SS18 to discuss the embrace of diversity within fashion. Our remit was to evaluate if current fashion diversity was tokenism or a change in attitude and approach by the industry. Age was not the only 'minority group' under discussion, also represented were transgender models, plus size models, non-Caucasian models, with disabled models being mentioned but not represented. While such a discussion on the first day of London Fashion Week is indeed a development on previous years, the very selection of panel members smacked of tokenism and, despite those who attended the discussion being very positive about the insights and progress all panel members had displayed, there was a great feeling that we were preaching to the converted. In anticipation, Grey's Special model (former bastion of androgyny in the 80's, muse to Jean Paul Gaultier and famed for her kiss with Madonna, Justify My Love) Amanda Cazalet's response to my protestation,

I feel like carrying a placard with the words 'I can't believe I still have to fight this shit!'

said:

Why don't you just wear a t-shirt saying 'Unfuck Yourself'

- so I did and thus a minority movement of 60, 70 & 80+ rebels, influencers and disruptors was spawned, both male and female, requesting their copy of said t-shirt.

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BBC World Service, JD Williams, Grey T-Shirt - Amanda Cazalet

The press, internationally, has been consistently supportive of what Grey stands for (BBC World Service - Breaking Boundaries, Sky News - The Rise of the Mature Model, HuffPost of course, UK Telegraph, Times, Guardian and the Mail, Brazilian press, Milan magazines, Chinese Times and Sydney Morning Herald all carrying the baton. But why are brands stalling? Where has the courage, the avant-garde, the art and creativity gone in fashion, advertising and PR that seemed so burgeoning thirty years ago? This year at LFW only Vin & Omi pushed the boundaries leading their catwalk show with 70+ Debbie Harry - a big fan of their work. There seems to be no NextGenerationWestwoodOrGaultier currently.

That said, it is the graduate stylists, photographers and fashion designers who are calling the shots and coming to Grey with diverse and inclusive briefs that seek to bridge the gap between youth and age in a positive way. For two years now the ID Magazine Diversity Now competition that calls upon graduates to produce short films and photos to illustrate diversity have become some of our strongest creative thinkers.

Teeth Magazine, Huff Magazine, Material Girl Magazine

Harper's Bazaar UK continue to push boundaries where other fashion magazines fall behind and boutique fashion periodicals like Hunger and the Violet Book follow suit.

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Harper's Bazaar UK, The Violet Book, Hunger Magazine

Let's hope that the #NextGenerationGrey supporters rise swiftly and influentially so that brands meet their consumers desire for the magnificent, the bizarre and the elegant-eccentric agers of today.

They are certainly making their voices heard through social media and other platforms like the public vote at the London National Portrait Gallery for 85 year old Grey model, Frances Dunscombe's beautiful nude portrait by Josh Redman that won last year's John Kobal Foundation New Photography Award, and the likes of fashion veteran, Caryn Franklin, who continues to push boundaries directing a short film for Age of No Retirement featuring Grey models, Anthony Fitzgerald and Anna von Rueden wearing the most progressive fashion of the now.

Josh Redman John Kobal Winning Portrait, AONR, Caryn Franklin

Grey was founded on breaking boundaries, disrupting fashion and advertising and the shock of the new. Even the agency name was given ironically with our A-Typical models launching the agency wearing confrontational slogan tees challenging, "Am I Grey?". It was never going to be a smooth and easy ride and goodness me it has been fun! But the answer to so many consultants' questions, journalists' interviews and TV news coverage on how to reach this New Generation Grey is simply shown across the pages of Grey's website and social media. Our choice in A-Typical models shows far better than interviews tell the answer to this much-asked question. So, from the horse's mouth: take to the water and drink!

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Getting home from school offers no respite from bullies in 2017. Cyberbullying follows you everywhere - so instead of getting a break from name-calling or intimidation, nasty comments flash up on your phone or appear in your Facebook messages at any time.

There's also the threat that something you feel embarrassed about will suddenly be shared with others, or appear publicly on your social media profiles. Being bullied in this way can feel like you are constantly on high alert and under siege.

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This anti-bullying week we've been thinking about this growing issue. Young people tell us that online bullying is a major concern for them, and that it can have a devastating effect on their wellbeing and self-esteem. The damage can be long lasting - even leading to serious mental health problems such as depression.

Our joint-inquiry on the topic, with Alex Chalk MP and the mental health charity YoungMinds, has so far uncovered some shocking detail about how many young people are experiencing online bullying and just how nasty that bullying can be.

Almost half of young people (aged 11-25) responding to a survey we conducted for the inquiry said they had experienced threatening, intimidating or nasty messages via social media, email or text. Some 30% had experienced persistent messaging from someone even after asking them to stop. One in five had experienced having personal, private or embarrassing information shared publicly.

Another common form of bullying is by exclusion. In school time, this might mean peers talking about you and not inviting you to join in their plans. Now it's all too easy to continue that behaviour on WhatsApp groups or over Snapchat. In our survey, 47% of young people said they had experienced exclusion from conversations, groups, games and activities online.

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Despite these bad experiences, young people have also said that being online can bring positive benefits. Online communities can be a place to make new friends and can be empowering refuges from bullies. That means just telling children to put down their smartphones forever is not the answer. The solution needs to come from social media itself.

Social media companies are coming under increasing pressure to clamp down on cyberbullying on their platforms. The government launched its internet safety strategy consultation last month and that included promising ideas, such as developing a social media code of practice - but we need to make sure that this leads to concrete change.

Suggestions put forward by young people at our inquiry include promoting positive interactions through reinforcing community guidelines, making sure swift action is taken to stop those who are bullying, and signposting to support for victims.
The city delivered boxes of food to the Eagle Street pantry on Thursday morning. PreviousNext

North Adams City Food Collection Benefits Friendship Center Pantry



Mayor Richard Alcombright helps with his final delivery as mayor. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The annual citywide food drive delivered hundreds of pounds of food on Thursday morning for the Friendship Center Food Pantry.

The annual drive collects nonperishable foods from the North Adams Public Schools, City Hall, Police Department, Fire Department, Spitzer Center and the library.

"This is just another fun day in being able to provide this," Mayor Richard Alcombright said after helping carry boxes into the Eagle Street pantry. "I want to thank Rosemari [Dickinson] and certainly thank Ellen [Sutherland] for their efforts in spearheading this and for all the employees of the city who provided all we see here."

The city's been doing the annual collection since the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative opened the pantry, in cooperation with Berkshire Community Action Council and the Western Massachusetts Food Bank, six years ago.

Richard Davis, the pantry's director, said it serves about 140 to 150 families every Wednesday. That's down a little bit from a few years ago.

"It's been pretty stable, people come and go," he said. "Hopefully, people find jobs or whatever and don't have to depend upon us but then someone comes in who needs it."

It tries to ensure a healthy variety of foods and can always use donations of tuna, peanut butter, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, pasta sacuse, low sodium canned vegetables and soups, whole grain cereals and oatmeal, no sugar added canned fruits, and beans. It also appreciates donations of personal care items and diapers.

"Outside of food, it's items that they can't buy with food stamps  toothpaste, soap, toothbrushes, paper towels," Davis said. "Toilet paper is something everybody wants and everybody needs. ... It's only 50 cents a roll, 60 cents, but it means a lot to a lot of these people because they just don't have the resources that cover all their needs."

Sutherland, assistant to the superintendent of schools, said she deals mainly with the School Department.

"They just always rise to the occasion," she said. "We're in the middle of our United Way drive, we run them together, and we're having a great year with that ... I think our school commuity is really in touch with what people need and they do so much more than what people realize. ...

"I'm really grateful for working in such a caring place."

Dickinson, the mayor's administrative assistant, said she does follows Sutherland's lead. "It's all Ellen," she said.

Mark Rondeau, who has been volunteering at the pantry since its inception, thanked the city for its support.

"Mayor Alcombright and the city have been a huge help since we opened as a food pantry in 2011," he said.

This is Alcombright's last time as mayor participating in the drive. He ends his fourth and final term Dec. 31.

"We just need to keep supporting this effort. Mark and all the guys here have just done a wonderful job," he said. "Really, its the only game in town that provides this service for so many families who are in need ... thanks really goes out to them because this is a team effort."
Tony Mazzucco, center, with Selectmen Christine Hoyt, Chairman John Duval, Richard Blanchard and Joseph Nowak at Mazzucco's last meeting on Wednesday.

Adams Selectmen Say Goodbye to Mazzucco



Joe Nowak holds up the Aggie Fair's award-winning banner. ADAMS, Mass.  Tony Mazzucco attended his final Selectmen's meeting on Wednesday and was met with applause for his service to the town.

The town administrator has taken the post of general manager of Norwood and is leaving to move closer to where he grew up.

"It's not an easy job ... and Tony I just want to thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done for this community," Selectman Joseph Nowak said. "I just wish you the best and you are a bright young person and you have a good future ahead of you."

The rest of the board also had kind words for Mazzucco, who they felt had straightened out the town's finances.

"I want to thank him for his service over the past three years," Chairman John Duval said. "We have been through some tough decisions and you made some good financial changes. I wish you the best of luck."

Mazzucco was hired almost exactly a year ago and selected over finalists Richmond Town Administrator Matthew Kerwood, now Pittsfield's director of finance and administration, and Brewster Selectmen Chairman James Foley, who still sits on that board.

His tenure was bumpy at times and he earned kudos for his budgeting work and support for the growing arts and recreation community but also apparently rubbed a number of people the wrong way, particularly over the elementary school battle that ended with Adams' Plunkett School remaining open. The number of comments of those wishing him well or good riddance were pretty evenly matched in Facebook comments.

Norwood's general manager is retiring Dec. 1 after 39 years in the post and officials in Norwood were hoping Mazzucco could start as soon as possible. His last day in the office is Nov. 30 and he will take some accrued time to be officially done on Dec. 4, the end of his three-year contract.

The Selectmen have not yet made plans about how to replace him although it is expected that Community Development Director Donna Cesan will once again be tapped for the interim. She stepped in for about six months between Jonathan Butler's departure and the hiring of Mazzucco.

Mazzucco thanked the Selectmen and the community members who worked beside him over the years.

And ever concerned about the gumming up the works, his last words were, "stop flushing wipes down the toilets."

In other business, the Selectmen appointed Francie Riley to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

"I want to thank anyone that steps up and asks for an appointment to be on a board in our community we have a lot of openings on a lot of boards and we know as Selectmen making hard decision you aren't always the most popular," Nowak said.

Riley served as an alternate on the board for two years now and said she wants to help improve the town, so all can succeed.

"If we don't make smart decisions moving forward with planning and zoning in our town and if that doesn't move forward in a positive way, everyone will lose," she said. "A high tide raises all boats so If I can help raise the water level that's a good thing."

There is still an open seat on the ZBA and the Conservation Commission and the Selectmen asked that anyone interested in the seats should fill out an application online.

Nowak said both boards are very important because their decisions could cause possible legal action against the town.

"These committees are important and when decisions are made it is possible if they aren't crafted properly there could be ramifications for the community," he said.

The Selectmen received a certificate from the Massachusetts Agricultural Fairs Association that stated the Aggie Fair won a first-place award for its Park Street banners.

"We are proud to be the only agricultural fair left in all of Berkshire County," Nowak, who co-founded the fair, said. "It is hard to keep going."
The House of Representatives passed the two capital bond bills Wednesday night.

House Passes $45 Million For Broadband & Massive Capital Bond Bill



Money to replace the Columbus Avenue Garage has again been added to a state bond bill. The Senate still has to pass it and then it will be up to the administration when, or if at all, to release the funds to move forward. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The Legislature has allocated $45 million more toward connecting all corners of the state to high-speed internet. And the House of Representatives has put local capital projects in the queue for funding.

Working until 10 on Wednesday night, the House of Representatives passed two capital bond bills. One includes $45 million to finish what is known as the "last mile" in connecting Western Massachusetts to the internet.

"It will go into the last-mile project. Twelve million of it is going to the small towns that already have a plan but the costs are coming in higher than they expected," state Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, said.

Mark said many towns in the region have set up plans to connect but cost estimates borne on the shoulders of the rural towns are too much. The money will help bolster the state's portion to move those projects along.

He said another $5 million is dedicated to the few towns, such as Savoy, that does not have a plan in place. The total pot of money goes to the Massachusetts Broadband Institute to administer the program.

"I think the MBI has done more in the last year than the other MBI did in the last few," said state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli. "The MBI has done a decent job, despite some of the criticism."

Pignatelli called the funding "critical" and believes that it will be enough to complete the project.

"We wanted the towns to have some ownership of this last mile but it is costing the towns more than they can bear. We're stepping up in a big way," he said.

That bill has been passed by both branches of the Legislature and now needs approval from Gov. Charlie Baker. Mark said he hopes the $45 million is enough, but wants towns the be assured that the state has their back when it comes to getting it done.

Meanwhile, the House also passed a capital bond bill for infrastructure. Mark has co-sponsored an amendment with state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier to get $6 million into the bill to replace the Columbus Avenue Garage.

The top level of the parking garage has been closed off since 2014 because of concerns about its stability. It is eyed as a key area for parking for the downtown and has been limited for years. In 2014, the state put $6 million aside to repair it in a transportation bond bill but that money hadn't been released.

"The Columbus Avenue Parking Garage is a major priority for the further economic development of Pittsfield," said Farley-Bouvier.

"The rebuilding of this garage has been identified as a linchpin by downtown merchants, our arts institutions, and housing developers. Working with Mayor [Linda] Tyer, we will use every tool we have to get this project completed. Securing dollars in a bond bill is an important step in what can be a long process."

Farley-Bouvier said it has been estimated to cost some $11 million to replace the garage. The transportation bond bill is still active, so in a way there is enough money approved by the Legislature to do the entire project. Farley-Bouvier characterized putting it in the newest capital bill as trying to get the state funds through every angle.

"We just have to keep pushing it," Farley-Bouvier said. "The Pittsfield delegation is going after it at every angle we can."

The garage has been a priority for Farley-Bouvier for a few years now and was her only amendment to the bond bill. Before the bill came before her, there was already $10 million set aside to renovate Central Berkshire District Court.

"Just like any state building you have to take care of it," Farley-Bouvier said. "We've been hearing from judges and court administrators that we need to get in the cue."

The bond bill still needs to be authorized by the state Senate. And then it is up to Gov. Charlie Baker whether or not the funds get released. But, the Houses bill put those projects in line for funding.

Pignatelli pushed to get the Lee State Police barracks into the bill.

"The building needs gutters, the downspouts are non-existent... There are a lot of general maintenance things needed," Pignatelli said.

Pignatelli also got $5 million for Lenox to acquire property and build a new senior and low-income family housing complex. Pignatelli said the details of that project are still being worked out, but tackles a need for the town of Lenox to provide affordable housing options for families and seniors.

Mark reauthorized some $250,000 to improve Dalton Town Hall, money that had been in a 2008 bond bill but never released. He also got an expiring bond authorization for a pre-release center for the Berkshire County House of Correction re-upped until 2022.

Mark also worked to get $9 million in the bond bill for a child care facility at Greenfield Community College, $1 million for a public safety complex in Health -- which he said was almost built a few years ago but the funding was pulled -- $1 million for a new fire station in Bernardston, and $200,000 to complete a senior center in Greenfield.

"This is the first step in the process," Mark said.

No projects for North County were included in the bill. The writing of the bill took place after the late state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi's death and was voted on before her replacement, state Rep. John Barrett III, was able to file any amendments.

But, the state Senate takes a crack at the bill next year, when state Sen. Adam Hinds will be representing the Northern Berkshires for amendments.

Mark said the capital bond bill is the first one the House has passed in a few years. The hope for all the representative will be that the bill continues to progress and the administration releases the funds for the specific projects.

"It was a good day. People worked hard, everybody worked hard for their districts," Farley-Bouvier said.
Five things to remember about the new downtown parking system :

1. Always enter your license plate number - even for the FREE first 30 minutes.

2. On-street parking is $1 per hour; lot parking is 50 cents per hour. There are also nearly 400 free parking spaces on the city's side streets.

3. You can pay by coin, credit card, or by downloading the Passport parking app.

4. You do not need to display the parking receipt on your dashboard.
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Actress Rose McGowan says she'll plead not guilty when she's arraigned on Thursday on a drug charge outside Washington.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority says McGowan surrendered to Airports Authority Police on Tuesday. She's charged with possession of a controlled substance.

The felony charge stems from what prosecutors say was cocaine found among McGowan's personal belongings left behind on a 20 January flight to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

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.

McGowan is among several actresses who've said movie mogul Harvey Weinstein forced them into unwanted sex, something Weinstein has denied.

McGowan tells The New Yorker that even though the warrant was issued on 1 February, she didn't respond to it for months out of fear that she was being followed by people hired by Weinstein. She says she hired a private investigator to investigate whether the warrant was real.

AP
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A postmortem into Lil Peep's death has already been carried out, just one day after he was found dead on a tour bus.

The rapper was scheduled to play a show in Arizona later that day, fans speculating the cause of death was a drug overdose.

The Medical Examiner confirmed the cause as a suspected overdose, adding how it will be six to eight weeks until they know for certain.

"Gustav Ahr, 21, known professionally as Lil Peep, died on the night of November 15 in Tucson, where he was scheduled to perform a concert" the statement reads.

Notable deaths in 2017 Show all 28 1 /28 Notable deaths in 2017 Notable deaths in 2017 Hugh Hefner, the creator of Playboy magazine, died 28 September 2017 aged 91 Central Press/Stringer - Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Liz Dawn as Vera Duckworth in Coronation Street, pictured with co-star Bill Tarmey who played her husband Jack. Dawn died 25 September 2017, aged 77 ITV Notable deaths in 2017 Walter Becker, one of the founders of the band Steely Dan, died September 3 aged 67 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 David Tang, one of Hong Kong's most famous businessman, died of liver cancer aged 63 on 29 August AFP/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington died July 20 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Holocaust survivor and stateswoman who fought for abortion rights, Simone Veil, died July 4 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Michael Bond, author and creator of Paddington Bear, died June 28 PA Notable deaths in 2017 TV's Batman, Adam West, died June 12 AFP/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Peter Sallis, who starred in Last of the Summer Wine and voiced Wallace and Gromit, died on June 5 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 John Noakes, The action hero of Blue Peter, died May 29 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 Former MotoGP world champion, Nicky Hayden, died age 35, on May 26. He was knocked off his bicycle by a car in Italy. Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Sir Roger Moore died on May 23 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Soundgarden singer, Chris Cornell, who helped define grunge music died May 17 Kevin Winter/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Moors Murderer Ian Brady died May 15 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Powers Boothe, star of Deadwood and Sin City, dies, aged 68 on May 15 Todd Williamson/Invision/AP Notable deaths in 2017 Robert Miles, Trance DJ behind hit track 'Children', died from cancer aged 47 on May 12 PA Notable deaths in 2017 Happy Days child star, Erin Moran, died at the age of 56 on April 24 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Ex-player and Tottenham U23 coach Ugo Ehiogu died after he suffered a cardiac arrest at the training ground, aged 44 on April 21 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 British athlete Germaine Mason, silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics, died following a motorcycle crash, aged 34 on April 21 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 Actor Tim Pigott-Smith star of TV, film and theatre died on April 7 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Rupert Cornwell an award-winning foreign correspondent who embodied the spirit of The Independent died on April 1 Notable deaths in 2017 Morse creator Colin Dexter died on March 21 PA Notable deaths in 2017 Rock and roll legend Chuck Berry died on March 18 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Sir Howard Hodgkin, one of Britain's greatest abstract painters of the post-war period died on March 9 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 Sir Gerald Kaufman was the oldest of the longest-serving MPs and Father of the House of Commons when he died on February 27 PA Notable deaths in 2017 Joost van der Westhuizen died at the age of 45 on February 6 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 John Hurt died aged 77 on 28 January Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Lord Snowdon, husband to Princess Margaret died on January 13 Getty

"While it is suspected Ahr died of a drug overdose, it will be six to eight weeks before toxicology test results are available to definitively determine the cause of death.

Sgt. Pete Dugan of Arizona police told the Associated Press that evidence pointed towards an overdose of the anti-anxiety medication Xanax being suspected cause.

The rapper posted a series of disturbing Instagram posts in the hours before dying, including one with pills on his tongue, and one with the statement: I just wana be everybodys everything I want too much from people but then I dont want anything from them at the same time u feel me I dont let people help me but I need help but not when I have my pills but thats temporary one day maybe I wont die young and Ill be happy? What is happy I always have happiness for like 10 seconds and then its gone. Im getting so tired of this.

Numerous stars from across the music world have paid tribute to Lil Peep, including Diplo, Zane Lowe, and more.
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A nursery chain is to ban children from using glitter because of fears about the damage it causes to the environment.

The substance loved by youngsters for making Christmas cards and other crafts is being removed by Tops Day Nurseries, a chain of 19 centres in southern England.

It comes amid mounting concern globally about the effects of plastics on marine wildlife  and just weeks after viral images emerged of a fish forced to grow around a plastic bottle wrapper, leading to calls for consumers to pick up your garbage.

Tops managing director Cheryl Hadland said she made the decision after realising glitter is a microplastic which can harm the environment.

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You can see when the children are taking their bits of craft home and theres glitter on the cardboard, it blows off and into the air and on to the road, and its only a tiny little bit, but weve got 3,000 children and theyre all doing Christmas craft at the moment, so weve got glitter everywhere.

There are 22,000 nurseries in the country, so if were all getting through kilos and kilos of glitter, were doing terrible damage, and these children, the world is for them. You cant really recycle it because its so small, you cant separate it from anything.

Scientists have also called for the sparkling shards to be outlawed. Dr Trisia Farrelly, of Massey University, told The Independent: When people think about glitter they think of party and dress-up glitter. But glitter includes cosmetic glitters as well, the more everyday kind that people dont think about as much. I think all glitter should be banned.

Most versions are made of aluminium and a plastic called PET. Dr Farrelly has investigated how PET can break down and release chemicals that disrupt human and animal hormones.

While plastic takes up to 1,000 years to decompose, it can break down into tiny pieces that eventually make their way into the oceans.

It may be flushed down toilets, dumped, or blown away from bins  and has been found everywhere from the North Pole to deep-sea sites.

Scientists and campaigners believe some eight million tonnes of plastic is floating in the worlds seas, affecting some 600 species. Dr Richard Thompson, of Plymouth University, said: We have had 60 years of this throwaway living and we need to recognise that plastic isnt throwaway.

 Microbeads ban: Government to outlaw microplastics in cosmetic products

The Government is also planning to ban microbeads in cosmetics next year and Environment Secretary Michael Gove has said plastic waste is putting marine wildlife under serious threat.

This year France banned plastic cups, cutlery and plates, with the regulation due to come into force in 2020. Business groups reacted with fury, claiming the move breached EU laws on the free movement of goods.

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 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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 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Ms Hadland added: I love glitter, its lovely, shiny, twinkly stuff, so it is kind of sad, but when were wrecking the environment we really cant be doing it.

The decision has only just been made but parents were likely to approve, she said. We did a survey a few months ago and 86 per cent of our parents want us to be eco-sustainable. I think a lot of our parents really want us to do this.

Many parents who use her nurseries are millennials, she said, who are likely to want a sustainable education for their child.

Sue Kinsey, from the Marine Conservation Society praised Ms Hadlands proactive approach. The majority of microplastics that get into the sea come from personal care products, household cleaners, tyre wear and other sources, she said. While glitter is only a small part of the microplastic load getting into watercourses and the sea, steps like these will all add up to something greater.

Sue Learner, editor of daynurseries.co.uk, said: We can only hope that by Cheryl Hadland raising awareness of the damage glitter can cause, other nursery owners and managers may be prompted to think about what decorative materials are being given to children and the potential impact it has on the environment.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Maybe its not surprising that there arent many museums devoted to the Baroque, the artistic and architectural style thats been described as clumsy in form and extravagant in contorted ornamentation and whose name may derive from the Spanish word for wart. Even little-b baroque can be synonymous with having bad taste.

And yet, the Baroque is also Don Quixote, Descartes, Rubens, Rembrandt, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Isaac Newton, Shakespeare. For a century and a half, the style pervaded nearly all artistic disciplines and aspects of transatlantic culture, a strange, frantic expression of the newfound contact between two hemispheres that would profoundly change the lives of people on both sides of the ocean. In Mexico, the Baroque left its most indelible mark on the colonial city of Puebla, two hours south-east of Mexico City.

After visiting Pueblas new International Museum of the Baroque, Im not sure I understand the style any better, but the journey, at least, was thought-provoking. Gallery after gallery in the spectacular all-white building, designed by Japanese starchitect Toyo Ito, is filled with paintings, sculptures, installations and digital interactive displays that attempt to explain what exactly the Baroque meant and how it expressed itself. Exiting a temporary exhibition this spring, I was left with the feeling that the Baroque is everywhere and nowhere, a kind of know it when I see it aesthetic that snares works from artists as diverse as Johann Sebastian Bach and David Bowie.

Clay Between Two Seas traced Islams influence on Spanish ceramics (Angela Caparroso)

The museums delicate white exterior walls catch the eye from miles away. They look like sheets of paper stood on end and precariously assembled. Doubled by the surrounding reflecting pools, the walls, when seen up close, arent fragile at all but are made of 14-inch-thick cast concrete.

We try to break and dissolve the cold and rigid order to achieve fluid spaces, the architects wrote in a statement timed to the museums unveiling last year. We hope that when people move from one room to another, they experience a Baroque space.

Ito, who won architectures Pritzker Prize in 2013, designed the building to be earthquake-resistant, a feature that was put to the test (and passed) when a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck less than 100 miles away in September. Inside, a sweeping curved staircase is bathed in sunlight streaming in through a vast glass wall that looks out on a central courtyard.

In Baroque art, light symbolises a revelation from God opposing the darkness of ambivalence, the architects wrote. In this project, light also acquires a special meaning.

A recording of choral music welcomes us as we enter the galleries, setting the tone for the journey to come, which can take several hours if you let it. A timeline written on one wall explains that the Baroque lasted roughly from 1598 to 1752, capturing a moment when Western Europe was beginning to grapple with changes including the conquest of the Americas and the Protestant Reformation.

Baroque art can be awe-inspiring (Museo Internacional del Barroco)

Silver and gold extracted from Spains colonies were flowing to the Far East and to Europe, where the Roman Catholic Church had responded to Martin Luthers threat by building temples of worship that bombarded the senses with excessive decoration and copious amount of gold. They reminded all who entered of the awesome power the church wielded. This intimidation tactic is on full display throughout the Americas, including in several remarkable Baroque churches that still stand in Puebla.

One gallery is filled with a room-size scale model of the citys centro historico, where visitors could touch a button that lit up the location of this or that Baroque structure, including the intricately tiled Casa de Alfenique and the Church of Santo Domingo. We had a chance to visit the latter, which contains the gold-dipped Capilla del Rosario (Rosary Chapel), a shining (literally) example of Mexican Baroque with acres of gold leaf coating its every surface. The museums auditorium also provides a virtual tour of the chapel, along with other famous Baroque churches around the world, on its four video screens.

Wall texts explained that the Baroque aimed to spark awe in the viewer. Drama, exaggerated emotion, theatricality and sensuality were core elements of the style, which also took on a local dimension in Mexico, the Philippines and Italy. In Cholula, one of Pueblas nearby suburbs, the eye-popping Church of Santa Maria Tonantzintla features cherubs with distinctly indigenous features, carved into every last inch of the churchs stucco interior.

Another gallery demonstrated the interest that upper-class Europeans developed in the exotic cultures they were increasingly hearing about from merchants and explorers. They started collecting artifacts and animal specimens to display in their lavish homes. One installation recreated such a collection room, complete with cabinets of wonders, taxidermied birds, animal tusks and furniture from faraway lands.

The interior is as striking as the exterior (Museo Internacional del Barroco)

The museums permanent exhibition is divided among several galleries, each devoted to a different discipline (art, theater, music, literature, clothing, etc). Most come complete with some kind of interactive technology, like headphones that demonstrate how a Baroque cello should sound, and touch screens that explore the differences between Mexican and European Baroque architecture.

Between the luxurious 18th-century gowns, the urns made from Guatemalan silver, and Peruvian gold and the artefacts on loan from institutions such as the Prado and Madrids National Museum of Decorative Arts, its too much to see in one stretch. The interior courtyard is a relaxing place to take a break next to a mesmerising reflecting pool, where an eddy of swirling water speeds up and slows down unpredictably.

For a longer pause, we head upstairs to Barroco, a chic power-lunch spot whose menu was designed by celebrated Mexico City chef Martha Ortiz. Golden ears of corn adorn every table, each draped in crisp white linen. The dishes are refined takes on local classics like chalupas (small fried tortillas topped with chicken or pork and doused in red salsa, green salsa or mole) and tacos arabes (spit-roasted spiced-meat tacos originally brought to Mexico by Lebanese or Iraqi immigrants). The day we visited, the dining room was quiet except for a few tables of men in expensive suits having business meetings.

Like the Catholic Church centuries before, the museum projects gilded elegance at every turn, reflecting its hefty price tag. Local papers have estimated its cost to be somewhere between $350m (270m) and $560m, a sum that left many locals wary. The governor of Puebla has said that he hopes the museum will do for Puebla what the Guggenheim did for Bilbao, but it doesnt seem to be getting that kind of traction, at least not yet.

In the end, the museum is awe-inspiring, sometimes clumsy, and has a lot going on  a bit like the Baroque itself.

 Washington Post
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A 19-year-old model claims to have sold her virginity online for 2m to a wealthy Abu Dhabi businessman.

The American teenager, who goes by Giselle, made the controversial transaction via the German-based website Cinderella Escorts and intends to use the money to fund her university tuition fees, reports The Sun.

I would never have dreamed that the bid would rise so high and we would have reached 2.5 million euros. This is a dream come true, Giselle said.

The model believes the act of selling womens virginities online is liberating, adding that it shocks her that so many people are against it.

"If I want to spend my first time with someone who is not my first love, thats my decision," she said.

The website works by auctioning off womens virginities to the highest bidder.

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In this instance, it was a businessman from Abu Dhabi and Giselle will be accompanied by a security guard to meet with him.

Cinderella Escorts first made headlines in 2016 after an 18-year-old Romanian model, Alexandra Kefren, reportedly sold her virginity to a Hong Kong businessman for 2m.

"I wanted to sell my virginity with Cinderella Escorts rather than giving it to a future friend who might have left me anyway," Kefren told The Star.

The site is run by 27-year-old Jan Zakobielski in Dortmund, Germany.

According to an interview with Forbes, Zakobielski takes 20 per cent of the profits from transactions made via his site.

He also explained that he would never agree to auction a girl who is not mature enough to know what she wants or is psychologically not okay.

However, sexologists aren't convinced that virginity auction sites such as these should even exist today.

"Virginity auctions are outdated and antiquated," Shan Boodram told Vice.

(Cinderella Escorts (Cinderella Escorts)

On our website you will find a video where girls from all over the world talk about the reasons to sell their virginity. Girls from Australia, Europe, Africa, North and South America. From Arab countries and Asian, said a Cinderella Escorts spokesperson.

"This shows us that the desire to auction a virginity is no exception.

"And on the other hand, the high bidding for Giselles auction shows us how high the demand for virgins is. Business people from all over the world have been bidding."
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As many as six million people have had their credit card limit increased in the last year without being asked, according to a study, which also shows that people who are least confident they could pay down their debts were most likely to be given extra credit.

The research conducted by charity Citizens Advice shows that on average, credit card holders were given rises of 1,481 without being asked, and that around 12 per cent of people received an increase of 3,000 or more.

Thats despite 85 per cent of people thinking that credit card companies should always ask permission before increasing someones limit, according to the charity.

Recommended Credit card lending picks up again in September

Some 32 per cent of people who said that they were not confident they would be able to pay back their current debts were given a rise, in comparison to 23 per cent who said that they were.

Its clear that credit card companies are contributing to the rise in consumer debt, said Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice.

Rather than credit card holders seeking to take on more debts, lenders are actively pushing it on people without enough consideration as to who can afford to pay and who cant, she added.

Few consumers support unsolicited increases and our research shows that they make peoples debt problems worse, Ms Guy said.

She urged Chancellor Philip Hammond to step in to prevent credit card companies weighing people down with unwanted debt - particularly when they are already struggling to keep their heads above water.

The survey, in conjunction with ComRes, was conducted in early November. Over 2,000 adults were questioned of which 1,332 had credit cards.

Citizens Advice has for months been urging the Financial Conduct Authority to implement measure preventing people from slipping into problem debt.

Under rules proposed in April, the FCA agreed with credit card providers that they would start asking new customers for their consent before raising limits, and that providers would give customers the option to carry on receiving uninvited increases.
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Owning a dog could lengthen your life, according to a new study.

Researchers studying cardiovascular disease came to the conclusion after examining data from 3.4 million Swedes aged between 40 and 80.

Everything from registering a dog to visiting a hospital requires presentation of a unique identification number in Sweden, so the team from Uppsala University were able to access an anonymised set of data from national registries.

As a result, they were able to study whether having a registered dog was associated with cardiovascular disease and death in people with no history of the illness, over a 12-year period.

They found that dog owners had a lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease or other causes.

I met another scientist who had a stroke six months previously, and he told me it was my dog that saved me, said Professor Tove Fall, a veterinarian at who co-authored the research, which was published in the Scientific Reports journal.

Stroke rehabilitation is important and for this man, his motivation to get out of bed was walking his dog. So I think on an individual level it can have huge effects, but it was also interesting to see we could measure it in the whole population.

While the study does not speculate on why the creatures might be better for life longevity, Professor Fall suggested that there could be direct effects of having a dog, such as more motivation for physical activity.

The dogs from Instagram Show all 6 1 /6 The dogs from Instagram The dogs from Instagram Noodle the Dachshund is just over a year old and comes with her own hashtag (#OodlesOfNoodle) The dogs from Instagram Three-year-old Staffie Ramsey was malnourished when he was adopted as a puppy but is now big and boisterous with ripped muscles and a cheeky grin The dogs from Instagram Winny the Welsh Corgi has been credited with the breed's upsurge in popularity The dogs from Instagram Bruno the miniature Dachshund has 66,700 followers The dogs from Instagram Mika the Husky has 58,900 followers The dogs from Instagram Elle the French Bulldog has 8,868 followers

She added: There might also be very important effects of social support you get, from your dog and meeting people through your dog.

The scientists also speculate there could be a link with the microbiome. The dirt and germs that come naturally with a dog might boost its owners immune system.

This is something Professor Fall said she intends to investigate in a future study.

However, dogs themselves might not be bringing about positive health effects, said Dr John Bradshaw, a pet researcher at the University of Bristol who was not involved in the study.

Instead, dog owners may just be healthier to begin with.

There are major differences between people who choose to get dogs and people who dont, said Dr Bradshaw.

Professor Fall acknowledged this, noting that those with the motivation to look after and register a dog might similarly be more motivated to look after themselves and visit the doctor.

While some previous studies have shown similar positive effects for pet ownership generally, others have shown the opposite effect.

As a result, Dr Bradshaw also warned against getting a dog solely for the alleged health benefits. The pets are not always a positive presence in a household, he said.
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Support for a one-pence-in-every-pound tax increase specifically to fund the NHS is even higher now than a year ago, according to a new poll of 20,000 people.

Well over half (58 per cent) would be happy to increase national insurance from 15 per cent to 16 per cent to cover the costs.

Just 27 per cent would oppose the tax increase, the YouGov poll conducted on behalf of the NHS Confederation found.

In an identical, but smaller poll, at the start of the year when the NHS was in the middle of a winter crisis, 53 per cent supported the increase, while 26 per cent did not.

The findings come less than a week before Chancellor Philip Hammond gives his Autumn Budget.

In the run up to the Budget, Mr Hammond has had calls from the head of the NHS for the 350m promised to the NHS by Brexit campaigners.

After the 1 per cent cap was scrapped earlier this year, Mr Hammond has faced calls to award pay rises to staff, which they say would help to boost the workforce.

A 1 per cent tax hike to fund the NHS was proposed by the Liberal Democrats in their 2017 General Election manifesto, but the party proposed to increase the basic rate of income tax.

This would lesson the impact on poorer families, because of the tax-free allowance, but it was a less popular option according to the YouGov poll.

Although 48 per cent of the public still supported an income tax increase, from 20 to 21 per cent, 36 per cent of the UK public oppose it.

While approval is above 50 per cent in all parts of the country, it is strongest in South-west London and among older and more well-off people, while the West Midlands had the lowest levels of support.

The NHS Confederation represents groups across the NHS, and recently sent a cry for help to the Chancellor calling for more funding.

Its chief executive, Niall Dickson, said the figures show a clear message from the public and the case for more funding is now overwhelming.

Just about everyone is calling on the Chancellor to act  from the Health Secretary himself, the head of NHS England and all our members who actually run the system, to the medical royal colleges, local government, as well as those representing patients, users and carers, he said.

Without action, our health and care system will continue to deteriorate; millions will wait, more will suffer and some will die. It is now clear that, even within Government, the cries for more funding are unequivocal.

It is time for the Chancellor to do right thing  our members are happy to be held to account, but their plea is give us the financial tools to do the job.
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It may be a social lubricant, but in some cases alcohol can also lead to people to cheat on their partners  and it seems that this is as true for prairie voles as it is for humans.

Scientists drew the conclusion after a new study looking for a biological reason for the damaging effects of drinking on relationships

We know that in humans, heavy drinking is associated with increased separation rates in couples, in which one of the partners is a heavy drinker and the other is not, said Dr Andrey Ryabinin, one of its authors.

The neuroscientist as Oregon Health and Science University added: Our results in prairie voles have identified a biological mechanism that could explain the link between discordant drinking and relationship breakdown.

Published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, the study found that when male voles were given alcohol to drink by themselves and their female partners stuck to water, the males tended to be unfaithful.

Given the chance, the inebriated males spent more time huddled up with other females.

When both voles were allowed access to alcohol, however, their relationships remained intact.

Experiments to investigate the effect of drinking on relationships in people would be difficult to perform, but prairie voles make a surprisingly good stand in for humans in two key ways.

Not only do they form monogamous relationships, but they also have a taste for alcohol that isnt generally found in rodents.

The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 10. Poland Results from an OECD report The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 9. Germany The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 8. Luxembourg Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 7. France The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 6. Hungary Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 5. Russia AFP/Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 4. Czech Republic The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 3. Estonia Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 2. Austria Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 1. Lithuania AFP/Getty Images

Having established the infidelity of alcohol-drinking males, the scientists went looking for the biological underpinnings of this behaviour, and found changes in a particular brain region of the voles who drank while their partners did not.

The brain region is called the periaqueductal gray, and the researchers suggest it could have a role in the effects of alcohol on maintenance of pair bonds.

But Dr Ryabinin said: We will need to do further work to confirm this for humans. In future studies, we might be able to find strategies to overcome the negative effects of alcohol, to improve relationships that are disrupted by problematic drinking.
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Two men accused of letting a 16-year-old girl die on the backseat of a car must have known she was dead, a court has heard.

A-level student Megan Bannister was found half-covered by a coat, lying in the back of the Vauxhall Astra after the vehicle was involved in a crash near Enderby, Leicestershire, on 14 May.

Miss Bannister, who had a part-time job and wanted to be a midwife, appeared lifeless, and had vomit around her mouth and blood coming from her nose, witnesses said.

The car's driver, Jason Burder and passenger Adam King, both 28, are accused of the girl's manslaughter by gross negligence by supplying her with MDMA, strangling her and then neglecting her life-threatening condition.

Several people stopped at the crash scene including staff nurse Natalie Kent who confronted the men, as they sat in the car while CPR was being performed on Megan nearby.

Miss Kent said the girl appeared deceased but had no obvious crash injuries, describing her as being the colour of death.

She said it looked drugs-related, so she approached Burder and King to find out what she had taken.

Miss Kent told them: Right, you need to listen to me.

At the moment, your friend is dead and we're desperately trying to save her.

I don't want you to think about you - think about her.

Because if there's something you know she's taken, there's a chance we can save her, so you need to tell me.

Think about her parents, think about what would your mom and dad be thinking?

She added: Look, she's going to die.

At that point, she described that Burder turned to King and said: Just tell her. King replied: MDMA.

In her statement read to Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, the experienced nurse said: They must have known she was dead but they didn't seem affected by that, whatsoever.

Marta Matos, whose partner was a student nurse, said Burder seemed more preoccupied with trying to move his car but she told him not to.

Then, she said, over his right shoulder, I saw a pair of white trainers.

She alleged Burder then turned in his seat, shook Megan's knees and said: See? She's asleep.

Another off-duty nurse, Sarah Simpson said the men never mentioned Megan to her until she saw legs poking out.

One witness described both men sat doing absolutely nothing, while another saw five or six beer cans in King's foot-well.

Miss Kent was told that the girl's name was Megan, but then later Charlotte White was told by Burder the girl was Adam's girlfriend, while King called her Heather.

Lisa Goodman saw Burder lighting a cigarette, and spotted King had two cans of lager between his legs.

Ms Goodman said: I wondered why they hadn't got out of the car.

She looked in the back and saw an arm, from the elbow to the wrist, and it was bare - it appeared to cover her face.

A man helped force the rear door to reach Megan, and Ms Goodman said: The man turned her over, and as he did I fully saw her face.

I knew she was gone - I had to walk away.

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Prosecution QC Miranda Moore told jurors on Wednesday they would hear evidence of how instead of seeking help for Megan, the men spent hours driving around, ringing escorts and buying beer - until the crash.

The Crown's barrister Their behaviour at the scene and complete lack of concern may indicate to you that by the time of the crash they accepted that Megan was already dead. - and they still did nothing.

Burder, of Braunstone Avenue, and King, of Waltham Avenue, both Leicester, deny wrong-doing and the trial continues.

PA
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Russian-speaking countries pose the number one cyber crime threat to the UK as billions of pounds are lost in daily attacks, it has been revealed.

Senior police and intelligence officials warned of an increasing crossover between hostile states and criminal groups seeking to profit from targeting governments, national infrastructure, businesses and individuals.

They warned that attacks as severe as the WannaCry ransomware outbreak, which crippled the NHS by hitting 81 trusts and affecting 19,000 appointments, could happen again.

WannaCry is not going to be the last attack to hit the UK and things are likely to get worse before they get better, said Oliver Gower, head of the National Cyber Crime Unit. State actors have tried and will try again to target the UK.

We also know that terrorists show the intent to use cyber attacks to cause damage and spread fear, but we dont yet believe they have the capability to launch major attacks.

Speaking in central London, he declined to confirm claims North Korea was behind the global WannaCry attack and said the investigation was ongoing.

An undisclosed number of Russian citizens have been arrested in relation to attacks on the UK and more than 100 investigations have been launched this year.

 Theresa May: "I have a simple message for Russia: We know what you are doing. And you will not succeed."

Russian-speaking nations are the number one cyber crime threat to the UK, Mr Gower said. The available intelligence suggests a degree of crossover between state and criminal cyber actors.

With innovative criminal capability available to the highest bidder, it is inevitable that hostile states will explore its possibilities, and conversely that very entrepreneurial cyber criminals may seek to steal data in order to sell to states.

Officials stressed that WannaCry and similar attacks make up only a small fraction of cyber crime, which includes hacking, data theft and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

Recommended British security minister says North Korea was behind WannaCry hack

They pointed to the NotPetya ransomware impact on global shipping giant Maersk, which was forced to halt some operations, as an example of the chaos that future outbreaks could cause.

Mr Gower, who is also deputy director of the National Crime Agency (NCA), said tens of millions of cyber attacks have hit the UK, which are affecting people daily as new attempts are launched and malicious software continues to circulate.

The cost of cyber attacks in Britain is estimated to be in the low billions, comprising money stolen from individuals and businesses, and the funds needed to repair damaged systems and install increased protections.

Hairdressers, a radio station, and a solicitors firm are among the British companies suffering financial losses and there are fears of real-world harm, such as that seen from power outages caused by cyber attacks in Ukraine.

Investigators say motives can range from pure profit to disruption and political pressure, depending on whether the culprits are hostile states, organised crime gangs, lone hackers, ideological hacktivist groups or script kiddies looking for kudos among their peers.

WannaCry crippled the NHS as it spread across the globe in May (EPA)

With increasingly blurred lines between criminal and state actors, and single attacks using perpetrators and infrastructure across multiple countries, identifying a source is difficult and can involve international investigations.

The culprits behind an unprecedented series of high-profile attacks to hit Britain this year have not been officially named, although Iran was reportedly linked to a brute force assault on Parliaments email systems in June.

The attack, described as sustained and determined by investigators, affected 9,000 email accounts and was followed by a similar incident targeting the Scottish Parliament.

Separately, Russian hackers have attacked Britains energy networks, telecommunications and media in what the head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) called an effort to undermine the international system.

On Monday, Theresa May accused Russia of threatening the international order with alleged interference in foreign elections, fake news and cyber attacks.

The Prime Minister said the UK would do what is necessary to protect ourselves and allies from disruption from Moscow, urging Vladimir Putin to step back from the sustained campaign of cyber espionage and disruption.

Mr Putin has repeatedly denied state involvement in cyber attacks and electoral influence, although he claimed patriotically minded Russian hackers may have launched their own attempts.

Security officials say hostile states often leave room for denial by employing criminal groups for hacking operations, or merely permitting their operations where their aims are mutually beneficial.

Mr Gower said culprits are not as anonymous and unreachable as they think they are but that the reporting of cyber attacks needed to improve for authorities to gain a better understanding of the threat.

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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 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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

Of the 1.8 million cyber-dependent crimes that took place last year, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, only about 30,000 were reported to the dedicated Action Fraud unit.

Officials believe some members of the public are going to banks over identity theft or funds stolen online, rather than the police, and that businesses may fear damage to their reputation.

Chief constable Peter Goodman, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead for cyber crime said it was the fastest-growing, most complex, difficult form of volume crime weve ever seen.

The complexity is going up and the ability of victims to protect themselves is diminishing, he warned, calling the current police response a postcode lottery as new regional teams are rolled out.

Ranked as a tier one national security threat alongside terrorism and organised crime, the danger posed by cyber criminals is expected to grow amid an explosion of internet-connected gadgets sold with little or no security.

A fish tank and kettle are among the internet of things items used to infiltrate systems by hackers and Mr Goodman called for new laws to ensure all hardware sold is fitted with a minimum standard of protection against cyber attacks.

While the news has been dominated by high-profile international incidents, the senior officer cautioned that small and medium-sized businesses cant survive criminal attacks.

The NCSC, NPCC and NCA are all running public information campaigns aimed to help companies and members of the public protect themselves, while the new General Data Protection Regulation will force businesses to disclose data breaches from when it comes into force in May.

Mr Gower said it was time for all sectors to wake up to the threat posed by cyber attacks and urgently shore up vulnerabilities  like the outdated Windows operating systems that allowed WannaCry to spread so rapidly through the NHS.

Theres a tendency to think of this threat as some sort of faraway, abstract thing but its not, he warned.

Hacking, data theft, ransomware, DDoS  these are the modern equivalents of traditional crimes, except that theyre not limited by the geography and physics of the real world.
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A 50-year-old woman strangled an elderly ex-Gurkha to death before imprisoning and assaulting his wife, a court has heard.

Sun Tamang, 50, of Victoria Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the murder of 75-year-old Man Limbu.

Stephen Harvey QC, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Limbu was found dead by Ms Tamangs children on the kitchen floor of their home.

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He said: When she was there alone, within a very short period of time of entering her flat, she had strangled him and he lay dead on her kitchen floor.

Precisely why she did so may never become absolutely clear, that she did so is beyond any doubt.

He was found there, where she left him on the kitchen floor, by her daughter and son when they arrived home from work.

Their mother had left a note which said in Nepalese: This person came to the door, knocked on the door and this person attacked me and then I retaliated. My children are not to be blamed.

He said that Ms Tamang then went to the home of Mr Limbu armed with a traditional machete-like Nepalese khukuri knife and a rolling pin where she let herself in with his keys.

When Mr Limbus wife, Gayatri Devi Limbu, returned home, she attacked her and locked her in until police fortunately arrived to give the news of Mr Limbus death.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters 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 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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

Mr Harvey said: She assumed that her husband had returned home before her and was inside, and had locked the door, so she called out to him.

The door opened and she walked in, but she was immediately grabbed from behind by Sun Ms Tamang.

She went on to make repeated threats that she was going to kill Gayatri, and held her prisoner in her own home for many hours until the fortunate arrival of police later in the evening.

Mr Harvey said that any other motive for the killing was unknown as Ms Tamang answered no comment in police interview.

He added: What is clear however from documents served by her solicitors is firstly, she accepts that Mr Limbu died as a result of strangulation, and secondly no other person was involved in his death.

Ms Tamang denies murder, assault causing actual bodily harm and false imprisonment.

The trial continues.

PA
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A woman who stole her parents' life savings and used their credit cards while they were on holiday has been jailed.

Melissa Humphreys, 33, from Essex, has been sentenced to three years after she defrauded her elderly parents Elizabeth, 70, and Terence Fordham, 80, out of 130,000.

She was left her in charge of her parents' finances while they were away for four years. The couple had sold their home and settled their debts before travelling across Europe in a motor home.

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When they returned to the UK, they discovered all the money had been cleared out of their accounts and that the borrowing limit had been reached on five credit cards in their names.

They had almost 55,000 in their savings account and left the details with their daughter, who was 21 and training to be a financial adviser at the time.

Prosecuting, Matthew Bagnall said: "While Mr and Mrs Fordham were travelling around Europe in their motor home and to assist them with financial matters, they arranged for their daughter to have bank account details i.e. savings to pay for any expenses incurred through their credit cards.

"This was restricted for day to day management for the parent's expenses and not for personal gain or use."

Melissa Humphreys (John McLellan)

However the court heard that Humphreys had taken money from their account to pay for her bills after her husband had been made redundant.

The couple noticed their money was missing when they tried to pay for their other daughter, Gail, to join them in Spain but there was not enough in their account to buy a ticket.

A victim statement from Mr Fordham that was heard in court said: "What has happened has been life changing for me, not a day goes by without something triggering in my mind some of the emotions that come back to me.

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"Something as simple as the name Melissa being said on TV brings me back those raw emotions."

He added: "I love my daughter Melissa too much. She is my first born and the sun shone from her eye. When my two daughters were growing up, neither of them wanted for much and I could provide for them.

"I don't understand to this day how or why she did this to us. She has let the whole family down."

Melissa Humphreys (JOHN McLELLAN)

The parents have cut all ties with their eldest daughter after receiving threatening phone calls and emails from her.

Wearing black leggings and a black jumper, Humphreys cried as her crimes were laid bare in the court.

Defending, Steven Levy said: "This defendant at the age of 21 was given responsibility of a considerable amount of money and was a very mature person having gotten married at a very young age.

"While this does not excuse what she has done, all her life she has tried to fit in and she was struggling for the longest time with her life.

"She used money as a mechanism to live out lives of others that she could not afford. When asked what she used the money for it was not for the renovation of her house, flashy cars or anything like that but instead to maintain her lifestyle and pay off bills.

"Her husband had been made redundant several times and she was struggling financially. Her house was repossessed. She tried to sell the house to pay back her debt but her husband blocked this.

"At first she would take 50 and pay it back at the end of the month but it soon spiralled out of control.

"She said it came as a relief when this all came to an end in 2010.

"She has lost her family and friends and support of her husband as a result of this. Her parents are rebuilding their life after this but she is not a part of it. She is all alone.

"She is extremely remorseful and she is trying to rebuild her life but just recently she got into a relationship that was bad for her mental health. Also she has been forced into an abortion of a child because of someone else and this has affected her mental health."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters 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 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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

Judge Lynch QC said: "Your parents left you in charge of their finances in the UK, trusting with bank accounts and cards. You subsequently used their hard earned monies to fund your lifestyle.

"It isn't only pain of you, as your father described - their 'beloved daughter' did this to them, it's not losing all their money, it's the agony of the threats and the shame of being in debt. As a result of other debts that you ran up in credit cards.

"The threatening phone called they have received - you have left them living in misery. Instead of enjoying their retirement, they are left with nothing and having to living in a mobile home miles from their roots."

The police investigation was launched in 2010 but her trial did not begin until seven years later.

She added: "This took a long time to come to court and it affected you mentally to have this hanging over your head for some five years or so.

"However the effects of your offences are going to affecting your parents for the rest of their life. You are a young woman with a life ahead of you.

"Your father is 80 and your mother is 70 years of age and after years of working hard all they are left with is worry and concern and the pain of knowing what you have done to them."

Ms Fordham and her daughter Gail declined to comment as they left court.
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The poorest and most vulnerable in society will be hardest hit by Government changes to tax, social security and public spending reforms, a major report has revealed.

Disabled people, the elderly and lone parents will suffer financial losses far greater than the general population under reforms introduced in recent years. Women will also suffer an annual loss more than double that of men, and black households will face a loss of income more than double that of white families, the research shows.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which published the report, warned of a bleak future for those most in need, and has urged the Government to come clean and provide a full and cumulative impact analysis of all current and future tax and social security policies.

Released ahead of next weeks Budget, the report carried out a cumulative impact assessment of the impact that changes to all tax, social security and public spending reforms from 2010 to 2017 will have on people by 2022.

It shows that families with a disabled adult will see a 2,500 reduction of income per year, compared with 1,000 for non-disabled households. Those with both a disabled adult and a disabled child will face a 5,500 reduction of income per year  five times that of non-disabled families.

Black households will face a 5 per cent loss of income, more than double the loss for white households, while women will suffer a 940 annual loss  a figure more than two times higher than the losses for men.

The biggest average losses by age group, across men and women, are experienced by the 65-74 age group, with average losses of around 1,450 per year, and the 35-44 age group, with average losses of around 1,250 per year.

Lone parents will also struggle with a 15 per cent loss of income, compared with losses for all other family groups which stand at between 0 and 8 per cent.

In light of the findings, David Isaac, chair of the commission, said: The Government cant claim to be working for everyone if its policies actually make the most disadvantaged people in society financially worse off

We have encouraged the Government to carry out this work for some time, but sadly they have refused. We have shown that it is possible to carry out cumulative impact assessments and we call on them to do this ahead of the 2018 budget.

If we want a prosperous and, in line with the Prime Ministers vision, a fair Britain that works for everyone, the Government must come clean and provide a full and cumulative impact analysis of all current and future tax and social security policies.

It is not enough to look at the impact of individual policy changes. If this doesnt happen those most in need will face an extremely bleak future.

Disability charities said the report offers concrete evidence that disabled people are the biggest losers from reforms by the Government in recent years.

Beatrice Barleon, policy manager for learning disability charity Mencap, said: The EHRCs report offers concrete evidence supporting the warnings already raised by the disability sector; that due to a succession of cuts and reforms to disability benefits and changes to tax credits, disabled people and their families are the biggest losers from the austerity agenda.

The Government has repeatedly argued that they want to protect the most vulnerable in society, yet this report shows the opposite is in action. With some families with disabled members losing up to 5,500; disabled households are getting pushed into poverty at the same time as available social care support has been slashed year on year.

Kamran Mallick, chief executive of Disability Rights UK, said: This report makes for grim but unsurprising reading  disabled people have been saying for many years that they are increasingly struggling to get by.

The report is clear evidence that the governments reforms have been having a massive negative effect, driving disabled people deeper into poverty when they already dont have enough money to live on. Were acutely struck by the reports conclusion that the reforms will continue to cause particularly adverse impacts on disabled families.

This cant go on. The Government should use next weeks Budget to call a halt to its reforms and review the cumulative impact of tax and benefit changes since 2010. We have to come up with a system which doesnt penalise people for being disabled.

With regards to the fact that lone parents will be disproportionately affected, Young Women's Trust chief executive Dr Carole Easton OBE said: Young women are having the rug pulled from under them as incomes fall and prices rise.

"They are working hard to be financially independent but for too many the reality is insecure work, low pay and debt. Today's report shows that this is only set to get worse without action.

Much more needs to be done to improve young womens prospects. This means giving them the right skills and support to find jobs, ensuring decent and flexible jobs are available for those who need to balance work with care, and extending the National Living Wage to under-25s, so they are paid the same amount for the same work."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters 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

In light of the findings that the elderly population will be worst hit, Caroline Abrahams, director at Age UK, said the charity was "dismayed" that the study suggests people in the 65-74 age group will lose an average of 1,450 a year by 2022 as a result of recent policy changes.

If this happens it would have a serious adverse impact on the living standards of older people on low and modest incomes  and with 1.9 million of them still living in poverty they are far more numerous than is often assumed, she said.

A Government spokesperson said: This analysis fails to take into account our successful jobs market or the steps we are taking to help people of all backgrounds get on in life, including expanding tax-free childcare, boosting apprenticeships and introducing the National Living Wage.

Inequality is at a 30-year low and there are 1.4 million more women in work since 2010. We inherited the highest deficit since the Second World War and have reduced our borrowing ever since, while protecting our public services, cutting income tax for 30 million people and ensuring those with the broadest shoulders contribute the most.
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Theresa May has refused to back down over her pledge to enshrine the Brexit departure date into law despite an anticipated rebellion from Conservative backbenches.

It comes after ministers signalled on Thursday they could abandon the amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill in the face of a considerable backlash from around 20 Tory MPs and the prospect of losing the vote.

The amendment  put forward by the Government last week seeks to Britains exit date from the bloc on the face of the bill as 11pm on 29 March 2019.

But at a Westminster briefing on Friday a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that while the Government was listening to views expressed in Parliament, Ms May believed it is important to provide certainty over the date of the UKs departure.

They added: We are clear, though, on our determination to get the best possible outcome for the UK. Key to doing that is certainty.

What the amendment does is provide certainty over our position that we are leaving the EU on 29 March 2019. We encourage all MPs to support it.

But the comments followed an indication from David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, that a compromise could be reached with Tory rebels over the plan announced last week.

Mr Davis said putting the date in the bill was a good idea, but had added: How its done and what the form of it is, is being debated in the House. Im not going to pre-empt that.

The whole of this bill is going to be debated through the House  the whole of it  and there are parts of it that will change as it goes through.

David Lidington, the Justice Secretary, echoed Mr Daviss comments, adding: We will listen to ideas coming from colleagues across the House.

It also follows the publication of a report from the influential Commons Exiting the European Union Committee, claiming the Government risks sabotaging its own negotiations by going forward with the amendment to the bill.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters 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

Chairing MP Hilary Ben warned that flexibility was needed in the Brexit process  especially given warnings by Brexit Secretary David Davis that negotiations would go down to the wire in an exciting showdown with Brussels.

We need to maintain flexibility as the negotiations proceed, but ministers are now proposing to remove from the Bill the power to set different exit days for different purposes and replace it with a single exit day  11pm on 29 March 2019, Mr Benn, who is a Labour MP said.

This would create significant difficulties if the negotiations were to continue until the 59th minute of the 11th hour, as the Secretary of State suggested to us might happen."
Jazz band at Maximus

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Jazz Orchestra will perform a selection of big band and holiday tunes from 7-9 p.m. Sunday at Maximus Restaurant and Lounge, 329 23rd St.

The performance is free and open to the public.

Eagles hosting craft show

COLUMBUS -- The Eagles Club will hold its annual holiday craft and vendor show from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the club, 3205 12th St.

The event will include 35 tables of crafts and vendors and a lunch counter. Proceeds will support several causes.

For more information, visit www.eaglescraftshow.com.

Cattle group meeting in town

COLUMBUS -- The Platte Valley Cattlemen will meet Monday at Wunderlichs Catering, beginning with a 6 p.m. social hour and 7 p.m. meal.

Dr. Luke Strehle from Nebraska Vet Services will talk about various cow/calf-related topics.

Officer accused of assault

GRAND ISLAND (AP)  A Grand Island police officer has been placed on leave after being accused of assaulting a 26-year-old woman.

A news release from the department says the 31-year-old officer is on paid administrative leave. The release says he's accused of assaulting the woman while he was off duty the night of Oct. 30 in a Grand Island residence.

Capt. Jim Duering tells the Grand Island Independent that the incident "was not a domestic offense."

Police say the case has been sent to the Hall County Attorney's Office for consideration of any criminal charges. Police declined to comment further on the allegation.

The officer has been on the force since 2013. The Associated Press is not naming him because he has not been charged with a crime.

Robbery suspects caught in Omaha

OMAHA (AP)  Customers and employees at a shopping mall on the western edge of Omaha found themselves in the midst of a cops-and-robbers scene when police chased down three men suspected of robbing a bank.

Police say the three were suspected of having robbed First State Bank & Trust in Fremont at gunpoint Wednesday morning. A vehicle suspected of carrying the robbers sped off when a Nebraska State trooper tried to pull it over on U.S. Highway 275. Authorities say it later stopped on West Dodge Road near the mall.

Police say the three men  a 44-year-old Council Bluffs man, his 27-year-old son and a 25-year-old man from Omaha  ran from the vehicle. Police converged on the area and arrested two of the men in a Best Buy store and found the third in a ravine.

No bystanders were injured.

Court date set for Offutt airman

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE (AP)  An Offutt Air Force Base judge advocate general has set a court-martial hearing on April 3 for an airman accused of killing another airman in an Offutt dormitory last year.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that Airman 1st Class Timothy Wilsey faces life without parole if he's found guilty of strangling 20-year-old Airman 1st Class Rhianda Dillard on Aug. 1, 2016.
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The Government risks sabotaging its own Brexit negotiations by enshrining an exit date for leaving the European Union in law, a new report by a cross-party committee of MPs has warned.

The Commons Exiting the European Union Committee said putting the date into law as proposed by Theresa May would create significant difficulties if EU negotiations go down to the wire.

Hilary Benn, the committee chair, warned that flexibility was needed in the Brexit process  especially given warnings by Brexit Secretary David Davis that negotiations would go down to the wire in an exciting showdown with Brussels.

The tussle over the amendment comes after warnings from the European Commission that talks are in deadlock, raising the spectre that trade talks could be postponed until March and the timetable tightened.

Currently the Article 50 process can be postponed on the unanimous agreement of the EU27 countries, but such an amendment would effectively bind the process at the British end.

We need to maintain flexibility as the negotiations proceed, but ministers are now proposing to remove from the Bill the power to set different exit days for different purposes and replace it with a single exit day  11pm on 29 March 2019, Mr Benn, who is a Labour MP said.

This would create significant difficulties if the negotiations were to continue until the 59th minute of the 11th hour, as the Secretary of State suggested to us might happen.

The MPs' report also says the Government needs to provide more clarity on how much EU law will be retained on the UK's statute books after Brexit, and justify the existence of the controversial "clause 9" that gives the Government sweeping powers to edit the statue book without normal parliamentary scrutiny and assent.

Downing Street has said it is listening to concerns but also suggested on Friday afternoon there would be no backing down.

Hilary Benn chairs the Exiting the EU Committee (Getty)

Anti-Brexit campaigners said the committee reported showed the Government should abandon the new amendment.

"The Government should drop this idiotic departure date amendment. It is a stupid political gimmick that the government are hoping we get obsessed about instead of securing a truly meaningful vote at the end of this process. It just won't work," Eloise Todd, chief executive for Best for Britain said. "Theresa May should stop pandering to the extreme Brexiteers in her party. For once, she should put the national interests above her own party interests."

Justice Secretary David Lidington had said on Thursday that the Government would "listen" to concerns and "constructive suggestions" about the plan, after 15 pro-Remain Tory MPs criticised the proposal, with some branding it "mad" and "silly". Downing Street also said it was in listening mode.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

The Prime Minister's spokesperson said: "As the PM has said, we want to listen to Parliament. "We are clear, though, on our determination to get the best possible outcome for the UK. Key to doing that is certainty. What the amendment does is provide certainty over our position that we are leaving the EU on March 29 2019. We would encourage all MPs to support it."

Last week the Government proposed the amendment to set the date and time for departure from the bloc on the face of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill as 11pm on 29 March 2019.
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David Davis has blamed Germany and France for the deadlock in the Brexit talks, suggesting the UK will fail to hit next weeks deadline to agree a bigger divorce bill.

The Brexit Secretary refused to say the UK was prepared to put more money on the table straightaway  instead insisting there could not be a nothing-for-nothing offer.

And he appeared to single out Germany and France for refusing to compromise, arguing other EU countries were eager to move the negotiations on to discussing future trade.

Recommended EU Withdrawal Bill set to be delayed until after Christmas

Many of them do want to move on. They see its very important to them, Mr Davis said, speaking in Berlin.

Countries like Denmark, countries like Holland, countries like Italy and Spain, countries like Poland can see the big, big benefits in the future deal we are talking about.

He added: Germany and France, its an open secret of Europe  they are the most powerful players on the European continent. Of course they are.

What they believe is very influential, sometimes decisively so. But its the whole-of-Europe decision, its a 27-country decision.

Michel Barnier, the EUs Brexit negotiator, said Britain must budge by next Friday, but Mr Davis said: So far in this negotiation we have made quite a lot of compromises.

The comments may provoke a backlash in EU capitals, where heads of state have insisted they are united in a belief the UK must agree withdrawal terms - including the financial settlement - before the talks can progress.

They come before Theresa May meets the Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar - to discuss the future Irish border, another key withdrawal controversy - and EU Council President Donald Tusk, at a summit in Sweden.

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

Arriving in Gothenburg, Mr Varadkar made clear the EU would not shift its position, saying: If we have to wait until the New Year, we have to wait for further concessions, so be it.

Mr Davis, speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme, also hinted that the Prime Minister is set to U-turn on her plan to put the precise Brexit date  11pm on 29 March, 2019  in domestic law.

Up to 20 Tory backbenchers are poised to rebel, fearing the move will make it impossible for Parliament to force a delay, to prevent a no-deal exit, if no agreement can be reached.

Mr Davis praised the proposal, but hinted at a climbdown, saying: How its done, what form it is  Im not going to pre-empt that. We will debate it and we will see how it goes.

He was also asked who gave him more trouble  EU leaders, or Tory backbenchers  replying: Im not going to answer that  I think it varies day by day.

Mr Davis spoke after using a conference in the German capital to urge its leaders not to put politics above prosperity, throwing obstacles in the way of an agreement.

The warning raised eyebrows because EU countries see Brexit as a stark example of the UK doing exactly that.

EU sources suggested Mr Tusk will tell Ms May that, it could not be taken for granted that leaders will agree to move on to the second phase of the talks, at a summit next month.

One said: Mr Tusk will inform Mrs May that such a positive scenario is not a given, it will require more work and that time is short.

And he will ask Mrs May how the UK plans to progress on the three key issues for phase one.

The three issues where sufficient progress must be made are the financial settlement, citizens' rights and the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
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The president of the European Council has suggested David Davis must be joking if he believes it is the EUs turn to give ground in Brexit talks.

Asked whether he agreed with Mr Daviss claim last night that the UK had been the one making all the concessions so far, Donald Tusk told reporters that the Brexit Secretary must be exercising his English sense of humour.

Speaking at a press conference just hours after a bilateral meeting with Theresa May in Gothenburg, Mr Tusk said much more progress was on needed on the issues of the Northern Ireland border and the financial settlement before the two sides could move to talks about trade.

He said the EU would be ready to move to trade talks in December if the UK made the right commitments after launching internal preparations back in October.

But in order to do that we need to see more progress on the UK side. While good progress on citizens rights is being made we need to see much more progress on Ireland and on the financial settlement, he added.

In order to avoid any ambiguities about our calendar I made it very clear to the Prime Minister May that this progress needs to happen at the beginning of December at the latest. If there is no sufficient progress by then I will not be in a position to propose new guidelines at a future relationship at the December European Council.

Asked about Mr Daviss comments on the state of talks, delivered in a speech in Berlin on Thursday night, Mr Tusk said: I can only tell you that I really appreciate Mr Daviss English sense of humour.

In his speech to a German audience Mr Davis warned against putting "politics before prosperity" and said Theresa May had already "explained a bold ambition for the form of our future relationship".

David Davis spoke at the Sueddeutsche Zeitung Economic Summit in Berlin on Thursday night (Getty)

Downing Street says Ms May's meeting with Mr Tusk earlier today had resulted in positive discussions in which both leaders "agreed that there is more work to be done and discussed how to take further steps forward together in advance of the European Council in December".

Next week the Prime Minister is also expected to continue her charm offensive and meet with officials behind closed doors in the European Parliament, though no date has yet been confirmed for the meeting.

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

A week ago Michel Barnier, the EUs chief Brexit negotiator, spelled out a deadline of two weeks for the UK to make concessions or clarifications on its position before trade talks were postponed by another three to four months.

If no sufficient progress  as defined by the EU  can be made on the three separation issues before the December meeting of the European Council, trade talks will not be able to start until at least March.

Because of the time-limited nature of the Article 50 process, this would throw off the Brexit timetable and leave little time to negotiate a full deal.
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The Irish Prime Minister has set Theresa May a one-month deadline to explain how she will avoid a damaging hard border with Northern Ireland, or the EU will block Brexit trade talks.

Leo Varadkar dismissed Ms Mays claim that negotiations on the future land border are almost there as wishful thinking, at a breakfast meeting.

Instead, he told the UK prime minister that she must set out detailed proposals that can form part of the conclusions of the crunch December EU summit.

Without that reassurance, the EU would block any attempt to move the negotiations onto future trade and a transitional period to cushion Brexit  the Holy Grail for the UK.

They want us to take a leap in the dark and we are not prepared to do that, one Irish source told The Independent.

The British want to give the impression that we are all on the same page, that it is just a question of finding a form of words, but that is certainly not the case.

We need an explicit commitment, confidence about the impact on the island of Ireland, before the talks can progress to phase two.

It is understand that Ireland would not exercise its veto, but has no doubt that all 27 EU countries would unite in drawing a red line to frustrate the UK.

The stance, following talks between the two leaders at a summit in Sweden, is a stark reminder that the so-called divorce bill is not the only remaining obstacle to breaking the deadlock in the negotiations.

However, No 10 insisted there had been constructive discussions on Brexit and that both leaders anticipated further progress before the EU council.

On Northern Ireland, the PM was clear that the Belfast agreement must be at the heart of our approach and that Northern Irelands unique circumstances demand specific solutions, a spokesman said.

The PM said it was important to protect progress made in Northern Ireland over recent years. Both leaders agreed to work together to find solutions which ensure there is no return to the borders of the past.

British negotiators had, until recently, hoped that the vexed issue of the Irish border could be parked until trade talks begin, because they are so closely linked.

However, a leaked European Commission earlier this month showed that Dublin has Brussels staunch support in ensuring the controversy remains a priority.

It made clear that, in order to preserve the Good Friday Agreement, the Brexit divorce deal must respect the integrity of the internal market and the customs union, with Ireland remaining a member of both.

That meant the UK, to avoid a hard border with Northern Ireland, must also remain part of the customs union  something London has categorically ruled out, at least long term.

Previously, Brussels has dismissed the UKs proposals to use untested new technology to police a light-touch Irish border as magical thinking.

Dublin is said to be demanding that the UK preserve about 100 EU regulations, many covering customs and agriculture, to ensure an open trade border with Northern Ireland.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters 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. 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But that would mean London either accepting the rules for the whole of Britain or granting special status to Northern Ireland, weakening the integrity of the UK  which ministers have rejected.

Meanwhile, in Dublin, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told his Irish counterpart, that only a progression to trade talks could solve the border issue.

But Simon Coveney said Britain would have to bend if it was to stand by its promise of no return of physical infrastructure.

We simply don't see how we can avoid border infrastructure, whether it's on the border or somewhere else on the island, if we have regulatory divergence in Northern Ireland versus the rest of the island, he said.

When you have a different rule book applied to trade and business, well then, you are starting to go down the road of having to have checks and inspections.
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Whitehall departments will struggle to cope with the daunting challenge of preparing for Brexit, the chair of an influential Commons committee has warned.

Meg Hillier, who heads up the Public Accounts Committee, cast doubt over whether civil servants could deliver more than 300 projects and hundreds of new laws in time for Britains exit from the bloc and warned that non-Brexit-related business could be neglected by swamped officials.

Her warning came as the Governments spending watchdog published a briefing laying bare the scale of the task ahead, with much of the burden falling on medium-sized departments such as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Recommended EU Withdrawal Bill set to be delayed until after Christmas

The National Audit Office (NAO) report said up to 1,000 pieces of secondary legislation need to pass through Parliament before exit day in March 2019 and Brexit officials had warned all departments there was minimal room to consider other statutory instruments.

All departments must plan for no-deal scenarios, the NAO added.

It comes as Theresa May prepared to meet EU Council President Donald Tusk on Friday ahead of a make-or-break deadline on the progress of talks.

Meanwhile the key Brexit legislation could be shelved until after Christmas as the Prime Minister was faced with a growing Tory revolt on plans to enshrine the exit date in law.

Ms Hillier, responding to the briefing, said: This document lays bare the daunting challenge faced by the Civil Service in coordinating Brexit.

I question whether Whitehall has the ability to deliver the 313 projects and hundreds of new laws it says are needed. There is a risk that anything non-Brexit related will be neglected.

This raises the issue of whether DExEU, Treasury and the Cabinet Office are really doing enough to ensure government departments arent overwhelmed, and can continue to deliver the vital public services we are all relying on, alongside a smooth exit from the EU.

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

Brexit Secretary David Davis recently told the Cabinet that more than 3,000 extra civil servants had been taken on to boost work towards leaving the EU, with a further 5,000 expected next year.

A Government spokesperson said: This report shows the good work thats been undertaken across the whole of government to support our withdrawal from the EU.

Close collaboration between departments is vital as we negotiate our exit, and Whitehall is rising to the challenge.

We continue to monitor the situation closely throughout the process to ensure we have the right resource, in the right place, at the right time.
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Britain will be forced to accept a Canada-style post-Brexit trade deal with the EU that is vastly inferior to the current arrangement and which imposes new tariffs on imports and exports of food, a leaked document reveals.

The memo from chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier will come as a blow to Theresa May and her Cabinet who have repeatedly spoken of their desire to construct a bespoke deal between the UK and the remaining 27 EU members once ties are cut.

Ms May said in her Florence speech that replicating the Canada-EU deal would represent such a restriction on our mutual market access that it would benefit neither of our economies.

But the document, said by Politico to have been provided to Mr Barnier for a preparatory discussion on the framework for the future relationship, suggests London will struggle to achieve its aim of tariff-free and frictionless trade with the bloc.

It states that the UKs rejection of the European Court of Justice and issues around regulatory autonomy mean it will not be compatible as a close trade partner.

The document also suggests Londons status as a financial centre could be further at risk, as it rules out direct branching in sectors like financial services, Politico reported.

The document adds that the future deal would see only limited EU commitments to allow cross border provision of services.

Banking giant JP Morgan has called for a free trade agreement with the EU to cover the financial services.

 Brexit trade talks to be pushed back by another four months, says Manfred Weber

Sally Dewar, the firms international head of regulatory affairs, said a novel, unique, new style of free trade agreement that would go beyond whats been previously negotiated in the past was needed.

It comes as the EU warns Ms May that trade talks beginning next month is "not a given".

Brussels is pushing for more information from her on key issues including the divorce bill the UK will pay to the EU.

The Prime Minister will hold talks with European Council president Donald Tusk and Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in the margins of a major European summit in Gothenburg on Friday.

EU sources have suggested that Mr Tusk will tell her that although internal preparations had begun on preparing for the second phase of Brexit talks, covering a transitional deal and the future relationship the UK will have with Brussels, it could not be taken for granted that leaders will agree to move on to formal talks.

Ms May hopes December's European Council summit will see leaders give the green light to talks on a post-Brexit trade deal.

But a Brussels source told Press Association: "Mr Tusk will inform Mrs May that such a positive scenario is not a given, it will require more work and that time is short.

"And he will ask Ms May how the UK plans to progress on the three key issues for phase one."
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The number of council homes in Britain has fallen to a new record low, with fewer properties to rent from local authorities than at any point in almost 50 years, analysis of official data by The Independent has revealed.

Stock of council houses across England, Scotland and Wales has dropped to just two million and has now more than halved in the last 20 years, according to new government statistics. The figures do not include Northern Ireland because it stopped collecting the data in 2014.

More than 170,000 council homes have been lost since 2010 alone. The majority are likely to be properties for social rent, which are offered to local people at around half the cost of private market rents.

Recommended Fewer social homes being built than at any time since Second World War

The loss is the result of a range of factors, but commentators have especially highlighted the Right to Buy policy that sees council house tenants given a state subsidy of up to 100,000 to help them buy their home.

Despite repeated promises from ministers, only one new home is being built to replace every five sold under Right to Buy.

The number of council houses in Britain has now fallen by 69 per cent since the policy was introduced in 1980  down from 6.5 million. It had risen continuously up to that point.

The Local Government Association (LGA) warned earlier this week that enough homes to house the population of Oxford have been sold off under Right to Buy since 2012.  54,581 homes have been sold but just 12,472 built to replace them.

As the number of council homes has fallen, more and more people have been forced to rent from private landlords and pay rents that are, on average, up to 50 per cent more expensive.

The number of private renters has doubled in the last 20 years and now stands at 5.4 million. It has increased by a million  or 23 per cent  since 2010.

The latest figures paint a picture of a failing housing market and comes ahead of next weeks Autumn Budget, in which the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, is expected to announce a raft of new measures designed to tackle the housing crisis.

Ministers have come under mounting pressure to reverse policies that have seen the number of new social homes being built plummet by 97 per cent since 2010. The total number of homes built by councils across Britain totalled just 1,840 last year, although this was the second highest since 2012.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard 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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. 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Many more council homes are forecast to be privatised as a result of measures in the 2016 Housing and Planning Act, which forces councils to sell off their most valuable properties and extends the Right to Buy to housing association properties.

Since 2011, government ministers have also mandated the building of affordable homes, which are around 30 per cent more expensive, instead of social homes.

At the same time, state funding for new social housing has plummeted and grants to help councils build homes have dried up.

Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary, last month promised a complete rethink of our approach to social housing after the Grenfell Tower tragedy that killed 71 people.

Theresa May has vowed to make house-building her personal mission and on Thursday promised that the Government will be going further to ensure that we build more homes, more quickly.

For decades we simply have not been building enough homes, nor have we been building them quickly enough, and we have seen prices rise, she said.

 Jeremy Corbyn points to Grenfell fire as epitome of failed housing policy

Commenting on the latest housing figures, Councillor Martin Tett, the LGAs housing spokesman, said: There is no way to solve our chronic housing shortage without a renaissance in council house building. For that to happen, councils must have new freedoms to invest in new housing that would quickly generate huge returns for public services and local economies. If councils were free to borrow against their housing assets, they could build the homes that our communities desperately need.

The Chancellor has an opportunity to go down in the history books as the Chancellor who allowed an entire generation of affordable homes to be created, by allowing councils the freedom to borrow to build. We encourage him to take this opportunity in the Autumn Budget next Wednesday.

John Healey, Labours Shadow Housing Secretary, said ministers must act to ensure homes sold under Right to Buy are fully replaced.

After seven years of failure on housing, Conservative Ministers have no plan to fix the housing crisis, he said.

The government is forcing councils to sell off homes without any prospect of replacing them. Despite promising one-for-one replacement, the reality is only one council home has been replaced for every five sold off under the right-to-buy.

Labour would build 100,000 genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy a year, and undertake the biggest council housebuilding programme in at least 30 years to build the homes the country needs.

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman insisted that since 2010, more council housing has been built than in the previous 13 years.

He said: Affordable housing remains the Governments priority. Just a few weeks ago we increased the affordable housing budget to over 9bn to deliver a wide range of affordable housing, including social rent homes, by March 2021.

The new funding will support councils and housing associations to build more genuinely affordable homes, in areas of acute affordability pressure, where families are struggling with the costs of rent, and some are at risk of homelessness.
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Robert Mugabe has appeared in public for the first time since the military takeover in Zimbabwe, as he resists attempts to oust him as the country's leader.

The President spoke at a graduation ceremony in Harare amid political turmoil over the likely end of his 37-year rule.

Mr Mugabe was taken into military custody this week in what the Zimbabwean army described as a "bloodless correction".

Recommended Mugabe seeks to cling on to power in Zimbabwe

The 93-year-old has insisted he remains in charge but looks almost certain to be forced from office if he refuses to step down, with his ruling Zanu-PF party stating there "is no going back".

Senior party figures were set to meet on Friday to draft a resolution to dismiss Mr Mugabe and lay the ground for his impeachment if he refuses to stand down.

"If he becomes stubborn, we will arrange for him to be fired on Sunday," a senior party source said. "When that is done, it's impeachment on Tuesday."

Witnesses reported seeing a helicopter hover over the Presidential motorcade as it moving through the capital on Friday, taking Mr Mugabe to a graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University.

 Zimbabwe's 'military takeover' explained

A red carpet had been laid out for Mr Mugabe as he took up his traditional role of greeting students as they collect their graduation caps.

One witness said the audience cheered as he began speaking, wearing a blue and yellow academic gown and mortar board hat as she sat in a large wooden chair at the front of the university hall.

There was no sign of his wife Grace Mugabe, whose whereabouts are unclear.

Mr Mugabe had been in military custody, reportedly with his wife, since the military takeover on Tuesday night.

On Thursday he held talks with army chiefs and envoys from South Africa about his future.

His appearance that graduation ceremony came as the military announced "significant progress" on talks for his departure and the arrest of some of his allies.

South African President Jacob Zuma, speaking in his country's parliament, said the political situation "very shortly will be becoming clear."

Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Show all 9 1 /9 Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe, center, arrives to preside over a student graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe arrives at student graduation ceremony AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe prepares to speak at a student graduation Ap Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Members of the Presidential Guard EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe arrives at his first public appearance at a graduation ceremony in Harare AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe confers awards for the students with the leading theses AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Robert Mugabe makes his first public appearance EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Soldiers stand guard as President Robert Mugabe attends a university graduation ceremony REUTERS Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe AP

Seizing on the political limbo to speak out, Zimbabwean civil society groups and opposition leaders urged Mr Mugabe - the country's only leader since independence - to step aside after 37 years in power and for the country to transition into free and fair elections.

There was no sign of former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking last week angered supporters and led to the military takeover.

Mr Mugabe rejected a proposal under which he would step down allowing Mr Mnangagwa, nicknamed "The Crocodile" and a bitter opponent of Grace Mugabe, to take over temporarily until elections due to be held next year.

The President, described as angry and embittered, insisted he remains the legitimate head of state and has asked for guarantees if he were to leave sometime in the future. He is said to have demanded that there would be immunity from prosecution for his 52-year-old wife and other members of his family.

Grace Mugabe belongs in prison: her only contribution to Zimbabwe has been to be the centre of scandals," declared Joshua Nhamburu, as his companions, fellow veterans of the war which freed the country from white rule, shook their heads in agreement. "She must face a court for what she has done. We have waited very long for justice and the time for that has come now."

Robert Mugabe met with army commander General Constantino Chiwenga, right (ZBC)

Anger towards Gucci Grace and DisGrace, as she has been called by her many critics for her profligate spending on luxuries as the country turned into an economic basket case, is just one ingredient of the passions simmering in Zimbabwe as the reign of Africas longest serving head of state comes to an end.

The Presidents opponents, the politicians and the military who have now taken over, have taken pleasure in declaring that it took just 36 hours to end 37 years of Robert Mugabes grip on power.

Mr Mugabe, his wife and some of their most senior supporters were placed under house arrest at the palatial presidential residence, Blue Roof, with others were incarcerated in army barracks.

Whether General Constantino Chiwenga, the head of the military and his high command, who have taken over the country, would agree to the Presidents demand to spare his wife from prosecution remains unclear. There are growing calls for charges to be made against Ms Mugabe and her cohort for alleged embezzlement and abuse - charges Ms Mugabe has denied.

Ms Mugabe's rapid political rise alarmed many who feared she could succeed her husband after he fired his long-time deputy, Mr Mnangagwa.

Among those detained was Kudzai Chipenga, Youth Wing chief, who had vowed that his cadres would mobilise to "fight and die" if necessary to defend the President and his wife against a coup. He was held at the same military base as finance minister Ignatius Chombo, another Grace Mugabe favourite, who has faced accusations of corruption.

Not all attempts at arrests were peaceful. The home of Mr Chombo in the affluent suburb of Borrowdale was pitted in bullet holes, with the front door blown in. One of his bodyguards was killed in a firefight, according to neighbours. Mr Moyos home also showed signs of damage caused by explosives as did that of Saviour Kasukuwere, a former Zanu PF youth leader nicknamed Tyson. Mr Moyo and Mr Kasukuwere evaded capture, fleeing to seek refuge with the Mugabes in Blue Roof.

Army troops and armoured vehicles continued to patrol the capital, Harare, on Friday as Zimbabweans went about their daily business. Residents said they had feared at first when the military moved in but praised the current calm.

Headlines in some local newspapers declared the Mugabe reign over. "Dawn of a new era," boomed one. "Mugabe remembered for brutal 37-year rule," said another.

 Zimbabwe military issues statement on state of President Mugabe

Across the country, Zimbabweans long frustrated by crackdowns on dissent and a collapsing economy were enjoying freedoms they had not in years. For once, they did not have to contend with bribe-seeking police officers who mounted roadblocks every few miles.

Soldiers manning the few checkpoints leading into downtown Harare greeted motorists with a smile, searching cars without hostilities and wishing motorists a safe journey. Street vendors who endured police raids after Mr Mugabe ordered their removal were working without hassles. Trade unions urged workers to go about their business.

But the ongoing political crisis has led to deep concern in neighbouring states and the African Union. South Africas defence and state security ministers, Nosiviwe MaphisaNqakula and Bongani Bongo were dispatched to mediate between the imprisoned President and the armed forces. The Catholic Church delegated a priest, Father Fidelis Mukonori, who is close to Mr Mugabe, to act as an intermediary.

Alpha Conde, the Guinea President, the current head of the African Union, said that what has happened in Zimbabwe appears to be a military coup, something the army adamantly opposed. He and Angolan leader, Joao Lourenco are being kept appraised of plans to end the confrontation. Britain, the former colonial power of what was Rhodesia, and a strong critic of Mr Mugabe, has called for calm.

Cabinet ministers from four countries in the 15-nation Southern African Development Community have called for an emergency summit to discuss the political turmoil in Zimbabwe, and is also expected to talk about potential terms of Mr Mugabe's exit.
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Regional branches of the ruling party have begun to pass motions of no-confidence in Robert Mugabe and the military insists that progress is being made in forcing him from office. But Africas longest-serving head of state is continuing as if he is still in power, attending a university graduation ceremony just as he had done in years past.

Confusion surrounds Zimbabwes slow-motion coup with Mr Mugabe, supposedly deposed and under house arrest, driving through Harare in a motorcade with a security escort. But there is growing anger too, with veterans of the countrys war against white rule demanding that the President depart immediately and that those considered to be his corrupt cohort  led by his wife, Grace Mugabe  face prosecution.

In what is seen as the first official step in forcing Mr Mugabe out, Zanu-PF branches in Harare, Midlands, Masvingo and Mashonaland East have passed votes of no-confidence in him with 10 more provinces said to be following soon. Parliament, which is supposed to sit next Tuesday, could begin a formal process of impeachment of the President with the support of opposition parties at that time.

Recommended Military calculates next move after Mugabe loses iron grip on Zimbabwe

The crisis, meanwhile, is becoming increasingly internalised, with ministers and officials from other African states arriving in the Zimbabwean capital to help negotiations between the President, the military that has taken over, and opposition politicians.

But instead of holding talks, 93-year-old Mr Mugabe spent half the day at the Open University campus around 15 kilometres outside the centre of Harare, in a blue-and-gold gown and mortarboard, taking his place on a red carpet while surprised-looking students clapped and a band played. One of the students on whom the President conferred a degree, after singing the national anthem, was Marry Chiwenga, the wife of General Constantino Chiwenga, who detained Mr Mugabe on Tuesday as tanks began rolling through the streets.

However, while there had been impromptu music and women dancing on the streets on Mr Mugabes previous visit to the university, The Independent found just a handful of people gathered this morning. There was no rush to express support and many, like Shabani Matema, said they had come out of curiosity. We dont really understand, the 34-year-old carpenter said. We thought that he was under arrest, so why is he here? Even if he had to come, shouldnt there be security guarding him? The security presence was notable for its lightness, with a small number of police and troops, some sitting with their backs against a wall. The presidential convoy left a little later, in the rain, with no cheers from what was left of the crowd by then, and no presidential waves from Mr Mugabe.

The military presence was also light on the streets of Borrowdale, the affluent suburb where Robert and Grace Mugabe were held under house arrest at their lavish mansion, Blue Roof, when the army takeover started. Two ministers, Jonathan Mayo and Saviour Kasukuwere, had sought refuge there after fleeing their homes, the front doors of which were blown in by troops. They were later said to have been handed over to the military, and taken away to be detained in barracks. As education secretary, Mr Mayo was supposed to accompany Mr Mugabe to the degree ceremony.

The military, and in particular its chief General Chiwenga, were making efforts to appear respectful towards Mr Mugabe. The main reason for this is to avoid censure by the African Union, which has strict policies against military coups, a reaction to the perennial army takeovers that plagued newly independent states of the continent in the past. Egypts membership was suspended for a time after General Abdel-Fattah el-Sisis putsch against the Muslim Brotherhood government of Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

The military are also keen not to alienate Western powers. The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stressed today that there must be a return to civilian rule. Speaking at a meeting of African foreign ministers, he said that whoever replaces Mr Mugabe must respect democracy and human rights.

The plan remains, according to officials, for Mr Mugabe to step down and Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice president he sacked earlier this month at the behest, supposedly, of Grace Mugabe, to head an interim administration with opposition politicians like Morgan Tsvangirai, who returned to Zimbabwe on Thursday and has demanded that Mr Mugabe step down immediately.

That call has been repeated by Christopher Mutsvangwa, the secretary-general of the powerful Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association. He announced that a massive rally would be held on Saturday to ensure Mr Mugabes removal. We want to restore our pride and tomorrow is the day, we can finish the job the army started, Mr Mutsvangwa declared. There is no going back for Mugabe. He must leave; if he doesnt leave, we will settle scores tomorrow.

Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Show all 9 1 /9 Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe, center, arrives to preside over a student graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe arrives at student graduation ceremony AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe prepares to speak at a student graduation Ap Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Members of the Presidential Guard EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe arrives at his first public appearance at a graduation ceremony in Harare AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe confers awards for the students with the leading theses AP Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Robert Mugabe makes his first public appearance EPA Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover Soldiers stand guard as President Robert Mugabe attends a university graduation ceremony REUTERS Mugabe's first public appearance since Zimbabwe military takeover President Robert Mugabe AP

Mr Mutsvangwa claimed that Mr Mugabe had pleaded for just a few more days to stay in power. But one official familiar with the talks said: Mugabe continues to insist that he is the President and is entitled to serve his full term. He is also aware that other countries would not want a military coup and he knows that Emmerson Mnangagwa is not all that popular.

Mr Mutsvangwa, an ally of Mr Mnangagwa, maintained that the former vice president would be welcomed by the populace. Mr Mugabe, on the other hand, he dismissed as a senile old man who has lost control of his wife. An immunity of prosecution for Grace Mugabe is another one of the Presidents demands.

But 75-year-old Mr Mnangagwa, nicknamed The Crocodile, has his share of critics. His career has been linked to Zanu-PF hierarchy and the accusation of graft which surrounds it. Rony Mlotshwa, a 23-year-old student, said: The people being put forward now are all from the same background, all made a lot of money from this country. These are all old tired names. But the name we should be focusing on is Mugabe, we need to start by getting rid of him and then we look at the future.
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Grace Mugabe belongs in prison: her only contribution to Zimbabwe has been to be the centre of scandals. She must face a court for what she has done. We have waited very long for justice and the time for that has come now," declared Joshua Nhamburu as his companions, fellow veterans of the war which freed the country from white rule, shook their heads in agreement.

The anger towards Gucci Grace and DisGrace, as she has been called by her many critics for, among other things, her profligate spending on luxuries as the country turned into an economic basket case, was an example of the passions simmering in Zimbabwe as Robert Mugabes reign as Africas longest serving head of state comes to an end.

The Presidents opponents, the politicians and the military who have now taken over, have taken pleasure in declaring that it has taken just 36 hours to end 37 years of Robert Mugabes grip on power. Mr Mugabe, his wife and some of their most senior supporters are under house arrest at the palatial presidential residence, Blue Roof, others are incarcerated in army barracks.

Recommended Military calculates next move after Mugabe loses iron grip on Zimbabwe

But in a fast paced day of tension and drama Mr Mugabe was making a last ditch attempt to cling on to power. He rejected a proposal under which he would step down allowing Emmerson Mnangagwa, nicknamed "The Crocodile" and a bitter opponent of Grace Mugabe, who was sacked earlier this month as vice-president, to take over temporarily until elections due to be held next year.

But the President, described as angry and embittered, insisted he remains the legitimate head of state. And, if he were to leave sometime in the future, there must be guarantees: he is said to have demanded that there would be immunity from prosecution for his 52 year old wife and other members of his family if he was to leave in the future.

The Zimbabwean President held talks with coup leader General Constantino Chiwenga (far right) yesterday (ZBC)

Whether General Constantino Chiwenga, the head of the military and his high command, who have taken over the country, would agree to the Presidents conditions over prosecution remains unclear. There are growing calls for charges to be made against Ms Mugabe and her cohort for alleged embezzlement and abuse - charges Ms Mugabe has denied.

The military issued photographs of Mr Mugabe in talks with General Chiwenga. This afternoon Mr Mugabe was moved, according to unconfirmed reports, to his official residence, State House. It was unclear whether Ms Mugabe and others were with him or whether he was later returned to Blue Roof.

Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices Show all 9 1 /9 Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices An armoured personnel carrier stations by an intersection as Zimbabwean soldiers regulate traffic in Harare AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices An armed soldier patrols the street as members of the public cross the road AP Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices Soldiers stand on the streets in Harare REUTERS Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices A military tank with armed soldiers on the road leading to President Robert Mugabe's office in Harare AP Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices Armed soldiers search a vehicle AP Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices A military tank blocks the road leading to President Robert Mugabes office in Harare AP Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices Zimbabwean soldiers regulate civilian traffic in Harare AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices An army tank blocks the main road REUTERS Zimbabwe Crisis: Army block main road to government offices Military vehicles and soldiers patrol the streets in Harare REUTERS

Among those detained are Kudzai Chipenga, Youth Wing chief, who had vowed that his cadres would mobilise to "fight and die" if necessary to defend the President and his wife against a coup. He is being held at the same military base as finance minister Ignatius Chombo, another Grace Mugabe favourite, who has faced accusations of corruption.

Not all attempts at arrests have been peaceful. The home of Mr Chombo in the affluent suburb of Borrowdale, empty this afternoon, was pitted in bullet holes, with the front door blown in. One of his bodyguards was killed in a firefight, according to neighbours. Mr Moyos home also showed signs of damage caused by explosives as did that of Saviour Kasukuwere, a former Zanu PF youth leader nicknamed Tyson. Mr Moyo and Mr Kasukuwere evaded capture, fleeing to seek refuge with the Mugabes in Blue Roof.

 Zimbabwe military issues statement on state of President Mugabe

The ongoing crisis has led to deep concern in neighbouring states and the African Union. South Africas defence and state security ministers, Nosiviwe MaphisaNqakula and Bongani Bongo were dispatched to mediate between the imprisoned President and the armed forces. The Catholic Church delegated a priest, Father Fidelis Mukonori, who is close to Mr Mugabe, to act as an intermediary.

Jacob Zuma had spoken on the telephone to Mr Mugabe who, said the South African President, told him that he was confined, but otherwise fine. Mr Zuma told his country's parliament that the political situation very shortly will be becoming clear. Alpha Conde, the president of Guinea and the current head of the African Union, said that what has happened in Zimbabwe appears to be a military coup, something the organisation adamantly opposed. He and Angolan leader Joao Lourenco are being kept apprised of plans to end the confrontation. Britain, the former colonial power of what was Rhodesia, and a strong critic of Mr Mugabe, has called for calm.

Cabinet ministers from four countries in the 15-nation Southern African Development Community have called for an emergency summit to discuss the political turmoil in Zimbabwe, and is also expected to talk about potential terms of Mr Mugabe's exit.

The momentum is swinging against Mr Mugabe by the hour. Opponents who had fled into exile are returning to stake their claim on the new political landscape.

Morgan Tsvangirai, who had a power sharing agreement with Mr Mugabe in the past, flew back to Harare demanding the Presidents departure. In the interest of the people, Mr Robert Mugabe must resign, immediately, he insisted. This, he continued, should be followed by the setting up of a transitional administration of different parties. Joice Mujuru, fired as vice-president in 2014, called for elections as soon as possible. Meanwhile Youth leader Mr Chipanga read out a statement on state television, surrounded by soldiers, apologising for insulting the army.

Representatives of both Mr Tsvangirai and Ms Mujuru are believed to be holding talks with the head of the military, General Chiwenga, and the high command. The troops on tanks and roadblocks in Harare seemed, for the time being at least, to avoid confrontation; polite and friendly while carrying out searches. Asked how long they expected to be on the streets a sergeant in a mechanised armour unit said: Have patience, things are being decided, there will be a solution soon.

But the long suffering public may not accept deals which will replace one set of establishment politicians being replaced by another. Pastor Evan Mawarire, whose #ThisFlag social media campaign inspired huge protests last year asked: Should we just sit and wait or shall we at least be part of this transition process? I think we should be.

Joshua Nhamburu and his fellow veterans were also demanding action. At a meeting of Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, Secretary General Victor Matemadanda said full support should be given to the military who needed to rectify purges carried out by the cabal that Mr Mugabe had allowed to grow around him. It was, he concluded to applause, definitely a time for change.
COLUMBUS  Dakota Miller sat at a table in the Columbus High School auxiliary gym and took a deep breath as she found a muffin to eat.

The senior had just donated blood for the first time at a student council-led drive Thursday afternoon.

The organization worked in conjunction with the American Red Cross to hold the event.

It all happened really fast, Miller said, surprised. I really dont like needles, but it wasnt that bad. Just a little pinch. The whole thing took about two minutes.

According to the American Red Cross, nearly 20 percent of all blood donations come from high school and college drives.

The hope of the Red Cross is that youths begin donating once they're eligible and continue to do so throughout life, said Red Cross account manager Kyle Jensen.

In the past month I have been to around five high schools all over the area, Jensen said. So far, we have been able to collect just about 400 units, which is great. Its a lot of fun to have students come and not only donate their blood, but also their time to help.

Jensen said the amount of blood typically donated depends on the time of year. More donations are collected in the winter months.

Student council members Paige Jeffryes and Liz Blaser helped organize Thursday's blood drive.

Ive been doing this for about two years, Jeffryes said. This year Liz and I worked with other council members to get everything ready, like make a set schedule for all donors to come in and make sure all the snacks were available for them after they donate.

Jeffryes said a friendly competition is being conducted among area high schools to see who can donate the most blood.

Whoever wins gets a trophy, she said. We know how important it is to do what we can to save lives. Thats why were here, because there is always a need.
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The US began issuing permits to import the remains of lions hunted in Zambia and Zimbabwe about a month ago, according to a new report.

It became harder for American big game hunters to bring lion trophies back home in 2016, after the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe by a dentist from Minnesota sparked global outrage.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) designated lions from Central and West Africa as endangered, which stopped hunters from shipping lion parts  whether a head, a paw or a lion skin  back to the US.

Recommended Trump lifts ban on importing hunted African elephant trophies

But the FWS began issuing permits to import lion trophies again on 20 October this year, ABC News reported. The agency said it takes at least 45 days to get a permit approved and it is unclear whether this has yet happened with any individual applications.

The FWS said it made the move after deciding regulated hunting could help fund conservation efforts. Critics say trophy hunting fuels demand for wild animal products.

The number of lions in the wild is steadily decreasing due to loss of habitat, dropping 42 per cent in 20 years, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.

The news about lion trophy imports come after Donald Trump's administration said on Wednesday it was going to lift the Obama-era ban on imports of elephant remains from the same two African countries.

The announcement was condemned as a "backwards step" by conservation charities, which warned elephant numbers were sharply declining due to poaching and a reduction in their territory.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The reforms follow other moves that appeared to promote the hunting industry, with US interior secretary Ryan Zinke last week establishing an International Wildlife Conservation Council.

The African Wildlife Foundation said the mandate and proposed membership of the new board showed it was "focused on promoting the hunting industry, not conservation".

Although Mr Trump himself is not a keen hunter, his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr are. Photographs emerged in 2012 of the brothers posing with a dead elephant, buffalo and other animals while on safari.
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Donald Trump has joined criticism of the Democrat Senator Al Franken after he was accused of sexually assaulting a journalist.

Leeann Tweeden, a morning news anchor for Los Angeles radio station 790 KABC, has claimed that Mr Franken forcibly kissed her and groped her breasts during a 2006 tour of the Middle East to entertain US troops.

Ms Tweeden released an accompanying photo in an article on her experience that appeared to show the former comedian groping her while she sat asleep on a cargo plane.

The US President took to Twitter to condemn Mr Franken.

The Al Frankenstien (sic) picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? he said.

Mr Trump then referenced a joke allegedly made by Mr Franken in 1995 in which he suggested a Saturday Night Live sketch where he would give CBS News reporter Lesley Stahl pills and take her to the closet and rape her.

He said: And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?

 Donald Trump apologises for 'grab them by the p****' remarks, says Bill Clinton has done 'far worse'

Mr Trump's comments about a tape have, however, drawn attention to the fact that the US President was himself accused of sexual assault by 16 women, and was captured on tape in 2005 boasting to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush about sexual assault.

In comments that rocked the US presidential race after they became public in September 2016, Mr Trump said of women that he could grab them by the p***y as he was a star.

The 70-year-old has long threatened to sue the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct, and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters the administrations official position is that all 16 women are lying.

Mr Trump has also declined to speak out against Republican Senate nominee for Alabama Roy Moore, who has been accused of sexual assault against a teenager.

Mr Franken has apologised for his conduct and asked for an ethics investigation into his own actions.

In an initial statement, the 66-year-old said: I certainly dont remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann.

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

Mr Franken later expanded on his statement, extending his apology to "everyone else who was a part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women".

"I respect women," he continued. "I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed."
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American TV host Ellen DeGeneres has announced a campaign to raise money for elephant conservation after Donald Trump loosened restrictions on importing elephant trophies from two African nations.

This means US citizens will be able to bring home parts of animals shot on hunts in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Ms DeGeneres told an audience the move "got to" her.

I love elephants. And if you take the time to learn about elephants, you would love them too, Ms DeGeneres said.

Recommended Trump lifts ban on importing hunted African elephant trophies

Elephants show compassion, sympathy, social intelligence, self-awareness. Theyre excellent at learning abilities  all the things I have yet to see in this president, she added.

The presenter and comedian posted an illustration of an elephant's head on her Twitter and Instagram pages, saying for every like and retweet she received she would make a donation to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

The foundation, which was set up in 1977, works to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned elephants in Nairobi National Park, Kenya. It described Mr Trump's decision to end the ban as a "backwards step for ethical conservation" of the animals.

The administration said on Wednesday it was going to lift the Obama-era ban on imports of animal body parts from Zimbabwe and Zambia.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The US Fish and Wildlife Service said: Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation.

Conservationists have warned elephant numbers are sharply declining due to poaching and to people encroaching on their territory. Critics say trophy hunting fuels demand for wild animal products.
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The Keystone Pipeline has been temporarily shut down after it leaked more than 200,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota.

Crews shut down the controversial oil pipeline on Thursday morning. Officials are looking into the cause of the leak, which is the largest Keystone leak in South Dakota to date, according to a spokesman for the state's Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

TransCanda, the company that operates the pipeline, said it had leaked 5,000 barrels  or about 210,000 gallons  before it was shut down.

Recommended Trump gives presidential approval to Keystone XL oil pipeline

In a statement, the company said the leak was "completely isolated within 15 minutes and emergency response procedures were activated".

Protesters have resisted the extension of the pipeline, which is slated to stretch from Canada to Texas, for fear of just such a leak. The extension would link Canadas Alberta oil sands to refineries in the US. Residents of states in the pipeline's path worried it could contaminate local water supplies and have other, longer-term environmental impacts.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The Nebraska Public Service Commission is set to announce next week whether they will allow the extension  known as the Keystone XL  to be routed through the state. The decision is seen as the last big, regulatory hurdle through which the extension must pass before it is constructed.

Opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline mobilised earlier this week to draw attention to the coming decision.

We want to make sure our fellow Nebraskans know the decision is coming ... and how critical this decision is for property rights and clean water, Jane Kleeb, the director of Volunteers for Bold Alliance, told Reuters.

 Trump signs executive orders to push through Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines

Former President Barack Obama blocked the Keystone XL pipeline's construction in 2015, citing its possible environmental impacts. A 2014 State Department review found that the pipeline would not significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions, but environmentalists remained staunchly opposed to its construction  in a large part because of its potential for leaks.

"America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change, and frankly, approving this project would have undercut that leadership," Mr Obama said at the time.

But President Donald Trump greenlighted the project in March of this year, fulfilling one of his key campaign promises.

"It's a great day for jobs and energy independence," Mr Trump said from the Oval Office, shortly after issuing the permit. The State Department has estimated the project will create 42,100 jobs, the vast majority of which would be temporary.
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An Ohio lawmaker who routinely touted his Christian faith and anti-LGBT views has resigned after being caught having sex with a man in his office.

Wes Goodman, who is the Republican state legislator for Ohio, is married to a woman who is assistant director of an annual anti-abortion rally known as March for Life.

The right-wing legislator, who pushed family values, was reportedly witnessed having sex with a man inside his office who was not employed by the legislator.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the observer told Ohio House Chief of Staff Mike Dittoe what had happened on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Dittoe responded by telling House Speaker Republican Cliff Rosenberger who in turn met with Mr Goodman.

The 33-year-old, who has been branded the conscience of the conservative movement, resigned for inappropriate conduct shortly after the meeting took place.

Mr Goodman, whose Twitter biography describes him as Christian. American. Conservative. Republican. Husband to @Beth1027, has regularly claimed "natural marriage" occurs between a man and a woman.

"Healthy, vibrant, thriving, values-driven families are the source of Ohio's proud history and the key to Ohio's future greatness, reads his campaign website which has now been taken offline.

LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russias antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT propaganda allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this crime since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty

The ideals of a loving father and mother, a committed natural marriage, and a caring community are well worth pursuing and protecting."

Mr Goodman was elected to represent the 87th District, in north-central Ohio, just last year. Prior to that, he worked as an aide to US Representative Jim Jordan, a highly conservative, anti-LGBT Republican.

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT advocacy group in the US, named Mr Jordan in their Hall of Shame in 2014 for attempting to block marriage equality in the District of Columbia.

Mr Goodman, whose Twitter is now private and whose Facebook page has been taken offline, expressed his commitment to so-called family values in a statement back in 2013. Faith, family, service, stewardship, strong education, and investment in our local communities are what Ohioans value. My wife Bethany and I value those same things and are ready to get to work to serve you," he said.

The lawmaker acknowledged he was stepping down in a statement. We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life," he said.

"That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service," he continued. "For those whom I have let down, Im sorry. As I move onto the next chapter of my life, I sincerely ask for privacy for myself, my family, and my friends.

I was alerted to details yesterday afternoon regarding his involvement in inappropriate behaviour related to his state office, Mr Rosenberger said in a statement. I met with him later in the day where he acknowledged and confirmed the allegations. It became clear that his resignation was the most appropriate course of action for him, his family, the constituents of the 87th House District and this institution.
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A man accidentally shot himself and his wife while discussing church shootings at a church in Tennessee, police have said.

Tellico Plains police say a man in his 80s accidentally discharged his gun during a Thanksgiving luncheon at the First United Methodist Church. As they cleaned up from the luncheon, the group began discussing church shootings, such as the recent shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

Thats when the man removed his handgun and began showing it to some of the men at the church.

"I carry my handgun everywhere," he said, according to police.

Before showing it to the men, he removed the magazine and cleaned the chamber. He then put the magazine back in and apparently loaded another round.

Later, however, someone who had missed the demonstration asked to see the gun. The man obliged, pulling out his gun and saying: With this loaded indicator, I can tell that its not loaded.

He then accidentally pulled the trigger, sending a bullet flying through his palm and into the left side of his wifes abdomen.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The couple was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Centre for treatment. They were listed as being in good condition, with non-life threatening injuries, as of Friday morning, Tellico Plains Police Chief Russ Parks told The Independent.

The church members present for the shooting reacted with shock, Mr Parks said. One woman, who was in the kitchen and did not see the incident, called the police thinking an active shooter had passed by the church. A school in the area was temporarily placed on lock down after the incident, the police department said on Facebook.

Just want to let everyone know that there was a shooting in town today, the police department wrote. But it was not an active shooter situation. It was an accidentally discharged handgun.

 Texas Attorney General urges more people to bring guns to church hours after horrific mass shooting

The shooting comes less than two weeks after the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, where 26 people were killed when a lone gunman opened fire on the First Baptist Church. The gunman, 26-year-old Devin Kelley, shot most of the people in the church before being shot himself by a local man who heard what was happening.

In the aftermath of the shooting, some churches in the area told The Independent they were considering putting armed guards outside their churches. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also encouraged residents to take advantage of their states open carry laws.

There's always the opportunity that gunman will be taken out before he has the opportunity to kill very many people, he told Fox News.
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Scores of firefighters have rushed to tackle a huge blaze that has erupted in Manhattan and injured at least members of the emergency response team.

Reports suggested that as many as 170 firefighters were tackling the fire at a four-storey building in the Hamilton Heights neighbourhood in New York's East Harlem.

The fire broke out at 3.15pm and smoke plumes could be seen from locations across the city, reports said.

One woman tweeted a video showing the smoke rising into the sky from her office window on 137th Street.

Syndee Winters, an actress who lists Hamilton: The Musical under her credits, posted videos from the scene of the fire showing the entire roof engulfed in flames as firefighters continued to battle the blaze, according to the website AMNew York.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The city's fire department said that two of its members had suffered non-life threatening injuries. "There are currently 2 non-life-threatening injuries to firefighters reported at 5-alarm fire, 565 W 144 St Manhattan," the department said on Twitter.

There were no reports of any injuries to members of the public. and it was unclear whether the building was occupied at the time the flames took hold.

Officials warned people to stay away from the area. There was no immediate word on the cause of the blaze.

The building is both residential and retail. The fire is on the top floor of the building.
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The US Navy has taken credit for getting creative in the skies above rural Washington, where residents have complained that the imagery above their heads is obscene.

Officials at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island confirmed that one of their jets was involved in skywriting that some residents on the ground say resembled a penis.

The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable, a statement from the naval station provided to local media, read.

Recommended Firefighters rescue man who got penis caught in gym weight

After the penises were sighted in the heavens above the state, residents began writing to local media to complain that they were concerned they may have to explain human anatomy to their children.

But, the Federal Aviation Commission says that theres not much it can do about any would-be skywriters with similar ideas in their heads. Unless the act poses a safety risk, theres nothing they can do, they said. We cannot police morality, an official at that agency said.

The Naval air station is located on the Puget Sound, and supports fixed and rotary aircraft.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

It wasnt immediately clear how the station would hold the crew accountable, or if there would be some form of punishment for the individuals involved.
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A school has reportedly cancelled a planned speech about Islam after a teacher organising the talk received threats.

A teacher at Northeastern Middle School in Bristol, Connecticut, had invited a local Muslim woman to speak about her faith and sent a note to parents informing them of the event.

The letter, which was posted online, introduced the speaker as a New York City native who resided in Connecticut and had founded an organisation devoted to empowerment of Muslim women.

This presentation will enrich our curriculum on world history, the letter said.

But the speech was cancelled after the teacher received threats, NBC Connecticut reported.

There were some security concerns due to threats being made at the school toward the teacher who was organizing the event, Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sass told the outlet.

In a statement to NBC, Bristol Public Schools superintendent Susan Kalt Moreau said despite the cancellation there was an outpouring of support for bringing a speaker in to support our curriculum which includes religions of the world.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Ms Moreau added that she hoped to bring together a panel discussion featuring representatives of different faiths.

The chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Connecticut branch said in a statement that he had a positive discussion with Ms Moreau but chastised Bristol Public Schools having seemingly bow[ed] to public pressure in this manner.

Cancelling speakers outright emboldens individuals and organisations in Bristol who are Islamophobic and Anti-Semitic, Farhan Menon said. It does a disservice to Bristol's students and to the community as a whole who need to learn about America's pluralism and diversity.
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Fox News viewers are calling for a TV anchor to be fired because he debunked an erroneous conspiracy theory about Hillary Clinton.

Shepard Smith, who has been at Fox for more than two decades, discredited the theory which his own network has branded the Clinton uranium scandal in a five-minute segment.

Fox News, as well as President Donald Trump and his allies, have suggested for months that donations to the Clinton Foundation were tied to the approval of a deal by the State Department and the Obama administration which allowed a Russian company to purchase a Canada-based mining group with operations in the US.

President Trump claimed it was Watergate, modern-age and former White House advisor Sebastian Gorka said it was equivalent to the Julis and Ethel Rosenberg spying case in the 1950s which saw the couple convicted of committing espionage for the Soviet Union.

Proponents of the wholly false theory, which has been exposed as incorrect by various fact-checkers, claim that nine people involved in the deal made donations to the Clinton Foundation which add up to more than $140 million. They say Ms Clinton in exchange approved the sale to the Russians  a a quid pro quo.

Smith, who has a history of angering Fox's viewers, debunked the conspiracy theories which surround a uranium deal involving the former Democrat presidential candidate. The reporter noted the Clinton State Department did not possess the power to either veto or approve such a transaction.

Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Show all 14 1 /14 Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Riot police block protesters during a rally near the US embassy AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters shout slogans while displaying portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte AP Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Activists clash with riot police EPA Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters burn a banner of Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters against Donald Trump's visit AP Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters deface portraits of Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte AP Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters clash with anti-riot police officers as they try to march towards the U.S. embassy REUTERS Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines A mural bearing the image of Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte is burnt REUTERS Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Activists march on a road leading to the US embassy during a protest in Manila EPA Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters scuffle with riot police AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters shout anti-US slogans as they burn a banner featuring the image of US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Activists clash with riot police EPA Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters display placards as they shout anti-US slogans AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Anti-riot police officers block protesters REUTERS

The accusation is predicated on the charge that Secretary Clinton approved the sale. She did not, he said. A committee of nine evaluated the sale, the president approved the sale, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and others had to offer permits, and none of the uranium was exported for use by the US to Russia.

Smith also drew attention to the fact the Clinton Foundation donations in question came from Frank Giustra - the founder of the uranium company in Canada.

But Mr Giustra says he sold his stake in the company back in 2007 three years before the uranium Russia deal and a year and a half before Ms Clinton became secretary of state.

Critics argued Smith, who has been accused of being anti-Trump by his Fox News colleague Sean Hannity, should be sacked for his appearance and relocate to CNN or MSNBC.

Did anyone watch Shep Smith just explain how Hillary Clinton had nothing to do with Uranium deal? What a joke Fox News!!! Send him to CNN, one angry viewer tweeted.

Another said: Get Shepard Smith off of Fox. He's arrogant and doing his own spin. Nobody knows how deep the left's conspiracy goes and Shepherd Smith has zero inside info because nobody trusts him. Out!

No this is Shepherd Smith that is a lover of CNN especially Don Lemon and hates Trump. Also hes wrong, said another.

The conspiracy theory was first floated by Peter Schweizer, the senior editor-at-large of far right publication Breitbart, in his 2015 book Clinton Cash. President Trump repeated the accusations throughout his election campaign.

These accusations, coupled with the problem of Ms Clinton using a private email server while she was secretary of state which was prohibited, sparked Republican crowds to chant Lock her up on the campaign trail.

Fox News, who President Trump has granted 19 interviews to since entering the White House, has long been criticised for its overly favourable coverage of the US president and for vilifying Ms Clinton.

The furore comes after several Fox News employees recently complained the channel was beginning to feel "like an extension of the Trump White House in the wake of its recent political coverage.

A number of TV personalities and senior Fox employees were reportedly aghast by the channels stories on the indictment of two former Trump campaign officials. While the indictments dominated coverage on other major channels, they were downplayed by several Fox News hosts.

Instead of reporting on what the majority of news organisations deemed to be the day's biggest political news story, the conservative news outlet instead focused on allegations regarding former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In a statement, a Fox News representative said the network covered the breaking news "accurately and fairly across both news and opinion programming.
COLUMBUS  Alyvia Johnson puckered her lips after taking a bite from a Granny Smith apple.

The taste was a bit sour for her liking.

She moved on to slices of a Gala apple. The sweet flavor of that fruit appeared to agree much more with the taste buds of the Emerson Elementary School second-grader.

Trying an array of healthy foods is part of the daily routine for students there when they are offered mid-morning snacks through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

Columbus Public Schools received $16,942 from the Nebraska Department of Education to fund the pilot program at Emerson Elementary. To get funding, schools must have at least 50 percent of its students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals. Emerson is typically between 60 and 75 percent.

The program was created to increase consumption of fresh fruit in elementary schools and help combat childhood obesity through healthy eating.

Snacks are served at Emerson four days a week and brought to the school through Lunchtime Solutions, the districts food service provider.

The program allows for 10 percent of the funding, or $1,694, to be spent on administrative costs, including equipment, but Principal Sara Colford said nothing major was purchased for Emerson. The snacks are prepared in the morning by food service workers and typically served on napkins to students.

A shipment of apples came on Thursday. The fruit was sliced into sections and distributed to classrooms just before 10 a.m. Students were given two slices each from green Granny Smith and red Gala apples. Before they dug into the treats, they were told to examine each apple for differences and asked if they thought there would be a difference in taste.

Take a bite of both and decide which one you like better, kindergarten teacher Erin Burrows told her class.

The students munched away, most commenting on how good it tasted and saying they couldnt decide which one they liked better.

Colford said fruit is usually a bigger hit than vegetables, but students have been enthusiastic to try it all.

I like the red one better because its juicier, second-grade student Leacadia Sonnleitner said of the apples.

She has enjoyed almost everything that's been served, except the bell peppers.

I just didnt like it, she said, making a face.

Some of snack options have been broccoli, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, pears, asparagus and raspberries. A caveat of the program is that the fruits and vegetables served as snacks cant be on the lunch or breakfast menu that day.

Jason Hernandez, a fourth-grader, said apples have been his favorite and he looks forward to the snack.

We get extra food and we get our nutrients, he said.

Since implementing the program this year, Colford said there have been fewer students complaining about stomach aches caused by hunger pangs.

We have a lot of students who dont have the opportunity to get something in the morning. Even if they do, by lunch they are getting pretty hungry, she said.

For some, the program provides a first chance to try certain fruits or vegetables.

Fourth-grade teacher Jenni Schutt said one day students were given what they thought were carrots. After the orange vegetable sticks were gobbled up, she asked how many liked what they ate. About three-fourths of her classroom did. Then she revealed they just ate sweet potatoes.

That was a lesson for students to not be close-minded when it comes to food.

Sometimes we hear something and we say, Nope, I dont like it. Thats why its important to try new things, she told her class.

Students also learn about the health benefits of what's being served.

The whole goal of it really is to introduce some of those new foods and talk about the nutritional value of it, Colford said.
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Sylvester Stallone has denied an allegation that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old-girl in 1986.

The actor's spokeswoman described the claims, reported by the Daily Mail, as "a ridiculous, categorically false story".

Drawing from a police report filed in July of 1986, the paper reported that the young woman alleged Stallone coerced her into sexual activity with him and his bodyguard. She declined to pursue charges.

After the encounter Stallone threatened the girl with violence if she told anyone, according to the police report.

But Stallone's spokeswoman Michelle Bega told TMZ: "No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr Stallone. At no time was Mr Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter."

Laura Meltzer, a spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said their records did not go back far enough to be able to confirm the authenticity of the police report cited by the Mail. She said the formatting of the report was consistent with the departments procedures. The Mail said that a former head of the Las Vegas Police departments sexual assault unit confirmed the document was genuine.

An attorney for Stallone did not return a call and an email from The Independent seeking comment.

The allegations against the Rocky come after numerous sexual misconduct claims against other Hollywood luminaries, media figures and politicians.

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.

Most recently, Senator Al Franken apologised after broadcaster Leeann Tweeden said he kissed and touched her without her consent during a 2006 tour with the then-comedian.

Ms Tweeden shared a photo of Mr Franken grasping her breasts as she slept.
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Jared Kushner received emails about WikiLeaks and a Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite during the 2016 campaign, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have claimed.

Committee chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein claim there are several documents that are known to exist but were not included in the emails Mr Kushner turned over to them. The committee previously asked for copies of Mr Kushners emails related to their investigation of Russian meddling in the US election.

Among the missing documents were a September 2016 email to Mr Kushner concerning WikiLeaks and documents concerning  "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite  both of which Mr Kushner forwarded to other campaign officials, according to the letter. Also missing were correspondences with Sergei Millian, the head of a Russian-American business group, on which Mr Kushner was copied.

The Senators said they became aware of these emails after they were released by other parties  presumably, the officials to which Mr Kushner forwarded them. They asked that the requested documents be delivered by 27 November.

Mr Kushners lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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 claims come days after Donald Trump Jr  the Presidents son, and another member of the campaign team  admitted that he had corresponded with WikiLeaks during the election. Twitter messages first published by The Atlantic show WikiLeaks pressed Donald Trump's oldest son to promote their work, and occasionally to dig for information. Mr Trump Jr appears to have complied on a handful of occasions.

The Judiciary Committee letter also claims Mr Kushner declined to turn over documents related to his security clearance form, which he was required to re-submit multiple times due to omissions. The Senators said they would accept his offer of viewing the documents in his office.

 Background check chief has 'never seen' mistakes and omissions at level of Jared Kushner forms

The committee is also waiting on Mr Kushner to produce transcribed versions of his testimonies before other Congressional committees. Mr Kushner testified in front of both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees in July.

At the time, Mr Kushner told reporters he did not collude with Russia, not know of anyone in the campaign who did.

Since the first questions were raised in March, I have been consistent in saying I was eager to share whatever information I have with investigating bodies, and I have done so today, he said. All of my actions were proper.
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The veteran civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has revealed he is suffering from Parkinsons, saying he had been slow to recognise the gravity of the effect the disease was having on him.

The 76-year-old, who was the first African American man to make a nationwide bid for the White House, said was dedicating himself to physical therapy in the hope of slowing the impact of the disease.

Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it, wrote the man who was part of Martin Luther King Jrs inner circle in the 1960s.

In a letter to supporters, he added: For me, a Parkinsons diagnosis is not a stop sign, but rather a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the diseases progression.

Mr Jackson, who founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a civil rights group, said that after detecting signs of the disease, he had tried to work through it. But as my daily physical struggles intensified, I could no longer ignore the symptoms, so I acquiesced, he added.

 CCTV catches carer stealing from 74-year-old man with Parkinson's in his own home

He said the same disease bested my father. Noah Lewis Robinson Sr died in 1997 at age 88. Mr Jackson also released a Northwestern Medicine letter saying he was diagnosed in 2015 and has since sought outpatient care.

In 1983, Mr Jackson announced he was launching a presidential run, becoming the first black male in the US to make a nationwide campaign, and only the second African American ever to do so, following in the footsteps of the late Shirley Chisholm, aa female politician who ran in 1972.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. 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Initially considered a fringe candidate, Mr Jackson went on to end in third place, behind Gary Hart and former Vice President Walter Mondale. He made a second run in 1988.

In his announcement on Friday, Mr Jackson said he was also working on a memoir.

I will continue to try to instill hope in the hopeless, expand our democracy to the disenfranchised and free innocent prisoners around the world, he said. I steadfastly affirm that I would rather wear out than rust out.

Parkinson's is most well-known for causing tremors and other muscle-control problems. It also causes rigidity and stiffness in parts of the body, and as it progresses, the disease leaves its victims with impaired coordination and balance, according to the National Institutes of Health. The disease has been linked to the loss of dopamine-producing cells in parts of the brain that control movement. There is no cure.
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An Ohio Supreme Court justice has been denounced for responding to sexual misconduct allegations against Sen Al Franken by bragging of his prolific sexual exploits.

Mr Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, apologised this week after broadcaster Leeann Tweeden accused him of groping and kissing her non-consensually during a 2006 tour, when Mr Franken was a comedian and had not yet been elected. She shared a photo of Mr Franken grasping her breasts as she slept.

Elected officials, including Democrats, swiftly denounced Mr Franken. But Ohio Supreme Court Justice William ONeill had a different take, posting on his Facebook page that the dogs of war are calling for the head of Senator Al Franken and blasting a national feeding frenzy about sexual indiscretions decades ago.

He also detailed his own history.

As a candidate for Governor let me save my opponents some research time, Mr ONeill wrote. In the last 50 years I was sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females. It ranged from a gorgeous blonde who was my first true love and we made passionate love in the hayloft of her parents barn and ended with a drop dead gorgeous red head from Cleveland.

A spokesman for Mr ONeill did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen OConnor released a statement assailing Mr ONeills post.

I condemn in no uncertain terms Justice ONeills Facebook post, she said. No words can convey my shock. This gross disrespect for women shakes the publics confidence in the integrity of the judiciary.

In a previous post this week, Mr ONeill weighed in on the mounting sexual misconduct allegations against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. Several women have alleged Mr Moore made advances on them when they were teenagers, and multiple have alleged he groped them (Mr Moore has denied any wronging, saying in a statement that I have never engaged in sexual misconduct).

I couldnt help laughing out loud about a comment I heard on MSNBC this morning, Mr ONeill wrote. Voters in Alabama have to choose to vote between a child molester and a Democrat Now theres clarity for you.
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A provision in the tax plan Republicans are championing in Congress has a peculiar benefit that would help out the massively wealthy in America: A tax exemption for owners of private jets.

The cut out is just one of many small peculiarities in the tax plan, which includes provisions that would give craft beer producers tax breaks, and some that change how people can buy and sell stocks.

The federal government currently imposes an excise tax on the use of private planes for every flight, but the new Republican legislation would make costs for maintenance and other support activities exempt from the excise tax.

Applicable services include support activities related to the aircraft itself, such as its storage, maintenance, and fueling, and those related to its operation, such as the hiring and training of pilots and crew, as well as administrative services such as scheduling, flight planning, weather forecasting, obtaining insurance, and establishing and complying with safety standards, the description of the provision from the Joint Committee on Taxation reads.

The provision would not affect costs directly incurred by flying. The new provision would see $50 million in lost revenue over the next 10 years.

The House of Representatives  which holds a commanding majority of that legislative body  has already passed a version of the tax bill, though it is unclear if it has a plausible path forward in the Senate. Debates in that chamber have already broken out into angry shouting matches between Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans.

Republicans have a much shakier hold on their majority in the Senate, with just 52 seats there. That slim majority has made it difficult for Republicans to deliver major legislative victories to President Donald Trump in the nearly 11 months that he has been in office.
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Special counsel Robert Mueller is said to have subpoenaed President Donald Trumps election campaign for documents regarding Russia.

Mr Mueller, currently leading an investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin, reportedly requested documents and emails from over a dozen top campaign officials that include several keywords related to Russia.

A source told the Wall Street Journal the subpoena would not compel testimony before a grand jury. Mr Trumps campaign was surprised by the order after voluntarily cooperating with previous requests from Mr Muellers team, the source said.

The subpoena reportedly marks the first time Mr Trumps campaign has been ordered to turn over information.

Mr Trumps campaign began handing over documents to Mr Mueller in September. One lawyer that represents Mr Trump has said the campaign was in total cooperation with the special counsels investigation.

Mr Muellers Russia probe has heated up in recent months. In October  five months after we was appointed to lead the inquiry  he announced 12 charges, including money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the US, against former campaign manager Paul Manafort and associate Rick Gates.

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

Both subsequently pleaded not guilty to all counts when they appeared in a federal court in Washington DC.

Mr Mueller subpoenaed Mr Manafort and several of his associates as well as several banks to obtain Mr Manaforts financial records.

Earlier in October, former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos had pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about his contacts with Russian officials.

Mr Trump has repeatedly insisted that there was no collusion and has called the Russia investigations  also being conducted by multiple congressional panels  a witch hunt.
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The Alabama Republican Party has announced it is standing by beleaguered candidate Roy Moore - all but ensuring it will contest next months senate election with a candidate facing allegations of sexual misconduct from at least nine women.

After the White House said Donald Trump believed the people of Alabama should decide Mr Moores future - putting him at odds with the Republican leadership in Washington who have called for him to stand down - the state party said it was continuing to support the former judge, who has denied the allegations dating back many decades.

On Wednesday evening, the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee, comprised of 21 members, met to discuss the events and circumstances regarding the December 12 US Senate race, said Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan.

The ALGOP Steering Committee supports Judge Roy Moore as our nominee and trusts the voters as they make the ultimate decision in this crucial race.

She added: Judge Moore has vehemently denied the allegations made against him. He deserves to be presumed innocent of the accusations unless proven otherwise. He will continue to take his case straight to the people of Alabama.

Mr Moore, 70, who earned international headlines after he installed a 5,000lb granite statue bearing the Ten Commandments in his Montgomery court compound, has denied the accusations against him, even as more women have come forward to accuse him of abuse and inappropriate behaviour. One woman said she was assaulted by Mr Moore when she was aged 14 and he was aged in his 30s and working as a local prosecutor.

 Fox News host Sean Hannity on Roy Moore: "For me, the judge has 24 hours"

While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan have called on Mr Moore to step aside, Mr Trump, who himself backed Mr Moores rival Luther Strange in a September Republican primary, has sought to remain on the edges of the controversy.

The President believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing.

The President said in his statement earlier this week that if the allegations are true, then Roy Moore should step aside. He still firmly believes that.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

On Thursday, Mr Moore held his own press conference and again rejected the allegations that have been levelled against him as unsubstantiated, unproven and fake.

Theyre not only untrue, but they have no evidence to support them, he said, according to Reuters.

According to internal polling conducted by the Senate Republican campaign arm and seen by the Associated Press, Ms Moore trails Democrat Doug Jones by 12 points - 39-51. By contrast, Mr Moore led by nine points the week before,

Such is the desperation of national Republican leaders, they have been hatching unlikely plots to try and stop Mr Moore. One proposal was to call on Mr Strange to resign, possibly triggering another special election, though this suggestion was denounced by the states governor.

Another idea was to promote a so-called write-in candidate, and encourage voters to write that candidates name on the ballot paper.
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Democratic Senators have introduced legislation to block Donald Trump's latest ban on immigrants from mostly Muslim-majority countries.

The No Ban on Refugees Act, introduced by Senator Chris Murphy, would prohibit the government from barring refugees based on their country of origin, according to a press release. Mr Trump released a third version of his travel ban in September.

The ban, according to Mr Murphy, makes the country less safe by acting as fodder for terrorists.

Recommended Second federal judge rules against Trump travel ban

Theres no real danger to America from refugees whove gone through our vetting system and entered our country, Mr Murphy said. The danger is that we help ISIS recruit lone-wolf terrorists here at home by making clear that they have no place in our society."

He added: "Its up to Congress to fix this.

New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Show all 27 1 /27 New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People gather for evening prayer at a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 02: Yemeni business owner Musa closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty

Mr Murphys legislation has been co-sponsored by seven other Democrats, including Al Franken and Cory Booker. It is unlikely that Mr Trumps executive order will be blocked by legislation, however: Passing Mr Murphys bill through the Senate would require at least a dozen Republican votes.

Mr Murphy introduced a similar bill in October, in an attempt to undercut the ban by withholding funding needed enforce it. That bill has been co-sponsored by 31 Democrats and one independent, but remains in committee.

 Sally Yates shuts down Ted Cruz in debate over constitutional law surrounding the travel ban

Mr Trump unveiled the third version of his ban in September, extending it to include immigrants from 11 different countries, including Chad and Venezuela. A federal judge in Hawaii blocked most of the ban shortly after it was issued, claiming it was discriminatory to Muslims.

A federal appeals court partially overruled that decision this month, however, allowing parts of the ban to take effect. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling allowed people from six countries to be barred from entry. It permitted exceptions for people with a bona fide relationship with close family or an entity in the US, like a university or company.

The Supreme Court was scheduled to rule on the second version of the ban in October, but dropped the hearing after the third version was issued.

Mr Trump also plans to limit the total number of refugees allowed into the US per year to 45,000, according to the Wall St Journal. The number would be a historic low for the country.

More than 30 Senators  including two Republicans  have signed onto a letter asking Mr Trump to raise the cap. The number, they said, is insufficient when compared to the millions of people who have been forced to flee their countries.
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A British man arrested in India and said by campaigners to have been tortured by police is now out of police custody following a court hearing, it is claimed.

The Sikh Federation UK said Jagtar Singh Johal is in judicial custody after appearing in court, sparking hopes the physical torture will come to an end.

Mr Johal, from Dumbarton in West Dunbartonshire, was detained in Jalandhar in the state of Punjab on 4 November.

The federation says no official charges have been brought against him, but local media reported that Mr Johal's arrest was linked to the killing of Hindu leaders in Punjab.

Mr Johal, 30, who got married in India last month, has told lawyers he has been tortured with body separation techniques and electrocution to body parts.

The Sikh Federation said Mr Johal appeared in court in Punjab on Friday, where he was taken out of Indian police custody.

He has been sent to jail until 30 November, when he will reappear in court, the organisation said.

It said he has had a brief meeting with his in-laws and a UK official, but that business cards from his lawyers and the British High Commission representative were later taken off him. He is also being denied fresh warm clothing, it is claimed.

His lawyers are said to have applied for an independent medical examination of Mr Johal.

Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation UK, said: Hopefully the physical torture will now come to an end, but the mental torture of false imprisonment continues.

Many are asking why Jagtar was not allowed the business cards for his two lawyers or for the British High Commission representative or allowed to accept clothes from his family.

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 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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. 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The Indian authorities clearly have much to hide and the British and Scottish governments must do much more to secure his release.

We will be challenging the Foreign Secretary next Tuesday when he appears in the Commons to answer questions from MPs.

Hundreds of Sikhs held a demonstration outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London on Thursday in support of Mr Johal.

PA
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A North Korean defector who was shot as he crossed the border was carrying an "enormous number" of parasites in his intestines, his doctors have said, including some never before seen by a respected South Korean surgeon who operated on him.

The unnamed soldier was left critically injured on Monday after fleeing North Korea via the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) under a hail of bullets fired by his former comrades in the military.

An estimated 40 rounds were fired by four soldiers as the defector ran for the South after his jeep got stuck in a ditch trying to reach the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which bisects the two countries inside the JSA.

The man was left with five bullet wounds to his abdomen, shoulders and elbow, the Korea Herald reports.

Lee Guk-jong, who has operated twice on the soldier at the Gyeonggi Suwon Ajou University Hospital in Gyeonggi Province, expressed shock over finding dozens of unusual parasites in the mans stomach.

We are struggling with treatment as we found a large number of parasites in the soldiers stomach, invading and eating into the wounded areas, Mr Lee was quoted as saying by the Korea Biomedical Review.

The longest parasite found measured 10 inches, Mr Lee told journalists.

 North Korea 'sentences Donald Trump to death' in state newspaper editorial

"I have been doing surgery for more than 20 years, but I have not seen such parasites, the surgeon added. I will not be able to find them in (South) Korea."

"The parasites lay 200,000 eggs a day.

Seong Min, a professor at Dankook University Medical School, has previously led studies into the parasites carried by some North Koreans. He told the Review: I dont know what is happening in North Korea, but I found many parasites when examining other defectors.

In one case, we found 30 types of roundworms in a female defector. The parasite infection problem seems to be serious even if it does not represent the entire North Korean population.

The soldier, who remains unconscious, was shown on surveillance footage being chased across the JSA on Monday, according to South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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 footage was described as being "like it was out of an action movie". It has not been made public.

Minutes later the soldier was found collapsed and bleeding heavily in bushes 50 metres south of the MDL. A South Korea battalion commander dragged him to safety, the Korea Herald reported.

The soldier is the first North Korean to defect to the South through the JSA in 10 years. According to a South Korean politician the man is in his twenties and held the rank of staff sergeant.

The South Korean military is investigating whether North Korean soldiers fired across the border during the incident, which would be a violation of an 1953 armistice agreement that ended the Korean war.
Page Content

Secretary presented on 9 November the European Public Communication Awards during the opening session of Europcom, the annual meeting for communication managers and experts from local, regional, national and European authorities organised by the CoR on 9-10 November 2017.

It is the 5th time that European Public Communication Award rewards impactful and innovative EU communication activities from local, regional or national public authorities.

This year, the province of Antwerp won the main prize for its 'Pop up Europa' initiative. A special prize was also awarded to a group of 20 students from 9 European countries for their 'Why Europe' campaign.

Antwerp province's winning 'Pop up Europa' campaign, launched in May 2017, takes a new creative, inspiring and real local approach by bringing Europe to its municipalities. It organises discussions about Europe with exhibitions, theatre plays, movies, contests, and school activities. By combining a mix of activities for all kinds of audiences, Pop up Europe reaches out to all people, not only well-informed or pro-EU citizens. Another plus point for the project is that it can be customized and therefore can be applied in every city or municipality in the EU.

The special award was given to celebrate a citizen-led innovative communication project designed to boost citizens engagement with the EU. This went to 'WhyEurope', a pro-EU grassroots initiative founded by students of the University of Tubingen in Germany. WhyEurope mainly focuses on social media (see their facebook page in German ). With a reach between 700,000 to 2.4 million people per month on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, WhyEurope seeks to spread 'positive populism' about Europe by using emotional pictures and simple messages to explain the benefits the EU offers.

The EuroPCom Advisory Board evaluated the merits of 19 applications in total, focusing on impact, creativity and innovation, and ties to multilevel partnership and EU communication priorities.

More than 1000 EU communication professionals attended the event, a record number of participants, to discuss how to improve communication of EU policies in a way to build trust of citizens in the EU. It was organised by the CoR, in close cooperation with the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Economic and Social Committee and the Estonian Presidency of the EU.

Watch the following videos :
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A British woman has won nearly 4,000 in compensation from a Sri Lankan court after being wrongly deported for having a Buddha tattoo on her arm.

Naomi Coleman, a mental health nurse from Coventry, made headlines in 2014 when she was detained for four days.

In a ruling the Supreme Court declared she was entitled to compensation and also ordered police involved in her arrest to pay her 246 each, the government's information department said.

Recommended Sri Lanka suffers dengue fever outbreak as 300 killed

Buddhism is accorded the "foremost place" in Sri Lanka's constitution and about 70 per cent of the island's 21 million people are Buddhist. But there is no law banning Buddha tattoos.

Ms Coleman was deported "contrary to the law governing immigration and emigration", the government said. She was not present in court.

One guard had "made several lewd, obscene and disparaging remarks of a sexually-explicit nature" towards her, the BBC reported.

Ms Coleman told the broadcaster: "Finally the court has actually seen it that I didn't do anything wrong."

She would "probably not" return to Sri Lanka, she added.

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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A lower court had decided to deport Ms Coleman partly because she could have been "vulnerable" if allowed to stay as some Sri Lankans could have been offended by the tattoo, officials said.

In 2013, Sri Lanka, a former British colony, denied entry to a British man because of his Buddha tattoo.

Additional reporting by agencies
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A British explorer has been evacuated from the jungles of Papua New Guinea after being reported missing during an expedition to reach a remote tribe.

Benedict Allen, 57, struck out into the jungle three weeks ago without a mobile phone or GPS unit.

Before setting off he wrote on his blog: This is how I do my journeys of exploration. I grow older but no wiser, it seems.

Mr Allen was meant to begin his journey home on Sunday but missed his departure to Hong Kong, where he was due to give a talk to the Royal Geographic Society.

He was trying to reach the Yaifo, who he described on his blog as one of the last people on the entire planet who are out of contact with our interconnected world.

He added: Last time, the Yaifo greeted me with a terrifying show of strength, an energetic dance featuring their bows and arrows. On this occasion who knows if the Yaifo will do the same.

Nor do I have an obvious means of returning to the outside world, which is somewhat worrying, especially at my advanced age.

Having heard nothing from him Mr Allens family feared the author and TV presenter had been attacked by drug dealers or other bad people, they said this week.

But a sighting near a remote airstrip on Thursday brought relief and confirmation he was still alive.

The explorers friend, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, confirmed he had been found  as he had predicted would happen.

Mr Gardner had said previously: I would say the chances are that Benedict is going to be fine.

Benedict always expected something like this. I had supper with him just before he left and he said, Look, Im quite certain Ill probably be out of contact for quite some time and people shouldnt worry about it.

On Friday Mr Allen was evacuated to Port Moresby.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

His agent, Jo Sarsby, said: We can confirm that Benedict Allen has been evacuated by helicopter and is now safe in Port Moresby.

He is reported as feverish with suspected malaria. Benedict looks forward to being reunited with his family and friends but will need some time to get back to full health.

He would like to send thanks for all the kind messages he has received.

Mr Gardner tweeted that Mr Allen was due to be on a plane home on Saturday.

He added: Explorer @benedictallen is now recovering from fever, poss malaria in Papua New Guinea capital having got disoriented on remote jungle trek.

Mr Allens wife Lenka previously told how the couples children  10-year-old Natalya, Freddie, seven, and two-year-old Beatrice  were missing their father.

Additional reporting by agencies
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New Zealands new Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is being lauded for her robust takedown of Donald Trump.

The leader of the Labour party, who took office last month, poked fun at the US president by quipping: No one marched when I was elected.

Mr Trumps victory was not only met with protests across America and the wider world but his presidency has continued to engender opposition in the form of marches, walk-outs, and rallies.

The Womens March  which took place a day after his inauguration  was the largest single-day protest in US history. An estimated 673 marches took place on seven continents across the world and Ms Ardern joined thousands to take part in the protest in Auckland.

Ms Ardern said her meeting with President Trump at the east Asia summit in Vietnam last week was low-key. The world leaders, who occupy opposing political positions, spoke on the phone in late October just after she elected in a shock victory but this was there first face to face encounter.

I was waiting to walk out to be introduced at the east Asia summit gala dinner, where we all paraded and while we were waiting, Trump, in jest, patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, This lady caused a lot of upset in her country, talking about the election. Ms Ardern told Newsroom.

I said, Well, you know, only maybe 40 per cent, then he said it again and I said, You know, laughing, no one marched when I was elected.

Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Show all 14 1 /14 Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Riot police block protesters during a rally near the US embassy AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters shout slogans while displaying portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte AP Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Activists clash with riot police EPA Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters burn a banner of Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters against Donald Trump's visit AP Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters deface portraits of Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte AP Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters clash with anti-riot police officers as they try to march towards the U.S. embassy REUTERS Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines A mural bearing the image of Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte is burnt REUTERS Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Activists march on a road leading to the US embassy during a protest in Manila EPA Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters scuffle with riot police AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters shout anti-US slogans as they burn a banner featuring the image of US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Activists clash with riot police EPA Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters display placards as they shout anti-US slogans AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Anti-riot police officers block protesters REUTERS

But the 37-year-old said President Trump was not affronted by the remark and took it in good humour.

She said: He laughed and it was only afterwards that I reflect that it could have been taken in a very particular way. He did not seem offended.

Ms Ardern, who is the worlds youngest head of government, has been applauded for her rebuke of President Trump on Twitter. People went so far as to say it was one of the best "comebacks" they had ever heard.

Recommended This is why Jacinda Arden is good news for New Zealand

Australians heaped particular praise on the NZ leader, saying they wished their PM Malcolm Turbull would follow her lead.

Love it! Badass move by Ardern. Meanwhile, our prime minister, Malcolm Trumble, licks his boots, said one critic.

Another said: As an Australian, I have serious PM envy.

Can she be our prime minister too? added another.

So jealous that you have a PM with sass! We have a revolving door of spineless sycophants. I say we just rename Oz as West Island and bask in your progressive glory, said one more.

Pressed about her impressions of meeting the billionaire property developer in the flesh, Ms Arden managed to avoid another subtly acerbic takedown.

He is consistent. He is the same person that you see behind the scenes as he is in the public or through the media, she told the New Zealand Herald.

Ms Arden, who has described herself as a social democrat and a feminist, joined the Labour party at the age of just 17. She was raised as a Mormon but left the faith over its opposition to same-sex marriage.

She worked in Tony Blairs cabinet office and was a staffer for former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clarke.

The politician, who likes to DJ in her spare time and swears in interviews, has been extolled for having the pizzazz and stardust the Labour party needed to regain power. She has proved exceedingly popular with New Zealanders - her personal appeal has been branded Jacindamania and she has been compared to politicians such as Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau.

Ms Ardern campaigned on decriminalising abortion, reducing immigration, getting children out of poverty, and making tertiary education free.
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A prosecutor has requested the former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont be extradited to Spain.

Mr Puigdemont and four of his secessionist allies fled to Brussels after making their independence bid, and have refused to return to face rebellion charges.

The ousted leaders lawyer Paul Bekaert said in a short statement the prosecutor had asked for the execution of the extradition request.

Yet he added: We can still give written replies, so nothing has been decided today.

Mr Bekaert also revealed that the court hearing on the possible extradition of the five secessionists had been pushed back until 4 December.

It earlier emerged Spain had sent a Belgian prosecutor information about the jail conditions for Mr Puigdemont and the other ex-ministers should they be sent back.

Spain said the Catalan government members  who are being sought for rebellion, sedition and embezzlement  would be jailed in the modern Estremera prison outside Madrid.

Mr Puigdemont would have a cell of his own with a shower and toilet, or he could share it with one of his ex-ministers, said Spain, and gave assurances the former ministers would have access to their lawyers.

The extradition has created tension between Spain and Brussels. Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said on Thursday all the information requested had been sent, but pointed out that Spain is a state of law for many years, adding: Nobody in Europe is going to give us lessons.

Despite the EU nations almost invariably giving their backing to Madrid in its standoff with Catalonia, Belgium was among the first to criticise the use of violence by Spanish police during the 1 October referendum. Spain insists the police response was proportionate.

Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Demonstrators block a highway during a general strike in Borrassa, near Girona, Catalonia AP Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Protesters block a track in in Sant Cugat del Valles EPA Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Catalan regional policemen (Mossos d'Esquadra) drag a picketer blocking the street at the North Bus Station in Barcelona as part of a regionwide strike called by a pro-independence union AFP/Getty Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Catalan regional policemen (Mossos d'Esquadra) drag a picketer blocking the street at the North Bus Station in Barcelona AFP/Getty Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Protesters block a road in Barcelona EPA Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures A person paints the word "Freedom" on a wall as protesters blocked a ring road in Barcelona during a partial regional strike called by pro-independence parties and labour unions Reuters Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Police remove a protestor who was part of a group blocking a ring road Reuters Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures A driver argues with demonstrators blocking a highway during the general strike in Barcelona AP Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Police remove protestors blocking a ring road in Barcelona Reuters Catalonia civil disobedience on 8 August  in pictures Demonstrators get ready to block a highway during the general strike in Barcelona AP

The Belgian government has steadfastly said it cannot intervene in Spains extradition request because it is up to the independent judiciary to make a decision.

It is a judicial case based on the separation of powers. It is up to the judicial authorities, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said after meeting with his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Goteborg, Sweden.

Mr Michels spokesman, Barend Leyts, said the talks were constructive and did not centre on the Catalan issue itself. Instead, the two leaders discussed Belgiums candidacy for an EU police chief and the upcoming relocation of EU agencies from Britain, among other issues.
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Natos chief has apologised to Turkey after the countrys leaders were allegedly depicted as enemies in a joint military exercise.

Both current president Recep Tayyip Erdogans and reforming ex-leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturks names were involved in the reported incident in Norway.

Turkey has withdrawn 40 soldiers from the drills.

Recommended Turkey just stopped issuing visas to US citizens

In an address to his ruling partys provincial leaders on Friday, Mr Erdogan said his and Ataturks names were placed on a table listing enemies during the Nato exercise.

He said he had personally instructed the immediate withdrawal of the Turkish troops even if those names are removed from the table.

The Turkish leader said of the Nato alliance: There can be no such pact, no such alliance.

Natos secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said: I have been informed about offence caused in a recently concluded exercise at Natos joint warfare centre in Stavanger, Norway.

I apologise for the offence that has been caused. The incidents were the result of an individuals actions and do not reflect the views of Nato.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

He added: The individual in question was immediately removed from the exercise by the joint warfare centre, and an investigation is underway. He was a civilian contractor seconded by Norway and not a Nato employee.

It will be for the Norwegian authorities to decide on any disciplinary action. Nato has been in contact with the Norwegian authorities on this issue.

Turkey is a valued Nato ally, which makes important contributions to allied security.

The joint warfare centre is a multinational Nato unit 186 miles southwest of Oslo. It is currently led by Maj Gen Andrzej Reudowicz of Poland.

According to its website, it has a staff of 250 made up of civilians from 11 Nato member states, including Turkey.

Recommended Nato to expand command centres in Europe amid tension with Russia

In March, the Norwegian government caused fury in Turkey by granting political asylum to five Turkish officers based in Norway who had refused to return home after the failed July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

The five officers said that they feared being arrested and tortured in Turkey.

Ataturk was the founder of modern Turkey, having led the republic from 1923 after the Ottoman sultanate was abolished.

He presided over sweeping changes to society including secularisation and the introduction of Latin script to the language.

Additional reporting by agencies
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A former employee of a Russian troll factory responsible for producing misinformation aimed at undermining Western institutions has told how workers toiled to create a merry-go-round of lies.

The former employee of the Internet Research Agency, identified by American intelligence as a Kremlin-linked troll farm, spoke out to shine a light on a murky world set on fomenting social unrest and distrust.

In an interview with NBC News, Vitaly Bespalov described how he and other workers were under pressure to churn out misinformation in a self-reinforcing network.

According to the process Mr Bespalov laid out, some workers would write blog posts that other workers would write articles mentioning. Other workers would post comments and push out the content via social media.

We all were doing the same job filled with lies, Mr Bespalov told NBC.

While his work entailed shaping a pro-Russia narrative around the conflict in Ukraine, Mr Bespalov said others were focused on America.

American intelligence officials believe the Internet Research Agency is financed by an ally of President Vladimir Putin with ties to Russian intelligence, suggesting it was a weapon in the cyber-arsenal Russia used to try and disrupt the 2016 election. Millions of Americans were exposed to content generated by the agency, technology industry officials told Congress.

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

Around 126 million of them saw one of the roughly 80,000 Facebook posts the Internet Research Agency disseminated and amplified through ad purchases. Twitter released a list of more than 2,700 accounts associated with the Internet Research Agency, part of a Russian campaign that the company said enlisted more than 36,000 accounts.

Examples of Russian-generated Facebook posts released by Congress included attacks on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and content that weighed in on opposite sides of contentious issues like police violence against African-Americans and gun control.
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Mafia 'boss of bosses' Salvatore 'Toto' Riina has died while serving multiple life sentences, according to Italian media.

The justice ministry had allowed his family a bedside visit at a hospital in Parma shortly before his death on Thursday. The reports said he died aged 87 on Friday morning but the government had no immediate comment.

He had been placed in a medically induced coma after his health deteriorated following two recent surgeries.

'Mafia underground lair' raided in Italy Show all 7 1 /7 'Mafia underground lair' raided in Italy 'Mafia underground lair' raided in Italy Police discover 'Mafia underground lair' Italian police climb down the ladder to the lair EPA 'Mafia underground lair' raided in Italy Weapons siezed by police The walls were lined with about dozens of automatic weapons, including pump-action shotguns, pistols and an AK-47 assault rifle AP 'Mafia underground lair' raided in Italy The exterior of the hideout Camouflage conceals the entrance AP 'Mafia underground lair' raided in Italy Giuseppe Ferraro Giuseppe Ferraro, a fugitive since 1998, was found guilty of murder and Mafia association decades ago AP 'Mafia underground lair' raided in Italy Giuseppe Crea Crea, 37, faces 22-years in prison for Mafia association, and eluded capture for some 10-years 'Mafia underground lair' raided in Italy Inside the bunker Half-drunk bottles of red wine sit on the table inside the bunker EPA 'Mafia underground lair' raided in Italy The arrest Police escort the two arrested members from the hideout in Calabria

Riina, one of Sicily's most notorious Mafia bosses, was serving 26 life sentences for murder convictions as a powerful Cosa Nostra boss.

He was captured in Palermo, Sicily's capital, in 1993 and imprisoned under a law that requires strict security for top mobsters, including isolation in prison and limited time outside their cells.

PA
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Yemen, a country consumed by internal conflict and ignored by the rest of the world, is running out of time.

Its now 11 days into a Saudi blockade on almost all of Yemens ports and airspace, and the UN has warned that the country faces the largest famine the world has seen for many decades, with millions of victims if Riyadh doesnt lift the restrictions which are strangling the supply of food and aid to the 7.3 million people in Yemen already on the brink of famine.

In a country where 20 million are reliant on aid and amid the worlds worst ever cholera outbreak, every moment is crucial. The blockade so far is estimated to have pushed an additional 3.2 million people into hunger.

 Marib General Hospital is a beacon for those in need in Yemen

If the status quo remains, 150,000 malnourished children will die within the next few months, the World Food Programme has said.

As part of a series of bold moves with ripple effects across the Middle East last week, Saudi Arabia retaliated to a 4 November rebel Houthi ballistic missile from Yemen that was intercepted near the capitals airport with a complete shutdown of even government-controlled routes in and out of the country.

The unprecedented move was designed to show that weapons smuggling to the Iran-backed Houthis would not be tolerated. After international outcry, the UK and US-supported Saudi-led Arab coalition reopened some air and sea ports in loyalist areas  but most of the major import routes, including the port of Hodeida, from where the majority of Yemens imports flow, remain shut.

Since the blockade started, 13 vessels that had been cleared by the UN have been turned back or forced to leave Hodeida port, and prices of basic commodities are starting to rise steeply as a result of the cut in supply, Caroline Anning, Save the Childrens senior conflict and humanitarian adviser, told The Independent.

The impact on families who are already struggling to afford even a meal a day is catastrophic.

They said the Americans were coming and they were going to try and change things, an injured 20-year-old Houthi fighter says

As well as the proxy powers of Saudi Arabia and Iran which are back opposing sides in Yemens civil war, there is a complicated domestic framework encompassing the desires of hundreds of different tribes and political players.

On a visit to loyalist Marib province earlier this month, The Independent met local sheiks who expressed sadness at the humanitarian shame the war had brought to their country, which struggled with high levels of poverty before the war broke out in March 2015.

But while political and military figures may have their eyes on the bigger picture, some on the ground dont even know what theyre really fighting for.

In Maribs general hospital  where almost every bed was filled by a soldier injured on the front line  one room was empty except for a solitary Houthi fighter, whose only company was the guard outside the door.

They told me Id be fighting Americans and Israelis, the 20-year-old with bandages on his left arm and leg said. Protecting Yemenis, not fighting them. They said the Americans were coming and they were going to try and change things.

The young man, who did not give his name, only spent three months on the front line before being shot and wounded. Tribal fighters loyal to the exiled government brought him to Marib, where he effectively remains a prisoner of war.

The situation in Yemen Show all 14 1 /14 The situation in Yemen The situation in Yemen Houthi supporters trample on a US flag during a gathering mobilizing more fighters into several Yemeni battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen People carry the coffins of men, who were killed in the recent Saudi-led airstrikes during their funeral, in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen AP The situation in Yemen Pro-government fighters give food to Yemeni children on the road leading to the southwestern port city of Mokha. Yemeni rebels are putting up fierce resistance in a key Red Sea port city where they are encircled by pro-government force Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni stands in front of a graffiti protesting US military operations in war-affected Yemen, in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen A Yemeni female fighter supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, takes part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A boy shouts slogans next to pro-Houthi fighters, who have been injured during recent fighting, during a rally held to honour those injured or maimed while fighting in Houthi ranks in Sanaa, Yemen Reuters The situation in Yemen Balls of fire and smoke rise from a Houthi-held military camp following alleged Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy looks on as Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy sits amidst the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa AFP/Getty The situation in Yemen Marine One with US President Donald Trump flies with a decoy and support helicopters to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens who was killed in Yemen Getty Images The situation in Yemen US President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One to greet the remains of a US military commando killed during a raid on the al Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, US Reuters

Once his wounds heal, he doesnt know what will happen  but he expressed more worry about his family on the other side of the front line, where cholera is rife and basic foodstuffs and fuel are cripplingly expensive.

The new blockade put in place since then has sent food and fuel prices soaring, and the situation is not sustainable.

On Thursday, the leaders of the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the World Food Programme issued a joint appeal for the easing of the blockade.

The sentiment was echoed by the UK Foreign Office, which said in a statement the British Government is deeply concerned by the risk of a serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation.

 Yemen: More than 50,000 children expected to die of starvation and disease by end of year

Aid agencies worry, however, that the damage for millions may have already been done.

Yemen was already on the brink, Farea al-Muslimi, co-founder of independent think tank the Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies, previously told The Independent.

This was the last possible thing you could do to push Yemen off the cliff. For the first time in the war, even if you have money it makes no difference.
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Germany has been named the country with the best "brand image" according to a new study of 50 countries.

It has leapfrogged the USA, which previously held the title.

The Nation Brands Index, conducted in association with independent policy advisor Simon Anholt, conducts what it says is the world's most comprehensive global nation branding survey, combining six dimensions: governance, exports, people, culture & heritage, tourism, investment and immigration.

It considers factors such as how people perceive a country's quality of life, business environment, tolerance and the public image of a country's products and services.

The survey measured "the power and quality of each country's 'brand image", according to DW.com.

Speaking to The Independent, Anholt said: "There are over 50 statements about each of the 50 countries in the index, reflecting views on their landscape, people, tourist appeal, economy, government, educational system, products, culture, and much else besides. Each year since 2005, weve sent this questionnaire to around 20,000 people in 20 countries, chosen using UN statistics to select a typical sample of the general population. Its used by more than 40 governments who want to keep track of their countrys international standing."

Donald Trump's policies have been blamed for the USA's damaged international reputation (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Germany moved up to the top spot having been second in 2016, while the US dropped all the way from first to sixth. This was attributed in part to the "Trump effect" - the notion that Donald Trump's policies and personality may have harmed America's image abroad. The USA slipped from 19 to 23 for "governance" - something which the survey said was directly "indicative" of the Trump effect.

Germany's Foreign Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, expressed delight with the result, saying: "Germany's image no longer rests on our economic strength. People think we're capable of much in the world."

On the USA's decline, Anholt told The Independent, "It turns out that we dont mainly admire other countries for being successful or rich or powerful: we mainly admire the countries that contribute the most to the world we live in. This is why I launched the Good Country Index.

"One of the effects of President Trumps often-repeated America First credo, and the policies that have stemmed from it, is to send a strong signal that the US no longer wants to be a Good Country, so its not surprising that this has damaged the countrys standing. This is bad news for the US if it persists, since a positive national reputation is itself one of the key drivers of trade, tourism, foreign investment and much else besides. Trumps efforts to boost US trade by focusing on US needs could, paradoxically, have exactly the opposite effect, by reducing the brand value of the country and consequently everything it sells and does."

The United Kingdom remained at third in the Nation Brands Index, despite fears over its reputation following the Brexit referendum result, while Italy dropped from sixth to seventh and France rose from fifth to second. Canada, Switzerland, Australia and Sweden all remained in their 2016 places at fourth, eight, ninth and tenth respectively.
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Kuwait Airways is not obliged to transport Israeli passengers, a German court has ruled.

The verdict - delivered over a case in which the airline cancelled a passenger's ticket - has led to accusations of anti-Semitism.

Recommended Israeli shooting range mocks up targets to look like Palestinians

The passenger, known only as Adar M, was travelling from Frankfurt to Bangkok when Kuwait Airways cancelled his ticket. But the court, in Frankfurt, ruled that the airline was merely respecting Kuwaiti law, and that it would have faced legal repercussions in its home country had it flown him to his destination.

As reported in Die Welt this week, German law covers discrimination based on race, ethnicity or religion, but not nationality. As of 2006, the law stipulates: "With effect as of 18th August 2006 the German General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) came into force. Objective of the law is to provide comprehensive protection against discrimination on the basis of race and ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation."

The court added that it wasn't charged with deciding whether the law made sense, rather that it was unreasonable for the airline to "fulfill a contract if it commits a violation of the law of its own state and therefore expects to be punished there. It said it could not take a stance on Kuwaiti law.

A 1964 law bars Kuwait from recognising Israel (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The passenger had booked a flight travelling from Frankfurt to Bangkok, with a stop over in Kuwaiti capital, Kuwait City. However, after discovering that he was travelling on an Israeli passport, the airline cancelled the man's booking and offered to rebook him with another airline. Refusing, Adar M later sued the airline for discrimination.

Kuwaiti nationals are not allowed close contact with Israelis due to a 1964 law which prohibits agreements between the two nations and precludes recognition of Israel, as reported in AP. 19 of the 21 Arab League members don't fully recognise the Israeli state, with the exceptions of neighbouring Jordan and Egypt.

In response to the ruling, the passenger's lawyer told the Jewish Chronicle: "the statement by the court that my client was supposed to accept transportation on other airlines is nothing more than capitulating to anti-Semitic discrimination by Kuwait Airways.

Gelbert said he and his client intend to appeal the verdict, calling the ruling: shameful for democracy and for Germany in general, a sentiment echoed by Germanys Central Council of Jews. The council criticised the decision, saying it was: unbearable that a foreign company operating based on deeply anti-Semitic national laws is allowed to be active in Germany."

In 2015, the US government ruled that Kuwait Airways had violated American law after an Israeli citizen was denied travel between New York and London. The airline subsequently dropped the route rather than alter its policy.
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On the day that a late-summer slump in tourism from North America to Britain was revealed, the US government warned American travellers of the risk of terror attacks anywhere in Europe as the festive season gets under way.

The Department of State alerts US citizens to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks throughout Europe, particularly during the holiday season, the travel alert reads.

Recent, widely-reported incidents in France, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Finland demonstrate that the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (Isis or Daesh), al Qaeda, and their affiliates have the ability to plan and execute terrorist attacks in Europe.

Last year, mass casualty attacks occurred at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany in December and a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey on New Years Eve. Terrorist sympathizers or self-radicalized extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning.

Americans are urged to exercise additional vigilance in tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship and other soft targets.

Terrorists persist in employing a variety of tactics, including firearms, explosives, using vehicles as ramming devices, and sharp-edged weapons that are difficult to detect prior to an attack.

The Australian government warns its citizens visiting the UK: There is a heightened threat of terrorist attack in the UK. There are two key sources of this threat:(i) groups and individuals motivated by the current conflict in Iraq and Syria ('international terrorism') and (ii) groups and individuals motivated by the status of Northern Ireland.

Canadian visitors to Britain are warned by the government in Ottawa: Exercise a high degree of caution at all times, monitor local media and follow the instructions of local authorities. Canadians are told to expect delays at UK airports due to stringent security screening measures.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The number of visitors from the US and Canada to the UK fell by 8 per cent in August compared with the same month a year earlier. However, June and July 2017 were the best-ever months in tourist numbers from North America.

Thanks to a surge in visitors from the European Union, VisitBritain said August 2017 was the highest month ever for overseas visitor spending in the UK. Overseas visitors spent 2.8 billion in the busiest month of the year, up 3 per cent on the August 2016  a rate of over 1,000 per second.

The tourism minister, John Glen, said: These record-breaking figures for August reaffirm the UKs position as a global go-to destination and show the continued strength of the sector.
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Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump described his opponent, Hillary Clinton, as a criminal and said she should be tried and put in jail (of her guilt, he had no doubt). Commentators at the time noted the extreme nature of such rhetoric and the fact that demands for the investigation and imprisonment of political opponents was alien to the American system. But, they speculated, perhaps it was just that  rhetoric  and with his inauguration as President, he would leave such dangerous talk behind.

It turns out, however, that Trump has proven unable to let go of his obsession with his defeated rival. In early November 2017  nearly one year after his election victory  he was not only continuing to attack Clinton, but also calling on the FBI and the Justice Department to investigate her. He was very frustrated by the fact that he was unable to order those agencies to go after his former opponent  something he said he would very much love to do.

 House Democrats start impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump

It was a horrifying moment as the President of the United States, perhaps more clearly than at any previous time, expressed the thoughts and desires of an autocrat. And with the announcement that Attorney General Jeff Sessions will explore the possibility of creating a new special counsel to investigate Hillary Clinton, those thoughts and desires have moved that much closer to being realised.

Such open calls for criminal investigations of political opponents are truly unprecedented in American history  and for good reason, since they would undermine the very foundation of liberal democracy. If the president could order the FBI to investigate Hillary Clinton, where would it stop? Anyone who spoke out to criticise such a brazen act would be vulnerable to the same treatment. And then any individual or any group  regardless of whether they had actually done anything  would be at the mercy of Trumps politicised justice system. The President would be able to exclude anyone he wished from the national community. The road to dictatorship would be wide open to him. We know this because it was such a system that helped destroy democracy in Germany and helped Hitler establish his Nazi dictatorship.

One of most significant challenges the new Weimar Republic faced was a politicised judicial system  an important element in the weakening of German democracy. One of the key failings of the revolution that toppled the German Empire in 1918 was the failure of the revolutionaries to establish a truly republican judiciary by allowing the judges from the old imperial system to remain on the bench. These were men whod been trained and established their careers under the old authoritarian system. They had no sympathy for the new liberal, democratic regime. And the verdicts they rendered made this exceedingly clear. Political crimes committed by individuals on the left consistently received longer prison sentences than those committed by people on the right.

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

The best-known example of this skewed system of justice is the case of Adolf Hitler. Arrested in 1923 after having attempted to overthrow the government, he was tried and convicted of treason. The conservative judge sympathised with the young Nazi leaders goal, if not with his methods, and therefore sentenced him to a mere five years in a rather comfortable prison. He would end up serving only nine months.

A justice system that openly flouted the republics liberal, democratic values seriously undermined the governments legitimacy and gave hope to those who continued to work for its destruction. In less than a decade, the battered republic would succumb, thanks in no small measure to the aid and comfort provided to the forces of the right by a politicised illiberal, anti-democratic system of justice. Under Hitler, the justice system became a tool for the establishment of his dictatorship and for the policies of exclusion he pursued.

Immediately after coming to power, Adolf Hitler targeted his main political opponents: the German Communist Party. With his fellow Nazi Hermann Goering heading the Interior Ministry, members of the SA were now deputised as auxiliary police and, along with the traditional police forces, tasked with the assault on Germanys communists. Storm Troopers attacked communists in the streets, arrested them, and brought them to makeshift jails where they beat, tortured, and sometimes killed them.

After the communists, it was the Socialists turn to experience Hitlers brand of justice. Those not beaten or tortured to death were driven underground, into exile, or were sent to the new concentration camps being built and operated by the SS.

To the new Chancellor, the communists and socialists were not simply political opponents. They were enemies, traitors who had already betrayed the nation in the First World War and toppled the old regime in revolution. As a result, those who participated in this bloody state-sponsored rampage would face no legal consequences. Not only that, but enemies accused of crimes could face punishments far more severe than the law would normally allow.

The man accused of setting the Reichstag building ablaze as the first step in a communist uprising, for example, should have faced a straightforward prison sentence. But Hitlers desire for what he considered justice led him to pressure the Justice Minister Franz Gurtner (also a judicial holdover from the Empire) to write a new law  an ex post facto law that made the alleged arsonists crime a capital offense.

Hitler had begun to subvert the law to serve his political goals. Police and judicial authority had to be subordinated to the will of the leader. A politicised justice system would allow him to target and eliminate any and all groups he considered outside the bounds of the German national community.

One of the most important steps for any would-be autocrat is to gain control of the justice system and turn it into a tool for the elimination of any and all opposition. Normally thats something that Americans observe from a distance  in the pages of history books or newspapers telling of coups and show trials and the exiling or execution of political challengers in some distant country or from some other period. Perhaps such distance has lulled Americans into a false sense of security. Thats something that only happens over there, or back in those times. The American tradition of liberalism and democracy will protect us. Were exceptional.

But its precisely that self-confidence  more like self-delusion  that can work to Donald Trumps advantage. His clearly anti-democratic statements and wishes can be shrugged off as mere rhetoric. How many people early on dismissed Hitler as a buffoon? How many people doubted hed last any longer in office than his two most recent predecessors?

Far more quickly than anyone would have imagined possible  helped greatly by the unforeseen Reichstag fire  Hitler had succeeded in bending the courts and the police to his will. By that point it was too late. German democracy was not destroyed in a coup or a violent revolution. It was undermined from within. Circumstance and Hitlers determination did the rest.

Richard E Frankel is associate professor of modern German history at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the author of Bismarck's Shadow. This piece originally appeared on History News Network
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It has become fashionable  especially among the harder Brexiteers  to present EU representatives and negotiators as the bogeymen who are holding up Britains withdrawal and our glorious future. It is more attractive to blame men like Jean-Claude Juncker and Michel Barnier, who can be portrayed as stooges of a faceless and stateless European bureaucracy, than to hold responsible the elected leaders of specific countries who are representing identifiable national interests.

For this reason, the intervention by the Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, in the tortuous Brexit negotiations seems like a significant moment. His warning that the Irish government will not tolerate a physical border between Northern Ireland and the Republic cannot be disregarded as simply rhetorical bargaining by Brussels bureaucrats. Rather, Mr Varadkar is the man elected to represent the UKs nearest neighbour, the head of a nation with which Britain has the closest ties of any in Europe  ties based on close trading links, a shared language and an interwoven history. For all the ups and downs, for a great many people in this country the Irish are family.

As such, Mr Varadkars remarks require Britains full and immediate engagement. His call for a commitment on the border question to be made before trade talks begin cannot be ignored. Indeed, the simple fact that he feels obliged to have raised the issue as forcefully as he has is indicative of a harsh reality  that it is David Davis et al who have failed to get a proper grip on the key, first phase questions in the Brexit negotiations, not the Barnier camp.

Whats more, the Irish PM is absolutely right that there should be no question of a physical border being erected between Northern Ireland and the Republic. It is plainly intolerable to Irish interests that the possibility should have been left hanging by Theresa May and her ministers  and it is understandable that Mr Varadkar should demand a written agreement, rather than the verbal assurances which have been offered so far. Who could blame him for threatening to block trade talks until the issue is resolved?

It is plain from Mr Varadkars choice of words too that there is intense frustration in Dublin over the way in which the Brexit talks are progressing  or not progressing. To accuse pro-Brexit politicians of not having thought all this through in the years prior to the referendum will hardly go down well among the architects of Britains EU departure.

Yet in truth it can hardly be regarded as a point of great contention. It is all too obvious that the Irish border question is one to which Brexit supporters gave far too little consideration during the referendum campaign and the period before then. Instead, it was simply the subject of assertion and assumption  like most elements of the pro-Leave vision for our future.

Ardent Brexiteers  and horse-trading pragmatists  insist that the Government is right to hang on to any potential bargaining chips in order to force the EU into concessions of its own. Yet this misses the fundamental point that a no-deal outcome will have more impact here than in the EUs remaining member states. To argue otherwise is to ignore every economic reality and to rely instead on a vague conviction that all will be well.

The renewed focus on the Irish border issue heaps more pressure on Theresa May at the end of (another) bad week. Her decision to fix the Brexit date in law backfired spectacularly and at the EU summit in Gothenburg she has been told in no uncertain terms that the divorce settlement offered to the EU this far is inadequate. Leo Varadkars intervention is the bitter icing on a crumbling cake. European council chief Donald Tusk telling the UK that no trade talks without progress on money and Ireland is the cherry.

In the past, Irish questions have proved difficult to resolve. That is one of the reasons why it is so important for the UK Government to be clear once and for all  in writing  that there will be no hard border where Northern Ireland meets the Republic. Any other outcome would be disastrous for prosperity and perhaps even peace too.

Leo Varadkars words may have sounded hard, but they should be taken as advice from a friend  and acted on with due urgency.
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CNN reports:

Ivanka Trump spoke out for the first time against embattled Alabama Senate Republican candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused of pursuing sexual relationships with teenagers when he was in his early thirties. Her father, President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has largely stayed mum on the issue.

'There's a special place in hell for people who prey on children,' Ivanka Trump told the Associated Press in an interview otherwise focused on tax reform published Wednesday.

'I've yet to see a valid explanation and I have no reason to doubt the victims' accounts,' the first daughter and presidential adviser said.

Really, Ivanka? Next time a news outlet snags an interview with her, it might ask:

Recommended America shames democracy by allowing Roy Moore to stand

- Why can her father not bring himself to condemn Moore?

- Would you urge Alabama voters to cast ballots for his opponent, Doug Jones?

- Is there a special place in hell for a man who reportedly entered the Miss Teen USA changing room where girls as young as 15 were in various states of undress and bragged about such situations (I'll go backstage before a show, and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else)?

- Does that spot in hell have a spot for men who discuss their teenage daughter in creepy sexualized terms?

- Would that spot in hell have room for a man who reportedly tells 14-year-olds that in a couple of years I'll be dating you?

 Ivanka Trump: 'I leave the politics to other people'

Ivanka Trump knows that young women and men allegedly accosted and abused by powerful men in Hollywood (e.g. Harvey Weinstein, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey) have come forward with detailed accounts. Criminal investigations have been launched, series and movies cancelled, and careers ruined. So:

- Is there also a special place in hell for powerful men who made crude sexual advances, grope women and use their status to quiet and defame their accusers?

- Should those women be believed if their stories are detailed, consistent with known facts and collectively portray a pattern of behaviour?

Ivanka Trump doesn't like being called complicit in her father's policy agenda. But her great sin is helping to vouch for and normalize her father's character. His alleged predatory behaviour - just as Roy Moore's - should have disqualified him from office. And yet she helped convince voters that he was a terrific guy, a feminist even.

When The New York Times ran a report extensively documenting his treatment of women, Ivanka Trump was there to defend him:

 'Most of the time, when stories are inaccurate, they're not discredited and I will be frustrated by that. But in this case, I think they went so far,' Ivanka said.'... This is an article that is widely being discredited. The lead person who was interviewed - for the story and that the story opens up with - was all over the news yesterday, saying that they manipulated what she was saying. So you know, I don't find it that meaningful to comment on this particular story because I think the facts are starting to speak for themselves.'

Ivanka also rejected a former colleague's claim that she had been groped by Donald Trump during a business meeting.

 Trump: "Ivanka wanted to make the trip... she said 'Daddy, can I go with you?' I like that"

 'I'm not in every interaction my father has, but he's not a groper. It's not who he is,' she said. 'And I've known my father obviously my whole life and he has total respect for women. He was promoting women in development and construction at a time when it was unheard of. There was no trend towards equality in the real estate and construction industry back in the 1980s. And he was doing it because he believes ultimately in merit.' 

Really.

In July 2016, she told The Sunday Times, My father is a feminist. He's a big reason I am the woman I am today.

And in April this year in Germany, boos rained down on her when she insisted, I've certainly heard the criticism from the media and that's been perpetuated, but I know from personal experience, and I think the thousands of women who have worked with and for my father for decades are a testament to his belief and solid conviction in the potential of women... As an adviser and as a daughter, I can speak on a very personal level knowing that he encouraged me and enabled me to thrive.

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

Whether or not Ivanka Trump knows better, she has put herself forth to validate her father's treatment of women and discredit accusers. She's in no position now to lecture us on Moore, although if she'd like now to come clean on her father's conduct and comment on his eternal punishment, she might recover some dignity and respect in the eyes of American women (and men, as well). Since that's not happening, my advice to her is to make herself scarce. Her voice only reminds us of her unforgivable complicity in selling Trump to the voters.

The Washington Post
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Mali , a dog with the Special Forces who sniffed out Taliban booby traps in Kabul, was recently awarded the Dickin Medal  the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross  for saving the lives of British troops. While he certainly deserves this honour, we shouldn't gloss over the fact that animals don't claim allegiance to a nation. They don't choose sides. Yet we charge them with duties that are considered too dangerous for humans  such as bomb detection  but that are, obviously, equally dangerous for them.

Mali, it should be noted, was badly injured by shrapnel. And Diesel , a dog working with French police, was blown up while searching for booby traps following the terror attacks in Paris in 2015.

Unlike humans in the Armed Forces and police, canine officers don't choose to enlist yet still risk their lives for the community. Working dogs' lives have, in some places, improved over time  for example, efforts by PETA US and others led to the passing, in 2000, of US legislation that finally allowed retired military working dogs to be adopted by their handlers and enjoy the rest of their lives off duty.

At the end of their involuntary service, the very least that dogs, horses, and other animals used in combat deserve is a peaceful and comfortable retirement. Yet many animals don't get this happy ending. The public was outraged when it was revealed that the Ministry of Defence kills many dogs of war once they've outlived their usefulness, on the grounds that their training makes them too dangerous to rehome.

 Military dog to be awarded animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross for service in Afghanistan

But even when animals survive the battlefield and are adopted into loving homes, their trauma may still not be over. Dogs who have been exposed to war zones or other traumatic environments can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) just as humans can. In fact, in 2014, roughly 5 to 10 per cent of dogs who were deployed in combat settings with the US military reportedly showed symptoms of the condition. This shouldn't come as any surprise, since animals can experience the whole spectrum of emotions  from gleeful delight to crippling fear.

When Gina, a 2-year-old German Shepherd, was sent to Iraq to sniff out explosives, she was friendly and playful. But after months of explosions and door-to-door searches with tense soldiers, she returned home terrified of humans and new places. When her handlers took her into an unfamiliar building, she slunk along the floor and tried to hide under furniture. She was diagnosed with PTSD .

It's also worth remembering that when dogs are made to search for explosives, they're often being used as cheap substitutes for more effective, sophisticated, innovative technology that intelligently protects the public without putting animals in harm's way. This is the 21st century  the era of advanced robotics. If we can use drones in the air, surely we can employ them on land.

As anyone who has ever had the pleasure of knowing dogs can attest, they're loyal, loving, social animals. They don't set off bombs, wage wars, or plan terrorist attacks  yet they're in perpetual involuntary servitude to humans.

For animals, there are no Geneva Conventions and no peace treaties. They deserve better than to be put in the middle of our conflicts and then tossed away like empty ammunition shells. With a little ingenuity, human demands can be met without recruiting and relying on animals.
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There used to saying in the Middle East: If a dog barks in the Middle East, British intelligence is behind it. Replace the word British with American, and we think thats still true.

But it isnt. There were many casualties in the wars of Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. One of them was the myth of Western omnipotence.

The greatest threat to world peace coming out of the Middle East now is not terrorism, but the danger of a wider Sunni-Shia religious conflict into which the great powers are dragged.

The radicalisation of Sunni Islam, funded from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf elements, is not any longer targeted on us in the West. Its target has changed from the Great Satan in Washington, DC to the Great Heretic in Tehran.

The attacks on our cities are not the real war, but collateral damage in a wider conflict.

This is not to diminish the threat to us here in London, or to suggest that we should not have been taking this seriously. The collateral dead are no less dead  as the innocents of Yemen, Iraq and Syria know so miserably well.

The casualties of the bombing outrages in Western cities, and the maimed and injured from the indiscriminate bombing of crowded Sanaa suburbs, are victims of the same war: the struggle between Sunni and Shia, which now stands on the edge of open conflict.

This is not really about religion, any more than the wars of religion of the 17th century, or the conflict in Northern Ireland, or the bloodshed in Bosnia. In almost all great so-called religious conflicts, what lies behind the shouting of the clerics is a contest between the power of nations.

This one is, in reality, a contest for dominance in the Middle East between Riyadh and Tehran.

 Saudi Arabia has 'declared war' on Lebanon and detained Lebanese PM, says Hezbollah leader

And its been a long time coming. It has been building up strength, followers and causes through proxy wars in Iraq and Syria, proxy insurgencies in Mali, Libya and Yemen and proxy terrorist outrages in major Western capitals.

So why should this bother us in Britain? Havent we got enough on our plate, fighting our own battle with the EU? Is this not just another far-away country of which we know little, to adapt Chamberlains infamous phrase?

No, it is definitely not.

A regional conflict between Riyadh and Tehran, fired up by religious contention and supported by Russia on one side and the West on the other, poses a threat to world peace at least as great as North Korea  especially if, as seems almost certain, Israel becomes involved.

Mao Tse Tung famously called the two great World Wars of the last century The European Civil Wars. It is not an inaccurate description, for it reminds us that regional conflicts can have global consequences.

If that does not strike a shiver down your backbone, then you have not spent enough time studying history.

 Saudi Arabia's crown prince: Country will return to 'moderate, open Islam'

There is much about the piles of tinder scattered around the Middle East today which remind me of the Balkans in 1914.

So what should the policy of the Western nations be to the impending danger? The answer is scrupulously not to take sides.

We should have good relations with countries across the divide, and treat them exactly the same.

If they sponsor terrorism, we should ruthlessly expose them, rather than turn a blind eye for short-term convenience.

If they engage in proxy conflicts, we should not throw fuel onto the fire by supporting one side against another  above all with weapons.

If they commit war crimes, we should condemn this even-handedly. We should strive constantly to encourage dialogue between them.

We should avoid any step in which we in the West supports one side (the Sunnis) and Russia supports the other (the Shias). This is the greatest danger and we are very, very close to it.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemens Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdoms Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as inciting people against the authorities. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabias clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his confession. At Dawoods trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

Which brings us to Britain, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. From a moral point of view, Britains support of Saudi Arabias actions in Yemen is as foolish as it is reprehensible.

It is very clear that the Saudi bombing of civilians and the use of starvation as a weapon of war are illegal under international law. Britains silence on these war crimes is thunderous and shaming. The fact that we are supplying arms to Saudi Arabia is even more so.

The Government tells us that no British weapons are being used. I know a little about the temptations and confusions of war and I simply do not believe this.

The Government should announce an immediate suspension of arms sales to Riyadh, until their blockade of aid supplies is lifted and their indiscriminate bombing of civilians is ended.

I understand that crimes are committed by both sides in these dirty wars. I am sure, for instance, that the Houthi rebels in Yemen are also using aid and hunger as weapons of war.

But we do not support them, whereas Riyadh is an ally and one to whom we supply weapons of war.

I know other things are involved here: trade; the struggle against terror; maintaining Western influence; nuclear proliferation.

I doubt whether bending our principles in favour of short-term advantage on these fronts will deliver anything of use to us in the long term.

But such hopeful outcomes, if and when they arrive, would have long ago been blotted out by the horrors of a widening religious war into which the great powers have been dragged. That is the danger that now confronts us.

Paddy Ashdown is Chair of the Liberal Democrat General Election Committee
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I was in my room in the Baghdad Hotel on al-Sadoun street last Sunday evening, writing about the chances for stability in Iraq taking hold, when the walls and floor began to shake. They jerked sideways and up and down several times as if my room was the cabin of boat in a rough sea.

My first confused thought was  this being Baghdad  that there must have been some huge bomb explosion, which would explain the rocking motion of everything around me. But almost simultaneously, I realised that I had not heard the sound of an explosion, so a better explanation was that there was an earthquake, though I had never thought of Baghdad as being in an earthquake zone.

The jerking movements of the walls and floor of my room were so spectacular that I wondered if the building was going to collapse. I looked under the desk where I was sitting, but the space was too small for me to crouch in. I got down on my hands and knees and started to crawl towards the bathroom which is meant to be the safest place in the event of a bomb explosion, and I supposed the same must be true of earthquakes.

I had got about half way there when the shaking stopped. The lights were still on which seemed a good sign. I got back on a stool and googled Baghdad earthquake on my laptop and read a series of alarmed tweets confirming that was indeed what had just happened.

It was a 7.3 magnitude quake centred 19 miles from Halabja, a small city in Iraqi Kurdistan 150 miles north-east of Baghdad and close to the Iranian border. Nine people had been killed in Iraq, but the catastrophic damage was in Iran where 530 people had died.

 Deadly earthquake on Iran-Iraq border disrupts live interview

In earlier times, an earthquake like this would be taken as an omen: a warning of bad times to come. Shakespeare is full of such grim portents which commonly precede assassinations and defeats in battle. This would be a pity in the case of present day Iraq because, for the first time since Saddam Hussein started his war with Iran in 1980, the prospects look positive.

The central government is stronger than before, defeating Isis in the nine-month long siege of Mosul and ending the move towards secession of Iraqi Kurdistan by peacefully reoccupying Kirkuk and other disputed territories.

Substantial successes these certainly are, but what has really changed the political landscape of Iraq is that there is no longer a community, party or faction fighting the central government with financial and military aid from foreign backers. For once, Iraq has good relations with all the neighbouring states.

The earthquake may not herald more domestically-generated violence in Iraq, but in the real world it is a useful reminder that the country, along with the rest of the Middle East, is vulnerable to unexpected and unpredictable events. Of course, these are always a possibility anywhere, but never more than at present because of the strange character change of two traditionally conservative powers in the region: the US and Saudi Arabia. Previously committed to preserving the political status quo, both have become mercurial and prone to saw off the branch on which they are sitting.

Shortly before the earthquake in Baghdad, I was making the above point about Iraq stabilising to a European diplomat. He said this might be true, but that real danger to peace comes from a combination of three people: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trumps son-in-law and Middle East envoy Jared Kushner, and Bibi Netanyahu in Israel.

Probably, the Saudis and the Americans exaggerate the willingness of Netanyahu and Israel to go to war. Netanyahu has always been strong on bellicose rhetoric, but cautious about real military conflict (except in Gaza, which was more massacre than war).

Israels military strength tends to be exaggerated and its army has not won a war outright since 1973. Previous engagements with Hezbollah have gone badly. Israeli generals know that the threat of military action can be more effective than its use in maximising Israeli political influence, but that actually going to war means losing control of the situation. They will know the saying of the 19th century German chief of staff, Helmuth Von Moltke, that no plan survives contact with the enemy.

But even if the Israelis do not intend to fight Hezbollah or Iran, this does not mean that they would not like somebody else to do so for them. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told me in an interview earlier this month that his greatest fear was a US-Iranian confrontation fought out in Iraq. This could happen directly or through proxies, but in either case would end the present fragile peace.

On the optimistic side, US policy in Iraq and Syria is largely run by the Pentagon and not the White House, and has not changed much since President Obamas days. It has been successful in its aim of destroying Isis and the self-declared caliphate.

The wars in Iraq and Syria already have their winners and losers: President Bashar al-Assad stays in power in Damascus, as does a Shia-dominated government in Baghdad. An Iranian-backed substantially Shia axis in four countries  Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon  stretches from the Afghan border to the Mediterranean. This is the outcome of the wars since 2011, which is not going to be reversed except by a US land invasion  as happened in Iraq in 2003.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The great danger in the Middle East today is that Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and Jared Kushner appear to have a skewed and unrealistic understanding of the world around them. Inspector Clouseau seems to have a greater influence on Saudi policy than Machiavelli, going by the antics surrounding the forced resignation of Saad Hariri as Prime Minister of Lebanon. This sort of thing is not going to frighten the Iranians or Hezbollah.

The signs are that Iran has decided to go a long way to avoid confrontation with the US. In Iraq, it is reported that it will support the re-election of Abadi as prime minister which is also what the US wants. Iran knows that it has come out on the winning side in Iraq and Syria and does not need to flaunt its success. It may also believe that the Crown Prince is using anti-Iranian nationalist rhetoric to secure his own power and does not intend to do much about it.

Nobody has much to gain from another war in the Middle East, but wars are usually started by those who miscalculate their own strengths and interests. Both the US and Saudi Arabia have become wild cards in the regional pack. The sort of Neo-con and right-wing think tankers, who in 2003 were saying that a war with Iraq would be a doddle, are back in business in Washington, pushing for war with Iran  and are stronger than ever.

The wars in the Middle East should be ending, but they could just be entering a new phase. Leaders in the US and Saudi Arabia may not want a new war, but they might just blunder into one.
CONCORD- Rob Morrisons interest in history started him on a journey he never expected. A teacher from Concord, Massachusetts, Morrison began researching local history from his town and it got him thinking.

I noticed there were all of these other towns named Concord and I started looking them up and looking at information, Morrison said. I said that would be kind of cool to go visit them and see what theyre like.

That was a few years ago, and last week Morrison added Concord, North Carolina to his list.

In Search of Concord

His adventure began when his daughter asked Morrison to bring her car to Arizona. He took that as an opportunity.

So I drove it out to her and I stopped off at Concord, New York for lunch and Concord, Pennsylvania for dinner. Then the next day it was Concord, Virginia and Concord, Tennessee and Concord, Alabama, Morrison said. Instead of taking like three days to drive the car out, I took five days.

Morrison said he learned a lot from that first trip which made planning for the next ones easier.

It was really interesting and I got to meet a lot of different people. One of the things I learned is Ive got to be better prepared and organized and try to meet people, he said. I realized t wasnt about history or dates or anything like that. Its more about making connections with people and hearing their stories.

Since that first trip Morrison has visited about 35 Concords around the country. His trips have taken him to Concord, Arkansas where he was the grand marshal for the Fourth of July parade in the town that he said has a population of 210, to the 13 Concords in Texas.

His wife and son have been travel companions on some of his trips, and others he has tackled solo.

He said one of the most interesting stops so far was Concord, Idaho; a gold mine town in the middle of nowhere.

Its about over 8,000 feet high and population in the summer maybe two. No full-time people live there, Morrison said. Basically its a ghost town from the gold mining days. I went out there on a weekend and tried to find a way to it.

Luckily, he met people who offered to drive him to the town.

And he drove me all the way out and all the way back, Morrison said. We had a flat tire along the way, there are no roads.

Another memorable trip was the one he took with his son to the seven Concords in Ohio and Concord, Kentucky. He said this stop was the strangest so far because the town had a population of 28.

While there, Morrison and his son were invited into two different homes.

One was to have some beers and moonshine. And the second was this guy invited us to have dinner with his 97-year-old mother. It was just so cool, Morrison said. So you think about it, there are 28 people in the town and Ive gotten to know six of them; versus say New York where you might not talk to six people in six weeks. So its a real eye-opener.

Along the way, Morrison has started keeping a blog entitled In Search of Concord. His son is also working on a film he made during some of the stops.

Every time I go somewhere I try to write it up and take some pictures. Wheres its going to go in the future Im not really sure. I think it could work well as a series of newspaper articles about different towns named Concord, he said. But everybody says, Have you finished your book yet? I dont know how to write a book, so Im just writing stories right now until I can find a thread for them.

A stop in Concord, NC

During his few hours in Concord, North Carolina, Morrison met Mayor Scott Padgett and local historian Jim Ramseur. He also took a guided historic walking tour with Michael Eury in downtown.

Concord, NC is really interesting because its so diverse. You have the racetrack and the mall, and then you have the area over in the western part and then the downtown is so different, Morrison said. While the downtown, you can see its got some gaps in the teeth, but its in a lot, lot better shape than most places of a similar type of downtown.

Morrison says he believes there are 75 Concords across the country, so he has a long way to go. But he has learned a lot along the way and is grateful for the experience.

Its been wonderful to meet a kind of random cross section of America; people I never would have met or had a chance to talk to, he said.

To read more about Morrisons visits to the Concords read his blog at http://concordrob.weebly.com/.
GREENSBORO  North Carolina is a finalist for a long-sought automotive plant to be built by Toyota and Mazda, according to multiple reports.

Bloomberg News, citing people familiar with the negotiations, reported this week that Alabama is the other finalist for the $1.6 billion car factory that would employ 4,000.

According to Bloomberg, the companies have narrowed the list for weeks, eliminating almost a dozen other states that included Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina.

Local business leaders are closely watching developments because the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite, in northeastern Randolph County, is often mentioned as a top contender among all sites.

A Tennessee official confirmed last week that a site near Memphis had been taken out of the running. The Jackson Sun newspaper quoted an economic development executive who said he believes North Carolina is the leading state with South Carolina  not Alabama  the other contender.

John Boyd, a site-selection consultant based in Princeton, N.J., also told the newspaper that he thinks the Randolph site will ultimately be chosen, although no other sources have been that specific.

Whatever the competition, North Carolina keeps surfacing as a finalist.

Activity at the site in recent weeks suggests that local officials are taking no chances.

Backers of the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite have added 370 acres, bumping it up to nearly 1,900 acres and filling gaps in the property to increase its appeal.

Community and business leaders from Greensboro and Randolph County attended a drop-in session Thursday, designed to show the public maps of road systems and power and water lines that will serve the megasite.

Brent Christensen, president and chief executive of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, discussed the sense of excitement as site backers finish designs and work on permits that could turn this one-time warren of more than 60 individual properties into a developed site within 12 to 18 months.

Every day, what you want to do is make this site more shovel ready, he said.

Toyota and Mazda plan to announce their final choice by early next year, Akira Marumoto, Mazdas executive vice president, told reporters in Tokyo earlier this month.

Mazda and Toyota declined to comment for Bloombergs story.

The joint factory, proposed to open in 2021, is the first new auto plant to be announced during the tenure of President Donald Trump. He has tried to pressure car companies to make more of their vehicles in the U.S. On his recent trip to Tokyo, Trump thanked executives from Toyota and Mazda for planning 4,000 new jobs at the plant, Bloomberg said.

Toyota and Mazda have asked for incentives valued at $1 billion or more, reports say.
A Winston-Salem lawyer and former president of the local NAACP resigned as a Forsyth County magistrate on Thursday, three days after he pleaded guilty in a federal tax fraud case.

Shannon DeWayne Patterson, who also goes by S. Wayne Patterson, entered a guilty plea Monday in U.S. District Court in Greensboro to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Federal prosecutors say that Patterson was licensed to practice law in Georgia and that he co-owned two tax-preparation businesses called Fast Tax in Salisbury and Kannapolis between January and May 2015.

Patterson, 46, had several of his employees fabricate information on their clients tax returns so that the clients could get the largest refunds possible, prosecutors allege. Patterson admitted to aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns that sought more than $60,000 in tax refunds, according to federal prosecutors.

Patterson also admitted filing false personal tax returns for 2014 and 2015, on which he underreported his own income.

Susan Frye, Forsyth County clerk of court, said Patterson turned in his letter of resignation Thursday morning. Patterson was sworn in as magistrate in January of this year. Forsyth Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Todd Burke appointed Patterson to a two-year term, according to court papers. His annual salary was $50,690, Sharon Gladwell, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts, said in an email Thursday.

Patterson criticized the Winston-Salem Journals story on his plea in an email Thursday, saying that the paper had destroyed my family and that a Journal reporter did not reach out to him for comment.

A reporter for the newspaper did not get a response from Patterson Wednesday either through email or by phone. David Freedman, Pattersons attorney, told the Journal reporter that Patterson would not have a public statement about his case.

Freedman said Wednesday that Patterson is remorseful for his actions and is cooperating with the U.S. attorneys office and the Internal Revenue Service in their investigation. Sandra Hairston, an acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, said in Pattersons plea agreement that Patterson will provide books, records and documents to the IRS so that the agency can determine his taxes, interest and penalties for the years 2013 through 2015.

Hairston described Pattersons actions as voluntary, knowing, deliberate and willful, according to the plea agreement.

Freedman said Patterson was released from federal custody with a secure bond. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 12. Patterson faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and fines, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Under federal law, Patterson faces a maximum fine of $250,000. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Patterson will pay $12,662 in restitution to the IRS.

Patterson is an active member in good standing with the Georgia State Bar, but is not licensed to practice law in North Carolina. As a lawyer, he specializes in federal civil rights and immigration cases.

He ran unsuccessfully for a seat on Winston-Salem City Council in 2009 and as a Democratic candidate for N.C. House District 72 in 2012. Patterson served two terms as president of the local chapter of the NAACP. He decided not to seek a third term in 2015.
As an actor, it's an amazing feeling to be welcomed by fans, especially those who have been ardently following you. Such are the emotions expressed by actor Rohit Bhardwaj, who is currently in Indonesia. Rohit, who has portrayed the character of Emperor Yudhistir in Siddharth Kumar Tewary (Swastik Production's) Mahabharat, visited Indonesia after a year and realised that nothing has changed for him.

Featured Video

The actor still enjoys immense popularity and his fans in Indonesia were thrilled to see him. Speaking on the love and affection received by the fans, Rohit says,he says.Interestingly, the rest of the cast of Mahabharat is also in Indonesia for a meet and greet event.he says.
Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets.

Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials.

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H K  /        ,         13  2017.

   :

OPEN LETTER

The Rt Honourable Prime Minister

Theresa May MP

10 Downing Street

London SW1A 2AA

15 November 2017

Dear Prime Minister,

Your speech in London on 13 November 2017,

I have read with interest the transcript of your meaningful and timely speech which was delivered

on 13 November 2017 to the Lord Mayors Banquet in London

I agree with you that the United Kingdom has the capability to overcome the difficulties and challenges ahead not only due to the Brexit negotiations but also due to the wider challenges facing the world today.

I would only correct one point, however. You claimed that Russias illegal annexation of Crimea was the first time since the Second World War that one sovereign nation has forcibly taken territory from another in Europe. This is misleading. On 20 July and 14 August 1974 respectively, Turkey launched two invasions of the Republic of Cyprus, a European sovereign state and a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Council of Europe. (Since 2004, the Republic of Cyprus has also been a member of another European institution, the European Union.)

As a combined consequence of its two invasions, Turkey occupied, ethno-religiously cleansed and forcibly took 36 per cent of the territory (and 57 per cent of the coastline) of the Republic of Cyprus. All these years later, Turkey continues to occupy this territory.

These two Turkish invasions were carried out with what amounted to collusion with the then British Government led by Harold Wilson (the Prime Minister) and James Callaghan (the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary). Both consciously refused to stop the Turkish invasion forces and to honour a British guarantee to the Republic of Cyprus. By the actions and omissions of this Labour Government, the United Kingdom breached its moral and legal responsibilities deriving from the Treaty of Guarantee which had been signed by Sir Hugh Foot, for the United Kingdom, in Nicosia on 16 August 1960.

For the record, I refer a High Court judgment in the case of Catlin v Cyprus Finance Corporation (London) Ltd [1983] Q.B. 759, as delivered by Mr. Justice Bingham (the great judge who later became Lord Bingham of Cornhill and a future Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice and Senior Law Lord). he words of Mr Justice Bingham reveal the true nature of what Turkey accomplished by force in 1974 and how human beings suffered as a consequence:

In the summer of 1974 the Turkish invasions of Cyprus took place. The consequences for the plaintiff and her children were catastrophic. All their property was in the area of Famagusta which was sealed off by Turkish troops; the flat they were living in was bombed and their furniture badly damaged. After six months under canvas in a refugee camp on one of the British Sovereign Bases, she and the children were able to return to Famagusta by courtesy of the Turkish occupying forces and they have since then been living in the flat of a German lady dispossessed by the troubles. Their own flats remain inaccessible and may in any event be uninhabitable

With characteristic precision, Mr Justice Bingham correctly referred to the Turkish invasions and the Turkish occupying forces. He did so at a time when so many people were misleadingly talking about the Turkish intervention and the Turkish Peace Operation, the latter of which was a phrase used by the Turkish Prime Minister on the day of the first invasion. Mr Justice Bingham also used correct terminology in the very year in which the de facto authorities in the Turkish-occupied area purported to make a Unilateral Declaration of Independence. This UDI was made on 15 November 1983, exactly thirty four years ago.

I commend your stance in defining the British spirit and the fundamental values of fairness, justice and human rights. However, these values have been consistently denied to the citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, a sovereign state built on territory which had previously been a British Crown Colony. I regret to say that your misleading comment of 13 November 2017 has added insult to this long-standing injury.

In the interests of fairness and justice, I hope that you will immediately apologise and retract your misleading assertion that Russias illegal annexation of Crimea was the first time since the Second World War that one sovereign nation has forcibly taken territory from another in Europe. I also hope you will clarify that, in 1974, 29 years after the end of the Second World War, Turkey launched two invasions of the Republic of Cyprus and that Turkey proceeded to occupy, forcibly take and ethno-religiously cleanse a substantial proportion of its territory, which is situated in Europe.

I look forward to hearing from you, so that the public record may be corrected.

Yours respectfully,

Fanoulla Argyrou

Researcher/journalist/author

London
Open Letter To ICH Readers

By John Pilger, Pepe Escobar, Peter Koenig, Andre Vltchek, Paul Edwards, Gilad Atzmon, James Petras Dr. Cesar Chelala & Finian Cunningham.

Writers Appeal to Readers: Please Support ICH Today



Dear Readers,



For 17 years, since 2002, Information Clearing House has been delivering an essential daily news and analysis service to its subscribers  free of charge.

Tom Feeley, ICH editor and publisher, has maintained a fiercely independent policy by not accepting funds from advertisers, corporations or governments.



ICH is entirely funded by its citizen-readers which ensures that it is a reliable source of unbiased information, reaching out to nearly one million people every day.



From its broad range of opinion, analysis, reader commentary, and comprehensive daily news links, readers of ICH are empowered to acquire a critical, intelligent perspective on international political developments. That empowers critical ability for people to challenge prevailing agendas and power structures  to create a more just and peaceful world.



In this time of increasing censorial information  where alternative voices and viewpoints are being shut down  it is all the more vital for readers to help sustain ICH.



Please dig deep and send a financial contribution to ICH today . Better still, make an ongoing monthly donation.



Without your support, we are all diminished.

John Pilger

Pepe Escobar

Peter Koenig

Andre Vltchek

Paul Edwards

Gilad Atzmon

James Petras

Dr. Cesar Chelala

Finian Cunningham.

Note from Tom

I am immensely grateful to the journalists listed above and to those of you who have contributed in the past to fund our efforts to better inform people around the world.

Main stream media organizations are motivated by profit. Information Clearing House is non-commercial, no advertising, no pop-up windows, no algorithms and we are not affiliated with any political party, religion or organization. We do not see our readers as a potential for profit, rather we see you as partners, working to bring about a world where all people are treated with respect. We do not lecture or try to convert others to our world view, we search for facts and information not available in main stream media and send them directly by email to well over 100,000 people around the word each day.

ICH grew out of frustration and anger at the failure of traditional commercial media to inform the American public, especially as it relates to US foreign policy. The propaganda spewed up by our government has enabled it to manipulate public opinion through psychological manipulation (social engineering) using main stream media and has in many instances converted citizens into Zombies who prefer to applauded our politicians as the stand on the bodies of millions around the world who have been killed because of our lack of awareness and concern.

Our monthly budget is supported by people like Ahuda from the Central African Republic who contributes $0.36 cents each month. (Thank you Ahuda) the $0.73 cents from Hashim in Pakistan (Thank you Ahuda) and others who send $10, $25, etc. (Thank you)

This has to STOP , we have to work to prevent further killing, suffering and torture because as John Adams said "Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people." American - President

Peace and Joy
Austrian man was said Friday that they were investigating the suicide of an 11-year-old Afghan migrant.

He died in a hospital near Vienna on Monday after being admitted a day earlier, police said. It was unclear how he killed himself.

The boy and his family had been living in a refugee centre in Baden, south of the capital, since last year, when a record influx of migrants arrived in Austria.

Media reports said the boy felt unable to cope with looking after his six siblings after his 23-year-old elder brother left him in charge.

According to public broadcaster Oe1, officials had been made aware of the familys precarious situation but failed to react.

Authorities have rejected the accusations, saying they had noticed nothing unusual.

Austrian ombudsman Guenther Kraeuter announced Friday he would open an inquiry.

Austria has received almost 150,000 asylum claims since 2015, making the wealthy nation of 8.75 million one of the highest recipients per capita in Europes migration crisis.

The UNs children agency UNICEF regularly denounces the lack of protective measures for migrant children in Europe, accusing European Union member states of doing much too little.
Many prisoners sentenced to serve varying terms behind bars, have been freed from prison in what has sparked serious joy among the beneficiaries.

As many as sixteen inmates at the Oke Kura and Mandala prisons in Ilorin, Kwara State, have been pardoned by the Chief Judge, Justice Sulyman Kawu.

According to The Nation, during a visit to the prisons, Justice Kawu said the pardon followed a directive by the Federal Government to decongest prisons.

He said the inmates were freed because they were illegally arrested and detained.

Justice Kawu, who promised more visits to the prisons, advised those freed to do well with their life.

We observe over time, that most of the inmates have skin disease, so we urge the prison authorities to address the situation before it spreads to. Whatever we feel the government can do as you requested earlier, we will try our best to press the government to fulfil its promise of providing vehicle medical inputs to treat.

We have gone through the list of 182 inmates, comprising convicted and awaiting trial, and we have decided, upon examination, that 15 inmates deserve to be released today. The basis of our decision is mainly because we think their detention is manifestly unlawful.

We have seen that some of the cases are civil in nature and not criminal, which will not attract any arrest or detention. We also observed that in some cases, the instruments of arraignment are either defective or not available; no proceeding can issue out of invalid instruments. So we have taken steps to release these inmates.

We also observed that there are some juveniles detained for belonging to a gang of thieves, through the facts contained in the First Information (FR). We believe the facts do not support the allegations contained in the FIR. So we have ordered they be released forthwith.
President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe was seen for the first time at the graduation ceremony of Zimbabwe Open University in Harare on Friday morning, local media reports say.

The appearance was the long-ruling leaders first since the army seized control of the country on Tuesday.

The 93-year-old appeared without his wife, Grace, and Higher and Tertiary education minister Jonathan Moyo, who is reportedly in the custody of the army, Zimbabwe Newsday reports.

Mr. Mugabes appearance came moments after the military said progress was being achieved in the ongoing negotiations between the embattled leader and military leaders.

The talk is being brokered by South African Development Community representatives who were sent to the country by South African President Jacob Zuma.

Mr. Mugabe was placed on a house arrest following the coup on Tuesday, and was seen for the first time in a group photo with military leaders and negotiators on Thursday evening.

He has reportedly refused to step down, insisting he is the only legitimate leader of the country.

Source: ( Premium Times )
The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos has convicted and sentenced an 87-year-old woman for dealing 10.3 kilograms of marijuana otherwise known as Cannabis Sativa.

Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari of the Federal High Court, Lagos, convicted 87-year-old woman, Maria Seriki, for dealing in hard drugs.

She was convicted on Thursday for dealing in 10.3 kg of Cannabis Sativa.

The judge, however, ordered that the convict be remanded at the Lagos State Old Peoples Home, pending the time a member of her family, willing to take proper care of her, applied to the court for her custody.

The convict, a resident of Oto-Awori, in Ijanikin, Lagos, had on Nov. 7, pleaded guilty to a one count charge of trafficking 10.3kg of Cannabis, also known as indian hemp.

She was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). After her plea, the prosecutor, Mr Aliyu Abubakar, urged the court to adjourn the matter, for a review of the fact of the case.

At the resumed hearing of the case, the prosecutor tendered some exhibits which included the convicts statements, a drug test analysis and the bulk of the substance seized from her, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.

After admitting the exhibits, the court pronounced the womans conviction as charged.

However, the convicts lawyer, Mr Prosper Ojakovo, in his plea for mercy , urged the court to be lenient in sentencing her.

He told the court that she was a first time offender, who had nobody to take care of her.

He pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, and consider her age in pronouncing the sentence.

In her judgment, Shagari stated that sending her to prison would not be of any benefit, especially considering her age.

The judge, consequently ordered that the convict be remanded at the Lagos State Old Peoples Home, Yaba.

In another matter, Shagari sentenced a 56-year-old woman, Anya Nneoma, to 12 months imprisonment, for unlawfully dealing in 5.5 kg of hemp.

Anya, a resident of Badagry, had also pleaded guilty to a charge of illegal dealing in hemp.

The judge said the convict should be sent to the female section of the kirikiri Prisons, Lagos.
The Amnesty International Nigeria, has called for the immediate release of the Otodo Gambe protesters, this was confirmed on Thursday, for the unconditional release of protesters.

The statement, which was signed by the Media Manager of the group, Isa Sanusi, said the police had no right to arrest the protesters who were peaceful in their conduct.

Nigeria police must immediately release 158 residents of Otodo-Gbame and other informal settlements across Lagos who have been in detention since being arrested and beaten up by the police at around midnight on November 15 as they peacefully protested outside the Lagos Governors Office. The photos seen by Amnesty International show injuries sustained by several protesters, including children.

We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested protesters and for an independent and impartial investigation into allegations of excessive use of force. The residents were demanding that the governor speak to them about a series of forced evictions that had made more than 30,000 people homeless, as documented in Amnesty Internationals report, The Human Cost of a Mega City: Forced Evictions of the Urban Poor in Lagos, Nigeria, and the threat to forcibly evict more of them.

The head of the task force team, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, denied that task force officials assaulted the protesters, adding that he was only aware that policemen across the state were deployed to provide security around the governors office.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said the police would not condone any act of security breach, adding that where such occurred, it was normal for those involved to be questioned.

He said, The protest was peaceful. Around 2.30am, they were dispersed. If they later went to the place at the hour they were not supposed to be there, that would be a security breach and definitely they would be called in for questioning.

The state governors office is not a place for every Tom Dick and Harry. Even if you are a worker of the state government, you must have an ID card that allows you to move around with a destination in mind. So, there is no way we will sit down and watch while some people conduct themselves in all manner of lawlessness. If there is a security breach, we will address it squarely.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper)
The Independent National Electoral Commission has begun the distribution of sensitive materials to the 21 local government areas of the state.

This is just as security around the commissions office in Awka has been beefed up.

When our correspondent visited the area, several personnel of security agencies, including the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police, from different commands in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones were sighted.

Also, all adjourning roads leading to the office were cordoned off with armoured personnel carriers positioned at strategic locations.

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Speaking to journalists on Thursday, the state Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Leo Nkedife, noted that the materials, including smart card readers, ballot papers and result sheets, had been collected from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Nkedife said, About three weeks ago, we finished the distribution of non-sensitive materials to all the local government areas and, today, we collected the sensitive materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria and we shared them among the LGAs.

Presently, some of the (electoral) officers are loading, while some others are already on their way to their respective destinations. We are 99 per cent ready to conduct the Anambra State governorship election.

He added that the electoral commission gave priority to the local government areas that were more difficult to access due to their location.

He also said that adequate and necessary arrangements had been made to enable the regular and ad hoc members of staff to get to their duty posts early on Saturday.

Nkedife explained, We started giving out the materials first to those LGAs that are very far away so that they will arrive earlier than the others. In the same vein, we have made provisions for riverine areas in Anambra West, Anambra East and their environs.

We have hired boats to enable them (INEC officials) to move, motorbikes and even bicycles for all these special terrains. We have even granted them permission to move their materials ahead of others so that they can get there on time because some of them need to cross the river.

He added, The (INEC) chairmans word is that every polling booth must open by 8am. We have also established registration area centres, what we call RAC, in every ward. It is a kind of a mini-administrative office.

Our men and materials will sleep there on the eve of the election so that it will be easy for them to trek to their respective polling units. We trained our members of staff; they are all very conversant with what they are expected to do.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the distribution of sensitive materials to the 21 local government areas of Anambra state.

This is just as security around the commissions office in Awka has been beefed up.

Newsmen visited the area, several personnel of security agencies, including the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police, from different commands in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones were sighted.

Also, all adjourning roads leading to the office were cordoned off with armoured personnel carriers positioned at strategic locations.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, the state Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Leo Nkedife, noted that the materials, including smart card readers, ballot papers and result sheets, had been collected from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Nkedife said, About three weeks ago, we finished the distribution of non-sensitive materials to all the local government areas and, today, we collected the sensitive materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria and we shared them among the LGAs.

Presently, some of the (electoral) officers are loading, while some others are already on their way to their respective destinations. We are 99 per cent ready to conduct the Anambra State governorship election.

He added that the electoral commission gave priority to the local government areas that were more difficult to access due to their location.

He also said that adequate and necessary arrangements had been made to enable the regular and ad hoc members of staff to get to their duty posts early on Saturday.

Nkedife explained, We started giving out the materials first to those LGAs that are very far away so that they will arrive earlier than the others. In the same vein, we have made provisions for riverine areas in Anambra West, Anambra East and their environs.

We have hired boats to enable them (INEC officials) to move, motorbikes and even bicycles for all these special terrains. We have even granted them permission to move their materials ahead of others so that they can get there on time because some of them need to cross the river.

He added, The (INEC) chairmans word is that every polling booth must open by 8am. We have also established registration area centres, what we call RAC, in every ward. It is a kind of a mini-administrative office.

Our men and materials will sleep there on the eve of the election so that it will be easy for them to trek to their respective polling units. We trained our members of staff; they are all very conversant with what they are expected to do.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper)
Nigerias former Aviation minister, Femi Fani Kayode has blamed Robert Mugabes wife while reacting to the situation in Zimbabwe that has left the government crippled and the president practically missing.

He Tweeted

the greatest tragedy of the Mugabe story is that he ended up with the wrong woman. Had Sally (his first wife) lived things would have been far better. Sadly she died and he ended up getting married to a demon-possessed Jezebel called Grace who has the spirit of Lady Macbeth.
President Donald Trump has condemned Democrat Senator Al Franken after a former model and Radio host, Leeann Tweeden accused him of sexual harassment.

The California morning radio host at a press conference on Thursday, said Franken grabbed her breasts while she slept on a military aircraft during a USO tour in Afghanistan in 2006. She also produced a photo that shows Franken grabbing her breasts in the aircraft.

Reacting to the controversial photo on Twitter, Trump who has been accused of sexual misconduct by 16 different women in the past, wrote: The Al Frankenstien [sic] picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?

The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? ..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

However, Senator Al Franken has since issued an apology to Leeann Tweeden for behaving in an inappropriate manner during a tour of the Middle East to entertain US troops in 2006.

Source: Linda Ikejis blog
Italys southern city of Salerno held a mass funeral on Friday for 26 young women from Nigeria who drowned earlier this month trying to cross the Mediterranean.

Twenty-six coffins were laid out in Salernos Monumental Cemetery on Friday morning, watched by a military guard, local politicians, rescue workers and journalists.

A Catholic archbishop and a Muslim imam both said prayers.

Each coffin bore a white rose on top, though only two were marked with names: Marian Shaka and Osato Osaro.

The bodies will be buried in different cemeteries around Salerno.

The citys mayor declared Friday a day of mourning. Local schools have been asked to hold a minute of silence, while light displays in the city centre will be switched off on Friday evening in remembrance.
A teacher of Colombian origin was arrested for last year for sending suggestive photos to her students and threatening to make them fail if they refused to have sex with her.

The woman, identified simply as Yokasta M. was arrested after a father of one of the students saw photos of the teacher on his sons phone and reported to the relevant authorities. This was in 2016. Soon after she was exposed, her husband filed for divorce. The case was highly sensational last year and made news headlines. It was reported that the teacher selected the boys, all less than 17 years of age, based on their appearance.

An investigation has been ongoing since and a recent report from Channel 4 of Nicaragua says she has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. A lot of people are questioning the sentence, saying 40 years is too long a time for the crime she committed.

Source: Linda Ikejis blog
Jake Amo, the little boy from Asempanaye village, Ghana, who became an internet sensation is all grown and doing well.

The photos of the 4-year-old Boy were taken by photographer Carlos Cortes during artist Solomon Adufahs visit to teach creative studies and art at his school in August 2015.

Adufah returned to Ghana and managed to catch up with Jake.

He was on school vacation and visiting family during my short stay but I was able to visit them to check up on him, he told Africa Check.

Jake is also enrolled in an extracurricular programme at his school to help him with his English, maths and drawing. The Ghana Education Services in the Eastern Region District will continue to monitor his progress in working relationship with Homeland Africa and his family. he added.

Source: Linda Ikejis blog
The use of the social media to entice and abuse unsuspecting and gullible girls has again reared its ugly head, following the kidnap of a 16-year old girl, Victory (surname withheld), in Edo state, by a man she befriended through the social media.

The 24-year old kidnap suspect, Michael Duda, was paraded in Benin, by the Edo State Police Command on Thursday, alongside 104 suspects arrested for various crimes, ranging from kidnapping, rape, armed robbery and cultism at the headquarters of the Edo Police Command.

Micheal, an OND graduate of Business Administration from the Federal Polytechnic Auchi, said he got to know Victory whom he met on Facebook, after she accepted his friends request.

He said as their friendship grew stronger, he decided to invite her to his house which she accepted.

He however denied that he abducted her against her wish, adding that both of them planned her kidnap to raise money.

The teenage kidnap victim who admitted that they became friend through Facebook, said Micheal invited her to come to his house, which she obliged.

She said getting there, Michael abducted her and kept her for four days, raped her and also demanded for N4 million for her release.

On Thursday, at Ebike village, Ogheghe, bypass, Benin City, Michael, deceived me by inviting me to his house and when I got there, he told me we should plan kidnapping so that I should stay in his house.

I met Michael on Facebook last month through a friend request he sent me which I accepted.

I spent four days in his house. He made a call to my father and asked him to pay the sum of N4 million into his own account. He forced me into sleeping with him, she narrated.

Michael however denied demanding for N4 million ransom, saying that he demanded for just N2 million.

I live at Ekae community, off Sapele road. She came to my house. We planned to collect money from her father to raise money for our marriage but I did not collect the money again. She stayed in my house for four days.

I couldnt tell the father I want to marry his daughter. She said her father would not support the idea because she was yet to go to the university. She was with me for four days. The man said he has no money to pay. I was at home with the girl when police came and arrested me.

Elder sister of Victory, who gave her name as Rodha, said her sister was sexually abused before the police rescued her.

On the alleged plans by the two lovebirds to get married, she said: My sister is 16 years old and has never slept outside before. She told me they met on Facebook and the boy professed love for her. When she went to the house, she said the boy hatched the plan and said he would collect N10,000 from our father but the boy demanded for N4 million.

He will lock her inside the house and called us, threatening that he will kill her if we did not pay. He took advantage of my sisters condition.

She told me the boy is 21 and a student, but she later saw that it was a lie. We took her for treatment after the rescue.

Also paraded were three suspects that allegedly killed Prof. Paul Otasowie, of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in the University of Benin.

Late Prof. Otasowie was killed on October 4 at his residence at Evbuotubu area in Egor local government area.

The suspects whose names were given as Osaze Oghogho, Best Ogumode and Happy Okoro, said they never intended to kill Prof. Otasowie but to collect his car and used it for armed robbery.

They said he was mistakenly shot when he rushed at Osaze who was holding the gun.

According to Osaze, We decided to go for street robbery when we saw a vehicle driving out, so we decided to collect the car. I asked the man to give me the car keys but he threw the keys away. I shot into the air. As I was loading another bullet, the man attacked me and during the struggle, the gun exploded.

The State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, who parraded the suspects to journalists, called on the members of the public to furnish the police with useful information that could lead to the arrest of all criminal elements in the state.

He said the command is ever ready to partner relevant bodies in the state to get rid of crimes and criminality in the state, adding that the suspects would soon be charged to court.

He listed items recovered from criminals within three weeks to include five AK 47 rifles, military weapons, 33 cut-to-size guns, motorcycles, 90 live AK 47 ammunition, 234 live cartridges, assorted vehicles and the sum of N1.2 million.
If there were any standards for what audition should be, the Miss Nigeria 2017 auditions trumped them.

Held in three cities  Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Lagos  over a one-week period, the process was an all-encompassing one that catered to both the physical and mental needs of the contestants.

From personal photography sessions from Studio 24 using cool photo props, there were also monopoly games and passion project activities to keep the ladies entertained. Refreshments were also served.

The three-tier process for the 2017 auditions began at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on November 7th, with an impressive turn out of contestants from the Northern region who show edup for a chance to become the next queen.

George Okoro (photographer and Lifestyle Magazine publisher), Adama Indimi (CEO Reign by Adama Lashes), Ogugua Okonkwo (CEO Style Temple) and Andy Ogbechei (Creative Director, A-Squared Network) were the guest judges at this phase of the auditions, accompanied by Enyinne Owunwanne (CEO, Times Multimedia  organisers of the Miss Nigeria pageant).

Following a successful process in Abuja, the team converged in Port Harcourt on Thursday November 9th to receive contestants from the South-South/South-East region at the Echelon Heights Hotel. It was quite an excellent turnout with hundreds of young ladies vying for a chance to become Miss Nigeria 2017.

This time, Andy Ogbechei (Creative Director, A-Squared Network) and Enyinne Owunwanne (CEO, Times Multimedia  organisers of the Miss Nigeria pageant) were joined by 2 former contestants from Miss Nigeria 2016  Anna Terna (Miss Benue) and Bozimo Blessing Ebi (Miss Borno) as guest judges.

The week-long process was capped off with a two-day bout of the finest and most intelligent ladies in the South-West region auditioning for a chance to be the next queen at the Times Multimedia Lagos headquarters.

The 37 semi-finalists will be announced in a special Instagram Live Session next week with the grand finale set for Thursday December 21st 2017 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The 2017 edition marks the 60th anniversary of the Miss Nigeria pageant which began in 1957 and the organisers have reiterated their commitment to empowering Nigerias young women beyond beauty.

CEO Times Multimedia, Enyinne Owunwanne, said this is a commitment that 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.

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.

source: Dailypost
The South Bureau Recovery Team has declared a Nigerian man wanted for alleged identity theft in California.

A 52-year-old Nigerian man identified as Joseph Omaghomi a.k.a (Jesse Green) has been declared wanted with a cash reward placed on his head by the South Bureau Recovery Team, Los Angeles, California.

Mr Omaghomi, is wanted on charges of identity theft, felony evading and resisting arrest as his last known locations are said to be in California and Nigeria.

South Bureau Recovery Team posted and wrote on Facebook: CA$H REWARD for information leading to the arrest of: Joseph Omaghomi (AKA Jesse Green)

ID#: 1695090 D.O.B.: 02/18/1965 Age: 52

Last Known Location(s): Highland, CA; Redlands , CA; Nigeria

Charge(s): Identity Theft; Felony Evading; Resisting Arrest

Call with info for Reward: 951-218-7799.
Billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans, has told the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja that the last time he was fed by the Nigerian Prison authority was 3 days ago.



According to Saharareporters, Evans and the other five accused persons made the complaint during the continuation of their trial before Justice Hakeem Oshodi on Friday, November 17, 2017?

Immediately Evans was brought into the courtroom, himself and the other accomplices began agitating about their feeding condition in prison custody.

According to him, the prison authorities deprived him of change of clothes, food, and water since Wednesday.

This is unfair, I have not been given food and change of clothes. I was not given the opportunity to bathe since Wednesday.

I am seriously hungry now. They locked us in one place, no food and no water to bathe. The last time we were fed was when a wife of one of us brought food he lamented.

Evans counsel Olukoya Ogungbeje, and Mr. Adubas lawyer, Emmanuel Ochai, also attested to the fact that their clients are being starved. Mr. Ogungbeje sought permission to go buy food for his clients, pleading that only a living person can stand trial.

Mr. Ogungbeje said;

apart from being starved my lord, they are locked up in solitary confinement with no access to anybody. If this continues, they may not be in the right frame of mind to continue the trial.

Having listened to the reactions, the presiding judge ordered the prosecutor, Ms. Titilayo Shittay-Bey, to investigate the accusation.
Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Babangida Aliyi has continued his trial for mismanagement of funds during his term as governor in the northern state.

Babangida Aliyu, former Niger governor, was on Thursday arraigned before a Federal High Court in Minna on charge of money laundering.

The ex-governor was arraigned alongside a former Commissioner of Environment, Umar Nasko, on 8-count charge of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

The offences are contrary to section 18(a) of the money laundering Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15(3) of same Act.

The two, accused of laundering ecological funds of over N1.94bn released by the Federal Government to the state in 2014, both pleaded not guilty.

The EFCC prosecutor, Ben Ikani, thereafter prayed the court to remand the accused persons in prison and adjourn the matter for commencement of hearing.

Ikani urged the court to refuse the accused persons bail given the seriousness of their offence and the magnitude of the punishment.

Counsel to the first and second defendants, Olajide Ayodele (SAN) and Mamman Osuman (SAN), however, prayed the court to use its discretion to admit their clients to bail.

They both argued that if granted bail, the accused persons will provide reasonable sureties to stand for them.

In her ruling, the presiding judge, Yellim Bogoro, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N250m each and two sureties, one of whom must be a civil servant not less than the level of a director.

Bogoro also ordered them to surrender their international passports to the court registry. She gave them 48 hours to fulfil their bail conditions.

The judge adjourned the matter till January 22, 2018 for hearing.
There was unrest and confusion in pain the early hours of Thursday at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, as displaced residents of Otodo Gbame, a slum in the Lekki area of Lagos State, were allegedly attacked by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command.

It was learnt that in the ensuing confusion, some women and children sustained varying degrees of injury as the operatives, including officials of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, arrested 158 protesters.

It was also gathered that the group thronged the office of the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Wednesday, saying the government had yet to resettle them since their houses were demolished in 2016.

They had lamented that despite compiling a list of 30,000 residents affected by the demolition, they had yet to get any feedback from the government.

The residents, who carried placards, mats and leaves, had insisted that they would not leave the governors office until Ambode addressed them.

The states Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Relations, Oluseye Oladejo, had appealed to the protesters, saying the state government was working on the list and would soon get back to them.

The protesters put their mats at the frontage of the governors office and refused to vacate the premises.

It was learnt that around 12.26am on Thursday, while the protesters had slept, the policemen swooped on them.

The community woman leader, Mrs. Bimbo Osobe, described the scene as terrible.

She said, When we first got to Alausa, we were attacked by policemen who used tear gas on us. Later, we were addressed by some of the government officials. We told them we would like our governor to address us since we have got series of unfulfilled promises from government officials. They left and told us that they were going back to give the governor our message. We waited and decided to sleep.

At about 12am, the streetlights were switched off. We sat in the darkness, singing Christian songs. At about 12.20am, policemen came in three Black Marias. They chased and beat us. They arrested both men and women. Then one of them said they should leave the women. A pregnant woman was arrested alongside five other women.

After we were thrown out of Alausa, the policemen came after us till we got to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and crossed to the other side of the road. We were there until it started raining around 2am. We stood inside the rain with our children as we had no alternative.

Osobe said by 8am, she attempted to lead the women, who were over 100, back to the scene to recover some of their property, adding that they saw some policemen barricading the road.

She explained that the leader of the police team, one Ahmed, ordered that the operatives should open fire on them if they came closer.

She said, I approached him and begged that we had only come for our childrens clothes, first aid box and cameras. He told the policemen to fire us if we came an inch closer. To avert any bloodshed, I asked the women to go back.

Osobe said since the demolition occured, most residents had no place of abode, adding that they squatted under bridges and slept in vehicles.

A member of a non-governmental organisation, Shawn Samuel, posted photos of people who got injured during the attack on Facebook.

Samuel said some of the displaced residents were beaten by task force operatives because there was no media coverage at the time.

He said, The Lagos State Government couldnt do anything to these people during the day because they didnt want to tarnish their reputation, seeing different media houses (were) covering the protest. They planned for the night when they knew everyone wasnt watching.

God, help the people of Otodo Gbame; all they ever wanted was their land that was unlawfully taken. They never attacked anybody; they sang and clapped in this peaceful protest; children were laughing, jumping and feeling happy. Yet, they were treated as if they werent human beings. Is Lagos for the rich only? We farm for you, fish for you, protect you, clothe you and you want us out?

Samuel, who later spoke with our correspondent, said all those arrested had been taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.

He said the number of those injured during the attack was unknown, adding that about 500 people were at the scene of the protest.

The community had taken the government to court because they were not served before the demolition occurred. The court ordered in June 2017 that Otodo Gbame should be resettled. That was all they were asking for before the unfortunate attack, he added.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper)
A Nigerian man has landed in serious trouble after allegedly kidnapping his Facebook girlfriend and demanding N4 million for her release.

A 16-year old girl, Victory (surnamea withheld) has tasted the ugly side of social media after she was reportedly kidnapped by her Facebook lover in Edo state, by a man she met on Facebook.

In a report by PM News, the 24-year old kidnap suspect, Michael Duda, was paraded in Benin, by the Edo State Police Command on Thursday, alongside 104 suspects arrested for various crimes, ranging from kidnapping, rape, armed robbery and cultism at the headquarters of the Edo Police Command.

Micheal, an OND graduate of Business Administration from the Federal Polytechnic Auchi, said he got to know Victory whom he met on Facebook, after she accepteda his friends request.

He said as their friendship grew stronger, he decided to invite her to his house which she accepted.

He however denied that he abducted her against her wish, adding that both of them planned her kidnap to raise money.

The teenage kidnap victim who admitted that they became friend through Facebook, said Micheal invited her to come to his house, which she obliged.

She said getting there, Michael abducted her and kept her for four days, sexually assaulted her and also demanded for N4 million for her release.

On Thursday, at Ebike village, Ogheghe, bypass, Benin City, Michael, deceived me by inviting me to his house and when I got there, he told me we should plan kidnapping so that I should stay in his house.

I met Michael on Facebook last month through a friend request he sent me which I accepted.

I spent four days in his house. He made a call to my father and asked him to pay the sum of N4 million into his own account. He forced me into sleeping with him, she narrated.

Michael however denied demanding for N4 million ransom, saying that he demanded for just N2 million.

I live at Ekae community, off Sapele road. She came to my house. We planned to collect money from her father to raise money for our marriage but I did not collect the money again. She stayed in my house for four days.

I couldnt tell the father I want to marry his daughter. She said her father would not support the idea because she was yet to go to the university. She was with me for four days. The man said he has no money to pay. I was at home with the girl when police came and arrested me.

Elder sister of Victory, who gave her name as Rodha, said her sister was sexually abused before the police rescued her.

On the alleged plans by the two lovebirds to get married, she said: My sister is 16 years old and has never slept outside before. She told me they met on Facebook and the boy professed love for her. When she went to the house, she said the boy hatched the plan and said he would collect N10,000 from our father but the boy demanded for N4 million.

He will lock her inside the house and called us, threatening that he will kill her if we did not pay. He took advantage of my sisters condition.

She told me the boy is 21 and a student, but she later saw that it was a lie. We took her for treatment after the rescue.

The State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, who paraded the suspects to journalists, called on the members of the public to furnish the police with useful information that could lead to the arrest of all criminal elements in the state.

He said the command is ever ready to partner relevant bodies in the state to get rid of crimes and criminality in the state, adding that the suspects would soon be charged to court.
The U.S. is seeking a new era for Zimbabwe, the State Departments top official for Africa said, implicitly calling on long-time President Robert Mugabe to step aside as a political crisis mounts.

In an interview with Reuters, acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Donald Yamamoto appeared to dismiss the idea of Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years, remaining in a transitional or ceremonial role.

Its a transition to a new era for Zimbabwe, thats really what were hoping for, Yamamoto said.

Zimbabwes army seized power on Wednesday, in an apparent effort to prevent Mugabe, 93, from handing power to his wife.

He has not resigned or been formally deposed, however, and he was pictured on Thursday shaking hands with the military chief, Constantino Chiwenga.

Yamamoto, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with African Union officials at the State Department in Washington, described the situation in Zimbabwe as very fluid.

He said the U.S. would discuss lifting multiple U.S. sanctions on Zimbabwe if it began enacting political and economic reforms.

In a message for Zimbabwes political leaders, he said: Our position has always been that if they engage in the constitutional reforms, economic and political reforms, and move forward to protecting political space and the human rights, then we can start the dialogue on lifting sanctions.

The U.S. has not given aid to Zimbabwes government for many years, but provides development aid to nongovernmental groups, particularly for healthcare.

Now whether we give to the government, that depends on what happens in Zimbabwe.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to meet on Friday in Washington with 37 African foreign ministers.

Source : (Reuters/NAN)
An aide has confirmed that the ousted Zimbabwes former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was sacked last week which later triggered the military takeover, has returned to the country.

The aide who pleaded anonmity said Yes, he is back,, adding that Mnangagwa, who is a potential successor to President Robert Mugabe, had returned on Thursday.

Source: ( AFP )
A new trend in medical facilities will make its debut in the Midstate this spring.

In August, the Upper Allen Township commissioners conditionally approved a final subdivision/land development plan for the Mechanicsburg Microhospital at South Market Street and Gettysburg Pike. Plans were submitted by NXT Harrisburg LLC of Addison, Texas, parent company of Nutex Health, which will operate the medical facility.

The planned development is the current site of Maggies Italian Ice and Custard and a nearby private home. NXT Harrisburg is in the process of purchasing and consolidating the two commercial-zone properties into a 2.93-acre lot for a new 19,722-square-foot freestanding emergency medical facility and a 3,983-square foot building suitable for leased office space, according to meeting minutes. Developers say the medical facility is expected to create around 50 jobs.

The land purchase will be finalized after developers acquire necessary permits, project engineer John Murphy, of Alpha Consulting Engineers, said this week. A developers news release forwarded by Murphy said a groundbreaking is anticipated in spring 2018 if Pennsylvania Department of Health credentialing is attained. An opening date for the facility hasnt been determined.

The trend

Microhospitals differ from general hospitals that offer a wide variety of care within one building. Instead, mircohospitals are designed for a specific, limited range of care. With local hospital emergency departments commonly leaving patients stranded in the waiting room for hours, there clearly is a demand for efficient emergency and observation care, the developers statement reads.

"Mircohospitals are small, independent facilities that can be compared to large hospitals but at a fraction of the size," explained Antoinette Kraus, executive director of Pennsylvania Health Access Center. "They combine emergency care, primary care and inpatient care. It offers more services than urgent care, with surgical and inpatient options, but often offers fewer services than a full-scale community hospital. They are typically small with around 10 beds."

"Hypothetically, microhospitals may offer more coordinated care at lower costs than a large community hospital. It also is less expensive to build and maintain a microhospital," Kraus added.

According to beckershospitalreview.com, most microhospitals are acute care hospitals that meet all federal and state licensing and regulatory requirements. They focus on treating low-acuity patients and providing ambulatory and emergency services, leaving more complex surgeries and service lines for their larger counterparts. They also have fewer beds.

The Mechanicsburg Microhospital is expected to operate with the full capability of a standard emergency department and observation unit, including emergency procedures, CT scans, bedside emergency ultrasound, X-rays and a full clinical laboratory.

This will be the first facility of its kind in this area, Murphy said.

Kraus said that other microhospitals besides the Mechanicsburg facility are opening across the state, including one underway in Lancaster.

"I think the question is, does this make sense for the community? There are more rural, underserved communities that could benefit from a microhospital. How do we address primary care shortages in the area?" Kraus said.

Nutex Health is a consortium of licensed 24/7 stand-alone emergency facilities and hospitals with care provided by board-certified physician teams. For now, all operational Nutex facilities are based in Texas, but a map on the companys website indicates that future are planned in 16 states besides Pennsylvania. Murphy said he doesnt know why Nutex officials selected the Mechanicsburg area as a microhospital site but, They look a certain parameters to determine this.

Maggies moving

Developers plans also state that the Maggies Italian Ice building at 147 Gettysburg Pike and the neighboring farmhouse will be demolished to accommodate the new structures. The properties have been under the ownership of the Estate of Marlin E. Eberly and Richard J. Eberly for a number of years.

The Maggies site was leased to proprietors Chuck and Debbie Sterling, who said last week that they are moving their business to an existing strip mall at West Trindle and State roads in Silver Spring Township.

The new Maggies is slated to open in spring 2018, offering customers all the usual favorites. Although the new location wont have drive-through service, it will offer an indoor dining area. The previous location didnt have indoor dining provisions.

Id like to thank our customers who have stayed loyal customers for all these years, Debbie Sterling said. Well only be three miles away in our new location, so we hope to have all of our old customers and some new customers. Were really excited.
Clark Storage LLC received initial zoning approval on Tuesday to build a self-storage facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa. With a unanimous vote, the planning commission agreed to rezone 8-plus acres for the 500-unit project that would be located near the northwest corner of S. 35th Street and U.S. Highway 275, according to the source.

Prior to the vote, company owner Henry Clark told commissioners the area needs more storage. He also addressed some of their concerns, assuring them the propertys lights wont shine onto nearby houses and that it will have security measures including a gated entrance and video cameras. The site will also contain a retention pond for drainage.

Clark hasnt asked for any tax-increment financing from the city, and claims the property will bring in more taxes than the lands current use.

To move forward, the project needs a conditional-use permit from the Council Bluffs Zoning Board of Adjustment. If approved, itll go before the city council.

Family-owned Clark Storage operates two facilities in Glenwood and two in Shenandoah, Iowa.
A Georgia accountant has been arrested for scamming death benefits from insurance companies.



Earle Turner Sr., 57, has been charged with 19 counts of insurance fraud, 11 counts of identity fraud and one count of theft by deception, according to Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens. Turner allegedly falsified multiple life insurance applications, fraudulently collecting more than $11,000 in death benefits.



Celebrate excellence in insurance. Join us at the Insurance Business Awards in Chicago.



Apprehending this suspect is a victory for all Georgia consumers, Hudgens said. Insurance fraud results in higher costs for us all.



The Georgia Department of Insurance said that in May, Mutual of Omaha sent word that it suspected Turner of fraudulent activity. The company said that it discovered three life insurance policies in its system naming Turner as beneficiary. When Mutual of Omaha contacted the policyholders, each said they hadnt even applied for life insurance through the company  nor had they authorized Turner to do so on their behalf.



After a six-month investigation, the Department of Insurance found that Turner had taken out life insurance policies on 19 elderly people without their knowledge or approval. He received more than $11,000 in payouts on death benefits from five of the policies. Authorities said that Turner used personal information he got by preparing his victims taxes in order to open the policies.



We have found no evidence that this suspect has an insurable interest in any of these individuals, Deputy Insurance Commissioner Jay Florence said. Fortunately, our investigators stopped this scheme before more policies were submitted without the consumers knowledge.



If convicted, Turner faces up to 10 years in prison.


H.W. Kaufman Group and Burns & Wilcox have promoted numerous executives across the groups operations in North America.



The executive leadership promotions were announced during the annual 2017 Kaufman Leadership Meeting. Twenty-two (22) insurance experts across 15 locations in Canada and the US were promoted during the event.



Celebrate excellence in insurance. Join us at the Insurance Business Awards in Chicago.



The promotions announced during the dinner event include:

Matthew O. Brady was promoted from Vice President, Regional Product Director to Vice President, Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox (Dallas/Ft. Worth)

Taylor J. Smith was promoted from Director, Corporate Development to Associate Vice President, Corporate Development, H.W. Kaufman Group (Detroit/Farmington Hills, Mich.)

Rebecca L. Roberts was promoted from Managing Director to Associate Vice President and Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox (Indianapolis)

Matthew Swaby was promoted from Associate Managing Director to Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox (Philadelphia)

Stacy M. Bandy was promoted from Associate Managing Director to Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox Brokerage (San Francisco)

Berri M. Willis was promoted from Underwriting Director, Commercial Insurance to Regional Underwriting Director, Commercial Insurance, Burns & Wilcox (Morehead City, N.C.)

Kip Ulmer was promoted from Underwriting Manager to Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox (New Orleans)

Richard E. Strattan was promoted from Product Manager to Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox (Houston)

Bryant Steele was promoted from Manager, Commercial Insurance to Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox (Chicago, Ill. and Milwaukee, Wis.)

Adrian Smith was promoted from Senior Broker to Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox Brokerage (Chicago)

Nick M. Freeman was promoted from Broker to Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox Brokerage (Dallas)

Dennis A. Fox was promoted from Broker to Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox Brokerage (Los Angeles)

Lindsay C. Doyle was promoted from Underwriting Manager to Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox (Houston)

D. Carson was promoted from Product Director to Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox (Dallas/Ft. Worth)

William R. Briscoe was promoted from Senior Underwriter to Associate Managing Director (Birmingham, Ala. and Oxford, Miss.)

Kelly E. Viviano was promoted from Senior Manager, Marketing to Director, Corporate Communications, Marketing, H.W. Kaufman Group (Detroit/Farmington Hills, Mich.)

Justin P. Sadaphal was promoted from Manager, Operations & Sales to Director, Operations, Burns & Wilcox Canada (Toronto)

Cain Webber was promoted from Underwriter, Commercial Insurance to Underwriting Manager, Commercial Insurance, Burns & Wilcox (New Orleans)

Michael J. Muglia was promoted from Senior Underwriter, Professional Liability to Underwriting Manager, Professional Liability, Center of Excellence, Burns & Wilcox (Detroit/Farmington Hills, Mich.)

Brandon R. Hunter was promoted from Senior Underwriter, Commercial Insurance to Underwriting Manager, Commercial Insurance, Burns & Wilcox (Indianapolis)

Tom Carvalho was promoted from Underwriter, Personal Insurance, Burns & Wilcox (San Francisco) to Senior Underwriter, Burns & Wilcox (San Francisco) and Underwriting Manager, Burns & Wilcox (San Diego)

Albert Reed was promoted from Underwriter, Personal Insurance to Senior Underwriter, Personal Insurance, Burns & Wilcox (San Francisco)
Where does a decade in one of the best-known commercials take you...
Palomar Specialty Insurance is expanding its residential earthquake insurance product, Flex Choice, into more states.The insurer is now offering the product in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Utah.Flex Choice is a product that allows consumers to secure earth coverage specific to their individual needs. It offers a variety of coverage alternatives and deductible options for homeowners.The earthquake insurance product is distributed through independent agents and wholesale brokers with access to the Palomar Automated Submission System (PASS), a release said.Palomar is committed to bringing innovative catastrophe insurance products to all markets where perils exist and there is a need, said Palomar president and chairman Mac Armstrong. Flex Choice is the latest example of such innovation; it allows agents to offer unprecedented bespoke coverage options to their customers via an intuitive and streamlined platform.In March, Palomar Specialty Insurance partnered with California-based Prospect General Insurance to provide a flood coverage product marketed as an affordable alternative to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).The flood insurance product includes dwelling coverage up to $5 million and personal property coverage up to $1 million.
Traditional underwriting models rely on the analysis of historical data to help forecast future risk, generate a fair expectation of loss and set adequate pricing.But theres a limit to what historical data can do  especially in fast emerging and rapidly evolving markets like cyber insurance.A new company launched from stealth on Thursday with the notion of redesigning [cyber] insurance and empowering organizations and brokers to confront todays dynamic risk landscape.California-based At-Bay was founded by Rotem Iram (CEO) and has a team of cyber security experts at its core. The company positions itself as an insurance company for the digital age that has redesigned the risk organization to meet the intrinsic qualities of cyber risk.We founded At-Bay with the belief that controlling for cyber risk enables businesses to embrace technology and unlock great value to customers, said Iram. We match deep insights on a companys IT security with financial exposure that cyberattack vectors create, to enable insurance brokers and risk managers to more clearly and accurately assess and manage cyber risk.Our cybersecurity experts understand the limitations of analysis of historical data. We leverage deep data collection, discovery and enrichment technology to enable our security experts to augment our model with heuristics on expected future cyber risk.The cyber insurance policy should not be the beginning and end of client engagement, according to Iram. Continuous cyber risk evolution requires a new approach, he said, where insurers constantly underwrite and reassess risk in an active risk management program.At-Bays approach of actively managing risk throughout the lifetime of a policy is a meaningful differentiator in the cyber insurance market, Iram told Insurance Business.  Cyber risk is so volatile and transient that it requires constant attention, and companies need the ability to deliver insight and adapt pricing and policy wording quickly and efficiently.The company has partnered with The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (HSB), part of Munich Re , to bring its new product to market. Iram described the partnership as a very exciting prospect between two companies with likeminded [and] innovative DNA. He pitched At-Bays cyber product as the steam boiler of the 21st century, which requires engineers and specialists to redesign a risk model based on the intrinsic qualities of cyber risk.For brokers, At-Bay offers a digital platform which combines its insurance product with risk insights to help brokers foster a more insightful conversation with their clients, including security and financial exposure, case studies and benchmark data.At-Bay has closed a $6 million seed funding round, led by LightSpeed Venture Partners, with the participation of Shlomo Kramer and LocalGlobe.
Cyberattacks cost companies, on average, US$3.8 million, according to XL Catlin . But another massive hit  one that is more difficult to quantify in dollar value  is to a companys reputation.John Coletti, chief underwriting officer for cyber and technology at XL Catlin, said reputational harm from a cyber breach is a very real concern for companies. However, he added, consumer opinion about breaches has changed in recent times.Reputational losses are a big concern for our clients, he noted. Theyre recognizing pretty quickly that if they lose their clients data, they lose their clients confidence. Clients arent going to want to work with them if they cant keep their data safe.Companies are concerned, and they want to do everything they can to safeguard data, and, if they dont, theyre worried about the reputational loss associated with that.XL Catlin policies cover the cost of hiring a public relations firm to triage the situation, to try to minimize and manage the fallout from a breach, and to attempt to retain some consumer trust.But while loss of trust is certainly an issue, corporate reputations do not seem to take as much of a hammering as one might expect, Coletti said.There has been, he said, some breach fatigue among consumers.I think we, as consumers, have actually kind of gotten used to the fact that our information is going to be breached at some point  and I dont think the reputational damage is as damaging as we [at XL Catlin] initially anticipated, he explained.I think theres a bit of breach fatigue. When the first [major headline-worthy] breaches occurred, like Target, it was very shocking  and everyone thought, individually, it was going to have more of an impact on them. Everyone was signing up for credit monitoring. Now, we get some of the stats after the more recent breaches on what percentage of people are following through and signing up for the credit monitoring, and its in the single digits.The breach notification costs are still expensive, for the insurer and the insured, and the forensics companies still rack up fees, but its just not that shocking any more, Coletti said. Its still damaging, its just not as shocking.Nevertheless, breach fatigue or not, companies are also better prepared to weather the attacks they face.The companies who are most prepared, with the best security, and with the best crisis management protocols in place, are the companies that come out the other side from a breach incident the best, Coletti said.If you respond better, youre less likely to be sued by regulators. We definitely have seen that, first hand, he said. And responding is really about preparation  knowing who is going to do what, who is involved, what is the CEO going to say. It really is a big deal, and we offer some services that help an insured prepare for a breach, not just respond to one.We have seen companies spending more money and dedicating more resources to their security systems. The technology has gotten better, [and] theyre better at segmenting their systems, about putting layers of security around their critical assets.Finally, too, it seems businesses are finally waking up to the fact that everyone is vulnerable to these attacks. The it wont happen to me attitude seems to be finally shifting, and that is good for business in all senses, Coletti said.Companies have acknowledged the fact they will get breached, he explained. So its just about making the most critical assets the hardest ones to get at. And then, even if something does happen, they have plans in place to respond.
Lloyds Corporation is the latest in a string of top insurance firms to cast-off investments in coal-heavy businesses amid concerns about climate change.The Corporation has announced that its implementing a coal exclusion policy as part of its responsible investment strategy for the Central Fund.The Lloyds coal exclusion policy will come into effect in April next year and it will apply to assets held in segregated portfolios. These account for around 75% of Central Fund investments.A precise definition of what constitutes a coal company will be set by Lloyds over the next few months, as will the companys criteria for divestment and exclusion.Lloyds Corporation joins the likes of Zurich Insurance AXA and Allianz in the divestment of coal-related investment. Swiss Re is also expected to release an action plan regarding coal.According to the Unfriend Coal campaign, 15 insurers with a total of over US$4 trillion in assets covered by coal divestment decisions are planning to change their coal-related policies in the near future. The industry has already pulled out a total of US$20 billion in the past two years.Peter Bosshard, coordinator of Unfriend Coal, commented: Coal needs to become uninsurable. If insurers cease to cover the numerous natural, technical, commercial and political risks of coal projects, new coal mines and power plants cannot be built and existing operations will have to shut down.This environmental call-to-arms comes several months after Greenpeace called on several major insurers to take action on fossil fuels.
Even as the Trump administration tries to find ways around the Affordable Care Act, the Internal Revenue Service has finally begun to enforce one of its most controversial rules: the employer mandate.Thousands of businesses may soon hear from the IRS that they owe penalties because they didnt offer their employees qualifying health insurance. The first batch of notices is headed to companies with at least 100 full-time employees.Large companies  those with 50 or more workers, according to government reckoning  are required to offer their employees affordable health insurance. The alternative  at least in theory  was paying stiff tax penalties, according to a New York Times report. But the IRS has held off on assessing those penalties so far, saying it needed more time to build its compliance systems. But now, apparently, the honeymoon is over.As the IRS has publicly stated, the agency is obligated to enforce the Affordable Care Acts employer shared responsibility provision, IRS spokesman Bruce Friedland told the Times.In his very first executive order, President Donald Trump directed government agencies to waive, defer or delay enforcing as much of the ACA as possible, the Times reported. Many agencies, however, find themselves legally compelled to enforce it. The Treasury said this week that it will have to enforce the letter of the law even though it objects to the employee mandate.Treasury lawyers see no ground for the secretary to direct the IRS not to collect the tax, the department said in a statement. The ACAs employer mandate unfortunately remains the law of the land.
In his November 22 budget statement, Hammond could announce a cut in the VAT registration threshold for businesses as part of his VAT plans, which was recommended by the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) in a recent report.

Drastically reducing the UKs VAT registration threshold for small businesses  which stands at an unusually high 85,000 ($111,000)  would be unpopular but it would raise 2 billion per year for the UK if it is dropped to 25,000.

The high UK threshold relieves the administrative burden of VAT compliance for small businesses, said David McDonnell, VAT director at MHA MacIntyre Hudson. It also creates very real net savings in not having to charge and account for VAT on income.

One of findings of a review by the OTS was that, perhaps unsurprisingly, there are a large number of business bunched just below the VAT registration threshold, with a significant fall off in businesses trading just above the threshold, he added.

Lowering or eradicating the VAT threshold could increase revenues for the government, but also complicate business practices. Conversely, by significantly increasing the threshold, doing business would become easier, but government revenues may suffer.

In the challenging pre-Brexit environment they may decide to keep the status quo, for now at least, said McDonnell. But the issue is now firmly on the agenda and we shouldnt be surprised if the chancellor acts quickly to shake things up.

The chancellor is shouldering extraordinary political, fiscal, media and economic pressure as the UK battles with a budget deficit the government had promised to eliminate years ago, monumental changes to its finances and tax system from Brexit, and a customs system which is unprepared to trade with the EU as a third country.

I cant remember  ever  a chancellor being under this much pressure so many rocks, so many hard places, said George Bull, senior tax partner at RSM UK. He might just go for broke.

One senior government official told UK newspaper The Sunday Times: This budget has got to be big, its got to be powerful, its got to be revolutionary, adding that people are very clear that it is basically the last chance for Hammond.

However, Hammond has a reputation for being cautious, both politically and fiscally, and after being roundly criticised from all angles for his spring budget he is reticent and may be reluctant to make major changes.

Hammond backed the Brexit campaign to remain in the EU, so if he loses his job following a budget perceived as poor  and it almost certainly will be portrayed as so in the media  a Brexit-backing colleague could take his place. Many fear this would jeopardise the economy further.

Further VAT changes  split payment method

The chancellor is likely to announce a new measure, or at least the results of a consultation, aimed at establishing alternative methods of collecting VAT on goods bought from online companies such as Amazon and eBay.

The UK revenue authority, HMRC, could be empowered to extract VAT directly from transactions at the point of purchase, assuming that the sales price on the marketplaces includes VAT. Under this method, banks or the marketplaces themselves would withhold the cash on HMRCs behalf.

In this situation, the UK government will automatically collect VAT from [such companies] on the assumption that they should be paying VAT, said Brad Ashton, an indirect tax partner at RSM.

Likely corporate tax changes

The budget is likely to be fairly quiet on corporate tax. Hammonds predecessor, George Osborne, had publicly expressed his desire to lower the UKs corporate tax rate  which stood at 30% just 10 years ago  to 15%, and the rate is currently 19% and scheduled to fall to 17% in 2020.

While the UK corporate tax receipts have reached record levels despite the falling rates  many argue that the two are linked, others attribute the increase to the BEPS project  Hammond will want public finances on a solid footing ahead of Brexit and is unlikely to cut corporate tax further. The rate is already competitive, as within the EU only Ireland and Hungary having lower rates.

Trouble in paradise for personal income tax?

One area where we can expect to hear Hammond talking tough is on tax avoidance. The Paradise Papers, released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists on November 5, have angered many members of the public as it appears that the wealthy  or the 1%  are paying less tax than they should.

Almost all of the activity revealed in the Paradise Papers is, of course, legal. But dont expect this to stop Hammond condemning such practices in strong terms to ensure he appears strong on the issue.

He is facing political pressure from opponents such as Labour MP Margaret Hodge, former chair of the UK Public Accounts Committee, who said Hammond should use the budget to compel our overseas territories and crown dependencies to publish public registers showing us who owns what and where.

The Paradise Papers showed us that the problems created by secrecy are much bigger and more complex than we ever thought possible, she added. Thats why we need to legislate for transparency in our tax havens.

Its unlikely that hell make significant changes to legislation in this area, though, but we can reasonably expect some movement on rules governing payments and benefits made from offshore trusts intended for UK-resident individuals in some situations. On the whole, most legal practices evident in the Paradise Papers will remain legal.

The top 1% are paying approximately 27.1% of all income tax, however the perception is theyre getting away with low taxes, said Gary Heynes, head of the private client practice at RSM in the UK. Most people are already caught by existing rules  the exception is non-doms.

Theres enough legislation around offshore, he added.

More likely to be announced in the budget are changes to employee business expenses, for which the government called for evidence in the spring budget 2017. Employer-provided accommodation will likely be subject to a call for evidence as no rules were changed in the spring following an announcement in the previous autumn budget 2016.

Also likely to be announced, or released are an examination, is legislation on partnership taxation, rent-a-room relief, and rules to address fraud on labour provision in the construction sector. Measures against disguised remuneration-avoidance schemes are also likely following a number of high-profile cases, such as the Rangers judgment.

The gig economy and the Taylor Review

Another area of personal taxation where its possible the government will make changes is national insurance contributions for the self-employed.

The Taylor Review, released in July, suggested big changes to the UK tax system to ensure that it keeps pace with modern working practices  i.e. the gig economy  and recommended that digital tools for the self-employed and gig economy businesses be included in HMRCs Making Tax Digital programme and, more drastically, overhauling the tax system to influence behaviours and address the hidden economy.

Its doubtful that the Treasury, grappling with hundreds of Brexit-related tasks, has had time to come up with a meaningful plan in this regard, but Hammond could set the ball rolling.

The potential for tax changes is high in next weeks budget, but the question is whether Hammond will deliver or disappoint.
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An Bord Pleanala has overturned a decision to grant planning permission for a new hotel on the site of a popular Dublin nightclub.

The planning appeals authority has reversed a decision by Dublin City Council to approve the demolition of two buildings on Lower Mount St  which housed the Howl at the Moon nightclub  to make way for a 53-bedroom boutique hotel.

The decision to refuse planning permission for the six-storey development represents a major setback for the son of one of the countrys best-known developers, Paddy McKillen.

The property was bought by Paddy McKillen Jnr and his business partner Matt Ryan, via their Dale Vision development company for a reported 3.2m, last year.

It is one of the few new hotel projects in the capital, where there has been an acute shortage of tourist accommodation, that has failed to secure planning approval.

The original approval for the project was appealed by a number of parties including the German ambassador Matthias Hopfner, although he subsequently withdrew his objection to the plans.

The appellants claimed the development involved the unnecessary demolition of two fine, viable and historic buildings.

However, Dublin City Council said the development would have provided significantly greater vibrancy and footfall onto Lower Mount St.

An Taisce had opposed the proposed demolition of the buildings as they were located in a Georgian conservation area and formed part of the best preserved core of Georgian Dublin.

The Department of Culture and Heritage claimed the proposed hotel, if built, would introduce a visually jarring element into a largely intact part of this historic streetscape.
by Stephen Cadogan

With another year of significant export growth looking likely  against the odds, it must be said  our emboldened food industry has taken on a very ambitious target: namely, expanding on our 1% foodhold in the $51 billion (44bn) Japanese food and drink import market, and on our bridgehead of about 5% in the $22 billion (19bn) South Korea market.

Representatives from about 25 Irish companies were led by Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, and Bord Bia chief executive Tara McCarthy this week on the trade mission to the Far East.

The Irish group has been well received at events hosted by leaders in the Japanese food and drinks industries, and the group will go on to the Republic of Korea today.

Just how ambitious a project this trade mission is was not underestimated by the team, with Anne Barrington, Irelands Ambassador in Japan, saying that we are pushing an open door, but the profile of Ireland in Japan is generally low.

Minister Creed admitted it is a long term project, but said we want to create a vision and identity of Ireland as the Food Island, and if you can achieve that objective in Japan, you are most of the way to capturing the rest of the Asian food market, which looks up to Japan as its trendsetter.

But the omens are quite promising  with our sales to Japan totalling 56 million in 2016, having jumped 45% in one year. Almost 40% is meat, mostly pigmeat and beef offals such as tongue. Dairy is standing 18 million, and seafood has risen significantly in the past ten years, to account for 16% of Irelands today food and drink in Japan, and worth 16 million, dominated by Mackerel exports.

Indeed, Ambassador Barrington said that seafood in showing the way in getting on the shelves in Japanese stores, building on a reputation for quality and sustainability.

Our 41m trade to Korea has expanded four-fold since 2010, with seafood again the star, at 40% of value of our shipments, and pigmeat important also.

Tara McCarthy of Bord Bia also said the mission is a long term project, starting with this weeks full immersion of Bord Bias food and drink client, following Bord Bias work to-date which highlighted the need for a tailored approach to these markets.

Bord Bia chairman Michael Carey said that this weeks trip is a learning journey, and Minister Creed warned that Japanese buyers are meticulous about their standards, and punish those who do not meet them.

But one of our reasons for our food industry turning to these faraway shores is also one of our selling points.

Minister Creed referred to Irelands 40% dependence on the UK market for food and drink exports, ahead of the Brexit threat, but at the same time he instructed company representatives on the trade mission to stress that, regardless of how Brexit turns out, we cannot over-emphasise in our dealings with Japan and Korea that Ireland remains fully committed to the EU, and thus offers itself as the only English-speaking country in the EU after Brexit goes ahead.

The time is also opportune for this weeks trade mission, so that Irish exporters are ready to take advantage when the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement kicks in in 2019.

This free trade deal will give EU exporters easier access to the Japanese market.

Japan will scrap tariffs on 90% of European Union exports in this deal.

Progress is hoped for this week in developing positive relationships with Japanese and South Korean buyers, regulators and political counterparts; negotiations to gain beef access to the market in South Korea; to build on our beef trade to Japan, rated the worlds third biggest beef importer; and negotiation to open the sheep meat market in Japan for Ireland.

The prize at stake is bigger even than the food industry, with Ambassador Barrington saying that Ireland becoming an established food and drink name in Japan will also help our tourism, and our foreign direct investment and jobs drives.
By Cormac O'Keeffe

Video footage and images have emerged showing the moment three people were arrested by elite police units in Amsterdam as part of an international operation targeting the Kinahan crime cartel.

Dutch police carried out a controlled stop of a vehicle the three men were travelling in.

Armed police officers, many of them masked, handcuffed and blindfolded the men before placing them in separate police vehicles and bringing them away for questioning.

Eight people in all - three Irish, four Dutch and one Belgian - were arrested in the Netherlands.

The three Irish men include a man aged in his 50s, from Dublin's south inner city, considered a major importer and money man for the cartel.

The other two are from Limerick, one of whom is a serious drug supplier and has been previously hit by the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Dutch police seized 175 tonnes of drugs, a computer generating bitcoins and two vacuum-packed bags containing cash.

It was part of an Irish-Dutch operation which resulted in seizures in Ireland and the arrest of five people.

You can view the footage here.
Ill cut to the chase: I think Roy Moore did it. And I can predict what Moore supporters will say: Of course you would believe that!

After all, I called for conservatives to repudiate Moore, the Alabama Republican candidate for the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions, before the Washington Posts meticulously reported story alleging that Moore dated teenagers and, in one instance, molested a 14 year-old-girl. So naturally I would exploit this politically timed smear to ruin a good man.

Thats the nature of the Moore defense Im hearing, not just from folks on Twitter and via email, but from prominent politicos and pundits. Its all just a hoax perpetrated by people who dont want to Make America Great Again.

I would say its a terrible argument, but calling it an argument is too generous. Heres Breitbart honcho Steven Bannon on Thursday:

The Bezos-Amazon-Washington Post that dropped that dime on Donald Trump, Bannon told a New Hampshire audience, is the same Bezos-Amazon-Washington Post that dropped the dime this afternoon on Judge Roy Moore. Now is that a coincidence?

This is typical of Bannons demagogic style. Because the Post is allegedly out to get Moore, not only can we not believe what the Post reports, we dont have to credit what any of the people talking to the Post on the record actually said. Its a kind of motivated reasoning that lets audiences connect dots and reach conclusions unsupported by the facts.

Bannon uses lots of adjectival nouns  Bezos-Amazon Washington Post!  to insinuate a nefarious conspiracy that everyone is supposed to know about. He appeals to intellectual vanity and insecurity: Surely you dont believe this is a coincidence! This is a classic example of the paranoid style, inferring evil intentions from objective facts.

The most telling detail is Bannons claim that the Post dropped a dime on Trump with the Access Hollywood tape. Translation: Theyre snitches!

But heres the thing: Snitches may or may not be bad people, but what makes people hate snitches is that they tell the truth. A snitch, by definition, is an informer, not a liar.

And the one fact Bannon leaves out of his innuendo-drenched word salad is that the Access Hollywood story was actually, you know, true. Trump said what he said  on tape  in his own words! Whether he was lying when he talked about sexually assaulting women is a different question altogether. The Post didnt make anything up then, and I dont think its making anything up now.

That said, Im entirely open to the idea that the Post is out to get Moore. But reporters motives arent nearly as important as people think. The Post was surely out to get Richard Nixon during Watergate; that doesnt change the fact that Nixon was guilty. During the Monica Lewinsky scandal, many people were out to get Bill Clinton (me included), but that doesnt mean he didnt have an affair with an intern and lie about it under oath. The motivations of truth-tellers cannot turn the truth into a lie.

Both the Posts reporting and victims testimony are persuasive for reasons widely discussed. But theres one point no one has made: If these women were willing to lie, why not go all in and say they were raped, or insist Moore wouldnt take no for an answer? In for a penny, in for a pound, after all.

But perhaps most damning are Moores creepy denials. When Fox News host Sean Hannity asked, almost begged, Moore to deny the allegations categorically, Moore was evasive, lawyerly and weird. If someone asked me if I ever dated teenagers when I was in my 30s, my reply would be absolutely not. It wouldnt be it would have been out of my customary behavior. When asked if he remembered dating teenagers, Moore answered, Not generally, no. At one point, with barely restrained pique, he insisted, I dont remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother.

Thats an odd thing to say if you never dated teenagers.

Moore and his defenders are counting on the fact that his supporters dont want the allegations to be true. And, shamefully for all concerned, its working.
Mafia 'boss of bosses' Salvatore 'Toto' Riina has died while serving multiple life sentences, according to Italian media.

The justice ministry on Thursday had allowed his family a bedside visit at a hospital in Parma shortly before his death. The reports said he died aged 87 on Friday morning but the government had no immediate comment.

He had been placed in a medically induced coma after his health deteriorated following two recent surgeries.

Riina, one of Sicily's most notorious Mafia bosses, was serving 26 life sentences for murder convictions as a powerful Cosa Nostra boss.

He was captured in Palermo, Sicily's capital, in 1993 and imprisoned under a law that requires strict security for top mobsters, including isolation in prison and limited time outside their cells.

Prosecutors accused Riina of masterminding a strategy, carried out over several years, to assassinate Italian prosecutors, police officials and others who were going after Cosa Nostra.

The bloodbath campaign ultimately backfired on Cosa Nostra, as after bombs killed Italy's two leading anti-Mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two months apart in 1992, the state stepped up its crackdown on Sicily's Mafiosi.

Riina was captured in a Palermo flat six months after Mr Borsellino and his police escorts were killed by a car bomb.

A native of Corleone, a Sicilian hill and Mafia stronghold, he steadfastly refused to collaborate with law enforcement after his capture.

Riina was incarcerated at a Milan prison before he was admitted to hospital.

In July, a court denied a request by Riina's family to transfer the convicted mobster to house arrest because of his ailing health.

AP
Update 9.49am: Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe has appeared in public for the first time since a military takeover at a university graduation ceremony.

Clad in academic gown and hat, Mr Mugabe walked slowly in a procession on a red carpet to a podium as a marching band played.

Several thousand graduates of the Zimbabwe Open University and guests stood as Mr Mugabe and other dignitaries entered a tent set up for the event.

Once on the podium, Mr Mugabe joined the crowd in singing Zimbabwe's national anthem.

He announced the opening of the graduation ceremony, and the crowd applauded.

Mr Mugabe's presidential security detail was present at the event on the outskirts of Harare.

Earlier: Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe has been speaking with the countrys military chief - the day after the army seized power.

It is reported the 93-year-old insists he remains the countrys only legitimate ruler and is refusing to quit.

Zimbabwes military is continuing talks for his departure while it pursues those who were close to the leader and his wife.

Zimbabwe state media reported this morning a military statement saying talks with Mugabe "on the way forward" are ongoing.

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces said "significant progress has been made in their operation to weed out criminals around President Mugabe," adding that they had arrested some although others were still at large.

The statement said Zimbabwes military is "currently engaging with the Commander-in-Chief President Robert Mugabe on the way forward and will advise the nation of the outcome as soon as possible".

The state Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation television aired a similar report in its early morning bulletin.

Zimbabwes former finance minister, Tendai Biti, has said that Mr Mugabe does not deserve to carry on.

"89% of our people are living in extreme poverty. 95% of our people are unemployed," Mr Biti said.

"So I think if I were President Mugabe its time to give the people of Zimbabwe a chance so that they can start fresh."
The Irish Examiner has learned some British traces are carried out on behalf of Tusla by adoption support agency PAC-UK. The fee, however, is to be borne by the person tracing their relatives and not Tusla.

An email sent by a Tusla social worker last month to an adopted person seeking information explained how the system operates.

[PAC-UK] will undertake a search of the UK for us in Tusla at a cost payable by service user of 210, says the email. You pay this directly to them and then we complete the forms for the search to begin, with whatever information we have. Any information they find, will only be past [sic] to Tusla to follow up on, and then if I make contact with your Birth Mother obviously I let you know what she said, re contact.

The social worker explained that the reason why the information was returned to Tusla and not to the adopted person paying for the service was because PAC-UK cannot work directly with you as an Irish citizen under Irish adoption law but they can work interagency, as there is an agreement with the Adoption Authority here.

Adoption Authority of Ireland chief executive Patricia Carey told the Irish Examiner it was unaware that adopted people were being informed by Tusla of any fees to be paid in relation to tracing.

She said there was no agreement with her group in relation to the service.

We were not aware  at any level  that Tusla was charging any fees either directly or as an intermediary for information and tracing services and they are not advertised on their website, said Ms Casey. The Adoption Authority should be aware if Tusla are charging a fee or passing on a fee for part of an information and tracing service. We should be aware of that. However, their fees do not have to be approved by the Adoption Authority, unlike other accredited agencies.

In a statement, Tusla said its ability to search in Britain is hampered by its lack of access to the UKs General Register Office. It also said it was not charging the fee but was merely informing adopted people of fees charged by other agencies.

Where Tusla believes that a relative being traced is in the UK, the Agency exhausts every avenue available to it to establish the likelihood of this, Tusla said in a statement. The person who is seeking their relative is then advised of services available to them in the UK and can decide whether they wish to continue tracing via these services.

They are advised of fees which are charged by the service, not by Tusla. Where people are not in a position to pay the fees, Tusla advocates for them and in some cases we have succeeded in having services provided on a pro bono basis.
Officers said international drug suppliers in Colombia, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium increasingly believe that doing business with the cartel is too high-risk because of the police heat they are attracting.

The 13 arrests included eight Irish men, at least five of them serious members, the most significant a long-time drug importer and money man, aged in his 50s, from the Ringsend part of Dublins south inner city.

He and two men from Limerick, one considered a significant drug importer, were also arrested in operations in the Netherlands.

They were arrested along with four Dutch nationals and one Dutch-Belgian national thought to have been involved in the supply to the Kinahan grouping.

Two men from north Dublin, trusted members of the cartel, were arrested in relation to a massive drugs haul in Meath and Dublin.

These five Irish men are thought to be responsible for both the importation of, and payment for, the consignment.

Drugs valued at 7.3m were seized from units south of Ashbourne, Co Meath, and nearby The Ward in north Dublin in a planned search by the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

This comprised:

314kg of cannabis herb, worth around 6.3m;

100kg of cannabis resin, worth about 600,000;

6kg-8kg of cocaine, worth 420,000 to 560,000.

Two men, from Kinsealy and Clonshaugh, north Dublin, aged 31 and 37, were arrested. Sources said they were known to gardai and were trusted associates of the Kinahan cartel.

In the south inner city, as part of an ongoing operation codenamed Thistle targeting lower-to-mid-ranking cartel associates, detectives seized an estimated 3.5kg of drugs, thought to be heroin and/or cocaine.

Depending on test results, they could be valued between 250,000 and 500,000.

Some 25,000 worth of heroin was seized in a property in Kilmainham, along with 6,000 in cash and three imitation firearms.

Three men were arrested in those searches.

Police in the Netherlands seized 175kg of cannabis herb, cannabis resin, cocaine, and cannabis oil, which, using Garda estimates, are worth 3m.

Vacuum-packed cash, computers, encrypted phones, and bitcoin currency were also seized from safes in two apartments, one of which had 13 bolts on a reinforced metal door.

Assistant Garda Commissioner John ODriscoll, who is head of special crime operations, was in the Netherlands to help co-ordinate investigations.

Europol, the EU police agency, assisted in the operation and Mr ODriscoll visited its headquarters in the Hague.

The operation is the latest in a series of actions against the Kinahan cartel, including a succession of drugs and guns hauls. There have been up to 40 Garda operations preventing assassination attempts on members of the rival Hutch faction, resulting in arrests and charges.

On top of that, numerous cartel associates have been charged in relation to some of the eight murders linked to the cartel in Ireland since February 2016.

We are tackling the cartel like any criminal organisation, said a senior source.

We treat it like a pyramid. We start at the bottom and work our way up.

The source said the cartel is now losing its workforce.

They are running out of people to do their work  with the numbers in custody, the numbers charged, or abroad, he said.

They will need to get a new cohort of people, but they will need people they can trust and who are someway capable.

The source said drug suppliers from the likes of Colombia, Netherlands, or Spain were increasingly wary of doing business with the cartel because of the heat they were attracting from law enforcement in Europe.

Will they do work with the cartel when they see the damage that is being done? The risk is too high, he said, adding that they will be seen as vulnerable.
Jonathan Heaphy, who has 144 convictions for crimes including drugs offences, threatening behaviour, and theft, has written a letter from Cork Prison. He was sent there in May 2016 after receiving a seven-year sentence, with three suspended, for money-laundering offences.

In the letter, seen by the Irish Examiner, Heaphy said he has had four operations in the last eight years to remove brain tumours.

In September this year, I got a partial amount of my tumour removed to then find out in late October that the other bit of the tumour that is left in my brain is fully cancerous, he wrote.

I am now at stage 3. The cancer that I have is incurable.

Within the next two years, my cancer will move up to stage four leaving me with 18-24 months to live.

Heaphy said he is being held in a prison cell terminally ill with a serious weight loss impact, several seizures per day.

He is due to start tablet chemotherapy on Monday.

Its not guaranteed that this is going to work out for me, he said. I need to get home to my family to get as much love and care that I can as it can be the end of the road for me at any stage. I dont want my final days to be in a prison away from my wife, two young kids and family.

He asked for people to support him and try to understand the heartbreak that my family and I feel.

Heaphys wife Jennifer told TV3 News: We just want him home.

We thought all along it was a benign tumour, but unfortunately its not. Its stage three.

His mother Helen said: I know hes a bad past, Im not going to deny that. We just need to have him home. Prison is not the place for him with brain cancer.

Asked whether he was liable to return to crime if released, Helen said: Hes not going to come back to us, being as sick as what he is, and go back out dealing drugs... He has a past. So does everyone else.

In his letter, Heaphy also said his criminal past is behind him.

I have absolutely no intentions of going back to old ways or reoffending, he wrote.

I deserve a second chance in life. I have a past which I now leave behind and will not look back.

The Heaphy family plan to protest at Cork Prison for his release, as well as the gates of Leinster House.
Dermot Kavanagh said Eileen Gleeson, director of the Dublin Region Homelessness Executive, seemed to be almost suggesting that people, if they are homeless, its in some way their own fault.

First of all, there are a lot of people who become homeless simply as an aspect of poverty, said Mr Kavanagh, adding that homelessness itself is an extremely traumatic experience.

But there are a lot of people who become homeless because they have had difficulties in their lives and have experienced huge levels of trauma in their childhood, such as abuse, neglect, family breakdown, addiction in the family.

And theyve maybe developed addictions themselves and that influenced their pathway into homelessness.

Mr Kavanagh said he was very shocked by Ms Gleesons comments, which were made before a Dublin City Council policing committee earlier this week. He said he would hate if they led people to believe that there are deserving and undeserving categories of homelessness.

Everybody is absolutely deserving. A right to a home is fundamental to having a level playing field in society. You havent a hope of making your way in life if you dont have the very basics of a place to live in. And very often if youve had traumatic experiences which you had no control over when you were growing up, surely you deserve health and support to overcome those, said Mr Kavanagh.

In relation to Ms Gleesons comment that homeless people can be quite happy to continue with the chaotic lifestyle they have, Mr Kavanagh said: I dont really buy that one.

He said in his experience, not very many homeless people choose to sleep out, that their decision to live on the street may be influenced by fears of the shelter system, psychiatric issues, trauma-related issues.

He added: But I wouldnt say that there are people who enjoy the lifestyle. Its where they are at. Its about what feels safest for them at that time. And our approach would be to engage with people like that and have alternatives that they feel are safe and adequate.

Mr Kavanagh said he half agreed with Ms Gleesons comment that a cup of soup is not helpful if you are homeless. She was referring to volunteer groups who give out free food and clothing.

I kind of would agree with the view that when you are providing those very basic forms of help that that should be a means to get people to link in at a greater level with the supports and services that are available.

For instance, Cork Simons soup run is a way of engaging with people and linking them in with the services, he said.

In relation to giving money to homeless people, he said there are different views across the homeless sector but that he is very reluctant to criticise anyone who sees somebody in poverty and distress asking for money, and who decides to give it.

Thats just a relatively natural instinct, he said.

Cork Simons annual report for 2016, published recently, showed record numbers accessing its emergency shelter at Andersons Quay.
The massive investment has also slashed the landmark 128-year-old Cork office blocks energy consumption by almost a third, and combined with new environmental programmes, has helped create a zero waste to landfill office campus.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney is expected to visit the office in the Ladys Well area of Blackpool later to officially unveil its modern new look.

The landmark Malt House building at Leitrim St was built in 1889 by James J Murphy and was converted into Heineken Irelands head office in 1992. But the company said a quarter of a century on, it needed substantial upgrades and modernisation.

A spokesperson said the upgrade works were undertaken with the vision of providing a vibrant, state-of-the-art and collaborative space for its 200-plus staff while staying true to the companys rich past. The work, she said, also adhered to the companys commitment to sustainability through its brewing a better world strategy.

Following months of work involving local contractors and suppliers, a vast new open-plan office space has been created. Several break-out areas have been introduced with funky seats and tables. A centrally controlled heating system and a state-of-the-art smart lighting system, which maximises natural light, have been installed. Combined, they will decrease energy consumption in the office by 30%.

The introduction of a new waste management system and an employee education programme  staff were given plastic water bottles and ceramic cups  has eliminated their use plastic and disposal coffee cups. Meanwhile, the old office equipment and furniture were donated to 13 local charities.

Heineken Irelands managing director, Maggie Timoney, congratulated everyone involved in delivering the refurbishment and said it has brought their staff closer together: We set out to provide an inspiring and innovative work environment for current and future Heineken Ireland employees. With a brewing heritage that goes back 161 years, we are proud to be part of Corks rich heritage. Our new look home is the perfect symbol of who we are, combining the best of our past with the bright ambition of our future.

Mr Coveney congratulated the company for its investment in their historically important head office and brewery in Cork: Heineken is a valued employer and economic contributor in the region and I wish them every success in the future and the continuation of their proud tradition in Cork.

Heineken Ireland has a 161-year brewing heritage in Cork and the Ladys Well Brewery is home to some of Irelands top drinks brands including Heineken, Orchard Thieves, Tiger, Coors Light, Fosters, Beamish and Murphys Stout.
My, my, politics in the age of Trump can be baffling.

President Donald Trump, a man who loves to bully and threaten, may actually have done a huge favor to one of his favorite scapegoats  undocumented immigrants  by threatening to deport them.

Specifically, he threw out the possibility that 800,000 young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as minors may have to be deported. That has forced some of his fellow Republicans to muster some courage.

For 16 years, Republicans in Congress have rejected some version of the DREAM Act, which would let undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as kids remain here legally as long as they meet certain requirements. There is no good reason why such legal relief should have been denied these young people, who call themselves Dreamers after the legislation. There has been only a bad reason: politics  the politics of divisiveness and prejudice that has been the calling card of the hard-right GOP and of Trump himself.

But as Trumps public image curdles, more moderate Republicans have found a voice. Listen to Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri. It would be totally unreasonable to make the Dreamers go back and live in a country that they didnt grow up in, he told reporters. And we want to have all the talent and capability we can have in the United States.

In that short comment, Blunt articulated a just and pragmatic view. It would be ludicrous to sever ties with these young people, many of whom are either pursuing college degrees or are serving in our military.

Blunt added that the U.S. should offer a route to full citizenship for the young people, and that perhaps language to that effect should be included in the spending bill that must pass by Dec. 8.

In many conservative circles  and Blunt is a conservative  thats amnesty talk, and amnesty is anathema.

In September, Trump announced that he would end the five-year-old program begun under President Obama that gave a temporary reprieve from the threat of deportation to some of these young adults. Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program by executive order because Congress had stalled for so long.

DACA was not designed to be, nor could it be, a permanent fix. Thats the job of Congress, a point that Republicans rightly point out.

But the outlines and intent behind DACA are unimpeachable. Americans understand the fundamental injustice of expelling people who were raised as Americans, and who came here through no choice of their own, and forcing them to live in a foreign country. Thoughtful conservatives who stymied the DREAM Act and lamented DACA must know they havent been on the side of the angels.

So it is ironic that it is the moral reprobate at the head of their party who may push them to do the right thing.

In the meantime, the Dreamers have been their own best advocates.

This week they showed up at Congressional offices, protesting for action. More than a dozen were arrested at the Hart Senate Building. Nothing could be more American than that.

The Dreamers have studied the Constitution and civil rights history alongside their U.S.-born schoolmates. Theyve grown up here, believing in the promise of opportunity our nation holds for all who are willing to work hard, to those who stay within the law. They want to be Americans, and only a legal technicality prevents this dream from being realized.

Republicans have always known this, especially the brave handful who have stalwartly supported legislative relief for the Dreamers, such as Sen. John McCain.

Trump, by contrast, has swung like a weather vane on their status, his attitude changing according to personal whim or political advantage. Like so many other politicians before him, Trump has used them. When he needs to sound benevolent, hell cast a kind word or two their way. When he wants to rile his base or distress his liberal opponents, he bundles the Dreamers in with all the rest of the bad hombres.

Some observers have speculated that, if pushed, Trump will do that right thing on the Dreamers. Maybe, but if so he will need cover. Alone, a President Trump will not continue the DACA program concocted by his perceived arch-nemesis, Obama.

Its long been understood that a coalition of uneasy bedfellows would be necessary to resolve the plight of the Dreamers.

It would be rich if the president who used their tenuous legal tie to the U.S. to get elected, in the end, became the force under which their status was finally and permanently resolved.
Judge Sean O Donnabhain asked the jury at lunchtime yesterday if additional time for deliberation would be of any use for them. The jury foreperson replied that further time would not help.

Acknowledging this deadlock the judge instructed them to write disagree on the issue paper. The judge added: Dont worry about it, you did your best.

The issue in the case was whether the death of the 81-year-old was caused by the careless driving.

Glenn Howard, aged 34, of Leesdale, Model Farm Rd, Cork, pleaded not guilty to careless driving causing the death of John Dermody, a front seat passenger in another car on the M8 at Ballybeg, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, on October 13, 2015. Alice Fawsett, defending, said on behalf of the accused: There is no issue about driving, there is no denial that it was careless driving, the issue is whether his careless driving caused the death.

Pathologist Margot Bolster confirmed the deceased had been taking Warfarin, an anti-coagulant prescribed for him because of a risk of stroke. The pathologist said this medication would make an injured party more vulnerable to bleeding.

Dr Bolster said the deceased had some long-standing medical conditions prior to the accident.

Ms Fawsett said: The issue is whether the injuries in the accident contributed in a real way to his death.

Siobhan Lankford, prosecuting, told the jury: The prosecution says the defendant has to take the person who is injured as he finds him. The people in the silver Kia were not 21/22. You might feel sorry for the accused, that he crashed into a car where the occupants were not in the best of health but that is the reality.

You are not being asked was it the full cause but did it contribute to it in more than a minimal way?

The jury had Dr Bolsters conclusions summarised by the judge in his closing address at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday, as stating that the cause of death was pneumonia associated with heart disease complicated by head injury due to road traffic collision.

The case was adjourned for mention in February.
Health Minister Simon Harris warned bosses of nursing homes to end the fees, telling them that they need to fix the problem or Ill fix it.

He said facilities cannot continue to force unexpected costs on vulnerable older people.

In recent months, it has emerged that a number of nursing homes across the country have been asking residents to pay for services they were previously told were free.

While nursing homes have said that they are seeking to reduce the use of the hidden charges, a number of facilities have declined to cancel them and others have noted increased costs mean some of the fees will have to remain.

Speaking to reporters at the Nursing Homes Ireland conference yesterday, Mr Harris said that if the situation does not end now, he may consider imposing regulations or potential funding cuts to force them.

Id like to fix this in association with nursing homes, but they need to fix the problem or Ill fix it, said Mr Harris.

We cant have a situation, and nobody wants a situation, where there are hidden charges. I welcome the fact Nursing Homes Ireland shares that view. I want to see real and quick progress on this and if we dont I will examine the options open to me.

Asked what specific actions he may take if the hidden charges continue, Mr Harris said: I genuinely believe we can make great progress through collaboration, but lets remember, the State is the biggest purchaser of nursing home beds.

That gives the State great leverage  be it regulation, be it through legislation in terms of the Fair Deal scheme in terms of how it operates, or be it through payment from the National Treatment Purchase Fund.

I do keep all of those levers at my disposal and I wont be afraid to use them if needs be.

While it is still in its early stages, the issue may be addressed in some form through the HSEs 2018 budget  known as its service plan  due to be given to Mr Harris in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Mr Harris has defended potential plans to ask older people to pay to receive certain home care supports in the future.

Asked about the plans, which are likely to be introduced within two years, he said while they will lead to extra costs for people, no existing service will be affected and the potential policy is designed to ensure people can remain in their homes.

At the moment, the State recognises you need long-term care but the only option for long-term care is in a nursing home, he said.

We should have another way, another route, and yes, that would involve co-payments.

Im not talking about people paying for the home help they have in their home today, not at all.

Im talking about when people are assessed as being eligible for Fair Deal having an option instead of taking Fair Deal in a nursing home.
An actor has joined TDs in making complaints about party national executive member Barry Walsh, who called women stupid and bitches and is facing possible suspension from Fine Gael.

Mr Varadkar criticised the abusive tweets, which Fine Gael Dublin Bay South TD Kate OConnell formally complained about to party chiefs.

Details of her complaints, obtained by the Irish Examiner, say Mr Walsh engaged online in nasty and downright abusive behaviour.

Ms OConnell says several members of the parliamentary party have been subject to abuse from him, including her and Social Affairs Minister Regina Doherty.

She said she wanted disciplinary action taken against him.

The Irish Examiner understands actor and comedian Tara Flynn has also made a complaint to Fine Gael.

Tara Flynn

A tweet that has caused anger was one Mr Walsh posted about the actor, who had an abortion.

He wrote: From what Tara Flynn says, she was pregnant and just couldnt be bothered having a baby. So she had it killed. Why is she a feminist hero?

In other tweets, he called women bitches and stupid.

The issue was raised this week by Ms OConnell at Fine Gaels weekly meeting in Leinster House, where a five-page dossier of the offensive tweets was distributed to members.

Fine Gaels national executive will meet in the coming weeks and discuss the complaints. These could be referred to an internal disciplinary committee. Party sources said due process must take place. Several calls to Mr Walsh were not returned this week.

However, Mr Varadkar intervened last night, saying: Mr Walshs use of language is not acceptable to me as party leader. A disciplinary process is now in train and will be completed swiftly in accordance with the party rules. All debate should be conducted in a respectful manner at party meetings, in the media and on social media. Party officers have a particular responsibility to set the standard in that regard.

Ms Doherty described some of the online comments as bile, claiming they had gone on for quite a considerable time.

She told RTE: The reason why we are so exercised over and above the normal run-of- the-mill stuff which you see on Twitter... is because this chap is sitting at a table with 15 or 16 others making decisions on behalf of the party that I go out and serve every single day and do my best to portray in as best a light as we can. As a women and a mother, I cannot accept it.
Party members are gathering in Dublins RDS from today for their Ard Fheis where motions on the Eight Amendment, healthcare, climate change, and the possibility of Sinn Fein entering government will all be debated and voted upon.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams speech will be televised tomorrow night and he is expected to indicate in the speech when he will step down from his position .

During the partys think-in last September Mr Adams said the Sinn Fein were finalising a 10-year plan and the intention was to unveil this during the Ard Fheis.

A motion set down by the party Ard Chomhairle outlines the possibility of going into a coalition after any general election here, marking a significant policy shift .

The motion recognises the significant electoral and political progress made by Sinn Fein in recent years and goes on to note the commitment and ambition to implement Sinn Fein polices in government, North and South.

It outlines the plan to work towards becoming the largest party across the island of Ireland but leaves open the possibility of doing a deal with other parties in order to enter government here.

This Ard Fheis reaffirms that any decision regarding Sinn Feins entry into a coalition government in the 26 Counties will be made by a Special Ard Fheis, convened for that purpose, and will be based on the partys ability to secure a progressive, Republican programme for government, the motion to be voted on tonight states.

Speaking at the launch of Sinn Feins Ard Fheis clar earlier this week, party finance spokesman Pearse Doherty confirmed that this could provide the opportunity to become a junior partner in any future government

A separate motion, which will be debated tomorrow, asks that Sinn Fein members be allowed to articulate and vote on the issue of abortion according to their conscience.

Sinn Fein are currently campaigning as a party for repeal of the Eight Amendment.
WHEN Taste headlined the Isle of Wight rock festival in August 1970, the Irish band were at the height of their powers.

It was one of our final shows, remembers drummer, John Wilson. We had no money. Our equipment had been stolen the night before  I had to play with bits and pieces of borrowed kit. But we did not look like guys who did not like each other.

Anyone watching the celebrated live recording of the performance  clips of which are available for perusal on YouTube  will be in little doubt they are witnessing something special. With his shaggy hair and intense expression, frontman Rory Gallagher resembles a rock god fallen to earth; to his side Wilson and bassist Richard McCracken are all sound and elemental fury. Its an old- school, head-banging tour de force.

The Isle of Wight should have marked Tastes coronation as one of the great blues outfits of the era. Certainly, at the time they were seen as potential rivals to Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton. Within months, however, Taste had broken up, with Gallagher going on to a long solo career halted by his death in 1995 at age 47. But there are those who maintain that he did his best work during the Taste years.

In Taste, Rory was able to do whatever he wanted, says Wilson, who argues that the Cork blues legend never fulfilled his potential after the break up of his first ensemble. When we split he became Rory the frontman  Rory the artiste. That wasnt him.

Gallagher was shy and ill-suited to the egotistical elements of rock. With Wilson and McCracken at his back, he had the support he required. Going solo jarred with his temperament. He never wanted to be the centre of attention. That position, he felt, was reserved for the music.

When he set out on his own he had to put on a show, just like everyone else. He had a big lighting rig  because that is what was expected. He had to do the same routine every night. The pressure on Rory to be Rory was extreme  it was never like that with Taste. Out on his own, it had to be the Rory Gallagher show.

Wilson returns to Cork next week to pay tribute to his late friend. John Wilsons Taste, featuring Sam Davidson on lead guitar and Alan Niblock on bass, will perform material from Gallaghers days as a band leader  though the drummer cautions these wont be note-by-note covers.

Instead, the musicians will draw on their jazz backgrounds and put a modern, improvised stamp on the music. Gallaghers solo material will however be off the agenda. It is a celebration of the guitarist as part of something bigger.

JAZZ IMPROV

Some would say this is an appropriate way to approach the songbook as Taste in many ways were a plugged-in jazz ensemble, says Wilson. Even at the zenith of their popularity there was no show-boating or playing to the crowd. Rewatching Isle of Wight you can see it is all about the performance  an approach that, as Wilson says, chimed with Gallaghers shy personality. He lived to play, with the other aspects of stardom sitting uncomfortably on his shoulders.

In Taste there wasnt a show  it was three guys playing music. You never got the same performance two nights running. It was about us being creative. After Taste, it became different for Rory.

Taste were formed by Gallagher Cork city in 1966. The line-up originally consisted of the guitarist, with the late Eric Kitteringham on bass, and Norman Damery on drums. A cult following in Belfast served as a bridgehead to the UK and, by the late-60s, they were established on the circuit there  and soon signed by Polydor Records.

Taste playing the Star-Club in Hamburg in 1969. Picture: K&K Ulf Kruger OHG/Redferns

Fans included Eric Clapton and Yardbirds leader Jeff Beck. Within the industry, the consensus was that they had the potential to be huge  a position that a spot opening for Claptons Cream at Hyde Park appeared to confirm.

Gallagher was always ambitious and it is often assumed that he broke up Taste because he wanted to go solo. The truth is both more prosaic and heartbreaking, by Wilsons telling. Far from splitting for the traditional creative reasons, the demise of Taste was due to the off-stage machinations  for which none of the ensemble can be held culpable.

Its the first thing everyone asks, says Wilson. Why did we break-up? Did we have a falling out? All of that kind of stuff.

When a band splits, its never pretty. The truth is that it was about money. We were told it was being invested. And we were all broke.

The band had many adventures prior to their dissolution amid wrangles about cash ( the big

problem: none had a penny to show for their toil).

One highlight, Wilson recalls, was being invited by Eric Clapton to tour the United States as

support to his Blind Faith supergroup.

That was one of the biggest tours of all time. The rumour was that Blind Faith had been paid a million up front. We were playing stadium and ice-rinks, to upwards of 20,000 people. None of us had ever seen anything like it. The whole thing was incredible.

They didnt quite receive the superstar treatment  but, seeing themselves as humble artisans, this didnt matter.

A lot of the crowd were still finding their seats when we were playing. But it was just amazing to be out there.

Taste got on with Clapton and his crew, Wilson recalls. But because of Gallaghers introverted

personality, they werent one big happy family on the road together.

We enjoyed being in America as much as anyone would. Rory enjoyed playing the gigs. He would have been happier playing a club to 300 people. That was just his personality.

He never opened up to people. He was only Rory Gallagher for two hours on stage. The rest of the time he was this entirely other person.
Hello old stock. Reggie Jnr. arrived in from college yesterday and announced that he is going to wear a dress. I said no problem old stock, as long as youre out on the piss with your rugby pals and its crystal clear that every last one of you is a heterosexual. He said, no, hes a woman going forward, and wants to be called Regina. Should I write him out of the will?  Reggie, Monkstown, he didnt get it from me.

Ive heard your son is charming and hilarious, Reggie. So its clear she didnt get anything from you. (Which is more than I can say for half the women in Passage West.)

My daughter went against our advice and married a non-entity from Carrigtwohill. (His father owns a garage and says grand job to everything.) Anyway, they are expecting my first grandchild, and there is no way Im going to allow the poor thing to be reared by sheep-worriers from East Cork. So, we have decided to buy them a house in the swish new Botanika development, close to Blackrock. Competition is fierce, do you have any bit of pull to get us on the list?  Monica, Blackrock, its a detached house or nothing, obviously.

It goes without saying. The Posh Cousin said people are already referring to semi-detached houses in Botanika as The Servants Quarters. I said, are you and Ken thinking of buying in there? She said no, because Botanika is the name of my Lithuanian, or is it Latvian, housekeeper. I said, awkward. She said, ya, it would just be confusing if word got around Ballintemple that Ken is planning to make a move on Botanika. I said nothing. (Open secret.)

Come here, do posh girls fake orgasms? I do be doing the business regularly with this one from Sundays Well, that I met on Tinder. She told me that Norry Dating is the new thing now for posh girls, so they can get it out of their system before marrying a Project Manager. Anyway, when it comes to orgasm time, shed a be shouting Conor Murray!! and This is better than skiing!!  Daycent Des, Blarney Street, my last girlfriend used to shout This do be better than Pearl River!

She sounds prawn crackers. This is a delicate area. Only last night, My Conor asked me if I had faked an orgasm in the past year. I said yes. He said, I didnt notice. I said, you werent there. He said thats so deceitful. I said there was a taxi waiting , the meter was running, and Marcos (or is it Paulos) place is in Ballincollig. He said that could rack up a fortune, in fairness. Say what you will about My Conor, but hes very practical when it comes to money.

Were delighted in Douglas to hear that Tramore Valley Park is about to open to the public. It will save us the drive out to Ballincollig park, which is full of people driving around in a Hyundai they cant afford (Imagine.) That said, Tramore Valley Park is just a stolen bike ride away from Ballyphehane. Unfortunately we cant put razor wire to keep out the Haaneys, because they all have Neil Prendeville on speed dial. How do you think we might make them stay at home?  Sorcha, Vice President of Douglas Road Moms Against Mixing With Kids Called Nathan. (DORMAMWIKICANA)

Snappy name. (If youre from Newtwopothouse.) Anyone looking for tips on excluding commoners should read my book, Sorry, No Norries (And Your Dad drives a Lorry.) It focuses on the positive aspects of Norryland, to encourage them to stay put. After all, the last thing you want is your Hugo sharing a slide with some Darren, in a pair of Tesco jeans. (Imagine.) Anyway, heres some ammunition. There is actually a sentence in my book, listing the positives of Ballyphehane. Look, at least its not Togher.

Howre oo goin on. I installed the WhatsApp recently to keep in touch with the daughter above in Dublin. Wasnt I messing with it last week wearing the wrong glasses, and between yourself and myself, Im after joining a WhatsApp group for swingers in Vienna. (By mistake, I hasten to add.) Anyway, long story short, six Austrian perverts are arriving into Cork airport tomorrow and are booked to come and stay with us here in the B&B. Im looking for a way to break the news to my wife, without suggesting she should put on a pair of strawberry-flavoured knickers and tell a strange Austrian man that she likes his Wiener Schnitzel. What might be the best coarse of action? Dan Paddy Andy, head out beyond Dunmanway until you see a man who could do with a haircut.

I think its time to play the Wild Atlantic Way card. That route from the airport will take your swingers through Kinsale. Id be amazed if they werent tied up there for quite some time, if you get my drift.
WINTER  the time of year that takes the biggest toll on our health. The weathers bad, the days short, bugs abound  yet right when we instinctively want to draw in and conserve energy, were expected to gear up for the big festive blow-out. Little wonder were beset by various health bugbears.

We ask four top doctors how to stay fit and healthy in the run-up to Christmas.

Dr Harry Barry, GP and author of the Flag series. His latest book is Anxiety and Panic  how to reshape your anxious mind and brain.

Problem: Tired all the time.

As a doctor, fatigues the commonest presenting symptom, across both physical and mental health. Its a core element of many illnesses  just Google fatigue and count the number linked with it.

If youre got persistent fatigue, start with a full physical work-up  significant errors can be made if everyone just assumes stress. Blood tests should check for clear signs of ill-health  anaemia, weight loss, bleeding from back passage, very heavy periods, diabetes, thyroid, excess or lack of iron, lack of B12. Check liver and kidney function.

If these are clear, look at sleep. The cardinal thing to watch out for is sleep apnoea  waking up continually through the night gasping for air. Youre not sleeping properly and your brains exhausted. Then look at stress. Do you have toxic stress? Are you tired but wired, constantly on edge but exhausted? Perhaps youve got mouth ulcers, cold sores or increased infections?

Absolute exhaustions a key depression symptom  dragging yourself out of bed, struggling to get through the day. Your moods low, youve no interest in food or life and you have negative thoughts.

General anxiety disorder is more subtle but also causes fatigue. The key sign is spending most of your time in constant foreboding that something terribles going to happen  worrying when no danger exists. You might be having nightmares, teeth grinding and irritable bowel symptoms.

What over-the-counter treatments do you recommend?

If tiredness is caused by stress, I recommend B complex vitamins and fish oils. Depression may require drugs, talk therapy or both.

Do you recommend vitamin supplements?

Apart from the above, the only vitamin Id recommend is pure Vitamin D if youre someone who doesnt get much sunlight.

What simple precautions can you take?

Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, some meat and fish. I strongly recommend avoiding fad diets  they can be very destructive because you miss out on key nutrients. And if youre not getting seven to eight hours a sleep a night, work out why. Whats causing the problem? Always re-assess your life to make sure youre getting your priorities right. If there are stressful areas in your life, ensure you sort it out.

When should you see a doctor?

If the fatigue persists, if its there for a week to 10 days though youre exercising, eating properly and getting enough sleep.

Do you have strong views on antibiotics?

Bacteria are becoming increasingly smarter at outwitting antibiotics. Lots of ordinary coughs and colds dont require anything beyond Paracetamol. If a persons running a very high temperature and has a septic throat, go to the GP to see if there are clinical indications for using antibiotics.

Whats your top tip?

My number one top tip is to exercise every day. If youre stressed, have general anxiety disorder or are depressed, you must do 30 minutes exercise every day, preferably something like a brisk walk. Exercise treats and prevents  itll go a long way towards preventing toxic stress and bouts of depression.

When were stressed, exercise burns off stress hormones (cortisol). It boosts endorphins and the dopamine and serotonin systems. Its good for the brains neurochemistry.

Dr Phil Kieran of RTE One series You Should Really See a Doctor and GP based on Washington Street, Cork.

Problem: coughs and colds.

Whats the latest research?

Theyre looking for a universal vaccine  if discovered, itd take a lot of the sick burden out of peoples lives. Theres always research too into what sorts of treatments are beneficial.

Recent studies of probiotics and vitamins in relation to prevention and treatment suggest there isnt huge benefit. Some big review trials for high-dose vitamin C found it might benefit people under high stress  soldiers training in Arctic conditions or people training for a marathon. Outside these two extremes, theres no benefit to taking high-dose vitamin C, or even garlic supplements, ginger and echinacea.

Its difficult for a doctor to say something doesnt work without putting something in its place, but these supplements can end up quite expensive.

What over-the-counter treatments do you recommend?

I often recommend a teaspoon of honey in warm milk, particularly at night going to bed. Its been shown to be as effective as most cough medicines, but a lot cheaper and natural.

Warm water with honey, lemon and ginger before bed can help soothe a cough too. Many problems at night are to do with dripping nose  you lie down and youre coughing. A saline nasal spray helps dry out the inside of the nose and has very few side-effects  do it an hour before bed.

I recommend rest, Paracetamol, fluids and maybe ibuprofen.

Do you recommend vitamin supplements?

I recommend many of my patients take vitamin D during winter. But if you have a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, there should be no reason for taking vitamins.

What simple precautions can you take?

Its nearly impossible to guarantee youll avoid getting coughs and colds. Theyre spread through droplets in the air. The mantra is catch it, bin it, kill it. Have tissues to catch the cough or sneeze. Then bin and wash your hands. If youre out and about, bring a small tube of alcohol gel with you. It helps reduce spread of colds, flu and winter vomiting bug.

At what point should you see a doctor?

If its worse after three days  if something changes, where your cough was bringing up clear, slightly yellow phlegm and suddenly its green and copious, go see a doctor. If you had no temperature up to day three and then you get one, check that out.

Do you have strong views on antibiotics?

Antibiotics do absolutely nothing for a cold. They dont make your immune system stronger and they dont fight anything other than bacteria. In a battlefield, antibiotics are like tanks and bacteria are like foot soldiers. But viral infections are more like airplanes  tanks arent much good for them.

Whats your top tip?

Keep yourself in good shape coming into winter. Eat enough fruit and veg to get your vitamins in. Walk or run 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Take no more than moderate alcohol. Watch your hygiene. Smoking increases two-fold your risk of catching a cold.

Dr Ciara Kelly, GP and presenter of Lunchtime Live on Newstalk, 12-2pm.

Problem: hangovers.

Whats the latest research?

Theres not much merit in producing R&D in this area. There arent any drugs that are hangover cures, though there are some thatll help.

What over-the-counter treatments do you recommend?

The best over-the-counter remedy is at the bar counter  not to drink so much. That will protect more than anything. The message to avoid is vital in a country thats awash with alcohol problems.

Alcohol dehydrates, causing dry mouth and headaches. It causes a fall in blood sugar leading to carbohydrate cravings. When broken down by the liver it produces toxic substances, causing nausea and stomach upset. So you treat these symptoms.

Take clear, sweet fluids: flat 7 Up, cordials like Ribena. Waters wonderful for hydration, but get some sugar in to make you feel better. Take Paracetamol for headache, antacid for stomach acidity.

Do you recommend vitamin supplements?

People who drink excessively often lack B vitamins. In the main, supplements arent the way to go. If youre regularly becoming hungover, you should look at sorting your drinking, rather than looking for ways to accommodate it.

What simple precautions can you take?

You can pre-hydrate, as well as during your night out. A clever way to slow alcohol intake is to alternate alcoholic drink with soft drink or water. This reduces volume of alcohol and keeps you better hydrated.

Drink a pint or two of water before going to sleep. If youre likely to wake up with headache or sick stomach, take Paracetamol and the antacid Nexium before bed.

At what point should you see a doctor?

People have become very unwell after a serious nights drinking, vomiting very significantly, becoming very dehydrated and needing fluids or an anti-emetic. Ive seen people hospitalised. Pancreatitis  very inflamed pancreas  is reasonably rare but one nights drinking could do it. Pancreatitis kills people. If youve had one episode, most people are advised never to drink again.

If youre drunk, your blood alcohol levels have climbed to toxic levels. This has a detrimental effect on your nervous system, liver and digestive system. Anxiety and low mood are associated with hangovers. Anxiety may peak the morning or day after but low mood lasts four or five days. Binge drinkers go from one low mood episode to another.

Whats your top tip?

Reduce it  better still, avoid it.

Dr Nina Byrnes, GP, TV presenter of Health of the Nation (RTE) and Doctor in the House (TV3) and owner of Generation Health Medical Clinics.

Problem: flu.

Whats the latest research?

Flu has been around a long time. Its a particularly nasty virus and the only way to prevent it is to get the vaccine. Here, we cover ourselves for the flu virus that has been circulating in the Southern Hemisphere  they had a very bad flu season in Australia last year.

People who should get the vaccine include over 65s, those with chronic illnesses: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, arthritis or who are on immuno-suppressant drugs  also people with BMI over 40 and all pregnant women. Pregnant women have died from flu.

What over-the-counter treatments do you recommend?

If someone isnt at risk of getting really sick, Id recommend Paracetamol, ibuprofen, fluids and rest.

Do you recommend vitamin supplements?

If your diets healthy, you shouldnt need them. The only vitamin I recommend in winter is vitamin D because we dont get enough sunlight. If your lifestyles hectic or your diets insufficient, theres no harm in taking a multivitamin for a few months. But dont spend a fortune on high-dose ones  the evidence behind them isnt that strong.

What simple precautions can you take?

Flus an airborne virus. Basic hygienes important  cover your mouth/nose when you cough. Teach children to cough into their elbow. Wash hands properly with decent soap for more than just two seconds. These kinds of viruses spread fast. Youre doing no-one any favours going spluttering into the office  stay home.

At what point should you see a doctor?

The common cold can have you feeling fairly off, but the flu makes you feel dreadful  really sore muscle aches, high temperature, sore throat, runny nose, cough. You just have to lie on your bed. Ive had grown men crying in front of me.

If youre three floors up and you spot 100 on the ground below and youre motivated to go get it, you dont have flu. You do have flu if you just couldnt be bothered.

If you take Paracetamol and ibuprofen and feel better, ok. In most cases, you dont need to see a doctor. You should if youre getting sicker, find it hard to breathe or cant get your temperature below 38. If youve got lots of green phlegm, this suggests you have a bacterial infection on top of the virus.

Do you have strong views on antibiotics?

Every doctor has. Antibiotics save lives and are fantastic drugs, used correctly. Theyre probably used incorrectly. As a doctor, you have a conversation every day with someone, where you say you dont need an antibiotic and they think youre saying youre not sick. Thats not what youre saying.

If we keep using them incorrectly, well end up with bugs we cant treat.

Whats your top tip?

Eating well and exercising are the best things you can do to boost your immune system.
UniTec Career Center CNA medical students were given an opportunity Tuesday to hear what options were available to them in the armed forces.

As part of a new program, the U.S. Army sent combat medics/health care specialists to discuss with students the opportunities they had to offer.

U.S. Army 68W Combat Medic/Health Care Specialist George Puraty said they were invited by the local recruiting center and were asked to talk about what their role is in the Army, specifically what we do on a day to day and as well as the options that are available to the students if they do chose to enlist or seek an officer commission. The opportunities and jobs that we cover is a pretty wide and broad spectrum for the enlisted portion.

Puraty added they cover every form of combat medicine as a 68W, from battlefield trauma to working in a hospital next to nurses and doctors performing simple procedures, all the way up to assisting with surgeries.

We have the job that is very universal, its the second largest MOS in the Army and we get put everywhere, said Puraty. We are out of Fort Benning, Georgia and this is our first stop. We plan to visit a couple other schools while we are in the area this week.

Puraty said there are two other recruiting centers they are partnered with.

If the schedule permits, we are going to try and speak at the university in Cape Girardeau, said Puraty. If they have the time and availability we will speak to some of the college students as well. More along the lines of seeking a commission, thats not saying you cant have a degree and be enlisted, because it is encouraged.

He added the opportunities are greater once you have a degree for a higher position or more technical skilled position in the Army.

Health Services Teacher Leslie Duncan said a group talked to the culinary arts program last week.

The kids are really enjoying this, they are asking great questions and it is a wonderful opportunity for them to be exposed to this side of it, too.

Duncan said they have ever had anything like this in the past. She added it was so interesting that she will definitely do this again in the future.

"We have discussed having some Air Force people come in to do a similar talk with the students, said Duncan. Its good for us, because (students) often ask us questions about the armed forces and Im not as familiar with it. So its definitely streamlining it into the nursing side of it and giving them a lot of good information. It really is such a great opportunity and nowadays we really talk about our armed forces and we just had Veterans Day observances. It just combines all that in a positive fashion.
DEAR ABBY: I have been friends with "Martha" for 40 years. We live a few hundred miles apart, so I like to call her and chat. The problem is, her husband always answers the phone, and he likes to give me a hard time.

When I identify myself and ask to speak to Martha, he says he doesn't know anyone by my name, or says there's no Martha living there. Once he told Martha to ask me how my ex-husband was. (I have not seen my ex for 40 years, since our divorce.)

The last time it happened, I told Martha her husband was annoying and that she should call me from now on. She said he was just trying to be funny. I haven't heard from her since, not even a birthday card. Was I wrong to speak up? Should I apologize or just lose this friendship? -- PROBLEM HUSBAND IN FLORIDA

DEAR PROBLEM: Martha's husband doesn't strike me as being particularly witty. After a few repeat performances of his lame material, I can understand how someone would become annoyed. I don't think you owe Martha an apology for being honest about how you felt. Because you left the ball in her court, it's possible that since you did all the work staying in touch, your 40-year friendship was not as close as you assumed or you would have heard from her.

DEAR ABBY: A friend and I belong to a book club and have regularly gone to lunch and a movie afterward. We have occasionally mentioned a movie we liked while chatting prior to the start of the book club meeting. This has prompted other people to invite themselves along or ask if they can go with us.

If we wanted to spend more time with these women, we would have invited them. The two of us feel that this afternoon outing is OUR time together and we would prefer it being just us. We changed the day, which was a bit inconvenient but preferable to the alternative. How do we handle it when future inquiries come up without hurting feelings or sounding snobbish? -- OUR TIME TOGETHER

DEAR OUR TIME: Your mistake was in talking about your movie dates in front of the other women. In the future, handle it by refraining from doing that, and your problem will go away.

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have been together for two years. We are in our 50s and have both been married before. My problem is I don't know how to respond to his friends and family when they talk to me about his first wife. They tell story after story, and it makes me uncomfortable. I feel disrespected but smile politely to not be rude. Any thoughts? -- GIRLFRIEND IN NEW JERSEY

DEAR GIRLFRIEND: I am sure no one does it out of a desire to make you uncomfortable or disrespect you. How you respond would depend upon whether your boyfriend's marriage ended in death or divorce.

If his former wife is deceased, a way to change the subject might be to say, "It sounds like she was a wonderful (mother, daughter, woman)." However, if the marriage ended in divorce, all you need to say is that you'd rather focus on the present than the unhappy past.

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating my boyfriend for three years. We have lived together for the last two. We have a great life together, but there is a problem I don't know how to solve. "Jeremy" hates his job.

We met in the education department of our college, and after graduation, we both took jobs in the public school system. I enjoy my career, but he loathes his. He complains constantly without seeming to take action on the issue. I know he's miserable, but he hasn't looked for other jobs or enrolled in a new school program.

I have bad days, too, but I've reached the end of listening to the constant griping. I am usually a positive person, but he is dragging my mood down because of this. He says I need to guide him and give him some direction, but I don't know what to say. I don't think it's my responsibility to tell another adult what he should or shouldn't do with his life. I don't mind helping him talk through his choices, but he wants more from me.

This is the man I want to marry. Is there a way to get past this issue and make it work? -- UNCERTAIN AND LOST

DEAR UNCERTAIN: Until your boyfriend has settled this uncertainty about his work life, any discussion about marriage should be put on hold. I agree you are not qualified to give him career advice. However, you might ask him to tell you what exactly it is that he hates about his job, and what he would rather be doing. His answers may give both of you insight into what he may be better suited for emotionally, and stimulate him to do something positive about his future. Once he has more clarity, there may be places he can go for career counseling that can help him decide what his next steps should be.

DEAR ABBY: You have mentioned in the past that you have a booklet on writing letters, including thank-you notes. Where do I send for it? I'll need four because my grandkids are lacking in that area.

It's truly a shame that younger generations haven't been taught about the importance of such notes. A simple "thank you" can not only open doors of opportunity both socially and in employment, but also help grandparents feel appreciated after their heartfelt gift-giving. -- NANCY IN NEVADA

DEAR NANCY: If there is one subject that crops up repeatedly in my mail, it's thank-you notes -- or rather, the lack of them. I print letters about it because of the number of complaints I receive. When a gift or a check isn't acknowledged, the (unwritten) message it sends is that the item wasn't appreciated, which is insulting and hurtful.

Chief among the reasons that thank-you notes are unwritten is that many people don't know what to say. They think the message has to be long and flowery when, in fact, keeping it short and to the point is more effective. My booklet, "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," contains samples of thank-you letters for birthday gifts, shower gifts and wedding gifts, as well as those that arrive around holiday time. It also includes letters of congratulations and ones regarding difficult subjects, such as the loss of a parent, a spouse or a child. It can be ordered by sending your name, mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to Dear Abby Letters Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.) With the holiday season approaching, this is the perfect time to reply with a handwritten letter, note or well-written email.

Because the composition of letters is not always effectively taught in the schools, my booklet can serve as a helpful tutorial, one that is valuable for parents as a way to teach their children to write using proper etiquette.

DEAR ABBY: My 8-year-old daughter keeps asking me for a smartphone. I'm at a loss about who she would call besides me and her dad. She points out these different kids her age who have phones. They are the same kids I view as ones who will have no curfew, boyfriends at 12 and parents who aren't as involved as we are. At what age do you feel kids should have smartphones? -- INVOLVED PARENT

DEAR INVOLVED PARENT: I don't think there is a magic number, but your daughter is definitely too young to have one. Smartphones can be dangerous when they are used irresponsibly. A flip phone, perhaps, for her to contact you in case of emergencies, might be appropriate.

Because her friends have smartphones is not a valid reason for her to have one. Before that happens, you must be confident that it will be used responsibly, and that you and her father will be able to review its history.

DEAR ABBY: Could you help all of us guys named Shelby spread the word that Shelby is not just for the female gender? Many boys and men like me have the handle and are proud of it. -- SHELBY FROM TEXAS

DEAR SHELBY: So do some automobiles! I'm glad to relay your message. Today many women have names that were once associated only with the masculine gender -- Cameron, Bailey, Logan, Morgan, to name a few -- and turnabout is fair play. I'm reminded of the song "A Boy Named Sue."

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 17-year-old girl and a junior in high school. I have a crush on a guy who's 14 and a freshman. I know age gaps don't matter as much later on, but the difference between 17 and 14 can be drastic. "Jake" is really sweet, and he's as interested in me as I am in him (unlike the boys in my grade).

I'm friends with Jake's sister "Julie," who's a year older than me and a senior. Julie has made it clear she doesn't like the idea of a romantic relationship between Jake and me because Jake is only 14.

What can I do? Should I ignore this crush? I have judged people who have dated despite age gaps. (For example, a senior boy dating a sophomore girl.) But now I understand it. If the girl is older, does that complicate things?

I don't want to be seen as creepy or gross, but, to be honest, I'm not that experienced romantically or socially myself. (I have never even been to a real party.) Must I forget my feelings and move on, or do I talk to Julie and try to pursue this? -- TEEN CRUSH

DEAR TEEN CRUSH: Julie has already given you her answer. As you have pointed out, there is a bias against dating someone so much younger, and it could cause you problems not only with your peers, but also with the law if your relationship were to become sexual when you turn 18. That's why I'm suggesting you turn your romantic interests elsewhere. When you're BOTH adults, if you're still interested, you can pursue a romantic relationship then.

DEAR ABBY: My fiance and I are being married in a few days. We are expecting our first child a few days after that. The problem is my mother. We decided on a small ceremony, but my mother is opposed to the marriage because she doesn't like the idea of me marrying -- not just my fiance, but anyone. She has always told me a man will leave me destitute, pregnant with too many kids, and I won't be able to take care of myself. She has repeated it since I was about 10.

Because she has threatened to object at the ceremony, we decided not to invite her. We have invited his parents and my father and stepmother. Mom has said she will not allow my child to see her grandfather because "he is a bad person." She may have good intentions, but dictating who can be around my child is not her choice, considering she has had little to no contact with him in 25 years.

I wish she could be at our wedding, but she has now distanced herself from me and my fiance. Should I let her cool off and hope she comes around, or accept that this is the path she has chosen? Please advise, Abby. -- PROBLEM MOTHER IN KENTUCKY

DEAR PROBLEM MOTHER: Your mother may be anti-marriage because hers failed spectacularly. She appears to be a troubled woman. By all means, let her cool off, but do not allow her to dictate your life. If she does, her anger and bitterness could negatively affect your marriage.

DEAR ABBY: The winter months are hard for me. They remind me that another year has gone by without my father and my younger sister.

Dad had been a smoker since his teens and died from pancreatic cancer at 39. I was 13, and my siblings were younger. In those days, we didn't know that smoking was a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

My sister smoked from the time she was 13. She died from lung cancer at 44, leaving behind two young sons.

Neither my father nor my sister got to experience the wonderful family milestones and celebrations we have had. Their grandchildren will never know them. Each year during the holidays, I feel a sadness in my heart.

I urge every smoker to make a vow to quit and carry it through, not only for their own sake but also their family's. Stay determined to quit so you won't cause your loved ones sadness and won't miss out on their futures. With all my heart, I wish smokers the best of luck in quitting. -- MISSING DAD AND SIS IN SACRAMENTO

DEAR MISSING: I'm glad you wrote because the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout will be held on Nov. 16. It's a day when millions of smokers put down their cigarettes -- just for one day -- with the conviction that if they can go 24 hours without one, then they can do it for 48 hours, 72 hours, and stop smoking for good. The idea grew out of a 1970 event in Randolph, Massachusetts, and became a national event in 1977.

Readers, I'm not going to harangue you with death threats. We are all aware of the grim statistics associated with cancer-related deaths caused by tobacco. If you're interested in quitting, this is a perfect opportunity. Call (800) 227-2345 to be connected with counseling services in your community, provided with self-help materials offering information and strategies on quitting for good, and to receive information about medications available to help you quit. This service is free and provided 24/7. Or go online to cancer.org.

DEAR ABBY: I need your help. Over the past few weeks, I have been vacationing at my mother-in-law's home. The other day I was browsing on her computer and accidentally opened her browsing history. It turns out that she regularly looks at and responds to Craigslist personals.

I was shocked when I read some of the perverted requests she has responded to. The language she used would make a sailor blush. Keep in mind, my mother-in-law is a married woman.

I don't know how to react. Should I tell my wife? Keep it to myself? Make a fake Craigslist post and catch her in the act? -- KINKS IN THE FAMILY

DEAR KINKS: If you disclose this to your wife, it could damage her relationship with her mother. If she tells her mother what you found, it will create a breach in the family. If you trap the woman by creating a fake Craigslist post and she realizes she has been made a fool of, it will not -- to put it mildly -- endear you to her. Let it lie.

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
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YES--that jail time. How's that promise working out for Trump the serial liar and fraudmeister??



Leftists are running from the Clinton--what was that? Oh yeah--crime family.

Right.....is that because so many of the Clintons have been indicted? Prosecuted? Incarcerated? Does that include Chelsea and the kids?



I don't know about other Leftys but I'm still betting Clinton would have made a much better president, but we'll never know will we?? All we know FOR SURE is that Donald Trump is the worst excuse for a president in the history of this nation and you can add to that he's also the worst excuse for a human being, husband, father, Christian, etc. etc. etc.

But hey--you think he's the cat's pajamas---so happy for you.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA
An investigation has determined that a kitchen refrigerator was responsible for a Monday afternoon fire that destroyed most of a house in the 1200 block of Cascade Drive in Lebanon, according to a report from the Lebanon Fire District.

The blaze sent Ronald Fields, 55, to Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital with burns and smoke inhalation. A dog perished in the fire.

Fields was sleeping in his bedroom with the door closed when the fire began, the report said. He awoke to a strange smell and when he opened his door, his hallway was filled with thick, black smoke. Fields attempted to leave the house, but the smoke and heat forced him back. He was able to escape on a second attempt; however, the family dog succumbed to the smoke.

Fields daughter, Stacy Heyne, 31, of Lebanon was also in the home with her infant son and called 911 shortly before 2 p.m. Heavy fire was reported from the rear of the house and responding LFD personnel deployed hose lines to the area. Firefighters and medics attended to Fields until a medic unit arrived.

On Tuesday, six members of the Lebanon Fire Investigation Team, with assistance from a Deputy Fire Marshal from the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office and two members of the Oregon State Police, spent about four hours investigating the incident.

Evidence revealed that the fire started in the back of the refrigerator near the motor and compressor, then traveled up the wall to the kitchen cabinets and a nearby table. The blaze then spread further, causing a sliding glass door to fail, introducing more oxygen to feed the fire.

The Lebanon Fire District credited Field's closed bedroom door with saving his life and reminds citizens to sleep with their doors closed to prevent smoke and toxic gasses from entering their sleeping areas.

For more information on self-protection in such incidents, or for a free home fire and life safety evaluation, contact the LFD at 541-451-1901.
Q: I have a deep-blue Biskra vase made by R. Lalique. Its about 11 inches high. Someone wants to buy it. Ive done research but am hoping to get some advice about the price someone would expect to pay for it. Its been in storage for some time, so the inside grooves of the fern leaves need cleaning, but there are no chips.

Answer: Biskra vases were made by Lalique about 1932. They were made in several different colors, including blue, pale green, red, yellow amber and opalescent. The vases have sold at auction for several thousand dollars. A large blue vase like yours sold for over $8,000 recently. Unless your buyer is ready to pay that much, you should contact an auction house to sell your vase. Ask what shipping, commission and other costs will be before consigning it.

Q: I have most of a set of Burleigh Ware Willow dishes. Are they of any value?

Answer: Burleigh Ware was made by Burgess & Leigh (Ltd.), a pottery in Burslem, Staffordshire, England. It operated as Burgess & Leigh beginning in 1877. The company was sold in 1999. It has been part of Denby Holdings since 2010 and is now called Burleigh. The Willow pattern originally was a Chinese pattern. It was copied by many manufacturers. Burgess & Leigh began making Willow pattern dishes in the early 1920s. The blue-and-white Willow pattern still is popular today. You might be able to sell the dishes to a matching service, but then you have to pack them, pay charges and ship them. You can try to sell them locally to an antiques dealer or donate them to a charity and take the tax deduction. Partial sets of dishes are not selling well online or in shops.

Q: My 12-inch mercury glass cake pedestal is developing mold spots. Its stored in a china cabinet. The mold is on the top and bottom sides only. How should I clean it and keep it from getting spots?

Answer: Mercury glass, or silvered glass, doesnt have mercury or silver in it. It was first made in the 1850s by blowing the glass into a mold. Antique mercury glass has double walls and was coated between the walls with a silver nitrate solution before sealing the hole on the bottom with a plug. Dirt and air get inside between the walls if the plug has deteriorated. A light dusting usually is enough to keep the outside of the glass clean. If more is needed, it can be cleaned by using a Q-tip or soft toothbrush and a good glass cleaner. If your cake pedestal was washed, moisture may have gotten in between the walls. If mold is inside the walls of your glass cake pedestal, its probably impossible to restore.

Q: Ive been trying to research the value of Jim Beam car decanters. Do you have any idea where I might obtain the information?

Answer: Jacob Beam began selling Old Jake Beam whiskey in 1795. The company was renamed Jim Beam in 1933. Beam began selling Christmas season whiskey in glass cocktail shaker decanters in 1953. The decanters were so popular that Beam began selling liquor in ceramic decanters made by Regal China in 1955. Hundreds of special shapes were made. Decanters shaped like cars were made as part of several Beam series from 1972 to 1992. Jim Beam stopped making decanters for the commercial trade in 1992. The company is now owned by Suntory, a Japanese company. The Beam decanters lost favor by 1992, and prices plummeted. The Volkswagen decanter that was $65-$70 in 2000 sells for as low as $20. The Chevrolet Bel Air went from $75 to $20-$35.

Q: I have a silver cake stand marked R. Wallace 0500-15 Silver Soldered 9 in Hotel Astor 2-49. What do these markings mean?

Answer: R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co. was in business in Wallingford, Connecticut, from 1871 to 1956, when the name was changed to Wallace Silversmiths. It made nickel silver flatware and other silver plate. Silver soldered is a strange way to indicate it is silver plate. The solder used is silver and other metals. Your cake plate was made for the Hotel Astor, in Times Square in New York City sometime between 1904 to 1967. The some of the numbers may be the style or line number. The other numbers, 2-49 might be the date. Your silver cake stand and other items probably were sold when the hotel closed, or a visitor may have liberated it at a party.

Q: How much is my Brownie 8 movie camera worth? Its marked Kodak limited London. The camera has an F 2.7 lens. I also have the instruction booklet and leather shoulder carrying case.

Answer: Kodak introduced the Brownie 8mm movie camera in 1951. The camera was exported to England in 1955 and made in England beginning in 1956. It was a low-priced movie camera. It was advertised for $44.50 in a 1951 pre-Christmas ad. Its value today is very low, often below $30.

Current prices

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Lamp, chandelier, 8-light, tole, yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers, green leaves, 22 x 24 inches, 65.

Flag, Japanese, railroad lines, cities from Nanking to Shanghai, 1937, 28 x 20 inches, $185.

Ladle, chrysanthemum pattern, repousse, silver, Steiff Kirk, 1900, 15 inches, $195.

Window, leaded glass, yellow scrolls, half-moon shape, wood frame, 27 x 60 inches, $290.

Leather, crop, riding, Hermes, 29 inches, $635.

Pipe, silver, bamboo, dragons, clouds, tapered stem, small bowl, Japan, 10

1

/

4

inches, $635.

Luneville, jardiniere, bird, flowers, 15 x 20

1

/

2

inches, $800.

Coffee table, Paul Evans, glass top, round, base, 3D triangles, welded, bronze, steel, 16 x 42 inches, $1,375.

Lantern, whale oil, cleat pattern globe, tin base, 1860, 12

1

/

2

inches, $3,120.

Coin-operated game, billardette, nickel plated escutcheons, ball, cue, signed, 5 cents, 36 x 27 inches, $4,095.

Tea Caddy, abalone veneer, house, door, windows, chimney, roof, 8 x 7 inches, $2,125.

Lamp, chandelier, 15-light, cage shape, beaded, applied flowers, prisms, amethyst, Sweden, 33 inches, $2,250.

Cassone, walnut, carved, coffin-shaped, flowers, braided ribbons, c. 1900, 27 x 68 inches, $3,500.

Desk set, bronze kennel with hinged lid and dog on a chain, leather-covered base, inkwell, agate seal and matching pen, c. 1880, 6 x 4 inches, $635.

Fly catcher, blown glass, etched bamboo design, shouldered, spherical stopper, scroll feet, c. 1890, 13 inches, $735.

Teapoy, William IV, mahogany, hinged top, fitted, tin-lined section, c. 1835, 32 x 20 inches, $970.

Church pew, bench seat, French Gothic, solid oak with carved linen fold panels and eight columns, c. 1900, 74 x 34 inches, $1,250.

Banner, sideshow, Madam Clair, The Psychic Wonder, psychic holding crystal ball, 80 x 120 inches, $4,320.

Teapot, figural, foo lion dancers, famille rose, children under flower cape, pairs of feet base, wood lid, ivory finial, c.1905, 8 x 10 inches, $980.
A man surrendered shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday after a standoff lasting more than three hours around a house in the 4000 block of Linn Avenue in Albany.

Officers with the Albany Police Department and Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement team, with the help of SWAT team members, had secured the area after Rudy Rodriguez, a suspect known to police, barricaded himself inside the residence following a pursuit.

Recently released from prison, Rodriguez was wanted on a parole violation and alleged drug-related incidents.

Police surrounded the house after neighbors said Rodriguez entered the home with two women. The women later exited the home after police convinced them to do so. Rodriguez did not live at the home.

Rodriguez stayed inside, prompting police to surround the house, eventually calling in the Linn County Regional SWAT team and positioning snipers on nearby roofs.

After more than an hour's worth of hailing Rodriguez to try and convince him to surrender, the suspect finally gave up as SWAT members prepared to move in.

Rodriguez was arrested for the parole violations and charged with burglary.
WASHINGTON -- Nearly two weeks after the double political explosion that rocked Riyadh, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appears to be doing damage control in ways that may help stabilize Saudi Arabia and the region.

The first bombshell was the Nov. 4 arrest on corruption charges of 201 prominent Saudis, including princes and government ministers. Now MBS, as the 32-year-old crown prince is known, is beginning a resolution process that may settle many of these cases out of court.

A senior Saudi official told me Thursday that the kingdom's anti-corruption commission would follow the standard "plea-bargain process" that is "usually conducted by the public prosecutor prior to transferring a case to the relevant court." The commission's overall aim, he said, was to "send a strong message" that corruption won't be allowed, "irrespective of rank or status."

The crackdown may have consolidated support for MBS among younger Saudis who resent older, wealthy princes and palace insiders. But his power play risked a backlash within the royal family because it violated the kingdom's traditional consensual politics. Resolution of corruption cases out of court may dampen such high-level dissension.

The second Nov. 4 explosion was Saad Hariri's announcement from Riyadh that he was quitting as Lebanon's prime minister. Hariri's resignation, which Lebanese sources told me came under pressure from MBS, risked causing instability in Lebanon that would have enhanced Hezbollah's power there, the opposite of what the Saudis wanted. On Thursday, the Saudis agreed to allow Hariri to travel to France; Lebanese sources said he will then return to Lebanon.

The Hariri episode appears to have convinced Washington and Riyadh that their interests are better served by stability in Lebanon than instability, even though that approach requires some cooperation with Hezbollah, the dominant political faction. A Saudi official told me that the kingdom plans to work with the U.S. to support Lebanese institutions, such as the army, that can gradually reduce the power of Hezbollah and its patron, Iran. MBS seems to have recognized that combating Hezbollah is a long game, not a short one.

Hariri's resignation and seeming house arrest made him a hero in Lebanon and a symbol of the country's yearning for sovereignty. This may give him some new leverage when he returns to Beirut. Lebanese sources told me Thursday that Hariri's supporters may urge Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Yemen as a gesture of solidarity. Hariri will also campaign anew for international support for Lebanon's economy and military.

MBS' sweeping arrests sent shock waves through the kingdom and the region, and surprised even some Saudis who are close to the crown prince. But the warning signals were there: King Salman said back on March 10, 2015, in his first major speech after taking the throne, that he had "directed the government to review its processes to help eradicate corruption," according to a Reuters report at the time.

MBS had a reputation as a freewheeling businessman himself before joining the royal court. But he underlined the anti-corruption theme in a May 2017 interview with Al Arabiya television: "If fighting corruption is not on the top of the agenda, it means the [king's] fight is not succeeding. ... I reiterate that anyone who is involved in corruption will not be spared."

As examples of the corrupt deals that led to the Nov. 4 arrests, a senior Saudi official cited a land purchase in Jeddah where the government paid roughly double the market price, to provide a big kickback to a prominent official. Another instance was the purchase by the Ministry of Education of vastly overpriced airline tickets for the hundreds of thousands of Saudis studying abroad, with payoffs for officials.

Corruption has been so endemic in Saudi Arabia that many observers assumed it was part of how the House of Saud governed. After first visiting the kingdom in 1981, I wrote a series of articles for The Wall Street Journal about how payoffs were undermining the defense and oil sectors. In subsequent decades, the shakedowns became less visible, but corruption continued.

MBS' purge looked to many outsiders like a high-risk political move. But a senior prince cautioned me the country isn't as fragile as it may look. One of MBS' key backers put it this way: "Corruption can't keep the country stable. Having a corruption-free country will keep us stable."

That's a worthy ambition, but as MBS detonates his bombs, he must avoid blowing himself up.

The Washington Post
WASHINGTON -- The GOP bill that should be called the Cut Taxes on President Trump and Other Very Rich People Act of 2017 always had a secondary purpose: to jack up the deficit so Republicans could later cry out in horror, "Look at that awful debt!" They'd then use the pools of red ink they created to justify deep cuts in social programs.

But people who call themselves conservative are shoveling out so much money so fast to corporations and the privileged that they needed some health care cuts upfront -- at the expense of coverage for millions of our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

And so on Tuesday, the Senate majority took an appalling bill and made it even more atrocious. To their ungainly concoction of tax breaks for the various interests that support them, they added the repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, scrapping the mandate would reduce the number of Americans with health insurance by 13 million over a decade. To which the champions of redistributing money to the board rooms and the yacht clubs say: Oh, goody!

This cut back in coverage would save the government $318 billion. The Republicans would use this money to pay part of the cost of making their corporate giveaways permanent, thus getting around budget rules. They also nudged up temporary personal income tax rate cuts and increased the child tax credit. The idea is to disguise just how much this bill tilts toward the wealthy.

It gets worse: The CBO says that ending the individual mandate would raise health insurance premiums by 10 percent -- another way regular folks are being asked to cough up cash because of this bonanza for the well-heeled.

And while the child tax credit hike sounds good, it, too, helps the better-off more than lower-income Americans. Those who make less money can't qualify for most of the new increase because they tend to pay little in income taxes (even as they often pay significant payroll taxes).

As Sharon Parrott of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted, "some 10 million children in low-income working families would get $75 or less." On the other hand, she said, a "married couple with two children earning $500,000 would newly receive a full $4,000 child tax credit, even as many are getting additional tax cuts from other provisions."

Then there is this sleight of hand: While the Senate bill makes the corporate tax cut permanent, it sets all the proposed reductions for individuals to expire at the end of 2025. This artificially decreases the short-term costs of the bill. If those tax cuts did expire, Americans in large numbers would eventually see their taxes go up under this deal.

Let's take a step back and ponder the exceptional irresponsibility of what's transpiring here. The same people who complained that more than a year of hearings, analysis and debate around Obamacare constituted "rushing" the bill are now recklessly spiriting through the system a gigantic piece of legislation that would touch all corners of the American economy.

They are changing it willy-nilly, day-by-day, to accommodate this or that political problem. They are rationalizing their thrown-together product with false claims about everything from whom it will benefit to how it will affect the long-term deficit. They are using a tax bill to punish their political enemies (people in high-tax blue states, major universities, low-income Americans) and reward their friends and donors (corporations and the very affluent).

And the allegations of outrageous past conduct by Roy Moore, their Senate candidate in Alabama, and the shifting stories about all things Russian from Attorney General Jeff Sessions are consuming so much media energy that these truly radical policies and procedural abuses are floating by with minimal public scrutiny.

We are told that there still are responsible Republicans. It's to his credit that Sen. Ron Johnson, usually a reliable conservative, came out against the bill, citing its corporate bias. Sens. Bob Corker and Jeff Flake have said they are concerned about the deficits this tax bill would create. Sens. John McCain, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski had the courage to block repeal of Obamacare. McCain has been especially eloquent about the need for "regular order."

Well, responsible Republicans, your time has come. You have the power to say a loud no to cavalier, partisan legislating; no to budgetary folly; no to wrecking the health care law; and no to a bill that would impose real sacrifice on your constituents down the road. Yes, you'll enrage your colleagues. But history will treat you better.

The Washington Post
For many, it was a sad shock to learn that the Garage, one of Winston-Salems oldest music venues, will suspend operations Jan. 1, as the Journals John Hinton reported last week. Its final scheduled show will be the annual New Years Eve concert, the Journal reported. There arent likely to be many dry eyes in the room.

It is with a heavy heart we make this move. It was a tough decision, the owner, Tucker Tharpe, said in an email to the citys business community last week. The Garage walks a fine line between service and profitability. As life changes so do our needs and priorities.

The closure will be indefinite until we re-evaluate our business plan to find a new and better way of enriching the musical arts of North Carolina, Tharpe said.

The Garage was a grungy old welding shop in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem when its first owner, local music impresario Richard Emmett, found it in 1999 and saw its potential. It struggled with building codes and alcohol permits until city leaders got behind Emmett and helped unravel the red tape. It became a launching pad for hundreds of performing bands as well as a home and refuge for fans of Americana, rock and roots music. It also served as a musical community center, hosting many benefit concerts for many worthy causes.

And it was a labor of love for Emmett and for Tharpe, who bought the club in 2012 with his business partner, Brian Cole. Local musicians and music fans have been rightly praising both extensively on social media for their devotion to music and the sacrifices they made to keep the club open, as well as offering their thanks and memories.

The Garage was an important ingredient to downtown revitalization and its closing is a loss. Now it serves as a reminder for people to support their local music venues. In the words of a poet from another place, Dont it always seem to go that you dont know what youve got til its gone?

We wish Tharpe good fortune in his future endeavors to keep the music alive.


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The Oregon State Police has released the name of the second individual killed in a Nov. 2 crash on Highway 20 near the Santiam Pass.

Michael A. Carter of Ontario was 47.

Carter was driving eastbound in a 2003 Ford van that was towing a trailer when the vehicle crossed over the center line, colliding head-on with a westbound 2010 Subaru Legacy driven by Linda Davis, 70, of Stayton.

Both Carter and Davis were killed.

The crash occurred at approximately 1:15 p.m. that afternoon, and Highway 20 was completely closed for an hour until one alternating lane was opened for traffic.
Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy site] on Friday released a report [press release] detailing humanitarian crisis incidents that may amount to war crimes in the Philippines. The report [report, PDF link] is titled The Battle of Marawi: Death and destruction in the Philippines and is a look at the five month battle that occurred in Marawi earlier this year. AI found that during the siege of Marawi [JURIST report], civilians were murdered while the the Philippine army battled the Islamic State for control. From being used as hostages to human shields only to escape and face torture, the civilians of Marawi faced circumstances that violated international humanitarian law (IHL).

Militants often executed Christians at de facto checkpoints, which the Christians were approaching in order to exit the city. Militants usually performed the killings with a pistol, a rifle, or by cutting the victims throat. Journalists have reported cases where civilians were beheaded. Most victims were shot and killed immediately after being questioned by the militants. Most victims were shot and killed while standing or kneeling on the ground; some were shot and killed while running away.

The instances of extrajudicial execution and other forms of direct targeting of civilians by militants documented in this report are clear violations of the cardinal rule of distinction in IHL and amount to war crimes.

AI found that while Christians were the main targets, all civilians were caught in the crossfire during the battles and were subjected to having their homes destroyed through aerial attacks carried out by government forces.
Luisa Ortega Diaz, Venezuelas deposed chief prosecutor, filed a complaint on Thursday with the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official site] calling for the arrest [press conference video, in Spanish] and trial of top Venezuela officials for crimes against humanity. These officials include, President Nicolas Maduro [official website], Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, and Interior Secretary Nestor Reverol.

Ortega Diaz alleged that 8,290 deaths took place between 2015 and June 2017 on government orders. She also charged the government officials with over 17,000 arbitrary and politically motivated arrests, hundreds of cases of torture, and the general paramilitarization of civilian population. According to Ortega Diaz, The crimes happened under the orders from the executive branch. They represent a broad government strategy to cleanse dissident political views.

The former chief prosecutor accused the officials under the Rome Statute [text, PDF], which underpins the ICC. Venezuela has ratified the Rome Statute; this gives chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda jurisdiction to investigate the complaint. Ortega Diaz stated she has more than 1,000 evidentiary materials to back her complaint; including psychiatric and medical evaluations, expert assessments, and first person accounts of crimes.

Ortega Diaz was removed from office [LA Times report] on August 5, 2017, in a 545-0 vote by the Maduro-controlled Venezuela Constituent National Constitutional Assembly. The Constituent National Assembly was formed late summer after the Supreme Court dissolved [JURIST report] the previous opposition-majority legislature. Appointed by late president Hugo Chavez [Britannica profile], Ortega Diaz was originally a government supporter, but recently [JURIST report] became a vocal opponent of Maduro.
[JURIST] The US House of Representatives [official website] approved HR 1 [text, PDF], a bill which will overhaul the US tax code, by a vote of 227-205 [NYT report] on Thursday.

The bill proposes a $1.5 trillion dollar tax cut for business and individuals throughout the country.

The legislation currently proposes a cut in the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. This would be a permanent drop in the tax rate with no set expiration date. Additionally, companies would also be allowed to deduct the cost of new machinery and equipment for five years and will also incentivize bring assets currently being stored in low-tax countries back to the US. If companies agree to return these assets to the US, they would be taxed at a rate of 12 percent.

Most notably, the corporate system would not transitional from a worldwide system to a territorial system, meaning that, rather than tax corporations for their income from all over the world, companies would now be taxed predominantly only for the income they make within the US. If the bill becomes law, this will be the largest single cut [WSJ report] to the business tax rate in American history.

The bill also aims to eliminate [Chicago Tribune report] the estate tax [IRS backgrounder] by 2024. The estate tax is a tax applied at the time of an individuals death and currently only applies to estates that have a fair market value over $4.49 million. Under the current tax codes, these estates would be taxed at a rate of 40 percent.

A controversial component of the bill is the repeal and revision of higher education tax benefits. According to an analysis [text] by Congress Joint Committee on Taxation, the bill will cost students and their families over $71 billion over the next decade. Many graduate students who currently receive tuition waivers in exchange for working or doing research for their institution will have to pay a tax on those waivers. Under the current tax code, these waivers are not taxable.

The bill will now go to the Senate for a vote before President Donald Trump has to opportunity to sign the bill into law.
An unnamed transgender woman being held in an all-male prison in Massachusetts filed suit [complaint, PDF] Wednesday alleging unfair treatment.

The lawsuit, filed by GLAD Legal Advocates and Defenders [advocacy website] in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts [official website], names the Massachusetts Department of Correction, Commissioner Thomas A. Turco III, MCI-Norfolk [official website] Superintendent Sean Medeiros, Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator James M. OGara Jr., and Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Clinical Services Stephanie Collins.

Jane Does claim alleges that defendants have violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment [text] through discriminatory actions, failure to accommodate, and irrational explanations of her treatment in the Norfolk institute. Jane Doe asserts that she has been diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria, which requires a specified treatment plan to cope with the difficulties of being born one gender, while having experiences of another. The ADA and Rehabilitation Act require the correction institute to not only provide proper treatment plans, but to also adhere to them. The corrections institute does, however, have the ability to deny requests and treatments based on rational reasoning. According to Jane Doe and her attorneys, Norfolk irrationally failed to provide this specified treatment or allow Jane Doe to attempt treatment for her medical diagnosis.

According to Jane Doe, her experiences at the corrections institute have fallen short of her desired treatment plan, where she gives testimony of daily interactions with inmates and officers. GLAD asserts,

They have traumatized her by forcing her to live in a male correctional facility, subjecting her to strip searches by male correctional officers, forcing her to shower in view of male prisoners who inappropriately comment on her female breast development and otherwise harass her, and refusing to address or refer to her using female pronouns.

Through events mentioned above, GLAD claims that this is in full violation of Jane Does treatment, which requires she have the opportunity to live life as a female, especially considering she has undergone reconstructive surgery and now appears as a woman. Accordingly, GLAD provides other claims where Norfolk had previously accepted the requests and treatments of Jane Doe by allowing her to shower with other transgender inmates, yet these actions have been denied since then and she returns to the public showers with other men.

GLAD also noted that Jane Doe has been experiencing Gender Dysphoria since she was a child, where she received diagnosis as a teenager and then maintained family support through adhesion to the proper treatment plans provided by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) [advocacy websites]. Jane Doe claims that she has undergone proper treatment for at least four decades, but her treatment in the Norfolk corrections facility has been abandoned and she now fears future mental and physical harms.
The Third Committee [official website] of the UN General Assembly passed a resolution [text] on Thursday calling on authorities in Myanmar to address a number of human rights concerns related to the treatment of the countrys Rohningya population. The committee, which focuses on social, humanitarian, and social issues, voted 135-10-26 [roll call] to adopt a wide-ranging text urging the government in Myanmar to end on-going military operations, ensure the safe and voluntary return of all internally displaced persons, grant full, unrestricted and unmonitored access for the fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Council, and undertake full, transparent and independent investigations of human rights violations.

The report expressed alarm and concern over the armys disproportionate use of force in response to a Rohingya rebel militias attack against army outposts in August 2017. This violence, including the use of rape, arson, and extrajudicial killings has resulted in more than 300,000 refugees fleeing into Bangladesh and another 120,000 to camps for internally displaced persons. The resolution calls on the government of Myanmar to call and end to the violence, allow Rohingya to return to their homes from both Bangladesh and the internal camps, and to respect human rights by allowing Rohingya to become citizens and contribute to Burmese society.

The Third Committees resolution comes after similar calls and condemnation from the UN Security Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International and Myanmar State Counselor and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi [JURIST report]. Suu Kyi, however, has been sharply criticized for not specifically recognizing the Rohingya and for refusing to allow UN investigators to look into the situation.

The resolution will now go before the full General Assembly for approval.
BROWNSVILLE  Members of the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to rescind a previous decision and allow Randy Simpson and Gayle Ashford to sell recreational marijuana at their Green Cross shop at 221 West Bishop Way.

The action comes after three years of what were at times contentious interactions between Simpson/Ashford and the council, which opposed marijuana sales in the community.

In July, the couple submitted an application to the city Planning Commission to add recreational marijuana sales to its current medical marijuana operation. The Planning Commission rejected the application based on the citys adverse conditions portion of the city code.

Simpson and Ashford appealed that decision and that appeal was heard by the City Council in September. Council members upheld the Planning Commissions ruling.

Simpson and Ashford then appealed that ruling through the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development.

Earlier this month, council members met with City Attorney Ross Williamson in executive session and later, were advised they should reconsider the ruling, because their chances of prevailing at the state level were slim, which prompted Tuesday evenings special meeting.

No new testimony was accepted from either Simpson, Ashford or the general public.

Although council members were unanimous in their decision, not all were happy about it.

Councilor Gary Shepherd said allowing marijuana cultivation and sales in Oregon goes against federal law and he believes that could negatively affect the citys chances of getting a federal grant when it comes to improving its water system and other infrastructure issues.

I, as a council member, have to say for the public record, that marijuana is against the federal law, Shepherd said. The city is strongly opposed to the State of Oregon on this issue, but the state has preempted local authority.

Shepherd added, The City has no other choice but to self-remand the issue of the Simpson-Ashford Recreational Condition Use application back to council or face a costly lawsuit that will likely end in the favor of the applicant according to the city attorney and those around the legal community.

Councilor Doug Block concurred with Shepherd, noting that the state forces us to participate in illegal operations. The city has no choice, or we could face a lawsuit and we cant afford this kind of legal battle.

Councilor Lynda Chambers said the issue, Puts us between a rock and a hard place. We will either be in violation of state or federal laws.
Whenever the legal walls start closing in on Donald Trump, the president releases a bad rabbit on the political field, a creature invisible to all but the haters of Hillary Clinton. The most recent example is his attorney general's call to "evaluate certain issues" regarding the sale of a majority stake in Uranium One and the Clinton Foundation.

Yes, that again. There was absolutely zero wrong with or troubling about the Uranium One transaction. Even Fox News viewers who heard Shep Smith dismiss the wild charges as nonsense know that.

And that's why Democrats should resist the urge to chase this non-scandal down the rabbit hole of Trumpian distraction. Provoking them to become players  to angrily defend Hillary with their files of facts  is the point of Trump's game.

So go ahead, investigate Hillary for the 10,000th time. Other than a monumental waste of taxpayer dollars, there's little harm in taking another look at the Uranium One sale. OK, Jeff Sessions, go forth and direct federal prosecutors to look into "potentially" unlawful international dealings  at least as imagined by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee. A special counsel could be appointed if they find something, which they won't.

This sideshow immediately followed the release of Don Jr.'s secret correspondence with Russian-controlled WikiLeaks during the presidential campaign. The Atlantic reports that campaign advisers Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Hope Hicks and Brad Parscale knew about it.

There is nothing imaginary about Robert Mueller's investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and our Russian adversaries. The Trump position has moved from "there was no collusion" to "collusion is not illegal."

U.S. intelligence has long held that WikiLeaks acted as an arm of the Russian military to push the race in Trump's favor. Trump ally Roger Stone was in touch with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and worked with the Russian agents running Guccifer 2.0, the entity that launched cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee. We know that because he stupidly bragged about it.

"There is one 'trick' that is not in my bag, and that is treason," Stone said last September in his defense. Ooooh. We don't know about that.

Lest anyone doubt that a fire could be raging under this heavy smoke of denials, the Department of Homeland Security and the director of national intelligence on election security issued a joint statement last year that "the recent disclosures ... are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts."

Funny that Trump was in Asia this month telling Americans to trust Russian strongman Vladimir Putin but not the leaders of their own intelligence services. Actually, it was not funny at all.

Harassing a political opponent no longer in office is not without risk for Trump. Given the tawdry family history  going back to the '90s, when a bankrupt Trump turned to Russians for loans  the president has provided ample opportunity for his successor to push for investigations of him.

Directing the government to go after a former political foe, of course, broke a major political norm. Trump may believe that no one else has the guts to ravage the democracy as he has. We shall see.

In any case, launching a new witch hunt against Clinton is a sure sign that the heat's been turned up high. Do Democrats want to help Trump turn attention away from the web of troubles in which he is thrashing?

As Mueller's investigation trains more hot lights on Trump and company, the president's people will send more rabbits for the media to chase in the opposite direction. Democrats will undoubtedly be asked to respond to the phony allegations. Their best response would be a quick dismissal and a shrug.
In 1983, two congressmen, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, were censured by the House. Both had admitted to having affairs with 17-year-old pages. The Republican, Daniel Crane, represented a conservative Illinois district. His constituents sent him packing the following year, despite his apology and request for forgiveness. The Democrat was Gerry Studds, who represented a liberal Massachusetts district. His relationship had been with a young man. He admitted to a "very serious error in judgment," but seemed to imply that he was owed more latitude because he was gay. "It is not a simple task for any of us to meet adequately the obligations of either public office or private life, let alone both," Studds said in an address to the House, "but these challenges are made substantially more complex when one is, as I am, both an elected public official and gay." He was reelected six more times and retired voluntarily in 1997.

At the time, conservatives saw the congressmen's differing fates as symbolic of a difference between the parties. Sure, we conceded, there are bad apples everywhere, but the way they are received tells you something about their constituents. Do they bend the rules when one of their own is caught in a transgression? And how do you define what a transgression really is?

In the 1990s, liberals and feminists unloaded on Sen. Bob Packwood and Justice Clarence Thomas. These were teachable moments, they said. A superior must never take advantage of his position to pressure a subordinate for sex or even for dates. Anita Hill was anointed as the "Rosa Parks of sexual harassment."

And then came Bill Clinton  and a resounding "never mind" echoed through liberal world. Gloria Steinem herself offered Clinton absolution in a New York Times op-ed. "If President Clinton were as vital to preserving freedom of speech as he is to preserving reproductive freedom," she asked, "would journalists be condemned as 'inconsistent' for refusing to suggest he resign? Forget it."

Bottom line: Having the "right" views amounted to a get-out-of-jail-free card. Hapless Harvey Weinstein thought the card was still valid. When his gross conduct was first reported in The New York Times, he issued a statement promising to go after the NRA with renewed vigor.

Of course, some conservatives are now up to their nostrils in hypocrisy themselves. They believed Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broaddrick, but the multiple accusations against Donald Trump were just political hits (despite his acknowledgement on the Access Hollywood tape). And with Roy Moore, we've reached a truly upside-down world in which social conservatives find themselves saying that a district attorney who scoured shopping malls and courthouses for girls who couldn't even drive yet was OK because, well, something about Joseph and Mary. Republicans have come a long way since Daniel Crane.

Some liberals are now coming around to the idea that, as Matt Yglesias of Vox put it: "I wonder how much healthier a place we'd be in as a society today if Bill Clinton had resigned in shame back in 1998."

The key words are "in shame." Bill Clinton's shamelessness  and his party's acquiescence in it  corrupted our culture in profound ways. What we choose to shame or overlook determines what kind of society we are. We didn't want to hold him to account, and so we told ourselves convenient lies, such as that it "was just sex." It wasn't. It was classic harassment, and assault, and abuse of power, and perjury. But his worst transgression was refusing to acknowledge our unwritten code of honor. If he had done the right thing and resigned, he would have taken the disgrace on his own back, where it belonged. By brazening it out, he made all of us complicit in it. His refusal to resign said, "I'm an abusive pig, and you are a country of abusive pigs if you permit me to remain in office."

Inevitably, because we let Bill Clinton off the hook, we had to downplay the seriousness of his offenses. So here we are. It is quite possible that Harvey Weinstein and Anthony Weiner and Kevin Spacey and Roger Ailes and the rest of the rotten roster of sex abusers thought, even if only in the back of their minds, that if they got caught, in our age, this sort of thing gets a wink and a nod.

After all, it's just sex.
If you sometimes despair about the power of one person to make a difference in the world, allow us to suggest that you consider Winnie Barron.

The Brownsville woman, a physician's assistant at Samaritan Urgent Care in Lebanon, also is the founder of the Makindu Children's Center in Kenya. For 19 years now, the center has worked with thousands of underprivileged African children.

The Childrens Center is a facility that provides high-protein meals, education, income-generating projects, and treatment for HIV and AIDS. It also works to place children in guardian homes whenever possible so that they can have a safe and healthy environment.

Barron and the Makindu Children's Center recently were in the national spotlight; her organization was named the winner of the 2017 World of Children Humanitarian Award. (World of Children is an international philanthropic organization founded by business leaders Harry Leibowitz and his wife, Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz.)

Barron and the other winners were whisked off to New York City earlier this month for a whirlwind of events, including a gala ceremony. But Barron was more focused on the contacts that she was able to make during her time there  contacts that she hopes will make Makindu even more effective in the future.

Barron's first venture to Africa was in 1994, when she traveled to Rwanda with Northwest Medical Teams. That's where she saw the impact of extreme poverty on children.

Three years later, she returned to Africa with the intention of going to returning to Rwanda in the wake of the genocide there. But the border was closed. While she waited in Nairobi for the border to reopen, she decided to volunteer at a rural hospital in Makindu. She was overwhelmed by the plight of the children she saw there.

After years of work in Africa, she returned to the United States in 1997, and, as she told Democrat-Herald reporter Alex Paul, "sat on my living-room floor and told friends my story. They raised $10,000 and I went back to Makindu and in August 1998, and we formed the center."

Despite a 10-year battle with muscular dystrophy, Barron still returns to Kenya two or three times a year. She pays her own travel expenses and sometimes bunks at the local Sikh temple. Her hope is that the center  which runs on a shoestring budget of $150,000 per year with a staff of 11  will always remain open, and that it will be operated completely by area residents.

Now, granted, not all of us will be able to duplicate Barron's situation. For example, we don't all have understanding employers like Samaritan. We don't all have the resources to frequently travel abroad.

But there are opportunities all around us  some quite close to home  to make a big difference in someone's life. What Winnie Barron teaches us is that the first step is being open to those opportunities when they emerge.

And congratulations to Barron and the Makindu Children's Center. The World of Children award is well-deserved. (mm)

Holiday travel

If you're planning to travel during next week's Thanksgiving weekend, here's a secret: You won't be alone.

The AAA reported this week that it expects 50.9 million Americans to travel more than 50 miles away from home during the holiday. That includes an estimated 647,000 Oregon residents, and most of us (556,600 or so) will be driving. It's expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving for travel since 2005; perhaps not coincidentally, the average price of a gallon of gasoline will be 40 cents higher than last year, the most expensive gas price since 2014.

The busiest travel day next week is expected to be Wednesday; no surprise there. The busiest travel times are anticipated to be between 3 and 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

If you're among the hundreds of thousands on state roads next week, remember that late November can offer some weather surprises. So drive safe and be prepared for the unexpected. (mm)
November 17, 2017

Lincoln, Neb.  While there is huge potential for sub-Saharan Africa to increase agricultural productivity, the odds that the region will become the world's next breadbasket are low, according to a new study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Sub-Saharan soils are weathered and much older, dating back at least 540 million years (left). Soils in the U.S. Corn Belt, such as this soil in Iowa, are deep and young, laid down during the past 20,000 years (right). (Courtesy photos - Kenneth Cassman)

Breadbaskets are regions that produce a large and stable surplus of one or more major food crops that not only meet local demand, but substantially contribute to the food supply in other regions. By this definition, there are only a few major breadbaskets in the world. The only rain-fed corn and soybean breadbaskets are the U.S. Corn Belt, Brazilian Cerrados and Argentinean Pampas.

"Even though there are not very many breadbaskets, they are critically important because they account for a major part of global food production," said Patricio Grassini, assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture at Nebraska and a co-author of the study.

Current yields in sub-Saharan Africa are well below what could be achieved given the region's farmable land and annual rainfall. The area receives more rainfall per year than other breadbaskets around the world. Given these factors, there is a persistent narrative that sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to become a grain breadbasket if production is intensified.

However, the study noted that a lack of data on soil depths that will support root growth has limited rigorous evaluations of how well sub-Saharan soils can support high, stable yields. According to Grassini, this is a critical parameter because deeper soils can buffer against rain-free periods. Current soil-depth data lacks adequate underpinning data, Grassini said.

Soils in the U.S. Corn Belt are deep and young, laid down during the past 20,000 years, whereas sub-Saharan soils are weathered and much older, dating back at least 540 million years. In the U.S. Corn Belt, the soils are deeper than 1.5 meters.

For this study, researchers used data provided by the Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas for 105 locations in major corn-producing countries in the region. Researchers explored a number of different soil-depth scenarios  from 0.5 to 1.5 meters  to determine production potential for sub-Saharan Africa.

Soils in the U.S. Corn Belt, such as this soil in Iowa, are deep and young, laid down during the past 20,000 years. Sub-Saharan soils are weathered and much older, dating back at least 540 million years.

"We found that for the region to meet its own demand and have a small surplus of (corn), they need to have the same soil depth as soils in the U.S. Corn Belt, and that is very unlikely," said Nicolas Guilpart, a former postdoctoral researcher at Nebraska and a co-author of the study. Guilpart is now an associate professor at AgroParisTech in France.

Co-author Kenneth Cassman, emeritus professor at Nebraska and fellow of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, said rapidly increasing demand could also limit sub-Saharan Africa's breadbasket potential.

"By 2050, the population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to more than double," he said. "This means that even if agricultural production intensifies, it will likely not be able to produce a surplus of food to be exported to global markets."

The results of the study were published in the latest issue of Environmental Research Letters.

Support for the research was provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute.

Additional co-authors include researchers from Wageningen University and ISRIC-World Soil Information, both in the Netherlands, and the International Crops Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in Kenya.

Patricio Grassini

Assistant Professor of Agronomy and Horticulture

402-472-5554

pgrassini2@unl.edu
KEARNEY  Dr. John R. Jacobsen, a veteran family physician, wants to be what he calls the Marcus Welby with new technology.

Monday, he opened Click Family Healthcare at 4009 Sixth Ave. He does not accept health insurance.

Customers  Jacobsen prefers that term to the word patients  enroll as members and pay a monthly fee in exchange for free office visits, including wellness exams and treatment of minor injuries and illnesses. They also get his cell-phone number and email address so they can call, text or email after hours.

There are no per-visit fees. No nickel-and-dime charges. Basic care services are covered under your membership, Jacobsen said.

Membership fees are based on age. Fees are $15 a month from birth up to 18 years old; $50 a month for ages 19-44, $75 a month for ages 45-64, and $100 a month for people 65 and older.

Currently, due to government regulations, he cannot see people who are on Medicare and Medicaid, but he expects to open his services to them by April 1. Also, members under age 18 must have at least one parent enrolled, as well.

He also offers coverage to small businesses with at least five employees. That rate is $50 per month per employee.

Jacobsens monthly fees cover annual physical exams and treatment of sprains, bruises, minor colds and womens health. He will repair cuts, remove skin lesions, do biopsies of suspicious skin lesions, cryotherapy, joint injections, vasectomies and more. When necessary, he will visit nursing homes and patients who cannot leave their homes.

The membership fee does not cover lab services, medications, allergy testing or medical imaging, but Jacobsen said he will do lab tests at wholesale cost. He will provide medications at 10 percent over their wholesale costs.

Memberships also exclude emergency room visits, hospitalization or surgery. Jacobsen said members should carry a separate high-deductible health insurance policy to cover those events and the care of specialists.

Jacobsen, 57, sees his new model as an alternative to a bloated health insurance industry and electronic record-keeping required by the Affordable Care Act. Ideally, he will see six to eight patients a day.

With conventional medicine, Id need to see between 25 to 30 patients a day to make a living, he said. He said thats why many doctors schedule appointments every 15 minutes and have 2,000 patient names in their databases as opposed to the ideal 800.

Then, after seeing 25 patients a day, doctors face four hours of paperwork on the computer, he said. He said 38 percent of doctors between the ages of 50 and 55 hope to retire in a few years because theyre burned out by the insurance requirements.

All that, he said, sucks up more than half the cost of simply turning on the lights. Most doctors hire people who do nothing but process insurance claims. His plan, he said, will avoid that. It will also allow him to truly get to know his patients.

He said this direct primary care model for a medical office is growing. In this region, this blueprint is being used in Lincoln, Wichita and Lawrence, Kan.

Some people go to urgent care centers, but those physicians dont know you, he said. I know you. Appointments will be 30 minutes long so I can get to know you.

He said his medical tests will be cheaper, too. In Omaha, five tests might total $330, but Jacobsen will charge $25 cash, collectively, for all five. He will get an 80 percent to 90 percent discount on lab tests and medications and will pass that on to his customers.

Born in Merna, Jacobsen always dreamed of becoming a small-town doctor, but he became banker instead. Ten years later, he still yearned to be a doctor, so his wife, Janet, told him to Put up or shut up.

He quit his job and went to medical school while she worked two jobs to support him and their two daughters.

She was Mr. Mom, he said. At age 43, he began practicing family medicine in Geneva with a well-known 83-year-old physician.

That doctor always said, People cant afford what were charging, so lets do it cheaper and better, Jacobsen said. That stuck with him.

Nearly three years ago, Jacobsen was the chief medical officer at a primary care center in Omaha when he decided to found Click Family Healthcare. He had seen the similar membership-only practices and knew there was a demand for it.

I missed taking care of people, he said.

He chose Kearney because it has many small businesses and under-insured people. He chose the name Click because of its simplicity and its reference to the Internet.

His wife will be the patient coordinator at Click, helping explain the practice to customers. It will be full disclosure. We have nothing to hide, Jacobsen said.
ALMA  A 39-year-old former Alma man alleged to have been involved in group sex with a mentally disabled teen was found guilty in Harlan County District Court Wednesday of one count of felony child abuse and one count of felony sexual assault of a child.

At the 39-year-old mans trial before a judge on Oct. 24 in Minden, a 37-year-old former Alma woman testified that she, the 39-year-old man and a 40-year-old Alma man had sex with the girl, who was at least 12 but younger than 16 at the time. The 39-year-old man adamantly denied the allegation.

The 39-year-old man committed his crimes between Aug. 1, 2016, and Sept. 30, 2016, according to court records.

The 37-year-old woman is charged with two counts of felony child abuse between July 2016 and Oct. 5, 2016. The 40-year-old man is charged with five counts of felony child abuse and five counts of felony sexual assault in the incident, and others, between Jan. 1, 2015, and Oct. 5, 2016, involving the same girl.

The names of the three adults are not being published in an attempt to protect the girls identity.

The 39-year-old mans trial was moved from Harlan County to Kearney County because of pretrial publicity in Harlan County.

Court records say that Judge Terri S. Harder ruled that all or parts of testimony from the states witnesses  the 37-year-old woman, a former cellmate of the 39-year old man and the victim  were valid.

The 40-year-old man invoked his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination and wasnt questioned by attorneys. According to court records, the man has been deemed incompetent to stand trial and he is receiving treatment at the Lincoln Regional Center.

The woman said the encounter between the adults and the girl started as sex between the adults. She said the 39-year-old man left the bedroom then brought the girl into the room where they all allegedly engaged in sex.

The 39-year-old mans attorney, Tom Stewart of Kearney, questioned the womans intent after her charge was reduced from a greater felony.

However, Harder found the womans testimony to be credible.

Just because she received a plea bargain in her own case does not mean that she is lying, Harder wrote.

Testimony by the girl was also heard outside the courtroom. The only people present during the victims testimony were Stewart, prosecuting attorney Melodie Bellamy, the court reporter, and the girls guardian ad litem, Patrick Calkins, an Alma attorney.

According to court records, the teen corroborated the womans story that the 39-year-old man had brought her into the bedroom and took off her clothes.

The teen also said that the defendant had touched her and had sex with her. She was questioned about having inconsistent statements ...wherin she repeatedly denied that the defendant had sexually assaulted her, court records say.

The victim was consistent in statements that the 40-year-old man had sex with her, court records say.

(The girls) testimony, on its own, would not support convictions beyond a reasonable doubt, Harder wrote. The inconsistent statements about whether the defendant assaulted her are troubling.

Harder also found testimony from Russell Sulky of Henderson, Nev., a former cellmate of the 39-year-old man, to be credible. Solky testified the man claimed to be in jail for being a ChoMo, prison slang for child molester, and the 39-year-old man allegedly said he had sex with the girl. But during his testimony, the 39-year-old said he only told his cellmate he was in jail for assault.

In exchange for Sulkys testimony, he said, his drug charges in Harlan County will be dismissed. Harder wrote that this fact doesnt seem to be enough of an incentive for Sulky to return to Nebraska to testify about a man he hardly knows.

In the end, Harder ruled that the 39-year-old man was guilty of introducing the victim to the group, having sex with her and not stopping the 40-year-old man from assaulting her.

The 39-year-old man faces 20 years to life in prison on his convictions. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10 in Kearney County District Court.

The 39-year-old woman is expected to plead Tuesday. A hearing has not been set for the 40-year-old man.

@erikadpritchard
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump has tapped Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly as the next U.S. Attorney for Nebraska.

Joe Kelly is a highly-respected prosecutor who will put the safety of Nebraskas families and communities first, Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said in a press release. It was my honor to recommend Joe to serve the people of our state in this capacity. His decades of experience, steady leadership, and top-notch legal skills will make him an incredibly effective U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a press release: Joe Kelly is a proven public servant with the humility and honesty that Nebraskans demand and respect. I look forward to working with Joe as he moves through the Judiciary Committee toward confirmation.

In announcing the nomination, Trump cited Kelly's years prosecuting a wide variety of crimes including homicide, robbery, sexual assault and white collar.

Kelly was an associate with Berniger, Berg and Diver PC in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from 1987 to 1990.

He received his B.A. from the University of Nebraska and his J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law.

Kelly still must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He would follow Deborah Gilg, who retired from the position earlier this year after she was told by a senior Justice Department prosecutor that she and other U.S. attorneys across the country should resign.

Gilg became the first female U.S. attorney in Nebraska after being nominated by then-President Barack Obama in 2009.

U.S. attorneys serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers for their districts, coordinating task forces and prosecuting cases such as gang-related drug trafficking and white-collar crime.
On Thursday, Americans will celebrate their oldest tradition: the observance of Thanksgiving, which dates back to 1621. The quiz below, from the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University in Ohio, where I am executive director, provides an opportunity to test your knowledge of the history and customs of the nearly 400-year-old holiday.

1. The first credited Thanksgiving was celebrated at the Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. How long was the first Thanksgiving feast?

A. One day

B. Three days

C. Five days

D. One week

2. What was the name of the Native American leader of the Wampanoag Indian tribe who forged an alliance with the English settlers and attended the First Thanksgiving feast with 90 of his men?

A. Massasoit

B. Powhatan

C. Sacagawea

D. Geronimo

3. The Pilgrims arrived at what would become Plymouth Plantation aboard the Mayflower. The ship on which they originally set sail was taking on water so the passengers and crew transferred to the Mayflower. What was the name of the ship on which the Pilgrims originally sailed?

A. Mary Celeste

B. RMS Carpathia

C. Mary Rose

D. Speedwell

4. George Washington was asked by the U.S. Congress to establish a day of Thanksgiving. What was the year of Americas first Thanksgiving, as designated by the federal government?

A. 1788

B. 1789

C. 1790

D. 1791

5. While Washington declared the first Day of Thanksgiving to be observed by the government, which president made it a national holiday?

A. Theodore Roosevelt

B. James Madison

C. Abraham Lincoln

D. Ulysses S. Grant

6. What is the name of the author and editor who led the national campaign to have Thanksgiving declared a national holiday?

A. Sarah Josepha Hale

B. Walt Whitman

C. Jacob Riis

D. Nellie Bly

7. Which common Thanksgiving food likely was not served at the first Thanksgiving?

A. Turkey

B. Ham

C. Pumpkin

D. Corn

8. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared Thanksgiving would be moved up a week, at the request of Fred Lazarus Jr. This was done to make the Christmas shopping season longer and more profitable. What company did Lazarus own?

A. Lord & Taylor

B. Sears, Roebuck and Company

C. F.W. Woolworth Company

D. Macys

9. Which of Americas Founding Fathers wanted the turkey to be Americas national bird, rather than the eagle?

A. George Washington

B. Samuel Adams

C. Benjamin Franklin

D. James Madison

10. Which president first pardoned a turkey at the urging of his son who had taken a liking to the bird and given it the name Tom?

A. Theodore Roosevelt

B. Abraham Lincoln

C. Ulysses S. Grant

D. Grover Cleveland

ANSWERS: 1-B, 2-A, 3-D, 4-B, 5-C, 6-A, 7-B, 8-D, 9-C, 10-B.
Italian former Prime Minister and leader of "Forza Italia" party, Silvio Berlusconi, sits next to a portrait of his former wife Veronica Lario during the recording of Rai TV program 'Porta a porta', in Rome Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. (Claudio Peri/ANSA via AP)
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A three-dog limit is being proposed for people walking their pets in Capital Regional Districts as Christine Pratt walks her sisters dogs (from left to right), Banjo, Stella and her dog Bobby at Thetis Lake Park in Langford, B.C., on Thursday, November 16, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
TransCanada's Keystone pipeline facilities are seen in Hardisty, Alta., on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. TransCanada Corp. says its Keystone pipeline has leaked an estimated 795,000 litres of oil in Marshall County, S.D. The company says its crews shut down the pipeline early this morning after detecting a drop in pressure and are assessing the situation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
A mountain pine beetle is shown in a handout photo. A massive and uncontrollable buildup of mountain pine beetles in Jasper National Park is now starting to explode into commercially valuable forests along its boundaries. Foresters along Jasper's edge have already seen a tenfold increase in beetle infestation in just months, and some scientists wonder if Parks Canada could have done more to control the beetles a few years ago when it had a chance. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Klaus Bolte
No destination on Earth has achieved faster tourism growth than Iceland. Visitor numbers there have broken records in every one of the past three years. The deluge of incoming tourism is so great that citizens of that sparsely populated land have sometimes taken to the streets to protest tourisms interference with their own placid lives.

And one reason among many has contributed to that phenomenal rise: the airfares offered by that nations two low-cost air carriers. Both Icelandair and WOW Airlines charge so little for the flight between many U.S. cities and Reykjavik, Iceland, that growing numbers of Americans are using Iceland as a stop en route to Europe. Though they may have little interest in touring Iceland, they go to London, Paris, Copenhagen and Madrid via Icelands capital because of airfare savings of hundreds of dollars.

The coming year will witness a dramatic increase in cost-conscious passengers to Europe through Iceland because of new routes flown by WOW Airlines. And wow, indeed! Starting in early December, WOW Airlines will fly from New York to Reykjavik  not daily, but several times a week  and starting in the spring, the frequency of those New York-originating flights will be almost daily. In fact, WOW Airlines will fly to Icelands capital from several major U.S. cities, in hot competition with Icelandair. And after a stopover in Reykjavik, it will fly onward (as will Icelandair) to several major European capitals.

At what total round-trip cost from the U.S. to Europe, trans-Atlantic? Although some round-trip flights will charge only $350 in winter, the same fares will increase to perhaps $450 and $500 round-trip in summer, including the stop in Iceland. Visit wowair.us, and youll be stunned by the rock-bottom cost on that airline of flying to Europe from the United States.

Its no wonder that Iceland is currently jammed with trans-Atlantic tourists who schedule a stop en route in that nation.

Note to the reader: Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip. The information in this column was accurate when it was released, but prices are competitive, sometimes limited and can always change without notice.

Arthur Frommer is the pioneering founder of the Frommers Travel Guide book series. Find more destinations online and read Arthur Frommers blog at frommers.com.
The attorney for a woman charged with neglect after 52 dogs were found in her Pleasant Prairie home said she hopes the animals can be released for adoption quickly.

Darleen Chick, 66, of Pleasant Prairie, was charged Nov. 10 with 20 counts of providing improper shelter and sanitation for animals. Pleasant Prairie Police went to Chicks home, 8601 120th Ave., with a search warrant after receiving a complaint about its conditions.

According to a criminal complaint, the dogs appeared to have food and water but the home Chick shared with the dogs was in deplorable condition with feces a minimum of four inches deep on floors, furniture was decaying and the walls and floors were rotting.

The 52 dogs  most of them Australian Shepherd mixes were seized and are being cared for by Safe Harbor Humane Society. Chicks home was declared uninhabitable by the village and she is staying elsewhere since being released on a signature bond.

Freeing up dogs

for adoption

Defense attorney John Ward said he is still investigating the case, but said Chick has told him that she wants to make arrangements so the dogs can be free to be adopted.

I think the majority of dogs are foster dogs. I think there are three dogs that are actually hers, Ward said. She doesnt want to see them in a cage.

Pleasant Prairie Police Chief David Smetana has said Chick wasnt breeding dogs for sale but instead appeared to have a hoarding problem.

A spokesman for Pleasant Prairie said that, for now, the village will be paying a daily fee to Safe Harbor for the care of the dogs until ownership is relinquished. The village will then bill Chick for that cost.

Chandra Riberich, executive director of Safe Harbor Humane Society, said the fee paid by the village will cover the cost of feeding the dogs, but not the overall cost of medical care and staff costs.

Riberich said the shelter has sent a package of information to Chick, hoping she will relinquish the dogs so they can be adopted, although that may be complicated by the legal process.

When the dogs will be available for adoption is unclear, she said.

Addressing health, training

Riberich said the dogs range in age from very young puppies to seniors.

The oldest is, I think, 12 years old, she said. Some of the dogs have been placed in foster homes.

She said the dogs are generally in good health, although some have skin and ear infections from living in filthy conditions.

A lot of dental work needs to be done  even the 4-year-olds have really awful teeth  a lot of extractions and cleaning will have to be done, she said.

She said staff is working on socializing the dogs, some of whom are very fearful.

From what weve seen so far, a lot of them are not familiar with a leash. Some of them are catching on fairly quickly, some are having a harder time, she said. They are getting a lot more friendly and trusting with us.

Riberich said Laura Yurchak of Loving Paws Dog Training offered to help work with the dogs to help ready them for adoption.She said Yurchak and a group of her trainers will be starting to work with the dogs on leash training and socialization this week.

Chick is expected to return to court on Dec. 8.
Kilkenny County Council no longer uses the controversial weedkiller Roundup, a senior engineer at the local authority has confirmed.

At this months meeting of Piltown Municipal District, area engineer Ian Gardner told members that the local authority hasnt used the herbicide in the last couple of years.

Cllr Melissa ONeill described it as great news after previously bringing a motion - which was later withdrawn - before a meeting of Kilkenny County Council calling for a ban on the use of glyphosate in public areas here.

The ingredient is a controversial one found in some herbicides like Roundup, with one recent study suggesting it may be carcinogenic, while others dispute this. Mr Gardner said they now use Gallup for weedkilling - which is lower in strength.

However, details of this product online reveal that one of its ingredients is glyphosate.

Director of Services at Kilkenny County Council, Tim Butler, confirmed to the Kilkenny People that the local authority complies with relevant EU and Health & Safety regulations with regard to use of herbicides.

Earlier this month, the EUs 28 countries failed to approve or reject the Commissions proposal for a five-year extension to the licence allowing glyphosate to be used.

The chemicals current EU licence expires on December 15 of this year.

EU officials discussed the glyphosate reauthorisation again at a committee meeting on November 6 and they are expected to resubmit the proposal to Parliament.
Kilkenny's ambulance night shift cover has been described in the Dail as a lottery with a local TD warning that the strategy could unravel faster than the Minister can dial 911.

Fianna Fail's Bobby Aylward raised the matter under Topical Issues and the need to address overnight ambulance resources in Kilkenny.

The county has just two ambulances on duty each night for the almost 100,000 people in the county, figures obtained by the Kilkenny People previously revealed.

Kilkenny's emergency ambulances on day shift duty from Monday to Friday is four for each day but this drops down to two on Saturdays and Sundays.

The amount of emergency ambulances on night shift cover seven days a week across the county stands at two  a figure which local TDs have described as shocking.

Speaking in the Dail today, Deputy Aylward said: One ambulance can't cover for 50,000 people and they should be looked at on a county basis again.

Deputy Aylward highlighted that there is increased risk and potential need for ambulances at night-time especially at weekends in a vibrant city like Kilkenny.

He said the ambulance allocation is not good enough for a population of 100,000 people and the ratio of population to ambulances was inadequate and it "could unravel faster than [the Minister] could dial 911".

In response, Minister of State at the Department of Health, Catherine Byrne, said: Allocation is based on activity and demand. The National Ambulance Service operates on a national and area basis as opposed to a local base."

Deputy Aylward added: "It needs to be urgently re-examined. It's not viable, it's not practical. We cannot subject people to the lottery of roaming ambulances.

The Minister said: I'm taking notes of the concerns you've raised.

The decision on the number of ambulances in Kilkenny, I don't know who made it, maybe it was the National Ambulance Service. Whatever reason night-time ambulances go down, I've no idea.
Fianna Fail Deputy Bobby Alyward has raised the case at national level of a Kilkenny youngster who desperately needs to remain on her medication.

Cezy Fosca (11) was diagnosed with Morquio Syndrome at the age of two - it is a rare genetic condition which results in the abnormal development of the bones including the spine, along with fatigue and painful joints.

In 2011 Cezy was selected to go on a trial for a drug - Vimizim and she has remained on it since. The drug is a form of enzyme replacement treatment and was approved by the Euopean Medicines Agency in 2014. The manufacturer has provided the drug free of charge on compassionate grounds while the family were waiting for it to be assessed by the National Centre of Pharamacoeconomics, which has now decided not to recommend it for reimbursement. The HSE has stated that the final decision is with them and they have informed the maker, BioMarin that they would not be reimbursing it.

Deputy Alyward met with Eleanor Hannon of BioMarin International Limited in Leinster House this week to discuss the HSE reimbursement of the drug Vimizim.

I have tabled a number of Dail Questions on behalf of BioMarin to Minister Harris and I am seeking to personally discuss the matter with him at the earliest opportunity.

I look forward to working further with BioMarin and our Spokesperson for Health, Billy Kelleher T.D in an effort to get this drug reimbursed in Ireland. I am very eager to see the HSE reverse their decision so that such genuine cases will retain their access to the drug," he said.
Wind farmers and others involved in providing alternative energy sources are a death threat to long-established energy providers wind energy experts have said.

The comments made in Kilkenny yesterday by Irish Wind Farmers Association chairman, Grattan Healy, came hours after a report showed Ireland is the worst in Europe for climate action and 49th out of 60 countries examined by three nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).

We would be naive to believe that the fossil fuel industry and the nuclear industry are not working to slow down the advancement of renewables, Mr Healy told delegates gathered for their annual conference in Kilkenny.

We are a death threat to them. Some of the vested interests within the country are behind several of the objections. It is also clear from our research that information and money is coming from abroad from these vested interests.

Dont tell me that there arent people in the anti-wind movement who are actually acting on behalf of nuclear interests. Many of their leaders have made it clear that they support nuclear.

Mr Healy said that slow yet steady progress is being made by government on policy areas to help the wind industry. And he encouraged those who fear wind to go out a see how windfarms work. "The wind industry is sustaining thousands of jobs in Ireland, is reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, creating a future for the next generation in rural Ireland and has unlimited potential, he said.

The likely impact of a turbine, even at 500 or 600 metres, is tiny. People should go out in their cars, drive out to their nearest windfarm, stand under the blade and see how not noisy they are. All you will experience is a slight woosh, woosh, woosh," he calimed.

"Developers who engage with the community early, who explain the project, how it will work, who make a contribution to the local community, who explain its impact in a non-technical manner and in a language people can understand and who explain the fact that turbines are largely noiseless are far more likely to get the green light than those who simply submit an application and hope for the best," Mr Healy said.

Big developers who come in from outside, never talk to anybody and stick up a planning notice are far more likely to get a negative reaction. Our members engage with their local communities early and many go so far as to make a financial contribution towards project in those community. They explain in detail what they are doing. Community engagement is critical," Mr Healy added.

Keynote speaker, Paul Kenny, from the Tipperary Energy Agency said a head of steam is now gathering around wind energy policy and he urged delegates to lobby their local TDs and Ministers to ensure that wind energy is high on the government agenda into the future.

I attended my first wind conference back in 2005. Twelve years on, were still in the very same place. And it will take another 12 years unless we get the public more involved in and have shared ownership of wind energy.

A lot of people dont know just how beneficial and valuable wind energy is and that it makes sense. The onus is on all of us involved in wind energy production to educate them and bring them in, he suggested.
By Ruby Lian and Melanie Burton

SHANGHAI/MELBOURNE, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Open interest for some far forward Shanghai copper futures contracts surged on Tuesday, Reuters Eikon data showed, the latest sign that investors continue to place big bets in one of China's top derivatives markets.

Unidentified traders on Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) added $1 billion to positions in copper contracts tied to the second-half of 2018 this week, Reuters Eikon data showed.

This marks a second wave of strong trading in the Shanghai copper market following a similar burst around mid-October across copper futures contracts tied to the first half of 2018.

Open interest in copper futures on the Shanghai Futures Exchange for August, September and October delivery surged by a total of 26,612 lots on Tuesday, or 810 percent, from Monday's totals, according to Reuters calculations based on trading data. One lot is equal to 5 tonnes.

That would give the position a value of roughly 6.87 billion yuan ($1.04 billion), according to the data.

The August contract saw open interest surge to 23,386 lots on Tuesday from 2,572 lots the previous day. The September contract rose to 19,250 lots from 2,548 lots, and the October contract jumped to 17,156 lots from 1,448 lots. Volume and open interest on the ShFE is double-counted to include both long and short positions, so Reuters halved the published data in the calculations to reflect the real changes.

The underlying price of each contract rallied on Tuesday, indicating a large portion of the position-building seen was in the form of buying rather than selling, although a broad swell of weakness hit most industrial markets on Wednesday to knock prices lower again.

The Shanghai Futures Exchange does not break down major holders of positions after June 2018.

Reuters reported last month that a private coal mining industry investor in Shanxi province was the main actor behind a massive increase in bullish bets in Chinese copper futures through futures broker Gelin Dahua Futures Co Ltd over the past year. ($1 = 6.6301 Chinese yuan renminbi)

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ GRAPHIC: Late-2018 Shanghai copper open interest surges on fresh buying wave ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Ruby Lian in SHANGHAI and Melanie Burton in MELBOURNE; Editing by Gavin Maguire and Kenneth Maxwell)
SHANGHAI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Finance auctioned 120 billion yuan ($18.11 billion) of 98-day deposits at an average yield of 4.60 percent on Monday, traders said.

That was higher than the yield of 4.42 percent in the previous three-month auction.

The sale, like previous auctions, is part of the ministry's cash-management programme. Banks bid for the right to take the deposits. ($1 = 6.6273 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by the Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Eric Meijer)
Nov 17 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

* Prudential Plc is scaling up its ambitions in Asia with plans to open a fund management venture in China and to double in size in the region every few years. * WPP said it was prepared to increase its stake in Asatsu-DK , one of the largest marketing services companies in Japan, to about a third after requests from other shareholders. The Guardian

* The business secretary, Greg Clark, has been urged by the GMB union to block the proposed merger of German energy group Innogy's British unit, npower with SSE's British retail supply business . * The chief executive designate of GKN , Kevin Cummings, has been ousted from the FTSE 100 company weeks before he was due to take up the top job at the aerospace and engineering firm. The Telegraph

* Jaguar Land Rover has quietly started testing driverless cars on British roads that are simultaneously being used by the general public, in a clear indication that Britain's biggest manufacturer is determined the country will play a leading role in the race to develop autonomous vehicles. * The Serious Fraud Office has made its first charges against Unaoil employees in relation to a corruption scandal that has engulfed the oil and gas industry. Sky News

* The boss of U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs , Lloyd Blankfein, has used his latest Twitter post on Brexit to suggest a second referendum is held. * The GMB union's Scotland secretary, Gary Smith, has told Sky News a dispute threatening 1,400 jobs is a battle for the future of skilled manufacturing in Scotland. The Independent

* Rail passengers on the UK's leading long-distance network face disruption and cancellations after Virgin Trains staff belonging to the RMT union voted to strike by a majority of 10 to one. * Retail sales continued to grow in October according to the latest official data, easing some of the fears of a plunge in consumer spending. A survey of retailers by the CBI had suggested the fastest rate of decline in sales in October since the UK's last recession in 2009. (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom Editing by Sandra Maler)
SINGAPORE, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Singapore's non-oil domestic exports (NODX) rose at a much stronger pace than expected in October, thanks to growth in both electronics and non-electronic sectors, official data showed on Friday.

Exports increased 20.9 percent in October year-on-year, data from the trade agency International Enterprise Singapore showed, with shipments to China surging 53.3 percent.

That was more than the 10.0 percent increase predicted by economists in a Reuters poll. In September, exports unexpectedly contracted after 5 straight months of gains as electronics shipments fell for first time in almost a year. On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, exports grew 12.5 percent after an 11.0 percent decline in September. The Reuters poll had predicted growth of 5.1 percent.

Electronics exports, a major driver of shipments in recent months, rose 4.5 percent in October from a year earlier, while non-electronic exports grew 28.5 percent.

(Reporting by Fathin Ungku; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
HANOI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Following is a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates as of 0404 GMT.

November 17 USD/VND mid-point 22,446 USD/VND interbank 22,712/22,713 USD/VND unofficial 22,750/22,770 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.37/36.59

Interbank offered rates Overnight 1.0-1.7

1 week 1.2-1.7

1 month 1.9-2.2

3 months 4.0-4.8

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on a daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Brazilian iron ore miner Samarco has told unions it needs to cut 600 workers by December, the joint venture between Brazil's Vale SA and Anglo-Australian miner BHP Billiton Ltd said in a statement on Friday.

Samarco said it would resume talks with unions Metabase Mariana and Sindimental on Friday following Thursday meetings on the need to reduce staff to 1,135 from 1,735.

Samarco's operations were halted two years ago after a tailings dam burst, killing 19 people and unleashing Brazil's worst environmental disaster ever.

Samarco reiterated that there is still no forecast for when mining may be resumed but said that any restart would be gradual and begin at 26 percent capacity.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
BRASILIA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Brazil will free up an additional 7.4 billion reais ($2.27 billion) in government spending this year on the heels of a recent upswing in tax collecting, Planning Minister Dyogo Oliveira said on Friday. Oliveira stressed, however, that President Michel Temer's government was still determined to push through reforms to shore up Brazil's finances and help reduce a budget deficit as the nation emerges from its worst recession on record. ($1 = 3.2621 reais)

(Reporting by Marcela Ayres; editing by Diane Craft)

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.
MILAN, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The top shareholder of Italy's Banca Carige has signed a commitment to subscribe 17.6 pct of the lender's 560 million euro ($660 million) share issue, a source close to the matter said on Friday.

The Genoa-based lender, saddled with a heavy burden of bad loans and accumulated losses, is racing to salvage the capital increase needed to prevent it being wound down by the European Central bank.

Malacalza Investimenti had said in the past that it had sought regulatory approval to raise its stake to 28 percent, from the current 17.6 percent and that it would support Carige, despite recent misunderstandings with banks in the consortium. ($1 = 0.8480 euros)

(Reporting by Andrea Mandala; editing by Giulia Segreti)
* Carige failed to secure backing from underwriters

* Needs cash to prevent it being wound down by ECB

* CEO trying to find a solution on Friday in series of meetings

* Carige shares suspended, rival Creval's shares drop

MILAN, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Italian lender Banca Carige is racing to salvage a 560 million euro ($661 million) share issue after it failed to secure backing from underwriters, sending fresh tremors through the country's banking sector.

Carige, saddled with a heavy burden of bad loans and accumulated losses, needs to raise the money to prevent it being wound down by the European Central Bank, a fate meted out to two other struggling regional Italian lenders this year.

Carige's failure to raise capital would once again undermine confidence in the sector just as risks of contagion seemed to have subsided following a string of bailouts. It could jeopardise efforts by small lenders to tap investors for cash in order to meet regulatory demands to step up bad loan disposals.

Carige had hoped to finalise underwriting for the rights issue on Wednesday but last-minute difficulties meant Credit Suisse , Deutsche Bank and Barclays did not commit to take on any unsold shares. The bank has said Chief Executive Paolo Fiorentino would continue to work on Friday to try to reach a deal with underwriters after making progress in talks with key shareholders, institutional investors and the three banks.

A source familiar with the matter said meetings were scheduled throughout the day to seek a solution.

CONTAGION

Carige's troubles reverberated across Italy's battered banking sector, hitting in particular rival Creval , which has just announced plans to raise 700 million euros, or more than five times its market value, in a share issue.

Italian banks are saddled with a quarter of Europe's soured loans, a hangover from a deep recession that ended in 2014, and are struggling to offload them as they can only sell at a loss, burning through capital.

Creval shares fell 19 percent on Thursday and were indicated down as much as 30 percent of Friday but they failed to trade.

Carige shares were suspended from trading.

"It's clear that if the Carige deal falls apart Creval's won't work either," said fund manager Giuseppe Sersale of Anthilia Capital.

Carige said late on Thursday commitments from investors so far totalled around 11.75 percent of capital, or 328 million euros based on Reuters calculations, and more were in the process of being finalised.

In addition, top shareholder Malacalza Investimenti said it had sought regulatory approval to raise its stake to 28 percent from 17.6 percent and it would support Carige, despite recent misunderstandings with banks in the consortium.

Malacalza has invested 264 million euros to build its stake since 2015, when Carige last sold new shares at 1.17 euros each. The stock last closed at just under 15 euro cents.

Another local businessman is the bank's second biggest shareholder with 6 percent.

Carige must boost its core capital ratio, which lags behind the threshold recommended by the ECB, by the end of the year.

The share issue is a key plank of a capital plan which also included asset disposals and a debt swap. Carige has warned its business could be at risk if the plan falls through.

Rome has this year rescued larger rival Monte dei Paschi di Siena and liquidated two failing regional banks in Veneto, committing up to 23 billion euros of public money.

Like these banks, Carige has been hit by bad loans and poor management. It has lost nearly 3 billion euros since 2013. ($1 = 0.8475 euros)

(Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Elaine Hardcastle)
Nov 17 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- The House of Representatives passed a bill that would usher in the most far-reaching overhaul of the U.S. tax system in 31 years, a plan that would reduce the corporate tax rate to its lowest point since 1939 and cut individual taxes for most households in 2018. - New suitors are circling Twenty-First Century Fox Inc , affirming that the media empire built by Rupert Murdoch is now in play. Comcast Corp has approached the media company. Verizon Communications Inc and Sony Corp are also kicking the tires. - A federal judge declared a mistrial in the corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, giving the Democrat a political lifeline and preserving his party's control of the seat for the near future. - Meredith Corp has made a takeover bid for storied magazine publisher Time Inc in the range of $17 to $20 a share, according to people familiar with the situation. - An activist investor in Barnes & Noble Inc has proposed a transaction that would take the bookseller private with the help of current shareholders and a hefty dose of borrowings, an effort that could face formidable obstacles. - Emerson Electric Co boosted its takeover offer for Rockwell Automation Inc , ratcheting up an effort to bring its reluctant rival to the negotiating table and forge a new giant in industrial automation. (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)
If you havent already done so, now is the time to winterize your boat to insure that it will start in the spring and to prevent damage to your engine that may run into thousands of dollars worth of repairs.

Many boats come with owners manuals that tell you how to prepare your boat for the winter. If you have it, follow the directions that your manufacturer recommends. If you dont have the owners manual here are a few tips to help you out.

Use water ears, a flushing attachment to flush the water out your outboard motor cooling system. While you have the engine running, disconnect the fuel line, letting the engine continue to run, removing all of this years fuel from the system.

There are two schools of thought about fuel over the winter. You may either completely empty the tank, using a fogging oil to protect it from corrosion, or you may put brand new fuel with stabilizer in it. Both ways seem to work fine.

If you use fogging oil, spray it in the carburetor right before the motor runs out of gas, you will know its running out of gas when the motor starts to run rough. Remove the spark plugs and spray into the cylinders. Then spray the inside of your gas tank. This is a good time to put in new spark plugs.

After the motor is shut down, remove flushing attachment and drain your motor of all water, making sure the outboard motor is in an upright position. Many even have a drain plug to help you drain the water. You may turn the prop by hand or even bump the motor with the starter (disconnect spark plug wire) to force water out of the pump. Dont leave any water inside as freezing temperatures can crack the housing.

Clean and lubricate all the linkages found on the motor and the steering components, using the manufacturers recommended lubricants. Dont forget to lubricate the propeller shaft. Always store your outboard motor in an upright position.

Finally, wash and dry the outside of your boat and trailer removing all dirt, plant and animal matter. Clean, drain and dry your bilges. Either store your boat in a covered place or put a good sturdy boat cover or tarp over it. This is also a great time to check the brakes and lighting system on your trailer, repack the bearings on the axles and make sure that the winching system is lubricated and in good working condition.

Follow these steps and when its time to hit the water next spring, your boat will be ready to go.

WILDHORSE

Very little change here with good water quality, levels and fishing. Surface water temperatures were in the low to mid 40s earlier this week. Fishing has been good with shore anglers reporting limits of chunky trout in the Hendricks Arm on both sides of the highway, all the way to the canyon that leads to the dam and at the state park. Fish are averaging 14 to 18 inches with the occasional fish between 20 and 24 inches. Penrod arm is also fishing well.

SOUTH FORK RESERVOIR

Earlier this week surface water temperatures ranged from the low to high 40s, depending upon where on the lake you are and time of day. However, with the rain, snow and wind expect the temperatures to have dropped into the low 40s by this weekend. The wind should have broken up most of the remaining weed beds and the cold temperatures will help clear up much of the remaining algae. Expect numbers to pick up with the clearing water and colder water temperatures. Anglers report catching some fish on the southeast side of the lake in eight to 10 feet of water from float tubes using olive or peacock bead head crystal buggers. The trout being caught are averaging between 14 and 18 inches with an occasional 20 incher.

JIGGS/ZUNINO RESERVOIR

Fishing from shore continues to improve and anglers are catching 12 to 14 inch fish with a few 19 to 20 inch fish thrown in for good measure.

WILSON RESERVOIR

The water is clear with the lake about 50 percent of capacity and trout are moving into shallower water near the boat ramp or along the north shore near the cabin.

RUBY LAKE NWR

With the front that moved through on Thursday and Friday consider bass fishing done for the year. Fishing in the ditch for trout has been good for trout, though most of the ditch has low clear water with weeds.

JAKES CREEK/BOIES RESERVOIR:

The wind should have helped clear out the remaining weeds the week making shore fishing much more accessible. Trout fishing has been good while bass fishing is pretty much done for the year. Worms and PowerBait are popular here for trout as are black or olive woolly buggers, prince nymphs, PTs, leech patterns, scuds and hares ears.

COLD CREEK RESERVOIR

Anglers should do well on night crawlers, Mepps, Panther Martins and Kast Masters for trout. Consider bass fishing done here for the year. Trout fishing has been good using common nymph and emerger patterns as well as buggers.

CAVE LAKE

Anglers are catching summer carryover trout and fall stocked trout. Most fish being caught are 10 inches to 12 inches with the occasional 14+ inch rainbow. Water temperatures were in the mid to high 40s and will probably drop into the low 40s with the recent weather.

ANGEL LAKE

Fishing has been good, but with the cooler weather expect it to be icing up any day now. As of Friday morning (Nov. 17) the road was still listed as open. Dress in layers here as the lake is at 8,400 feet of elevation with cold mornings and warm afternoons.

ALPINE LAKES

With Fridays weather, expect most lakes to be difficult to get to due to snow and most lakes are icing over. Travel is not recommended and there will be no further fishing reports on the high mountain lakes until next spring or early summer depending upon the winter.

STREAMS

Most area streams are well above normal for flows for this time of year due to the precipitation we received this week. Expect turbid water this weekend. Lamoille Creek is flowing at 12 cfs, Bruneau River at 66 cfs, Jarbidge at 20 cfs and the east fork of the Owyhee near Mountain City is flowing at approximately 51 cfs. East central Nevada streams have little change: Cleve Creek is flowing at 6 cfs and Steptoe at 4 cfs.
OSLO, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Norway's Statoil will ramp up its search for oil and gas deposits on the Norwegian continental shelf next year, the company said on Friday.

Oil companies are stepping up efforts to find more oil and gas offshore after cutting exploration budgets following the oil price drop since 2014, meaning more work for owners of drilling rigs, such as Transocean or Seadrill .

Majority-state owned Statoil is emerging from the downturn as one of the most active offshore explorers.

"We are looking at drilling 25 to 30 wells in Norway in 2018. That's an early ambition we have and it depends on some approvals," Statoil's spokesman said.

The number includes both Statoil and partner-operated wells, and compares with 16 to 18 exploration wells the company planned to drill off Norway in 2017.

Statoil has previously said it planned to drill five wells in the Barents Sea in 2018, which is estimated to hold the most undiscovered resources offshore Norway. This year, the company planned to drill about 30 exploration wells globally at a total budget of $1.3 billion.

Statoil declined to give a total number planned for 2018, as some were still in the planning stage.

In 2016, Statoil drilled a total of 23 exploration wells as operator and partner, including 14 offshore Norway.

(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis; Editing by Edmund Blair)
ZURICH, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The Swiss blue-chip SMI was seen opening flat at 9,149 points on Friday, according to premarket indications by bank Julius Baer .

The following are some of the main factors expected to affect Swiss stocks:

ROCHE The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Roche's Hemlibra, a new medicine for haemophilia A that the Swiss drugmaker is counting on to help to offset eroding sales of older medicines going off patent. Roche also said it agreed to acquire Viewics, Inc. for data-driven lab business analytics. For more, click on COMPANY STATEMENTS * Schaffner said it expects net profit in a range of 7-9 million Swiss francs for 2016/17. * Dufry said it has successfully refinanced its main bank credit facilities of 3.4 billion Swiss francs. The agreement extends the maturity to 2022 and the new financing structure will generate combined yearly interest savings of around 50 million francs, the company said. * Aevis Victoria said total revenues at Sept. 30, 2017 increased by 15.4 percent to 487 million Swiss francs. * Schweiter Technologies's 3A Technology & Management AG has signed an agreement with Halter AG to sell its investment property in Neuhausen. The transaction will generate a book gain in the single-digit Swiss franc millions for Schweiter, the company said. * New Value posted a first-half loss of 1.02 million francs. * St Galler Kantonalbank said it successfully placed double tranche additional bonds. ECONOMY Recent moves by the U.S. Federal Reserve to tighten its monetary policy is helping the Swiss National Bank in its campaign against the "highly valued" Swiss franc, SNB Governor Andrea Maechler said on Thursday. (Reporting by Zurich newsroom)

Daily Swiss stock market report in German................ All SMI constituent stocks............................ News on major Swiss stock price moves.................. FTSE Eurotop 300 index................................ DJ STOXX index........................................ Top 10 STOXX sectors............................. Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors........................ Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors....................... Top 25 European pct gainers... , losers... Swiss mid-cap index SMI futures Swiss all-share index Market statistics Swiss market digest Sector overview All Swiss news Swiss research news All equity news INTERNET ADDRESSES: Swiss Exchange / Eurex STOXX Ltd SPEED GUIDES: ))

Keywords: MARKETS SWISS STOCKS/
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 17 (Reuters) - South Africa sold 3.112 billion rand ($220 million) worth of three-month Treasury bills on Friday, at an average yield of 7.59 percent compared with 7.56 percent last week, central bank data showed. The bid-to-cover ratio fell to 1.1 from 1.6. Auction date: 17/11/2017 Settlement date: 22/11/2017 Days 91 182 273 364 Amount received (R'bln) 3.462 4.282 5.057 5.131 Amount on offer (R'bln) 3.555 2.46 2.5 2.5 Amount allotted (R'bln) 3.112 2.46 2.5 2.5 Bid-to-cover ratio 1.1 1.7 2.0 2.1 Avg discount rate (pct) 7.45 7.57 7.61 7.52 Average yield (pct) 7.59 7.86 8.07 8.13 ($1 = 14.1483 rand)

(Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by James Macharia)

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.
(Adds analyst comment)

STOCKHOLM, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Swedish housing starts slowed slightly in the third quarter, data showed on Friday, providing further evidence that the formerly red-hot property market is cooling off.

Sweden has seen a construction boom in the last few years as builders try to catch up with a rise in the population and cash-in on surging house prices.

But a glut in supply, worries about future rate rises and tighter borrowing rules have begun to affect house prices, which fell for the second straight month in October. While housing starts were up 11 percent at 49,800 in the first three quarters, they fell to 14,000 in the July-September period from 14,250 the year before, data from the Statistics Office showed.

"This figure presents a downside risk for GDP," said Olle Holmgren, an analyst at SEB.

"It shows that the slowdown in the housing market has already started to have an impact and to a slightly greater extent than we had expected."

Sweden's economy has surged recently, expanding 3.3 percent last year after 4.5 percent growth in 2015. A big contributor has been housing investment.

A significant fall in prices would hit housing investment and consumption and drag down growth.

Prices have risen nearly 40 percent over the last three years and most analysts see the recent reversal as a welcome sign that the market is starting to normalize.

But some have said that if authorities go ahead with further plans to cool the market, price falls could be much bigger. (Reporting by Johan Sennero; Editing by Simon Johnson and Angus MacSwan)
* Swap will restructure nearly 40 bln yuan in debts

* Comes as indebted companies face rising debt-servicing costs

* More pressure seen for SOEs as China clamps down on financial risk

(Recasts with company confirmation)

By Andrew Galbraith and Umesh Desai

SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Creditors of Chongqing Iron & Steel Co have voted to accept a debt-for-equity swap plan to restructure nearly 40 billion yuan ($6.04 billion) in debts, the company said in a stock exchange announcement late on Friday.

The creditor approval eases some of the pressure on state-owned Chongqing as debt-servicing costs rise and after heavy losses in 2015 and 2016. As China steps up its campaign to reduce financial risk, more state-owned enterprises may be forced to restructure debts, with "non-systemic" local SOEs expected to face more financial strain in the months ahead, some analysts say.

Chongqing Steel's debt plan will see the company pay in cash portions of claims up to and including 500,000 yuan, and issue new shares for the portions of claims exceeding that level.

In a sign of their eagerness to reclaim money, lenders will receive new shares at 3.68 yuan per share, a 71 percent premium to their last traded price in Shanghai. The shares, to be issued before the end of the year, will not be subject to a lock-up period, a source said.

Trading of Chongqing Steel's Shanghai-listed A-shares has been suspended since Aug. 1. The company's Hong Kong-listed H-shares closed 0.6 percent down at HK$1.68 on Friday.

Lenders to the steelmaker welcomed the approval of the swap.

"We're at the back of the line behind the banks and so on, so speaking for myself this is a relatively good outcome," said a creditor who asked not to be named because of sensitive business relationships.

China unveiled guidelines last year to reduce rising corporate debt, including encouraging debt-for-equity swaps. Total corporate debt amounted to 166.3 percent of China's GDP in 2016, according to the Bank for International Settlements.

As of Sept. 22, 77 companies in China had conducted debt-for-equity swaps worth more than 1.3 trillion yuan. Chongqing Steel, a once-high-flying regional steelmaker with investments in overseas iron ore mines, posted heavy losses in 2015 and 2016, citing an economic downturn, severe industrial overcapacity, soaring labour costs and low steel prices.

While rising raw material prices have helped some SOEs, companies have also faced sharp rises in debt-servicing costs.

Corporate debt yields have tracked higher yields on Chinese government debt. The 10-year treasury bond yield rose to a three-year high of 4.01 percent this week, as institutions sold off the highly liquid securities to boost their cash positions amid fears of a stronger regulator crackdown on risky financing. The yield on benchmark AAA five-year corporate debt was at 5.079 percent on Friday, up more than 86 basis points from the beginning of the year.

Jean-Charles Sambor, deputy head of emerging market debt at BNP Paribas Asset Management, said he expects "non-systemic" local SOEs to come under more pressure in the coming months.

"Some of these issuers could now experience significant re-pricing as China continues to open up its financial markets to international standards and curbs excessive borrowing under President Xi Jinping's reformist agenda," he said.

"We expect Chinese policymakers to gradually inject more credit risk in the system via less support for non-systemic SOEs." ($1 = 6.6265 Chinese yuan)

(Editing by Jacqueline Wong and David Goodman)
Nonprofit groups may submit announcements of upcoming events to events@elkodaily.com.

Christmas home decoration contest is back

ELKO & SPRING CREEK  Didnt it seem like everyone used to decorate more for the holidays when you were a kid? Well, lets get back into that spirit! Lets have a Christmas decoration contest for the homes in our community!

Thats the message from Coldwell Banker Algerio/Q-Team Realty, High Mark Construction, Stewart Title and Cortney Worline, Farmers Insurance.

So, put up the bright lights, Nativity scenes, the cute reindeer, and that jolly Santa for your chance to win $250 cash. Nominate your neighbors house or your own, before noon on De. 15. Just call either office of Coldwell Banker Algerio Q-Team Realty in Elko, 738-4078 or in Spring Creek, 738-9866.

All Elko and Spring Creek single-family homes are eligible. So, Be A Griswold and get into the spirit and decorate your house for the Christmas holiday season.

Wells FRC hosts eighth annual Wells Tree Festival

WELLS  The Wells Tree Festival is Nov. 27 through Decc. 1 at the Wells Swimming Pool facility located at 715 First St.

On Nov. 27 participants will be allowed to set up trees at the facility. Tuesday- Friday open viewing is from noon to 7 p.m., with lunch and dinner activities happening each night. Final bidding on trees will occur on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m.

For more information on how to donate a tree or on the activities happening at the Wells Tree Festival visit www.wellsfamilyresourcecenter.org.

Meet the author of mining book

ELKO  The Elko County Library is hosting a book signing for Nevada author Karen Wilkes at 10 a.m. Nov. 17 in the Bruce Memorial Meeting Room.

Wilkes will be signing and selling her book Trampin In, Pard? Nevada Miners Then and Now. Her goal for writing this book was to honor the miners of Nevada as a whole by honoring the life of one of their fallen, Jack Brown.

Wilkes has lived in Nevada most of her life, the last 23 years in Boulder City. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in English and minor in history.

For additional information call the Library at 738-3066.

Women of St. Joseph Annual Bazaar

ELKO  The Women of St. Josephs Annual Bazaar will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 18 in Mater Dei Hall (behind St. Josephs Church). A variety of handmade items, homemade baked goods, and tamales will be available for purchase, as well as cookies from the groups Cookie Cafe.

They will also have olive wood items from the Holy Land as well as Free Trade items to select from. Breakfast breads and hot beverages will be offered in the morning, and homemade soups, chili and pies will be available for purchase for lunch.

Ducks Unlimited banquet is Nov. 18

ELKO  Ducks Unlimiteds annual banquet will be held from 5:30-10 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Elko Convention Center.

The organization will have many auction and raffle prizes available. Tickets are $85 or sponsor tables for 10 are $1,200.

Catering will be provided by Dreez Restaurant.

Tickets may be purchased at ducks.org or call Karl Young, 934-0777, or Tom Ballew, 934-6201.

Art auction benefits Ghost Light

ELKO  Ghost Light Productions invites the public to its fourth annual fundraiser, the Whats In the Attic Art Auction!

Auction items range from the kitschy to the elegant, from costume jewelry to canvas paintings to taxidermy, Ghost Light Productions has been known to have it all. Some of the biddings have even been known to start as low as 25 cents.

Attendees wear your glad rags and frippery (or your everyday, comfortable apparel) and make your entrance upstairs at Stockmens at 7 p.m. Nov.18.

Admission is $3 at the door and includes complimentary horderves.

Proceeds will be used for future performances, events and programming.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ghostlightnevada/ or email ghostlightproductionsnv@gmail.com.

Jiggs Turkey Carnival

coming soon

JIGGS  The annual Jiggs Turkey Carnival is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Jiggs Community Hall.

The event features baked foods, a door prize, raffle items, kids activities, bingo and card games for chances to win Khourys meat coupons.

Lunch includes Indian tacos, beans, baked potatoes and sandwiches.

Jiggs is located 30 miles south of Elko on State Route 228.

Longmire mystery talk

at library

ELKO  On Nov. 20, the Elko County Library Book Club will discuss The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson. The title is the first in the authors Longmire mystery series.

The book club will meet at 6 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room. Copies of the book are available for check-out. All are welcome to attend.

Call Patrick Dunn at the library for more information, 738-3066.

Democrats

meet Nov. 21

ELKO  The Elko County Democratic Central Committee general meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital classroom.

The agenda includes discussion on the proposed drilling in the Ruby Mountains, ongoing concerns with physicians and Medicare, and much more.

Join us as we work together to address issues of concern in our community, state and nation, stated the group.

Maker Monday at the library

ELKO  Elko County Library invites youth, ages 10 to 18, to explore, discover, create and invent things at the Library.

Bring your imagination and join them at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 20 for Maker Monday (third Monday of each month). Children will be working with a representative from 4H in learning about the technology behind Wearables. Are you up to the challenge? The Library will provide all of the materials.

For more information, please contact the Library at 738-3066 or visit www.elkocountylibrary.org.

Community Orchestra plays Nov. 21

ELKO  The Elko Community Orchestra will present its fall concert at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Great Basin College Theatre.

Bob Colbert is the director and Walt Lovell will be the guest conductor.

Admission is free, and donations will be accepted.

13th Creche Exhibit opens Nov. 30

ELKO  The 13th Annual Elko Regional Interfaith Christmas Creche exhibit opens Nov. 30 and runs through Dec. 3 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3001 N. Fifth St.

Along with the hundreds of Nativities expected to be on display, this years exhibit is featuring the Star of Bethlehem.

Many local, community and school groups will be performing music throughout the exhibit, which includes the Annual Messiah Sing-Along on Sunday evening. A short live-nativity presentation will be repeated several times while the exhibit is open.

All are invited to participate in the free exhibit which is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Those wishing to display Nativities may bring their items to the church Nov. 29 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Working in conjunction with Joshua Tree Shelter, donations will be collected during the exhibit for the homeless in our area.

A schedule of performances and additional information is available at Facebook.com/ElkoCreche or www.ElkoCreche.org.

Food for Fines at the library

ELKO  The Elko County Library has brought back Food for Fines.

Bring in non-perishable food items through Dec. 31, 2017 to pay for your overdue fines up to $10 for Elko County materials only.

Lost or damaged items will not be included in Food for Fines.

Food items with a past best if used by  date will not be accepted.

The Elko County Library will be partnering with CADV this year. All food items will be distributed to those in need for the holidays and to replenish their food pantry.

For additional information, call 738-3066 or visit elkocountylibrary.org.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 17F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 17F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
CARSON CITY  The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Kinross Gold U.S.A. announced the first sage-grouse credit transaction under the Nevada Conservation Credit System program.

This first credit transaction is expected to protect nearly 10,000 acres of primary sage-grouse habitat in northeastern Nevada.

This first sage-grouse transaction sets a precedent and is expected to make the process more efficient for landowners to participate in the CCS in the future.

The program was created by the state of Nevada, in partnership with stakeholders, to preserve and enhance sage-grouse habitats by trading conservation credits to offset potential environmental impacts of land use and aims to maintain the multiple-use concept on public land, and to improve habitats on private and public lands.

Kinrosss wholly-owned subsidiary, KG Mining (Bald Mountain) Inc., enrolled in the CCS program to meet its voluntary compensatory mitigation obligations to offset potential sage-grouse effects due to its mining activities at its Bald Mountain gold mine in northeast Nevada. KG enrolled the companys privately owned ranch, Tumbling JR, into the program to help protect nearly 10,000 acres of sage-grouse habitat that supports the species entire lifecycle.

The project includes limiting new disturbance and infrastructure on the property, prohibiting conversion of the properties from rangeland to cropland, maintaining fencing, and implementing grazing management practices to preserve and conserve sage-grouse habitat. The company is committed to undertake these conservation actions for the next 30 years.

Gov. Brian Sandoval praised Kinross and the project, saying, This demonstrates that the state plan works and how good-faith efforts between public entities, private industry and land managers can produce results that are beneficial to the environment and wildlife.

We are proud to be the first company to be part of the sage-grouse credit transaction to help protect the habitat of this important species in Nevada, said Randy Burggraff, president and general manager of Bald Mountain mine. The CCS program is an effective strategy to help conserve the sage-grouse by off-setting potential effects to sagebrush habitat through the credit system. In the spirit of responsible mining and sound environmental stewardship, we have committed to a variety of voluntary environmental protection and mitigation measures so there is a net conservation gain to the sage-grouse.

This is an excellent example of partnership and stewardship by federal, state and private sector stakeholders to conserve sagebrush habitat, said Marci Todd, acting Nevada Director of the federal Bureau of Land Management. This is about working cooperatively and working smartly. The BLM is proud to be a part of this first-ever transaction under the Nevada Conservation Credit System.

The long term preservation and maintenance of these mesic habitat types is of significant importance to sage-grouse and other wildlife in the area, said Kelly McGowan, program manager for the Sagebrush Ecosystem Program. I want to thank Kinross for being such a willing participant in the first Nevada CCS transaction.

Carolyn Swed, Reno field supervisor for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, added, The Service appreciates the Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Programs dedication to greater sage-grouse conservation and congratulates them on the first sale of credits through the Conservation Credit System. Avoiding and minimizing habitat fragmentation is important for sage-grouse conservation and the CCS can help achieve that goal. We look forward to continuing to work with the SEP on the Conservation Credit System, ensuring it is both ecologically and economically successful into the future.
Moscow Philharmonic to perform next week



By Yun Suh-young





Russian conductor Yuri Simonov Violinist Sergey Krylov
By Nam Hyun-woo



The server crash of Bithumb, one of the largest digital token exchanges based in Korea, is casting fears about investor protection, with financial authorities saying they have no grounds to control cryptocurrency exchanges.



On Nov. 12, the Bithumb server went down from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. According to Bithumb, it went out of action because "the number of investors accessing its website and trying to sell their Bitcoin Cash (BCH) increased explosively."



This caused chaos among digital currency investors.



"I tried to sell my BCH as it was reaching the peak, but couldn't access the website," a Bithumb user told The Korea Times. "After 90 minutes, the price was hitting the bottom."



After the turmoil, more than 6,000 people subscribed to an online forum for filing a suit against Bithumb, asking for the exchange operator's compensation.



BCH, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been on a roller-coaster ride recently, amid the delay of a major code upgrade on Bitcoin, called SegWit2X.



The upgrade, scheduled for Nov. 16, is supposed to increase the size of blocks on the blockchain-powered Bitcoin, thus making its transactions more efficient. During the process, a new version of Bitcoin, tentatively called Bitcoin 2X, was about to spin off from Bitcoin, as BCH did so on Aug. 1.



After the abrupt announcement of the postponement on Nov. 9, investors placed their money into BCH, which completed a similar upgrade on Nov. 14.



As buyers flock, the value and trading volume of BCH shot up. BCH was traded at 709,500 won ($641.79) at Bithumb on Nov. 9 and quickly rose to 1.34 million won on Nov. 11.



The increase became sharper on Nov. 12. The price was hovering around 1.5 million won at 10 a.m. and peaked at 2.84 million won at 3:50 p.m.



According to Bithumb, the number of concurrent traders at the exchange at the time was 1,700 percent higher than that of average days and the trading volume was 6.5 trillion won, nine times higher than the average for October.



Then what Bithumb investors called a "nightmare" started. The server went out of action.



While those having their wallets at Bithumb struggled with error messages, BCH prices at other exchanges started to plummet, in what seems to be a profit-taking.



Denied access to their wallets, Bithumb investors had to watch their money vanishing.



Reportedly, some investors suffered losses up to 250 million won, with Bithumb saying it is still calculating the number of investors who suffered damages and the amount they lost.





Exchange loosing trust



Some angry investors alleged Bithumb may have "intentionally closed" the server and traded tokens they have.



Though Bithumb said "that is totally impossible," investors are losing their trust on exchanges because this is not the first time Bithumb has been compromised.



In June, a Bithumb server went out of action after suffering a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, with several minor malfunctions also reported this year.



Investors are questioning where Bithumb is spending its profits coming from fees.



According to Bithumb, it charges 0.15 percent of traded amounts as fees. If 1 trillion won is traded through Bithumb in one day, it rakes in 1.5 billion won in fees.



Given it is charging fees for withdrawals, the actual profits are expected to be higher.



Bithumb said it is "constructing infrastructure to cope with heavy increase of users and surge in trading volume through expansion of web and slave servers, and constantly working on optimizing the system through reinforcement of personnel and external consulting."





No financial rules



Casting more concerns is that Bithumb and other domestic digital token exchanges are not regulated by financial authorities.



Currently, those exchanges are registered as online businesses in Korea, not financial firms.



Thus, they are not under the scope of Korea's financial police, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), and digital token investors are not protected, unlike bank clients' deposits which are protected.



This is because Korea's financial authorities are worrying protection of digital currency investors could prompt a misunderstanding that the government is recognizing digital tokens as currency.



On Wednesday, an FSS official said in a conference, "It is premature to recognize cryptocurrencies as a legitimate currency or financial product, because it is too early to judge whether those tokens would be innovation or speculation."



The government has also stressed the volatility of digital tokens as one of the reasons why it is not recognizing them as a currency, adding there is a probability of those tokens being exploited for crimes.



A government official said: "It may take time before making any rules on cryptocurrencies. Until then, investors should make prudent approaches to the tokens and understand they have to take responsibility for their investments."






By Nam Hyun-woo



Shinhan Bank said Friday it has signed an agreement to join a $270 million syndicated loan program financing an Australian coal mine development project led by Indonesia's Salim Group.



According to the bank, Salim Group will pour $580 million into the project to start producing coal in the second half of next year.



Salim Group is the No. 2 conglomerate in Indonesia, whose business domain includes foods, telecommunication, automobiles and distribution.



For the development project, Salim Group will seek $270 million in loans and Shinhan Bank will extend $75 million as the lead manager of the syndicated loan program. A number of foreign banks also joined the program, according to a Shinhan official.



The coal mine is located in New South Wales and was acquired by Salim Group last year. The coal coming from the mine has high thermal efficiency, drawing keen attention from power plants in Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan over off-take agreements.



An off-take agreement refers to a deal between a resource producer and resource buyer on selling or buying portions of the producer's future output.



Shinhan Bank expects that joining the syndicated loan program will help the bank take the lead in competition for project financing programs for the mine.



"With joining the loan program for the No. 2 conglomerate in Indonesia as the lead manager, Shinhan's efforts to enhance its presence in Indonesia have picked up momentum," a Shinhan Bank official said. "We hope our investment banking capability will be enhanced through our robust global network."


Insured cars aren't covered for quake damage



By Nam Hyun-woo



Despite growing fears that Korea is no longer safe from earthquakes, local insurance firms are still reluctant to introduce policies safeguarding consumers' health and assets from natural disasters.



The main reason is those policies would not be profitable for the industry, they said.



Unless the government shares a bigger financial burden of reimbursing insurance holders with assets damaged by earthquakes, the industry is unlikely to move an inch.



According to industry data from the insurance sector, 132 quake-related claims were reported to nine non-life insurance companies as of Thursday.



On Wednesday, a 5.4 magnitude quake hit Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, injuring 75 people. More than 1,700 were evacuated from the area as of Friday noon.



Insurance firms expect the number of claims to be at a low level because the ratio of people who subscribed to tremor-related policies remains low.



When a separate quake shook Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, last year, insurance companies made payments on only 638 cases with the total amount standing at only about $4 million.



There are policies covering damage from storms, hurricanes and floods.



Also, there are insurance packages that cover damage to general property such as factories. Fire insurance policies with the inclusion of special clauses about earthquakes mostly cover damage from quakes and tremors.



Farmers and fishermen mostly subscribe to insurance against storms, hurricanes and floods, while insurance companies market and sell insurance property packages to companies.



Households are covered by fire insurance policies in most cases.



The ratio of fire insurance customers who can claim earthquake damage in proportion to the total number of policyholders stood at 0.06 percent at the end of last year, according to the Korea Insurance Development Institute (KIDI).



Automobile insurance policies only cover damage from storms and floods, not earthquakes.



Thus, there is very little insurance that can safeguard consumers from disasters.



The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), non-life insurance companies and related institutions have organized a task force to come up with protective policies against earthquakes after the Gyeongju quake.



However, the task force failed to come up with a tangible outcome as insurers have been skeptical they can sell such insurance.



"With the rate of policies with quake special clauses remaining low, it is doubtful whether the new policies would sell," an insurance firm official said.



With concerns rising about the safety of Korea, and private companies remaining reluctant to introduce earthquake policies, public calls are growing that the government should further lead in pushing for the introduction of insurance covering earthquake damage.



Currently, private non-life insurers are selling about 20 state-led insurance policies that can help recoup consumer losses from storms, floods and gas accidents.



Certain sectors are required to subscribe to those policies no matter what, and the government bears a large portion of paying reimbursements to those policyholders after claims.








Winners of the 48th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards pose for a photo at the award ceremony at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Friday. From left are judge Brother Anthony, judge Min Eun-kyung, KB Financial Group Senior Managing Director Shin Hong-seob, The Korea Times president-publisher Lee Chang-sup, fiction grand prize winner Sarah Lyo, fiction commendation award winners Olan Munson and Oh Eun-kyung and judge Jung Ha-yun. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Reflecting the heightened global interest in Korean literature, a record number of quality entries were submitted to the 48th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards this year.



Fiction Grand Prize winner Sarah Lyo for her translation of Park Sol-moe's "Then What Do We Sing," Poetry Grand Prize winner Charse Yun for his translation of Ham Min-bok's poems and Fiction Commendation Award winning team of Olan Munson and Oh Eun-kyung for their translation of Choi Eun-young's "Xin chao Xin chao" were recognized at an awards ceremony at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Friday.



Hosted by The Korea Times and sponsored by KB Financial Group, the awards are the oldest of their kind in Korea, aiming to promote translation of Korean literature.



The Korea Times President Lee Chang-sup said the awards were established in 1970 to lay the groundwork for promotion of Korean literature internationally and ultimately to produce a Nobel literature laureate from Korea.



"We aim to nurture young translators and become a gateway for them to introduce Korean literature overseas," Lee said at the ceremony.



Lee said he was surprised to see works of young writers in their 30s being translated into English. "They are in their 30s and the stories are set in exotic backgrounds such as Los Angeles or East Germany, but Korean values are inherent in them. This new generation of authors is globalized and their works are ready to be introduced to the world."



KB Financial Group Senior Managing Director Shin Hong-seob appreciated the awards' long history and their contribution to helping Korean literature overcome language barriers.



"KB Financial Group sponsors many athletes and makes social contributions. As part of the efforts, we are happy to support translators who can make Korean literature take flight to another level. I hope more Korean literary works get noticed around the world and win the Nobel Prize in Literature someday," Shin said.



Judges  Sogang University emeritus professor Brother Anthony, Ewha Womans University professor Jung Ha-yun and Seoul National University professor Min Eun-kyung  said they were pleased to evaluate this year's translations as the entries were of high standard.



"Previously, there were gaps between grasping Korean and English in translating. However, overall quality improved this year and most of the entries were worth reading in English," Jung said. "As we meet the winners, we can see a new generation of translators as well as writers is emerging. These young translators select new works and want to make foreign readers approach Korean contemporary literature.



Fiction grand prize winner Lyo graduated from the University of Oxford last year and now studies at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea).



Poetry grand prize winner Yun is a lecturer at the Department of Practical English at Korea National Open University (KNOU) and Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation at Ewha Womans University.



Fiction commendation award winner Oh quit her job to become a professional translator and currently attends the LTI Korea with her partner Munson.



"The writer is about the same age as me and I could relate to the story. When we think of Korean literature, the first thing coming across the mind is usually the novels we read while studying for the state-administered college entrance exam. However, I was fascinated by the works of these young contemporary novelists, whose works are different from the literature under the Japanese colonial era or the Korean War, and wanted to share them with foreign friends," Oh said.



Munson, an American whose mother is Korean, used some Korean at home when she grew up, but she began learning the Korean language professionally only last year.



"When Oh recommended Choi Eun-young's collection of short stories Shoko's Smile,' I liked Xin Chao, Xin Chao among the featured works because it is contemporary yet encompasses Korean cultural and historical values," Munson said.
By Rachel Lee



North Korea is struggling to develop technologies needed for its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to re-enter the atmosphere, according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS).



The NIS said the North has conducted several missile engine tests over the past weeks, but it has yet to perfect an ICBM.



In other words, it has yet to demonstrate a reliable re-entry vehicle robust enough to resist the heat and pressure of penetrating the atmosphere, the NIS explained.



The spy agency shared this information during a meeting with members of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, Thursday.



The re-entry technology seems a major hurdle for the North in its quest to develop an operational ICBM, the NIS said.



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.



Pyongyang has gone two months without missile tests since Sept. 15 when it fired a missile over Japan.



The NIS said the pause in missile tests could have come from a series of international sanctions and more pressure on North Korea has taken a heavy toll on its economy.



Financial difficulties from frequent missile tests under North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un's regime could be another factor that stopped provocations, the agency said.



North Korea conducted two tests for the "Hwasong-14" ICBM, which the North claimed it had perfected the warhead re-entry technology necessary to bring a nuclear-armed missile back into the Earth's atmosphere.



There is also speculation that the rotational deployment of strategic U.S. military assets around the Korean Peninsula, which is in progress, could have stopped Pyongyang from carrying out more provocations.



However, the intelligence agency said it is keeping a close eye on North Korea that could launch missile test anytime.



In September, the NIS forecast that the North could launch missile tests around key national events such as its regime foundation day on Sept. 9 or the anniversary of its ruling party's foundation on Oct. 10. Such predictions turned out to be wrong.



The U.S. government has not made any official comments about the pause in tests.



Jonathan Pollack, an analyst at Washington-based think tank, Brookings Institution, told USA Today that any answer is speculative.

"The reasons could be technical. The reasons could be political," Pollack said.



Pollack added that Kim may have "cooled the tests to see the reaction from President Donald Trump," who has repeatedly threatened to annihilate North Korea if it strikes first.



North Korea has traditionally fired fewer missiles in the last three months of the year, Tom Karako, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the newspaper.



"We don't know why that is," Karako said.


Credible threat of use of force is important in diplomatic efforts



By Kim Jae-kyoung





Tara O
'NIS paid LKP's Choi W 100 mil. in 2014'



By Yi Whan-woo





Choi Kyung-hwan, a four-term lawmaker of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and key loyalist of former President Park Geun-hye, is under investigation by the prosecution over allegations that he took bribes from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) while Park was in office.



The prosecution said Friday it is investigating Choi after obtaining testimony from former NIS Director Lee Byung-kee that the spy agency gave Choi 100 million won ($91,000) in cash in 2014.



At the time, Choi was serving as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs and minister of strategy and finance. It is believed the bribe was given in an attempt to increase the NIS budget for 2015 considering Choi was in charge of government spending.



Choi can face criminal charges for bribery if the prosecution's claims are found true.



The probe against Choi is separate from the prosecution's ongoing investigation into Lee and two other former NIS chiefs  Nam Jae-joon and Lee Byeong-ho  who each face bribery allegations of regularly offering cash belonging to the NIS to Park under her orders.



Choi is the first LKP legislator being targeted by the prosecution after the NIS bribery allegations came to light.



Choi denied the allegations, vowing he would disembowel himself and commit suicide in public to prove his innocence.



The prosecution, however, said it is confident about proving the allegations, saying "We have obtained other evidence against Choi while looking into the former NIS chiefs."



Political sources speculate that the investigation may widen and involve other pro-Park figures including the LKP legislators.



They referred to Park's former senior political secretaries  Cho Yoon-sun and Hyun Ki-hwan  who already have been accused of receiving NIS money.



The sources also cited rumors that a couple of active lawmakers other than Choi took bribes from the NIS during Park's term.



The investigation is apparently not favorable for Park, who is undergoing a trial after being ousted in March over the corruption scandal.



Against this backdrop, the LKP accused the Moon Jae-in administration of "political retaliation."The NIS is suspected of being involved in a smear campaign against Moon in the 2012 presidential election when he lost to Park.



"The prosecution is wielding its power excessively. Its intention must be questioned if its probe is only limited to the officials from the previous government," LKP floor leader Chung Woo-taik said.



LKP chief spokesman Rep. Chang Jae-won criticized the prosecution's probe as a "purge," not an anti-corruption drive pursued by Moon.



Other LKP representatives called on opening an investigation into former NIS chiefs who served under the late President Roh Moo-hyun from 2003 to 2008. Moon was Roh's chief of staff.



The progressive Justice Party ridiculed the LKP and urged the prosecution to "thoroughly look into" the bribery allegations.



"We cannot help laughing as a series of Park's top aides are found to be involved in the bribery allegations as the investigation moves forward," the party said.



Regarding Choi, the party asked the prosecution to arrest him immediately to prevent him from killing himself and disrupting the probe.



Choi served as the country's chief economic policymaker from July 2014 to January 2016.



During the April 2016 general elections, he screened and recommended possible election candidates for the LKP's predecessor Saenuri Party based on their loyalty for Park.



He led the campaign opposing Park's impeachment in December 2016 when the National Assembly voted to impeach her.



Meanwhile, the prosecution searched the office of LKP lawmaker Won Yoo-chul, Thursday, over allegations that he accepted a large sum of illegal political fund from entrepreneurs this year.



Won was the former Saenuri Party floor leader from July 2015 to May 2016. He is considered a Park loyalist.He denied allegations on Facebook, claiming "Never did I accept illegal political funds in any way."














ELKO  An 18-year-old federal lawsuit over a remote road will remain active after county commissioners decided to take their case to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for a third time.

Commissioners voted unanimously Nov. 15 to file an appeal, after hearing from former district attorney Gary Woodbury that The Wilderness Society is unlikely to be awarded costs from the county, and that giving up now could put access to thousands of other roads at risk.

The dispute over South Canyon Road, which leads to Nevadas first wilderness area near Jarbidge, began in 1998  three years after a major flood wiped out portions of the road and rechanneled parts of the west fork of the Jarbidge River. The U.S. Forest Service placed a large boulder in the road to block traffic from entering the once-popular camping and recreation area.

The Jarbidge Shovel Brigade reopened the road by removing the boulder, and the county sought to exert a claim of title to the road based on an 1866 law that promoted mineral exploration in the West.

The federal government sued, but after much legal wrangling over whether the road existed before the creation of the Humboldt National Forest in 1909, the county and Forest Service agreed to cooperate on keeping the road open.

Then two environment groups  The Wilderness Society and Great Old Broads for Wilderness intervened, claiming the settlement would set an illegal precedent over other disputed roads across the West.

U.S. District Judge Miranda Du ruled against the county last summer and again this fall, stating there was not enough evidence to prove the road existed prior to the national forest.

The continuous public use of the South Canyon Road requires a demonstration of more than random or merely occasional use, she wrote.

The decision put Elko County in the position of deciding whether to appeal or accept a settlement.

The Great Old Broads, they had made an offer to the county to not assess costs against us if we agreed not to appeal, Deputy District Attorney Kristen McQueary told commissioners at their Nov. 1 meeting.

We are also trying to get the Department of Justice to look at the precedence this case has set if there is not an appeal, she said.

The matter was postponed until Nov. 15, when Woodbury told commissioners the costs involved should not include attorney fees.

They are not entitled to attorney fees from us, he said, but it is theoretically possible they are entitled to costs.

Woodbury said The Wilderness Society is claiming $60,000 in unspecified costs. He told commissioners he did not believe the county is liable because the county was not a party to the Administrative Procedure Act under which the group prevailed in court.

The Wilderness Society saw fit to seek intervention in a quiet title action. The quiet title action is the only action that Elko County had an interest in, but that quiet title action had been dismissed through the settlement agreement signed between the United States and Elko County. It has never, ever been reinstated by anybody, he said.

Du has not responded to the countys motion regarding the costs, Woodbury said.

Shes put you all in a hard spot, he added.

The county paid for repairs on South Canyon Road as part of the settlement agreement, Woodbury said, and Dus rejection of the entire agreement left the county with no compensation for its costs.

We filed pleadings with Judge Du and said Look, the settlement agreement says its severable. If in fact youre going to say that youre not going to treat it as a consent decree, you have got to come up and have hearings concerning how Elko County is going to get its money back for repairing the road  Woodbury said.

When asked by Commission Chairman Cliff Eklund what the appeal would cost, Woodbury said he estimated between $20,000 and $25,000.

Commissioner Delmo Andreozzi said the case has already cost the county about $300,000.

Im trying to make a very thoughtful and prudent decision, he said, but I also feel that if we dont protect those other 15,000 miles of roads  then how else is that going to impact mining, or recreation, or any of those other things that we do in the public lands?

I see that this decision is a threat to our way of life here, he added.

Commissioner and Shovel Brigade leader Demar Dahl described how the road dispute originally galvanized the community.

Nearly 2,000 people showed up there to open that road, he said. If we hadnt opened the road we would be in a lot weaker position today.

Commissioner Jon Karr agreed with Andreozzis assessment of the situation and motioned to appeal the case. He was seconded by Commissioner Rex Steninger before Eklund opened the floor to public comment.

Were looking at a more favorable federal government here, Thomas Burney of Carlin said of changes under the Trump administration.

As to whether making the appeal is right or wrong, he said, I guess at some point you have to decide how much right you can afford.

Councilman John Patrick Rice warned commissioners that there battle could become quixotic.

There are no winners on either side of a prolonged lawsuit, Rice said, referring to the City of Elkos long and expensive case with Canyon Construction over concrete work at the airport.

One-third of my life has been spent in Elko County, and one-third of my life has been spent following this particular lawsuit over the Jarbidge road, he said. And it continues to go on and on.

Rice agreed with Dahl that 2,000 people were marching down Idaho Street with picks and shovels back in the year 2000,  but now there are three of us in this room. I think that really speaks to what is happening in this community.

Former county commissioner Brad Roberts told the board that the federal government needs to follow the rule of law. He cited articles in the Constitution supporting the countys position.

You guys dont have a choice, he said. You guys have to hold up your oath to uphold the law. Just by giving up one mile of road, youre giving up one mile of my freedom. And I dont want that to happen, because that will expand and expand.

Dahl said there are still 3,000 shovels remaining from the 11,000 that were sent here from people in 38 states to show their support for the Shovel Brigade.

The Shovel Brigade is still an active organization, he said. Not very active, but its there. Im still the president of it, and were ready to open another road that is closed, and dont you think the Forest Service knows that?

Before the commission voted, Steninger said he took the mostly empty chamber to be an indication that county residents trust them to make the right decision.

They dont have to come here and shout at us, he said. I think if we made the wrong decision, then theyd come and shout at us.

Steninger said he took The Wilderness Societys offer as a threat, and a sign that the group is in a weak position. Its a 20-year-old fight, but I think we have an obligation to that fight to continue it.

Continuing the fight is something the county is forced to do, he added.

I really liked what Gary said about, We stood up to fight the attitude of the federal government that theyre all powerful and we need to shut up and do what they say. That just flies in the face of the whole concept of federalism that this country was founded under. Theyre supposed to be listening to us. Were equal sovereign here in Nevada.

Woodbury said it could be 18 months before oral arguments are heard in the latest appeal.
The president of Uzbekistan will come to South Korea this month on a state visit that will include a bilateral summit with his South Korean counterpart, Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.



Shavkat Mirziyoyev will arrive here on Wednesday for a four-day trip.



Mirziyoyev and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold a bilateral summit on Thursday, followed by a state dinner at Cheong Wa Dae, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun



"The upcoming state visit will mark the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries, and it will mark President Mirziyoyev's first trip to South Korea," he told a press briefing.



Mirziyoyev will also be the second foreign head of state to make a state visit to South Korea since the new South Korean president took office in May. The first was U.S. President Donald Trump, who was here on a two-day visit from last Tuesday.



During his trip, the Uzbek president is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the country's parliament, according to the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman.



"The upcoming visit and talks between the two heads of state are expected to help enhance the country's practical cooperation with Uzbekistan, our key friendly nation in the region," he said. (Yonhap)




By Kim Jae-kyoung





SINGAPORE  President Moon Jae-in ended his first eight-day trip to Southeast Asia last week.

Overall, it was fruitful in that the tour has laid the foundation for South Korea to diversify its diplomatic horizon beyond the four great powers  the United States, Japan, China and Russia  but it also suggests that the country still has a long way to go.

It is important to note that it was a meaningful trip not because Moon met a lot of leaders from member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) but because his approaches were much more strategic than his predecessors'.

First, Moon's use of media deserves to be praised.

He tried to promote his "New Southern Policy" and his vision toward Southeast Asia through major local media before and during his ASEAN trip.

Prior to his departure to Indonesia, he had an interview with Channel NewsAsia, one of the most influential television networks in Southeast Asia, to share his vision for the 10-member bloc and his policy toward North Korea.

During his trip, he also made a special contribution to Project Syndicate, saying he will pursue "people-centered diplomacy" to strengthen ties with ASEAN. His contribution was published in The Manila Times, Cambodian Times and The ASEAN Post in Malaysia.

This kind of effort, rarely seen under the former President Park Geun-hye administration, is very conducive to demonstrating Korea's interest in ASEAN and its willingness to develop the bilateral relationship to a new level.

Second, Moon used his visits as an opportunity to move toward a more comprehensive alliance with ASEAN by expanding cooperation not only in business and culture but also in politics and security.

In other words, he managed to translate Korea's progress in economic and cultural exchanges into bolstering cooperation in political security. The North Korean nuclear crisis was the top of agenda throughout the ASEAN summit.

Third, his new vision "New Southern Policy" is also a step in the right direction in that it can be differentiated from China and Japan, which are trying to strengthen their footholds in the region by taking initiatives in forming a new economic bloc  the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Korea should not try to copy China and Japan but forge its own path with ASEAN because the country's influence and presence in the region is totally different from that of the two economic giants.



Good start but long way to go

For reasons mentioned above, Moon seems to have a good impression of ASEAN leaders and people but he is still facing daunting tasks to win the hearts of ASEAN people because Korea should compete with Japan and China.

Japan has already been a massive player in the region and China is clearly ramping up its efforts to build relationships there by providing massive amounts of financial support.

Against this backdrop, Moon must adopt a two-pronged ASEAN strategy. While pursuing an ASEAN-wide approach, he needs to pull out all the stops to build stronger bilateral ties with each country to achieve tangible outcomes.

His team should come up with strategies tailored to each market because the 10 ASEAN member countries, which consist of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, are all different in economics, politics and cultures.

Second, Moon should encourage his policymakers and politicians to visit ASEAN countries more often to promote bilateral exchanges and improve Korea's political presence in the region.

What is important here is that every visit should have a purpose and specific agenda to make their visits fruitful.

Also, more high-profile Korean figures should appear on ASEAN media to have Korea's voices heard in the region. Ministerial-level officials from Japan and China often appear on media here to express their opinions.

Finally, Moon must make sure that Korea's pivot to ASEAN should be two-way exchanges and is aimed at pursuing co-prosperity. There should be more efforts to help Koreans deepen their understanding of ASEAN.

To that end, Korea should consider ASEAN as a friend and strategic partner, not just an export destination or cheap production base. Otherwise, the relationship and cooperation won't be sustainable.
By Park Si-soo



A Thai man was found dead near his dorm room in a factory-crammed village in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, police said Friday.



The man, 24, was found hanging from a steel pole near his room at 6:20 a.m. Thursday, according to police. His room is next to a factory where he had worked since 2014 as an undocumented foreigner, investigators said.



An investigation is under way to find the cause of his death. Police will conduct an autopsy soon.



His colleagues reportedly told police that he used to have frequent contact with his family in Thailand but recently cut contact for unknown reasons.



He entered South Korea on a travel visa and started working at the factory, investigators said.




Foreigners try a stew during a gastronomy tour organized by Gastro Tour Seoul./Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government



By Kim Se-jeong




Children hide under the table during an earthquake drill at the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters in eastern Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap



Experts warn of stronger, more frequent seismic activity



By Jung Min-ho



The 5.4-magnitude quake that rattled Korea's southeastern city of Pohang earlier this week shows last year's Gyeongju quake was not an once-in-a-lifetime event  and there could be another one in the near future.



Some experts, including Korea Seismological Institute head researcher Kim So-gu and former Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation President Jeong Sang-man, think it's just a matter of time before Korea experiences more destructive quakes, while the government takes mere baby steps to prepare for them.



First and foremost, Korea has few experts with hands-on experience and knowledge of the natural phenomena. In a country where strong quakes had been rare for many decades, the government did not feel the need to nurture them and there are few jobs in the field.



As a result, the country knows little about what's beneath the Korean Peninsula. According to the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, there are believe to be hundreds of active faults  the source of quakes  here, but only 25 of them have been studied so far.



Following the Gyeongju quake, the government said it will spend more than 117 billion won ($107 million) on thoroughly studying the faults, but according to the current schedule, the project will be completed in 2041.



When big quakes occur, the greatest damage on land comes from building collapses. This is why Japan, a country with frequent quakes, has for decades tightened its construction codes and made significant investments to develop quake-proofing construction methods.



Until recently, on the other hand, construction firms in Korea did not feel the need to invest much to make building more quake-resistant, so they didn't.



According to government data this year, only 6.8 percent of all 7 million buildings across the country are designed to be quake-resistant, slightly up from last year's 6.5 percent. The ratio is only 23.1 percent among schools.



Fortunately, no serious casualties occurred in the quakes in Gyeongju and Pohang, but many buildings collapsed and were seriously damaged as a result, which urged the government to apply stricter construction standards to avoid a similar scale of destruction in the future.



The government plans to invest 285.1 billion won to make all schools more quake-resistant. But this project is also expected to take at least 20 years to be completed.



This means, for now and many years to come, Korea will remain vulnerable to major quakes, Jeong said.



"But the good news is that the government's real-time warning improved greatly in only a year. The government can reduce the vulnerable time significantly if it is serious about improving everything from studying tectonic plates and constructing sturdier buildings," he said.



Following the Gyeongju quake, many criticized the government for its slow warning alarm system, which went off eight minutes after the event. But this time it took 19 seconds for everyone to receive the message.



"History shows powerful quakes occurred even in Seoul. They will certainly occur again, and we all have to be ready," Jeong said.






By James M. Dorsey



Long-standing Saudi efforts to dominate the pan-Arab media landscape appear to have moved into high gear with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's purge that targeted members of the ruling Al Saud family as well as prominent businessmen, including at least two media moguls. The purge could also signal an escalation of the Saudi-Qatari media war.



Among those detained was Waleed al-Ibrahim, a founder of Middle East Broadcasting Company (MBC) that operates the Al Arabiya television network, established to counter Qatar's state-owned Al Jazeera, and Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, whose Rotana Group has partnered with media baron Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.



Saudi Arabia's quest for media dominance dates back to the founding of MBC in 1991 as well as two pan-Arab newspapers, As Sharq Al Awsat and Al Hayat. Qatar not only challenged Saudi dominance with the creation of Al Jazeera in 1996, but also revolutionized the region's media landscape with its freewheeling, often highly opinionated reporting and programming.



Al Jazeera's success was one reason why a UAE-Saudi alliance that in June declared a diplomatic and economic boycott of the Gulf state included the shuttering of the network among its core demands. Al Jazeera English that in contrast to Al Jazeera Arabic largely adheres to standards of independent reporting, stands out in a tightly state-controlled media landscape in which many outlets have lost a degree of credibility by projecting themselves as partisans in a media war rather than purveyors of the truth.



The detentions of Mr. Al-Ibrahim, a brother-in-law of late King Fahd, and Prince Alwaleed, a nephew of King Salman, have sparked speculation that Prince Mohammed wants control of all the kingdom's major media assets even though those that were held by individuals rather than the state toed the government line in their news broadcasting.



"The prospect of bringing the giants of Saudi and Arab media under unified government control is worrying. It raises concern that the diversity of opinion and coverage will be further curtailed. Mohammed bin Salman is clearly intent on controlling the message as he conducts a dramatic restructuring of the Saudi state and economy," Kristin Diwan, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, told the Financial Times.



Mr. Al-Ibrahim and Prince Alwaleed's media outlets could well change hands as part of Prince Mohammed's intention to confiscate assets worth $800 billion under the mum of his anti-corruption campaign. With a large portion of the assets of those detained in the purge difficult to access because they are parked outside of the kingdom, media assets take on added significance.



An anti-corruption commission established hours before the purge was empowered by decree with "returning funds to the state's public treasury (and) registering the assets and funds as state property."



The fact that the two moguls' major media assets are based in Dubai may make a possible takeover easier. Regulators in the United Arab Emirates have asked UAE banks for information about those detained in Prince Mohammed's purge in what bankers said was a likely prelude to freezing their accounts.



Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, noted that Prince Mohammed "needs cash to fund the government's investment plans" formulated in Vision 2030 and designed to diversify and rationalize the Saudi economy. "It was becoming increasingly clear that additional revenue is needed to improve the economy's performance. The government will also strike deals with businessmen and royals to avoid arrest, but only as part of a greater commitment to the local economy," Eurasia said in a note to clients.



The apparent move to tighten state control of media strokes with the crown prince's crackdown on any form of criticism and/or dissent that manifested itself with an earlier wave of arrests of Islamic scholars, judges, intellectuals and activists as well as his quest to centralize power. The crackdown and potential takeover of media assets comes at a time of unprecedented, more freewheeling public debate on social media about Prince Mohammed's reforms and policy changes as well as the kingdom's foreign policy and national security challenges.



Prince Alwaleed, in what appeared to be a naive attempt to establish a pan-Arab television station that would to some degree divert from official government policy, launched Al Arab in 2015 in Bahrain, another Gulf state in which media censorship is pervasive. In a statement by Kingdom Holding, Prince Alwaleed promised that "Al Arab will break the mould of news presentation, becoming a platform for transparent presentation and discussion of the region's most intractable issues."



Al Arab was headed by Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent and at times controversial Saudi journalist, who since going into exile in the United States earlier this year has become more vocal in his criticism of the government. It was taken off the air by Bahraini authorities a day after it went live for broadcasting an interview with Bahraini opposition leader Khalil al-Marzooq.



In the interview, Mr. Al-Marzooq, who resigned his seat in parliament in 2011 in protest against the government's brutal crackdown on protesters, took issue with the regime's revocation of the citizenship of 72 Bahrainis, including Turki al-Binali, one of the leading ideologues of the Islamic State, Shiite and human rights activists, journalists, and medical personnel.



It was not clear whether Al Arab was suspended because of differences within Bahrain's ruling family or in response to pressure from Saudi Arabia whose troops helped Bahrain squash the 2011 popular revolt.



Prince Alwaleed announced earlier this year that he was closing the station, which had not returned to the air since its suspension two years earlier, but had last year decided to move operations to Qatar.



Had Al Arab relaunched in Qatar, it would have put Prince Alwaleed in an awkward position with the eruption in June of the Gulf crisis. With or without Al Arab, Prince Mohammed's probable media grab will, however, likely escalate what is already a media war that often has little to do with journalism.





Dr. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.




By Kim Ji-myung





Behind a problem child there are always problem parents, my counselor friend told me. Traditional Korean custom, as far as I remember, was to hide a family member with mental or psychological problems from society.



Those handicapped or mentally-troubled members of the village were taken as signs of curses from goblins or punishment from above. The family usually tried to discount the seriousness of the problem as a temporary drop of energy or a lack of spirit.



They were not welcome nor accepted as full members of society. But they did not seem to have accumulated anger and frustration, which may have been absorbed by the extended family system.



Seldom do we see aimless shootings out of rage or religious convictions here. Lone-wolves in Korea don't have pistols, and only military veterans know how to shoot them. Korea is wise in that killing machines are not in the hands of ordinary citizens. However, the world is changing.



Dreadful signs are appearing, shadowing the future of Korean society. Let me tell you a story of a small girl, her problem and her school's problem, which may affect Korean society in the future.



Korea is no longer a family-based society, coercing people with moral and ethical codes; old age does not mean wisdom but only dotage. Spiritual guidance by respect and authority has long-since been destroyed, and we need a realistic control-system to replace it.



Murders without reason often occur, even by juveniles. In a recent case involving schoolgirls, they surprised people not only by their terrible violent act but by their absolute lack of remorse or repentance.



Recently, I happened to learn about another elementary school violence case. The villain was a second- grade girl at an elementary school, which means she is just 8 years old. Located in the heart of a decent middle-class community of homogenous cultural composition, the school has good teachers, wonderful school programs and sophisticated parents. Let me call her Geu-ae (that kid).



This issue of Gue-ae was finally tabled at the school violence committee  maybe that is why her criminal actions were listed in this way:



1. Slaps classmates face without any reason. Even bespectacled friends got hit. She punched the stomach of a student of another class, causing great pain.



2. She will frequent boys' restrooms. Pulls pants and shirts from behind. Kicks boys' genitals.



3. During the class, she shouts four-letter words and insulting phrases to the teacher.



4. Shows her cruel drawings to friends, depicting a lying person with exposed intestine colored red.



5. Says to a boy classmate that she wants to disembowel him in the parking lot. Well, there are 11 more items like this on the list. Among them is an expression of family hatred where she calls her father "monster" and says she wants to kill him.



My attention is not exactly on Geu-ae but on how this issue is being handled by the school.



Extreme bullying in classes and horrific sexual crimes by adults against young girls have happened in recent years. As a result, the government nstalled systems to check the identity of visitors, school police systems, CCTV cameras, anti-bullying measures and school violence committees among others.



As for Gue-ae's case, the parents of the "victims" tried to talk with her parents, but they refused to respond. Also, the first obstacle to the official proceedings of the committee was her parents' refusal to cooperate. At the end of the day, nothing happened.



The school authorities including the principal, it is rumored, merely wanted Gue-ae to transfer to another school. That is the easiest solution for them, saving them from the cumbersome job of finding psychological or other professional treatment for Gue-ae, and avoiding any legal or administrative responsibilities. If no measure is taken by the parents or the committee, it is just "sweeping the problem under the rug," an all-too-common response in Korea.



The problem won't go away, but will grow from a hill into a mountain. Sending problem students to other schools is just a "hot-potato" game among administrators. I think the systemic reforms to solve "problem-member issues" must begin by praising problem-solving efforts by leadership and not problem-free records. This not only applies to schools but to all official organizations including the military.





Kim Ji-myung (heritagekorea21@gmail.com) is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage).
Criteo Korea General Manager Goh Min-ho / Courtesy of Criteo Korea



By Kang Seung-woo


By Jhoo Dong-chan



The 5.4-magnitude earthquake, which shook the coast near Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday, has reignited a fierce debate about the government's nuclear-free policy.



Environment groups, who have long claimed a possible earthquake could be disastrous in the region, are urging the government to push harder in its nuclear exit policy, while the nation's nuclear circles say the fear is just too exaggerated.



The Korea Federation for Environmental Movements released an official statement this week claiming the nuclear power plants in the nation's southeastern region should immediately halt their operation.



"A series of earthquakes has rocked the region since last year's Gyeongju earthquake. We fear similar quakes would follow suit," an official of the federation said.



"There are six nuclear reactors in Uljin and another six in Gyeongju in the region. There are also six reactors in the Busan and Ulsan belt while five reactors are under construction near the epicenter. The government should immediately decommission nuclear reactors there."



Another environment group, Energy Justice Actions, also urged the government to "halt its ongoing reactor constructions and propel its nuclear exit policy more actively." It has strongly demanded an immediate halt on construction of Shin-Gori No. 5 and 6 reactors.



Politicians with an anti-nuclear stance agreed with environmental groups.



"Earthquakes could deal a direct physical impact on the nation's nuclear reactors. They are extremely dangerous," said a lawmaker group, who asks for a nuclear power-free society.



"The government should engage its nuclear exit policy more sternly. And ongoing construction of nuclear reactors should stop while old reactors should be decommissioned as planned. It also has to beef up seismic guideline."



The nuclear circles rebutted this earthquake proved their earthquake-proof capacity.



The Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced shortly after this earthquake that it "carried out various assessments on all reactors, including the Wolseong reactor located near this epicenter, under the related seismic manual, and they were all operational without any problem."



The KHNP said earlier this year that it has reportedly enhanced the earthquake-proof capacity of the nation's 21 reactors to withstand a 7-magnitude earthquake. There are 24 reactors in Korea, and the remaining three reactors are scheduled to complete the reinforcement job by next June.



"Public fear has been exaggerated by the nation's environment group," said Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Nuclear I&C BU head Kim Kook-hun.



"I am very confident there won't be any meltdown taking place because of possible natural disasters including earthquakes. Those who claim themselves as environmentalists blindly oppose what is necessary for the country without any factual evidence. It's highly regrettable."



Citing the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Gyeongju, South Gyeongsang Province, last September, President Moon Jae-in said a nuclear reactor accident caused by an earthquake could be fatal as seen in the Fukushima case in 2011.



In June, the Moon administration shut down the nation's first commercial nuclear reactor. Moon said during the shutdown ceremony that he will halt the ongoing construction of new nuclear power plants and will not extend the operations of aging reactors.


ELKO  Gov. Brian Sandoval has declared Nov. 12-17 Nevada Flood Awareness week, and Elko will be hosting a presentation featuring experts from the Division of Water Resources.

The event beings at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at Walmarts parking lot. It will include a flood model for kids, and the experts will talk about flood preparedness.

Additional information will be handed out to the public at the event, which will be moved indoors if inclement weather arises, according to environmental coordinator Ann Thiabault.

Mayor Chris Johnson also issued a flood awareness proclamation and spoke to the dangers of flooding risks due to winter snow-melt and the swift flash flooding Elko faces in the summer months.

Johnson encouraged all city residents to take action to be prepared.

Residents can visit www.nevadafloods.org to determine if they live or work in a flood plain, to read additional information about flood insurance, and to learn about flood preparedness.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  An ex-convict accused of gunning down a University of Utah student with a weapon stolen from a slain Colorado man was charged with aggravated murder, robbery and a dozen other counts on Thursday.

Austin Boutain, 24, hatched the deadly carjacking plot with his wife, who is also accused in the Colorado murder case, prosecutors said in court documents.

They watched cars for hours as Kathleen Boutain pointed out potential victims at a canyon near campus on Oct. 30. She eventually became frustrated at his reluctance to attack someone during daylight, called him a coward and the couple fought.

He pistol-whipped her and she walked down to the university to report him, authorities said.

Kathleen Boutain was charged with six counts, including criminal solicitation and theft.

After she left, he attacked 23-year-old student Chenwei Guo and tried to drag Guos female friend up a nearby canyon, police said. She ran away, narrowly escaping shots he fired at her, and called police.

No attorneys were listed for the Boutains on Thursday.

The couple were drifters who fled to Utah after cutting the throat of Mitchell Ingle, 63, and stealing his guns in Golden, Colorado, authorities have said.

They met Ingle a couple times before they started drinking and smoking marijuana at his trailer home Oct. 27, police said. Austin Boutain got angry when Ingle made sexual comments and the pair decided he would kill the older man so they could take his trailer, according to Colorado court documents.

Austin Boutain cut his hosts throat before the couple grabbed three guns and drove off in his pickup truck, headed for Utah, Colorado police said.

Ingles body was found in his home a few days later, after Guos death. Police say the husband and wife both were both wearing his clothes when they were arrested.

Austin Boutain has a rap sheet that includes drug, car theft and weapons charges dating back to his days as a juvenile. He was released from an Alabama prison this spring, but skipped parole in Wisconsin a few months later and wound up living under a bridge with his wife in Golden, Colorado, authorities said.

In Salt Lake City, they lived around a homeless shelter for a couple days before setting up camp in Red Butte Canyon, where they hatched the plot to find a car, force the driver inside and make their way to Tennessee, the Thursday charges state. They planned to use the victims money to fund the trip before killing them.

Austin Boutain used one of the guns stolen from Ingle to kill Guo, a computer-science student from China, police said. He told police he knocked on Guos car window shortly after his wife walked away to ask if hed seen her, but when Guo didnt answer he became enraged and fired at the car until the gun was empty.
The Department of Justice will soon commence an investigation to determine whether there should be an investigation (you read that nonsense correctly) of a scandal involving the Clinton Foundation and a company called Uranium One. It appears that FBI decisions made during the time that Hillary Clinton was being investigated for espionage will also be investigated to see whether there should be an investigation to determine whether she was properly investigated. (Again, you read that nonsense correctly.)

Only the government can relate nonsense with a straight face. Here is the back story.

When President Donald Trump fired FBI Director Jim Comey last spring, the attorney generals stated purpose for recommending the firing was Comeys dropping the ball in the investigation of Clintons email when she was secretary of state. After a year of investigating her use of her own computer servers to transmit and store classified materials instead of using a government server to do so  and notwithstanding a mountain of evidence of her grossly negligent exposure of secret and top-secret materials, which constitutes the crime of espionage  the FBI director decided that because no reasonable prosecutor would take the case, it should be dropped. Weeks later, the DOJ ratified Comeys decision.

At the same time that Clinton was failing to safeguard state secrets, she was granting official State Department favors to donors to her familys charitable foundation. There are dozens of examples of this so-called pay to play, the most egregious of which is the Uranium One case. This involved a Canadian businessman and friend of former President Bill Clintons, Frank Giustra, who bundled donations from various sources that totaled $148 million, all of which Giustra gave to the Clinton Foundation.

At the same time that Giustra made this extraordinary donation, he was representing a client that needed federal permission to purchase a 51 percent stake in Uranium One, which then controlled about 20 percent of Americas licensed uranium mining capacity. Secretary Clinton freely gave Giustras client the State Departments approval, and it soon acquired the remaining approvals to make the purchase. Giustras client is a Russian corporation controlled by the Kremlin.

When the FBI got wind of the Giustra donation and Secretary Clintons approval and the Kremlin involvement, it commenced an investigation of whether Clinton had been bribed. At some point during former President Barack Obamas second term, that investigation was terminated. We do not know whether the investigating FBI agents learned that the Clinton Foundation was not even registered as a charity by the states in which it was doing business or authorized by them to receive tax-free donations.

At the same time that the FBI was looking into Uranium One, American and British intelligence agents were surveilling Donald Trump. The belated stated purpose of that surveillance was to ascertain whether the future president or his colleagues were engaged in any unlawful activity by accepting campaign favors from foreign nationals or were improperly assisting foreign intelligence agents to interfere with the presidential election.

One of the foreign nationals whose communications were captured during that surveillance was Sergey Kislyak, then the Russian ambassador to the United States. He spoke with Michael Flynn, then the national security adviser to President-elect Trump. Mysteriously, portions of a transcript of those intercepted communications were published in The Washington Post.

Another foreign national who caught the FBIs attention is a former British intelligence agent named Christopher Steele. Steele had compiled a dossier about, among other things, alleged inappropriate behavior by Trump in a Moscow hotel room years earlier. After offering Steele $50,000 to corroborate his dossier, the FBI backed down.

After being confronted by irate Republican members of the House and Senate judiciary committees, who demanded to know why the investigations of these matters had been terminated, Attorney General Jeff Sessions revealed that he has asked career DOJ lawyers to commence an investigation of all of the above to determine whether an independent counsel should be appointed to investigate all of the above.

This is the investigation to determine whether there should be an investigation. This is also the DOJs reluctance to do its job.

Can the government investigate itself? The short answer is yes, and it has done so in the past. But it hardly needs an investigation to determine whether there should be an investigation. The job of the DOJ is to investigate probable violations of federal law. Sessions should not shy away from this and should not push it off to another independent counsel.

We have one independent counsel already because his target  lets be candid  is the president of the United States. That is a potato too hot for the DOJ. But Hillary and Bill Clinton, the FBIs tampering with the political process, and the use of intelligence-captured communications for political purposes are not. It is profoundly the duty of the DOJ  using its investigatory arm, the FBI  to investigate all this.

Whatever Comeys motive for not prosecuting Hillary Clinton and the DOJs ratification of it, the current DOJ is not bound by these erroneous decisions. The evidence in the public domain of Clintons espionage and bribery is more than enough to be presented to a grand jury. The same cannot be said about FBI involvements with the Steele dossier or the use of intelligence data for political purposes, because we dont yet know who did it, so we need aggressive investigation.

But none of this presents the type of conflict that exists when the president is a target, and none of this requires an independent counsel. All of this simply requires the DOJ to get to work.

That is, unless the lawyers in the leadership of this DOJ are fearful of investigating their predecessors for fear that their successors might investigate them. Whoever harbors those fears has no place in government.
Like most other people around the country, Elko residents are preparing for the joy and heartwarming feelings of the holidays. But this year, as Thanksgiving approaches, memories will first turn to a somber anniversary.

One year ago on a Friday night, an American Medflight plane crashed shortly after taking off from Elkos airport, killing all four people aboard. That Nov. 18 will long be remembered for the loss it brought to our community, but it will also be an occasion to honor the men and women who serve as first responders whenever duty calls.

Our weekend edition will feature a report on the crashs anniversary and the memorials that have been held for victims over the past year. Today we are rerunning the editorial that we wrote last Thanksgiving, because it is just as relevant today.

We are also asking everyone who would like to share their thanks to send their names to editor@elkodaily.com to be included in an online tribute.

  

One week ago dozens of Elkos first responders were waking up after a nightmare of a night. Hours before, a fixed-wing air ambulance had crashed in a parking lot near the airport, narrowly missing nearby residences and businesses. The impact set off a series of explosions as the plane burned, killing all four aboard and setting vehicles on fire.

Two officers who were among the first to respond sustained minor injuries as they rushed to help, only to get slammed by a secondary explosion.

We think they deserve awards for bravery. And all of the first responders who served at that frightening scene deserve our thanks and appreciation.

The aircraft and vehicles burned for an hour, as water sprayed from a fire truck did little to stop the flames. The planes occupants had no chance of survival, but the crash spared any ground casualties as no one was in the Barrick parking lot. Behind the wheel was pilot Yuji Irie, a Japanese immigrant living in Ely.

There couldnt have been a safer place for him to come down without causing additional casualties, observed Elko police Lt. Rich Genseal. We need to credit the pilot on that.

There were probably hundreds of people in the immediate vicinity, between the apartments, motel, casino and shopping mall that surrounded the scene. But no one was in the parking lot, as the latest shift of mine buses had already departed.

The accident happened at the end of a work day  the end of a work week  as many people were beginning to prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday ahead. But our police and fire departments are always staffed, and always prepared for the unexpected.

Officers and firefighters from multiple agencies responded, sealing off the streets and highways to keep people out of harms way. It was a chaotic and dangerous scene, but our first responders did what was needed without fearing for their own safety. Its easy to forget, but thats what these people do day in and day out as they perform their jobs.

Their first goal is to rescue anyone who might be saved. Next, they work to stop the spread of destruction and prevent any further damage or loss of life.

In this incident, it was a matter of emergency crews responding to the scene of what was already an emergency. A patient with a serious medical problem was being transported to Utah.

Besides the pilot and the patient, who were both in their 60s, the crash killed a young father from Utah and a young nurse from Elko who was known for her work as a volunteer firefighter. All four were remembered at a solemn candlelight vigil three nights later.

Friends, family members and other concerned residents would go back to their homes and continue their holiday preparations. And extra prayers were said around the tables on Thursday, for those who were lost and for those who bravely serve to save us.
Exercising during holiday season combats calories, improves mental health The cookies are baked and that glass of milk has been set out for Santa but you find yourself low on energy and need to combat those holiday blues. The...

Winter an ideal time to beef up lawns, plant new additions The recent week-long visit of late-summer warmth may have been a distraction from the seasonal change on the horizon, but the piling up pin oak and maple droppings  combined...
Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE

Ameriabank Launches Google Pay and Google Wallet Support for Card Users in Armenia

Karen Vardanyan donated 112 million drams for the medical equipment for National Center for Infectious Diseases.

UCOM HAS INTRODUCED FUTURE NETWORK WI-FI 6E ROUTERS

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Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts

Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum

Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

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Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces
PRESS RELEASE

Belt and Road Is Vital for ASEAN Connectivity

Nov. 16, 2017 (EIRNS)On Nov. 15, at a press conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Kao Kim Hourn, a minister attached to Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, said

"the Belt and Road Initiative is playing a key role in boosting the connectivity among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN] and its connection with its neighbors, especially China,"

reported Xinhua. To support the initiative, China has established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Silk Road Fund to provide finance to infrastructure projects, Kim Hourn noted.

The Belt and Road Initiative is providing a lot of advantages to ASEAN, and is an important contribution to the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, which is ASEANs priority task. "The initiative not only helps connect intra-ASEAN, but also links ASEAN to its neighboring countries, especially China," Kim Hourn said.
PRESS RELEASE

Chinas Decision To Send an Envoy to North Korea, Right After Trumps Visit to China Is No Coincidence, Says Newsweek

Nov. 16, 2017 (EIRNS)Chinese President Xi Jinpings decision to send the head of the International Liaison Department for Chinas ruling Communist Party, Song Tao, to Pyongyang, is an after-effect of President Trumps Nov. 8-9 discussions with Xi in Beijing, concluded Robert Manning, a former State Department official and East Asia expert, Newsweek reported.

"I dont believe in coincidences, and they are sending this guy right after Trumps visit. There was a comfort level between Xi and Trump on North Korea during this recent visit. But we dont know what theyve agreed to,"

Manning told Newsweek.

There is expectation that Song will be delivering a message from the Chinese President to the North Korean President Kim Jong-Un. China said the official reason for Songs visit is to simply report on the partys Oct. 18-24 congress, and it has not explicitly said nuclear weapons will be discussed. "But Chinese state media reports seemed to suggest Song will also deliver a special message from Xi to Kim," Newsweek wrote.
The draft of Karen Avagyan and Hrair Tovmasyan not definitely accepted (video)

Today, during the discussion of the bill on making the Criminal Code amendments, concerning the prevention of violence during the professional activity of doctors in the penitentiaries, submitted by the HHK (Republican Party) MPs Karen Avagyan and Hrayr Tovmasyan in the National Assembly Gevorg Petrosyan from Tsarukyan faction declared that the presented law was vulnerable, and the likelihood was great that either it would not be used or would be abused. Naira Zohrabyan, a member of the Tsarukyan faction, stated in her speech that there was no one who would support violence, regardless of whether it was applied to doctors, journalists, or miners. "We condemn any violence. I, being a former journalist and an MP today, will start an initiative in order to make a strict legal order for hindering journalists' professional activities in a much more sophisticated manner. What should be said to a doctor who, standing next to a dying patient, says that he does not have adrenaline to stimulate the patient, and sends his relatives to buy it from a pharmacy. Violence does not need to be distinguished by special professions, it is already on the Criminal Code. If we make distinctions, then journalists are being subjected to more violence today. If that's the case, then let's burden the Criminal Code and write separately for profession that violence cannot be accepted. " The Yelk (Way Out) faction MP Artak Zeynalyan in his turn noticed: "If violence against journalists is separated on the Criminal Code, then it is meant to provide freedom of the press". The HHK MP Rustam Makhmudyan stated in his speech that bringing the bill to the National Assembly was an anachronism because it did not answer a number of questions. "If the number of violence against doctors reaches the number of violence against journalists, then yes, violence against them can also be fixed in the law."
There was good news and bad news in the regulatory initiative the Food and Drug Administration rolled out on Thursday, aimed partially at clinics marketing unproven stem-cell therapies directly to consumers.

The good news is that the FDA firmly closed a loophole exploited by many of these proliferating clinics. Those that say theyre using liposuctioned fat to produce stem cells that they reinject in a patient to treat a host of medical conditions, the FDA says, are selling a drug. That means they need to be specially licensed and subjected to inspection.

Heres the bad news: The agency is giving the clinics up to 36 months to comply with the regulations. Thats far too indulgent.

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This is nowhere close to a red line; at best, its amber.  Bioethicist Leigh Turner

Three years is a long time for potentially non-compliant clinics to still be raking in the dough from patients, observes Paul Knoepfler, a UC Davis stem-cell biologist who has spent more than a year documenting the spread of clinics hawking unproven stem-cell nostrums. The agency said it would prioritize enforcement during that period, focusing on products that pose a potential significant safety concern.

Indeed, the FDAs hands-off approach to enforcing its own rules could encourage the further spread of such clinics, rather than clamping down on the proliferation. Thats the view of Leigh Turner, a University of Minnesota bioethicist who co-wrote a survey of proliferating clinics with Knoepfler.

This is nowhere close to a red line; at best, its amber, Turner said of the FDAs enforcement plans. A lot of people running these businesses are going to see this as an opportunity to carry on as before, or if theyre not in the business, to dive into the marketplace. Over the next 36 months, he says, the direct-to-consumer stem-cell business is going to get larger, richer and more politically influential  and therefore more of a threat to public health.

The FDA on Thursday released four policy papers on stem-cell treatments. Two, aimed at regulating what we might think of as legitimate stem cell-based treatments, are draft guidelines open to public comment. The other two are final regulations aimed at the proliferating direct-to-consumer clinics. Weve been reporting on this shadowy corner of the medical marketplace, in which clinics charge consumers thousands of dollars for untested, unscientific and unproven treatments.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb turned his gun sights squarely on the bad actors in this field when he announced his agencys regulatory initiative. Among them are clinics that charge desperate patients as much as $15,000, not including travel expenses, for treatments that are seldom covered by insurance. The treatments are not approved by the FDA and are backed by virtually no scientific evidence to prove their efficacy.

The rapid growth and promise of this field has increasingly sowed the ground for the entry of some unscrupulous actors, who have opportunistically seized on the clinical potential of regenerative medicine to make deceptive claims to patients about unproven and, in some cases, dangerous products, Gottlieb said. By exploiting the lack of consumer understanding of this area, as well as the fear and uncertainties posed by the diseases these bad actors claim to treat, theyre jeopardizing the legitimacy and advancement of the entire field.

Some clinics have tried to skirt FDA regulations by claiming that by treating liposuctioned fat to extract stem cells, theyre engaging in minimal manipulation of patients own tissues, a well-known exemption to the agencys definition of a regulated drug.

The FDA final guidelines say no dice to that. Minimal manipulation, they state, means minor handling such as rinsing or filtration to remove debris and other impurities. Taking steps to isolate stem cells, as many clinics claim theyre doing, is out of bounds and requires special licensing and possible inspections.

Using tissue-derived stem cells to treat conditions unrelated to the original tissue is also nonexempt, the FDA says. Thats a shot at the claims of stem-cell clinics that they can use fat-derived stem cells to treat disorders that have nothing to do with fat, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons, pulmonary conditions or rheumatoid arthritis  conditions that stem-cell clinics around the country imply they can treat.

The FDAs initiative this week adds specifics to a theme Gottlieb has been articulating since he took over the agency on May 11. In August, the FDA seized nearly 500 doses of a smallpox vaccine that was to be combined with stem cells derived from body fat and administered to patients in clinics in Beverly Hills and Rancho Mirage, Calif. The agency also published a blistering warning letter delivered to U.S. Stem Cell Clinic of Sunrise, Fla., for marketing stem cell products without FDA approval.

U.S. Stem Cell ran a Florida clinic that reportedly injected a stem-cell solution into the eyeballs of three elderly women suffering macular degeneration. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the patients suffered permanent partial or complete blindness because of the treatment. The firms chief scientific officer, Kristin Comella, testified at an FDA hearing in 2016 that its stem-cell treatments should be exempted under the minimally manipulated standard. She said the number of adverse events that had been reported among thousands of patients was just a handful. She gave her testimony before the vision cases were reported by the New England Journal.

U.S. Stem Cell has acknowledged performing the eye procedures, but says that it has ceased doing them and that it settled with the patients under conditions of confidentiality.

The FDA, for its part, has issued just a handful of warning letters to stem-cell clinics, including the notice to U.S. Stem Cell. It should be taking firmer action, Turner says. If Thursday the FDA had put out a press release and said, Weve issued warning letters to 20 businesses and picked 20 of the more visible businesses in this marketplace, that would have had a meaningful effect.

Instead, he argues, the FDA is just deepening a hole that it created itself. If the FDA had done something meaningful around 2009 and these businesses hadnt proliferated, he says, there wouldnt be this huge regulatory challenge facing the FDA, where there are hundreds of these businesses and they say they cant possibly regulate them all, so they have to prioritize their resources and just pick the most outrageous ones.

The FDA is part of the very problem theyre now responsible for addressing. They did very little for years, and if they had done a better job of it over the last seven or eight years, wed be in a very different place.

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

Return to Michael Hiltziks blog.
California recently became one of eight states, cities or localities to pass legislation banning all employers from asking one particularly awkward question of prospective workers: How much did you make in your last job?

Yet companies apparently arent convinced the laws will work as intended.

The aim of many of the measures is to help close the gender pay gap. The idea is that if employers do not set new wages on the basis of past compensation, one low salary or poorly negotiated job offer early on in her career wont set a woman back for years to come.

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But some two-thirds of the 108 companies surveyed by executive search and consulting firm Korn Ferry recently said they thought the measures would not, or would only to a small extent, improve any pay differentials that exist.

The likely reason, said Tom McMullen, a senior client partner for Korn Ferry, is that employers either already feel they have the rigorous pay systems in place to monitor for pay equality. Or the actual gap between male and female employees pay at the company  accounting for position, experience, job level and the like  is only in the single digits.

For those that already have decent processes in place, it probably is a nonevent, McMullen said, noting that the survey skewed to larger companies. The biggest difference itll make is in those organizations that have a lets make a deal culture and do not rely as much on market data to set workers pay or have less rigorous ways of analyzing whether they are paying workers fairly.

The survey also showed that many employers do not seem prepared for the new laws, many of which take effect next year, although some have a grace period before penalties for noncompliance kick in. Almost a third said they are not prepared for the legislation, while 44% said they had made some preparations. Just 5% said it was already their practice not to ask about a candidates pay history.

The survey did not ask what impact the new laws could have on payroll budgets or salary size overall.

While the salary-question bans, which are often part of pay equity or pay transparency bills, may have generated attention for their potential role in closing the gender gap, other employees could benefit, too.

More market-based approaches to wage setting  in which employers compensate workers on the basis of the needs of and competition for the job, rather than the history of the person  could help any prospective employee who worries that he or she has been paid too little in the past. (Discussions about salary expectations, rather than history, are expected to still pass muster.)

Jonathan Segal, an employment lawyer based in Philadelphia, said the bans could be particularly relevant for older workers. Someone who has been working for more years and may be looking to scale back to a less demanding job  or workers eager to get back into the workforce after being out of a job and willing to work for less  could be subject to implicit bias when asked about their past pay, he said.

Eliminating the question may help not only eliminate the pay gap for women, he said, but may help older employees who are being excluded because employers think they wont be happy working for less.

He also sees employers adopting the ban even in areas where it is not required.

I see a significant number of employers that are voluntarily omitting this from their application, Segal said, even in absence of legal mandate.

Forty-six percent of the companies surveyed by Korn Ferry said they would comply with the legal requirements in the most stringent location where they operate. That means workers well outside Massachusetts, California or Oregon might no longer be asked about their salary history during job negotiations even if their local jurisdictions do not pass similar laws.

Only 32% said they would comply as each region requires, while 11% said their operations were not affected and another 11% said they were unsure. (The National Womens Law Center reports that a few more states are expected to pass similar prohibitions this year. Other jurisdictions have passed measures only for public employees, and a version was introduced in Congress last year. Philadelphias measure has faced a legal challenge.)

Korn Ferrys McMullen said that while some firms are being advised to maintain separate policies, that gets messy really quick.

Workplace-related laws that start in local jurisdictions often spread to others, he said, because multistate or national companies decide that having a single policy rather than a patchwork of practices is simpler.

There will be a tipping point, if its not there already, where this will become the de facto way of handling this in this country, McMullen said. For many companies, having a blanket policy is easier administratively.

McGregor writes for the Washington Post.
Sutter Health intentionally destroyed 192 boxes of documents that employers and labor unions were seeking in a lawsuit that accuses the giant Northern California health system of abusing its market power and charging inflated prices, according to a state judge.

In a ruling this week, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Curtis E.A. Karnow said Sutter destroyed documents knowing that the evidence was relevant to antitrust issues.  There is no good explanation for the specific and unusual destruction here.

Karnow cited an internal email by a Sutter employee who said she was running and hiding after ordering the records destroyed in 2015. The most generous interpretation to Sutter is that it was grossly reckless, the judge wrote in his 12-page ruling.

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Sutter, which has 24 hospitals and nearly $12 billion in annual revenue, said the destruction was a regrettable mistake.

Employers and policymakers across the country are closely watching this legal fight amid growing concern about the financial implications of industry consolidation. Large health systems are gaining market clout and the ability to raise prices by acquiring more hospitals, outpatient surgery centers and physician offices.

Its stunning what Sutter did to cover up incriminating documents in this case, said Richard Grossman, the lead plaintiffs lawyer representing a class of more than 1,500 employer-funded health plans.

In April 2014, a grocery workers health plan sued Sutter and alleged it was violating antitrust and unfair competition laws. The plaintiffs began requesting documents related to contracting practices, such as gag clauses that prevent patients from seeing negotiated rates and choosing a cheaper provider and all-or-nothing terms that require every facility in a health system to be included in insurance networks.

Sutter disputes the broader allegations in the lawsuit over its market conduct and said its charges are in line with its competitors.

The judge said that in 2015 Melissa Brendt, Sutters chief contracting officer in the managed-care department, and an assistant general counsel, Daniela Almeida, authorized Brendts executive assistant to destroy 10 years worth of managed-care documents going back to 1995. The company earlier had scheduled the documents to be destroyed in 2035  20 years later.

Ive pushed the button  Im running and hiding.  Fingers crossed that I havent authorized something the FTC will hunt me down for.  Sina Santagata, Sutter executive assistant

The executive assistant, Sina Santagata, testified in a deposition she wasnt aware of any other time in her 17 years at Sutter when the managed-care department destroyed records held in storage.

In his Monday ruling against Sutter, the judge singled out an email by Santagata as particularly noteworthy.

The executive assistant emailed Brendt, the chief contracting officer, on July 30, 2015, after sending the order to destroy the records. She wrote, Ive pushed the button  if someone is in need of a box between 3/15/95 & 11/23/05  Im running and hiding.  Fingers crossed that I havent authorized something the FTC will hunt me down for.

The Federal Trade Commission enforces antitrust laws in healthcare to prevent hospitals, drugmakers and other industry players from engaging in anti-competitive behavior that could harm consumers.

Santagata testified that she was being sarcastic in her email, and Sutter told the judge that the FTC reference was just a joke.

Karnow saw no humor in it. There are infinite topics for jokes, and the choice of this one is strong evidence in the plaintiffs favor, he wrote in his order Monday.

As part of his sanctions against Sutter, the judge ordered the health system to examine email backup tapes covering 2002 through 2005 to search for documents on some of the same topics as the destroyed records. Also, Karnow said he will consider a plaintiffs motion for issuing jury instructions that are adverse to Sutter in light of the document destruction. The trial is scheduled for June 2019.

The record shows that Sutters conduct was more than just an inadvertent error, Karnow wrote.

Sutter spokeswoman Karen Garner said the incident was a mistake made as part of a routine destruction of old paper records and the Sacramento-based health system disclosed the error as soon as it was discovered.

We regret that as part of a routine archiving process we failed to preserve some boxes of decades-old hard-copy documents, Garner said.

The United Food and Commercial Workers and its Employers Benefit Trust initially filed the case against Sutter in 2014. The joint employer-union health plan represents more than 60,000 employees, dependents and retirees. The court certified the case as a class action in August, allowing hundreds of other employers and self-funded health plans to potentially benefit from the litigation.

In addition to its 24 hospitals, Sutters nonprofit health system has 35 surgery centers and more than 5,000 physicians in its network. It reported $11.9 billion in revenue last year and income of $554 million.

Grossman, the plaintiffs counsel, said he welcomed the judges ruling. But he said much of the evidence is irreplaceable, particularly handwritten notes from negotiating sessions and meetings involving key Sutter executives.

He said those records covered a critical period in the early 2000s when there was a sea change in Sutters contracting strategy and it implemented provisions that insulated the health system from price competition.

This was groundbreaking in the industry, Grossman said. Until we address the anti-competitive behavior of entities like Sutter, we will not solve the problem of high costs in healthcare.

The plaintiffs are seeking to recover hundreds of millions of dollars from Sutter from what it claims are illegally inflated prices. The lawsuit alleges that an overnight hospital stay at Sutter hospitals in San Francisco or Sacramento costs at least 38% more than a comparable stay in the more competitive Los Angeles market.

A study published last year found that hospital prices at Sutter and Dignity Health, the two biggest hospital chains in California, were 25% higher than at other hospitals around the state. Researchers at USC said the giant health systems used their market power to drive up prices  making the average patient admission at both chains nearly $4,000 more expensive.

Terhune is a senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent publication of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Alaska Airlines cited new travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration as the main reason the carrier plans to end service from Los Angeles to Cuba.

Alaska began its daily Los Angeles-to-Havana flights Jan. 5 and plans to fly the last plane to the island nation Jan. 22, 2018, the airline said this week.

In 2014, President Obama began opening ties with Cuba and relaxing restrictions to travel between the U.S. and the communist country. The biggest change was allowing Americans to visit Cuba on their own, instead of on expensive group tours, as long as they declared that the trip is to learn about Cuban people and culture.

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This summer, President Trump said he intended to reverse several of those new policies toward Cuba, including the policy that let Americans travel with fewer restrictions to the island. Those new regulations went into effect Nov. 9.

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines subsequently said it would end its service from LAX to Havana because the new restrictions on travel will hurt demand. The airline said that about 80% of its passengers who have flown to Havana have done so under the relaxed travel policy.

Given the changes in Cuba travel policies, the airline will redeploy these resources to other markets the airline serves where demand continues to be strong, Andrew Harrison, chief commercial officer for the airline, said in a statement.

Alaska Airlines made clear that, despite the cut in service to Cuba, demand for air travel remains strong for the carrier. The airline said it plans to add nearly 8% in capacity in the next year.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.
Matt Gourley and Amanda Lund wanted their 1947 Craftsman house to feel like a curated time machine. Instead, it just felt old and bland.

The DIY enthusiasts, both actors and podcast hosts, saw the potential of their three-bedroom Pasadena home when they purchased it in 2015.

But the load-bearing walls and small doorways allowed little light to pass through and made the 1,340-square-foot home feel dark and small. Oddities such as the tiny bathroom behind the kitchen  where the toilet and sink blocked the door from fully shutting  called for creativity.

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Restoration was key for the couple, who envisioned a bright and spacious home filled with a sense of charm and history.

We wanted to create something that would honor what it really was  a fusion of a Craftsman and midcentury home, Gourley said. Like a tour through time.

Gourley and Lund dedicated two years to the project, spending $120,000.

Gourley began in the living room, where he tediously stripped, sanded and stained every wooden window frame, removing and replacing 72 glass panes in the process. His background in carpentry and set design came in handy: He put in wainscoting and molding himself.

Lund was away working in Atlanta during this stage of the renovation. But Gourley still relied on her to choose the paint color  he is slightly colorblind.

I felt like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, choosing paint samples from the hotel, Lund said.

The room is now populated with historical relics, including a chair from Ronald and Nancy Reagans Pacific Palisades mansion.

The next major overhaul was opening up the space between the lounge, dining room and kitchen. The couple worked with Preferred Builders to create a supportive beam in the attic, allowing them to remove the load-bearing walls that separated the three rooms.

The kitchen was transformed into a cheerful, galley-style space with a large window, herringbone floor tiles, open shelving and light streaming through a glass door.

A miniature, triangular corner sink and toilet replaced the original, oversized appliances in the kitchen bathroom.

The lounge, modeled after an English pub, is draped in forest-green and beige plaid wallpaper by Astek, custom-milled Alder arches and wainscoting, and a $1,200 leather-tufted door designed by Lanzetti Upholstery and inspired by James Bond.

Its a bold direction, but we really like it, said Lund. We have our coffee there every morning.

The master bathroom lacked storage space and had a single pedestal sink and a Japanese soaking tub with no shower function. The couple moved the doorway a foot laterally, installed an oak vanity with double faucets and replaced the tub with an enclosed bath-and-shower unit lined with subway tile.

In the master bedroom, Gourley restored and replaced the window trim, upper molding and baseboards with stained mahogany. The rooms woodland vibe is accentuated with the birch pattern on the Cole and Sons wallpaper.

The couple added their own touches to their respective offices.

Lunds features a vintage rosewood coffee table, bar cart and nesting side table set with brass and copper inlays. The walls are adorned with cork-textured floral and geometric wallpaper and prints from the 1960s.

Gourleys office, originally an enclosed exterior patio tacked on in the 1960s, was inspired by the Vandamm house in the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film North by Northwest. Granite ledge stones by ACR Stone Group were added to set a Cold War mood.

I love the look and am fascinated by the politics of the era, Gourley said of the space, which also serves as a podcast recording studio.

hotproperty@latimes.com

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In the late 1800s, as L.A. was experiencing its first real boom, a syndicate of real estate developers purchased 200 acres in the eastern portion of the old Rancho La Brea and began planning a development.

The group started with a name  Windsor Square  that evoked images of the famous squares of London and one of the most famous royal residences in the world in Windsor Castle, and then put together a package of amenities that would tempt the grandees of Los Angeles to leave their close-in Victorian neighborhoods for the wide-open spaces of what was then the hinterlands.

Power lines laid underground (a first for the city), concrete streets poured in a rectilinear grid north of Wilshire Boulevard and the neighborhoods distinctive electroliers were all draws for potential buyers.

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There were caveats, though: After signing the deed for the land, a buyer was contractually obligated to spend at least $12,000 on building a home to ensure that only the highest-quality residences were erected.

The homes built in Windsor Square werent particularly varied. As the citys preservation plan for the neighborhood notes, an array of Revival styles were, and are, represented, with Tudor Revivals being built cheek to jowl with Italian Renaissance Revivals, which were built alongside Dutch Colonial Revivals.

Although the grand homes that fronted on Wilshire Boulevard have long since been demolished to make way for commercial buildings, an active neighborhood association has succeeded in preserving the character of Windsor Square, which remains popular with wealthy buyers.

Neighborhood highlights

An L.A. classic: A neighborhood of Revival styles could be an aesthetic nightmare (see: Beverly Hills) but the craftsmanship and design acumen on display in Windsor Square keeps it from descending into garishness.

Prime location: With Larchmont Boulevard on its western edge, and booming Koreatown on its east, plenty of dining and shopping is a short walk or drive away, and the new Marciano Museum brings world-class art to the neighborhood.

Industry-friendly: Sure, many stars and studio execs prefer Calabasas or the Hills, but Windsor Hills studio-close location and top-tier housing stock make it a perennially popular home-buying destination for the showbiz set.

Neighborhood challenge

Few modern choices: For fans of pre-World War II architecture, Windsor Square is a dream, but aficionados of midcentury modern and beyond should look elsewhere.

Expert insight

Matthew Gaskill of Sothebys International Realty has been operating in Windsor Square for about five years.

Before a few years ago, some luxury homeowners avoided going east of La Brea Avenue, Gaskill said. But as more people get priced out of West Hollywood, demand in the neighborhood is surging.

Gaskill said the area maintains its aesthetic because of its designation as a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone.

We have ballots that continuously regulate what people can do and build, Gaskill said. The overlay zone protects Windsor Square from people tearing down single-family homes and replacing them with ultramodern boxes.

Gaskill said that the supply in the neighborhood is never as low as it seems and that finding an agent who can locate off-market listings is key.

Market snapshot

In the 90020 ZIP Code, based on five sales, the median sales price for single-family homes in September was $3.675 million, up 149.2% year over year, according to CoreLogic.

Report card

Although no public schools sit within the Windsor Square boundaries, nearby highlights include Third Street Elementary, which scored 946 in the 2013 Academic Performance Index, and Charles H. Kim Elementary, which scored 886.

John Burroughs Middle and Van Ness Avenue Elementary scored 859 and 848, respectively.

Times staff writer Jack Flemming contributed to this report.

hotproperty@latimes.com

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Is there a play-doctor in the house?

A concerned onlooker would have reason to make this plea during Chasing Memries: A Different Kind of Musical. Unfortunately, theres not much anyone can do in a case in which sentimentality has spread to the bones.

The show, which had its world premiere Wednesday at the Geffen Playhouse, is right to hedge on calling itself a musical. Written and directed by Josh Ravetch, Chasing Memries is a schmaltzy showcase for the undeniable talents of Tyne Daly, who deserves better.

A drama with songs might be a more accurate description, except the story is thinly contrived and the musical numbers barely existent. Lets call it a scenario with heavy underscoring and a swirl of Alan and Marilyn Bergman lyrics that are sometimes spoken, occasionally hummed and almost never robustly sung.

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Why would an actor of Dalys gifts agree to star in such a misbegotten work? Clearly, she felt a connection to her character, Victoria, the widow hiding in her attic amid a lifetime of marital memories as a crowd gathers outside on her lawn for her husbands memorial service. As hard-bitten as she is tender-hearted, she cant figure out how to move forward on her own after 57 years of blissful marriage.

Daly brings to the role her sweet and sour realism, slingshot comic timing and emotional heft  the same qualities that won her a passel of Emmy Awards for her work on Cagney & Lacey and Judging Amy. She even provides a glimpse of the gritty virtuosity that earned her a Tony for her performance in Gypsy.

Daly can act a song better than many musical theater specialists can sing one, but the material doesnt challenge her. Her biggest test, which she passes easily, is to keep theatergoers from fleeing. Her stage presence alone is worth the price of admission and she hits her exclamations of grief with piercing fury, but dont expect much else.

Im afraid not even the mightiest of thespians can make silky repartee from Ravetchs hoary ear. The lines Dalys Victoria exchanges first with Scott Kradolfer, who portrays her son, Mason, and then with Robert Forster (another misused talent), who plays the imagined ghost of her husband, Franklin, come in two varieties: shtick and schlock. If Victoria isnt firing off a sitcom zinger, shes mourning the loss of the love of her life in language that has the cliched ring of an out-of-date TV movie of the week.

Ravetch, who collaborated with Carrie Fisher on Wishful Drinking, seems naturally drawn to star vehicles. But this one is unusually clunky in its setup. For more than 90 minutes, Dalys Victoria keeps her guests waiting while she peruses her husbands old dictionary (he was some kind of literary academic with the soul of a poet), rummages through a trunk containing his wedding suit and listens wistfully to records on an antique turntable.

Its not always clear if the music is supposed to be emanating from the turntable or from the orchestra trio that Mason has engaged for the memorial. But this is a minor point in a show that has larger credibility problems. I found myself wondering how the productions musicians (partly visible in the pit) were able to resist falling asleep to the beddy-bye strains they were playing. The music is from a variety of artists who have collaborated with the Bergmans, but it all runs runs together in a nostalgic blur.

A few of the song are newly minted, but the mood is palpably retrospective, which is a polite way of saying passe. Where Do You Start? establishes the elegiac tone: How do you separate the present from the past?/How do you deal with all the things you thought would last?/That didnt last? The touching melody by Johnny Mandel is overused in a show that would rather push buttons than create a believable portrait.

Forster mentions his disastrous singing auditions in his program bio, where he thanks Ravetch for reminding him how Rex Harrison spoke-sang his song. He manages to speak-sing with resonant crackle, but his only business as Franklin is to convince Victoria to squeeze every last bit of juice from her life.

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Its not easy animating characters whose feelings are all talked about rather than earned. Masons long speeches about his romantic troubles with Franny, his astronaut fiancee, cry out for the paring scissors. For all the information were force-fed, I was having difficulty tracking whether this woman was absent because she dumped Mason or was floating around in outer space.

Apparently, Franny has been chosen for a Mars mission, a five-year voyage that Mason frets will ludicrously redefine the term long-distance relationship. But the only justification for him going on about his problems is to propound the lesson that, as Franklin vocalizes with masculine scratch, What matters most is that we loved at all.

Musicals, even of the quasi kind, are a reliable font of hackneyed wisdom, designed to elicit tears by gunpoint if necessary. Chasing Memries doesnt tell you anything a store-bought sympathy card couldnt more poetically express. The annoying title  the apostrophe is presumably borrowed from the Bergmans Oscar-winning hit with Marvin Hamlisch, The Way We Were, which Daly conversationally dribbles out at the end  indicates a writer unable to resist the sappiest of effects.

If the production feels trapped in the attic, dont blame set designer Tony Fanning, whos only following Ravetchs glitchy instructional manual. Costume designer Kate Bergh, on the other hand, has some explaining to do.

Franklins slacks made me wonder if we were to think he had just rolled out of the grave, but that would make no sense because the characters ashes are prominently sitting in an urn. To make wardrobe matters worse, Dalys skirt, worn under a tunic of sorts, fell down during a pivotal moment between Victoria and Mason. Trouper that she is, Daly hiked the fugitive garment back up above her waist and pressed on, but Berghs costume added insult to injury.

Dont count on this different kind of musical catching on any time soon. But lets hope Dalys outing in Chasing Memries isnt in vain. To the composers and librettist reading this right now: Do yourselves a favor and write this luminous performer a musical that allows her to do more than crack wise while marinating in misty memories.

         

Chasing Memries: A Different Kind of Musical

Where: Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., L.A.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays; ends Dec. 17

Tickets: $32-$90 (subject to change)

Info: (310) 208-5454 or www.geffenplayhouse.org

Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

charles.mcnulty@latimes.com

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On first glance, the painting that greets visitors to the South Gallery at Hauser & Wirth in downtown Los Angeles looks like a crab quietly resting on the bottom of an ocean floor. But look again and that crab morphs into the fragmented face of a person, its myriad pieces coming undone in a watery deep.

In her first solo show in Los Angeles, painter Ellen Gallagher broaches the history of the Middle Passage in ways that are both poetic and surprising  rendering underwater scenes that seem perfectly innocent at first glance, but that on second, third and fourth viewing, quietly evoke the terrible tragedies that occurred in the Atlantic Ocean during the roughly four centuries of the slave trade.

These are history paintings, she says thoughtfully, as she settles into a sleek chair in a small lounge at Hauser & Wirth. Its this portrait of this space in between, this space where you are dead and alive at the same time.

The artist, who divides her time between New York and Rotterdam, and whose work resides in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, has long explored questions of history and power in works that straddle the gray area between figurative and abstract.

Artist Ellen Gallagher. (Ellen Gallagher / Hauser & Wirth)

In one series, she created elaborate grids that, from afar, appear to be abstracted lines that squiggle and pulse. Get in close and you realize that those squiggles are the bulging eyes and exaggerated lips that have historically been employed in minstrelsy.

The Atlantic Ocean wasnt simply a conveyance of the slave trade, it was ... a place of transformation from human to cargo.

In another series, Gallagher, who is biracial, reprinted large-scale versions of the vintage wig ads from African American magazines such as Ebony. She then took the reprinted ads, which feature row upon row of headshots of black women modeling the latest styles, and proceeded to cover the womens heads in sci-fi-esque Plasticine helmets.

The ads raise the issue of how black women have been pressed to adapt to white standards of beauty. But they also reveal the ways in which they have seized these looks and made them their own. In Gallaghers pieces, demure wig-wearing ladies become an army of fantastical warriors.

Since 2001, the artist has worked on a series titled Watery Ecstatic, which she describes as my version of scrimshaw  the elaborate carvings commonly rendered on whalebone and connected with the sea-faring cultures of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Gallagher is intrigued by stories of the sea  of the whale ship Essex, which was sunk in the Pacific Ocean by a rambunctious 85-foot whale in 1820, an event that inspired Herman Melvilles Moby Dick. And she is equally intrigued by Moby Dick. (Its probably worth noting that, as a young woman, Gallagher, who grew up in the port town of Providence, R.I., spent a summer on a fishing boat in Alaska.)

Of Moby Dick, she says, I think of it as an Afrofuturist text.

There is the sinister whiteness embodied in the whale. There is Queequeg, the Polynesian harpooner, rendered by Melville not as a collection of stereotypes but as a full flesh-and-blood character. And there is Pip, the black cabin boy from Connecticut, who is traumatized after falling into the ocean.

Theres this scene where Pip goes overboard, and his brown head is against the calm sea and blue sky, and he loses his mind, she explains. Its like hes held up by these phantasmagoric terrors. The terror of drowning, the terror of the below you cant see.

Its this portrait of the Middle Passage. His body has survived, but his mind has not.

Whale Fall, 2017, by Ellen Gallagher  intertwining stories of biology and history. (Ernst Moritz / Hauser & Wirth)

His body has survived, but his mind has not.  Ellen Gallagher, artist

In her latest paintings, Gallagher considers the ways in which the Atlantic Ocean wasnt simply a conveyance of the slave trade, it was a geography rife with meaning: a place of transformation from human to cargo, a graveyard for people whose place on land had been called into ruthless question. On these harrowing journeys, the sick and the weak were often ruthlessly thrown overboard  highlighted by the case of the slave ship Zong, whose captain tossed 133 enslaved people into the Atlantic in 1781 due to a lack of drinking water and fears of illness, then turned around and claimed their value with the ships insurer.

But as much as Gallagher considers death, she also considers life  such as the legend of Drexciya (developed by the electronic music duo of the same name), which imagined an underwater colony inhabited by the children of the pregnant slave women thrown overboard.

This idea of birth through death, says the artist, this deathscape as a birthing of a kind of being.

The faces in her seabed paintings may be fragmented. But they are very much alive.

The diptych Sea Bed (Sediment), 2017, by Ellen Gallagher. (Ernst Moritz / Hauser & Wirth)

Gallaghers exhibition, titled Accidental Records, features other works, too. There are the nearly all-black paintings from the artists Kapsalon series, inspired by a Dutch word that means hair salon or barber shop, but also describes a Rotterdam dish with North African origins (French fries topped with shawarma meat and cheese).

It is this relational space between black and brown men, she says. I find it very moving.

For Gallagher, that sense of movement, of in-between states  between death and life, between the Western and the African, between an oceans surface and its depths  is what inspires her.

I think about Rubens and Durer traveling, she says. The idea of traveling to see and depict. I find that really poignant. Its important to me as an artist, that displacement, that sense of arriving and departing. Its an ancient part of being an artist. Weve gotten weirdly wrapped up in the nation state. But when you think about the black being, you can make your space with people of color. And the potential of that is so radical  to not have your circumference limited by whoever was your most recent master.

Theres something intense and empowering about that.

[For the record, 12:33 p.m. Nov. 17, 2017: An earlier version of this post said that the character Pip in Herman Melvilles Moby Dick was from Alabama; Pip was from Connecticut.]

Ellen Gallagher: Accidental Records

Where: Hauser & Wirth, 901 E. 3rd St., downtown Los Angeles

When: Through Jan. 28

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carolina.miranda@latimes.com

@cmonstah

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Statement of Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian on the results of negotiations with Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil Aloysio Nunes Ferreira (video)

Good afternoon, I am glad to welcome Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil Aloysio Nunes in Yerevan. It is noteworthy that this visit of the Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil takes place in the jubilee year of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries and it is a good opportunity to evaluate the quarter century history of the interstate relations and discuss programmes and reach agreements aimed at further deepening of bilateral cooperation. Today, Mister Nunes will be meeting the President of the Republic of Armenia. This is the first visit of Minister Nunez to Armenia, who is a good friend of our country, he was the chairman of the friendship group in the Senate and the initiator of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Brazils Senate. Before our meeting, in the morning Mr. Nunes visited Tsitsernakaberd to pay tribute to the memory of the victims of Armenian Genocide. During today's meeting with my counterpart, we highlighted the established effective bilateral political dialogue, underlined the necessity of expanding the legal framework, which will create a favorable and stronger basis for the deepening of bilateral relations.Today we signed one more document - Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the Republic of Armenia and the government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on trade and investment cooperation. There are ten documents between our countries signed till now, seven of which were signed in the course of the last two years. With the Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil we share the view that high-level mutual visits greatly contribute to the continuous development of bilateral relations. We discussed with Mr. Nunes the course of implementation of the agreements reached with President Temer during the visit of President Sargsyan to Brazil in 2016. We touched upon a wide range of issues of the Armenian-Brazilian agenda, exchanged thoughts on further strengthening collaboration in the international fora. We had a comprehensive discussions on intensifying the trade and economic ties, strengthening ties in cultural and humanitarian spheres. We stated with satisfaction that an effective cooperation had been established within the inter-parliamentary framework, we both attached an importance to further enhancing of the decentralized cooperation. Today, the geographical distance gradually loses its role of an inhibiting factor. In this regard, the liberalization of the visa regime between Armenia and Brazil two years ago opens new, easier and broader opportunities for the intensification of mutual visits between the peoples of the two countries and the strengthening of ties. Speaking about Armenian-Brazilian relations, we should definitely mention the important role of the active Brazilian-Armenian community in enhancing cooperation between our friendly countries. With my Brazilian colleague we touched upon a number of urgent international and regional issues. I briefed the Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil on the joint efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries aimed at moving forward the process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, highlighting the importance of an impartial and balanced position on the issue and support of the proposals of the mediating countries. Now I would like to pass the floor to my colleague.
Long before Timothee Chalamet turned 18, he was itching to be considered an adult. By age 10, he was riding the subway alone, a city kid growing up in Hells Kitchen, Manhattan. At 16, he landed a major role on Showtimes Homeland, playing the vice presidents overly entitled son. A year later, he was admitted to Columbia University at 17 years old.

That was also how old Chalamet was when he was cast in his first big studio movie, Interstellar. The film was slated to shoot in Canada, and the teenager had no interest in bringing his parents along as his legal guardians. So he looked online and found a loophole in the California state law that said for films made by production companies based out of the West Coast, if you have a high school degree and are over 16 then you can travel alone, Chalamet explained.

 Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer star in the trailer for Call Me By Your Name

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I just told my parents I was going alone, the actor recalled. Ive always felt like there was less creative space on sets with guardians. I just felt independent at a young age.

Now 21, Chalamet continues to outshine his peers. This fall, he appears in three critically acclaimed awards contenders: Lady Bird, Hostiles and Call Me by Your Name, which opens Friday. In the last film, directed by Italys Luca Guadagnino, Chalamet stars as a high schooler who falls in love with the dashing 24-year-old grad student (Armie Hammer) studying under his father for a summer.

His performance in the film has earned Chalamet such strong reviews that many Oscar pundits believe he will earn an Academy Award nomination, which would make him the youngest lead actor nominee since 19-year-old Mickey Rooney for 1939s Babes in Arms.

In some ways, this quick Hollywood ascent is hardly surprising  performing is literally in Chalamets blood. His mother, Nicole Flender, danced at Lincoln Center with the New York City Ballet as a girl and went on to act in Broadway musicals such as A Chorus Line and Gypsy; she also serves as an officer of Actors Equity Assn. and votes for the Tony Awards. Chalamets uncle, Rodman Flender, is a television director and his aunt, Amy Lippman, has produced shows like Masters of Sex and Party of Five. His grandfather, Harold Flender, was a screenwriter whose novel Paris Blues was adapted in a 1961 film starring Paul Newman.

Meanwhile, Chalamet spent his teenage years at LaGuardia  yes, the high school that the movie Fame is based on.

The rote response my friends liked to give was that LaGuardia was nothing like the movie, but there is some truth to it, he acknowledged. I mean, people were literally dancing on tables sometimes. It was an amazing creative and artistic school. I struggled very much leaving that place.

Timothee Chalamet appears in three critically acclaimed awards contenders: Lady Bird, Hostiles and Call Me by Your Name. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times )

A few weeks ago, the internet unearthed a treasure from Chalamets days at LaGuardia: a video of ya boy Lil Timmy Tim rapping about statistics. Wearing a backward ball cap and surrounded by faux groupies, he spits rhymes about his beloved teacher, Ms. Lawton, and how he has girls equal to the random digits table.

When the subject of the rap video came up, Chalamet appeared genuinely embarrassed, putting his head in his hands and fretting that the topic would become too much of a focus in this story.

Certainly, I had no idea when I was making my final statistics project to pass the class that it would be a video five years later that would get some play online, he said, grinning. It was just a high school side hustle. But the fact that it has gone viral takes the pressure off a little bit.

Chalamet was at the Los Angeles Times last week to sit for a roundtable discussion with other award season contenders, including Gary Oldman and Hugh Jackman. He had arrived early to talk about his own career, and as the more veteran actors entered the building, his anxiety became palpable.

Ive seen Hugh Jackman in a thousand Broadway shows, he said, lowering his voice so Jackman wouldnt overhear. These are people Ive been admiring for years, so its hard not to feel differently around them. The rule I have for myself is that I try, at least, not to go, Oh my God! Oh my God!

(L-R) Chalamet participates in the roundtable discussion at the Los Angeles Times with Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times )

Chalamet isnt shy, however, about seeking advice from industry stalwarts. After filming Interstellar, he struck up a friendship with costar Matthew McConaughey, whom he said he has reached out to for career guidance on numerous occasions.

I think he sees the road map for young male actors and traps of Los Angeles, Chalamet said. Hes always tried to guide me in the right direction, as far as going about press or approaches to pre-production. He wants me to take it seriously and do it in the right way.

Chalamet took a page from the McConaughey playbook in preparing for Call Me by Your Name, arriving five weeks early on location in Crema, Italy, to get in character as Elio Perlman. Once in Guadagninos hometown  where the director set the 1980s romance  the actor spent more than four hours a day in Italian, piano and guitar lessons. Though he was new to Italy, Chalamet felt relatively comfortable in Europe: His father is French, and the family spent summers with relatives in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France.

But Chalamet  whose audition consisted of just casually meeting Guadagnino  also had to ready himself to be vulnerable in the movies sensual sex scenes. As Elio and Oliver (Hammer) fall for each other, they become increasingly more intimate  and in one much talked-about moment, Elio even makes love to a peach.

It always seemed to me that the worst-case scenario was Id be walking the street five years from now and somebody might come up to me and say, Hey, you had sex with a peach in that movie once, Chalamet said with a laugh. I didnt feel self-conscious filming the scene, because it just felt like the reality of what a young man experimenting with his sexuality would be. When youre young, youre almost shopping for a personality  and Elio is identifying himself by the person hes with. Its about becoming your lover by way of full abandonment and just totally revealing [yourself].

Chalamet is reluctant to divulge too much about his own romantic life, though in high school, the paparazzi took pictures of him holding hands with Madonnas daughter, Lourdes Leon. He said he feels its impossible to compare any of his own experiences to Oliver and Elios, since they were living in a time before smartphones.

There wasnt the all-bearing force field protector of looking at your phone if youre in an uncomfortable situation, which defuses about 97% of the interesting moments we have in life, Chalamet said.

Anyway, he already has legions of young female fans clamoring for his attention on Twitter. Recently, a girl in New York ran up to Chalamet, gave him a bag of peach candies and ran away. (He checked they were sealed and then ate them.)

Ive heard that there is a cult for him  apparently they call him Sweet Tea, said Guadagnino. I was absolutely sure that he was perfect for this role. Hes so intelligent that he had the capacity to understand that we wanted to do something meaningful and not exploitative. He had to let himself go, and he is destined to a great career and a lot of love.

Saoirse Ronan, who has a crush on Chalamets disaffected hipster in Lady Bird, said shes proud of how her new friend is dealing with the onslaught of attention.

Its all new for him, and its hard to know whats gonna happen or what to expect, but hes handling it so well, said Ronan, who rose to fame at an early age. His work is so good, and you can tell that thats what important to him. So as long as he remembers that, hell be fine.

Chalamet has already wrapped a couple of other upcoming high-profile films: Beautiful Boy, in which he plays the meth-addicted son of Steve Carell, and Woody Allens next film with Selena Gomez and Elle Fanning. Asked how he felt about working with Allen in the wake of the recent revelations about sexual harassment in the industry  the directors adopted daughter accused him of sexually abusing her  he demurred.

I understand the question, certainly; its going to be not only important but imperative to talk about, he said after a long pause. Im hesitant to talk about it now, because Im here for Call Me by Your Name.

After he wraps press for his current slate of films, Chalamet will return to New York, where hes still in college. He transferred to NYU after a year at Columbia to create his own major at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Hes living in the East Village, and shares a former tenement apartment with two roommates. Hes been pondering getting his own place.

You know, now that things are going a little bit better, he said. Somebody said to me, You should keep a journal of this period in your life and really write down this stuff. But that makes me a little uneasy. When I try to appreciate something, it feels like my hands are around the moment, trying to squeeze it. Its when you really release yourself of the responsibility to be enjoying things that you actually do.

Timothee Chalamet, left, Armie Hammer and director Luca Guadignino at the Sunset Marquis Hotel to promote Call Me By Your Name. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times )

amy.kaufman@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @AmyKinLA
Back, a British comedy making its way to America on Thursday by way of the streaming channel Sundance Now, reunites the team of David Mitchell and Robert Webb (Peep Show, That Mitchell and Webb Look) with each other and with creator Simon Blackwell, who wrote for Peep Show.

Some readers will have begun celebrating on the basis of that sentence alone. It may help domestic viewers to learn that Blackwell co-wrote In the Loop with Armando Iannucci and won two Emmys for his work on Iannuccis Veep. A picture may be emerging of the sort of dark, odd, character-rich comedy that Back deals in as well.

Blackwells comedies live in the modern world where lessons are not learned nor hugs exchanged. But they are not without heart. One roots for the people of Back, neither heroes nor antiheroes  call them a-heroic, perhaps  fearfully grappling with life at middle age and beyond, picking up crumbs of happiness as they may.

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Peep Show, in which Mitchell and Webb played difficult roommates  and whose nine seasons are available here on Hulu  ended with these thought-balloon voice-overs.

Jeremy (Webb): We do love each other really.

Mark (Mitchell): I simply must get rid of him.

This is very much the foundation of Back.

As in Peep Show, Mitchell  brow perpetually furrowed, mouth turned down, eyes sad or sadly hopeful  is the more tightly wound, dyspeptic character; Webb is the apparently easier, more fluid one. Mitchell plays Stephen, the son of a just-deceased publican; Webb is the self-proclaimed foster brother Andrew (one of many, many foster siblings and therefore easy to misplace) who turns up for the funeral.

When Andrew arrives, charming and self-assured, claiming to have been everywhere and done everything, he is greeted warmly by everyone but Stephen, who senses a threat to his place in the family and the family business. (There is some textual support for this: We see, in our introduction to Andrew, that he cannot actually speak Basque or administer CPR, though he is keen to have a go.)

Stephen by contrast is pedantically concerned with reality in a way that brings him no relief. Three stars out of five are the most he believes possible in his life; even his memories are gray and depressing. When Andrew, who has plans, suggests the John Barleycorn could look more authentic, Stephen objects that it already does because it is an authentic country pub. Something actually being authentic is more authentic than something fake that looks authentic.

Mitchell and Webb, who have been a team more than two decades, are wonderful together, but they are just the heart of a crack, cracked ensemble, who embody a certain sort of eccentric British family familiar to readers of Austen, Waugh, Wodehouse and Gibbons.

Stephen has a woolly-headed sister, Cass (Louise Brealey), who fancies herself an artist and dreams of travel, and a mother, Ellen (Penny Downie, who played Gertrude in David Tennants 2009 Hamlet), a serial seeker after spiritual enlightenment, with the ephemeral befuddlement of a female Bill Nighy. Geoffrey McGivern (Ford Prefect in the original radio production of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, some will be excited to learn) is Uncle Geoff; Olivia Poulet is Stephens still-beloved ex-wife, Alison.

Is Andrew who says he is, or a con man with a knack for rewriting other peoples memories, or some combination of the two? Is the fact that he presents himself in contradictory ways to different people a sign of manipulative cunning, or of a deep need to be loved? That the drama in the comedy revolves around the fate of a mediocre country pub and a people of almost no means whatever, only complicates matters.

Blackwood maintains the ambiguity, which is both more threatening and funnier than any definitive answer could be. That a second season has been ordered suggests this will not be a problem soon.

robert.lloyd@latimes.com

Back

Where: Sundance Now

When: Any time, starting Thursday

robert.lloyd@latimes.com

Follow Robert Lloyd on Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd
In a large crowd of friends and celebs, including Demi Moore, Rachel Zoe and Christian Louboutin, actress-entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, with her writer-producer boyfriend Brad Falchuk at her side, celebrated the first Goop Lab store at Brentwood Country Mart earlier this fall.

The bricks-and-mortar space is an offshoot of the Goop brand, Paltrows content and e-commerce company, which started as a weekly email in 2008.

The Brentwood store was designed by New York interiors firm Roman and Williams in the style of an English cottage. Its stone-tiled porch leads to a greenhouse/mud room, kitchen, apothecary and living room, where Goops apparel and skin-care lines, fragrances, candles and vitamins  all launched within the last two years  are on display with other goods.

Noora Raj Brown, Goops vice president of communications, says the brands revenue more than doubled from 2015 to 2016. Its also expected to nearly triple in 2017, compared with 2016, while online sales of Goop branded products are on track to grow sixfold by the end of this year, compared with 2016. The Business of Fashion estimates Goops 2016 revenue to be $15 million to $20 million.

Goop Wellness Goopglow Morning Skin Superpower dietary supplement, $60 for a box of 30 packets. (Goop)

Goop continues to make a name for itself despite critics who question the brands products and wellness advice.

In June, the brand had its sold-out In Goop Health wellness summit in Los Angeles, and the Goop team has two more summits planned next year  one in New York on Jan. 27 and another in L.A. on June 8 and 9.

Fall has been a busy time for the Goop team.

In September, Paltrow launched a quarterly Goop magazine in partnership with Vogue and Vanity Fair publisher Conde Nast. (You might recall that the 44-year-old appeared on the first cover naked and covered in mud.)

This week marks the debut of Goop Gift holiday shops in New York and Miami as well as at Lido Marina Village in Newport Beach, where they will offer a dozen categories of presents for guys, pets, kids, hosts, travelers, cooks and more. The pop-ups follow last Decembers hit temporary Goop Gift store in Brentwood.

Also, beginning Monday, a drinkable Goopglow Morning Skin Superpowder, single-dose packs of vitamin-enriched powder to help enhance the skin, will be available. Additionally, Paltrow is in early stages of planning a television series, The Radical Wellness Show, with Propagate Content, but wont have updates on that until next year, according to Brown.

Fresh off a plane from Atlanta, where shes filming the fourth Avengers film, Paltrow sat down in her Santa Monica office for a chat with The Times.

Clad in a denim Stella McCartney jumpsuit, the mother of two sat behind her desk, swallowing Goop Wellness vitamins one by one while sipping a Starbucks coffee, telling us a New York Goop Lab store is now in the works.

What is it about Goop that resonates with so many women?

I think the idea of wellness really takes hold when people contemplate the idea that they have autonomy over their own mental health, spiritual health, physical health and the health of their relationships, and they have curiosity about how they could optimize them. I did a master cleanse in the 90s  remember that maple syrup, lemon juice thing?  and felt so much better when I was done. When you try something and it works, you catch the wellness bug.

I also think women are historically underserved in terms of getting the answers they are looking for when they dont feel well. Women used to be diagnosed with hysteria. Its always been firmly in the culture that women should stay in their lane and not necessarily feel empowered to ask questions that might push existing limits or infrastructures. What we like to do is ask questions that we would like the answers to, and not every protocol is right for every person.

Honoree Gwyneth Paltrow at the Baby2Baby Gala in November. (Stefanie Keenan / Getty Images for Baby2Baby)

Media companies are heavily shifting to and investing in digital. Why did you decide to launch a print magazine now?

Its interesting to be a digitally native brand first and then play with distribution. How do you reach new people? The digital age is incredible, and its opened up every opportunity and made the world far more democratic.

At the same time, its fast-paced and very frenetic. Theres an overload of information. I love the idea of doing something old-school and analog that seems counterintuitive, making Goop into something you can physically hold. I like the idea inherent in a magazine that you have to carve out a minute for yourself.

Ditto for your move into bricks-and-mortar, while retailers are shifting to online sales in this age of Amazon. Are there plans for more stores?

I think people need touch points. Our pop-ups have been incredibly successful. I grew up on 21st Street and Georgina Avenue, so I used to walk to the Brentwood Country Mart every weekend. The entrance to the Goop store used to be a candy store where I spent my whole life. So its this deeply sentimental place for me, which is so funny and fitting.

We talk about having maybe five to seven Goop stores around the world, in addition to our pop-up franchises. We are planning the next one in 2018 in New York.

Can you believe Goops 10-year anniversary is next year? Whats next for the brand?

We talk about home as a category for 2019, but it has to be thoughtful and done with meaning. Whats the white space? What am I missing? has always been the motivating factor for why we make a product. A lot of stuff in the home is very toxic, especially pans and plastic and soft goods.

We think, Is there a way to bring un-sprayed, organic cotton to people at a direct-to-consumer price? We try to figure out the problem for ourselves and our readers.  Give me two years, and Goop Hotel will be open.

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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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Mass murderer Charles Manson died Sunday at age 83, officials said, several days after being admitted to a Bakersfield hospital

Related: The Manson Family: Where are they now?

Manson and members of his family of followers were convicted of killing actress Sharon Tate and six other people during a bloody rampage in the Los Angeles area in August 1969. Prosecutors said Manson and his followers were trying to incite a race war he dubbed Helter Skelter, taken from the Beatles song of the same name.

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Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski, was 8 1/2 months pregnant when she was killed at her hilltop home in Benedict Canyon on Aug. 9, 1969. Four others were stabbed and shot to death the same night: Jay Sebring, 35; Voytek Frykowski, 32; Abigail Folger, 25, a coffee heiress; and Steven Parent, 18, a friend of Tates caretaker. The word pig was written on the front door in blood.

The next night, Manson rode with his followers to the Los Feliz home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, then left three members to kill the couple.

Manson initially was sentenced to death. But a 1972 ruling by the California Supreme Court found the states death penalty law at the time unconstitutional, and his sentence was changed to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He has been denied parole 12 times.

During his four decades of incarceration, Manson has been anything but a model prisoner. Among other things, he has been cited for assault, repeated possession of a weapon, threatening staff and possessing a cellphone.

The Times will publish a full obituary soon.

ALSO

Judge denies release of recorded interviews with Manson cult member

Manson follower Leslie Van Houten granted parole in notorious murders; LaBianca family opposes her release

Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkels bid for freedom denied, despite claims he abused her

UPDATES:

9:50 p.m.: Updated with Manson death. 7:23 a.m.: This article was updated with Bakersfield hospital information.

5:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details on prison medical rules.
Dropping to a knee, Luis Hernandez lit a small white candle and placed it beside a bed of flowers near the intersection where his little brothers lives ended the night before.

I got the call and I didnt believe it, he said, wiping away tears Friday morning. I just didnt believe it.

Hernandezs younger siblings, 7-year-old Jose Luis and 9-year-old Marcos, were walking home from school with their mother Thursday night when a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department sport-utility vehicle careened onto the sidewalk, slamming into all three.

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Jose Luis was pronounced dead at the scene, relatives said. Marcos died at a hospital a short time later.

The gruesome crash, which injured a total of seven people in Boyle Heights about 7:30 p.m., left the community in a mix of shock and anger, as some questioned if the deputies acted recklessly before their cruiser and another car were involved in a crash Thursday night.

Hector Lopez was walking out of a store near Indiana Street and Whittier Boulevard when he heard a vehicle speed up. Within seconds he heard the sound of cars colliding and saw something fly through the air, possibly a bumper from one of the vehicles. Lopez said he did not hear any police sirens before the wreck.

Youre supposed to turn on your lights, sirens and check before taking off, Lopez said, adding that the family deserved justice.

The deputies were responding to a shots fired call at Downey Road and Triggs Street, a little over a mile away from the crash scene, said Nicole Nishida, a spokeswoman for the Sheriffs Department. They received the call at 7:17 p.m. and were aware that one male victim had been wounded before they began traveling toward the shooting scene, she said.

Nishida did not know the status of the shooting victim on Friday afternoon, and declined to identify the deputies involved in the crash.

Three law enforcement sources told The Times that the vehicle was being driven by a trainee deputy who was riding with her field training officer. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.

The Sheriffs Department SUV collided with another vehicle, and the force of that crash caused the SUV to veer onto the sidewalk, where it struck the mother and her children, said Officer Drake Madison, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman.

Madison said it was not clear how the initial crash occurred, how fast the sheriffs vehicle was traveling or if the vehicles sirens were blaring.

The car involved in the initial crash with the Sheriffs Department SUV then hit a third car, causing injury to two additional adult pedestrians in the crosswalk, Madison said.

Among the seven injured were three pedestrians, two deputies and at least one occupant of one of the other cars, Madison said.

The boys mother remained in serious condition Friday afternoon, an LAPD spokesman said.

Ed Winter, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroners office, would not confirm the identities of the boys killed in the crash. The LAPD has put a security hold on the case, he said.

A security video obtained by The Times from the nearby Green Mill Liquor Store shows the sheriffs SUV driving on the sidewalk after it had struck at least two pedestrians.

In the eight-second video clip, the vehicle enters the frame with its emergency lights on. A trash can and at least one person are seen bouncing off the front of the car. The person can then be seen rolling onto the sidewalk.

Because the video had no audio, it was unclear if the cruisers siren was on.

Julie Valle, 34, was standing in the front parking lot of Stevenson Middle School with her two children, her dog and a relative when she saw a sheriffs patrol vehicle speeding south on Indiana Street, no sirens and no light.

Valle said she watched as the vehicle approached the intersection of Indiana street and Whittier boulevard.

The light was red on their end, she said. They did a California roll and turned on the lights at the intersection and then hit a car.

The crashed caused a chain reaction, she said. The car heading east on Whittier Boulevard hit a person and a van that was on the northbound Lanes of Indiana Street. Valle said the cruiser, lost control and went onto the sidewalk, hitting the wall of the Wells Fargo bank.

She said she ran down from the school to the intersection, where she helped an injured woman.

She was trying to get up, Valle said. I told her dont move, you were just involved in a car accident.

Then Valle said she took in the carnage.

All I see is little legs, she said. Then I see a boy, and thats when I start to get the full picture.

The mangled body of one boy lay near another. Their mother, she learned, was bleeding from the head.

A male and female deputy huddled near a parking lot. She said she was later told by a detective that the boys mother was pregnant.

The crash is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Departments Multi-Discipline Collision Investigation Team.

In a statement, the Sheriffs Department expressed its deepest condolences to the families and all those affected by this tragic accident.

The LASD and its personnel are heavily impacted any time an incident involving our response to an emergency, or efforts to help others in need, results in injury or the loss of life, the statement read.

Araceli Cortez, a relative, said the mother of the two children didnt learn about her sons deaths until early Thursday.

Luis Hernandez, left, and Araceli Cortez place flowers at a memorial for Hernandez s younger siblings, who were killed when an L.A. County sheriff s vehicle careened onto a sidewalk after a crash in Boyle Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times )

They were beautiful, respectful and smart, Cortez said, struggling not to cry.

Cortez said she her son, Luis, drove to the hospital after learning the youngest boy had died at the scene. Marcos was in surgery but died a short time after they arrived.

We all started screaming from the pain, she said.

The collision occurred less than a week after an 11-year-old girl was struck and killed on a sidewalk about a mile from the scene of Thursday nights crash in Boyle Heights.

The driver in that incident, Jose Louis Perez, was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, according to the LAPD. Perez was heading west on Whittier Boulevard near Marietta Street when he crossed into eastbound lanes and crashed into two parked cars, police said.

The impact thrust one of the cars onto the sidewalk, where it struck four pedestrians next to a taco stand. Elektra Yepez died of her injuries. The other victims were expected to survive.

Earlier this year, the county paid $4 million to settle a wrongful-death suit over a 2013 crash in which a sheriffs deputy failed to turn on his lights and sirens while answering a call in Palmdale.

The deputy, Kamal Jannah, was not responding to an emergency but was racing at speeds up to 83 mph when he barreled through an intersection and struck a vehicle in which Sara Paynter and Robert Delgadillo, a recently engaged couple, were riding. Both were ejected and died at the scene.

Jannah was not criminally charged, but he is no longer employed by the Sheriffs Department.

Hernandez, who said the boys will be memorialized during a Saturday afternoon vigil, struggled to put his grief into words as he stood at the scene.

I have no words right now. You guys should understand what were going through right now. Its painful, he said to a group of reporters, pausing before erupting into tears. I cant take it right now. 

Los Angeles Times Staff Writers Joseph Serna, Richard Winton, Maya Lau and Alene Tchekmedyian contributed to this report.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

james.queally@latimes.com

sonali.kholi@latimes.com

UPDATES:

3:35 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information from police, witnesses and relatives of the victims.

This article first published at 1:05 p.m.
The screaming and gunfire coming from Kevin Neals blue mobile home last week was so disturbing that Jayne Barnes-Vinson called the Tehama County Sheriffs Office to complain.

I heard a man and a woman screaming, like fighting, and the man was shooting off rounds like an automatic gun. So I was scared, Barnes-Vinson said.

Deputies arrived, she said, but told her they could not pinpoint the source of the gunfire.

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Neals penchant for firing off guns and threatening neighbors was well-known in this rural corner of Northern California even though he was barred from having any guns in his possession.

In February and again in March, a local court had ordered him to turn in all of his weapons as part of a temporary restraining order granted to residents in this rural area of Northern California who claimed Neal was harassing them. Court records show that neighbors continued to complain about gunfire and other problems with Neal for much of the year.

This week, Neal went on a rampage, killing five people in a series of shootings that included spraying bullets at an elementary school filled with children. He was later killed by sheriffs deputies.

Key Rancho Tehama shooting locations

Gunfire terrorized isolated community

Authorities in Tehama County are now facing questions about whether more could have been done to make sure Neal was complying with the order.

Residents said the gunfire coming from Neals trailer was a constant part of life in the community, and it was even reported to the county court that issued the restraining orders.

Kevin has not obeyed my restraining order at all. He has not surrendered any of his guns. And repeatedly still harassed me, neighbor Danny Elliott wrote to the court in September.

Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said deputies tried to investigate the report of gunfire but said Neal managed to evade questions from law enforcement.

I am aware of incidents where neighbors reported shots coming from that residence. Every time we responded, we would try to make contact with Mr. Neal, Johnston said. He was not law enforcement friendly. He would not come to the door.

At least twice, Johnston added, deputies put Neals home under surveillance hoping they could catch him.

That didnt happen, he said.

Neal did turn in one gun to authorities this year in response to the court order. The two handguns officers found on Neal after his rampage were registered to someone else. The rifles he used had been hand-assembled and had no registration records, Johnston said.

The isolated subdivision of Rancho Tehama, planted among the hayfields and cattle ranches originally to attract retirees, is home to a mix of long-term residents and newcomers from bigger cities, low-priced mobile homes, dirt roads and tall fences shielding not-yet-legal marijuana grows.

In this quiet setting with limited law enforcement resources, Neals behavior stood out. His fights with Elliott were well-known.

In the middle of the night, theyd get into screaming matches, said neighbor Johnny Phommathep. At one point, Neal said, Im gonna kill you, and when your boys at school, Im gonna kill him, too. 

Phommathep said it seemed like Neal was baiting the Sheriffs Office, testing their response time to see how fast they come.

From his house, Phommathep would see deputies coming up the road in the middle of the night, trying to sneak up to Neals house.

On Tuesday morning, Phommatheps wife, Tiffany, was driving her three boys, ages 10, 6 and 2, to school when Neal opened fire, critically wounding her. Neal also killed Elliott.

A long war with neighbors

For more than a year, Neal had been at war with neighbors, according to interviews and court records.

A judge in early February granted Elliotts girlfriends petition for a temporary restraining order commanding Neal to stay away from her and her family after Neal allegedly stabbed her and hit her mother-in-law. The judge finalized the order in March.

Another judge in October issued a second order protecting Neal and his wife, Barbara Glisan, from one of those same neighbors whom he accused of manufacturing methamphetamine and firing guns over his house.

The orders automatically included bans on the possession of firearms for three years and were entered into the statewide criminal records system.

Court records show Neal also faced multiple felony charges, including accusations of second-degree robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, negligent firing of a firearm, battery and false imprisonment by violence.

A criminal complaint alleges that on Jan. 31, he assaulted a neighbor with a knife. No details of the incident are in the court file, but it does contain another protective order that also required Neal to surrender any firearms.

Some legal experts said officials could have responded more forcefully to the neighbors shooting reports, especially given the fact that Neal was facing criminal charges.

Im surprised there was not more action done. If the suspect is criminally charged in court, is accused of violence  theres usually some action by the district attorney or law enforcement, said Dmitry Gorin, a criminal defense attorney and former Los Angeles County sex crimes prosecutor.

He said authorities could have sought a search warrant to look for weapons inside Neals trailer.

Its really a decision by a judge based on multiple complaints by a neighbor. Is there enough to go on the property? he said.

Former Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley agreed that a search warrant might have been an option.

Im not going to suggest theyre missing anything. Sometimes theres a system thats overwhelmed and they cant do everything, he said. Its just a lack of resources and its a matter of prioritization.

Barnes-Vinson, who reported gunfire at Neals home last week, said the violence this week left her stunned.

Were all scared. Were traumatized, she said. My heart is so broken that they jeopardized my school.

She said Rancho Tehama is a good community filled with good people  but its isolation is always a risk factor.

Thats the thing about out there, she said. You could kill somebody out there, and nobody would know. It is a good community, dont get me wrong, but it is remote.

paige.stjohn@latimes.com

joseph.serna@latimes.com

hailey.branson@latimes.com

ruben.vives@latimes.com

St. John reported from Rancho Tehama, and Serna, Branson-Potts and Vives from Los Angeles.

ALSO

These are the victims of the Rancho Tehama shooting rampage

Judge ordered gunman to surrender weapons before he killed wife and hid body under their Rancho Tehama home

Why no children died during the Rancho Tehama school shooting
A human trafficking sting in Compton resulted in 39 arrests and the rescue of a 13-year-old girl, authorities said Friday.

The girl was released to the care of the Department of Children and Family Services after freeing her in the sweep conducted Wednesday by the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, along with deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Compton Station.

Two women were arrested on charges of soliciting undercover deputies for various sex acts, authorities said. Sixteen additional females were arrested on suspicion of loitering for the purposes of prostitution, authorities said.

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All of the women were offered services from the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, and eight were identified as victims of human trafficking, authorities said. Seventeen of those arrested were men who solicited undercover deputies for various sex acts, authorities said.

ALSO

Sheriffs car involved in crash that kills two children, 7 and 9, in Boyle Heights

Driver who fatally ran over woman in Calabasas gets one year in jail

His constant gunfire terrorized neighbors. But authorities could not prevent gunmans rampage
Two boys were killed Thursday evening after they were struck by a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department vehicle that was involved in a crash while responding to a radio call of shots fired, authorities said.

The three-car crash occurred about 7:30 p.m. in the 800 block of South Indiana Street in Boyle Heights. The impact thrust the sheriffs vehicle onto the sidewalk, where it ran into a mother and her two children, ages 7 and 9, said Los Angeles police Officer Drake Madison, an LAPD spokesman.

A security video obtained by The Times from Green Mill Liquor Store shows the moments after a sheriffs SUV drove onto the sidewalk and hit the pedestrians.

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The clip shows the sheriffs SUV after it had already struck at least two people. The vehicle appears in the frame from the side of a building. The video shows the split second after the front of the SUV  with its emergency lights on  hit a trash can. A person rolls into the frame on the sidewalk. Because the video has no audio, its unclear if the cruisers sirens were on.

Just moments before, the video shows a man walking through a parking lot next to the building abruptly turning and running toward the street just as the SUV appears, apparently reacting to the sound of the crash.

The clip is about eight seconds long.

Images from the scene show the crumpled right front side of the SUV and the tire folded under its mangled frame.

One child died at the scene, and one died at a hospital, he said. The mother is in critical condition, Madison said.

The second car involved in the collision then hit a third car, causing injury to two additional adult pedestrians in the crosswalk, Madison said.

In total, seven people were transported to local hospitals, Madison said. Authorities had earlier said that eight people were taken to hospitals. In addition to two deputies and three pedestrians, someone from one of the other two cars was transported to a hospital, Madison said.

L.A. County Sheriffs spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said the department is working on a joint statement about the crash with the LAPD, but its too early in the investigation to say exactly what happened before the fatal crash.

Authorities have not determined who was at fault.

Its still very active and being investigated at this time, Madison said.

The drivers of the two other vehicles remained at the scene. They were not injured.

In a separate incident in Perris, a girl was killed Wednesday night after a collision with a Riverside sheriffs car near Perris Boulevard and Nuevo Road.

The deputy hit the pedestrian while responding to an unrelated call, said Riverside Sheriffs Deputy Mike Vasquez. He would not release the girls name or age, saying only that she was a juvenile and that the deputy inside the patrol unit was unharmed.

The collisions comes less than a week after an 11-year-old girl was killed about a mile away from the Boyle Heights crash when she was struck by a car while standing by a taco truck. Three others were struck and injured that night, but were expected to survive.

The driver in that incident, Jose Louis Perez, was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, while a juvenile in the car with him was arrested on suspicion of possessing nitrous oxide, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Perez was heading west on Whittier Boulevard near Marietta Street when he crossed into eastbound lanes and crashed into the two parked cars, police said.

The impact thrust one of the cars onto the sidewalk, where it struck the pedestrians.

Staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Richard Winton contributed to this story.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

UPDATES:

9:30 a.m.: This article was updated with details of the crash in Boyle Heights and the number of victims.

6:50 a.m.: This article was updated with more information about the Boyle Heights crash and information about a pedestrian killed in Perris.

6:05 a.m. Nov. 17: This article was updated with information about the ongoing investigation.

11:20 p.m.: This article was updated with more information about the crash.

9:55 p.m.: This article was updated to note that a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department vehicle was involved in the crash.

This article was originally published at 9 p.m. Nov. 16.
A Marine military police officer is accused of strangling a woman at a Camp Pendleton beach after she refused to have sex with him in a firetruck.

In a federal court filing obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune this week, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service accuses Marine reserve military police officer Sgt. Daniel Jack Schumi of beating and choking an unidentified woman on Feb. 26 at the bases Del Mar Beach Rental Cottages.

Responding to an emergency call placed from a neighboring cottage at the base resort, authorities found witnesses restraining Schumi after they overhead the screams of his alleged victim and came to save her.

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According to the criminal complaint, a drunk Schumi suggested to the woman that they have sex in a firetruck parked at the beach. She didnt want to do it and began packing to leave, the complaint states.

Schumi then spun her into a chair and squeezed her throat until she saw black, she told investigators. After she kicked herself free, he allegedly threw her to the floor, pinned her with his knees and then returned to strangling her, trying to cover her mouth to keep her from crying for help, authorities say.

It allegedly took four bystanders to hold him until Camp Pendletons law enforcement arrived, according to the complaint.

NCIS does not discuss the details of ongoing investigations, agency spokesman Ed Buice said by email.

Attempts to reach Schumi, 26, on a social media platform and the telephone number of a parent in Wisconsin were unsuccessful.

Reached by telephone, his court-appointed criminal defense attorney, John Ellis, declined to comment.

An arrest warrant was issued for Schumi on Nov. 6, and he was arraigned in federal court three days later, according to court documents.

Federal prosecutors allege that the woman also reported a previous assault by him in July of 2016 at their residence in Oceanside.

Prine writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune
University of California regents meeting on Thursday admonished UC President Janet Napolitano for agreeing to a plan that led to interference in a state audit on the operation of her office.

Her approval of a plan in which top aides would preview campus administrators confidential survey responses reflected poor judgment and set in motion a course of conduct that the Board of Regents finds unacceptable, board chairman George Kieffer said in a statement after the regents met behind closed doors for nearly five hours.

But the regents quickly and unanimously agreed to support Napolitanos continued leadership, Kieffer said after the meeting.

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The regents asked Napolitano to acknowledge responsibility and apologize, which she did in her own statement right after Kieffer read his. Later, she reiterated that she exhibited poor judgment in approving an ill-advised approach to the state auditors survey and deeply regret this mistake.

The regents, meeting in San Francisco, were responding to an independent investigation that found Napolitanos top aides had sought to suppress campus criticism of the central office in confidential surveys from State Auditor Elaine Howle.

Napolitano approved a plan to review the surveys about her offices operations and services before they were sent back to the auditor.

After Howle publicly alleged that Napolitanos office improperly interfered, the regents commissioned the investigation by former state Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno and the Hueston Hennigan law firm. The investigation found that Napolitanos chief of staff, Seth Grossman, and deputy chief of staff, Bernie Jones, had pre-screened campus responses with the specific purpose of shaping the responses to be less critical of the UC Office of the President.

In a conference call with campus administrators, the aides said the surveys were not the time and place to air dirty laundry, and they also tried to hide their interference from the auditor, the investigation determined.

Though Napolitano knew about the plan to review the survey responses, investigators said there was insufficient evidence to conclude that she was aware of [the aides] conduct in purposefully and systematically targeting unfavorable responses.

Although regents backed Napolitanos continued leadership, behind closed doors they sharply disagreed over disciplinary measures. Regent John A. Perez and ex-officio regent Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom both said they believed the actions taken Thursday  the board reprimand, Napolitanos apology and statements that Grossman and Jones should have been seriously disciplined  were insufficient. The reprimands of Grossman and Jones were moot, the board majority said, since both men resigned last week.

I was disgusted, said Perez of the interference, which he said impeded the ability of the auditor, Legislature and public to get answers to questions about the effectiveness of the Office of the Presidents operations and services. He said regents should have spent more time exploring a broader range of actions to discipline those involved and deter similar problems in the future.

But he praised Napolitanos sincerity in apologizing and willingness to take responsibility. I applaud her for taking a very important and difficult first step, he said.

Newsom said through a spokesman that he wanted to see stronger disciplinary action against Napolitano.

He felt the admonishment was insignificant and there was a lack of accountability, said his spokesman, Rhys Williams. There is no disincentive for this not to happen again.

The disagreement was one reason the closed-door meeting took nearly five hours. Regents first heard about the investigative process from Kieffer and other members of the boards working group on the issue. Then Moreno and Hueston Hennigan attorneys explained their findings and took questions.

After that, Napolitano left the room while regents discussed possible disciplinary actions. The regents also talked about whether to take action against UC General Counsel Charles Robinson, who gave the legal go-ahead for the survey preview plan, but they ultimately decided not to do so.

Napolitano had earlier apologized for the plan, saying her intent was to make sure the information sent to the auditor was accurate. Her offices relationship with Howle has been toxic, she told investigators, stemming from an earlier audit last year accusing UC of hurting California students by accepting too many out-of-state applicants. Napolitano denounced that audit as unfair and unwarranted.

But regents said Thursday they were perturbed that no one felt able to stop the plan to pre-screen the surveys, and underscored the need to make the culture of the presidents office more open and collaborative. In remarks after the meeting, Napolitano said she was unaware that her office was perceived as controlling and heavy-handed but wanted to work to change those perceptions.

This whole episode has caused a lot of self-reflection on my part, she said. To the extent that some feel theyre being micromanaged from (the presidents office), I need to know that. Opening up lines of communication is something Im committed to.

Grossman and Jones have told The Times they did nothing wrong, but they acknowledged to investigators that they made a bad decision and an error in judgment, according to the report. Grossman has said he cleared all of his actions with university attorneys and internal auditors.

The regents had planned to vote Thursday on corrective measures, including a new policy to bar UC employees from attempting to obstruct, interfere or in any way attempt to coordinate requests for information in regards to any state audit. But they ran out of time and ended up not doing so.

Kieffer said they will take up the issue again at their January meeting. There are a series of reforms to come, he said, adding that the regents intended to step up oversight of the presidents office.

A new law approved by the Legislature that takes effect Jan. 1 also makes interfering with auditors an offense subject to fines.

The audit that Howle released about the Office of the President in April found that it paid excessive salaries and benefits to its top executives and did not disclose to the UC Board of Regents, the Legislature and the public $175 million in budget reserve funds. The report included 33 recommendations on how to improve financial accountability, which UC officials have accepted and are putting in place.

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

Twitter: @teresawatanabe

UPDATES:

7:55 p.m.: This article has been updated throughout with additional details of the regents deliberations and comments from regents.

4:48 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details from the statements.

This article was originally published at 4:30 p.m.
Roy Moore, the 70-year-old former chief justice of Alabama, was not Ellen Tiptons ideal candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Yet the longtime Republican and Trump supporter had reconciled herself to voting for the firebrand conservative  until women began accusing him of sexual assault and unwanted overtures when they were teens.

All of those women are not lying, the 55-year-old executive assistant said as she ran errands this week at a variety store in Mountain Brook, a longtime Republican stronghold south of Birmingham. Hes an embarrassment to Alabama.

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Moore has steadfastly denied the allegations, which have turned next months contest against Democrat Doug Jones from a runaway GOP victory into a tossup.

I just cant believe were down to this, Tipton said. Im torn between voting for a pedophile and voting for a person who believes in abortion.

Moore has long been admired by evangelical Christians for his defiant stance on the Ten Commandments  he insisted on placing a biblically inspired monument in the state Judicial Building in violation of a court order  and refusal to recognize same-sex marriage. His positions led to his ouster as chief state Supreme Court justice in 2003, and again last year after voters reinstalled him.

The less religiously inspired suburban Republicans have long been appalled by the idea of such an extreme social conservative being their voice in the Senate.

Even before the sexual misconduct allegations surfaced, campaign signs touting Moore were rare in Mountain Brook, a leafy area of Tudor-style mansions that boasts the states richest ZIP code. Residents are wary of both Moores long trail of controversy as chief justice and his incendiary comments that Muslims should be barred from Congress and homosexuality should be outlawed.

I dont have any sense that Roy Moore sides with the Republican agenda, said Bill Martin, 68, a retired private industry executive from Mountain Brook who voted for President Trump last year. I just think he is radical and beyond anything I could support.

Republican antipathy toward Moore in the upscale suburbs has only strengthened since a flurry of women stepped forward in the last week to accuse him of pursuing them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens.

One woman said she was 14 when Moore sexually touched her after the two stripped to their underwear. Another said that when she was 16, Moore was giving her a ride home when he stopped the car, grabbed her breasts and tried to shove her face into his crotch, leaving her neck covered with bruises.

While Trump had no problem carrying Alabama, I think Roy Moore has crossed a line, and even Republicans who reluctantly voted for Trump see this differently, said Richard Fording, a political science professor at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Its hard to deny that hes creepy.

It has been more than 20 years since a Democrat won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, one of the nations most culturally conservative states, and some are determined to see that continue after the Dec. 12 vote.

Im loyal to my party, said Rutherford Yates, 25, a beer and wine salesman who plans to vote for Moore and dismissed the charges of sexual misconduct as a bunch of lies.

With Democrats greatly outnumbered, Jones  a former U.S. attorney who prosecuted the men responsible for the infamous bombing of Birminghams 16th Street Baptist Church  needs a healthy number of Republican votes to prevail. His strong record as a prosecutor may help some, but his support for legal abortion puts him at odds with many Alabamans.

I dont know what Im going to do, Martin said, admitting he was torn between abstaining and voting for Jones. Doug Jones is a good man who has done good things for our state, but I dont want to add a Democrat to the Senate.

While some consider the wave of allegations about Moores pursuit of young women beyond the pale, others say they never considered supporting him.

Voting for someone to create laws who blatantly disobeys laws, I dont think so, said Katherine Taylor, a stay-at-home mom from nearby Vestavia Hills. Once the president of a Young Republicans group in college, she said she has no qualms about voting for Jones.

I used to be a die-hard Republican, but I dont claim them anymore, she said. I think the Republican Party has been hijacked by Donald Trump.

Others expressed broader disappointment with the Republican Party, saying it has become too extreme and divisive and lost its grip on its values.

How can anyone who calls themselves a conservative vote for anyone as radical as Roy Moore? said Tracy James, 44, a freelance fashion consultant who comes from a long line of Alabama conservatives. Her late father was a Republican judge, her cousin is former Alabama Gov. Fob James and her uncle serves as a conservative justice on the Alabama Supreme Court.

James worked for a number of Republican candidates after college and still considers herself a member of the party, but said she will vote for Jones.

I dont want to see the Republican Party stolen by the fanatics of the religious right, said James. I dont even consider Roy Moore a Republican. Hes a theocrat disguised in Republican clothing.

The state GOP pledged its continued support for Moore on Thursday. Over the last week, however, leaders of the national Republican Party have urged Moore to bow out of the race, even threatening to expel him from the Senate if he wins.

Alabamas senior senator, Richard C. Shelby, said he would write in the name of another candidate on his ballot.

Still, Tipton is hopeful that Moore will ultimately stand aside, or somehow be replaced as the GOP candidate, so Republicans can hang onto the seat and preserve their 52-48 margin in the Senate.

She has no intention of abstaining. As she sees it, she can either vote for Jones, or vote for Moore in the hope that, if elected, hes swiftly expelled from the Senate.

As the 12th nears, she said, I just pray for a resolution.

ALSO

Sen. Al Franken, accused of sexual harassment from 2006, apologizes and agrees to an ethics investigation

Most California GOP House members vote to pass tax bill, with some hoping the Senate will help fix it

Donald Trump Jr.'s 2016 trip to Paris for lunch with Moscow-linked couple remains a puzzle

UPDATES:

4:45 p.m.: This story was updated with additional political analysis.

This article was originally published at 2:15.
Shortly before last years presidential election, Donald Trump Jr. flew to France for lunch at the Hotel Ritz Paris with a Syrian peace activist, who says she meets regularly with Russian officials, and her French husband, who nominated Russian President Vladimir Putin for a Nobel Peace Prize last year.

Donald Trumps eldest son dined with his hosts, Randa Kassis and Fabien Baussart, at a corner table in the opulent Louis XV Salon. That night, Trump Jr. addressed a seminar organized by Baussart, who heads an obscure foreign policy think tank, for a fee of at least $50,000.

Fabien invited him, and I talked to him about a collaboration between the U.S. and Russia on Syria, Kassis recalled in a telephone interview. No Russian was in this dinner.

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But Kassis said she flew to Moscow days after the Oct. 11, 2016, event and briefed Foreign Ministry officials in Putins government. And after Trump won the election, she boasted in broken English about sending a message to the new president through his son.

I succeeded to pass Trump, through the talks with his son, the idea of how we can cooperate together to reach the agreement between Russia and the United States on Syria, she wrote in a Facebook post that was later removed.

The elegant lunch and its surprising aftermath, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, fit into a growing pattern of suspicious approaches to Trumps family members or campaign aides last year by Russian officials or by Kremlin intermediaries in meetings, emails and other contacts that now are the focus of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs criminal investigation.

In recent weeks, George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign aide, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about several meetings with Russian officials, including a member of its Foreign Ministry and a woman he believed to be Putins niece. Another former campaign aide, Carter Page, told a House committee that he flew to Moscow to give a speech and spoke privately with a Russian deputy prime minister while there.

Mueller is known to be scrutinizing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower that involved Trump Jr., campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner. They met with a woman described as a Russian government lawyer and three of her associates, who claimed to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton, the expected Democratic nominee.

Mueller last month indicted Manafort and another former campaign aide on fraud, conspiracy and money laundering charges unrelated to the campaign. Kushner, a senior aide to the president, remains in the crosshairs, partly because he met Russias ambassador to Washington after the election and asked about creating a private communication channel to Moscow, apparently to avoid U.S. surveillance.

Manafort and his aide have pleaded not guilty, and all the others, including Trump Jr., have denied wrongdoing. President Trump has denounced the Mueller investigation and congressional investigations as a witch hunt and a hoax.

People close to Trump Jr. say his visit to Paris was innocuous, one of many appearances he made last year to collect hefty fees from groups eager for insights into his father. They dismiss as irrelevant the fact that his host specifically claimed she used him as a back channel to the new U.S. president while she was briefing Moscow.

Alan Futerfas, Trump Jr.s lawyer, said the presidents son got the speaking gig through his booking agent and did not know in advance his hosts planned to pitch him on bringing Washington and Moscow together to end the Syrian civil war  an unlikely proposal because the two governments have backed separate and often opposing sides in the war.

Donald listened with concern and empathy, but he was in no position to comment or suggest anything beyond listening to her concerns or hopes for her country, Futerfas said this week.

Nor did Trump Jr. know that Kassis planned to brief the Russian government about their conversation, Futerfas said. He did not pass along her ideas to his father or anyone else at the campaign, Futerfas said.

Kassis seemed unsure whether her appeal made an impression on Trump Jr. It wasnt so clear, but I talked about the risk of radical Islam. I didnt know if he agreed 100%, she told The Times.

Renaud Girard, a French journalist who moderated the evening seminar in which Trump Jr. spoke, told ABC News that attendees included ambassadors to France, lawyers, bankers and business executives.

The one thing that amazed me was that [Trump Jr.] was confident that his father would win, Girard said.

Baussart and Kassis describe themselves as freelance diplomats, backing causes and foreign leaders of their own choosing.

Baussart, a lawyer by training, has worked with Russian oligarchs and with senior officials from former Soviet republics, according to a former associate who has known him since the 1990s and asked not to be identified.

His Paris-based think tank, the Center of Political and Foreign Affairs, has no address or phone number on its website or in the phone listings. Under French law, it is not required to disclose who funds it.

Reached by email, Baussart referred questions to his wife. My English is not so good, he wrote.

Kassis, who runs a nongovernmental organization in Paris called the Movement for a Pluralistic Society, describes herself as a Syrian secular opposition figure.

She said there was nothing secret about Trump Jr.s visit  or her relations with the Russian government.

I go to Moscow, and always I meet with the Foreign Ministry, she said. The Center of Political and Foreign Affairs is Baussarts personal think tank and is not connected with Moscow, she added.

The centers website shows photos of the couple with current and former Russian, European, U.S. and Middle Eastern diplomats, officials, academics and businessmen. Kassis also uses Facebook, posting a May 2016 photo of herself with Gennady Gatilov, Russias deputy minister of foreign affairs.

In February, the couple met with Alexander Lavrentyev, a Putin-appointed Syria peace negotiator, and another Russian diplomat, another photo shows. The caption says they discussed preparations for the Geneva talks, presumably the United Nations-backed peace negotiations between the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition that began Feb. 23 and ended eight days later without success.

For his part, Trump Jr. already had helped pass information between Russian intermediaries and the Trump campaign during the Trump Tower meeting on June 9, 2016.

The sit-down had been arranged by Rob Goldstone, who had done business with Trump Jr. In emails, he told Trump Jr. that Natalia Veselnitskaya was a Russian government attorney who had official documents and information that would incriminate Clinton and would be very useful to your father.

The meeting took place  but the information proved worthless, Trump Jr. has said.

A month later, thousands of emails stolen from a computer network at the Democratic National Committee began appearing on WikiLeaks. U.S. intelligence officials quickly determined that hackers linked to Russian intelligence were behind the theft  part of a much broader attempt to meddle in the U.S. election and swing voters to Trump.

In September 2016, Trump Jr. exchanged private Twitter messages with WikiLeaks, which asked him to publicize the stolen emails and notify his father about them. Trump Jr. made the messages public this week after the Atlantic magazine first disclosed them.

The Paris event was not the last contact Trump Jr. had from Kassis and Baussart, Futerfas said. Some time later, Trump Jr. received an email from Baussart inviting him back, said Futerfas, who was unsure of the date.

Trump Jr. didnt reply, he said.

Special correspondent Kim Willsher contributed to this report from Paris.

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT
When Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made his first official trip to Myanmar on Wednesday, he did not describe the countrys brutal military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims as ethnic cleansing, as other diplomats have done.

Security forces have conducted or allowed what critics call systematic rape and murder against the Rohingya minority, leading more than half a million to flee to squalid camps in neighboring Bangladesh since August.

But speaking in Naypyidaw, Myanmars capital, Tillerson declined to call for sanctions or other censure, saying more investigation is needed.

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If we have credible information that we believe to be very reliable that certain individuals were responsible for certain acts that we find unacceptable, Tillerson said, then targeted sanctions on individuals very well may be appropriate.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have already documented atrocities against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in the Buddhist-majority country. In September, the United Nations top human rights official accused Myanmar of carrying out a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

Whether Tillerson was ill-informed or following administration policy wasnt clear. Unlike his recent predecessors, President Trump did not bring up human rights concerns during his just-completed visit to China, or during his subsequent visit to the Philippines, where the government is blamed for the extrajudicial killings of thousands of people.

But Tillersons soft-pedaling of the crisis fed growing concerns on Capitol Hill that he is leaving the State Department largely rudderless and that U.S. diplomacy is woefully absent in relations with Myanmar and areas it is needed  including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Syrian civil war.

The unease drew unusual rebukes this week from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who say U.S. diplomats, aid workers, academics and development specialists are retiring or quitting the State Department in alarming numbers. The exodus has weakened U.S. diplomacy and sent morale into a tailspin, the lawmakers say.

Tillerson is overseeing what he has called a major redesign of the State Department, including an 8% cut in the overall staff of about 70,000 Americans and non-Americans around the world. He has left numerous top-level posts unfilled, including the assistant secretary for Asian and Pacific affairs. An acting secretary is doing the job for now.

If this sort of high-level decapitation of leadership were going on at the Defense Department, I can guarantee you that the Congress would be up in arms, said Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Yet there is silence. Why?

Speaking at a hearing to confirm new State Department nominees, he added, We put our country in danger when we do not give adequate voice and resources to all our countrys national security tools.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the Republican chairman of the committee, echoed that concern. The State Department, as you know, is not functioning particularly well, I hate to say, he said. Theyre undermanned.

Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) also complained, saying Tillerson was cutting too deeply.

The failure to replace losses from the ranks of the Foreign Service due to attrition and resignations with promotions and the recruitment of new entry-level officers appears to be intended to reduce staffing levels, they wrote in a letter to Tillerson.

In response, the State Department defended its redesign plans, which it said were aimed at streamlining the agency to give our workforce more tools to promote diplomatic goals.

Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman, also sought to push back on reports that the department was being gutted and was riddled with low morale.

In a news briefing Friday, she called the redesign a work in progress. She said that the number of senior foreign service officers was only slightly below the number at this time last year, but that Tillerson was still committed to shrinking the workforce.

Sure, there is a morale issue, she said. Id say to those people ... , Hang in there. Dont give up on this building. Dont give up on what America is doing.

In Myanmar, human rights groups have been dismayed at the failure of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to speak out on the plight of the Rohingya, especially now that she is state counselor, a position akin to prime minister.

What people mean is what I say is not interesting enough, she said of her critics during Tillersons visit. What I say is not meant to be exciting. Its meant to be accurate, not set people against each other.

John Sifton, who is following the conflict in Myanmar for Human Rights Watch, said it was naive for Tillerson to call for another investigation.

We are well past that stage in this crisis, Sifton said. Time and time again, the [Myanmar] government has shown itself to be unwilling and unable to acknowledge their own misdeeds.

He urged the U.S. and other governments to escalate their interventions and impose tough sanctions on senior Myanmar officials.

Joanne Lin, a senior U.S. official for Amnesty International, said that Tillerson was correct to advocate for greater humanitarian access for the Rohingya refugees, but that he needed to do more.

A strong U.S. response combined with decisive action by the international community is what is needed to halt the Myanmar militarys atrocities against the Rohingya people, Lin said.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter
TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline leaked an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil in northeastern South Dakota, the company and state regulators reported Thursday.

Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning and activated emergency response procedures after a drop in pressure was detected resulting from the leak south of a pump station in Marshall County, TransCanada said in a statement. The cause was being investigated.

The Keystone pipeline is part of a 2,687-mile system that also is to include the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which has faced persistent opposition from environmental groups, American Indian tribes and some landowners.

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The Nebraska Public Service Commission will announce its ruling on the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline route across the state on Monday after spending months evaluating arguments for and against the long-delayed project.

Officials dont believe the recent leak affected any surface water bodies or threatened any drinking water systems from the spill onto agricultural land, said Brian Walsh, an environmental scientist manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which has dispatched a staff member to the site.

Ultimately, the cleanup responsibility lies with TransCanada, and theyll have to clean it up in compliance with our state regulations, Walsh said.

The pipeline transports crude from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma, passing through the eastern Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. It can handle nearly 600,000 barrels, or about 23 million gallons, daily. TransCanada says on its website that the company has safely transported more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil, or about 63 billion gallons, through the system since operations began in 2010.

TransCanada said in its statement that it expected the pipeline to remain shut down as the company responds to the leak. It did not offer a time estimate.

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration didnt immediately return an email requesting additional information from the Associated Press.

A leak and spill in southeastern South Dakota in April 2016 prompted a weeklong shutdown of the pipeline. TransCanada estimated that just under 17,000 gallons of oil spilled onto private land during that leak. Federal regulators said an anomaly on a weld on the pipeline was to blame. No waterways or aquifers were affected.

TransCanada said at the time that the leak was the first detected on the pipeline since it began operating, though there had been leaks at pumping stations. One of those leaks happened in southeastern North Dakota in May 2011, when 14,000 gallons spilled after a valve failed at a pumping station near the South Dakota border.

President Trump issued a federal permit for the project in March even though it had been rejected by the Obama administration. The project has received needed approvals in states between Alberta and Nebraska.
Stories about powerful men engaging in sexual misconduct are becoming so common that, as with mass shootings, the country is in danger of growing inured to them. But unlike the tragic news about that latest deranged, murderous gunman, the massive outpouring of previously repressed tales of sexual harassment gives us reason to hope.

The latest revelation comes from L.A. radio anchor Leeann Tweeden, who says U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) forcibly kissed her while they were rehearsing for a USO show overseas in 2006, just before Franken began his campaign for the Senate. She also says he groped her without her consent, and theres a photo that adds legitimacy to her tale. In it, Franken grins over his shoulder at the camera as he reaches for her breasts  possibly touching her, possibly not  while she sits asleep in a military plane jump seat.

This disturbing and juvenile photo was distributed to the USO cast at the time; seeing it, Tweeden said, made her feel violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated. That appears to have been the intent.

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Franken has apologized, though says he doesnt remember the incident the way Tweeden does, and he asked for an investigation of his own behavior by the Senate Ethics Committee. Such a probe would be welcome. The committee can also investigate whether its an isolated incident or part of an offensive pattern.

Were having a moment of reckoning, America. Stories that would have been waved off at the time they occurred as harmless or aberrational are now gaining currency. Women who previously have only whispered their stories in private are now being convinced to go public because it seems that, at last, they might be taken seriously, that they wont be brushed off.

Its good that that moment has finally come, and that women are stepping forward with stories of sexual aggression of every variation.

So far, we are just scraping the surface, hearing mostly about the misdeeds of very powerful men  not the everyday harassment and intimidation meted out in the lower echelons of society. And thorny questions remain about how society should treat decades-old allegations or differentiate among the many gradations of bad behavior alleged.

Yet it is important that we see the whole picture, even if the tales are decades old, describe murky, unwanted advances or seem at first, in some cases, like nothing more than mean-spirited jokes. We need to understand the breadth of the problem if we are going to begin to address it and to change attitudes in a meaningful way.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
California officials released regulations on Thursday laying the groundwork for how the cannabis legalization initiative will work. Even as businesses focus on preparing license applications, however, the states new marijuana regime unavoidably clashes with ongoing federal prohibition.

The Obama administration took a largely hands-off approach to cannabis after Colorado and Washington legalized it for recreational purposes in 2012. But while President Trump campaigned on respecting state laws, his pick of longtime legalization foe Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general instilled fear and uncertainty in the industry. Last year, Sessions said that good people dont smoke marijuana. If the Department of Justice moves against Californias cannabis industry, can members of the states congressional delegation be counted on to stand up for their constituents?

Maybe. Maybe not.

In the U.S. Senate, Dianne Feinstein has long been one of the most vocal opponents of efforts to modernize cannabis laws. Although in recent years she has introduced legislation to ease research on medicinal benefits, she campaigned vigorously against state legalization efforts. She also voted against amendments to prevent the federal government from interfering with medical cannabis laws in California and other states.

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The war on drugs is a present-tense issue.

Kamala Harris, while friendlier to marijuana reform than Feinstein (low bar), isnt exactly a champion. In 2014, as state attorney general, she laughed at a reporters question about marijuana policy. After taking her seat in Congress this year, the junior senator endorsed decriminalization and called for changing the drugs classification under federal law. But she hasnt signed her name to any of the pending bills that would protect California cannabis consumers and companies from federal attacks.

Also worrisome is that she consistently describes the drug war in the past tense. For example: The war on drugs was a failure. It criminalized what is a public health matter. It was a war on poor communities more than anything.

Its still a present-tense issue, though. There are more than 1.5 million drug arrests in the United States every year, including 600,000 for marijuana alone. The drug war did not end during the Obama administration; it isnt a relic of the past that we merely need to stop the Trump administration from reinstating. Senators  especially ones representing places where voters have chosen to make marijuana legal  should be actively working to end federal prohibition.

A common refrain among Capitol Hill insiders is that drug policy is a dangerous third rail of politics best avoided by ambitious pols who dont want to be tarred as soft on crime. But while that conventional wisdom may have been true when Feinstein arrived in Washington in 1992, its no longer the case.

Californias cannabis legalization measure got nearly half a million more votes than Harris did when it appeared on the same ballot as her name. Gallup reported last month that 64% of Americans support legalizing marijuana. Among Democrats, more than seven out of 10 are on board. And even a majority of Republicans now want to end prohibition.

Several members of the states U.S. House delegation, from both parties, seem to understand that embracing cannabis reform is smart politics as well as good policy.

Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) has pushed for more than a decade to protect state medical marijuana laws from federal interference. Though Feinstein voted against a Senate version, the Orange County representatives budget rider is now federal law.

Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) sponsored an amendment shielding broader recreational legalization from the feds that lost by just nine votes in 2015.

Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) has long stood up for the cannabis businesses she represents in the Bay Area, pushing back against federal prosecutors attacks during the Obama administration.

Newer members seem to understand the changing politics of marijuana, too.

Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) sponsored a successful House floor amendment to slash the Drug Enforcement Administrations marijuana-eradication budget and use the savings to help the victims of child abuse. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) is pressing for military veterans access to medical marijuana. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) tweets about cannabis regularly.

Not everyone in the delegation gets it, though. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) consistently opposes measures to protect California marijuana laws from federal attacks. And while Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has voted the right way on cannabis amendments, she never made it a priority while speaker and only backed the states legalization measure days before election day  when polls showed it poised to win big.

A survey of California politicians views on any issue will inevitably generate mixed results. But those seeking reelection should think seriously about whether they can afford to be seen as soft on the drug war.

Marijuana legalization is, after all, way more popular with voters than lawmakers are.

Tom Angell has worked in cannabis policy for more than 15 years and publishes the news site Marijuana Moment.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook.
To the editor: President Trump has nominated judicial candidates quickly and the Senate has confirmed them rapidly, bypassing the venerated custom of awaiting American Bar Assn. nominee evaluations and ratings. Trump and George W. Bush are the only presidents since Dwight Eisenhower to ignore the ABA recommendations, which help identify candidates who may be weak federal judges. (Trump is dangerously cutting corners in his quest to remake the Judiciary, editorial, Nov. 14)

On Nov. 9, the Judiciary Committee approved district judge nominees Brett Talley and Holly Lou Teeter, whom the ABA had rated not qualified. The full Senate should thoroughly debate their qualifications on the floor and reject the nominees if they are unqualified.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) appropriately invited an ABA representative to explain the evaluation system at the Nov. 15 hearing on nominees, and she comprehensively explained how the ABA rigorously and fairly evaluates and rates nominees.

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Trump and the Senate should more carefully discharge their constitutional responsibilities to nominate and provide advice and consent regarding highly qualified candidates. Trump and senators must remember that nominees, if confirmed as life-tenured judges, will exercise the enormous power of the state.

Carl Tobias, Richmond, Va.

The writer is a law professor at the University of Richmond.

..

To the editor: Someone tell The Times about the late California Chief Justice Rose Bird.

She was appointed to the court by Gov. Jerry Brown in 1977 without having ever spent a day on any bench as a judge. She was the first appellate judge on any level in California to be voted out of office.

Its not unprecedented for judges to be appointed without any bench experience. Its only pointed out when the appointment is made by a Republican.

Appointing relatively young judges isnt new  Brown has been doing it for years.

Marcus Kourtjian, Northridge

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Petition drive to repeal California gas tax increase temporarily slows down By Patrick McGreevy A motorist prepares to gas up her vehicle in San Rafael, Calif., in 2015. ( (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)) Paid signature-gatherers for a ballot measure that would repeal gas tax increases may be hard to find on the streets of California this week. Organizers say its not a money issue, adding that they needed to briefly halt paid signature-gathering to catch up on collecting petitions from volunteers. The petition drive has so far collected more than 327,800 verified signatures of the 587,407 needed to qualify the measure for the November ballot, according to Dave Gilliard, the political strategist behind the drive. We knew it was popular but the incredible pace is even faster than we expected so we outran the capacity of our verification operation over the Christmas holiday and told our crew managers to slow down so we could catch up, Gilliard said. We will be back up to speed by the end of this week. The gas tax and vehicle fee increases signed by Gov. Jerry Brown are expected to raise $5.2 billion annually for road and bridge repairs and expanded mass transit. The gas tax jumped from 18 cents to 30 cents per gallon on Nov. 1, and vehicle fees of at least $25 kicked in Jan. 1. The gas tax repeal petition is breaking records for both paid and volunteer signatures and were using the next two weeks to catch up on validation of signatures already received, said Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Councilman and conservative radio talk-show host. As a grass-roots-funded effort we are also continuously raising funds and volunteer support. We are highly confident well qualify this Initiative for the November 2018 ballot. Facebook

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State pot bureau ready to enforce Californias new marijuana laws as license applications flood in By Patrick McGreevy The state has issued 104 licenses for retail stores to sell marijuana for recreational use in California and 239 other applications for those permits are pending, officials said Tuesday. An official with the state Bureau of Cannabis Control added that the agency is prepared to begin taking enforcement action against pot shops that are not properly licensed. The bureaus enforcement team is ready to respond to any complaints it receives and start doing compliance checks and site visits at any time, said Alex Traverso, a spokesman for the bureau. Selling marijuana without a license is a crime punishable by up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $500. Those convicted of engaging in any marijuana business activity without a license will also be subject to a civil penalty of up to three times the amount of the license fee for each violation. A new report issued Tuesday indicated the bureau has issued 478 temporary licenses to firms to test, distribute and sell medical and recreational marijuana, which began Jan. 1 after voters approved a legalization initiative, Proposition 64, in 2016. Businesses have received 153 licenses to sell marijuana for medical use. Another 1,458 firms have applied for licenses that are still being processed. The state Department of Food and Agriculture has separately issued 207 licenses to marijuana growers. Facebook

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Two possible instances of discrimination reported after California issues drivers licenses to immigrants here illegally By Jazmine Ulloa The California Research Bureau on Tuesday released its first report on incidents of discrimination under a 2015 state law that has provided drivers licenses for hundreds of thousands of immigrants here illegally. Researchers found no complaints have been made against government agencies tasked with enforcing anti-discrimination laws. But two possible instances of discrimination were reported in focus group interviews conducted by Drive California, a coalition of advocates studying the impact of the new law. In one case, a woman in Fresno was told her license was not a valid form of identification at a retail store, though it was unclear whether the incident reflected intentional discrimination or simple ignorance of the license marking, the report states. A MoneyGram clerk in another case denied a license holder the ability to cash a check. The same person was later rejected again at a bank. The state Department of Motor Vehicles has issued 960,000 AB 60 drivers licenses as of Nov. 30. The state research bureau produced the report for the Legislature as part of the new law, which declares discrimination against an AB 60 license holder a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act. Facebook

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California lawmaker proposes requiring panic buttons for hotel workers in response to widespread sexual harassment By Patrick McGreevy More than half of hotel workers surveyed report being sexually harassed at some point. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) Alarmed by a survey indicating sexual harassment of hotel housekeepers is widespread, a California state lawmaker on Tuesday proposed requiring employers to provide panic button devices to their employees so they can summon help if abused by a guest. The bill to be introduced Wednesday by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) would also require individual hotels to impose a three-year ban on guests who engage in harassment on the property. We want to protect our most vulnerable women workers, hotel maids who are going into rooms alone, from sexual harassment, said Muratsuchi, who co-authored the bill with Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward). The legislation signals that concerns over sexual harassment that dominated the state Legislature last year will continue to be an issue for lawmakers as they begin the new legislative year Wednesday. Harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, comedian Louis C.K. and other high-profile men have involved sexual misconduct in hotel rooms. A survey in July by Unite Here Local 1 found that 49% of female hotel workers in Chicago had experienced a guest answering the door naked or exposing himself. The report titled Hands Off, Pants On, found 58% of hotel workers said they had been sexually harassed by a guest. Californias Unite Here Local 11 has been calling for the action proposed in the legislation. It is the intent of this measure to protect hotel employees from violent assault, including sexual assault, and sexual harassment, and to enable those employees to speak out when they experience harassment on the job, said the introduction to the legislation introduced by Muratsuchi. In addition to requiring hotels to provide panic buttons to employees who work alone in rooms, the bill requires hotels to take written complaints from employees and keep them for five years. Any complaint backed by evidence including a statement given under penalty of perjury would result in a guest being banned from a hotel for three years. Hotels would also be required to post a notice on the inside of hotel room doors warning guests about the consequences of sexual harassment. Updated at 4:10 pm to include comment from Assemblyman Muratsuchi. Facebook

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Money, Republican malaise and Tom Steyer: These are the things to watch for in Californias 2018 statewide elections By Seema Mehta Get ready, California. What had been a behind-the-scenes dash for cash closely watched by few other than political observers is about to burst into public view. Voters this year will decide who will succeed Democrat Jerry Brown as the next governor and whether they will send Sen. Dianne Feinstein back to Washington. Before the June 5 primary, candidates will ramp up their campaigns with messages on television and stuffed into mailboxes. Heres a primer on the states two marquee races. Read More Facebook

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Fickle L.A. County is pivotal in the race for California governor By Phil Willon Home to a quarter of Californias 5.2 million registered voters, Los Angeles County is the biggest prize in Californias 2018 race for governor. For two hometown Democratic candidates especially  former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang of Torrance  doing well in L.A. County is essential if they hope to best the front-runner, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. Yet this overwhelmingly Democratic stronghold continually bedevils even the most adept campaigns. Read More Facebook

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A renewed brawl over single-payer healthcare in California is on deck for 2018 By Melanie Mason Carolyn Angela Chen, a registered nurse, gives a free hepatitis A vaccination to Glenn Gardner, 52, at Joshua House Clinic (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) California officials are bracing for healthcare battles in Washington to have a major impact on the states budget and programs. Activists and politicians are planning a showdown over whether or not to establish a single-payer healthcare system in the state. And prescription drug manufacturers are the target of a number of bills meant to target the rising costs of medication. Sound familiar? Turns out the brewing healthcare battles in California in 2018 arent all that different from those from 2017. Heres a primer on the upcoming healthcare agenda in California: Read More Facebook

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How California lawmakers plan to protect the online privacy of consumers in 2018 By Jazmine Ulloa (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) With federal regulation rollbacks and a rise in data breaches, California lawmakers this year are looking for ways to protect consumers and their personal information. Some legislation under consideration could give people more notice and control over what data is collected, without having to pay for privacy or better services. Other bills could provide free credit freezes for consumers and require new privacy features for products that connect to the internet. Read More Facebook

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2018 will see California motorists pay more to the state to repair roads and bridges By Patrick McGreevy The new year brings with it new vehicle fees in California ranging from $25 to $175 depending on the value of your car, but Republican lawmakers are hoping to qualify a ballot measure in November to repeal the higher charges. The fees and a 12-cent increase in Californias gas tax last year are part of a plan by Democrats to raise more than $5.2 billion annually to deal with a backlog of road and bridge repairs. Petitions to qualify a repeal initiative are circulating now. Read More Facebook

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A rent control battle tops the list of California housing issues to watch in 2018 By Liam Dillon A new-home community in Anaheim in 2016 (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers arent wasting any time in tackling one of the most contentious issues in state housing politics this year. On Jan. 11, the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee is set to hold a hearing on legislation that could lead to a dramatic expansion of rent control policies across the state. The debate over rent control could spill over onto the 2018 ballot, where Californians also could see proposals to expand or curtail the property tax restrictions ushered in 40 years ago by Proposition 13. Lawmakers will have to wrestle with how to follow up a package of housing bills that passed last year. The measures provided new funding and regulations designed to encourage homebuilding, but are unlikely to make an appreciable difference in housing costs. Read More Facebook

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Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas is resigning By John Myers Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas abruptly announced his resignation from the California Legislature on Wednesday, citing health reasons. Ridley-Thomas, a Democrat from Los Angeles, informed Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) Tuesday night. The reason for this difficult decision is that I am facing persistent health issues, Ridley-Thomas, 30, said in a written statement on Wednesday. On December 18th, I underwent surgery for the fifth time this year. Although I expect a full recovery, my physicians advise that I will need an extended period of time to recuperate. Earlier this year, Ridley-Thomas was absent from work for more than two weeks. Staff members initially said the absence was a personal leave, then said the time off was due to unspecified medical reasons. His resignation letter on Wednesday offered no additional details. When I resume public life, I intend to remain active in civic affairs, where my passion lies, he said in the statement released by his office. Ridley-Thomas was first elected to the Assembly in a 2013 special election. He is the son of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. Before winning elected office at age 26, the younger Ridley-Thomas worked as an aide for Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price and managed a 2012 Assembly campaign in San Bernardino County. In a statement about his sons decision, Mark Ridley-Thomas said he and his wife more than anyone, have seen him struggle with health challenges this year, and we fully support his decision to step down from the state Legislature so that he can recuperate with complete rest, in accordance with his doctors orders. His solidly Democratic district includes the west Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westwood, Culver City, Crenshaw and Baldwin Hills. He is chairman of the influential Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee, which oversees all tax-related legislation. Ridley-Thomas is a proponent of changes in the operation of the state Board of Equalization, though his plan would have allowed the agency to ultimately retain many of its duties. A more substantial shake-up was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in June. Ridley-Thomas was the author of a bill signed into law in October giving the Los Angeles Unified School District the power to preserve some of its existing single-gender schools. He was unsuccessful, though, in an effort to stop local governments from imposing taxes on streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu. Ridley-Thomas departure will require a special election in 2018. He is the fourth Southern California legislator to leave office this year. The election of Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) to Congress also required a special election. The other two lawmakers Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) and Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills)  stepped down in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct, which both men have denied. A special election to fill Bocanegras seat will be held on April 3, with a potential runoff on June 5. A special election date has not yet been set for Dababnehs seat. My colleagues and I wish Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas all the best going forward as he deals with his health challenges, Rendon said in a statement. The Assembly will continue to assist the residents of the 54th Assembly District until a new assemblymember is seated. This post was updated with comment from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, as well as more information about special elections. It was originally published at 11:10 a.m. Facebook

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California Senate Democrats are considering some ideas to counter the GOP tax plan By Liam Dillon Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Democrats in the California Senate are planning to write legislation to lessen the effects of the elimination of popular tax breaks in the GOPs overhaul of the federal tax system. To finance broad-based corporate tax cuts and reductions in individual tax rates, the GOP plan caps the deductibility of state and local income and property taxes  a benefit used often in suburban areas of California. The Republican tax scam disproportionately harms California taxpayers, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said in a statement. Our hard-earned tax dollars should not be subject to double-taxation, especially not to line the pockets of the Trump family, hedge fund managers and private jet owners. De Leon, who also is running for U.S. Senate, said the state Senate is working with law professors at UCLA, UC Davis and the University of Chicago to develop the legislation. Ideas being considered, according to a de Leon spokesman, include: Reducing state personal income taxes through a tax credit program and offsetting that amount through payroll taxes.

Allowing individuals to make voluntary gifts to the state of California, which would be deductible as a charitable donation under federal law. The deduction for the donated amount would replace the state and local tax deduction. Lawmakers return to Sacramento in January.

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L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti admits considering a 2020 bid: I am thinking about this By Seema Mehta Eric Garcetti (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Its no secret Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is interested in running for president. When reporters ask about his intentions, he has used all sorts of ways to deflect, typically by saying hes focused on his day job  for the moment. But speaking in Spanish to a Univision reporter this week, Garcetti edged ever closer to the telltale admission hes actually considering it. I am thinking about this, said Garcetti, who is partly of Mexican heritage but learned Spanish attending private school. The majority of time goes to my work as mayor of Los Angeles, but every [citizen] should think about what our role is in these difficult times, in these dangerous times. Garcetti added that he expects many mayors to run for president, and noted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently visited Iowa, which holds the first presidential nominating contest. Garcetti has long been rumored to be flirting with a White House bid, and he has fueled such speculation by traveling out of state to places such as the early presidential primary state of New Hampshire to campaign for a mayoral candidate. Facebook

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Gov. Brown makes judicial appointments, including attorney who helps train Legislature on anti-sexual-harassment policies .@JerryBrownGov makes two court of appeal and 33 superior court appointments including Lauri Damrell in Sacramento. Damrell, an attorney at Orrick, testified at the Assemblys recent hearing on sexual harassment, outlining the assemblys current prevention efforts.  Liam Dillon (@dillonliam) December 22, 2017 Facebook

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Californias former top cop forms marijuana distribution firm in new age of legalization By Patrick McGreevy Former California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer is going from enforcing laws against marijuana to legally distributing the drug under the states new rules that allow the sale and possession of pot for recreational use. With state-licensed sales of marijuana starting Jan. 1, Lockyer has co-founded a firm, C4 Distro, that will distribute packaged marijuana concentrates and edibles to stores in Los Angeles. He says Californias new regulated system has a chance to be a model for the rest of the country. For me as somebody who was on the law enforcement side for so many years, I saw the inadequacies of the effort to regulate something just by calling it illegal, Lockyer said. I think legalizing will help stabilize and help legitimize this industry and result in better consumer protection and other public benefits. Lockyer, a Democrat who served in the state Assembly and was leader of the state Senate, has co-founded the firm with Eric Spitz, who was chairman and president of the former parent company of the Orange County Register. The businessmen aim to get their products to pot shops in L.A. in late January or early February, Spitz said. Asked if he uses marijuana himself, Lockyer, 76, said, Not in any recent times, but there were college years. He said he sees his involvement in the marijuana industry as a mixture of helping to pay for his kids college tuition and public service to help the new regulations work. This whole industry has to come from the dark side to the light, he said. By focusing on delivery to as many as 700 stores that might open in Los Angeles, C4 Distro hopes to capture a targeted market while other firms distribute statewide. The business has a warehouse in southeast Los Angeles County and is close to applying for a distributors license from the state, Lockyer said. Lockyer served a quarter century in the state Legislature before he was elected as state attorney general in 1999. He left that office in 2007 when he was elected as state treasurer, serving until his retirement from politics in 2015. Before co-leading a group that bought the Register newspaper in 2012, Spitz served as chief financial officer at Narragansett Brewing Company. Spitz left the Registers Freedom Communications in 2016. 2 p.m.: An earlier version of this article mistakenly said Spitz left Freedom Communications in 2015. Facebook

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House passes disaster aid bill with wildfire funding, 18 Californians vote no By Sarah D. Wire (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Eighteen of Californias 53 House members voted no on an $81-billion disaster aid package Thursday, which includes funds for Californias recent wildfires. The 17 Democrats and one Republican voted no on the bill, which passed the House by a 251 to 169 vote. The Senate is not expected to take up the bill until January, when Congress returns from its holiday break. The entire California delegation had recently signed onto a letter asking for the disaster aid. In a speech on the House floor before the vote, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) pleaded with colleagues not to take a political stance on a disaster aid bill. Dont play politics on a vote to give aid to the people of Texas, to the people of Puerto Rico and to the Virgin Islands, to the people of Florida, and to the people of California that are still fighting the fires. Dont play politics on a bill where you hope to maybe stop another. That would be the worst of any politics Ive seen played here, McCarthy said. Here and now, right before Christmas, dont vote against aid for Americans who just lost everything. Several of the Democrats who voted no also voted against the spending bill Thursday, and said that they felt they could not support either because the bills did not include Democratic priorities for the end of the year, including protections for people brought to the country illegally as children. Others said the aid bill doesnt provide enough money for California and doesnt treat Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands fairly in terms of competing for the funds. The 18 representatives voting no were: Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro)

Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles)

Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles)

Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park)

Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana)

Anna Eshoo (D-Menlo Park)

Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles)

Ro Khanna (D-Fremont)

Barbara Lee (D-Oakland)

Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove)

Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco)

Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey)

Linda Sanchez (D-Whittier)

Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough)

Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin)

Norma Torres (D-Pomona)

Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) Facebook

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Three California House members cross party lines on spending bill to keep government open By Sarah D. Wire Three California House members crossed party lines Thursday on a vote to pass a spending bill that will keep the government open until mid-January. Democratic Reps. Jim Costa of Fresno and Raul Ruiz of Palm Desert joined the majority of Republicans to vote for the bill. Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter of Alpine joined Democrats to vote against it. The bill, which funds the government through Jan. 19, passed the House 231 to 188, right before representatives left for the holidays. Costa said in a statement that he voted yes because keeping the government open is Congress job, but he called the vote a continuation of the dysfunction in Washington. It further illustrates the damage that results from partisan politics and irresponsible leadership. It is unacceptable that we have to resort to funding the government for weeks at a time because we cannot sit down together  Democrats and Republicans  and negotiate a real budget bill, Costa said. Hunters staff said the congressman was concerned that military spending in the bill was extended for only a short period. He had wanted the spending to be extended until September. Facebook

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Poll points to all-Democrat runoffs in California races for governor and senator By Seema Mehta Californians could see two Democrat-on-Democrat contests in the states premier races in 2018, according to a new poll released Thursday. In the gubernatorial race, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom remains the front-runner with the support of 26% of likely voters in a Berkeley IGS poll. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa came in second with the backing of 17%. The poll found notable demographic differences in the two mens bases of support. Newsom had strong leads in the Bay Area, where he once served as the mayor of San Francisco, as well as among white voters, liberals and the wealthy. Villaraigosa saw strong backing in Los Angeles County, among Latino voters and among those who earned less than $40,000. Republicans splintered in the race, placing businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen in a tie for third place with 9% each. Two other Democrats, state Treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, each won the support of 5% of likely voters. If Republicans fail to consolidate behind a candidate in the June primary, voters will for the first time see no GOP candidate on the November ballot for governor. Its a repeat of what occurred in the 2016 U.S. Senate race, and what is likely to occur again in the 2018 U.S. Senate race if the field does not grow. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has the support of 41% of likely voters in her reelection bid, but her rival, fellow Democrat Kevin de Leon, won the support of 27%, according to the poll. There is no GOP candidate in the race. Feinstein, who has served in the Senate for a quarter-century, has enormous advantages in fundraising, name recognition and support among powerful political groups. However, the poll found that nearly one-third of likely voters said they are undecided or would like to support another candidate. Facebook

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California legislator wants to curb sexual harassment in Hollywood and eating disorders for models By Melanie Mason Fashion models show off the BCBG MAX AZRIA Spring 2016 collection during New York Fashion Week. (Richard Drew / AP) A new proposal by a California assemblyman is taking aim at two of the more criticized phenomena in the entertainment industry: sexual harassment and unhealthy body standards for fashion models. The legislation, by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), would require the states Occupational Safety and Health Standards to adopt guidelines for fashion models in an attempt to combat the prevalence of eating disorders and excessive thinness in the industry. This is the second time Levine has tried to take on the fashion industry. His similar bill to impose standards on models sputtered in 2016. This time, Levine also is trying to address the prevalence of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry by requiring that talent agencies  which represent actors, performers and other artists  provide training on sexual harassment and how to identify and prevent inappropriate behavior. I believed women who told me their stories of abuse when I introduced legislation to provide workplace protections in the fashion industry in 2016 just like I believe them now, Levine said in a statement. Its time that law reflects societys rejection of sexual harassment in all workplaces, including Hollywood. My bill aims to address the problem before it starts, but also empowers survivors with the tools to report these cases. Facebook

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Local Indivisible group picks Democrat to endorse against Rep. Duncan Hunter By Christine Mai-Duc Ammar Campa-Najjar, 28, is running against Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine). (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) With an already crowded field of contenders hoping to unseat Rep. Duncan Hunter and months to go before the candidate filing deadline, one local activist group has made an early endorsement in the race. Indivisible CA50, made up of activists mostly in San Diego County, announced Thursday that its endorsing Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Democrat and public affairs consultant whos challenging Hunter. The endorsement comes as liberal activists and interest groups all over the state are grappling with whether  and how  to winnow down the dozens of candidates vying for 10 GOP-held seats in California. The group held more than half a dozen endorsement meetings to allow members throughout Hunters district to vote on their preferred candidate. One of the candidates, Pierre Beauregard, dropped out of the race recently and endorsed Campa-Najjar. In a statement Campa-Najjar said in a statement that the nod represents the enthusiasm of hundreds of progressive grassroots activists. Indivisibles national political director Maria Urbina said the endorsement was the first made by any California chapter in the 2018 midterms. Aside from Campa-Najjar, two other Democrats are running for Hunters seat: Josh Butner, a school board trustee and former Navy SEAL, and realtor Patrick Malloy, who ran last year and lost to Hunter by nearly 27 percentage points. Hunter will also face at least two GOP challengers: Shamus Sayed and Andrew Zelt. Hunter is not considered to be particularly vulnerable in next years election, but an investigation into his alleged misuse of campaign funds has caused at least one election handicapper to move his race from solid Republican to the likely Republican column. Facebook

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San Francisco is getting a new mayor and creating a political star. Who will it be? By Mark Z. Barabak San Francisco is the city everyone loves, even if they hate it. The stately Victorians, like a gingerbread dream come to life. The majestic Golden Gate Bridge, standing like heavens portal above the fog. The plucky cable cars, scrabbling up its impossible hillsides. It can almost make you forget the bands of ravaged homeless, the paralyzing traffic, the scent of human waste wafting from sidewalks outside the citys posh eateries and palatial tech headquarters. San Francisco is getting a new mayor, owing to the sudden death of incumbent Ed Lee. All of the grandeur, and all of the grit, accompany the position. To say the race is wide open  Lee having died just about a week ago  is an understatement. Read More Facebook

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein is under pressure over a fix for Dreamers By Sarah D. Wire California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is under pressure from activists and fellow Democrats to withhold support for a spending bill that would avert a government shutdown in exchange for protections for people brought to the country illegally as children. Feinstein said in October that protections for so-called Dreamers are the most important thing we can get done, but the senator known for her moderate bent said this week that she wont try to block the end-of-the-year spending bill over it, and has not offered an explanation. Dreamers this week flooded Feinsteins five California offices and her office on Capitol Hill. Two UCLA students refused to leave her Capitol Hill office after three hours Tuesday and were briefly detained by police. On Wednesday, about a dozen students and parents returned and were asked to leave after about 30 minutes of shouting in her office lobby. Read More Facebook

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The GOP tax plan passed. Now Democrats have another big issue to use in the midterms By Sarah D. Wire As GOP leaders in Congress met behind closed doors to hash out the details of their massive tax overhaul, a group of UC Irvine graduate students met in Rep. Mimi Walters district, fretting about how the plan could cost them money. About 20 miles north, dozens of activists in top hats stood outside Rep. Ed Royces Brea office as they chanted, Shame on you! And up in the Central Valley, protesters gathered outside Rep. Jeff Denhams Modesto office to sing Protest ye dreary congressman  Remember that he voted to take healthcare away. To save himself from taxes now, so you will have to pay. Read More Facebook

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Kevin de Leon to Feinstein: Dont come back to California without forcing a government shutdown over Dream Act By Jazmine Ulloa State Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), left, and Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), right. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) Taking direct criticism to the woman he is attempting to unseat in next years U.S. Senate race, California Senate leader Kevin de Leon on Wednesday urged Democrats to block a year-end spending bill as leverage to pass a Dream Act  clean of GOP demands for increased border security. At a news conference in downtown Los Angeles, De Leon commended Sen. Kamala Harris for pledging to block the measure, saying he could not understand why her colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein had failed to take a similar stance in pushing for legislation to protect the so-called Dreamers, immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Dreamers make up hundreds of thousands of Sen. Feinsteins constituents, and while talking a good game on Dreamers, when it comes to standing up and supporting them, she is AWOL, said De Leon (D-Los Angeles), who has attempted to position himself to Feinsteins left as he campaigns for her seat. His statements follow days of demonstrations by young protesters at legislators offices in Washington and California. The coalitions of activists have been calling on Democrats to hold up the spending bill, a move that could force a government shutdown. They want to pass Dream Act legislation that would provide protections and a path to citizenship to young people without legal residency in the U.S. At least two young protesters were arrested Tuesday outside of Feinsteins Capitol Hill office, and more demonstrations took place at her offices in Washington and San Francisco on Wednesday. Feinstein, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) have sponsored Dream Act legislation but have not pledged to hold up the spending deal. A separate bipartisan group of senators is advocating punting the issue to January. President Trump has asked Congress to come up with a solution by March. Standing next to De Leon and immigrant rights advocates on Wednesday, state Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) said advocates had to double down the shame on any Democrat who thinks its time to wait on the issue. De Leon said they had made that message clear to Schumer, saying, It is time to find your spine, sir. To Pelosi and Feinstein, he said: Dont come back to California if you havent demonstrated your leadership and your courage to stand up for these young men and women. I can tell you this, De Leon said. If the Republicans were on the other side, they wouldnt hesitate for a nanosecond to shut down the government to move forward what they believe in. Facebook

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12 California Republicans vote to support tax overhaul for a second time; Rohrabacher and Issa say no By Sarah D. Wire The House gave final approval for the GOP tax bill Wednesday, with 12 Republicans in the state delegation again voting in favor of the bill. Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Darrell Issa of Vista voted no. The House and Senate both passed the bill Tuesday, but, because Democrats raised procedural objections that forced the bill to be changed in the Senate, the House had to vote on the bill again Wednesday before sending it to President Trump for his signature. Though many California taxpayers are expected to see an initial income tax cut under the plan, a significant number probably will have higher taxes because of the lost deductions. Analysts also expect the biggest cuts to flow to corporations and the states wealthiest residents. Republicans are expected to head to the White House later Wednesday for a celebration with Trump. No House Democrats, including the 39 from California, supported the bill. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk) was not present for the second vote, but she voted no on Tuesday. See the Republican votes here: Facebook

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Californias Democratic senators vote no on GOP tax bill Californias @SenKamalaHarris and @SenFeinstein join rest of Democrats in the Senate in voting no on the GOP tax bill, which passed 51-48 along party lines. Sanders, who is an Independent, voted with Democrats.  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 "At a time when wages have stagnated and working Americans are trying to do more with less, this tax plan pulls the rug out from the middle class to give billions to those who already have so much. This is an attack on our values, and Americans deserve better," Harris said.  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 "Californians will be hit especially hard by the cap on the state and local tax deduction, making it more difficult for communities to pay for services that our families rely on, Its no wonder a bill that primarily benefits the wealthy is so unpopular..." Feinstein said  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 Facebook

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GOP tax overhaul passes House with help from a dozen California Republicans By Sarah D. Wire Despite weeks of consternation from some California House Republicans, a dozen of them joined their colleagues to pass an overhaul of the U.S. tax code Tuesday. Two  Reps. Darrell Issa and Dana Rohrabacher  voted against the plan. In the weeks before the vote, Republican Reps. Mimi Walters of Irvine and Steve Knight of Palmdale cited new caps on popular deductions as reasons they were uncertain about whether to vote for the bill. Both worked behind the scenes on changes and ultimately supported the bill, which passed the House on a near party line vote 227-203. Knight said hes satisfied the changes are enough to to turn what would have been a tax increase into a tax cut for his constituents. Read More Facebook

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More than half of Californians oppose GOP tax bill, according to new poll By Sarah D. Wire House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) arrives for a news conference about the tax plan. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) More than half of Californians oppose the GOP tax bill expected to be approved by Congress today, and just 20% believe it will have a positive affect on their families, according to a poll released Monday. Just over half of California voters, 51%, oppose the tax bill, and 30% support it, according to the newest IGS Poll, a survey by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley. And the belief falls largely along party lines, with Democrats opposing the bill by a more than 4-to-1 (67% to 15%) margin and Republicans supporting it 3 to 1 (60% to 21%). The House and Senate are expected to vote on the tax bill Tuesday. Californias Republican members of Congress largely support the bill despite some concerns about how cuts to the state and local tax deduction and mortgage interest deduction might affect Californians. Democrats in the delegation oppose it and have said they will use the vote against vulnerable Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections. When asked about the impact they think the bill will have on themselves and their families, just 20% of the polls respondents said they think it will benefit them directly, while 40% foresee a negative impact. About 27% do not expect much of an impact, and 13% said they dont know if theyll be affected. The poll of a random sample of 1,000 registered voters was completed by telephone in English and Spanish from Dec. 7 to 16. Facebook

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A quick look at some of the biggest tax changes for Californians By Sarah D. Wire (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) Congressional Republicans are framing their tax cut bill as a Christmas gift that will give Americans an average tax cut of $2,059. For Californians, especially in the wealthier areas along the coast, the situation isnt as clear-cut. When the measure comes up for a vote in the House on Tuesday morning, its expected to pass along party lines. At least two Republicans say they will join Democrats in the California delegation to oppose the plan because they fear it will hurt their constituents bottom line. Take a quick look at what some of the biggest changes in the tax bill might mean for average Californians. Read More Facebook

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Lawmakers, pot growers say Californias marijuana cultivation rules favor big corporate farms By Patrick McGreevy Californias new rules allowing marijuana cultivation favor large corporate farms despite a promise in Proposition 64 that small growers would be protected, according to a group of state lawmakers and marijuana industry leaders who called Monday for the policy to be changed. The California Department of Food and Agriculture issued emergency rules last month that allow for small and medium-sized farms of up to a quarter acre and one acre, respectively, to get licenses for the first five years. That five-year head start for small farms was promised in Proposition 64, the initiative approved last year by voters that legalized growing and selling marijuana for recreational use. Individuals and businesses can get only one license for a medium-sized farm, but the new rules do not set a limit on how many small-farm licenses can be obtained by one person or business. That could allow a corporation to assemble a 20-acre farm by obtaining 80 licenses for a quarter-acre each, opponents worry. Democratic state Sens. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Mike McGuire of Healdsburg, Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) and the California Growers Assn. asked for swift action by the state agricultural department to change the rule. This is clearly a broken promise, McGuire said. For two years, every discussion has included a cap on cannabis grows and the Department of Food and Agriculture needs to fix this massive loophole they have created. This last-minute revision rolls out the red carpet for large corporations to crush the livelihood of small family farmers. With cultivation licenses set to take effect next month, the lawmakers also promised legislative hearings on why the rules were drafted to disadvantage small, mom-and-pop farms. California only has one chance to get this right, and it is already on the wrong path with this last-minute change that flies in the face of what the backers of Prop. 64 promised, said Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Assn. This single decision will hand over the California marketplace to multinational corporations and a wealthy few at the expense of thousands of growers who are ready to play by the rules and provide economic opportunity in communities that until recently were criminalized or  at the very least  marginalized. The industry estimates there are about 3,500 independent growers on track to get a state license in the first half of 2018. Allens group estimates that number could grow to as many as 10,000 or 15,000 by the end of 2020, but not if large corporate farms are allowed in early. The agricultural agency issued a response later: A one-acre canopy limit has not been in proposed regulations at any point and was not included in the emergency regulations due to the fact that Proposition 64, the law guiding the process, did not provide authority to include it. However, local jurisdictions may impose that limitation on their own if it meets the needs of their constituents. Updated at 5:10 pm to include comment from agricultural agency. Facebook

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Final tax bill dramatically softens blow to mortgage interest deductions in California By Christine Mai-Duc Last-minute changes to the Republican-led tax overhaul seem to be tailor-made to entice support from California GOP lawmakers, several of whom voted against a previous version passed in the House last month. The House version, passed with the support of all but three California Republicans, had proposed capping the mortgage interest deduction at loans of $500,000 or less. Republicans in high-tax, expensive states had voiced concerns the bill would have major effects in their districts. But the final version of the bill dramatically slashed the percentage of new mortgages that would be affected if the package becomes law. *New mortgages over $500,000 include data through Sept. 2017. New mortgages over $750,000 include data through Oct. 2017. Source: Times analysis of data provided by CoreLogic The particulars of the mortgage interest provision and other popular deductions were major sticking points as House and Senate negotiators hammered out a compromise between the two versions. A previous Times analysis showed that more than half of new mortgages this year in Rep. Dana Rohrabachers coastal Orange County district exceeded the $500,000 cap laid out in the House version. Text of the new bill released Friday outlined a cap of $750,000, which would apply to just under a quarter of new mortgages there through October 2017. Rohrabacher was one of three California Republicans, along with Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) who previously voted against the measure. Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) said she supported the House version after receiving assurances from leaders that the bill would be changed to account for the loss of deductions, The percentage of new mortgages over the cap dropped from 48% to 14%. Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), whose district had 1% of mortgages exceeding the $500,000 cap proposed previously, saw that share drop almost to zero; 27 of 7,515 mortgages in his congressional district this year have been for more than $750,000. The House is expected to vote on the final tax bill Tuesday. Facebook

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A major change to Proposition 13 takes its first step toward the 2018 ballot By Liam Dillon A commercial property in San Bernardino County that could face higher property taxes under a proposed ballot measure (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) Proponents of making a dramatic change to Californias landmark Proposition 13 property tax restrictions took their first step to getting a measure on the November 2018 statewide ballot Friday. The change would allow the state to receive more tax dollars from commercial and industrial properties by assessing them at their current market value, an effort known as split roll because existing tax protections on homes would remain in place. Advocates of the measure, including the League of Women Voters of California and community organizing nonprofits California Calls and PICO Network said the change could raise billions of dollars that could be spent on public schools and community colleges. I think the cumulative effects of the unfair tax system have gotten to the point where its created crippling economic impacts on the state, said Melissa Breach, executive director of the League of Women Voters of California. Backers filed their proposed initiative Friday. The attorney generals office will prepare an official title and summary for the measure and it will receive a financial analysis. From there, advocates will decide if they will collect signatures to put the measure on the ballot. Proposition 13 passed in 1978 amid concerns that rising property taxes could force people out of their homes. The ballot measure limited property taxes to 1% of a propertys value at the time of purchase and ensures that the assessed value on which taxes are based can only increase by a maximum of 2% a year  no matter how much a propertys market value goes up. Split-roll measures have been long debated in state politics, but business groups and anti-tax groups have expressed substantial opposition to the idea, arguing that it would cause major harm to the states business climate. Breach said she expected an avalanche of big money against the measure should it go forward, but said that her organization wouldnt get involved without believing it could raise sufficient funding.S For the record 1 p.m., Dec. 18: An earlier version of this post said the split roll ballot measure would allow California to charge higher tax rates on commercial and industrial properties. It would allow the state to assess those properties at current market value, not charge higher rates. Facebook

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Three more women accuse California assemblyman of sexual misconduct By Melanie Mason Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills) (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) A Los Angeles woman has filed a police report alleging Democratic Assemblyman Matt Dababneh had sex with her without consent four years ago, adding new allegations of sexual misconduct to those that led the politician to announce his resignation last week. He says her claims are false. Nancy Miret, 26, told The Times that when she was 22 and a recent college graduate, she spent time with Dababneh over two months in late 2013, primarily at his Encino apartment. At the time, Dababneh was running for Assembly to represent the western San Fernando Valley. They had consensual sex on one occasion, but after that, Miret said she had multiple nonconsensual sexual encounters with Dababneh that left her traumatized. Miret, who now works in commercial real estate, is one of three women interviewed by The Times who have made new allegations concerning Dababnehs behavior. These allegations are false and Im confident that when all the facts are in, it will clearly show that these claims are not true, Dababneh told The Times. Read More Facebook

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San Diego business is first in California to be issued license to sell marijuana for recreational use By Patrick McGreevy A San Diego medical marijuana business is the first firm to be issued a license by the state of California to sell marijuana for recreational use, officials said Thursday. Torrey Holistics received two of the first 20 licenses granted by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control this week to sell or distribute marijuana, although the licenses do not take effect until Jan. 1, according to bureau chief Lori Ajax. An additional 180 firms have applied for licenses but they are being processed. Last week, we officially launched our online licensing system, and today were pleased to issue the first group of temporary licenses to cannabis businesses that fall under the Bureaus jurisdiction, Ajax said in a statement. We plan to issue many more before January 1. The bureau is issuing temporary, four-month licenses to firms initially, but will eventually require firms to undergo background checks and pay a $1,000 application fee for yearlong permits. Tony Hall left a chemical distribution business two years ago to start Torrey Holistics with a friend and classmate at San Diego State. He said he was ecstatic to have the first recreational permit in California. He also obtained a new license to continue selling marijuana for medical uses. We feel fricking great about it, he said Thursday. Its just exciting. This is a once in a multi-generational event, he added, likening it to the end of prohibition. Added Ruthie Edelson, the firms marketing director, We will be open at 7 a.m. on Jan. 1. Last year, voters approved Proposition 64, which makes California one of eight states that allow the growing and sale of marijuana for recreational uses. Facebook

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Conservative activist group files a lawsuit over Los Angeles County inactive voter list By John Myers A Washington-based conservative-leaning activist group filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging Los Angeles County officials are refusing to cancel the registrations of voters who are ineligible to cast a ballot. The legal action by Judicial Watch comes four months after the organization first accused elections officials across the state of maintaining registration lists that are larger than their voting-age population. The lawsuit also names Secretary of State Alex Padilla as a defendant and alleges the voter lists violate the National Voter Registration Act, or NVRA. They dont care about removing ineligible registration, said Robert Popper of Judicial Watch. I think we have a very strong lawsuit. The lawsuit names four Los Angeles County voters as co-plaintiffs and asserts that a countys two lists of voters  the file of active voters and those whose registration has been placed on inactive status  should be combined into a single total. The inactive list includes people who havent cast ballots in recent elections and havent responded to inquiries from elections officials. Though the names on that list are considered voters, they are not counted in official registration reports and are not mailed election material. Popper led an effort earlier this year to estimate the size of each countys voting-age population using the Census Bureaus American Community Survey. He said the surveys five-year average of county populations was then adjusted by focusing just on the estimate of those over the age of 18, and then comparing that with the combined active and inactive voter lists. Popper dismissed any concern that the resulting number might be skewed by the different standards used by counties for the inactive list, which could include names of voters who moved or died and thus be an imperfect guide. I believe that a court is going to accept our numbers, he said. Dean Logan, the registrar of voters in Los Angeles County, said his staffs practices are consistent with federal law. This lawsuit appears to fundamentally interpret the requirements of the NVRA in a manner inconsistent with ensuring voter enfranchisement and appropriate list maintenance, he said. The lawsuit also alleges that Los Angeles elections officials failed to provide Judicial Watch with requested data about the size of the inactive list, and accuses Padilla of failing to address the groups concerns about California not following NVRA rules. In a statement on Thursday, Padilla said county inactive-voter files are not out of compliance with the law. He criticized Judicial Watch for its baseless assertions, bad math, and flawed methodology. Local elections officials have said very few inactive voters show up on election day, and that any who do would be asked to cast a provisional ballot  one that isnt counted unless the voters eligibility is confirmed through additional review. Popper insisted that if the list is never used, theres no reason to keep it. Judicial Watch, which sued for access to Hillary Clintons emails in 2016, alleged that its calculations show 11 California counties with questionable voter registration totals. Facebook

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Voters in California GOP districts may get calls asking them to thank their member of Congress for tax plan By Sarah D. Wire Voters in four key Republican-held congressional districts could get a robocall starting Friday urging them to call and thank their member of Congress for supporting the tax bill. Its a last minute effort by American Action Network, a politically active nonprofit connected with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) that has spent millions to shore up Republican support for the bill. The robocalls include the members office number. The four California members being targeted are Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock, David Valadao of Hanford, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Mimi Walters of Irvine. All four represent districts that backed Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and are Democratic targets in 2018. Knight and Walters had been particularly vocal about their concerns with the plan, saying it might raise taxes for their constituents. The final text of the bill is set to be released Friday, with a vote expected early next week. In total, American Action Network plans to place 1 million robocalls in 29 districts nationwide. Facebook

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Merry Christmas Republicans in Congress: Funny or Die video goes after California lawmakers over DACA By Christine Mai-Duc As members of Congress try to pass a controversial tax bill and a measure to keep the federal government funded, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is hitting Republicans hard over another unresolved issue: the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children who could face deportation if lawmakers dont act. Amid negotiations over a long-term spending bill, Democratic leaders have been pushing their GOP colleagues to include a fix for those who were granted temporary protection under President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA. President Trump announced an end to the program earlier this year and gave Congress a March deadline to address it. Funny or Die and BOLD PAC released a video Friday featuring comedians skewering GOP members, including two in California, for their inaction. In the video, Oscar Nunez, best known for his role on The Office, calls out Reps. Steve Knight (Palmdale), Ed Royce (Fullerton), Carlos Curbelo (Florida) and John Culberson (Texas), who get to go ahead and celebrate as thousands of Dreamers are banished from the only country theyve ever called home. How many broken promises can fit in a stocking? Nunez asks later. Im asking for a congressman. The political action committee says its spending six figures on the weeklong buy, which will go out nationwide across Funny Or Dies social media channels. They are known for blasting out irreverent, often viral parodies that play to young audiences. The video will also be targeted to constituents in each of the four congressional districts. A separate video released by the ACLU last week also urged members of Congress to strike a deal on DACA. Many California Republicans have remained mum on the issue, particularly those facing tough races in 2018. So far, only Reps. David Valadao (Hanford), Jeff Denham (Turlock) and Mimi Walters (Irvine) have pressured fellow Republicans to come up with a solution before Congress breaks for Christmas. Following Trumps decision, Knight said the issue should receive attention by Congress. Royce, who has taken hard-line stances on immigration in the past, urged his colleagues to provide a permanent, legislative solution that gives certainty to these kids. Neither elaborated on what that solution should be. Facebook

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For a prominent California consumer group and savvy political consultants, documents reveal a close financial relationship By John Myers If theres a clear mantra for Consumer Watchdog, one of Californias most visible and vocal advocacy groups, its that hidden financial relationships shouldnt shape politics and public policy. The Santa Monica-based nonprofit has spent more than three decades reprimanding politicians and interest groups for doing the bidding of those who give them money. Its official motto is expose, confront, change. We are loud, and we speak more of a populist truth than the way people usually talk to each other in Sacramento, said Jamie Court, Consumer Watchdogs president. Read More Facebook

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Regional director resigns from California Democratic Party amid sexual misconduct claims By Jazmine Ulloa A regional director with the California Democratic Party submitted his resignation on Thursday, nearly two weeks after a 23-year-old woman reported that he sexually assaulted her last year, spurring party leaders to seek his ouster. Craig Cheslog served as Region 2 director spanning the East Bay, Napa, Sonoma and the Clearlake areas. In a statement, his lawyer, Mary P. Carey, said she and her client were confident that a full and fair exploration of this matter, undertaken in an appropriate, fact-governed venue, would exonerate Mr. Cheslog. We are prepared, if necessary, to put forward the facts of this matter in just such a venue, she said. Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman and other officials initially called for Cheslogs removal in a Nov. 29 letter to state party secretary Jenny Bach. They said he was seen acting in an inappropriate and sexually aggressive manner toward a member of the party in a public area of the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel, following a Nov. 18 executive board meeting. The level to which this activity advanced made a number of those in attendance uncomfortable, the letter stated. It added that another member reported that Mr. Cheslog raped her at a CDP executive board meeting the previous year. Party officers said the incident occurred during a weekend where the prevention of sexual harassment of women in politics was a dominant theme in the wake of the #metoo movement. Before the meetings conclusion on Sunday, the California Womens Caucus approved a resolution making clear that sexual harassment, bullying and other forms of abuse are grounds to lose endorsements and be stripped of party membership. Maddy Dean, who was not named in the letter, spoke at the meeting about her experiences of sexual harassment in the movie industry, and told the Times that she reported Cheslog. She said she could not provide further details about her allegation as she explores possible legal paths moving forward. This was about protecting other women and in particular other young women, she said of reporting the assault. In his own letter to Bach on Thursday, Cheslog did not acknowledge any wrongdoing. He said he was stepping down to prevent any personal misconduct allegations from creating a distraction with the party at a critical moment in national and state politics. I am confident of the results that would be forthcoming in a fair, fact-based exploration of this matter, he said. Since the report, Cheslog has been fired from his job at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that helps families navigate media and technology. He also has stepped down from his position on the Acalanes Union High School District Board of Trustees. The conduct represented a serious violation of both company policy and the way in which our employees are expected to conduct themselves in the community at large, Common Sense spokeswoman Corbie Kiernan said in a statement. We immediately suspended Mr. Cheslog and conducted an investigation. As a result of the investigation, Mr. Cheslogs employment with Common Sense was terminated. 4:05 p.m.: This post was updated with Cheslogs resignation from the school board. Facebook

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Sen. Bob Hertzberg will cooperate with investigation into unwanted hugs By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Bob Hertzberg works at his Senate Chambers desk. He faces an investigation into unwanted hugging (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) said Thursday he will cooperate with a state investigation into complaints from a former legislator that she was uncomfortable with his repeated hugs after she asked him not to touch her. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon said Thursday that a team of outside attorneys will investigate a complaint by former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman that Hertzberg has made her uncomfortable with hugs that were too close and lasted too long. Hertzberg, well-known for hugging other lawmakers, said he supports having any allegations investigated by the two outside law firms. I just learned of the investigation, and will fully cooperate, he said. The use of an independent third party investigator is essential to improving transparency and trust in the system. Halderman said Thursday she was encouraged that her concerns will be investigated, but said it was disturbing  that attorneys for one of the law firms selected, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, contributed more than $90,000 in campaign funds to sitting legislators including Hertzberg. Halderman, a surgeon, served in the state Assembly from 2010 through 2012 and said Hertzberg hugged her multiple times even after she asked him to stop because she was uncomfortable. The last incident occurred in a hallway of the Capitol, she claimed. I told him I dont care to be hugged. Dont touch me,  Halderman recalled. He then grabbed me and pinned my arms to my side and used his hands to press my lower back into his groin and he essentially pinned me so I couldnt push off of him to get away the way I ended previous hugs. It was certainly so over the line, she added. Halderman said a current female senator and assemblywoman also have complained about inappropriate hugs from Hertzberg. However, Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) defended Hertzberg, saying she has known him for many years and he has always acted as a gentleman. I have never felt uncomfortable with him, and have always felt his hugs were a display of affection - which I appreciate, she said. I consider him a dear friend. Updated at 5:30 pm to include comment from Sen. Galgiani. Facebook

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Rep. Maxine Waters asks Justice Department to investigate fake letter tweeted by Republican opponent By Sarah D. Wire (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Rep. Maxine Waters is asking the Justice Department to look into a fake letter posted to Twitter by her Republican challenger that falsely indicated the congresswoman wants to resettle tens of thousand of refugees in her Los Angeles district. The GOP candidate, Omar Navarro, posted the letter on what looks like official House of Representatives letterhead to Twitter on Monday. The letter, which purports to be from the congresswoman, says the congresswoman wants to bring refugees to her congressional district after the 2018 election and perhaps even once I have secured the Speaker of the House position. Navarro accompanied the tweeted letter with a message: According to this document, Maxine Waters wants more terrorists, like the one who bombed NYC, in Californias 43rd District. As Congressman of CAs 43rd District, I will oppose such policies. Its been retweeted more than 680 times. But the letter is a forgery and a fake, her chief of staff, Twaun Samuel, said in a news release. The letter, dated June of this year, also contains several inaccuracies. It references multiple committees and subcommittees Waters does not serve on, and lists an address for a district office that has been closed for nearly a decade. Waters filed a complaint about the tweeted letter with the House general counsel, who forwarded the complaint to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and the fraud section of the Criminal Division for the United States Department of Justice. The complaint states that Waters has not communicated with the letters purported addressee  Teri Williams, who is president and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles-based OneUnited Bank, about any refugee resettlement program. Impersonating a federal official and misusing a federal seal are federal crimes. Navarro, who is backed by big name far-right conservatives, said Thursday that the letter was sent to his campaign through Facebook by a person he didnt know. He said neither the Justice Department or Waters staff has asked him about the letter. I dont know if its real or not, so I put it out there, Navarro said, adding that he believed his followers would help him determine if it is real. It doesnt say that I know. Its according to this document  what, am I supposed to send it to her and get an email back from Maxine? According to this document, Maxine Waters wants more terrorists, like the one who bombed NYC, in Californias 43rd District.

As Congressman of CAs 43rd District, I will oppose such policies. #VoteNavarro2018https://t.co/vO8YUsyPp3 pic.twitter.com/k7ef0H20if  Omar Navarro (@RealOmarNavarro) December 11, 2017 Facebook

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Sen. Tony Mendoza refuses to take a leave of absence amid harassment probe By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), left, talks earlier this year about a pending bill with Sen. Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado Hills). (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Defying pressure from legislative leadership, state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) refused Thursday to take a leave of absence until an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him is concluded early next year. Mendoza has denied allegations by former employees that he treated three female aides inappropriately, inviting them to hotel stays and asking one to visit his home to work on her resume. I am very disappointed that certain Senate Rules Committee members are apparently asking me to take a leave of absence or resign before any investigation has even begun and without giving me an opportunity to defend myself, Mendoza said in a statement. This is contrary to the very concept of due process, which is a pillar of our American system of fairness and judicial prudence. These actions bypass any process in a rush to judgment. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) earlier Thursday called on Mendoza to take a leave of absence. Mendoza had previously been stripped of his leadership positions, including chairmanship of the Senates committee on banking and insurance. Mendoza questioned statements urging him to step down, saying they leave him concerned about the fairness of the investigation. He also said he has been disappointed that he has been told he cannot publicly address allegations. I was not appointed to the position I hold, but was elected by the voters in my district, he said. I am grateful to the voters in my district and thank them for their trust and their continued support. The Senate owes them an opportunity to hear the truth. I assure them that I will vigorously defend myself to clear my name. Facebook

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State Senate leader asks Sen. Tony Mendoza to take leave of absence amid sexual harassment investigation By Patrick McGreevy (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State Senate leader Kevin de Leon said Thursday he has strongly suggested that Sen. Tony Mendoza take a leave of absence until the completion of an investigation by outside attorneys into allegations that Mendoza sexually harassed three former aides. Given the severity of the allegations against Senator Mendoza I do not believe he can perform the duties in Sacramento right now while the investigation is being conducted, De Leon told a packed news conference in his Capitol office. I believe Its the right thing to do, its the fair thing to do, to take a leave, he said. The Senate leader also said the outside attorneys have been asked to investigate complaints by former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman that Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) inappropriately hugged her on multiple occasions in a way that made her uncomfortable, even after she asked him to stop. De Leon also announced the hiring of two law firms to handle the Mendoza and Hertzberg investigations, and all future probes of harassment and abuse involving Senate employees. Mendoza, a Democrat from Artesia, did not immediately respond to the request to step aside. De Leon, a Democrat from Los Angeles who had been Mendozas roommate before the allegations were made public, said he made the suggestion to Mendoza in a meeting Thursday morning. If Mendoza refuses to take a leave, the Senate has the power to suspend him without pay, but De Leon said that is not currently under discussion. There is an effort underway to force his expulsion in January when the Legislature returns to Sacramento. Former Mendoza employees have claimed that he gave inappropriate attention to a female fellow and intern, inviting one to his home and hotel and giving the other alcohol in a hotel even though she was underage. Another former female aide told the Sacramento Bee that Mendoza invited her to one-on-one dinners and a weekend at Pebble Beach. Mendoza has denied the allegations. The Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher and Van Dermyden Maddux law firms have been retained for two years, according to Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), who participated in their selection. Have you experienced sexual harassment in government or politics? Tell us your story   In addition, the state is contracting with Weave, a Sacramento crisis-intervention organization for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, to provide counseling and to establish a hotline for Senate employees who are victims of sexual assault. The hotline number is 1-800-729-1443. America is finally reckoning with entrenched inequities in our personal and professional relationships and in workplaces of every type, De Leon said. Nowhere is this reckoning more important than in the halls of power  our political institutions. Facebook

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Watch live: California Senate leader addresses sexual misconduct at state Capitol Facebook

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California state senator pledges to bring back net neutrality rules just as FCC votes to repeal them By Jazmine Ulloa Demonstrators rally in support of net neutrality outside a Verizon store in New York on Dec. 7. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) Moments after the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to roll back net neutrality regulations, a state senator pledged to introduce legislation that would preserve open internet protections for consumers in California. Net neutrality is essential to our 21st century democracy, and we need to be sure that people can access websites and information freely and fairly, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said in a statement. If the FCC is going to destroy net neutrality and create a system that favors certain websites just because they can pay more money, California must step in and ensure open internet access. The announcement of the proposal came shortly after the FCC voted to repeal net neutrality in an expected 3-2 party-line vote, with Republicans calling for an end to the utility-like oversight of internet service providers. The Obama-era rules put in February 2015 barred broadband and wireless companies, such at AT&T Inc., Charter Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. from selling faster delivery of certain data, slowing speeds for certain video streams and other content, and discriminating against legal material online. Before the vote, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argued loosening the regulations would allow the online economy to flourish. FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, one of the the two Democrats on the commission, said the rollback would inhibit the openness that has made the U.S. internet the envy of the world. Supporters of net neutrality are expected to file suit to try to halt the repeal plan. Weiners attempt to institute net neutrality rules in California could have challenges. The FCC order states that allowing state and local governments to adopt their own separate requirements, which could impose a heavier burden on companies, could disrupt the balance between state and federal regulations. The preemption of state and local net neutrality measures is something that could be challenged in court. Amid such legal battles state legislation could face heavy lobbying efforts from internet providers arguing against uneven regulations. A bill by Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) was shelved last legislative session over similar disputes. It would have enshrined in state law other FCC regulations that were rolled back this year by President Trump and Congress. The Internet privacy rules limited what broadband providers can do with their customers data. The bills defeat capped a behind-the-scenes battle that pitted telecom companies against state internet service providers and brought other bills to a halt in the state Senate as negotiations unfolded over legislation that would have had national significance. UPDATES 7:57 a.m.: This post was updated with additional information about the potential legal case. LA Times reporter Jim Puzzanghera contributed to this report. Facebook

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L.A. County sheriffs office failed to follow policy for issuing concealed weapon permits, audit says By Patrick McGreevy Handguns are displayed at the Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas in 2016. ( (John Locher / Associated Press)) The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has repeatedly failed to follow its own rules for issuing concealed weapon permits, the state auditor concluded in a report released Thursday. L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell disputed some of the key findings of the audit, saying state officials misinterpreted the policy. The department policy requires applicants to provide convincing evidence of a clear and present danger to life or of great bodily harm to get a license, but the audit found the department issued 24 licenses during the last few years without sufficient evidence. Most of the 197 active licenses in L.A. County as of August went to current or former law enforcement officers, judges and prosecutors, the audit found. The lieutenant in charge of reviewing applications told auditors that people in law enforcement satisfy the departments requirements by the nature of their jobs. However, making that decision based solely on the applicants profession both directly contradicts Los Angeless written policy  which specifically states that no position or job classification in itself shall constitute good cause for issuance  and has led the department to treat applicants inequitably based on their occupations, the audit says. McDonnell said the audit identified some legitimate issues, and the department has added a checklist to the application process in order to show requirements have been met. But he disagreed on the reports sweeping conclusion that the department consistently failed to follow its own policies. The LASD policy simply requires that the applicant provide convincing evidence that his or her life or physical safety is threatened, the sheriff said. He said the policy does not require additional documentation of that evidence if sufficient information is provided in the application. Auditors also concluded that Sacramento County issued some licenses without proper documentation and that San Diego Countys renewal process led it to inappropriately renew some licenses. Facebook

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Anti-Issa effort discloses donors: Leo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Ted Danson and more By Joshua Stewart A political group that has brought professional political organizers into the campaign against Rep. Darrell Issa has received its most significant contributions to date  from actress Jane Fonda and other celebrities. Fonda gave $100,000 to Flip the 49th! Neighbors in Action, which recently registered as a political committee to get Issa, R-Vista, out of office. Comedian Bill Maher gave $15,000 to the group, a rebuke of a politician who has twice appeared on his talk show. Former California Sen. Barbara Boxer gave $2,500, as did Academy Award recipient Leonardo DiCaprio. Actor Ted Danson gave $1,500. Flip the 49th gave the The San Diego Union-Tribune a list of donors more than a month before its required to disclose them to the Federal Election Commission. Read More Facebook

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California Senate GOP leader: Release Capitol whistleblowers from non-disclosure agreements By Melanie Mason California Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates is wading into the sexual harassment debate that has swept up the Capitol and is calling on her Democratic colleagues to allow whistleblowers to speak out by releasing them from non-disclosure agreements. Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) wrote in a letter to the Democratic legislative leaders  Senate Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount)  that Senate Republicans are calling for the Legislature to allow victims or witnesses who may have signed such agreements to share their experiences publicly. This release from NDAs would empower victims of sexual harassment, create a new atmosphere for resolving sexual harassment or discrimination concerns, increase public awareness and transparency, and ensure that both the Senate and the Assembly fulfill their obligations to the public and their employees for providing a safe and welcoming workplace environment, Bates wrote in the letter, dated Dec. 12. The Republican senator also laid out suggestions to improve the Legislatures handling of sexual harassment complaints, such as jointly convening both houses rules committees  which act as the chambers human resources departments  to have a comprehensive, bicameral and bipartisan review. Bates wrote that the Joint Rules Committee should consider the assigning of an outside entity for assuming responsibility for all issues regarding sexual harassment. She said the California Highway Patrol or an inspector general could serve that function. Bates is currently serving on a panel designated by the Senate Rules Committee to select an outside law firm to investigate sexual harassment complaints. De Leon, in a statement, said he agreed with Bates that sexual harassment is a bipartisan, bicameral problem that requires bipartisan, bicameral solutions. Many of these recommendations we are already pursuing and evaluating in some form and we look forward to working in collaboration with Senator Bates  as we did with the independent selection panel  on additional reforms in the weeks to come, De Leon said. With regard to non-disclosure agreements, De Leon spokesman Jonathan Underland said the Senate is discussing with attorneys and anti-harassment experts about what options are available without violating the privacy rights of past victims. John Casey, a spokesman for Rendon, said the Assembly does not ask for NDAs in settlement agreements. The Speaker agrees with both the Legislative Womens Caucus and the Rules Committee chair that any sexual harassment policy should be both bicameral and bipartisan, Casey said. Facebook

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California plans to send out licenses for pot sales this month  but they wont be effective until Jan. 1 By Patrick McGreevy Patrons shop at Bud and Bloom, a Santa Ana marijuana dispensary, last year. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) California officials said Wednesday they plan to use email before the new year to send out some licenses to sell marijuana to speed up the transition to a regulated market. The licenses will not go into effect until Jan. 1. Proposition 64, which legalized the sale of marijuana for recreational use, required the state to begin issuing licenses by Jan. 1. Because that date is a state holiday, the bureau originally planned to begin sending them out on Jan. 2. That has changed. Much of the date discussion  Jan. 1 versus Jan. 2  was based on whether or not wed be able to be open on a state holiday, said Alex Traverso, a bureau spokesman. The solution to that issue was to issue licenses with an effective date of Jan. 1 since licenses will be issued electronically. That eliminates the need to have the office open on Jan. 1. He said that, as of Wednesday, the bureau has not yet sent out any emails with licenses approved to begin operating Jan. 1. Facebook

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Californias budget director makes last ditch effort to urge GOP members to vote against tax plan By Sarah D. Wire House Republicans hold a news conference after the House passed the GOP tax bill. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) As closed-door negotiations over the final tax bill come to an end, the head of the California Department of Finance is making a last-ditch effort to convince Republicans in the states congressional delegation to vote against the plan. In a letter to the entire delegation Wednesday, Finance Department Director Michael Cohen detailed 10 issues in the current tax proposals about which the state is worried. Some of Cohens concerns may be addressed in the deal that House and Senate leaders said they reached Wednesday morning. Details of the agreement are not yet public. Cohens concerns range from potentially billions less in federal funding available to California to offset the $1.4 trillion the plan is expected to add to the federal deficit, to the environmental effect of ending green energy tax credits. Californias 39 Democratic representatives are expected to oppose the final tax bill, which could come before both chambers of Congress by early next week. Three California Republicans  Reps. Darrell Issa of Vista, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Tom McClintock of Elk Grove  voted against the original House version, and several other California Republicans have indicated they might be willing to vote against the final plan. Cohen specifically pointed to issues that have been raised by the uncertain House members, including the proposal to lower the cap on the mortgage interest deduction, the plan to limit state and local tax deductions and the elimination of a deduction for uninsured personal property damaged in natural disasters such as fires. Facebook

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California lawmakers have fought sexual misconduct on military bases, farms and college campuses. Will they police their own house? By Jazmine Ulloa Over the past decade, California lawmakers have worked to help curb sexual violence in the workplace and other spheres of public life. They have pushed college campuses to keep better track of incident reports, created whistleblower protections for military officers who file claims and established sexual harassment training for farmworkers and janitors. Now, as more than 140 women have come forward in an open letter to denounce a pervasive culture of sexual harassment in the California Legislature, activists and employment lawyers say lawmakers have not held colleagues and staffers to the same standards demanded of those in other fields. Members [of the state Assembly and Senate] are quick at pointing the finger at other folks, said Fiona Ma, a former Democratic assemblywoman from San Francisco who is now running for state treasurer. But they dont want to look inside and fix their own house, air their own dark, dirty laundry. Read More Facebook

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Californias cap-and-trade climate program could generate more than $8 billion by 2027, report says By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown signs an extension of Californias cap-and-trade program in July. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) Although Californias cap-and-trade program was designed to combat climate change, a new analysis predicts it could also provide significant cash  as much as $8 billion in a decades time  for state and regional programs. The report issued Tuesday by the independent Legislative Analysts Office projects a wide range of revenue generated by the sale of permits for companies to emit greenhouse gases beyond a state-ordered emissions cap. The most recent auction of those emission permits brought in more than $800 million. The analysis warns that annual cap-and-trade revenue beyond 2020 is highly uncertain, and offers a possible range from $2 billion in 2018 to almost $7 billion in 2030  the final year of the program under legislation Gov. Jerry Brown signed in July. The estimate of $8.3 billion in 2027 is the high-water mark for any year in the report. Researchers cite a number of factors that make a specific prediction impossible, including future technology that allows industries to cut greenhouse gas emissions easily and thus pass on purchasing emission allowances. While it is clear that there will be additional revenues to the state beyond 2020, the amount that will be generated annually is highly uncertain, the report reads. Money collected from the sale of pollution permits is required to be spent on programs combating climate change. A portion of the money also is earmarked for the states high-speed rail program. The report urges lawmakers to provide oversight for future decisions made by the California Air Resources Board, the agency that has taken the lead on climate change efforts. In particular, the analysts warn that allowing businesses to stockpile too many permits  ones bought at current low prices  could lead to excessive greenhouse gas emissions in future years, potentially even causing the state to miss its annual benchmark as soon as 2024. Facebook

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Vice President Pence meets with California lawmakers about massive fires By Sarah D. Wire Briefed bipartisan group of California reps on the fed response to #CAwildfires. @POTUS approved an emergency declaration last Friday & @forestservice is providing air & ground assets including 1,000 personnel. Together, we will help the people of CA restore, rebuild & recover. pic.twitter.com/zn7QdbCZOQ  Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) December 12, 2017 A handful of California representatives discussed the federal response to their states wildfires Tuesday with Vice President Mike Pence. Attending the West Wing meeting were House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Corona), Darrell Issa (R-Vista), Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village), Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) and Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara). It was a very bipartisan-spirited meeting. He clearly understood the significance of the fires and the impacts, Brownley said after the meeting. She said Pence offered federal assistance and recognized that recovery was going to be very important and that we want to work together to make sure that we can get the resources needed. President Trump signed an emergency declaration for the Southern California fires last week. Pence visited California this fall to view fire damage in Northern California. He stayed engaged and specifically wanted to make sure that FEMA and the other organizations were continuing to meet or exceed all expectations, Issa said after the meeting. We mostly thanked him for the fact that hes taken a personal interest and his team has been at the heart of the domestic coordination. There was no discussion about reinstating a federal tax deduction for uninsured damage repairs that would end up in the House and Senate tax bills, Brownley said. If you cant deduct uninsured property loss, its devastating. It would be devastating, Brownley said. Facebook

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We must talk about the health aspects of climate change, Schwarzenegger says in Paris By Kim Willsher (Thibault Camus / Associated Press) He showed up at Paris City Hall on Monday on a green bicycle and wearing a green tie to talk climate change with the mayor. But Arnold Schwarzenegger almost didnt make the trip from Los Angeles. One of the wildfires scorching Southern California was threatening his home. Luckily we have extraordinary firefighters, he told a group of officials and journalists. The actor and former governor of California was speaking in Paris as the founder of R20, a nonprofit based in Geneva that aims to help regional, state and local governments reduce their carbon emissions by developing clean energy sources. Read More Facebook

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A special recall election for state Sen. Josh Newman would cost a lot more than waiting for the June primary, state says By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) faces a recall campaign (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) State finance officials said Monday it would cost about $2.67 million for a special election on the recall of state Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), but only $931,000 to put his potential recall on the regular June primary ballot, which will also feature races for governor and congressional seats. The savings  and the time it took to complete the financial assessment  could give ammunition to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown to put the recall measure on the primary ballot, possibly improving Newmans chance of staying in office. The higher turnout expected in the primary might benefit Newman as he tries to fend off the Republican recall drive. The financial analysis was a new requirement of a law approved this year by the Democrat-controlled Legislature that has slowed the Newman recall. Brown and legislators now have 30 days to review the election cost report. The deadline for calling a special election was last week, 180 days before the June 5 primary, although state officials have been known to extend such deadlines. In this case, that is unlikely. Carl Demaio, a former San Diego City councilman who is leading the Republican-funded recall, denounced the lengthy new process Monday, but said it will not save Newmans political career. This is about a shameful tactic by Sacramento politicians to keep politicians who break public trust and engage in misconduct in office for as long as possible, he said. Republicans launched the recall after Newman voted with the majority of le
Bipartisan negotiations over protecting so-called Dreamers from deportation have stalled over demands from President Trump and Republican lawmakers that any new law also include tougher measures on legal and illegal immigration.

The legislative impasse persists more than two months after Trump ordered a gradual end to an Obama administration program known as DACA, for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, to give Congress time to act on an alternative. Failure to reach agreement by December could jeopardize action on a separate government-funding bill, threatening a shutdown.

Under Trumps DACA order in September, starting on March 6 nearly 700,000 people brought to the country illegally as children will become eligible for deportation as their work permits and deportation deferrals begin expiring on a rolling basis.

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Trump, at the time of his order, called on Congress to devise a law providing some protections  a reflection of the popularity of Dreamers, most of whom have hardly known any home but the United States, and now work, serve in the military or go to college. Later, however, he outlined conditions, which Democratic leaders criticized as violating their tentative agreement with him.

Democrats have threatened to block a must-pass bill to fund the government by Dec. 8, when the current government-spending law expires, if it doesnt include provisions to create a path to legal status for Dreamers. Republicans want to keep the budget and immigration proposals separate. The two sides arent close to an agreement, according to three people involved in the negotiations.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, said flatly Tuesday on Fox News that DACA would not be part of the December funding bill. Yet he expressed optimism on CNBC on Wednesday: We know we are going to do a DACA fix. Its going to have to have a lot of other things to it for border enforcement.

The top Democrats in Congress, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, thought they had made a preliminary deal with Trump during an Oval Office meeting in September, at the time of his DACA order. As they described it, and Trump initially seemed to agree, the deal ultimately would extend work permits and protections from deportation for those already in the DACA program in exchange for more border security funding.

A few weeks later, Trump started specifying more conditions.

First he wrote on Twitter that any bill would have to curb the ability of recent American citizens to sponsor family members to join them as legal immigrants, what Trump has repeatedly referred to as chain migration.

In October, the White House released a lengthy list of immigration limits to be included in any immigration bill that reaches Trumps desk. Among them: a reduction in legal immigration visas, penalties for cities and localities that dont cooperate fully with federal immigration authorities, and a mandate that employers use the governments E-Verify system to ensure that workers they hire are legal residents.

If were gonna do something, we have to get something in return, he said in a Fox interview with Sean Hannity last week. And what I want is tremendous border regulation, I want the wall, and were gonna get other things, and were gonna see if we can work something out.

Many of the initiatives are non-starters for Democrats, who saw the new demands as reflecting the influence of nativists on Trumps White House staff.

Talks have sputtered since then, with no sign of a path forward. On Oct. 5 the government ceased granting work permits and deportation deferrals, or renewing old ones, which means hundreds of young immigrants could start losing their jobs every week as their two-year work permits expire in March.

Lawmakers of both parties who represent large populations of immigrant families are already hearing concerns from constituents about how the rolling shutdown of DACA will affect their lives and businesses.

Waiting until March to pass a legislative fix would be too late, said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Florida Republican who has worked closely with House Democrats in the past on failed efforts to hammer out immigration deals.

These are folks that have jobs, that are going to school, that have mortgages, he said Thursday. As far as urgency, thats number one.

Several Republican lawmakers have met with Democrats over the past several weeks to see where there might be room to make a deal, Diaz-Balart said.

There are a lot of positive conversations taking place, he said. Are we there? No. Can we get there? We have to.

On the Senate side, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, has asked for a solution from a small group of Republican senators that includes the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, and Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Graham co-sponsored the Dream Act, a bipartisan bill that would create a path to legal status for Dreamers. Democrats essentially want Trump to accept that legislation.

The main negotiators among Democrats in the Senate are Schumer and Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, who has worked closely with Graham on ways to protect Dreamers in the past.

CHAIN MIGRATION cannot be allowed to be part of any legislation on Immigration!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2017

Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

brian.bennett@latimes.com
Arsen Babayan: Rumors on 2 million drams is unreasonable

MTS Armenia, a telecommunication service provider in Armenia, denies the statement made by Arsen Babayan, Head of the Public Relations Department of the NA Staff, alleging that the company yielded Hermine Naghdalyan's telephone services charges. Arsen Babayan, Head of the RA NA Public Relations Department, in a conversation with aysor.am tried to deny the information provided by armtimes.com that Armenian MP Hermine Naghdalyan's debt of 2 million drams for mobile phone conversations was paid from the state budget. "Rumors on 2 million drams is unreasonable. There was no such amount. Already in May, H. Naghdalyan's mobile phone debt was big which was called in question by the NA. As a result of VivaCell-MTS's research, it turned out that the debt arose because of the technical problem, in particular, the 3G connection was connected to the roaming network. The company withdrew its account already in May. Therefore, the NA staff has not paid money, as there was no need to submit a claim for compensation, "A. Babayan said. "MTS Armenia" provides all its subscribers, whether they are individuals, organizations or state agencies, providing services on the basis of the relevant agreements and the terms stipulated therein, including tariffs. The bills and payments are made in accordance with the same contracts and applicable legal acts. In connection with the issues raised recently in the media, the Company has conducted an internal investigation and can assure with full responsibility that the Company did not have any technical defect in the accounts being written off, the accounts for the services were properly presented, they have reviewed by the Company and were paid by the subscriber. Details are available here
Californias House Republicans took another tough vote Thursday, opting to approve a tax overhaul expected to cost many Californians more in taxes. Several of the Republicans said they supported the bill because they think a compromise with the Senate will make it better.

I dont know if theyre going to make it better, but well see, said Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), who is among the Republicans considered vulnerable in next years election. There are some things in the Senate bill I like, there are some things in there that I dont like.

Supporting a bill in hopes that the Senate will improve it is similar to the tactic the Republicans tried in the spring when the GOP attempted to push through a controversial effort to repeal and replace Obamacare. But the Senate never mustered enough support to pass a healthcare bill, leaving all 14 California Republicans with a yes vote on their record and nothing to show for it.

Three Republicans  Reps. Darrell Issa of Vista, Tom McClintock of Elk Grove and Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa  joined Democrats in opposing the tax plan, which passed 227 to 205. The lawmakers said they couldnt vote for a bill that raised taxes on Californians. Issa and Rohrabacher are considered to be among the most vulnerable House members in the country.

Democrats, who are lambasting the GOP healthcare votes in ads, have warned vulnerable GOP members their yes tax votes will be used against them as Democrats work to regain power in the House.

After their deafening silence, any California Republican who votes for the GOP tax scam will be forced to answer why they care so little for their constituents, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said in a statement this week.

The current Senate tax bill contains even deeper cuts to state and local tax breaks that are popular with Californians but maintains the mortgage interest deduction at its current level instead of cutting it in half as the House plan does. It also repeals Obamacares individual mandate, a move that could further complicate the situation for California members who represent districts with a lot of Obamacare enrollees.

Some Republicans in the California delegation are hoping the final result will be palatable enough for voters who could lose thousands of dollars in popular tax deductions.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona), who stood with House leadership in a news conference after the vote, told The Times on Wednesday that they will keep moving in the right direction. I think the bill will continue to be improved.

Its not the final outcome on it. We still have a ways to go, Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) said. The all-important final vote on the conference bill will be where the rubber meets the road.

Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) said she voted for the bill because she got assurances from House leaders that the compromise version with the Senate will address the effect of the lost deductions.

Im a lot more confident with this bill because I think weve seen the process move forward with ... not a lot of drama, and both houses have worked really hard and worked well together, and I dont believe that our bill is that far apart from the Senate bill, she said.

Members have been hit with negative ads, calls from voters and protests at their offices, but public reaction to the tax bill has been muted compared with the outpouring of opposition over the threat to Obamacare in the spring. Much of the tax reform opposition has come from interest groups advocating for provisions that affect their industry, such as home builders or the real estate industry, which are opposed to further limits on the mortgage interest deduction.

Walters said she saw more pushback on the healthcare bill.

We dont have that same campaign going on this time, I think because by and large people know that they want a tax break and more money in their pocket, so theyre not as motivated to go against this plan, Walters said.

Republicans in the delegation largely kept their concerns about the bill private since the tax plan was introduced, and they noticeably didnt work with Republicans from other high-tax states to negotiate on the reduction in tax breaks. The members staff said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield recognized it would be a difficult vote for some of his fellow California lawmakers even though the party is desperate for a legislative win going into 2018. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan even went to the delegations weekly lunch Wednesday to answer questions.

(L.A. Times graphics)

Rohrabacher said there was a lot of pressure from House leadership to vote for the bill, but it was calls from constituents about how much their taxes would go up that swayed him. He is also considered a vulnerable member in 2018.

Rohrabacher said the doubled standard deduction in the House plan isnt enough to offset the loss of the deductions in his coastal Orange County district. Hes open to voting for a compromise bill if that changes.

This was not an easy vote to figure out, it was not an easy vote to determine, but when my constituents who are very good with their numbers tell me that they are going to be [paying] $5,000 to $10,000 more in taxes, Im supposed to represent their interests, Rohrabacher said.

After pushing colleagues for changes all week, McClintock decided Thursday morning to vote no. Its the first major vote he's taken since Democrats added his district to their target list this month.

I knew this morning when we could not get a commitment to protect all taxpayers, said McClintock. I made a pledge not to raise taxes. This bill raises taxes on a significant number of my constituents and Californians disproportionate to the population.

Issa, who was among the Republicans who said he voted for the healthcare bill because it would be fixed in the Senate, said voting for a bad tax bill wasnt going to make it any better.

Several Republican members from rural districts that would be less affected by the tax break reductions enthusiastically supported the bill.

My district is very different, obviously, than the rest of California, Central Valley Rep. David Valadao said. My situation is different than what is going on in San Francisco and the coast. Overall for my constituents, this is actually a really good piece of legislation.

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

Read more about the 55 members of California's delegation at latimes.com/politics

ALSO:

California could flip the House, and these 13 races will make the difference

Updates on California politics

UPDATES:

3:30 p.m. This article was updated with reaction from lawmakers.

This article was originally published at 11:55 a.m.
Chris Keena feels obliged to explain: He really is a Republican  honest!  before launching his critique of the Republican tax bill that just passed the House.

I dont believe in trickle-down theory, said the 70-year-old retired attorney from Irvine. The money they save  Ive seen it in business  the money they save at the top, they keep at the top. It doesnt trickle down.

I hate to sound like a radical, he went on, and I guess it doesnt go with being a Republican, but its a reality. There are a lot of people struggling here. The image is everyone is fat and happy. Theyre not. Theyre not.

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The sweeping tax-cut package, which passed Thursday with overwhelming support from Californias GOP House members, seems almost singularly designed to punish the state and its Democratic legion of Trump tormentors.

Eliminating most of the deduction for state and local taxes would be a hefty blow to millions of Californians. The same for a proposed cap on deducting property taxes and mortgage interest  write-offs that make the purchase of that charming $750,000 starter home a bit more attainable, if no less insane.

It goes on.

Repealing tax incentives that help pay for low-cost housing would almost surely exacerbate a desperate housing shortage, which is already stifling job growth.

And in a move that seems just plain spiteful, the bill would take away the deduction for uninsured personal losses from wildfire and earthquakes, two of Californias great tribulations, while preserving it for hurricane victims.

It may be a tax cut for Wisconsin and Kansas and Iowa. But it is not a tax-cut bill for individual taxpayers in California, said Carolyn Cavecche, head of the Orange County Taxpayers Assn., which is not exactly a hotbed of Marxist sentiments.

It may be a tax cut for Wisconsin and Kansas and Iowa. But it is not a tax-cut bill for individual taxpayers in California.  Carolyn Cavecche, head of the Orange County Taxpayers Assn.

With scant room to spare, GOP House leaders needed almost the entire 14-member California Republican delegation to move their tax plan forward. All save three  Tom McClintock, Darrell Issa and Dana Rohrabacher  voted yes.

That carries no small risk, especially here in Orange County, where lawmakers high on the Democratic target list, including Issa and Rohrabacher, are caught between constituents losing their cherished deductions and party chiefs demanding fealty.

Mimi Walters, a second-term congresswoman from Irvine, was another in that bind.

California could flip the House, and these 13 races could make the difference 

Her district, extending roughly from Anaheim Hills south to Mission Viejo, is one of the most affluent in California, and taxpayers there are some of the biggest beneficiaries of the state and local tax deductions, as well as the write-off for mortgage interest.

Some, like Jim Nowakowski, are convinced the big cut in corporate taxes will bring more jobs and, as advocates promise, greater prosperity all around.

If I had money sitting offshore and could bring it back at a lower tax rate and hire another 30, 40 people, grow my plant, Id do that in an instant, said Nowakowski, 75, who owns a business that cleans and repairs costumes for Disneyland.

Losing some deductions would be worth the trade-off, said the Tustin resident, especially if it made Sacramento think harder about spending. Maybe they dont have so many damn taxes on people, he said.

But in two days of conversation around the district, many more viewed the tax bill as an unwarranted giveaway to the rich, paid for by those already struggling to stay afloat.

And it wasnt just partisan Democrats.

Scott Tullius, 47, who calls himself a libertarian-leaning independent, said deducting thousands of dollars in mortgage interest on his Lake Forest home boosts the tax refund he relies on each year.

With three kids  ages 6 to 16  theres things that wouldnt get done without it, said Tullius, who works for Irvines Office of Emergency Management. For the working-class person, were just making it by week to week, month to month.

Louis Manginelli said he would like to see a tax cut that benefits small businesses such as his catering operation and not large corporations. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times )

Oldrich Kolar, who runs a Tustin law firm, questioned the haste of pushing through tax legislation just so Republicans can say they did so once the calendar turns to the election year 2018.

By the time it gets around to final passage  should the legislation make it that far  I just hope  weve had enough debate, a conscious, smart debate, so were not just trying to make a political statement, were not just trying to make a timing statement, said the 53-year-old Republican and self-described member of the top 1% to 2%.

Walters said she supported the bill after being assured changes would be made once House lawmakers hash out their differences with the Senate, which is weighing its own version of a tax-cut bill. That, of course, assumes the Senate is kinder to California  no sure bet  or doesnt kill the effort entirely, leaving those like Walters on a sawed-off limb.

Rep. Mimi Walters has gone out on a limb by supporting tax legislation that has many of her Orange County constituents unhappy. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times )

Back in the 1980s, lawmakers decided to stuff the countrys nuclear waste in a big hole in the Nevada desert.

The backroom deal, which eliminated sites in Texas and Washington state from consideration, was greased by the fact no one from Nevada was around to object.

The proposed dump at Yucca Mountain, about 100 miles outside Las Vegas, immediately sparked political warfare and remains stalled all these years later. But the treachery is still renowned as the Screw Nevada Bill.

The Republican tax legislation, as it stands, could carry the same blunt appellation as regards California.

Woe to those defending it in an already tough political climate: Voter indignation is not something you can just bury in a desert hole.

mark.barabak@latimes.com

@markzbarabak on Twitter

ALSO

See how Californias lawmakers voted on the tax plan

Heres why Republicans could help send Dianne Feinstein back to Washington  even if they cant stand her

No one has ever gone straight from City Hall to the White House. Could L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti end that streak?

Heres why Californias early 2020 primary is destined to pick the next president. (Nah, not really)
The House, the Senate and President Trump are all about to leave Washington for a Thanksgiving break  members of Congress to their districts, the president to his Mar-a-Lago resort.

When they return, a years worth of work awaits them: a tax bill, immigration issues, childrens healthcare, and the strong possibility of a partial shutdown of the federal government, all vying for attention with a wild Senate race in Alabama, which features allegations that the Republican candidate, as a younger man, committed sexual misconduct with teenagers.

For Republicans, whose congressional majority currently seems very much at risk, December could be a final opportunity to show voters that they can effectively govern.

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Im David Lauter, Washington bureau chief. Welcome to the Friday edition of our Essential Politics newsletter, in which we look at the events of the week in Washington and elsewhere in national politics and highlight some particularly insightful stories.

TAX CUT TAKES ONE STEP FORWARD, HALF STEP BACK

The House passed its version of the tax cut on Thursday, as Lisa Mascaro and Jim Puzzanghera reported, with only a handful of Republican members from New York, New Jersey and California defecting.

The Republicans who voted no come from suburban districts with high real estate costs  places where the tax bills limit on the mortgage interest deduction and elimination of the deduction for state and local income taxes will cause a lot of families to see a tax increase, not a cut.

Already, as Mark Barabak found in Orange County, the tax bill has become a serious problem for Republicans going into next years midterm elections.

Some of the California Republicans who voted for the bill said they hoped the Senate  or a House-Senate conference  would fix provisions that would raise taxes on some of their constituents. Thats possible.

First, though, the Senate has its own problems to solve.

Pushed by conservatives, including Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and by Trump, Senate leaders agreed to wrap into their version of the tax bill a repeal of the Obamacare requirement that people buy insurance.

The attraction for Republicans was three-fold: Repealing the so-called individual mandate would remove the most unpopular element of the Affordable Care Act. It would partially reverse the sting from the GOPs repeated failure to keep its promise to repeal the law entirely. And the repeal would save the government money by reducing spending on insurance subsidies. That helps pay for the tax cut.

But that money has to come from some place. The politically uncomfortable fact, according to the non-partisan congressional scorekeepers who provide the guideposts for the tax debate, is that it mostly comes out of the pockets of people earning less than $30,000 a year.

Republican leaders insist that the official estimate overstates the harm to low-income Americans. Theres a good chance that theyre right  even the people who do the forecasts concede the estimate may be too big.

The problem for the GOP is that if theyre right, it also means that repeal of the mandate would save less money than theyre claiming, meaning that the tax cut would cause an even larger increase in the deficit.

All that has GOP senators raising doubts about the bill. When it comes to the floor, it faces a squeeze: Some Republicans, including Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Jeff Flake of Arizona, worry about swelling the deficit too much. Others, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have concerns about the impact on healthcare. Friday morning, Murkowski said she would agree to repeal of the Obamacare mandate only if a separate, bipartisan healthcare bill by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) had been signed into law.

Theres also the worry, as Noam Levey explained, that the deficit increase will trigger automatic, big Medicare cuts, which would be politically painful.

That sounds very much like the scenario that led to the defeat of the Obamacare repeal earlier this year. The difference is that on healthcare, many Republicans really didnt want to see the repeal pass, even some of those who voted for it. On tax cuts, Republicans do want to get to yes. Finding a pathway, however, remains hard.

THE BATTLE OF ALABAMA

Complicating the picture even further, Republicans could lose the Senate seat from Alabama, which would reduce their current two-vote majority in the Senate to one vote. Thats a big reason why Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is extremely eager to get the tax bill through the Senate before the Alabama election on Dec. 12.

The latest polls mostly show the Democrat, Doug Jones, holding a lead over Roy Moore, the Republican, who has made repeated, but non-specific, denials of the accusations against him. With the GOP holding such a slim margin in the Senate, Trumps agenda could be at stake.

Moore could still win; Alabama is among the most Republican states in the country, and polling a special election is always hard since turnout is hard to predict. A Democrat has not won a Senate election in Alabama since 1992, when Sen. Richard Shelby won  only to switch parties two years later.

But the parade of national Republican figures who say they believe the allegations are true has clearly taken a toll. This week, as new women continued to step forward with sometimes graphic accusations, including assault, Shelby joined the chorus of GOP leaders saying Moore should quit the race. Republican leaders in Washington even said that if Moore won, they might move to expel him.

Moore has remained defiant, and the Alabama GOP has stuck with him. So, too, have many of the conservative evangelical voters who have long seen him as a champion. But in upscale, suburban Republican precincts, lawns have begun sprouting Jones signs.

As Jennie Jarvie found, the allegations against Moore have posed a tough controversy for Alabama Baptists.

Republican leaders in Washington had hoped that Trump would bail them out by pushing Moore to quit. He hasnt.

HARASSMENT ON CAPITOL HILL

Trump did find his voice to criticize a Democrat, Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota. As Cathy Decker wrote, Franken apologized and agreed to an ethics investigation on Thursday after he was accused of harassment by a woman who joined him on a USO tour in 2006, when he was still a professional comedian.

The allegations hit after a week in which women shared stories of sexual harassment and assaults on Capitol Hill, as Sarah Wire wrote.

Franken is almost certainly not alone in having some credible allegations of misconduct in his past. An Ethics Committee proceeding could give Senate Democratic and Republican leaders a chance to figure out how theyre going to handle such cases and what punishment will be considered proper, at least in situations where the misconduct happened before a lawmaker was elected.

In a male-dominated institution like the Senate, expulsion seems unlikely, and Franken doesnt have to face voters until 2020. His accuser, Leeann Tweeden, a news anchor on KABC in Los Angeles, said she doesnt think he needs to resign.

So, unless more allegations surface, his career may survive, although this falls boomlet of Franken for President talk is probably over. But there are surely many powerful men on Capitol Hill who looked at the mornings headlines and shuddered.

OTHER NOTABLE STORIES

The bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) ended with a deadlocked jury and a mistrial, a severe blow to the Justice Department. It was the first trial of a sitting senator in nearly a decade. The last one ended in a conviction that was later overturned because of misconduct by prosecutors.

The Trump administrations environmental rollbacks are hitting California hard, Evan Halper wrote. Despite state officials vows to resist, the state lacks the ability to pick up a lot of the regulatory work the federal government is abandoning.

Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions angrily denied lying to Congress about Trump campaign Russia contacts.

Elsewhere on the administration personnel front, Trump picked a new Health and Human Services secretary, Alex Azar, a former pharmaceutical executive and a high-ranking Health and Human Services official during George W. Bushs second term. His background sharply contrasts with Tom Price, who was forced to resign after he billed taxpayers for unnecessary and expensive charter flights.

And Richard Cordray, one of the last Obama administration holdovers in a key post, announced he is resigning as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

TRUMPS ASIA TRIP SEEMS SO LONG AGO

But it just ended Tuesday. As Brian Bennett and Noah Bierman wrote, the president was flattered across Asia, and flattered back, but returned with little.

Trump, of course, saw matters differently and proclaimed the trip a great success in a speech Wednesday that cited no major breakthroughs, but was memorable for his awkward swigs of imported Fiji water.

ALL THE PRESIDENTS TWEETS

Toward the end of the trip, Trumps chief of staff, John Kelly, insisted, I do not follow the tweets. But we do. Twitter has long been Trumps favored means of pushing his message. Were compiling all of Trumps tweets. Its a great resource. Take a look.

LOGISTICS

That wraps up this week. Well take a break next Friday for the holiday. But my colleague Christina Bellantoni will be back Monday with the weekday edition of Essential Politics. Until then, keep track of all the developments in national politics and the Trump administration with our Essential Washington blog, at our Politics page and on Twitter @latimespolitics.

Send your comments, suggestions and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

If you like this newsletter, tell your friends to sign up.

David.lauter@latimes.com

@davidlauter
Trump promotes sons Justice with Judge Jeanine interview President Trump promoted via Twitter an interview with his son Eric Trump just before it aired Saturday night on Fox News Justice with Judge Jeanine. Eric Trump on @JudgeJeanine on @FoxNews now!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 Eric Trump called into the show to defend his father from criticism prompted by the first government shutdown in more than four years, as well as a series of Womens March events that saw protesters in dozens of cities take to the streets to oppose the presidents policies. .@EricTrump joined me over the phone from Mar-a-Lago ! pic.twitter.com/Hro3TzUW52  Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) January 21, 2018 Speaking to host Jeannine Piro  who is reportedly an old friend of the presidents  Eric Trump offered effusive praise for his father, ticking off glowing statistics to illustrate the strength of the U.S. economy and gains against Islamic State fighters overseas. My fathers working like no ones ever worked before to bring back this country and to fulfill his promise to make America great again, said the executive vice president of the Trump Organization. He also repeated a sentiment recently expressed on Twitter by his father: That Democratic lawmakers forced a government shutdown on the anniversary of the presidents inauguration in a bid to distract from his achievements. You look at this whole government shutdown, and the only reason they want to shut down government is to distract and to stop his momentum, Eric Trump said. I mean, my father has had incredible momentum. Hes gotten more done in one year than arguably any president in history. Facebook

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Trump tweets: a perfect day for all Women to March President Trump hailed the nationwide Womens March gatherings Saturday. On Twitter, the president called it a perfect day for all Women to March, seeming to imply that those taking part were celebrating his administrations accomplishments: Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Participants in the marches across the United States were actually seeking to deliver a powerful rebuke to Trumps policies and mount a crucial mobilization for this years midterm elections. But Trump continued to tout his administrations unprecedented success in tweets sent later in the day: Unprecedented success for our Country, in so many ways, since the Election. Record Stock Market, Strong on Military, Crime, Borders, & ISIS, Judicial Strength & Numbers, Lowest Unemployment for Women & ALL, Massive Tax Cuts, end of Individual Mandate - and so much more. Big 2018!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The Trump Administration has terminated more UNNECESSARY Regulation, in just twelve months, than any other Administration has terminated during their full term in office, no matter what the length. The good news is, THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 In addition to the roll call of major American cities where womens marches took place  including New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta  protesters also raised their voices in suburbs and small towns, reflecting the aim of coalescing a broad-based movement on the anniversary of Trumps inauguration to oppose the presidents stance on immigration, healthcare, racial divides and an array of other issues. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Trump calls shutdown a present from Democrats By Associated Press President Trump is blaming Democrats for the government shutdown  tweeting that they wanted to give him a nice present to mark the one-year anniversary of his inauguration: This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 That comes after Senate Democrats late Friday killed a GOP-written House-passed measure that would have kept agencies functioning for four weeks. Democrats were seeking a stopgap bill of just a few days in hopes that would build pressure on Republicans, and they were opposing a three-week alternative offered by GOP leaders. Democrats have insisted they would back legislation reopening the government once theres a bipartisan agreement to preserve protections against deporting about 700,000 immigrants  known as Dreamers  who arrived in the United States illegally as children. Trump on Saturday accused Democrats of holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration: Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration. Cant let that happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Democrats are laying fault for the shutdown on Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the White House and have struggled with building internal consensus. In a series of tweets hours after the shutdown began, the president tried to make the case for Americans to elect more Republicans to Congress in November in order to power through this mess: Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 He noted that there are 51 Republicans in the 100-member Senate, and it often takes 60 votes to advance legislation: For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 #AMERICA FIRST!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The stopgap spending measure won 50 votes in the Senate, including five from Democrats. Although the House and Senate were in session Saturday, it was unclear whether lawmakers would take any votes of consequence. Trump had been set to leave Friday afternoon for a fundraiser at his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., where he intended to mark the inauguration anniversary. But he remained in Washington and ended up scrapping his plans to attend the Saturday fundraiser. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet casts doubt on likelihood of averting shutdown President Trump appeared to cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown Friday night in a tweet. Trump also sought to blame Democrats for what would be the first shutdown since 2013. His message came just hours before the midnight deadline by which lawmakers must pass a measure to fund government agencies, or some operations will cease. Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border. Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Despite last-minute negotiations Friday between Trump and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Congress remained deadlocked over a spending bill and the federal government was headed toward a shutdown at midnight. Senate Democrats  joined by some GOP deficit hawks and immigration allies  were set to filibuster a stopgap funding bill approved by the House on Thursday. A Senate vote was planned for 10 p.m. Eastern, and even White House officials predicted it would fail. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Lisa Mascaro. Facebook

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Trump signs surveillance law after confusing tweets By Associated Press President Trump on Friday signed a bill into law to renew a foreign intelligence surveillance program, announcing his action in the latest in a series of confusing tweets about the spy program: Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection. This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2018 Trumps tweet on Jan. 11 created chaos in the House just before it voted to reauthorize what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He linked the intelligence program to a dossier that alleges his presidential campaign had ties to Russia. That caused people to wonder if he didnt support the program that allows U.S. spy agencies to collect intelligence on foreign targets abroad. Trump and other Republicans have alleged that Obama administration officials improperly shared the identities of Trump presidential transition team members mentioned in intelligence reports. Democrats say there is no evidence that happened. Shortly before the House vote, and after conferring with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Trump did an apparent about-face. This vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land, he tweeted. We need it! Get smart! In his tweet announcing that he had just signed the bill, Trump wrote: This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first! There are no obvious links between the dossier Trump spoke of, which includes salacious but unsubstantiated allegations against him, and the reauthorization of the spying program, or between the program and Trumps oft-repeated claims that the Obama administration conducted surveillance on Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests that Pennsylvania trip is a political one The White House press office was once again forced to walk back a tweet from President Trump on Thursday morning after he described a trip to Pennsylvania later in the day as a political one  a statement that would force the Republican Party, not taxpayers, to pay for the journey. The White House had said Trump was going to an industrial equipment company outside of Pittsburgh to highlight the good economy and new tax cuts, making it an official, policy-oriented event. It was widely assumed that the trip had a political cast  the area is holding a special election to fill a congressional seat vacated by a Republican who resigned. Trump, by his tweet, seemed to confirm that politics was the whole purpose: Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 Trump later shared via Twitter a pair of video clips of his speech at H&K Equipment, in which he touted the tax cuts he signed into law just before Christmas and tried to turn the conversation back to his accomplishments after weeks dominated by distractions, including questions about his mental health and comments about immigration that some considered racist: Departing Pittsburgh now, where it was my great honor to stand with our incredible workers, and to show the world that AMERICA is back - and we are coming back bigger and better and stronger than ever before! pic.twitter.com/kWPgylqFzj  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 AMERICA will once again be a NATION that thinks big, dreams bigger, and always reaches for the stars. YOU are the ones who will shape Americas destiny. YOU are the ones who will restore our prosperity. And YOU are the ones who are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/f2abNK47II  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 The Republican National Committee, rather than the White House, is supposed to pay for political travel so that taxpayers are not financing party activities; for trips that combine policy and politics, parties have split the cost under past presidents. Neither the RNC nor the White House responded to emails sent Thursday asking who would pay. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement later Thursday suggesting that taxpayers would foot the bill. She insisted that Trump would be conducting government business while in Pennsylvania. Read More This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump tweets praise of Bob Dole after awarding him Congressional Gold Medal By Associated Press Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole knew the art of the deal before President Trump published the 1987 book of the same name. The two shared a stage under the Capitol dome Wednesday as Dole, 94, accepted Congress highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, for his World War II service and decades of work in the House and Senate. Trump later praised Dole in a tweet, attaching to his message a video composed of clips from the ceremony: Today, we witnessed an incredible moment in history  the presentation of Congress highest civilian honor to our friend, and true AMERICAN HERO, Bob Dole. #CongressionalGoldMedal pic.twitter.com/qNQqDLRmCk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2018 At the ceremony, the president saluted Dole as a patriot and gave tribute to Doles struggle as a veteran who worked his way back from a grievous shoulder wound he suffered in Italy. He knows about grit, said Trump. But it was Doles penchant for working across the aisle that earned him his latest award, according to the legislation. Bob Dole was known for his ability to work across the aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship, reads the legislation Trump signed in September. Some of the awards 300 recipients include George Washington and Mother Teresa, according to the Congressional Research Service. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts report that seeks to link terrorism cases with immigration By Joseph Tanfani The Trump administration on Tuesday released a report attempting to link terrorism with migration, arguing that it was evidence of the need to dramatically reshape the nations immigration system. New report from DOJ & DHS shows that nearly 3 in 4 individuals convicted of terrorism-related charges are foreign-born. We have submitted to Congress a list of resources and reforms....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 ....we need to keep America safe, including moving away from a random chain migration and lottery system, to one that is merit-based. https://t.co/7PtoSFK1n2  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The report, ordered by President Trump in an executive order last year, said that 75% of the 549 people convicted of terrorism charges since 9/11 were born outside the U.S. Administration officials called that a sign that the U.S. needs to scrap its policy of family preferences for visas, which they call chain migration, and a diversity visa lottery program. But the report did not specify how many  if any  of the convicted terrorists entered the country through those means. It also did not detail how many of the convictions were related to attacks or plans in the U.S. versus overseas and how many involved people who went to fight overseas for the Islamic State or another terrorist group. Those details were not available, officials said. The report, due last year, is being released in a highly charged moment in the immigration debate, as Trump and some Republicans in Congress seek tough new border and immigration measures in return for a deal protecting the 690,000 people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump also fired off a pair of tweets on the topic earlier Tuesday: We must have Security at our VERY DANGEROUS SOUTHERN BORDER, and we must have a great WALL to help protect us, and to help stop the massive inflow of drugs pouring into our country!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The Democrats want to shut down the Government over Amnesty for all and Border Security. The biggest loser will be our rapidly rebuilding Military, at a time we need it more than ever. We need a merit based system of immigration, and we need it now! No more dangerous Lottery.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The focus of our immigration system should be assimilation, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition that his name not be used. He said the nation should give priority to potential immigrants who speak English, who have an education and those who are committed to supporting our values  not family members of people already here. The official said the timing of the report was coincidental. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets welcome to president of Kazakhstan By Associated Press President Trump said Tuesday that he and the president of Kazakhstan are united in a shared determination to prevent North Korea from threatening the world with nuclear devastation. Trump and President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed North Korea along with other issues during meetings at the White House. Today, it was my honor to welcome President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/TerYFZViax  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 Trump said Kazakhstan, once part of the Soviet Union, is a valued partner in our efforts to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. Together we are determined to prevent the North Korean regime from threatening the world with nuclear devastation, he said, as both presidents addressed journalists between meetings. Nazarbayev noted that his country once had one of the worlds largest nuclear arsenals but voluntarily gave it up after the Soviet Union collapsed. He said his country is in talks with Iran, which was the focus of a global deal that lifted some economic sanctions in exchange for Irans curbing its nuclear program. Trump has sharply criticized the Iran nuclear deal and threatened last week to pull out soon unless other countries fix what he says are terrible flaws. Read More Facebook

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Trump falsely claims his approval rating among black Americans has doubled By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump lashed out at the news media Tuesday morning in a tweet denouncing the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion among members of his campaign team. Do you notice the Fake News Mainstream Media never likes covering the great and record setting economic news, but rather talks about anything negative or that can be turned into the negative. The Russian Collusion Hoax is dead, except as it pertains to the Dems. Public gets it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the presidents tweet, but it appeared as though he was watching Fox & Friends. A short time later, Trump tweeted a headline from a report that aired during that mornings episode: 90% of Trump 2017 news coverage was negative -and much of it contrived!@foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The segment focused on the latest survey results from conservative watchdog Media Research Center, which purportedly analyzed the evening news broadcasts on ABC, CBS and NBC from Jan. 20 to Dec. 31 and found that 90% of the statements made about Trump were negative. Study: 90% of Trump media coverage in 2017 was negative pic.twitter.com/vbrwup4Drg  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 16, 2018 But believe it or not, through all this negative coverage, they did a survey of 600,000 people about how black America views this president, co-host Brian Kilmeade said. His numbers have actually doubled in approval. Trump highlighted the statement in another tweet: Unemployment for Black Americans is the lowest ever recorded. Trump approval ratings with Black Americans has doubled. Thank you, and it will get even (much) better! @FoxNews  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 But its not true. The claim appears to have originated from a misreading of data from the online polling firm SurveyMonkey, according to factcheck.org. The firm polled 600,000 Americans in 2017 and found that Trumps approval rating among blacks actually dropped from 23% early in his presidency to about 17%, as of the week ending Jan. 3. Some conservative outlets, including Breitbart, produced an average from those and other SurveyMonkey figures and compared them to the scores Trump received from black voters in the 2016 exit polls. That methodology is not sound. And since the statistics measure different things, the comparison is misleading. Facebook

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Trump goes after senator who surfaced his immigration remark By Associated Press President Trump turned his Twitter torment Monday on the Democrat in the room where immigration talks with lawmakers took a famously coarse turn, saying Sen. Richard J. Durbin misrepresented what he had said about African nations and Haiti and, in the process, undermined the trust needed to make a deal. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting, Trump tweeted, using a nickname to needle the Illinois senator. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 Trump was referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects young people who came to the United States illegally as children. Members of Congress from both parties are trying to strike a deal that Trump would support to extend that protection. Trump also cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching an agreement in tweets sent earlier Monday: Statement by me last night in Florida: Honestly, I dont think the Democrats want to make a deal. They talk about DACA, but they dont want to help..We are ready, willing and able to make a deal but they dont want to. They dont want security at the border, they dont want.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 ...to stop drugs, they want to take money away from our military which we cannot do. My standard is very simple, AMERICA FIRST & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 On a day of remembrance for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Trump spent time at his golf course with no public events, bypassing the acts of service that his predecessors staged in honor of the civil rights leader. Instead, Trump dedicated his weekly address to Kings memory, saying Kings dream and Americas are the same: A world where people are judged by who they are, not how they look or where they come from. That message was a distinct counterpoint to words attributed to Trump by Durbin and others at a meeting last week, when the question of where immigrants come from seemed at the forefront of Trumps concerns. Some participants and others familiar with the conversation said Trump challenged immigration from shithole countries of Africa and disparaged Haiti as well. Without explicitly denying using that word, Trump lashed out at the Democratic senator, who said Trump uttered it on several occasions. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks pundit for laudatory Fox & Friends spot By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump thanked Fox News personality Stuart Varney after Varney praised Trump during an appearance on Fox & Friends. In a pair of tweets early Sunday, Trump quoted from Varneys commentary, in which he argued that Trump deserves more credit for the booming economy. The pundit, who also hosts a show on Fox Business Network, cited moves by some corporations to raise workers minimum wage or pay out one-time bonuses in response to the GOP tax cuts. President Trump is not getting the credit he deserves for the economy. Tax Cut bonuses to more than 2,000,000 workers. Most explosive Stock Market rally that weve seen in modern times. 18,000 to 26,000 from Election, and grounded in profitability and growth. All Trump, not 0...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 ...big unnecessary regulation cuts made it all possible (among many other things). President Trump reversed the policies of President Obama, and reversed our economic decline. Thank you Stuart Varney. @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 Varney was reacting to a quote from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who on Thursday called the bonuses handed down to workers pathetic in comparison to the gains corporations are expected to see from the tax cuts. In terms of the bonus that corporate America received versus the crumbs that they are giving to workers to kind of put the schmooze on is so pathetic, Pelosi told reporters. Its pathetic. Varney shot back Sunday that the bonuses, along with explosive stock market growth, are enriching all Americans. This is a huge shot in the arm, its the result of this tax cut deal and I think President Trump should get the credit for it, he said. .@Varneyco Sets the economic record straight after Nancy Pelosi calls U.S. mass bonuses crumbs pic.twitter.com/BvjIHGm3HE  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 14, 2018 The sweeping tax plan passed last month lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and cuts personal income taxes. Analysts say the benefits will largely flow to corporations and the wealthy, as theyre more likely to be in positions to share in corporate profits. For instance, Wells Fargo & Co., which responded to news of the tax overhaul by announcing it will raise workers pay to at least $15 an hour, also reported that it expects to pay an effective tax rate of 19% this year, down from about 31% in previous years. That should amount to tax savings of more than $3 billion annually. On average, middle-class Americans are expected to see a very small tax cut in the near term and a tax increase after 2025, when all of the tax cuts for individuals expire. The tax cuts for corporations, however, are permanent.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer James Rufus Koren. Facebook

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Trump touts MLK proclamation in tweet, but ceremony is overshadowed by reports of racist remarks By Associated Press President Trump signed a proclamation Friday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, noting the contributions of a great American hero. Today, it was my great honor to proclaim January 15, 2018, as Martin Luther King Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service activities in honor of Dr. King's life and legacy. pic.twitter.com/samlJsz1Nt  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 Overshadowing the event was mounting backlash from Trumps comments during a private meeting with lawmakers the day before. A short time after the meeting, which was called to discuss a possible immigration deal, reports emerged that Trump had asked participants why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, the Senates second-ranking Democrat, appeared to confirm those reports on Friday. Trump did not respond Friday to several questions about the incident, including whether he actually used vulgar language to describe African nations, or if he is racist. The president said at the White House that love was central to the slain civil rights leader. Trump said the nation celebrates King for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or place of our birth, we are all created equal by God.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump criticizes Democrats in tweet calling for stricter immigration rules President Trump hit out at Democrats on Thursday night in a tweet calling for stricter immigration rules. Trump wrote that members of the party seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the border with Mexico: The Democrats seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the Southern Border, risking thousands of lives in the process. It is my duty to protect the lives and safety of all Americans. We must build a Great Wall, think Merit and end Lottery & Chain. USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the tweet. Earlier Thursday, Trump rejected a bipartisan compromise to resolve the standoff over so-called Dreamers, young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children but have temporary permits to work, attend school or serve in the military. The president drew widespread condemnation after reports emerged that he had asked participants in an Oval Office meeting about the proposal why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts bill aimed at improving border screening for fentanyl By Associated Press President Trump signed legislation Wednesday aimed at giving Customs and Border Protection agents additional screening devices and other tools to stop the flow of illicit drugs. Speaking at a surprise bill-signing ceremony while flanked by members of Congress from both parties in the Oval Office, Trump described the bill as a significant step forward in the fight against powerful opioids such as fentanyl, which he called our new big scourge. He echoed that language Thursday in a tweet: Yesterday, I signed the #INTERDICTAct (H.R. 2142) with bipartisan members of Congress to help end the flow of drugs into our country. Together, we are committed to doing everything we can to combat the deadly scourge of drug addiction and overdose in the United States! pic.twitter.com/ELZvFol5Lo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 The legislation will pay for new portable and fixed chemical screening devices to detect and intercept fentanyl at ports of entry and in the mail, along with other laboratory equipment and personnel, including scientists. Trump has made fighting the opioid epidemic a centerpiece of his administration, though critics say he hasnt dedicated nearly enough money or resources to make a difference. Trump suggested during his remarks on Wednesday that hed like to take a more aggressive approach to the drug crisis  but the countrys not ready for what he has in mind. So were going to sign this. And its a step. And it feels like a very giant step, but unfortunately, its not going to be a giant step, because no matter what you do, this is something that keeps pouring in, he said. And were going to find the answer. There is an answer. I think I actually know the answer, but Im not sure the countrys ready for it yet, he added. Does anybody know what I mean? I think so. Facebook

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Trump applauds news that Toyota-Mazda plant is slated for Alabama By Associated Press Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda on Wednesday announced plans to build a mammoth, $1.6-billion joint-venture plant in Alabama that will eventually employ about 4,000 people. President Trump lauded the news in a tweet: Cutting taxes and simplifying regulations makes America the place to invest! Great news as Toyota and Mazda announce they are bringing 4,000 JOBS and investing $1.6 BILLION in Alabama, helping to further grow our economy! pic.twitter.com/Kcg8IVH6iA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Good news: Toyota and Mazda announce giant new Huntsville, Alabama, plant which will produce over 300,000 cars and SUVs a year and employ 4000 people. Companies are coming back to the U.S. in a very big way. Congratulations Alabama!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 Several states had competed for the project, which will be able to turn out 300,000 vehicles per year and produce the Toyota Corolla compact car for North America and a new small SUV from Mazda. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and company executives held a news conference to announce that the facility is coming to the Huntsville area not far from the Tennessee line. Production is expected to begin by 2021. The decision to pick Alabama is another example of foreign-based automakers building U.S. factories in the South. To entice manufacturers, Southern states have used a combination of lucrative incentive packages, low-cost labor and a pro-business labor environment, because the United Auto Workers union is stronger in Northern states. Read More Facebook

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Trump highlights call for border wall in tweets on visit with Norways prime minister By Associated Press President Trump praised Norways prime minister in a tweet on Wednesday after Erna Solberg became the first foreign leader to visit with the president in 2018. Today, it was my great honor to welcome Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway to the @WhiteHouse - a great friend and ally of the United States! Joint press conference: https://t.co/qWR1BhfQZI pic.twitter.com/PJvwznjRCO  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Trump also shared via Twitter a video clip of a joint news conference he held with Solberg on Wednesday afternoon. In the clip, Trump responds to a question from a reporter by saying there can be no bipartisan immigration deal absent funding for his long-promised wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been seeking a solution for hundreds of thousands of so-called Dreamers, young people who were brought to the United States as children and are living here illegally. The United States needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval. The safety and security of our country is #1! pic.twitter.com/4CFzQXb5aS  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 We need the wall for security, we need the wall for safety, we need the wall for stopping the drugs from pouring in, Trump said Wednesday.  Any solution has to include the wall because without the wall, it all doesnt work. On Tuesday, Trump drew widespread attention when he said during a meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers that he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. That contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill in subsequent tweets and public comments. Read More This post contains reporting from Los Angeles Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump praises Cabinet in tweet touting meeting By Associated Press President Trump promoted a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday, sharing via Twitter a link to a video of the session posted on the White House YouTube account. In his tweet, Trump thanked his Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country and wrote that the last year has been one of monumental achievement. I want to thank my @Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country. 2017 was a year of monumental achievement and we look forward to the year ahead. Together, we are delivering results and MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! https://t.co/ptXa1hAPwW pic.twitter.com/yv6RALkQf3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The former reality television star continued to dispense accolades at the meeting Wednesday, greeting reporters in the Cabinet Room by saying: Welcome back to the studio. Then he proceeded to relive a Cabinet Room session from the prior day, when he had allowed reporters and TV cameras to stick around for much of his meeting with a bipartisan group of legislators on the thorny issue of immigration. It was a tremendous meeting. Actually, it was reported as incredibly good. And my performance  you know, some of them called it a performance  I consider it work, Trump said. Trump went on to say he had received letters from news anchors calling it one of the greatest meetings theyve ever witnessed. He added that the media will ultimately support Trump in the end, because theyre going to say, if Trump doesnt win in three years, theyre all out of business. Asked for examples of letters received from news anchors, the White House said it had received private communications. It also offered a series of positive on-air comments and tweets from journalists about the unusual access to the meeting. During his remarks, Trump swung from praising his own meeting coverage to telling journalists that they were dependent on his presidency for ratings to threatening a strong look at libel laws. Still, Trump thanked the journalists in front of him, joking: Youve gotten very familiar with this room. I appreciate your nice comments yesterday. Facebook

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Trump blasts DACA ruling in tweet calling courts broken and unfair By Lisa Mascaro President Trump denounced the federal courts Wednesday as broken and unfair after a district judge in San Francisco issued a nationwide injunction keeping protections in place for so-called Dreamers. Trump tweeted: It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 On Tuesday night, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Trump administrations decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which has protected from deportation some 700,000 people who came to the country illegally as children. Alsup granted a request by the state of California, the University of California and other plaintiffs to stop Trump from ending DACA on March 5. The administrations decision to end DACA, which was announced in September, was based on a flawed legal analysis, Alsup wrote in his decision. Dreamers would be irreparably harmed if their DACA protections, which allow them to live and work legally in the U.S., were stripped away before the courts had a chance to fully consider their claims, he ruled. The action is the mirror image of a ruling in 2015 by a federal judge in Texas who ruled in favor of that state when it sought to block President Obama from expanding DACA to include the parents of Dreamers. Trump administration officials praised that judicial ruling. By contrast, they sharply criticized Alsups decision. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks lawmakers for productive immigration meeting, says deal must include border wall President Trump thanked a bipartisan group of lawmakers for participating in a meeting on immigration legislation on Tuesday. Much of the discussion involved so-called Dreamers, an estimated 700,000 young people who were brought to the country illegally as children and are now facing deportation. In a tweet, Trump wrote that there was strong agreement to negotiate a bill to protect Dreamers, as well as put into place some of the reforms favored by Republicans. Thanks to all of the Republican and Democratic lawmakers for todays very productive meeting on immigration reform. There was strong agreement to negotiate a bill that deals with border security, chain migration, lottery and DACA. https://t.co/SdqAQ3aL3z pic.twitter.com/8DYHZHspAy  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 The most notable exchange of the meeting came when Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the San Francisco Democrat, asked Trump whether he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. Yeah, I would like to do it, Trump responded. The statement drew widespread attention because it contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump later backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill, tweeting that a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico must be part of any deal: As I made very clear today, our country needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Pressure has been mounting for Congress to broker an immigration deal by Jan. 19 as part of a must-pass budget package to fund the government. This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump thanks officers and veterans in tweets President Trump doled out a slew of accolades Tuesday via Twitter. He thanked the nations law enforcement officers, including in his message a hashtag denoting a day of appreciation organized by a national support group for law enforcement families. On behalf of the American people, THANK YOU to our incredible law enforcement officers. As President of the United States - I will fight for you, and I will never, ever let you down. Now, more than ever, we must support the men and women in blue! #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/Qb4uxB4JRm  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trump later expressed gratitude for federal immigration agents, in particular: .@ICEgov HSI agents and ERO officers, on behalf of an entire Nation, THANK YOU for what you are doing 24/7/365 to keep fellow Americans SAFE. Everyone is so grateful!#LawEnforcementAppreciationDay

President @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/HXCpTlruVo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The president thanked veterans as he cited his administrations efforts to curb the number of veteran suicides by improving mental health treatment for the high-risk group: Today, it was my great honor to sign a new Executive Order to ensure Veterans have the resources they need as they transition back to civilian life. We must ensure that our HEROES are given the care and support they so richly deserve! https://t.co/0MdP9DDIAS pic.twitter.com/LP2a8KCBAp  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trumps tweet included photos of the president signing an executive order Tuesday directing the secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to develop a plan to provide seamless access to mental health and suicide prevention resources for 12 months for members leaving the armed forces. Also on Tuesday, Trump touted a law he signed the day before designating the birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a national historic park: It was my great honor to sign H.R. 267, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Act, which redesignates the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in the State of Georgia as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. https://t.co/Qe0b6HBFTY pic.twitter.com/QTgaqTawPT  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 And he thanked House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) for sharing a video compilation comprised of clips of politicians and commentators praising the GOPs tax cut bill: Thank you @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy! Couldnt agree w/you more. TOGETHER, we are #MAGA https://t.co/QaxtqpyXTR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018  This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump hails tax bill in tweets recapping speech to farmers By Associated Press Connecting with rural Americans, President Trump on Monday hailed his tax overhaul as a victory for family farmers. Farm country is Gods country, Trump told the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Trump became the first president in a quarter-century to address the federations convention. His Southern swing also included a stop in Atlanta for the national college football championship game. Cant wait to be back in the amazing state of Tennessee to address the 99th American @FarmBureau Federations Annual Convention in Nashville! #AFBF18



On my way now - join me LIVE at 4:00pmE: https://t.co/QaljAqekdD. pic.twitter.com/Wm7Io0hYT8  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Joined by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and a group of Tennessee lawmakers, Trump said most of the benefits of the tax legislation are going to working families, small businesses, and who  the family farmer. The package Trump signed into law last month provides generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and more modest reductions for middle- and low-income individuals and families. In every decision we make, we are honoring Americas PROUD FARMING LEGACY. Years of crushing taxes, crippling regs, & corrupt politics left our communities hurting, our economy stagnant, & millions of hardworking Americans COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN. But they are not forgotten ANYMORE! pic.twitter.com/MdYS7xnukQ  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The president vastly inflated the value of the package in his speech, citing a total of $5.5 trillion in tax cuts, with most of those benefits going to working families, small businesses and who? The family farmer. The estimated value of the tax cuts is actually $1.5 trillion for families and businesses because of cuts in deductions and the use of other steps to generate offsetting tax revenue. We have been working every day to DELIVER for Americas Farmers just as they work every day to deliver FOR US. #AFBF18 pic.twitter.com/QDH7fvFkZ7  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 From Nashville, Trump traveled to Atlanta to watch Alabamas Crimson Tide and Georgias Bulldogs face off Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship. We are fighting for our farmers, for our country, and for our GREAT AMERICAN FLAG. We want our flag respected - and we want our NATIONAL ANTHEM respected also! pic.twitter.com/16eOLXg6Fi  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Before departing for the game, Trump referenced his ongoing defense of the American flag and the national anthem, saying there was enough space for people to express their views. We love our flag and we love our anthem, and we want to keep it that way, he said. Facebook

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Trump tweet hails drop in unemployment rate for African Americans By Associated Press President Trump touted a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans on Monday in a tweet. African American unemployment is the lowest ever recorded in our country. The Hispanic unemployment rate dropped a full point in the last year and is close to the lowest in recorded history. Dems did nothing for you but get your vote! #NeverForget @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The rate fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Trump also hailed the development via Twitter on Saturday. His latest tweet on the topic came about an hour after it was discussed during an episode of Fox & Friends, according to Mediaite. Facebook

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Trump talks up the economy and dresses down the media in Sunday tweets With President Trump cheering from the sidelines, the White House on Sunday pressed its defense of the presidents fitness to govern, as fired former aide Stephen K. Bannon reversed course and apologized for his role in a new books explosive portrait of Trump. The presidents critics, meanwhile, said Trumps stream of taunts and insults in response to the book  Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, released last week  served only to underscore the authors unsettling portrayal of Trumps year-old presidency, depicting a leader whose own aides consider him childish, ignorant and dangerously erratic. Trump provided more ammunition Sunday morning, as he continued to attack the book via Twitter while preparing to depart Camp David for the White House: Leaving Camp David for the White House. Great meetings with the Cabinet and Military on many very important subjects including Border Security & the desperately needed Wall, the ever increasing Drug and Opioid Problem, Infrastructure, Military, Budget, Trade and DACA.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Ive had to put up with the Fake News from the first day I announced that I would be running for President. Now I have to put up with a Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author. Ronald Reagan had the same problem and handled it well. So will I!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 The most vehement defense of Trump on Sunday came from senior advisor Stephen Miller, a onetime Bannon acolyte who distanced himself from his former mentor. In a combative appearance Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, Miller called the book grotesque and writer Michael Wolff the garbage author of a garbage book. Trump is known to closely monitor aides televised performances in putting forth his case, and he gleefully weighed in within moments of Millers televised clash with host Jake Tapper. CNN has long been a particular target of Trumps ire. Jake Tapper of Fake News CNN just got destroyed in his interview with Stephen Miller of the Trump Administration. Watch the hatred and unfairness of this CNN flunky!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trumps reaction, however, seemed to bolster Tappers on-air depiction of Miller as using his appearance on the show to play to the president rather than addressing questions put to him. I get it  theres one viewer that you care about, the host said exasperatedly after Miller turned the discussion repeatedly to negative news coverage of the president while deflecting specific queries. Later on Twitter, Trump took up two themes that have been prevalent on his social media feeds recently. The president again went after the news media, tweeting that the recipients of his self-proclaimed most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year, which he promised earlier in the week to announce on Monday, would actually be revealed the following Wednesday: The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trump later lauded a New York Post opinion piece that compared him favorably with his predecessor, President Obama, as well as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In quoting the op-ed, Trump initally misspelled consequential as consensual, but he deleted those tweets and re-sent the messages. His is turning out to be an enormously consequential presidency. So much so that, despite my own frustration over his missteps, there has never been a day when I wished Hillary Clinton were president. Not one. Indeed, as Trumps accomplishments accumulate, the mere thought of...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 ...Clinton in the WH, doubling down on Barack Obamas failed policies, washes away any doubts that America made the right choice. This was truly a change election  and the changes Trump is bringing are far-reaching & necessary. Thank you Michael Goodwin! https://t.co/4fHNcx2Ydg  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Trump also continued talking up the economy, which has been enjoying a period of strong gains. The Stock Market has been creating tremendous benefits for our country in the form of not only Record Setting Stock Prices, but present and future Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Seven TRILLION dollars of value created since our big election win!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 In addition to Miller, other senior administration officials made the rounds of Sunday news talk shows to decry the claims made in Wolffs book. CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Wolffs characterization of Trump as averse to digesting classified briefing material was ludicrous, and the ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, insisted that that those around Trump love their country and respect their president. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Responding to book that mocks his intelligence, Trump tweets hes like, really smart By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump declared himself a very stable genius on Twitter on Saturday and later in a televised news conference called the author of a book that questioned his mental fitness a fraud. His comments came on a bone-cold day at Camp David during a weekend retreat with top administration officials and Republican congressional leaders strategizing on the years legislative agenda, including matters such as infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and national security. Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Still, Trumps explosive rebuttal to author Michael Wolffs claims not only opened the day, but it also ensured the presidents capability to fill the highest office in the land was a topic that would not go away. In his early-morning tweets, Trump said two of his greatest assets have been mental stability, and being, like, really smart. He noted that his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, played these cards [about competence] very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try). Read More Facebook

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In morning tweets, Trump touts job numbers and takes digs at news media By Associated Press President Trump used Twitter on Saturday morning to tout a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans. He also used the tweets as an opportunity to take digs at media outlets whose past coverage he has found to be critical. The African American unemployment rate fell to 6.8%, the lowest rate in 45 years. I am so happy about this News! And, in the Washington Post (of all places), headline states, Trumps first year jobs numbers were very, very good.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The unemployment rate for African Americans fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Still, the rate for black workers remains well above those for whites and some other groups, something experts attribute in large part to decades of discrimination and disadvantages. Robust job creation has lowered unemployment for all Americans. U.S. employers added nearly 2.1 million jobs in 2017  the seventh straight year that hiring has topped 2 million. In his tweet, Trump praised a report that noted the numbers, touting the fact that it appeared in the Washington Post (of all places). Minutes later, Trump renewed his attack on an ABC News reporter who was suspended last month after filing an erroneous report on Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security advisor. Brian Ross, the reporter who made a fraudulent live newscast about me that drove the Stock Market down 350 points (billions of dollars), was suspended for a month but is now back at ABC NEWS in a lower capacity. He is no longer allowed to report on Trump. Should have been fired!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The reporter, Brian Ross, was reportedly reassigned within ABC News upon returning from his unpaid suspension. But on Saturday, Trump wrote that he should have been fired. Trumps tweets came hours before he was set to host congressional Republicans and administration officials at Camp David. The meeting scheduled to begin at midmorning Saturday was expected to touch on the budget, infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and the shape of the midterm election this fall. Facebook

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Trump commends Sen. Rand Paul after he proposes eliminating all U.S. aid to Pakistan President Trump commended Sen. Rand Paul after the Kentucky Republican announced plans to introduce legislation that would eliminate all U.S. aid to Pakistan. Trump tweeted Friday night: Good idea Rand! https://t.co/55sqUDiC0s  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it was suspending security assistance to Islamabad until the country moves aggressively against local militants who have attacked U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration at the apparent inability of Pakistani authorities to rein in militants who cross out of the countrys rugged tribal areas to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson. Facebook

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Trump continues to lash out at Sloppy Steve Bannon in tweets on tell-all book By Associated Press President Trump is praising a major Republican donor family for distancing themselves from his former advisor Steve Bannon. Trump tweeted Friday: The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trump has continued to lash out at Bannon over an explosive new book that quoted his former aide as questioning Trumps competence and describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower among Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic. On Thursday, billionaire GOP donor Rebekah Mercer issued a statement distancing her family from Bannon. Mercer is a co-owner of Breitbart, the populist website Bannon helps run. I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, Mercer said. My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements. The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, quickly shot atop Amazons best-seller list, and the publisher moved up its release date by four days, to Friday. Trump took up the topic again on Twitter on Friday night, denouncing both Bannon and the books author, Michael Wolff, in starkly personal terms: Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book. He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad! https://t.co/mEeUhk5ZV9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Trumps message linked to a meme depicting a parody book cover titled, Liar and Phony, that featured a photo of Wolff and disparaging quotes about the author. In a tweet sent earlier Friday morning, Trump suggested the book was intended to serve as a distraction from the FBIs investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, which Trump wrote is proving to be a total hoax. Well, now that collusion with Russia is proving to be a total hoax and the only collusion is with Hillary Clinton and the FBI/Russia, the Fake News Media (Mainstream) and this phony new book are hitting out at every new front imaginable. They should try winning an election. Sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 That came amid reports that Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments Russia investigation. Trumps effort to keep Sessions, a vocal and loyal supporter of his election bid, in charge of an investigation into his campaign offers special counsel Robert Mueller yet another avenue to explore as his prosecutors work to untangle potential evidence of obstruction. Read More Facebook

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Trump praises the economy ahead of meetings at Camp David By Associated Press President Trump is praising the strength of the U.S. economy ahead of meetings at Camp David with congressional Republicans. Trump tweeted early Friday: Dow goes from 18,589 on November 9, 2016, to 25,075 today, for a new all-time Record. Jumped 1000 points in last 5 weeks, Record fastest 1000 point move in history. This is all about the Make America Great Again agenda! Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Six trillion dollars in value created!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The president also told reporters on the South Lawn that the tax cuts are really kicking in after Congress passed a package of tax cuts at the end of 2017. And the president praised the December jobs report, which found U.S. employers added 148,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1%, the lowest level since 2000. The modest but steady pace of hiring is a reassuring sign for investors who have been buoyed by the just-passed Republican tax plan and have been sending stock market indexes roaring to uncharted heights. The president is meeting with Republican congressional leaders and members of his Cabinet on Friday and Saturday to discuss the 2018 agenda. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets as Dow crashes through 25,000 By Associated Press President Trump dispatched a congratulatory tweet as the Dow Jones industrial average rose above the 25,000-point mark Thursday, just five weeks after its first close above 24,000. Dow just crashes through 25,000. Congrats! Big cuts in unnecessary regulations continuing.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 After the Dow closed above 25,000, Trump shared a graphic depicting the stock indexs record-setting rise. MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/iONbr1DkVk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Later in the day, the president was back on Twitter, complaining that news outlets had barely covered the stock market milestone. He suggested that the strength of the economy would be the biggest story on earth, had it unfolded during the presidency of his predecessor. The Fake News Media barely mentions the fact that the Stock Market just hit another New Record and that business in the U.S. is booming...but the people know! Can you imagine if O was president and had these numbers - would be biggest story on earth! Dow now over 25,000.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The Dow broke past 1,000-point barriers in 2017 on its way to a 25% gain for the year, as an eight-year rally since the Great Recession continued to confound skeptics. Strong global economic growth and good prospects for higher company earnings have analysts predicting more gains, although the market may not stay as calm as it has been recently. The Dow has made a rapid trip since it reached 24,000 points Nov. 30, partly on enthusiasm over passage of the Republican-backed tax package, which could boost company profits this year with across-the-board cuts to corporate taxes. Read More Facebook

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Trump reacts to Fire and Fury book in tweet lashing out at author and Sloppy Steve President Trump lashed out at the author of a soon-to-be-released book about the chaotic first year of his presidency Thursday night. In a tweet, Trump called Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, a phony book and claimed that hed never spoken to its author, Michael Wolff. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve! Trump wrote. He appeared to be referring to former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, whose stunning criticisms of Trump and his circle figure prominently in the title. I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trumps tweet came hours after he had his lawyer demand that Henry Holt & Co. and Wolff stop publication the book. Instead, the publisher expedited the books release to Friday, four days before it was slated to hit bookstore shelves, in response to unprecedented demand. Published excerpts on Wednesday and Thursday whetted that appetite and roiled Washington. Bannons comments, including that it was treasonous and unpatriotic for Trumps son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort to have met in 2016 with Russians said to have dirt on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, prompted Trump on Wednesday to rebuke his former advisor, saying Bannon had lost his mind. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Brian Bennett and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump thanks senators who attended meeting on immigration President Trump tweeted thanks to Republican senators who attended a meeting about possible immigration legislation on Thursday. In his message, Trump also listed his top priorities when it comes to any type of overhaul of the nations immigration system. Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country - time for change!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Trumps tweet echoed his remarks at the beginning of Thursdays meeting, when he insisted again that constructing a border wall and overhauling two legal immigration programs must be part of any deal with Democrats to protect the so-called Dreamers from deportation. Two-year deportation protections and work permits given under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program begin to expire March 6 under an executive order. Trump announced in September that he was ending the Obama-era program, but told Congress to draft a law to continue protections for people brought to the country illegally as children  a group that has widespread public support. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Brian Bennett. Facebook

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Trump resumes Twitter war against kneeling NFL players President Trump has resumed his Twitter war against NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest social injustice and racial inequality. In a tweet early Thursday, Trump replied to a supporter who shared a meme that appears to depict family members lying on the grave of a fallen soldier with the caption: This is why we stand. Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! Trump wrote. So beautiful....Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! https://t.co/tJLM1tvbvb  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The president has denounced players who kneel during the anthem in previous tweets. Hes also called for the firing of players who do so. His latest message came amid news that the NFL finished the regular season with TV ratings that fell nearly 10% below the previous season. Analysts attribute the drop to controversies facing the league, as well as changing viewing habits and a possible saturation point in the number of games available. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Stephen Battaglio and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump credits himself with facilitating talks between North and South Korea By Associated Press President Trump says his tough stance on nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula is helping push North Korea and South Korea to talk. Trump tweeted early Thursday: With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 That assertion is in conflict with some of the presidents own statements. Last year, he ridiculed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for talking about negotiations with the North. This week, Trump seemed open to the possibility of an inter-Korean dialogue after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare overture toward South Korea in a New Years Day address. But Trumps ambassador to the United Nations insisted that talks wont be meaningful unless the North is getting rid of its nuclear weapons. The overture about talks came after Trump and Kim traded more bellicose claims about their nuclear weapons. In his New Years Day address, Kim repeated fiery nuclear threats against the United States. Kim said he has a nuclear button on his office desk and warned that the whole territory of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear strike. Trump mocked that assertion Tuesday evening in a tweet. Facebook

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After disbanding his vote fraud panel, Trump still says voting system is rigged By Brian Bennett One day after disbanding his troubled voter fraud commission without any findings of fraud, President Trump continued to call the U.S. voting system rigged and said states should require that Americans have voter-identification cards. In two tweets on Thursday morning, Trump blamed the commissions failure on the lack of cooperation from mostly Democrat States that refused to hand over voter rolls because they know that many people are voting illegally. However, voting supervisors in Republican-led states refused as well, objecting on privacy and other grounds. Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do.....except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Despite Trumps assertions, analysts have not found evidence of widespread voter fraud. Trump created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in May after alleging, without proof, that millions of illegal votes were cast for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Trump was elected after winning a majority in the electoral college, but the nationwide count showed Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes. The commission sought personal data on voters across the country and faced mounting lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts another good day for stocks, credits tax cut By Associated Press President Trump touted another good day for the stock market Wednesday in a tweet. Stock Market had another good day but, now that the Tax Cut Bill has passed, we have tremendous upward potential. Dow just short of 25,000, a number that few thought would be possible this soon into my administration. Also, unemployment went down to 4.1%. Only getting better!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Big gains for technology and healthcare stocks helped U.S. indexes set records again Wednesday. Some analysts attributed the surge to investor enthusiasm for Trumps $1.5-trillion tax cut. All told, Wall Street analysts estimate the tax package should boost earnings for companies in the Standard & Poors 500 index by roughly 8% this year. Thats much more generous than the average tax cut of 1.6% that middle-class families will receive, according to the Tax Policy Center. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The public has been less enthusiastic about the tax law. A Monmouth University poll last month found that nearly half of Americans disapproved of it, with only 26% in support. Still, as Trump also noted on Twitter, some workers have seen a benefit: So far, dozens of companies have announced bonuses and higher minimum wages as a result of the tax cut. AT&T, Comcast, Bank of America, and American Airlines have all pledged to pay $1,000 bonuses to their employees. Some 40 U.S. companies have responded to President Trumps tax cut and reform victory in Congress last year by handing out bonuses up to $2,000, increases in 401k matches and spending on charity, a much higher number than previously known. https://t.co/bmWrwWzxMR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Investors also appear less concerned than many politicians about how the additional profits will be used. The Trump administration says it expects companies will plow much of the extra profit back into their businesses, purchasing more software, machinery, and other equipment. Those investments will make workers more productive and provide a key boost to the economys long-run growth. They should also boost wages and salaries for employees. Opponents of the tax law respond that companies are more likely to pass the windfall on to shareholders in the form of higher dividend payments and share buybacks, which raise the price of those shares still in investors hands. Previous cuts in corporate tax rates, in the United States and overseas, havent always led to higher wages. For Wall Street, its all good, at least in the short run. Most analysts take the view that either way, companies and the economy will benefit. Facebook

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Trump reacts to death of Mormon Church president By Associated Press President Trump mourned the death of Mormon Church leader Thomas S. Monson on Wednesday evening. Trump tweeted a link to a statement in which he said that Monson demonstrated wisdom, inspired leadership, and great compassion and delivered a message of optimism, forgiveness, and faith. Melania and I are deeply saddened by the death of Thomas S. Monson, a beloved President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...https://t.co/ETD3fWtfU3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 A church bishop at the age of 22, Monson became the youngest church apostle ever in 1963 at the age of 36. He served as a counselor for three church presidents before assuming the role of the top leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2008. After a life of church service, Monson died Tuesday at his home in Salt Lake City, according to church spokesman Eric Hawkins. He was 90. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets that Iranian protesters will see great U.S. support at the appropriate time By Associated Press President Trump continued to express support for Irans anti-government protesters on Wednesday. In a tweet, Trump commended the protesters and pledged that the United States will support them at the appropriate time. Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Trumps tweet Wednesday morning came as Iranian Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo sent a letter to United Nations officials complaining that Washington was intervening in a grotesque way in Irans internal affairs. The President and Vice-President of the United States, in their numerous absurd tweets, incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts, the ambassador wrote to the U.N. Security Council president and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The U.S. didnt immediately respond to the letter, which maintains that Washington has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations. At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in Iran during a week of anti-government protests and unrest over economic woes and official corruption. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took part in counter-demonstrations Wednesday backing the clerically overseen government, which has said enemies of Iran are fomenting the protests. Trump has unleashed a series of tweets in recent days backing the protesters, saying Iran is failing at every level and declaring that it is time for change in the Islamic Republic. Facebook

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Trump congratulates Sen. Orrin Hatch upon news of his retirement By Associated Press President Trump congratulated Sen. Orrin Hatch for an absolutely incredible career upon news of Hatchs impending retirement. In a tweet Tuesday afternoon, Trump called Hatch a tremendous supporter and wrote that he will be greatly missed in the Senate. Congratulations to Senator Orrin Hatch on an absolutely incredible career. He has been a tremendous supporter, and I will never forget the (beyond kind) statements he has made about me as President. He is my friend and he will be greatly missed in the U.S. Senate! pic.twitter.com/0VjzLEeHTl  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Hatchs decision to retire from the Senate after four decades lets the Utah Republican walk away at the height of his power after helping to push through an overhaul of the tax code and persuading Trump to downsize two national monuments. Retirement also preserves the 83-year-olds legacy by allowing him to avoid a bruising reelection battle that would have broken his promise not to seek an eighth term. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet exaggerates progress in improving veterans care By Associated Press President Trump played up tremendous progress in improving care for veterans in his first year on Tuesday in a tweet. His message linked to an Instagram video describing eight accomplishments that show Trump is fighting for our veterans. But it overstates the impact of these steps. We will not rest until all of Americas GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time. Keep up the great work @SecShulkin @DeptVetAffairs! https://t.co/ir25vW15hx pic.twitter.com/OtuzIgxMn6  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Two are pieces of legislation that extended the troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available to pay for care from private doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system when veterans had to endure long waits for treatment at VA medical centers. The departments poor budget planning caught lawmakers off guard. A fifth claim involves telehealth, a step letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed VA regulation hasnt been completed. The VA wants authority to practice across state lines to come from legislation, not a regulation. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a telehealth measure that now goes to the House. A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the VA. This step has had limited effect so far because it applies to new disability claims, not the 470,000 pending claims. The last two initiatives make it easier for the VA to discipline employees. The department has pointed to more than 1,300 employees who have been fired under Trumps watch. Because their infractions are not detailed in public documents, the effect on veterans care is not fully known. Facebook

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Trump unleashes his first tweetstorm of 2018 By Noah Bierman President Trump clearly didnt resolve to change his Twitter habits this year. With nine disparate tweets over three hours on Tuesday morning, the first working day of 2018, Trump continued to exploit social media to be the most aggressive commentator in chief in American history. For any other president, his posts would have made for a monumental day of (mis-)statements. Yet for Trump, the series  attacks on political foes and media, provocations of foreign leaders and self-praise for events he had nothing to do with  was all but unremarkable. His Twitter barrage  sent between 7:09 a.m. and 10:16 a.m.  reflected a familiar gamut after nearly a year in office: Attacks on political foes: Nearly 14 months after his election, Trump called for the jailing of Huma Abedin, Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid (his misspelling, another occasional feature of Trump tweets). Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 In the same tweet, he disparaged the Deep State Justice Dept, headed of course by his appointees, calling on it to act against James B. Comey, the FBI director he fired for investigating the Russia thing. Diplomatic provocations: Trump again called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Rocket man, ridiculed the volatile nuclear-armed foe for recent military defections and openly speculated about potential talks between North and South Korea. Sanctions and other pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not  we will see! Trump wrote. Later Tuesday, Trump tweeted: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Also later Tuesday, Trump tweeted an attack on Pakistan, his second in as many days, and added a new one against Palestinians: It's not only Pakistan that we pay billions of dollars to for nothing, but also many other countries, and others. As an example, we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They dont even want to negotiate a long overdue...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ...peace treaty with Israel. We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Undermining media: Trump offered Congratulations! to A.G. Sulzberger, who took over as publisher of the New York Times this week. The Failing New York Times has a new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. Congratulations! Here is a last chance for the Times to fulfill the vision of its Founder, Adolph Ochs, to give the news impartially, without fear or FAVOR, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved. Get...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ....impartial journalists of a much higher standard, lose all of your phony and non-existent sources, and treat the President of the United States FAIRLY, so that the next time I (and the people) win, you wont have to write an apology to your readers for a job poorly done! GL  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the two-part post was really yet another slam against a perceived media foe: Trump said the paper had a last chance to fulfill its journalistic mission, and accused it of relying on phony sources and substandard reporters  just days after he granted another exclusive interview to the paper. As a bonus, the tweet contained a recycled falsehood, that the paper apologized after the election for reporting on him unfairly. It didnt. Trump later said on Twitter that he would soon announce the most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year. Stay tuned! I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 oclock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 The president also tweeted a quote from Fox Business Networks Lou Dobbs Tonight, which aired a segment praising Trumps first-year accomplishments. Dobbs reportedly joined Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday for a gala to celebrate New Years Eve. President Trump has something now he didnt have a year ago, that is a set of accomplishments that nobody can deny. The accomplishments are there, look at his record, he has had a very significant first year. @LouDobbs Show,David Asman & Ed Rollins  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Taking credit: Trump congratulated himself for policing the border with Mexico, an area where his policies and anti-immigration rhetoric are believed to have had some effect on reducing illegal crossings. Thank you to Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council for your kind words on how well we are doing at the Border. We will be bringing in more & more of your great folks and will build the desperately needed WALL! @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 He took credit for employee bonuses by companies after he signed Republican tax cuts into law last month. Companies are giving big bonuses to their workers because of the Tax Cut Bill. Really great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the jaw-dropper was Trump congratulating himself for planes not crashing. Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 It was the safest year on record worldwide, but the American streak without commercial jet passenger deaths goes back to 2009. Trump, who has promoted deregulation as one of his top accomplishments, has not signed off on any new airline safety regulations. The White House pointed to new security screening of passengers, to electronic devices to prevent terrorist attacks and to Trumps support for privatizing air traffic control  a proposal that has gotten nowhere in Congress. Falsehoods: Trump said President Obama, in brokering the 2015 nuclear arms limitation deal with Iran, foolishly gave money to the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. He didnt. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 The nuclear deal, which included major U.S. allies as signators, released Irans own funds that had long been frozen. Trumps art of the deal: When Trump sees a big deal looming, he often blasts the other side  to gain leverage, as hes written. This week he resumes a showdown with Democratic lawmakers over funding the government and immigration protections for so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Trump, who in September ordered a gradual end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, sought to shift blame for the resulting controversy, saying Democrats are doing nothing for DACA and are just interested in politics. Trump has insisted that any help for Dreamers be paired with funding for a border wall and a crackdown on legal immigration. Democrats, and some Republicans, are opposed. Read More Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests U.S. will withdraw financial assistance to Pakistan By Shashank Bengali Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies & deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest and asked for clarification about Trumps comments, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. Read More Facebook

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Trump continues to tweet in support of Iranian protesters By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size  were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Trump has tweeted about the protests for three days straight as Iranians took to the streets despite a heavy police presence, tear gas and scores of arrests. The defiance gained urgency after two people were reported shot to death in the city of Dorud, about 200 miles southwest of Tehran. As the conflict escalated, Iranian authorities on Sunday slapped a temporary ban on Instagram and the messaging app Telegram, which were widely used to fan protest fervor. Iran, the Number One State of Sponsored Terror with numerous violations of Human Rights occurring on an hourly basis, has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Irans leaders already are casting Trumps increasingly effusive expressions of support for the demonstrators as opportunistic meddling and are painting the demonstrators as foreign pawns, adopting a strategy that some analysts say could jeopardize the legitimacy of the nascent antigovernment protests. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets condolences after Colorado deputies are shot in ambush, one fatally By Associated Press A man fired more than 100 rounds at sheriffs deputies in Colorado early Sunday, killing one and injuring four others, before being fatally shot himself in what authorities called an ambush. Two civilians were also injured. President Trump expressed sorrow, writing on Twitter: My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement - God Bless them all! #LESM  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said deputies came under fire almost
Wait  did the president really say, Mission Accomplished? By Marc Olson Some are recalling the last time a president declared Mission accomplished, in May 2003 when George W. Bush was talking about Iraq. (Stephen Jaffe / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump on Saturday morning thanked his allies in a tweet that declared the airstrikes on Syria perfectly executed, but he might have wished hed stopped there. Instead, he ended his message with the phrase, Mission Accomplished! Thats a line that might have a previous president shaking his head. On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq under a Mission Accomplished banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. That war, which began in March 2003, grew into a prolonged conflict that didnt end until 2011. In 2008, the White House said it had paid a price for the backdrop. A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018 Facebook

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Auditor says Pentagon is censoring key data on the war in Afghanistan By Shashank Bengali The Pentagon is blocking the release of data showing how much of Afghanistans territory lies outside government control, censoring a key metric used to gauge progress in the 16-year war, a watchdog agency said Tuesday. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, an auditing agency established by Congress, said in its latest report that the Pentagon instructed it not to release unclassified data on how many districts and people are controlled or influenced by insurgent groups. This is the first time SIGAR has been specifically instructed not to release information marked unclassified to the American taxpayer, the head of the agency, John F. Sopko, wrote in a letter. Sopko also said the U.S.-led military coalition, for the first time since 2009, classified information about the size and attrition rates of the Afghan security forces, important indicators of progress in building up army and police forces on which the U.S. already has spent $70 billion since 2002. The decision to withhold more information from congressional oversight and the public comes amid growing violence in Afghanistan and an intensifying combat mission involving a greater number of American troops. Following a series of bombings in Kabul that left at least 136 people dead in 10 days, President Trump signaled on Monday that he was focused on trying to win the conflict militarily, saying, We dont want to talk with the Taliban. But data released by SIGAR since 2015 have shown how the insurgents have gained ground against Afghan security forces. In its previous quarterly report, the watchdog said that only 57% of Afghanistans 407 districts were under Afghan government control or influence as of August 2017, the lowest level of control since it began tracking the statistic in December 2015. The steady decline in government control should cause even more concern about its disappearance from public disclosure and discussion, Sopko wrote. The watchdog also accused the Pentagon of overstating the impact of its efforts to combat drug cultivation and trafficking, among the Talibans main sources of revenue. The Pentagon touted airstrikes that destroyed 25 drug labs in November and December, saying it eliminated nearly $100 million of Taliban revenue. The labs being destroyed are cheap and easy to replace, SIGAR said. According to some estimates, they only take three or four days to replace. Facebook

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Women journalists shunted to rear for Pences visit to Western Wall By Noga Tarnopolsky The view from the womens section. (Noga Tarnopolsky / Los Angeles Times) Vice-President Mike Pences 48-hour visit to Israel stumbled into a public storm Tuesday when female reporters covering his final stop at Jerusalems Western Wall were penned behind four rows of their male colleagues. White House officials told stunned journalists that the arrangement emanated from a request made by the Western Wall rabbi, Shmuel Rabinowitz, and followed Western Wall rules. Some women journalists said they could not recall such treatment in the past. In a statement to Israels Channel 10 news, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said it was exactly as it was during the visit of the U.S. president to the Western Wall last May. Later in the day, in a statement to the newspaper Haaretz, the foundation blamed the United States embassy in Tel Aviv and Israeli security officials for the segregation, and announced they would reexamine the way they handle such events. Women who covered previous VIP visits said the Pence arrangements were significantly more onerous than previous visits, when male and female journalists were separated but not offered substantially different work conditions. LIVE coverage of our male colleagues granted access to cover VP at Western Wall as we are penned into #PenceFence pic.twitter.com/k3svkxfQsa  Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) January 23, 2018 The arrangement reflected procedures at the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest site, where on regular days, men have access to two thirds of the area available for prayer. Tal Schneider, the diplomatic analyst for Globes, a financial newspaper, protested that the separation of men and women may be valid for the requirements of Orthodox prayer, but no one is praying here. We are here to work. I dont appreciate being restricted in my ability to work because I am a woman, she said. The discriminatory attitude towards women is infuriating and is unbefitting of a modern country. Yael Freidson, the Jerusalem affairs correspondent for Yediot Ahronot, Israels widest circulation newspaper, said she worried that her editors could choose male colleagues for the next assignment, knowing they would have better access. Before Pence arrived, journalists were herded onto a specially constructed platform in the middle of the Western Walls esplanade, with women guided to the right behind a white fence, and men, many carrying cameras, directed to the left, where they had more than double the space. Towards the end of the vice presidents 10-minute visit, male journalists were permitted into the VIP tent where he received a gift from Rabinowitz, while the women remained in their enclosure. None of the men publicly protested the treatment of their female colleagues. Israels Association of Women Journalists filed a formal complaint with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, herself a woman. Facebook

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Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, after his pardon from Trump, says hell run for Senate in Arizona By Kurtis Lee (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who last year was pardoned by President Trump in a case stemming from his enforcement tactics aimed at immigrants, announced Tuesday he will run for the open Senate seat in his home state. I am running for the U.S. Senate from the Great State of Arizona, for one unwavering reason: to support the agenda and policies of President Donald Trump in his mission to Make America Great Again, Arpaio, 85, said on Twitter. Hell enter a Republican primary for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake. Last summer, Trump pardoned Arpaio, who was convicted in July of criminal contempt for violating a federal court order to stop racially profiling Latinos. It was Arpaios roughly quarter-century as sheriff that gave him a national reputation for his tough treatment of people suspected of being in the country illegally. Repeated court rulings against his office for civil rights violations cost local taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. In the early 1990s, Arpaio directed construction of a tent city for immigration detainees, a measure he said was intended both to alleviate overcrowding and to underscore his aggressive enforcement measures. But it was open to the burning Arizona sun, and drew widespread criticism. After Trump entered the presidential race in July 2015, Arpaio invited him to Phoenix to talk about a crackdown on illegal immigration. He endorsed Trump just before the first votes in the Iowa caucuses in 2016 and frequently spoke out on behalf of Trumps campaign. Facebook

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President Trump ends controversial voter fraud commission By Kurtis Lee President Trump signed an executive order late Wednesday ending the voter fraud commission he launched last year as the panel faces a flurry of lawsuits and criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Trump signed the order disbanding the commission rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, created by executive order in May with the stated goal of restoring confidence and integrity in the electoral process, has faced a barrage of lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns, as the commission sought personal data on voters across the country. Read More Facebook

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Congress returns to work with slimmer GOP majority to accomplish Trumps agenda By Lisa Mascaro Congress returns to work this week with unfinished business on spending, immigration and other crucial issues, but with an even narrower GOP majority that will make it tougher to move on President Trumps agenda. The House and Senate will convene Wednesday, swearing in the newly elected Democratic senator from Alabama, Doug Jones, and Minnesotas Tina Smith to replace a fellow Democrat, Sen. Al Franken, who is resigning as the latest high-profile public figure sidelined by allegations of sexual misconduct. The change gives Republicans only a one-seat margin in the Senate. Trump, fresh off passage of the GOP tax cuts bill, is pushing lawmakers to pivot quickly on his new year priorities of infrastructure investment and immigration, as well as his foreign policy agenda. But another legislative victory seems far off. Republicans have struggled to hold their majority together and Congress first must tackle critical stalled agenda items that leaders punted to 2018. Read More Facebook

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Trump threatens to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump on Tuesday angrily threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians as punishment for what he called their failure to show appreciation or respect to the United States. Writing on Twitter, the president compared the Palestinians to Pakistan, a nuclear-armed ally that abruptly drew his ire this week and a similar threat to drastically curtail aid. He accused the Palestinians of recalcitrance in what he described as their refusal to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. Palestinian officials have said they can no longer use Washington as a broker to restart peace talks with Israel following Trumps Dec. 6 decision to overturn decades of U.S. policy and recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and ultimately to move the U.S. Embassy there. The Palestinians also claim part of Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual independent state. Until now, the United States and most of the world agreed the citys political status was a matter to settle in final peace talks. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned any effort to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, and the Palestinian leadership said it would not meet with Vice President Mike Pence, who had planned a trip to the region. That trip is on hold. [W]e pay the Palestinians HUNDRED [sic] OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect, Trump wrote on Twitter. [W]ith the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them? In response to Trumps tweet, Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, issued a statement saying: Palestinian rights are not for sale. By recognizing Occupied Jerusalem as Israels capital Donald Trump has not only violated international law, but he has also singlehandedly destroyed the very foundations of peace and condoned Israels illegal annexation of the city. We will not be blackmailed, she said. President Trump has sabotaged our search for peace, freedom and justice. Now he dares to blame the Palestinians for the consequences of his own irresponsible actions! The United States does not pay large amounts of money directly to the Palestinian Authority, the government that rules over parts of the Palestinian West Bank. Instead, most money goes to the U.N., refugee or aid agencies and even Israel to pay for roads, welfare, schools, security and other Palestinian projects. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, said Tuesday that the administration was planning to cut off one of those organizations, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, until the Palestinians return to the negotiating table. UNRWA, which receives around $300 million annually from the U.S., for years has been the lifeline to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It was not clear if Haley was threatening to cut all U.S. support for the agency. Special correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Facebook

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The White House stops short of calling for government overthrow in Iran By Brian Bennett President Trump wants Iran to give its citizens basic human rights and stop being a state sponsor of terror, his top spokeswoman said, but the White House stopped short of calling for a change of government in Tehran. If they want to do that through current leadership, if thats possible, OK, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. Sanders praised the organic popular uprising, which she said the widespread protests in Iran represented. The protests grew out of years of years of mismanagement, corruption, and foreign adventurism have eroded the Iranian peoples trust in their leaders, she said. Earlier Tuesday, Trump called Irans government brutal and corrupt and wrote in a tweet: The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching! Trump also blamed President Obama for foolishly giving Iran money that he said went to fund terrorism. The money he referred to were funds belonging to Iran that had been frozen by the U.S. and were released as part of the deal in 2015, which blocked Irans development of nuclear weapons. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Facebook

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Retirement of Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch clears the way for a Mitt Romney revival By David Lauter The retirement of Utahs senior senator, Orrin G. Hatch, opens the way for a widely expected Senate bid by Mitt Romney, the Republicans 2012 presidential nominee and a frequent critic of President Trump. Although Romney previously served for two terms as governor of Massachusetts (and was raised in Michigan, where his father was governor and his mother ran for the Senate), he comes from a prominent Mormon family with strong ties to Utah. He also served as chief executive of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Hes viewed as a strong candidate for the Senate seat. Romneys criticisms of Trump, however, could prompt a challenge in a Republican primary. Trump was widely reported to have tried to convince Hatch to run for a seventh term, in part to head off a Romney candidacy. Last month, Romney and Trump were on opposite sides of one of the biggest political fights of the fall  the battle over the Senate seat from Alabama. The president strongly supported Roy Moore, the Republican candidate who had been accused of sexual misconduct by several women. Romney called Moore a stain on the GOP. Roy Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. Leigh Corfman and other victims are courageous heroes. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity.  Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 4, 2017 On Tuesday, Romney tweeted praise for Hatch, but did not immediately reveal his own plans. I join the people of Utah in thanking my friend, Senator Orrin Hatch for his more than forty years of service to our great state and nation. Read my full statement: https://t.co/YwjUpjez5y  Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 2, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. calls on Iran to unblock social media sites amid protests By The Associated Press The Trump administration is calling on Irans government to stop blocking Instagram and other popular social media sites as Iranians are demonstrating in the streets. Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein says the U.S. wants Iran to open these sites. He says Instagram, Telegram and other platforms are legitimate avenues for communication. The United States is encouraging Iranians to use virtual private networks, known as VPNs. Those services create encrypted links between computers and can be used to access blocked websites. Goldstein says the U.S. is still communicating with Iranians in Persian through State Department accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. He says the U.S. wants to encourage the protesters to continue to fight for whats right. Goldstein says the U.S. has an obligation not to stand by. Read More Facebook

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Trump blasts Democrats in advance of immigration meeting By Brian Bennett The day before a meeting of administration officials and congressional leaders on outstanding legislative business, President Trump accused Democrats of doing nothing to hammer out an immigration deal to protect from deportation people brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA  just interested in politics, Trump wrote in a Tweet on Tuesday morning, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by its acronym. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer along with the Republican leaders, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are scheduled to meet on Wednesday at the Capitol with Trumps legislative director, Marc Short, and budget director, Mick Mulvaney. The White House on Tuesday said the meeting is to discuss separate spending caps on military and domestic programs. Yet the Democrats insist the discussion also must include a variety of legislative issues that Trump and Congress punted into the new year  on immigration, the budget, healthcare and more. That stance reflects Democrats leverage: Republicans need Democratic votes to pass a government-funding bill and avert a federal shutdown when the current funding expires Jan. 19. Democrats especially want separate legislation replacing the Obama-era DACA program; Trump in September ordered a phase-out of the program, beginning March 6, and called on Congress to act before then on an alternative way to address the plight of the group. However, Trump has demanded that any alternative must be part of a package including both money for a border wall and immigration limits. Democrats are opposed. Facebook

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Pakistan hits back after Trump accuses its leaders of lies and deceit By Aoun Sahi Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies and deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. Read More Facebook

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Trump again cheers on Iran protests By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size --- were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 The presidents earlier hailing of the protests drew condemnation from Irans government. A Foreign Ministry spokesman called his comments deceitful and opportunistic. Following an overnight report of the first two fatalities stemming from the protests, Trump raised some eyebrows by expressing concern over human rights violations as authorities move to crack down on the demonstrations. During his first year in office, the president has shown scant inclination to press foreign governments to respect the fundamental rights of their citizens. The USA is watching closely for human rights violations! Trump said in his tweet Sunday. Some domestic critics have pointed to the presidents inclusion of Iranian nationals in his travel ban, suggesting he was more interested in bashing the Tehran government than in supporting freedom of speech in Iran. Even some of the presidents allies said that supporting the protesters on social media did not amount to making policy. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he had urged Trump to give a national address laying out his Iran strategy. President Trump is tweeting very sympathetically to the Iranian people, Graham said on CBS Face the Nation. But you just cant tweet here. You have to lay out a plan. Facebook

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Australian diplomats tip a factor in FBIs Russia inquiry By Associated Press Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer. (Alastair Grant / Associated Press) An Australian diplomats tip appears to have helped persuade the FBI to investigate Russian meddling in the U.S. election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign, the New York Times reported Saturday. Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos told the diplomat, Alexander Downer, during a meeting in London in May 2016 that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, the report said. Downer, a former foreign minister, is Australias top diplomat in Britain. Australia passed the information on to the FBI after the Democratic emails were leaked, according to the Times, which cited four current and former U.S. and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians role. The hacking and the revelation that a member of the Trump campaign may have had inside information about it were driving factors that led the FBI to open an investigation in July 2016, the newspaper said. White House lawyer Ty Cobb declined to comment, saying in a statement that the administration is continuing to cooperate with the investigation now led by special counsel Robert Mueller to help complete their inquiry expeditiously. Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is a cooperating witness. Court documents unsealed two months ago show he met in April 2016 with Joseph Mifsud, a professor in London who told him about Russias cache of emails. This was before the Democratic National Committee became aware of the scope of the intrusion into its email systems by hackers later linked to the Russian government. The Times said Papadopoulos shared this information with Downer, but it was unclear whether he also shared it with anyone in the Trump campaign. Facebook

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Trump offers fresh support for protesters in Iran as demonstrations continue By Lisa Mascaro Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! pic.twitter.com/kvv1uAqcZ9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017 President Trump again offered support Saturday for anti-government protesters in Iran, where a third day of demonstrations, the largest in years, spilled across the country amid fears of a crackdown. Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump took a break from playing golf near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to tweet clips from his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September when he called for Iranian democratic reforms. Iranian authorities warned of potential violence as the street demonstrations, which began over economic conditions, swelled into frustrations with the theocratic rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump has maintained a hawkish stance toward Iran, sharply criticizing the landmark nuclear disarmament accord that Tehran reached with then-President Obama and five other nations in 2015. In October, Trump declined to certify the accord to Congress although the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran is complying with it. Several conservative GOP senators signaled their support for Trumps position and backed the protesters in Iran. Others in Congress did not immediately respond, however, amid conflicting reports over who had organized the demonstrations. Even after the billions in sanctions relief they secured through the nuclear deal, the ayatollahs still cant provide for the basic needs of their own people, said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a Trump ally and opponent of the nuclear deal. We should support the Iranian people who are willing to risk their lives to speak out against it, he added. Trump initially tweeted his support on Friday night. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement at that time as protests spread. There are many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with the regimes corruption and its squandering of the nations wealth to fund terrorism abroad, Sanders said. The Iranian government should respect their peoples rights, including their right to express themselves. The world is watching. Facebook

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When it comes to U.S.-Russia relations, it takes two to tango, Kremlin says By Sabra Ayres The deteriorating relationship between the United States and Russia is one of the biggest disappointments of 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman told reporters today. Russia would like to rebuild relations between the two adversaries, but it takes two to tango, Dmitry Peskov said today during a conference call with the press. We want and are looking for good mutually beneficial relations based on mutual respect, mutual trust with all countries, primarily with European ones, including the United States, but it is necessary to dance tango, as they say. Peskov blamed the ongoing anti-Russian Russophobia in Washington for playing a major role in blocking the two countries from moving forward in their relationship. U.S. investigations into the Trump presidential campaigns alleged collusion with the Kremlin during the 2016 U.S. election and accusations that the Kremlin tried to interfere with the electoral process continue to cast a dark shadow over the relationship, he said. Peskov told reporters that Moscow was perplexed by the investigations. The Kremlin has continued to deny having any involvement with the Trump campaign or doing anything to interfere with the American election. This is definitely a U.S. domestic affair, but in this case it naturally hurts our bilateral relations, which is regrettable, Peskov said. Relations between the U.S. and Russia have been categorized as the worst theyve been since the end of the Cold War. This year, Washington and Moscow have engaged in a diplomatic tit-for-tat in which both sides have been forced to reduce diplomatic staff, embassy properties have been repossessed by the hosting countries and visa services have been interrupted. The U.S. diplomatic mission to Russia shrank from 1,200 personnel, including some Russian local staff, to just over 450 across all its three consulates and embassy in Moscow. In the U.S., Russia was forced to vacate its San Francisco consulate. Moscow has also blamed anti-Russian sentiments on the recent decision by the International Olympic Committee to ban Russian teams from wearing their tricolor uniforms or flags during the upcoming games in South Korea. The international body accused some of the Russian national teams of doping. Facebook

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U.S. and Turkey resume reciprocal issuing of visas but frictions remain By Tracy Wilkinson The United States and Turkey began issuing reciprocal visas again on Thursday, more than two months after normal visa service was suspended in a dispute over the arrest of two U.S. diplomatic staffers in Istanbul  the latest friction between the two nominal allies. The State Department said it was lifting the visa restrictions after it was assured by the Turkish government that U.S. Embassy employees would not be arrested when performing their official duties. But the Turkish Embassy in Washington denied assurances were offered concerning the ongoing judicial processes, and suggested that the arrests were legal and justified. It is inappropriate to misinform the Turkish and American public that such assurances were provided, the embassy said in a statement. The dispute has aggravated the already tense relationship between the United States and Turkey, which is a member of the NATO military alliance. The two countries have clashed over U.S. support for Kurdish rebels in Syria and over Turkeys demands that the U.S. extradite a Turkish cleric who lives in rural Pennsylvania. After a failed coup attempt killed more than 250 people in July 2016, Turkeys autocratic president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, launched a harsh crackdown on his political opponents, arresting or firing tens of thousands of teachers, police, journalists, military officers and others. Erdogan accused Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic educator and former political ally, of orchestrating the coup. Gulen, who has lived in a compound in the Pocono Mountains, has denied any involvement. The Justice Department has so far denied Turkeys repeated demands to extradite Gulen. Erdogan raised the issue again at the White House in May, but his visit ended in a public relations disaster when his security guards brutally beat peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassadors residence. Two Turkish employees of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul were arrested this fall for alleged ties to the 2016 coup attempt. The U.S. responded by suspending most visa services at its missions in Turkey in October. The Turkish government reciprocated in November. State Department officials said they have repeatedly demanded more information about any formal charges against the two employees. They reiterated on Thursday that serious concerns about the allegations remained. Facebook

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Trump: China caught RED HANDED allowing oil to reach North Korea By Brian Bennett (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) President Trump isnt taking a holiday vacation from Twitter. In one of three tweets early on Thursday from his West Palm Beach golf club, he charged that China was caught RED HANDED allowing oil shipments to reach North Korean ports. Pronouncing himself very disappointed, Trump in effect was acknowledging the failure of his months-long effort to convince China to clamp down further on energy shipments going to the isolated country, which relies heavily on Beijing, as a way to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017 Trumps tweet came after a South Korean newspaper published what it said were U.S. spy satellite images of Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean ships. The United Nations Security Council, which includes China, has voted repeatedly to restrict fuel shipments to North Korea. Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping in November to cut off North Koreas oil supply entirely, the American ambassador to the U.N., Nikki R. Haley, said at the time. It is unclear if Trumps admonishment of China was based on news reports or classified information he received from U.S. intelligence officials. There was no daily intelligence briefing on Trumps public schedule Thursday. He is expected to return to Washington next week after spending the Christmas holiday and New Years Eve at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Facebook

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President Trump again falsely claims hes signed more bills than any president By Brian Bennett President Trump visits a firehouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP) After another morning at his Florida golf club, President Trump visited firefighters and paramedics at a West Palm Beach firehouse and praised his own performance as president, including with a false boast. Trump touted his administrations work to roll back government regulations and cut taxes and claimed credit for the stock market hitting record highs. He also said hes signed more bills into law than any other president, which isnt true. We have signed more legislation than anybody, Trump said, standing in front of a rescue vehicle inside the fire station. We have more legislation passed, including  the record was Harry Truman a long time ago, and we broke that record, so we got a lot done, Trump said. An analysis by GovTrack, a website that tracks bills in Congress, shows that Trump has signed the fewest bills into law at this point than any president in more than 60 years, back to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Facebook

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Trump administration urges Russia to reinstate monitors in Ukraine, lower violence By Tracy Wilkinson Sergei Lavrov (AFP/Getty Images) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked Russia on Wednesday to reinstate its military personnel at a monitoring station in eastern Ukraine intended to quell escalating bloodshed. In a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Tillerson also urged Russia to lower the level of violence and underscored the Trump administrations concern over increased fighting in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement. Russia last week withdrew its monitors from the Joint Center on Coordination and Control, which is tasked with verifying a much-violated ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists. Moscow cited what it called restrictions and provocations from Ukrainian authorities that made it impossible for the observers to do their jobs. Washington has accused the pro-Russia forces of being responsible for many of the truce violations. Late last week, the State Department also announced plans to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, a decision that angered Moscow. The State Department statement did not say whether the weapons deal came up in Tillersons conversation with Lavrov. The two also discussed North Korea, its destabilizing nuclear program and the need for a diplomatic solution to achieve a denuclearized Korean peninsula, the statement said. Russia has offered to serve as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang, but direct talks do not seem likely at this point. Facebook

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U.S. sanctions two more North Korean officials for ballistic missile program By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration announced sanctions Tuesday against two more North Korean officials for their alleged role in Pyongyangs expanding ballistic missiles program. The Treasury Department is targeting leaders of North Koreas ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate [North Korea] and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. The nuclear-armed country tested an intercontinental ballistic missile last month that U.S. officials said appeared capable of reaching New York or Washington, a significant milestone in the countrys growing arsenal. The Treasury Department identified the two North Korean officials as Kim Jong Sik, who reportedly is a key figure in the ballistic missile program and led efforts to switch missiles from liquid to solid fuel (which makes them easier to hide before launch), and Ri Pyong Chol, who was reported to be a key official in the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The sanctions block banks, companies and individuals from doing any business with the targeted officials. It also allows the U.S. government to freeze any American assets owned by the officials. On Friday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to add more sanctions on North Korea, its third round this year. The new measures order North Koreans working abroad to return home within two years, and ban nearly 90% of refined petroleum exports to the country. In a statement published Sunday by North Koreas state-run KCNA news agency, the foreign ministry denounced the new U.N. sanctions as an act of war. We define this sanctions resolution rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the region and categorically reject the resolution, it said. Facebook

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Salt Lake Tribune calls on Sen. Orrin Hatch to not seek reelection in scathing editorial Perhaps the most significant move of Hatchs career is the one that should, if there is any justice, end it. The last time the senator was up for reelection, in 2012, he promised that it would be his last campaign. That was enough for many likely successors, of both parties, to stand down, to let the elder statesman have his victory tour and to prepare to run for an open seat in 2018. Clearly, it was a lie. Read the editorial>> Facebook

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Christmas Eve, Trump on Twitter: New attacks on FBI official, decrying Fake News By Laura King President Trump launched a Christmas Eve attack on FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whom he accuses of favoritism toward his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, and also returned to a longtime favored theme, excoriating the news media for failing to sufficiently extol his accomplishments. .@FoxNews-FBIs Andrew McCabe, in addition to his wife getting all of this money from M (Clinton Puppet), he was using, allegedly, his FBI Official Email Account to promote her campaign. You obviously cannot do this. These were the people who were investigating Hillary Clinton.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Thank you President TRUMP!! pic.twitter.com/LKdkT0FL99  oregon4TRUMP (@shawgerald4) December 23, 2017 The Fake News refuses to talk about how Big and how Strong our BASE is. They show Fake Polls just like they report Fake News. Despite only negative reporting, we are doing well - nobody is going to beat us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Trump, who is spending the holidays at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, also sent Christmas greetings to deployed military personnel, praising them for success in the fight against terrorism. The early-morning swipe at McCabe followed a flurry of tweets attacking the deputy FBI chief on Saturday. McCabe, who has been a lightning rod for Republican attacks on the FBI, is expected to retire early in the new year. How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wifes campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 Critics say the president and his allies are in the midst of a systematic campaign to denigrate the FBI and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is looking into potential collusion by the Trump campaign in Russias attempts to sway the 2016 presidential election. In a pair of statements on Twitter, Trump again expressed scorn regarding news coverage of his administration. For months, the president has been particularly critical of reports regarding the Russia investigation and more recently has repeatedly complained he does not receive enough credit for a booming stock market. In his video conference message to troops overseas, the president made apparent reference to the fight against the militants of Islamic State, who over the last year have lost most of the territory they previously controlled in Iraq and Syria, including former strongholds in Mosul and Raqqah. Were winning, Trump told military personnel deployed in Qatar, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay and aboard the guided missile destroyer Sampson. Reporters traveling with the president heard his address, but were ushered from the room before he took questions from the troops. The president often breaks with longtime custom and makes politically charged statements at events in which he addresses military personnel. Facebook

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Trumps Wells Fargo tweet cited in court hearing as reason to remove Mulvaney as CFPB acting chief By Jim Puzzanghera A recent tweet by President Trump about possible penalties against Wells Fargo & Co. was cited during a court hearing Friday as a reason for removing White House official Mick Mulvaney as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The attorney for Leandra English  the bureaus deputy director who has said she is the rightful acting head  said Trumps tweet showed he was trying to exercise improper influence over the independent consumer watchdog. I think that [tweet] shows you this isnt just some hypothetical concern, the attorney, Deepak Gupta, told Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia during a nearly two-hour hearing. Read More Facebook

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Trump administration recognizes Honduran presidents reelection By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration on Friday formally recognized the incumbent president of Honduras, conservative Juan Orlando Hernandez, as the winner of a bitterly contested presidential election held last month. In a statement, the State Department congratulated Hernandez while also acknowledging widespread irregularities in the Nov. 26 vote and calling for a robust national dialogue to overcome political discord in the Central American country, a close ally of the administration. The Organization of American States, which monitored the election, said it was so flawed that only a new round of voting could establish a fair and transparent outcome. But the U.S. rejected that determination. Uproar over the contest led to demonstrations in Honduras that left numerous civilians dead after state security forces opened fire on the protests. Activists and others voiced criticism Friday of the administrations decision. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), a leading Democratic voice on Central American issues, said he was angry and deeply disturbed by the State Department decision. The recent elections in Honduras were deeply flawed, chaotic and marred by numerous irregularities, McGovern said. U.S.-Honduran cooperation on matters such as drug-trafficking, violence and immigration requires a credible, legitimate government that has the support of its people, in Honduras, McGovern said. Hernandezs victory also was controversial because it was the first time a sitting president was allowed to run for re-election, barred until now by the Honduran Constitution. Facebook

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Senate Leader Mitch McConnell says fixing DACA is no emergency until March By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday hes committed to allowing a vote on a bill for so-called Dreamers in January, but sees no rush to resolve the deportation threat posed by President Trumps decision to end a program protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. There isnt that much of an emergency there, he said. There is no emergency until March. Well keep talking about it. Trump called for phasing out by March the Obama-era program that allows the young immigrants, many of them longtime residents, to get two-year deferrals of any deportation threat so they can legally attend school or work. Beneficiaries must be vetted for security purposes. Trump told Congress to come up with a legislative alternative for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which President Obama created by executive order, to protect those currently eligible. A bipartisan Senate group has been working with the White House, but talks stalled this week amid administration demands for curbs on legal immigration flows in exchange for protecting the DACA recipients. Meanwhile, Dreamers and immigrant advocates stormed the Capitol in recent days pressing for the help promised by Trump and Democratic congressional leaders that failed to materialize in the years final legislation. Advocacy groups say more than 120 immigrants each day are falling out of compliance without DACA renewals, putting them at risk of deportation. The number that is projected to swell to more than 1,000 a day in March. Weve been gridlocked on this issue for years, McConnell said. We want to have a signature. We dont just want to spin our wheels and have nothing to show for it. Facebook

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President Trump signs tax bill By Noah Bierman (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump on Friday morning signed a sweeping tax-cut measure  his first major legislative achievement  before heading off for a Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Fla. The president also privately signed a short-term spending bill to fund government operations through Jan. 19. Congress approved it Thursday, after Republican leaders were unable to bridge differences in their own party as well as with Democrats to get agreement on funding for the full fiscal year. The stopgap bill punts fights on immigration and other issues to January. The tax bill, approved earlier this week in Congress in largely party-line votes, slashes corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% and also includes a host of other provisions for individuals, all intended to boost the economy. Critics point to nonpartisan analyses showing that the package, including changes greatly reducing the number of estates subject to taxes, steers the bulk of tax benefits to top earners and the wealthy, including Trump, despite his repeated claims that hell take a hit. Trump signed the bill quietly Friday, but held a public ceremony with Republican lawmakers on Wednesday after the bills passage; he also tweeted about the measure extensively. He is expected to hold another public ceremony after the New Years holiday. Facebook

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Pelosi urges Ryan to prevent Republicans from curtailing Houses Russia probe By Chris Megerian House Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin greets House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Friday urging him to ensure the Houses investigation into Russian interference with last years presidential campaign is not cut short. The American people deserve a comprehensive and fair investigation into Russias attacks, wrote Pelosi, of San Francisco, in her letter. Political haste must not cut short valid investigatory threads. The House Intelligence Committee has been probing the issue since March 1, and Democrats have repeatedly warned that Republicans are trying to wrap up its work prematurely. Pelosi said Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, should take urgent action to ensure this investigation can continue. AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, said Pelosi simply wants to see this investigation go on forever in order to suit her political agenda. Whether it concludes next month, next year, or in three years, she will say it is too soon, Strong said in a statement. She added, The investigation will conclude when the committee has reached a conclusion. The committees work is led by Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas). His spokeswoman, Emily Hytha, said he remains committed to conducting this investigation as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible. With more interviews scheduled, the investigation shows signs of extending into next year, Bloomberg reported Friday. BREAKING: Steve Bannon and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski have been sent letters requesting they testify to House Intel panel in early January, per @HouseInSession  Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) December 22, 2017 Facebook

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Congress votes to avert government shutdown, but Senate fails to pass disaster aid package By Lisa Mascaro ( (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)) Congress approved a temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown, but failed to complete work on an $81-billion disaster aid package to help California, Gulf Coast states and Puerto Rico recover from wildfires and hurricanes, as lawmakers scrambled Thursday to wrap up business before a Christmas break. The stopgap measure continues federal operations for a few more weeks, setting up another deadline for Jan. 19. But it left undone a long list of priorities that members of both parties had hoped to finish this year. Read More Facebook

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Wells Fargo says raises were not linked to tax bill passage  then backtracks By James Rufus Koren Wells Fargo & Co.s move to raise its minimum pay to $15 an hour was part of a long-term plan and not related to the passage of the Republican tax overhaul as the company implied, said a bank spokesman, who later backtracked and stated the hikes were a result of the bills approval. The bank was among several large corporations to publicly announce pay raises or new investments immediately following the final House vote in an apparent public relations offensive to boost the popularity of the tax bill The San Francisco bank had implied the direct linkage to the tax legislation in a news release Wednesday, shortly after Congress passed the tax overhaul, which slashes the corporate tax rate to 21% from 35% starting Jan. 1. Read More Facebook

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Obamacare signups beat expectations, despite Trump administrations opposition By Noam N. Levey President Trump with Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Despite Trump administration efforts to discourage people from signing up, the number of people enrolling for Affordable Care Act coverage nearly hit last years level, the government revealed Thursday. Exchange open enrollment for 2018 coverage ended w/ approx 8.8M people enrolling in coverage. Great job to the @CMSGov team for the work you did to make this the smoothest experience for consumers to date. We take pride in providing great customer service.  Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) December 21, 2017 The 8.8 million people who enrolled in the 36 states that use the federal governments healthcare.gov system significantly exceeded most forecasts. The Trump administration stopped most outreach and other efforts this year aimed at getting people to sign up. The president also repeatedly said publicly that Obamacare was dead. Open enrollment continues in California and several other states that run their own healthcare marketplaces. The figures from the federal government indicate that when those states wrap up for the year, the number of people covered by Obamacare will be nearly the same as in 2017. Read More Facebook

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U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly condemns U.S. policy change on Jerusalem despite Trumps threats By Tracy Wilkinson The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted Thursday to condemn President Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite Trumps threats to punish countries that voted against the U.S. position. The resolution passed in an emergency session at U.N. headquarters in New York with 128 in favor, nine opposed and 35 abstentions. The nonbinding resolution demands that Washington rescind its declaration, which included a plan to transfer the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in coming years. The resolution value is mostly symbolic, showing how isolated the U.S. is in the move. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., warned this week that she would be taking names of countries that opposed the U.S., and Trump on Wednesday suggested he might cut U.S. aid to governments that voted in favor of the resolution. Let them vote against us, Trump said. Well save a lot. We dont care. The U.S. recognition of Jerusalem reversed decades of international consensus on the political status of the divided city. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as their capital in a future independent state. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the U.N. was facing an unprecedented test and that history would remember those who stand by what is right. Facebook

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Democrats defend Robert Mueller, saying Russia investigation must be allowed to continue By Chris Megerian Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) speaking during a committee hearing earlier this year. (Molly Riley / Associated Press) House Democrats said they will fight Republican attempts to discredit and undermine the work of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating whether President Trumps associates helped Russian meddling in last years election. There is an organized effort by Republicans, in concert with Fox News, to spin a false narrative and conjure up outrageous scenarios to accuse special counsel Mueller of being biased, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) said. Trump has said he has no plan to fire Mueller, but Democrats are alarmed by escalating criticism of the special counsels work. Why is the president afraid of the facts and the truth? Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said. He added, No matter what the facts are, were satisfied if the investigation is complete. A letter of support signed by 171 Democratic members of Congress will be sent to Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, a former FBI director, and oversees his investigation. Rosenstein has defended Mueller in the face of Republican criticisms. Facebook

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U.S. blacklists Myanmar army general who it says oversaw atrocities against Rohingya Muslims By Shashank Bengali The Trump administration on Thursday blacklisted a Myanmar army general who it said oversaw human rights abuses committed by security forces against Rohingya Muslims. Imposing economic sanctions against the general, Maung Maung Soe, was the toughest action the United States has taken in response to a brutal army offensive that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has described as ethnic cleansing. In a statement, the Treasury Department said it had examined credible evidence of Maung Maung Soes activities, including allegations against Burmese security forces of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages. The Rohingya are an ethnic and religious minority of about 1 million people in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, also known as Burma. The United Nations says that more than 640,000 Rohingya have fled the country since August, after the army launched clearance operations in response to attacks carried out by a Rohingya insurgent group against security forces. Rohingya refugees in crowded camps in neighboring Bangladesh have described horrific violence by Myanmar forces, including mass rapes, summary executions and children being burned alive. The aid group Doctors Without Borders estimates that 6,700 people were killed in the first month of the operation. Myanmar authorities deny committing atrocities and say that only a few hundred fighters were killed. Maung Maung Soe was chief of the armys Western Command, which carried out the offensive. He was transferred from his position last month, according to news reports. He was one of 13 individuals worldwide who were blacklisted Thursday under a new U.S. law that gives the Treasury Department authority to target officials for human rights abuses and corruption. Others included former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh; Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the late Uzbekistan dictator Islam Karimov; and Artem Chaika, son of Russias prosecutor-general. Today, the United States is taking a strong stand against human rights abuse and corruption globally by shutting these bad actors out of the U.S. financial system, said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. The sanctions freeze any assets Maung Maung Soe holds in the United States and bars Americans from doing business with him. It is also a sign of how quickly U.S. relations with Myanmar have soured. Under the Obama administration, the United States forged closer ties with the former military dictatorship and eased economic and political sanctions as the country began implementing democratic reforms. But Myanmar, which does not regard the Rohingya as citizens, has lashed out at the international community over the current crisis. It has jailed journalists, blocked access to affected areas in the western state of Rakhine and this week barred a U.N. human rights investigator from entering the country. Rohingya activists said the U.S. action would not have much effect on a country that survived under economic sanctions for years. It is the whole military institution that has a policy to persecute these people, said Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist and blogger in Germany. According to the U.S.s own definition, the army is carrying out ethnic cleansing. They have a responsibility to protect these people. Sanctions on one person are really not enough. Facebook

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Dreamers will have to wait until next year for Congress long-promised protections By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)) A promised year-end deal to protect the young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation collapsed Wednesday as Republicans in Congress  fresh off passage of their tax plan  prepared to punt nearly all remaining must-do agenda items into the new year. Congressional leaders still hope that before leaving town this week they can pass an $81-billion disaster relief package with recovery funds for California wildfires and Gulf Coast states hit during the devastating hurricane season. But passage even of that relatively popular measure remained in doubt as conservatives balked at the price tag. Rather than finish the year wrapping up the legislative agenda, the GOP majorities in the House and Senate struggled over their next steps. Read More Facebook

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Chants of protest drown out any caroling this holiday season at the Capitol By Lisa Mascaro U.S. Capitol Police arrest a man wearing a Santa Claus hat during a protest against the Republican tax bill. (Alex Edelman / AFP/Getty Image) Outside the U.S. Capitol, the lights on a towering Christmas tree are flipped on each evening, giving the Engelmann spruce a festive twinkle; inside the marble halls, wreaths and garlands decorate doorways and alcoves ahead of the holidays. But the spirit of the season has been punctuated by other sights: a Jumbotron parked across from the Capitol reflecting pool broadcasts images of young immigrants who face deportation; Little Lobbyists, children with complex medical needs, were featured in a recent news conference; protesters filed into the visitor galleries to shout against the Republican tax plan. While its beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Capitol, its also shaping up to be a holiday season of protest. Read More Facebook

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Tax bill simplifies filing for some but complicates it for others  and dont count on that postcard By Jim Puzzanghera A priority of the Republicans tax overhaul was simplification, and they drove home the point this fall with an omnipresent prop: a red-white-and-blue postcard. Were making things so simple that you can do your taxes on a form the size of a postcard, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) said last month, pulling one from his jacket pocket as he and Republican leaders unveiled their bill. They gave a couple of the cards to President Trump at a White House meeting a few hours later and flashed them often during news conferences and TV interviews in the coming days. Read More Facebook

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Top U.N. human rights official reportedly wont seek reelection The top United Nations official for human rights, who has frequently criticized the Trump administration, has reportedly decided not to seek a second term, saying his work had become untenable. Zeid Raad Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, notified his staff in an email that was obtained by several news outlets, including Agence France-Presse. Staying when his four-year term is up for renewal at the end of August might involve bending a knee in supplication, AFP quoted Husseins email as saying. Hussein is a Jordanian prince who has criticized, among other things, President Trumps attempts to ban visitors or refugees from six predominantly Muslim countries. The news comes a day before the U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote on a nonbinding resolution condemning the Trump administrations formal declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision that went against international consensus. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has warned she will be taking names of those who vote against the United States on Thursday. Trump echoed that sentiment Wednesday, voiced support for Haley and implying to reporters that he would consider cutting off U.S. aid to countries that vote against the U.S. Well, were watching those votes, Trump said. Let them vote against us. Well save a lot. We dont care. On Monday, the United States lost a Security Council vote 14-1 on a binding resolution that would have required Washington to rescind its declaration. Haley then vetoed the resolution. Facebook

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Top Democrat warns Trump not to fire Mueller or interfere with his investigation By Chris Megerian Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, one of the top Democrats involved in the congressional inquiries into Russian interference in last years election, said Wednesday that any attempt by President Trump to interfere with the separate criminal investigation would be a gross abuse of power. Warner, who is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, delivered his warning from the Senate floor as Republicans escalate their criticism of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and his team of prosecutors and FBI agents. Some Democrats believe Trump is laying the groundwork to fire Mueller even though the president has publicly denied it. Mueller was appointed in May after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey. In the United States of America, no one, no one is above the law, not even the president, Warner said. Congress must make clear to the president that firing the special counsel or interfering with his investigation by issuing pardons of essential witnesses is unacceptable and would have immediate and significant consequences. Some Democrats say the White House may try to in effect short-circuit the Mueller investigation by replacing Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who is the only official empowered to fire Mueller. Rosenstein recently told Congress that the special counsel is acting appropriately and that he would not dismiss Mueller without just cause. Facebook

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We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump says after tax bill passes By Brian Bennett President Trump at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday at the White House. (Chris Kleponis / Getty Images) President Trump is celebrating Republicans passage of the tax overhaul bill as a two-fer: On Wednesday, in addition to tax cuts, he checked off his promise to repeal Obamacare, pointing to a provision in the bill to end the penalty on Americans who dont get health insurance. We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. Other provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act are still in place, and Trump and congressional Republicans failed completely on the replace half of their vow to repeal and replace the program. In Trumps view, however, stripping away the laws individual mandate to get insurance or else pay a tax penalty amounts to repeal of the whole law. Congressional analysts have said that millions of people would lose insurance as a result, either by choice or because they cannot afford it without subsidies, and that premiums would increase for others as younger, healthy people drop coverage. We will come up with something much better, Trump said, adding that block grants to states could be one approach. By his comments, Trump tacitly acknowledged that repeal of the mandate is likely the best he can do following Republicans failure this year to agree on a repeal-and-replace bill. Looking back on his first year, Trump also boasted of his administrations efforts against the Islamic State and increased immigration enforcement. He said he had not given up on funding a border wall or tightening immigration law to limit citizens ability to resettle foreign relatives in the country. He said he would very shortly visit the border with Mexico near San Diego to see wall prototypes that have been built. He didnt answer a reporters shouted question about how he would personally benefit from the tax bill. Facebook

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House gives final OK to GOP tax plan, sending it to Trump By Lisa Mascaro Congress gave final approval to the GOP tax plan Wednesday, 224-201, after the House took an unusual do-over vote to clear up differences with the Senate-passed bill. The $1.5-trillion package now heads to President Trump, who plans to sign it into law. The House had approved the tax bill on Tuesday but was forced to take another vote Wednesday because a couple of provisions in the version it approved were found to be in violation of Senate procedures. Those provisions were dropped before the Senate gave its approval early Wednesday. Critics complained the Republicans rushed to pass the sweeping tax plan to deliver Trump a year-end legislative victory, but supporters shrugged off the problems as minor. The tax plan dramatically cuts corporate rates and provides some individual rate reductions, overhauling the tax code for the first time in 30 years. Facebook

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Trump administration effort to block immigrant from having an abortion fails By David Savage Scott Lloyd is director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) President Trumps lawyers rushed to the Supreme Court and U.S. appeals court in Washington on Monday evening to file emergency appeals seeking to prevent an immigrant in detention, dubbed Jane Roe in court, from having an abortion. That set the stage for a legal showdown on whether the administration can block pregnant minors in custody from choosing to have an abortion. But the legal clash, which the administration has seemed eager to have, fizzled out Tuesday when the governments lawyers admitted the 17-year-old unaccompanied minor in their custody was actually 19. They said they had obtained her birth certificate and realized she was not a minor after all. As a result, Roe, who is 10 weeks pregnant, will no longer be held in a detention center for immigrant minors, and will not be subject to an administration policy that tries to prevent minors in immigration detention from having abortions. Administration lawyers told appeals court judges Tuesday night that Roe was being sent to a facility for adults and likely would be released until her immigration status can be resolved. In a brief order, the D.C. Circuit Court agreed to put the case on hold, but told government attorneys to confirm that she will be permitted to obtain an abortion. The administration had earlier tried to delay another young woman, referred to in court as Jane Poe, from having an abortion, but officials relented on Monday because she was 22 weeks pregnant and nearing the time limit for a legal abortion. Facebook

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Senate panel rejects Trumps pick to lead Export-Import Bank, a leader in the effort to shut it down By Jim Puzzanghera A Senate committee on Tuesday rejected President Trumps nominee to lead the Export-Import Bank, extending the chaos at the embattled agency whose job is to help U.S. companies sell their goods abroad. Two Republicans joined all Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee in voting against former Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) to be the banks president. Garrett had been a vocal critic of the Ex-Im Bank and a leader of a conservative effort that shut the bank down for five months in 2015 by blocking its congressional authorization. He and other bank opponents branded the banks aid as crony capitalism. Read More Facebook

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Congress proposes $81-billion disaster aid package, including funds for California wildfires By Lisa Mascaro Congress is set to consider an $81-billion disaster aid package that includes wildfire recovery money for California and other Western states as well as hurricane relief with a price tag reflecting a year of record-setting natural calamities. The legislation, the text of which was released late Monday, would provide almost twice as much as the $44 billion the White House sought last month to cover relief efforts along the Gulf Coast and in the Caribbean. Republican congressional leaders added more money after California lawmakers objected that the administration had failed to include help for areas damaged by wildfires and Democrats protested that the overall amount President Trump asked for was insufficient. Read More Facebook

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White House blames North Korea for worldwide WannaCry cyber attack By Noah Bierman The Royal London Hospital, a victim of the unprecedented global cyberattack in May. (Niklas Hallen / AFP/Getty Images) The White House officially blamed North Korea on Tuesday for the cyberattack in May known as WannaCry that infected hundreds of thousands of computers in 150 countries, affecting healthcare, financial services and vital infrastructure. Thomas P. Bossert, assistant to the president for homeland security and counter-terrorism, noted in a briefing with reporters that the consequences were beyond economic. He warned that North Koreas malicious behavior is growing more egregious. Bossert did not specify what evidence American officials have to blame North Korea, citing security issues, but he cited the countrys prior attacks as revealing hallmarks of how Pyongyang and its network of hackers operates. He said other allied countries had joined the United States in making the determination. The administration did not announce any penalties on the regime, which is already subject to severe sanctions over its nuclear program. They want to hold the entire world at risk, Bossert said of North Koreas rulers, referring to the nations nuclear and missile provocations as well as its alleged cyberattack. Given its isolation and international sanctions, North Korea is desperate for funds. Bossert said the country did not appear to make much money on the ransom attack, as word spread that paying a ransom did not result in getting computers unlocked. Its primary goal, he said, was spreading chaos. Bossert and Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary of homeland security for cybersecurity and communication, said the United States, through a combination of preparation and luck, escaped the worst of the attack, as a patch to the malware was found before U.S. companies and other interests were severely crippled. However, Manfra said, We cannot be complacent. Bossert added, Next time were not going to get so lucky. Manfra praised Microsoft and Facebook for their efforts to combat WannaCry and to block more recent attempts to hack U.S. systems. She and Bossert urged more cooperation and information-sharing from American and multinational companies, arguing a united front is vital to protecting against bad actors who do not differentiate between government and business. Bossert rejected criticism that the the Trump administration has more aggressively called out North Korean cyberattacks than it has Russias meddling in the 2016 election. He said the administration has continued the national emergency initiated by President Obama. Facebook

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GOP lures some mountain bike groups in its push to roll back protections for public land By Evan Halper When their vision of creating a scenic cycling trail through a protected alpine backcountry hit a snag, San Diego area mountain bikers turned to an unlikely ally: congressional Republicans aiming to dilute conservation laws. The frustrations of the San Diego cycling group and a handful of similar organizations are providing tailwind to the GOP movement to lift restrictions on the countrys most ecologically fragile and pristine landscapes, officially designated wilderness. Resentment of these cyclists over the longstanding ban on mechanized transportation in that fraction of the nations public lands presents a political opportunity for Republicans eager to drill fissures in the broad coalition of conservation-minded groups united against the GOP environmental agenda. Read More Facebook

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Vice president postpones Israel trip a second time in case his vote is needed to pass tax cut bill By Noah Bierman (Ethan Miller / Getty Images) Vice President Mike Pence is delaying his trip to Egypt and Israel for a second time in case he is needed to break a tie in the Senate for the tax bill that is expected to pass narrowly this week. Two White House officials confirmed the changed schedule, which they say is unrelated to to protests in the region over the administrations decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. Pence had initially been scheduled to leave last Saturday. Late last week, the White House moved the trip back a few days to Tuesday night, in case Pence was needed to break a Senate tie. But Monday, they decided to postpone the trip further, to January, given the possibility of a late Senate vote and the coming holidays. He wants to see it through the finish line, said a White House official, referring to the tax measure that is a centerpiece of the Republican legislative agenda. We dont want to leave anything to chance. The mid-January dates will allow Pence more breathing room to merge schedules with embassies and hotels, the official said. Trump still plans to address the Israeli Knesset, a high-profile venue to discuss the Jerusalem decision where it is most popular. Facebook

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Trump judicial pick who drew ridicule at hearing withdraws By Associated Press A White House official says the Trump judicial nominee whose qualifications were questioned by a Republican senator has withdrawn his nomination. Matthew Petersen, who was nominated by President Trump to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has been the subject of widespread ridicule since he was unable to define basic legal terms during his confirmation hearing Wednesday. A White House official says Petersen has withdrawn his nomination and that Trump has accepted the withdrawal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the development publicly. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy pressed Petersen, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, who testified he had never tried a case, on his qualifications to the bench. Facebook

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Trump says McCain will return to Washington if needed for tax vote By Laura King President Trump said Sunday that Sen. John McCain, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, was returning home to Arizona for the holidays but would come back to Washington if needed to cast a vote on the Republicans tax overhaul bill. The Arizona Republicans office announced last week that McCain was receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington for complications from his cancer treatment. McCains daughter Meghan tweeted earlier Sunday that her 81-year-old father would be spending Christmas in Arizona. The Senate is expected to vote early this week on the tax cut legislation, but the GOP appeared to have secured sufficient support without McCains vote. John will come back if we need his vote, Trump told reporters as he returned from a weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Hes going through a very tough time. Facebook

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Putin calls Trump to thank him for U.S. help foiling terrorist strike By Laura King Vladimir Putin phoned President Trump to thank him for what the Russian president said was CIA help in foiling a terrorist attack, the Kremlin said on Sunday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the two leaders conversation to reporters. It was the second time that the two leaders had talked in four days; Trump called Putin on Thursday to thank the Russian leader for lauding the U.S. economy. Putin, in his annual year-end news conference, had praised Trump for a strong performance by the U.S. stock market. Perhaps ironically, given his credit to the CIAs recent help, Putin at that news event dismissed as hysteria the consensus among American intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign. In reporting Putins call to Trump on Sunday, the official Russian news agency Tass said Putin thanked his American counterpart for information shared by the US Central Intelligence Agency that had helped break up a plot to set off explosives in St. Petersburgs landmark Kazan Cathedral and elsewhere in the city, which is Russias second-largest. Russian authorities last week had credited their countrys counter-intelligence service, the FSB, for foiling the attacks. They reported that seven people affiliated with Islamic State had been detained in St. Petersburg in connection with the plot. The FSB, the successor organization to the KGB, announced Friday that the group had planned to carry out the attacks on Saturday, and that one of those in custody had confessed to the cathedral bomb plot. Facebook

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Mnuchin: Government shutdown unlikely but could happen By Laura King Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said on Sunday that a government shutdown this week was unlikely but possible. A two-week stopgap spending bill passed by Congress earlier this month provided enough funding to keep the government running through Friday. A deadlock on another temporary funding measure would open the door to a possible shutdown. I cant rule it out, but I cant imagine it occurring, Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday, suggesting everyone had an interest in avoiding the government grinding to a halt and federal workers going unpaid, especially in the holiday season. I would expect that both the House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats, understand if they cant agree on this, they need to have another short-term extension to move this to January, the Treasury secretary said. We cant have a government shutdown in front of Christmas. In May, irate over concessions made to Democrats in hammering out a spending measure, President Trump tweeted that a good shutdown might help matters. While both parties agree that a government shutdown involves a degree of disruption that is not beneficial to either side, shutdowns in 1995-96 and in 2013 mainly caused a backlash against Republicans. The latest funding measure is to be taken up after a vote on a massive GOP tax overhaul, expected by midweek. Facebook

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Trump transition team says sensitive emails should not have been shared with Robert Mueller By Chris Megerian (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) President Trumps transition team is crying foul over how special counsel Robert S. Mueller III obtained emails for his investigation into Russian meddling in last years campaign and possible Trump campaign complicity. Kory Langhofer, a lawyer for the transition team, sent a letter to Congress on Saturday saying there was an unauthorized disclosure of emails. While the Trump transition is long over, the transition team remains a nonprofit organization. Its emails were hosted by the General Services Administration, a federal agency. Mueller reportedly obtained the emails directly from the agency. There are attorney-client communications, Langhofer said in an interview. There are executive-privileged communications. He added, What were asking Congress to do is to take some legislative action to make sure this never happens again. Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsels office, defended the process for obtaining emails. When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owners consent or appropriate criminal process, he said. The letter was first reported by Fox News. A request for comment from the General Services Administration was not immediately answered. This story has been updated with a comment from the special counsels office. Facebook

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Virginia house arrest is ending for Paul Manafort By Chris Megerian (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) A federal judge agreed Friday to end Paul Manaforts house arrest in Virginia, allowing President Trumps former campaign manager to return to Florida while awaiting trial. The decision followed a dispute between Manaforts legal team and prosecutors working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who accused Manafort of violating a court order restricting public statements about the case. Under the terms of the judges order, Manafort will be allowed to live at his home in Florida as long as he stays within Palm Beach and Broward counties and obeys a curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. If he misses a court appearance, he would forfeit four properties valued at $10 million total. The deal, which includes GPS monitoring, is not as permissive as Manafort originally sought. He had asked to be able to travel freely among Florida, New York, Virginia and Washington. Manafort faces criminal charges of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty. Facebook

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GOP negotiators enhance child tax credit to win over Sen. Rubio By Lisa Mascaro Republican negotiators slightly increased the refundable portion of the expanded child tax credit in their tax plan, raising it to $1,400 in hopes of winning back Sen. Marco Rubios (R-Fla.) support ahead of next weeks vote. Rubio announced Thursday he was withholding support after negotiators ignored his push to make the expanded tax credit, which increases from the current $1,000 to $2,000 in the proposed bill, fully refundable for lower- and moderate-income filers. The refundable portion in the original bill was $1,100. The Florida senator argued that was not enough to help working-class Americans, many of whom already view the GOP plan as tilted toward the wealthy. Rubios office was waiting to see the final text before commenting on whether the change was enough to win him over. We have not seen the bill text, and until we see if the percentage of the refundable credit is significantly higher, then our position remains the same, Rubios spokeswoman said. Negotiators meeting Friday before unveiling the bill said they thought they had the support they needed from Rubio and other holdouts. Im confident both chambers will pass it next week, said Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Facebook

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Sen. Marco Rubio opposes GOP tax bill, depriving leaders of crucial support By Lisa Mascaro 20.94% Corp. rate to pay for tax cut for working family making $40k was anti-growth but 21% to cut tax for couples making $1million is fine?  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 12, 2017 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says he is currently opposed to the GOP tax plan because it fails to include his proposed enhancements to the child tax credit, leaving leaders without crucial support ahead of next weeks expected vote. Republicans can only lose two GOP senators from their slim 52-48 majority as they push the plan forward under special budget rules to prevent a Democratic filibuster. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday altered his planned Israel trip so he could be on hand, if needed, to cast a tie-breaking vote. Rubio, and GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, have fought to increase the child tax credit, doubling it to $2,000 in the GOP plan, but they also want to increase its refundability. They argue it will lower taxes on middle-income families at a time when the tax plan is being criticized as tilted to the wealthy. Sen. Rubio has consistently communicated to the Senate tax negotiators that his vote on final passage would depend on whether the refundability of the Child Tax Credit was increased in a meaningful way, Rubios spokeswoman said. Lee stopped short of opposing the bill, but his spokesman said Wednesday he is undecided. GOP leaders, though, have said they believe they have the support for passage. Facebook

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White House gives Roy Moore a unsubtle shove: Time to concede By David Lauter (Alex Wong / Getty Images) The White House sent a clear signal Thursday to the defeated Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama: Its time to concede. Roy Moore refused to concede the race on Tuesday night when Doug Jones, the Democrat, was declared the winner. Election night results show Jones winning by about 1.5 percentage points, three times more than the states standard for a recount. Although a few absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted, theres no indication they would change the result. On Wednesday, Moore notably did not call to congratulate Jones  even as President Trump and other leading Republicans did. Instead, he released a video declaring the battle rages on. Asked at the daily news briefing whether the White House thinks Moore should concede today, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, It probably sounds like it maybe should have already taken place. Sanders also dismissed the idea, pushed by some Moore supporters, that Jones victory was tainted in some fashion. Asked if the Democrat had won fair and square, she said, I think the numbers reflect that. The states Republican senator, Richard Shelby, offered a similar comment in an interview with MSNBC in which he said he was willing to work with Jones. If I was 25,000 votes behind, its not going to change much, Shelby said. Facebook

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House Speaker Paul Ryan says hes not leaving anytime soon By Lisa Mascaro House Speaker Paul D. Ryan shot down suggestions Thursday that he might soon be retiring. Stories often circulate that party leaders, especially the House speaker, are stepping aside. Ryans tenure has been as rocky as that of his predecessor, Rep. John Boehner, who abruptly resigned in 2015 amid GOP infighting. Asked Thursday if he would be leaving, Ryan answered a simple no, as he left his weekly press conference in the Capitol. Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who reluctantly took over the speakers gavel after Boehners departure, had just finished talking up the GOP tax plan, which leaders hope to pass next week. He also outlined his sweeping agenda for his longtime goal of entitlement reform of welfare benefits next year. Two stories published Thursday suggested Ryan may soon be out. This is pure speculation, said spokeswoman AshLee Strong. As the speaker himself said today, hes not going anywhere anytime soon. Facebook

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GOP leaders reach tax deal, cutting corporate rate to 21% and top individual rate to 37% By Lisa Mascaro Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed on a revised plan to cut taxes that would lower the corporate rate from 35% to 21% and drop the top individual rate for the richest Americans to 37%, according to GOP senators and others briefed on the deal. The tentative accord marked a significant step in the Republican push to have a tax bill on President Trumps desk by Christmas. Leaders did not release details of the compromise or the text of a final bill as negotiations continued. Its critically important for Congress to quickly pass these historic tax cuts, Trump said Wednesday, promising that Americans could begin to reap the benefits of the plan as early as February, if passed. Critics, however, said the latest changes  particularly the lowering of the top individual rate from the current 39.6%  only reaffirmed several independent analyses that show the bulk of the savings from the Republican plan would go to businesses and the wealthy. Read More Facebook

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Farenthold to retire from House amid harassment accusations By Associated Press Texas Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold wont seek reelection next year, two Republicans said Thursday, adding his name to the list of lawmakers leaving Congress amid sexual harassment allegations that have cost powerful men their jobs in politics, the arts and other fields. The accusations against Farenthold surfaced in 2014, when a former aide sued him alleging sexually suggestive comments and behavior and said shed been fired after she complained. The lawmaker said he engaged in no wrongdoing and the case was settled in 2015. But the House Ethics Committee said last week that it would investigate Farenthold after congressional sources said hed paid an $84,000 settlement using taxpayers money. Though Farenthold said hed reimburse the Treasury Department, such payments have drawn public criticism from people saying lawmakers should use their own money for such settlements. A House official said Farenthold spoke twice Wednesday to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), while another official said the congressman spoke once with Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) who heads the GOPs House campaign committee. Those discussions suggested that Farenthold may have come under pressure from leaders to step aside. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Last week, three lawmakers facing accusations of sexual harassment announced their resignations. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) have already left Congress while Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has said he will step aside soon. Mike Bergsma, Republican county chairman in Farentholds home county of Nueces, Texas, said Fare
Ever since humans first walked the earth, we have relied on plants for our survival.

They provide us with food, shelter, medicine and even the oxygen we breathe. Now, a team of scientists is wondering if they can protect us from climate change as well.

Friday, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego launched a new initiative to improve on the ability of plants to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it deep in the soil. They call it Harnessing Plants.

There are a lot of geoengineering efforts to come up with ways of pulling carbon dioxide out of the air, said Joseph Noel, a chemical biologist at Salk who is working on the project. Plants do this anyway, so why not try a biological solution as well.

During the growing season, plants pull more than 100 gigatons of carbon out of the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. But much of that carbon is eventually released back into the air as C02  either because we and other animals eat the plants or burn them, or they return to the soil where bacteria and fungi cause them to decompose.

The effects of this yearly cycle are measurable on a global scale. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere consistently drops during the Northern Hemispheres spring and summer, when plants are growing across the large land masses of North America, Europe and Asia. When winter descends and fewer plants are growing and others are decaying, the C02 concentrations rise once again.

(Graph by Marit Jentoft-Nilsen and Robert Simmon, using data from the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory. Maps by Robert Simmon and Reto Stockli, using MODIS data)

One of the Salk teams goals is to find a way to help plants do a better job of taking the carbon they absorb from the atmosphere and keeping it in the soil.

They already have a lead on how to make this happen.

All plants make a substance called suberin that protects their roots. You are likely familiar with suberin even if you dont know it. Its the same material as the cork in your wine bottle or on your corkboard. Its also the material that makes up the skin of a potato.

The unique properties of suberin help plants in many ways, said Noel. It makes them more tolerant of drought and paradoxically, more tolerant of floods. Plants that grow in salt water produce a lot of suberin because it helps regulate how much salt is absorbed by their roots. It also serves as a protection against disease.

But perhaps most importantly for the groups goals, suberin is a carbon-rich polymer that is very difficult for bacteria and fungi to break down.

Noel first observed this after throwing a cork from a wine bottle in with his compost at home.

Its a natural plant product, but when I put it in the compost heap, nothing happened to it even as everything else decayed, he said.

Further research in the lab revealed that suberin is one of the most stable forms of carbon in the soil. That means once carbon from the atmosphere makes it into the ground in the form of suberin, it will stay put.

Armed with this information, one of the groups first goals is to breed a variety of plants that can produce more suberin than they currently do today.

We don't want to change photosynthesis, because plants are already so good at it, said Joanne Chory, a plant biologist at Salk who is leading the initiative. But we want them to make bigger roots and deeper roots with more suberin. We think we can get them to make 20 times what they make now pretty easily.

Of course, for their suberin-rich plants to have an impact on the global carbon cycle, they will have to be deployed on an enormous scale. In the longer term, the group envisions partnering with governments around the world to distribute seeds to farmers.

5% of the worlds crop land is what we want to change over, Chory said.

Its an enormous goal, and one that even Chory admits sounds a bit crazy. But she also believes that the groups work is an essential step toward creating a more sustainable planet.

I dont think we have a choice but to work on this, she said.

Scientists who are not involved in the initiative agreed.

We have to take as much as 1 trillion tons of carbon dioxide out of the air and as of now, there are no viable and scalable ways of taking carbon out of the air, said V. Ram Ramanathan, professor of climate sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Soil restoration and locking the carbon in biomass is a major option and we have to do everything we can to develop the method and the technology. I am truly excited by this initiative from Salk.

We have to take as much as 1 trillion tons of carbon dioxide out of the air.  V. Ram Ramanathan, professor of climate sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Michael Strano, a chemical engineer who works with plants at MIT, noted that there are several advantages of using plants to sequester carbon. The only energy they need to do their work is harvested from the sun, plus they can regenerate themselves and are capable of self-repair.

We need to start thinking in the direction of carbon sequestration and I think plants are going to be a big part of that, he said.

Already the Salk Institute has invested more than $7 million in the initiative, including building six high-tech climate control rooms that will allow the researchers to test seeds in a variety of climates, and future climates, from around the world.

Chory said the group will begin by using traditional breeding processes to develop seeds in the lab that produce more suberin. They hope to have them ready to test on grazing lands within five years.

The only path to sustainability is going to involve plants, she said.

deborah.netburn@latimes.com

Do you love science? I do! Follow me @DeborahNetburn and "like" Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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The Laguna Beach Planning Commission on Wednesday suggested multiple changes to the citys ordinance related to living quarters known as granny flats, including increasing the maximum unit size.

Commissioners unanimously agreed to boost the limit from 640 square feet to 750 square feet for accessory dwelling units, formerly called second residential units.

The commission also suggested a unit, an independent living area with a kitchen and restroom, cover no more than 10% of a lot compared to Lagunas current 7% standard.

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Suggested edits are to align the city with changes in state law that took effect in January.

Gov. Jerry Brown last year signed Assembly Bill 2299 from Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) and Senate Bill 1069 by Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont).

The goal of the new legislation is to make it easier to develop affordable housing options for family members, students, seniors, in-home care providers and disabled persons.

Commissioners favored allowing property owners to rent a unit at market rate if it does not cover more than 7% of the lot. But, if the units size exceeds 7%, then the unit must be rented for a senior, or a person of low-to-moderate income scale as determined by the county, Community Development Director Greg Pfost confirmed in an email Thursday.

The thought behind this rule, according to the city, is that seniors who can no longer afford their house payments could stay on their property  living in an accessory dwelling unit  and rent out their house at market rate.

Commissioners did not arrive at some of their recommendations easily.

Commission Chairwoman Susan Whitin said an accessory dwelling unit should be considered within context of the building footprint rather than a percentage of lot size.

Lagunas zoning laws would help dictate a units maximum size, she said.

None of these [7% or 10% of lot coverage] come close to what the state permits, Whitin said.

According to state law, the floor area of an attached unit must not exceed 50% of the existing living area up to 1,200 square feet.

For lots between 1,000 and 4,000 square feet in Laguna, buildings currently can cover no more than 44% of the lot while leaving at least 15% of the lot as open space, according to a city staff report.

City staff will take feedback from the meeting and create a draft ordinance to present to the commission on Dec. 13. The City Council will eventually review the revised ordinance.

The California Coastal Commission will also review the ordinance as an amendment to Lagunas Local Coastal Program, Coastal Commission spokeswoman Noaki Schwartz wrote in an email.

bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce
Eastside Costa Mesa resident Kelly Dane thought that since food is a good way to bring people together, a little potluck could be a step in that direction.

Her participation in the social network Nextdoor.com spurred her idea to make an in-person connection with some of the other members of her community.

Dane had found a dog sitter, bought and sold items and learned about local crimes and upcoming events via the Nextdoor website, a free platform for community communication that is used in more than 159,000 neighborhoods nationwide, according to the site.

However, she didnt like that a smattering of angry, politically charged postings were making a site designed to be helpful become a forum for negativity.

So, Dane focused on positive things people posting on the site had in common.

It began with my post about food, she said. I asked, Has anyone ever tried pierogies? Would anyone like to try them?

Pierogies are dumplings stuffed with mashed potatoes or other fillings and fried in butter.

She got a lot of responses and people started talking about food. Then someone suggested a get-together to try one anothers traditional family recipes.

From there, I got the idea to put a potluck together, Dane said.

The picnic, held this month at Heller Park in Costa Mesa, drew about 30 people.

Kelly Dane really did an amazing job of opening up the opportunity for neighbors to become friends, Carleen Butterfield said. Cant thank her enough. She planted the seed for many good things to come.

Lisa George, who moved to Costa Mesa six months ago, got what she was looking for by attending the picnic  to meet some of her neighbors.

My husband and I ended up going out afterward with a couple we met at the picnic who live on the corner of our street, George said. Another woman I met at the picnic said, Im right up the street from you. Lets go for a walk in the Back Bay.

George joined Nextdoor to use it as a source of information about her new community, such as cable service and good restaurants.

What Ive observed is its an effective way to find lost animals, she said.

Louise Costa, who took three homemade lasagnas to the picnic along with her two Pomeranians, visits Nextdoor to keep informed about crime and coyotes.

Its such a mixed blessing, she said. It informs you; in that regard, I love it. On the other hand, it scares the crap out of me.

Every day, she said, theres something on the website about cars being broken into and coyote attacks. It makes her more cautious and afraid, and as a result, she no longer goes out at night, she said.

Janet Rolek, who made Polish noodles with sauerkraut for the picnic, said she enjoyed meeting new neighbors and tasting different cuisines.

She joined Nextdoor about three years ago and said she has found helpful suggestions for tradespeople, restaurants and events and cute postings about pets.

SUSAN HOFFMAN is a contributor to Times Community News.
A Costa Mesa man was sentenced this week to three years probation and ordered to pay more than $6,000 to the city of Costa Mesa for driving a vehicle into a vernal pool at Fairview Park in March, authorities said.

Julio Cesar Medero-Sotomayor, 28, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of vandalism, one count of being in the park after dark and a count of riding a vehicle in a park, all misdemeanors.

He was immediately sentenced to informal probation and 20 days of community service and ordered to pay $6,065 in restitution for damage at the park, according to Orange County Superior Court records.

Costa Mesa police launched an investigation March 29 after a city employee noticed damage in Fairview Park near a vernal pool off Canyon Avenue, according to police spokeswoman Roxi Fyad.

Investigators determined that Medero-Sotomayor had driven a vehicle the night before through the log barricades on Canyon Avenue and onto the grass. Authorities allege the vehicle knocked down temporary fencing around the pool basin, Fyad said.

Fyad said the vehicle got stuck on the grass and a tow truck was needed to pull the car out.

Ten vernal pools have been identified in Fairview Park, according to city officials. The pools, which are essentially seasonal wetlands, are home to San Diego and Riverside fairy shrimp. Both species are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
When Delia Snyders husband died five years ago, she was forced to take the reins of a legendary restaurant business in Huntington Beach.

Snyder and her husband, Arthur, had operated Don the Beachcomber since they opened it in 2009 at 16278 Pacific Coast Hwy.

Married 34 years, the couple worked tirelessly to craft the perfect tiki-themed venue. He was the cordial one who could work the room while she was the chemist behind the restaurants complex island drinks. Arthur died in his sleep at age 79 on Nov. 7, 2012.

Delia Snyder, 68, of Huntington Beach commemorates her husband every year with meditation and other spiritual practices during the week of the anniversary of his death.

I go to church and meditate to find myself peace, Snyder said. For a couple of years I couldnt handle it. But, any difficult thing can be overcome.

Snyder now solely operates the restaurant, working 16-hour days and overseeing about 40 employees.

The Tiki Ballroom is a popular space where people pose for photos at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach. (Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer )

The 15,000-square-foot restaurant, adorned with tiki-related ornaments, includes the Dagger Bar, various other dining rooms and a music venue capable of seating 300 people.

Head chef Steven Kwok serves various Cantonese-style and Hawaiian foods like sticky ribs, kalua pork and Spam sushi rolls.

The restaurants specialty is the island drinks, which Snyder laboriously designs and crafts. She said some of the syrup used in the secret recipes takes two weeks to prepare.

But food isnt the only feature at Don the Beachcomber.

Christopher Burkhardt, B&Bs Musical Thrills promoter, organizes various roots music concerts at the venue, which includes rockabilly, folk and swing.

The restaurant has been recognized by the Ameripolitan Music Awards for the quality of music it hosts. The organization seeks to shine a light on musical artists who dont necessarily fit into specific genres like country.

Chef Steven Kwok prepares a Spam sushi roll at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach. He has been the head chef there for six years. (Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer )

The first Don the Beachcomber was established in Los Angeles in 1937 by Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, who later changed his name to Donn Beach.

Beach was a friend of Snyders father and she began working with him in her early 20s while interning with a public relations firm. He became a mentor to Snyder, fueling her eventual move to the restaurant business. Beach died in 1989 at age 81.

The Snyders history in the restaurant game stretches back to the early 1990s when they opened Royal Star in Santa Monica. The Cantonese-style restaurant was well-received in the community and caught the eye of the owner of the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas who proposed opening a location at the hotel, which they obliged. Eventually, they opened Noodle Asia in the hotel.

In 2005, they acquired the rights to Don the Beachcomber on the mainland; a different person holds the rights to the restaurant in Hawaii. The Snyders worked to establish a venue that could pay homage to Beachs vision while serving the community, a goal that Arthur Snyder held dear.

Reflecting on the early days of the restaurant, Snyder recalled how she and Arthur Snyder seemed to spend every minute together.

It was a wonderful period, Snyder said.

While the past few years have been difficult contending with Arthur Snyders death, Snyder said shes not afraid to be alone and will keep carrying the tiki torch that Donn Beach originally lit.

Don the Beachcomber is at 16278 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach. For a calendar of musical events at Don the Beachcomber, visit donthebeachcomber.com/calendar.

A portrait of Donn Beach hangs near the front entrance at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach. (Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer )

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter:@benbrazilpilot
They stand as windows to the past, reminding us of our triumphs and warning of our trespasses.

A church that served as a refuge for Japanese-Americans during trying times. One of the first schools in the state to voluntarily desegregate.

Though their histories hold important dictums for society, their walls can be under siege in a region defined by unyielding development. But a new organization, Preserve Orange County, hopes to combat the industrial colossus from devouring history.

The Santa Ana-based nonprofit seeks to preserve the historical parts of the county through advocacy and education. It is the only historical conservation group to include all 34 cities and the unincorporated areas of the county in its platform; however, there are many groups that work on a citywide level.

Krista Nicholds, president of the groups board of directors, said the organization officially launched earlier this month. They are planning events and formalizing their mission for the next year.

Nicholds, 51, of San Juan Capistrano said one of their major initiatives will be to identify and lobby for the addition of at-risk places to the National Register of Historic Places, the countrys official list of historic sites worthy of preservation. Its controlled by the National Park Service.

In its overall mission, the group is paying particular heed to sites that are affiliated with historically underrepresented minority groups, like Latin Americans, African Americans and possibly the LGBTQ community.

That goal is represented in the groups list of endangered places on its website that includes the Lydia D. Killefer School in Orange, the Sexlinger Orchard in Santa Ana, Historic Wintersburg in Huntington Beach and Villa Park Elementary School in Villa Park.

The Killefer School was constructed in 1931 in a Mexican American neighborhood, though initially the school primarily served white children. It desegregated in 1944, three years before the Mendez v. Westminster ruling, which abolished segregation in California schools. Its considered to be one of the first schools in the state to voluntarily desegregate.

The site is facing a redevelopment proposal to transform the building into housing for Chapman University students. According to Preserve Orange County, the preliminary environmental review determined the proposal was incompatible with current building standards.

[The school] is a very good example of the real diversity of Orange County, said board member Alan Hess, 65, of Irvine. The stereotypical view of Orange County is white Republicans. In fact, the history of the county is much more diverse than that.

Its important to remind people and to give Orange County people an idea of their diverse identity and to bring to the forefront the contributions of our many minority communities over the years.

Historic Wintersburg represents more than a century of Japanese American immigrant history. The 4.5-acre property includes a Japanese Presbyterian Church that served as one of the few gathering places where Japanese pioneers could come together in the county.

The site also has ties to Japanese internment during World War II. Much of the congregation was shipped off to relocation camps and a minister was interrogated by the FBI on the property.

These sites are valuable to the eight-member board of Preserve Orange County who all have backgrounds in either history, urban planning, law or preservation.

Aside from the national register effort, the group is developing workshops for the community and for planners, city governments and historic commissions.

Theyre hoping their efforts will save these remnants of the countys past because history is a valuable educator.

History acts like a teacher in so many ways, Hess said. You can read about something in a book and thats certainly important. But, if you have a real, three-dimensional space that people can actually go to, it brings history alive.

The public may sign up for membership on the website, which includes access to a newsletter and roundtable discussions that will be held in 2018. For more information, visit preserveorangecounty.org.

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter:@benbrazilpilot
The ongoing 50th anniversary celebration of South Coast Plaza reached its crescendo with the recent performance of the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra in concert with maestro Valery Gergiev held in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

Presented to the Orange County audience and an international roster of stellar guests by the evenings glamorous hostess Elizabeth Segerstrom  widow of the late Henry Segerstrom  the concert and post event dinner was billed as An Evening of Art, Excellence + Friendship.

It was all part of the Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom Select Series in support of very special musical performances at Segerstrom Center For The Arts.

The performance by the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra was in fact a return engagement for the world renowned ensemble.

In 2006, at the opening of the concert hall in Costa Mesa, Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom welcomed the orchestra for a three-week festival in honor of the completion of the landmark concert venue.

The Mariinsky presentation of Richard Wagners Der Ring des Nibelungen was the first time the full work had been performed in Southern California.

For the return engagement a decade later in honor of South Coast Plazas 50th anniversary year, the audience experienced Tchaikovskys Piano Concerto No. 3 with pianist Denis Matsuev and conducted by Gergiev.

The sold-out concert hall was also enthralled by a selection of Richard Strauss Don Juan.

The Monday night event called for black tie.

As the crowd arrived at the Center, they walked a shimmering black carpet lined with Cartier pages in their signature red uniforms and pill box hats.

Floral designer White Lilac dressed the entrance to the concert hall in a profusion of white on white blooms with special emphasis on magnificent cascading Phalaetiopsis orchids. It was breathtaking.

Perhaps even more glamorous than the orchids were the patrons. The evening was nothing less than a return to the elegance and sophistication of the Reagan years.

Couture dressing was the demand of the night for women. The gents were equally fashionable.

At the invitation of Elizabeth Segerstrom  resplendent in a deep plum three-tier bustier gown with floral pattern beading and green velvet trim by Marchesa  concert and dinner guests included well known guests from Hollywood, Washington, fashion, business, art and royal establishment circles.

Placido Domingo, in from his L.A. base to support friend Valery Gergiev, Kevin McKenzie, artistic director of American Ballet Theatre in from New York, internationally celebrated artist Bill Viola and architect Frank Gehry joined noted actors Helen Mirren, Taylor Hackford and Ralph Fiennes.

Iconic fashion designer Mary McFadden was spotted in the crowd with Christopher Forbes, vice chairman of Forbes, and Ida Simonsen, president of Stella McCartney America, Inc.

The celebrity crowd also included socialite Lynn Wyatt, a major underwriter/sponsor of the concert, as well as Anton and Jennifer Segerstrom who joined Elizabeth Segerstrom as underwriters and hosts, welcoming the international crowd.

World-wide publishers of very fine books Prosper and Martine Assouline greeted royal guests HRH Princess Michael of Kent and HSH Prince Hugo Verland Windisch-Graetz joining HSH Prince Charles Windisch-Graetz.

Some 160 invited attendees remained for a late evening Champagne dinner created in the Concert Halls Box Terrace Lobby.

Cartier provided its Cuvee Brut to set the Monday evening mood. A fabulous menu was prepared by chef Greg Stillman of the Patina Restaurant Group, who incorporated a bounty of seasonal California vegetables and fruits such as beets and sweet potatoes, mushrooms and figs.

Very supportive O.C. patrons in the late-night dinner crowd included Marta Bathal, Elizabeth An, Bette and Wylie Aiken, Dee and Larry Higby, Bette and SL Huang, Britt and Robert Meyer, Susan and Henry Samueli and Margo and Paul Folino.

Also front and center for the elegant evening on the coast were Deborah and Larry Bridges, Kimberly and Robert Bernatz, Lynn and Jim Doti, Joann Leatherby and Greg Bates, John Magnum, Ethan Morgan, Donna Kendall and Ruth Ann Moriarty.

As the dinner hour crept toward midnight, pianist Denis Matsuev joined the affair and switched from classical to jazz, entertaining guests with renditions of Duke Ellingtons Take the A Train.

The Pacific Chorale added to the magic delivering a haunting performance of Leonard Cohens Hallelujah and more.

Award-winning actor Ralph Fiennes addressed the dining assemblage commenting: Perhaps of all arts, music is the one that can sidestep language. Music reaches straight to the soul, putting borders and politics and national differences out of focus.

Music, I believe, is the great healer, Fiennes said. It is the great unifier.

B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
Five awards were presented to longtime supporters of the YMCA of Glendale during its third annual fundraising gala held earlier this month at Renaissance Banquet Hall in Glendale.

Claudia Phinney received the Legacy Award; lifelong Glendale resident and YMCA supporter Zaven Kazazian was given the Spirit Award; Levon Ishtoyan received the Star Award; Adventist Health Glendale was given the Corporate Partner Award; and Ardy Kassakhian, Glendale city clerk, received the Leadership Award.

George Saikali, chief executive of the YMCA of Glendale, said the honorees were chosen because they have had a significant impact on the success of the Y.

He also said the honorees have remained dedicated to the nonprofit and serve as ambassadors in maintaining the organizations positive image.

The evening brought in approximately $60,000 in donations, according to YMCA officials.

Yasmin Beers, Glendales assistant city manager and 2011 Glendale Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year, served as mistress of ceremonies, along with master of ceremonies Roubik Golanian, Glendales public works director.

Co-chairs and YMCA board members Steve Bullock and Nora Yacoubian welcomed more than 300 guests to the event, according to Y officials.

Bullock said he appreciated Board Chairman Ara Kalfayans vision of having gala dinners to bring the community together to honor the work of the YMCA of Glendale.

He also said this is the first year the YMCA has grown enough in membership that the organization is now breaking even.

The YMCA of Glendale serves more than 5,000 adult and youth members in a variety of programs focusing on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

In addition, the facility offers affordable housing to those who have found themselves on hard times.

For more information about the YMCA of Glendale, visit glendaleymca.org or call (818) 240-4130.

mark.kellam@latimes.com

Twitter: @lamarkkellam
Last month I was fortunate enough to visit the Republic of Armenia, the motherland of more than 100,000 of my constituents. In fact, one of the largest Armenian populations outside of Armenia currently resides in the greater Los Angeles area, making this trip all the more significant.

As a former Glendale City Council member and mayor, I attended many events that celebrated the culture and traditions of the Armenian people. With their love of life, family, history, art and music, I was always intrigued and found myself wishing I could visit the place that so many of my constituents, their families, and thousands more in the Los Angeles region call home. So, on Oct. 3 I made my way to the airport and joined a delegation of my colleagues, including Assembly members Adrin Nazarian, Marc Levine, Dante Acosta and state Sen. Scott Wilk. After a 20-hour flight, I took my first steps on Armenian soil.

The first leg of our trip included a tour of Yerevan, the marvelous capital of Armenia. One of my favorite parts of the tour was visiting Cascade. Located in the heart of Yerevan, the beautiful staircase of Cascade led us to the most striking view of the city below. We then visited the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, a hub created for teens eager to learn about animation, filmmaking, web design and game development, including photography and other programs  all free of charge for students.

We met with many high-ranking officials within the Armenian government, including the deputy prime minister of Armenia, Vache Gabrielyan; Ara Babloyan, speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia; Vice Chairman Arpine Hovhannisyan; Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan and the president of the Republic of Artsakh, Bako Sahakyan, along with many other officials.

The delegation also visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex (Tsitsernakaberd) in Yerevan, a breathtaking memorial built in 1967 and dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, a place where hundreds of thousands of people visit annually to lay flowers and pay their respects to the fallen victims. The memorial is comprised of 12 slabs, arranged in a circle, representing the 12 provinces that were lost and are now part of the Republic of Turkey. An eternal flame burns at the center of the memorial, symbolizing the 1.5 million victims. While in Yerevan, we also visited the Jewish Holocaust Memorial, a great symbol of the relationship between Jews and Armenians and the ancestral struggles both have experienced.

Our delegation was then taken to see from a distance Mount Ararat. Since 1921, Mount Ararat has unrightfully been part of modern-day Turkey, which is why we werent able to get close to the area. However, I was able to see the snow-capped peaks and was awestruck by their magnificence. With its rich symbolism, Mount Ararat is considered the Holy Mountain where Noahs Ark landed and has also been on Armenias national Coat of Arms since 1918.

We spent the last leg of our trip in the Republic of Artsakh; the journey there was an adventurous one to say the least. A historically Armenian land, in July 1921 the region of Artsakh was set in Soviet Azerbaijan, a decision made solely by Joseph Stalin. Currently Artsakh is heavily populated by Armenians, and the Armenian military has been aiding the country against Azerbaijani aggression, often causing Armenian militia and civilian casualties. For years, Armenians in Armenia and the diaspora have seen the consequences of conflict between the Republic of Artsakh and Azerbaijan. The strength of the relationship between Armenians in Armenia and in Artsakh has been vital in keeping Artsakh Armenian. I was fortunate to be able to visit Artsakh, and like so many before me, Im proud to wear the threat of being blacklisted from Azerbaijan as a badge of honor. Our trip to Artsakh included a meeting with President Sahakyan in the city of Shushi, a visit to the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, in all of its astonishing beauty, and a stop at the famous We are our Mountains monument also known as Mamik yev Babik (Grandma and Grandpa). The monument features an elderly couple with only their heads visible and their bodies in the soil, symbolizing the deep-rootedness of Armenians in Artsakh.

My trip to Armenia was fascinating, thought-provoking and fulfilling. Like so many incredible trips, it was over all too soon. We ate delicious foods, explored beautiful sights, learned about the deep-rooted history of Armenia. Still, the highlight of my trip was when I saw Mount Ararat, and visited the Republic Artsakh. However brief, my time spent in Armenia made real for me the deep connection between the Armenian people and their ancestral homeland. Their culture is thousands of years old, and that history is evident in every ancient church and in the fabric of every city. While outside threats may attempt to erase and deny that history, they will never be able to wipe out that legacy, as it permeates everything. To be granted the opportunity to visit the homeland of so many of my constituents and their ancestors is a gift that I will forever cherish.

LAURA FRIEDMAN (D-Glendale) represents La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, Glendale, Burbank and neighboring communities in the the 43rd Assembly District.
La Canada planning commissioners this week recommended two homes be considered for Mills Act contracts, which offer owners of historically significant properties a tax break in exchange for a commitment to restore and preserve their homes.

If the La Canada Flintridge City Council approves the properties  at 4852 Ocean View Boulevard and 5147 Jarvis Avenue  the total number of such homes would rise to 16, according to city staff. The program was begun in 2012 as a way to incentivize historic preservation and is already drawing out the unique tales and characters behind La Canadas most storied homes.

Its a voluntary program, and some people actually seek out a house like that, said city planner Harriet Harris, whos worked on Mills Act applications in the past. If you dont have designs on demolishing something and starting from scratch, then theres a value.

Sometimes properties are notable for the architects who built them  La Canada contains homes built by Wallace Neff, pioneer of the California style, architect to the stars Paul Revere Williams and Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. In other cases, properties are known for famous occupants or for being classic examples of a distinct style or period.

The two properties before the planning commission this week each tell a tale of an earlier time and give a clue to La Canadas contribution to Southern California design and the states rich history.

4852 Ocean View Blvd.

Alex Ko, who immigrated from South Korea 30 years ago, has always had a fascination with old, interesting homes. So when he attended an open house for a stately Ocean View Boulevard home modeled after a Scottish hunting lodge, he was enchanted by what he saw.

Built in 1934 by Albert E. Hansen, who also designed Glendale City Hall, the 2,800-square-foot home features a stone exterior, leaded glass windows, wood beam ceilings and period hardware throughout.

I just fell in love with it the first time I saw it, Ko recalled in an interview Tuesday. When I noted its history, and how the architect was known in the area, I wanted to preserve it.

The original owner of the property was J. Leslie Barneson, Austrailian-born son of Scottish ship Captain John Barneson, who transported troops across the Pacific during the Spanish-American War and built the first oil pipeline in California, records indicate.

The home was built as an homage by the younger Barneson and wife La Vere, and its construction was rated special, by the county assessor, indicating the highest-quality materials. As its sixth owner, Ko took over the property from a family that had lived there since 1965. Its been neglected in recent years, but Ko vows to restore it to its former glory.

I have every intention of keeping it original, he told commissioners Tuesday. I want to be part of its legacy.

5147 Jarvis Ave.

Will and Claudia Ferguson both grew up in houses built in the 1930s  hers in the Oakland area and his in New Jersey  that bred in them a deep appreciation for the oddities and historic details such houses often contain.

When the couple came across the Jarvis property, built in 1929 by contractor Morris Nelson in the French Tudor style but with an interior filled with rich examples of Spanish design, they were hooked.

It was like going back to our childhoods, and we were like, We really need to live here, Claudia Ferguson recalled in an interview.

They bought the property in 2014 and were in the process of remodeling when, on Sept. 10 of that year, some rags leftover from a renovation spontaneously combusted and caused a fire that nearly gutted the property.

When a tile expert came to salvage some Spanish tile, he spoke with enthusiasm about the many important pieces remaining, and the couple became inspired to restore the property as best they could with period fixtures and materials. Along the way, they built relationships with history-savvy shop owners whod call them with a find that would fit the Jarvis home perfectly.

Its really been kind of cool, this whole adventure to put this back together, Claudia Ferguson said. When we were done we thought we really should preserve this house because its almost 100 years old, and it should stay here.

On Tuesday, Will Ferguson thanked commissioners for their consideration.

We love the home, he said. Its been a journey to get back.

The next stop for the properties is the City Council, which is anticipated to vote on the matter before a Dec. 31 county assessors office deadline.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
You can fly to Phuket, Thailand, for $400 round-trip from LAX, including all taxes and fees, on China Southern, using the money you save on airfare for a splurge at the island resort in the Andaman Sea.

The fare, subject to availability, is for travel Jan. 17 through May 3. You must stay at least seven nights but may not stay more than three months.

Fares for February departures are higher.

Info: China Southern, (888) 338-8988

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Source: Airfarewatchdog

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travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
The warning from the Russian Ministry of Justice said the Moscow bureau of U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe should prepare to register as a foreign agent, a move critics view as an attempt to limit free speech.

Editors and reporters at the broadcast news bureau read the emailed warning, looked up from their computers and quickly went back to work.

We had been expecting something for a long time, Ivan Martynenko, a reporter for the news outlets Russian-language website, Radio Liberty, said Thursday at Radio Free Europes newsroom in central Moscow.

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The email arrived Wednesday night, but Russian politicians for months had been saying Radio Free Europes programs and website spread false or negative reports to try to harm Russia.

Then the U.S. Justice Department announced this month that it would require the Russian state-owned RT channel to register as a foreign agent. U.S. intelligence agencies have accused RT of involvement in alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, but Russia has denied meddling in the U.S. election.

The Justice Departments action infuriated the Kremlin and left news outlets such as Radio Free Europe vulnerable to retaliation in the diplomatic tit-for-tat between Moscow and Washington.

The lower house of parliament, the State Duma, moved swiftly to pass amendments to its media law to require all foreign media reporting in Russia and funded from abroad to register as foreign agents.

Duma deputies behind the law made it clear that it was a retaliatory move against the Justice Departments decision on RT. Parliamentary floor discussion over the proposed bill was sprinkled with a form of patriotism that has become the norm in modern Russia, after most of the Western world scorned President Vladimir Putin for the 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine.

We didnt want to approve this law, but we were made to, said Pyotr Tolstoy, the Duma deputy who spearheaded the drafting of the legislation. Its not that all media will have to register as foreign agents. Today, weve given the Ministry of Justice a tool to pick organizations for precision strikes on certain media.

Gennady Zyuganov, the leader of the Communist Party, said the U.S. decision regarding RT was the latest attack by the United States against Russia.

Communist Party leader and lawmaker Gennady Zyuganov speaks during discussion of draft amendments to Russias media law in parliament. (Sergei Ilnitsky / EPA/Shutterstock )

The U.S. has always been jealous of the U.S.S.R., he said in a passionate floor speech in the Duma, using the acronym for the former Soviet Union. We are the winners of seven wars!

The new amendments to the media law are similar to a controversial 2012 Russian law, which requires nongovernmental organizations receiving funding from abroad to declare themselves as foreign agents, a term that during Russias history of intrusive state security apparatuses has led to stigmatization.

Dozens of civil society and human rights groups were forced to close because the law made funding too difficult. Those who continued to operate were required to produce detailed financial reports and adhere to other rules.

Critics said the foreign agent law was a Kremlin tool for crushing independent voices and civil society. Amnesty International, a human rights organization, warned in a statement Wednesday that a new law for foreign media registration risks damaging an already fragile freedom of speech in Russia.

This legislation strikes a serious blow to what was already a fairly desperate situation for press freedom in Russia, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty Internationals deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, said in a statement. Over the last couple of years, the Kremlin has been tirelessly building a media echo chamber that shuts out critical voices, both inside Russia and from abroad.

There are critics of the Justice Departments decision to enforce the Foreign Agent Registration Act rules on RT. The law created in 1938 was designed to protect against Nazi propaganda. Since then, it has applied mainly to lobbyists working for foreign governments. Some government-funded media organizations have registered.

RT did register this week with the U.S. as a foreign agent under the auspices of its U.S.-based company, T&R Productions.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement that it opposed the U.S. Justice Departments decision, suggesting it set a dangerous precedent.

Were uncomfortable with governments deciding what constitutes journalism or propaganda, the statement said, quoting the groups North America program coordinator, Alexandra Ellerbeck.

Nina Jankowicz, a fellow at the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, a think tank in Washington, said the U.S. should not allow Russians to dictate how the country implements its laws.

All weve done is lend support to RTs own narrative of whataboutism and how [the U.S.] claim that we care about freedom of speech in Russia, and yet we are stifling RT in America, Jankowicz said.

By Thursday, the Russian Ministry of Justice released a statement saying nine media organizations, including Radio Free Europe and several of its subsidiary projects, and Voice of America, had been sent letters of warning that they have been selected as media that must register as a foreign agent once the law is passed.

CNN, which is a privately owned company, the British Broadcasting Co. and Germanys Deutsche Welle are also considered possible targets for the registration requirement.

I cant say any of us were surprised at all to receive this letter, or surprised that we received it and its as confusing as it is, said Yevgeniya Nazerets, the chief editor of Radio Libertys Russian language services in the Moscow bureau. Even if we wanted to register now, theres no regulations set up to do so. They cant even say what documents we will need to present.

After more than 20 years of working in Russia, Radio Free Europe and its projects, like Radio Liberty, have never hidden the fact that the organization is an American news agency, she said. In fact, its our policy to introduce ourselves as such.

Its unlikely the new law will change how Radio Free Europe is perceived in Russia, where its staff and reporters are accredited with the Russian Foreign Ministry, just like other U.S. media working in Russia.

Its not very pleasant, or course, but on the other hand you can say that its almost a kind of professional acknowledgment, Martynenko said. It means that you do real journalism.

sabra.ayres@latimes.com

Twitter: @sabraayres

Ayres is a special correspondent.
Iraqi forces backed by the U.S.-led coalition on Friday retook the last town in the country that was held by the Islamic State group, more than three years after the militants stormed nearly a third of Iraqi territory, the Defense Ministrys spokesman said.

At dawn, Iraqi military units and local tribal fighters pushed into the western neighborhoods of Rawah in western Anbar province and, after just five hours of fighting, they retook the town, according to Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool.

Rawah, 175 miles northwest of Baghdad, lies along the Euphrates River Valley near the border town of Qaim that Iraqi forces retook from Islamic State earlier this month.

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U.S.-led coalition forces supported the operations to retake Rawah and Qaim with intelligence, airstrikes and advisors, coalition spokesman Ryan Dillon said.

Islamic State blitzed across Iraqs north and west in the summer of 2014, capturing Iraqs second-largest city of Mosul and advancing to the edges of the capital, Baghdad. Later that year, the United States began a campaign of airstrikes against the militants that fueled Iraqi territorial gains, allowing the military to retake Mosul in July this year.

All that now remains of Islamic State-held Iraq are patches of rural territory in the countrys vast western desert along the border with Syria.

Islamic State has also steadily been losing ground across the border in Syria, where its so-called caliphate has basically crumbled with the loss of the city of Raqqah, the former Islamic State capital, which fell to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in October.

Both the U.S. and Russia have embedded special forces with their respective partners and are supporting their advances with airstrikes. Russia backs Syrian government forces of President Bashar Assad.

The last urban areas controlled by the militants in Syria are the border town of Boukamal and a patch of territory near the capital, Damascus, and in central Hama province.

Syrian government forces, backed by Russian troops and Iranian-backed militias, originally pushed Islamic State out of Boukamal earlier this month, but the militants retook a large part of the town, mostly its northern neighborhoods days later. Since then, Islamic State has repelled government forces trying to push back into the town.

Meanwhile, U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces are also approaching Boukamal from the eastern side of the Euphrates.

Despite Islamic States significant territorial losses, the groups media arm remains intact, allowing it to still recruit supporters and inspire new attacks. Iraqi and American officials say Islamic State militants are expected to continue carrying out insurgent-style attacks in Syria, Iraq and beyond.

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The collapse of Africas colonial order set in motion the almost Shakespearean trajectory of Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe: from fiery liberation hero to avaricious dictator to seeming victim, in frail old age, of his own misrule.

Now, as his 37-year stint in power appears to be drawing to a close, his downfall holds portents for leaders across Africa.

At 93, Mugabe is the last of his generation of African heads of state. He spent a decade in jail during the colonial era, when the country was known as Southern Rhodesia, and took power at independence in 1980 after a long bush war.

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He became a template for the continents so-called Big Men, who often behaved no better than their colonial predecessors, ruling as authoritarians and amassing vast riches at the expense of their citizens.

The next generation of leaders has often seemed little better than the old guard. In many instances, they are savvy enough to feign adherence to democratic norms, but keep any dissent in tight check, sometimes through brutal means, while enriching themselves and their cronies.

The Human Rights Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks closed societies, says countries in Africa that it considers democratic  14 in all  are outnumbered by 19 full dictatorships and another 19 it calls competitive authoritarian regimes, in which autocrats allow elections to be held while engaging in serious anti-democratic abuses.

Zaire President Mobutu Sese Seko at a news conference in Libreville, Gabon, in May 1997. (Enric Marti / Associated Press )

For other African leaders who wield Mugabes longtime brand of power, marked by ruthless campaigns against domestic enemies and scornful dismissal of scolding by successive U.S. administrations, the Zimbabwean presidents fall is a cautionary tale.

This week, the military seized state television, placed Mugabe under house arrest, and assumed control of the country to end a protracted succession crisis.

People who have been in power for a very long time, I would have thought they might start looking over their shoulders, because their own ouster might suddenly seem possible, said John Campbell, Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.

Reviled in the West for brutal repression and for driving into ruin what had been his countrys promising future, Mugabe nonetheless maintained the respect and loyalty of some compatriots, together with a powerful military clique that turned against him in the end, when he tried to set up his wife, Grace, as successor.

It is indeed the end of an era, Campbell said.

He said he expected Mugabe to retain some ceremonial role, but his power  and the power of his wife  is gone.

The spectacular corruption that typified many liberation-warriors-turned-authoritarians of Mugabes generation was perhaps best exemplified by Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which he renamed Zaire. He was believed to have embezzled billions of dollars in national funds. In Zimbabwe, Mugabe and his family were notorious for enriching themselves even as the country tumbled toward destitution.

Similar behavior characterized the rule of Omar Bongo, who was not Gabons first leader, but headed his country for 42 years until his death in 2009. While amassing a personal fortune, he reportedly built only three miles of freeway a year in a country in dire need of paved roadways, and his nation had one of the worlds highest infant mortality rates, according to news reports.

Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo attends a ceremony in Moscow in June 2011. He has ruled since 1979, when he toppled his uncle. (Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP/Getty Images )

Another longtime leader  also implicated in corruption and abuse of power  is at the helm in Equatorial Guinea. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled since 1979, when he toppled his own uncle.

During the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union propped up many of these leaders with foreign aid while ignoring their abuses. Keeping them as allies was considered paramount in the battle between the superpowers.

The fall of communism brought the promise of a new era in Africa, one in which Western powers could push leaders toward democracy and respect for human rights.

But those hopes are unrealized in many cases.

Some of the new generation of leaders seemed well-intentioned at first, but then strayed down the authoritarian path, set on becoming leaders for life. Fledgling democracies backslid and militaries grew powerful.

Paul Biya of Cameroon and Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti are among several African leaders who have succeeded in abolishing presidential term limits in order to extend their time in office. Others have simply rejected the outcome of elections; still others have sought constitutional changes to allow them to stay in office.

Mugabe lost the first round of presidential elections in Zimbabwe in 2008. His response was to launch a campaign of violence that cost scores of lives and ultimately forced the opposition leader to withdraw from the second round of voting.

Similar maneuvers were enough to sink some other regimes. In 2010, Ivory Coasts strongman, Laurent Gbagbo, rejected his defeat at the polls, and the political upheaval that followed led to a six-month civil war. Gbagbo was ultimately arrested and extradited to the International Criminal Court.

Undemocratic practices persist today, sometimes under a thin guise of adherence to norms. In the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou-Nguesso engineered a referendum in 2015 to allow him to serve a third term as president. In Namibia, Sam Nujoma wangled a third term in office by amending his countrys constitution in 1999. He finally relinquished power in 2005.

In the country that Mobutu once led, which is again known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Joseph Kabila assumed power 10 days after his father was assassinated in 2001. His term was due to expire in December 2016, but elections have since been pushed to next year.

In Senegal, President Abdoulaye Wade was elected to his second term in 2007. Although a constitution approved by voters in 2001 limited presidents to two terms, Wade persuaded a court to allow him to seek a third because his first term began before the constitution was adopted. The move backfired, and in 2012 Wade lost reelection in a landslide.

Ugandas Yoweri Museveni, who came to power through a rebellion in 1986, was once commended for writing that the problem of Africa in general, and Uganda in particular, is not the people, but leaders who want to overstay in power, according to news reports.

Today, Museveni has become one of those leaders. In 2005, he secured a change to the constitution and is now serving a fifth presidential term.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame visits the Gahanga Cricket Oval in Kigali. A referendum was adopted that allows him to stay in power until 2034. (Cyril Ndegeya / AFP/Getty Images )

Once considered a progressive leader who helped nurture economic prosperity in Rwanda, Paul Kagame, the countrys president since 2000, has also become more tyrannical. A referendum has cleared the way for him to stay in power until 2034.

In neighboring Burundi, President Pierre Nkurunziza triggered a coup attempt in 2015 after he announced he would seek a third term, in defiance of the constitution. He crushed the rebellion and won reelection after a court ruled that his first term didnt count because he was elected by parliament, not popular vote.

Campbell sees numerous similarities between Africas old leaders and the next crop.

It does seem to me that there is some kind of pattern there, and that in this particular area, change is more apparent than real, he said.

Not all African countries are on a path away from democracy. South Africa, which admittedly has a different colonial history than the rest of the continent, has been able to avoid leadership by a strongman, though political shenanigans by President Jacob Zuma have caused some concern.

The countrys institutions are showing that they can carry South Africa over a period of bad governance  an independent judiciary, active parliamentary opposition, strong civil society, absolute freedom of the press, and one judicial decision after another that thwarts what Zuma wants to do, Campbell said. So South Africa is clearly a democracy.

Nigeria is on a democratic trajectory. The opposition swept to power in 2015, and the outgoing president was commended for ceding the election. Liberia has held democratic elections since 2005, including this year. However, a runoff vote scheduled this month was postponed because of alleged irregularities in Octobers first round.

Zaires President Mobutu Sese Seko appears with George Foreman, left, and Muhammad Ali, who fought a heavyweight boxing match in Kinshasa in 1974. (Horst Faas / Associated Press )

The fate of Zimbabwe hangs in the balance as the country awaits its next leader. That is widely expected to be Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice president whom Mugabe recently dismissed and accused of treason.

I think hes more practical than Robert Mugabe  but he is also authoritarian, said Tom McDonald, a former U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe who leads the International Government Policy team at the BakerHostetler law firm in Washington. He has a very checkered record. He has blood on his hands from the 1980s, in which thousands of people were massacred in a stronghold of a Mugabe political rival.

Mnangagwa, who was then the countrys security minister, has denied that he played a role in the slaughter.

Some Zimbabweans were restrained in their view of a prospective rule by Mnangagwa.

He is cut from the same cloth as Mugabe, said Harry Davies, managing editor of the Harare News, an independent newspaper he founded in 2013. I think he is going to have a sense of double entitlement. Not only did he overthrow the Rhodesian government, he overthrew Mugabe, the cruel dictator.

Some observers believe the Zimbabwe developments signal changing attitudes across the continent.

J. Peter Pham of the Atlantic Councils Africa Center said the way in which the move against Mugabe had been orchestrated pointed to the slow spread of constitutional order and the norms of legality in Africa.

Years ago, this would have been a coup, pure and simple, Pham said. The military feels constrained to stay within certain parameters of legality, even though theyre stretching it  and that, for Africa, is a tremendous step forward.

Staff writer Simmons reported from Los Angeles and staff writer King from Washington.

ann.simmons@latimes.com

laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT
One of the main reasons for bail is to ensure the accused shows up for court dates.

Tchella Bellamy (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

During most criminal arraignments in the Lehigh Valley, district judges ask if the defendant has turned up for court in previous cases.

When Tchella Bellamy, 22, a violent felon from Easton, was arraigned Sept. 23 on charges he threw the mother of his child through a window and down stairs, some expressed surprise that his bail was set at just $15,000.

That same day, Eastern Bail Bond Agency of Hackettstown put up a bond promising to pay the money if Bellamy missed his preliminary hearing.

The bail business is now on the hook and the clock is running because Bellamy didn't show up Nov. 8 for his hearing before District Judge Daniel Corpora in Easton. Bail was revoked and a bench warrant was issued by a Northampton County judge.

The charges of simple assault and harassment were forwarded to county court in Bellamy's absence.

The city police Special Response and Vice units went to several addresses on Oct. 23 inside and outside the city, but didn't find the man who was charged in 2014 with trying to kill two men in Wilson Borough. Bellamy later served a year behind bars for the 2014 crime.

In recent days, city and county authorities have declined to speak about any current investigations seeking Bellamy's arrest.

In addition to the bench warrant, city police have three arrest warrants charging Bellamy with possession with intent to deliver drugs, including heroin.

Scott Churchill of the bail company said Thursday that laws set the time after bail is revoked that the accused has to be taken into custody so the firm doesn't have to pay the bail. Another bail company previously listed the time limit as 90 days in Pennsylvania before money must be surrendered from an escrow account.

Churchill was curious about why there was interest in Bellamy, before being told about the 2014 shootings in Wilson.

Bellamy ended up pleading guilty in 2016 to aggravated assault and was soon freed due to time served. A jury in a previous trial couldn't come to an agreement on attempted homicide charges.

Churchill said the company "reviews as much as we can -- whatever is available" about a suspect's record before deciding to post bond.

He also said he doesn't know where Bellamy is, but that the company "always works with law enforcement" to track down those who put the company on the line for bail.

If anyone sees Bellamy, they should call 911, city police said last month. If anyone knows where he might be, they can call the city department's anonymous tip line at 610-250-6635.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A man with what looked like a gun strapped to his leg faced no resistance when he walked through the secured entrance to Paxinosa Elementary School on Wednesday morning.

Maurice Hill, left, walked into Paxinosa Elementary School on Nov. 15, 2017, with a look-alike gun strapped to his leg.

Easton Area School District Director of Safe Schools John Remaley confirmed that 29-year-old Maurice Hill was buzzed in and allowed into the school office.

Remaley said the gun was fake, but the fact that Hill was allowed into the school raises red flags.

"Moving forward with Paxinosa, measures have been put in place to ensure safety and to reassure parents and staff that things will be OK," Remaley said Thursday.

Hill came to the West Ward Easton school briefly to address an issue with his son, a student there. After the issue was addressed, he left the school around 8:25 a.m. Wednesday.

Hill told Remaley the gun was a prop in a rap video. He said he forgot he had it on when he came to the school, Remaley said.

One woman who cares for a Paxinosa student was outraged Hill wasn't prevented from entering the building.

"I was fuming. It was bothering me all day," she said. The West Ward resident didn't want to give her name because she feared retaliation from Hill.

"I'm scared for the safety of the kids," she added.

She saw Hill leave the school with what she thought was a gun strapped to his leg. Then she and another parent witness alerted Remaley.

"I get it. I fully understand her concerns. As a parent, I get it," he said. He thanked her and the second parent for coming forward after they saw Hill.

Remaley had difficulty tracking Hill down because he changed addresses but finally did speak with him.

Remaley said Hill is no longer permitted on school grounds. He came to the school Thursday morning, where school and city police were waiting for him. But Hill understands that he will not be welcome back at the school from now on.

"He was cooperative. He was compliant," Remaley said. "I'm not a doctor, but there are issues going on with the man. ... Referrals have been made to the proper agencies because of some of the things we're concerned about (with Hill)."

Remaley is confident Hill's son is not at risk. Nor is there any risk to the school, he said. He doesn't plan to file charges as a result of the incident.

The school district spent $1.4 million in 2014 for security upgrades to the entrance of each of the district's schools, including Paxinosa. Each school has a locked entrance. Anyone from the public must be buzzed in by office staff.

Remaley said he expects to see an increased police presence during certain times of the day at the school, similar to when Hill dropped off his son Thursday.

"That will probably be the norm for a little while," Remaley said.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
A little more than two months after announcing his run, Pennsylvania State Rep. Justin Simmons on Friday said he is suspending his campaign for the 15th Congressional District.

Simmons is a Republican whose 131st Legislative District covers parts of Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton counties. He came out swinging against the 15th's incumbent congressman, U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, labeling the veteran lawmaker "the No. 1 turncoat in the Republican party" in his Sept. 6 campaign announcement.

Dent said Sept. 7 he will not seek re-election in 2018. He is in his seventh, two-year term and said he had "never planned on serving more than five or six terms" in Congress.

Simmons was re-elected in 2016 to a fourth two-year term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He said in a statement Friday that instead of running for Congress, he will focus on state House and other state issues in the coming year.

"It has become clear that running for, and possibly serving in, Congress are not conducive to the commitment I must keep to my family, especially my young daughter," Simmons stated. He and his wife, Erica, have a 22-month old daughter.

Simmons' announcement he is suspending his campaign comes three days after a report in The Morning Call that Simmons was absent for 498 legislative votes since taking office in January 2011. Fellow state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, another Lehigh Valley Republican who announced he's running for Dent's seat, missed 28 votes since being elected in May 2012, the report found.

Simmons on Friday said his priorities, after his family, include working to return a Republican to Washington, D.C., representing the 15th Congressional District, which covers Lehigh and part of Northampton counties.

"At the same time, it is evident that we need continued, fiscally responsible leadership in Harrisburg, and I remain dedicated to standing up for taxpayers while focusing on the priorities of our citizens," Simmons continued. "I am humbled by the support given to me by so many Americans both here in our community and across the country, and I am thankful for the new friendships I have made.

"I look forward to continuing my work as a State Representative and furthering the positive relationships I have built with so many local leaders, organizations, and citizens."

In addition to MacKenzie, here is a look at other candidates who have announced plans to run for Congress in the 15th District in 2018; nominating petitions can begin being circulated in February for the May 15 primary election:

Olympic champion cyclist Marty Nothstein, a Republican, announced his run Oct. 18.

Greg Edwards, a Democrat from Orefield, said Sept. 12 he is running. He is founder and senior pastor of Resurrected Life Community Church, and founder and CEO of Resurrected Community Development Corp.

Bill Leiner Jr., a Democrat from Northampton, said Nov. 8 he is running. He describes himself as a former Bethlehem Steelworker, union leader and nurse at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Susan Wild, a Democrat and Allentown's city solicitor, announced her candidacy Thursday.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A police station might not be the first place drug addicts would turn to for help.

But the Bethlehem and Bangor police departments are promising to offer help and hope instead of handcuffs via a new program aimed at getting opioid users into treatment

Any city or borough resident in need of help can call police, approach an officer or shows up to police headquarters from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. They will then undergo a professional assessment and be connected to a rehab program as soon as possible.

Participants will be asked to turn over any drugs or paraphernalia they have, but they will not be arrested. Although, police will check to see if someone has any outstanding warrants.

The program, known as BPAIR, Bethlehem/Bangor Police Assisting in Recovery, is modeled on the Gloucester, Massachusetts, police department's Angel program, which has been adopted by more than 150 departments nationwide.

The local program is funded by a $103,000 one-year grant and officials are seeking more funding to expand access and hours.

Officials from the borough and city announced the program during a joint news conference Thursday afternoon.

On the surface, the tiny borough and city of 76,000 may not seem to have much in common, but they're both fighting the nation's growing opioid and heroin epidemic.

Bethlehem and Bangor police have spent decades fighting the war on drugs, but police can no longer consider it just an enforcement issue, Bethlehem police Chief Mark DiLuzio said. Getting addicts off the streets and into treatment is a way to fight crime, he said.

"We can't arrest ourselves out of this issue," DiLuzio said.

In 2016, about 1,500 Lehigh and Northampton county residents were treated in area hospitals for overdoses, said Kristen Wenrich, Bethlehem health director. More than 200 county residents died from opioid overdoes in 2016 and that figure is only rising this year, she said.

From January to October, Bethlehem's EMS responded to 158 overdose calls compared to 109 in all of 2016, Wenrich said.

When someone shows up, they will undergo a professional assessment and the intake assessor will try to get them into treatment immediately.

If a bed is not available right then, they will be connected to a peer recovery specialist to keep them motivated to get help.

"You want to maintain that," said Tim Munsch, executive director of Lehigh Valley Drug and Alcohol Intake Unit.

Beds in treatment programs are hard to come by, but typically they've been able to find one within 24 hours, Munsch said.

Bethlehem has already had two people show up at the station seeking treatment and gotten them into rehabs.

No program can bring back the many people who have already lost their lives to opioids, DiLuzio said.

"We can attempt to save the ones still out there," he said.

Officials spoke about how drug addiction affects people from all walks of life, the poor, the wealthy, the educated and those with advanced degrees. It does not discriminate.

"Addiction is an illness," Bangor police Chief Scott Felchock said.

Speaking with addicts that end up in his police station under arrest, Felchock said, many share stories that begin with legal prescriptions for painkillers following accidents or surgeries.

Eventually those pills run out, but they still need to feed their addiction and they turn to heroin. It is cheap, easy to get and often deadly -- especially when mixed with more powerful compounds without users' knowledge.

"There is no community or profession that is immune," Felchock, who is also a retired Bethlehem cop, said.

IF YOU NEED HELP

Call Pennsylvania's Get Help Now hotline 800-662-4357 (HELP) to be connected with local resources.

BPAIR is only open to residents of Bangor and Bethlehem, but officials say they would work with anyone that shows up to connect them to treatment services.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Former Pennsylvania State Police troopers are organizing a card drive to help a corporal as he continues to recover after being shot during a Route 33 traffic stop.

Cpl. Seth Kelly, who lives in Upper Nazareth Township, remains at St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill after being shot in the leg and the neck/shoulder during a Nov. 7 traffic stop on Route 33 South.

Police have said he likely saved his own life by using a tourniquet he carried on his belt.

The Retired State Police Association of Pennsylvania is asking for any cards, store-bought or homemade, individual or packaged together from a group.

They can be sent to:

Cards for Corporal Kelly

c/o PA State Police

654 Bangor Rd.

Nazareth, PA 18064

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Miriam O'Callaghan visited the midlands tonight as RTE's Prime Time focused on rural crime and the decision of communities to take matters into their own hands to fend of gangs.

The boradcaster was in Coolderry, Co Offaly the area where Richie McKelvey was badly beaten with iron bars by a vicious gang. Ahead of her live interviews with local people in the programme featured a piece by a reporter who visited Cavan and Tipperary.

In Cavan local people have taken it upon themselves to mount patrols to police their own areas. Reporter Fran McNulty found that people in Cavan say that the local station can be an hour away from a station and it was the only way people felt they could respond. They set up the Swanlinbar Protection Group.

Sean McMahon the Anglo Celt newspaper said that there is now 'zero crime' in Swanlinbar in west Cavan. He said it was more about crime prevention. He said there have been inquires from other parts of Ireland to find out how people have responded.

"They must be doing something right if crime has evaporated," he said.

RTE reported that the Ballyconnell station was now only open part-time. It was also reported that 10 garda stations have closed in Cavan, Monaghan and Leitrim in recent years.

This was contrasted to Stepaside Garda Station in Dublin which is to be reopened following the intervention of Minister Shane Ross. Two garda stations are located 10 minutes from Stepaside.

RTE also visited Michael Sheehan an agricultural contractor in Clonmel who has been victim of crime.

"People will start taking the law into their own hands and that is not going to be a nice situation," he said.

Another local said that somebody is going to assault a raider because of the level of crime but John Sheehan said farmers would have not choice but to come together.

Speaking to Miram O'Callaghan in Offaly, Joe Parlon, IFA treasurer, said Richie McElvey was a 'prisoner in his own house.

"There is huge fear out there," he said.

Mr Parlon added people have started to bring shotguns to the bedrooms because of the fear. He welcomed the setting up of a garda taskforce for Laois Offaly.

Tom Standish, a local businessman said he had been broken into 12 times in the past five years and has problems getting insurance. He said the crime 'only came when the motorways came'. He said cameras will have to be placed at the motorway exits. He recommended that people not use shotguns.

"It would make matters worse," he said. He added that people use personal alarms.

He said the nearest garda station closes at 9am in Roscrea which means gardai have to be called from Portlaoise or Abbeyleix.

Miriam O'Callaghan visited the midlands tonight as RTE's Prime Time focused on rural crime and the decision of communities to take matters into their own hands to fend of gangs.

The boradcaster was in Coolderry, Co Offaly the area where Richie McKelvey was badly beaten with iron bars by a vicious gang. Ahead of her live interviews with local people in the programme featured a piece by a reporter who visited Cavan and Tipperary.

In Cavan local people have taken it upon themselves to mount patrols to police their own areas. Reporter Fran McNulty found that people in Cavan say that the local station can be an hour away from a station and it was the only way people felt they could respond. They set up the Swanlinbar Protection Group.

Sean McMahon the Anglo Celt newspaper said that there is now 'zero crime' in Swanlinbar in west Cavan. He said it was more about crime prevention. He said there have been inquires from other parts of Ireland to find out how people have responded.

"They must be doing something right if crime has evaporated," he said.

RTE reported that the Ballyconnell station was now only open part-time. It was also reported that 10 garda stations have closed in Cavan, Monaghan and Leitrim in recent years.

This was contrasted to Stepaside Garda Station in Dublin which is to be reopened following the intervention of Minister Shane Ross. Two garda stations are located 10 minutes from Stepaside.

RTE also visited Michael Sheehan an agricultural contractor in Clonmel who has been victim of crime.

"People will start taking the law into their own hands and that is not going to be a nice situation," he said.

Another local said that somebody is going to assault a raider because of the level of crime but John Sheehan said farmers would have not choice but to come together.

Speaking to Miram O'Callaghan in Offaly, Joe Parlon, IFA treasurer, said Richie McElvey was a 'prisoner in his own house.

"There is huge fear out there," he said.

Mr Parlon added people have started to bring shotguns to the bedrooms because of the fear. He welcomed the setting up of a garda taskforce for Laois Offaly.

Tom Standish, a local businessman said he had been broken into 12 times in the past five years and has problems getting insurance. He said the crime 'only came when the motorways came'. He said cameras will have to be placed at the motorway exits. He recommended that people not use shotguns.

"It would make matters worse," he said. He added that people use personal alarms.

He said the nearest garda station closes at 9am in Roscrea which means gardai have to be called from Portlaoise or Abbeyleix.

CRIME REPORTS DON'T REFLECT REALITY FINDS FARMER SURVEY

Aishling Meehan, an agricultural solicitor, said the lack of reporting means the full extent of crime is not apparent. She said it takes something like the attack on Mr McElvey to happen for things to change.

Laois TD and Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan was interviewed in the RTE studios. He said he knew the people of south Offaly and has visited Cavan and said people are not right to take the law into their own hands.

"I really don't believe that the best way to go about this is to set up groups that are almost paralegal," he said.

He admitted that the State must give a better response to rural crime.

"I am not satisfied that we are doing enough," he said.

He asked rural communities to work 'in harmony' with the gardai.

He said one of the first issues he discussed with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar when appointed justice minister.

Asked about the reopening of Steapside Garda station he said rural and urban stations were not a 'like for like'. He said rural garda stations were not the 'exclusive answer' to crime.

He pointed to increased numbers in the garda reserve as an something that would help.

He agreed that the policing of rural gangs should be intensified in line with the efforts made by gardai in bringing to an end the Kinahan Hutch feud.

CRIME AND COURTS

Aishling Meehan, an agricultural solicitor, said the lack of reporting means the full extent of crime is not apparent. She said it takes something like the attack on Mr McElvey to happen for things to change.

Laois TD and Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan was interviewed in the RTE studios. He said he knew the people of south Offaly and has visited Cavan and said people are not right to take the law into their own hands.

"I really don't believe that the best way to go about this is to set up groups that are almost paralegal," he said.

He admitted that the State must give a better response to rural crime.

"I am not satisfied that we are doing enough," he said.

He asked rural communities to work 'in harmony' with the gardai.

He said one of the first issues he discussed with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar when appointed justice minister.

Asked about the reopening of Steapside Garda station he said rural and urban stations were not a 'like for like'. He said rural garda stations were not the 'exclusive answer' to crime.

He pointed to increased numbers in the garda reserve as an something that would help.

He agreed that the policing of rural gangs should be intensified in line with the efforts made by gardai in bringing to an end the Kinahan Hutch feud.

CRIME AND COURTS
Sandra Erajaroh, 12 Chapel Lane, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford appeared before Judge Keenan Johnson charged with being in possession of the drugs at her home in Edgeworthstown in 2015.

The court heard that a parcel containing the drugs had been intercepted by sniffer dogs at an An Post sorting office in Portlaoise in September 2015 and officials there subsequently contacted the Gardai.

Meanwhile Longford Gardai in conjunction with the divisional drugs squad set up a sting operation a couple of days later and watched the defendant as she signed for the parcel containing the illegal substance.

The defendant signed for the package with a false name - Jane Brady - and she was subsequently arrested under the Drug Trafficking Act and taken to Granard Garda Station, Garda Lorna Scanlon told the court sitting.

The defendant, while being questioned by the Gardai, said that she had been acting on the orders of a friend in Dublin - Caca - whom she added, asked me to sign for a package in Edgeworthstown.

The court was told that Ms Erajaroh has been living in Ireland for 12 years and lived with her 12-year-old daughter in the mid-Longford town.

State prosecutor Shane Gearghty BL then pointed out that while in custody, the defendant admitted to being a cannabis user.

In the witness box, the defendant said she had made a mistake by signing for the cannabis in the first instance.

She also told the court that she suffered from chronic neck pain and sometimes smoked cannabis for that.

This week a sniffer dog at Portlaoise An Post mail centre sniffed out 160,000 of drugs
A man caught speeding at close to 180km/h in a 120km zone was virtually driving a loaded gun and is lucky to be alive.

So said Judge Catherine Staines yesterday (Thursday, November 16) to Shan McCarthy (24), Steeple Meadows Close, Milltown, Kerry, who was charged with dangerous driving. This was reduced to a charge of careless driving.

States evidence at Portlaoise District Court outlined that he was driving at 178km/h in a 120km zone, at the M7, Ballydavis, Portlaoise, on May 14 this year.

Do cars even go at that speed? asked an incredulous Judge Staines.

Defence, Ms Josephine Fitzpatrick, said that the accused, a hairdresser by occupation, had been driving an Audi 35.

He was surprised himself he was even doing that speed, said defence.

The accused had no previous convictions.

Said Judge Staines: Driving like this is the reason young mens car insurance is so high, because of people like you driving at this speed. Its absolutely appalling, its like driving a loaded gun.

Judge Staines convicted and fined the accused 300 and disqualified him from driving for six months.

You should be thankful the garda stopped you, because he probably saved your life, Judge Staines told the accused.
The Minister for Health will be signing 'death warrants' of patients if he approves a report to downgrade Portlaoise hospital, according to Sinn Fein TD, Brian Stanley.

The Laois TD made the dramatic claim in the Dail this week on a debate on the Slaintecare Report, a ten year plan for building a national health service.

I want to deal, in particular, with the emergency services in Portlaoise Hospital. The Slaintecare Report sets out clearly that "concrete measures to improve access to Emergency Departments (ED/A&E). It recommends the introduction of a maximum wait time in EDs, working towards a four hour target".

"Side by side with this, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group produced a report that was leaked to me three weeks ago. The 24 hour Emergency Department is being closed and will be replaced with a minor injuries unit and a Medical Assessment Unit open during daytime hours.

The TD said that according to leaks to The Sunday Business Post by the HSE last weekend which would cost 100 million to provide the extra capacity in other hospitals such as Tallaght and Tullamore.

"If the ED at Portlaoise Hospital is removed serious paediatric services, maternity services and the intensive care unit will also go. It is widely acknowledged that since improvements were made in staffing levels in Portlaoise Maternity Unit, services have improved dramatically yet the proposal now is that these will be transferred to the Coombe.

"Has the Minister ever tried to get from Portlaoise to Dublin during the three hours of rush hour in the morning and in the evening? Patients cannot be transported by road because apart from the gridlocked traffic, outside of those six hours the ambulances are not available.

"There is only one ambulance available in Laois on Monday and Tuesday nights.We all know that the golden hour, the first hour after a serious accident or health incident, is key. If Dr. Susan O'Reilly has her way the critical golden hour will be lost. The issue is now in the hands of the Minister.

"If anybody dies in the back of an ambulance either travelling to Tullamore or Dublin it will come down on the Minister's head. If he signs off on this he is signing the death warrants of people in Laois and the surrounding counties. He is also signing the death warrant of Fine Gael and there will be political consequences for Fianna Fail, the party that is propping it up in government if it goes ahead with the proposal.

"The Minister should talk to the GPs and hospital consultants and make the necessary investment in Portlaoise Hospital. It will not amount to 100 million or even 20 million. The Minister should shred the fantasy plan of Dr. Susan O'Reilly and push on with Slaintecare," concluded Dep Stanley.
Survivors and witnesses to farm accidents get their first opportunity to share how their lives have been changed since their accident.

Embrace FARM hold the first farm accident survivors conference in the Midlands Park hotel Portlaoise the farming community in Ireland.

Farm accident survivors get to share how they have adjusted to daily living in the months and years following their farm accident.

Organiser, Peter Gohery, a director with Embrace FARM, from East Galway who lost his leg in a PTO accident on his farm in 2009 said

There are many deep rooted issues which deeply affect both the survivor of the accident and those that have witnessed it and dealt with the aftermath.

"These include post-traumatic stress, rehabilitation and occupational therapy, who runs the farm, legal issues, insurance claims are among the many issues facing survivors and their families.

Telling their story will be survivors, Kerri Leonard from Co. Meath who was driven over by a tractor at the age of 6 and now competes with the Irish Para Olympics team,

Liam OKeeffe from near the Cork /Kerry border who was attacked by a bull and William Sawyer from Northern Ireland who lost his arm in a PTO accident.

Niamh OConnell, Duhallows, Co Cork and Alison Leonard, Durrow Co Laois will both speak about their husbands accidents and how family life has changed.

Niamhs husband Richard is now in a wheelchair and Alisons husband Dominic lives with a brain injury.

Professional speakers on the day will talk about prosthetics and adapting machinery to allow you to continue to farm if that is your wish.

Mental health trauma experts will talk about the unseen scars from your accident and the impact it has had to family life.

Legal & Insurance experts will also speak about dealing with claims and succession on your business.

The day is an opportunity for survivors and witnesses to get information and support from others who find themselves in a similar situation to you.

The organisers say it is also an opportunity to voice concerns and highlight what help is needed.

Embrace FARM (FARMING ACCIDENTS - REMEMBERED & MISSED) was founded by Brian Rohan and his wife Norma, a farming family from Shanahoe, Co. Laois, in 2014 to provide a bereavement support group for farm families who, like them, have lost a loved one or, indeed, suffered serious injury in a farming accident.

Brian's father Liam lost his life as a result of such an accident, which took place on the family farm on June 19th 2012.

Rather than just accept the fate that he and his family were bereaved, Brian, together with his wife Norma, founded Embrace FARM in Liam's memory.

The primary objective of Embrace Farm accident support network is to help bereaved families through regional support sessions and an annual remembrance service.

The day takes place on on Saturday, November 25. It begins with light refreshments at 11.30am. The event is free to attend. Please register your attendance at embrace.farm@gmail.com or text 085-7709966.

More at https://www.facebook.com/embracefarmaccidents/

For more information you can contact Peter Gohery at 087-4183620.
When most people hit 50, a party is most likely on the agenda.

However, one Rathangan woman is planning a different way to mark this milestone.

Having been inspired by her nieces charity work in Kenya, Imelda (Mel) Brereton is joining forces with Sinead ODonohoe to volunteer her services next February, along with 30 students from the Kildare area, for the Cara Project.

She is looking forward to being part of the Cara team, who give hope to the girls who arrive to the charitys rescue center from sad and horrific backgrounds.

SEE ALSO: Rathangan author, Seamus Kelly to launch Maura Laverty book

I want to make a difference to the girls and gain a fresh outlook in life, said Imelda.

The duo are running a joint 80s and 90s Disco fundraiser in the Burrow Lounge in Rathangan on Friday night, November 24.

This promises to be a great pre-Christmas night out with the popular DJ Fergie Pearson playing all the hits from 80s and 90s, along with a super raffle with over 20 prizes including a private day cruise on the Shannon (with prosecco), said the girls.

Mel lives in Lullymore with her husband Pat and her daughters Ciara and Aine.

Sinead lives a few short miles away in Coolelan, with her parents Margaret and Seamus, and her sister Grainne.

The 17-year-old fifth year Ard Scoil Rath Iomghain student volunteered in Kenya for two weeks with Cara Projects last year.

Cara Projects is an Irish registered charity and Kenyan registered NGO. It runs Cara Girls Rescue Centre near Ngong outside Nairobi.

This centre provides a family environment encompassing love, welfare, trust, education, schooling and mentoring\training for 30 to 40 girls aged between 3 and 18 years.

The girls are rescued from a variety of circumstances involving physical, sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, and forced marriage.

The young student said her experience volunteering with Cara Projects really put things into perspective about whats important in life.

The girls living in the center taught me how important it is to value your education, family, and the simple things like clean water, food and shelter.

Our work last February really improved the living conditions of the girls in the rescue center. It was very satisfying to know that we made a difference to these special girls.

Her aunt Mel is no stranger to volunteering and has given a lot of time over the last five years volunteering as a leader with Rathangan Scouts.

The Rathangan natives would like to thank all the sponsors for the raffle prizes for the disco and special thanks to Ruth Conlon in the Burrow for her support as well as Natasha in Natashas Gift Shop.

Go Fund me pages are also up and running under Mel Brereton Cara Projects and Sinead ODonohoe Cara Projects.

Thanks to those who have donated already, any corporate donations also welcome and your support will be greatly appreciated, said the two volunteers.

Further information on the charity can be found at www.CaraProjects.com

Tickets for the disco are 10 each and available from Natashas giftshop and direct from Mel on 086- 8168181.
Kildare Muintir Na Tire is calling on communities in Kildare to take the time to look In on vulnerable neighbours and look out for each other.

In light of the recent criminal activity in South Offaly and the concerns it has raised in many communities, Muintir Na Tire Community Alert, Eastern Region Development Officer, Conor OLeary, wants to assure communities that help is available.

Muintir Na Tires Community Alert Development Officers work across the entire country to support local communities explained Conor.

This includes helping groups establish Community Alert in their area and then set up a text alert scheme, advise on matters like CCTV, accessing the Seniors Alert Scheme for free to install socially monitored alarms and working with An Garda Siochana and other agencies.

Community Alert was started in 1985 in response to attacks on the elderly in our rural communities. Over time it has evolved but It continues to work on the basis of a strong partnership between the local community, An Garda Siochana and Muintir Na Tire continued Conor.

The Community Alert programme is managed in partnership by Muintir Na Tire and An Garda Siochana.

Attending the meeting in Coolderry in Offaly on Monday night was a powerful reminder that attacks on vulnerable people are devastating for the people involved and their families stated Mr. OLeary, but the effects also ripple out into the local community and far beyond.

But communities working together through Community Alert are making a tremendous difference in helping reduce crime, building community spirit and pride and as a result reducing the fear of crime explained Conor and this includes over 300 groups in the Eastern Garda Region.

But they need our support, encouragement and advice and also to speak on their behalf and make their voice heard locally and nationally said Conor.

Communities looking for help in the Eastern Garda Region can contact Conor OLeary at 086-6000753or conor@muintir.ie and for other areas can contact Muintir na Tire Head Office 062-51163 orinfo@muintir.ie
A new convenience store is to open in Naas town centre, opposite the Benetton outlet.

Day Today Naas will be located at 31 North Main Street selling groceries, deli items, beverages, newspapers/magazines and confectionery. It will also sell mobile phone credit and have a payzone facility for electronic bill paying. Work on refurbishing and stocking the premises is ongoing and it will likely open later next week.

Proprietor Henry Wu, also operates the Palace Chinese restaurant at Moorefield Road, Newbridge and also had the Great Wall takeaway unit in the Curragh.

A native of China, Mr. Wu has been living here for 17 years. Hes married and lives in Kildare town where his two sons attend primary and secondary school.

Hes optimistic his business will succeed despite the closure of the Spar shop in Poplar Square in February 2015 and Mattimoes Londis ten months ago.

One of the first times I visited Naas I noticed there was nowhere to buy a bottle of water apart from Maxol on Dublin road and SuperValu at the other end of the town. Naas is a busy town. There are many people in Naas every day including people working in offices, students and parents bringing children to the schools. Ive had ten years of experience in the restaurant business but this a new venture for me, he told the Leader.

Mr. Wu says the shop will have two full time employees as well as part-time staff.
A contractor, who worked on the St Conleths Community School extension in Newbridge, is handing over certification for works carried out under his companys name under duress, due to serious safety concerns.

Drumderry was ordered by the High Court to hand over the certificates last week after being taken to court by main contractor, K & J Townmore Construction Ltd.

READ MORE: READ MORE: Injunction granted over St Conleth's Community School, Newbridge

I am complying with the Honourable Justice Twomey's order to provide certification for floors we installed in the new extension to St Conleths College Newbridge Co. Kildare, under extreme duress, said managing director, Sam Deacon.

He said he holds in his possession a large amount of engineer's drawings and calculations in relation to precast walls and beams, which were all carried out in his companies name (Drumderry Aggregate Ltd) by people who were unknown to him or his staff.

With a High Court injunction granted against me and faced with the prospect of going to jail if I don't comply, I am now providing the certificates as ordered by the Court, he said.

Signing off on these certificates is a gut wrenching sole destroying nightmare for me and my family and all the staff working at Drumderry Aggregate Ltd.

Mr Deacon said his own chartered engineer is conducting an ongoing investigation into these documents.

So far the reports and findings coming back are truly frightening and shocking. This along with what I already knew confirms that there is a huge safety issue here and that the children and staff in the school will be in danger, he claimed.

There is currently an ongoing Department of Education investigation. Mr Deacon also claims there is a Garda fraud and Health and Safety Authority investigation into these matters.

He emphasised Drumderry Aggregate did not design, produce calculations, manufacture, transport, install or give any instructions in relation to any of the concrete columns, beams or solid walls, or provide a health and safety file on these structures at St Conleths.

He said by handing over the certs, he was playing Russian Roulette with the children and adults lives who will be occupying this school building.

Last Friday, November 10, Mr Justice Michael Twomey made an injunction directing that relevant certification in relation to flooring procuded supplied and fitted by the subcontractor Drumderry Aggregate Ltd, to be handed over to K&J Townmore Construction Ltd.

In court, Drumderrys legal representatives said it was opposed on grounds including that the building made by the defendant was severely compromised from the point of view of health and safety.

The judge said all other certs concerning all other works had already been provided, and Dumderry were not responsible for health and safety matters concerning the building. He said the company was only responsible for the certification of its own work.

R&J told the court there were other legal proceedings involving the parties, but the issue over the certification has nothing to do with that action.
Every year NUI Galway awards honorary degrees to a small number of individuals who have distinguished themselves in various walks of life.



This year the governing Authority of NUI Galway invited Professor James Murphy to accept the Degree of Doctor of Literature, in recognition of his commitment to promoting Irish Studies globally and developing cultural and academic relations between Ireland and the United States.



Professor Jim Murphy is Director Emeritus of the Irish Studies Program at Villanova University. He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1940 of Irish parents. His mother was Kathleen Sloyan from Ballyhaunis and his father was Patrick Joseph Murphy from Aughakiltubrid, Cloone, Co. Leitrim. That background shaped his connection to Ireland, especially the West, and subtly led him to his academic career.



I didnt realise it at the time, but Ireland was always in the air of my growing up. I breathed in a world of brogues and ballads, and out of that raw material of Irish voices, I gravitated to Irish writers and felt at home there. I was always a reader, but in college I first read Joyce and Yeats. I found there voices and a world that I knew at once. It was all over for me.



The first in his family to go to upper-level study, he did his academic work at Manhattan College (B.A.), Niagara University (M.A.), and Temple University (Ph.D.). His doctoral work was The Book of Kells, James Joyce, and the Irish Literary Tradition.

In 1963, he joined the faculty at Villanova University and in 1979 founded the Universitys Irish Studies Program, dedicated to bringing an inter-disciplinary focus on the study of the history and culture of both Ireland and Irish-America.



In 2008, Irish America Magazine named Professor Murphy one of the Top 100 Irish Americans. He has been a winner of the Lindback Award for Outstanding Teaching. He retired from Villanova in 2010.



In 1985, when Villanova was looking for an affiliation with an Irish university, Professor Murphys family background made him look to the West, so it was only natural that the Villanova program affiliated with the then newly established UCG Irish Studies Summer School.



Since then, Villanova has sent over 400 American students to NUI Galway, not only in the summer but throughout the academic year. More recently, NUI Galway students have been invited to study at Villanova as McGuinn Scholars.

So, the link between Professor Jim Murphy and the West of Ireland comes full circle with this honour.



Professor Murphy is a first cousin of Patsy Walpole from Mohill and he was very proud to be invited to the Honorary Degree Conferring Ceremony to see him receive this prestigious award.
Get ready for some high drama from Friday, November 17 to Sunday, November 19 as Carrigallen's Corn Mill Theatre hosts their One Act Festival 2017.



Nine talented theatre groups take to the stage to entertain and hopefully secure a place in the all Ireland finals. Three groups will take to the stage each day under the watchful eye of adjudicator Aodh McCay.



Friday and Saturday shows commence at 8pm and Sunday's show starts at 2pm.



Festival Director Philip McIntyre said: Over three days audiences will be treated to the best amatuer dramatics has to offer! We've a wide variety of plays this year; from seminal playwrights like Tennesse Williams and Hugh Leonard to modern writers like Geraldine Aron and Carrigallen's own Seamus O'Rourke.



Tickets are 10 nightly or 25 for 9 performances over three days. Book at 087 2570363.



The line-up is as follows Friday: Coolgreany Drama - Talk To Me Like The Rain And Let Me Listen by Tennessee Williams; Moynalty Drama Group - A Galway Girl by Geraldine Aron; Castlewood Players - The Last Of The Last Of The Mohicans by Hugh Leonard.



Saturday: City Limits - TRIPTYCH by Henry Hudson; Seamus OKelly Players - Small Box Psychosis by Barry McKinley; Theatre 3 Newtownabbey - The Last Of The Last Of The Mohicans by Hugh Leonard.



Sunday: The Moat Club - Victors Dung by Seamus ORourke; Amphitheatre Company - Failure's No Success By Martin J. Gleeson and The Moogles Theatre Group - Shooting Stars by Alice Lynch
The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) - which represents organisations working with over 380,000 young people nationwide - is urging young people to make sure they have registered to vote before the registration deadline next Saturday November 25.

A RedC poll conducted for the NYCI earlier this year found that 22% of those aged 18-29 were not registered to vote. Based on the most recent population data from the Central Statistics Office this would mean up to 760 young people in County Leitrim risk missing out on their right to vote.

Nationwide, a potential 151,000 young voters may not be registered, with the figures for the regions as follows: Dublin City and County; 50,554, Rest of Leinster 37,393, Munster, 39,021 and Connacht/Ulster 24,494.

James Doorley, NYCI Deputy Director explained We know from our work with young people that the vast majority want to vote but not all are aware they have to register. This is particularly an issue for the more than 61,000 young people who turned 18 and became eligible to vote over in the last 12 months.

Check the register

Local Authorities are currently preparing the 2018/2019 electoral register. For those unsure whether they are registered or not, the NYCI advises that they check online at www.checktheregister.ie

If young people are not on the electoral lists, we are strongly encouraging them to register now. To do this they need to fill out an RFA1 form and return it to their local city or county council by Saturday November 25th. In effect the deadline is Thursday November 23rd as the form needs to be completed and posted back to the local authority to arrive by the deadline. If applicants miss the postal deadline, the only other option is to deliver the completed RFA1 form by hand, continued Mr Doorley.

Anyone 18 on or before February 15th 2018 eligible

This does not just apply to those currently aged 18-29 years, any young person who will turn 18 years of age on or before February 15th 2018 is now eligible to apply to register to vote, added Mr Doorley.

Calls for overhaul of cumbersome and outdated registration system

These figures once again highlight how out of date our electoral registration system is. NYCI has been calling for reform for over a decade and successive Governments have promised the establishment of an Electoral Commission since 2007, yet nothing has happened.

Every year over 60,000 young people turn 18 and become eligible to vote, yet our cumbersome and outdated system makes it hard for many of them to get on the electoral roll. We commend the work of the staff in local authorities and indeed the efforts of those such as our member organisation, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and Spunout, with whom we partnered last week on the National Voter Registration day initiative. This will have contributed to an increase in the number of young people registered, but more remains to be done.

In order to reduce the high levels of non-registration we need to move towards automatic registration of all 18 years olds and a national online registration system. It is ridiculous that in the 21st Century eligible voters cannot register online, we are effectively still administering a 19th Century voter registration system  all thats missing is the quills.

These defects and deficiencies will not be solved in the short term, so for now we strongly encourage young people to register to vote and ensure they have a say in electing our public representatives and in decisions and laws that govern us all, concluded Mr Doorley.
The old train station in Mohill, which saw its last train departing on March 31, 1959, will be turned into a cinema this coming Sunday, November 19, for an exceptional programme of documentaries, food and discussions open to all.



It is a free event, funded by Creative Ireland, but booking is required as places are limited search 'DJERIBI' on www.eventbrite.ie or phone (086) 8776204 to secure your place.



Two documentaries will be screened on the day focusing on the side of food production that's often kept hidden. The first one, Our Daily Bread (12), showing at 2pm, will bring you on a breath-taking tour of the sites of industrial food production in Europe, the high-tech world of conveyor belts and immense machines that churn our the cheap products that fill our supermarket shelves: a stark contrast to the charming photographs printed on food packaging!



Soup and sourdough bread will be served to the film goers at 4pm.



The second film, at 5pm, is A Turning Tide in the Life of Man. It follows - over 8 years - John O'Brien, a small fisherman from Inishbofin who attempts to fight against the Irish government's decisions and the EU regulations who threaten his survival and the survival of his island community by outlawing traditional salmon-fishing.

John O'Brien, a fisherman from Inishbofin, is the subject of one of the documentaries which will be screened at Mohill Station this Sunday.



This film is one of the most accessible and informative studies of the role that the EU now plays in our lives, often largely ignored or misunderstood, said Sean Crosson, Film Ireland.



The screening will be followed by a question and answer sessions and conversations with Loic Jourdain, the director of A Turning Tide, who will be able to share the insight he has gained accompanying John O'Brien on his journey.



This event is organised and hosted by Mohill-based artist M-A Djeribi, as part of a longer programme (at the station, in tandem with artist Jessica Kelly) bringing the long disused station to life. For more details on what is happening at the station see the website https://atthestation.net



A coffee morning in support of the North-West hospice will also be held on Sunday, November 19 at Mohill Station between 11am to 12.30pm.



There will also be an opportunity to see photographs of the station in its heyday. The images are provided on loan from Michael Kennedy from the Cavan and Leitrim Train Museum in Dromod, Co Leitrim.
Fianna Fail TD Niamh Smyth has called on the Justice Minister to get serious about rising rural crime. Deputy Smyth raised the issue with Minister Charlie Flanagan in the Dail this week.

There is no doubt that criminals are targeting rural areas because they know that theres no Garda presence on the ground. explained Deputy Smyth.

One couple from Cootehill, who are in their 70s have had their farmyard broken into three times in recent weeks, and despite having barricaded machinery, thieves were still able to make off with some of their equipment. This couple live in fear of this gang returning again. Over the past couple weeks, 16 homes and businesses within an 8 mile radius of Cootehill have been targeted. In another incident in Bailieborough, more than 15,000 worth of equipment belonging to the local Community Employment Scheme was stolen.

Another family in Mountain Lodge returned to their home to find three men ransacking their home. One of the men was standing at their back door armed with a hurley. They had to wait 40 minutes for the Gardai  who were coming from Carrickmacross - to arrive. This is completely unacceptable.

The increase in burglaries and break ins comes at a time when we have seen the downgrading of services at Ballyconnell and Cootehill Garda Stations. Both stations had been operating on a 24 hour basis until their hours were reduced earlier this year. The number of Gardai on the ground has also been dramatically reduced  down from 413 in 2010 to 330 now. It is no coincidence that at a time when Garda resources have been trimmed to the bone that crime in these areas is on the rise."

Earlier this week I met with Kathleen OToole, who is leading the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, and I raised my concerns with her. These issues will also be addressed at a public meeting on rural crime that I am hosting on the 4th of December. Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Justice Jim OCallaghan will address the event. The meeting will take place in the Bailie Hotel, Bailieborough at 7.30pm."
TWO Limerick men are being questioned by Police in the Netherlands following an international operation targeting the activities of the Kinahan crime cartel.

The men, who both have criminal convictions, were two of eight men who were arrested in Amsterdam on Thursday morning.

Its reported that one of them has gangland connections and previously made a significant settlement with the Criminal Assets Bureau.

A further four people were arrested in Meath and Dublin as part of the intelligence-led operation, which was led by Assistant Commissioner John ODriscoll.

Images of some of the drugs seized by members of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau & the Special Crime Task Force during ongoing searches in Co. Meath. For more see https://t.co/qa3zof2YCp pic.twitter.com/Whvv7eHwQF  Garda Info (@gardainfo) November 16, 2017

Significant quantities of drugs, cash and Bitcoin were seized during the international operation along with mobile phones and other electronic devices.

Two men arrested following the seizure of cannabis worth around 7m at an industrial unit in Meath are due in court this Friday morning having been charged late on Thursday night.

The other 10 men, including the two from Limerick, remain in custody at garda stations in Dublin and Police stations in the Netherlands.
A COUNTY Limerick hairdresser, whose premises has been burgled three times in four years, said she is nearly immune to it.

When Lisa Shanahan walked into her salon in Doon and saw that criminals had broken in yet again she wasnt even shocked.

Im nearly used to it at this stage. Its like here we go again. I didnt really take too much notice of it, said Lisa.

Thankfully only 20 to 30 in coins was robbed during the incident in the early hours of Saturday, November 4.

I dont leave anything there anymore. There was only a few coins in the drawer. The first break-in was in November 2013 and the second was October 2016. Its always Friday nights.

They must be expecting the takings from the week. They probably think on Saturday night we would take it with us, but Friday night they would be hoping you would slip up and leave it there. We never leave money there, said Lisa, who organised a big fundraiser for breast cancer research last year. Doors and windows were damaged during the break-in.

Lisa is moving to Annes Shop on Main Street in January and she says it will be like Fort Knox due to the amount of alarms and cameras she is installing.

For a number of years, Nessa Maher, beautician, worked in the same premises as Lisa in Doon. She was affected by two burglaries. Nessa gave up her business in August and now works in the city. A big factor in her decision was the crimes.

I lost around 6,000 worth of stock in the thefts. I spoke to my accountant and after both hits I had to buy everything back  it just wasnt worth it. There were other factors but the burglaries certainly didnt help. I am glad I am gone because a third one...

I feel terrible for Lisa. It is horrible. When she sent me the message about the burglary I thought it was a message from a few years ago that had only come through. I thought she was joking, said Nessa. Both Nessa and Lisa said the community in Doon were incredibly supportive after each of the burglaries of their businesses.

Deputy Niall Collins said, Once is bad enough but to be broken into three times is absolutely shocking. The Government say they are encouraging rural businesses but by closing the garda station in Doon they have left business people defenceless.

The fact one lady closed her business in Doon and is now working in the city is a sad indictment on this Governments treatment of rural County Limerick and rural Ireland. We should be supporting rural business not leaving them at the mercy of criminals, continued the Fianna Fail TD.

Doon Community Alert PRO, Francis Cummins said it is quite worrying that a business can be targeted so much in such a short space of time.

The community of Doon will rally around Lisa as they have done before. If anyone saw anything suspicious in the early hours of Saturday morning, November 4  no matter how small or trivial  they should contact Bruff gardai, said Francis.
A spectacular Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at tLimerick's Crescent Shopping Centre will take place at 5pm this Friday in the Central Concourse to get everyone in the mood for Christmas.



Special guests will include Limerick Panto Society, accompanied by the wonderfully harmonious Unity Gospel Choir who will also be on hand with sweets and treats for the kids.



For fashionistas and families a like, Black Friday will also coincide with switching on of the Christmas lights with offers from select retailers from 9.30am to 9pm along with the welcome addition of exciting new big brand retailers now open on the City Mall, Gap Outlet, Superdry and Selected Femme/Homme.



And thats not all, as a very important man, Santa, will be arriving in style at the Crescent Shopping Centre on Sunday November 26 at 1pm, in a horse-drawn magic sleigh to meet all the kids and families at the Garryowen Mall entrance (next to River Island), before making his way through the malls with musical accompaniment and lively activity to Santas new cabin located on the City Mall.



Crescent Shopping Centre Manager, John Davitt, said: The Crescent Shopping Centre serves as a place of tradition at Christmas time for many communities and families in the region over the last 44 years.

"We look forward to welcoming Santa, who will be in his new North Pole cabin on the City Mall from Sunday November 26, then every day until Christmas Eve. We look forward to welcoming our customers to the Crescent this Christmas period and to events over the weekend when Christmas officially kicks off at the Crescent Shopping Centre.



Keep an eye out for Santas footprints in the Malls to locate him.
A LIMERICK legal executive who was jailed for three years for stealing some 260,000 from the solicitors firm he previously worked for has agreed to have a receiver appointed over his pension fund.

Monies in the fund, estimated to be approximately 170,000, will go towards repaying those who suffered loss by the fraudulent conduct of Garry Carroll.

In 2012 Carroll admitted to multiple charges of theft, larceny and embezzlement before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court from his employers Connolly Sellors, Geraghty Solicitors  now known as Keating Connolly Sellors.

Carroll, who worked as a legal executive with the firm from 1978 to 2009, was sentenced to three years in prison. The court heard that the offences were committed over a ten year period.

58-year-old Carroll, who lived in Limerick for many years but is now residing in Cratloe, said that his actions were due to a gambling problem.

The firm brought civil proceedings against Carroll and obtained a judgement against him in 2014 for 323,000.

The firm had made extensive efforts to recover monies it is owed by Carroll.

It sought an order appointing a Receiver over Carrolls pension plan, currently held by Irish Life Assurance, which becomes payable to him on his 60th birthday in June 2019.

His former employers had paid almost 20 per cent of the contributions towards the plan. However a court order was required before any of the proceeds of the pension fund could be paid over.

At the High Court on Thursday Mr Justice Tony OConnor was informed by Stephen Byrne BL, instructed by Kennedys Solicitors, for the former employer that Carroll was consenting to various orders.

These including that he would not withdraw or dissipate any monies in the pension fund and that a receiver be appointed over all the monies held in the fund.

It had also been agreed that June 29, 2019 Irish Life will pay the monies held in the pension fund to the receiver, less tax and 25,000 which Carroll will retain.

Bank of Ireland and Irish Life, who were notice parties to the application, had also consented to the orders being made, counsel added.

Carroll, aged 58, had previously told the court that all this has come about as the result of his addiction to gambling.

The criminal trial was told Carroll defrauded money from his employers client accounts, frequently endorsing cheques made out to others and lodging them to himself.

The court had heard his fraudulent transactions were used to fund a significant gambling addiction about which neither his family nor his employers knew the full extent.

The fraud had only come to light when a property developer had complained about a portion of a mortgage not being paid.

The criminal court heard after his activities were discovered in 2009 Carroll confessed and afterwards received counselling.

His actions had resulted in him losing his marriage, his job, friends and his reputation, the criminal court also heard.
A FORMER UL employee who raised concerns about irregularities in expenses and subsequently felt managed out of her job has written to the university president and the Minister for Education  seeking fairness, transparency and accountability for decision-making.

Leona OCallaghan, one of the whistleblowers who came forward about financial claims two years ago, has paid a high price both emotionally and financially in trying to bring the truth to light.

Her 17-year-old son has also launched an online petition seeking Justice for Leona, which garnered over 800 signatures in its first day.

After nearly two years of a battle between solicitors, I felt that the imbalance of power prevented me from getting a fair outcome, wrote Ms OCallaghan to Minister Richard Bruton and Prof Des Fitzgerald.

After only ever acting ethically within my role, I was managed out with only six months salary, losing my job and my pension.

Ms OCallaghan asked the minister and college president to consider if this was fair, if she deserved to lose her job, pension, career  and my future.

The whistleblower was vindicated in the recently released HEA report, which was strongly critical of the HR practices used to deal with staff issues and the disciplinary procedures followed in the cases of certain whistleblowers  two of which are still suspended from their posts.

Now that two independent reports show that I did no wrong, and show huge failings in management and HR at the time, I am asking you to do the decent thing and reconsider the place I have been left at the hands of UL, wrote Ms OCallaghan.

Wishing to put the ordeal behind her, she said that she would like to be put right, and is open to any gesture of goodwill which will help her to recover.

I am tired, in fact, I am exhausted. This whole process has really taken its toll on me, and I don't want to fight through a court system or do any more protests or sit-ins.

Neither do I want to go through PAC or TDs looking for fairness, she said.

Ms OCallaghan, who has lost out on her pension as well as her salary, would like to be recuperated in some capacity in order for her to finish my studies and start building my future again.

She also stated: I would love to go back to what I am good at as it should have never been taken away.

The online Uplift.ie campaign started by her son Dylan, has led to an outpouring of support for the wronged whistleblower.

It's time honesty was rewarded and wrongdoers punished, wrote one person who signed, while another posted: Brave woman, who stood by her morals where others bowed.

Ms OCallaghan has received acknowledgement from the minister and is awaiting a response.

Prof Des Fitzgerald committed to the implementation of swift changes in response to the report.

Following the release of the report, he said: What concerns me most of all is what it says about how UL has treated some of its people in the past.
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A story for young adults in the post 9/11 world Randa Abdel-Fattah on how her novel, about a teenager's choice to don the hijab, transformed readers' understanding of Muslims /news/talking-point/a-story-for-young-adults-in-the-post-9-11-world-111646919749027.html 111646919749027 story

Randa Abdel-Fattahs debut novel, Does My Head Look Big In This? (2005), is narrated in first person by a teenager, Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim, who lives in a trendy suburb of Melbourne. Her parents were born in Bethlehem, studied medicine in Monash University and became Australian citizens. Her father Mohamed is under the misguided delusion" that he is still young and cool and drives a metallic-red convertible blasting Italian opera or Palestinian folk songs from his car stereo system. Her mother, Jamila, is a dentist who is obsessive about cleanliness and is loud and energetic. The novel is about Amals decision to don a hijab as I feel like my passion and conviction in Islam are bursting inside me and I want to prove to myself that Im strong enough to wear a badge of my faith". Her parents are concerned about the reaction it will elicit in public, not least being called a nappy head".

Its a tremendous coming-of-age novel written immediately post 9/11, which has now been re-released in India, given its relevance in our times. The Australia-based, 38-year-old authors next novel, themed on immigration, The Lines We Cross, will be published in January by Scholastic India. Edited excerpts from an email interview:

What prompted you to write this booka chick lit with a twist on religious expression and the importance of choice?

When I wrote Does My Head Look Big In This? and was searching for an agent, I spoke to one agent at length, explaining the basic plot of the novel. After my pitch, she had the audacity to joke: Is there an honour killing in it?" This was the stock standard narrative space for the Muslim novel and that kind of lazy, dehumanizing genre of writing about Muslim women was what fired me up in the first place to want to write something that challenged such tropes. I wanted to offer readers a feisty, free-spirited adolescent Muslim girl speaking on her own terms and, importantly, delivering a story written by a Muslim female.

It is believed that debut novels tend to be autobiographical. Would it be an accurate statement to make with regard to Does My Head Look Big In This? Or is it an amalgamation of stories you have heard as a human rights lawyer?

I actually wrote the first draft when I was a teenager, 15 years old, and it was, at that time, very autobiographical. I was coming of age" during the first Gulf War (1990-91), at a time when suddenly being Muslim and Arab was no longer an identity description but an accusation. Not only was I dealing with the demonization in the media and political discourse of my Muslim and Arab heritage, but I was also dealing with gendered stereotypes which reduced Muslim women to oppressed and passive victims of faith and culture. That made me want to speak back, and for me writing has always been craft and activism. I returned to the manuscript post 9/11, and realized that the story was even more urgent. So I rewrote the first draft.

How did you decide upon creating the narrator as an Australian-Muslim-Palestinian teen? Did it take some effort to get the nuances right?

That part was easy. I drew on my own life, my experiences navigating multiple identities. The nuance was basically my own lived experience so it was never difficult to do!

It has been 12 years since this book was first published. What are the reactions that you get? Have these changed over time?

It amazes and humbles me that all these years later I still have people reaching out to me about the book to tell me that it was transformative in terms of their understanding of Muslims/Islam. Of all my novels, this has been my most popular work, taught in schools, staged as a play in the US, and currently being adapted into a feature film. My Muslim readers around the world tell me that the novel validates their experiences and empowers them to embrace their faith choices. For the majority of my readerswho are, in fact, not MuslimsI am told that the book has changed their perceptions about Muslims, particularly Muslim women who wear the veil. I still have girls contact me to say they read my book and were inspired to wear hijab or that it gave them that final edge of confidence to go through with their decision. The most touching feedback Ive received was from a teacher in Canada who told me that on Christmas Eve, an elderly, non-Muslim man was handing out free copies of my book to people passing by a main shopping precinct because, he said, he felt it promoted a message of peace and harmony. It was one of the most beautiful and heart-warming stories I had ever heard.

The issues the book raised immediately after 9/11, about identity, race, immigrants, Islamophobia, are still relevant. Has this book been pivotal in opening conversations about faith, feminism, identity politics and social justice with teenagers?

Indeed it has. When I visit schools and writer festivals, these are the exact topics I address with students, talking to them about how writing can be such a powerful medium for speaking back to injustice, racism, sexism, and how they too can use their writing to navigate these issues.

Has this book been accessed by people across cultures and religions rather than being bracketed as a Muslim book?

Oh yes, definitely. In fact, the majority of my readers are not Muslim. So many of the people who write to me say that the book has helped them through their own identity, family and friendship challenges, and not necessarily from a Muslim perspective.
Shimul Javeri Kadri: What I wear should adequately express who I am Shimul Javeri Kadri's wardrobe reveals a singularity of style extending from architecture to fashion /news/talking-point/shimul-javeri-kadri-what-i-wear-should-adequately-express-who-i-am-111646919812987.html 111646919812987 story

Shimul Javeri Kadris design for a weekend home in Alibaug, a site home to mango and neem trees, had leaf-shaped canopies of concrete. In an ongoing project at Bodh Gaya, in Bihar, Kadri drew from the regions brick-making tradition to create arches and vaults. Her Mumbai-based SJK Architects firm, founded 25 years ago, currently has a team of 25 architects who believe in building in harmony with natureusing sunlight, wind, natural materials, cultural contexts.

Sitting on the balcony of her Mumbai apartment, overlooking the sea, Kadri talks about architecture and fashion in the same vocabulary, as geometry, folds, flow, structure; she sees both as a means of self-expression. Her wardrobe includes a collection of saris that primarily reflect the colours of the earthshades of brown, green, blue, madder, serene whites and creams, striking blacksflowing dresses, skirts, kurtas, bags and silver jewellery picked up over time from travels across the towns and villages of India".

As we shift things around her living room, looking for the right natural light to photograph her in, Kadri, dressed in an elegant lilac Khadi Jamdani sari, is unperturbed and helps slide the heavy furniture around. We (she and her husband Rahul Kadri) are two architects living together. We are very comfortable with disrupting things around here," she says. Kadri tells us about the negotiation between being contemporary and being rooted in tradition and culture; its an idea that reflects in her work, in her wardrobe, and in her ideas. Edited excerpts:

You have a distinct sense of style. Has it been curated consciously?

When I look at photographs of myself when I was younger, I see glimpses of awkwardness. As you grow older, you start believing far more in what is innately you. As you tune into who you are, your sense of style becomes sharper and sharper. Thats what one enjoys the most also, being able to choose clothing and dressing exactly as one feels it represents who you are. Like Ive never used nail polish in my life, and thats me. Im extremely comfortable with being 5-foot nothing. I never wear make-up and I dont colour my hair. And thats all just me.

A selection of jewellery.

Can you identify where your sense of style stems from?

I think it was in architecture college (Rachana Sansad, Mumbai, from 1980-85). The 1980s were very much about modernist architecture that drew from the vernacular, like Louis Kahns extremely contemporary expression of bricks, as he did in IIM, Ahmedabad (Indian Institute of Management). There was a delight in revisiting places like Ahmedabad and Kerala and unearthing local textiles and fabrics. Even when I went away to the US (University of Michigan, 1986-88) to study further, the pull of Indian aesthetic remained. When youre away from your country, you get a lovely ability to zoom out. Those few years were amazing in how they expanded my mind, but the surrounding aesthetic of America just didnt work for me. I was drawn to the earthy tones of India, the sunlight, the craftedness of everything from architectural materials to garments to utensils. When I got married, Lakshmi, our cook, who is still with me, used to say, Kaisa ghar hai yeh, mitti ke bartan aur Khadi ke kapde (What kind of house is this? Utensils of clay and clothes of Khadi)."

A silk dress by Metaphor.

This aesthetic is Indian but not traditional. Your wardrobe is pretty modern. A Jamdani sari paired with quite an avant-garde neckpiece.

Being in the now is important to me. In our work also, we strive to be honest to the current context. We dont like claddings and cover-ups and false ceilings. It is the same with dressing: what I wear should adequately express who I am and how I feel. If you see this sari, its Khadi and Jamdani, but these sparse little triangles somehow make it modern and minimal.

Looking at your accessories, theres pure geometry but always with some quirky touch.

Thats a very accurate thing youve picked up on. Like most architects, I enjoy geometry, the story and functionality of geometry. But like life, the purity of geometry is too unreal. Life is never pure. Theres always a twist in every situation, in even the most beautiful of objects. Thats what actually makes it interesting. One must know the rules before you break them. In my practice as well, its about knowing your craft very well, and then being able to localize it, to tweak it ever so slightly, so that it fits contextually rather than pushing a square knob into a round peg.

A dress in Balinese Batik.

Are there any fashion designers who resonate with you?

I love structured fabrics and interesting folds. And thats why I love Payal Khandwala, and how she simply takes a fabric, stitches it in maybe two places and changes its character. I admire what pero (by Aneeth Arora) has done with Indian fabrics. I like Kishmish and Eka. I respect design at every level so am happy to invest in it for what I wear. I look out for the works of Anavila, Sanjay Garg, Abraham & Thakore and Akaro. My very first piece of designer clothing was when I was much younger. I walked into Melange and bought an Aki Narula kurta that I still wear. It must be at least 20 years old; just a beautiful, mellow-green, single-button, full-sleeved, soft mul kurta with a sarong-like bottom in the same fabric. Among all these designer saris, there are others too, like a traditional Assamese Patola that belonged to my mother.

Saris by Payal Khandwala and Sanjay Garg.

Would you say you are a collector, flaneur, or consumer of fashion?

I was never given a trousseau but that turned out well because Ive built a collection on my own now. Its very slow and very random. I still wear the clothes I bought 20 years ago. Im not a shopper. The mall is the last place youll ever find me. But I buy clothes that are designed particularly using Indian craftfrom well-curated stores or exhibitions. When I travel, I buy silver. Every single village that I go to, I will pick up a piece of silver. Its almost become a ritual. This silver cuff (a broad silver wrist clasp that Kadri was wearing during the interview), we bought from Karni fort, just outside Udaipur, in a sleepy little village. Most villages will have a silver shop. They always display their new shiny things, but I ask them for their old silver.

A bag made in banana fibre by the Kishkinda Trust in Hampi. Photos: Aniruddha Chowdhry/ Mint

In your work, lectures and papers, the natural elementssunlight, wind, waterare very consciously thought of and brought out. Do you find that reflecting in your wardrobe as well?

Totally. I only use natural materials in how I dress. Its all cotton and silk. I dont think Ive ever owned a polyester piece. It doesnt work for me. After years of trying to find a definition of the work we do, we came up with these three wordscrafted, contextual and contemporary. I think thats also how I like to dress.
Alauddin Khilji: Ruling by the sword Alauddin Khilji, soon arriving at your nearest cinema as the very picture of unwashed ferocity, does not seem to have enjoyed any domestic tranquillity during his very eventful life /news/talking-point/alauddin-khilji-ruling-by-the-sword-111646919880061.html 111646919880061 story

Alauddin Khilji, the 14th century Muslim king of Delhi, had a fearsome mother-in-law. The conquerorsoon arriving at your nearest cinema as the very picture of unwashed ferocity, complete with sinister, surma-lined eyes, an insatiable appetite for gore and gold, and much lust for virtuous Hindu princessesdoes not seem to have enjoyed any domestic tranquillity during his very eventful life. His first wife and her mother, described variously as fool of fools" and silliest of the silly", were supremely dominating, so much so that some of his early campaigns were also partly an excuse to place as much distance as possible between himself and them. Things got a little more complicated after he seized the wife of a Gujarati kingthe lady missed her young daughter, so another round of battles had to be fought to seize that object of her motherly affections. Then he had in his harem a slave girl who was sent out to do battle and died in the process. Finally, he also fell in love with Malik Kafur, the eunuch general, who cheerfully exploited this sentiment till he found his way abruptly to a forgotten grave.

Alauddin was the nephew and son-in-law of the first of the Khilji sultans, a man who killed his predecessor and then belatedly found himself consumed by guilt. This uncle wouldnt sit on the throne, for instance, because he was convinced he was unworthy. While older nobles at court were sufficiently moved, those of a more aggressive temperament thought this all sentimental nonsense. They began to plot to replace the mild-mannered monarch with a more manly substitute. When news of one of these intrigues reached the ruler, he summoned its participants to his august presence. And there, instead of relieving them of their seditious heads, he proceeded to lecture them on alcohol and the importance of not getting carried away into making strange plans while under its influence. The young men nodded and begged forgiveness, but among those who realized that the sultan was a little bit of a softie was Alauddin. In 1296, after he raided Devagiri without permission and returned with phenomenal quantities of plunder, he sought his royal uncles pardon and invited him to come in person to collect the treasure. Trusting and naive, the old sultan went where he was told, and very quickly found himself in more than one piece.

While the head of the murdered sovereign was yet dripping with blood," writes the chronicler Ziauddin Barani, the ferocious conspirators brought the royal canopy and elevated it over the head of Alauddin. Casting aside all shame, the perfidious and graceless wretches caused him to be proclaimed king by men who rode about on elephants." The new king was touched. After he put his uncles sons to flight and eventually imprisoned his infuriating mother-in-law, the men who helped raise him to the throne were also rewarded with deaththat is, leaving aside two who were already destroyed by leprosy or madness. The loot from Devagiri was put to good use, for, after all, gold could erase all traces of a less than conventional succession to the throne, buying loyalties that could not be immediately inspired. In subsequent policy, Alauddin was firm. I issue such orders as I conceive to be for the good of the State, and the benefit of the people," he declared. Men are heedless, disrespectful, and disobey my commands: I am then compelled to be severe to bring them into obedience." An elaborate network of spies was also formed, so that if anything stern was said against the sultan, His Majesty was perhaps also among the first to hear it.

Alauddins career was not easy, though. Having murdered his uncle, he could hardly point fingers at his own nephews for seeking to follow in his illustrious footsteps. One tried to shower him with arrows, and for this his head appeared on a spear. Two sons of a sister decided the time was right for rebellion, so they were both blinded. In due course, however, it was clear that the sultan meant business, and the court fell in line. Times were such that to hold power, one also needed periodic violent demonstrations of its use. Alauddin became an empire builder. Land after land in northern India fell to him, while his trusted commander Malik Kafur acquired mountains of gold in the south. When hordes of Mongols invaded India soon after the sultans ascent to power, they were defeated. In 1303, however, when Alauddin was away, the Mongols destroyed Delhi. The king returned and locked himself up in a fort, unable to do much on this occasion, though he put to good use the lessons he learnt from the experience. For the rest of his reign, he never once allowed the Mongols a victory.

Interestingly, the sack of Delhi in 1303 occurred because Alauddin was at the time in Chittor, doing battle. Padmavat, an Awadhi poem that has since been embraced as historical fact, offers a most imaginative motive to the sultan here. A parrot told the already married ruler of Chittor about a dark-skinned Ceylonese beauty. After many adventures, this beauty became queen in the desert, from where a wicked sorcerer was expelled by her Rajput husband. This character told Alauddin all about her, and so it was that the Muslim king marched his men and demanded the princess enlistment in his harem. To cut a long story short, battles were fought, masses of people died, and the lady jumped into a fire. Alauddin himself never knew this story, for it first appeared two centuries after his death. It would hardly have mattered though, for his was an end that was not very happy, even without women perishing in flames and hideous on-screen make-up. Illness depleted him, and he spent his time fearing his own sons, lapsing more and more into the hands of Malik Kafur, who may even have had something to do with his death. Either way, Alauddin died, and a fresh cycle of intrigues and violence began, ending with the fall of his dynasty and the inevitable advent of a new one.



Medium Rare is a column on society, politics and history. Manu S. Pillai is the author of The Ivory Throne: Chronicles Of The House Of Travancore.

He tweets @UnamPillai
Whats in the Louvre Abu Dhabis billion-dollar art collection? The unconventional museum has created one of the world's great gatherings of art in the space of a decade /news/talking-point/whats-in-the-louvre-abu-dhabi-s-billion-dollar-art-collection-111646919543074.html 111646919543074 story

A decade ago, Abu Dhabi, the tiny, seaside capital of the United Arab Emirates, announced its partnership with the Louvre Museum in Paris. The announcement of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, dubbed a universal museum in the Arab World", was met with raised eyebrowsvarious news reports pegged the total fees paid to the Louvre in Paris at about $1 billion (Rs6,545 crore now; representatives for the Louvre Abu Dhabi declined to comment on any dollar figures).

And then...there was nothing. The museum was scheduled to open in 2012, with a massive, 260,000 sq. ft compound designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel, but construction deadlines were pushed back until it was announced that it would absolutely, definitely, 100%, be open in mid-November 2017.

While the art world waited, representatives of the Louvre Abu Dhabi were busy.

The organization, which is funded by the Abu Dhabi department of cultural and tourism and headed by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, amassed a collection of more than 600 artworks for its permanent collection, and in the process became one of the most aggressive buyers on the global art market circuit in the last decade.

Because the permanent collection (300 works of which have been on view from 11 November, along with more than 300 works on loan from French museums) has the open-ended mission to display works of historical, cultural, and sociological significance from different time and civilizations", museum representatives were free to buy virtually anything that caught their eye.

The result is, on one level, a hodgepodge of expensive objets dart and paintings spread across 23 permanent galleries in the museums complex. On another level, its a remarkable cross-section of the secondary art market over the last decade.

Some of the works have already been on view. By 2014, the Louvre Abu Dhabi had amassed enough to be able to put on a preview show of sorts at the Louvre in Paris, called Birth Of A Museum. Other objects, are now being seen for the first time.

Modern and contemporary

Many of the modern works in the permanent collection seem to have been acquired during 2008 and 2009, when the market, rocked by the global recession, was a profound buyers market.

Theres a 3.75ft-high work by the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, Composition With Blue, Red, Yellow, And Black, which the lot notes indicate was acquired in 2009 (six years later, another, smaller Mondrian from the same period sold for $50.6 million at Christies New York.)

Similarly, a painting by the Impressionist Gustave Caillebotte, Game Of Bezique, which was painted in 1880, was also purchased by the museum in 2009, as was Eduoard Manets The Gypsy, painted between 1862 and 1867. A year later, the museum scored a coup by acquiring a work by Paul Gauguins Children Wrestling from 1888 (also known as Breton Boys Wrestling). In 2012, another Gauguin painting of a Breton subject, Petit Breton A LOie, painted in 1889, sold for $10 million at Sothebys New York.

Over the years, as its collecting intensified, the museum branched out, with occasionally mixed results.

Its 1928 painting by the surrealist painter Rene Magritte, The Subjugated Reader, isnt a prime representation of Magrittes style (a work of roughly the same size by the artist, which he painted in the same year, sold for $7.2 million at Christies London in 2012), nor is a blue and white series of nine, eight-and-a-half-foot-high panels by Cy Twombly, which the artist painted three years before his death in 2008 (currently, the market seems to value scale in Twomblys work rather than chronology: At Christies New York, one painting by Twombly, painted in 1957, is estimated to sell for $20 million; another one, which is more than twice its size but painted in 2005, has a $40 million estimate).

Curatorial narrative

The true treasures of the Louvre Abu Dhabi seem to be its older works, which the museum has continued (and will continue) to acquire. Theres a stunning head of the Buddha from northern China, carved out of white marble in the mid sixth century, and an equally magnificent gold bracelet adorned with lions heads, made in Iranian Azerbaijan in the eighth-seventh century BC.

And if its unclear how a gorgeous red Chinese-lacquer French commode from 1,753 might highlight the museums stated aim to highlight universal themes and common influences", or if the connection between Giovanni Bellinis Mother And Child (1480-85) and an Egyptian sarcophagus from the 10 century BC is tenuous, not to fear: Theres been a strong curatorial attempt to weave all of these disparate objects together.

The galleries have been arranged both chronologically and thematically, so in the museums Great Vestibule", for instance, visitors are introduced to maternity and funerary rituals, while a room dedicated to universal religions" includes a Gothic bible, a leaf from the magnificent ninth century Blue Quran, and a Torah.

The museum

The building, a gleaming white collection of 55 individual buildings underneath a massive, 590ft-wide dome, is intended to be a destination in itself. Set on the long-stalled development project known as Saadiyat Island, the museum city" that comprises the Louvre Abu Dhabi overlooks the water and includes museum galleries, temporary exhibition spaces, a two-storey childrens museum, a restaurant, cinema, and cafe.

The temporary exhibitions, with loans from the Louvre and elsewhere, will be changed four times a year. The inaugural show, which includes masterpieces by Manet, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse and Leonardo da Vinci, focuses on the creation of the Louvre during the 18th century.

As a final flourish, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has commissioned several permanent outdoor works by art market stars of today. The Arte Povera artist Giuseppe Penone, who is co-represented by the two powerhouse galleries Gagosian and Marian Goodman, has made an installation which includes a vast bronze tree", and the artist Jenny Holzer, whos represented by the New York gallery Cheim & Read, has made three engraved stone walls, into which various historical texts are carved.

All of thisthe billions of dollars, the colossal building effort, and massive acquisition programmeare part of what could be considered a 25-year-long attempt by cities around the globe to recreate the Bilbao Effect". Its a term that was used to describe the restorative impact brought about by Frank Gehrys famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and its a premise (and promise) that has since proved seductive to governments large and small.

Whether it will have a similar impact remains to be seen but for now, all we know is that the world has been gifted with a new museum. That alone is cause for celebration. Bloomberg
What if the Dancing Girl was actually a warrior? And other questions raised by the ambitious 'India and the World' exhibition that opened last week in Mumbai /news/talking-point/what-if-the-dancing-girl-was-actually-a-warrior-111646919791103.html 111646919791103 story

India And The World: A History In Nine Stories, a three-month-long exhibition that opened last week in Mumbai, has a lot of numbers in its favour, including several firsts. It is an ambitious collaboration between three museumsMumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Delhis National Museum and the British Museum in Londonand it brings together two million years of history through 228 artefacts. Meant to be a celebration of 70 years of Indian independence, it is a culmination of three years of planning.

At a walk-through earlier this week, Indian art historian Naman Ahuja, who has co-curated the exhibition with the British Museums J.D. Hill, took us through a tunnel of darkness" into the exhibitions first section or story, titled Shared Beginnings". The highlight here is a quartzite hand-axe excavated from Attirampakkam in Tamil Nadu, displayed alongside the far more famous quartz hand-axe found in the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. While the Olduvai hand-axe is believed to be 800,000-400,000 years old, the one from Attirampakkam, excavated in 1999, goes back 1.7 million years, he says.

There is a collective gasp among the members of the group, which is exactly the sort of thing that Ahuja is worried about, he tells me during an interview the next day. He is wary of a self-congratulatory takeaway from the show. He is wary of patriotism. Of jingoism. And of the we were always better than them" narrative.

Ahujas doubts are all the more relevant in a week when a Bollywood movies release is under threat because a certain group of people believe it distorts history.

Museums all over the world contain fantastic bits of evidence of time passed just as a law court contains evidence. Its important to bring (the evidence) out because a lot of times presumptions are made about societies without having looked at the evidence," says Ahuja, adding, I would think that many received notions on the progress of history have been brought into question by this exhibition."

India And The World, as the title suggests, is not an exhibition merely about India but about India and its links to the world. The contemporaneous tone is not to show up or show down other cultures, but to put the history of mankind under rigorous scientific and aesthetic scrutiny. Ahuja is keen to explain that it is not just an exhibition to look at Indias contribution to the world but also at what it has received, by giving concrete touch points from stone tools to clay pots and fine porcelain painted in cobalt. The objective is not to get caught up in the narrow cultural politics that have started defining usit is meant to inspire respect for difference rather than expand our hegemony on other people," says Ahuja.

In 2010, former British Museum director Neil MacGregor wrote the much loved A History Of The World In 100 Objects, using iconic artefacts to tell the story of human history, which was no doubt a seed idea for this show, jointly conceived as it is by MacGregor and CSMVS director Sabyasachi Mukherjee. But it is not as simple to translate this seemingly foolproof format to an Indian context.

In the exhibitions central hall, Shivas mount Nandi, the bull, marks the way, as he does to every Shiva temple. It is an impressive granite sculpture and the card placed below dates it to 800-900 AD. I see a museum guard praying to the bull. He seems aware that it might not be fully appropriate to do so: His eyes open and shut and his clasped palms are at waist level.

Ahuja was with me when I saw this. People are going to respond to objects as an object of faith... you cant deny them that," he says.

How does one convince museum visitors in India, a land of mythic time and oral histories, to pay attention to objects as historical evidence? The rational answer is that it is difficult, but as someone interested in art, mythology and poetry", Ahuja believes the question itself could be a driving force for museums in India to function better.

For now, the immediate takeaways from the exhibition, and certainly more easy to grasp, are the flashes of insight and new perspectives that specific objects in the exhibition provide. Like in the section First Cities", where the curators decided to look at the lives of the women in these ancient cities.

We have always known the Dancing Girl excavated at Mohenjo Daro as a dancing girl, without question. But what Ahuja posits is that perhaps this was coloured by the gender bias of the archaeologists who discovered her in the 1920s. Women were regarded either as objects for titillation or venerated as the mother goddess. And in between the two, there was no other role for them as equals or any other way," he says.

The figure has bangles all the way up her left arm but her right arm is bare, as any working person would have it. A decorated left arm and a bare right arm free for labouror for war? If she was a dancing girl by profession, surely it would have been relevant to keep both arms decorated? Look at the way she is standing. Look at her confidence. One arm on hip. Head thrown back. The way her hand is sculpted, there might have been a spear in her hand. Is she a warrior figure? Could she be a soldier rather than a dancing girl?

Another startling insight for me was in the section titled Quest For Freedom"the bound Constitution of India has more than 50 paintings supervised by the renowned Bengal School artist Nandalal Bose; it is an aesthetic document as much as it is a legal one.

This sense of aesthetics took me back to the mention of the Olduvai hand-axe. Made of quartz, a difficult material to make tools with, it was chipped away to create a symmetrical teardrop shape which added little to its functionality. This suggests that the beautiful pale pink hand-axe may have had other purposes: It may have been a status symbol or been used in rituals. The hand-axe may represent the earliest instance of artistic pursuit.

So while new interpretations of the Dancing Girl are welcome, and many more might be forthcoming, there is one claim that this exhibition makes irrefutable: Human beings have always lived in pursuit of beauty. And exhibitions such as this one are timely reminders of that in an age of inelegance.

India And The World: A History In Nine Stories is on display at CSMVS till 18 February. It will travel to the National Museum in Delhi after that.



Anindita Ghose tweets @aninditaghose
K-beauty: Best face forward From bird's nest to bee's venomHarshna Bijlani, medical head, The Ageless Clinic, on radical Korean skincare /fashion/beauty/kbeauty-best-face-forward-111646821211913.html 111646821211913 story

Han Kang might have reached our bookshelves only last year but South Korea has been a trendsetter in the global beauty industry for half a decade now (never forget that they gave the world BB creams).

I was gifted a pack of Goat Milk Embo Gel Packs last year by a friend who received a stash from Seoul, with reminders that they are things you only give to people you truly love.

For those without such friends, The Ageless Clinic, a skin clinic with branches across Mumbai, has just launched a premium Korean facial. Lounge spoke to dermatologist Harshna Bijlani, medical head, The Ageless Clinic. Edited excerpts:

What are the factors that have led to Korean skincare becoming the global gold standard?

No ingredient is off the table: birds nest, snail slime, bees venom. No concern is left unaddressed: brightening, lightening, tightening, acne and things you perhaps never even thought of, like glass skin". They have taken the best of Western ingredients and added so much more (without parabens and other nasties) at a compelling price.

What finally pushed you to launch Korean facial services at The Ageless Clinic?

We have been incorporating professional Korean skincare products as part of our treatment regimes for the last five years. But this is our first treatment that exclusively uses Korean skincare products called The AgeLess Luxury Seoul Glow Facial, as we feel the market has matured now. We use products from Shangpreethey have been called the pinnacle in Korean skincare" by Forbes magazine. Even three years ago, clients would only consider products from Europe and the US fit for use in premium facials but brands like Shangpree are rewriting these rules. Some Shangpree rubber masks, for instance, have 20 active ingredients compared to an average of five-six in leading Spanish brands.

How would you respond to client doubts about products and techniques formulated for Korean skin being as effective for South Asian skin?

Skin pretty much reacts the same way to different ingredients and formulations. For example, an acne spot cream would work the same way on Caucasian, Asian and South Asian skin. In fact, the concerns that Korean skincare addresses are largely similar to the concerns of the average South Asian, which is more to do with sun damage, pigmentation and melasma. Western skincare is more focused on fine lines and wrinkles; in Asian and South Asian skin, the onset of fine lines and wrinkles is a later concern.

The AgeLess Luxury Seoul Glow Facial is priced at Rs3,950.
Nalini Malani: A female voice in art The Centre Pompidou spotlights the cutting-edge oeuvre of this feminist stalwart with a retrospective /news/talking-point/nalini-malani-a-female-voice-in-art-111646919627998.html 111646919627998 story

Altogether, it was a very rich atmosphere." This is how Nalini Malani described her experience at the Vision Exchange Workshop (VIEW), the multidisciplinary initiative run by veteran artist Akbar Padamsee from 1969-72 out of his Nepean Sea Road apartment in Mumbai, with part funding from the Union governments Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship. But, unfortunately, with very few women participants," was the caveat during a 2014 interview with Shanay Jhaveri, assistant curator of South Asian art at New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art, for part 3 of his series Building On A Prehistory: Artists Film And New Media In India.

Was she the only female member of the workshop? asked Jhaveri. Yes, I was," she replied. The interview was republished in an eponymous tome featuring a collection of essays on her work, released after Malanis three-part retrospective, You Cant Keep Acid In A Paper Bag, in 2014 at Delhis Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA).

In October, the 71-year-old artist opened The Rebellion Of The Dead at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the first of a two-part retrospective spanning the years 1969-2018. Instead of basking in the limelight, however, she is already absorbed in the impending second installation of the retrospective at the Castello di Rivoli in Turin, slated from 27 March-22 July. The relevance of the huge body of work produced by her over the years has grown multifold in the times we live in," wrote KNMA director Roobina Karode in her curatorial essay in the 2014 publication. Karode sees her practice as so cutting edge and dynamic that it allows for exciting curatorial propositions that prompt new ways of seeing and interpreting works that have already been written about at great length. Its no surprise then that each of the two venues will host unique selections, with no works repeating.

The Rebellion Of The Dead cements Malanis reputation as one of Indias foremost feminist artists. My own art was from the start female-oriented," she told Sophie Duplaix, chief curator at Centre Pompidou, in an interview. From the outset, Malani was drawn to the interiority of feminine narratives, beginning with the subjectivity of diary-based explorations, and moving into the multiple dimensions of the world of Indian and Greek mythology, extracting her female protagonists from the patriarchal set-up of the societies that had conjured them. It was not a popular practice to adopt, and the unprecedented, theatrical nature of Malanis video, installation and performance art triggered an unfair share of criticism. For instance, in 1999, when she exhibited Remembering Toba Tek Singh (1998) at the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai, Indian art critics accused her of being an installator", a pun on gladiator, for creating a spectacle for the public.

Similarly, one of the highlights of The Rebellion Of The Dead is the rarely exhibited Onanism, a 3:51-minute, 16mm film made at VIEW in 1969, exploring female angst through the quasi-cathartic movements of a dear friend suffering from mental issues. You must try to understand that period; it was as if women had swallowed the concept that we are incapable," Malani had told Jhaveri. It was almost as if doors were shut. It was a very, very strange situation because there was no openness on the part of the men. None." Was the attitude patronizing or did they view her with some sort of suspicion? Jhaveri asked. Neither. They simply ignored me."

One senior modernist who helped further Malanis career was S.H. Raza, whose recommendation letter helped her get a French government scholarship that took her to France from 1970-72, soon after her diploma from Mumbais Sir JJ School of Art. In Paris, she was given the freedom to design her own education since the Ecole des Beaux-Arts was still to reconfigure its new syllabus. This would be a foundational period for Malani, who practised printmaking at Atelier Friedlander and immersed herself in Marxist politics while attending lectures by Noam Chomsky, Claude Levi-Strauss, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, as well as film screenings at the Cinematheque Francaise, where she met directors like Alain Resnais, Jean-Luc Godard and Chris Marker.

In Search of Vanished Blood, site-specific medium, single channel, video play, sound. Photo: The artist and Vadehra Art Gallery

Like her predecessor Amrita Sher-Gil, Malani decided to return to India in 1973. She soon began to document a Muslim slum in Bandra, Mumbai, striking a deal with Pundole Art Gallery, which offered her Rs300 a month for a years output of oil paintings. She was devastated when, one day, the municipality razed the slum. The footage languished for decades till her archivist Johan Pijnappel rediscovered and digitized it, a few years ago.

This slum project is a part of Malanis corpus of work that is yet to be exhibited. However, on display at the Pompidou are other early works such as Tabloo (1973) and Utopia, a film diptych (1969-76), as well as two other significant later pieces. One, Alleyway, Lohar Chawl (1991), an installation of five reverse-painted transparent Mylar sheets with stonesthe result of her long-term residential engagement with Lohar Chawl in Lower Parel, Mumbai. And the second, Remembering Mad Meg (2007-17), a four-channel video with 16 light projections and eight reverse-painted rotating Lexan cylinders with sound that was first shown as part of the landmark Paris-Delhi-Mumbai show at Centre Pompidou in 2011 and was eventually acquired by the Musee National dArt Moderne at Centre Pompidou. In Search Of Vanished Blood, a six-channel video/shadow play, is an immersive feminist interrogation steeped in literary references to mythical characters from Greek and Indian mythology, created for documenta(13)it will be exhibited at Castello di Rivoli.

Nalini Malani. Photo: Rafeeq Ellias/Centre Pompidou

Is the female voice in the 21st century gaining momentum, and how important is this?" Pijnappel asked Malani in an interview published in the Irish Museum of Modern Art exhibition catalogue in 2007. It is now a voice to contend with," she replied.



The Rebellion Of The Dead is on view till 8 January at Centre Pompidou, Paris. For details, visit Centrepompidou.fr/en.
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There will be no cannabis cappuccinos or drone deliveries in California under the new pot rules state officials released Thursday that regulate everything from who can legally sell and deliver marijuana to how it must be packaged and transported.

The rules released by three licensing agencies  the Department of Health, Department of Food and Agriculture and the Bureau of Cannabis Control  offer the first glimpse of the future in which pot is legal throughout California.

Big farms will continue to thrive in Mendocino and Monterey. Small delivery services will finally operate legally. Pot wont be transported in self-driving cars or on bicycles, and it isnt allowed in strip clubs.

Those guidelines come amid mass confusion among cities that havent put together their own regulations for the sale of recreational marijuana, which will be legal Jan. 1.

Now Playing: Recreational-use marijuana sales are expected to generate more than $7 billion is sales. The sale of recreational-use marijuana will be legal by January. California State Treasurer John Chiang outlined new banking strategies for cannabis-related businesses in California. Video: KCRA

Californias regulations dealt a win to cannabis-delivery businesses, which for years have operated in the shadows. They will now be allowed to apply for licenses once the new rules take effect next month.

With delivery, its been a huge fight, said Nina Parks, co-founder of the San Francisco-based cooperative Mirage Medicinal, which allows patients to order cannabis through a website, and have it brought to their doorsteps.

When you think of bedridden patients or elderly people, they dont want to travel far to get their medicine, Parks said.

Yet the state will allow cannabis to be delivered only in cars and trucks  transport by aircraft, watercraft, drone, rail, human-powered vehicle, and unmanned vehicle is prohibited, according to the rules.

Edible cannabis products can contain only 100 milligrams of euphoria-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol  commonly known as THC  in each 10-serving package under the new rules. Other products, such as lotions and tinctures, are limited to 2,000 milligrams of THC in the medicinal market, or 1,000 milligrams for regular adult use.

That means some popular but extremely potent items, like the Black Bar brownie by Korova Edibles  which has 1,000 mg of THC  will be illegal.

Cannabis labels cant be decorated with cartoons or other marketing that appeals to children. Manufacturers also cant use the term candy in any of their branding language. The new regulations also prohibit businesses from mixing cannabis with alcohol, nicotine, caffeine or seafood.

That provision wont affect brews like SuperCritical Ale, a new cannabis beer by Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma. Its made with terpenes  plant-oil compounds  which have a strong flavor but contain no THC.

The state also clamped down on the aesthetics of cannabis products, which cannot be (made) in the shape of a human being, animal, insect or fruit, Miren Klein of the Department of Public Health said at a Cannabis Advisory Committee meeting in Sacramento on Thursday.

The rules didnt include size restrictions for marijuana farms and nurseries  a notable shift from the one-acre cap that the states Department of Food and Agriculture had proposed in an environmental impact report published Monday.

The idea of limiting cannabis agriculture to one-acre plots had become a major point of debate in the industry. It would have benefited small businesses and blocked corporations from setting up huge farms or greenhouses in the Salinas Valley.

But now that the cap has been tossed, California has set the stage for marijuana to be the next major industrial crop.

Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association, called the decision a catastrophe.

Simply put, there will be too much supply, he said, noting that federal law still prohibits interstate shipment of controlled substances  and reports from the Department of Food and Agriculture show that the state already produces far more marijuana than it consumes.

Even so, the state has set up a sliding-scale fee system so that large companies pay much more for licenses than their mom-and-pop counterparts. The biggest distributors  companies that expect to earn more than $80 million in gross revenue  will pay $125,000 annually.

Though Californias rural areas may soon be exploding with marijuana, San Francisco and other Bay Area cities appear to be lagging behind. Dispensaries in those cities wont immediately enter the adult-use market, since the state will only issue licenses to businesses that have local permits.

However, regulators offered some flexibility for the first four months, allowing any licensed farm or nursery to sell cannabis products to any licensed dispensary, regardless of whether the licenses are classified as medicinal or recreational.

That added grace period will help jump-start the market, even though few recreational permits have been issued throughout the state.

The extension is very necessary, said industry consultant Sean Donahoe, who was watching a livestream of the meeting from the top floor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, where thousands of industry bigwigs gathered this week.

Regrettably, most localities have not moved forward with adult-use licensing, Donahoe said. Theyre apprehensive. They fear a rush of new business.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
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This little piggy is walking into hog heaven.

Spirit, a wild boar who was taken from his home in the wild by San Francisco residents, was turned in to Animal Care and Control on Tuesday. The agency is working to find a sanctuary or wildlife rehabilitation center for Spirit to live out his days, spokeswoman Deb Campbell said.

Spirit will get a happier ending than most. Animals that lose their natural wariness of humans often meet an unfortunate end, the agency said, with many at risk of being euthanized.

So many issues with wild animals start with well-meaning people doing the wrong thing, executive director Virginia Donahue said.

Its a first for the agency in a week of firsts  a face-to-face encounter with a mountain lion this week was also unprecedented. While the shelter has seen its share of potbelly and domesticated pigs, Campbell said, Spirit was the first wild boar to strut inside in a harness and on a leash.

The young swine was picked up near Mount Shasta three months ago and taken to the city, where he was kept in a residence. But as Spirit grew, his owners started having reservations about keeping him in the house.

They found him when he was a baby, and baby wild boars are adorable, Campbell said. It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but hes going to be huge.

Wild boars are common in Northern California. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the states wild pigs are descendents of the European wild boar introduced to Monterey County in the 1920s.

Spirit was 3 months old when his owners found him, but at 6 months now, he already weighs 60 pounds. Campbell said that when he reaches maturity, Spirit could weigh well over 300 pounds.

For now, Spirit spends his time lounging in a dog kennel at the shelter and getting daily exercise sessions outside his cage. Campbell said hell soon be heading to a sanctuary licensed to handle wildlife.

Campbell said that Spirits story should be a cautionary tale against interfering with nature and taking wild animals home. In California, it is illegal to possess or transport wildlife, and violations risk fines ranging from $500 to $10,000.

Hes used to people, but he still has that wild look about him, Campbell said.

Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15
(Editor's note: The video contains graphic language.)

A man captured on cell-phone video yelling racial slurs and assaulting a passenger on a BART train was identified by the transit agencys police, who are taking action to ban him from riding the transportation system, officials said Friday.

The incident occurred about 10:10 p.m. on Monday when police received reports that a man appeared to threaten another passenger by hitting him and using racial epithets.

By the time police boarded the train at the Union City station, the attacker had already gotten off, officials said.

We have successfully identified him and we will be moving forward in seeking a prohibition order to ban him from the system, said Alicia Trost, a BART spokeswoman.

The man was not arrested and his name is being withheld by BART officials. The victim, Charles Wu, who was not injured in the attack, said he did not want to press charges against the suspect, according to BART.

Video of the encounter, which has since gone viral, was uploaded to Facebook and YouTube by Wiseley Wu, who recorded the incident while sitting nearby.

The assailant got on the train near the Coliseum Station and began yelling racial slurs while talking about Warriors star Stephen Curry. Charles Wu said he told the man to stop.

The man then approached Charles Wu and threatens to punch him. Riders sitting nearby got up and moved as the suspect directed the racial epithets at Charles Wu and slapped him in the face.

When Charles Wu gets up to confront the attacker, another rider intervened and stopped him while other passengers can be heard saying, Hes not even worth it.

When the man exited the train, passengers walked over to Charles Wu and patted him on the back in support, said Wiseley Wu, who is no relation to Charles Wu.

The video captures an unfortunate, ugly scene, BART officials wrote on Facebook.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Fifty Years of 60 Minutes: The Inside Story of Television's Most Influential News Broadcast

By Jeff Fager

Simon & Schuster. 409 pp. $35

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Almost anyone who has watched TV over the past 50 years knows the distinctive tick-ticking of the "60 Minutes" stopwatch. Since 1968, the program has investigated major wrongdoing and told delightful feature stories. If you were a scammer or a crooked politician, the last thing you wanted to hear was that "60 Minutes" was in the lobby. Reporters became household names: Harry Reasoner, Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Leslie Stahl, Ed Bradley, Bob Simon, Steve Kroft and Andy Rooney turned the screws and explored the world in a cadence all their own.

Executive producer Jeff Fager's book, "Fifty Years of 60 Minutes," recounts the history of this extraordinary program decade by decade, with generous photo accompaniment. As traditional reporting is increasingly being challenged by high-decibel, opinion-drenched media, Fager highlights storytelling that conveys a deep understanding of issues and demonstrates the power of television to inform.

Fager was not there at the revolution - he took over from the program's legendary creator and executive producer, Don Hewitt, in 2004 - but he has spent years as a producer on the show and knows reporting from the ground up. We relive the show's highlights: the infamous exploding gas tank of the Ford Pinto of the 1970s, the hit men and con artists, Richard Nixon, Bob Dylan and Lady Gaga, Derek Jeter and Michael Jordan. We hear about Morely Safer playing pool with Jackie Gleason.

The show's most memorable reporting has been from the front lines. Simon went missing in the Saudi desert as he covered the Persian Gulf War. Bradley took a sauna with Russian Maj. Gen. Alexander Gribov to do a story on missiles aimed at American cities. Kroft got Bill Clinton to admit he'd caused pain in his marriage. Investigative stories uncovered the Saudi connection to the 9/11 hijackers, the travesty of the Abu Ghraib prison and the secrets of CIA rendition, a program that spirited terrorism suspects to foreign prisons for interrogation and torture.

In all cases, Fager tells us, it's about the storytelling - and the writing. "It's the writing that keeps people watching, much more than the pictures," Fager says. His elements of style: Write for the ear, avoid cliche, don't hype or overstate. Go for detail and description. Avoid unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. "Keep our copy spare," he explains, and "make sure we are fair to everyone in our story, including those who declined to help us or participate in our reporting."

The stories are almost always built around the show's signature interviews. Deliberate, direct questioning demands direct and specific answers. Close-up shots catch every grimace or grin, every hesitation or emotion. As the toughest interviewer, Wallace, puts it: "With good research you could embarrass anybody, make anybody squirm. You could do it to me. But if you are really after illumination of an interviewee's character - qualities, substance, texture - if you're really after that, you can ask very pointed questions. Questions - sensible questions to get them to talk. You can establish ... a chemistry of confidentiality."

Many of Fager's examples are worthy of historians' study. In a 1985 exchange, Wallace asked Donald Trump about reports that he was raising rents to evict tenants. "And when they call you arrogant and cruel, those tenants over there, does that get under your skin?" "No," Trump said, "because, you see, I think I'm right; and when I think I'm right, nothing bothers me." The book contains other revealing examples, including interview excerpts with Hillary and Bill Clinton.

Fager, however, does not take us backstairs at "60 Minutes." He provides little critical judgment on the program. He doesn't go deep inside editorial meetings where decisions on how to report and frame a story are hashed out. He doesn't talk about the impact of mobile devices and digital competition on the way he produces segments or the way people consume news. He doesn't explain why there are still so few full-time female correspondents on "60 Minutes." He doesn't probe the program's influence on policy or public opinion. Still, we do get a few personal insights: We are reminded that Wallace stole stories and fought depression; we hear about the drama surrounding Rooney's quasi-apology after he offended gay people; and we share the grief that struck the staff after the deaths of Bradley, Simon, producer George Crile and others.

Fager acknowledges that "60 Minutes" itself has been subject to scandals and controversy over the years: the time CBS executives spiked Wallace's story about big tobacco; Dan Rather's disastrous story, based on fake documents, that George W. Bush tried to duck serving in Vietnam; Lara Logan's report on Benghazi that revolved around a source who lied about being there. Each of these scandals sullied the show's credibility, tarnished reputations and in some cases cost people their jobs. Fager does not address how these failures may have fed public distrust of the news media or what they taught him about the credibility crisis confronting journalism. Despite its setbacks, however, "60 Minutes" can rightfully claim an impressive track record.

It is hard to overstate how much the media and our culture have changed since "60 Minutes" went on the air 50 years ago - long before cable news, the Internet, social media, BuzzFeed and Breitbart. For anyone who has opinions about the media and cares about journalism, this book will illuminate the broad contribution of "60 Minutes" and underscore the power of smart, compelling storytelling.

Hewitt famously said, "Tell me a story." It was the title of his memoir.

Fager reaffirms Hewitt's mission. "The goal," he writes, "is to get to the truth."

Amid the endless talk and angry tweets that assault us every day, Fager just may be onto something.

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Sesno was a CNN White House correspondent, anchor and Washington bureau chief. He is the director of George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs and the author of "Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions and Spark Change."
Tyranny, protest, cynicism, madness, hatred, fate - so, how was (BEG ITAL)your(END ITAL) year in reading?

The books I've read so far in 2017 have seemed to reflect the mood of the times, or maybe just my mood at times. The authors listed here include psychiatrists, novelists, biographers, generals, historians, technologists and philosophers, and their works are ones I suspect I will long recall, for better or worse. The best book I read this year may be the most pessimistic, but it is also the shortest. Hey, silver linings.

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Most enlightening book I read this year: "Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest" (Yale University Press) by Zeynep Tufekci.

Protest movements can launch almost overnight - a galvanizing outrage, a Facebook call-out, and you're off. But speed is a potential weakness, Zeynep Tufekci warns in this terrific mix of scholarship and observation of protests from Zuccotti Park to Tahrir Square. Movements without deep organizing often lack the leadership structures and momentum to threaten entrenched power, she writes. And beware of the corporations behind the online platforms protesters depend on. "The current digital communications gatekeeping ecosystem has been reduced to a very few but very powerful choke points," Tufekci cautions, so causes "can be silenced by a terms-of-service complaint or by an algorithm."

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Most irritating book I read this year:"Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History" (Random House) by Kurt Andersen.

Americans display a "promiscuous devotion to the untrue," argues "Studio 360" host Kurt Andersen, and it's certainly hard to disagree. But this survey of national loopiness - featuring Cotton Mather, P.T. Barnum, Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump and other purveyors of secular and religious pipe dreams - is more fleeting and glib than helpful and revealing. The author Dumpster-dives through America's timeline, salvaging whatever tidbits fit the story, while showing sage contempt for people of faith. (From the Puritans on, almost every religiously inclined community resides in "Fantasyland.")

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Most revealing book I read this year:"Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama" (William Morrow) by David J. Garrow.

This massive biography presents Barack Obama as calculating and compartmentalizing, a man who long believed he was fated for glory and made whatever sacrifices he deemed necessary to get there. Garrow unearths a previously unexplored girlfriend from Obama's Chicago years - a serious relationship complicated by racial differences and political ambitions - as well as a book manuscript Obama co-authored at Harvard Law School, in which he grappled with public policy challenges. A departure from the sympathetic approach of major Obama biographies to date, Garrow offers a damning verdict: "While the crucible of self-creation had produced an ironclad will, the vessel was hollow at its core."

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Most disturbing book I read this year:"Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars From 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the Alt-Right" (Zero Books) by Angela Nagle.

This deep dive into the digital swamps of 4chan and Reddit reveals a world where nihilism, irony and absurd in-joke humor mingle with pornography, racism and misogyny and give life to the alt-right. Underlying a movement that targets women as well as religious and cultural minorities, Angela Nagle sees "the absolute hegemony of the culture of non-conformism, self-expression, transgression and irreverence for its own sake." She fears that the left - obsessed with privilege policing and "performative vulnerability" - is ill-equipped to fight back. A short volume but packed with unease.

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Most surprising book I read this year: "We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy" (One World) by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

At this point, any book by Ta-Nehisi Coates is an insta-best-seller and borderline cultural phenomenon. But the appeal of "We Were Eight Years in Power" is less the well-known Atlantic essays (one from each of the Obama years) that make up the bulk of the book than the brief notes preceding each chapter, which he describes as "attempts to capture why I was writing and where I was in my life at the time." From his early financial struggles to his discomfort with the acclaim he gained during the Obama era, these digressions are the inside story of a writer at work, showcasing all the insecurities, influences, insights and blind spots the craft demands. There are really two books here; I like the unexpected one.

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Most prescient book I read this year: "American Politics: The Promise of Disharmony" (Harvard University Press) by Samuel P. Huntington.

This summer I read several books by the late Harvard political scientist. More than his famous "clash of civilizations" thesis of the 1990s, it is this lesser-known 1981 work that most clearly speaks to our time. Huntington points to the gap between the values of the American creed (liberty, equality, individualism, constitutionalism) and the government's efforts to live up to those values as the central tension of national life. "Americans divide most sharply over what brings them together," he explains. Battles over basic premises - who we are, what we stand for - recur in U.S. history, and Huntington predicted the next one for "the second and third decades of the twenty-first century." Right on schedule.

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Most cosmically ironic book I read this year: "Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam" (HarperPerennial) by H.R. McMaster.

Two decades ago, H.R. McMaster published a damning account of how the top military advisers to President Lyndon Johnson let themselves be used by a duplicitous, self-serving commander in chief, failed to speak forthrightly to Congress and insufficiently challenged the administration's flawed national security policies. The LBJ White House was sinking in "a quicksand of lies," McMaster wrote. "The president was lying, and he expected the Chiefs to lie as well or, at least, to withhold the whole truth." Now, McMaster serves as President Trump's national security adviser and risks becoming a similar cautionary tale.

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Most helpful book I read this year: "Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin" (Brookings Institution Press) by Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy.

First published in 2013, this book is both a biography and a psychological profile of the Russian president, focusing on the lasting influence of his time as a KGB case officer. "As he can fully trust only himself," the authors write, "Putin applies extortionary methods to everyone else - basically mutually assured incrimination to ensure loyalty." Fiona Hill joined the White House this year as a top Russia expert, making her insights on Putin not just useful but influential. "Putin has spent a great deal of time in his professional life bending the truth, manipulating facts, and playing with fictions," the book explains. "He is also, we conclude, not always able to distinguish one from the other."

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Most well-timed book I read this year: "Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny" (Oxford University Press) by Kate Manne.

Though written before the flood of news reports of sexual misconduct by figures in Hollywood, the news media and politics, this is an exquisitely timed study. Rather than viewing misogyny as actions by individuals hostile to women for personal or cultural reasons, Kate Manne views it as a political force meant to "police and enforce women's subordination and to uphold male dominance." Densely written - the author teaches philosophy at Cornell University - this book still forces a rethinking: "Misogyny's essence lies in its social function," Manne writes, "not its psychological nature." Women who challenge misogyny's rules suffer a backlash, she explains; just look at the 2016 election.

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Most ominous book I read this year: "American War" (Knopf) by Omar El Akkad.

I did not review this book for The Washington Post. (I just read it for my book club.) It's an entirely credible dystopian novel in which America succumbs to a resource-based civil war in the late 21st century. Omar El Akkad is a journalist who has covered war, terrorism, refugee camps and torture - and he places them all in a United States where the red-blue split of political coverage has hardened over time into physical and geopolitical realities. "American War" is a menacing and captivating look at the long-term perils of a divided nation.

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Most daring book I read this year: "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President" (Thomas Dunne Books) by Bandy X. Lee (ed.).

Many euphemisms are deployed to describe President Trump's state of mind - erratic, unpredictable, temperamentally unfit - but this book takes a riskier stance. In more than two dozen essays, psychiatrists and other contributors find Trump's perceived traits consistent with symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder, sociopathy and other maladies. "Anyone as mentally unstable as Mr. Trump simply should not be entrusted with the life-and-death powers of the presidency," Judith Lewis Herman of Harvard Medical School and Bandy X. Lee of the Yale School of Medicine write in the prologue. Speaking out despite professional prohibitions, the authors offer conclusions both tentative and urgent.

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And the best book I read this year:"On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century" (Tim Duggan Books) by Timothy Snyder.

This is a slim book that fits alongside your pocket Constitution and is almost as vital. A historian of interwar Germany, Timothy Snyder provides 20 insights on how to prevent, or at least forestall, the repression of lives and minds. He dwells on "the politics of the everyday" to show how people can resist - or succumb to - encroaching authoritarianism, and focuses on politicians' abuses of language and mythology. "Post-truth is pre-fascism," he contends. Snyder is pessimistic but takes hope in revisiting history. "Americans today are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism," he writes. "Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience."
God: A Human History

By Reza Aslan

Random House. 298 pp. $28

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Author Reza Aslan's "God: A Human History" is less a biography of God than a study of why and how humans tend to anthropomorphize the divine. As societies developed from small groups of hunter-gatherers to large, specialized populations supported by agriculture, ideas about God changed as well. At the core of all belief systems, Aslan observes a tendency to seek a "humanized God," which has been "embedded in our consciousness the moment the idea of God first occurred to us." Studies have shown that although most followers of monotheistic faiths believe God is an abstract force, they will nevertheless describe God "as though they were talking about someone they might have met on the street." What we say about God, in other words, says more about us than about what God might actually be.

The basic religious impulse, Aslan suggests, is an evolutionary response to environmental stimuli. People tend to attribute agency to natural events (think lightning emanating from the fingertips of a gray-bearded man in the clouds), and our hunter-gatherer ancestors might have imagined that faces seen in trees meant that trees possessed spirits. Cave paintings found throughout the world, some dating as far back as 41,000 years, represent the earliest evidence of human spirituality and demonstrate our ancestors' interdependent relationship with nature. The Trois-Freres caves of southwest France, for example, feature elaborate paintings of floating animals, devoid of hunting imagery, with a mystical creature at their center: part human, part stag and part owl. Aslan believes that these images do not represent actual animals but rather are "(BEGIN ITAL)symbols(END ITAL) meant to represent 'the other world' - the world beyond the material realm."

As people formed agricultural societies, they began to see humans as dominating nature, and they envisioned gods who did likewise. Perhaps, Aslan argues, agriculture was invented as a response to religion. The elaborate stone temple of Gobekli Tepe in Turkey dates to the end of the last ice age, about 13,000 years ago, yet humans had not begun living settled agricultural lifestyles at this point, leading Aslan to conclude that agriculture was invented to support organized religion, not the other way around. A tremendous workforce would have been needed to build such massive structures, and those workers had to be fed, causing people to turn away from the slender offerings of a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and toward the production of crops that could sustain larger populations.

With settled societies came writing, and cultures such as the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks left more detailed records of their beliefs. "The act of writing about the gods," Aslan says, "of being forced to describe in words what the gods are like, not only transformed how we envision the gods; it made conscious and explicit our unconscious and implicit desire to make the gods in our own image." As people increasingly attempted to harness the forces of nature, the deities themselves became powerful and temperamental humanlike gods who vied with each other for control over their environment.

At some point, the gods became so humanized that the ancient Greeks began to question their legitimacy. Did gods, as depicted in Greek statuary, truly look like people? Creeping doubts led to a different proposition: maybe the gods were not many but one. Aslan lists the philosophers, pharaohs and prophets who first proposed this radical concept; however, none of these early monotheists found a willing audience since "one god conflicts with our universal compulsion to humanize the divine." For instance, how could one god be capable of both good and evil? People were, however, beginning to accept the idea of one more-powerful god above a panoply of lesser gods, which mirrored the political hierarchies they experienced in society. "As more authority is vested in a single individual on earth, more authority is given to a single god in heaven," Aslan notes.

It took a radical event for true monotheism to take root: the expulsion of the Jewish people from Babylon. Historical and linguistic evidence indicates that in the ancient land of Canaan, people worshiped two different supreme gods, El and Yahweh, as well as other, lesser deities. Early Israelites, including the prophets Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, would have followed El. But the burning bush that the prophet Moses encountered in the desert is the first appearance of Yahweh, the god followed by the tribe of the Midianites, whose territory was believed to be south of Canaan (Moses had married into a Midianite family). As ancient Israel united into a nation, Yahweh prevailed, yet a defeat at the hands of the Babylonians led many Israelites to conclude that the Babylonian god, Marduk, was stronger. A small group of exiles continued to profess their faith in Yahweh, believing that "perhaps Yahweh was punishing the Israelites for believing in Marduk in the first place." At this moment, Aslan says, we see "the first expressions of unambiguous monotheism in the entire Bible." As Yahweh proclaims, "I am the first and last; (BEGIN ITAL)besides me there are no gods(END ITAL)." To move from the idea of different deities responsible for good and evil to "a single vengeful god full of contradictions" required a great cognitive leap.

Although God was now without peers, many found Him to be too wrathful. When Jesus appeared, Aslan argues, He embodied those human characteristics of the divine that people still needed, while at the same time preaching the message that God was loving and forgiving. At first, not everyone agreed that Jesus Himself was divine, and it was not until 325 at the Council of Nicea, convened by the Roman emperor Constantine, that God and Jesus were declared to be "of one substance."

Enter Islam, which arose in the 7th century "out of the deserts of Arabia to confront Christianity's conception of the humanized God." Yet even as Islam denounced the idea of the trinity and insisted on a God with no image, substance or form, there are still parts of the Koran that are "replete with anthropomorphic descriptions of God." And some Muslims still had questions: How could God be one with creation yet separate from it? Such theological conundrums led to the rise of Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam that concerns itself with a direct and personal experience of the divine. It is this belief system that Aslan finds most sympathetic. "God is everything that exists," he writes.

Aslan devotes significant time to the "big three" monotheistic religions but does not explain why other cultures have been able to follow religious systems, such as Buddhism, without a deity at their center. If the human tendency is to want a humanlike God, what explains the success of these other religions? Nonetheless, Aslan's fluid writing style makes the reader inclined to drop any lingering questions and accept his assertions on faith alone. His use of scholarly sources from fields ranging from archaeology to neuroscience will introduce many readers to information that otherwise would be relatively inaccessible, and he combines these disparate sources in compelling ways. Whatever God may be, at the very least Aslan shows us the long history of how humans have made Him in our image, and not vice versa.

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Newcomb is an anthropologist and the Diane and Michael Maher distinguished professor of teaching and learning at Rollins College. She is the author of "Everyday Life in Global Morocco."
ALBANY  This week's episode of "New York Now," the award-winning coproduction of WMHT and the Times Union, features Matt Ryan's interview with longtime White House correspondent Ken Walsh of U.S. News & World Report, who discusses his new book "Ultimate Insiders: White House Photographers and How They Shape History."

Also this week, Ryan joins Karen DeWitt of New York State Public Radio and Casey Seiler of the Times Union to discuss the latest twists in the fight over the federal tax reform bill and Gov. Andrew Cuomo's pushback against an attempt to retain the name "Tappan Zee" over the replacement bridge.
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Gift cards line the walls of Duette Gifts and Paper while holiday scents filter through the air and Christmas music fills the store. The owners, Gigi Noguera and Claudia Gerzog, both from Venezuela, already have the shop in full swing for the holidays with decorations and seasonal gifts. They specialize in wedding invitations, stationary and custom designs.

When the pair took over the location on Market Street from the previous owner, they made a few changes to better suit their needs. They painted the store a lighter color and introduced new products.

"People like the changes that we have made in the store a lot," Noguera said. One customer even informed them that the store has a "happy" feel to it, she added.

Each week the duo tries to do something fun for people to come in and gather. Last week they had a local author, P.M. Frank, come in and share the message of generosity and family in her children's book during an afternoon of reading and cookies.

"We always have something going on," Noguera said. "Every week we try to do something different."

On Black Friday the store will offer a 10 percent off for purchases of $150 or more. The store is one of several businesses in The Woodlands participating in Small Business Saturday, the Saturday following Thanksgiving when residents in communities across the country opt to shop small.

"We offer a variety of gifts for babies, for men, for women, for house," Gerzog said. "We have really good brands to offer. We create custom designs."

Duette Gifts and Paper is located at 9595 Six Pines Dr suite 690, The Woodlands.

In 2010, American Express founded Small Business Saturday encouraging people to Shop Small and show love for their favorite local places on the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Based on data from the Office of Advocacy's Small Business Profiles, which are annual analyses of each state's small business activities, there are an estimated 2.6 million small businesses across Texas, which make up 99.8 percent of total businesses in the state. A small business is defined as a firm with fewer than 500 employees for the purpose of the analysis.

American Express reported that last year small business retailers made $15.4 billion on the national holiday sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The company says that Small Business Saturday, which falls on Nov. 25 this year, "helps bring attention to the importance of supporting small businesses in communities across America" and that it is a nationwide "effort to support these local places that make our communities strong." Many businesses even have promotional offers specifically for the occasion.

For everything comic books and table top gaming, Fat Ogre Games & Comics has you covered, said Dennis Casarona, the general manager for the past four years.

Casarona said the store sells everything ranging from DC comics, Marvel comics, graphic novels, card games, dice, board games, miniatures, Pokemon, protectors and binders.

"We blend tabletop gaming and comics right down the middle," Casarona said. "We're a jack of all trades store. We have board games, card games and supplies for all of the above."

Like other stores participating in Small Business Saturday, Fat Ogre will offer exclusive deals for customers.

"All of our actions figures, statues, those will all be 20 percent off," Casarona added.

The shop has plenty of space both inside and out. The parking lot is large enough to accommodate a heavy traffic load and 13 gaming tables inside the store allow customers to hang out and play.

"This year we've celebrated our 10th birthday. We've been kind of a cornerstone for the North Houston, southern The Woodlands gaming scene," Casarona said. Fat Ogre Games & Comics is located at 1440 Sawdust Rd. Suite E2, Spring.

For a list of more local business participating in Small Business Saturday, visit amex.co/2hoEPH1.

- Patricia Dillon is a features reporter for The Woodlands Villager. Contact her at her office 713-362-4433 or on Twitter: @Dillon_Villager.
Only in Texas are hot chocolate and shaved ice served at the same event, but that's what happened Nov. 16 at the Luxury in Lights tree lighting ceremony on Market Street in The Woodlands.

Hundreds of attendees gathered at the annual celebration to kick off the holiday season in The Woodlands. Sugary smells, colorful lights and Christmas music filled Central Park in anticipation of the honorees lighting the tree.

Nick Wolda, director of community relations at The Woodlands Township and Visitors Bureau president, introduced the Belcher family as the honorary 2017 Official Lighting Luminary. The family was nominated by Sarah Trout, a former colleague of Kristen Belcher, for their work with Parker's Packages, a group of volunteers who collect items to donate to Texas Children's Hospital in honor of Parker Belcher.

Zach and Kristen Belcher lost their firstborn son just hours after he was born. According to the Parker's Packages Facebook page, "Parker was born on March 4, 2015 with eight heart defects. He was one of five children with his diagnosis and received support from Texas Children's Hospital. With God's grace, he defied the odds and lived for 6 hours and 20 minutes. God continues to use Parker's life to help others."

The couple turned their tragedy into acts of service in the community by establishing Parker's Packages as a way of helping others and giving back to the hospital that supported them through their loss.

"During the opening of Texas Children's Hospital, the Belcher family hosted a blankets and books drive for patients and the library at the campus," Wolda said in his introduction. "More recently they were involved in Hurricane Harvey. In fact, they collected so many items through Oak Ridge Baptist Church it took several 18-wheeler trucks to load up."

Zach and Kristen took the stage along with their two children, Addison and Chance. The four stood before the cheering crowd and expressed their gratitude.

"It's kind of overwhelming," Kristen said. "But, you know, Parker's Packages came about because of all the people in the community who have such big hearts to help other people. And so we wouldn't have Parker's Packages if it wasn't for everyone who wants to share kindness forward. And we walk by faith not by sight, so we praise God and thank Him for opening up opportunities for us to help others in honor of our son."

During Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, officials with Parker's Packages put out a call for donations and were amazed by the amount of people willing to help.

"We had put out a call through Parker's Packages asking for Hurricane Harvey relief and we had overwhelming responses, especially from surrounding states who weren't effected," Kristen said.

They even received an 18-wheeler full of supplies from St. Louis, Missouri, to go toward relief efforts in the region.

After sharing their story, Wolda told Addison and Chance to get ready to push the large button at center stage as he began the countdown. The crowd joined in and cheered as the children rung in the holidays with confetti, music and, of course, the lights on the 70-foot tall tree. The "Market Street in Lights" presentation, where more than 25,000 multi-colored lights dance in synchronization to music, will continue nightly throughout the holiday season.

- Patricia Dillon is a features reporter for The Woodlands Villager. Contact her at her office 713-362-4433 or on Twitter: @Dillon_Villager.
AstraZeneca is in talks to settle a Texas lawsuit claiming that the company fleeced the state's Medicaid program by fraudulently marketing one of its top drugs, according to court filings.

Texas sued the drugmaker in 2013, saying AstraZeneca had targeted the state's Medicaid program by urging doctors to prescribe the powerful antipsychotic Seroquel for unauthorized treatments -- particularly for children -- over six years.

While doctors have wide discretion to prescribe drugs beyond what they've been approved to treat, drugmakers are forbidden from marketing them for off-label uses. By 2013, AstraZeneca had already agreed to pay almost $600 million in a pair of settlements over claims related to Seroquel's marketing.

While the company pledged to prevent off-label marketing as part of those deals, the Texas suit claimed it never did, and seeks $5 billion in civil fines.

Texas says emails and testimony by sales representatives and managers reveal that AstraZeneca had its sales force pitch Seroquel to child psychiatrists and as a treatment for nonbipolar depression even though the Food and Drug Administration hadn't approved the drug for either purpose.

"AstraZeneca believes that all applicable laws were followed and that the allegations are without merit," company spokeswoman Abigail Bozarth said in an email. "Beyond that, we cannot discuss the specifics of ongoing litigation."

AstraZeneca is in negotiations to resolve both the Texas case and a lawsuit in Brooklyn brought by a whistleblower claiming the company downplayed the drug's risks. Talks on a "potential resolution" aim to settle both suits, according to a Nov. 10 filing in federal court in Brooklyn.

Kayleigh Lovvorn, spokeswoman for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, declined to comment on settlement discussions or the lawsuit.

James Pepper, attorney for Allison Zayas, a whistleblower in the Brooklyn and Texas cases, also declined to comment on settlement prospects. AstraZeneca has "reached a settlement in principle'' with Zayas, according to a Nov. 14 filing.

First approved in 1997 to treat schizophrenia, Seroquel sales totaled $28 billion between 2007 and 2013, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, and the drug was AstraZeneca's second-biggest seller from 2007 to 2011. By 2016, sales fell to $737 million amid generic competition.

The company's zeal in promoting the drug was targeted by the U.S. Justice Department, and in 2010, AstraZeneca signed a $520 million civil pact without admitting wrongdoing but agreeing to market Seroquel "in a manner that complies with all applicable federal health care program and FDA requirements," including on how doctors are told about off-label uses, through 2015.

But Texas claims that even after securing the settlement AstraZeneca salespeople were still pushing doctors to prescribe Seroquel for unapproved uses.

According to internal company documents filed in the Texas lawsuit, the state's sprawling Medicaid program was AstraZeneca's "number one payer and an ABSOLUTE MUST WIN." The May 2010 memo reminded the sales team that "it's not going to sell itself" and pressed them to "do a better job of selling this win."

Meanwhile, the company was the target of an investigation by 37 states -- including Texas -- over allegedly deceptive marketing practices through 2006. In 2011, AstraZeneca agreed to pay $68.5 million to settle those claims without admitting wrongdoing, and separately paid $647 million to patients who claimed the drugmaker hadn't disclosed Seroquel's side effects.

Texas, which brought the 2013 suit with the cooperation of two former AstraZeneca salespeople, says the drugmaker breached the federal settlement by promoting Seroquel to psychiatrists and others who treated children. If found to be true, that could be costly, the state argued in filings, because "repeated or flagrant violation" could lead the U.S. to exclude AstraZeneca drugs from federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Lauren Ehrsam, a Justice Department spokeswoman, declined to comment.

AstraZeneca has argued that Texas didn't sustain any harm or damages due to the drug's marketing, and submitted a statement from former FDA chief counsel Ralph Tyler saying "off-label use of approved medications is expected and, indeed, may constitute the standard of medical care."

The company's lawyer, Steve McConnico, also pointed out that Seroquel -- in its generic form -- remains on the state's list of drugs approved for Medicaid and prescriptions for it are still being reimbursed by the state. He also said it's still being prescribed to children and adolescents.

The continued use of Seroquel isn't relevant to the lawsuit, which alleges violations of the state Medicaid fraud law, Texas officials said in court papers.

"We will hold AstraZeneca liable for the lies AstraZeneca told, not the ensuing conduct or actions by the providers,'' Ray Winter, Texas assistant attorney general, said in a May 25 hearing.

Sherry Reagor was an AstraZeneca sales representative in the Dallas area from October 2000 to January 2013 who isn't a party in the suit. Speaking in an interview last month, she said she was never urged to promote Seroquel for unapproved treatments.

"None of my managers ever made me do anything like that," she said. If they had, "I'd tell them I know that's off-label and against the rules."

To ensure Seroquel was used in Texas mental-health facilities, AstraZeneca paid a total of $465,000 in speaking fees to two psychiatrists who influenced the list of approved drugs for state facilities and encouraged other Texas doctors to use Seroquel, according to the suit.

Sales representatives made more than 16,000 calls to Texas doctors specializing in children's mental-health issues from January 2007 to Feb. 29, 2012, the lawsuit claims. Doctors at the Clarity Child Guidance Center in San Antonio received more than 750 calls from January 2009 until August 2011, including 263 after the agreement with the U.S. was signed, according to AstraZeneca sales notes produced for the lawsuit.

While AstraZeneca policy barred promoting drugs for off-label uses, sales representatives in Texas said they were given call lists dominated by doctors specializing in treating children. Despite their complaints, the representatives said they risked being fired if the doctors on the lists didn't prescribe more Seroquel.

"You've got stuff coming down from corporate on a regular basis says we can't promote for child/adolescent, but then they're on your target list,'' said former salesman Lance Boyd in a 2016 deposition. "It felt like they were saying you can't promote to child/adolescent but go get some business, you know?''

In May 2010, an AstraZeneca district manager sent an email listing key Seroquel prescribers for the company's Houston region. Under a listing for Beaumont, Texas, about an hour east of Houston, he noted "5 of top 10 are prominent child & adolescent clinics.''

AstraZeneca paid bonuses tied to Seroquel sales, including those for unapproved uses, Texas said in court filings.

An internal AstraZeneca study said the company could lose more than $113 million in annual sales "if all child and adolescent psychiatrists were removed'' from call lists, said a 2008 email from a marketing executive to the company's national sales director. "It is a substantial amount of business to have no promotional efforts,'' he wrote, according to court filings.

As for use in treating depression, the FDA approved it for bipolar depression in 2008 and the next year for a supplement in patients who weren't responding to other antidepressants. But salespeople were advised in 2009 to avoid using the word "bipolar" when talking to doctors and to tout Seroquel for all symptoms of depression, according to court filings.

"I was reprimanded multiple times for including bipolar depression,'' Craig Baker, a former Seroquel sales representative, said in a Jan. 2016 deposition. Baker said his bosses told him that since he'd already talked to doctors about Seroquel's effectiveness against bipolar depression "you don't need to include it.''

At a 2009 regional sales meeting in Dallas, salespeople were trained to refer to the drug as an antidepressant rather than as an antipsychotic, according to court filings by Texas.

"It was something we had been made to understand that we could not do,'' said Boyd, the salesman, in his deposition. The drug "didn't have an indication as an antidepressant and at that time it didn't have an indication for major depressive disorder.''

---

With assistance from Laurel Calkins Jared S. Hopkins and Michelle Fay Cortez

To contact the reporters on this story: Margaret Cronin Fisk in Detroit at mcfisk@bloomberg.net, Jef Feeley in Wilmington, Delaware at jfeeley@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Heather Smith at hsmith26@bloomberg.net, Timothy Annett, Elizabeth Wollman

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
Test scores will play a smaller role in determining whether schools in Virginia receive the state's stamp of approval, regulators decided Thursday, with credit given for signs of improvement and for narrowing long-existing achievement gaps.

Currently, schools' accreditation status is determined almost entirely by student pass rates on the Standards of Learning tests, which some educators have criticized for failing to measure improvement between school years.

But members of the state Board of Education appeared determined Thursday to revise that approach, voting 8 to 1 to overhaul the accreditation system.

Steven Staples, the state's superintendent of public instruction, heralded the revised standards for placing an emphasis on improvement.

"Schools will be rewarded for the success of students who are on a trajectory toward meeting Virginia's high expectations, even if they are not quite there," Staples said in a statement. "This addresses an inequity in our current system which sometimes labels schools serving children in poverty as failing when in fact students are making great strides and showing high growth from one year to the next."

Under the new standards, students will no longer have to take state a exam in social studies to graduate. They will still have to take tests in English, math and science.

Either Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D, or his successor, Gov.-elect Ralph Northam, D, will review the changes, along with the state education secretary. The revised standards are expected to go into effect in fall 2018.

Under the current system, schools are granted full or varying degrees of accreditation - or denied accreditation - depending on how students perform on tests.

Under the new system, schools will be rated on standards that include overall proficiency and growth in English, math and science. They will also be assessed on absenteeism and, in high schools, dropout rates and college or career readiness.

The state will assign a rating for each of the bench marks - level 1 signifies a school is meeting or exceeding expectations, level 2 means a school is near or making adequate progress toward hitting standards and level 3 indicates a school has fallen below standards.

Based on those ratings, a school will receive accreditation, or, if a school receives one or more level 3 rating, accredited with conditions.

Right now, a school can be denied accreditation if not enough students pass state tests for four consecutive years. The new standards would change that. Schools will forfeit the state's stamp of approval only if they fail to implement plans to improve.

The revised standards also require students to demonstrate qualities such as creativity and critical thinking.

Those changes, coupled with a greater focus on career and technical or advanced training, represent "an important shift away from testing toward opportunities," Robert Pianta, dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, said in an email.

But Pianta also said that, with more schools likely to receive full accreditation under the changed system, the Virginia Department of Education must conduct reviews to ensure the system is improving education for the state's schoolchildren.

Not all Board of Education members fully supported the revised standards.

Board member James Dillard, the only dissenting vote, lamented that the new standards de-emphasize social studies.

Local school districts will still test students on social studies, but with no statewide exam, Dillard questioned whether the state will be able to adequately gauge students' understanding of the world.

"What is the fate of Virginia studies and civic and economics?" Dillard said. "I have a real concern that if we're not careful, they're going to go away."
BERLIN - The United States is far from being the only country where connections between politicians and Russian officials have recently come under renewed scrutiny. European parties - ranging from the far right to the far left - are facing similar accusations.

In an extensive new report, focusing on Western and Southern Europe, the Atlantic Council think tank examines the extent to which Russia has succeeded in influencing the parties that are currently believed to be most favorable toward the Kremlin.

Italy

The think tank's authors believe that Russia's influence may be strongest in Italy, where the populist Five Star Movement is currently topping the polls. The movement attracts both right-wing and left-wing supporters and is hard to classify within the conventional political spectrum. It was founded by a comedian, Beppe Grillo, whose appeal among voters has been compared to President Donald Trump's. The Atlantic Council authors, however, believe that the movement's rise in the polls is no laughing matter.

"The party's documented pro-Kremlin stance combined with its grassroots mobilization capacity make it a particularly important ally for the Kremlin, and thus a dangerous force against the EU, NATO, and the transatlantic partnership," they write. A possible election win in March next year could "dramatically shift Italian foreign policy away from EU cooperation, support for common defense, and continuation of economic sanctions against Russia."

The movement's policy stances in favor of closer ties to Russia are well documented in speeches. Meanwhile, other more serious accusations that it is cooperating with Russia to win next year's election remain in question. In an interview with The Post's Ishaan Tharoor this week, the movement's top candidate Luigi Di Maio rejected accusations that the Five Star Movement has benefited from Russian disinformation campaigns, calling such reports "fake news."

"It's not Beppe Grillo who visits Putin every month," he responded to Tharoor, referring to Italian competitor Silvio Berlusconi's close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The former Italian prime minister is also preparing to run again in next year's elections.

Greece

Contrary to Italy, one of the Greek parties accused of being most influenced by Russia is already in power. The left-wing Syriza party appears to have established extensive ties with the Russian government, mostly at a time when Italy's relations with the European Union declined because of disagreements over its bailout conditions. The party has denied that it reversed its foreign policy stance to become more pro-Russia because of hopes that it may receive Russian bailouts.

Russia's influence in the country goes far beyond the deployment of "fake news," the Atlantic Council observed:

Russian oligarchs with close ties to the Kremlin have bought stakes in Greek media. Russia's state-owned gas giant, Gazprom, purchased large stakes in Greek energy firms. And most notably, Putin has maintained a close relationship with the Greek leadership.

Whereas Russia sees an ally in the left-wing government, it also supports a party on the opposite side of the political spectrum: the far right and ultranationalist Golden Dawn party.

Germany

In a nation that kept the far right restricted to the parliamentary sidelines for more than 50 years, the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) marked a watershed moment this September. Although there is so far no evidence that the German elections were directly influenced by Russia, the sympathies the far-right AfD and the Russian government have for each other did not go unnoticed.

The AfD made closer ties to Russia one of its top priorities and "campaigned aggressively in districts with a high concentration of Russian speakers while Russian state media provided favorable coverage," according to the Atlantic Council.

France

France has been a driving force behind tough sanctions on Russia under the former Socialist and the current centrist government. That probably would have changed had conservative candidate Francois Fillon, populist left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon or far-right politician Marine Le Pen had won the election earlier this year. They all advocated for a more open approach toward Russia.

France's most pro-Russian party remains Le Pen's National Front. The far right politician has taken loans from Russian banks and has repeatedly praised Putin.

During a meeting with the Russian president this March, Le Pen said: "Putin's Russia is our role model for a patriotic economic policy." In return, Russian state media openly supported her in the French election, and she "was propped up by Russian sponsored social media accounts," as the Atlantic Council authors write.

The campaign of Emmanuel Macron, which won the presidential race, later accused the Kremlin of election meddling, saying that servers belonging to the team had been hacked by a group likely associated with Russia. The Macron team argued that Russian hackers may have been searching for dirt on their candidate to help Le Pen's campaign.

Britain

British Prime Minister Theresa May accused Putin this week of trying to "undermine free societies" and "sow discord" in Britain and other Western countries. May was specifically referring to the perpetuation of "fake news" stories, according to the Post's Michael Birnbaum and William Booth.

The comments came as researchers were examining possible attempts by the Russian government to influence the Brexit referendum last year, in which Britain voted in favor of leaving the European Union. The party which rallied most Brexit supporters behind it early on was the U.K. Independence Party (UKIP) with its former leader Nigel Farage, who remains supportive of Putin.

Only hours after Theresa May's remarks, her Spanish counterpart, Mariano Rajoy, made similar accusations. According to his government, authorities recorded an "avalanche" of bots spreading "fake news" during Catalonia's independence referendum, which took place last month. Authorities believe that the vast majority originated in Russia.

Concerns over growing Russian attempts to influence politics there were shared by the Atlantic Council authors who write that "Madrid's desire to balance a pro-EU foreign policy with multilateralism" could make the country a likely target. In Spain, Russia is believed to support the left-wing and increasingly pro-Russian Podemos party.
WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley has scheduled a hearing for two of President Donald Trump's circuit court nominees over lawmakers' objections, making good on the GOP's promise to prevent individual senators from blocking the president's court picks.

Grassley's, R-Iowa, announcement Thursday that David Stras and Kyle Duncan would face the committee Nov. 29 comes on the same day that Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. - the main senator refusing to give his approval for Stras's nomination - was accused of sexual assault, for which he now faces a formal ethics investigation.

Traditionally, senators representing states under the jurisdiction of a federal judgeship are asked to return a "blue slip" for nominees before the confirmation process commences. If an affected senator doesn't return a blue slip - named so because it is actually a blue slip of paper - the nominee doesn't receive a hearing.

Grassley argues that most Senate Judiciary Committee chairmen have not obeyed the blue slip process that strictly. And the GOP's position is that making circuit court nominees who preside over several states dependent on every last senator returning a blue slip is irrational because it gives Democrats an effective political veto.

"We're going to honor the blue slip process, but there are always exceptions," Grassley said on the Senate floor Thursday. "I'm not going to allow senators to prevent a committee hearing for political or ideological reasons."

Grassley argued that Franken's reasons for attempting to block Stras were political. Franken has said that he withheld the blue slip because the White House did not sufficiently consult him about the nomination. Stras has been nominated to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.

Democrats have also not returned blue slips for Ryan Bounds, who Trump nominated to sit on the 9th Circuit, and Michael Brennan, nominated for the 7th Circuit.

But the holdout senator in Duncan's case is a Republican.

Sen. John Neely Kennedy, R-La., has not returned the blue slip for Duncan, nominated to the 5th Circuit. He has offered no details as to why.

But Grassley drew a distinction between Kennedy withholding a blue slip and Franken doing so, noting that Kennedy had not objected to a hearing for Duncan.

"This is the correct distinction a senator should make when deciding whether to return a blue slip," Grassley said. "The blue slip is not meant to signify the senator's ultimate support or opposition to the nominee."

In this political environment, however, it is sometimes a senator's only chance to mount a viable objection. Votes on judicial nominees are no longer subject to a procedural filibuster, which would require supporters to come up with 60 votes to confirm a nominee. Senate Democrats changed the rules when they held the Senate majority in 2013; Grassley surmised Thursday that Democrats probably "regret" that decision.
LONDON - New investigations released this week suggest the Russians meddled in Britain's historic referendum last year to leave the European Union, placing an already weakened Prime Minister Theresa May in a most awkward position - just when she needs to be her strongest in Brexit negotiations.

The evidence that the Russians, with possible support from the Kremlin, bombarded British targets with social media tweets and posts was splashed on the nightly news and front pages in Britain.

Even so, the prime minister and her office stressed that Russian propaganda had "no direct successful influence" on the Brexit vote.

Critics of May say an admission that Russia tried to dupe British voters could raise questions about the Conservative party's mandate to extricate Britain from the European Union.

The specter of Russian meddling also stokes internal discord among the Tories, who are divided between those who demand May secure a total, complete exit from Europe vs. those advocating a "soft Brexit." There is also a small but stubborn rearguard of Conservatives who say Brexit is a historic blunder.

Labour Party politicians blame the prime minister for what appears to be a muddled message on Russian meddling.

On Monday, May gave a tough and well-received speech before a group of business leaders in London, accusing President Vladimir Putin's Russia of attempts to "undermine free societies" and "sow discord" in the West by "deploying its state-run media organizations to plant fake stories."

"So I have a very simple message for Russia," May warned. "We know what you are doing. And you will not succeed."

The speech was widely contrasted with President Donald Trump's remarks two days earlier, in which he appeared to defend Putin. "He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election," Trump said. "He did not do what they are saying he did."

British intelligence agencies have been gathering information on Russian active measures and disinformation campaigns before and after the Brexit referendum.

Russia denies meddling in the Brexit vote and has suggested it is being used as a scapegoat.

"British society is currently not going through its finest hour due to the ongoing process of #brexit," Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted. "It is understandable that an external enemy is direly needed to distract public attention for which role Russia has been chosen. It is deeply regrettable."

Asked this month about possible Russian interference in British elections, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson replied, "Nyet," and added there was "not a sausage" of evidence.

In Parliament on Wednesday during the rough-and-tumble Prime Minister's Questions session, Labour's Mary Creagh pressed May: "Has the foreign secretary been kept in the dark on the intelligence, has he not read it, or is he willfully blind? And will (May) now stop dragging her feet and set up the Intelligence and Security Committee to look urgently into the Kremlin's attempts to undermine our democracy?"

May promised the parliamentary committee would begin its work that day. But on the question of what Johnson knew or did not know, May surprised some when she stressed that in her speech on Russian bots and trolls, she had not meant to imply that Britain was the target.

"If they care to look at the speech on Monday," May said, "they will see that the examples I gave were not in the U.K."

This prompted head-scratching. On Thursday in Parliament, Labour Party lawmaker Ben Bradshaw said May's ministers have gone out of their way to avoid talking about Russian interference in the Brexit vote - until now. He suggested that the mounting evidence from intelligence agencies and independent researchers may be forcing her hand.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Bradshaw said he is unsure why May simultaneously raised a warning of the dire threat to Western democracies posed by Russian cyber-campaigns on one hand and downplayed Russian interference in Britain on the other.

"I don't know whether they are doing this because they would be concerned to do anything that might cast doubt on the legitimacy of the very close referendum result," Bradshaw said. "Or they may be nervous about doing anything that could embarrass the U.S. president, particularly when they seem to be pinning all of their hopes after the disaster of Brexit on some fantasy trade deal from the White House."

Analysts say May is responding to her domestic political realities. "I don't think she wants people to run away with the idea that somehow Brexit was caused by the Russian Federation," said Tim Bale, a professor of politics at London's Queen Mary University.

Bale said the issue is not black and white. Yes, he said, there is growing concern regarding Russian meddling, but not in the sense that it made any measurable difference in the Brexit vote. "Because there is mounting evidence from various European democracies and the U.S. of interference in their democratic processes, and that's not something any government or state in the West is prepared to tolerate," he said.

In a speech Wednesday, Ciaran Martin, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Center, accused Russian hackers of attacking the British media, telecommunications and energy sectors.

"That is clearly a cause for concern - Russia is seeking to undermine the international system," he said.

Researchers at Swansea University in Wales and the University of California at Berkeley found more than 150,000 Twitter accounts with ties to Russia tweeted about Brexit in the days before the Brexit vote.

Their findings, which are part of a bigger research project and are not yet published, were first reported in the Times of London.

Tho Pham, one of the researchers at Swansea, said that the accounts they analyzed - which claimed Russian as their language when they were set up but tweeted in English - posted a mixture of pro-"leave" and pro-"remain" messages, regarding Brexit. Commentators have said that the goal may simply have been to sow discord and division in society.

A separate study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh analyzed the 2,752 accounts that Twitter handed over to the U.S. Congress. The accounts, now deactivated, were linked to the Internet Research Agency, a St. Petersburg troll farm with ties to the Russian government.

The researchers found over 400 of those accounts posted divisive messages about the Brexit referendum, the majority after the polls closed.

Clare Llewellyn and Laura Cram, the academics behind the study, wrote that the findings "provide the first hard evidence that users identified by Twitter as having Russian links and as seeking to influence the US election, were also actively tweeting on Brexit-related issues."

But they also called for caution in trying to determine the influence of the messages on the Brexit vote, in part because of limited data access from social media companies such as Twitter.

"To establish the extent to which the Brexit debate, or indeed the UK general election, were influenced by such users we need an equivalent list of users seeking to target these specific events and a complete data set," they said.

The Labour lawmaker Damian Collins agrees. He is pressing Twitter and Facebook to release posts about British politics from Russian-linked accounts.

"The public have a right to know if foreign powers were acting to undermine the democratic process in this country," he told The Washington Post. "There is a mounting body of evidence that demonstrates a sophisticated and coordinated attempt by Russia to sow discord at politically sensitive times."

Collins chairs a parliamentary committee that in January launched an investigation into "fake news." The committee intends to travel to Washington early next year to gather evidence from U.S. tech giants.

Collins has called on Twitter to hand over a list similar to the one given to Congress. Some of those accounts were posting messages about Britain, as well.

One of the accounts was a user called @SouthLoneStar, which posted a photo of a woman in a headscarf walking on Westminster Bridge. The tweeter wrongly said that the woman was ignoring victims of a terrorist attack.

The tweeter - described as a "proud Texan" - wrote "Muslim woman pays no mind to the terror attack, casually walks by a dying man while checking phone #PrayForLondon #Westminster #BanIslam."
HARARE, Zimbabwe - When Zimbabwe's military detained President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday night, it seemed the stage had been set for the ouster of Africa's oldest leader.

Two days later, it was clear that it might not be so easy.

On Thursday, Mugabe, 93, entered into talks with the military commanders who placed him under house arrest and with officials from neighboring South Africa. His motorcade streaked through the city without any army escort, indicating that he had at least some freedom of movement. In a photo from Thursday's talks released by the government newspaper, he was smiling with his arm around the army commander responsible for the military takeover, appearing untroubled.

For the 37 years he has ruled Zimbabwe - from independence to the verge of economic collapse - Mugabe has outwitted his opponents at every turn, using intimidation, electoral manipulation and purges of his own party. Now Zimbabweans are wondering: Will he find a way to survive a coup?

By Thursday night, there were hints that Mugabe had at least bought himself some time. In meetings with a high-profile Zimbabwean Catholic priest and with military commanders, Mugabe resisted requests to step down, according to interviews with officials and media reports.

On Friday The Zimbabwean military released a statement saying that "significant progress" has been made in its efforts to apprehend members of President Robert Mugabe's government.

But negotiations with Mugabe were still ongoing, it added, referring obliquely to "the way forward" without explaining if commanders were seeking Mugabe's ouster or a different kind of negotiated settlement.

"You will be advised of the outcome as soon as is possible," it said.

Many people would be happy to see him leave office. Mugabe has become deeply unpopular at home because of his repressive tactics and the country's steep economic decline during his rule. Abroad, he has been criticized for his authoritarian rule and his seizure of farms owned by the white minority. He has regularly denounced the West for many of his nation's ills.

And yet the military's role in detaining Mugabe has become a flash point for a region that has attempted to enshrine democratic values in its charter.

Zimbabwean military leaders were aware of the sensitivities; after troops detained Mugabe and took over the state television station, a top general said early Wednesday that it was "not a military takeover." The military leaders were prompted to act after former vice president and onetime defense minister Emmerson Mnangagwa was fired this month, paving the way for Mugabe's wife, Grace, to succeed him as president.

At least publicly, the military has said it won't push Mugabe to leave - even though it effectively took control of the government.

"The elephant in the room is the constitutional issue," said Ibbo Mandaza, a Zimbabwean academic, referring to the illegality of the military takeover. "This is a region where coups are not tolerated."

While some countries in southern Africa have evident democratic shortcomings, there have been few coups in recent decades. Many are still led by the parties that fought for independence from colonial rule.

The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), a regional body of 15 nations, met in Botswana on Thursday to discuss the situation and seemed to tilt toward Mugabe and against the military takeover. In an outline of issues discussed in the meeting, the body described the "unconstitutional removal of democratically elected governments."

The African Union also has taken a hard line against unconstitutional changes of government. Its bylaws require it to impose sanctions against countries that have undergone a coup and bar them from participating in the organization's activities.

Further complicating the situation is the question of who might succeed Mugabe.

Many of those close to the military are hoping that Mnangagwa would become the head of a transitional government if Mugabe resigned. That possibility is worrying for many Western observers, who consider Mnangagwa to be corrupt and abusive. He was sanctioned by the United States in 2003 as one of several officials "who undermine democratic processes and institutions in Zimbabwe."

Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Donald Yamamoto expressed support for Mugabe's departure, telling Reuters: "It's a transition to a new era for Zimbabwe, that's really what we're hoping for."

On Thursday, 115 civil society groups called on Mugabe to step down, and a range of opposition leaders, including Morgan Tsvangirai, once considered his main political rival, said it was time for Mugabe to go.

As Zimbabweans debated their country's future in conversations and on messaging apps, Mandaza offered his own prediction: He expected Mugabe to resume the work of the presidency within days.

After its meeting on Thursday, the SADC said it was not ready to issue a conclusion about the Zimbabwe crisis. Even if the bloc decides to support Mugabe over the military, it's possible its members won't be willing to back up that decision, either by dispatching troops or using economic leverage. In 1998, it sent troops to Lesotho to quell a coup, but it has little experience intervening in larger nations such as Zimbabwe.

There is still some warmth between Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, which fought for Zimbabwe's independence from Britain and the end of white minority rule, and the other "liberation parties" of southern Africa, from South Africa's African National Congress to Namibia's SWAPO party.

Last year, South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, described Mugabe as among "the leaders of his generation who stood up, risked their own lives, defeated colonialism and contributed to the liberation of the region and Africa."

Mugabe has ruled since the country became independent in 1980. In his early days, he was regarded as a hero by many both at home and abroad.

But his support crumbled over the past two decades as the country's economy withered and the government was plagued by corruption scandals. Men such as Victor Matamadanda, who once fought alongside Mugabe for independence, gave up on their former comrade.

Now, Matamadanda is the secretary general of the influential Zimbabwe National War Veterans Association, an anti-Mugabe group. He's hopeful - despite the obstacles and delays - that the military takeover gives way to a post-Mugabe Zimbabwe.

"It's going to be madness," Matamadanda said, imagining a brighter future for the country once Mugabe and his inner circle are gone. "For years, they've treated this country like their own personal village."
The White House asked Congress for $44 billion in hurricane aid, including funds designated for Texas and Florida, while most of Puerto Rico's needs would be addressed in a future request.

By not addressing all of Puerto Rico's request Friday, the White House move could diminish the chances that aid is supplied in a December funding bill. The White House said damage assessments haven't been completed for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and a further request is planned.

Texas would get less funding than it says it needs. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, asked for $61 billion to repair damage from Hurricane Harvey. Florida officials asked for billions in aid for the state's citrus industry.

Puerto Rico this week requested $94 billion in immediate aid to recover from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which left most of the 3.4 million residents without power. The biggest share of the funds, $31 billion, were to be used to rebuild homes, with another $18 billion requested for the electric utility, Governor Ricardo Rossello said in a letter to President Donald Trump released Monday.

Democrats earlier this month asked the White House not to request spending cuts to pay for the disaster aid and requested liquidity loans to help cash-strapped Puerto Rico pay its bills. The island is struggling to emerge from a record-setting bankruptcy.

Congress has already approved two bills totaling $52 billion in aid for the hurricanes. Those bills did not contain cuts to offset the spending.

Congress is likely to address the disaster request as part of a year-end spending bill needed to avoid a government shutdown. Current government funding runs out after Dec. 8, however a two-week stopgap measure is widely expected to extend that to Dec. 22.

Emails and phone calls to representatives of Puerto Rico's governor and non-voting member of Congress weren't immediately returned. A representative for the oversight board wasn't immediately available to comment.

Almost two months after Hurricane Maria slammed into the U.S. commonwealth, most of the island's households remain without power as the government prioritizes health-care facilities and other core infrastructure. San Juan has been better off than many rural areas, where the destruction was far greater. Meanwhile, the rebuilding of the power grid remains the island's greatest financial challenge and a major political flashpoint in San Juan and Washington.

The island declared bankruptcy earlier this year after it said it couldn't pay all of the $74 billion it owed to creditors. With many there still lacking basic services and its economy slowed to a halt, prices of Puerto Rico's benchmark debt have tumbled to fresh lows as investors speculate that any payouts will be less than previously anticipated.

Puerto Rico is considering suspending debt-service payments for five years, a lead lawyer for the territory's federal oversight board said this week, in the first indication of how the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria will affect the restructuring of the island's debt.

A moratorium may be included as part of Puerto Rico's plan to reduce what it owes through bankruptcy, Martin Bienenstock, a partner at Proskauer Rose who represents the panel, said at a court hearing Wednesday in Manhattan. It wasn't immediately clear whether such a step would apply to all of government's $74 billion of debt.

"Bondholders need the island to turn the corner and start seeing some green shoots," said Matt Dalton, chief executive officer of Rye Brook, New York-based Belle Haven Investments, which manages $6.5 billion of municipal bonds, including insured Puerto Rico debt. "I would think that any money pouring into the island would be a good thing without focusing on what the total number is."

He said lawmakers may want to see the impact of the initial aid in Puerto Rico and could give the island more money later. "If you give them everything they want up front, they're still likely to ask for more, because it'll never be enough," Dalton said.

No matter how much the island gets, it won't be enough, said Matt Fabian, a partner with Municipal Market Analytics. "Puerto Rico will likely be requesting aid this time next year," he said. Officials in the White House "probably think that that's an incredibly generous offer."

---

Bloomberg's Rebecca Spalding, Amanda Albright and Justina Vasquez contributed.
President Donald Trump took aim at longtime critic Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., on Thursday night, after Franken was accused of forcibly kissing and groping a woman 11 years ago.

"The Al Frankenstein picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words," Trump tweeted, adding in a second tweet that Franken had last week been "lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women."

Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden said that during a USO trip to the Middle East and Afghanistan in 2006 Franken forced his tongue in her mouth during a rehearsal for a skit and then groped her while she was sleeping during a flight home - a moment that was captured in a photograph.

"You knew exactly what you were doing," she wrote in an online essay published Thursday morning. "You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later and be ashamed."

Some responded to Trump's tweets by citing the allegations against the president.

Ezra Klein tweeted "Trump has more than a dozen, on-the-record, allegations of sexual assault against him, and was caught on tape bragging about committing sexual assault. This is a dangerous game for him to play."

Daniel W. Drezner tweeted "So true. Can you imagine if he'd said something on an audiotape about grabbing part of a woman's anatomy?"

Eleven women came forward during Trump's presidential campaign to accuse him of sexual misconduct over several decades.

Trump has dismissed these claims as "fake news," and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said that all the women who have accused Trump of sexual harassment are lying.

Hours before Trump tweeted about Franken, Sanders told reporters that Trump did not plan to rescind his endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct.

"The president believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be," Sanders told reporters at a briefing.

Moore has dismissing calls from GOP leaders to end his Senate campaign after The Washington Post reported allegations that he initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32.

Trump has not mentioned Moore in public comments and tweets, and has ignored reporters' questions about the allegations.

A "Lesley Stahl tape" Trump mentioned in his second tweet refers to a New York Magazine story about a "Saturday Night Live" writers discussion where Franken suggests a joke about raping Leslie Stahl, a "60 Minutes" correspondent.

Franken is quoted in New York Magazine as saying: "And, 'I give the pills to Lesley Stahl. Then, when Lesley's passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.' Or, 'That's why you never see Lesley until February.' Or, 'When she passes out, I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.' "

Accusations of Franken's misconduct come two days after a candid hearing in Washington, during which female lawmakers said sexual harassment is a pervasive problem on Capitol Hill.

Last week, the Senate unanimously approved a bill that mandates sexual harassment training for all senators and their staffs.

After initially issuing a brief apology for his behavior, Franken released a lengthier statement expressing contrition.

"I'm sorry," said the senator, who skipped a series of votes Thursday. "I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed."

Tweeden said she accepted Franken's apology.

"Yes, people make mistakes, and, of course, he knew he made a mistake," she said at a news conference in Los Angeles, where she works as a news anchor for the radio station KABC. She said she would leave any disciplinary action up to Senate leaders and was not calling for Franken to step down. "That's up to them. I'm not demanding that."

Franken's alleged misconduct occurred not long after he had moved home to Minnesota from New York, and was already positioning himself to run for Senate in 2008, a race that he narrowly won after a recount.

Franken has made numerous statements in support of women who experience sexual misconduct and has worked on legislation to support sexual assault accusers.

After the New York Times reported decades of sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, Franken posted on Facebook that Weinstein's behavior is "far too common." And he called the women sharing #MeToo stories about sexual assault, harassment and other misconduct "courageous."

Franken tweeted "The women who have shared their stories about Harvey Weinstein over the last few days are incredibly brave. . . ."

Franken tweeted "Thx to courageous ppl who've shared #MeToo stories, incl. @SenatorHeitkamp, @maziehirono, @clairecmc, & @SenWarren"

After Tweeden's accusations, Franken faced bipartisan calls for an ethics investigation.

"Sexual harassment is never acceptable and must not be tolerated," Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, N.Y., said in a statement.

---

The Washington Post's Paul Kane, Jenna Johnson, Amy B Wang and Lindsey Bever contributed to this report.
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Federal authorities on Friday arrested nine suspected gang members whose alleged clash with rivals is blamed on much of the violence on the East Side, including the drive-by shooting of a 4-year-old boy.

The late-night July 19 shooting death of 4-year-old De-Earlvion Whitley at his home was in retaliation over a shooting that occurred earlier that day, according to court documents and statements made in court Friday.

The nine arrested Friday are among 10 indicted Wednesday  one was already in custody  by a federal grand jury on charges of distributing crack cocaine and conspiracy. Among them is the boys father, Earl E Whitley Jr.

Whitley, 36, is alleged to be a member of the Skinny Bloc Crew, led by 40-year-old Alvin Ray Ray Clark, officials said in a news release Friday.

They are rivals to Charles Bethanys gang, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka told a judge at a hearing Friday for the 10 newly indicted suspects. That rivalry is what has caused much of the ongoing violence on the East Side recently.

According to court records, someone committed a drive-by shooting about 4:30 p.m. July 19 at the Coliseum Meat Market in the 400 block of Spriggsdale. Charles Lee Shitty Bethany, 36, who reportedly was in the parking lot, was suspected of being the intended target, the court records said.

Later that night, in what investigators believe was the retaliation drive-by, someone sprayed gunfire at a home in the 200 block of Hub Avenue, killing the 4-year-old boy. Whitley's mother, Cyntwanisha, also received two gunshot wounds in her legs.

The arrests come as the FBI has been conducting drug investigations on the East Side with San Antonio police and a multi-agency task force. Most of the narcotics trafficking occurred in the 200 and 300 blocks of Ferris Avenue on the citys East Side.

Earlier this year, agents arrested Bethany, Tramone Mykel Anderson, 25, and John Lee Chatman, 35, on gun or drug crimes. In early November, a fourth alleged member of Bethanys crew was arrested, Dakota DP Jermain Peppers, who waived his arraignment Friday, entering a plea of not guilty to a charge of being a felon with a gun.

Though the four are not charged specifically with the boys killing, court documents in their cases suggest they are suspects.

Wednesdays indictment, meanwhile, says the 10 alleged members of the Skinny Bloc Crew conspired to distribute more than 28 grams of crack cocaine since January 2016. The indictment also charges one of them, DaiVonte EShaun Titus Ross, 21, with one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime over a pistol he allegedly had on Sept. 19 of this year.

The others include Jamel Shercone Pookie Whitley, 38, Jovon Lil Jojo Deante Stewart, 24; Paul P-Low Low, 49, Joseph JoJo Hammond, 37 (who was already in custody); James Showtime Bilal Ali, 34; Spurgeon Bubba Williams, 47, and Joseph J.L. Lake, 29.

If convicted, Clark, Earl Whitley, Ali, Hammond, Lake, Stewart, Low, and Williams face an enhanced penalty of between 10 years and life in federal prison due to their criminal histories. Ross and Jamel Whitley face five to 40 years in federal prison for each drug charge, and Ross also faces a mandatory consecutive five years in federal prison on the firearm charge. All were ordered held pending bail hearings Wednesday, or Nov. 30.
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The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is investigating the death of Matthew Ellis, a 20-year-old Texas State student who died after an event hosted by a fraternity he was pledging.

The commission will first work with law enforcement authorities to determine if alcohol was a factor in Ellis's death and if they find it was they will expand the investigation to look into any retailers who sold alcohol to a minor or intoxicated person, according to TABC Executive Director A. Bentley Nettles.

RELATED: Texas State suspends Greek activities after death of fraternity pledge after party

"These violations constitute an extremely serious risk to public safety, and TABC will punish any parties involved to the fullest extent of the law," Nettles said.

Ellis, a sophomore studying business administration and a Phi Kappa Psi pledge, was found dead in an apartment on Monday. Officials confirmed he had been at a fraternity event the previous night, reportedly an initiation.

San Marcos police are investigating and a cause of death has not been determined but officials said Ellis' death may have been alcohol-related.

RELATED: Texas colleges with the most violent crime, according to the FBI

Officials with TABC reassured the Texas State community they'll go after any retailers that may have played a role in Ellis's death.

"I want the Texas State community to know that TABC is working to determine what role, if any, alcohol may have played in Matthew's death, and that we will vigorously pursue any violations that may have contributed to cutting this young man's life short," said TABC Chairman Kevin Lilly.

Further, Lilly said the TABC will work with law enforcement authorities to educate the public about the "senseless activity" binge drinking.

"So-called 'traditions,' such as forcing a fraternity pledge to overconsume alcohol, have no place at a university," Lilly said.

RELATED: At least 8 arrested in early morning raids, including man linked to shooting of 4-year-old

Following Ellis's death, Texas State University President Denise Trauth suspended all fraternity and sorority activities at the university. Texas State had already been investigating the Phi Kappa Psi chapter when the death occurred, according to Matt Flores, assistant vice president for university advancement-communication.

Ellis's death comes just over a year after that of Jordin Taylor. On Halloween 2016, her was found just outside of a fraternity party, the morning after. Investigators found Taylor was dragged at least 500 feet, and her body was not discovered until 12 hours later.

Four fraternities were suspended following Taylor's death.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Staff writer Kelsey Bradshaw contributed to this story. | Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns
AUSTIN -- After months of assurances from top Republicans that they still hold a firm grip on Texas voters, a top campaign adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott is warning that recent Virginia elections should be a "wakeup call" to the Texas GOP.

In a private memo to Abbott's aides, senior political adviser Dave Carney cautions that despite the fact that Texas is solid red in recent statewide voting patterns, suburban voters could pose significant problems for Republicans in next year's mid-term elections.

"It would be easy for us to say Texas is not Virginia. It would be easy for us to say the Democrats in Texas aren't that well organized," wrote Carney, a New Hampshire-based political consultant who has served as an adviser to Rick Perry and Abbott and was the White House political director for George H.W. Bush.

"That would be a huge mistake."

A copy of the memo was obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

Some political insiders say the memo is significant because it signals for the first time that Republicans may not be as sure about their prospects for sweeping next year's mid-term elections, as as they have in the past two decades.

Democrats last won statewide office in Texas in 1994.

Other insiders suggest that Carney could also be warning against complacency by Republicans, who could lose seats if their turnout in next year's elections drops off because they expect they will win.

As for Democrats, they and their consultants insist the Republicans now appear to be recognizing what they have been predicting for some time: Because of Trump and a general unhappiness with current state of politics, 2018 promises to be a winning year for Democrats.

"We agree," said Manny Garcia, deputy executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, which has not won a statewide race since 1994 but for months has been predicting gains in a number of races next year. "Polls are showing a strong movement to Democrats in many areas . . . This is a trend that's going on across the country."

In the memo, Carney asserts that Republican losses in the recent Virginia elections "were not caused by Republicans running a bad campaign." Instead, he insists that the GOP got more votes for governor of Virginia than they ever had -- but still lost."

"Republican voters showed up but were overwhelmed by Democrat enthusiasm," the memo states. "This wasn't a case of a great Democrat turning out the vote."

In fact, he says, Ralph Northam, the Democrat who won the governorship, "is no Barack Obama. In fact, most observers consider Northam a bad candidate," so bad that progressive organizations stopped mobilizing voter turnout on his behalf before the election because of his opposition to sanctuary cities.

"The Northern Virginia suburbs saw turnout increase substantially while the rest of the state turned out at historic levels," Carney wrote.

Texas Republicans, he reasons, could face a similar turnout by Democrats -- especially among suburban voters in areas where Democrats have recently registered enthusiasm, such as Houston and Dallas.

"We will have to deal with these very same problems (and they could be much worse in another year) during our reelection," Carney warned. "No matter who the Democrat candidate is, Democrats will turn out to vote in higher numbers than ever before to voice their displeasure with President Trump. Without Hillary Clinton to push them away suburban voters will lean Democratic in reaction to the national political environment."

"Like Virginia, Texas is growing and in doing so it is becoming more suburban, more independent and more easily influenced by the national political environment," the memo states, noting that that Republicans lost their 66-to-34 advantage in the Virginia House of Delegates.

With three races still too close to call, Democrats now hold a 49-to-48 advantage.

"The enthusiasm gap that we face is real," Carney cautions. "It is going to take a concerted effort by the campaign to overcome it, not just for ourselves, but for the down ballot races that will be depending on us to pull them over the line."

For their part, Democrats point to recent wins over Republicans in other states -- including an upset Tuesday in Oklahoma in a predominately Republican suburban Tulsa district, the third such win by Democrats in the past two years.

Democratic strategists believe that is part of what Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa has called "the beginning of the blue wave," a prediction echoed by Texas Democratic strategist Harold Cook who says 2018 promises to an "atrociously terrible election year for Republicans."

Even so, despite the new GOP concern, political scientists of all stripes still say that significant Republican losses still don't appear to be in the offing in Texas, despite recent polls that signal growing angst among some suburban voters.

"The Texas system is so structured in favor of the Republicans, that would take such an enormous tidal wave of turnout for Democrats, and I doubt that we'll see that," said Glen Biglaiser, a political scientist at the University of North Texas in Denton. "The numbers now just don't work."

James Dickey, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, said while he agrees with Carney's assertion that the GOP should not take anything for granted in 2018, "that's the way we've approached it all along."

"I don't see how Democratic wins in Democratic states is relevant to what could happen in Texas," he said. "We are taking this election very seriously and are not ceding any territory.

"We are not taking anything for granted."
Michael Minasi/Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is joining those sounding the alarm over the potential for a "blue wave" that threatens Republicans who underestimate Democrats in the 2018 election.

Pointing to major Democratic wins in Virginia earlier this month, the high-ranking Republican from Houston told fellow party members in Waco Thursday they have a challenging election year ahead of them and the GOP should take nothing for granted, reports the Waco Tribune.
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At the reception (Photo: thanhuytphcm.vn)

According to Mr. Shim Wonhwan, Samsungs export turnover reaches USD44 billion, with an expected number of USD52-53 billion at the end of this year. At present, it hires 160,000 laborers.

The number of businesses that are providers for Samsung has increased from 4 in 2014 to 29 in 2017, and is expected to be increased to 50 by 2020. Samsung has planned to foster Vietnamese businesses to become its providers, said Mr. Shim Wonhwan.

During the reception, Deputy Prime Minister Hue expressed his happiness with the strong development of Samsung in Vietnam.



Projects in Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen provinces and Ho Chi Minh city have helped Samsung become Vietnams largest foreign direct investor with the registered capital of up to USD17.3 billion, he said. It contributes to increasing job creation in Vietnam, especially at localities where Samsung projects are carried out.

He also appreciated Samsungs program in developing supply businesses, which he said would help develop the supportive industry in Vietnam and increase the localization of Samsung products, adding he hoped that Samsung would promptly carry out the development research centre; expand its investment to other areas such as energy, seaport infrastructure, science, technology, and healthcare; and develop payment companies./.
Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Dien (Photo: University of Economics and Law)

He is the first Vietnamese person to become an official member of the Academy.

Previously, Mr. Dien has been presented the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest order of France, and knight-hood for his contributions to developing Vietnam-French relations. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Francophone University Agency and the President of the Francophone University Association in the Asia Pacific region.

The Academy of Overseas Sciences (Academie des Sciences d'Outre-Mer) was established in 1922, and now has 41 official members. Many of them are former politicians of Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Brazil./.
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Lycoming Colleges Center for Enhanced Academic Experiences (CEAE) this fall hosted a trip to the nations capital to expose selected students to networking events and the inner workings of government agencies as they consider internship opportunities and post-graduate pursuits. The trip included opportunities to engage with Lycoming alumni, as well as stops at a number of government agencies and landmarks.

The CEAE is dedicated to helping students identify and participate in a wide-range of experiences that help them develop intellectually, professionally and personally, including student-faculty research, internships and global travel experiences. This domestic travel experience to Washington, D.C., enabled students to connect with influencers in a number of fields that could help to make their goals of internships and professional work experiences more accessible.

Destinations included the Government Accountability Office (GAO), for presentations by the financial management and assurance team, the international affairs team and the financial markets team. The accountants discussed the challenges they face, including the difficulty in auditing some government departments, such as the Department of Homeland Security, said Jacob Afton 19. Students also engaged with comptroller general Gene Dodaro who described the years of hard work and dedicated service that led to him leading the GAO.

The networking trip was also an opportunity for two of Lycomings international students from Mauritius to visit the Embassy of Mauritius. Accompanied by Caroline Payne, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, the group met with the deputy chief of mission, Ah Yao Lam, to converse on exchange programs with the universities located in Mauritius. Bryan Manoo 20 said, Mr. Lam responded positively to a future collaboration between Lycoming College and the Mauritius Embassy, and asked us to send him a proposal. We were fortunate to have a phone conversation with the ambassador, S. Phokeer, who also expressed interest in a collaboration with Lycoming College in order to provide hands on experience to the Mauritians studying there. The visit provided an opportunity for the College to begin building relationships with the Embassy as currently 22 percent of Lycomings degree-seeking international students are from Mauritius.

Another stop for several of the students was at the Voto Latino headquarters, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that encourages Latin American citizens to register to vote and to become familiar with their rights as U.S. citizens. Voto Latino also has locations across the country that work to create out-of-the classroom opportunities for students. Evelyn Torres 19 and Kaitlyn Hipple 18 met with the head of partnership programs to discuss internship opportunities, and provided an overview of the social climate of campus through a survey of activities and organizations. Torres and Hipple are working to create collaborative campus programming between Lycomings newly developed Latin American Student Organization and the Spanish Club, and see the information gained at Voto Latino as an excellent avenue for supporting Lycomings Hispanic student body.

The students had time to walk the grounds of the White House before their full group visit at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where they met with Abby Majlak, senior director, PAC & operations, political affairs and federation relations; Kendra Gaither, senior director, policy, Americas, international division; and Caroline Harris, vice president of tax policy and chief tax policy counsel, economic policy. The students received valuable advice for beginning careers in the nations capital as these policy experts fielded a number of their questions regarding initiatives supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The trip was sponsored by Jim Hebe 71, and the CEAE, and was facilitated by Susan Ross, Ph.D., associate provost for experiential learning, director of the CEAE, professor of sociology; Anne Landon, career adviser; and Payne. Ross, Landon and Payne accompanied students on the mid-October trip, including:

 Jacob Afton 19, economics, German and international studies major

 Anthony Bennett 20, business administration major

 Diana Cavaliere 18, business administration-marketing major, corporate communication and computer science minor

 Georgios Charalabidis 20, managerial economics major, legal studies minor

 Michael A. Dressler Jr. 19, philosophy major

 Rebecca Forbes 19, quantitative economics and Spanish major, business administration minor

 Itashna Geerwar 20, mathematics major

 Kaitlyn Hipple 18, Spanish major

 Bryan P. Manoo 20, political science major, philosophy minor

 Elizabeth Nace 19, criminal justice and psychology major, German minor

 Amy Plocinik 18, business administration major, accounting and psychology minor

 Jacob Quasius 18, history major, domestic public policy and political science minor

 Alexandra M. Rozzi 18, political science major, accounting minor

 Evelyn Torres 20, accounting major, psychology minor
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
Aluva: In a latest development in the actress attack case, the police team probing the sensational case is expected to submit the charge sheet within November 22.

Reports suggested that the police team might ask for a secret trial in the case. Recently, actor Dileep, who is on bail after spending 85 days in jail was questioned by the police again.

Later Dileep's younger brother Anoop was also called for questioning at the Aluva Police Club. Meanwhile, the police have revealed what would be the position of Dileep as an accused in the to-be submitted charge sheet.
Here are some headlines from about a year ago:

These stories arent cherry-pickedin the immediate aftermath of Donald Trumps surprise US presidential election win, concerns about an approaching wave of protectionism were everywhere. Yet a year later, he hasnt actually done much on the trade front. To us, this shows the importance of not letting campaign trail talk drive investment decision-making.

When Trump won, investors were largely fearful. Markets generally prefer freer trade, but Trump had talked a big protectionist game during the campaign. He declared other countries are killing us on trade, pronounced NAFTA the worst deal ever and promised to label China a currency manipulator on day one of his presidency.[i] Soon after taking office, President Trump appeared to fulfill the worst fears by withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a pending free-trade agreement between America and 11 other nations. But the TPP torpedoing was mostly symbolic. The agreement was likely dead in the water anyway, with both Trump and Hillary Clinton opposed, insufficient popular or legislative support in the US, and ratification roadblocks in other participating countries.

Other trade moves were similarly symbolic. Yes, he blocked a Chinese venture capital fund from buying a US computer chip manufacturer on national security and intellectual property groundsa form of veiled protectionism. But this isnt new. President Obama did the same thing for basically the same reasons in 2016, and George W. Bush similarly blocked Dubai Ports Worlds planned acquisition of 22 US ports a decade prior. Yet here we are in 2017, not in a trade war with China or the UAE. Likewise, some presently talk up restrictions on imported Chinese solar panels. While none have emerged yet, its worth noting Obama did the same thing more than once. As for that promise to label China a currency manipulatoropening them up to trade restrictionsTrumps Treasury declined. Logical, considering China never met the Treasurys criteria.

Canadian trade relations have hit a few small roadblocks, but nothing yuuuuuge or shocking. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced a 20% tariff on some Canadian lumber in Aprilbut this was way overrated: The tariffs were in the works long before Trump took office, stemmed from a long-running dispute between US and Canadian lumber interests and havent been finalized yet. Similar story for the recent tiff between Bombardier and Boeing: Boeing wants tariffs on certain Bombardier planes, arguing the Canadian government subsidizes them. Thus far the Commerce department has been sympatheticbut again, nothing is finalizedand regardless, these arent the sort of sweeping barriers that would spark major retaliation or spread worldwide. WTO members usually have several per year.[ii]

NAFTA is perhaps thornier, at least for now. Trump opened renegotiations as promised, and (reportedly!) they arent exactly going smoothly. While pregame comments from Ross and others hinted at broadening the deale.g., opening markets for digital servicesactual starting positions are tougher. US negotiators have demanded (among other things) a five-year sunset clause, suggested a 50% local-content minimum to qualify for tariff-free auto imports, and proposed restricting Mexican long-haul truckers from operating in the US. Mexico and Canada have objected. Meanwhile, Canada has put forth its own fresh demands, including stronger labor protections and tougher environmental provisions. With so many differences, its no surprise negotiations have been heated, with all sides expressing frustration at times. Some wonder: Could the disagreements lead to a narrower deal or its cancellation altogether?

Mexican stocks seem to reflect this uncertainty. Mexican exports to the US were $302.6 billion in 2016, while Mexican imports of American goods totaled $189.1 billion.[iii] America accounts for 80.9% of total Mexican exports and 46.3% of total imports.[iv] An estimated 1 million Mexican jobs depend on NAFTA. Thus, while Mexican markets dont solely take their cues from US trade policy, Exhibit 1 suggests sentiment stemming from it is a big driver recently. Trumps surprise win seemingly hit Mexican stocks hard, with Mexico lagging Emerging Markets and the MSCI All Country World Index from the election through January 12, 8 days before Trumps inauguration. But for the first seven-plus months of Trumps presidency, Mexico outperformeda stretch coinciding with the administrations apparent softening. They didnt resume underperforming until August 21, just days after NAFTA negotiations began.

Exhibit 1: Mexicos Performance Relative to Emerging and Global Markets



Source: FactSet, as of 11/10/2017. MSCI Mexico, MSCI Emerging Markets and MSCI All Country World Index, all with net dividends and indexed to 100 on 12/31/2015. Mexico is outperforming when the lines are rising.

While Mexican stocks sensitivity to NAFTA talks may seem disconcerting, we see an upsideefficient markets are discounting rumors and negotiation chatter. US and Mexican stocks are digesting all this stuff at the same time. Mexicos underperformance suggests a weaker or nonexistent NAFTA wouldnt be a total shocknor would it be sudden. NAFTA rules stipulate a six-month (nonbinding) notice for any departing country. Yes, Trump probably wouldnt need Congress to approve, but he does need voters in Texas, New Mexico and other NAFTA-loving states to win in 2020. Re-election is a powerful motivator. If negotiations dont materially impact NAFTA, wed expect relief to lift Mexican and American markets.

While losing NAFTA (still hypothetical) would be a setback for trade, that doesnt mean it would necessarily trigger a bear market or recession. Markets move on probabilities, not possibilities. The only trade war in modern history that wreaked market havoc occurred during the Great Depression, when the blowback to Smoot-Hawley went global. Even then it wasnt the sole cause of the downturn, as the Fed bears significant blame. Big as NAFTA is, its death isnt equal to massive trade barriers rising worldwide. It would create winners and losers, but thats different than a bear market. Another possibility is former NAFTA countries underperforming during a global bull market. Or, maybe markets will have priced in a dead NAFTA by the time it became realitysell the rumor, buy the news. Its impossible to say today. This is why basing portfolio moves on NAFTA angst seems premature. Investors will have time to get the facts and consider probabilities. In the meantime, remember heated trade negotiations are the norm. But actions speak louder than words.

[i] There are issues with all of these arguments, but we wont go into them here. For more, though, see other MarketMinder articles like this one, this one and this one.

[ii] Never mind that US Export-Import Bank in the corner.

[iii] Source: FactSet, as of 11/13/2017

[iv] Ibid.
SPRINGFIELD -- Vibra Hospital, a 220-bed long-term acute care center on State Street, has filed notice with the state that it plans to close.

The shutdown will occur in March, the hospital said in a press release.

"We have struggled with this decision," Gregory Toot, CEO of Vibra's Springfield operations, said. "But reductions in health care reimbursement and changes in referral practices over the past 12 months have made continuing operations in this location unsustainable."

Vibra said its facilities in New Bedford and the Rochdale village of Leicester will remain open.

In March, Vibra reached an agreement with 80 members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association to increase pay.

"We are still seeking more information from Vibra on why this happened," Joe Markman, a union spokesman, said of the hospital's closing.

He said the notice of intent to close filed today by Vibra with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health starts a process that lasts at least 30 days but typically takes as long as 120 days to complete.

There will be public hearings on the matter and the Massachusetts Nurses Association plans to advocate for its members' jobs and the care they provide.

Vibra said its Springfield facility has three units with approximately 90 patients: a chronic care hospital unit, a behavioral health skilled nursing unit and a Department of Mental Health / psychiatric unit.

"It's a huge loss for the community," Markman said. "This is essential care that is provided there. We are not sure where patients will be able to get that care in Western Massachusetts."

Management at Vibra both in Springfield and at the company's Pennsylvania headquarters didn't immediately respond to calls for comment Thursday evening.

The new nurses contract, according to the union at the time, increased the salary for a new registered nurse at Step 1 from $29.35 per hour to $29.79 per hour. The hourly rate for nurses at Step 10 increased from $36.28 to $36.83. The hourly rate for Step 20 increased from $44.87 to $45.55.

Vibra was the Springfield Municipal Hospital until the city sold it in 1996 to Olympus Healthcare Group. It was also once known as Kindred Hospital Park View.

"In the current health care environment we cannot maintain a 400,000-square-foot 1950s building, much of which is unused," said Edward Leary, division president of Vibra's Massachusetts operations. "We have shifted our focus away from trying a variety of operational and financial strategies to remain open."

Vibra letter to Mass. Nurses Association by The Republican/MassLive.com on Scribd
James Taylor will return to Tanglewood in 2018 for his annual performances in the Berkshires.

Tucked into the Boston Symphony Orchestra's release of its summer schedule yesterday was a confirmation that the superstar will return to the Koussevitzky Music Shed for performances on July 3 and July 4.

While tickets for individual shows are not yet on sale, 2018 Tanglewood season tickets will go on sale beginning Jan. 28 through tanglewood.org or by calling (888) 266-1200.

The 2018 season is entitled "Bernstein Centennial Summer - Celebrating Lenny at Tanglewood."
The Old Vic theater says it has received testimony from 20 individuals who allege inappropriate behavior by Kevin Spacey.

Spacey was the artistic director at The Old Vic between 2004 and 2015.

The theater announced the findings following an investigation by Lewis Silkin, an outside law firm, which gathered "personal testimonies" from all of those involved.

"The Old Vic was in a unique position of having a Hollywood star at the helm around whom existed a cult of personality," reads the report. "The investigation found that his stardom and status at The Old Vic may have prevented people, and in particular junior staff or young actors, from feeling that they could speak up or raise a hand for help."

The investigation was launched on Oct. 31 following the initial allegations brought against the actor by Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp, who claims Spacey made an unwanted sexual advance on him when he was a 14-year-old boy in 1986.

Several other men have accused Spacey of sexual misconduct. Netflix severed ties with the "House of Cards" star and the two-time Oscar winner was removed from his role in the upcoming movie, "All the Money in the World."

The Old Vic concluded that 20 incidents occurred between 1995 and 2013, with the majority -- all but two -- falling before 2009. In "all but one case," the individuals involved did not raise their concerns with anyone else at the theater.

Investigators concluded:
For the eighth year in a row, the Jimmy Fund hosted an evening filled with locally-produced beer and wine in an effort to raise money for cancer care and research.

The "Raise Your Glass for Jimmy" event was held at the Eaton Vance Rooftop, at the International Place in Boston Thursday evening.

The fundraiser, hosted by WROR's Hank Morse and managed by Michael Dotto, Mark Levine and Darah Frigoletti, aimed to raise $20,000 for the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Research Institute.

Dotto spoke openly about his own experience with cancer four decades ago. A son of immigrants who knew little English, Dotto said he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease at the age of 17. He thanked the Jimmy Fund for helping him and his family during his treatment.

"We didn't have to worry about bills," Dotto said. "I looked forward to seeing the nurses and doctors."

Dotto, now forty years in remission, continues to work with the Jimmy Fund to put on events like the fundraiser Thursday night.

Ten vendors from Massachusetts, including Shrewsbury's Wormtown Brewery, Everett's new Down the Road Brewery, the Plymouth Bay Winery and more, provided samples of their favorite and newest alcoholic beverages to attendees.

Various raffle prizes, wine "grab-bags" and a live performance by local band "Jay Frigoletto & the Diplomats of Funk" were all rolled into the lively evening on the 13th floor at International Place. Eaton Vance, John Hancock and MS Walker helped sponsor the event.
The explosive device set off Thursday night in Blackstone was near a vehicle belonging to Bellingham High School Principal Lucas Giguere, neighbors told Boston 25 News.

Principal of the school since 2015, Giguere is a former U.S. Marine sergeant and teacher in Franklin. Home to more than 700 students, Bellingham High School teaches grades eight through 12.

The blast was reported at 6:16 p.m. on Lakeshore Drive, police announced early Friday morning. It was initially reported as possible vandalism to police after a "loud bang shook his home" and he ventured outside to find his vehicle extensively damaged, according to Blackstone police.



Authorities assessing the scene as part of a preliminary investigation determined an explosive device of some kind, possibly a pipe bomb, caused the wreckage.

The department waited hours before issuing any public statement about the incident. When it did, in a Facebook post and subsequent press release, it sought to assuage any fears of danger in the Worcester County town.

"I want to stress first and foremost that we do not believe that there is any danger to the community and that this does not appear to have been a random act," Chief Ross A. Atstupenas said. "Thank you to all our residents for their patience and assistance today as we work on the investigation."

Town, state and federal authorities are working together in investigating the explosion. At the scene Thursday night included state police bomb experts, members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and police from multiple local municipalities.
A controversial Italian doctor announced Friday that the worlds first human head transplant was "imminent" and that it would take place in China because his efforts to get backing for the project were being ignored by medical communities and scientists in the United States and Europe.

"The Americans did not understand," Sergio Canavero said in a press conference in Vienna, Austria. He was discussing a surgery that if it works will be an audacious and near-miraculous therapy that defies decades of scientific wisdom and raises profound ethical questions. It also represents another area in which Beijing is seeking to assume the mantle of global leadership from climate to economic governance.

Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/11/17/italian-doctor-says-worlds-first-human-head-transplant-imminent/847288001/
The Board of Regents voted unanimously Thursday to hire Seth Bodnar as the University of Montanas next president, a decision applauded by campus leaders from Missoula to Bozeman.

The regents voted 6-0 to hire Bodnar to lead the UM Missoula campus, which has been struggling in recent years with falling enrollment and demoralizing budget cuts.

The vote was greeted with standing applause by leaders from all campuses attending the regents meeting at Montana State University.

By Gail Schontzler Chronicle Staff Writer

https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/montana_state_university/um-s-new-president-is-an-outside-the-box-pick/article_8fce396e-be49-5cd3-9294-b5975071e1b7.html
Gov. Steve Bullock said Thursday he expects to veto a bill passed in the special legislative session directing the executive branch of state government to furlough certain employees to save $15 million over the next two years.

Hours after the Legislature adjourned, the Democratic governor told reporters that House Bill 8, sponsored by Rep. Barry Usher, R-Billings, was riddled with legal problems and "was pretty half-baked and in many respects, fairly silly."

Bullock added that the bill, aimed at employees making more than $50,000 annually, amounts to "playing politics with peoples lives."

By Chuck Johnson

https://www.missoulacurrent.com/government/2017/11/bullock-furlough-prison/
Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso head to Abu Dhabi next week hoping not to be impacted by a spare parts crisis which has hit engine supplier Renault.

A painful series of power unit failures has wreaked havoc on the French manufacturer's inventory of engine components, elements which simply cannot be produced on short notice.

Red Bull's engines were tuned down in Brazil last weekend to safe-guard reliability, much to Max Verstappen's displeasure after his great run and triumph in Mexico.

"We are glad the engines survived," Red Bull's Christian Horner told Auto Motor und Sport.

Asked what will happen if parts fail in practice in Abu Dhabi, he answered: "We don't want that to happen. It would be an expensive job to sort that out."

Horner made clear that he does not blame the actual Renault mechanics, who have been working particularly hard at recent races, for the recent spate of failures.

"What the Renault mechanics have done is a small miracle," he said.

"For weeks they have been making old parts workable and screwing them on from one car to another."

Toro Rosso has been more severely impacted by Renault's recent mechanical failures, a state of affairs which generated huge tensions between the Faenza-based squad and its supplier.

On behalf of Red Bull, Helmut Marko moved to try to appease the anger expressed from both camps but said neither team is happy with Renault.

"Of course it's not satisfactory," he said.

"They did not solve the problems and parts are running out. Unfortunately Toro Rosso was affected more than the other teams and that's why emotions were high.

"But we discussed it, made a statement and everything is ok."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
The "Halliburton loophole" exempts oil and gas companies from having to answer to the Clean Water Act for the chemicals they use for fracking. A new report says the government covered up scientists doubts about studies that claimed the chemicals were not harmful to groundwater.
This week, Spokane signed an extension of its deal with Avista Utilities Corp. to sell excess electricity generated at Spokanes Waste-to-Energy plant, a deal valued at between $5 million and $5.5 million in each of the next five years.

http://www.spokesman.com/galleries/2017/nov/14/spokanes-waste-to-energy-plant/#/0
First Vice President of Ukrtransgaz Myroslav Khymko and Vice President Pawel Stanczak on November 17, 2017 held negotiations with representatives of Gas Storage Poland Sp at the Dashava gas storage facility. The negotiations concerned the creation of a Ukrainian-Polish gas consortium, a source in the government has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"The project could be effective if the Ukraine-Poland interconnector is built. It is outrageous that the negotiations are held without involving representatives of the government of Ukraine. Stanczak, who has not yet received admission to state secrets, visited the restricted access facility," the source said.

He said that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was alarmed with the previous visit of Stanczak to the limited access facility.

As reported, Ukrtransgaz, fully owned by Naftogaz Ukrainy, operates a system of trunk gas pipelines and 12 underground gas storage facilities in the country.
Several candidates to the post of the governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) are being considered, and acting NBU governor Yakiv Smolii and Board Chairman of Raiffeisen Bank Aval Volodymyr Lavrenchuk are among them, First Deputy Head of the Petro Poroshenko Block parliamentary faction MP Ihor Kononenko has said.

"As for the National Bank. Consultations are underway. Today there are several candidates. The names that sounds familiar are acting NBU Governor Smolii and Mr. Lavrenchuk," he told reporters in Kyiv on Friday.

Kononenko recalled that the president is holding consultations.

"I hope that by the end of this year the consultations will finish and the candidate will be announced in the session hall and we will have a chance to vote," he said.

As reported, on April 6, 2017, NBU Governor Valeriya Gontareva sent a letter of resignation to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. She said that she will leave the post from May 10.

According to the law on the NBU the head of the central bank is dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada under a proposal of the president. Gontareva from September 26, 2017 has been on unpaid leave until the president and the Ukrainian parliament make the relevant decision. The NBU governor does not plan to return to work to the central bank.

First Deputy NBU Governor Smolii has been acting NBU Governor since May 11, 2017.
The Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine plans to start three reconstruction projects for 232 km of roads with cement surfacing in 2018. The project would cost around UAH 8 billion.

An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that the project was discussed at a meeting of the parliamentary transport committee.

The first project is reconstruction of the northern orbital road around Zhytomyr in Kyiv-Chop M-06 highway (22.3 km).

"It is planned to upgrade the road category to 1b [the extension of the road from two to four lanes, the estimated traffic intensity is 14,000 vehicles]. Land has already been allocated," Director of the department for strategic development of the road market and road transport of the Infrastructure Ministry Viktor Sasin said.

According to the representative of the State Automobile Roads Agency of Ukraine (Ukravtodor) Andriy Chabanovsky, the cost of reconstruction will be UAH 1 billion. The project is financed from the loan provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

In addition, the investment project for reconstruction of the Dnipro-Reshetylivka N-31 highway provides for the expansion of the road from two to four lanes, as well as the coating in cement concrete (137 km), Sasin said. The cost of the project, according to Ukravtodor, is UAH 5.4 billion.

It is planned to carry out major repairs of the Kropyvnytsky-Mykolaiv N-11 highway, within the borders of Mykolaiv region (73 km), Chabanovsky said. Road coverage, according to the prepared project, is cement concrete. The project cost is UAH 1.6 billion, the works will begin in 2018.
Some UAH 3 bln could be sent to support livestock breeding in 2018

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said that in 2018, some UAH 3 billion is planned to send to support livestock breeding. Farmers would also have access to no-interest loans to develop meat and milk production.

"We must turn to the development of livestock breeding. I think that we can send about UAH 3 billion next year to support the revival of livestock. I want that in 2018 our agro-industrial producers get access and they will have access to no-interest loans for the restoration of livestock in Ukraine," he said at an event on the occasion of the Day of Agricultural Workers in Kyiv on Friday.

According to the prime minister, no-interest loans will mean access of agrarians to dozens of billions of hryvnias.

"The banking system will be ready to work, and you will get loans," Groysman said.
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Body mass index (BMI) is the most widely used indicator of obesity. Despite its common usage, there is growing concern in the medical community that BMI is not a valid measure of obesity in older adults because it doesn't account for the location of body tissue used for the storage of fat, differentiate between fat mass and lean mass, or account for variation in body composition. This creates challenges for healthcare providers who must assess obesity-related health risks in their patients.The challenge is magnified when treating older women because of the significant physical changes that occur during the postmenopausal period, including changes in body weight, redistribution of fat tissue, decrease in skeletal muscle mass, and loss of height.The location of fat affects a person's health, even though BMI does not take into account whether a woman has a pear-shaped body with more subcutaneous fat in the hips and thighs or an apple-shaped body consisting of a larger midsection.Use of BMI in a postmenopausal population where the location of stored fat is changing may result in the misclassification of obesity status and an inaccurate representation of obesity-related risks. There are, however, direct measures of adiposity (fat storage), such as dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans, that provide a much more accurate measurement of body fat, but these require access to expensive specialized equipment and skilled technicians.Findings from the study are published in the article, "Is BMI a valid measure of obesity in postmenopausal women?" Data was gathered from the more than 1,300 postmenopausal women participating in the Buffalo OsteoPerio Study. Researchers calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value to evaluate the validity of BMI-defined obesity relative to body fat percentage.Findings indicate that the use of BMI can lead to bias in measuring the effects of obesity on health outcomes in postmenopausal women. Because women are now expected to spend more than a third of their lives beyond the menopause transition, these findings on the shortcomings of using BMI to define obesity could have serious implications for healthcare providers with an aging patient population."Postmenopausal women lose hormones at menopause and this is associated with changes in metabolism and fat deposition, loss of muscle, bone density, and often loss of height," says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS executive director."Traditional measurement of height and weight may not reflect the degree of obesity for a given woman. Currently, a BMI of 30 kg/m2 is used as a cut-off or measure of obesity for decisions about the degree of surgical risk and in research to determine the effect of obesity on mortality and morbidity. However, BMI may not be a valid measure of obesity for postmenopausal women as they age. A better measure is needed to determine which postmenopausal women meet the definition of obesity for research and clinical care purposes."Source: Eurekalert
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Anne L Schou1, Marie-Louise Mlbak1, Peter Schnor2, Morten Grnbk1, Janne S Tolstrup1 . Alcohol consumption, smoking and development of visible age-related signs: a prospective cohort study, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health(2017) .http:dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2016-208568

This study, which began in 1976, has been monitoring a random sample of Danish people over the age of 20 living in the Copenhagen area in 1981-3, 1991-4, and in 2001-3.Before each of the clinic visits, participants were quizzed about their lifestyle and general health and asked to state how much they drank and smoked.And they were checked for four signs of aging that have previously been linked to a heightened risk of cardiovascular ill health and/or death.These were: earlobe creases; a greyish opaque coloured ring or arc around the peripheral cornea of both eyes (arcus corneae); yellow-orange plaques on the eyelids (xanthelasmata); and male pattern baldness (receding hairline or a bald patch on the top of the head).The average age of the participants was 51, but ranged from 21 to 86 among the women, and from 21 to 93 among the men. Average alcohol consumption was 2.6 drinks/week for women and 11.4 for men. Just over half the women (57%) and around two thirds of the men (67%) were current smokers.Arcus coneae was the most common sign of ageing among both sexes, with a prevalence of 60 percent among men over 70 and among women over 80. The least common sign was xanthelasmata, with a prevalence of 5 percent among men and women over 50. A receding hairline was common among men, with 80 percent of those over the age of 40 affected.Analysis of drinking and smoking patterns revealed a consistently heightened risk of looking older than one's true age and developing arcus corneae, earlobe creases, and xanthelasmata among those who smoked and drank heavily.For example, compared with a weekly alcohol intake of up to 7 drinks, a tally of 28 or more was associated with a 33 percent heightened risk of arcus coneae among the women, and a 35 percent heightened risk among men who knocked back 35 or more drinks every week.Similarly, compared with not smoking, smoking one pack of 20 cigarettes daily for between 15 and 30 years was associated with a 41 percent heightened risk among women and a 12 percent heightened risk among men.The occurrence of the visible signs of ageing was no different among light to moderate drinkers than it was among non-drinkers, the analysis showed.Male pattern baldness was not consistently associated with heavy drinking or smoking, possibly because it is strongly influenced by genes and circulating levels of male hormones (androgens), suggest the researchers.This is an observational study so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, particularly as the data on smoking and drinking relied on personal recall, which is subject to bias.And while the researchers took account of a range of potentially influential factors, they were unable to take account of stress, which is associated both with cardiovascular disease risk and smoking and heavier drinking.Nevertheless, they conclude: "This is the first prospective study to show that alcohol and smoking are associated with the development of visible age-related signs and thus generally looking older than one's actual age. This may reflect that heavy drinking and smoking increases general ageing of the body."Source: Eurekalert
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"The spread of the Zika virus in northeastern Brazil has been so intense that the current Zika epidemic could soon be over," explains Drexler. People who have undergone Zika virus infections usually become immune to the virus.Consequently, fewer and fewer people can now contract Zika virus infections and subsequently serve as a source of the virus for mosquitoes. According to the authors of the study, "Outbreaks in the same region are therefore rather unlikely."The Zika virus is currently spreading from Brazil to the neighboring countries but, according to Drexler, may gradually fade out on its own. However, to date, it is still unclear as to whether the virus can hide in other animals to then cause new outbreaks in humans.The study is the first laboratory-based epidemiological study since the start of the Zika epidemic. Samples from 910 humans in Salvador, northeast Brazil, were tested for Zika virus antibodies as well as for other viruses transmitted by mosquitoes--such as Chikungunya and dengue.The samples were obtained before, during and after the peak of the Zika outbreak. An infection rate of over 60 percent was observed in this metropolis. With mathematical modeling and sociodemographic data alongside the laboratory values, the scientists used a multidisciplinary approach to elucidate the speed of virus spread, areas most affected by Zika and the link to malformations in newborns."The increased number of newborns with microcephaly observed during the Zika outbreak in Brazil is linked to Zika infection of the mother during early pregnancy," explains Drexler.Data from the Brazilian metropolis have confirmed this suspicion and, together with other studies, enable the researchers to estimate the absolute risk of microcephaly upon infection of the mother during pregnancy: approximately one out of 100 mothers infected during early pregnancy will bear a child with microcephaly.Analysis of geospatial data and socioeconomic status demonstrated a connection between the likelihood of Zika infection and increased poverty. "We can see that poorer regions are more severely affected by Zika," confirms Drexler. "Reasons for this can currently only be assumed." The scientists suspect that living conditions contribute to the situation."Mosquitoes can more easily access these homes and people are more exposed."According to the authors of the study, these findings could be taken into consideration for developing future intervention measures, such as ensuring that people living in poorer regions have better access to protection against mosquitoes. In addition, more targeted use of the potential vaccines and drugs that scientists are currently working on intensively could be planned.Source: Eurekalert
China Development Bank has notified national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy on the termination of the general loan agreement for the amount of $3.656 billion signed in 2012, the press service of the Ukrainian company has reported.

Naftogaz recalled that under the terms of the agreement guaranteed by the state, projects for borrowed funds were to be transferred to the bank before June 25, 2017. Because of the delay in obtaining approvals from Ukrainian public agencies, in June 2017, Naftogaz arranged to postpone the transfer until Aug. 1, 2017 with China. The last time Naftogaz handed over the documents for approval by the requisite ministries in February 2017 and since then sent more than 40 letters to these ministries and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with a request to speed up the consideration of the submitted materials.

"The necessary approvals were provided by Ukraine in October 2017, and the materials were received by the bank after the approved deadline. As a result, the bank informed Naftogaz about the impossibility of processing the received documents and, accordingly, about the termination of the loan agreement signed in 2012," the company said.

At the same time, announcing the termination of this loan deal, the bank notified of its readiness to continue cooperation with Naftogaz on new projects.

"Now representatives of the company are negotiating with the bank on the format of work, which would require fewer approvals by public agencies," Naftogaz said.

The press service said that the Naftogaz group began active cooperation with leading Chinese companies. Thus, at present, PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia has contractual relations with several Chinese companies for more than $30 million. The contracts were concluded after tenders in the ProZorro e-procurement system. The total value of contracts with Chinese companies that are at the stage of confinement is about $300 million.

According to the company, the Chancellery for Trade and Economic Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine confirmed the readiness of China for further cooperation with the Naftogaz: "We are pleased with the results of the work of Chinese companies with the enterprises of the Naftogaz Group, in particular, Ukrgazvydobuvannia. We hope for continuation of mutually beneficial cooperation with Naftogaz."
Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), together with the police, have detained a citizen of Poland in Kyiv, who is put on the international wanted list.

The detainee is a member of an organized criminal group. He is accused of stealing almost EUR 2 million in one of the banks of Poland, the SBU press center reported.

"Law enforcers found that after the theft of money, the criminal was hiding in Kyiv and Odesa. The thief was constantly changing the apartments he lived in and phone numbers," the report says.

At the present time, the issue of choosing a preventive measure to the detainee until his extradition to Poland is being decided.

"The implementation of this operation is the result of an effective cooperation between the police of the Republic of Poland, established between the Security Service of Ukraine and the Central Bureau of Investigation," the report said.
Ukraine will soon send to Thailand the remaining 13 Oplot tanks produced by the Malyshev Plant, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Oleh Hladkovsky has said.

"We have a contract with the Thai side for the delivery of 49 Oplot tanks. I am happy to say that despite everything, Ukraine will fulfill its obligations to our partners, and in the near future it will send for the needs of the Royal Thai Army the remaining 13 combat machines that have already been manufactured by the Ukrainian enterprise Malyshev Plant. They are now being prepared for tests and confirmation of their characteristics," the NSDC's press office quoted Hladkovsky as saying on Thursday, November 16.

The NSDC first deputy secretary took part in the Defense and Security 2017 exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand. The Ukrainian delegation at the exhibition was headed by Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak.

During the visit, the Ukrainian side held talks with a deputy prime minister, defense minister of Thailand and the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army. In addition, during meetings with the heads of defense departments of Thailand, the sides discussed the possibility of creating a service center for armored vehicles, transfer of technology and expanding areas of cooperation in the defense sphere.

In recent years, Thailand has been one of the largest importers of Ukrainian armored vehicles in South-East Asia. The Thai side purchased more than 250 Ukrainian armored vehicles, in particular, BTR-3E1s and Oplot battle tanks. In 2010-2015, Ukraine supplied Thailand with 233 BTR-3E1s as part of contracts concluded in 2006 and in 2011 for a total amount of about $270 million. In 2011, Ukraine and Thailand signed a contract worth more than $200 million to supply 49 Ukrainian Oplot tanks to Thailand.

In the conditions of external aggression against Ukraine, armored vehicles to the customer have been delivered since 2014 according to the schedule specified by the parties. The contract, according to previously released data, is due to expire in the autumn of 2017.
Donbas war would be ongoing if not for Germany's firm stance - Lukashenko

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has lauded Germany's contribution to settling the conflict in Ukraine.

"True, there are still many problems after the 'Normandy format' meeting [held in Minsk in 2015] but there is no war there, in Ukraine. People would still be dying if Germany had not taken a firm stand," Lukashenko said at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in Minsk on Friday, according to the BelTA state-run agency.

"Germany can make a great contribution to modern history if it continues this course towards normalization in eastern Ukraine," Lukashenko said.
The Ukrainian side hopes for a positive result in the exchange of hostages before the New Year, and members of illegal armed groups in Donetsk and Luhansk regions have confirmed the presence of 88 persons from the list of 157 people requested by Kyiv, Verkhovna Rada First Deputy Speaker Iryna Gerashchenko has said.

"As you know, the Ukrainian side is looking for all possibilities to release the hostages staying in the occupied territories. We confirmed our readiness to hand over to that side all the persons they request if this is in accordance with Ukrainian legislation - there is no violation of laws and procedures. The key to the release of all hostages is in the Kremlin. We hope that positive results will be achieved before the New Year," she told reporters in parliament on Thursday, November 16.

Gerashchenko recalled that the SBU's list currently included 157 Ukrainian hostages, whereas the other side had confirmed the presence of only 88 citizens.

"They confirmed only 88 of our people. Most of them are military. Most of them have been held in the Makiyivka colony for three years. Ukraine is ready to hand over more than 300 people whom that party requests," she said.

At the same time, Gerashchenko said that Ukraine "cannot agree to blackmail."

When asked whether Viktor Medvedchuk's intervention influenced the question of the exchange of prisoners, she said: "We must use all chances, opportunities, negotiators, who have some channels or opportunities. We must appeal to the Church, to all structures."

"We are at a very delicate stage... Now we must be as cautious as possible so as not to disrupt the process. Ukraine guarantees that it will do all the work that needs to be done from its side," Gerashchenko said.
Russia's hybrid military forces have attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 22 times in the past 24 hours, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters has reported.

"The operational situation in the ATO area has become somewhat more complicated ... In general, over the past day, the invaders violated the ceasefire 22 times. In response, Ukrainian servicemen suppressed enemy fire activity 15 times, as a result of enemy attacks, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in action," the ATO press centre said on Facebook.

Militants were particularly active at night time.

"In the Luhansk sector, the Svitlodarska Duha bulge became the epicenter of the confrontation. The enemy had been shelling the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Luhanske for about three hours, using 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, machine guns, and infantry fighting vehicles. In total, over 90 shells were launched. In addition, the defenders of the village of Makarove came under fire from 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns in the evening. The enemy also provoked the Ukrainian troops by firing from small arms near the village of Krymske," the report reads.

In the Donetsk sector, the situation was most tense near the Sea of Azov. "Violating the Minsk accords, the enemy used 152mm artillery systems near the village of Vodiane, as well as 120mm mortars against the defenders of the villages of Pavlopil and Shyrokyne. The Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka were attacked with grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms. Moreover, the Ukrainian positions near the village of Novotroyitske came under grenade launcher fire, while the defenders of the village of Starohnativka were attacked by the illegal armed groups with heavy machine guns at the end of the day," the ATO staff said.

As it was reported, nine enemy attacks had been recorded from the beginning of Thursday until 18:00.
Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov has said that his son did not commit any unlawful actions, which will be proved in court, adding that he will demand an apology on the 'backpack case' of the Interior Ministry," where one of figurants is his son Oleksandr Avakov.

"I am proud of my son, and my son did nothing to be ashamed of. And the manipulation that has been made will be proved in court and I will demand everyone to apologize," Avakov said on the air of the 'Pravo na Vladu' (Right to Power) program on the 1 + 1 TV channel overnight into Friday.

As reported, on November 1, Solomiansky District Court of Kyiv chose for Oleksandr Avakov and two other defendants of the 'backpacks case' the measure of restraint in the form of a personal obligation.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) is investigating the criminal proceeding about embezzling more than UAH 14 million for the purchase of backpacks for the needs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in late 2014 - early 2015. Detectives find out the circumstances associated with the forgery of warehouse documents for the delivered backpacks.

Two individuals detained on October 31 as part of the investigation into the so-called 'backpack case' were notified on the same day of suspicion of committing a crime under Part 5, Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (appropriation, embezzlement or taking possession of property through abuse of power). These two are former Deputy Interior Minister Serhiy Chebotar and Oleksandr Avakov, the son of Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.

Later NABU detectives notified the third detainee of suspicion in committing a crime during the purchase of backpacks for the Interior Ministry in late 2014 and early 2015. Bloc of Petro Poroshenko MP Serhiy Leschenko said earlier, referring to his own sources, that NABU detectives had detained in Kharkiv head of IT firm Turboseo Volodymyr Lytvyn, who also runs a company that had to produce a batch of backpacks for the Interior Ministry.
BAD AXE  The Huron County Board of Commissioners received an update on next years budget this week.

The Child Care Fund will double to $800,000 for 2018, as part of the Huron County Probate Court budget.

This year, $400,000 was appropriated based on last years spending, which had totaled around $370,000, board Finance Chairman Ron Wruble reported.

The board had to dedicate an additional $400,000 to this year's budget as well.

We had to increase the appropriation to the Child Care Fund $400,000 to pay the anticipated costs for 2017 in that fund, he said.

At the same time, Wruble added, We had to increase the anticipated budget for 2018 to $800,000 because we dont think issues that theyre dealing with are going to go away, in the next year, so to speak.

Board Chair Sami Khoury asked Wruble whether it would become a trend to amend the budget for childcare.

One of the problems is that, Wruble said, When youre dealing with the state  because some of the money is billed back to the county, and some of it is reimbursed to the county, weve got two different programs, and the state is several months behind.

So were looking at this budget going ahead, and everythings looking good, and all of a sudden  this backlog of paperwork is done because its delayed from the state. And then here we are.

Commissioner John Bodis noted that part of the issue is that the states fiscal year does not coincide with the countys.

The state has a portion to pay; we have a portion to pay, Bodis said. One of our judges sits on a committee thats trying to get the state to at least pay what their portion should be. Meanwhile, the states trying to push more on us  so its back and forth 

The budget also depends on issues that the court has to deal with, Wruble said.

The 2017 budget amendments passed this week also reflected $1,219,368 in additional revenue.

The majority of that money is due to tax collections that werent anticipated to be paid so quickly, Wruble said.

Usually, we end up with more delinquent tax than we anticipated, so thats going to be a shift from funds that may have been paid for this year late, which would end up for next years budget and actually come in early, he explained.

That wasnt new money, he added It was just shifted from one year to the next.

The Huron County Sheriffs Office also generated more funds than expected by housing federal inmates at the jail.

An amendment for additional county expenditures totaled $563,272, and included the money for this year's Child Care Fund. Various departmental budgets had also been adjusted, Wruble said.

He told the board to expect more amendments as we close up this year.

Even with that big hit with the Child Care, that was for 2017, so (things look) fairly solid.

He also reported that unsettled union contracts expiring in December are an unknown budget variable for 2018.

In other business, the board voted to opt out of Public Act 152, the Publicly Funded Health Insurance Contribution Act, for 2018.

Personnel Committee Chairman David G. Peruski explained that this will prevent costs from increasing and benefits from decreasing.

Part of the problem is, Peruski said, that to continue with the hard cap option would create movement to a plan that would be quite detrimental to everybody thats on the plan.

It would cause loss of benefits, increased costs, and the biggest increase would be out-of-pocket maximums, Peruski said.

Leaving the plan as-is would create a hard-cap problem, and the county would not be in compliance with requirements, he added.

Wruble interjected: From a financial side, the cost of health insurance rose above what we are allowed by law to pay.

So by opting out, he continued, We can do that, and the countys going to absorb the cost. The employees wont have to.

Khoury asked how much it would cost the county to opt out.

This year, our increase is 7.8 percent, Wruble said, But that barely got us over the hard cap.

Peruski added: The alternatives to getting under the hard caps could cost an average employee  $3,000 to $4,000 more a year.

A two-thirds vote was required to opt out, and the commissioners voted unanimously to do so.

The board also:

 Received an update from Commissioner John A. Nugent on negotiations between the Huron County Road Commission and DTE Energy to install electricity at the Huron County Nature Center. He said the groups are making progress, and permits should be issued for the project soon. Nugent also commended all of the anonymous donors who have contributed to the project.

 Adopted the 2017 Huron County Apportionment Report.

 Approved increasing the boards mileage allowance from 35 cents a mile to 40 cents.

 Renewed the contract with Hyzer, Hill, Kuzak & Co., P.C. to perform the fiscal year 2017, 2018 and 2019 audits.

 Approved various PA 116 (farmland preservation) applications.

 Employed Jon Phillips as a full-time system analyst/programmer in Computer Information Systems; Chuck Bolzman as a part-time deputy sheriff (corrections/work crew); and Erica Volmering as a full-time court recorder/juvenile assistant.

 Accepted the retirement of Richard Learman from his postion as PC Coordinator.

 Authorized advertisements for the following vacancies: Department of Veterans Affairs Board  two members; Department of Public Works  two members; Construction Code Board of Appeals  five members.
PIGEON -- Laker High School sophomore Isiah Gray-Shivley was chosen as the Elkton VFW first place winner for his essay about American history.

His essay, titled, "Our Hopes for the Future," is about how today's youth should consider the country's past while continually pushing forward to address important issues and make the U.S. an even greater country. Getting a college education, Gray-Shivley noted, is an important step in this effort.

"With consideration of the past and tenacity towards our goals, the youth will make this country great again," Gray-Shivley wrote.

He will now compete at the state competition on Jan. 19 and 20. If he is chosen for first place at the state level, he will receive a $1,000 scholarship and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the national competition, where he could receive as much as $30,000 for college.

Laker High School English teacher Julie Stoyka assisted Gray-Shivley with his essay.
Connecticut lost 6,600 jobs last month, according to the state Department of Labor, the fourth month in the last five that has seen a drop.

The states unemployment rate fell 0.1 percent in October to 4.5 percent but with the months employment losses, Connecticut has lost 12,200 jobs since June. Employment data for September, which had reflected a loss of 2,000 jobs when it was released last month, was revised upward to a gain of 300 jobs

The decline in the unemployment rate is a function of Connecticuts shrinking labor force, which reflects the number of people actively looking for work, according to Pete Gioia, an economist with the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. Connecticuts labor force declined by 7,900 last month.

Not only did we lose 6,600 jobs in October, the labor force shrank again, Gioia said in a statement. We hear from companies daily, particularly manufacturers, that they cant find qualified workers and until we fix this problem, we may continue to see disappointing or subpar reports. The lack of job growth highlights our workforce development concerns; were not keeping pace with the number of retirements.

The employment losses and shrinking workforce has Donald Klepper-Smith, chief economist and director of research for New Haven-based DataCore Partners, predicting that Connecticut is teetering on the edge of recession.

This is the first time that anticipated full job recovery (from all that were lost during the last recession) is not likely to occur until 2020, Klepper-Smith said. It means Connecticut is not likely to revisit its prior job peak of 1.71 million jobs, achieved in early 2008, anytime soon and that we're more apt to see the onset of a full-blown domestic recession before that time.

Equally as troubling is that the New Haven Labor Market Area lost 2,500 jobs in October. The New Haven area often has added jobs even as the state has seen its employment numbers drop.

Klepper-Smith said because the New Haven-area economys key drivers are health care and education employment, we have stronger economic base than many other areas of the state.

Were keeping our nose above water right now, he said. But the waves keep getting bigger and threaten to overwhelm us.

The biggest employment losses in the New Haven Labor Market Area last month were in manufacturing, where there were 600 fewer jobs than in October 2016, and retail trade, where there were 400 fewer jobs, according to Labor Department data.

Andy Conon, director of the state Labor Departments Office of Research said while the October job losses in Connecticut are not good news, it is not as bad as it appears.

Nearly half the decline comes from the very seasonal leisure and hospitality sector, Condon said in a statement. This loss is exaggerated because the very high summer peak season employment levels were well ahead of last year. In the fall, employment levels returned to a more typical pattern, making recent job losses appear extreme.

But Klepper-Smith described Connecticuts October employment numbers as dismal. After eight years of economic recovery, he said there is significant evidence that a recession is starting to emerge in Connecticut.

Importantly, the October job numbers imply that the state budget just passed is likely to become more problematic in coming months, speaking to dysfunction within Connecticut's current array of economic development strategies, Klepper-Smith said. The states labor markets are now headed in the wrong direction due to a host of factors and will be closely watched in coming months.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
The usual loud and public spats over state budget pain have taken an odd turn in Connecticuts biggest cities.

Two weeks after the governor signed a budget into law, four months overdue, its becoming clear theres a stealthy war on cities not named Hartford. While the capital city gained a restructuring worth at least $40 million, Bridgeport and New Haven stand to lose millions of dollars through various cuts in the new spending plan.

And yet, the mayors and other officials in those shoreline cities have kept their heads down and their voices low as they sort through the carnage.

Im glad we got a budget, but I have to tell you that it hurts, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim said in a low-key Nov. 3 news conference aimed largely at opposing a library referendum. Its a better product than the interim budget was. Well dig out of this locally.

It hurts? Well dig out? Wheres the fire-and-brimstone Ganim we might have expected? Bridgeport could be short by $6 million this year alone, probably more, maybe less, depending on how we count and on whether the General Assembly fixes some errors it made in adopting the 2017-19 budget.

New Haven could come up short by $5.9 million or more, compared with spending in the year that ended June 30. But Mayor Toni Harp, who previously headed the Legislatures spending committee and prefers to work behind the scenes, has said little if anything publicly. One source said that citys delegation and municipal officials have been told point-blank, keep your mouths shut, it could have been a lot worse.

The hit to cities goes beyond those millions of dollars in municipal aid cuts. For example, a cut in the earned-income tax credit, for working poor families, is likely to reduce the amount of cash going to Bridgeport households by about $2.4 million and the amount in New Haven by $1.7 million. Thats not state aid to city halls, but it certainly affects the economies of those cities.

Also, when the state cuts back on social services and other agency spending  which could happen to the tune of about $100 million this year  a lot of that hits the biggest cities hardest, in mental health, rental assistance, property tax credits and family intervention, for example. And the cities cant just turn their backs.

When you get cuts of those types of services, municipal officials will tell you that population still needs those services and the first place they go is the municipalities, said George Rafael, director of government finance and research at the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

Yes, the state needs to cut spending, but this Stealthy War on Cities Not Named Hartford  the result of chaos and back-room horse trading  is the wrong economic path for the state. Connecticut needs to spend money to bring its cities into the 21st century urban American economy, as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy recognized in his original budget proposal back in February.

Chew on this: The latest budget analysis shows that among 20 cities and towns that will see more state aid over the next two years, the biggest winner by far is Greenwich, at $838,5523. Greenwich!

Outrage remains muted in part because, as Ganim said, it could have been worse. The budget adopted in September by Republicans (read: non-urban lawmakers), which was vetoed by Malloy, cut far deeper in the two biggest cities, by many millions of dollars, than the final, bipartisan result. Likewise, Malloys executive order that kept the state open without a budget from July through October devastated cities.

Confusion is a great weapon in any war and theres plenty of that here. First of all, the various parties havent sorted out all the numbers yet. And second, in two key areas  the motor vehicle property tax rebate program and rental assistance  lawmakers appear to have made errors in the bill language, which could be corrected this week. Until all that happens, no one wants to make waves.

There are still interpretations that are being debated between the Executive and Legislative branch at the State, even with the governor signing the budget, Michael Gormany, the acting New Haven city budget director, said in an email. The City is continuing to assess various aspects of the state budget.

As for the details, in the biggest state program for cities and towns, education cost-sharing, or ECS, the cities come out even  Bridgeport, at $181 million, and New Haven, at $154 million. In payments for non-taxable property, New Haven appears to lose $5.1 million, bringing it down to $42 million, while Bridgeport is flat at $9.8 million, a figure the city says is unfairly low.

The motor vehicle property tax rebate program is so much in flux that we cant know how it will turn out, but in one version, Bridgeport loses $4.1 million.

Some of these cuts also hit Hartford, as the bailout mainly helps in debt restructuring, not operations, but the capital city obviously cant complain.

Bridgeport, unlike Hartford and New Haven, has no lawmakers in the power group of top leaders that craft the budget every year behind closed doors. Bridgeport also has the problem that it adopted a budget and set a tax rate that assumed a $10 million state aid increase, which was half of Malloys plan and seemed reasonable at the time.

It isnt far ahead of Hartford in its finances and New Haven has plenty of problems as well. In short, the Stealthy War on Cities Not Named Hartford could take a heavy future toll on the whole state.

dhaar@hearstmediact.com
Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said he is ready to give testimony in an Italian court in defense of Ukrainian National Guard serviceman Vitaliy Markiv who was arrested in Italy.

"We believe that this was the absolutely unmotivated detention of soldier Markiv, who was accused by an Italian journalist, that he heard in a conversation with him that he killed journalist Rocchelli. Another Italian journalist says 'no, he thought he heard, he did not say so.' On this basis, our soldier has been kept in prison for four months," Avakov said on the Right to Power program on the 1+1 TV channel in the early hours of Friday.

He recalled that he had sent an official note to the Italian foreign minister, describing in detail all the circumstances of the case.

"I think that this issue has long gone beyond the legal framework," he added.

When asked whether the Interior Ministry supports Markiv in his right to defense, Avakov said: "I met with a defense lawyer. This is a very qualified specialist, one of the best in Italy, and the defense team will get everything it needs, including the testimony of the minister, who was in Sloviansk at that time. I was in Sloviansk at that time... I will provide testimony in court just like any other guardsmen."

As reported, Ukrainian serviceman Markiv was detained in Italy on June 30, 2017 on suspicion of killing Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli near Sloviansk, Donetsk region, in May 2014. The Ukrainian is in the Italian city of Pavia.

The first hearing of the case was held on July 4, however the consular service of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said the court did not review the facts of the case and did not rule on pretrial confinement. Ukrainian diplomats visited Markiv in a pretrial holding facility in Milan.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry, meanwhile, reported Ukrainian representatives were not present at court proceedings on July 4.

Media reported that Pavia prosecutors have opened a criminal case into the circumstances of the death of an Italian and Russian journalist during 2014 in the Anti-terrorist (ATO) zone based on testimony from a French journalist. The French journalist said shelling by National Guard unit, in which Markiv served, caused the deaths of the journalists. The French journalist provided what he claimed was video evidence of his claim.

Deputy Head of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin, in turn, said the Italian photojournalist was killed in an area not under control of Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine's consulate in Milan has filed a motion with the Pavia court to receive information about the basis and circumstances involving Markiv's arrest. Ukraine's Interior Ministry has expressed concern about the arrest of Markiv, who traveled to Italy during planned leave.
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Cult leader Charles Manson has been hospitalized in California with a bleak prognosis, according to a report Wednesday.

The 83-year-old was brought to a Bakersfield hospital three days ago, TMZ.com said.

The notorious mass murderer serving seven life sentences in Corcoran State Prison in California has been suffering from health issues for some time.

In January he had to be hospitalized for severe intestinal bleeding. He also needed surgery to repair a lesion but doctors said he was too weak and sent him back to prison.

Since arriving at the Bakersfield facility three days ago, Manson has been getting various treatments around the hospital _ always guarded by five police officers, TMZ said.

A source familiar with Manson's condition told the website "it's not going to get any better for him."

The source also added, "it's just a matter of time," TMZ said.



The Los Angeles Times later confirmed Manson's hospitalization with Kern County Sheriff's Lt. Bill Smallwood, though he declined to elaborate on the patient's condition.

Now Playing: Dianne Lake, the youngest member of the notorious Manson Family, describes her time living with Charles Manson Video: People

Famous for the crude, self-carved swastika on his forehead, Manson shocked the world on Aug. 9, 1969, when he directed his protege Charles Watson to take three female members of his cult  known as the Manson Family  to a posh house above Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and slaughter everyone there.

The Manson Family members brutally butchered movie director Roman Polanski's pregnant wife Sharon Tate along with celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, writer Wojciech Frykowski, and visiting teen Steven Parent.

Reporter asks Charles Manson for his election thoughts, gets a creepy letter in response

The next night, Manson joined the same four followers along with two more as they broke into the Los Feliz home of supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary.

Manson wanted to show the group the correct way to execute and ordered the LaBiancas bound with lamp cords and their heads covered by pillowcases before the savage stabbing started.

The vicious Manson killings stunned Los Angeles and caused a worldwide sensation.

Manson was tried for the horrific murders and sentenced to death along with several members of his cult. The sentences were commuted to life when the death penalty was briefly outlawed in 1972. Prosecutors said Manson and his followers were trying to incite a race war he believed was suggested in the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter."

Behind bars since 1971, Manson has been denied parole a dozen times. His next hearing is scheduled for 2027.



___



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HARTFORD  Two women who some believed would clear the field when it comes to the 2018 gubernatorial race are Democratic Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and House Republican Leader Themis Klarides.

Wyman has said she needs to spend more time with family, which seems to eliminate a run for governor, but Klarides has been busy negotiating the budget and unable to think about her political future.

Liz Kurantowicz, a Republican analyst and former executive director of the Connecticut Republican Party, said The fact that its November 6th and theres still an open lane for both these women to run in their respective Party primaries speaks for itself.

In previous years, under the Citizens Election Program, it would be difficult to conceive of a candidate waiting so long to get into the race because they would have to raise less than $100 donations from thousands of donors.

To Rep. Klarides credit, she opted to leave politics at the door and instead focused her efforts on passing two bipartisan budgets that undo the harm caused by the Governors failure to lead, Kurantowicz said. With that behind her, she now has an opportunity to see where shell be able to have the greatest impact on undoing the harm caused by the last seven years of one-party rule in Hartford.

Republican Party Chairman JR Romano said he cant remember a candidate who has had to decide between becoming Speaker of the House or running for governor. He said thats the enviable position Klarides finds herself in.

Romano is assuming that Republicans will take control of the House in 2018, which would elevate Klarides to Speaker of the House.

In 2016, Republicans gained eight seats in the House, decreasing the Democrats advantage in the chamber from 86-64 to 79-72. To take control of the chamber in 2018, Republicans need a net gain of four more seats.

The last time Republicans controlled the House was in 1986.

She is uniquely the only person in recent memory to be put in this position, Romano said.

Party insiders have balked at the number of unknown candidates running for governor in 2018.

Many of the candidates are running for office for the first time and have no statewide name recognition.

Both Wyman and Klarides are well-known within their parties and across the state.

There are grumblings that if Klarides decided to get into the race she would shoot to the top of the pack without much leg work.

Most of the serious candidates have been attending town committee meetings across the state and fundraising for months.

This story has been modified from its original version. To view the original, visit ctnewsjunkie.com.
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MILFORD  Police tried to coax a 50-year-old man from his barricaded apartment early Friday morning but when they finally broke in eight hours later, he was dead.

Despite officers enlisting the help of the mans sister to try to get him to peacefully leave his apartment, they were unable to get him to agree or respond to them, police spokesman Mike DeVito said.

Prior to us making entry we tried verbal contact, we tried deploying a robot and we entertained the thought of a K-9, DeVito said. All three were met with various stumbling blocks.

The story started ordinarily enough. Officers responded to the area shortly after midnight when they received calls about an accident on High Street.

DeVito said the responding officers saw a single car with a damaged front end against a curb. The car was empty.

The license plate was listed to a resident in the nearby Metro View apartment complex.

Officers went to the mans apartment door and knocked, hoping to make contact with the person who had crashed into the pole, DeVito said. He said they initially contacted the resident through the door  but did not specify how long that contact lasted  before the man stopped responding.

Once the situation shifted from someone fleeing from an accident to a what appeared to be a standoff, SWAT officers were called to the scene. Police said the man was a registered gun owner.

At some point in the early hours of the morning, residents of the floor the man lived on were evacuated.

As officers stationed themselves at the apartment complex for the long haul, DeVito said they encouraged the mans sister  who had shown up after her brother reached out to her to say he had been having a difficult time  to help them make contact.

Initially, DeVito said, the mans sister was hesitant to help them, but eventually gave in. Despite her help, the man would not leave his apartment.

Once police had broken into the apartment and found the resident dead, neighbors evacuated from the third floor were allowed to return to their homes.

Several residents of the apartment complex described him as a nice man who lived alone.

Three residents who spoke with Hearst Connecticut Media said that police told them the man had guns. Some feared he would use them.

DeVito confirmed that the man was a registered gun owner, but declined to say if he was found with firearms, citing ongoing logging of evidence from the apartment.

Metro View, built in 2007, sits across from the Milford harbor to the south and the Milford Historical Society to the west. The complex holds 28 one-bedroom apartments and a law office at the street level. Its steps away from downtown stops and restaurants.

According to Metro Star Properties website, rents at the apartments start at $1,695.
The Air Force has allowed more than 600 airmen to join its ranks despite having previously disqualifying medical conditions such as eczema and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, new statistics show.

Since the service implemented its expanded medical policy in January, 634 new airmen have received waivers for prior asthma, eczema or ADHD conditions, according to the latest numbers provided to Military.com.

The expanded policy, called the Air Force Memorandum for Appearance and Accession Standards Review, gives applicants with previously disqualifying medical conditions a second chance on a case-by-case basis.

"As medical capabilities have improved and laws have changed, the Air Force is evolving so we are able to access more worldwide deployable airmen to conduct the business of our nation," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said at the time of the policy rollout.

Related content:

The latest data come as the military services are grappling with how best to boost their ranks.

The Army made headlines this week about reported changes to its own waiver policy, though leaders on Wednesday emphasized that standards haven't changed and that recruits with a history of military health disorders still won't be allowed to serve.

Faced with a recruiting goal of adding 80,000 soldiers in fiscal 2018, Army leaders did acknowledge lowering the authority at which waivers could be approved from the headquarters level to the two-star head of Army Recruiting Command.

As for the Air Force, prior serious mental health issues bar recruits from service.

A spokesman for the Air Force didn't say whether officials were considering any potential changes to the policy for mental health waivers.

"We cannot speculate about the possibility of a future change in OSD policy," Ed Gulick, the spokesman, told Military.com, referring to the Office of Secretary of Defense.

Waiver Breakdown

Of the four Air Force authorities reporting the medical waiver data, Air Education and Training Command had the most, with a total of 485 waivers, including 294 for ADHD -- the most of any authority or waiver category, 100 for asthma and 91 for eczema.

AETC was followed by the Air National Guard, with a total of 70 waivers (30 for ADHD and 20 apiece for asthma and eczema); the Air Force Academy, with 51 waivers (26 for asthma, 20 for eczema and 5 for ADHD); and Air Force Reserve Command, with 28 waivers (11 for eczema, 9 for asthma and 8 for ADHD).

"Each uses their own method of processing waiver requests and none of them are the same," Gulick said in an email. "The Air Force Surgeon General level has oversight of these processes, but does not have direct access to these systems."

The Air Force stressed that "the data does not separate or demonstrate which applicants might have been denied a waiver prior to 2017," he said.

Furthermore, "the denominator is different for each of the waiver authorities, and the mix of enlisted to officer applicants varies by waiver authority or accession sources," he said.

Case-by-Case Approach

The Pentagon uses DoDI 6130.03, "Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction in the Military Services," as the standard by which all applicants are judged to be medically qualified or disqualified.

All prospective airmen must prove they are qualified and able to deploy anywhere in the world. But the process of determining medical qualifications is complex.

"The approach to medical waivers considers the needs of the Air Force, the risk to the individual and the risk to the mission," Gulick said.

The Air Force uses a case-by-case approach because each applicant has a "unique medical profile." It's "the most rational approach for waiver consideration," he said.

Sometimes that calls into question how much time has elapsed for certain conditions.

"The Air Force does not use the same time frame for all medical conditions; these time frames vary by the medical condition," he said.

Complex Considerations

Per Pentagon policy, those with any history of depressive disorders -- including but not limited to major depression, dysthymic disorder and cyclothymic disorder -- are not medically qualified and would require a waiver to enter the military.

Those who once required outpatient care through a physician or facility for longer than 12 months for these disorders are not considered.

Individuals who have exhibited a depressive disorder not otherwise specified within the regulation could also be disqualified. However, if a person did not require outpatient care for more than 24 cumulative months, they may be considered, according to the DoDI.

An applicant must also be stable, which is defined as without treatment for 36 months prior to choosing to join the armed forces and without inpatient treatment for a depressive-type condition.

"A period of time can be used in many ways depending on diagnosis, and can be used to define periods of treatment and periods free of treatment," Gulick said. "A waiver could be requested for an applicant disqualified for any of these depressive-type diagnoses. However, the DoDI clearly delineates what is and is not medically qualified."

Drug use is still a no-go.

A "medical diagnosis of substance-related disorders or addiction remains medically disqualifying for service," the DoDI states.

Apply Again?

Should an applicant not qualify for a waiver for a former medical condition the first time, can he or she apply a second time?

"From a medical perspective, if an applicant had a disqualifying condition or diagnosis the first time, medics  would want to know what has changed in the interim between the first time they applied and the second time," Gulick said.

If there is new information available that was not previously available, or clarifying information on the diagnosis, it could help a recruit be considered once more.

It's one of the reasons ADHD and asthma were redefined earlier this year; data showed that more recruits exhibited past signs, but were immediately disqualified.

And with the new policy, the Air Force has accepted nearly 340 more airmen with an ADHD waiver.

The Air Force's expanded policy says that an applicant with a history of ADHD must demonstrate at least 15 months of performance stability -- either academic or through the individual's occupation -- off medication for the condition immediately preceding enlistment or enrollment.

Previously, if an individual was ever treated for ADHD as a child -- and especially into adolescence -- he or she was disqualified from military service under DoD policy.

The department relaxed some rules in 2010, and further amended how it granted waivers in 2015.

"Each service's waiver authority for medical conditions will make a determination based on all available information regarding the issue or condition," Lt. Gen (Dr.) Mark Ediger, the Air Force's surgeon general, told Military.com in January.

Like the other services, the Air Force is willing to consider a waiver.

If an individual took a prescription for ADHD after the age of 14, "we needed to see a period of 24 months of demonstrated stability off medication before we considered them for a waiver" to join, Ediger said of the previous policy.

Recruitment Based on Risk

Should an individual apply to the Air Force within a window where he or she remains uncleared from a past diagnosis, the applicant can request a second look after six months.

There is no "absolute deal-breaker for someone to be disqualified from receiving a waiver" for some of these conditions, Gulick said.

"The 'waiver program' is not an entitlement for applicants, but rather a process by which a risk assessment is made to determine risk to the mission and individual applicant," he said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday the current lull in North Korea's nuclear and missile tests -- if extended -- could be an "opportunity" for peace talks with the regime of Kim Jong-un.

"So long as they stop testing, stop developing, they don't export their weapons -- there would be opportunity for talks," Mattis said.

He made the comments to reporters on his plane en route to Colorado for meetings with the commanders of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, on homeland and anti-missile defense.

Mattis declined to speculate on why North Korea has not conducted nuclear or missile tests for the past two months. When asked if he had an opinion, he said, "Let me know when you figure it out."

Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford have consistently said that diplomacy led by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, backed up by the credible threat of military force, is the first priority in dealing with North Korea.

Pentagon officials said Mattis' remarks should not be seen as laying the groundwork for negotiations in the near future if the lull in North Korean launches continues.

Pentagon chief spokesperson Dana White said it's too soon to read anything into the pause.

"I think it's perilous to predict anything about what North Korea does or doesn't do," White said, "but we're continuing to monitor the situation."

President Donald Trump has fluctuated on North Korea from bellicose rhetoric to his statement in South Korea last week that he wanted to "make a deal."

However, Trump said he is against the "freeze for freeze" proposal backed by China and Russia in which the U.S. and South Korea would cease military exercises in exchange for a freeze by North Korea on nuclear and missile tests.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, appeared to contradict Trump on Thursday, saying that freeze-for-freeze is still an option.

"Suspension-for-suspension is the most realistic, viable and reasonable solution in the current situation," Geng said at a Beijing news conference. "I stress that it's only the first step, not the end."

At the Pentagon, White and Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, director of the Joint Staff, said there are no plans to curtail military exercises in the Pacific.

"For forward-deployed forces, exercises are a critical component of readiness," McKenzie said. "They do, in fact, assure our partners. They're not necessarily aimed at anyone. But they also, I think, exercise a powerful deterring effect by the fact that they're occurring."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Officials say the device was known as an "unexploded ordnance," or an explosive weapon that did not explode and still posed a...
Parubiy submits law on medical reform to be signed by president

Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy has signed the law on medical reform and sent it to the president for signature.

According to information on the official website of the Ukrainian parliament, the law on state financial guarantees for the provision of medical services and medicines, adopted by the Rada as a whole on October 19, was signed by Parubiy on November 17.

Earlier, a group of people's deputies registered in the parliament a draft resolution on the cancellation of the parliament's decision on the adoption of the draft law on the medical reform as a whole because of a violation of the regulations.

On November 10, the parliament rejected the draft resolution.
Today's veterans face many challenges: reintegration, delayed benefits, unemployment, and the often invisible wounds of PTSD and TBI, among others. These issues deserve our national attention. But none of these is the biggest threat to returning veterans.

The big threat: loss of hope in the American Dream

Most post-9/11 veterans transitioned out of the military during a period of economic malaise. Economic uncertainty is difficult for everyone, but especially transitioning military veterans. I returned from Iraq in 2008, as the financial crisis was just beginning. As we all know, the economy hobbled along in the years that followed. But hope in the American Dream has not yet returned. In fact, a recent New York Times poll asked the question "Do you think it is still possible to start out poor in this country, work hard, and become rich?" The result: the lowest positive response rate in over 30 years. History tells us that veterans can turn the tide.

History lesson: entrepreneurship by military veterans leads to economic growth

Following WWII, millions of American military veterans became business owners. This "greatest generation" hit the labor forced, worked hard, sparked an economic boom, and America flourished. It is well known that the size of this transitioning force led to increased demand for goods and services. Less known, however, is the role of entrepreneurship among veterans: a staggering 49% of the greatest generation went on to own or run a business. As a result, the country boomed, and the greatest generation thrived. Could today's veterans do the same?

Present challenges: today's veterans face unique barriers to becoming business owners

My generation of veterans is obviously much smaller than our grandparents, and less than a quarter of today's veterans want to be entrepreneurs. My generation of veterans is also uniquely burdened by regulations that have at once increased the cost of doing business and diminished the availability of capital. What's more, bank consolidation, new banking laws, and dissolving community banks reduce funding options. Meanwhile, predatory "payday" business lenders circle onlinejust as they did outside the gates of our military installations when we were on active duty. To be sure, the present business environment is tough, but my generation is used to hostile environments.

The hope: a new generation of veteran entrepreneurs is emerging

Despite these headwinds, a new generation of veteran entrepreneurs (or "vetrepreneurs") is on the rise. This generation is supported by a self-made business ecosystem in which veterans are supporting veterans. This network is complete with our own training programs, startup incubators, mentoring programs, angel investors, and resources.

My generation of veterans is the most technologically-savvy, creative, and diverse in American history. We fought America's longest war, a war filled with uncertainty and complexityjust like the business world. We're now applying those same skills to running our own businesses.

Exciting days lie ahead for entrepreneurship in America, and veterans are leading the way. Stay tuned as we share the stories, successes, and lessons from the new greatest generation of veteran entrepreneurs in a regular column.

Mark L. Rockefeller is the Co-Founder & CEO of StreetShares.com, a "veterans funding veterans" business loan marketplace. StreetShares has secured the largest private commitment to fund veteran-owned businesses in U.S. history$200 million over the next four years. StreetShares has also formed the largest coalition of veteran-focused small business and entrepreneurship organizations in the nation. Mark is a veteran, entrepreneur, and (recovering) lawyer. Follow Mark on twitter @markrockefeller.
CHELSEA, MI - Nestled in a corner of Chelsea, between Interstate 94 and a car dealership, is a pastoral scene of rural America.

Sheep and goats nibble on grass while cows wander a nearby pasture at Barn Sanctuary, a refuge for farm animals rescued or in need of rehabilitation and without hope before Dan McKernan stepped in.

As founder and executive director of Barn Sanctuary, McKernan knows the stories of each of the 21 farm animals he and his team are taking care of at 20179 McKernan Drive.

"Every animal is an ambassador for their species," he said.

The 70-acre property's menagerie includes donkeys, cows, goats, sheep, a chicken and Little Dude, a 55-pound Tamworth pig with a coarse brown coat and a curious nose that quickly smells out visitors to the farm.

Meet the animals

One of the more curious tenants at Barn Sanctuary, Little Dude often follows Dan around as he does the daily farm chores, calling to the donkeys on the far side of the farm and teasing the 600-pound pigs snoring gently in the sun.

Barn Sanctuary recently welcomed a quartet of farm animals recovering from a high-speed police chase involving a large farm trailer in Pennsylvania this summer that killed some of their companions and injured others.

Two sheep known as Rose and Ruth came to Chelsea in relatively healthy condition, although it has taken them a while to warm up to their new surroundings.

"They've been through a lot, they're pretty shy," Dan said.

The sheep were accompanied by an outgoing trio of goat brothers dubbed Chevy, Martin and Steve, who required medical treatment for anemia and malnourishment but still make their way around the yard to greet visitors.

Each has its own personality trait they are already known for; Steve is the shy one, Martin is sweet and Chevy can sometimes be a bully, Dan said.

They're being cared for by Dan and the Barn Sanctuary team, which also includes a full-time animal care manager and 12 volunteers that stop by to ensure each animal is happy and healthy.

"Animal care is number one," Dan said. "That's all that matters to me; the animals are cared for."

It may be why he received the call about Mike, an 8-week old calf with bone deformities and cataracts that a local farmer could not afford medical treatment for.

"It's super rare for a farmer to surrender an animal," Dan said. "I went straight there and picked him up."

Mike requires supervision walking in and around the pasture and feedings four times a day, along with regular trips to the Michigan State University veterinary facilities for medical treatment and surgeries.

Luckily, an anonymous donor has stepped up to pay the bills so Mike can one day romp around with his cow buddies at Barn Sanctuary.

Until then, he watches from a different pasture and moos sadly to the adult cows that will sometimes visit with him, pushing their noses against the fence to meet his.

New life on McKernan Drive

What the animals call home is a centennial farm that has been in the McKernan family for around 140 years.

A centennial farm is recognized by the Historical Society of Michigan as a working farm of 10 or more acres that has been in the same family for at least 100 years.

It is currently owned by Dan's father, Tom McKernan, who brought up the question of what to do with the property to his four children last year.

Dan knew immediately what he wanted to do after working in Texas in software development but feeling dissatisfied with his 9-to-5 work routine.

He quickly brought his father on board as operations director to help him turn the family farm into a sanctuary.

Their plans for the property include renovations of the shed, a new chicken coop and development of the remaining acreage that was once farmland. The nearly 90-year-old barn is already undergoing foundation work to strengthen the structure.

Once complete, Barn Sanctuary could house anywhere from 120 to 150 animals depending on the species.

Growing slowly

Annual costs for Ban Sanctuary are around $100,000 but doesn't take into account unpredictable veterinary costs the team might encounter, Dan said.

He has been encouraged by monthly donors, interested in helping fund Barn Sanctuary's activities, along with foundations that have stepped in to cover larger costs and provide resources.

"I'm learning as I'm going," Dan said. "I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, I'm trying to grow slowly."

That means taking in only as many animals as Barn Sanctuary can care for and turning down some calls for both farm and domesticated animals like horses and rabbits that either don't fit in at the farm or are not located in Michigan.

Dan also has to sometimes clarify what Barn Sanctuary does and does not do, like selling animal products or allowing hunters on the property.

He has been vegan for about two years, influenced by his girlfriend Kelly Holt, marketing and community outreach director for Barn Sanctuary.

The property is not the most common portrayal of a farm, Holt said, but can provide a way for the public to learn about what the stories of animals that were once and only considered as food.

They see the Barn Sanctuary as one day providing cooking classes, animal demonstrations and education on where food comes from, and chronicle the daily events and news updates on the nonprofit's Facebook page.

"We want to be able to provide the resources people need to make their own decision," Dan said.

The new vision of the McKernan's farm has also started a conversation between their family and surrounding property owners about how farming is defined.

"They were maybe skeptical at first," Tom said, about the farm not selling animal products. "Most people don't understand that."

Nearby farmers are slowly warming to the idea, though, and Dan can now come to work with a spring in his step and his family at his side.

"It always puts a smile on my face," Dan said. "I'm really happy."
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The silver handrails on the catwalks are your best friend and closest companion when you're standing at the top of a 240-foot tower crane overlooking downtown Grand Rapids.

It's breathtaking when you're standing on an open-grate metal platform that sways in the wind and shudders when the giant boom swings around to pick up a load. For those not afraid of heights, the long climb up the ship's ladders is worth the effort.

Far below, there's the construction crew that's building the 16-story apartment tower at 601 Bond Avenue NW. Farther out, you can see the Ford Freeway, the anglers in the Grand River, suburban water towers and similar tower cranes from other construction sites.

For crane operator Mike Grijalba, the tiny glass booth near the top of the crane is his office. The Holland resident climbs up in the morning - or in the evening if they're pouring concrete overnight - and doesn't come down till the work is done for the day.

Today, the work load is light as workers for Pioneer Construction cleans up site. Grijalba swings the boom around to move a 1,000-pound pallet of reinforcing rods. He's guided via radio by a crew that hooks up the load far below. After that, there's an porta-john that needs moving.

The tower crane, affectionately called "Big Red," is one of several that have cropped up in downtown Grand Rapids in recent months.

A similar-sized tower crane was erected earlier this month along Ottawa Avenue NW to build the 15-story Warner Law office building being built by Orion Construction.

Pioneer Construction has a smaller tower crane on the job at 710 Monroe Avenue NW, where they are building a 246-room Embassy Suites hotel.

On Bond Avenue, "Big Red" will do all of the heavy lifting as Pioneer and Kent Concrete Companies pour the 16 floors that will make up the 202-unit apartment tower on top of a five-story parking ramp with space for 214 cars.

A tower crane may seem spindly, but it is actually robust in its lifting capabilities, says Chris Beckering, executive vice president for Pioneer Construction, who leads the climb to the top.

Set on a concrete base, the crane includes counterweights to offset who how much can be lifted on the working end of the boom.

"Big Red" is rated to lift up to 22 tons if the load is located near the tower base. At the end of its 180-foot boom, its capacity is down to a little over 3,000 pounds - the weight of a small car, says Beckering.

Each crane's lifting limits are carefully charted out charts that determine how much each crane can lift without toppling over. Big lifts are done only after meetings are held with the crane operator, the architects and the crew on the ground.

At 601 Bond Avenue NW, much of Big Red's work will involve lifting the concrete pumps and reinforcing rods as each floor is built with "cast-in-place post-tension" concrete floors for the 16-story building. Everything needed to create the super-structure will be carried by the crane except for the constructions workers.

"Big Red" went up this summer on the site this summer after it completed its work at the 20 East Fulton, a 12-story apartment complex Pioneer Construction built on a parking lot that was occupied by The Grand Rapids Press until the mid-1960s.

Justin Bialik, senior project manager for Pioneer Construction, said "Big Red" will stay on site at 612 Bond until next August, when it will be moved 333 Michigan Avenue NE to work on a $70-million building project to additional spaces for Grand Valley State University's health professions and nursing programs.

While "Big Red" is being rented from Erickson's, a family-owned company that has a fleet of 40 cranes that includes three tower cranes.

Pioneer Construction owns the smaller tower crane that's being used to build the Embassy Suites Hotel in the next block. It's the largest of 10 cranes owned by Pioneer Construction, Beckering says.

Pioneer Construction's other cranes are more traditional boom cranes mounted on trucks and tracks, depending where there are needed and how much space is available on the construction site.

Downtown's other big tower crane at the Warner building project on Ottawa Avenue also is owned by Erickson's.

Jeff Smigielski, senior project manager for Orion Construction, estimated it will cost them about $1 million to rent Erickson's tower crane for about a year as construction workers pour concrete for a seven-story parking ramp that will be topped by an eight-story steel-framed office tower.

Erickson's tower crane was assembled by a giant 550-foot hydraulic boom crane that was set up in Ottawa Avenue for a week earlier this month.

Steven Erickson, the third-generation Erickson to operate the company, says their tower cranes are usually reserved six months in advance. Each installation requires engineering work in advance before the footings are poured and the tower is built.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said he is convinced that the adopted law restricting the possibilities of law enforcement agencies when conducting investigative actions will bring positive results for everybody, not just for big business.

"The truth is that we severely restricted the police, the SBU, the fiscal service, the prosecutor's office. This will benefit not just businesses. This will benefit each of us who understand the stability of the whole system. That is, any business will work stably, and each of you will know that a phone or computer will not be taken away from you," Avakov said live on the Right to Power program on the 1+1 TV channel early on Friday.

He noted that from now on there would be a photo and video recording of the court issuing a decision. The absence of photo or video recording, according to Avakov, will mean the falsity of charges.

"This is a fundamental defense that works in the U.S. and Europe," he said.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, adopted at first reading and as a whole draft law No. 7275 on amendments to some legislative acts to ensure that law enforcement agencies observe the rights of participants in criminal proceedings and other persons during pretrial investigations. A total of 312 MPs supported the government-prepared bill on November 16.
WYOMING - It's not quite December yet, but Wyoming's Great Candy Cane Hunt is just around the corner.

Slated from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, the family-friendly, fun-filled event will begin outdoors in front of the Wyoming Police Department, 2300 De Hoop Ave., with Santa Claus leading kids on a scavenger hunt for the many hidden candy canes outside.

Afterwards, lunch, games and crafts will commence inside the Wyoming Senior Center, 2830 De Hoop Ave.

Rebecca Rynbrandt, director of community services for the city, said finding activities for families to enjoy outdoors during the winter is a good way of promoting healthy lifestyles. "What better way to celebrate the holiday season, give Santa a hug and enjoy fresh air than to come together and enjoy the Great Candy Cane Hunt," she said.

Children ages 3 to 14 years old can participate in the scavenger hunt at a cost of $4 for residents and $6 for non-residents. Family members over 14 years of age are invited to attend and enjoy lunch at the senior center for $2.

The city asks that those looking to participate register beforehand by calling 616-530-3164 or by visiting www.wyomingmi.gov/PRRegistration.
ALLEN PARK -- Jim Caldwell doesn't like to talk about how he selects his weekly captains, although he's repeatedly chosen players who are facing their former teams. Which begged an interesting question.

Would Cornelius Washington be named a captain for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears?

Sure, Washington was picked by the Bears in the sixth round of the 2013 draft. And sure, he spent four years in the Windy City before bolting for Detroit in free agency this year. But he was also a healthy scratch just four games ago, and it remains unclear why.

He is one of the club's best edge setters, and the edge needed to be set against New Orleans' third-ranked rushing offense. Without him, Detroit was gashed for 193 yards on the ground. They certainly looked worse without him -- and then there seemed to be confusion over why it happened in the first place.

Washington said he was never told why he was benched. But then Caldwell denied there was a communication issue with telling Washington why he was benched. All this happened just one month ago.

But it seems like if Washington were ever in the doghouse, he's certainly out of it now. Because sure enough, Washington was named a captain for his return to Soldier Field on Sunday.

Of course, playing well probably helps too. Washington shook off the benching over the last month, and even stepped into a starting role last week because of the injury to Ezekiel Ansah. And he delivered two sacks, the first multiple-sack game of his career.

"That was great man," Washington said. "Took a little long, but at least it happened. So now I just got to take the momentum and build on them. Sacks come in bunches, so get a couple, this week get a couple more, next week get a couple more."

He'll have an opportunity to do so, with Ansah missing another week of practice and not expected to play against the Bears because of a back injury. Washington is expected to get a second straight start alongside Anthony Zettel.

"He's always, I think, been trending toward a more prominent stat line," Caldwell said. "Let's put it that way, because he's got power, and he's got strength, and he hustles. He gets after it. And it was good to see him get a couple (sacks). They were hard fought, but he was able to get it done."

This is the sort of thing Washington pictured when he elected to leave Chicago for Detroit. He cited scheme fit for why he signed with the Lions, who run a 4-3 defense that asks their defensive ends to pin back their ears and attack.

In Chicago, the Bears run a 3-4. Guys like Washington are asked to sit back and occupy space. He was asked to two-gap and stand up blocks. He says he was fine at it, but that's not really his cup.

So it's fair to say Washington is happy to be on the visitor's sideline at Soldier Field for the first time on Sunday. But he also chose his words carefully while talking about it.

"I know how this works," he said with a smile. "They cut (stuff) out and put it up on the board, too, so I ain't going to give them nothing to be looking at and get a little extra juice. I'm not going to do that."
ANN ARBOR, MI - U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell has been raising concerns about the Gelman dioxane plume with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since last year.



Though the EPA has decided it won't be designating the plume as a federal Superfund site at this time, Dingell considers it welcome news that the EPA will be watching over the ongoing monitoring and remediation activities that are under the oversight of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for at least the next year.



"We all want to ensure our communities are safe from the contamination from the Gelman dioxane plume," Dingell said in a statement, welcoming the fact that the EPA is increasing its role in overseeing the toxic chemical pollution spreading through the Ann Arbor area's groundwater and what Dingell views as progress being made on remediation.



"They have assigned a full-time staffer from the Region V office to oversee issues related to the plume, and they will now require quarterly progress reports from the state, while other similar sites only have to submit annual reports," Dingell said of the EPA. "This will help ensure that we are doing everything we can to keep people safe and respond to local questions and concerns."



She noted the impacted parties also are continuing to pursue a more aggressive cleanup via litigation in court.



Family with 3 children living in home with dioxane-poisoned water

"Taken together, these developments represent incremental progress towards the shared goals of many," she said. "People need to continue to make their voices heard on this important issue. The many different stakeholders involved must work together to oversee the progress being made on remediation and to ensure that the public continues to have a voice in the process moving forward."



Dingell and others, including various local officials and members of the local Coalition for Action on Remediation of Dioxane, met privately with EPA representatives on Monday, Nov. 13, at Scio Township Hall to discuss some of the latest developments.



DEQ officials, local leaders and CARD members continued the discussion during a public meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14.



Besides ensuring that everyone is safe from all aspects of the plume, Dingell said, improving transparency of information available to the public needs to be a priority.



Dingell's office said the congresswoman is committed to holding the EPA and all parties accountable.



Gelman Sciences, a filter manufacturer that once operated on Wagner Road on the border between Ann Arbor and Scio Township, discharged large amounts of the toxic chemical 1,4-dioxane at its property between the 1960s and 1980s. Despite ongoing pump-and-treat remediation efforts, the plume continues to spread, raising concerns about potential exposures if it poisons more drinking water sources or possibly intrudes into homes as toxic vapor.



Dioxane is classified by the EPA as likely to be carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure. It also can cause kidney and liver damage, and respiratory problems. Short-term exposure to high levels of dioxane in the air can cause eye, nose and throat irritation.



Just a few parts per billion in drinking water, with long-term exposure, poses a 1 in 100,000 cancer risk, according to the EPA.



Gelman Sciences was acquired in 1997 by Pall Corp., which was acquired in 2015 by Danaher Corp., a multibillion-dollar corporation that some local officials and residents argue has the financial resources to do a better cleanup.



The company has slowed the pace of pumping and treating in recent years, doing about 500 gallons per minute, while it used to be closer to the permitted 1,300 gallons per minute, according to the DEQ.
Theodore J. Visner

BAY CITY, MI -- With a pot leaf inked onto the back of his shorn head, Theodore J. Visner testified he did indeed break the law by repeatedly selling medical marijuana to undercover cops.

He asserted, however, that he does not believe such conduct is in fact illegal.

Such was one of many bizarre aspects in the Nov. 16 continuation of Visner's preliminary examination. The hearing began Oct. 26, at which point the 50-year-old defendant with professed militia leanings represented himself and called Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer a "grammar teacher" and a criminal, and called Bay County Assistant Prosecutor Bernard J. Coppolino "a dork."

Visner is charged with 16 counts -- eight counts of felony firearm, seven counts of delivering or manufacturing marijuana, and one count of maintaining a drug house. The charges are divided among four files, as police allege they bought pot from him at his Mount Forest Township house on four occasions in August and September.

Testimony

Before testimony began, Judge Janer said he expected all present to engage in proper court decorum. He advised Visner that if he did not adhere to this standard and resorted to his rude attitude, he'd have him removed and continue the hearing without him.

Since the last hearing, defense attorney F. Anthony Lubkin had been attached to represent Visner. He assured the judge courtesy would be maintained.

As the prosecution's lone witness of the day, Bay County Sheriff's Detective Barry Gatza testified he is assigned to the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, or BAYANET. He said he sat in a police van as Michigan State Police Detective Troopers Kyle Kehn and Dave Hughes (both of the STING Unit) twice visited Visner's home at 856 W. Cody Estey Road on Aug. 30. Gatza's colleagues purchased marijuana from Visner on both occasions, he testified.

On Sept. 6, Gatza again accompanied Kehn and Hughes to Visner's home as they bought more marijuana. Kehn and Hughes again returned to Visner's place on Sept. 19 and bought more pot, Gatza testified.

Kehn testified in the first part of the hearing that he and Hughes had fake identification cards indicating they were authorized medical marijuana patients.

Cross-examined by Lubkin, Gatza said Kehn and Hughes were used as the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (or LARA) had provided them both fake identification cards indicating they were authorized medical marijuana patients.

Each time Visner sold marijuana to the operatives, he reportedly had a firearm in a holster on his hip.

"Did you cook up the scheme yourself or were you ordered by someone else to engage in this operation?" Lubkin asked Gatza. "Was it your idea or someone else's idea that you have detectives presenting cards to a licensed caregiver to receive marijuana?"

Gatza said the case began when a Michigan State Police helicopter flew over Visner's property and spotted an outdoor marijuana grow operation.

"And that info was deemed a basis to have police or sheriff or other law enforcement officials falsely represent that thy were holders of LARA-issued entitlement cards?" Lubkin asked.

"Driving past, it was very clear to anybody in the roadway that the house was set up like a small business," Gatza said.

He said there were signs by the road indicating Visner was selling marijuana to qualified patients. Visner was also offering sales on websites Wikileaf and Weedmaps, Gatza said.

Lubkin asked Gatza how many other Pinconning Township dispensary owners have been arrested in the past six months.

"In my three years in BAYANET, Mr. Visner is the only one I've come across," he said.

After Gatza stepped down, the prosecution rested its case. Unusual for a preliminary examination, the defendant himself then took the witness stand.

"Did you realize at the time of these alleged sales that you had your gun present that you were committing a crime or a felony?" Lubkin asked his client.

"Absolutely not," Visner replied.

Visner went on to say that as a U.S. Navy veteran, he is experienced in reading and comprehending blueprints, charts, and complex documents. He said it's important to him to understand what he gets involved in.

As such, he read through the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MMMA) and became well-versed in it. In 2016, he began growing medical marijuana and sent a letter to the Bay County Sheriff's Office informing personnel of this, as he wanted to assure them he was following the law.

"I don't do things that are illegal," he said. "I think of myself as a law-abiding citizen. Crime, for lack of a better word, pisses me off. Furthermore, I don't like people wearing badges committing crimes."

Under cross-examination, Assistant Prosecutor Coppolino asked Visner if he had an operational firearm on him on the afternoon of Aug. 30. Visner replied that he had his 9mm Beretta on him.

Coppolino then asked if he sold pot to the officers.

"Oh, of course, that's what I do," Visner replied. "With every incident and encounter after verifying what looked to be a legitimate state authorization to possess medical marijuana, sales were made to the two officers."

Coppolino asked Visner how many patients a registered primary caregiver may provide pot for. At that point, Visner said the state is interfering with commerce by trying to restrict the number of customers a caregiver can have.

Coppolino then asked Visner if he's sold medical marijuana to more than five people.

"I'd say yeah," Visner replied. "There's been a lot."

Under further questioning, Visner said the state did not authorize him to be the primary caregiver of either officer he sold pot to.

The MMMA states "a primary caregiver may assist no more than five qualifying patients with their medical use of marihuana." The act also states caregivers can receive compensation from their patients.

Bond matters

After Visner testified, Coppolino asked the judge to bind his cases over to Circuit Court for trial. Lubkin opposed this, describing Visner's acts as "a contrived crime" without victims or harm and that there was no intent to break the law.

Janer bound over the cases, saying that he understands Visner's legal philosophy, but that it's not supported. The law itself and the state's higher courts have ruled each caregiver can have a maximum five patients, Janer said.

Before the hearing ended, a lengthy discussion ensued regarding whether or not Visner's $25,000 bond should be reduced, during which the names of President Thomas Jefferson and mass murderer Timothy McVeigh were invoked.

Arguing in support of his bond-reduction motion, Lubkin said the bond is unreasonable as Visner is not a flight risk or a danger to the public. In a response to his motion, Coppolino urged the judge to consider Visner's mental condition and potential for dangerousness, citing a YouTube video Visner posted in July 2015. In the video, titled "First Shots of the Revolution About to be Fired in Isabella County," Visner refuses to leave a piece of property he's being evicted from.

"This is the start, folks," he says in the video. "It'll go down like the Bundy ranch, only with no opposition."

Later in the video, he says police will need to execute him to remove him from the property, then quotes a letter President Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1787: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Coppolino said Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh wore this quote on a shirt when arrested.

Lubkin said his client used the Jefferson quote metaphorically and not with the same literal connotations of McVeigh.

Janer opted not to reduce Visner's bond, stating he does consider him dangerous. Referring to the Jefferson quote, Janer said Visner in the video refers to an Isabella County judge as a tyrant.

"He doesn't respect what the law is now, he won't respect law enforcement, he's armed, and it's likely that lethal force could be taken against him and against one of our officers," the judge continued. "He's dangerous because of that position. If I gave him bond to get out, it's likely he's going to continue selling to medical marijuana patients (in) an unlimited number. He won't abide by the law, police come in to enforce it, and it just gets ugly. I'm even doing this to protect him, because most likely they're coming in with a heckuva lot more force than he has.

"And why are we going to that over a limited amount of marijuana being sold to medical marijuana patients? The reason why we could get there is because of what he believes and his conviction is so strong towards it."

Lubkin also asked the judge to allow Visner to have seized property returned to him, including a laptop, a cellphone, a DVR, and notebooks. Visner was using these to make a documentary on the MMMA's issues and they had information related to the defense he was planning before being charged, he said.

Janer denied the request.

Visner's past

Visner has a storied relationship with law enforcement. Years ago, he claimed to have been illegally evicted from a rental home owned by an Isabella County Sheriff's Department employee. He later faced several misdemeanor charges for refusing to leave a second home from which he was evicted for not paying his mortgage.

A lengthy legal standoff ensued during which Visner claimed to be backed by militia groups who would support his right to stay in the Rolland Township home. Seventeen militia groups disavowed Visner, however, The Morning Sun reports.

In November 2015, Isabella County jurors convicted him of trespassing, squatting, driving without insurance, and driving an unregistered car.

Visner in 2012 also ran unsuccessfully for Isabella County sheriff.
Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE SMM to Ukraine Alexander Hug will visit eastern Ukraine on November 19-25, where he intends, in particular, to discuss the security situation and the implementation of the Minsk agreements with the so-called ORDLO leaders Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky.

According to the press release of the OSCE SMM, the purpose of the visit is to assess the security situation along the contact line, as well as to assess the critical infrastructure that is awaiting repair. Hug will urge all interested parties to normalize the situation.

"He also asked for a meeting and is ready to discuss with Mr. Zakharchenko and Mr. Plotnitsky the security situation in the area and the implementation of the Minsk agreements, as well as obstacles to monitoring by the SMM," it was reported.

Hug during the visit will join the observers of the OSCE SMM, which are located along the contact line.
The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine (PGO) has opened criminal proceedings against Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk because of the possible disclosure of investigative data, Ukrayinska Pravda reported late on Thursday, November 16, citing its own sources in the PGO.

According to the report, Sytnyk could be called in for questioning on Friday, November 17. At the same time, the NABU chief is now on a business trip in Portugal.

"The PGO has instituted criminal proceedings on the basis of an audio recording that was posted on the Internet, in which a man with a voice similar to Sytnyk's discloses to journalists the details of some high-profile cases," the report says.

As reported, a People's Front MP and an adviser to the interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, ahead of a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada anti-corruption committee on November 15, made public an audio recording that may indicate a possible crime committed by Sytnyk.

"Several days ago, a conversation appeared on the Internet in which a person with a voice similar to Sytnyk's, at a meeting with unidentified individuals, reads out to them the materials of ... the phone tapping of the wife of Deputy Military Prosecutor [Kostiantyn] Kulyk [who is suspected by NABU and SAPO of illegal enrichment]. These materials are state secrets if they have not been declassified... The disclosure of these materials entails criminal liability under three articles of the Criminal Code  the violation of legislation on state secrets, the disclosure of the materials of the pre-trial investigation and the excess of office," Gerashchenko said.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's possible participation in an upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels could send a good message, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said.

"Brussels is due to host an Eastern Partnership summit soon. Belarus will also be represented there. There is high hope that the president himself will be able to come to it," Gabriel told reporters in Minsk on Friday, adding that it could send a good message.

An Eastern Partnership summit is due to be held in Brussels on November 24.
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Allahabad Bank has decided to put on sale bad loans worth Rs 101 crore of Khaitan Electricals Ltd (KEL), the consumer durables maker battling declining revenues in recent quarters.

An senior official of the state-owned bank told PTI that Khaitan Electricals' NPA is one of the 61 such accounts that have been identified for sale during the December quarter.

The bank has scheduled e-auction for the sale of the loan on December 4.

"Normally, a loan is put on sale not before a year of turning NPA, but I don't have details of Khaitan Electricals right now," the official, involved in the process of the sale, said.

When contacted, KEL Company Secretary A K Mishra said the firm was not aware of the loan sale by Allahabad Bank.

In the quarter ended September, the company posted net sales of 9.57 crore as against a topline of Rs 16.41 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.

As on September 30, Khaitan Electricals had long-term borrowing of Rs 101 crore and Rs 246-crore short-term loans, while outstanding due to creditors was about Rs 67 crore.

The company, in a release, said it also has outstanding loans with State Bank of India, IDBI Bank, Indian Bank, Bank of India and Religare Finvest Ltd.

The Kolkata-based firm had attempted debt restructuring exercise last year.
Steel

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Luxembourg-based multinational steel firm ArcelorMittal and domestic industry major Tata Steel have evinced interest in Bhushan Steel which is undergoing insolvency proceedings.

The development has come at a time when the debt-laden firm, which was referred to NCLT by the RBI under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, has reported narrowing down of its standalone net loss to Rs 467.37 crore during the September quarter from Rs 980.22 crore in the same period a year ago.

During the July-September 2017, total income of Bhushan Steel rose 43 per cent to Rs 4,325.60 crore from Rs 3,025.79 crore during the same period a year ago, the company said in a BSE filing.

"Yes! ArcelorMittal is interested in Bhushan Steel," said a person in the know of the matter and refused to elaborate further.

When contacted, a Tata Steel company official said, "The company keeps on looking at such opportunities."

Last month, Tata Steel and ArcelorMittal had submitted expression of interest (EoI) to acquire debt-laden Essar Steel -- another stressed company undergoing the insolvency proceedings at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

Essar Steel India Ltd, an integrated steel producer with an installed capacity of 10 million tonne per annum (MTPA) is undergoing Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) under the provisions of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

According to the information on Bhushan Steel Ltd website, the company is the 3rd largest secondary steel producer in the country with an existing steel production capacity of 5.6 million ton per annum.

Both Tata Steel and ArcelorMittal see the proceedings as an opportunity as the two companies are looking to expand their operations in the country.
Uber offices in Queens, New York, US (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur and his colleague were allegedly beaten by over 20 Uber drivers near the Kempegowda International airport in the city. They were insisting for seatbelts on the back seats of the car which led to an argument and finally the assault.

Dave Banerjee, adman and founder of a yoga-wear startup Proyog, in a tweet, claimed that he was assaulted on Monday night around 9.30 pm. Allegedly, he was attacked by a mob of more than 20 drivers and it lasted for about 45 minutes.

Banerjee booked a cab from the airport and when he boarded the car, he could not immediately locate the seatbelt. He demanded that the driver stop the car so that he can buckle up, which infuriated the driver. He exited the vehicle started yelling at the trio, according to Business Standard.

As the passengers booked another cab and moved out of the Uber Bay at the airport (in the second cab), a group of drivers stopped the cab and allegedly assaulted him.

Banerjee used the SOS button the app but the companys call centre agent told him to call the local police as they could not help. A Medico-legal case has been registered but he has not booked an FIR with the police yet.

He said that Ubers reply to his complaints was unapologetic. A spokesperson from Uber said that they had barred the driver-partner's access to the Uber app and extended full support to the law enforcement agencies in the investigation.
British Telecom major Vodafone and the Indian Tax Department have failed to reach common ground on the legalities of the Rs 20,000 crore tax dispute between them.

Vodafone reportedly wants to push for arbitration under the India-UK bilateral treaty after already having done so under the India-Netherlands bilateral treaty.

However, according to a CNBC-TV 18 report, the tax department has stated to the Delhi High Court (HC) that it is against Vodafone initiating arbitration proceedings under two separate forums, calling it an unfair use of the proceedings.

Incidentally, the Delhi HC had in August restrained Vodafone from pushing for arbitration under the India-UK treaty for the same reason.

The tax dispute in question is a decade-old one arising from the government's view that Vodafone's USD 11 billion acquisition of the Indian mobile business of Hutchison Telecommunications International was liable for tax deduction at source (TDS) under the provisions of the Income Tax Act.

The High Court has now said it will hear both sides of the argument in January next year.
No. 2: Bill Gates | Country: US | Total net worth $89.4B | Industry: Technology (Image: Reuters)

Microsoft founder Bill Gates met Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Friday where the two discussed sanitation-related issues, including spreading awareness on vector-borne diseases, drinking water availability and cleanliness campaigns.

Giving the details of the 45-minute meeting, Chief Secretary, Information and Tourism Avanish Awasthi said, Discussions were held on the complete eradication of Filariasis. Bill Gates told us that he is already monitoring vector-borne diseases with Indian Council of Medical Research. He added that he will help in setting up a regional vector disease centre at BRD Medical College.

CM Yogi Adityanath told Bill Gates that 92 lakh children have been vaccinated against Encephalitis. The Chief Minister also said that there is still a lot left to do. We have already signed a five-year MoU with the Gates Foundation, Avanish Awasthi.

Bill Gates also reportedly stressed on the need to promote usage of birth spacing tools to help improve maternal and neonatal health in the state.
Yes Bank

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Reliance General Insurance Company Limited (RGI), a subsidiary of Reliance Capital, has signed a comprehensive Bancassurance - Corporate Agency agreement with YES Bank with the objective to distribute multiple general insurance products to the customers of the bank.

With its network of 1040 branches across all 29 states and 7 union territories of India, YES Bank will enable Reliance General Insurance to reach a large base of retail and MSME clients.

This is the first partnership signed by the bank since the open-architecture norms under the Corporate Agency regulations were introduced by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) in April 2016.

According to these norms, banks can sell products of three life, non-life and standalone health insurers each.

With this alliance, we remain committed to leveraging our Pan-India branch network to capitalize on the immense opportunities in the Indian bancassurance market," said Rana Kapoor, Managing Director & CEO, YES Bank.

Reliance General is a 100 percent Indian-owned general insurance entity. It is also planning to list on the stock exchanges and has filed the draft prospectus for an initial public offering with Securities and Exchange Board of India.

The bancassurance channel has potential to reach out to the last mile and serve untapped markets thereby promoting the insurance penetration in India. With the alignments of our brands, people and processes, we hope to better serve our customers, said Anmol Ambani, Executive Director, Reliance Capital.
Russia and Germany have different ideas about the possible deployment of a peacekeeping mission to the conflict area in Donbas, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said.

"[The sides'] ideas [concerning peacekeepers' deployment to Donbas] differ heavily," Gabriel told reporters in Minsk on Friday.

The sides need to work to meet each other halfway, he said.

Achieving a lasting ceasefire in Donbas remains an important task, he said.

"After we saw that neither side is complying with the ceasefire, we realized that we could decide to deploy the blue helmets. Russia had rejected this idea for a very long time, and only recently, during the UN General Assembly session, did the Russian president propose sending such a mission," he said.

"I am deeply convinced that it is important today to try to determine common conditions and a clear mandate for such a peacekeeping mission, which could monitor the ceasefire together with the OSCE. It could do so not only for a couple of hours during the day but also at night, when most ceasefire violations occur," Gabriel said.

"It will be possible to start rebuilding Donbas if [such an agreement] is reached," he said.
Kulbhushan Jadhav

India is likely to respond on Friday to Islamabads offer of arranging a meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian Navy officer on death row in Pakistan, and his wife on humanitarian grounds.

Pakistan last week said it will allow 46-year-old Jadhav to meet his wife, months after India had requested Islamabad to grant a visa to his mother.

"The Government of Pakistan has decided to arrange a meeting of Commander Kulbhushan Jhadav with his wife, in Pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds, Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had said in a statement on November 10. "A Note Verbale to this effect has been sent to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, he had said, adding that the meeting would take place on Pakistani soil.

During his weekly media briefing on Thursday, Mohammad Faisal said Pakistan was awaiting India's response on the offer.
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Four domestic shipyard companies are in the fray to build six highspeed landing craft (HSLC) for the Indian Navy, according to a report by The Economic Times. This will significantly enhance the countrys capability to land troops, tanks and armoured vehicles on enemy coasts.

According to the report, the Indian Navy had called for request for information (RFI) from interested parties to supply HSLC on September 22, to which Reliance Naval & Engineering, L&T shipyard, Goa Shipyard and Cochin Shipyard responded.

Sources aware of the development told the newspaper that the companies' responses with their technical capabilities, their design of the product and how they will execute the manufacturing.

The navy is in urgent need of HSLCs as they can be operated from landing platform docks (LPDs) or large amphibious warships. They can be used for amphibious operations that could be anchored 25-30 miles offshore.

The cost of acquiring these six craft is estimated at Rs 3,000 crore and they will be delivered by 2023.

The minimum requirement of the Indian Navy is that these HSLCs carry a minimum of 180 troops with a cargo of up to 65 tonnes, which will include tanks, armoured vehicles and equipment.

To provide protection to the navy personnel on the HSLC, the craft will be equipped with cameras for all-round view and will come with strong bulletproof and armoured plating to carry machine guns on both sides while transporting.
India and Singapore discussed ways and actions to elevate bilateral relationship to a strategic level, an official release said.

The issues regarding strengthening the bilateral ties were discussed during a meeting between visiting Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Both the leaders recalled the shared history of the countries, rooted in strong commercial, culture and people- to-people links.

"They also discussed the meeting between the two Prime Ministers and elevation of India-Singapore Partnership to a strategic level and actions taken to translate their vision," the release said.

They discussed at length the roll-out of the Goods and Services Tax in India, bilateral trade and investment, and the road map for enhancing economic and commercial ties.

Jaitley, on the last day of his two-day visit, also delivered a keynote address at Morgan Stanley 16th Annual Asia Pacific Summit on "India: Structural Reforms and Growth Path Ahead".

He talked about the current state of India's economy, outlining the key reforms being implemented by the government with a view to positioning India as an attractive global investment destination.

Jaitley re-iterated India's commitment to increasing public expenditure on infrastructure and creating an environment for private participation to boost employment and provide impetus to overall economic growth.
The UN General Assembly and the Security Council will meet on Monday for a new round of voting for the last seat at the International Court of Justice as the battle between India's nominee Dalveer Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood remained deadlocked.

Bhandari and Greenwood, who are seeking re-election at the Hague-based ICJ, are locked in a major battle as 11 rounds of elections held in both the UNGA and UNSC have failed to yield results.

Under the election procedures, the balloting would be held simultaneously by the Assembly and the Council.

In the successive rounds of elections spread over two days in the last two weeks, Bhandari, 70, enjoyed nearly two- third majority in the 193-member Assembly.

Greenwood, 62, received nine votes as against five by Bhandari in the Security Council. As per ICJ rules, the candidates need to gain majority in both the General assembly and Security Council to be declared elected.

On Monday, the election would be presided over by the General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak, his spokesperson Brendan Varma said at a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York.

The spokesperson was asked whether the election process would be turned over to the ICJ in The Hague if the General Assembly and Security Council could not agree on the last seat.

He said that there were additional procedures that could be followed in New York if the Monday's meeting remained inconclusive.

For example, a joint conference could be formed, consisting of six members (three appointed by the General Assembly and three by the Security Council).

"This joint conference could then agree upon a name by an absolute majority and submit it for the acceptance of the Assembly and the Council, said Varma.

"Nevertheless, the time for that procedure had not come yet, he said and advised the journalist to wait and see what happened in the Monday's meeting.

The ICJ has a bench of 15 judges, five of whom are elected every three years for a nine-year term, elections for which are held separately but simultaneously in the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council in New York.

Last week, four of the six candidates in the fray were elected as they got absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council.

They are Ronny Abraham of France, Antnio Augusto Canado Trindade of Brazil and Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of Somalia and Nawaf Salam of Lebanon.
Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only world statesman to have stood up to China's Belt and Road Initiative even though the US has been silent on the ambitious project till recently, a top American expert on China said today.

During a Congressional hearing, Michael Pillsbury, Director of Center on Chinese Strategy at the prestigious think-tank Hudson Institute, told lawmakers that Modi and his team have been quite outspoken against Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious project.

"The only statesman in the world who stood up to it yet, is Prime Minister Modi. He and his team have been quite outspoken, partly because the Belt and Road Initiative includes violation of Indian sovereign claims, Pillsbury

said.

"But the US government, until now and this is a five- year-old initiative if you count the early part of it, has been silent, he said.

Praising the Trump administration for its new Indo- Pacific strategy, the former Pentagon official said in recent days people have heard more than 50 times by members of the Trump administration including the president himself mentioning "free and open" Indo-Pacific region.

"The Chinese have already attacked this. They don't like it, said Pillsbury, who is considered an authority on China-related issues. "The Indians, fairly recently, were joking about we want to make the Indian Ocean the Indian Ocean, by which they meant the purchase of several billion dollars worth of American PA aircraft, which have weapon systems in the back that can sink

ships, frankly, and other improvements including maritime situational awareness and a big new center in Delhi where the Indians can keep track of both blue holes and grey holes going through the Indian Ocean, he said.

"Chinese are very angry about this. They have criticised the Obama administration for its effort to, as they say, boost India, to a higher rank order in comprehensive power than the Chinese believe India deserves, the top American expert on China said in response to a question.

Senator Ed Markey said China's signature Belt and Road Initiative that aims to position China as the uncontested leading power in Asia "may further coerce" its neighbours through loans they cannot repay.

The BRI aimed at building a vast network of infrastructure projects expanding China's expertise and capital to different parts of the world includes USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) over which India has protested as it traversed through Pakistan-

occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

India boycotted the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) organised by China in May this year to highlight its concerns over Beijing pushing projects through the the PoK.

He said the US companies face the threat of intellectual property theft with reports that China has been stealing cutting-edge research as well as sensitive trade secrets from the US.

And that includes companies working in the clean energy sector who cannot compete with state-backed firms, he alleged. Pillsbury said Chinese are offering low interest loans to countries that cannot afford it.

"We're already saw the example of Sri Lanka, which fell behind in its payments and then was the subject of coercion that if you transfer the main port here in Sri Lanka to Chinese control, we will forgive the debt. The Sri Lankans did it, he said.

There were concerns of debt burden brought in by the BRI projects after Sri Lanka opted for long-term lease of its Hambantota port for USD 1.12 billion debt swap. "...So we are beginning to see, just through the media, what the Belt and Road Initiative may mean, Pillsbury told the lawmakers.

Senator Markey said China is challenging the very underpinnings of the global order that has brought peace and prosperity.

China has not lived up to its international obligations to help denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, he said.

"No country has greater leverage than China, which is responsible for approximately 90 per cent of North Korean trade," he noted.

Markey said, "China is challenging the international system elsewhere as well. It has constructed in violation of international law, military bases on artificial islands and disputed areas of the South China Sea."

"Through economic coercion, Beijing undermined the sovereignty of its smaller neighbours and countries including South Korea and the Philippines face Chinese retaliation for taking legal and sovereign actions in their own defence," he said.
shashi tharoor

Hitting out at the Centre over demonetisation, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that telling the people that they cannot have access to the money in their accounts was "nanny-ism carried to an extreme."

The former Union minister, who was speaking at an event here last evening, also criticised the BJP-led government over the way GST was rolled out, although, he said, the concept of one nation one tax was "a great idea."

"Demonetisation was an exercise in telling people what notes they could hold... The government telling us that you cannot have access to your own money in your account was nanny-ism carried to an extreme," Tharoor said.

He was participating in a debate on 'We are living in a nanny state', chaired by Vir Sanghvi, at the eighth edition of 'Tata Literature Live'.

Tharoor was speaking for the motion along with JNU professor Makarand Paranjape, while senior journalist Chandan Mitra and industrialist Sunil Alagh were against the motion.

"Intention of GST was a wonderful thing. Having one nation one tax is a great idea but in practise what this government has done, it has created something for the state, the bureaucrats and not to help the people.

"Instead of one nation one tax, we have been given three taxes, six slabs underneath and 37 forms a year to be filed... There is a nanny state sitting over you," Tharoor said.

He also criticised the beef ban, saying it has destroyed livelihoods of millions in Maharashtra alone.

"The beef ban in its conception and intention is indeed nanny state behaviour. The government is trying to determine what people put in their mouths, even in their homes... This nanny state has destroyed the livelihoods of millions in Maharashtra alone," the former Union minister said.

He also referred to the controversy over the Information and Broadcasting Ministry pulling out two movies - "S Durga" (Malayalam) and "Nude" (Marathi) from the 48th edition of International Film Festival of India to be held in Goa from November 20 to 28.

"Censorship is another example, where you saw very recently in the news, withdrawal of two films from the International Film Festival of India by the government, not by the jury.

"You have a censor board which demands 72 cuts in 'Udta Punjab', an Amartya Sen documentary where the censor insists the word Hindu and cows should be cut out. If this isn't a nanny state then what is," Tharoor asked.

The Congress leader said the "nanny state rule" extended to "homophobic laws" and even the anti-Romeo squads.

"You also have the homophobic laws in our books. Before the heterosexuals get too complacent, we have got Yogi Adityanath's anti-Romeo squads in UP (Uttar Pradesh).

"So this state believes, like nannies, they know what's best for the country and what isn't. Nannies may be good at babysitting, but in this analogy, we the people are the baby and the government is sitting on us," he said.

"The principle to my mind is that the government's job is in public policy, in creation and administration of public goods, in defending our borders, making infrastructure... Those things are alright.

"But getting into the kitchen, into the bedroom, into people's personal life, it's not the business of the state. We must stand up against it whoever is in the government," Tharoor said.
Top government officials today hailed the rating upgrade by Moody's as "long overdue" and hoped others such as S&P and Fitch will follow suit as it presses ahead with steps to ratchet up growth.

The US-based Moody's today upgraded India's sovereign rating after 13 years to Baa2 with a stable outlook, from Baa3 earlier.

"It's a welcome development, but we also feel it was long overdue... it's a recognition of the actions that the government has undertaken like GST, bankruptcy. We also need to keep all these things in perspective," Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian said.

The government, he said, "is going to do what it has to do on domestic front -- employment growth, economic growth, reviving investment," he told reporters here.

Asked if he expects other agencies like S&P and Fitch to upgrade, he said: "Let's hope they are not inconsistent amongst each other."

Subramanian had earlier observed that rating agencies follow inconsistent policies while rating India and China.

Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said the upgrade is definitely a big vindication of the structural and institutional reforms that India is doing.

"The fiscal deficit consolidation, debt control and all so everything which the government has done in the past couple of years have been recognised. They are projecting a little rise in the trajectory going forward, so they are conscious of the real dynamics of the debt situation. We, of course, remain committed to the fiscal path," Garg said.

Asked if the government will keep in mind the rating while reviewing fiscal deficit target next month, Subramanian said: "Government policies are dictated by what we have to do in terms of our own objectives, macroeconomic reforms and reviving growth."

Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia also said the path that the government has chosen for long-term reforms and fiscal consolidation is well recognised by investors already.

"The rating agency too has now confirmed it formally, which is welcome," Adhia tweeted.

According to Subramanian, the upgrade is a recognition of reforms like GST, the bank recapitalisation plan, the bankruptcy code and macroeconomic stability.
Moneycontrol News

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may come out with a list of 50 more bad loan accounts, including the accounts which are close to being termed as stressed accounts, reports the Economic Times.

The central bank is likely to set March 31 as the deadline for the banks to resolve the issue or go ahead with bankruptcy proceedings against the borrowers, a finance ministry official told the paper.

The new list will be clubbed with the earlier identified bad loan accounts, including the ones where bankruptcy procedures are in the process.

Additions to the list are believed to have come up while the authorities were discussing the recapitalisation of public sector banks.

The recap plan will reportedly not bloat the capital requirement of the lenders beyond what has been estimated. However, profitability of lenders who classify the loan accounts as Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) will reduce as they will be required to keep aside funds for these accounts.

The ministry is said to be in talks with the regulator "over the modalities of the recapitalisation scheme" and the above-mentioned developments are also being considered because the "provisioning requirements of banks" can lead to such cases as well.

Details of accounts being identified are yet to be disclosed.

According to experts, the next list will be of those lenders who fall under the SMA-2 category, which means lenders who have delayed their loan repayments by 60 to 90 days.
In its latest attempt to raise the Rs 2,000 crore that its real estate arm Jaypee Infratech owes homebuyers, Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) is passing the hat around its employees. Chairman Manoj Gaur has written to staff beseeching them for financial help.

Gaurs letter, a copy of which has been seen by Moneycontrol, says: The company is trying to prove its trustworthiness and bonafide in the Supreme Court but at this time the company seeks your help to come out of the crisis it currently faces.

You have always stood by the companys side whenever it faced a crisis whether it a was fire in a hotel or at the time of 2013 devastation caused by floods in Vishnuprayag. This time too when the company faces a crisis, it seeks your help to come out of it, he says in the letter.

Your cooperation is once again needed during this difficult situation. You can contribute as per your capability and willingness. Your contribution big or small is invaluable to us, he says.

He promised to repay the amount borrowed from employees in nine instalments starting January. It also asked employees to provide their consent by November 18, 2017.

The company spokesperson refused to confirm that such a letter has been sent out. I am not confirming.no letter has been issued so far.

Other sources confirmed to Moneycontrol that only senior employees have been sent this letter. They said that the contribution will be voluntary and the amount will be returned in nine equal instalments after January 2018.

Some employees said that they have been informed by senior colleagues to sign authorisation forms and give their approval for deduction of the amount they wish to give to the company from their salary. This is a loan we are expected to give to the company and we have been promised that it will be returned to us after January in nine equal instalments.

Most employees will be happy to give this loan as some of them have been working with the company for over 30 to 35 years. The amount to be given will depend on the rank of the employees. We have been given time until November 18 to give our consent, they said.

On Monday, the Supreme Court had come down heavily on Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) for missing the fourth deadline to deposit Rs 2000 crore with the courts registry towards refunding homebuyers and ordered that all non-institutional directors of the parent company be present before the apex court on the next date of hearing on November 22 and also directed the amicus curiae to set up a portal for homebuyers.

The SC directed all non-institutional directors of the parent company be present at the next hearing and present their affidavits disclosing their personal assets, the order said.

Legal experts said that when a company is in distress and loans are difficult to come by, it is the company and not the employees who are expected to find a way out of the situation. When the company is in distress and loans are not available from financial institutions, the promoters are expected to infuse funds and bail out the company, not the employees. The situation in which JAL and JIL are in today is not because of the employees, but because of poor judgment of and mismanagement of thousands of crores of public money by the promoters family and the directors of these companies. Therefore, the promoters and the directors of JAL should bring the funds for homebuyers to the table. After picking the pockets of home buyers, Gaurs are now set to short their employees, says Abhishek Dubey, a lawyer based out of Delhi and also a Jaypee homebuyer.

This is an aftermath of the November 13, 2017 order of the Supreme Court where the honourable justices ordered personal presence of directors of JAL along with affidavits on personal assets. This letter to employees is not in the form of a request to the employees to contribute. If one reads the operative line, it mandates the employees to provide their consent by November 18, 2017. Law does not permit such arbitrary conduct by a company against its own employees, he says.

On Monday, the Supreme Court appointed amicus curiae Pawan Shree to create a website for home buyers to enter their claims. In a brief hearing on November 13, the focus was on the failure of JAL to deposit Rs 2000 crore with the Supreme Court. JAL mentioned that they have Rs 593 crore lying in an account with ICICI Bank. JAL also mentioned that they have a cheque of Rs 100 crore in a sealed envelope for depositing with the Supreme Court.

JAL had on Monday mentioned that they can deposit Rs 693 crore but they require an order from the Supreme Court asking ICICI Bank to release Rs 593 crore. But ICICI Bank opposed the above on the ground that the Rs 593 crore lying in that bank account is not free floating money, and has been deposited in that bank account specifically for the benefit of the lenders of JAL. Considering ICICI Banks objection, the Supreme Court did not allow JAL to withdraw the Rs 593 crore from ICICI Bank, lawyers present at the hearing had said.

The committee of creditors had met on last Friday to discuss the expressions of interest from the prospective bidders. Steel, energy and cement conglomerate JSW Group, metals and commodities giant Vedanta, the Mumbai-based Lodha Group and Deutsche Bank are among the 18 companies that have shown interest in buying Jaypee Infratech. Among other parties who have expressed interest include Essel Highways, Lodha Group, L&T, Cube Highways from Singapore, Kotak Infra, SARE Group, Deutsche Bank, Asset Reconstruction Company (India) Limited, Suraksha Realty, Tata Realty.

The resolution professional is likely to split the project into three parcels with the 27 real estate projects being one block, the expressway being the second and the hospital being the third.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed JAL to keep Rs 2,000 crore ready before November 6. The court had also refused to permit a part deposit of Rs 400 crore offered by the company every month from January 2018.

Last month, the top court had refused permission to embattled Jaypee to hive-off the rights of multi-crore six-lane Yamuna Expressway connecting Greater Noida with Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

On September 11 this year, Supreme Court on Monday directed Jaypee Associates, the parent firm of its real estate firm Jaypee Infratech, to deposit Rs 2,000 crore by October 27. The apex court also asked the NCLT-appointed interim resolution professional (IRP) to take over the management of Jaypee Infratech and submit a plan to protect the interests of homebuyers and creditors within 45 days.

Supreme Court has also barred the Managing Director and Directors of Jaypee Infratech and Jaypee Associates from travelling abroad without prior permission of the court. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the IRP to submit a resolution plan within 45 days to the court, which shall indicate the protection of interests of homebuyers and the creditors.

The bench also appointed an amicus, who would participate in the meetings held by the IRP to espouse and protect the cause of homebuyers.
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - JULY 10: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his meeting with Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen at the PM's Office on July 10, 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The two heads of state discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula and how Japan and Denmark could enhance their strategic partnership further. The Japanese PM said during their joint press conference that North Korea undermines the international order seriously. (Photo by Ole Jensen - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged today to bolster his country's defenses, calling the threat from North Korea the gravest security concern Japan has faced since World War II.

Outlining his priorities in a policy speech to parliament, Abe described North Korea's sixth nuclear test earlier this year and two missile launches that flew over Japan as a national crisis.

He promised concrete action to respond to what he called "escalating provocations" by North Korea.

"We will strengthen Japanese defense power, including missile defense capabilities, in order to protect the people's lives and peace," he said.

Abe called on the international community to put more pressure on North Korea to persuade it to change its policies. The 39-day special parliamentary session runs through December 9.

Abe's ruling coalition won in a landslide in last month's snap election, securing a two-thirds supermajority in both houses of parliament, which makes it easy for Abe's policies to be approved.

Japan's defense spending has increased slowly but steadily since Abe took office in 2012. The government has said it plans to buy more American missile defense systems.

During his visit last week in Tokyo, President Donald Trump urged Abe to buy many more American weapons that allow Japan to shoot down North Korean missiles, raising questions if he was more interested in the business side of it.

US Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty stressed that Trump's primary focus is on security, not trade.

He said the US is trying to make more advanced weapons technology available to Japan more efficiently and US defense more effective in the region.

"Our overarching goal is to increase Japan's capability and interoperability. Our overarching goal is on security and defense," Hagerty said. "And (Japan's) goal is to make certain that more advanced technology is available to Japan."

He said there may be a positive impact on the trade deficit as well "but I assure you that's not the primary reason for this program.
The second President of Ukraine and representative to the Trilateral Contact Group, Leonid Kuchma, believes that Russia wants to turn Donbas into another frozen conflict zone.

"What Russia has proposed to do on the contact line would create a new border with Ukraine. It is not even proposed to follow the example of Transdniester, another frozen conflict; the entire thing will be much worse, because Transdniester does not share a border with Russia," Kuchma told reporters in Kyiv on Friday.

According to Kuchma, the meeting between Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov and the United States' Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, Kurt Volker, did not deliver results. "The U.S. has proposed 29 provisions, and Russia has agreed to accept three of them; what he [Surkov] said, that 'Three is more than zero' is wrong, it is exactly zero," Kuchma said.

The Donbas settlement process has no future at the moment, Kuchma said. "There is no chance of bringing peace to the region through what's happening now," he said.

Ukraine should be firm and insist that the peacekeeping contingent be deployed across Ukraine, including the Ukrainian-Russian border, Kuchma said.
3:30 pm Market Check: Equity benchmarks rallied sharply after Moody's upgraded India's sovereign rating, but ended off day's highs due to correction in technology stocks.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 235.98 points or 0.71 percent at 33,342.80 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 68.80 points or 0.67 percent at 10,283.60.

About 1,590 shares advanced against 1,149 declining shares on the BSE.

3:18 pm Tie-Up: Reliance General Insurance Company (RGI), a subsidiary of Reliance Capital has signed a comprehensive Bancassurance - Corporate Agency agreement with Yes Bank, further augmenting its distribution network.

The bank will distribute multiple general insurance products to its customers, further augmenting its distribution network.

Yes Bank with its extensive network of 1,040 branches across all 29 states and 7 union territories of India will enable Reliance General Insurance to reach a large base of Retail and MSME clients.

3:08 pm India Inc on rating upgrade: Giving a thumbs-up to Moody's rating upgrade, India Inc today said the move is a reaffirmation of the government's reforms push that will boost foreign capital inflows and lead to overseas borrowings at better rates.

The US-based Moody's today upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to 'Baa2' with a stable outlook, citing improved growth prospects driven by economic and institutional reforms.

The rating action may act a catalyst of sorts for those foreign investors eyeing India, say analysts.

"The rating upgrade, along with the recently reported improvement in India's ease of doing business ranking, underlines the fact that we are moving in the right direction. India's growth story is more promising than ever and we see a further improvement in confidence level of global investment community," Ficci President Pankaj Patel said.

3:02 pm Buzzing: Realty stocks rallied up to 10 percent intraday after the government on Thursday approved the enhancement of the carpet area of houses for the middle income group (MIG) category under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U). The upside was also partly led by positive market conditions after Moody's upgraded India's sovereign rating to Baa2 and changed the outlook to stable from positive.

The Nifty Realty Index gained as much as 4.7 percent today, backed by HDIL, DLF, Indiabulls Real Estate, Unitech, Prestige Estates, Godrej Properties, Brigade Enterprises and Sobha.

"The cabinets decision is a massive positive for the macros of housing. The home buyer now has a larger pool of prospective houses to choose from. The fence sitters specially, who were delaying their home purchase will now be given a further push," Gagan Banga, VC & MD, Indiabulls Housing Finance said.

2:55 pm Europe Trade: Markets in Europe traded mildly lower as investors digested further earnings and data.

France's CAC, Germany's DAX and Britain's FTSE were up 0.3 percent each.

2:45 pm Market Update: Benchmark indices maintained uptrend in last hour of trade, with the Sensex rising nearly 300 points after Moody's upgraded India's sovereign rating to Baa2 and changed the outlook to stable from positive. However, the selling in technology stocks due to rupee appreciation capped gains.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 290.72 points or 0.88 percent at 33,397.54 and the 50-share NSE Nifty rose 83.60 points or 0.82 percent to 10,298.40.

2:35 pm Stocks at 52-week high: More than 100 stocks on the BSE hit a fresh 52-week high which includes names like Jubilant FoodWorks, Voltas, ICICI Bank, Tata Global Beverages, Bank of India, KPIT Technologies, Radico Khaitan, Polaris Consulting etc. among others.

Benchmark indices are still far away from their lifetime higher despite strong rally seen in the last two trading sessions but as many as 43 stocks on the BSE hit a fresh record high which includes names like 3M India, Chola Finance, Graphite India, IFB Industries, Indian Bank, SIS, Venkys, Vakrangee etc. among others.

A Large part of the rally was driven by short coverings after Moodys upgrade tilted the sentiment in favour of bulls. The rating upgrade comes after a gap of 13 years - Moody's had last upgraded India's rating to 'Baa3' in 2004. In 2015, the rating outlook was changed to 'positive' from 'stable'.

2:15 pm Earnings Reaction: Shares of Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) was locked at 5 percent upper circuit on the back of strong September quarter numbers.

There were pending buy orders of 80,475 shares, with no sellers available.

The company has turned profitable as it has reported net profit of Rs 2.8 crore against loss of Rs 24.4 crore, in the year ago period.

Revenue of the company was down 3.7 percent at Rs 605.3 crore against Rs 628.7 crore.

The operating profit rose 64.5 percent at Rs 88.7 crore and EBITDA margin was up 600 bps at 14.6 percent.

: India's credit rating upgrade by

Moody's is a reflection of the country's growth story, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said today and expressed hope that other global agencies such as S&P and Fitch would follow suit.

The US-based Moody's upgraded India's sovereign rating after a gap of 13 years to Baa2, with 'stable' outlook, from Baa3 earlier, citing improved growth prospects driven by economic and institutional reforms.

Former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said in

a tweet: "Moody's upgrade India's credit rating after 13 years. A clear recognition of economic & institutional reforms; well paced shift towards formalisation of the economy; improvement in business climate;positive growth outlook."

In 2015, the rating outlook was changed to 'positive' from 'stable'.

The 'Baa3' rating was the lowest investment grade -- just a notch above 'junk' status.

Here are the top headlines at 2 pm from Moneycontrol News' Anchal Pathak

1:56 pm Delay in debt repayment: Telecom operator Aircel has delayed payment of interest on its debt obligations, ratings agency CARE said and downgraded its rating on the company's bank facilities to default.

Aircel, the sixth-ranked mobile carrier in the country by subscribers, has delayed payment of interest on its debt obligations on account of its "weak liquidity position," CARE said in a November 16 note.

Aircel, 74 percent owned by Malaysia's Maxis Communications Bhd, had plans to combine operations with rival carrier Reliance Communications' (RCom) wireless unit. That deal fell apart last month.

Aircel has long-term bank loans of Rs 17,479 crore (USD 2.7 billion), CARE said.

1:48 pm Market Update: It is a big thumbs up to Modi government's reform drive. Moody's upgraded India's sovereign rating to Baa2 and changed the outlook to stable from positive.

The 30-share BSE Sensex rallied 342.29 points or 1.03 percent to 33,449.11 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 103.40 points or 1.01 percent at 10,318.20.

About two shares advanced for every share falling on the BSE.

Nifty Bank index surged 450 points but IT stocks remained under pressure. The broader also participated in rally, with the Midcap rising a percent.

Realty is the biggest gainer among sectoral indices, up 4.5 percent.

1:36 pm FM on India's rating upgrade: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government welcomes Moody's upgradation of India's sovereign rating.

In a press address following the upgrade, the finance minister said the upgradation is a belated recognition of all the positive steps the Centre has taken so far.

It is "encouraging to have international recognition" and "not something happening in isolation," he said.

The steps taken by the government in the last few years have contributed to the strengthening of the Indian economy, and the upgradation is an endorsement of the ongoing reform process, he said.

He added, the number of structural reforms that have taken place in the last three to four years have placed India "on path of a high trajectory growth".

On mention of India's fiscal prudence in the Moody's report, Jaitley said "India continues on the path of fiscal prudence which has brought stability to the economy."

1:27 pm Market Outlook: "The long awaited rating upgrade after the number of policy measure taken by the government of India did finally came, the ratings upgrade is likely to have a positive effect not only on equity but also on rupee and bond. The bold policy measures of the government would enhance Indias growth potential," Dinesh Jain, MD, AUM Capital said.

Moodys Investor Services upgraded the Government of India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive.

The ratings upgrade is a recognition of long term growth and is likely to decelerate the selling by foreign investors. Moreover many new investors might start looking towards India as an attractive and stable investment destination. Secondly, this might lead to a lower cost of borrowing for corporates planning to raise funds, Jain said.

1:15 pm Management Interview: The Cipla stock is in focus and gaining in trade after news of the US FDA approving Pulmicort Respules - an asthma drug.

Umang Vohra, MD & Global CEO, Cipla said the approval is limited in nature. He said there is an IP situation around Pulmicort, which will get resolved sometime in 2018 and so, there could be further competition coming in as well.

However, he specified that it is a product candidate which is of Form Fill Seal (FFS) solution  actually a suspension product and is difficult to make. There are not many facilities in the world that make it and so we think the competition is limited.

He said the competition could be doing close to USD 15-20 million in terms of revenues and so they would also roughly be in that range.

12:55 pm Market Check: The rally continued at Dalal Street as the Sensex surged 336.84 points or 1.02 percent to 33,443.66 after Moodys upgraded India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive after a long gap of 13 years.

The Nifty also continue to trade above the 10,300-mark, rising 104.20 points or 1.02 percent 10,319.00.

Nifty Bank rallied over 400 points, backed by the rating upgrade. ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, PNB, Canara Bank, SBI and IDFC Bank gained 2-3 percent while Reliance Industries, ITC and Tata Motors rose over a percent.

12:50 pm Rupee Update: The Indian rupee trimmed its gains in afternoon, trading with 41 paise gains at 64.91 against the US dollar.

It touched an intraday high of 64.62 a dollar after opening at 64.75.

12:40 pm Buzzing: Ashapura Minechem shares rallied 7 percent after ace investor Porinju Veliyath's Equity Intelligence has bought 7.4 lakh shares of the company via open market transaction.

Equity Intelligence holds 5.35 percent stake in the company after this share acquisition.

12:30 pm Most Active shares: New entrant HDFC Standard Life was the most active stock on exchanges, rising nearly 20 percent over issue price of Rs 290 per share.

SBI, Indiabulls Housing, PNB, Page Industries, HDFC, ICICI Bank and Bharti Airtel were other most active shares.

12:20 pm Management Interview: HDFC Life has been created with a very different business model and investors believe this model is more sustainable and balanced, Amitabh Chaudhry, MD & CEO, HDFC Standard Life said in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

HDFC Standard Life has raised Rs 8,695 crore through public issue, including Rs 2,322 crore via anchor book.

"We went for a secondary sale as HDFC Life did not need any money. There is no requirement for capital currently," he said.

Promoters will be happy to infuse more capital if required, he added.

12:10 pm Corporate reaction on India's rating upgrade: "Moodys ratings upgrade is a testimony of the fact that the governments road map of fiscal reforms is on the right path. This global recognition is a positive step for overall Indian economy and it will also help in attracting global inflows into India. The rating upgrade will also provide relief to corporates on their borrowing costs," George Alexander Muthoot, MD, Muthoot Finance said.

12:05 pm Rating agency Moody's has upgraded four Indian financial institutions' ratings today.

It has upgraded long-term ratings of HDFC Bank, SBI to Baa2 from Baa3 and also changed outlook on both banks to stable from positive.

Here are the top headlines at 12 pm from Moneycontrol News' Anchal Pathak

11:59 am Buzzing: Shares of Gati rose 7 percent intraday after second quarter earnings.

The company has recorded 179 percent jump in its Q2 net profit at Rs 20.77 crore against Rs 7.44 crore.

Revenue decreased 4.6 percent at Rs 405.97 crore against Rs 425.65 crore.

11:45 am Market Update: Equity benchmarks as well as broader markets maintained early gains, with the Sensex rising more than 300 points after Moody's upgraded India's sovereign rating. The rally was driven by banks and metals.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 335.96 points or 1.01 percent at 33,442.78 and the 50-share NSE Nifty rose 102.20 points or 1 percent to 10,317.

The gap between advances and declines narrowed a bit. About three shares advanced for every share falling on the BSE. The ratio was 5:1 in early trade.

Technology stocks were under pressure on rising rupee against US dollar.

HDFC twins, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries, ITC were leading contributors to Nifty's gains, rising 1-3 percent.

HDFC Life extended gains, rising 17 percent over issue price.

11:34 am Market Outlook: "Moody's upgrade comes as a welcome move in the wake of slew of structural reforms in the economy which are expected to enhance the potential growth in the medium term," Upasna Bhardwaj, Senior Economist at Kotak Mahindra Bank said.

In the near term, however, given that debt limits are nearly utilised there remains minimal room for a rally in G-Sec. Further, inflows in equity markets ( which will be positive Rupee )will also increase domestic liquidity and hence increase quantum of open market operations sales, which will further weigh on bonds. Notably, higher crude oil prices and risk of fiscal slippage is already weighing on bonds, she added.

11:25 am Buzzing: Shares of Vascon Engineers added 6.4 percent intraday on the back of sale of subsidiary's Mumbai division.

The board of directors of GMP Technical Solutions, a material subsidiary of Vascon Engineers has approved slump sale of its Mumbai division.

The company signed a business transfer agreement on November 16 with Innovative Core Systems (acquirer) to sell and transfer its stake held in Mumbai division for a consideration of Rs 18 crore.

11:20 am FII View: Moody's Investors Service upgraded the Government of India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive.

In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Suresh Ganapathy, Banking Analyst, Macquarie Capital Securities said it takes some time for this to flow into the system and the immediate impact could be seen on the well-rated corporates and create a base for lower margin structure for banks because these corporates can bargain and get a low interest rate on their borrowings.

However, the corporate which are under the NCLT or where some resolution of bad debts is happening, it will not move the needle for them in a big way.

11:15 am Big Bull on India's rating upgrade: Ace investor, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, the partner of Rare Enterprises said that the rating upgrade by Moodys earlier today did not come as a surprise to him but it will be for those who were criticizing efforts made by the Modi government to revive the economy.

I see the economy growing by 7.5-8 percent by next year. Most importantly, it is a recognition of the fact that however disruptive in the short term the measure were, all the actions which the govt. took were correct, bold and required, he said.

It will lead to faster economic growth in times to come. This upgrade is also in recognition by the Moodys that there is not going to be some big havoc on the fiscal side, and the direction which the government is undertaking is going to lead to higher economic growth and it is also a befitting reply to critics of Modi govt., said Jhunjhunwala.

11:08 am SEBI on Earnings: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will investigate possible leaks of company earnings in social media chatrooms, its chief Ajay Tyagi said.

A Reuters investigation documented at least 12 cases of prescient messages about major Indian companies being posted in private WhatsApp groups.

"We will certainly investigate the issue. It is a work in progress," Tyagi, Chairman of SEBI, India's market regulator, told Reuters, when asked what action the regulator was considering.

10:59 am Gold Update: Gold prices fell by Rs 103 to Rs 29,560 per 10 ten grams in futures trading today as participants indulged in profit-booking at prevailing levels even as the metal strengthened overseas.

At the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold for delivery in far-month February declined by Rs 103, or 0.35 per cent to Rs 29,560 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 100 lots.

Similarly, the metal for delivery in December eased by Rs 88 or 0.30 per cent to Rs 29,415 per ten grams in 863 lots.

Analysts attributed the fall in gold futures to profit-booking by traders at existing levels but a firm trend in global market, capped the fall.

10:40 am HDFC on India's Rating Upgrade: Moody's has upgraded India's sovereign rating to Baa2 from Baa3.

"It is a great move. The initiatives that the government has taken in the recent times in the various things starting with demonetisation, goods and services tax (GST), real estate regulatory authority (RERA) are taking its effect and rating agencies are now beginning to recognise India's potential," Keki Mistry, Vice Chairman and CEO of HDFC said in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

According to him, foreign borrowing might be a little bit cheaper now. "My sense is if we were to go to the overseas markets to raise money, it would probably be a little cheaper," he added.

10:30 am Market Update: Equity benchmarks maintained opening gains, led y banks after Moodys rating in a surprise move upgraded India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive after a long gap of 13 years.

The reform program will complement the existing shock-absorbance capacity provided by the countrys strong growth potential and improving global competitiveness, the rating agency said.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 361.16 points or 1.09 percent at 33,467.98 and the 50-share NSE Nifty rose 112.40 points or 1.10 percent to 10,327.20.

About 1693 shares advanced against 474 declining shares on the BSE.

10:20 am Buzzing: Just Dial shares gained 4.5 percent as Nomura has maintained its buy rating on the stock with increased target price at Rs 635 from Rs 590 per share.

Just Dial remains the most cost-effective SME advertising platform in India, with scope for coverage expansion in tier 2/3 cities, the research house said while expecting an EPS to grow at CAGR of 19 percent over FY17-20 and revenue CAGR of 10 percent over FY17-19

Improved traffic growth trends, stable realisations and operational efficiencies are key positives, it feels.

Nomura said the company has now renewed focus on its core search business, but competition from Google or vertical players is an issue.

10:10 am Cipla rallies: Shares of Cipla rose more than 2 percent in the early trade on the back of USFDA approval for Budesonide Inhalation Suspension.

The company has received final approval for its abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for Budesonide Inhalation Suspension, 0.25mg/2mL, 0.5mg/2mL, and 1mg/2mL from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market a generic version of Astrazenecas Pulmicort Respules.

Budesonide Inhalation Suspension is indicated for the maintenance treatment of asthma and as prophylactic therapy in children 12 months to 8 years of age.

Here are the top headlines at 10 am from Moneycontrol News' Anchal Pathak

10:00 am Listing: HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company shares listed with 8 percent premium on the National Stock Exchange, driven by positive market conditions and good subscription.

The share price opened at Rs 313 per share against issue price of Rs 290.

9:58 am Buzzing: Share price of Bank of Baroda surged 5 percent in morning as the company is planning to raise Rs 6000 crore.

The meeting of the designated board committee i.e. Finance Committee of the board will be held on November 21, 2017 to consider and approve raising of equity fund, as per company release.

The equity fund can be raised through qualified institutions placement (QIP), and/or rights issue for size and amount as may be decided, within overall approval of the board of raising equity capital up to Rs 6000 crore, it added.

9:51 am Pre-opening: HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company has settled at Rs 310 on the National Stock Exchange in pre-opening trade, higher by 6.89 percent over issue price of Rs 290 per share.

9:47 am Bhushan Steel in action: Luxembourg-based multinational steel firm ArcelorMittal and domestic industry major Tata Steel have evinced interest in Bhushan Steel which is undergoing insolvency proceedings.

The development has come at a time when the debt-laden firm, which was referred to NCLT by the RBI under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, has reported narrowing down of its standalone net loss to Rs 467.37 crore during the September quarter from Rs 980.22 crore in the same period a year ago.

During the July-September 2017, total income of Bhushan Steel rose 43 percent to Rs 4,325.60 crore from Rs 3,025.79 crore during the same period a year ago, the company said in a BSE filing.

9:43 am Stake Buy: Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland has inked a pact with Everfin Holdings to buy an additional 5 percent stake in Hinduja Leyland Finance Limited (HLFL) for Rs 225.42 crore. The company has entered into a share purchase and shareholder agreement with Everfin Holdings, shareholder of HLFL, for the acquisition of 2,04,92,676 shares of Rs 10 each constituting 4.68 percent share capital of HLFL at a price of Rs 110 per share, Ashok Leyland said in a regulatory filing.

"Consequent to the above, the company's shareholding in HLFL will increase from 57.22 percent to 61.9 percent," it added.

9:40 am Listing: HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company, which recently concluded its Rs 8,695-crore initial public offering, is likely to list a a slight premium when it debuts on the stock market debut today, experts said.

Although analysts are not expecting a blockbuster listing, a small premium to the issue price could well be on the cards thanks to the quality of its earnings and management pedigree.

The IPO, which was opened for subscription during November 7-9, was subscribed 4.89 times at a price band of Rs 275-290 per share.

9:36 am RIL in focus: Reliance Industries (RIL) is set to raise up to $1.8 billion through a combination of offshore bonds and syndicated loans to reduce its high-cost debt, reports The Economic Times. The company would pare borrowing costs with a new series of overseas papers that would be of 10-year maturity, unlike the perpetual bonds it had sold five years ago, sources said.

RIL is raising $800 million through a dollar-bond issue, and another $1billion through syndicated commercial loans from a group of international lenders at a cost lower than that for the existing loans. The issuance is part of a massive debt refinancing exercise by the Mukesh Ambani-owned company, and would cover a perpetual bond sale of 2013.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.

9:26 am Rupee and Bond Update: The Indian rupee as well as 10-year government bond yields were strong in early trade.

The rupee was trading at 64.79 against US dollar, higher by 52 paise over previous close.

It has opened with the biggest gain in four years against previous close.

The 10-year government (6.79%, 2027) bond yield opened at 6.94 percent, much higher compared with previous day's closing level of 7.06 percent.

9:20 am Gainers and Losers: ICICI Bank, HDFC, Reliance Industries, Vedanta, SBI, Axis Bank, L&T, Tata Motors and HUL gained 1-3 percent while Infosys, TCS, Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies and Wipro were under pressure, falling up to 1 percent.

9:15 am Market Check: Bulls continued to keep tight control over Dalal Street for second consecutive session as the Sensex rallied nearly 400 points, driven by banks after Moody's upgraded the Government of India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 396.36 points or 1.20 percent at 33,503.18 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 117.10 points or 1.15 percent at 10,331.90.

Nifty Bank hit fresh record high as Moody's Investors Service has today upgraded the Government of India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive.

Moody's has also upgraded India's local currency senior unsecured rating to Baa2 from Baa3 and its short-term local currency rating to P-2 from P-3.

The decision to upgrade the ratings is underpinned by Moody's expectation that continued progress on economic and institutional reforms will, over time, enhance India's high growth potential and its large and stable financing base for government debt, and will likely contribute to a gradual decline in the general government debt burden over the medium term.

Vijaya Bank, PNB, Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank, Just Dial, Edelweiss Financial, Petronet LNG, Suzlon Energy, Religare Enterprises, L&T Finance, Indiabulls Real, DLF, Nitesh Estates and Puravankara rallied 2-10 percent.
Dasvir Ankhi

There are two basic ways to earn money  by working and by making your assets work for you. The latter is an idea that each one of us thinks about once we start earning  choosing the right investment strategy assumes paramount importance. As is has been rightly said by Ben Graham, noted American investor & the father of value investing, "The individual investor should act consistently as an investor and not as a speculator."

In India, the influx of the domestic investors' money in equity markets (mutual funds) has been increasing significantly over the past few years.

For those still in woods, a mutual fund is a professionally managed investment scheme run by an asset management company that accumulates peoples money and invest them in stocks, bonds and other securities.

You can start investing in mutual funds from as little as Rs. 500. Should you need help finding the right fund, a simple Google search for a good largecap equity funds would throw up numerous possibilities.

But unfortunately, for many first-time investors, having to choose from the plethora of equity funds, all claiming to outperform the index and the benchmark, is like finding a needle out from what seems like a haystack of schemes available and registered with the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI). To simplify this, SEBI on October 6th, 2017, released new guidelines on categorizing mutual funds, asking funds to classify their schemes under five clearly defined categories.

These categories are classified as Equity Schemes, Debt Schemes, Hybrid Schemes, Solution Oriented Schemes and Other Schemes. Fund houses will be allowed to have one scheme in each category, except for Index funds/ETFs tracking indices, fund of funds and thematic schemes investing in different sectors.

Additionally, all mutual fund schemes within a fund house will need to be appropriately distinct from each other in terms of strategy, asset allocation, etc. If a fund house currently has more than one fund in the same category, they will necessarily need to be merged into one. As of now, fund houses will have to analyze each of their existing schemes, obtain approvals from their trustees and submit their proposed course of action (whether a scheme will be merged, wound up or its fundamental attributes will be changed) to the regulator within the next two months. After SEBI issues its observations on the fund house's proposals, the necessary changes will have to be carried out within three months.

This move by SEBI is clearly in favour of investors  by standardizing mutual fund categories, new fund offerings are likely to come down, which will clear the clutter and make it easier for investors to compare & identify the right financial instrument to invest in. Comparing funds of a particular category will now be easier, given that there could be similar kind of portfolio with more or less the same holdings but with different allocation. Also, merging of the funds will lead to a reduction in expense ratios which is in turn is beneficial for investors.

This move will also test the fund managers stock picking skills since the basket of funds to choose from is now common. For example, a fund manager of a large cap fund could have an allocation in the midcap stocks in order to generate alpha returns. Though this could yield higher returns, it is also important to note that it increases the risk of the fund, thereby increasing the risk for the investor who may not have the appetite for midcap exposure. Although at an overall level, the equity allocation for an investor does not change, what used to change was the sub-allocation towards mid-cap and small cap in his portfolio via various funds held by him. Thanks to the new circular, the fund manager is now restricted in terms of the exposure he can have in each of the categories, thereby bringing the risk down.

This is indeed great move benefitting investors. Fund houses offered numerous schemes under the same category and made it really confusing for the investors to select from a list of multiple large cap, multi-cap or midcap funds from the same fund house. For a fund manager, this move could limit their freedom by forcing them to exit quality stocks and abide by the norms on market capital holdings. But overall, the new classification is considered a step in the right direction as it will bring clarity, uniformity among mutual funds and make the life of the Indian investor simpler.
IRPs

Essar

Bhushan

TimesThat's all for today, readers. Thanks for staying on with our coverage of the day's action. Your enthusiasm encourages us to better our coverage every day. Do come back tomorrow for more news, views and insights.

20:00 Senior Chinese envoy in North Korea amid chill in ties to improve relations

The highest-level Chinese envoy to North Korea in two years arrived in the country's capital on Friday to try to improve relations that have soured over Beijing's tightening of sanctions and expressions of support for US President Donald Trump's calls for more pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

Song Tao's official mission is to brief North Korean officials on the outcome of China's ruling Communist Party congress held last month.

He is visiting as President Xi Jinping's special envoy, according to Chinese and North Korean state media, but no other details about his itinerary or whether he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been announced.

19:59 Volkswagen to spend over $40 billion on electric and self-driving cars

Volkswagens leaders on Friday approved a five-year spending plan that aims to further the German automakers goal of transforming itself into a leading force in electric cars.

Europes largest carmaker by unit sales will spend more than 34 billion euros (USD 40 billion) on electric cars, autonomous driving and new mobility services by the end of 2022, it said on Friday following a supervisory board meeting.

euros

Total group investments by 2022 will total about 72 billion, the group said, confirming an earlier Reuters story.

19:55 Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe makes defiant appearance after army takeover

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attended a university graduation ceremony on Friday, making a defiant first public appearance since the military takeover that appeared to signal the end of his 37-year reign.

Mugabe, 93, had been confined to house arrest after the military took over the country.

But on Friday, he walked into the ceremony venue in Harare dressed in a blue academic gown and tasselled hat, before listening to speeches with his eyes closed and applauding occasionally, an AFP correspondent reported.

The generals took over late on Tuesday after vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa was abruptly sacked and Mugabe's wife Grace emerged in prime position to succeed her increasingly frail husband.

19:22 I-T dept seizes Rs 11 crore from entities in NSE co-location case

The income-tax department on Friday seized about Rs 11 crore cash as part of its searches in the tax evasion probe against a broker and others said to be involved in the high-profile co-location case.

They said the cash, hidden in various wooden cavities of furniture and other items, was recovered and seized from the Delhi premises of a broker identified as Sanjay Gupta.

Gupta did not reply to queries sent by PTI.

His phone, as well as that of his family members, were switched off. A major chunk of Rs 11 crore seizure from three locations in Delhi was from the place of Gupta's business partner. Nearly Rs 10 crore was found in a cavity beneath a staircase at one of the premises that were searched, officials said.

19:22 Domestic air passenger traffic breaches 10-million mark in October

For the first time, air travel volume breached the 10-million mark in October clipping at a healthy 20.52 percent over the same period a year ago.

For the reporting month, the carriers flew as much as 10.45 million passengers. The combined passenger traffic of all airlines was 8.67 million in October 2016, according to the data released by the regulator DGCA on Friday.

During the month, all major airlines barring the disinvestment-bound national carrier Air India logged a healthy passenger load factor at above 80 percent owing to the onset of festive season, as per the DGCA passenger data for October. The PLF is a measure of how full the plane flies.

19:04 Anti-malaria drug may also fight Zika virus: study

A drug used to prevent and treat malaria may also be effective against Zika virus, a study has found.

The medication, called chloroquine, has a long history of safe use during pregnancy, and is relatively inexpensive, according to the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Zika virus remains a major global health risk. In most adults, Zika causes mild flu-like symptoms.

However in pregnant women, the virus can cause serious birth defects in babies - including microcephaly - a neurological condition in which newborns have unusually small heads and fail to develop properly.

19:02 Reliance Ind Proposes To Make Offer For Issue Of NCD On Private Placement Basis Worth Up To Rs 2500 Cr #BizNews , tweets CNBC-TV 18

18:59 Padmavati row: Shashi Tharoor flips stance, says Rajput sentiments must be respected

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who had previously lashed out against the protests taking place across the country against Padmavati, now seems to have softened his stance.

Previously, the Congress MP from Kerala had condemned the action of Rajput maharajas who are on the roads protesting against the launch of the film on grounds of it distorting history and also for claiming that it is an insult to their honour.

18:54 DATA STORY: India ailing from an 81% shortfall of specialists at community health centres

India's community health centres (CHCs) have an 81 percent shortfall of specialised medical care as compared to the required specialist manpower.

The Rural Health Statistics 2016 report states that as compared to the requirement for existing 5,510 CHCs, there is a shortfall of 84 percent of surgeons, 76.7 percent of obstetricians and gynaecologists, 83.2 percent of physicians and 80.1 percent of paediatricians.

18:32 63 % respondents wa a stronger military presence in Jammu & Kashmir: Survey

More than 60 percent respondents of a survey believe that the Centre should use more military force in Jammu and Kashmir, American fact-tank Pew Research Centre said today.

The state has been on the edge since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani by security forces in July last year. It has witnessed widespread clashes between the security forces and civilians since then.

According to the survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre, while 63 percent of the respondents were in favour of using more military force in Jammu and Kashmir, 64 percent had a "very unfavourable" view of Pakistan, which was nine percent higher compared to the previous year.

17:27 Catch today's news in our latest installment of "news in pictures"

17:22 Second day's play has been called off due to rain with India on 74/5 against Sri Lanka in first Test #INDvSL, tweets PTI.

17:19 Microsoft founder Bill Gates meets Yogi Adityanath, discusses sanitation issues

Microsoft founder Bill Gates met Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Friday where the two discussed sanitation-related issues, including spreading awareness on vector-borne diseases, drinking water availability and cleanliness campaigns.

Giving the details of the 45-minute meeting, Chief Secretary, Information and Tourism Avanish Awasthi said, Discussions were held on the complete eradication of Filariasis. Bill Gates told us that he is already monitoring vector-borne diseases with Indian Council of Medical Research. He added that he will help in setting up a regional vector disease centre at BRD Medical College.

17:15 JAL seeks staff contributions to raise Rs 2000 crore to refund homebuyers

In its latest attempt to raise the Rs 2,000 crore that its real estate arm Jaypee Infratech owes homebuyers, Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) is passing the hat around its employees. Chairman Manoj Gaur has written to staff beseeching them for financial help.

Gaurs letter, a copy of which has been seen by Moneycontrol, says: The company is trying to prove its trustworthiness and bonafide in the Supreme Court but at this time the company seeks your help to come out of the crisis it currently faces.

You have always stood by the companys side whenever it faced a crisis whether it a was fire in a hotel or at the time of 2013 devastation caused by floods in Vishnuprayag. This time too when the company faces a crisis, it seeks your help to come out of it, he says in the letter.

17:07 Centre to rate Highways & Toll plazas for improved performance

In a bid to improve the regulatory framework for infrastructure development, union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) will soon come up with rating plans for highways, toll plazas, construction agencies and various consultants engaged with the ministry.

We are constantly trying to improve the regulatory framework One part of which is to start grading, a highly placed source from the ministry told Moneycontrol.

Early this month MoRTH appointed Quality Council of India (QCI), an autonomous society set up to ensure quality standard, as its implementation agency to review and rate highway developers to pave way for suitable infrastructure companies to engage with the government.

17:04 Iraq forces retake last town in the country held by IS: Iraqi army

Iraqi forces said they retook the last town in the country still held by the Islamic State group near the border with Syria today in a lightning offensive.

Government troops and paramilitary units "liberated the whole of Rawa and raised the Iraqi flag on all of its official buildings," General Abdelamir Yarallah of the Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

More than 3 million people displaced by Islamic State-related violence in the last three years have still not returned home. A rift between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurds following a September referendum on independence has created a fresh wave of displacement.

Islamic States self-declared caliphate effectively collapsed in July when U.S.-backed Iraqi forces re-took Mosul, the groups de facto capital in Iraq, after a gruelling nine-month battle which reduced much of it to rubble.

16:24 HDFC

It was a good start to the HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company on the bourses as the stock price closed with a whopping 19% premium on the National Stock Exchange. It settled at Rs 344.60 per share against its issue price of Rs 290 per share after hitting an intraday high of Rs 369 per share and low of Rs 307 per share. The share price rallied as much as 27.24% intraday while it opened with 8% percent premium on the NSE.

On the BSE, HDFC Life shares closed at Rs 344.25, up 18.71% over issue. This is the third life insurance company getting listed on the exchanges after ICICI Prudential Life and SBI Life. The public issue of the subsidiary of housing finance major HDFC was oversubscribed 4.9 times during November 7-9, 2017. The price band for the issue was Rs 275-290 per share.

The markets watchdog Sebi is working on the guidelines for insolvency resolution professionals under the capital market norms so the recently introduced Bankruptcy & Insolvency Code is implemented better, reports PTI. The market watchdog is jointly working with the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board to address the issue and the new guidelines will be issued this year itself, Sebi chairman Ajay Tyagi said. He noted that the Sebi has already relaxed the norms related to issue of capital and disclosure requirements as well as regulations on substantial acquisition of shares and takeovers to align with the new Bankruptcy & Insolvency Code.

"There are various other issues which have come to our notice in terms of resolution professionals being in-charge of a company for 180 days at least, when resolution plan is underway," Tyagi said. "What would be the obligations on the resolution professionals under the listing regulations or what are the other requirements. They need to be jointly worked out with the Bankruptcy Code Board of India and provisions made on that," he added.

Modi

The Congress accused the Modi government of "clutching at straws" to reclaim the lost credibility, and said it and rating agency Moody's have failed to gauge the mood of the nation, reports PTI. Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala also sought to downplay Moody's rating upgrade of India, saying the same agency had miscalculated US subprime mortgages before the economic meltdown.

"After destroying India's economy, the Modi government is clutching at straws to claim lost credibility," he said on Twitter. "Modiji and Moody's 'jodi' (duo) have failed to gauge the mood of the nation," he said, adding that hunger deaths, agri distress, job losses, lowest credit ratings, rising prices, plunging exports, flawed GST, demonetisation disaster, stagnant growth are the real indices to measure it.

Taking a dig at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Surjewala said, "Mr Jaitley, do remember that Moodys, S&P and other rating agencies defaulted in rating American sub-prime mortgages...before the economic meltdown." "Lesson is stop acting and get your act together. Shun arrogance and listen to the trade and industry," he told the finance minister.

101cr

Khaitan

Electricals

Allahabad Bank has decided to put on sale bad loans worth Rs 101 crore of Khaitan Electricals, the consumer durables maker battling declining revenues in recent quarters. An senior official of the state-owned bank told PTI that Khaitan Electricals' NPA is one of the 61 such accounts that have been identified for sale during the December quarter. The bank has scheduled e-auction for the sale of the loan on December 4.

Aiming to bring the latest innovations and creating a 5G ecosystem in India, global communications technology leader Ericsson showcased the first-ever live 5G end-to-end demonstration in the country, reports PTI. The demonstration using Ericssons 5G test bed and 5G New Radio (NR) delivered a throughput of 5.7 Gbps and ultra-low latency of 3 millisecond. According to a latest Ericsson study, 5G technology will enable a $27.3 billion revenue potential for the Indian telecom operators by 2026.

The demonstration also featured 5G use cases and live demonstration of essential technologies on the road to 5G like Gigabit LTE (1 GBPS download speeds) with License Assisted Access (LAA) technology. The LAA live demo highlighted how this technology can leverage wireless network resources using higher frequency bands on a small cell architecture. Other technology innovations presented in the showcase included advancements in Radio Network Evolution, 5G Ready Transport and Network Slicing. Ericssons new 5G platform comprises the 5G core, radio and transport portfolios, with digital support systems, transformation services and security.

15:27 Nirmala Sitharaman says allegations relating to Rafale deal shameful

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said allegations relating to Rafale deal was shameful as deal was finalised following a transparent procedure, reports PTI She stated that the final agreement for 36 Rafale jets was signed after approval of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). Hitting out at the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance (UPA), she said the previous government sat over the proposed procurement of Rafale jets for 10 years.

Tejashwi

Rabri

The ED has issued fresh summons to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's wife Rabri Devi and his son Tejashwi Yadav in connection with its money laundering probe into the railway hotels allotment corruption case of the UPA-I tenure, official sources told PTI. They said that while Tejashwi has been summoned for questioning on November 20, his mother Rabri, a former Bihar chief minister, has been called on November 24.

While Tejashwi, a former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, was grilled last in this case on November 13 for the second time, Rabri had skipped six such Enforcement Directorate summonses in the past. The sources said that the two were required to be questioned at length in the case and hence the fresh dates summoning them was issued.

15:15 The Madras High Court has granted interim stay on petitions filed by former Union minister P Chidambaram and his family seeking quashing of a notice issued under the Income Tax Act for reopening of the assessment for the year 2010-11, reports PTI. Chidamraram, his wife Nalini, son Karti and daughter-in-law Srinidhi had filed four pleas for quashing of the notice from the IT department

After revolutionising electric cars, Tesla is tackling a new frontier in "green" transportation with the introduction a futuristic all-electric semi truck, reports AFP. "We designed the Tesla truck to be like a bullet," said Tesla co-founder and CEO, Elon Musk. The billionaire South African-born inventor unveiled the new vehicle on Thursday at an event in Hawthorne, California, site of the auto-maker's design bureau and the headquarters of SpaceX, the aerospace company he also founded.

Its sleek, aerodynamic profile, in sombre matte or metallic colours, will make it a standout on the road. But the company is touting performance that it says will make the Tesla Semi quicker and more economical than today's diesel-powered trucks. It has four independent electric motors, one for each of its wheels, a transmission that requires no shifting of gears, and a regenerative braking system that "gives it basically infinite brake life," Musk said.

Zimbabwe's military said it was making "significant progress" in talks with President Robert Mugabe for his departure while it pursues and arrests some allies of the leader and his wife, reports AP. Talks with Mugabe continued, the military said in a statement reported by the state-run Herald newspaper and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.

Zimbabwe's military is "currently engaging with the Commander-in-Chief President Robert Mugabe on the way forward and will advise the nation of the outcome as soon as possible," the statement said. "Significant progress has been made in their operation to weed out criminals around President Mugabe," it said, adding that the military had already arrested some although others remained at large. Those sought had been "committing crimes that were causing social and economic suffering in Zimbabwe."

The military is seeking Cabinet ministers and other top officials who had been associates of first lady Grace Mugabe, part of a clique dubbed the G40 because many were in their 40s and 50s. They are of a different generation from the one that fought for independence from white minority rule. Army troops and armoured vehicles continued to patrol the capital, Harare, as Zimbabweans went about their daily business.

Shashi

Tharoor

demonetisation

Hitting out at the Centre over demonetisation, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that telling the people that they cannot have access to the money in their accounts was "nanny-ism carried to an extreme." The former Union minister also criticised the BJP-led government over the way GST was rolled out, although, he said, the concept of one nation one tax was "a great idea." "Demonetisation was an exercise in telling people what notes they could hold... The government telling us that you cannot have access to your own money in your account was nanny-ism carried to an extreme," Tharoor said.

defence

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to bolster his country's defences, calling the threat from North Korea the gravest security concern Japan has faced since World War II, reports AP. Outlining his priorities in a policy speech to parliament, Abe described North Korea's sixth nuclear test earlier this year and two missile launches that flew over Japan as a national crisis. He promised concrete action to respond to what he called "escalating provocations" by North Korea. "We will strengthen Japanese defence power, including missile defence capabilities, in order to protect the people's lives and peace," he said.

14:47 ECB

The European Central Banks decision to extend its bond-buying program until September 2018 was key in pushing market expectations for the first rate hike further into the future, ECB President Mario Draghi told Reuters. Asset purchases matter also for the signals they entail about the path of future policy rates: the so-called signaling effect, Draghi said. The signalling effect of asset purchases has therefore naturally increased in prominence relative to the duration effect.

14:43 Akzo

Paints and coatings firm Akzo Nobel India has sought shareholders' approval to sell its specialty chemical business as a 'going concern' to an affiliate of the Akzo Nobel Group for Rs 320 crore. "The specialty chemicals business of Akzo Nobel India is closely integrated with the global specialty chemicals business of Akzo Nobel," the company said in a regulatory filing.

It further said: "Given this interdependency, the board believes it will be in the best interest of the shareholders, concerned employees and customers that the India specialty chemical business is also divested to the said specialty chemical global entity or its affiliate."

The business includes the Mahad manufacturing facility for polymer chemistry range of products, the company said, adding that the business also consists of a trading portfolio in polymer and surface chemistry products sourced from other units of Akzo Nobel. Close to 80 employees working with the business will be shifted.

Akzo Nobel NV had in April announced its intention to separate its specialty chemical business from its paints and coatings porfolio to create two focused and separate businesses. On November 7, Akzo Nobel said the transaction is likely to be completed by March 31, 2018, after requisite approvals.

573m

India-focussed offshore funds received a net inflow of $573 million in October, taking the total to nearly $5 billion in 2017, indicating that the country remains an attractive destination for overseas investors, reports PTI. In comparison, these funds had registered an infusion of $256 million in October last year, according to a report by Morningstar. Offshore India fund - not domiciled in India  receives flow from overseas investors and in turn, invests the money in Indian markets.

India-focussed offshore funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are a subset of the overall foreign portfolio investor (FPI) flows. According to the report, India-focussed offshore funds have seen an investment of $573 million last month, while those of ETFs witnessed a pullout of $31 million, translating into a total of $542 million. Flows into offshore funds are generally considered to be long-term in nature, whereas flows into ETFs indicate predominantly short-term money.

14:28 Aircel

Telecom operator Aircel has delayed payment of interest on its debt obligations, ratings agency CARE said and downgraded its rating on the companys bank facilities to default. Aircel, the sixth-ranked mobile carrier in the country by subscribers, has delayed payment of interest on its debt obligations on account of its weak liquidity position, CARE said in a November 16 note.

Aircel, 74% owned by Malaysias Maxis Communications, had plans to combine operations with rival carrier Reliance Communications (RCom) wireless unit. That deal fell apart last month. RCom has won a reprieve from its creditor banks on its debt repayment obligations until December 2018 under a restructuring plan, having delayed servicing the loans. Aircel has long-term bank loans of Rs 174.79 billion ($2.7 billion), CARE said.

European shares steadied on Friday with disappointing company updates and broker downgrades weighing on the broader market, while pay-TV firm Sky rose on speculation of takeover interest. Weakness among industrial stocks weighed on the STOXX 600 index, which was flat at 385 points following a strong rebound in the previous session. The pan-European benchmark index is down around 0.9% so far this week, set for its second weekly loss in a row, as investors have been locking in profits following a strong year.

700bn

defence

The US Congress passed a nearly $700 billion defence budget for 2018 which imposes tougher conditions on Pakistan for military and security assistance while seeking advancement in military cooperation with major defence partner India, reports PTI. The 2018 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) sailed through both the chambers of the Congress House of Representatives and the Senate by a voice vote. It now heads to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign it into law, which he is expected to do before the Thanksgiving holidays.

14:06 BJP

The BJP released its first list of candidates for the Gujarat elections, to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The list comprises 70 candidates for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly. The party has named Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani as its candidate from Rajkot West. Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel will contest from Mahesana and state party president Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West.

The names were finalised by BJP's Central Election Committee, which met on Wednesday. The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj among others, party leaders said.

Toyota-owned luxury brand Lexus unveiled its fourth model in India, the NX 300h, a compact hybrid SUV, priced around Rs 60 lakh. This will be the third sports utility vehicle by Lexus but also the smallest of the lot. It will compete for space against Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3 and Audi Q5 though none on the German cars come in hybrid versions. The NX 300h will be available only in the hybrid version as of now.

Its commercial launch will take place in January which is when Lexus will announce the price and commence deliveries. Bookings, however, has already begun of the NX 300h. The car will be powered by 2.5 litre, four cylinder engine which can generate peak power of 194bhp and a top speed of 180kmph. The company claims that the NX 300h runs 100 km from 8.5 litres of fuel in city driving conditions.

Moody's Investors Service upped the long-term ratings of four Indian financial institutions including State Bank of India (SBI) and HDFC Bank by a notch to Baa2 following the upgrade of the countrys sovereign rating to the same level. The four institutions with revised rating are Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM India), HDFC Bank, Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) and SBI, Moody's said in a statement.

In the case of HDFC Bank, the rating agency has also upgraded the bank's baseline credit assessment (BCA) and adjusted it to Baa2 from Baa3, it said. Moody's has assigned a stable outlook to SBI's Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) branch. The US-based agency today upped India's rating to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed its rating outlook to 'stable' from 'positive', saying the reforms will help stabilise rising levels of debt.

13:27 The National Green Tribunal said it will impose exemplary costs on states neighbouring Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) if they fail to submit action plan on pollution, reports PTI. It has asked the Delhi government to enact a policy to close schools in Delhi whenever pollution levels are high. The tribunal has also directed the Delhi government to ensure that only CNG vehicles get a sticker for exemption during the odd-even scheme.

13:00 Encouraging to see international recognition. This firms up our resolve to continue upon the path we have embarked upon: FM Jaitley

13:00 A series of steps such as demonetisation are now taking Indian economy to a larger formalization of economy and digitisation. This is something being universally acknowledged: FM Jaitley

12:53 Moodys has announced the upgrade of Indias local and foreign currency and the rating has improved from positive to stable. The upgrade came after 13 years and we welcome this upgrade. It is a belated recognition of all the positive steps which had been taken by the country in the last few years that have contributed to the strengthening of the economy, says FM Jaitley.

12:14 USFDA

Cipla's

Drug major Cipla has received final approval from the US health regulator for a suspension product used for treatment of asthma. In a BSE filing today, Cipla said "it has received final approval for its abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for Budesonide Inhalation Suspension, 0.25mg/2mL, 0.5mg/2mL, and 1mg/2mL from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)". The approved product is a generic version of Astrazeneca's Pulmicort Respules, it added. Pulmicort Respules are indicated for maintenance treatment of asthma and as prophylactic therapy in children of 12 months to 8 years. Citing IMS Health data, Cipla said Pulmicort Respules and generic equivalents had US sales of approximately $825 million for the 12 months to September 2017.

Ace investor, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Partner, Rare Enterprises said the ratings upgrade by Moodys earlier on Friday did not come as a surprise for him but, it could be for those who were criticising efforts made by the Modi government to revive the economy. I see the economy growing by 7.5-8% by next year. Most importantly, it is a recognition of the fact that however disruptive in the short term the measures were, all the actions which the government took were correct, bold and required, he said.

He feels it will also lead to faster economic growth in times to come. This upgrade is also in recognition by the Moodys that there is not going to be some big havoc on the fiscal side, and the direction which the government is undertaking is going to lead to higher economic growth, and it is also a befitting reply to critics of Modi government, said Jhunjhunwala.

Coming to the impact on markets and India Inc, Jhunjhunwala said the mother of all bull markets has just begun and investors have nothing to worry about. Financials will be the biggest beneficiary including private, public sector banks from Moodys upgrade. The biggest advantage to India Inc from the Moodys upgrade is that it will allow India to borrow funds at a lower rate. Lot of funds which have a mandate to invest in countries with a specific rating can now invest in India.

In an arbitration case fought between Diageo owned United Spirits (USL) and United Breweries Holdings (UBHL), the former had claimed a recovery of around Rs 1,800 crore including interest from Vijay Mallyas holding company after it defaulted between 2010 and 2013, sources told The Economic Times. The ongoing arbitration in Bengaluru, which was to be concluded in few months, has now been extended by six months. The two companies went for arbitration as loan agreement said a default of the loan can be settled through an arbitration. USL has loaned around Rs 1,350 crore to various companies of Mallya which was primarily used to fund the defunct Kingfisher Airline.

11:25 Sebi

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) will investigate possible leaks of company earnings in social media chatrooms, its chief Ajay Tyagi said on Friday. A Reuters investigation documented at least 12 cases of prescient messages about major Indian companies being posted in private WhatsApp groups. We will certainly investigate the issue. It is a work in progress, Tyagi, Chairman of Sebi, said when asked what action the regulator was considering.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may come out with a list of 50 more bad loan accounts, including the accounts which are close to being termed as stressed accounts, reports the Economic Times. The central bank is likely to set March 31, next year, as the deadline for the banks to resolve the issue or go ahead with bankruptcy proceedings against the borrowers, a finance ministry official said. The new list will be clubbed with the earlier identified bad loan accounts, including the ones where bankruptcy procedures are in the process.

The additional list is believed to have come up while the authorities were discussing the recapitalisation of public sector undertaking (PSUs) banks. The recap plan will bloat the capital requirement of the lenders beyond what has been estimated, the official said. However, the lenders which classify the loan accounts as non-performing assets (NPAs) said it will reduce their profitability because they will be required to keep aside funds for these accounts.

Coal India is considering raising prices to meet the cost of the 20% wage hike, reports The Economic Times. It last raised prices by 10% in May last year. Unless coal prices are hiked it would be very difficult to attain a decent profit this fiscal, a senior company executive said. He said the wage bill puts an additional burden Rs 5,800 crore annually, and another Rs 9,500 crore needs to be spent on expansion.

Although Coal India is free to raise prices on its own, hiking them leads to rising power generation costs, the executive said. It also has inflationary implications on the economy since it meets more than 50% of the energy supplies. A decision to raise prices always faces resistance from various quarters and we raise prices only when we do not have any other options left.

10:37 Bain-Piramal

Aion

GTL

Lenders to GTL Infrastructure have received bids from four players for buying up to 58% stake in the telecom tower company, sources told The Economic Times. The four bidders include Bain-Piramal joint venture asset reconstruction firm, Aion Capital, a foreign telecom company, and a lesser-known investment firm Beam Investments. There are 16 lenders to GTL Infra  including State Bank of India, IDBI Bank, United Bank of India and Dena Bank  and they are expecting Rs 10,000 crore from the stake sale, sources said.

10:28 PVR

theatre

iPic

PVR, the countrys largest film exhibition company, is set to invest $4 million to pick up a minority stake in American luxury restaurant-and-theatre company iPic -Gold Class Entertainment, a company insider told The Economic Times. iPic owns and operates 16 luxury theatres with 121 screens across 10 states in the US and as part of its future plans, sees potential for at least 200 such premium formats. The company is also in the process of listing its shares on US stock exchanges. PVR is viewing this as an R&D investment and believes that some of the relevant learning from this unique investment opportunity can be replicated in context of Indian market.

10:08 HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company debuts at Rs 313 per share, a premium of 8% over its issue price of Rs 290 per share. The Rs 8,695-crore initial public offering, which was open for subscription on November 7-9, was subscribed 4.89 times at a price band of Rs 275-290 per share.

Reliance Industries (RIL) is set to raise up to $1.8 billion through a combination of offshore bonds and syndicated loans to reduce its high-cost debt, reports The Economic Times. The company would pare borrowing costs with a new series of overseas papers that would be of 10-year maturity, unlike the perpetual bonds it had sold five years ago, sources said.

RIL is raising $800 million through a dollar-bond issue, and another $1billion through syndicated commercial loans from a group of international lenders at a cost lower than that for the existing loans. The issuance is part of a massive debt refinancing exercise by the Mukesh Ambani-owned company, and would cover a perpetual bond sale of 2013.

Insolvency professionals of Essar Steel and Bhushan Steel have initiated fresh forensic audits of these companies accounts following the recent changes in rules introduced by the bankruptcy regulator, sources told Mint. The purpose of the audit is to ascertain if there was any preferential treatment given by promoters to related parties or any non-related parties during the two years preceding the commencement of insolvency proceedings, and if there were any undervalued or fraudulent or extortionate credit transactions.

These audits will also check for any related-party transactions within group companies. In both cases, promoters have decided to submit their resolution plans to buy back their companies. Alvarez & Marsals Satish Kumar Gupta, is the interim resolution professional (IRP) for Essar Steel while Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Indias Vijaykumar V Iyer, is in charge of operations at Bhushan Steel.

This is the second instance of a forensic audit being ordered on the books of accounts of both these companies. Lenders led by State Bank of India (SBI) had also called for a forensic audit in Essar Steel as part of the resolution process but the audit never took off, sources said. In the case of Bhushan Steel, lenders had asked Deloitte to complete the forensic audit three years ago.

As the market boom is pulling retail investors into equities, one class among them is venturing into areas like algo trading, reports Mint. Over the past fourth months, firms such as 5Paisa, a unit of IIFL, Zerodha, Master Trust, SMC Global Securities and Upstox (formerly RKSV Securities) too have started offering algo trading facilities for retail clients. Retail investors are entering this spaces even as Indias financial regulators are struggling to frame norms for automated trading in order to create a level-playing field in the market between regular traders and sophisticated algorithm-based high frequency trading (HFT) users.

Algo trading is essentially using computer programmes that follow a defined set of rules based on timing, price, quantity, etc, to execute trades automatically. HFT, a subset of algorithmic trading, where trading firms primarily compete on speed to profit from arbitrage opportunities, now accounts for at least 40% of trades in the equity cash segment, according to data. However, it is mostly restricted to institutions.

08:59 Arun

Jaitley

recalibrated

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hinted that while there was no immediate threat of missing the fiscal deficit target for FY18, future targets may be recalibrated. No pause (on fiscal consolidation) but challenges arising from structural reforms...could change the glide path, Jaitley said. The government has set a fiscal deficit target of 3.2% of GDP for FY18 and 3% for the next fiscal. A high-level committee on fiscal discipline headed by former revenue secretary NK Singh has recommended a glide path to bring down the fiscal deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio to 2.5% and 38.7%, respectively, by FY23 from 3.5% and 49.4% in FY17.

Here is the FULL TEXT: Moody's upgrades India's government bond rating to Baa2 from Baa3; changes outlook to stable from positive

The Cabinet on Thursday approved setting up of National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) under the Goods & Services Tax (GST), a move that will ensure that businesses pass on the benefit of the recent tax rate cuts to the consumers. "This paves the way for the immediate establishment of this apex body, which is mandated to ensure that the benefits of the reduction in GST rates on goods or services are passed on to the ultimate consumers by way of a reduction in prices," the government said in a statement.

Bitcoin is getting more attention than it deserves, but the phenomenon is not going away overnight, according to Morgan Stanley Chairman and CEO James Gorman, reports CNBC. Gorman said bitcoin isn't even close to a safe investment, and would-be cryptocurrency owners shouldn't expect otherwise. "Something that goes up 700% in a year  it's by definition speculative," he said. "So anybody who thinks they're buying something that it's a stable investment is deluding themselves."

"It might go up another 700%, but it could easily not," Gorman added. Gorman's stance on bitcoin appeared slightly less negative than some of his peers on Wall Street. For example, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon predicted if "you're stupid enough to buy [bitcoin], you'll pay the price for it one day." Meanwhile, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink called the cryptocurrency "an index of money laundering."

Norway's trillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund is proposing to drop oil and gas companies from its benchmark index, which would mean cutting its investments in those companies, the deputy central bank chief supervising the fund told Reuters, sending energy stocks lower. If adopted by parliament, the fund would over time divest billions of dollars from oil and gas stocks, which now represent 6%  or around $37 billion  of the fund's benchmark equity index. The aim is to make the Norwegian government's wealth less vulnerable to a permanent drop in oil prices.

Brexit

Lloyd Blankfein, the head of Goldman Sachs, has come out in favour of a second vote on Britain's membership of the European Union, reports CNBC. In a tweet Thursday afternoon, Blankfein, an American, said that in the UK many chief executives were wanting a confirmation vote. The Goldman boss said: "So much at stake, why not sure make consensus still there?"

It isn't the first time that Blankfein has caused a stir over Brexit. In October the Goldman chief hinted that London would lose out to the German city of Frankfurt as a financial centre. In the tweet, Blankfein said: "Just left Frankfurt. Great meetings, great weather, really enjoyed it. Good, because I'll be spending a lot more time there." Just in case anyone missed the point, Blankfein ended the tweet with "#Brexit".

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabes fate hung in the balance on Friday as he apparently resisted efforts to step down in the wake of an audacious seizure of power by the army, until this week a key pillar of his 37-year-rule, reports Reuters. The unfolding drama in the capital Harare was thrown into confusion when a smiling Mugabe was pictured shaking hands with Zimbabwes military chief, the man behind the coup, raising questions about whether or not the end of an era was nigh. Mugabe unexpectedly drove on Thursday from his lavish Blue Roof compound, where he had been confined, to State House, where official media pictured him meeting military boss Constantino Chiwenga and South African mediators.

Siemens will cut about 6,900 jobs, or close to 2% of its global workforce, mainly at its power and gas division, which has been hit by the rapid growth of renewables, reports Reuters. Most of the cuts, about 6,100, will be made before 2020 at Siemenss Power and Gas division, which once thrived on supplying large gas turbines for electricity generation but has been overtaken by the global surge in solar and wind capacity.

Congressional Republicans took an important step on Thursday toward the biggest US tax-code overhaul since the 1980s as the House of Representatives approved a broad package of tax cuts sought by senior lawmakers and President Donald Trump, reports Reuters. The House vote shifted the tax debate to the US Senate, where that chambers own plan was being debated into Thursday evening. That measure has already encountered resistance from some within the Republicans ranks. No decisive Senate action is expected until after next weeks Thanksgiving holiday. Four Republican senators - enough to derail the legislation - have been talking privately about opposing the bill because it would balloon the federal deficit, according to a Time magazine report.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week in part as a backlog of applications from Puerto Rico continued to be processed, but the underlying trend pointed to tightening labour market conditions, reports CNBC. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 249,000 for the week ended November 11, the Labour Department said on Thursday. It was the second straight weekly increase. The claims backlog in Puerto Rico is being cleared as some of the infrastructure damaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria is restored. Data for the prior week was unrevised.

US industrial production recorded its biggest increase in six months in October as the drag from hurricane-related disruptions unwound, but the underlying growth trend in output at the nations factories, mines and utility plants remained moderate, reports Reuters. The increase in industrial production was the largest since April and followed a 0.4% gain in September. Production was also buoyed by a 2% jump in output at utility plants.

Satellite images taken this month of a North Korean naval shipyard indicate Pyongyang is pursuing an aggressive schedule to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine, reports Reuters. Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, cited images taken on November 5 showing activity at North Koreas Sinpo South Shipyard.

The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarines pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine - the follow-on to the current SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine, 38 North said in a report. The report said that throughout 2017 there had been continued movement of parts and components into and out of two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the center of the shipyard.

It said the November 5 images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarines pressure hull. It said these appeared larger than those for North Koreas ROMEO-class attack submarine. Images of a test stand indicated continued testing of a mechanism for ejection launch of missiles from a submarine. However, the report said no activity could be seen suggesting preparations for a new test of a submarine-launched missile.

Baa2

Rating agency Moodys Investor Services said that it is lifting Indias sovereign rating to Baa2 from Baa3. It upgraded the Government of India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive. Moodys said the decision to upgrade the rating was underpinned by the expectation that continued progress on economic and institutional reforms will, over time, enhance Indias high growth potential.
Nissan Leaf | Nissan has already entered the e-race with their flagship hatchback, the Leaf. With its latest iteration being loaded with features, however, Nissan is strengthening their competition against Tesla. The new Leaf has a bigger battery pack, better safety options and improved rider aides.

Nissan Motor Co's premium brand Infiniti will start producing a new crossover SUV in China next year, using existing manufacturing capacity in the northeastern city of Dalian.

The new sport-utility vehicle would be the third Infiniti vehicle model to be produced locally in China, the Hong Kong-headquartered brand's No.2 market after the United States.

The company did not provide any more details about the SUV in a statement seen by Reuters.

Infiniti is expected to announce the move as early as at a planned press briefing at the Guangzhou auto show on Friday.
Employees walk in a forecourt at the Infosys campus in the Electronic City area of Bangalore September 4, 2012. Infosys Ltd, the company that symbolised India's rise as an outsourcing powerhouse but has struggled this year, will have to wait longer than expected for returns from a remodelled strategy, according to S.D. Shibulal, the company's chief executive officer. Picture taken September 4, 2012. To match Interview INDIA-INFOSYS/ REUTERS/Vivek Prakash (INDIA - Tags: SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS) - RTR37L4F

Bengaluru absorbs about 13-14 million sq ft of commercial office space every year, which is approximately one-third of the total space leased in India and the trend is likely to continue.

About 26 million sq ft of Grade A office buildings are under various stages of construction in the city which will complete by 2020.

Most of this upcoming supply is concentrated in Outer Ring Road (ORR), which is a major commercial hub in Bengaluru, says Colliers Research.

As on today, within ORR and Whitefield, the commercial office space stock accounts for approximately 78 percent of Grade A stock in Bengaluru. With infrastructure projects like the ORR metro line and planned road improvement projects in and around these areas; the market is likely to remain bullish with respect to overall office space absorption in next 2-3 years, driven by IT-ITes, followed by engineering and manufacturing and BFSI sectors. However, with more office supply coming in these markets, the pressure on infrastructure and support sectors is to increase multi-fold, says Ritesh Sachdev, senior executive director, Occupier Services, Colliers International India.







Bengaluru being a host to the largest share of technology start-ups (26 percent) in India, is the testing ground for co-working spaces and has always invited new occupiers, such as Capiot, InnerChef, Knowlarity, Monkey Box, Artifact Design, and many others. Moreover, the residential market is also developing to support the vast commercial development.

The story is good as far as the real estate development of the city is concerned, however, the unwelcome news is that the citys infrastructure is unable to keep pace with the vast real estate development.

Bengaluru has seen an increase of 47 percent in population during the last decade (2001-2011) and the vehicle population growth rate is even higher than the population growth rate.

The state government has started various initiatives and is going in the right direction to solve the infrastructure issues; Namma Metro is one of the initiatives. Phase 1 of the project connecting Nagasandra to Puttenahalli (Green line i.e North-South) and Mysore Road to Bayapanahalli (Purple line i.e East- West) corridors have been completed.

Phase 2A, connecting Mysore Road to Challegatta near Kengeri and Yelachenahalli to Anjanapura is set to be completed by December 2018. This will push the demand for micro markets such as Mysore Road and Bannerghatta Road.





Further extension of Phase 2 includes stretch between Silk Board and K.R Puram which is set to be completed by 2020. This will further boost demand in ORR accounting for 75 percent of the total leasing activity in the third quarter of 2017.

Construction of underpass and widening of a flyover along ORR at Hebbal Junction will improve commute time within the citys major employment hubs.

The National Highway Authority has also notified land for widening of NH 209 (948) till Kanakapura. With good access to other parts of the city, these micro markets are expected to improve further.

Although the government has started taking initiatives, the pace of development is slow.

"In our opinion, the government should also look at making the city sustainable to natural calamities. The time and again flooding of the city bring it to its knees. Along with the introduction of new infrastructure projects, the government should also focus on retrofitting the existing infrastructure", says the report.
Lauding the continuing economic cooperation between the states of Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh with Singapore companies for urban planning projects, union minister for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri has said that he hopes this can develop into a future model for new projects across the country.

During a bilateral meeting with S. Iswaran, Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Singapore on Thursday, he conveyed satisfaction on the completion of training of 100 Indian town and country planners under a bilateral MoU, ministry sources said.

He also mentioned about the NITI Aayog sponsored training of metropolitan and city administrators in Singapore and hoped that there can be potential deliverables during the joint working on renewal of MoUs for capacity building in urban development.

I extend my best wishes for positive outcome and smooth implementation, he said.

India and Singapore enjoy a strong relationship of great warmth and goodwill. We have a strong and growing partnership across every dimension of bilateral relations. We have deepening international and regional engagement based on shared values, common interest, abiding commitment to rule-based order and sovereign equality of all nations. As strategic partners, we have a higher level of ambition to pursue, and hence, our endeavour should be to constantly explore opportunities that are mutually beneficial. Economic partnership is the bedrock of the relationship. Both India and Singapore are important to each others progress and prosperity. Singapore is an important partner in Indias development priorities. Equally, India is an enormous opportunity for an outward looking Singapore, including in areas that are key elements of Singapores future strategy, such as digital economy, Puri said during the discussions.

India and Singapore agreed on a 5-S Plank- to enhance cooperation on smart cities and urban rejuvenation. During a Ministerial visit to Singapore in August 2014, India had agreed on a 5-S Plank- to enhance cooperation. These include (i) scale up trade and investment (ii) speed up connectivity; (iii) smart cities and urban rejuvenation; (iv) skill development and (v) state focus.
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Share price of Bank of Baroda surged 5 percent intraday Friday as the company is planning to raise Rs 6000 crore.

The meeting of the designated board committee i.e. Finance Committee of the board will be held on November 21, 2017 to consider and approve raising of equity fund, as per company release.

The equity fund can be raised through qualified institutions placement (QIP), and/or rights issue for size and amount as may be decided, within overall approval of the board of raising equity capital up to Rs 6000 crore, it added.

The company's second quarter profit fell 35.6 percent year-on-year to Rs 355.4 crore on higher provisions, but asset quality improved on sequential basis.

The bank had reported net profit of Rs 552.1 crore for September quarter last year.

Profit, however, registered a 74.88 percent increase compared with previous quarter.

At 10:01 hrs Bank of Baroda was quoting at Rs 188.60, up Rs 6.10, or 3.34 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
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On November 16, 2017 State Bank Of India sold 2,69,336 shares of Sri Adhikari Brothers Television at Rs 18.16 on the BSE.

On Thursday, Sri Adhikari Brothers Television was quoting at Rs 18.15, down Rs 0.95, or 4.97 percent.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 303.00 and 52-week low Rs 18.15 on 06 January, 2017 and 16 November, 2017, respectively.

Market capitalisation stands at Rs 63.42 crore.
(Representational image)

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Shares of Vascon Engineers added 6.4 percent intraday Friday on the back of sale of subsidiary's Mumbai division.

The board of directors of GMP Technical Solutions, a material subsidiary of Vascon Engineers has approved slump sale of its Mumbai division.

The company signed a business transfer agreement on November 16 with Innovative Core Systems (acquirer) to sell and transfer its stake held in Mumbai division for a consideration of Rs 18 crore.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 58.80 and 52-week low Rs 27.50 on 15 May, 2017 and 27 December, 2016, respectively.

Currently, it is trading 35.71 percent below its 52-week high and 37.45 percent above its 52-week low.

The company's trailing 12-month (TTM) EPS was at Rs 0.30 per share. (Sep, 2017). The stock's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was 126.

At 11:13 hrs Vascon Engineers was quoting at Rs 37.80, up Rs 1.20, or 3.28 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
Vyzvolennia (Release) civil movement activists have said unknown individuals abducted one of the organizers of the tent city near the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv. The abductee is a Georgian Lieutenant Colonel Vano Nadiradze, who fought in eastern Ukraine during 2015 and 2016.

"About 10:30 in the morning we went with him to have breakfast in a nearby cafe. About five persons who identified themselves as criminal policemen stormed in, tackled [Nadiradze] and covered his eyes. After I was released, I saw that Vano was no longer in the cafe," Vyzvolennia activist Ruslav Dvornikov said on Friday during a press briefing in the tent city.

Parliament deputy Yehor Sobolev said he asked Interior Minister Arsen Avakov to investigate the incident. MP Semen Semenchenko said he identified the automobile that drove Nadiradze away.

Earlier, Movement of New Forces leader Mikheil Saakashvili, the ex-governor of Odesa region, said unknown men had kidnapped a Georgian journalist, an employee of one of the most popular Georgian television channels. According to Saakashvili, the person possessed documents proving he was on a legal basis in Ukraine.

Saakashvili's colleague David Sakvarelidze, in turn, said on Friday unknown persons "abducted a cameraman from Georgian TV channel Rustavi-2, as well as volunteer Nadiradze and Zurab Tsintsadze.
Chinese phone maker Yuho Mobile today said it plans to invest Rs 500 crore to start its production in India as it looks to touch the Rs 1,000 crore sales mark by the end of next year.

"We are planning to invest Rs 500 crore by next year. We are talking to Foxconn for setting up a manufacturing facility at Noida, near Delhi," Yuho Mobile Business Head (Distribution Sales) Rajeev Tiwari told reporters here.

The company will outsource manufacturing of the handsets and is looking to have a capacity to produce 10 lakh units annually, he added.

"The production is likely to start from mid-2018. Apart from the Indian market, this facility will also cater to the SAARC countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Philippines," Tiwari said.

Yuho Mobile Pvt Ltd launched its India operations four months back and is currently having a sales of Rs 30 lakh every month, he added.

"In the first phase, we aim to be present through 7,000 outlets in North and East regions of India. In the second phase, our target is to be present in 10,000 outlets across the country. A total business topline of Rs 1,000 crore by 2018 should keep us in good stead," Tiwari said.

The company today rolled out three models for the North Eastern market, priced between Rs 6,000 and Rs 15,000.

Tiwari said the company is aiming to be present in the region through 700-800 sales outlets within next three months.
Two people, including BJP leader Shiv Kumar Yadav, were shot dead in Greater Noida by a four-member gang on Thursday. The killings occurred moments after the victims car mauled down a girl to death while attempting to escape from the chasing attackers.

Shiv Kumar Yadav, a BJP worker and his driver Balli Nath were killed, while his bodyguard Raspal was left in a critical condition after their SUV was ambushed by men who came on bikes, a report in The Times of India stated.

According to the report, the trio was returning from a school owned by Yadav in the afternoon when four men chased their vehicle. Sensing danger, Yadav and his SUV driver tried to flee from the attackers. As per the report, while trying to get away, their SUV hit a minor girl who was crushed in the ruckus.

The 14-year-old was immediately rushed to the ESIC Hospital in Noida but she succumbed to the injuries.

The bikers, who were still chasing the SUV eventually caught up with it and shot on the vehicle's tyre to flatten it, following which it crashed into a divider near Tigri village and overturned.

The bikers soon surrounded the vehicle and sprayed bullets into it. Ramesh Kumar, an eyewitness was quoted saying in the report that the assailants surrounded the SUV from both sides and sprayed bullets from a point-blank range at the occupants, killing Yadav and Nath at the spot.

While Yadav and Nath were declared brought dead after they were rushed to the Fortis Hospital, the bodyguard Raspal who sustained serious injuries was referred to GTB hospital where his condition remains critical.

Death of Yadav, a resident of Ghaziabad is the second instance where a BJP activist has been shot to death ahead of the municipal elections in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, BJP worker Gajendra Bhati was also shot dead by assailants who came on bikes.

While it is not yet clear what was the motive behind the murders, reports indicate that Yadav who had recently joined BJP after leaving Samajwadi Party was jailed earlier in connection with a murder of a person over a property dispute.
Kashmiri village women carry baskets filled with water chestnuts after collecting them from the waters of Wular Lake as they walk over the marshy land while wearing wooden boards on foot at Bandipora, about 65 km (40 miles) north of Srinagar, November 5, 2012. Water chestnuts are locally known as "Singada" and are eaten raw, boiled or are grounded into flour after they are dried. Picture taken November 5, 2012. REUTERS/Danish Ismail (INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR - Tags: AGRICULTURE BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT SOCIETY) - GM1E8B61FZ501

The 'economic development' and measure poverty in gram panchayats will now be determined by the number of rural households it has with minimum bank balance of Rs 10,000 , the Times of India reported.

If a panchayat has higher number of such households, it will get positive rating on the governments poverty index. Another criteria is the number of households with 'bank loans for diversified livelihood'. The more the number of such borrowers, the better the position of the village on the poverty scale.

These are a part of the 21 parameters that the Ministry of Rural Development has finalised to assess the progress of gram panchayats under Mission Antyodaya. Based on these, the development work will be carried out in deprived places.

The poverty level reading in the panchayats will also be directly affected by key parameters such as the number of women engaged in paid jobs or self-employment, the percentage of households with LPG connections or with at least 12-hour daily power supply, internet connectivity and open defection-free initiatives, among others.

Other key parameters include number of families employed in dairy and animal farming and number of skilled labours engaged in non-farm employment, etc.

The 50,000 gram panchayats, where the Antyodaya scheme could be implemented, will be sectioned in 5,000 groups for development work. The Ministry has already finalised the list of panchayats to be included in the mission.
India's community health centres (CHCs) have an 81 percent shortfall of specialised medical care as compared to the required specialist manpower.

The Rural Health Statistics 2016 report states that as compared to the requirement for existing 5,510 CHCs, there is a shortfall of 84 percent of surgeons, 76.7 percent of obstetricians and gynaecologists, 83.2 percent of physicians and 80.1 percent of paediatricians.

Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Despite an increase in specialist doctors at CHCs to 4,192 in 2016 from 3,550 in 2005, the shortfall of specialists is significantly high in most of the states. Tamil Nadu has 95 percent shortage of specialists, followed by West Bengal with 91 percent, Uttar Pradesh at 84 percent and Rajasthan at 78.2 percent shortfall.

As per the manpower recommendation of the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), each CHC requires 42 manpower including nurses, doctors and surgeons. In cases of an increase in patient load, the number of General Duty Doctors is advised to be increased.

There is 44.3 percent shortfall of laboratory technicians who collect, examine and test body fluids, tissue cells and other substances, as well as, 20.5 percent shortage of nursing staffs at CHCs and primary health centres (PHCs).

The shortfall of health professionals in public health facilities situated in rural areas is higher despite providing hard area allowance to healthcare professionals for serving in rural and remote areas.

The Medical Council of India had amended the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 to provide benefits for doctors who serve in the rural areas, however, its impact has been minimal.

According to the Lok Sabha reply presented by the former Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Faggan Singh Kulaste, a higher shortfall in rural areas are due to the "overall shortage of healthcare professionals in the country, feeling of professional isolation among healthcare professionals, and unwillingness on their part to work in rural areas".

The healthcare scenario improves at the lower level  primary health centres (PHCs)  of the healthcare system as the shortfall of doctors in PHCs decreases drastically.

For doctors at PHC, there is a shortfall of 12.8% of the total requirement. This is again mainly due to significant shortfall of doctors at PHCs in the States of Uttar Pradesh (1288), Chhattisgarh (446), Odisha (346), Madhya Pradesh (225), Karnataka (220), Gujarat (209), West Bengal (188), Himachal Pradesh (94) and Assam (82).

Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Over the past decade, the percentage of PHCs functioning in Government buildings has increased significantly to 91.5 percent in 2016 from 78 percent in 2005.

As on 31st March 2016, 8.1 percent of the PHCs were without a doctor, 38 percent were without a Lab Technician and 18.7 percent were without a pharmacist depicting a lower shortage of medical professionals at primary healthcare centres.
Bengaluru police's tweet has gone viral after it posted images of popular mythological character Thor in order to encourage people to wear helmets.

The police department, posted the images on its official Twitter account on Monday that gives the example of Thor, the mythological Norse god now made famous through movies to encourage people to wear the headgear.

Even the God of Thunder wears a helmet. So should you, read the statement that was present above the picture along with the tags HelmetToWork and RideSafe.

The post soon received a large number of responses that supported the campaign. This is such a cool way to connect to the youth. Awesome initiative three cheers, responded one user, while another appreciated the departments creativity by tweeting  You guys are awesome. Love the creativity.



This is such a cool way to connect to the youth. Awesome initiative three cheers  Frenny Doshi (@frentweets) November 15, 2017





You guys are awesome. Love the creativity

 Saraswathi Mohan (@saraswati1984) November 15, 2017

While the campaign is unique in its own way, mythological characters and gods have been used earlier also to convey messages about public safety. The famous advertisement by Indian Head Injury Foundation that showed Hindu gods with their headgears is another such example.

Source: Korada.com, YouTube

A large number of traffic accidents and casualties take place every year. While several factors including pathetic roads have been a key factor behind these mishaps, the lack of proper safety measures has also played a key role in it.
CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury attacked the rejoicing Narendra Modi government on Moodys upgradation of Indias sovereign ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 on Friday. Accusing government of fooling its people, Yechury asked if Modi wants poor to eat ratings?

In a series of tweets, former Rajya Sabha member said that all indices related to real lives of Indians are down. Jobs, growth is down. Rural distress, malnutrition, gender gap and hunger is worsening. Inequality of wealth is up in three years sharply. One percent own over 58 percent of Indian wealth. Who is this government fooling?

Terming the celebratory tone of the government mocking the poor he said, Modi govt wants the poor, the hungry, protesting farmers, jobless and those hit by the crumbling economy to eat these 'ratings'? They can keep raising a toast to themselves. This only taunts and mocks those suffering the hopelessness brought in by BJP's Jumlanomics.

Also Read: Sovereign Ratings: All you wanted to know

Moodys Investors Services on Friday upgraded Indias sovereign ratings to Baa2 from its lowest investment grade (Baa3) giving credit to the Narendra Modi governments reforms initiatives.

The Congress also accused the Modi government of "clutching at straws" to reclaim the lost credibility, and said it and rating agency Moody's have failed to gauge the mood of the nation.

"Modiji and Moody's 'jodi' (duo) have failed to gauge the mood of the nation," Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said, adding that hunger deaths, agri-distress, job losses, lowest credit ratings, rising prices, plunging exports, flawed GST, demonetisation disaster, stagnant growth are the real indices to measure it.

Taking a dig at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Surjewala said, "Mr Jaitley, do remember that Moodys, S&P and other rating agencies defaulted in rating American sub-prime mortgages...before the economic meltdown."

"Lesson is stop acting and get your act together. Shun arrogance and listen to the trade and industry," he told the finance minister.

Earlier in the day, top ministers and officials of the government hailed the rating upgrade by Moody's as "long overdue" and hoped others such as S&P and Fitch will follow suit as it presses ahead with steps to ratchet up growth.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Moodys step is a recognition of the government's reforms across various areas. "This upgrade has happened after 13 years. And we welcome this upgrade. We believe that it is a belated recognition of all the positive steps which have been taken in India in the last few years, which has contributed to the strengthening of the Indian economy, he added.
The Madras High Court on Monday slapped a cost of Rs 10,000 on a litigant who filed a case against the use of honorific affix Mahatma (great soul) before the name Gandhi in currency notes, coins and postal stamps.

After the judges found no merit in the case, Justice M Sundar rejected the claim on the ground that the petitioners claim of Mahatma infringed Articles 14 (the State shall not deny to any person equality before that law or equal protection of laws) and 18 (no title, not being a military or of an academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State and citizens) of the Constitution.

The judges also pointed that Mahatma was not a title in the strictest sense, as it was Rabindranath Tagore who first referred to Gandhi and that it could not be considered a title in the strictest sense.

The judges, further explaining the verdict said that there is no hint in the petitioners affidavit that is exactly pointing out as to how exactly Article 14 has been violated by outing the photograph of Gandhi and describing him as Mahatma.

The judges also stressed on the main point of a PIL: they were only meant for the Court intervening in an issue when the rights of people were affected due to the action or the inaction of the State and not for interference in policy decisions, as per a report in The Hindu.

The bench also, in the final ruling, were scorned with the petition and questioned why such petitions were filed to waste the time of the Court and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the petitioner to be paid to the Registrar General for wasting the time of the Court.

The man who happens to hail from Ramanathapuram district is now a research scholar in the faculty of engineering and technology in Jadavpur University.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrives to address the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz - HP1ED9L1NA1B2

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has refused to step down from his position even as he remains under house arrest following a military takeover, according to media reports.

Media reports quoted a source close to Mugabe and his associates saying that the situation was like a 'stalemate' and that they 'insisting the president must finish his term.'

The African Union (AU) has said that the military takeover of Zimbabwe "seems like a coup".

Zimbabwe was expected to head for general election in July or August 2018. However, now the election process has become doubtful following the instability caused by the coup.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had earlier said that the military's action was "in the interests of the people" and that Mugabe must "resign... immediately".

On Thursday, Mugabe met Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantino Chiwenga and other officials at the presidential 'Blue House' compound in capital Harare.

Mugabe is a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who has been President of Zimbabwe since 1987 and has been re-elected five times. In the past, international observers have criticised some of these elections for not being fair and for use of excessive force against political opposition.

What has happened so far

On Tuesday, Zimbabwe's military took over the country saying that the aim was to "target criminals" around Mugabe.

Media reports said that as many as three explosions happened in the capital city late into the night. Soon after, soldiers sealed the parliament, government offices and courts.

Access to the Mugabe's official residence was also blocked by the army.

Later on Wednesday, a military spokesman, announced on the seized state television that Mugabe and his family were 'safe and sound" and that their security was "guaranteed'.

The spokesperson said that the army had intervened to stop people from "committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in order to bring them to justice".

Neighbouring South Africa's President Jacob Zuma spoke to Mugabe over phone. Mugabe indicated that "he was confined to his home but said that he was fine. South Africa is also in contact with the Zimbabwean Defence Force (ZDF)."

Why is this happening?

The bitter tussle is said to have started when the 'Grand Old Man of Africa' unceremoniously sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week.

The former spy chief enjoys strong support among members of Zimbabwes armed forces.

Sacking of Mnangagwa was seen as a signal that the world's oldest ruling Head-of-State is favouring his wife Grace Mugabe to succeed him in the ruling Zanu-PF party as well as the presidency.

Experts suggest that the coup was planned to reinstate power into the hands of Mnangagwa and keep Mugabe's wife and political rival Grace Mugabe away from power.
Doctors in the US have made the first ever attempt to edit genes within the human body on Monday. The experiment to alter the DNA was conducted on a patient who was suffering from Hunters syndrome.

Doctors at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, California administered the intravenous treatment(IV) that will provide the body of the patient Brian Madeux with instructions to change the DNA, said a report by the Telegraph.

Madeuxs body, which is suffering from Hunters syndrome is unable to break sugary molecules called mucopolysaccharides leading to the built up of molecules inside the body. This ultimately leads to brain and organ damage and in some cases, even death.

While in usual cases patients suffering from the problem are given enzyme replacement therapy on a regular basis to break down the molecules, Madeux hailing from Arizona reportedly decided to undergo the trial as he is suffering from pain every second of the day.

Through the IV treatment, patients body will receive viruses that are altered to carry instructions to the DNA. These will then travel to the liver where, according to the report, the cells will use the instructions to make molecular scissors called zinc finger nucleases and prepare the corrective gene. The newly corrected genes will then cut the patient's DNA at precise spots. If the experiment succeeds, the new genes will give instructions to the cells to make the enzyme that is needed to break the molecules.

While the procedure to correct the DNA has been carried out earlier this was all done after the cells were taken out of the body.

The news of the experiment has led to varying reactions from different corners. While Dr David R. Liu, from Harvard University, supported the experiment and was quoted saying in the report as, The Hunter's syndrome trial, led by a pioneering company, is another reminder that we have entered an era of genome editing."

Dr Robin Lovell-Badge of the Francis Crick Institute said that it will be a challenge to make the treatment work on patients suffering other problems that are much more complex. The procedure will also be impossible to do on cells within key organs like brain, heart and liver.

But for the time being, the medical community is waiting eagerly to know the result of the experiment carried out on Madeux. If successful, many more patients suffering from various ailments could benefit from it.
State officials announce $2.85M for new police station in Upper Moreland
Ukraine's second president (1994-2005) Leonid Kuchma, a representative of the Trilateral Contact Group for regulating the situation in Donbas, has said that there have been no prisoner exchanges with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR/LPR) this year.

"If an exchange takes place this year it will be a great joy. I hope this take place. But, after having spent 14 months discussing this in Minsk and no exchanges have taken place, it raises a question," Kuchma told journalists in Kyiv.

The ex-president said resolution of the conflict in Donbas "depends on God and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."

As earlier reported, on November 15, the leader of the Ukrainian Choice - People's Right association Viktor Medvedchuk appealed to Putin with a request to support the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and DPR/LPR. According to Medvedchuk, 306 prisoners held by Ukraine would be exchanged for 74 Ukrainians held by DPR/LPR.
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,
November 17, 2017

NATO Adds To Turkey's Chagrin

There has long been speculation about a Turkish good-bye to NATO.

The U.S. and its military proxy organization in Europe are doing their best to further such a move:

The image of Ataturk was displayed as a target during the drill at NATOs Joint Warfare Center in Stavanger, Norway held between Nov. 8 and Nov. 17, while a NATO soldier posted defamatory words about Erdogan on the social media.

Ataturk is the founder of the secular Turkey. He was designated as "target" during a desk-top drill. NATO's Joint Warfare Center is not a low level school but an elite officer training institution led by a Major-General. The 40 Turkish soldiers who attended the training course were immediately ordered back home.

Secularists in Turkey have long suspected NATO as promoting "moderate Islamists". That belief is not without factual ground. U.S. President Obama allied with the Muslim Brotherhood during the so called "Arab Spring". But the second incident at the very same NATO institution points to a more comprehensive anti-Turkish position:

A Kurdish-origin Norwegian officer signed up to a social networking website within NATO, using a fake account in the name of President Erdogan and sharing posts against the organization.

To vilify the Turkish secularist hero Ataturk and its Islamist President Erdogan in related occasions is a comprehensive move against the whole country.

NATO's political spokesperson Jens Stoltenberg, a Norwegian politician, apologized for the incidents. It will soothe no one.

A comparable incident happened in 2006. U.S. Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters published a map with redrawn borders of Middle East in the Armed Forces Journal. The map showed a "Free Kurdistan" and Turkey cut to half its size.

The map was then presented by an American colonel at the NATOs Defense College in Rome while Turkish officers were attending. An uproar ensued and the U.S. had to apologize.

In July 2016 parts of the Turkish military attempted a coup against Erdogan. Turkish jets which attacked the capitol Ankara had launched from the U.S. and NATO base in Incirlik. When the attempt failed several NATO countries granted asylum to Turkish officers who did not want to return to their home country.

After the failed coup Turkey decided to buy Russian air defense systems. The move makes sense. The alternative U.S. systems are suspected to be ineffective against attacking U.S. planes and missiles. The Russian S-400 systems is designed to counter threats from U.S. weapons.

Turkey is a partner in the U.S. F-35 fighter jet program. It has plans to purchase one hundred of them. Now the U.S. Air Force suggests that the deal could be restricted:

If Turkey moves forward with its buy of a Russian air defense system, it will not be permitted to plug into NATO technology, and further action may be forthcoming that could affect the countrys acquisition or operation of the F-35, a top Air Force official said Wednesday.

...

Analysts worry that Turkey operating both the S-400 and F-35 together could compromise the jets security, as any data collected by the air defense system and obtained by Russia could help expose the joint strike fighters vulnerabilities. For a platform like the F-35, whose major strengths are its stealth and data fusion capabilities, that would be a disaster. [The deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for international affairs, Heidi] Grant, agreed that a S-400 acquisition creates issues for Turkeys use of the F-35.

...

Her comments echoed those of Gen. Petr Pavel, chairman of NATOs military committee. In October, Pavel said that Turkey is free, as a sovereign nation, to make its own decisions in regards to military procurement, but will face consequences if a S-400 buy goes through.

Buying a Russian air defense system is not unprecedented for a NATO state. In 1997 Cyprus bought Russian S-300 systems, ironically to defend against Turkish jets. The Cyprus Missile Crisis ensued and the weapons ended up in Greece where they also serve to keep the Turks away. Greece also flies U.S. made jets.

In Syria the U.S. is arming, training and fighting together with the YPK, a sister organization of the Kurdish PKK which is pursuing a guerilla campaign against the Turkish army and state.

The personal disparaging of Turkish politicians by NATO, U.S. involvement in a coup attempt, restrictions on weapon buys and U.S. cooperation with Turkey's enemy are amounting to an open affront.

It is obvious that NATO is no longer a reliable ally for Turkey. This view is independent of who holds the Turkish presidency. The strategic situation would not change if Erdogan would be replaced by some secular nationalist figure.

Turkey fields NATO's second biggest army. With more than 80 million people it is a large emerging military and economic power. It controls the Bosporus and thereby access to the Black Sea. It has influence in the Balkans as well as in the Central Asian "Stans". It is a crossing point for major energy pathways including the new Russian TurkStream pipeline which will deliver Russian gas to south-Europe.

The is little that hinders Turkey from leaving NATO and from joining a tacit alliance with Russia. Russian fighter jets are as good as the U.S. designed F-35. Even Turkey's economic interests seem to be better aligned with Russia's than with north-Europe or the United States. The voices in Turkey that demand a realignment are gaining ground. The editors of the Erdogan friendly Daily Sabah write:

The U.S. is not the enemy, but neither is it acting like a friend. Its actions are against Turkey's interests as well as its own. Now is the right time for Turkey to formulate its own independent regional policy. Russia and Iran with their sounder anti-Daesh and counterterrorism policies need to be at the center of measures Turkey will implement from now on. After all that's happened, one thing is certain: The U.S. should definitely be kept out of Turkey's regional policy concerns.

The Zionist lobby in the U.S. has long argued to kick Turkey out of NATO. Such a separation may indeed come true. But it would be Turkey that would leave NATO and not the other way around. The effects would be quite different than those expected a decade ago.

Posted by b on November 17, 2017 at 19:22 UTC | Permalink

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Thanks to Nigel the Nutcracker from The Warehouse, we are granting wishes across the country!
Morgan Hill police arrested a Campbell man Nov. 10 who had more than 20 sets of stolen car keys from an area dealership in his vehicle.

An MHPD officer made a traffic stop on a refurbished older San Jose police car about 6pm Nov. 10, according to a post on the MHPD Facebook page.

The traffic stop resulted in a search of the vehicle, during which the officer found the numerous sets of car keys tucked inside the trunk, police said.

Attached to many of the keys were valet tags that looked similar to each other. The officer began contacting vehicle dealerships throughout the county until police located the victim, according to authorities.

The victim auto dealer told police that the keys were stolen, and the suspect was a recently terminated employee, police said. MHPD Sgt. Troy Hoefling clarified that the suspect was likely upset with the former employer, and police do not think he intended to try to steal the vehicles to which the keys belonged.

Police arrested the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, Michael Aaron Buckland, 41, of Campbell, on suspicion of embezzlement and stolen property.
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted at first reading draft law (No. 6403) amending the law on the regulation of town planning activities, which simplifies the spatial planning of territories by introducing a plan for a united territorial community (UTC) instead of several documents.

An Interfax-Ukraine reporter said that 257 lawmakers had supported the respective decision.

"This bill changes the approach in developing town planning documents. It introduces a new type of documentation for spatial planning - a plan for a united territorial community," Deputy Regional Development Minister Lev Partskhaladze wrote on his Facebook page.

According to the document, the territory of the united territorial community will become an object of town planning at the local level.

According to Partskhaladze, the development of a UTC plan instead of two documents  a community territory planning scheme and a master plan for populated localities - will greatly simplify the process of town planning and reduce the financial burden on the UTC budget.

According to the explanatory note to the bill, it will also expand the powers of local government agencies on regulating construction work and will shorten the time for the development and approval of documentation. In addition, the bill foresees the creation of a state register of documentation for spatial planning at the regional and local levels, which will facilitate access to documentation for investors and the public.
VALDESE  The Waldensian Trail of Faith in Valdese will light up again this year in shining holiday splendor.

The 19th annual Lighting Of The Trail ceremony will take place Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Trail of Faith.

With more than 100,000 LED bulbs fashioned into favorite Christmas scenes, the Trail of Lights is a Christmas lights display at the Waldensian Trail of Faith.

Founded in 1993, the Trail is an outdoor museum consisting of 11 acres that portrays the history of the Waldensian people back to the time of the Biblical Apostles, according to the Trail of Faiths website, www.waldensiantrailoffaith.org. Scattered among the property are 15 buildings and monuments that detail the history of each phase in the Waldenses journey.

The Trail of Faith tour brings to life the struggles faced by the Waldensian people, pays tribute to their sacrifices and also celebrates their success and triumphs, the website reads. The Waldensian people were considered to be people who lived by the scripture and were tortured, exiled, and martyred, and still the faith that drove them from the Alpine Valleys of Italy to the foothills of North Carolina survived. The Trail of Faith is the story of the Waldensian people.

Visitors can look forward to students from Chesterfield and Mull e lementary schools playing music and singing for a short time before Trail of Faith f ounder and p resident, former North Carolina Sen. Jim Jacumin, reads the Christmas Story.

Its important for us to share the Christmas story with the kids, because the kids are what this event is really about, Jacumin said.Children play an important role in Christmas and it is important for us to pass on what we know.

As done in years past, three students will be chosen to turn on the lights at the end of the ceremony, marking the traditional lighting of the trail.

The Christmas lights display uses more than 100,000 LED bulbs that are fashioned into favorite Christmas-time scenes that keep a steady flow of traffic, generally averaging 30 to 40 vehicles a night to enjoy the lights display, Jacumin said.

We have visitors that come all the way from Charlotte for our lighting ceremony and to see the Trail of Lights, said Jacumin. Each year we have between 7,000 and 8,000 visitors.

Volunteers at the Trail of Faith, also known as trail friends, begin preparation work for the lightning ceremony a month in advance in order to test the lights and set up the Christmas-time scenes. According to Trail of Faith office assistant Sheryl Tron, the event relies entirely on volunteer help and Tron said the ceremony would not be possible without the help of trail friends.

Everything at the Trail of Lights relates to the history of the Waldensian people but the most important thing is that the displays are focused on Jesus, Jacumin said.

We love having families bring their children and we want folks to just come and enjoy themselves, Jacumin said. The whole event really reminds us what Christmas is about, and that is doing for others and doing something for someone else. It enriches the building blocks of society and its a joy to be able to give back  and thats a big part of the community.

Visitors of the Christmas lights display are encouraged to stop by the Visitors Center where hot chocolate and hot apple cider will be served alongside refreshments.

The Trail of Faith, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)3 funded by donations from guests each year. There is no admission fee to the Christmas lights display but the Trail of Faith will gladly accept donations to help fund Decembers utility bill.

The Trail of Lights will be open Nov. 21 through Sunday, Dec. 24 from 6-9 p.m. every night. The Visitor Center will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There will be no lights on Christmas Day but the lights will be on Christmas Eve.

For more information on the Christmas lights display lighting ceremony or the Waldensian Trail of Faith, call the Waldensian Trail of Faith Office at 828-874-1893, visit www.trailoffaith.com, or email trailoffaith1893@gmail.com.

The Waldensian Trail of Faith is located at 401 Church St., NW in Valdese.
Kyiv's Pechersky District Court has ordered the Kyiv city prosecutor's office to start the investigation into the criminal proceedings against the member from Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction Volodymyr Ariev who violated the privacy of ex-head of Odesa Regional State Administration and former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Saakashvili wrote about this on his Facebook page on Friday. The leader of the New Forces Movement party Saakashvili said that in summer Ariev published a form with his personal data on Facebook, in particular, the residential address and the telephone number.

"Immediately after the disclosure of private information, the lawyer filed a motion with the prosecutor's office to open a criminal trial against the MP. The prosecutor's office of the city of Kyiv refused to open the case. Today, the refusal was appealed in court, where the decision was made to "Oblige authorized representatives of the Kyiv city prosecutor's office to make entry into the Unified Register of Pretrial investigations ... on the commission of a criminal offense and start a pretrial investigation," Saakashvili said.

The politician published a photocopy of the court decision on his Facebook page.
With the typical retirement now likely to last 30 years or more, working out just how big your pension pot needs to be to see you through can seem complicated.

Jamie Clark, business development manager at Royal London, says: As a rough rule of thumb, people should save half their age as a percentage of earnings into a pension plan. So, someone aged 20 should be saving 10%.

The amount needed for a comfortable retirement can be surprising, particularly because people typically underestimate how long they will live. According to most recent government statistics, those who reach 65 can currently expect to live another 20 years.

When planning for retirement you first have to consider how much you need to live on; what are the household expenses and what kind of lifestyle are you hoping to achieve. David Stevens, director of advice strategy at LV=, says: You should also consider whether your partner has their own pension or if they will be relying on yours, and what your current state of health is and whether it is likely to deteriorate.

Once you have an idea of how much you need, consider how you would like to access it: do you want a fixed amount each month like a salary or would you prefer to access ad hoc sums when you need them?

Then its time to consider how youre going to create that income. Those keeping their money invested should determine how much risk they are willing to take and how long they are happy to tie their money up for.

It is important to consider all of your assets when youre planning for retirement. As well as your personal pension pot, remember any other savings you might have such as Isa accounts and Premium Bonds. Research from Charter Savings Banks shows some 77% of retirees use cash savings to generate part of their income, adding on average some 19% to annual income.

Savers should also ensure they have tracked down any lost pensions that may have been forgotten using the governments free Pension Tracing Service and be sure to factor the State Pension into their calculations too; currently its 159.55 a week, or 8,319 a year. Stevens says: While the State Pension is unlikely to be enough to see you through retirement on its own, it will boost your income. Checking how much youre eligible for is quick and easy to do online.

How Much Do You Need to Save?

Once you have considered all of these factors, you can start to build an idea of how much you need to save. Taking the State Pension into account, someone looking to generate an income of 20,000 in retirement will need to fund roughly 11,700 of that through their own pension pot, and those looking for a higher income of 40,000 a year will need to generate 31,700 from their own savings.

Number-crunching from Fidelity shows that those looking to buy an annuity at retirement to ensure a guaranteed income for life would need savings of 380,000 and 1 million respectively to generate these incomes.

It is not surprising, then, that a growing number of retirees are opting to put their money into income drawdown  where you leave your pension pot invested during retirement and take an income from it. Fidelity estimates that retirees in drawdown would need savings of 234,000 and 634,000 respectively to generate the same income levels.

The reason these pots can be smaller is that your money has the opportunity to keep growing, hopefully to the point that it replenishes what you withdraw each year.

So, someone with a 234,000 pension pot, withdrawing 11,700 to make their income up to 20,000 should be looking to achieve growth on their investments of around 5% if they want to maintain the amount in their pot.

Andy Parsons, head of investments at The Share Centre, says: While many people will feel cautious about investing the money they have worked so hard to accrue during their lifetime, its important to remember that the lower the risk of an investment, the lower the returns and growth.

This this could mean taking a higher degree of risk than you might have liked and that your investments may be more vulnerable to a fall in the stock market.

The key is for drawdown investors to build a diversified portfolio of funds which can produce a reliable dividend yield without taking undue amounts of risk. Maike Currie, investment director at Fidelity International, likes the Silver-rated JOHCM UK Equity Income fund which has a strong focus on companies with above-average yields. The fund, which has returned 34.2% over the past three years and yields 4.3%, has BP, Barclays and Aviva among its top holdings.

Currie also likes the Invesco Perpetual European Equity Income fund which seeks out companies paying decent dividends on the continent. The fund, which has investments in France, Germany and Switzerland, has returned 47.4% over three years and yields 3%.
Earlier in the week, we delved into Morningstar Direct data to find out whether UK investors were still backing US equities a year on from the election of Donald Trump as President. The findings suggested they were.

This year is set to be the first since 2013 the Investment Association (IA) North American sector will see net inflows.

Drilling down further, we found tracker funds were seeing the most net inflows, while actively managed funds were seeing the most net outflows.

Its hard for active managers to beat indices in the US as companies are extremely well-researched. Instead, investors are pushed towards trackers in order to chase what have been impressive gains.

Some fund managers do attempt to beat the index, though, and many think the opportunity to find value is better than ever, with most of the S&Ps gains coming from the tech behemoths.

Neil Dwane, global strategist at Allianz Global Investors, says that on a 10-year view the S&P 500 is priced to generate virtually no return. Though he says that, while the market looks pretty much fully valued, as stock pickers we think we can still find a lot more opportunities.

We took a look under the bonnet of a few Morningstar Gold and Silver rated funds in the IA North America sector to see which stocks they are backing using the Morningstar X-Ray tool. These include T. Rowe Price US Blue Chip Equity, JPM US Select Equity Plus, Dodge & Cox Worldwide Stock, Capital Group Investment Company of America and Old Mutual North American.

Top Blue-Chip Holdings

The results were somewhat unsurprising. The big tech names are all on the top seven holdings of the portfolio. Microsoft (MSFT) is held by all five, as is Google parent company Alphabets non-voting C shares (GOOG). Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Facebook (FB) and Alphabets A shares (GOOGL) are all held by four of the five.

Two other companies are held by all five. UnitedHealth (UNH), which provides health plans for families, individuals and employers, is up around 40% since last November. Banking and insurance provider Wells Fargo (WFC) is up by a more modest 3.5% but is in a sector that is expected to outperform.

Other popular holdings are fellow financial Bank of America (BAC) and online hotel booking website Priceline (PCLN).

Favourite Smaller Companies

For those who prefer to look at smaller companies, where it can be argued stockpickers have more of an advantage, we also screened five funds in the IA North American Smaller Companies sector.

None of the 10 most-held companies were in more than three funds and no firm accounted for more than 1% of the portfolio as a whole.

Drug packaging maker West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) is held by Hemes US Smid Equity, Schroder US Smaller Companies and T. Price Rowe US Smaller Companies. Its up almost a fifth since the election at $95.

WABCO Holdings (WBC), which makes components like brakes and suspensions for heavy duty commercial vehicles, and Arkansas-headquartered Bank of the Ozarks (OZRK) are both held by Threadneedle American Smaller Companies and the Hermes fund. The former is up 44% in the past year, but the latter has bounced about and is narrowly down.

Other popular holdings include medical devices specialist The Cooper Companies (COO), up 35%; reinsurer Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), up 23%; and credit checker TransUnion (TRU), up 75%.
When Collin Bruce won his first Canadian Mortgage Award in 2012, he had no idea just how much business was about to boom.Winning a CMA is huge in the industry, said Bruce, a mortgage broker and franchise owner at Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Mentors. Its like the Oscars or Emmys of the mortgage world. For us to be able to advertise that is hugeand I still advertise that; its in my email signature, on my Facebook page, my website, everything.Even with the lenders, especially underwriters and lenders, its another level of respect that they have with you, but also with customers, for sure, its huge.Just as he had three years earlier, Bruce won the 2015 Mortgage Broker of the Year award, and again in 2016. His team also won the 2015 Mortgage Brokerage of the Year Award.Bruce says hes gearing up for the 12th annual Canadian Mortgage Awards this May.Really, I dont know if theres anything bigger than to win the Broker and Brokerage awards, apart from the lifetime award, from the CMAs, he said.Bruce described the awards gala as great fun, but also as an opportunity to rub shoulders with peers, many of whom he, and other industry players scattered about the country, only has a chance to meet at the CMAs.I find the relationships you build with the lenders at an event like this huge, because youre meeting higher-ups, he said. Theres the before dinner and after party, and a lot of people are in the night before too, so theres usually a get together. With our brokers, whether its Dominion or non-Dominion, I met a lot of people there I still keep in contact with today.Shane Bruce, founder of the ACME Group of Companies, says winning a CMA resonated instantly in his local market of St. Johns, Newfoundland.When youre from a small market, you can be a little fish in a pond, but when you get a national nod like that, it goes to show what you do beyond just brokering mortgages, said S. Bruce. As a broker-owner, you have a lot more on your plate than underwriting customers, youre running a business. The local precedent from getting a national nod helped because it showed our business acumen and that were more than just brokers.ACME won the 2015 Marketing Campaign of the Year and the 2011 Business Excellence Award.Being that Newfoundland is rather isolated from the countrys larger centres where most of the activity occurs, being an award-winning company certainly boosts credentials.Those industry events are in bigger centres, which are great because were out in the middle of nowhere and we get to see a lot of banking industry people, lenders and all the other people we dont get to see out in Newfoundland, said S. Bruce. The other thing is when you network with peers from across the country, its always nice to get ideas about what theyre doing and to see how theyre being successful. We get to problem solve together. Theres really no down side to these things.Troy Resvick, British Columbia president of the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association, was a presenter at the 2017 CMAs and says, as an industry veteran, he was heartened to see his colleagues from years past cement their reputations as industry leaders by taking home a slew of awards.During my 17 years in the industry, Ive met a lot of great people, and any time you get to attend an event like the CMAs, its special because people are being recognized for their accomplishments, he said. I think its great to join and celebrate with colleagues in the industry. We learn from each other and catch up on things, which we dont normally get to do because were too busy putting deals together.Collin Bruce says its also just a night to let loose and have fun.The gala is super high-class, he said. Youre mingling with some of the best colleagues in the industry, and lenders, and they do such a great job of hosting a first-class event. Its the elite class of brokers and lenders, and always a fun time.To submit nominations for this years Canadian Mortgage Awards, please visit http://kmiawards.ca/index.php/awards?event_id=19
On Monday, November 20, at 10.30, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press entitled "Ukraine has 200 Recommendations in UN how to Protect Human Rights," during which the results of Ukraine's report to the United Nations under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will be discussed. The participants include Deputy Justice Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Petukhov; representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Commissioner for Human Rights on the issues of observance of the rights of internally displaced persons Zhanna Lukyanenko; Head of the UNDP Strategic Development Division, Adviser on Democratic Governance Markus Brand; coordinator of monitoring the implementation of the national human rights strategy of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union Kseniya Semiorkina. The moderator is the chairman of the Human Rights Information Center Tetiana Pechonchik. The event is organized by the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine and Human Rights Information Center (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. Details by phone: (067) 445 9543.
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Cloudy. Low around 45F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. Low around 45F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Now hiring signs have been erected by a wide swath of industries throughout Midland in search of workers to fill open positions.

That search is expected to grow more complicated as Midland continues to see near-record low unemployment.

The Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday that its Midland metropolitan statistical area saw unemployment of 2.4 percent in October, down from 2.8 percent in September and from 4.3 percent last October. Midland is now tied with Amarillo for the lowest unemployment in the state.

Willie Taylor, chief executive officer of the commissions Workforce Solutions Permian Basin, told the Reporter-Telegram the Midland labor market data remained consistent -- from industry composition to wages.

As long as you have low unemployment, thats a recipe for higher wages, he said.

Civilian labor force is component Taylor watches, and the situation is essentially the same as it was a year ago. The civilian labor force is 86,200 after topping 87,500 in September.

Our region is looking good. We may have some issues, but there are a lot of things that put us above other regions. This is a good area to bring families, there are good job opportunities. If you come with good credentials, you can work, Taylor said.

The area has the right ingredients for growth, but still needs to work on diversification, he said.

Unemployment at 2.4 percent means that every able-bodied person who wants to work is employed, said Brent Hilliard, chairman of the board of directors at the Midland Development Corp. On a national level, the government has delineated 4 percent as full employment, and were well below the federal governments standard.

Hilliard said addressing labor-market issues is a form of economic development.

Our focus has not shifted away from economic diversification, but at the same time, we need to protect what we have, he said. Right now we have corporations here that need employees. We need child care workers, we need facilities.

Hilliard said the MDC will not move away from efforts to attract diversified businesses.

Well put greater emphasis on increasing the workforce, he said.

Those plans will include working with Taylor and Workforce Solutions to discover what types of employees are needed -- engineers or carpenters or masons -- what disciplines are needed and how many are needed.

Once we quantify the issue, then we can put together a plan to seek out those people in other markets, Hilliard said. If our community doesnt address the employment needs we have, economic expansion and development efforts will be stifled.

Hilliard said the MDC will join with Workforce Solutions, the Midland and Odessa chambers of commerce and Odessa Development Corp. to identify needs such as child care and housing and devise strategies to address these needs and the key areas that are causing the cost of living to rise.

He issued a warning that was contained in his presentation at this months State of the Economy luncheon. Communities that are fast-growing benefit from an increased tax base, but congestion leads to higher costs of services, which can outweigh the benefits of growth.

Thats where Midland is at right now, he said.

Midland lost 100 jobs from September to October, as the addition of 300 jobs in the mining, logging and construction sector and 100 jobs each in the trade, transportation and utilities and the education and health services sectors were offset by the loss of 400 jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector and 200 jobs in the professional and business services sector.

For the 12 months between October 2016 and October 2017, Midland added 1,900 jobs for a growth rate of 2.2 percent. Job gains were led by 1,900 in the mining, logging and construction sector, 200 jobs each in the leisure and hospitality and other services and government sector and 100 jobs in the manufacturing sector. Those gains were offset by the loss of 400 jobs in the professional and business services sector, 200 jobs in the education and health services sector and 100 jobs in the information sector.

Statewide, the unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent from 4 percent in September, marking the sixth consecutive monthly gain and the lowest rate in four decades. The state saw 71,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs added in October.

While Amarillo and Midland reported the lowest rate, Beaumont-Port Arthur posted the highest rate for a second consecutive month as the region continues to recover from Hurricane Harvey. That MSA had an unemployment rate of 6.3 percent in October.

Midland unemployment

January 2017 4.1 percent

January 2016 4 percent

February 2017 4.2 percent

February 2016 4.2 percent

March 2017 4 percent

March 2016 4.4 percent

April 2017 3.5 percent

April 2016 4.5 percent

May 2017 3.4 percent

May 2016 4.5 percent

June 2017 3.5 percent

June 2016 5 percent

July 2017 3.2 percent

July 2016 4.9 percent

August 2017 3.2 percent

August 2016 4.7 percent

September 2017 2.8 percent

September 2016 4.6 percent

October 2017 2.4 percent

October 2016 4.3 percent

Preliminary numbers for October with September numbers in parentheses:

Amarillo 2.4 (2.7)

Midland 2.4 (2.8)

College Station-Bryan 2.5 (2.9)

Austin-Round Rock 2.6 (2.9)

Lubbock 2.6 (2.9)

San Angelo 2.9 (3.3)

San Antonio-New Braunfels 2.9 (3.2)

Sherman-Denison 2.9 (3.2)

Dallas-Plano-Irving 3.0 (3.3)

Fort Worth-Arlington 3.0 (3.4)

Wichita Falls 3.0 (3.4)

Abilene 3.1 (3.5)

Laredo 3.2 (3.6)

Odessa 3.2 (3.7)

Waco 3.3 (3.8)

Killeen-Temple 3.4 (3.8)

El Paso 3.8 (4.2)

Texarkana 3.8 (4.2)

Tyler 3.9 (3.7)

Longview 4.0 (4.5)

Victoria 4.0 (4.6)

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 4.1 (4.8)

Corpus Christi 5.1 (5.9)

Brownsville-Harlingen 5.5 (6.4)

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 5.7 (6.8)

Beaumont-Port Arthur 6.3 (8.2)
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A former United Airlines pilot accused of running a string of brothels in apartment complexes and office buildings throughout Houston is expected to be sentenced Thursday to probation.

Bruce Wayne Wallis, 53, was charged in 2015 with aggravated promotion of prostitution and engaging in criminal activity.

Officials said the illicit empire included about a half-dozen brothels in Galleria-area apartments and northwest Houston office buildings with six to 10 women.

RELATED: Man accused of running state-wide prostitution ring from Texas prison

Wallis is expected to go before state District Judge Jim Wallace Thursday who will assess punishment.

Assistant Harris County District Attorney Lester Blizzard said the judge has indicated that he will sentence Wallis to a form of probation.

"The judge did a thorough review and determined that probation was appropriate in this case," Blizzard said. "I asked for penitentiary time."

Wallis agreed to plead guilty in exchange for the judge to assess punishment after a pre-sentencing investigation in which both sides could file letters of support.

RELATED: Pair of Killeen ISD teachers arrested in prostitution sting

Blizzard said he wanted prison time and agreed to a seven-year cap on jail time in exchange for a guilty plea.

He said the judge is mulling whether Wallis will keep his pilot's license or not. Although Wallis no longer works for United Airlines, he does operate a flight school. The judge will also have to decide whether Wallis will be convicted with a probated prison sentence or deferred adjudication, which is form of probation that would allow Wallis to escape a felony conviction.

Court records show that investigators believe the women advertised online and paid Wallis $400 a week as a pimp. He was also accused in court records of recruiting five women at time and having sex with them before putting them to work as prostitutes. Several of the women appeared to be Russian.

If convicted in a jury trial, Wallis could have faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He is expected to appear in court to be sentenced Thursday morning.
More than 100 protesters gathered outside Houston's civil courthouse Thursday to attend a routine hearing for a Harris County sheriff's deputy and her husband who are charged with murder in the May death of John Hernandez at a local Denny's.

Deputy Chauna Thompson - who is on leave pending the investigation - and her husband Terry Thompson appeared in state District Judge Kelli Johnson's court where their lawyers and prosecutors discussed exchanging evidence as the criminal case proceeds.
Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference 'Why are Muslims from Post-Soviet Countries Discriminated Against When They Want to Come to Ukraine?'

On Monday, November 20, at 12.30, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press entitled "Why are Muslims from Post-Soviet Countries Discriminated When They Want to Come to Ukraine? Asylum-seekers are Forced to Unite to Protect Themselves from Arbitrary Actions by Officials." The participants include co-founders of the association, journalists Tagir Minibaev (Ufa, Bashkortostan) and Anvar Derkach (Ukraine) (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. Details by phone: (073) 154 9136.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhyehVdQfQE&feature=youtu.be










Forever a Lion

The Missouri Southern Alumni Association was established in 1945 to strengthen communication, loyalty and friendship among all alumni, faculty/staff and friends of the university, creating a community of connected Lions.

Today, we work to keep our alums engaged by hosting alumni events, staying connected through social media and producing Crossroads alumni magazine. These avenues of communication keep our alums up-to-date on the current direction of their alma mater as well as letting them know what interesting accomplishments students, former classmates and the university have made.

To keep our alumni connected, the Alumni Association welcomes all 30,000 plus alumni as full membersa lifelong investment in MSSU that centers on engagement and gives all alumni equal access to the Association's programs and services.

We encourage all alums to stay involved by continuing their support of Missouri Southern. Browse our website for information on how to stay connected through attending alumni events, showing Lion pride, mentoring students or giving to the university.

Stay Connected to MSSU:
Kyiv Global Surgery Congress '17 will be held in Kyiv on November 22-23, 2017. The main idea of this event is the formation of the largest international discussion platform in Ukraine that unites Ukrainian surgeons from all over the world in the field of urgent, planned and military surgery. The Forum's organizer is Medical Center "VALIKHNOVSKI SURGERY INSTITUTE," the co-organizer is A7 CONFERENCES.

Forum venue: SE National Cultural-Art and Museum Complex "Mystetskyi Arsenal" 10-12, Lavrska Street, Kyiv, 01010, Ukraine.

For the first time in Ukraine, Kyiv Global Surgery Congress '17 will show the unique experience of Ukrainian surgeons from the frontline. In the frame of the congress, the presentation of the European protocols and standards of surgical care will be held. The event will present the highest level of speakers, among which there will be only professors and doctors of sciences from 12 countries of the world.

The uniqueness of the event is that foreign surgeons-practitioners who have Ukrainian roots will visit the congress. For the first time, they will meet together at the Kyiv Global Surgery Congress to share the experience.

Rostyslav Valikhnovski, Founder of Medical Center "VALIKHNOVSKI SURGERY INSTITUTE"; Vice President of Ukrainian Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, Initiator and organizer of the congress, an honored doctor of Ukraine noted: "I am convinced that it is high time to gather the best Ukrainian surgeons who work worldwide, especially those, who care about the future of medicine and in particular about the surgery of Ukraine, as well as about the health of each of us. Our country is experiencing some of the most complicated times in its history - an armed conflict in eastern Ukraine continues, diseases are increasing and life expectancy is decreasing. The main purpose of the congress is the exchange of experience and the practical use of modern world standards of surgery care in peace and war times".

Kyiv Global Surgery Congress '17 provides the following sections for discussion:

Neurosurgery, ophthalmology

Maxillo Facial Surgery

Endocrine surgery

Thoracic surgery

Cardiosurgery

Gastrointestinal Surgery

Pelvic Surgery

Trauma Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Microsurgery and Reconstructive Surgery

Forum visitors will receive 100% interactive content and will be able to personally hear from leading experts about the current news of Ukrainian surgery.

Among the honored speakers are: Rostyslav Valikhnovski, Founder "VALIKHNOVSKI SURGERY INSTITUTE"; Vice President, Ukrainian Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons; Vitalii Tsymbalyuk, President of the Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Chief Neurosurgeon; Vasyl Lazoryshynets, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery named after M. Amosova; Eliav Belotserkovsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine; H.E. Mr. Yang Goo LEE, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Ukraine; Leonid Kogan, MD, PhD, Head of Plastic Surgery and Burns Department, Galilee Medical Center (Israel); David Kakiashvili, Director of Urologic Oncology, Chief of Robotic Surgery. Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa (Israel); Oleksandr Stakhovskyi, Senior Researcher, Department of Oncology. National Cancer Institute; Andriy Kopchak, PhD and others.

Among the participants: "Kristar," "EliteMedica," "Biomed," "BMT," "Golnit," "Zepter International," "TekhMedKontrakt," Bogomolets national medical university, National Institute of Surgery and Transplantology. O.O. Shalimova, Shupyk National Medical Academy, Ukrainian Medical Club and others

The event program and registration details at www.a7conf.com/kgsc/en

Forum's Organizer - Medical Center "VALIKHNOVSKI SURGERY INSTITUTE", Co-organizer - A7 CONFERENCES. HR Partner - HeadHunter Ukraine. General Radio Partner - Radio Golos Stolytsi. Exclusive Business Media Partner - "Business" magazine. Media partners - newspaper The Day, MedExpert, Likar.info, PharmaNet, Apostrophe, iPress, Publishing house "Professional Editions", medical newspaper "Health of Ukraine", Obozrevatel, Medcentre.com.ua, Medicina.ua, Likarni.ua, Doctora.ua, Era radio, MedDovidka, Pharma.net, Morion, Hrushevsky 5 magazine, Liga.net, Investgazeta, Zdorov-Info, Med WIO, Medical Media Agency. Supported by Kyiv Post, the educational platform "Stairs to the Future", the Community of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, the Council of Entrepreneurs at the CMU, the Association of Ukrainian Dentists, the Ukrainian Association of Medical Tourism. Supported by Kyiv Post, Synergy Network, Yuria-Pharm, SUP, The educational platform "Stairs to the Future", the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, the Council of Entrepreneurs at the MCA, the Association of Dentists of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Association of Medical Tourism.

Interfax-Ukraine - general information partner at the Kyiv Global Surgery Congress'17

Media accreditation by tel.: +38 044 227 27 77, +38 097 651 11 84, valentyna@a7-group.com (Contact person: Valentyna Kovach).
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Fear of deportation, separation and the unknown grips many immigrants in Central Florida.



DACA recipients tell stories through special Orlando art project



Recipients fear deportation if DACA gets canceled

Dreamers urge people to ask reps for clean DREAM Act

DACA, the Deferred Action for Children Arrivals program, will shape the future of these families.

The stories of Dreamers and immigrants in Orlando were shared at the 60 Seconds in My Shoes event Wednesday and Thursday. These Dreamers are DACA recipients who came to the U.S. illegally as minors and built a life in America. They are sharing their stories to keep their dreams alive through a special project.

I want my mom to be protected and safe, said one young girl as she stepped in front of the microphone to speak to a crowd of listeners.

DACA recipient and event organizer Ahtziry Barrele said, I am lucky enough I live in a place where I can share my story openly, but I know of a lot of other DACA recipients that cant even mention they are DACA.

The global art movement creates a visual way for people to stand up for a cause. The display shows pictures of local people who support the Dreamers and their goals.

The storytelling was accompanied by the Inside Out Project.

"I think art can play a huge role in activism because you put something like this up and people are confused," said Joshua Guyer with the Inside Out Project. "They want to know, who are these people? So thats a big part of it, just creating the conversation.

DACA recipient and speaker Hugo Chavies story could change. His dream may become a nightmare cloaked in uncertainty.

"This upcoming March were going to know whats going to be happening to DACA if they are going to keep it and let it expire, or if its going to be canceled," he explained.

If DACA disappears, Chavie could be deported along with his parents, while his siblings stay here. His younger brother and sister are U.S. citizens.

"They face getting adopted by a different family," he said.

The Trump administration announced plans to end DACA, the Obama era policy that protects Dreamers from deportation.

"I have a younger brother that I couldnt even fathom you know saying goodbye to and also the business here that I have," Barrele said. "Its just going to be really hard to be uprooted from my home basically."

"Or we face a criminal and not being able to call to police because were going to be scared," Chavie added.

While the Dreamers can see the faces of their supporters through the art project, they hope to show the impact of policies like the Dream Act. They hope their stories and dreams will inspire others to take action.

The Dreamers are asking people to contact their elected officials. On the local level, that means pushing for a Trust Act Ordinance in Orlando to protect immigrants during interactions with city police. They ask supporters to call their representatives and ask for a clean DREAM Act, a federal plan to create a path to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants.
Efforts to extend Interstate 27 received a significant boost Thursday as the Texas Transportation Commission approved a plan that recommends feasibility study for extending I-27 from Lubbock to Laredo.

This is a big step for Ports-to-Plains and our goal to extend I-27. We commend the Transportation Commission and the Texas Freight Advisory Committee for recognizing that the Texas freight network has a significant gap without a major north-south interstate highway west of I-35, and taking action to meet the need, said Lubbock Mayor and Ports-to-Plains Alliance Board Member Dan Pope.

The Texas Freight Mobility Plan 2017 lists I-27 from Lubbock to Laredo as a Strategic Freight Project. The plan defined Strategic Freight and Initiative recommendations as significant investments that will shape the state's future freight transportation demands as well as address current unmet needs. Some strategic projects rise to a higher level due to the potential impact they have on statewide freight movements and economic competitiveness. The Texas Freight Advisory Committee played a key role in identifying priority strategic projects and initiatives based on current and future freight volumes, trends and economic opportunities.

The Texas Freight Mobility Plan states, The Ports-to-Plains (I-27) corridor from Laredo to Denver was designated as a high-priority corridor on the National Highway System in 1998, and in 2015, a TxDOT initial assessment report on the I-27 corridor found it to be critical to linking the energy and agricultural sectors to state, national and international trade. The I-27 extension would provide the only major north-south corridor in Texas west of I-35, and it would intersect three major east-west routes: I-10, I-20 and I-40. The I-27 extension would upgrade approximately 500 miles from Lubbock to Laredo at a conceptual cost estimate of $5.2 billion. TxDOT has recommended more detailed study of the extension to determine whether an incremental improvement approach or a complete interstate facility approach would meet safety and mobility needs. 

Extending Interstate 27 will have a significant impact on economic development throughout West Texas, and it will improve the flow of freight throughout North America, said Ports-to-Plains Alliance President Michael Reeves. About two thirds of US-Mexico trade by truck goes through Laredo, and much of that freight moves through some of Texas largest metropolitan areas on the very congested Interstate 35. I-69 provides an alternative for some of those trucks heading to the northeast, and I-27 can provide a less congested alternative for freight heading northwest.

TxDOT has been working since August 2016 to develop the Texas Freight Mobility Plan (TFMP) 2017 that meets all Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act requirements. The first Texas Freight Mobility Plan was adopted by the Texas Transportation Commission in January 2016. In December 2015, MAP-21 (the former federal funding and authorization bill) was replaced by the FAST Act. The FAST Act provided a new freight focused funding program, the National Highway Freight Program (NHFP), and also created new requirements for state freight plans to have in place by December 2017 in order to qualify for the NHFP funding. These new requirements include: creation of Critical Rural Freight Corridors, creation of Critical Urban Freight Corridors, and development of a fiscally constrained freight investment plan.

A section of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor, US 87 between Big Spring and San Angelo, was designated as a Critical Rural Freight Corridor by the plan.

It is rewarding to see TxDOT recognize how important the Ports-to-Plains Corridor is to the state. This is the result of years of hard work from several dedicated people. We also recognize that there is still more to be done and we look forward to working with TxDOT to make sure they have the resources necessary to fully implement this plan, said Ports-to-Plains Alliance Chairman John Bertsch.

Ports-to-Plains is a grassroots alliance of over 275 communities and businesses, including alliance partners Heartland Expressway, Theodore Roosevelt Expressway and Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor Coalition, whose mission is to advocate for a robust international transportation infrastructure to promote economic security and prosperity throughout North America's energy and agricultural heartland including Mexico to Canada. Additional information on the Ports-to-Plains Alliance is available at http://www.portstoplains.com/
Leah Millis/The Chronicle

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin is under investigation by a city commission for 18 possible campaign funding violations.

The Fair Campaign Practices Commission was meeting Thursday to discuss whether Arreguin deliberately broke local election laws during his campaign last year by not reimbursing his campaign manager before a statutory deadline for $3,339.66 worth of supplies purchased on 18 occasions. He was elected in 2016.
It appears La Cantinita, the San Antonio restaurant owned by former WWE star Alberto Del Rio, closed less than a year after celebrity wrestlers gathered to celebrate the grand opening.

Signage advertising the location for lease and barricades are set up outside the 17776 Blanco Road building, the restaurant's website has been deactivated, a Yelp listing marks La Cantinita as "closed" and social media pages have not been updated in more than a month.
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SOUTHBURY  The Board of Selectmen discussed a controversial idea to ban guns on town-owned property or at town events for over an hour Thursday, but moved on to other agenda items without a vote on the proposal.

It seemed most selectmen on the six-member board were against the Democratic Town Committees request to draft the gun-ban ordinance, with most citing a meeting earlier this month where most in a crowd of hundreds spoke against the idea.

I just dont think there is a demand here in the town of Southbury for us to have this ordinance, Selectman Jason Buchsbaum said. Im seeing an overwhelming demand for us not to do this.

Both gun-rights and gun-violence prevention activists packed the earlier meeting, which, like Thursdays meeting, was held at Pomperaug High School becuase an October meeting on the proposal filled Southburys Town Hall room past its capacity.

Of the nearly 100 people who spoke at the earlier meeting, selectmen said Thursday that Southbury residents against the proposal outnumbered those in favor three to one. Selectmen said they have received about 300 emails about the issue.

Echoing concerns of residents that arose during public comment, some selectmen said the ban would leave gun owners unable to protect themselves and an ordinance likely wouldnt prevent deranged individuals looking to kill others.

The bottom line is that our laws carry no weight with these individuals, Selectman George Bertram said. I cannot and will not support any new laws that create soft targets or free-fire zones where people cant protect themselves.

Buchsbaum said he did not think the town needed the law because a sergeant who presented the towns gun laws and history at the earlier meeting said he has no knowledge of any complaints about someone carrying a gun on town property or at a town event.

But two of the selectmen, Mike Rosen and Justin Bette, spoke in favor of the ordinance, with Rosen arguing the board should not yet move on from the discussion. He suggested an ordinance be drafted and sent to referendum before the request is dismissed.

Both Rosen and Bette disagreed saying those who legally carry guns could prevent gun violence during an incident.

There are rare instances on record on public space where a good guy with a gun can stop a mass shooting, Rosen said. The research is abundantly clear that there isnt a greater security. Its a false sense of security that the data does not back up.

Some of the discussion focused on a 1981 ordinance town officials found when considering the request for the gun ban. The existing ordinance prohibits firearms, along with fireworks and other items, from town open space or parks without a special permit.

Most selectmen, along with the sergeant who presented at the earlier meeting, said they were surprised to find the ordinance on the books and werent sure whether it meant guns were already banned on the properties. The sergeant told the selectmen in his presentation it was unclear whether a special permit meant a typical gun permit or something else.

Several selectmen said they looked at the minutes of the 1981 hearing where the law was and think the board should investigate the intent of the ordinance.

Under Connecticut law, gun owners with a permit may carry firearms concealed or in the open, except on school grounds.

The gun-ban suggestion arose last month from members of the Southbury Democratic Town Committee, which argued the presence of firearms at town events could have a chilling effect on free speech.

Similar bans are on the books in Ansonia, Meriden and Naugatuck. Members of the Newtown Action Alliance recently proposed a similar law in Newtown.

aquinn@newstimes.com
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is stuck in a Brexit stand-off as European leaders set her a deadline to give ground on the exit bill and the future of the Irish border if talks are to move on to trade before next year.

"I made clear to Theresa May that this progress needs to happen at the beginning of December at the latest," European Union president Donald Tusk said after a meeting of EU leaders in Gothenburg, Sweden.

His comments came after May's Brexit Secretary David Davis called on the EU to compromise, saying Britain has "made all the running" in negotiations so far. "I want them to compromise," Davis said in a BBC interview on Friday. "So far in this negotiation we've made quite a lot of compromises," he said. "We haven't always got that back."

The stalemate is dragging on as time runs out for a deal to be reached on the divorce terms so that EU leaders can agree to start talking about the future trade deal. British officials fear the negotiations could fall apart if that doesn't happen at the next EU summit in December, although European officials are looking at possible dates in January or February to have another go.

The U.K. has already agreed to pay into the EU budget for two years after leaving, which it considers a step toward what the EU wants, even if the Europeans say it doesn't go far enough. Britain has also agreed to the EU's schedule for talks -- that the divorce gets dealt with before trade. The EU side is clear that it doesn't think it's up to them to make concessions.

Davis was grilled late Thursday by German business leaders in Berlin about the U.K.'s intentions on the bill. He said he'd answer that question in a "few more weeks." May dodged a question from reporters on Friday morning about whether the U.K. was preparing to put more money on the table.

On Thursday and Friday May and her ministers launched a round of diplomacy in an attempt to break the deadlock, flying to Germany, Ireland and Sweden. Speaking to business executives in Berlin on Thursday night, Davis said the U.K. was looking at the EU demands on the bill everyday and was in constant contact with the EU side. From now to the December summit, "we will have pretty much continuous negotiations," Davis said.

Meanwhile, May and her Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson held separate talks with their Irish counterparts against a backdrop of an EU demand to settle the question of the post-Brexit border between Ireland, which will stay in the bloc, and Northern Ireland, which will leave as it's part of the U.K..

May flew to Gothenburg, Sweden, and had breakfast with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on the sidelines of an informal gathering of EU leaders. May told reporters when she arrived that she'd already set out her vision for a new "economic partnership" with the EU and it was up to the EU to reply. "I look forward to the European Union responding positively so that so we can move forward together," she said.

For his part, Varadkar said it was for Britain to make compromises, not the EU. "If we have to wait for the new year, if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it," he told reporters. Varadkar said he wants a pledge that "we won't go back to the borders of the past" separating the south from the north on the island of Ireland. "We want that written down."

In Dublin on Friday, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney warned his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, that efforts to solving the border question are at "somewhat of an impasse," jeopardizing the prospects of a breakthrough in Brexit talks next month.

For some in Britain, the blame lies with Europe's big two -- France and Germany -- for blocking progress.

Davis hinted at his frustration in his BBC interview, naming a clutch of other countries that "do want to move on" to discuss trade and the transition phase. Germany and France are "the most powerful players" in the EU, he said. "What they, what they believe is very influential, sometimes decisively so."

Despite the uncompromising stance from both sides in public, Tusk offered a glimmer of hope that the talks are yielding some results. He said there had been "good progress on citizens' rights" in the negotiations before calling for "much more progress on Ireland and on the financial settlement."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker reinforced the point. "The clock is ticking," he said before the Gothenburg meeting began. "I hope that we will be able to come to an agreement as far as the divorce is concerned in the December council but work still has to be done."

---

Bloomberg's Dara Doyle contributed.
TORRINGTON  Charlotte Hungerford Hospital will enter into an affiliation with Hartford HealthCare, now that the Connecticut Office of Health Care Access approved the proposal Wednesday.

The two health care organizations praised the decision in a release sent out by Charlotte Hungerford Hospital staff Thursday.

With the next step of our affiliation in place, a timely and thoughtful transformation of our health services will begin so that access to care is secure for the people of northwest Connecticut and the future of that care is a strategic blending of CHHs historic sense of place and purpose with the financial, clinical, and operational acumen that come with being part of a larger health system, said Dan McIntyre, president and executive director at CHH in the release.

We are delighted to have reached this important milestone and look forward to this affiliation with Charlotte Hungerford, said Elliot Joseph, the chief executive of Hartford HealthCare. Bringing our vision of being most trusted for personalized coordinated care to the residents of Northwestern Connecticut  in partnership with Charlotte Hungerford  is a true win for everyone, especially the local community. Building a true system of care across the continuum requires these types of new relationships.

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital began exploring the idea of enter into an affiliation with a larger organization in February 2014 to help sustain the Hospitals operational, financial and clinical services, according to the decision from the Office of Health Care Access.

The hospitals operating margin slipped into the negative in recent years, according to the decision.

According to the decision, the hospital operated at a 5.71 percent loss in the 2016 fiscal year and projected losses of $5 million and $8 million in the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years respectively.

The Hospital identified a number of factors that would make remaining an independent hospital challenging, including: a growing difficulty recruiting and retaining physicians, reductions in inpatient discharges, a high reliance on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, declining operating margins, a decreasing primary care presence in the community and the challenges of expanding outpatient services to accommodate population health management, said officials in the decision.

The CHH Board of Governors eventually settled on Hartford HealthCare, as it most closely shared its vision for the needs of the region, according to the decision.

Under the agreement, ownership of Charlotte Hungerford Hospital will be transferred to Hartford HealthCare, with CHH continuing to operate as an independently licensed hospital, with its own medical staff.

A hearing on the affiliation proposal was held by the Office of Health Care Access in May.

At the time, Hartford HealthCare Chief Financial Officer Charles Johnson III said Charlotte Hungerford could be restored to profitability within four to six years.

An initial investment of $73 million is planned in the hospital over seven years, Johnson said  a figure reflected in the decision. Johnson said at the time that $50 million of the funds would go towards capital projects.

Services offered by the hospital are not set to diminish as a result of the proposed application, officials said in May. An assessment of community needs will be conducted if the affiliation is approved, Hartford Healthcare President and COO Jeffery Flaks said, to guide further expansion of services.

The affiliation will enable both organizations to share the knowledge and expertise of their staffs and physicians and give patients easier access to a wider range of services, technology and treatments, said CHH officials in the Thursday release. The goal of the strategic partnership is to enhance CHHs existing service line options and programs, improve care coordination, provide additional access points for care delivery, support the recruitment of skilled providers, assist with community benefit programming and allowing for further infrastructure investments.

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and Hartford HealthCare now have to finalize their agreement, according to the release. After that is done, they will begin a 120-day process to outline the priorities and plans for the affiliation and the organizational goals that will form the basis for the transition and future operations.
BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China will host the Fourth World Internet Conference from Dec. 3 to 5 in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, according to Ren Xianliang, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Ren told a State Council Information Office press conference that 1,500 guests from around the world, including heads of international organizations, leading figures in the internet area, online celebrities, and academics will attend this year's summit.

The event will focus on the digital economy, openness and sharing, to jointly build an online community of shared future, he said.

The summit will include details of new scientific and technological achievements and exhibitions, Ren said.

China has also invited several international organizations as co-organizers of the event, including the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, according to Ren.

The summit will issue reports on the development of the Internet and see agreements signed between governments, social organizations, and enterprises, he said.
WASHINGTON - When President Donald Trump reported on his trip to Asia, he heaped praise on himself and said the nation's "standing in the world has never been stronger than it is right now."

Using "I" 42 times in his 23-minute speech Wednesday, he declared "NATO, believe me, is very happy with Donald Trump and what I did," as he touted previous accomplishments.

Trump's unmatched self-adulation might cloud his view of the hard work by foreign service staffers and their increased difficulties because of his administration's hiring freeze.

Noting a recent Time magazine cover "with its graphic of wrecking balls and warning of 'dismantling government as we know it,' " American Foreign Service Association President Barbara Stephenson is cautioning against "mounting threats to our institution - and to the global leadership that depends on us."

Specifically, Stephenson is worried about State Department staffing cuts that weaken the Foreign Service and the nation's international status - a notion State officials reject.

"There is no denying that our leadership ranks are being depleted at a dizzying speed," she wrote in a letter to her members in the December edition of AFSA's Foreign Service Journal.

Congress has taken note.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, N.H., the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Management, and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, complained the two agencies are the only executive offices still under the hiring freeze Trump began in January.

Their letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as my colleague Carol Morello reported, said "questionable management practices at the Department of State; the attitudes of some in the Administration on the value of diplomacy; declining morale, recruitment and retention; the lack of experienced leadership to further the strength and longevity of our nation's diplomatic corps; and reports of American diplomacy becoming less effective paint a disturbing picture."

Contrary to America becoming stronger internationally, as Trump suggested, the senators said, "These factors lead us to conclude that America's diplomatic power is being weakened internally as complex, global crises are growing externally."

Stephenson said the "ranks of Career Ministers, our three-star equivalents, are down from 33 [in June 2016] to 19. The ranks of our two-star Minister Counselors have fallen from 431 right after Labor Day to 369 today - and are still falling."

If the military had similar cuts, "we would be on the border of being defenseless militarily," said retired ambassador Thomas Boyatt. "We are on the same threshold diplomatically right now."

At the entry level, Stephenson expects about 100 new foreign service officers to join State in 2018, compared to 366 in 2016.

"These numbers are hard to square with the stated agenda of making State and the Foreign Service stronger," she said, calling the cuts "a decapitation of its leadership ranks.

"The talent being shown the door now is not only our top talent, but also talent that cannot be replicated overnight. The rapid loss of so many senior officers has a serious, immediate, and tangible effect on the capacity of the United States to shape world events."

State pushed back, saying the Foreign Service is not being gutted and "all hiring freezes are temporary." State data indicate there are 13,873 Foreign Service employees today, compared to 13,980 in 2016 and 2,300 exemptions to the hiring freeze as of late October.

"The Department is making sure we have the staff we need," the statement said. "The Secretary has repeatedly said [his] highest priority for the Department is making sure our indispensable career diplomats must have the tools they need to do their jobs for decades to come. The State Department has never had a comprehensive, employee-led review of its functions, and there's no better time than now to see how we can improve them."

Reflecting declining spirits at State, one longtime foreign service officer decided to quit because she no longer feels appreciated, let alone indispensable. She's still on the payroll, so she spoke only if not identified.

With more than two dozen years serving around the world, she's had a "great, brilliant, fun career." But "when your expertise is not being viewed as valuable," she said, it's time to go.

She described a "tight circle of appointees" who leave career people feeling devalued, "very much on the other side of that divide." The morale in the Foggy Bottom headquarters is "pretty grim . . . palatable bad."

That's just the opposite of what Tillerson said he wants.

During a September meeting with U.S. Embassy staffers and their families in London, he claimed "the most important thing I can do is to enable this organization to be more effective, more efficient and for all of you to take greater satisfaction in what you do day in and day out."

Tillerson hasn't accomplished his "most important thing" yet. In fact, he's going backward.
Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers from the State Department on reported plans to roll back support for diplomats with disabled children.

On Thursday, Sens. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., sent a letter to the State Department questioning the department's "troubling" plans to cut support for foreign service officers who have children with disabilities.

The Washington Post first reported on Oct. 29 that the State Department had quietly cut support for families with disabled children, including therapy, extended education, and one-on-one school aides. The Post also reported the State Department has suddenly barred some children from going abroad with their families.

"We ask enough of our diplomats," the senators wrote in a letter addressed to Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan. "Our actions should demonstrate the value that they bring to the State Department and the nation - not make it harder for them to serve."

Foreign service officers typically take their spouses and families with them as they bounce between posts around the world. The State Department has provided allowances and other forms of support to foreign service officer families with disabled children so they can receive care and education comparable to what they would receive at home.

A State Department spokesperson told Foreign Policy the department has not been withdrawing financial support for children with special needs. "The department is committed to working with employees to assign them to posts that best meet the needs of employees, their family members, and the department," the spokesperson said.

Though the reports are disputed, Cardin and Murray said these moves, if accurately reported, "would make it significantly harder" for foreign service officers and force some to choose between leaving their family behind or going abroad without services for their children. "No one should have to make that choice due to their child's disability," they wrote.

They demanded Sullivan inform them of, among other issues, any changes to support for foreign service officer families with disabled children, if any funds were shifted or reallocated, and if any children have been stopped from accompanying their parents to posts abroad.

Cardin is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Murray is the ranking member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which oversees disabilities issues.

The State Department spokesperson said in the 2016 to 2017 fiscal year, the department provided allowances for over 1,000 foreign service officer family children who have special education needs. "Medical clearances to go to post are individualized and the department cannot discuss individual cases," the spokesperson said.

The reports come amid Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's controversial plans to reform the department, cutting its size and budget. But he has angered both lawmakers and the State Department's rank and file by leaving them in the dark on many elements of the redesign plan and pushing out senior career diplomats.
HARARE, Zimbabwe - When Zimbabwe's military detained President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday night, it seemed the stage had been set for the ouster of Africa's oldest leader.

Two days later, it was clear that it might not be so easy.

On Thursday, Mugabe, 93, entered into talks with both the military commanders who placed him under house arrest and officials from neighboring South Africa. His motorcade streaked through the city without any army escort, indicating he had at least some freedom of movement. In a photo from Thursday's talks released by the government newspaper, he was smiling with his arm around the army commander responsible for the military takeover, appearing untroubled.

For the 37 years he has ruled Zimbabwe - from independence to near-economic collapse - Mugabe has outwitted his opponents at every turn, using intimidation, electoral fraud and purges of his own party. Now Zimbabweans are wondering: will he find a way to survive a coup?

By Thursday night, there were hints that Mugabe had at least bought himself some time. In meetings with a high-profile Zimbabwean Catholic priest and with military commanders, Mugabe resisted requests to step down, according to interviews with officials and press reports.

Many people would be happy to see him leave office. Mugabe has become deeply unpopular at home due to his repressive tactics and the country's steep economic decline during his rule. Abroad, he has been criticized for his authoritarian rule and his seizure of farms owned by the white minority. He has regularly denounced the West for many of his nation's ills.

And yet the military's role in detaining Mugabe has become a flash point for a region that has attempted to enshrine democratic values in its charter.

Zimbabwean military leaders were aware of the sensitivities; after troops detained Mugabe and took over the state television station, a top general said early Wednesday morning that it was "not a military takeover." The military leaders were prompted to act after the former vice president and one-time defense minister Emmerson Mnangagwa was fired earlier this month, paving the way for Mugabe's wife, Grace, to succeed him.

At least publicly, the military has said it won't push Mugabe to leave - even though it effectively took control of the government.

"The elephant in the room is the constitutional issue," said Ibbo Mandaza, a well-known Zimbabwean academic, referring to the illegality of the military takeover. "This is a region where coups are not tolerated."

While some countries in southern Africa have evident democratic shortcomings, there have been few coups in recent decades. Many are still led by the parties that fought for independence from colonial rule.

The Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC), a regional body of 15 nations, met in Botswana on Thursday to discuss the situation and seemed to tilt toward Mugabe and against the military takeover. In an outline of issues discussed in the meeting, the body described the "unconstitutional removal of democratically elected governments."

The African Union also has taken a hard line against unconstitutional changes of government. Its bylaws require it to sanction countries that have undergone a coup and bar them from participating in the organization's activities.

Further complicating the situation is the question of who might succeed Mugabe.

Many of those close to the military are hoping that Mnangagwa becomes the head of a transitional government once Mugabe resigns. That prospect is worrying for many Western observers, who consider Mnangagwa to be corrupt and abusive. He was sanctioned by the United States in 2003 as one of several officials "who undermine democratic processes and institutions in Zimbabwe."

On Thursday, 115 civil society groups called on Mugabe to step down and a range of opposition leaders, including Morgan Tsvangirai, once considered his main political rival, said it was time for Mugabe to go.

As Zimbabweans debated their country's future in conversations and on messaging apps, Mandaza offered his own prediction: he expected Mugabe to resume the work of the presidency within days.

After its meeting on Thursday, the SADC said it was not ready to issue a conclusion on the Zimbabwe crisis. Even if the bloc does decide to support Mugabe over the military, it's possible its members won't be willing to back up that decision, either by dispatching troops or using economic leverage. In 1998, it sent troops to Lesotho to quell a coup, but it has little experience intervening in larger nations like Zimbabwe.

There is still some warmth between Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, which fought for Zimbabwe's independence from Britain and the end of white minority rule, and the other so-called "liberation parties" of southern Africa, from South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) to Namibia's SWAPO party.

Last year, South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, described Mugabe as among "the leaders of his generation who stood up, risked their own lives, defeated colonialism and contributed to the liberation of the region and Africa."

Mugabe has ruled since the country became independent in 1980. In his early days, he was regarded as a hero by many both at home and abroad.

But his support crumbled over the last two decades, as the country's economy collapsed and the government was plagued by corruption scandals. Men like Victor Matamadanda, who had once fought alongside Mugabe for independence, gave up on their former comrade.

Now, Matamadanda is the secretary general of the influential Zimbabwe National War Veterans Association, an anti-Mugabe group. He's hopeful - despite the obstacles and delays - that the military takeover gives way to a post-Mugabe Zimbabwe.

"It's going to be madness," Matamadanda said, imagining a brighter future for the country once Mugabe and his inner circle are gone. "For years, they've treated this country like their own personal village."
A Republican appointee in charge of a Department of Homeland Security center for outreach to faith and community groups has resigned after a report that he said black people had "turned America's major cities into slums because of laziness, drug use and sexual promiscuity."

Rev. Jamie Johnson, the head of the DHS's Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships, made the remarks during appearances on conservative radio shows over the last 10 years, before he was appointed in April by John Kelly, then the head of the department.

His resignation came swiftly after CNN published the comments on Thursday afternoon, along with the audio of the shows it unearthed.

"His comments made prior to joining the Department of Homeland Security clearly do not reflect the values of DHS and the administration," said a Tyler Houlton, the acting press secretary of the DHS in a statement announcing the resignation.

The department had previously distanced itself from the Johnson's statements, saying that it did not support them but that "Rev. Johnson has proven himself as a valuable supporter and proponent of the interfaith community's recovery efforts."

The incendiary comments about blacks came in 2008 on the show "The Right Balance," on Accent Radio Network, CNN reported. An unidentified speaker on the show said that "a lot of blacks are anti-Semitic" and asked Johnson why.

Johnson extolled the economic successes of American Jews and said "it's an indictment of America's black community that has turned America's major cities into slums because of laziness, drug use and sexual promiscuity," according to a recording posted by CNN.

As a guest host on the AM radio program "Mickelson in the Morning," in Iowa, Johnson also spoke harshly of Muslims, saying radical Islam was "faithful Islam."

"I never call it radical Islam, if anything, it is obedient Islam. It is faithful Islam." Johnson said, according to audio posted by CNN.

He later said he agreed with the conservative author Dinesh D'Souza that "all that Islam has ever given us is oil and dead bodies over the last millennia and a half."

In a statement given to CNN before his resignation, Johnson said he regretted the remarks and said they do not represent his personal or professional viewpoint.

"I have and will continue to work with leaders and members of all faiths as we jointly look to strengthen our safety and security as an interfaith community," Johnson said. "Having witnessed leaders from the entire faith spectrum work to empower their communities I now see things much differently."

The DHS's Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships was created in 2006 after hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma to help religious and community organizations respond to emergencies and natural disasters. Its mission is also to "help combat human trafficking and the exploitation of the poor and vulnerable," according to its website.

According to his biography on the site, Johnson regularly visited disaster areas to help these efforts, and represented the department and FEMA in regular speeches at conferences, churches, schools and civic groups across the country.

The bio notes that Johnson has worked as a minister and in teaching, consulting and broadcasting. According to CNN, Johnson worked in Republican politics in Iowa for years, working for presidential candidates Rick Santorum, Rick Perry and Donald Trump in the state. He was a regular guest on conservative talk radio shows, CNN said.

Kelly, now President Trump's chief of staff, drew harsh criticism last month after he called confederate general Robert E. Lee "an honorable man" and said that "the lack of an ability to compromise" led to the Civil War.
Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- On the morning of Oct. 18, Xi Jinping, standing behind a lectern in the Great Hall of the People, delivered a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The 32,000-character report, the most significant of its kind in recent decades, drew more than 70 rounds of applause from delegates.

In the report, Xi said socialism with Chinese characteristics had crossed the threshold into a new era.

"This is a new historic juncture in China's development," he stated.

The report has been translated into 10 foreign languages. Most of the translators and foreign linguists involved used the word "powerful" to describe their first impressions.

"I was absorbed the first time I read it. I read from morning till midnight, even forgetting to have meals," said linguist Olga Migunova from Russia.

U.S. expert on China studies and chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, said that with this political report and the congress, Xi, who is the core of the CPC Central Committee and of the whole Party, sees China as standing at a new historic starting point.

At the first plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee on Oct. 25, Xi was re-elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee for a second term, a reflection of the will of the entire CPC. Media and observers, at home and abroad, see Xi as the right man to lead China from being "better-off" into a great modern country.

In 1949, Mao Zedong announced the founding of the People's Republic of China, marking the end to a century of humiliation at the hands of foreign aggressors.

Deng Xiaoping, who put forward the reform and opening-up policy, then paved the way for the nation to become rich.

Xi Jinping speaks when meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2017. Xi Jinping and other newly-elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng met the press on Oct. 25. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

Xi Jinping meets with delegates, specially invited delegates and non-voting participants of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

The coming five years between the 19th and the 20th Party Congress is the period in which the timeframes of the Two Centenary Goals will converge, Xi said when presenting the new CPC central leadership to the press.

"Not only must we deliver the first centenary goal, we must also embark on the journey toward the second," he said, promising to work diligently to "meet our duty, fulfill our mission and be worthy of CPC members' trust."

He stressed that Chinese Communists "must always have a youthful spirit, and forever be the servants of the people, the vanguard of the times and the backbone of our nation."
Salatheia Bryant-Honors, a journalist who found a second career in pastoral ministry and presided over the renovation of a historic Galveston church, died last week. She was 52.

Skills developed as news reporter and a passion for social justice set the stage for a final assignment that would place lives, souls and institutions under her care. Her sunny personality and positive outlook were demonstrated through her smile and signature introduction "Hey, my friend"  that greeted strangers and loved ones alike.

"She was just amazing. I'm talking about feisty. I'm talking about just being Salatheia," said her husband, the Rev. Reginald Honors. "She was just a totally driven, motivated person. She was just determined to be herself and to keep improving."

Salatheia V. Bryant was born on Feb. 4, 1965 in Tampa, Florida. She was raised by her mother in Florida and by her grandparents in Georgia. After graduating from Auburn University, where she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she began her career at the The Ledger in Lakeland, Florida and last reported for the now-closed Tampa Tribune. She married Honors in 1990 and a few years later the couple moved to Houston.

Bryant-Honors worked as a contract writer for the Houston Post before spending more than a decade as a Houston Chronicle reporter. In 1999, during her journalism career, she answered a call to ministry.

"I just think Salatheia wanted to obliterate every stereotype about women ministers," her husband said. "She didn't want women to be intimidated by a male-dominated system."

In addition to serving as pastor of several African Methodist Episcopal churches in southeast Texas, Bryant-Honors earned a master's degree in divinity and a doctorate in ministry from Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology.

Renee C. Lee, a former Chronicle reporter who now lives in Indiana, bonded with Bryant-Honors at work. The woman she knew as "opinionated and direct" took on another dimension when Lee saw her speak at a church women's luncheon.

"She just really turned it on and the women were just standing up clapping  'hallelujah, amen'  and I was like, wow!" Lee said.

Recovery and restoration

In 2006, Bryant-Honors and her husband were appointed co-pastors of Reedy Chapel in Galveston, the state's oldest A.M.E. Church. In addition to increasing the membership and adding ministries, they became the spiritual shepherds of NASA Astronaut Stephanie Wilson. Bryant-Honors in 2007 witnessed her church member launch into space at Cape Canaveral, Florida and wrote about the experience.

At one point, Bryant-Honors also juggled taking care of her family in Houston, pastoring in Galveston and graduate school with frequent commutes to Dallas.

"What impressed me about her is that she was able to balance all of that and never seemed stressed," Lee said.

Bryant-Honors faced one of her greatest challenges in 2008 when Hurricane Ike nearly destroyed Reedy. After the storm surge subsided, the co-pastors found blown-back pews, soaked carpet and shattered stained glass windows.

Bryant-Honors presided over a yearlong renovation that saved the historic edifice built in the late 1880s.

"She used every skill she had," said Honors, an assistant middle school principal in the Fort Bend Independent School District. "Over a $1 million worth of work was done at that church. The guys did it because they just loved her."

Deborah Feaster, who was president the Reedy board of trustees during the restoration, said she has never met anyone so tenacious.

"She wasn't afraid to get on the phone and ask for what we needed. She was so resourceful," Feaster said. "She would not ask you to do anything that she did not do. She would roll up her sleeves and work right next to you."

Feaster added that Bryant-Honors maintained her humility despite rising through the A.M.E. ranks and earning academic credentials.

"She was instrumental in helping me go through some hard times," Feaster said. "She was very respectful of others, but she was very truthful and some people didn't know how to accept her. That's probably what I liked about her the most  and she had a sense of humor. She could take anything and turn it all around."

A precious spirit

Presiding Elder Emeritus Johnny Jennings, who formerly supervised A.M.E. churches in the South Houston District, said the world has lost a precious spirit.

"She had her own unique way of approaching something," he said. "She wasn't afraid of the higher-ups or the powers. She did it in a positive way that made everybody take notice and give her what she needed or wanted to have."

For the last five years, Bryant-Honors served as senior pastor of Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Houston.

The first cancer diagnosis came in early 2014, just a few months after she became Dr. Salatheia Bryant-Honors. The respected theologian, pastor, preservationist, journalist, wife, mother and friend died Friday during a second bout with the illness.

Bryant-Honors is survived by her husband of 27 years and their children: Bryant "BJ" Honors, 16, and 14-year-old Kennedy Honors. Services are Mondayat St. Paul AME Church-Greenspoint, 1554 Gears Road, Houston, 77067. The wake and viewing begin at 10 a.m. followed by a funeral at 11 a.m.
Now Playing: Gov. Abbott says Moore should not be in U.S.Senate race in Alabama if sex abuse allegations are true

AUSTIN  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday if the disgusting sex abuse allegations against Roy Moore are true, he shouldnt be in the race for U.S. Senate in Alabama.

Moore, the Republican nominee in an Alabama special election, faces multiple allegations, including one that he preyed on a girl in 1979 when she was 14 and he was a 32-year-old prosecutor.
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A commander with the call sign Killer and a Harvard pedigree took the reins of the Air Education and Training Command on Thursday and gave hundreds of airmen a college-level lecture about how innovative learning has helped create a nimble and lethal Air Force.

Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, an Air Force Academy graduate who holds a masters in public policy from Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government, looked back on history to make his point.

But as I reflect on the last 22 civilizations since recorded history, I wonder why none of them are around today. Why is not the Roman empire still here? Byzantine empire? Babylonian empire? Ottoman empire? he asked.

Why does this happen and what is it in the human condition that creates this, and why should we as Americans think that were going to be around forever? What drags down a civilization? But maybe more importantly, what perpetuates a generation and civilization to be perpetually relevant and adaptive, and powerful enough to secure those values?

Standing before the Air Forces chief of staff, Gen. David Goldfein, and a large crowd inside a hangar on Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph that included the retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole, the last surviving member of the 1942 Doolittle raid on Tokyo, Kwast took over a sprawling command headquartered on the historic installation. Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, a command pilot who has flown the F-4, F-15, F-16 and F-22, will retire after commanding AETC for the past 2 years.

Cole, 102, of rural Comfort, received a standing ovation, his daughter, Cindy Chal, at his side.

Sir, youre a part of us and were a part of you, Goldfein told him. Thank you for what youve done for this nation.

AETC is responsible for recruiting, training and educating airmen. Its force of more than 60,000 active-duty airmen, reservists and civilians oversees more than 340,000 American and international students each year at installations across the country, including Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, home of Air Force basic training. It had been a four-star command for 23 years until a symbolic handoff of commanders flags on July 21, 2015, when Roberson took over.

A four-tour combat veteran, Roberson led the command at a time in which the Air Force launched a campaign to increase the number of trainees at its bases in Texas and the nation, including an effort to cope with the worsening pilot shortage. AETC also was conducting a study to determine if another Undergraduate Pilot Training wing is needed and, if so, where it would be based.

Roberson, a former Thunderbird pilot with 5,150 flight hours, 865 in combat, told the San Antonio Express-News last summer that AETC would consider adding another UPT base if it graduates more than 1,400 pilots a year after Oct. 1, 2018  the first time thats happened in years. He and his wife will live in San Antonio, joining 330 retired general officers who call Texas home.

So, its time to bid farewell, but its tough to say goodbye to the AETC command, said Roberson, who served 34 years. I woke up every day re-energized and enthused because of the energy of the new airmen that are coming into our command every day.

AETC's 33rd commander, Kwast led the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and was vice commander of Air University at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, where hed studied decades earlier. In addition to holding a bachelors degree in astronautical engineering, Kwast also is a four-time combat veteran with more than 3,300 hours  650 in the war zone.

Goldfein noted that Kwast flew the first combat mission employing the F-15E.

Kwast, military aide to then-Vice President Al Gore, also has flown the T-38, T-37 and T-6, and holds the Air Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters. He was the Air Force Fighter Weapons Schools outstanding graduate in 1994, and the next year received the 1995 Robbie Risner Award.

Brig. Gen. Robinson Risner, one of the most decorated pilots in the Korean and Vietnam wars, led POWs in a Hanoi prison dubbed the Hanoi Hilton and was known for his resilience and defiance.

A San Antonio resident at one time, he died four years ago in Virginia at 88.

In Killer we have an airman whose resume strikes the balance of combat warrior, intellectual and leader, Goldfein told a mostly-military crowd that ranged from senior airmen to generals.

In explaining why AETC mattered not only to the Air Force but the nations future, Kwast said it boils down to having the ability to learn and adapt quickly, explaining, the one common denominator that keeps a civilization alive and relevant and perpetually innovative is the habit of humility and learning at speed. This is what Air Education and Training Command does.

We teach the next generation how to learn more rapidly than their adversaries and their competition. We teach them how to innovate more broadly across a larger series of networks to seed more ideas and bring together more creative awareness, he said. And we teach them how to network with other human beings in trust so that whether its a sister service or another country that shares our values, we as a human race move forward together.

sigc@express-news.net
SAN ANTONIO - A man was seriously injured Thursday when he was hit by a vehicle while attempting to cross a busy West Side highway.

San Antonio Police Department detective Jason Deleon said the man, possibly in his 20s, was crossing U.S. 90 about 8:15 p.m. near West Military Drive when he was hit by a white Toyota Tundra as he was on the highway, police said.
(Xinhua) 07:35, November 17, 2017

Chinese President Xi Jinping (5th L, front) poses for a group photo with other leaders and representatives from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies at the 25th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, Nov. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Speaking at the past five Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summits, Chinese President Xi Jinpingshared China's blueprint of openness and cooperation to energize regional economies and address changing global challenges.

Just as Xi said in this year's speech, "development is a journey with no end, but with one new departure point after another."

From Bali, Beijing, Manila, Lima to Da Nang, these five "departure points" recorded the Chinese leader's ever-innovating vision for APEC to achieve common development as partners, which has resonated with world business and political leaders.

DIAGNOSING WORLD ECONOMY

Noting the global economy is undergoing more profound changes, Xi said on Friday in Da Nang, a coastal city in central Vietnam, that the APEC economies must "closely follow the trend of the global economy, identify its underlying dynamics, keep to the right direction, and, on that basis, take bold action."

When illustrating the profound changes the global economy is seeing, Xi said the world should make economic globalization, which he called "an irreversible historical trend," more open and inclusive, more balanced, more equitable and beneficial to all.

"We should uphold multilateralism, pursue shared growth through consultation and collaboration, forge closer partnerships, and build a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi made such remarks regarding the system of global economic governance.

Two years ago, in the Philippine capital of Manila, Xi told the business community that the global economy, though on a course of slow recovery, had not secured a solid base and was still fraught with considerable destabilizing factors and uncertainties.

At that time, Xi said, facing the dangerous "rapids" and "shoals" in the world economy, the economies in the region must "steer the giant ship of the Asia-Pacific in the right direction," urging all the economies to act in a responsible manner and work in unison to promote global growth.

ENVISIONING ASIA-PACIFIC FUTURE

To steer economic globalization or to dither in the face of challenges? To jointly advance regional cooperation or to go separate ways? Xi raised such questions to the CEOs from 21 countries at this year's APEC meeting.

He gave his own answer to the questions, saying: "We must advance with the trend of times, live up to our responsibility and work together to deliver a bright future of development and prosperity for the Asia-Pacific."

Speaking of what the Asia-Pacific's future should look like at the 2013 CEO conference in Bali, Indonesia, Xi said efforts should be made to build a region that seeks common development, calling on the Asia-Pacific economies to stay committed to open development, promote innovation-driven development, and pursue interconnected growth.

The Chinese leader said all members should maintain a multilateral trading system that is free, open and non-discriminatory, and oppose all forms of protectionism.

Hailed as "a strategic initiative critical for the long-term prosperity of the Asia-Pacific" by Xi in his keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit in Lima, Peru, last year, the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) has been gaining steam especially after a collective study on the trade bloc was approved at Lima summit, the first substantial step toward its eventual realization.

"We need to stick to our agenda and take more effective actions to realize the FTAAP at an early date, thus bringing about an Asia-Pacific economy with greater openness," Xi stressed again at the Da Nang summit, which wrapped up on Saturday.

OFFERING CHINESE WISDOM

"Over the past four years, China's economy has grown by 7.2 percent on average annually, contributing over 30 percent of global growth. China is now a main driver powering global growth," Xi quoted convincing figures in his Da Nang speech to demonstrate China's contribution.

"China will not slow its steps in opening up itself," the president embraced economic openness when addressing the APEC business leaders.

"We will work together with other countries to create new drivers of common development through the launching of the Belt and Road Initiative," he said, referring to China's effort to enhance connectivity.

Four years earlier, Xi embarked on his first APEC trip to Bali in Indonesia. He told the world that he was fully confident about China's economy.

"I am confidant because the quality and efficiency of China's economic development are improving steadily," the president said.

Moving from over-reliance on investment and export to dependence on domestic demand, China, instead of taking GDPgrowth as the sole criterion for success, is now focusing more on improving the quality and efficiency of growth, he elaborated.

When world business leaders gathered in Beijing in 2014, Xi interpreted the "new normal" of China's economy which had emerged with several notable features.

China's economic growth has slowed down from the previous high speed to a medium-to-high speed, and the economy is increasingly driven by innovation instead of input and investment, Xi said at that time.

"The Chinese economy is undergoing profound structural changes and (is) improving in quality and structure," he said at that time, adding that the new normal will bring new development opportunities to China.

The Asia-Pacific region faces changing challenges, but what remains unchanged is the Chinese leader's commitment to addressing them with his partners in the group to achieve common development.

"China's stance is incredibly important at this particular time," Peter Drysdale, head of the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research of Australian National University, told Xinhua.

If the APEC members press ahead with their own reform agendas together in a collective way, it will reinforce each other's liberalization and reform programs, he said.
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A woman accused of injury to a child in the death of a toddler in 2016 has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Erika Jones was 28 when San Antonio police arrested her Oct. 21, 2016, in the death of K'Lanie Reyes, 2.
Over the course of two days, Border Patrol agents in South Texas reportedly seized more than $6 million in drugs, including liquid foam methamphetamine.

In the middle of an operation in Brownsville on Tuesday, agents inspected a delivery truck suspected of carrying drugs. Inside, they found more than 8 pounds of liquid foam methamphetamine, officials said.
A man who dropped a woman off with stab wounds at an emergency clinic is is now wanted in her killing, authorities said.

Lewis Bright, 47, dropped a woman off with stab wounds at an emergency clinic in the 13000 block of Nacogdoches Road on Thursday, according to San Antonio police.
A 22-year-old Oklahoma teacher was recently arrested by police after investigators used a student's phone to confirm a meeting with the instructor, reports News 9.

Canadian County Police began to look into Hunter Day after parents allegedly found nude photos of her on their son's phone.
(Xinhua) 07:37, November 17, 2017

Chinese PremierLi Keqiang(5th L) and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries pose for group photos before the 20th China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders' meeting in Manila, thePhilippines, Nov. 13, 2017. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

MANILA, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have reaffirmed their commitment to long-term peace and stability in the South China Seaas they announced to start negotiating on the details of a code of conduct in the area.

POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS

At the 20th China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders' meeting held Monday in the Philippine capital of Manila, the two sides announced the start of their consultations on the text of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, which is considered the most crucial part of the process.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiangsaid during the meeting that China hopes the COC could be a "stabilizer" of peace in the South China Sea.

"Through consultations on the COC, we hope that all parties could enhance their mutual understanding and trust, and strive to adopt the COC at an early date on the basis of consensus," he said.

The announcement followed a string of positive developments in the South China Sea issue over the past year, thanks to joint efforts made by China and ASEAN countries.

At the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in August, the two sides drew up and adopted a framework of the COC, paving the way for initiation of substantive consultations on the code's text.

In a joint communique, ASEAN foreign ministers acknowledged the improved situation in the South China Sea over the past year and said the bloc anticipates "a higher level" of strategic partnership with China.

Adding to such positive momentum, China and ASEAN members have established a hotline between their ministries of foreign affairs to manage maritime emergencies, and held a joint exercise on maritime search and rescue.

CHINA'S COMMITMENT

Premier Li, who just wrapped up his five-day tour to the Philippines, had reaffirmed China's commitment to long-term peace and stability in the South China Sea on various occasions during the trip. In Manila, he attended a series of leaders' meetings on East Asian cooperation and paid an official visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

Peace and stability in the South China Sea is closely linked to the development and prosperity of countries in this region, Li said when addressing the 10+1 meeting.

China, which has most of its freight of foreign trade passing through the South China Sea, wants peace and stability for that area more than any other country, Li added.

China's commitment to the goal of upholding peace and stability in the South China Sea will not change, nor will the country change its policy of peacefully resolving territory and maritime rights disputes through consultation and negotiation with countries directly concerned, said the Chinese premier.

At the 12th East Asia Summit on Tuesday, Li told regional leaders that China would firmly safeguard the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.

The initiation of COC text consultations, he noted, fully represents the common will of regional countries that they should properly handle differences through dialogues and negotiations.

"It also shows the confidence, wisdom, and capacity of the regional countries to properly settle the South China Sea issue in order to make it a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation," said the Chinese premier.

In a joint statement issued following Li's visit to the Philippines on Wednesday, the two countries attributed the stabilizing situation in the South China Sea to joint efforts of China, the Philippines, and other ASEAN members, and pledged to strengthen maritime cooperation in areas such as marine environmental protection and disaster risk reduction.

Li's trip was the first official visit to the Philippines by a Chinese premier in 10 years.

PLEDGES FROM ASEAN

Meanwhile, leaders and experts from ASEAN countries lauded the significant progress made in the COC consultations.

ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh said the move will deepen mutual understanding and mutual trust between ASEAN and China and lay a solid foundation for promoting their strategic partnership.

"It's a good signal," said Victor Corpuz, a former Philippine military intelligence chief.

He said China and ASEAN have the ability to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea without foreign interference.

"If they interfere, it will surely make the issue more complex," he added.

At the East Asia Summit, leaders from ASEAN countries hailed China's active role in the South China Sea issue, hoping that the related parties can work jointly to safeguard regional peace and stability.

Commenting on the Philippines's achievement for its chairmanship this year, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said a major highlight was the COC framework. Singapore will hold the chairmanship of ASEAN next year.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also lauded the agreement on the COC framework, saying that Vietnam is willing to promote maritime cooperation with China and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.

A chairman's statement of the 31st ASEAN summit released on Thursday said the bloc will facilitate the work and negotiation for the conclusion of a substantive and effective COC.
(Xinhua) 07:54, November 17, 2017

BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China is expected to achieve a "major breakthrough" in nuclear-powered space shuttles around 2040, according to a report issued by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation on Thursday.

The achievement will be able to support large-scale exploration and development of space resources, and make mining on asteroids and space solar power plants possible, said the report, which outlines the development road map for China's space transportation system to 2045.

A future generation of carrier rockets will be put into use around 2040 and hybrid power reusable carriers will be developed, the report said.

By 2045, the means of getting into and out of space as well as space transportation will see subversive transformations, making it possible to build a space ladder, earth station and space post, as well as regularly explore the solar system on a large scale with coordination between humans and machines, said the report.

The report also said that the Long March-8 carrier rocket is expected to be launched in 2020 and the Long March series of rockets will provide commercial launch services for other countries.

Around 2025, reusable suborbital carriers will be successfully developed and suborbital space travel will come true, it said.

Around 2030, heavy carrier rockets will be launched to provide powerful support to manned lunar landing missions and sufficient transportation power for samples from Mars to return to Earth.

Around 2035, carrier rockets will be completely reusable and the future generation intelligent carrier rockets with advanced power will be launched, the report said.
Zimbabwes former President Robert Mugabe and his family have heeded President Munangagwas call to return externalized funds.

In his letter dated 7 January 2018, the Mugabes said they wanted to lead the way by returning funds to government coffers and appealed to other high profile government officials to follow suit.

Mr Mugabe said he had not been pressured to take this move. He urged all Zimbabweans to work in harmony and support the incumbent President.

He also blasted his former spin doctor, Jonathan Moyos statement that the militarys intervention was a coup. The military were targeting criminals like Moyo, Kasukuwere,Chombo,Mphoko and others who had infiltrated the party.

Mugabe admitted that the so called G40 cabal led by Jonathan Moyo had endorsed former first lady Grace Mugabe to succeed him.

He however refused to divulge the whereabouts of his wife Grace, Patrick Zhuwawo and Kasukuwere.

It is unclear whether President Munangagwa will embrace Mugabes offer or if he will ask his predecessor to surrender more funds purportedly externalized.

Presidential spokesman George Charamba refused to comment on the latest development.

 Agencies

Breaking News via Email
Our main opposition MDC-T is heading for a political confusion, infiltration and or crisis. For Zimbabwe to grow, we need a strong opposition.

This piece has two objective to achieve, the first task is to examine theories on the possible elements surrounding and in control of Morgan Tsvangirai, is he now detained at MDC-T shrine within the Harvest House or under the military custody?

The last objective of this piece is to urge the MDC-T supporters to move in before it is too late and remove criminal elements around Morgan Tsvangirai.

In Zimbabwe, if you are a prominent male person (sick or old), everyone including the small-houses may want to take charge of you.

They want to make sure that your wisdom, wealth and political support is taken before becoming a living-timeless.

They use all methods including witchcraft to make sure that you go to heaven with nothing including your clothes, they will later put them in their museum for the public to pay money through entrance fees, even your toothbrush will not be allowed to go to the grave.

These prominent old-sick are in a serious problem if they die while with natural dreadlocks, these elements will remove them and keep them in their museums too, they will go to heaven with a skin-head (zuda).

These people are evil, if they were there when Judas Iscariot committed suicide, they would have taken all his personal belongs including his Bible to their museums for cash generating.

It started with prophet Mudzidzi Wimbo, up to now only God knows a person or group of people in charge of him. Some say he is under the control of G40 or lacoste.

Others are saying his second wife or church elders are in charge of him at the shrine. Prophet Wimbos children are shading tears for the sake of their father every day, they need him back to his home, no response from the elements.

The next victim was our dearest old former president R.G. Mugabe, allegations were that his wife Grace put him in her handbag or G40s shrine.

Others said, the military or lacoste claimed to be in charge of the then oldest president on earth. When it became evident that Grace and G40 were in charge of R.G. Mugabe, soldiers took guns, forced their way into the statehouse and removed criminal elements around him.

Up to date, only God knows and or possibly Satan too the whereabouts of the Hon. Jonathan Moyo, Hon. Katsukutsuviri and Hon. Zhuwao. Hon. Mandi Chimene is said to be on the run. Vakuru vakareva pavakati chaiseva chave kutemura, dzaiva nhungo dzave mbariro.

I can now smell the winds shifting to our dearest leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The political history of Zimbabwe cannot be complete without mentioning Morgan Tsvangirai, he is a brave fighter with a humble education background. He is leading professors, doctors and deserves to be rewarded by all the citizens of Zimbabwe.

It is not clear on whether Tvangirai is now under the ownership of his wife Elizabeth or the alleged MDC-T factions. Media reports are that, a ZANU PF crew is also interested in Tsvangirai ownership. There are also allegations that the pension of Tsvangirai is going to be released and the mansion will be given to him for life in return to some unknown conditions.

If media allegations are true, president Mnangagwa may make a blunder by silencing Tsvangirai because of his unquestionable pension and mansion. Tsvangirai doesnt deserve to beg for such God given rights. No one is allowed to take advantage of the sick Tsvangirai, it is unafrican.

I propose that, Tsvangirai should be given his rights without conditions. If there are people with the intention of inheriting the mansion and the pension, God will slaughter them politically. Tsvangirai is a national figure just like Mandela and I therefore want to advise Tamborinyoka and Elizabeth to get advice from Mandelas advisors.

Tsvangirai, Nkomo and Mugabe are our local gods, therefore, no one is allowed take advantage of their national contributions to Zimbabwe, they are for public benefit and not for selfish individuals greed. Tamborinyoka and Gutu are clashing day and night, it is embarrassing to Tsvangirai supporters.

Mudzuri and Chamisa should behave at this hour, I salute Hon. Khupe she has decided to be silent despite the fact that she is the only VP with peoples mandate. Keep it up Hon. Khupe we are proud of you.

Conclusion

To the MDC-T supporters, I urge them to rise up and go to the Harvest House and remove criminal elements around Morgan Tsvangirai. All is not well at Harvest House and we cannot afford to lose such a great opposition outfit because of some foolish criminal elements.

This can be done by calling for an urgent congress so that supporters can vote and elect their leaders and the issue of appointments, appointees and the alleged documents signed by few individuals should not be tolerated.

MDC-T supporters should behave mutually during this hour, they need serious prayers from all democratic forces and we cannot afford to lose the greatest opposition outfit of our time.

The future of Zimbabwe is in MDC-Ts hands. The party should not be sold for the sake of pension or mansion which are unquestionable rights of Morgan Tsvangirai.

 Don Chigumba is a Mixed Methods Researcher based in South Africa.

 The Zimbabwean

Breaking News via Email
Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including acclaimed documentary series and films Fire of Love, The Rescue, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and We Feed People.
Visitors from all over Ireland will flock to Carrick-on-Suir on Saturday, December 16 to watch the town's annual Christmas Tractors Parade that will for the first time include children pedalling their fairy light festooned toy tractors.

The organisers of the Christmas Tractors Parade have selected ten children and their toy tractors to take part in the pagaent.

Last year's parade was watched by an estimated 20,000 people and the pageant previously set a world record for the largest convoy of illuminated vehicles.

Seamus Campbell of Carrick-on-Suir Business Association, which is supporting the Christmas Tractors Parade, said the fourth Christmas Tractors of Carrick-on-Suir event looks set to be the biggest parade yet.

The "Crop Cruisers" led by Tybroughney based farmer Stuart Downie are providing the majority of the tractors and other agricultural vehicles for the parade and joining them will be tractors driven by the Ballymena based "Grassmen"

Children from as far as Roscommon and Youghal will travel to Carrick to take part in the parade on their pedal tractors.

Mr Campbell reported that alot of people planning to attend the event from around the country have booked guest accommodation in Carrick-on-Suir that weekend.

The parade will kick off at 5.30pm and there will be kids amusements at the parade finish at New Street Car Park.

A children's colouring competition is also being run in conjunction with the parade. The winners will travel in Santa's sleigh in the parade.

Donations will be collected at the event for The Brain Tumour Support Group and the Make a Wish Foundation.
China recently announced a new online platform for providing information on stolen or lost cultural relics and it has released more than 200 pieces of information on related relics as of Thursday.

The Stolen (Lost) Cultural Relics Information Publishing Platform of China had its launch ceremony held on Thursday in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The website was released jointly by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), news website thepaper.cn reported.

The organizers of the platform want to provide more concrete evidence to help China reclaim lost or stolen relics from overseas, and to provide information for a crackdown on any related crimes as well as to control the relics market, , said thepaper.cn. It could also be used as a way to get the public to join the protection work on relics. People are also encouraged to provide clues on helping find the relics, it said.

The Global Times on Thursday got a look at the nearly 200 bits of information the website published on lost or stolen relics and, in addition to names, photos and ages of the relics, it gives the time and location of the disappearance of the item.

More than 10 million Chinese cultural relics have yet to be returned.
Visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela (1st R) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (1st L) inaugurate the Panamanian Embassy in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi inaugurated the Panama Embassy in Beijing on Thursday, five months after bilateral diplomatic ties were established.

"The inauguration ceremony is of historic significance," said Varela, adding, "Panama will firmly abide by the one-China principle and develop a friendly cooperation relationship with China."

Varela is visiting China from Nov. 16 to 22. This marks the first trip by a Panamanian leader to China since the two nations established diplomatic ties on June 13.

"The decision to establish diplomatic ties with China by President Varela is in accordance with the historical trend and serves the state, national and people's interests of Panama," said Wang.

There has been new progress every day since the bilateral relations were established. The state visit by Varela and the first meeting between the top leaders from the two countries will open a new era of common development, the foreign minister added.

China and Panama signed a joint communique on June 13, in which the government of Panama severs "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan as of that day and undertakes not to have any more official relations or exchanges with Taiwan.
(Xinhua) 10:32, November 17, 2017

China's friendly policy toward Zimbabwe will not change in spite of the current situation in the African country, a Chinese spokesperson said Thursday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang at a daily press briefing on Nov. 16, 2017 [Photo: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

"We sincerely hope that the situation in Zimbabwe will become stable and the issues will be resolved peacefully and appropriately," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily press briefing.

On Wednesday, the Zimbabwean military announced that it has taken control of all government institutions in the southern African country. Zimbabwe's 93-year-old president Robert Mugabe and his wife have reportedly been put under house arrest since early Wednesday.

People walk past an armored vehicle on a street in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, Nov. 15, 2017. Armored carriers cordoned off Zimbabwe's Presidential seat of power and Parliament Building in the capital while helicopters circled the city center on a drizzly morning, after the military announced it had taken over control of all government institutions. [Photo: Xinhua/Philimon Bulawayo]

Military leaders said on state television that they were not taking over the government, but "targeting criminals around" Mugabe, and that Mugabe and his family are safe and their security is guaranteed.

When answering a question on Chinese investment in Zimbabwe, Geng said the friendly cooperation between China and Zimbabwe are comprehensive, benefiting the people of both countries.

"China's friendly policy toward Zimbabwe will not change," said the spokesperson.

"We will continue to advance friendly cooperation with Zimbabwe in line with the principle of equality, reciprocity and win-win cooperation," Geng said.
Manish Anand By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday released its first list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat elections taking great care to address the caste equation in the state. The list included 17 Patidar nominees, besides five Congress rebels who had switched sides during the biennial Rajya Sabha elections.

While the first list gives a semblance that the BJP is sticking with sitting legislators, sources in the party advised caution in drawing any conclusion, saying about 40 sitting MLAs would face the axe when names for all the 182 seats are out.

Here's the first list of candidates announced by BJP

The first list of the BJP has seats that the party had listed as Category A (highly safe), which included chief minister Vijay Rupani (Rajkot West), deputy chief minister Nitin Patel (Mehsana) and state unit chief Jitubhai Vaghani (Bhavnagar West). It has renominated 15 ministers in the Rupani Cabinet to contest from their respective constituencies.

The shadow of Himachal Pradesh, however, threatens to loom large in Gujarat, as the party fielded only three women candidates  Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara (Khedbrahma), Manishaben Vakil (Vadodra), and Sangitaben Rajendrabhai Patil (Limbayat)  in the first list.

The BJP rewarded Congress rebels who had bolted when the party chief had launched a spirited attempt to stall the bid of his arch-rival Ahmed Patel from winning the Rajya Sabha biennial elections. Five Congress rebels  Raghavji Patel, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, C K Raolji, Mansinh Chouhan and Ramsinh Parmar  found mention in the first list. Eight Congress MLAs had joined the BJP after the Rajya Sabha polls. The party is likely to accommodate three other remaining Congress legislators.

The BJP has denied renomination to MLAs Varsha Doshi (Wadhwan) and Bhavna Makwana (Mahuva).

The Central Election Committee of the BJP in its meeting on Tuesday  which was presided over by party chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi  had given the nod to nominees for Gujarat elections. The first list consisted of 42 seats going to polls in the first phase on December 7 and 28 in the second phase on December 14. The counting of votes is slated for December 18.

The first list of the BJP clearly hints that the party is making a determined bid to block the Congress attempt for consolidation of Patidar, OBCs and tribals by re-engineering the old KHAM (Kshatriya, Dalit, Adivasi and Muslims) formula.

With Patidar, Koli and tribals constituting a substantial chunk of the electorate in Gujarat, the BJP appears to have attempted to strike a right balance in ticket distribution in the first list. The BJP is expected to release the names of remaining candidates over the weekend, as the last date for filing of nomination in the first phase is November 21.

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday released its first list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat elections taking great care to address the caste equation in the state. The list included 17 Patidar nominees, besides five Congress rebels who had switched sides during the biennial Rajya Sabha elections. While the first list gives a semblance that the BJP is sticking with sitting legislators, sources in the party advised caution in drawing any conclusion, saying about 40 sitting MLAs would face the axe when names for all the 182 seats are out. Here's the first list of candidates announced by BJP The first list of the BJP has seats that the party had listed as Category A (highly safe), which included chief minister Vijay Rupani (Rajkot West), deputy chief minister Nitin Patel (Mehsana) and state unit chief Jitubhai Vaghani (Bhavnagar West). It has renominated 15 ministers in the Rupani Cabinet to contest from their respective constituencies. The shadow of Himachal Pradesh, however, threatens to loom large in Gujarat, as the party fielded only three women candidates  Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara (Khedbrahma), Manishaben Vakil (Vadodra), and Sangitaben Rajendrabhai Patil (Limbayat)  in the first list. The BJP rewarded Congress rebels who had bolted when the party chief had launched a spirited attempt to stall the bid of his arch-rival Ahmed Patel from winning the Rajya Sabha biennial elections. Five Congress rebels  Raghavji Patel, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, C K Raolji, Mansinh Chouhan and Ramsinh Parmar  found mention in the first list. Eight Congress MLAs had joined the BJP after the Rajya Sabha polls. The party is likely to accommodate three other remaining Congress legislators. The BJP has denied renomination to MLAs Varsha Doshi (Wadhwan) and Bhavna Makwana (Mahuva). The Central Election Committee of the BJP in its meeting on Tuesday  which was presided over by party chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi  had given the nod to nominees for Gujarat elections. The first list consisted of 42 seats going to polls in the first phase on December 7 and 28 in the second phase on December 14. The counting of votes is slated for December 18. The first list of the BJP clearly hints that the party is making a determined bid to block the Congress attempt for consolidation of Patidar, OBCs and tribals by re-engineering the old KHAM (Kshatriya, Dalit, Adivasi and Muslims) formula. With Patidar, Koli and tribals constituting a substantial chunk of the electorate in Gujarat, the BJP appears to have attempted to strike a right balance in ticket distribution in the first list. The BJP is expected to release the names of remaining candidates over the weekend, as the last date for filing of nomination in the first phase is November 21.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds a grand ceremony to welcome U.S. President Donald Trump at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

US President Donald Trumps recently concluded visit to Asia has been hailed as a success by many on both sides of the Pacific for advancing China-US relations. Yet, despite the progress, some people continue to view the trip as a zero-sum game, arguing that China won or that Trump was played like a fiddle. For example, Susan Rice, who served as President Barack Obamas national security adviser, penned an op-ed in The New York Times, saying Trump handed regional leadership to China on a silver platter. But the criticism ignores that win-win cooperation is the best path forward.

During his visit to China, Xi Jinping and Trump signed over $250 billion in trade and investment agreements. Air Products, a world-leading industrial glass company, signed an agreement for a $3.5 billion coal-to-syngas production facility to be built in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China. Other deals included a joint development agreement to advance the Alaska LNG project, involving total investment of up to $43 billion. According to the US Department of Commerce, the Alaska deal alone will create up to 12,000 American jobs, reduce the trade deficit with Asia by $10 billion annually, and provide China with clean, reliable, and affordable energy for generations. Both of the examples above will strengthen the relationship by creating jobs while reducing the trade imbalance between the two countries.

Trumps focus on strengthening friendship and expanding areas of cooperation has helped put the two countries on a path toward a better future. A stronger relationship with China is crucial for managing the complex relationship over the long run and for building a new type of international relations centered on win-win cooperation. As China moves closer to center stage, China and the US will need to work together to advance peace, security, and prosperity all across the world. Trump took a step in this direction by stressing the importance of growing a stronger friendship with China in building a stronger America. In the coming months and years, I look forward to building an even stronger relationship between our two countries, Trump said.

China has been consistent in both words and actions about its commitment to working together with all countries to replace fear and competition with trust and cooperation. In the West, we tend to be hyper-critical of Chinas rise, which, more often than not, is viewed through a lens of competition. If the rise of the West was brutal, so must be the rise of Chinaor so goes the logic. But this fear is unfounded. China has stressed on multiple occasions that it remains committed to peaceful development and will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion.

All of which brings us back to Trumps trip to Asia. During his visit to China, Trump forged a stronger friendship with China and boosted cooperation between the two largest economies in the world. I have developed a great relationship with World leaders like Xi Jinping, President of China, Trump wrote on Twitter. Relationships are a good thing, not a bad thing. In this sense, Trumps visit to China can be chalked up as a win for China and America, as well as the international community.
Biden: Deadly missile that hit Poland 'unlikely' to have come from Russia
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Light snow and gusty winds this evening will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 24F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 80%..

Tonight

Light snow and gusty winds this evening will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 24F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 80%.
Photo/China Daily

When he learned to paint as a teenager, Xiao Yanqing, 52, a farmer in Henan province, could never have imagined it would lift him out of poverty.

Residents in Xiao's native Wanggongzhuang village used to draw and sell new year paintings. The business dates back to the early 20th century, when a retired Imperial Palace craftsman brought the skill to the village.

In the 1980s, Xiao practiced in his spare time after farm work and traveled to cities to sell his pieces, which sold so cheaply he could barely make ends meet.

But 1998, the Year of the Tiger, proved a turning point in his life when a client ordered a tiger painting. "I used to paint flowers and birds, but not once had I painted a tiger," Xiao said.

With no real tigers around, he borrowed a tiger painting from a neighbor to copy. His painting sold at a good price, and he realized he was onto something that could benefit his whole village.

"Chinese people love tigers. They hang tiger paintings in their homes because they believe the power of these animals can scare away evil spirits," he said.

So he began to travel, not to sell paintings, but to zoos in northeastern China to observe tigers and dedicated himself to painting them.

It was a great success. In 1999, he was the first in the village to buy a color TV, and a year later a computer.

Using the internet, Xiao managed to sell his paintings abroad, first to Singapore, then to Japan, Europe and the United States.

He surprised the clerks of the local bank when he brought in US dollars to change for renminbi. "I guess they thought I was a criminal," he said smiling.

Xiao's success prompted friends to follow him, and more villagers joined later. Tiger painting is now a trademark of Wanggongzhuang. Over 60 percent of its 1,366 villagers are now in the business.

The village sells thousands of tiger paintings every year, with 40 percent going to overseas markets including Japan and Bangladesh. The total yearly revenue is 100 million yuan ($15 million).

Wang Jiansheng, in his 30s, has done a lot of jobs, from construction worker to butcher. None of them allowed him to buy a house. But he earns 300,000 yuan a year by paintingenough to run his own workshop. He plans to buy a big apartment in the Henan capital, Zhengzhou, and open a gallery there.
Nissan Motor Co's premium brand Infiniti will start producing a new crossover SUV in China next year, using existing manufacturing capacity in the northeastern city of Dalian.

The new sport-utility vehicle would be the third Infiniti vehicle model to be produced locally in China, the Hong Kong-headquartered brand's No.2 market after the United States.

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The company did not provide any more details about the SUV in a statement seen by Reuters.

Infiniti is expected to announce the move as early as at a planned press briefing at the Guangzhou auto show on Friday.

Also Watch: 2017 Volkswagen Passat | First Drive Review | Cars18
Tesla Inc has finally unveiled the prototype of its electric big-rig truck, a first time entry for Tesla in the commercial vehicle space. Unveiled by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc., the U.S. based company has entered into a new market even as it struggles to roll out the Tesla Model 3 affordable sedan on which the company's future depends. Dubbed as the Tesla Semi, the truck was brought to the crowd by Elon Musk by riding the truck into an airport hangar near Los Angeles in front of an invited crowd of what Tesla said were potential truck buyers and Tesla car owners.

Musk has described electric trucks as Tesla's next effort to move the economy away from fossil fuels through projects including electric cars, solar roofs and power storage. The Semi can go up to 500 miles (800 km) at maximum weight at highway speed, Musk said. Other diesel trucks are capable of traveling up to 1,000 miles (1,600 km) on a single tank of fuel.

News18.com Presents Tech and Auto Awards 2017 | Vote For Your Favourite Smartphone, Car, Two-Wheeler And More!

The Tesla Semi can also go from 0 to 60 miles per hour (100 km per hour) in five seconds without cargo or reach 60 mph in 20 seconds at the maximum weight allowed on U.S. highways of 80,000 pounds (36,300 kg). "I can drive this thing and I have no idea how to drive a semi," Musk joked.

Tesla Semi drivetrain is guaranteed to last 1M miles = to more than 40 trips around the earth pic.twitter.com/xfWVocUdaB Tesla (@Tesla) November 17, 2017

Ahead of the unveiling, Tesla executives showed off the Class 8 truck to journalists, describing it as "trailer agnostic," or capable of hauling any type of freight. Class 8 is the heaviest weight classification on trucks.

The day cab - which is not a sleeper - has a less prominent nose than on a classic truck, and the battery is built into the chassis. It has four motors, one for each rear wheel. Tesla designed the cab with a roomy feel and a center seat for better visibility, executives said. Two touch screens flank the driver.

The truck has Tesla's latest semi-autonomous driving system, designed to keep a vehicle in its lane without drifting, change lanes on command, and transition from one freeway to another with no human intervention. Reuters reported in August that Tesla was discussing self-driving trucks with regulators in Nevada and California, but the company did not mention full autonomy in a release on the new vehicle.

More aerodynamic than a Bugatti Chiron pic.twitter.com/kHqoKVnIV2 Tesla (@Tesla) November 17, 2017

Earlier this week Musk tweeted that the truck would "blow your mind clear out of your skull," joking, "It can transform into a robot, fight aliens and make one hell of a latte." Tesla faces a much more crowded field for electric trucks than it did when it introduced its electric cars.

Manufacturers such as Daimler AG, Navistar International Corp and Volkswagen AG are joining a host of start-ups racing to overcome the challenges of substituting batteries for diesel engines as regulators crack down on carbon dioxide and soot pollution.

Charging and maintaining electric trucks that crisscross the country could be expensive and complex. Tesla said the truck can charge 30 minutes and then travel 400 miles.

Also Watch: 2017 Volkswagen Passat | First Drive Review | Cars18

With inputs from Reuters.
New Delhi: Moments after Moody's placed India a notch higher on their rating list, the stock markets rallied to a frenzy, going up by more than 400 points with the Indian rupee also appreciating by 69 paise. However, the million dollar question is where are the markets headed now?

While a majority of experts are of the opinion that stocks are set to skyrocket by next month, there are many who think otherwise. According to a poll conducted by Moneycontrol.com, out of 17 chief information officers and fund managers 41% said BSE Sensex is likely to scale above 34,000 by December-end, while about 35% feel it will stay in the range of 33,000-34,000. The remaining 24% respondents, however, feel bearish and see the index slipping below 33,000 in near future.

Billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala has called Moody's upgrade the 'much needed accolade' for Narendra Modi government. "The mother of all bull markets has just begun and investors have nothing to worry about. Financials will be the biggest beneficiary, including banks from Moody's lift," he told Moneycontrol.

Predicting further upscale o the stock market, Vinit Bolinjkar, head of research at Ventura securities said, "This will also have a salutary effect on the stock markets. Markets should rally. It should also boost sentiment for the ruling party in the near term polls."

Indian stock markets have been at an all-time high since the past few months. BSE Sensex touched the 32,000-mark multiple times in the last 26 weeks, with Nifty displaying a similar growth. During such times, experts have time and again advised investors to be wary of burning their fingers by getting carried away.

"A major correction is overdue. We don't know exactly when that will happen. Investors should exercise caution before investing in these overleveraged markets. Otherwise, they stand to heavily lose," Sanjiv Bhasin, vic-president, markets, IIFL, told Business Standard last month.

What do these ratings mean?

Usually rating upgrade helps companies and institutions in borrowing funds at a lower rate from foreign institutions.

For example, you wish to invest your money by lending it out. Your first choice will be someone who you know and trust. But that is not always the case, certainly not in the case of international institutional lenders. So if one has to lend money to a third person, the priority is given to someone with a recommendation. Similar is the case here. Rating agencies like Moody's act as independent recommendations for international investors who wish to invest big dollars in countries. Therefore, post Moody's rate hike, India is hoping to gets easier international loans and investments.

As far as the Moody's ratings are concerned, there are nine gradations of credit worthiness indicated by rating symbols. The symbols used are: Aaa, Aa, A, Baa, Ba, B, Caa, Ca and C, with Aa having least credit risk and C representing the highest credit risk.

India, with Baa2 ranking, falls in moderate risk category. Moody's said the decision to upgrade the rating was hung on the expectation that continued progress on economic and institutional reforms will, over time, enhance India's high growth potential.

Lot of funds which have a mandate to invest in countries with a specific rating can now invest their money in India.

It will also allow Indian companies which borrow most of their capital from abroad to get better rating. Now, with influx of funds, investors should keep an eye on the investment cycle which could well add 100-150 basis points to the GDP.
The Trump administration said it will allow the importation of body parts from African elephants shot for sport, contending that encouraging wealthy big-game hunters to kill them will aid the vulnerable species.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service said in a written notice that permitting elephants from Zimbabwe and Zambia to be brought back as trophies will raise money for conservation programs.

A licensed two-week African elephant hunt can cost more than USD 50,000 per person, not including airfare, according to advertised rates.

The change marks a shift in efforts to stop the importation of elephant tusks and hides, overriding a 2014 ban imposed by the Obama administration. The new policy applies to the remains of African elephants killed between January 2016 and December 2018.

"Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve those species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation," the agency said in a statement.

Animal rights activists and environmental groups expressed skepticism that killing elephants could help save them.

Wayne Pacelle, the president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, said the policy change sends the wrong signal amid international efforts to curb illegal poaching.

Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, called the action "a significant step forward in having hunting receive the recognition it deserves as a tool of sound wildlife management, which had been all but buried in the previous administration."

"By lifting the import ban on elephant trophies in Zimbabwe and Zambia the Trump administration underscored, once again, the importance of sound scientific wildlife management and regulated hunting to the survival and enhancement of game species in this country and worldwide," Cox said.

President Donald Trump's two adult sons are avid trophy hunters. A photo of Donald Trump Jr. holding a knife and the bloody severed tail of an elephant he reportedly killed in Zimbabwe in 2011 has sparked outrage among animal rights activists.

The world has unbelievably cruel people in charge at the moment. This is what Donald Trumps family see as fun. Now Trump is to reverse the ban on importing elephant trophies from Africa. The worlds last elephants. Reprehensible. Plse RT. pic.twitter.com/gZju2dgQsJ Dr Lauren Gavaghan (@DancingTheMind) November 16, 2017

Donald Trump has just lifted the ban on hunters bringing slain elephant 'trophies' back into the US.It means little Donny Jr can show off his prize to his daddy. pic.twitter.com/Ap6RnNpMlL James Melville (@JamesMelville) November 16, 2017

Obama protecting endangered elephants wasnt partisan.Some things arent Democrat or Republican  just humanitarian. Trump reversing the ban on elephant trophies should disgust all Americans. Adam Best (@adamcbest) November 16, 2017

What good reason could Donald Trump have for reversing the Obama administration ban on import of elephant trophies from Africa? https://t.co/chjsbeA1J3 pic.twitter.com/puFh3ev6Bc Andrew Weinstein (@Weinsteinlaw) November 16, 2017

Infuriating. Will increase poaching, make communities more vulnerable & hurt conservation efforts: https://t.co/w3BT8tZzgw Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) November 16, 2017

You're simply a psycho if you see an elephant and you think "its head will look mighty nice over my fireplace".Trump's sons are psychos. Pe Resists (@4everNeverTrump) November 16, 2017

The fact that Trump has lifted President Obama's ban on elephant trophies being imported into the country is a devastating blow to the survival of these beautiful animals. It's savage and pointless. It breaks my heart. pic.twitter.com/iclfxN6TXr Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) November 16, 2017

Donald Trump reverses ban on trade in hunting trophies, meaning it's now easier for a dead elephant to enter the US than a Muslim. HaveIGotNewsForYou (@haveigotnews) November 16, 2017

I hate getting political, but I cannot believe Donald Trump lifted the ban on elephant hunting trophy imports. This is a devastating to blow the conservation efforts of this already dwindling species. These are beautiful creatures and I want my kids to be able to see them pic.twitter.com/OiotqzscQJ Trevor Douglas (@TrevorDmusic) November 17, 2017

Illicit demand for elephant ivory has led to devastating losses from illegal poaching as the natural habitat available for the animals to roam has also dwindled by more than half.

As a result, the number of African elephants has shrunk from about 5 million a century ago to about 400,000 remaining.

According to the United Nations, as many as 100,000 African elephants were killed between 2010 and 2012. For forest elephants, the population declined by an estimated 62 percent between 2002 and 2011.

The US decision comes as the longtime president of Zimbabwe was placed under house arrest this week by the nation's military, plunging the West African nation into political uncertainty.

(With AP inputs)
New Delhi: India is likely to respond on Friday to Islamabads offer of arranging a meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian Navy officer on death row in Pakistan, and his wife on humanitarian grounds.

Pakistan last week said it will allow 46-year-old Jadhav to meet his wife, months after India had requested Islamabad to grant a visa to his mother.

"The Government of Pakistan has decided to arrange a meeting of Commander Kulbhushan Jhadav with his wife, in Pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds, Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had said in a statement on November 10. "A Note Verbale to this effect has been sent to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, he had said, adding that the meeting would take place on Pakistani soil.

During his weekly media briefing on Thursday, Mohammad Faisal said Pakistan was awaiting India's response on the offer.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April on charges of espionage and terrorism. The International Court of Justice in May halted his execution on India's appeal. Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies.

It is not clear what prompted Islamabad to allow Jadhavs wife to meet him in Pakistan. There was speculation that the two countries discussed the issue in a recent meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the newly-appointed Pakistani High Commissioner to New Delhi Sohail Mahmood. Some media reports have linked Pakistan's offer to the quiet efforts by the US.

Pakistan, however, insisted that the offer was made purely on the humanitarian grounds.

The offer comes as India awaits the re-election of Dalveer Bhandari at the International Court of Justice. If Bhandari loses his re-election bid against Britains Christopher Greenwood for the last seat at ICJ, India will have no representation at the UN court.

Jadhav has filed an appeal with Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to seek clemency, which is still pending. Last month, the Pakistan Army had said it is close to a decision on the mercy petition of Jadhav.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested him from restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.

Jadhav's sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India. After India approached the ICJ, a 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.

The ICJ has asked Pakistan to submit its response or memorial by December 13 before the court could start further proceedings in the case.

(With agency inputs)
Bengaluru: It's a temporary truce that doctors working for private hospitals have agreed to in Karnataka, with the Government extending an olive branch on the contentious new law to rein in the private sector that has often been accused of over-charging for medi-care.

Late Friday evening, doctors who have been on strike in phases for the last few weeks agreed to unanimously call off their protests. This happened after a comedown of sorts by the Siddaramaiah government, which agreed to revise some provisions that doctors were agitating against.

The Karnataka government will now table a revised version of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act on Monday in the State Legislature session -- one that has more stringent provisions against inflated costs for patients and one that aims at better cause of action that patients will have against doctors in cases of medical negligence.

The Bill had been opposed by members of the Indian Medical Association, who have held dharnas and stopped outpatient and non-emergency services at hospitals across the State. The doctors had argued that a prison term for negligence -- that the Bill proposed -- would be counterproductive as doctors would not be able to take quick decisions in emergency cases. This provision, however, will now be dropped, the government has assured them.

What the Bill proposes is to empower patients and their families to take their concerns on either negligence or exploitative costs to a district-level grievance redressal committee -- where doctors and private hospitals will be given a chance to respond too. Further, doctors can also file complaints against frivolous or unfair petitions submitted by patients.

The Bill also proposes to act against hospitals that refuse to release dead bodies of patients unless full costs are paid up to the last penny -- a common grouse has been that dead persons are held to ransom by hospitals, who agree to release it only after the last penny is paid up.

"It is not the government's intention to harass doctors. But to bring in accountability. We will also bring in all our health services under a Universal Health Card that will help everyone gain access to good healthcare," Chief Minister Siddarmaiah said, after a three-hour-long meeting with the protesting doctors.

While the government sought to prescribe rates of different services, it has now also come down on this concern -- hospitals in all likelihood will be allowed to charge their rates, but have to transparently inform patients about this before hand, either on a notice board or in an estimated-bill to patients and their families. For patients from below-poverty-line families, there will be heavy discounts that have to be compulsorily given by private hospitals (but the government will bear these expenses). And for patients above the poverty line, some discounts (perhaps 30 per cent) will be given on certain services -- which again, will be borne by the government, while patients have to foot the rest of the bill.

The issue of costing, in fact, had been one that many organisations had been favouring -- there were even non-government organisations that held dharnas at Bengaluru's Town Hall to seek immediate enforcement of the KPME Act -- a counter-protest to the doctors.

An activist with the Karnataka Janarogya Chaluvali, Gowri (she doesn't use a second name), says their group will study the new provisions of the Bill on Monday and then decide if they carry on further demonstration to have more stringent controls on costing.

"Almost all hospitals exploit. However educated you may be, when the hospital asks you to pay money upfront, you won't argue or try to bargain because you are worried they may not take care of your kin admitted in that hospital. So you just pay without questioning. We need to bring in some controls on this," Gowri told News18.

The compromise between the striking doctors and the government was perhaps nudged along after a Public Interest Litigation came up in the High Court that challenged their right to strike. A division bench did not take too kindly to the protests.

"Right to Life is a fundamental right ... and doctors cannot be insensitive to the plight of patients... damage done to a patient is irretrievable.. we direct all doctors to restore services forthwith," the bench ordered, after three hearings over two days.

Acting CJ HG Ramesh in fact took both doctors and their lawyers to task: "The law is not even tabled yet, but doctors are on strike. If you feel the law is arbitrary or unreasonable or against the Constitution, you can come before us. Any new law is subject to the scrutiny of courts. But going on the streets (on strike) is not helping, as this profession (doctors) is not comparable to any others. This is a rule-of-law society, disputes are not decided on the streets," he lashed out.

In fact, doctors were so worried about the fireworks in the court that at the first hearing on Thursday, they shied away from going in front of the bench though the judges called out in the court hall to see if any of the association members were present. "Let us leave it to the lawyers, if we go up, we would have to commit ourselves," they were heard saying to each other at the back of the hall. While on Thursday the court "requested" them to call off their strike, on Friday, the language changed to "directed."

It was only when it became clear that sticking to the strike would put them in contempt, that the compromise talks with the government moved faster.

But this story is not over yet. The High Court will continue hearing the PIL -- which seeks action by the Medical Council to de-licence those doctors who held unconstitutional protests.
New Delhi: The tussle over the odd-even rule continued on Friday as the Environment Pollution (Protection and Control) Authority wrote to Delhi transport minister Kailash Gehlot, saying it had not directed the implementation of the car-rationing scheme and there should be no finger pointing at a time of high public health emergency.

This came after Gahlot urged EPCA chairperson Bhure Lal to implement odd-even in neighbouring states as well to bring down pollution levels in NCR. Gahlot, in his letter on Wednesday, had said that an impression was being created that the measure was only for Delhi but the reality was that it was mandated by the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Lal, in his reply, detailed the sequence of events that led to the announcement of odd-even. He said that it was decided in a November 8 meeting with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that a decision on the scheme would be taken on the evening of November 9 as the Central Pollution Control Board task force felt the weather might improve by November 11-12.

However, before EPCA could assess the situation, the government declared that odd-evens third phase would begin on November 13 for five days. Lal said EPCA had felt no need to direct the government to implement odd-even due to changing weather conditions and the enforcement challenge of the already directed measures.

He also pointed out that under GRAP, odd-even allows no exemptions, and has to remain in place till the emergency is called off. Delhis lack of public transport will also make such an important pollution control intervention meaningless, he wrote.

The EPCA letter made clear that the neighbouring states were doing more than their share in some cases, and have shut down brick kilns, stone crushers and hot mix plants. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have diverted trucks not destined for Delhi and allowed their turn-around.

EPCA also said there had been too little action in improving public transport and last mile connectivity, which weakened the implementation of GRAP.

The Delhi government has claimed the lack of land to park buses prevented it from procuring more vehicles. On this, EPCA said it had worked with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to identify and transfer land to the government.

In our May 2016 report to your government, wrote EPCA, we had explained that there was land available for the parking of 2000 buses within the available infrastructure. However, we find that as yet, no additional buses have been procured.

The Delhi government had faced flak from the NGT on its decision to implement odd-even without proper evidence that it worked and then for its exemptions. In response, the government dug its heels in and called off the entire scheme.
Chinese technology giant Huawei said some people "viciously attacked" its latest product's alarm function, after some Chinese Net users accused it of "favoring Muslims."

Huawei issued a statement on Thursday, saying that the alarm function is specifically designed for customers in overseas regions, and is not available in China.

Huawei's statement comes after netizens posted videos and screen shots of one of Huawei's product commercials showing it designed the alarm function for users to do morning prayers at nearby mosques.

But the commercial has been removed from Huawei's website and e-commercial websites such as JD.com and Taobao.

Many netizens criticized Huawei for giving preferential treatment to Muslims. Some even called for a boycott of Huawei.

However, Huawei's defenders said they believe the company is considerate enough to design such a function for Muslims.

The company said someone deliberately distorted the facts and fanned the flames to attack Huawei, and that it has vowed to take legal action.

Huawei is a global company which provides customized designs for people from different countries, culture and ethnic groups, the company said. As early as in 2008, Huawei has been attracting many Muslims in countries such as Indonesia by designing special functions for them to practice their faith, such as including the Koran in the cellphone.

Data from market research firm IDC shows that Huawei was third on the global smartphone rankings by shipments in the third quarter with a 10.5 percent market share, trailing Samsung and Apple with 22.3 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively.
Chittorgarh (Rajasthan): Protests against the film Padmavati spearheaded by Karni Sena activists outside Chittorgarh Fort grew violent on Friday with some of them firing shots in the air and brandishing swords.

More than 4,000 activists drawn from the fringe Rajput organisation and other community groups have been protesting outside Chittorgarh Fort  home of the legendary Rajput queen  alleging the upcoming film by Sanjay Leela Bhansali showed her in poor light.

The protests were under the aegis of the Sarva Samaj Samity an umbrella organisation of activists from different groups who allege the film insulted not just Padmavati but also 16,000 women from other castes who committed jauhar, or mass suicide, when invader Allaudin Khilji was set to conquer the fort in 1303.

Protesters far outnumbered police at the venue on Friday and did not allow anyone inside the medieval fort which is a major tourist attraction. They also strung up effigies of director Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone who plays the titular role in the film.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has so far refused to be drawn into the controversy, even after Karni Sena activists went on the rampage in some parts of the state and one of their leaders threatened to "chop off Deepika's nose".

Following this, the Mumbai Police tightened the security of outside Padukone and Bhansali's homes.

The Karni Sena has alleged distortion of historical facts in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film starring Padukone, Shahid Kapur and Ranveer Singh.

In March, Chittorgarh Fort was vandalised by a group of men who broke mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace of the legendary Rajput queen. Three mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace were damaged by four-five unidentified men.

The Karni Sena has called for a country-wide bandh on December 1, the day the film is slated to be released.

The Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) has come to the film's defence, writing to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for the films smooth release.
New Delhi: India is the largest contributor to the UNs Peacekeeping Missions and the troops continue to make the nation proud with their role in ensuring stability in war torn nations. Lieutenant General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi of Rawanda, the UN Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), wrote a letter of commendation lauding the efforts of the 6 Maratha Light Infantry Battalion Group (INDBATT-2).

The Indian Army unit assumed operational responsibility in South Sudan, the newest country in the world, on November 16, 2016. A year after Maratha Light Infantry boots hit the ground, Lt. General Kamanzi wrote a flowing commendation of the unit. During the tour of duty, the battalion has assiduously lived up to it smotto of Duty, Honour and Courage while serving the UNMISS mandate. The professional of the men of the unit facilitated smooth and proficient resolution of various crisis situations in Pibor and Bor. The Battallion ensured incident free protection of civilians in IDP camps and created favorable situations for delivery of Human Assistance, Kamanzi wrote in his letter.

He further mentioned several successful operations that Indian Army troops had undertaken on the ground in South Sudan. In July this year, Maratha Infantrymen had extricated 13 civilian workers of Medcins Sans Frontiers (MSF) to a UNMISS compound. The MSF workers were trapped amidst heavy firing in Pibor on July 12 and 13. Earlier, in March, clashes had broken out in Pibor town and the Indian troops were charged with protecting 500 civilians, mostly women and children. It was due to the efforts of the Maratha Light Infantry, Kamanzi said, that a stable environment was created and 80 child soldiers engaged in the civil war laid down their arms. The battalion also protected civilian camps in Bor without any incident.

The Battalion has also fruitfully engaged with the leadership in its Area of Responsibilities and reached out to the people through Medical/Veterinary Camps in inaccessible areas and operating veterinary clinic in Bor where total of 22,000 cases were treated, the battalion successfully enhanced the image of United Nations Peacekeepers. The Battalion demonstrated a high level of professionalism and is an extremely effective fighting force, he said.

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, making it the newest nation in the world. However, a civil war broke out in the infant nation in 2013. The UN Mission in South Sudan is the newest UN Peacekeeping Mission. India, with 2,237 troops, is the highest contributor in terms of troops to the UNMISS. In addition to India, 53 nations from around the world have contributed troops to the peacekeeping mission.
Kolkata: Veteran CPI (M) leader Sujan Chakraborty, who had been spearheading a massive campaign against the Mamata Banerjee government for failing to check the dengue menace in West Bengal, has contracted the disease himself and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

While he himself was unavailable for comment, his nephew Tanay Chakraborty confirmed to News18 that he is suffering from dengue and is undergoing treatment at the Devi Shetty Hospital in Kolkata.

"He has been suffering from fever over the past few days, when we got his tests done, it was found that he had tested positive for NS1. He is stable at the moment and is undergoing treatment," Tanay said.

Meanwhile, the state government on Thursday revised the dengue death toll in the state to 38, while reporting to the Calcutta High Court.

Advocate General (AG) Kishore Dutta told the division bench of Acting Chief Justice J Bhattacharya and Justice Arijit Banerjee, that since January, 23 people have died of dengue at government hospitals and 15 at private hospitals.

He further revealed that over 1.3 lakh people have been tested positive for dengue at government facilities in the state. He also alleged that the media is sensationalizing the issue quite unnecessarily.

Interestingly, during the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Kaushik Chanda (representing the Centre) told the court that the hospitals were presenting distorted figures.

Chanda has claimed that he had seen it for himself, when after being diagnosed with dengue, his release certificate from a private hospital stated that I was suffering from a viral fever and the word dengue was not mentioned.

The hearing in the matter will resume on Friday.

Recently, a petition was filed at the Calcutta High Court, alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was hiding the actual figures of dengue deaths in Bengal.

In an affidavit by the state Director of Health Services (DHS), Biswa Ranjan Satpathy had claimed that only 19 people died of the fever (without mentioning the name of dengue), while 18,135 were affected in the state between January 1 and November 9.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee held the Centre responsible for the rising number of dengue cases in the state.

The chief minister took stock of the states preparedness to combat dengue and other diseases during a meeting at the state secretariat and concluded that dengue cases are high in areas that are close Metro construction sites.

She also clarified that the disease (dengue) was spreading due to garbage accumulation at Metro construction sites and that the central government is not allowing them to remove the garbage.
New Delhi/Munich: Visually challenged gender activist Nidhi Goyal, has alleged that she was "locked up" inside the passenger carrier's disability assistance lounge at Munich airport while waiting for her flight to Mumbai.

The incident, Goyal said, occurred on Monday (November 13) when she was waiting for a connecting flight to Mumbai at the Munich airport. She was flying by Lufthansa Airlines.

"@lufthansa i am a #blind #traveller who was locked up in your #disability #assistance lounge at #munich #airport yesterday with no food no access to leave," Goyal said in a series of tweets the next day.

"#humiliated #helpless, #forced, #denied i had to endure the next few hours till it ws time to board. unacceptable behaviour towards a #disabled #person."

"i dont think you are #trained in or #sensitive to rights of #persons with #disabilities. ur new aricrafts also exhibit that. individual call buttons on touch screen how is a blind passenger supposed to use it? #UNCRPD #universal #design."

it was mentioned on my ticket blind passenger needs assistance. and i had mentioned my requests to the staff that had assisted in the morning to reach the lounge. where else was i suppose to book for services i asked her #disability #travel #assistance #misbehaviour Nidhi Goyal (@saysnidhigoyal) November 14, 2017

Responding, Lufthansa said in a statement: "We are sorry to hear about Ms Goyal's encounter in Munich."

I was locked in a lounge by Lufthansa staff, accuses @saysnidhigoyal .Listen in to her story. #India360 with @ArunodayM pic.twitter.com/jvwrRsr9HF News18 (@CNNnews18) November 16, 2017

"At this point, we are investigating the incident to ensure comprehensive understanding relating to all parties involved. We appreciate your understanding for the time being."
Top US fashion model Gigi Hadid on Friday pulled out of the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show in Shanghai after an online video showing her apparently making a slant-eyes face sparked criticism in China.

The announcement is the second apparent snag to hit the US lingerie maker's A-list underwear extravaganza set for Monday, following reports that three Russians and one Ukrainian model had failed to obtain Chinese visas. Hadid, who was number five on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid female models last year, earning $9 million, had excitedly announced her participation in the show in August. She gave no reason for the reversal.

"I'm so bummed I won't be able to make it to China this year," she said on Twitter. "Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!"

Hadid's pull-out averts a potential PR disaster for Victoria's Secret, which is hoping to shore up a sagging bottom line with a push into China's growing intimate-wear market. The company opened its first flagship stores in the country this year and Monday's show marks the first time it has been staged outside the US or Europe.

Chinese internet users lashed out at Hadid after her sister Bella -- another of the three dozen or more models expected in Shanghai -- posted an Instagram video in February showing Gigi squinting her eyes while holding up a Buddha-shaped cookie. Hadid's announcement in August that she would appear at the show in Shanghai stirred the pot anew, with many Chinese accusing her of racism and warning her not to come. She posted a bilingual apology on China's Twitter-like Weibo on September 1, declaring her "respect and love for the people of China" and swearing she meant no harm, but even that was pilloried.

Most Chinese Weibo comments on her withdrawal were celebratory.

"Suddenly I have better feelings about VS. If she had come, I would never buy VS my entire life," said one posting. Others, however, expressed regret, especially following Hadid's apology. "What a pity. I like her a lot," said one.

A Victoria's Secret spokesman declined comment, referring questions about the model line-up to each woman's individual agencies.

Speculation also has swirled over the participation of Russia's Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva and Irina Sharipova, and Ukraine's Dasha Khlystun, after unconfirmed reports suggested they were denied Chinese visas. The Victoria's Secret spokesman declined to confirm or deny the reports. "That's getting into a Chinese government issue. Victoria's Secret is not going to comment on that," the spokesman said.

The annual show, viewed by millions worldwide, will see the planet's top models take to the catwalk, including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jasmine Tookes and Lais Ribeiro.

It tapes Monday and is aired globally on November 28.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has refuted reports of a car accident after PTI reported that the actor had a miraculous escape in Kolkata last week when one of the rear wheels of his Mercedes got detached.

Late on Thursday night, the 75-year-old actor took to Twitter to dismiss the reports, saying "there has been no accident and I am well."

I am informed by concerned well-wishers and media, that I had a close escape from a car accident in Kolkata... that is incorrect... there has been no accident... I am well, Bachchan tweeted.

T 2713 - I am informed by concerned well wishers and media, that I had a close escape from a car accident in Kolkata .. that is incorrect .. there has been no accident .. I am well .. pic.twitter.com/FLUnlRiIH6 Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) November 16, 2017

Bachchan had visited Kolkata on an invitation from the state government for the inaugural programme of the 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival.

A senior official at the secretariat confirmed the incident to PTI on Wednesday night, saying, "The wheel on the left rear-end of the Mercedes carrying Bachchan got detached from the vehicle on Dufferin Road when he was going to the airport to catch a flight for Mumbai on Saturday morning."
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has predicted BJP will improve its tally of 2012 Assembly polls to win more seats in the upcoming Gujarat elections.

"As an MP I have had the opportunity to tour various parts of the country. Do you think people of Gujarat who have sent Modi ji to Delhi as the Prime Minister will hand him a defeat in assembly polls. BJP not winning Gujarat would be against the very fundamentals of politics," said the Bihar CM speaking in Patna at Network18's 'Rising Bihar' event.

"Modi ji is not a nominated PM,"JD(U) chief further added to underscore his electoral calculations on poll-bound Gujarat. His remarks at ETV Bihar function were also being seen as a indirect attack on Congress leader and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has articulated sharp criticism on the economic policies of the Modi government.

Insisting that all was well within the JD(U)-BJP alliance in Bihar, Nitish Kumar also said that development work has gained momentum since the two parties came together earlier this year to form the government.

JDU leader had parted ways with the BJP in the run up to the 2014 general elections, only to reconcile and break away from larger coalition with RJD and Congress with whom he had aligned and won Assembly polls in 2015.

However, of late, there have been signs of unease within the coalition as JDU nominee is yet to be inducted into the union council. Also, the CM recently expressed displeasure at cancellation of state power ministers meet slated to be held at Rajgir in Bihar due to last-minute change in program of power minister and Ara MP R K Singh.
Kolkata: Former Trinamool Congress MP and BJP leader Mukul Roy on Friday alleged that his phones are being tapped and moved the Delhi High Court demanding a probe into the matter.

Roy, a former confidante of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, recently joined the BJP.

Speaking to News18, Mukul Roy said, For the last two months I am suspecting that my four mobile phones and one landlines are being tapped. My movements were constantly tracked during my stay in Kolkata, Delhi and in Gujarat.

Mobile phones of my friends and other political leaders who are close to me are also tapped, he added.

Hinting at Kolkata Police, he said, Even Trinamool Congress leaders are also under scanner and state agencies are tapping their phones.

Roy had resigned in October saying that Trinamool Congress had lost its ideology. On November 3, Mukul officially joined BJP and his induction in the party was officially announced by senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya in a press conference where union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was also present.

On Wednesday, I moved the Delhi High Court demanding proper investigation in to the matter. The plea was listed before Justice Vibhu Bakhru. The matter was supposed to hear today but now the matter will be heard on November 20 due to some official reasons, Roy said.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has assured Roy that the Centre will take appropriate action after examining his complaint. Roy had written a letter to Singh last month with his allegations.

"I have received your letter dated October 3, 2017, regarding alleged monitoring of your movements by the state administration. The matter is being examined for appropriate action," Singh has written to Roy, as quoted by PTI.

It was learnt that the plea sought directions to MTNL and Vodafone to produce before the court directions, if any, to intercept calls from or received by Roy, his relatives and/or family members.

Recently, Babul Supriyo, Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, also alleged that mobile phones of some political leaders were being tapped in West Bengal.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released the first list of candidates who will contest in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls. The first list has named 70 candidates for Gujarats 182 assembly seats. The elections are due to be held in two phases, on December 9 and 14. News 18 brings you some key takeaways from the list.

Congress-yukt BJP

BJP President Amit Shah may have given a slogan for Congress-mukt Bharat (Congress-free India), but his partys first list for the upcoming Gujarat polls has names of several prominent former Congress MLAs. The BJP has also given tickets to five rebel Congress who quit their party and joined the BJP during the Presidential election and the Rajya Sabha election of Ahmed Patel. The five former Congressmen who received BJP tickets this year are Raghavji Patel, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Ramsinh Parmar, Mansinh Chauhan and C K Raolji. These five leaders are considered loyalists of former Gujarat CM and Jan Vikalp Morcha founder Shankarsinh Vaghela, who also quit Congress recently. All five of them had cross-voted during the Presidential election and during the Rajya Sabha election of Ahmed Patel, resulting in embarrassment for the Congress.

BJP bets on old faces

While there was widespread speculation over whether the BJP would cut several of its sitting MLAs in the list to beat any anti-incumbency factor, the first list seems to have defied those claims. The BJP has repeated 50 sitting MLAs in the first list. The MLAs who have been repeated are Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Gujarat health minister Shankar Chaudhary. Only two MLAs, Varsha Doshi of Wadhwan and Nalin Kotadiya of Dhari, were dropped from the BJP list. The seat of BJP MLA Bavku Udhad, who is the sitting MLA from the Lathi constituency, has been changed to Amreli.

While some feel that the BJP has projected an air of confidence by repeating sitting MLAs, giving a message that there was no anti-incumbency, others believe the ruling party was playing it safe.

Patidar factor

In the list of 70 names in the list of candidates, the BJP has included the names of 16 Patidars, including that of Deputy CM Nitinbhai Patel. The BJP has been beleaguered in the face of a Patel agitation led by 24-year-old Hardik Patel. The BJP has clearly reached out to the Patidar community and has put the ball in the Congresss court. If the Congress fields less than 16 out of 70 names, it risks being seen as less pro-Patidar than the BJP. If it fields a higher number of Patidars, it risks alienating other communities such as OBCs in Gujarat.

CM Rupani to contest from Kingmaker seat

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has been given the BJP ticket from Rajkot West Vidhan Sabha seat, which he currently represents. Rajkot West has been called BJPs Kingmaker seat and is a prestige battle for the ruling party. In 2002, Narendra Modi contested the first-ever election of his life from Rajkot West and won, before being anointed CM. This time, the BJP candidate is Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. In the 1984 elections, BJP leader Vajubhai Vala won the seat by beating Congress candidate Harshdaba Chudasa. Vala remained the MLA from Rajkot West till 2002, when he vacated the seat for BJPs CM-designate Narendra Modi. The future Prime Minister won the election from Rajkot West after polling 45,298 votes. His opponent, Congress leader Ashwini Maheta polled 30,570 votes in the bypoll. When the BJP formed the government at the Centre in 2014 and Modi finally ascended the high seat in Delhi, Vala was rewarded for keeping the BJP fortress intact and was made the Governor of Karnataka. In the 2014 bypoll, the seat then passed on to Vijay Rupani, who won with 81,092 votes. He beat his Congress opponent Jayanti Kalriya, a Patidar, by over 23,000 votes. In August 2016, when Chief Minister Anandiben Patel resigned, Rupani was elevated to CM.
Patna: Setting the pitch for the next assembly polls, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has called for a rethink on the discourse around migration for employment from one state to another and on development associated with big-ticket industrial investment.

"States have been created purely for administrative purposes. Anyone as an Indian citizen can go and seek employment anywhere in the country. We need to relook at this entire debate surrounding migration, Kumar said in Patna at Network 18 event, Rising Bihar.

Green revolution would not have been possible without people from Bihar. Similarly, if migrants from the state now settled in Delhi decide not to work for a day, the national capital would come to a standstill, Kumar added.

His government, he said, had laid emphasis on creating a skilled and educated human resource, which can seek jobs anywhere in the country.

Kumar would be seeking a fourth term in office in 2020, and job creation within the state is one of the biggest challenges he has faced during his tenure.

He accepted that big-ticket investment is a problem in a land-locked state like Bihar and insisted that the state government has instead explored employment generation in other sectors like food processing and Information and Technology.

Development does not mean only big industries are set up and only a selected few derive benefits from it. Development should be for one and all, he said at the ETV Bihar event.

The Bihar CM, during his inaugural speech, also dwelt in great details on social sector schemes and reformative laws that the JD(U)-led government in the state has enacted during the current term.

Prohibition will not fail. There are some people in the society whose actions can lead to a few incidents. said Kumar in reference to deaths being caused due to consumption of spurious liquor in a state that has enacted prohibition laws two years ago.

He also defended strict implementation of anti-dowry and child marriage laws by his government.

Responding to allegations that some of these statutes were draconian in nature, Kumar insisted that measures taken by the state government have got overwhelming support from the poor and women, especially in rural areas.

Calling for a debate on reservations in the private sector, he said that new provisions aimed at positive discrimination can be considered in the light of limited job opportunities in the public sector. He, however, insisted that benchmark for reservations should be social and not economic backwardness.

This is part of our constitution, debated and well thought out by our founding fathers, he said.
US report that Chinese media involved in spying and propaganda sheer fiction: China

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang

A report to the U.S. Congress released on Wednesday accused Chinese media entities like Xinhua and Peoples Daily of involvement in spying and propaganda activities and said their staff based in the U.S. should be required to register as foreign agents.

The annual report of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission struck an alarmist tone about Chinas growing global media influence, which congressional advisers warned was a threat to U.S. soft power.

The report discussed tools available in the U.S. to curtail Beijings influence on U.S. media and its efforts to influence what people in the United States read and see regarding China.

It recommended that all staff of Chinese state-run media entities be required to register with the U.S. government as foreign agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which was enacted in 1938 to deal with Nazi propaganda.

Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the report sheer fiction and said it reflects their bias against China.

This so-called committee has always been full of prejudice on China-related issues, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a daily press briefing on Thursday.

The content in the relevant report is sheer fiction, and the viewpoint of the report reflects their bias and stereotype against China, he said.

China urged the congressional commission to put an end to its erroneous words and actions on China-related issues and really play a constructive role in promoting the development of China-US relations.
New Delhi: More than 2.12 crore voters will decide the fate of 977 candidates across 89 seats in Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions. One seat among them is most important to the BJP.

Deep in the heart of Saurashtra region is an assembly segment that holds the unique distinction of being represented by two chief ministers, a state finance minister, the current governor of Karnataka and the Prime Minister of India.

Gujarat Assembly Constituency number 69  Rajkot West  has been a prestige seat for the BJP. In 2002, Narendra Modi contested the first-ever election of his life from Rajkot West and won. He was anointed the chief minister.

This time, BJPs candidate from Rajkot West is Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Rajkot used to be a Congress stronghold once. In 1985, the newly-formed BJP wrested this seat from the Grand Old Party. Ever since, the BJP has remained unbeatable here. Yet, this time around, the Congress may well be able to put up a fight in this seat owing to the Patidar agitation.

Around 75,000 voters in Rajkot West are Patidars and there is uncertainty over which way will they swing.

Rajkot district, the financial hub of the Saurashtra region, is said to hold the key to the entire state. The district alone has eight assembly constituencies within it and of these Rajkot West is perhaps the most high-profile.

The last time Congress won this seat was back in 1980, when Manibhai Ranpara won with 19,755 votes, while BJPs Vajubhai Vala was not far behind with 17,762 votes.

In the 1985 elections, Vala finally won the seat by beating Congress candidate Harshdaba Chudasa. Vala remained the MLA from Rajkot West till 2002, when he vacated the seat for BJPs CM-designate Narendra Modi. The future Prime Minister won the election from Rajkot West after polling 45,298 votes. His opponent, Congress leader Ashwini Maheta polled 30,570 votes in the bypoll.

For the 2002 Assembly polls, Modi moved to contest from the Maninagar seat and Vajubhai Vala was back to contesting from Rajkot West. He won the seat three more times in 2002, 2007 and 2012 and even served as the Finance Minister of Gujarat under Modi.

When the BJP formed the government at the Centre in 2014 and Modi finally ascended the high seat in Delhi, Vala was rewarded for keeping the BJP fortress intact and was made the Governor of Karnataka.

In the 2014 bypoll, the seat was then passed on to Vijay Rupani, who won with 81,092 votes. He beat his Congress opponent Jayanti Kalriya, a Patidar, by over 23,000 votes. In August 2016, when Chief Minister Anandiben Patel resigned, Rupani was elevated to the CMs post.

There are around 3 lakh registered voters in Rajkot West and around 42,000 of them are Kadwa Patels, 33,000 are Leuva Patels, 25,000 Brahmins, 25,000 Lohanas, 22,000 minority voters, 20,000 Baniyas and 10,000 Kshatriyas.

The Congress has fielded Indraneel Rajyaguru, a Brahmin, to topple Rupani, who is a Jain. However, the deciding factor for this seat will be the 75,000 Patidar votes.
Washington: US President Donald Trump favours China taking a greater role in putting maximum pressure on North Korea, the White House said today, following Beijing's decision to send a special envoy to Pyongyang.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy, Song Tao, will visit North Korea on Friday to inform its leadership about the outcome of the recent national congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

"The president certainly favours China taking a greater role in putting maximum pressure on North Korea," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

The Chinese envoy's visit comes days after Trump's completion of a five-nation tour of Asia, during which he urged Xi to do more to pressure North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to give up nuclear weapons programme.

"Certainly, any effort in order to denuclearise the Peninsula there in North Korea, then China participating in that, the president certainly supports those efforts," Sanders said.

Trump took to Twitter to welcome China's decision.

"China is sending an Envoy and Delegation to North Korea - A big move, we'll see what happens!" Trump said in a tweet on Thursday.
Bonn, Germany: Fiji plans to move more than 40 villages to higher ground to escape coastal floods and is also working on ways to help future migrants from other Pacific island nations as sea levels rise, Fiji's attorney general said.

Fiji, presiding at negotiations among 200 nations in Germany on ways to strengthen action to curb climate change that is melting ice from the Alps to the Andes, is working to resolve issues such as land rights and citizenship.

"We have had to relocate people to higher ground -- we have moved three villages to higher ground and there are another 43 that are earmarked," Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum told Reuters during the two-week talks that end on Friday.

The first was Vunidogoloa, a village on Fiji's second-largest island, Vanua Levu, where 26 homes were moved in 2012, he said. Apart from homes, authorities are also moving graves as settlements are moved inland.

"Of course there are people who are uncomfortable about leaving their traditional, ancestral ares," he said. He said it was unclear how many people would be covered by the programme.

Fiji has also offered to help other Pacific islanders on low-lying island coral atoll nations. Fiji, with 900,000 people on hundreds of islands, is larger and has mountains rising to 1,300 metres.

"We were the first to openly say we will give them residency or refuge in Fiji should rising sea levels make it inevitable," he said.

Worldwide, sea levels have risen 26 centimetres (10 inches) since the late 19th century, driven up by melting ice and a natural expansion of water in the oceans as they warm, U.N. data show. Seas could rise by up to a metre by 2100.

The rise aggravates the impact of storm surges such as Cyclone Winston in 2016 that killed 44 people in Fiji and caused $1.4 billion in damage, a third of Fiji's Gross Domestic Product. It also washes more salt water onto cropland.

The Pacific state of Kiribati bought 6,000 acres (2,400 hectares) of forest land on Fiji in 2014. It might help grow crops in future, or provide a refuge if seas rise.

Sayed-Khaiyum, who is also the Minister of Economy, said Fiji has allocated $50,000 to look into what he called the "peripheral legal issues" about climate change, such as how to grant residency or citizenship.

Another is whether a nation's exclusive economic zone, which stretches 200 nautical miles offshore, shrinks if a remote, outlying island is washed off the map.

So far, he said, there had not been negative reactions among Fiji's population to the idea of receiving migrants.
Beirut: Saad al-Hariri, who resigned from his post as Lebanon's prime minister two weeks ago from Saudi Arabia, said on Friday he has been in Saudi for discussions "on the future of the situation in Lebanon and its relations with the surrounding Arab region".

Writing on Twitter, Hariri also said information which has been circulating about his stay, his departure and his family are "just rumours".

Hariri travelled to Riyadh on November 3 before abruptly resigning in a televised statement a day later. He stayed in Riyadh and top Lebanese officials and senior politicians close to Hariri told Reuters he was forced to quit.

Hariri and Saudi Arabia both denied he was being held in Riyadh or was coerced to resign. Hariri said he will return to Lebanon in the next few days to formally submit his resignation.

The crisis thrust Lebanon onto the frontline of a Middle East contest for power pitting a Saudi-led bloc against Iran and its allies, including the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement that he had invited Hariri to France after speaking to him and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The invitation was to visit for a few days and is not an offer of political exile, Macron said, speaking in Germany.

Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, the head of Aoun's political party, said the situation was "not normal" but that Beirut wanted "good relations" with Riyadh.

Aoun said he will not accept Hariri's resignation until he returned to Lebanon to formally tender it and explain his reasons, which Hariri said he will do in the coming days.

Saudi Arabia has long been considered Hariri's main external supporter. Aoun is a political ally of Lebanon's Hezbollah, a powerful Shiia Muslim group with close ties to Iran.

Lebanon's coalition government was formed last year through a political deal that made Aoun president, Hariri prime minister, and included members of Hezbollah in the cabinet.

Saudi Arabia last week accused Lebanon of having declared war on it because of Hezbollah's role in other Arab countries. It regards Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.

Riyadh's main ally, the United States, struck a different tone, continuing its support for Lebanon including military aid. The European Union also repeatedly stated its support for Lebanon, which hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees.

In an interview on Sunday night with a television station he owns, Hariri warned of economic sanctions against Lebanon and of a threat to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese workers living in Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies.

"Nothing justifies Hariri's lack of return for 12 days. We therefore consider him detained," Aoun said.

He added that Lebanon had confirmed that Hariri's family were under detention in their house in Saudi Arabia and were searched whenever they entered or left it.

Speaking in Italy, Foreign Minister Bassil said: "We will continue all steps...for this problem to be solved in a brotherly way through good relations that we want to have with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

He added, however: "If Saudi Arabia has a problem with Iran or with Hezbollah, they have to solve it with Iran, not with Lebanon and not with all the Lebanese."

"PERFECTLY FINE"

Hariri wrote on Twitter that he was "perfectly fine" and would return, "God willing, to dear Lebanon as I promised". On Wednesday he said he would return in a couple of days but that his family was staying in Saudi Arabia, calling it "their country".

Hariri holds Saudi nationality and his family fortune is based on the construction company - Saudi Oger - built by his father Rafik al-Hariri, who served twice as Lebanese prime minister and was assassinated in 2005.

Okab Sakr, a member of parliament for Hariri's Future Movement, told Reuters he had spoken on Wednesday to Hariri and that he told him neither he nor his family were being held.

On Tuesday, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said after meeting Bassil in Paris that she expected Hariri and his family to return to Lebanon soon.

Sources from across Lebanon's political spectrum have said Hariri struck a more compromising tone in his Sunday interview than in his resignation statement, when he bitterly attacked Iran and Hezbollah.

The sources said this represented a retreat by Riyadh attributable to Western pressure. On Wednesday, Aoun said Riyadh had not responded to Arab countries who tried to secure Hariri's return so he had asked the international community to help.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrives in Riyadh late on Wednesday and is due to discuss Lebanon with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and meet Hariri on Thursday, a French diplomatic source said.

France has close relations with Lebanon, which was under French control between the world wars, and with Hariri, who has a home in France and spent several years in the country.
London: Several people are feared to be dead after a helicopter and an aircraft crashed in mid-air near Buckinghamshire, northwest of London, on Friday afternoon.

At least seven fire appliances and emergency search vehicles have been sent to the scene. Thames Valley Police, which is also at the scene, confirmed the crash and said preservation of life is a priority.

South Central Ambulance Service said the incident had caused a number of casualties. A spokeswoman said: We received the call at 12.09pm, for a mid-air collision involving a helicopter and an aircraft in Upper Winchendon, near Aylesbury.

Police also confirmed there were a number of casualties. "We're aware of a number of casualties following an incident this afternoon in Waddesdon, Aylesbury," they said in a statement.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was sending a team to the site of the accident, which is in dense woodland.

The crash took place near Waddesdon Manor, which is managed by the Rothschild Foundation, a family charitable trust, on behalf of the National Trust. The manor said the crash did not happen at the site and there were no casualties at the manor.

A nearby military base, RAF Halton, also said no military aircraft were involved.
Washington: The US should "make it clear" to Pakistan that the Trump administration will not tolerate Pakistan providing safe havens to terrorists, nominee for Under Secretary of Defence for Policy John C Rood said on Friday.

Rood said Pakistan's failure to keep a check on terrorist safe havens was undermining US's efforts in Afghanistan, compelling Washington to explore new options.

"Ultimately, we in the United States, have got a make it clear to the Pakistani government that we can't tolerate that sort of support that will undermine our efforts in Afghanistan where our troops have been fighting and we've had over 2,000 of our Americans killed in that conflict," Rood said during his confirmation hearing.

Rood was responding to a question from Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Rood said that Pakistan sheltering the Taliban and Haqqani network had been "a real undercut" to the US's efforts in Afghanistan.

"..and unfortunately, this is a problem that's persisted really over the 16 years of that conflict, a very stubborn problem to solve," he said.

Rood also spoke about the new strategy, which calls for regionalising the approach, involving India more in the reconstruction and the support of the Afghan government.

"So, in addition to the US, involving a larger number of partners in a discussion with Pakistan is one potential avenue that may produce results," he said.

McCain said over the years he has developed an excellent relationship with his friends in Pakistan.

"But there's going to come a time where we have to tell them they have to choose and, of course, Chinese influence is increasing and as you know there is further turmoil that is ongoing as we speak," McCain said.

"This is a very, very, very, complex and difficult challenge we're facing, but we've tried everything that I know of, besides saying, "Look, you either help us or we're going to have to change our relationship," he said.

Earlier in a written answer to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Rood said it is important for the US to maintain a constructive relationship with Pakistan to advance its mutual interests.

"However, the US should also demonstrate its serious concerns about Pakistan expanding its nuclear program and providing safe-haven for militant groups in its territory," he said.

Sanctuary and freedom of movement for the Afghan Taliban and associated militant networks inside Pakistani territory continue to be contributing factors that negatively impact security conditions and stability inside Afghanistan, Rood said.

"If confirmed," Rood said, "I will examine ways in which US can end Pakistans sanctuary for militant networks".

Randall Schriver, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, said if confirmed, he would review what steps the US, particularly the Department of Defence, could take to convince Pakistan to cut off support and sanctuary for militant and terrorist groups.

"I understand that the US seeks a constructive relationship with Pakistan that advances mutual interests, such as defeating ISIS and al Qaida, but we also have serious concerns about Pakistans expanding its nuclear program and providing safe-haven for militant groups in its territory," Schriver said.
A couple at the center of an incident at a Madison Heights shopping center last week that led to an attempted-murder charge had a lengthy hist
Three years ago on Thanksgiving Day, Lynchburg resident Patricia Franklin walked into the Lighthouse Community Center and listened intently as a local pastor spoke.

That was the day I changed my life, Franklin said.

Franklin said after using drugs for 25 years, she stopped three years ago thanks in part to the Church Street centers support and to God. In addition to helping in her recovery and assisting in furnishing her home, Lighthouse also provides tutoring to help Franklin obtain her GED.

If you need help, come here, Franklin said. They will help you no matter what your problem may be.

Franklin was among a crowd of about 150 people who gathered at the center at 1310 Church St. Thursday for a Thanksgiving meal.

Martha Brown, the centers co-founder, said Lighthouse served 250 plates of food Thursday.

Stay as long as you want; theres no rush, Brown told guests before the meal was served.

The center also gave out 135 boxes of food, including 125 frozen turkeys, canned vegetables, soup, water and more, Brown said.

About 30 volunteers helped prepare the meal and about 20 volunteers helped to serve plates, Brown said.

Co-founder Finny Mathew said the center cooked eight turkeys and prepared corn, mashed potatoes and other sides for the meal.

We truly believe we have to invest in people, Mathew said.

Mathew said Franklin now is serving others.

Peoples lives change because God is showing them they dont have to go through what theyre going through, Mathew said.

The faith-based nonprofit, which began in 2008 and is open seven days a week, is a day shelter that offers lunch for 75 to 100 people daily, along with access to free clothes, blankets, socks and more, according to its website. Lighthouse has a faith service on Sundays and also offers a faith-based recovery program and support to obtain employment, as well as providing bikes and free haircuts and helping people through economic hardships. It offers food boxes twice a month to about 5,000 people per year.

Were always looking at areas where the community has immediate needs, Mathew said.

Mathew said the center works with local churches to have a larger impact. He said four area churches are interested in recreating the centers model.

This is part of the outreach weve been looking to do for some time, Mathew said. We are engaging with others to be more proactive. Thats what Lighthouse is all about.

Mark Everhart, pastor at Peaceful Baptist Church in Lynchburg, said hes interested in modeling the centers work at his church.

The Lighthouse model is very authentic in reaching and they care, Everhart said. Its a non-threatening environment. They come here and feel the love.

Everhart said the church wants to buy an empty building across from the church to offer similar services that the center provides, including food, clothing, education help and possibly child care.

We want to partner with someone who helps the whole person, not just a meal for a day, so they can get a job and housing, Everhart said.

Lynchburg resident Kelvin Lester, who has volunteered at the center for four months, helped set up tables for Thursdays event. He is in recovery from alcohol and drug use and has been sober for four months, he said.

Martha has been an angel in my life, Lester said of Brown. I want people to know if they have a problem, shes a lighthouse.

Lester said the center keeps him focused and urges others to visit.

I feel good about myself, Lester said. Come, relax, drink coffee and (enjoy) fellowship with everybody.

Lynchburg resident Judy Terry, a regular attendee at the center, said the Thanksgiving meal was awesome.

Its very, very good, Terry said. Its a good place to come and worship.
Lynchburg families who are part of a national online home schooling group called Wild + Free are raising money this weekend for a new physical space for the organization.

Wild + Free describes itself as a community of mothers and homeschoolers who want their children to not only receive a quality education, but also to experience the adventure, freedom and wonder of childhood.

The group, which started on Instagram, has a website where parents can find content bundles about home schooling, a list of conferences and events, a weekly podcast, books for purchase, links to the Wild + Free social media accounts, and a page where parents can start or connect with a local Wild + Free group.

The site also includes a page dedicated to the Wild + Free village farm center.

Natalie Orsini, a member of the Lynchburg Wild + Free group, said it usually has two national conferences a year, and as the organization has grown, its become really hard to find a place to host these events.

Facilities the group has rented in the past have had limited space, or their layout was not convenient. Subsequently, Ben and Ainsley Arment, Wild + Frees founders, decided to create their own space, by purchasing 50 acres to create a Farm Village that Ben Arment wrote in an email will be used for retreats for mothers, camps for families, and even nature programs for kids.

Theyve currently raised about $200,000 of their $400,000 goal to purchase the land, according to the farm villages Instagram.

Ben Arment wouldnt give the exact location of the land in case we need to change locations due to availability or zoning obstacles, he wrote, but he said it is north of Charlottesville.

The Wild + Free website describes the future farm village as located in Central Virginia, near the Appalachian Trail and Shenandoah National Park, and within a days drive for 40 percent of the U.S. population.

Orsini and Jessie McNeel, as well as the other five families who make up the Lynchburg Wild + Free group, are hosting a Harvest and Vision Gathering at Sorella Farms in Evington on Saturday to promote and raise money for the farm village.

The EventBrite page for the vision gathering calls it a regional piece of a nationwide campaign to raise $400,000 by Dec. 31 to purchase a plot of land in Central Virginia to develop a Farm Village for Wild + Free, but Orsini said shed rather not characterize it as primarily a fundraiser.

Its more to spread knowledge of what were doing, she said.

The Arments will be at the event, and Orsini said she knows a number of people who are coming who dont home-school their children, but appreciate what Wild + Free advocates: getting outdoors, living intentionally, and spending time with family.

Ben Arment said there have been four other gatherings to date: in Charlottesville, Colorado, Texas and South Carolina.

McNeel launched the Lynchburg Wild + Free group in 2015. Previously, she lived in Washington State and started a group there after she became aware of Wild + Free through Instagram.

She and the other families in the Lynchburg group spend time going on nature hikes together, and they have a nature-themed book club. Recently, they read Charlottes Web. The group has also partnered with park rangers at James River State Park, where they taught the kids how to identify birds. They also stay connected on Instagram, with the hashtags #blueridgeadventurers and #wildandfreechildren.

Orsini said she hopes more people will be inspired by the groups mission at Saturdays event.

We all benefit from being uplifted and supported and cared for and just being around people who value the family unit, she said.
A Nelson County motorist was seriously injured after being hit by a runaway pickup truck on Wednesday night, according to Virginia State Police.

The male driver, who was airlifted to the University of Virginia Medical Center, was hit by the pickup truck near the intersection of Virginia 151 and Shady Lane, Virginia State Police Spokeswoman Public Corinne Geller said in an email. Police responded to the scene at about 8:14 p.m. Wednesday, Geller said.

The driver hopped out of the truck after stopping at a stop sign near his home, but the truck had not been put all the way in park, she said. After hitting the driver, the truck proceeded to roll into a nearby bush.

Further details were not immediately available by press time.
Visiting Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela (1st R) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (1st L) inaugurate the Panamanian Embassy in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela on Thursday reiterated the countrys adherence to the one China policy, noting that Panama will develop a friendly relationship with China that can lead to mutual benefits and win-win results.

The remarks were made during the inauguration ceremony of the Panama Embassy in Beijing. Both Panamanian President Varela and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the event. Varela is visiting China from Nov. 16 to 22. This marks the first trip by a Panamanian leader to China since the two nations established diplomatic ties on June 13.

The establishment of the Panama Embassy in China is a historic event. Two months ago, Chinas national flag flew in the heart of America  Panama, and today, the Panamanian flag is waving in the heart of China  its capital Beijing. Im glad that Panama has officially established ties with the great Chinese people, Varela was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency.

According to Xinhua, the two nations will sign over 20 contracts during Varelas visit to China, covering a wide range of areas. Varela will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, in an effort to boost cooperation and trade between the two nations.

Wang congratulated the great outcomes achieved by the two nations, noting that Panamas decision to establish diplomatic ties with China is a correct choice that can endure the test of time and history.

Panama's president always talks about his countrys dream, while our president Xi Jinping also tells the world about our Chinese dream. Our dreams are connected, as they all aim to improve the peoples livings and seek for world peace, Wang added.
RICHMOND, Va. - Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Brats Facebook page is a hub of activity, and members of the Liberal Women of Chesterfield County are among the major players, regularly sharing their thoughts.

One person, a woman named Sara James, routinely took issue with their comments.

Read much? Watch the video much? The post isnt misleading at all if you calm down and actually do either, James responded Sept. 5 to a woman who said a Brat post cited incorrect statistics that came from Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Members of the Liberal Women wondered who Sara James was.

It turns out James is on Brats payroll; in fact, she is the top recipient of his campaign money, according to data on OpenSecrets.org, the website for the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in federal politics and culls data from the Federal Election Commission. Brats campaign paid James $78,452 in 2015 and 2016 combined, and it has paid her $44,559 so far in 2017.

In a phone interview, Brat said James handles his social media communications and events, and for about three months last year acted as his campaign manager. She is his entire communications arm of the campaign, he said.

When asked whether part of her job is to refute people or argue with them on Facebook, Brat said, Her job is to clarify issues. And put out my policy positions from my vantage point. Its not to argue with people.

The Liberal Women researched other interactions they had with James.

I bet you have a coexist bumper sticker  or are you more of an antifa-type? James wrote to a poster who had called her an idiot.

When Alsuin Creighton Preis, one of the Liberal Women, accused James of being a paid troll Sept. 28, James replied: No I dont get paid to troll wait. Gosh, wish I did!! I comment on Facebook for fun. :) I love engaging with women like you and Kasey. Because youre so sweet and pretty and someone Id love to hang out with. haha!!

Members of the Liberal Women said James should have been open about her campaign job.

As a constituent, whether I agree with him or not, I expect them to behave better than this, Kasey Landrum, 39, of Henrico County, said of her congressman. There needs to be some kind of level of transparency.

When asked why she hadnt identified herself as a campaign staff member, Brat said James is allowed to both work for his campaign and comment on social media.

She has lived in Texas for several years, where she is registered to vote, but she previously lived in Midlothian.

She can do both. You can be both. Just because you work on a campaign doesnt mean you dont get to partake in the political process, Brat said. He said James presence on his Facebook page is necessary to represent his views in a hostile social media environment.

Last month, James flew from Texas to Kindred Spirit Brewing in Goochland County to help Brat with a fundraiser.

In an email, James said she handles all of Brats social media; all of his communications on the campaign side, including email newsletters and event promotions; all of his print and digital media; all of his website; all of his video and graphics on the campaign side; and helps plan and schedule events on the campaign side.

She said she works seven days a week, including nights, and goes on Facebook to debate people who are pushing false narratives, even though Brat never asked her to do that.

In response to a question about why James didnt identify herself on Facebook as a Brat campaign staff member, Mark Kelly, Brats chief of staff, responded by email: Saras status as a paid member of Team Brat has been disclosed on multiple FEC reports. It is not now, nor has it ever been, a secret.
First-tier cities are not the only choice for Chinese overseas returnees: report

(File photo)

First-tier cities are not the only choice for overseas returnees in job hunting due to rising employment pressure, according to a joint report released by Education International Cooperation (EIC) Group Ltd. and Chinas job-hunting websites, Guangzhou Daily reported.

The number of overseas returnees curriculum vitas increased by a factor of seven from 72,235 in 2014 to 514,352 in 2017, indicating rising employment pressure.

Chinese overseas returnees from the UK, US, Australia, and Japan top the list by 24.5 percent, 21.2 percent, 17.9 percent, and 8.6 percent, respectively.

In addition, the report pointed out that Chinese overseas returnees from the US, UK, Australia, and Germany are the most favored by employers, followed by Japan, Canada, France, Singapore, South Korea, and Russia.

Apart from Chinas first-tier cities, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Nanjing, Chengdu, and Suzhou are also popular among overseas returnees searching for work.

The IT, finance, real estate, education, and training sectors, as well as the machinery manufacturing industry, are currently seeing the largest demand of overseas returnees, according to the report.
Lynn Barbini had spent the better part of her Monday scrambling to make a payment on a Dominion Energy bill she thought was three months overdue.

That, she hoped, would head off a threat to cut the power at her house in Providence Forge, which a man on the phone who claimed to be a utility employee said was imminent.

"They were on route to my house, that's how he termed it," she said.

Lacking a debit card, Barbini, owner of a trail-riding business, was coaxed into making an $800 payment via a prepaid card purchased at a drug store, enough she thought to stave off a disconnection that would make it impossible to water her 23 horses and create an embarrassing inconvenience for a group of riders coming to spend the night.

But another man, who said he was a Dominion manager, then demanded she pay what he said was the full balance owed of $1,200, so Barbini headed to her bank to figure out why the automatic payments she thought she had set up months ago weren't working.

The teller showed Barbini an webpage about a scam involving Dominion customers. The teller started asking the scammer questions and he hung up. The 800 number Barbini had been calling most of the day immediately stopped working.

"I was sick to my stomach," she said. "It all flooded, like this big huge heat wave, over me that I had just been had."

As of Nov. 3, Dominion says 2,678 of its nearly 2.5 million Virginia customers reported that they had received a fraudulent phone call attempting to collect a debt, a string of calls that has succeeded in scamming $120,425 from unsuspecting residents and businesses. That's an increase of 49 percent over 2016, said Janell M. Hancock, a Dominion spokeswoman.

On Monday alone, Dominion received 100 reports of scam calls, she added. In a news release Wednesday, Dominion, Virginia's largest utility, warned its customers about the surge in rip-off attempts.

"We never threaten customers with immediate disconnection when they are behind on their bills," said Charlene Whitfield, Dominion's vice-president of customer service. "We contact customers by phone or in writing multiple times to work out a payment plan before disconnection occurs. The payment plan never requires payment within an hour or less."

Some victimized customers say their caller IDs have read "Dominion" when called by the scammers. Barbini added that when she called back after the first call from a man claiming be "Kevin Reese" from Dominion dropped, she heard what sounded like an exact recording of Dominion's automated answer and dial-by-number phone tree.

"We lose power a lot during storms so I have to call them a lot," Barbini said. "There was not one thing that made me suspicious."

A few other factors made it easier for Barbini to believe that something was wrong with her account. She had recently moved and maintains home and business accounts. Barbini also had set up automated payments about three months ago, the same amount of time the scammers claimed that her bill had been delinquent, so enough pieces clicked into place that she thought the call was legitimate until it was too late.

Now, though, she's embarrassed that she was taken in, given all the signs that were there: the pressure to get a prepaid card, the callers' foreign accents, and the looming threat of a service disconnection.

Particularly stinging is the one of the scammer's remarks as he took the prepaid card number:

"'Slow down and read the number. I want to make sure I get it. I don't want your day to get any worse,'" Barbini recalls. "He knew exactly how bad my day was going to get."

Though it's not easy to admit publicly that she was defrauded, Barbini said she wants to help ensure it doesn't happen to someone else.

"Nobody can afford to throw $800 out the window. I've got 23 horses to feed," she said. "It was a blow. But luckily it's not going to crush me. But there are people out there who will not recover if it happens to them. ... What if that was your parents, what if that was your mother or the poor person down the street who can't put food on the table for her kids?"

Dominion says it is working with local and federal law enforcement as well as other energy companies to monitor scams.

The utility reminds customers to call (866) 366-4357 to confirm whether a payment is due and collect information from scammers to help law enforcement. Customers should never use a prepaid card to avoid a shutoff and can pay in person at designated Dominion payment centers.
Egypts military said on Friday it had arrested three men suspected of providing support to terrorists in central Sinai.

In an official statement, army spokesman Tamer El-Refaie said the Third Field Army also destroyed nine hideouts, a 4x4, and three motorcycles used by the terrorists.

The forces, along with the police, were also able to seize a number of farms and storehouses used for narcotics.

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We wish to assure the nation that His Excellency, the President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed. We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country. As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy, Moyo said.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is set to fly to Cyprus on Monday to participate in a tripartite summit between the two states and Greece.

State agency MENA said the upcoming summit would include talks on coordinating stances, as well as boosting cooperation between the three countries as regards politics, economics and trade, security, and tourism.

The meetings will also include discussions on regional issues, including the Syrian and Libyan crises, and combating terrorism and extremism.

The upcoming tripartite meeting will be the fifth such meeting between El-Sisi, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in recent years.

The first meeting was held in Cairo in November 2014, the second in Nicosia in April 2015 and the third in Athens in December 2015.

During the fourth tripartite summit in Cairo last year, the three countries agreed to work together to stop irregular migration, putting the issue as a priority.

The discussions also involved talks on energy, preserving the ecosystem in the Mediterranean, and activating maritime transport between the three countries.

In recent months, meeting between officials of the three countries have taken place in preparation for the November summit, the latest being a meeting between the three ministers in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

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No Charges for Cops

in Killing of Man Who

Was 'Biking While Black'
The most recent groping allegation against George HW Bushthe eighth so faris the first to accuse the former president of inappropriate touching during his time in office. In an exclusive interview, a 55-year-old woman tells CNN that Bush grabbed her butt while they posed for a photo during a fundraiser in Michigan for his 1992 re-election campaign. "It was like 'Holy crap!'" she says. "It was like a gentle squeeze." The unnamed woman says she doesn't think anyone else noticed what Bush did, and she at first tried to brush it off, telling herself "it was probably an accident."

The woman says she's rethought the incident amid the growing list of women accusing Bush, now 93, of grabbing their butt during photo-ops. "All the focus has been on 'He's old.' OK, but he wasn't old when it happened to me," she says. The other alleged incidents occurred between 2003 and 2016. A friend and ex-husband both tell CNN the woman told them about the incident shortly after it happened. The woman showed CNN the photo of her and Bush, as well as texts her ex-husband and a coworker sent her about the incident when the first groping allegations were made last month. "The hand definitely was across the butt. It wasn't across the waist," the woman's ex-husband says. A spokesperson for Bush refused to comment. (Read more George HW Bush stories.)
The Pentagon has researched what it would take to build a kind of missile banned under a Cold War-era treatyin an effort to pressure Russia to stop using those very missiles. Officials tell the Wall Street Journal they are "laying the groundwork" necessary to build ground-based, intermediate-range missiles banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty (INF) signed by the US and Soviet Union in 1987 as part of a new US strategy on Russia. Officials say Russia has been in violation of the treaty since 2012, which the Washington Post reports led congressional Republicans to lean on the Obama administration to do something. A year ago, it did ask Russia to cop to its production, but received only a denial. US intelligence determined the missile was actually used in February.

The US has reportedly told Russia what it is up to (which the Journal notes is currently in compliance with the INF), as well as that its work will be abandoned if Russia once again complies. Researching and developing missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers is permitted under the INF; actually producing, testing, and deploying is not. "We need to send a message to the Russians that they will pay a military price for violation of this treaty," an official says. Meanwhile, Russia denies any violations and in fact accuses the US of violating the INF via its missile defense systems in Romania and Poland. The Post notes the defense policy bill being considered by Congress would enable the development of the missile by way of a $58 million allocation. (Read more Russia stories.)
In today's climate, Bill Clinton wouldn't have been able to hang on as president after his inappropriate relationship with a young White House intern was exposedand he should have stepped down 20 years ago, a prominent Democratic senator says. New York's Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who has campaigned with both Clintons, tell the New York Times that resigning would have been the "appropriate response" to the Monica Lewinsky affair. "Things have changed today, and I think under those circumstances there should be a very different reaction," she says. "And I think in light of this conversation, we should have a very different conversation about President Trump, and a very different conversation about allegations against him."

As allegations of sexual harassment and assault engulf other prominent figures, there have been calls to take a fresh look at the conduct of Bill Clinton, including the affair with Lewinsky, which took place between 1995 and 1997. On Wednesday, Gillibrand introduced the "Me Too Congress Act" to combat what she says is the pervasive problem of sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill, CBS reports. Asked about the groping incident that Sen. Al Franken, another Democrat, apologized for Thursday, Gillibrand said the conduct described was "very disturbing." "I was very disappointed," she said. "But it's important that survivors are coming out and speaking truth to power and telling their stories." (The Pentagon accidentally retweeted a call for Trump to resign Thursday.)
Rosemarie Koczy's drawings displayed at the Guggenheim and the World Holocaust Remembrance Center are hauntingnot at all surprising given that Koczy described them as "burials for those I saw die" in concentration camps as a child. And yet the authenticity of that statement, and of the German-born American artist's greater tale of Holocaust survival, is now being called into question. Archivists in Recklinghausen, Germany, where the late Koczy was born in 1939, say they've uncovered documents showing Koczy's family was Roman Catholic, not Jewish, per the New York Times. Koczy's surname is also missing from records of residents taken to camps. What's more, a concentration camp in which Koczy said she was held was actually "exclusively for men," archivist Matthias Kordes tells Deutsche Welle.

Even Koczy's claim that her grandfather's jewelry shop was destroyed during 1938's Night of Broken Glass was false, says Kordes. "Her life, I'm sorry, it's a fake," he tells the Times. Koczy, who died in 2007 at age 68, was apparently no stranger to such claims. "I have been told, 'You are lying!'" she wrote in a 2009 memoir, which suggested even her siblings rejected her story. But "I knew my experience of the camps," Koczy wrote. "These were not lies." Koczy's widowerwho says Koczy's family converted to Roman Catholicism in the hope of protecting themselvesargues the same to the Times. Koczy was "so terrified that people would think she was faking," he says. But "to the end of her life, Rosemarie would wake up screaming about the camps, the German boots crushing her." (More than 1 million Holocaust victims are "missing.")
China dispatched its highest-level envoy to North Korea in two years on Friday in a bid to improve chilly relations, after President Trump last week urged Beijing to use its influence to convince Pyongyang to cease its nuclear weapons program. Song Tao will report on the outcomes of China's ruling Communist Party congress held last month and visit counterparts in his role as President Xi Jinping's special envoy, according to Chinese state media. China has given no other details about his itinerary or said whether he'll meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Song heads the Communist Party's International Department and holds the rank of minister.

China's relations with North Korea have deteriorated under Kim, who has ignored Beijing's calls to end nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests and return to disarmament talks. The visit could be seen as a "starting point to explore new China-North Korea relations," Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University, tells the AP. Xi wants to take the initiative on the North Korean nuclear issue to head off further pressure from Washington, Lim says. Expectations for Song's visit are mixed. In announcing it, China made no mention of Trump's visit to Beijing or the North's weapons programs. Song is not directly connected to China's efforts to convince Pyongyang to return to denuclearization talks, seemingly reducing the chances for a breakthrough in that area.

(Read more North Korea stories.)
President Trump has been circumspect in his comments on Roy Moore. It's a different story with the man he has dubbed "Al Frankenstien (sic)." "The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words," Trump tweeted Thursday, referring to a photo of Sen. Al Franken apparently groping radio host Leeann Tweeden during a USO tour in 2006. "Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?" He added: "And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?" Fox reports that Trump was apparently referring to a 1995 interview in which Franken, then a Saturday Night Live writer, discussed a skit idea that involved drugging and raping CBS reporter Leslie Stahl.

Franken, who has called for an ethics investigation of himself, was mocked by late-night hosts Thursday, the Washington Post reports. Some of them also noted that Trump is no stranger to sexual harassment allegations. "Every day it seems like we find out about another high-profile sexual harasser," said Stephen Colbert. "I guess there are no good people left, so let's get it over with," he said. "Just tell us whatever you did, Jimmy Carter! Barack Obama! Tom Hanks! Malala!" After Franken apologized Thursday, Tweeden said she didn't think he should resign, though others disagree. At the Chicago Tribune, John Kass writes that if Franken is truly sorry, "there's one thing for him to do: Resign immediately, disappear out into the woods." (Read more Al Franken stories.)
Egypt's prosecutor-general has ordered the detention of a Libyan suspected of involvement in a shootout between police and terrorists in Egypt's Western Desert in October, which saw 16 policemen killed.

Prosecutor-general Nabil Sadek on Friday ordered that Abdelrahim Mohamed Al-Mesmari and 14 others defendants be detained for 15 days pending investigations of their involvement in the attack in Bahariya Oasis.

Al-Mesmari is being investigated on charges of premeditated murder of policemen, possession of unlicensed weapons and explosives, and joining a terror organisation, as well as being a member of an outlawed group that targets police and army and their institutions.

He was apprehended by Egyptian security forces during a campaign in the area a week after the attack.

Al-Mesmari appeared on private Egyptian news channel Al-Hayat on Thursday, where he said that he had adopted an Al Qaeda-based ideology.

On Thursday, the Egyptian interior ministry released details about the arrested suspect.

According to the statement, the 25-year-old from Libya's Derna is part of a terrorist organisation based in that country, which was led by an Egyptian terrorist called Emad El-Din Abdel-Hamid.

Abdel-Hamid was killed during army strikes after the October attack.

The group received training in camps inside Libya and was able to access Egypt through the Western Desert, in preparation to carry out a number of attacks against churches and several other institutions, the police said.

According to the statement, several members of the group were also behind an attack on Egyptian Copts in May, when gunmen ambushed a bus of pilgrims in Minya, killing 30 people.

The prosecution has charged the other 14 detained men with joining an outlawed group that calls for undermining of laws, obstructing the functioning of state institutions, seeking to attack the personal liberty of citizens, and harming national unity or social peace.

On 19 October, 16 policemen were killed and 13 others were injured following a raid on a terrorist hideout in the oasis.

Following the attack, Egyptian security forces said they had conducted several strikes and hits in the area, killing a large number of terrorists who had carried out the deadly attack.

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During a discussion of church shootings, a man announced that he took his gun everywhere, pulled it out in a room full of people, then accidentally shot himself and his wifeat church. The unidentified Tennessee man, described as in his 80s, was at a luncheon at First United Methodist Church in Tellico Plains, some 60 miles south of Knoxville, around 1pm Thursday when he revealed a .380 caliber Ruger handgun, unloaded it, and showed it around the room, police tell the Knoxville News Sentinel. The man then loaded the magazine, apparently chambered a bullet, and returned the gun to its holster, police say.

But when a person approached to see weapon, the man "pulled it back out and said, 'With this loaded indicator, I can tell that it's not loaded,'" explains Tellico Plains Police Chief Russ Parks. With the gun lying on a table, the man then pulled the trigger. The bullet hit his hand before striking the left side of his wife's abdomen, exiting on the right, Parks says. Both husband and wife were flown to a Knoxville hospital and are expected to survive. Parks says no charges will be filed. "Evidently he just forgot that he re-chambered the weapon," the officer says. The New York Daily News notes area schools were initially placed on lockdown. (Read more Tennessee stories.)
Jennifer Hudson has split from the fiance she once said "saved her life" after her mother, brother, and nephew were murderedand she also got a protective order against him. Hudson, 36, and former pro wrestler David Otunga, 37, have been together a decade, got engaged in 2008, and had a son together in 2009. "They have been in the process of ending their relationship for a number of months," Hudson's rep tells People. "Today, Jennifer requested and received a protective order against her ex-fiance. Jennifers actions are solely taken in the best interest of their son." Per TMZ, police ordered Otunga to leave the couple's Chicago-area home, which Hudson owns, Thursday night.

But a rep for Otunga says the couple had been attempting to work out a custody arrangement for weeks, and only when it became apparent that Otunga would be granted residential care of their son because he is "the childs primary caregiver while Ms. Hudson pursues her career all over the world," per a statement given to E!, did Hudson file for a protective order. "Mr. Otunga has never abused or harassed Ms. Hudson or their son, and it is unfortunate, especially in todays climate, that she would feel the need to make these false allegations against him," the statement continues. As for what was behind the initial split, TMZ's sources say Hudson started dating someone else. (Read more Jennifer Hudson stories.)
For months, residents of McLean, Virginia, believed that the shooting deaths of a mother and daughter were the result of a murder-suicide. That impression has now been replaced by fears of a murderer on the loose. Though authorities initially thought 23-year-old Helen Hargan killed her mother, 63-year-old Pamela Hargan, in the laundry room of the family home before shooting herself in an upstairs bedroom on July 14, a search warrant filed a week after the shootings and unsealed this week reveals a very different theory: Namely, that Pamela Hargan and her youngest of three daughters were murdered before the scene was "altered and staged," WUSA reports.

No suspects have been named. The search warrant states that Megan Hargananother of Pamela Hargan's daughters who neighbors say was living at the family home with her own daughter at the timeattempted "fraudulent" money transfers from her mother's bank account on the day of the shootings as well as the day before. WUSA previously reported that a Texas man dating Megan or a third daughter had called police to alert them to the shootings, claiming his girlfriend had called and told him Helen Hargan killed her mother. A police radio call from the same night described Megan Hargan as traveling to the scene from Maryland, per the New York Daily News. (Read more murder stories.)
The first step in what USA Today says would be an "audacious" therapy reportedly took place in China Friday: the world's first human head transplant, achieved with two corpses. And Sergio Canaverothe Italian doctor behind the alleged procedure, says he plans to do the same thing next on two brain-dead patients, followed by an "imminent" surgery with a living one, the Telegraph reports. Per Newsweek, Canavero described the procedure Friday at a Vienna press conference, explaining that his team had taken the head off one body and placed it on another, fusing the spine, blood vessels, and nerves. The procedure with a living patient is set to happen in China in December, mainly because the US and Europe refuse to host it. Medical experts say there haven't been enough studies or trials, and cite both ethical issues and the potential for "incredible pain."

Mystery surrounds the living patient at the center of the storm, whose healthy head would be transferred to the disease-free body of a brain-dead patienttechnically making this a "body transplant," not a head transplant, USA Today notes. That recipient was originally said to be 33-year-old Russian Valery Spiridonov, who suffers from a muscle-wasting disease. But an April release cited by Newsweek said a Chinese citizen would undergo the procedure, not Spiridonov, and the magazine on Friday quoted Canavero as saying a "high number" of people have volunteered. Canavero gives the procedure a 90% chance of success. Meanwhile, a Guardian columnist takes issue with Canavero's work. "The human body is not modular," writes Dean Burnett. "You can't swap bits around like you would Lego blocks." (Canavero, way back when this all started.)
At a "Women for Moore" rally in support of Roy Moore in Alabama on Friday, the Republican Senate candidate's wife made it clear he won't exit the race despite allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with teens. "The people of Alabama understand what's going on here," said Kayla Moore, per Fox News. "The liberal press, Washington Post, who endorsed Hillary Clinton, who also endorsed our opponent, gets involved in this race along with the Human Rights Campaign, the DNC, and the Washington establishment. All of the very same people who were attacking President Trump are also attacking us." She accused the Post of contacting everyone she and her husband have known in the past four decades and printing stories without fact-checking.

"I have been married to my husband, Judge Roy Moore, for over 32 years. He was a graduate of West Point, he served our country in Vietnam, and he has always been an officer and a gentleman," she said to cheers from the crowd. "He is a loving father and grandfather, but most important, he is a Christian. So let me set the record straight: Even after all the attacks against me, against my family, against the foundation, and now against my husband, he will not step down. He will not stop fighting for the people of Alabama. In his words, and I quote, 'I will not stop until they lay me in that box in the ground.'" (Read more Roy Moore stories.)
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Iraqi forces on Friday captured the border town of Rawa, the last remaining town under Islamic State (IS) militants control, signalling the collapse of the group's self-proclaimed caliphate.

Rawa's capture marks the end of IS era of territorial rule over a so-called caliphate that it proclaimed in 2014 across vast swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Iraqi forces "liberated Rawa entirely, and raised the Iraqi flag over its buildings," Lieutenant General Abdul Ameer Rasheed Yarallah said in a statement from the Joint Operations Command.

Syria's army has also declared victory against IS, but last week militants re-infiltrated Albu Kamal, near the border from Iraq, and are still fighting there, as well as in some villages and desert areas nearby.

All the forces fighting IS in both countries expect a new phase of guerrilla warfare, a tactic the militants have already shown themselves capable of.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated Iraq's armed forces and people, saying Rawa was retaken in record time.

"Liberation of Rawa district in mere hours reflects the great strength and power of our heroic armed forces and the successful planning for battles," he said in a statement.

A video issued by the military showed Iraqi forces sending a message to Rawa's residents via radio which said: "Daesh has ended for good, and now the age of Iraq begins," referring to the Sunni militant group by an Arabic acronym.

Another showed a convoy of military vehicles sporting Iraqi flags and blasting out the national anthem. State television played patriotic songs and aired footage of troops in Rawa.

"With the liberation of Rawa we can say all the areas in which Daesh is present have been liberated," a military spokesman said.

Iraqi forces will now focus on routing the militants who fled into the desert and exert control over Iraq's borders, the spokesman said.

Rawa borders Syria, whose army seized the last substantial town on the border with Iraq, Albu Kamal.

Albu Kamal shares a border crossing with al-Qaim in Iraq. The militants lost control of the border crossing earlier this month, dealing a critical blow to the organisation, which had long relied on the route to move its fighters and equipment.

The group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is believed to be hiding in the stretch of desert which runs along the border of both countries.

SHRINKING CALIPHATE

Driven this year from its two de facto capitals -- Iraq's Mosul and Syria's Raqqa -- IS was progressively squeezed into an ever-shrinking pocket of desert, straddling the frontier between the two countries, by enemies that include most regional states and global powers.

In Iraq, IS faced the army and the Shi'ite paramilitary groups, backed both by the U.S.-led international coalition and by Iran.

Iraq has been carrying out its final campaign to crush the IS caliphate while also mounting a military offensive in the north against the Kurds who held an independence referendum in September.

However, the defeat of IS does not mean civilians are now safe, the International Rescue Committee said. Nearly 3.2 million people are unable or unwilling to return home after years of displacement and over 11 million are in need of vital humanitarian assistance, it said.

"Today marks a historic day for the people of Iraq. It is, however, vital that the international community does not view the end of (IS) territorial control as the end of their responsibility to the Iraqi people who have endured years of conflict and face a long, difficult recovery," the group's Iraq Country Director Wendy Taeuber said in a statement.

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The Tunisian government has reached a deal with a major labour union to lift the retirement age for public servants by two years, a government official said on Friday, a key reform demanded by its lenders to stabilize state finances.

The North African country is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to speed up reforms and help its economy recover from militant attacks in 2015 that hurt its vital tourism industry.

State social security funds suffer from a deficit of about $1 billion as the economy has been in turmoil since the 2011 uprising against autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, according to officials.

"The government has agreed with the UGTT (labour union) to lift the retirement age in the public sector by two years to 62 years and optionally for who those want it to 65 years starting from 2020," Kamal Madouri, an official in the Ministry of Social Affairs, said on Friday.

Madouri said the agreement will be signed in the coming days between the government and the UGTT.

"There is an agreement in principle to raise the retirement age, but it was within a package of other measures about social security funds reforms which must be all implemented," Abd Karim Jrad, deputy secretary general of UGTT, told Reuters.

In April, the IMF agreed to release a delayed $320 million tranche of Tunisia's $2.8 billion in loans, on condition that it raise tax revenue, reducing the public wage bill and cut popular energy subsidies.

The government has proposed in the 2018 budget to impose a 1 percent social security tax on employees and companies to cut the deficit, but parliament has yet to approve the bill.

The proposal has been rejected by the federation of owners of companies UTICA, which threatened to shut down companies if the government continues what it calls "fiscal punishment against companies".

Tunisia has been praised for its democratic progress since 2011 but successive governments have failed to push through potentially painful reforms to trim deficits and create growth.

Under the 2018 budget, the deficit will fall to 4.9 percent of gross domestic product in 2018, from about 6 percent expected in 2017.

Tunisia also seeks to raise GDP growth to about 3 percent next year against 2.3 percent this year. It seeks to lay off about 16,500 public sector workers in 2017 and 2018, a senior government official told Reuters last month.

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The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.
New Delhi:

BJP President Amit Shah on Friday hailed Indiaas bond rating upgradation by Moodyas Investor Services (Moodyas) saying the upgrade was yet another avindicationa of Modias good governance.

Amit Shah in a series of tweets said, aIndiaas largest ever increase in Ease of Doing Business rankings, Pew study ascertaining PM @narendramodi jias popularity, Moodyas upgrade are all reflections of Modi Govtas hard-work and reform process.a

Indiaas largest ever increase in Ease of Doing Business rankings, Pew study ascertaining PM @narendramodi jias popularity, Moodyas upgrade are all reflections of Modi Govtas hard-work and reform process. a Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 17, 2017

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia also welcomed the upgrade of India's sovereign rating and said the Moodyas has confirmed the "well recogniseda path of fiscal reforms chosen by the government.

"The path that the government has chosen for long term reforms and fiscal consolidation is well recognised by investors already. The rating agency too has now confirmed it formally, which is welcome," he tweeted.

The Global rating agency Moodyas Investor Service on Friday upgraded Indiaas "local and foreign currency issuer ratings" to Baa2 from Baa3 with a stable outlook after 13 years gap.

The agency has also upgraded Indiaas bond rating from aPositivea to aStablea saying the reforms by the Union government have helped in reducing the risk of sharp debt increase.

aWhile Indiaas high debt burden remains a constraint on the countryas credit profile, Moodyas believes that the reforms put in place have reduced the risk of a sharp increase in debt, even in potential downside scenarios,a Moodyas said in a release.

Moodyas also raised India's long-term foreign-currency bond ceiling to Baa1 from Baa2, and the long-term foreign-currency bank deposit ceiling to Baa2 from Baa3.

However, the short-term foreign-currency bond ceiling remained unchanged at P-2, but the short-term foreign-currency bank deposit ceiling has been raised to P-2 from P-3.

The long-term local currency deposit and bond ceilings remain unchanged at A1, the Moody's said in its release.

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New Delhi:

The Delhi Police has arrested three more criminals in connection with the shoot out of an under trial inside the premises of Delhias Rohini court.

On Monday, an under-trial was shot dead inside Rohini court complex and the shooter was arrested by the police from the spot.

It was revealed in the investigation that the shooter had come to allegedly kill Rajesh Bawani, a rival of gangster Neeraj Bawana.

However, he killed another under trial Vinod alias Ballu mistakenly. Rajesh Bawani, was supposed to come to Rohini court to attend the hearing in a robbery case but was late on that day.

According to the police, the three arrested criminals were identified as Deepu, Sonu and Monu a all members of Neeraj Bawanaas gang.

Three criminals involved in Rohini court shoot out case arrested: Rishi Pal,

DCP Rohini #Delhi a ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2017

Police said, Bawani, who is currently lodged in the Tihar jail had asked them to eliminate Rajesh Bawani, the only remaining rival of the gangster.

In an another case, the Delhi police has also arrested a most wanted Yudhvir alias Kala Pandit and also recovered three fire arms and five cartridges from his possession. Pandit was also wanted in four cases of shootout in Rohini.
New Delhi :

Good News for The Kapil Sharma Show fans! As per latest reports, Comedian Kapil Sharma to make a return with his show soon.

Danish Khan  Executive Vice President and Business Head of Sony TV said, "Kapil will be back (on TV) very soon. His movie 'Firangi' is releasing on November 24. We are very fond of Kapil. We are even doing a promotional show (which will be televised) for his movie.

We believe he has made a good movie and it's going to be successful. Then, Kapil will be back with a bang on the channel, he added.

In the month of August, both Kapil and channel decided to give a short break to the talk show citing his bad health and falling TRPs.

Recently, he also visited the sets of The Kapil Sharma Show on which shooting of Super Dancer Chapter 2 was going on. He was on the show to promote Firangi.

Currently, Kapil Sharma is busy in promoting his upcoming flick Firangi. Helmed by Rajiev Dhingra, the movie is slated to release on November 24.
New Delhi:

The Congress on Friday urged President Ram Nath Kovind to ask the BJP-led NDA government to immediately convene the Winter Session of Parliament.

The Congress party also accused the government of murdering the parliamentary traditions.

The government is running away from discussion on key issues in Parliament as it feared that it might have an adverse effect on the Gujarat elections scheduled on December 9 and 14, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said.

While speaking to the reporters, he said The president, who is head of the Parliament, should take congnisance why the Winter Session is not being convened and ask the government to immediately convene it.

Earlier dates were cited by Shukla when the Parliament session was convened before to Gujarat Assembly polls.

Shukla wondered why the session was not being convened.

ALSO READ | Piyush Goyal: Govt to soon take decision on dates for winter session of Parliament

Is the government fearing that when issues are raised in Parliament, it may have an adverse effect on Gujarat polls...Why is it avoiding the session and what is the reason that the government is fearing convening it. Parliamentary traditions should not be murdered like this, he said.

The government feared facing Parliament and that was why ministers wanted to run away and campaign in Gujarat instead, the Congress leader said.

Earlier in the day, Union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal said that the government is not running away from the Parliament and will soon take a decision on dates for the winter session.

Responding to a question on delay in holding the winter session of Parliament, Goyal said many MPs had requested that they want to focus on the upcoming Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ: Supreme Court asks Centre to constitute special courts for speedy disposal of pending cases against MPs, MLAs

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New Delhi:

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday rubbished the allegations relating to the procurement deal for 36 Rafale fighter jet, dubbing it as shameful". She said such bickering would be a "disservice" to the armed forces.

Sitharamans statements came after the Congress blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi of changing the "entire deal" to benefit a businessman.

"These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalized following a transparent procedure," Sitharaman told reporters. The defence minister also called the bickering against the deal as "disservice" to the armed forces, asserting that urgent requirement of the Indian Air Force was the main reason for sealing it.

The defence minister said the final agreement for 36 Rafale jets was signed in September, 2016, after five rounds of lengthy discussions between Indian and French sides and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

She said the UPA government had sat over the proposed procurement of jets for 10 years.

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New Delhi:

The Election Commission on Friday recognised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led faction as JD (U) and entitled them to use the arrow symbol.

It was a big respite to Nitish Kumaras faction after rebel leader Sharad Yadav had claimed that the symbol belongs to his faction.

JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar expressed his pleasure on winning te symbol, saying that now Sharad Yadav can shout slogan in favour of RJDA president Lalu Prasad.

Notably, Sharad Yadav was not happy with Nitish Kumar after the latter had pulled out from Mahagathbandhan and had joined hands with the BJP to form a government in the state. A A

EC recognizes Nitish Kumar led faction as JD(U) & entitles them to use the arrow symbol. pic.twitter.com/BmWR0ZW8NP a ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2017

After ECas decision, rebel leader Ali Anwar said that they would go to the people and share the truth.

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Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Friday that there will be no stability in Lebanon unless the militant group Hezbollah disarms.

"This is what we hope," Adel al-Jubeir said at a press conference in Madrid with his Spanish counterpart.

On Thursday, the Saudi minister called the group a "first-class terrorist organization" that should lay down its arms and respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

The escalated rhetoric comes amid a political crisis sparked by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's surprise resignation, citing Iran and Hezbollah's meddling in the region as the reason he was stepping down.

Top Lebanese official have accused Saudi Arabia of forcing Hariri's resignation and holding him in the kingdom against his will.

France has been trying to mediate the crisis and French president Emanuel Macron has issued an invitation to Hariri and his family after his foreign minister met with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the crisis.

Hariri's Future TV in Lebanon said Hariri will leave Saudi Arabia tonight, and hold a meeting with Macron on Saturday at midday.

Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned Friday against foreign interference in Lebanese affairs following Hariri's resignation.

At a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Gibran Bassil, Lavrov said that "Russia invariably stands for supporting the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon."

He added that the crisis should be settled internally in Lebanon, without foreign interference, and through dialogue.

*This story is edited by Ahram Online

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New Delhi :

Pakistani troops on Friday violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Indian army strongly retaliated to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars.A

On Wednesday, November 15 cases of ceasefire violation surfaced in the Shahpur Kirni Sector of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir.

#Visuals from J&K: Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars In Poonch sector along the Line of Control (visuals deferred by unspecified time). pic.twitter.com/Q6goIE6PGw a ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2017

As per sources from the Home Ministry, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire over 600 times so far this year, the highest in the last one decade, an official said. Pakistani troops have opened fire on Indian territories more than 600 times till September 30.

Eight civilians and 16security personnel were killed in the firing, a Home Ministry official said. It is the highest number of ceasefire violations in nearly a decade, the official said.

There were nearly 450 ceasefire violations in 2016 in which 13 civilians and as many security personnel were killed. India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu andKashmir.

A

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

After 5 days of strike, private doctors in Karnataka on Friday called off their strike against Karnataka Private Medical Establishment (Amendment) Bill 2017. This decision was taken after representatives of various associations of private doctors held a three-hour meeting with Chief Minister Siddharamaiah in Belgavi.

Immediately after the meeting, Chief Minister took it to Twitter and said, "I am happy my meeting with the representatives of Doctors was successful. We have succeeded in resolving all issues around KPME Bill".

Dr. Sudarshan Balal, Chairman of Manipal hospital said, "We had a very successful meeting with Chief Minister and all concerns were discussed. Instead of District Redressal committee, the district registration committee will handle grievances. Medical cases will be referred to Karnataka Medical Council, criminal cases will be based on existing laws."

The main concern of the private doctors was the amendment regarding the price cap which as per Dr. C Jayanna, president PHANA is now sorted out. Dr. C Jayanna said, "It was made clear to us that it was not a general cap but only for certain procedures for BPL patients. This cap will be decided by the experts committee. Additionally APL patients will receive 30% reimbursement for certain procedures.Penalty will also be graded with repeat offenders getting higher quantum.

Earlier, Karnataka High Court while hearing PIL against private doctors strike, came down heavily on them and directed them to withdraw the strike immediately.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people belonging to various social organizations gathered at town hall Bengaluru on Friday and demonstrated their support to Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Bill and State government.

ALSO READ | Karnataka: Private doctors protesting medical bill go on indefinite strike in Bengaluru

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New Delhi:

The Left parties in India should cooperate with the Congress party at the national level to fight against the wrong policies of the BJP-led Union government, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday.

While addressing a public meeting organised by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kochi, the former PM said, At the national level, are we going to oppose the BJP as a united front or whether CPI(M) will keep BJP and Congress at the same distance?

If they are sincere in the fight against the BJP and its anti-people policies, they have to cooperate with the leadership of Congress at the national level and fight together against the BJPs misrule and divisive policies, he added.

Under the Pinaryi Vijayan-led government, rule of law has crumbled, women in the state do not feel safe and economic progress is slow, Singh said while criticising the Keralas CPI(M)-led LDF government.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ | Gujarat Elections 2017: Manmohan Singh lambasts PM Modi, says bullet train project an 'exercise in vanity'

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New Delhi:

Union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal on Friday said that the government is not running away from the Parliament and will soon take a decision on dates for the winter session.

Responding to a question on delay in holding the winter session of Parliament, Goyal said many MPS had requested that they want to focus on the upcoming Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

I dont think there is any such situation where we have to run away from facing Parliament. The government will soon take a decision on parliament dates, the minister said.

The BJP-led NDA government was repeatedly attacked by the Congress party for delaying the winter session of Parliament. The government was using state Assembly polls as an excuse to avoid facing Parliament, they said.

ALSO READ: Supreme Court asks Centre to constitute special courts for speedy disposal of pending cases against MPs, MLAs

The winter session of Parliament traditionally convenes from the third week of November and lasts till the third week of December.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh decides the dates of the parliament sessions.

According to sources, the government is considering a truncated winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of December.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ: BJP parliamentarian Vinay Katiyar claims Taj Mahal was originally a Hindu temple

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New Delhi:

Accusing BJP of spreading "hatred" and trying to "divert people's attention" form UP civic polls, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said the saffron people pick up brooms and wear mask to get attention.

The former chief minister also highlighted the plight of potato farmers and non-payment of arrears to cane growers, among others.

While talking to reporters, he said, "Nothing should be expected from the BJP now... its foremost task is how to spread hatred, create problems and humiliate others. In order to divert attention of the people, the BJP leaders pick up brooms or wear masks."

"The BJP blames others (for lack of development in the state), but now it is ruling Uttar Pradesh... most of the big cities had BJP mayors, but even the garbage has not been removed in the past 10 to 15 years," the SP leader said.

"Except for picking up brooms (as part of the Swachcha Bharat Mission)... I don't think the BJP has any direction," he said.

Stressing that his government had completed the Agra- Lucknow Expressway in 23 months, Yadav said that it was now the responsibility of the present dispensation to construct the Purvanchal Expressway.

"This is the responsibility of the government... they will get funds from the Centre... Niti Aayog is also cooperating with them. They (BJP) were saying that they will connect Varanasi and Ayodhya, but they should at least start the work," he said.

Yadav said that if expressways and 'mandis' (wholesale markets) are made, the state will develop and farmers will get good rates for their produce.

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New Delhi:

Spiritual leader and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has offered to mediate in the Ayodhya dispute, said on Friday that there was a ray of hope in resolving the Ram temple issue. He added that he would meet Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat to discuss the issue with him.

Asha ki kiran dikh rahi hai. Bahut achha mahol banta ja raha hai (There is a ray of hope. A positive atmosphere is in the making), he told reporters in response to a query after his arrival at the airport in Nagpur.

Asked whether he would meet Bhagwat over the Ayodhya issue, Ravi Shankar said, I will meet and discuss the issue of Ram mandir with him.

The spiritual leader is in the city as part of a three-day Anta Ranga programme organised by the Art of Living. A couple of days back, he had met various people and claimed to have received very good and positive signs from both Hindus and Muslims, even though the stakeholders in the dispute were less hopeful.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also did not sound very positive on the outcome of Ravi Shankars efforts. Adityanath, who met Ravi Shankar two days back, had said that everyone knew where the talks would lead, especially when the Supreme Court was going to hear the matter from December 5 on a day-to-day basis.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have also voiced reservations about Ravi Shankars role as a mediator in the protracted dispute.

With PTI inputs

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paraklisi

Philoumenos of Jacobs Well: The Birth of a Contemporary Ritual Murder MythBy David Gurevich and Yisca HaraniIsrael Studies (Volume 22, Number 2, Summer 2017, pp. 26-54)AbstractIn 1979, the Orthodox monk Philoumenos Hasapis was violently murdered in Jacobs Well Church in Nablus. His death was described as a ritual murder performed by a fanatical Jewish-Israeli group. Philoumenos was later sanctified by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.The story gained publicity among Orthodox Christian communities around the world and was accredited by various NGOs and scholars. However, the factual basis of the event dismissed any ritualistic motives or collective accusations for the murder. The development patterns of the popular narrative are assessed against the backdrop of similar accusations levied against medieval Jewish communities in Europe, as well as contemporary framing of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict in the media. The conclusions suggest reasons for the wide publicity that the narrative received, based on the cultural context of its target audience, the interests of the Orthodox Church, and the role of political actors involved.Read article hereThe Death of Saint Philoumenos and Erroneous AccountsPhiloumenos was murdered on 29 November 1979. His assailant, Asher Raby (spelled "Rabi" in some newspaper accounts), a mentally ill 37-year-old resident of Tel Aviv, had intruded the monastery, threw a hand grenade inside, which caused substantial damage. Philoumenos is said by investigators to have been fleeing the explosion and fire caused by the grenade when he was pursued by Raby and hit multiple times with an axe. Investigators stated that Philoumenos appeared to have been trying to protect his face with his hands when a blow to his face or head severed the one finger on each hand. Raby escaped the scene of the crime undetected. Raby was subsequently found to have acted alone, "without any connection to a religious or political entity."An investigation launched by the Israeli police initially failed to identify the killer. Raby was arrested on 17 November 1982 as he again attempted enter the Monastery at Jacob's Well illicitly by climbing over a wall; he was carrying hand grenades. Raby supplied the police with accurate details of his earlier, previously unsolved, crimes. These were the murder of Philoumenos; a March 1979 murder of a Jewish gynecologist in Tel-Aviv; the murder of the family of a woman in Lod, Israel in April 1979 who claimed to have clairvoyant powers; and an assault on a nun at the Jacob's Well holy site in April 1982. The nun was seriously wounded in the attack. Both she and the gynecologist were attacked by axe, according to prosecutors.Raby, a newly religious Jew, was described as unwashed, dressed in worn-out clothing, and audibly muttered passages of scripture in a strange manner. Psychiatric evaluations found that he was mentally incompetent to stand trial; he and committed to a mental hospital; details of his subsequent whereabouts are restricted by privacy regulations. At a court hearing after his arrest, an Israeli prosecutor told the court that Raby was convinced that the monastery was the site of the ancient Jewish Temple, and that he made an attempt on the life of the nun "in response to a divine command."Initial accounts depicted the murder as an anti-Christian hate attack carried out by a group of Jewish settlers, the result was what Maarivdescribed as "a wave of hatred" in Greece. Reports indicating that radical Jews had tortured Philoumenos and "cut off the fingers of his hand" before killing him had appeared in Greek newspapers. Maariv also quoted an official in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem asserting that the murder was carried out by radical religious Jews claiming that the Well does not belong to Christians but to Jews.In a 2017 article in the journal Israel Studies, researchers David Gurevich and Yisca Harani found that false accounts blaming the slaying on "settlers" and "Zionist extremists" persisted even after the arrest of the assailant and his confinement in a mental institution, and that there were "patterns of ritual murder accusation in the popular narrative." The same theme was echoed in parts of the Eastern Orthodox community and by some secular sources, including Blackwell's Dictionary of Eastern Christianity, the Encyclopedia of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, The Spectator and Times Literary Supplement, as well as Wikipedia.Gurevich and Harani contended that a 1989 account of the murder, published in Orthodox America, a publication of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, became the basis of an anti-Semitic ritual murder narrative, according to which a group of anti-Christianity Jews first harassed Philoumenos and destroyed Christian holy objects at the monastery, then murdered him.
An Islamic State (IS) car bomb killed 20 people and injured 30 others at a site where displaced families are located in eastern Syria near the city of Deir al-Zor, Syria's SANA state news agency reported on Friday.

It said the bombing took place near the al-Jafra area, which is located south of the city and is controlled by the Syrian government.

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Japan's government and ruling camp have started discussions on lowering salary deductions, mainly for high-paid employees, while raising basic deductions applied to all taxpayers, informed sources said Thursday.

As one option, they are mulling increasing the annual basic deduction amount to around 500,000 yen from the current 380,000 yen, according to the sources.

The steps are expected to increase tax burdens for high-income employees while reducing tax for those working freelance.

By reviewing the current deduction system, which is more beneficial to company employees, the government and the ruling pair of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito are aiming to narrow the gaps between salary earners and others amid diversifying work styles in the country, the sources said.

The LDP and Komeito are set to discuss specifics at their respective tax panels from next week, in the hope of including the deduction system revision in the government's fiscal 2018 tax system reform package, to be compiled in late December, the sources said.
Ireland is not ready to allow talks on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union to move to the second phase next month, Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Tuesday.

"Yes we all want to move onto phase two of the Brexit negotiations but we are not in a place right now that allows us to do that. We have very serious issues, particularly around the (UK-Irish) border, that need more clarity," Coveney told a news conference before a meeting with his British counterpart Boris Johnson.

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Japanese regional carrier Air Do becomes the latest airline struck by the global shortage of pilots, saying Thursday it has canceled 26 flights scheduled for February after already grounding 34 trips this month.

The new cancellations cover Feb. 1-7 flights between Tokyo's Haneda Airport and New Chitose Airport near Sapporo, affecting some 600 passengers who held reservations.

The Hokkaido-based airline suffered a wave of retirements in August and October by pilots capable of operating small aircraft. Air Do has increased hiring as well as training of co-pilots for promotion to captain. But the lengthy training time prompted the carrier to cancel the February flights, run with code-share partner All Nippon Airways, part of ANA Holdings.

Air Do plans no further cancellations in its fiscal second half beyond these two sets, a spokesperson said.

Japan's commercial aviation industry fears a serious shortage may hit around 2030, when a generation of pilots in the country is expected to retire en masse.

The global airline industry will need 980,000 pilots in 2030, more than double the 2010 level, the International Civil Aviation Organization estimates. Meeting this number will require the training of at least 50,000 pilots yearly. An annual shortfall of more than 8,000 is anticipated.
Voice actress Hiromi Tsuru, known for her work on the aAnpanmana animation, died at a hospital in the capital on Thursday after she was found unconscious inside her vehicle, reports TBS News

At 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, Tsuru was found unconscious inside the stopped vehicle with her seat belt fastened along an expressway in the Nihonbashi area of Chuo Ward.

Tsuru was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was confirmed dead that same day.

Prior to the discovery, an officer from a highway patrol car checked the inside Tsuru's vehicle after it was found with its left bumper up against the concrete median and its hazard lights on.

Though the cause of death is under investigation, police suspect that Tsuru died due to natural causes since her body did not exhibit any external wounds and there were no signs of an accident.

Tsuru was most famous for her work as the Dokin-chan character in the "Anpanman" series. She was also recognized as the voice of the character Bulma in the "Dragon Ball" animated series.
Following the discovery of nine corpses in a residence in Zama City last month, Tokyo Metropolitan Police have reason to believe that a man in custody, who has admitted to taking the lives of the victims, plotted one additional killing, reports TBS News

On October 30, police investigating the disappearance of Aiko Tamura, a 23-year-old woman from Tokyo's Hachioji City, entered the residence and found the body parts belonging to the eight women and one man inside seven ice coolers.

Following questioning, police arrested Takahiro Shiraishi, 27, on suspicion of abandoning a corpse. Upon his arrest, the suspect told police he carved up the bodies after killing the persons. "I dismembered the corpses in the bathroom," Shiraishi was quoted. "I did it as a means of destroying evidence."

During the course of the investigation, police found a number of items in the residence that are believed to have been used in the killings, including a saw and 10 nylon ropes. Of the ropes, which measure three meters in length, one had not been used, which has led investigators to conclude that the suspect plotted a tenth killing.

"Hanged by their necks"

The residence includes a loft. During questioning, Shiraishi said that the structure was used to kill the victims. "They were hanged by their necks with ropes tied to the loft," the suspect said.

Shiraishi moved into the residence in late August. Police believe the killings took place between August 22 and October 30.

According to previous reports, Shiraishi lured victims to his residence via Twitter, telling persons who expressed an interest in taking their lives that he had special knowledge of death by hanging.

Three female high school students

According to information provided by investigators on November 10, the results of DNA analyses concluded that three of the victims are female high school students: Kureha Ishihara (15) from Gunma Prefecture, Natsumi Kubo (17) from Saitama Prefecture and Akari Suda (17) from Fukushima Prefecture.

Two other victims are from Saitama (Hinako Sarashina, 19, and Hitomi Fujima, 26) while three others are from Kanagawa Prefecture (Mizuki Miura and Kazumi Maruyama, both 21). The only male victim is Shogo Nishinaka, 20, who is also from Kanagawa and the boyfriend of Miura.

Earlier in the week, police identified the ninth body as belonging to Tamura, who went missing in October.
British Prime Minister Theresa May and EU leaders agreed on Friday that "more work" is needed on Brexit as fears mount that talks will fail to move on to the next phase as hoped in December.

May launched a diplomatic offensive on the sidelines of a summit in Sweden, strolling with French President Emmanuel Macron along the port in the city of Gothenburg as she tried to break the Brexit stalemate.

May also met EU chief Donald Tusk and the premiers of Ireland, Poland and Sweden in a bid to convince them that Britain would make enough progress to open up talks next month on future trade relations and a transition period.

Britain's messy divorce from the EU after 40 years of membership overshadowed the original purpose of the summit, a plan to improve social standards and see off the threat of populism in the post-Brexit future.

The EU has demanded Britain make "sufficient progress" on the key issues of its divorce bill, citizens' rights and the Irish border if it wanted an agreement to move on to talks on a future trade deal and transition period.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned that the "clock is ticking" to reach a deal in time.

After her meeting with former Polish premier Tusk, May's Downing Street office said they "agreed that there is more work to be done and discussed how to take further steps forward together in advance of the European Council in December."

May and Macron meanwhile "looked forward to further progress being made ahead of the December Council", it added.

Macron's Elysee Palace said the "brief encounter" was held at Britain's request, and stressed that it was not intended to bypass the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier.

Barnier warned last week that Britain had just two weeks to meet the bloc's conditions. Failure to reach a deal in December would push back a decision until February or March, leaving little time for trade talks before Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019.

The Irish issue has become particularly sensitive, with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar threatening to block progress in December without a "written" guarantee that there will be no "hard border" with British-ruled Northern Ireland.

"If we have to wait until the new year, or if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it," Varadkar told reporters before having breakfast with May.

In a swipe at Britain, he added: "It's 18 months since the referendum, it's 10 years since people who wanted a referendum started agitating for one, sometimes it doesn't seem like they've thought all this through."

British media reports have suggested May could be ready to double the UK's 20 billion euro ($24 billion) offer on the exit bill in a bid to clear what has been the most difficult hurdles in talks so far. The EU says the bill is around 60 billion euros.

May said Britain would "honour our commitments" on the exit bill, as she promised in a speech in Florence in September, adding that she hoped the EU would respond "positively".

May's government is still pressing for a quick transition to future EU-British ties while shrugging off EU pressure on the divorce terms.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in Dublin on Friday that doing so would help solve the Irish issue, while Barnier's British negotiating counterpart David Davis called on the EU to compromise across the board.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who also held talks with May, said it was "very difficult to say" whether a deal was possible in December and added that London "needs to clarify what they mean about the financial responsibility."

But Lofven said he also wanted to keep the focus on the so-called "social summit" in Sweden, the first step in a two-year reform drive to show the bloc can survive after Brexit and other setbacks by tackling the economic inequalities fuelling populism.

Leaders signed a so-called European Pillar of Social Rights at the summit on Friday.

The EU is looking to reboot the union based on plans by France's new president Emmanuel Macron and by Juncker.

"This is absolutely crucial for EU's legitimacy," Lofven told reporters at the meeting, the bloc's first social summit since one in 1997 in Luxembourg.

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REDDING  While staying at a Paris hotel in 1879, Mark Twain and his daughters continued a nightly ritual in which they would point to a picture and he would make up a story about it.

That night, the story concerned a boy who ate a magic flower that gave him the ability to speak with animals and his mission to rescue a kidnapped prince named Oleomargarine. Twain eventually jotted down 16 pages of notes on the story  apparently the only time he ever did so  but it never found its way into print and the notes themselves lay buried for nearly 140 years in the authors archives at the University of California.

Finally, a scholar aiming to put together a Twain cookbook opened a file labeled Oleomargarine, expecting to find something about food, but instead found the long-forgotten notes about the kidnapped prince. He turned them over to the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, which gave the rights to the Doubleday publishing house.

In 2014, Doubleday called Philip and Erin Stead, a husband-and-wife team that had produced several childrens books, including one that won the prestigious Caldecott Medal. Would they be interested in a project involving Mark Twain?

It was the strangest call Ive ever received as a book maker, Philip Stead said Thursday night during an event at the Mark Twain Library, which Twain himself founded when he lived for a time in Redding.

What eventually emerged was a 152-page picture book, The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine, which was published in September and made it to The New York Times bestseller List.

Before taking on the project, Stead said, his acquaintance with Twain was probably no greater than that of many Americans. He had read Huckleberry Finn in high school and some short stories in his early 20s.

To prepare for the work, the couple spent months reading about Twain, especially his autobiography, which gave them a feel for Twains diction and helped them find the natural pauses in his writing where pictures could be inserted. But they knew they had to put something of themselves in the book, too.

We had to be careful to not adore him, Stead said. We had to collaborate with him as equals, not as an American icon.

Stead secluded himself on Michigans Beaver Island to write a first draft. During the work a page fell out of a paperback bearing a quote from Twain about the need for fluidity in a narrative and a lack of rules for writing.

This was exactly what I needed to see when I arrived at Bear Island, he said. I needed to know that Mark Twain would be OK with unusual choices.

As long as we had Mark Twains name on it, we were able to get away with things we wouldnt have normally been able to get away with, Stead added. Mark Twain was the most modern author of his day, and I think he would want to be experimenting with styles today.

Stead said its hard to say what in the finished book is Twains and what is his own, because the inspiration came from Twains world as a whole and not just the notes themselves.

There are nods to Twain in the books illustrations. The main characters home is modeled after Twains birthplace and the queens throne is made to look like the authors writing chair. Copies of Twains handwritten notes are included inside the covers as well.

I wanted to give some snippet of what it felt like to look at his handwritten notes, Stead said.

Twain Library president Jennifer Wastrom said the book represents a new way of seeing the renowned author, a town resident during the last few years of his life. By that time he had been saddened by the loss of his wife, son and daughter, while the book offers a glimpse at an earlier, happier time.

She said it was an honor for the library to host the author who helped put Twain on the bestseller list again.

This is a special night in the history of this place, Wastrom said.
Monthly health-care insurance premiums increased all over America this year, but nowhere as dramatically as in Charlottesville, Virginia, an analysis shows.

Residents of the small college city and the surrounding Albemarle County who wish to purchase individual insurance from the federal marketplace will be paying for the most expensive plans in the country, a Kaiser Family Foundation review confirmed.

The prices have shocked those who went to shop for a new plan Nov. 1 and found that in many cases they'd be paying three times as much for coverage as the year before.

"Everywhere else was horrific" for ballooning costs, said Karen Pollitz, Kaiser senior fellow of the rate increase. "But something weird is going on in Charlottesville different from everywhere else; something else added a multiple of two or three in Charlottesville."

Being hit the hardest by the spikes are entrepreneurs who work for themselves and earn too much to qualify for government subsidies. They have to pay a carrier's rate in full.

Ian Dixon, who left his full-time job in 2016 to pursue an app-development business, did so because the ACA guaranteed that he could still have quality coverage for his young family, he said.

But when the 38-year-old Charlottesville husband and father of a 3- and a 1-year-old went to re-enroll this month, his only choice for coverage would cost him more than $3,000 a month for his family of four, which amounted to an increase of more than 300 percent over the $900 he paid the year before. And this is for the second-cheapest option, with a deductible of $9,200.

"Helpless is definitely a good word for it," Dixon said. "Rage is also a good word for it."

Nearly 80 percent of the more than 350,000 Virginians who buy coverage on the ACA health exchange qualify for government subsidies that lower premiums, slightly less than the percentage among people with ACA health plans nationwide. But the remaining 20 percent are left with few options but to pay dramatically higher rates.

In Albemarle County, more than 5,000 people buy individual insurance on the federal exchange. Of those, about 1,500 are ineligible for the financial assistance, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

A benchmark silver plan - silver being the second-lowest tier of ACA coverage and the tier on which the premium subsidies are based - for a 40-year-old individual is $1,011 a month in Albemarle. The next highest for that type of plan are Hardee and Monroe counties in Florida at $903 a month, according to Kaiser.

Earlier this year, Aetna and Anthem pulled out of the Albemarle market, citing too much unpredictability and risk. A smaller carrier, Optima, came in to fill the void. Consumers in the area went from having 19 plans offered in the options from Aetna and Anthem to only five coverage options with Optima.

Several factors led to Optima's offering such high-priced plans, said Michael Dudley, the president of Optima.

First, small communities like Charlottesville tend to be pricier to cover because there is a small patient pool to balance out risks. So Optima took a cue from the carriers who had already ditched the market when actuaries predicted it was a place where the insurance companies might be paying out more to cover claims than it receives in premiums.

It is also a more expensive coverage area because the primary provider is University of Virginia Health System, an academic medical center that charges higher rates for its care than a community hospital. Optima will include UVA Health System in-network, unlike many carriers who have dropped the big medical centers as a cost-saving measure.

And finally, Virginia regulators told insurers to set their rates assuming that President Trump would eliminate cost-sharing reduction payments - which he did last month- that the government paid carriers to compensate the companies for discounts the law requires them to provide.

This action alone will cost Optima tens of millions of dollars, said Dudley.

"You take those two factors and then add the major uncertainty and instability out of Washington, D.C . . . it all combined in the perfect storm," Dudley said. "It's a tough message, and we anticipated it would be a tough message. We get it - this is frustrating."

And now that Republicans in Congress are debating making more changes to the ACA in its tax reform bill, Dudley said he has wondered whether they should have charged even more to cover their risk.

Doug Gray, executive director of the Virginia Association of Health Plans, had an even more tough-love take: Consumers in Charlottesville are "lucky" to have a carrier at all.

"We were the model for states in terms of competitive and successful exchanges. Then what happened is carriers lost a lot of money and they started to reexamine - 'Gee, I'm not sure I can sustain participating in this,' " Gray said. " 'Do I want to stay in this business? Can we explain to our customers a rate increase this big?' "

There are few options for consumers like Dixon who need coverage.

He recently created a Facebook page titled, "Charlottesville For Reasonable Health Insurance," hoping someone else had found a solution. Soon there were 161 members with the same problem, but little more to offer than empathy.

Among them was Shawn Marie Cossette, 55, who runs her own event and floral design business in Charlottesville. Last year, she purchased an Anthem silver plan for $550 a month for herself. This year, under Optima, a silver plan would cost her $1,859 monthly.

"It's a huge percentage of my income," she said. "I really believed in the ACA. I really feel everyone deserves the right to health insurance, but who can afford those prices if you don't qualify for subsidies?"

Cossette has found a workaround that while not ideal will result in her paying double rather than triple what she did last year. She is working with an insurance agent to form a small group plan and will put her one full-time employee on it. She'll pay for his insurance and her own in full, which will come to around $1,100 a month, and she can go back to Anthem under group coverage.

Dixon is looking to do something similar, although he doesn't have any employees. He would have to hire someone and begin paying a salary, which still might be cheaper than the premiums he'd pay on the individual market.

Others in the group have considered moving to another county with better carrier options. Some have suggested cutting their take-home pay so they could qualify for subsidies. And even more are thinking about getting a full-time job with benefits.

"People are desperate," Dixon said. "I feel like we're victims in the political games being played by the administration. It's hard for me to look at it any other way."
Japan News-Yomiuri photo

STANDALONE PHOTO: A hiba arborvitae - one of the largest types of Christmas tree in the world - arrives at Kobe, Japan, harbor on Friday. A planting ceremony was held at Meriken Park in Chuo Ward in the city later in the day. In terms of height, the tree is said to rival the famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City. It stands about 30 meters (more than 98 feet) tall. MUST CREDIT: Japan News-Yomiuri photo
MONTREAL, Nov. 16, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Birks Group Inc. (the "Company" or "Birks Group") (NYSE American: BGI), today reported its financial results for the twenty-six week period ended September 23, 2017. During this period, the Company announced the sale of its subsidiary, Mayor's Jewelers, Inc. ("Mayors"), which was subsequently completed on October 23, 2017. As a result of the sale of Mayors, the Company is presenting Mayors' results as a discontinued operation in its financial statements for the current and comparable prior periods.

Jean-Christophe Bedos, President and Chief Executive Officer of Birks Group, commented: "The sale of Mayors and our results for the half-year reflect the transformation of the Company's operations in order to achieve its objective of becoming an international omni-channel business and to attain our goal of becoming a globally renowned luxury brand. The major renovations at our two flagship locations in Montreal and Toronto coupled with a soft Canadian retail environment affected our results for the first half of the year. The sale of Mayors on October 23, 2017 for total cash consideration of $107.7 million, subject to customary post-closing adjustments, allowed us to substantially reduce our debt. In addition, this allows us to focus on the execution of our short-term and long-term strategies, namely the renovations of our flagship stores, the global expansion of the Birks product brand, the implementation of our new store concept and the development of our wholesale and e-commerce businesses. Our omni-channel approach, as well as our creative marketing campaigns will allow us to achieve the Company's sales growth and profitability objectives as well as long-term shareholder value."

For the twenty-six week period ended September 23, 2017 compared to the twenty-six week period ended September 24, 2016 - from continuing operations:

Net sales from continuing operations for the twenty-six week period ended September 23, 2017 declined by $5.1 million to $49.8 million from the twenty-six week period ended September 23, 2017 , compared to $54.9 million in the twenty-six week period ended September 24 , 2016. The decrease in net sales was reflective of a 10% decline in comparable store sales on a constant exchange rate basis (see "Non-GAAP measures") related to a decrease in sales of third party branded fine jewelry and bridal offerings. This decline in comparable store sales was driven by a decrease in traffic and transaction volume caused primarily by a softening of luxury retail conditions across Canada and an overall softening of retail conditions in the 2017 summer period, as well as to the fact that, as part of the Company's strategic plan, the Company began renovations affecting two of its flagship stores ( Montreal and Toronto ) that led to a temporary decline in sales volume during the construction period;

declined by to from the twenty-six week period ended , compared to in the twenty-six week period ended , 2016. The decrease in net sales was reflective of a 10% decline in comparable store sales on a constant exchange rate basis (see "Non-GAAP measures") related to a decrease in sales of third party branded fine jewelry and bridal offerings. This decline in comparable store sales was driven by a decrease in traffic and transaction volume caused primarily by a softening of luxury retail conditions across and an overall softening of retail conditions in the 2017 summer period, as well as to the fact that, as part of the Company's strategic plan, the Company began renovations affecting two of its flagship stores ( and ) that led to a temporary decline in sales volume during the construction period; Gross profit from continuing operations was $20.0 million , or 40.1% of net sales, during the twenty-six week period ended September 23, 2017 , compared to $22.5 million , or 41.0% of net sales, during the comparable prior fiscal year period. The 90 basis point gross margin rate decrease was primarily attributable to product sales mix and increased sales promotions;

, or 40.1% of net sales, during the twenty-six week period ended , compared to , or 41.0% of net sales, during the comparable prior fiscal year period. The 90 basis point gross margin rate decrease was primarily attributable to product sales mix and increased sales promotions; Operating expenses from continuing operations, excluding depreciation, for the period increased by $0.3 million mainly due to increased marketing and operational costs related to the Company's strategic focus on the promotion and development of the Birks product brand; and

mainly due to increased marketing and operational costs related to the Company's strategic focus on the promotion and development of the Birks product brand; and The Company incurred a net loss of $4.3 million , or $0.24 per share, for the 26 week period ended September 23, 2017 , comprised of a net loss from continuing operations of $5.7 million , or $0.32 per share and a net income from discontinued operations of $1.3 million , or $0.08 per share, compared to a net loss of $2.0 million , or $0.11 per share for the 26 week period ended September 24, 2016 , comprised of a net loss from continuing operations of $4.0 million , or $0.22 per share and a net income of $2.0 million , or $0.11 per share.

About Birks Group Inc.

Birks Group is a leading designer of fine jewelry, timepieces and gifts and operator of luxury jewelry stores in Canada. The Company operates 28 stores under the Birks brand in most major metropolitan markets in Canada and two retail locations in Calgary and Vancouver under the Brinkhaus brand. Birks was founded in 1879 and has become Canada's premier retailer and designer of fine jewelry, timepieces and gifts. Additional information can be found on Birks' web site, www.birksgroup.com.

Non-GAAP Measures

The Company reports information in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("U.S. GAAP"). The Company's performance is monitored and evaluated using various sales and earnings measures that are adjusted to include or exclude amounts from the most directly comparable GAAP measure ("non-GAAP measures"). The Company presents such non-GAAP measures in reporting its financial results to investors and other external stakeholders to provide them with useful complimentary information which will allow them to evaluate the Company's operating results using the same financial measures and metrics used by the Company in evaluating performance. The Company does not, nor does it suggest that investors and other external stakeholders should, consider non-GAAP measures in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures presented by other companies.

Constant exchange rate basis

The Company evaluates its sales performance using non-GAAP measures which eliminates the foreign exchange effects of translating net sales, comparable store sales and gross profit made in Canadian dollars to U.S dollars (constant exchange rate basis). Net sales, comparable store sales, gross profit on a constant exchange rate basis are calculated by taking the current period's sales, gross profit in local currency and translating them into U.S. dollars using the prior period's foreign exchange rates. The Company believes that such measures provide useful supplemental information with which to assess the Company's sales performance relative to the corresponding period in the prior year comparable period. The following tables reconcile the net sales, comparable store sales and gross profit increases (decreases) from GAAP to non-GAAP versus the comparable prior year period:





Constant Exchange Rate Basis

Reconciliation 26 week period ended September 23, 2017 vs.

26 week period ended September 24, 2016

GAAP Translation

Effect Constant-Exchange Rate Basis







Net sales increase (decrease)  from continuing operations (in $ 000's)













Net sales - Retail (5,887) (188) (5,699) Net sales - Other 866 (159) 1,025 Total Net Sales (5,021) (347) (4,674)







Gross profit decrease  from continuing operations (in $ 000's)













Gross Profit (2,505) (98) (2,407)













Constant Exchange Rate Basis

Reconciliation 26 week period ended September 23, 2017 vs.

26 week period ended September 24, 2016

GAAP Translation

Effect Constant-Exchange Rate Basis Comparable store sales decrease  from continuing operations (in %)













Comparable store sales (11)% (1)% (10)%

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking" statements concerning the Company's performance and strategies, including that the sale of Mayors and the Company's results for the half-year reflect the transformation of the Company's operations in order to achieve its objective of becoming an international omni-channel business and to attain its goal of becoming a globally renowned luxury brand; that the sale of Mayors will allow the Company to focus on the execution of its short-term and long-term strategies, namely the renovations of its flagship stores, the global expansion of the Birks product brand, the implementation of its new store concept and the development of its wholesale and e-commerce businesses; and that the Company's omni-channel approach, as well as its creative marketing campaigns will allow the Company to achieve its sales growth, profitability objectives and long-term shareholder value. Given such statements include various risks and uncertainties, actual results might differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and no assurance can be given that we will meet the results projected in the forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following: (i) economic, political and market conditions, including the economies of Canada and the U.S., which could adversely affect the Company's business, operating results or financial condition, including its revenue and profitability, through the impact of changes in the real estate markets, changes in the equity markets and decreases in consumer confidence and the related changes in consumer spending patterns, the impact on store traffic, tourism and sales; (ii) the impact of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, increases in commodity prices and borrowing costs and their related impact on the Company's costs and expenses; (iii) the Company's ability to maintain and obtain sufficient sources of liquidity to fund its operations, to achieve planned sales, gross margin and net income, to keep costs low, to implement its business strategy, maintain relationships with its primary vendors, to mitigate fluctuations in the availability and prices of the Company's merchandise, to compete with other jewelers, to succeed in its marketing initiatives, and to have a successful customer service program and (iv) the Company's ability to execute its strategic vision. Information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are set forth under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" and elsewhere in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 23, 2017 and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

BIRKS GROUP INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - UNAUDITED

(In thousands)







26 week period ended September 23, 2017

Continuing

operations Discontinued

operations Combined

operations







(in $ 000's)













Net sales 49,831 72,080 121,911 Cost of sales 29,839 45,736 75,575 Gross profit 19,992 26,344 46,336 Operating expenses 24,562 22,445 47,007 Operating (loss) income (4,570) 3,899 (671) Interest and other financial costs 1,101 2,480 3,581 Income tax expense - 75 75 Net (loss) income (5,671) 1,344 (4,327)







26 week period ended September 24, 2016

Continuing

operations Discontinued

operations Combined

operations







(in $ 000's)













Net sales 54,852 74,875 129,727 Cost of sales 32,355 47,847 80,202 Gross profit 22,497 27,028 49,525 Operating expenses 24,520 22,092 46,612 Operating (loss) income (2,023) 4,936 2,913 Interest and other financial costs 1,999 2,720 4,719 Income tax expense - 184 184 Net (loss) income (4,022) 2,032 (1,990)

SOURCE Birks Group Inc.

For further information: Pasquale (Pat) Di Lillo, Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, (514) 397-2592; Eva Hartling, Vice President, Birks Brand & Chief Marketing Officer, (514) 397-2496

Related Links

http://www.birks.com


VANCOUVER, Nov. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - (TSX: EOX; OTCQB: EOXFF): ("Euromax" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Ljupco (Lou) Naumovski has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Company.

Mr. Naumovski, a Canadian Citizen born in Macedonia, is a senior executive with broad multi-disciplinary experience, including general management and business development in gold mining and banking. Mr. Naumovski also serves as a Non-Executive Director on boards of Amur Minerals Corporation and Trans-Siberian Gold; both companies are listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market. Mr. Naumovski is an Honorary Member of the Board of Directors of Macedonia 2025 and serves as a Director of the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association and the Canadian Executive Service Organisation.

Mr. Naumovski retired from Kinross Gold Corporation in January 2017, where he served for ten years as Vice President and General Director in Moscow, responsible for Kinross' Government relations and new business development in Russia. Prior to this role, Mr. Naumovski served as Senior Vice President and General Manager at Visa International Service Organisation and, prior to this as a Senior Banker in the Russian Team and also Resident Representative for the for the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development in Moscow. Mr. Naumovski holds a BA (Honours) in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto and an MA in International Relations (majoring in Russian / Soviet affairs) from the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

Concurrently with Mr. Naumovski's appointment, Mr. Patrick Forward will step down from the Company's Board, but will remain in his position as the Company's Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board's Technical Committee steering the development of Euromax's Ilovica-Shtuka project.

Martyn Konig, Chairman, stated: "On behalf of the Company's board of directors we warmly welcome Lou as a director. As a Macedonian Canadian with extensive experience of both mining and financing, we are sure that he will be a valuable asset to the Company and will contribute greatly towards the successful development of Ilovica-Shtuka."

About Euromax Resources Ltd.

Euromax is focused on building and operating the Ilovica-Shtuka copper-gold project in Macedonia.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the continued advancement of the company's general business development, research development and the company's development of mineral exploration projects. When used in this press release, the words "will", "shall", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intent", "may", "project", "plan", "should" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Although Euromax believes that their expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statement. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include the potential that fluctuations in the marketplace for the sale of minerals, the inability to implement corporate strategies, the ability to obtain financing and other risks disclosed in our filings made with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Euromax 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 applicable securities laws.

SOURCE EurOmax Resources Ltd.

For further information: For more information, please visit www.euromaxresources.com or contact: Martyn Konig, Executive Chairman, +44 (0) 20 3667 2970, [email protected]; Varshan Gokool, President & CEO, +44 (0) 20 3667 2970, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.euromaxresources.com


SHERBROOKE, QC, Nov. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - Through the Build in Canada Innovation Program, the Government of Canada is committed to growing the economy and strengthening the middle class, as well as helping those working hard to join it.

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, on behalf of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, today announced that the Government of Canada is investing in an innovative security solution to detect the presence of suspicious powders, liquids and substances in mail.

RaySecur International Inc. received a $526,003 contract for its cutting-edge MailSecur Device. The MailSecur Device is a real-time 360-degree imaging system (similar to a CT scan). It has a transportable and light-weight design and is more efficient and accurate than traditional X-ray or handheld inspection methods. The innovation is being tested at the Canada Border Services Agency, Global Affairs Canada and Correctional Service Canada.

This investment was made through the Build in Canada Innovation Program, which helps Canadian innovators land their first sale and have their innovations tested by the Government of Canada. This program is just one of the many ways the Government of Canada supports innovation and small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.

Canadian innovators can submit their proposals on the Build in Canada Innovation Program website.

Quotes

"Through the Build in Canada Innovation Program, our government is supporting companies like RaySecur International Inc. by matching their innovative products with government needs. The program helps companies find a crucial first customer, while departments get early access to useful state-of-the-art technologies. "

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough

Minister of Public Services and Procurement

"Our country has many companies like RaySecur International Inc. that are helping Canada become a leader in cutting-edge technologies. Today's announcement demonstrates our commitment to supporting small and medium-sized businesses throughout Canada."

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau

Minister of International Development and La Francophonie and Member of Parliament for ComptonStanstead

"Our breakthrough technology is not only unique, it is ensuring the safety of the most prominent people around the globe, from private companies, government agencies, postal agencies, elected officials and celebrities. It is an accurate, safe, cost-effective and user-friendly threat detection system that will transform mail screening by making it widely accessible."

Eric Giroux

Chief Executive Officer, RaySecur International Inc.

"RaySecur's arrival in Magog is bringing even more enrichment to all the expertise progressively spreading through our information technology community. It also highlights the cutting-edge, highly innovative technology developed by the company and the strong entrepreneurial spirit of its president, Eric Giroux. Through his perseverance, his leadership, his extensive knowledge and skills, he will be able to drive his business towards success."

Andre Metras

Director General, Magog Technopole

Quick facts

Some of MailSecur's primary benefits include:

The ability to provide safe and accessible detection



Real-time inspection capabilities that drastically reduce inspection time compared to X-ray and handheld inspection



Transportable light-weight design (32 kg or 70 lbs)

More than 270 contracts have been awarded under the Build in Canada Innovation Program

Innovation Program A total of 57 contracts have been awarded to Quebec companies, for a total value of more than $26 million

companies, for a total value of more than More than $120 million has been awarded in contracts since the Build in Canada Innovation Program began in 2010

Associated links

Build in Canada Innovation Program

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Facebook

SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada

For further information: Ashley Michnowski, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, 819-997-5421; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, [email protected]

Related Links

www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca


Diverse group of major energy consumers, producers and distributors from across Ontario releases eight recommendations to guide decisions about the future of Ontario's electricity system

TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, the Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance, a diverse group of 19 energy consumers, businesses, producers and distributors from across Ontario, took the unprecedented step of joining together to announce its Power Framework to ensure smart electricity decisions.

With eight recommendations, the Power Framework provides the roadmap Ontario needs for smart electricity decisions that achieve the best outcomes for Ontario's electricity consumers through the principles of transparency, competition, objectivity and independence.

All three main political parties have at one point in Ontario's history struggled tremendously with energy planning. With new technologies, electricity planning is going to become even more complex and difficult. Therefore, the Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance is asking each party to commit to its Power Framework, which focuses on:

Transparency: A plan to build confidence in an open, accountable system with an engaged Legislature and rules that respect the public's right to be informed;

A plan to build confidence in an open, accountable system with an engaged Legislature and rules that respect the public's right to be informed; Competition: A commitment to competitive processes, wherever feasible, that help support lower costs for both government and electricity consumers;

A commitment to competitive processes, wherever feasible, that help support lower costs for both government and electricity consumers; Objectivity: A commitment to smart electricity decisions informed by rigorous cost-benefit analysis and objective procurement criteria that ensure Ontario ratepayers are getting the best value; and

A commitment to smart electricity decisions informed by rigorous cost-benefit analysis and objective procurement criteria that ensure ratepayers are getting the best value; and Independence: A process where independent agencies like the IESO, OEB and Ontario Electricity Safety Authority are appropriately resourced to make independent decisions and be held accountable by the provincial Legislature.

Ontario's electricity sector governance and planning framework should be revised to reflect these fundamental principles. This will help ensure the sector's cost effectiveness, reliability and ability to adapt. Decisions about Ontario's electricity system have far-reaching implications, impacting the province's economic strength and prosperity for years to come, and are fundamental to the realization of the province's ambitions.

All Ontarians have a shared stake in this framework and its objectives. The Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance is fully committed to working with all private and public stakeholders to advance this framework.

About the Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance

The Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance is a diverse group of energy consumers, businesses, producers and distributors from across Ontario. The alliance is made up of industry associations, consumer groups, boards of trade, and leaders from Ontario's business community. The alliance currently includes the following members:

Association of Power Producers of Ontario ;

; Canadian Federation of Independent Business;

Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters;

Consumer Policy Institute;

Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario ;

; Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce;

Chamber of Commerce; Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce;

Chamber of Commerce; Greater Toronto Hotel Association;

London Chamber of Commerce;

Chamber of Commerce; Mississauga Board of Trade;

Board of Trade; Ontario Chamber of Commerce;

Chamber of Commerce; Ontario Energy Association;

Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers;

Ontario Federation of Agriculture;

Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association;

Peterborough Chamber of Commerce;

Chamber of Commerce; Society of Energy Professionals;

Toronto Region Board of Trade; and

Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce.

All Ontarians stand to benefit from smart electricity decisions. Indeed, the breadth of members of the Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance speaks to the far-reaching impact of electricity policy, and the importance of enacting this framework.

Select Quotes from Members of the Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance

"The future success of Ontario families and businesses will be heavily influenced by our energy planning decisions. To optimize outcomes for consumers, we need to adopt best practices in decision making. The breadth of our coalition speaks to the tremendous support for the Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance Power Framework proposals. We hope all the political parties in Ontario will support and endorse our Power Framework for smart electricity decisions."

- Vince Brescia, President & CEO, Ontario Energy Association

"The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has long advocated that future energy policies reflect the principles of competitiveness, transparency and flexibility. The Power Framework and its 8 recommendations presented by the Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance builds on the advocacy of OCC and provides a collective voice poised tackle the energy challenge currently faced by Ontario businesses."

- Richard Koroscil, Interim President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce

"Smart electricity decisions are critical to a vital rental-housing industry and strong economy. We look forward to working together with such a diverse group of impacted consumers, businesses and advocates to advance a Power Framework that charts the course for our shared prosperity. By focusing on transparency, competition, objectivity and independence we're setting the stage for Ontario to succeed in an increasingly complex energy climate."

- Paul Fogolin, Vice President  Government & Industry Relations, Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario

"Ontario is at a turning point in its planning process regarding the future energy needs of the province. In order for businesses in Kingston to grow and succeed, it is imperative that future energy policies respect the concerns of businesses and support future economic growth."

- Bill Stewart, Advocacy & Policy Development Specialist, Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce

"Businesses across rural and urban areas of Waterloo Region require competitive electricity for major investment decisions. This plan provides the framework for short and long-term stability in pricing."

- Art Sinclair, Vice President, Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce

"As part of our strategic plan, OGVG looks forward to working through the Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance to facilitate the move to smart electricity planning, ensuring our members remain competitive and continue to provide fresh, local produce to Ontarians all year-round."

- Joe Sbrocchi, General Manager, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers

"The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce decided to sign on with the coalition recognizing that electricity is one of the most prominent concerns amongst our 900-member businesses in the City and County of Peterborough. The principles of an energy planning framework will help guide long term electricity decisions and that will benefit businesses and residents in our community."

- Stuart Harrison, President & CEO, Peterborough Chamber of Commerce

"We are the engineers, scientists and other professionals who help power our province. The Society of Energy Professionals is proud to be part of the Alliance because Ontario needs a facts-first conversation about our energy system in the next election. Evidence-based decision-making benefits all Ontarians  it's the only way to get the cleanest energy at the lowest price."

- Michelle Johnston, The Society of Energy Professionals

"Sound policies and strategic investments can bring economic development across the province. Energy affordability and reliability are critical for rural communities and agricultural businesses to drive prosperity. We look forward to working with the Alliance to promote smart energy policy that benefits all Ontarians."

- Ian Nokes, Policy Analyst, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

SOURCE Ontario Electricity Stakeholders Alliance

For further information: [email protected]
ALBANY, N.Y. -- A woman investigators said created a fake law firm and stole more than $23,000 from clients has been sentenced, the state attorney general's office announced Thursday.

Antonia Barrone, also known as Mario Vrendenburg, was sentenced to 1 1/2 to three years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree scheme to defraud.

Barrone had been running a fake law firm, called Stacchini & Barrone, Attorneys at Law, for nearly five years from September 2012 to April 2017, and using the name of a licensed attorney to steal money from more than 400 clients throughout New York, the office stated.

Barrone also ran New York State Prisoner Assistance Center, Inc. -- also known simply as the Prisoner Assistance Center or New York Parole Aids -- billing inmates and family members for legal assistance.

Barrone claimed the group was staffed by a team of attorneys, but she actually ran the business out of her home, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stated.

"Deceiving vulnerable New Yorkers into paying for unlicensed legal services is reprehensible, costing them thousands each and jeopardizing their rights," Schneiderman stated. "My office won't hesitate to prosecute those who defraud New Yorkers by practicing without a license."

After a civil lawsuit by the attorney general, Barrone and the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center were ordered to pay a $244,500 penalty to the state and pay back $23,427 to defrauded clients, the office stated.

The 1 1/2 to three year sentence will run consecutive to a separate 1 1/2 to four year sentence for an unrelated felony. She is also awaiting sentencing for a felony charge in Saratoga County, the attorney general's office stated.

Barrone will spend an estimated total of 2 5/6 to seven years in prison for all charges.
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HAMDEN  Life just got better for children and adults on the autism spectrum, and for those who have other intellectual/developmental disabilities.

And for their families, too.

Clifford Beers Clinic, based in New Haven, cut the ribbon Thursday on its new Marne Street Clinic in Hamden, where families can get a comprehensive array of services  evaluations, therapies, medical treatment, support groups and help navigating the complex web of resources available for those with special needs.

We realized that many families were spending full days driving great distances to appointments with multiple providers, which often is a social, psychological and financial burden to the family, said Alice M. Forrester, chief executive officer of Clifford Beers Clinic. With Marne Street, we wanted families to be able to get many of their needs met in one visit, including connecting with and finding support from people dealing with similar problems.

Five years in the making, the new clinic is ready for business in Hamden at 41 Marne St., but will serve all of Connecticut.

The ribbon-cutting was attended by dozens of other dignitaries and clinical specialists, but their combined passion for the place couldnt outshine that one woman, whose son, Michael, 13, has autism and many other diagnoses.

Its something we need as parents, said Cheryl DArgento of North Branford, letting out a big sigh.

DArgento said she found new hope for her son at Clifford Beers Clinic, where they dont treat you like a patient, but more like a family member or friend, and the new clinic with so many services will make it all the better. She said the clinic also helps those it serves by educating parents and reassuring them they are the most important advocate for their loved one.

Driving to various places for services  such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, psychiatry, counseling, support groups  can take a toll not only parents, but on the affected person, as well, because many, like Michael, dont adjust well to change in scenery or last-minute surprises, DArgento said.

Michele Dwyer of East Haven, who works in accounting at Clifford Beers Clinics business office, attended the event as an interested parent with her son, Brian, 15, who is high-functioning and on the autism spectrum, attending Woodhouse Academy High School in Milford.

Dwyer said Brian, who has anxiety, was hesitant to go in at first, but loved the atmosphere once inside, especially a sensory room where its dark with soothing light sources.

Dwyer said she drives Brian all over the map for services and even if he keeps those providers, shes excited to tell friends who have special needs children about all the new clinic offers.

This is fantastic, she said. Dwyer said it makes me very happy to contribute to the effort even if its through working the business office.

The new clinic also will provide family and sibling support groups.

Forrester said the autism and intellectually/developmentally disabled population is a very special one with low sensory needs, therefore the colors and other parts of the environment at the new offices were carefully chosen.

We are cutting some new ground, Forrester said of the Marne Street Clinic.

State Department of Social Services Commissioner Rod Bremby said the clinics opening is a huge boon to a population in need of services and the treatments will be cutting edge.

Hamden Mayor Curt Leng, New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp and North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda attended the ribbon-cutting Thursday, as did state Senate Democratic President Martin M. Looney.

Leng said he was struck by the large crowd at the ribbon-cutting, was glad Clifford Beers Clinic chose Hamden as the place to expand its footprint and commended them for their amazing work in the field.

Forrester introduced Harp as being a forever advocate of Clifford Beers, going back to her days as a state senator.

Harp said it was a thrill to see Clifford Beers fill that gap for those with autism and intellectual disabilities, many of whom felt they had nowhere to go.

Dr. Pieter Joost van Wattum, chief medical officer at Clifford Beers Clinic, said the goal of the new clinic is to provide all-inclusive care so that quality of life will improve for everyone involved.

Families who care for a relative with a developmental disability often feel isolated, van Wattum said. Its a type of isolation that affects the individual as well as his or her caregivers. What were doing really addresses that.

Plans are underway to add additional services including applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy and nutrition support, as well as in-home care coordination, clinic officials said.

DArgento said she has seen a huge difference in Michaels behavior since starting treatment in New Haven.

Its unbelievable, said DArgento. Im just so happy and relieved that hes getting what he needs.

Forrester said: At the heart of what we do is a drive to find solutions to peoples problems.

To learn more about services visit: visit www.cliffordbeers.org, email marnestreet@cliffordbeers.org or call 203 691-9383.
GUILFORD  A man is accused of drunk driving after he allegedly caused a rollover accident.

David Goodrich, 38, of Liberty Street, Clinton, was charged with driving under the influence and failure to maintain lane, police said in a report.

Connecticut State Police were informed Thursday night of a reported rollover accident on Interstate 95 northbound near Exit 58. Upon arrival, troopers observed a blue Nissan that had rolled onto its roof on the median, and a gray Mercedes-Benz stopped in the right lane with extensive front-end damage, the report said.

Three of the four occupants of the Nissan had made it out, but one was still trapped inside. All four individuals were eventually taken to Yale New Haven Hospital with minor injuries, according to the police report.

The operator of the Nissan alleged the Mercedes, driven by Goodrich, abruptly applied its brakes, causing the Nissan to hit the Mercedes from behind and roll over, the report stated.

Goodrich was still seated in the driver seat when approached by state police. Troopers reported they smelled a strong odor of alcohol, and Goodrichs eyes appeared glassy and bloodshot. Goodrich said he was heading back to Clinton after meeting friends and family at Elis Restaurant in Branford. He claimed to have had two or three beers, the report said.

Goodrich said he was not injured but still wanted to be evaluated by emergency personnel. Goodrich and the passenger of the Mercedes were taken to Yale New Haven Shoreline Clinic with minor injuries, according to the police report.

Upon further investigation at the clinic, it was determined Goodrich was allegedly under the influence and failed the standard field sobriety tests. He was released on $2,500 bail and issued a court date of Nov. 29, the report said.
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ORANGE  Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church is getting a jump start this weekend on Christmas spirit with its Holiday Fantasy of Trees event to include decorated trees, wreaths and urns for raffle, lots of ethnic food offerings, a marketplace to shop and even visits with Santa Claus, who looks a lot like Rick George.

The fifth annual holiday event Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. is being put on by the churchs Ladies Philoptochos Society, whose mission is to help the needy.

Anne Faraclas, co-chairwoman of the holiday event said that in five years, Weve grown into something thats magical and enjoyable for the entire family.

In past years, the event was held after Thanksgiving, but by then everyone had been thrust into the holiday hustle and bustle, organizers said.

She said there is something at the event for all ages to enjoy.

The free event is also a drop-off site for Connecticut Food Bank donations and so guests are encouraged to drop off a non-perishable item.

The celebration has some of what draws thousands each year to the churchs popular Greek festival in September.

There will be music, dance, popular Greek cuisine, such as Spanakopita, Pastitsio, moussaka, Avgolemeno (egg lemon chicken) soup, Greek meatballs, Chicken Souvlaki, and Greek Salad. They will also sell Greek pastries.

In addition, 27 beautifully decorated trees will be raffled, along with wreaths and urns, organizers said.

There will also be a Holiday Marketplace for shopping.

The raffle drawings will be Sunday at 4:30 p.m., but those who enter need not be present to win.

There will be a dance performance of the Pine Forest Nutcracker by the Little Wing Dancers of Milford Recreation Department and performances by Suzuki School of Music, Saint Barbara Choir

Santa will bring his mobile workshop and visit with children.

Photos with Santa will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more information call 203-795-1347 or visit www.saintbarbara.org.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari ordered soldiers to kill its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.IPOB made the claim while maintaining that Buhari was carrying on the jihad of his forbearer Uthman Dan Fodio propagated by Sir Ahmadu Bello.In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful and sent to DAILY POST, on Monday, the group said they hate our people with a passion, they love killing us.IPOB also alleged that Buharis planned visit to Anambra was part of a plot to rig the upcoming governorship election in the state.The statement reads, This Jubril person coming in the name of Buhari, it should be noted, is also planning to visit Anambra State on Wednesday 15th November in order to put executive finishing touches to the APC rigging plot to install the caliphates latest young Igbo recruit Tony Nwoye. This they hope will cement the ongoing humiliation and conquest of our people. God forbid!This thing Jubril is only coming to confirm to us that he is our lord and master. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT IT. He can lord it over Ohaneze Ndigbo, Igbo governors and Abuja rent boys but never over we die-hard Biafrans. The Governor that invited him will definitely pay a heavy price, he and his children long after Jubril must have returned to Sudan and Okorocha back to Jos.Buhari the supposed 75 year old blood thirsty nepotistic hater, killed our people in thousands during the 1966 Pogrom. He was with Col Murtala Mohamed at the Asaba Massacre in 1967 in case Chief John Nnia Nwodo and Gov. Dave Umahi have forgotten.He played a key role in all the theatres of genocidal mass slaughter of the Nigeria /Biafra War (1967-1970).He instructed soldiers to kill Nnamdi Kanu at his Afaraukwu Abia State residence 2 months ago. We are yet to know our leaders whereabouts or that of his parents.This blood thirsty Fulani herdsman, holds a world view of Biafrans and Ndigbo in particular as a conquered, enslaved and dominated people. The only reason Buhari sought apex political power was to finish the pledge of Uthman Dan Fodio to dip the Koran in the Atlantic Ocean.He is carrying on the jihad of his forbearer Uthman Dan Fodio propagated by Sir Ahmadu Bello. They hate our people with a passion, they love killing us, so his coming is only to celebrate what he sees as the final defeat of our people. He will not go home alive.
The greatest tragedy of the Mugabe story is that he ended up with the wrong woman. Had Sally (his first wife) lived things would have been far better. Sadly she died and he ended up getting married to a demon-possessed Jezebel called Grace who has the spirit of Lady Macbeth.  Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) November 16, 2017

Reacting to the situation inthat has left the government crippled and the president practically 'missing', Nigeria's former Aviation minister,blameswife,for the ugly turn of events.According to him, 'the greatest tragedy of the Mugabe story is that he ended up with the wrong woman. Had Sally (his first wife) lived things would have been far better. Sadly she died and he ended up getting married to a demon-possessed Jezebel called Grace who has the spirit of Lady Macbeth'.
Chairperson of Southern African Development Community (SADC), Jacob Zuma on Friday disclosed what is being done about the face-off between Zimbabwe military and Robert Mugabe.Zuma assured that the regional bloc was ready to provide necessary support to the people of Zimbabwe to resolve the current political crisis, Xinhua reports.Zuma, President of South Africa, spoke before addressing the 4th Session of the Bi-National Commission between Botswana and South Africa in Gaborone, capital of Botswana.He said the SADC noted with great concern the unfolding developments, and expressed the hope that they would not lead to unconstitutional change of government in Zimbabwe.Zuma reminded all the parties involved to ensure that maintenance of peace, and security as enshrined in the Zimbabwean constitution was not compromised.Speaking, President Seretse Khama of Botswana said he remained confident they would provide solutions to the people of Zimbabwe.Khama also promised to be in contact with president Zuma to further discuss the matter in a weeks time.During official talks, the two Heads of States also reflected on a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues.On Wednesday, during an address to the nation after taking control of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, an army spokesman said the military is targeting criminals around Mugabe.We wish to make it abundantly clear that this is not a military takeover, Major-General SB Moyo said.We are only targeting criminals around (Mugabe) who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice.As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy.He urged other security forces to cooperate for the good of our country, warning that any provocation will be met with an appropriate response.
The Zimbabweans President, Robert Mugabe, has refused to resign after a military coup, insisting that he remains the only legitimate...

The Zimbabweans President, Robert Mugabe, has refused to resign after a military coup, insisting that he remains the only legitimate ruler of the country.But pressure is mounting on the 93-year-old former guerrilla to accept offers of a graceful exit, sources said on Thursday.A political source, who spoke to senior allies holed up with Mugabe and his wife, Grace, in his lavish Blue Roof Harare compound, said Mugabe had no plans to resign voluntarily ahead of elections scheduled for next year.It is a sort of stand-off, a stalemate. They are insisting the President must finish his term, Reuters quoted the source as saying.The armys takeover signalled the collapse in less than 36 hours of the security, intelligence and patronage networks that sustained Mugabe through 37 years in power and built him into the Grand Old Man of African politics.A priest mediating between Mugabe and the generals, who seized power on Wednesday in what they called a targeted operation against criminals in Mugabes entourage, has made little headway, a senior political source told Reuters.Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, called for Mugabes departure in the interest of the people, in a statement read to reporters, Tsvangirai pointedly referred to him as Mr. Robert Mugabe, not President.The army appears to want Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, to go quietly and allow a smooth and bloodless transition to Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president who Mugabe sacked last week, triggering the political crisis.The main goal of the generals is to prevent Mugabe from handing power to his wife, Grace, 41 years his junior, who has built a following among the ruling partys youth wing and appeared on the cusp of power after Mnangagwa was pushed out.The last of Africas state founders from the heyday of the struggle against European colonisation still in power, Mugabe is still seen by many Africans as a liberation hero. But he is reviled in the West as a despot whose disastrous handling of the economy and willingness to resort to violence to maintain power pauperised one of Africas most promising states.ZANU-PF youth leader Kudzai Chipanga, a vocal Mugabe supporter, publicly apologised for opposing the army after being marched by soldiers into the state television headquarters to read out a statement, sources at the broadcaster said.He was then taken back to the armys main KGVI (pronounced KG Six) barracks in Harare, where Finance Minister, Ignatius Chombo is also being held, an army source said.Video footage obtained by Reuters from the houses of two key allies of Grace Mugabe  cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere  indicated that the army was also prepared to use force if necessary.Moyos front door was blown open with explosives, scattering glass across the entrance hall, while the inside walls of Kasukuweres house were pocked with bullet holes.The pair managed to escape on the evening of the coup and made it to Mugabes compound, where they remain under effective house arrest, one political source said.It was gathered on Thursday that one motive for the military might have been knowledge of a plan orchestrated by Grace Mugabe and her supporters to have up to 40 senior officers and officials seen as backing Mnangagwa removed from their posts this week.During his rule, Mugabe ensured the continuing loyalty of the military by offering privileges and lucrative business opportunities to top soldiers. The transfer of these to the first lady and her faction would have been a bitter blow. One opposition official said negotiations had been ongoing for several months with certain people within the army.Zimbabwe faces severe economic problems. It is struggling to pay for imports due to a shortage of dollars, which has also caused acute cash shortages. Restoring some measure of economic health will be a priority of any incoming administration.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday joined other world leaders to commiserate with President Hassan Rouhani and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the devastating earthquake which struck the western province of Kermanshah recently, causing the death of more than 1,600 people and injured thousands.According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, in Abuja, the President, who described the natural disaster and its fallout as very unfortunate, sad and massive, said the thoughts and hearts of Nigerians are with the people of Iran at this trying period.He prayed that God will console the grieving families and wished the injured speedy recovery.President Buhari also expressed similar condolences to the government and people of Iraq over human and material losses suffered in the wake of the earthquake on their border with Iran.It will be recalled that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, had on Tuesday, November 14, 2017, while declaring open the 6th D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Industrial Cooperation with Member Countries in Abuja, on behalf of President Buhari, expressed condolences to the government and people of Iran on the disaster caused by the earthquake.
The camp of former President Goodluck Jonathan has lambasted former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, over his verbal attack on the Jonathan adm...

The camp of former President Goodluck Jonathan has lambasted former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, over his verbal attack on the Jonathan administration.

A statement by Jonathans former special assistant on New Media, Reno Omokri, drew Tinubus attention to the recent happenings in the Buhari government, noting that the current speed of corruption was faster that Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt.





Tinubu on Thursday attacked the former PDP government at a book presentation held at the State House Conference Center, Abuja.





The prior government used the public treasury as a private hedge fund or a charity that limited its giving only to themselves.





So much money grew feet and ran away faster than Usain Bolt ever could. That which could have been spent on national development was squandered in ways that would cause the devil to blush.





Boko Haram would have taken more territory and more lives would have been lost to insurgency if Jonathan had remained in power, he said.





However, Omokri disagreed with the APC national leader, recalling that Jonathan received good ratings on anti-corruption from renowned internal bodies.





It is a fact that Nigeria made her most improvement in Transparency Internationals annual Corruption Perception Index In 2014 under President Jonathan when we moved from 144 to 136 representing an improvement of 8 points.





Transparency International observed the Jonathan administrations fight against the corruption in Nigerias fertilizer procurement regime, the use of technology to remove 50,000 Federal ghost workers and the speed at which the then President fired ministers accused of corruption or conflict of interests.





From that time till today, Nigeria has not made any improvements and has remained at 136 where Jonathan left us because Transparency International deals with facts, not opinions or media trial.





Other than media sensationalism, there have been no convictions of financial misappropriation stemming from the Jonathan era.





However, we do know that it is a fact that the allegedly corrupt pension thief, Abdulrasheed Maina, was dismissed and declared wanted by the Jonathan administration.





We also now know that it is a fact that the present Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, met with Maina in Dubai. We know that Mainas family revealed in a press conference that Maina was invited back to Nigeria by the present government. It is also a fact that Maina was recalled, reinstated and given double promotion by the current administration.





Moreover, we know from the Head of Services leaked memo that President Muhammadu Buhari was aware of this entire saga.





Perhaps Asiwaju Bola Tinubu mistook the Usain Bolt speed at which Maina was smuggled back into the country and reinstated for the unproven claims of corruption under Jonathan.





We also know that it is a fact that $25 billion worth of contracts were awarded at the NNPC without due process. It is also a fact that this is the highest ever such amount involved in Nigerias history. Again, perhaps it is this amount that Tinubu meant when he said So much money grew feet and ran away faster than Usain Bolt ever could. Or perhaps he was referring to Babachir Lawal.





Nigerians should note that on the 7th of March 2014, then President Jonathan said I am loyal to Nigerias economy. I dont have accounts or property abroad. Till date, nobody has been able to contradict that statement because it is true. Can Bola Tinubu or anybody in the APC leadership make a similar claim?





On the issue of Boko Haram and terrorism, it is a fact that there is only one global body recognized to monitor terrorism and that is the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) which releases the annual Global Terrorism Index.





It is a fact that between 2013 and 2014, Nigeria under President Jonathan was unfortunately listed as the fourth most terrorized nation in the world.





However, in the latest Global Terrorism Index released yesterday (November 15, 2017) by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Nigeria has deteriorated from where Jonathan left it and is now the third most terrorized nation.





In 2015, President Jonathan ensured that elections held in every local government in Borno states, but last month, the United Nations declared that they could no longer operate in certain local governments of Borno state. So who is fooling who?




A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to do more to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.He said although the administration had achieved a lot in the two years of its existence, too many Nigerians were still too poor to be ignored.Tinubu made the call in his keynote address at the public presentation of a book, Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigerias Peace and Prosperity at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.The 360-page book is a mid-term scorecard of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration authored by the Presidential Media Team.The former Lagos State governor said though the present administration worked hard to fix the country, it must recognised the situation of millions of people who had been denied for a long time and were still suffering.He said, True, much good has been done by this government to ignore. However, too many of our people remain too poor and put-out to ignore as well. Daylight comes but not yet to all and not in equal measure.Due to the neglect of prior governments, our economy was not allowed to blossom in a way that offered jobs to the poor and empowered the common man.Where prosperity should have stood, poverty was erected. Where progress should have been established, stagnation assumed residence. We are trying hard to escape this deep hole.While we work towards this good end, we must recognise the situation of millions of our people. Wrongfully denied for so long, they suffer still. But we ask them to take heart. Dont forfeit hope. Understand that tomorrow will not be as the past when what was built and bought was not intended for you.What we are now building, is meant for you. This is your government and you will be the beneficiaries of its policies and programmes. You are no longer the forgotten. You are the hope and promise of a nation and its future.As this government implements its economic plans, the griping poverty you have long suffered will give way and ultimately turn into the fertile progress and prosperity that only good governance can bring. We do this with a sense of urgency!Tinubu said the country was racing against unrelenting time and that a time would come when the nations oil would lose its value and would become merely liquid beneath our feet.He said the government must train its policies to avert the impending problem, adding that the history of a depressed economy must not be allowed to repeat itself.The APC chief noted that some people might distort his observations to make them appear as pieces of evidence of space between him and Buhari.Their evidence will be false and their news about this will be fake. Mischief never dies. Fortunately, nor does the truth.What I proffer today is done in the spirit of utmost respect and affinity by one who wants the best for this government and for Nigeria. I say these things to encourage the government to achieve the greatness the times demand and of which this government is capable, he said.While describing the economy as the battlefront upon which the nations fate would be decided, Tinubu observed that the 2018 Budget that was recently presented to the National Assembly would move the nation farther in the right direction.He added, It is a bolder, more creative one than this governments earlier editions.It shows this government has embraced its progressive identity despite the chorus of opposition. Also that it more clearly realises the depths of the economic and financial challenges before us.One of the important aspects of this budget is the capital expenditure for needed infrastructure.This investment means the government fully recognises our economy must grow but that it cannot expand beyond the parameters of the infrastructural grid that serves it.With this book and with the budget we come to the place where past intersects with the present to interact with the future; the place where what we do or dont do will dictate the Nigeria of tomorrow.We are inching out of recession but growth must increase. It is time to lead our people to a place where poverty and hunger become infrequent and where prosperity and hope are the daily fare of the common man.He called the governments attention to three key ideas  the establishment of a robust industrial capacity, the need for a national infrastructural plan and the need to help common farmers by improving rural output and incomes.He urged the government to return to commodity exchange boards or similar mechanism to allow farmers to secure their income and hedge against loss.Tinubu said the nations future was one of beckoning challenge yet potential greatness.Through no fault of their own, too many of our people are without. Too many parents cannot properly feed and clothe their precious children, too many young adults exist in the void of joblessness, and too many of us do not have the resources to care for elderly parents who once cared for them. We must cure these wrongs.If I were an architect, I would say that President Buhari has used the last two years to wisely lay the deep and wide foundation for a new building called a better Nigeria.Today, as I stand before you all, I implore him and his government. The good you have started. do it the more. The good that you have yet to achieve . get to it with a laser- like focus.If we do as we must, we can well together construct this new building so that it will have place and habitation for those who have lived outside and on the margins to come in and finally partake of the bounty and good harvest a proud and true nation has to offer its people, he added.Tinubu said the nation must move towards true federalism.This, he said, should be done by the balance of power and responsibility between the Federal Government and the states.In so doing, we attain the correct balance between our collective purpose on one hand and our separate grassroots realities on the other, he said.Boko Haram decimated under BuhariTinubu recalled that before the inception of the present administration the Boko Haram sect wreaked havoc daily.He said the sect invaded towns and villages, erasing the peace and normalcy of the people to replace it with wanton brutality, hatred and death.They hoisted their dreadful flag where only the green and white of Nigeria should have been.Today, that evil flag is not planted over an inch of our precious land. This violent scourge recedes into the darkened shadows of inhumanity from whence it came.People once under its horrid dominion now breathe the air of freedom and safety.Boko Haram has not been completely defeated. But there is no question, that it has been decimated and made shorter and weaker. They shall never constitute the threat they once were.This is no accident. It is the result of the policies and commitment of President Buhari, his government and the men and women of our armed forces who place their lives on the line in silent heroism to protect this nation and its people.Had the previous government remained in place, Boko Haram would have surely eaten more territory and devoured more people. This nation might have indeed been divided and cut asunder, not by choice but by the knife of terrorism, he said.The former governor also said that the previous government used the public treasury as a private hedge fund or a charity that limited its giving only to themselves.He said, So much money grew feet and ran away faster than Usain Bolt ever could. That which could have been spent on national development was squandered in ways that would cause the devil to blush.One minister and her rogues gallery picked the pocket of this nation for billions of dollars. While poor at governance, these people could give a master thief lessons in the sleight of hand. In governance, they earned a red card but in the corruption, they won the gold medal.It was not that our institutions had become infected by corruption. Corruption had become institutionalised.He noted that Buhari had set an axe to the root of corruption which he described as a dangerous tree.He however admitted that the war against large-scale corruption had not been won yet.He said it would take time and countless swings of the axe to fall such a deeply-rooted tree.Gone are the times when a minister can pilfer billions of dollars as easy as plucking a piece of candy from the table.We have much to do to combat this disease. Not only must we track down the takers. In the long term, we must review the salaries of public servants and create universal credits for our people to reduce temptation.We must also take greater care by placing people of character, competence and goodness into key positions. When they fail, they must be removed without remorse or favour.Unlike its predecessor, this government has demonstrated the will to walk this path. While this might not cause much fanfare or celebration, this cleanses the institutions upon which a nations well-being is founded with a future assured, he added.Meanwhile, President Buhari has said his administration has succeeded in reversing the affront of members of the Boko Haram sect who were overrunning troops and encroaching on the nations territorial integrity as of the time he took over from former President Goodluck Jonathan on May 29, 2015.He however admitted that the task of revamping the nations economy which exited recession recently remained work-in-progress.Buhari stated this in the foreword he wrote for a book, Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigerias Peace and Prosperity put together by his media team.Our correspondent on Tuesday obtained an advance copy of the book, which is the mid-term scorecard of the present administration, ahead of its public presentation scheduled for Thursday in Abuja.In the foreword titled, Come, let us reflect together, Buhari said he was tackling corruption, insecurity and parlous economy boldly and honestly.He insisted that he inherited the challenges from the last administration.The President said the promise he made, during electioneering that preceded the 2015 presidential election, to sweep away the filth that had been standing against national development was not made lightly.He said, Part of the attributes of humans as sentient beings is the gift of reflection, which enables us to ruminate on issues, challenges, opportunities and situations.Reflection is an integral part of human memory; attempting to detach one from the other is to embark on an impossible mission.Reflection is the signpost to our thinking faculties as it enables us to evaluate where we are coming from, where we are and where we are headed.The administration came into office two years ago on the promise of change; to sweep away the filth in our national life which has been standing in the path of our manifest greatness.That promise was not made lightly, nor has the government relented in its commitment to a sacred mandate to better the lot of the citizenry.Corruption, insecurity and the parlous economy were the challenges inherited at inception. They have been addressed and are still being addressed boldly and honestly.Steadily, the culture of impunity is receding; the affront of terrorists overawing security troops and encroaching on our territorial integrity has been reversed. The task of revamping the economy remains work-in-progress.Reflection on the intrinsic link between the past, the present and the future is useful to help us come to better terms with the challenges facing us as a people and a country.Buhari said every objective observer will agree with him that in two years, Nigeria has made steady progress under him.He promised to do more to make steady progress a permanent feature of the country.The 348-page book listed the achievements of each ministry in the two years of the present administration.It also highlighted the achievements of some key government agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent and Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria Customs Service and the Niger Delta Development Commission, among others.The book was jointly edited by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu; and the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande.
This book is a book that contains a lot that has been achieved by the present administration, but I must say there is still a lot that ha...

This book is a book that contains a lot that has been achieved by the present administration, but I must say there is still a lot that has not been covered on account of the fact that this book was meant to have been presented in May but we thought we would wait until the President returned before presenting it.

Some things have not been included in the book and I might just supply some of that. One of such things, is the exemplary frugality, the honesty and humility, and sense of humour of Mr. President.

That frugality can sometimes be a problem, as you know, Mr. President decided that since government provides accommodation, food and transportation for the President and the Vice President, we didnt need a full salary. Now how much is this salary by the way? It is public knowledge and I think it is N1, 750,000.00 or so, which is under N2million. He said he would take only half of his salary and so I had no choice but also to take over of my own salary. Unfortunately Mr. President turned down my request, to give the other half to a worthy cause  his Vice President. He didnt consider me a more worthy cause to give half of his salary! (Laughter).





In a country where politicians sometimes want to be as wealthy as Dangote, it is refreshing to have a President who most people wont even dare to discuss any private benefit on a project let alone a bribe or a kick-back.





Nigerias major problem is corruption, it is the main reason for the depletion of our resources, such that we had no savings when oil prices fell, and we were losing over 1billion barrels a day.





It was the prudence and honesty of the President that ensured that despite the economic downturn, we were able to support the States, spend N1.3trillion on capital expenditure, the largest in the history of the nation, and also to ensure we met all our other obligations, both foreign and local.





Mr Presidents unassuming personality and humility, is in my view, probably his greatest strength. This is why he is never flattered, or carried away by praise or adulation. He has always said: I dont pretend to know all the answers. I am here to provide stability and leadership, to a generation, a group of people, determined to run this country honestly, to provide jobs and prosperity to the poor, and our huge youth population.





I remember when he was on medical vacation, and I was speaking to him on the phone fairly regularly and giving him a rundown of what was going on, especially when he was on the first medical vacation. He said to me, dont worry about telling me all that is happening, I rely on your judgment keep doing your best, what if I drop dead?! You would have to run it anyway. I had to say to him, that his dropping dead was not part of the plan.





I think that his sense of humour, self-deprecating humour is one that very people know about. As it has been said, he is a man of very few words. I remember that very early in the administration, he directed my attention to a cartoon of him in one newspaper which showed him, sitting on a wheel chair in bandages, at the top of the cartoon, were the words: you promised to hit the ground running and then under it, it just stated: you just hit the ground.





I had a good laugh, but I think it is also an understanding that leadership, is not about self-adulation and self-aggrandizement. It is first of all, an understanding and humility, knowing that you have been picked from millions of people to lead the people because you are trusted to do so, not because you are thought of as a man with all the answers but because you are trusted to be able to lead others to achieve the results.





The other day, he was saying that if you paid attention to what is going on with farmers, and how well they are doing, he said one way of knowing is by recognising that they would do two things, especially farmers in the North. They would go to Hajj and marry more wives. Already, we can see the increase in the number of wives farmers are marrying.





Mr. President, your Excellencies, the ultimate benefit of public service, is the ability to touch millions of lives for good or for ill, by governmental policies and actions.





The reality of honest and serious minded nation building is that in the short- run, tough and unpopular decisions have to be made.





The greatest challenge is how to take the tough decisions, do the difficult things, and keep the peoples support. I suppose you cannot be a Buhari and shy away from tough decisions, and the President has not been afraid to take the bold decisions even when they are criticized.





What has happened so far under this government is the tough business of laying strong foundations. The first, is honesty and good governance, and prudence in government spending. The second, is in ensuring that we have an infrastructure that can sustain our economy, not now, but in the next decades. For the first time, in at least a decade, we are spending 30% on capital expenditure.





As I have said earlier, we are investing heavily on rail, roads, power, and other infrastructure. When you look at rail, we are investing perhaps, the largest portion of our capital on two rail projects; the Lagos  Kano rail project and we are concessioning the Narrow Gauge, where we are building the new Standard Gauge. There is also the Lagos  Calabar route and we have also recently approved the Port Harcourt  Maiduguri route.





We expect, that our country will need railways, to move the massive goods and services that we have been talking about producing all this while. Already, our roads are suffering seriously. If you look at some of what is going on around the Apapa port today, the port is already over-subscribed, almost taking twice the custom that it should ordinarily have, and that is increasing day by day. Each of these rail projects starts from the ports, all the way up to the various destinations that I have mentioned.





Third, is that we are focused on agriculture and the agro-allied value chain, with our focus on cheaper and improved inputs, local fertilizer production, cheaper credit for farmers in the anchor borrowers programme.





Productivity in the agricultural sector is at an all-time high. Rice imports have dropped by 70%, and we are fast becoming one of the largest producers of paddy rice in the world. Agriculture is providing more jobs than ever before, as it contributes more to GDP.





More investments are coming into Agriculture. WACOT, a few months ago opened its 120,000 metric tons rice mill in Kebbi State. Indorama has also its opened 3million metric tons fertilizer plant in Rivers State, which was commissioned a few weeks ago, Dangote is investing in a total capacity of 1million metric tons of rice mills. Olams poultry and feed mill which recently opened in Kaduna, is the largest in the country.





It is evident, that the private sector is listening, and smart money is following what government is doing. It is very clear that we are opening up the space for industry and manufacturing. You can see that from the response of the private sector and even in technology. A lot of the young people are coming in to do various forms of businesses now that they can see that the space is opening up.





Our philosophy as enunciated in the Economic and Recovery Growth Plan, is to enable the private sector to lead the economy in industry and manufacturing, and especially small businesses.





Of course, you have seen from the results of the World Banks rating of Ease of Doing Business, we are making very deliberate progress and we are moving very quickly indeed. I think the point that we should note is that, the World Bank declares us as one of the top ten reformed economies and I believe that investors are paying attention to this. You can only reform with serious discipline and I want to say that the leadership of the President has provided that discipline and we are seeing the results of this.





Executive Orders have been signed on making a priority made-in-Nigeria goods in procurement. This is one of the very important policy decisions that the President made, that we must prefer made-in-Nigeria goods.





In addition, we are giving priority to ensuring that pre-investment approvals are efficiently and quickly done. We also have an Executive Order for that, we are also working hard to ensure that Public Service is responsive and diligent, and it does not become an obstacle to investment and to the economy, rather a facilitator. Some of these are contained in the book.





I want this audience in particular, to recognise that every single day, there is attention being paid to the needs and requirement of this country. We are a government dedicated to ensuring that we give the very best that is possible to the people of Nigeria.





I would like to congratulate the Presidential Communication Team, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Mr. Femi Adeshina, Mr. Laolu Akande and all of the team that worked very hard and have continued to work hard spending many hours on how to communicate the views of this government and its activities as well and as comprehensively as possible.





I thank you all for your attention, God bless you.





Released by:

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity

Office of the Vice President
The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has described a front-line aspirant in the National Chairmanship race of the Peoples Democratic Party, Otunba Gbenga Daniel as a man he admires so much and align with his philosophy.Governor Ikpeazu made this remark at the Governors Office in Umuahia on Thursday when Otunba Daniel paid him a courtesy visit in consultation on his aspiration.According to Ikpeazu, I have been a great admirer of your strides in Ogun State and I am confident that you have the solution to the problems of this party (PDP).I need not be convince of your ability. I know you as a distribalized Nigerian who has the capacity to lead the PDP right.I align myself with your focus and paradigm.In his response, Otunba Daniel thanked his host for the warm reception and promised to provide the right leadership for the party.In his words, I must thank you most sincerely for this wonderful reception at such a short notice. I thank you for the confidence you have reposed in me and I promise not to disappoint.Meanwhile, Otunba Daniel joined former President Goodluck Jonathan, PDP Governors and party Chieftains in Onitsha, Anambra State, to hand over the partys flag to Mr. Oseloka Obaje, for the forthcoming Governorship election in the State.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it is prepared and ready for the Saturdays governorship election in Anambra State.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it is prepared and ready for the Saturdays governorship election in Anambra State.

According to the main opposition Party, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies deployed for the election should be neutral in the conduct of the election.





In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Dayo Adeyeye, the PDP said, the Anambra election is a litmus test for INEC and another opportunity for the Ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), to redeem itself from the culture of impunity, inconclusive elections and rigging as exhibited in previous elections in Edo, Ondo and other by-elections in the Country.





The Party also said it wants to join other well-meaning Nigerians to condemn the recent withdrawal of personal security of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.





Notwithstanding that President Buhari ordered the reinstatement of Governors security aides, this recent action by the Police is a clear signal that the Force is working to favour some individuals in the State or destabilize the Governorship Election in Anambra State.





In view of the above, we are again, sounding a note of warning that we will not accept any manipulation of results in Anambra State. The INEC and all security agencies deployed for the election must remain neutral and unbiased before, during and after the Election.





We insist that this election in Anambra State and others henceforth must be free, fair, credible and transparent. Anything short of these will not be acceptable to us.





The PDP further called, on the people of Anambra State to protect their PVC and come out en masse to vote for our Governorship Candidate, Mr. Henry Oseloka Obaze and his Running Mate, Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe as Governor and Deputy Governor, respectively.





We also urge the electorate in Anambra to vote and stay to protect their votes from polling units to the Collation Centers in order to scuttle the planned replacement of Authentic Results Sheet by the APC.




The South Bureau Recovery Team, Los Angeles, California has declared a 52-year-old Nigerian identified as Joseph Omaghomi a.k.a (Jesse Gree...

The South Bureau Recovery Team, Los Angeles, California has declared a 52-year-old Nigerian identified as Joseph Omaghomi a.k.a (Jesse Green) wanted for alleged identity theft.

Omaghomi, is wanted on charges of identity theft, felony, evading and resisting arrest. His last known locations are said to be in California and Nigeria.





According to a facebook message shared by South Bureau Recovery Team, there is a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of Joseph Omaghomi.





The message reads




Amid an outpouring of commendations on his strides in office, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, vowed to press ahead with the war against corruption, warning that anyone who steals public funds would surely end in jail.Buhari also vowed to reciprocate the support Nigerians gave him during his recent health issues by pursuing the interest of all, including a resolution of the herdsmen/farmers clashes.His assertion at the launch of a compendium of the successes of the administration came as All Progressives Congress, APC, leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, while upholding the positive appraisal of the president, nevertheless affirmed that many Nigerians were yet hungry, jobless and without shelter.The 360-page book, Making Steady, Sustainable Progress, is a report on the achievements of the Buhari administration as articulated by his media team, comprising Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina; Senior Special Assistants on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu and Laolu Akande.The launch of the book in the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa was witnessed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, governors; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita; Service chiefs; National chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; ministers; members of APC National Working Committee, and leaders of Buhari Support Group, among others.Speaking after the outpouring of commendations by speakers at the function, President Buhari, while thanking his media team for recording the achievements of the administration, said: We are all aware now that if you steal public funds and you are caught, you will face the law.Internationally, Nigeria is now a respected nation. I cant keep up with invitations to visit other countries much less for other countries leaders that want to visit us. A number of world leaders are expressing the desire to visit Nigeria.I cannot thank Nigerians enough for your prayers and goodwill during my health vacation. I can only reply you by resolving to work by putting every ounce of my energy to protect your interest.We have gone through your difficult times due to worldwide economic recession. We are coming out of recession, and government efforts are targeted at easing economic hardships.I would at the same like to assure all Nigerians of my commitment to improve security, fight corruption and restructure the economy. On the current issues on herdsmen/farmers clashes, kidnapping and armed robberies within the confines of our limited resources, we are giving top priority to security.
President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called on Auditors-General in the country, particularly at the Local Government level, to partner with the Senate in its current effort to block financial leakages and ensure that maximum revenue accrues to government at all levels in the Federation.Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, gave the charge when the national executive of the Conference of the Auditors-General for Local Governments in Nigeria, led by its National Chairman, Barr. Reuben Osita Nwosu, visited him at the National Assembly, Abuja.He noted that the visit was apt by coming at a time the 8th Senate is intensifying efforts to enhance governments non-oil revenue through thorough scrutinization of revenue generation activities in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and demanding accountability and transparency in their operations."I want to urge the Conference of the Auditors General for Local Governments in Nigeria to join hands with the Senate in ensuring that governments at all levels get all the revenues that are due to them," Saraki stated.He noted the concerns of the association regarding granting autonomy to the offices of the Auditors General throughout the federation by amending the Constitution to strengthen their capacity to carry out their legitimate functions.Saraki said: "In fact, one of the amendments we have carried out on the Constitution is financial autonomy to Local Governments and I am sure that will go a long way in helping them to have a more transparent and accountable finance system."I totally agree with you that in doing that we must also strengthen the autonomy of the Auditors-General because since we are giving those kind of responsibilities to local governments."It is necessary that we support that with the necessary tools that will ensure that they are effective because if you don't do that, the capacity at the local governments with those kind of responsibilities will be defeated," he said.Earlier, the National Chairman of Auditors-General for Local Governments in Nigeria, Barr. Reuben Osita Nwosu, who led other national executive members of the association on the visit, said that the country cannot entrench accountability and transparency in the public service without guaranteed autonomy through administrative and financial independence for Auditors-General at the three tiers of government.Nwosu who is the Auditor General for Local Governments in Imo State, said: "At the Local Government level with the granting of financial autonomy to the Local Government Councils, there arose a greater need to strengthen the capacity of the office of Auditors-General for Local Governments."Financial autonomy to the Local Government Councils without granting autonomy through administrative and financial independence to the Auditors-General for Local Governments would be counter productive," he stated.He said that the association was excited at the progress made so far in the amendment of the Constitution by the National Assembly adding that the "exercise would greatly remove all Constitutional impediments on the granting of autonomy through financial and administrative independence to the Office of the Auditors-General at the Federal, State and Local Governments in the country."
Leaders of Zimbabwes ruling ZANU-PF party are meeting on Friday to draft a resolution to dismiss President Robert Mugabe at the weekend, a senior party source said.The source said the leaders will lay the ground for his impeachment on Tuesday if Mugabe refused to stand down.There is no going back, the source said, If he becomes stubborn, we will arrange for him to be fired on Sunday. When that is done, its impeachment on Tuesday.Zimbabwes military said it was engaging President Robert Mugabe in talks on the way forward for the country and that it would advise the nation on the outcome as soon as possible.The military added in a statement broadcast on Zimbabwean television that it had made significant progress in its operation targeting criminals around Mugabe.Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday urged President Robert Mugabe to resign in the interest of the country after the military seized power.Mugabe is insisting he remains Zimbabwes only legitimate ruler and has balked at mediation by a Catholic priest to allow the 93-year-old former guerrilla a graceful exit after a military coup, sources said on Thursday.In the interest of the people, Robert Mugabe must resign and step down immediately, Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, told a news conference, reading from a statement.Earlier, the political opposition in Zimbabwe called for the intermediate installation of an interim government, a day after a surprise military takeover.At the moment the transitional government is the best way to go, said Douglas Mwonzora, Secretary-General of Morgan Tsvangirais MDC-T party.We back the military move but the country should quickly go back a constitutional government.Armoured vehicles that were stationed at key government buildings during the political upheaval on Wednesday remained in place.The soldiers appeared relaxed, even smiling and chatting with onlookers.Most people were going about their daily business and children went to school.Special envoys sent by South African President, Jacob Zuma, were holding discussions on Mugabes fate with Zimbabwes leaders.Officials from the Southern African Development Community were also meeting in Botswanas capital Gaborone later Thursday to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.What is needed is an inclusive government to run the affairs of Zimbabwe until a time it is right to have elections, said Didymus Mutasa, a longtime minister in Mugabes government, who was fired in 2014 for backing Joice Mujuru as the presidents successor.Jacob Mafume, a spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Tendai Biti, said that any interim government should be inclusive of all the stakeholders including the church and all parties.While the army has said Mugabe is safe, there were mixed reports in the media about his wife Grace Mugabes whereabouts, with some saying she had fled the country.Speculation had been growing before the coup that 52-year-old Grace was preparing to take over from her husband.The potential ascendency appears to have faced resistance from senior military officials.There was an uneasy calm on the streets of Harare, after initial jubilation on Wednesday when the army announced it had seized control from Mugabe, 93, who had been in power almost four decades.Several Mugabe allies from his Zanu-PF party, including Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo, detained, some political players have been swift to show the army theyre on side.
An man wearing only black high heels and a tight black t-shirt randomly barged into a Rutherford home, frightening a husband and wife who were home watching television, police said.

Justin Paul Christodoro, 39, an attorney, yelled, "I'm here!" when he walked in through the back door of the Eastern Way home shortly before 5 p.m. on Saturday, according to police.

"No explanation was offered as to why he chose the Rutherford residence," Rutherford Police Capt. Patrick A. Feliciano said. "He does not know the Rutherford residents."

Several hours later he was found sleeping in his car while parked in the driveway of a home on Lake Avenue in Lyndhurst, still clad in only the heels and t-shirt, according to police.

Police said when they woke Christodoro he seemed out of it and didn't know how he got there. Authorities said they found a plastic bag containing ecstasy in his car.

Christodoro was issued a summons by Rutherford Police for criminal trespass and Lyndhurst gave him summonses for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, lewdness, and a motor vehicle violation for blocking a driveway.

He was transported to New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus because police believed he was under the influence of a substance, they said.

He is due in Bergen County Central Judicial Processing court on Nov. 29.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
RIDGEWOOD-- A boy who was beaten on public school property and a girl who was cyber-bullied are suing the school district, claiming they were victims of a cruel game involving social media that had been ignored by the district for years, their attorney said Thursday.

"Two years ago Ridgewood High School had this exact same problem where students were disseminating photos" and school officials failed to address the situation, said Rosemarie Arnold, of Fort Lee.

Police and school officials launched an investigation early this month after they learned of a male student who was allegedly beaten by classmates on school property outside school hours. The first incident occurred on Stevens Field, followed by a second incident on Brookside Field, according to Facebook posts and a news release sent out by Ridgewood police. The first fight happened around Oct. 23, according to a notice of claim filed by Arnold Thursday.

The youth was hospitalized after suffering serious injuries, including facial fractures and eye damage, Arnold said.

Students recorded the second fight and jeered the boy as it was occurring, Superintendent of Schools Daniel Fishbein said.

Arnold and family members say the boy was attempting to defend his girlfriend after pictures of her were circulated on social media. The girl was clothed in the pictures, which showed her from the waist up and had been sent to a prior boyfriend, Arnold said.

She also said that for at least two years students at the school have participated in a game the object of which is to collect nude photos of other students, which are then shared on social media.

"The board and the administration knew about this game but did nothing...The kids get a sense of 'I have to handle this myself,'" Arnold said of the boy's attempt to defend the girl.

The suit names Ridgewood High School and the Board of Education as defendants. The social media site Snapchat is also a defendant for allegedly failing to uphold its own policies governing certain kinds of photos.

A spokeswoman for the district could not immediately be reached Thursday night.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
If you weren't already, it is officially time to take Newark's food scene seriously.

Because on Friday, award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson is bringing his talents and credibility to the redeveloped Hahne & Co. building, 56 Halsey St., when he opens his newest restaurant, Marcus B&P, an all-day casual restaurant with the food made entirely in-house or sourced locally, as Samuelsson described it to NJ Advance Media in July.

Dinner options will range from snacks, like his homemade cornbread ($6), to two-person entrees, such as a locally sourced whole roasted chicken ($45). Other items include spaghetti piccadilly ($23), which is peekytoe crab, roasted peppers and crab butter, and a New Jersey-themed pizza, "The Nine Seven-3," which is topped with Taylor Ham, provolone and egg for $14.

Marcus B&P's New Jersey-themed pizza, "The Nine Seven-3," which is topped with Taylor Ham, provolone and egg for $14. (Courtesy photo)

As for the name Marcus B&P, Samuelsson said the B stands for bar, bodega and beer, and the P stands for parlor, patisserie and provisions, but he is also sticking to his roots, and wants it to be a place where people can pop in without a reservation. Born in Ethiopia, but raised in Sweden, BP refers to the Swedish concept "back pocket," meaning reservations are not always needed.

But reservations surely won't hurt because the new restaurant, which will seat 55 patrons in a 3,000-square-foot space, will certainly be a destination for foodies across the region.

Samuelsson's names carries heavy weight in the culinary world. A multiple James Beard Winner and Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" champion, he blazed through New York's high-end food scene in the 1990s. His current flagship restaurant is Red Rooster in Harlem, which specializes in soul food.

But now Samuelsson wants to take a crack at Newark, which is undergoing a downtown development boom, with his newest restaurant. The home of Marcus B&P, Hahne & Co. Building, is a mixed-use complex that features luxury apartments and the city's first Whole Foods.

He told NJ Advance Media this summer it is up to him and his staff to "earn" the people of Newark's time.

"We're spending a lot of time in Newark and learning about Newark as a place and how we can fit into the community," he said. "The hours are something that we have to earn ... People are going to tell us when they want us to be open. The locals, Audible, Rutgers, the person who works down the street, it's a very diverse community with different hours. It's up to us to earn it."

The restaurant will have various items catering towards the three meals of the day.

When the restaurant opens at 11 a.m. daily, there will be coffee, tea and fresh juice, bread, pastries, and quick breakfast options, and a cafe menu featuring lunch options. At night, there will be a craft cocktail menu and an assortment of entrees, including homemade pasta dishes, pizza, fried chicken and waffles, and fresh fish.

Samuelsson also said Marcus B&P will put an emphasis on hiring local workers, and he hopes the spot will become "a breeding ground" for aspiring chefs in Newark.

The grand opening of the restaurant will be on Friday, Nov. 17, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Regular restaurant hours, which will be 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, begin on Monday, Nov. 20.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jatmonavageNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook
An Essex County-based attorney and another man were arrested Thursday and accused of running a mortgage fraud scam that involved dozens of properties around New Jersey and bilked financial institutions out of more than $30 million, federal prosecutors said.

Christopher Goodson, 44, an attorney from Newark, and Anthony Garvin, 47, of Jersey City, were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud in the short sale mortgage fraud conspiracy that lasted from January 2011 through August, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for New Jersey.

Conspirators in the scam setup simultaneous fraudulent transactions using the same target property, according to a federal criminal complaint. The scam allegedly involved properties in Jersey City, Clifton, Union and other communities.

In the first transaction, where the sale was by the owner, the scammers convinced financial institutions holding the mortgage to accept the sale of that property at a loss, authorities alleged. The buyer was often another conspirator or entity part of the fraud.

With the second deal, conspirators flipped the same targeted property from the first buyer to another buyer, according to the complaint. That second buyer typically obtained a mortgage from another financial institution using bogus loan applications, bank account statements and other documents provided by others involved in the fraud.

"As a result, the second transaction frequently closed for significantly more or even double the price of the first transaction," officials said in a statement.

Prosecutors alleged Goodson, Garvin and other unnamed individuals "rigged" the short sale process along each step to "maximize the difference in price between the two transactions and keep the victim financial institutions from detecting the fraud."

Goodson hid the fact that he played different roles in the short sale deal, authorities said. He allegedly created fake pre-approval letters from a New Jersey corporation he owned that claimed to be a short-term lending firm based out of California.

"These letters were used to deceive banks into believing that the purchaser - typically a conspirator or entity controlled by Goodson - had the credit necessary for the transaction," the statement said.

He is also accused of negotiating fraudulent short sales with banks, making phony deeds which backdated closing dates of the first real estate transactions and allegedly served as the closing attorney in some short sales.

Garvin, a real estate agent and investor, coordinated the scam transactions, according to federal authorities. The accused conspirators allegedly moved money from the plot into various accounts to cover up the scheme and split the profits.

It was not yet clear if Garvin and Goodson had retained attorneys to comment on the allegations. A phone message left at Goodson's law office was not immediately returned.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips
The sidewalk celebration was classic Rodney Gilbert, Newark's impresario of art and culture, its guardian of creativity for murals and theater.

On Oct. 26, African dancers and drummers performed in front of his three-story brownstone on Spruce Street. Kenny Bobien, a House music legend, was there and belted out his 1997 hit, "You Are My Friend."

Gilbert was indeed a friend and much more for those who came for a public farewell and to acknowledge his work in the arts. Gravely ill, Gilbert was able to thank them for being in his life before he died Nov. 8th.

An actor, theater and film director, Gilbert fiercely promoted Newark's visual and performance artists, creating opportunities for them on stage and within the city's public art landscape.

"He was very much a champion looking for spaces for us to share our stories --making openings, throwing elbows, working his mojo'' said Chisa Hutchinson, a Newark playwright, whose work he has directed.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns

As founder and chief executive officer of Yendor Productions, a Newark-based theater and consulting company in his basement, Gilbert made art accessible to Newark residents and surrounding urban communities. People of color, he believed, deserved to engage in the theatrical experience, to see themselves in art.

"He always talked about reaching the underrepresented and he wanted the murals to reflect that,'' said Jo-El Lopez, a Newark artist.

In a field where diversity is lacking, his colleagues said Gilbert pushed for inclusion of Latino and African-American artists on projects, showing them they could make it in the arts if they put in the work.

Gilbert certainly did. He gave everything he had to Newark before his fatal diagnosis - progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a rare brain disease.

The city, numb and shaken from his death, is not ready for the celebration of his life to be over.

It continues today (Friday) as family, friends, and the artist community fill seats in Victoria Theater at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The viewing is at 10 a.m., the funeral service begins at noon.

A Newark native, Gilbert's fingerprints are all over the city. Walk anywhere, especially its neighborhoods. He's responsible for half of the city's 50 murals through the Newark Mural Arts project, a city-sponsored program he's managed since 2009 by hiring artists under Yendor.

"Newark would not be where it is today with the arts were it not for Rodney Gilbert,'' said Jeremy Johnson, executive director of Newark Arts.

As much as he was known for murals, Gilbert's love for the arts started in theater, a gift he honed after graduating from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 1989. He would go on to have a 30-year career as a professional actor and director on stage, film and television. Gilbert, a leading teaching artists in the area, was in charge of the Newark Public Schools theater program. He used it to foster diversity for his students, co-creating a curriculum for the district's Advantage Arts program with the Drew University Theatre partnership. Newark students attended Drew in the summer to learn about theater and Drew students would come to Newark.

On the college campus, Gilbert was a popular assistant professor. He started teaching speech and introduction to acting and directing in the late 1990s, until he joined the faculty full time this fall.

"What set him apart was his level of intensity and rigor, pushing you to be better,'' said Nicolette Lynch, his former student, who is now an actress and co-manager of Yendor Productions.

From the streets to the corporate board rooms, he opened a lot of doors for artist in various leadership positions, including director of the Writers Theatre of New Jersey. There were stage readings at NJPAC and other venues. Any mural or theater projects that came to Newark, Gilbert made sure local artists were involved. And they had to get paid. He was a stickler for that.

"That's why people loved him so much,'' said Michele Morgan, a Yendor staff member and friend.

Oftentimes, he'd forgo a salary, doling out his cut to artist struggling with bills.

When seeking funding for programs, Gilbert became the voice advocating for minority artists. He wasn't afraid to use his platform and never shied away from it, said Chris Daggett, president and chief executive officer of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, which has funded his work.

"If we're really going to make organizations of color have an impact and get some presence and build some capacity, they need the kind of funding that foundations and individuals can provide,'' Daggett said.

Gilbert was serious about that, but on a lighter side, he looked fabulous getting his point across. His high end casual style had everyone waiting to see what he'd wear. It could be a drop-dead gorgeous fur coat draped over leopard patterned shoes; a captain jacket with an ascot and pocket square that blossomed like a flower; or a regal African ensemble, complete with headdress.

MORE CARTER: N.J. Sen. Cory Booker gives Newark American Legion a veteran day gift

His fashion swag came from his mother Camilla Gilbert, who talked about his penchant for dress at age 5. She bought him a plaid, red and blue suit for his kindergarten graduation. Instead of a solid colored bow-tie that she suggested, he picked a blue bow-tie with white polka dots.

"It was a hit,' his mother she said, laughing.

As an adult, Gilbert was cosmopolitan, high energy, down to earth and eccentric. His company, Yendor, is his first name spelled backwards. He didn't drive, opting for Uber or public transportation. He loved his Newark people, always stopping to greet folks.

This time, a steady stream of friends gathered Oct. 26 for his last-minute Facebook request: "Come help me celebrate life, love and happiness,'' he wrote.

"People usually don't get that until their death, but he was able to do that before,'' said Kim Gilchrist, his close friend, who is more like a sister since their freshman year at Newark's Arts High School. "He wanted to celebrate his life. And that we did.''

Some waited in the foyer. Some gave video testimonials outside. Among the crowd were artists philanthropists, educators and Mayor Ras Baraka, who, in a video testimonial, said: "The whole renaissance in this city couldn't be the way it is without you.''

They clapped as Bobien sang. They danced, too. They called Gilbert's name.

"We love you Rodney."

Overcome with emotion, Gilbert heard the people from the front room, where he sat on a lounge chair, his two favorite pictures hanging on the wall. One is of Diana Ross, his idol, whom he emulated.

In the second photograph, he's 10 years old. It appeared with a story about him, his mother said, in The Star-Ledger in 1977.

It was his first role as a young actor in the play, "A Raisin in The Sun.''

And the sun is where he stayed.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or

nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL
UPDATE: Accused killer appears in court

The 19-year-old man wanted in connection to a fatal stabbing in Jersey City has been apprehended, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office announced this morning.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said Nasiar Day was arrested Thursday by detectives from the HCPO homicide unit at around 10:30 p.m. in Newark. Day is one of two people charged in the Tuesday's fatal stabbing of Jose Malave, 30, on Palisade Avenue.

Authorities arrested a juvenile at the scene Tuesday night and issued an arrest warrant for Day, a Newark resident, on Thursday. Day is charged with murder and felony murder, armed burglary, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, as well as conspiracy.

Police were called to Malave's home at 197 Palisade Ave. just after 7 p.m. and found Malave in a "lifeless state" in the doorway of his apartment with stab wounds to his chest. He was pronounced dead at approximately 7:25 p.m., authorities said.

A 17-year-old Jersey City resident was taken into custody and charged with murder, felony murder, armed burglary, weapons offenses, and conspiracy.

Malave's sister told The Jersey Journal that he was defending his son from a sneaker robbery at the time of the attack.

His death is the 23rd homicide in Hudson County and 18th in Jersey City this year.
BAYONNE -- Members of the Board of Education expressed their disappointment of the state's forensic audit of district finances, as well as a separate audit conducted by a local accounting firm, that gave little in specifics as to how the board spent their way into financial trouble.

The audit released on Tuesday, showed that "inappropriate" budgetary practices turned a $3 million surplus into what appeared to be a $2.2 million deficit, leading to layoffs and a tax increase.

The city's school board met for an open public workshop on Thursday night; discussion of the state audit, released earlier this week, began immediately.

"I was very disappointed by the audit -- I didn't think it had any closure to it," Board President Joseph Broderick said. "It didn't give us the answers we were looking for."

"Somewhere we have ($4.7 million) that we don't know about... I'd like to know where that is," he added.

The board heard from Mauricio Canto, a partner at the accounting firm Donohue Gironda Doria & Tomkins LLC, which conducted the internal audit of the fiscal year 2016 that showed the district was in a $2 million hole.

He told the board that, according to a subsequent audit conducted by his firm of fiscal year 2017 (which ended on June 30 of this year), the district is still facing financial difficulties.

But he said that the austerity measures employed by the board this year, as well as the increase in state financial aid, sets the board on a good trajectory for the end of this fiscal year.

"With the state aid increase and the cuts you've made... you should not be in any difficulties for (this current fiscal year), but that's something more for the administration to explain, we did not audit that," he said.

Canto did not comment directly on the state audit's findings -- which were in direct contrast with his firm's findings and found the district should have actually been in a surplus, not a deficit -- but only said that were it not for their fiscal year 2016 audit, things may have gotten much worse for the district financially.

"(Our findings in 2016) sounded a lot of alarms," Canto said. "And as auditors we feel that if we hadn't sounded those alarms and discussed the fiscal state of the district, that a lot of the austerity measures or cuts wouldn't have been done and fiscal year 2017 would have been in a lot worse shape."

But Canto's presentation did little to satisfy questions board members had. When trustees asked where exactly they misspent, Canto replied that that was "something for the (district) administration to answer."

"So you can't tell us where we're falling short, you just tell us (your findings) without an analysis of where the shortfall is coming from?" board Trustee Ava Finnerty said. "You're telling me you're not in a position to say?"

"What your question really is is how did you come up with your budget, so you have to ask the question 'Why did you spend more than you had in your budget,'" Canto replied. "I apologize, that's really something for the administration to answer. I'm just telling you how we look at it in a big picture perspective."

Trustees and board members meanwhile discussed that the state audit, in their view, contained many irregularities and did little to show a way forward.

Dr. Michael Wanko, interim Superintendent of the board, also expressed his concern over the state's intent to appoint a state monitor to oversee the board's finances, which he said would take away the board's autonomy.

"When a state monitor comes in, the district has to pay that salary. And then the district loses local control over anything monetary, so that means any business operation, any personnel matter, anything fiscal, they have the power and we do not," he said in a previous interview. "They can also override the Superintendent's action or a vote of the Board of Education. That's a grave concern... I don't think that's a necessity."

Wanko has already taken preliminary steps to manage oversight of the board's finances. In an interview with The Jersey Journal, Wanko said that Rice letters have been sent to all employees in the district's business office, as well as in the central administration office.

A Rice notice is an official notification from a public body that it is going to discuss an individual's employment in an upcoming meeting.

"We owe it to the community -- especially our students -- that we are carving a path to fiscal stability, so we'll evaluate the business office and oversee how we manage the books and records in our financial operations," Wanko said. "That's why I put the Rice notices out, so we can look at anyone and everyone that we need to to make sure we're doing what we're supposed to do. We need a system of checks and balances."

Wanko is only several months into his tenure with the district. He assumed the role of interim superintendent in July after former Superintendent Patricia McGeehan's retirement.

A number of people were in attendance tonight, however there is no public comment portion during workshops.

Wanko confirmed that a representative from the state auditor's office will be present at their regularly scheduled meeting on Nov. 30 to go over their findings. The meeting will be held in the Bayonne High School auditorium.

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
This image from Nov. 16, 2017, displays the Mahalia Jackson Elementary School at 2405 Jackson Avenue in Central City.(Wilborn P. Nobles III, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Sen. Bill Cassidy, center, introduces an amendment that would temporarily increase the amount of offshore oil money available to Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states in fiscal years 2020 and 2021, during a Wednesday (Nov. 15) meeting of the U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. The change is aimed at making up for an expected shortfall in offshore oil revenue under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act this year.(U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy)
In this Oct. 17, 2017, photo, President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Deonta Miller of Franklinton pleaded guilty Tuesday (Nov. 14) in connection with a 2016 home invasion and rape in Washington Parish.(22nd Judicial District Attorney's Office)
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.
The rise of postsecondary education costs can be daunting for high school seniors. The Southwest Iowa Educational Foundation is a vital resource for these students and their families.

We believe more students are seeking scholarship funds, due to the increasing cost of college education, said Doug Goodman, treasurer for the Southwest Iowa Educational Foundation. In recent years, the Southwest Iowa Educational Foundation has opened several new scholarships, and has also experienced significant growth in the number of scholarship applications we receive.

The Southwest Iowa Educational Foundation partners with the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation to manage their endowment and individual scholarship funds.

The Pottawattamie County Community Foundation has been a great partner, said Goodman. Donors can create endowed scholarships, or utilize pass-through funds, with the community foundation. The availability of Endow Iowa tax credits has created tremendous opportunity for donors to maximize scholarship funding.

The Southwest Iowa Educational Foundations ultimate goal is to create an endowment to which benefactors may contribute and from which annual scholarships can be awarded. Last spring, they announced over $105,000 in scholarship awards for the 2017-18 school year.

We have a very engaged and strong board of directors who recognize the value of higher education, said Goodman. It is rewarding to see the number of scholarships grow.

To learn how you can partner with the community foundation to establish a scholarship fund administered by SWIEF, visit ourpccf.org or call 712-256-7007. For more information about SWIEF, including information on applying for scholarships, visit sites.google.com/site/swiowaef/.
DES MOINES (AP)  As Americans prepare to consume some 45 million turkeys on Thanksgiving, an animal rights group asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday to require more humane treatment for turkeys, chicken and other poultry as the birds are sent to slaughter.

California-based Mercy For Animals filed a petition with the USDA that seeks to have poultry covered under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. The 1958 law requires that pigs, cows and a list of other animals be free from neglect, abuse and pain as they make their way through a packing plant. The law excludes poultry.

Chickens, turkeys and other birds are every bit as capable of experiencing pain and suffering as the cows, pigs and sheep who are protected under the humane slaughter act, and it simply makes no sense to exclude these animals from equal protection under the law, said Vandhana Bala, an attorney for Mercy For Animals.

A USDA spokeswoman said the agency didnt have an immediate comment but would release a response later Wednesday.

Tom Super, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council, a trade group for companies that raise chickens for meat, said including poultry in the law is unnecessary, in part because poultry processors already have strong moral and financial motivation to ensure chickens are handled properly. At least one large poultry producer has already voluntarily made changes.

Nearly 9 billion chickens raised for meat were slaughtered last year, along with 243 million turkeys and 27 million ducks, according to the USDA.

The petition, filed with the USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service, alleges that cases have been documented of chickens scalded to death in tanks of hot water or having legs and wings cut off by errant beheading machines while alive and conscious.

Mercy For Animals video undercover investigations have shown slaughterhouse workers ripping heads off chickens and violently slamming birds into shackles. In a 2015 case, five workers at a processing plant in California were suspended and a fired worker eventually pleaded no contest to animal cruelty; the same year in Mississippi, the group filed criminal affidavits, but no regulatory or criminal charges were filed.

Such violations in a beef or pork processing plant would result in punitive action by regulators.

Super, the National Chicken Council spokesman, said the law cited in the petition was specifically written for large animals in the red meat industry.

It wasnt designed to accommodate chicken. In fact, trying to shoehorn chicken harvesting into the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act would probably inflict drastic welfare harm on chickens, he said. Its a square-peg-round-hole situation.

Maryland-based Perdue Farms, the nations fourth largest poultry producer, voluntarily began last year making changes to phase out electric stunning and to adopt a gas system considered more humane. The changes came in response to increasing consumer interest in how animals are raised and how food is produced.

Bruce Stewart-Brown, who heads Perdues food safety, quality and live production operations, said the company has used the gas system for turkeys and started using it in a chicken plant a few weeks ago. He said the system contributes to a much-improved atmosphere in which the animals are gently put down.

In general, we dont think you have to regulate us into acting right or doing the right thing, he said. I guess the other part of that is, if consumers care enough about it, theyll vote with their pocketbooks toward people who are doing it a certain way.
A Council Bluffs nurse who formerly worked at Bethany Lutheran Home pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing thousands of painkillers from those in her care.

Laurine Wilhite, 50, was convicted of dependant adult abuse and attempting to procure prescription drugs.

According to Council Bluffs police, Wilhite stole 9,727 narcotic hydrocodone pills from 44 different residents at Bethany Home.

Wilhite was arrested July 11.

The estimated value of the pills was more than $6,000.

Reports stated Wilhite ordered the medications for residents and then stole them when they were delivered by the pharmacy, but before they were logged in as received by the facility.

Mike Van Sickle, chief operating officer and administrator at Bethany, said in a previous interview Wilhite was a nurse at the facility but no longer worked there.

On Thursday, Wilhite received a deferred judgement and probation for two years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six Americans (48 million) will become ill from a food-borne illness this year; 128,000 will be hospitalized, and 3,000 will die.

The holiday meal and its preparation is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving celebration, and safe food handling in the kitchen is very important. To keep your friends and family safe from food poisoning, there are certain steps that everyone should know:

 Ask all kitchen helpers to wash their hands using warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

 Keep turkey in its original wrapping and refrigerated until ready to cook.

 Defrost a frozen turkey by refrigeration or cold running water.

 Allow one day for every 4-5 pounds to defrost in the refrigerator. In a cold water bath, change the water every 30 minutes. Make sure the water is not able to leak through the wrapping. Cook turkey immediately after thawing.

 Use a meat thermometer to check if turkey is done. The turkey should cook until the internal temperature reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 F.

 Remove the stuffing immediately after the turkey is cooked.

 Store the turkey and stuffing separately.

 Store leftover turkey in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 days.

 Store leftover stuffing and gravy in the refrigerator and use within 1-2 days.

To ensure safety, there are also several things that should not be done:

 Dont defrost a turkey at room temperature. Bacteria can multiply to unsafe numbers on outer layers before inner layers have defrosted.

 Dont leave an uncooked thawed turkey out of the refrigerator longer than two hours.

 Dont partially cook the turkey one day and continue roasting the next day.

 Dont rinse your turkey before cooking. Let the cooking process take care of the bacteria and avoid the risk of cross contamination.

 Dont set your oven lower than 325 F.

 Dont prepare food if you are sick or have a nose or eye infection.

 Dont leave leftovers out on the counter longer than two hours.

 Dont store leftover stuffing in the turkey.

 Dont re-freeze a completely thawed uncooked turkey.

 Dont stuff turkeys as it makes it difficult for the internal temperature to reach 165F within a safe period of time. If you must stuff your turkey, stuff it lightly before cooking and leave room for the oven to cook the interior of the turkey and stuffing.
College students are known for low standards when it comes to food.

Think ramen and frozen pizza.

But a student at Iowa State University came up with a combo that has nauseated the Internet.

Sophomore Chris Jorgensen tweeted a photo of a slice of melty processed American cheese between two strawberry Pop-Tart-like pastries with the caption: You aint from Iowa if you never had one of these.

The tweet has gone viral, drawing thousands of retweets, likes and comments, including his favorite from the Iowa State campus police: Youre under arrest.

Stories have popped up nationally about the concoction and the reaction on Twitter that includes the simple (Ive never had one) and the belly-churning (I puked in my mouth a little bit.)

Some on Twitter even suggested he take his Frankenstein sandwich and move to Colorado or Florida.

Jorgensen, a journalism student, said he realizes the reactions are from people having a little fun, just like he was when built his creation last week.

He said he knows that Pop-Tart-and-cheese sandwiches arent any kind of Iowa favorite.

But he got the idea to invent a weird delicacy after seeing tweets about odd food pairings supposedly loved by people in certain states, and decided to spoof them. (In Nebraska, one pairing thats a true classic is chili and cinnamon rolls.)

So Jorgensen grabbed a box of store-brand pastries from the cupboard.

I thought, What would be totally gross to put with these Pop-Tarts?  he said. And cheese was the thing that came to mind.

Then he slapped a slice of individually-wrapped American between the pastries and popped it all in the microwave for about 15 seconds, just to get things a little melty.

He wasnt planning to take a bite, but his roommate convinced him that if he was going to tweet about it, he at least needed to sample his creation.

Jorgensen said that, fortunately, his bite didnt have much cheese, and he described the taste as just OK.

But he definitely doesnt plan to make the combo part of his regular menu.

We talked with other folks who said theyve tried some unusual food pairings they think are actually tasty, like pizza with bananas and curry sauce, and cereal on ice cream.

But they say they definitely dont like the sound of Jorgensens creation.

Eww, no one does that, said Delaney Coffelt of Council Bluffs. No one eats Pop-Tarts with cheese in the middle.

Sara Bauer of Omaha offered one adjective: Disgusting.

James Hogan of Glenwood was more diplomatic.

It looks a little questionable, but I cant judge, he said.

He remembers when he was in college and put leftover pizza in a deep fryer to make his own pizza rolls.

So how was it?

Not bad, but he definitely wouldnt try it again.
A group of lawmakers tasked with evaluating Iowas response to the opioid epidemic missed a deadline for completing a report that offers findings and recommendations for addressing the issue in the next legislative session.

The Associated Press reported that the six-member Opioid Epidemic Evaluation Study Committee was supposed to deliver an opioids report to GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Republican-controlled Legislature by Nov. 15. The report wasnt available Wednesday, following a request from the AP.

Thats disappointing news as the state looks at working on solutions to an epidemic that is sweeping the nation.

Rep. David Heaton, a Mount Pleasant Republican and committee co-chair, said the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency was supposed to write a report based on a two-day committee meeting last month at which professionals discussed the impact of opioids on the state. The two GOP lawmakers who co-chair the committee were then supposed to review a draft. That hadnt happened when Heaton was reached by phone Wednesday.

Im not going to chew anybody out for not having it ready, he said. I just want it.

An LSA official blamed the delay on staffing limitations, noting in an email that the timeline for completing legislative report drafts was subject to the availability and workload of the team that produces reports for the Legislature.

Its unclear when the report will be ready, though lawmakers on the committee insisted they were working behind-the-scenes to introduce legislation next session aimed at responding to the growing use of opioids, which include both prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone and illegal substances such as heroin.

Rep. Charles Isenhart, a Dubuque Democrat who is on the committee, said he hasnt had a lot of communication with the other lawmakers tasked with presenting the report. Thats a concern, as tackling the issue should be a bipartisan effort.

Isenhart said the committee should have made the deadline. He noted he was on a similar interim opioids committee in 2016. That committee never met, according to Isenhart.

My main fear is that the public and folks who care about this and are also relying on us, will see us missing this deadline as a sign that were fumbling the ball again, he said.

The state has recorded growing abuse of opioids over several years, and lawmakers have indicated it will be a priority when they return to the state Capitol in 2018. Its still unclear what such legislation will look like.

As lawmakers move forward, we urge them to take a practical approach to the matter that works to help those with addictions  treatment instead of incarceration  while, most importantly, targeting pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies that too often flood the market with pills.

The war on drugs is full of failures and ill-advised policies. Lawmakers must avoid those mistakes on opioids.
If from Pfizer, state risks lawsuit for violation of ban on use of company's products for lethal injection

LINCOLN  A major pharmaceutical company demanded in a letter a month ago that the State of Nebraska return any lethal injection drugs it might have that were manufactured by the company or its affiliate.

Pfizer adopted a policy in 2016 banning the use of its products in an execution as a misuse of drugs intended to save lives.

Pfizer makes its products to enhance and save the lives of the patients we serve. Consistent with these values, Pfizer strongly objects to the use of its products as lethal injections for capital punishment, stated the Oct. 4 letter, signed by Robert Jones, a public relations director with Pfizer.

Officials with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and the office of Gov. Pete Ricketts declined to say Thursday if the state had obtained any Pfizer drugs.

We are not disclosing the identity of the supplier at this time, said corrections spokeswoman Dawn-Renee Smith.

But Smith said the state spent $10,500 on the four lethal injection drugs purchased last month.

This comes two years after Nebraska spent $54,000 on similar drugs that it never received.

A week ago, the state informed a death-row inmate that it had obtained the substances it planned to use in carrying out the inmates death sentence.

Three of the drugs are on Pfizers list of substances it prohibits for use in executions.

If Nebraska obtained drugs made by Pfizer, it risks a lawsuit from the company or one of its distributors claiming that it violated the companys ban on using drugs on its list of restricted products for a lethal injection, according to a national authority on the death penalty.

The question is: Is there someone who is violating their contract with Pfizer? asked Robert Dunham of the Washington, D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center on Thursday. Or is a distributor being misled about the use of the drug?

Dunham said Pfizer typically doesnt send such demand letters unless it suspects that a state has obtained drugs manufactured by it.

The Pfizer letter was among several documents released by corrections this week in response to public records requests from The World-Herald and the ACLU of Nebraska. The newspaper and the civil rights group each independently requested information about the states efforts to obtain lethal injection drugs.

The records show that the state on Sept. 19 received federal approval, if necessary, to import controlled substances. On Oct. 12, records indicated that four lethal injection drugs were being stored at a prison in Lincoln.

The documents also list expiration dates for the drugs. Two of the drugs expire in July and August 2018.

That raises doubts about whether Nebraska could set an execution date before the drugs expire, according to a leading death penalty opponent, State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha.

While the state has declined to identify the source of the four drugs, Smith, the corrections spokeswoman, said last week that they came from a source in the U.S.

Dunham said the information released so far seems to indicate two possible sources: either a private, compounding pharmacy or a distributor that handles Pfizer products.

The records released by the state indicated that at least two of the drugs had been sent to a laboratory in Minnesota for testing. Such testing is required by state law before the drugs can be used in an execution, Smith said.

The four drugs that the state obtained included three on Pfizers list of 13 restricted products the company has said cannot be used in lethal injections.

The three are diazepam, fentanyl citrate and potassium chloride. A fourth drug obtained by the state, cisatracurium besylate, is not manufactured by Pfizer, a company spokesman said Thursday.

The Pfizer letter said the company would reimburse the state for any drugs it returned that were made by Pfizer or Hospira, a Pfizer company. A company spokesman declined to say if Nebraska had returned any drugs, referring questions to state officials.

Nebraska, as well as several other states, have scrambled to obtain lethal injection drugs in recent years, in part because companies like Pfizer have banned their use for executions.

Some documents released to the ACLU illustrated that. Included were pleas from corrections officials in Nevada and Mississippi who were seeking help to obtain lethal injection drugs for their states.

Danielle Conrad, who heads the ACLU of Nebraska, said Thursday that the information released to the ACLU raises more questions than they answer.

Every attempt to tinker with the machinery of death doesnt bring us any closer to an execution, Conrad said. It just raises a new set of questions.

Almost half of the records request by the group produced a state response that no records exist. Conrad, a former state senator, said the ACLU is reviewing whether their request was fully complied with, adding that she expects more to be released next week.

Nebraska has yet to seek an execution warrant for the inmate, Jose Sandoval, who was sentenced to die for his role in the murders of five people inside a Norfolk bank in 2002. Last weeks notice was a required step before an execution date is requested.

There has not been an execution in Nebraska for 20 years, since the electric chair was in use. Electrocution was ruled unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment by the Nebraska Supreme Court, so the state switched to lethal injection.

But the state has stumbled in past attempts to obtain the drugs.

In 2011, a Swiss manufacturer demanded the return of a lethal injection drug purchased through a broker in India, saying it had been improperly obtained by the broker. Two years ago, Nebraska spent $54,000 through the same broker, Chris Harris, for drugs it never received. That shipment was blocked by federal authorities.
Community Connections Mentoring and Impact Team would like to thank the individuals, families and mentoring pairs that attended the Operation Christmas Card event on Nov. 1 at the North Platte Senior Center. With your help and donations, we were able to fill 22 care packages for deployed U.S. military and filled out over 300 Christmas cards to thank the individuals who are away from their families during the holidays. A huge thank you goes out Dominos Pizza, Kamie Stephen Photography, Dr. Johnston, DDS, and Popcorner, as well as the North Platte Senior Center and RSVP for supporting our event.

I am very proud of the sixth-graders from Madison Middle Schools Impact Team as they jumped right in to participate. Our youth are eager to make a difference in our community when given the opportunity. This group will be looking for other ways to participate in community service throughout the school year, and we are looking for retired individuals who would like to partner with us in these events. Please call me at 308-696-0975 if you would be interested in mentoring with this group twice a month on Wednesday afternoons or if you have a service idea for us.

Mentoring allows children to be exposed to a variety of opportunities so that each can build on their own unique strengths. Community Connections mentors are caring adult volunteers who give their time and their hearts to be a role model to a young person. Thank you to the many individuals and businesses who have chosen to support these efforts.

Angela Hipp

Mentoring Coordinator for Community Connections
Lines wrap so far around Portillo's that workers stand outside amid the rows of cars handing out menus and taking orders.

But the popular Chicago-style fast-casual restaurant is making it easier to snag its hog dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, beef-n-sausages, char-broiled chicken sandwiches and cake shakes.

Portillo's partnered with DoorDash to offer home delivery of orders of at least $15. The Portillo's on U.S. 30 in Merrillville is not immediately offering the service, however, because DoorDash isn't established there yet.

Portillos is looking to add delivery to the Merrillville location as quickly as possible, but we dont have an expected date at this time," Portillos VP of Marketing and Public Relations Nicholas Scrarpino said. "We chose to partner with national delivery partner DoorDash and there are some cities throughout the US that they dont service yet. Merrillville is one of them. We are working with DoorDash to add coverage in Merrillville as soon as possible."

However, residents in west Lake County can get Portillo's delivered. The Portillo's at 17500 Halsted St. in Homewood, which is about 6.5 miles from the state line, is delivering within a 30-minute drive, a range that includes Munster, Dyer, Hammond and at least parts of Highland, Griffith, Schererville and St. John.

People can order Portillo's from Homewood using the Portillo's and DoorDash websites or apps.

Our new delivery offering continues the tradition of innovation set forward by our companys founder Dick Portillo, Portillo's CEO Keith Kinsey said. From our unique ordering system, to our double drive-thru lanes staffed with outside employees, Portillos has consistently innovated our systems to provide our guests with convenient ways to enjoy our iconic menu items. It was important that we partner with a company that could support Portillos high-volume restaurants, especially through our lunch and dinner service. DoorDash gives us flexibility and reliability to give our customers the convenience they want and the quality they have come to expect from Portillos. We are thrilled to roll out this service at locations nationwide.

A total of 49 Portillo's locations now offer home delivery, which incurs a $5 delivery fee.

For more than four years, DoorDash has prided itself in forming partnerships with the best restaurants in every city. Today we are proud to add another top restaurant to our platform by working with Portillos, a Chicagoland staple, to power their delivery across the country, DoorDash Head of Business Development Toby Espinosa said. As part of the partnership we have also expanded DoorDashs footprint into 13 new cities, to ensure even more customers can order delivery from their favorite restaurants like Portillos.

For more information, visit portillos.com.
The Joffrey Ballet debuted its new reimagined 'Nutcracker' last year to Chicago audiences.

This season, the classic ballet's fans will have the opportunity to learn the history of The Joffrey's production and about the making of the new ballet, which was choreographed by acclaimed artist Christopher Wheeldon.

WTTW Chicago, in collaboration with The Joffrey Ballet, will premiere the new documentary "Making a New American Nutcracker" at 8 p.m. Nov. 16 on WTTW-Channel 11. The program will air again at 5 p.m. Sunday and on other days in December. Check local television listings.

"'The Nutcracker' has a big place in our culture," said Dan Andries, producer of "Making a New American Nutcracker."

Andries said it was an honor to showcase the behind-the-scenes work of this new production and to highlight the "creative people" who made the ballet happen.

"To have the opportunity to be part of this was very cool," he said.

The documentary, which is narrated by actress Neve Campbell, features interviews with Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director Ashley Wheater; some of the dancers; choreographer Wheeldon; and other members of the creative team. It offers an insider's view of the detailed makings of the fascinating ballet which now has a Chicago-centric setting.

Andries said Wheater had the idea for a new Nutcracker for awhile and helped gather a team of talents together to re-envision the holiday favorite.

"He started to look at the city," Andries said, adding that Wheater liked the idea of setting "The Nutcracker" in the city of Chicago at the time of the Columbian Exposition.

During a 2016 news conference announcing the ballet, choreographer Wheeldon said the reimagined production would be "the story of an immigrant fair worker's child (who has) very little," rather than revolving around the elite Stahlbaum family and their daughter Clara.

"I thank the Joffrey for allowing me the opportunity to make a production I hope will be an extraordinary experience for many generations to come," Wheeldon said.

Andries said all the talents involved "sat down and dreamed up this incredible show." The producer said the documentary not only focuses on the making of the iconic ballet but also showcases the history of Chicago.

According to Andries, about 20 people were interviewed for the show, including some Chicago critics and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

"Everyone had something to add to the story," he said.

Andries said he hopes viewers will enjoy experiencing a look at the "amazing ballet."

"And I hope they get an insight into the process and the ways things came together and an idea of the time investment and energy people put into it."

Visit wttw.com/nutcracker to learn more about the documentary and for original content and behind-the-scenes images.
CROWN POINT  A Chicago man was arrested late Thursday on a drunken driving charge after his Mercury Sable crashed into the Old Lake County Courthouse, police said.

At about 11:30 p.m. Matthew D. Stevens, 25, was traveling eastbound on U.S. 231 approaching the intersection at Court Street when he jumped the curb at Court, traveled off the road and over the lawn of the courthouse, and struck the southwest corner of the building, according to police.

Police said Stevens agreed to take a breath test, which showed his blood alcohol content was 0.22. The legal limit for driving in Indiana is 0.08.

Rescue workers on the scene began administering treatment on a passenger in the car who was conscious but unresponsive, according to police. The passenger was transported to Franciscan Health in Crown Point for treatment for a bruised lung, police said.

Police said Stevens was taken to Franciscan Health, where he was medically cleared of injuries. He was then transported to Lake County Jail.

Marty Wheeler, president of the Lake Court House Foundation, arrived on Friday to inspect the damage to the limestone corner where it was hit by the vehicle and said it "was a shame."

"I hate to see my beautiful courthouse damaged like that," she said. "It really ticks me off."
CROWN POINT  A former Merrillville town councilman admitted Friday he took bribes from a federal police informant in exchange for a vehicle towing contract, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Thomas Goralczyk, 51, of Merrillville, was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury in Hammond of felony bribery. He admitted Friday he was guilty of the offense in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

A date for a plea hearing has not yet been scheduled, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Goralczyk, contacted at his home in Merrillville, declined to comment.

Merrillville Town Council President Richard Hardaway said his heart goes out to Goralczyk's family.

Hardaway said he worked with Goralczyk on the council for eight years, and he had believed the former councilman was beyond reproach.

"It's another tough day for the town of Merrillville," Hardaway said.

Goralczyk admitted in the plea agreement he accepted two vehicles from a witness cooperating with the FBI on the promise he would use his influence as a councilman to steer the town's towing contract to the informant's towing company.

The bribes were made between February 2013 and August 2014, the agreement states. He accepted a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee from the informant for $400, when he knew the vehicle's value exceeded $2,500.

He also accepted a 2008 Ford Focus, valued at more than $5,000, for which he paid nothing, the agreement states. He also was provided four camper tires and free storage for a personal motorcycle as part of the deal.

The former councilman attempted to hide the bribes by presenting false bills of sale to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles representing he paid $1,000 for the Jeep Cherokee, and $2,750 for the Ford Focus, the agreement states.

Goralczyk agrees to forfeit $7,500 before sentencing as part of the plea deal.

Public officials, like Mr. Goralczyk, elected and entrusted to do the public's work, are required to do that work free from self-dealing and graft, U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II said Friday in a statement. This is not optional. The public demands and is, in fact, entitled to honest public servants.

Goralczyk was first elected as a Merrillville town councilman in 2007 and took office in January 2008. He was re-elected in 2011 and began his second term as 4th Ward councilman in January 2012.

He served as president of the Town Council in 2011 and 2015.

He also held various other positions on the Merrillville Redevelopment Commission, Lake County Solid Waste Management Board and the governing board of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, according to the agreement.

The investigation into Goralczyk was first revealed in August at the trial of former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich, who was convicted of wire fraud and bribery for taking cash bribes to steer the county's towing work to favored companies.

Nathan Holbrook, an FBI special agent, testified Aug. 8 at trial the investigation into Buncich began initially with an investigation in 2012 into whether Scott Jurgensen, who was working undercover for the FBI, bribed Goralczyk to get towing work from the town.

Jurgensen, owner of Samson's Towing, had complained to the FBI special agent he couldn't get towing work because he refused to pay bribes.
HAMMOND A federal judge will decide Jan. 5 whether to imprison a gun dealer who conspired with corrupt Lake County police officers to illegally buy machine guns and laser gun sights.

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen heard more than five hours of testimony and argument Thursday about the correct sentence for Vahan Kelerchian, 58, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, for his role in a gun-running scheme that damaged the reputation of the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

A federal jury in Hammond convicted Kelerchian in October 2015 on eight of nine counts of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering to obtain scores of machine guns and laser gun sights between 2008 and 2010.

Kelerchian circumvented federal regulations on ownership of the devices through his firearms license and his friendship with three former county policemen: Joseph Kumstar, then the third highest ranking administrator, Ronald D. Slusser, the department's former armorer, and Edward O. Kebella.

Kumstar made unauthorized use of department letterhead to obtain federal approval for 71 machine guns and dozens of laser gun sights as part of a scheme to make the purchases appear to be exclusively for law enforcement use.

But the conspirators were purchasing them with their own money and selling gun parts and sights on the internet for an estimated profit of between $100,000 and $200,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Benson argued Kelerchian should be sentenced to 14 years in prison. Defense attorney Kerry Connor said Kelerchian should serve no more time than the worst of the former county officers who should bear the blame for the crime.

Kumstar is serving a 57-month sentence and Slusser a 70-month sentence in minimum security federal institutions. Kebella completed a 24-month sentence three years ago.

Benson said Kelerchian deserves more time because he forced the government to prove their case during an 11-day trial, lied on the witness stand and still maintains his innocence while the former officers pleaded guilty and cooperated with the government unlike Kelerchian.

Benson said Kelerchian, who had no prior criminal record and ran a major arms dealerships, may be a good father and friend, but displayed "a conscious disregard for the health and welfare of the community."

He said Kelerchian also had been involved since 2002 in acquiring belt-fed machine guns, that fire 10 shots per second, under the ruse of demonstrating these weapons to police departments around the country. Benson said that kind of fire power has no practical application in law enforcement.

Benson said investigators have been unable to find dozens of gun parts and laser sights the conspirator sold to a untrained public. He said they have found their way into the hands of criminals and possibly into a black market enemies of the U.S. can use them against U.S. soldiers.

Kelerchian remains free on bond. Connor said he will appeal his conviction.
CROWN POINT  A defense attorney for Nicholas Nick Medrano, the Lake County Sheriff's officer charged with rape, filed a motion to compel discovery Thursday as the case moved toward a Dec. 18 trial date.

Medrano, 34, of Crown Point, appeared in Lake Criminal Court with attorney Paul Stracci. Stracci filed the motion with the court and requested a Dec. 1 hearing on it.

Judge pro tem Michael Lambert, who was filling in Thursday for Judge Samuel Cappas, pointed out the trial was almost a month away.

The parties are staring down the barrel of a trial date in 30 days, he warned.

Deputy Prosecutor Infinity Baulos said the state was ready for trial.

Medrano was indicted by a grand jury in June on charges of rape, attempted rape, sexual battery and confinement on allegations he had sexual intercourse with a woman, identified as a co-worker, between Jan. 10, 2013 and June 30, 2014.

Medrano surrendered himself to 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.

The Lake County Police Merit Board suspended Medrano without pay in July.
CROWN POINT  A 63-year-old man pleaded guilty Friday to felony battery in a stabbing earlier this year at Veterans Village in Gary.

Marvin E. Chambliss pleaded guilty Friday in Lake Criminal Court to battery resulting in serious bodily injury in the April 7 stabbing of another tenant at Veterans Village, 839 Massachusetts St. in Gary.

The tenant told police Chambliss stabbed him in the face with a knife during a fight at the apartment building, according to a probable cause affidavit. Chambliss told police it was self-defense.

Chambliss, who is jailed on a $50,000 bond, was charged with attempted murder and three counts of felony battery. The remaining charges will be dismissed at sentencing as part of the plea agreement.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15.
CROWN POINT  Two men were each sentenced this week to five years in prison for robbing an undercover police detective in Gary.

Deandre M. Gardner, 20, and Melquan D. Travis, 19, were each sentenced Tuesday by Judge Clarence Murray to five years prison for armed robbery and attempted armed robbery.

The Lake County prosecutor's office agreed to dismiss several other charges pending against each of the defendants as part of their plea agreements.

The defendants admitted in their plea agreements they robbed Gary police Detective Lorenzo Davis Jr. on Aug. 27, 2015, near the intersection of 35th Avenue and Buchanan Street in Gary.

The men were lured to the area by the detective, who was working undercover to investigate armed robberies involving the smartphone application OfferUp, the agreements state.

The men also admitted to attempting to rob a second man at gunpoint on Aug. 26, 2015, but that victim managed to speed off from the scene of the robbery in his vehicle.
Schererville police confirmed Thursday they have two cases that may be the work of a man suspected in a rash of robberies, bringing the total number of cases reported by police in Lake County to at least 11.

The Schererville cases show the spree began as early as 2:36 a.m. on Oct. 31, when the Speedway gas station at 2333 U.S. 41 was robbed.

The Holiday Inn Express at 1773 Fountain Park Drive in Schererville was robbed at 1:24 a.m. on Nov. 5, police said.

The man is suspected of robbing a Griffith 7-Eleven about 3 a.m. Nov. 6 and attempting to rob a Withams' Sav-A-Stop in Highland about 9:20 p.m. Just 17 minutes later, he may have robbed the Subway at 9515 Indianapolis Blvd. in Highland.

An attempted robbery at Baum's Natural Foods and a robbery at Smoothie King in St. John were reported Nov. 7, followed by two robberies in Highland and one in Munster on Nov. 8.

The man is suspected of robbing the Fannie May at Ridge Road and Cline Avenue in Highland on Sunday, and Michigan City police were investigating whether he might be linked to a robbery Monday at the Subway at 216 W. U.S. 20.

In a Facebook post late Tuesday, Smoothie King  St John IN released a surveillance video of the man.

The video  which had been viewed more than 54,000 times as of Thursday afternoon  shows the man holding an object wrapped in plastic, demanding money and repeatedly telling two young employees to hurry up.

"Someone will recognize this person by his voice and body language. Watch his movements, listen to his voice, and listen to his speech patterns," Smoothie King's post said.

The man has been described as white or light-skinned Hispanic, about 5 foot 5 to 5 foot 7 with a thin or "scrawny" build. He often wears a mask over at least part of his face and targets small businesses with few employees, police said.

Police are encouraging business employees to remain aware of their surroundings and report anything suspicious. If a robbery occurs, try to remember details about appearance, including height, weight, hair color, gender, race, age, clothing and anything unusual such as a limp, accent, scars and tattoos.

Anyone with information about the man's identity is asked to call Lake County E-911 dispatch at 219-660-0001, St. John police at 219-365-6032 or Highland police at 219-838-3184.
HIGHLAND  The occupants of a stolen car got away Thursday night after bailing at the first sign of police, an official said.

A license plate reader alerted Highland police to a stolen vehicle that had entered the town, and the officer spotted the black Ford Fusion at 6:57 p.m. traveling in the 9000 block of U.S. 41, Cmdr. John Banasiak said.

The car turned from southbound U.S. 41 to westbound Martha Street as the officer attempted to catch up. The officer did not initiate a pursuit, he said.

The officer found the car stopped in a driveway in the 2100 block of Martha Street with the driver's and passenger side doors open. It was unclear how many people were in the car, Banasiak said.

Police began a search, and an officer saw a man run south on Idlewild Drive. A Griffith K-9 officer arrived to help track the man, but the scent was lost at the Kady Marsh Ditch, he said.

The car was recovered and had been reported stolen in Illinois, police said.
INDIANAPOLIS  High-limit players at Ameristar Casino in East Chicago will be the first to experience land-based gaming in Northwest Indiana.

On Thursday, the Indiana Gaming Commission unanimously approved Ameristar's plan to relocate its high-limit slots and table games from its Lake Michigan vessel to a portion of its dockside pavilion that's currently used for restaurants.

Ameristar plans to spend $5.8 million to renovate the space. When complete, likely in mid-April, it will offer 95 high-limit slots, 14 high-limit table games and dedicated high-limit amenities, including a casino cage, rewards center, food, beverages and restrooms.

"We're pretty excited about it," said Matt Schuffert, Ameristar vice president and general manager. "It's going to create a new gaming experience in Northwest Indiana that folks haven't experienced yet."

Ameristar will continue operating its casino boat, with about 100 extra gaming positions on the main level, for players who prefer to wager less on a spin of a slot machine or the turn of a card.

The casino currently has more than 1,700 slot machines and 70 table games.

"By relocating high-limit slots and tables off of the boat onto land, that frees up space, and we'll add additional gaming product to that," Schuffert said.

Ameristar is the first Region casino to take advantage of a 2015 Indiana law permitting the state's permanently moored casino boats to move on land adjacent to their docks.

In southern Indiana, Evansville's Tropicana last month opened an entirely land-based casino.

Schuffert said for now it makes the most economic sense only to move a portion of Ameristar's gaming positions onto land.

"This is an initial step to see how our guests react to it," he said. "Obviously to bring the entire facility on land is a pretty large investment.

"And it's still a very tough, competitive environment up in Chicagoland with Indiana also battling the video gaming terminals over in Illinois. So we think this is the right decision, the right capital investment for our property at this time."

Northwest Indiana's casinos have been fighting to maintain gaming revenue in recent years. For this year through October, revenue is off just over 1 percent from 2016, at $789.7 million.

Schuffert said Ameristar's project already has been endorsed by the East Chicago Plan Commission and the city has approved the casino's technical review.

Having also won the consent of the Indiana Gaming Commission, Ameristar now will seek expedited plan review from the state so construction can begin in late December or early January, he said.

Gaming Commissioner Joseph Svetanoff, of Crown Point, congratulated Ameristar for its decision to move a portion of its casino games onto land.

"As the commissioner from Lake County, I applaud you for taking advantage of the land-based legislation," Svetanoff said. "I look forward to you being successful with this project and bringing jobs to our community."
INDIANAPOLIS  A well-known Indiana state senator will miss at least a portion of the 2018 legislative session because his Army reserve unit is being called up to assist residents in hurricane-torn Puerto Rico.

State Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, has been ordered to active duty beginning Dec. 8, and continuing for a minimum of 31 days, according to a statement released Thursday by Senate President David Long, R-Fort Wayne.

The Indiana General Assembly is scheduled to convene Jan. 3 for its annual session that is required by law to adjourn for the year no later than March 14.

"Whether service beyond Jan. 8 will be required is not certain, but Sen. Delph will be granted the appropriate time off from his duties as a state senator to serve in his role with the Army," Long said.

Delph, who has led Statehouse efforts to restrict illegal immigration and prevent recognition of same-sex marriage, is not the first state senator to be called to military service during the legislative session.

In 2014, state Sen. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City, was deployed with his Navy reserve unit to Afghanistan for nine months and missed the entire 2015 General Assembly.

Banks was replaced in the Senate that year by his wife, Amanda Banks, under a 2004 law authorizing precinct committeemen to temporarily fill public office vacancies when a state or local official is called to active military duty.

He now represents northeast Indiana in the U.S. House.

Long did not indicate whether a temporary replacement senator will be selected for Delph. One likely would not be necessary if Delph's call-up ends shortly after the legislative session begins.

"I hope Sen. Delph's constituents will join his fellow members of the Indiana General Assembly in sending him and his family our best wishes and prayers as he undertakes this service for his country and the American citizens in Puerto Rico," Long said.
CHESTERTON  Representatives from numerous companies and nonprofit organizations met Thursday morning for a breakfast hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in celebration of National Philanthropy Day.

The associations Northwest Indiana Chapter hosted their annual awards breakfast at the Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton to celebrate the spirit of giving and to present awards to members of the community who provide significant philanthropic support and leadership to nonprofit organizations throughout Northwest Indiana.

Proclaimed as a national holiday in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, National Philanthropy Day has been celebrated nationwide by the association since its proclamation and locally by the associations Northwest Indiana Chapter for the past nine years.

Communities across the United States celebrate the holiday each year by holding events to recognize and award members of their communities for donations, volunteering, and leadership.

Stephanie Jones, this years keynote speaker and author of The Giving Challenge, told attendees her story of how she challenged herself to give one time every day for 40 days, and how 40 days eventually became 522 days of giving each day.

Jones hopes that with her book she can encourage more people across the nation to take her challenge to give and help create a more generous world.

My goal of the book is for people to be more generous.  I challenge people for one time every day, to think of how they could give to someone else, Jones said.

The association presented a series of awards Thursday.

Jacki Stutzman was honored for the Outstanding Individual Philanthropist, and her dedication and assistance with the Valparaiso Family YMCA.

The award for up-and-coming philanthropist was given to 9-year-old Cavin Porter by the Nazareth Home, a foster home for medically fragile infants and toddlers in East Chicago.

Porter, a former foster child at the home, was nominated for helping the home organize fundraisers such as spaghetti dinners and diaper drives. Porter also wrote a special letter to ask others to support the home and later wrote an acknowledgment letter to honor those who gave. Those letters resulted in $12,000 in donations to the home.

Nominated by Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana, Centier Bank received the company or organization philanthropist award.

Meals on Wheels member and National Philanthropy Day Chairwoman Amanda Maynard stated, As a member of Meals on Wheels, I can say that Centier Bank is a core supporter of our mission. In fact, they are one of the top 25 donors of all time for our organization.

Gagan Family Foundation received the Outstanding Foundation award for its contributions to numerous organizations such as the Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, hospice and others.

The Gagan Family Foundation also was recognized for annually distributing nearly 1,500 holiday comfort care packages packed with tissues, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, cookies, candies and more to Meals on Wheels, hospice and other organizations.
CHICAGO  The Rev. Jesse Jackson disclosed publicly Friday that he has been seeking outpatient care for two years for Parkinson's disease and plans to "dedicate" himself to physical therapy.

In a Friday letter to supporters, the 76-year-old civil rights leader said family and friends noticed a change in him about three years ago. He said he could no longer ignore symptoms of the chronic neurological disorder that causes movement difficulties.

"Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it," he wrote. "For me, a Parkinson's diagnosis is not a stop sign but rather a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the disease's progression."

He noted that the same disease "bested my father." Noah Lewis Robinson Sr. died in 1997 at age 88.

Jackson also released a Northwestern Medicine letter saying he was diagnosed in 2015 and has since sought outpatient care.

He runs the Chicago-based Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and was twice a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 1980s. He's remained a strong voice in anti-discrimination efforts, including advocating for affordable housing, and been a fixture at protests nationwide.

He said Friday in the letter that he is also working on a memoir.

"I will continue to try to instill hope in the hopeless, expand our democracy to the disenfranchised and free innocent prisoners around the world," he said in the letter. "I steadfastly affirm that I would rather wear out than rust out."

Jackson declined further comment Friday.
Schererville resident Jeff Myszak has been a police officer for 14 years. He said no amount of training or job experience could prepare him for having his own daughter severely burned in an accident.

On Oct. 25, 13-year-old Amayah Myszak, received second- and third-degree burns to 40 percent of her body while at a birthday party. There was a bonfire and someone added gasoline to the fire and it exploded, he said.

A friend called me and said, 'Amayah is hurt.' I had a thought driving there  I pulled up probably within five minutes of that call. I could see Amayah through the ambulance window and I knew it was bad, Jeff Myszak said. Its surreal  a very this-cant-be-happening kind of experience.

Amayah was flown to Loyola University Medical Centers burn unit and was put into a coma for eight days. She has second- and third-degree burns on her face, arms, chest, abdomen, legs and back. Amayah is scheduled for her fourth skin graft surgery next week.

People dont know the complexities of being burned. Its been tough for everyone. We are on a roller coaster  weve had every emotion you can experience, he said. We are trying to be strong for Amayah; shes come a long way. But shes distraught and coming to terms with the fact that she was injured to no fault of her own.

Amayah, who has three siblings, has a long road of healing ahead of her. The family hopes to have her home by Christmas.

Mario Castaneda, assistant principal at Grimmer Middle School in Schererville, said the community has been working together to support the Myszak family in various ways. For example, the school had a table set up in the cafeteria so students could make Amayah cards during lunch. Castaneda also organized a dinner dance for students and their parents to raise money as well.

My faith in humanity has been strengthened by this experience," Castaneda said. "We are trying to ease the financial burden for the family because Jeff is working intermittently. Local businesses have offered gift cards, Andorra Banquets and Catering (helped with a recent event for Amayah)  no one has said no. Weve had a lot of help from our PTO, as well. Ive actually had to ask people to slow down a little bit because everyone is trying to help so much  its a good problem to have.

Schererville Fire Chief Joe Kruzan said he and his department are praying for Amayah and her family.

The Schererville Police and Fire departments are very close ... the injuries sustained by Amayah Myszak hit us all very hard."

Those interested in donating to Amayah's recovery, can visit www.youcaring.com/amayahmyszak-1001484.
Billy Foster, of Gary, was in New York's Times Square last month when he looked up and saw his face smiling back at him.

Foster was featured on a billboard campaign in midtown Manhattan for the month of October for a campaign featuring people living with cancer.

The 70-year-old has stage 4 cancer that has metastasized to his lungs and liver.

"It's something that I can't get rid of," the former elementary school teacher said. "The best option is to be able to keep it stable."

He doesn't let the disease slow him down. He plays piano in a jazz trio. He hosts a weekly radio show on WGVE-FM in Gary. He teaches jazz piano at Indiana University Northwest.

In 1996, Foster had a kidney removed because it had a cancerous tumor. Everything went well until 2007, when doctors discovered the cancer had spread to his liver, lungs and brain.

Foster appeared on the Times Square jumbotron for the "This is Living With Cancer" campaign, which is sponsored by Pfizer and promotes the LivingWith mobile app that provides support and resources to cancer patients. An article and video about him and other survivors are featured on the campaign's website.

"We hope our stories will get someone else through their journey with this disease," he said. "I've been quite fortunate. It's been somewhat of a miracle. Kidney cancer patients usually don't live this long.

"The message is that you can live with this disease fairly successfully. You can live a productive life with cancer. There are going to be more remedies coming online, so there are going to be more people living with the disease instead of dying with the disease."

Foster is heavily involved in the cancer community. He and his wife, Renee, recently attended conferences for the Kidney Cancer Association in Miami and Association for Cancer Research in Atlanta. He is on a patient advisory council at the University of Chicago. He has gone to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers for increased funding for cancer research.

He believes that research is the reason he's alive. When his cancer spread in 2007, he took part in a clinical trial, and the medication stabilized his condition. He's now on a medicine that was developed during the time he was in the trial.

"Most people don't live as long as I have. I feel like I've been blessed. I feel like there's a reason for that blessing, and I want to give back as much as I can," he said. "I don't feel like I'm just here for the heck of it, you know what I mean."
Activist groups and their congressional surrogates are trying to derail recently proposed federal tax cut legislation by falling back on their favorite messaging tactic of calling it a gift to the rich.

The tax plan helps the rich at the expense of the middle class, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The tax plan pursues donors interests at the expense of working families, huffed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

But saying it doesnt make it so. Overheated rhetoric notwithstanding, the biggest beneficiaries of proposed federal tax cuts are the middle class and small businesses.

The House tax bill will double the income threshold under which families pay zero tax to $24,000. It would roughly double the child tax credit, making the increasing costs of child care a little more manageable for working families.

The bill eliminates the 15 percent tax bracket, meaning hardworking families pay just 12 percent on their next $90,000 of income. Previously the 15 percent tax bracket kicked in at just $18,650 after deductions.

The plan also calls for a special 9 percent rate on small businesses first $75,000 of earnings  a 40 percent marginal tax cut. This special rate only applies to businesses with $150,000 or less in total annual earnings to ensure the rich dont benefit.

These changes alone would save ordinary families and small businesses thousands of dollars a year. A family of four earning $59,000 will save roughly $1,200 a year from the tax plan.

This is not chump change. According to a recent Federal Reserve survey, nearly half of Americans cannot cover an unexpected $400 expense like a health care bill or car repair. Four in five American workers live paycheck to paycheck. These tax proposals would bring these hardworking Americans much-needed breathing room.

Other middle-class taxpayers would save thousands of dollars more from the tax bills vast expansion of the 25 percent tax bracket and the elimination of the 28 percent bracket. This would keep more money in American communities where it can create economic growth, job opportunities and wage hikes.

The bill also has several additional proposals to help small businesses, which account for half of all jobs and two-thirds of new jobs. It would create a new top marginal small business tax rate of 25 percent, spurring hiring, expansion and wage growth. It would allow for immediate expensing and full deduction of interest costs, making expansion and capital investment easier.

These provisions would strengthen the countrys middle-class and small business backbone, which have been weakened by years of over-taxation. Even the left-of-center Washington Post Fact Checker gives the claim that working families wont benefit from the tax bill four Pinocchios  signifying the most egregious lie possible.

Its true the rich will benefit somewhat from the tax bill. Their top marginal tax rate remains at the current 39.6 percent, but the income threshold where it kicks in is raised to $1 million.

These relatively minor savings, as a percentage of taxes paid, do not match the impact of the savings enjoyed by middle-class families and small businesses.

So next time you hear that tax cuts are just a giveaway to the rich, consider the source.
President Donald Trumps extensive tour of East Asia has historic importance. The busy schedule included stops in China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam.

Most press attention focused on the two largest economic powers in the vat region  China and Japan. However, arguably the most significant stop in tangible as well as symbolic terms has been Vietnam.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit recently concluded in Danang, Vietnam.

The traditional spelling of this third largest city in the nation is Da Nang, just as the traditional spelling of Vietnam is Viet Nam.

Americans don't like empty spaces. We turn unused real estate into productive enterprises. Getting rid of those blank areas between words speeds up pronunciation, and time is money. The fast-moving, fast-talking technocrats who dominated military policy during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations brought precisely that perspective to U.S. foreign policy during the Vietnam War.

Unfortunately, quantitative measures featuring dead bodies, enemy weapons and weight of documents captured were not reliable indicators of progress.

Where quantitative measures are central is in the tough and quite tangible world of commerce, trade and investment. APEC is emerging as perhaps the most important intergovernmental network in East Asia to promote those activities.

President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State James Baker deserve great credit for making APEC a firm reality. Australia Prime Minister Bob Hawke conceived the organization.

Vietnam also hosted the 2006 APEC summit. That gathering provided a useful opportunity to highlight that nations economic growth and the wider commitment to multilateralism.

The nation was long a special case. For years after Hanois military victory in 1975, the newly unified nation was unable to turn the corner from political revolution to economic development.

Vietnam did not join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations until 1995, nearly three decades after the creation of the regional development organization.

Recent years have witnessed escalation of maritime conflicts across the Pacific. For example, in April 2014 China authorities impounded the Baosteel Emotion, a freighter of Japans Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.

The two nations also both claim the Senkaku Islands.

China and Vietnam are traditional enemies, a reality masked by their ideological alliance as Communist partners during the long Vietnam War. Maritime conflicts and occasional violent clashes between these nations continue.

There are military security aspects to APEC summits, though the focus is economics. In the 2008 summit held in Peru, Americans and Russians discussed differences over Moscows invasion of Georgia and missile developments in Europe and Korea.

In 2006, Hanoi honored U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and our government with a martial parade, complete with American flags  an ironic and quite poignant gesture.
Record Number of Black Candidates Seeking History During Midterm Elections

While some already are household names like Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Val Demings in Florida, and Anthony Brown in Maryland, others like Natalie James in Arkansas, Will Boyd in Alabama,...

Tell the Supreme Court: We Still Need Affirmative Action

One of the great joys of my life is teaching. Im fortunate to teach classes on social justice at the University of Pennsylvania, one of the most respected schools in...
Alabama State Troopers announced the arrest of a Phenix City man on Thursday in connection with a fatal crash in July.

The driver of the Mack tractor trailer in the below release,

Kenneth Eugene Cathey, 51, of Phenix City was charged with five counts of criminally negligent homicide. He was booked in the Russell County Jail on Thursday.

The two-vehicle crash happened in Russell County on July 17, claiming five lives.

Carrie Jones, 32, of Albany, La., was killed when the 2014 Nissan Rogue she was driving collided with a 2006 Mack tractor trailer. Four passengers in the Nissan were also killed: Judy Madere, 58; Trudy Hebert, 58; and two children ages 4 and 7, all of Albany, La. All were proncounced dead at the scene.

Cathey was the driver of the Mack tractor trailer, Alabama State Troopers said Thursday.

The crash occurred at 8:30 a.m. on U.S. 80 just past the 207 mile marker, approximately 10 miles west of Phenix City, according to the information provided.
Bank of Uganda (BOU) and the Central Bank of Sudan have agreed to expand trade and investment between Kampala and Khartoum.

This was during a meeting between BOU Deputy Governor, Dr Louis Kasekende, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan Hazim Abdelgadir this week at BOU offices in Kampala.

Abdelgair was in Uganda as part of President Omar Al Bashirs delegation to the country.

Kasekende and Abdelgair agreed to push for a formal arrangement through a memorandum of understanding to guide the two central banks in the various areas of cooperation such as payments systems and correspondent banking, capacity building, and other avenues of facilitation of trade and investment between the two countries.

Kasekende said: We can exploit existing opportunities under the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) regional initiative for purposes of trade facilitation such as the Comesa Regional Payment and Settlement System (REPSS) as well as leverage the financial institutions operating in both countries to foster economic relations.

Abdelgadir said Sudan was ready to share its experience in Islamic finance and banking in light of the recent legislation in Uganda that paved way for that model of banking in Uganda.

Sudan is one of the countries that consume much of Ugandan coffee and close cooperation, which can boost that trade, is a welcome venture. BOU said the two Central banks were committed to strengthening bilateral relations.
Barclays bank Uganda has become the second financial institution to get the Bancassurance license to sell insurance products to its customers and the general public.

The bank will, however, offer the products in partnership with insurance companies. Barclays says it will partner with five insurance firms.

Stanbic was the first to pick the license, which is renewable annually. Banks pay Shs 1m for a license. Rakesh Jha, Barclays Uganda managing director, told reporters this week that this was a new revenue stream for the bank.

Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda, Ibrahim Kaddunabbi Lubega (R) handing over the Bancassurance agent licence to Barclays bank MD Rakesh Jha

As a bank, our main task is to understand what our customers need in terms of financial solutions. Being able to offer insurance products will expand the range of products we offer. Our partnership is going to be extensive  partnering with five insurance firms, Jha said.

He added the bank would use the network that we have  39 branches around the country to reach as many people as they can.

Insurance Regulatory Authority boss Ibrahim Lubega Kaddunabbi said: Bancassurance is intended to provide more distribution channels of insurance services to customers under one roof.

Insurance in Uganda has grown at a pitiable pace with penetration at less than two per cent. Ordinary people dont understand the sector and also there is limited trust that when one takes a policy, insurers will pay in case a claim comes in.

In Uganda there is demand for simple products and largely from unserved and untapped emerging markets, Kaddunabbi said. We therefore believe that with the experience of Barclays, they will introduce products that speak to Ugandans.

Kaddunabbi said this will see a swift growth in micro-insurance products. Bancassurance is as a result of the Public Finance Management Act 2015, which also paved way for agent banking in the country.

In neighbouring Kenya, Bancassurance is already a big deal with financial institutions cashing in. Recently, Miriam Magala, the Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Insurers Association, said there was need to streamline consumer protection guidelines for our mutual clients as well as decide the model(s) between the partners.

If it is a profit sharing arrangement, the banks have a more involved role from product development to sales and marketing or if it is a referral system, the banks may only need to act as a referral point for all insurance business.



amwesigwa@observer.ug
National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has issued stern warning to people claiming ownership of the 830.6 acres of Nsimbe estate in Mpigi off Kampala-Masaka highway.

NSSF says a group of unscrupulous individuals led by a one Leo Kimalempaka have come forward to claim ownership of the land.

To cement their baseless claims, they instituted a suit reference number HCCS 93 of 2017 at Mpigi High Court seeking to have the Funds certificates of Titles cancelled and to issue an injunction to stop the fund from utilising the land, NSSF wrote in a media statement.

Finance minister Matia Kasaija (L) with NSSF MD Richard Byarugaba

Court ruled in favour of NSSF as the lawful owner of the land. However, the Fund said these individuals have resorted to unlawful means to take possession of the land. This amounts to criminal trespass.

We would like to reiterate that the Fund is the rightful owner of the 830.68 acres of land, is in full possession of land and has embarked on plans to establish a low cost housing estate on the same, NSSF said.

The Fund took full possession of the land in April this year after it paid businessman Isabirye Mugoya Shs 21.6bn to relinquish his 51 per cent claim to the estate.

NSSF managing director Richard Byarugaba told reporters then that the pay-out enabled the Fund to redeem initial investment and acquire a valuable asset in a prime location.

The pay-out came after years of protracted battles with Mugoya. The new claims show NSSF may still have to spend billions of savers money on more legal gymnastics between the fund and individuals that claim ownership to whole or part of it.

The controversy started in 2004 when Mugoya was given 51 per cent shareholding for his contribution of the 830 acres.

It was agreed that NSSF and Mugoya would, in a joint venture, construct tens of thousands of housing units, which would be sold to generate profit for both parties.

A year later, the inspectorate of government cancelled the deal saying it had been marred with corruption and mismanagement, including the loss of Shs 1.4bn through the over valuation of the land in question.

The struggle went on until September 2016, when the Commercial court said in a consent judgement that NSSF buys the 51 per cent shareholding from Mugoya to solely develop the land.

The completion of the transaction with Mugoya last April seemed to have let the land free for development.

New claims, even as NSSF says it is in full possession of the land in question, point to the fact that controversy on this asset is far from over.



amwesigwa@observer.ug
17/11/2017 - In the aftermath of the release of the Paradise Papers, 200 delegates from more than 90 delegations met in Yaounde, Cameroon for the 10th meeting of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes which now includes 147 countries and jurisdictions.

The Global Forum adopted the first report on the status of implementation of the AEOI Standard a few weeks after almost 50 countries started exchanges of information under the new standard on automatic exchange of information, with another 53 countries starting in September 2018. The principle of annual implementation reports and peer reviews were agreed at the meeting to ensure effective implementation and a level playing field.

The Global Forum published peer reviews of Curacao, Denmark, India, Isle of Man, Italy and Jersey. The publications bring to a total of 16 the number of second round reviews of the Forums 147 member countries and jurisdictions based on its international standard of transparency and exchange of financial account information on request. The standard was reinforced last year to tackle tax evasion more effectively, particularly in areas covering the concept of beneficial ownership.

Click here to read the details of the peer review reports.

Delegates at the Yaounde meeting also agreed that the countries and jurisdictions working within the Global Forum as well as within the Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) could provide support to the European Union on its current listing exercise to identify third country jurisdictions that fail to comply with tax governance standards

In other developments at the meeting, the Global Forums Africa Initiative will continue the work in order to benefit from advances in tax transparency. Other regional initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean and in Asia are also helping to improve cross border taxation through effective use of exchange of information, both on request and automatically.

Cameroon was proud to host the 10th Global Forum meeting as tax evasion and avoidance represent huge loss of revenues that countries could invest in public services said Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Finance, Cameroon. The work of the Global Forum is key for developing countries, including those of Africa, and we are looking forward to keep working with our peers to strengthen global tax transparency .

Read the meeting Statement of Outcomes

For further information, journalists should contact Pascal Saint-Amans, Director of the OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, (+33 6 2630 4923), Monica Bhatia, Head of the Global Forum Secretariat (+ 33 1 4524 9746), or the OECD Media Office (+33 1 4524 9700).

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
Probation Is A Trap: Jay-Z Pens Op-Ed About Meek Mill, Americas Flawed Criminal Justice System Elijah C. Watson Elijah Watson serves as Okayplayer's News & Culture Editor. When

Since it was announced that Meek Mill would be sent to jail for two to four years for violating his probation, Jay-Z has been a vocal defender of the Philadelphia rapper. Now, the 4:44 artist has penned a New York Times op-ed about Meeks current situation and how flawed Americas criminal justice system really is.

WATCH: Jay-Z Takes Time Out Of His Concert To Speak Out Against Meek Mills Prison Sentence

Meek was around 19 when he was convicted on charges relating to drug and gun possession, and he served an eight-month sentence. Now hes 30, so he has been on probation for basically his entire adult life, Jay-Z writes. For about a decade, hes been stalked by a system that considers the slightest infraction a justification for locking him back inside.

Whats happening to Meek Mill is just one example of how our criminal justice system entraps and harasses hundreds of thousands of black people every day. I saw this up close when I was growing up in Brooklyn during the 1970s and 1980s, the rapper continues. Instead of a second chance, probation ends up being a land mine, with a random misstep bringing consequences greater than the crime. A person on probation can end up in jail over a technical violation like missing a curfew.

According to a recent report, Judge Genece Brinkley, who is overseeing Meeks case, is being investigated by the FBI.

The feds have an interest in the judge and [her] potential relationships. This is an investigation looking into a possible extortionate demand. Undercover agents have been in the courtroom monitoring the Meek proceedings since April 2016, a source told PageSix.

Meeks lawyer Joe Tacopina has spent the last week criticizing Brinkley, saying that she has a personal issue with the rapper. Tacopina made headlines when he told news outlets that Brinkley wanted Meek to do things like cover a Boyz II Men song and change his management.

Source: nytimes.com
Agricultural News

Leaders of Oklahoma's Ag Community Applauds Senator James Lankford's Defense of NAFTA Treaty

On November 15, Senator James Lankford led a letter to the Trump Administration urging the US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, to prioritize job creation over trade deficits and refrain from the pursuit of a "sunset" clause in new trade agreements. In reaction, The Oklahoman Editorial Board and Oklahoma agriculture leaders agreed with the approach on trade.







The Oklahoman: Delicate touch needed in NAFTA negotiations

By The Oklahoman Editorial Board

Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, joined two Senate colleagues in a letter this week to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, urging the administration to focus more on job creation and less on the trade deficit. The letter noted that in the past decade, "the year in which the U.S. unemployment rate was at its highest is the same year that the U.S. trade deficit was at its lowest." "At the very least, there is a negligible correlation between the number of jobs in the U.S. economy and our nation's trade deficit," they wrote. Kevin D. Williamson, a correspondent for National Review, argues that trade deficits should be the least of this country's concerns regarding NAFTA. A trade deficit, Williamson writes in the Nov. 13 edition , isn't a deficit "in the same sense as a federal budget deficit, and there is no cumulative effect analogous to the national debt."







-This country shouldn't do something that would adversely impact its global standing. Pulling out of NAFTA would do that. No doubt there are revisions to the agreement that are worth pursuing, but the administration shouldn't allow adherence to populist rhetoric to get in the way of responsible policymaking. To do so in this case would hurt Oklahoma and the country.







Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey said, "The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association appreciates Senator Lankford's strong commitment to free and fair trade. His highlighting reduction of excessive government red tape is spot on and should be the top priority of our trade agreements."







Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Rodd Moesel said, "Oklahoma farmers and ranchers depend on international agricultural markets to remain in business, as 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside of the United States. The North American Free Trade Agreement allowed Mexico to become a leading destination for Oklahoma's leading agriculture commodities - beef and wheat. The trade pact led to an increase of agricultural exports from $8.9 billion in 1993 to $38 billion in 2016, and allowed U.S. agriculture to maintain a positive trade balance with Mexico in 20 of the 23 years since NAFTA was created. Oklahoma Farm Bureau agrees with Sen. James Lankford: placing higher tariffs on imports will create additional trade barriers for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers and will harm our state's second leading industry. We believe the modernization of NAFTA must prioritize and defend the gains achieved in U.S. agricultural trade."







Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association President and CEO Joe Neal Hampton said, "Senator Lankford's defense of free and fair trade should be applauded by Oklahomans and his colleagues in Congress alike. Oklahoma benefits greatly from open trade with countries around the world. The Oklahoma Agribusiness Retailers Association appreciates Lankford's commitment to opening up markets for Oklahoma agricultural exporters and ensuring our current trade agreements, like NAFTA, continue to benefit our state's workers, consumers, and businesses."







Source - The Office of Senator James Lankford















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The Civil War, we are taught in school, is the story of North versus South. Of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. Of slavery and emancipation.

But often left out of the textbooks is the story of another nation which fought against itself  and powerful outside forces  to ensure its survival.

On Saturday, Kent Blansett, assistant professor of history and Native American studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, will give a free presentation at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum about the Cherokee Nations struggle for autonomy before, during and after the Civil War.

Its a quintessential American story, said Blansett, who is himself of Cherokee heritage. Its about our survival and our strength as a nation. Its about us rising above insurmountable odds.

The Saturday presentation will include material Blansett researched for a chapter about the Cherokee in the anthology Empire and Liberty: The Civil War and the West, published in 2015.

Years before fighting broke out between the Union and Confederacy, Blansett said, the Cherokee people were involved in their own civil war over how to protect their sovereignty in a country that was rapidly encroaching on their lands and their way of life.

The forced removal of Native American people from the Southern states to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma, the Trail of Tears, had decimated the Cherokee population.

In its wake, two opposing leaders had emerged: John Ross and Stand Watie.

As war between North and South loomed, each leader supported a different side. Ross, the principal chief of the Cherokee, initially professed loyalty to the U.S. government through a policy of neutrality. Watie pushed for an alliance with the Confederacy.

Both leaders were concerned with the rights of the Cherokee citizens and less with the issue of slavery, Blansett writes. Both men maintained large plantations and profited from slave labor. Both believed slave ownership to be one of the Cherokees protected treaty rights.

We are not dogs to be hissed on by abolitionists, Ross said.

In 1861, after the war began in earnest, Ross eventually caved to pressure from Waties faction and the Cherokee Nation allied with the Confederacy.

The war raged. Thousands died.

Watie, who had been promoted to the rank of general in the Confederate Army, was the last general to surrender to Union forces.

The wars end ushered in a new period of hardship. When the fighting stopped, one-third of Cherokee women were widows and one-fourth of Cherokee children were orphans, Blansett writes.

With the North victorious, the Cherokee were forced to give up lands in Kansas as punishment for siding with the Confederacy.

By comparison, Blansett said, the Confederate states themselves lost very little territory.

Confederate troops joined the U.S. Army and pushed west, once again fighting the Indian Wars which would displace more Native Americans over the ensuing decades.

But despite it all, Blansett said, the people have endured.

And telling their stories today helps us understand a more complex, nuanced picture of American history. One that can lead to healing.

Thats the critical part of what we do as a society  create critical dialogue and critical exchanges, he said. Its how we begin to come together as communities to think about redemption and about moving forward.

When the Stars Fell from the Sky: The Cherokee Nation and Autonomy in the Civil War

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Union Pacific Railroad Museum, 200 Pearl St. in Council Bluffs
The Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium has received results from Warrens necropsy, two months after the young African elephant died.

His cause of death: undetermined.

There was no lesion that we saw that could tell us why the elephant died, said Dr. Doug Armstrong, the zoos director of animal health. At this point, weve gone through all the steps that we can go through to reasonably try and diagnose a cause of death.

The zoos board-certified pathologist and veterinarian, Dr. Alison Righton, led a team that performed the necropsy (an animal autopsy) and delivered results last week, Armstrong said.

The results showed that Warren suffered from arthritis related to an ankle injury he suffered during transport to Omaha and that he also suffered from a viral condition in his lungs, but Armstrong said neither contributed to his death.

He declined to speculate on what the cause may have been. However, he did say it seemed to be related to the anesthetic.

Warren had suffered a crack in one of his tusks that was at risk of infection. Zookeepers were training him to present his tusk for casting, but the crack spread too quickly to properly train the animal, so veterinary staff elected to use anesthesia.

Vet staff anesthetized Warren on Sept. 7. Twenty minutes into the procedure to mold his tusk, the bull elephant stopped breathing.

They tried to revive the young elephant, estimated to be 8 or 9 years old, but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Warren was one of six elephants imported to Omaha from Africa in 2016 and one of two males in the herd.

Armstrong said the zoo has since reviewed its procedures and has spoken with other institutions that manage elephants in captivity, in the United States as well as in Africa.

Everything was in line with normal practices, he said, but were going to sit down and talk about this again to ask if theres anything else we need to change.

In the week after Warrens death, Armstrong said the remaining members of the herd periodically returned to the spot of his death, touched their trunks to the ground, then walked away.

Now they dont pay any more attention to that spot than any other, he said. Socially, theyre getting along as usual. Normal elephant behavior.
How a federal appeals court sorts through the confusing set of verdicts from last years Beatrice Six trial may determine whether the judges uphold the $28 million judgment in the wrongful conviction case.

A three-judge panel for the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard 40 minutes of oral argument Thursday at the federal courthouse in Omaha. The judges eventual decision will be critical not only for six people wrongly convicted of a 1985 murder in Beatrice, but also to taxpayers in Gage County, where the massive damages could bankrupt their government.

Lawyers for Gage County urged the court to overturn the $28 million judgment, saying the six failed to prove that investigators intentionally and recklessly violated their civil rights.

There was no conspiracy here, said Melanie Whittamore-Mantzios, one of the countys lawyers.

An attorney for the Beatrice Six countered by saying that the evidence remains overwhelming that Gage Countys sheriff and investigators cared nothing for the truth, just about winning convictions in a cold-case homicide that had shocked their community.

Any reasonable officer in 1989 would know that you cannot frame six innocent individuals for a murder, and thats exactly what they did here, said Lincoln attorney Jeff Patterson.

The federal appellate court has been asked several times to decide disputes about the lawsuit, originally filed eight years ago. On the previous occasions, the court has allowed the case to move forward, finding strong evidence that the countys investigators were liable.

More than a year has passed since a federal jury in Lincoln ordered Gage County to pay damages for pinning the murder of 68-year-old Helen Wilson on the wrong people. DNA testing of crime-scene evidence 20 years after the slaying cleared the six and matched a lone killer who died long before he could be brought to justice.

The jury was required to decide whether the late Sheriff Jerry DeWitt, Deputy Burt Searcey and longtime reserve deputy Wayne Price, who is also a psychologist, were individually liable. In order to find against the county, jurors had to conclude that the sheriff, as a law-enforcement policymaker for the county, knew about and approved of the reckless conduct of his investigators.

A good portion of Thursdays hearing focused on the complexity of the jurys decisions. While jurors found the two investigators and the county liable for damages, they decided that DeWitts estate was not personally liable.

This is a confusing set of verdicts, Judge Duane Benton said, where theres no conspiracy and DeWitts not liable for anything, not the reckless investigation, not manufacturing evidence. Tell us how we reconcile that to uphold any verdict against the county?

Patterson said its reasonable to conclude that jurors decided that the sheriffs actions as an investigator did not directly result in damage to the six murder defendants. But the sheriff knew what his investigators were doing, and he ignored clear evidence that pointed to the innocence of the six. That was enough to make the county responsible.

Patrick OBrien, one of the countys lawyers, said its not logical that the sheriff could be let off the hook personally but be found culpable in his official capacity.

The fact that there was no conspiracy makes a county verdict clearly inappropriate, he said.

Joseph E. White, Kathy Gonzalez, Tom Winslow, Ada JoAnn Taylor, James Dean and Debra Shelden spent more than 70 years combined in prison. White died in a workplace accident in 2011, less than three years after he won his release and exoneration, and is represented in the lawsuit by his mother.

The Beatrice Six investigation resulted in the most wrongful convictions from a single DNA exoneration in the United States. There have been 351 such cases to date, according to the Innocence Project.

The Beatrice case also is notable for involving three defendants who gave false confessions. They had histories of mental illness, and the sheriffs psychologist convinced two to recall facts of the crime from their dreams.

The appeals court took the case under advisement Thursday. A decision is not likely until sometime next year.
WASHINGTON  Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly will do a great job as U.S. attorney for Nebraska, according to the woman who held the job last.

He will seamlessly transition into that position, said Deborah Gilg, who served as the U.S. attorney for Nebraska during President Barack Obamas two terms in office.

Gilg retired from her post earlier this year after she was told by a senior Justice Department prosecutor that she and other U.S. attorneys across the country should resign. She is now the chief operating officer for a health care management company.

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he had tapped Kelly for the role. His nomination still must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Kelly, 61, served as a prosecutor and chief deputy in the office before being elected Lancaster County attorney in 2010 and 2014. The White House cited his years prosecuting a wide variety of crimes including homicide, robbery, sexual assault and white collar.

He received his B.A. from the University of Nebraska and his J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law.

Joe Kelly is a highly respected prosecutor who will put the safety of Nebraskas families and communities first, Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said in a press release. It was my honor to recommend Joe to serve the people of our state in this capacity.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he looked forward to working with Kelly as he moves through the committee toward confirmation.

Joe Kelly is a proven public servant with the humility and honesty that Nebraskans demand and respect, Sasse said in a release.

Federal nominees typically avoid speaking to the press during the confirmation process, and Kellys own comment Friday was brief: Im honored to have received the nomination.

Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law who specializes in the federal judicial system, predicted that Kelly should move relatively quickly through the system and will likely be confirmed early next year.

Gov. Pete Ricketts called Kelly an outstanding selection and urged a quick confirmation.

Joe has served Lancaster County faithfully for more than 20 years, working to protect public safety and enforce the law, he said. He is a tenacious and talented attorney and public servant.

Lancaster County Public Defender Joe Nigro said he has known Kelly all the way back to at least law school and lauded his professionalism.

Joe is a really good person and hes an excellent attorney, Nigro said. I always knew if he was the prosecutor on the other side that he was going to be well-prepared, well-organized and do a really good, thorough job. But I also knew he would be very fair in dealing with me on the case.

Nigro praised Kelly for helping to develop alternatives to incarceration such as drug court and veterans court.

Gilg, a former county attorney herself, has known Kelly for years as well and said she has talked to him about his new job.

She said that as a career prosecutor Kelly is well-qualified for the role, although there will be an adjustment period as he gets used to the federal system and a jurisdiction that covers the entire state.

Among the challenges hell face, she said, are navigating changes in administration policy toward illegal immigration, battling the ongoing scourge of meth, working to shut down human trafficking and tackling domestic violence issues on reservations.

Almost all of Trumps picks for U.S. attorneys across the country have been men, with only a few women.

Gilg, who was the states first female U.S. attorney, stressed that she completely supports Kelly as the best person for the job in Nebraska.

But she also took issue with the overall lack of diversity in the Trump administrations nominees thus far.

Theres something lost in not including women and individuals with diverse backgrounds, Gilg said. Ive watched it and Ive been saddened by it.
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Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:

New York-based fund manager Neuberger Berman said that its China unit, Neuberger Berman Investment Management (Shanghai) Limited, has secured registration as a private fund manager with the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC).

The license allows Neuberger Berman to manage private funds and raise assets directly from qualified investors in mainland China, including qualified high-net-worth individuals and local institutions. Neuberger Berman has currently $271bn in assets

Patrick Liu, Head of China, Neuberger Berman, said , "This is a very important milestone for Neuberger Berman and we are delighted to be one of the first firms to secure this license. We are committed to building a leading investment management firm in China, offering our customized product solutions in equities, fixed income, multi-asset, quantitative investing and alternatives."

The registration expands Neuberger Berman's commitment to China and its investment resources locally. The firm manages investment portfolios for various leading Chinese institutional and intermediary customers investing in equity, fixed income and private equity strategies.

This year the firm welcomed an experienced local equity portfolio manager, Bin Yu, ......................

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Duane Leo Ehmer, the sole Oregon defendant convicted in the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge who became a symbol of the occupation for riding his horse named Hellboy around the bird sanctuary, was sentenced Thursday to one year and a day in federal prison.

A jury this spring convicted Ehmer, now 47, of damaging government property by using a refuge excavator to dig a trench in the parking lot on Jan 27, 2016. It was the morning after occupation leaders had been arrested and spokesman Robert "LaVoy" Finicum shot and killed by police while they traveled off the refuge.

Burns Paiute tribal member Diane Lorraine Teeman told the court that the trench digging, shown on live TV, was wrenching to watch, noting the site was an ancient burial ground for the Paiutes who had lived in the area of Malheur Lake for at least 15,000 years.

She called the lake the "heart'' of the tribal community. She said burial sites surrounded the trenches on three sides.



"There was a sense of devastation, helplessness and despair,'' she said, "because we knew our ancestors were being excavated.''

Ehmer's defense lawyer, Michele L. Kohler, said Ehmer's participation was minimal compared to co-defendant Jake Ryan. Ehmer started to build a defensive "foxhole'' because those left behind at the refuge feared an attack by the FBI, she said. Ehmer used the excavator for no longer than five to eight minutes after striking a cable underground.

"That was simply a place to retreat if shot upon,'' Kohler said.

Duane Ehmer, after his sentencing Thursday, said, "I don't like going to prison, but at the same time our kids are important enough to stand up for what is right.''

Ehmer, of Irrigon, read from a prepared statement as he stood before the judge in an American flag blazer with a photo of Finicum pinned to his lapel over a red-white-and-blue dress shirt. He said he didn't know that digging a hole on the western edge of the refuge property would disturb archeological artifacts.

"I have the utmost respect for Native Americans,'' he said. "I dug that hole. I never denied that, but it was only to save human life: my own and the lives of my friends.''

Prosecutors urged the court to consider the larger context of Ehmer's offense, that it was part of the lengthy takeover of the federal property where Ehmer was convicted of two misdemeanors, trespass and tampering with vehicles and equipment. Ehmer also was photographed on the refuge with a black assault rifle and served as an armed guard, they said.

"It was the culmination of a series of choices by Mr. Ehmer to damage a property and a place that was not his to damage,'' Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan D. Knight said.

Kohler countered that Ehmer served in the Army for 10 years, didn't know the Bundys or any militia members before he went to the refuge and was acquitted of a conspiracy charge.

His roles at the refuge were riding Hellboy each morning around the refuge perimeter and receiving donated wood. He was armed with an antique 1861 black powder pistol on his waistband, Kohler said.

U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown rejected the prosecutor's push to increase Ehmer's sentence under a proposed terrorism enhancement, finding that his conviction for damaging government property didn't rise to an effort to influence the government through intimidation, coercion or retaliation.

Yet the judge did find that the offense involved a "reckless risk of death or serious injury.'' Still, she said Ehmer played a more minor role in the property damage compared to Ryan, who excavated a second trench.

Prosecutors estimated that both Ehmer and Ryan caused a total of $146,000 in damages. Each has agreed to pay $10,000 in restitution.

The judge's findings brought the range for Ehmer's sentence to between 10 and 16 months in prison. Knight recommended a year and two month sentence, while Kohler urged probation and home detention to allow Ehmer to work to pay off his restitution.

Ehmer pleaded for mercy, saying he was a proud veteran, a single father of a 14-year-old daughter and a small business owner. He went to Burns to find out what was happening in his backyard.

That's when he learned about two Harney County ranchers who were being sent back to prison to serve out five-year sentences for setting fires on public lands. Ehmer returned home, prayed and said God told him to return to the refuge with his horse and his flag.

"I stayed because of loyalty to my fellow man,'' he said.

Kohler argued that it would be unjust to send Ehmer to prison when he never got a plea offer and co-defendant Sean Anderson got probation but stayed at the refuge until the end of the 41-day occupation, fired shots at a federal surveillance plane and urged followers on a livestream video to come to the refuge and kill any law enforcement officers who stood in their way.

The judge said Kohler's arguments were "widely misplaced,'' as the court has no control over the charges brought or plea offers made.

Ehmer's damage to federal property can't be viewed in a vacuum, Brown ruled. It occurred during his unlawful presence at the refuge for weeks.

"It's not lost on me that Mr. Ehmer has never acknowledged he did anything wrong,'' the judge said. "He hasn't even apologized today to the Burns Paiute Tribe for conduct that obviously caused great harm to that community.''

Ehmer must turn himself in on Jan. 24. He's likely to serve 10 months because he'll get credit for good time, the judge noted.

Ehmer's lawyer said her client plans to appeal, largely challenging the addition of new charges such as depredation of government property and the misdemeanor allegations long after the initial conspiracy indictment was returned.

"I don't like going to prison, but at the same time our kids are important enough to stand up for what is right,'' Ehmer said after leaving the courtroom.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
A random act of kindness gave Marine Corps veteran Justice Prosise and his wife a merry surprise this week when he discovered a Scratch-it worth $1,000 on the windshield of his car.

The 21-year-old Grants Pass man was taking a break between classes at Rogue Community College when he noticed the paper slip on all three vehicles parked in veteran spaces.

"At first, I didn't know if it was a joke or something," he told The Oregonian/OregonLive in a phone interview Thursday evening. "I figured, what the heck. Why not scratch it?"

When he did, Prosise said he had a hard time believing his eyes.

"I had to turn it over a few times to make sure it was real," he said.

The money is helping Prosise and his wife Emily, a local photographer, settle a few bills and pay off a trip they took to Hawaii in April. Prosise proposed to her on a beach in Maui by presenting her a ring lodged inside of a Poke Ball.

The couple married last month and are also legal guardians to Prosise's 14-year-old sister.

"It's challenging at times, but it's very worth it," he said. "It's a whole new game, being a parent to a teenager."

Prosise grew up in Grants Pass and credits a stint as a youth counselor at the local YMCA as the inspiration for pursuing a career in juvenile justice. He's studying to become a juvenile corrections life counselor.

"I just want to be the person that I wish I had growing up," he said. "I feel like even if I can make a difference in one person's life  give them encouragement and open doors and opportunities for even one kid  it would make all the difference."

And what if he didn't have a vacation to pay off or bills to pay? What would he have done with the $1,000?

"I usually have to ask my wife what I should do with that stuff now," he said. "She's a lot better with money."

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

ecampuzano@oregonian.com
A teen driver suffered fatal injuries Wednesday after his speeding car careened into oncoming traffic along U.S. 101 and crashed head-on into another vehicle, Oregon State Police said.

Broderick Danielson, 18, was heading north in his Honda Civic around 2:05 p.m. when he lost control of his car near milepost 14 and rotated sideways into the southbound lane, police said.

A 38-year-old woman from Roseburg, Wash., heading south in a Toyota 4-Runner, was unable to stop and plowed into the Honda head-on, pulverizing the teen's car, authorities said.

Broderick, who lived in Astoria, died at the scene, police said.

State police said that speed was a contributing factor in the crash.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 II @shanedkavanaugh
In a stunning decision Friday, Oregon's government ethics watchdogs turned down a settlement with former Gov. John Kitzhaber that would have had him pay a $1,000 fine and admit that he broke ethics laws by using his position for financial gain.

Ethics commissioners voted 7-1 to deny the settlement with one commissioner abstaining from the vote, said Ron Bersin, executive director of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. Dan Golden, the commission chairman, was the sole dissenting vote.

Commissioner Dan Mason said he and other commissioners voted against accepting the settlement because the fine was too small.

"A top official violating ethics laws should pay a top penalty," Mason said. The maximum fine is $20,000.

Kitzhaber did not return voice messages Friday. But the former governor had apparently felt certain the ethics panel would rubber stamp the proposed settlement, as is routine.

"I am glad to say this episode in my life is finally over," Kitzhaber wrote on his public Facebook page Wednesday, the day the tentative settlement was announced. "After having been cleared of wrong doing by the federal investigation, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission has completed its review as well."

Friday's vote keeps the investigation open for at least two more months.

News of the proposed $1,000 settlement went public days ago, drawing criticism from editorial boards and members of the public. Mason said that pushback sparked a lengthy discussion among commissioners of what would constitute a "fair and just penalty" for Kitzhaber, and ultimately influenced the their decision to not accept the settlement.

Commissioner Charles Starr said he was troubled by the $1,000 settlement offer, which he feared would appear to the public as a slap on the wrist, lampooning the credibility of the ethics panel, the Portland Tribune reported.

"I think a larger fine is necessary for our reputation as a commission ... because anybody serving at the highest level has a greater responsibility to the public," Starr said.

In the settlement deal, Kitzhaber admitted he broke ethics laws four times by failing to disclose potential conflicts of interest triggered when he made Cylvia Hayes, an energy policy consultant to whom he was engaged, an energy adviser to him and his administration and by accruing frequent flier miles for state travel. Kitzhaber apologized in a statement and said the lawbreaking was unintentional.

Hayes was paid through her consultancy, 3E Strategies, to push for green energy and economic policies. Kitzhaber listed the firm as a source of income on disclosure forms, and Hayes earned more than $200,000 through the business while Kitzhaber was in office. According to the settlement, Kitzhaber's potential conflicts of interest arose when his work as governor overlapped with policy positions Hayes was paid to promote.

News reports of alleged influence peddling involving Kitzhaber and Hayes prompted Kitzhaber to resign in 2015, mere weeks into his fourth term in office. Federal authorities investigated, but announced in June they had decided not to file charges.

The ethics commissioners' decision to reject his settlement means commission officials will continue their investigation of Kitzhaber and submit a report detailing findings at a later date, said Bersin, commission director.

"It'll be interesting to see what they present to us," said Mason, the commissioner.

Commissioners may then direct investigators to pursue an even broader probe, or may consider larger fines. Hayes still faces an ongoing state ethics investigation.

-- GFriedman@Oregonian.com

503-221-8209; @GordonRFriedman
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler took to Twitter Thursday to criticize Republicans federal tax plans, calling them needlessly cruel and wrong for Portland and the country.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in a statement called the tax reforms the greatest bank heist in American history.

Gov. Kate Brown tweeted that the House plan passed Thursday would hurt public servants like teachers and veterans with no added benefits to them.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the Oregon Democrats are utterly wrong. "Passing this bill is the single biggest thing we can do to grow the economy, to restore opportunity and help those middle-income families who are struggling," Ryan said Thursday.

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Wheeler said the plans, one of which passed the House in 227-205 vote Thursday, promotes income inequality and decimates key resources Portland has to increase the citys supply of affordable housing. For example, getting rid of the federal low-income tax credit could prevent the development of as many as 600 new affordable housing units in the Portland metropolitan area, the mayor said.

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The #GOPTaxPlan is wrong for Portland and our Country. While we do need tax reform in our country, the current plan is needlessly cruel, heaping a burden on those that cant afford it and will adversely impact the average Portlander.  Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) November 16, 2017

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While we do need tax reform in our country, the current plan is needlessly cruel, heaping a burden on those that cant afford it and will adversely impact the average Portlander, Wheeler tweeted.

The former Oregon treasurer listed his grievances with the plans Thursday in a Twitter thread that he warned his followers would be wonky.

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Beyond outright promoting income inequity, the #GOPTaxPlan decimates important tools that PDX and other cities use to invest in affordable housing, infrastructure, and economic development. My top concerns with its effect on PDX are (fair warning this gets a little wonky) ...  Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) November 16, 2017

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Getting rid of private activity bonds as proposed in the tax plan would limit Portlands ability to help finance affordable housing projects, he said.

Losing the ability for taxpayers to deduct their state and local taxes from their federal tax bill means that around 40 percent of Portlanders would have their income double-taxed, he noted.

The removal of the Mortgage Credit Certificate program means that about 100 Portland families who use this program would no longer be able to get a tax credit to help them with their mortgage interest payments, Wheeler tweeted.

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Photo courtesy of University of Oregon

Wheeler also said cutting the historic rehabilitation tax credit could mean losing $12.5 million in breaks for the seismic retrofitting of five historic buildings.

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The Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit helps revitalize buildings for multiple uses, including affordable housing, the #GOPTaxPlan cuts that too. @CCCPortland estimates that the loss of the credit could mean $12.5M over 5 buildings, impacting seismic retrofit projects as well.  Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) November 16, 2017

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AP Photo/File

Wheeler called on Oregons congressional leaders to vote no on the plan. He also sent a letter Wednesday to Oregons seven congressional representatives asking them to vote no. All four Oregon Democrats in the House voted no, while Republican Greg Walden voted yes.

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Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) called on senators to raise the alarm.

He noted the potential impact of the Senate bill on healthcare after Republican senators included in the bill a repeal of the Affordable Care Act rule that requires most people have insurance. He said the plan would force billions in cuts to Medicare, cost 13 million Americans health care and raise the premiums for millions more.

This heist is immoral and wrong on every level, Merkley said. Its up to grassroots America to stand up and once again fight back, kill this terrible scheme.

While Americans are busy with the holidays, Republicans want to ram through a plan that raises taxes on many in the middle class and steals trillions from the national treasury to deliver a massive windfall to wealthy corporations and the richest and most powerful individuals, Merkley said in a statement.

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Gov. Kate Brown tweeted she was "deeply disappointed" that the House passed Thursday's tax reform plan.

"This plan hurts our teachers, our vets (and) the middle class, most of whom will now pay more in taxes (with) no benefit," Brown said.

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I'm deeply disappointed that House Republicans have passed #GOPTaxPlan, prioritizing special interests of the wealthy few ahead of the needs of working Oregonians. This plan hurts our teachers, our vets & the middle class, most of whom will now pay more in taxes w/ no benefit.  Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) November 16, 2017

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(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) has taken to Twitter to keep his constituents informed of the tax plan negotiations happening within the Senate Finance Committee.

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JUST IN: Not only are Republicans trading Americans' health care for corporate handouts, but they shot down every amendment for veterans, Medicare & Social Security and red, white and blue jobs. Recap of @SenateFinance #GOPTaxPlan markup day 3 #RonReport pic.twitter.com/QgmSzDF01c  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) November 16, 2017

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--Jessica Floum

jfloum@oregonian.com

503-221-8306

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Friday 17 November 2017 2:29pm



Dr Christian Ohneiser (pictured) and Dr Christina Hulbe are taking their research team to Antarctica.

After years of planning, a University of Otago-led research team is about to embark on an epic research expedition to the Antarctic to better understand how the earths largest expanse of floating glacial ice will respond to global warming.

The multi-disciplinary and international team includes researchers from Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, Canterbury University, Waikato University, NIWA, GNS Science, Georgia Tech in the US, and the Chinese Polar Research Institute.



Next week when weather at Scott Base permits, the team will join engineers who have already journeyed to the field site at the Ross Ice Shelf, 350 kilometers away from Scott Base. The engineering team will assemble a New Zealand-built drill that will use hot water to bore through hundreds of metres of glacial ice to access the ocean and sea floor beneath their remote camp.

The team of 32 men and women will set up camp and tents for around five weeks, a period that includes Christmas day and New Year.

They are led and coordinated by Professor Christina Hulbe from Otagos Department of Surveying, and Dr Christian Ohneiser from Otagos Department of Geology. The expedition has taken more than two years to plan, for what will be a challenging and exciting programme of work.



Dr Christina Hulbe.

Professor Hulbe says the goal of the research programme is to understand the processes and ice/ocean interactions that matter most for change in the region, and locate all-important sediment deep beneath the ice to give clues to how the ice retreats.

We know that in the past, climate warming caused ice shelf and ice sheet retreat in the Ross Sea. Now we need to find out more about the actual physical processes and the rates at which they act. We need to how all the different parts of the system, the ocean, the ice, the atmosphere, and even the sediments underneath the ice, work together. This kind of knowledge is essential to making better projections of future change, says Professor Hulbe.

She emphasises that every member of the team is a leader.

Our team seems large, but really, its as small as it can be. We are working at the limits of what is possible, as efficiently and effectively as we can. Its an exciting place to work; the environment, the science, and the people are all excellent. 

Dr Ohneiser adds: The Ross Ice Shelf is a major interface between the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) and the Southern Ocean.

At the moment it appears to be stable but we cant tell for sure. What we do know is that it has changed quickly in the past. We need data from the places that are still covered by ice, not just from the easy-to-get-to places around the edge.

The Ross Ice Shelf is Earths largest expanse of floating glacial ice.

It is fed by glaciers flowing from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and through the Transantarctic Mountains, and by new snow falling on its surface. The ice is continually moving, flowing away from the land and toward the open ocean, eventually breaking off as icebergs. The ice is moving nearly two metres per day at the drilling site.

Project scientists first visited the site two years ago, when they used seismic techniques to image the sea floor and install a weather station to monitor conditions. A team of three returned last year to recover data from the weather station.

This years team is much larger, and comprises a 5-person drilling crew, 24 scientists, and three camp staff from Antarctica New Zealand.

The programme of work will last a lot longer, about 65 days all together.

Dr Ohneiser says not everybody will be at the camp at the same time.

Two overland traverses are moving the heaviest equipment to the site, while most of the scientists and smaller gear will fly via a Twin Otter plane. The phased approach will help the team to manage resources and the camps impact.

He says the research itself will be complicated. Once the drilling crew has created the borehole, oceanographers and geophysicists will install instruments for long-term monitoring of conditions in the ocean cavity and the ice shelf.

Geologists will lower a core barrel down the hole to sample sediments on the sea floor. A remotely operated submarine on a three kilometer-long tether will dive down the borehole to observe ocean, sea floor, and ice conditions in the area all around the drill site. Back at the surface, an atmospheric physicist will install a regional network of smart weather stations and geophysicists and surveyors will use ice-penetrating radars and acoustic techniques to image internal structures of the ice shelf.



The Otago scientific team also includes Kelly Gragg, Holly Still, and Martin Forbes from surveying, Dr Sergio Morales from Microbiology, Dr Federico Baltar from Marine Science and Lisa Craw from geology.

Victoria University of Wellington Scientists are Dr Gavin Dunbar and Georgia Grant, Dan Lowry and drilling crew Alex Pyne (chief driller), Jane Chewings, Hedley Berge, Jeff Rawson and Darcy Mandeno.

The Canterbury University scientist is Dr Adrian McDonald, with NIWA scientists Dr Craig Stevens and Mike Brewer. The Waikato University scientist is Shelly Brandt, and Auckland University Scientists Dr Jennifer Eccles and Franz Josef Lutz.

And international collaborators Dr Britney Schmidt and her team (NASA, Georgia Tech, USA) and Prof Wei Luo from the Chinese Polar Research Institute.

The team will be joined by a journalist from New Zealand Geographic.

For further information, contact:



Professor Christina Hulbe

University of Otago

School of Surveying

Tel +64 3 479 7613

Or

Dr Christian Ohneiser

Department of Geology

University of Otago

Tel +64 3 479 7350

Mob +64 21 343 092

Email christian.ohneiser@otago.ac.nz
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Two years ago, Emily, then 22, was homeless and didn't have anything to eat and was sleeping in a park when a stranger told her about the Beaverton Helping Hands Mission.

"They helped me with clothing, food and it helped give me a way to get back on my feet," Emily said. "I had a horrible break up and I left with just the clothes I had on, which was a hoodie, jeans and flip flops.

"I don't know what I would have done without the people at the mission," added Emily, who now lives in North Carolina.

The Helping Hands Mission recently celebrated its 25th year of helping those in the community. Mission executive director Becky Cook is proud of the achievement. Cook said the Helping Hands Mission at 116 W. Brown, is run solely by volunteers, which makes its longevity an exceptional feat.

"The community has been very good in helping us survive and the volunteers have been amazing," Cook said.

The mission offers food boxes once a month and is open for many types of donations, including clothing, monetary, food, tools, household items, etc. They also offer other foods daily.

Cook said the mission is always taking donations, but are in dire need of hygiene products. She said sometimes people come in needing shampoo, soap, deodorant, etc.

Volunteer Rochelle Najor said when she needed help, and the mission was there to help. So, when she started getting back on her feet - she started volunteering at the mission.

"They helped me in the past and I wanted to give back," Najor said.

Cook, who has been at the mission for 14 years, said she is motivated by the people that she and the volunteers can help, and they want to help others. In addition to sorting through donations, making sure there are volunteers available and helping customers, Cook also writes grants. Such grants have helped expand the store, including the food pantry area.

"We want to help as many people as we can," Cook said.

Cook said the proceeds from the sales go toward providing two high school students with $500 scholarships. They also assist programs such as New Dawn Shelter, DARE, Walk for Warmth and various other charities.

While the volunteers don't make a dime, they enjoy what they do.

"I love helping the people and I love volunteering," said Maureen Sheets, who has been volunteering for four years at the mission.

Sheets said she does a lot of volunteering after retiring from Beaverton Rural Schools after 26 years.

Volunteer Beverly Whitmer said volunteering at the mission is a lot of fun, noting that everyone gets along, and they laugh quite a bit.

Cook said the joyfulness of the volunteers and the Christian spirit in the store make it a fun job.

The mission gave out 741 boxes of food last year. They expect to end 2017 having handed out even more boxes, said Cook, noting that the mission has handed out 621 boxes to date.

"We are way over the limit this year," Cook said.

Since opening in 1992, volunteers have passed out more than 20,000 boxes of food to area residents in need.

The Helping Hands mission is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and closed on Sunday. For more information, call 989-435-9979
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PONTIAC  An agricultural learning center for a Tremont-based company could open in Pontiac by spring.

The Pontiac City Council approved a redevelopment agreement with Precision Planting to lease 61 acres of city-owned land next to the new Hampton Inn near Interstate 55 on Pontiacs western edge.

The company plans to build a research center where farmers and agriculturalists can test equipment and experiment with new planting techniques.

This is good news for Pontiac because once they get up and running, they will be bringing in different farm groups from all over the country, said Mayor Bob Russell.

Jason Webster, a commercial agronomist with Precision Planting, said some details are still being finalized, but the company is looking forward to expanding to Pontiac. A total cost estimate on the project is not yet available.

The company is not affiliated with Brandt Group of Companies, a Canadian ag equipment manufacturer which last week, announced plans to expand into an area north of Normal.

Webster appeared before the Pontiac City Council last month and said the company plans to hire between 10 and 20 high school and college agriculture students each summer. Additionally, there will be a few other full-time workers on the site as well.

Precision Planting plans to offer seminars and should attract thousands of people each year, Russell said.
BLOOMINGTON  A Bloomington man charged with killing his former wife has asked a judge to bar testimony from an FBI agent who analyzed data that may track the suspect's whereabouts before the homicide three years ago.

Pam Zimmerman, 53, was found dead in her east Bloomington office on Nov. 4, 2014. She had been shot four times.

Kirk Zimmerman, 59, is charged with first-degree murder.

Attorney John Rogers contends a jury could be confused rather than informed after hearing Catey's report.

Working with Bloomington police detectives, Catey looked at data recorded on Nov. 3, 2014  the day Pam Zimmerman is believed to have been killed  and Oct. 25, 2014.

The October date gained significance with police after Bloomington Detective Bill Lynn told other investigators he believed Kirk Zimmerman may have traveled to Crawfordsville, Ind., on that date.

Previous court filings indicate that police went to Indiana in search of information linking Kirk Zimmerman to a possible purchase of a handgun. No solid lead was developed, according to police, for the murder weapon that has never been found.

Rogers has argued that Lynn also lacked the qualifications to provide a scientifically reliable analysis of the car's data. The state does not intend to offer Lynn's report on the data known as telematics at Kirk Zimmerman's yet-to-be-scheduled trial, Rogers said in his new motion.

That Catey relied upon Lynn's analysis is problematic, according to the defense motion, because the Bloomington detective used "a methodology that was self-taught, speculative and developed on the go without prior adequate training or experience," Rogers argued.

The defense has asked for a hearing where arguments can be heard on how Catey's conclusions were reached.

In addition to the scientific questions surrounding the report, the defense also contends the information would be prejudicial and confusing for a jury.

The state has until Dec. 15 to file a response to the defense motion.

The state also has filed appeals of two rulings by Judge Scott Drazewski that will exclude some witness statements concerning the Zimmermans' relationship and an eyewitness identification of Kirk Zimmerman made from a computerized photo lineup.
HUDSON  Dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans with his left arm in a sling, Dale Sparks spoke with The Pantagraph Thursday while under doctors orders to take it easy in performing his duties as Hudsons police chief.

Well, Im moving at least, he said. But Ive got a dislocated shoulder.

Sparks is recuperating from grappling with a suspect who was resisting arrest Nov. 7 at the United Community Bank in Hudson. He said his injury likely will require a workers' compensation claim.

The injury is the second recuperation for Sparks in two years. He had a double lung transplant in 2015, and even then, performed as many duties as possible with the apparent support of village officials.

But now, fired Hudson Police Officer Kayley Sprout is alleging in a pending labor complaint that Sparks did not offer the same support to her during her pregnancy.

There is a difference between the duties of a patrol officer and a police chief, Sparks said. There was paperwork that Sparks handled during his recovery. Sprout was a patrol officer and reassigned to light duty before she was terminated.

Basically, my job is administration and I do some patrol, but we dont make any decision without consulting our attorneys, he said. It wasnt a quick decision. It was well thought out. The decision came from the attorney. It wasnt us. It wasnt anyone in town. It wasnt the board. We were following the advice of our insurance company.

Sprout has declined to comment to The Pantagraph, and Sparks acknowledges that village attorneys would like him to do the same.

On Sept. 5, Sparks terminated Sprout due to 25-pound lifting restrictions placed on her by her doctor. The village is unable to ensure that your contact with the public would not potentially violate your work restrictions, states a letter he gave to Sprouts.

During an Oct. 3 Village Board meeting, several residents suggested Sprout was fired because she prompted an Illinois State Police investigation alleging misconduct by the chief for his role in an investigation involving an acquaintance. The chief was cleared of any misconduct.

I honestly didnt know that she was the one who instigated that investigation until it hit the papers, Sparks said. But even then, I would have hired her.

Sparks said that Sprout is welcome to reapply once her restrictions have been lifted.

As the letter said, she created a hardship for the village by not being able to lift the 25 pounds, he said. And, if she had gone to the call I went to, she could have lost the baby. We dont want that.

Sparks, a Hudson native who previously spent 25 years on the Normal Police Department, said he loves his community and his job.

Hudson is such a great town, and we have a black eye right now that we dont enjoy, but we are doing what we are told by legal advice, he said. We will get past this and move forward.
HUDSON  A Hudson police officer fired after she became pregnant was offered fewer options to remain on the payroll than the village police chief during his extended medical leave following a double lung transplant in 2015  a discrepancy the ex-officer has challenged in her state discrimination claim against the village.

Kayley Sprout was terminated as the towns only full-time officer on Sept. 7, two months after she notified Chief Dale Sparks of her pregnancy and her doctors order restricting her to lifting nothing over 25 pounds.

In his letter terminating Spout, Sparks said efforts to provide a reasonable accommodation for Sprout were unsuccessful.

At this point, the village no longer has any further work available in the police department or anywhere else in the village that would accommodate your restrictions, said the letter.

But Sparks remained on the village payroll before his organ transplant despite his limited ability to perform patrol duties, and was paid his full salary during his recuperation, according to former Hudson Mayor Jason Collins.

I believe as a Village Board we collectively decided to keep him on. We wanted to have that Golden Rule mentality and not set someone aside when they were sick, said Collins.

The Illinois Council of Police, the union representing Hudson officers, has filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor claiming that Sprouts firing violated village policy and the unions bargaining efforts for full-time officers.

Sprout and Jeff Gabor, the only other full-time officer and who was fired before Sprout, were replaced with part-time officers who are covered under an agreement the village has with the union, according to the complaint filed Oct. 10 by union lawyer Robert Trevarthen. A grievance arbitration hearing is pending on Gabors dismissal.

Trevarthen declined to comment on Sprout's case, citing the pending state labor action. State and federal employment laws bar discrimination against women based on preganancy.

Village Board members did not return calls from The Pantagraph for comment on Sprout's termination.

In an interview with The Pantagraph on Thursday, Sparks said Sprout is welcome to reapply for her job after her baby is delivered early next year but "we've filled the position" with a newly hired officer. The village is working to hire a second full-time officer, said Sparks.

Village records obtained by The Pantagraph through a Freedom of Information Act request show that Sparks drew his full $51,964 salary in 2015. The police chief currently earns $57,235.

The police chief was not required to use his vacation time and sick leave and was not on disability during his extended medical leave which allowed him to continue to accumulate pension and other benefits without interruption, said Collins.

Village policy calls for employees to be paid for absences covered by their available personal, vacation and sick time. Unpaid leave must be approved by the village and may require reinstatement or may be denied if the leave creates a hardship for the village.

The village also provides up to 12 weeks maternity leave that may be used with accumulated benefit time.

During the three months Sparks was recuperating, other Hudson officers and board members helped out.

We would just step in where it was needed. We were doing the best job we could for the community, said Collins.

Collins recalled asking Sparks to start wearing his uniform to work several months after the chief returned to the office.

I just wanted people to see he was strong enough to be back to work, said Collins, who resigned May 3, the day after he was re-elected to the post hed held since 2009.

Collins declined to talk about why he submitted his resignation shortly after he nominated Sparks to be reappointed as police chief.

The legal advice sought by the village related to Sprout's termination and other recent matters is proving costly for local taxpayers.

So far this year, the village has racked up $21,742 in legal fees, almost twice the amount paid last year, and three times more than the $7,200 paid to lawyers in 2014, according to village records.

The 2017 legal fees do not include a Chicago area law firm hired to represent the village in its challenge to Sprout's state labor complaint.
100 years ago

Nov. 17, 1917: Three members of the same family  all Austrians  were axe-murdered in Minnesota for helping the Red Cross and working against the Kaiser. So said a note left behind by the killers, who threatened more murders. Five people  also all Austrians  are in custody.

75 years ago

Nov. 17, 1942: Carl Seeger, a veteran neighborhood grocer, has died. When he finished school, he started a store at 510 S. Main St. Then came the World War, and he signed up to fight. Upon his return, he resumed as a grocer at 833 W. Jackson, his present location.

50 years ago

Nov. 17, 1967: Sheriff Carl Slayback served notice he is adding extra patrols to keep hunters in line this season. Some of these hunters shoot at anything that moves, he said. He warns that hunting on farmland without the farmers permission will get the hunter arrested.

25 years ago

Nov. 17, 1992: Walt Bittner, a Bloomington city council member since 1953 except for eight years as mayor, has decided to seek another term. Bittner is in the 6th Ward. He has lived in the same house more than 50 years.
Last week Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple admits it could have assisted the FBI in Cracking the Crazed Church Shooter's iPhone if contacted sooner." With that duly noted, Texas Rangers investigating the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs have served a search warrant on Silicon Valley giant Apple Inc. and are seeking digital photos, messages, documents and other types of data that might have been stored by gunman Devin Patrick Kelley, who was found with an iPhone after he killed himself.

The report from San Antonio further noted that "Court records obtained by the San Antonio Express-News show Texas Ranger Kevin Wright obtained search warrants on Nov. 9 for files stored on Kelley's iPhone, a second mobile phone found near his body and for files stored in Kelley's iCloud account  Apple's digital archive that can sync iPhone files.

The iCloud feature is an optional service. Obtaining such records, if they exist, directly from Apple could aid authorities investigating the worst mass shooting in modern Texas history."

The report pointed to Apple's 'Legal Process Guidelines' for Government and Law Enforcement, and then noted that "regarding iCloud content states that material may be provided to law enforcement agencies if they obtain search warrants.

A photo included in the application for the search warrant shows Kelley's silver and white iPhone was spattered with blood. Investigators want access to Kelley's phone and iCloud account to dig into his messages, calls, social media applications passwords, address books, photos, videos and data since Jan. 1, 2016." You could read more about this San Antonia sourced story here.

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.
Iranian-Turkish Relations Deepen with Shared Regional Goals

11/17/17

By Dorian Jones, VOA



Iran and Turkey Presidents Hassan Rouhani (R) and Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Saadabad Palace in Tehran, Iran, October 4, 2017.

(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency)



ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to attend a summit with Iranian and Russian leaders to discuss Syria.

It will be Erdogan's second meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a month. Bilateral relations have warmed significantly in recent months between the regional rivals, since the Turkish president criticized Tehran in June, accusing it of Persian expansion in the region, a threat he said needed to be challenged.

"This is part of Ankara's vacillations; it seems to be moving to the requirements of the day," said political columnist Semih Idiz of Al Monitor website. "Of course Ankara appears that it's moving closer to Tehran, especially after the Iraqi Kurds held their independence referendum - which both Turkey and Iran are very forcefully against - and it united the two."

Iran and Turkey have large restive Kurdish minorities and share fears that any independence bid by neighboring Iraqi Kurds could provoke similar secessionist demands. In the run-up to the referendum vote, the Iranian and Turkish armed forces chiefs made rare visits to one another's countries in another sign of deepening relations.

At a summit next week in Sochi, Erdogan is expected to try to persuade Rouhani to support his calls to carry out a military operation against Syrian Kurds of the PYD. Ankara accuses the PYD of having secessionist aspirations and being linked to the PKK, which is waging an insurgency in Turkey.

Erdogan is also pressing Tehran to carry out a joint military operation against the PKK headquarters in northern Iraq, close to the Iranian border.

Cooperation and rivalry

Traditionally, Iranian and Turkish relations have been characterized by cooperation and rivalry. In the late 2000s, seeking greater influence in Iraq and Syria as part of then-Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's policy of "strategic depth," relations between the two countries soured as they competed for influence; however, Ankara's abandoning of its "strategic depth" policy has facilitated bilateral cooperation.

"My view is that Turkey has narrowed its focus on Syria; it's no longer regional hegemony," said international relations expert Soli Ozel of Istanbul's Kadir Has University. "It's basically the PKK in Iraq and the PYD in Syria; Turkey does not want to be encircled by the PKK on its southern border; because Russia and Iran have the upper hand, it goes along with them."







U.S. relations

Ankara's gravitating toward Tehran has been expedited by growing alienation with the United States, its NATO ally, over Washington's support of Syrian Kurdish fighters in their war against Islamic State.

Analysts warn Ankara's deepening cooperation with Tehran threatens to plunge Turkish-U.S. relations into a vicious circle with Tehran as the beneficiary. "The more Turkey is getting closer to Russia and Iran, the more the Americans will distance themselves from Turkey," said international relations Professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University and unofficial adviser to the Turkish presidency. "Turkish-American relations will continue with this turbulence and the Americans will continue increasing its pressure [on Turkey]."

U.S.-Turkish relations are likely to be strained further if Washington steps up its challenge of Iranian influence in the region and looks for Turkish support, especially in enforcing new trade sanctions against Tehran.

Ankara has already confronted another former ally, Saudi Arabia, in its embargo against Qatar for its cooperation with Iran. Turkey cooperated with Iran in airlifting and shipping supplies to the Gulf nation and even sent a symbolic military force to Qatar.

Analyst Bagci said there are limits to Turkish-Iranian cooperation.

"A new structure is emerging in the region, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel as one bloc, Iran, Iraq and Syria the other bloc," he said. "There is this battle for regional hegemony and Turkey is in the middle. So there is a natural balance of power and Turkey will not take a side in this conflict, neither on the side of Iran or Saudi Arabia."

Analysts point out that siding with Iran in any confrontation with Sunni Arab countries could have repercussions. "It would have a domestic cost because of the Sunni Islamist support base of this government and President Erdogan," noted columnist Idiz.

Erdogan is set to face re-election by 2019 in an expected close vote. Increasingly, Turkish foreign policy is being seen as dictated by election considerations. Analysts suggest Erdogan will have to carefully balance courting Tehran in his bid to confront Kurdish separatist groups, a vote winner for the president, but at the same time not allow Turkey to get sucked into the looming regional conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Parastou Forouhar: Iran's Intelligence Ministry Filed Charges Against Me Based on a Photograph

11/17/17

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Iran's Intelligence Ministry pressed charges against activist Parastou Forouhar based on a photo of one of her artworks that created a stir on social media, she told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) on November 13, 2017.



Parastou Forouhar



Forouhar was referring to a photo posted online in May 2016 showing human rights lawyer Shadi Sadr holding a glass of wine and sitting on one of Forouhar's artistic creations: a beanbag made of fabric with Arabic script pertaining to Shia Islam.

Muslims are forbidden from consuming alcohol or desecrating Islamic script. In Iran, people can be prosecuted for these actions.

"After this photo was posted on the Internet, there was a wave of insults and accusations against me on social media and that's when the Intelligence Ministry accused me of [the charge of] 'insulting the sacred' and took me to court," said Forouhar.





The photo used by Iran's Intelligence Ministry against Parastou Forouhar



Forouhar continued: "During the past year [2017], I went to the courthouse in Evin Prison three times to explain that I had not insulted 'the sacred.' But it seems they were not interested in what I had to say. The fact is that they are using that photo as an excuse to punish me. I told them that this photo has nothing to do with me. I'm not responsible for what people do with my artwork."

Forouhar, who lives in Germany, visits her birth country of Iran annually to hold a memorial ceremony for her parents, Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar, who were murdered on November 21, 1998, by agents of the Intelligence Ministry during a political purge that came to be known as the "chain murders."

Forouhar is due to appear at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on November 25, 2017, to face the charges of "propaganda against the state" and "insulting the sacred."

"The [Intelligence Ministry] also charged me with 'propaganda against the state' because they said I gave interviews [to foreign media] and condemned the security establishment for murdering my parents," Forouhar told CHRI. "Well, it's a fact that the security establishment murdered my parents. They said themselves that they did it."

Forouhar said the Intelligence Ministry has been trying to intimidate her to prevent her from holding memorials for her parents in Tehran.

"[The Intelligence Ministry] also complained that every time I return to Iran to hold an event, others take advantage of it," she said.

"Their accusations are baseless, and I was hopeful that the oral and written statements presented by my lawyer as my final defense would lead to an acquittal," she said. "But then they asked me questions about why I was continuing to follow up on my parents' murder. Eventually, they referred the case to Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court for prosecution."

Excluded From Rouhani's Charter on Citizens' Rights

Forouhar noted the irony of the Intelligence Ministry filing charges against her around the same time President Hassan Rouhani signed the Charter on Citizens' Rights-widely touted by his government-in December 2016.

"The same government that issues a Charter on Citizens' Rights and talks about respecting the people's rights then sends its Intelligence Ministry to file charges against me-the same Intelligence Ministry whose 18 employees were charged with killing my parents," she said. "How is that possible? It's mind-boggling."

"The examples they cited as evidence for the charge of 'propaganda against the state' are all related to my efforts aimed at seeking justice," Forouhar told CHRI. "I will protest the injustice against my parents and I will inform the public about it. Why should that be considered propaganda against the state? Do you want the murders to be forgotten? Your Intelligence Ministry admitted the crime."

Forouhar said the Rouhani government had devised new ways to ban the commemoration ceremonies for her parents without leaving a footprint.

"Since Mr. Rouhani came to power, the authorities don't even bother to respond to my requests. They just ban the event. That way there's no evidence for me to be able to file a formal complaint. Before, they used to summon me and tell me that my event is banned. In those instances, I could at least react to them and complain in person. But now they just make a phone call and say it's banned. That means they don't want to take responsibility. I have no idea which judicial or security authority issues these bans."

Asked about the status of her quest for justice for her parents, Forouhar said former Intelligence Minister Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi has not been charged for his role in their murder and the civil suit she wanted to file against him never made it to court.

"I wanted to file a civil suit against the former minister as the person who ordered the murders, but the judiciary would not even register my complaint," she said. "I also tried to follow up by seeking help from legislators but they did not even issue a written response."
Seven Doctors Disagree With Iranian Prison Authorities' Decision to Keep Alireza Golipour Incarcerated

11/17/17

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Medical Staff Refuse to Treat Golipour, Saying He's Close to Falling Into a Coma



Alireza Golipour

Alireza Golipour has been deemed unfit to stay in Evin Prison by seven doctors more than a month into his hunger strike, his lawyer informed the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) on November 13, 2017.

"Mr. Golipour's physical condition is extremely critical and he could slip into a coma," said Azita Gharehbeyglou. "He was transferred to Tajrish Hospital on Friday night [November 10, 2017]. His blood sugar has dropped severely."

"The medical staff in Evin Prison have refused to treat him because they say he's close to falling into a coma," said Gharehbeyglou. "They say it's too dangerous for him to be in his cell and he needs to be hospitalized. But unfortunately, the authorities won't agree."

Arrested by the Intelligence Ministry in September 2012, Golipour, 30, is serving a 12-year prison sentence for the charges of "spying for foreigners," "sympathizing" with the banned Mojahedin-e Khalgh (MEK) organization, "insulting the supreme leader," "disturbing public order," and "acting against national security."

"He went on hunger strike only because the law is not being applied to him," Gharehbeyglou told CHRI. "Seven doctors approved by the security establishment have said he's not fit to be in prison. He has serious heart, lung and liver problems. During the interrogations, his head was smashed and he developed epilepsy."

"Unfortunately, he was not allowed visits [in the hospital] from his family because the authorities said he's a security prisoner," said Gharehbeyglou. "Then, on Saturday, despite his condition, they returned him to prison."

In an interview with CHRI in May 2016, Gharehbeyglou said her client had admitted passing information to US officials about Iran's Natanz nuclear power site.

Golipour went on hunger strike on October 12, 2017, in protest against his continued incarceration and the possibility that seven more years could be added to his prison term based on a sentence issued for similar charges by the Revolutionary Court in Yazd in 2010.

She continued: "Prisoners have rights, but those rights are not respected for political and security prisoners. Prison means taking away your freedom. It doesn't mean you are banned from family visits. You can't be beaten or humiliated. But unfortunately, this is what has happened, and will continue to happen.

"As a lawyer, I say the law should be carried out to the letter," said Gharehbeyglou. "We are not asking for anything more or less."
Chinese And Asian Banks Curtailed Ties To Iran - Iranian Official

11/17/17

Source: Radio Farda

An official of Iran's Chamber of Commerce (ICC) says that China has imposed further restrictions on banking ties to his country. Ali Shariati, a member of ICC told Iranian News Agency ILNA on November 14, that bank accounts belonging to Iranian businessman in China, Dubai, and Malaysia have been also "blocked" in recent days.









"China had limited its banking ties to us since weeks, but the restrictions have been boosted after the recent trip of U.S. president Donald Trump to Beijing", Shariati added.



According to him, even students in Malaysia have been affected by the recent development. Malaysian banks have told "Iranian businessmen and students that they cannot provide services to them", he said.



"Unfortunately, two years after the nuclear agreement, the Iranian businessman are still facing banking problems and many big banks are not ready to do business with Iran", Shariati reiterated.



Last month, Iranian media had reported about similar restrictions by Chinese major banks including Agriculture Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). However, based on a report by Mehr News Agency, the measures by Chinese banks had nothing to do with the U.S. sanctions.



On October 28, Mehr quoted Chinese officials as saying that the restrictions were caused by enforcing stricter regulations on Chinese banks as part of (Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering) FATF, an intergovernmental anti-corruption and money laundering body created by the Group of Seven leading industrial countries in 1989.



Following the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, all U.N. sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program were lifted. But international companies and banks are still hesitant to do business with Tehran due to fear of violating unilateral sanctions imposed by United States against Iran.



President Trump said on October 13 he would not certify Iran's compliance with the international agreement to curtail its nuclear program, and his administration imposed new economic sanctions in July against several Iranian entities and individuals over its ballistic missile program.



The Trump administration has also said Tehran's "malign activities" in the Middle East undercut any "positive contributions" coming from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord.



After Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen on November 4th, United States and France accused Iran of supplying the missile to the Houthis. French President Emmanuel Macron even spoke of possible international sanctions against Tehran over its missile program.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on Wednesday announced that government would allocate a minimum of GH2 million to each district next year for the implementation of the One District, One Factory initiative.



I am by this challenging the local authorities in the various districts, together with the private sector, to take full advantage of these funds, he disclosed.



Mr Ofori-Atta, who was presenting the 2018 national budget statement to Parliament, mentioned that about 250,000 direct and indirect jobs were expected to be collectively generated from some 191 district enterprise project projects selected to be established for some 102 districts next year.



According to him, the projects were selected after the Ministry of Trade and Industry completed technical, financial and commercial viability analysis of 462 proposals tendered for governments One district, One factory inititative this year.



191 projects have been appraised and selected for implementation. 104 of these companies will be operating in the Agribusiness sector, 20 in the Meat and Poultry sector; 40 in the Construction and Building Materials sub-sector and the remaining 27 are businesses in the cosmetics and pharmaceuticals sectors.



He gave the regional breakdown of the companies as follows: Ashanti (35); Brong Ahafo (19); Central (21); Eastern (34); Northern (17); Upper East (4); Upper West (5); Western (10) and Volta (18).



The One District, One Factory programme was launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on 25th August, 2017.



Stimulus package for industry



The Finance Minister revealed that a stimulus programme was being designed to support viable existing local companies that were currently distressed or were facing operational challenges but were deemed viable.



To date, he said, over 350 applications from business operators have been received, out of which 80 were assessed to be eligible for support in the first phase of the programme. The second phase will involve the provision of a stimulus package consisting of technical and financial support to these eligible companies.



Forty-eight of the beneficiary firms operate in Agri-Business; 10 in Chemicals/Pharmaceuticals; 3 in Electrical and Electronics; 5 in Garment and Textiles; 6 in building materials; 6 in plastics and packaging and 2 in Services.



Entrepreneurship



The Ministry for Special Development Initiatives advertised and received 5,500 applications from young Ghanaian entrepreneurs. These applications are being vetted and successful entrepreneurs will receive business advisory services. About 500 of these will receive financial support in addition. Each enterprise will employ a minimum of 12 persons.



Planting for Food and Jobs



He said governments Planting for Food and Jobs programme, which was launched by the President on 19th April, 2017, has chalked major successes.



These include the distribution of about 80,000 bags of cereal and legume seeds, 36,000 vegetable seeds and about 2,000,000 bags of fertilizer; recruitment of 822 agricultural extension personnel and the establishment of a taskforce to assess status of warehouses and storage facilities nationwide for rehabilitation.



There would be the creation of market opportunities for farmers by linking them with institutional buyers such as School Feeding Programme and Prisons Service, as well as the electronic registration of over 34,000 farmers out of more than 200,000 manually registered.

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.

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Government is seeking to make Ghana the manufacturing hub in Africa, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Trade and Industry Minister, has said.



According to him, his ministry was implementing a 10-point industrial transformation agenda in that regard.



Under the plan, the Ministry has designed priority programmes and projects for implementation to fundamentally change the structure of the Ghanaian economy.



Speaking at the launch of Association of Ghana Apparel Manufacturers (AGAMS), he revealed that the Ministry has selected 10 industrial projects under what he described as Strategic Anchor Industrial Pillar which included the garments and textiles sector.



He therefore stressed governments commitment to supporting and promoting the establishment of the strategic anchor industries to significantly transform the industrial landscape of the country.



That, he said, was because garment and textile is a high volume but low margin industry.



In view of this, the Ministry has decided to implement what it called the Industrial Sub-Contracting Exchange and Partnerships Programme to boost the capacity of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and connect them to multinationals and large firms.



The Minister for Trade and Industry therefore entreated apparel manufacturers to come together under a single Association and aggressively pursue their vocations to enable them achieve their objectives.



AGAM is a business network and advocacy organisation with membership exclusively to apparel manufacturers, whose major mission is to promote apparel business interests in the country.



It employs over 3,000 workers and exports over $12 million worth of products annually in Ghana.



Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nallem Clothing, Gregory Kankoh, said Our mission is to make Ghana the preferred apparel manufacturing hub in Africa.

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.

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The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to facilitate investment in northern Ghana for the accelerated development of the area.



Under the agreement, the two agencies would collaborate to showcase multiple investments with the SADA zone, in a bid to increase the influx of foreign direct investment into the zone.



The MoU lays out plans for SADA to develop a one-stop information platform that would provide expanded, in-depth local support and up-to-date information to investors keen to explore possibilities on offer in the area.



The Zone's arable land suitable for agriculture and agro-processing is high on the list for promotion and investment, and there are opportunities in providing supporting infrastructure and services.



The GIPC would in turn market the investment projects developed by SADA to local and international business communities.



Both parties would also plan and implement joint investment promotion missions, road shows, and forums both locally and internationally.



The duo, would also undertake joint research and feasibility studies on making the area more attractive, broadening the landscape for investors, as well as finding methods to reduce and remove constraints to investment through policy and incentives.



Mr Charles Abugre, the Chief Executive Officer, SADA, said: "Ghana and the SADA zone are rich, viable investment destinations that provide dynamic, yet stable business opportunities for investors looking to enter the West Africa Market".



"Investors can reach deep into the Sub-region as well, as the zone is a fantastic launching pad for the West African interior and we are looking forward to actively engaging businesses on how they can help drive growth in the zone."



He said the Northern Development Authority would soon be replacing SADA; adding their objectives were almost the same.



Mr Yofi Grant, the Chief Executive Officer, GIPC, said: "This is the start of an important leap forward for SADA. The zone is working to maximise its potential and making the concerted effort to reach out to local and international investors, who have an interest in conducting business in the zone, thanks to its many appealing factors."



"The GIPC is ready to provide its assistance in pulling these potential financiers and businessmen into the area to bolster the zone's economy," he added.



SADA is an independent agency for coordinating a comprehensive development agenda of the northern savannah ecological zone in Ghana.



The GIPC is the government agency responsible under the GIPC Act, 2013 (Act 865) to encourage and promote investments in Ghana.



Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson, the Minister for Special Development Initiatives, in a speech read on her behalf, said the establishment of the three development authorities under her Ministry, was to enable the Government to accelerate the development process and ensure inclusive growth that would lead to job creation, equal opportunity and prosperity for all.



She, therefore, urged SADA and GIPC to continue to work closely together to enable Ghana achieve an accelerated socioeconomic transformation.



"The future envisage for the next generation is one that must be sustainable, inclusive and innovative. High level of investment will, therefore, enable Ghana achieve this feat," she stated.

Source: GNA









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The deputy Aviation Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has disclosed that the Wa Airport will commence operations by end of February, 2018.



This he said will serve as a catalyst for industrialization and rapid socio-economic development.



Responding to questions on behalf of the Sector Minister in Parliament, the deputy Minister said the 200-meter-long and 45-meter-wide runway Wa airport form part of governments effort to develop an aerodrome in every region of the country.



According to him the project which is 100 percent complete includes the rehabilitation and remodeling of an existing Centre of National Culture building into a terminal and the airside (runway and apron) among others.



He added that a VOR (Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Radio Range) co-located with a DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) will be installed by August, 2018 to improve operational safety during Approach and Landing phases at the Wa Airport.



Mr. Darko-Mensah who is also MP for Takoradi further stated that the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) was taking steps to install a Navigation Aid (NDB- Non-Directional Beacon and a Containerized Control Tower for the Wa Airport before operation begins.





Source: the publisher









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 Greater Accra Regional Secretary of Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Nana Poku has expressed displeasure about the 2018 budget that was presented on Wednesday by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta.



According to him members of the Association were expecting to hear a reduction in the valuation charges on goods at the Tema Harbour, in the 2018 budget but that did not happen.



Our expectation was to see a reduction in the values at the Tema Harbour to allow traders some space. We had a press conference complaining of this issue and we were expecting that government might have heard us so in preparing the budget certain things will be considered. It is as if they dont have we the traders at heart, he said.



Nana Poku said the budget was concentrated on the agricultural industry and the creation of jobs, stating that little or nothing was said on the other sectors.



He said even claims by government that the 1% import levy on goods has been scraped was not true.



The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta on Wednesday presented the Adwuma Budget to Parliament.



During his presentation, he touched on various sectors of the economy and the interventions by the government to salvage the economy and ease the economic pressures on Ghanaians.



The 2018 budget themed Putting Ghana back to work was informed by President Akufo-Addos coordinated programme for economic and social development policies which aims at creating a conducive environment for the private sector to thrive, propel growth and create employment opportunities, especially for the youth.









Source: the publisher









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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Deputy Minister of Aviation, Kwabena Okyere Darko, has disclosed that about 20 international and local airlines have expressed interest in partnering government for the establishment of a new national carrier.



Mr. Okyere Darko, who represented the sector minister, Ms Cecilia Dapaah, at the welcome ceremony to receive Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350 to Accras Kotoka International Airport (KIA), said over 20 Airlines have applied to work with Ghana to start its own home-based Carrier.



The Cabinet, he says, has given policy approval to start the Airline.



Ethiopian has been giving Ghana a great service and hopefully it would support Ghana as it plans to set up a home-based Carrier, he said. The Airbus A350 has been deployed by the airline to service the Accra-Addis Ababa route going forward.



The Aircraft, christened Bale Mountain, landed at 11:00 am local time on Tuesday with 299 passengers, with Captain Yirgalem Yilma Bereda in Command.



Receiving the Aircraft in prayers the Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams asked for Blessings for Ghana, Africa and Ethiopian Airlines.



Mrs Genet Michael thanked the citizens of Ghana for the support the Airline has received so far transiting from using a Boeing 737, B787, B777 and now A350 over a two year period.



The Capt. Yirgalem Yilma Bereda was excited to bring the Aircraft to Ghana.



He said with the Flyby wire technology and the glass Paperless cockpit the A350 is the most modern Aircraft in the Air.

Source: B&FT









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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YOU MAY believe it or not but that is what a renowned man of God, Apostle Anthony Sampson Asamoah, founder and leader of Apostolic Favour Cathedral has said; that between 15th to 21st December, 2017, witches and wizards across Africa including other evil spirits will hold their annual delegate conference at Goaso and Kenyasi No. 2 in the Brong Ahafo Region.



The man of God who spoke to DAILY GUIDE on phone after he made the declaration at one of the churchs outreach programmes said the venue for the conference which used to be Bechem-Nkwanta has been changed to Kenyasi No. 2 in the Asutifi South District and Goaso in the Asunafo North District of the Brong Ahafo Region.



Apostle Anthony Sampson Asamoah said such conferences come with its attendant effects such as various illnesses Hepatitis B, high blood pressure and lorry accidents leading to loss of lives. He said the headquarters of witches in Africa is at Tanzania and preparation towards the conferences is that a member country is suppose to provide 2,000 tankers of blood and saying any country that fails to provide it will have the conference held at his or her country. He said all countries have already contributed their quota except Ghana which is yet to provide the 2000 tankers of blood. So far, the country has provided only 1,000 tankers of blood and if we dont take care, the meeting will be held at Goaso and Kenyasi.



I am making it public because I want all believers and Christians in the country to help me pray against it. According to him, the conference normally starts from 2am each midnight on the above dates so Christians should begin to fast and pray from 12 noon to help offset it and avoid bloodshed during the Christmas festivity.



Apostle Anthony Sampson Asamoah said as part of measures to stop the event, he and his church members are going to hold prayers against the conference and is therefore calling on all Ghanaians to join in the prayers to stop the deadly meeting. The man of God said since he established his church 12 years ago, God has been revealing the works of the devil to him and so is asking Ghanaians to begin to fast and pray each day of the conference and also read Ecclesiastics 10:8 as directed by God.

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.

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Education Minister Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh must apologise to his predecessor Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang for describing the latter as a disgrace and embarrassment as a minister, former Minister of Education Betty Mould-Iddrisu has said.



Dr Opoku Prempeh on Tuesday, 14 November told Kwadwo Asare-Baffuor Acheampong (KABA) on Asempa FMs Ekosi Sen political talk show that: Her [Prof Opoku-Agyemangs] four-year tenure under John Mahama was an embarrassment.



Adducing evidence to back his damning verdict on the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Dr Opoku Prempeh said Prof Opoku-Agyemang as Minister left the education sector burdened with the following debts per the Mahama administrations own handing over notes:



Feeding Grants for Colleges of Education  GHS36 million



Feeding Grants for Special Schools  GHS4.7 million



SHS Subsidy  GHS24 million



Progressively Free Senior High School debt  GHS33 million



Capitation Grant, GHS8 million



GETFund debt  GHS3.7 billion



She doesnt understand education, Dr Opoku Prempeh insisted.



According to him, Prof Opoku-Agyemangs deputy, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has also made peddling of falsehood his stock-in-trade and has entered opposition with that penchant.



In Dr Opoku Prempehs estimation, the success rate of the free senior high school programme of the Akufo-Addo government is 90%.



In a statement, however, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said: It is unfortunate that our current Minister of Education described his predecessor the Hon former Minister of Education as a disgrace and an embarrassment for allegedly leaving debts in the Ministry of Education at the end of her four-year tenure.



Professor Opoku-Agyemang is a distinguished and accomplished academic who rose to become vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Coast.



Her achievements in the arena of Education are legendary. It is unfortunate that women have to be subjected to such abuse in the discharge of their official duties. I am calling on the Hon minister Dr. Opoku Prempeh, on behalf of the women in Ghana, especially Women in Politics to withdraw and apologise for making such derogatory comments about a distinguished woman professional who is a known role model globally.



The Minister must stay focused on ensuring and delivering an effective implementation of the Free SHS programme which has been hit with several challenges with the tendency of eroding gains chalked in the educational sector. The Minister of Education under the current circumstances must be seen to be the busiest appointee, not to waste precious time in insulting his Senior in the name of politics, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu added.









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 Kumasi High Court has ordered that the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Bosiako aka Chairman Wontumi be served by substituted service in the defamatory suit filed against him by NPP's suspended General Secretary Kwabena Agyapong.



Confirming on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Counsel for the suspended General Secretary, Nana Fredua Agyemang Osborn explained that efforts to reach Chairman Wontumi by the bailiff to be served with the summons writ have proved futile.



"That is why we have gone to court for such actions be taken, copies will be posted at the NPP regional office, High Court and Circuit Court notice boards," he said.



He mentioned that once it is done, it can be concluded that he (Chairman Wontumi) has been served with copies of the writ of summons and thus can no longer evade trial.



Mr.Kwabena Agyapong hauled the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party Bernard Antwi Boasiako and the Multimedia Group before the High Court over alleged defamatory comments.



Lawyers for the embattled General Secretary are seeking from the court an order compelling the first defendant to immediately cause to be retracted the defamatory statement via the same medium used in making them thus through the frequency modulation of the second defendant and to render an unqualified apology to the plaintiff via the same media."



An order of the court compelling the first defendant to write a letter personally addressed to the plaintiff admitting his comments were untrue and unfortunate and given his tacit commitment never again to spew such falsehood and scandalous defamatory remarks on the person of the plaintiff."



In a notice earlier served by his lawyers, Sarfo Gyamfi and Associates and copied to Peacefmonline.com on 31st October, Mr. Agyapong asked Chairman Wontumi to retract a slanderous statement made against their client and his tacit assurance that never again will you ever conduct yourself in such an unfortunate manner.



According to the letter, Mr. Bernard Antwi Bosiako on October 28, 2017 on Kumasi based Nhyira FM made statements targeted at bringing the hard earned reputation of the suspended General Secretary into disrepute.



Lawyers for Mr. Kwabena Agyapong, Sarfo Gyamfi and Associates gave Chairman Wontumi a Friday 3rd November, 2017 deadline, to retract and apologize for the defamatory unsavory remarks he made against Kwabena Agyepong on the same platforms he used; Nhyira FM in Kumasi and Accra based Neat FM.



But Chairman Wontumi pooh-poohed on the demand and vowed that he "would never ever apologize to Mr. Kwabena Agyapong if that is what he is looking for.

Source: Isaac kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017, file photo, model Gigi Hadid wears a creation by designer Tommy Hilfiger at the Spring/Summer 2018 runway show in London. Hadid says she will not be walking the Victoria's Secret fashion show in Shanghai next week. In a post on her Twitter account Friday, Hadid did not explain why she would be missing the show and VictoriaAos Secret refused to comment on the issue. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, center, arrives to preside over a student graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Mugabe is making his first public appearance since the military put him under house arrest earlier this week. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Mexico is speeding up a countrywide liberalization of fuel prices by a month in a bid to kick-start lagging private investment.

Mexico's energy regulatory commission, CRE, approved on Thursday bringing forward an end to government-set pump prices in the southeastern zone comprised of Campeche, Quintana Roo and the Yucatan, known as region five, to Nov. 30 from Dec. 30. Mexico will freely float prices by Nov. 30 in the rest of the country.

The move sends a strong signal to the market that Mexico welcomes new players in the sector formerly dominated by state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos, said Roberto Diaz de Leon, president of Onexpo, Mexico's gasoline retailers association, speaking at an event in Mexico City.

Almost two years since Mexico approved legislation to allow private companies to import fuel, service station operators including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc still receive their gasoline from Pemex. Mexico lacks the infrastructure to allow independent distributors and sellers to import fuel, said Diaz de Leon. Prices are still capped by the government in 65 percent of Mexico's gas stations, accounting for almost three-quarters of national consumption, according to CRE data.

Mexico's New Gasoline Retailers Still Turn to Pemex for Fuel

It's good news because it gives certainty that the calendar will be fulfilled before the end of the year as promised, said Ixchel Castro, senior analyst at energy consultant Wood Mackenzie in Mexico City.

Rajan Vig, head of Mexico origination for BioUrja Trading LLC, a wholesale fuel distributor, said that the impact for investment may be subdued since Pemex controls access to the port in the zone and rail access is poor. Not many people are lining up to deliver fuel into those areas, he said from Houston.

Mexico Energy Minister Pedro Joaquin Coldwell said Tuesday that a special tax on importers and fuel sellers could help buffer price volatility. Mexico's new fuel price policy was blamed for a 20 percent spike in some regions last January that was known as Mexico's gasolinazo in Spanish, or fuel price slam.

Mexico Seeks Diesel Around the World Before Price Limits End

So far it doesn't seem like the international prices of gasoline will increase in December and for the moment oil is going down, said Castro. There is always the geopolitical risk that can bring volatility to the market. And now region five would be exposed to these variations sooner than expected.
The $1 trillion fund that Norway has amassed pumping oil and gas over the past two decades wants out of petroleum stocks.

Norway, which relies on oil and gas for about a fifth of economic output, would be less vulnerable to declining crude prices without its fund investing in the industry, the central bank said Thursday. The divestment would mark the second major step in scrubbing the world's biggest wealth fund of climate risk, after it sold most of its coal stocks.

Our perspective here is to spread the risks for the state's wealth, Egil Matsen, the deputy central bank governor overseeing the fund, said in an interview in Oslo. We can do that better by not adding oil-price risk.

The plan would entail the fund, which controls about 1.5 percent of global stocks, dumping as much as $40 billion of shares in international giants such as Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc . The Finance Ministry said it will study the proposal and decide what to do in fall of 2018 at the earliest.

big Oil is under pressure, read more here

While the fund says the plan isn't based on any particular view about the future of oil prices or the industry as a whole, it will likely add to pressure on producers already struggling with the growth of renewable energy supplies. The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas index reversed gains after the announcement, sliding 0.3 percent as of 3:47 p.m. in London.

Built on the income that western Europe's largest energy supplier has generated for more than 20 years, the fund's investment decisions are guided by ethical rules encompassing human rights, some weapons production, the environment and tobacco. Norway's fossil-fuel investments are coming under increasing scrutiny from a public that aims to be a climate leader without jeopardizing one of the world's highest standards of living.

The fund has doubled in value over the past five years and was just given the go-ahead to boost its stock holdings to 70 percent of its portfolio from 60 percent to help drive returns. The government, which also controls Statoil ASA and offshore oil and gas fields, was forced to withdrew cash from the fund for the first time last year to meet spending commitments after oil prices dropped.

Good Time'

Matsen said now is a good time for the proposal because otherwise the new 70 percent threshold will result in the fund buying even more oil and gas shares because it tracks indexes that include such stocks. The fund has a small amount of leeway to make individual investments and wants to keep oil and gas in its investment universe, he said.

The fund said it doesn't expect returns or market risk to be affected appreciably by its proposal, emphasizing that cutting exposure to the energy industry would allow it to crank up investments in other sectors. Finance Minister Siv Jensen said the government will give the plan careful thought.

This must be thoroughly assessed, I am not prepared to conclude in advance, said Nikolai Astrup, leader of the finance committee representing the ruling Conservatives. It's important that the fund is managed in a way that's predictable and long-term.

But environmental groups praised the plan. The world is changing fast, and it's very risky to put too many eggs in the same basket, said Marius Holm, the leader of the Zero Emission Resource Organisation. Sony Kapoor, a former adviser to Norway's government, said the plan is a belated victory for common sense over the powerful oil and gas lobby in Norway, calling on the fund to now boosts its green investments at least tenfold.

The recommendation also received backing from the Conservative-led government's support parties, the Christian Democrats and Liberals. The Labor Party, the biggest opposition group, said it would like to study the proposal before making a decision.

The government is responsible for the Norwegian economy as a whole and must take a broad and comprehensive approach to this issue, Jensen said in a statement.
In general, men are twice as likely to cheat on a spouse than women are. That frequency increases over the lifespan, peaking among the elderly. Among men 18 to 29 who have ever been married, about 1 in 10 is
Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Pennsylvania's state-backed investment firm focused on early-stage companies around Philadelphia, has split its latest $4.4 million among these 21 start-ups:

RistCall, Philadelphia: Smart watches for "nurse-patient communications." Founder and CEO Srinath Vaddepally, cofounder and product vice president Ameya Bhat, cofounder and tech VP Yicheng Bai. ristcall.com

Strados Labs, Philadelphia: "Patent-pending wearable smart sensors that automatically monitor and log wheezing, coughing, and shallow breathing patterns in real time." CEO Nick Delmonico, chief engineer Yu Kan Au, chief of data science Tanziyah Muqeem. stradoslabsllc.com

RideKleen, Bucks County: mobile car wash and fleet cleaning for ride hailing and card sharing. With branches in New York, Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco soon. Founder and CEO Pratik Patel, chief financial officer/strategy Mars Shah. ridekleen.com

ImmERge Labs, Philadelphia: VR/AR "applications that integrate a physical mannequin with highly realistic, multi-sensory simulations that technically, emotionally, and mentally prepare one to render life-saving interventions." Founder Marion Leary, CEO Matthew Grabowsky, chief technology officer Det Ansinn. immergelabs.strikingly.com

NeedsList, Philadelphia: "A marketplace for humanitarian aid" that helps displaced people in "purchasing supplies directly from local suppliers, donating funds, and completing tasks." Founder and CEO Tasha Freidus; cofounder and chief operating officer Amanda Levinson. needslist.co

RoundTrip, Philadelphia: "Web-based portal and mobile platform that connects patients with on-demand, non-emergency medical transportation." Founder and CEO Mark Switaj; chief information officer Ankit Mathur; corporate administrator Angela Damiano; executive vice president of operations Brendan McNiff. rideroundtrip.com

NeuroFlow, Philadelphia: "Analyzes real-time biometric data for mental health and enhanced performance applications." Co-founder and CEO Christopher Molaro; co-founder and COO Adam Pardes. neuroflowsolution.com

Allevi, Philadelphia (formerly BioBots): 3-D printers to produce human tissues and "one-day organs for both pharmaceutical and clinical use." Founder and CEO Ricky Solorzano, COO Madeline Winter. allevi3d.com

Source Digital, Montgomery County: "A data-driven, cloud-based engagement platform" for "smartphone, tablet, computer and TV." CEO Hank Frecon, CTO Patrick Greene, chief product officer Michael Phillips. sourcedigital.net

Cagent Vascular, Delaware County: makes the Serranator, "an angioplasty balloon which incorporates serration technology" to treat peripheral artery disease. Co-founder and CEO Carol A. Burns; Co-founder and CTO Robert Giasolli; co-founder and chief medical officer Peter Schneider. cagentvascular.com

Stel Life Inc., Philadelphia: "Connecting Bluetooth vitals devices to health records without complex setup, WiFi, or mobile applications" through the Stel Gateway, compatible with "blood pressure cuffs, scales, glucose meters, and activity trackers." CEO Sid Kandan; CTO Jon Pry; Carlos Roque (design and operations).

Guiding Technologies Corp., Philadelphia: For autism, with National Science Foundation support, the firm "has developed a software platform called GAINS which incorporates artificial intelligence" to "track student performance in real-time to guide instructors." Founder and CEO John Nosek; CTO Tom Gradel.

XeroThera, Montgomery County: XeroSyn, a 510(k) product, is a synthetic graft microparticle that can deliver antibiotics to surgical infection sites. A biomaterial, it can be "mixed in minutes, at the time of surgery, with any antibiotic of choice," and released over two weeks. Also developing "XeroDuo, an injectable nanoparticle" that treats resistant infections, and "XeroMicron thin films on implants for local antibiotic delivery." CEO Paul Ducheyne; director Ed Ruzinsky; VP for research and development Sanjib Bhattacharyya.

Red Queen Gaming, Philadelphia: "Red Queen provides a software development kit, tool hosting, graphical components, marketing, distribution, and out-of-the-box integration" for the video gamer marketplace. Plus "advanced tools." CEO Alex Gilbert; CTO Dan DuLeone; COO Bill Smith. redqueen.us.home

TemitroniK, Bucks County: "A spinoff of iMet Corp.," TemitronkK offers "the most flexible LED board, IoT control, and turnkey solutions provider to the lighting industry." President and founder Tom Krol. temitronik.com

Switchboard Live, Philadelphia: Has "developed a [software-as-a-service]-based platform that helps clients manage and publish live streaming video to multiple destinations such as YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Twitch, or Twitter/Periscope simultaneously." See #howyoudolive. Founder and CEO Rudiger Ellis; chief development officer Jason Cotte; CTO Josh Sachs. switchboard.live

Buyside, Chester County: Collects real estate brokerage data "in real time, transforming it into actionable insights and intelligent marketing tools that generate seller leads, win more listings, and close more transactions in-house." Laura Scott, Alissa Harper. getbuyside.com

Piano Software Inc., Philadelphia: "Digital content monetization and audience intelligence platform" including "subscription commerce engine Piano VX, customer experience tool kit Piano Composer, and user management system Piano ID" for clients including NBCUniversal, Business Insider, Bloomberg, AOL, Gatehouse, the Economist, Hearst, Digiday, Postmedia Network, Conde Nast, Grupo Abril, and over 1,300 others. CEO Trevor Kaufman; COO Kweli Washington; CTO Tim Dirrenberger. piano.io

HGE Health, Philadelphia: Developed care standards "built upon clinical protocols developed by physician Gerard J. Criner and his colleagues at the Temple Lung Center and the department of thoracic medicine and surgery" to "deliver better care faster" and secure " improved outcomes at a much lower cost. " CEO Michael J. Markus; founder and chairman Gerard J. Criner. hgehealth.com

Oncora Medical, Philadelphia: Web-based software "to enable data-driven, personalized radiation therapy" for radiation oncology patients. CEO David Lindsay; CTO Chris Berlind. oncoramedical.com

Advanced Absorbent Technologies LLC, Chester County: Developing disposable absorbent materials based on "a new absorbent core formulation and design that eliminates the need for fiberized wood pulp." CEO Joe Howard. advancedabsorbenttechnologies.com
CBS Corp. announced Friday completion of the split-off of its troubled CBS Radio Inc. unit and its merger with a subsidiary of Bala Cynwyd-based Entercom Communications Inc. The merger makes Entercom the nation's No. 2 radio operator.

As a result of the merger, participating CBS stockholders will receive one share of Entercom Class A common stock in exchange for each whole share of CBS Radio common stock they received in the exchange offer, CBS said in a statement. The transactions will enable CBS to retire about 17.9 million shares of CBS Class B common stock.

"The separation of our radio business is part of a broader strategy to make CBS even more focused on our content and all the ways we can monetize it," Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp. chairman and CEO, said in the statement. "We started on this path several years ago with the split-off of our outdoor advertising business. And just as we did with outdoor, we believe our radio transaction will allow us to unlock more value for our shareholders and further grow our revenue."

Entercom has said it will cut about $100 million in costs as part of the merger. In an interview Wednesday at the Hotel Sofitel, David Field, who now runs the company founded by his father, Joseph Field, said that "we will not take one cent away from the quality of the listener experience or the value we provide to advertisers."

Entercom has the right to use CBS Radio branding for a year after the deal closes, Field said, adding that Entercom would "reinvest tens of millions of dollars into brand and into our data analytics."

In all, Entercom-CBS Radio now own and operate 244 radio stations in 47 markets, reaching 100 million listeners. Among the stations already owned by Entercom were six CBS Radio stations in Philadelphia: WIP, KYW, WTDY, WXTU, WPHT, and WOGL.

The only larger U.S. radio operator is iHeartRadio. Field said Entercom would continue to look to acquire radio stations.

Staff writer Bob Fernandez contributed to this article.
Sheriff Jewell Williams arrives on the scene of an incident at the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia in August 2016. Read more

If only it were always as easy as a man masturbating in front of his coworkers. Fire him, simple. That's a no-brainer move for anyone in human resources.

But what about the situation HR manager Dawn Ceaser had to deal with involving an enthusiastic hugger at her workplace, a local hospital system? More on that later.

Ever since the Harvey Weinstein story broke more than a month ago, with daily fresh revelations such as recent news about Sen. Al Franken, the Minnesota Democrat, and Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams, there's been another question: Where is the human resources department? Who is watching out for these women?

"HR is not your friend," longtime Philadelphia employment lawyer Alice Ballard said in an interview published in the Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com shortly after the movie mogul's treatment of female colleagues and acquaintances came to light.

"Their job is to do damage control for the company," she said. "They decide whether to take on an investigation and how that investigation is run. If you complain, you'll do it at great personal cost."

Really? A mostly female group of about two dozen human resource managers, gathering for a monthly meeting of the Delaware County Human Resource Association, wasn't buying it, at least not for their organizations  even though, by a show of hands, nearly half had experienced sexual harassment on the job, and most had to deal with the issue professionally.

On the agenda Tuesday was an aptly timed presentation on harassment, delivered by Jonathan Segal, a longtime Philadelphia employment lawyer and a partner at Duane Morris LLP.

"I work for a nonprofit and most of the leaders are female," said the group's president-elect, Rachel Milano-Davis, a human resource manager at a health-staffing nonprofit. She described the chief executive of her organization as a "very strong female" who would never tolerate retaliation.

"Sometimes, people ask what the role of human resources is," Segal said. "They have an obligation to protect the company, and they have an obligation to protect the employee.

"In human resources, you are in the middle," he said. "If your leadership supports you, then I think you can protect the employees and the company."

Segal told the group that he worried publicity over egregious examples of sexual harassment would lead to a false sense of security among bad actors who were creating problems for women based on suggestive remarks or by linking sex with promotions, but who weren't groping someone at every turn.

They will think they aren't that bad, Segal said. But "senior leaders have to be vocal that they don't accept that kind of conduct."

Usually, though, it's not that clear-cut. Sometimes, harassment happens when a dating relationship at work goes sour or when someone, genuinely attracted to a coworker, believes the feeling is mutual and asks for a date, causing offense.

Offering an example she encountered, Milano-Davis said, "I think it was his attempt to be suave" that offended his colleague. "He was apologetic."

In the end, Segal said, men may be so worried about being inappropriate that they may decide it's too risky to deal with women at all, excluding them from, for example, post trade-show rehash confabs at the hotel bar. A female employee then loses out on the networking, relationship-building, and shared tips that could lead to promotion. That's another form of discrimination. Try rehashing over coffee, he advised.

The situation that Ceaser faced?

One employee is a linebacker-sized "Teddy-bear" type who is a source of joy at work. He's also a hugger, which doesn't bother most of the people, but did offend one woman who complained. Ceaser counseled the hugger to stop hugging, but then she noticed, as she walked the halls, that people would ask him for a hug.

It's a dilemma. "How do we remove the inappropriate from the workplace without removing the collegiality?" Segal asked.

It was probably best for the hugger to stop hugging, Segal said, but human resources should help him rehearse what to say in a hugging scenario.

Ceaser nodded. "It's touch, but don't touch," she said. "It's a mixed message. I feel bad for him, because he doesn't know what to do."

What should employers do to "crush harassment?" Here's what employment attorney Jonathan Segal told the Delaware County Human Resource Association:
Comedian Louis C.K., a writer and executive producer, has admitted to masturbating in front of his co-workers. Read more

The boss is coming on to you. You do want to be promoted, don't you?

Your coworker won't take no for an answer when it comes to drinks after work. And why is it that your supervisor can't seem to pass you in the corridor without brushing against your breasts?

Every day is a fresh headline. Democratic Sen. Al Franken. Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams. Comedian Louis C.K. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore. Those are the high-profile cases, but what should you do if the harassment is happening to you?

Maya Raghu, director of workplace equality and senior counsel at the National Women's Law Center in Washington, has this advice:
According to a report released by Zillow, minorities are less likely to own homes than white Americans. Read more

In a real estate market as hot as Philadelphia's right now, it's no secret that buyer frustration abounds. Few homes remain on the market, prices in some neighborhoods are higher than they were a decade ago, and many shoppers struggle to find enough cash for a down payment.

It's even worse if you're a minority.

According to figures released by the housing website Zillow this year, less than a quarter of homes nationwide are owned by minorities  despite the fact that African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and other nationalities make up nearly one-third of the U.S. population.

And in Philadelphia as well as nationwide, there are few signs of significant improvement.

Low minority home-ownership rates, Zillow and other experts say, is the result of decades of discriminatory housing policies, financial hurdles, and market conditions that have disproportionately affected people of color. At the same time, continued residential segregation  essentially, residents choosing to live in neighborhoods made up of people of their same race  has posed an equally large problem for boosting minority home ownership, the experts say.

The combination of such factors has created the problems that continue to perpetuate the barriers that minorities face when buying a home today. How exactly did we get here  and where does that leave us?

The origin of the modern minority home-ownership problem can be traced to the 20th century, when the Federal Housing Administration actively engaged in "redlining," a practice of determining which neighborhoods to approve mortgages in  and which to deny them. From the 1930s through the 1960s, the FHA explicitly refused to back loans for African American home buyers  subsequently pushing many of them into declining and high-poverty areas. From there, some minorities were victims of predatory lending. Or, they were relegated to renting, pushed out of homeownership entirely.

Today, redlining is illegal. But its aftermath is still palpable. According to Camille Charles, a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the United States remains residentially segregated  with Philadelphia ranking as more segregated than most cities.

"Segregation concentrates poverty in ways that are detrimental to the flourishing of those neighborhoods," Charles said in a recent interview.

According to Charles, who studies residential segregation and the behaviors that drive it, redlining created a self-fulfilling prophecy: Government policies shepherded minorities to certain neighborhoods, and now, based on the natural preference of wanting to avoid living in areas filled with people who are different from us, minority groups continue to want to live in the same areas together, she said.

That can be problematic for minority homeowners who want to build wealth, Zillow's data and other studies point out. According to one study by Brandeis University, homes in black neighborhoods do not see the same appreciation rates as homes in white neighborhoods. One reason for that, the study said: a lack of demand from wealthy white households, which, in turn, stifles home price appreciation rates in those neighborhoods.

At the same time, Zillow found, minority homeowners were disproportionately affected by the recession. While many homeowners across the United States went through foreclosure or were left underwater  owing more for their homes than their homes were worth  that negative equity rate has dipped to just 10 percent nationally in the last year. However, for black communities, Zillow found, nearly 20 percent of homeowners had homes underwater in the third quarter of 2016. For Hispanic communities, it was 12 percent.

In majority-white communities, that rate was less than 10 percent.

Minority home shoppers also face financial barriers more often than white populations, the Zillow report found. African Americans and Hispanics are less likely to apply for a mortgage and are more likely to be denied when they do. They also have more difficulty, the study showed, cobbling together a down payment. African American and Hispanic buyers struggle more often with all aspects of financing a home, from pre-approval to the underwriting process. And minorities more frequently struggle to find the right real estate agent to help them.

"In general, I think [minorities] have to work harder to get the kind of services that whites get in the normal course of things," Charles said. Minorities "more often encounter steering [from agents] who might say, 'No, I think you might like this neighborhood better.'  We know there is still housing market discrimination that takes a different form now."

Given all that, have minority home shoppers grown more pessimistic about owning a home?

Not at all, the Zillow study found. In fact, minorities aspire to be homeowners more than white residents, with nearly three-quarters of minorities thinking about owning their home one day, compared with 64 percent of Caucasians. And, the study found, they are more likely to believe in the American dream.
FILE  This June 24, 2016 file photo shows the logo of German industrial conglomerate Siemens at their headquarters in Munich, Germany. Read more

Siemens AG announced the most sweeping round of job cuts in years, with a plan to eliminate about 6,900 positions worldwide and close factories, as Europe's biggest engineering company grapples with a sharp drop in orders for power-plant equipment.

Half of the cuts will be in Germany, where Siemens is shuttering two facilities in the eastern part of the country and putting the future of others under review, the Munich-based company said in a statement Thursday. It has said the revamp, which will affect about 2 percent of its 372,000 employees, is inevitable amid global manufacturing overcapacity for power and gas turbines.

The reductions come less than two months after German general elections, during which Chancellor Angela Merkel ran on a platform of economic stability. Siemens, among the country's biggest corporate employers, has reshaped its conglomerate structure over the years in a bid to become more nimble, ahead of U.S. rival General Electric Co., which is undergoing a steep transformation of its own.

The plan to cut jobs sets the stage for a clash with worker representatives, such as trade unions, which hold powerful sway at German companies because they make up half of the supervisory board that signs off on major strategic decisions. In a first reaction, the IG Metall union called the plan a "broad-based attack on the employees."

Locally, Siemens employs 1,700. That includes the U.S. offices of its Siemens Healthineers medical-devices business in Malvern. In Montgomery County, Siemens also operates a Siemens Biomarker Solutions facility in Blue Bell and a Digital Factory and Energy Management facility in Spring House. None of these businesses are among those targeted for job cuts.

In 2014, the company sold the former Shared Medical Services medical-data business, also in Malvern, to Cerner Inc.

Last year, Siemens announced plans to spin off Healthineers, which accounted for about 20 percent of the company's $85 billion in yearly worldwide sales  and 40 percent of its profits  in an initial public stock offering (IPO).

Broader changes

The cuts are part of chief executive officer Joe Kaeser's broader push to streamline the company, which has included merging its renewables unit with a rival, withdrawing from a historic lighting business, and the planned listing of its health-care division. The job reduction plan also fell the same week as GE unveiled its own turnaround plan to focus on three businesses and exit others. Both conglomerates are facing global shifts in energy demand favoring renewables over large fossil-fuel plants powered by the types of turbines they manufacture.

At Siemens, 6,100 of the jobs targeted for elimination are in the power and gas division, with the rest coming in the process-industries-and-drives and power-generation divisions, according to Thursday's statement.

"The cuts are necessary to ensure that our expertise in power-plant technology, generators and large electrical motors stays competitive over the long term," Janina Kugel, head of human resources, said in the statement.

The shares ended 0.9 percent higher at 115.80 euros in Frankfurt, taking the market value to 98 billion euros ($115 billion).

The company's Goerlitz and Leipzig sites are slated to be closed, while options including a sale are still being considered for a site in Erfurt, Siemens said. About 640 jobs will be cut at an installation in Muellheim, and 300 in Berlin.

Offenbach closing?

The future of Siemens' solutions business at the Offenbach site near Frankfurt is uncertain after the company said it would be combined with operations at Erlangen, where Siemens has large installations. An internal memo seen by Bloomberg News says the Offenbach site is also scheduled to be closed.

Kugel declined to confirm this during a call with reporters, saying "it will be made clear in the process of the negotiations."

The German company has been in talks for months with unions about the plan, which Kaeser broadly confirmed last week, saying it would be "painful."

Union and employee representatives walked out of a meeting with Siemens in October when management explained the market conditions behind the cuts.

"Job cuts on this scale are totally unacceptable given the excellent overall situation of the company," Juergen Kerner, the union's representative on Siemens' supervisory board, said in a statement.

Siemens has pointed to a sharply deteriorating situation in the market for large power and gas turbines, saying global demand is expected to level off around 110 a year compared with an overall manufacturing capacity of around 400.

Siemens's last major round of cuts was in the process-industries division, where 1,700 positions were cut after negotiations with unions.

Staff writer Joseph N. DiStefano contributed to this article.
Anwar Sadats trip to Jerusalem paved the way for the Mideast peace brokered by President Jimmy Carter, and celebrated at the White House in 1979 with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Read more

On Nov. 19, 1977, I stood on wooden risers at Ben Gurion International Airport waiting to see if the circling plane carrying Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was really going to land.

Israelis were in a state of shock and disbelief that the head of the largest Arab country had made a historic decision to visit Israel. He was the first Arab leader to do so since the establishment of the Jewish state.

Next to me, an Israeli foreign ministry staffer was sobbing. Another asked me if I thought the Egyptian plane might actually be carrying a bomb that would explode on landing, killing the entire Israeli political leadership, assembled several rows below us. Instead, Sadat disembarked, advanced toward the Israelis, shook hands, and wrapped his arms around the bulky ex-Prime Minister Golda Meir.

Forty years later, as the Mideast implodes, that moment still stands as a turning point for the region. In my office, I keep a framed copy of a poster that was tacked on every Jerusalem building, wall, and light post, displaying Israeli and Egyptian flags topped by the world Peace in English, Arabic, and Hebrew. The Egyptian leader hoped peace would extend to the entire region.

His dream didn't come true. But Sadat's trip opened the door to a broader peace, under the right condition: If Arab and Israeli leaders emerge who have the guts and foresight he did. That holds true for the future, even if the current landscape looks very bleak.

What was so striking about Sadat was that he had a clear vision and was pragmatic about how to get there. Israel's hawkish prime minister, Menachem Begin, also had the courage and pragmatism to agree to return the Sinai to Egypt, the prerequisite to cementing a peace.

(The only Mideast leaders to display such pragmatism since were Jordan's King Hussein, along with Israeli Premiers Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Olmert, and to a lesser extent, Ehud Barak. Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat did so briefly, but then reverted to the pursuit of illusions.)

Sadat recognized that, after heavy military and economic losses in 1967 and 1973, most of the Egyptian public had lost interest in fighting on behalf of the Palestinians. He believed his army had regained its honor by crossing the Suez Canal in 1973, which ultimately led to his decision that the time was ripe for a dramatic overture to the Israelis.

The Egyptian leader hoped his stunning move would persuade Begin to return all lands captured in 1967 from the Arabs, including Gaza and the West Bank. Begin nixed that idea even before Sadat had concluded his emotional visit to Jerusalem.

Yet that trip created openings, some seized, some not, that deeply affect the stability of the region until today.

On the side of missed chances, I list the opportunity that Sadat's visit did present to the Palestinians. His trip ultimately led to the 1978 Camp David Accords, brokered by President Jimmy Carter, that provided a road map for Palestinian autonomy on the West Bank and Gaza, at a time when there were hardly any Israeli settlements. The accords called for an elected "self-governing authority" and negotiations over final status of those territories. Some West Bank Palestinians believed that elected authority could garner international recognition and pressure on Israel to contemplate the establishment of a Palestinian state.

But the Palestinian Liberation Organization  the "outside" leadership that spoke for the diaspora  was opposed to going this route because it didn't include them. A possible chance to move toward two states side by side was missed at a time when the region was far more stable.

Yet the opportunity seized  Begin's recognition that a signed peace with Egypt was more important than Sinai  has provided Israel with 40 years of stability, by removing the military threat on its southern border. That peace has lasted through Sadat's assassination, the removal of President Hosni Mubarak, the election of a Muslim Brotherhood government, and an effective return to military rule under current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Even though the peace is cold, and Egyptian civilians almost never visit Israel, the military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries is close.

Some see parallels to Sadat with the emergence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who shares Israel's strategic enmity toward Iran; there are all sorts of rumored contacts between the two countries as well as sharing of military intelligence. The Trump administration hopes MBS might godfather an Arab-Palestinian-Israeli peace.

Yet the youthful MBS lacks Sadat's seasoning and experience, and is operating in a far more fragmented region. Although he takes big chances, he's unlikely to make dramatic public moves toward Israel. Nor is Israel's leadership open to the compromises on the Palestinian issue that the Saudis would require.

Still, as the 40th anniversary of Sadat's visit reminds us, one should never rule out the unexpected. But best to remember the unexpected may produce something better, or something worse.
Diane Payne, center, a retired teacher from Mayfair Elementary and others rally outside the School District of Philadelphia building, celebrating the impending end of the SRC. Read more

The Philadelphia School Reform Commission is on its way to extinction.

The state-devised panel, the ruler of the School District for 16 years, voted to dissolve itself Thursday night, declaring that the era of distress for the city's schools was over.

Immediately after the 3-1 vote, shouts, cheers, and chants of "the people united will never be defeated" arose from a raucous crowd that had gathered to witness the moment.

SRC Chair Joyce Wilkerson said the panel had made tough decisions that put the school system on sounder financial and academic footing.

"Returning the district to Philadelphia will allow us to build on this progress and stability," Wilkerson said. "The district is ready for its next phase, and Philadelphia is ready to take ownership of its schools."

The SRC will not be officially dissolved until the state education secretary signs off, and even then won't cease to exist until June 30, 2018, when a nine-member local board appointed by Mayor Kenney will replace it. Leaders emphasized that there would be little day-to-day change in school or district operations, and said they prize stability and the leadership of Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.

The dramatic vote capped a day of sign-waving jubilation among those who had long pushed for local control of city schools  the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and education activists  but came with warnings, particularly from the two SRC members who did not join the chorus for dissolution.

Commissioner Bill Green said the district ought to have extracted a promise from the city to increase local funding by $150 million  which would amount to an 11 percent property tax hike  to cover the district's projected $700 million deficit over five years.

Kenney and Darrell L. Clarke, City Council president, have vowed to cover the district's expenses, but have not committed to a specific number or method of funding. Green, a former city councilman, said a firmer promise was needed, and also doubted a new board's ability to act without considering politics.

"A large number of interests will be lined up to divide the new spoils available to insiders," Green said.

Commissioner Farah Jimenez abstained from voting. To end itself, the SRC has to prove that the district is past the fiscally distressed designation that led to its creation in the first place, and Jimenez said she wasn't convinced.

Given its looming deficit, "there can also be no question that the School District of Philadelphia is in distress," Jimenez said.

Still, the ayes ruled the day.

Kenney and Clarke, in testimony submitted to the SRC, said that the city's funding and closer collaboration with the school system in recent years had helped it make progress, and that more was needed.

"This administration and City Council have already taken on greater responsibility for an organization with which we have no direct oversight or authority relationship," the mayor and Council president said in their statement. "The people we represent, the residents and voters of Philadelphia, deserve direct accountability from the district that serves their children."

Councilwoman Helen Gym, who sat in the audience at the old School District building near Logan Square 16 years ago when the state takeover was thrust upon the city, was in the audience at the district's North Broad Street headquarters to greet the SRC's end. She credited grassroots activism as an "unstoppable political force" for spurring the change, and decried once more the commission's stewardship of the district.

"The takeover was a massive educational experiment on black and brown and immigrant children  from reckless charter expansion to mass school closings," Gym said. "These were strategies not backed by any educational research, they didn't solve the existing and terrible problems within the district, and they hurt far too many children. Today, we recognize that we need to chart a new path."

Jubilation was the dominant emotion in the audience, but there was also anger.

Parent Kendra Brooks did not mince words.

"Dysfunction starts from the head," said Brooks, who fought a district attempt to hand her children's school over to a charter company, "and today, we celebrate the decapitation."

In advance of the meeting, about 200 people gathered outside School District headquarters, chanting "SRC you later" and "SRC, goodbye," and waving signs.

"What did the SRC bring us? The SRC brought us the privatization of our schools," said Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, faulting the commission for "massive layoffs," budget deficits, and cancellation of the teachers' contract.

Randi Weingarten, president of the national teachers' union the American Federation of Teachers, also was in attendance, declaring the end of the SRC "a huge victory for the people of Philadelphia."

But they steeled themselves for more work ahead  including putting a "people's school board" in place, and addressing racial and funding inequity between schools.

"In the suburbs, they're spending $10,000 more" per student, State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D., Phila.) told the crowd. "That is the fight we've got to win. Damn it, show me the money. It is about the money. Don't get distracted."

With the vote behind the SRC, staff on Friday will ship "a van full of documents" to Harrisburg for Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera's review. He must sign off on the dissolution by the end of the year. Kenney will also soon name a nominating panel for school board members, who will have to come up to speed quickly on the operations of the district, which educates about 130,000 students in traditional public schools and about 65,000 more in charters.

J.J. Abbott, Gov. Wolf's spokesman, indicated that for those cheering the end of the SRC, the news would be good.
During the Board of Education student protest on Nov. 17, 1967, police escort two demonstrators from the scene. Read more

Walter Palmer remembers Nov. 17, 1967 as if it were yesterday  cool, cloudy, and joyous, at first.

After a year of careful preparations, more than 3,000 Philadelphia public school students poured out of their classrooms and converged on the old Board of Education building at 21st Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway to protest conditions for black students. They came with a list of 25 suggested changes and requests, from the infusion of black history into the curriculum to the right to wear their hair in Afros.

By then, black students comprised a majority of the public school population, yet black people were largely absent from decision-making roles. Across the country, the civil-rights movement continued to reverberate, and in Philadelphia, many students were eager to join.

Inside the school-board building, youth leaders met with the superintendent and board president. Outside, teenagers and supporters kept marching, chanting, greeting their friends.

A newspaper account at the time described the atmosphere early that day as more like a "picnic" than a demonstration. And then, at Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo's direction, more than 100 officers in full riot gear swarmed on the scene. Nightsticks drawn, they waded into the crowd, swinging at the students. Police dogs were released.

"The clubs were going in every direction," said Palmer, an adult organizer then and now an 83-year-old teacher at the University of Pennsylvania. "The kids were helpless."

Forty-two students and 15 adults were arrested, and dozens were injured, some seriously, drawing a national spotlight. The day became a defining moment not just in the legacy of Rizzo, who went on to become mayor, but also for the school system and its students. Though some would not sprout for decades, seeds of change were planted that day.

Matthew Countryman, a University of Michigan history professor, calls the 1967 Philadelphia walkout a seminal moment for the city, a catalyst for the creation of black studies programs at universities throughout the U.S. and a driver for looking at school integration not just in terms of student demographics, but also curriculum and culture.

"There was real potential in that moment," said Countryman, the author of Up South, an account of Philadelphia's civil rights and black power movement. "The officials of the school system were really ready to figure out, with black students, black parents, black teachers: 'How do we do this right? How do we create a responsive school system?'"

In the immediate aftermath of the walkout, school administrators in Philadelphia began work to incorporate African American history into the curriculum. It would not be until 2005 that the district would require all students to take a course in the subject, becoming the first public school system in the U.S. to do so.

But 50 years later, the actions of Nov. 17, 1967 still resonate.

Education activists today say their work is informed by that walkout. Palmer and others who marched that day were just honored by City Council. A panel discussion is planned for Friday night at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. A commemorative teach-in is scheduled for Saturday. There is also a push to place a historical marker at the site of the demonstration.

Juanita Miller, an organizer for the Philadelphia Student Union, a citywide youth activism group, said she and the teenagers she works with draw inspiration from the walkout as they organize to fight against school closings, for safe schools, and for local control of the district, scoring with activists around the city a major victory with the School Reform Commission's recent vote to dissolve itself.

That day a half-century ago, Miller said, "ties to the work we do today."

Seeking to evict a white-dominated school system

They had organized for more than a year.

The first stirrings came from youth members of the Black People's Unity Movement, frustrated by a lack of student voice inside public schools. They wanted more black teachers and administrators, more union apprenticeship opportunities for black students, more attention paid to the fact that black students dropped out of school at a rate three times higher than their white counterparts.

They wanted black student groups recognized as legitimate school organizations. They wanted to be able to refuse to salute the U.S. flag without penalty.

And, recalls Palmer, who was active within that group, they wanted to openly embrace their African roots.

"They wanted to wear their hair natural; they wanted to wear African dashikis and kufis. They were told, 'No, you can't wear that.' They were told they couldn't go by African names," said Palmer, who went on to found a charter school named in his honor, which closed in 2014.

The students organized in face-to-face meetings. Point people at every school mimeographed flyers and handed them to friends. One read: "If the Philadelphia school system defeats your child now, he will remain defeated for the rest of his lifeGive the white-dominated school system an eviction from the black community."

With the help of Palmer and other adults, the students drafted their bill of rights. They had an action plan, and a date: Nov. 17, a Friday. Palmer remembers the group wanted to strike before Thanksgiving.

Things were quiet, at first, that day. Palmer and some other adults were in place early outside the education board building, and plainclothes police wondered if the event would even materialize.

By 10 a.m., though, students were streaming from their schools and heading to the site. At Bok, a vocational high school in South Philadelphia, a student pulled a fire alarm to create a diversion to allow people to walk out; at other places, young people just left. Some walked to Center City; others took buses.

The crowd swelled steadily, high-spirited but calm. A group of negotiators  mostly students, with a handful of adults  were chosen to meet inside with Superintendent Mark Shedd and School Board President Richardson Dilworth.

VIDEO: KYW-TV / Temple University Libraries

At one point, one of the negotiators called out of a window: Shedd and Dilworth had agreed to all of their demands but one. Later, they hollered again: The officials had agreed to the last demand!

But just after noon, things turned. Police seemed uncomfortable with the growing crowd, which Palmer said the city and law enforcement did not anticipate. Rizzo, who had just attended a swearing-in ceremony for 111 new police sergeants, ordered the officers onto two police buses bound for the district building.

According to accounts of the time, Rizzo received reports that the demonstration was growing unruly, with students banging on parked cars. Soon after he and the buses arrived on the scene, the police commissioner told his officers to quell the students. By some accounts, Rizzo ordered officers to "get their black asses"  a line that would loom large in his controversial, complicated political legacy.

VIDEO: KYW-TV / Temple University Libraries

David Hardy, then a 16-year-old junior at Olney High, arrived late to the protest. He recalls approaching the school board building when he saw the officers swarm.

"Police cars were red back then, and they had a red police bus that pulls up with all these cops with helmets and billy clubs, and they started whaling on kids," said Hardy, the now-retired founder of Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School. "It was ugly."

Karen Asper Jordan, a city schools graduate who came to the rally, said she heard Rizzo say "get their asses," but not "black asses." She also heard a city official implore Rizzo to exercise caution with the protesters because they were children.

Still, she was thrown onto the ground by a police officer, then dragged through the street. A man tried to help her, and police targeted him, too.

"They were dragging me, and they were beating him with a blackjack," Jordan said. "I remember covering my face to stop being struck in my face."

Eric Ward, then the student body president at Vaux Junior High and an organizer of junior-high students for the walkout, watched as officers unleashed snarling dogs on the students.

"That was the first time I had ever witnessed something like that," said Ward, who had walked a mile and a half from Vaux, at 23rd and Master streets. "I was very scared and intimidated; we all were. I will never forget that day."

The Rev. E. Marshall Bevins, an Episcopal priest, said he saw three officers beating a young girl on the ground. He implored them to stop, he told the Inquirer soon after the incident.

"I was shoved from behind and suddenly, I was hauled away," Bevins said then.

He was among the 57 arrested, as were Palmer and Jordan, who was left bleeding after being dragged by the officer. Dozens more were injured, some seriously.

That it erupted was not such a surprise, given the extraordinary upheaval nationwide. Philadelphia had already seen a race riot in 1964; police in other cities were regularly clashing, sometimes violently, with civil rights protesters.

"The police were responding to everything that was going on around the country," Hardy said. "They were scared. But they were treating us like we were these armed, grown men coming down there to tear up downtown  and we were kids. It was an overreaction to what was happening."

Change arrives, but slowly

Reactions to the walkout  described by some as a "police riot"  were mixed.

"The mere display of brute force, with 300-400 armed police encircling youngsters  easily excited schoolchildren  will in itself cause the explosion that occurred Friday afternoon," Common Pleas Court Judge Raymond Pace Alexander said the next day at a bail hearing for some of the people arrested at the protest.

Mayor James Tate and others staunchly defended Rizzo, who said his actions against the students were warranted.

VIDEO: KYW-TV / Temple University Libraries

Many others were aghast. There were calls for reforms and, later, lawsuits.

Shedd, a progressive, took seriously the issues that prompted the walkout, and going forward.

"One of the biggest problems confronting us as white people is the tremendous mistrust on the part of Negroes, resulting from generations of unfulfilled promises," the superintendent said at the time.

Soon after the walkout, Shedd convened a committee to infuse African and African American history into the curriculum, with experts helping to write model materials. But much of that work was halted when Shedd departed after Rizzo's 1971 election as mayor; in his campaign, Rizzo had promised to rid the city of the superintendent.

In the decades since, there has been little in the way of formal remembrances of that day. But when African American history became a mandated course for Philadelphia public school students in 2005, officials drew a straight line from that policy  the first of its kind in the U.S.  to the actions of 1967.

On Thursday, Palmer, Jordan, Ward, and others who demonstrated that day stood beaming in City Council chambers as Councilwoman Helen Gym read a proclamation honoring their actions.

Gym, whose political career was preceded by years of activism, said the issues that fueled the 1967 walkout feel very modern in some ways  concerns over community control of schools, young people's voice, matters of race.

"We want to honor not just what happened 50 years ago, but to recognize that student activists from then until today have been very present in the effort for racial and educational justice," said Gym.

Palmer thinks there ought to be a historical marker at the old school-board building, letting people who walk by the site, now a condominium complex, know what happened there.

It's time, said Palmer.

"We ought to remember," he said.
At first glance, "Kiefer Rodin," at the Barnes Foundation through March 12, seems like random mash-up: Combine recent works by one hugely admired contemporary artist with unfamiliar works by the greatest sculptor of the 19 century, and see who buys tickets.

Auguste Rodin, who single-handedly revived the muscularity and humanism of the Renaissance and classical sculpture, would seem to have little in common with Anselm Kiefer, an artist known for his dense, layered, scorched-earth landscapes. Kiefer, born in Germany in 1945, the year World War II ended, conjures dark visions of a moment in human history after the Holocaust and before nuclear annihilation. What do they have to say to each other?

Quite a lot, it turns out. This is a serious and stimulating exhibition, one I expect to be thinking about for a long time. It provokes ideas not just about the two artists being shown, but about the entire course of Western architecture and art.

Read our interview with Anselm Kiefer.

Kiefer's name comes first in the title of the show because it is about his response to Rodin's work. It consists of some works by Rodin that interest and inspire him, along with many works Kiefer created during the last three years in response to a deep dig into Rodin's archives and workshop. Though the show, organized by the Musee Rodin in Paris and the Barnes, is an observance of the centenary of Rodin's death, there is no pretense of comprehensiveness or even depth in its account of the sculptor's career. (Philadelphia's Rodin Museum is just across the street.) Rather, it is a document of an aesthetic and intellectual encounter.

Kiefer came to Rodin because of his interest in a subject Rodin studied throughout his life and wrote and illustrated a book about late in life: the cathedrals of France. Rodin filled more than 100 notebooks with drawings and notes on both the architecture and the sculpture of the cathedrals, and his book was a final testament.

The first gallery is all Rodin, and packed with things, including plaster versions of works in intermediate stages, complete with seams, patches, and, in the case of The Cry, one of the most powerful works here, screws drilled into the head to assist in remaking it in marble. There are dozens of anatomical spare parts  bent elbows, bones, and shod feet  that Rodin used in his work. The conventional view of Rodin as heroic, hands-on form-giver gives way to one that shows the artist assembling his works out of multiple parts, much in the way Kiefer does.

Rodin's sculpture of two hands  titled Cathedral  is here, along with about two dozen watercolors of female nudes, some of them nearly pornographic. Rodin is seeing the women as objects, to be sure, but in some of these pink and blue works, with a delicate pencil line that is often independent of the color, he identifies the curves and contortions of his women with the lines, shapes, and joints he found in Gothic cathedrals. There are also some sculptures, such as the terra-cotta Reclining Woman, that explore this identification between body and architecture.

It becomes clear that Rodin's identification with the Gothic was not merely about sculpture, though his fusion of the grotesques and the complex storytelling of medieval church art with classical beauty is a large part of what makes his work so powerful. Rather, Rodin was seeing the whole cathedral as a sculpture based on the human figure, a place of muscular columns, stony sinews, and upraised arms. He shows that even though these buildings were about transcending our bodies, their structure mimics our anatomy. Cathedrals understand how it feels to be human. And for Rodin, at least, they were sexy.

The bulk of the exhibition is Kiefer's response to Rodin in watercolors, sculpture, and monumental canvases. The watercolors are found in a series of books Kiefer made from cardboard coated with plaster. The pages on view continue Rodin's exploration of cathedral architecture and female form. In one, a nude appears in a rose window. In others, human bodies emerge from the patterning of marble. Some show the staining and blotching familiar from his paintings, but in pinks and blues very different from his usual mud and metal.

Kiefer refers to the 11 three-dimensional pieces on display as vitrines rather than sculptures. All are in glass cases and are assemblages of disparate objects. One of the most complex, Sursum Corda, named for a key moment in the Latin mass ("Lift up your hearts") consists of a large chunk of earth, beneath which are buried casts of Rodin's anatomical spare parts that we saw in the first gallery. Rising from the earth is a tree and a rusty helix that evokes the shape of DNA. An untitled vitrine contains a heavy, rusted old-fashioned scale with an egg-shaped object in its pan. Does this mean life is in the balance?

Of the vitrines, I was most attracted to Emanation, a nonrepresentative piece made of lead, plaster, and other metal. It looks like the surface of many of Kiefer's canvases, but it is hanging free in a glass case. You can walk around the back and see it from the canvas' point of view.

The climax of the show is a gallery with three Kiefer canvases, each about 12  feet square and all titled Auguste Rodin: Les Cathedrales de France. The towers they show aren't from cathedrals; Kiefer constructed them himself in France. However these works do literally contain material from a cathedral. Years ago, Kiefer purchased lead being removed from the roof of Cologne's cathedral, and he has used it in his works ever since.

Here, the lead seems to erupt across the surface of the works, encrusting Kiefer's dark earthen colors in a mysterious iridescence. These need to be seen closely, so that your eye and mind wander deep into the multilayered and sensuous though harsh dreamscape that Kiefer has put on canvas. Kiefer, who creates his own colors in a laboratory, has spoken of himself as an alchemist. This ties in with his interest in the medieval. And, like the alchemists, he works to transform lead. In his case, it is not into gold, but into canvases that feel full of dirt and spirit.

Of all the things in the exhibition, these unpeopled canvases have the least to do with Rodin, and the most to do with what Kiefer has been doing, wonderfully, for quite a long time. Kiefer's take on Rodin is intellectually stimulating. These final works are simply thrilling. I had to force myself to leave.

Kiefer Rodin

Through March 12 at the Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Hours: Wednesday-Monday 11 a.m-5p.m.

Admission: Adults $30; seniors (65+) $23; youth 13-18 and college students with ID, $5; children 12 and under, free.

Information: 215-278-7000 or www.barnesfoundation.org
German painter Anselm Kiefer is all smiles as he talks about his work before the opening of the Kiefer-Rodin exhibition at the Barnes Foundation. Read more

"He likes to fiddle," said Thom Collins, head of the Barnes Foundation. "We were in here yesterday, moving cases around. I was moving cases. I'm serious."

The renowned contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer acknowledged that his work is never really finished, even when it's finished. He will look at it and become dissatisfied to the extent that he will sometimes pour fiery hot lead on the surface.

Collins didn't have to contend with that. But he had a glimpse into a truth about Kiefer, whose work is a part of an exhibition opening Friday at the Barnes: In destruction comes creation.

Read Thomas Hine's review of the exhibition, which he says is both thrilling and stimulating.

"I am an iconoclast," Kiefer said, sitting on a small chair in the Barnes special-exhibition galleries beneath one of his monumental renderings inspired by Auguste Rodin, Auguste Rodin: The Cathedrals of France. The looming 12-foot-high canvas displays shadowy towers  towers built by Kiefer in his studio, not drawn from medieval France  with a sheet of poured lead down the center, seeming to hold the canvas together like the spine of a great prehistoric ichthyosaur.

"When I have a painting and I'm not satisfied, mostly I'm not satisfied, then I do something with it," Kiefer said. "I destroy it. I burn it or I put it outside in the snow. Or I pour lead on it, liquid lead, you know. It burns and glues at the same time. And partly I can reroll it and it takes part of the color [up] with it. I like this because it destroys the work. Good artists are iconoclasts."

Kiefer, who just received the J. Paul Getty Medal for contributions to the arts, along with Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, is in Philadelphia for the opening of an unusual special exhibition at the Barnes. "Kiefer Rodin," which has traveled from Paris, is co-curated by Sylvie Patry, consulting curator for the Barnes and chief curator at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris.

The genesis for the exhibition, which runs here through March 12, comes from the Musee Rodin in Paris and its director, Catherine Chevillot.

In 2013, Chevillot was looking for a graphic artist to work on a commemorative republication of Rodin's only book, Cathedrals of France, first published in 1914. She considered many artists, but no one seemed quite right. After a trip, she returned to Paris and was told that, in her absence, Kiefer had asked to spend a couple of days rummaging around the museum storage rooms, looking at Rodin casts.

"I thought, Kiefer, of course!" she said.

After considerable discussion, Kiefer's total approach to a project kicked in. He wanted to visit all the cathedrals Rodin visited. He did drawings. He had plans.

Chevillot finally said, "This is too big for a book; this is an exhibition."

The result is now at the Barnes, a 100-work exhibition that contains many works by Rodin never seen in this country, notably watercolors and plaster-cast fragments  testimony to the French sculptor's restless habit of cannibalizing works, an arm here, a finger there, a foot, a hand, a torso.

The exhibition makes the connection between the two artists clear, even though they are separated by a century, and Kiefer is, of course, German, well known for his contemplation of the moral failures of German history.

This is particularly true of his reputation in Philadelphia, where Kiefer had his breakthrough museum exhibition in 1988 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

That exhibition, which was put together by the Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago, thrust Kiefer's epic struggles with recent German history directly in front of viewers in the form of enormous canvases slathered with mud, lead, and paint, and built up with dirt and straw.

Those familiar with the 1988 exhibition will find four monumental canvases inspired by Rodin's exploration of French architecture in "Kiefer Rodin" that echo that style from the 1980s. But the Barnes exhibit also contains a number of enormous books filled with Kiefer's surprisingly delicate and sexually charged watercolors, counterpoints to Rodin's watercolors, here for the first time.

And Kiefer has created a number of vitrines, glass display cases in which he has deployed wizened brown plants, desiccated leaves, thick depths of dirt, sheets of poured lead, metallic double helixes, and casts made from Rodin's sculptural fragments.

"I have a connection with Rodin since I was 14 years old," Kiefer, now 72, said. "You know Rilke, no? He wrote the book about Rodin."

That book, first published by poet Rainer Maria Rilke in 1903, fascinated the young Kiefer.

"This was my first contact," he said. "You know the German and French culture were always very connected. The French adored the Germans, and the Germans adored French culture."

Looking out over the Barnes gallery with its fragments seemingly shored against the ruins, Kiefer felt quite at home.

"Rodin, he destroyed his work," Kiefer said. "He cut it and put it on another sculpture. He worked by changing all things. He combined parts of different sculptures. He was a collagist, as I am, too."

Many would argue that art-making embodies the most important human effort to hold off destruction, to ward off chaos.

Kiefer says, "Art, poetry, music is for me the only real thing, all others are useless. You are an illusion. This building is an illusion. Only the concentrated work of an artist is for me real."

It is here that the paradox of the artist destroying his own work becomes most complex. It is not destruction that Kiefer necessarily aims for. Rather, he seeks a more potent art, which is why nothing can ever be "finished."

"It's never finished," he said. "Never. Never. Never. Sometimes I have to sell something, and then it's finished, you know. I need to continue. But for me, nothing is finished. I have old paintings from the '60s in my containers. I have a lot of containers, you know. And sometimes I go through and I think, 'Oh! This tells me something.' And I continue."

Kiefer Rodin

Through March 12 at the Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Hours: Wednesday-Monday 11 a.m-5p.m.

Admission: Adults $30; seniors (65+) $28; youth 13-18 and college students with ID, $5; children 12 and under, free.

Information: 215-278-7000 or www.barnesfoundation.org
After a five-month search, Pennsylvania Ballet has found its next executive director in Switzerland. Shelly Power, 61, artistic director and CEO of the Prix de Lausanne dance competition, will take over Philadelphia's dance company and school full-time on Feb. 12, but is phasing in sooner.

"I like to build things, I like to develop things, whether it's programs or strategic planning, and implementing and organizing strategically the path ahead," she said.

Power knows a few dancers at Pennsylvania Ballet, "and I am very excited to reunite with them"  and to reunite with a working dance company and school. "There is so much inspiration that comes from being around dancers that are not only so talented but also so dedicated and passionate about what they do. It makes going to work every day fabulous. It's part of what I miss in my current position. I've been around a ballet school for my whole life, it's my family, and I really look forward to re-engaging in that atmosphere."

A former dancer, Power spent a dozen years as the administrative and artistic director of the Houston Ballet Academy. She took over the annual international dance competition in Lausanne in September 2016 but worked for the organization six months earlier in an unofficial capacity.

Born in Tulsa, Power lived there until age 5, and then moved to Southbridge, Mass. She studied at the schools of Boston Ballet and Houston Ballet, and graduated from the University of Houston with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies with specializations in psychology and business. She also studied non-profit management at Case Western University's Weatherhead School of Management.

In her first decade heading the Houston Ballet school, enrollment doubled to 600 year-round students, plus another 400 in summer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Power will come into a company that experienced high turnover in the dancer ranks after the arrival of artistic director Angel Corella, and is now contemplating how to finish a North Broad Street facility that opened several years ago with studios and offices, but not enough of either.

"I certainly think the priority is to look at the funding sources and the funding potential as we go forward looking at planning the building," she said. "I think there is going to be a period of time, it shouldn't be too long, to assess what that [the potential] is and then we can step into the next phase in a reasonable and responsible way."

Establishing an endowment in the long-term is important, she said. "We have the campaign to get the building built, but I think you have to do it all together as one [along with endowment] so the stability of the company has a foundation financially."

One of the reasons she would like to see the building on North Broad completed is to get the artistic and administrative sides of the company together.

"For me that's an absolute priority," she said. "When you walk around and hear the music and see the dancers, you are reminded of why you do what you do and work so hard. As a dancer, when you see the hard work the staff does to make it possible for you to be on stage, there is an appreciation. I think that is going to be a really important game-changer for Pennsylvania Ballet."
Sylvester Stallone has denied a report alleging that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in 1986 in Las Vegas.

A story in the Daily Mail cites a 1986 police report in which the unnamed teen alleged that Stallone, then 40, forced her into a threesome with his bodyguard Mike De Luca, who was 27 at the time. De Luca was killed by police during a traffic stop in 2013 in California.

"This is a ridiculous, categorically false story. No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone," the Rocky star's spokeswoman Michelle Bega said in a statement. "At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone regarding this matter."

The alleged assault occurred at the Las Vegas Hilton in July while Stallone was in the city filming the arm-wrestling drama Over the Top. According to the Daily Mail article, after meeting the actor, the teen told police she asked for his autograph, as well as a kiss on the cheek. Stallone allegedly told her he would give her a kiss she "would not forget."

The next day, the teen says, she returned to where Stallone had been filming and met with De Luca. The bodyguard allegedly asked her what she would do if Stallone made a pass at her, to which she replied, "I would probably make a pass back at him," which prompted De Luca to give her keys the actor's room, according to the article.

The teen told police she went to Stallone's room that night and met him and De Luca in the hallway. After entering the room, she alleges she and Stallone went to the bedroom and began having sex. Stallone then reportedly asked her whether she'd ever had sex with two men, and she said she hadn't. Stallone then brought De Luca into the room and allegedly forced the girl into a threesome without her consent, according to the article.

After the alleged assault, the teen claims Stallone told her he would "beat her head in" if she told anyone about it, the article said.

The teen told police that although she consented to sex with Stallone (the age of consent is 16 in Nevada), she did not agree to have sex with De Luca but believed she had no choice in the situation. She did not press charges, telling police she was scared and humiliated, and she signed a "no prosecution" form, the Daily Mail reported.

According to TMZ, police and prosecutors sometimes pursue sexual-assault cases without the alleged victim's cooperation if a minor is involved. However, Las Vegas police told the website they were unable to proceed with an investigation at the time because the teen refused to cooperate and move forward with charges.

Stallone is slated to direct Creed II, the follow-up to 2015's Rocky sequel Creed, starting next year.
Growing up in Bermuda, Mark "Metal" Wong had no idea what hip-hop was until MTV came to the island in 2001 when he was 18. When he turned on the television one day, a music video featuring b-boys came on. Wong was mesmerized.

"I had no idea what it was," he said. "I just knew that whatever these guys were doing, like rolling on the ground, I wanted to do that."

In 2001, Wong moved to the Philadelphia area to attend Haverford College. On the weekends, he traveled into the city to explore Philly's underground dance scene. It was then that he began to take dancing more seriously, inspired by all the talent he saw.

"The dance scene here is an underground network of superheroes that no one knows about," he said. "There are people who are working regular minimum-wage jobs, corporate jobs, in college, who will scrounge up space in dance studios and hallways just to practice."

After Wong graduated, he continued b-boying  an acrobatic style of street dance that combines footwork and tumbling  traveling extensively for battles before cofounding Hip Hop Fundamentals, an education company that blends hip-hop with youth empowerment and academic content, in 2010. When Hip Hop Fundamentals was in residency at the Asian Arts Initiative in 2015, an arts center in the Chinatown North neighborhood, Wong met documentarian Aidan Un. At the time, Wong was working on a piece of choreography called "Street Pearls," a dynamic exploration of identity that combines techniques from Chinese and Japanese theater with breaking.

B-boying took off in the 1970s among African American and Latin American youth in the South Bronx. Street corner DJs would often loop dance records, creating rhythmic bass perfect for improvisation. The earliest b-boys and b-girls drew elements from gymnastics, disco, and capoeira, a Brazilian martial art, for their moves. In the 1980s, American soldiers brought b-boying and hip-hop culture to South Korea, where it took off. This style of dance also spread within the Asian American community when Filipino American students introduced it in a culture show at UC Irvine, sparking the creation of many urban dance groups at other universities in the area. B-boying is now a global phenomenon.

Un, who is a hip-hop fan, immediately connected with Wong's artistic vision, and before long, a documentary, The Street Pearls Mixtape, about Wong's performance piece, was in the making. It will be shown Friday, one of four short films on a program at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, accompanied by a freestyle performance by Wong and his crew.

"As a filmmaker, it was amazing to find such a complete world as it lives and breathes in the city of Philadelphia here, with its legends and history and drama," Un said. "It was exciting to find this whole world that has been here all this time."

When Wong's grandmother immigrated to Bermuda, she didn't fit into the existing racial categories  black and white. Despite growing up surrounded by a "sense of Asianness," it wasn't until other people started telling Wong that he was Chinese or Asian that he realized he was different. Gradually, he became interested in Asian "exports," such as anime and kung fu, in his search for identity.

"There are still people who find power and identity through those things, even when they're put through a weird Westernized filter," Wong said. "It's actually a great metaphor for breaking in general as an art form, because breaking takes movements from all different aspects of life."

It was that philosophy that inspired Wong to borrow elements from Chinese and Japanese theater for "Street Pearls." He incorporated masks into the performance to convey the inner turmoil his crew experienced when they were bullied, insecure, or ostracized for being different. He even choreographed a solo piece influenced by butoh, a Japanese dance of "utter darkness." While Wong found his identity through hip-hop, he said he hoped The Street Pearls Mixtape would spark larger conversations about how identity is formed through all kinds of media. He also wanted people to see the positive influence Philly's underground dance scene had on the lives of young people, and the hard work they put into perfecting their moves.

"B-boying is a culture, not a series of fancy movements," Un said. "It's a lens that you can use to look at the world, art form and philosophy. I wanted to try and reinstate a fuller picture of what hip-hop culture looks like in 2017 in Philadelphia. It's alive and breathing in the city."

4 Pillars Shorts + Year of the Ox Live November 17
Meek Mill may be in prison for violating his probation, but he's also everywhere you look.

The Philadelphia street rapper's image is all over the streets of Philadelphia, on billboards and newsstands, and on wrappings around SEPTA buses, along with messages asking people to "Stand With Meek Mill" and hashtags seeking that the 30-year-old rapper, who's currently at Camp Hill State Correctional Institution doing two to four years, be released.

Who's paying for all billboards and wrapped buses? Credit is given in the fine print in a driver's sight on I-95 and the Vine Street Expressway: "Paid for by Michael Rubin, Roc Nation & Friends."

Roc Nation is the management company owned by Jay-Z, which counts Mill, who appeared with the headlining superstar at this summer's Made in America festival on the Ben Franklin Parkway, as one of its premier clients.

Rubin is the Philadelphia entrepreneur whose Conshohocken holding company owns Fanatics, the online retailer that sells pro and college sports gear and who also is a minority ownership partner in the 76ers.

Speaking from New York on Wednesday night, the Lafayette Hill native said the billboards have gone up "to create awareness so we can get this solved. I believe this will quickly rectify itself."

With the public campaign in support of Mill, "there are now millions of people watching this," Rubin said.

He wasn't sure how many billboards were on view  the final tally is six billboards, three bus ads and 18 bus shelters and/or newsstands, according to a Stand With Meek Mill spokesperson  and wouldn't reveal how much money he's spent on Mill's cause. But he spoke as if it was no object.

"If we need one on every corner in every street in the state of Pennsylvania," he said. "we will do it. We won't quit."

The billionaire says both his and Jay-Z's support of Mill is "unwavering." Roc Nation did not respond to requests for comment.

The effort was born last week, after Common Pleas Court Judge Genece E. Brinkley sentenced the rapper to two to four years in state prison for probation violations related to a 2008 weapons and drug charge. The perceived harshness of that sentence has provoked outrage among Mill's supporters: On Monday evening, a Free Meek Mill rally was held outside the Criminal Justice Center, with advocates including 76ers great Julius Erving, Eagles players Malcolm Jenkins and Jalen Mills, and hip-hop mahoff and Maybach Music boss Rick Ross showing their support.

The next day, Meek signage showed up around town: A photo of the 30-year-old rapper with hands held together as if in prayer looking skyward and the all caps message "STAND WITH MEEK MILL," along with the hashtags #Justice4Meek and #FreeMeekMill. The ads also direct fans to a Change.org petition imploring the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons "to close review Meek's application for Pardon and have his unjust prison sentence remedied." As of Thursday morning, over 373,000 had signed.

The main objective of the campaign is "to get Meek out of jail as quickly as possible, to make sure he doesn't spend a minute more in prison than he has to," said a spokesperson for the Stand With Meek Mill campaign. "The second goal is to use his platform to make people aware of the sentencing guidelines and the parole issues that effect lots of people."

Rubin called Mill is a close friend who has "been over my house dozens of times. I think he's a great guy who's making very positive contributions to our world. I'm a big believer in him and I'm sure of it."

He called the rapper "a uniter, not a divider."

"If he did anything that I thought was remotely wrong, I would never stand behind him," Rubin said.

He spoke on Mill's behalf during last week's hearing, and believes a miscarriage of justice occurred when the judge sentenced Mill despite recommendations against prison time by the rapper's probation officer and the District Attorney's Office.

Mill's predicament is uniquely unjust, Rubin said, because of the recommendations against jail time. "If you talked to a thousand people in the legal community," he claimed, "a thousand out of a thousand would say he shouldn't be in jail."

Rubin said he had talked to Mill once since he's been in prison.

"His head is up," Rubin said. "He believes that this is a good world, and he's a good person who got caught up with one bad judge. He's got a good head on his shoulders."
The highly contorted congressional districts in Southeastern Pennsylvania have been called some of the most gerrymandered in the country. Read more

Pennsylvania's top two state Republican lawmakers evidently weren't on the same page.

Days after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court fast-tracked a state lawsuit challenging the congressional map as an unconstitutional gerrymander designed to favor Republicans, ordering Commonwealth Court to decide it by the end of the year, State Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati moved the case to federal court.

He argued that since a special election has been scheduled to fill the Pittsburgh-area seat left vacant by former Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, a state court decision would interfere with a federal election.

But on Thursday, just two days later, Scarnati's attorneys backtracked, asking to return the case to state court less than an hour before a scheduled hearing.

What happened? House Speaker Mike Turzai, a co-defendant in the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania lawsuit, disagreed with Scarnati's action, according to Scarnati's lawyers. Thursday afternoon, they said, they learned from Turzai's attorneys that he now disagrees with moving the case to federal court.

Before Tuesday, Scarnati "understood" from Turzai's counsel that the House speaker "consented" to the move, Scarnati's lawyers wrote in their filing Thursday. "This afternoon, we have been advised from counsel that defendant Turzai does not now consent."

Scarnati attorney Matthew H. Haverstick apologized in court Thursday to Judge Michael M. Baylson and to the plaintiff's lawyers, some of whom had traveled from Washington, D.C. for the hearing. "The motion was filed in good faith," Haverstick said, adding, "We were apprised of what we consider a change in position from Speaker Turzai."

Turzai took exception to that framing. House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin said Thursday that Turzai had at no point changed his mind. The speaker, Miskin said, "did not consent nor ever consented to the action filed."

Late Thursday, attorney Brian S. Paszamant said Turzai's legal team had directly told Scarnati's that the House speaker had consented. Shortly before Thursday's hearing, Paszamant said, Turzai's lawyers emailed Scarnati's lawyers and said Turzai did not consent.

In the brief hearing in the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, Judge Michael M. Baylson agreed to send the case back to the state Supreme Court.

R. Stanton Jones, a Washington, D.C., lawyer on the legal team representing the Democratic voters bringing the lawsuit, said he believed the move to federal court "was designed solely for delaying" the state lawsuit.

"They want to try to block the Dec. 11 trial," he told reporters after the hearing.

Jones and the other lawyers, including the Philadelphia-based Public Interest Law Center, are hoping the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will strike down the current congressional map before the 2018 midterm elections. Jones said he believed the ultimate goal of Scarnati's lawyers "is to prevent, by any means necessary, a new map being put in place" before the elections.

This week's actions did affect the case for a day: A hearing in the case originally scheduled for Thursday at the state level was canceled. But with the case returned to the state court level, the hearing was quickly rescheduled for Friday.

The trial remains scheduled to begin Dec. 11.
An unidentified woman photographs a copy of Rodins The Kiss at the Rodin Museum. The museum unveiled a new exhibition around the theme of passionate embrace early in 2017. DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer Read more

A ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of Auguste Rodin, the French artist who gave birth to modernist sculpture, will take place at the Rodin Museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 9:15 a.m. Friday, the exact day of the artist's death in 1917 at 77.

The museum, which opened in 1929, is filled almost exclusively with the collection of movie mogul Jules E. Mastbaum, who died in 1926  a devout Rodin enthusiast who gave the roughly 140 pieces in his collection to the city.

Rodin's famous freestanding The Thinker (1902) greets visitors as they approach the small beaux-arts museum designed by Paul Cret and Jacque Greber.

Other well-known works, such as The Burghers of Calais (1889) and The Monument to Balzac (1891), are featured in the collection, the largest gathering of Rodins outside France. The monumental sculptural group The Gates of Hell, which Rodin began in 1880 and reworked and expanded for the rest of his life, rises on the building's Parkway facade.

Currently on view inside is an exhibition organized around Rodin's intense sculpture The Kiss (1889). The exhibition, which opened in February, commemorates the centennial of the artist's death, now being observed by museums around the world.

In addition, the Rodin museum has received a loan from the Cantor Foundation of The Waltz (1888-1895), by sculptor Camille Claudel, an important artist largely known as Rodin's passionate lover; in recent decades, her artistic reputation has risen sharply.

Another new Rodin loan, a bust of Napoleon  Napoleon enveloppe dans ses reves, or Napoleon wrapped in his dreams  has been installed in the main museum building. The bust was recently discovered in the city council chambers of Madison, N.J. where it had resided for 75 years in complete anonymity until a Drew University graduate student unmasked it.

The Hartley Dodge Memorial, steward of the historic Madison building, has lent the bust to the art museum. It arrived in the last few weeks and now resides in Gallery 155 with Rodin's John the Baptist Preaching and Helmet-Maker's Wife.

Friday's ceremony will be attended by Michael Scullin, honorary French consul; officials from the Cantor Foundation and the Hartley Dodge Memorial; as well as Gail Harrity, Art Museum president and chief operating officer; and other museum curators and officials.

Remarks will be made. Rodin will be honored with a moment of silence.
Marjorie Henderson Buell, with a Little Lulu doll, posing in 1939 for the Philadelphia Record. Read more

Comics and cartoons have played a pivotal role in shaping culture and influencing public opinion, and Philadelphia's foundational role in the history of U.S. cartooning is beyond dispute. Some academics credit Benjamin Franklin for the very first print political cartoon: the iconic "Join or Die" snake that first appeared in the May 9, 1754, issue of Franklin's Philly-based Pennsylvania Gazette.

Another Philadelphia cartoonist  born 150 years after the debut of Franklin's cartoon  spent her life breaking barriers in the male-dominated U.S. cartooning industry, demonstrating women's equal capacity for crafting engaging comics.

Marjorie Henderson Buell (best known by her pen name, "Marge") was born in Philadelphia in 1904. Marge broke ground as the first widely acclaimed female cartoonist while maintaining creative oversight of her work. In an industry filled with external influences and pressures, this was no small task, and her autonomy facilitated the creation of a business empire through which she profited immensely.

Both Marge's artistic acumen and entrepreneurial spirit emerged early in her life. She began drawing original cartoons in her early teens. As a schoolgirl, she sold individually crafted paper dolls as well as Christmas cards. Her entry into publishing came early when the Philadelphia Ledger printed one of her cartoons in 1920. She was 16.

Eschewing higher education for a career as a cartoonist right after high school, Marge achieved enormous commercial success throughout her 20s. Audiences loved her brand of humor, enjoying her single-panel cartoons, which appeared regularly in publications such as Collier's, Life, and the Saturday Evening Post.

Her first syndicated strip, The Boy Friend, debuted in 1925 and ran for two years. The most high-profile and long-lasting creation of her career, however, emerged 10 years later. Little Lulu first graced the pages of the Saturday Evening Post on Feb. 23, 1935 (six years before Wonder Woman made her first appearance defeating evil-doers alongside her fictional male counterparts).

Replacing Carl Anderson's recurring character Henry in the Post, Little Lulu attracted legions of fans as the magazine's most recognizable cartoon. Lulu's embodiment of children's logic manifesting in absurd scenarios captured the humorous potential of syndicated comic strips.

After a nine-year run publishing Little Lulu in the Post, Marge took her character on to even greater fame in 1944. Lulu appeared in her own comic books and in films produced by Paramount. She also became the face of major marketing campaigns, most notably for the Kleenex brand.

Marge had mostly given up drawing Lulu by 1947, with art duties for the comic series taken up by the talented John Stanley. She retained creative control for decades, however, earning a fortune from the character's frequent depiction in television shows and in merchandising.

In the early 1970s, Marge retired, selling the rights to Little Lulu to Western Publishing. Having lived for much of her professional life in Malvern, Marge eventually moved to Ohio with her family, where she passed away in 1993 from lymphoma.

Patrick Glennon is a communications officer at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. pglennon@hsp.org

On May 17, HSP will honor historian Jill Lepore of Harvard University with the Founder's award. The society will recognize Lepore's enormous contribution to the history of women's rights with her book "The Secret History of Wonder Woman," which positions the groundbreaking comic superhero within the larger historical context of gender relations in U.S. society. The Founder's award, begun for HSP's 175th anniversary celebration, recognizes individuals for exemplary work that enriches the historical record and advocates for the utility of historical pursuits.
Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore at a campaign rally in Fairhope, Ala., in September. Read more

It's funny how you can spend your whole life thinking you're an expert in something and then  bam!  find out you're wrong.

For example, I'm a Catholic, born and bred. I can recite most prayers backward, forward, and in Latin, but I had no idea until this past week that the Virgin Mary met St. Joseph in a mall in Nazareth and they started dating while she was still a teenager. You never got those details in the Bible, but fortunately for me, some helpful fellow from Alabama filled in the blank parts of the Nativity tale. I'm awfully glad about that, since we are entering the Christmas season and I'd hate to spend another year believing the narrative of St. Luke, who clearly didn't do his research. (Fake news!)

According to Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler, an ardent Roy Moore supporter, "Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter  They became the parents of Jesus." Ziegler made these comments after noting that Moore, GOP candidate for the Senate, hung out with teenagers as a 32-year-old district attorney in Etowah County, Ala., many years ago. I almost expected Ziegler to suggest that all four of them double-dated way back when.

I suppose we can't blame Moore for every crackpot who comes out in support of his candidacy. I honestly believe that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump privately cringed when they saw the type of extremists who stumped for them. (And a plague on both their houses, because the only thing Hil and Don had in common was the fact that they both brought out the worst in their supporters.)

The fact remains that an elected official who embraces Moore compared his hound dog hero to one of the most revered saints in the Catholic canon in an attempt to justify his predilection for young girls. It's laughable, offensive, anti-Catholic, and also inaccurate, since, as every parochial school child knows, Jesus was the "Virgin Birth." This is well-known to anyone who's actually read the Bible and understands the big words.

If the tone of this column sounds flippant, I apologize. I must try and bring some levity to this subject so I don't have a stroke.

Moore allegedly trolled for girls who smelled like Clearasil and Love's Lemon Fresh, while he himself was much older. I'll reserve judgment on whether he actually assaulted any of the women, because he hasn't admitted it and I won't assume criminal behavior without solid proof. Nonetheless, he has all but said that he liked them young. That's OK if you are 25 and she is 19, or if you are 55 and she is 30, but it is not OK if you are a district attorney and your love interest has a curfew.

He owned a home on which he did work. She had homework.

He earned a salary. She got an allowance.

He filed taxes. She filed her nails.

Ew.

I know that many conservatives are angry that the focus is on one of our own, when there are so many liberal men who have played fast and loose with their libidos since before Mary and Joseph went on that first date. I agree. I also agree that the timing is highly suspect. Moore has been in the public eye for years, but the media is only now noticing his indiscretions. They take great joy in destroying public figures on the right while generally yawning at the immorality on the left. The Harvey Weinstein explosion is the exception that proves the rule, and it's a very troubling exception because it has led to a witch hunt of sorts.

Despite what his supporters think, Moore is not a victim. He's a man who had an unhealthy attraction to teenagers, and while that might not be illegal  unless he acted on that attraction  it's definitely a character flaw.

I know I'll get some blowback from men who dated younger women, and women who married older men. But as someone who has handled asylum cases from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, where young girls have been traded as economic currency by their families to much older men, I don't give a damn.

I've railed against other cultures that think it's fine when old geezers turn their wizened eyes to sweet young things. I called out Gov. Christie on national TV when Beach Boy vetoed a bill that would ban child marriage in New Jersey.

I won't let Moore's people normalize the abnormal, especially when they trash talk a Nazarene teen.
Philly's higher-ups recently have been trying their hardest to get the attention of Amazon in order to have the company build its enormous new offices in the city. But if they haven't gotten the attention of the online shopping behemoth yet, at least their attempts are worth a little satire.

The Onion today pokes fun at Philly's push to be the home of Amazon's HQ2 in an article titled "Confident Philadelphia Officials Preemptively Raze Center City to Make Room For Amazon Headquarters." In it, Philly officials have decided to knock down two square miles of Center City and relocate 57,000 Philadelphians in order to accommodate Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' e-commerce empire, all without a guarantee that the company is even coming here.

The Onion's version of Mayor Jim Kenney, of course, was gung-ho on the decision, calling it "an easy call" to demolish Center City:

"After taking a look at the competition and figuring we probably have this thing in the bag, we just went ahead and tore down Center City so Amazon can move right in," said Mayor Jim Kenney, noting that destroying Philadelphia's central business district was "an easy call" and that he was proud of the city's campaign to woo the company with promotional videos, full-page newspaper ads, and endorsements from state politicians and local celebrities. "We look forward to all the jobs and economic benefits that will be coming our way once Amazon decides to call what used to be Center City home."

In addition to losing landmarks like LOVE Park and City Hall, plus neighborhoods including Society Hill and Penn's Landing, the piece also has Kenney's office displacing 100,000 Philadelphia residents around the city in advance of Amazon's supposed arrival. The company's employees, after all, need somewhere to stay.

"We're willing to do whatever it takes to ensure Amazon chooses Philadelphia, whether that requires tax incentives, infrastructure upgrades, or filling the Schuylkill with concrete to create more parking," The Onion's version of Kenney concludes in the piece. "I'm sure it's just a matter of time until it's all official."

However, as the piece makes clear, Philly loses out on the headquarters, making all that destruction and work for nothing.

Funny, yes, but also maybe a little too real. Philadelphia officials have been going after Amazon intensely, going so far as to launch an $85,000 ad campaign centering on bus wraps in Seattle, where the company is currently headquartered. According to CBS, Philadelphia has spent around $250,000 courting Amazon, all told.

And, according to the Wall Street Journal, Philly isn't a top contender for the Amazon's new headquarters among the 238 cities that submitted bids. That publication's number one city? Dallas.

We also, however, aren't the only city to try a unique promotion to get Amazon's attention. Tucson, Ariz., for example, attempted to mail the company a 21-foot-tall Saguaro cactus, while Birmingham, Ala. installed giant Amazon boxes in its downtown. Stonecrest, Ga., meanwhile, offered to rename a section of its town after the company, and New York City lit the Empire State Building with orange lights in honor of Amazon.

"We wanted to stay on the right side of eager," Mayor Kenney's communications director Lauren Hitt told the Inquirer of Philly's Seattle campaign last month. "We don't want to come off like a lovesick teenager."
My old mule Tita clopped straight up to the edge of the first switchback. One more step and we'd tumble down a sheer cliff, falling almost 1,600 feet to the sea. But mules are smart, and, at the last instant, she swiveled 120 degrees onto the next leg of the pali trail, a rugged path that zigzags down 26 switchbacks to the historic leper colony of Kalaupapa.

The isolated site is the No. 1 tourist destination on the untouristy Hawaiian island of Molokai.

I felt a little queasy on that first switchback, leaning back in the saddle, bracing in my stirrups against the pitch, thinking, "Whoa, that's a long way down." Luckily, bushes blocked some of the most vertigo-inducing views, and I had a mule skinner behind me strumming his ukulele and singing in that sweet Hawaiian male soprano that calms the rawest of nerves.

I gave in to the music, the moment, and the instincts of my sure-footed mount.

She was an ornery mule. "Tita" is Hawaiian for "sister," and this old sister had attitude, stopping willy-nilly, tailgating shamelessly, and working the scary outside edge of the trail, even on hairpins. But I knew she knew her stuff. So, after that first turn, I put my reins around the saddle horn  guides call this "autopilot"  and let Tita make the calls as we plodded downhill in jerks and jolts.

The thumblike promontory taking shape below us  formed of flowing lava, hammered by rough seas and swept by trade winds  became the site of Hawaii's famed leper colony that was started in the 1860s, almost eight decades before an antibiotic treatment was found to arrest the disease. It was a perfect place for banishment, segregated from the rest of the island by some of the tallest sea cliffs in the world.

Over the years, more than 8,000 exiles died there, many disfigured, crippled, and blinded by the sickness now commonly called Hansen's disease. At its peak, the settlement had more than 1,200 residents: men, women, and children. Today, only a handful remain, all in their late 70s to 90s, along with the dozens of federal and state workers who manage what is now designated Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

Only 100 outside visitors are allowed into the park each day. They must have permits and cannot talk to the former patients, take their photos, or enter their properties. No one under 16 is allowed.

Visitors to Kalaupapa arrive by one of three ways: They take a small plane, ride the mules, or hike the pali (cliff) trail, an arduous trek for the very fit. The three-plus-mile trail is slippery in rainy conditions, subject to rockfalls and landslides, and narrows to a few feet in some spots. National Park Service workers occasionally pluck exhausted or injured hikers off the trail, calling for mule rescue or rolling the afflicted down the hill on a special wheeled gurney to be flown to outside islands for medical care.

Mule trips pose their own risks. Riders can fall, or  if they shriek, freak, or try to micromanage these heavily muscled, independent animals  can be pitched off. Which is why operators at the long-standing Kalaupapa Mule Ride take tourists' insurance information, require them to sign waivers, and stick to hard rules. It's OK if you don't have equestrian experience  guides will explain what to do  but you can't weigh more than 250 pounds or be pregnant, and you must be in good health.

I would add one more caveat: If you can't trust an animal, don't go.

All three ways of getting to Kalaupapa are expensive, requiring permits and prearranged tours on-site. The total for my mule trip, with taxes and fees, was $230. It was pricey, but I had to go. Locals had told me Kalaupapa was a "must-do," a sacred place with a special feel. Every time I pressed for details, there were no more words. "Go. You'll see for yourself. You'll know."

To prepare, I read interviews with longtime residents in the book The Separating Sickness. They told tales of being tracked down at home by bounty hunters who got $10 for each suspected leprosy victim reported to the Board of Health. As young children, many were yanked from school, screened, and quickly sent to Kalaupapa, still crying for their mothers.

Many subjects told how they were shunned by old friends and relatives after being diagnosed and sent off to Kalaupapa: "My family rejected me. They were sad and disappointed in me for getting this sickness." But there were also spouses and family members who demanded to go with their loved ones, regardless of risk. These were the kokua, the helpers.

I also read up on Father Damien, canonized as a saint in 2009 for his work at the colony. The hearty, handy 33-year-old Catholic priest came to the promontory's first settlement in 1873, determined to improve the lives of the sick and save their souls for Christ, constructing for them sturdy buildings and, sometimes daily, helping build their coffins and dig their graves.

Only a small percentage of humans are susceptible to the disease, but Damien was one of them. He died in 1889, nearly blind and covered in the festering lesions that had so repelled him when he arrived. Don't touch the patients, he'd been told.

Within months, he was eating from the same bowls with them, sharing pipes, dressing their ulcerating sores, and holding communion wafers to their tongues.

I thought about all these stories as our 11-mule train neared trail bottom. My thighs were burning and my knees were stiff and numb as I dismounted, took in the dreamy sandy-white beach beside me, and looked up, stunned by the intimidating green cliff we'd just come down  and would be going back up. "Your joints get a workout on the way down the trail. Can you guess what's going to get a workout on the way up?" asked our tour guide, Norman Soares. He wore a T-shirt with the image of an open Bible and the words "When all else fails . . . read the instructions."

Before boarding the tour bus, I asked Soares about a restriction that puzzled me. Why no one under 16? His sunny face turned somber as he explained how infants born in the colony were taken away from parents immediately after birth for fear of contagion. Residents also grieved for children they'd left behind when they were first forced into quarantine. They needed no reminders. "Some patients are still dealing with that brokenness," Soares said.

He took us to the village's little bookstore, stocked with volumes on Kalaupapa and religious souvenirs of Father Damien and Mother Marianne Cope, also sainted for her work helping the afflicted in the early decades.

We traveled east across the peninsula to Kalawao, site of the initial leper settlement. Soares pointed to a cone-shaped island offshore and described how early sea captains with boatloads of new patients would anchor there, sometimes telling already frightened passengers to jump overboard and swim for shore in rough seas.

Our last stop was St. Philomena Church, which Father Damien expanded twice to accommodate his growing flock. In front of pews, I saw the floor holes that the priest had cut. Our guide told us how patients with excessive drool would roll up big leaves into a funnel, put the narrow end into the holes, and, often through deformed lips, spit through to the ground as they listened to scripture.

In the church graveyard, the priest's admirers had festooned his fenced plot with leis and necklaces of shell and bead. I looked across the other graves in the cemetery and up, past them, to the towering cliffs knifing down into the sea, some of the peaks 3,000 feet high, furrowed with lush ravines and waterfalls. I thought about how, so visibly walled off from the world, homesick, ill, often shunned and forgotten, these exiles and thousands more buried on Kalaupapa made a life for themselves, creating a community that bonded together, celebrated together, married, buried, and mourned together. "In Kalaupapa," said one resident interviewed in The Separating Sickness, "we are all in the same boat; we help one another."

The mule ride up seemed easier on us, harder on the mules. Tita's sides were heaving halfway up. I could feel her heavy heartbeat through my thighs. And our Kalaupapa tour guide was right. My bottom was seriously saddle sore by the time we reached topside Molokai.

I took my tired body to a masseur the next day, and he used some swift Hawaiian Lomi-Lomi moves to "pull up the bad energy from the sore spots and whoosh it away." As he whooshed, I thought about another kind of ache, the one I'd experienced the day before in Kalaupapa.

It was a strange sensation: a burning of heart, a tug of throat. I realized that it was that special feeling locals had described  a spell cast by a place of so much sorrow, so much compassion, so much courage and such staggering beauty. "Go," said the locals. "You'll see for yourself. You'll know."

I had. I knew.

Where to stay

Hotel Molokai

1300 Kamehameha V Hwy., Kaunakakai

808-553-5347

hotelmolokai.com

Modeled after a traditional Polynesian village, the island's main hotel is close to Molokai's small downtown in Kaunakakai. Rates are generally $169-$259.

Where to eat

Kualapuu Cookhouse

102 Farrington Ave., Kualapuu

808-567-9655

bit.ly/KualapuuCookhouse

A locals' favorite, with yummy casual Hawaiian plates such as teriyaki, stir-fry, lemon chicken, grilled mahi mahi, ribs, and stuffed shrimp. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner most days. Breakfast plates $2-$18, lunch $5-17 and dinner $5-$37. As for the service, "If you're in a hurry, you're on the wrong island," the menu says. Cash only.

Kanemitsu's Bakery & Coffee Shop

79 Ala Malama St., Kaunakakai

808-553-5855

bit.ly/KanemitsusBakery

A popular island hangout with fresh-baked breads and pastries. Around 7:30 p.m. most weeknights and 7 p.m. weekends, locals head down a small adjoining lane to the bakery's back door to buy hot loaves of bread ($8-$10.25) filled with strawberry, cinnamon, blueberry, cream cheese, and butter flavorings. They are traditionally eaten in one sitting.

What to do

Kalaupapa National Historical Park and guided mule tour

Highway 470, Mile Marker 5, Kualapuu

808-567-6088

muleride.com

Make mule-trip reservations well in advance and call close to your expedition: Trips are subject to weather and other conditions affecting trail safety. Cost is $230 per person, including taxes and fees. Fee includes a sandwich lunch, a guided bus tour with Kekaula Tours, and permits. If you plan to hike, you can also book that through the mule operators. Cost of hike, with permit, sack lunch, and guided bus tour is $87, with taxes and fees, and you must be 16 or older. Make sure you're in shape for a steep, rugged, six-plus-mile round-trip trek. Take plenty of water and snacks.

Damien Tours

Box 6, Kalaupapa National Historical Park

808-567-6171

damientoursllc.com

Hikers and fly-ins can book directly with Damien Tours for an immersive tour of Kalaupapa operated by patient-residents inside the village. Cost of the permit and guided van tour is $60, and you must be 16 or older. Bring your own lunch. Cash or check only.

Palaau State Park

Highway 47, Ho'olehua

808-984-8109

bit.ly/PalaauStatePark

If you don't want to hike, fly, or ride the mules into Kalaupapa, you can take this quick stroll on a handicap-accessible path to an overlook. You'll gaze down some 1,600 feet onto the promontory selected to be a leper colony in the 1860s. Best to go on a clear day. Nearby, across the parking lot, is the short trail to Molokai's famous Phallic Rock.

Molokai Museum and Cultural Center

1795 Kalae Hwy, Ho'olehua

808-567-6436

The small museum has a fine collection of photos of the Kalaupapa settlement and its residents over the years. There is also a nicely restored pioneer sugar mill. The gift shop has interesting local items. Entry is $5. Open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Information: nps.gov/kala/planyourvisit
Miguel Zamora stands a cross for the victims of the Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church shooting at a makeshift memorial, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Read more

As a constable, Council Nedd II carries a gun while serving warrants on lawbreakers in central Pennsylvania. As an Anglican bishop and rector of a church of 50 congregants in Centre County, he has always left his firearm at home on Sundays, trusting in the safety of a house of worship.

That was before names such as Sutherland Springs, Charleston, Fresno, and Quebec became shorthand for carnage in sacred spaces.

Now, he and his fellow clergy are being forced to confront the reality that a church's traditional open door may need to be bolted and manned by armed security guards. In Nedd's case, the minister himself will be packing in the pulpit.

"I carry a gun wherever I go for personal protection and as a law enforcement officer, but I had this visceral sort of feeling that you shouldn't carry a gun in church," said Nedd, pastor of St. Alban's Anglican Church in Pine Grove Mills, and a conservative TV and radio commentator. "But in light of recent events, my obligation to protect my flock extends to the church facility."

Under-vestment holsters aren't likely to become de rigueur anytime soon, but the recent spate of violence has so shaken religious leaders that they are hiring security officers, developing and updating emergency preparedness plans, distributing security resource guides to members, and attending classes on how to respond if the unthinkable  or what used to be the unthinkable  happens.

Last Sunday, about 150 pastors and lay leaders turned out at Downingtown United Methodist Church for an information session led by a pastor trained in civilian response for active-shooter incidents.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia hired its first-ever director of security in June, a former special agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who will be available to help synagogues prepare for emergencies. In December, a newly formed security committee will convene.

Former Police Officer Brandon Rhone, a national trainer in the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) defense program, taught a two-day class that included clergy and church security officers at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Campus.

Burlington Township police will hold a session on active-shooter incidents  how to prevent them, how to respond when they happen  this month at Faith Deliverance Worship Center in Burlington.

The Philadelphia Police Department is preparing regional meetings where faith-based organizations can get guidance from Detective Joe Rovnan of Counterterrorism Operations.

Many church leaders are realizing that they don't have any emergency preparedness strategies in place  not for fires, severe weather, or even for missing children, said Ron Aguiar, a retired police officer and church safety director from Louisville, Ky., and author of Keeping Your Church Safe.

For years, synagogues and mosques "have had security officers and plans based on their history and culture and what's happening across the world," he said, but churches have not been similarly motivated until recently.

The shooting deaths of 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas prompted the First Presbyterian Church at 21st and Walnut Streets to review its emergency preparedness procedures. So far, incidents there have been limited to medical emergencies and disruptive  but not threatening  behavior of people who wander in off the streets.

The Rev. Jesse Garner, who said he recently received an email solicitation to buy a bulletproof vest, stops short of considering armed security. That, he said, is a job for police, who are nearby in Center City and able to respond quickly should violence erupt. "I think it would be a terrible thing for churches to arm themselves," he said. "That's just not the business we are in."

It is indeed a struggle to let go of the long-held conviction that sanctuaries are safe havens, said Frank Riehl, the Jewish Federation's new security director. In its place is the dispiriting acceptance that they are soft targets.

Rovnan, of the Philadelphia police, warns that 69 percent of active shooter cases are over in five minutes, and "as fast as you think police can respond, you never know."

Aguiar, who runs the Oasis Safety consulting firm, advises collaborating with local law enforcement to hire off-duty officers because they are highly trained, licensed to carry weapons, and have the authority to make arrests.

Church Mutual Insurance Co., which specializes in religious institutions, recommends a first line of defense that includes locked doors, buzzer entrances, security cameras, maintaining a daily account of facility keys, and training ushers to be acute observers of everyone who enters the church.

"A handshake can tell a lot," said Cheryl Kryshak, vice president of risk control for the insurance firm.

Many congregations, said Nedd, the Anglican bishop, may not be able to afford elaborate protections. So they stop after marking off a few boxes on a security checklist, instead of considering broad plans that address such threats such as vandalism, assault, embezzlement and natural disasters, said Jim McGuffey, chair of the House of Worship committee for ASIS International, an organization of security professionals.

Sometimes, congregants take security into their own hands, unbeknownst to the pastor.

At last week's security meeting at Downingtown United Methodist Church, the Rev. Charles Cole, pastor of the church, learned that at least one member is regularly armed on Sundays.

"I have hunters and NRA members who have no problems with that," Cole said. "It's one of the difficult parts of ministry. You don't just serve people who think like you do."

Cole worries about the potential for bystanders getting shot in ensuing chaos, and police responding to an incident in which they cannot distinguish the good guy with a gun from the bad guy with a gun. The congregation, he said, will now have to consider rules and regulations regarding firearms on church grounds.

Because houses of worship are private property, the leadership can usually determine weapons policies.

"Some post signs that say 'no guns on church property,' or 'you don't need to be armed to pray,'" said Shira Goodman, executive director of CeaseFire PA, an anti-gun-violence group. "Some might feel safer if they know some of their members are carrying."

At Main Line Reform Temple in Wynnewood, the security plan includes methods that are both "seen and unseen," said Rabbi David Straus. The synagogue employs private plainclothes security and partners with local police. It has even redesigned its facility, which includes a school, so that when someone is buzzed into the front entrance, access to the school wing remains locked.

To fund those operations, Main Line Reform recently added a security surcharge to its membership fees. Straus said members have been happy to pay it, given recent events.

In some congregations, security worries are part of the DNA.

At 230-years-old Mother Bethel A.M.E., antique guns used by members to protect the church's early buildings are displayed in the basement museum. Today, the church employs both armed security guards and off-duty police.

Using firearms to defend the church is "as old as [A.M.E. church founder] Richard Allen himself," said its senior pastor, the Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler. "We remind people that ever since there has been a Mother Bethel, someone has been trying to close it down, tear it down, or burn it down It's part of our due diligence to do anything we can to protect it."
Rapper Meek Mill, right, arrives the Criminal Justice Center with his lawyer Brian McMonagle, center, in Philadelphia, PA on November 6, 2017. Read more

Oops.

Meek Mill may yet get another day in court  but it won't be on Nov. 27.

In an incident that will likely infuriate the Philly-born rapper's already enraged supporters, a Philadelphia court employee on Friday mistakenly scheduled a bail hearing for the imprisoned Mill  only to have officials say hours later there were no plans for such a hearing.

Gabriel Roberts, a spokesman for the Philadelphia Courts, said Friday that Mill's legal team electronically filed a motion requesting bail pending appeal under his birth name, Robert Williams. Not recognizing the defendant as the high-profile hip-hop artist who was sent back to prison last week, a court clerk scheduled the matter for a routine hearing before Common Pleas Court Judge Genece E. Brinkley on Nov. 27.

"It was a clerical error," Roberts said. "Judge Brinkley schedules her own hearings."

And she certainly had not scheduled Mill to be back in her courtroom on Nov. 27.

Within hours of the news lighting up social media  an Instagram post by basketball superstar LeBron James drew more than 200,000 likes  the hearing-that-never-was had been scrapped. An entry on the case docket late Friday read: "Corrective Docket Entry  Bail Hearing listed for 11/27/2017 was scheduled in error."

The error caught Mill's legal team unaware, and they had no immediate comment.

The scheduling error was more shocking than the initial surprising news that Brinkley would hear Mill's bail petition  11 days after igniting a publicity firestorm by sending the hip-hop star back to prison for two to four years for violating the terms of his 2008 probation in a drug and gun case.

The motion filed by Mill's legal team asked Brinkley to release him on bail not secured by property or other assets. Since his initial release from prison in 2008  after a conviction on gun and drug charges  Mill had been free on unsecured bail of $40,000, a provision that allowed him to build his burgeoning career while under the restrictions of Brinkley's probation. About the only good news Mill got this week was his transfer from the maximum-security prison at Camp Hill, near Harrisburg, where he was held in solitary confinement for his protection. Earlier this week, he was transferred to the medium-security state prison in Chester.

Aided by a media campaign organized by his management, Roc Nation, hundreds of thousands have flocked to social media or signed internet petitions calling for his release. Some have called Mill a symbol of the mass incarceration of young black men in the United States.

In their motion, Mill's lawyers noted that the District Attorney's Office has not taken a position on granting him bail pending appeal and that neither the prosecutor nor Mill's probation officer sought a prison term for his most recent "technical violations" of his probation.

Freeing him on bail is within Brinkley's discretion. His lawyers contend the "ultimate issues are whether the defendant is a danger to any other person or to the community or to himself" and if he's a risk to flee or violate other bail conditions. They noted he is "widely known for his creativity and his philanthropy" and an "excellent" candidate for bail.

"Since being convicted in this case a decade ago, he has suffered no new convictions, and has not engaged in other criminal activity," their motion reads. "He does not present any danger to the community. He has matured, become

a responsible father, acquired a profession in which he has excelled, conquered a drug habit, and generally been rehabilitated."

Friday's bail motion was the last in a series asking Brinkley to reconsider the prison term, reduce it to time already served, and end his decade-old probation.

All the motions supplement Mill's original motion, filed Tuesday, asking Brinkley to disqualify herself from Mill's case entirely because of an alleged personal bias against the rapper and to let another judge reconsider her sentence.

His lawyers have also vowed, if unsuccessful in Common Pleas Court, to appeal the prison term to Superior Court, calling it excessive for technical violations of Mill's probation: testing positive for the prescription narcotic Percocet and two misdemeanor arrests this year. Mill's lawyers also maintain that Brinkley has exceeded her authority as a judge, in effect acting as a prosecutor in the case, and making suggestions about how to pursue his performing career.

At the Nov. 6 sentencing, Brinkley said that she was "done with" Mill and that when he completes his minimum two years in prison and becomes eligible for parole, his case would be handled by the state Board of Probation and Parole.
Longtime Braddock, Pa. Mayor John Fetterman on Tuesday jumped into the growing Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, intending to dislodge incumbent Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, who has been at odds with Gov. Wolf. Read more

Fight fans familiar with the Clout School of Political Pugilism will recall our oft-repeated ringside advice: Always punch up.

That means throw your punches at the largest possible target. Forget the small fries.

John Fetterman, the 6-foot-8 mayor of Braddock, a struggling steel town near Pittsburgh, was warming up his jabs, hooks, and uppercuts this week as he announced his campaign for lieutenant governor against President Trump.

What? You thought Fetterman was going to land his blows on Lt. Gov. Mike Stack III, the incumbent in the Democratic primary?

Fetterman, while visiting Philly this week, spent as little time as possible discussing Stack, a Philadelphia ward leader who has taken a beating for seven months, since it emerged that he and his wife had berated state troopers and staffers employed to protect and serve them.

"This campaign for me is never about his alleged misconduct," Fetterman said of Stack. "Nothing negative or personal is going to come from this campaign."

He was far more eager to discuss his history of criticizing Trump, which dates to Fetterman's unsuccessful run in last year's Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. Fetterman opened a 15-minute speech to about 100 supporters Wednesday evening at the Irish Pub with a shout-out to a guy wearing one of his signature campaign T-shirts from last year.

The shirt said: "Trump is a jagoff. #TeamFetterman."

Jagoff is Pittsburgh-ese for "a foolish, objectionable, or obnoxious person," according to the Oxford English Dictionary, which added the Western Pennsylvania put-down last year to the list of definitions it has spent 160 years compiling.

Fetterman, meeting with reporters Wednesday, and again at the Irish Pub, complained that Trump had campaigned during last year's general election in Monessen, another struggling steel town 18 miles south of Braddock.

"He had a major campaign event there and I was, like, what the hell is going on here?" Fetterman told his Irish Pub crowd. "Some people took a chance and rolled the dice on a charlatan and a man that had never once cared about places and people like this."

Leib love report

Clout is going to paraphrase Alfred Lord Tennyson here when we say "Better to have loved and lost than to have never gotten two weeks of earned media."

Our pal Anna Orso wrote a story early last week about the complicated dating lives between people who love or loathe Trump. Bryan Leib, treasurer of the Philadelphia Young Republicans and an aspiring politician, served as Exhibit A, describing how a date "literally got up and left" when he told her he voted for Trump.

Viral? We got your viral right here. The story went around the world. Don't believe us? Check out the Huffington Post Greece version. Or this appearance by Leib on Fox & Friends.

We found Leib in City Hall on Thursday and asked him what two weeks of crazy was like. Upside: A lot of support from friends. Downside: A lot of vile hate spewed at him on social media.

But the big question: Is he getting more dates these days? Why, yes, Leib told us, he sure is.

Its that time of year

Philadelphia's politicians will dust off their finest duds and head out to the party place to see and be seen. No, not Pennsylvania Society, the annual boozy bacchanalia of ambition and regret in Manhattan. We're talking about the Pattison Leader Ball, the annual gathering of millennials in politics who don't make the trip to New York.

Typically, The Pattison Leader Ball  started in 2013 and named for two of the youngest governors in Pennsylvania's history  happens on the same Saturday evening as Pennsylvania Society's black-tie gala. But the New York party was moved up a week this year, which means party-minded people can hit both affairs.

Have fun at both. And be on your best behavior. Just kidding. Send any party brawls and other gossip our way.

Staff writer Chris Brennan contributed to this column. Tips: clout@philly.com.
WASHINGTON  President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, received and forwarded emails about a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite" during last year's campaign that he kept from Senate Judiciary Committee investigators, according to lawmakers demanding that he produce the missing records.

Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R., Iowa) and ranking Democratic member Dianne Feinstein of California sent a letter Thursday to Abbe Lowell, Kushner's attorney, alleging that Kushner has failed to disclose several documents, records and transcripts in response to multiple inquiries from committee investigators.

Lowell disputed the committee's characterization of Kushner's compliance, saying Thursday that he has "been responsive to all requests" and provided the Judiciary Committee with all relevant documents.

In their letter, Grassley and Feinstein instruct Kushner's team to turn over "several documents that are known to exist" because other witnesses in their probe already gave them to investigators. The correspondence include a series of September 2016 messages to Kushner concerning WikiLeaks, the website that published hacked Democratic emails at the height of the campaign. The committee leaders say Kushner had forwarded those messages to another campaign official. Earlier this week, Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. revealed that he had had direct communication with WikiLeaks through private Twitter messages during the campaign.

Committee leaders said Kushner also withheld from the committee "documents concerning a 'Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite' " that he had forwarded to other campaign officials. And they said that Kushner had been made privy to "communications with Sergei Millian"  a Belarusan American businessman who claims close ties to the Trumps and was the source of salacious details in a dossier about the president's 2013 trip to Moscow  but failed to turn those records over to investigators.

Spokesmen for Grassley and Feinstein did not offer any additional information about the missing records when asked about them.

According to two people familiar with the exchanges, in one of the disputed emails Rick Clay, a conservative Iraq War contractor, passed on a request for Kushner or other campaign officials to meet with people connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kushner told a campaign aide to "take a pass." Kushner wrote that he feared people exaggerated their connections and could later brag about access to the Trump campaign, these people said.

No meeting happened, at Kushner's direction, according to the people familiar with the exchanges. Maria Butina, a Russian gun rights activist, was part of a group that sought Clay's help in arranging a meeting with the campaign in June 2016 to discuss persecution of Christians around the world.

Clay later said "they made the right call" in turning down the meeting.

The second email is one that Donald Trump Jr. forwarded to Kushner and other top aides, the two people said, after he received a direct message from the WikiLeaks twitter account in September 2016.

In their letter, Grassley and Feinstein complained that Kushner had withheld additional information.

"You also have not produced any phone records that we presume exist and would relate to Mr. Kushner's communications," they wrote.

Grassley and Feinstein demanded that Kushner comply with their request for documents by Nov. 27 but stopped short of issuing a formal threat to subpoena those records if Kushner misses the deadline.

Lowell said he and Kushner "will be open to responding to any additional requests."

Kushner's team last supplied documents to the committee Nov. 3, according to Grassley and Feinstein, who stressed that what they received "appears to be incomplete." They noted that their letter was an effort "to clarify the scope" of the committee's request, after Lowell asked for more details about precisely what the committee was seeking.

In addition to the emails and records that Grassley and Feinstein noted as missing, the Judiciary Committee is waiting for Kushner to turn over promised transcripts from his interview with other committees. Kushner has spoken with investigators from both the Senate and House intelligence committees, who are probing Russia's interference in the 2016 election, but has not met with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Grassley and Feinstein also wrote that Kushner's team "should produce" his security clearance forms, which Kushner had to update on more than one occasion because he left out contacts with foreign individuals. Kushner's team has argued that the forms are confidential.

The committee leaders also expressed general frustration that Kushner's team had left out communications about individuals they had identified when asking Kushner to turn over his records.

Finally, the committee leaders asked Kushner's team to search for a series of records of communications with and about former national security adviser Michael Flynn, including any that Flynn may have simply been copied on involving many of the Russian individuals and businesses that were known to have contact with members of Trump's campaign team.
President Trump speaks to reporters Thursday as he departs the Capitol after addressing the House Republican Conference in Washington, D.C. Read more

President Trump took aim at longtime critic Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) on Thursday night, after Franken was accused of forcibly kissing and groping a woman 11 years ago.

"The Al Frankenstein picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words," Trump tweeted, adding in a second tweet that Franken had last week been "lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women."

Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden said that during a USO trip to the Middle East and Afghanistan in 2006 Franken forced his tongue in her mouth during a rehearsal for a skit and then groped her while she was sleeping during a flight home  a moment that was captured in a photograph.

"You knew exactly what you were doing," she wrote in an online essay published Thursday morning. "You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later and be ashamed."

Some responded to Trump's tweets by citing the allegations against the president.

Ezra Klein tweeted "Trump has more than a dozen, on-the-record, allegations of sexual assault against him, and was caught on tape bragging about committing sexual assault. This is a dangerous game for him to play."

Daniel W. Drezner tweeted "So true. Can you imagine if he'd said something on an audiotape about grabbing part of a woman's anatomy?"

Eleven women came forward during Trump's presidential campaign to accuse him of sexual misconduct over several decades.

Trump has dismissed these claims as "fake news," and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said that all the women who have accused Trump of sexual harassment are lying.

Hours before Trump tweeted about Franken, Sanders told reporters that Trump did not plan to rescind his endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct.

"The president believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be," Sanders told reporters at a briefing.

Moore has dismissing calls from GOP leaders to end his Senate campaign after The Washington Post reported allegations that he initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32.

Trump has not mentioned Moore in public comments and tweets, and has ignored reporters' questions about the allegations.

A "Lesley Stahl tape" Trump mentioned in his second tweet refers to a New York Magazine story about a "Saturday Night Live" writers discussion where Franken suggests a joke about raping Leslie Stahl, a "60 Minutes" correspondent.

Franken is quoted in New York Magazine as saying: "And, 'I give the pills to Lesley Stahl. Then, when Lesley's passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.' Or, 'That's why you never see Lesley until February.' Or, 'When she passes out, I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.' "

Accusations of Franken's misconduct come two days after a candid hearing in Washington, during which female lawmakers said sexual harassment is a pervasive problem on Capitol Hill.

Last week, the Senate unanimously approved a bill that mandates sexual harassment training for all senators and their staffs.

After initially issuing a brief apology for his behavior, Franken released a lengthier statement expressing contrition.

"I'm sorry," said the senator, who skipped a series of votes Thursday. "I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed."

Tweeden said she accepted Franken's apology.

"Yes, people make mistakes, and, of course, he knew he made a mistake," she said at a news conference in Los Angeles, where she works as a news anchor for the radio station KABC. She said she would leave any disciplinary action up to Senate leaders and was not calling for Franken to step down. "That's up to them. I'm not demanding that."

Franken's alleged misconduct occurred not long after he had moved home to Minnesota from New York, and was already positioning himself to run for Senate in 2008, a race that he narrowly won after a recount.

Franken has made numerous statements in support of women who experience sexual misconduct and has worked on legislation to support sexual assault accusers.

After the New York Times reported decades of sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, Franken posted on Facebook that Weinstein's behavior is "far too common." And he called the women sharing #MeToo stories about sexual assault, harassment and other misconduct "courageous."

Franken tweeted "The women who have shared their stories about Harvey Weinstein over the last few days are incredibly brave. . . ."

Franken tweeted "Thx to courageous ppl who've shared #MeToo stories, incl. @SenatorHeitkamp, @maziehirono, @clairecmc, & @SenWarren"

After Tweeden's accusations, Franken faced bipartisan calls for an ethics investigation.

"Sexual harassment is never acceptable and must not be tolerated," Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, N.Y., said in a statement.
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was recovering Friday after suffering a heart attack the day before, his wife said.

"It's going to be day-by-day," Michele Ridge said in her first public comments since his hospitalization a day earlier.

Her husband "remains in critical condition but he's resting comfortably" and responding to his doctors, she said in the statement. "And we all know what a fighter he is."

The former governor, 72, was transported to a Texas hospital Thursday morning after he contacted staff at the hotel where he was staying and asked for medical assistance. He had been attending the Republican Governors Association conference at the JW Marriott in Austin.

Ridge, who was also the first U.S. Homeland Security secretary, remains at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, where he underwent cardiac catheterization, a procedure designed to help diagnose and treat heart problems.

The family had not initially disclosed Thursday that he'd had a heart attack. But news of his hospitalization stirred widespread concern and well-wishes among friends and former colleagues in government and politics.

Generally, someone who has a heart attack experiences a rupture in the waxy plaque that lines the coronary arteries of most older people. The body responds to this type of rupture by forming a clot, which blocks blood flow to the heart muscle and causes its cells to start dying.

If the damage is treated in time, most patients survive. At Dell Seton Medical Center, 85 percent of patients survive for at least 30 days following a heart attack, according to the most recent data from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

A catheterization involves threading a tiny camera into the coronary arteries to inspect the damage. In most cases, a cardiologist would also insert a balloon to open the blockage and then prop it open with a cylindrical device called a stent  a routine procedure.

The Ridge family did not specify whether that second step was taken.

Michele Ridge said Friday that she wanted to thank the first responders who "worked heroically" to rush her husband to the hospital and the doctors, nurses, and others who cared for him there.

"It is difficult to find the right words to appropriately thank all of the men and women who continue to provide Tom with such tremendous care. I am thankful Tom was in Austin when this happened and close to world-class medical facilities," she said.

Staff writer Tom Avril contributed to this article.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials today announced the results of stepped up efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the departments to target and dismantle MS-13culminating in the arrest of 267 in the U.S. and overseas.

Photo: Charles Reed/ICE

"Operation Raging Bull" was led by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with support from federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners, and was conducted in support of the Department of Justice's renewed prioritization of the violent transnational gang.

The operation was conducted in two phases, targeting dangerous gang members and their global financial networks. In September, ICE announced the results of the first phase of this operation which netted 53 arrests in El Salvador at the conclusion of an 18-month investigation. The second phase was conducted across the U.S. from Oct. 8 to Nov. 11, and concluded with 214 MS-13 arrests nationwide.

"MS-13 has long been a priority for ICE. However we are now combating the gang with renewed focus and an unprecedented level of cooperation among DHS's components and our domestic and international partners," said Thomas Homan, ICE Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director. "We will not rest until every member, associate, and leader of MS-13 has been held accountable for their crimes, and those in this country illegally have been removed."

Of the total 214 arrests made in the U.S., 93 were arrested on federal and/or state criminal charges including murder, aggravated robbery, racketeering influenced corrupt organization (RICO) offenses, violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR) offenses, narcotics trafficking, narcotics possession, firearms offenses, domestic violence, assault, forgery, driving under the influence, and illegal entry/reentry. The remaining 121 were arrested on administrative immigration violations.
The Baltimore homicide detective who was shot in the head on Wednesday has died, police said.

Police identified the officer as Det. Sean Suiter, an 18-year veteran of the city police force and a husband and father of two. In an email to the department, Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said he died surrounded by his family.

Photo: Baltimore PD/Facebook

"His tragic death will forever impact the BPD," Davis wrote in the email obtained by the Baltimore Sun. "Each of you go out there and put your lives on the line every single day. The importance of your sacrifice, and Sean's, can't be overstated."

Baltimore Police and their federal partners continued a massive manhunt Thursday for the suspect. Authorities offered a $69,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Police say Suiter was shot in a notoriously violent section of the Harlem Park neighborhood of West Baltimore while investigating another killing. An entire city block remained cordoned off Thursday morning as police scoured the area and cadets began canvassing door to door for information.
Ori, a 16-month-old German shepherd, was killed during a training exercise in Kalkaska County. (Photo: Antrim County SO)

A newly trained Antrim County (MI) Sheriff's K-9 was killed last Friday when he was struck by a car.

Ori, a 16-month-old German shepherd, was killed during a training exercise in Kalkaska County. His handler was practicing off-lead obedience with the dog when Ori was struck by a car.

Antrim County was given a $17,250 donation in August to establish a K-9 program for the county and partnered with Mid-Michigan Kennels for Oris purchase in Europe, the Record-Eagle reports.
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A new Fox News poll shows Democrat Doug Jones leading Republican Roy Moore by 8 points as Alabama voters say that want a candidate that will represent the state with honor.

Via Fox News:

Jones is up by eight points over Moore among Alabama likely voters, 50 percent vs. 42 percent, in a Fox News Poll conducted Monday through Wednesday evenings.

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Support from women is the key to the Democrats advantage in this red state, as Jones is their choice by 26 points (58-32 percent). The gap grows to 49 points among women under age 45 (69-20 percent), and hes up by 11 among women ages 45 and over (51-40 percent). Jones even receives 19 percent support from Republican women (to Moores 68 percent).

.

When asked which candidate qualities are important to their vote decision, 33 percent say they want someone who will represent Alabama with honor, 26 percent are looking for someone who shares their values, 26 percent want a candidate who will bring needed change, and 8 percent prioritize their partys candidate.

Alabama voters dont want a Senator who will try to sexually assault their underage teenage daughter at the mall. It is really that simple. Roy Moores campaign is looking increasingly doomed. Republicans will try to turn attention to Sen. Al Franken, but there are two key differences. Franken hasnt sexually assaulted underage girls, and at the time of this writing, the Democratic Senator has one accuser and has taken full responsibility for his behavior.

What Franken did was wrong. What Roy Moore did could land him in prison.

The problem for Republicans is that they are running the biggest perceived scumbag this side of Trump against a man is known for his moral character and decency. Alabama isnt the same thing as Trump conjuring Clinton boogymen to distract from his own behavior.

The choice is easy in Alabama. Voters can choose between a pedo predator or the man who brought the Birmingham church bombers to justice.

Judging from the polls, voters would rather have a decent Democrat represent them than a Republican who preys on teenage girls.
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After a week of troubling accusations of sexual misconduct against Republican Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore, a Fox News poll released Thursday shows Democrat Doug Jones leading the race by eight points.

Jason Easley wrote more here about the top-line numbers.

But perhaps the most surprising finding is buried deep in the poll, and it has very little to do with the U.S. Senate contest in Alabama.

According to the Fox News survey, former President Barack Obama is more popular among Alabama voters than Donald Trump. Let me repeat that: In a state that Trump won by nearly 30 percentage points last year, Obama is viewed more favorably.

According to the poll, a majority  52 percent  of Alabamans view the 44th president favorably, while 45 percent do not. On the other hand, just 49 percent  not even a majority  view Trump in a positive light. Forty-eight percent of respondents have a negative view of the current president.

To further demonstrate just how tainted the Republican brand has become, a higher percentage of Alabama voters said they have a favorable opinion of Obama than all of the GOP names listed, from Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump to Luther Strange and Roy Moore.

And, remember, this is not a blue state. Its not even purple. Its Alabama, one of the most conservative states in the country. As I noted before, Hillary Clinton got trounced there in 2016, and in each of his campaigns, Barack Obama lost the state by more than 20 percentage points.

The fact that Republicans are struggling to stay above water in Alabama speaks volumes about how disappointed voters are in the way Trump and congressional Republicans have governed over the past year.

Ultimately, the GOP doesnt just have a Roy Moore problem; they have a Donald Trump problem. If they dont fix it soon, theyll find themselves submerged in a massive blue wave come this time next year.
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The last person in the world who should be talking about sexual harassment is Donald Trump, but that didnt stop the sexual predator in chief from attacking Sen. Al Franken.

First Trump tried to turn the Franken groping picture into a porno:

The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? ..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

There are no pictures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. There is one picture. One really bad picture, but that is not enough for this president as he has to project what he has probably done to women on to Al Franken.

Trumps second tweet was even worse:

.And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

Trump is the last person on the planet who should be talking about tapes. He has admitted on tape that he sexually assaults women because when youre a star, theyll let you do anything.

Donald Trump hasnt said or tweeted a peep about Roy Moore sexually assaulting underage girls, but he wastes no time pouncing on a Democrat who has apologized and taken responsibility for his actions.

Sexual assault and sexual harassment are not partisan crimes, but Trump is sending a clear message. When a Republican like Donald Trump or Roy Moore commits sexual assault, it is to be ignored, but if a Democrat sexually harasses anyone, it is appropriate to assume that they are a rapist.

Trump is desperate to distract from Roy Moore and Russia, but reminding the country of his own sex crimes is not going to end well for this president.
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Special counsel Robert Mueller continues to put the heat on Donald Trump and his 2016 presidential campaign as he reportedly slapped Team Trump with a subpoena in October for all Russia-related documents.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the move marked Mr. Muellers first official order for information from the campaign as he continues to investigate whether they colluded with Russia during last years election.

More from the report:

The subpoena, which requested documents and emails from the listed campaign officials that reference a set of Russia-related keywords, marked Mr. Muellers first official order for information from the campaign, according to the person. The subpoena didnt compel any officials to testify before Mr. Muellers grand jury, the person said. The subpoena caught the campaign by surprise, the person said. The campaign had previously been voluntarily complying with the special counsels requests for information, and had been sharing with Mr. Muellers team the documents it provided to congressional committees as part of their probes of Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election. The Trump campaign is providing documents in response to the subpoena on an ongoing basis, the person said.

The move by Mueller suggests that, while the Trump campaign claims to be voluntarily handing over all Russia-related documentation, they arent being fully forthcoming  or at least that they havent turned over something hes looking for.

After all, if they were being fully transparent, he wouldnt have been compelled to issue a legal order for these Russia-related docs. The special counsel team likely knows what theyre looking for, and so far the Trump campaign has not turned it over.

Ultimately, the subpoena is the latest indication that the special counsel investigation is not even closing to letting up.

When it comes to its connections to Russia, Robert Mueller isnt taking the Trump campaigns word. If they dont turn over the Russia documentation hes looking for, not only will he know about it, but he can now bring charges against them for obstructing an investigation.
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In another failure for Donald Trump, the Keystone XL pipeline he revived shortly after taking office leaked more than 200,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota on Thursday.

The company operating the Keystone XL, TransCanada, said the pipeline has been shut down and they are investigating what led to the leak.

As CNN noted, Trump issued a permit back in March that paved the way for Keystone XLs construction  something that former President Barack Obama and other environmental activists had warned could do more harm than good.

But Trump, never moved by facts or scientific evidence, has repeatedly perpetuated right-wing myths about the pipeline. In fact, in a tweet during the primary campaign, Trump said this about the project:

So sad that Obama rejected Keystone Pipeline. Thousands of jobs, good for the environment, no downside!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2015

Of course, this turned out to be a trifecta of lies.

Despite the claim that thousands of jobs would be added if the pipeline was approved, CNN noted that Keystone XL would result in just 35 permanent positions  hardly an economic boon. In fact, its plausible that more jobs will be created to clean up environmental messes caused by the pipeline than to actually build it.

Not only would it create few long-term jobs, but the energy transported via the pipeline would be exported to other countries for profit, not kept in the United States, which debunks another right-wing myth that Keystone XL is necessary to achieve American energy independence.

The biggest whopper, though, is that Keystone is, as Trump said in 2015, good for the environment and has no downsides. As 210,000 gallons of oil leak from the pipeline on Thursday, I think its safe to say that no downside wasnt quite accurate.

Of course, one thing we can thank the pipeline for is that its shaping up to be a perfect metaphor for Donald Trump, who has spent the last year demonstrating that he is the human oil spill of presidents.
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The truth that the Trump family has been trying to hide is finally coming out as a Trump building in Panama has ties to drug trafficking and Russian organized crime.

NBC News reported, Ventura said the Trumps never asked about his clients, the people who were buying the condo units, and he never told them. To cite one example, he said that he sold seven to 10 units in the Trump Ocean Club to a man named David Murcia Guzman, founder of a large Colombian marketing company. Guzman is now in U.S. custody, awaiting extradition to Colombia after being convicted by a U.S. federal court of laundering money for drug cartels, including through real estate.

It gets worse, Ventura says about half of the units he sold at the Trump Ocean Club were to Russians. To help handle them, Ventura went into business with several Russian-speaking real estate brokers, who he admits have had checkered pasts. The checkered pasts were convictions for activities related to organized crime.

Trump needed the money. No US banks would loan cash to him, and his business was struggling.

All of this is relevant to the Russia investigation because Trump has consistently denied doing business in Russia or with Russians. Trumps claim that he had no relationships with Russians were lies.

Donald Trumps connections to Russia and organized crime are beginning to be exposed.

Little by little, the Presidents defenses are being chipped away at, and what is emerging is the tale of a failed businessman who got to the presidency with the illegal help of his Russian friends.

The skeletons in Trumps closet look like more than enough to destroy a presidency.
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By Chris Kahn

NEW YORK (Reuters)  Americans will sit down next week for what has become a holiday tradition in the United States: tiptoeing through a turkey dinner without mentioning the president.

Nearly one-third of all adults will actively avoid political conversations when they see friends and family over the Thanksgiving and December holidays, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Friday. About half said they do not expect to discuss politics at all.

The Nov. 8-13 poll found that a majority of Americans consider politics to be among their least favorite topics to discuss in mixed company over the holidays.

People appear to be more interested in talking about religion, or even their personal finances, with cousins and in-laws than they are in discussing hot-button issues such as tax cuts, Obamacare and the Russia investigation.

[For a graphic on the poll: http://tmsnrt.rs/2zHlFa5]

Poll respondents said they learned to bite their tongues after years of dinnertime squabbles over the nations first black president, Barack Obama, and then his successor, Donald Trump.

If you bring up Trump or something, youll get a look from the other side of the table, said Adrianne Beal, 77, a Trump supporter from Bolingbrook, Illinois. Its like: hup, lets change the subject.

Beal said her family learned this new holiday etiquette after a particularly stressful Thanksgiving in 2008. Obama had just been elected to his first term, and Beals niece called her a bigot for not supporting him.

Well that was the end of that, Beal said. I decided Im not going to talk politics anymore. Im not those things they call me.

Ora Wilhite, 37, who voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in last years presidential election, said he called his older brother, a Trump supporter, to get politics out of the way before they meet next week at their familys Thanksgiving in Frankfort, Indiana.

We can keep it civil when its just us, Wilhite said. Im not sure if the rest of the family can.

According to the poll, 31 percent of adults will be intentionally avoiding political conversations with family and friends over the holidays. Another 48 percent do not typically engage in political conversations during holiday gatherings, and 21 percent will engage in political conversations with others even if we disagree on issues.

Trump voters were just as interested in shifting away from political conversations as voters who supported Clinton. Women were more likely than men to avoid politics, and Baby Boomers were more likely than Millennials to avoid the topic.

Sixty-two percent said politics was one of their least favorite conversation topics over holiday meals and gatherings. Separately, 41 percent said topics about money and finance were among their least favorite subjects, while 37 percent picked religion and 25 percent said family gossip.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English throughout the United States. It gathered responses from 1,595 adults and has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 3 percentage points. [For the survey questionnaire: http://tmsnrt.rs/2zHx6Pd]

(This version of the story was refiled to add U.S. to headline)

(Reporting by Chris Kahn; Editing by Susan Thomas)
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By Jonathan Landay and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  Jared Kushners lawyer failed to give the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee documents President Donald Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser received about a Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite, the committees leaders said on Thursday.

In a letter to Kushners attorney, Abbe Lowell, Senators Chuck Grassley and Dianne Feinstein, the Judiciary Committees Republican chairman and top Democrat, listed the documents and emails among materials Lowell has failed to produce.

Kushner, the letter said, also forwarded to an unidentified campaign adviser emails from September 2016 concerning Wikileaks, the whistleblower group that published emails U.S. intelligence agencies determined Russian military intelligence had hacked from Democratic Party accounts.

It appears that your search may have overlooked several documents, the letter said of Lowells responses to three requests for materials related to the committees investigation on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Mr. Kushner and we have been responsive to all requests, Lowell said in a statement. We provided the Judiciary Committee with all relevant documents that had to do with Mr. Kushners calls, contacts or meetings with Russians during the campaign and transition, which was the request. We also informed the committee we will be open to responding to any additional requests and that we will continue to work with White House Counsel for any responsive documents from after the inauguration.

When asked about the letter, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders referred reporters to Lowell. Trump denies any collusion between his campaign and Moscow.

Russia denies a January report by three U.S. intelligence agencies that it conducted an influence operation to skew the 2016 presidential vote in favor of Trump over his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Special Counsel Robert Muellers team last month subpoenaed Trumps campaign for documents containing specified Russian keywords from more than a dozen officials. According to the Journal, a person familiar with the matter said the campaign has been complying voluntarily with the request.

Grassleys and Feinsteins letter to Lowell also specified keywords, including Clinton, WikiLeaks, hacking, and the names of four Russian banks.

ONE PERSON OF INTEREST

Kushner remains one person of interest to the investigations by Mueller and congressional committees, according to a source with knowledge of the probes.

Among other things, investigators want to know if Kushner knew during the 2016 campaign that Russia was hacking Democratic emails in an effort to help Trump and whether he tried to create a secret back channel between the Trump White House and the Kremlin, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Investigators also want to know if Kushner took part in or knew of any post-election efforts by Trumps former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, or others to lift U.S. economic sanctions on Russia in exchange for financial investments or other business deals.

A May 26 Reuters report quoted two sources who said Kushner and Flynn discussed with former Russian ambassador to Washington Sergey Kislyak creating a back channel between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that would bypass the State Department and U.S. intelligence agencies.

Flynn, a former Army general who led the Defense Intelligence Agency and later was a Trump campaign adviser, was fired in February as national security adviser after misleading Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Kislyak.

The letter to Lowell also said he had failed to produce communications with Sergei Millian, copied to Kushner.

Millian, who has used multiple aliases, is a Belarussian-born emigre who in 2006 helped incorporate the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored trips to Russia by U.S. businessmen.

After a December 2011 trip arranged by the chamber and a quasi-governmental agency in Russia called Rossotrudnichestvo, FBI agents questioned participants about whether Russian spies had approached them during the visit, one of the travelers said.

Millian, who met Trump on at least one occasion, has boasted of his ties to the former New York real estate developer and reality television star. He has denied being a Russian spy.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Jonathan Landay, Matt Spetalnick, Warren Strobel and John Walcott; Editing by Dan Grebler and Chris Reese)
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As the Senate Finance Committee was marking up the Republican tax cut bill, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) caused Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to explode with rage by telling Republicans that this tax cut isnt really for the middle class. Its for the rich, and Republicans should drop the sarcasm and tell the truth about the tax cut.

Video:

Pretty remarkable exchange between Brown and Hatch last night. Brown goes off: This tax cut really is not for the middle class, its for the rich spare us the sarcasm and the satire and lets move on. (via ABC) pic.twitter.com/ZQnktHZjNH  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 17, 2017

Sen. Brown said, I think it would be nice just tonight before we go home to just acknowledge that this tax cut really is not for the middle class, its for the rich, and that whole thing about higher wages, well, its a good selling point, but we know companies just dont give away higher wages. They just dont give away higher wages just because they have more money. Corporations are sitting on a lot of money now. Theyre sitting on a lot of profits now. I dont see wages going up, so just spare us the bank shots, spare us the sarcasm and the satire.

It was clear that Brown hit a nerve with committee chair Orrin Hatch who immediately claimed that came from the poor people, and hes been working his whole stinking career for people who dont have a chance. Hatch also claimed that he was sick and tired of Democrats pointing that Republicans enact policies, like these tax cuts where the vast majority of the benefit goes to the rich. Hatch went on to lose his temper and call the truth crap. Hatch then really lost his temper, I come from the lower middle class originally. We didnt have anything.

Brown struck a nerve. Republicans dont want to talk about how this tax cut is for the richest Americans. They dont want to talk about how their benefit the wealthy and corporations. They dont want to admit that the trickle-down tax cut fairy is not real.

Democrats need to keep pushing hard and exposing the truth about these cuts because Republicans cant take the heat that comes with this reality.
Charleston, SC (29403)

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Cloudy. Low near 45F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Roper Hospital will build a new medical campus in North Charleston for its replacement hospital in a place officials are calling the new "center" of the Charleston area and the most convenient for patients to access. Read moreRoper Hospital's new home in North Charleston is 'center' of Lowcountry, officials say
State Circuit Judge DeAndrea Benjamin appears poised to join a powerful federal appeals court bench following a U.S. Senate hearing in which Republicans repeatedly questioned her handling of two cases out of thousands she'd handled in South Carolina over two decades. Read moreSC Judge Benjamin praised by Clyburn, questioned by Republicans during US Senate hearing
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.
You have to cook for a big gathering or maybe it's your first time roasting the big bird for Thanksgiving. What are you going to do?

The internet is the perfect place for finding recipes, methods, etc. Just beware, it can overwhelm you like gluttony can. Sample the spots I've found, but do it judiciously. This edition of Digital Mike goes in whole hog on Turkey Day!

Lessons from the soup company

We make many recipes with some type of cream soup mixed into the dish. It's nearly become the way we do it. So why not start out with Campbell's? It found the recipes good and basic with nothing too extravagant or complicated. Their overall Campbell's Kitchen site has plenty of recipes for all occasions. Keep it tucked away for those moments you need to cook or are looking for a dish to pass.

tinyurl.com/ycsuae45

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Food that looks good

The Food Network , as with most food sites, has some great photography of the dishes. I like their variety and explanations. It's another tried-and-true site that has variety for you to find the right mix of dishes to start your own Thanksgiving traditions or try to maintain those whom you dine with on the big day.

tinyurl.com/ychsje85

Slaw

This one caught my eye as one that's got good-sounding ingredients and is lighter than much of what we consume at the Thanksgiving table. It's a Thanksgiving slaw. Sounds yummy. And if that doesn't sound good to you, check out the other items on the Kitchn site about Thanksgiving . It's a good comprehensive site that could be a strong one for you in your quest for recipes and other ideas.

tinyurl.com/ya7fn5cv

Good recipes

Southern Living is another good site. See? I told you there is abundance of good recipe sites out there. What's great with Southern Living 's offering this year is that they are celebrating their 50th anniversary with their 50 best recipes for Thanksgiving. Spinning through this selection made me hungry. You'll find the recipe you need and probably a few more to try. It's got me itching to try some new dishes again.

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www.southernliving.com/best-thanksgiving-recipes

Food and Wine

Food and Wine 's take on Thanksgiving is another one to review. It's got a bunch of other recipes and ideas for the meal, leftovers and more. Even drinks you can sip all day on Thanksgiving. Take a spin and see if you find some dishes that are just right for your gathering for gratitude.

www.foodandwine.com/ultimate-thanksgiving

Grape salad

Who can forget this? The New York Times' Thanksgiving recipes for each state in 2014 claimed grape salad is Minnesota's dish. Huh? Well, the Minnesotans who were outraged showed the old gray lady their anger. Even if you don't like the grape salad listing for Minnesota, dig through for other state offerings to see if there's something that will catch your eye, or see if they've got the right dish for another state you're familiar with.

tinyurl.com/qzbmakf

Yay for Yeh

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Molly Yeh is a delightful cook and has a new cookbook out. She's got some good ideas on desserts and other food. Give her a look and see what you might find. She is from Brooklyn and now lives on a farm in North Dakota after meeting her husband-to-be at Julliard. It's a good story. Give her a read and try out some of her recipes.

mynameisyeh.com/recipes-list

Good Housekeeping

Why not go with a tried-and-true? My daughter Katherine is a fan of Good Housekeeping and subscribes to the print edition. They've got a good range of Thanksgiving recipes to help you fill out your menu. Look them over and savor.

www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/thanksgiving-ideas
One man terrorized a northeast Rochester neighborhood on Thursday with a short and odd crime spree that started in a 14-year-old girl's bedroom.

After receiving several calls about a man entering homes, stealing things and acting irrationally in the 1500 and 1600 blocks of 7-1/2 Avenue Northeast, Rochester police swarmed the area. They spotted, chased and captured Kenneth Lewis, 26, who gave his address as being in Anoka, according to Capt. John Sherwin.

He was "incredibly uncooperative" and police used a taser to get him into the police car, said Sherwin.

Lewis faces a long list of charges of his less than an hour-long spree. Those charges are likely to include three counts of first-degree burglary, and one count each of terroristic threats, trespass, disorderly conduct, simple robbery, theft, obstructing the legal process, fleeing officer on foot and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also wanted on a warrant in Sherburne County. Lewis remains in custody pending arraignment.

It all started at about 1:15 p.m. when a 14-year-old girl awoke to find a man in her room, in a home in the 1600 block of 7-1/2 Avenue, Sherwin said. She described the man as black, with dreadlocks and wearing a Chicago Bulls jacket.

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She told police that the man told her, "I'm robbing you, bitch. I'm going to kill you." Then the man threw water from a water bottle on her, sprayed deodorant at her, grabbed some small items including a pair of Air Jordan sneakers, and fled.

On the same street, a 79-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman pulled into their garage and saw a man fitting the same description in their backyard. The man approached him and asked what he wanted and the suspect told him, "I'm going to punch you."

He ran over to the car, where the woman still sat, and tried to open the door. The man tried to stop him. The suspect then grabbed glasses off the man's face and ran away.

A 78-year-old woman was in a nearby house reading when the suspect entered her back door. She asked him if he needed help. The woman followed him as he left, and the suspect threw a shoe at her.

A 61-year-old woman reported hearing someone on the first floor of her house, in the 1500 block of 8-1/2 Avenue. She shouted and heard a man say something. The woman grabbed her handgun and loudly racked it. The man took an umbrella and fled before the woman came downstairs.

"The guy was lucky that she didn't shoot him," said Sherwin.

Somewhere along the way, the suspect also picked up a leaf blower that was in a yard of another house.
An almost 90-year-old Rochester car and truck dealership with two locations is splitting into two, separately owned businesses.

On Thursday, the owners of Clements Chevrolet Cadillac Subaru announced that the recently built, $8-million Subaru complex is being purchased by Dan and Todd Penz. The Penzes, who are part owners of the overall operation, will no longer have a stake in the new version of Clements Chevrolet Cadillac.

Clements will be owned David Remick, Jack Remick and John Wade, once the deal is complete. The Penz dealership will be called Subaru of Rochester.

"The Penz family has had a longtime interest in the Subaru brand," Wade said Thursday. "This was an opportune time to make this transition."

In October 2016, Clements opened a new $8 million Subaru dealership at the corner of 48th Street and St. Bridget Road Southeast. The dealership, a spinoff of Clements Chevrolet Cadillac Subaru, was built just east of Mills Fleet Farm and south of Shoppes on Maine.

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The Subaru lot has the capacity to display more than 370 new and used vehicles.

Wade says the 55 employees now working at the Subaru site will remain with the new business. The 85 employees working at the main Clements campus in front of Rochester's Apache Mall will stay at that location.

While he declined to offer financial details of the deal, he said, "The transaction worked out well for all parties."

When asked about when the change will be official, Wade responded, "Soon."
A Rochester father is suing the owners of a newly opened downtown restaurant, alleging that his 2-year-old daughter became seriously ill after eating contaminated food there.

The lawsuit is the first public document to surface of an E. coli outbreak that occurred in Rochester in September. The girl was one of eight people who tested positive for the potentially deadly food pathogen, an outbreak that public health officials later traced to Damsy Restaurant, a Mediterranean eatery that opened in September. All eight of the sickened people had eaten there before becoming ill, officials say.

An Olmsted County public health official said the agency first became aware of the outbreak on Oct. 10, when the Minnesota Department of Public Health contacted them to report a cluster of three positive tests of individuals for E. coli.

MDH investigators said that all three had eaten at Damsy between Sept. 11 and Sept. 25 before becoming ill. A subsequent investigation by Olmsted County environmental health staff uncovered five more people who became ill after eating at Damsy. Four of the eight required hospitalization. All have since recovered, officials say.

Damsy, at 405 First Ave. SW, opened two months ago at what was once the China Star restaurant. Damsy officially opened Sept. 16, but had a soft opening a week before. If public health officials are correct and exposure to E. coli began on Sept. 11, the problem began as the restaurant opened.

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Dawn Beck, Olmsted County's associate director of public health services, said the restaurant was closed on Oct. 10, the day that the county learned of the confirmed cases. The restaurant was re-opened the next day, but then closed again on Oct. 18 when employees there tested positive for E. coli.

Beck said the second closure doesn't mean that cases were continuing to crop up after the health department's intervention. E. coli can be asymptomatic in some cases, and it's possible that the employees contracted the disease at the same time as the customers, she said.

Damsy re-opened Oct. 21. There have been no subsequent E. coli cases since Olmsted Public Health officials completed their public health interventions, Beck said.

E. coli is a type of bacteria that normally lives in the intestines of people and animals. Some strains can lead to intestinal sickness, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever.

"When we hear about three E. coli cases, our responsibility is to stop the transmission of illness," Beck said. "That's why we asked them to close until we could figure out what might have been happening."

Beck said staff members aren't able to say with absolute certainty what caused the outbreak, but identified the restaurant's falafel, a deep-fried doughnut made of chickpeas, as a likely "significant" contributor in causing the illness.

During their inquiry, Olmsted staff learned that the restaurant used the same grinder to grind raw meat, which carries E. coli, and garbanzo beans for the falafel. That simultaneous usage might have led to cross-contamination.

"(That's) one of the things that may have happened, but we won't know this for sure," Beck said.

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The restaurant now uses separate grinders for grinding raw meat and chickpeas.

The owners of Damsy Restaurant defended their practices, saying the eatery has adhered to extremely high standards of cleanliness since its opening. They point out that after reviewing food handling procedures and interviewing workers, Olmsted environmental health staff were unable to pinpoint the precise source of the outbreak.

The owners say the grinder was thoroughly washed between usage. The falafel was also deep-fried in 400-degree oil, a temperature that should have killed off any harmful food pathogen.

"They reviewed everything. They watched everything  like how we prepared the food and the whole process," said Mohamed Maamoun, one of restaurant's three owners. "They said, 'Everything was good. We can't find anything wrong.'"

Maamoun added that he and his two kids have eaten at the restaurant almost every day since its opening.

"If I'm not confident with what I'm doing to my restaurant, do you think I would bring my family there?" he asked.

Beck doesn't dispute that Olmsted staff didn't find any "real overarching concerns" with the restaurant's practices other than that the same meat grinder was used both for beans and meat.

"There's a lot of ways that things like this can be transmitted," Beck said. "What we do know for sure is that the confirmed cases all ate there and that falafel was implicated based on our analysis."

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A lawsuit filed in Olmsted District Court describes how Rochester resident Ahmed Fadlalla's 2-year-old daughter became severely ill after eating at the restaurant. The suit seeks more than $50,000 in relief from the restaurant's owners, including Maamoun, Taha Has Sakor and Huseein Basree.

According to the complaint, Fadlalla and his family, including his daughter, ate at the restaurant on Sept. 14. The day after eating there, Fadlalla and his wife noticed that their daughter was suffering from severe diarrhea. The condition continued for the next several days, and her parents became worried that their daughter was not getting better.

Four days later, on Sept. 18, her parents took her to the doctor. Uncertain what was making her so ill, doctors advised the parents to continue pushing fluids and return if their daughter's condition did not improve.

The daughter was taken to the Mayo Clinic Hospital - Saint Marys Campus emergency room four days later when her diarrhea turned bloody. After her admission, doctors became concerned that the girl might be in kidney failure.

While at Mayo, the girl tested for E coli. She has since gotten better and was discharged from Mayo several days after her admission, "although she continues to recover from her infection," the complaint states.

Ryan Osterholm, the family's attorney, said the girl's parents want to find out what happened to their daughter and to ensure that "it doesn't happen again." They are also seeking compensation for their daughter's medical expenses, which he estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars, and the work they missed while tending to their daughter.

"It was a really horrible thing that they went through," Osterholm said. "The 2-year-old was deathly ill for weeks. (The father) told me (he worried) she was going to die. This was a really traumatic event for all of them."
Eli Umpierre suggested the Olmsted County Human Rights Commission challenge the Rochester Police Department, as well as the city, to consider a change in mindset.

The former Rochester Police Department lieutenant, who received a $1 million discrimination settlement in September, said Thursday that a change away from the "us versus them" dichotomy found in many police departments would help attract more diverse officers.

"What is valued in this city for police officers needs to be evaluated," she said.

While city staff members have repeatedly stated they cannot comment on the settlement, Rochester Police Chief Roger Peterson said this morning the city and department continue to work to recruit a more diverse police force.

Umpierre left the police department with her settlement, ending more than 25 years of local service. The settlement followed a 2016 department complaint against her, which alleged she displayed prejudicial bias and violated police policy. She filed a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights months later that alleged she was discriminated against by the department and faced retaliation after reporting suspected bias within the department.

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On Thursday night, Umpierre spent more than an hour reviewing the timeline of her career, which included highlights of hostility she said she experienced since being hired in 1992 as the department's first female officer.

She said the hostility and bias she experienced started with community comments the day she was hired and continued through the investigation that contributed to the end of her career.

At the same time she repeatedly noted she worked with several supportive officers, especially those who took the time to get to know her.

Still, she said the predominant "police culture" tends to favor white male officers.

"Trust me when I say there is a police culture," she told members of the Human Rights Commission on Thursday night.

Peterson said he believes the culture is changing in the local department. Like most organizations, he said, bias exists in individual members.

"That's the human element in anything we do," he said, but added it's not fair to say the department isn't addressing it.

As a former Human Rights Commission member, Umpierre said people must be willing to report suspicions of bias, but she understands it's difficult.

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"Not everybody can afford to put their job on the line to protect other people," she said.

She said she worries that the fact she had a good working relationship with the police chief and still ran afoul of the police culture could have a chilling effect when it comes to others being willing to step forward.

However, she said it's ultimately up to the commission and others in the community to decide whether making a change is a priority.

"To be honest, this is no longer about me, because my case is done," she said, noting she has moved from Rochester since her settlement was reached.

Umpierre did say she is still pursuing access to the investigation report from the city's case against her. She said she believes the investigation was flawed.

"I would beg to have it released publicly," she said, noting she would also like to be able to respond to any findings and hear the interviews that were conducted.

Members of the Human Rights Commission also said they'd like to pursue some answers and challenge Rochester city officials to follow up on allegations of bias.

Additionally, commission members indicated a desire to find out why Umpierre's complaint to the state's Human Rights Commission was automatically dropped when she settled her case with the city, as well as how a case like Umpierre's would be evaluated if it moved forward.

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"We'll want to spend some time talking about our next steps," Commission Chairwoman Gale Julius said following Thursday's meeting

The Olmsted County Human Rights Commission meets on the third Thursday of each month in room 104 of Rochester City Hall.
Constituents who write letters or leave phone messages for Rep. Jeanne Poppe may have to wait a little longer than usual for a reply.

In response to the governor's veto of the Legislature's funding, House leaders have imposed a hiring freeze. As people leave, positions remain unfilled. Poppe lost her legislative assistant and is now sharing one with three other lawmakers.

"That doesn't make for good communication sometimes or good customer service when it comes to constituents," the Austin Democrat said. "It's a lot to expect of somebody."

That's just one example of how the budget feud is impacting how legislators do their jobs. And a resolution to the standoff likely won't be coming soon. The Minnesota Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Gov. Mark Dayton's veto of the Legislature's $130 million operating budget.

How did things get to this point?

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It all dates back to May following a special legislative session to pass a $46 billion budget. The DFL governor signed all of the budget into law but line-item vetoed funding for the Minnesota Legislature. The governor vetoed the funding to pressure legislative leaders to return to the negotiating table. Chief among his concerns is removing some costly provisions in a $650 million tax bill he signed. The governor was also dismayed about what he called a "poison pill" tucked in another budget bill that would have defunded the Department of Revenue if he did not sign the tax cut package. Republican legislative leaders countered that the governor had already signed off on the tax cut provisions as part of an end-of-session deal. The Legislature sued Dayton over his veto, arguing it was unconstitutional.

What did the Minnesota Supreme Court decide?

The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the governor's authority to line-item veto the Legislature's funding. The court determined that the Legislature had access to enough funds to continue as an independent branch of government until Feb. 20  the start of the 2018 session. The court declined to decide whether the governor was unconstitutionally coercing the Legislature by taking away its funding.

Wait a minute. If the governor vetoed the funding, where is the Legislature getting money from?

A couple different places. For starters, both the House and Senate had some carryover funds. But with those beginning to run out, legislators are tapping into funding for the Legislative Coordinating Commission, which oversees nonpartisan legislative activities. Lawmakers on the commission OK'd using more than $3 million in carryover funding and $17 million for the commission's fiscal year 2019 budget. To limit costs, the Legislature has stopped out-of-state travel, quit paying per diems and ceased reimbursing mileage for members. Both chambers also have a hiring freeze.

Now what happens?

Those dollars will keep the legislative lights on a few months after the start of the 2018 session in February. If the budget standoff isn't resolved by then, House and Senate operations would need to shut down and staff would be furloughed. Lawmakers have the option of sending the governor a bill appropriating funding for the Legislature. But if Dayton were to veto that bill, they would need the support of legislative Democrats to override the veto.

Any other consequences?

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A failure to restore funding could impact other areas of state government. Beginning July 1, the state auditor and state revisor's offices would have to layoff staff. That's because they are funded with the LCC dollars being used to keep the Legislature afloat. In addition, the Senate is no longer making debt service payments for the newly built Minnesota Senate building. Minnesota Management and Budget will make the December debt service payment but another one is due in June. If the state were to default on that payment, it could affect Minnesota's credit rating.

How much has the legal battle over the veto cost?

That is not fully known yet. However, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said that between the governor, House and Senate, the number is in the millions.

How is the lack of legislative funding impacting constituents?

Lawmakers interviewed said the budget situation has meant fewer opportunities for constituents to interact with lawmakers. House Taxes Committee Chairman Greg Davids, R-Preston, said he scrapped plans to hold tax committee hearings across the state this fall. Senate Capital Investment Committee Chairman Dave Senjem canceled plans for his committee to visit communities seeking state money for construction projects. As a result, he said any public works bill will likely end up having fewer local projects in it.

What is Dayton's take on the situation?

The governor said in a statement that he is pleased with the Supreme Court's ruling. He said the court agreed lawmakers could access up to $26 million to keep operations going until the 2018 session. As such, he said there was no need for the lawsuit.

"The Legislature has no reason to resume negotiations to restore its vetoed funds and to correct its excessive special interest tax reductions, which will jeopardize Minnesota's future financial stability. So it is time for us all to agree that this dispute has been concluded and resume working together for the best interests of Minnesota," Dayton said.

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What do local lawmakers think of the court's ruling?

Republicans said they were dismayed by the court's ruling. Davids said the failure to fully fund the Legislature means constituents' voices aren't being heard.

"The governor has no interest in negotiating in good faith. He's acting like a petulant child," Davids said.

Senjem calls the situation "unprecedented" and said it means that the legislative branch is no longer equal with that of the executive and judicial branches. He said it is up to the governor to bring an end to the budget feud.

"The only one in the galaxy that can get this thing back on track is the governor, and I think he needs to think long and hard about doing that," Senjem said.

Democrats say Republican legislative leaders need to be willing to return to the negotiating table.

"It's clear that the court believes this is something the Legislature and the governor should work out. I am calling on the Republican leadership in the Legislature to negotiate and solve this problem," said Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester.

Poppe agreed it is time for legislative leaders and the governor to try and resolve this. She added, "I hope that cooler heads prevail, that people put on their best statesmen hats and start working out solutions."
This is the cover of Al Frankens most recent book, Al Franken, Giant of the Senate:

This Michael Ramirez cartoon refers to an earlier Franken book, Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot. Click to enlarge:

Ann Althouse comments:

Remember when the globe he had his hand on wasnt a womans breast?

Last night, I was the master of ceremonies at a dinner at which several congressmen and other dignitaries spoke. One Minnesota congressman said that he was flying back to Washington later that night, and he was so tired he thought he would be able to sleep on the airplane. So he hoped Al Franken wouldnt be on the same flight.

I doubt that Franken can survive the ridicule.
Yesterday, in a post called The Farce of Bill Clintons Reckoning, I discussed the intellectual dishonesty of the many Democrats and feminists who defended Clinton from highly credible (and in at least one case admitted) charges of sexual misconduct. I rejected the defense to this hypocrisy that, when Clintons offenses were litigated more than 20 years ago, the problem of sexual harassment wasnt taken nearly as seriously as it is today. The furor caused in 1991 by Anita Hills charges against Clarence Thomas demonstrates the falsity of this evasion.

Yet, feminists and Democrats continue to make the argument. For cite one absurd example, last night a Democratic strategist who, from the look of it, was a toddler during the Thomas-Hill showdown, informed Tucker Carlson that the times were different in the early 1990s.

To overcome feminist amnesia (or in the case of the strategist, ignorance), lets revisit the Thomas controversy. First, lets compare the allegations against Thomas with those against Bill Clinton.

Was Thomas accused of rape, as Clinton was by Juanita Broaddrick? No. Was he accused of attempted rape? No.

Was he accused of groping Anita Hill? No. Did he try to steal a kiss from her? No.

Was any sex act performed, as with Clinton and Lewinsky? No. Nor was there any cigar play.

Here is how, at the time, Newsweek summarized Hills allegations against Thomas, all of which were denied by the nominee and none of which was ever corroborated:

[Hill] described Thomas as a boss who pestered her for dates and spoke graphically about pornography, bestiality, rape and his skills as a lover. He talked about pornographic materials depicting individuals with large penises or large breasts involved in various sex acts, she testified. The oddest episode, Hill said, occurred when he was drinking a Coke in his EEOC office. He got up from the table at which we were working, went over to his desk to get the Coke, looked at the can and asked, Who has put pubic hair on my Coke?

These allegation paint an unsavory picture and, if the alleged comments were made more than sporadically, they would meet the legal definition of sexual harassment (if true). However, they pale in comparison to the allegations that soon emerged against Bill Clinton.

Moreover, the allegations against Thomas were stale. The comments were alleged to have been made nearly a decade earlier. Hill had never complained. To the contrary, she maintained a friendly relationship with Thomas long after he ceased to be her boss.

Yet, Democrats and Republicans treated the allegations against Thomas as disqualifying, if true. And every feminist I heard speak during the ensuing national debate  other than those who knew Clarence Thomas personally  believed they were true.

To be sure, a majority of Americans believed Thomas. This was due mainly to (1) the late and last minute nature of Hills allegations (she made them years after the fact, just before the Judiciary Committee was set to vote), (2) the powerful and convincing quality of Thomas denials, and (3) the lack of testimony from other women that Thomas behaved as Hill claimed he did.

However, feminists uniformly believed Hill, as did most liberals, and considered her allegations disqualifying.

Compare this to the Clinton saga: (1) the allegations regarding Monica Lewinsky were fresh and the allegations made by Kathleen Willey were from earlier in his presidency, (2) Clinton admitted the improper relationship with Lewinsky, and (3) there was no shortage of women who alleged improper sexual behavior on his part.

Yet, feminists disbelieved all allegations against Clinton that he did not admit, and shrugged off his undisputed misconduct with Lewinsky.

The dispute over Hills allegations, which played out on national television in the form of high stakes Senate hearings, riveted the nation. He said, she said entered our vocabulary to stay. As noted, feminists and most liberals believed what she said.

Sexual harassment was already recognized as a serious societal concern before the Thomas-Hill controversy. According to the Huffington Post, in 1991 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported 3,349 charges filed alleging this form of discrimination. Thats more than 10 per EEOC business day.

In April 1992, BNA Books published Sexual Harassment in Employment Law by Barbara Lindeman and David Kadue, a case book to which I contributed a chapter. I believe the book was already in the works when, in the Fall of 1991, Anita Hill leveled her accusations.

In the introduction to the book, Judge Alex Kozinski, a conservative appointed by President Reagan, wrote:

It is a sobering revelation that every  every woman  who has spent substantial time in the work force in the last two decades can tell at least one story about being the object of sexual harassment.

Kozinski may have been exaggerating, but no serious observer on either side of the political spectrum denied that sexual harassment was widespread and to be taken seriously. This was widely acknowledged before the Hill allegations, and almost universally acknowledged afterwards, whatever position one took about her particular claims.

In 1992, the year after the Thomas-Hill hearings, the number of sex harassment charges presented to the EEOC jumped by around 70 percent. Some of my clients were already offering training to employees on the subject. Others would soon begin doing so.

This was the state of play when Slick Willie Clintons presidency commenced in 1993. Feminists were on high alert and strongly predisposed to believe allegations of sexual harassment.

Non-feminists who were paying attention, though unwilling to prejudge individual claims, understood that given the prevalence of sexual harassment, such claims had to be taken seriously. They could not be laughed off as fantasy or dismissed as inconsequential. Nor was it sufficient to portray the alleged victim as a bimbo or as trailer trash.

Yet this is how the multiple claims of sexual misconduct against Bill Clinton, including rape, were treated by feminists and liberals.

Given the history Ive just described, the argument that feminists and Democrats shrugged off claims of sexual misconduct against Clinton because of the times is unsustainable. The argument that, if Bill Clinton were president today, feminists and Democrats would believe Clintons accuser, or even just treat them with a modicum of respect, is unpersuasive.

The claims against Clinton were brought at a time of intense consciousness of the problem of sexual harassment. If anything, that consciousness subsided after Clintons presidency, thanks to the unwillingness of feminists and liberals to take his sexual misconduct seriously.

That unwillingness cannot be defended on the theory that times were different.
When we checked in most recently on the ongoing cage match between Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and the Republican-majority legislative bodies, the Minnesota Supreme Court had ordered the parties to mediation. Governor Dayton angrily abandoned the proceeding in short order as the parties failed to arrive at any agreement regarding funding of the legislature or amendment of bills that Dayton had signed. The parties held competing press conferences that I posted in the part 7 of this series (linked above).

Governor Dayton has vetoed the legislatures appropriation of operational funding in order to induce it to renegotiate the terms of the tax bill he himself had signed; he says he signed the tax bill in order to avoid a so-called (by him) poison pill that would have deprived funding to the Department of Revenue. I gave a fuller account of the background to the cage match in part 1 of this series.

In a rounded sort of way, the failure of mediation put the issue squarely to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Does the governor have the constitutional authority to zero out the legislatures funding? Yesterday the court issued its 29-page opinion affirming the governors authority to do so as long as the legislature has sufficient funds to subsist. At the moment and for the next several months it has funds on which it can subsist. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Lorie Gildea notes that the legislature can get along until it reconvenes next February.

Justice Barry Anderson dissents; he thinks the time to face the issue is now. He captures my view of Daytons argument in the case: The Governor argues that his line-item veto power is unqualified and unlimited and includes the authority to eliminate all appropriations for the Legislature, a position that King James I might have found familiar. The Governors only concession in our court is to explain that an unconstitutional abolition of the Legislature could be remedied by a judicial order that authorizes core funding, an option that has been dubious at best and that is now foreclosed (by the majority).

Justice Anderson is biting on the courts dodge: These discussions about what loose change can be found and when it can be spent to keep the Legislature operating are interesting but ultimately irrelevant. The dissent is on the money in a case that is all about the money.

What happens when the legislatures subsistence funds run out? As I read the courts opinion, the majority continues to hope that the parties will resolve their dispute. I think the majority is guilty of wishful thinking on this score and that theyre going to have to get back to us later in 2018 after a perilous situation has become an emergency.
Yesterday was a bad day for Al Franken. In the morning Leeann Tweeden posted the photograph of the sexual assault committed by Franken on her along with the compelling first-person account of her mistreatment by Franken. That was a shot heard round the world. Then in the afternoon Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley announced that he would not let Frankens withheld blue slip block the nomination of Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras to the Eighth Circuit or let Senator Kennedys withheld blue slip block the nomination of Kyle Duncan to the Fifth Circuit.

Senator Grassley took to the floor of the Senate to explain his disposition of the blue slip courtesy and his decision to schedule a committee hearing on the nominations of Stras and Duncan (text of statement here, video below). The Hill reported on Senator Grassleys statement here.

Senator Grassley waited a long time to announce his intentions. The Stras nomination has been pending since May 8. The time Justice Stras has spent in limbo must have been an ordeal. Its not right.

In the Frankensense, however, Senator Grassleys timing couldnt have been better. The idea that Senator Franken could veto an appellate court nominee with Strass character and record looked especially ludicrous yesterday afternoon.

Handling President Trumps appellate court nominations, Senator Grassley put those nominees for whom there was no blue-slip issue first in line for committee hearings. Yesterday the time arrived for Senator Grassleys decision on the treatment of the blue slips withheld in the Stras and Duncan nominations.

Senator Grassley differentiated between his intended treatment of blue slips in the case of federal appellate judges and federal district court judges. Rejecting Frankens disapproval of Justice Stras, he also reviewed Justice Strass impressive professional record  in practice, in teaching, and on the Minnesota Supreme Court  in detail.

Senator Grassleys announcement yesterday was foreshadowed by the committee majoritys November 2 memorandum on blue slips and on Senator Grassleys floor statement earlier this week, which I discussed, respectively, here and here. Those two posts read the tea leaves right.

I know and greatly admire Justice Stras. Granted a committee hearing, he now has the opportunity to win confirmation, which should take place in due course. Both the Stras and Duncan hearings are scheduled for November 29.

Justice Stras will make a great Eighth Circuit judge. Senator Grassley did the right thing denying Franken veto power over the nomination of Justice Stras to the Eighth Circuit.
Quote:

Graphic: Navy admits to being involved in obscene skydrawings spotted in Okanogan Co.



Staff , KREM 9:26 PM. EST November 16, 2017



WARNING: Some viewers may find the photos in this story offensive



OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash.  Officials with the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island said one of their aircraft was involved in the obscene skywritings spotted in Okanogan County.



Photos sent to KREM 2 by multiple sources show skydrawings of what some people are saying is male genitalia. Some sources have even tweeted pictures of what they saw.



A mother who lives in Okanogan who took pictures of the drawings reached out to KREM 2 to complain about the images, saying she was upset she might have to explain to her young children what the drawings were.



In a statement to KREM 2 News navy officials said, "The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable."



KREM 2 spoke to the Federal Aviation Administration to get some information about who may have made the drawings. FAA officials said unless the act poses a safety risk, there is nothing they can do about. The official said they "cannot police morality."
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Source :

Vice President of India, Acharya Lokesh, , Maurya with Religious Leaders inaugurated Ahimsa Diwas Samaroh at Vigyan BhawanNew Delhi, Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu inaugurating Ahimsa Diwas Samaroh said that Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti organisation in the leadership of Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni has been making remarkable efforts towards establishing Non-violence, Peace and Harmony, promoting humanitarian values, national character building not only in India but in different parts of the world. Program was organised on the 13th Foundation Day of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti organisation. Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV Shri Rajat Sharma, Chairperson of Varishth Nagarik Kesari Club Smt. Kiran Chopra graced the event as honourable guests. With Jain Religious Guru Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni, Ambassador of Sikhism in USA Bhai Satpal Singh Khalsa gave the message of Non-violence, Peace and Harmony on the occasion. Chief Minister of Bihar in written message gave greetings to the organisation.Vice President of India congratulating Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti for completing 12 successful years of working said that Ahimsa Diwas Samaroh is also important because peace and harmony can be established in the society only with non-violence. We need peaceful and harmonious atmosphere in the society for development. Violence cannot solve any problem; violence gives rise to counter violence. All problems can be solved through dialogue based on the principle of Unity in Diversity. Therefore Government of India made announcement to solve Kashmir issue through dialogue. India is a very large democracy, there is no place for violence in democracy.Acharya Lokesh Muni said that Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti Organisation was founded with the objective to spread the message of Peace, Harmony, Non-Violence, and Brotherhood, to encourage human values worldwide. We aim towards associating religion with social world and work for welfare of society and nation. We work for National character Building, education, health and medicine, means of livelihood for the less privileged and for enhancing spiritual experience in their lives through our branches in India and Abroad. He to all the workers to take the campaigns against social evils like Female Foeticide, Alcoholism, Child Labour and Environment Pollution run by Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti in different parts of India. Indian has pluralist culture. Unity in diversity is its unique feature. Inter religion harmony is key to this unity. Non-violence, peace and harmony begin from here.Shri Nitish Kumar in his written message said that Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni has done appreciable work for enhancement of human values, national character building. In the leadership of Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni, Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti is running national campaigns against alcoholism, female foeticite environment pollution. I congratulate Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti for organising Ahimsa Diwas Samaroh on completing 12 successful years of dedicated working. The organisation works with the aim to promote non-violence, peace and harmony in India and abroad.Shri Rajat Sharma said that presently there is a need for Religious Leaders, Social Workers, Political Leaders and Industrialists to make efforts towards establishing World Peace from one platform. We welcome the effort made by Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti in this direction. We appeal to the media friends to take this work of social welfare to the masses. He said many great leaders such as Bhagwan Mahavir, Bhagwan Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi gave great emphasis to non-violence. Today not only India but world should adapt the path of Ahimsa.Smt. Kiran Chopra said world population faced with nuclear war and terrorism can be saved by the philosophy of Non-violence and Peace. Ahimsa Diwas Samaroh has been organised at the time when there is an atmosphere of unrest in the whole world. When world is facing many global challenges and we are looking towards solution to such problems, Non-violence and Peace are very important. Time has come when we adapt this philosophy to find solution for contemporary problems.Bhai Satpal Singh Khalsa said that all religions tell us to live together with brotherhood and harmony in the society. There is a need that along with following our religion we should adapt the path of Non-violence and Peace in our daily life. We are pleased that Acharya Lokesh Ji is working for spreading Bhagwan Mahavir philosophy in the whole world. He is not only spreading Jain religion but Indian culture internationally. Many global problems can be solved by adapting the philosophy of Ahimsa. Problems like environment and nature degradation, violence due to war and terrorism, religious intolerance and economic exploitation can be solved by Ahimsa.Dr. Akit gupta was honored with Ahimsa Health Care Award, Shri Kashi Murarka wil Ahimsa Social Work Award and Shri Mahavir Goyal with Ahimsa Value Education Award. Gurudev Namr Muni Dikshati Sister were honoured with shawl and nariyal by Vice President, Acharya Lokesh Muni, Rajat Sharma and Kiran Chpra honored Chairman of the organising committee Dr. Ajeet Gupta, Shri Manish Shah, President Shri Raj Kumar Oswal, Convener Shri Subash Oswal, Secretary Shri Manoj Jain also addressed the gathering. School students in the presence of eminent people from India and abroad presented National Anthem and Peace song. Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti magazine Aahwaan was released on the occasion.
( Read 5675 Times)

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Udaipur, A 53-year-old man with a 4-year history of a very large; giant myxoma measuring 11.5 centimeters, which was consistent with severe mitral valve obstruction was operated successfully by Geetanjali Medical College & Hospital; Geetanjali Cardiac Centres Cardiac Thoracic & Vascular Surgeon Dr. Sanjay Gandhi. He survived fighting all odds to be the first case in Medical History of the world. Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital reported a similar case where the myxoma measures 11 centimeters long making it the first successful cardiac tumor (giant myxoma) removal surgery.Tararam (53 years) hailing from Sirohi (Raj.) was presented in emergency with complaints of breathlessness and weakness. He was on medications since 4 years in a nearby hospital of the town. On investigations of Echocardiography by Cardiologist, a giant mass was seen, filling the entire left atrium, lying on the mitral valve and almost totally obstructing blood flow. Coronary Computed Angiography was performed to evaluate the patency of the coronary arteries before surgery, which was normal. Given the embolic potential of myxomas, surgical excision was the best treatment option.As patient was sick, was having low cardiac output, severe pulmonary hypertension and low ejection fraction; timely intervention and immediate assistance was required hence, the team of surgeons and anesthetists including Dr. Sanjay Gandhi & Dr. Surendra Patel, Dr. Ankur Gandhi, Dr. Kalpesh Mistry, Dr. Manmohan Jindal & Dr Dharamchand Jain operated on emergency basis. The operation lasted 4 hours. During surgery the tumor, smooth surfaced, giant mass filling the entire left atrium, was removed together with its pedicle cautiously; as even a small part of tumor (if left out in heart) could cause brain stroke leading to death of the patient. The patient was then shifted to CTVS ICU and then weaned from ventilator support the very next day. The patient was operated free of cost under the flagship scheme of Rajasthan Governments Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojana (BSBY).Tumors in the heart are very uncommon as compared to other organs of the body, said Dr. Gandhi. Myxoma is the most prevalent primary cardiac tumor. They are the benign tumors as they do not spread from one part of the body to another. Once a cardiac myxoma is diagnosed, surgical excision should be performed without delays because of the risk of thromboembolic events. Generally, surgical treatment is definitive and recurrence is uncommon. Intracardiac tumors are rare, 75% are benign and 50% of them are myxomas with an incidence of 0, 0017% in the population, quoted Dr. Gandhi.
At least one state corrections officer at the Harborfields juvenile detention center in Egg Harbor City did not follow rules about when to open locked cells and when to have backup, Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said Friday.

That resulted in the escape just after midnight Wednesday by four teenagers, he said. Three were recaptured later Wednesday in Bridgeton, and the fourth, murder suspect Michael Huggins, 18, was recaptured in Atlantic City on Thursday.

Theres an investigation pending right now with the Prosecutors Office. It seems like there was just a breach of protocol, said Levinson. (Someone) went against the guidelines, and were damned mad about it.

He said a security video shows what happened in the early hours of Wednesday. He has not seen it, but he said the state and Prosecutors Office have.

He said officers are not supposed to open a cell after a certain time, and he believes one of the corrections officers broke protocol by going into a locked area alone, rather than having backup as required by the rules.

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong here, and we are very upset about it, Levinson said.

The escapees overpowered a corrections officer and stole a guards car, authorities have said. A corrections officer was injured and taken to a hospital. The teens later crashed the car and ditched it ahead of a pursuing police cruiser.

No one from the state Juvenile Justice Commission or the Attorney Generals Office responded by late afternoon Friday to requests to comment as to how the management of the facility will change in light of the escape, or how the results of the investigation into the escape will be released to the public.

Levinson also said state law changed a year ago, keeping teens in juvenile facilities when they turn 18, rather than allowing their move into adult facilities.

Welcome to New Jersey; the bleeding hearts won again, he said. Some states I believe try juveniles for heinous crimes as adults. Its a difficult thing to do here.

Because Huggins was 18 when he committed new crimes related to the escape, he is now in the Atlantic County jail, Levinson said.

He said corrections officers at Harborfields are state employees who are trained at the Police Academy in Sea Girt to become juvenile detention officers. They are not armed, nor are officers inside the county jail in Mays Landing, which houses adults. It creates too much of a risk of weapons being taken by inmates, he said.

Its a jail with locked cells, its just like a jail, Levinson said of Harborfields. What are you opening the door for without backup?

Stephine Woodley, Raymir Lampkin and Donovan Nickerson were identified as the three teens caught in Bridgeton. Their ages, hometowns and alleged crimes were not released. Before their capture, authorities said the escapees were 18, 17 and two 16-year-olds.

Huggins was charged with escape, robbery, assault of a law-enforcement officer and conspiracy, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. He will be charged as an adult with possession of a handgun, among other charges, pending further investigation.

Teen murder suspect who escaped Harborfields captured with a handgun ATLANTIC CITY  After a nearly two-day manhunt, the last of the four juvenile inmates who es

Huggins previously was charged with murder in the Oct. 7, 2016, killing of Davonte Lee in Bridgeton and was considered dangerous, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said Wednesday.

Huggins was indicted on the murder charge and a motion was made to transfer him to the county jail, but the motion was denied, Tyner said. He could not elaborate on the details.
PLEASANTVILLE  One of the men arrested and charged in an August 2016 shootout on the Atlantic City Expressway was arrested this week on drug charges, police said.

Wilbert Demosthenes, 27, of Pleasantville, was charged with two counts each of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public park, police said.

Demosthenes also was charged with resisting arrest by flight and eluding police in a motor vehicle, police said.

Grand jury indicts three in 2016 Atlantic City Expressway shooting Three of the suspects in an August shootout on the Atlantic City Expressway were indicted by

About 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Patrolman Ryan VanSyckle attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop on a gray Dodge Journey near Tremont and McKinley avenues, police said.

The cars operator, later identified as Demosthenes, refused to stop, started a motor vehicle pursuit and attempted to elude VanSyckle for several minutes through multiple residential areas before abandoning the car behind Dollar General at 600 S. New Road and fleeing on foot along with passenger Naseir Hampton, 18, also of Pleasantville, police said.

Demosthenes was apprehended by VanSyckle and Patrolman Daniel Davis after a brief foot pursuit and was found to be in possession of 41 bags of suspected heroin and 10 grams of suspected cocaine/fentanyl, police said.

Hampton was apprehended by Detectives Pablo Solorzano and Mark Millard a block away without incident, police said.

Suspect in AC Expressway shootout appears in court MAYS LANDING  A judge decided Monday that a Pleasantville man charged with four counts of a

An investigation led to Hampton being charged with possession of about 4 ounces of marijuana packaged for distribution, police said.

Hampton was also charged with resisting arrest by flight, possession of marijuana over 50 grams with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public park, police said.

Demosthenes was taken to the Atlantic County jail pending a detention hearing, and Hampton was processed and released on a summons, police said.

In August 2016, Demosthenes was one of five people injured during a rolling shootout on the Expressway. Police have said he was shot during the melee and drove to Philadelphia, where he admitted himself to a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his arm.

He was later found at a home on Willard Avenue, where he was arrested without incident by Pleasantville police and State Police detectives.

Detectives previously said Demosthenes was in a black Dodge Ram pickup truck associated with the shooting that was later found in Pleasantville with his blood in it, matched through a DNA test.
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.
MULLICA TOWNSHIP  A 57-year-old woman was rescued Thursday after falling 10 feet down into an abandoned septic tank behind her home, authorities said.

Tami Camp, 57, was found Thursday conscious but with severe back pain at the bottom of the old tank, police Chief John C. Thompson Jr. said.

Officers responded to the call about 2:40 p.m. on the 3000 block of Nesco Road. She fell through a rotted cover of the tank about 2 p.m., Thompson said.

It took about 30 minutes for her son to hear her screams for help and call 911, Thompson said. Police estimated the woman was in the hole for almost three hours before being removed.

AtlantiCare emergency technicians, along with Elwood, Nesco and Hammonton fire crews, responded to the scene. The Atlantic City Fire Departments Confined Space Rescue Team responded by 3:15 p.m.

Its a very tight space for rescuers to be in, Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans said. It was so tight they had to use a specialized rescue board to assist her.

First responders assessed the scene to determine the type of equipment needed, and the departments Special Operations Unit set up a system to help get the woman out.

They had to ventilate the hole to make sure the air was safe for the woman to breathe, Evans said.

Utilizing the Ham-monton Fire Departments Tower Ladder Truck, the Atlantic City Fire Department rescued the woman with a system of ropes and braces to remove her safely, Thompson said.

Camp was airlifted to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center for further treatment.

Before the Atlantic City Fire Department arrived, a Mullica Township police officer and an AtlantiCare EMS worker went into the hole with a ladder to treat Camp, he said.
ATLANTIC CITY  New Jersey Gov.-elect Phil Murphy laid out an aggressive agenda for his first year in office that included raising taxes on millionaires, fully funding public education, fixing NJ Transit lines and restoring funds for womens health care.

It was all part of what he said will be the comeback story of this nation for New Jerseys economy.

Speaking at the closing luncheon at the Sheraton Hotel for the event of the New Jersey League of Municipalities convention, Murphy told the ballroom audience of elected and public officials New Jerseys best days will be ahead of it, not behind.

I ran for governor because I want to be part of the solution, not just someone standing on the sidelines complaining, Murphy said. I intend to govern with the same optimism and enthusiasm with which I campaigned.

Although his 15-minute speech did not offer many details on how he plans to implement the new policies, Murphy pledged some of his top priorities will be to fully fund public schools, which he says will provide property-tax relief, pass common sense gun legislation, make sure the wealthiest people and corporations pay their fair share, legalize marijuana, and fix long-standing problems with NJ Transit.

It drives me crazy that in the densest state in the nation  the fourth smallest geographically  a state that sits between the largest market in the world in New York and one of the largest in the country in Philadelphia, we cant get people to work on time, he said.

He also used part of his speech to criticize the federal tax reform plan backed by President Donald Trump and many Republicans in Congress, saying New Jersey residents are being singled out for a federal tax increase. He called on both Republicans and Democrats to stand against the tax-reform policy because the state would be negatively affected by it.

The speech and luncheon were a signal of new leadership and policies in New Jersey. Many of those policies proposed by Murphy generated loud cheers from the crowd of municipal leaders from across the state.

Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, a Republican, told the crowd people in both parties are counting down the days until Murphy takes over from Gov. Chris Christie.

There is going to be two Christmases, Guardian said. December 25 and January 16, the day we get a new governor.
A state appellate court decision and the election of Democrat Phil Murphy to replace Chris Christie as governor are likely to mean changes in New Jerseys positions on marijuana.

While it would not be wise to follow the lead of other states and legalize pot for recreational use, the developments hopefully will bring clarity on the status of the drug in the state and potential improvements in medical-marijuana policies.

At best, you could call New Jerseys current relationship with marijuana transitional. Its also been confusing, contradictory and both forward-looking and clinging to the past at the same time.

In 2010, legislators passed a law allowing for marijuanas medical use. Advocates praised the increase in alternatives for patients who had not found relief in traditional medicine. But conflict arose after Christie was elected. Critics said he dragged out the laws implementation, causing frustration and limiting the potential benefits of the program. The recent report from the federal opioid task force led by Christie recently cited the lack of sophisticated data in questioning the role of medical marijuana.

But the governor-elect has a different view. Murphy is a strong supporter of legalizing and taxing marijuana. While we have said before that New Jersey should wait to study the health and other impacts of legalized recreational pot in the handful of states that have taken that path, Murphy will likely be more open to expanding legitimate medical uses and removing obstacles that frustrate those who could benefit from the drug.

A huge contradiction in New Jersey is the states legal classification of the drug as a Schedule 1 narcotic. By definition, that designation means a drug has no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; or lacks accepted safety for use in treatment under medical supervision. The states own medical marijuana legislation says pot does have medical benefits.

In a ruling this month, the Appellate Division of Superior Court stopped short of ordering marijuanas removal from the Schedule 1 list but told the state Division of Consumer Affairs it should consider the move. The decision said the DCA director was wrong when he took the position he couldnt reclassify marijuana without the federal government doing so first.

As part of the ruling, Judge Michael Guadagno, the husband of outgoing Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, said there is now clear scientific evidence that marijuana has legitimate medical purposes in alleviating pain for certain patients.

The state Attorney Generals Office says it will appeal the ruling, but we hope the DCA eventually comes around to recognizing the need for its classification of marijuana to mirror accepted medical thinking.

The classification of controlled dangerous substances ranges from Schedule I, the most restrictive, to Schedule V, differing in a drugs potential for abuse, its possible medical uses and the safety of any treatments.

A brief in the appellate case noted that a Schedule III reclassification for marijuana would permit school nurses to dispense the medication, while the dissenting opinion warned any change could blur the line between medical and illicit uses.

Those are factors the DCA should consider, but it seems clear some change is needed.
Zimbabweans are hoping for a speedy and smooth resolution to their nation's sudden political crisis, as opposition figures, civil society and religious groups urge longtime President Robert Mugabe to step down in the wake of a military takeover.

But reports Thursday said Mugabe was resisting, and South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, dashed hopes of a quick final act, telling his parliament, "It is too early to take any firm decision now."

Mugabe hasn't been seen in public since being placed under house arrest in Harare by soldiers Tuesday night. Mediators sent by the South African government met at Mugabe's home Thursday and at State House.

Analyst Knox Chitiyo of the Chatham House research institution, was in Harare when the military deployed its tanks on Tuesday. Chitiyo, who is Zimbabwean, says the longer the military is perceived to be in charge, the more unstable things will become.

"The key issue is the time scale," he told VOA in Johannesburg. "The military will want... these negotiations to be completed, as quickly as possible. They want to have the president, or if it's acting president, in place as soon as possible. They want an interim administration announced, I think, as soon as possible. The military does not want this to drag out, because the longer all this drags out, the murkier, the messier it could become."

Some key figures in Zimbabwe's opposition are proposing a transitional government ahead of the elections already planned for next year. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday urged Mugabe to resign.


YINGKOU, China, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Yingkou, the first treaty port in northeast China opened to foreigners in 1861, has re-emerged into the spotlight after becoming part of a new free trade zone.

Seven months after it was approved by the central government to be part of China (Liaoning) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), Yingkou Area has seen a rapid rise in capital inflow.

By Nov. 10, some 1,765 new enterprises have been established with an aggregate registered capital of 86.9 billion yuan. Of the total, 21.26 billion yuan came from foreign investors.

Israel National Medical Center (INMC) has decided to co-invest China's first institute specialized in precision medicine with Chinda Gene in Yingkou, where pediatric rehabilitation, assisted reproduction clinic and remote medical services by Israeli experts will be available.

Yang Fan with Chinda Gene attributed the quick decision of INMC to the impressive efficiency of local government and the city's strategic location which allows the company to easily explore the Northeast Asian market.

"Yingkou's business environment is very open. We feel a strong sense of responsibility from the management of Yingkou Area. That is why INMC has decided to headquarter here," Yang said.

Yin hongwei, director of Tiannian Medical Service, another newly-established company with a registered capital of five billion yuan, said his investment in Yingkou was aimed at Northeast Asia.

In the eyes of Zhao Changfu, top leader of Yingkou City, Yingkou Port and the burgeoning free trade area are "the two wings" on which local economy will soar.

With a handling capacity of 352 million tonnes, the eighth largest in China, Yingkou Port is quickly integrating itself with China's Belt and Road Initiative. Through sea-rail combined transport, the port has been well connected with not only Russia and other European countries but also Manchuria, southern China and the ASEAN.

In a move to enhance its global competence, Yingkou Area signed a framework agreement with Imperial County FTZ Management Corporation from California in June to facilitate cooperation in production, processing, trade and logistics.

As the city has drastically reduced its business review proceedings and optimized its services, Yin Hongwei said he used only one day to get the business license done. "Yingkou is really efficient," he said.

SOURCE Management Committee of Yingkou Area of China (Liaoning) Pilot Free Trade Zone
Out of the ten shortlisted photographers from more than 550 submission all around the world, Sarah Pannell has been selected as the winner for her proposal to investigate the daily lives of Egyptians in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. She plans to visit Cairo's tourist hotspots - including, the Pyramids of Giza and the Valley of the Kings - during Winter.

"Sarah is an emerging photographer with a highly developed visual language and an acute eye for composition and detail. Her pictures convey wanderlust and curiosity, but also a sense of the complexity of the places and communities she makes her subject," commented Simon Bainbridge, the Editorial director of BJP.

After the launch of its service in Europe, Send Anywhere has been making steady progress, engaging with creative community whilst updating its service to better accommodate user behaviour. Recently, it introduced a new feature, 'My Link,' that allows users to manage all Send Anywhere share links created from different devices.

"Send Anywhere has been receiving lots of interest from photographers as our service allows photographers to retain the original quality of photos without compression," said Seung-Hyun SON, the CMO at Send Anywhere.

You can download a free e-book featuring the best works shortlisted photographers from the following link. http://sendanywhe.re/SAAFINAL10

About Send Anywhere:

Founded in 2012 in Seoul, Send Anywhere, the brainchild of Estmob Inc. is a file sharing service that takes an easy, quick, and unlimited approach to file sharing. Easily, it lets you transfer any file type, across any platform, all without requiring signing up or logging in. Quickly, given network conditions, it finds the optimal network path to ensure the fastest transfer. As for unlimited, you can send any sized file, as many times as you want, all for free. Send Anywhere works across Amazon Kindle, Android, iOS, Windows PC and Phone, Mac, Linux, Web Widget, API, WordPress Plugin, and for Samsung Printers.

For more information, please contact:

Jaeman Lee

jaeman.lee@estmob.com

Related Links:

https://send-anywhere.com

http://sendanywhe.re/SAAFINAL10

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/606792/The_Daily_Lives_of_Egyptians.jpg

Related Links

https://send-anywhere.com



SOURCE Estmob Inc.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Hash: SHA1



=====================================================================

Red Hat Security Advisory



Synopsis: Important: Red Hat JBoss Data Grid 7.1.1 security update

Advisory ID: RHSA-2017:3244-01

Product: Red Hat JBoss Data Grid

Advisory URL: https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:3244

Issue date: 2017-11-16

CVE Names: CVE-2016-0750 CVE-2017-5645 CVE-2017-12629

=====================================================================



1. Summary:



Red Hat JBoss Data Grid 7.1.1 is now available for download from the

Customer Portal.



Red Hat Product Security has rated this update as having a security impact

of Important. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score,

which gives a detailed severity rating, is available for each vulnerability

from the CVE link(s) in the References section.



2. Description:



Red Hat JBoss Data Grid is a distributed in-memory data grid, based on

Infinispan.



This release of Red Hat JBoss Data Grid 7.1.1 serves as a replacement for

Red Hat JBoss Data Grid 7.1.0, and includes bug fixes and enhancements,

which are documented in the Release Notes linked to in the References.



Security Fix(es):



* It was found that Apache Lucene would accept an object from an

unauthenticated user that could be manipulated through subsequent post

requests. An attacker could use this flaw to assemble an object that could

permit execution of arbitrary code if the server enabled Apache Solr's

Config API. (CVE-2017-12629)



* It was found that when using remote logging with log4j socket server the

log4j server would deserialize any log event received via TCP or UDP. An

attacker could use this flaw to send a specially crafted log event that,

during deserialization, would execute arbitrary code in the context of the

logger application. (CVE-2017-5645)



* The hotrod java client in infinispan automatically deserializes bytearray

message contents in certain events. A malicious user could exploit this

flaw by injecting a specially-crafted serialized object to attain remote

code execution or conduct other attacks. (CVE-2016-0750)



For more information regarding CVE-2017-12629, see the article linked in

the references section.



Red Hat would like to thank Sebastian Olsson (TrueSec) for reporting

CVE-2016-0750.



3. Solution:



The References section of this erratum contains a download link (you must

log in to download the update).



Before applying the update, back up your existing Red Hat JBoss Data Grid

installation (including databases, configuration files, and so on).



4. Bugs fixed (https://bugzilla.redhat.com/):



1300443 - CVE-2016-0750 hotrod client: unchecked deserialization in marshaller

util

1443635 - CVE-2017-5645 log4j: Socket receiver deserialization vulnerability

1501529 - CVE-2017-12629 Solr: Code execution via entity expansion



5. References:



https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2016-0750

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2017-5645

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2017-12629

https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/CVE-2017-12629

https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/#important

https://access.redhat.com/jbossnetwork/restricted/listSoftware.html?product=data.grid&downloadType=distributions&version=7.1.1

https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_JBoss_Data_Grid/



6. Contact:



The Red Hat security contact is <secalert@redhat.com>. More contact

details at https://access.redhat.com/security/team/contact/



Copyright 2017 Red Hat, Inc.

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=ut90

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--

RHSA-announce mailing list

RHSA-announce@redhat.com

https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/rhsa-announce


The UN Command has put off releasing a video clip of a North Korean soldier fleeing to South Korea through the Joint Security Area on Monday.

The UNC had originally planned to release the footage on Thursday but faced a protest from reporters because it seems to have been edited down to almost nothing.

On Wednesday, the UNC promised to release footage of the soldier's flight, but on Thursday it backtracked and said it would release only a 26-second edited version "to avoid unnecessary speculation."

Reporters on the defense beat said that is not enough to shed light on the incident because it would probably omit key parts that would show whether North Korean guards crossed the military demarcation line in pursuit.

They said it was risible to reflect a chain of events that lasted about 40 minutes in 26 seconds of video. The UNC then held a meeting to discuss releasing a full version, but a spokesman later said it would be impossible to do that this week. The spokesman said the problem is that that the UNC chief, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Vincent Brooks, is out of the country.




Genres : Comedy

: Comedy

Running Time : 100 min.

: 100 min.

Directed by : Lee Yong-seung

: Lee Yong-seung

Starring : Shin Ha-kyun, Doh Kyung-soo

Synopsis : Tae-jung hides a shipment of drugs in room No. 7 of the video store where he is working in exchange for wiping off his debt. When he goes back to the room to retrieve the drugs for a dealer, he finds the door locked down by his employer, who also has secretly hidden a dead body inside.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Washington, Nov 14 : Donald Trump Jr., the US President's eldest son, has released exchanges he had with the WikiLeaks Twitter account via direct messages during the 2016 presidential campaign, the media reported.

Trump Jr. tweeted the exchange on Monday, saying: "Here is the entire chain of messages with @wikileaks (with my whopping three responses) which one of the congressional committees has chosen to selectively leak. How ironic!"

According to the released messages, WikiLeaks reached out to Trump Jr. just before midnight on September 20, 2016, regarding a political action committee (PAC)-funded, anti-Trump website.

A source familiar with the matter told CNN that Congress has had the documents for a while, and Trump Jr. was briefly asked about the exchanges during a closed-door interview he had with the Senate judiciary committee in September.

Alan Futerfas, an attorney for Trump Jr., said: "Putting aside the question as to why or by whom such documents, provided to Congress under promises of confidentiality, have been selectively leaked, we can say with confidence that we have no concerns about these documents and any questions raised about them have been easily answered in the appropriate forum."

Trump Jr. responded to two of the messages initiated by WikiLeaks, the one sent on September 21, 2016, and then again on October 3, 2016.

In the October 3 exchange, the WikiLeaks Twitter account sent a message to Trump Jr. that said: "Hiya, it'd be great if you guys could comment on/push this story," and proceeded to link to a quote from Clinton suggesting a drone strike against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to the messages shared by Trump Jr.

"Already did that earlier today," Trump Jr. wrote back. "It's amazing what she can get away with."

Monday's revelation comes amid several investigations into possible links between President Donald Trump campaign's and Russia.

Trump Jr. faced scrutiny after it was disclosed that he had agreed to meet a Russian attorney in June 2016 who promised "dirt" on Clinton.
Washington, Nov 14 : A woman has alleged that former President George H.W. Bush touched her inappropriately when she was a teenager while posing for a photograph.

Roslyn Corrigan, who was 16 years old at the time, told the Time magazine on Monday that she was groped by Bush Senior at a November 2003 meeting of CIA officers in Texas where her father worked.

Corrigan told the magazine the former President "groped her buttocks" as she and her mother, Sari Young, posed for a photograph with him.

"As soon as the picture was being snapped, on the one-two-three he dropped his hands from my waist down to my buttocks and gave it a ... squeeze, which would account for the fact that in the photograph my mouth is hanging wide open," Corrigan told Time, her first public interview about the incident.

"I was like, 'Oh my goodness, what just happened?'"

"My initial reaction was absolute horror," she said about the incident. "I was really, really confused." She added: "I was a child."

She is the sixth woman to accuse the former President of inappropriately touching her in similar circumstances. His spokesman Jim McGrath has previously acknowledged that Bush Senior has touched several women on the rear.

McGrath issued an apology on the former President's behalf in the wake of the latest allegation.

"George Bush simply does not have it in his heart to knowingly cause anyone distress, and he again apologizes to anyone he offended during a photo op," McGrath told CNN.

In statement released last month in response to the previous groping allegations by five women, McGrath said Bush, 93, has used a wheelchair for roughly five years, so his arm "falls on the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures".

"To try to put people at ease, the President routinely tells the same joke - and on occasion, he has patted women's rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner," McGrath previously said. "Some have seen it as innocent; others clearly view it as inappropriate."

On November 1, Laura Bush, the wife of George W. Bush, said that the alleged incidents against her father-in-law were innocent.

"I'm just sad that we've come to this," she said. "That was something that was very, very innocent that he's been accused of. But I know he would feel terrible."
New Delhi, Nov 14 : The literary scene was quite different when Bookaroo -- Indias first childrens literature festival -- began its humble journey. This year, it turns 10 and over 60 award-winning writers, illustrators, poets and storytellers, from 18 countries will enthrall young audiences here.

The literary event is scheduled to take place on Nov 25 and 26 at at Children's Park near India Gate.

"It has been an incredible journey from the seed of an idea born in a bookshop to the celebration of our 10th birthday -- an event that is celebrated by the entire city," M. Venkatesh, Co-founder Bookaroo Trust and Festival Director told IANS.

Bookaroo Children's Literature Festival, organised by Delhi-based Bookaroo Trust, is India's first literature festival of its kind. The nine-city festival began in November 2008 as a solo event in the capital. The New Delhi edition is annually held during the last weekend of November.

"The success of bookaroo lies not only in bringing children and books together but by providing a platform for everyone involved in the world of children's books," said Jo Williams, Co-founder Bookaroo Trust and a Festival Director.

The organisers also said that entry to the festival is free and open to all. Though some school groups come to attend the festival, the major emphasis is on families. The festival aims to take reading from being a school chore to being an enjoyable family activity.

Alongside the weekend festival, Bookaroo also has an outreach programme, Bookaroo in the City (BIC), with visits to schools, hospitals, orphanages, homes and schools for children with special needs. The idea is to take a flavour of the festival to those who may not be able to make it to the main festival.

Young readers will have an opportunity to step into the Indian Jungle with Vivek Menon, a renowned wildlife conservationist, who will share his experiences of the jungle and wildlife with children.

One can also discover amazing facts about the animal world with Ranjit Lal, the author of over 30 books -- fiction and nonfiction -- for children and adults. Among other noted names participating in the lit fest are Avanti Deosthale, Anita Nair, Anushka Ravishankar and Christian Duda.
Mumbai, Nov 14 : Fugitive mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar's three prime properties in south Mumbai finally found a buyer on Tuesday -- the Saifee Burhani Uphliftment Trust (SBUT), run by the Dawoodi Bohra community, an official said here.

"Yes. We submitted bids and have won the auction for the three properties which fall within the redevelopment jurisdiction of the SBUT. We shall now complete the remaining formalities," a SBUT spokesperson told IANS.

The properties to be acquired by SBUT include a restaurant, Hotel Raunaq Afroz, also known as Delhi Zaika, a two-storey Shabnam Guest House and six tenements in the Damarwala Building.

All the properties falling within one kilometre radius in the congested Bhendi Bazar area were owned by Dawood and other Kaskar family members.

They were taken over by the government after the March 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts and were put on the auction block at least thrice in the past, including the last unsuccessful attempt two years ago.

"These buildings are in a dilapidated condition and unfit for living. Therefore, to ensure safety of the families living there and to carry on with the redevelopment project, we participated in the bidding and acquired these properties," the SBUT spokesperson added.

According to an official source in the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, (SAFEMA)1976, the final winning bids approved on Tuesday are: Rs 4.53 crore for Hotel Raunaq Afroz, Rs 3 crore for Shabnam Guest House and Rs 3.53 crore for the six rooms in Damarwala Building.

The total reserve price of these three properties was Rs 3.95 crore and SBUT has acquired them for nearly thrice the (reserve) amount, at Rs 11.06 crore.

The Trust will be required to pay SAFEMA the total amount and thereafter the formalities of handing over possession shall be completed within a few weeks, the SAFEMA official said.

This was the second auction of the properties organised by the Ministry of Finance - under which SAFEMA functions - in the past two years, vide public advertisements issued in mid-October.

However, none of the properties could be auctioned off in past due to fear of reprisals from the fugitive don, who now lives in Pakistan, as per the latest revelations by his sibling Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar, who was arrested in September in extortion cases.

This time round, as a precaution to keep away mischief-mongers and non-serious bidders, the caution money for submitting bid had been hiked by over six times to Rs 100,000 for the three properties against threat of forfeiture if any bidder created trouble at the auction.
The families of five victims of the 2014 ferry disaster have given up hope that the remains of their loved ones will ever be found. Six family members of the missing victims made a deep bow in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province on Thursday, the 1,311th day since the ferry sank, to express their gratitude to people who supported and encouraged them. "We're grief-stricken, but decided to hold our loved ones in our hearts," one of them said.



A spokesman for the families of the missing victims in the 2014 ferry disaster talks to reporters in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province on Thursday. /Newsis

The wreck was hauled into dock on April 11 this year to search for remains. Nine victims were missing when the government officially ended the underwater search on Nov. 11, 2014. The families of the missing victims have spent three winters in makeshift container homes near Jindo, South Jeolla Province. They moved to temporary shelters in Mokpo after the wreck was hauled in. Remains of four missing victims were recovered in a search of the wreck. "We've spent seven months in small containers waiting for the search but realized with growing fear and pain that we will never find our loved ones," their spokesman said. "We concluded that it would be excessive to demand a further search and hurt people who are supporting us."

Families weep after announcing that they are giving up on the search for the missing victims of the 2014 ferry disaster (marked in the red box) in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province on Thursday.

They will hold a memorial service there on Saturday. In lieu of the victims' bodies they will cremate the victims' student ID cards, school uniforms, wallets and other belongings that were recovered during the search. The urns will be buried in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province alongside other victims.
New Delhi, Nov 15 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday accused Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal of "disrupting an elected government".

"Isn't LG disrupting an elected government by encouraging officers not to show files to Ministers?

"Why are files related to teachers being hidden from Education Minister? How does an Education Minister run schools like this?" the Chief Minister tweeted on Wednesday.

Earlier Kejriwal's deputy and Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia had alleged that a file related to a proposal for sending teachers and principals to Finland for training was not shown to him.

On Tuesday, Baijal said it was not clear who has given the impression to the Deputy Chief Minister that the Lieutenant Governor's office has given instructions not to show any file concerning 'teachers' to the Minister-in-charge.

Baijal added that he had referred the file for the training of teachers in Finland to Sisodia for his comments.

Sisodia responded by asking the Lieutenant Governor to issue "written instructions to officers of the DoE (Department of Education) and Chief Secretary that all files of the Education Department have to be shown to the Minister-in-charge".
New Delhi, Nov 15 : UK rapper Lady Leshurr plan to shoot a music video in India during her maiden visit to the country for a three-city tour this week.

She will be in the country as part of beer brand Bira 91's new hip-hop focused campaign called FreeFlow. For its first tour featuring Leshurr, Bira 91 FreeFlow will visit Mumbai (Thursday), Bengaluru (Friday) and Delhi (Saturday).

Asked if she has planned anything special for her first tour in India, the rapper from Birmingham told IANS in an email interview: "I am definitely going to shoot a music video out there because it's not every day you get a chance to go to India."

"And I really love to show, shed light on a part of the world that most English people never do see in their life. Even Americans - so many of them never even leave their state."

She is yet to finalise the location.

"I am hoping to ask people when I get there, what are the things I must see or where I should shoot the video," said the rapper, who shot to fame with her "Queen's Speech" YouTube series.

She will be accompanied on the tour by Delhi-based rapper Prabh Deep.

"I haven't heard his music, but hopefully we will get a chance to spend some time in a studio and try something," she said.

There are very few women rappers across the globe. Why is there a gender gap?

"I think it's always going to be like that. For some reason, everyone always thinks that there is only female, there can only be one female, and that's it. There have been a few female artistes that have been on the charts and are doing the impossible basically.

"There are a few of us female rappers that are actually getting their shine on. It's always been the media and the listeners of the artistes who pit the artistes against each other and make it seem that there could be only be one."

People look at them differently, she says.

"They will watch our videos. They always comment on how we look before they hear what we have to say. For male rappers, it isn't like that. There's a massive gap because there are hardly any females in the music industry, it's a male dominated space," said the "Where are you now?" hitmaker.

She finds rapper Nicki Minaj "pretty cool".

"She has opened so many doors for up-and-coming female artistes. She wasn't one of the first female rappers out there, but she has done so much more than a lot of the other ones just because of the she was marketed, her talent and the people she has around her," said Leshurr.

"I only have love and respect for her because she has acknowledged me in the past. She showed love for me and she doesn't have to do that. And that goes a long way because she is one of the top five rappers, male or female, of all time. Hopefully, there will be a collaboration soon on the cards. I think she is coming to the U.K next year. Fingers crossed," she said.

Leshurr, whose freestyling combines mischief with wit and a good comic timing, has also worked with Grammy Award-winning American record producer-rapper Timbaland.

But her journey in the industry was not always smooth.

"It hasn't been easy for me. I moved to London and away from my family. It's a sacrifice that I just had to make.

"The shows were coming in real slow at the start and I just had to create my own brand, draw the attention of people who had never heard of me before."

Then what changed?

"I think the reason why I started getting a lot of shows was because I was doing a lot of covers. I was known for doing a lot of covers, rapping over other people's beats and that's basically what got me the shows to begin with," she said.

Talking about her best project, she said: "'Queen's Speech' Episode four because that was the song that changed my entire life. I bought my mother a house after that."

It turned her into an online sensation.

"Battle rap videos really inspired it! I used to watch a lot of battle rap videos and think why these guys aren't signed by someone or bigger than Jay Z because a lot of them are really incredible.

"That was one of the ideas behind 'Queen's Speech', I thought about doing a freestyle with actual song, melody. I wanted to do something fun, something different."

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)
Canberra, Nov 15 : Rainbow flags fluttered and champagne corks flew into the air amid tears of joy during celebrations across Australia on Wednesday following a resounding "yes" vote in the same-sex marriage postal survey.

Large public gatherings in major cities, including Sydney and Melbourne, saw marriage proposals with people turning up in wedding dresses as the country learned that 61.6 per cent of participants voted for same-sex marriage.

Couples kissed and friends embraced -- some in relief and others in jubilation. More than 12.7 million people across the country, or 79.5 per cent of the population, took part in the survey with every state and territory returning a majority "yes", SBS Australia reported.

Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said it had been an "overwhelming" response and called for same-sex marriage to be legalised before Christmas. "They voted 'yes' for fairness, they voted 'yes' for commitment, they voted 'yes' for love. And now it is up to us here in the Parliament of Australia to get on with it," he told reporters in Canberra.

The results released earlier in the day by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that 38 per cent voted against same-sex marriage. Voting had opened on September 12 and Australians who had registered to vote had until November 7 to return their surveys.

In Melbourne, 5,000 people outside the State Library of Victoria cheered and danced to Kylie Minogue's "Celebration". In Sydney's Prince Alfred Park, musician John Paul Young sang "Love is in the Air".

Swimming champion Ian Thorpe, actor Magda Szubanski, Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce and Labour leader in the Senate Penny Wong were among those overcome with emotion and keen to share their joy with fellow Australians.

"I am pleased I have been able to be part of it. I feel it's right not only for the LGBTI community but for the Australian community as well," Thorpe said.

The Qantas CEO said: "Today I am even more proud of Australia, the country of my selection."

"We now send a message from the Australian people to get on with it... we needed to be delivered and we needed to be delivered fast. Get on and do it, Mr Turnbull."

Celebrities, including Minogue, Ellen DeGeneres -- married to Australian-American Portia de Rossi, Apple boss Tim Cook, Canadian leader Justin Trudeau and former British Premier David Cameron, tweeted congratulations.

Christine Forster, the sister of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott -- she is in a same-sex relationship and is a long-term supporter of marriage equality, while he is an opponent -- celebrated the decision.

"This is the happiest day of my life," 35-year-old James Mead said as tears streamed down his face.

In Perth, Jonathon Mann was accompanied by his friend, Ally White, to hear the announcement. "For me, it's so good to know that one of my great mates Jon can have the same rights as me and get married," White said before the pair hugged.

Meanwhile, rain did not stop "yes" supporters from celebrating at Hindmarsh Square in Adelaide. "It's an extraordinary relief for those of us who have been supporting marriage equality for an extended period of time," South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill said.

Politicians are expected to begin discussing the specifics of the same-sex marriage bill as early as this week, the SBS reported.

The two-month campaign was marred by harsh rhetoric and wild allegations of the consequences of a "yes" vote. Rainbow flags were sprayed with Nazi symbols in Brisbane while "no" advertisements claimed same-sex marriage would lead to "radical gay sex" education in schools.
Islamabad, Nov 15 : Pakistan on Wednesday summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh over alleged ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control in which a woman was reportedly killed.

Director General (SA & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned the Indian envoy and "lodged a strong protest on the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces in Chirikot Sector along the Line of Control (LoC) on November 14.

"The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," the Pakistani official said.

The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the incidents of truce violations, said an official statement issued here.

The Indian diplomat was also told that India should permit the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role in Jammu and Kashmir, the statement said.

The Foreign Ministry said that during 2017 to date, "Indian forces have carried out more than 1,300 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary which, it claimed, has led to the deaths of 50 civilians and injuries to 165.
New Delhi, Nov 16 : French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrives here on Friday on a two-day visit to prepare for the visit of President Emmanuel Macron in early December.

Both Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are to formalise the launching of the International Solar Alliance, in early 2018.

On the first day of his trip on Friday, Minister Le Drian will meet Prime Minister Modi, as well as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, and Minister of State (IC) for Power and New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh. He will also meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The meetings are part of efforts to strengthen various aspects of France's bilateral cooperation with India, its foremost Asian strategic partner: security, economy, sustainable urban development and renewable energy, education and research, people-to-people ties and cultural affairs, a statement from the French Embassy said.

He will also meet prominent members of the Indian and French business communities.

On the second day, on the occasion of the official launch of the third edition of the Indo-French platform "Bonjour India", Le Drian will unveil "The Experience": an immersive and interactive multimedia journey to the heart of the Indo-French relationship.

The Grand Opening of Bonjour India will take place at Amber Fort, Jaipur, on Saturday evening. Minister Le Drian, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje will grace the event, which will feature a monumental video creation by French artist Xavier de Richemont, entitled "Barghal". This will be followed by a reception offering a vegetarian menu with ingredients sourced locally from Tijara, specially conceived for the occasion by celebrated Michelin-star chef Alain Passard in collaboration with Indian chefs at Hotel Fairmont.

This three-month Indo-French collaborative platform focused on innovation, creativity, and partnership, will present more than 300 events in 33 cities across India.
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 16 : The Kerala unit of the two Communist parties - CPI-M and CPI - the number one and two parties in the ruling Left Democratic Front on Thursday openly came out against each other.

The immediate provocation for this was the manner in which four CPI state Ministers boycotted Wednesday's weekly cabinet meeting in protest against the presence of tainted State Transport Minister Thomas Chandy, who is facing allegations of land grab.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the move by the CPI Ministers was unprecedented and should not have happened.

State CPI Secretary Kanam Rajendran, in a hard hitting article in the party organ and also on his Facebook page, on Thursday said the boycott was unprecedented as unprecedented things have happened in the manner the resignation of Chandy was handled.

"It's really strange when a state Minister approached the court questioning the acts of the state government, and we, the CPI felt it was a wrong move. Even the court came down heavily and the CPI felt that it was not fair to be part of the cabinet meeting in which Chandy was there. It was this unprecedented act that made us take an unprecedented decision of keeping away from the cabinet," said Rajendran.

The CPI move was taken note of by the CPI-M national leadership in Delhi when Vijayan took part in the politburo meeting on Thursday morning. The party directed State CPI-M Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan to hold a press meeting in the state capital.

Addressing the media here, Balakrishnan said it was not befitting of a coalition partner to stay away from the cabinet meeting.

"There will be differences of opinion between parties, and an open discussion should have been held. When a government functions bouquets and brickbats do come, but when the bouquets come, there should not be a feeling that it's because of them (CPI), and similarly when brickbats come they should not absolve themselves of responsibility. What happened yesterday should never have happened and no one should give any opportunity to other political parties to laugh on our acts," said Balakrishnan.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala told the media in Thrissur that it's time the Left Democratic Front is disbanded as never ever has one seen a political party in governance boycotting a cabinet meeting.

In the past too the two parties had sparred in the open, but the boycott of the cabinet meeting appears to have created a dent in the relation between them.
Paris, Nov 17 : French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri here this weekend, the French government has said.

France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was in Riyadh on Thursday to meet Hariri and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Sultan, said that the Lebanese politician would be welcomed in Paris as a "friend", Efe news reported.

Hours earlier, the Lebanese leader said from Riyadh he had accepted Macron's invitation to visit the French capital.

Hariri has spent the last 11 days in Riyadh, from where he announced on November 4 that he was resigning as prime minister and that he would remain in the Saudi capital due to an ostensible security threat he attributed to Iran and Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim movement that is a partner in Lebanon's coalition government.

Macron is due to receive Hariri on Saturday, according to the statement from the Elysees Palace.

Hezbollah spoke out last Friday to accuse the Saudis of holding Hariri hostage, while the Prime Minister's own Sunni-dominated party suggested their leader was not operating under his own free will.

Western diplomats who met Hariri in Riyadh told journalists off-the-record that the Lebanese leader was acting under duress.

On Wednesday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that Hariri was being "detained" in Riyadh and described Saudi Arabia's posture toward Lebanon as "hostile".

Hariri, a dual Lebanese-Saudi citizen, responded via Twitter that he was well and that he would return soon to his "beloved Lebanon".

It was after that exchange that Macron publicly invited Hariri and his family to Paris.

France has put itself forward as a mediator in the present crisis.
Washington, Nov 17 : US Senator Al Franken has responded to a woman's allegations that he groped her as she slept and "forcibly" kissed her in a rehearsal for a comedy skit.

Leeann Tweeden -- a radio host and former model -- said the two incidents happened in December 2006 on a tour to entertain US troops overseas, before Franken entered politics, BBC reported.

Franken, the US Senator from Minnesota, responded immediately to the accusation on Thursday in a written statement, saying he was sorry for his actions during a 2006 United Service Organizations (USO) tour and calling for a Senate ethics investigation into his behaviour, Efe news reported.

Tweeden, 44, used a blog post to level the accusations against Franken, who was a well-known comedian -- but not yet a senator - when the two were part of a tour to entertain US troops in the Middle East.

"You knew exactly what you were doing," Tweeden wrote on the Web site of her employer, Los Angeles radio station KABC.

"You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later and be ashamed."

Tweeden, who did not call on Franken to resign and did not weigh in on whether the Senate should investigate him, said there might be another female victim.

"I've gotten a phone call from a woman... I've only gotten a message... that says something similar has happened to her. And I haven't returned it yet. So that's to be determined. I don't know," Tweeden said in a subsequent press conference.

During the tour, Franken wrote a sketch in which his character and Tweeden's were to kiss and insisted upon rehearsing the scene.

"He came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth," she wrote.

"All I could think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth," she said. "I felt disgusted and violated."

In a separate incident during the entertainers' flight back to the US on a military transport plane, Franken posed for a photo in which he appears to grope Tweeden's breasts while she is sleeping.

The 66-year-old Franken, who was first elected to the Senate in 2008 and re-elected in 2014 for a second six-year term, apologised for his actions in a statement.

"The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent," he wrote.

While he said there was no excuse for the photo, he said he had a different recollection concerning the rehearsal of the sketch.

"I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn't matter. There's no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn't funny. It's completely inappropriate," Franken wrote.

"While I don't remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leeann does, I understand why we need to listen to and believe women's experiences."

The accusation against Franken comes amid a slew of sexual allegations against powerful men, including prominent Hollywood figures and the Republican candidate in an upcoming Senate election in Alabama, Roy Moore.
Washington, Nov 17 : Workers have taken the Keystone oil pipeline in the US offline after it spilled 5,000 barrels of oil in South Dakota, officials said.

A TransCanada crew shut down the pipeline on Thursday after detecting an oil leak along the line, the company said. The leak was detected along a stretch of the pipeline around 56 km from a pumping station in Marshall County, South Dakota, The Hill reported.

TransCanada estimates the pipeline leaked 5,000 barrels of oil, or about 210,000 gallons, before going offline. The company said it's working with state regulators and the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to assess the situation.

TransCanada is seeking to expand its Keystone pipeline network.

US President Donald Trump this year signed a presidential permit allowing the company to build the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport as much as 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Alberta, Canada, to Nebraska, where it would join existing pipelines that feed refineries elsewhere in the United States.

Keystone XL, if built, would cut diagonally through South Dakota. State regulators have already granted construction permits for the pipeline.

Nebraska regulators will announce their decision on the project next week.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : Her first novel is an adaptation of Shakespeare's "King Lear" -- told as a devastating commentary on contemporary India -- and was welcomed with rave reviews in the UK. Now Preti Taneja's "We That Are Young" is out in India -- but will it make a mark in a market driven largely by light and popular reads, one that is moving far from Shakespeare as well as literary novels?

The author, in an email interview from London, told IANS that it took a long time for her to find a publisher in the UK as well. In fact, it was rejected by all mainstream London publishing houses.

"It takes brave, avant-garde editors who are politically engaged, who want to take risks and set trends, not follow them, who see the value (beyond the economic) in writing that breaks forms and experiments with language. Most importantly, it takes editors who believe in and trust their readers," Taneja said.

Taneja insisted that such editors do exist and "books have to find them". It may take a lot of persistence, as in her case, but ultimately it does happen.

"One look at the strength of some in the current generation: Their resilience, their awesome creativity, their commitment to speaking truth to power in the times we are living through tells me that. Literary or popular -- both can be revolutionary -- for me, readers without borders are the future of the world," she quipped.

Taneja wanted to write about India and explore the colonial legacies of language and culture between India and England. "King Lear" was the right lens, she said, to examine what has come out of that, for good and bad; to think politically about the ways cultures shape each other and "how ideas of 'the other' are a two-way street".

"Setting King Lear in India was a way of thinking about the fact that the world is messy, and formed by miscegenation. It's not that people have double identities; it is more that we are forced to navigate dual realities. Fiction can reflect that, it can sound a warning to inspire action; by reflecting the worst, it can ignite hope for what we can make come next," she reflected.

For the writer in Taneja though, it has been a wild ride. She had her structure -- of telling the play from the perspective of five young people -- at hand when she began. Much to her fortune, the scenes of "King Lear" broke down smoothly into that, but the change from play to novel form demanded a few flashbacks at the end.

"One major challenge was to write the big set pieces on their own terms, while retaining that connection to Shakespeare. So, the blinding scene and the storm scene -- all of that was essential, but it had to be absolutely embedded as part of the world of the novel. They were easy to write; I drafted my storm scene while staying in a suburb on the outskirts of Delhi, in the middle of a monsoon that flooded the local basti. But they were difficult to get right. All writing is endless drafting," she maintained.

Taneja said that living with her five characters was like being possessed. She was very sad writing and editing Radha but was constantly washing her hands while working on Jeet. When the book was published, she felt like they (the characters) had gone to party without her, and that was a kind of loss.

"Most of all, writing and editing in a very quiet house in Cambridge, UK, while the news was coming from India on everything from floods and smog, to holy men as politicians, women's rights, protests, Kashmir -- all of it was already in the book (or it went in) and that process was strange -- as if I was living in many worlds and times at once," Taneja added.

And, moreover, Taneja always thought "King Lear" explained so much about India and that it would be great to set the play in that context. When she later learned that Shakespeare's works were brought to India as part of the East India Company and took root, it made a lot of sense, and added an important layer to her thinking about the plays as they are translated into different languages and forms around the world.

"Writing 'We That Are Young' was like an extended conversation with 'King Lear' -- a lot of it was arguing over how to capture the language in my characters' voices. I didn't want to parrot or mimic it but build in the awareness that because of colonialism and Shakespeare's enduring popularity, his phrases, his syntax, exist in our everyday speech, sometimes even without us realising it," she concluded.

(Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)
The central banks of Korea and Canada signed a currency-swap deal on Thursday with no deadlines or limits, the Bank of Korea said Thursday.

The deal secures a powerful lifeline for Korea in any future financial crisis.

The Canadian dollar accounts for the fifth-largest proportion of foreign currency reserves after the U.S. dollar, euro, Japanese yen and British pound. Canada also has unlimited currency-swap deals with the U.S., eurozone, Japan, the U.K. and Switzerland, which provides a double safety net for Korea.


New Delhi, Nov 17 : What immediately comes to mind when people talk about Hyderabad? Without doubt, it's the city's cuisine. Be it biriyani, haleem or nihari, name a dish and it becomes difficult to resist the temptation to gorge on it.

And here's a chance to indulge in the culinary excellence of the city as The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in east Delhi has laid out scrumptious fare themed "Dine Like A Maharaja" with the best-kept secrets from the royal kitchens. It's set in an open space that has been transformed into a mini Hyderabad.

"We started off the 'Dine Like A Maharaja' concept with another city last month to relive and relish the culinary excellences of the towns and cities which have a royal connection. After Hyderabad, we have plans to bring more recipes of such cities," Devashree Mahajan, Head PR and Marketing Communications, told IANS.

And, for bringing out the best, Chef Ashwani Kumar Singh had travelled to Hyderabad and engaged with local chefs over three days for a detailed understanding of the culinary delights on offer.

"I am a regional chef and want to showcase the best flavours of our region. My target was to offer dishes with distinct tastes which don't clash with one another," Chef Ashwani said.

As I entered the space, the aroma of the kebabs rising from the grills greeted me and up first was the hot and tangy miryala rasam for a perfect start in the mild chill of a November evening. And, to please my palette came an array of starters -- a heavenly culinary journey for meat lovers.

Of the many served on my plate were Telengana ki khaas seekh and coriander flavoured Nizam-e-tawa murg. Khorme ka kebab and shikampoor made from minced chicken and mutton keema were delightful. What made these two tikki kebabs stand out was that they were non-oily, finely minced and had well-marinated stuffings mixed with spices.

It was now the turn of the famous Hyderabadi haleem. Although the dish is served in various avatars in different corners of the country, the mouth-watering flavour of Hyderabad haleem makes it stand apart from the rest. And the one served to me more than matched up to my expectations.

Then came the main course. Although there are eight items included in the buffet, I went ahead with three as suggested by the Chef -- nihari, handi ka ghost and dum ka murg -- which I relished with rogani roti and warqi parantha.

However, my purpose of visiting the festival was accomplished when my eager wait came to an end with the authentic Hyderabadi biriyani served on my plate. A very well cooked biriyani with the right amount of flavours -- what more would a foodie need to calm down her craving for Hyderabadi food?

After relishing the last spoon of the biriyani, the Chef said there are 11 dessert items to be tasted. With hardly any space left in my tummy, I initially declined to try them out, but on Chef Ashwani's insistence I bravely dug my spoon into gil-e-firdaus, khajoor ka halwa, khubani ka meetha, nimish and shahi tudka. Actually, I found it very difficult to resist filling my spoon with the sweet delights.

Although Hyderabadi cuisine is primarily known for its meat dishes, this festival will not leave vegetarian visitors disappointed, assured the Chef.

"Of course it was difficult to come up with the vegetarian dishes because there's not much variety and demand for non-meat items. So I gave some twists and turns to the dishes like kaddu ka dalcha, diwani handi, besan ke nimboo and many more," he added.

So, without any delay, spoil yourself with delicious and unexplored dishes of Hyderabad sitting in the national capital.

FAQs:

What: "Dine Like A Maharaja" Hyderabadi food festival at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in east Delhi; on till November 26

Cost of meal for one: Rs 1,591 + taxes (without alcohol) (Hyderabad was founded in 1,591, hence the price)

Timing: Only dinner from 7.30 p.m to 11.30 p.m.

(Somrita Ghosh attended the food festival on an invitation from The Leela. She can be contacted at somrita.g@ians.in)
New Delhi, Nov 17 : Maoist extremists have had a deadly run in 2016 with their involvement in half of the killings in the Red Corridor, a report by a Sydney-based think tank on global terror has said.

More than half of the 340 deaths in 929 terror attacks in 2016 were committed by Maoists operating in the eastern, central and the southern areas of India known as the Red Corridor, the fifth edition of Global Terror Index (GTI) report released on Wednesday said, adding police and private citizens were predominately targeted with subsequent attacks accounting for over half of all attacks.

LeT, founded by Hafiz Saeed, was responsible for 30 deaths arising from 20 attacks in the country, while Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), headed by Syed Salahuddin, claimed five deaths, said the report which said they were involved in the region despite international sanctions.

The report said that Hizbul Mujahideen was prominent in 2013 and claimed responsibility for 30 deaths in India.

"The two deadliest Islamist terrorist groups in 2015 in India were LeT and HM, both of which are also operating in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh," it said.

Released annually by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace, the GTI report said that the dispute with Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir remains the main source of "Islamist terrorism".

While giving the overall figure, the report said India has witnessed 18 per cent increase in deaths resulting from terrorism in 2016 compared to the previous year and has been ranked eighth. Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia are ranked first to seventh on terror in the 2017 GTI report.

From 2002 to 2015 India has been ranked between second and sixth on the GTI report but in the last two years its ranking improved to eighth.

Although 340 deaths from terrorism were recorded in 2016 alone, the figures were still the third-lowest since 2000.

The report said that though there has been a palpable dip in terror-related deaths in the last couple of years, the number of terror attacks have actually increased 16 per cent over the last year. A total of 929 terror-related incidents were reported in the country as compared to 800 in 2015.

However, India still has the lowest rate of deaths per attack among the top 10 countries that are most impacted by terror-related violence. India had an average of 0.4 deaths per attack compared to 2.7 deaths per attack for the rest of the countries that figure in the top 10.

The report elaborated that most of the non-lethal explosions were designed to attract people and the government's attention and aimed at evoking a shock-and-awe effect. In fact, such blasts were intentionally carried out some distance away from crowded places to lessen the impact.

It said that these bombings were largely by Maoist groups.

"This discrepancy between the number of attacks and deaths reflects how the nature of terrorism in India differs when compared to other countries. There is a large number of terrorist groups, but many are seeking political recognition and so their attacks are not aimed at killing people."

The report said that most terrorist attacks in India have low casualties.

Over three-quarters of the attacks in 2016 were non-lethal with only two per cent of attacks resulting in more than two deaths, it said, adding that in reflecting this, there were many groups which committed terrorist acts that did not kill a single person with only 20 of India's 56 terrorist groups responsible for fatalities.

India's northeast region has continued to see ethno-political unrest from various ethnic secessionist movements. The deadliest of these groups in 2016 were the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) which killed 15, and the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) which killed seven. ULFA claimed responsibility for five deaths in 2015, the report said.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)
Greater Noida, Nov 17 : The death toll in the killing of a BJP leader here has risen to four after a third man who was wounded in gunfire passed away, police said on Friday.

BJP's Shiv Kumar Yadav was shot dead along with his driver-cum-guard Bali Nath when gunmen fired at their SUV on Thursday in Haibatpur village of Greater Noida.

The firing punctured one of the SUV's tyres, and the vehicle then ran over a 15-year-old girl, Anjali, who was crossing the road, seriously injuring her. She succumbed to her injuries in a hospital.

A third man in the SUV, Rahispal, suffered bullet wounds and was rushed to a Delhi hospital where he passed away, the police said.

The assailants fled after the killing.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Suniti Singh had claimed that initial investigation showed the motive behind the murder appeared to be personal.

Shiv Kumar was an accused in a murder and was out on bail. He reportedly joined the Bharatiya Janata Party recently. His father was also murdered in a village rivalry.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : The BJP on Friday declared its first list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly polls with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani being nominated to contest from his traditional Rajkot West constituency.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel will contest from Mehsana, his traditional constituency, while state BJP chief Jitubhai Vaghani will contest from Bhavnagar West.

Gujarat will have two-phased polls on December 9 and 14. The first phase will cover 89 constituencies in 19 districts, and the second phase 93 seats in 14 districts.

The list comes days after the deliberations at the BJP Central Election Committee attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the presidentship of party chief Amit Shah.

The filing of nominations for the polls began on November 14.

Counting of votes will be taken up along with that of Himachal Pradesh on December 18.
Islamabad, Nov 17 : Pakistan needs to shed its "security-centric approach" in restive Balochistan if the government sincerely desires peace in the country's biggest province, Dawn newspaper said on Friday.

On the very day a National Security Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi praised the state's efforts in Balochistan to establish peace, a police official was killed in the province along with his wife and young family members.

Also, 15 young men from Punjab intercepted near the border with Iran were separated from a larger group before being killed, "indicating a deeply troubling re-escalation of separatist militant violence" in Balochistan, the daily said in an editorial.

"The disconnect between the state's assessment of the situation in Balochistan ... and the reality in the province could not be more stark," the editorial said.

"The flawed approach of dealing with Balochistan primarily through a security prism and suggesting that state-sponsored economic development is a panacea for the province's problems continues to prevail.

"With a fresh wave of violence having seemingly been unleashed across Balochistan, urgent action is needed."

The daily said the repeated targeting of police officers appeared to be an attempt to destroy morale and sow fresh fear among the people.

It said the overall intelligence and security apparatus must be able to find and degrade whatever network was responsible for a succession of attacks on the police force.

"The security-centric approach pushed by the military leadership and meekly accepted by the Balochistan and federal governments is not working.

"Friends of Balochistan need to come together and have the courage to speak (the) truth... The status quo must not be allowed to prevail."
New Delhi, Nov 17 : India on Friday assured a medical visa to another Pakistani national who is seeking to donate a kidney to a fellow national undergoing treatment at a hospital here.

"Pls don't worry. I am asking Indian High Commission to give visa for the second donor," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted in response to a request from one Faiza Malik, who said that her nephew Faraz Malik was undergoing treatment at Fortis Hosipital.

Faiza Malik said that doctors rejected the previous donor and a now a visa was required for new donor Abdul Razzaq.

On Independence Day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had announced that India would provide medical visas to all bonafide Pakistani patients.

As ties between the two countries soured over various issues, the ministry had announced in May that only a letter of recommendation by then Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz would enable a Pakistani national to get a medical visa for India.

The action was termed "highly regrettable" by Islamabad, which said that asking for such a letter violated diplomatic norms and such a requirement had not been prescribed for any other country.

However, a patient from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, seeking treatment in New Delhi for liver tumour, was given a visa on July 18.

Sushma Swaraj then said that he needed no recommendation from the Pakistani government for a medical visa because the territory "is an integral part of India".

Since August 15, however, Pakistani nationals seeking medical treatment have not been denied visas.
Mumbai, Nov 17 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday dedicated a proposed site for a national memorial for Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray to mark his fifth death anniversary.

The site would come up at the existing Mumbai Mayor's Bungalow at Shivaji Park near the Dadar Chowpatty, on the banks of the Arabian Sea.

"I bow humbly before our guiding force, Balasaheb Thackeray. The work on handing over the property for the memorial is in its final stage. We are making efforts to clear it on priority," Fadnavis said, sharing the dais with ally and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray.

On his part, Uddhav Thackeray took the opportunity to announce a donation of Rs 2 crore to the Chief Minister's Farmers Relief Fund for farmer welfare, which he handed over to Fadnavis.

The amount was collected through a donation of one month's salary of all elected leaders of Shiv Sena, starting from the Gram Panchayat to MLAs and MPs, besides the biggest chunk of Rs 1 million from Thackeray himself.

The prime sea-facing property, measuring around 11,500 sq mt, was handed over to the "Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Nyas" in February, clearing the decks for the memorial.

The BTRSN is headed now by Uddhav Thackeray and the memorial site, which includes the sprawling bungalow constructed in the late 1920s, has been the Mumbai Mayor's official residence since 1964.

Earlier on Friday, the entire Thackeray clan including Uddhav, his wife Rashmi, their son and Yuva Sena chief Aditya, besides other family members accompanied by top Shiv Sena leaders, including former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi and others paid homage to the late Thackeray at the proposed memorial site.

Later, Fadnavis, accompanied by several cabinet ministers and other party leaders, arrived and paid floral tributes to Thackeray before dedicating the memorial site.

Shiv Sena activists from all over Maharashtra trooped to the memorial site early on Friday and offered tributes and prayers in memory of Thackeray, who passed away on this day in 2012, aged 86.
Patna, Nov 17 : At least 15 patients died after more than 500 junior doctors at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) here went on a strike to protest an assault by a deceased patient's attendants, hospital officials said on Friday.

"Fifteeen critical patients died due to lack of treatment after the doctors went on strike on Thursday night, which also hit Emergency and Out Patient Department services in the last 20 hours," an official said.

"So far, 36 surgeries have been deferred and dozens of patients refused admission."

Officials said hundreds of patients and their attendants were at loss as to whom to turn to for treatment.

"Dozens of patients, battling for life, have been forced to shift to private hospitals and nursing homes by their families."

The junior doctors are demanding adequate security and action against attendants of the patient who attacked their colleagues after his death soon after arrival at the hospital. It is the third assault incident at PMCH in two months.

A senior PMCH doctor admitted that nurses were now handling patients following the strike.

PMCH Acting Principal V.K. Gupta said senior doctors have been put on duty in the Emergency Ward.

Health Minister Mangal Pandey has invited the striking doctors for talks on Friday afternoon.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : India has had talks with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) on starting negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), the Indian Commerce Ministry said on Friday.

The discussions took place earlier this week between Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is on a official visit to Russia, and Veronika Nikishina, the Minister for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission, which apart from the Russian Federation includes Belarus and the central Asian republics of Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

"Both Ministers discussed early start of negotiations of the free trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Commission, as well as the potential and opportunities for increasing trade cooperation," the statement said here.

Current Indian trade with the EAEU region is barely $8.4 billion, which is well below potential.

The EAEU has so far concluded only one FTA with Vietnam and India would be the second.

During his first visit to Russia over November 15-17 as the Commerce Minister, Prabhu also attended the first ministerial conference on trade organised by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) after India became a full member of the organisation in June 2017.

The SCO is a political, economic and military grouping headquartered in Beijing. Founded in 2001, it comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan besides China as full members.

In June, India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO security grouping that is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO.

On Thursday, Prabhu met with Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin and discussed ways to increase the current level of bilateral trade between India and Russia, the statement said.

Also on Thursday, Prabhu took part in a roundtable with 30 leading Russian business leaders in the areas of steel, engineering goods, railways, financial services, nuclear energy, agriculture, venture Capital and trade promotion, it said.

The Indian Commerce Minister invited the Russian businessmen to take part in the Partnership Summit, due to take place on February 24-26 next year in Vishakapatnam.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : Global ride-hailing platform Uber on Friday launched a light web-based version of Uber -- m.uber.com -- in India that will help people book their rides from computers or tablets.

So if you are at a place with no access to smartphone, you can book your Uber from your laptop. The lighter web-version became available in India from Friday.

"As part of our efforts to enable global access to Uber, we're focusing on two key areas for riders -- building solutions for those who don't have access to the Uber app and enabling our existing rider app to work better in emerging markets," Daniel Graf, Vice President and Head of Product at Uber, said in a statement.

The company also introduced three new app features -- offline search, request for a guest and call to ride.

Offline search is for the riders using the app in limited network areas.

With this feature, Uber is enabling offline search by caching the top points of interest in the city so that riders can enter their destinations in the app without having to wait for the connection, the company said.

Another feature, request for a guest, will help riders to book an Uber for anyone from their Uber app no matter where the rider or guest is located.

To use this feature, the person requesting the ride for a guest can simply tap "Where to?", then choose who is riding above their pickup location.

The rider will receive trip information in an SMS text message -- including ETA, car type and driver contact information, enabling them to coordinate with the driver directly.

The driver will see the rider's name, and be able to contact that person too (through a masked number, for privacy on both sides).

The ride will be charged to the requestor's card on file unless the requestor selects cash as the payment.

The roll out of both the features will begin in next few weeks, the company added.

Through call to ride, riders can call single phone number and enter a numeric code displayed on signage to help Uber identify their location. Once the ride is confirmed, the rider will also be sent a text message with information on the car and driver partner.

Currently, the company is piloting this feature only in Pune.

"We believe these features will help us better serve our rider needs and are very excited about the roll out," Graf added.
Singapore halted all trade with North Korea as of Nov. 8, Radio Free Asia reported Thursday.

The Singapore customs authority informed trading companies in a notice on Nov. 7 that the city state would halt all trade activities with the North the following day.

The trade ban includes North Korean goods that are sold to third countries via Singapore. Violators will be slapped with a 100,000 Singaporean dollar fine or three times the value of the traded product and up to two years in prison (US$1=SGD1.35).

But unofficial trade through diplomatic pouches and personal bags carried by airline crew is not covered by the ban.

Singapore is North Korea's seventh-largest trading partner, exporting about US$12.86 million worth of goods to the North last year and importing $127,000 worth.

The city has been suspected of being a haven for businesses seeking to bypass sanctions against North Korea. In August, two Singaporean companies were found to have broken sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department by brokering illegal oil deals between North Korea and Russia.


New Delhi, Nov 17 : After officials of India, the US, Japan and Australia held the first-ever quadrilateral meeting in Manila last week on the security and development of the Indo-Pacific region, India and France on Friday agreed to cooperate on the security architecture of the Indian Ocean Region.

"In terms of maritime security, both sides discussed increasing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region where the presence of India and France is very important," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a joint address to the media with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian after delegation-level talks here.

"This cooperation is aimed at ensuring unhindered trade and movement and security of the international sea lanes, fighting maritime terrorism and piracy, creating awareness about the oceanic region, building capacities on regional and international platforms and increasing coordination at the official level," she said.

Her comments come after Sunday's India-US-Japan-Australia meeting in the Philippines capital where the officials agreed that "a free, open, prosperous and inclusive" Indo-Pacific served long-term global interests, giving impetus to an emerging quad of democracies amid China's rising military and economic power.

Le Drian meanwhile said that India and France share a common analysis of major international issues.

"Our bilateral relations must thus be understood as an expression of this common analysis that we have on major global issues, be it combating terrorism, be it the necessary reinforcement of maritime security, be it in cooperation in the Indian Ocean - where France and India are countries belonging to the Indian Ocean Rim. This commonality of views is complete -- as we observed this morning - and calls again for the strengthening of our partnership," he said.

Sushma Swaraj said that in Friday's talks, both sides discussed all bilateral issues and matters of regional and global concern.

The India-France relationship was elevated to that of a strategic partnership in 1998. India is the only country in Asia with which Paris has such a relationship.

Stating that both India and France were for a multi-polar world, she said that defence and security cooperation, space cooperation and civil nuclear cooperation formed the three pillars of the bilateral relationship.

She said that both sides also agreed to make their military logistics stronger.

"France has been a partner in our space programme from the very beginning," she said.

"We have together started many projects and have completed many missions. Today, we discussed ways to give a clear shape to our space cooperation."

In terms of civil nuclear cooperation, the Indian Minister said that both sides agreed on an early start to the work on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP).

French utility EDF and Nuclear Power Corp of India Limited (NPCIL) signed an agreement in March 2016 to construct six reactors of the JNPP, each of 1,650 MW.

Sushma Swaraj said France has supported India's bid for membership in the UN Security Council and in the Multilateral Export Control Regimes that includes the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement.

"We have also agreed to further strengthen our cooperation, both at the bilateral and multilateral levels, in the fight against terrorism," she said.

"We have appealed to all countries in the world to unitedly oppose those countries which finance and provide safe havens to terrorists," she said.

On economic ties between India and France, Sushma Swaraj said that with bilateral trade standing at $10.95 billion, there was immense scope to increase this.

There are around 1,000 French companies operating in India with a total turnover of $20 billion and employing around 300,000 people.

Le Drian, here to lay the groundwork for French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India early next year, said that both sides discussed a "wide range of issues" on Friday.

He said France wanted to help India in areas like smart cities, ecomobility and waste management.

Talking about India-France strategic relationship, Le Drian cited the deal for Rafale fighter jets and Scorpene submarines as as example of the proximity between the two nations.

"I am well placed to know that our defence partnership is significant, as shown through the Rafale and Scorpene projects - to mention only the most emblematic ones. But it is not limited to the acquisition of military assets, it is far broader than that, as exemplified in our cooperation in the Indian Ocean," he said.

Le Drian, who arrived here on Thursday on a four-day visit to India, will leave for Jaipur on Saturday to inaugurate Bonjour India, a French festival in India that will see around 300 events spread across 33 cities.

Earlier on Friday, the French Minister met Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Ram Kumar Singh.
Mumbai, Nov 17 : The Mumbai police has warned individuals and groups against taking the law into their hands while protesting against Leela Bhansali's upcoming film "Padmavati."

In a statement here, Joint Commissioner of Police (L&O) Deven Bharti said that "any individual or group which attempts to be adventurous, will be dealt sternly and will face strict legal action. We are committed to provide security to everyone individually or collectively and have taken adequate measures for protection of individuals who have received threats."

He said that the policy would not interfere with protest conducted in "a democratic manner", but assured those who had received threats that "we will not allow miscreants to create any problem and they can indulge in their routine activities without any fear".

"Padmavati" has faced protests and its makers and artists have faced threats of physical harm from fringe groups which say they would not allow "distortions" of Rajput history to be shown. The ruling BJP has also said that filmmakers should not "distort historical facts". Most of the protests have happened in Rajasthan, but some have spilled over to Mumbai too.

Deepika Padukone plays the role of Padmavati in the film. It is scheduled to be released in theatres on December 1. The Central Board of Film Certification is yet to give its approval for the screening.
Srinagar, Nov 17 : A police officer was killed and a militant was arrested during a gunfight on the outskirts of Srinagar on Friday.

Police said the militants attacked a police checkpost in Zakura area, triggering an exchange of gunfire.

Police Sub-Inspector Imran Ahmad was injured in the militant firing and succumbed to his injuries.

"A militant was arrested during this gunfight while two other policemen also sustained injuries," a police officer said.

"Another militant has reportedly escaped from the encounter site. The area has been surrounded to locate the militant."

Police said the checkpost had been set up after specific inputs about the movement of militants in the area.

The place where the incident took place is 11 km from Srinagar's city centre Lal Chowk.
Mumbai, Nov 17 : In what could be seen as a severe blow to Sanal Sasidharan's judicial battle to make the I & B ministry and the IFFI accountable for ousting his film "S Durga", the Kerala High Court on Friday postponed the filmmaker's hearing to Monday.

"This, for all practical purposes, means the end of my struggle to get judicial help for the way my film was treated by the IFFI. Because the International Film Festival of India starts on Monday (in Goa)... if my hearing in the honourable Kerala High Court comes up on Monday what purpose will it serve to get justice for my film? It will be too late for any kind of damage control," said Sasidharan.

Shocked and feeling defeated, he said that "first the honourable Kerala High Court postponed my hearing from Tuesday to Friday and now it's gone to Monday".

"Obviously, there is a pattern here which anyone can see if you look."

Sasidharan wonders what an artiste like him can do in the given circumstances.

"When the government or any powerful body muscles into our creative territory and muzzles our voices we have only the judiciary to turn to.

"If the judiciary turns a blind eye to our plea, where do we go? And this is not just about filmmakers and other artistes. Voices of people from every walk of life are being muzzled. We are heading towards a fascist state of governance where all independent voices, voices that make the powers-that-be uncomfortable, are smothered and silenced," he said.

Sasidharan wondered where the Opposition has disappeared to.

"Not one single political party or individual from any political party has come forward to support me or Ravi Jadhav (Director of "Nude"). It is obvious that they see no political benefit in supporting us.

"For all practical purpose, the Opposition has disappeared from our country. We exist in a one-party democracy," he said.

The harried filmmaker sees a pattern in what happened to his film and is now happening to "Padmavati".

"It is being ensured that my grievances are postponed until the IFFI starts on Monday. Likewise I've a feeling it will be ensured that Sanjay Bhansali's 'Padmavati' won't be released until the Gujarat elections," he said.

Sasidharan condemns the hooliganism that has taken over creative forces in this country.

"I am shocked to hear elements wanting to cut Sanjay Leela Bhansali's head and Deepika Padukone's nose. This is sheer anarchy, a complete breakdown of law and order. Anti-socials are being given a free hand. A filmmaker like me is wasting time fighting the system rather than completing my film or maybe that's the whole game-plan," he said.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : In the wake of the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam region in Bhutan earlier this year, officials from both sides discussed border-related issues at the 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs in Beijing on Friday.

"The talks were held in a constructive and forward-looking manner," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement here.

"Both sides reviewed the situation in all sectors of India-China border and agreed that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas is an important prerequisite for sustained growth of bilateral relations," it stated. "In this regard, the two sides also exchanged views on further confidence building measures and strengthening of military-to-military contacts."

The meeting comes after Indian and Chinese troops were locked in an over two-month-long standoff at the 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.

Earlier this month, Beijing protested Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's visit to Arunachal Pradesh but New Delhi reasserted that the northeastern state was an integral part of India.

In the meeting, the Indian delegation was led by Pranay Verma, Joint Secretary (East Asia), in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese side was led by Xiao Qian, Director General, Department of Asian Affairs, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs The two delegations comprised diplomatic and military officials from each side, according to the ministry statement.

WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas, as well as to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation, including between their border security personnel.
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 17 : The Kerala government on Friday approved support for private entities and tie-ups with reputed national and international agencies for setting up incubators and accelerators in the state, said a top IT official.

As per the new order, the state government will support private entities with proven experience in startup mentoring to set up incubators or accelerators in the state, with capital, operational and promotional assistance, as per norms, besides the tie-ups.

Kerala IT Secretary M. Sivasankar issued the orders and said this was a major step towards achieving the target outlined in the IT Policy 2017 of creating 10 million sq ft of office space to provide direct and indirect employment to 2.5 lakh people.

"We have set ambitious goals for our IT sector and this is an important step in realising them.

"Private sector participation will strengthen both our startup infrastructure and ecosystem and the government is willing to help such partnerships," said Sivasankar.

The agencies are classified into three groups for specific incentives.

The first group consists of Government departments, agencies, international agencies, commodity boards and industry associations, reputed international incubators or accelerators, which are operational in international locations for at least three years.

The second includes Department of Science and Technology (DST) or any other Indian agency-approved incubators, which are operational for two years or more and having experience in managing incubators or accelerators in other parts of India.

The two groups will be eligible for support only if they operate out of a government-owned space or space within a government-approved IT Park.

The third category includes Techno lodges, private co-working spaces and rural incubation spaces promoted by non-profit organisations or NGOs.

"The incubators will receive operational and internet support for a period of five years, and all incubatees will be eligible for our promotional schemes such as startup boxes, grants, seed funds, cloud credits and so on," said KSUM CEO Saji Gopinath.

In a related development, the state government has adopted Startup India's definition of startups for its IT policy, revising an earlier stipulation that the companies be within three years of registration.

Now startup ventures within seven years of registration (10 years for biotechnology startups) and turnover of up to Rs 25 crore will be eligible for incentives under the IT policy.

The benefits have also been extended to startups that have been merged, acquired or amalgamated.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : Echoing the government's views, Indian industry on Friday said Moody's sovereign rating upgrade was in sync with the various government reform measures over the last three-to-four years.

"Moody's upgrade of India's rating is a reaffirmation of the various reform measures undertaken by the government over the last three-to-four years and we welcome this move", said FICCI President Pankaj R. Patel.

"The ratings upgrade along with the recently reported improvement in India's ease of doing business ranking underline the fact that we are moving in the right direction."

"India's growth story is more promising than ever and we see a further improvement in confidence level of global investment community. This move will not only give a further push to foreign investment inflows into the country but will also enhance our prospects of borrowing money abroad at better rates," he added.

US credit rating agency Moody's on Friday upgraded India's sovereign rating to Baa2 from its lowest investment grade of Baa, while changing the outlook for the country's rating to stable from positive, and said its was based on the Indian government's "wide-ranging programme of economic and institutional reforms".

The rating agency simultaneously upgraded India's local and foreign currency issuer rating to Baa2 from Baa3.

CII's Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said: "The upgrade in India's rating by Moody's comes as a major boost to market sentiment on India and a recognition of the transformational reforms being conducted by the government."

"It reaffirms our belief that measures such as GST, doing business and bankruptcy reforms, public spending on infrastructure, reduced use of cash and banking reforms have all contributed to the rating upgrade," Banerjee said

"The upgraded rating of Baa2 will enable lower cost of borrowing in international markets for Indian businesses and attract more foreign fund flows into India."

Another major business body Assocham Secretary General D.S. Rawat said: "Rating upgrade by Moody's Investors Service on India's sovereign bonds would make a huge a difference to India Inc's capacity to tap the global financial markets at very competitive rates."

"With reinforcement of a perception of being a prudent and growing economy, India would continue to attract foreign funds both in the form of FDI and FII. Some of the recent steps like recapitalisation of banks, GST, taking off the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code have gone quite well with the Moody's," he added.

"The ratings upgrade underlines the efficacy of the bold structural reforms undertaken by the government in recent years. It clearly shows that the economy is turning the corner and poised for a big leap forward, highlighting the immense potential that India offers as a global investment destination. More importantly, it also emboldens the government to stay true to the path of strong and transformational reforms in the coming days," said Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprises.

Banking major ICICI Bank's MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar said: "This is a well-deserved recognition of the structural reforms that have been undertaken by this government over the past couple of years. It is also very heartening to note that Moody's has taken cognizance of India's higher growth potential and increased economic resilience as compared to other countries in our rating cohort."

"On the banking front, the recent recapitalization measure and the formalisation of the insolvency and bankruptcy code will strengthen the banks as also facilitate speedier resolution of NPAs," Kochhar said.

State Bank of India's Chairman Rajnish Kumar said: "The revision in ratings by Moody's is a positive development and is a great enabling factor for Indian financial markets."

"Simultaneously, the rating upgrade of SBI amongst others indicates that Indian financial system remains resilient and robust and poised to support growth," Kumar said.

"The bond yields, Indian rupee and stock markets have already reacted favourably. Over a point of time, this will reduce borrowing costs of government and financial institutions and result in increased investor confidence in the India growth and reform story."

"We believe that Moody's rating upgrade is a big boost for India, as it will improve sentiments around ease of doing business within local and global investors. This will also advance the government's objective of enhancing productivity and driving sustainable growth. Improvement in the credit profile will be a big positive for Indian companies and the government," said Sumeer Chandra, Managing Director, HP Inc.

Anis Chakravarty, Lead Economist, Deloitte said: "Moodys has undertaken the long awaited upgrade in India's sovereign rating. The upgrade is only one notch above the lowest investment grade to Baa2 and still may not appear to be in sync with the level of economic growth as well as the strong macro-economic fundamentals prevalent in the country."

FinTech firm MobiKwik's founder Bipin Preet Singh said: "India has made its place among the major economies of the world... the ratings will significantly improve business climate, enhance productivity, stimulate foreign and domestic investment and foster strong and sustainable growth across verticals including the FinTech sector.

"The rating is an acknowledgement that the reforms undertaken by the government would lead to an enhanced business environment, fueling the foreign and domestic investment, and subsequently the growth momentum," Singh said.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : The stir over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" continued on Friday with the entry to the famous Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan getting closed. On the other hand, Mumbai police issued a warning to individuals and groups against taking the law into their hands while registering their objection about the historical film.

As a sign of protest, members of Sarv Samaj Protest Committee restricted the entry point of Chittorgarh Fort by closing the first gate known as Padan Pol gate since 10 a.m.

"We are not allowing anyone to enter the fort. It is a peaceful protest," member of Sarv Samaj Protest Committee Ranjit Singh told IANS.

On an average, over 3,000-4,000 tourists visit the fort starting from October, as the tourist season picks up. The police said the number of protestors sitting on dharna at the fort was not more than 250.

Stopping the release of "Padmavati", which many claim has distorted historical facts, was the motive behind the protest.

The movie is based on the life of Rani Padmini or Padmavati, who was queen of Chittorgarh. Actress Deepika Padukone is infusing life to Rani Padmini's role.

Looking at the tension around the release of the film, the Mumbai police warned protestors against being 'adventurous'.

In a statement, Joint Commissioner of Police (L&O) Deven Bharti said that "any individual or group which attempts to be adventurous, will be dealt sternly and will face strict legal action. We are committed to provide security to everyone individually or collectively and have taken adequate measures for protection of individuals who have received threats."

Bharti said that the policy would not interfere with protest conducted in "a democratic manner", but assured those who had received threats that "we will not allow miscreants to create any problem and they can indulge in their routine activities without any fear".

"Padmavati" has faced protests and its makers and artists have faced threats of physical harm from fringe groups which say they would not allow "distortions" of Rajput history to be shown. The ruling BJP has also said that filmmakers should not "distort historical facts". Most of the protests have happened in Rajasthan, but some have spilled over to Mumbai too.

The film, which also stars Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, is scheduled to be released in theatres on December 1. The Central Board of Film Certification is yet to give its approval for the screening.

Earlier this week in an interview to IANS, Deepika said: "The only people we are answerable to is the censor board, and I know and I believe that nothing can stop the release of this film."

There are reports that the film might get postponed, but official statement by the makers is yet to be released.

Following widespread criticism against his film, Bhansali addressed the issue and said that the movie upholds the honour of Rajputs and does not depict anything that may hurt anyone's sentiments.

But the protests refuse to die down.
Bhubaneswar, Nov 17 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday requested the Centre for setting up a Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Regional Centre at Bhubaneswar.

In a letter to Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Chief Minister said the establishment of the regional centre would accelerate research in high-performance computing and data analytics and its application in industries and governance in Odisha.

Presently, Kolkata has the only regional centre of C-DAC in the eastern part of the country.

"Establishing a C-DAC Regional Centre at Bhubaneswar will enable faculty, Ph.D scholars, and students to solve problems of state and national importance. Odisha being a coastal state and prone to cyclone, application of high-performance computing can particularly help in weather forecasting and disaster management," Patnaik said.

In recent years, many prominent national level educational institutions like IIT, IIM, AIIMS, NISER, IISER, Institute of Physics, Institute of Mathematics, IMMT and NIT have started functioning in Odisha and many other reputed institutions like BITS have also evinced interest to open their branches in the state.

The Chief Minister said one C-DAC Centre of Excellence has already been set up in VSS University of Technology, Burla. The state government is actively considering the establishment of such high-performance computing and deep learning C-DAC Centres in other state government technical universities and engineering colleges.

He said Odisha has been making steady progress in the field of Electronics and Information and Communication Technology.

In its bid to draw more investment in IT and Electronics sector, the state government is developing a dedicated Electronic Park near the state capital with state-of-the-art infrastructure and research facilities that will house electronic manufacturing units, he added.

He added that the state has also got two IT SEZs with all major IT companies operating from these Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Visakhapatnam, Nov 17 : Microsoft Co-founder and Co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, on Friday called for running the agriculture sector like business, saying this will be a key element in the recipe for India's economic transformation.

He underlined the need for a shift in agriculture from the one based merely on subsistence to the one that runs like a business.

Gates was addressing the valedictory of the three-day AP AgTech Summit 2017 in this coastal Andhra city.

He said that if small-holding farmers were helped to be more productive, this can kill three birds with one stone.

"First, we can turn the largest economic sector in the country into a source of growth and set off a drag on the economy. Second, we can make sure the growth is inclusive. It not only leads to higher GDP but also lifts people out of poverty.

"Third, we can produce nutritious food to spurt a healthy and well-educated labour force to the future when the Indian economy will depend even more on high-skilled workers," he said.

Stressing that this has been the recipe for economic transformation across Asia, in China, South Korea and Japan, Gates said it will also be a key element for recipe for India's economic transformation.

He called for focusing on increasing productivity of small farmers and connecting them to market so that they can prosper.

Gates noted that more than half of India's population works in agriculture and in rural India three quarters of working women are making their living in agriculture, just under half of the country's population suffer from malnutrition and over 300 million Indians live below poverty line.

"They appear to be three different data points but they are closely related," he said.

He said millions of small holding farmers were malnourished and impoverished and small holding women farmers were often trapped in subsistence farming.

Stating that the Foundation was giving priority to agriculture and health, Gates agreed with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu that they can work together.

"Today we are talking about great opportunities in agriculture. I am also committed to make sure we work together in health and sanitation," he added.

He hailed the initiatives taken by the state in transforming agriculture by using technology.

Recalling his first meeting with Naidu, 20 years ago, Gates said that those early discussions are now leading to amazing results.

Naidu invited Gates to be honorary chairman of a committee of the state government and help the state with his ideas in agriculture, health and sanitation.
Ex-president Park Geun-hye went to hospital again on Thursday for treatment for back pain. She was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul in a wheelchair after complaining about back pain and had an MRI taken. It was Park's third visit to a doctor since she was arrested in March to face charges of bribery, extortion and abuse of power.

The last time Park had left her jail cell was on Oct. 16 when she attended her last trial session before refusing to attend any more sessions as her lawyers resigned en masse over the court's decision to extend her detention beyond the six-month limit.

She can now be held until April 2018. The court accepted that there was a risk of Park trying to interfere with witnesses and destroy evidence. The famously reclusive ex-president has not had any visitors since consulting with her former lawyer, Yoo Yeong-ha, on Oct. 18.

Prison officials said she remains holed up in her cell and goes outside only once a day to get some exercise. They said Yoo visited the jail a couple of times since the last meeting but did not speak to Park.

"He still seems to be bringing her books and checking up on her even after he resigned," said one prison official.

Her trial is expected to resume at the end of this month with five new court-appointed lawyers.
Thiruvananthapuram, November 17 : After trading barbs through press conferences on Thursday, the CPI(M) and CPI stepped up their fight over the issue of Thomas Chandys resignation by trading charges through articles in their respective mouthpieces on Friday.

CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani, in its editorial on Friday, slammed the CPI - the second largest constituent of the ruling LDF coalition - over the latters ministers boycotting Wednesdays cabinet meet in protest against Thomas Chandys participation in the meeting.

The article doubles down on the CPI(M)s description of the CPIs boycott of the cabinet meet as out of the ordinary and a violation of coalition ethics.

The style of functioning of the LDF is such that decisions on all issues are taken only after evolving a consensus among all constituents through talks within the front, the article says.

Should any constituent in the front have a divergent view on an issue, the LDF has always tried to iron out the difference through deliberations, reads the article.

In an apparent dig at the CPI, the editorial says that the attitude that all parties in a front must toe the line of one of the constituents in the coalition is neither practical nor in tune with coalition ethics.

However, the events of the past couple of days will only serve to help the LDFs detractors reap political capital, the article adds.

The CPI(M) mouthpiece editorial also tries to take apart CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendrans justification for his partys boycott of the cabinet meet as an extraordinary decision prompted by an exceptional situation.

Stating that no such exceptional situation prevailed then, the editorial says that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan apprised Thomas Chandy and NCP state leaders prior to the cabinet meet about the seriousness of the situation in the wake of the Kerala high court passing scriptures against Chandy.

The NCP leaders promised the chief minister that they would get back to him after consulting the national leadership before 10.30 am on Wednesday. Thomas Chandy tendered his resignation soon afterwards, acting on the chief ministers suggestion, the article says.

The need for any drastic decision on the issue would have arisen only if Mr. Chandy and the NCP leadership had rejected the chief ministers suggestion, the editorial reasons.

The CPI mouthpiece Janayugam also carried an article in its front page on Friday rebutting the charges levelled against the party by CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan the other day at a presser over the CPI ministers boycott of cabinet meet.
Bonn, Nov 17 : With the two-week-long UN Climate Change negotiations meandering through its scheduled closing day here on Friday, climate experts are still quarreling over the flow of money from the developed to the developing world for smooth transition to clean energy.

"How much money will rich nations give to poor nations under the Paris Climate Agreement is a big question. The more important is time. When," a negotiator representing a developing nation asked while speaking to IANS.

He said these are the fundamental questions with which negotiators from 197 governments were grappling with as the conference is close to its scheduled culmination.

At Bonn, India reiterated provisions for finance, technology transfer for climate actions from the developed nations.

"Developed countries had already agreed to mobilise $100 billion annually by 2020 to help developing countries adopt low-carbon technologies and prepare for climate impacts. In Paris, this goal was extended through at least 2025. After that countries may negotiate a higher amount," Niranjali Manel Amerasinghe, Climate Finance Associate in the Sustainable Finance Center of the Washington-based World Resources Institute, told IANS.

A day after a major victory for India and developing countries on climate action before 2020 that the developed world agreed to discuss in subsequent two years, India's Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan said provisions for finance, technology transfer and capacity building support to developing nations are critical.

"We need not always wait for scientific reports to act," he said at the high-level ministerial meeting of the climate change conference on Thursday.

"Additional and early pre-2020 action by developed countries under the Kyoto Protocol and provision of finance, technology transfer and capacity building support to developing countries are critical for limiting the global temperature rise to two degrees Celsius by end of the century," he said.

Saying this Conference of Parties (COP23) is crucial as it would set the stage for the 2018 Facilitative Dialogue, accelerate pre-2020 action and firm up the modalities for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement, the minister said India has undertaken ambitious mitigation and adaptation action.

The action is in the fields of clean energy, especially renewable energy;, enhancement of energy efficiency; development of less carbon-intensive and resilient urban centers; and promotion of waste-to-wealth and efforts to enhance carbon sink through creation of forest and tree cover.

On the demand of BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China), Fiji, which is presiding over the conference, has also been asked to send letters to all the countries which are yet to ratify the Doha amendments to the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 to do so "as soon as possible".

The developed countries have also been asked to give information by May 1 next year on the progress they have made on pre-2020 action that relates to their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol that includes reduction of emissions and transfer of technology and finance.

India had been demanding since the start of the climate summit on November 6 that pre-2020 climate action be included in the formal agenda of the negotiations.

The developed world had so far been resisting this.

The BASIC countries also emphasised the need for openness, transparency and the country-driven nature of negotiations at the annual summit.

Expressing concern over delays to bring the developed world back on track on meeting its commitments on climate action, Brazilian Vice Minister for the Environment, Energy, Science and Technology J. Antonio Marcondes told IANS: "It took us a week to persuade the other side to come with us."

"Instead of discussing on procedure, we could have made better use to discuss substance."

He said the "other side" had realised after a week "what is needed to hit the ground as 2020 comes near".

"Yes, we wasted a week discussing procedure instead of a direction. It's regrettable and now it's time to move faster," he added.

Two years after the world united around the Paris Climate Agreement and a year after its entry into force, the 197 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 197 have reconvened for their annual climate change talks (this one is COP 23) in Bonn till November 17.

The talks are expected to take a number of decisions necessary to bring the Paris Agreement to life, including meaningful progress on the agreement to implement guidelines to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius with an aim to cut greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.

(Vishal Gulati is in Bonn at the invitation of the Global Editors Network to cover COP23. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Gandhinagar/New Delhi, Nov 17 : The Congress party's Central Election Committee (CEC) is holding hectic meetings with senior Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders and also with recently-inducted OBC community leader Alpesh Thakore in Delhi, to decide on the candidates for the Gujarat Assembly election first list.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declaring its list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections on Friday, the Congress CEC is likely to also declare its list later on Friday, party sources said.

The last day for filing of nominations is November 21 for the first phase of the state assembly elections.

On Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party announced its second list of candidates for the contest. The AAP has so far declared 20 candidates for the elections.

The Congress has been out of power in the state for more than two decades.

Last Friday, the Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) had cleared the names of 70 candidates for the first phase of Gujarat polls in the meeting that was presided over by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, sources said.

According to the sources, the names of the candidates are likely to be made public on Friday, especially after the saffron party declared its first list.

Congress party's Rajya Sabha MP, Ahmed Patel, along with some senior party leaders, is holding a meeting with PAAS leaders who are seeking reservation status for the Patidar community.

The leader of the PAAS group, Hardik Patel, is not present, but Dinesh Bambhania, Lalit Vasoya, Manoj Panara, Kiritbhai Patel, convenors of the group, are in Delhi to the meeting.

The Other Backward Caste (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakore is also attending this meeting, the sources said.

The Congress is believed to have agreed to let Alpesh Thakore have a say in candidate selection in the Thakore-dominated seats of north Gujarat and tickets for him and his father, the sources added.

Alpesh Thakore had joined the Congress after a grand show of strength in Gandhinagar last month, at which Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi welcomed him into the party.

Alpesh, with time has gained political maturity, and initially it was speculated that he will join the saffron party. But going on his word that he will do whatever his community decides, and after the decision he joined the grand old party, in a big boost for the Congress.

The PAAS group too has pledged that whatever happens - irrespective of whether they support the Congress or not --, they will be definitely opposing the BJP. Another community leader, Jignesh Mewani representing the Scheduled Caste community has also expressed his disapproval for the saffron party.

It is learnt from sources inside the Congress that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is also in talks with the Congress and once again they have decided to join hands for the assembly elections. And like in previous alliances, the NCP will be contesting on two to three seats in the state.
Bhopal, Nov 17 : A 10-year-old girl was gangraped here many times in the last few months by three men, who took the help of a woman to lure her each time. The four have been arrested, police said on Friday.

Jahangirabad Superintendent of Police Bhartendu Sharma told IANS that the girl lives in Jahangirabad area. While on her way to school, she would be offered toffees by a woman, who lives in the neighbourhood. The woman would then hand over the girl to the three men. This went on for months.

The girl fell ill one day and told her mother, who works as a domestic help, of her ordeal. The mother took her to the police station and registered an FIR.

On the basis of the complaint, the police arrested Gokul Chaurasia, Nanhu Lal and Gyanendra and the woman who helped them.

The incident comes weeks after a college student was raped by four men in Bhopal. Despite being the daughter of a policeman, she had to struggle to get her complaint registered. The four accused were later arrested.
Rome, Nov 17 : The former "boss of bosses" of the Cosa Nostra -- Sicily's notorious mafia -- who was believed to have been responsible for over 150 murders died at a hospital in Italy on Friday, leaving behind a blood-soaked legacy of violence and organised crime.

Salvatore "TotA" Riina -- also known by the nicknames "u Curtu" ("The Short) and "la Belva" ("The Beast") -- passed away at 3.37 a.m. in Parma at the age of 87 after two surgeries and five days in a state of coma, Efe news reported.

"Riina's end is not the end of the Sicilian mafia, which remains a highly dangerous criminal system," warned Rosy Bindi, President of the Italian parliament's anti-mafia commission.

"We still have a duty to search for the truths Riina has hidden all these years and shed light on the massacres he ordered," Bindi said.

The erstwhile "Capo di tutti capi" had spent the past 24 years in prison serving 26 life sentences for the countless murders he either carried out himself or ordered, including the 1992 assassination of Italian anti-mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino that shook the country to its core.

Born in 1930 in the Sicilian town of Corleone, Riina was finally arrested in 1993 after decades of living as a fugitive while pulling the strings of the powerful Corleonesi family, which emerged victorious from the brutal Second Mafia War (late 1970s-80s) that left hundreds of corpses strewn across Italy.

Bindi celebrated the fact that Riina had been "defeated before his death, due to the hard commitment of the institutions and the sacrifice of so many brave and righteous men".

In July, the Bologna penitentiary court dismissed a request to release Riina due to his worsening health condition, which included Parkinson's disease, heart problems and kidney failure, according to his lawyers.

On Thursday night, Italian Justice Minister Andrea Orlando allowed Riina's wife, Ninetta Bagarella, and three of his sons (another one is in jail for Mafia-related crimes) to pay him a final visit at the hospital.

Riina never displayed the slightest hint of remorse or regret, nor did he ever reveal any mafia secrets in court.

Among the victims of Riina's reign of terror were Michele Reina, Palermo's former provincial secretary for the Christian Democracy Party killed in 1979, and the regional president of Sicily, Piersanti Mattarella (the older brother of current Italian President Sergio Mattarella), who was shot inside his car in January 1980.

Riina's last public appearance was by video conference to testify in a court case that sought to determine whether the Italian state had negotiated with the mafia in the 1990s in an attempt to stem the relentless violence.

The Sicilian, however, refused to break the mafiosi code of honour known as "omertA " and took all his secrets with him to the grave.
Hyderabad, Nov 17 : Digital marketing firm, GenY Medium, will start its overseas operations with Toronto, Canada.

An agreement to this effect was signed on Friday at an event here in the presence of Canada's Minister for International Trade Francois-Phillipe Champagne and Telangana's Information Technology Minister K. T. Rama Rao.

The expansion is an outcome of Canadian trade delegation's visit to Hyderabad early this year, the company said in a statement.

GenY Medium's proprietary technologies enable ad-performance tracking, conducting market research digitally and curating engaging content. The company's plan is to gradually ramp up the team in Canada to about 50 employees over the next 36 months and to serve over 100 brands in Canada.

"We already serve a few customers and brands in Canada. By setting footprint in the region, GenY will not only contribute to Indo-Canadian trade relations but with our larger vision of setting up a very technology focused digital marketing firm, help SMBs in Canada use digital marketing to grow their business," said Co-founder and CEO of GenY Medium, Yashwant Kumar said The company specialises in healthcare, real estate, education and consumer goods& services domains. It offers services to reputed national and international brands including Verisign, Lenovo, Tata Projects, Apollo Group,NIIT, CignaTTK and Aparna Constructions.
Mumbai, Nov 17 : The Shiv Sena on Friday donated Rs 2 crore to the Chief Minister's Farmers Relief Fund to be used for the welfare of the farming community, embarrassing ruling ally the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The development came hours after the Sena sharply attacked the BJP for "committing atrocities on protesting farmers" earlier this week when they were demanding higher remuneration for farm produce and clearing of the farm loans waiver package announced in June.

In an editorial this morning in the party mouthpiece "Saamana", the Sena lambasted the government for ignoring the cause of farmers and alleged that the BJP ministers had money to offer Rs 5 crore to buy out Shiv Sena legislators.

"The farmers are being subjected to atrocities. The BJP ministers have money (Rs 5 crore) to 'buy' Shiv Sena legislators, but the government has no money for the poor farmers," the edit said.

Hours later, at a function where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dedicated the proposed site for a national memorial of the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray on his fifth death anniversary, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray presented him a cheque of Rs 2 crore for the benefit of farmers.

A party spokesperson said the money was collected through a donation of one month's salary of all elected leaders of the Sena, right from the Gram Panchayat level to legislators and parliamentarians, while the biggest chunk of Rs 1 million came from Uddhav Thackeray himself.

The memorial, under the auspices of "Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Nyas" site will come up at the existing Mumbai Mayor's Bungalow at Shivaji Park near Dadar Chowpatty, on the banks of the Arabian Sea in south Mumbai.

It's a prime seafront property, admeasuring around 11,500 sq.m., which was handed over to the Nyas in February 2017, clearing the decks for the memorial here.
Harare, Nov 17 : Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe attended a university graduation ceremony on the outskirts of Harare on Friday in his first public appearance since a takeover by the military two days ago had led to his seeming house arrest.

The veteran leader arrived at the Harare Open University in a blue-and-yellow gown accompanied by his security detail. He walked up a red carpet and joined the crowd in singing the national anthem, then opened the graduation ceremony.

Mugabe's appearance followed an Army statement on Friday describing "significant progress" in its operation to apprehend "criminals" around the President, the BBC reported.

The Army said it was "engaging" with Mugabe and would advise the public on the outcome of talks "as soon as possible". The statement appeared to have been aimed at quelling growing concerns that the military takeover could descend swiftly into chaos.

Neither the 93-year-old President's wife Grace Mugabe nor Education Minister Jonathan Moyo was present at the graduation ceremony. Moyo is believed to be among those detained.

Grace Mugabe has not been seen since the takeover. She was reportedly in her husband's Harare residence when he was detained.

The wife of the general who detained Mugabe was among those upon whom the President conferred a degree. Mugabe has so far resisted pressure to resign and called the Army's intervention "illegal".

Chris Mutsvangwa, the leader of Zimbabwe's influential war veterans, said Mugabe would not be allowed to remain in power. He said the military had targeted the "rot that was led by Grace Mugabe and her husband", the Guardian reported.

A march of members and associations on Saturday is being organised by leaders from the ruling Zanu-PF party to call for Mugabe to go.

Since taking power, the military arrested about a dozen senior officials and leading members of the G40, a faction of Zanu-PF loyal to the first lady.

The takeover is thought to have been prompted in part by fears among the military and its allies within the ruling party of an imminent purge of rivals of the President's wife, which would allow her to exercise greater power.

Muage appeared in photos published in the local media on Thursday, speaking with Army leader Commander General Constantino Chiwenga at Zimbabwe's State House.

Leaders of the party were expected to meet later in the day to draft a resolution to dismiss Mugabe at the weekend and lay the ground for his impeachment next week if he refuses to stand down, according to reports.

Prior to Friday's appearance, Mugabe had been confined to his personal residence in the capital since Wednesday night when troops seized the state TV channel's studios and other important sites.

South African envoys are in Harare to help with negotiations and decide the terms of Mugabe's resignation. South Africa called an emergency meeting of the Southern African Development Community regional bloc in Botswana.

The military move was cautiously welcomed by many Zimbabweans and the streets remained quiet, but there are growing public demands for those who led the takeover to lay out their plans.

A succession battle has pitted Grace Mugabe against former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa was reported to have returned to Zimbabwe from South Africa, where he fled last week after being stripped of his office by Mugabe in an apparent attempt to clear his wife's path to power.

Opposition officials told the Guardian they believed a deal would eventually allow Mnangagwa to be appointed President, with Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), serving as Prime Minister in a transitional government.

Mugabe and his family would be offered protection in his retirement, though Grace Mugabe was expected to leave Zimbabwe. Detained G40 members would be prosecuted, the officials said.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : The government on Friday rejected Congress' allegations of irregularities in the deal for buying 36 Rafale fighter jets, with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and two other Union Ministers calling the charges "politically motivated and false".

In a press conference held in the Defence Ministry, Sitharaman said that the Narendra Modi government had to go for the aircraft procurement as an "emergency" because the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government failed to conclude a deal for 126 Rafale jets in a decade.

The Congress called the Defence Minister's argument a "shoddy cover-up" and questioned the rationale of holding the presser at the Defence Ministry.

Sitharaman accused the Congress of doing a "disservice" to the armed forces by failing to ink the deal even after decade-long negotiations when it was in power at the Centre.

"The decision to buy 36 Rafale jets was taken to address the urgent need of the IAF (Indian Air Force) because the earlier United Progressive Alliance government did not pay attention to defence preparedness of the armed forces... it (UPA) was indecisive for 10 years to address this critical necessity of fighters for the IAF," the Minister said.

"The allegations are politically motivated since they are not able to find any corruption in this government," she added.

Sitharaman said the National Democratic Alliance government went for "emergency" procurement of the fighter jets, adding that the deal it cut for 36 aircraft was "far better" than what the UPA "would have obtained for 126".

"Comparison in the price is wrong. The price we arrived at is lesser. To bicker over price as though they served preparedness... it is shameful."

Sitharaman said that the deal was signed after approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security and following all due processes.

She also said that a "transfer of technology" was not sought in this deal as it was not viable and it could have escalated the price.

"It is simple economics -- when you are talk of buying 126 aircraft, asking for transfer of technology makes sense. When you are going for emergency procurement of 36 jets, it does not make sense for transfer of technology to be included... there was no benefit from this transfer, the price would have increased and not reduced," the Defence Minister said.

Sitharaman said that, so far, no agreement on offsets has been signed under the deal.

Apart from Sitharaman, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju also defended the deal.

Goyal, commenting on Congress' allegation of a private firm benefiting out of the deal, said on that any agreement between private firms is independent of the government and the latter is not bound to buy what they make.

"We are trying to promote defence manufacturing through strategic partnerships. If any company ties with another private company, the government has no role to play. You can also tie up with someone under the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) policy. The government has nothing to do with it," Goyal said.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju meanwhile criticised the UPA government's "irresponsible" attitude towards strengthening Indian defence forces.

"Can a party which ruled for five decades behave so irresponsibly? The Congress-led government cared the least to strengthen our forces and (was interested) more in commissions," Rijiju said in a tweet.

Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, however, called her comments a shoddy cover-up and questioned why Sitharaman called a press conference at the Defence Ministry over a "political issue".

"Repeated attempts at shoddy cover-up and complete non-transparency in the purchase of Rafale aircraft have raised serious questions on the 'national interests' and 'national security' points raised by the Modi government," Surjewala said.

"India's defence preparedness cannot be the subject matter of politicking nor can the sacrosanct premises of the Defence Ministry be used for political mudslinging as is being done by the Modi government and its Defence Minister," he said.

The Congress has accused that the government negotiated an overpriced deal to buy 36 Rafale jets from France for Rs 58,000 crore, causing "insurmountable loss" of taxpayers' money.

The Congress said the government had agreed to pay for each Rafale aircraft three times the price negotiated in 2012 by the then UPA government.

Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, on Thursday brushed aside the charges, saying the deal negotiated by the current government was "better than the one finalised by the then UPA government".

"We have negotiated a better deal in the Rafale contract than what was in the MMRCA contract (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) finalised during the UPA rule... It is a cheaper deal," he told reporters at the Adampur Air Force station near Jalandhar in Punjab.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : Police said on Friday they have arrested two notorious criminals and a juvenile accomplice over the murder of an undertrial prisoner in Delhi's Rohini court.

Praveen Chahar, 27, Vikram Sehrawat, 21, and a 17-year-old were residents of Mundaka, Nangal and Bawana areas respectively. They were arrested on Thursday night from a hideout in west Delhi.

Police said Chahar provided shelter to Sehrawat and the juvenile, who lured Abdul Khan to shoot Vinod after showing him his photograph, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rishi Pal said.

Intoxicated apparently by drugs, Khan shot dead Vinod near the canteen in the court premises, killing him instantly. Khan then surrendered and was arrested.
Antelope Canyon in the desert in Page, Arizona offers visitors a glimpse of sheer natural beauty. The slot canyon, formed by water rushing through rocks, is one of the most spectacular natural sculptures, carved over thousands of years by the erosion of sandstone. The intricate rock formations in the cave have their equal nowhere else.



The place was relatively unknown until recently and overlooked by tourists who headed straight for the more famous national parks like the Grand Canyon in Arizona or nearby Zion Canyon and Bryce Canyon in Utah. But now it is one of the must-see destinations in the U.S. southwest. More and more Koreans have started to visit after it featured in several commercials and became a rallying point for professional photographers.

The "Lady in the Wind"

The canyon, which belongs to Navajo Indian territory, is only accessible to guided tours operated by the largest Native American tribe there. There are two separate routes to see this natural wonder -- Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. Both routes offer a unique experience, but the lower canyon is a little more adventurous because visitors have to descend and climb steep stairs while passing through a narrow tunnel inside the canyon walls.

Visitors climb stairs in Lower Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona.

The route, which takes about an hour, is worth the effort and rewards travelers with a brilliant display of red rocks which change hue and color according to the amount of sunlight that penetrates from a tiny slit above. One of the most scenic spots inside the canyon is a naturally created sandstone formation called "Lady in the Wind" which looks like a woman with long hair flying in the wind. Even a single drop of rain can make it dangerous to get into the canyon, so guided tours are only available from late spring through early fall, when daylight hours are long. "Antelope Canyon was one of the most magnificent places I have ever seen during my U.S. trip," said a 12-year-old boy from Korea who recently traveled there. "It was an unforgettable experience in my life to see such a sacred site up close with my own eyes." Visitors can combine their itinerary with other tour packages there to look around nearby tourist attractions such as Lake Powell, Horseshoe Band and Monument Valley across Arizona and Utah.
Cochin, Nov 17 : In a bid to boost India's shipping sector, Union Minister of Shipping Nitin Gadkari on Friday announced setting up of a Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS) and also laid the foundation stone for Cochin shipyard's Rs 970-crore International Ship Repair Facility here.

As per the plan, the centre will have campuses at Vishakhapatnam and Mumbai and will provide industry-relevant skill development, equip students with employable engineering and technical skills in the port and maritime sector.

The centre -- a collaboration between the Ministry of Shipping and Siemens -- is also envisaged to boost government's pet Sagarmala programme.

"It will help meet the domestic skill requirement in ship design, manufacturing and operating, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and aims to become an international nodal centre in South Asia, attracting students from neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh," said Gadkari during the event where he also unveiled the CEMS logo.

The minister also laid foundation stone for Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CHL)'s Rs 970 crore ship repair facility, which will double the number of ships that can be repaired every year.

Stating that Cochin was all set to become a global ship repair hub, Gadkari said the facility would be built at the Cochin Port Trust where the CSL has leased out a 40-acre plot for the project.

"CSL will set up a ship lift system of size 130m x 25m with lifting capacity of 6,000 tonne and six work stations. The facility can repair up to 85 vessels, and CSL will thereby be almost doubling the number of ships that can be repaired every year," according to a Shipping Ministry statement.

The International Ship Repair facility will be a state-of-the-art facility that can handle a major chunk of small- and medium-sized vessels plying in India.

Gadkari said the industry would also generate about 6,000 direct and indirect jobs, besides giving rise to a number of ancillary industries in the state, thus having a multiplier effect on employment and economy.

A conference, titled "Build The Ship - 2017" was also organised by the Ministry of Shipping here.

The event deliberated upon the recommendations of a study regarding the growth strategies for promotion of shipbuilding, ship design, ship repair and marine ancillaries in India.

Later Gadkari visited Munnar, where he laid the foundation stone for rehabilitation and upgradation of NH-85 from Bodimettu to Munnar to two-laned with paved shoulder.

The 42-km project has an estimated cost of Rs 380.76 crore.
Kochi, Nov 17 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday had an angry brush with the media, literally.

When accosted by TV media personnel who approached him for a sound byte on the war of words between the ruling partners -- the CPI-M and CPI, Vijayan lost his cool.

As Vijayan, who had arrived here to attend a party meeting, got out of the car and moved towards the meeting venue, media people approached him after spotting a smile on his face. They asked him for reactions to the sparring between the CPI-M and CPI leaders, which has hit headlines, due to the resignation drama of state Transport Minister Thomas Chandy.

As he was moving forward, in the rush, the mike of one of the TV channels brushed against Vijayan. The Chief Minister angrily told the media to move out of the way.

After his angry outburst and shooing away the media, Vijayan then turned his ire against a police official.

This is not the first time that Vijayan has had an angry brush with the media. On July 31 in the state capital the Chief Minister had rudely asked the media to get out of a meeting venue.

Vijayan is not known to be friendly towards the media, in contrast to his arch rival V.S. Achuthanandan, who became the darling of the media during his stint as Chief Minister between 2006-11. At the time, Vijayan had even gone to the extent of calling a section of the media in the state capital as a syndicate.

Speaking to IANS, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala described Vijayan's behaviour as "nothing but intolerance".

"We fail to understand why he (Vijayan) is behaving like this, it does not augur well," said Chennithala.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : Putting an end to an over three-month-old battle between the two warring factions of the Janata Dal United (JD-U), the Election Commission of India (EC) on Friday granted the "Arrow" symbol to the Nitish Kumar faction.

As the victor group welcomed the poll panel's decision and urged the "strayed section of leaders" to join back the party under Nitish Kumar's leadership, the rival Sharad Yadav faction declared that the battle would not end here.

The EC's decision may have ramifications over the disqualification case against party's rebel Rajya Sabha MPs Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwer Ansari, which is being heard by Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu.

In its order, the poll panel said: "The respondent group led by Nitish Kumar has demonstrated overwhelming majority support in the legislature wing as well as majority in the National Council of the party, which is the apex-level organisational body of the party.

"Accordingly, the group led by Nitish Kumar is hereby recognised as the Janata Dal-United in terms of Paragraph 15 of the symbols order."

"Consequently, the group led by Nitish Kumar is entitled to use the reserved symbol 'Arrow' of the party as a recognised state party in Bihar," it added.

Sharad Yadav, a former President of the JD-U, had broken away from Chief Minister and JD-U President Nitish Kumar after the latter joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in July-August this year.

The Election Commission referred to the Supreme Court's verdict in the Sadiq Ali vs Election Commission of India (AIR 1972 SC 187) case wherein the apex court upheld the principle of test of majority support in the organisational and legislative wings.

The Sharad Yadav faction had contended that the election of the 195 National Council members done in October 2016 and submitted to the EC on November 10, 2016 was not valid as the party's constitution was not adhered to in the process.

It submitted that the Commission should look into the numerical strength of the National Council of the party constituted in 2013.

However, the Commission in its order pointed out that "there was no objection from the petitioner against the said list prior to the present application".

It further said that the Commission "does not go into disputed questions regarding membership issues and validity of internal elections of the party" and that the aggrieved party could "approach appropriate party forum or competent courts for the purpose".

"As per the Commission's record, Nitish Kumar is the President of the party, elected in 2016, as per the information furnished by the party under Sub-section (9) of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951," the poll panel said in its order.

The Nitish Kumar faction welcomed the poll panel's decision terming it "timely and fair" and underlined that there was "no dispute" with regard to the party's decision to join the BJP-led NDA.

"This symbol-related decision has also exposed the petitioner's allegation that 'there has been dispute in the party on the decision of alliance with the NDA in Bihar'," party's Secretary General K.C. Tyagi said.

"It has also been clarified by this order that three is no dispute or dissatisfaction in any corner of the party," he added.

"The party calls upon the strayed section of leaders involved and mislead by the petitioner's group to come back to the leadership of Nitish Kumar," Tyagi said.

The rival group's spokesman Javed Raza, who is considered close to Sharad Yadav, said they would very soon decide the future course of action in consultation with their lawyers.

"All I would like to say at this point is that the Election Commission's image has taken a beating with this decision. We suspect the decision has been taken hurriedly under some pressure. Our battle will continue," Raza said.

Another rebel group leader Arun Shrivastava said the decision was "surprising" as "we had countered their (Nitish faction's) every argument but they could not counter any of our arguments".

He said that the group would anyway contest Gujarat elections under Chhotubhai Vasava's leadership. Vasava was appointed the Acting President of their party by the rebel faction on September 17 this year.
Damascus, Nov 17 : At least 35 civilians were killed on Friday by an Islamic State suicide bombing in eastern Syria, pro-government Sham FM radio reported.

The IS suicide bombing targeted a checkpoint of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in an area between the Conico and Jafra energy fields in the northeastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, activists placed the death toll at 50, saying the explosion was carried out by a suicide car bomber.

It's not the first bombing to target Kurdish forces, particularly after the advance of the SDF in the battles against IS in northern Syria.

The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian fighters led by the Kurdish YPG group and supported by the US-led coalition, captured IS de facto capital of Raqqa last month and currently is taking IS-held areas in the northern countryside of Deir al-Zour.

The Syrian government forces are also advancing in the battles agianst IS in Deir al-Zour, capturing the capital city of that province and closing in on the IS militants in the eastern city of al-Bukamal, the last IS stronghold in Syria.
Visakhapatnam, Nov 17 : Microsoft Founder Bill Gates on Friday said he was really excited at meeting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for the first time over 20 years ago.

Addressing the valedictory of the three-day AP AgTech Summit 2017, the Co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recalled his meeting with Naidu who was then Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

"I was told that there is someone who believes in digital technology even more than you do. It was hard to believe but when we met, he had his digital equipment -- computer -- and he had the vision to make government better by using advanced tools," said Gates.

He also revealed that they agreed and today they have reached a milestone as they can use dashboards for agriculture and health. He also referred to the use of Microsoft app Kaizala by the state government for its activity.

"It's been a real journey over these 20 years, making that vision a reality. I expect it to accelerate and in the years ahead will move very quickly," said Gates.

Earlier, Naidu in his speech revealed how he managed to get an appointment with Gates for 10 minutes but the latter spent 40 minutes with him. "I made a presentation through laptop and I was the first Indian politician to do so," the Chief Minister claimed.

Naidu explained how he convinced Gates to set up Microsoft's development centre in Hyderabad. "Not only Microsoft opened its development centre in Hyderabad but Satya Nadella who is from our place became Microsoft CEO."

Terming Gates as a great personality, the Chief Minister said he was spending the money he earned to help people around the world.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : The issue of purchase of more Rafale fighter jets was raised when the Indian and French Defence Ministers met here last month, but India has not given any answer yet, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday.

India is buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France under a government-to-government agreement, and there have been talks of purchasing more of the fighter jets as a follow-on order.

Asked if French Defence Minister Florence Parly raised the issue of purchase of more Rafale fighter jets during her visit to India last month, Sitharaman replied in the affirmative.

"Yes, the French Defence Minister raised the matter with me, but I haven't given any answer," she said.

This is the first official acknowledgement that talks on purchasing more Rafale fighters was on between India and France.

Sitharaman said that 36 Rafale fighters were bought as the government wanted to procure fighter jets at the earliest, and added that more fighter jets will have to be bought to meet the Indian Air Force's requirements.

"We will have to buy more (fighter aircraft), but who we will buy it from, when we will buy, we will see that," she said.

After the deal under which 36 Rafale jets are being bought off-the-shelf, there has been talk of purchasing 36 more of the fighters, which might cost lesser under a "follow-on" deal.

India and France signed an inter-government agreement for purchase of 36 Rafale fighters, off-the-shelf, on September 23 this year. This was after a long negotiation over the price and other aspects of the deal, which was agreed upon during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France in April 2015.

The deliveries of the aircraft will start from 2019 end, and will be ended in 2022. Indian Air Force bases at Ambala in Haryana, close to the western border, and Hashimara in West Bengal, close to the China border, are set to home the squadrons of Rafale fighters.

The IAF currently has 33 combat squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 39.5, which is sought to be raised to 42. Former Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, in a press conference days before retiring last year in December had said that the IAF needs at least 200 more fighter jets in next 10 years.

Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa had said in the annual press conference of IAF that full squadron strength will be reached by 2032.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : Following deep concerns expressed by the diplomatic community over the bad pollution levels in the national capital, the government on Friday said that "top priority" is being accorded to the matter and said the conditions are "not unique to India".

Chief of Protocol in the External Affairs Ministry, Sanjay Verma, told Frank Hans Dannenburg Castellanos, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, during a meeting here: "I would like to assure you that the Government of India is giving this matter top priority.

"The conditions affecting us are historically not unique to India... These challenges are byproducts of rapid economic growth and development (that) are known to have affected several countries."

A statement issued here on Friday evening by Castellanos quoted Verma as saying that India was "committed to dealing with this issue, including learning from best practices emerging from countries that have traversed this experience".

Castellanos sought the meeting with the Ministry of External Affairs after being approached by many distressed diplomats who wanted to know what the Indian government was doing to alleviate the problem that had created choking conditions in the capital earlier this week.

Costa Rican Ambassador Mariela Alvarez, in fact, shifted to Bengaluru and said on Tuesday that she was suffering from upper respiratory infection.

According to Castellanos, Verma said that "the unusual deterioration in the quality of air is a product of multiple causes, most of which are indeed domestic, but have also been aggravated by a dust storm from a distant geography".

"The simultaneous aggregation of these cases has led us to an environmental challenge, which the government of India is determined to address and ameliorate," Verma said.

In his statement, Castellanos said that he thanked Verma "and we both hope that the outcome of the efforts of both central and local governments will bring rapid and positive results, not only for the diplomats living in India but also for every citizen, children and adults that live in this very active, energetic and busy city".

The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) researcher Usman Nasim told IANS on Thursday the pollution levels in the region could go up in the coming days due to climatic conditions.

"Pollution may increase in next few days due to withdrawal of north-west winds. As wind speed goes down, pollution levels may to go up. As per SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), AQI (air quality index) will remain 'very poor'," Nasim said.
Visakhapatnam, Nov 17 : Andhra Pradesh has sought the cooperation of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in areas of agriculture, nutrition, health and sanitation.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu made the request during a meeting with Microsoft founder and Co-chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates.

During the meeting, Naidu briefed him about the various initiatives taken by his government to use technology to improve the citizen services and for agriculture transformation.

During his brief visit to the coastal city, Gates addressed the valedictory of the three-day AP AgTech Summit 2017.

Earlier, Naidu personally received Gates at the airport. At the AP AgTech Summit, Gates went around some stalls and enquired about the various innovative products and services on display.

The makeshift venue was full to its capacity as large number of farmers, officials, techies, and students turned up to catch a glimpse of AGates and hear him.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : The Supreme Court on Friday directed an NRI to approach the Constitution Bench, scheduled to hear a challenge to Aadhaar validity, regarding his challenge to amendments in rules against money laundering to facilitate linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar numbers.

A bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan asked Non-Resident Indian Femin Panikkassery Subramanyan to approach the Constitution Bench that will hear a batch of petitions in the last week of November.

Subramanyan, a Kerala native residing in Dubai for two decades, said amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Rules that mandated linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar numbers violated his fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had, on October 30, said that the hearing on the petitions against Aadhaar will take place in the last week of November.

These include pleas by former Karnataka High Court Judge K.S. Puttaswamy, Magsaysay awardee Shanta Sinha, and feminist researcher Kalyani Sen Menon, who questioned Aadhaar validity on several counts, principally on the ground of its being violative of the fundamental right to privacy.

Challenging mandatory linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar, Subramanyan pointed to the immense contribution that NRIs make to the Indian economy through remittances.

The petitioner said Aadhaar was applicable to individuals who reside in India for 182 days prior to applying for the unique identification number.

He contended that by this criterion, Aadhaar was not applicable to NRIs, People of Indian Origin or any other class of expatriates. He said Aadhaar was not citizen- centric.

"The Aadhaar Act, as it stands today, does not permit Aadhaar enrolment of an NRI, PIO or any other class of Indian expatriates. It is the specific case of the petitioner that the present amendment has created untold miseries to the millions of expatriates, including the petitioner", his plea said.

He said his financial base has been "wrecked owing to the whims and vagaries of some Tughlaq-ian administrators".

He said 16 million-strong Indian diaspora's contribution to the country's economy in 2015 was $72 billion, that is, 4 per cent of the country's GDP in that year. It was more than 12 per cent of the world's remittances in 2015.
Srinagar, Nov 17 : A middle rung police officer and a militant were killed on Friday in a gunfight in summer capital Srinagar, police said.

Militants attacked a police checking party at Zakura on the outskirts of Srinagar city in the evening.

"Sub-Inspector of Police Imran Tak was critically injured in this encounter. He later succumbed to injuries," the police said.

"A militant identified as Mugees Ahmed Mir of Ansar Ghazwatul Hind was also killed in this encounter, while another policeman, injured in the encounter, is being treated in hospital and doctors have said he is out of danger.

"One militant was also arrested during this encounter," they said.

Kashmir Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muneer Khan said: "The militant was killed in the Zakura shootout."

The slain militant belonged to Parimpora area in city outskirts and his body had been taken to his home, he said.

The Srinagar District Magistrate has announced restrictions in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of seven police stations in the city on Saturday following the militant's killing.

All schools and colleges will remain closed on the day, as per the orders of the District Magistrate.

Ansar Ghazwatul Hind is a newly-created Al Qaida cell in Jammu and Kashmir.

The formation of the outfit was announced in July this year through the Global Islamic Media Front, an Al Qaida-affiliated information network.

A local militant Zakir Musa was made the chief of Ansar Ghazwatul Hind.

The police earlier said that militants attacked a police checkpost in Zakura area, triggering an exchange of gunfire.

The checkpost had been set up after specific inputs about the movement of militants in the area, they said.

The place where the incident took place is 11 km from Srinagar's city centre Lal Chowk.
MANILA  China and the Philippines issued a joint statement in Manila on Nov 16, in which the two sides agreed to advance bilateral relations and press ahead with cooperation in key areas of infrastructure, production capacity, investment, commerce, trade, agriculture, livelihood, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

The joint statement was issued amid Premier Li Keqiangs official visit to the Philippines at the invitation of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Both sides recognized that the bilateral relations have achieved positive turnaround and momentum through joint efforts, and agreed to advance relations in a sustained and pragmatic manner on the basis of mutual respect, sincerity, equality, and mutual benefit.

The Philippines reaffirms its adherence to the One-China policy, the statement said.

To further advance ties, both sides agreed to enhance high-level exchanges and dovetail development strategies.

China and the Philippines recognized the potential of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Philippine development plans, and their synergies with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, according to the statement.

The two countries will jointly formulate and implement a Program on China-Philippines Industrial Park Development.

China reiterates its firm support and assistance to the Philippiness fight against terrorism and drug-related crimes, and the quick recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of Marawi city, the statement said.

During Premier Lis visit, a launching ceremony of two river bridges in Manila and two drug rehabilitation centers in Mindanao, South of the Philippines, was held on Nov 15.

The Philippines appreciates the assistance from China in the fight against terrorism in Marawi and in the construction of two drug rehabilitation centers in Mindanao, the statement said.

Both sides also agreed to identify and facilitate the implementation of the second-batch of priority cooperation projects.

According to the statement, China will continue to encourage and support Chinese enterprises to expand investment in the Philippines, import more quality products from the Philippines and upgrade the scale and quality of trade and investment between the two countries.

On the South China Sea issue, the two countries noted that the situation in the South China Sea has become generally more stable as a result of joint cooperative efforts between China, the Philippines, and other ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.

Both sides agreed to strengthen maritime cooperation in areas such as marine environmental protection, disaster risk reduction, and possible cooperation in marine scientific research, the statement said.

They further agreed to continue to actively advance consultations and negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and ensure the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in its entirety.

Noting that the Philippines takes the rotating presidency of ASEAN in 2017, China congratulated the Philippines on the success of its chairmanship and its successful hosting of a series of meetings.

Both sides welcomed the signing of various agreements and memorandum of understanding (MoU) on infrastructure projects, bridge construction, bond insurance, drug rehabilitation, climate change, intellectual property protection, industrial capacity cooperation and more, according to the statement.
Moscow, Nov 17 : Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil was due on Friday to hold talks with Sergei Lavrov and afterwards to hold a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Lebanese news agency Nna reported.

Bassil met Italy's Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Wednesday in Rome as part of a diplomatic tour of Europe's capitals for bilateral meetings on Lebanon's current political crisis.

The political crisis erupted on November 4 with the shock resignation of premier Saad Hariri in a broadcast message from Saudi Arabia.

In the message, Hariri, a Sunni Muslim with Saudi ties, accused Iran of meddling in Lebanon and sowing "discord, devastation and destruction" in the Middle East and claimed there was an assassination plot against him.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that ties between India and France are not limited to the bilateral context alone but extend to regional and global issues as well.

He said this when visiting French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian called on him here.

"The Prime Minister said the significance of India-France Strategic Partnership is not limited to the bilateral context but acts as a force for peace and stability in the regional and global context as well," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

According to the statement, Le Drian briefed the Prime Minister on recent developments in the bilateral relationship as follow-up to the Prime Minister's visit to France in June this year.

Modi visited France in 2015, his first trip to a European country in his current capacity, and again this year when he met new French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time.

Le Drian arrived here on Thursday on a four-day visit to India to lay the groundwork for Macron's visit to India in early 2018 for the launch ceremony of the India-initiated International Solar Alliance.

According to the PMO statement, Modi "appreciated the contribution of Le Drian to the growing India-France engagement, in his current role as well as in his earlier role as the Defence Minister of France".

"The Prime Minister also said that he looks forward to receiving President Macron in India at his earliest convenience," it said.

Earlier in the day, Le Drian held delegation-level talk with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, during the course of which both sides agreed to cooperate on the security architecture of the Indian Ocean region.

The visiting dignitary also met Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Ram Kumar Singh.
New Delhi, Nov 17 : A 54-year-old man from West Bengal has been arrested here with fake currency of Rs 2,000 denomination having face value of over Rs 6 lakh, police said on Friday.

Mohammad Kashid, a resident of Malda, is a key member of an international syndicate dealing in Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), police said.

He was arrested on Thursday following a tip-off when he came to deliver the consignment to a buyer in east Delhi's Anand Vihar locality.

"During investigation, it was found that the gang routed the fake currency through Malda in West Bengal and supplied it to its contacts in Delhi and National Capital Region, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states," Deputy Commissioner of Police P.K. Kushwah said.

"Of the money (with face value of Rs 6.60 lakh), it was found that 250 FICN bear a single serial number and other 80 are also of only four serial numbers.

"These notes are very similar in appearance and texture to the genuine Indian currency. Fine quality paper was used and security features have been inserted," Kushwah said.

Kashid revealed that he has been indulging in transportation and circulation of FICN for about 15 years and had supplied FICN to various buyers in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states.

"He also said that after demonetisation last year, supply of FICN was halted. But since the last four to five months, the supply has again picked up and the notes are being printed in a neighbouring country," the officer said.

"The fake currency is pumped in through bordering states and Malda has become a hub of FICN. Recently, the NIA also apprehended residents of Malda who had FICN with face value of about Rs 9 lakh," he added.

Efforts are on to nab the other gang members, he added.
Bengaluru, Nov 17 : Private doctors in Karnataka on Friday called off their five-day-long strike on a high court directive and the state government's assurance to modify provisions in the amendment bill on the functioning of private hospitals across the state.

"We have called off the strike as directed by the Karnataka High Court and on the state government's assurance to modify the provisions in the amendment bill as sought by us," Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Karnataka Chapter Secretary Dr B. Veeranna told IANS here.

A division bench of the High Court, comprising Acting Chief Justice H.G. Ramesh and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar, ordered the private doctors to withdraw their strike, as the state government had agreed to consider their demands on the amendment bill.

"Basic medical services are a right to life for every citizen," said the bench in the interim order on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate on Wednesday against the striking private doctors and private hospitals.

Of the registered 1.25 lakh doctors in the state, about 10,000 of them are employed in the state-run hospitals, while over a lakh work in about 40,000 private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics across the state.

"The private doctors have agreed to call off the strike and report for duty from Saturday after the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) assured them to make suitable changes in the amendment bill before introducing it in the Legislative Assembly on Monday," IMA advocate V.C. Mohan told reporters here.

The state government had incorporated penal provisions in the amendment bill to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007 to regulate the functioning of the private hospitals, including the treatment cost, redressal grievances committees and imprisonment of doctors if a patient dies due to their negligence.

"As we demanded, the state government has agreed not to form Grievances Redressal Committees at the district level. Aggrieved patients can approach the District Health Officer (DHO) or the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) under the existing provisions of the KPME Act," said Veeranna.

At a two-hour meeting between the state government and the representatives of the private doctors at Belagavi in the state's northwest region, Siddaramaiah said penal provisions like imprisonment of doctors for negligence would be dropped from the amendment bill before introducing it in the assembly on Monday.

State Health and Family and Welfare Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar, Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra and state Health Department officials participated in the meeting, while IMA's Karnataka Chapter President Dr. H.N. Ravindra, and state Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) President-elect Dr. C. Jayanna represented the doctors.

"We have, however, agreed to the provision on displaying the cost of treatment, including surgeries, operations and diagnostic tests in the front office of all private hospitals. Patients can question the hospitals if they are charged more than the specified cost and complain to the DHO or KMC," said Veeranna.

The state government also agreed to fix the treatment cost for Below Poverty Line (BPL) patients referred to private hospitals under its health scheme or covered under its health insurance.

"In the case of Above Poverty Line (APL) patients, the state government will bear only 30 per cent of the cost of the treatment in private hospitals and the remaining cost has to be borne by them. No price capping on other or private patients," noted Veeranna.

Thousands of patients across the state were affected as hundreds of private hospitals shut their Out Patient Departments (OPDs) on Thursday again against the stringent provisions in the amendment bill. The OPDs were also shut on November 3.

On the advice of the court on Thursday, the OPDs were reopened on Friday.

In a related development, the doctors have also called off their relay hunger strike at Belagavi, about 500km from Bengaluru, where the 10-day winter session of the state legislature began on Monday to address the issues of people in the state's northern region.
Rome, Nov 17 : Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex employees of Italy's foreign ministry will on November 22 hold a conference in Rome to mark the first anniversary of the introduction of same-sex civil unions here, the ministry's LBGTI association Globe-MAE announced.

Globe-MAE's President Fabrizio Petri will open the event taking place at the International Women's House in Rome's Trastevere district, which will be attended by all the main LBGTI associations and focus on the state of gay rights in Italy and the world.

Politicians including Senator and foreign ministry undersecretary Benedetto Della Vedova, Senators Monica Cirinna, Sergio Lo Giudice and Luigi Manconi are due to speak at the conference, together with MPs Renata Polverini and Alessandro Zan, and several senior Italian officials, Globe-MAE said.

The aim of the meeting is to assess Italy's commitment to LBGTI rights worldwide and implementation of the 2016 same-sex civil unions law, which grants same-sex couples many of the same rights as married heterosexual couples, including inheritance and pension rights.

Italy was the last countries in western Europe to introduce gay civil unions.
Amaravati, Nov 17 : Clearing the hurdles in the construction of Andhra Pradesh's new state capital Amaravati, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday refused to set aside the environmental clearance.

It permitted the state government to go ahead with the work on the new capital, while complying with the stipulations laid down by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The new capital of Andhra Pradesh is coming up on the southern banks of the Krishna river in Guntur district.

Several persons had filed petitions in the NGT against the environmental clearance given to the project on the grounds that it would cause damage to environment.

The green panel, however, said that the project falls under the Category B of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification of 2006 and imposition of additional conditions in the environmental clearance were necessary.

It formed two committees to have requisite regulatory control over the performance of the project proponent.

A bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, asked the project proponent to conduct a comprehensive study on hydro-geomorphology of the area with a view to effectively plan water retention ponds and reservoirs, storm water drains and their interconnectivity.

The tribunal also directed the project proponent to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 5 crore and said it would be liable to be encashed if any conditions of the clearance was violated.

The judgement came on a plea filed by activist P. Srimannarayan, E.A.S. Sarma and others which claimed Amravati was a flood-prone area and the state government had not considered the ecological and environmental aspects of the project.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu hailed the judgement, saying it removed all obstacles in the construction of Amaravati. He reiterated that his government is committed to build the new state capital which every citizen will be proud of.

Naidu attended the second meeting of the Joint Implementation Steering Committee with with Singapore's Minister of Trade and Industry S. Iswaran here on Friday.

They discussed Singapore's involvement in the development of Amaravati, solid waste management projects, district cooling systems and skill development programmes.

Naidu told the meeting that the capital city will not become a concrete jungle, which exploits natural resources. He said that Amaravati will be a dynamic city, equipped with modern technology.

"1,500 electric vehicles will be introduced soon, and will be promoted extensively. The city will be planned in such a way that it should not take more than 30 minutes to travel to any part. The public transport system will also be a primary backbone, making it the most liveable city," he said.
Gandhinagar/New Delhi, Nov 17 : The Congress party on Friday held talks with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Sharad Yadav-led faction of JD-U over a possible alliance ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

Senior party leaders were also closetted with Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders and with recently-inducted OBC community leader Alpesh Thakore in Delhi.

Despite the discussions that went on till late in the evening, the party may take a couple of days more to announce the list of candidates for the December 9 and December 14 polls.

"Discussion on almost all the seats is over. Since we are also talking to JD-U (faction led by Sharad Yadav) and NCP, and the fact that they have also shown interest in an alliance, so the list will be released in a day or two," AICC General Secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot told reporters after Congress' Central Election Committee meeting.

"Though we have held discussions on all 182 seats, since we are forming an alliance, we may have to leave some seats. JD-U is divided into two parts. We are talking to Sharad Yadav about Chotubhai Vasava (rebel JD-U leader).

"We are also taking to NCP..we will release the list when the talks are over," he added.

In the morning, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared its list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections.

The last day for filing of nominations is November 21 for the first phase of the state assembly elections.

On Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party announced its second list of candidates for the contest. The AAP has so far declared 20 candidates for the elections.

The Congress has been out of power in the state for more than two decades.

Last Friday, the Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) had cleared the names of 70 candidates for the first phase of Gujarat polls in the meeting that was presided over by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, sources said.

Congress party's Rajya Sabha MP, Ahmed Patel, along with some senior party leaders, held a meeting with PAAS leaders who are seeking reservation status for the Patidar community.

The leader of the PAAS group, Hardik Patel, was not present, but Dinesh Bambhania, Lalit Vasoya, Manoj Panara, Kiritbhai Patel, convenors of the group, were in Delhi for the meeting.

The Other Backward Caste (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakore also attending the meeting, the sources said.

The Congress is believed to have agreed to let Alpesh Thakore have a say in candidate selection in the Thakore-dominated seats of north Gujarat and tickets for him and his father, the sources added.

Alpesh Thakore had joined the Congress after a grand show of strength in Gandhinagar last month, at which Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi welcomed him into the party.

Alpesh, with time has gained political maturity, and initially it was speculated that he will join the saffron party. But going on his word that he will do whatever his community decides, and after the decision he joined the grand old party, in a big boost for the Congress.

The PAAS group too has pledged that whatever happens - irrespective of whether they support the Congress or not --, they will be definitely opposing the BJP. Another community leader, Jignesh Mewani representing the Scheduled Caste community has also expressed his disapproval for the saffron party.
Kolkata, Nov 17 : CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday accused West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition BJP of practising the same sort of religious extremism and communal appeasement and said the two forces were feeding on each other.

"It seems the Trinamool Congress and the BJP are wrestling against each other here in Bengal, but fundamentally they are practising the same sort of religious extremism and communal appeasement. One party is aiding the religious extremism of one community while the other party is resorting to appeasement of the minority," Yechury said here.

"The cow vigilantes are killing the Dalits and Muslims in the name of cow protection and somehow the killers do not come under the ambit of law instead. The BJP is doing the dirtiest form of politics by trying to consolidate the Hindu vote banks.

"On the other hand there is political parties like Trinamool Congress that is encouraging the Muslim extremists to strengthen its political position in the state," he alleged.

Yechury claimed when such situation arrives, there are constant efforts to squeeze the leftist and secular space and that is exactly what is happening in Bengal.

Referring to the massive communal clashes in Bengal during the time of independence as a "black chapter in the state's history," Yechury said Left is the only political force that was able to form a society on the basis of secularism and brotherhood.

Yechury said Bengal has had a revolutionary and progressive history and claimed that if the ideals of revolution by the working class people against capitalism became powerful in Bengal it would surely gain steam in rest of the country.
Bonn, Nov 17 : With the two-week-long UN Climate Change negotiations meandering through its scheduled closing day here on Friday, climate experts are still quarreling over the flow of climate finance from the developed to the developing world.

"How much money will rich nations give to poor nations under the Paris Climate Agreement is a big question. The more important is time. When," a negotiator representing a developing nation told IANS.

He said these are the fundamental questions with which negotiators from 197 governments were grappling with as the conference is close to its scheduled culmination.

At Bonn, India reiterated provisions for finance -- both for adaptation and mitigation, technology transfer for climate actions from the developed nations.

A day after a major victory for India and developing countries on climate action before 2020 that the developed world agreed to discuss in subsequent two years, India's Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan said provisions for finance, technology transfer and capacity building support to developing nations are critical.

Stressing that this Conference of Parties (COP23) is crucial as it would set the stage for the 2018 Facilitative Dialogue, accelerate pre-2020 action and firm up the modalities for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement, he said India has undertaken ambitious mitigation and adaptation action.

The action is in the fields of clean energy, especially renewable energy; enhancement of energy efficiency; development of less carbon-intensive and resilient urban centers; and promotion of waste-to-wealth and efforts to enhance carbon sink through creation of forest and tree cover.

On the demand of BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China), Fiji, which is presiding over the conference, has also been asked to send letters to all the countries which are yet to ratify the Doha amendments to the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 to do so "as soon as possible".

The developed countries have also been asked to give information by May 1 next year on the progress they have made on pre-2020 action that relates to their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol that includes reduction of emissions and transfer of technology and finance.

India had been demanding since the start of the climate summit on November 6 that pre-2020 climate action be included in the formal agenda of the negotiations.

The developed world had so far been resisting this.

The BASIC countries also emphasised the need for openness, transparency and the country-driven nature of negotiations at the annual summit.

In addition to the commitment to discuss how to scale up climate action, countries made modest progress in developing a negotiating text for "the Paris Rulebook" comprising the guidelines needed for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

In reaction to progress of the talks, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, Wendel Trio, said: "Limited progress has been made on the tangible issues related to climate finance and how to deal with the catastrophic impacts of climate change, such as those that a number of vulnerable countries have witnessed in the previous months."

"Agreements only cover the process to further discuss these issues and adequate action has again been delayed.

"The Talanoa Dialogue roadmap should help countries bridge the gap between what they have committed to do and what is needed to keep temperature rise to safe levels. We need to go much further and faster, the current snail's pace of the talks does not match the urgency of climate action nor the speed of the renewable energy transition on the ground," Trio added.

Talanoa is the Pacific tradition of decision-making based on respect and understanding to a negotiating process that has often lacked both.

Christian Aid's International Climate Lead, Mohamed Adow, said this year's meeting showed an encouraging appetite for action on emissions before 2020.

He said despite that progress, COP23 still failed to deliver the financial support needed to accelerate the efforts of developing countries wanting to follow a clean energy path.

"The continued commitment to climate ambition in the real economy, for instance, by the US non-state actor coalition 'We Are Still In', has shown that we can overcome the challenges we encounter on this journey," Environmental Advocacy European Climate Foundation CEO Laurence Tubiana said in a statement.

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said: "We know from experience that putting women at the heart of tackling climate change can result in more impactful, equitable and sustainable actions."

"The Gender Action Plan is designed to do just that. It highlights and supports the role women can and do play in building resilience and adapting to the impacts of climate change. It focuses global attention on how we can turn words into deeds."

Two years after the world united around the Paris Climate Agreement and a year after its entry into force, the 195 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 197 have reconvened for their annual climate change talks (this one is COP 23) in Bonn.

The talks aimed to take a number of decisions necessary to bring the Paris Agreement to life including meaningful progress on the agreement to implement guidelines to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius with an aim to cut greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.

(Vishal Gulati is in Bonn at the invitation of Global Editors Network to cover COP23. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Moscow, Nov 17 : Six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers took off from Russia and struck the Islamic State targets near the town of Albu Kamal in Syria's Deir al-Zour province Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

The warplanes destroyed IS strong points, manpower accumulations and armoured vehicles, it said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russia's Su-30SM fighters from Syria's Hmeymim airbase covered the bombers during the airstrike.

After completing the mission, all the Russian aircraft returned to their base airfields.

Earlier this week, Russian bombers launched a similar attack near Albu Kamal, one of the last IS strongholds in Syria.

The Russian air force is providing support to the advancing Syrian government troops in the east of the country against IS terrorists.

Russian warplanes flew over 500 sorties in the last seven days, destroying more than 1,250 terrorist facilities in Syria, the Russian Defence Ministry said on its website.
Islamabad, Nov 17 : Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday said that the military is always ready to respond to any threats across the countrys eastern border with India, including the Line of Control.

"There cannot be any let up for our preparedness for response against perpetual threat on our eastern border including LoC and Line of Actual Contact (LAC)," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted the army chief as saying in a statement.

The chief made these remarks on his visit to Rawalpindi, where he was given a comprehensive briefing on the prevalent situation along the LoC and operational preparedness of the formations.

The Indian Army has allegedly violated the ceasefire in Chirikot and Nezapir sectors earlier in the day, killing two civilians, and injuring five others, including two women.

In this year alone, over 1,300 ceasefire violations have taken place along the LoC and the Working Boundary, according to a Pakistan Foreign Office tally. This has led to at least 52 civilians being killed and over 170 others injured.

Last week, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had approved funds to develop community protection bunkers for the safety of civilian population along the LoC.
Jaipur, Nov 17 : Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of Rajput community opposing Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming movie "Padmavati", has claimed that its patron and founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi has received a threat call from Pakistan.

"Our spokesperson received a threat call from Pakistan, asking us not to oppose release of Padmavati, otherwise Kalvi would be blown off," Mahipal Singh Makrana, state president of Shri Rajput Karni Sena, told IANS on Friday.

"Aap log kya danga phasad kare rahe ho Hindustan main? Do you remember 1993? Why do you want to repeat it? Don't forget that it can happen again," a person speaking over phone can be heard saying, though IANS cannot confirm its authenticity.

"We approached Special Operations Group (SOG) on Thursday to file a complaint. They listened to us and asked us to approach the Director General of Police and Jaipur police commissionerate and file a complaint there, too," he added.

SOG IG Dinesh M.N. said that people from Karni Sena did approach them with a complaint and that they were looking into it. "It is an international number and we are checking from where the call was made," Dinesh M.N. said.

Shri Rajput Kani Sena has called for "Bharat Bandh" on December 1 if Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati is released.

Padmavati is slated to be released on December 1.

Sena wants complete ban on the film which according to them has a distorted version of historical facts and defames Padmavati.

Padmavati or Padmini was queen of Chittorgarh.
Kolkata, Nov 17 : French celluloid venture "Los Perros" directed by Marcela Said won the award for the best film in the International Competition category of the 23rd Kolkata Internaitonal Film Festival (KIFF) here on Friday.

The 94-minute film won the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for best film that comprised a purse of Rs 51 lakh and a trophy, the organisers announced at the media conference.

The Best Director award in the same category was bagged by Iceland's Asa Helga Hjorleifsdottir for the film "Swan". Hjorleifsdottir's representatives were handed thee Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award that included a cheque of Rs 21 lakh and a trophy.

Veteran actor Biswajit Chatterjee handed over the awards.

Iran's "Kupal" directed by Kazem Mollaie and Poland's "Birds Are Singing in Kigali" produced by Joanna Koskrauze and Krzysztof Krauze were jointly given The Jury Special Mention Award on Innovation in Moving Images section.

Nepalese creation "Goodbye Kathmandu" by Nabin Subba was adjudged the best film in the Asian Select (Netpack award).

The Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for the best director in the Indian language film section went to Bijukumar Damodaran for his film "Sound of Silence".

The Jury Special Mention Award in the same section was won by "Pathumma" directed by Panchakshari.

In the short films category, "Chahat Ke Gubbare" by Amritanshu got the award for best film.

In the documentary section, the best short film award went to "Mrityubhoj" (the death feast) directed by by Akanksha Sood.

Delegates from over 20 countries attended the eight-day festival, where 143 films from India and abroad were screened.
New Delhi, Nov 18 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to probe the killing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Ravinder Gosain in Ludhiana in Punjab, an official said on Friday.

The agency took over the case from Punjab Police following a Home Ministry order on Thursday, nearly a month after the state government decided to hand over the investigation to it.

Gosain, 60, was returning home after attending a morning drill (RSS Shakha) when he was attacked by two unidentified bike-borne assailants in Ludhiana last month. He died on the spot while the attackers fled.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had decided to hand over the probe to the NIA while announcing Rs 5 lakh compensation for the deceased's family and a government job for one of his progeny.

The NIA, in compliance of the Ministry of Home Affairs order, has re-registered the case under sections 10, 12 and 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and section 25 of the Arms Act at Jodhewal police station yesterday, the spokesman said.

An NIA team from New Delhi has reached Ludhiana to take over the investigation.

On October 17, two unidentified persons killed Gosain, chief of Raghunathnagar Shakha of the RSS in Ludhiana, when he was sitting outside his house.

Initially, a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Gagan Ajit Singh was formed by the state government to probe the case.

Gosain, who lost his wife to cancer some years ago, is survived by four children.

The killing of the RSS leader was the latest in a series of murderous attacks on right-wing and religious leaders in Punjab. This was the eighth such incident in the state since 2016.
United Nations, Nov 18 : General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak is holding a series of consultations on Friday on how to deal with the deadlock in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) election in which Dalveer Bhandari of India is facing Britain's Christopher Greenwood.

Lajcak's Spokesperson Brendent Varma told reporters: "The President will meet today (Friday) with the President of the Security Council (Sebastiano Cardi of Italy), as well as the UN Office of Legal Affairs and the UN Department for General Assembly and Conference Management."

Ahead of the next scheduled round of balloting on Monday, it is helpful to have coordination with Cardi because a candidate will have to get a majority in both the Council and the Assembly where the elections will be held simultaneously, Varma said.

He added that Lajcak "is a big proponent of dialogue."

Bhadari and Greenwood are sitting judges who are seeking re-election.

Monday's voting will be the third meeting of the Council and the Assembly for voting for the ICJ election.

The contest has emerged as a test of wills between the Assembly and Council. Bhandari has nearly a two-thirds majority with 121 votes in the 193-member Assemlby, while Greenwood has a slender majority of nine in the 15-member Council.

Since the procedures require a majority in both chambers, neither of them have not been able to be elected and neither body has been willing to compromise.

So far 11 rounds of balloting have been held over two days in the Assembly and 10 in the Council. Four others were elected on the first day, November 9, in the first four rounds with majorities in both chambers, After that seven rounds of runoff balloting in the Assembly and six in the Council were held between Bhandari and Greenwood without being able to break the deadlock.

Lajcak's meeting with the legal department is significant as the Assembly and the Council would have to find a way to break the deadlock if neither candidate wins in both bodies on Monday.

On Thursday, Varma said that one of the methods to break the deadlock would be through a joint conference that "consists of six members, three appointed by the General Assembly and three by the Security Council."

"And this joint conference could, by an absolute majority, agree upon one name for each of the vacancies, that is one seat (in this case) and submit that for acceptance to the Assembly and the Council," he explained.

The issue of the imbalance of power between the two chambers has become the focal point of the election runoff between Bhandari and Greenwood, who is from a permanent member of the Council. Under the current system, the nine votes that Greenwood won in the Council are enough to neutralise the votes of 121 countries that Bhandari received in the Assembly.

The Permanent Members have by tradition each had a judge on the world court. That is now being challenged by the Assembly, where a majority have been chafing under the unrepresentative character of the Council, which wields enormous powers, and want it reformed.

The Permanent Members and their allies, meanwhile, are rallying behind the British candidate as they do not want to see their perk endangered by the loss of one of their own.

Bhandari, who originally ran for the Asia-Pacific seat on the ICJ, lost to Lebanese lawyer-turned-diplomat Nawaf Salam.

But because Greenwood did not get a majority in the Assembly, he was not elected either and has been locked in an unprecedented contest featuring a candidate from a permanent member of the Council and one who is not for the same category.

Three incumbent judges of the ICJ -- President Ronny Abraham of France, Vice President, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of Somalia, and Antonio Augusto Cancado Trindade of Brazil - were elected along with Salam in the first four rounds of voting on November 9.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
Kohima, Nov 18 : The Nagaland Legislators Forum on Friday resolved to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to submit a memorandum, seeking resolution of Naga political issues before the state assembly elections next year.

The Naga parliamentarians met in the Nagaland Assembly Secretariat under the Chairmanship of Imtiwapang Aier, who is also the Assembly Speaker.

The meeting which was also attended by Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang expressed its sincere desire to have Naga issues settled at the earliest.

Adopting a five-point resolution, the Forum endorsed the points made in the memorandum submitted by the Parliamentary Working Committee of Nagaland Legislators Forum on Naga political issues to the Prime Minister of India on July 16, 2015.

The resolution signed by Aier and Zeliang appreciated the leadership and vision of Prime Minister Modi for the significant progress made in the negotiations for the final settlement of the Naga issues.

In view of Nagaland Assembly elections due in few months, it was agreed that the Chief Minister should convene an all political party meeting at the earliest.
Bengaluru, Nov 18 : Karnataka has signed an agreement with Business France India to collaborate on promoting start-ups in five areas.

"We have identified the five areas of collaboration for promoting start-up ecosystems in both countries," Karnataka IT Minister of State Priyank Kharge told reporters on Friday on the margins of the Bengaluru Tech Summit here.

The partners will focus on providing cross-learning opportunities to start-ups through participation in events, assisting select French start-ups to visit India for immersive experience and facilitating Indian firms in France to scale on their operations.

"The first French tech hub in India will be set up in Bengaluru with overseas collaborations on research and development (R&D), joint R&D projects and commercial expeditions," said Kharge on the occasion.

The French government has set up 22 French Tech Hubs the world over.

"Bengaluru has been the innovation and start-up hub of the country and has proven to be a preferred location for start-ups."

The Business France is a national agency supporting the international development of the French economy.

"We want to provide best in class exposure to our start-ups for cross learning, incubation and partnerships," added Kharge.
Geneva, Nov 18 : The UNHCR has said it has noted "with growing concern" an increase in the killings of community leaders and rights defenders in Colombia's Pacific Coast region.

"In most cases, the victims are from indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities," Xinhua news agency quoted United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson William Spindler as saying at a UN briefing in Geneva on Friday.

Jose Jair Cortes, a leader from the Afro-Colombian community of Alto Mira y Frontera in Tumaco, in the south-western department of Narino, was killed a month ago by an unknown armed group, he added.

At least seven other leaders have been killed and many others threatened since then, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia.

Implementation of Colombia's Peace Agreement with the former guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), announced a year ago, has sprung many challenges with the presence of armed groups and unlawful activities such as drug trafficking and illegal mining, said the UNHCR.

"In all there are 78 known deaths of leaders and members of social organisations this year and at least 13 other suspected murders. By any measure this is alarming," said Spindler.
Ankara, Nov 18 : Norway's Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen has apologized to Turkey after a civilian official depicted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an "enemy" during a NATO drill in the country.

"During a NATO exercise at the Joint Warfare Center (JWC) in Stavanger, an exercise message was published on the internal exercise network," Xinhua news agency quoted the minister as saying in a written statement on Friday.

"The message does not reflect Norway's views or policies and I apologize for the content of the message," he said.

"Turkey is an important ally in NATO, we value our good cooperation."

The civilian Norwegian official was removed from the exercise by JWC following the incident and a thorough investigation was underway, the statement said.

Earlier on Friday, Turkey announced it has withdrawn 40 soldiers from NATO's Trident Javelin military exercise in Norway after the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were included in a list of "enemies".

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also issued an apology to Turkey over the incident.
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We are excited these changes will serve our clients better. We believe the new site will allow our visitors to have a very informative experience as we continue to grow and increase our online market presence., added Bill Wade, President of Wade Architectural Systems.

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For more information visit: http://www.wadearch.com

ABOUT WADE ARCHITECTURAL SYSTEMS:

Wade Architectural Systems was established in 1988 to serve the architectural market in exterior metals. Our main office is located just outside of Houston, Texas, with additional representation in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX and Charlotte, NC areas. We employ a team of seasoned professionals that have expertise in metal wall, roofing and ceiling design to assist both design and construction teams in selecting and procuring the most appropriate system to suit your project needs.

Our company partners with industry leaders, who produce high-quality metal systems, to offer solutions for visually pleasing interiors and exteriors balanced with installation strategies that are more cost effective than others. In addition, WAS is an AIA CES continuing education provider, which offers us the ability to better serve architects and specifiers by offering courses that help to answer common questions related to specification of interior and exterior systems.
In 1978, when Tim OBrien, Pete Wernick, Nick Forster and Charles Sawtelle came together as Hot Rize, their chemistry generated an exciting and soulful new style of bluegrass, showcasing their formidable talents as instrumentalists, songwriters, and innovators.

Hot Rize, one of bluegrass musics most beloved and influential bands, will kick off their 40th anniversary year-long celebration with a run of special SOLD OUT shows featuring special guests at the Boulder Theater. Since the Boulder Theater run sold out so quickly, they have decided to add a third date at the venue, tickets are on sale today. The three-night stand will be recorded for video and audio to be released throughout the year. The band takes to the road in January and February, touring the west coast and the northeast, and looks forward to a year of reaching new listeners as well as revisiting fans nationwide from its forty-year history.

In 1978, when Tim OBrien, Pete Wernick, Nick Forster and Charles Sawtelle came together as Hot Rize, their chemistry generated an exciting and soulful new style of bluegrass, showcasing their formidable talents as instrumentalists, songwriters, and innovators. Grounded in the bluegrass traditions of artists like Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers, their musical tastes embraced other American roots pathways as well. Honing their sound in Colorado bars and small concerts, they were soon appearing on A Prairie Home Companion, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, the Grand Ole Opry, and European tours. The world was ready for Hot Rize -- and forty years later Hot Rize has left its unmistakable mark.

Their original songs are part of the bluegrass canon, their showmanship earned them the first-ever Entertainer of the Year award from the IBMA, and their partnership with Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers isnearly indescribable. There is no other band like Hot Rize, and many bands that followed have cited them as a major influence.

Following Charles Sawtelles untimely death in 1999, the band regrouped with bluegrass reigning flat picker, North Carolinian Bryan Sutton on guitar. Since 2002, Hot Rizes unparalleled all-star lineup has held steady and continues to create new and inspired music.

Dont miss your chance this year to celebrate with on of Americas most revered bands as they tour across the US.

January 12 - 13 - Boulder Theatre - with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Del McCoury, Stuart Duncan and more to be announced.

January 14  Boulder Theater - with special guests to be announced. Tickets on sale Friday, Nov. 17th.

January 17 - Triple Door, Seattle, WA

January 18 - Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR

January 19 - Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA

January 20 - Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, CA

February 15 - The Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville, PA

February 16 - Barre Opera House, Barre, VT

February 17 - Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY

February 18 - Joe Val Bluegrass Festival, Framingham, MA

More dates to be announced soon.

For more information and to follow the growing tour schedule visit hotrize.com.
Dr. Willingham is one of the nations most responsible and effective translators of psychological science to educational practice

A groundbreaking researcher whose work lies at the intersection of education and cognitive neuroscience was awarded the tenth annual prize for Transforming Education Through Neuroscience. The award was established to honor individuals who represent excellence in bridging neuroscience and education and is funded by the Learning & the Brain Foundation. The $2,500 award will be used to support translational efforts bridging scientific findings and classroom practice.

Dr. Willingham is being honored for his work on learning and memory and the applications of cognitive psychology to education. He has devoted much of his career leveraging scientific findings to address important educational issues. Dr. Willingham received his BA from Duke and his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Harvard University and is now a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. He writes the Ask the Cognitive Scientist column for American Educator magazine. Dr. Willingham is also the author of the following books "Why Don't Students Like School?", "When Can You Trust the Experts?", "Raising Kids Who Read", and "The Reading Mind." His writing on education has appeared in fifteen languages.

David B. Daniel, PhD, Professor of Psychology at James Madison University and the 2013 winner of the award, had praise for the new recipient. Dr. Willingham is one of the nations most responsible and effective translators of psychological science to educational practice. He is adept at synthesizing seemingly divergent literatures and working across multiple levels-of-analysis to construct evidence-based, usable knowledge for educational practices. Dr. Willinghams impact across the field, from the classroom to policy, is both important and influential.

According to John D.E. Gabrieli, PhD, the Grover Hermann Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Daniel Willingham has been the leader in communicating concepts and advances in the science of learning to a broad community of educators and parents. He has created a bridge between the best of science and the most important challenges that teachers and students face in the classroom.

Dr. Daniel presented the prize to Dr. Willingham at the Learning & the Brain educational conference in Boston, MA on Sunday, November 12, held at the Westin Copley Hotel. The Learning & the Brain Foundation wishes Dr. Willingham our heartiest congratulations.
Attorney Chad Van Horn is Attorney of the Year Mr. Van Horn has been a relentless advocate for the disadvantaged in Broward County, particularly our veterans, facing financial crisis.

Chad Van Horn, the founding partner of Van Horn Law Group, P.A., was recognized as Attorney of the Year at the 16th annual For the Public Good event hosted by Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS) and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA). The event took place on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, and celebrates community leaders whose philanthropic work has benefited underprivileged and underserved communities and individuals in Broward County.

The event had over 400 Broward County lawyers, judges, and community leaders attend. Funds raised from the evening will benefit those served by the two agencies, specifically seniors, veterans, the homeless, survivors of child abuse, survivors of domestic violence, persons living with HIV and AIDS, and families at risk to losing their homes to foreclosure.

A not-for-profit law firm established in 1973, Legal Aid Service of Broward Countys core mission is to provide free civil legal advice, representation, and education to underserved and underprivileged persons residing in Broward County. LAS strives to improve living standards and conditions for low-income people and foster long-term self-sufficiency by empowering them with information and expert legal advice. Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida is a not-for-profit law firm funded, in part, by the Legal Services Corporation. Established in 2003, CCLAs mission is to improve the standard of living of low-income people through advocacy, education, representation, and empowerment.

Chad Van Horn shares these core values and has dedicated his time, services, and energy to helping LAS and CCLA assist those in need. An expert in bankruptcy law and a Florida attorney since 2009, Chad has spent numerous hours devoted to helping low income and vulnerable populations navigate the ins and outs of bankruptcy to help alleviate economic hardship. Van Horn Law Group partners with community service organizations to provide pro bono legal advice, including Legal Aid and United Way of Broward County.

Upon being named for this award, Broward Legal Aid states: Mr. Van Horn has been a relentless advocate for the disadvantaged in Broward County, particularly our veterans, facing financial crisis. He provides a holistic approach to practicing law that is invaluable to our clients who often have more than one legal issue, and due to his zealous advocacy he has helped many low-income veterans escape the physical and emotional burdens of bankruptcy.

In 2017, Chad has also been named Big Brother of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters for the State of Florida, Avvo Clients Choice and rated American Institute of Legal Counsel 10 Best Attorney-Client Satisfaction in Bankruptcy Law Division, in addition to other awards and recognitions for his legal expertise and community service.

About Chad Van Horn

Chad Van Horn is the founding partner attorney of Van Horn Law Group, P.A., a South Florida business leader devoted to supporting local startups to help create jobs, and philanthropist known for providing pro bono legal guidance to underserved populations. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Robert Morris University and his Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center. He attributes his global perspective of the world to his time studying abroad at American University of Rome in Rome, Italy. Chad originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA.

About Van Horn Law Group

Helmed by Chad Van Horn, Van Horn Law Group P.A. is a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm with practice areas in personal bankruptcy, corporate bankruptcy, student loan consolidation and litigation, estate planning/asset protection, LGBT estate planning/asset protection, foreclosure defense, corporate representation, debt consolidation, civil litigation, debt relief, and consumer law. Through a combination of dedicated philanthropy, spirited entrepreneurship, and legal expertise, he applies his resources and networking to help people. Van Horn Law Group can be reached at the Fort Lauderdale office at (954) 765-3166, or by visiting https://www.vanhornlawgroup.com
Tech startup Kadho has introduced a new speech recognition model exclusively designed for children from 4 to 12 years of age. The technology has advanced features which make it perform above notable engines such as IBM Watson, Microsoft Bing, and Nuance. These systems are designed and trained on adult data and as they strive to reach the highest benchmarks, they are not focusing on one of the most important categories: children. Kadhos knowledge and expertise in neuroscience and artificial intelligence along with a focus on early childhood education supported the development of KidSense.

Kadhos CEO, Kaveh Azartash, PhD stated that Children grow up with technology, and technology contributes very effectively to a childs growth. It is a pain to see the latest advances in mobile and communication technology such as Google Home, Amazon Echo or Siri fail badly to engage with children. Put simply; children are unable to speak to technology because none of these systems can decode how kids speak. Dr. Azartash went on to add We are thrilled to announce the launch of our unique speech recognition engine KidSense. We believe KidSense would duly help to fill the gap created by existent speech recognition modules through its exclusive kid-accent decoding capacity. KidSense is built by collecting targeted data from native and non-native speakers of English, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Spanish & French. In line with the rollout plan, the first phase of KidSense supports English, Korean, and Mandarin. The company plans to build more data to support the top 10 languages in the world.

KidSense is built by a team of neuroscientists and artificial intelligence engineers who have made a revolutionary endeavor to integrate the fundamentals of language acquisition in early childhood with latest advances in artificial intelligence. Kidsense also provides dual-language speech recognition capabilities which make it one of a kind tool to provide a medium for language teaching products. The technology highlights the development of a novel neuroscience-based approach towards solving the problem of children communicating with technology.

The Chief Technology Officer at Kadho, Dr. Dhonam Pemba said The real challenge in building a speech recognition model occurs when you dont have hundreds of thousands of hours of speech data. We have developed a novel approach leveraging the language independent features of childrens speeches to bootstrap our neural networks that allowed us to build better quality acoustic models with less data than the leading tech giants.

Kidsense currently provides services such as speech to text and speech/pronunciation evaluation through its cognitive engines. KidSense is built on integrating a number of language and acoustic models and has been validated through multiple partnerships. For more information, please visit http://www.kidsense.ai

About Kadho

Kadho is an Irvine, California based tech company which is poised to revolutionize the language learning process. The company has been developing educational technologies since 2014 and has operations in USA, China, Korea and Hong Kong. They aim to introduce a new learning method with science and immersive conversation to augment the language learning process for children. With the use of neuroscience and artificial intelligence, they have been able to create a dynamic product for children called Kidsense. The company is committed to helping children learn various world languages through its unique speech engine product. For more info please contact kadho(at)kadho(dot)com or visit http://www.kadho.com
Briggs Ewell & Agostina Muro

Agostina Muro, a prominent real estate sales executive in the New York market, has joined the OPTIMAR International team as its Director of New Development in their Northeast base in New York. Most recently Muro was a Sales Manager at Town Residential where she assisted in the companies launch and expansion to Brooklyn. Prior to Town, Muro was a Leasing Director at Two Trees Management.

OPTIMAR is an extremely unique platform, in the sense that they provide outlets for residential, commercial, and investment sales under one roof, Muro said.

Although new to New York, OPTIMAR currently has almost $100m in projects that they are working on and/or have closed YTD. The list of transactions ranges from investment sales, commercial leases, down to residential rentals.

What makes our company so dynamic is the ability for our team to transact in all levels and facets of the industry. We have agents who yesterday worked with clients to sell their single-family home, today assisted in finding debt for a development and tomorrow will be showing a rental property. It is crucial in today's market place that you have the skills and access to assist clients in a variety of transaction types, we provide this to our agents with diverse leadership and experience levels. Agostina joins us at a pivotal time for the business and I know she will be a huge asset for the growth of the company, specifically in New Development Sales., says Briggs Elwell.

Briggs Elwell is the Head of the Northeast operation of OPTIMAR International Realty. He is leading the company's expansion from South Florida into New York.
Contact: Dava Guerin, 443-493-0406

Former Congressman Bob Clement to Donate Book Sales to Dickson Museum

NASHVILLE, TN-Nov. 20-Former U.S. Congressman Bob Clement has traveled the state speaking to local groups about politics and public service and donating copies of his book, Presidents, Kings and Convicts: My Journey from the Tennessee Governors Residence to the Halls of Congress, to local schools and libraries. From now through December 31, Clement will be donating sales of his book to the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum, one of the only sites of an authentic railroad hotel located in a small Tennessee town. The museum is housed in the Hotel Halbrook State Historic Site, and helps educate the public about the Civil War, railroads, Tennessee politics, and regional history.

As Ive met with so many Tennesseans traveling across Tennessee, people always want to know about how we can bring back civility in politics and what they can do to help, said Clement. Being a former college president, I believe in everyone understanding civics and how our government works, and getting involved in some form of public service. Thats one of the reasons that Ive donated so many books to Tennessee libraries, because Im hopeful that Americans will embrace politics for all the right reasons, he added.

Clements father, former Governor Frank G. Clement, was born and raised in Dickson, Tennessee, and the museum contains many items that belonged to the Clement family, as well as exhibits featuring Governor Clements early years, political campaigns and accomplishments.

For more information on Presidents, Kings and Convicts, visit http://www.presidentskingsconvicts.com. The book is also available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and Congressman Clement can be reached at: bob.clement(at)comcast(dot)net.

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Giving back to community is an important part of our mission. Whenever we have a chance, we will lend our talent and specialty to those who need them. Past News Releases RSS

Photographer Panas Wiwatpanachat, owner of Panas Photography, is teaming up with Step Up on Second in Santa Monica, which delivers compassionate support to people experiencing serious mental illness, for Giving Tuesday. A global giving movement, Giving Tuesday takes place on November 28 on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

Giving back to community is an important part of our mission. Whenever we have a chance, we will lend our talent and specialty to those who need them, said Panas.

For Giving Tuesday, Step Up on Second will be utilizing its social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as its website and text messaging to promote its ending homelessness campaign. Panas will be taking photos and video of board members, donors, staff and members (those who Step Up serves) holding a large key.

Our message is You are the key to ending homelessness. We are hoping to raise both awareness and donations in our efforts to end homelessness for 1,000 individuals living on the streets of Southern California over the next two years, said Diedre A. Strohm, Vice President of Step Up on Second.

Step Up is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization founded in 1984. Its three pillars of service are permanent supportive housing, vocational training and placement, and member-driven supportive services. It is a contracted mental health provider and operates in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties in California, and is starting operations in Seminole County, Florida. This year, Step Up is also participating in Big GIVE San Bernardino through the Community Foundation.

To donate directly to Step Up on Second, please visit http://www.stepuponsecond.org/ways-to-give/.

About Panas Photography

Panas Wiwatpanachat has a distinctive style and the ability to capture the essence of his subjects with honesty through his interpretation. Panas Photography specializes in events, architecture and landscape, headshot, fashion and portrait photography. For more information, please call (323) 620-2442, or visit http://www.panasphoto.com. Panas Photography is located at 1311 N. Broadway, Suite 103, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
"On our 6 year journey to Accreditation we went from looking at teeth to allowing our creativity and artistry to bring our patients inner beauty to the surface", said Dr. Kling. "Their smiles are now a gateway to their authentic selves".

John D. Kling II, DDS of Old Town Alexandria, VA has been voted 'Best Dentist' for the 6th consecutive year by Northern Virginia Magazine. Dr. Kling is a well established cosmetic dentist who has been in practice for over 30 years. But what really sets Dr. Kling apart from his peers is -- There are only 20 dentists worldwide who have earned both their Accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) as well as their Mastership with the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).

A standard of excellence and his commitment to lifetime learning is not only Dr. Kling's passion but he truly redefines the term 'cosmetic dentist'. He completed more than 1,100 hours of dental continuing education in earning the distinguished ACG Mastership and then tackled the arduous journey of Accreditation with the AACD. "The path to Accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry is a rigorous one traveled by very few dentists", explained Dr. Kling. "My team and I had life changing experiences during our 6 year journey to Accreditation". Sarah, one of Dr. Kling's assistants who worked alongside Dr. Kling throughout the Accreditation process said, "The AACD Accreditation process is unlike anything else in this field--there is a true standard of 'perfection'--a process that must be followed which delivers both beautiful and natural looking results". One patient recently said, "The treatment I received was outstanding -- friendly, kind, courteous, without peer. I am completely happy and satisfied with everything he did to make me comfortable speaking and smiling again". Dr. Kling is one of 384 dentists worldwide who has earned an Accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Dr. John Kling II, DDS is a graduate of Wake Forest University and Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine. He did his residency at Buffalo General Hospital before practicing in Alexandria, VA. Further course work was completed by Dr. Kling at the L.D. Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education, the Dawson Center for Advanced Dental Study and the LSU School of Dentistry Academy of Continuing Education.

Dr. Kling recently sponsored the 'Walk to End Alzheimer's' in Washington DC and is a volunteer dentist for the AACD 'Give Back a Smile' program in which dentists volunteer their time to repair the smiles of those affected by domestic violence and abuse.
SFTPPlus - Securing your file transfers We see increasing demands due to changing requirements to meet FIPS, PCI and other security standards.

SFTPPlus MFT is a software suite for managed file transfer (MFT) with Client and Server that may be licensed and used as standalone modules or together as a MFT solution. SFTPPlus MFT provides functionality to automate file transfers between systems, users inside an organization and with third-parties. The software is designed to work on major operating systems including Windows, Linux and UNIX. SFTPPlus MFT supports the most popular file transfer protocols like FTPS, SFTP, HTTPS and WebDAV and provides external authentication support, integration with built-in and external logging solutions and audit functionality. SFTPPlus MFT also integrates with external encryption solutions and offers an API for third-party integrations.

SFTPPlus MFT suite has become the main product of the company which is continuously developed and supported using automated tests, high-quality assurance and documentation. Security, correctness, functionality and performance as well as integration support and no vendor lock-in are key requirements of SFTPPlus MFT.

Tim Adams, Director, said We have found an increasing demand from customers who do not want vendor lock-in with proprietary protocols and prefer a solution that can be quickly installed to use basic functions and are then delighted to find the extra functions that are typically only available with high cost solutions. Part of our mission has always been to make high end functionality available with a cost-effective and affordable product.

New features and functionality have been added  in many cases this is driven by customer requests as well as market needs  and includes those required due to changes in FIPS, PCI and other security standards.

A new website has been launched at sftpplus.com which has added new pricing and discount information to ensure new customers can quickly find information they need and access further information through trials and documentation. Discounts are not only available for larger deployments but also for small companies in order to encourage and enable best practice for every enterprise of any size.

Tim Adams, Director, said We encourage new customers to take a free, supported trial to see the ease with which the software can be installed and used in order to explore the rich functionality and features. Our consultants will be happy to help with best practice and discuss integration, if required. We are always pleased to work with companies of all sizes where needs may be a single Server or Client as well as with large enterprises and government where needs may be for an enterprise wide solution that requires integration with other systems.

Adi Roiban, CTO, said We have listened carefully to customers who are keen to use open standards and require a solution that helps ensure security of data while enabling many options for automation and authentication. Our larger customers need a product that can be integrated with existing workflow and other systems and can also be installed on multiple operating systems.

Key to our success has been our team of developers and support specialists who ensure that SFTPPlus MFT fits customer needs whether on legacy systems or latest technology and they will assist, if required, with use of features and best practice as well as help with integration.

We see increasing demands due to changing requirements to meet FIPS, PCI and other security standards. We work closely with customers to ensure that current and future needs are met in a timely way with functionality that is based on the RFC and specific standards as well as particular integration or other use.

Our worldwide customer profile includes government agencies and businesses large and small across Europe, USA, Middle East, Asia, Australia and Far East. Pro:Atria also works with integrators and system design teams including IBM, DXC, Fujitsu, Capita and Tata (amongst others). Customers are from all sectors including retail, financial, manufacturing, healthcare, education and transport as well as government agencies and departments. Support is provided by our team of staff who are based across Europe.

For more information on SFTPPlus MFT and how Pro:Atria can help secure and automate file transfers go to - sftpplus.com
Pond Lehocky welcomes Raphael F. Castro as the newest workers compensation attorney.

Mr. Castro has a passion for finding justice for Philadelphians; he has worked in the city since his graduation from nearby Widener Law School, where he graduated with pro bono distinction in 2014.

I grew up in Philly, so I always wanted to be a stakeholder, a steward, of the city. Becoming an attorney gave me a platform within the community to make a real difference.

Before joining Pond Lehocky, Mr. Castro worked as an Assistant District Attorney at the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office, litigating both violent and property crime in Philadelphias East Division, identified as the highest volume of crime within the city limits.

I have always wanted to advocate for those who couldnt advocate for themselves. Its important in society to have access to an attorney that you trust. I hope to be that for my clients here at Pond Lehocky.

Mr. Castro, who is fluent in both Spanish and English, has had a strong drive to serve the community since childhood that he attributes to his upbringing.

My parents immigrated to the United States, and they showed me the value of hard work and public service. While working as a prosecutor at the Philly DAs Office, I have advocated for those who did not have a voice. Serving the community has always been my greatest honor, especially when working with victims who could not speak English. At Pond Lehocky, this experience will give me an opportunity to help others understand their protected rights as workers.

Mr. Castro can be reached at rcastro(at)pondlehocky(dot)com. He is the 40th attorney to join Pond Lehocky Stern Giordanos growing firm.
Contact: Kathleen Wilks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

202-276-0638

Kathleen(at)WydlerBrothers.com

Wydler Brothers Real Estate announced today that it has signed a deal to provide all its agents with enterprise features of the Remine Platform. Remine is a Property Intelligence Platform created to empower agents by providing property records, transactional history, homeownership data and actionable insights on an intuitive map-based user interface.

Not only are we providing all of our agents enterprise access to Remine, said Steve Wydler, co-founder of Wydler Brothers Real Estate, "We believed in this technology... so much so that we invested in their business."

"We've always been innovators and are excited to equip our agents with the most valuable tools. This is a tool that we believe will be a game changer," said co-founder of Wydler Brothers Real Estate, Hans Wydler.

Wydler Brothers marks one of Remines first Broker deals, and we are thrilled to kick start the program in our own backyard, said Ariana Pareja, Director of Broker Relationships. By providing Enterprise features, Brokers like Wydler Brothers Real Estate are providing their agents key benefits to help grow their business and stay in front of the curve in a rapidly changing industry.

About Remine

Remine is a real estate intelligence platform for Agents that is delivered exclusively through the MLS. Based in Fairfax, Virginia, the platform analyzes property records, transactional history, consumer data and delivers actionable insights on an intuitive user interface. Many of the nations largest MLSs representing more than 500,000 Realtors have signed up for Remine. Visit Remine.com or call 855-217-0171.

About Wydler Brothers

Wydler Brothers Real Estate is a successful brokerage specializing in fine homes and condominiums throughout the greater DC metro area. With over $1.5 billion in sales since its inception, they were recognized as the most innovative Realtor in America by Inman News, the leading trade publication that focuses on residential real estate. Through a combination of smart people, cutting-edge technology, and a community-knowledge approach, Wydler Brothers Real Estate is committed to delivering the highest level of service to clients and providing the best marketing and technical support to their agents.
From left, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) undergraduates Michael Hopkins, Kevin Macintosh, and Nicholas Hollan, with Craig Putnam, associate director of WPIs Robotics Engineering program, test Its about humans working with and being aided by robots, Graham said. Its not about robots replacing humans. The more automation we can bring to the manufacturing plant, the more work we can do with the same number of people.

Students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) are completing a three-year project that could help GE Aviation use robotics to inspect a critical component of jet engines with greater accuracy and less physical stress on human workers.

A team of three undergraduates, the third team to work on the project, is completing the hardware and software needed to enable a robot to inspect jet engine parts known as blisks (from bladed disks), which are compressor blades and rotor disks made as a single part. Critical components for the engines that power the Airbus A320neo family and the Boeing 737MAX aircraft series, blisks need to be flawless, since a failure could cause an engine to shut down during flight.

Its important for the blisk to be perfect, said senior instructor Craig Putnam, associate director of WPIs Robotics Engineering program and an advisor on the GE Aviation blisk research project. This is the spinning part of a jet engine, so its subject to huge forces. If the blisk isnt machined properly, it could destroy the engine.

Kenneth Stafford, a teaching professor in the Office of Undergraduate Studies and the director of WPIs Robotics Resource Center, is co-advisor for this years project team: seniors Michael Hopkins, Kevin Macintosh, and Nicholas Hollan; Hopkins is a robotics engineering major; Macintosh and Hollan are majoring in computer science.

Like the two teams before them, Hopkins, Macintosh, and Hollan are completing their Major Qualifying Project (MQP), a team-based, professional-level design or research experience that every WPI student must complete. William Moore and Matthew Shanck, members of the Class of 2015, began the blisk inspection work in an MQP advised by Putnam, Stafford, and Susan Jarvis, assistant teaching professor in electrical and computer engineering. Breanne Happell, Karen Orton, Kevin Ouellette, and Charles Sinkler, all members of the Class of 2017, continued the effort last year with an MQP advised by Putnam, Stafford, and Michael Gennert, professor of computer science and former director of the Robotics Engineering Program.

A GE facility in Hooksett, N.H., which has been sponsoring the three-year project, expects to ramp up to 90 blisk inspections a week during peak times, so making those inspections easier, faster, and more accurate has been a key goal for the WPI student project teams.

Currently, GE Aviation workers inspect each blisk by hand, a process that can take one to two hours and can lead to repetitive motion injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome. The inspections, which are a quality control check, focus on the fillet, a curved piece of metal that sits between the blades where they attach to the disk. The fillet, which makes the blade stronger, must have a specific radius and be free of gouges and bumps.

The WPI research team has been tasked with programming a robot to accurately inspect a blisk in the same time it takes a human worker; eventually, GE hopes to have robots do the work even faster. A human inspector would double-check any potential problems identified by the robot, cutting the time humans spent on inspections, according to John Graham, a manufacturing engineering manager at GE Aviation in Hooksett.

Its about humans working with and being aided by robots, Graham said. Its not about robots replacing humans. The more automation we can bring to the manufacturing plant, the more work we can do with the same number of people.

Currently, GE Aviation does not use robotics for blisk inspections, though robots are used to polish and smooth rough edges of the blisks. Graham said he hopes that adding robotic inspectors will not only increase productivity, but bring greater consistency to blisk inspections. Where people tend to have some variation in their judgement, robots will not, which will give managers more confidence in their results.

The WPI students have designed a turntable that will hold the blisk and rotate it so a robot can inspect each blade individually. They are also building an inspection tool that attaches to the arm of an existing robot and includes a ball with a camera about the size of a pencil eraser on one side and an LED light source on the other.

The tool inserts the ball between two blades and drags it along the fillet, from the edge of one blade to the edge of the next. As the ball moves, the camera records how light passes around the ball. Too much or too little reaching the camera may indicate an anomaly, such as an incorrectly machined fillet. If an anomaly is detected, the system would alert a human inspector.

In addition to designing the hardware, the students are writing the software for the computer vision system and the robot controller. One of the biggest challenges the students have faced is designing the end-of-arm tooling so it can fit properly in between the blades and move the ball in a precise line along the fillet, Putnam said.

Graham said GE Aviation will evaluate the hardware and software developed by the WPI project teams and, if the work is mature enough, it will go to GEs own robotics team where it will be readied for use in an industrial setting. There was no expectation that WPI would deliver an industrial solution we could immediately put on the shop floor, he said. But if they prove that something would work, then it would increase the likelihood of us industrializing it. We think of WPI as an incubator.

The WPI student team has been working on blisks in a range of sizes and designs, all of which are specific to the needs of the Hooksett facility. But Graham said their work could easily be adapted for use in other GE facilities, as well as by suppliers that manufacture blisks for GE.

By the end of the three-year project, the nine WPI students will have put in about 3,000 hours of work on the project, according to Stafford. GE is getting some good engineering work, he said. The project gives students great insights about industry. Whenever we can get a company that believes we can assist them, its a win for students, the faculty, and the company.

Its applied robotics, said Putnam. Were trying to make industry more efficient all the time and this is an example of how we can get it done. This is a typical industrial quality control kind of problem. Something that looks easy for a person to do is actually quite difficult for a robot. The students certainly are learning how challenging real-life problems are.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nations first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.

Contact:

Andy Baron, Associate Director of Public Relations

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, Massachusetts

508-831-5916, ajbaron(at)wpi.edu
Ideosity's Rich Dase and Miko Roller on Worldwide Business with Kathy Ireland Data management is so important. It is wonderful to be able to showcase the work that Ideosity is doing in this field.

Worldwide Business with kathy ireland is pleased to announce an exclusive interview with Miko Roller and Rich Dase of Ideosity, one of the most unique master data management consulting firms.

The company executives will discuss the potential data management has for businesses. The interview delves deep into what data management entails, why it is such a lucrative opportunity and how Ideosity helps personalize systems.

Ideosity provides advisory, implementation, and performance services to small, medium and large enterprises to improve their business results through best practices and strategic use of software for product, customer and supplier data.

Businesses face challenges when storing and managing disparate data across the organization. says Roller. Having one true source of data and one accurate view becomes impossible. Companies are not able to understand, connect, and use the data to fuel their business. This is the journey  mastering the growing complexities of customers, products, and suppliers data day-to-day to gain a competitive edge.

Dase provides insight on working with other businesses. We have an advisory service where we go in and get to know the clients business and understand where their pain points are in regards to mastering data. We can help them identify what applications might be best suited for their needs and take them through the journey of performance type measurements.

JL Haber, Vice President of Programming for Worldwide Business with kathy ireland, praised the work being done through Ideosity. Data management is so important. It involves people who have the time vested for great options. It is wonderful to be able to showcase the work that Ideosity is doing in this field.

For more information about Ideosity, visit ideosity.com and tune in to Bloomberg International at 7:30am GMT and 10:30am D.F. and Fox Business Network as sponsored content on Sunday, November 26, 2017 at 5:00pm EST.

About Worldwide Business with kathy ireland

Worldwide Business with kathy ireland is a weekly business television program featuring real world insights from corporate executives from all over the globe which can be viewed on Fox Business Network as part of their sponsored content lineup, as well as internationally to over 50 countries on Bloomberg International.

Visit http://www.tvwwb.com for detailed airing schedules or check local listings.
National parking lot maintenance, repair and reconstruction "We are excited about our new website launch and the information it provides for customers and partners to better understand the services and solutions that K.A.I. has to offer, said Christie Knable, vice president of marketing for K.A.I. Total Pavement Management. Past News Releases RSS

K.A.I. Total Pavement Management, a national construction management firm that specializes in parking lot maintenance, repair and reconstruction, announced today the launch of its newly revamped website. The updated website provides an improved user experience with easier to navigate access to K.A.I.s core capabilities, company background, and more.

The new website has a clean design, improved functionality and enhanced rich content. These changes support two of the company's core values: Wow the Customer and Invest in Relationships. The new website went live November 13, 2017, and is located at the same address: http://www.kai-pavement.com.

We are excited about our new website launch and the information it provides for customers and partners to better understand the services and solutions that K.A.I. has to offer, said Christie Knable, vice president of marketing for K.A.I. Total Pavement Management. It is our mission to deliver excellent construction management services to businesses across the country, and we believe that this new site will allow visitors to have an informative experience as we continue to grow, deliver those services and increase our market presence.

K.A.I.s new website will be updated on a regular basis with business activities, corporate milestones, events, job postings, and more. Visitors are encouraged to explore the website at http://www.kai-pavement.com.

About K.A.I. Total Pavement Management

K.A.I. Total Pavement Management is a national construction management company with a focus on parking lot maintenance, repair and reconstruction for businesses of all sizes and types. The companys headquarters are in Kansas, and it has self-performing crews in Kansas, California and Texas, plus field offices throughout the country. K.A.I. Total Pavement Management is a Kansas Asphalt, Inc. company and one of the largest woman-owned paving companies in the U.S. For more information on the company, its products and services, visit http://www.kai-pavement.com.
Las-Vegas based small business My Wedding Songs is one of the latest companies honored to receive the Emerging Small Business Certification from the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development. ESB certification is only available for Nevada small businesses which meet a rigorous set of qualifications, and all certified organizations are included in the directory on DiversifyNevada.com.

My Wedding Songs was born in 2003 under the name WeddingMuseum.com. Founders Matt and Sharon Campbell envisioned a helpful resource for do-it-yourself couples who wanted to plan their own perfect weddings. Drawing on Matts years of experience as a professional wedding DJ, Sharons head for business, and their mutual love of music and dancing, WeddingMuseum.com quickly gained renown for their hundreds of wedding music playlists. Early in 2017, WeddingMuseum.com took a big step to serve their audience better and officially rebranded as My Wedding Songs. To date, millions of couples have used My Wedding Songs to find the perfect soundtrack for the most important events in their lives.

Being based in Las Vegas, one of the worlds most popular wedding destinations, My Wedding Songs became a proud charter member of the Wedding Chamber of Commerce in 2016. Being awarded the Emerging Small Business Certification this month is one more milestone in the companys growth, and the Campbells continue to look eagerly towards the future.

Asked about where My Wedding Songs is going next, Matt Campbell talks about the companys plans to continue providing more value to couples preparing for their weddings. The next thing on the horizon is releasing all-in-one wedding playlists by genre. Couples can download a complete playlist, covering the whole wedding affair from the time guests arrive all the way until the last dance. Every important wedding moment is set to the perfect music, and you get up to 6 hours of playtime. Just plug and play.

The new playlists will be ideal solutions for time-strapped couples who dont want to spend hours creating custom playlists, but prefer not to splurge on a wedding DJ when a download from My Wedding Songs can accomplish the same thing. For music enthusiasts looking for inspiration, though, browsing existing playlists like the Top 50 Picks (updated monthly) is a great way to find exactly the right music with exactly the right message. New song lists are published weekly on the My Wedding Songs Blog.

Inclusion as a certified Emerging Small Business gives My Wedding Songs a broader reach, more opportunities to connect with Nevada industry professionals, and a boost in credibility that many internet-based businesses struggle to find for themselves. ESB certification is another growth milestone for the 14-year-old company.

To contact My Wedding Songs, find them on Facebook at Facebook.com/myweddingsongs or tag them on Twitter @MyWeddingSongs1 for a quick response. My Wedding Songs can also be reached at matt@myweddingsongs.com or via text at (702) 205-6874.
Mediaplanet today announces distribution of its second cross-platform edition of Women in STEM.

Mediaplanet today announces distribution of its second cross-platform edition of Women in STEM, aiming to celebrate the growth of diversity in these fields while also looking at the many issues women in this industry still face.

The print component of Women in STEM is distributed to a very key audience at focused STEM events, conferences, networking centers and universities, as well as a large network of K-12 public schools and learning centers. The digital component is distributed nationally through Mediaplanets Education and Career News content hub, social-influencer sharing and targeted STEM newsletters and news sites.

Science communicator and expert, Danni Washington, graces the cover of the campaign. In her interview, Washington opens up about her passion for oceanic studies and sharing her findings with others. Other female advocates also share their stories, including meteorologists Dylan Dreyer, Stephanie Abrams and Ginger Zee, who are working together to banish the term weather girls.

This campaign was made possible with the support of DK Publishing, STEMconnector, Canvas by Instructure, Chevron, Dylan Dreyer, Stephanie Abrams, Ginger Zee, Project Lead the Way, USA Science and Engineering Festival, NAF, Million Women Mentors, ACORD, Danni Washington, Texthelp, the School Superintendent Association, National PTA, National Geographic, School Outfitters, Latinas in STEM, Women in Technology Institute, Zume Pizzas Julia Collins, Milken Award Winner Aja Brown, National Girls Collaborative Project, American Academy of University Women, Women in Manufacturing and more!

About Mediaplanet

Mediaplanet specializes in the creation of content marketing campaigns covering a variety of industries. We tell meaningful stories that educate our audience and position our clients as solution providers. Our unique ability to pair the right leaders with the right readers, through the right platforms, has made Mediaplanet a global content marketing powerhouse. Our award-winning stories have won the hearts of countless readers while serving as a valuable platform for brands and their missions. Just call us storytellers with a purpose. Please visit http://www.mediaplanet.com for more on who we are and what we do.

Press Contact

Jordan Hernandez

Jordan.hernandez@mediaplanet.com

(646) 755-7956
"We dont turn away clients, said Mrs. Virginia Callis, Executive Director of Unity EDC. Much of the grant funding for foreclosure prevention is drying up, but when other housing counseling agencies dont answer the phone, we do.

The Unity Economic Development Corporation (Unity EDC) is kicking off their annual fund drive on #GivingTuesday, November 28, 2017. Ms Angela Fraser from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) lauded the Unity EDC for their positive impact on the community. They are looking for at least 400 people to make a tax-deductible donation of at least $25 between #GivingTuesday and December 31, 2017.

Unity EDC, an award-winning 501(c)3 HUD-approved housing counseling agency located in Suitland, MD, has provided foreclosure prevention counseling, homebuyer education, volunteer income tax preparation services, and financial literacy services in the Southern Maryland region since 2002.

For example, Unity EDC helped a 53-year-old Maryland resident who attended a Unity EDC homebuyer education workshop after being prequalified by a lender. Even after prequalification, he was unsure if he could afford to buy a home with his annual income of $42,000. He completed the workshop and earned a certificate that gave him access to various programs that assist first-time homeowners with down payments and/or closing costs. Four months later, he informed the Unity EDC that he found a house and was ready to close. He indicated that he was more confident after the workshop and was able to use the information he gathered from the session to purchase a home for $120,000 in a short sale.

Through Unitys housing counseling program, more than 1000 homeowners in the community have received critical advice and support to navigate the daunting foreclosure process, said Ms. Fraser, speaking at Unity EDCs Open House event on October 28, 2017. Your impact has been much broader and that, she continued. You should really be proud of the work that you do and the impact that you have on the community. Considering how devastating the loss of a home can be, it is really no exaggeration to say that your impact is nothing more than life-changing.

We dont turn away clients, said Mrs. Virginia Callis, Executive Director of Unity EDC. Much of the grant funding for foreclosure prevention is drying up, but when other housing counseling agencies dont answer the phone, we do.

The work continues and there will always be a need, said Ms. Fraser. I just want to spread the word about the great work that Unity does and to keep clients coming in the door. We have a great resource here in the community and we have to keep it going.

Donors can make their tax-deductible donation of at least $25 to help Unity EDC keep going by visiting the Unity EDC website at http://www.unityEDC.org or by mailing their donation to the Unity Economic Development Corporation, 508 Allentown Rd., Suite 309, Suitland, MD 20746. Online donations are secured through PayPals payment processing system.

About Unity EDC: Unity EDC is a 501(c)(3) HUD-approved housing counseling agency founded in 2002. The organization has served as an invaluable resource throughout the greater Washington DC Metropolitan Area by EMPOWERING PEOPLE, ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY, & INSPIRING A SHARED PROSPERITY. Unity EDC provides one-on-one and group counseling, budgeting and home ownership workshops, and seminars designed to assist individuals in gaining control over their finances and other economic matters. Unity EDC has equipped thousands of individuals  your neighbors  with these life-altering tools, enabling them to more successfully contribute to building a better community alongside each one of us.

To learn more about the Unity EDC, please visit:

Website: http://www.unityedc.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UnityEDC.org/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/unityedc

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/unity-economic-development-corporation

About #GivingTuesday: #GivingTuesday is a global giving movement that has been built by individuals, families, organizations, businesses and communities in all 50 states and in countries around the world. In 2017, #GivingTuesday falls on November 28. #GivingTuesday harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners to transform how people think about, talk about, and participate in the giving season. It inspires people to take collective action to improve their communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they believe in, and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday demonstrates how every act of generosity counts, and that they mean even more when we give together.

To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:

Website: http://www.givingtuesday.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday

Twitter: http://twitter.com/GivingTuesday

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CO Impact Days and Initiative announced the top 100 social ventures that have been invited to meet face to face with investors in order to seek millions of dollars of impact investments at CO Impact Days Social Venture Showcase on November 17, 2017. Safe Ride 4 Kids is proud to announce our inclusion in this significant event.

We feel honored to be among the social ventures chosen to participate in this years CO Impact Days, said Greg Durocher, CEO and founder of Safe Ride 4 Kids. Our business is about saving lives. Our big reach is to reduce the great number of pregnancies lost in car crashes. Since you never know who or when someone will be in a crash, that means we have to reach 4 million pregnant women a year with our message.

The 100 ventures will convene on November 17 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Performing Arts Complex for the second year of this innovative, exciting, shark-tank for good statewide marketplace for impact investing. The chosen social ventures will have the opportunity to showcase their investment opportunities to offer not only a financial return on the impact investor's investment, but also to offer solutions to some of the most pressing issues of our time. We are so thrilled to again invite over 200 investors and philanthropists to interact with these valuable social ventures. When these two groups of powerful move-makers share a room, there is no telling the good that will come. Weve aimed to offer a diverse array of impact investments, with a goal that every investor attendee will leave knowing that deal flow is not a Colorado impact investing problem, said Dr. Stephanie Gripne, Founder of the Impact Finance Center and creator of CO Impact Days and Initiative. Were excited to continue this effort and see even more fruitful collisions at this years marketplace.

The goal of CO Impact Initiative is to catalyze $100 million in impact investments into Colorado social ventures in the next three years, and it is kicking off with CO Impact Days on November 15-17. CO Impact Days encourages a new breed of impact investors and community members to Learn. Connect. Invest.

CO Impact Days innovation is uniquely possible because Colorado is home to a number of national leaders in impact investing and a thriving and collaborative community of social venture entrepreneurs in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, plus philanthropists and investors who are committed to growing Colorados economy and creating good jobs while ensuring our state remains one of the best places to work, live and play in the U.S.

Safe Ride 4 Kids was chosen out of 150 applicants in a competitive process with over 138 judges from around the United States.

Safe Ride 4 Kids mission is to save lives and reduce the emotional suffering by preventing children from being injured or killed in car crashes. As certified car seat technicians, weve been focused on this mission even before Safe Ride 4 Kids. With our company we are able to reach more parents with our safety information and bring them innovative product solutions. By focusing on car safety for the pregnancy stage, we bring awareness to an otherwise unaddressed stage of child passenger safety.

For more information or tickets, visit http://SR4K.com/COImpactDays. For more information about Safe Ride 4 Kids, our mission and the investment opportunity, visit http://SR4K.com/Raise.
eCTD Submissions of IND and NDA/BLA to the US FDA, EU and Canada ComplianceOnline  The Largest GRC Advisory Network

Led by ex-FDA official Peggy Berry, ComplianceOnlines popular seminar on eCTD Submissions of IND and NDA/BLA to the US FDA, EU and Canada comes to Orlando, and San Francisco in 2018. The 2017 sold-out event was attended by various clinical, biotechnology and pharma professionals representing FDA regulated organizations such as Nektar, AbbVie, Kashiv Pharma, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Kodiak, Worldwide Clinical Trials, Tolero Pharmaceutical Inc., TRIO - Translational Research In Oncology, Pharmacyclics LLC, Hill Dermaceuticals Inc., and others.

Given the constant updates in the industry, each session in the seminar will provide you with an in-depth review of the content and format requirements of the CTD/eCTD. Hands-on activities will include organizing specific study reports and other documents into the CTD, using tools for the project management of the CTD preparation, and pre-publishing an eCTD.

Speaker Peggy J. Berry has worked in review divisions at the FDA (1985-1992). She is the editor of the 2010 book "Choosing the Right Regulatory Career" (RAPS, MD) and author of the 2011 book "Communication & Negotiation" (RAPS, MD).

This in-person training will assist anyone responsible for providing content for the CTD, regulatory affairs personnel, QA/ QC teams, pharmacovigilance, project management, medical and technical writers, and professionals preparing IND, DMFs, NDAs and other submissions.

For more information on this seminar, visit the event website here.

Dates:

Thursday, February 1, 2018 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM) and Friday, February 2, 2018 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM)

Thursday, May 31, 2018 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM) and Friday, June 1, 2017 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM)

Location 1: Orlando, FL

Location 2: San Francisco CA

Registration Cost: $1,899.00 per registration

Early bird discounts: For discounts on early registrations, please click here.

Register by phone: Please call our customer service specialists at +1-888-717-2436 or email to customercare(at)complianceonline(dot)com

For more information on ComplianceOnline or to browse through our trainings, please visit our website.

About ComplianceOnline

ComplianceOnline is a leading provider of regulatory compliance trainings for companies and professionals in regulated industries. ComplianceOnline has successfully trained over 55,000 professionals from 15,000 companies to comply with the requirements of regulatory agencies. ComplianceOnline is headquartered in Palo Alto, California and can be reached at http://www.complianceonline.com. ComplianceOnline is a MetricStream portal. MetricStream (http://www.metricstream.com) is a market leader in Enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Management Solutions for global corporations.

For more information please contact:

A Reuben Bernard

Associate Director - ComplianceOnline

2600 E Bayshore Rd

Palo Alto CA USA 94303

Phone - +1-650-238-9656 | +1-888-717-2436

Fax - 650-963-2556

Mail: reuben(at)complianceonline.com

Website: http://www.complianceonline.com
Chris Tindal, former Director for Operational Energy working for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, has joined the Advanced Biofuels USA board of directors. Advanced Biofuels USA, an educational nonprofit dedicated to the understanding, development and use of advanced biofuels, welcomes Tindal with his extensive understanding of military use of biofuels, especially of the Navy's Great Green Fleet program.

Chris not only brings extraordinary experiences from his work with the U.S. Navy, setting energy policy and promoting the adoption of alternative fuels and renewable energy resources," explained President and Executive Director, Joanne Ivancic, "He's also a thoughtful and generous individual. He will be an asset to the organization in many ways."

"Chris has been in the thick of all things biofuels over the past 10 years and more," she continued, "particularly as the Navy leader of the pioneering U.S. Department of Agriculture/ U.S. Department of Energy/ U.S. Navy Alternative Fuels Initiative which developed programs to launch the advanced biofuels industry. In doing so, he has developed intergovernmental, international, and industry relationships throughout the energy field and will have well-honed insights to share as Advanced Biofuels USA moves into its 10th year."

Chris Tindal started his federal civil service career in 1988 at Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) in Charleston, South Carolina working in Facilities Management, Operations, and Energy Management. Early in his job as the Utilities and Energy Management Division Director, Chris created, developed and led the innovative Utilities and Energy Cost Saver Tiger Team, which saved the Navy over $10 million. He moved up to NAVFAC Headquarters in Washington, DC in 2006 to work in the Department of Navys Energy Program as the Energy Operations Director.

In 2008, Chris became the Director for Operational Energy working for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy. In this position, Chris was in charge of setting energy policy and direction for the Department of the Navy and promoting the adoption of alternative fuels and renewable energy resources.

Tindal led the Great Green Fleet effort, overseeing the planning and logistics, discussing interoperability concerns with alternative fuel use by the U.S. Navy with many countries.

A Navy man for over 40 years Tindal, retired as a Captain in the Navy Reserves in 2010 and continues to pursue his career as a Professional Engineer and a Certified Energy Manager and is teaching as an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities at Queensland University of Technology.

Originally from Alabama, Chris currently lives in South Carolina.

Well-respected in the international biofuels community, Tindal has been named in the peer-selected competition for the "Top 100 People in the Bioeconomy" Awards by the Biofuels Digest from 2013 through 2017.
Today, JX Nippon ANCI, Inc. (JX ANCI) the manufacturer of the high valued, unique, cross laminated polyolefin mesh used in construction, packaging, paper reinforcement, and multiple applications announced that they have entered into an agreement with Alpha ProTech, a leading manufacturer and distributor of building products, making them the exclusive distributor of JX ANCI's JX ALTA 360 Drainage Technology family of drainable housewraps in North America and the Caribbean.

JX ALTA 360 is the family of housewrap products within JX ANCI, providing the widest perm level offering of housewrap products on the market. The JX ALTA 360 Drainage Technology line is offered in a range of moisture vapor transmission rates, each with exceptional strength and tear resistance and the industrys only built-in 360-degree drain plane. JX ALTA 360 Drainage Technology utilizes engineered films and CLAF mesh in the construction of its housewraps. JX ANCI has been manufacturing CLAF, a cross laminated, polyolefin, and open mesh nonwoven fabric, in its Roanoke, AL facility since 1992.

We chose Alpha ProTech as the exclusive North American & Caribbean distributor for JX ALTA 360 Drainage Technology housewraps, said Alvin Everson, President of ANCI. Their expansive distribution network, marketplace recognition, and complete professionalism are highly regarded in the construction industry. JX ANCI is the sole source manufacturer of CLAF mesh used in all JX ALTA 360 Drainage Technology housewrap products. All JX ALTA 360 Drainage Technology products are manufactured in the U.S. from both domestic and imported materials.

About Alpha ProTech

Alpha Pro Tech, Ltd. is the parent company of Alpha Pro Tech, Inc. and Alpha Pro Tech Engineered Products, Inc. Alpha Pro Tech, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets innovative disposable and limited-use protective apparel products for the industrial, clean room, medical and dental markets. Alpha ProTech Engineered Products, Inc. manufactures, and markets a line of construction weatherization products, including building wrap and roof underlayment. The Company has manufacturing facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah; Nogales, Arizona; Valdosta, Georgia; and a joint venture in India. For more information and copies of all news releases and financials, visit Alpha Pro Techs Website at http://www.alphaprotech.com.

About JX Nippon ANCI, Inc.

JX ANCI has been a manufacturer of housewraps since 1994. Their housewrap products incorporate their CLAF technology which has excellent dimensional stability for high speed processing. Each strand of CLAF is heat sealable which makes it perform well in packaging and lamination processes. JX ANCI is a member of JXTG Group and is wholly owned by JXTG Holdings, the largest energy company in Japan, founded in 1888, and a member of the Fortune Global 500 list for the last 23 years. JX ANCI has two plants located in Roanoke, AL and Dalton, GA, along with a sister company in Narita, Japan. JXTGs mission is harnessing the Earths power for the common good and for the day-to-day life of each individual, we will contribute to the development of our communities and help to ensure a vibrant future through creation and innovation in energy, resources, and materials. For more information visit: http://www.jxalta.com/ and http://www.an.jx-group.co.jp/english/index.html
Midland 1031 I am really proud of the job we have done helping real estate investors save millions of dollars in taxes.

Midland 1031, headquartered in Fort Myers and Chicago, is celebrating 20 years in business. Midland 1031 is a 1031 exchange qualified intermediary. Formerly known as 1031 Tax Free Strategies, Midland has performed thousands of tax-free exchanges all over the United States since the fall of 1997.

Midland 1031 was formed by Dave Owens, a CPA on Sanibel Island. In its first full year of operation, the company performed 47 exchanges. The company grew rapidly, and hit the 1,000 exchanges per year mark for the first time in 2005. Currently in 2017, the company has solid growth and continues to be an educational and service leader in the real estate community.

A 1031 Tax Exchange allows real estate investors to defer federal and state taxes on the sale of investment real estate as long as proceeds are invested into additional investment real estate of greater value, as well as following the IRS 45 day and 180 day timing rules. There is no other deferral in the federal tax code like 1031. The proposed Republican tax law changes does not change the current 1031 rules.

When asked about how he feels as he looks back over the last 20 years, Owens comments: I am really proud of the job we have done helping real estate investors save millions of dollars in taxes. With the help of Senior Manager Theresa Knower, we have helped thousands of investors navigate through the process of exchanges, start to finish, and have earned the reputation as the gold standard among Qualified Intermediaries. Knower is a veteran in the industry, speaking both locally and nationally on the topic of 1031 exchanges as well as working directly with her staff to complete exchanges.

Of the 108 Certified Exchange Specialists in the entire country and 8 in the state of Florida, 2 of them are with Midland 1031; Owens and Knower both hold their Certified Exchange Specialists certifications. They are among the most knowledgeable, experienced exchange specialists anywhere.

About Midland 1031 and Midland IRA

Midland 1031 is able to to provide a level of service and expertise that other Qualified Intermediaries cannot match. Midland IRA is a self-directed IRA administrator that provides tax-deferred and tax-free investment opportunities, superior customer service, and educational tools to assist investors in realizing the maximum benefits possible within IRAs. Midland IRA makes it easy to use self-directed retirement plans to invest in assets that the individual investor knows, understands, and can control. To learn more visit www(dot)Midland1031(dot)com.
This November, National Entrepreneurship Month, the National Womens Business Council (NWBC) celebrates our nations entrepreneurs, and, specifically on November 19 -- Womens Entrepreneurship Day -- celebrates women entrepreneurs. The number of women entrepreneurs in America continues to grow, fostering increased employment and economic development. According to the American Express State of Women-Owned Businesses Report of 2016, it is estimated that there are now 11.3 million women-owned businesses in the United States, employing nearly 9 million people, and generating over $1.6 trillion in revenues. These women business owners are a heterogeneous population, differing along demographic and industry lines, as well as motivation. While some entrepreneurial endeavors are born out of the desire to exploit a market opportunity, others arise when an individual discovers that traditional labor force options are not working for her. NWBC introduces stakeholders to the importance of this demographic of women entrepreneurs and seeks to expand the definition of necessity as a driver of entrepreneurship through its two recently released studies: Necessity as a Driver of Womens Entrepreneurship and Necessity as a Driver of Womens Entrepreneurship: Her Stories.

The latter report uses case studies of nine diverse women to examine whether and how women turn to entrepreneurship to address potential market failures that limit their ability to maintain or attain economic self-sufficiency, or, alternatively, to overcome flexibility bias and potential stigma in balancing work-life conflict assumed in traditional gendered roles and social norms. While traditional necessity entrepreneurship definitions largely focus on the concept of survival entrepreneurship or emergency entrepreneurship, where a woman starts a business to meet basic economic needs for survival, there are also necessity-based reasons for starting a business that reach beyond immediate financial need. In looking at these nine womens stories, several key themes emerged, including:



Entrepreneurial motivations exist on a continuum. Four of the women who were interviewed and met the broader necessity definition that was being tested also displayed characteristics traditionally associated with opportunity entrepreneurs, such as realizing a vision and capitalizing on an opportunity.

Women may choose entrepreneurship due to gender-specific issues. Eight of the nine women interviewed cited gender-specific issues as critical motivators for starting their businesses, and several women cited multiple gender-related issues, including discrimination, childcare challenges, and restrictive workplace policies.

Entrepreneurship is unlikely to fully resolve concerns motivating business ownership. Multiple women reported that while the flexibility inherent in entrepreneurship provided relief from restrictive traditional employment environments, entrepreneurship does not equate to more free time. However, entrepreneurship allowed the women to control when they worked and to achieve what they defined as success while balancing their personal lives and professional careers.

I can relate to many of these women because Im a prime example of a necessity entrepreneur, said Kari Warberg Block, NWBC Council Member and Founder and CEO of EarthKind. I was fresh out of alternatives with no job options, and I had to do something, anything, to take care of my family. I had an idea to create a safe, natural option for pest control, and 10 years later that has turned into a $20 million-dollar business.

Findings of the report provide a roadmap for examining key areas for policy considerations in greater detail and defining future avenues of research to pursue, including:

Addressing deficiencies in workforce policies that have a disproportionate negative impact on women. Several case study participants faced restrictive workforce policies with respect to issues such as maternal leave or vacation and sick time when balancing caretaking responsibilities. If the remedy is to stay in the current employment situation, then policy directives should be explored that can alleviate flexibility issues such that no woman has to choose between employment and caring for a child or elderly parent.

Identifying areas of greater accountability with respect to gender discrimination in the workforce. Several case study participants identified instances of gender discrimination and harassment, although none filed a formal complaint. In these cases, the women often continued to work despite facing discrimination because at that juncture in their professional lives, being employed superseded the resolution of the work conflicts.

Focusing on resource deficiencies, including the inability to readily identify available resources (both needed and available) for the entrepreneurial effort. Case study participants identified Womens Business Centers, incubators, mentors, professional networks, and even friends and family as key resources to help with starting and running a business. Therefore, regulation and funding adjustments to Womens Business Centers should strengthen their capacity to provide high-quality programming.

Although entrepreneurial motivation may exist on a continuum, a line of demarcation does exist between those who prefer the entrepreneurial lifestyle  intentional entrepreneurs  and those who would rather return to the traditional labor force, but who start a business because the traditional route is unavailable or not meeting their needs  consequential entrepreneurs. Because intentional entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed, more likely to create jobs, and more likely to meaningfully contribute to the economy, it is in womens, and the nations, best interest to pave the way for their success, said Carla Harris, Chair, National Womens Business Council.

To learn about necessity entrepreneurship and read each of the nine womens stories that led them to become necessity entrepreneurs, check out the full report on the NWBC site.

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About NWBC

NWBC is a non-partisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and counsel to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Congress and the White House on issues of impact and importance to women business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs.
Tom Pettys lake house near Malibu is for sale at $5.895 million.

Tom Petty's Lake House

It never occurred to Tom Petty that gathering a group of friends to play music wouldnt make them big stars. After meeting Elvis at the age of 10 and later watching the Beatles, he knew he was meant to be a musician and approached it with laser focus. In the late 60s at age 17, Tom put his theory into practice gathering several buddies, took guitar lessons, added a few more instruments to the mix and was soon on his way to stardom.

Toms first band, the Epics, started out in his hometown Gainesville, Florida playing between odd jobs to keep them financially afloat until they hit the big time, which he knew in his heart was just a matter of time. The Epics evolved into Mudcrutch, a popular band at the University of Florida area bars, but failed to get outside attention. His next band, the Heartbreakers, quickly turned things around making it to the top in 1976 with their hit song Breakdown. Tom and the Heartbreakers never looked back producing classics such as American Girl, Free Falling, and I Wont Back Down. A career that lasted over 45 years.

Petty died in October at age 66 and now his Lake Sherwood getaway near Malibu is for sale. Built in 1931 with walls of local field stone, Pettys retreat has mountain and water views across the natural lake from almost every room and 125-feet of shorefront. Deceptively large at 5,300 square feet, the house has three bedrooms and three baths and underwent an expansion in 2004. Its rustic feel from the field stone and natural wooded environment is complimented by its balcony fireplace, redwood-paneled bath with stone bathtub that overlooks the lake and vaulted-beamed ceilings and fireplace in the field stone living room. Its a California house with a European mountain and lake chalet vibe from its barrel-tiled roof to its private deep-water dock and enchanting terrace.

Rock and Roll superstar Tom Pettys Lake Sherwood retreat near Malibu is listed at $5.895 million. Listing agents are Dana Sparks and Amy Alcini of Compass Realty in Malibu, California.

Visit TopTenRealEstateDeals.com for more historic, celebrity and spectacular homes and real estate news.
Donor Human Milk Processing in the Lab We are so grateful for our supporters who are making this dream a reality. With more enhanced spaces, the milk bank can help more fragile infants, conduct more clinical research, and launch new community education programs. Its all about making more miracles.

Mothers Milk Bank of North Texas today announced it is entering the final phase of its capital campaign to build a new facility and more than double its capacity to serve premature and medically fragile infants with safe, pasteurized donor human milk. The new 1.5-acre property in southwest Fort Worth is located at 7617 Benbrook Parkway in a light industrial park. The property includes a 5-year-old 4,700 square-foot office building and sufficient land for construction of a 7,500 square-foot milk processing laboratory. Groundbreaking is planned for Tuesday, November 21 at 2:00 p.m.

Its goal is to raise $350,000 in the campaigns final, public phase and bring total funds raised to just over $3 million. Mothers Milk Bank is contributing its own funds as well.

With existing commitments of more than $2.7 million, Mothers Milk Bank of North Texas (MMBNT) seeks to secure community gifts to complete its $3,067,000 capital campaign, More Room for More Miracles: The Campaign for Healthy Babies. The campaign will fund a new facility, which will triple the nonprofits capacity for processing pasteurized donor human milk and allow for the development of new infant health programs.

To date, supporting foundations and organizations include the Amon G. Carter Foundation, the Cook Children's Woman's Board, the Fash Foundation, First Grandmothers Club, the Frill Foundation, the Hoblitzelle Foundation, JPS Foundation, the Littauer Educational Trust  Bank of America, the Lockheed Martin AERO Club, the Lowe Foundation, the George and Adelaide McQueen Foundation  JP Morgan Bank, Pediatrix Medical Group  Fort Worth Neonatology and Southwest Bank.

Our current space was designed to pasteurize up to 300,000 ounces of donated milk per year. For the second year in a row, increased demand will require processing nearly double that volume, Executive Director Amy Vickers said.

We are so grateful for our supporters who are making this dream a reality, said Rosie Balbo, Campaign Committee Chairman. With more enhanced spaces, the milk bank can help more fragile infants, conduct more clinical research, and launch new community education programs. Its all about making more miracles.

To make a gift or learn more about the campaign, visit https://www.texasmilkbank.org/donate. To speak to MMBNT staff, call 817-810-0071.

About Mothers Milk Bank of North Texas

Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas (MMBNT) is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 to provide premature and critically ill infants with donor human milk when their own mother's milk is not available. Mothers Milk Bank of North Texas is one of 2 non-profit milk banks in Texas and one of 26 in North America. MMBNT collects donated human milk from approved donors through 43 depot sites located in Texas, Arkansas, Georgia and Florida. Thanks to the generous donations from more than 6,000 mothers, more than 3 million ounces of donated breastmilk has been dispensed to the babies who need it most. To donate breastmilk, please email moms(at)texasmilkbank(dot)org or call 817.810.0071 or toll-free 1.866.810.0071. Learn more about milk banking at http://www.texasmilkbank.org.
Students from the University of Buraimi, Oman, promote awareness of how to fight climate change in a local supermarket Topics for this year's Global Ethics Day included ethics in business, climate change, personal values, democracy, and human rights.

October 18, 2017 marked the fourth annual Global Ethics Day, with participation from over 60 organizations and individuals from 31 countries on five continents. Founded by Carnegie Council in 2014 to celebrate its centennial, Global Ethics Day is a global teach-in, an opportunity for institutions to explore the role of ethics in a globalized world. From Gambia to Nicaragua to Romania, everyone celebrated in their own way.

Topics this year included ethics in business, climate change, personal values, democracy, and human rights. There were far too many activities to mention, but here are a few highlights.

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a global organization founded in the UK, released a study on Global Ethics Day revealing that a quarter of UK workers have been put under pressure to act unethically at work. "On this Global Ethics Day, we ask you to recommit to ensuring business does the right thing and is a force for good," wrote ACCA's chief executive, Helen Brand OBE, and the director of the Institute of Business Ethics, Philippa Foster Back CBE, in a joint full-page letter published in the "Financial Times." In addition, the ACCA Singapore office launched its first ever Ethics Film Festival.

In Brazil, the Study Group on Ethics and Sustainability, part of the Business Administration Council for the State of Sao Paulo (CRA-SP), held a full-day series of free, public presentations on ethics in business, in response to corruption in Brazil. They also planted a tree and launched a physical and virtual time capsule to be opened on Global Ethics Day in 2025.

At Buraimi University in Oman, the theme was fighting climate change: the dean, students, and government officials planted trees, and students held a clean-up drive and promoted awareness at a local supermarket.

The Geneva-based international network Globethics.net took The Golden Rule, 'treating others as you would like to be treated,' as its theme this year, inviting everyone to post stories on how they apply the golden rule in their day-to-day lives. Inspired by globalethics.net, the University of Malawi held a panel discussion looking at the golden rule as it is reflected in Islam, Christianity, Bantu Ethics, and the work of Immanuel Kant.

Many universities worldwide held ethics panels, workshops, and classes, including Bard College and affiliates in New York, New Orleans, Berlin, and East Jerusalem. The University of Oklahoma's Integrity Council asked students, "How does contract cheating devalue your education?" and Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire asked students "What is the most pressing ethical issue today?" See some of the students' responses, along with many other Global Ethics Day photos, on Instagram, hashtag #globalethicsday2017.

For more on Global Ethics Day 2017, check out the blog page "global ethics day 2017" along with the photo section on Carnegie Council's community network globalethicsnetwork.org, and search on Twitter for #globalethicsday2017.

ABOUT CARNEGIE COUNCIL

Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1914, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is an educational, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that produces lectures, publications, and multimedia materials on the ethical challenges of living in a globalized world. Go to carnegiecouncil.org.
Despite being a global organization, our roots are in New Jersey, and we are proud of the impact weve made on the regional business landscape. This is an accomplishment that all of our employees and I are very proud of.

NGA Group, Inc. (DBA Movers.com) was ranked 27th in the FAST50, naming it one of New Jerseys fastest growing companies for 2017. The award program is produced by NJBIZ, New Jerseys premier business news publication. The awards were presented by MAZARS and sponsored by ARCHER, UnitedHealthcare, and Columbia Bank.

President of NGA Group, Inc., Vidyadhar Garapati stated, Despite being a global organization, our roots are in New Jersey, and we are proud of the impact weve made on the regional business landscape. This is an accomplishment that all of our employees and I are very proud of.

The NJBIZ FAST50 Awards recognize the most dynamic companies in New Jersey. These companies are celebrated for their ongoing contribution to the economic growth and stability of New Jersey. The criteria for qualification for this award includes a revenue size of at least $500,000 within the past 3-4 years, as well as revenue growth over a four-year period (from the 2014-2016 fiscal year).

NJBIZ and the program sponsors honored this years FAST50 companies and announced their ranking during an award dinner and ceremony on November 14, 2017.

About NGA Group, Inc.

Established in 2003 and headquartered in North Brunswick, NJ, NGA Group, Inc. is a global, full-service small, mid, and large market IT Services firm. Core company verticals include: IT Services, Movers.com, an online relocation portal, and Pyar.com, an online dating platform for the global South Asian population. The company has offices in North America and Asia.

About NJBIZ

NJBIZ, New Jersey's only weekly business journal covering the entire state, was founded in 1987. The publication has received numerous statewide and national awards including the 2010 silver award for best business journal from the Alliance of Area Business Publications and the 2006 Most Improved Award from AABP. NJBIZ is owned by Journal Multimedia, a multi-title publishing and events company based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. For more information about Journal Multimedia go to http://www.journalmultimedia.com.

For More Information

For more information regarding NGA Group, Inc. and its services, please contact Sanjay Gupta, Senior Vice President, at 732-289-9104 or sanjay(at)ngagroupinc(dot)com.
Invibios PEEK-OPTIMA polymers are used in ~9 million implanted devices worldwide. (C) Invibio Our investment in component manufacturing facilities and component testing, for example, gives us a greater role in the design, development and commercialization of trauma fracture plates made of PEEK-OPTIMA Ultra Reinforced, a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer.

Invibio Biomaterial Solutions has implemented a series of investments to help achieve the best possible clinical outcomes and lower total healthcare costs, a challenge faced by both the medical profession and industry, including medical device companies, globally. By assisting medical device companies to change the way they develop new products Invibio is focused on accelerating the time-to-market of new innovations. To deliver on this and provide greater clinical efficacies, the company has invested in clinical-study expertise, component manufacturing facilities and component testing. The innovator of implantable PEEK-OPTIMA polymer is also launching a new website that efficiently provides information on materials and applications to OEMs and Health Care Professionals (HCPs), and a comprehensive journal with further scientific information and clinical evidence.

John Devine, Medical Business Director at Invibio Biomaterial Solutions explains the quandary of innovative medical device makers: When faced with delivering a consistent quality of healthcare at the lowest cost, the market has yet to create an environment that encourages more ambitious solutions than simply preserving the status quo at a fractionally reduced price.

Redefining the total cost of care

Defining best clinical outcomes while delivering healthcare at the lowest possible cost is challenging, because clinical outcomes are typically obtained through clinical studies, which are expensive and time-consuming. In addition, there could be variations in the level of clinical evidence by region and different types of stakeholders and their needs, which can, for example, depend on where they sit on the curve of the diffusion of innovation. As a consequence, the medical device industry faces a difficult task, when seeking to demonstrate that new product innovations are addressing these issues and, ultimately, improving patient care.

John Devine sums it up: The majority of current cost metrics focus on up-front purchasing costs rather than the total cost of care. For example, no standards exist for accurately assessing complication rates, or measuring the cost of revision surgeries, and reflecting these in purchasing decisions.

As a leading pioneer in the use of PEEK-OPTIMA polymer solutions in medical applications, Invibio is convinced it can deliver the greatest clinical and economic benefits in four key areas, Dental, Spine, Orthopedics, and Trauma.

Establish and maintain clinical efficacy

To help raise its own bar for patient care and provide even greater clinical efficacy, Invibio recently recruited a clinical study manager and is working with Health Care Professionals (HCPs), medical device manufacturers and other stakeholders to determine the clinical and economic impact of its solutions. The company has also brought in clinical relations expertise to interact with HCPs, hospitals and payers. Martin Court, Executive Director at Victrex, emphasizes: Doing so ensures that the clinical evidence we develop is not only shared in the marketplace, but accurately supports the benefits our materials can offer patients and the entire healthcare community. As a result of these enhanced research and clinical data capturing efforts, Invibio has become more certain of the effectiveness of its solutions.

Investments in component manufacturing and testing

In addition, the companys investments have made it easier for medical device companies to innovate and change the way they develop new products. Court continues: Our investment in component manufacturing facilities and component testing, for example, gives us a greater role in the design, development and commercialization of trauma fracture plates made of PEEK-OPTIMA Ultra Reinforced, a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer. We have also pledged more support for our customers new product development programs. In addition, we are continuing to help customers worldwide navigate the challenging, regulatory pathway toward product safety and efficacy. Its a win-win for Invibio, our customers, and patients alike.

Invibio Insider journal and a new website for additional insights

Invibio is also launching a new comprehensive annual journal, the Invibio Insider, the first edition of which offers a detailed insight into key topics that will help to pioneer progress in the medical arena. Focused topics are intended to provide a greater understanding of the levels of clinical evidence, and what that may mean in combination with the companys strategic drive to improve patient and clinical outcomes. It also explores approaches for treating challenging patients, taking into account the HCPs perspective, and showcases recent clinical evidence while also discussing its potential economic impact.

The companys new website will serve as a hub for OEMs and Health Care Professionals (HCPs) alike. For OEMs, it is a go-to practical and educational resource for implantable PEEK related knowledge and clinical data, including product offerings, manufacturing, quality and partnering for custom-design and regulatory services. For HCPs, it aims to facilitate the clinical adoption of new medical devices made of the companys high-performance polymer, by providing implantable PEEK-related knowledge, clinical data and information concerning the potential benefits of Invibios solutions for HCPs and ultimately their patients. With a new emphasis on clinical evidence and an easy to navigate online academy, Invibio is not only addressing the needs of different target groups, but also hoping to contribute to achieving the best possible clinical outcomes and lowering the total costs of care.

Further information is available on Invibios new website: https://invibio.com.

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. INVIBIO, PEEK-OPTIMA, INVIBIO BIOMATERIAL SOLUTIONS are trademarks of Victrex plc or its group companies. All rights reserved.

About Victrex plc

Victrex is an innovative world leader in high performance polymer solutions, focused on the strategic markets of automotive, aerospace, energy (including manufacturing & engineering), electronics and medical. Every day, millions of people use products and applications, which contain our materials  from smart phones, aeroplanes and cars to oil and gas operations and medical devices. With over 35 years experience, we develop world leading solutions in PEEK and PAEK-based polymers, and selected semi-finished and finished parts which shape future performance for our customers and our markets, and drive value for our shareholders. Find out more at http://www.victrex.com
ServiceMaster 24 Hour Past News Releases RSS RestorationMaster Client...

When Hurricane Irma struck Florida in September, it left many homes and businesses throughout the state without power. One of the buildings without power was an assisted living facility where the mother of a local business owner is living. Unfortunately, the power generators owned by ServiceMaster 24 Hour were already in use to help the many homes and businesses that were without power after the storm. However, one employee of ServiceMaster 24 Hour was able to locate a generator and bring power back to the assisted living facility.

After Hurricane Irma passed, the residents of the assisted living facility were left in a dark building that was hot and humid. These conditions were making many of the residents uncomfortable, making the need for a generator quite urgent. Bob Mattull, owner of the local business Dockside Roofing came to ServiceMaster 24 Hour looking for a power generator for his mothers assisted living facility. ServiceMaster 24 Hour employee Cedrick Wilson contacted a friend at Dallas 1 Roofing who had a generator to spare for the facility. They immediately hooked the generator up at the assisted living facility to bring light and air conditioning back to the residents. Cedrick Wilson and Bart Azzarelli of Dallas 1 Roofing credit their faith in God for finding a solution.

About ServiceMaster 24 Hour

ServiceMaster 24 Hour has been a trusted provider of disaster restoration and cleaning services in the Tampa, FL area since 2003. They began business at a time when there were few restoration companies serviing the Tampa, FL area and they have since grown to service the homes and businesses of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties. Their technicians are highly trained and certified to provide restoration for any type of disaster and they have helped the recovery efforts after major storms including Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Charlie, and most recently, Hurricane Irma. Their commitment to providing quality results and outstanding customer service has earned them several awards including the 2008 Business of the Year Greater Brandon Chamber award. Contact ServiceMaster 24 Hour by calling (813) 518-8555 to learn more.
Acuity Link is extremely user friendly for both health care staff and transport providers, but is packed with a robust array of features designed to increase operational efficiency in a number of hospital systems and health care settings, said Alex Theoharidis, CEO of Acuity Link. 

Over a dozen health care facilities in the Northeast U.S. are improving patient experience, reducing human error and freeing up clinical resources by integrating a discharge workflow optimization tool that automates non-emergency transport booking through Acuity Links cloud based software.

Early adapters of Acuity Links software solutions report seeing improvements in patient experience and a reduction in the time to book a transport request by nearly 75 percent.

Acuity Link has provided our facility with a dashboard that enables our facility to manage all levels care for our patients medical transportation in real time. The automation that Acuity Link provides is seamless and has freed up our staff to spend more time focusing on patient care, said Misty Gassman, charge nurse at Berkshire Healthcare.

Acuity Link offers a low-cost and comprehensive discharge workflow tool, which can be easily implemented into any setting with any hospital system or existing provider.

Once Acuity Link is adopted by a health care institution, administrators and clinicians can request, schedule and track patient non-emergency medical transportation directly from a web-browser in real time. Ambulance crews are connected to the health care institutions Acuity Link system via smartphone or tablet. From the Acuity Link mobile application, crews can respond quickly to incoming transport requests and receive clinical details and all pertinent information pertaining to the assigned transport.

Additionally, with Acuity Links proprietary location technology, those performing the discharge of a patient are alerted when the transport is responding and arriving.

Acuity Link is convenient, accurate and self-sufficient. You can book calls easily at any time during the day and you are able to see when the ambulance will arrive, which is really helpful, said Daneen Kutnyak, medical records unit secretary at Cape Regency Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.

The companys software is unique because it is the only full suite non-emergency medical transport request platform able to handle logistics for multiple levels of service, from critical care down to ambulatory transports.

Acuity Link is extremely user friendly for both health care staff and transport providers, but is packed with a robust array of features designed to increase operational efficiency in a number of hospital systems and health care settings, said Alex Theoharidis, CEO of Acuity Link. At its core, our software provides an automated three-way chat between the hospital, dispatch and transport crews, which eliminates outdated transport ordering processes and reduces human error. The software also comes equipped with a detailed analytics dashboard.

Acuity Links analytics dashboard gives health care administrators and medical transport providers the ability to view visualized data trends, which were anecdotal prior to Acuity Link. The ability to access these data points can help administrators identify trends and make informed decisions around cost saving policies and procedures.

Providing actionable analytics that are presented in a clear and easy-to-understand format was a high-priority for our team, said Theoharidis. It is often challenging for hospitals to maintain profitability due to delays in the discharge process. With Acuity Link we are able to pinpoint those bottlenecks and provide the data to make informed decisions around discharge workflow and patient throughput. We focused on providing a software that streamlines the bottleneck of a typical two hour discharge window, and provides tools to automate and track improvements in the process.

For more information about Acuity Link and the companys software solutions, visit http://web.acuity-link.com/.

About Acuity Link

Founded in 2015 by a seasoned team of emergency medical service professionals, Acuity Link is a technology company that assists hospitals and medical transport providers through automation of non-emergency transport bookings. The software created by Acuity Link is a comprehensive discharge workflow tool allowing health care institutions to better manage discharges by innovating the process of booking non-emergency transportation. The company is headquartered in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts and serves over a dozen health care providers and non-emergency transportation companies in the U.S.

Acuity Link is fully compliant with HIPPA laws and provides various levels of encryption, which meet or exceed industry requirements for protecting patient information.

For media related inquiries, please contact our PR firm by emailing news(at)judgepr.com or calling 813.279.8335.
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao had said Thushar was behind an alleged BJP bid to poach TRS MLAs.
Lung cancer is one of the most common and most deadly cancers, and smoking is the biggest risk factor. Increasingly, poor and minority populations make up the largest number of smokers, and reaching these people with effective smoking cessation programs is critical.

Now Allegheny Health Network (AHN), in conjunction with BreathePA, is supporting smoking cessation efforts with a unique social media campaign. With a simple social media post, anyone can contribute to BreathePAs important efforts to curb smoking among people from marginalized populations.

To contribute:



Take a photo of one of AHNs unique displays highlighting smoking cessation and lung cancer survivorship. The displays are located on the Sandusky Street side of Allegheny General Hospital, at Penn Avenue Place and Stanwix Street, and on sidewalks in a variety of city locations, including West Penn Hospital, Liberty Avenue, Boulevard of the Allies, Fifth Avenue, Federal Street, Butler Street, the Clemente and Rachel Carson bridges, and Fort Duquesne Boulevard.

Post the photo publicly on social media and tag @AHNToday

For each tagged photo, AHN will donate $10 to Breathe PAs smoking cessation programs.

While weve made great strides in reducing smoking rates, much work remains to be done, particularly in minority and disadvantaged communities, said Lana Schumacher, MD, AHN thoracic surgeon. We are proud to support Breathe PA with this social media promotion and hope it will raise awareness of the dangers of smoking and the continued need for education and support for those who want to kick the habit.

For over a century our organization has been dedicated to helping the region breathe better and live healthier, said Carla A. Conrad, MS, RRT-NPS, Breathe Pennsylvania Executive Director. We cannot be successful without the help of our community partners, and we are proud to work with AHN in their mission to bring awareness to the dangers of smoking and their fight against lung cancer.

AHN is committed to fighting cancer on all fronts, from early screening opportunities to the latest advancements in treatment. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and on Great American Smokeout Day, AHN is working to bring attention to the health threats posed by smoking, and to help BreathePA help smokers become non-smokers.

About the Allegheny Health Network:

Allegheny Health Network (AHN.ORG), part of Highmark Health, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is comprised of eight hospitals, including its flagship academic medical center Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Valley Hospital, Canonsburg Hospital, Forbes Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Saint Vincent Hospital, Westfield Memorial Hospital and West Penn Hospital; an employed physician organization, a research institute, health + wellness pavilions, home and community-based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 17,000 people, and has more than 2,800 physicians on its medical staff. The Network also serves as a clinical campus for Temple University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

About Breathe PA

Headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pa., Breathe Pennsylvania helps western Pennsylvanians breathe better and live healthier through empowering individuals through awareness, education, and direct services.

For more information about specific lung health education and advocacy programs for children and adults, visit http://www.breathepa.org or http://www.facebook.com/BreathePA or call 724.772.1750.
Cratejoy's Subscription Box Sunday is Nov. 26, 2017.

This year, Cratejoy is launching Subscription Box Sunday, centered specifcally around subscription boxes, the Sunday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 26, 2017) as part of its holiday campaign.

Cratejoys website will feature an exclusive Subscription Box Sunday collection with a number of deeply-discounted subscription boxes. Boxes in this collection reflect the diversity of boxes available on the Cratejoy Marketplace, ranging in themes from beauty to fandom and everything in between.

Media personnel, Cratejoy merchants, participants and box recipients are encouraged to use the hashtag #SubscriptionBoxSunday to promote the holiday.

For more information about the Subscription Box Sunday collection that goes live on Nov. 26th, visit https://sell.cratejoy.com/blog/subscription-box-sunday/. To find out more about Cratejoy, visit https://www.cratejoy.com/.

About Cratejoy

Cratejoy is a subscription box marketplace and the one-stop destination for all things subscription-related.
The poles are lifted onto a flatdeck barge for transport from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico. As the supply chain mission changes [in Puerto Rico], in this case to include breakbulk utility poles, our focus adapts to provide the logistics solutions to fulfill the needs of our government and commercial customers.

Crowley Maritime Corp., is transporting the initial batch of what will total 32,000 utility poles from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico to help restore the islands power grid in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The weekly shipments will consist of 35- ,40- and 70-foot wooden, concrete and galvanized steel poles, sailing aboard multiple flat deck barges. A second series of shipments is also in development and will eventually bring the project total to between 65,000-70,000 poles.

This breakbulk shipment marks the latest in a multitude of response shipments carried out by Crowley since the storm hit. The company has provided a constant transportation and logistics pipeline of both commercial and government relief cargo that has included 3,684 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and 9,116 commercial loads since the storm, including 2,090 containers in in the last week alone. Crowley has bookings to transport another 2,500 relief loads to Puerto Rico in the next several weeks  a significant effort spanning more than 40 vessel sailings to date.

The people of Puerto Rico are steadily rebuilding their infrastructure, and we are adding capacity and services to assist them, said Frank Larkin, senior vice president and general manager, logistics and commercial services. As the supply chain mission changes, in this case to include breakbulk utility poles, our focus adapts to provide the logistics solutions to fulfill the needs of our government and commercial customers.

To accommodate the influx of additional cargo overall, the company has added seven U.S.-flagged, flat-deck barges to its fleet dedicated to Puerto Rico  a 67 percent increase in capacity  offering a sailing virtually every day from the U.S. mainland, said John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico services. With this additional vessel capacity, Crowley will be offering 6,200 commercial cargo slots per month in November and December in addition to continued relief cargo efforts.

Upon reaching Puerto Rico, relief cargo is being distributed by Crowley Logistics, which has more than 375 trucks on the island. The logistics group is also providing services such as drayage, direct deliveries, deconsolidation and inventory control, as well as providing forklift equipment and operators to expedite the handling of air freight at the airport.

Crowley, which has about 300 Puerto Rico employees, has served the market since 1954, longer than any other Jones Act carrier in the trade.

Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 125-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company. The company provides project solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner Services, Latin America Liner Services, Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Offered within these operating lines of business are: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response through its 50 percent ownership in Ardent Global; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture through its Jensen Maritime subsidiary; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found at http://www.crowley.com.
We are pleased to have seen great growth in the market since launch," said CEO Gary Crowell. "Having expanded throughout the state over the past 20 months, we're currently a top emerging Texas spirits brand and are excited about this next round of funding and what's on the horizon for Nine Banded.

Austin Based Nine Banded Whiskey Launches Fundraising Round

Series B kicks-off in lock-step with companys announcement of Hill Country tasting room, new sales team and aggressive out-of-state expansion

Founded in 2015 by Austin Spirits, Inc., Nine Banded Whiskey has opened a Series B fundraising round seeking four million in investments. The round will close on December 15th.

The company will also be launching new state markets in Q1 2018 (with aggressive regional expansion planned through 2021) as well as opening a Hill Country Tasting room. The tasting room will open this winter near other thriving beverage companies including Jester King Brewery and Argus Cidery. The space will serve as the new HQ for Austin Spirits as well as the bottling facility for Nine Banded.

Our company is all about celebrating the creative community and collaborative spirit of Austin, and drawing on the citys intersecting identity of future innovation and historic grit, said Nine Banded CEO, Gary Crowell. He continued, We are so pleased to have seen great growth in the market since launch. Having expanded throughout the state of Texas over the past 20 months, we are currently a top emerging Texas spirits brand available in 335 on-premise establishments, as well as 770 liquor stores statewide. We are excited about this next round of funding and all thats on horizon for Nine Banded.

Joining CEO Gary Crowell (who helped found Deep Eddy Vodka) and CMO Ed Cohen (whose beverage background extends to Diageo, LVMH Moet Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, and Pernod Ricard), the day-to-day team operations now includes some new players with similarly extensive beverage experience.

As Director of Sales for Nine Banded, Amir Arad brings experience in the liquor startup space as well as liquor-specific sales data analysis and implementation. Prior to joining the team Amir was a founding member of and VP of Sales for Herman Marshall Whiskey, and most recently VP of Sales and Operations at yDrink, the only platform built to gather beverage sales data on the Texas alcohol industry. He is joined by Aaron Beavers, Nine Bandeds new South Texas Sales Manager. Beavers was previously Texas manager for VEEV Spirits and most recently, a luxury spirits specialist with Beam Suntory Spirits, the creators of Jim Beam.

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About Nine Banded Whiskey

Using limestone-filtered water pulled from an untapped spring in the Texas Hill Country, Nine Banded is blended and bottled in Austin. Blending the fine barrel-aged whiskeys with the pure water source directly impacts the flavor profile and aroma, resulting in an approachable, well-rounded whiskey with a subtle bite and laid-back finish.

Nine Banded, named for the nine-banded armadillo, a nocturnal native Texan, also pays homage to the iconic Armadillo World Headquarters  a vital center of musical and artistic creativity in Texas music history.
SafetySkils

SafetySkills, an e-learning provider of interactive compliance training, has announced it has signed a partnership with Single Source Health & Safety LLC, a nationwide provider of American Red Cross CPR, First Aid, and BLS training, AED sales and program management.

Through the partnership, SafetySkills is now able to offer online American Red Cross CPR and First Aid training courses in the SafetySkills LMS. Training is completed in a blended learning format where after completion of the online portion of the course students attend a classroom-based skills testing session conducted at their company. Onsite skills testing sessions and Red Cross certification will be provided by Single Source Health & Safety LLC.

The partnership with Single Source Health & Safety is unique in that it allows us to reach beyond traditional e-learning to satisfy customers certification needs, said Jill Greene, the Vice President of Channel Partnerships for SafetySkills. We are very excited to be able to partner with a company as skilled and knowledgeable as Single Source.

This comes on the wake of legislature passed in both Rhode Island and New York that emphasizes the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in the workplace. Rhode Island passed the broadest AED placement mandate so far in the United States, as it requires any public enclosed area capable of holding three hundred people or more to have an AED on site. The bill passed in New York provides a tax credit of $500 per AED purchased for use in a business. Many state AED laws require that any employees that many potentially use the AED must successfully complete a training course in the operation of an AED approved by a nationally-recognized organization like the American Red Cross.

We are excited about this new partnership with SafetySkills, a proven leader in health and safety e-learning, said Shannon Miller, CEO of Single Source Health & Safety. Blended learning offers many cost and time saving benefits for SafetySkills customers, and Red Cross certification continues to be one of the most recognized certifications. Single Source is proud to support customers of SafetySkills in their mission to protect their employees health and safety.

Together, SafetySkills and Single Source Health & Safety LLC aim to make life-saving training more easily accessible, and workplace compliance in health and safety effectively manageable.

Contact:

Justin Boeckman, SafetySkills:

(405) 601  7268

justinboeckman(at)safetyskills(dot)com

Shannon Miller, Single Source Health & Safety LLC

877-530-5990 x7102

shannon.miller(at)singlesourcehs(dot)com

SafetySkills is an e-learning provider primarily in the HR compliance, environmental, health and safety market. It offers a comprehensive e-learning solution for business users to select and assign interactive compliance training to their employees. The SafetySkills team has developed and deployed over 500 EHS online training titles for over 23,000 organizations in 80 countries and in 10 languages.

Single Source Health & Safety LLC (formerly My CPR Pros LLC) was founded in 2006 and is a nationwide provider of American Red Cross CPR, AED, & First Aid training, onsite OHS training and services, and corporate AED sales and programs management.
Boston Insurance Brokerage, a wholesale specialty insurance agency based in Boston, Massachusetts, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the business of senior living insurance specialist Protx Risk Management LLC of Princeton, New Jersey.

Gordon Bewick, CEO of Boston Insurance Brokerage, stated that, We are pleased to be joining forces with Protx Risk Management, which is an expert in professional liability insurance for senior living facilities. Adding the Protx expertise to our portfolio of specialty wholesale insurance solutions will be valuable to the thousands of agents who use Boston Insurances placement services.

Robert L. Hitch, Chairman of Protx Risk Management, stated that, All of us at Protx are excited to have Boston Insurance Brokerage as a dynamic and growing partner. We know that our clients will continue to be well served by the combined BIB/Protx team, and we believe that together we will build the combined company to be the go-to expert in all of our fields of specialization.

As part of the transaction, Boston Insurance Brokers Inc. will rename itself Boston Insurance Brokers LLC and will receive an investment from Princeton Risk Partners LLC of Princeton, New Jersey.

Boston Insurance Brokers LLC offers specialized tailored insurance solutions for insurance agents nationwide. More information on Boston Insurance Brokers LLC can be found at http://www.bostonbrokerage.com. More information on Princeton Risk Partners LLC is available at http://www.princetonrisk.com.
I am truly honored to be included in such an elite group of surgeons. The FACS designation represents a milestone in my career that brings together all of my training and accomplishments, says Dr. Evan Ransom.

Dr. Evan Ransom is a double board-certified, Ivy league educated and fellowship-trained Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. He currently serves as the Director of the San Francisco Center for Facial Plastic, Reconstructive & Laser Surgery. Dr. Ransom attended the College of Physicians & Surgeons at Columbia University in New York City, where he graduated in the top 10% of his class. Dr. Ransom was also selected from a pool of national and international candidates for a fellowship in with renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Jacono.

Dr. Ransom is a specialist in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the nose, eyelids, ears, face, and neck. He performs surgery at multiple hospitals and outpatient specialty surgery centers in San Francisco and Marin County, California. Dr. Ransom carries extensive training in non-surgical and minimally-invasive or no downtime treatments.

Recently, Dr. Ransom was included among 1,827 Initiates from around the world who became Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). By meeting the Colleges stringent membership requirements, Fellows of the College have earned the distinguished right to use the designation of FACS (Fellow, American College of Surgeons) after their names. An applicant for Fellowship must be a graduate of an approved medical school; must have completed advanced training in one of the 14 surgical specialties recognized by the College; must possess certification by an American surgical specialty board or appropriate certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; and must have been in practice for at least one year at the time of his or her application. Before admission into Fellowship, the surgeon must further demonstrate ethical fitness and professional proficiency, and his or her acceptance as a Fellow of the College must be approved by three-fourths of its Board of Regents.

The Convocation ceremony held last month was the highlight of the five-day Congress at which initiation into ACS Fellowship took place. The Congress also featured reports on research-in-progress, postgraduate courses, panel discussions, symposia and scientific and industrial exhibits. Total estimated attendance at the Congress was 11,895, including 8,231 physicians. Allied health professionals and members of the scientific and consumer media also attended the meeting.

I am truly honored to be included in such an elite group of surgeons. The FACS designation represents a milestone in my career that brings together all of my training and accomplishments, says Dr. Evan Ransom.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

For more information about Dr. Evan Ransom or his other plastic surgery achievements, please visit http://www.sanfranciscofacialplasticsurgery.com or call (415) 550-1077. To learn about Fellows of the American College of Surgeons, visit: http://www.facs.org.
Avia luxury apartments boast a wide range of high end finishes and amazing location. We completed the lease up in 15 months...I can say with confidence that the lease up and rental rate performance far exceeds industry standards.

Located in the heart of the Short Pump Town Center area is Avia Luxury Apartments where its success reflects Richmonds continued growth and its national dominance with key market statistics. Avia is arguably one of the most luxurious and high-end apartment communities in the greater Richmond area and even rivals most apartment communities in the state of Virginia. Generally, high-end apartment communities take a longer time to lease-up and to attract quality residents who want more amenities and are willing to pay higher rents, states Wendy Drucker, Managing Partner with Drucker + Falk whose DF Multifamily division manages Avia Luxury Apartments.

Drucker adds, We completed the lease up in 15 months while commanding some of the highest rents in the area. These rents are even above average rates for comparable communities across the country. I can say with confidence that the lease up and rental rate performance far exceeds industry standards. The communitys location is no doubt a big part of the appeal, being next door to Wegmans and Cabelas with some of the citys best restaurants and retailers within walking distance. But, it is also a tribute to the developer, Steven Middleton with Commonwealth Properties, who considered every detail. The bet was that there would be a demand for a high-end living community in the heart of Richmond with residents who would be more than happy to pay a premium for exceptional amenities in an ideal location.

As you dig deeper in to the success of Avia and its high demand by Richmond residents, one can also see that it is also a reflection of Richmonds position as one of the nations most successful cities. According to Forbes in its 2017 market data, Richmonds unemployment rate is at 3.9%, median household income of $107,290 with cost of living 3% below the national average. Those are statistics that are all you need to know to understand why a community like Avia is flourishing. Adding to Richmonds many accolades is one of the highest job growth rates in the nation, recently ranked 15th data released for the first half of 2017 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When you combine the quality of the amenities, high-end interior finishes and ideal location with professional property management around those statistics, it is a winning combination. But this is also a lesson for all in business of how vision, quality and experience matter to thrive in todays fast changing, complex business environment.

Richmond is an important market for DF Multifamily and our success with managing Avia Luxury Apartments and other communities in the area parallels the tremendous success of the Richmond metro area. We have to do things right here (in Richmond) we can capitalize on says Andrew Chisolm, Director of DF Multifamily. DF Multifamily assumed management of Avia Luxury Apartments in November 2015. The success with Avia is as much a reflection of DF Multifamilys many years of experience and its genuine commitment to resident satisfaction as it is the thriving characteristics of the Richmond community. We are proud to be a part of this success, added Jim Ledbetter, President of DF Multifamily.
Cannabis Growing in a GGS Greenhouse

The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Growth met on Thursday with Ontario investors, suppliers, academics and associations to discuss both the opportunities and challenges ahead in the nascent marijuana industry.

The panel identified some of the economic advantages Ontario has in the industry. The main advantage stated is the fact that approximately 55% of licensed producers are established in Ontario, which gives the province a head start.

Leigh Coulter, President of GGS Structures Inc. and one of the panel members, commented on the licensed cannabis producers in Ontario and how they are leading the way.

As a structures supplier to the marijuana industry, GGS has built out numerous licensed producer facilities in Ontario, including both greenhouse and indoor grow operations. We were able to assist these producers early on in their builds and expansions to get them ready in time for full legalization. Right now Ontario is in the drivers seat, and Ontario cultivators are recognized as global leaders in the cannabis industry.

Other economic advantages identified were the provinces strong sector assets: large agricultural presence, technology, and R&D that can support the cannabis industry.

Michael Dixon, Director of Environmental Control Research at the University of Guelph, commented on some of the R&D being worked on specifically for the cannabis industry in Ontario, involving the usage of LED grow lights.

We have found that the optimal LED spectral recipe changes with every strain of cannabis, said Dixon. This research is critical because it can shave days off the flowering time and improve just about everything about the plant.

Some of the challenges addressed in the meeting included rising production costs for licensed producers, scaling up their operations, and uncertainty.

Coulter also added that branding should be an important part of Ontarios economic considerations.

British Columbia is known for their high quality of cannabis, and it is often referred to as BC Bud, said Coulter. Ontario doesnt have that kind of recognition so there is definitely a branding opportunity there.

Leigh Coulter has been recently recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Important Women in Cannabis, according to Cannabis Business Executive, in addition to being the only Canadian business leader included on the list. In response to the Canadian governments promise to legalize recreational marijuana and legalization announcements in other countries, Coulter formed a division at GGS to help government agencies develop standards for cannabis cultivation. For more information please visit ggsstructures.com/mj
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), published by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. CEI is a benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality.

The 2018 CEI rate more than 1,000 businesses in the report. Companies and firms receiving a 100 percent score, as Greenberg Traurig did, are designated as Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.

About Greenberg Traurigs Diversity Initiative

Greenberg Traurig is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The individual attorneys at Greenberg Traurig are committed to nurturing diversity throughout the firm and creating an environment where differences are embraced and utilized creatively. That commitment is reflected by the fact that overall, 40 percent of Greenberg Traurigs attorneys worldwide are women or minorities as defined by the American Bar Association.

Additional Recent Recognitions:

Euromoney:



Shortlisted, Best International Firm for Diversity, Americas Women in Business Law Awards, 2016-2017

The American Lawyer:



No. 1 Ranking, African American Partners, Diversity Scorecard, 2017

No. 1 Ranking, Hispanic American Partners, Diversity Scorecard, 2017

No. 1 Ranking, Hispanic American Attorneys, Diversity Scorecard, 2017

No. 4 Ranking, African American Attorneys, Diversity Scorecard, 2017

Top 10 Ranking, Minority Attorneys, Diversity Scorecard, 2017

The National Law Journal:



Top 5, Number of Female Partners, Womens Scorecard, 2017

Law360



No. 7, Top Firms for Minority Equity Partners, 600+ Attorney Category, Diversity Snapshot, Law360, 2017

Top 50 Ranking, "100 Best Law Firms for Minority Attorneys," Law360, 2016

Equality Illinois:



Among 40 Illinois firms selected as Raising the Bar on LGBT inclusivity, 2016-2017

Chambers & Partners:



Outstanding Firm for Furthering Diversity and Inclusion, Chambers USA Diversity Awards, 2016

Most Inclusive Firm for Minority Women Lawyers, Chambers USA Women in Law Awards, 2015

Most Valuable Mentoring Programme for Women Lawyers, Chambers Women in Law Awards: Latin America, 2015

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.
Full-time military caregiver for a severely wounded Army veteran attending a concert with her daughter through Vet Tix.

November marks National Family Caregivers Month and with more than 5.5 million military caregivers, it is imperative to understand the resources that caregivers need to provide care not only for their veteran, but for themselves.

Military organizations and nonprofits around the nation are dedicated to providing honorable and strategic resources for military caregivers. By empowering caregivers, we as a nation empower veterans. According to the RAND Military Caregivers Study, military caregivers in particular, especially post-9/11, deal with stressful, emotional and behavioral challenges. With 12 percent of post-9/11 and 10 percent of pre-9/11 military caregivers spending more than 40 hours of care per week, policies and programs for caregivers are crucial to ultimately give back to our nations veterans.

Such stressful environments and long-hours can affect ones mental and physical health. Caregivers oftentimes experience feelings of isolation and strains in family relationships. While there is still much work to be done, there are resourceful organizations that are dedicated to serving military caregivers, and many of the programs are free of cost.

Veteran Tickets Foundation

Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix) is a national nonprofit that supports the military community of currently serving military members including the Guard and Reserves, veterans of all eras, family members of those killed in action, military spouses, families and caregivers of VetTixers  giving them a unique opportunity to strengthen peer bonds by attending events through the VetTixer they provide care for.

While at events, caregivers are seated around other caregivers to promote peer bonding and to strengthen relationships with those who have similar lived experiences. Currently serving military and veterans can sign up at VetTix.org and request tickets on behalf of their caregiver.

One military caregiver who attended an event through Vet Tix, pictured right, works full-time to support her husband, a severely wounded Army veteran. This caregiver in particular was able to bring her daughter to a Katy Perry concert in Nashville, Tennessee through donated tickets and had a much-needed evening away through Vet Tix. Once a veteran is registered through Vet Tix, they are able to request tickets for their caregiver.

Spc. Cole, a U.S. Army veteran, utilized Vet Tix as a bonding experience with his wife and caregiver. After reading some of the testimonials and online thank you letters, I felt that I wasnt quite alone with my struggle with PTSD. said Spc. Cole. My wife/caregiver has been encouraging me to get out of the house more and she is a big fan of Breaking Benjamin, so I saw my chance. The ushers found us some wheelchair accessible seating that gave us an incredible view. And the show was spectacular. My wife and I enjoyed our first real date night in years.

Vet Tix serves as a way to enrich the lives of currently serving military, veterans and their families by increasing community engagement and offering reintegration opportunities. According to the 2016 Vet Tix Annual Survey results, 57 percent of respondents reported attending an event for the first time through Vet Tix and 87 percent said Vet Tix events improves their well-being.

Give your military caregiver an experience that will help them bond with their friends or other caregivers in their local communities and an opportunity to strengthen bonds. Visit VetTix.org for more information on how to sign up.

At Vet Tix, we understand the importance of giving caregivers the support they need and deserve so they can give the best care to their veteran in return. Thats why we have strategic partnerships with several organizations that serve and empower military caregivers. Learn more about some of our partners and the leading organizations that focus on honoring military caregivers.

PsychArmor Institute

PsychArmor Institute is a national nonprofit that provides free online education and support to all Americans who work with, live with or care for military service members, veterans and their families. PsychArmor understands the issues many military caregivers face and relay that information to the general public, while providing solutions.

Military and Veteran Caregiver Network

Military and Veteran Caregiver Network (MVCN) supports caregivers of all ages, eras and stages, offering peer support and access to partner organizations resources and services, with the goal of increasing caregivers connectedness, hopefulness, wellness, knowledge and skills. MVCN recognizes that self-care is an essential aspect for the well-being of all caregivers and their loved ones.

Department of Veterans Affairs

The VA offers military caregiver resources of support through internal and external programs ranging from peer support mentoring to a caregiver support line and even tips on how to better manage medicines for the caregiver and their loved one.

One department of the VA in particular includes the VA Voluntary Service and the VA Caregiver Support Program. More than 75,000 volunteers give more than 11 million hours in service to veterans, including military caregivers. The VA has been a leader in service to the military caregiver community and not only supplies volunteers to serve caregivers, but offers volunteer opportunities where caregivers can come together in their local community and give back. Peer bonding is imperative to ensure the overall well-being of caregivers and give them a network of support with individuals who fully understand what they go through.

At the recent 2nd Annual National Military Caregiver Journey event, Meg Kabat, National Director of the Caregiver Support Program at the VA, gave remarks to other military caregivers in attendance. Vet Tix offers free tickets to museums, plays, concerts and other events for veterans and their families. said Kabat. What you may not know is that the veteran does not need to go to the event. Caregivers can use these tickets with their children or to attend an event with a group of friendsto take a break from caregiving and other family responsibilities.

Vet Tix and the VA have a strategic partnership to give back to those who have given so much. Both organizations have explored new ways to encourage currently serving military, veterans, caregivers families and friends to stay engaged with local communities and reduce stress by attending events that everyone can enjoy.

Disabled American Veterans

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is another national nonprofit that provides lifetime support for injured and disabled veterans. For the millions of veterans who have suffered an injury or illness in service, DAV knows that the role of the caregiver oftentimes is taken on full-time. DAV realized a gap in research on caregivers, with most of the national survey data consisting of post-9/11 caregivers. In order to better understand the needs of caregivers of all eras, DAV uses its research initiatives to guide critical public policy changes.

Elizabeth Dole Foundation

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation is the preeminent organization empowering, supporting and honoring the nations 5.5 million military caregivers; the spouses, parents, family members and friends who care for Americas wounded, ill or injured veterans. Founded by Senator Elizabeth Dole in 2012, the Foundation adopts a comprehensive approach in its advocacy, working with leaders in the public, private, nonprofits, labor and faith communities to recognize military caregivers service and promote their well-being.

While November celebrates National Family Caregivers Month, military caregivers should be recognized year-round for their humble efforts to care for our nations service members and veterans. These are just six examples of organizations leading the way for military caregivers. Learn more about the resources each organization offers and I challenge you to get involved with one of them this month and beyond.

Steven Weintraub is Chief Strategy Officer of Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix) and a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Vet Tix is ranked as the 2016 Top-rated Nonprofit in the United States by GreatNonprofits. Follow Steven Weintraub on Twitter @weintraub_sd.
The responsibility and effort required to participate, and succeed, in the Award of Excellence program is a direct reflection of the commitment to quality and service excellence demonstrated by Direct Line TeleResponse

Direct Line Tele Response Earns CAM-X Award of Excellence

Direct Line Tele Response of Berkeley, CA has been honored with the exclusive 2017 Award of Excellence for the 12th consecutive year. This exclusive Award is presented annually by the Canadian Call Management Association (CAM-X), the industrys Trade Association for providers of call center services including telephone answering and message delivery. Direct Line Tele Response was presented with the Award recently at the CAM-X 53rd Annual Convention and Trade Show held at the Marriott Pinnacle in Vancouver, BC.

Its an incredible honor to have earned this exclusive award for our 12th consecutive year of call excellence. Based on the internal quality assurance protocols we implement, coupled with the excellent feedback received from our client satisfaction surveys, were certain we provide excellence in caller experience. Furthermore, ranking in the industrys top tier of call centers certainly validates this for us. says Ken Goldenberg, President and Owner of Direct Line Tele Response.

Independent judges are contracted by CAM-X to evaluate message services over a six month period. The scoring criteria includes:



Response Time

Courteousness of Rep

Accuracy of Call

Knowledge of Account

Overall Impression of Call

Huge congratulations to Direct Line Tele Response for winning this prestigious award. The responsibility and effort required to participate, and succeed, in the Award of Excellence program is a direct reflection of the commitment to quality and service excellence demonstrated by Direct Line TeleResponse, says CAM-X President Dana Lloyd.

Now a twelve-time winner Direct Line Tele Response earned the Diamond Plus Award. CAM-X extends its congratulations to the entire staff of Direct Line Tele Response on their proven quality service to their customers.

About CAM-X

CAM-X is a Canadian based trade Association for the Call Management industry which includes call centers, telephone answering services, telemarketing services and other communication services. Their goal is to contribute to their members profitability by fostering a willingness to exchange ideas, experiences and solutions while promoting the general welfare and ethical standards of our industry. Please visit http://www.camx.ca for more information.

About Direct Line Tele Response

Direct Line Tele Response was founded in 1979 and is known throughout the United States and Canada as being one of the leading pioneers within the Call Center industry. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, our team of 100% U.S. based Call Agents are ready 24/7/365 to partner with you regardless of business type, profession or industry. Our professionally certified Call Agents dont just answer phones or take messages; we accurately gather information and act as a Direct Line of communication between you and your callers.

Media contact: Beth Devine (888)365-2424 or bethd(at)directlineanswers(dot)com
Chris Hyatt, Ryan Novaczyk and Todd Novaczyk of New Perspective Senior Living show off winning artwork from the company's first Annual Christmas Card Contest. Almost as soon as we announced the contest we had residents asking who had won, and when theyd see the new cards.

New Perspective Senior Living has unveiled the winning artwork from its first annual resident Christmas card contest. Seven winning designs were selected from more than 100 entries across the organization. The winning artwork was created by residents ranging in age from 65 to 95 years old.

Last year we created custom Christmas cards using artwork created by Delores Bost, one of our New Perspective  Waconia residents, explained Ryan Novaczyk, New Perspective Senior Living President and CFO. We received such an amazing response we immediately knew we wanted to expand the program to include all of our residents.

Six of the winning designs are being transformed into sets of Christmas cards that will be used by each of New Perspectives residences for the 2017 holiday season. A seventh design will be used for holiday cards for the companys Eden Prairie-based Resource Center.

Winners were selected based on overall impression and impact, memorability and inspiration to others. Judging was conducted by a committee representing various disciplines within the company.

It was so gratifying and rewarding to see the level of participation and creativity, said Doug Anderson, New Perspective Senior Living Vice President of Marketing. Our seniors loved it. Almost as soon as we announced the contest we had residents asking who had won, and when theyd see the new cards. The hardest part was narrowing the selection down to the final seven.

In addition to seeing their winning artwork transformed into a Christmas card, each of the winners received a $100 Visa gift card.

Winning entries were created by: Peggy Ritter of New Perspective-Eagan, Minn., Joyce Vigessa and Arlene Heins of New Perspective-Faribault, Minn, Joyce Todd of New Perspective-Silvis, Ill, Donna Matheson of New Perspective-Sun Prairie, Wisc; and Delores Bost and Dorothy Ives of New Perspective-Waconia, Minn.

ABOUT NEW PERSPECTIVE SENIOR LIVING

Founded in 1998, New Perspective Senior Living (NPSL) is a family owned company that develops, owns and operates vibrant senior living communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Illinois. Its foundational belief  that all seniors deserve to Live Life on Purpose and age with dignity  was forged from the personal experience of Founder and CEO Todd Novaczyk and his family. For seven years, they cared for his mother-in-law, Betty Berkeley in their home as she struggled to maintain her strong, independent spirit while coping with Alzheimers disease.

Today, New Perspective Senior Living operates 21 senior living communities serving over 2,000 seniors through Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care options, with a goal to be serving 10,000 seniors by 2025. Based in Eden Prairie, Minn., the company has won multiple awards including Top Assisted Living Facility, Best-of-the-Best Dining Experience and Top Workplaces. In addition, Todd Novaczyk, was recently profiled in the Senior Housing News, The Leadership Series, while Ryan Novaczyk was just named to 50 for the Next 50 by LeadingAge of Minnesota
Stefan L. Ameres, PhD Group Leader, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna, Austria

Gene expression profiling by high-throughput sequencing reveals qualitative and quantitative changes in RNA species at steady state but obscures the intracellular dynamics of RNA transcription, processing and decay. The team at Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) in Vienna, Austria has developed SLAMseq protocol, which has been commercialized by Lexogen.

In this webinar, participants will discover how SLAMseq in combination with well-established metabolic RNA labeling protocols and coupled to standard, low-input, high-throughput RNA sequencing methods, enabled rapid access to RNA-polymerase-II-dependent gene expression dynamics in the context of total RNA.

The speaker for this event will be Dr. Stefan L. Ameres, the group leader at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Vienna and the inventor of the SLAMseq method.

Dr. Ameres earned his master's degree in biology at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg. He went on to earn a doctorate from the University of Vienna, where he performed the first in-depth enzymatic characterization of the human RNA interference effector complex. Currently, his lab investigates the mechanism and biology of post-transcriptional gene regulation, supported by the European research council through an ERC Starting Grant.

LabRoots will host the event on November 28, 2017, beginning at 7:00 a.m. PST, 10:00 a.m. EST, 4:00 p.m. CET. To learn more about this event, the speaker or to register for free, click here.

About Lexogen:

Lexogen is a transcriptomics and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) company, focusing on the development of technologies for complete transcriptome sequencing. Its portfolio includes innovative molecular biology kits, software, and services for RNA-Seq.

About LabRoots

LabRoots is the leading scientific social networking website, which provides daily scientific trending news and science-themed apparel, as well as produces educational virtual events and webinars, on the latest discoveries and advancements in science. Contributing to the advancement of science through content sharing capabilities, LabRoots is a powerful advocate in amplifying global networks and communities. Founded in 2008, LabRoots emphasizes digital innovation in scientific collaboration and learning, and is a primary source for current scientific news, webinars, virtual conferences, and more. LabRoots has grown into the worlds largest series of virtual events within the Life Sciences and Clinical Diagnostics community.
Vinitaly Russia 2017 VIA, with its high level of education, has helped me discover new dimensions of Italian wines in terms of their diversity. This has helped me expand our companys product portfolio. Moreover, being an Italian Wine Ambassador gave me profound credibility as a wine educator. " Nikolay Chashchinov

On the 20th of Novemberfor the 14th year in a rowVinitaly International will return to Moscow with Vinitaly Russia, gathering Italian producers and Russian importers in the exclusive location of the Lotte Hotel in Moscow. Inaugurating also a series of events on Italian wine in Russia on the occasion of the International Week of Italian Cuisine, Italian Wine Ambassadors from the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) will take a crucial role in teaching several master classes on Italian wines.

This B2B event marks the hopeful recovery in a country still divided, on the one hand, by an exponentially growing wine culture and, on the other, by an on-going but slowly improving economic crisis. Russia has always been an important market for Italian Wine. This year in the first third quarter, according to the Italian Trade Agency, Italian wine has seen a promising recovery with an increase of +50% in volume and +54% in value. This favorable trend will be confirmed by the presence of Italian wineries gathered at Vinitaly Russias traditional Walk Around Tasting organized in collaboration with some of Russias top Italian wine importers and with event-partners Simple Wine News, Russian Cavist Association, Riedel, Norda, the Italian Embassy in Moscow and the Italian Trade Agency.

The Italian Wine Ambassadors from Russia, certified by VIA, will be the protagonists in explaining the quality and range of Italian wines to Russian trade professionals working in the sector. On November 20th, Veronica Denisova, Nikolay Chashchinov, Vladislav Markin will each hold exclusive master classes dedicated to the diversity of Italian wine. Nikolay Chashchinov, one of the first Italian Wine Ambassadors certified by VIA in April 2015, highlights how being an Italian Wine Ambassador has helped pave his way through the world of wine in his career: VIA, with its high level of education, has helped me discover new dimensions of Italian wines in terms of their diversity. This has helped me expand our companys product portfolio. Moreover, being an Italian Wine Ambassador gave me profound credibility as a wine educator as I now regularly provide lectures in our sommelier school. The Vinitaly Russia VIA Exclusive Master Classes confirmed are:



VIA - Lovely bubbly, the great diversity of Italian sparkling wine by VIA Italian Wine Ambassador Nikolay Chashchinov

VIA - Sicily in White by VIA Italian Wine Ambassador Vladislav Markin

VIA Nebbiolo, Barolo and Barbaresco and so much more by VIA Italian Wine Ambassador Veronica Denisova

On November 21st, Vinitaly International will organize for the first time an exclusive networking dinner at the prestigious restaurant Probka na Dobrolyubova (http://www.probka.org) in St. Petersburg where 8 Italian wine producers that participated in Vinitaly Russia will present their wines with the support and expertise of the VIA Italian Wine Ambassadors that will introduce the wines to Russian importers. This will be an exclusive opportunity to bridge the gap between producers and importers and bring them closer in their common aim to understand fully and thoroughly the Italian wines potential for the Russian markets.

Following the 2 events, VIA Italian Wine Ambassadors from Russia certified by Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) will start their tour around the country spreading the gospel of Italian wine through their VIA master classes with the collaboration of the Italian Embassy of Moscow. Their VIA master classes are a crucial component of Vinitaly Russia, and this is the first time they will take the opportunity to bring the event to other cities around the country apart from Moscow and St. Petersburg. The International Week of Italian Cuisine takes place under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which is an annual event primed to celebrate Italys incredibly varied regional cuisine and food traditions with a wide array of events promoting culinary culture and flavours to millions of consumers worldwide.

In addition to these events, Vinitaly International will act as one of the sponsors for the Bazaar Italiano, a charity event organised by the Italian Embassy of Moscow on the 25th and 26th that will benefit of scientific research on children with tumors at the Rogachev Clinic in Moscow. Vinitaly International will donate more than 200 bottles of Italian wine.

For more information please visit http://www.vinitalyinternational.com/events/vinitaly-russia-moscow-2017 or write to: russia(at)vinitalytour.com

About:

Veronafiere is the leading organizer of trade shows in Italy including Vinitaly (http://www.vinitaly.com), the largest wine and spirits fair in the world. During its 51th edition Vinitaly counted more than 4,270 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 128,000 visitors from 142 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers (up by 8%). The next edition of the fair will take place on 15 - 18 April 2018. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (http://www.operawine.it) Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers, will unite international wine professionals on April 14th in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the third edition of its Certification Course and today counts 127 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 8 Italian Wine Experts.
David Romig II joins Cherry Bekaert as a Principal and will serve in a leadership role in THIncIT LLC.

Cherry Bekaert LLP (the Firm) is pleased to announce the formation of a new business unit called THIncIT LLC, and the concurrent acquisition of The Computer Solution Company of Virginia, Inc (TCSC) effective October 31, 2017. The THIncIT business unit will develop and deploy innovative technology-based solutions to help organizations to meet their business objectives. The Richmond, Virginia, based TCSC adds more than 30 technology professionals to the Firms overall technology consulting practice.

With the addition of TCSC, THIncIT and Cherry Bekaert greatly increase the Firms capabilities to provide clients with technology-based solutions to address their changing financial and operational needs. The technology consultants at TCSC bring years of experience designing, implementing and integrating automation and efficiency solutions using technology. David P. Romig II will join Cherry Bekaert as a Principal and will take a leadership role in THIncIT LLC.

As part of a larger consulting practice, we are better positioned to serve the growing business needs of our clients and expand our service reach, said David Romig II, former President of TCSC and new Principal with Chery Bekaert. This affiliation with THIncIT and Cherry Bekaert and its stature as one of the 25 largest CPA and consulting firms in the country provides an ongoing catalyst for our growth.

Founded in 1981, TCSC has offered cutting edge technology solutions to its client base for more than 35 years. THIncIT will provide a larger platform to expand in the areas of Strategic IT Alignment, Business Applications, Cloud Solutions, Business Intelligence, Collaborative Workplaces, Managed Services and Cybersecurity.

This acquisition is part of our overall vision to expand our value-add services within the technology consulting and application development arena, commented Scott Moss, Chair of THIncIT and Managing Partner of Advisory Services for Cherry Bekaert. Our clients are demanding more innovative technology-based solutions to help them grow and the capabilities within a firm like TCSC will position us to meet these expanding needs.

The professional consulting staff of TCSC joining THIncIT will continue to operate out of their current 1525 Huguenot Road location in Midlothian.

About Cherry Bekaert LLP

As a nationally recognized, growth-oriented firm, Cherry Bekaert has the resources to take your business as far as you want to go. The Firm's industry specialists already know your marketplace, so they can help you make the most of emerging opportunities while minimizing compliance headaches. With our down-to-earth style and wealth of practical advice, you will find Cherry Bekaert an indispensable part of your team.

Ranked among the largest accounting firms in the country, Cherry Bekaert offers specialized solutions that help advance our clients' business goals. For 70 years, global corporations, private businesses, government entities, nonprofits, emerging firms, start-ups and successful individuals have relied on Cherry Bekaert to guide them forward as their growth advisor.

Cherry Bekaert LLP is an independent member of Baker Tilly International. Baker Tilly International is the worlds 8th largest accountancy and business advisory network by combined fee income of its independent members. Baker Tilly International member firms specialize in providing accountancy and business advisory services to entrepreneurial, growing businesses and mid-market listed corporates worldwide. | cbh.com
Described as a cupholder for sauce, DipClip is the perfect accessory for passengers to safely enjoy their favorite condiments. Milkmen Design LLC launched its new and innovative product on Kickstarter yesterday in hopes of raising $10,000 for initial capital costs that would support the product launch.

DipClip is an incredibly simple concept and an easy solution to a common problem. Users can fit DipClip in the front car vents or in the back seat vents in order to keep passengers from making a mess while eating. About 20 percent of all meals are consumed in a car, according to recent research. When not in use, the device is small enough to be stowed away in a glove box or center console. DipClip holds sauce containers from several major fast food restaurants  including McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys and Chic-Fil-A.

During a short road trip, the team behind Ohio-based company Milkmen Design LLC, stopped at a fast food drive-thru to grab a quick bite. Quickly, members of the team realized they couldnt properly enjoy their cuisine accompanied by their favorite condiments without having to risk making a mess. It was that moment, nearly 10 years ago, that the idea behind DipClip began to take shape.

Utilizing a 3D printer, the team developed various prototypes and focused on creating a universal product. After prototypes, iterations, trial and error, DipClip was born. The final design fits virtually any car vent, and can firmly hold sauces and condiments.

We began by experimenting and printing different interpretations until we got it right, said co-founder Will Moujaes. We incorporated the universal vent mount that most people are familiar with and fits almost any type of car. Next was the sauce slot, which took a lot more deliberation. The team and I went out and got as many sauce containers as we could find from every fast food chain in operation. After measuring and testing countless sauces and sizes, we went through about a dozen iterations before finally coming up with the perfect shape.

Expected to ship shortly after the campaign ends, DipClip is an ideal stocking stuffer. To learn more, and to check out the teams humorous Kickstarter video, visit http://prfundl.ink/dipclip.

About Milkmen Design LLC

Milkmen design is a group of highly dedicated designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs whose goal is to produce simple products that make people's lives better. The team is made up of three core members: Michael Koury, Tony Lahood, and William Moujaes, who all have very different areas of expertise. The three team members each took different paths to get to where they are today, but their unique interests and experiences in design, engineering, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, tomfoolery, finance and crowdfunding have prepared them to come together with one goal: to dream up solutions to problems that shouldnt have existed in the first place. To learn more, visit https://www.milkmen.design/.
Technology has played an integral part in my career as a successful entrepreneur, says Dave. Thats what attracted me to invest in Anago. Their digital footprint outperforms every other franchise in the space.

Anago Cleaning Systems (Anago), an industry-leading commercial cleaning franchise with over 35 Master Franchise locations and over 1,400 Unit Franchises throughout the U.S. and internationally, is pleased to welcome its newest Utah Master Franchise Owner, Dave Bonnemort.

Dave is a former partner at MobilityRE, an all-in-one mobile real estate technology solution for mortgage and real estate professionals throughout the United States and Canada. Bonnemort also serves as the Chairman of the University of Utah Honors College Alumni Board where he helps build scholarship, internship, and mentorship opportunities for students and alumni of the school.

Daves insight into tech and mobile app development will play a big role in furthering Anagos digital activation plan, says Adam Povlitz, President of Anago Cleaning Systems.

In addition to Daves previous position at MobilityRE, he founded a successful blog titled Investment Banking Interview Prep which focuses on helping students land jobs as investment banking analysts. Dave also worked as the Enterprise Account Development Manager for Adobe.

Technology has played an integral part in my career as a successful entrepreneur, says Dave. Thats what attracted me to invest in Anago. Their digital footprint outperforms every other franchise in the space.

To explore Master franchise opportunities with Anago, contact Judy Walker, Vice President of Marketing, at 800-213-5857 or judy@anagocleaning.com or visit http://www.AnagoMasters.com.

About Anago Cleaning Systems

Anago Cleaning Systems is a commercial cleaning franchise system supporting over 35 Master Franchises and over 1,400 Unit Franchisees in the U.S. and internationally. After years of refining procedures and creating duplicable systems created in his large commercial cleaning service, David Povlitz founded Anago in 1989 to help other entrepreneurs open their cleaning businesses. Today, its program sets the standard worldwide in commercial cleaning. Anago was ranked the 10th fastest-growing franchise in 2013 and in the top 100 on the Franchise 500 by Entrepreneur Magazine. Additionally, Anago was ranked the #1 Janitorial Franchise by FranchiseRankings.com in 2016 and ranked by Franchise Business Review as one of the best franchises in Franchisee satisfaction for 10 consecutive years. Inc. Magazine has also listed Anago as one of the top privately-held companies in the U.S. For further information, visit its website at http://www.AnagoMasters.com.
Were helping more and more of our clients in this journey to become digital enterprises.

Belatrix Software, a leading software development company, presented at the prestigious 2017 International Congress of Computer Science and Information Systems (CICCSI). The event was held at the Champagnat University in Mendoza, Argentina, and co-organized with the National University of San Juan. It attracted approximately 500 people.

At the conference, Gabriel Vasquez, project leader and Scrum Master at Belatrix, spoke about DevOps in the context of digital transformation. During the speech he highlighted that DevOps, which involves development and operations teams working closely together, has a crucial role when organizations want to transform themselves into a digital enterprise. This is because DevOps provides enterprises with the means to increase the efficiently and velocity of software releases. They achieve this by using tools, automation, and creating a major cultural shift. In a digital, mobile-first world, organizations need to be able to make quick changes to their software to keep up with a changing marketplace, and DevOps provides the means to achieve this.

Belatrix has created a dedicated DevOps Lab, which is led by Gabriel Vasquez. Under his leadership, the lab aims to make it easier for organizations to implement DevOps. It includes continuous delivery and continuous integration services. The lab is specifically aimed at start-ups, and provides a set of pre-assembled solutions to enable companies to rapidly adopt the methodology.

Alex Robbio, President and Co-founder of Belatrix, commented that we were delighted to sponsor and participate in the event. During his speech, Gabriel Vasquez highlighted the real value that organizations can achieve when they transition to DevOps. Were helping more and more of our clients in this journey to become digital enterprises."

About Belatrix Software

Belatrix Software helps companies thrive in the digital world. Organizations partner with Belatrix to turn ideas into high quality, innovative software based on highly-tuned Agile development processes. Customers use Belatrixs digital transformation services to create best-in-class software products, lower time to market, and gain competitive edge. Belatrixs dedicated labs, focusing on UX, continuous delivery, mobile, DevOps, and QA automation, help organizations become digital leaders.

Belatrix's clients include both established Fortune level and emerging, venture backed firms. Some of the firm's clients include Disney, Adobe, AOL, PwC, Fluor, and Shutterfly. Belatrix is a South American company with offices in Florida, New York, San Francisco, Mendoza, Buenos Aires, Bogota and Lima. For more information, visit https://www.belatrixsf.com.
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Zine El Abidine Ben Ali - Tunisia

Zine el Abidine Ben Ali will be remembered as the first leader to be toppled in what became known as the Arab Spring. After nearly 24 years in in pomp and luxury, he became the former president of Tunisia. Ben Ali was thrown out for economic mismanagement abuse of power.

Hosni Mubarak - Egypt

The 89-year-old, Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt for almost 30 years until he was swept from power in a wave of mass protests in February 2011 after he surprised the people of his country by refusing to resign.

Laurent Gbagbo - Ivory Coast

He served in opposition for 20 years and finally came to power in 2000 when military leader Robert Guei's attempts to rig elections were defeated by street protests in Ivory Coast. The 72-year-old was forced out of office after his unwillingness to to accept defeat at the ballot box. Gbagbo is being tried at the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.

Muammar Gadaffi - Libya

The African strongman met his inhumane fate in October 2011 after being in power since 1969. Gaddafi had been Africa's and the Arab world's longest-serving ruler. He gave a televised speech amid violent social unrest against his autocratic rule. He promised to hunt down protesters which caused a furor that fuelled the armed rebellion against him.

READ ALSO: AU calls for calm in Zimbabwe

Madagascar's Marc Ravalomanana - Madagascar

The 68-year-old Malagasy politician was ousted in 2009 by Andry Rajoelina, a former deejay and mayor of the capital Antananarivo, with the backing of the army following nearly two months of bloody protests that left an estimated 100 people dead. He fled to Swaziland and later moved to South Africa.

Amadou Toumani Toure - Mali

The 68-year-old was deposed in an apparent coup, first came to power in the arid, land-locked West African country in 1991. Toure, a former army officer, seized power in a coup and was forced out in 2012.

Francois Bozize - Central African Republic

The 71-year-old became a high-ranking army officer in the 1970s, under the rule of Jean-Bedel Bokassa, another dictator who was ousted in 1979. His problems started in 2011 and culminated into his overthrow in 2013.

Blaise Compaore - Burkina Faso

The 66-year-old was deposed in October 2014 following nationwide protests sparked by his efforts to extend his 27-year hold on power.

Charles Taylor - Liberia

Taylor took power in 1990 after deposing Samuel Doe who was brutally murdered and his genitals cut out, stepped down in 2003, handed over power to vice president Moses Blah and sought for asylum in Nigeria where he was arrested after attempting to escape. The 69-year-old is currently serving a prison term in UK having been convicted by a UN-backed court for war crimes and crimes against humanity over supporting rebels who committed atrocities in Sierra Leone.

Kwame Nkrumah - Ghana
The indictment special counsel Robert Mueller handed down earlier this month highlighted President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort's lobbying work on behalf of Russian-backed former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

After Yanukovych was ousted in 2014, Manafort remained active in Ukraine, and played an important role in organizing the main pro-Russia party in the country that exists today.

Manafort continued working for a pro-Russian party in Ukraine after he renamed it

Mueller's indictment of Manafort alleges that he laundered millions of dollars in payments from Yanukovych's party, the Party of Regions, through offshore bank accounts, companies in the Hamptons, and clothing stores for lobbying and consulting work he did in Ukraine, western Europe, and the United States.

The indictment also mentions Manafort's work with the Opposition Bloc, the party that emerged after Yanukovych's ouster to replace the Party of Regions as the main pro-Russian party in the country, and alleges that Manafort received payments from his work with the party through 2016.

After the fall of Yanukovych's government in 2014, Manafort reportedly took a leading role in creating a new organization from the remnants of the Party of Regions, and rallied Yanukovych allies to rebrand their pro-Russian party into a generally anti-Western voting coalition, according to The New York Times. It was Manafort himself who came up with the party's new name, the Opposition Bloc.

"He thought to gather the largest number of people opposed to the current government, you needed to avoid anything concrete, and just become a symbol of being opposed," Kiev-based political analyst Mikhail B. Pogrebinsky told The Times.

"It was a continuation of something that had existed," Herbst told Business Insider. "And Manafort, who had been the cancellieri of the Party of Regions, continued on as the cancellieri of the Opposition Bloc."

"He was the guy directing their political campaign while they were a campaign, and he helped them stay in power," Herbst said, speaking about Manafort's role in the Party of Regions.

A former US diplomat told Business Insider that Manafort performed the same duties for the Opposition Bloc, and that individuals in Ukraine had shown the source border documents indicating that Manafort was present in Ukraine during various periods between 2014 and 2016.

Manaforts work helped the Opposition Bloc win seats in Ukraines parliament

Although party officials thought the Opposition Bloc was unlikely to succeed, as a result of Manafort's work, the Bloc was able to keep seats in Ukraine's Parliament in the 2014 parliamentary elections.

A party official for the Bloc told Bloomberg that Manafort personally approved the list of 2014 candidates, and one of the Bloc's leaders Nestor Shufrych reportedly celebrated its relative success in the elections with a bottle of cognac in Manafort's office after paying him $1 million for his work with them, according to Bloomberg.

One of Manafort's closest confidants in his work with the Bloc was Russian-Ukrainian political operative Konstantin Kilimnik, with whom Manafort promoted the Opposition Bloc as the voice of Russians in eastern Ukraine. Kilimnik reportedly kept in touch with Manafort during the course of the 2016 campain, and the pair spoke about Trump and developments in Ukraine. Kilimnik also reportedly broached the possibility of dropping an anti-Russian stance on Ukraine from the Republican party platform in the summer of 2016, which the GOP eventually did.
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The daughter, Misty Spann has been jailed for 10 years while her mum is in custody at Stephens County Jail, with a bail set at $10,000, after she literally pleaded not guilty, saying she was no longer listed as a parent on her daughters birth certificate.

According to thesun.co.uk, Misty was raised by her grandmother after her 44-year-old mother lost custody of her three kids.

They reportedly reunited in 2014 and "hit it off".

According to a marriage license application office, the couple tied the knot in March 2016.

The Associated Press also reported that their marriage which is deemed incestuous under the Oklahoma state laws was discovered by authorities during a child welfare investigation.

According to Tulsa World, Patricia is also on record to have been married to her biological son in 2008, but they divorced after 15 months when her son complained of the union being incestuous.
The Ashanti regional Public Relations Officer of the ECG, Erasmus Baidoo narrated the ordeal of his outfit to Accra-based Citi FM, saying We went to GBC to demand payment. This is not the first time, weve been there on a number of occasions and anytime we go there, we do not receive anything. We decided to take them off, in an attempt to disconnect them, the manager in charge of the area felt that he wouldnt allow us so they deflated the tires of the vehicle that we took to the place.
READ ALSO: Here is how much government has budgeted for 2018

The TUC welcomes this bold initiative. It is perhaps the most ambitious jobs programme designed to address what has become the most critical economic challenge of the country. Providing jobs for 100,000 graduates in the sectors outlined in the budget will significantly improve public service delivery. It will also signal to young people who have invested so much time and money in their education that education pays. The benefits will far exceed the cost of the programme.

We do not know the details of the programme yet. For example, how many years will the programme employ the graduates? Is it going to be one year like the National Service Scheme? These are but a few of the important questions that need to be addressed as government prepares to rollout the programme in 2018, the statement added.

The government announced the initiative during the 2018 budget presentation by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in Parliament Wednesday.

Below are details of the statement

A PRELIMINARY STATEMENT ON THE 2018 BUDGET STATEMENT AND ECONOMIC POLICY

On Wednesday, 15th November, 2017, the Minister for Finance presented the 2018 Budget and Economic Policy of the NPP Government to Parliament. As usual, we followed the presentation with keen interest. This statement is our preliminary assessment of the policies in the Budget Statement focusing on employment creation initiatives announced by the Minister. A more detailed analysis/assessment will follow in due course.

As has been the practice for so many years, TUC submitted some proposals to government for the 2018 Budget and Economic Policy. Employment creation and related issues, including the need to keep industrial peace, were at the heart of the proposals.

In our submission, we reiterated a point made in our earlier proposals and other submissions that the greatest challenge facing our country today is the lack of decent jobs for young people. We, therefore, repeated our call on government to go beyond the rhetoric and outline practical measures to address the employment challenge. We urged government to implement policies that create jobs in their right quantities and quality.

In the Budget Statement, the Minister for Finance described unemployment as the most critical economic problem of our time. He then proceeded to announce a new jobs programme termed the Nation Builders Corps intended to reverse the growing trend of joblessness among university graduates. According to the Minister, the Nation Builders Corps Programme will employ 100,000 graduates across the country in 2018.

The TUC welcomes this bold initiative. It is perhaps the most ambitious jobs programme designed to address what has become the most critical economic challenge of the country. Providing jobs for 100,000 graduates in the sectors outlined in the budget will significantly improve public service delivery. It will also signal to young people who have invested so much time and money in their education that education pays. The benefits will far exceed the cost of the programme.

We do not know the details of the programme yet. For example, how many years will the programme employ the graduates? Is it going to be one year like the National Service Scheme? These are but a few of the important questions that need to be addressed as government prepares to rollout the programme in 2018.

Therefore, while we commend government for this bold initiative, we would also like to draw attention to the obstacles that continue to impede the growth of the private sector and its ability to create decent jobs. The 100,000 graduates that will be employed in 2018 will at some point have to transit into the mainstream labour market after they have acquired further skills and experience so that others can also benefit from the programme. Strengthening the domestic private sector to absorb the beneficiaries of the Nation Builders Corps Programme will ease that transition.

We have also taken note of the several other initiatives announced by the Minister in the Budget Statement including the removal/reduction of taxes as well as the proposed reduction of energy tariffs intended to create the enabling environment for the expansion of the private sector development. These are commendable measures. But one important area that needs urgent attention is our trade policy which remains unfair to local manufacturers and farmers, especially livestock farmers. We need a very radical review of our trade policy to protect our manufacturers and farmers. Ghana also needs to work with other countries in the ECOWAS region to secure the sub-regional market for our private sector.

We expected to hear more about the measures government is going to implement to bring down cost of borrowing. The private sector in Ghana has suffered so much unfairness especially in the areas of trade, high cost of production and in terms of access to credit, compared to their counterparts in other countries that are trading with Ghana such as China, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa. The private sector needs the support of the state, at least for a specified period, to enable local entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and to create decent jobs for Ghanaians.
The husband of the deceased, Kwablah Wohoyi a native of Klikkor  Agbozome said his wife called from Taifa Burkina in Accra that she was on her way to visit her pastor at Aflao on Tuesday, November 14, 2017.

He, however, could not reach his wife on phone after several hours. He said the pastor was called but he denied ever seeing the woman.

The Denu police were alerted to the incident and the pastor was arrested.

The police on the following day, November 15, received information that a dead body has been dumped at an unnoticed corner at Mifetu Korpe/Viepe about 300 meters away from the pastors house.

When the police went to the scene with the complainant Kwabena Wohoyi and suspect Felix Banfo, they found a woman with her arms and legs chopped off.

The complainant and the suspect identified the deceased as Evelyn Homawu.
The concert which will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre at 6 pm will tell the countrys history in poetry, songs and stimulating drama.

For history to be understood, it must, sometimes, be produced to people in simple imaginative terms, a statement issued by the Chairman of Ghana60 Years On Anniversary Committee, Mr Ken Amankwah said.

Mirrors of Our Times is stylished in sublime poetry with Greek chorus of Winneba Youth Choir and the National Symphony Orchestra providing the seraphic serenity of songs, drama and dance.
The ECG disconnected electricity supply to the state broadcasters transmission station at Asokwa for non-payment of accumulated bills to the tune of GH1.7 million.

According to the Regional Director of GBC, ECG workers days earlier came to the premises trying to disconnect their power without any notice but the move was resisted by some workers and they had to leave only to return to the place in a Rambo style.
Amnesty called on Manila to investigate claims of "serious violations of international humanitarian law and other serious violations and abuses of human rights law" in a report on the violence, a month after President Rodrigo Duterte declared the city liberated from pro-IS gunmen.

"Philippine government forces violated the prohibition against torture and other ill-treatment of detainees, and allegedly committed the crime of pillage," the report said.

The rights group said it interviewed eight people, including seven Christian construction workers, who described how they were subjected to "sustained beatings and threats of execution" by Philippine marines.

Amnesty also said it spoke with several people who alleged that government forces looted civilian property of television sets, antiques, and computers while the militants stole weapons, jewellery and money from homes.

"Government forces may also have carried out disproportionate air and ground attacks," it said, adding that the civilian death toll from bombings and militant killings "is likely significantly higher than the official count".

Philippine military spokesmen in Manila and Marawi did not immediately respond to requests for comment by AFP.

Hundreds of local and foreign gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS rampaged through Marawi, the principal Islamic city in the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23.

The rebellion was put down with the help of US and Australian surveillance planes and drones, with China and Russia also sending weapons to Filipino troops.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis last month praised the Philippine military for upholding human rights during the brutal urban battle.

But Amnesty said it had documented "a variety of serious violations of international humanitarian law by all parties" in the conflict.
"We have not been able to find, or have visual or radar communication with the submarine," navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told a news conference.

The TR-1700 class diesel electric submarine had been returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia near the southernmost tip of South America, to its base at Mar del Plata, around 400 kilometers (240 miles) south of Buenos Aires.

The San Juan's last contact with the navy command was on Wednesday morning, Balbi said.

Argentina said it launched an air and sea search on Thursday, involving a destroyer and two corvettes.

An initial search in an area around the sub's last known position, some 430 kilometers off the southeastern Valdez peninsula, provided no clues.

Balbi said the search was hampered "because it was carried out at night and in bad meteorological conditions prevailing in the area of operations."

The navy denied a press report that there may have been a fire onboard.

Balbi appealed for caution. "I don't want to dramatize the issue. We're lacking communication and don't know what happened," he said.

"There may be a battery issue, a problem of power supply," the spokesman said, adding that navy protocol was that the submarine would surface if any power problems were detected.

The San Juan sailed 10 days ago from Mar del Plata to Ushuaia. It spent three days there before heading off on the return voyage, Balbi said.

Among those on board is Argentina's first female submarine officer, weapons officer Eliana Krawczyk, 35.

"Let us pray that nothing has happened to any crewmember. At sea they are all brothers, and a submarine carries more risk than a ship," her father Eduardo told Todo Noticias TV.

The San Juan is one of three submarines in the Argentine fleet.

Sixty-five meters (213 feet) long and seven meters wide, it was built by Germany's Thyssen Nordseewerke and launched in 1983.
In a speech heralding the embassy's "historic" establishment, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said his "commitment to the One China principle" was made with the benefits for Panamanian people in mind -- alluding to Beijing's position that Taiwan is a part of Chinese territory and will be brought back into the fold at some point.

There now remain only 20 nations worldwide with official ties to Taiwan, as others have chosen to form diplomatic relations with China instead.

"This is the correct decision," Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said at the embassy's opening ceremony, noting that the Panamanian president had expressed a wish to become "the best of friends" with China during a visit to the country one decade ago.

Varela said he looked forward to the two countries participating in exchanges related to culture, trade and tourism.

After the United States, China is the second-most frequent user of the Panama Canal.

China and Panama will sign some 20 cooperative agreements after Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Varela Friday.

"From today onwards, Panama's national flag will fly in the heart of China, its capital, Beijing," Varela said.
The "Icoon Afsluitdijk" project is designed to shine at night "to enhance and safeguard" the dyke's "rich heritage and anchor its position in the world as a Dutch water engineering and design icon," its creators said.

Commissioned by the Dutch government, the project consists of a number of art installations, of which the last, called "Gates of Light", was unveiled Thursday.

Artist Daan Roosegaarde and his team applied a reflective layer to the Afsluitdijk's 60 imposing floodgates, which allows the concrete gates to brightly light up at night in the retro style of the 1930s, when the dyke was first built by hand.

There are also a number of temporary installations including one called "Windvogel" (Wind Bird) in which huge kites generate enough electricity to light up their specially designed anchor lights with luminous colours.

Roosegaarde said the structure, which was completed on May 28, 1932, "needed a renovation".

"We restored the historical floodgates, renovated them, removed the rotten concrete and added a layer of reflective material," he told AFP.

Referring to the importance of dykes, which help keep out the water in a country where 26 percent of the land is below sea level, Roosegaarde said: "Dykes in The Netherlands are as holy as cows in India."

The Afsluitdijk (literally, "cut-off dyke") was built to keep out the North Sea and create an inland lake and polders, or land reclaimed from the sea.

It secures hundreds of square kilometres of inland coastline inside its boundaries, creating the vast but shallow IJsselmeer, which quickly turned into a freshwater reservoir.

Across the dyke stretches a multi-lane highway providing a shortcut between North Holland and Friesland, letting travellers shave almost 300 kilometres from their journey.

Even after 85 years it is still considered one of the world's civil engineering wonders.
Modern terrorism has become "an unprecedented threat to international peace, security and development", but policies to tackle it "can be misused and abused", he said.

"They can actually make us less safe, by undermining good governance and the rule of law," he told students at London's School of Oriental and African Studies.

"Counter-terrorist policies may be used, and are being used, to suppress peaceful protests and legitimate opposition movements; to shut down debate; to target and detain human rights defenders; and to stigmatise minorities," Guterres added.

The former Portuguese prime minister, who took over as United Nations chief on January 1 after a decade as the body's head of refugees, argued this could ultimately prove "counter-productive".

"The majority of those that went into terrorist actions come from countries where human rights are violated. And that violation is sometimes the trigger," he added.

Guterres also warned that terror attacks were straining ties in many communities, "amplified by the 24-hour news cycle, social media and cynical political manipulation".

"We all have a responsibility to base our narratives on facts, and to avoid doing the terrorists' work for them by demonising and stigmatising certain groups," he said.

"In some countries, the majority of terrorist plots and attacks are perpetrated by right-wing extremist groups.

"And yet the media focuses far more on attacks by immigrants or members of ethnic and religious minorities."

In particular, the targeting of refugees who had fled terrorism was "a horrible distortion of their plight", Guterres added.

The secretary general said global development and investment in education and social programmes could help counter some of the myriad threats.

"Terrorism thrives when disenfranchised people meet nothing but indifference and nihilism," he added.

The UN estimates there were at least 11,000 terror attacks in more than 100 countries last year, leaving more than 25,000 people dead.
Even rich people think wealth is elusive.

About 5% of Americans are millionaires. Most of them  about 95%, according to an estimate by WealthEngine  have between $1 million and $5 million.

And many think that's just not enough.

"Many people believe that, along with tangible assets and services, having it all means having some wiggle room  money to cover a major splurge or setback, and more on top of that," Norman Vanamee wrote in Town & Country magazine.

Vanamee consulted experts to estimate the "happiness number" for a hypothetical, wealthy, non-working couple in their 40s with two teenage kids in an expensive private school in New York City. They live in a parkside Fifth Avenue apartment, buy art, take private jets, donate to charity, and have a household staff  a chef, a driver, and a housekeeper  plus two vacation homes. They're also setting aside $25 million for each child to inherit.

An analyst from US Trust cited in the Town & Country report estimated the hypothetical couple would need to have a net worth of $190 million to sustain this lifestyle.

Here are some of the costs considered in the estimate:

Real estate:

Education:

$1.7 million a child

Philanthropy:

Staff:

Art:

Health and beauty:

Other experts peg the happiness number at about $100 million.

Billionaires "view $100 million as the starting point for real money," Richard Kirshenbaum, the New York Observer columnist who wrote the book "Isn't That Rich? Life Among the 1%," told Town & Country. "They call it a hundy. Like, 'Oh, they made it, they have a hundy.'"

Kirshenbaum says the estimate isn't his own but came from several billionaires he has interviewed. WeathEngine estimates that 0.09% of America's millionaires are worth more than $100 million.

But Robert Frank, the wealth editor at CNBC who hosts the TV series "Secret Lives of the Super Rich," said the number was "less relevant than how you earned it and what you're doing with it."

Still, having money doesn't alleviate all anxieties  in fact, it often gives way to new worries unique to those flush with cash.
As such, some countries seem to have gotten the hang of democracy over the years while others like Zimbabwe and others, not so much.

These African countries have been identified to have the most efficient and long-lasting democratic governments.

1. Zambia

Zambia, which was known as Northern Rhodesia, became a republic after it gained independence in 1964.

It is a country with a population of 16 million people, and has enjoyed a long stint of democracy since 1991. This is after its Prime Minister, Kenneth Kaunda voluntarily resigned after 3 decades of ruling.

In 2010, Zambia was named of the world's fastest economically reformed countries by the World Bank. As at 2016, the country was ranked 77 on the Global Democracy Index.

2. Kenya

Although Kenya went through a political turmoil during Presidential elections in 2007, it has one of the most stable democracies in Africa.

There has been over five successive transitional processes in the country since independence. Also, an attempt by the Military to seize power in 1982 was stopped by people's efforts.

Kenyas position on the Democracy Index as of 2016 is currently 92.

3. Tanzania

Tanzania got its independence from the Britain in 1962, and has since enjoyed democratic transition of power. In the country, president and members of the country's National Assembly serve for five year before facing another election.

Last year, the country elected a new President, Mr John Magufuli, and he has begun reform processes that strengthen public institutions in the country.

Tanzania is currently number 83 on the Democracy Index as of 2016.

4. Senegal

Senegal is a country of 13 million citizens. It is one of the few African states that has never experienced a coup or any harsh authoritarian leadership since Independence.

Senegal's first president, Leopold Sedar Senghor, voluntarily handed over power to his Prime Minister in 1981.

In 2016, the country is ranked 75 on the global democracy index.

5. Botswana

Botswana gained independence from the Britain in 1966, and recently celebrated 51 years of freedom. With a population of 2 million citizens, the country boasts of having the fastest growing economy worldwide.

Just like Senegal, Botswana has been lucky not to have experienced a military coup or non-democratic leader.
Ever wonder why your flight back from vacation feels so much longer than the one you took to get there? Part of it could be a vacation version of the "Sunday scaries," but it's also possible that your return flight is actually spending more time in the air.
A viral story from 2016 about Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie "fetching" President Donald Trump's McDonald's order was entirely made up and planted by a former Trump adviser in The New Yorker, the adviser claimed.

The former aide, Sam Nunberg, told Politico as part of a lengthy story on Christie that he invented the story to embarrass Christie.

"The sad reality is that it was believable," he said, laughing.

In June 2016, The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza wrote that Christie, "another of Trumps opponents early in the campaign, has transformed himself into a sort of manservant, who is constantly with Trump at events."

Lizza added as an aside, in parentheses: "One Republican told me that a friend of his on the Trump campaign used Snapchat to send him a video of Christie fetching Trumps McDonalds order."

At the time, Brian Murray, a Christie spokesman, called the McDonald's anecdote a "completely invented scenario" in an email exchange with Business Insider.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona on Friday applauded the Senate Finance Committee's effort in shaping the chamber's tax plan, giving Republicans a sigh of relief as the bill heads to a vote in the coming weeks.

"I applaud Chairman Hatch and the Senate Finance Committee in taking another step forward in providing much-needed tax relief for hardworking American families," McCain said in a statement. "I am pleased that the Finance Committee has followed the regular order by holding numerous hearings and spending four days debating the bill and considering amendments in committee."

"As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I value the process of moving important pieces of legislation through regular order," he added. "I am hopeful that when we return from the Thanksgiving recess to consider tax reform on the Senate floor, we will see this process continue, with both sides of the aisle having sufficient opportunity to debate the merits of tax reform and offer amendments."

One of McCain's primary gripes during the effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act was that his fellow Republicans were circumventing the regular order by which the Senate does its business. McCain ultimately voted against the "skinny repeal" effort in June, and his disapproval of a subsequent bill spearheaded by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy helped derail that as well.

"The issue is too important, and too many lives are at risk, for us to leave the American people guessing from one election to the next whether and how they will acquire health insurance," McCain said of the Graham-Cassidy bill in September. "A bill of this impact requires a bipartisan approach."

But tax reform has been different for McCain, who expressed cautious optimism that the process would be better than with healthcare in a September statement on the initial framework of the plan.

"Throughout this process, senators will no doubt disagree, and we'll engage in vigorous argument over how best to bring sanity to our complicated tax system," McCain said. "But I'm confident that by moving through the normal legislative process, we can produce a bill that reforms our tax system, boosts our economy, and improves the lives of the people we serve."

McCain's support, however, may not be all Republicans need. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, another key Republican swing vote, told Roll Call on Thursday that her vote for a tax plan including a repeal of the so-called individual mandate requiring most people to have health insurance  as the latest Senate bill does  would have to be preceded by passage of the Alexander-Murray bill designed to stabilize the healthcare system.

"I think that there is a path and I think the path is a reasonable path," Murkowski said. "If the Congress is going to move forward with repeal of the individual mandate, we absolutely must have the Alexander-Murray piece that is passed into law."
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway defended President Donald Trump's decision to tweet about sexual misconduct allegations made against Democratic Sen. Al Franken this week, while remaining neutral on allegations that Roy Moore, a Republican Senate candidate, committed sexual misconduct with teenage girls while he was in his 30s.

Asked by a Fox News host on Friday why Trump tweeted about Franken while refusing to answer questions about his support for Moore's candidacy, Conway replied that the president was simply commenting on the news of the day  and the allegations against Moore are "eight days old."

"Well Al Franken was a brand new news story yesterday and the president weighed in as he does on the news of the day," Conway said. "The Roy Moore story is eight days old and the President put out a statement on his Asia trip on that."

Conway added that White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters during a press briefing on Thursday that Trump "believes the people of Alabama will sort out what to do with Roy Moore and with that election," Conway said.

During an interview with "Fox & Friends" on Thursday, Conway refused to clarify Trump's position on Moore's candidacy. In a statement last week, Trump called the accusations a "mere allegation ... from many years ago" and said he was confident Moore "will do the right thing and step aside" if the accusations are true.

Conway told "Fox & Friends" that the president "will make a statement when he wants to make a statement" about Moore, and refused to "get ahead of that." She instead argued that the "mainstream media" is using the sexual assault allegations to distract from the administration's policy work, namely the Republican tax plan.

"I do find that the mainstream media want to talk about this issue more than almost anything else," Conway said.

The Fox hosts, who are consistently supportive of Trump and his agenda, pushed back a bit on Conway's position, arguing that "no one can marginalize the details of a December 12 election, because a lot of people think Roy Moore should be removed," co-host Brian Kilmeade said.

Moore himself tweeted about the allegations against Franken on Thursday, suggesting that Republicans on Capitol Hill have been more critical of the charges against him than their Democratic colleague.
President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, was copied on emails sent to the Trump campaign last year from Sergei Millian, the Belarus-born businessman who has worked with the Trump Organization and was reportedly a key source in the explosive dossier alleging ties between Trump and Russia.

Senate Judiciary Committee leaders said on Thursday that Trump campaign officials had handed over "communications with Sergei Millian, copied to Mr. Kushner," that Kushner had apparently failed to disclose voluntarily. Kushner also received an email that discussed a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite" from Alexander Torshin,

Jared Kushner's lawyer told the committee that the "communications" with Millian were between Millian and Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, in which Cohen was urging Millian to stop speaking to the press.

A Washington Post profile from March noted an additional point of contact: Millian told associates last year that he was in regular touch with George Papadopoulos  a campaign foreign policy adviser who pleaded guilty late last month to making false statements to the FBI about the extent and nature of his contacts with Kremlin-linked foreign nationals.

Millian, who is now a US citizen, founded the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce in 2006 and has described himself as an exclusive broker for the Trump Organization with respect to the company's potential real-estate dealings in Russia.

He attended several black-tie events at Trump's inauguration, and told the Russian news agency RIA that he had been in touch with the Trump Organization as late as April 2016. He was also photographed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2016 with the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a longtime business associate of Trump's campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

It was around that time that Millian's organization, the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce, was looking for "delegates" to attend the Russian Oil & Gas Forum in Moscow.

But Millian appears to have begun downplaying his ties to the Trump Organization after Western reporters started digging into Trump's Russia ties last summer.

Contrary to what he told RIA, Millian told Business Insider in an email earlier this year that the last time he worked on a Trump-brand project was "in Florida around 2008." He did not respond to a request to clarify the discrepancy.

Millian and the dossier

Millian is also believed to be a key source in a collection of unverified memos known as the Steele dossier  named after its author, former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. The memos outline Trump and his campaign members' ties to Russian officials and allege Moscow and the Trump campaign worked hand in hand at points to influence the US election.

ABC reported in January that "while the published [Trump-Russia] dossier never names Millian, a version provided to the FBI included Millians name as a source." The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal reported later that Millian was either source "D" or "E" in the dossier, which Millian has denied.

Source D, according to the dossier, had been "present" for Trump's alleged "perverted conduct in Moscow."

Millian has worked with Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian government organization whose "fundamental" goal is to familiarize "young people from different countries" with Russian culture through exchange trips to Moscow. The FBI has investigated whether Rossotrudnichestvo is a front for the Russian government to cultivate "young, up-and-coming Americans as Russian intelligence assets"  a theory Rossotrudnichestvo has strongly denied.

In January, however, Millian told Mother Jones he "never got any business with Rossotrudnichestvo." He did not respond to requests from Business Insider to clarify that discrepancy.

Source E, meanwhile," acknowledged that the Russian regime had been behind the recent leak of embarrassing e-mail messages, emanating from the Democratic National Committee (DNC), to the WikiLeaks platform," according to the dossier.

Source E also claimed that the Trump campaign and Russia had moles in the Democratic Party; that US-based "cyber operators" were coordinating attacks on the DNC and Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta; and that these operators were being paid covertly via Russian "diplomatic staff" in "key" US cities via that Russia's emigre pension system.

"I am one of those very few people who have insider knowledge of Kremlin politics who has the ability to understand the Russian mentality and who has been able to successfully integrate in American society," Millian told ABC in July 2016.

The same source is quoted in the dossier as saying the Trump campaign was "relatively relaxed" about the attention on Trump's reported ties to Russia "because it deflected media and the Democrats' attention away from Trump's business dealings in China."

Millian has worked as the "vice president of the World Chinese Merchants Union Association" since 2015, according to his LinkedIn page. He wrote last April that he traveled to Beijing to meet with a Chinese official and the Russian ambassador to the Republic of San Marino.

Millians relationship with Papadopoulos raises questions

Millian's relationship with Papadopoulos, moreover  who was told in April 2016 that the Kremlin had "dirt" on Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails"  raises questions about what they discussed during the election and what they relayed to campaign officials.

According to documents filed by special counsel Robert Mueller's office and unsealed late last month, Papadopoulos met with a "professor" in London "on or about April 26, 2016" who told him that the Russians had obtained "dirt" on Hillary Clinton.

"During this meeting, the Professor told defendant that he had just returned from a trip to Moscow where he had met with high-level Russian government officials," one document says.

"The professor told defendant that on that trip he (the professor) learned that the Russians had obtained "dirt" on then-candidate Clinton. The professor told defendant Papadopoulos, as Papadopoulos later described to the FBI, that 'they [the Russians] have dirt on her'; 'the Russians had emails on Clinton'; 'they have thousands of emails.'"

The document suggests Papadopoulos had known that Russia was actively trying to undermine Clinton before virtually anyone else, and it matches some of what the dossier's "source E"  believed to be Millian  told an associate who then relayed it to Christopher Steele.

Still, it remains unclear whether Papadopoulos told anyone on the campaign, or connected to it, about what he had learned. The day after his meeting with the professor, Papadopoulos emailed one of the campaign's top policy advisers, Stephen Miller, saying he had "some interesting messages coming in from Moscow about a trip when the time is right."
Zimbabwe has been under military control since Tuesday, likely ending the rule of Robert Mugabe, the country's leader since its creation in 1980.

His wife "Gucci" Grace Mugabe  42 years younger than her husband  may have been the source of the military's ire and potentially spurred the armed takeover.

"Grace Mugabe clearly wanted more power," Chipo Dendere writes in The Washington Post, noting her "loyal following, despite the fact that, unlike her husband, she is brusque and to the point."

Since 2014, Grace Mugabe has been been gaining more political power within the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union  Patriotic Front party (ZANU-PF), and appeared to be angling to become Zimbabwe's vice president and eventually Robert Mugabe's successor upon his death.

Robert Mugabe fired his vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, last week and many suspected that Grace Mugabe was behind the sudden move. Grace was reportedly behind her husband's decision to fire another former vice president, Joice Mujuru before.

Since 2014 Grace Mugabe had been in charge of ZANU-PF women's league. At a rally on November 5th, she asked the crowd, "Would it be so wrong if I was elected?"

"Give me the job and see if I fail," Grace Mugabe said.

Grace Mugabe was widely considered to be the reason ZANU-PF changed its party constitution to make sure that there would always be a female vice president.

"Apparently the combination of Mnangagwa's firing and [Grace] Mugabe's open thirst for power disturbed the generals," Dendere writes.

This seems to have been too much for the higher ups in the Zimbabwean military.

Robert Mugabe had come under increasing criticism from former party members and veterans of the independence movement for his recent actions, such as the firing of his vice president, his refusal to name a successor, and his purging of former allies within his party.

The military has long been concerned that if Zimbabwe were led by someone who was not apart of the armed struggle in the 1970's, its "revolution" would be threatened.

The military issued a stark warning that they would stop those "bent on hijacking the revolution" the day before the army seized control of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

Grace and Robert Mugabe are reportedly both under house arrest, although its unclear how strictly that is being enforced. Robert Mugabe seems to be negotiating with the army as to what will happen in the future  both for he and his wife, and the country

How Grace Mugabe became Gucci Grace

Born in South Africa in 1965, just one year after the start of the Rhodesian Bush War, Grace Mugabe moved to Zimbabwe when she was a child. At the end of the war and the creation of her current country, Grace was only 14 years old.

In the 1980's Grace got a job working as the secretary to Robert Mugabe, who was the prime minister  and later president  of the country. Despite both being married at the time, Robert Mugabe has admitted the two started an affair.

After the death of Mugabe's wife Sally in 1992, Grace divorced her husband and married Robert Mugabe in a massive ceremony called the "Wedding of the Century" by the Zimbabwean press.

That extravagant wedding was only the beginning of Grace Mugabe's enjoyment of luxury.

Grace Mugabe has spent enormous sums of money, including reportedly from the coffers of ZANU-PF. During a shopping trip to Paris in 2002, Grace reportedly spent $120,000, and around the same time, she personally withdrew millions of dollars from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

More recently, she spent $1.35 million on a ring to "mark her wedding anniversary."

The shopping sprees have earned her the name "Gucci Grace," stemming from her reputation for spending lavish sums on herself when over half of Zimbabwe lives in poverty.

Grace Mugabe has also spent millions on real estate deals outside of the country. The Mugabes have property in Botswana, Dubai, and Malaysia. It has also been reported that Grace Mugabe spent millions on a luxury mansion in South Africa.

She also has a history of having a bad temper, and lashing out. In 2009 at Hong Kong, she reportedly assaulted a journalist, giving cuts and bruises to the man because of the many diamonds on her hands. Earlier this year, Grace Mugabe was accused of beating a South African model with an electrical extension cord.
 Recruiters at top companies like Google, JP Morgan, and Apple are on the lookout for certain deal-breaking errors candidates make.

 Some pitfalls include being too vague, a lack of wittiness, and forgetting to follow up.

Interviews often feel like high-stakes, stressful situations.

And that goes double if you're interviewing at some of the biggest companies out there today.

You can boost your chances by remaining calm and doing your homework beforehand. You can also read up on some firsthand advice that people who used to work at Google, Goldman Sachs, Apple, and JP Morgan shared with Business Insider.

Here are some major mistakes that will ruin your chances of landing a job at some of the most talked-about companies out there:

Be specific about why you want to work for Google

It's not enough to just claim you want to work at Google. If you want to land a job at the tech giant, you're going to have to be specific.

"It's important to know what you are passionate about," Google SVP Hiroshi Lockheimer previously told Business Insider. "It's not just, 'Oh, I want to work at Google'  but I've heard some people say that."

So make sure you do your research and effectively pinpoint the teams and projects you're most interested in.

"Being able to sort of articulate, 'Well, here's what I'm really passionate about, and here's what I want to work on,' is really important," Lockheimer said. "Just make sure you make your preferences known so you're routed to the right team."

At Jet.com, there's no "I" in "team"

Don't make the job interview all about yourself.

"People who only use the pronoun 'I' in interviews are a washout for us," Liza Landsman, president of ecommerce siteJet.com, previously told Business Insider. "There are very few tech-centered organizations that don't require a high degree of collaboration."

Instead, focus more on addressing how your experiences align with the company's values.

Think up questions to ask recruiters at Apple and Intuit

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but a lack of curiosity will certainly kill your job prospects at Apple and Intuit.

"The worst thing you can do in an interview is say, 'I have no questions,'" Rachel Bitte, chief people officer at recruiting software company Jobvite, previously told Business Insider. "That's just the worst thing in the world. That's like the kiss of death, almost. You don't care."

Bitte was previously a recruiter and HR exec at Intuit and Apple. She said it's important to come into the interview with some questions, if only to show that you're taking the company seriously.

"Show me that you have some enthusiasm or some passion," Bitte said. "Have a real curiosity about what a job at the company is really like."

Have a joke up your sleeve if you interview at JP Morgan

If you're unable to think on your feet, you won't stand a chance in some job interviews.

I learned this firsthand when I bombed one interview for a JP Morgan internship. An interviewer asked me to tell him a joke, and I simply couldn't think of anything to say. It was pretty awkward, and I did not get the internship offer.

So loosen up and have some self-confidence going into any interview. Some companies are actively looking for candidates who can think on their feet.

And make sure to have a joke on hand, just in case.

Research all of Google's products

If you want to work at Google, learn everything you can about their products.

It's a lesson former JP Morgan banker Sameer Syed learned the hard way. When he was searching for his first tech gig, the Wall Street to Silicon Alley founder says he made the mistake of almost exclusively talking about his financial background during interviews.

"They're not interested in all that," he previously told Business Insider. "Here it's like you need to research the hell out of the company. Understand the competitors. Understand where the industry's going. Understand why someone would want to be a part of this company."

And at Google, make sure you do your homework.

"Google has so many products," he previously told Business Insider. "That was the biggest struggle for me. If you get a question about a product and you know nothing about it, you're going to fall flat on your face."

Syed made it work and now is in strategic partnerships at Google.

Don't try too hard at Goldman Sachs

Solemates cofounder and former Goldman Sachs recruiter Becca Brown has some counterintuitive advice for prospective bankers.

Stop trying so hard.

"It's a common mistake  and it's tricky  because as a candidate, you want to impress the interviewer, and show that you've done your homework, but sometimes that can come across as a little too overdone, or worse, rehearsed," she previously told Business Insider. "Information that a candidate conveys during an interview should be presented in a conversational way, not in a robotic way."

Try to loosen up and put your stress aside. And definitely don't channel your nerves into trying so hard to impress your interviewer.

Make sure to follow up with your Google recruiter

"I was with a Google HR person recently and and she was telling me that one of the most common [mistakes] that college students make is actually that if you don't follow up," Wessel previously told Business Insider. "Most people don't realize that they should follow up as soon as possible... Don't wait 'til the next day because you're nervous about seeming too desperate."
On Friday, Katrina Lake became the only woman to lead a tech initial public offering so far this year.

Lake is the CEO of Stitch Fix, a subscription-based fashion startup. Its customers fill out a detailed questionnaire about their style, pick a shipment date, and pay a $20 styling fee. Stitch Fix's stylists then pick out outfits to match a customer's style, and if they like their outfit enough to keep it, they pay for the clothes.

The San Francisco-based company has about 5,000 employees, 3,500 of whom are full- and part-time stylists, the Los Angeles Times reported.

According to CNBC, investors and analysts were concerned about Stitch Fix's profitability in the wake of troubles at the meal-subscription company Blue Apron.

Forbes reported that Stitch Fix's IPO raised $120 million.

Here's how Lake went from a prospective pre-med major to an entrepreneur on a quest to blend fashion and tech.

Lake told the Los Angeles Times she was "risk-averse" growing up in San Francisco and Minnesota. The daughter of a physician and a teacher, she thought about pursuing medicine.

Source: ,

However, she became mesmerized by economics at Stanford. Lake earned a bachelor's degree in the subject and went on to receive an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Source: ,

Before Stitch Fix, Lake worked at the tech company Polyvore and the management-consulting firm The Parthenon Group.

Source:

According to Inc, Lake's inspiration to found a company was her sister, who worked as a clothing buyer and would send Lake outfits.

Source:

In the early months of Stitch Fix, users would fill out SurveyMonkey forms to identify their preferences. Lake would then deliver the clothes herself.

Source:

Lake told the Star Tribune that her fashion sense was "classic with a twist," adding, "I want to feel comfortable and confident and don't want to have to think too much about what I wear every day."

Source:

In fiscal 2016, the company brought in $730 million, according to the Times.

Source:

However, the road to the IPO hasn't been easy. Recode and the news website Axios reported in June that Lightspeed Venture Partners had Lake sign a nondisparagement agreement in 2013 after she reported sexual harassment by Justin Caldbeck, who was Lightspeed's observer on Stitch Fix's board of directors.

Source: , ,

"At the time, she was working to raise a round of needed funding for Stitch Fix and was well aware that Lightspeed could prevent that deal from taking place," a report from Inc said.

Source:

After the news broke, Lake released a statement saying: "It's important to expose the type of behavior that's been reported in the last few weeks, so the community can recognize and address these problems."

Source: , ,

Stitch Fix's shares opened at $16.90 on Friday, and the company is now valued at $1.6 billion, according to CNBC. So far this year, Stitch Fix is the only tech IPO led by a woman.

Source: ,

"I want her to have a huge positive outcome because it does something really important for female entrepreneurs and, specifically, founder-CEOs," Jennifer Hyman, the CEO and cofounder of Rent the Runway, told Recode on Thursday. "I want her to have this success because we work in an industry where pattern recognition is still the name of game."

Source:

Lake previously told Inc that she strived to build a forward-thinking company. "I wanted to work at whatever company was going to be the future of retail," she said.
Incentivizing developers to build voice apps for Googles platform is crucial to staying competitive in the burgeoning voice assistant market. That's because the more voice apps out there, the more useful the voice platform can potentially be for consumers. And more voice apps across a wider variety of tasks can make a voice assistant more appealing than rival voice platforms. Currently, Amazons Alexa is leading the nascent voice assistant space  As of October, it had 25,000 skills compared with Googles 724. But these new features and capabilities could be key in helping Google expand its footprint in the voice assistant arena.
After practically every movie studio in Hollywood tried to get his attention, Quentin Tarantino has decided where he will release his ninth feature.

Sony will be the home for the legendary writer-director's upcoming movie that's set in late 1960s Los Angeles.

Deadline reported the deal Friday, and Sony has confirmed the deal to Business Insider.

Though the director says it's not centered around Charles Manson, it seems it will touch on the Manson Family, and Tarantino is eyeing Margot Robbie to play starlet Sharon Tate, who was murdered by Manson's followers.

Other actor names floating around for the project include Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Outside of Disney, which reportedly wasn't interested, numerous studios and distributors tried to woo Tarantino, according to Deadline  from Fox, Universal, and Warner Bros. to Lionsgate and Annapurna. It seems Tarantino was impressed with Sony head Tom Rothman's film knowledge, according to Deadline. Tarantino is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of all things movies.

Sony is only the second company Tarantino has ever worked with to release his films in his career.

Before this Tarantino, worked exclusively with Harvey and Bob Weinstein at Miramax and then The Weinstein Company. Miramax found its footing in the business after releasing Tarantino's second feature, "Reservoir Dogs" (Tarantino's debut, "My Best Friend's Birthday," never got a theatrical release), and then his follow-up, the mega-hit "Pulp Fiction." From then on Miramax was known as The House Quentin Built. When the brothers left Miramax and started The Weinstein Company in 2005, Tarantino followed and made more critically acclaimed movies like "Kill Bill" and "The Hateful Eight."

However, following the bombshell story of Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual harassment and assault of women over decades, Harvey has fled the business and it's unknown if The Weinstein Company will survive.

Tarantino hopes to begin production on his yet untitled movie in Los Angeles by mid-2018, for a 2019 release.

Here's the memo sent to Sony employees on Friday:
If you spend any time on Twitter and follow any media industry people, you'll often come away dizzy and fairly certain that every media company is buying everyone.

It started a year ago when AT&T announced it had reached an agreement to buy Time Warner. Things really turned upside down when 21st Century Fox  just three years after trying to buy Time Warner  signaled it wanted to sell some assets to Disney.

Confused yet?

The media industry used to be primarily about content, distribution, and advertising. Now the emergence of deep-pocketed tech giants has changed everything. People are streaming, ditching cable, avoiding live TV, and watching shows on mobile.

"The one takeaway is that the media industry is facing real pressure," said Rich Greenfield, a media and tech analyst for BTIG. "You've got cord cutting, ads moving to mobile, etc. None of these companies have been prepared for that."

So all these media machinations are about power and control. These giants want to make as much money as possible, position themselves for the future, and prevent rivals from getting into their territory.

"What we've noticed is where there's big change there's often a lot of M&A," said Terry Kawaja, the founder and CEO of the M&A advisory firm Luma Partners. "In this case, it's motivated by fear, not greed."

"In the pre-web video era, it was all the same for decades. Content was king  distribution was queen," said Toby Chapman, an associate partner at the strategy consulting firm OC&C. "Then, suddenly people are talking about, is content king anymore? In a platform world, is it the relationship with consumer? Or is it the pipes?"

Those questions get at the heart of why everyone in media seems to be rethinking who their friends and enemies are.

Is content still king?

Is distribution where the true power lies?

Is having a direct relationship with the consumer the winning strategy?

Amazon

favorite brands

Netflix

Or is it all about the browser or the interface?

Google

Facebook

Or do you need to have everything?

"No matter how big you are, tech and user behavior throws it all off," said Elgin Thompson, the managing director at Digital Capital Advisors. "Unless you are the full ecosystem, you're not an emperor. These companies want to be so big they can create their own weather."

It seems that, suddenly, Fox has many suitors interested in some of its assets (it's not selling its Fox network or Fox News or Fox Sports). Why?

You may recall, Disney is planning to take on Netflix with its own streaming service, and it may want to own as much content as possible, so Fox could be a big help.

Disney already owns Marvel, "Star Wars," and Pixar. Theoretically, if it gets Fox's content and other TV companies start starving Netflix of their shows, Netflix would have fewer people signing on to binge "Breaking Bad" and would have to live and die on its own shows.

"A lot of people would look at them and say, they've stood alone in that space," Chapman of OC&C said. "But they may suddenly have very credible competitors. And you've also got so many channels who've never been good friends with Netflix."

Netflix, of course, plans to spend $8 billion on content next year. So don't count it out of anything.

The Verizon playbook

At the same time, Verizon is interested in Fox as well, according to The Wall Street Journal. What is it doing?

Like AT&T, all of the wireless giants need to get into new revenue streams, since pretty much everyone in the US who wants a cellphone has one and they keep switching to get better deals.

Verizon has acquired AOL and Yahoo in recent years to challenge Facebook and Google, which remains a brutal task. But it has a very limited footprint in TV, other than through its fiber-optic Fios service. This gets it in the TV game, theoretically.

What about Comcast?

What about Comcast? Many see this cable company as being in great shape, given that it has such a complete set of assets: NBCUniversal (TV networks, and a studio) and the largest pay-TV service in the US. Buying some of Fox could help strengthen it against competitors. One very appealing asset: Sky, which is sort of like Comcast or DirecTV in the UK.

Yet Greenfield of BTIG believes Comcast may have to sell NBCUniversal if it wants to make any more big moves, given the Trump administration's objections to the AT&T-Time Warner deal.

Millions of people still have cable. A lot of money can still be wrung out of that business over the next few years  and it may even have some untapped potential.

For example, Comcast theoretically knows what you watch and what you do on the web. It could tie that together with data for advertisers and programmers, for example.

And don't forget that even if you cut the cable cord, you're likely to keep the broadband one. Cable TV companies are essentially broadband companies. And that business isn't going away quickly. The company that delivers broadband to your home could always charge cord cutters more. And if net neutrality goes away, they could also charge some companies like Netflix a toll to reach consumers.

A big limit to cable companies' power is that are inherently regional. You can't get Comcast in New York, for example. No one has been able to roll up all these cable companies into a national play. At least not yet.

Still, these companies have the most to lose in an "over the top" TV future. As Kawaja of Luma Partners explained it, a company like CBS is happy to deliver its network to new distributors like Sling TV or YouTube TV. Even if people cut the cord for so-called skinny bundles or they just pay for CBS All Access to get the new "Star Trek," CBS makes money.

But recent earnings reports show both Comcast and DirecTV losing subscribers faster. "Now everyone is saying, oh shit, it's on," Kawaja said. "Cord cutting is suddenly not a college-graduate thing. It's accelerating faster. And the distribution people have the most urgency to move. An OTT world messes with their bundle first and foremost."

Charter Communications: Charter Communication is another big regional pay-TV provider (it is the company that bought Time Warner Cable a few years ago). According to the New York Post, Charter has considered buying the cable TV company Cox Communications or even selling itself to SoftBank.

(By the way, watch SoftBank in this area. It has lots of money. It is the Iron Bank in this scenario.)

Liberty Media: Liberty Media's chairman, John Malone, told CNBC that the company had received four acquisition overtures recently.

Malone is a legendary media-industry investor who is worth billions. And the chairman of Liberty Media could make a big move at any moment. Liberty Media has stakes in SiriusXM, Formula One Racing, and the Atlanta Braves. Malone also has a big stake in Discovery Communications.

Altice: What's an Altice again? Ad-tech nerds know it as the company that bought the web video company Teads last year. It acquired Cablevision a few years ago. Now, the stock is tanking, and it could be looking for a savior.

Viacom and Discover/Scripps: These cable programmers used to be among the power players in the TV industry. Now they're suddenly vulnerable. Do they need to find buyers? Greenfield argues that Viacom needs to reunite with CBS (the two companies split a decade ago) "yesterday."

What about selling to someone like Google or Facebook, each of whom wants to get into premium content in a big way (and TV advertising). Greenfield says no way. "Tech companies can build  they don't need to buy," he said. "Nothing has changed my thinking on that."

A good example is Amazon agreeing to make an original series centered on "Lord of the Rings." You don't have to own a studio or a network to do content, if you can spend a lot of money.

Amazon: It's coming for every industry, so it seems. The billionaire media mogul Malone earlier this week called it "the Death Star," CNBC reported. Though in this case, the White Walkers may be a better analogy, since few know what Amazon really wants to do.

Dave Morgan, the CEO of the data-centric TV ad company Simulmedia, sees a flurry of activity.

"Charter could combine with Discovery/Scripps," he said. "Or they could do a deal with Sprint or T-Mobile, since they each will need a scaled partner. Comcast will talk to one or both of those wireless companies. As will Dish."

Morgan also predicted that Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google could become sudden buyers. In particular, he predicts Netflix could buy a studio to hedge against Disney. "I think that they will have to, and may want a network for its ability to help them market their programming and maximize its monetization."

Trump and his team are the great unknown. Few thought the AT&T-Time Warner deal was in trouble. Now it seems headed for a court battle.
Recently, the Men of God, along with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) urged the Federal Government to remove itself from all international Islamic organisations.

Daily Post reports that Professor Ishaq Akintola, the MURIC Director, has reacted to this demand with a statement.

It reads, CAN is hallucinating. It is laughable, untenable, kindergarten and quixotic. This is reminiscent of the eponymous hero of Don Quixote de la mancha. CAN is manifesting symptoms of orubebemantis.

MURIC warns the National Assembly (NASS) to ignore CANs call for its intervention. An anti-Muslim National Assembly will shoot itself in the foot sooner than later. Nonetheless, should the NASS show any interest in CANs demand, it should beam its floodlight on all Western-oriented international organizations like the United Nations (UN) as they have always been used as tools in the hands of Western crusaders while their religious bias is always hidden.

MURIC therefore accepts CANs demands with the proviso that: Nigeria should withdraw from all Western-oriented international organizations like the UN and WHO;

National Assembly should study Nigerian work-free days with a view to dropping the religious ones like Sunday and Saturday (Saturday is also used by the Seventh Day Adventists) and;

Nigeria should also drop all Christian landmarks like the cross as a sign in hospitals, academic gowns in tertiary institutions, wigs and gowns used by lawyers and judges, etc.

The leaders of CAN have consistently displayed lack of readiness to coexist with Nigerian Muslims. They want the country only for themselves alone. They have refused to listen to the voice of reason. The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, himself a pastor, told CAN that the allegation of Islamisation is an illusion. CAN refused to listen. Femi Falana asked CAN to Christianise Nigeria instead of alleging Islamisation every day but CAN will not listen."

Who says Nigeria is not Christianised? What system have we been forced to use since the advent of the colonial master to date? What is the religion of our colonial master whose system we have adopted hook, line and sinker? Why are Muslims being forced to write examinations during Jumat service on Fridays?

Why are Muslims at the mercy of their employers every Friday? Is it not because Friday is not a work-free day like Sunday? Muslims have been tolerating all these for so long. Let us start working on Sundays and Fridays for a change and see if CAN will find it funny.

The MURIC president ended up by calling for a religion-free Nigeria saying, In conclusion, MURIC calls for a Nigeria that does not lean towards any religion in any aspect of its life. Enough of this hypocrisy. Those who Christianised Nigeria are the ones shouting the loudest about Islamisation. It is time for CAN to have a taste of its own pudding.
Dubai played host to a number of artists on November 16, 2017, for the One Africa Music Festival. Davido and Wizkid were both performers at the event.

According to Instablog9ja, a fight erupted among the members of both stars. It was also reported that Wizkid was assaulted by one of the members of Davido's crew.

The renewed beef between these pop stars surfaced recently after the just concluded AFRIMA and MTV EMAs where both stars took home accolades.

Well, Davido started by shading Wizkid over his wins at the AFRIMA. In an Instagram story post, Davido called AFRIMA fake.

Wizkid took to Twitter where he put up a smiley of a frog and splash of water which we can all recall is a Davido diss.
The group made this known at a press conference where it said it was delighted with the recent Global Terrorism Index [GTI] report which emphasized the gains made by the current administration in the global fight against terrorism.

In a statement by the President of NDMG, Dr. Ibukun Ola, the body said the current rating which showed great improvement in the fight against terrorism will go a long way to improve Nigerias economy as the impact of terrorism had greatly contributed negatively on the nations economy.

Dr. Ola added it will also enhance the free movement of Nigeria nationals to live and carry out useful endeavours across the world unperturbed.

According to the President, it is evident that the gains being made by the Nigeria, especially the sacrifices by the military, is being recognized at the global level.

He explained that the success of operations such as 'Python Dance', 'Scorpion Stings', 'Lafiya Dole', and 'Crocodile Smiles' played critical roles in the recent ranking

Dr. Ola, while commending the service chiefs for their effort in surmounting terrorists unlike their predecessors, have not disappointed but have lived up to expectations by taking the fight to enemy territories rather than issuing orders from the comfort of their offices in Abuja.

Part of the statement reads:

"Two things that the President did which are worthy of a special mention, was the order to the North-East zone and the relocation of the service chiefs to those areas.

This has added verve and seriousness to the fight and boosted the morale of the soldiers on the field.

We note particularity the report by the Global Terrorism Index and that of the BBC on the development which has confirmed Nigeria's contribution to winning the war against global terrorism and other crimes against humanity.

The number of terrorism-related deaths around the world fell according to the report for a second year in 2016, showing that the biggest drop was recorded in Nigeria where there has been an 80% reduction.

Those residents in the North-Eastern parts of Nigeria, as well as other areas, will confirm the relationship between these reports and what is currently obtainable in terms of the reduction in such activities.

Apart from pockets of largely unsuccessful attempts at soft targets, several Nigerian cities hitherto groaning under terror are beginning to forget what the sound of bombs and armed attacks feels like, while life has returned to normal in many former war-ravaged areas."

The NDMG President further said that in just about two and a half years, the current administration in Nigeria has been able to penetrate the fortresses of the Boko Haram terrorists, cut their supply of arms and ammunition, arrest their kingpins, take unrepentant ones out and drive the few that are remaining to the bushes.

"These are by no means incidental but results of meticulously designed and worked-out templates borne out of experience in intelligence and strategy that culminated in the appointments of tested generals who could key into the programme leading to the formulation of the military interventions across the nation.
The Port Harcourt, Rivers State-based Glo who says she is a massage therapist, took to her Facebook page to declare that communicating with ghosts every day helps her in her job and that she gets instructions from them on how to go about her business.

According to her, different ghosts appear to her to guide her daily and even tell her which of her customer is evil and should be avoided or not to go to their houses for home service.

Glo who says she is a born-again Christian, added that she gets a ghost every day who would act as her guide for the day and give her maximum protection.

She added that Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God [RCCG] and Pastor William Kumuyi, the General Overseer of the Deeper Christian Life Ministries also see ghosts in form of angels while preaching.

She began by saying:

"When I hear people say Ghosts don't exist, I just laugh bcoz I have seen & communicated with Ghosts many times."

Trust Nigerians as they bombarded her posts and made many comments with some believing and supporting her while others said she was only hallucinating and that there are no ghosts.
Well, in 2017 there has been a coup so lets break it down for you.

ALSO READ: Zimbabweans face uncertainty now that Mugabe is ou

A coup is the violent overthrow of a government- democratically elected or a military regime.

A coup is usually carried out by military forces but it is not uncommon for private forces to lead a coup.

The first coup in Nigeria was on January 15, 1966, when certain elements in the military kicked out the civilian government led by Nnamdi Azikwe.

It was a bloody coup which led to the death of many influential Nigerians such as Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Samuel Akintola and others.

There have been six successful coups in Nigeria and three unsuccessful ones. Most coups in Nigeria were bloodless popularly known as palace coups.

In a palace coup, the head of state or leader of the country agrees to step aside for the military forces. There is no violence in palace coups.

The last coup in Nigeria was on August 26, 1993, when General Sani Abacha overthrew the civilian government led by interim president Chief Ernest Shonekan.

When a coup fails, the leaders behind are normally killed. For example, Lieutenant Colonel Buka Saka Dimka was killed after his failed coup in 1976.

Major General MammanJiya Vatsa and Major Gideon Orkar were killed after the unsuccessful coups of 1990 and 1993 respectively.

When a coup is successful, the media and airports are shut down. To announce that a coup has been successful the leader of the coup or the spokesperson of the regime announces that there is a new government in power.

During and shortly after a successful coup armoured tanks and soldiers are seen on the streets of the capital to ensure that there isnt any resistance to the coup.

Over the turn of the millennium, coups have become less fashionable in Africa. Due to economic sanctions from the global community, Africa had to do away with military dictatorships for civilian governments.

The case of Zimbabwe is different. Even though the country before the coup ran a civilian government, Robert Mugabe had been in power since 1980. He is 93 years old and before the coup, he was the oldest leader in the world.

Even though coups are no longer in fashion, overthrowing Mugabes government was most likely the only option left.

The successful coup has put Zimbabwe in a dilemma though. Military governments are notorious for holding onto power for years and being corrupt.

This coup poses a new problem for Zimbabwe. Who will be the next leader? Also, it has pushed them back to the dark ages of military rulers.
Just like the wives of many dictators, Grace Mugabe had grown to be a political force who had the ambition to rule Zimbabwe after the demise of her husband Robert Mugabe.

The coup was a result of Mugabe firing his vice-president and replacing him with his wife. This unpopular move led to the military to take over the country.

Grace Mugabe is called Gucci Grace because of her extravagant and lavish lifestyle. In a country with serious economic problems, Grace Mugabe was known for spending large sums of money.

ALSO READ: Grace Mugabe held at The Blue Roof

In 2012, it was claimed that she spent 120,000 in many expensive stories in Europe. When she was confronted with spending so much, she denied it. "The only thing Ive bought in Harrods is almond nuts because I eat lots of almond nuts. I want to eat healthily I go out and they say shes bought clothes with a million pounds" she said in an interview in 2013.

Grace Mugabe also built a huge palace for herself in Zimbabwe. When there was much public outcry over this, she claimed she got the money to build the palace from her salary as a presidential secretary years ago.

Apart from spending lavishly Gucci Grace is known for her infamous temper. The former first lady of Zimbabwe is wanted in South Africa for allegedly assaulting a 20-year-old model for hanging out with her sons.

According to reports, Grace lost her temper, grabbed an extension cord and beat the model.

"I might have a small fist but when it comes to fighting I will put stones inside to enlarge it. Do not doubt my capabilities" she reportedly said a few years ago.

Grace Mugabe married Robert Mugabe in 1992. Prior to their marriage, she was Mugabe's secretary. The two were both married when they started seeing during office hours.

It was said that Mugabe's first wife gave her his blessings because she was terminally ill. As for Grace's husband, he didn't put up much of a fight when his wife left him for the dictator.
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!
It would be recalled that no fewer than 13 persons were killed and another 22 wounded in the early morning mayhem on worshippers.

The suspects arraigned were Chinedu Akpunonu (44), Vincent Ike (57), Chukwudi Ugwu (30) and Onyebuchi Mbanefo (46), while three other suspects are still at large.

The suspects were arraigned on 37-count charge bordering on conspiracy and murder.

A South African -based businessman, Aloysius Ikegwuonu, whose father was killed in the attack, the Parish Priest of St Philips Catholic Church, Rev Fr Jude Onwuaso and six others were listed as witnesses in the matter.

Charges against them read in part, That you Great Chinedu Akpunonu, .M. Vincent Ike .M. Chukwudi Ugwu .M. others now at large on or about 6th day of August 2017 at St Philip Catholic Church Amakwa Ozubulu at about 0600hrs in the Ekwusigo Magisterial District did conspire to commit felony to wit: Murder.

You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 494 of the Criminal Code Cap 36 vol. II revised laws of Anambra state of Nigeria 1991.

That you, Great Chinedu Akpunonu m, Vincent Ike m, Chukwudi Ugwu m and others now at large on the same date, place, time and within the aforementioned magisterial District did unlawfully kill one Anthoni Ufondu f by shooting her with a gun which caused her death.

You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 274(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 36 vol. H revised paws of Anambra state of Nigeria 1991.

That you Great Chinedu Akpunonu m, Vincent Ike m, Chukwudi Ugwu m others now at large on the same date, place, time and within the aforementioned magisterial District did unlawfully kill one Anurika Obunadike f by shooting her with a gun which caused her death.

You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 274(1) of the Crnal Code Cap 36 vol. H revised laws of Arian-144ra state of Nigeria 1991."

ALSO READ: Gang war blamed for Ozubulu church massacre

Mr Okechukwu Ikenna counsel to the first defendant (Akunononu), sought the leave of the court for medical treatment of his client who he said was seriously ill.

The prosecuting counsel, B.A Onwuemekaghi opposed the application , saying such plea should come by writing and not oral.

Application for bail for second, third and fourth defendants also failed as the magistrate, C.O Ezenwanne refused to grant the request.
Jonathan made the call on Thursday in Onitsha at the grand finale campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Anambra, Mr Oseloka Obaze ahead of Saturday election.

The former president said democracy was not about conducting elections only but seeing that elections are free and fair.

We must collectively defend democracy in the country because no matter what you are, until you are able to elect your leader peacefully, the international community will not take you as developed society.

Where elections are manipulated, there is no election.

We use this opportunity to mobilise all Nigerians, especially the people of the state to stand firm for democracy and to do everything to protect democracy, Jonathan said.

He commended the people of South-East geo-political zone for the support given to him while in office, saying I got more support from the South-East than I got from the South-South where I come from.

Jonathan, who noted that Anambra had remained a PDP state from the beginning of democracy in 1999 till date, said 80 per cent of the people were still member of the party.

Besides the pioneer role played by Dr Alex Ekwueme and other founding fathers from the state, the other population is clearly PDP or friends of PDP.

Even though, some have left for one reason or the other, their spirits are still with the party.

He said a PDP government, headed by Obaze, will bring development to the state and ensure that businesses and enterprises flourish.

He stressed that the political history of the country was changing gradually and therefore, required that only best candidates are elected to represent the interest of the people at home and Abuja.

According to him, Nigerians no longer want the situation where the Igbos will complain about marginalisation.

This will depend on the people we send there as governors and members of the National Assembly, he added.

Jonathan described Obaze as the best candidate, who has all the connections in the world to develop the state, encourage the youth and create enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

He urged the party faithful and people to turn out en mass and vote the PDP and Obaze at the Saturday governorship election in the state.

In a remark, Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti said even if Jonathan failed to construct any road while in office, his legacy on free and fair election will speak for him.

Fayose, who is also the chairman of PDP Governors Forum, recalled that Jonathans administration was fair to all, especially the South-East which had fair share of political appointments.

It is time to have a rethink. Anambra is a PDP state, he said, urging massive vote for the party on Saturday.

Also speaking, Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers reminded the people on the need to protect their votes and disallow rigging in any form by other political parties.

According to him, with liberty comes sacrifice, adding,  if you dont defend your votes, have yourself to blame.

In his speech, Obaze appealed to aggrieved members, who left the party to return and work for its victory.

While stating that good governance was all about service, he noted that he was in the contest to serve the people and make a difference.

ALSO READ: Goodluck Jonathan takes shot at President Buhari on Facebook

He pledged to use the resources of the state to serve the people, noting that the focus of his administration, if elected, would be human capital development.

We are going to vote 26 per cent of our budget to education. Only Sokoto and Kwara states have achieved that, Anambra state will be the third, he assured.

Others, who spoke at the occasion, included former governor of Anambra, Mr Peter Obi and the PDP deputy governorship candidate and daughter of Dr Alex Ekwueme, Mrs Chidi Onyemelukwe.
According to police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, 221 police officers are attached to Anambra Governor Obiano.

The 221 officers comprise an ADC, a CSO, one unit commander from 45 mobile police force (PMF) and an administration officer to administer the police personnel.

Others are 43 personnel of PMF, from 29 PMF and 54 PMF; 62 personnel of PMF from 45 PMF, 46 Personnel of special protection unit (SPU) and 66 personnel of conventional policemen.

Moshood justifies the number of police officers attached to Obiano with the following words: This is done to ensure optimum safety and protection of the Executive Governor of Anambra.

If this is what happens across the States, that means over 7,000 police officers are keeping watch over 36 men. Assuming that half that number are watching over Deputy Governors, lawmakers at the national assembly, the Senate President and Speaker of the House, parliamentarians at the State Assemblies, local government chairmen and Councillors.

How many police officers are attached to the President and his Vice at this rate?

We have a scenario where a chunk of police officers are watching over a fraction of the population, while the remaining 170 million Nigerians have been condemned to looking after themselves.

Its absurd and insane all at once.

ALSO READ: Rich man hires 36 policemen to bring down 17 houses in Lagos

Nigeria has a police to citizen ratio of 1:600far below what the United Nations recommends, because police personnel are carrying bags for politicians and Ogas all over the place instead.

The United Nations recommends one police officer for every 450 citizens. Nigeria has about 370,000 police officers and IGP Ibrahim Idris has been pleading for more police recruits to meet the demand.

According to Idris, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) requires about 155,000 personnel to adequately provide security for the country.

If we have a police deficit, why are 221 watching over one man?

ALSO READ: Nigerian Police ranked worst in the world

To attain the UN ratio requirement of one police officer to 400 citizens of a country, the Nigeria Police Force needs to recruit 155,000 to police Nigerian population of approximately 182 million, the IGP said.

Oh well, if most of the police personnel are assigned to Governors and the political ruling class, it is little wonder we are where we are.

I know of no other nation on earth where 221 police personnel are attached to a Governor.

One Governor, fam!
Although the cause of his death remained sketchy, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the late Onubogu, who was at home with his wife, was said to have received a phone call in the afternoon on Nov. 12.

Sources said the deceased, thereafter, took his camera and left his home, located near the popular Aroma Junction in Awka but never returned.

His remains, now deposited at the Amaku Teaching Hospital, Awka, were reportedly discovered on Thursday by men of the Nigerian Police Force at Obosi, near Onitsha.

In a statement on Friday, Mr Uche Nworah, the Managing Director of ABS, described late Onubogu as a peace loving man that you would never expect that anybody would want to harm him.

The horrific death of our beloved and hardworking staff, Onubogu, has thrown the entire ABS family into mourning.

He was dedicated to his job and would do anything to capture images that will help viewers to make meaning of every developing story.

We will surely miss him. We cannot speculate at this time the circumstances leading to his death as the police is already working hard to unravel what happened.

Our thoughts remain with his family, particularly his wife, who recently gave birth, the statement said.

He said Onubogus death was a reminder of the dangers journalists face in Africa, in the course of discharging their professional responsibilities.

The managing director urged friends, colleagues and associates of late Onubogu to remember the family in their prayers, in their difficult time.

Confirming the incident, the state Police/Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Nkeiru Nwode, while commiserating with the family, assured the public that the police would uncover Onobogus killers.
The Area Controller of the zone, Usman Dakingari, disclosed this in Kaduna on Friday, November 17, 2017.

He said the vehicle had no end user certificate.

He said, "Once you import a bullet proof vehicle which is a security vehicle through the ports legally, you are expected to have and end user permit which shows that the vehicle will be used normally.

"An end user certificate is only issued by the NSA," Dakingari added.

The controller disclosed that the unit had also seized a trailer conveying illicit drugs along Lokoja expressway in Kogi, and another trailer conveying smuggled rice on Kano-Zari road.

He added that another vehicle containing bales of second hand clothes was also apprehended by the unit.

"The information about the contraband and illicit drugs was gotten from the service intelligence unit and concerned individuals.

"The seizures were made by roving patrol officers; we accosted the trailer conveying the illicit drugs along Lokoja expressway and our suspicion became right.

"We saw some cartons of tramadol and Viagra in the other trailer, but we have not yet verified the total number and the efficacy and production method of the enhancers", the Immigration official said.

The controller stated that the intercepted drugs would be handed over to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation.

ALSO READ: Senate elated at improvement in nations economy

On the seized rice, Dakingari said it was found covered by bags of beans in the seized trailer.

"We know the policy of the Federal Government concerning imported rice; government wants the country to be sufficient in local rice production.

"Yet the smugglers keep bringing in foreign rice, thereby sabotaging government efforts.

"We seized the vehicle with foreign rice packed in 100kg local bags with other 50kg empty foreign bags kept aside with the intent of re-bagging them on arrival", Dakingari said.
She released them on Thursday during Goal Delivery programme in the prison premises.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt reports that out of the 55, three were armed robbery suspects that had spent between 12 and 14 years in custody without trial.

One out of the 55 released persons was an under aged person, who spent about one year in custody, while one was released on bail.

Addressing the released persons at the end of the exercise, the CJ warned them to be of good behaviour or face the full wrath of the law if brought back to prison.

She advised the people to seek employment and engage in meaningful ventures, rather than involving in crimes.

Dont go back to crime. Dont come to Port Harcourt to constitute problems to innocent persons, she said.

NAN reports that about 90 per cent of the offences committed by the freed persons was stealing.

Most of them confessed to the crime and pleaded with the court to forgive them, and promised not to steal again."

Some of the freed inmates from the northern states said that they would leave Port Harcourt immediately they were set free and never to come back.

The CJ had in her opening remarks assured that she would not treat cases that were on-going in courts.

She said that she would collaborate with Rivers Attorney-General (AG) and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to release those Gov Nyesome Wike had earlier granted pardon.

Lamikara assured that she would conduct the Goal Delivery exercise more regularly.

76 released so far

NAN recalls that the CJ had on Nov. 14, released 21 awaiting trial inmates from Degema prison bringing the total of released persons to 76.

NAN also reports that Port Harcourt prison was built 100 years ago by the colonial government to house about 100 inmates, but today houses 1,106 inmates.
Osinbajo, who said this during the presentation of a book titled: Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigerias Peace and Prosperity, said the President refused to be paid his salary in full.

The VP said "Some things have not been included in the book and I might just supply some of that. One of such things is the exemplary frugality, the honesty and humility, and sense of humour of Mr. President.

That frugality can sometimes be a problem. As you know, Mr. President decided that since government provides accommodation, food and transportation for the President and the Vice-President, we didnt need a full salary.

Now, how much is this salary by the way? It is public knowledge and I think it is N1, 750,000.00 or so, which is under N2m. He said he would take only half of his salary and so I had no choice but also to take half of my own salary.

Unfortunately, Mr. President turned down my request, to give the other half to a worthy cause  his Vice-President. He didnt consider me a more worthy cause to give half of his salary!

"In a country where politicians sometimes want to be as wealthy as Dangote, it is refreshing to have a President who most people wont even dare to discuss any private benefit on a project with let alone a bribe or a kick-back.
THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

Mugabe resisting army pressure to quit

President Robert Mugabe is insisting he remains Zimbabwes only legitimate ruler, an intelligence source said on Thursday.

Nigerians are still suffering, Tinubu tells President Buhari

The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to do more to improve the lot of citizens. Tinubu gave the advice yesterday while unveiling a book, Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigerias Peace and Prosperity, at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Reject irresponsible leadership, Ezekwesili, others urge Africans

Fomer World Bank Vice President, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, and other speakers yesterday called for an end to inept leadership in Africa.They made the disclosure during the Fifth Anniversary Lecture of Realnews Magazine held at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja.

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VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

Why Intels sister firms lost work visas  FG

Contrary to insinuations that the Federal Government cancelled the work permits of expatriate workers of Intels and its affiliates, government, yesterday, provided evidence to prove that the action had no political undertones.

Buhari vows to press on with anti-graft war

Amid an outpouring of commendations on his strides in office, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, vowed to press ahead with the war against corruption, warning that anyone who steals public funds would surely end in jail.

Watch your debt, IMF warns FG

The growing debt profile of the Federal Government could be worse and needs to be carefully managed, the International Monetary Fund, IMF, has said.

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THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Nine killed as train hits truck in Lagos, vehicles crash in Ogun

No fewer than nine persons lost their lives on Thursday to a road accident at the Kara end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, and a train crash in the Fagba area of Lagos State.

Police brutalise displaced Otodo Gbame protesters, arrest 158

There was pandemonium in the early hours of Thursday at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, as displaced residents of Otodo Gbame, a slum in the Lekki area of Lagos State, were allegedly attacked by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command.

93-year-old Mugabe resists military pressure to resign

The Zimbabweans President, Robert Mugabe, has refused to resign after a military coup, insisting that he remains the only legitimate ruler of the country.

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BUSINESSDAY NEWSPAPER

The battle for Anambras hot seat  a 3-horse race

Who leads Anambra in the next four years? This will be decided on November 18 when the next Chief Executive Officer or governor of one of Nigerias best run states is decided by the people of Anambra, which is one of the most commercial states in the country.

Value of Nigeria M&A deals to hit $4 billion in 2018

Deal making in Africas biggest economy will stage a comeback in 2018 and 2019, according to Chicago-based multinational law firm, Baker McKenzie, as curtains draw on a period of policy uncertainty which saw Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) shrink since 2016.

Banks asset growth slows on lower deposit mobilisation
According to a report by the BBC, the president, who has been under house arrest for days, was seen at a graduation ceremony at Harare's Open University on Friday, November 17, 2017.

After arriving at the ceremony wearing a blue and yellow academic gown and cap, the president was welcomed with cheers from the crowd and joined in the singing of Zimbabwe's national anthem, before he announced the opening of the graduation ceremony, and the crowd applauded.

The 93-year-old's appearance is said to be an annual tradition, as the president continues to face intense pressure from the military and the public to step down after ruling for 37 years.

The military eased concerns of a coup earlier on Friday, assuring the public that it is holding peace talks with Mugabe.
The National Chairman of IPAC, Mr Muhammad Nalado made the call when he led members of the group in a voter education and sensitization/public rally in Awka on Thursday.

Nalado said massive participation of the electorate in any election was an indicator that the exercise was a success.

Since we came to Awka, we have noticed very clam atmosphere and we expect the people to keep this on throughout the period of the election, he said.

Nalado said that members of IPAC, made up of all chairmen and secretaries of registered political parties in Nigeria, came to Anambra to encourage the people on the need to do the needful during Saturday election.

In recent times, IPAC has carried out this same activity in Bayelsa, Ondo and now in Anambra during governorship election held in the areas. In Ondo and Bayelsa, the outcome of the elections had been adjudged to be peaceful with impressive participation.

It is for this same reason that we came to Anambra so as to encourage the people to enable us achieve the same result, he said.

He, therefore, urged Anambra people to come out with their voters cards and in their numbers and on time for accreditation on Saturday as well as vote peacefully.

Do not join in any malpractice, thuggery, and violence, let your votes count, let the wish of the voters prevail, do not allow political leaders to use you for violence.

Many of these leaders have their children schooling abroad, do not fall prey to their traps to be used for violence or malpractice in any form, he said.

ALSO READ: 7 things you should know about Anambra governorship election

Nalado said preliminary findings by the council shows that INEC has put all the mechanism including the card reader in place for the smooth conduct of the election and urged the people to have confidence in INEC.

The IPAC Chairman said he was impressed with the deployment of security personnel for the Nov.18 election, adding that people should not be afraid over the presence of security personnel during the exercise.
The group urged Atiku to seek the support of elder statesmen like former president Olusegun Obasanjo in his presidential bid.

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday, November 16, 2017, by the group's coordinator, Abiodun Emmanuel.

Emmanuel said Atiku may not be able to secure PDPs ticket if he does not participate in the December convention of the party.

The statement said, "We want the former vice-president to return to the PDP as soon as possible so that he can participate in the December convention.

"He should be part of the PDP rebirth, this will avail him a better chance to compete during the partys primary, ahead of the 2019

"We are ready to mobilise Nigerian youths in support of Atiku, come 2019 elections. Nigerian youths are confident that only the former vice-president is competent and experienced enough to lead Nigeria to economic prosperity."

Atiku has not made his presidential ambition public but there are strong indications that the ex-VP may be running for the presidency in 2019, and his chances are better if he runs on the PDP platform.

ALSO READ: 7 politicians Atiku could settle for as VP
Washington hit out after Cambodia's Supreme Court -- effectively controlled by strongman premier Hun Sen -- outlawed the Cambodia National Rescue Party and banned more than 100 of its politicians in a ruling blasted by a rights groups as the "death" of the nation's democracy.

The European Union echoed Washington's concerns over a move that means Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party can now run in next year's polls essentially uncontested.

The verdict is the culmination of a methodical strangling of dissent in Cambodia that began after the CNRP nearly unseated Hun Sen -- who has ruled for 32 years -- in the last national election in 2013.

A government clampdown has ratcheted up in recent months, with CNRP president Kem Sokha thrown into jail and charged with treason in September.

The United States blasted Thursday's ruling as a setback for democracy in Cambodia.

Phnom Penh must "undo its recent actions against the CNRP, release imprisoned CNRP leader Kem Sokha, and allow opposition parties, civil society and the media to maintain their legitimate activities", the White House said Thursday.

It added that it would pull support for Cambodia's National Election Committee ahead of next year's vote.

"On current course next year's election will not be legitimate, free, or fair," the statement said.

'Not legitimate'

Washington joined the European Union in condemning the decision, which follows a months-long crackdown on dissent in the country with media outlets shuttered, journalists jailed and activists harassed.

The EU warned Thursday that next year's elections are stripped of credibility with the CNRP now pulled from the race.

"An electoral process from which the main opposition party has been arbitrarily excluded is not legitimate," said a statement.

"A situation in which all parties, including the CNRP, their leaders and their supporters are able to carry out freely their legitimate functions, must be swiftly restored," it added, saying "respect of fundamental human rights" is a prerequisite Cambodia's duty free access to the bloc's markets.

The CNRP said Thursday it "still considers itself to be a legitimate party with a mandate from half of the Cambodian population," though more than half its 55 lawmakers have fled the country in the midst of the crackdown.

The ruling was widely expected from a court closely aligned with Hun Sen's CPP party.

The CNRP was accused of a US-backed plot to overthrow the government -- allegations that were rejected by the US.

Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge defector, has vowed next year's elections would go ahead as scheduled.

The premier has a long history of undercutting his rivals through well-timed crackdowns and dubious court cases.

But observers say the current climate of repression is harsher and longer lasting than previous clampdowns, with Hun Sen forgoing even the pretence of respecting human rights and a free press.

In addition to assaults against the CNRP, his government has in recent months shut down a series of outspoken NGOs and independent news outlets -- including the respected Cambodia Daily.

This week, two former reporters from the US-based Radio Free Asia were arrested and accused of supplying a foreign state with information that threatens national security.
A spokeswoman for the business association of Passeig de Gracia -- one of Barcelona's main thoroughfares -- told AFP that the drop was "between 20 percent and 30 percent" in October compared to the same month a year earlier.

Nearly 2,500 business have moved their headquarters to elsewhere in Spain since the region went ahead with a banned referendum on independence on October 1.

Big protests following that vote and the decision of the regional parliament to declare secession on October 27 are thought to have dented visitor confidence.

But Barcelona was also the scene of a deadly van attack on its famous Las Ramblas boulevard in August, which was claimed by the Islamic State group.

The Gremi Hotels Barcelona group, which represents around 400 establishments across the city, reported a dip in revenues of 13 percent in October and said it expects November to be "similar".

It called in a statement for authorities to take steps to "regain the confidence" of visitors.

Around 40 percent of small- and medium-sized business owners reported seeing a "strong or very strong" fall in sales last month, according to a poll by one union.

Of those, 60 percent said the political crisis was to blame.
Madrid issued a European arrest warrant for Puigdemont and four of his former ministers after they fled to Brussels last month and ignored a summons to appear before a Spanish judge, claiming they would not get a fair trial.

Lawyers for the Catalan separatists said prosecutors had formally asked the judge to approve the warrant during a hearing behind closed doors in Brussels on Friday -- the first round in what could become a protracted courtroom battle.

"The prosecutors asked for the execution of the European arrest warrant" issued by Madrid, lawyer Christophe Marchand told reporters afterwards at the Palace of Justice in Brussels.

The proceedings were postponed until December 4, when the defence will put their case, a prosecutor's statement said.

"This decision was made to ensure that all parties involved can prepare and clarify their position regarding the execution of the European arrest warrants," the statement added.

But with both sides expected to appeal if the judge rules against them, the case could drag on for up to three months, according to the Belgian justice minister.

'I trust the legal process'

This could leave Puigdemont and his cadres still in Belgium when Catalonia goes to the polls on December 21 for an election ordered by Madrid to "restore normality" to the wealthy northeastern region.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who has taken a tough line throughout the Catalan secession crisis, said he respected Belgian justice and would follow whatever decision the court made.

"I trust the legal process and, above all, I respect and abide by its decisions," he said at an EU summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Lawyers for the five Catalans have said they plan to use European Union rights legislation to fight the extradition, arguing that the charges are politically motivated.

"We are going to ask the Belgian judge to respect fundamental EU rights,"Michele Hirsch, a lawyer for two of the ex-ministers, told AFP before Friday's hearing.

"The act of organising a referendum is not a matter for criminal law. It is clearly a political opinion that is being targeted, and the peaceful and democratic execution of a series of events linked to that opinion," she said.

Puigdemont's self-imposed exile is proving a headache for Belgium, whose fragile coalition government includes Flemish nationalists sympathetic to the Catalan cause.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel met Rajoy on the sidelines of the Gothenburg summit, though sources said they talked about "the future of the EU" and other issues -- not Catalonia.

On Thursday night Puigdemont had dinner at the home of a politician from the Flemish separatist N-VA party.

The hearing is the latest act in Spain's biggest political crisis in decades, sparked by a banned October 1 referendum that the Catalan parliament then used as a mandate to declare independence.

Madrid in response dissolved the regional assembly and dismissed the Catalan executive, and eight former ministers are behind bars in Spain on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds.

'Democracy will prevail'

The five who fled to Brussels went to a Belgian police station on November 5 to answer the warrant and were freed that evening after hours of questioning, on condition that they not leave Belgium.

Under Belgian law a decision on a European arrest warrant -- brought in by the EU to speed up the once-lengthy extradition process in the bloc -- should be made within 60 days.

The case is being heard by a Dutch-speaking judge -- defendants in linguistically divided Belgium have the option to choose which language the judge hearing their case speaks, and the Catalans have won support from Dutch-speaking Flemish separatists in Belgium.

Puigdemont, 54, who still describes himself as Catalonia's "president", has been active in the media since arriving in Belgium, but his efforts to internationalise the crisis have fallen flat with EU leaders who have closed ranks behind Madrid.
The Lebanese premier and his family are due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday after allegations from Hariri's political rivals in Lebanon that he was essentially being held hostage by the Saudi authorities.

The announcement of the visit came after Hariri, 47, met French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh Thursday as Lebanon's former colonial power Paris tries to ease a crisis that has driven up tensions between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Hariri, a dual Saudi citizen, has been in Riyadh since his televised announcement there on November 4 that he was stepping down because he feared for his life, accusing Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his country.

The announcement -- which reportedly took even some of Hariri's closest aides by surprise -- and his subsequent failure to return home to quit officially in person, fuelled claims that he was acting under orders from his Saudi patrons.

Both Hariri and Riyadh have denied allegations he was being held against his will, with the Lebanese leader on Friday dismissing as "rumours" all speculation about his situation.

"My stay in the kingdom is aimed at conducting consultations on the future of Lebanon and its relations with its Arab neighbours," he wrote on Twitter.

Macron said he will host Hariri with the honours due to a prime minister when they meet at noon on Saturday, with his family set to join them later for lunch.

'Start of a solution'

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally who had accused Saudi Arabia of "detaining" Hariri and refused to accept his resignation from abroad, welcomed news of the trip to Paris.

"We hope that the crisis is over and Hariri's acceptance of the invitation to go to France is the start of a solution," he said Thursday on the official presidential Twitter account.

"If Mr. Hariri speaks from France, I would consider that he speaks freely, but his resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he will have to remain there until the formation of the new government," Aoun said later in a statement issued by his office.

There is no indication what Hariri plans to do after visiting Macron, but the French leader has insisted he would then be free to return to Lebanon to either formally resign or rethink his decision.

France's intervention was the latest in a string of European efforts to defuse tensions over Lebanon, where divisions between Sunni Hariri's bloc and Shiite Hezbollah have long been a focal point in a broader struggle between Riyadh and Tehran.

Hariri -- whose father, ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri, was killed in a 2005 car bombing blamed on Hezbollah -- became head of a shaky compromise government including the group last year.

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, from a rival bloc to Hariri's, on Friday during a visit to Moscow blasted unnamed groups for seeking to "dislodge the Lebanese head of state".

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir insisted from Madrid that "unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and by extension Iran".

In Washington, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani compared Saudi Arabia's political manoeuvering in Lebanon to its boycott of his country.

"Exactly what happened to Qatar six months ago is happening now to Lebanon," he told reporters.

In June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced they had severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting Islamist extremism and fostering close ties with Iran.

Regional clash

Hariri's resignation comes amid a sharp escalation in the long-standing rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as Riyadh undergoes a major shake-up under ambitious Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Riyadh and Tehran back opposing sides in the protracted wars in Yemen and Syria -- entangling them in a complex web of proxy conflicts.

Iran angrily lashed out at France's "biased" Middle East policies after Le Drian accused it of "hegemonic" ambitions in the region during his visit to Riyadh.

But Macron on Friday insisted that Paris wanted dialogue with Tehran.

Mutual suspicion of Iran also appears to have pushed US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel closer together, despite them having no official diplomatic ties.

In a rare interview with an Arabic-language outlet published Thursday, Israel's military chief Gadi Eisenkot said his country was prepared to share information with Saudi Arabia to counter Iran's plans "to control the Middle East".
The deadly attack, claimed by the Islamic State group in a brief message via its Amaq propaganda agency, was the latest to hit the Afghan capital, where insurgents have been stepping up assaults in a devastating show of force.

Supporters of Atta Mohammad Noor, the powerful governor of the northern province of Balkh and a vocal critic of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, had been holding an event inside a wedding hall at the time of the blast.

Noor was not at the gathering, one of his aides told AFP. Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack as a "criminal act".

The bomber tried to enter the building but was stopped at the security checkpoint where he detonated his device, Kabul police spokesman Abdul Basir Mujahid told AFP.

"A number of our police personnel are among the casualties," Mujahid said.

"As a result of today's suicide attack eight police and six civilians have been killed while a further 18 have been wounded."

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish had earlier put the death toll at nine, including seven policemen and two civilians.

"The bomber detonated himself after he was identified by the police at the entrance gate," Danish said.

'Chaos and panic'

"After lunch as we were exiting the hall a huge explosion shook the hall, shattering glass and causing chaos and panic," Harun Mutaref, who was at the gathering, told AFP.

"I saw many bodies including police and civilians lying in blood."

Mohammad Farhad Azimi, a member of parliament and supporter of Noor, said he saw "many casualties".

"Some of my bodyguards have been injured," he added.

An AFP photographer said the windows of the wedding hall had been shattered by the force of the blast and a vehicle parked outside was on fire.

Dozens of police and intelligence officers have swarmed the area and blocked access to the public.

Photos posted on Twitter purportedly from the attack showed multiple bodies of men lying on top of each other in a muddy street and in a drain, and people dragging away the wounded.

Noor, a senior leader of the Tajik-dominated Jamiat-e Islami party, has been an outspoken critic of Ghani and the National Unity Government.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Noor blamed an "evil circle" inside the government for the attack.

"Our fight against terrorists and terrorism and for justice will continue and such actions, the perpetrators of which are known, will not deter us," he said.

It is not the first time that top officials in the Jamiat political group have been targeted by attackers.

Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, who heads Jamiat, survived an attack at a funeral in Kabul in June where suicide bombers tore through a row of mourners. Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also escaped unharmed.

Political and ethnic rivalries have been intensifying ahead of next year's long-delayed district and parliamentary elections, which would pave the way for the 2019 presidential ballot.

Noor has previously hinted that he may run for the country's highest office.

On Wednesday Ghani -- who is a Pashtun, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan -- sacked the Independent Election Commission chief Najibullah Ahmadzai after technical and political bungling, fuelling speculation the vote will not go ahead.

That came after the recent firing of Education Minister Asadullah Hanafi Balkhi, who was considered a close ally of Noor, and one of Ghani's advisers Ahmadullah Alizai.

Noor has recently called for the return of Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord who fled to Turkey in May after he was accused of raping and torturing a political rival in 2016.
Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Madrid that the Shiite group was destabilising Lebanon by maintaining its arsenal and fighters in the Mediterranean nation.

"You cannnot have a militia with a military force that operates outside the scope of the government," he told reporters after talks with Spanish counterpart Alfonso Dastis.

"We see Hezbollah hijacking the Lebanese banking system to launder money, we see Hezbollah hijacking Lebanese ports in order to smuggle drugs, we see Hezbollah engaging in terrorist activities and interfering in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen," he added.

"Unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a (solely) political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and by extension Iran," he said.

"This is not acceptable to us and is not acceptable to the Lebanese."

Lebanon, long abused by regional powers seeking to exert influence, was plunged into uncertainty this month after Hariri's shock resignation, announced on television from Riyadh.

Hariri said he was stepping down because of Hezbollah and Iran's "grip" over his country.

The resignation -- which caught even some of Hariri's closest advisers off guard -- comes at a time of mounting tension between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are backing opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

His subsequent failure to return home to officially quit in person fuelled claims that he was acting under orders from his Saudi patrons.

But both Hariri and Riyadh have denied allegations he was being held against his will, with the Lebanese leader on Friday dismissing all speculation about his situation as "rumours".

"We are supportive of Prime Minister Saad Hariri but we are against Hezbollah's takeover of Lebanon," Jubeir said.
But analysts expect Song to address the nuclear standoff, which has roiled relations between the two Cold War-era allies as China has backed United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests and sixth nuclear blast.

Trump, who warned Xi during his trip to Beijing last week that time was "quickly running out" to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter on Thursday to hail the mission as "a big move, we'll see what happens!".

The US leader wants China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the reclusive regime.

But experts do not believe Song's visit will yield major breakthroughs.

"We can expect some face-saving, assuring but very general and abstract commitments with no substance changes in North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes," said Yuan Jingdong, a specialist in Asia-Pacific security issues at the University of Sydney.

The visit is "more about warning North Korea against going to extremes than forcing it to give up the nukes" because China's top priority remains maintaining regional stability, he said.

Song would likely "assure Kim that if he behaves within a reasonable bound he can expect Beijing to continue providing some assistance and resist broadening the sanctions," Yuan said.

China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enacting a series of UN measures that include bans on imports of coal, iron ore and seafood from the North.

But Beijing fears that squeezing Pyongyang too hard would cause its collapse.

Song will be the first Chinese envoy to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited.

'Tense situation'

China's relations with North Korea are currently at "the lowest point they've been in history," leaving the North diplomatically at its most isolated, said Lu Chao, director of the North Korea Research Centre at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

As a high-level diplomat, Song would likely meet directly with North Korea's top leaders, he said.

"As far as North Korea is concerned, China's opinion is still an important one and will certainly arouse their full attention," Lu said.

As nuclear tensions have soared Xi has pushed for negotiations and a "dual track approach" in which the United States would freeze its military drills in the region while North Korea halts its weapons programmes.

Trump claimed this week that Xi had agreed to drop his plan during their talks last week, but Beijing stood by its policy.
In his absence, there are mounting press reports in the United States that Zarrab may now be cooperating with US authorities in search of a plea bargain deal.

Previously held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the Bureau of Prisons database lists him has having been released on November 8.

He was "still in federal custody," a spokesman for the US prosecutors office told AFP.

"Keep your eyes on the docket," District Judge Richard Berman replied when the lawyer co-defendant Mehmet Akan Attila asked whether Zarrab would be at the trial.

The businessman's lawyer Ben Brafman, one of the most prominent defense attorneys in the United States, also declined to comment.

Zarrab's name surfaced last week in US media reports about US President Donald Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn.

Flynn, already a key person of interest in an investigation into Russian meddling in the US election, is also reportedly being investigated for alleged talks with Turkey on deporting Zarrab and a dissident Turkish cleric, in exchange for money.

Special prosecutor Robert Mueller is examining a meeting between Flynn and senior Turkish officials weeks after Trump won the presidential election, NBC News and the Wall Street Journal reported.

The meeting allegedly involved discussion of paying up to $15 million if Flynn could engineer the deportation to Turkey of Fethullah Gulen, a political rival to the Turkish president, as well as help free Zarrab from prison.

Turkey and Flynn's lawyers have denied any such negotiations.

Ankara accuses Gulen of being behind a failed 2016 coup aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, charges the cleric denies.

The Turkish foreign ministry said Wednesday it had asked the United States for information about Zarrab's whereabouts, and was waiting a response.
The money is being held in a frozen bank account in Britain, but sending the funds to Iran is complicated because of European Union and US sanctions on the country.

Separately, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has vowed to make every effort to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was imprisoned 19 months ago on charges of sedition.

"We don't see any link between these two issues," a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi also denied any link in comments to Iran's IRNA state news agency.

"The case of Mrs. Nazanin Zaghari and the repayment of this debt are two distinct issues and there is no connection between them," he said.

But The Daily Telegraph cited diplomats saying that repayment of the debt could speed up her release from jail.

The newspaper also quoted two senior government sources voicing concern that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was being held as "collateral" to get the money released.

The money is part of a payment of 650 million made by Iran in the 1970s to buy 1,500 Chieftain tanks from Britain and repair 250 more.

After the Shah was deposed in 1979, the deal was blocked and Britain kept the money.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian dual national who works for the Thomson Reuters Foundation -- the media organisation's philanthropic arm -- was arrested at the Tehran airport in April 2016.
The mobster, who turned 87 on Thursday, died in the prisoners' wing of a hospital in Parma in northern Italy just before 4am (0300 GMT), according to the country's main dailies and ANSA news agency.

The hospital would not immediately confirm his death.

Nicknamed "The Beast" because of his cruelty, Salvatore "Toto" Riina led a reign of terror for decades after taking control of the island's powerful organised crime group Cosa Nostra in the 1970s.

'No mercy'

The most high-profile murders he ordered were those in 1992 of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who had worked fearlessly to bring more than 300 mobsters to trial in 1987.

He also famously ordered the brutal murder of a 13-year old boy who was kidnapped in a bid to stop his father from spilling Mafia secrets. The boy was strangled and his body dissolved in acid.

"God have mercy on him, as we won't," an association for victims told the Fatto Quotidiano daily.

Riina's family had been given permission by Italy's health ministry Thursday for a rare visit to say goodbye.

"You're not Toto Riina to me, you're just my dad. And I wish you happy birthday dad on this sad but important day, I love you," one of his sons Salvatore wrote on Facebook.

The ageing gangster had asked in July to be released from prison on the grounds of serious illness -- a request that was denied after a court ruled the care he received behind bars was as good as he would get on the outside.

'No regrets'

Doctors said at the time that the former boss was "lucid". He was caught on a wiretap earlier this year saying he "regrets nothing... They'll never break me, even if they give me 3,000 years" in jail.

The son of a poor farmer, he was born on November 16, 1930 in Corleone, a village near Palermo that would become synonymous with the Mafia thanks to Francis Ford Coppola's popular Godfather film trilogy.

He lost his father and a brother young when they were blown up trying to extract gunpowder from an unexploded American bomb in 1943. By the time he was 19, he had killed his first victim.

He started off as a foot soldier to boss Luciano Leggio before moving up through the ranks, going on the run in 1969 but continuing to lead first the Corleone clan then the entire Mafia from hiding.

He would elude police efforts to snare him for almost a quarter of a century, without ever leaving Sicily.

Riina was slapped with multiple life sentences in absentia after a fellow mobster turned state witness.
China's foreign ministry on Wednesday announced President Xi Jinping's special envoy, Song Tao, will travel to Pyongyang this week to brief officials about last month's Chinese Communist Party congress and "other issues of mutual concern."

Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang did not say whether the nuclear issue would be discussed but he said China was "committed to the denuclearization of the peninsula, safeguarding peace and stability of the peninsula, and resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation."

Pressed for details Thursday, Geng re-affirmed the two nations' close ties in a statement that appeared to downplay the suggestion of a tough approach.

"China and DPRK (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) are close neighbors," he said.

"Developing friendly cooperation relations between the two countries serves the common interests of the two countries and is conducive to regional peace, stability and development," he added.

Trump has called on the region to take a united stance against the threat posed by isolated North Korea, which has sparked global alarm with its nuclear and missile tests in recent months.

China has backed a series of United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang and imposed banking restrictions on North Koreans, putting the Cold War-era allies at odds.

Song will be the first Chinese envoy to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited. Xi has never met Kim.
The European Union echoed Washington's concerns over the move which means Hun Sen's CPP party can now run in next year's polls essentially uncontested.

The verdict is the culmination of a methodical strangling of dissent in Cambodia that began after the CNRP nearly unseated Hun Sen -- who has ruled for 32 years -- in the last national election in 2013.

A government clampdown has ratcheted up in recent months, with CNRP president Kem Sokha thrown into jail and charged with treason in September.

The United States blasted Thursday's ruling as a setback for democracy in Cambodia, calling for the government to "undo its recent actions against the CNRP, release imprisoned CNRP leader Kem Sokha, and allow opposition parties, civil society and the media to maintain their legitimate activities," the White House said in a statement on Thursday in Washington.

It added that it would pull support for Cambodia's National Election Committee ahead of next years' vote.

"On current course next year's election will not be legitimate, free, or fair," the statement said.

'Not legitimate'

Washington joined the European Union in condemning the decision, which follows a months-long crackdown on dissent the country with media outlets shuttered, journalists jailed and activists harassed.

The EU warned Thursday that next year's elections are stripped of credibility with the CNRP now pulled from the race.

"An electoral process from which the main opposition party has been arbitrarily excluded is not legitimate," said a statement from a EU spokesperson.

"A situation in which all parties, including the CNRP, their leaders and their supporters are able to carry out freely their legitimate functions, must be swiftly restored," it added, saying "respect of fundamental human rights" is a prerequisite Cambodia's duty free access to the bloc's markets.

The CNRP said Thursday it "still considers itself to be a legitimate party with a mandate from half of the Cambodian population," though more than half its 55 lawmakers have fled the country in the midst of the crackdown.

The ruling was widely expected from a court closely aligned with Hun Sen's CPP party.

The CNRP was accused of a US-backed plot to overthrow the government in allegations which were ridiculed by the US and NGOs.

The former Khmer Rouge defector, who has staked his reputation on bringing stability and growth to Cambodia after decades of civil war, said Thursday next year's elections would be held as scheduled.

The premier has a long history of undercutting his rivals through well-timed crackdowns and dubious court cases.

But observers say the current climate of repression is harsher and longer-lasting than previous clampdowns, with Hun Sen foregoing even the pretense of respecting human rights and a free press.

In addition to assaults against the CNRP, his government has in recent months shut down a series of outspoken NGOs and independent news outlets -- including the respected Cambodia Daily.

This week, two former reporters from the US-based Radio Free Asia were arrested and accused of supplying a foreign state with information that threatens national security.
Ortega, 59, is a fugitive from Venezuela, having fled the South American country in August after a new loyalist assembly established by Maduro threw her out of office.

Standing in the rain outside the world's only permanent war crimes court after handing her dossier to the prosecutor's office, Ortega insisted Maduro and his government "must pay for the hunger, misery and hardship which the people of Venezuela are suffering".

She alleged police and military officials had killed some 1,767 people in 2015. Last year there were 4,677 such deaths, she says, with 1,846 killed up to June this year.

Her dossier included witness testimony, as well as interviews with experts and doctors, detailing allegations of "murder, torture, imprisonment as well as a systematic and generalised attack on the civilian population," she said.

Ortega said she had been collecting evidence of such crimes in her job as attorney general since 2015. She also denounced Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, and Justice Minister Nestor Reverol among other senior officials in her deposition.

There had also been more than "17,000 arbitrary detentions and hundreds of cases of torture," she alleged.

"We have been forced to turn to an international organisation, because there is no justice in Venezuela," she added.

Ortega was a fierce critic of Maduro from within his regime, and has continued to make allegations against him while in exile.

The Venezuelan government has been sharply criticised amid the political and economic crisis engulfing the country with the United States and EU imposing sanctions.

Venezuela has ratified the Rome Statute underpinning the ICC, which means in theory the chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, does have jurisdiction to investigate allegations of crimes against humanity there.

But since the court opened in 2002, the prosecutor's office has received about 10,000 requests from individuals, groups or countries to investigate alleged crimes.

This year alone, activists from Mexico, and the Philippines as well as the Palestinian territories have all sought to secure or broaden ICC probes.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  W. Andy Tao, a biochemistry professor in the College of Agriculture who discovered a method to detect and monitor breast cancer using a simple blood test and bladder cancer using a urine test, is the 2017 recipient of the Outstanding Commercialization Award for Purdue University faculty.

The award is given annually to a faculty member in recognition of outstanding contributions to, and success with, commercializing Purdue research discoveries. The award was established with an endowment gift from the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership Foundation.

I am truly honored by this award because Purdue University has so many faculty who have conducted outstanding and inspiring research and also made them available through commercialization, Tao said. Ive been fortunate to work with so many great scientists and entrepreneurs.

Tao, a member of the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, was named to the Purdue Innovators Hall of Fame during the 2012-13 school year for commercializing technologies for analyzing phosphoproteins, one important class of proteins involved in many diseases, in particular cancer. Earlier this year, Tao and his colleagues identified a method of detecting elevated levels of proteins in blood plasma that signify a patient has cancer. The process was used for detecting breast and bladder cancer.

Tymora Analytical Operations was founded by Tao and Anton Iliuk, his former Ph.D. student, in 2010. Initially, the company transferred several analytical techniques developed in the Tao lab at Purdue to commercialization. The company has now moved toward clinical diagnosis and is partnering with companies and academic units to search for phosphorylated proteins in detecting breast and bladder cancers and to use the same technique to detect other cancers.

Iliuk, Tymoras chief technology officer, praised the choice of Tao as the Outstanding Commercialization Award winner.

Dr. Taos vision and unique perspective on research and its outcomes has not only empowered his students and postdoctoral fellows, but also enabled direct translation of his research into tangible products, Iliuk said. His goals of disseminating the knowledge and data through technology commercialization and realization are inspiring and highly productive. Rather than following the very familiar path of data generation, Andy has been trying to identify the needs in cancer R&D and directly address them.

Tao, who joined the Purdue faculty in 2005, was named a Purdue University Faculty Scholar 2011-16; an Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy Scholar 2012-13; and a Bindley Bioscience Center Fellow in 2012-13. He holds more than a half-dozen patents and has written more than 120 articles, reviewers and book chapters.

Tao earned his doctorate from Purdue in 2001, where R. Graham Cooks was his adviser. Cooks, the Henry B. Hass Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, was the second commercialization award winner in 2005.

Cooks describes Tao as a renaissance scientist who succeeds at everything he tries.

He was unstoppable as a graduate student, blazing fast. Superb, they say, as a postdoc, and wont be stopped now. His efforts at commercialization are inspired. His efficiency is amazing. His running is so-so. Nice guy too.

Greg Deason, senior vice president of Purdue Research Foundation and a member of the selection committee, said the decision-making process was difficult.

Its exciting to see how the ideas of Purdue faculty are having impacts in the research of cancer, traumatic brain injury, medical implants, drug development, phenotyping, computer-based technologies and numerous other fields, said Deason, who also is director of innovation and commercialization for the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Discovery Park at Purdue. Dr. Tao has found a way to detect cancer at earlier stages that will not only save people the pain of invasive procedures, but also save them money. He also co-founded Tymora, a startup company that is enjoying its fifth year of profits. He is well-deserving of this award.

Purdue faculty and staff whose inventions were patented during the 2016-17 fiscal year are:

* Rakesh Agrawal, the Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* R. Claudio Aguilar, assistant head, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science; associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science.

* Muhammad Ashraful Alam, the Jai N. Gupta Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Daniel G. Aliaga, associate professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Science.

* Bruce Applegate, professor, Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture.

* Brooke Beier, former graduate student, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering. Current executive director, Office of Technology Commercialization.

* Dor Ben-Amotz, professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Science.

* Ernest R. Blatchley III, professor, Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Alexandra Boltasseva, professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Richard B. Borgens, retired as director, Institute for Applied Neurology, Center for Paralysis Research; Mari Hulman George Professor of Applied Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine; professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Charles A. Bouman, the Showalter Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Gregery T. Buzzard, head and professor, Department of Mathematics, College of Science.

* James Caruthers, the Gerald and Sarah Skidmore Professor of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Zhulong Chan, former visiting scholar, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, College of Agriculture. Current professor, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University.

* Srinivasan Chandrasekar, professor, School of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering; professor (by courtesy) Department of Materials Engineering, College of Engineering.

* William J. Chappell, former adjunct professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

*Ji-Xin Cheng, adjunct professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Jean Chmielewski, the Alice Watson Kramer Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, College of Science, and professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Paul Collodi, Professor Emeritus of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture.

* R. Graham Cooks, the Henry B. Hass Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, College of Science.

* Scott Crist, former assistant research professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine.

* Mark Cushman, Distinguished Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy.

* Mingji Dai, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Science.

* Brian Dilkes, associate professor, Department of Biochemistry, College of Agriculture.

* Patrick Eugster, adjunct associate professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Science.

* Kirk Foster, senior research engineer, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Suresh V. Garimella, executive vice president for research and partnerships at Purdue University, R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, and director of the National Science Foundation Cooling Technologies Research Center.

* Arun Ghosh, the Ian P. Rothwell Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, College of Science; Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy.

* Lori Groven, former research assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering. Current assistant professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

* Chang-Deng Hu, professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy.

* Y. Charlie Hu, professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Jessica E. Huber, interim associate vice provost for faculty affairs, co-director of the Center for Research on Brain, Behavior, and NeuroRehabilitation; professor, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences.

* Kyle E. Hultgren, director, Center for Medication Safety Advancement, clinical assistant professor (by courtesy) Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy.

* Pedro Irazoqui, director, Center for Implantable Devices; associate head and professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering; professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Jeanette L. Jensen, research associate, Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture.

* Qing Jiang, professor, Department of Nutrition Science, College of Health and Human Sciences.

* James T. Jones, former engineering resources manager, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering. Current research engineer/technologist, Cook Advanced Technologies.

* Byunghoo Jung, professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Kevin M. Keener, adjunct professor, Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture; professor (by courtesy), Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, College of Agriculture and College of Engineering.

* Hilkka I. Kenttamaa, the Frank Brown Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, College of Science.

* Scott Kepner, retired senior research engineer, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences.

* Robert Kramer, director, Energy Efficiency and Reliability Center; NiSource Charitable Foundation Professor of Energy and the Environment; professor, Department of Chemistry and Physics, College of Engineering and Science, Purdue University Northwest.

* Gary Krutz, professor emeritus, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, College of Agriculture.

* Michael Ladisch, director, Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering; Distinguished Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, College of Agriculture; Distinguished Professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Mark A. Lipton, associate professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Science.

* David Love, leader, Efficient Spectrum Usage Preeminent Team; professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Philip S. Low, Presidential Scholar in Drug Discovery; Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, College of Science.

* Bradley J. Lucier, professor emeritus, Department of Mathematics, College of Science; professor emeritus, Department of Computer Science, College of Science.

* Mark Lundstrom, the Don and Carol Scifres Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Eric Lynch, former senior technology manager in in the Office of Technology Commercialization. Current chief executive officer of Frontier Additive LLC.

* James B. Mann, former research engineer, Center for Materials Processing and Tribology, School of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering. Current assistant professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering, University of West Florida.

* Samuel P. Midkiff, professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Charilaos Mousoulis, senior research scientist, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Eric A. Nauman, director, College of Engineering Honors Program; professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering; professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering; professor (by courtesy), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine.

* Brittany Newell, assistant professor, School of Engineering Technology, Purdue Polytechnic Institute.

* Cristina Nita-Rotaru, adjunct professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Science. Current professor, Computer Science, Northeastern University.

* George Nnanna, director, Purdue University Northwest Water Institute; head, Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Purdue University Northwest; Francis and Elsie Meyer Professor, Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Purdue University Northwest; professor (by courtesy) School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* David Nolte, the Edward M. Purcell Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science.

* Zheng Ouyang, adjunct professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Alyssa Panitch, former Leslie A. Geddes Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering. Current Edward Teller Professor and chair, Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis.

* Kinam Park, the Showalter Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering; professor, Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy.

* Johnny Park, research assistant professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* John Patterson, professor emeritus, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture.

* Libbie Pelter, associate professor, Department of Chemistry and Physics, College of Engineering and Sciences, Purdue University Northwest.

* Dimitrios Peroulis, deputy director, Birck Nanotechnology Center; professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Voicu Popescu, associate professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Science.

* Minghao Qi, professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* P. Veeraraghavan Ramachandran, professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Science.

* Timothy L. Ratliff, Ph.D. the Robert Wallace Miller Director, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research; Distinguished Professor, Comparative Pathbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine.

* Shripad T. Revankar, director, Multiphase and Fuel Cell Research Labs; professor, School of Nuclear Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Jenna Rickus, associate vice provost for teaching and learning, professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, College of Agriculture; professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Victor Rodwell, professor emeritus, Department of Biochemistry, College of Agriculture.

* Kaushik Roy, the Edward G. Tiedemann Jr. Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Farshid Sadeghi, director of Mechanical Engineering Tribology Laboratory, Cummins Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Cagri A. Savran, professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering; professor (by courtesy), Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Michael E. Scharf, the O. Wayne Rollins/Orkin Endowed Chair in Urban Entomology, College of Agriculture.

* Mohamed Seleem, associate professor, microbiology, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine.

* Gregory Shaver, professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Riyi Shi, professor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine; professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Yung C. Shin, the Donald A. and Nancy G. Roach Professor of Advanced Manufacturing, School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Joseph Sinfield, director, College of Engineering Innovation and Leadership Studies Program; associate professor, Lyles School of Civil Engineering; College of Engineering.

* Alvin A. Solomon, professor emeritus, School of Nuclear Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Steven F. Son, professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Keith Stantz, associate professor, School of Health Sciences, College of Human and Health Services.

* Cynthia V. Stauffacher, associate head and professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science.

* Ronald Sterkenburg, professor, School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, Purdue Polytechnic Institute.

* Calvin N. Steussy Jr., research associate, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science.

* Rusi P. Taleyarkhan, professor, School of Nuclear Engineering, College of Engineering; professor (by courtesy), School of Health Sciences, College of Human and Health Services.

* Bernard Tao, professor, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, College of Agriculture and College of Engineering; professor (by courtesy) Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture; professor (by courtesy), Environmental and Ecological Engineering, College of Engineering.

* W. Andy Tao, professor, Department of Biochemistry, College of Agriculture; professor (by courtesy), Department of Chemistry, College of Science; professor (by courtesy), Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy.

* David H. Thompson, professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Science; professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Kevin Trumble, professor, School of Materials Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Mitchell Tuinstra, scientific director, Institute for Plant Sciences; professor and Wickersham Chair of Excellence in Agriculture, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture.

* Arvind Varma, the R. Games Slayter Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering.

*Juan Wachs, associate professor, School of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Alexander Wei, professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, professor (by courtesy), School of Materials Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Steven Wereley, professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Jonathan Wilker, professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Science.

* Mary J. Wirth, the W. Brooks Fortune Distinguished Professor, Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, College of Science.

* Eduardo Ximenes, senior bioprocess research scientist with a graduate faculty appointment, Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Xianfan Xu, the James J. and Carol L Shuttleworth Professor of Mechanical Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering; professor (by courtesy) School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Yoon Yeo, associate professor, Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy; associate professor (by courtesy) Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering.

* Xiangyu Zhang, professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Science.

* Yang Zhao, former visiting scholar, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, College of Agriculture. Current professor, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, and Center of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai.

* Jian-Kang Zhu, Distinguished Professor in Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, College of Agriculture.

* Babak Ziaie, professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering.

Purdue Research Foundation contact: Tom Coyne, 765-588-1044, tjcoyne@prf.org



Source: Brooke Beier, 765-588-3464, blbeier@prf.org
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - As Indiana legislators weigh options for increasing high-speed internet access in the state, a new report by the Purdue Center for Regional Development shows the economic benefits of expanded broadband service could outweigh the development costs and generate up to $10 million in growth for some counties over the next 15 years.

Roberto Gallardo, Purdue Extension community and regional economics specialist and assistant director of the PCRD, said Hoosiers without high-speed internet are at risk of falling behind in the modern information economy.

If you do not have full access to the web, you are probably missing out on important educational and employment opportunities, as well as the ability to seek out information on health, finances and more, Gallardo said. Today, being without high-speed internet access is as great of a disadvantage as not being to read and write would have been 100 years ago.

Gallardo said greater broadband access would make counties more attractive to commercial and residential developers and improve the quality of life for residents.

Results of the study are not intended to suggest a specific course of action, Gallardo said. However, they can promote dialogue among policymakers and the public, as well as raise awareness of the states digital divide - the gap between high-speed internet haves and have-nots, he said.

In many ways, broadband is the electricity of the 21st century, said Jason Henderson, director of Purdue Extension and associate dean of agriculture. In the 1930s, rural electric cooperatives revolutionized the visibility and viability of Americas small towns. If todays rural communities are to fully participate in a global economy, reliable and readily available broadband access is a necessary component to their success.

Purdue Extension is committed to identifying gaps of digital delivery and use in Indiana and creating digital-ready communities  with the foresight to help them maintain adaptability as technology continues to advance.

Indiana currently ranks 34th nationally in internet connectivity, with 18 percent of Hoosiers lacking broadband access, according to BroadbandNow, a consumer advocacy website.

But Indiana is not the only state where spotty high-speed internet access is a problem. Nationally, about 31 million people - nearly 10 percent of the U.S. population - have no access to broadband, as defined by the Federal Communications Commission. In 2015, the FCC voted to raise the minimum download speeds to qualify as broadband service from 4 megabits per second (Mbps) to 25 Mbps. The minimum upload speed was also increased, from 1 to 3 Mbps. The so-called 25/3 standard is now accepted nationally as the definition of broadband.

Those numbers are important, Gallardo notes, because increasingly sophisticated internet content - from multimedia presentations to online voice and video communications - require greater download and upload speeds.

Imagine trying to complete an online degree using a dial-up modem, he said.

Gallardo and a team of Purdue researchers studied broadband access in all of Indianas 92 counties, using the 25/3 standard to define broadband access, and compared the results with other counties across the nation. The team gathered socioeconomic data to rank each Indiana county on a newly devised Digital Divide Index, or DDI.

The index assigns scores from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating the highest digital divide. It is composed of two scores, also ranging from 0 to 100 - the infrastructure/adoption (INFA) score and the socioeconomic (SE) score.

The complete rankings are available on the PCRD/Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs Rural Indiana Stats page at https://pcrd.purdue.edu/ruralindianastats/. Scroll to the bottom of the left-hand column and click on Digital Divide Index under the heading Broadband Data. Data for the rest of the nation as well as Indiana is also available here.

The team found that on average, rural Indiana residents - including farmers - were more likely than city dwellers to lack broadband access. Building new infrastructure to support increased broadband service in those rural counties could be expensive, Gallardo cautioned.

This means many farmers could be missing out on important advancements in digital agriculture simply because they do not have adequate internet service, he said. Traditionally, farmers are early adopters of new technologies. Its not that they dont want to compete, but without broadband they dont have the tools to do so.

Gallardo believes Purdue Extension has a key role to play in helping the state address its digital divide.

There are three critical elements to maximizing broadband - access, affordability and know-how, he said. If youre missing one, youre at risk of being left behind. We can help develop the know-how - its what weve been doing for more than 100 years.

Writer: Darrin Pack, 765-494-8415, dpack@purdue.edu

Source: Roberto Gallardo, 765-494-7273, robertog@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: (765) 494-8415;

Shari Finnell, Manager/Media Relations and Public Information, sfinnell@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
ROCK ISLAND -- Everything on her plate tasted so great, Nee Pwe, 13, couldn't say what was her favorite.

Miss Pwe was among 50 refugee families who attended a Thursday Spring Forward Reading Night at the Church of Peace, 1114 12th St.

They also were treated to a full-course Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings, as a thank you for all their hard work, site director Maria Hernandez said.

Spring Forward Learning Center is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, that provides free educational programs for families in need in the Rock Island-Milan School District. It celebrates its 10th year of raising money and providing family services, and will serve more than 600 children and adults this year.

Refugee adult students are the most dedicated group of English learners director Dan McNeil said he's ever seen. They represent eight countries and speak 11 dialects, he said.

"We also show them all our American traditions, since they come from so many different countries," Ms. Hernandez said.

"I have probably learned more from them," said St. Ambrose University first-year occupational therapy student Erin Hocker, of Peoria.

She and 35 classmates from Dr. Christine Urish and Dr. Julie Jones occupational therapy (OT) classes, collected books to give to children at the event. They also helped entertain kids during the dinner and brought dishes to share.

Refugee families also got a full bag of self-care products such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and deodorant.

St. Pius X Catholic Church, Rock Island, contributed some food for dinner, Mr. McNeil said.

"This was a wonderful opportunity to bring everyone together," he said.

In case anyone's wondering about how much turkey to make for 100 people, the answer is 66 pounds.
WASHINGTON  A $700 billion defense bill co-authored by U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday, and includes provisions meant to help the Rock Island Arsenal.

Lawmakers voted 356-70 to pass the legislation. The measure passed the Senate Thursday, and will be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.

Part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) ensures the Arsenal will have a steady supply of work, and fills vacant work spaces before the government rents out areas in non-military buildings.

In October, Rep. Bustos was appointed to the NDAA's bipartisan conference committee, which is comprised of members from the House and Senate. While negotiating the legislation, she included provisions to benefit the Arsenal in several ways.

Over the last month, I proudly worked across party lines to deliver a national defense bill that strengthens our military capabilities while ensuring that hardworking Illinoisans will continue playing a crucial role in our national security, Rep. Bustos said in a release.

"In particular, I was pleased to include provisions that will make it easier for the Rock Island Arsenal to lease excess space and establish new make or buy guidelines that will help direct more work to military facilities like the Arsenal so we can create more good-paying jobs," Rep. Bustos said.

Rep. Bustos' provision requires the Department of Defense to certify that no usable space is available on existing military installations, such as the Arsenal, before leasing space elsewhere. This applies to rental costs in excess of $750,000 annually or purchasing new space in excess of $750,000.

The congresswoman also included a provision to cut down on government waste by establishing credit card analysis and oversight.

The NDAA also: Raises military pay by 2.4 percent; provides funding for modernization and upgrades to C-130 cargo planes like those flown out of the Peoria Air National Guard base; prohibits the closing or realignment of any military bases in 2018; increases the size of the active Army by 7,500, the Army National Guard by 500, the Army Reserve by 500, and the Marine Corps by 1,000.

The defense bill for the 2018 fiscal year allots some $634 billion for core Pentagon operations and nearly $66 billion for wartime missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. The funding increase pays for more troops, jet fighters, ships and other weapons meant to boost the military's combat readiness.

Associated Press reporter Richard Lardner contributed to this story.
A Rock Island man was sentenced Thursday in Henry County Circuit Court to six years in prison as part of a plea to heroin and cocaine charges.

On June 19, Cecil W. Muse, 59, was pulled over by State Trooper Brian Strouss on Interstate 80 for driving 108 in a 70-mph zone, according to Henry County State's Attorney Matt Schutte.

While the ticket was being written, Trooper Andrew Fratzke arrived with his K-9, Lily, who alerted on the vehicle. Troopers found 27.7 grams of what tested later as a substance containing cocaine and 39.5 grams of a substance containing heroin.

Mr. Muse denied knowledge of the contraband in the vehicle he had rented. However, Mr. Schutte said the passenger, Sarah Gott, told authorities she was in a relationship with Mr. Muse, and he was driving to Chicago to buy heroin and cocaine, as he frequently did, and he often supplied her with drugs.

Mr. Muse entered a negotiated plea to two counts Class 1 felony possession of a controlled substance in exchange for a sentence of six years in prison, two years mandatory supervised release and court costs.

Two Class X felony counts involving delivery of cocaine and heroin were dismissed, along with traffic charges. Judge Jeffrey O'Connor accepted the plea.
We now have a drive-up book and media return in the alley behind the library! Return items any time. Media are non-book items: video games, music CDs, DVDs, and CD books.

Sorry: Wednesday, November 22, there will be no story time.

Thursday, November 23, we are closed for Thanksgiving.

Friday, November 24 and Saturday, November 25 we are open.

Tuesday, November 28, 6pm: Page Turners will discuss Plainsong by Kent Haruf. All are welcome.

Thursday, December 14, 9:30 am: McGuffey Readers will discuss An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor. Jan Oliver will lead the discussion. Copies of the book (and a corresponding cookbook) are available now at the circulation desk.

Need technical assistance?

Leslie would like to familiarize you with using Overdrive and eRead-Illinois to access e-books and e-audiobooks on your device: Kindle, Nook, smart phone, ipad, tablet, computer, etc. She is usually available to instruct and assist you on Fridays 10-11am and other times by appointment.

Nancy would like to familiarize you with using the internet, doing email, using Microsoft WORD to type documents, and requesting your own library materials using the online PrairieCat catalog Encore. She is usually available to instruct and assist you on Thursdays 6:30-7:30pm and other times by appointment.

Please contact the librarys Adult Programming Director, Georgia Veyette, to share about your travels.

CONNECT still has spots open! CONNECT is a no-cost after-school program for Orion School District students ages 8  18 which meets Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:10  6pm. Registrations are still being accepted and registration packets may be found at Western District Library, www.westerndistrictlibrary.org and www.orionumc.org . Please direct questions to CONNECT MAC Director Autumn Manning at autumnmanning@hotmail.com
We tend to think of the Quad-Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau efforts as being top of the line, so it was a bit of a wake up call to find out how much they accomplish with so little at a recent meeting to discuss new financial opportunities.

Tourism is a successful and growing part of the Quad-Cities economy. Many of the cities collect a hotel/motel tax  a portion of which is passed along to the CVB, although there is increasing pressure on that resource as cities fight loss of funding from the state and try to keep their own budgets balanced.

According to data provided by the CVB, the Quad-Cities bureau is last in Iowa receiving only 15 percent of the local cities hotel/motel tax collections. In Illinois they trail all of the cities with a tax except two. There is no indication that percentage will change any time soon.

But at the recent meeting, participants learned about the potential of a Destination Marketing Fee which is currently being collected in Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City/Coraville, Dubuque and other cities.

The fees are a voluntary assessment placed on overnight stays and paid by the guest on their bill, not the hotel nor taxpayers in the community. Some are flat rates. others are percentages.

The fee allows the hospitality industry to increase the funding necessary to remain competitive with other markets. Hotel/motel taxes are levied by the state and cities by law. The fee is a result of individual businesses volunteering to collect and contribute funds for joint marketing effort. Guests can decide to opt out.

Communities use the funds in different ways  some allow the funds to go into the CVB general fund, most authorize only expenditures for additional sales and marketing efforts, not administration or operations, explained Joe Taylor, bureau president and CEO. A committee of hotel managers could decide how the funds are spent.

Assuming 10 percent of the hotel rooms in the Quad-Cities take part in the program, the destination marketing fee could raise $100,000 for additional sales and marketing efforts, Mr. Taylor said. Hopefully participation would be much higher.

As examples, in Burlington, Iowa the hotels voluntarily add a 1.65 percent fee to each guests bill. In Dubuque a $1 charge is added to each bill. There the customers are aware they can opt out of the voluntary fee, but in the program's 16 months no one has asked to have it removed.

Its time that we get serious about the conversation here. If its not an administrative burden for hotels, guests dont complain about having to pay, and those collecting the fee have a say in how its spent, it seems that the Destination Marketing Fee is a fairly painless way to create a fund that can be used to bring in more tourists and convention business. There may be other opportunities as well.

And if the hotels are willing to participate, could the same small fee be added to admission to local attractions? Tickets at the TaxSlayer Center? Adler Theater? Modern Woodmen Park?

The conversation has been started and we hope it will continue in earnest in the days ahead. The QC bureau has proven itself to be a frugal custodian of the money it is given to operate, but is at a competitive disadvantage with a town like Galena, for example, where 100 percent of the tax goes to tourism efforts.

Were already at a competitive disadvantage because many surrounding communities which compete for the same tourism visitors, are already collecting a Destination Marketing Fee. Mr. Taylor and his team have earned our support  its time to quickly move the conversation forward.
The project will facilitate an increase in the maximum line speed from 120km/h currently to 160km/h as well as double capacity on the route. Thales says the project involves installing new electronic interlockings, and the solution, which will offer enhanced cybersecurity, will work alongside the lines existing ATP system as well as a future ETCS system.

The project is entirely funded by the World Bank and is part of the Egyptian Ministry of Transports plan to upgrade the countrys rail infrastructure.
I spent three hours viewing the video archive of the Nov. 14, 2017 National Transportation Safety Board meeting convened to review and approve the findings, probable cause and safety recommendations developed from NTSB investigation into the April 3, 2016 collision of Amtrak 89 with M/W equipment at Chester, Pa., on the Northeast Corridor.

The circumstances of the accident:

 2 Track (Editors note: The Pennsylvania Railroad established this nomenclature; Amtrak still uses it on the NEC) was out of service continuously for M/W work between two controlled points. Foul time was intermittently requested on 1, 3, and 4 Tracks. (2 and 3 Tracks are inner tracks, adjacent to each other; 1 and 4 the outer tracks of the four-track configuration).

 During some or all of an overnight period, the roadway worker employee in charge (EIC) had received foul time on 1, 3 and 4 Tracks, and had placed a backhoe on 3 to assist the work being performed on 2. The train dispatcher had properly affixed protection to his control panel, preventing the routing of trains into the fouled tracks.

 At approximately 7:30 AM, the overnight EIC released 1, 3 and 4 to the train dispatcher, reporting clear. The train dispatcher properly removed the blocking protection. The overnight EIC had released the tracks and reported clear despite leaving a backhoe on 3 between the control points.

 The day EIC and another employee reported to the work site and without determining if, how, and where protection was provided, proceeded to the area of the backhoe. One employee entered the cab of the backhoe. The other, the EIC, was between the backhoe and the M/W equipment on out-of-service 2.

 Receiving no request from a roadway worker for foul time on 3, the train dispatcher selected 3 between the controlled points as the route for Amtrak 89. As the backhoe was a rubber-tired vehicle, it did not shunt the track circuit, and provided no indication of track occupancy. The signal indication that Amtrak 89 received authorized it to proceed on 3 at the maximum authorized speed.

 As 89, operating at 106 mph, approached the M/W equipment located on 2, the locomotive engineer observed the backhoe fouling 3 and initiated an emergency brake application. The train struck the backhoe at 99 mph, killing the employee seated in the machinery. The debris from the collision struck and killed the track supervisor standing between the backhoe and equipment on 2.

The cause of this accident is transparently clear to even the most casual observer: the release of the foul time on 3 by the overnight EIC when the track was still obstructed by the backhoe.

The cause of the fatalities is also transparently clear: the failure of the day EIC to ascertain that foul time protection was in place before entering the track and obstructing train movement.

What is not so transparently clear, but is a fact, is that when an accident results because of employee failure to properly comply with and utilize the protections offered and required by the operating rules and procedures, you can bet that while the accident itself may be a one-off, the violations are not. You can be sure that the violations of procedure have achieved the status, or near that, of a regular practice, as in Ive done it this way 1,000 times before and its always worked.

The video archive of this meeting should be mandatory viewing for those responsible for safe train operations. All the items in the NTSBs docket (DCA16FR007) should be required reading.

I was struck by the relative clarity of explanation provided by NTSB investigative staff, and by the relative confusion the NTSB board members distinguishing between processes that are primary to safe train operations, and those that are secondary.

Of course, when we are dealing with operating practices, and a failure of the practitioners, we cant simply call it that. Operating practices is so 19th century, so railroad-specific so archaic, we have to find another term. We have, and that term is safety culture.

Using that term, we can attract the interest of the human performance specialists, the sociologists, the psychologists, and we can get a more complete evaluation of the cause of the failure and the necessary remediation. And thats a good thing. Nevertheless, improving a safety culture only has meaning if we can improve our operating practices, improve compliance with improved operating practices, and improve our practitioners. There is no meaning to a better or robust or improving safety culture separate and apart from the practices and the practitioners.

That gets us to the heart of the conundrum that besets those who want to divorce improved safety culture from improved operating practices. And that conundrum is, in a single word, enforcement.

All too often, the advocates of improving the safety culture have identified enforcement as a negative element, contrary to the prospect for improvement. Enforcement, after all, targets a specific behavior by specific individuals. Apparently, it appears to some that enforcement then absolves all others from all responsibility, particularly those charged with designing, implementing and supervising safe operating practices.

In my railroad career, I havent found that to be the case. In my railroad career, I certainly never felt that assigning responsibility for a specific failure relieved me of my obligation in overseeing a safe operation.

I dont know of any instance, including stop signal violations, equipment roll-aways and overspeeding, improperly nullifying the intended operation of a safety device, where operating officers in collaboration with the officers from the signal, track, mechanical and traction power departments did not sift through the details of every incident that had produced an evident risk to safe railroad operations; did not review procedures and requirements; and did not make the adjustments we thought would reduce the risk of reoccurrence. I can never remember an incident where we didnt do that, and where we didnt communicate that we were doing exactly that.

If we look closely at the list of NTSB findings of factors contributing to the accident, we see that the critical factors contributing to this accident imply remedies. Each remedy is self-evident. The viability of every remedy is dependent upon enforcement:

 6,7,8. Lack of random drug testing program for M/W personnel. Remedy: testing. Depends on enforcement in the event of testing positive.

 9,10. Failure of roadway workers in charge to effectively communicate, leading to failure to protect an obstructed track, and failure to establish protection before fouling track. Remedy: improved understanding of and compliance with the procedures for establishing protection transferring control of track during change of shifts. Depends on oversight and enforcement.

 11,12,13,14,15. Failure to use supplemental shunting devices (SSDs). Remedy: proper use of SSDs. Depends on oversight and enforcement.

 16,17. Failure of Amtrak management to develop a site-specific work and safety plan. Remedy: development of such plans. Enforcement of the safety requirement enumerated in the plans.

 18,19,20,21. Failure of M/W EIC to properly conduct job safety briefing. Remedy: Oversight, supervision, enforcement.

In the video presentation, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt makes a point of identifying Amtraks 10 Cardinal Rules as an example of enforcement culture that operates against safety culture. Chairman Sumwalt argues that the 10 Rules undermine the trust between employees and supervisors essential to the establishment of a collaborative safety culture, because violation of any one of the ten may lead to dismissal from service.

For sure, that sounds severe, but before we go any further with this, lets take a look at Cardinal Rule 10, violation of which will likely lead to immediate dismissal:

 10. Failure to comply with applicable Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) procedures.

Interesting, because this makes it clear why certain violations might bring immediate dismissal, as the violation itself can lead to death.

Lets do a thought experiment. Lets pretend theres a new and energetic superintendent on the railroad, one who is vitally concerned with the safety of all the personnel working on the railroad, and in particular M/W personnel working in the vicinity of high-speed train traffic. Lets pretend further this young and eager superintendent wants everyone to know that she will show up anywhere at anytime in any weather just to see for herself how work is being conducted and if there is something she can learn by observation and talking to the employees about how to make the work sites and processes more safe and more efficient.

Lets pretend this eager superintendent wants to check the work on 2 Track around MP 15.7 on a Saturday morning. She calls the OCC and gets a lineup of track outages, and requests for tracks including the names of the EICs. She drives in her company vehicle to the work site. She arrives at 07:39 hours.

Shes not sure, at first, at what shes seeing. She cant believe what shes seeing. Theres a backhoe on 3, but the dispatchers lineup shows 3 in service at this location. She uses the radio in her vehicle and contacts the dispatcher, who confirms 3 is in service. She then, because she does not want to create panic, immediately requests foul time on 3 in her own name. The dispatcher reports that 89 is approaching the area on 3 and cant provide the foul time.

Now what? Heres the only acceptable now what: The superintendent initiates an emergency call on the radio, Emergency, Emergency, Emergency, stop all trains approaching MP 15.7 on all tracks. After initiating the emergency radio call, the superintendent then repeats her request for foul time on 3. If 89 is already by the control point, the superintendent then establishes direct radio contact with 89, giving her name, job title, instructing the train not to move without her permission. If other trains are in the block on 1 and/or 4, she repeats that procedure.

The superintendent may now proceed to the backhoe on track 3, she will ask first: Whos in charge here? Second, she will ask, What protection did you establish with the train dispatcher before obstructing the track?

Now lets ask the superintendent, Should these employees be immediately removed from service and subject to discipline that might include dismissal? Lets ask you. What do you think?

Maybe these employees have good work records. Maybe these employees have no previous disciplinary items on their records. Maybe these employees are four months away from retirement.

Youre asking me? OK, a robust safety culture does not allow employees to jeopardize their own lives or the lives of others.

So I think the young superintendent would exercise the full wisdom embodied in the operating practices of the railroad and remove these employees from service and charge them with rule violations that might mean their dismissal from service. She has no choice. Her decision is not going to be popular with the union representing the employees. Her decision is going to be characterized as excess, harsh, stiff. If collective bargaining negotiations are going on, and not well, theres going to be push-back, resistance, whatever.

Doesnt matter. Enforcement is the backbone of every robust safety culture.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) Board of Directors on Nov. 16 awarded a performance-based contract of up to $30 million to DB (Deutsche Bahn AG) Engineering & Consulting USA for Early Train Operator services to assist with planning, designing and implementing the agencys high-speed rail program.

DB Engineering & Consulting USA Inc. will act as Lead Operator, with its partner company, Deutsche Bahn AG (German Rail, a joint stock corporation whose shares are held entirely by the Federal Republic of Germany) acting as a guarantor. DB Engineering & Consulting USA has engaged Alternate Concepts, Inc. and HDR, Inc. as sub-consultants. Deutsche Bahn AG has more than 750 affiliates, with its main companies offering global mobility and logistical services in more than 130 countries. Its subsidiaries provide services in passenger transport as well as freight transport and logistics, and operate an extensive rail infrastructure. Global legal practice Eversheds Sutherland advised DB Engineering & Consulting USA, Inc. on its successful bid. The firm has advised DB on several global rail projects and will continue to advise the consortium on the next phases of the CHSRA project.

CHSRA said it anticipates issuing a notice to proceed for this contract within a few weeks. CHSRA called the contract award a major step forward for Californias high-speed rail program.

Bringing on an ETO during the current design and development phase of the program will allow us to infuse commercial thinking into the design of the system, including station layout, technical specifications, and strategies to improve asset performance and control costs, said CHSRA Board Chair Dan Richard. As far as we know, this approach of bringing a commercial operator into a design phase is unique for major infrastructure projects. Proposition 1A, the High-Speed Rail Bond Act, authorizes us not only to construct a high-speed rail system, but requires that the system be a commercially viable enterprise that does not require an operating subsidy. Many large infrastructure programs are designed and built without sufficient attention to operating needs or operations and maintenance costs. This step of engaging an early operator allows us to design a system for optimum commercial performance.

CHSRAs 2016 Business Plan called for the engagement of an Early Train Operator to ensure that its perspective is considered in the planning and design of track, systems, high-speed trains (rolling stock) and stations. Engaging an operator in early decisions on safety, operations, equipment and systems, fare structures and schedules, as well as other commercial and operating elements will ensure that the system is designed to operate as a safe and successful enterprise.

CHSRA pointed out that more than 119 miles of active construction in the Central Valley is under way, and that initial passenger service is planned for high-speed rail between the Silicon Valley and Central Valley.
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Russian Guard Service General gets 10 years in prison for corruption

MOSCOW, November 17 (RAPSI) - The Federal Guard Service (FSO) General Gennady Lopyrev has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for taking 6.3 million rubles ($105,000) in bribes, according to his lawyer Ruslan Zakalyuzhny.

Additionally, the Znamensk Garrison Military Court in the Astrakhan region fined Lopyrev 150 million rubles ($2.5 million). However, the court refused to strip the defendant of his military rank and state awards, Zakalyuzhny told RAPSI on Friday.

Lopyrev was also found guilty of illegal possession of ammunition.

The court held that the seizure of assets owned by the convicts relatives must be lifted after the entry of judgment into legal force, the attorney added.

Lopyrev has pleaded not guilty, and the ruling will be appealed, according to Zakalyuzhny.

The Federal Guard Service (FSO) General Lopyrev was arrested on November 25, 2016, following an internal check conducted in the FSO units in the Caucasus region. Later in the evening, the 94th Garrison Military Court ruled to put him in jail. Investigators claimed that Lopyrev had taken bribes from businessmen for protection during signing and execution of government contracts on construction and repair works.

The defendants apartments in Moscow and Sochi, a living house in the Leningrad Region belonging to the Lopyrev family as well as with premium class automobiles were seized by the court. During the searches of an apartment belonging to Lopyrevs son, law enforcement officers discovered 63 million rubles (about $1.1 million), over 1,000,000 and $350,000.
Moscow court recovers $52 million from Russian Land Bank

MOSCOW, November 17 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Commercial Court has granted a claim filed by the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) seeking to bring two ex-managers of the Russian Land Bank to subsidiary liability and recover 3.1 billion rubles (nearly $52 million) from them, statement of the Agency reads.

According to the DIA, this sum was recovered from Alexander Safronov and Timur Tchatchukh. Creditors demanded 5.5 billion rubles (about $92.1 million) from the bank.

The bank was found bankrupt on May 21, 2014 on request of the Central Bank. During the court hearings back then representative of the regulator said that the bank owed 10.9 billion rubles (about $182.5 million) while it only had 2.6 billion rubles (about $43.5 million).
State Duma adopts bill on blacklists of air passengers

Context State Duma passes bill on blacklists of passengers

MOSCOW, November 17 (RAPSI)  Russias State Duma, the lower house of parliament, adopted in the third and final reading on Friday a bill allowing Russian airlines to create blacklists of passengers exhibiting aggressive behavior during the flights.

Under the bill, an airline or its representative may deny sale of tickets to a blacklisted person. The document reads that an aircraft pilot must write down a report containing information on incidents of disturbing behavior on board of a plane and present it to an airlines head. An additional copy of the report is to be given to a passenger.

An airline must include an aggressive passenger into the blacklist within 30 days after this person is found guilty of violating administrative or criminal laws by a court. Inclusion in the list may be appealed. Blacklisted passengers must be removed from the list a year after a courts ruling.

It is noted that there are exceptional rules for certain situations. An airline must transfer blacklisted passengers to Russia from a place reachable only by a plane or if he is being deported from Russia to such place. These passengers must also receive a right to buy tickets from an airline if they are travelling to a place of healthcare, if they are accompanying disabled persons to the places of healthcare, or if they are travelling to a funeral. These reasons must be confirmed by presenting appropriate documents.
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'When we have a bad loan problem in our bank, we just cut it off.'

'India can take multiple approaches to tackle the bad loan problem instead of pumping cash.'

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Daniel Wu, bottom, left, chairman of the Asian Bankers Association (ABA), says there is merit in merging some of the less efficient public sector banks in the country.

In Mumbai for ABAs annual conference, Wu, who is also president of Taiwanese banking unit CTBC Holding, tells Abhijit Lele the Centre is taking all right steps for better growth. Excerpts:

Youre visiting India at a time when the economy is showing some early signs of recovery after slow growth. Do you share optimism about better growth prospects? If yes, why?

The central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing all right things for supporting growth of the Indian economy.

Demonetisation and the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) are good for the Indian economy.

These may have short-term hiccups. The cash has huge costs associated with it. India, and China are expected to grow at over five per cent.

I am very optimistic about growth in the next 10 years for India and Asia.

You are talking about the attractiveness of India for foreign investors. Banks in India are saddled with a large pool of bad loans from the corporate and infrastructure sectors. It is constraining the capacity for investments. What is the role global investors can play to get over this challenge?

The new Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, is the right thing to do.

These bad loan problems do not happen just in India but in every country in terms of economic development.

When you come into this stage, you can borrow from experiences of other countries to take care of these problems.

In China, they separated good loans and bad loans.

They created four asset management companies, where the government took a majority stake.

Bad loans were transferred to ARCs (asset reconstruction companies) which has people focused on bad loans.

And they injected capital into good banks to do more things.

When we have a bad loan problem in our bank, we just cut it off.

Maybe sell at 30 cents or 50 cents for a dollar because we just do not have the time to do collection and process.

What approach would be apt in the Indian banking environment?

In India, 70 per cent of banking assets are held by public sector banks. Normally public sector in every country is less efficient than private sector from the economic perspective.

I heard about the governments plan to inject Rs 2.11 trillion (Rs 2.11 lakh crore) in these banks to take care of the bad loan problem.

My experience suggests you may not reach the purpose you are thinking of.

It will be discounted. Instead, the government can take multiple approaches to tackle the bad loan problem.

And not just keep pumping cash as new bad loans will emerge.

Looking at the vast size of the Indian market and population, do you subscribe to consolidation among state-owned banks so they gain size and have better shock absorption capacity?

Normally people do not have ratios such as return on equity and return on assets to assess performance of national banks.

These could be simple benchmarks to measure their performance. Some of the less-efficient banks could be merged. It will be good for the market.

You have shown a lot of optimism about India. What are the plans for your banks branches in India?

We have two branches in New Delhi and Chennai.

We have given backing of $50 million as a capital for the Indian branch operations.

Most of it is in the corporate business with 70 per cent of domestic clients.

The bank also has exposure to Indian companies through the banks Singapore branch in the form of external commercial borrowings.

We see many opportunities to grow our business here, given the economic growth potential in India.
Currently, 23 power units with a cumulative capacity of 30,000 MW have super critical coal stock situation

A lack of synchronised approach between the concerned ministries and power plants, has led to this crisis, says Shreya Jai.

One of the major promises of the Bharatiya Janata Party government when it came to power in 2014 was to be coal surplus by increasing production and improving supply.

State-owned monopoly Coal India was given a tall target of 1 billion tonnes of coal production by 2019; three arterial railway lines were started from Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh; and a plan was drafted to increase the number of railway rakes for coal supply to power units.

CIL ramped up production by opening new mines.

So much so that one of its subsidiaries CCL was opening a new mine every month last year.

This boosted the governments confidence, and it then started the programme of reducing dependence on imported coal to nil. This is where the problems began.

During the last fiscal year, while CIL was increasing coal production to record levels, takers for its coal and the amount of coal dispatched reduced.

Financially beleaguered power distribution companies, which werent buying surplus power, are still not doing so.

This led to power plants running at low capacity, thereby impacting the demand for coal.

Demand was so low that the ministry of coal rounded up close to 30 power generating units last year to pay penalties for sourcing coal below their lowest permissible threshold, a senior official told Business Standard.

At the same time, State-owned NTPC started reducing its import dependence.

NTPC typically blends 8-10 per cent of imported coal in case of a domestic supply crunch.

The thermal power behemoth running 49,000 megawatt (MW) of coal-based units reduced imported coal consumption by 85 per cent, compared to the previous year, Gurdeep Singh, chairman and managing director, NTPC, told shareholders in his speech at the annual general meeting.

The increased demand was met by CIL pushing dispatches to NTPC.

Private units, even those in western India which were dependent on imported coal, asked for more coal from Coal India.

In August, coal imports at Indian ports fell by 14 per cent over the last year to nine million tonnes.

But at the same time, the dispatches to captive power plants (CPP) reduced. In the last eight months, the backlog of rakes is close to 900 for captive units, said an executive with a medium-sized industrial unit running a CPP. A CPP produces power for its own use.

CIL officials, on the other hand, kept emphasising that the private units were running at low capacity, hence dispatches to them were less.

Meanwhile, the crucial Dhanbad-Chandanpura railway line broke down and is still under repair. The three planned lines are yet to be fully operational.

Peak summers precipitated the crisis with Uttar Pradesh being the first to complain that it is only NTPC which is being supplied coal and State-run and private units are facing a scarcity.

Next in line came Maharashtra and Rajasthan, which had the same issue and the latter succumbed to power cuts.

By August, the situation worsened with hydropower generation below the optimum capacity due to a weak monsoon.

Marred with payment issues and regulatory confusion, wind power faced its worst production year at 354 MW during April-August 2017.

Average coal stocks at power plants by September-end were at a record low of five days.

Last year, in the same month, the figure was 28 days.

The number of rakes carrying coal for the power sector was increased by the rail ministry.

But this led to other sectors such as steel, cement and captive power units complaining of diversion of their rakes for power plants.

As the situation stands now, the ministry of coal has gone on record with the counter that it is the power plants which should have kept a certain stock of coal at their sites.

Power plants, however, are alleging mismanagement by the ministries involved -- coal, power, and railways. A lack of synchronised approach, they said, has led to this crisis.

Currently, 23 power units with a cumulative capacity of 30,000 MW have super critical coal stock situation, as per the Central Electricity Authority.

Latest data from ports show that, after five months of straight decline, coal imports have shown a spurt to 18.33 million tonnes.

The headlines have gone back to coal deficit.

Earlier, states would blame the Centre, the Union power ministry would blame the coal ministry, and the coal ministry would blame railways.

For a government that vowed to break down silos, this is the test of cooperative federalism that it claimed to reinstate.

Photograph: Ajay Verma/Reuters.
'She preserved national unity against great odds.'

Military historian Colonel Anil A Athale (retd) discusses if Indira Gandhi's reputation as India's toughest prime minister is well deserved.

A special feature to mark the centenary of her birth.

IMAGE: Then prime minister Indira Gandhi with Homi Sethna, right, then chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, and K C Pant, then minister of state for defence, left, at the site of India's first nuclear explosion in Pokharan, Rajasthan.

MUST READ: How Indian PMs reacted to nuclear ambitions

After the Chinese conducted a nuclear test on October 16, 1964 and went full steam to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, India was under pressure to follow suit.

Dr J Homi Bhabha, the head of India's nuclear programme, was in favour of it. But the momentum was lost after his possible assassination in a plane crash in 1966. The mysterious crash of Air India Boeing Kanchenjunga on January 24, 1966 has never been fully investigated.

The pressure on India was even more intense after the coming into being of a virtual Sino-American alliance after Mao Zedong and Richard M Nixon's Shanghai Communique of February 28, 1972.

The security situation for India had worsened as it was clear that a Sino-Pak-US alliance had come into existence.

On September 7, 1972, Indira Gandhi gave the verbal go ahead to the Indian scientists to prepare for a nuclear test.

The point to note is that the Indian nuclear test had no connection with Pakistan, but was prompted by global factors.

It was a courageous decision in the face of determined Western opposition, but necessary to ensure that India was not threatened by China.

After that test the world knew that India was a virtual nuclear power. This move brought in its wake Western opposition and American wrath, particularly driven by India's victory in 1971 over American arms.

In the years following the nuclear test and the liberation of East Pakistan, Indira Gandhi promoted a concept of South Asia as India's area of influence in which external influence was to be resisted.

Called the 'Indira Doctrine', it mimicked the American Monroe doctrine. But India lacked the power to enforce it and her hope to rope in Pakistan in a co-operative relationship after concessions in Simla fell apart.

However, India's undeclared status as a nuclear power did give it a degree of security in the face of the joint Sino-US threat. The nuclear tests approved by Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government in May 1998 carried the process forward to its logical conclusion.

But the credit to usher India into the big power league will remain with Indira Gandhi.

IMAGE: 'It is true that Indira Gandhi was herself responsible, at least indirectly, for the growth of extremism and fundamentalism in Punjab,' says Colonel Athale.

MUST READ: 'Indira took the bull by the horns fearlessly'

In the 1980s India faced the greatest challenge to its national unity and security.

The separatist movement in Punjab for 'Khalistan' was unlike anything else India had ever faced.

The Naga, Mizo or Kashmir separatist movements were essentially on India's periphery and did not threaten national existence as the Punjab movement did.

Even the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict or the 1965 Indo-Pak war were not a serious threat as Sikh separatism was.

The Sikhs and Punjab are part of India's heartland and the secession of Punjab would have meant unraveling the Republic.

It is true that Indira Gandhi was herself responsible, at least indirectly, for the growth of extremism and fundamentalism in Punjab.

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the eventual leader of the separatist movement, was promoted initially by her own party. But soon external powers took full advantage of the situation and launched a proxy war against India.

The Punjab crisis had several socio-economic dimensions, but over a period of time it became part of the American crusade against the 'Evil Empire' of the Soviet Union (the phrase made popular by then US President Ronald W Reagan).

The unholy nexus of the US, Pakistan and the UK (with Canada in tow) made a determined bid to break India up into 'small manageable parts' (a phrase used by then US ambassador to the UN Jeane Kirkpatrick).

It must be noted that at that time India was regularly included in the 'enemy forces' in NATO war games. Sikh extremists received shelter, arms and money from the West.

The Western media even published advertisements for training Khalistanis by ex- operatives of intelligence services with quaint names like 'Teeni Meeni Services' etc.

After India broke the back of Sikh separatism, most of its erstwhile leaders have found shelter in the US. Only as late as 2000 was the project to break India up wound up.

IMAGE: Individuals at the Golden Temple after Operation Blue Star -- the military operation ordered by then prime minister Indira Gandhi to evict Sikh separatists who were amassing weapons in the shrine in June 1984.

MUST READ: What General Brar told Rediff about Operation Bluestar

In June 1984, the stage was set to declare Khalistan from the Golden Temple, followed by a quick recognition from Pakistan.

The conspiring countries never imagined -- given the status of the Golden Temple for the Sikhs -- that India would dare take action against this sanctuary.

Indira Gandhi showed great moral courage and ordered army action. She was fully aware that it meant a grave threat to her person and family, yet did not flinch from acting in the supreme national interest.

Though a tragedy of monumental proportions for all Indians (Sikhs and others), it was her finest moment. The rest they say is history.

Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984 and made the supreme sacrifice for national unity.

On her birth centenary one is certain that she has a place of pride in the history of modern India.

Unlike her father, she was master of power politics and did not hesitate to use it.

Nixon, himself no mean player of power politics, paid her a back handed compliment when he termed her as an 'icy user of power'.

On balance, Indira Gandhi's pluses far outweigh her minuses. The nation will always remember her with gratitude for having preserved national unity against great odds.
Terming the Congresss allegations about Rafale fighter jet deal as shameful, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday these amounted to disservice to the armed forces, in first firm rebuttal of the charges levelled by the main opposition party.

Sitharaman said the cost of each aircraft along with weapon systems was much lower than what was negotiated by the United Progressive Alliance government.

She said the inter-governmental agreement with France for emergency procurement was struck following a transparent procedure.

These allegations are shameful... The deal was finalised following a transparent procedure, Sitharaman told a press conference.

Questioning the previous United Progressive Alliance governments inability to finalise the deal even after 10 years of negotiations between 2004 and 2014, the defence minister wondered whether the Congress does not owe an explanation to the country over the delay in taking a decision when the Indian Air Force badly needed the jets.

Referring to the delays, she said the UPA government can be accused of error of omission as the Indian Air Force was in critical need of the fighter jets.

However, when asked repeatedly about comparative cost of each aircraft negotiated by the then UPA government and the rate at which the deal was sealed last year, Sitharaman said she was not running away from sharing the details and asked the officials to give the figures to the media.

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-half years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the proposal during a visit to Paris. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September, 2019.

The Congress recently raised several questions about the deal including the rates, and accused the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting crony capitalism and causing a loss to the public exchequer.

That was the grim situation when this government came to power in 2014 and, therefore, we had to move forward so that the air force is not left with unattended requirements for the sake of preparedness, she said.

The bickerings about the deal are a disservice to the armed forces, she said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, after talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday, spoke about the deal as he expounded on the strategic dimension of the bilateral ties.

I am well placed to know that our defence partnership is significant, as shown through the Rafale and Scorpene projects -- to mention only the most emblematic ones. But it is not limited to the acquisition of military assets, it is far broader than that, as exemplified in our cooperation in the Indian Ocean, she said.

Sitharaman said the defence procurement procedure allows a contract with a friendly government, and rubbished allegations that government was favouring any businessman through the deal.

On Congresss allegation that Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of Rafale, refused transfer of technology to India, Sitharaman said it does not make economic sense to go for ToT for 36 aircraft as that would have resulted in escalation of cost.

Sitharaman said in 2012, Rafale was identified as the lowest bidder. However, when her attention was drawn to reports that even the then Defence Minister A K Antony was not convinced whether Rafale was indeed the lowest bidder, she said the government went ahead with the deal considering the emergency situation.

The defence minister said the final agreement for 36 Rafale jets was signed in September, 2016, after five rounds of lengthy discussions between Indian and the French sides, and had the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security.

When asked about reports that several members of the high-level committee examining the bids dissented and noted that Rafale was not the lowest bidder (L 1), Sitharaman said, I will go back to see what it is.

Separately, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the charges levelled by the Congress over the Rafale deal were baseless.

I am amazed over the patently baseless allegations being levelled by the Congress party on the whole Rafale deal, Prasad told reporters.

He said the deal was properly revisited at the government-to-government level and many additional facilities and opportunities had been added in terms of weapons, training of Indian pilots, and supply of spares.

Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal R Nambiar were also present at the briefing.
Along with HAL, Boeing intends to involve the Mahindra Group in building Super Hornets in India.

Ajai Shukla reports.

The Boeing Company, which is vying strongly to supply the Indian Navy with 57 'multi-role carrier borne fighters', has entered talks with Hindustan Aeronautics to explore the co-manufacture of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter in India, say credible sources in the defence ministry.

Along with HAL, Boeing also intends to involve the Mahindra Group in building Super Hornets in India.

Boeing and HAL have already held exploratory discussions in Bengaluru in September and are scheduled to meet on Friday, November 17, in Bengaluru for another round of talks.

They will also finalise a 'non-disclosure agreement' that binds all sides to keep their negotiations confidential.

Contacted for comment, a Boeing spokesperson responded: 'HAL has been a key partner of Boeing for over two decades and today manufactures components for our commercial and defense platforms, including for the F/A-18 Super Hornet.'

'We are continually exploring ways to expand that relationship. Needless to say, we cannot comment on specific discussions with our partners.'

The defence ministry and Mahindra did not respond to requests for comment.

Boeing seeks to leverage HAL's long experience in licence-producing aircraft in India, most recently the Hawk trainer, and Jaguar and Sukhoi-30MKI fighters; and to present the defence ministry with a clear plan for co-producing the Super Hornet in India with a high indigenous content.

This would provide the US aerospace giant valuable advantage over rival vendors who partner private sector firms that are novices in aerospace manufacture.

Furthermore, Boeing's partnership with HAL -- which already has an airfield and manufacturing hangars in Bengaluru -- would significantly reduce the price of each Super Hornet.

In contrast, a vendor that partners a private Indian firm would need to factor aerospace infrastructure into its pricing.

Boeing has already expressed public reservations about the private sector's inexperience in aerospace.

Boeing India chief Pratyush Kumar, stated in New Delhi that the Indian private sector is not yet capable of manufacturing complex military aircraft under transfer of technology.

Urging India to co-opt public and private enterprise, Kumar said he 'could not find a single example (of successfully building an aircraft under transfer of technology) where it was just the brand new private enterprise with limited aerospace experience.'

'Look at Turkey, look at Japan, look at Brazil, look at multiple countries. In all cases there is a fine balancing act of co-opting the capabilities of both public and private enterprise.'

Now Boeing is doing exactly that, by seeking to co-opt HAL and the Mahindra Group into co-producing Super Hornets.

Boeing's public-private strategy contrasts with the approach being followed by Lockheed Martin and Saab in a separate procurement of 114 single-engine fighters which is expected to gather momentum shortly.

Since the defence ministry requires the single-engine fighters to be built in India under the 'strategic partner' policy, Lockheed Martin and Saab have both partnered private sector firms -- Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and the Adani Group respectively -- to build in India.

In contrast, the 'request for information' for the 'multi-role carrier borne fighters' acquisition, which the navy issued in January, predates the 'strategic partner' policy that was promulgated only in June.

Unlike Lockheed Martin and Saab in the single-engine fighter procurement, Boeing is not restricted to partnering only a private sector company.

The RFI for the 'multi-role carrier borne fighters' specifies: 'GoI (Government of India) is desirous of license production of the aircraft after acquiring ToT in the case' (sic).

While this appears to place the procurement in the 'Buy and Make' category, the 'request for proposals' is likely to clarify this issue.

Industry experts say the 'request for proposals' might conceivably shift the acquisition into the 'strategic partner' category.

The Super Hornet, which is the US Navy's main carrier borne fighter, is likely to face competition in India's 'multi-role carrier borne fighters' tender from the French company Dassault's Rafale-M fighter; the Swedish company Saab's Gripen Maritime, and the Russian MiG-29K/KUB that already flies off the navy's lone carrier, the INS Vikramaditya.

The Indian Navy has already bought 45 MiG-29K/KUB fighters from Russia to equip the INS Vikramaditya, and the second aircraft carrier, the indigenously built INS Vikrant, which is expected in service by 2021.

A new, more capable, MRCBF was envisaged for the second indigenous carrier, INS Vishal, which is expected in service by 2030 or so.

However, unacceptably low serviceability rates of the MiG-29K/KUB are making the 'multi-role carrier borne fighters' vital for the navy in a much shorter time frame.

Furthermore, Boeing is looking at the supply of 'Made in India' fighters to the Indian Air Force too, beyond the supply of 57 Super Hornets to the navy.

The IAF, which is down to 32 squadrons of fighters against its requirement of 42 squadrons, had hoped to procure six-to-nine squadrons of medium multi-role combat aircraft over the last decade.

The Rafale was eventually selected, but then only two squadrons were procured, leaving a void that Boeing hopes to fill by establishing a Super Hornet manufacturing line in India.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday released its first list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat elections, including five Congress rebels and 49 sitting MLAs.

The state's ruling party has fielded 16 fresh faces in its first list for elections to the 182-member Gujarat assembly, to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The five Congress rebels who have been given tickets are Raghavji Patel, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Ramsinh Parmar, Mansinh Chauhan and C K Raolji. They had supported the BJP during the presidential election and during Congress leader Ahmed Patel's Rajya Sabha election.

The party has named Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as its candidate from Rajkot West. Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel will contest from Mahesana and state party president Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West.

Of the 70, 17 are Patels, 18 OBCs, three SCs and 11 STs, party sources said.

A majority of OBC candidates are Thakores followed by Kolis, the sources added.

The names were finalised by BJP's central election committee, which met on Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj among others, party leaders said.

IMAGE: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ad Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel. Photograph: @vijayrupanibjp/Twitter
An army jawan was injured as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing and shelling along the Line of Control in Poonch and Jammu districts, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said on Friday.

The Pakistani Army resorted to ceasefire violation for the third consecutive day on Friday.

"The Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 0745 hours in Poonch sector along the Line of Control," a senior army officer said.

The Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively. The firing is still on, he said.

In another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired on forward posts along the LoC in Khour belt of Akhnoor sector last night to Indian troops gave a befitting reply, the officer said.

An army jawan sustained minor injuries in the exchange of fire, he said.

On Wednesday, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch sector.

On November 2, a Border Security Force jawan was killed when Pakistani Rangers attacked a patrol party along the International Border in Samba district.

A girl was injured when Pakistani troops opened fire from small arms along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch district on October 31.

On October 18, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling in the district.

Representative image
The foster mother of 3-year-old Indian girl Sherin Mathews found dead in a culvert in Dallas has been arrested and charged with child abandonment, with police alleging that the Indian-American couple left the toddler in the kitchen alone and went out for dinner.

Sini Ann Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews went out for dinner with their 3-year-old biological daughter October 6, the night before Sherin was reported missing by her adoptive father.

Sherins adoptive father, Wesley has already been arrested and charged with injury to a child, a felony charge. He is now in jail with a $1 million bond. The crime is punishable with up to 99 years in prison.

The couple from Kerala, allegedly left Sherin alone in the kitchen because she refused to drink her milk, police in Richardson, Texas said on Thursday.

The 35-year-old mother was arrested on Thursday when she turned herself in at the Richardson City Jail, escorted by her attorney.

She is being held on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at $250,000, police said.

Sini, a nurse who works at Childrens Medical Center Dallas, could face different or additional charges, Perlich said on the case which has been widely reported in the

international media.

Sini appeared before a family court judge on Monday to attempt to regain custody of her biological daughter, who had been moved into foster care after Sherins death.

The toddler is expected to be moved at some point out of foster care to live with an extended family member in Houston.

A state jail felony in Texas is an offense that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.

This all stems from this ongoing investigation with Sherin. Its sort of a culmination of everything weve got so far, police Sergeant Kevin Perlich said.

It was our decision that now was an appropriate time to make an arrest, the Dallas Morning Post quoted him as saying.

Detectives determined Wesley and Sini went to a restaurant in Garland with their biological daughter, leaving Sherin home alone, placing her in imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Cellphone records show both parents phones were at the restaurant that evening. A receipt showed only one childs meal had been purchased, the affidavit stated. The waiter also confirmed that only one child was at the meal.

In an interview with detectives October 23, Wesley said that he and his wife had left Sherin, alone while the rest of the family went to eat dinner.

He said he became impatient when Sherin refused to drink her milk and went to dinner without her, the affidavit stated.

Wesley told detectives that he asked his wife to go with him and Sherins sister and Sini did so without being coerced, police documents state.

Police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when the couple returned home an hour and a half later, the Dallas Morning News reported.

An affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where they left her.

The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office is continuing to work on determining the cause of death. Those results will be made available when complete, Richardson Police said in a Facebook post.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk.

After Sherins body was found, he changed his story and to say he physically assisted Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Authorities launched a massive search and a dog found the body of a small child in a culvert on October 22. The body was later identified as that of Sherin.

Sherins death prompted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ask the Indian embassy in the US to be actively involved in the case and keep her informed. She also sought a probe into the adoption process of Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year from Bihar.

Following Sherins case, India decided that passports to adopted children will be issued only with prior clearance by the ministry of women and child development.

IMAGE: Sini Mathews. Photograph: @RichardsonTX_PD/Twitter
St Petersburg has all the ingredients for an unforgettable travel experience: High art, lavish architecture, an extraordinary history and rich cultural traditions. Photograph: Guneev Sergey/RIA Novosti/Getty Images Your first thoughts of St Petersburg would be of the Tsars; the Hermitage Museum; the sundry palaces in neighbouring towns; of the city's builder, Peter the Great; and his successor about a century later, Catherine the Great. Both rulers were keen in their different ways to give Slavic Mother Russia a European face, and to embrace European culture. Peter's project was the city itself, which he built in neo-classical and baroque architectural styles with the help of architects from France and Italy; hence fewer onion-domed churches of the kind that dot Moscow. Catherine's legacy is the Hermitage, with its mammoth collection of mostly Western art -- collected indiscriminately, much of it sight unseen.

An aerial view of St Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg.

The sheer grandeur and history of Russia's imperial capital never fails to amaze, but this is also a city with a revolutionary spirit. Photograph: Guneev Sergey/RIA Novosti/Getty Images The city known initially as Petrograd, then Leningrad, is also the city of Faberge and his exquisite eggs -- their largest collection is in the city, at a private museum. Cheap copies -- some quite well made and still affordable -- can be bought at souvenir shops all over the city.

The Tsar's Winter Palace dominates Palace Square.

The palace was designed by many architects, most notably Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in what came to be known as the Elizabethan Baroque style.

The green-and-white palace has the shape of an elongated rectangle, and its principal facade is 250 metres long and 30 metes high. Photograph: Guneev Sergey/RIA Novosti/Getty Images As the centenary of the first Communist revolution approached, you could also look at St Petersburg as the city of the Revolution -- for this is where the Bolshevik coup took place. Dotted on its map are the places where you can retrace history, beginning with the final hours of action at the Tsar's baroque Winter Palace, which abuts the Neva river to the north.

The restored palace today forms part of a complex of buildings housing the Hermitage Museum.

This is one of the most visited spots in St Petersburg and one will always notice a crowd here. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images The building (more correctly buildings) is now home to the Hermitage. Long queues of visitors stretch into the gigantic Palace Square outside the main entrance, virtually till closing time. But if you book in advance on the Web site and pay a little extra, you can escape the queues through a side entrance. The Tsars did not much like living in the Winter Palace though it was their official seat for nearly three centuries. It had been stormed once by disaffected residents of the city in 1905. The Romanovs, therefore, preferred the safer confines of Alexander Palace 30 kilometres away, at a town now called Pushkin, and Peterhof, which is Russia's answer to Versailles.

The Malachite Room (Alexander Briullov, 1839) served as the drawing-room of Empress Alexandra Fiodorovna, Nicholas I's wife.

Sixteen marble columns and fireplaces were carved from two colours of malachite from the Ural mountains, creating a lovely mixture of green and gold. Photograph: Kind courtesy saint-petersburg.com But the Winter Palace is where the Revolution happened. Inside and upstairs is the Malachite Room (one of more than 1,500), its doors covered in the gilt so beloved of the Tsars and a hallmark of their buildings, here and in Moscow's Kremlin, four hours south by bullet train. The room has malachite pillars and fireplace, and a massive malachite vase -- the green mineral is striking as always for the richness of its colour, combining wonderfully with the gold. The overall effect, though, is like the rest of Tsarist style: Tending to excess.

Visitors look at a floor mosaic in the Pavillion Hall at the Hermitage museum.

The museum, founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great, has approximately three million objects in its collections, including the most paintings of any museum. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images This and its neighbouring rooms is where the Duma-mandated provisional government of Alexander Kerensky settled in, after Tsar Nicholas II abdicated while in a railway saloon parked in a siding. But before long, Kerensky was facing Bolshevik fire from the Aurora cruiser that had steamed into the Neva, and from the Peter and Paul Fortress on the far bank. A few shells burst through the palace windows. They didn't do too much damage, but the provisional government's days were numbered, and it was in the Malachite Room that Kerenksy held his last crisis cabinet meeting in evening darkness.

Located inside the Hermitage Museum is the Raphael Loggias.

The Raphael Loggias are the copy of the gallery in the Papal palace in Vatican City.

The frescoes of the open loggias of the Papal palace were painted after Raphael's sketches.

The loggias vaults are decorated with scenes from biblical stories, the walls are covered with paintings with ornamentation motifs. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images Kerensky himself had taken to using the Tsar's library next door -- covered with wood panelling -- for his meetings and paperwork. When units of the Red Army finally stormed the palace at night, he and his cabinet were arrested from an adjoining private dining room. The Bolshevik coup had succeeded though the Revolution needed five years of civil war before the creation of the Soviet Union could be announced in 1922.

Built by Giacomo Quarenghi between 1806 and 1808, the Smolny Institute was thrust into the limelight in 1917 when it became the headquarters for the Bolshevik central committee and the Petrograd Soviet.

The Smolny Institute served as the seat of Soviet power until March 1918 when the capital was relocated to Moscow.

In 1934, Sergey Kirov -- the powerful Leningrad party chief -- was assassinated in its corridors, on orders from Stalin. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Off to the east of the city, after the Neva takes a sharp turn, is the Smolny Institute, started in 1806 for 'noble maidens' after Catherine the Great decided that women needed to be educated. The large Palladian building is where Lenin formally announced the Revolution in 1917, and it was his choice as home and office for several months until -- fearing invasion -- he moved his base to the secure Kremlin (Russian for citadel) in Moscow. The Smolny building remained the local headquarters of the Communist party, and it was in one of its rooms that one of Stalin's closest comrades and possibly main rival, Sergey Kirov, was shot in 1934 -- providing an excuse later for Stalin's Great Purge. St Petersburg's theatre for its illustrious ballet company, rivalling the Bolshoi in Moscow, was named after Kirov during Soviet rule, and re-christened as Mariinsky after that regime fell -- when also the Romanovs' double-headed eagle emblem was restored to the front gates of the Winter Palace and elsewhere. Eager to see where Lenin had made history, I showed up at Smolny's front gates, after finding my way through a large park at the edge of which the cab driver had dropped me. A statue of Lenin dominated the forecourt. Two burly guards blocked any attempt at entry. Like most people in the city, they spoke no English other than 'No tourists'. Exceptions can be made if you book a week in advance, but I hadn't known that.

The Peter and Paul fortress is the first structure to be built in St Petersburg, and thus the birthplace of the city. Photograph: Harry Engels/Getty Images Entry is easier to the Peter and Paul Fortress, built on a small island across the river from the Winter Palace. You cross a moat, walk around a high wall and get to a small cathedral where lie buried the founder of the city, Peter the Great, and his successor Romanovs -- including Catherine, who was German and believed to have killed her useless husband, Peter III, before taking charge herself. There is a separate small room for the last Tsar -- the incompetent Nicholas II, his unpopular Czarina Alexandra (think Rasputin) and their children, shot by the Bolsheviks. Decades later, their remains were discovered under a dirt road, and re-interred where they now rest alongside Nicholas' ancestors. Among other changes in post-Soviet Russia, the church has got back its vast assets (including the city's St Isaac's Cathedral, with its exuberantly colourful iconography), and in turn declared Nicholas and his slain family to be martyred saints.

Tombs of the Russian imperial family in the Peter and Paul Cathedral inside the Peter and Paul Fortress. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Off to one side is a museum that tells the history of the city. And nearby, surprisingly close to the cathedral housing the Tsars' graves, is the Trubetskoy Bastion prison where the to-be 'saints' had kept their political prisoners in a row of single cells -- including Maxim Gorky, Leon Trotsky and Lenin's older brother.

Completed in 1872, the prison in the Trubetskoy Bastion became the main destination for political prisoners in the final decades of Tsarist rule.

The prison has housed celebrated zoologist and anarchist Pyotr Kropotkin; Alexander Ulyanov, Lenin's elder brother who was hanged for his role in an attempted assassination of Alexander III; Leon Trotsky, arrested for his role in the St Petersburg Soviet of Workers of 1905 and the writer Maxim Gorky. Photograph: Kind courtesy saint-petersburg.com You can walk through the prison and look in at the cells -- slightly larger than England's isolation cells of Victorian times (13 feet by 7 feet), with an iron cot covered by a hard mattress, a blanket and two pillows. Also a bedside shelf, a gut bucket, and tap water above a small washbasin. Prisoners were allowed tobacco and reading material, as well as a teapot and mug. They could buy extra food with their own money. Heating was provided for the bitter Russian winter, unless you misbehaved. A small punishment cell on every floor had no heating in sub-zero temperatures, and possibly no mattress; so the prisoner had to lie on the iron grill of the bed. By morning, your back would be covered with red welts where shivering flesh had rested (if that's the word) on cold frozen iron.
China: Release Gravely Ill Critics

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, China: Release Gravely Ill Critics, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0e97f34.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Chinese government should immediately and unconditionally release from detention rights activist Huang Qi and bookseller Yiu Mantin, who are seriously ill, Human Rights Watch said today. Authorities should also allow the two, who have been held in violation of their basic rights, to seek proper treatment wherever they wish, in China or abroad.

In recent years, a number of prominent dissidents have become seriously ill in detention, been denied adequate care, and died either in detention or shortly after being released. On November 7, 2017, dissident writer Yang Tongyan died less than three months after being released on medical parole, and on July 13, Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiaobo died three weeks after he was transferred to a hospital.

"Neither of these peaceful advocates should have been detained in the first place, and to continue to do so even when they are gravely ill is cruel and inhumane," said Sophie Richardson, China director. "Authorities should immediately release Huang Qi and Yiu Mantin and allow them to seek medical care freely."

The considerable reputational damage brought by the death of Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo in state custody just months ago has not deterred Chinese authorities from keeping seriously ill dissidents in prison.

Sophie Richardson

China Director

Huang, 54, a veteran activist and founder of the human rights website 64 Tianwang, has been detained since November 2016 for "illegally leaking state secrets abroad." Huang suffers from several health conditions for which he was not given adequate treatment, including possible imminent kidney failure, signs of emphysema and inflammation in the lungs, Huang's mother said in a public letter appealing for Huang's release. Huang's lawyer has applied for medical parole on his behalf three times, but authorities denied each application without giving a reason. In November, Huang told his lawyer that he had been repeatedly beaten by fellow detainees at the Mianyang City Detention Center. At least one officer at the center was aware of the violence but failed to intervene to stop it. Huang was also denied basic necessities such as toothpaste and toilet paper. Huang was previously imprisoned from 2000-2005 on subversion charges and from 2008-2011 for "illegally holding state secrets."

Yiu, 76, a Hong Kong publisher and chief editor of Morning Bell Press, has been serving a 10-year sentence on smuggling charges in a Guangdong jail since October 2013. Yiu was preparing to publish a book critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping shortly before he was arrested. Yiu suffers from heart disease, liver disease, asthma, and other health issues. He has fainted several times since being detained. Prison authorities transferred Yiu to a prison-affiliated hospital about two years ago due to his poor health. Yiu's wife said prison authorities had not given her any medical examination records about Yin since 2015 and she is uncertain about his condition. Yiu's lawyer has repeatedly sought medical parole for him but it has not been granted.

Conditions in China's detention facilities and prisons are poor and usually marked by minimal nutrition and rudimentary health care. Human Rights Watch has also long documented police torture and ill-treatment of detainees in police-run facilities. There have been repeated instances where seriously ill detainees were not sent to hospitals until their conditions had deteriorated significantly.

Failure to provide prisoners access to adequate medical care violates the right to the highest attainable standard of health found in international human rights law. The UN Standard Minimum Rules on the Treatment of Prisoners provides that "[s]ick prisoners who require specialist treatment shall be transferred to specialized institutions or to civil hospitals." China's Criminal Procedure Law stipulates that medical parole can be granted to criminal offenders who are "seriously ill," but in practice, authorities have rarely granted it to political dissidents.

Since President Xi Jinping assumed power in 2013, several dissidents and activists have been denied adequate medical treatment and died in detention or shortly after being released. They include:

Cao Shunli: In March 2014, Cao Shunli, 52, an activist who had tried to participate in China's Universal Periodic Review, a process run by the United Nations Human Rights Council, died in a Beijing hospital after being arbitrarily detained in September 2013. Her family members had repeatedly warned that she was becoming gravely ill and had fought to have her released on medical parole, but authorities only transferred her when she fell into a coma. She died days later.

Goshul Lobsang: Tibetan activist Goshul Lobsang, 42, died in March 2014, five months after being released on medical parole. After his arrest in June 2010, Goshul Lobsang was sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges relating to the 2008 protests in Tibet. During his three years in detention, Goshul Lobsang was reportedly subjected to severe torture and deprived of sleep and food.

Tenzin Choedak: In December 2014, Tibetan environmental activist Tenzin Choedak, 33, died in a Lhasa hospital, three days after he was released in extremely weak condition. Tenzin Choedak had been sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2008 on the charge of acting as a ringleader during the unrest in Tibet earlier that year. While in prison, Tenzin Choedak reportedly suffered chronic diseases and brain injury because of severe torture.

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche: In July 2015, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, 65, a revered Tibetan lama who was serving a life sentence for "inciting separation of the state" following a trial that fell far short of international standards, died in detention after months of increasingly serious allegations that his health was deteriorating. Throughout his 13 years in detention, credible reports repeatedly emerged that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was being tortured.

Zhang Liumao: In November 2015, activist Zhang Liumao, 43, died at the Guangzhou No. 3 Detention Center after he was arrested three months earlier on suspicion of "picking quarrels and proving trouble," a catch-all charge frequently leveled against activists. The state media reported that Zhang died of complications from cancer, but Zhang's family lawyer, who examined Zhang's body, said that it was bruised and bloody with apparent signs of torture.

Liu Xiaobo: In July 2017, after serving nearly nine years of his 11-year prison sentence for "inciting subversion," Nobel Peace laureate and public intellectual Liu Xiaobo died from liver cancer in a Shenyang hospital. Less than a month before his death, the authorities said they had "released" him on medical parole, but they heavily guarded him and his wife, Liu Xia, isolating them from family and supporters, and denied Liu's request to seek treatment outside the country. Very little is known about the conditions of Liu's imprisonment. Although the authorities allowed his closest family, including Liu Xia, some visits, they silenced the family by holding Liu Xia under house arrest.

Yang Tongyan (pen name: Yang Tianshui): Dissident writer Yang Tongyan, 56, was released on medical parole after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in August 2017, four months short of serving the full term of a 12-year prison sentence for "inciting subversion of state power." After being denied permission to travel abroad for treatment, Yang died on November 7, less than three months after his release. During Yang's imprisonment, his lawyers had applied for his medical parole several times, but they were all denied.

"The considerable reputational damage brought by the death of Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo in state custody just months ago has not deterred Chinese authorities from keeping seriously ill dissidents in prison," Richardson said. "The ruthlessness and arrogance of the Chinese government should be met with international condemnation."



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Cambodia: Supreme Court Dissolves Democracy

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Cambodia: Supreme Court Dissolves Democracy, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0e98624.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Cambodia's government-controlled Supreme Court on November 16, 2017, dissolved the main opposition party and imposed political bans of five years on 118 of its members, Human Rights Watch said today.

"Hun Sen's actions to remove the main opposition party and its members is a naked power grab, canceling the votes of millions of Cambodians in previous elections and rendering next year's national elections meaningless," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "Democracy died in Cambodia today and it's hard to see it reviving so long as Hun Sen, in power for 32 years, remains as prime minister. This is a watershed moment, requiring a strong and concerted international response. It's time for action, not words."

The court ruling should lead to quick action by Cambodia's donors and trade partners to impose targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on Prime Minister Hun Sen and senior members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and armed forces.

The removal of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) means there will be no significant opposition party to challenge the CPP in 2018 national elections.

The European Union, Japan, and other donors should immediately suspend all financial and technical election assistance for the 2018 elections unless the CNRP is fully reinstated and permitted to compete.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
In Italy, scholarship gives South Sudanese refugee fresh chance

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Author Helen Womack Publication Date 16 November 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), In Italy, scholarship gives South Sudanese refugee fresh chance, 16 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0e98b24.html [accessed 16 November 2022]

On a cliff top overlooking the Adriatic Sea, 18-year-old Emmanuel sits on a rock, doing his economics homework in the late afternoon sun. War overshadowed his childhood and educational opportunities in South Sudan, but now he is catching up academically and making the most of a scholarship to UWC (United World College) Adriatic College in Duino, near Trieste.

"There is a feeling of freedom up here," he says, spreading out his arms. "A human being is like a tree. When you are in a bad environment, you narrow yourself and your thoughts but in a good place, you expand."

UWC Adriatic is one of 17 colleges and schools that UWC has established around the globe, teaching the International Baccalaureate (IB). Founded in 1962, UWC is a secular organization with a mission to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. This year, the UWC Refugee Initiative, supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, hopes to more than double the number of scholarships it currently offers to refugees, from 47 to at least 100.

The cooperation between UNHCR and UWC is an example of the type of new partnerships needed to advance a comprehensive response, achieve better protection and long-lasting solutions for refugees and widen the options available for those refugees with few prospects of attaining a durable solution.

UNHCR hopes that the UWC Refugee Initiative can grow beyond the initial 100 students that will benefit from UWC's colleges and schools. Education is crucial for young refugees to build their future, become self-reliant, provide leadership in displacement and rebuild communities recovering from conflict, including in areas of return and in host countries.

Like its sister schools on four continents, UWC Adriatic pursues a policy of "deliberate diversity", bringing together students from all over the world. It currently has 188 students, of whom 10 are refugees, from over 80 countries doing the two-year IB programme, providing over 70 per cent of students with full or partial scholarships.

"We look for potential young leaders and persuasive students who will go out into the world and make a difference," says headmaster Mike Price. "At UWC Adriatic, we provide the melting pot and let the students do the melting."

Emmanuel is in the first semester of his first year at UWC Adriatic. His scholarship is courtesy of Anna Illy, of the famous Italian coffee roasting company Illy, and she has come to the college to meet Emmanuel for the first time. They sit in a cafe, sipping from small cups, before it is time for him to go to his English class.

Emmanuel's English is fluent, and he also speaks Arabic and his native Moru tongue. He grew up in Yambio in South Sudan. While still in primary school, he fled conflict and became an internally displaced person in his own country, like millions of others. He later became an orphan, although he does not want to talk about his childhood. The memories are too painful.

After attending secondary school in Bahr Naam, Maridi County, Emmanuel moved to the capital of Juba but ran into fierce battles between government and rebel forces. He fled to Uganda, becoming one of over a million refugees from South Sudan at present being hosted in the neighbouring country. His older sister Raile also fled separately to Uganda. Miraculously, they met up again in Bweyale refugee camp.

A friend from South Sudan called Peter told Emmanuel about the UWC scholarship. Peter himself was too old to apply but encouraged his younger friend. "Peter has a caring heart," says Emmanuel. "We had a closeness and when I faced challenges, he was like a brother to me."

But Emmanuel had to take a big risk, giving up the protection he had been given in Uganda in order to return to his home country and to take part in the UWC scholarship interviews in Juba. "I spend most of my time praying," he says. "A person can lose hope but you have to believe in what you do."

He was selected by the UWC South Sudan National Committee from 19 candidates. Perhaps his 400-word essay on the war was the decisive factor, or perhaps it was his record of service as a Pathfinder (equivalent to a Boy Scout) in the Adventist church.

Emmanuel has settled in well at UWC Adriatic. He shares a room with a Ukrainian student, while his best friend is a boy from Japan.

"Everything was new," Emmanuel says. "The weather, the landscape, the people around, so nice and welcoming. I am seeing things differently here."

Emmanuel is studying economics, philosophy and biology, with mathematics, Italian and English as secondary subjects. After his morning lectures and a quick lunch in the canteen, the cliff top is a peaceful spot in the open air to do his homework.

The trees here remind him of his old school in South Sudan. He admits he is homesick. "I come up here to refresh my mind, to listen to songs on my phone and sing along with them. I miss home. I have lost old friends. But life is not a choice. It's all about where you find yourself."

Economics is the subject he hopes will take him to university after he completes the IB, possibly in Europe, and back home again to South Sudan. He is determined to return and make a difference for his own people.
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Cambodia: Banning of opposition party a "blatant act of political repression"

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 16 November 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Cambodia: Banning of opposition party a "blatant act of political repression", 16 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0e9a474.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reacting to the Cambodian Supreme Court's decision to dissolve the main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said:

"Today's decision by the Supreme Court to dissolve the CNRP is not only a blatant act of political repression that must be reversed immediately, but also a serious violation of the human rights to freedom of association and expression in Cambodia. The fact that the Court also ruled to ban more than 100 senior CNRP officials from political activity for five years compounds this injustice.

"This is yet more evidence of how the judiciary in Cambodia is essentially used as an arm of the executive and as a political tool to silence dissent. The Supreme Court President Judge is known to have close ties to Prime Minister Hun Sen and is a member of high level committees of the ruling Cambodian People's Party.

"Sadly, this is just the culmination of several months of threats, rhetoric and outright repression. The authorities have launched a widespread assault on dissent, including by shutting down NGOs and media outlets, and by harassing and jailing human rights defenders. The international community cannot stand idly - it must send a strong signal that this crackdown is unacceptable."

Background

The dissolution of the CNRP stems from a complaint by the Ministry of Interior, which was filed under a recently amended law prohibiting political parties from "conspiring with criminals". The CNRP leader, Kem Sokha, was arrested in early September this year on trumped up charges of "conspiracy with a foreign power." He remains in detention.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Myanmar: two foreign journalists could get three years on drone charge

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 15 November 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Myanmar: two foreign journalists could get three years on drone charge, 15 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0e9b124.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges the authorities in Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, to abandon the absurd proceedings against two foreign journalists who were given two-month jail terms last week and are facing another trial tomorrow for trying to film with a drone.

The two journalists, Malaysian producer Mok Choy Lin and Singaporean cameraman Lau Hon Meng, were making a documentary in Myanmar for Turkey's state-owned TV broadcaster TRT when they were arrested outside the parliament building in Naypyidaw on 27 October.





According to TRT, Mok and Lau had obtained all the required permits so they were stunned when, after interviewing a parliamentarian, police arrested them as they removed their drone from its cover with the aim of taking aerial shots of the parliament building.





The police also arrested Aung Naing Soe, the Burmese journalist who was acting as their interpreter, and their Burmese driver, Hla Tin.





All four were sentenced on 10 November to two months in prison for an alleged violation of the 1934 Aircraft Act. At tomorrow's trial, Mok and Lau are facing the possibility of an additional sentence of up to three years in prison under section 8 of Myanmar's Import Export Law.





"The judicial authorities must drop these spurious charges, which are clearly being used to prevent journalists from doing their work," said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk.





"We second the support the journalists are receiving from TRT and we back the efforts by the Malaysian and Singaporean consulates to obtain their release as soon as possible. These two journalists and their co-workers should not have to suffer because of political and diplomatic circumstances."





Relations between Turkey and Myanmar soured in September when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the term "genocide" to describe the actions of Myanmar's army in the western state of Rakhine, which are blamed for the Rohingya refugee exodus.





Myanmar is ranked 131st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Russia retaliates after RT made to register as "foreign agent" in US

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 16 November 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Russia retaliates after RT made to register as "foreign agent" in US, 16 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0e9c3d4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is alarmed by Russia's quid-pro-quo response to the US government's decision to make the Kremlin-funded TV channel RT register as a "foreign agent" in order to continue broadcasting in the United States.





Just two days after RT had to register as a "foreign agent" in Washington, the Duma (the Russian parliament's lower house) yesterday hastily passed a law allowing the Russian authorities to declare any foreign media outlet to be a "foreign agent."





The only criteria specified are foreign funding or being registered in another country. This will give the authorities enormous leeway when interpreting the law, which now only needs to be rubber-stamped by the upper house and signed by President Vladimir Putin in order to take effect.





"The law's extremely vague provisions open the way to selective, arbitrary and highly political application and, at a time of unprecedented pressure on the media, are liable to make it even harder for Russian citizens to get access to freely reported news," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.





"We condemn this eye-for-an-eye response, as media freedom will be its only victim. It is highly regrettable that the US authorities started this. Combatting propaganda is one of our era's imperatives but it is not the job of governments to define what is legitimate journalism."





Under the law adopted yesterday, the draconian provisions that have applied to foreign-funded NGOs since 2012 will be extended to foreign media, which will have to put the ignominious "foreign agent" label on everything they publish or broadcast, and will have to provide a detailed accounting of their financial situation.





NGOs that do not comply with the 2012 legislation are exposed to astronomic fines that have forced dozens to close. Used as a heavy weapon against civil society, its victims have included Russia's leading media-support NGOs.





Nonetheless, the provisions that are about to be applied to foreign media outlets are even vaguer. Unlike those that apply to NGOs, they will not be conditioned on any "political activity" criteria.





According to legislators, the justice ministry will decide on a case-by-case basis how the law is applied. At this stage, one can only speculate as to its first targets, which could include such leading public broadcasters as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the BBC and Deutsche Welle. Russian exile media may also be targeted.





In Washington, it was T&R Productions LLC, the company that produces RT's programming in the United States, that filed an application on 13 November to be added to the US justice department's register of foreign agents.





Russia is ranked 148th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Open letter to the Equatoguinean president to ask for the release of cartoonist Ramon Esono Ebale

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 16 November 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Open letter to the Equatoguinean president to ask for the release of cartoonist Ramon Esono Ebale, 16 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0e9c864.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Eighteen international organisations write to president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, of Equatorial Guinea to ask for the release of cartoonist Ramon Esono Ebale who has been detained for the past two months in Malabo.

Arrested by the police on 16 September, he has been questioned on his caricatures of the Equatoguinean ruler and the content of his blog, ,Jamon y Queso. While the law says that any arrested person should be charged within 72 hours, Ramon Esono Ebale still does not know why he is being held. The cartoonist lived abroad since 2011 and had returned to Equatorial Guinea to renew his passport.

November 15, 2017





Open Letter to the President of Equatorial Guinea: Release Artist and Writer Ramon Esono Ebale







Mr. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo

President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea

Palacio Presidencial

Avenida de la Libertad

Malabo, Guinea Ecuatorial









Your Excellency,





We write to express our deep concern in response to the unjust arrest and subsequent detention without charge of Ramon Esono Ebale in Malabo on 16th September 2017, and to urge you to release him immediately.





Mr. Ebale and two of his friends were stopped by police, handcuffed, and had their mobile phones seized while getting into Mr. Ebale's sister's car after leaving a restaurant in Malabo. Police then interrogated Mr. Ebale about his drawings of, and blog posts about members of the Equatoguinean leadership, and told him - in front of his two friends - that he needed to make a statement explaining those drawings and blog posts. It was confirmed by police that only Mr. Ebale was the target of the arrest, and not his two friends.





Mr Ebale has learned that he faces potential charges of counterfeiting and money laundering; offences that were apparently never mentioned to him or his friends when they were arrested. Mr. Ebale's prolonged detention without charge gives rise to serious concerns that these allegations are no more than a pretext to justify the ongoing arbitrary deprivation of liberty he is being subjected to.





Mr. Ebale's extended detention at Black Beach prison without charge appears to be a clear violation of Equatorial Guinean law, which requires charges to be filed within 72 hours of an arrest. A judge has not mandated preventative detention in his case, which under exceptional circumstances would allow the police to hold him without charge for longer, nor does there appear to be a basis for such an order.





Mr. Ebale, a renowned cartoonist who has been living abroad since 2011, has now spent 60 days in prison. His arrest in Equatorial Guinea-where he returned to renew his passport-has received global attention with calls for his release from fellow journalists, artists, activists, and human rights and press freedom organizations.





As Equatorial Guinea prepares to join the UN Security Council in January 2018, the world is watching the case of Mr. Ebale closely. We hope that as your country takes this prominent position on the world stage, your government respects all human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.





In this vein, we call on your Excellency, and the judicial authorities in Equatorial Guinea to respect the rights of all artists, human rights defenders, activists, and, more generally, all individuals in Equatorial Guinea who wish to exercise their right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association without fear of being harassed or prosecuted.





To this end, we urge you to order Mr. Ebale's immediate and unconditional release from prison.





Thank you for your consideration.





Yours Sincerely,









Amnesty International

API Madrid

Arterial Network

Association of American Editorial Cartoonists

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Member of the House of Lords, President of JUSTICE

Cartoonist Rights Network International

Committee to Protect Journalists

EG Justice

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Freemuse

Human Rights Watch

Index on Censorship

PEN International

Reporters Without Borders

The Doughty Street International Media Defense Panel

Transparency International

UNCAC Coalition

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the

Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Yemen: An urgent call to keep borders open for health, medical supplies

Publisher International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Publication Date 7 November 2017 Cite as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Yemen: An urgent call to keep borders open for health, medical supplies, 7 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0e9e534.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is urgently calling for Yemen's air, sea and land borders to be kept open to allow vital humanitarian supplies to enter the country.

"Humanitarian supply lines to Yemen must remain open," said ICRC's regional director for the Near and Middle East, Robert Mardini. "Food, medicine and other essential supplies are critical for the survival of 27 million Yemenis already weakened by a conflict now in its third year."

There are currently no movements in and out of Yemen, including by sea, air and land. A Red Cross shipment of chlorine tablets, which are used for the prevention of cholera, did not get clearance at Yemen's northern border. Medical supplies, including 50,000 vials of insulin, are expected by next week.

"Insulin cannot wait at a shuttered border since it must be kept refrigerated. Without a quick solution to the closure, the humanitarian consequences will be dire," added Mr. Mardini.

Yemen is already living with the catastrophic consequences of an armed conflict that has destroyed much of its vital infrastructure and brought the health system to the brink of collapse. Shelling and airstrikes are further killing and maiming innocent civilians.

"We are extremely concerned at the steadily growing numbers of civilian casualties, and also at the targeting of non-military infrastructure, such as water treatment plants and civilian airports. Such actions are in violation of international humanitarian law," said Mr. Mardini.
Marawi's returnees: Health care and safe water top priority

Publisher International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Publication Date 3 November 2017 Cite as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Marawi's returnees: Health care and safe water top priority, 3 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0e9f7a4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Thousands of displaced residents of Marawi City started their journey home earlier this week, several days after the government officially declared the end of armed clashes between its forces and IS Ranao fighters.

Five months of conflict caused low-to-medium-scale damage to around 65 "barangays" (villages) out of 96 in Marawi City. This means that the government will be able to allow more than half of Marawi's estimated 200,000 population to return home in the coming days or weeks.

"Even as we look after the needs of returning residents, we remain deeply concerned about the thousands of people who will be unable to return in the coming months. They will need constant support during this period," said Roberto Petronio, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mindanao sub-delegation, after his recent trip to Marawi City.

The ICRC, with the Philippine Red Cross, installed 11 water distribution points to augment the supply of safe water in nine barangays of Marawi City. CC BY-NC-ND /ICRC/L. dela Cruz

The ICRC is supporting the return of displaced residents by enhancing their access to health care and potable water. Barangay health stations in Basak Malutlut, Poblacion Marawi, East Basak and Bangon have received essential medicines and supplies to meet the health needs of returnees.

Together with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), the ICRC has set up 11 water distribution points to improve the supply to nine barangays in the west. Two generators have been donated to the Marawi City Water District, enabling it to supply around 62,000 people with 5 million litres of water per day.

"In the coming weeks, our focus will be on the thousands of people who remain displaced in the southern and western parts of Lake Lanao, as these areas are hard to reach and do not receive as much help," said Mr Petronio.

Barangay health stations in Basak Malutlut, Poblacion Marawi, East Basak and Bangon have received essential medicines and supplies to meet the health needs of returnees. CC BY-NC-ND /ICRC

As part of its work to reunite families separated by conflict, the ICRC continues to follow up on cases of people who went missing in Marawi and supports the Philippine Red Cross' tracing services on the ground and online: https://familylinks.icrc.org/Philippines.

The ICRC is a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. The ICRC also endeavours to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles.
Central African Republic: ICRC condemns killing of staff member

Publisher International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Publication Date 5 November 2017 Cite as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Central African Republic: ICRC condemns killing of staff member, 5 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ea0074.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is shocked and saddened by the killing of one of its staff in the Central African Republic. Youssouf Atteipe, an ICRC driver, died on Saturday while taking part in a convoy delivering much-needed aid to victims of the armed conflict in the country.

Youssouf was killed when an ICRC convoy made up of a truck and a four-wheel-drive vehicle was shot at by unknown assailants as part of an apparent robbery. The convoy was attacked in an area east of Kaga Bandoro, in the center-north of the country. He was traveling in a vehicle that was clearly marked with the red cross emblem.

"We are shocked and dismayed by the killing of our colleague Youssouf, which once again shows a flagrant lack of respect for human life," deplored Jean-Francois Sangsue, ICRC head of delegation in Bangui. "That this attack occurred as Youssouf was delivering aid for the victims of the conflict in the Central African Republic only makes it more tragic and unacceptable."

Youssouf joined the ICRC in February 2013. He was married and leaves behind seven children.

Violence has intensified throughout the country in the past year and is taking a heavy toll on the civilian population. The ICRC calls on all those involved in the conflict to spare and safeguard civilians and ensure that humanitarian workers can perform their duties. The ICRC has this year taken part in a public campaign to remind everyone that its staff are humanitarian workers who seek only to improve the lives of victims of war. We repeat that campaign's message today: We are #NotATarget.
Ukraine: Another winter on the frontlin

Publisher International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Publication Date 13 November 2017 Cite as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Ukraine: Another winter on the frontlin, 13 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ea04e4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

With cold weather approaching, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has increased its assistance to people still badly affected by the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. On both sides of the contact line, ICRC teams are visiting vulnerable communities, distributing goods or cash, repairing homes, and working to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable Donbas residents.

"If you live by the contact line, this coming winter is the fourth cold season where you pay a double price: you are exposed to shelling and you must endure freezing temperatures," says Alain Aeschlimann, head of the ICRC delegation in Ukraine. "Damage to a pipe can sever your connection to household heat with temperatures plunging to 20 degrees below zero. This just cannot be the new normal".

In some communities close to the contact line, the situation has progressively worsened in recent years, often due to disruptions of gas or water supplies. In June last year, for example, the ICRC completed reparations to a 3-km gas pipeline in Marinka, which had been damaged in the summer of 2014. However, due to the continuing hostilities, operators cannot access the gas station and the pipeline is still not being used, hence keeping more than 15,000 residents of Marinka and Krasnohorivka without a gas supply. In other places, the local population is feeling the effects of increasing gas and electricity prices.

In villages and towns in the conflict zone, many houses are still damaged or destroyed, yet some people continue to live there. Since 2014, the ICRC has been making homes watertight and windproof by replacing windows and repairing minor damage on hundreds of private houses along the contact line, including in Marinka, Krasnohorivka and Lebedynske. The installation of PVC windows, for example, is one of the key elements for keeping houses warm in cold winter months. In October 2017 alone, more than 3,000 residents of the Donbas received mineral wool, tarpaulin, foam, sheeting and tape - materials used to insulate attics and roofs of private homes.

Some of the most vulnerable residents of the areas suffering from the hostilities also receive cash assistance, the aim of which is to ensure that they are able to pay their fuel, wood, gas and electricity bills during the winter period. Wood briquettes or coal is provided so that families and social institutions be able to maintain appropriate temperature conditions in their houses, and to ensure that farmers may heat their greenhouses and continue their planting activities. The ICRC has also been providing animal feed to let local population restore and develop their livelihood practices both during and beyond winter season.

Apart from households, the ICRC has recently also supported public institutions such as the Institute of Emergency and Reconstructive Surgery in Donetsk, which received heating radiators and air-conditioning units in early October.

A decrepit and fragile catwalk in Stanitsa Luhanska remains the only functioning crossing point between government and non-government controlled areas of the Luhansk Region. In October this year, an estimated 8,000 people crossed the bridge every day. The wait can take hours. In addition to the heating points established earlier by the ICRC on both sides, a first aid station recently opened on the government-controlled side and is now treating up to 20 patients per day. Work is underway to extend the existing heating point on the non-government controlled side, so that more people can have a much-needed respite while waiting to cross the bridge. In Horlivka, another crossing point used by thousands on a daily basis, the ICRC is now completing a container-type heating point, with the view of improving basic services for people queuing to cross.

The ICRC, a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization whose mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and to provide them with assistance, currently has close to 500 staff in Ukraine, with offices in Kyiv, Odesa, Mariupol, Sloviansk, Sieverodonetsk, Donetsk and Luhansk.
Sahel: Security concerns obscuring five-country humanitarian emergency

Publisher International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Publication Date 14 November 2017 Cite as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Sahel: Security concerns obscuring five-country humanitarian emergency, 14 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ea0a34.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The precarious security situation in Africa's Sahel region is overshadowing a massive humanitarian crisis affecting 12 million people in five countries, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said today.

Armed conflict, trans-national crime and climate hazards are causing immense human suffering, triggering an increase in intra-African displacement and migration toward Europe from the five countries -- Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad.

"The focus in the Sahel is on security issues, but this obscures a major tragedy: millions of families who are hungry and desperate for survival," Patrick Youssef, ICRC's deputy director for Africa, said during the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa.

"If we do not help the region on the humanitarian and development side, the consequences will be serious, including more displacement. Many of these locations are already strong breeding grounds for radicalization and extremism," Youssef added.

The ongoing conflicts in the Lake Chad region and Mali, combined with the activities of armed groups across borders, have serious consequences for neighboring Burkina Faso and Mauritania. The region's challenges are exacerbated by climate change, poverty and food shortages. Three-quarters of the region's 80 million people are under age 35, and while job opportunities are already scarce, the population is expected to double in 30 years.

"States must act now with the help of the international community to address the root causes of the problems and help strengthen the resilience of people here," Youssef said. "Ensuring civilians are not harmed in conflict and ensuring detainees are treated with respect both help bring a lasting end to conflict."

The ICRC is helping more than 1.5 million people in the five countries by providing improved seeds, tools, fertilizers, livestock fodder and livestock vaccinations. Despite the pressing needs, the region is one of the most under-funded that ICRC works in globally.
ICRC hands over 3 physical rehab centres to Indus Hospital Network

Publisher International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Publication Date 3 November 2017 Cite as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), ICRC hands over 3 physical rehab centres to Indus Hospital Network, 3 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ea0fa4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The precarious security situation in Africa's Sahel region is overshadowing a massive humanitarian crisis affecting 12 million people in five countries, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said today.

Armed conflict, trans-national crime and climate hazards are causing immense human suffering, triggering an increase in intra-African displacement and migration toward Europe from the five countries -- Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad.

"The focus in the Sahel is on security issues, but this obscures a major tragedy: millions of families who are hungry and desperate for survival," Patrick Youssef, ICRC's deputy director for Africa, said during the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa.

"If we do not help the region on the humanitarian and development side, the consequences will be serious, including more displacement. Many of these locations are already strong breeding grounds for radicalization and extremism," Youssef added.

The ongoing conflicts in the Lake Chad region and Mali, combined with the activities of armed groups across borders, have serious consequences for neighboring Burkina Faso and Mauritania. The region's challenges are exacerbated by climate change, poverty and food shortages. Three-quarters of the region's 80 million people are under age 35, and while job opportunities are already scarce, the population is expected to double in 30 years.

"States must act now with the help of the international community to address the root causes of the problems and help strengthen the resilience of people here," Youssef said. "Ensuring civilians are not harmed in conflict and ensuring detainees are treated with respect both help bring a lasting end to conflict."

The ICRC is helping more than 1.5 million people in the five countries by providing improved seeds, tools, fertilizers, livestock fodder and livestock vaccinations. Despite the pressing needs, the region is one of the most under-funded that ICRC works in globally.
Ukraine: Lending a heart to detainees' health

Publisher International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Ukraine: Lending a heart to detainees' health, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ea3284.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Keeping in mind the staggering number of heart disease-related deaths in Ukraine's prisons, the ICRC has put in place a programme to allow for effective treatment of cardiac patients in detention.

An ordinary room at the Oleksandrivska Hospital in Kyiv has turned into a lecture room for a week. But it does not sound like a normal lecture - the listeners actively share their opinions as the professor listens attentively. This rather unusual setting is part of the first seminar on cardiovascular diseases that the ICRC has organized for prison doctors.

While doctors are used to attending lectures to upgrade their knowledge, most of these talks traditionally emphasize on treatment of diseases like tuberculosis or HIV. It's rare to come across a training, such as this one, that focuses only on cardiovascular diseases.

"A significant number of mortality cases in places of detention are related to heart disease," says Alexander Grif, who takes care of detention-related activities at the ICRC delegation in Ukraine. "Given the statistics, prison doctors play a central role in providing effective treatment."

According to the official statistics, 140 detainees in various penitentiary institutions of Ukraine died of cardiovascular diseases in the first ten months of 2017, accounting for almost 30% of all deaths in detention.

"The existing cardiovascular problems get exacerbated as soon as a person gets detained," explains Dr Yevhen Andrieiev, an associate professor of internal medicine at the Bogomolets National Medical University. "These diseases are not difficult to diagnose. In fact, it's easy to get a blood test or a cardiologist's opinion regarding a detainee's cardiogram. The only question is how to transfer this data from a prison hospital to a regular one," Dr Andrieiev adds.

Victoria, who participated in the ICRC seminar, is a doctor at the Vilniansk Correctional Labor Colony No. 20 in the Zaporizhia region. She admits that doctors often lack in-depth knowledge of cardiovascular diseases and their treatment.

Irina, a physician at the Punishment Execution Facility No. 19 (Lviv), says the lecture helped her understand the kind of assistance that the ICRC could extend in facilitating the transfer of a seriously ill patient to a specialized medical institution, which requires changing the conditions of detention.

The ICRC role includes reporting seriously ill patients to the prison medical staff and prison administration, whenever our teams come across such cases during routine detention visits. Apart from these training programmes, the ICRC provides essential drugs and basic diagnostic equipment to selected detention facilities.

Earlier this year, the organization facilitated the repair of the Kyiv SIZO pharmacy, which is at one of the main prisons in Ukraine, and also stocked it with medicines. The ICRC has also financed refurbishment of two prison pharmacies, a medical laboratory, and donated various pieces of furniture to several detention facilities across Ukraine.

Within the framework of the ICRC health in detention project, 20 prison doctors from ten major prisons received clinical training and educational material like clinical algorithms, screening tools and medical ethics in 2017 alone. These doctors work in prisons that, together, host approximately 10,000 detainees, or 17% of the country's prison population. There are currently 832 prison doctors for a prison population of 58,311.

"Our health in detention project tackles a significant, but often overlooked problem of heart disease in prisons," says Faraz Jamil Kakar, the ICRC detention doctor at the delegation in Ukraine. "The key is to adhere to evidence-based clinical guidelines and promote safe, effective and ethical medical care to patients in prisons. The task is massive, but we are confident that the results will start to show soon."
Azerbaijan Moves to Drastically Cut Number of Lawyers

Publisher EurasiaNet Author Mike Runey Publication Date 7 November 2017 Cite as EurasiaNet, Azerbaijan Moves to Drastically Cut Number of Lawyers, 7 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0eab775.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Azerbaijani parliament has approved amendments to the country's civil code that would effectively bar roughly 90 percent of the country's legal professionals from practicing law.

The amendments, adopted on October 31, require presidential approval before they go into effect. They would give the state-controlled bar association complete control over the legal profession. Observers, as well as members of the legal community, characterize the move as the latest and most decisive step in an escalating crackdown on the country's few remaining human rights lawyers.

Less than 24 hours after Azerbaijan's parliament ratified the changes, several lawyers reported being summoned to their local police stations, where they were told they were no longer licensed to practice law and would be subject to arrest or fines if they continued.

The amendments herald the end of a two-tiered legal system that Azerbaijan adopted under pressure from its fellow members in the Council of Europe. Azerbaijani lawyers are either vkillr, licensed bar members who pass a series of written tests and a highly politicized oral examination, or huquqsunaslar, registered lawyers who have not passed the bar but, until now, have been entitled to represent clients in all non-criminal courts.

Under the amendments, an estimated 8,000 registered lawyers stand to be barred from representing clients in any Azerbaijani court, leaving a nation of nearly 10 million people with only 934 registered legal professionals. At roughly nine lawyers per 100,000 people, that would be a ratio that is 18 times lower than the European average, and by far the lowest figure of any Council of Europe member.

In an interview with Azerbaijani news site QafqazInfo, Chingiz Ganizade, an unaffiliated Azerbaijani MP who voted against the amendments, pointed out that 934 lawyers could not possibly handle the 370,000 cases currently pending in civil and administrative courts, and that legal fees would necessarily increase beyond the reach of most Azerbaijanis, driven up by the short supply of lawyers.

He also worried about the 2,000 lawyers he said were involved in Azerbaijan's seemingly never-ending process of resettling internally displaced people (IDPs) from the Nagorno-Karabakh War. In the past year, there have been several protests by IDPs over poor living conditions, and a lack of even nominal access to justice, along with the ongoing effects of a persistent economic downturn, could easily exacerbate discontent.

Ganizade acknowledged the amendments' purpose was to curtail the activities of lawyers whose "activities were against national interests" - apparently referring to vkillr and huquqsunaslar who irritate the government by repeatedly appealing to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). But he added that the adopted amendments were excessive. "If the arm hurts, cutting it off will not help; it must be cured," he said.

"After the implementation of the amendments, most current litigants will lose their lawyers and representation, and possible [future] litigants will have hardships finding lawyers," said Samed Rahimli, an Azerbaijani lawyer and member of the ad hoc lawyers' advocacy group, Praktik Huquqsunaslar Qrupu (Group of Practicing Lawyers), which coalesced in October to lobby against the amendments.

Rahimli added that many Azerbaijani districts lack even one vkil, a consequence of the bar only admitting 500-600 vkillar in the past decade.

Neither the bar association nor the government has expressed interest in changing this situation.

What the government is interested in is its international image. It has spent tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars over the past decade on hosting international sporting events and other high-profile activities, in large part to cast Azerbaijan as a cosmopolitan and modern state in the eyes of the international community. Lawyers who call attention to Azerbaijan's poor rights record by filing cases with the ECHR undermine the image that authorities are seeking to project.

Lawyers who defend high-profile political prisoners or file numerous cases to the ECHR are often threatened with disbarment, or disciplinary measures on vague charges of ethical violations.

A typical example is Khalid Bagirov, a prominent lawyer who was disbarred on questionable ethics charges in 2015 in what is widely believed to be retribution for his defense of imprisoned opposition politician Ilgar Mammadov, in addition to a number of other high-profile political prisoners. Several high-profile lawyers are currently facing disciplinary proceedings, the threat of disbarment, or routine harassment by security officials.

The amendments' adoption has occurred against the backdrop of two overlapping Azerbaijani political-legal dramas - a showdown between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe over Azerbaijan's continued failure to comply with a 2014 ruling ordering the release of Ilgar Mammadov, and the continued international political fallout of the revelations of large-scale bribery and money laundering known as the "Azerbaijani Laundromat."

Spurred by the latter scandal, Council of Europe has taken unprecedented legal steps to force Azerbaijan to comply with the ECHR's decision and release Mammadov. For its part, Baku has threatened to withdraw from the Council entirely, although analysts are skeptical the government will follow through.

President Ilham Aliyev still holds the power to veto the amendments, and, taking into account the havoc the amendments would wreak on the Azerbaijani judicial system, there is a slight chance he may choose to do so.

The amendments could turn out to be an attempt to bully independent-minded huquqsunaslar into submission, rather than legislate them out of existence. They also may constitute a test case in which Azerbaijan is pushing the boundaries to see how far western governments will permit Baku to stray from its international norms governing basic rights without facing serious consequences.

Editor's note: Mike Runey is a program officer for Eurasia at Civil Rights Defenders.

Copyright notice: All EurasiaNet material  Open Society Institute
A. mod Udlndingenvnet

Publisher Denmark: Supreme Court Publication Date 6 November 2017 Citation / Document Symbol 107/2017 Other Languages / Attachments Judgment in Danish Cite as Denmark: Supreme Court, A. mod Udlndingenvnet , 6 November 2017, 107/2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0eb5174.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Comments Summary of the original judgment Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Refusal of family reunification not in contravention of the European Human Rights Convention



06-11-2017

Case no. 107/2017

Judgment delivered on 6 November 2017



A vs. The Immigration Appeals Board



It was not in contravention of the European Human Rights Convention that a Syrian man with temporary protection status in Denmark had to wait three years for family reunification with his spouse

In this case, the Supreme Court was asked to review the Immigration Appeals Board's decision refusing to grant spouses A and B family reunification in Denmark. A was resident in Denmark under the rules of the Danish Aliens Act on temporary protection because of the general situation in his home country, while B was still in Syria.

The grounds for the Immigration Appeals Board's decision were that A had not had a residence permit for more than the past three years, which is a requirement in the Aliens Act, and that no exceptional reasons, including regard for family unity, made it appropriate to grant a residence permit according to the derogating provision in Section 9c(1) of the Act. A had submitted, among other things, that the decision was contrary to the right to respect for family life in ECHR Article 8.

The Supreme Court held - particularly referring to the travaux preparatoires for the Aliens Act - that the restriction of the right to family reunification was based on interests that could be protected in accordance with ECHR Article 8. Although the refusal of family reunification in effect meant that A was kept from living with his wife, this was only temporary. A could return to Syria when the general situation in the country improved, and if this did not happen, he would, as a general rule, be entitled to family reunification with his wife after three years.

On this basis, the Supreme Court held that the requirement that A must have had a residence permit in Denmark for three years before being entitled to family reunification with his wife was within the State's margin of judgment when weighing the consideration for his family life against the interests of the general good in accordance with ECHR Article 8. The Immigration Appeals Board's decision was thus not contrary to Article 8.

Moreover, the Supreme Court held that the decision was also not in breach of the prohibition of discrimination in ECHR Article 14.

The High Court had reached the same conclusion.
Israeli army raids Palestinian TV station office in West Bank

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 14 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Israeli army raids Palestinian TV station office in West Bank, 14 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ebe894.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Israeli army raids Palestinian TV station office in West Bank

July 14, 2017 2:33 PM ET

New York, July 14, 2017--The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned Israeli soldiers' raid of the office of Al-Quds TV and that of its affiliate Ram Sat in the West Bank city of Hebron.

The Israeli soldiers burst into Al-Quds TV's office in the early hours of yesterday morning and confiscated memory cards, hard drives, and six computers, Al-Quds TV's Hebron bureau chief, Alaa al-Rimawi, told journalists. The military also raided the office of Ram Sat Media, a production company affiliated with Al-Quds TV, and confiscated all the computers' hard drives, according to news reports. Al-Quds TV is affiliated with Hamas and is frequently critical of the actions of the Israeli government and military.

The Israeli military's North America desk did not immediately respond to CPJ's email requesting comment. An Israeli military spokesperson told journalists that the raid was a part of an investigation into the station's activity on "suspicion of incitement," and that "further steps" would be taken if "incitement material" were found on the confiscated hard disks.

"The Israeli army is not the arbiter of what constitutes journalism or suspected incitement," said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney. "The authorities should return all seized equipment immediately."

Israeli soldiers have targeted the station before. In 2012, an Israeli airstrike targeted the Gaza office of Al-Quds TV, injuring at least nine journalists, according to news reports. Also in 2012, Israeli soldiers assaulted Al-Quds TV's Akram al-Natsha, along with three other journalists, as they were driving to cover the aftermath of a Palestinian teenager's death at the hands of an Israeli border guard, according to media reports.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Security forces raid Ukrainian media group

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 14 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Security forces raid Ukrainian media group, 14 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ebf354.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Security forces raid Ukrainian media group

July 14, 2017 3:28 PM ET

New York, July 14, 2017--Ukrainian authorities should cease harassing journalists and employees of the Vesti media company, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. National police and military prosecutors today raided the Kiev office of Media Holding Vesti, which includes Radio Vesti, the daily newspaper Vesti, and the news website Vesti-ukr.com, according to its editor and Ukrainian officials.

Vesti's editor-in-chief, Oksana Semchenko, wrote on her Facebook page that security forces briefly knocked the radio station's live broadcast off the air. She wrote that the soldiers gathered 30 journalists in a conference room for questioning and searched their mobile phones, including their contacts and messaging applications. Pictures from the raid Semchenko posted on Facebook showed military vehicles outside the building and security forces wearing armor and facemasks searching journalists' bags. The Ukrainian TV station Hromadske reported that 80 officers with machine guns participated in the raid.

"When a military prosecutor sends elite forces with machine guns to raid a radio station's office and search its journalists' mobile phones for contacts and text messages, there can be but one interpretation: This is an attempt at intimidation and a serious threat to press freedom," CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said from Paris. "We call on Ukrainian authorities to cease harassing Radio Vesti journalists and to cease violating the integrity of their communications with sources."

Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoliy Matios, who led the raid, said at the press conference that security forces would today search 183 properties, including the Vesti media group, owned by former minister of income and taxes Oleksandr Klymenko, seeking evidence in a fraud investigation into the former minister. Klymenko fled Ukraine for Russia after former President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from power in 2014. The Ukrainian online news agency UNIAN quoted Minister of Interior Arsen Avakov as saying that Klymenko's assets in Ukraine, which he valued at the equivalent of U.S. $12 billion, were blocked today. The independent Ukrainska Pravda daily published a list of Klymenko's property based on the information Avakov provided to journalists.

Avakov, the interior minister, denied that the media group was targeted for its coverage. "This raid is not about journalistic reports published in various media outlets. It's only about fraud," he said in remarks published by UNIAN.

Klymenko wrote on his Facebook page that he was "surprised" by the raids, calling them an attempt to take over his property for "political reasons."

Today's raids came days after CPJ's Simon and Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova on July 12 launched in Kiev a special report on the July 20, 2016, murder of investigative journalist Pavel Sheremet, who worked at Radio Vesti at the time of his death. Ognianova and Simon met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on July 11. At that meeting, Poroshenko reiterated his commitment to bringing those responsible for Sheremet's murder to justice. He also said the Ukrainian investigators would soon hold a press conference to make the results of their investigation public, according to a statement on the presidency's website.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Online defamation law amendments fall short in Myanmar

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 17 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Online defamation law amendments fall short in Myanmar, 17 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ec0174.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Online defamation law amendments fall short in Myanmar

July 17, 2017 11:17 AM ET

Bangkok, July 17, 2017--A ministerial proposal to amend Myanmar's 2013 Telecommunications Law falls short of the changes needed to guarantee press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The statute has been repeatedly abused to stifle online speech and jail journalists, CPJ has found.

On July 13, the Ministry of Transport and Communications submitted a draft bill to the Upper House of Parliament with recommendations for amending the law, including allowances for accused parties to post bail and a bar on third parties filing cases on behalf of others unless authorized or directly affected by the content in question, according to news reports. Several journalists have been held in pre-trial detention and denied bail under Article 66(d) of the law, which outlines penalties for online defamation, disturbances, and threats.

The amendments also propose lifting a requirement that the ministry must approve cases before they proceed, giving full authority instead to the police, reports said. However, the amendments would not ease penalties for convictions under the criminal provision, which include three-year jail terms and fines.

"While we recognize certain improvements in the ministerial proposal to amend Myanmar's Telecommunications Law, they don't go far enough to ensure that the law is no longer used to threaten and imprison journalists," said CPJ Senior Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin. "For the sake of press freedom, the law should be fully decriminalized and all pending cases against journalists immediately and unconditionally dropped."

Zaw Min, chairman of the Upper House's bill committee, said his body would convene a meeting with ministry officials and legal experts to discuss the recommendations, and will file a report to parliament this week, according to news reports.

CPJ has documented several cases of journalists jailed pending trial and facing potential prison sentences on charges under the law. Kyaw Min Swe, editor of The Voice newspaper, has been held in pretrial detention since June 2 on charges filed under Article 66(d) by a military official over an opinion column that satirized a pro-military propaganda film. A Yangon court has rejected six consecutive requests by the editor for bail, according to news reports.

In November 2016, authorities detained Than Htut Aung, chief executive of Eleven Media Group, and Wai Phyo, chief editor of the group's Daily Eleven newspaper, under the law over an opinion piece that alleged high-level government corruption. The two reporters were held in pretrial detention for 54 days before being released on bail. Their trial is ongoing.

On June 8, a senior Ministry of Information official told a visiting CPJ delegation that legislation would soon be introduced to remove criminal penalties under the law. The CPJ delegation raised a list of anti-press laws that CPJ believes should be repealed or amended, including the 1908 Unlawful Association Act, a provision often used against reporters that criminalizes contact with groups deemed a threat to national security.

On June 26, military officials detained Aye Naing and Pyae Phone Naing from the Democratic Voice of Burma news agency, and Thein Zaw, a reporter for The Irrawaddy media group, under the law after the journalists covered a drug-burning event staged by an ethnic armed organization opposed to the government. If convicted, they each face up to three years in jail.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Nigerian court orders journalist facing false reporting charge to be detained

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 17 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Nigerian court orders journalist facing false reporting charge to be detained, 17 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ec0b64.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Nigerian court orders journalist facing false reporting charge to be detained

July 17, 2017 5:01 PM ET

New York, July 17, 2017--Nigerian authorities should drop all charges against Luka Binniyat and release the journalist from jail immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. A judge ordered the journalist to be detained on charges of "breach of public peace" and false reporting over an article he wrote for the daily, Vanguard, according to court documents seen by CPJ.

During an arraignment in the city of Kaduna on July 12, Binniyat pleaded not guilty to both charges, his lawyer, James Kanyip, told CPJ. The lawyer said that Binniyat, who is recovering from an accident, arrived at the court on crutches. At the hearing, the judge said he was feeling unwell and ordered Binniyat to be remanded in custody until July 20 to give the judge time to read the journalist's argument, Kanyip said.

The charges are related to a January 24 article that Binniyat wrote for Vanguard in which he alleged that herdsmen killed five students from the College of Education, according to media reports. Kaduna authorities charged the journalist on March 20 under the state's penal code, according to the court documents.

"Charging a journalist with 'breach of peace' simply for informing the public is unacceptable, and arbitrarily throwing him in prison when he appears for a hearing is outrageous," said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. "Nigerian authorities should immediately release Luka Binniyat and drop all charges against him."

Under the state penal code, Binniyat faces up to three years in prison if convicted of breach of public peace and two years if convicted of false reporting, or "injurious falsehood." The journalist is due back in court July 20, Kanyip said.

Binniyat stopped working for Vanguard after he was first charged over the story. Accounts differ as to whether the reporter resigned or was fired. According to Kanyip and media reports, Vanguard fired Binniyat. The newspaper's editor, Eze Anaba, told CPJ that Binniyat resigned. "The management is reviewing the whole matter, the story, the court case, and the resignation," Anaba told CPJ.

Tensions are high in Kaduna state. Nigeria's military intervened in the region after a series of killings and political and religious tensions in the south, Ibrahima Yakubu, who covers the region for Deutche Welle, told CPJ.

"Binniyat has been a voice against the government for a very long time, especially in respect to the killings that are going on in southern Kaduna," the journalist's lawyer, Kanyip told CPJ.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
South Sudan detains director of public broadcaster for more than a week

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 18 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, South Sudan detains director of public broadcaster for more than a week, 18 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ec1be4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

South Sudan detains director of public broadcaster for more than a week

July 18, 2017 3:19 PM ET

Nairobi, July 18, 2017--South Sudanese authorities should immediately release Adil Faris Mayat, the director of the country's public broadcaster, South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, the Committee to Protect Journalist said today. National Security Service agents arrested Mayat in Juba on July 10, according to media reports.

Mayat's wife, Amira Alnahawi, told CPJ that she believes agents arrested her husband because he failed to air a live state of the nation speech by President Salva Kiir on July 9 to mark the country's sixth independence day. CPJ could not determine if authorities have charged Mayat with any crime.

Alfred Taban, chairman of journalists' rights group the Association for Media Development in South Sudan, and six journalists who cover the country and who spoke with CPJ on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal also said that they believe Mayat's arrest is linked to him not broadcasting the speech.

"Which news to air or not air is not a decision for South Sudanese authorities to make or even to influence," said CPJ Africa Program coordinator Angela Quintal in New York. "We call on the government of President Salva Kiir to release Adil Faris Mayat immediately and allow the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation and all news outlets to do their work without political interference or fear of arrest."

When CPJ contacted South Sudan's Information Minister, Michael Makeui, he declined to confirm Mayat's arrest. He said, "He is in South Sudan. And if at all he is under arrest, he is a South Sudanese who is in conflict with the law." Makuei added, "The fact that I am Minister of Information does not mean that I know everyone who is arrested."

The minister said that because Mayat works for the state broadcaster he is a civil servant and not a journalist.

The National Security Service has previously detained journalists for their work, CPJ has found. In July last year, agents detained Taban over a column published in his newspaper, Juba Monitor, and in December, agents expelled Justin Lynch, a reporter for The Associated Press, without explanation.

Since 2013, South Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war that has displaced millions and killed tens of thousands. Press freedom conditions have worsened during that time, with journalists telling CPJ that they fear detention or death for writing critically. In 2015, Kiir threatened to kill journalists for writing stories that went "against the country."

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Trial of 17 Cumhuriyet newspaper employees begins in Turkey

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Trial of 17 Cumhuriyet newspaper employees begins in Turkey, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ec80d4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Trial of 17 Cumhuriyet newspaper employees begins in Turkey

July 24, 2017 1:44 PM ET

New York, July 24, 2017--The trial of 17 journalists, managers, and board members of the pro-opposition daily newspaper Cumhuriyet on terrorism-related charges is a further blow to press freedom in Turkey, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

A court in Istanbul today began trying the 17, including Can Dundar, the newspaper's award-winning former editor, Murat Sabuncu, who replaced him, columnist Kadri Gursel, and cartoonist Musa Kart, on charges of being members of a terrorist organization, aiding a terrorist organization while not being a member, and "employment-related abuse of trust," according to press reports. Turkish prosecutors accuse the journalists of being or aiding followers of exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom the government accuses of masterminding a failed military coup in July 2016, and of aiding the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Turkey classes as a terrorist group. The defendants deny the charges, press reports said.

"The pretext of terrorism has worn so thin that nobody but the staunchest of government loyalists could possibly believe it," CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said. "Prosecutors should not be doing the bidding of the president's office to censor free speech but should be pursuing actual criminals. All charges against Cumhuriyet's employees and board members should be dropped immediately and the scores of journalists jailed for their work should be released."

Eleven of the 17 suspects, including Gursel, Sabuncu, and Kart, are jailed, according to press reports. Dundar, whom CPJ honored with its International Press Freedom Award in 2016, is in exile and is being tried in absentia. A court last year sentenced him to five years and 10 months in prison in connection with a 2015 story Cumhuriyet published alleging Turkey's intelligence service sent weapons to Syrian rebels under cover of humanitarian aid, according to press reports.

When CPJ last conducted its annual census of journalists imprisoned around the world for their work, more journalists were jailed in Turkey than in any other country at any time since CPJ began keeping records in 1992.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Newspaper financial director jailed in Azerbaijan

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Newspaper financial director jailed in Azerbaijan, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ec8904.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Newspaper financial director jailed in Azerbaijan

July 24, 2017 3:54 PM ET

New York, July 24, 2017--An Azerbaijani court's sentencing of Faiq Amirov, financial director of the independent newspaper Azadliq, is a further serious blow to press freedom in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

A district court in Baku today sentenced Amirov (also known as Faiq Amirli) to three years and three months in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of 39,000 manats (U.S. $23,000) on charges of "inciting religious hatred," and tax evasion, according to media reports. Amirov can appeal the verdict. Following his August 20, 2016, arrest, the state-run printing house in Baku ceased publishing Azadliq because the newspaper could no longer make payments that only Amirov could authorize, according to media reports. Azadliq has not published since, and its website is blocked in the country. Azerbaijani authorities have repeatedly pursued and jailed Azadliq's staff in recent years.

According to press reports, the basis for Amirov's conviction on incitement charges was his possession of books by exiled Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government accuses of masterminding the July 2016 failed military coup there. The government of Azerbaijan voiced strong support for the Turkish government following the failed coup.

Amirov's wife, Lala Amirli, on June 29 told the website Kavkazsky Uzel that her husband has difficulty moving, that half of his face is paralyzed, that he suffers from stomach ulcers that have been exacerbated by prison food, and that he cannot get proper medical treatment in prison.

"This sentencing of an already sick prisoner to even more jail time is a cruel attempt by an authoritarian government to put a nail in the coffin of one of the few independent news outlets in Azerbaijan. Having gone after Azadliq's journalists, the authorities are now jailing its accountant on the flimsy pretext of possessing a book by a religious leader out of favor in Turkey," said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Kazakhstan: Six more arrests for sharing faith

Publisher Forum 18 Author Felix Corley Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Kazakhstan: Six more arrests for sharing faith, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ed5fe4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Six Sunni Muslims arrested in Karaganda are under criminal investigation for alleged membership of a Muslim missionary movement. Three of them are in pre-trial detention. All known criminal cases against conscientious objectors have been dropped.
Where are Burundi's missing witnesses to crimes against humanity?

Publisher IRIN Publication Date 16 November 2017 Cite as IRIN, Where are Burundi's missing witnesses to crimes against humanity?, 16 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ed9e14.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In Burundi, it's not just witnesses to the politically motivated string of murders, torture, and rapes who are going missing, it's also the perpetrators, underscoring the enormous scale of the challenge now facing the International Criminal Court.

So great are the risks to the "life and wellbeing" of potential witnesses to alleged crimes against humanity committed by state agents here that ICC judges agreed for the first time to deliberate in secret before deciding the tribunal's chief prosecutor could step up her enquiries.

Fears of a Kenya-style witness tampering campaign appear well-founded: Several people with first-hand knowledge of crimes implicating police, soldiers, and militia members have disappeared or been killed in Burundi, according to relatives and rights groups.

An ICC judges' ruling has authorised Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to elevate her "preliminary examination" to an "investigation", paving the way for eventual arrest warrants, criminal charges, and trials.

The judges cited Bensouda's affirmation: "[The] Government of Burundi has not merely been uncooperative but has actively sought to target, both in Burundi and abroad, persons who it perceives could implicate it in the crimes alleged, as established by additional sources."

And, in another unprecedented decision, the judges allowed Bensouda to wait a full 10 days before informing the Burundian government that such permission had been granted.

In so doing, they granted time for witness protection measures to be put in place and lent credence to Bensouda's view that the "concrete possibility of an investigation [was] likely to affect the calculations of those implicated by the crimes".

The alleged crimes in question include: murder and attempted murder, imprisonment or severe deprivation of liberty, torture, rape, enforced disappearance, and persecution.

According to the prosecutor, high-ranking officials of the Burundian government, the police, the intelligence service, the military, and also the Imbonerakure (the ruling party's youth wing), appear to be those most responsible for the most serious crimes.

"The Chamber considers that multiple sources indicate that the Government of Burundi has interfered with, intimidated, or harmed victims and witnesses," the judges' decision read.

30 months of hell

Such a campaign appears to have begun soon after the country was plunged into a violent crisis in April 2015, when President Pierre Nkurunziza's announcement that he would run for a third term in office (widely deemed unconstitutional) prompted street protests, a heavy-handed response from security forces, and an attempted coup.

A list of dozens of Burundians "forcibly disappeared" over the past two-and-a-half years has been published on a dedicated website called Ndondeza, which is the Kirundi for "Help me to find him".

Names on the list include those of activists and politicians from various parties, journalists, state intelligence agents, police and army officers, Imbonerakure members, and would-be refugees detained while trying to leave Burundi.

"People implicated in crimes are often eliminated in the same way as their victims," explaned Pacifique Nininahazwe, who is president of the Forum pour la Conscience et le Developpement (the organisation behind the Ndondeza campaign) as well as a leading opponent of Nkurunziza's third term in office.

Speaking to IRIN by phone from Europe where he is living in exile, Nininahazwe said there were already several cases of Imbonerakure members being eliminated after having been "implicated in odious crimes", including those who attempted to assassinate Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, the country's leading human rights activist.

Missing perpetrators

Among this category of missing is Aime Aloys Manirakiza, who has not been seen since May 2017.

"He was one of the Imbonerakure in Musaga zone," Manirakiza's wife, Allaine Vanessa Kaneza, said in a blog post, the authenticity of which she confirmed to IRIN by phone from Rwanda, to where she fled in October 2017. Musaga is an opposition stronghold in the capital, Bujumbura, and the scene of anti-Nkurunziza demonstrations in 2015 that led to a vicious crackdown.

"He committed crimes, torture, executions of people in the opposition. Sometimes, he told me about this himself, and [at other times] other people came to tell me," she said. "I want to say sorry to all the families who lost loved ones because of what my husband did."

Also missing: Christophe Ndabagoye, an intelligence agent working undercover as a member of an opposition party, the National Liberation Forces.

"He told me he worked for the intelligence services and that he knew lots of secrets," one of his relatives told IRIN, asking not to be identified.

One day "he got a phone call from another officer whose name I don't know. He left and to this day cannot be found. The same goes for the car he was using," the relative added.

After Ndabagoye disappeared, relatives looked for him in prisons, morgues and forests, but to no avail.

The cousin believed the state wanted to get rid of Ndabagoye because he was "involved in plans to eliminate certain demonstrators and above all because he was close to General Adophe Nshimirimana" - a former intelligence chief and close associate of the president who was killed in a rocket attack in August 2015.

IRIN could not independently verify this account. More broadly, it's not clear if missing Imbonerakure and intelligence agents are being eliminated because they too could end up as witnesses, or if there has been a campaign of reprisal killings, or both. Either which way, it only makes the ICC's task of prosecuting harder.

Spokespersons for Burundi's government and the police couldn't be reached for fresh comment on the alleged disappearances.

But speaking in August to France 24, Burundi's ambassador to France, Christine Nina Niyonsayde, dismissed any state role, saying: "Sometimes, there are people who disappear voluntarily, who leave and are not found, and later, maybe years later, they are found, either in other countries [or elsewhere] and they have changed their name."

In January, police spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye accused Nininahazwe on state television of running a network that "disappeared" people itself but then accused the police of doing so. He claimed such "criminality was born with the insurrectional movement initiated by those opposed to Nkurunziza's third term".
Cambodia: Harassment of journalists accompanies ban on opposition party

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Cambodia: Harassment of journalists accompanies ban on opposition party, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0edad34.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

After the arrests of three reporters in the past three days amid a crackdown on the opposition, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) relays the fears of Cambodia's journalists and urges the government to stop harassing them and to guarantee their right to report the news.

Len Leng, a former reporter for the now closed Cambodia Daily newspaper, was arrested yesterday outside the supreme court building in Phnom Penh and, although the hearing being held inside was supposed to be open to the public, she was taken into custody on the grounds that she did not have a press pass.





Leng's suddent arrest was attributable to the fact that the pro-government supreme court had just banned the Cambodia National Rescue Party, the only opposition party represented in parliament, thereby turning Cambodia into a de facto one-party state just months ahead of elections due to be held next July.

The authorities are clearly bent on silencing all dissent.





After the arrests of two former Radio Free Asia (RFA) journalists, Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, in Phnom Penh on 14 November, interior ministry spokesman Kieu Sopheak accused them of trying to improvise a studio in order to send news to RFA's Washington headquarters. "The court is checking to find the crime," the spokesman added, referring to the Phnom Penh municipal court's uncertainty as to what they would be charged with. The two journalists, who deny the allegations, are due to appear in court today.





"These latest cases clearly show that the law and the judicial system are being used to suppress any independent reporting and, above all, to intimidate the entire press," said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk.





"We relay and share the deep concern of many journalists on the ground after these arbitrary arrests. International organizations need to understand the gravity of what is happening in Phnom Penh. The denial of media freedom means the end of a 25-year democratic transition after the trauma of the Khmer Rouge genocide."





In September, the Cambodian authorities ordered the closure of all local radio stations that carried RFA's programming, resulting in the closure of this US-funded broadcaster's Phnom Penh bureau and the loss of 50 jobs.





In Washington, RFA spokesman Rohit Mahajan voiced dismay at the "harassment of former RFA journalists." He said: "The concern is that actions like these only reinforce the misuse of power by [Prime Minister] Hun Sen and the ruling CPP to intimidate independent voices and free press."





Leng is not the first former Cambodia Daily reporter to be harassed. Two others, Aun Pheap and Zsombor Peter, were recently accused of inciting crime by covering the campaign for municipal elections held in June.





Created in 1993, the same year as Cambodia's first free elections, the Cambodia Daily was forced to close on 4 September by a sudden tax department demand for payment of 6.3 million dollars in alleged back taxes.




Pakistani security officials assault and briefly detain journalists

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 24 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Pakistani security officials assault and briefly detain journalists, 24 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0edc5c4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Pakistani security officials assault and briefly detain journalists

July 24, 2017 5:51 PM ET

New York, July 24, 2017--Pakistani police should launch a thorough investigation into allegations that Federal Investigation Agency officials assaulted and briefly detained journalists in Islamabad last week, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

An FIA officer on June 21 allegedly harassed and detained Channel 24 reporter Saba Bajeer and Dawn News reporter Aitzaz Hassan while they questioned Muhammad Zafar-ul-Haq Hijazi, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, at an Islamabad hospital where he was being examined following his arrest on charges of tampering with records, according to news reports.

Bajeer told CPJ that an FIA officer insisted that she delete photographs she had taken of Hijazi with her phone, and that she agreed to do so, but that when she refused to hand over her phone, the official grabbed her arm and pushed her against a wall. The official also pushed Hassan and took his mobile phone and memory cards, Dawn reported.

Bajeer said the officer then detained her and Hassan for an hour, continued to threaten and to insult her, and forced her and Bajeer and Hassan to write and sign apologies. A Channel 24 team and other reporters arrived at the hospital to help the two, but FIA officials assaulted them, causing light injuries and damaging the journalists' camera equipment, Bajeer said. Dawn reported that members of Hijazi's family also assaulted the journalists.

Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan requested a report on the incident, according to Dawn, and Ahmed Latif, the acting director of the FIA, ordered an inquiry as well, according to The Nation newspaper, but police did not opened a criminal investigation, according to Dawn. Journalists protested in Islamabad over the weekend to call on police to open a First Information Report, the first step toward a criminal investigation, on the alleged assault, Dawn reported.

"Pakistani police should show that no one, not even a federal law enforcement officer, is above the law, and that journalists cannot be attacked for asking questions and taking photographs," said Steven Butler, Asia program coordinator at CPJ. "Saba Bajeer and Aitzaz Hassan were simply doing their jobs and had done nothing to warrant being assaulted or detained."

FIA officials did not respond to CPJ's phone calls or email requesting comment.

"I don't want what happened to me to happen to any other journalist," Bajeer told CPJ. "If these types of actions are allowed to keep happening, it will make it more difficult for women and all journalists to do their jobs."

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Vietnamese blogger sentenced to nine years in prison

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 25 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Vietnamese blogger sentenced to nine years in prison, 25 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0edd104.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Vietnamese blogger sentenced to nine years in prison

July 25, 2017 11:13 AM ET

Bangkok, July 25, 2017--A Vietnamese court today sentenced blogger Tran Thi Nga to nine years in prison and five years' probation on charges of "spreading propaganda against the state," according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the verdict and called on Vietnamese authorities to cease jailing journalists.

After a one-day trial, the People's Court in Ha Nam province, roughly 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Hanoi, found Nga guilty under article 88 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the vague offense of "propagandizing" against the state. The verdict ruled that Nga produced and posted online videos that accused "the communist state of violating human rights and called for pluralism and the elimination of Article 4 of the Constitution," which enshrines a one-party state, news reports said.

Prosecutors presented as evidence 13 videos they said Nga produced and that they claimed were in violation of the law, including films on a toxic maritime spill, territorial disputes with China, and state corruption, reports said. Nga's lawyer, Ha Huy Son, told media that the verdict was unfair and that Nga was not guilty, news reports said.

"Vietnam's repression of brave bloggers like Tran Thi Nga must stop," Shawn Crispin, CPJ's Southeast Asia representative, said. "We call on Vietnamese authorities to repeal this outrageous verdict and release all of the journalists now being held on trumped up anti-state charges."

Nga, an activist who blogs under the pen name "Thuy Nga," campaigned against state abuses, including trafficking, the confiscation of land, and police brutality, according to reports. When authorities arrived to arrest the blogger from her home in Vietnam's northern Ha Nam province on January 21, she posted video clips online that showed the dozens of police officers who had surrounded her house, reports said.

Nga was held for over six months in pre-trial detention. Before her arrest, she had complained about years of official harassment. In 2014, assailants attacked her with metal bars while she rode a bicycle with her children, breaking her left arm and right leg, according to news reports.

Nga's conviction comes nearly a month after a court sentenced Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as "Me Nam" or "Mother Mushroom," to 10 years in prison for "propagandizing" against the state. She was held incommunicado for more than eight months before her one-day trial, according to news reports and CPJ research.

Vietnam held at least eight journalists behind bars in late 2016, when CPJ last conducted its annual census of journalists jailed worldwide.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Palestinian journalists injured covering West Bank protests

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 25 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Palestinian journalists injured covering West Bank protests, 25 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0eddbe0.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Palestinian journalists injured covering West Bank protests

July 25, 2017 3:48 PM ET

Beirut, July 25, 2017--Israeli authorities should independently and credibly investigate reports that Israeli security forces injured journalists covering protests in the West Bank last weekend, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At least six Palestinian journalists were injured while covering protests in East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron on July 20 and 21, according to news reports and the journalists' employers.

Protests erupted in East Jerusalem and the West Bank in the evening of July 20 over Israeli security forces' installation of metal detectors and turnstiles at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem, news reports said. At least three people have been killed in the protests. At least two other journalists were targeted by Israeli security officials on July 18.

"Journalists should be able to cover demonstrations and other events of significant public interest without fear of being attacked by the authorities," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington D.C. "We call on Israeli officials to hold to account any security personnel who commit violence against journalists."

Carsten Seibold, head of Reuters TV for Israel and the Palestinian Territories, told CPJ that Reuters cameraman Sinan Abu Maizer was filming clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces around Lion's Gate in Jerusalem on the evening of July 20 when an Israeli border police officer hit him with a baton on his head, Seibold said. The journalist was treated at a nearby hospital for a concussion and an open wound, Seibold told CPJ.

Abdulhakim Salah, head of the English desk of the Ma'an News Agency, told CPJ that Ma'an reporter Mirna Alatrash was hit in the face by a tear gas canister while covering a protest near an Israeli checkpoint in Bethlehem on July 21. Ma'an reporter Muhammad Lahham collapsed from tear gas inhalation at the same protest, Salah told CPJ. "Both of them are fine," Salah said.

Shireen al-Khatib, of the press freedom group the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedom (MADA), told CPJ that freelance photographer Rami al-Khatib was on his way to Lion's Gate in Jerusalem on July 21 to cover the protests there when an Israeli police officer asked for his press card. When the photographer produced the card, the police officer insulted him, held his hand behind his back, and punched him in the chest in an effort to make him leave, MADA's Al-Khatib said.

Afif Amira and Mashhour Wahwah, photographers for the official Palestinian Wafa News Agency, were injured while covering July 21 protests in Jerusalem and Hebron, respectively, according to news reports and their employer. Pictures posted on Wafa's Facebook page show that Amira was injured in the chest, whereas Wahwah was injured in the foot. According to news reports, Amira was hit by a rubber-coated bullet, and Wahwah was hit by a sound bomb.

Israeli police did not immediately respond to CPJ's email requesting comment.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Mexican journalist threatened in Michoacan state

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 26 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Mexican journalist threatened in Michoacan state, 26 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ede5d4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Mexican journalist threatened in Michoacan state

July 26, 2017 11:12 AM ET

Mexico City, July 26, 2017--Mexican authorities must undertake a swift and credible investigation into death threats sent to Jose Maldonado and ensure the journalist's safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Maldonado, who is based in Morelia, the capital of the central Mexican state of Michoacan, told CPJ he received a threatening email on July 21 signed Raul Solorio. The email warned Maldonado, the 49-year-old editorial director of Agencia Mexicana de Noticias Noventa Grados, to stop reporting on the activities of the state's law enforcement agencies. The message, which CPJ has viewed, ends with a series of implicit death threats against Maldonado. The journalist told CPJ he does not know of anyone named Raul Solorio.

"In Mexico, threats against journalists too often escalate to deadly violence," said CPJ Senior Program Coordinator for the Americas Carlos Lauria in New York. "Mexican authorities should swiftly investigate the threatening messages sent to Jose Maldonado, and ensure that he and other threatened journalists have the necessary protections to continue reporting safely."

Maldonado, who founded Agencia Mexicana de Noticias Noventa Grados in Morelia in 2007, covers a range of subjects, including crime and violence, corruption, and socioeconomic issues.

A translation of the threatening email said, "We have had conversations with you for some time in relation to the activities you have in your pamphlet, because [you are not] a journalist ... We believed you had disciplined yourself and had understood as other colleagues have, but we realize, reading your last articles, that you have not."

The email says that information published by Noventa Grados has become "uncomfortable" to Martin Godoy, the state attorney general, and Rodrigo Gonzalez Ramirez, who heads the state's anti-kidnapping unit. The email ends with a series of implicit death threats, including a reference to Rogelio Arredondo Guillen, the director of Investigation and Analysis of the state attorney general's office, who was killed on July 1, and warns Maldonado that if he writes one more article it will be his last.

On July 13, Noventa Grados published an article about alleged ties between Arredondo and organized crime, following earlier pieces in March and May alleging ties between Michoacan law enforcement and other crime, such as gasoline theft.

Maldonado told CPJ that he believes the death threats are a direct response to at least some of those articles. A spokesperson for the state attorney general's office said she was not authorized to provide CPJ with comment on the case. Several phone calls that CPJ made to the office of Godoy on July 24 and 25 went unanswered.

Maldonado told CPJ he has been threatened before over his coverage of law enforcement. The Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists has provided him with protection since 2015, after he and his family received several threats over his reporting. He told CPJ the mechanism provided him with a panic button. A spokesperson for the mechanism told CPJ yesterday that his institution is reviewing possibly providing additional safety measures for Maldonado, including police protection.

Ricardo Sanchez Perez del Pozo, the federal Special Prosecutor for Attention to Crimes committed against Freedom of Expression, told CPJ yesterday that he is aware of the threats and that his institution, which works under the auspices of the federal Attorney General's Office, has opened an investigation. He said that Maldonado needs to give an official statement to the FEADLE. The journalist told CPJ he intends to do that as soon as possible.

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. In 2017, at least four journalists have been murdered and one was abducted there, according to CPJ research, CPJ is investigating the case of a fifth journalist to determine if his killing is directly related to his work.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Israeli prime minister threatens to expel Al-Jazeera

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 27 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Israeli prime minister threatens to expel Al-Jazeera, 27 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0edef14.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Israeli prime minister threatens to expel Al-Jazeera

July 27, 2017 3:56 PM ET

Beirut, July 27, 2017--Israeli authorities should immediately stop threatening to expel Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday wrote on Facebook that he would work to enact legislation allowing authorities to close Al-Jazeera's Jerusalem bureau and to expel the broadcaster from Israel, accusing the network of inciting viewers to violence in its coverage of protests last week, according to news reports.

Al-Jazeera "continues to stir violence around the Temple Mount," Reuters quoted Netanyahu as writing in Hebrew on his Facebook page. "I have spoken several times to law-enforcement authorities demanding [that they] close Al-Jazeera's office in Jerusalem. If this does not happen because of legal interpretation, I will work to enact the required legislation to expel Al-Jazeera from Israel."

"Prime Minister Netanyahu's threats to close Al-Jazeera's Jerusalem office or to rewrite the law to allow the broadcaster to be expelled smack of authoritarianism and are wholly inconsistent with the democratic image Israel wishes to project abroad," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C. "Netanyahu should stop threatening the media and should respect all journalists' right to do their jobs without fear of retaliation."

The Israeli government's press office did not respond to CPJ's request for comment.

Al-Jazeera on July 21 broadcast video of an Israeli police officer kicking a Palestinian protester kneeling on a prayer mat during a July 21 protest over Israel's installation of metal detectors and security cameras in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque complex and published the video to its social media feeds, where thousands of viewers watched it.

Muhammad Ihtisham Hibatullah, Al-Jazeera's manager of international relations, sent CPJ a statement condemning the Israeli prime minister's accusations of incitement to violence.

Al-Jazeera has faced mounting pressure from regional governments in recent months. In late May 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain blocked access to Qatari-funded news websites, including Al-Jazeera's websites, according to press reports. Barely a week later, Saudi Arabia and Jordan withdrew Al-Jazeera's operating licenses, according to press reports. In late June, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt demanded that Qatar close Al-Jazeera and other media outlets it funds.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Journalists detained covering Maldives protest

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 27 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists detained covering Maldives protest, 27 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0edfae4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Journalists detained covering Maldives protest

July 27, 2017 4:45 PM ET

New York, July 27, 2017--Police in the Maldives should cease detaining journalists covering events of significant public interest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police yesterday briefly detained seven journalists from the private television channels Sangu TV and Raajje TV as they covered an opposition party protest, according to police and media reports.

Police in the capital Male detained Sangu TV's Adam Janah, Ahmed Riffath, Mohamed Shanoon, and Abdullah Yameen and Raajje TV senior journalists Mohamed Wisam, Murshid Abdul-Hakeem, and Raajje TV video journalist Ahmed Mamdhooh for more than two hours last night as they attempted to cover a protest outside the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party's meeting hall to mark the country's independence day, the Maldives Independent reported. The journalists were accused of obstructing police completing their duties, the newspaper reported.

Hussein Fiyaz Moosa, chief operations officer at Raajje TV, told the Maldives Independent that police kicked Abdul-Hakeem. He told CPJ that police damaged the reporters' video equipment.

"Maldives police detained seven Sangu TV and Raajje TV journalists on the accusation they were obstructing police doing their jobs, when in reality it was the police who obstructed the journalists doing their jobs," CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said from Washington, D.C. "Authorities in the Maldives should let journalists report the news without hindrance or fear of attack."

Maldives police superintendent and spokesperson Ahmed Shifan told CPJ that the journalists did not "behave in a professional manner."

"We didn't arrest any journalists," Shifan told CPJ. "We detained some protestors while they were on the run and unfortunately some journalists were [among] them."

Yameen is the only journalist of the group whom police called in for questioning on obstruction charges, Shifan said, though Yameen has not yet been charged with a crime. The other journalists will not face any criminal charges, Shifan said, adding that the police department will send their reports to the Maldives Media Council, which he called the "parent and regulating body of the media." The council is a government-regulated body authorized to investigate complaints and impose fines for journalists and media outlets, according to the Maldives Independent.

Shifan told CPJ that the police department had started an internal inquiry into the treatment of journalists at the rally yesterday.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Morocco deports Spanish journalists

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 27 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Morocco deports Spanish journalists, 27 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee0184.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Morocco deports Spanish journalists

July 27, 2017 6:21 PM ET

New York, July 27, 2017--Moroccan authorities should lift any restriction on the ability of journalists Jose Luis Navazo and Fernando Sanz to enter the country and should allow journalists to report freely on matters of public interest, including protests, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Three plainclothes officers from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) arrested Navazo and Sanz, the director of the Spanish-language news website El Correo Diplomatico and a reporter for the site, respectively, from Navazo's home in the northern Moroccan city of Tetouan, Sanz told CPJ today. The officers did not explain to the journalists why they were arresting them, and did not allow them to bring any personal belongings with them, Sanz said. Police held the journalists in Tetouan's police headquarters for roughly an hour before escorting them to the Tarajal crossing in Ceuta (Sebta) and deporting them, without any interrogation or explanation, Sanz told CPJ. Ceuta is a Spanish enclave on the Moroccan side of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Northern Morocco has been the site of protests since October 2016, when a fishmonger was crushed to death inside a garbage truck while trying to retrieve fish police had confiscated from him, according to news reports. Sanz--who lives in Madrid--told CPJ he had entered Morocco in June to report on the protests.

"Moroccan authorities are trying to prevent news about protests in the northern Rif region from reaching international audiences," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C. "We call on Moroccan authorities to lift any restriction on Navazo and Sanz' ability to enter the country, and to allow journalists to report freely, including from Rif."

Government spokesperson Moustapha Khalfi and the DGSN did not immediately respond to CPJ's requests for comment, and Sanz said Moroccan Minister of Communication Mohamed Laaraj had not yet replied to an open letter that the two journalists had sent requesting information on the reason for their deportation.

Laaraj told the news website Morocco World News that the two men had entered the country as tourists, and that they had sought to "shoot images and take statements from people in Tetouan, but they did not possess shooting permits."

"Had they asked for a shooting permit, the Ministry of Communications could have granted them permission," Laaraj told the webiste.

Navazo, who is married to a Moroccan citizen, has lived in the country for 17 years and has previously interviewed both Prime Minister Saad al-Din al-Othmani and the opposition activist Nasser al-Zefzafi, who is now on trial on charges including "undermin[ing] the internal security" of Morocco, Sanz said. The journalists do not know if there are any restrictions to their ability to travel to Morocco, Sanz said.

Moroccan authorities last month deported Djamel Alilat, a reporter for the daily Algerian newspaper Al-Watan, after he covered protests in Al-Nador, also in the Rif region, according to media reports. On July 25, a Moroccan court sentenced Hamid al-Mahdaoui, editor of the news website Badil, to three months in prison and a fine of 20,000 Moroccan dirhams (roughly U.S.$2000) for "breaking the law through speeches and shouting in public spaces" during a protest in the city of al-Hoceima, according to news reports. Al-Mahdaoui, who denies the charges, said he did not give any speeches, and was arrested on his way to cover the protest, according to the reports.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This text has been corrected to reflect that Sanz lives in Madrid and entered Morocco in June.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Philippine radio commentator critically wounded in shooting

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 28 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Philippine radio commentator critically wounded in shooting, 28 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee0bf4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Philippine radio commentator critically wounded in shooting

July 28, 2017 12:17 PM ET

Bangkok, July 28, 2017--Philippine authorities should thoroughly investigate the shooting of radio commentator Julito Orillaneda, which left the journalist seriously wounded, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The owner and operator of the local radio station dxJB FM was shot in the head, neck, face, and arm as he parked in front of his home in Marihatag, on the southern island of Mindanao, on July 26, according to news reports. The shooter escaped on motorcycle driven by an accomplice, the reports said.

Orillaneda was rushed to the nearby Marihatag District Hospital and later transferred to the Butuan City Hospital for further treatment, the reports said. News reports said the reporter remained conscious after the shooting and was in critical condition as of today.

"We call on authorities to leave no stone unturned in identifying and apprehending the assailants who shot and critically wounded radio broadcaster Julito Orillaneda," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's senior Southeast Asia representative. "Only bringing the perpetrators of these types of attacks on journalists to justice can end this cycle of violence and impunity."

Senior Inspector Joy Allan Blasco, Marihatag's police chief, said authorities had not identified or apprehended the assailants. Reports did not speculate on a possible motive for the attack. The Philippine News Agency, citing local journalists, said Orillaneda was a hard-hitting commentator known for his critical reports on the local government.

The Philippines ranks fourth on CPJ's Impunity Index, a global measure of countries where journalists are slain and the killers go free. More journalists have been killed in direct relation to their work in the Philippines than anywhere apart from Iraq and Syria since CPJ began keeping detailed records in 1992.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Seven Cumhuriyet journalists and managers released pending trial

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 28 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Seven Cumhuriyet journalists and managers released pending trial, 28 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee1a94.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Seven Cumhuriyet journalists and managers released pending trial

July 28, 2017 3:45 PM ET

New York, July 28, 2017--Turkish authorities should immediately and unconditionally release all employees and directors of the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, and all journalists jailed for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. A court in Istanbul today ordered seven Cumhuriyet employees and managers released pending the conclusion of their trial, according to press reports.

Cumhuriyet reported that Istanbul's 27th Court for Serious Crimes ordered the release of cartoonist Musa Kart; columnists Guray Oz and Hakan Kara; literary supplement editor Turhan Gunay; and board members Onder Celik, Mustafa Kemal Gungor, and Bulent Utku. The court ordered four other defendants, including Cumhuriyet Editor-in-Chief Murat Sabuncu, jailed pending the conclusion of the trial. The remaining defendants, including Can Dundar, the newspaper's award-winning former editor, are being tried in absentia. The trial is scheduled to resume on September 11, according to press reports.

"The release pending trial of seven Cumhuriyet employees and directors is a small step in the right direction, but the defendants should never have spent a day in jail in the first place," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. "Authorities should put an end to this farcical trial by immediately dropping the transparently retaliatory charges against all 17 people in this case."

Charges brought against the journalists include membership in a terrorist organization, aiding a terrorist organization while not being a member, and "employment-related abuse of trust," according to press reports. Turkish prosecutors accuse Cumhuriyet of supporting exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom the government accuses of masterminding a failed military coup in July 2016, and of aiding the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Turkey classes as a terrorist group. The defendants deny the charges, press reports said.

At the time of CPJ's most recent annual global prison census, Turkey was holding more journalists in jail than any country at any time since CPJ began keeping track.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Myanmar journalist arrested at airport ahead of criminal defamation trial

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 28 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Myanmar journalist arrested at airport ahead of criminal defamation trial, 28 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee2214.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Myanmar journalist arrested at airport ahead of criminal defamation trial

July 31, 2017 11:21 AM ET

Bangkok, July 31, 2017--Myanmar authorities should drop all charges against Swe Win, the editor of the news website Myanmar Now, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police at Yangon's international airport yesterday arrested the journalist on charges of attempting to flee the country before his trial next month on criminal defamation charges, news reports said.

Police apprehended Swe Win before he boarded a flight to neighboring Thailand, according to news reports. Today authorities brought him to the central city of Mandalay, where his trial on defamation charges is scheduled to begin on August 7, his lawyer, Khin Maung Myint, told Reuters.

Yangon police Lt. Col. Myint Htwe said the arrest was made at the request of Mandalay City authorities. "The Mandalay police informed us that Swe Win was trying to run away and to detain him at the airport," he told reporters.

Lawyer Khin Maung Myint said court officials had not informed his client that he was barred from leaving the country, and that the journalist had intended to return to Myanmar from Thailand today, after making work arrangements for the time he would be on trial, reports said. He was released on bail today, according to news reports.

"We call on Myanmar authorities to drop all charges against Swe Win and to stop detaining journalists on spurious defamation charges," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's Southeast Asia representative. "The criminalization of news reporting harks to the dark days of the previous military regime's censorship and is embarrassingly out of step with Myanmar's supposed transition to democracy."

Swe Win is one of several journalists who face possible three-year prison sentences on charges pending under article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, a provision that criminalizes online speech deemed as defamatory.

"It is good that this has happened. I have got to tackle this. The law should not exist," Swe Win told reporters at a police station in Mandalay last night. "It will be good for the citizens as well."

The charges were initially filed in March by Kyaw Myo Shwe, a follower of Buddhist monk U Wirathu, over comments Swe Win posted on Facebook accusing the monk of breaking monastic rules by praising the January 29 assassination of a Muslim lawyer. Any citizen of Myanmar can file defamation charges for material published online under the Telecommunication Law's broad provisions.

In another emblematic prosecution under article 66(d), Kyaw Min Swe, editor of The Voice newspaper, has been held in pretrial detention since June 2 on charges filed by the military for an article the newspaper published lampooning an army-produced propaganda film. Kyaw Min Swe has been refused at least eight separate bail requests, according to news reports.

Three other journalists--Aye Naing and Pyae Phone Naing from the Democratic Voice of Burma news agency, and Thein Zaw of The Irrawaddy media group--were arrested on June 26 on charges filed by the military under the 1908 Unlawful Associations Act for reporting on an event hosted by a rebel armed group. A court on July 28 refused to release them pending the conclusion of their trial, according to news reports.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Syrian journalist killed near Homs

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 31 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Syrian journalist killed near Homs, 31 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee2b14.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Syrian journalist killed near Homs

July 31, 2017 3:11 PM ET

New York, July 31, 2017--The death of Khaled al-Khateb, a Syrian freelance correspondent for the Russian government-funded broadcaster RT's Arabic-language service, in Homs province yesterday is a tragic reminder of the risks journalists face covering Syria's conflict, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

RT Arabic reported that al-Khateb, 25, was traveling with a Syrian Army convoy through the village of Sukhna, in eastern Homs province, when he was killed by a rocket the broadcaster said was fired by fighters from the Islamic State group. An employee of RT Arabic, who asked that CPJ not use his name because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the station, told CPJ that "several" Syrian soldiers were also killed in the attack, and that RT cameraman Muutaz Yaqoub was injured.

"The death of Syrian journalist Khaled al-Khateb and the injury of Muutaz Yaqoub are grim reminders of the dangers journalists face covering the conflict there," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said. "We call on all parties to the conflict to take all possible steps to protect the lives of all civilians, including journalists."

Al-Khateb began freelance work for RT Arabic in April, the broadcaster reported. The Russian-government-funded website Sputnik also reported that he had previously worked for its Arabic-language service and for the Syrian-government-funded broadcaster Al-Ikhbaria before beginning work with RT. His last piece for RT focused on civilian casualties from the U.S.-led coalition's bombing campaign in support of a rebel offensive to retake Raqqa from the Islamic State group.

RT head Margarita Simonyan said in a statement that al-Khateb's death was the first time that one of the network's journalists had been killed in a conflict zone.

At least 109 journalists have been killed in Syria since fighting began there in 2011, according CPJ research.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Israeli soldiers raid Palestinian media company's office

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 31 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Israeli soldiers raid Palestinian media company's office, 31 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee3274.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Israeli soldiers raid Palestinian media company's office

July 31, 2017 4:46 PM ET

New York, July 31, 2017--The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned Israeli soldiers' raid of the office of PalMedia, a production company that provides broadcast services to Al-Quds TV and other broadcasters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Israeli soldiers on July 29 raided the PalMedia complex, which houses the offices of the pro-Hamas broadcaster Al-Quds TV, the pro-Hezbollah, Lebanese broadcasters Al-Mayadeen and Al-Manar, and the Russian-government-funded broadcaster RT, and seized documents and six storage devices, according to news reports. Witnesses told the Palestinian Ma'an news agency that at least 10 military vehicles surrounded the building before the raid.

Al-Quds TV Ramallah bureau chief Alaa al-Rimawy told journalists that soldiers confiscated hard drives containing Al-Quds TV video archives. Israeli soldiers raided offices of Al-Quds and its affiliate RamSat in the West Bank city of Hebron two weeks ago.

"On Saturday, as part of the ongoing effort against incitement in the Judea and Samaria Region, IDF forces seized media equipment and documents used for incitement from media offices in Ramallah," an Israeli Defense Forces spokeswoman who gave her name only as Linda told CPJ.

"Israeli soldiers cannot simply allege incitement and raid broadcasters' offices," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C. "We call on the Israeli military to return all equipment it seized from PalMedia's office in Ramallah immediately and stop harassing the press."

PalMedia did not immediately respond to CPJ's email requesting comment.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This text has been corrected to reflect that PalMedia's office is in Ramallah, not Hebron.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Thai columnist Pravit Rojanaphruk charged with two cases of sedition

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 8 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Thai columnist Pravit Rojanaphruk charged with two cases of sedition, 8 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee58e4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Thai columnist Pravit Rojanaphruk charged with two cases of sedition

August 8, 2017 12:01 PM ET

Washington, D.C., August 8, 2017--Thai authorities should immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against Pravit Rojanaphruk, a columnist at the news website Khaosod English, and allow the journalist to work freely and without further harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Pravit, whom CPJ will honor with its International Press Freedom Award this year, wrote on Twitter today that the Royal Thai Police's Technology Crime Suppression Division formally informed him that he faces charges of sedition, as defined under article 116 of Thailand's Criminal Code, and disseminating false information online, under the Computer Crimes Act.

Pravit told CPJ that the first sedition charge stems from Facebook posts he wrote on February 16 and 17, 2015, in which he raised critical questions about a military-drafted constitution that passed later that year in a national referendum and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's frequently delayed plans for new elections, among other topics related to the military government's legitimacy. At the time, Prayuth had said he would no longer take questions from the press.

The second sedition charge, Pravit told CPJ, stems from five Facebook posts he wrote in recent weeks on various widely reported news events, including the ongoing criminal negligence trial of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose government the military coup toppled, Prayuth's handling of recent floods, and a soldier's threat to confiscate a local TV news reporter's equipment.

"The sedition charges filed today against columnist Pravit Rojanaphruk mark a new low in the Thai junta's abuse of overbroad laws to stifle press freedom," said Steven Butler, CPJ's Asia program coordinator. "We call on authorities to drop these charges before they do any more damage to Thailand's international credibility and reputation under military rule."

The charges were lodged at the Royal Thai Police's Technology Crime Suppression Division, according to Pravit. Sedition charges carry maximum jail sentences of seven years, with a maximum allowable sentence of 20 years for multiple counts. Pravit's Twitter post said he faces a maximum 14 years in prison if found guilty in both sedition cases. His post from the police station today included a picture of the reporter, his hands stained with ink after police fingerprinted him.

Pravit told CPJ that he must report to police again on August 18 to hear clarification of the Computer Crime Act charges that he spread false information online. Thailand's attorney general must approve sedition charges before cases move to trial.

CPJ last month announced that Pravit will be one of four recipients of its 2017 International Press Freedom Award, given each year to journalists for their courageous reporting.

Military authorities have singled out Pravit for harassment since they seized power in a May 2014 coup. He has been temporarily detained on two occasions, once in May 2014 and again in September 2015, in retaliation for his critical commentary on military rule.

Upon his release after his second detention, military officials threatened to freeze his bank account if he continued to criticize the regime, he told CPJ at the time. As a condition of his release, he was forced to sign a pledge that he would not become involved in any activities opposing military rule.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Uzbek journalist at risk of deportation allegedly tortured in Russia

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 7 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Uzbek journalist at risk of deportation allegedly tortured in Russia, 7 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee5f64.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Uzbek journalist at risk of deportation allegedly tortured in Russia

August 7, 2017 7:18 PM ET

New York, August 7, 2017--Russian authorities should credibly investigate allegations that bailiffs tortured Uzbek journalist Khudoberdi Nurmatov, and should not deport him to Uzbekistan, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. A court in Moscow is scheduled to hear the journalist's appeal of the order to deport him tomorrow, according to media reports.

Moscow police arrested Nurmatov, a contributor to the independent Russian daily newspaper Novaya Gazeta better known by his pen name, Ali Feruz, near Novaya Gazeta's office in Moscow on August 1, on immigration charges, according to media reports. The same day, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow ruled that the journalist had violated Russian immigration laws and ordered his deportation, whereupon the journalist tried to commit suicide in the courtroom by grabbing a pen from his lawyer and trying to gouge his wrists, according to Novaya Gazeta and media reports.

The newspaper reported that bailiffs beat, insulted, and shocked Nurmatov while bringing him to a detention center for foreign nationals in a Moscow suburb. Novaya Gazeta Editor-in-Chief Dmitry Muratov, who visited Nurmatov in the detention center on August 5, reported that the journalist had bruises on his back, was unable to eat for three days, and has suffered from hypertension since the beating. The Russian Federal Bailiffs Service did not respond to CPJ's phone calls requesting comment.

"Russian authorities should independently and credibly investigate the serious allegations that Kudoberdi Nurmatov was tortured in custody, and should refrain from deporting him to Uzbekistan, where he faces imminent risk of further torture," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. "Russia should free Nurmatov without delay and allow him to continue living in Russia and to work without interference."

Nurmatov, 30, fled Uzbekistan in 2008, after Uzbek security services allegedly tried to force him to work as an informant by torturing him and threatening to harm his family, eventually arriving in Russia by way of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in 2011, according to media reports.

He began contributing to Novaya Gazeta in 2014, when he reported the abduction of an Uzbek migrant from downtown Moscow.

In 2015 Nurmatov first unsuccessfully applied for refugee status in Russia--where his mother and siblings, all Russian citizens, live--on the grounds that he risked torture in Uzbekistan. Over the following years he unsuccessfully applied for residency through various routes. His appeal of a March 2017 rejection of his application for political asylum was still pending at the time of his arrest, Novaya Gazeta reported.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say the journalist is at risk of torture if Russia deports him to Uzbekistan. The Uzbek National Security Service did not respond to CPJ's phone calls requesting comment.

Nurmatov has regularly contributed to Novaya Gazeta since 2016, reporting on such sensitive subjects as the plight of Central Asian migrant workers in Russia and the December 2016 presidential election in Uzbekistan.

On August 4, according to human rights groups and media reports, the European Court of Human Rights issued a preliminary injunction ordering Russia not to deport the journalist until the court reviews his case.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Reporter shot and killed in the Philippines

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 7 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporter shot and killed in the Philippines, 7 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee6f74.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporter shot and killed in the Philippines

August 7, 2017 12:31 PM ET

Bangkok, August 7, 2017--A Filipino journalist was shot and killed today while riding a motorcycle in the town of President Quirino, on the southern island of Mindanao, news reports said. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the killing and called on Philippine authorities to identify the assailants and swiftly bring them to justice.

Leonardo Diaz, a columnist at the local Sapol News newspaper and volunteer reporter at Radio Mindanao-Cotabato, was shot multiple times near the town's Kalanawi II village at around 9 a.m., the reports said. Senior Police Inspector Joan Resurrecion said Diaz died on the spot, the reports said. Two companions who were with Diaz were injured and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, reports said. News reports gave conflicting accounts on whether there were one or two assailants, who fled the scene by motorcycle.

"Authorities must quickly apprehend the perpetrators and determine the motive behind the murder of journalist Leonardo Diaz," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's Southeast Asia representative. "Until President Rodrigo Duterte shows he is serious about protecting journalists, these types of brazen killings will continue in an unbroken cycle of impunity."

Diaz's murder is at least the second attack on a journalist in the country in recent weeks. On July 28, an unknown assailant shot and critically wounded radio commentator Julito Orillandea in the town of Marihatag, also in Mindanao. Police have not announced any suspects or arrests in that crime, according to press reports.

On December 19, an unidentified gunman shot and killed newspaper publisher Larry Que at his office in Catanduanes province's town of Vivac, according to media reports. Que was shot soon after his newspaper published a column he wrote alleging official negligence over an illegal methamphetamine laboratory that police raided in the island province, news reports said. CPJ is investigating to determine if his murder was in direct retaliation for his work.

The Philippines ranked fourth on CPJ's latest Impunity Index, a measure of countries worldwide where journalist are killed and the murderers go free.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
China sentences journalist Lu Yuyu to four years in prison

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, China sentences journalist Lu Yuyu to four years in prison, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ee7ef4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporter shot and killed in the Philippines

August 7, 2017 12:31 PM ET

Bangkok, August 7, 2017--A Filipino journalist was shot and killed today while riding a motorcycle in the town of President Quirino, on the southern island of Mindanao, news reports said. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the killing and called on Philippine authorities to identify the assailants and swiftly bring them to justice.

Leonardo Diaz, a columnist at the local Sapol News newspaper and volunteer reporter at Radio Mindanao-Cotabato, was shot multiple times near the town's Kalanawi II village at around 9 a.m., the reports said. Senior Police Inspector Joan Resurrecion said Diaz died on the spot, the reports said. Two companions who were with Diaz were injured and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, reports said. News reports gave conflicting accounts on whether there were one or two assailants, who fled the scene by motorcycle.

"Authorities must quickly apprehend the perpetrators and determine the motive behind the murder of journalist Leonardo Diaz," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's Southeast Asia representative. "Until President Rodrigo Duterte shows he is serious about protecting journalists, these types of brazen killings will continue in an unbroken cycle of impunity."

Diaz's murder is at least the second attack on a journalist in the country in recent weeks. On July 28, an unknown assailant shot and critically wounded radio commentator Julito Orillandea in the town of Marihatag, also in Mindanao. Police have not announced any suspects or arrests in that crime, according to press reports.

On December 19, an unidentified gunman shot and killed newspaper publisher Larry Que at his office in Catanduanes province's town of Vivac, according to media reports. Que was shot soon after his newspaper published a column he wrote alleging official negligence over an illegal methamphetamine laboratory that police raided in the island province, news reports said. CPJ is investigating to determine if his murder was in direct retaliation for his work.

The Philippines ranked fourth on CPJ's latest Impunity Index, a measure of countries worldwide where journalist are killed and the murderers go free.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
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Journalists detained, harassed, beaten covering Congo protests

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 3 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists detained, harassed, beaten covering Congo protests, 3 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ef0cd4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Journalists detained, harassed, beaten covering Congo protests

August 3, 2017 4:11 PM ET

New York, August 3, 2017--Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo should cease harassing and detaining journalists and should allow them to cover protests and other events of public interest without interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Security forces harassed, detained, or beat at least 18 journalists across the country on July 31 as they covered anti-government protests, according to media reports and Congolese press freedom advocates. Security forces released all of the journalists by the end of the day, but deleted many of the journalists' photographs and recordings first. Security forces arrested more than 100 people in the nationwide protests demanding that President Joseph Kabila leave office by the end of the year, according to media reports.

"Detaining journalists and deleting their photographs and recordings is a crude attempt at censoring news of protests and sends a chilling message to the press in the Democratic Republic of Congo," said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. "Journalists must be permitted to report freely, without fear of being arrested or harassed by security services."

According to the DRC Association of Online Media (MILRDC), an independent advocacy group, security services on July 31 detained at least seven journalists in the capital, Kinshasa, including: Pascal Mulegwa, a reporter for Turkey's Anadolu news agency; Christine Tshibuyi, a reporter for ACTUALITE.CD; Emmanuela Zondi, a reporter for Vox Congo; and journalists for BBC Afrique, Reuters, and China's Xinhua News Agency, whom the association did not name.

"All the journalists [at the demonstration] were subject to immediate arrest without explanation. We stayed inside a school under police supervision," one of the journalists detained in Kinshasa told CPJ, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

At least four journalists were detained in the eastern city of Goma on July 31, including: the BBC Afrique's Ley Uwera; Daniel Chube Ngorombi, of Radio France Internationale's Swahili service; Etienne Mosengo, a reporter for the community radio station Radio Tele du Graben Beni (RTGB); and Justin Kabunga, a reporter for Congo Synthese, according to media reports. Uwera wrote on Twitter that security services deleted material she had gathered reporting on the protests.

The same day, security forces in in the northeastern city of Butembo detained at least two journalists--Radio Soleil journalist Merveille Kakule Saliboko and George Kisando, who works for the radio station of the Catholic University of Graben (UCG)--according to the journalists and media reports. Officers seized Saliboko's phone, and, as of August 2, 2017, had not returned it to him, he wrote in a blog post.

Security forces in the eastern city of Bukavu also detained at least two journalists--Esther Lubago and Christian Safari, both from the private television station Canal Futur--Lubago told CPJ. Security forces deleted the journalist's recording of the protests before releasing her, she told CPJ. Josue Musole, of the community broadcaster Radio Nenolauzima, and BBC reporter Byobe Malenga individually told CPJ that security forces beat them as they were on their way to cover the July 31 demonstration in Bukavu.

"The commander ordered the policemen to search us and to take everything: camera, recorder," Malenga told CPJ. "They started to beat us."

In the southeastern city of Lubumbashi, at least one journalist from the U.N.-funded Radio Okapi was detained, according to media reports and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

CPJ's repeated phone calls to Mwana Mputu, spokesperson for the national police, went unanswered.

The Congolese government has in recent weeks sought to control independent reporting. The Ministry of Communication and Media on July 12, 2017, issued new regulations restricting foreign journalists' ability to report on socio-economic issues and politics, as well as "strategic locations" such as military barracks, telecommunication installations, and embassies, according to directives seen by CPJ and a statement by the Congolese press freedom group Journaliste en Danger. The orders also require that foreign journalists obtain government permission to cross regional borders within the country.

In a separate incident, on July 25, 2017, three men in plainclothes who identified themselves as military intelligence officers assaulted and briefly detained two Agence France-Presse journalists reporting on a doctors' strike in Kinshasa, AFP reported. An officer accused the journalists of taking images aimed at "smearing the country" abroad, but released them after roughly half an hour, according to AFP.

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Pravit Rojanaphruk, CPJ honoree, accused of sedition in Thailand

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 3 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Pravit Rojanaphruk, CPJ honoree, accused of sedition in Thailand, 3 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ef15c4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Pravit Rojanaphruk, CPJ honoree, accused of sedition in Thailand

August 3, 2017 12:28 PM ET

New York, August 3, 2017--Authorities in Thailand should cease harassing Pravit Rojanaphruk and should drop any criminal proceedings against him for his writing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Pravit, a columnist at Khaosod English who will be honored with CPJ's International Press Freedom Award this year, told CPJ that he learned late on July 31 that he is accused of sedition for five posts he had written on Facebook.

Pravit wrote on Facebook that the deputy superintendent of the police's Technology Crime Suppression Division informed the journalist of the accusations against him. Pravit told CPJ that the official did not indicate which specific posts police deemed objectionable. The journalist, who has not yet been formally charged, must report to police on August 8 to formally hear the accusation.

"Thai authorities should stop threatening Pravit Rojanaphruk for his writing," CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said from Washington, D.C. "The threat to charge a critical journalist with sedition charges for his Facebook posts shows just how badly press freedom has deteriorated in Thailand under military rule."

If charged and convicted under article 116 of Thailand's Criminal Code, Pravit could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison. He could also face parallel criminal charges under the Computer Crime Act for disseminating seditious materials online, which carries maximum penalties of five years for each post.

Thailand's attorney general must approve sedition charges before cases move to trial.

CPJ last month announced that Pravit will be one of four recipients of its 2017 International Press Freedom Award, with which the organization each year honors exemplary and courageous reporting. Military authorities have singled out Pravit for harassment since seizing power in a May 2014 coup.

Days after the military's takeover, Pravit was summoned and detained incommunicado for a week. In September 2015, he was again summoned to a military base, where he was interrogated for more than six hours, then blindfolded, driven for more than an hour to a house with blocked-out windows, and held incommunicado by plainclothes military officials.

Upon his release two days later without charge, military officials threatened to freeze his bank account if he continued to criticize the regime, he told CPJ at the time. As a condition of his release, he was forced to sign a pledge that he would not become involved in any activities opposing military rule.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The fourth paragraph of this text has been corrected to reflect that Pravit faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years if convicted of sedition.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Colombian documentary filmmaker repeatedly threatened with death

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 1 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Colombian documentary filmmaker repeatedly threatened with death, 1 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ef1cc4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Colombian documentary filmmaker repeatedly threatened with death

August 1, 2017 5:44 PM ET

New York, August 1, 2016--Colombian authorities should swiftly and credibly investigate threats against documentary filmmaker and activist Bladimir Sanchez Espitia and should ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Sanchez told CPJ a man with a gun came looking for him in the early hours of July 30.

The man came to a building that Sanchez often visits in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Bogota at 2:30 a.m., Sanchez told CPJ. The journalist, who was not there at the time, told CPJ that multiple witnesses, including the building's security guard, told him the man had a gun and asked for him by name. The visit was the latest in a series of threats dating back to at least 2012, according to CPJ research.

"Colombian authorities should fully investigate the threat to Bladimir Sanchez Espitia's life, and ensure there are effective measures in place to protect him," said Carlos Lauria, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "Colombian journalists should be able to report on sensitive issues without fear of death."

Sanchez, a documentary filmmaker who covers human rights, has received escalating threats for at least five years. He told CPJ he believes the threats could be tied to mining companies that he investigates in his documentary work, local police, or political figures that may have interests in those companies or their development projects.

The filmmaker first fled his home in the central Colombian region of Huila, roughly 370 kilometers (230 miles) south of Bogota, in 2012 after he received death threats related to a video he posted on YouTube. The video showed antiriot police forcibly removing protesters from the construction site of a hydroelectric dam in Huila. After posting the video, Sanchez received phone calls from several unidentified callers, according to the Bogota-based Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP). Sanchez told CPJ at the time that he believed police officers in Huila were responsible for the call. CPJ's calls to Colombia's Attorney General Office today were not immediately answered.

On April 15, 2016, unidentified individuals broke into Sanchez's apartment in Bogota and stole a computer, video camera, a storage disk, and other hardware, FLIP reported. Sanchez told FLIP that the stolen equipment contained material alleging that mining companies participated in human rights violations, which he planned to use in future documentary films. The thieves did not take any other valuable items, the filmmaker told FLIP. Sanchez and the legal support organization the Jose Alvear Restepo Lawyers Collective requested that the Attorney General's office conduct a full investigation into the burglary, but Sanchez, who returned to Hulia not long after, told CPJ he is not aware of any progress in the case.

Sanchez fled Huila again in late May 2017, after his family was threatened, and again relocated to Bogota, where he told CPJ he believed his family would be safer. Sanchez told CPJ that at the time he was working as co-director and executive producer of a documentary for the Discovery Channel about the peace process between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla group.

Since 1992, at least 47 journalists have been killed in Colombia in direct relation to their work, many as the result of the conflict between the state and armed guerilla groups. While security for journalists in Colombia has improved in recent years, threats and violence against journalists continue, often with impunity, according to CPJ research.

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Bangladeshi journalist arrested for reporting death of goat

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 1 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Bangladeshi journalist arrested for reporting death of goat, 1 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ef3634.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

A farmer waits for customers to buy his goats in a Dhaka market, December 18, 2017. (AFP/Farjana Khan Godhury)

Bangladeshi journalist arrested for reporting death of goat

August 1, 2017 5:27 PM ET

New York, August 1, 2017--Bangladeshi authorities should drop all charges against Abdul Latif Morol and should release him without delay, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police in Dumaria, roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of Dhaka, yesterday arrested the journalist on defamation charges after he wrote on Facebook that a goat had died.

Minister of State for Fisheries and Livestock Narayan Chandra Chanda on July 30 donated livestock to poor farmers, according to The Daily Star newspaper, the news website Prothom Alo, and Agence France-Presse. After local newspapers reported that one of the donated goats died, Morol wrote a Facebook post that roughly translated to "Goat given by state minister in the morning dies in the evening," according to AFP.

Police arrested Morol, the Dumaria correspondent for the Daily Probaha, after Subroto Faujdar, the Dumaria correspondent for the Daily Spandan, filed a criminal complaint against him claiming that Morol had defamed Chanda in a "derogatory post" on Facebook, Dumaria police chief Sukumar Biswas told AFP. Faujdar told Prothom Alo that he filed the complaint against his colleague because he supported the minister.

"Jailing a journalist for reporting the death of a goat is beyond absurd," CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said from Washington, D.C. "Abdul Latif Morol should be released immediately, and the Bangladeshi government should urgently heed its pledges to reform the law that makes such abuses of the justice system possible."

Section 57 of Bangladesh's Information and Communications Act, which carries maximum penalties of 14 years in prison and fines of more than U.S. $100,000, criminalizes publishing material online deemed to be false; obscene; defamatory; likely to harm law and order; to tarnish the image of the state or an individual; to offend religious sentiments; or to provoke individuals or organizations, according to legal analyses. According to The Daily Star, at least 21 journalists have faced criminal complaints under its provisions in the last four months alone.

Bangladeshi Minister of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Anisul Huq has repeatedly promised that the provision would be scrapped from planned new legislation intended to replace the law, and that journalists would not be pursued under the law in the meantime, according to press reports.

"I have said it before and saying it again, if any obstruction is created against freedom of speech or against journalists, the investigation officers or agencies will look into it," Huq told journalists in Dhaka earlier this month, according to media reports.

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Journalists detained, attacked, and threatened amid unrest in Venezuela

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 31 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists detained, attacked, and threatened amid unrest in Venezuela, 31 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0ef9d34.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Journalists detained, attacked, and threatened amid unrest in Venezuela

July 31, 2017 6:16 PM ET

New York, July 31, 2017--Venezuelan officials should stop harassing journalists and censoring media outlets amid unrest and violent protests in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Journalists covering yesterday's vote to elect representatives for a constituent assembly to reform the Venezuelan constitution were arbitrarily detained, attacked, and threatened.

At least four journalists were detained, protesters attacked two photographers and stole their equipment, and a soldier threatened journalists, according to local press freedom groups and news reports. Authorities also impeded journalists' ability to cover voting and the president called for a television station to be investigated over its coverage of the vote and unrest, according to news reports.

"The political crisis in Venezuela has created an environment in which harassment and physical violence are part of the daily routine for many journalists, and news outlets are blocked from reporting," said Carlos Lauria, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "The Venezuelan people have a right to know about vital events, and authorities must ensure that media outlets are able to provide that information without facing restrictions or violence."

Police yesterday detained Felipe Royet, a photojournalist for Spanish weekly Cambio16, in Caracas, and Brigitte Gerdel and Daniel Rodriguez, from the news site Las Noticias de Cojedes, in San Carlos, according to the National Union of Press Workers. The national intelligence agency detained Venevision reporter Euclides Sotillo in Caracas. All four were later released without charge, the union reported.

Also yesterday, a video recorded by digital news outlet VivoPlay in the El Paraiso neighborhood of Caracas appeared to show a National Guard soldier threatening to break journalists' equipment if they continued filming. Venezuela's National Guard did not immediately respond to CPJ's emailed request for comment.

Separately, freelance photojournalist Fabiola Ferrero told CPJ that a group of at least 20 armed civilians--known as colectivos-- threatened her and a fellow photographer and robbed them in Caracas. Ferrero said the group asked the journalists who they worked for, then forced them to hand over their vests, gas masks, helmets, camera equipment, and cell phones.

Colectivos have been responsible for several incidents of threats, harassment, and violence against journalists since protests began in late March, CPJ has found. Ferrero told CPJ that polarization in the country has increased the risk for journalists. "Whoever sees a journalist sees us as a threat. It doesn't matter who they are or what group they're part of," she said.

Authorities also imposed restrictions on journalists covering the vote. At a press conference on July 28, Tibisay Lucena, president of the National Electoral Council, the entity responsible for overseeing the voting process, announced that media outlets would be required to stay at least 500 meters (approx. 1,600ft) from voting centers.

The council also denied credentials to at least nine of the 15 media outlets that requested credentials to cover the July 30 vote, according to the Caracas-based Institute for Press and Society (IPYS Venezuela). Three employees at the National Electoral Council press office told CPJ they were not authorized to comment on press credentials.

The government has used visa restrictions to deny at least four international journalists entry to Venezuela to cover the constituent assembly vote, according to local press freedom groups and news reports.

Separately, President Nicolas Maduro called for the state telecommunications regulator Conatel to investigate the privately owned television network Televen for "apologizing for crimes," according to news reports. The president made his comments during a television appearance broadcast at 12:30 a.m. today. Maduro criticized Televen for its coverage of the vote, saying the outlet instead preferred to show "the fire in Altamira"--referring to an explosion in a Caracas neighborhood that injured at least three police officers, according to reports.

Violent protests against the Maduro government and counter-protests have been held since late March. At least 10 people died yesterday in the deadliest day of unrest to date, bringing the number of people killed since protests began to more than 120, according to news reports. In a statement on July 28, Maduro blamed protesters for the violence and said they were trying to start a civil war, according to reports.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Dubai suspends magazine for one month

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 31 July 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Dubai suspends magazine for one month, 31 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efa4a4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Dubai suspends magazine for one month

July 31, 2017 5:42 PM ET

Beirut, July 31, 2017--Authorities in Dubai should immediately reverse their one-month ban on the print and online editions of the weekly magazine Arabian Business, and should cease censoring the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The Dubai media office on July 26 said Arabian Business' website had been blocked and "the distribution of its print edition halted for one month" following its publication, on July 19, of an article on dozens of real-estate projects in Dubai that it said were in liquidation, according to news reports. Two days later, Arabian Business removed the article from its website and posted an apology, saying that the piece was outdated, but not before some media outlets repeated its claims.

"Blanket censorship of a publication should not be an option," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C. "Banning Arabian Business from publishing for a month because of an error is disproportionate and we urge authorities to rescind this order."

Sara Abdulkareem, of the Dubai Government Media Office, sent CPJ a July 26 statement from the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority (DCCA), which regulates office parks created for companies in a particular industry, such as the media, accusing Arabian Business of publishing false news based on inaccurate information and of violating the DCCA's rules. The DCCA did not respond to CPJ's emailed request for clarification.

An editor at Arabian Business declined to comment.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Ukrainian press union president threatened after criticizing raid on news website

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 14 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Ukrainian press union president threatened after criticizing raid on news website, 14 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efaf64.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Ukrainian press union president threatened after criticizing raid on news website

August 14, 2017 5:48 PM ET

New York, August 14, 2017--The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the harassment of journalists in Ukraine and called on authorities to ensure the press can report freely, after the country's National Security Service raided the offices of a news website and a member of parliament criticized Sergiy Tomilenko, head of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, for his response to the raid.

Security service agents searched the Kiev premises of the independent news website Strana and the homes of at least two of its journalists on August 8, according to media reports. Authorities accused the website of allegedly disclosing state secrets, reports said. The day after the raid, MP Dmytro Tymchuk accused Tomilenko of supporting anti-Ukrainian activities after the head of the union criticized the raid. Tomilenko told CPJ that he has since received threatening messages on social media.

The search of Strana's offices is part of a criminal investigation into allegations that the publication disclosed state secrets, Kyiv Post reported. Agents searched the website's offices in June on the same accusations and confiscated a flash drive from Editor-in-Chief Igor Guzhva that allegedly contained confidential information belonging to the Ministry of Defense, reports said. Guzhva is being investigated for disclosure of state secrets, according to reports. He has denied the accusation and said the flash drive was planted, according to reports.

Separately, prosecutors charged Guzhva in June with extorting money in exchange for not publishing articles about a politician, according to reports. Guzhva denied the charge and said he was set up, according to press reports.

"Ukrainian authorities should end their harassment of Strana, drop all charges against Igor Guzhva, and stop fostering a hostile environment toward the press," said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova. "Politicians are creating a toxic atmosphere for the media by dividing Ukrainian journalists into patriotic and unpatriotic, when they should be encouraging a wide variety of viewpoints to inform the public."

Tomilenko said that after he criticized the harassment of the news website last week, MP Tymchuk accused the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine in a Facebook post of "[acting] against the informational security of Ukraine" by supporting anti-Ukrainian media. Tomilenko said he has since received multiple threats on social media. Some of the threats sent from Facebook users, which CPJ has viewed, called for Tomilenko's imprisonment and the "cleansing of the fifth colony"--a reference to independent media.

During a mission to Kiev last month to launch a report on the unsolved murder last year of International Press Freedom Award recipient Pavel Sheremet, a CPJ delegation found an atmosphere of harassment and intimidation of independent journalists who criticize Ukraine's government policies.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Iraqi regulator threatens TV satirist with legal action

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 14 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Iraqi regulator threatens TV satirist with legal action, 14 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efb764.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Iraqi regulator threatens TV satirist with legal action

August 14, 2017 4:58 PM ET

New York, August 14, 2017--Iraqi authorities should stop threatening the pro-Kurdish broadcaster NRT and political satirist Ahmed al-Basheer, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In a letter NRT received August 10, the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission inquired whether the broadcaster's Arabic-language channel would continue airing al-Basheer's program and threatened to pursue "legal action" if the show's "violations" continue, according to news reports.

The letter, dated July 30, did not specify what "violations" prompted the threat, according to the reports. The program lampoons politicians and armed groups. In a July 28 episode, al-Basheer mocked the former head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Ammar al-Hakim, who a few days prior had announced his departure from the council to launch a new political movement, Tayyar al-Hikma. The newly formed movement announced possible plans to form an alliance with the Sadrist Movement and the ruling National Coalition ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 2018, according to news reports.

The Iraqi Communications and Media Commission and NRT General Manager Mushrik Abbas did not immediately respond to CPJ's emails requesting comment.

"Iraqi regulators should not allow themselves to become political enforcers, threatening satirists with legal action for cracking jokes," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington D.C. "We call on the Iraqi government to cease threatening NRT and political satirist Ahmed al-Basheer and to allow all news media to operate freely."

In a video statement published on August 11, al-Basheer said that the team behind the show was waiting to receive more information.

"[Politicians] tell you that you have the right to criticize, that it's a democracy," he said in the statement. "But when criticism reaches them, they show their real faces."

In a video released yesterday in response to the regulator's threats, al-Basheer imagines himself imprisoned for his work. "You will find all fellow journalists here," an actor playing another prisoner says in the video as al-Basheer joins him in a cell.

According to news reports, Al-Basheer's program first aired in 2014 on the Iraqi broadcaster Al-Shahid al-Mostaqil, where it developed its style of lampooning politicians and armed groups, but moved to the Iraqi TV channel Al-Sumaria in 2016. In May 2016, after Al-Sumaria broadcasted only a few episodes of the program, the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission ordered the channel to stop carrying it, saying the show's content was defamatory, according to news reports. Since 2016, the show has aired on the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle's Arabic-language channel and on NRT, according to news reports.

Each episode begins with a reminder that the Iraqi constitution guarantees freedom of speech.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Turkey arrests at least nine journalists

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 11 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Turkey arrests at least nine journalists, 11 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efc0d4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Turkey arrests at least nine journalists

August 11, 2017 3:30 PM ET

New York, August 11, 2017--Turkish authorities should immediately free nine journalists police arrested yesterday on terrorism charges, and should release the dozens of journalists it has for months jailed on bogus similar charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police detained the nine after the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued warrants for the arrest of 35 journalists and media workers on suspicion they are followers of exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Prosecutors allege the journalists and media workers use the mobile phone app Bylock, which Turkish courts consider evidence of membership in the Gulenist movement, or FETO, as the government calls it, according to the state Anadolu news agency. The government accuses Gulen of maintaining a terrorist organization and "parallel state structure" within Turkey that it blames for orchestrating the July 2016 failed military coup.

"The government of Turkey must stop its annihilation of all remaining opposition voices in the country," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. "We call for the immediate release of all nine journalists detained yesterday, the scrapping of all 35 arrest warrants against media representatives; and the ceasing of the disturbing practice of citing the usage of encrypted messaging applications as evidence for alleged terrorism."

The journalists police arrested yesterday include: Muhsin Pilgir, a former reporter for the shuttered outlets Zaman and the Cihan News Agency; Omer Faruk Aydemir, news editor for the right-wing Ihlas News Agency (IHA); Sait Gurkan Tuzlu, an academic at Marmara University's journalism school; Cuneyt Seza Ozkan, former news editor at Samanyolu TV, which the government ordered closed last year; Yusuf Duran; Ahmet Feyzullah Ozyurt; Ahmet Sagrl, who was until he was fired last week a columnist for the pro-government daily newspaper Turkiye; Mutlu Ozay, a former reporter for Zaman; and Burak Ekici, the online editor for the leftist daily newspaper Birgun, according to the news website Bianet.

The journalists are charged with membership of the Fethullah Gulen community's "media network," Bianet reported.

When CPJ last conducted its annual census of journalists jailed around the world, Turkey jailed more journalists than any other country in the 25 years that CPJ has kept detailed records.

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Indian court issues injunction against publishing book about guru

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 11 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Indian court issues injunction against publishing book about guru, 11 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efc614.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Indian court issues injunction against publishing book about guru

August 11, 2017 12:55 PM ET

New Delhi, August 11, 2017--An Indian court's preliminary injunction preventing the publication and sale of a biography of a spiritual guru while it considers whether the book defames the guru is a blow to press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The Karkardooma District Court in New Delhi on August 4 issued a preliminary, ex parte injunction--an injunction in which only one party to a dispute was heard--restraining Juggernaut Books from publishing independent journalist Priyanka Pathak-Narain's biography of spiritual guru Baba Ramdev until it could rule on Ramdev's complaint that the book, Godman to Tycoon: The Untold Story of Baba Ramdev, defames him. Juggernaut Books today said in a press release it received the order yesterday. Neither the publisher nor the author were invited to the proceedings, according to the court order, which CPJ has seen, in order to avoid "the delay which would be caused during the process of serving the notice and hearing the defendants."

Pathak-Narain told CPJ the court had summoned her to attend a September 1 hearing, when she hoped to state her case.

"The ban on independent journalist Priyanka Pathak-Narain's Godman to Tycoon is the latest example of the excessive use of defamation laws to restrict the flow of information in India," CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said from Washington, D.C.

The order also restrained Amazon.com and Flipkart.com from selling the book. In its press release, Juggernaut Books said that it would welcome the chance to defend the book, noting that it was the product of extensive interviews, including with the subject of the book. "We stand by our book, will defend the case, and will move the court to vacate the injunction," the publisher's statement said.

A spokesperson for Baba Ramdev, SK Tijarawala, told CPJ, "Whatever we had to say, we have said it in court," and declined to comment further.

In March, a city civil court in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru likewise issued a preliminary injunction ordering The Wire, a news website, to take down two articles critical of Rajeev Chandrashekhar, a member of India's upper house of parliament, before The Wire had had a chance to respond to allegations the articles were defamatory, CPJ documented at the time.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Hong Kong charges reporter with contempt for covering 2014 protest

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 17 November 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Hong Kong charges reporter with contempt for covering 2014 protest, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efcbe4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Hong Kong charges reporter with contempt for covering 2014 protest

August 10, 2017 3:58 PM ET

New York, August 10, 2017--Authorities in Hong Kong should immediately drop all charges against reporter Mak Ying-sheung, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Mak testified at Hong Kong's High Court on contempt of court charges yesterday, according to news reports. The charges stem from allegations that she violated an order requiring protesters to leave a protest in 2014, the reports said. At the time, Mak was an intern at the news website In-media, but did not have a press pass when she was arrested, In-media reported. Her application for press credentials was being processed.

Mak told the court that she was at the November 26, 2014, protest on assignment to report and take photos, and that she did not intend to hinder clearance of the area or to obstruct arrests, which is the substance of the contempt charge. At the protest, an officer said she did not have a press pass, while another pulled at her bag, she told the Hong Kong Free Press. She said she was preparing to leave the area but paused to help an activist who tripped in front of her, and that's when she was arrested.

Over the course of September-December 2014, Hong Kong saw a series of large protests against proposed changes to its electoral system, in what became known as "the Umbrella Revolution."

"Prosecutors in Hong Kong should drop the charges against Mak Ying-Sheung, who was arrested simply doing her job as a journalist covering a protest of local and global interest," CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said. "This legal harassment is the latest evidence of erosion of media freedom in Hong Kong."

The High Court yesterday asked if In-media's name referred to "independent Hong Kong media"--which would imply an editorial stance favoring Hong Kong's independence from mainland China--or "Hong Kong independent media." Mak explained that "independent" referred to the news organization and not Hong Kong, according to reports.

Prosecutors played video at the High Court hearing yesterday that they said showed Mak chanting slogans at the protest. Mak denied the video was of her, according to Hong Kong Free Press. At the court hearing, an In-media editor confirmed that Mak was on assignment when she was arrested and that police had not sought confirmation from the news organization that Mak was a reporter, Hong Kong Free Press reported.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Palestinian security forces arrest five journalists in West Bank

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 10 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Palestinian security forces arrest five journalists in West Bank, 10 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efd304.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Palestinian security forces arrest five journalists in West Bank

August 10, 2017 3:34 PM ET

Beirut, August 10, 2017--Palestinian security forces should immediately release five journalists arrested in the West Bank yesterday and should cease arresting journalists on spurious charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Palestinian Authority security forces arrested the five journalists in raids of their homes in several cities across the West Bank, originally on allegations of "leaking sensitive information to hostile parties," according to news reports, the journalists' employers, and the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate. The Reconciliation Court in Ramallah today extended their detention for periods ranging from 5-15 days on charges of "endangering public safety," news reports said. All of the journalists arrested work for media outlets affiliated with Hamas, the main rival of the Fatah movement that controls the Palestinian Authority.

"Palestinian security forces in the West Bank should immediately release the five journalists they arrested yesterday and stop punishing reporters for the dispute between Palestinian factions," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C.

Plainclothes officers from the Palestinian General Intelligence Service (GIS) arrested Mahmoud Hamamreh, reporter for the Hamas-affiliated broadcaster Al-Quds TV, at his photography studio in Housan, a village west of Bethlehem, the evening of August 8, news reports said. In a statement to the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), Moy'ad Hamamreh, Mahmoud Hamamreh's brother, said that the officers asked his brother to accompany them without producing any official document or arrest warrant, then took him to a GIS office in Bethlehem.

Palestinian Authority intelligence agents also arrested Shehab News reporter Amer Abu Arafa. Safa al-Huroub, Abu Arafa's wife, told MADA that 10 GIS officers wearing military uniforms stormed their house in Hebron around 10 p.m. on August 8 and demanded all of her husband's electronic devices, including his laptop and mobile phone, before arresting him. Shehab News is also affiliated Hamas.

Palestinian intelligence officers also arrested Qoteiba Qasm, a reporter for Al-Quds TV and a blogger for the Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera, in Bethlehem's Wadi Shaheen neighborhood after surrounding his house and urged him to hand himself over, news reports said.

Plainclothes intelligence officers raided the Nablus home of Tareq Abou Zeid, a reporter for Al-Aqsa TV, and arrested him on the evening of August 8, according to his employer and news reports.

Palestinian intelligence officers also arrested Ahmed Halayqa, reporter for Al-Quds TV, from his home in Hebron, according to his employer and news reports.

Journalists working in the West Bank have long been subject to pressure from both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, and several of the journalists have been arrested before. Israeli security forces detained Abu Arafa without charge for two years before releasing him in August 2013, according to news reports. Qasm had previously served a 25-month prison sentence at an Israeli prison in the Negev Desert and was released in December 2016, according to news reports. Palestinian intelligence officers had arrested Abou Zeid in May 2016 on allegations of "spreading false news" and "tarnishing the image" of the Palestinian Authority, releasing him 36 days later, news reports said. In February 2010 a Palestinian military court sentenced the journalist to 18 months in prison on charges of "undermining the status" of the Palestinian Authority and resisting the public policy of the Palestinian Authority, CPJ reported at the time.

Yesterday's arrests come amid an escalating crackdown on the media in the West Bank. Israeli soldiers on July 29 raided the Ramallah office of the PalMedia production company, which provides broadcast services to Al-Quds TV and other news channels, confiscating equipment and hard drives, according to media reports. On July 13, Israeli soldiers raided Al-Quds TV's Hebron office and confiscated computers and hard drives, according to news reports. On July 1, Palestinian intelligence officers arrested Ahmad Fathi al-Khatib, a cameraman for the news channel Al-Aqsa TV, from his home in Beitunia, just west of Ramallah, CPJ reported at the time. Al-Aqsa TV is also affiliated with Hamas.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Police raid Congolese radio station for report on new tax

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 10 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Police raid Congolese radio station for report on new tax, 10 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efda64.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Police raid Congolese radio station for report on new tax

August 10, 2017 10:00 AM ET

New York, August 10, 2017--Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should thoroughly and credibly investigate an August 5 police raid on Radio Television Chretienne (RTC), return all seized equipment, ensure the protection of journalist Jose Mbuyi, and hold all those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police raided the community radio station in the town of Kananga roughly an hour after it broadcast a report on a new tax on motorcycles, according to RTC's director and media reports.

The director of the station, Sosphete Kambidi, told CPJ that Jean Mwamba, the mayor of Kananga, in Central Kasai province, phoned him shortly after a 6 a.m. broadcast in which Mbuyi reported on the new tax.

"He was angry about the report we had broadcasted at 6 a.m., and said he was going to close the radio station," Kamdibi told CPJ. "Then, an hour later, police officers arrived in our office saying that they were looking for journalist Mbuyi."

The five police officers did not present a warrant to enter the radio station, Kambidi said, but confiscated two computers, two recorders, and a microphone before leaving.

Mbuyi told CPJ that he left the station as the five police officers arrived. He has since received phone calls from unidentified callers threatening him with death, he told CPJ.

"The police raid on the Congolese community station Radio Television Chretienne is a crude act of intimidation intended to censor the radio station and its journalists," said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. "Journalists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo must be permitted to report without fear for their safety or harassment by police."

Mwamba declined to comment when contacted by CPJ.

Kambidi told CPJ that the five police officers responsible for the raid were detained on August 5 at the local police station, but that they were released on August 7 without charge. Two of the five police officers were re-arrested yesterday, Moisi Dibuwa, RTC's lawyer, told CPJ.

Dibuwa said that the re-arrest of the two was in response to a criminal complaint the radio station filed against the police officers with the military prosecutor's office, which has the authority to hold the armed forces and police accountable for their actions.

Kananga Police Deputy Major Zeus Nzengu told CPJ that he could not comment on an ongoing investigation.

Kambidi told CPJ that Radio Television Chretienne has resumed broadcasting, but in a more limited capacity, since pieces of "key equipment" remain missing.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Journalist detained without charge in Puntland

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 9 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalist detained without charge in Puntland, 9 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efe144.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Journalist detained without charge in Puntland

August 9, 2017 5:52 PM ET

Nairobi, August 9, 2017--Authorities in Puntland should unconditionally and immediately release journalist Omar Saeed Mohammed, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police arrested Omar, who works for the news website Horseed Media and the privately owned Somali Cable TV channel, on August 6, 2017, in Garowe, the administrative capital of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, according to a witness, press freedom advocates, and media reports.

Jama Deperani, a Somali Cable TV journalist who witnessed the arrest, told CPJ that police refused to provide any justification for the arrest, telling him and Omar only that they were acting on official government orders. They refused to say who had issued the orders, Jama said.

"The notion that police could arrest a journalist at any time, without charge, on the apparent whim of officials, can only have a chilling effect on media freedom in Puntland," CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal said from New York. "Authorities should immediately release Omar Saeed Mohammed and stop detaining and harassing the media."

Mowlid Abukar, the general director of Puntland's Ministry of Information, and Abdirizak Omar Ismail, the vice minister of information, yesterday told CPJ that they did not know why Omar was arrested.

Mowlid said that the police would reveal the charges this morning. Mowlid and presidential spokesman Abdullahi Mohammed Jama did not respond to CPJ's phone calls and text messages requesting comment.

Faisal Khalif Barre, chairman of the Media Association of Puntland, a press freedom organization, told CPJ that Omar is detained at a southern checkpoint in Garowe, without charge. Faisal said that the association had also contacted officials in the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Security, and that they all claimed not to know the reason for Omar's arrest.

Jama and Mohamed Osman, the online editor at Horseed Media, speculated that the arrest might be linked to a Facebook post Omar wrote alleging the involvement of Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali in a counterfeit money-printing scam.

Last month security forces in Garowe detained online journalist Ahmed Ali Kilwe for two weeks without charge after he criticized the president, CPJ reported at the time.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Egypt censors Al-Mesryoon newspaper, harasses editors

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 8 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Egypt censors Al-Mesryoon newspaper, harasses editors, 8 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0efee44.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Egypt censors Al-Mesryoon newspaper, harasses editors

August 8, 2017 5:28 PM ET

New York, August 8, 2017--Egyptian authorities should stop censoring Al-Mesryoon newspaper and harassing its journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Authorities banned this week's edition of the newspaper and summoned Al-Mesryoon Editor-in-Chief Gamal Sultan and Managing Editor Mahmoud Sultan for interrogation, according to Gamal Sultan and news reports.

Employees of the state-owned Al-Ahram printing house on August 5 told an Al-Mesryoon employee that "a security apparatus" ordered them not to print this week's edition of the newspaper, Gamal Sultan told CPJ. The printing house, which according to press reports prints most newspapers in Egypt, did not specify which security agency was behind the decision, and whether future issues would also be affected, the editor said. Gamal Sultan told CPJ that security officials had ordered the newspaper to remove articles prior to publication before, but that this time, after seven hours of negotiations with the printing house as an intermediary, the security officials deemed the entire edition "inappropriate." The newspaper has consistently been critical of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government.

"They told us they were taking a position against the newspaper and its editorial policy," Gamal Sultan said.

Yesterday, National Security prosecutors summoned both Gamal and Mahmoud Sultan for questioning, Gamal Sultan told CPJ. The summons, which was sent via the Journalists' Syndicate, mentioned only a case number and did not detail any allegations, according to news reports. The two editors did not attend, so the interview was rescheduled for August 12, according to Gamal Sultan and the Egyptian press freedom group Journalists Against Torture.

"Egypt is trying to silence what few critical and independent voices remain in the press," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C. "We call on Egyptian authorities to stop censoring Al-Mesryoon newspaper and to stop harassing Gamal and Mahmoud Sultan."

The Egyptian Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to CPJ's email requesting comment.

Al-Mesryoon has run afoul of Egyptian security agencies in the past. The newspaper's website has been blocked in Egypt since May, alongside at least 133 others, according to Egypt's Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression and news reports. In March, a Cairo criminal court ordered Al-Mesryoon reporter Iman Yehia to pay a fine of 300,000 Egyptian pounds (US$16,887) and ordered Gamal Sultan to pay 10,000 (US$563) Egyptian pounds on charges of "publishing false news" and defaming former Minister of Justice Ahmed al-Zend in a 2014 article, according to news reports. The article alleged that al-Zend sold state-owned land at below market rates to a relative during his tenure as head of the Judges' Club, according to news reports. The journalists' appeal of that verdict is pending, according to Gamal Sultan and news reports.

In 2015, Al-Ahram printing house told Gamal Sultan that it would not print the newspaper unless it removed two stories about President Sisi, CPJ reported at the time.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Jordan blocks access to LGBTQ online magazine

Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 8 August 2017 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Jordan blocks access to LGBTQ online magazine, 8 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0f00124.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Khalid Abdel-Hadi, the founder of the Jordanian online magazine My.Kali (Abdullah Dajani)

Jordan blocks access to LGBTQ online magazine

August 8, 2017 3:27 PM ET

Beirut, August 8, 2017--Jordanian authorities should immediately stop blocking access to the online magazine My.Kali, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The Jordanian Audiovisual Commission, a government regulator, on July 31, 2017, ordered access to the website, which describes itself as "LGTBQIA-inclusive," blocked because it had not applied to the minister of information for a license in accordance with Jordan's Press and Publication Law. The site's founder, Khalid Abdel-Hadi, told CPJ that Jordanian internet users have in fact been unable to access the website since July 14, 2016, following the publication four days prior of an interview Abdel-Hadi gave to the independent media platform Raseef22 headlined, "How do homosexuals live in Jordan?" My.Kali has since published on the online platform Medium.com, which is not blocked in Jordan, Abdel-Hadi said. Outside of Jordan, the magazine's original address, mykalimag.com, redirects to the magazine's page on Medium.com

The order followed a complaint from Member of Parliament Dima Tahboub, the spokesperson of the Jordanian Islamic Action Front (IAF), according to news reports, Tahboub's Twitter account, and My.Kali. In a July 19 appearance on the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Tahboub said homosexuals were not welcome in Jordan when asked about her support for banning a concert in Jordan by the Lebanese band Mashrou Leila, whose songs contain lyrics about gender and homosexual relationships. Soon after the interview, Tahboub posted a picture of two men getting married and made mocking remarks about gay marriage on Twitter. My.Kali replied on Twitter by posting a picture of a Western women's rights activist and asking the MP whether she believed the picture represented the struggle for women's rights in Jordan.

"The petty abuse of Jordan's Press and Publications Law to censor the online magazine My.Kali--which was in fact already blocked in Jordan--in response to a Twitter spat underlines the necessity of reforming this law," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C. "We call on Jordanian authorities to allow all media to publish freely and to amend the law to prevent similar abuses in the future."

The Jordanian Audiovisual Committee did not reply to CPJ's email or repeated phone calls seeking comment.

Copyright notice:  Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
Young Cambodian Arrested For Derogatory Comments About Hun Sen on Social Media

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 13 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Young Cambodian Arrested For Derogatory Comments About Hun Sen on Social Media, 13 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0f01d64.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Young Cambodian Arrested For Derogatory Comments About Hun Sen on Social Media

2017-07-12

Cambodian police arrested a young social media user on Wednesday for a video she posted on Facebook suggesting that Prime Minister Hun Sen and his family were behind the killing last year of a prominent political analyst and scholar, RFA's Khmer Service has learned.

Heng Leakhena said the premier and his relatives had a hand in the gunning down of Kem Ley a year ago when he stopped for coffee in a Star Mart convenience store beside a Caltex gas station in the capital Phnom Penh.

Police in the capital said they apprehended Heng Leakhena in flagrante delicto-a legal term used to indicate that a criminal has been caught in the act of committing an offence-after she posted a video clip of herself making comments that the premier and his relatives masterminded the murder.

They have questioned her, and she remains in custody.

She posted the video she made at a ceremony on July 9, marking the first anniversary of Kem Ley's death.

"The contemptible Sen and his entire family are all murderers," Heng Leakhena said in the video which she posted on the first anniversary of Kem Ley's death.

"Their hands are stained with Dr. Kem Ley's blood," she said.

Khieu Sopheak, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, said that it is impossible to release Heng Leakhena because she has committed an in flagrante delicto crime.

"She may have been too emotional on the anniversary of Kem Ley's death or it may have been her premeditated intent to do it," he said. "Freedom of speech in a democratic society has its boundaries. She cannot just do whatever she wants. I am very sorry that she is so young and has committed such an offense."

Duch Piseth, director of the country's Center for Human Rights Advocacy, said the action that authorities have taken against the girl is too harsh because Hun Sen is a public figure and should not be immune from public scrutiny.

"I think a public figure should be more patient," he told RFA. "In the meantime, the government should create an independent committee to investigate Dr. Kem Ley's murder case to find real justice for him and his family."

Though authorities have oversight of how freedom of expression and rights should be enjoyed, the judicial police should resort to softer means to address people who criticize the government, he said.

Court cases against critics

Heng Leakhena will be the fourth person to become involved in court cases brought against them by Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) government over comments on the murder of late political analyst.

Hun Sen has sued three others for defamation-Sam Rainsy, former head of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), opposition Senator Thak Lany, and jailed political commentator Kem Sok-over accusations that the CPP planned Kem Ley's murder.

Sam Rainsy and Thak Lany are both in exile, and Kim Sok is in jail awaiting trial.

Days before Kem Ley was murdered on July 10, 2016, he discussed on an RFA Khmer Service call-in show a report by London-based group Global Witness detailing the extent of the wealth of the family of Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than 32 years.

Former soldier Oeuth Ang-who calls himself Chuob Samlab, a Khmer name meaning "meet to kill"-confessed to shooting Kem Ley over a U.S. $3,000 debt. Though he was sentenced to life in prison in March for the crime, it is widely believed that others were involved in the slaying and that Oeuth Ang had had no contact at all with the political analyst prior to the killing.

Cambodians held services in the capital Phnom Penh and elsewhere around the country on Sunday and Monday to commemorate Kem Ley on the first anniversary of his death, while the United States and rights groups called for a full and impartial reinvestigation of his murder.

Reported by Moniroth Morm for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
New Law Puts Cambodia Opposition Party at Risk of Dissolution: Experts

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 13 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, New Law Puts Cambodia Opposition Party at Risk of Dissolution: Experts, 13 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0f03b04.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

New Law Puts Cambodia Opposition Party at Risk of Dissolution: Experts

2017-07-13

Cambodia's opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) must remove all images of its leadership from banners nationwide and cut all ties with its former party chief or risk being dissolved following the passage of a controversial amendment to the country's electoral law, experts said Thursday.



The warning came as the CNRP said it was preparing to ask King Norodom Sihamoni to reject the changes to the Law on Political Parties recently passed by the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) controlled parliament that bans it from associating with Sam Rainsy due to criminal convictions widely seen as politically motivated.



Speaking to RFA's Khmer Service Thursday, political analyst So Chantha advised the CNRP to remove all banners throughout Cambodia depicting Sam Rainsy alongside current party president Kem Sokha and replace them with ones that simply display the party's sunrise logo to avoid legal trouble when the new law goes into effect.



"By placing an image of any individual on the party banners-should that concerned individual be involved in any legal issue-the entire party is subject to dissolution," he said.



So Chantha noted that with Kem Sokha still facing legal action in government-backed cases related to his alleged affair with a young hairdresser, even using photos of the party's current president is risky.



"Kem Sokha still has lawsuits pending at the court," he said.



"Hence, I think that if the party continues to display images of any individual on its [banners], similar problems may exist."



New law



On Monday, Cambodia approved Article 44(2) at a session of the National Assembly, or parliament, boycotted by CNRP lawmakers-effectively severing ties between the party and Sam Rainsy ahead of a general election scheduled for next year.



The amendment to the Law on Political Parties-proposed by Prime Minister Hun Sen's CPP and adopted with votes in favor by 65 of its 66 present members of parliament-bans parties from associating with or using the voice, image, or written documents of anyone convicted of a criminal offense.



All 55 CNRP lawmakers boycotted the voting session on the grounds that the proposed changes were part of a bid to "suppress" political parties and potential challengers to the ruling party, which the opposition said went against the principles of rule of law and a pluralist democracy, as guaranteed by the constitution.



Article 44(2) also prevents parties from supporting or organizing plans with anyone to undertake "actions against the interest of the Kingdom of Cambodia," and using a name or acronym that is similar to one used by another party.



Political parties found in violation of the proposed amendment could be banned from political activities for up to five years and prohibited from competing in elections, or even dissolved.



Sok Sam Oeun, chief attorney at Amrin Law and Consultations Group, told RFA Thursday that based on the contents of the newly amended law, the CNRP and its officials must end all contact with Sam Rainsy, "both officially and privately."



Opposition response



Responding to concerns over the party's continued ties with Sam Rainsy, CNRP spokesperson and lawmaker Yim Sovann said the CNRP is "yet to consider this issue."



"I will notify you later if the [party] makes any decision about this matter," he said.



Yim Sovann also said he had no knowledge of a reported meeting recently held between a high-ranking CNRP delegation led by Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy in Hong Kong.



The CPP had also proposed an amendment to the Law on Political Parties which was approved amid a boycott of parliament by opposition lawmakers in February, banning convicted criminals from holding a leadership position in a party and forcing Sam Rainsy to resign as president of the CNRP.



The former opposition chief has been living in self-imposed exile in France since November 2015 to avoid jail time for convictions widely seen as politically motivated and delivered by courts beholden to Hun Sen's government, but his image appears on CNRP billboards throughout Cambodia and he regularly speaks at opposition events via Skype.



The CPP won last month's commune elections, but the CNRP received nearly 44 percent of all votes to the ruling party's 51 percent.



Amendment status



While the new amendment was adopted in the National Assembly Monday, it must now be approved by the Senate and the Constitutional Council-widely seen as formalities-before being signed into law by King Sihamoni.



CPP spokesperson Sok Ey San said Thursday that the newly amended law will be sent to the Senate's Expert Commission on Friday, after which it will be forwarded to the Senate's Permanent Committee. When the two bodies complete their reviews, a plenary session will be scheduled for Senate approval.



If the Senate passes the law and the Constitutional Council determines it to be in line with the constitution, the National Assembly will forward a final version to King Sihamoni for promulgation. The law can be enforced 90 days after it is approved by the King.



Sok Ey San was unable to confirm how long it would take for the new law to be implemented.



In a recent interview with Radio France International (RFI), CNRP vice-president Eng Chhay Eang said that all 55 opposition lawmakers plan to write a letter to King Sihamoni by Friday requesting him to reject the new legislation.



The February amendment of the Law on Political Parties was approved by Senate president Say Chhum, who had assumed the role of Acting Head of State while the King was in China for a medical examination.



Disappearing act



Brad Adams, executive director of HRW's Asian division, called the CPP-led amendment an "attempt to make the opposition disappear" ahead of next year's elections.



"The CPP and Hun Sen are absolutely scared to death of Sam Rainsy and the CNRP winning the next election," he told RFA.



"They've probably done polling and realized that they will lose and they can't think of any other way to hold onto power except to make Sam Rainsy disappear and become a non-person. But of course, that won't work."



Adams said that Sam Rainsy can continue to rally his supporters online, and that even if his name does not appear on next year's ballot, the public knows that if they vote for the CNRP and the party wins, it would quickly repeal the amendment and permit the former party chief to rejoin.



He dismissed the amendment as a "pointless anti-democratic exercise" that would seriously damage the CPP's image worldwide, and could call the legitimacy of a ruling party win in 2018 into question.



Furthermore, Adams said, if the CNRP is prohibited from participating in the general election because of the new law, "people won't show up" at the polls.



"Governments have tried this in many countries around the world and it usually fails," he said.



"This is usually the finish line for a dictatorial government, when it has to proceed like this, and it will undoubtedly blow up in the face of the CPP."



Reported by Vuthy Tha for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodia's Opposition Commune Chiefs Denied Office Access by Ruling Party Predecessors

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 17 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodia's Opposition Commune Chiefs Denied Office Access by Ruling Party Predecessors, 17 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0f04a84.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Cambodia's Opposition Commune Chiefs Denied Office Access by Ruling Party Predecessors

2017-07-17

More than one month after Cambodia's commune elections, several opposition candidates who beat out ruling party incumbents for local councilor positions are reporting being blocked from accessing their new offices, in what some observers have called examples of political discrimination.



Cambodia's June 4 ballot saw the largest reshuffle of local politicians since the country's first election in 1993, with Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) losing nearly 500 commune chief positions to the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), out of 1,646 nationwide.



On July 3-two weeks after the official election results were announced-the Ministry of the Interior held a ceremony to mark the handover of responsibilities to newly-elected councilors, as mandated under the country's electoral laws, which it said had progressed "smoothly."



But days later, the CNRP informed RFA's Khmer Service that many of its elected chiefs had reported being blocked from accessing existing commune offices, lacking office space to take on their new responsibilities, and missing office materials that had been taken by their predecessors.



The CNRP has yet to compile data on the exact number of disputes, but has called on its new councilors to resolve their issues peacefully.



There is no law in Cambodia that dictates where commune chiefs should perform their duties, and the National Election Committee (NEC)-the country's top electoral body-has said it is up to the Ministry of the Interior to investigate and resolve the quarrels.



On Monday, Ministry of Interior spokesperson Khieu Sopheak told RFA one reason for the delay in handovers may be that some commune chiefs have had to personally renovate their offices due to lack of funding from the central government, and feel they are entitled to keep them.



"We know that in the past not all commune offices were built by the state-some spaces were rented from residents' homes, while others used space belonging to the ruling party," he said.



"So we need to properly determine the root causes and shouldn't immediately place the blame on those who disagree with handing over their office space. In some way, these people have their own reasons  so we must study each case and find out the real problem."



Khieu Sopheak said that the government allocates funds from the national budget for local use to build commune offices in only 70 communes each year, forcing some commune chiefs to cover their own costs of arranging office space.



Recent tiffs



Last week, newly-elected CNRP chiefs from seven communes in Kampot province's Chum Kiri district accused their CPP predecessors of locking them out of their offices, delaying the issuance of administrative documents to local constituents. The chiefs reported having to work out of conference rooms or "under trees" located in the vicinity.



A day later, Heng Lay Hour, the newly-elected CNRP councilor of Phnom Toch commune in Banteay Meanchey province's Monkul Borey district, told RFA that the commune police station stopped renting its space used by the previous chief shortly before he assumed office, labeling the decision an act of "political discrimination."



Also last week, newly-elected CPP and CNRP councilors, and their deputies, from at least eight of 15 communes in Kampot's Banteay Meas district reported a lack of office space, saying they were forced to carry out their work in their own homes or in homes they had rented from residents.



Reports suggest that similar situations have occurred at communes in Preah Sihanouk and Stung Treng provinces.



Personal disputes



Meng Sopheary, the CNRP's head of election affairs and legislation, acknowledged that some commune offices had been built by predecessors through personal expense, but added that she believes many of the disputes are personal in nature.



"I think that since we have never witnessed such a huge reshuffle in the past, incumbent [commune chiefs] are used to performing their work at their own offices and when they have to hand over their responsibilities, they can't immediately accept having to do so," she said.



The CNRP, however, doesn't expect that the disputes will have a negative effect on general elections set for next year, Meng Sopheary said, adding that by simply allowing the ballot to proceed, the country's politicians have indicated their readiness to abide by the will of the voters.



Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC) executive director Sam Kuntheamy, however, told RFA that his organization considers the office disputes examples of "powermania" on the part of commune chief predecessors, reluctant to give up their authority, and said that the Ministry of Interior must take a stronger stance.



"The Ministry of Interior is validating their position-this means that they continue to enjoy full and legitimate rights in managing their commune administration," he said.



"In principle, parties that lose elections must hand over all their responsibilities to the new commune chiefs so that they can manage and ensure the sustainable operations of their commune."



Reported by Moniroth Morm, Maly Leng, Hour Hum, and Vanndeth Van for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodian Evictees Protest For Fair Compensation, Ask to be Moved

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 20 November 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodian Evictees Protest For Fair Compensation, Ask to be Moved, 20 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0f068d4.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Cambodian Evictees Protest For Fair Compensation, Ask to be Moved

2017-07-20

More than 30 representatives of 140 families evicted by Phnom Penh authorities from their homes in the capital's Borei Keila area gathered on Thursday outside government offices to press for better compensation for their loss.



The families had been moved following the January 2012 destruction of their homes for commercial development to Phnom Bat, an area 25 miles away in Cambodia's Kandal province described by evictees as lacking running water, markets, hospitals, and schools.



"Sometimes I can't catch frogs or crabs [to eat], and I have to cut my hair to sell to support my family. I can only buy two kilograms of rice to cook each day," Kim Sarann, one of the Phnom Bat representatives, said on Thursday.



"Some days, we don't even have enough money to buy the water we need," Sarann said.



"I am asking Samdech [prime minister Hun Sen], who hears what I am saying now: Please pay attention to us. We are destitute!" she added.



The families' eviction from their homes by the politically-connected Phanimex Co. five years ago followed a deal struck in 2003 by Hun Sen in which the firm agreed to construct ten new apartment blocks to accommodate displaced residents, sources told RFA in earlier reports.



Phanimex built only eight of the buildings, though, and on Jan. 3, 2012 the homes of the 384 families living in Borei Keila were razed and the residents sent to settlements far from the capital in Tuol Sambo and Phnom Bat.



Gathering outside Cambodia's Ministry of Economy and Finance and Phnom Penh municipal offices on July 20, protesters from Phnom Bat demanded compensation of U.S. $5,000 per family and asked to be moved to one-room houses in Kandal's Aung Dan village, an area better able to support their needs.



Alternatively, grants of U.S. $10,000 per family would allow them to run businesses to support themselves in Phnom Bat, they said.



Speaking to RFA's Khmer Service after meeting with city officials, protesters said they were promised that Phnom Penh governor Khoung Sreng would go personally within the next two weeks to inspect living conditions in Phnom Bat.



If he fails to do this, they said, protesters will return to demand action from the prime minister's cabinet.



Reported by Savi Khorn for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Savannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney.





Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodia Charges Second Facebooker in One Week For Alleged Hun Sen Threats

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 21 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodia Charges Second Facebooker in One Week For Alleged Hun Sen Threats, 21 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0f07624.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Cambodia Charges Second Facebooker in One Week For Alleged Hun Sen Threats

2017-07-21



A court in Cambodia has charged the second person in one week for allegedly threatening the life of Prime Minister Hun Sen on the head of state's Facebook page, drawing concern from a rights group that suggested the post may have been faked to frighten online critics.



The Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged Rom Chamroeurn, 28, with making a "death threat" under Article 233 of Cambodia's Criminal Code, court spokesperson Ly Sophanna told reporters Thursday, adding that his case had been sent to an investigating judge.



"The person posted a message on Facebook threatening to kill Samdech Techo Hun Sen," he said, using an honorific title for the prime minister.



According to screenshots published by government-aligned media group Fresh News, Rom Chamroeurn posted a photo of himself posing with a pistol alongside text that said, "Hun Sen, somehow I will kill you" and claiming that Cambodia would not have peace until the strongman was dead.



Rom Chamroeurn allegedly claimed that Hun Sen and his family are ethnic yuon, using a term for Vietnamese in Cambodia which some consider derogatory, and suggested that he had an affair with the prime minister's wife, Bun Rany.



The case is the latest in a series of court actions pertaining to supposed threats against government officials and comes just one week after police in Sihanoukville detained a young man named Pich Ratha, also for allegedly threatening to kill Hun Sen in a comment posted to the prime minister's Facebook page.



Speaking to RFA's Khmer Service Friday, Am Sam Ath, head of investigations for the Cambodian rights group Licadho, said he was concerned that some Facebook accounts may have been faked as part of a bid to frame the accused and to discourage online criticism.



"We are concerned that the Facebook accounts might have been fabricated or hacked to cause the victims harm," he said.



"Recent arrests [in connection to the alleged threats] have sent a chilling message to other Facebook users."



Am Sam Ath urged authorities to undertake a "thorough investigation" into online threats before making any arrests to ensure that the accounts are not phony.



He also warned against the use of the judicial system to restrict freedom of speech.



Other civil society groups have also accused the authorities of practicing a double standard by arresting those who have allegedly threatened members of Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), when several people who have made death threats against members of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) remain at large.



Other cases



In addition to Rom Chamroeurn and Pich Ratha, three other people have been charged or detained in connection with comments they allegedly made linking Hun Sen to the murder of prominent political analyst and scholar Kem Ley.



Last week, Cambodian police arrested Heng Leakhena for a video she posted on Facebook suggesting that Hun Sen and his family had a hand in the gunning down of Kem Ley a year ago when he stopped for coffee in a Star Mart convenience store beside a Caltex gas station in the capital Phnom Penh.



Hun Sen has sued three others for defamation-Sam Rainsy, former head of the CNRP, opposition Senator Thak Lany, and jailed political commentator Kem Sok-over accusations that the CPP planned Kem Ley's murder.

Sam Rainsy and Thak Lany are both in exile, and Kim Sok is in jail awaiting trial.



Former soldier Oeuth Ang-who calls himself Chuob Samlab, a Khmer name meaning "meet to kill"-confessed to shooting Kem Ley over a U.S. $3,000 debt. Though he was sentenced to life in prison in March for the crime, it is widely believed that others were involved in the slaying and that Oeuth Ang had had no contact at all with the political analyst prior to the killing.



Reported by Moniroth Morm for RFA's Lao Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Jailed Cambodian Political Analyst Demands PM Confront Him at Defamation Trial

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 26 July 2017 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Jailed Cambodian Political Analyst Demands PM Confront Him at Defamation Trial, 26 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0f08764.html [accessed 16 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Jailed Cambodian Political Analyst Demands PM Confront Him at Defamation Trial

2017-07-26

Jailed political analyst Kim Sok on Wednesday demanded that Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen be made to testify at his defamation trial and refused to answer a judge's questions during a hearing at a court in the capital Phnom Penh.



Kim Sok has been in jail since Feb. 17 after Hun Sen accused him of implying that his ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) orchestrated the July 2016 murder of popular political pundit Kem Ley during an interview with RFA's Khmer Service, but Kim Sok has said he was simply repeating what many Cambodians believe.



At his first hearing at Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Wednesday, Kim Sok called for Hun Sen to appear at his trial to explain why he filed the U.S. $500,000 criminal complaint against him for "inciting social chaos," but Judge Ky Rithy denied his request.



The decision prompted Kim Sok and his lawyer, Choung Chou Ngy, to attempt to walk out of the court proceedings, but the judge ordered the defendant to remain for the entirety of the hearing.



After his lawyer left the courtroom, Kim Sok stuffed paper into his ears and refused to answer any questions from the judge, who adjourned the hearing and said a verdict in the trial would be announced on Aug. 10. Kim Sok faces up to two years in prison if convicted.



While waiting to be led away, Kim Sok called the proceedings part of a "show trial  arranged for Hun Sen's benefit."



"The court is influenced by Hun Sen and acts in accordance with his evil instructions," he said, as guards prepared to escort him back to Prey Sar Prison.



Rights groups accuse Cambodia's judiciary of lacking independence and say the government seeks to limit freedom of expression by using the courts to level defamation charges at reporters and critics of the ruling party.



Choung Chou Ngy later told reporters his client was "under pressure" because the court refused to let him be heard, and that this was the reason they had sought to boycott the hearing.



Hun Sen's lawyer, Ky Tech, denied that Kim Sok had been pressured by the court and said his behavior at the hearing was inappropriate.



"Kim Sok was very rude, even in the courtroom, so it's no surprise that the court had ruled out his request for provisional release," he said, referring to a decision by Cambodia's Appeals Court to deny the defendant bail in March.



The prime minister is not obligated to testify in court because he has a lawyer representing him, Ky Tech added.





A statue of Kem Ley on display in his hometown in Takeo province, Oct. 16, 2016. Credit: RFA



Call for statue



Kem Ley was shot dead in broad daylight on July 10 when he stopped in a Star Mart convenience store beside a Caltex gas station in Phnom Penh.



Although authorities charged a former soldier, identified as Oueth Ang, with the murder, many in Cambodia don't believe the government's story that Kem Ley was killed by the man over a debt.



Just days before he was gunned down, Kem Ley had discussed on a RFA Khmer Service call-in show a report by London-based Global Witness detailing the extent of the wealth of the family of Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 31 years.



On Dec. 23 the Phnom Penh court quietly closed its investigation into the murder case without revealing its findings and in a final hearing on March 1, Oueth Ang confessed to killing Kem Ley.



As Kim Sok's hearing was underway Wednesday, the Khmer Student Intelligent Association published an open letter to Cambodia's Council of Ministers requesting permission to erect a statue of Kem Ley at the site of his killing, but the council immediately rejected the request, saying it has no jurisdiction over the privately-owned property.



The request from the Khmer Student Intelligent Association, who count themselves among Kem Ley's followers, was also submitted to and rejected by the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Phnom Penh Municipal Government.



It came days after Hun Sen donated U.S. $60,000 to the late political commentator's brother to cover expenses associated with the one-year anniversary of his death and the construction of a stupa in his honor.



Former prisoner Kong Raya, who in February was freed after serving a one year and six-month prison term for urging a popular uprising against the CPP in a Facebook posting, told RFA that Hun Sen should back the proposal for a Kem Ley statue to show that his donation for the funeral was genuine.





Tep Vanny at Cambodia's Supreme Court in Phnom Penh, Jan. 25, 2017. Credit: RFA



Joint statement



Also on Wednesday, 27 domestic and international nongovernmental organizations issued a joint statement urging Cambodia's Appeals Court to overturn the "unjust conviction" of land activist and rights campaigner Tep Vanny ahead of its review of her case on Thursday.



On Feb. 23, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Tep Vanny to two years and six months in prison on charges of "aggravated intentional violence" in connection with a 2013 protest she held in front of Hun Sen's home that ended in violence.



While the protest occurred in 2013, the court prosecutor reactivated the case and charged Tep Vanny in August last year after she was arrested for participating in another demonstration.



Wednesday's statement-signed by London-based Amnesty International, New York-based Human Rights Watch, and Paris-based Federation of International Human Rights (FIDH)-called her sentence "draconian" and a "clear attempt to silence one of Cambodia's most fearless and outspoken defenders of human rights" ahead of national elections set for July next year.



The signatories, which also included domestic groups Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) and ADHOC, said Tep Vanny's February trial did not comply with international standards for fair trial rights, as no credible evidence was presented to justify the charges against her and no cross-examination of prosecution witnesses was possible, because they had only provided written statements.



Defense witnesses maintain that security forces launched an attack against Tep Vanny's group in 2013, leaving some protesters wounded, knocked unconscious, or with lost teeth, while others suffered broken arms. Tep Vanny was also injured in the confrontation.



"The re-opening of these charges appears to be a politically motivated attempt to restrict and punish Tep Vanny's work as a land activist and human rights defender, as part of Cambodian authorities' ongoing crackdown on dissenting voices," the statement said.



"We call on the Court of Appeal to exercise its independence and rectify the injustice of Tep Vanny's flawed trial by overturning her conviction and sentence."



Tep Vanny came to prominence as an activist fighting the Boeung Kak Lake land grab, when some 3,500 families were evicted from a neighborhood surrounding the urban lake in Phnom Penh. The lake was later filled with sand to make way for a development project with close ties to Hun Sen and the CPP.



Reported by Moniroth Morm and Thai Tha for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
CHH Wound Care Center welcomes Dr. William Gray

TORRINGTON  Charlotte Hungerford Hospitals Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine recently welcomed Dr. William Gray as its new Medical Director, succeeding Dr. William Polito, who has retired after 32 years of service.

Dr. Gray received his medical degree from the Medical University of the Americas, Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies, and served as chief resident physician at the Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, OH. Prior to coming to CHH he was previously served as a Primary Care physician with the Eastern Connecticut Health Network and a Nocturnist with the CT Multispecialty Group of Hartford Hospital.

We are very pleased to have Dr. Gray to continue the excellent wound care services we offer to those in need of specialized wound care treatments in northwest corner and are so pleased to welcome him to our team of professionals at the center, said Dan McIntyre, President and Executive Director at CHH, in a written statement.

The center recently received the Robert A. Warriner III Center of Excellence award given to Wound Care Centers in the Healogics network that have met the highest level of quality standards for a minimum of two consecutive years, according to the statement. Charlotte Hungerford Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine achieved patient satisfaction rates higher than 92 percent, a healing rate of at least 91 percent in less than 31 median days along with several other quality standards for two years in a row. The Center was awarded this prestigious honor by Healogics, the nations leading and largest wound care management company. The award is named for Dr. Warriner, a pioneer in wound care and the former Chief Medical Officer for Healogics. Across the country, 334 Centers were eligible and 169 Centers were honored with this award in 2017.

Dr. Polito served on the staff of Charlotte Hungerford Hospital for 32 years coming on board in 1985 as the third generation of surgeons to work at the hospital. He was the first medical director at the CHH Wound Care Center which was opened in 2011 on Felicity Drive in Torrington. His father Dr. John Jack Polito, MD, served from 1958 to 1991 and his father Dr. Frank Polito served from 1924 to 1962. Together, the Polito family has given a total of 103 years of service to CHH.

All of us at CHH past and present are also extremely honored by and indebted to the Polito family physicians for the over a century of continuous dedication and personal care they have provided to our community and hospital. We wish Bill the best, said Brian Mattiello, Vice President of Organizational Development at CHH, in the statement.

Charlotte Hungerford Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine provides specialized treatment for chronic or non-healing wounds, which are defined as sores or wounds that have not significantly improved from conventional treatments. The advanced treatments available at the center include hyperbaric oxygen therapy, negative pressure wound therapy, bio-engineered skin substitutes, biological and biosynthetic dressings and growth factor therapies. The center features two hyperbaric oxygen chambers. The center is designed to complement and work in conjunction with the services offered by the patients primary care physicians. It operates by appointment.

The Wound Care Center is part of the CHH Multi-Specialty Group and a member of the Healogics network of nearly 800 Centers, with access to benchmarking data and proven experience treating approximately 2.5 million chronic wounds. The Multi-Specialty Group is a local network of outpatient physician practices and services owned and managed by Charlotte Hungerford Hospital that consist of over 60 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. These outpatient hospital departments coordinate care among a multitude of specialties that include CHH Adult & Pediatric Urology, CHH Behavioral Health Services, CHH Cardiovascular Medicine, CHH Diabetes and Endocrinology, CHH Ear, Nose & Throat, CHH Neurology, CHH Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, CHH Primary Care of Torrington and Thomaston, CHH Pulmonary & Critical Care, CHH Surgical Associates, CHH Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine and the CHH Medical Walk-In.

TD Charitable Foundation awards $3.125M in grants

TORRINGTON  Through its "Housing for Everyone" grant competition, TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, awarded 25 organizations throughout TD Banks footprint from Maine to Florida a total of $3.125 million. The 25 grants of $125,000 each will support housing projects from these 25 winning non-profit organizations that focus on addressing the needs of individuals seeking housing assistance across the East Coast. TD Bank has branches in Connecticut including Torrington.

The TD Charitable Foundation's 12th annual Housing for Everyone grant competition invited non-profit organizations to submit proposals outlining their plans and initiatives to support and provide affordable housing initiatives in their communities. This years Housing for Everyone grants winners in Connecticut include Hands on Hartford, Inc., and the Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk.

Bank employees choose organizations to receive surprise grants

THOMASTON  This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Foundation, which was established May 20, 1997 with a $2 million dollar contribution from the Bank. In early October at the foundations annual grant reception, president Stephen Lewis announced the 20 Ways in 20 Days initiative in order to recognize this milestone anniversary. In addition to the $590,000 in grants awarded to date in 2017, $30,000 has been allocated to be distributed to local organizations chosen by Bank employees.

We are very proud of all our employees and the thoughtful consideration each team put into this initiative to enrich the lives of so many. The hope is that these organizations will each have a different way of using the funds to benefit the individuals they serve, said Lewis in a written statement.

The premise of this initiative is to empower all bank employees to participate in giving back to the communities within the Foundations fourteen (14) assessment areas. Employees were divided up into 20 teams and given 20 days to identify local to receive surprise grants without any restrictions on how the funds should be used. Each of the 20 teams identified 42 organizations who they felt were deserving of receiving grants ranging from $500 up to $1,500.

Beginning the week after Thanksgiving, employees will present these surprise grants to the 42 different organizations at each of the banks branches. The culmination of this initiative will be the presentation of the last grant on Dec. 22 at the Bethlehem branch, to kick off the holiday giving season.

To learn more about the Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation, visit www.thomastonsb.com.
Cambodias Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the countrys opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) be dissolved for its part in plotting a coup against the government, essentially eliminating any competition to Prime Minister Hun Sen ahead of a general election next year.

The ruling on a case widely seen as politically motivated, and decided by a court populated by officials loyal to the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), was largely expected amid a crackdown by the government in recent months on the opposition, independent media, and nongovernmental organizations.

Chief judge Dith Munty, a senior member of the CPP, announced the nine-member unanimous ruling in the capital Phnom Penh, and ordered 118 CNRP members banned from politics for the next five years. No appeal will be permitted, he said.

The CNRP issued a statement saying it refused to recognize the verdict, adding that the court had denied the partys more than three million supporters their right to be represented in elections in July 2018. The CNRP intends to maintain its leadership structure, helmed by President Kem Sokha, who has been in pre-trial detention since early September following his arrest on charges of treason.

The CNRP urges the international community to take concrete measures to rescue Cambodia in a timely manner by pressuring the government to release Kem Sokha and recognize the roles of the opposition party in order to ensure a free and fair election, the statement said.

Kem Sokhas lawyer, Hem Socheat, told RFAs Khmer Service he was surprised that Thursdays ruling could not be appealed and suggested that parliaments Constitutional Council be made to explain the legislation that rendered the verdict final.

Immediately following the decision, Hun Sen posted a video clip to his Facebook account urging CNRP lawmakers and officials to take advantage of a very rare opportunity  to join the CPP, echoing similar calls he has made in recent weeks calling on the opposition to defect.

If you do not join us and fail to hand over your stamps [for approving documents] then you will face legal action, he warned.

Remaining loyal

But CNRP members said they would remain loyal to their party and continue to work on behalf of their constituents.

Sin Chanpeou Rozeth, CNRP chief of Battambangs Au Char commune, told RFA that the government had only dissolved her party on paper but cannot still the hearts and souls of our supporters.

As long as we still breathe, we remain hopeful that we will win, she said.

We will continue to fight for democracy and positive change in a democratic election. The ruling party continues to harbor their ill will to pressure and cajole members of the CNRP to defect. However, we remain strong and united.

The evidence presented against Kem Sokha so far is a video recorded in 2013 in which he discusses a strategy to win power at the ballot box with the help of U.S. expertsthough the U.S. embassy has rejected any suggestion that Washington is interfering in Cambodian politicsand the government initiated legal proceedings against the CNRP for its alleged involvement in his case.

Since Kem Sokhas arrest, more than half of CNRP lawmakers, along with deputy presidents Mu Sochua and Eng Chhay Eang and a number of party activists, have fled Cambodia fearing retaliation by the CPP following important electoral gains by the opposition in Junes commune ballot, which are seen as pointing to a strong showing in next years vote.

Speaking from exile, Eng Chhay Eang told RFA Thursday that the CNRP plans to hold several meetings with party officials around the world to discuss our detailed future action plan.

I call on all CNRP officials and supporters to remain strong, hopeful, and defiant, he said.

Never give up. We shall continue our mission to rescue our nation.

Cambodias government had built up the presence of security forces across the country in anticipation of a public outcry in response to Thursdays court decision, though CNRP officials said there were no immediate plans for protests.

International reaction

The international communitys reaction to the verdict was swift and damning, with several observers saying it highlighted the lack of independence in Cambodias judicial system and signaled the end of a fragile democracy in the Southeast Asian nation, where Hun Sen has ruled for more than three decades.

The Netherlands-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) said in a statement that the Supreme Court verdict significantly heightened the human rights and rule of law crisis in Cambodia.

The Supreme Court is irreparably interfering with the rights of potentially millions of Cambodians to freely choose their political representatives and vote for them in the upcoming elections, said Kingsley Abbott, the ICJs Senior International Legal Adviser for Southeast Asia.

Abbot said that at an absolute minimum chief judge Dith Munty and other judges with roles in the CPP should have recused themselves from the case, as there can be no starker example of an inherent conflict of interest, noting that such concerns were consistent with a report ICJ released last month, which found a lack of independent judges and prosecutors to be the largest problem facing Cambodias justice system.

The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) on Thursday slammed the move as having demolished the final pillar of Cambodian democracy and ushered in a new era of de facto one-party rule, and demanded that international partners cancel their engagement in next years election.

APHR Chairperson Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian Parliament, said assistance with the elections should be contingent on the reinstatement of the CNRP, the unconditional release of Kem Sokha, and an end to all harassment of civil society, opposition members, and the media.

James Gomez, director of Southeast Asia and the Pacific for London-based Amnesty International, called Thursdays decision a blatant act of political repression that must be reversed immediately and echoed ICJs concerns that Cambodias judiciary is essentially used as an arm of the executive and as a political tool to silence dissent.

Sanctions

Phil Robertson, deputy director of New York-based Human Rights Watchs Asia division, called the ruling the culmination of Hun Sen's backdoor plan to ensure his victory in next year's election based on a politically contrived fairy tale written by the ruling CPP.

This is the death of democracy in Cambodia, its a political killing of the Paris Peace Accords vision that Cambodia should be a rights respecting, multi-party democracy, he said in a statement, referring to the agreement that ended war between Vietnam and Cambodia in 1991 and led to the U.N.s administration of Cambodias government while the country transitioned to a system of democratic elections.

Robertson called on Japan and the European Union to suspend financial and technical assistance for next years election and boycott election observation efforts unless the CNRP is reinstated, and said the rest of the international community should be dusting off their sanctioning authority and targeting senior CPP officials and military commanders responsible for the ongoing crackdown.

Emma Burnett of London-based Global Witness lamented the effect the ruling would have on Cambodias democracy, as well as billions of aid dollars spent on supporting Cambodians to develop a democratic system that respects rule of law and basic human rights.

Foreign governments must demand that the decision to dissolve the opposition is overturned, that elections next year are free and fair, and that the corrupt are held to account, she said.

If these conditions are not met, they should apply targeted sanctions against Prime Minister Hun Sen and his regime that will prevent them from travelling and spending any ill-gotten gains overseas.

The Supreme Court verdict elicited similar concerns in Washington, where U.S. Senator John McCainchairman of the Senate Armed Services Committeecalled it a direct attack on the democratic will of the Cambodian people and also demanded sanctions do leveled against Hun Sens government in a statement released Thursday.

He pointed to Hun Sens crackdown on critics of his regime, which on Wednesday claimed two former RFA journalists police arrested on charges of illegally collecting information for a foreign source, as responsible for having created a culture of fear among ordinary citizens ahead of next years election.

The United States must not tolerate these outrageous attacks on the Cambodian people, he said, calling on U.S. President Donald Trumps administration to move quickly to sanction all senior Cambodian government officials responsible for violating human rights and subverting freedom in Cambodia.

The RFA journalists are scheduled to be charged with espionage on Friday, local media reported.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz had made similar threats of sanctions if Kem Sokha was not released ahead of a Nov. 9 deadline for voters to register for the 2018 ballot, but Hun Sen dismissed the Texas lawmakers threats as interference in Cambodias sovereign affairs, saying there is no need for outsiders to legitimize the outcome of elections in his country.
Cambodias opposition party may appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reverse a decision to dissolve it, one of the partys deputy presidents said Friday, as the international community continued to heap scorn on the countrys judiciary over what is seen as a politically motivated verdict.



Cambodias Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled that the countrys opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) be dissolved for its part in plotting a coup against the government, essentially eliminating any competition to Prime Minister Hun Sen ahead of a general election next year.



CNRP President Kem Sokha was arrested on Sept. 3 for allegedly collaborating with the U.S. to overthrow the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), and Thursdays decision found the opposition party guilty of involvement in the conspiracy.



On Friday, CNRP Deputy President Eng Chhay Eang told RFAs Khmer Service that Cambodias judiciary is damaged by political bias, noting that his party hadnt bothered to appoint a lawyer in the case heard by the Supreme Court, whose nine-member bench is filled with senior members and close affiliates of the ruling party.



Instead, the CNRP may bring the case to The Hague-based ICC in a bid to go above Cambodias court system and have the Supreme Courts ruling reversed.



We have no faith in Cambodian courts, as Hun Sen is above all of them, said the deputy president, who along with more than half of CNRP lawmakers have fled Cambodia since Kem Sokhas arrest, fearing retaliation by the CPP following important electoral gains by the opposition in Junes commune ballot.



Whatever he wants, the courts agree to, so it was pointless to have any lawyers represent the CNRP in such a politically motivated case, he added.



Instead, we will consult with legal experts on the possibility of bringing this case to the attention of the ICC.



Brad Adams, New York-based Human Rights Watchs deputy Asia director, said his organization has long advocated for the ICC to investigate Cambodia, based on what he said were a laundry list of abuses perpetrated by the government against the countrys opposition.



Hun Sen is engaged in systematic violence against the oppositionhe has ruled with impunity, Adams said of the political strongman, who has controlled Cambodia for more than 30 years.



Cambodia under Hun Sen has not been willing or able to prosecute the people responsible for serious human rights abuses.



Richard Rogers, a partner at the London-based law firm Global Diligence who filed a 2014 complaint with the ICC on behalf of victims of land grabs and a 2016 legal brief on last years murder of government critic Kem Ley, told RFA earlier this month that the ICC has jurisdiction over Cambodia in cases concerning political repression.



Many of the crimes that relate to the current crackdown would fall under the umbrella of crimes against humanity  and thats why the ICC has jurisdiction, Rogers said at the time.



In March 2002, Cambodia ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Courtthe treaty that established the ICCand in doing so gave the court jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory or by its citizens beginning on July 1 that year.



Government spokesperson Phay Siphan on Friday dismissed any suggestion that the ICC could reverse the decision to dissolve the CNRP, saying the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction over Cambodia.



Only around a dozen cases have made it to the ICCs preliminary examination stage after filing complaints in the 14-year history of the court.



Criticism continues



As the CNRP mulled whether to appeal its case to an international tribunal Friday, condemnation continued to pour in from around the globe over the Supreme Courts decision to shut down the opposition party and ban 118 of its members from politics for the next five years.



The White House said in a statement late on Thursday that the U.S. will begin taking concrete steps to respond to the Cambodian governments deeply regrettable actions by terminating support for Cambodias National Election Committee (NEC) and its administration of the July 2018 general election.



On current course next years election will not be legitimate, free, or fair, the statement said, urging Cambodias government to reinstate the CNRP, release Kem Sokha, and reverse a crackdown in recent months on civil society and the media.



The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which in April announced a grant of U.S. $1.8 million to support the NECs work during commune and general elections, expressed gravest concern over the ruling, calling on Cambodia to stop targeting the CNRP and interfering in the work of NGOs.



In a statement issued by Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maja Kocijancic, the European Union threatened to withdraw its support of Cambodias electoral process unless a situation in which all parties, their leaders, and their supporters are able to freely participate is swiftly restored.



An electoral process from which the main opposition party has been arbitrarily excluded is not legitimate, the statement said, adding that respect of fundamental human rights is a prerequisite for Cambodia to continue to benefit from EU assistance.



The Ministries of Foreign Affairs for Australia and Sweden also voiced concerns over the verdict and urged Cambodia to reverse course, with the latter vowing to review the forms of our engagement with Phnom Penh.



In statements Friday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein voiced concerns over the legitimacy of Cambodias upcoming elections in light of the ruling, while the Inter-Parliamentary Union said the foundation of Cambodia's democracy had been threatened.



China was one of the few nations to speak out in support of the decision, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang telling reporters at a briefing Friday that Beijing would stand behind Cambodia in pursuing its own development path.



Diaspora speaks



Meanwhile, CNRP supporters in Europe released a statement Friday accusing Hun Sen of killing democracy in Cambodia and calling on members of the Cambodian diaspora to gather in France this weekend to demonstrate against the governments actions.



The supporters will meet on Nov. 19 in Paris to demand a reversal of the Supreme Court ruling, call on all Cambodians to stand up for the protection of human rights and freedom in Cambodia, and urge the U.N. and the international community to level sanctions against Hun Sens regime.



Hun Sen has announced that when the CNRP is dissolved, its parliamentary seats will be redistributed to other government-aligned political parties, and has pressured CNRP officials who were elected in the June commune ballot to defect to the CPP.



At present, the CNRP holds 55 seats in the National Assembly, around 5,000 councilor positions at the commune level, and nearly 800 provincial/municipal level councilor positions after strong showings in recent elections, and counts more than three million active supporters in Cambodia.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) President Sam Rainsy has been forced to live in exile since 2015 in the face of questionable defamation charges made against him as part of Prime Minister Hun Sen's harsh crackdown on the opposition ahead of July 2018 elections. He spoke with RFA Khmer Service on Wednesday after the countrys Supreme Court, packed with ruling party loyalists, disbanded the CNRP.

RFA: What is your reaction to the dissolution of the CNRP?

Sam Rainsy: Im very concerned with the fact that when the CNRP is dissolved the whole nation is destroyed. I think the ruling party should change its name to the National Destruction Party now. The CNRP remains a legitimate opposition party. Our party is also internationally recognized. All elected officials of the CNRP including the 55 lawmakers and 5007 commune councils shall enjoy their legitimacy for they are elected by the will of the people. No one can deprive them of their legitimate positions. What the government is doing is silly and nonsensical. They go very low, we have to go high. We shall continue our mission to rescue our nation. We cannot let our people getting mistreated like this.

RFA: What is the future of the opposition?

Sam Rainsy: The CNRP is dissolved only on the paper. The whole thing has been set up by the savage regime of Hun Sen. Dissolving the CNRP is like getting off more than three million people who voted for the CNRP. We shall continue our mission. We have three future steps to take. First, we are educating our people that the CNRP continues to exist legitimately. All elected officials of the CNRP shall continue their work. Second, we continue to lobby with international community to pressure and sanctions on Hun Sens government to stop persecuting the opposition and restore a free and fair election. The sanctions are meant to be put on the government senior officials who are involved in the serious violation on human rights and democracy in Cambodia. Third, we are working to endure a political situation that is guaranteed by the international community. We cannot trust the cunning Hun Sen.

RFA: What do you think warrants international community immediate help?

Sam Rainsy: Hun Sen has crossed the red line. The entire world is very concerned and condemning his government. Hun Sen has gravely violated the Paris Peace Accords by dissolving the CNRP, arresting opposition members and restricting freedom of speech and assembly. I am certain that the world will not tolerate him and his regime. Hun Sen is not a strongman. He is a weak and desperate man.

RFA: Hun Sen addressed US President Donald Trump in the ASEAN summit by denouncing you for your comments about the President. He praised President Trump and told him about his personal matters. Hun Sen also told Present Trump that he was one among very few people in Cambodia who believed that he would be elected as the President of the United States. What do you think about such remarks?

Sam Rainsy: Hun Sen is very childish. How on earth a country leader would talk about his personal matters in an official summit like this? A leader would need to talk about national interests in such an international meeting. Hun Sen is so dumb. It was embarrassing that he did that. He didnt only humiliate himself. He humiliated the whole nation in the eyes of the world. Its very embarrassing for Cambodians to have such a Prime Minister like him.

Translated by Nareth Muong.
Students at a high school in the central Chinese province of Hunan are returning to class following a mass outbreak of tuberculosis in August, official media reported.



The Aug. 19 outbreak at the Taojiang No. 4 High School sparked emergency diseased control measures from the county and provincial centers for disease control and prevention (CDCs), the state-owned China Daily newspaper reported.



TB experts were called in from the Hunan Tuberculosis Control Institute to help treat suspected cases. According to the institute, they treated 29 confirmed cases, five suspected cases and 38 students undergoing preventative medication and management, for a total of 72 cases.

But the government's handling of the outbreak has prompted criticisms over a lack of transparency when the new cases were initially discovered.



"They're making this official report now, talking about how well they handled it, and so on," a Chinese journalist who asked to remain anonymous told RFA. "Usually, the CDCs don't suppress this sort of information, so this is quite unusual."



"But now they've clammed up, and won't talk to us. We are having to get everything from the students and their parents."



According to the China Daily, health officials also supervised a sterilization operation at the school's premises.



Students found to be infected were asked to stay home and provided with computers and internet access to follow classes online, the paper said.



An official who answered the phone at the Taojiang county CDC on declined to give further details, however.



"We can't give out any information from here, but if you need an interview or to make inquiries, you need to contact the propaganda department of the Taojiang county [ruling Chinese Communist] party committee," she said.



"We can't accept any kind of inquiry or interview request from here for the time being," she said. "This is on orders from higher up."



Larger cover-up feared

Repeated calls to the Taojiang county government propaganda department and the Hunan provincial CDC rang unanswered during office hours on.



A local resident surnamed Zhao said the government is in the process of trying to cover up a TB epidemic of much larger proportions in Hunan, however.



"Tuberculosis spreads like wildfire, so the moment there is an official announcement, that's going to make the local officials look bad," Zhao said. "So they will definitely want to keep it under wraps."



"Because if they get sanctioned, it won't just be the school principal, but all the officials in charge in that region, including the health officials, will be seen as responsible," he said.



The government said it would cover all medical expenses beyond those reimbursed by health insurance programs, for all infected students, the China Daily reported.



It said the county government would also provide follow-up treatment for infected students and watch closely those who had close contact with them to prevent new cases.



China reports some 900,000 confirmed, new cases of tuberculosis every year, the third-highest infection rate in the world.



A doctor surnamed Xue who works at a hospital in Hunan said that how infectious a person is can only be determined by tests when the disease is confirmed.



"People who have the capacity to infect others should be isolated ... Someone in the early stages of the disease can infect up to 25 people," Xue said.



Chen Bingzhong, a former director of the China Institute of Health Education, said the outbreak suggests that students at the school were in relatively poor health to start with.



"The worrying thing right now is that it is currently very infectious, and children with a weaker constitution could catch it," Chen said.



"If ... students at this school caught it, it suggests they aren't very robust, because it has a much higher incidence among the poor."



Reported by Wong Siu-san, Hai Nan and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Shi Shan for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Chinese officials are stepping up pressure on Hong Kong to pass draconian security laws that could leave its citizens open to accusations of subversion and sedition, after mass protests led to the shelving of similar plans in 2003.



In a speech that was greeted by protests on Thursday, the chairman of Beijing's Basic Law Committee, Li Fei, called on the city to pass the national security legislation as soon as possible.



And on Friday, the head of Beijing's top think-tank on Hong Kong, Lau Siu-kai, said that even more legislation will be needed to counter "threats" faced by the city.



"The pressure from Beijing is always there because Beijing increasingly worries that Hong Kong might become a threat to national security," Lau told Hong Kong government broadcaster RTHK.



"Beijing expects the Hong Kong government and Hong Kong people to at least show some enthusiasm, show some active efforts to prepare the ground for future legislation," Lau said, adding that Chinese officials are well aware of resistance to the laws, but put it down to "insufficient authority" wielded by the city's government.



Li Fei said growing talk, especially among young people, of independence for the city was a direct consequence of a failure to outlaw such speech with sedition laws.



In a speech broadcast live to students in dozens of high schools across the city, Li said the Basic Law shouldn't be referred to as the city's mini-constitution, because its political and legal powers are entirely derived from mainland China.



No room for debate



Basic Law Committee member Rao Geping said there will be "no room for debate" over the security legislation, required under Article 23 of the Basic Law.



"There is no room for debate here, but the timing of when such legislation is introduced is not a simple matter," Rao said. "I don't foresee an easy passage through the Legislative Council, but it has been 20 years now, and Hong Kong still hasn't managed to complete the task of legislating under Article 23."



"This legislation should be a matter of urgency."



Under the terms of the 1997 handover, Hong Kong was promised the continuation of its existing freedoms and way of life for 50 years under Chinese rule.



But a U.S. congressional body said on Wednesday that Beijing's "increasing pressure" on Hong Kong is eroding the city's promised autonomy, known as the "one country, two systems" framework.



It said the barring of six directly elected pro-democracy lawmakers after Beijing intervened to rule their oaths of allegiance invalid has caused apprehension about the city's judicial independence.



Under huge pressure



"This poses a significant threat to the representation of pro-democracy voices in the legislature," the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said in its 2017 annual report.



"Mainland China continues to either disregard or ignore Hong Kongs rule of law and its related commitments to the international community," the report said.



It said the August 2017 jailing of student protest leaders, including Joshua Wong, "[escalated] a wide-scale crackdown that has further eroded freedom of expression in Hong Kong."



James Sung, politics lecturer at Hong Kong's City University, agreed, citing China's parliament's recent introduction of a clause banning "insults" to the national anthem into the Basic Law.



"Hong Kong is under huge pressure right now, what with the insertion of national security related legislation [banning disrespect to the Chinese national anthem] into Annex 3 of the Basic Law by the National People's Congress," Sung said.



"Now there is a requirement for Hong Kong to create local laws according to the central government's specifications," he said.



"This is very different from its previous interpretations of the Basic Law ... because now we have the central government filling gaps in Hong Kong legislation using its own means," he said.



Recent surveys indicate that some 40 percent of young people are open to the idea of independence for Hong Kong, and Sung said that any Article 23 legislation must ban moves to "split national territory."



"It's pretty clear that 'splitting the country' means Hong Kong independence," Sung said. "But the legislation will also include bans on threatening national interest."



Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Authorities in Vietnams capital Hanoi briefly detained three activist bloggers shortly after they met with representatives of the European Union to discuss the situation of human rights in their country, according to one of the trio.



Police detained Pham Doan Trang, Nguyen Quang A, and former prisoner of conscience Bui Thi Minh Hang around noon on Nov. 16 as they left a meeting with the EU officials, though A and Hang were freed several hours later, Hang told RFAs Vietnamese Service on Friday.



When we were leaving the building, Trang and I were going to go buy something for lunch, but all of a sudden about 20 [police] rushed us and took me into a car to separate us, said the blogger, who was released from prison in February after serving a three-year prison sentence on charges of causing public disorder.



It was Trang who they really wanted to take, because shes been contributing so much to our movement. The security officials are very angry at her.



According to a statement issued Friday by the Luat Khoa Tap Chi [Journal of Law] blog, which was cofounded by Trang, police eventually returned her to her home around midnight that evening and placed her under guard. A number of Trangs personal belongings, including her cellphone and laptop, were confiscated, the statement said.



Luat Khoa Tap Chi condemned Trangs detention, during which she was held incommunicado, calling the act a violation of Vietnamese and international law.



Trang was also placed Trang in an extremely dangerous situation because she is currently undergoing medical treatment for a leg injury, the statement said.



Hang told RFA that Thursdays meeting was held in preparation for an annual human rights dialogue between the EU and Vietnam set for next month, and that Trang had provided the EU delegation with updated reports on the human rights situation in Vietnam, the Formosa toxic waste spill that destroyed the livelihoods of coastal residents last year, and the state of religious freedom in the country.



They always want to talk with activists in the country before this dialogue, she said.



They have been preparing a document to discuss in the meeting and they want to consult activists to get various perspectives. [The document] covers issues such as detentions, the role of lawyers, the state of the countrys prisons, and land and religion laws.



Nguyen Chi Tuyen, a fourth activist who attended the meeting with EU officials, posted a message on his Facebook account Friday confirming that he had returned home safely after the discussion.



Ongoing crackdown



Activists are routinely harassed by authorities for meeting with foreign delegations in one-party Communist Vietnam, where dissent is not tolerated.



Trang was prevented from attending a meeting to discuss human rights with then-U.S. President Barack Obama when he visited Hanoi in May 2016, though she was not detained.



Last week, police in Hanoi called two members of the online Brotherhood for Democracy advocacy group to their offices this week to answer questions concerning their activities, but the two men refused to go, saying they had done nothing to break the law.



The summons came amid a months-long crackdown by authorities on dissident writers and bloggers, and just two days before U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders arrived in Vietnam for top-level regional meetings.



All media is state-controlled in Vietnam and rights groups have identified Article 79working to overthrow the Peoples governmentas among a set of vague provisions that authorities have used to detain dozens of writers and bloggers in recent years.



Activist bloggers Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, arrested in October 2016, and Tran Thi Nga, arrested in January of this year, have been sentenced to prison terms of 10 and nine years respectively.



Vietnam is currently holding at least 84 prisoners of conscience, the highest number in any country in Southeast Asia, according to rights group Amnesty International.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
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Jewelry store owner Ronnie Adolf has decided to retire from the business hes worked in since high school.

His retirement means Adolf Jewelers in Henrico County will close, probably sometime early next year. A retirement sale has begun.

Adolf Jewelers has been in the Ridge Shopping Center off Parham Road since 1975 and was at another location for five years before that. His parents founded the company, which has its roots in a costume-jewelry shop started by his mother in 1961 in a leased space inside of a womenswear store in Willow Lawn.

I loved my career path, said Adolf, who started working at his mothers shop in 1966 when he was 13 by folding boxes and washing windows.

Sure, there were a lot of challenges over the years. I had no education for it. I winged the whole thing, which was fun, he said. The hard part is saying goodbye.

The timing, he said, is right for him to retire and close the 3,600-square-foot shop.

He wanted to go out on a high note  he said hes not retiring and closing the store because sales are distressed. Rather, Adolf Jewelers had one of its strongest years in sales in 2016, he said.

Sales are good. Business is good. The community has treated us great, said Adolf, who turns 65 in August. We have been through a lot over the years. The economy has had its ups and downs, and we survived and prospered through it. We have had a bunch of attacks on our business and survived them all.

Adolf said he wanted to retire and have the store come to an end on his terms.

This store is me  Im nearly 65 and Im ready to retire because I can, Adolf said. Eat, sleep and breathe this business for 48 years, and youll be ready to retire too.

He decided not to try to sell the business because hardly any independent jewelry stores in the U.S. have been sold in the past few years.

Adolf Jewelers closing will mean only a handful of independent jewelry stores remain in the Richmond area, including Cowardins Jewelers and Carreras Jewelers, reflecting a national trend of large chains growing and dominating the industry.

In the 1970s, the number of independent jewelers peaked at more than 28,000 stores in the U.S., according to the Jewelers Board of Trade, a credit bureau for the industry. The number now is closer to 20,000.

After working at his mothers shop, Adolf took his first job in the business in 1969 at the Zales jewelry store at Willow Lawn while he was a junior at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico.

His mother, Jean, operated the costume-jewelry shop inside the Flair womenswear store at Willow Lawn and then expanded to a second Flair store downtown. She left those stores in 1970, and she and her husband, Kurt, who had managed a Rees Jewelers store, opened the Adolf Jewelers store in a shopping center at Glenside Avenue and Staples Mill Road.

Adolf left Zales in 1972 to work at his parents store, which has expanded twice  in 2000 and in 2008.

His father, a Holocaust survivor, died in 1982. His mother died in 1990.

Adolf said helping the Richmond-area community is an important part of what makes a good business.

He also has been willing to lead the way regarding social issues he feels are important. In 2013, before same-sex marriages were recognized under Virginia law, Adolf announced a line of jewelry, including wedding bands, designed specifically for same-sex couples.

In 2015, he was given the Retail Merchants Distinguished Retailer of the Year award.

Adolf believes many of his employees, who he said are like family, will be the hardest hit by the closing, but he said they understand why it has to happen.

What upset me and scared me the most was having to tell my employees, some whom have been with me for 20 to 25 years, Adolf said. One employee, Doug Spradlin, has been the store manager for more than 45 years and Adolf considers him to be the heart and soul of Adolf Jewelers.

When I told them I was retiring and closing the store, they got up and hugged me, Adolf said. That defines our business.
A company that is using technology to provide easier access to transportation services to and from medical care appointments earned the top prize Thursday at a business pitch competition for six local startup businesses.

All of the startups participated in the latest class of Lighthouse Labs, a nonprofit business accelerator in Richmond that offers mentoring for startup firms.

As winner of the top award, Roundtrip received a $5,000 grant. The company has developed a software application that enables patients to book trips to health care providers using a network of credentialed medical transportation providers.

We all know that health care in this country continues to evolve, but medical transportation is fundamentally broken, Ankit Mathur, the companys chief technology officer, said during the pitch competition. 3.6 million people every single year miss or delay care, all because of transportation issues.

The companys booking platform, which was introduced earlier this year, is available in seven states, and so far has completed 2,300 trips. It charges a fee for each trip. It has partnered with various hospitals and medical transportation services.

About 170 people attended the pitch competition at Capital One Financial Corp.s campus in the West Creek office park in Goochland County. The crowd listened as a representative of each startup gave a four-minute pitch or description of their business.

The crowd then chose the winner by texting votes on their smartphones.

Second place and a $4,000 grant went to Answersnow, which provides an online platform for parents of children with autism to communicate at any time with certified experts on autism.

Third place and $3,000 went to PYT Funds, which has developed a financial technology platform that connects families with banks to offer lower rates for college tuition funding.

The three other startups each received $1,000 grants. They are:

Mesh Impact, which helps companies and individuals crowdsource ideas and solutions for open-ended problems;

Blueswipe, which offers a streamlined process of accepting payments for small and medium-size businesses; and

Ivy Oaks Analytics, which provides comprehensive control of poison ivy and pests such as ticks and mosquitoes at summer camps and recreational sites.

The business pitch competition was the culmination of a three-month program of mentoring in the Lighthouse Labs program.

Capital One provided $15,000 for the grants, part of a $100,000 grant to Lighthouse Labs awarded earlier this year.

The most recent Lighthouse Labs cohort was a diverse group of startup businesses, said Todd Nuckols, director of Lighthouse Labs.

This has been a group that includes very early-stage startups, while one of them already serves over 600 clients. The founders themselves represent a range of diversity from certified clinicians to an African-American female founder, who has worked in the banking industry and has served in the military. It has been outstanding.
Kiva Gatewoods son, Kyle, was so rambunctious that he was kicked out of three day cares by the time he was 3 years old.

What do you do with that? Gatewood asked a crowd of officials from Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU Health and Childrens Hospital of Richmond at VCU on Friday morning.

As they sought answers and solutions to Kyles extreme behavior, eventually she and her husband found their way to the Virginia Treatment Center for Children.

That experience affected us, it really affected us, said Gatewood, who is now a member of the treatment centers advisory council. It means the difference between our family being together and not being together.

A new Virginia Treatment Center for Children, a pediatric behavioral health facility, will open to patients in spring 2018, moving from its current location on VCU Healths downtown campus to the Childrens Hospital of Richmond at VCUs Brook Road campus. A ribbon-cutting event was held on Friday.

The new, 119,000-square-foot facility will expand the treatment centers capacity, increasing the number of inpatient rooms from 24 to 32 and the number of outpatient rooms from 12 to 20.

The center has about 7,000 outpatient visits a year, but in its new home, it will have the capacity to triple that number. Alexandria Sandy Lewis, the centers executive director, said the center will be hiring more staff to accommodate that growth. Right now it has about 150 employees.

Though the facility does not have a final price tag on it yet, it received $56 million in state funds for the project through the General Assembly in 2013, and raised close to an additional $10 million more.

When we think about mental health issues of children, these are deeply personal experiences and they cross over hundreds of thousands of children and families, said Dr. Marsha D. Rappley, VCU Health CEO. They need to see our government, our hospitals, our universities and those citizens of the community wrap around and say, Were going to take this on and were going to make this better for you so we can all get better as a state, as a nation.

According to Dr. Cheryl S. Al-Mateen, the treatment centers medical director, children come to the center for a variety of reasons, just like adults. Diagnoses include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder.

On any inpatient psychiatric unit for children, upwards of 90 percent of children will have some kind of history of trauma, Al-Mateen said. We are helping them deal with the after effects of those experiences.

The facility is designed to create a natural, home-like environment to dispel the assumption that inpatient psychiatric facilities are institutional. The design uses natural light and images of butterflies and woodland animals to create a calm, healing environment, Lewis said.

It was also built to facilitate a typical routine for the children, with daily classes like math and art therapy. Parents are encouraged to be part of the treatment process, and each room has space for a parent to sleep as well. They are welcome to stay for as long as their child is there.

Weve been doing open visitation for a really long time, even in the old building, just because its not an individual child issue, its a family issue, said Tess Searls, nurse manager with the center. We dont want the kids to come and learn one way with us and come home and have another way. We want them to know, youre a family unit, youre with your parents, were just here to assist and help.

The 32 inpatient beds are divided into 16 units, and each of those units have individual pods of 4 or 6 rooms. The units also have seclusion rooms, which Lewis said are only included in the facilitys design to meet state regulations. The treatment center has not actually used a seclusion room since 2013, in order to avoid traumatizing children.

Each room also has a private bathroom with a sensor on the door so staff members know when a child has been in the bathroom too long  a warning sign that they may be considering harming themselves  and can allow some privacy without hovering outside the door.

The building is dotted with outdoor spaces and courtyards, too, to prevent patients from feeling as though theyre locked in, Al-Mateen explained.
The Henrico County school division is working on an update of its strategic plan, a guiding document that spells out the goals of the system.

On Nov. 29, the school division is hosting an event featuring Adolph Brown III, a nationally recognized speaker and teacher, to discuss two of the main goals of the 2018-25 strategic plan: closing gaps and relationships. The event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Hermitage High School, 8301 Hungary Spring Road.

Beth Teigen, assistant superintendent for instruction, called the update an opportunity for the community to share its goals and aspirations for students.

What is it that we value as a community for the schools? Teigen said. You want their voices to be heard.

Closing gaps refers to the school systems efforts to improve literacy and math proficiency. Progress is measured through graduation rates, Standards of Learning gap data and discipline gap data, among other data.

The goals of relationships has to do with improving communications among students, teachers and parents. Measurements of efforts toward building relationships include community surveys, decreasing truancy and decreasing out-of-school suspensions.

About 78 percent of Henrico students suspended during the 2016-17 school year were African-American, while only about 36 percent of the student population is African-American. The problem was discussed during a presentation at a School Board work session in which it was identified that implicit bias is a contributing factor to disproportionality.

Henrico NAACP President Frank Thornton said any attempts to make positive change should not be incremental in scope but tremendous. He said the recent creation of the Office of Equity and Diversity was a step in the right direction, but the important thing to watch will be who is hired to direct it.

Its important that the community understands whats happening, Thornton said.

Thornton said he hopes the new director would come from outside the school division and be given the autonomy needed to promote diversity and equity. He called for more multicultural perspectives in early education along with more teachers of color.

Other advocates hope the update to the strategic plan will translate into better actions taken by the school system. Peter Kinsella of the group Equitable Advocates expressed frustration with how the school division plans for class sizes and uses its resources.

Were focused on trying to get the School Board to acknowledge that we need to have less kids in the classroom, Kinsella said. What were seeing is a real lack of leadership.

The strategic plan update began in October and is scheduled to be finalized in June. The school division is seeking input from students, families, employees and members of the community.
The Longwood University students stood in the Monument Avenue circle beneath the towering presence of Robert E. Lee, a bit nonplussed over the fuss this Confederate statue and others have generated.

Most of the students taking this course  Exploring Public Issues through Writing  were Virginians. A handful hailed from metro Richmond but had seldom ventured to Monument Avenue. Then again, Im told theyre similarly unimpressed by the 26-foot-tall Confederate monument facing their Farmville campus and the former Moton High School where striking black students launched the civil rights era.

The Moton (now a museum and National Historic Landmark) and the Confederate statue are part of a generic landscape to them, said John Miller, an associate professor of early American literature who teaches the course with history professor Larissa Smith Fergeson.

Fergeson said the courses goal is to try to get students to understand how the past and public memory inform civic debates around historic preservation, sites and memorials.

They mostly havent ever thought about these issues of public memory and commemoration until the recent Confederate controversy  and have been puzzled by why these controversies have cropped up when they have, she said.

On a chilly Tuesday, I joined them at the Lee monument, telling the students Id grown up in Richmond with only a vague notion of the statues and what they stood for.

Obviously, that has changed, with a growing chorus questioning the propriety of honoring men who sought to preserve slavery.

Something else has changed.

Last weeks election resulted in a dramatic shift in Virginias House of Delegates. The Republican Partys 32-seat advantage was whittled down to 51-49, as it now stands.

The GOP has been protective of the Confederate statues and state laws controlling what is done to them and other war memorials. The addition of historical context to the statues loomed as a lost cause because of state restrictions. Even Mayor Levar Stoneys Monument Avenue Commission seemed resigned to being hamstrung by the state.

But with the GOP substantially weakened  and even Democratic control a possibility  what happens now?

The shift in the balance of power in the General Assembly presents a lot of opportunities to address issues that matter to the Richmond community  issues where progress has been unattainable in recent years of Republican control, from gun safety and Medicaid expansion to a living wage, equitable education funding, voting rights and the freedom to decide what we may do with the statues that reside within city limits, Stoney, a Democrat, said Thursday.

I look forward to working with our local delegation to advance the citys interests in the upcoming legislative session.

But the extent to which Democrats will prioritize Confederate statue contextualization or relocation remains far from clear, suggests Julian Maxwell Hayter, an assistant professor of leadership studies at the University of Richmond.

Would liberals and Democrats leverage the very tenuous power theyve recently acquired in the General Assembly on the monuments question? asks Hayter, a member of the Monument Avenue Commission.

In previous years, Longwood students have visited Shockoe Bottom, the Slave Trail and the American Civil War Museum. But this time around, they decided to focus on Monument Avenue, the Arthur Ashe statue and Confederate statues, given current events, especially after Charlottesville, Miller said.

Charlottesville has become a dreadful shorthand for a violent white supremacists rally to defend that citys Lee statue, which city leaders have been seeking to remove from a public park.

And while alls quiet on the Farmville campus, other schools  including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi  are grappling with the legacy and iconography of the Confederacy.

At the University of Mississippi, the statue of a nameless Confederate soldier, erected in 1906 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, includes the sort of context we might someday find on Monument Avenue if the state can be compelled to relinquish its grip. A plaque says the statue must also remind us that the defeat of the Confederacy actually meant freedom for millions of people. On the evening of Sept. 30, 1962, this statue was a rallying point for opponents of integration.

Context will make some folks as angry as relocation of the monuments. But placing these monuments in their proper context is crucial. Judging by the comments today, I think (the students) have a much more important understanding not only of the past, but the historic resonance today, Miller said.

As part of the Richmond visit, to show the students that not everyone during the early 1900s was enamored of the Lost Cause myth, the instructors handed the students a section of Henry James travel book The American Scene, which described the authors visit to the Lee statue.

So at least I felt brought round again to meeting my first surprise, to solving the riddle of the historic poverty of Richmond. It is the poverty that is, exactly, historic. ... The condition attested is the condition  or, as may be, one of the later, fainter, weaker stages  of having worshiped false gods. As I looked back, before leaving it, at Lees stranded, bereft image, which time and fortune have so cheated of half the significance, and so, I think, of half the dignity, of great memorials, I recognized something more than the melancholy of a lost cause. The whole infelicity speaks of a cause that could never have been gained.

The results suggest bread-and-butter issues won Election Day. Democrats may be unwilling to spend hard-won political capital on an issue that isnt widely popular but has greater resonance with its black voter base.

The party may decide theres little to be gained in attacking the Lost Cause. But this historic poverty, left unaddressed, will continue to rob us of our dignity.
The Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board on Thursday unanimously approved a draft regulation to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and link Virginia to a carbon-trading network of nine other states.

The draft rule was the product of months of study by an advisory group of industry, environmental and government representatives convened in 2016 by Gov. Terry McAuliffe and a string of meetings earlier this year by a regulatory panel who worked with the state Department of Environmental Quality to hammer out the regulation.

If the rule is adopted, Virginia would become the 10th state to trade carbon allowances through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the 12th state to impose carbon pricing regulations on the power sector, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group in Arlington.

The Virginia Conservation Network, a partnership of more than 100 environmental groups, called the draft regulation a critical first step in addressing the threat of climate change and spurring investments in clean energy in Virginia.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, especially when it comes to its devastating impacts on Virginias most vulnerable communities the group said in a statement. It is imperative that every level of government steps up to be a part of the solution.

Though the air boards vote was unanimous, board members did wrangle with a provision that exempts fossil-fuel fired generating units owned by an individual facility and located at that individual facility that generates electricity and heat ... for the primary use of operation of the facility. Co-generation plants at large industrial plants, such as a paper mill, would fall into that category, said Michael Dowd, the director of the DEQs air division.

Air board member Samuel A. Bleicher, a Georgetown University law professor and former deputy director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, unsuccessfully led a push to strike the exemption from the draft rule.

If we dont remove it, were essentially encouraging industrials to build new facilities like that, he said after the vote. We dont want to skew the incentive.

Most RGGI states, a group that includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, do not have the exemption, Dowd said. He said representatives of large industrial operations, especially paper companies, pushed for it in Virginias rule, without generating much opposition from other members of the regulatory panel.

Such facilities, Dowd noted, represent a small fraction of Virginias total carbon emissions. Though carbon dioxide emissions from Virginias electric-generating units fell by 21 percent between 2005 and 2014, they still account for about 30 percent of the states overall CO2 emissions, according to a report by the working group convened by McAuliffes executive order last year.

Virginias power plants put out nearly 34 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2016, up from 31 million in 2011, according to the DEQ.

The draft rule, which DEQ hopes to finalize and present to the air board for final approval next year, sets forth two starting levels for the states carbon cap: 33 million or 34 million tons, starting in 2020. That cap then decreases by 3 percent each year.

Under the rule, fossil-fuel power plants that generate more than 25 megawatts would receive state allowances that cover up to a certain level of carbon emissions. The power generators then consign those allowances to the RGGI auction, getting in revenue in return. But they still have to buy all the allowances they need to cover their carbon emissions from the auction.

The complex structure of the Virginia rule are intended to avoid a situation in which the state is directly collecting revenue from the sale of the allowances, which would require the approval of the General Assembly. Some Republicans have called the regulation an overreach by McAuliffe, a Democrat. And some legal observers, despite a favorable opinion from Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, another Democrat who won re-election this month, have said the rule is on shaky legal footing.

If it stands, Virginia would join New York as the only other state to link with RGGI via executive action and not legislative approval, Dowd said.

The program also can be tweaked if the auction price of allowances falls too low or rises too high.

The incentive to reduce emissions is the expense of purchasing allowances and the potential to make money on allowances the generators may not need.

Modelling conducted on behalf of DEQ shows that joining the RGGI market will increase average residential bills by about 1 percent, commercial bills by 1.1 to 1.4 percent, and industrial bills by 1.3 to 1.7 percent by 2031. Dowd said the intent of the rule is for the revenue generated by the sale of allowances to flow back to ratepayers and be subject to review by the State Corporation Commission, which regulates Virginia utilities.

Proponents also expect the rule to deliver a boost for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the state.

Virginia is uniquely vulnerable to the threat of climate change and many of our residents are already experiencing its impacts, McAuliffe said in a statement, referencing President Donald Trumps attempts to unwind federal carbon regulation and disengage from international climate accords. I am proud that Virginia is joining states around the nation that are filling the void of leadership that President Trump has left on transforming the energy sector and protecting our environment. With these regulations, we will significantly cut carbon emissions, continue our states explosive growth in the clean energy sector, and set an example for leadership in Washington, other states, and the entire world.

In a statement Thursday afternoon, Republican leaders in the House of Delegates bashed the rule as a job-killing end-run around the legislative process and certain to drive up electric costs. The critics included Del. M. Kirkland Cox, the speaker designee if the GOP majority holds, Del. C. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, the majority leader designee, Del. Timothy D. Hugo, R-Fairfax, the caucus chairman, and Del. Terry G. Kilgore, R-Scott, the House Commerce and Labor Committee chairman.

The Air Pollution Control Board does not have the authority to promulgate regulations at the state level that exceed those at the federal level, Kilgore said. Todays action is clearly inconsistent with Virginia law and a gross example of bureaucratic overreach.

Hugo said the push to adopt the rule means McAuliffe, who has not said whether he will run for president, is more focused on his political future.

Gilbert said the rule will directly hurt people already anxious about making ends meet and getting through a cold winter but it sure will please Gov.-elect Northams California-billionaire donors.
BLACKSBURG  A university investigation into an alleged threatening post on the Facebook page of a Virginia Tech graduate teaching assistant found the comments werent made by him, according to documents he provided to The Roanoke Times.

The Oct. 2 post  which also triggered a police investigation  was published on Mark Neuhoffs account and referenced Tori Coan, a Tech student who filed a harassment and discrimination complaint against him. The post listed Coans phone number with the caption f--- her up, destroy her.

The name of the person school officials believe made the post is redacted from the report Neuhoff provided. That document says the person responsible for the post has been banned from campus, and Neuhoff has said a family member made the post.

University officials would not acknowledge the report. Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski separately said the university banned Neuhoffs wife, Thaomy, from campus in October. He declined to say why she was banned, citing federal student privacy laws. Neuhoffs wife is not a Tech student.

In the Nov. 8 university Office of Student Conduct report, Neuhoff was advised that the university had found him not responsible on four allegations Coan brought against him. The report says the person the university believes made the post is not subject to school policy because that person is not affiliated with Tech.

Coan filed her complaint Sept. 13 against Neuhoff with the universitys Office of Equity and Accessibility, claiming he violated a policy that states the school does not tolerate harassment based on gender or political party affiliation.

Writings on Neuhoffs Facebook page have stirred friction on campus. The posts covered white dominance, shared articles on the Holocaust and facilitated other racial and political debate.

Neuhoff said his detractors took out of context his posts, which were intended for a private audience that gets him.
Thanksgiving is shaping up to be quiet and cool for Richmond and the Mid-Atlantic region.

Central Virginia is most likely to start Thursday with a low near freezing, then reach a chilly high near 50 degrees under a mostly sunny sky.

It ought to be cooler than last year, when Thanksgiving came with a 63-degree high and some afternoon sunshine between morning clouds and evening fog.

The temperature details are still sketchy for the rest of the upcoming holiday weekend, but it looks like we can go ahead and rule out short-sleeve weather or any heavy precipitation.

The second half of the week looks predominately dry and seasonably cool, but some rain showers might dash from Virginia to New England on Tuesday night and Wednesday, and we might see some more on Saturday.

There certainly wont be a major rainmaker (or snowmaker) affecting the Eastern Seaboard on the holiday itself.

A shot of noticeably colder air may arrive in the Nov. 26 to Nov. 28 time frame, possibly making for a blustery finish to the holiday weekend or start of the next workweek.

The start of climatological winter is two weeks away on Dec. 1, and it still looks like the weather patterns over the United States will be influenced by the La Nina pattern in the Pacific Ocean.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlook for the December-through-February period was updated on Thursday, and it continues to show a slight tilt toward a warmer and drier than average winter in the coastal Southeast, including eastern Virginia.

But the monthly outlook for December itself doesnt show any kind of persistent characteristic in this region, because the forecast tools still portray a mix of colder, warmer and neutral possibilities.

That doesnt mean it wont get interesting at some point.

Its been some time since December has been a truly wintry month around here. That was 2010 to be exact.

My newspaper weather counterpart at The Roanoke Times, Kevin Myatt, recently observed that Roanoke hasnt had more than 0.3 inches of snow in the past six Decembers combined, when the December monthly average there is 3.5 inches.

Even with that tiny total, the Star City has us beat. There hasnt been any measurable snow at Richmond International Airport during December since 2010, though 2013 brought a glaze of ice and a trace of flakes to the metro area. That easily makes this the longest stretch of snowstorm-free Decembers for Richmond since records began in the late 1800s.

To echo Myatts analysis, its not hard to imagine that we could finally enjoy (or endure) a more typical December this time.

Richmonds average December snowfall is 2.1 inches, based on the 1981 to 2010 climatology. Speaking of lulls, the last official snow accumulation here in November was in 1991.

There was a close call in November 1996 when a 1- to 4-inch coating came down between Shenandoah National Park and the northern suburbs, but that was still 21 years ago. Historically, November snow accumulation happens here about once or twice per decade, though its usually an inch or less.

Obviously, its unusual for us to see the ground coated in white before Thanksgiving, but you could argue that were overdue for that as well.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Big time country acts typically stick to their set lists. But Justin Moore kept hearing the name of a particular song during his Thursday night show at Salem Civic Center. Moore decided to take a chance on it during his encore.

"We've never played this as a band, ever," he told the audience. "I've only played it by myself, acoustically. But somebody, or somebodies, keeps yelling for us to play this song. It's probably my favorite one I've ever written."

Many in the crowd of about 2,500 yelled in recognition as he and his band went into the title track of his 2011 disc, "Outlaws Like Me." It was a slow and dramatic country number of the devil-on-one-shoulder, angel-on-the-other variety. The quintet behind him nailed it, and he reached hard for the high notes at the end.

It was one of a few surprises that Moore had for his crowd. Getting into the second half of his set, he told the audience about plans for his next record to be like something out of the 1992 country music world. To illustrate, he played "Run Out of Honky Tonks," an "Outlaws Like Me" number about escaping memories by drinking hard in unfamiliar bars.

That one and another "Outlaws ..." number, "Bed of My Chevy," were not released as singles. Moore wondered out loud whether he should re-record "Bed of My Chevy" for the next album, and make it a single. Many in the crowd knew it well enough to sing along.

"Outlaws Like Me" is his favorite among the four albums he has recorded, he told the crowd. He featured "Bait A Hook," "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" and "Flyin' Down A Back Road" from that disc, which he thanked the crowd for helping make a platinum-seller. Missing was that record's NRA-friendly "Guns," which has been a staple of his sets. Moore said in an interview with The Roanoke Times that he, like the rest of the country music community, was shaken by Oct. 1 shooting rampage at a Las Vegas music festival.

"Kinda Don't Care" sales haven't come close to "Outlaws ..." since its 2016 release, but in a sign of the streaming times, it contains its share of chart-topping singles. Moore got to "You Look Like I Need A Drink," the pop-leaning "Somebody Else Will" and his latest single  the more countrified title track co-written by the Roanoke Valley's own Ross Copperman  before the set was halfway through, and didn't visit it again the rest of the night.

He paid homage to his friend Troy Gentry, killed in a helicopter crash just before a Montgomery Gentry concert in September, with "Hillbilly Shoes," and added his collaboration with Brantley Gilbert and Thomas Rhett, "Small Town Throwdown," along with "Small Town U.S.A." and signature early career number "Kick Your Ass" as the set closed.

Moore added that "Kick Your Ass" is his grandmother's favorite song, though she wished he wouldn't tell people that fact.

Opening act Dylan Scott, who played Roanoke's Sidewinders Steak House and Saloon in May, had a No. 1 country radio hit of his own in "My Girl," a good baritone and a three piece, rock-oriented act behind him, powering a lot of mid-tempo, half-time grooves.
CHRISTIANSBURG  Trying to take a picture of another man from beneath the stall divider in a Virginia Tech bathroom led to an array of charges against a Pulaski man.

Aldron James Adams, 34, was charged with filming a non-consenting nude person, possessing a controlled substance, possessing marijuana, fleeing from law enforcement and giving a false identification to law enforcement after a Nov. 8 incident in a bathroom in Techs McComas Hall, according to court records.

The incident began when Tech student Zane Willis was in a bathroom stall and spotted a hand reaching beneath the stall divider and aiming a phone in a glittery pink case at him, according to a search warrant. Willis banged on the stall partition and the hand withdrew, according to the warrant.

Recalling the incident Friday between classes, Willis, a senior accounting major, said he wasnt sure at first what was going on.

It was pretty unbelievable because youre in the mens bathroom ... I didnt think to grab the phone, because what if he wasnt doing what I thought he was doing, then Id be in the wrong, Willis said.

Willis said that he left the stall, then waited about five minutes for the man with the phone to come out. Willis said he followed the man out of the bathroom, then out of the building and down Blacksburgs Washington Street, using his own phone to summon police.

He said the man turned toward him at one point. He told me to back off, so I did. But I made sure he stayed in my sight, Willis said.

Within moments, officers arrived and after Willis identified the man he was following, Adams was arrested, according to the warrant.

Adams had a green leafy substance that appeared to be marijuana and a white substance that field-tested positive for cocaine, according to the warrant.

While in custody, the suspect made a call on his phone and expressed concern about his vehicle, which he said hed left at the Virginia Tech YMCA. After hearing the call, officers went to the vehicle and found an open package that they thought were more drugs, according to the warrant.

Adams is scheduled to appear in Montgomery County General District Court on March 1. His attorney, Jason Wolfrey of Christiansburg, declined this week to comment on the case.
BLACKSBURG  Townhomes that could sell for more than $500,000 are part of the proposed plans for the old Blacksburg middle school site.

The proposal also includes a commercial building that developers plan to sell to the owner of another downtown Blacksburg complex that currently houses a parking garage, office space for two local software firms and some shops.

Those two plans are among the numerous details real estate attorney Jim Cowan revealed and explained during an evening neighborhood meeting inside the Blacksburg Town Councils chamber earlier this week.

The audience that nearly filled the rooms 86 seats was mostly inquisitive about facets of the much-anticipated development plans for the roughly 20-acre site. Questions and comments addressed topics such as stormwater retention, traffic and parking, the potential for student housing and the market demand for the proposed real estate on the site.

There were also a few comments against the project, which would occupy most of the site with a commercial building, a hotel, a parking garage and multi-family residences comprised of a mix of condominiums, townhomes and loft-style apartments.

Cowan, whos assisting long-time developer Jeanne Stosser with the site, has said that the project could draw private and public investments exceeding $150 million. The public investment would come from the town, which still has to determine exactly how much money it will invest in the development.

Town officials have said that they are considering funding the construction of a new police station on the site, as well as the parking garage and public spaces.

Early during the event this week, Cowan addressed a question about the use of the commercial building that will face South Main Street. He said that building will house office functions and provide some restaurant space. The intention for the building is to not compete with existing retailers in downtown Blacksburg, he said.

We want to be a feeder, Cowan said before adding that the site will aim to be a place to live and work.

Cowan revealed that the local high-tech company  the one not named during the meeting  is already eyeing the sites commercial building for space. He said the sites proposal includes an agreement to later sell the commercial building parcel to a group led by Doug Stewart, a current owner of the Kent Square complex near the old middle school site. Cowan said the sale will involve the high-tech company, which he said is a prospective anchor tenant.

Questions about the residences on the site were asked, particularly about whether they could turn into student housing.

Cowan said student housing is not part of the plan. He said the development will put measures in place to discourage student housing. Those measures, he said, include income requirements students are not likely to meet and a condition that applicants self-qualify for the rental housing and not use a co-signer or a parents name.

To further deter student housing, the apartment designs wont call for the typical four bedrooms and four baths setup typically seen with off-campus housing, Cowan said.

For the residential properties that will be sold, the site will be open to groups such as homeowners associations, which Cowan said could require that homeowners physically live in their property and not rent them out for extended periods.

Another question on the sites residential component addressed the residences pricing. One audience member told Cowan that the early pricing estimates seem to be out of reach for many in Blacksburgs workforce.

Blacksburg is not a low-cost housing market, Cowan said in response before adding that the demand does exist for the sites proposed housing.

After the meeting, Cowan said in an interview that the rental units will probably cost about $1,000 for studios and single-bedroom apartments and $1,750 for larger residences. The condos will likely begin at $250,000, while the townhomes could exceed $350,000 to $500,000, he said.

On the topic of demand, one man specifically questioned whether the local market justifies another hotel.

Theres nothing on this proposal that will increase the quality of my life, the man said.

Cowan responded that much demand still exists for hotels. The attorney also pointed to the high-tech companys interest in expanding to the property as evidence of the demand.

Another woman, who declined to provide her name after the meeting, voiced opposition to the project and expressed concerns about the development contributing to the elimination of Blacksburgs small town feel. She voiced concerns about traffic, which she said is already troublesome.

I love this town, I have passion for this town. I live Blacksburg because its a small town, she said. The way Blacksburg is going, its not going to happen.

The woman said shes not against development, but is against projects that will exacerbate other issues such as traffic.

Cowan didnt specifically address the womans comment.

Some other people who turned out to the meeting were more supportive.

Im very much in favor of this thing, said Mayes Gillespie, a Virginia Tech student who hopes to stay in the area to work after graduation. Its going to bring a ton of economic growth to the area.

Blacksburg attorney John Spicer said he believes the development fits the towns needs.

The developer has been working for quite a while, he said. Theyve given great thought to what the town wants and what the town needs. I think they have accomplished that goal.

Id much rather them do this, than what they could do by-right.

The old middle school site is currently zoned for single-family homes.

Stosser, who owns the sites rear 14 acres, has begun the process of rezoning the property to pave the way for the project. She is also set to close on the propertys front 5.5 acres next month.

Stossers rezoning application addresses all 20 acres of the property. Her entire proposal hinges on the town rezoning the vacant lands uses.
The city plans to knock down Fire Station No. 7 on Memorial Avenue next year and replace it with a new station that will meet the modern needs of firefighting.

The dog will stay, Roanoke Fire-EMS Chief David Hoback assured Raleigh Court residents Thursday night about the large, beloved dog sculpture thats situated in front of the fire station.

The demolition and reconstruction is part of a multi-year plan to replace three outdated fire stations. Hoback approached the residents at their neighborhood meeting at Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church to ask them for their input on the design of the fire station.

The station today has outlived its useful life, Hoback said. It will not accommodate the modern firefighter.

The fire station was built in the 1920s, and the electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems are inadequate. The station also lacks adequate facilities for female firefighters, so women arent able to be assigned to there.

Hoback has led the construction of three fire stations already in his decade as chief. He said hes using the same approach this time around: community involvement. He wants representatives from the neighborhoods to provide input to architects so the community can have a fire station that feels integrated with the rest of the neighborhood.

Hoback said the city determined the fire station is not historical, so there are no barriers to razing it. He said hes hoping residents can come up with ideas about how to preserve some elements of the old fire station and integrate them into the new one.

As much as I hate to see the old building go, its long overdue, resident Barbara Evans said.

About 20 people attended Thursdays meeting. No one voiced any strong opposition to demolishing the building. One resident asked why the city cant renovate the existing building.

Hoback said he looked into that possibility, but its not possible. He said the structure doesnt allow for expansion, which is necessary to store modern firefighting equipment. Also, he wants the new station to have the bay doors facing Memorial Avenue in order to improve departures. Currently, the bay doors face Denniston Avenue. Emergency signals will also be installed so when fire trucks are leaving the station, traffic will be halted.

I love the nostalgia of the old firehouse just like most folks do, but its time for a change, said Roanoke Fire-EMS Capt. Chris Trussler, whos spent five years working out of Station No. 7. The building has outlived its sufficiency.

As for vacating the old fire station and building a new one elsewhere, Hoback said there were no alternative locations in the area that would also allow the department to maintain quality service.

Susan Marney, the neighborhood groups president, said Hobacks talk was helpful in explaining to residents why the building needed to be replaced.

He acknowledged the bittersweetness of tearing down a sentimental building, she said. But we want our first responders to be able to do their jobs in the best conditions.

Hoback said he plans to begin the construction process in July. During that time, vehicles will be relocated and he said service to the Grandin and Raleigh Court area will not experience any significant disruptions.

Following the construction of Fire Station No. 7, the city will move on to building new stations to replace Station No. 2 on Noble Avenue, built in 1950, and Station No. 8 on Crystal Spring Avenue, built in the 1920s. Station No. 2 will be relocated to McClanahan Street and No. 8 to Williamson Road, which is expected to improve response times. Both of those stations also suffer from a lack of facilities for women. Station No. 8 also has recurring flooding issues in its basement, creating a health hazard.

The total project cost is an estimated $6.1 million and will be carried out through 2022. The project is part of the citys multi-year capital improvement plan.
Unattended cooking caused a Cave Spring house fire that displaced a family of five and their pets Thursday evening, according to a Roanoke County Fire & Rescue news release.

Firefighters found smoke coming from the home in the 3500 block of Forester Road when they arrived at about 6 p.m. Three of the five residents were home at the time and escaped without injury.

Crews rescued a cat, and a dog was also found safe at the scene. The Red Cross assisted the family.

The fire, which was mostly confined to the kitchen, caused $5,000 in damages. There was also smoke damage throughout the house, according to the release.
Remy James Arling will be remembered for many things: his huge cheeks, his broad smile, how much he liked carrots, and his piercing blue-gray eyes, seen in one of the hundreds of pictures his parents keep of him.

But part of Remy's legacy also will be passed on to children and families who never met him or his parents, Tim and Laura Arling. These babies, many in NICUs across the country, will get some of the 3,000 ounces of breast milk that Laura pumped for Remy, saved in freezers, and donated to the Mothers' Milk Bank in Austin after he died.

Newborn babies, on average, consume between 14 and 22 ounces of breast milk a day. Even at eight months, a child would only need 24 ounces of breast milk a day. Laura had easily more than a hundred times that much to give away.

"I did it for Remy," she said. "Breast-feeding was one of the only parenting things I could do for him."

* * *

Laura Arling had a lot of time to think about her son coming into this world. Her water unexpectedly broke when she was 30 weeks along, and she spent the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas last year on bed rest at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland. Because of the high risk of infection, she wasn't allowed any visitors besides her husband. The doctors wanted her to make it to 34 weeks, and planned to induce her Dec. 27.

But on Dec. 25, Remy made a surprising and relatively fast entrance into the world. "Remy had his own way of doing things," Laura said.

Remy spent 10 days in the NICU before going home. He was feeding well, and at his two-week appointment, he was a pound over his birth weight, a good sign for a growing baby. But just shy of his one month birthday, Laura and Tim sensed something was wrong. Remy was having trouble feeding. His airways were closing; while taking a bottle, he turned blue and passed out.

The Arlings went back to the hospital, thinking it would be a brief stay. They hoped the visit would be a quick and quiet blip in an otherwise long and healthy life.

Remy never came home again.

* * *

Remy was diagnosed with a "left pulmonary artery sling," meaning his left pulmonary valve wrapped around his heart, something Laura, a pediatrician, had only seen on medical school test questions, never in real life. The cardiologist at the NICU said this was the first LPA sling he had diagnosed. Remy also had a hole in his heart, which had been discovered in utero, though Laura and Tim thought they wouldn't need interventions until he was at least a year old, if at all.

At one month and one day, a cardiac surgeon at Children's National Medical Center in Washington opened Remy's chest to repair the hole and open the narrow valve pumping blood to his heart and lungs. The valve swelled shut, so Remy remained on the heart and lung bypass machine for three weeks. Blood and oxygen had trouble reaching his extremities, and Laura and Tim faced the reality that their son would lose parts of all four of his limbs.

"We kept calling it Remy's luck," Laura said. At one point, the bypass machine stopped working, and a team of specialists frantically did CPR while a new machine was hooked up.

Through it all, Laura kept pumping breast milk. Remy received a tracheotomy to breathe and a G-tube in his stomach for nutrition. With the machines connected to him, Remy wasn't able to breast-feed, but the nurses included some of Laura's breast milk in the formula and IV nutrition he received.

"Formula does a great job of growing kids, but they haven't figured out how to give a mother's immune system to a baby," Laura said. "Remy managed to not catch an infection the whole time on breast milk. He didn't catch a sniffle, he didn't get pneumonia. He never had a wound infection. I took pride in that."

She added, "You have a super immune system as a pediatrician."

Laura pumped eight times a day, around the clock. She kept a pump in Remy's hospital room so she could sit with him.

When she went back to work at Capitol Medical Group in Chevy Chase, Maryland (Tim also works there, as an internist), she used her pumping time to focus on Remy. "I'd scroll through pictures and look at videos of him," she said. "It allowed to me to commune with him in my feelings. Every ounce that I made I felt more like his mother."

Kimberly Seals Allers, author of "The Big Letdown," believes Linda's instinct was spot on. Breast milk can be life saving for NICU babies.

* * *

Remy continued to grow. He started to eat solid foods and tried to sit up. But in August 2017, as the Arlings prepared to take him home for the second time, he went into cardiac arrest, followed by a seizure. The brain damage was extensive. The Arlings knew then their son wasn't going to come home, ever.

Laura stopped pumping then, so she could spend as much time as possible with Remy. Family and friends, who had been discouraged from visiting the hospital because of Remy's weakened immune system, were welcomed, each taking turns snuggling him. He was held nearly every moment. A photographer came to capture the family together and the doctors and nurses all stopped by to say tearful goodbyes.

The month after Remy was gone was a haze. There was the funeral with the pews filled, some with people Laura and Tim had never met. There was a private burial in the same plot as Remy's grandfather, James, after whom he is named.

Julie Price, Remy's godmother, approached Laura with the idea of donating her breast milk. Laura didn't realize how much milk she'd accumulated. "I thought, most babies need breast milk, through a year. I figured with Remy's medical problems, he would need it longer than that." Laura had a freezer full of milk at home, in addition to milk in her sister and brother in-law's freezer, in Tim's father's freezer, and in the hospital fridge.

With Price's help, Laura and Tim selected the nonprofit Mothers' Milk Bank because it services NICUs, based on need. The Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington, a short drive from their home, served as a drop-off point. On the one-month anniversary of Remy's death, after Laura passed the medical tests to be cleared as a donor, she packed the milk in coolers - their car filled so tightly that she had to squeeze in the back seat - while Tim drove downtown.

Tim volunteered to take the donation himself, but Laura wanted to see it through. "I thought I was doing it for Remy, and for other babies like Remy." As she stared at an empty freezer, the full force of what it meant to be giving this milk away hit her.

"I knew this was ending," she said. "Breast-feeding definitely helped me feel like a mom, in a situation where there were a lot of things taking that away from me. When you can't take your child home with you, you start to lose your identity as a mother.

"At the time, I never liked it," she added. "It's not fun or comfortable. It hurt for me."

But she's glad she did it: For Remy, and for the children who still may get the milk. Allers says donations like these allow all NICU babies to access human milk. Six states cover breast milk purchased from milk banks under Medicaid, but many do not, even for the NICU babies who need it most.

"With more donors like Arling, human milk can be an accessible option for more women who can't breast-feed, thus broadening affordable options beyond a mother's own milk or formula," Allers said. In times of crisis, from natural disasters in Texas to man-made disasters in Flint, Michigan, such milk donations can be lifesaving, even for non-NICU infants.

"In my saddest points in the first little bit [after he died,] I wondered, should I have pumped less?" Laura said. "I could have spent more time with him then."

But she doesn't allow herself too much time to dwell on what could have been. She acknowledges what parents everywhere wonder about their actions and their children.

"Knowing what I knew at the time, I was only trying to do the best I could for him."
By John Kitterman

Kitterman teaches in the English program at Ferrum College.

Phillip Ungers Nov. 9 letter, Gun control doesnt work, summarizes an article by Leah Libresco in which she argues that traditional gun control proposals arent effective. But like most arguments on this decades-old issue, the reasoning is not finally persuasive, probably because the problem is, to put it mildly, extremely complex, and its not going to be solved in an opinion piece, mine included.

Anyone who studies the issue seriously knows that most gun-related deaths in the U.S. are male suicides. Restricting semi-automatic weapons is not going to stop suicides. Banning handguns might, but Im guessing men will find another of the million methods if theyre desperate. Focusing more resources on mental health is always a good idea, but getting suicidal people identified and into long-term treatment is not an easy feat. Health care in America isnt progressive to begin with; we have no universal system like our more progressive European friends. So Im not confident that depressed men are suddenly going to seek therapy. However, if Unger or Libresco wants to promote affordable health care, Im all for it.

But Congress and the president want to scrap Obamacare.

The next highest number of gun-related deaths is drug and gang-related homicides. Specific interventions for this group would also be welcomed, and many cities have been working on them, but murders in Chicago and Baltimore continue to soar. This is primarily a poverty and race issue, which means that until local and national governments start addressing income inequality, worsening inner cities, racial gerrymandering, and problematic police shootings, I dont see any substantive changes coming soon. There would have to be money to finance reforms, as well as rethinking the 40-year-old war on drugs.

But the president and Congress dont appear to make these priorities.

Meanwhile the gun-related deaths keep shocking, and nothing changes, despite the polls which show most Americans want reasonable gun control. And I havent even gotten to the most egregious deaths  mass shootings. Libresco and Unger imply that because these account for such a small number of the total, they arent really worth worrying about. Statistics can be safely locked away in the mind where they dont get shot. But people are embodied minds who watch the news and empathize with victims. We know that while suicides and gang-related shootings affect specific groups, mass murderers are equal-opportunity destroyers. Anyone  parent or child  could be the innocent victim in a movie theater, school, nightclub, or church. Or simply listening to music at Elmwood Park when bump-stocked death rains down on them from a high rise and their flesh is miraculously pierced with high-velocity war-heads, 900 rounds a minute, 15 every second.

Our imaginations conjure the worst and we crawl into our ideologies, so that both gun control and anti-gun control proponents often take an either/or approach, when clearly the rational response should be both/and. Spend more resources on targeted responses to gun violence in the home and the inner-city, if you can talk our politicians into them. Meanwhile, restrict or ban semi-automatic weapons, increase background checks, and take a long, serious look at other countries programs. Have a real national debate, not a 24-hour news cycle of postings and tweets.

But our president says its not yet time.

Libresco identifies herself as anti-gun and doesnt want one in her home. In addition, she introduces caveats into her argument: she doesnt say that gun control in Australia hasnt worked or would not work here; rather, she says that because Australia has had so few mass shootings she cant tell if gun control there has reduced their number. She says their gun laws didnt prove much about what Americas policy should be, and that gun restrictions had an ambiguous effect on other gun-related crimes and deaths.

Ungers rhetoric is not so nuanced. Linking gun control to other issues like global warming and deriding so-called politicized commentaries on gun control as mere pablum and bad science show that hes pretty fixed in his thinking. Many Second Amendment traditionalists believe that no one is ever going to pry their guns from their hands. And ending his letter with a shot at Planned Parenthood sounds like politicized commentary. Abortion is even more complicated than gun control.

Its high time for change. We need a grass-roots movement from both sides  despite inaction from politicians  to make this country safer and healthier. We need to embrace compromises, not absolutes, because we will always be afraid of gun violence until we have the guts to stop it.
A PAEDOPHILE who preyed on girls as young as five during a campaign of abuse lasting 20 years has failed to convince top judges to slash his jail term.

Shaun Vincent Connealy molested five children and one young adult in the Sheffield, Rotherham and Skegness areas between the late 1970s and early 1990s.

The 62-year-old, of Nelson Road, Great Yarmouth, raped some of his victims and subjected others to sickening sexual abuse.

He issued threats in a bid to keep his victims silent, telling one she would be in big trouble if she told anyone what happened.

Connealy was found guilty of 13 counts, including rape, attempted rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child.

He was jailed for 27 years, with an extended licence period of one year, at Sheffield Crown Court in February.

Challenging his sentence at Londons Appeal Court, his lawyers argued it was far too tough.

Mr Justice King said a mistake had been made when Connealy was sentenced and his jail term had to be cut by a year to 26 years.

The judge, sitting with Lady Justice Hallett and Judge Adele Williams, said that was necessary to achieve the sentence originally intended.

But he refused a further reduction in Connealys sentence, he said: This was serious sexual offending over 20 years.

It was a campaign of sexual offending against victims who were vulnerable children.

He had deliberately sought out his victims and had put himself in a position to be able to commit offences against them.

We find it quite impossible to say that the sentence was manifestly excessive.
Ashley Godber

A MAN who confessed to police that he had sexually abused two children and was relieved to get it off his chest has been jailed for six years.

Ashley Godber (26), of Woodland Drive, North Anston, was arrested last year for possessing child porn.

He told police: I hate myself for looking at it  I dont look at it anymore.

Godber then admitted he had abused two children years earlier.

And at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday, he was jailed for 14 sex offences against the boy and girl who were both aged under nine between 2010 and 2016.

Godber also admitted one count of possessing indecent images.

Mr Gurdial Singh, prosecuting, said when Godber was arrested, officers had questioned him about what he was viewing.

He said he had borderline personality disorder and from time-to-time looked at porn, the last time being two to three years ago, said Mr Singh.

He said the images would be on his phone which he was no longer in possession of and he knew they were indecent images.

Police had asked him if he had ever sexually assaulted any children, said Mr Singh, and he admitted to sexually assaulting the boy and girl and showing them porn on several occasions.

Godber said he believed the girl was aged nine.

Mr Singh said: He said he hoped showing the porn would lead to sexual activity with her.

He added: He claimed to have no interest in children and told police it was a relief to tell them and get it all off his chest.

Godber, who has no previous convictions, told police he was disgusted with himself.

The girl told officers Godber had shown her porn on Twitter and she had whacked the phone out of his hand because she had not liked what she was being shown and it had made her feel uncomfortable.

She estimated Godber had shown her porn more than 20 times.

The boy said Godber had also shown him sexual material and Godber had made him feel uncomfortable.

The court heard the sexual abuse had had a devastating impact on the children  the boy does not like being alone in a room with strangers and the girl had stopped being girly and given up her love of dancing.

Godber will serve half of his sentence on licence and was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Second phase of campaign focuses on real, intimate moments within relationshipsThe Diamond Producers Association (DPA) launches new Real is Rare advertising tonight on the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards airing on Univision. The Reveal is one of two new videos presenting a modern take on love and diamonds.The Other Party will debut on ABCs broadcast of the 2017 American Music Awards November 19th.Developed in collaboration with creative agency, Mother New York, the campaign launches with two videos entitled, The Reveal and The Other Party, as well as several images for print, digital, and in-store use.These two new stories are a natural evolution of our campaign. They show how universally familiar, yet still singularly special moments of emotional connection are diamond-worthy. The audience is given a glimpse into private couple moments where the role of the diamond is intrinsic to the storyline, and is an expression of their love, their life together, and their commitment to each other. The Other Party is a romantic, playful film about young engaged couple, while The Reveal shows the private, at-home moments of a married couple. says Deborah Marquardt, DPAs Chief Marketing Officer.The new advertising will run on TV, digital, cinema, print, and select out-of-home throughout the remainder of 2017 and 2018. The print images will premiere in upcoming issues of People Magazine.Tanya Dukes, who styled the campaign, says, My aim was to find jewelry to complement the unique storyline and tone of each film. The Other Party is a flirty story, so I selected an engagement ring called Integre three-stone diamond engagement ring by Pluczenik along with Sensu Diamond Fan Earrings by Michelle Fantaci. By contrast, The Reveal features a slightly older couple in a quieter, more intimate film, a perfect fit for the Classico oval diamond ring from Harry Kotlar and diamond wedding band from Mimi So. Kwiat Sunburst earrings finished off the look.DPA thanks its many partners for providing their stunning jewelry, including Harry Kotlar, Pluczenik, Kwiat, Mimi So, Michelle Fantaci, and De Beers Diamond Jewellers.Real is Rare. Real is a Diamond is a communications platform created by the Diamond Producers Association in 2016. The platform redefines diamonds for the 21st century, giving them new meaning as a symbol to celebrate real connections we choose to make. The first Real is Rare campaign focused on the moments that couples decided to commit and were a departure from the idealized imagery that has been associated with diamond advertising.For more information on the campaign and to view the creative spots, visit www.RealisaDiamond.com . Using the hashtag #RealisRare, consumers can join the conversation about "Real is Rare" on social media @RealisaDiamond on Twitter and Instagram, "Real is a Diamond" Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
President of ALROSA ordered disciplinary sanctions following the accident at Mir

17 november 2017 News

Sergey Ivanov, President of ALROSA signed an order on disciplinary sanctions against the company's executives who violated the requirements of industrial safety, which contributed to the accident at the Mir mine on August 4, 2017. The director and chief engineer of the companys Mirny Mining Division were suspended from their positions with subsequent dismissal from the company.

On November 10, Rostekhnadzor, Russias Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision, announced the findings of a commission on technical investigation of the causes that had led to the accident at Mir. The results of the investigation were handed over to the President of ALROSA during his meeting with Alexey Aleshin, the head of Rostekhnadzor. The commission came to the conclusion that the accident was caused by a set of hydrogeological, technical and organizational factors. One of the main reasons was the anomalous hydrogeological complexity of the deposit due to a system of unfavorably underlying cracks in the structural fracture. Among the technical reasons, the commission listed a number of adopted design decisions. In particular, the project of "dry conservation" implemented for the mines quarry in the early 2000s did not take into account the possibility that ore and rocks could be washed out. In particular, the design organizations did not fully take into account the complex geological and hydrogeological features of the field. The commission also identified 16 officials responsible for violations of industrial safety requirements that had led to the accident. The management of ALROSA was requested by Rostekhnadzor to issue an order for the company specifying a full list of executives and their personal responsibility for the accident. In line with the order signed yesterday by Sergey Ivanov, the list of responsible persons was expanded to 24 people and included the top managers of the Mir mine, Mirny Mining Division, ALROSA and the Yakutniproalmaz Institute.

Following this order, Mikhail Lopatinsky, Director of the Mirny Mining Division and Alexander Kisilichin, its Chief Engineer were suspended from their positions with subsequent dismissal from the company for improper performance of their duties and weak operational supervision. The other responsible persons, including the companys top managers, were reprimanded and penalized materially. The order also instructed to consider if Alexey Buxer, the chief of the Mir underground mine and Sergey Yekel, the mines chief engineer were matching their positions.

In addition, the order noted the improper execution of the existing legislative and other normative acts, as well as the companys internal regulations by Alexander Chaadayev, who was in charge of the Yakutniproalmaz Institute at the time of the accident. This prevented to predict the danger during the mines operation. Alexander Chaadayev left the company and was replaced by Andrey Zelberg, the former head of the technical department of ALROSA. One of the main tasks for the new director of the institute will be to organize a comprehensive study and audit of the design solutions at all ALROSAs facilities. In addition, he will be responsible for creating a system for forecasting risks that may arise in the future while developing mineral deposits.




OmniTRAX

A Toronto-based holding company has expressed interest in a partnership that could purchase the beleaguered Hudson Bay Rail line, the Port of Churchill and other associated assets.

Natural Resources Canada says Fairfax Financial Holdings Inc. is exploring a partnership with Missinippi Rail and One North to buy the northern Manitoba rail and port infrastructure.

We are optimistic about the prospects of northern gateways. The Churchill rail corridor and the Port of Churchill are important pieces of infrastructure for northern communities and to the economy of Canada. Partnering with First Nations and communities is the right model for this investment. We have deep experience in infrastructure projects and have the necessary operational expertise to run shortline railways in partnership with our investee company AGT Foods. The key is that the plan has to be viable and profitable in the long term as a business, said Paul Rivett, president of Fairfax Financial Holdings Inc.

Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr added, This development has the potential to contribute to an arrangement supported by First Nations and communities in northern Manitoba. This would enable a sustainable business approach that results in a safe and reliable rail line.

OmniTRAX Inc. entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2016 with Missinippi Rail and One North on a potential sale of the Hudson Bay Rail line for a reported CA$20 million (US$161.18 million). Earlier this year, the line was hit with floods, which caused multiple washouts and other damage that ended service along the line.

In October, the government of Canada gave OmniTRAX 30 days to fix the line or face legal action. The government followed through with its ultimatum Nov. 13, when it filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the shortline holding company.

The government of Canada, through its chief negotiator the Honorable Wayne Wouters, explains that it will continue to work with OmniTRAX and, in exclusivity, with the above parties towards positive solutions for the people and communities of northern Manitoba.
Canadian stocks steadied Thursday, trimming recent losses amid upbeat economic data from both sides of the border.

The TSX Composite Index was up 49 points at 15,928.56, edging back near record highs set earlier this month.

Markets reacted positively to news that the U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping tax reform. The bill could get hung up in the Senate, but analysts expect any compromise to include meaningful corporate tax cuts.

In corporate news, European Union has backed Bombardier (BBD.B.TO) in its trade spat with Boeing. Bombardier shares were up fractionally.

Husky (HSE.TO) has instituted a pre-pay policy at its gas stations after a fatal gas and dash incident. Shares were down 0.8 percent.

Canadian manufacturing sales rose 0.5% to $53.7 billion in September, reflecting higher sales in the petroleum and coal product industry, Statistics Canada said.

Meanwhile, homebuilder confidence in the U.S. unexpectedly improved in the month of November, according to a report released by the National Association of Home Builders on Thursday.

The report said the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose to 70 in November from 68 in October.

Industrial production in the U.S. increased by more than anticipated in the month of October, the Federal Reserve revealed in a report released on Thursday.

The report said industrial production climbed by 0.9 percent in October after rising by an upwardly revised 0.4 percent in September.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Department store chain The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. announced plans to shut down at least 40 of its stores next year as the company that is laden with debt and has poor sales plans to turnaround.

"We expect to implement a significant store rationalization program and plan to close at least 40 locations through 2018," Bon-Ton President and CEO William Tracy said in a news release Thursday. "This will enable us  moving forward with a more productive store footprint and redirecting capital expenditures toward investments designed to drive sales growth."

Bon-Ton has not disclosed the list of stores that it plans to close. The company operates 260 stores in 24 states under different brands including Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski denied allegations that Brazilian construction company Odebrecht had paid him with slush funds, which would include campaign contributions.

While stressing his promise to "fight against corruption at all levels," Kuczynski deemed as "false" the statement made by Marcelo Odebrecht, former president of the construction company, during testimony to Peruvian prosecutors who are investigating Odebrecht's corruption scheme in the country.

According to the former executive, Kuczynski was hired by his company as an advisor before becoming head of state. Between 2001 and 2006, Kuczynski was Peru's Minister of Economy and was contrary to the construction of the South Interoceanic route. At that time, Odebrecht considered the current president as a "thorn in our side," said Odebrecht, according to the newspaper El Comercio, which had access to the executive's testimony.

Odebrecht also said that "when Kuczynski no longer held any public office, the company hired his services as a consultant in an attempt to heal wounds," paying him with slush funds, the newspaper reported.

"It is said that I would have been a 'thorn in his side' as Minister of Economy, against the projects promoted by the company, which is why, after being a minister, I was hired as a financial consultant for that company. The alleged affirmation is false," Kuczynski said in a message to the nation.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) has warned that the United States' military advantage against near-peer competitors Russia and China is eroding, and it is no longer as decisive as it was some years ago.

General Joseph Dunford sounded the alert while speaking at the Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts.

He said Russia and China and other nations have examined U. S. operations since the Gulf War and invested in capabilities and doctrines to counter America's conventional upper hand. "America must invest in capabilities to ensure deterrence," according to the four-star General.

Gen. Dunford said the United States has better advantage than the two major powers: the network of allies and its ability to project power around the world. But that dominance is coming to an end due to Russian and Chinese improvements in tactics and , warned Dunford, who is the highest-ranking and senior-most US military officer.

He cited as an example the naval alliance in Europe, where Russia understands that the transatlantic link is critical for US to meet its NATO commitments. The "anti-access, area denial" strategy looks to develop systems to limit U. S. ability to move into the region and then to operate freely within the region to meet alliance commitments, Dunford said.

Russia, China and others have concentrated funding and resources in areas such as electronic warfare, cyber capabilities, anti-space capabilities, anti-ship cruise missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles, he added. Russia has absolutely no desire to fight a conventional war with the United States and NATO, Dunford said.

He cited the strategy China used when THAAD (termina) high-altitude area defense missiles] was fielded in South Korea, by putting really heavy economic pressure on South Korea. "The decision they made -- the costs imposed on South Korea for fielding THAAD -- is billions of dollars. That affects political decision-making," said Dunford, who is also the principal military advisor to the President.

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Political News
#FIFA World Cup Captain Son Heung-min willing to risk health for fans It would be too risky for any athlete to return to competition less than a month after suffering facial fractures. But Son Heung-min, the beloved captain of the South Korean men's ...
By SA Commercial Prop News

"Much of the value created by South African listed property groups has been made abroad. About 40% of the listed sector is offshore," said Ortneil Kutama, SA Commercial Prop News Media Director.



The South African Listed Property sector is wading off many challenges including a weak economy, a volatile rand and tenant struggles. Much of the sector is now offshore which is providing support to investors returns.

The listed property sector has had a very challenging 2017 but despite a lack of merger and acquisitions and new listings, the companies within it have generated solid returns.

In the first ten months of this year, listed property returned nearly 11%. Equites managed to achieve double this number however, according to a report by Catalyst Fund Managers.

"Much of the value created by South African listed property groups has been made abroad. About 40% of the listed sector is offshore," said Ortneil Kutama, SA Commercial Prop News Media Director.

About half of that 40% is in eastern Europe. Poland, which is one of the most popular investment markets in Europe has drawn the attention of South African investors. Poland is very fast growing. This year New Europe Property Investments (Nepi) which has focussed on Romania merged with Rockcastle Global Real Estate which has focussed on Poland. They became a fund called NEPI Rockcastle PLC with a market capitalisation of about R100bn.

NEPI Rockastle is spreading itself across eastern Europe, owning assets in Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Serbia. They bought a shopping centre in Poland this past week. The company is worth about R115bn, with its share price having climbed %.

Redefine Properties is also increasing its exposure to Poland. The company has recently announced a deal where it is acting as part of a consortium.

Redefine which is the second largest SA-based property group, will acquire a 25% stake in a 1bn retail portfolio of 28 well-established assets in Poland.

CEO Andrew Konig has said Redefine will co-invest in a consortium with American investment management firm, Pacific Investment Management Company (Pimco), and American asset manager Oaktree Capital Management, each of whom would have 37.5% of the portfolio being acquired.

Following this latest Polish deal, Redefines exposure to offshore real estate will be add much as 30%. Apart from Poland, the company has investments in the UK and Australi.

Emira Property Fund has become the first South African Reit to invest in the US.

Emiras US investment plan involves partners in the largest real estate investment trust (Reit) market in the world. Emira gets 6% of its income from its investment in Growthpoint Properties Australia. By investing in the US, it wants its income derived from offshore assets to expand to at least 10%. Emira and its partners will invest in grocery-anchored convenience retail centres.

Having considered several investment destinations, we identified the USA as being the best fit for us. It is the primary first-world market and the US dollar is the worlds benchmark currency

The US is the largest and most sophisticated Reit market on earth. Emira believes as a western economy, it is offering strong growth prospects currently.

"As the biggest market in the western world, it is extremely solid and well diversified, plus we see attractive value in our chosen segment, said CEO Geoff Jennett earlier this year.

Emira is committing R290m to its first investment in the USA, which is only about 2% of its total assets.

We can comfortably fund this from our own balance sheet and furthermore we can take advantage of access to relatively cheap, in-country, long-term debt finance," he said.

The investment will earn Emiras stakeholders US dollar-denominated double-digit returns of some 10.5% per annum, compared with the single-figure yields achievable in SA.

Emira will also co-invest with Rainier Companies, a Dallas, Texas-based investment and real estate business, which is headed by Texan J Kenneth Dunn, its co-founder and principal.

This may prompt more South African funds to invest in the US but only if they can create the correct partnerships with people in the market first.

It is also currently results reporting season for various listed property funds. Unfortunately, their dividend forecasts have been rather disappointing.

Octodec recently reported that it had grown its dividend per share 0.8% in the year to August. It guided for 0% growth in the next financial year saying maintaining a dividend was still attractive.

This was also less than the 1% growth in dividends it achieved in a six-month period in 2009, one of Octodecs weakest periods on record.

MD Jeffrey Wapnick has said the second half of the August 2017 financial year was disappointing as the group faced new competition in Pretoria, especially in Hatfield, which was being redeveloped. The economy was weak and consumers were under pressure, Wapnick said.

Student housing is being built with pace in Hatfield and Pretoria. There is even a company which is trying to list as a student housing fund and become a real estate investment trust. This group is Inkunzi Student Accommodation. It is struggling to list as it looks to raise capital and meet requirements with the JSE.

Investors are still hungry for specialised funds, there have just been concerns over political uncertainty in SA and a weak economy.

Rebosis Property Fund also released results recently, growing its dividend 7.4%. The company has forecast for growth between 4% and 6% in its next financial year. This may be below inflation which could hit 6%.

Property companies are finding it difficult to forecast dividend growth. There are just too many uncertain factors. They dont know when cycles will turn so that the economy grows more aggressively and consumers become stronger.

Redefine Properties has nevertheless forecast that it can repeat dividend growth at least close to 7% in 2018, having forecast between 5% and 6%.

Indluplace Properties grew its dividend 5.6% in the year to September 2017. This company owns and rents out residential properties at a level above affordable housing, basic entry level rentals. It has forecast dividend growth of between 4% and 7% in the year to September 2018.

We await to see what other listed property companies reporting this season have achieved in the past six months or year and what they are forecasting for their next respective periods. Investec Property Fund and Investec Australia Property Fund are the next to report.
Deontay Wilder can't wait to get Anthony Joshua into the ring.

He's just not sure when it's going to happen.

"I just want to prove who is the best, that's all I want to do," Wilder said Thursday. "I want people to see a great fight and witness the two best heavyweights compete with each other one night in the ring."

Wilder, who is coming off an impressive first-round knockout of Bermane Stiverne, said his representatives have been in contact with Joshua's camp, and the sides are exploring ways to stage the heavyweight unification fight.

It could happen sometime next year, Wilder said, if Joshua's handlers aren't too protective of the British fighter.

"I think they're hesitant for a reason," Wilder said in a phone call with The Associated Press. "They've got a great thing going. He can fight literally a guy who doesn't even have a name and can make millions and millions of dollars off him. Why would they risk taking a chance with the most dangerous heavyweight in the division?"

There are other obstacles to the fight, as well, including whether to hold it in England or in the U.S. and on what pay-per-view network. Joshua's camp has indicated their fighter would have to get more money than Joshua, too, because he has proven his ability to sell huge amounts of tickets in England.

There's also the feeling that both fighters should fight once more  perhaps on the same night  to build up more anticipation for the bout.

"They want a warmup fight," Wilder said. "Joshua's last performance was OK, but it wasn't his best. They want to redeem that and they want to make at least one more good payday before fighting me."

Joshua fought last month, stopping Carlos Takam in the 10th round of a sloppy fight in Wales. A week later, Wilder destroyed Stiverne in Brooklyn to keep his share of the heavyweight crown.

Stiverne, who lost his title to Joshua in their first fight, was criticized for being out of shape and didn't land a punch. But Wilder showed his brute power in stopping him in the first round.

"It was a devastating knockout," Wilder said. "Being able to put on a spectacular performance like I did put the icing on the cake."

Joshua is massively popular in England  his fight earlier this year with Wladimir Klitschko drew 90,000 to Wembley Stadium  but not as well known in the U.S. Wilder also is trying to grow his fan base outside his home state of Alabama and there have been questions about the quality of his opponents.

But both fighters are undefeated with impressive knockout records. When they do meet it could be the biggest heavyweight fight since the days Mike Tyson was destroying everyone in front of him.

"The heavyweight division was once in a dark place but now it is coming into the light," Wilder said. "It's exciting and I can't wait to make it even more exciting."
Dear Editor,

Re: Invasive species could be turned into renewable energy

According to your article on a new project using local wood to generate electrical power, a short list of trees has been published as being invasive species.

I have read this article with great concern, as after more than forty years of environmental studies in Samoa I have a different opinion of what is an invasive species and what should be done to serve both ecology and economy.

At least two of those few species mentionedaoa and tavai- are not invasive but indigenous to Samoa, and mosooi has been taken along by early voyagers a long time ago. All three species provide indispensable food for all of the native birds including the National Bird, the Tooth-billed Pigeon, manumea.

Moreover, mosooi is being cultivated in many villages and plantations for its fragrant flowers. Many birds, especially pigeons and doves, feed on the berries of this tree, coming right into the villages.

Many of the aoa, Banyan trees, have suffered a lot through cyclones. These huge trees are indigenous to Samoa and are not invasive.

They form a world of their own, providing food like berries and insects for almost all Samoan birds, breeding sites and also shade if standing within cattle farms.

Turning them into firewood would be a disaster for Samoan wildlife and a shame for any environmentalist.

For further details the books on The Birds of Samoa and Rainforest Trees of Samoa might be helpful to revise the list which might contain more mistakes.

Other species like the tamaligi seem less important at first glance, however, they provide a high canopy, flowers and food for e. g. the rare Samoan Honeyeater, Maomao. Tamaligi often grow on steep slopes, and harvesting them would destroy gullies and would lead to more erosion and polluted water.

Other species like puluvao or pulu mamoe may be used as firewood without ecological impact. Dead logs of niu may also be used, as this will remove lots of breeding sites for Rhinoceros beetles, manu ai niu.

Nevertheless emphasis should be taken on wind and solar power instead of turning backwards by burning trees without knowing their role within ecology. Soifua.

Dr. Ulf Beichle

Germany
A man's body was discovered at Sapapalii last week.

Police Media Spokesperson, Superintendent Auapaau Logoitino Filipo told the Samoa Observer he was found dead on the side of the access road (auala galue) of the village.

Police identified the deceased as a young man.

There were no bruises on his body, Auapaau said.

His body is now at Tuasivi hospital.

Village Mayor of Sapapalii, Foluena Mapu, confirmed the young man was from their village.

He went to feed the cows but people found him dead on the side of the road, Foulena said.

He has asthma, but we are not so sure the cause of death.

Foluena said the young man was a hard working person.

This is what he does to serve and help his family.

Hes loved by his family and people of our village. We are obviously very shocked and sad about what has happened and we hope the Police can identify what happened to him.

Our condolences to the family and may his soul rest in peace.
Samoas flag carrier, Samoa Airways, appears to have sorted out a teething problem with their boarding passes.

Thats according to Attorney General, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff on a Facebook post today.

One of the passengers for the airlines Apia/Sydney flight, Lemalu posted:

Nothing handwritten here - except for the kind last minute upgrade :-)

Smooth check in yesterday Faleolo for #SamoaAirways first Apia to Sydney flight -Was a great flight - VIIA LE ALII. -----Look forward to official Samoan Community launch tonight. (PS if it had been handwritten I'm sure I would've survived that experience.

Yesterday, the Airlines General Manager, Seiuli Alvin Tuala, called for patience from members of the public as they try to sort out some teething problems.

Some of the boarding passes for the Airline had been handwritten which created a social media frenzy.

Samoa Airways though is not the first airline to have done it. Many of the worlds major airlines have at some point had to hand write boarding passes due to system failures.
Travelling for work is one of the greatest perks a job can offer you for many different reasons.

For Pip of Wellington, New Zealand, coming to a tropical island gave her a little teaser of what Samoa had to offer.

Dear Tourist met Pip and Lucy on their walk along the seawall; they are here for work-related reasons and were taking a walkabout town before heading back for meetings.

This is my first time, Ive only been here for one day but its beautiful to be here, said Pip.

Its very hot of course. Compared to Wellington, theres no wind and its really warm, so those are good things.

We just had a bit of a walk this morning, were doing some training this afternoon so its just a nice time to get a bit of sense of the place and have a look around. Id love to come back and it would be nice to travel more and see more of the other islands as well.

Meanwhile, Lucy was enjoying her second trip to Samoa.

We arrived last night and this is my second time, said Lucy. I came in August for 10 days for a holiday and I really enjoyed it then. We travelled around to Savaii and around the big island to the blow holes and the lava field  it was beautiful.

Lucy came to Samoa out of interest because her friends were volunteering here.

Ive got friends who are working as V.S.A volunteers. They showed us the markets and how they do their shopping, the good places to go, and the nice resorts. It was good fun.

As a fan of seafood, Lucy enjoyed tucking into our local fish dishes.

Yeah I did like the food, especially poke and then the oka  I loved that, it was delicious. I am a seafood fan. We walked down to the fish market on a Sunday that was amazing to see all the fresh produce available to everyone.

Both ladies were planning on returning to Samoa for a holiday in the near future for a vacation rather than business finding that Samoa was the perfect place for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Samoa is very much more relaxed. Its lovely to come from a busy city like Wellington to a nice relaxed place, said Lucy.

Yeah I would definitely recommend Samoa as a holiday destination. Its so easy to get around, we hired a car last time we were here and found the roads really good, welcoming friendly people and obviously the golden beaches and the beautiful weather  no complaints.
On their way to have breakfast in Apia yesterday were Dallas and Elaine Walton of Melbourne, Australia.

It was a gloomy and cloudy day in the central part of Upolu when Dear Tourist bumped into the happy couple who are in Samoa for an eight-day holiday.

Coming from the Land Down Under to a place where they have never been before was not really what the Waltons had expected.

They planned their travel to our shores because they wanted to learn the Samoan culture and feel a little bit of island life.

Unfortunately they said this was not so because there was not much for them to do since their arrival on Sunday.

Been married for 25 years and travelled to some of the worlds renowned tourist destinations, the couple said Samoa had potential to attract more tourists and it needed to market the destination well.

There is not much to do really since our arrival. There was no tour bus organized by the hotel to take the visitors around the island and theres not much activity organized in the hotels, Mrs. Walton, 66, said.

We love lazing around the poolside and there was also a show put on by the hotel last night (Wednesday) and it was really great. Thats been the best experience so far. It was really fun and enjoyable.

I think there should be more activities as such organized so tourists can enjoy their stay. We have not really done any sightseeing because there was nothing organized for visitors who want to take a trip around the island, she added.

There should be day trips to villages to learn about the Samoan village life and this not only benefits the country, it also attracts more tourist to that village which means money for the villagers.

Mrs. Walton said the heat was also unbearable for her especially when trying to brush through the busy Apia flea market which was why they planned to buy souvenirs today.

I think the Samoa travel guide also needs to direct tourists to accommodations where we are able to travel and visit sites and learn about the Samoan culture, Mr. Walton, 65, added.

Despite their experience, the friendly hospitality of the local Samoans is a highlight for the couple.

Local staff members of the hotel have been great and they provide good service, Mr. Walton said.

Yeah, the locals have been really friendly, something unexpected but they have been really great, Mrs. Walton added.

Local food tastes good and I love it, Mr. Walton said.

The couple leaves our shores with hopes that Samoa will improve and develop their tourism sector and marketing strategies so that more tourists can visit.

They have planned their next trip to Vietnam and Thailand in 2018 and as for Samoa, well time will tell.
Despite the challenges, Samoa is no doubt still the land of milk and honey.

Talking to the Village Voice team yesterday, Ulisese T. Ioane, he is grateful to be living in Samoa.

But he said we needed to invest in our resources by having young people work on what we have.

Mr. Ioane said he did not support the idea of our people sending strong young men to work in overseas countries when they could just stay in Samoa and work on our land instead.

He says people are not patient which is why they always apply for overseas jobs instead of here.

Mr. Ioane says when we work our plantations, it takes five to six months until harvest, which is usually a long period of time and a lot of us need to make money to make it through to the next day.

It is understandable that it is our nature as human beings that we get impatient and we would end up looking for other ways to earn a living, he said.

The 57-year-old said we would benefit if we worked our land.

You can still work our land and earn a living but at the same time you will be able to still spend time with your loved ones instead of going overseas to work where you will be able to receive easy cash but you would not be able to see your family, he said.

Mr. Ioane said he used to live in Salailua, Savaii, where he used to work in the plantation but despite moving to Vaitele-Fou, he is still able to make a living from his plantation.
And so once again, the death of another prisoner has come under scrutiny.

It surfaced on the front page of the Samoa Observer yesterday under the headline Wife calls for investigation into husbands death.

At a quick glance, it has become almost normal to say another one at the prison. Except it is not normal.

All these cases of suspicious and unresolved deaths at prison are disturbing because we are dealing with precious lives.

Although at some point these people might have strayed a bit which resulted in them being sent there, at the end of the day, we are talking about human beings who are loved by their families. Their lives were just as important as everyone else.

In a couple of cases of mysterious deaths at the prison, they were not even prisoners. They were mental health patients who ended up there because they needed help. Instead of getting help, they died. Absolutely horrible.

Which means we cannot pretend that the stories and the claims questioning the circumstances surrounding their deaths are just fables.

Weve heard one too many. Surely they cannot be a coincident.

Now the latest case is that of Alele Mano, 33, of Siumu who was serving a life sentence for a crime he had committed. When he died last week, the authorities apparently claimed he died from a heart attack.

But his wife does not believe that. Her disbelief is based on what she saw when she arrived at the Motootua Hospital and saw that her husbands body had bruises all over. It was so bad she couldnt continue to look at him.

I asked the police officers who were at the hospital at that time why my husbands body was like that and they told me that my husband always had chest pains, she said.

The different accounts relayed to her add to the confusion.

Up until now, I am still confused if my husband died at Tafaigata Prison or at the hospital because even the prison officers had different stories to tell me when I asked them, she said.

I do believe that something happened inside prison that led to the bruises on my husbands body.

Now Mrs. Tasi is on a mission. She is determined to find a lawyer to help her get to the bottom of this.

In the meantime, she is a hurting woman. She burst into tears when she sat down and thought about her husband.

We have two children, our eldest is two years old and the youngest is 11 months. Our family relies on him when he had the chance to come home and spend Sundays with his children and then the following week he goes back to prison, she said. He was a loving father to my children and also to my father who is disabled. Alele always takes good care of him.

Who wouldnt be touched by this?

We repeat Aleles life matters. Just like that of Siliva Aualiitia, Perry Tuilaepa and Hans Dalton. It means the relevant authorities must do all they can to find out how these men died.

If they were murdered, the one thing we are sure of is that the guilty party remains out there in the community.

And this makes everyone unsafe.

Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot ignore these deaths and pretend that this is normal.

Have a safe weekend Samoa, God bless!
Ever doubted the governments vision behind Samoa Airways?

If yes, you are probably not the only one. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi knows this.

But the government through its Press Secretary has countered this by releasing a statement revealing the key people involved in getting the airline off the ground.

This is what it says:

Critics say governments investment in resurrecting the national carrier; is a gamble that will be a financial disaster for government and the people of Samoa.

But not according to the government agencies at the frontline facilitating Samoa Airways to realise her full potential as an asset to the people of Samoa.

The government entities providing support for Samoa Airways was cemented this week with the presence of their Chief Executives at the launching of the airlines return to international services to Auckland New Zealand and later this week at the launching of the Faleolo-Sydney Australia direct flights.

They include;

 Agafili Shem Leo- Ministry of Prime Minister & Cabinet.

 Lemalu Herman Retzlaff- Attorney General

 Papalii Sonja Hunter - Samoa Tourism Authority

Samoa is an isolated island nation surrounded by water. Air transport is a vital link for Samoa and we need to have reliable and safe air travel for our people, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said at the launch.

Many have asked why are we doing this, why do we need to have an airline and why not leave it to others.

Samoa can no longer rely on others to determine our destiny in terms of air travel, we can no longer sit back and let others dictate to us whats best for our people and this country.

Having our own airline ensures that we will be able to determine our destiny. Having our own airline will create jobs and will contribute to the economic growth of our country through increase exports and also contribute to increasing tourist to our country.

Something that was not done under past arrangements.

The Prime Minister revealed that many have asked the question why Samoa is going down this road, and why now?

I often ask the question back, If not now, when and if not us, who? replied Tuilaepa No one else will look after our countries needs but us. If we do not do it now, it will never be done.

If you look around our region, from Vanuatu to the Solomons, Nauru to Kiribati and Tahiti to Fiji. Our neighbors have their own national airlines and they have maintained their airlines successfully and profitably.

If others can do it why cant we. Why cant we. The answer is we can.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is unrepentant over the governments decision to tax the incomes and gratuities for church ministers.

Amidst growing criticisms of his administration from the church and members of the public, Tuilaepa remains defiant.

He insists that taxes belong to the government and therefore church ministers should pay. That was his response to the latest wave of negative comments about the tax scheme targeting churches.

During his weekly media session, Tuilaepa said there were certain types of church ministers. There are the ones who read the Bible, understand that it is their duty to give to Caesar what belongs to him and pay their taxes.

And then there are those church ministers who read the Bible, see what it says and refuse to do it.

Such church ministers, Tuilaepa said, are in the dark.

Paul made it very clear that all authorities are from God, Tuilaepa pointed out. All authorities in all organisations in the world are of God. So those people who reject such authorities in these organisations are against God.

Therefore pay your taxes!

Tuilaepa is adamant it is the right thing to do for church ministers to give the government what rightfully belongs to them.

So give tax to the government, tax belongs to the government.

At the beginning of the week, church ministers had a message for Prime Minister Tuilaepa.

Accepting the fact that they soon would be paying taxes, Reverend Siaosi Samuelu, of the Catholic Church at Salua Manono, urged the government to use tax monies wisely.

There are countless families in Upolu especially at Aleipata who dont have access to water and electricity, he said. Use those monies to help those families. Use it wisely please but dont abuse and waste them.

Rev. Samuelu was among church ministers who attended a seminar by the Ministry of Revenue to explain how the new law will work, effective on 01 January 2018.

Passed by Parliament in June, the law removed the tax exemption clause for income generated by church ministers.

This means that starting on the first day of 2018, all income earned by church ministers will be taxed  including monetary gifts they receive from funerals, weddings and other faalavelave.

Rev. Samuelu said he doesnt object to the governments plan but he wants to make it clear that common courtesy would have gone a long way.

In any case, now that he will pay tax just like everyone else, Rev. Samuelu said he wants to ensure the money is spent accordingly.

Dont spend it on road constructions where in the next two years, they dig the road again, he said.

That is a waste of taxpayers money. Stop wasting money on useless projects. They should look at solid developments, not another burden to everyone shoulders.
Faith is essential when you want to get through any struggle in life, even when people tell you its not okay.

And holding on to faith could be the ultimate hope of overcoming pain and sorrow.

Such is how Jody Toleafoa described her mothers faith while fighting cancer in 2010.

Her mother, Atamamao Tole'afoa, was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer but it was her faith that helped her through the most painful chapter of her life.

November 2010 in Utah, America, is the day I can never forget, she told the Weekend Observer.

It was then that we were told of the news about our mother having cancer. She went to do a mammogram and then she went to do a biopsy and so the doctor said that they would call for the results.

That morning of November the doctor called for us to come in so I was with her and my nephew.

It was very surreal and never thought it was going to happen to us and especially to her.

While the doctor was letting us know about the news, mom just sat there in disbelief and stared at the doctor like these things dont just happen and we were in big shock.

While the doctor was telling her I was just standing there and my immediate thought was I dont want to lose my mom.

But at the same time Dr. Shelton was very comforting and encouraging saying that there was treatment and that we can get through it and that there were a lot of survivors and that she was not in the fight alone.

We then went home and I just cried just by looking at her and the thought of losing her made it worse because Im the eldest and I love my mom very much.

We told the family about the news and one of her brother came and gave her a blessing and I can never forget what he said in his blessing.

He told her that whatever was to happen and if she was to lose her hair it will grow back a 100 fold and it did happen.

When she went through chemotherapy after her surgery, she lost all her hair but when it started to grow back it was darker and curlier and it was softer.

Ms. Toleafoa said they were told of the news in November 2010 and her mothers cancer was in stage 2 but it spread faster and by the end of the year it was in stage 3.

God is so good and it was hard but there were a lot of tender mercy just seeing her goes through it, said the eldest of four.

Her cancer progress very fast from stage 2 to stage 3 and that was just within October and November.

So they scheduled for her surgery on the first week of January in 2011.

So mom had a vasectomy on the first week of January and it was a very hard and long surgery because she went inside in the morning and she came out at night.

But we were grateful for a lot of people who came to support not only from our family but also the church as well as moms friends.

While waiting for her surgery, all we did was prayed because we dont know what the outcome is going to be and during that time, our prayers were so sincere because we hear a lot of stories where surgeries did not go well or as planned.

But it was such a blessing and heartbreaking at the same time because I remember when she came out she was still very tired.

Just by looking at her going through that much pain we felt useless.

When mum was scheduled for surgery at that time, Dr. Nelson was booked out for up to six months so it was hard but then there was an opening that came and mom was able to have her surgery a lot sooner which was good because they thought they were getting all the cancer out through surgery but even after that they couldnt.

Ms. Toleafoa added chemotherapy was the most crucial time for her mother.

Mom would go to chemo on Monday and then Tuesday she would have a neulasta shot and that shot cost $4000 per shot, said Ms. Toleafoa.

And then the steroids they prescribed for her would be finish by Thursday and so from that Thursday until the following two weeks where she has her next chemo she was in pain because the shot would go straight into her bone marrow to be more effective to fight off any cold or flu.

But she would be in so much pain, she would lie in crying because of the pain and she had no appetite, all she wanted to eat was the juice from the crab and then ripe banana and mango thats all she wanted to eat.

Those three things we would buy and make for her because she had no appetite.

The pain would get better for a short time and then we see her in pain again and she had a whole jar of different pills so went through a lot.

The daughters had to cut their hair in support of their mother as chemo made her lose all her hair.

We went as far as cutting our hairs for her and it was one of the hardest things because one Sunday we were getting ready for church and she called me to come and help her with her hair, she said.

We tried to be strong because we dont want to cry in front of her because we dont want her to cry but she ask me to comb her hair and try to make it fuller but then when I was standing looking at her hair I can see it was very thin and could see her scalp.

While I was combing it a lot of the hair came off but still she had so much faith and even though she was sick she would still go to church.

That time we were all living in faith because she had so much faith to fight and to live and fight through all that pain so she can be here for us.

Anything she wanted our dad would do it for her the support she had from our dad was just indescribable and that was one of the reason why she fought because our dad was supporting her and being by her side in every step of her battle.

Ms. Toleafoa couldnt stop thanking God for His love on her family and especially their mother.

Our family is very close and we went through some hard time but God really showed us that He is the God of miracles.

She came through in 2011 and shes back to her normal routine and she makes the best poke and has the funniest jokes.

Shes well and stronger than ever.
Tuvalus Prime Minister, Enele Sosene Sopoaga, did not mince words.

Speaking at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change C.O.P. 23 Summit in Bonn, Germany, Mr. Sopoaga told world leaders life and death for his people is in their hands. Tuvalu, an island with very strong connections to Samoa through the church, has a population of 10,000.

We are here as the highest representatives of the people and government of Tuvalu, Mr. Sopoaga said. I have ministers, Members of Parliament and community leaders in C.O.P. 23 and our message is to seek the survival of Tuvalu and Small Island Developing States.

Of course we carry with us the hopes of our people that out of this C.O.P.23, there will be a future for Tuvalu.

That we together shall act now, with urgency and high ambitions. We must stop greenhouse gas emissions that are causing global warming.

We must immediately shift the global economy to renewable energy mix. This is an enormous task mended for me as leader of Tuvalu and it keeps me awake every night.

No national leader in the history of humanity has ever faced this question -will we survive or will we disappear under the sea if no actions are done urgently.

Again I ask you all to think what it is like to be in my shoes, he said.

Mr. Sopoaga appealed to members to pause for a moment and think.

If we were face to face with the threat of the total disappearance of your nation, what would you do?

I ask you to ask yourself, what you would do. This is a battle of immense proportion, Mr. Sopoaga added.

He said the report was pointing at rising temperatures from 2.6 to 4.8 degrees.

Tuvalu is appreciative of the support received by the international community.

We are appreciative to the Green Climate Fund and the U.N.D.P. for helping us to get the funding for our coastal protection. But this being the Island C.O.P., we must make decisions; the C.O.P. must make decisions for urgent work.

Mr. Sopoaga stated the adaptation fund must serve the Paris Agreement.

We must also work on the loss and damage so that it will remain and continue to be a permanent item on the C.O.P. agenda.

We cannot take this as fallout as to what we agreed in Paris two years ago. We must do our responsibility and walk the talk.

Mr. President we are deeply in trouble, by the countries who are trying to block progress on loss and damage.

This is beyond adaptation, when you have nothing to adapt to when your island country has totally disappeared into the sea, said Mr. Sopoaga.

He also called on the leaders who deny the existence of climate change to pack their bags and return to their countries.

The countries who believe in Climate Change are here to act, to save our people. And those who deny that responsibility must leave C.O.P.23 and go home.

Let them be condemned for their ignorance. We are, we are at the right time of moral crisis, he said.

Climate change affects everyone Mr. President and people including indigenous women and the youths must be included in dialogue.

We also believe that Taiwan and the Republic of China must be given full participation in the process of climate change.

Mr. Sopoaga said the vision of the world they were striving for was a clean, renewable energy future for all.

Let us stand tall and proud in Bonn and let us look into the eyes of our children and say yes, we have a real future for you; we have done our work as leaders.

Let us paddle the canoe together, because if you don't want to join us, please leave the canoe and jump off the boat and face the consequences. Let us make 2017 the year we did not condemn our people to demise oblivion.

Let us make C.O.P. 23 the year we saved Tuvalu and save the world.
He might have been the charming and funny one half of the popular Laughing Samoans but at home between Ete and his wife Mele Wendt, he wasnt that funny.

Especially when it came to the issue of domestic violence.

In an interview with Stuff, Ete admits to being a wife beater.

"Publicly, people thought I was a funny guy, a great guy. But privately, I was a guy with anger issues, Ete told Jared Nicholl.

"I thought I'm going to become a really old man, a sad old man, if I continue to live in a controlling and violent way. And I thought no, life's got to be better than this.

"The children didn't see any of the violence, and we're happy about that, as we feel that at least we've broken the cycle of violence."

The interview between Stuff, Wendt and Ete is part of the build up towards an anti-domestic violence event in the Cook Islands Community Centre at the Cannons Creek Shopping Mall, in Warspite Ave, Porirua, on November 23.

According to the story, two decades ago, Eteuati Ete punched his wife Mele Wendt so hard while she was driving that she ended up with a black eye.

"There was a violent side to Ete," Wendt says. "But to the rest of the world he was this charming, effervescent person."

Ete, now 55, rose to fame as half of the comedy duo the Laughing Samoans. But he now admits he struggled to manage his controlling personality, and the anger that came with it.

The couple had not been married long when Wendt  former executive director of Fulbright New Zealand  was driving them through the Wellington suburb of Newtown as they argued about their three young children, and Ete lashed out.

"I had to go to hospital to check there were no broken bones in my face. I had a black eye. Swelling. He said he wouldn't do this again, but then there was another one.

"The first time I got whacked badly across the face was by him when I was about 25. I was just totally shocked.

"I wasn't going to be a battered wife. I was absolutely prepared to walk away."

In the first few years of marriage, there were about seven incidents of violence.

"When there was violence, I knew not to push it too hard or I would get whacked, and I would withdraw."

Ete was ultimately convicted of assaulting her, and ordered into counselling.

Wendt took out a protection order, and thought they would divorce.

The pair separated, but reconciled after about eight months. For the next decade, they lived in separate houses at Island Bay in Wellington. They shared custody of their children, who did not see any of the violence.

"If he got angry, I would say go to your own house, or I would go to my house," Wendt says.

But for the past 10 years, they have been back living together happily  and want others to see that changing a violent situation is hard, but possible.

"We wouldn't live apart ever again," she says.

Ete says Wendt warned him after the driving attack that, if he ever hit again, she would call police.

"And the second time I slapped her a couple of times, and she called the police.

"The judge told me not to do it again. But a couple of months later I hit her again, and I ended up in court for the second time.

"The judge said to me, 'If I see you here again, you're gonna go to jail'.

"You see, a bully understands that language. When there is someone stronger than you, that's going to make these consequences happen for you, you make the choice.

"And I made the choice there and then that I was not going to go to jail, and I need to sort myself out."

Meanwhile, he kept his role as a public entertainer separate from any issues at home.

"Publicly, people thought I was a funny guy, a great guy. But privately, I was a guy with anger issues.

"I thought I'm going to become a really old man, a sad old man, if I continue to live in a controlling and violent way.

"And I thought no, life's got to be better than this.

"The children didn't see any of the violence, and we're happy about that, as we feel that at least we've broken the cycle of violence."

Now a grandfather, Ete says facing up to himself has been "the scariest thing to do".

"We did a lot of couples counselling, and I did a lot of individual counselling. And I did a lot of soul-searching."

Born in Samoa, he was 12 when his family came to New Zealand. He suffered physical discipline from a young age, and used it on his younger brothers and sisters as part of the pecking order.

"The way I learnt to argue was the strongest person won by lashing out.

"If push came to shove, I was the one that pushed harder and shoved a lot harder."

Wendt, who says she was raised a feminist, spoke out about his behaviour to family and friends to ensure he was held accountable.

Her family were concerned, but trusted her judgment. "I didn't mind that he was my husband. I'm not going to be hit.

"It wasn't scary because I knew that was the thing people should do."

* Wendt and Ete will be speaking at an anti-domestic violence event in the Cook Islands Community Centre at the Cannons Creek Shopping Mall, in Warspite Ave, Porirua, on November 23. Entry is restricted to those aged 18 and over.




Four Jamaican iguanas have hatched at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, marking another milestone in saving the critically endangered species.

The eggs hatched from two clutches. One egg from the first clutch hatched Sept. 4. Three eggs from the second clutch hatched Oct. 6, 7 and 11.

The four new hatchlings raise to 11 the total at the Safari Parks Reptile Conservation Center, the Zoo said Thursday.

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Jamaican iguanas are so rare they were thought to be extinct for decades, said Jeff Lemm, a conservation program specialist at the San Diego Zoo Global Institute for Conservation Research.

The species, scientifically known as Cyclura collei, remain in grave danger of extinction in the wild.

Jamaican iguanas can reach up to 3 feet in length and weigh up to 15 pounds. They are preyed upon by imported animals, including mongooses, cats, dogs and pigs.

They were rediscovered in 1990, and since that time conservationists from all over the world, including San Diego Zoo Global, came together and doing what we can to save the species, Lemm said in a video supplied by the zoo.

Weve had them under human care for quite a while as a hedge against extinction, Lemm said.

The center hosts one of what are called assurance colonies in various locations that provide this hedge. The zoo is one of four in the world that have successfully bred these iguanas.

Our main goal is to keep these guys healthy, keep strong genetic lines and produce as many babies as we can, he said.

San Diego Zoo Global first received Jamaican iguanas in 1996, three males and three females. The first successful hatching took place in 2013.

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bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
Public Watchdogs, a San Diego-based activist group, brought a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Thursday, trying to block the storage of nuclear waste on the premises of the now-shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).

The plants operator, Southern California Edison, is scheduled to start moving spent fuel at SONGS by the middle of next month from what is called wet storage to a newly constructed dry storage installation. The transfer is expected to be completed in 2019.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Public Watchdogs by environmental attorney Cory Briggs, says storing 3.55 million pounds of waste at SONGS results in converting the site into a de facto radioactive dump.

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The suit not only names Edison and SONGS part-owner San Diego Gas & Electric as defendants but also includes the federal government, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy.

Defense Secretary James Mattis and Navy Secretary Richard Spencer are specifically named as defendants.

We sued the Navy and the Department of Defense because those are the departments that oversee this, Briggs said in a telephone interview with the Union-Tribune. And then you sue the secretaries so if the department tells you they arent going to do it, you can get an order against the person who runs the department and they can do it.

A spokeswoman for Southern California Edison declined to talk about Thursdays filing, saying the utility does not comment on pending litigation.

SONGS has not produced electricity since January 2012 and is in the process of being decommissioned.

The 85-acre site, which is carved out of a piece of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, was created through an act of Congress in 1963. A year later Edison and SDG&E were granted an easement to construct and operate the power plant.

RELATED: Read the SONGS lawsuit filed by Public Watchdogs

The Public Watchdogs lawsuit argues the 1963 authorization does not allow Edison to store spent fuel once SONGS stopped generating electricity and doing so would pose a threat to the interests of the United States of America.

SONGS is located within a 50-mile radius of 8.4 million people and sits between the Pacific Ocean and Interstate 5, one of the most heavily traveled freeways in the country.

We think the potential for a nuclear incident at that location is 100 percent, said Charles Langley, executive director of Public Watchdogs. Its inevitable.

The federal government has responsibility to store spent nuclear fuel but has not come up with a site to send the nearly 80,000 metric tons of waste that has been stacking up over the years at reactor sites across the country.

In 2015 the California Coastal Commission approved a 20-year permit to allow Edison to store waste in a newly constructed storage facility at SONGS. The new facility is located next to another storage site, a little more than 100 feet from the San Onofre shoreline, behind a seawall 28 feet high.

Edison officials have insisted the storage facilities and the containers holding the spent fuel are safe and have been approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The utility has also called for the federal government to come up with a plan to move the waste to another location.

Were an advocate for getting (the spent fuel) off the San Onofre site, lets be clear, we agree with that, Tom Palmisano, vice president, decommissioning and chief nuclear officer at SONGS, said earlier this month.

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

ALSO

Navy ponders what to do with site of San Onofre nuclear facility

San Onofre nuclear waste agreement offers hope for some, an illusion for others

House panel passes bill that resurrects sending nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain
A team known for swanky-but-urban San Diego bars and eateries now has its eye on a decidedly suburban location: the mall.

San Diegos homegrown Consortium Holdings will open a combination liquor tasting room and high-end retail store at Westfield UTC mall.

The scaffolding came down Thursday, but the store wont open until January.

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The name on the door is Raised By Wolves, a tip of the hat to the groups gritty side.

Co-founder Arsalun Tafazoli launched burger place Neighborhood in 2007 in downtowns East Village.

Since then, his company has opened a string of eye-catching craft establishments in the urban core, including the old-timey drinks bar Polite Provisions in North Park, the oyster bar Ironside in Little Italy and, most recently, the elegant steakhouse Born and Raised in a former Little Italy camera shop.

The groups early efforts got a reputation for being contrarian, as such as refusing to serve vodka and ketchup because they are too boring. (Or, in their words, they would rather support small-batch artisanal products.

Why the mall now?

Tafazoli said he and his partners are interested in the concept of malls being overhauled into community gathering places.

Westfields UTC is finishing a $600 million renovation and expansion that is adding more lifestyle activities, in recognition that online shopping has changed the retail business.

I went to UCSD. That area is pretty special. Youve got three Nobel laureates working within a four-mile radius. Youve got all the life sciences that are doing great research. Youve got this melting pot of diverse people and, frankly there isnt really a neighborhood, said Tafazoli, now 36, who grew up in Clairemont.

The 1,500-square-foot store will sell custom barware and accessories, like strainers and mixing spoons. It will also offer rare and vintage liquor and mixers for carry-out sale.

The 2,000-square-foot tasting room will be accessed through a hidden door and will be reservation-only  techniques this company has used at other locations to create the air of exclusivity.

Tafazoli envisions classes on how to make the perfect cocktail and talks by experts.

He thinks the place will function like record stores did for past generations: People will be drawn to geek out with others who love the subject.

Youre going to talk to someone who really knows this, and youre going to make a connection, Tafazoli said, adding that the retail venture is a big leap of faith for him and his partners.

Honestly, this could be a horrible idea, he said.

But we like to think that if we care enough, and we put enough in, that care translates over, and people will see the benefit of coming in and having that experience, versus going online.

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jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @jensteeley
Gas prices may have reached their highest level in two years, but that wont slow the number of travelers hitting the road next week for the Thanksgiving holiday.

In fact, the Automobile Club of Southern California is predicting this years holiday will be the busiest since 2007, with 3.87 million residents expected to get away for the long weekend. That is up 3.6 percent over last years 3.74 million travelers.

The vast majority of local travelers  3.3 million  will be driving to their destinations, a 3.5 percent increase from last years 3.2 million automotive travelers.

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California gas prices have surged in the past two weeks, reaching their highest levels in more than two years. The Auto Club expects that they will remain above $3.20 on average in most areas throughout the holiday weekend.

Gas prices started rising on Nov. 1 and most travelers had already made their plans and reservations by then, since Thanksgiving is a busy holiday and hotel rooms and car rentals are in high demand, said Marie Montgomery of the Auto Club. San Diego gas prices now are about 45 cents per gallon higher than a year ago at this time.

San Diegos average price per gallon on Friday was almost $3.25

That will cost drivers about $7 more for a full tank of gas, Montgomery added. Its a big hike, but compared to hotel rates and other travel expenses, its not an overwhelming additional cost.

Statewide, 6.26 million are projected to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, a 3.6 percent increase from last year and also the highest number of Thanksgiving travelers since 2007.

The most popular destination for Southern California travelers is San Francisco, followed by San Diego and Anaheim. Among all travelers across the county, Anaheim is expected to be the second most popular destination because of interest in visiting Disneyland. Orlando is No. 1.

Nationally, the Automobile Club is also predicting heavy travel volumes, with 50.9 million Americans taking a trip at least 50 miles away from home for the holiday, a 3.3 percent increase from 2016 and the highest number of Thanksgiving travelers since 2005.

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lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2251

Twitter: @loriweisberg
Helgrens Sportfishing will leave the two-story building it has occupied since the 1970s and move to a different part of the Oceanside harbor under an agreement the Oceanside City Council approved this week.

Beginning in December, The Oceanside Sea Center, a partnership led by Joe Cacciola, will take over the two-story wooden structure with plans to offer a combination of fishing charters, educational programs, eco-tours and ocean research.

Helgrens, which conducts day and overnight sport fishing trips, whale-watching, sight-seeing and other charter excursions, will take most of its operations to the former U.S. Coast Guard dock that the Sea Center has occupied for the past year. Helgrens largest boat, the Oceanside 95, will continue to operate from its present dock near the harbors small retail village, where Helgrens also will have a stand-alone ticket kiosk.

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Its a new beginning, Joey Helgren said Thursday morning at the harbor. The city has worked really hard to make all parties happy.

For a while, though, nobody was happy.

Last year, in an effort to increase its harbor income and expand services there, the city decided to put the space out to bid, giving other businesses the opportunity to compete for the Helgrens spot.

Until now, Helgrens had an exclusive right to rent the citys facilities at the harbor, and other operators had to sublease space from Helgrens.

After a panel of city staffers considered the bids, officials first announced they would negotiate exclusively with the The Sea Center. However, soon afterward the city decided to try to reach a compromise that would keep both businesses in the harbor.

The agreement approved Wednesday essentially gives Cacciola the arrangement he sought with his bid in the first place, he said.

Were right back where we started, he said.

Cacciola ran his Sea Star Charters business for several years from dock space subleased from Helgrens. Both businesses have groups of loyal followers among harbor regulars.

The Oceanside Senior Anglers, which has more than 500 members, strongly supported the location switch, said Fred Kaczmarek, a former president of the group.

Its better for the community, Kaczmarek said.

Along with Cacciolas Sea Star Charters, the new Oceanside Sea Center will include San Diego-based Chubasco Sportfishing and the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research, which plans to install an aquarium in the building.

The Pfleger Institute was formed in Oceanside in 1998, and focuses its research on deep-water marine fisheries.

The aquarium, thats going to be an attraction in itself, Kaczmarek said.

More than $65,000 in improvements including new doors, windows, lighting and an exterior staircase are planned for the Sea Center building, Cacciola said.

The 10-year lease beginning Dec. 1 requires the Sea Center to pay the city a minium of $3,000 a month or 6 percent of gross revenue, increasing to 7 percent after five years, whichever is greater.

Helgrens lease on the former Coast Guard space at 1350 North Pacific St. and the kiosk at 315 Harbor Drive South, also for 10 years, requires a minium payment of $2,000 a month or 4 percent of gross revenue, increasing to 5 percent after two years, whichever is greater.

Richard and Caroline Helgren brought their sportfishing business from Oxnard to the more sheltered waters of Oceanside in 1978 and built the structure that it occupies today. The son took the helm after his father died in 2008.

The new location could give Helgrens room to expand its fleet of six boats, said Amber Duff, landing manager for the family-run business. The two largest vessels each carry as many as 150 people, and the smallest carries six.

We may add some smaller private charters this summer, Duff said.

We are very anxious to see how it all turns out, she said. But we are confident we will be able to continue providing the services we have always provided for this community.

The City Council also approved a new lease Wednesday with Oceanside Adventures, which conducts whale-watching tours on a 50-foot catamaran.

All the leases were approved together on a single motion without comments from the council members or city staffers as part of the meetings consent calendar.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
In an ideal world, the San Diego-Coronado Bridge would be blown up and ferries returned to active duty.

But the return to a halcyon world is hopeless thanks to Gov. Pat Browns Damned Bridge, as my Coronado parents called it.

Their curse, however, was focused on the onslaught of traffic, not self-slaughter.

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Completed in 1969, the bridge quickly turned into a staging ground for jumpers.

Since 1969, more than 400 distraught souls have vaulted the yard-high barrier and plunged to their death in the water 200 feet below.

Many have been talked out of a jump. A precious few have survived the fall.

Meanwhile, traffic has been regularly interrupted, up to 35 times a year, ironically making the crossing on those days much longer than riding the old ferries.

The Golden Gate, the most fatally seductive of all U.S. bridges, is being fitted with wire netting. Thanks to years of civic pressure, San Diegos fatally attractive bridge will follow suit in as yet undetermined fashion.

Tuesday evening, Caltrans presented six concepts at Coronados Community Center.

In my opinion, two can be flushed, not fleshed, out.

The addition of license plate readers, warning signs and call boxes is insufficient. The only argument in favor is that its really cheap.

Glass barrier walls raise the practical question of how many barrels of Windex would be required to keep the walls from looking like steamy shower doors.

Also up for study are wire fences -- one straight, the other curved -- that would, like the glass option, require demolition of existing concrete barriers and expensive construction of new foundations.

With any fencing, however, the bridges spectacular 360-degree views of the Bay would be partially blocked, ruining the sensation of flying.

A fifth possibility mimics the Golden Gates metal apron.

One potential pitfall, however, would be a shadow effect on the Ports Illuminate the Bay artwork thats hoped to be unveiled for the bridges 50-year anniversary in 2019.

(The Coronado City Council recently voted not to support the privately funded bridge artwork at this time, primarily to express the Islands laser focus on suicide prevention, Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey told me at the open house.)

The evenings clear winner, in my view, posed an oddly unmenacing name wordsmithed by Caltrans -- Thistle Barrier -- and an even odder creator.

Eric Dawson, a retired attorney whos lived in Coronado for 16 years, modestly calls his proposal low-rent and amateurish, but to Caltrans credit, his elegantly simple idea is on the table.

Here it is:

Retain the existing barriers but stick in sharp bird spikes to convey the clear message that it will hurt to climb over the Thistles. (Dawson emailed me a more resonant name: Crown of Thorns.)

In a summer letter to Caltrans, Dawson made his argument:

The steel nets for the Golden Gate Bridge will be installed 20 feet below the bridge deck, Dawson wrote, so that it will be obvious that a leap down to the nets will be painful and may break bones. It is hoped that this threat of injury will stop someone attempting suicide from jumping at all.

Topping the concrete barriers of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge with stainless-steel bird spikes would create a similar deterrent threat of injury at far less expense. The $200 million projected cost of the Golden Gate nets would pay for over 22,000 miles of bird spikes -- even at the retail cost of $1.70/foot. To line both sides of the bridge with bird spikes would cost only $38,000 for the spikes plus the cost of installation.

If the bird spikes work, they would be saving lives on the San Diego-Coronado Bridge long before the expected completion of the Golden Gate project four years from now and at far less expense to the taxpayer.  Finally, bird spikes would not block views from the bridge or change its aesthetic appearance from a distance.

In the real world, nothing is easy.

Theres a long way to go to complete two parallel redemptions of the damned bridge, one to lift the half-century curse of suicide, the other to let there be artful light at night.

Godspeed to both.
He called it a trip of redemption, and two months later it has another name: Mission accomplished.

John Silverwood sailed solo from San Diego to Hawaii this summer, 21 days and 19 hours designed to exorcise the ghosts of a horrific wreck 12 years ago that cost him his left leg and could have killed his family.

The trip was everything I hoped it would be: uneventful, Silverwood said this week. The boat held up, I held up, we stayed on course and got there safely.

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His redemptive moment came about seven days out from Hawaii. Hed been fighting fickle winds, too often becalmed, and then one night, under cloudy skies, they picked up.

There was an opening in the clouds. He sailed under it and all of a sudden I could see every star in the sky, he said. It was unbelievable. I felt like I was falling upward through that hole.

That was the kind of thrill the 65-year-old real estate investor had long associated with sailing, a pastime hes pursued for most of his life.

In June 2005, he was sailing aboard a 55-foot catamaran with his wife, Jean, and their four children (ages 16, 14, 9 and 5 at the time) when the boat went up on a reef west of Tahiti.

The 79-foot-tall mast fell, slicing through Silverwoods leg at the shin and nearly severing it. After 14 hours huddled on the reef, the family was rescued. Silverwood was hospitalized and the leg amputated above the knee.

He returned gradually to sailing, taking short trips around San Diego and starting a non-profit, Godswell Sailing, which takes people with disabilities out to sea as a form of therapy.

But memories of the crash continued to haunt him, prompting the 2,300-mile sail to Oahu this summer. Only by going solo, he said, could he convince himself and others that he had gotten the shipwreck off my back.

His 37-foot cutter, Espiritu Santo, is still in Hawaii, and up for sale. Hed like to use the proceeds to buy a catamaran for Godswell Sailing. If it doesnt sell, he said, hell return to Hawaii next spring.

And sail the boat back to San Diego.

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com
John Robert Beyster, a community leader who founded defense giant Science Applications International Corp. and championed employee ownership, died Monday at the age of 90.

Beginning in the late 1960s, Beyster built SAIC from a tiny scientific consulting firm to a multibillion-dollar defense and technology powerhouse. Along the way, the Detroit native became a pillar of San Diego's technology community, and passionate admirer of the America's Cup and all things nautical.

"Beyster died of natural causes Monday morning at his home in La Jolla, wearing his favorite sailing clothes, including an America's Cup jacket and his University of Michigan cap," according to an obituary submitted by his family. "His wife, Betty, and family were with him."

On Beyster's blog, his daughter Mary Ann Beyster left a note about his passing.

"We all knew this day would come, but its never easy to say goodbye," she wrote. "Although this is a very sad time for our family, lets celebrate the life of this remarkable man. He touched so many lives and gave to others selflessly."

Those who knew and admired Beyster are encouraged to share their thoughts on the blog at utsandiego.com/beyster.

Beyster had a big impact on San Diegos competitive sailing world, though he didnt come from a boating background, said philanthropist Malin Burnham.

Burnham remembers going to SAICs La Jolla headquarters after the San Diego sailing team led by Dennis Conner lost the 1983 Americas Cup race.

Burnham said that Beyster offered to design a new sailboat to bring the cup back to the United States. They forged a handshake agreement that day, and SAIC started work.

It was the design challenge that interested Beyster -- despite SAIC having no experience building racing.

It was kinda gutsy for both them and us to think they could do it the first time out of the box, said Burnham, who was chairman of the sailing syndicate that sponsored Conners team.

After three years of work, the San Diego team won the cup in February 1987 and returned it here.

In his professional life, Beyster, a nuclear physicist, was known for his vision of where to find business, and skill at bringing out the best in his employees.

SAIC was founded in 1969 by Beyster, who ran the company for 35 years. According to a 2013 profile of the company in U-T San Diego, the company grew into a top scientific and technology contractor for the government, aiming to solve problems in communications, logistics, information technology and other areas.

SAIC grew to become one of the biggest employee-owned companies in the United States. Beyster left the company in 2004, because he disagreed with the board of director's decision to take the company public. Becoming publicly traded meant that SAIC couldn't remain employee-owned.

In 2003, the final full year Beyster was with the company, SAIC brought in about $6 billion in annual revenue, according to a January, 2004 article in the San Diego Union-Tribune. SAIC also ranked as the third-largest federal contractor, with nearly $2 billion in contracts awarded in 2003. The company's payroll reached 42,000.

Employee ownership worked very well for SAIC, said Douglas L. Kruse, a distinguised professor at the school of management and labor relations at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

"He showed that how you divvied up the pie affected how big the pie is," Kruse said. "I know this sounds trite, but he was a real visionary in the business world. Economists would acknowledge the theoretical possibility (that employee ownership could boost productivity), but he actually showed, yes, this can be done."

The commitment to employee ownership was a bedrock principle of Beyster's, said Mary L. Walshok, associate vice chancellor for public programs and dean of extension at UC San Diego. Walshok served as a board member on the Foundation for Enterprise Development/Beyster Institute from 1994 to 2003. The institute, now located at UCSD Rady School of Management, encourages employee ownership of companies.

Although he emerged wealthy from SAIC, Beyster could have made far more had he run a traditional company, Walshok said. But employee ownership was more important to him.

"It was a way of sharing wealth based on people's contributions," Walshok said. "He was extraordinarily articulate about rewarding performance, and not accumulating too much as the founder."

Walshok said that attitude helped them become friends, because it meshed with her Swedish heritage.

"Swedes think nobody should have too little, but also nobody should have too much," Walshok said. "There was a little bit of that in Bob Beyster. He was careful, understated, generous, but not in an extravagant way. Employee ownership was the way his generosity played out."

Five years after Beyster left SAIC, the company moved its headquarters to Virginia in 2009, prompted by a desire to be near Washington D.C., source of much of its federal business.

In 2013, the company split into two parts, Leidos, and a spinoff, which kept the SAIC name.

In a statement, Leidos CEO Roger Krone said the company was "incredibly saddened" by Beyster's death.

"In 1969 he was an accomplished physicist who founded SAIC, now Leidos, etching his scientific background into a company that would be driven by innovation and entrepreneurship," Krone said. "Over the past 40 years his legacy has inspired the thousands of employees who followed his footsteps and influenced an industry that touches on all facets of American life. Our hearts and thoughts are with his family."

The following biographical information is from the obituary submitted by Beyster's family:

Beyster was born in Detroit in 1924 to John F. and Lillian E. Beyster, and he grew up in Grosse Ile, Michigan. When the United States entered World War II, Beyster enlisted in the Navy. He was sent to the University of Michigan, where he was enrolled in the V12 Officer Training Program.

Commissioned as an ensign, he eventually served on a destroyer based in Norfolk, Virginia before leaving the service six months later. Beyster received a B.S.E. in engineering and physics in 1945, a masters degree in physics in 1947, and a doctorate in physics in 1950all from the University of Michigan.

In the 1950s, Beyster followed many of his college associates to New Mexico to work as a research physicist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he met his wife-to-be, Betty. The couple were married in Austin, Texas in September 1955.

In 1957, Beyster joined General Atomic in La Jolla as chairman of the Accelerator Physics Department, where his research on neutron thermalization led him to coauthor the book Slow Neutron Scattering and Thermalization.

In 1969, Beyster raised money to start SAIC by investing the proceeds from selling stock he had received from General Atomic, combined with funds raised from the early employees.

As SAIC grew, the Beysters had money to spare, and became active in the San Diego philanthropic community. They made major gifts to UC San Diego; the University of Michigan College of Engineering; the University of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science; the J. Craig Venter Institute, Salvation Army Door of Hope; Father Joes Villages/St. Vincent de Paul, San Diego Regional Fire Foundation; KPBS; the San Diego Public Library; La Jolla Music Society; Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, and many other recipients.

Beyster is is survived by his wife of 59 years, Betty, of La Jolla; daughter Mary Ann of La Jolla; sons Jim of San Diego and Mark of Las Vegas; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a sister, Virginia.

A private memorial service will be held at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego. A public service will be announced in 2015.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Salvation Army Door of Hope in San Diego; Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for scholarships; or the Foundation for Enterprise Development to support employee ownership.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has named Jim Mosquera its vice president and Chief Technology Officer.

Mosquera is tasked with developing a new generation of high-tech products for the San Diego-based company that specializes in power generation equipment for defense and industry.

Jims trusted reputation serving within the nuclear Navy and his extensive experience in strategic planning, engineering, science and technology and programmatic leadership makes him well suited to support our strategic growth initiatives, said company president Scott Forney in a news release. We are very pleased to bring him on board as a member of our senior leadership team. We look forward to his contributions and insights as we continue to expand our portfolio of leading-edge advanced weapon systems, technologies and products to support our nations military operations.

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A former Navy officer, Mosquera, 60, carved out a civilian career at the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (Naval Reactors), a joint program of the Navy and Department of Energy that oversees atomic power generation on more than 80 warships and 100 plant reactors.

Mosquera received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering with honors from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also graduated from the Naval Reactors Bettis Reactor Engineering School in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.

He served as a senior member of the task force probing the 2013 Washington Navy Yard shooting that claimed a dozen lives.

Mosquera also helmed the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board Independent Assessment Team.

With more than 37 years engineering, science and technology leadership, hes a recipient of the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Group Achievement Award and Exceptional Achievement Medal for work on the Colombia probe.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
The Navy has launched an investigation into the jet that sky-painted a giant penis over western Washington on Thursday.

The actions of this air crew were wholly unacceptable. These actions were irresponsible, inexcusable, immature and antithetical to the core values of naval aviation and the Navy, said Cmdr. Ron Flanders, spokesman of the North Island-based Naval Air Forces.

Authorities have not named the crew of the EA-18G Growler crafting the phallic contrails, but Flanders indicated that the pilot was a lieutenant assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 130, the Zappers out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.

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Although the two-seater aircraft often includes a naval flight officer tasked with suppressing enemy radar and communications, the Navy has not said whether two sailors were involved in the incident or just the pilot, who has been grounded.

The most monumental thing to happen in omak. A penis in the sky pic.twitter.com/SM8k1tNYaj  Anahi Torres (@anahi_torres_) November 16, 2017

The Navys Air Boss, Vice Adm. Mike Shoe Shoemaker in Coronado, and Adm. John Richardson, the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon, have been briefed on the controversy, Flanders said.

Flanders apologized to anyone who was offended by this and said any aviators or ground crew found to have engaged in wrongdoing by investigators will be held accountable.

The American people rightfully expect that those who wear the Wings of Gold exhibit a level of maturity commensurate with the missions and aircraft with which theyve been entrusted, said Shoemaker in a message sent out by Naval Air Forces on social media. Sophomoric and immature antics of a sexual nature have no place in Naval aviation today. We will investigate this incident to get all the facts and act accordingly. This event clearly stands in stark contrast to the way our aviators and sailors are performing with utmost professionalism, discipline and excellence from our carrier flight decks and expeditionary airfields around the world today.

VAQ-130 returned to Whidbey Island in December, following a seven-month tour aboard the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower that included air operations over Iraq.

Typically, the Navy will convene a special board to determine the fates of aviators involved in aerial tomfoolery.

A Field Naval Aviator Evaluation Board  pronounced fee-nab in the Navy  is an administrative panel designed to evaluate the performance, motivation and future potential for uniformed aviators. Often convened at the wing level, these boards can end the careers of naval pilots and flight officers.

Neither the U.S. Pacific Fleets Electronic Attack Wing at Whidbey Island nor Carrier Air Wing 3 in Virginia has announced the convening of a board, however, and the decisions often are secret.

The latest incident recalls the massive phallus discovered in early 2014 painted on a trailer at the Blue Angels winter training grounds at Naval Air Facility El Centro. The image was so large, it could be photographed by satellites in space.

Capt. Gregory Stiffy McWherter, who commanded the Navys aerial acrobatic team in two tours between 2008 and 2012, was fired as the executive officer of Naval Base Coronado and later received a punitive letter of reprimand that ended his career.

Investigators found that the Blue Angels during McWherters second tour beginning in 2011 operated more like a boozy frat house than an elite jet squadron, saying they openly engaged in sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior.

That included peppering their jokes with homophobia, papering their cockpits with pornography and hazing junior enlisted sailors during the cresting process of their orientation to the team, according to a disciplinary report released in 2014.

While the misconduct began as juvenile and sophomoric high jinks, it degenerated into a destructive, toxic and hostile workplace, investigators found.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
An investigation into the deaths of four Marine bomb technicians training at Camp Pendleton last fall pointed to unsafe handling of munitions, inadequate planning and poor tactical oversight by officers leading their unit. Two of those officers have been removed from command, according to results released Thursday.

The exact cause of the Nov. 13 explosion during a range sweep for unexploded ordnance in the bases Zulu impact area could not be determined because the only ones who saw it died, according to Marine officials and a copy of the investigation report. U-T San Diego obtained the document through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The most probable explanation was a dropped, kicked or bumped 40mm grenade round that detonated explosives in a demolition dump site and ordnance placed nearby for disposal, investigators said.

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How the round went astray is unclear. Investigators found that no horseplay, misconduct or criminal behavior took place. But witnesses reported that explosive ordnance disposal personnel transferred ordnance hand-to-hand at the accident site, instead of using the safer practice of one person setting rounds directly on the ground.

While not banned, hand-to-hand transfer of such munitions is a high-risk practice which should be avoided, the investigating officer determined.

The investigation also concluded that the Marine Corps Base Explosive Ordnance Disposal section was insufficiently prepared for the range sweep because it had not completed a thorough range clearance checklist as recommended. The section also underestimated the magnitude of the operation and number of rounds present.

The accident happened on the second of what was to be a four-day operation giving explosive-ordnance-disposal Marines a chance to practice clearing unexploded munitions, a mission required for their jobs but one that is normally performed at Camp Pendleton ranges by contractors.

Marine officials estimate that anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 rounds were in the area, making it riskier than the moderate operation that supervisors had planned. On the second day, the group of 53 Marines on site encountered about 3,000 rounds before training was halted by the deadly blast.

Brig. Gen. John Bullard, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations West, overruled the investigators finding that the officer and staff noncommissioned officer in charge provided proper tactical supervision. Bullard removed the captain and master sergeant from their positions  an outcome that will likely end their military careers after their current contracts end.

They were not identified Thursday.

Bullard also said hand-to-hand transfers can be necessary and safe in some cases, for instance with larger munitions located in a deep pit. But the EOD community norm is to avoid such transfers to minimize risk working with explosives, so that when you pick it up, you put it down. Its not a hot potato.

Bullard has ordered an immediate review and revision of existing policies for explosive-ordnance-disposal training at West Coast Marine installations, so that they will include stricter risk-mitigation procedures and training.

A parallel safety review by Headquarters Marine Corps will extend lessons learned throughout the service, Bullard said.

It should be a wake-up call, Bullard said, noting that four experienced Marine combat veterans were killed and two other Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman were injured.

Before those deaths, the last fatal accident for a Marine bomb technician in the United States occurred about two decades ago, when one was killed while conducting a range sweep at the Twentynine Palms Marine base.

The names of the four men who died Nov. 13 will be added in May to the national explosive-ordnance-disposal memorial at Eglin Air Force Base. They are Sgt. Miguel Ortiz, 27, of Vista; Staff Sgt. Mathew R. Marsh, 28, of Long Beach; Gunnery Sgt. Gregory J. Mullins, 31, of Bayou LOurse, La.; and Staff Sgt. Eric W. Summers, 32, of Poplar Bluff, Mo.

They were survived by a total of seven children, all younger than 10. Each was awarded $30,000 for college from the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, from a fund the nonprofit group started this year to honor all Marines working in explosive ordnance disposal.

When Bullard briefed the families on the findings, relatives were sad to discover that human error was to blame, but they all talked about how (the late Marines) loved to do what they do, he said. The victims families could not be reached for comment Thursday.

After more than a decade of combat and countless ordnance cleared in battle, the Marines who died and all their fellow military bomb technicians are heroes for what theyve done, saving other Marines lives, Bullard said.
Sixty people have been indicted in an eight-month undercover auto theft operation in San Diego County, during which authorities recovered not just stolen cars, but drugs, guns and body armor, local law enforcement officials announced Thursday.

The undertaking, dubbed Operation Kill Switch, turned up more than 70 stolen vehicles, including U-Haul trucks. The vehicles had a combined value of about $1.1 million.

From February to September, undercover officers bought stolen or illegal items from more than 90 people. A grand jury heard evidence and handed up indictments for 60 defendants, District Attorney Summer Stephan said at a news conference in San Diego.

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These people made it their business to steal cars, she said.

Although the region had seen a drop in car thefts, they climbed back up over the last two years. According to authorities, some 13,188 vehicles were reported stolen in the county in 2012. Two years later, that number was down to 10,383.

Last year, the number of cars reported stolen countywide was 12,207.

The sting was handled by the Regional Auto Theft Task Force, made up of 16 local and state law enforcement officials. Federal agents also took part in the effort, which primarily targeted people in North County.

The cars recovered during Operation Kill Switch ranged from high-end  Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Tesla  to a 1992 Honda that the victim had relied on as her transportation to her job at a discount store.

Stephan said the Honda owner was leaving work to visit a hospitalized elderly parent when she discovered that her car, which had been a wedding present, was missing from the parking lot.

This is the kind of harm thats caused, she said, noting that the victim had done everything right, including locking her doors. This caused a hardship. And this is just one example of why we all take this very seriously.

Aside from recovering cars, undercover officers were also able to buy several stolen U-Hauls that had been obtained by people using stolen identities.

That was a little different for us,said California Highway Patrol Capt. Don Goodbrand. He added: Thats just not your typical Im gonna break into a car and steal it route. Its the identity theft route.

Most of vehicles recovered in the sting had been taken in San Diego County, although some had been swiped in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.

Goodbrand said the recovered cars had been stolen primarily for one reason: Sell them. And make money, and do their drugs or whatever they wanted to do with that money.

They are not overly concerned with where they (the vehicles) end up. They just want to get paid, he said.

The sales transactions during the sting were videotaped. Goodbrand declined to say how undercover officers found out about and arranged to buy the stolen cars.

A team of law enforcement officers from multiple agencies swept through North County and other areas early Wednesday and made several arrests. As of late Thursday morning, 38 of the 60 people named in the indictments were in custody.

Other arrests were expected to follow.

Depending on the charges and any prior convictions, potential sentences for the Operation Kill Switch defendants could range from probation to 10 years in custody.

Thus far, 73 vehicles have been returned to their owners, a feat Goodbrand called especially rewarding.

Oceanside Police Capt. Tom Aguigui echoed the sentiment.

For some people, that car is their livelihood, he said. Thats their livelihood to go to work, pick up their children, make a living. And when thats taken from them, and then returned to them, that to me is what this task force is able to do.

The Regional Auto Theft Task Force often conducts big stings. In 2016, undercover officers ran a fake chop shop in Lemon Grove to buy stolen cars that the sellers believed were to be stripped for parts. That effort led to the indictments of 42 people. Investigators seized 117 stolen vehicles, with a total value of about $1.3 million.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT
A boat captain caught shuttling more than 1,370 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific was sentenced in San Diego federal court this week to 104 months in prison.

Jesus Armando Portocarrero-Angulo, 33, of Ecuador, was apprehended along with two crewmembers on Oct. 4, 2016, aboard a go-fast vessel named Pez Sierra, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The boat had three outboard motors on it.

A maritime patrol aircraft was on routine patrol when the boat was spotted about 175 nautical miles northeast of the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, and the occupants were seen throwing objects into the water, prosecutors said.

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The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Waesche responded to the area and retrieved 21 bales of cocaine from the ocean. GPS equipment was also recovered.

A helicopter on the cutter then located the boat and ordered it to stop, but the commands were ignored. The helicopter crew fired warning shots and then two precision shots to disable the boat, prosecutors said.

Portocarrero-Angulo pleaded guilty in August to possessing drugs with intent to distribute. The two crewmembers have also pleaded guilty and are set to be sentenced Jan. 8.

The Coast Guard has increased its presence in the Eastern Pacific with the goal of striking traffickers where they are most vulnerable. Record seizures have ensued.

In September, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited San Diego to announce the Coast Guard had intercepted at sea more than 455,000 pounds of cocaine, valued at $6 billion, in fiscal 2017.

Most all cocaine consumed in the U.S. is grown in Colombia. Sea shipments typically head for Central America or Mexico and are then smuggled by land into the U.S., authorities said. Production in Colombia has recently increased with the end of aerial fumigation of coca crops and a new subsidy program that gives money to farmers to turn illegal crops to legal ones.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
The Department of Justices pick for U.S. attorney in San Diego was sworn into office this week, but only in an interim capacity as the process to nominate an official candidate has crawled along.

A DOJ official said Adam Braverman, who has led high-profile prosecutions against Mexican cartel leaders in San Diego, is the top choice for the post, but the Trump administration has been unable to officially nominate him because Sen. Kamala Harris has yet to interview any candidates for the job.

Braverman was interviewed by a selection committee put together by the states other senator, Dianne Feinstein, over the summer.

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Were evaluating candidates and will work closely with the administration and Senator Feinstein in the selection of a nominee, Tyrone Gale, spokesman for Harris, D-California, said Friday.

The process to nominate the U.S. attorneys in California has been especially opaque given the party lines, and even candidates themselves have been unsure who is leading the charge: the two Democratic senators, Republican congress members or the Department of Justice.

Harris is supposed to nominate the U.S. attorneys for Northern and Southern districts and Feinstein the Central and Eastern districts.

The nominee will ultimately have to pass through the Senate Judicial Committee, of which Feinstein is the ranking member, and be affirmed by Congress.

Putting Braverman in the post now sends a clear message to the decision makers.

Braverman was sworn in Thursday. He replaces Alana Robinson, who was second-in-charge in the office when she was appointed as acting U.S. attorney in January by DOJ officials. Robinsons appointment was good for up to 300 days  or 10 months. The DOJ could have let her stay on for the time being but decided to install Braverman.

Bravermans appointment is good for 120 days, and after that if the White House hasnt made a nomination, then the district court can renew the interim appointment as needed.

It is an honor and privilege to be asked to lead an office that is so close to my heart, Braverman said in a statement. I intend to support all the excellent work that is underway in this office, and also to pursue new, comprehensive, long-term solutions to our most challenging issues  particularly those crimes committed by transnational criminal organizations.

Braverman has been with the office since 2008 and most recently was deputy chief of the Criminal Enterprises Section targeting large drug-trafficking organizations and street gangs. His cases have focused on the Sinaloa Cartel, resulting in the indictments of more than 125 people, many of them leaders, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

He has been recognized for his work, including a Justice Department honor in 2017 and the prestigious J. Michael Bradford Award from the National Association of Former United States Attorneys last year for most outstanding performance by an assistant U.S. attorney.

The Columbus, Ohio, native graduated from The George Washington University School of Law in 2000.

Bravermans biggest competition for the post has been rumored to be Bob Brewer, a former state and federal prosecutor in Los Angeles who is a respected civil litigator in San Diego.

As of Friday, President Donald Trump has nominated 57 U.S. attorneys of 94, including one of four in California. Earlier this month, Trump nominated McGregor Scott, a private attorney, for a second go-around as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento. He held that position from 2003 to 2009 under the George W. Bush administration.

It took President Barack Obama just over a year to select San Diegos last U.S. attorney, Laura Duffy, and another five months to confirm her nomination. Duffy last year landed a spot on the Superior Court bench.

Now, Robinsons name is being circulated for a possible appointment to the Superior Court.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A woman who fatally shot her husband and daughter and stayed with their bodies for three days in their San Carlos home was sentenced Friday to 80 years to life in state prison.

Regina Johnson, 60, broke into a tirade in court against Superior Court Judge Joan Weber, asking, How can you sit there and say I killed my daughter?

She quieted after her attorney, Deputy Public Defender Neil Besse spoke to her. But after Weber noted that it had been a difficult and emotional case, Johnson got in the last words: Judge, you are not a fair judge. Youre not!

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Besse asked the judge to consider concurrent sentences in the two murder convictions, noting that Johnson never broke the law before and the jury had found her not guilty of premeditation.

Weber said she could not think of discounting one of the murders. She ordered consecutive sentences of 15 years to life for each killing and 25 to life for using a gun on each victim, for a total of 80 years to life, with the possibility of parole.

A San Diego jury found Johnson guilty in October of second-degree murder in the deaths of her husband, Reuben Johnson, 56, and their 14-year-old daughter Aaliyah, who was shot in the back of her head.

Prosecutors alleged Regina Johnson shot them several hours apart on May 30, 2012. No motive was offered in the killing of the West Hills High School freshman cheerleader, who was expecting to have her school picture taken late that morning.

Before sentencing was imposed, Johnson tearfully read an open letter to her deceased daughter, saying how much she loved the girl and would never hurt her.

But Deputy District Attorney Nicole Rooney said Johnson changed before the shootings. In trial Rooney painted a picture of Johnson harboring deep resentment of her estranged husbands affairs and her mental instability.

Evidence including the gunshot wounds, blood spatter patterns, location of the bodies and Johnsons DNA on the pistol and her fingerprints on the magazine all pointed to her as the shooter, Rooney said.

Johnson also used lipstick to write on a mirror to her doctor that this is your fault.

She testified at trial that her husband was angry because Aaliyah was running late to school once more, and while they argued, the girl ran to get a gun from another room. Johnson said her husband took away the gun, shot his daughter and dropped the weapon. Johnson then picked it up and shot him several times.

He was wounded in Aaliyahs bedroom, then fatally shot in the head in a doorway down the hall, according to investigators.

In her testimony, Johnson said she slept next to her daughters body and did not call police. Prosecutors believe three days passed before she mentioned the bodies in a phone call with one of her sisters.

Johnson was arrested, but was later ruled not mentally competent to stand trial. She spent about two years in a state mental hospital before her competency was restored. .

Besse said out of court that for those close to Johnsons case, I think well always have some doubts about who is responsible for these deaths. He added, though, that he respects the decision of the jury.

A victims advocate read statements from Reuben Johnsons daughter, Qiana Hawkins, and sisters Debra Spinner and Denise Johnson, saying how his death had devastated the family.

The judge called the case one of the most tragic she had seen.

I cant remember (another) time I would look over at the jury box and multiple jurors would be crying over the testimony, Weber said.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
Paper plate messages, films, talks and early Thanksgiving meals were among the ways area college students focused attention on homelessness and hunger this week.

Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week activities are being held at more than 700 locations around the country to draw attention to challenges many people face and to promote resources available to help them.

Southwestern College in Chula Vista was one of the sites registered this year as an official participant in the nationwide event, sponsored annually by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.

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Its all an organic effort that began last year when we did a survey and found 80 percent of students said they had food insecurity or knew someone who had food insecurity, said Lillian Leopold, a spokeswoman at Southwestern College.

The schools Jag Kitchen Food Pantry opened last year to help students in need, and the new SWC Cares initiative highlights available resources and awards students up to $500 in grants.

Some have asked for funding to pay the rent or a bus pass for transportation back and forth, Leopold said. Some said their utilities were going to be cut off. Its for any kind of request from students to help them stay in school.

This week, Southwestern College held drives for clothes, shoes, handbags, socks and hygiene and toiletry kits. On Tuesday, the school presented a demonstration of what it is like to live in a car, served Thanksgiving meals in the student center and was visited by the Chula Vista Police Departments Homeless Outreach Team.

Southwestern will screen the film A Place the Table Thursday, and California Assembly member Shirley Weber is scheduled to speak at a Friday morning breakfast discussion about student hunger and homelessness.

At UC San Diego, students held a fundraiser this week for the Triton Food Pantry, and got an early look at The Hub, a new resource center scheduled to open early next year.

Alisha Magallanes, the universitys first basic needs coordinator, said the center will provide a wide range of information that can help students find food, clothing, housing and other necessities.

To be successful students, they need to meet their basic needs, she said. When those needs arent met, academics become compromised.

Diane Wilkinson from the San Diego Hunger Coalition shared a booth Wednesday on Library Walk with UC San Diego student Stephany Gonzalez, who was promoting the Triton Food Pantry.

Wilkinson said the coalition helps connect people with CalFresh, Californias food-stamp program, and partners with school districts to help families apply for free and reduced-priced meals.

People stopped by the booth to write messages on paper plates, which Wilkinson said would be used to encourage elected officials to support food-assistance programs. The coalition collected 1,200 plates in September.

People dont talk about it, but youre likely to know someone who is food insecure, and theyll use a service some time in their life, she said.

Messages on plates included: Im a grad student and I can barely afford food and rent and If all I can focus on is how hungry I am, how can I focus on school?

Jeffrey Chiu, a third-year microbiology student, rode a skateboard up to the booth and said he got out of class early just to stop by.

I just wrote Empathy, because weve got to understand what hunger feels like for motivation, Ingenuity because weve got to find solutions to come up with to solve hunger and Work for the effort to just share, he said. We have enough food in the world, but its not distributed properly.

At another booth nearby, the fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha was raising money for Feeding San Diego. By Wednesday they had raised $5,500, and their effort included selling raffle tickets and letting people throw shaving-cream pies at their faces.

In a related event, Mesa College Associated Student Government will serve a Thanksgiving dinner on campus Thursday for students who wont be able to make it home for the holidays to make a holiday meal of their own.

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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
An attorney and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are arguing in court over whether an Oceanside man should have his immigration hearing in San Diego or Aurora, Colorado.

The final location could significantly impact whether the man wins his case.

Paulino Hernandez-Hernandez, 39, whose wife and two children are U.S. citizens, was pulled over by Border Patrol agents on Highway 78 in June and has spent most of his time since then in a detention facility in Aurora. His lawyer, Murray Hilts, thinks ICE transferred him there to get him out of the 9th Circuit because theres a court ruling that could work in his favor. ICE says the agency transfers detainees only because of bed space needs.

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This guy is getting jerked around, Hilts said.

Border Patrol agents pulled Hernandez over, according to an agency report, because his speed dropped by about 10 miles per hour once he noticed their vehicle. Unlike local law enforcement, Border Patrol agents dont have to have probable cause that a crime occurred or is occurring to stop someone.

Border Patrol agents have to meet a lower legal threshold that includes things like a driver appearing nervous when passing an agency vehicle.

Hernandez first came to the U.S. without authorization in the late 90s, according to court documents. His wife, Anailda Aguilar said they got married in 2003, soon after the birth of their first son.

Where Hernandez has his hearing matters because Hernandez had a misdemeanor conviction for methamphetamine possession, also in 2003. He later got the conviction expunged.

Under a 9th Circuit ruling, that expunged conviction cannot be held against him when determining whether he might be eligible for a way to stay in the U.S. called cancellation of removal.

Because immigration court is at the federal level and there are laws about the kinds of convictions that make someone deportable, state-level expungement doesnt often make a difference in most parts of the country.

An immigration judge in Aurora approved Hilts request in late September to move the case to San Diego, where Hernandezs family, who will be witnesses at the hearing, lives.

ICE filed a motion at the end of October asking the judge to reconsider the change.

Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for ICE, said that Hernandez doesnt need to be held in San Diego for his case to happen here. Immigration courts are equipped with video conference technology.

In order to accommodate various operational demands, ICE routinely transfers detainees within its detention network based on available resources and the needs of the agency, Mack said. As is appropriate, ICE coordinates with the Department of Justices Executive Office for Immigration Review, which administers the nations immigration courts, to ensure the continuity of any ongoing legal proceedings.

ICE transferred Hernandez because of limited bed space at Otay Mesa Detention Center, Mack said.

Ginger Jacobs, an immigration attorney who is not affiliated with the case, said that judges base location changes on criteria like where witnesses are located.

It is the courts duty to ensure the immigrants due process rights are protected in removal hearings, Jacobs said. The immigrants rights to due process under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution should take precedence over ICEs bed space limitations.

She said in the more than 15 years that shes been practicing, she hasnt ever seen ICE ask a judge to reconsider a venue change.

We have begun to see highly irregular litigation positions by ICE since the inauguration, Jacobs said. Although our ICE counterparts are the very same individuals weve seen on the other side of the aisle for years, they are taking drastically different litigation positions in many cases than what would have been typical under the Obama and Bush presidencies.

Hilts, Hernandezs attorney, thinks that if Hernandez comes back to San Diego, he can make a case for cancellation of removal, which requires an immigrant to prove that a spouse, parent or child who is a U.S. citizen would face exceptional and extremely unusual hardship if the immigrant were deported.

Aguilar, Hernandezs wife, is struggling to make ends meet without her husband. Living solely on her income, she had to give up the family apartment and their truck, she said.

That is not enough to get cancellation of removal, but Aguilar also has a medical condition that at times has made it difficult for her to get out of bed.

Hilts said Aguilars medical condition could be enough to win Hernandezs case.

She is having surgery in December because she has a collapsed uterus. The doctor estimated it would take six or seven weeks for her to recover, she said, and she had about a 50 percent chance that the condition would not come back.

I have people that can help me, but to support me, no, Aguilar said.

Since Aguilar lost the apartment, she and her two sons are living with her aunt.

Her older son, now 14, helps her look after the soon-to-be eight year old while she works as a mess hall attendant at Camp Pendleton. He knows about his fathers immigration status, but the younger son does not.

Until now he still thinks his dad is out of town working, Aguilar said through tears. He doesnt know where he is. Every time he calls him, he asks, When are you coming back?

She said her husband was pulled over by Border Patrol because he was driving his friend home.

He is always trying to help everybody, Aguilar said. Sometimes I get annoyed because he is always trying to help everybody.

They tried asking lawyers to help them get his green card after they got married, Aguilar said. She thought it would be easy.

In order to get green cards through family, unauthorized immigrants who crossed the border without permission generally have to return to their birth countries. If they were in the U.S. without permission for more than one year, once they leave, they are barred from coming back for 10 years.

Further complicating Hernandezs case, he had a previous encounter with immigration enforcement in the early 2000s. He crossed back into the U.S. without permission.

Because of that history, lawyers told Aguilar and Hernandez that Congress would have to change the law for him to be able to get a green card.

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Four of San Diego Countys five members of Congress voted against a GOP tax overhaul bill, with Republican Darrell Issa crossing party lines to side with Democrats.

On Thursday afternoon, representatives approved the legislation by a vote of 227 to 205. Every Democrat in the House voted against the bill, as did 13 Republicans. It now heads to the Senate.

About 80 percent of the legislations cuts go to corporations and businesses and the wealthy, but lower-earners would also see their tax burdens reduces. Many popular deductions that helped people reduce their federal income tax, including a deduction for state and local taxes, are eliminated.

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Issa, a Vista Republican, said he voted against the legislation because it would not have helped people in his home state.

Its disappointing that the bill approved today will not provide the same tax relief to Californians as it does to the rest of the nation, Issa said in a statement. California families are being crushed under the constant barrage of tax increases coming out of Sacramentos tax factory on everything from their everyday purchases, paychecks and yes even their gasoline.

Issas district includes owners of some of the most expensive homes in the country, and owners would have lost the ability to claim real estate-related deductions above a certain limit.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, was the only local member of the House to vote for the bill. He said the legislation was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help the countrys economy and improve the tax code, but he also said it has flaws that need to be fixed.

This legislation is not perfect, no bill ever is, Hunter said in a statement. Frankly, I think we need to find better solutions to protect the adoption tax credit and to maintain the higher cap for the mortgage interest deduction, particularly here in California. These type of provisions promote families and home ownership.

The three Democrats in San Diegos legislative delegation all voted against the bill.

Working families in my district will see their taxes increase with the elimination of essential deductions, including the personal exemption deduction, the student loan interest deduction, the medical expense deduction and even the educator expense deduction, Rep Juan Vargas said.

Rep. Susan Davis said more cooperation between House Democrats and Republicans could have resulted in a better bill.

Instead of closed door negotiations, we could have found a bipartisan path to a simpler tax code while being fairer to the American people who deserve to keep more of their hard-earned dollars, she said.

Rep. Scott Peters, the third Democrat, said the bill will increase the national debt and harm the economy. He said members of Congress should work together to fix a dysfunctional tax code.

As a former tax attorney, I understand our tax code is outdated and slows economic growth with rates that are too high and loopholes that are too numerous, he said in a statement. Our international tax system is noncompetitive, traps profits overseas and doesnt create U.S. tax revenues, investments or jobs.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to face significant opposition. The upper chamber is also considering its own tax overhaul bill.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
A group of disabled homeless people filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against San Diego, challenging its enforcement of laws that prevent homeless people from living and sleeping in recreational vehicles.

The nine homeless men and women say they have no choice but to live in their RVs and park them overnight on city streets. They say their disabilities make them unable to afford rent and that homeless shelters are unsuitable for the disabled.

Their lawsuit, which was written by attorneys from the Sacramento-based nonprofit group Disability Rights California, demands that the city immediately stop citing disabled people under its long-standing vehicle habitation ordinance and its relatively new RV ordinance.

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The RV ordinance, enacted by the city in 2014, prohibits such vehicles from parking on any San Diego city street or in any public parking lot between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Gerry Braun, a spokesman for City Attorney Mara Elliott, said city officials will review the lawsuit but declined further comment.

Attorneys for Disability Rights California say city officials expressed interest last spring in making changes when presented with the groups complaints, but that nothing ever came of those discussions.

Three safe parking lots recently established in San Diego allow overnight parking for homeless individuals, but they dont accept RVs and have far fewer spaces  150  than the estimated 1,000 homeless people living in vehicles locally, the lawsuit says.

Those lots also require users to apply for slots in local homeless shelters, a move that doesnt make sense for most disabled homeless people living in RVs because shelters arent appropriate environments for them, the suit says.

People who are physically disabled may struggle with stairs in shelters and those with mental health problems dont function well in noisy, dirty, unsafe and overcrowded conditions where there is a lack of privacy, the suit says.

The nonprofit group that operates the safe lots, Dreams for Change, doesnt allow RVs because they take up more space than cars and because people living in cars typically face greater urgency to find permanent housing, chief executive Teresa Smith said by telephone on Thursday.

The lawsuit says the RV law and vehicle habitation ordinance both violate numerous U.S. and state constitutional rights, including the Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment and the 14th Amendment due process protections.

Enforcement of the two laws also violates the antidiscrimination protections of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the suit says.

Their vehicles are their only reliable, safe shelter from the elements and only place to store their belongings, the suit says. Yet, even though there are no adequate alternatives, the city has repeatedly ticketed and harassed these individuals for seeking shelter in their vehicles or simply for owning vehicles and having nowhere else to park.

The names of the nine plaintiffs are Michael Bloom, Stephen Chatzky, Valerie Grischy, Penny Helms, Doug Higgins, Suzonne Keith, David Wilson, Tony Diaz and Benjamin Hernandez.

They range in age from 54 to 70 and each contends they cant afford San Diegos high rents because they have a disability preventing them from earning enough money.

Disabled people receive a monthly check from the government of about $900 because they arent capable of working. San Diegos average rent is just over $1,800 for a two-bedroom apartment.

Monthly fees at RV parks, another option, range from $700 to $1,650.

The goal of the RV law was boosting safety, aesthetics and parking availability  particularly near the beach  by preventing tourists with large campers from sleeping inside their vehicles to avoid paying for hotels or other accommodations.

Many city residents had become frustrated with the RVs and what came with them, including trash on the street, loitering outside their campers and other problems that turned some neighborhoods into makeshift campgrounds.

An unintended consequence may have been increasing homelessness by forcing onto the streets some people who had been sleeping in RVs.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
San Diego will select its new police chief this winter using a three-stage interview process including two dozen community leaders, city officials announced this week.

The community leaders  18 with no city affiliation and six from city boards and commissions  will be selected by Mayor Kevin Faulconer and participate in the first stage of candidate interviews scheduled for mid-January.

The second stage, which will reduce the number of candidates to a maximum of three, will be handled one day later by Faulconers top staffers and some local law enforcement experts who have not been selected yet.

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The third stage will be interviews conducted later in January by Faulconer himself, after weighing input from the first two stages of interviews and recommendations by the national search firm the city has hired, Bob Murray & Associates.

Some are praising the city, which also held six community forums and conducted an online survey this fall to gather feedback, for seeking to include robust public input in the selection process.

Others are frustrated about what they call a lack of transparency and concerns that Faulconer wont give community voices significant weight when he chooses the next chief.

They emphasize that the 24 community leaders who will interview chief candidates will have only an advisory role, providing feedback to the mayor and the national search firm but getting no chance to vote or eliminate any candidates.

Critics have also complained that the names of interview panel members wont be revealed until after the new chief is selected and that the city has rejected requests to have finalists for the job answer questions from the public at community forums.

The mayor has chosen not to listen to the community or the City Council and has created a process that gives the semblance of community participation but concentrates the power in the hands of a few in the Mayors Office and unknown law enforcement experts, Christie Hill, a senior policy strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union, said during a Thursday meeting of the councils Public Safety Committee. This is unacceptable and the community sees through the smoke and mirrors.

Councilwoman Lorie Zapf, a Faulconer ally, disagreed during the same meeting.

I heard some of the public members saying smoke and mirrors and hiding behind the guise of something, and I just dont see that here, Zapf said. Anyone who wants to be heard can be heard.

Zapf also reminded critics that the citys charter, which includes a strong mayor form of government, gives Faulconer the authority to appoint a new police chief.

We dont have an elected police chief, she said. Its not one vote per person. We have a different process here.

Faulconer is scheduled to announce his choice for chief in late January or early February, with a City Council confirmation hearing expected to take place shortly afterward.

The mayors staff says having finalists answer questions at a public forum is infeasible because people potentially switching high-profile jobs typically request anonymity until they take the new position.

On naming interview panelists before the chief selection, the mayors staff says the goal is ensuring that panelists arent lobbied by prospective candidates or special interest groups during the process.

They note that seven California cities choosing new chiefs since 2015 used the same approach: Sacramento, Oakland, Santa Cruz, La Mesa, West Covina, San Pablo and Capitola.

Critics, however, say that Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Tucson have opted to reveal the names of interview panelists ahead of time.

Regan Williams, a vice president for the search firm, said during Thursdays meeting that no particular approach is superior or works for every city.

San Diego needs a new police chief to replace Shelley Zimmerman, who must retire in March because shes reached the five-year limit on working after joining the citys deferred retirement option program.

The new chief will take over a department struggling with a chronic shortage of officers and wrestling with concerns about racial profiling and tension between police and residents of ethnically diverse neighborhoods south of Interstate 8.

Democrats on the City Council lobbied for a national search to replace Zimmerman, who was promoted from within the Police Department in 2014 by Faulconer, a Republican.

Williams said the search firm will conduct a national search, but is likely to focus on candidates from the west coast and California.

Regan said candidates from California are generally more appealing because they know state laws and procedures and they have obtained all of the state certifications necessary to be a peace officer.

I will not write off people from out of state, but theyll have some additional hoops theyll have to go through, he said.

Faulconers staff also says the mayor plans to consider promoting someone from within the Police Department.

Williams said the labor union representing San Diegos 1,800 police officers told him they would prefer the new chief be promoted from within the department.

San Diego has hired a chief from outside the department only once in the last 50 years. San Jose Police Chief Bill Lansdowne, Zimmermans predecessor, was appointed San Diego chief after a nationwide search in 2003.

If the city goes that route this time, Williams said there wont be much competition for candidates because no other large city on the west coast is seeking a new chief right now.

Bob Murray & Associates focuses primarily on filling executive vacancies in California and Nevada, but the Roseville companys website says it has helped fill vacancies in 25 states since it was founded in 2000.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
A standoff between San Diego police and a man armed with both a knife and a replica rifle led to an officer firing his gun at the suspect outside a home in Bay Park, police said Friday.

Homicide Capt. Brian Ahearn said it was unknown whether the man  identified as Kenny Bui, 47  was hit by gunshots, but he was transported to a hospital.

Ahearn said Bui suffered a scrape on his forehead and a police dog bite. No one else was injured.

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The name of the officer who fired his department-issued handgun was not released. The officer is a 7-year veteran, police said.

The incident started shortly after 7:30 a.m., when police were called to a home on Arnott Street, between Field and Huxley streets, to respond to a potential elder abuse case, Ahearn said.

Police had been to the same address on Tuesday, after an 80-year-old man in the home reported that his son had punched him and then fled. Officers took a report and told the man to call police if the family member returned.

On Friday, the father told police that his son was back at the home. That person was identified as Bui, who lives in a detached garage at the Arnott Street residence.

When police arrived and were preparing to knock on the front door, one officer heard what was believed to be gunfire coming from the garage.

The officer thought that it might be the sound of a BB gun that was being fired, Ahearn said.

Officers called in additional resources, including a police dog and a less-lethal weapon  a beanbag shotgun. As they were planning their next moves, the officers saw the suspect run from the garage and jump a fence to a neighboring yard.

They surrounded the home and started to communicate with him.

The officers gave multiple commands for the suspect to drop both the rifle and the knife, and to comply with their instructions, said Ahearn.

When Bui refused to comply, police fired a beanbag shotgun at him, but it was not clear right away whether it hit its target, Ahearn said. The suspect eventually concealed himself in some shrubs in the yard.

He continued to refuse commands to surrender peacefully, and the officers fired a second beanbag round at him. Moments later, Bui came out of the shrubbery, police said, and pointed the replica rifle at an officer.

The officer, fearing for his safety and for the safety of officers on scene, fired what we believe to be two rounds from his handgun, Ahearn said. Mr. Bui then secreted himself again inside some shrubbery. It is unknown at this point if any of the officers rounds struck Mr. Bui.

Because the suspect continued to refuse commands to put down the weapons and surrender, officers deployed a police dog, which bit Bui in one of his legs. The officer started to approach Bui when they noticed he was lying on the replica rifle.

They didnt know exactly where the knife was, Ahearn said. At that point, they went ahead and took Mr. Bui by hold and then pulled him from the shrubs and away from the rifle.

Bui was handcuffed and taken into custody. He was booked into jail on suspicion of battery against his father and threatening an officer with a deadly weapon.

The fixed-blade knife was found in his pocket, Ahearn said. Later, police determined the rifle was a replica gun.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
An argument that broke out over social media finished with one woman stabbing another in the Shelltown neighborhood of San Diego Thursday night, police said.

The two were acquainted online but met in person on South 36th Street near National Avenue shortly before 10:30 p.m., police Officer Robert Heims said. He did not say what the dispute was about.

A 19-year-old woman stabbed a 21-year-old woman five times in the back and once in the stomach, police said.

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The victim was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. The other woman was arrested.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
Qualcomm co-founder Franklin Antonio is giving UC San Diego $30 million to expand the universitys huge engineering school, which provides the company with a lot of the talent it needs to compete in the global chipmaking industry.

The donation will help underwrite a $180 million research complex at the Jacobs School of Engineering, whose nearly 9,000 students make it among the largest engineering programs on the West Coast.

The school is named after fellow Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs, who gave the program $110 million in 2003, enabling the campus to become a leader in everything from chip design to robotics.

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Antonios $30 million gift is the second largest donation ever made by one of the universitys alumni. It comes nine months after alumnus Taner Halicioglu, who helped to create Facebook, gave the school $75 million for a data science institute.

The two gifts are part of UC San Diegos 10-year effort to raise a record $2 billion in private donations. The school is roughly half way through the campaign, and has raised about $1 billion.

I have been setting aside money every year for years and have been looking for good opportunities, said the 65 year-old Antonio, who is semi-retired but remains chief scientist of San Diego-based Qualcomm.

I was thinking of doing something smaller, maybe support a little research here and there. But then Al showed me the opportunities with the new building, and I jumped on it.

Antonio was referring to Albert Pisano, dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering. Pisano is pushing to construct a 200,000 square-foot research and education building that would be partly divided into 11 so-called collaboratories. The campus wants to place groups of scientists and engineers from different disciplines in the same area to encourage collaboration.

The campus just received $3 million from Sanjay Jha, a former Qualcomm executive, and his wife Fiona Mackin-Jha, to support one of the collaboratories.

Pisano said the Antonio and Jha gifts are gi-normous. They give us huge momentum for raising money for the building.

We already send lots of workers to companies like Qualcomm, Illumina and ViaSat. The building  and its collaboratories  will help us do more, especially research that will help companies well into the next decade. Well be focusing on things like energy, health care, intelligent networks, data security, and better ways to communicate.

This is going to help us drive the digital economy of San Diego and of Southern California.

The school pays particular attention to computer chips and telecommunications, largely because of the influence of Irwin Jacobs, who served on the universitys faculty from 1966 to 1972.

Jacobs also co-founded Linkabit, an influential telecom company that recruited Antonio during the firms early days. In 1985, Antonio joined Jacobs and Andrew Viterbi in co-founding Qualcomm, which now has almost 34,000 employees, roughly 13,000 of whom work in San Diego.

The company is currently battling a $103 billion takeover attempt from Irvine-based Broadcom.

If the takeover succeeds, it could reduce the donations and research grants UC San Diego has been getting from Qualcomm.

We love that Qualcomm came out of UC San Diego and is a San Diego-based company, said Pradeep Khosla, the universitys chancellor. A transition to a new company might bury that in history somewhere. But (Broadcom) has to do what is right for its shareholders.

We expect to continue building our relationship with Qualcomm, and with other companies.

(Antonios) donation is very significant, he said. It comes from an alumnus, which creates a lot of good feeling about our capital campaign. And it will lead to a new building in engineering, which connects multiple disciplines. Its like a glue that holds things together.

This is a moment of pride for us.

ICYMI

UC San Diego chancellor waves off recruitment pass from Carnegie Mellon

UC San Diego to build huge ocean simulator at Scripps

UC San Diego sets enrollment record for fifth straight year

Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla has waved off a possible opportunity to become president of Carnegie Mellon University, an elite private school in Pittsburgh that specializes in science and engineering.

Carnegie Mellon has been operating with an interim leader since late June when President Subra Suresh stepped down.

A headhunter called and I told them Im not interested, said Khosla, who served as dean of engineering at Carnegie Mellon before he became UC San Diegos chancellor in 2012.

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The community here has been very supportive of me; the capital campaign is an example of that.

UC San Diego is halfway through a 10-year campaign in which the university will try to raise a record $2 billion in private contributions. So far, the campus has raised about half that much. Some of the largest gifts in school history have come during Khoslas tenure.

Khosla, 60, also has been guiding the campus during a period of tremendous growth. Over the past five years, enrollment has increased by more than 7,500, reaching a record 36,624 this fall. Enrollment is expected to hit 40,000 by 2021.

Theres also a possibility that the university could take on a larger footprint. In recent days, scientists have been discussing a rumor that either USC or UC San Diego might attempt to acquire the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla, which is having financial issues at its satellite in Orlando, Fla.

USC and SBP officials said there have been no negotiations. Khosla didnt address the SBP idea directly, but said Thursday, I can imagine that if someone wanted a deeper relationship we would be open to talking.

Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
State political ethics regulators are conducting an investigation that involves the dealings of the California Public Utilities Commission and a former member of the panel, Susan Kennedy.

The Fair Political Practices Commission has requested letters, emails, calendars and other communications between the commission and Kennedy, a former aide to governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger who has gone into the energy storage business. Investigators are seeking records to and from two of Kennedys private businesses, Susan P. Kennedy Inc. and her political consulting firm, Caliber Strategies.

Kennedy is a political insider who in February 2015 planned a farewell soiree for Michael Peevey, former president of the commission, even as he faced criminal investigation for his dealings with utility companies. Nothing has come of the investigation.

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The Fair Political Practices Commission request further seeks documents to and from Manal Yamout, a Kennedy associate and California State University San Marcos graduate who previously served as an adviser to both Schwarzenegger and to current Gov. Jerry Brown. Yamout also did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesman for Kennedy, 57, of San Francisco, said she is cooperating with the latest investigation.

Ms. Kennedy is aware of the information request and is providing the Fair Political Practices Commission with all of the necessary information regarding the inquiry, spokesman James C. Harrison said in a statement.

In addition to the companies named in the request, Kennedy formed a separate venture that was awarded four energy-storage contracts with Southern California Edison worth up to $100 million. She keeps in touch with utilities commission President Michael Picker and other power regulators through emails and private meetings, records show.

Fair Political Practices Commission spokesman Jay Wierenga would not discuss the investigation or details of the extensive document request sent to the utilities commission.

All I can tell you is that I/we can confirm there is an investigation, Wierenga wrote in an email.

Utilities commission spokeswoman Terrie Prosper said anyone can make allegations to the Fair Political Practices Commission, which is obligated to review the complaint.

When those claims involve the CPUC, we cooperate with the investigation and respond as appropriate, she said in a statement. Our day-to-day work overseeing the states essential services continues unimpeded.

The FPPC reviews all complaints filed with the agency under the Politican Reform Act, but only opens investigations such as the Kennedy probe when the initial findings justify a formal, more thorough examination.

FPPC Enforcement dismisses some complaints for a variety of reasons (not enough info/ evidence, not part of the act, etc.) and obviously others do contain enough info to indicate potential violation, thus prompting the opening of investigation, Wierenga said.

Prosper said the records request is being handled by the utilities commission legal division and is still in progress.

The FPPC document request appears to be focused on Kennedys consulting work for Lyft Inc. as well as other transportation network companies. It also references Pacific Gas & Electric, a Northern California utility whose gas pipeline exploded in 2010 and killed eight people.

The document request specifically cited the deaths in San Bruno, which ultimately resulted in PG&E being convicted by federal prosecutors of multiple felonies.

The pipeline explosion also led to a $2 billion-plus fine imposed against the utility by the utilities commission, although regulators later permitted PG&E to pay for system improvements with much of that money.

Lyft did not respond to a request for comment about its business relationship with Kennedy or Caliber Strategies. PG&E issued a statement saying it is not in a position to comment .

The three-page request casts a wide net, seeking email communications, appointment books, schedules or calendars that reflect, memorialize, document or establish a meeting or scheduled event between Susan Kennedy and any CPUC agent, past or present.

It also singles out several high-profile current and former utility regulators, including former president Peevey and former executive director Paul Clanon.

Former commissioner Catherine Sandoval, longtime Peevey assistant Carol Brown, current adviser Lester Wong and current policy director Marzia Zafar also are listed, as is retired Brig. Gen. Emory Jack Hagen, who previously ran the commissions Consumer Protection and Safety Division.

Fair Political Practices Commission investigators also are seeking any and all verification applications, including all supporting documents that Kennedy or her company submitted to the Supplier Clearinghouse, a utilities commission program that seeks to award a percentage of state business to women- and minority-owned firms.

Caliber Strategies is located in the China Basin neighborhood of San Francisco, just across Second Street from Advanced Microgrid Solutions, Kennedys energy-storage venture that was selected for four major contracts with Edison months after she founded it in late 2013.

Yamout, who in addition to her Caliber Strategies role is an executive at Advanced Microgrid Solutions, was the subject of several emails exchanged between Kennedy and Picker soon after Picker was appointed to the utilities commission in 2014.

You should try to talk Manal into working for you, Kennedy wrote to Picker, who was her first boss when she landed a job in California politics in 1980. I think she hates consulting. If you are going to make a difference at the commission  you need Manal.

Kennedy co-organized the February 2015 banquet at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco to toast Peeveys years of service to the utilities commission.

The dinner, a $250-per-plate gala that drew scores of government officials, utility executives and others with business before the commission, was held weeks after state agents raided Peeveys Los Angeles area home as part of a criminal investigation of the regulatory panel. Picker was a co-sponsor of the event. San Diego consumer attorney Michael Aguirre led a small protest outside.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission is a civil enforcement agency and can only impose monetary penalties.

Background

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
Four San Diego nursing homes have agreed to pay up to $6.9 million to settle civil allegations that employees paid kickbacks for referrals and submitted fraudulent bills to government healthcare programs, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced Thursday.

The nursing homes, all owned by Los Angeles-based Brius Management Co., were accused of paying kickbacks to hospital staffers in violation of anti-kickback laws, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release.

The four nursing homes were Point Loma Convalescent Hospital, Brighton Place in San Diego, Brighton Place in Spring Valley and Amaya Springs Health Care Center in Spring Valley, according to the news release. Brius Management could not be reached for comment.

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The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought by a former employee of one of the nursing homes under federal whistleblower laws, the statement said. The employee, Viki Bell-Manako, will receive 20 percent of each settlement payment.

In a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorneys Office last year, the four nursing homes admitted employees conspired to pay kickbacks, and did so without the owners knowledge, the statement said.

The nursing homes also admitted employees used corporate credit cards to buy gift cards, massages, tickets to sporting events and a cruise for hospital staffers in exchange for referrals, according to the statement.

The settlement announced Thursday calls for Brius Management Co. to pay $1,785,967 to the United States over three years, and a single payment of $240,950 to California, the statement said.

It also agreed to pay $4.9 million to the U.S. government if certain operational contingencies are met and to enter into a corporate integrity agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the statement said.

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morgan.cook@sduniontribune.com
Under pressure from the Pentagon, the Carlsbad-based SEAL Family Foundation has retracted a fundraising flyer that seemed to offer big donors a visit with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and private tours of Naval Special Warfares Coronado training complex.

Concerned recipients of the flyer shared it with representatives of Naval Special Warfare, the Tampa-based Special Operations Command, Mattiss office and The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The circular advertised a Nov. 18 visit with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis above his portrait. It also featured a menu of sponsorship opportunities such as front row to a Mattis address at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, plus a tour of the Pentagon for $50,000 secretariat level sponsors.

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For those giving at the $25,000 admiral level, the flyer offered a tour of BUD/S at NSW Headquarters, Coronado. The Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training complex typically is closed to the public. Those giving $5,000 would sit with an unnamed SEAL, the advertisement indicated.

Federal laws and Department of Defense regulations bar employees from giving preferential treatment to any private organization, including charities.

Neither government agencies nor their leaders can lend official endorsement to any company or cause, except under very limited conditions for official initiatives such as the Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots program.

Even the appearance of impropriety is forbidden.

Naval Special Warfare Center informed Naval Special Warfare command that they had discovered an improper solicitation for donations by a non-federal entity, Navy spokeswoman Cmdr. Tamara Lawrence said by email.

After determining the offer implied a violation of the Joint Ethics Regulations, we contacted the foundation to inform them that NSW would not support the event as advertised.

Foundation executive director William R. Fenick said by email that the first flyer was a mixup that occurred between his office and a board member, Los Angeles real estate developer Rodney Scully.

A Los Angeles board member for the SEAL Family Foundation has arranged for a private lunch for local business leaders in honor of Department of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, wrote Fenick, a retired Navy captain.

An early version of the invite, which was not approved, was sent out in error and was incorrect. It has since been corrected with the Department of Defense and re-sent to guests. The SEAL Family Foundation prides itself on working closely with the Naval Special Warfare command, the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense to support the SEAL community the right way and regrets any misunderstanding surrounding this event.

The new flyer carries a printed disclaimer: The prior announcement may have suggested that Secretary Mattis was participating in fundraising for the SEAL Family Foundation. In fact, he is providing an official policy speech and his appearance does not imply endorsement of the foundation or its fundraising activity by the Secretary or the Department of Defense.

It also strips out promised tours of the Coronado complex and the Pentagon.

Instead, the foundation is offering four rooms at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., for two nights and eight passes to the nearby National Museum of African-American History and Culture for its $50,000 sponsors.

Those giving $25,000 get a dinner for eight with unspecified retired military personnel at the restaurant Spago in Beverly Hills.

The flyer still offers those buying $5,000 seats the chance to attend the Mattis speech with a SEAL.

Fenick said by telephone that he hopes the controversy over the flyer wont detract from the foundations ongoing charitable works. The foundation aids Navy commandos and their families.

A 2016 report he provided to the newspaper showed the nonprofit supported pre-BUD/S graduation celebrations for 1,600 relatives of sailors coming to Coronado; yoga workshops for SEALs and their families and a medical program to help diagnose and treat the hidden wounds of war such as post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries.

The foundation provided $142,500 to 29 family-readiness groups assisting the spouses of special warfare sailors and provided additional academic support to 224 of their children, the report says.

The nonprofits October newsletter highlighted fundraising events including a ball at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel downtown, bowling and a raffle in the East Village and an upcoming auction and dinner in Philadelphia.

According to filings with the Internal Revenue Service, the foundation reported $3.3 million in income for the 2015 federal fiscal year. That fell to $2.1 million in a draft report for 2016, Fenick said.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
Youve never seen a cloud formation like this before!

Navy officials have issued an apology after one of their aircrafts was involved in the creation of obscene skywriting spotted in Okanogan County, Wash., according to KREM 2.

The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable, the Navy said in a statement.

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The publication caught wind of the incident after a local mother sent photos of what appears to be a rudimentary rendering of male genitalia scrawled in smoke amongst the clouds.

The most monumental thing to happen in omak. A penis in the sky pic.twitter.com/SM8k1tNYaj  Anahi Torres (@anahi_torres_) November 16, 2017

The woman feared that despite the graphic artworks lack of permanence, her children may see it and begin asking questions.

KREM 2 reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration about the incident.

They were told that unless the act poses a safety risk, theres little to nothing they can do.

An official with the FAA said they cannot police morality.

Caitlyn Hitt is a reporter for the New York Daily News
In January 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown used a Sacramento news conference to make the case that Californias public universities needed to do a much better job of using technology to make college classes more accessible and affordable. Students must be able to get through school quicker without pushing up costs, Brown declared.

Since then, the University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges all have expanded online courses, and their leaders say the right things about the value of their online programs. But in May, Brown decided he wanted more. He wrote a letter to California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley directing him to take whatever steps are necessary to establish a new community college that  exclusively  offers fully online degree programs.

Oakley followed through, and on Monday, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors began examining three options. One would set up a new community college for an online-only degree; the second would base the program at an existing campus; and the third would have several campuses jointly run the initiative.

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Some California Community Colleges board members criticized Browns push for an online-only college, saying it was being rushed through. But the governor is right to be impatient. Online education has immense potential to help not just recent high school graduates but older adults obtain new job skills and credentials. As the worlds tech capital, California should strive to realize this potential.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Re Trump administration reverses ban on importing trophies from elephant hunts in two African nations (Nov. 16): Are you ready to shout No more!? The latest outrage is Donald Trumps reversal of Barack Obamas ban on elephant heads coming into the U.S. Its the most recent example of his envy and hatred of Obama, compelling him to do the opposite.

Does big-game-hunter-wannabe Donald Jr. need to bag an elephant to feel more manly? Americans didnt allow health care to be taken away from millions. We can stop the travesty of giving tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy (Trump and family), while being stingy with the rest of us, and demand to know the proposed tax bills effect on Trump and members of Congress.

Pick one: Want to save the Earth for future humans, or elephants from extinction; think Democrats are more trustworthy than Russians? Call, show up at offices, demand Congress remove this human from the presidency  25th Amendment or impeachment.

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Cheryl Martin Ede

San Diego

I just watched Donald Trump Jr. on the news, hand held high holding a tail of an elephant he had killed.

I understand his daddy had undid sanctions regarding killing these majestic animals. I dont know for sure because I went to bed sick after seeing this horrific sight.

Humanitarians have worked so had to protect these creatures. Elephants are symbols of peace and good fortune, not to mention how intelligent they are. I did make it through the tax reform news that informed that the plan hurts the middle class, especially our kids.

You, the free press are our dragon slayers. You must inform us, educate us and care about us so we can make our informed decisions at the voting booth.

I dont recognize my country. Can you, the free press help us please? You are what separates us from the bad guys.

Debby Castellitto

Poway

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

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Duncan Hunter and 10 other California Republicans just voted to impose a huge tax increases on millions of middle-class and upper-middle-class, home-owing, Californians.

Borrow $1.5-plus trillion and blow a hole in the deficit to give tax cuts to people like Donald Trump and multi-national corporations? Certainly they can no longer claim to be the party of fiscal responsibility.

Before people vote in 2018, I hope they will think about how badly they and their families have been hurt by this irresponsible action. Hunter and his colleagues have sold out everyone but a privileged few in California. They are betting the Republican voters in their districts wont have figured out how bad this bill is, until after the election and will be fooled by all the lies they are being told to hide the real effects of the evil they have done.

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Vincent Biondo Jr.

Del Mar Heights

Re House passes sweeping GOP tax overhaul; Senate fate less clear (Nov. 16): The GOP is trying yet another way to destroy Obamacare by repealing the individual mandate that requires everyone to have health insurance.

Yet, at the same time, they adamantly refuse to do anything about gun control, despite almost daily headlines about another mass shooting. Im just curious, who pays for the medical care for uninsured survivors of mass shootings?

Steven Miller

Rancho Penasquitos

Re House passes sweeping GOP tax overhaul; Senate fate less clear (Nov. 16): Republicans propose to eliminate the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax along with no elimination of tax loopholes and lower the corporate tax rate to 20 percent.

So the ultra-rich will pay virtually no taxes by utilizing loopholes that will still be in effect. Corporations, using these same loopholes, will be paying very little. The poor dont have any money to pay taxes.

Who is going to be left to fund the government? No more deductions for mortgage, student loans, state and local taxes, how long before there is no middle class to fund the government.

Current millionaires will be the new and soon-to-be penniless middle class. We will have the elites and ultra-poor (slave labor) working class.

Michele Rose

Oceanside

Re Is health care a right or privilege? (Nov. 16): Neither, its a personal choice, as is food, clothing and shelter, all of which are personal choices.

Somebody has to pay. If its confiscated from others to do so, there comes a disincentive to pay for your own health care, food, clothing and shelter.

Why bother? Theres always somebody else to pick up the tab  a system that has never worked, historically.

Tony Flitcraft

National City

Along with the costs and dangers of climate change, our growing wealth and income gap threatens our democracy. Republican senators acknowledged the long-known truth of our corrupted democracy. They dont want to upset their rich donors while reforming the tax code.

Our Congress must act in the interests of constituents, not donors, and stop giving tax breaks to the rich. It needs to help grow the middle class by keeping the deductions that aid the economy because they leave more expendable income in the hands of consumers.

Congress must reject the current plans and insist on taking a more detailed, informed and compassionate approach to crafting reasonable tax bill.

Republican leaders just want a win. They dont care how. Tax reform is too complicated to rush through the top levels of government just to get a win.

Robin Radlauer-Cramer

Solana Beach

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Starting Friday, hunters who kill elephants for sport in the African countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe would have been allowed, once again, to bring their trophies home to the U.S. thanks to a decision by the Trump administration to end an Obama-era ban on such imports.

Update: That was put on hold late Friday when President Donald Trump said in a tweet that he wanted to review all conservation facts before making a decision.

Elephants are protected animals under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, but in making its announcement Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set up a website to help hunters gain their permits.

Earlier in the week, the announcement was praised by pro-hunting advocates and the National Rifle Association but condemned by conservation groups and others who called it reprehensible.

The trophy ban was originally enacted in 2014 by then-President Barack Obama in an effort to curb a sharp decline in the elephant population. Africas savannah elephant population fell at least 30 percent, by 144,000, between 2007 and 2014, CNN reported last year.

Per CNN, a year ago, there were a reported 352,271 elephants counted in a survey in Africa, far lower than previous estimates although the tally omitted three countries with significant elephant populations.

Now, under Trump, federal officials say that trophy hunting contributes to biodiversity conservation and that the conditions for elephant population in those parts of Africa have changed and improved. Permits and regulations vary on the time period and the country where the hunting occurrs.

The announcement, which was first made by the pro-hunting advocacy group Safari Club International on its site on Tuesday, sparked fears this would encourage more elephant poaching and further contribute to the decline of the elephant population.

Chelsea Clinton called it infuriating. And even Laura Ingraham, a Fox News host and Trump supporter, expressed her discontent with that decision on Twitter.

The Humane Society argued in a blog post that part of the problem with this decision is corruption and instability in Zimbabwe where its president, Robert Mugabe, is under house arrest.

Lets be clear: elephants are on the list of threatened species; the global community has rallied to stem the ivory trade; and now, the U.S. government is giving American trophy hunters the green light to kill them, it said.

Pro-hunting advocates, on the other hand, have argued that banning the hunting of elephants hurts the local environment in Africa.

Terry Anderson of the Property and Environment Research Center think tank explained this rationale in an interview with Fox News reporter John Stossel back in 2015 when an American dentist who hunted a beloved lion named Cecil sparked nationwide outrage.

If we didnt have hunting in all parts of the world its hard to even guess what those populations would do, Anderson said. If you dont manage elephant populations they destroy incredible amounts of timber. It wipes out trees.

What do you think of the ban being lifted? Let us know.

Have some thoughts to share?

Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.

UPDATES:

5:05 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

This article was originally published Nov. 16 at 3:50 p.m.
The Wine Aid 2017 fundraiser held Sunday afternoon at the Bernardo Winery raised more than $23,000 for those working at Northern California wineries that were burned in recent wildfires, according to the events founder.

Samantha Nawrocki, marketing director at Bernardo Winery, said she came up with the event that was put together within 2 1/2 weeks. It featured 23 San Diego County wineries plus several restaurants and other food providers.

It was a great success, Nawrocki said. A lot of people came out and supported it. We are really excited by its success and the amount of money raised.

Nawrocki said she was hoping for around 400 attendees, but said it was closer to 450. I was amazed by the number who came out on such short notice, she said. It shows how San Diego people come together for a good cause, which is nice.

She said the event also united wineries from throughout San Diego County, who wanted to help their fellow wine workers and families displaced by the fires in Sonoma, Napa and Santa Rosa. All money raised will be divided between the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association and Sonoma Humane Society. The association established a relief fund to help winery workers and the humane society is offering medical attention to animals affected by the fire and working to reunite pets with their families.

Due to the response, Nawrocki said the participating wineries are interested in making Wine Aid an annual event. There is interest in creating a fund for San Diego wineries so if they are impacted by future fires or there is another emergency situation  such as a severe illness that affects someone at a local winery  assistance money will be available, especially since many local wineries are small, family-run businesses.

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com
TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP)  The owner of a home where comedian Rosie ODonnells teenage daughter was found last week sent the girl a nude photo, according to a criminal complaint released Monday.

Steven Sheerer, 25, is accused of having inappropriate online communications with 17-year-old Chelsea ODonnell. He knowingly distributed obscene images to a minor ... specifically a nude photo over the Internet, the complaint said.

The Barnegat man made his initial appearance in state Superior Court in Toms River on Monday afternoon, but did not enter a plea. He faces charges of child endangerment and distribution of obscenity to a minor. Bail remained at $40,000 cash, but a bail review was scheduled for Tuesday.

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Ocean County prosecutors say he faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Sheerers attorney, Robert Tarver, said he has notified prosecutors that he plans to present evidence that will show his client is not guilty. He declined to provide specific details.

We believe we have strong evidence that there was no endangering here, and that it will show that what has been reported and what his role supposedly was is completely false, Tarver said.

Sheerer was arrested Friday night at his home. Chelsea ODonnell was found at the home Aug. 18, hours after her mother posted a statement online saying the girl had left home in South Nyack, New York, a week earlier.

Authorities have said police went to the home and the person answering the door initially did not want to reveal Chelseas presence. Police said they told the occupant they would not leave until she came out; Chelsea then appeared and willingly left with police.

Sheerers arrest came several hours after authorities obtained the girls cellphone with her mothers consent, prosecutors said. They found inappropriate communications over the last several weeks between Sheerer and Chelsea, prosecutors said.

Authorities seized a computer and other digital equipment at Sheerers home when they executed a search warrant.

Court records show Sheerer pleaded guilty to drug offenses in separate cases in 2012 and 2013. In each case, he was sentenced to two years of probation.
Americas Finest craft beers are prime takeover targets for multinational beverage brands. Case in pint: MillerCoors swallowed a majority stake in Saint Archer Brewing Co. for around $70 million, and Constellation Brands chugged Ballast Point for a cool billion.

If you cant beat em, gulp em!

Brewing is big business  and one local company has found a recipe that lets locals get a taste of the action. Using WeFunder, an equity crowdfunding platform that connects investors to publicly and privately held companies, San Diegos own Mission Brewery is releasing $1 million in private stock for purchase by the craft-beer-loving public.

Missions offering is a first for the city. Historically, investments of this nature have been available only to accredited investors: those who earn $200,000 or more per year and/or have a net worth of more than $1 million (as set by the Securities and Exchange Commission).

Until Missions WeFunder campaign ends, unaccredited investors can own a pint-size piece of one of San Diegos most historic breweries for a minimum investment of $200.

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Depending upon their size, investments come with perks like engraved Founders Planks on permanent display in the brewery, investor-only events and complimentary rounds of beer.

With increasing sales and bottling capacity, the already-established Mission Brewery is on the rise, says Dan Selis, the companys president, founder and CEO. Were selling $1 million in private shares to expand while keeping Mission local and inviting our neighbors to become a part of brewing history.

The big news in local brews is how fast Mission may raise the million. Local investors have already guzzled $212,000 in equity through the campaign, which launched Oct. 1.

Originally established in 1913, Mission Brewery went out of business during Prohibition. Selis, a homebrewer for 25 years before getting into the beer biz, reignited the flame in 2007, reopening Mission Brewery in the old Wonder Bread Factory (built in 1894) in East Village.

Today, on the eve of the new Missions 10-year anniversary, the brewery is hailed as one of San Diegos (and the nations) best.

Our goal is to bring Mission Brewery into households nationwide and open more tasting rooms for our local San Diegans to come in and enjoy, says Selis.

Mission Brewery has won 59 national and international brewing awards. Investors, be warned: purchasing shares in this company-on-the-rise may lead to drinking some of the best beers on the planet. And then your friends might try to get involved 

Join the Mission. Own your craft.

Invest and/or learn more about Mission Brewery at wefunder.com/missionbrewery. Follow @missionbrewery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for news on beers, tasting-room events, investment updates and more.

#JoinOurMission

#OwnYourCraft

#OwnWhatYouDrink
Austin, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/17/2017 -- There is nothing more traumatizing for Texas parents than getting locked out of their own car with a child trapped inside. The temperatures inside the car are almost twice as much as that outside. There are rules in many states against this  parents are not supposed to leave a small child, 8 years or younger, alone in a car. However, this is something that happens all the time. Dozens of children die every year because of parents leaving them behind in the car, losing their car keys and getting themselves locked out.



Pros on call, a popular full-service locksmith company in the State of Texas has been at the forefront of the campaign to warn parents against the consequences of leaving a child behind in the car. They have also been running adverts warning pet owners against leaving a pet cat or dog behind in the car. The company has announced that they would be setting up a dedicated 24/7 hotline to deal with such situations.



Daniela Brito, manager of Pro's On Call said at a media event, "As you are aware, we have been doing everything possible to warn parents and pet owners about why they should never leave a child or pet behind in a car while they go out to run an errand. This is dangerous, especially if they were to get locked out with the car keys inside, or because of having lost the car keys. That's why we have set up a dedicated 24/7 hotline for such incidents. We request all parents and pet owners to save this number in their phone: 888-601-6005 and call us in case of an emergency. We will be sure to dispatch a locksmith technician immediately and he will be at your location within 30 minutes of your call. Also, please note  we don't charge anything in situations when a child's life is at stake."



About Pros On Call Locksmith

Pros On Call is a leading commercial locksmith company that offers a range of security solutions to local businesses. Pros On Call is a family owned and operated business, highly regarded for their prompt customer service and quick response time. They provide a full range of commercial locksmith services.



For Media Contact:

Company: PROS ON CALL LLC

Phone: 888-601-6005

Email: dispatch@prosoncall.com

Website: http://www.prosoncall.com/cctv-security
Sarasota, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/16/2017 -- Global Sustainable Palm Oil Market: Overview



The vegetable oil that can be consumed safely is obtained from the extraction of the pulp of oil palms is palm oil. Owing to the high beta-carotene component the sustainable palm oil occurs red in color. To manufacture sustainable palm oil the rules and guidance of the roundtable on sustainable palm oil (RSPO) should be followed. Manufacturers can produce certified sustainable palm oil by following environmental and social criteria set by RSPO. Palm oil contains very small amount of cholesterol. Several industries are making ultimate use of the sustainable palm oil thus increasing its demand.



Request Free Sample Report @

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/sustainable-palm-oil-markett



The market for sustainable palm oil can be fragmented globally into its type and application. Depending on the application, the global market is segregated into food, pet food, soap and detergents, and cosmetics. The food segment is sub-segmented into the bakery, confectionery products, ice cream & other frozen desserts, and margarine. Based on the availability of the types of the palm oil, the market is categorized into palm kernel oil, fractional palm oil, red palm oil, and white palm oil.



The factor that contributes to the market growth is the various uses of the sustainable palm oil in different applications. It is used for cooking and it can be used at high temperatures. It is widely used in the bakery owing to its creamy and smooth texture and it has no smell. The product helps in increasing the longevity of the food as it has a natural perspective effect that resists the oxidation which spoils the food. Palm oil is the highest producing vegetable oil crop thus increasing the market growth. Thus they are cheaper compared to other oils in the market. Sustainable palm oil ingredients are used in the cosmetic industry; it is used in the makeup products and other skin care products. Palm oil is used as a frying fat for many food items and also as a shortening of bakery products.



Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/sustainable-palm-oil-market



Region-wise, the sustainable palm oil market is diversified into Latin America, North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The emerging nations such as Malaysia and Indonesia contributed to the largest market share in terms of the palm oil production. Other countries that are involved in the palm oil production are Thailand, Nigeria, Columbia, and Ecuador. China dominated the sustainable palm oil market in terms of palm oil consumption which is followed by EU, Indonesia, India, and the US. The country that was the major exporter of the palm oil was Malaysia.



Browse detail report @

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/sustainable-palm-oil-market



Market by Competitive Players



The key market players that are operating in the sustainable palm oil market are Sime Darby Plantation Sendirian Berhad, Golden Agri-Resources Limited, Kulim Berhad, United Plantation Berhad, New Britain Palm Oil Limited, IOI Corporation Berhad, Cargill, SIPEF Group Belgium, Wilmer International Limited, and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad.



For Media Inquiry contact our sales Team @ sales@zionmarketresearch.com



About Zion Market Research

Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting-edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the client's needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.
How to celebrate the holidays at Carolina

When Anjali Amalean started school at Carolina in 2014, the biochemistry and molecular biology student began looking for opportunities to volunteer in Columbia. Growing up in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she had been heavily involved in community service through Girl Scouts and wanted to continue to give back during college.

Anjali Amalean, far left, works a table at the Russell House with Scarlett Clemons, Katrina Escario and Louis Gaucher. Each year, the Carolina Service Council collects donations to benefit the Midlands community.

Amalean joined the Carolina Service Council, which connected her with opportunities to serve her new community. This year, the Honors College senior wanted to take on more responsibility and decided to lead CSCs annual Carolina Cares Donation Drive as director.

Its my first time directing a charity drive so it has been a learning curve, but its so rewarding seeing how USC can come together, Amalean says. Its really awesome to get to know our university and community better through directing this drive, and it feels good to do something for the holidays.

The Carolina Cares Donation Drive is a tradition that was started by students in 1969. This year marks Carolina Cares 48th donation drive and 63rd treelighting ceremony.

The donation drive partners with the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army of the Midlands and Families Helping Families to distribute donations to the people who need them. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community can contribute to the drive by writing cards to military heroes, stuffing stockings for children or donating a Thanksgiving meal for families.

Instead of those kids having to go without, they get to wake up and have a present to open and a stocking and really get to experience that special Christmas. Sarah Newcomb, public relations and volunteer services director, Salvation Army of the Midlands

The treelighting ceremony serves as the culmination of the donation drive where the donation totals are announced. Traditionally, the ceremony involves remarks from the university president, the student body president and Salvation Army representatives. Then the holiday tree on the Horseshoe is lit for the entire community to enjoy.

Throughout its history, the Carolina Cares Donation Drive has served as a major contributor to the organizations it partners with. Last year, the drive provided 800 of the 3,100 stockings that were given out through the Salvation Armys Christmas Assistance program.

Sarah Newcomb, director of public relations and volunteer services at the Salvation Army of the Midlands, says Carolinas support is invaluable to the organizations initiatives.

Thats just such a huge help, I mean its such a huge chunk of stockings we definitely wouldnt be able to provide without that partnership, Newcomb says. Christmas morning is such a big thing, and its a really stressful time for parents to not only have to worry about the bills they always are worried about paying, but also having to worry about making Christmas special.

Instead of those kids having to go without, they get to wake up and have a present to open and a stocking and really get to experience that special Christmas.

In addition to volunteer work, there are several other ways to celebrate the holidays at Carolina.

This year marks the 51st year of the USC Concert Choir Christmas Concert. Alicia W. Walker, associate director of choral studies, will direct this years concerts. In addition to Christmas carols and canticles, the choir will perform Morten Lauridsens Mid-Winter Songs, and a set of pieces dedicated to the victims of recent mass shootings.

Holiday enthusiasts are in for a treat with a recurring exhibit sponsored by the South Carolina Political Collections. One of Thomas Cooper Librarys most popular exhibits, Christmas on the Potomac showcases holiday cards that donors receive from politicians, dignitaries and organizations across the nation and the world. The first exhibit was located in the South Caroliniana Library in the 1980s and was such a success that it became an annual holiday event.

The South Carolina Political Collections include hundreds of cards with new ones coming in each year. Some of the special finds include unique cards sent by President Clinton, President Eisenhower and political adviser and financier Bernard Baruch. This year, collections director Herbert J. Hartsook has chosen visually interesting cards that reflect a cross-section of America.

Get Involved

Carolina Cares Holiday Donation Drive

Stop by the Carolina Service Council table on the 2nd floor of Russell House between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Nov. 2 through Dec. 1. You can check out supplies or drop off donations. Contact Carolina Cares director Anjali Amalean, aamalean@email.sc.edu, with questions.

Donation Options

Fill A Stocking Donate goods to give back to the children of Columbia Stockings distributed by the Salvation Army of the Midlands

Adopt a family Donate a Thanksgiving meal to a family Boxes of food due by Nov. 20 Food distributed by Families Helping Families

Holiday Mail for Heroes Write a holiday card to a military hero Notes distributed by the American Red Cross



Treelighting Ceremony

Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. on the Horseshoe

USC Concert Choir Christmas Concert

7:30-9 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 1, 2017

Presbyterian Church (1314 Marion St.)

Free

7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017

Shandon United Methodist Church (3407 Devine St.)

Free

Christmas on the Potomac Exhibit

Dec. 122

Front entrance exhibit area of Thomas Cooper Library

Check library hours for times.

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FLORENCE, S.C.  Seven entrepreneurs were honored for their innovation at the 2017 Entrepreneurial Forum Gala on Thursday evening at Florence-Darlington Technical College.

The purpose of this forum is to forge meaningful connections between business leaders and the college in order to foster a spirit of growth and entrepreneurship in our students, in our community and in our future, said Jill Lewis, vice president of institutional advancement at Florence-Darlington Technical College.

Honorees were James Aikens, co-owner of Ritas Italian Ice; Karen Aikens, co-owner of Ritas Italian Ice; Wanda James, co-owner of McDonalds; Danny Johnson Jr., North Industrial Machine vice president; Britt Poston, co-owner of Zaxbys; Jim Poston, co-owner of Zaxbys; and Grey Raines, president of Raines Hospitality.

Dr. Ben Dillard, president of the college, said the individuals are responsible for about 1,000 jobs in the community.

Thats outstanding, Dillard said.

Dillard said the backgrounds and businesses of entrepreneurs are varied, but he said they all have an inspiring determination.

Each year the previous members of the forum nominate a new group of individuals to make up the next years class. There are currently 32 members in the forum.

Lewis said that while only five percent of the U.S. adult population owns a business as their main job, they employ more than 50 percent of all working people.

This illustrates how very special this group is, Lewis said.

Each honoree received an eagle statue with his or her name engraved in it.

Throughout the evening, video interviews of the honorees helped attendees learn more about the work they do and how they reached their positions.

To end the evening, Ron Glancy, vice president of operations at Raines Hospitality, serenaded the audience and danced as an Elvis impersonator. Glancy emceed the event.

Dr. Joe Aniello, professor at Francis Marion University, announced at the event that Francis Marion University, Coker College and Florence-Darlington Technical College will collaborate to organize an entrepreneurial competition. Students from these institutions can submit their business plans and ideas for the opportunity to win awards for their innovation.
SAN FRANCISCO

Evidence that when Democrats rule taxes are never high enough can be found at any gas station in this once politically competitive state. Last month, the California gas tax was raised 12 cents a gallon. Regular gas at some stations is again approaching, and in some cities exceeding, $4 a gallon, a level not seen since natural disasters temporarily curtailed refinery production, and Gulf States manipulated prices.

Republicans plan to put the gas tax issue on the 2018 ballot, hoping voters will roll back the increases.

Some are not waiting for the next election but are voting with their feet. One couple I know recently moved from San Diego to Arizona solely because of high taxes on their income and regulations on their small business. They are not alone.

Coupled with the increasing cost of living in big cities, California, once a magnet for new arrivals, has now reversed polarity. Taxes are only part of the reason for the exodus. According to Chief Executive Magazine's annual survey of the best and worst states for business, California has ranked last six years in a row. Texas, by contrast, has ranked first.

Add to this the recurring earth tremors, even earthquakes  there was another Monday in Monterey County that registered 4.7  and expectations of a "big one," which continues to be talked about in scientific circles. Floods and forest fires destroy homes and lives. One-party rule also serves as an irritant for many of a different political persuasion.

Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed legislation declaring California a "sanctuary state" for illegal immigrants. The law forbids state and local police from providing any information to the federal government about illegal aliens that isn't already publicly available.

Then there is the annoying traffic. USA Today recently declared Los Angeles as having the worst traffic, not just in the country, but the world. San Francisco is not far behind.

The state legislature is flirting with a single-payer health insurance system, similar to Canada's. But with many Canadians coming to the United States for serious medical treatment, why would legislators want to replicate their less-than-ideal health care system? It again raises a question I have asked many times before and have yet to get a satisfactory answer: Why do so many people turn to government as a first resource when government has proved its inability to achieve so many things competently and cost efficiently?

In this city by the bay, housing prices are so ridiculous The Guardian newspaper found a high-tech employee paying $1,400 a month to live in a "private room," which resembles a closet. "One Apple employee," it said, "was recently living in a Santa Cruz garage, using a compost bucket as a toilet. Another tech worker, enrolled in a coding boot camp, described how he lived with 12 other engineers in a two-bedroom apartment rented via Airbnb. 'It was $1,100 for a ... bunk bed and five people in the same room.'"

Salaries in Silicon Valley are high compared to other parts of the country, but the inflated housing costs dilute whatever buying power someone with that level of income would enjoy in most other states.

California is still a mostly beautiful state, especially along the coast, but its beauty is more superficial than substantive. According to the Orange County Register, "In 2016, some 26,000 more people left the Bay Area than arrived. San Francisco net migration went from a high of 16,000 positive in 2013 to 12,000 negative three years later.

"Similar patterns have occurred across the state. Between 2010 and 2015, California had cut its average annual migration losses annually from 160,000 to 50,000, but that number surged last year to nearly 110,000. Losses in the Los Angeles-Orange County area have gone from 42,000 in 2011 to 88,000 this year. San Diego, where domestic migration turned positive in 2011 and 2012, is now losing around 8,000 net migrants annually."

Given the policies of state government, don't look for those numbers to improve.
FCC(WASHINGTON) -- The Federal Communications Commission made good Thursday on a promise made by Chairman Ajit Pai last month by eliminating restrictions on ownership of multiple media outlets within a single market.



The decision on Thursday eliminates a rule adopted in 1975 barring shared ownership of a newspaper and a broadcast operation within the same market. "With the newspaper industry in crisis, it makes no sense to place regulatory roadblocks in the way of those who want to purchase newspaper," Pai said in a statement. "The media landscape has changed dramatically in the last 42 years, and the idea that a company could dominate a media market by owning a radio station and a newspaper is utter nonsense."



Pai cited the Internet and cable news as new entrants in the media marketplace that make the rule obsolete.



"To be sure, repealing the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule won't end the newspaper industry's struggles. But it will open to door to pro-competitive combinations that can strengthen local voices and enable both newspapers and broadcast stations to better serve their communities," he added.



Critics of the decision say it will lead to further concentration of power to a limited number of large media conglomerates. One such example is Sinclair Broadcasting, a conservative broadcasting company that is looking to purchase the Tribune Media Group for nearly $4 billion. Thursday's decision would no longer require Sinclair to sell a number of its stations to receive regulatory approval.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Speaking at the Singapore Registry of Ships Forum, Walters noted that when it comes to information exchange ECDIS is very critical. He outlined how an ECDIS system can be taken offline by the simple act of crew member plugging their phone into charge on the computer on which the ECDIS system is run.

Weve had a number of owners call us up and one person or another had plugged in their phone to charge it, the ECDIS goes and looks for the drivers for the phone, cant find it, so its crashes. And they are very difficult to get back, and that has to do with software quality, a lot of them run XP which is very vulnerable because Microsoft is not supporting it.

Walters offered a few simple measures to improve the security of ECDIS system.

To stop crew members from charging their phones or either devices on the ECDIS

- PC ABS recommends buying a system to block the ports. Walters said these are available cheaply from the likes of Alibaba or Amazon, and stop crew from charging their phones, or vendors from plugging in USB sticks and devices without checking with the crew.

For ECDIS chart updates

- Download, encrypted updates from the internet onto a dedicated USB stick

- Check the USB stick for malware on viruses on a PC dedicated to the task

- If all clear then upload onto the ECDIS
The agreement, reached after long negotiations stretching into the early hours of Thursday morning, represents something of a vindication of IMOs CO2 reduction strategy. The European Parliament had previously said it wanted to include shipping in the EU ETS from 2023 onwards if IMO had made insufficient progress in this respect and reached no global agreement to come into operation by 2021.

Now it appears that decision on any possible inclusion of shipping will be deferred until nearer 2023 itself, allowing the IMO to progress with its agreed two-part schedule for agreeing ambitious levels of CO2 reduction. The IMO roadmap envisages drawing up an initial strategy by April 2018, and then adopting a revised strategy by Spring 2023.

"We think that this demonstrates confidence within the EU institutions in the current progress being made at the UN IMO to develop an ambitious strategy that will deliver additional CO2 reduction measures, consistent with the shipping industry's own vision of zero emissions, as soon as possible," commented Simon Bennett, ICS director of policy, speaking from the COP23 climate change conference in Bonn.

"We understand that the date which the EU has agreed for when the European Commission will next closely examine the progress that has been made globally is consistent with those time lines agreed by all IMO Member States," he added. Bennett explained that the ICS (International Chamber of Shipping) hopes that no market-based measures will need to be introduced after 2023 to incentivise reduction of shippings emissions, for fear this might distort competition, but if pressed would prefer a global bunker fuel levy to an ETS.



"We are very pleased that the two processes are now adapted to each other, instead of the EU impeding the current IMO work, [and] would like to acknowledge that the EU has found the right alignment here, commented Casper Andersen, director of EU Affairs at Danish Shipping. The pressure is now on IMO to deliver an ambitious strategy, he added, but at least IMO countries have been given the time necessary.
Press Release

November 16, 2017 PHILIPPINE STATEMENT

High Level Segment of COP23/CMP13/CMA1.2 of the UNFCCC

16 November 2017, Bonn, Germany

delivered by

SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA

Head of Delegation Mr. President, The Philippines congratulates you on your election as President of the 23rd Session of the Conference of Parties. We are one with you in ensuring that the COP23 canoe[1] will move the climate action agenda forward. We come to COP23 with a strong call for climate justice: that those who are most vulnerable, who suffer the most from the adverse effects of climate change and who have contributed the least to climate change are empowered and enabled, in terms of capacity and finance, to fight back. This necessitates not just enhanced ambition, but the steely resolve to act now. The window of opportunity on achieving the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement is fast closing and any delay will result in the irreversible. We in the Philippines are doing our part. Despite all odds, we ratified and became party to the Paris Agreement. We have mainstreamed climate and geo-tagging into our budget processes. We have set up a People's Survival Fund, which provides over a billion pesos each year for local government and community initiatives to fight climate change. We have enacted a Renewable Energy law and a Green Jobs Act. And we will do more. We are developing policies on carbon pricing and green banking. We intend to impose a tax on coal. And we are greening our hospitals. Indeed, we are pursuing not just a transition to a green economy, but a transformation of the way we do government and business. We do so, with full awareness that the buy-in of the private sector and partnerships with them is crucial. This is what the sustainable development goals mandate. We are tasked here at COP23 to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement. To this end, we welcome the Talanoa Dialogue and urge completion of work on the residuals of the basic minimums of the Paris Agreement. Loss and damage need to be addressed. And commitments on climate finance must be fulfilled and scaled up. We must also not forget the fulfillment of the pre-2020 targets and its inclusion in the agenda of the COP. The Philippines ratified the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol in 2016 and we call on others who have not done so to do so. In implementing the Paris Agreement, adaptation is key. It is a pathway to resilience and survival. As a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Champion, I commit that I will personally mandate national agencies and local government units to integrate adaptation measures into their plans and programs. We will also pursue adaptation endeavors, including on the role of marine resources. I specify local government units because they are at the frontlines of the battle on climate change and because at the core of it, adaptation is local. In our capacity as current chair of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines wishes to highlight the ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change to COP23 which among others, calls on the operationalization of the Adaptation Fund and urges the GCF to facilitate and promote direct access of the fund by ASEAN and other developing country parties. In closing, Mr. President, We have all heard the saying that what is "difficult is done at once" but that "the impossible takes a little longer." But we are running out of time. We have to do both the difficult and the impossible at once. Only then can we truly say that we have fulfilled our obligations to future generations, because only then can we leave a world where life can continue to exist. Thank you.*** _______________________________ [1] The "drua" or canoe is the symbol of Fiji's presidency. Per Fiji, it is a "reminder to the entire world that we are all in the same canoe when it comes to climate change."
Press Release

November 17, 2017 ANGARA CALLS FOR PASSAGE OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE BILL IN WAKE OF MRT ACCIDENT Senator Sonny Angara has called for the passage of a bill that seeks to strengthen the emergency medical services system in the country after a female passenger lost her arm in an accident at the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) Ayala Station in Makati City early this week. According to recent reports, doctors successfully reattached the severed right arm of the victim, Angeline Fernando. Fernando's parents are thankful that a fellow passenger, who happened to be a medical intern at the Chinese General Hospital, Dr. Charlie Jandic, was quick to assist Fernando when the accident happened. "Masasabi nating maswerte pa rin si Angeline dahil nakaligtas siya at nasa mabuti na siyang kalagayan. Nagpapasalamat tayo na may pasahero roon na may medical training na agad tumulong. Pero hindi sa lahat ng insidenteng tulad nito ay may isang Dr. Jandic na tutulong. Kaya't isinusulong natin ang pagsasabatas ng Emergency Medical Services System Act," the senator said. Transport Undersecretary Cesar Chavez was quoted in a news report saying that while MRT staff, particularly the safety and security unit, are trained to respond to emergencies, "at the time of the incident, there was no MRT staff on the platform" except for two security guards who assisted Fernando. Angara's Senate Bill 1573 mandates the development and institutionalization of emergency medical services system to ensure that there are enough qualified emergency medical service personnel in the country. Emergency medicine is a specialized discipline in the medical field focused on giving timely and coordinated health and safety services to victims of sudden illness or injury, prior to them reaching hospitals, health centers or any healthcare facility. According to data cited at the 2013 Asian Conference on Emergency Medicine, the Philippines only has 3,300 recognized emergency medical service personnel. Also, out of the approximately 1,800 hospitals in the country, only 200 or 11% can be considered emergency hospitals which have facilities that are capable of providing quality emergency medical care. "We need to reverse this situation by mandating local government units to establish emergency dispatch centers with adequate and qualified personnel," the lawmaker said. "Mas malaki ang pag-asa na makaligtas sa anumang aksidente o karamdaman ang isang indibidwal kung agad siyang mabibigyan ng emergency medical services," added Angara, who is also the principal author of the CPR law which requires cardiopulmonary resuscitation training as part of the country's basic education curriculum. SB 1573 further mandates all government and private institutions including malls, parks and transport stations to place at least one automates defibrillator to treat sudden cardiac arrest in their respective areas of responsibility. Moreover, under the bill, the National Telecommunications Commission is tasked to develop a program for the adoption of a single national emergency number that would enable the public to access emergency medical services.
Press Release

November 17, 2017 De Lima seeks to inhibit Judge Guerrero due to partiality Senator Leila M. de Lima has sought for the inhibition of Judge Juanita Guerrero of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204 due to obvious partiality and questionable independence to hear the illegal drug trading charge filed against her. In her 23-page Motion for Inhibition and to Defer Arraignment she filed last Thursday, De Lima also asked the High Tribunal to defer her arraignment pending the resolution of the Motion for Reconsideration (MR) she filed with the Supreme Court (SC). "It is incumbent upon this court to hold in abeyance the scheduled arraignment. Otherwise, such an act would be tantamount to this court pre-empting the Supreme Court and arrogating unto herself the authority to have a final say on the jurisprudential effect of the Supreme Court's Decision," she said. De Lima, who has long protested her unjust arrest and unfair detention, pointed out that Guerrero has "displayed an unseemly and undue haste" in ensuring her detention and depriving her of liberty. The case for illegal drug trading lodged at Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 originated from the complaint filed by former NBI deputy directors Reynaldo Esmeralda and Ruel Lasala, former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer in charge Rafael Ragos, and De Lima's former driver Ronnie Dayan, before the Department of Justice (DOJ). The complaint - which made use of perjured testimonies of convicted felons during the Congressional Hearing - focused on illegal drug trading allegedly committed from Nov. 2012 to March 2013, while De Lima served as DOJ Secretary. According to De Lima's camp, however, the prosecutor filed a Motion to Amend Information last Nov. 10 but the Senator's counsels have yet to receive a copy of the said motion. De Lima maintained Guerrero should stop from conducting further proceedings on her cases because the judge has supposedly violated the Senator's constitutional rights repeatedly. Noting the events that transpired in the past year, De Lima recounted Guerrero's illegal issuance of a warrant of arrest against her, the judge's inaction of the MTQ, and the latter's scheduling of the Senator's arraignment prior to deciding on the pending MTQ and MR filed before the SC. "The glaringly clear, single-minded over-eagerness to detain accused De Lima based on an invalid Information that is irredeemably and irreparably tainted and made defective by, among others, the rampant and blatant violation of Accused De Lima's rights, is quite evident," she stated. "An impartial judge, acting on the red flags indicating serious infirmities and irregularities that attended the preliminary investigation of the case, would have given greater respect and protection to the accused constitutional rights," she added. On Feb. 23, Guerrero ordered the arrest of De Lima even without resolving her Motion to Quash (MTQ) - which questions the jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Court on handling her case - that was expected to be heard the next day, Feb. 24. Last Oct. 10, the High Tribunal ruled against De Lima's petition to nullify the arrest warrant issued against her by Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 for the trumped-up charge of illegal drug trade allegedly committed when she was justice secretary. In her 24-page MR on Nov. 3, De Lima said the High Tribunal should immediately rectify the continuing grave injustice committed against her because the majority of its members cannot even agree on the nature and cause of accusation against her. "It is clear, therefore, that proceeding with the arraignment, while the precise question of what is the nature of the charge against accused De Lima, would be a gross violation of her constitutional right to be accorded due process of the law, and to be informed of the nature of the charge against her," she stated. "If not even the members of the Supreme Court, reading the exact same Information, can agree on the nature of the charge, how can this court validly claim that the arraignment it has scheduled would properly apprise the accused of the nature of the charge against her, enable her to enter a provident plea, and mount an intelligent defense," she added. De Lima concluded that Guerrero "acted with evident partiality and bad faith in compounding the violations of constitutional rights suffered by accused De Lima." The scheduled arraignment on Thursday of De Lima at Branch 204 of the Muntinlupa City RTC was rescheduled to Jan. 24, 2018.
Press Release

November 17, 2017 Villanueva guest teaches for Teach for the Philippines Senator Joel Villanueva on Friday served as guest teacher for grade four students of City of Malolos Integrated School in Altag, Malolos City, Bulacan. Villanueva was tasked to teach Araling Panlipunan where the senator discussed about the three branches of government including his duties and responsibilities as a lawmaker. Villanueva said he is grateful for the Teach for the Philippines for giving him the opportunity to experience the noble profession. "Teaching may be a thankless job, but its impact is both immediate and far-reaching. I believe that the greatest act of self-sacrifice that anyone can take on is becoming a teacher. Saludo po ako sa bawat guro sa buong mundo," Villanueva said. The Bulakeno senator also underscored the importance of working together and making education a priority. "Everyone in government, business, civil society groups, academe, church ministry, and cultural communities should make education a priority. Education is our hope as a nation, it can lead our country to progress. If we put more emphasis on the value of education, we can have a more peaceful, productive and interdependent society. We are grateful for the Teach for the Philippines for being our partner and leader in educating the next generation and improving the lives of every Filipino," Villanueva said. Teach for the Philippines is a non-government organization that works to provide all Filipino children with access to relevant and excellent education. It enlists some of the country's most promising young leaders to teach for two years in public schools throughout the Philippines. To date, there are 93 Teacher Fellows placed in 39 schools across 17 local governments in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, who, together with their school communities, are working towards the goal of education equity.
Press Release

November 17, 2017 Villar SIPAG holds basic beekeeping seminar The Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) recently conducted a one-day basic seminar on beekeeping held at the Villar SIPAG Farm School in Bacoor, Cavite. The seminar was participated in by 100 attendees composed of members of farmers' cooperatives or associations, beekeepers, mango growers and rice farmers from Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, National Capital Region and members of SIPAG. The one-day seminar tackled the business of bee farming, proper handling of bees and identifying the different types of bees. Sen. Cynthia Villar, Director of Villar SIPAG, explained that the beekeeping seminar is in line with their thrust of providing additional sources of livelihood for the Filipinos. "Beekeeping could be a profitable business venture as it has many potential revenue streams. You could start a bee farm even in your own backyard," Villar said. For the beekeeping seminar, Villar SIPAG partnered with Syngenta, an organization that is dedicated to protecting pollinators and is actively involve with a number of local and global initiatives to support bee health. Syngenta is closely working with beekeepers, government and regulatory authorities, nonprofit organizations and other interested parties on activities to improve bee health. Beekeeping has become a popular business and a profitable endeavor over the last couple of years. While honey is the obvious revenue source for the bee business, there are a number of other revenue streams that could be achieved through a properly managed bee farm, including beeswax that is used for candles, soap and lip balm; bee pollen which is considered by health enthusiasts as "super food" that can boost immunity; and propolis that is used as an antioxidant and is also used for products such as cosmetics, chewing gum and car wax. Villar adds that the beekeeping seminar is pursuant to Republic Act 10611, "An Act to Strengthen the Food Safety Regulatory System in the Country to Protect Consumer Health and Facilitate Market Access of Local Foods and Food Products, and for Other Purposes." Furthermore, it is also in line with Administrative Order No. 14 of the Department of Agriculture that espouses for the promotion of the honeybee industry.
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Muir Woods National Monument will implement a reservation system Jan. 16 for parking and shuttle service to reduce congestion in the Marin County preserve, the National Park Service said.

All vehicles will have to use the reservation system to secure one of the 232 parking spaces at Muir Woods. The system, which will allow visitors to make reservations up to 90 days in advance, will go live on Jan. 1.

A parking space can be reserved for $8, and a seat on a shuttle for those 16 and older for $3. Both provide a timed arrival, and neither imposes a restriction on the length of stay for the day, officials said.

People who arrive at Muir Woods on bicycles will not have to pay the fee.

The reservation system is a move to mitigate safety risks that have come with recent crowding, officials said. Limited parking space and increasing numbers of visitors have led to more foot traffic on narrow roads, officials said, as well as illegal parking.

Ace Parking Management Inc. will manage the reservation system, officials said. The system will be year-round, and reservations can be made either through a website or through a call center.

Commercial carriers will also be required to make reservations through a separate system, expected to be available in late spring. Officials said visitors coming in on a commercial carrier will not be subject to the vehicle and shuttle reservation system.

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.

The move is expected to cut the number of annual visitors to less than 1 million, down from an estimated 1.2 million currently.

For more information, go to the National Park Services Muir Woods website, http://bit.ly/2wHVaf9.

Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15
The amount of money Pacific Gas and Electric Co. collects each year to run its natural gas pipelines and storage system would jump 47 percent by 2021 under a request the utility filed Friday with California regulators, although the effect on homeowners bills would be far smaller.

The request marks the first step in a process by which the California Public Utilities Commission will set PG&Es gas transmission and storage rates for 2019 through 2021. A majority of the commissions five voting members would need to approve any increase.

In 2019, PG&E wants to collect from its customers $1.59 billion to upgrade and maintain its long-distance pipelines and gas storage facilities, a 22 percent increase from $1.30 billion in 2018. By 2021, the amount would climb to $1.91 billion.

And yet, the impact on most individual customers would be minor.

The average monthly gas bill for a typical residence would rise $1.11, or 2 percent, in 2019 to reach $55.96. For small businesses, the average gas bill would increase $6.65, or 2.1 percent, to hit $325.51. The utility did not offer bill estimates for 2020 and 2021.

The costs of storing gas and moving it through big pipelines accounts for only a small portion of a residential customers bill, said PG&E spokesman Donald Cutler. Hence the small rise in monthly bills despite the substantial increase in revenue collected.

PG&E would use the additional money to continue upgrades and safety tests that took on new urgency after the deadly 2010 explosion of a PG&E pipeline beneath San Bruno.

The company plans to upgrade 1,100 miles of pipeline so they can be inspected from the inside by sensor-laden robots known as pigs. PG&E also plans to run interior inspections on 2,100 miles of pipeline, conduct hydrostatic pressure tests on 240 miles and automate 80 valves to shut off gas flow remotely.

In addition, PG&E plans to retrofit 80 gas storage wells, in anticipation of new state regulations following the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak just north of Los Angeles. To keep costs down in the long run, PG&E proposes selling or decommissioning two of the companys underground gas storage fields, a step PG&E estimates could save hundreds of millions of dollars, according to Fridays filing.

We are focused on making the right investments to achieve greater gas safety and reliability today while working hard to achieve customer savings in the future, Nick Stavropoulos, PG&Es president and chief operating officer, said in a news release.

The Utility Reform Network, a consumer group that frequently challenges PG&Es requests, said it would examine the request to ensure that the money is indeed needed for safety improvements.

We know that, in the past, PG&E has tried to justify huge rate hikes under the guise of safety and reliability, but when TURN digs into the details, we often find corporate greed and waste rather than cost-effective spending, said spokeswoman Mindy Spatt.

The request comes as PG&E finds itself under scrutiny in the wake of last months Wine Country wildfires, with state investigators examining whether the companys electricity lines may have played a role in starting the fires. The timing of the request, however, is coincidental, Cutler said. Under the commissions rate-setting schedule, PG&E was supposed to file the request by the end of this year.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
(Editor's note: The video contains graphic language.)

A man captured on cell-phone video yelling racial slurs and assaulting a passenger on a BART train was identified by the transit agencys police, who are taking action to ban him from riding the transportation system, officials said Friday.

The incident occurred about 10:10 p.m. on Monday when police received reports that a man appeared to threaten another passenger by hitting him and using racial epithets.

By the time police boarded the train at the Union City station, the attacker had already gotten off, officials said.

We have successfully identified him and we will be moving forward in seeking a prohibition order to ban him from the system, said Alicia Trost, a BART spokeswoman.

The man was not arrested and his name is being withheld by BART officials. The victim, Charles Wu, who was not injured in the attack, said he did not want to press charges against the suspect, according to BART.

Video of the encounter, which has since gone viral, was uploaded to Facebook and YouTube by Wiseley Wu, who recorded the incident while sitting nearby.

Amy Osborne/Special To The Chronicle

The assailant got on the train near the Coliseum Station and began yelling racial slurs while talking about Warriors star Stephen Curry. Charles Wu said he told the man to stop.

The man then approached Charles Wu and threatens to punch him. Riders sitting nearby got up and moved as the suspect directed the racial epithets at Charles Wu and slapped him in the face.

When Charles Wu gets up to confront the attacker, another rider intervened and stopped him while other passengers can be heard saying, Hes not even worth it.

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.

When the man exited the train, passengers walked over to Charles Wu and patted him on the back in support, said Wiseley Wu, who is no relation to Charles Wu.

The video captures an unfortunate, ugly scene, BART officials wrote on Facebook.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
More or less midway through the exhibition Robert Rauschenberg: Erasing the Rules, one comes upon Autobiography, made in 1968. It is large  at 16 feet high but only 4 feet wide, too unwieldy to reproduce accurately except as a four-page foldout in the catalog. Regardless of its scale, though, it is no match in presence for the exuberant, irreverent, radiant, multi-dimensional works throughout the rest of this ever-lively presentation. Still, if its not a showstopper, it is a key that might be used to unlock the major themes of the exhibition.

Erasing the Rules opens Saturday, Nov. 18, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and continues through March 25. Its enormous  the checklist runs to 170 objects  but, unlike the vast Walker Evans show also on view at SFMOMA, it is varied and well paced.

Despite an edition of 2,000 impressions, Autobiography is not as well known as the artists multiple Booster (1967, edition 38). The two are both self-portraits, and share certain visual elements. But Autobiography was offset printed (the same process used to produce a newspaper) by a billboard company and it looks it; Booster was made by the more vivid stone lithography process, with screen printed color additions.

Thats important in the context of Rauschenbergs work. It reveals two seemingly contradictory attitudes toward the art object. One is basically conceptual  focused on the idea, with a kind of get it done and get it out there stance, coupled with an openness to using a new tool that would make a really big picture. The other, though also technically innovative, is rooted in the visual pleasures of tone, color and subtle detail.

A negotiation between these two ways of working, conceptual and formal, is evident throughout the artists career, and it is highlighted by astute curatorial choices all the way through the show. The first rooms of the chronologically arranged exhibition reveal just how early Rauschenberg made some of his most profoundly original moves.

Alongside some very good photographs, collages and boxed assemblages that owe a debt to Joseph Cornell, we come upon the utterly original 1953 work Erased de Kooning Drawing. It is an argument for drawing as a thought process, not a technique: To put down a mark is no more significant a decision as to take one away.

It was also, of course, a challenge. The 1951 White Painting [three panel] (which is just that) leaves us to discover the gestures of chance  a scratch, a scuff, a variation in the warp and weft of canvas  and the shapes and colors of shadows and reflections. Beyond its Zen-like concept, it also implies ridicule of the passionate artistic signatures of de Kooning and the Abstract Expressionist generation that preceded Rauschenberg, then 26.

Black paintings, red paintings, paintings composed of gold and of earth; a long, inky Automobile Tire Print on 20 sheets of paper; Elemental Structures of found stone, wood and metal: The early 50s were a fertile time intellectually for the young artist.

By the time the exhibition reaches 1954, though, we see him break away from controlled thought experiments and simplified forms to include a new raw material: the image. For Rauschenberg, the image might be a photograph or reproduction from a magazine, or it might be an actual object  a chair, a bed quilt and pillow, an Angora goat with a car tire around its belly. Narrative at their source, the images carry with them a host of denotations and associations. At the same time, collaged, collapsed, overlapped or overpainted, they can become independent formal elements, unchained from (or, at least, less tightly shackled to) their sources in the world.

Released from the boundaries of Abstract Expressionism as a defined movement, Rauschenberg became free to borrow the intensity of its nonrational vocabulary. He adopted a vigorous, muscular use of paint and color suited to his newly invented forms.

And here is where we see Rauschenbergs most significant impact on the art and artists that came afterward. Marcel Duchamp had charted a course away from merely retinal art. The Abstract Expressionists had re-depicted emotion as an operation of the subconscious. Rauschenberg resolved the tension between these two great 20th century energies by combining them.

Rauschenberg in fact called the works he was making at this juncture combines, a word generally interpreted to mean combinations of painting and sculpture, but which I take to also mean a more elemental fusion, with all its explosive implications. Collection, Bed and Monogram, all made in the years around 1955, stand as monuments of the art of the past century  as transmutations emerged from that reaction.

Parallel activities in dance and performance, generally in partnership with such close friends as John Cage, Merce Cunningham and others, added music and movement to his scope.

The marriage of concept and form might alone secure a central place for Rauschenberg artistically, but there was another apparent opposition to be resolved. That would be what we often see as an inviolable boundary between the public and the private. His use of images from magazines, newspapers and other popular media might make one think of such Pop artists as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and others working at the same time.

But Rauschenberg was more revealing of his personal and emotional life than we generally assume the Pop artists to be. He certainly touched on social and political issues in works like Retroactive I (1964), made in the year after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But as Erasing the Rules makes clear, the images often had deeply personal meaning to the artist as well.

Friends and lovers show up repeatedly in pictorial references and in communal art projects, many of which are nicely documented in the exhibition with supplemental video and photographs. Other personally meaningful images and what the curators call coded references to his life and loves as a gay man abound.

Which brings us back to Autobiography, that tall and plain midpoint of the exhibition. Beyond that gallery is a range of engaging art, which becomes increasingly formal and, frequently, a recapitulation of earlier ideas. New processes make the work easier and faster to fabricate.

But here, at the center of exhibition, is an artistic totem. At the top, a full-body X-ray of the artist is overlaid with his astrological chart. Wheels and umbrellas, which abound in Rauschenbergs art, refer to one of Duchamps best-known works, perhaps, or slyly suggest the sexual. A photograph, taken from a performance, of Rauschenberg on roller skates, wearing an open parachute, anchors the work at bottom.

And, at the center, a spiraling biographical text ends with a simple self-description: A responsible man working in the present.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1

Robert Rauschenberg: Erasing the Rules: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays-Tuesdays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays. Saturday, Nov. 18-March 25. $19-$25; ages 18 and younger free. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., S.F. (415) 357-4000. www.sfmoma.org
Toward the end of his 12-day trip to Asia, President Trump tweeted, When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There [sic] always playing politics  bad for our country. I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!

Trump has a point. Russia can, in theory, greatly help. But it probably wont, at least not greatly. It wont help because Vladimir Putin and his regime dont think helping America is in their national interest.

Putin, a former ghoul of the KGB, subscribes to a theory of statecraft with deep roots in both Russian and Soviet history.

During World War I, Vladimir Lenin advocated revolutionary defeatism. The idea was that winning the war was pointless because it was a battle between competing capitalist ruling classes. It would be better if everyone  including Russia  lost. The masses, he hoped, would then wage a civil war to overthrow their masters. The idea was derived in part from 19th century revolutionary socialist Nikolay Chernyshevsky, who coined the phrase the worse the better  which Lenin often quoted.

This basic strategy worked well enough for the Bolsheviks. Lenin became the founding father of the Soviet Union, which brutalized and enslaved its own people and its neighbors for 70 years.

The Soviet Union, despite its military might, was always a weak country. Any nation that has to rule by fear is by definition weak. If the Soviets could have invaded and defeated Western Europe and America, just as they had Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, they would have. Its what Marxist-Leninism demanded, after all.

But they couldnt. So they adapted. Before they could export revolution, as Leon Trotsky wanted, they first had to export revolutionary defeatism. And so for a half century, the Soviets did what they could to undermine the West by sowing discord and strife. The idea was, as Marxist theorists had long put it, to heighten the contradictions of capitalism to force it to collapse.

They developed a wide array of methods. Their propagandists fed conspiracy theories to gullible journalists and intellectuals in the 1930s and 1940s.

In the 1960s, the Soviets tried to discredit Martin Luther King Jr. because his message of tolerance and nonviolence was inconvenient to their cause. The KGB wanted the violent radical Stokely Carmichael to become the leader of black America. It disseminated leaflets in black communities claiming that right-wing groups were developing a plan for the physical elimination of leading figures in the Negro movement in the U.S., as Darien Cavanaugh of the website War is Boring recently recounted. In the 1980s, the Soviets spread lies about America inventing AIDS to kill black people.

This is the world Putin grew up in. He was a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years. Hes called the demise of the Soviet Union one of the 20th centurys greatest tragedies. But hes not a Marxist. In fact, its been speculated that he may be the worlds richest man.

But he is the man the KGB made him.

Forget about America for two seconds. Putins social-media army has been mucking around in Western Europe for years. He supports fringe radical groups  or creates fake representatives of them  on both the left and the right. They use WikiLeaks, and the useful idiots who love it, to undermine Western governments in the name of democracy and transparency.

The goal isnt primarily to get a particular politician in power, but to sow chaos and doubt, to heighten the contradictions, and to weaken the strong countries and alliances that Putin thinks are holding down Russia. The Russians helped push for Brexit, not because Brexit was good for Britain (which I think it might be), but because it was bad for the European Union.

Some want to believe that Putin saw in Trump a useful ally, and that Trump volunteered for service. Again, thats possible. But I think the answer is more straightforward and obvious. The Russians just wanted to cause trouble and wound the presumptive winner, Hillary Clinton. Thats why WikiLeaks encouraged Donald Trump Jr. to claim the election was stolen. But then the elder Trump won.

Trump believes that every country should follow its own narrow self-interest. Thats a defensible position. The only problem is that Russias  or at least Putins  definition of self-interest is at war with ours.

 2017 Tribune Content Agency LLC

Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. Email: goldbergcolumn@gmail.com Twitter: @JonahNRO

To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters.
Eric Kayne / Special to The Chronicle

Amid accumulating reports of malfeasance and mismanagement, Californias Board of Equalization, a 138-year-old relic with no counterpart nationwide, has faced an enduring question: Why does it exist? A new state report provides an answer: to hire its employees relatives.

More than a sixth of the boards nearly 5,000 workers were found to be related to each other by blood, marriage or living arrangements in an internal survey conducted in April, according to the newly released results of a State Personnel Board investigation. Moreover, investigators noted that because of survey flaws, the 17.5 percent of the staff found to share such connections could be an understatement. One employee complained that the board was populated by the three Fs: family, friends and friends of family.
Susan Walsh/Associated Press

There are a few clear winners in the Republican tax reform bill that cleared the House of Representatives on Thursday. Corporations, which will get their top rate cut from 35 to 20 percent. Heirs of the rich, who will be able to shield $11 million of their inheritance from taxes  double the current limit. States such as Florida and Texas, which will enjoy a disproportionate share of the cuts.

The outlook is not nearly so upbeat for many California families, especially for those in the upper-middle class. The capping of the interest deduction on mortgages over $500,000 and a limit on the property tax deduction at $10,000 is likely to suppress home values  a primary source of wealth and retirement security for many. Elimination of the deduction for other state and local taxes could exceed the savings from other tax breaks in the bill.
The University of California regents took disciplinary action against President Janet Napolitano on Thursday, publicly admonishing her for authorizing actions that led to her staffs interference with a state auditors investigation last year.

The regents also ordered Napolitano to apologize for approving the scheme that resulted in her chief of staff and his deputy pressuring campuses to change their responses to a confidential state auditor survey to remove negative remarks and instead have them reflect positively on the presidents office.

The presidents decision to approve a plan to coordinate the survey responses reflected poor judgment and set in motion a course of conduct that the Board of Regents finds unacceptable, UC Regents Chair George Kieffer said during a UC regents meeting in San Francisco with Napolitano sitting beside him.

I regret deeply that I did not show better judgment, Napolitano said in her apology. I made this decision. I made a serious error in judgment. I apologize.

The regents action came after an hours-long closed-door session and as the board publicly released an independent fact-finding report by retired state Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno. The report found that Napolitanos chief of staff, Seth Grossman, and his deputy, Bernie Jones, directed the interference and then tried to cover their tracks.

Both executives resigned from their jobs last week and have denied wrongdoing. During a news conference after the meeting, Kieffer said Grossman and Jones would have faced serious disciplinary actions if they had not resigned.

He also said that despite Napolitanos poor judgment, the regents have confidence in her leadership. It was a unanimous decision to keep the president, he said.

Two people have left the university, and the president has accepted the responsibility, Kieffer said. Many of us were angry, and very disturbed and disappointed at the parties involved. Personally, I was angry and disappointed. Thats not the kind of action you want to read about.

He added that he hopes state lawmakers will be satisfied with the actions the board took in response to the reports findings.

But at least one called for Napolitano to resign.

Its time for the university to turn the page, restore trust and credibility and find new leadership, Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-San Ramon, said Thursday. She knew the surveys were being recalled and changed, and thats egregious. She hasnt taken full ownership of how involved she was.

The Moreno report found that Napolitano understood that members of her staff were systematically highlighting and sanitizing critical comments from the campuses.

At one point, a furious Napolitano phoned UC Santa Cruzs chancellor because the campus had submitted its survey to the state auditor without first allowing the presidents office to see it, the report said. She proposed the campus withdraw the survey.

Yet the report said there was not enough evidence to conclude Napolitano was aware of (the aides) conduct in purposefully and systematically targeting unfavorable responses.

The report also found that Napolitanos office misled regents and the public on why they interjected themselves in the survey. Napolitano told lawmakers during a public hearing in the Capitol in May that her office was responding to requests from campus officials who were confused and wanted help with the survey.

Morenos investigation, however, found that Napolitanos staff members required the campuses to show them their survey responses, with some of the answers being changed or deleted to make the presidents office look better.

Napolitano said Thursday she approved of a plan to make sure answers were accurate and within the scope of the audit.

That was the intent, she said. How that was executed went off the rails.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount (Los Angeles County), said the regents actions are welcome and necessary.

Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, who called for the original state audit of Napolitanos office that set off the chain of events, said he didnt feel the regents went far enough Thursday. He said the issues in Napolitanos office predate her appointment and that he believes fixing them requires addressing a broader systemic issue in her office.

I dont think they were strong enough given the severity, Ting said.

Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance (Los Angeles County), said he is deeply troubled by the findings in the report. The audit obstruction by Napolitanos office prompted Muratsuchi to write a bill ultimately signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown that imposes a $5,000 fine for knowingly interfering with the duties of Californias independent state auditor. The bill goes into effect in January.

Muratsuchi said if the law were already in place, he has no doubt Napolitano and her aides would have been subjected to the fine.

President Napolitano and her top aides deliberately interfered with the Legislatures attempt to provide greater transparency and accountability of the University of California system, Muratsuchi said. This is not only deeply disappointing, but it undermines the Legislatures trust in the UC.

State Auditor Elaine Howle released the audit on the operations of UCs headquarters in April. Howle said she was forced to throw out the survey results because they were tainted by Napolitanos office.

Earlier this year, The Chronicle made public records requests for copies of emails between Napolitanos office and the campuses. The emails showed the extent to which the office went to make itself look better.

In one case, UC Santa Cruz submitted its survey, then asked for it back. The resubmitted survey had several answers changed, such as rating technology support from the presidents office good when the original survey said poor.

Two other campuses changed their answers as well. After an uproar over the interference from state lawmakers and Brown, the UC regents hired Moreno and an Orange County law firm to conduct an investigation into what happened.

I intend to reach out to the state Legislature and re-establish good relationships there, Napolitano said Thursday. I have a lot of work to do.

Melody Gutierrez and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez, @SarRavani

More online

The Chronicles coverage of the state audit and links to emails on the campus survey: www.sfchronicle.com/ucaudit

Justice Carlos Morenos report: http://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/nov17/b2attach3.pdf
ROME  Salvatore Riina, the Mafias murderous boss of bosses, who earned multiple life sentences and the nickname the Beast for his cruelty and for unleashing a war against law enforcement that claimed the lives of Italian prosecutors and police officers, died early Friday in a hospital in the northern Italian city of Parma. He was 87.

The Ministry of Justice announced his death. He had recently undergone surgery and been placed in a medically induced coma.

As the head of Sicilys infamous Cosa Nostra crime syndicate since the 1970s, Mr. Riina, known as Toto, had a long criminal reach that spilled blood across Italy and extended a black hand of extortion and trafficking across the globe.

He retaliated against the Italian governments campaign to crush the Mafia by striking back hard, ordering in 1992 the bombing assassinations of two leading anti-Mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. He also orchestrated the kidnapping, strangling and dissolving in acid of the young son of a mob informer.

In 1993, Italian authorities captured Mr. Riina in Sicilys capital, Palermo, and judges ultimately gave him 26 life sentences. He spent a good deal of the next quarter-century in isolation, with little time outside his cell in Milan.

Italian Justice Minister Andrea Orlando allowed family members to visit Mr. Riina in the hospital Thursday, his birthday.

Mr. Riina had four children, one of whom, Salvo, wrote on Facebook, Youre not Toto Riina to me, youre just my dad. Another of Mr. Riinas sons is in prison for committing four murders.

Mr. Riina came from Corleone, a town in the Sicilian hinterland made famous as the birthplace of fictional character Vito Corleone in Godfather movies.

But Mr. Riinas butchery was all too real.

After serving time in his youth for killing a man in an argument, he became a soldier under Mafia boss Luciano Leggio. He rose through the ranks, eliminating competitors and at times running his gang in hiding, though apparently always from Sicily. By the early 1980s, Mr. Riina had solidified his dominance over the island and its global criminal activities.

His organizations tentacles reached deep into all facets of Italian life, from small businesses forced to pay for protection, to large sectors of commerce where they skimmed millions of dollars. In Sicily, the mob had a reputation for delivering votes in exchange for favors. And nationally, Italys leading politicians were often accused of entanglements with the sticky, and often invisible, Mafia web.

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.

Mr. Riinas onetime driver alleged that Giulio Andreotti, a former prime minister who dominated postwar Italian politics, once exchanged an embrace and kiss with Mr. Riina. Andreotti denied it.

With Mr. Riina in prison, other mobs around Italy grew in brutality and influence, including the Camorra in Naples, and the Ndrangheta from Calabria, which operates a worldwide drug trade.

But the specter of Riina, who rarely spoke in public, hung over the country. In one of his 1993 trials, he refused to address the claims of one of his accusers.

He does not have my moral stature, Mr. Riina said.

Jason Horowitz is a New York Times writer.
A federal appeals court has blocked the deportation of a Bay Area man who fled his native India after being attacked by a religious group he had refused to join.

Harbans Singh, a landowner in northern India, left in 2011 after being pursued and beaten by members of the Dera Sacha Sauda religion. Now in his early 30s and living in Solano County, he applied for political asylum, saying he would face religious persecution if deported to his homeland.

An immigration judge ruled against Singh, saying his attackers were trying to seize his land and not to persecute him. But the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said Tuesday that Singh had presented at least some evidence of persecution.

It appears from the record that the ... attackers were at least partly motivated by Singhs religion and political affiliation, particularly because Singhs refusal to join the (Dera Sacha Sauda) was inherently an act of religious expression, the three-judge panel said.

Because the record seems to compel a finding that Singhs religion was at least a reason for his persecution, he appears to be eligible for withholding of deportation, the court said. That would allow him to remain in the United States unless the immigration courts find that he could safely return to another part of India.

The court said Singh may also be eligible for asylum, which would require him to prove that he is likely to be persecuted again if deported. He could then apply for legal residency, the first step toward possible U.S. citizenship.

Dera Sacha Sauda was founded in 1948 by former Sikhs and Hindus and is based in northern India.

Anna Benvenue, a lawyer for Singh, said she was optimistic that he would be allowed to remain in the United States.

Its a great decision for religious freedom, she said.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
A 60-year-old chiropractor with a practice in Milpitas was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a woman during an appointment, officials said.

Gregory Alan Lind, was arrested following an investigation that started Sept. 29 when a 44-year-old woman contacted the Milpitas Police Department to report she was assaulted a day earlier by the chiropractor, according to authorities.

The woman told police she was receiving treatment from Lind at his practice, Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, when he touched her inappropriately, officials said.

Pinaki Chakravorty, a Santa Clara County deputy district attorney, said Lind allegedly sexually penetrated the woman with his finger twice over her clothing.

Milpitas Police investigated the incident and arrested Lind on Tuesday at his practice. He was arraigned Thursday in Santa Clara County Superior Court on two counts of sexual penetration with a foreign object. He was also arrainged on one count of sexual battery by fraud, a charge that involves obtaining a victims consent by deceit.

The basic idea is that someone has given another person power over their body, thinking that its serving some professional purpose, and then that person abuses that trust and authority, Chakravorty said.

Lind, a resident of San Jose, is being held at Santa Clara County Jail. His bail is set at $200,000.

It was unclear how long Lind has operated a practice in Milpitas, said Sgt. Matthew Miller of the Milpitas Police Department.

On his website, Lind professes to have 30 years of experience as a chiropractor in the Bay Area. Public records show his chiropractic license in the state of California dates to at least 1984.

Miller said that at this point, no other patients have come forward with allegations against Lind.

There is a follow-up investigation going on, and attempts to locate any additional victims, Miller said.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
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Muir Woods National Monument will implement a reservation system Jan. 16 for parking and shuttle service to reduce congestion in the Marin County preserve, the National Park Service said.

All vehicles will have to use the reservation system to secure one of the 232 parking spaces at Muir Woods. The system, which will allow visitors to make reservations up to 90 days in advance, will go live on Jan. 1.

A parking space can be reserved for $8, and a seat on a shuttle for those 16 and older for $3. Both provide a timed arrival, and neither imposes a restriction on the length of stay for the day, officials said.

People who arrive at Muir Woods on bicycles will not have to pay the fee.

The reservation system is a move to mitigate safety risks that have come with recent crowding, officials said. Limited parking space and increasing numbers of visitors have led to more foot traffic on narrow roads, officials said, as well as illegal parking.

Ace Parking Management Inc. will manage the reservation system, officials said. The system will be year-round, and reservations can be made either through a website or through a call center.

Commercial carriers will also be required to make reservations through a separate system, expected to be available in late spring. Officials said visitors coming in on a commercial carrier will not be subject to the vehicle and shuttle reservation system.

The move is expected to cut the number of annual visitors to less than 1 million, down from an estimated 1.2 million currently.

For more information, go to the National Park Services Muir Woods website, http://bit.ly/2wHVaf9.

Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15
The first in a fleet of new Muni trains hit San Francisco's streets after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday.

SFMTA said the new trains feature a roomier seating configuration, better signage, quieter cars and "improved design that will reduce delays."

This first train was decorated with a red bow and dedicated to community leader Larry Martin during Friday's ceremony. It's one of more than 200 Siemens-designed vehicles that will arrive in San Francisco over the next 10 years, officials said.

More for you Bridge toll boost seen as salve for Bay Area transportation woes

The new vehicles will replace SFMTA's fleet of 151 light rail vehicles and expand it by 64.

A handful of city leaders and transportation experts were on-hand to test out the new train for themselves on Friday, including Mayor Ed Lee and president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors London Breed.

Breed said she was looking forward to "that new train smell."

Following remarks and the ribbon cutting, the official and other attendees piled onto the train to take the new wheels out for a brief spin. See the first ride in the above video.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.




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As a soldier in the U.S. Army, Anna Cuthbertson served in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. As a San Francisco police officer, she patrols the streets of the Richmond District, busting criminals and protecting citizens.

The average person might think thats heroic enough. But in a selfless act initially meant to save one life, Cuthbertson, a mother of a 13-year-old girl, donated a kidney this week to a stranger, and in the process set off a chain reaction that made it possible for eight other people to receive lifesaving kidney transplants.

I thought, the more the merrier. I was thrilled, said the 35-year-old Cuthbertson, who was recovering at UCSF on Thursday after undergoing the surgery on Tuesday.

The operation was the culmination of a mission that started about a year ago after she listened to an episode of the podcast Strangers featuring a story about a transplant that mentioned the website www.matchingdonors.com. Intrigued, she clicked onto the site.

It was really just my morbid curiosity at first, she said.

The more research she did, the more she became persuaded to donate: the risks were lower and the procedure was less invasive than shed expected.

While on the website one day, reading profiles of people across the country in need of organ transplants, she stumbled on the profile of a 64-year-old Joan Grealis, a mother two children from Walnut Creek.

I lost my mother when I was 16, and Joan has kids who are my age, Cuthbertson said. I thought about how I would do anything to have my mom back, and to think there was a way that I could help these people who are my age keep their mother. I just thought, God, why wouldnt I?

Grealis got a call from Cuthbertson the day she posted the profile on the website. She had written about her close-knit family, especially her husband, a childhood sweetheart she met at the age of 12.

He was devastated at the prospect of losing me, Grealis said of her husband, Gary.

Grealis suffered from end-stage renal disease, a result of complications from intestinal surgery she had when she was in her 20s. Doctors determined that neither of her two children nor her husband was a match for donation.

Before getting the call from Cuthbertson, Grealis had been on a waiting list for a donor for 3 years.

Cuthbertson underwent eight months of intensive testing to see whether she could donate a kidney to Grealis. But eventually, doctors determined she and Grealis were not a match.

Both Cuthbertson and Grealis were put into a registry of pairs of people who want to donate and receive organs but arent matches for each other. Cuthbertson was eventually matched to a stranger, whose willing donor, in turn, paired up perfectly with someone else. Eventually the chain comprised 18 people, nine donors and nine recipients, including Grealis.

Grealis underwent a successful transplant at UCSF on the same day Cuthbertsons kidney donation was completed.

Roughly 19,000 kidney transplants occurred in the United States in 2016, according to data from United Network for Organ Sharing.

Still, though the overall number of transplants has been steadily rising because of an increase in donors, waits remain long. The average wait time for a deceased donor donation in Northern California is seven to 10 years, said Chris Freise, surgical director of kidney transplantation at UCSF.

Besides great outcomes for living donor transplants, one of the really big advantages is getting the transplant done a lot more quickly. Sometimes within a matter of months, Freise said. According to the organ-sharing organziation, living donors accounted for about 30 percent of kidney transplants nationally in 2016.

Cuthbertson  who was born in the Sunset District of San Francisco and now lives in Pacifica  enlisted in the Army in 2001 and was deployed to Iraq in 2003. After she returned, she joined the San Francisco Police Department and gave birth to a daughter. She remained in the Army reserves, and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011, where she led a female engagement team that helped construct a local womens center and advocate for womens rights.

Cuthbertson said donating her kidney is one of the most exciting things shes done.

If I could highlight one thing about all of this, its that its so easy, Cuthbertson said. If people just did more research about it, they could really help save a life.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
ANAHEIM  Three new cases of Legionnaires disease have been identified in Southern California and officials are looking at the possibility there may be a source outside Disneyland, where at least 11 of the patients visited in September, according to reports.

Legionnaires has sickened a total of 15 people, two of whom have died. The four not connected to Disneyland lived in or had visited Anaheim  suggesting there could be sources of infection not yet discovered, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

The disease can be spread through inhaling droplets from contaminated water sources. Though many people have no symptoms, it can cause serious pneumonia and prove dangerous to those with lung or immune system problems.

Disneyland said it learned about the Legionnaires cases on Oct. 27 and shut down and disinfected two cooling towers where health officials believe the exposure might have occurred. Water samples taken last week from the towers, which are part of air-conditioning systems, tested negative for the bacteria, officials at the theme park said Wednesday.

Negative results mean that the towers do not pose a current ongoing risk for transmission of Legionella, said Jessica Good, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency. Good told the Orange County Register the agency is working with Disney on procedures to bring the towers back into operation.

Legionella is a bacteria that grows naturally in lakes and streams. When high concentrations grow in man-made water systems, such as air conditioners and plumbing, some people develop pneumonia after breathing in contaminated vapor.

Cases of Legionnaires disease have been increasing nationwide and in California in recent years, and officials often struggle to identify where the infections originate, the Times said.

Authorities said two of the three new cases involved individuals who visited Disneyland. But officials are also focusing on the four patients who didnt visit the park as they track the source of the outbreak.

Its too early to point fingers at Disneyland for those four people, said Sanjay Mohanty, a UCLA environmental engineering professor who studies water systems.
Update: All missing dogs have been located and returned to their owners, said Lt. Jonathan Baxter with the San Francisco Fire Department. The two dogs that were missing as of 6:30 p.m. on Thursday were found later that night.

End of update.

A truck carrying nine dogs crashed into a private residence in San Francisco's Sunset District on Thursday afternoon, fire officials said.

One woman and a small child were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries after their parked car rolled off the road and slammed into a home near 26th and Santiago streets, said San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Lt. Jonathan Baxter.

Witnesses said the brakes of the double-parked truck appeared to fail, sending it sailing into several cars nearby before it rolled into the residence, KTVU reports. The home sustained only cosmetic damage.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found six dogs in the bed of the truck, which they consoled and protected from the rain, Baxter said. Three dogs fled the scene, but a vigilant Sunset resident spotted and returned one of the missing pups.

Firefighters successfully connected the dogs with their owners. The Fire Department assumes the truck belongs to a dog walker or handler.

Baxter did not have descriptions of the two missing dogs, but asked Sunset District residents to contact San Francisco Animal Care and Control to be on the lookout for stray canines.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.
Isabel Allendes In the Midst of Winter is her 19th novel, and it is told with her characteristic warmth. Lucia Maraz is a charming 61-year-old Chilean woman who has taken up residence in Richard Bowmasters spare Prospect Heights basement apartment. Richard is a reserved, gloomy white academic who is also Lucias boss at New York Universitys Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, where she works as a visiting professor. Although Lucia harbors a crush on Richard, and tries to coax him into a flirtation, he keeps a safe distance from her.

During a blizzard, things change. Richard drives to the vet with his sick cat, and on the way back, accidentally crashes into the back of a Lexus. The driver of the Lexus is Evelyn Ortega, a Guatemalan woman who becomes hysterical about the collision. She rushes off, but late that evening, she shows up at Richards apartment. Shes stammering and in some sort of trouble. He asks Lucia to come upstairs and help translate.

Evelyn explains she works in the home of a violent man, Frank Leroy, and is too scared to go back to his house because she took the car without permission and is undocumented. Richard and Lucia agree to talk to her employer on her behalf in the morning. That night, the three eat weed brownies and share their personal histories of loss.

Its when revealing the characters harrowing past lives in other countries that the generous and unflagging energy that characterized Allendes debut, The House of the Spirits, can most clearly be felt. Evelyn Ortegas oldest brother quit school to join the most vicious gang in Guatemala, but winds up swinging from a bridge, covered in blood and excrement. After the gang comes after her family, Evelyn migrates to America without papers. During the Chilean military coup of 1973, Lucias brother is a guerrilla fighter who vanishes. Accused of being a sympathizer, Lucia becomes a refugee. Richards Brazilian wife loses a baby to SIDS, but he copes with his suffering in a way that allows further tragedy into their lives.

This sturdy braid of dramatic migration stories is balanced by an equally interesting present-day plot. Evelyns strong reaction to the rear-ending turns out to be justified: There is a dead woman, a frozen corpse, in the trunk of the Lexus. Without knowing who killed the woman, but suspecting Evelyns boss, the three devise a plan to dispose of the body without alerting the authorities.

Tremendous pleasure can be found in the present-day plot, especially in its honesty about quieter matters. Allende writes in a tender and direct way about what its like to live in an older body while seeking romantic love and sexual intimacy. While we can predict what will happen between Lucia and Richard, that doesnt diminish how charmingly told this courtship is, and what a light, heartwarming contrast it provides, particularly set against a backdrop of haunting pasts.

However, when Allende moves away from the potential love story, and ties the plot too intricately back to immigration trouble, the novel loses some of its verve. Evelyns boss, Frank Leroy, proves to be not only a misogynistic wife-beater, but also a human trafficker. He is both monstrous and mostly offstage. As a result, it feels like the purpose of reading the novel is to reaffirm an inherent bias, or to obtain more fuel for a debate about immigration policy.

Narratives about undocumented immigrants and human trafficking need not be Manichean to persuade, and the best arent. For example, the third season of John Ridleys television show American Crime also tackles human trafficking. However, all of Ridleys characters are fully dimensional and thoughtfully portrayed. They are ordinary people acting within ugly economic structures of society that permit abuse and exploitation, not merely paper villains acting out of viciousness. Similarly, Stephan Faris journalistic argument for open borders, Homelands: The Case for Open Immigration, is forceful, but addresses moral issues around immigration and documentation with nuance.

And yet to quarrel with this novels overstated politics when there is so much that is lovely and structurally balanced about it may be stingy. Reading about the tragedies of their pasts, and Richard and Lucias present-day longing to connect, feels like the literary equivalent of listening to Caetano Velosos sad, soothing rendition of Cucurrucucu Paloma. Its not hard to arrive at the end of this arresting romance and conclude that if its politics around documentation and human trafficking are expressed too bluntly, too crudely, the reality Allende drew from warrants it.

Anita Felicellis writing has appeared in the Rumpus, Salon and the Los Angeles Review of Books. Email: books@sfchronicle.com

In the Midst of Winter

By Isabel Allende; translated from the Spanish by Nick Caistor and Amanda Hopkinson

(Atria; 342 pages; $28)
Broadcom buys Brocade

Broadcom Ltd. may never get its hands on Qualcomm, but it did wrap up its $5.5 billion purchase of network gear maker Brocade Communications Systems on Friday. Reuters reported that the two San Jose companies reached their deal a year ago and got U.S. antitrust approval in July. In the meantime, Broadcom made a $103 billion unsolicited bid for Qualcomm, a rival in wireless chips, this month, but has been turned down  at least so far.

Game on

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, Super Mario Odyssey, Persona 5 and Player Unknowns Battlegrounds have been nominated as game of the year, Engadget reported. Game Awards, the industrys biggest honors, announced nominations this week. Nominees for best mobile game are Fire Emblem Heroes, Super Mario Run, Old Mans Journey, Monument Valley 2 and Hidden Folks. Winners will be announced Dec. 7 at a ceremony to be streamed on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook Live and other outlets at 5:30 p.m.

You cant spell HomePod without doh!

Apple is delaying its HomePod speaker until early next year  as in, after the biggest retail season of the year. The HomePod, which works with Siri, streams from Apple Music and controls smart appliances, was announced in June and was scheduled to ship in December.

From staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techchronicle
Shares of Cisco Systems jumped Thursday, thanks to better-than-expected earnings and forecast revenue growth after two years of decline.

The San Jose companys shares increased 5.2 percent a day after it reported first-quarter profit of $2.39 billion, up from $2.32 billion a year ago.

Cisco said its earnings adjusted for nonrecurring costs and stock-option expense, were 61 cents per share in the latest quarter, beating expectations of 60 cents per share, according to Zacks Investment Research.

The seller of routers, switches, software and services posted revenue of $12.14 billion in the period, matching Wall Street forecasts. That was down from $12.35 billion a year ago, the companys eighth-consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue decline.

But it forecast an end to that streak, saying it expects revenue growth of between 1 to 3 percent in the current quarter.

Gap sees

profit rise

Gaps third-quarter profit rose 12 percent as it expanded its Old Navy and Athleta brands and worked to cut costs throughout the company.

The San Francisco retailer said Thursday that it earned $229 million (58 cents per share) during the quarter. Thats up from $204 million (51 cents) a year ago.

The results exceeded Wall Street expectations, and Gap shares gained more than 6 percent in after-hours trading. Analysts had expected earnings of 55 cents per share.

Gap CEO Art Peck said the results show the company is making progress across all its brands.

Old Navy has fared the best recently as Gap adjusts to customers doing more online shopping and spending less time at malls, but Gap and Banana Republic brands also showed improvement.

Sales grew 3 percent in the quarter, compared with a 1 percent decline last year. That excludes the negative effect of a distribution center fire.

Walmart posts good numbers

A growing online business and strong food sales boosted Walmarts results Thursday ahead of the holiday season, a day after Target offered a cautious forecast that overshadowed progress in bringing more customers to its stores.

And Best Buy reported a rise in third-quarter profit and sales, but its results and outlook fell short of Wall Street expectations. The chain cited severe hurricanes in the South and a later release of the iPhone X.

Big-box stores fared well overall, temporarily allaying fears that Amazon is sounding a death knell for the sector. With consumer spending solid and unemployment low, the National Retail Federation trade group expects holiday sales to at least match the 3.6 percent growth of a year ago.

Recalls

Trader Joes

Tahini woes

Trader Joes is warning customers about potential Listeria contamination from its Trader Joes Cilantro & Chive Yogurt Dip and its Tahini Sauce. Anyone who has purchase either item is encouraged to return it to the store for a refund. For details, call (626) 599-3817.

Makers

Tech Shop

shuts down

Tech Shop, a haven for Bay Area do-it-yourselfers who paid for access to tools and training, has gone out of business.

The company said on its website that it had closed, and included a link for people interested in acquiring its assets. TechShop opened in Menlo Park in 2006 and eventually had 10 locations in the U.S. and four internationally, it said. One prominent one was on Howard Street in San Francisco.

Chronicle News Services
As Republicans and the Trump administration continue trying to chip away at the Affordable Care Act, the Internal Revenue Service has begun, for the first time, to enforce one of the laws most polarizing provisions: the employer mandate.

Thousands of businesses  many small or midsize  will soon receive a letter saying that they owe the government money because they failed to offer their workers qualifying health insurance. The first round of notices, which the IRS began sending late last month, are being mailed to companies that have at least 100 full-time employees and ran afoul of the law in 2015, the year that the mandate took effect.

Large companies, defined in the law as those with 50 or more workers, are required to offer their employees affordable insurance or pay stiff tax penalties. The IRS held off for years on assessing those fines, saying that it needed more time, and money, to build its compliance systems.

Now the agency says it is finally ready to go after scofflaws.

As the IRS has publicly stated, the agency is obligated to enforce the Affordable Care Acts employer shared responsibility provision, said Bruce Friedland, an agency spokesman.

Ten months ago, in his first executive order, President Trump directed government agencies to waive, defer or delay carrying out as much of the law as possible. This week, the Treasury Department said that it objects to the employer mandate but was legally compelled to enforce it.

Treasury lawyers see no ground for the secretary to direct the IRS to not collect the tax, the agency said. The ACAs employer mandate unfortunately remains the law of the land.

Senate Republicans plan to include a repeal of the laws individual mandate in their tax bill. Eliminating that mandate, which requires people to buy health insurance or pay a penalty, would free up hundreds of billions of dollars that could be redirected to tax cuts. The IRS recently indicated that it would tighten enforcement of that provision as well.

The employer mandate, which would be unaffected by that proposed change, is lucrative for the government. It is expected to bring in penalty payments of $207 billion over the next decade, according to projections by the Congressional Budget Office.

When the health law was passed, lawmakers feared that without an employer mandate, companies would cancel their insurance benefits and send large numbers of employees to the health care laws insurance exchanges, where many people qualify for government subsidies. Employees who are offered health insurance through their jobs are ineligible for the subsidies.

The laws exact rules are complex, but businesses will generally incur fines of around $2,000 per employee (excluding the first 30) if they do not offer qualifying coverage to nearly all of those who work an average of 30 or more hours a week. The penalty is activated if at least one employee then buys insurance on the health laws marketplace and receives a subsidy for it.

The per-employee fine increases each year, and can add up quickly: A company with 100 workers that ignored the law this year would owe a penalty of more than $158,000.

To prove their compliance, businesses are required to send the IRS a report on their employee head count and the health care coverage that they offered. The tax agency began requiring those forms two years ago, but it repeatedly ran into problems processing them.

That delayed efforts to identify, and fine, companies that did not offer their workers adequate insurance. The bottleneck largely came down to money, according to the agency.

For the past four years, the IRS has received almost no funding for implementation of the Affordable Care Act, John A. Koskinen, then the agencys commissioner, told Congress last year. (Koskinens tenure at the agency ended this month, but no change in the enforcement of the mandate is expected.)

A recent audit by the Treasurys inspector general for tax administration found that the IRS had delayed, not initiated, or canceled crucial systems needed to enforce the employer mandate. Other systems did not function as intended, causing confusion both for the agency and for companies trying to comply with its reporting requirements.

Accountants and others familiar with the process say they are bracing for more problems.

Our belief is that very few of these are going to be accurate, Roger Prince, an accountant and lawyer with consulting firm BerryDunn in Portland, Maine, said of the penalty notification letters being sent out.

Those letters are based on the reporting forms companies submitted for 2015  the first year that they had to complete the new, and complex, disclosures.

Every single one we looked at for our clients was wrong, Prince said. We always had to send them back corrections.

Large companies are generally taking the process in stride, trade group representatives said. They are accustomed to back-and-forth discussions with the IRS over their tax bills and have teams of experts to handle complicated compliance issues.

But for smaller companies, the ones most likely to owe penalties, the mandates slow and messy enforcement has raised concerns. Nearly all large employers offer their employees insurance, but among companies with 50 to 199 workers, around 8 percent do not, according to the Kaiser Family Foundations annual employer survey.

Its been very obscure and confusing, Kevin Kuhlman, the director of government relations for the National Federation of Independent Business. The lag time is worrisome. Were talking about penalties for 2015, and here we are almost in 2018.

Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., contacted the agency recently on behalf of an employer in his district that expected to owe a penalty. It had not complied for both financial and religious reasons, the employer said.

The IRS said it would still have to pay.

The legislative provisions of the ACA are still in force until changed by the Congress, the agency said in its reply to Huizenga. Taxpayers remain required to follow the law and pay what they may owe.

Stacy Cowley is a New York Times writer.
If there's new technology that teens are using to communicate, pimps know about it, says special agent Marty Parker, and they're using it to snare potential victims.

Parker's been in the pimp-busting business in the Bay Area for years, and in that time, she has seen pimps adapt to the advent of social media. Pimps, she says, go where their potential victims go.

(Note: Parker prefers to use the word "pimp," rather than "sex trafficker." Both pimping and sex trafficking are illegal, but trafficking implies that the victim was forced or coerced into sex. In both cases, a victim is giving a cut of her income to another individual.)

The Fresno Bee recently highlighted the comments of a Fresno police detective who claimed that "every 16-year-old-girl" in the city had been approached by traffickers. After SFGATE wrote about the issue, many concerned readers reached out asking for more information about traffickers' and pimps' communication methods, which spurred this report.

According to Parker, "Pretty much every popular social media site out there is being used for recruiting potential victims of sex trafficking. These guys are good; they go where they're going to find victims."

REPORT: 'Every 16-year-old girl in Fresno' has been approached by sex-traffickers, police say

Where once pimps stalked malls and group homes  places where they could find vulnerable young people (the majority of victims are women)  now they're all over the internet. Social media facilitates ease of communication, for better or for worse, and Parker says it's made the practice of pimping even easier.

Some pimps use online ads to target victims, but this is altogether rare, she says. Generally, they'll send friend or follow requests to young people in their region and proceed to strike up a conversation. These chats may start off friendly and innocent, but "pimps are master manipulators," according to Parker, and they know how to charm potential victims before the victims themselves know what's happening.

Story continues below.

Now Playing: In this video, created by the Central Valley Justice Coalition, Arien Pauls describes how a trafficker snared her into the sex trade via social media. Video: Central Valley Justice Coalition

While such intel may frighten parents and their children, Jessica Pittman with the Central Valley Justice Coalition says it's easy to spot the red flags if you know what to look for, things like excessive flattery and expressing the desire to meet in real-life. The Coalition has a helpful list of other red flags here.

An easy way to avoid the charms of a pimp is to not accept friend requests from strangers, Parker said. She advises parents to comb through their children's social media accounts to ensure their friends and followers are within their child's immediate  and real-life  networks.

If an account looks suspicious, Parker says to alert the social media site so they can investigate and collect information for law enforcement. Parker also recommends consulting with your local police department, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

In the Bay Area, the FBI coordinates a child exploitation task force with several local police departments to "hit the problem on all sides," Parker said. This includes patrolling social media and escort sites, as well as the streets.

Story continues below.

Now Playing: A nationwide FBI sting operation resulted in the arrests of 120 child sex traffickers. 84 young victims were rescued in the sting, which involved hundreds of FBI-led agencies. Agents raided hotels, casinos, and truck stops, and targeted online forums. The operation, dubbed "Cross Country," has been conducted every year to target sex traffickers and their underage victims. Since 2007, more than 6,500 children have been rescued. Video: Vocativ

The FBI and social media sites walk a fine line when it comes to patrolling online communications; First Amendment protections must be balanced with public safety. Parker says the social media sites, whose names she would not specify, are "responsive to court orders."

"However, I think there is always room for improvement," she said.

In early November Diane Feinstein and Kamala Harris announced support for the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act, which would reverse the immunity from being sued or prosecuted that Internet companies have had for years when it comes to third-party content on their sites.

"These companies knowingly profit off the pain of others and must be held accountable," the senators said in a statement issued jointly with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, also a Democrat. "This legislation ensures victims receive their day in court and empowers state attorneys general to seek justice."

Pimps are still using their old-fashioned methods, too, like paper flyers posted on job boards or other prominent locations. Such flyers are generally easy to spot for what they are, Pittman said.

"If they seem to good to be true, they generally are," she said.

One such flyer Pittman shared with SFGATE advertised after-school jobs for teens with flexible hours, transportation and "free trips and activities." The poster, which featured clip art of dollar signs and smiling kids, asked prospective job seekers to "bring your friends!!" and included only a phone number and first name.

Everything about the ad "screams high-risk," said Pittman  its appeal to teenagers, its promises of transportation and bonuses.

When in doubt, Pittman advises children, consult with a trusted adult.

Jill Tucker, a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer, contributed to this report.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.
WASHINGTON Republican and Democratic senators have joined forces on legislation to strengthen the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers after the Air Force failed to report the criminal history of the gunman who slaughtered more than two dozen people at a Texas church.

Congress has taken no steps on guns in the weeks after deadly shootings in Las Vegas and Sutherland Springs, Texas. The bill, which has the backing of the Senates No. 2 Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, would ensure that states and federal agencies, such as the Defense Department, accurately report relevant criminal information to the FBI.

The Air Force has acknowledged that the Texas shooter, Devin Kelley, should have had his name and domestic violence conviction submitted to the National Criminal Information Center database.

The bill would penalize federal agencies that fail to properly report required records and rewards states that comply by providing them with federal grant preferences.

Cornyn said agencies and state governments have for years failed to forward legally required records without consequences.

Just one record thats not properly reported can lead to tragedy, as the country saw last week in Sutherland Springs, Texas, Cornyn said. This bill aims to help fix whats become a nationwide, systemic problem so we can better prevent criminals and domestic abusers from obtaining firearms.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a fierce proponent of gun restrictions, said much more needs to be done on the issue of gun violence, but said he he believes the bill will help ensure that thousands of dangerous people are prevented from buying guns.

It represents the strongest update to the background checks system in a decade, and provides the foundation for more compromise in the future, Murphy said.

The measures prospects in the Senate are unclear despite Cornyns backing, and it faces an uncertain future in the GOP-run House.

The bill would penalize agencies that fail to forward required information by prohibiting political appointees from receiving any bonus pay. The legislation also seeks to improve accountability by publicly reporting which agencies and states fail to provide the required records.

Kevin Freking is an Associated Press writer.
1 Elephant trophies: The Trump administration is lifting a federal ban on the importation of body parts from African elephants shot for sport. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a written notice on Thursday saying that allowing elephants in Zimbabwe and Zambia to be killed will enhance the survival of the threatened species by raising money for conservation programs from wealthy trophy hunters who pay to shoot them. The change overrides a ban imposed during the Obama administration and applies to the remains of African elephants killed between January 2016 and December 2018.

2 Space venture: The Pentagon is hiring Richard Branson to launch satellites into orbit. His Long Beach-based Virgin Orbit space company announced Thursday that it had won its first military contract: a demonstration flight that would carry technology demonstration satellites for the Air Force by early 2019. For years, Bransons Virgin Galactic has been focused on flying tourists to the edge of space where theyd experience a few minutes of weightlessness and glimpse the Earth from a distance for $250,000 a ticket. But recently, his space venture has moved in another direction  launching small satellites, a market that many think could be large and lucrative as satellite technology continues to improve.
WASHINGTON  President Trump considers the allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore extremely troubling but doesnt plan to rescind his endorsement of the former state judge and firmly believes that Alabama voters should be the ones to pick their next senator, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Thursday.

The president believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously, and he thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be, Sanders told reporters at a briefing.

Sanders said that if the accusations are true, the president wants Moore to drop out of the race, but she repeatedly declined to say whether the president believes the women who have accused Moore of abuse or misconduct. Sanders did say that the president supported the decision by the Republican National Committee earlier this week to pull funding from Moores race.

Trump has largely refrained from commenting on the allegations against Moore, who has been publicly accused of pursuing teenage girls when he was in his 30s, initiating a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl about 40 years ago. Moore has denied all of these charges and has refused to drop out of the race.

Since returning late Tuesday, Trump has not mentioned Moore in any public comments or tweets, and he has ignored questions about Moore that reporters have shouted at him.

Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter who works as an adviser in the White House, said earlier this week that theres a special place in hell for people who prey on children and that she has no reason to doubt the victims accounts, although she has not called for Moore to drop out of the race.

During the Thursday briefing, Sanders was asked about allegations raised by several women during the campaign that Trump touched and kissed them without their consent. Trump has repeatedly denied these allegations, and Sanders recently said that the president continues to consider all of those women liars.

In an extensive report published last week, The Post detailed allegations that Moore initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl nearly four decades ago when he was in his early 30s and that he pursued three other girls around the same time who were between the ages of 16 and 18.

Jenna Johnson is a Washington Post writer.
Firefighters and food naturally go together. Because of long shifts, most fire stations have kitchens where members take turns cooking, a tradition thats led to fire house cookbooks, chili cook-offs and custom bottles of fiery hot sauce.

The part-time, on-call crew at St. Helenas fire station is even more food-oriented than most, with fireman Elliot Bell also executive sous chef at the French Laundry and fire chief John Sorensen also a caterer. But when the Wine Country fires hit, no one had time to cook. Thats when the St. Helena community, and some of Napa Valleys best restaurants, took over food operations at the station.

It was restaurant after restaurant fighting to cook for the St. Helena fire department, says Sorensen. Because St. Helena wasnt evacuated but was in the middle of the Tubbs fire hemming in above Calistoga, which was later evacuated  as well as the Atlas Fire to the southeast across Napa Valley, and the Nuns fire to the southwest  it became a hub for first responders from all over the state.

Our significant others and friends of the fire department were cooking three meals a day, up to 120-160 people (at each meal), for the first few days, says Sorensen, a tall man with a clean-shaven head and extra-curly handlebar mustache. That included members of the Napa County sheriff department, Oakland P.D. and strike teams of ambulance drivers from American Medical Response, Sorensen says.

But Sorensen and many firefighters from the station missed out on the first few days of meals from the likes of high-end St. Helena steakhouse Press and Yountvilles Ad Hoc because they were a little busy  as the first engine on scene at the Atlas Fire and second on scene at the Tubbs fire on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 8.

It was very busy the first 50 hours, Sorensen says matter-of-factly, from his large office in the St. Helena station.

That night, the station first got the call for a brush fire up on Este Road, near what would turn out to be the origins of the Atlas fire.

They didnt find fire on that road, but they showed up and saw a glow, said Sorensen. Captain Marin Macias was on the scene to see the fire burning at least four houses around Atlas Peak road. They used the engine to drag away a tree that was blocking a road, allowing 10 cars to evacuate. They drove through a wall of flames to a backyard swimming pool so they could use the water to douse the fire and save multiple structures, according to reports from Alameda County Fire, which arrived on the scene later.

Very shortly after, another engine from the station got called up to Petrified Forest Road and Calistoga Road, in the opposite direction in the hills above Calistoga. Sorensen soon joined the scene and was designated a task force leader, meaning he headed up a group of fire engines that would be sent to specific locations. At the station since 1989 and chief since 2010, Sorensen had been fires of that magnitude before, such as the Oakland Hills firestorm and last years Clayton Fire, but never so close to his hometown.

After working on the Atlas Peak fire, Macias joined the group that went up to the hills above Calistoga, where he would stay until Tuesday. According to Sorensens notes, they kept the fire from jumping Calistoga Road four times, saving several houses and the Petrified Forest Visitors Center.

As other towns around it burned or were evacuated, St. Helenas community scrambled for ways to help. Restaurants and locals began signing up to provide first responder meals, scratching their names on a big piece of white paper Sorensen still has. Donations ranged from neighbors bringing in homemade chili to Press restaurant providing three meals for 120 each, all in one day, including some memorable steak burritos.

It was overwhelming support, the way the community came together, says Captain Marin Macias, recalling what happened from an oversized leather chair in the fire houses radio room.

Everyone at the station lives in town, and friends and family came over to help wash dishes and spend time at the fire house, including Macias mother, wife and 3-month-old daughter. Usually, friends and family are only there during social occasions, never when the fire fighters are busy working. But this was different, partly because the station has a generator and became a haven during the first few days when the town was without power.

A couple guys wives brought their babys breast milk to keep in the freezer, said Macias.

On the Wednesday after the fire began, Macias had to go back to his other job as an ambulance driver. The catering company that Sorensen and his chef girlfriend, Ines Chiarello, run was put on hold for a while. Instead, Chiarello coordinated food operations at the station.

While he was making the rounds, Sorensen often brought extra food to firefighters stuck up on the line, such as a bucket of fried chicken from Ad Hoc he brought to a spot not far from Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville.

All of a sudden you show up with a bucket of fried chicken and it was like the best thing ever, he says.

Not a single structure burned in St. Helena, though there was a point that first Saturday when the Nuns fire was creeping close on Mount St. John near Rutherford, Macias remembers.

The next night I could see flames across the ridgeline, he says.

The 5 to 10 m.p.h. winds that had been predicted never came, and the town was spared. But overall, the Nuns Fire burned over 56,000 acres, the Atlas Fire over 51,000 acres and the Tubbs fire over 36,000 acres.

It feels normal now, says Macias. But, he adds, You feel the weight of what happened. You think about what could have happened.

As things start getting back to a routine in town, the fire house has one ongoing benefit of their hard work. Several restaurants that didnt get a turn to donate food during the fires  there were just too many  have promised to deliver dinners during the stations drill every Thursday night.

Makes em happy, says Sorensen.

Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan
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BERKELEY (BCN)

Police on Friday said they are investigating a series of robberies in the area of the University of California at Berkeley, which detectives suspect may be related due to the timing, proximity of the crime scenes and other similarities.

The first robbery occurred around 9:15 p.m. on Nov. 9 in the area of Spruce and Virginia streets, police said.

Two black men between the ages of 18 and 22 approached a lone victim, started a conversation and then attacked him in an attempt to take his backpack - but he fought back.

Now Playing: Comparison of 2016's violent crime stats from major Bay Area cities Video: Ted Andersen, SFGATE

Then around 10:05 p.m. two suspects, described as a black man and a white or Hispanic man, both between the ages of 18 and 22, approached a second lone victim in the 2600 block of Regent Street - near People's Park.

They grabbed and took property from the victim after a short conversation, according to police.

Several days later, around 7:25 p.m. on Sunday, two white men between the ages of 20 and 25 approached a lone victim in the 2500 block of Le Conte Avenue and tried to take his phone and backpack - but he fought back and the robbery was interrupted by an approaching vehicle.

More for you Mother: 4 people refused to help after she was shot in Tehama County rampage

Later that evening around 8:35 p.m., a Hispanic man and an Asian man, both thought to be between 25 and 30, approached a lone victim in the areas of Hearst and Scenic avenues and forcibly removed his backpack while claiming to have a gun, police said.

Finally, around 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, a Hispanic man and a Hispanic or black man, both between 18 and 25, approached a lone victim in the area of Spruce and Virginia streets.

The suspects claimed to have a gun and tried to take the victim's backpack, but the victim resisted and was battered by one of the suspects.

The crime was interrupted by interference from people passing by.

In each case, college-age victims were walking alone and targeted by two suspects, according to police.

Police are advising residents in the area to pay attention to their surroundings, travel in groups whenever possible, stick to well-lit and highly populated areas and consider leaving smartphones or other devices in their pockets. Anyone wearing headphones is advised to use just one earbud.
Martin Jacques sees China as having moved into a new historical period after the election of Xi Jinping as general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC in November 2012. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Writer who predicted the rise of China as a global power argues country has proved its model of governance works.

Martin Jacques, the journalist and academic, is now seen by many as the man of the moment in China.

Eight years ago, his seminal and best-selling work, When China Rules The World - which was one of the first to seriously examine the implications of the rise of the former Middle Kingdom - was widely criticized when it was published. It was even dismissed by former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten as "silly".

With a newly self-confident China striding into a "new era" after the CPC's 19th National Congress last month, his ideas are very much in vogue.

Jacques, a youthful 72, perhaps not unnaturally, feels slightly vindicated.

"I have spent a lifetime thinking deeply about a lot of political and cultural questions and I didn't find it difficult to see that China was rising and the West was declining. If you look at a lot of China writers, however, they never got it," he says.

Jacques, who was a sought-after guest on Chinese and international television channels during the meeting, was speaking at Shaoyuan Hotel on the Peking University campus, where he was lecturing.

Also visiting professor at the China Institute at Fudan University in Shanghai, he believes the congress, during which Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was enshrined in the Party's Constitution, was a defining moment.

"Xi wanted to underscore the fact that the Chinese economy is not gravitating toward capitalism. It is not going to end up as a Western-style economy or a Western-style polity and that it is going to remain profoundly different. And, in that sense, it remains firmly in a socialist rather than capitalist tradition."

Jacques believes the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 began to herald a change in the world which he believes has been followed by what he sees as a governance crisis in the West, providing the backdrop for a resurgent China.
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A former United Airlines pilot who admitted operating a string of brothels throughout Houston pleaded guilty Thursday as part of a controversial deal that allows him to avoid jail time or even a criminal conviction.

The sentence by state District Judge Jim Wallace drew sharp criticism from civil rights groups, who said black and Hispanic pimps and madams are routinely sentenced to decades of prison time while Bruce Wayne Wallis, who is white, was not. Wallace, a Republican, is also white.

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"It's just another case of what African-Americans would call white privilege," said Dr. James Douglas, president of the NAACP Houston Branch. "You get a break for being white and it's something we've lived with all of our lives, especially in the criminal justice area."

The judge ordered Wallis to spend five years on deferred adjudication probation, pay $2,000 fine and perform 150 hours of community service  which he suggested he serve at a woman's shelter. If Wallis completes the probation, he will not have a felony conviction on his record and can keep his FAA-issued pilot's license, with which he operates his other business, a flight school. He was suspended from United Airlines after his arrest.

Now Playing: Bruce Wayne Wallis, 51-year-old pilot for United Airlines, has been arrested by police in Houston and charged with running a "massive" criminal enterprise involving separate brothels from at least six Houston apartments. Video: Houston Chronicle

Wallis, 53, was charged in 2015 with aggravated promotion of prostitution and engaging in criminal activity, accused of being the mastermind behind an illicit empire including about a half-dozen brothels in Galleria-area apartments and northwest Houston office buildings with six to 10 women.

Wallace said from the bench Thursday that he was satisfied that the pilot did not coerce any of the prostitutes.

"What you did was despicable," Wallace said. "But you didn't endanger any lives and you did not force anybody to do this."

The pilot, in a black suit flanked by three lawyers, shook his head in agreement.

African-American activists were disappointed but not shocked at the lenient punishment for a large-scale commercial sex operation run by a white businessman.

"If that was someone who looked like me, they'd be under the jail right now," said Ashton Woods with Black Lives Matter of Houston. "It appears that white men these days are getting off really easy. I'm not surprised, to be honest."

The judge said Wallis suggested community service at a woman's shelter to learn about the victims of sex trafficking.

The difference between prostitutes who agree to be part of a criminal enterprise and people who are forced to become prostitutes by traffickers has come under scrutiny in recent years. Many criminal justice reformers argue that no one wants to become a prostitute, and that the causes are more insidious than coercion. To that end, prosecutors have largely stopped prosecuting victims of trafficking, but they continue filing charges against willing prostitutes.

In Wallis' case, the prosecutor said he had sought up to seven years in prison in exchange for the guilty plea, but the judge instead ordered probation. The judge also ruled that Wallis could not fly commercially during the probation but could operate his flight school.

"The judge did a thorough review and determined that a deferred adjudication probation was appropriate in this case," said Assistant Harris County District Attorney Lester Blizzard. "I asked for penitentiary time."

Asked about disparity in sentencing between Wallis' misdeeds and others, Blizzard said there was not a good way to compare cases.

"All cases stand on their own. All cases are different," the prosecutor said. "So I don't know if there's a way to summarize or draw a line between any of these."

Wallis' attorney said the pilot was remorseful and admitted what he did, so probation was a just result.

"I think he learned that what he did was a crime," said defense lawyer Dan Cogdell. "(The judge) did the right thing because it allows Mr. Wallis to accept responsibility and move forward and be a productive member of society."

Asked about a sentencing disparity, Cogdell said the result was within the range of acceptable sentences.

He noted that early reports suggesting Wallis may have been using his position as a commercial pilot to move women, gold bars and millions of dollars in an international sex trafficking ring were speculation that turned out not to be true.

"When you recognize this for what this was, it certainly wasn't a great idea, but it wasn't the crime of the century that they initially made it out to be," Cogdell said.

Court records show investigators believe the women advertised online and paid Wallis $400 a week. He was accused in court records of recruiting five women at a time and having sex with them before putting them to work as prostitutes. If convicted in a jury trial, Wallis could have faced a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The news caused criminal justice activists to speak out about other crimes involving prostitution and trafficking.

Tarsha Jackson, with Texas Organizing Project, said that while she does not like to see anyone put behind bars, the criminal justice system should be fair.

"This proves that our system is not fair," she said. "I've talked to people who are charged with misdemeanors who got harsher punishments than this."

Prosecutors noted that pimps who stand trial in Harris County are not typically sympathetic figures to citizens who judge them.

"Jurors have little mercy for pimps," JoAnne Musick, head of the Sex Crimes Division at the Harris County District Attorney's Office, said in a statement after Houston pimp Ronald Block was sentenced earlier this year.

Most of Harris County's high-profile cases, however, have included allegations of sex trafficking or prostitution of underage victims.

Block, known as "Gorgeous Black," was sentenced to 30 years in prison in May for forcing a teenage runaway into prostitution.

A registered sex offender who is black, Block pleaded guilty to compelling prostitution in an agreement that helped him avoid a possible life sentence. He admitted managing four prostitutes - including a 17-year-old runaway - from March to May of 2015.

Last year, the madam of a notorious brothel that operated in Houston's East End for years was sentenced to life in federal prison for her role as the leader of an international sex trafficking ring that forced women and girls into prostitution.

Hortencia "Tencha" Medeles, 70, was convicted during a trial that exposed operations at Medeles' three-building complex on Telephone Road. A cantina was located downstairs, and hidden doorways and staircases led to a brothel upstairs where 17 rooms were rented out for sex.

Earlier this year in a federal courtroom in Houston, a Harris County man was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison for the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. DeAngelo Tate, a 27-year-old black man, also had to pay $20,000 in restitution to the girl in a plea deal in May. Tate pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of children in December.

According to a statement by Tate, he posted classified advertisements on backpage.com promoting the prostitution of the 17-year-old female, but he said she was 19 or 22. Tate admitted he also rented hotel rooms in Corpus Christi and Houston to serve as the location for sex acts between the teen and male customers.

Some criminal justice activists said the trafficking allegations raise the severity of the likely punishment, but said there are other factors that can be detrimental to people of color in the criminal justice system.

Growing up in a disadvantaged neighborhood, for example, may lead to a minor criminal history that leads to the lack of steady employment. After being arrested for a serious offense, such as aggravated promotion of prostitution or engaging in criminal activity, a suspect with a criminal record and spotty job record may not be able to get bail. Stuck in jail, they lose money and family support that becomes crucial when a judge has discretion in a case.

Wallis, on the other hand had no prior criminal record and was able to make $15,000 bail.

"A lot of advantages that white defendants may have at sentencing tend to make them better candidates, reinforcing racial disparity at sentencing," said Nicole D. Porter, a spokeswoman for the Sentencing Project, an advocacy group in Washington, D.C.
A recent dialogue held at the National Astronomical Observatories of China in Beijing focuses on popular-science communication. [Photo provided to China Daily]

There is a growing interest in astronomy and the exploration of outer space in China. Yang Yang reports.

When 39-year-old Chen Dongni was studying cosmology in Shanghai more than 10 years ago, she could not have imagined that one day her knowledge of the cosmos would help farmers and herdsmen from the Hui, Tibetan and Uygur ethnic groups in China's remote western regions.

As the deputy director of the Beijing Planetarium, Chen now often travels to the Xinjiang Uygur and Tibet autonomous regions to give lectures to farmers and herdsmen.

"When you look at the history of astronomya new science subject compared with maths or physicsyou realize that it has been around for a long time, used by stargazers, fortune-tellers and theologians to tell people who we are, where we are from and where we are going. It's also like a religion," she says.

"After I deliver lectures about our view of the cosmos, people are excited about a different view of how the world works. Some of them believe that the world is held up by cattle, and the sun is pulled by cattle. But whether they accept our view or not at least they know that there is more than one opinion," she says.

The lectures also teach many people a scientific way of thinking, which is also important, she says.

In recent years, Chinese have become increasingly interested in astronomy and the exploration of outer space, she says, thanks to the country's successes in space with Tiangong-1, China's first space lab, and spaceships like Shenzhou X.

The popularity of sci-fi fiction like Liu Cixin's Three-Body Problem and Hollywood movies like Gravity and Interstellar, have also helped, she adds.

Zhu Jin, director of the Beijing Planetarium, says that in the last five years, the number of visitors to the planetarium has grown by 20 percent year-on-year.

"One of the reasons is that a lot of domestic research results have come out recently, which is also drawing a lot of people to the planetarium," he says. "It's a good thing for the development of both this discipline and our country."
An ink painting showcased at the exhibition Oriental Ink Painting at New York. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

An exhibition titled Oriental Ink Painting was held in New York from Nov 10 to 16.

A total of 52 contemporary ink works from 27 Chinese artists were featured.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture of China, the event was organized by the China National Academy of Painting (CNAP).

Yang Xiaoyang, president of CNAP, said the collaboration on arts between China and the US would promote cultural innovation worldwide. The exhibition aims to present the development of ink paintings in contemporary China.

President of William Paterson University Kathleen Waldron expressed her thanks to CNAP for the organization of the event and other academic exchanges. Her school will go on promoting Chinese art education among students.

About 300 Chinese and American officials and representatives attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition.
Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

These articles and photo collections on SFGate.com and the premium SFChronicle.com got the most visits in the week ended Thursday at 10 a.m.

SFChronicle.com
BAGHDAD  Iraqi forces backed by the U.S.-led coalition retook on Friday the last town in the country that was held by the Islamic State, more than three years after the militants stormed nearly a third of Iraqs territory, the Defense Ministry said.

At dawn, military units and local tribal fighters pushed into the western neighborhoods of Rawah in western Anbar province, and after just five hours of fighting they retook the town, according to Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, the ministrys spokesman.

Iraqs Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated his forces on retaking Rawah. In a statement released Friday afternoon, Al-Abadi said Iraqi forces liberated Rawah in record time and were continuing operations to retake control of Iraqs western desert and the border area with Syria.

Rawah, 175 miles northwest of Baghdad, lies along the Euphrates River Valley near the border town of Qaim that Iraqi forces retook from Islamic State earlier this month.

U.S.-led coalition forces supported the operations to retake Rawah and Qaim with intelligence, air strikes and advisers, coalition spokesman Ryan Dillon said.

Islamic State blitzed across Iraqs north and west in the summer of 2014, capturing Iraqs second-largest city of Mosul and advancing to the edges of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Later that year the United States began a campaign of air strikes against the militants that fueled Iraqi territorial gains, allowing the military to retake Mosul in July this year.

All that now remains of Islamic State-held Iraq are patches of rural territory in the countrys vast western desert along the border with Syria.

Islamic State has steadily been losing ground across the border in Syria as well where its so-called caliphate has basically crumbled with the loss of the city of Raqqa, the former Islamic States capital, which fell to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in October.

Both the U.S. and Russia have embedded special forces with their respective partners and are supporting their advances with air strikes. Russia backs Syrian government forces of President Bashar Assad.

The last urban areas controlled by the militants in Syria are parts of the border town of Boukamal and a patch of territory near the capital, Damascus, and in central Hama province.

Syrian government forces, backed by Russian troops and Iranian-backed militias, originally pushed Islamic State out of Boukamal earlier this month, but the militants retook a large part of the town, mostly its northern neighborhoods days later. Since then, Islamic State has repelled government forces trying to push back into the town.

Meanwhile, U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces are also approaching Boukamal from the eastern side of the Euphrates.

Despite Islamic States significant territorial losses, the groups media arm remains intact, allowing it to still recruit supporters and inspire new attacks.

Iraqi and American officials say Islamic State militants are expected to continue carrying out insurgent-style attacks in Syria, Iraq and beyond.

Qassim Abdul-Zahra is an Associated Press writer.
TOKYO  It may have been the most profusely regretted 20 seconds in history.

Living up to Japans reputation for being precise as well as contrite, a train company in Tokyo delivered a formal apology on Tuesday because one of its trains left a station just 20 seconds early.

In a country where conductors will beg forgiveness when a train is even a minute late, the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company posted an apology on its website Tuesday for the severe inconvenience imposed upon our customers when the No. 5255 Tsukuba Express train left Minami-Nagareyama station in Chiba, a suburban prefecture east of Tokyo, at 9:44:20 a.m., instead of as scheduled at 9:44:40 a.m.

According to the statement, the train arrived at Minami-Nagareyama on time, at precisely 9:43:40 a.m. But when it came time to leave, the overeager crew closed the doors prematurely and pulled out of the station ahead of schedule. According to Metropolitan Intercity, no passengers missed the train or complained about the jump-start.

The effusive apology was in keeping with a culture where an ice cream company ran a television advertisement to express regret for raising the price of an ice cream bar by 10 yen last spring.

As foreign media began to cover the news Thursday, observers abroad expressed envy on Twitter at the trainspotting exactitude.

The Japanese were bemused by the foreign fascination.

People overseas are half amazed and praised Japan but even Japanese would laugh at this, a user with the handle @gaishi_black wrote on Twitter.

According to one article earlier this month on the Gendai Business website, Tsukuba Express, which carries 130 million passengers a year, markets its safety and high speed. The article listed what it described as concerning incidents from earlier in the year, including two cases of where trains stopped in the wrong position and an episode where customers were stuck in elevators at a station for 30 minutes.

Thursdays microscopically early train passed with no apparent impact other than a few laughs on social media, unlike a deadly crash in 2005 that killed more than 100 passengers when the train driver began speeding to make up for a lost 90 seconds in the schedule.

Motoko Rich and Makiko Inoue are New York Times writers.
PARIS  Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has accepted an invitation to visit France after his surprise resignation from Saudi Arabia nearly two weeks ago that rattled the region, the French presidents office said Thursday.

Hariri is expected in France in the coming days and will meet with President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, according to an official in Macrons office, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to talk publicly to the media.

Lebanon President Michel Aoun said Hariri and his family will arrive Saturday in France, where he will rest for few days before returning to Beirut to make a decision regarding the resignation. Aouns statement was carried by the state-run National News Agency.

There was no French confirmation of the arrival date or timetable for the stay by Hariri and his family who have a home in Paris.

Aoun had welcomed Hariris decision to accept the French invitation, saying he hoped it opened the door for a resolution of the political crisis in Lebanon.

I wait for the return of President (of the council of ministers) Hariri to decide the next move regarding the government, Aoun told journalists. The comments were published on his official Twitter account.

Hariri announced his resignation Nov. 4 in a broadcast from Saudi Arabia. Aoun refused to accept it, accusing the Saudis of holding him against his will. In the broadcast, Hariri cited concerns over meddling by Iran and its Lebanese ally, the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, in regional affairs. He also said he fears for his life.

Saudi Arabia is vying with its rival, Iran, for regional influence, with both countries supporting different groups in Lebanon. Hezbollah is part of Lebanons coalition government.

In his strongest statements yet about the crisis, Aoun said Wednesday there was no reason for Hariri not to return to Lebanon.

Lebanons Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil, on a European tour over the crisis, told reporters that our concern is that he (Hariri) returns and takes the decision that he wants.

Bassil spoke at a news conference in Berlin with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who called the situation in Lebanon very dangerous.

The resignation of Saudi-aligned Hariri was seen as being engineered by Riyadh, raising concerns that it would drag Lebanon, with its delicate sectarian-based political system, into the battle for regional supremacy.

Hezbollah accused the kingdom of seeking to sow chaos in Lebanon.

Macron issued the invitation to Hariri and his family in an apparent bid to end allegations that the prime minister was being held against his will.

Angela Charlton and Bassem Mroue are Associated Press writers.
1 Greece floods: Greeces fire service says rescue teams recovered the body of a man who was reported missing after flash floods inundated the outskirts of Athens, bringing the death toll from the flooding to 16. The mans body was found Thursday in the basement of a home in Nea Peramos, a coastal area west of Athens. Rescue crews are continuing to search for four other people reported missing. The flash floods devastated the western fringes of the Greek capital on Wednesday, turning streets into torrents of mud and debris that swept away cars, collapsed walls and submerged parts of a major highway.

2 Kurdish boycott ends: Iraqs Kurdish lawmakers ended their boycott of the national parliament on Thursday in an apparent concession to Baghdad after a prolonged military and political standoff following the controversial Kurdish independence vote in September. They had boycotted the parliament since it voted to declare the Kurdish independence referendum unconstitutional. The end of the boycott comes on the heels of a decision from the Kurdish regional government this week to accept an earlier federal court ruling that Iraq must remain unified. Iraqi forces led by Baghdad and the Kurdish peshmerga fighters have engaged in a military standoff since Baghdad retook the oil-rich city of Kirkuk and several other disputed territories from peshmergas control last month.
A Chinese teacher is giving a Mandarin lesson to pupils at Kensington Wade in West London. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In a bright new classroom on the second floor of a West London building, Christie counts to 10 confidently and then identifies parts of the body when prompted by her teacher. Not bad for a 3-year-old, but Christie is carrying out the tasks in Mandarin.

She didn't speak a word of Chinese until eight weeks ago, when her parents enrolled her at Kensington Wade in London, the first prep school in the UK to offer English and Chinese education to pupils aged 3 to 11.

Jo Wallace, the headmistress, said she hopes her students will be able to live and work comfortably with Chinese people.

"What we aim to give our students is not only just a bilingual brain but also the ability to speak Chinese and understand Chinese culture," she said.

The school opened in September, with 16 pupils, half of whom are from families from the UK, the US, Russia, South America and elsewhere in Europe. Half of the class comprises children with some kind of Chinese background.

"The common factor with all these families is that most of them are international and have an international understanding about China," Wallace said. "Most of them speak two languages and they know the importance of being bilingual and how great it is."

The school charges fees of 17,000 pounds ($22,435) a year and aims to blend the rigor and efficiency of the Chinese teaching style with the creativity and imagination of the British system. Pupils move between an English and a Mandarin classroom throughout the day.

Kensington Wade was the brainchild of Hugo de Burgh, a Chinese media specialist, who named the school after Sir Thomas Wade, a 19th century diplomat who wrote the first Chinese-English textbook, which was published in the 1860s.

De Burgh said: "The desire to open a school of this kind has been founded on the belief that future generations of British opinion formers and decision makers will benefit greatly from learning Chinese at an early age."

He said being able to speak the language will give them an edge because China has become influential.

"China now is the biggest trading partner for 124 countries, while the United States is the biggest trading partner for 58 countries, and parents see the growing influence of China economically and culturally," he said.

Michael Pritchett, the father of 3-year-old Kasper, said being bilingual expands the learning capacity of the brain and studying Mandarin, the most spoken language in the world could open up all sorts of possibilities for further cultural study, secondary school, and university.

Pritchett said he was delighted when his son started talking to a waitress in Chinatown in Chinese, and he likes to hear his son singing in Chinese while playing with toys.

"The immersion thing is obviously kept up at home," he said.

The Pritchett family chose Kensington Wade so their son could learn a second language but Stephanie Tsang, another parent, decided to send her son Harry to the school because of his Chinese roots.

Tsang's family just moved back to London from Beijing, and she said that, while China is perceived as the future by many people, she also wants it to be the present.

"We want to have it as a now thing, because I want him to understand Chinese, and be able to talk to his grandma and grandpa," she said.

For parents who want their children to learn Mandarin even earlier, there is Hatching Dragons, the UK's first Chinese-English nursery school in central London. Its founder, Cennydd John, set up the nursery because he wanted his son to learn the language.

John said he hopes to get children to break down prejudices and understand that there is much more that joins them than divides them. He read modern Chinese studies at the University of Edinburgh and went on to work as a China consultant.

"I want to help children be globally confident and capable in a changing world," he said, "We cannot deny the fact that there are 1.37 billion people in China who will be globally integrating in some way."

John's concept seems to be working. This year, he launched a second nursery, in Southwest London's Twickenham, two years after the Barbican branch opened. He is planning to open a third nursery, in Westminster, next year.

The interest in learning Mandarin in the UK aligns with UK government policy. In 2015, the government launched its 10 million pound Mandarin Excellence Program, which aims to get 5,000 students on the way to fluency of the language by 2020.

Nick Gibb, minister of state for school standards, said: "A high level of fluency in Mandarin will become increasingly important in our globally competitive economy."

Zhang Yangfei contributed to this story
1 Sudan cuts ties: The United States said this week that Sudan will cut all military and trade ties to North Korea, a move that would be a significant victory in the Trump administrations efforts to isolate the Stalinist nation amid increasing tensions over the Norths testing of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Sudan is taking the step due to the critical threat posed by the Norths nuclear program. The decision was announced after a visit to Khartoum by Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan.

2 Extradition request: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he will respect whatever decision the Belgian courts make regarding Spains extradition request for fugitive Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his sacked ministers. Rajoy spoke after Puigdemont and the ex-ministers appeared in a Brussels court for a first hearing in the extradition case. Another is scheduled for Dec. 4. Fridays court hearing is the latest step in the five leaders refusal to return from Brussels to face a rebellion investigation amid a push for Catalan independence.
VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis on Thursday urged lawmakers to ensure that health care laws protect the common good, decrying the fact that in many places only the privileged can afford sophisticated medical treatments.

The comments came as U.S. lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have been debating how to overhaul the nations health insurance laws.

In a message to a medical association meeting at the Vatican, Francis expressed dismay at what he called a tendency toward growing inequality in health care. He said in wealthier countries, health care access risks being more dependent on peoples money than on their need for treatment.

Increasingly, sophisticated and costly treatments are available to ever more limited and privileged segments of the population, and this raises questions about the sustainability of health care delivery and about what might be called a systemic tendency toward growing inequality in health care, the pope said.

This tendency is clearly visible at the global level, particularly when different countries are compared, Francis said. But it is also present within the more wealthy countries, where access to health care risks being more dependent on individuals economic resources than on their actual need for treatment.

Without citing any countries, Francis said health care laws must take a broad and comprehensive view of what most effectively promotes the common good in each situation, including looking out for societys most vulnerable people.

The Vatican meeting explored end-of-life issues and Francis repeated decades-old church teaching forbidding euthanasia.

He also reiterated Vatican teaching that says not adopting, or else suspending, disproportionate measures, means avoiding overzealous treatment. From an ethical standpoint, it is completely different from euthanasia, which is always wrong.

In addressing end-of-life issues, the pope said, countries must defend the fundamental equality whereby everyone is recognized under law as a human being.

Francis later made a surprise visit to an area near St. Peters Basilica where volunteer doctors can give poor people medical exams as part of the churchs first World Day of the Poor to be held on Sunday.

Frances DEmilio is an Associated Press writer.
HARARE, Zimbabwe  In the first round of negotiations over how President Robert Mugabe will leave power, the Zimbabwean leader met Thursday with the army commander who put him under house arrest and with mediators, including South African Cabinet ministers and a Catholic priest.

Meanwhile, an emergency summit of heads of state of regional countries was called by the 16-nation Southern African Development Community and is expected to formalize the terms of Mugabes exit.

The summit puts regional leaders who have worked with 93-year-old Mugabe for decades into the difficult position of either supporting what appears to be a coup or keeping the unpopular president, the worlds oldest head of state, in office.

In the first images of Mugabe after the military moved in earlier this week, Zimbabwes state-run Herald newspaper published photos of him smiling and shaking hands with army commander Constantino Chiwenga. The photos also showed South African Cabinet ministers and a Catholic priest whom Mugabe has used as a mediator before.

First lady Grace Mugabe was not pictured, however, amid speculation over the future of a woman whose rapid political rise had alarmed many who feared she could succeed her husband after he fired his longtime deputy last week.

Chiwenga and the army want to give Mugabe a soft landing, a dignified exit, said Piers Pigou, southern Africa expert for the International Crisis Group.

By calling a full summit, (the regional leaders) are showing respect for Mugabe, the last of the liberation war heroes, Pigou said. Mugabe wants the full fanfare as he exits stage left. The regional leaders will be showing deference to Mugabe, even though they cant wait to see the back of him.

Zimbawean opposition leaders and civil society groups urged Mugabe to step aside after 37 years in power and for the country to have a transition period leading to free and fair elections.

There has been no sign of former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose firing last week angered supporters in the military amid concern that Grace Mugabe would replace him at a party meeting next month. Mnangagwa, who fled Zimbabwe saying he had received threats, is widely tipped to be brought back to lead Zimbabwes transition.

A joint statement by more than 100 Zimbabwean civil society groups urged Mugabe to peacefully step aside and asked the military to respect the constitution.

Knox Chitiyo, an analyst with the Chatham House think tank, said he believed the negotiations have pretty much reached an end point to get Mugabe to step aside and that it was a matter of hours or days.

Farai Mutsaka is an Associated Press writer.
CAIRO  An international aid group says an estimated 130 children or more die every day in war-torn Yemen from extreme hunger and disease.

Save the Children said late Wednesday that a continuing blockade by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemens Shiite rebels is likely to increase the death rate. It says over 50,000 children are believed to have died in 2017.

Saudi Arabia blocked Yemens ports after a rebel missile attack near Riyadh. It said Monday the coalition would lift the blockade after widespread international criticism.

On Thursday, the leaders of the World Health Organization, the U.N. childrens agency and the World Food Program issued a joint appeal for the easing of the blockade.

While the Saudi-led military coalition has partially lifted the recent blockade of Yemen, closure of much of the countrys air, sea and land ports is making an already catastrophic situation far worse, they said.

The space and access we need to deliver humanitarian assistance is being choked off, threatening the lives of millions of vulnerable children and families.

The Saudi-led coalition went to war against the rebels, known as Houthis, in March 2015 on behalf of Yemens internationally recognized government. But the coalition has made little progress, and the rebels still control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

The war has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced 3 million. Yemen was the Arab worlds poorest country even before the conflict began.

The U.N. officials said more than 20 million people, including 11 million children, are in need of urgent assistance, with 7 million totally dependent on food assistance. The U.N. has called it the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Even with a partial lifting of the blockade, the World Food Program estimates that an additional 3.2 million people will be pushed into hunger. If left untreated, 150,000 malnourished children could die within the coming months, the officials said.
PYONGYANG, North Korea  The highest-level Chinese envoy to North Korea in two years arrived in the countrys capital on Friday to try to improve relations that have soured over Beijings tightening of sanctions and expressions of support for President Trumps calls for more pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Song Taos official mission is to brief North Korean officials on the outcome of Chinas ruling Communist Party congress held last month. He is visiting as President Xi Jinpings special envoy, according to Chinese and North Korean state media, but no other details about his itinerary or whether he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been announced.

After arriving, Song met with Choe Ryong Hae, a vice chairman of the ruling party and one of the most senior leaders after Kim.

The visit is seen as an effort by Xi to explore a new approach in relations and likely also reflects Xis desire to head off further pressure from Washington.

Chinas relations with North Korea have deteriorated under Kim, who has ignored Beijings calls to end the Norths nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests and return to disarmament talks.

North Korea staged its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3, detonating what it said was a hydrogen bomb, and most recently launched a ballistic missile on Sept. 15, firing it over the Japanese island of Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean.

China, North Koreas largest trading partner, says its influence with Kims government is often exaggerated by the U.S. and others. Beijing is opposed to measures that could bring down Kims regime and lead to a refugee crisis along its border, and while enforcing harsh new U.N. sanctions targeting North Koreas sources of foreign currency, it has called for steps to renew dialogue.

The visit comes as Joseph Yun, the U.S. envoy for North Korea, met Friday with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Do-hoon, on the resort island of Jeju in South Korea.

China, of course, has a big role to play on Northeast Asia security issues, Yun was quoted by South Koreas Yonhap news agency as saying, adding that he hopes China regards the denuclearization as a critical goal. We do hope that special envoy will forward that goal.

Songs visit to North Korea also comes as China and South Korea are repairing their relations that soured over Seouls deployment of a U.S. antimissile system.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is to visit China next month for talks with Xi.

Song is the first ministerial-level Chinese official to visit North Korea since October 2015, when Politburo Standing Committee member Liu Yunshan delivered a letter to Kim from Xi expressing hopes for a strong relationship, although the respite in frosty ties proved short-lived. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin visited Pyongyang, North Koreas capital, in October last year.

Song heads the Communist Partys International Department.
The New Zealand dollar was heading for a 1 percent weekly decline in the face of weaker commodity prices.

The kiwi dollar traded at 68.58 US cents as a 5pm in Wellington from 68.55 cents late yesterday and is down from 69.28 cents a week ago. The trade-weighted index was at 72.58 from 72.70.

The CRB Index of 19 commonly traded commodities has fallen more than 2 percent in the past week, while prices of dairy products have declined in the past three GlobalDairyTrade auctions. Traders are watching for developments on US tax reforms, with progress potentially seen helping the US dollar.

Tim Kelleher, head of institutional foreign exchange sales at ASB Bank, said on the day the greenback pared some of its recent losses as Asian investors digested news the US House of Representatives approved the package of tax cuts and shifted the tax debate to the Senate. Kelleher noted, however, the reaction was fairly muted. "I think that was just part of the journey... and until we actually see it physically done then no one knows what's going on," he said.

Kelleher said with little data on the immediate horizon the kiwi is likely to stick to a tight range but said there is key support at around 68.20 that would open up further downside if it were to break.

The kiwi traded at 90.32 Australian cents from 90.24 cents yesterday. It traded at 51.81 British pence from 52.04 pence and at 58.04 euro cents from 58.20 cents. It was at 4.5435 yuan from 4.5497 yuan and traded at 77.12 yen from 77.45 yen.

New Zealand's two-year swap rate fell 1 basis point to 2.15 percent while 10-year swaps fell 2 basis point to 3.12 percent.

BNZ senior markets strategist Jason Wong said the 2-year swaps stand a good chance of reaching a fresh low for the year, down towards 2.10 percent as "domestic liquidity is gushing."

According to Wong, a softer market for existing houses, loan-to-value restrictions, and uncertainty around the election have seen softer credit growth. "In the absence of credit growth picking up, banks will remain well-funded and will be looking for a home to park cash, keeping downward pressure on short-term rates," he said.

(BusinessDesk)

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Several people are feared dead after an airplane and a helicopter crashed in mid-air over Buckinghamshire on Friday.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was sending a team to investigate the collision near Aylesbury.

Thames Valley Police are at the scene of the incident close to the village of Waddensdon after the emergency services were called at 12:06pm.

A spokesman for Bucks Fire and Rescue Service told the BBC: "There are 30 fire service staff there from all counties, working alongside police, ambulance and the AAIB.

Officials said both aircraft involved in the collision came from Wycombe Air Park near High Wycombe.
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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(0x5612e4fc0580)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f02aa488)', '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(0x5612e4fc0580)') 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(0x5612f02aa488)') 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(0x5612efe74c98)') 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(0x5612f02aa488)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f02aa488)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e4f35ba8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f02938a8)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f02938a8)') 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

/var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



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(0x5612f06e2dd8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f08b9710)', '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(0x5612f06e2dd8)') 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(0x5612f08b9710)') 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(0x5612f06ce318)') 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(0x5612f08b9710)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f08b9710)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e4f35bf0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f071d918)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f071d918)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
It's being billed as "intimate", "confessional", "revelatory".

Oh, yes, there is much to tell.

Barry Humphries at the launch of his Man Behind the Mask tour which takes off in 2018. Credit:Simon Schluter

Barry Humphries, the man behind Dame Edna, Sir Les Paterson, Sandy Stone et al, returns to Canberra in May.

He will perform his new show Barry Humphries: The Man Behind the Mask at the Royal Theatre Canberra on Wednesday, May 16 when he will be the grand old age of 83.
Canberra-born-and-raised dancer, Drew Hedditch has been nominated for the Australian Ballet's most prestigious prize, the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award.

The former Isabella Plains Primary and Calwell High student, who joined the Australian Ballet in 2014, hopes the national capital gets behind him and votes for him.

Drew Hedditch, now a dancer with the Australian Ballet, performing then aged seven with the Lisa Clark Dance Centre in Canberra.

"Canberra has such a good community feel. And they love hearing about their success stories," Hedditch, 23, said.

Hedditch is one of six talented dancers to be nominated for the award which has catapulted the careers of some of the ballet's brightest stars, with seven former winners being promoted to principal artist following the award - the highest accolade in ballet. This is the award's 15th year.
The military has since denied the staging a coup and Mr Mugabe has defied calls to resign.

A former Zimbabwean diplomat, who made Canberra her home in exile, says she hopes events unfolding in her homeland are the dawn of a new democracy.

The African nation's former ambassador in Canberra, Jacqueline Zwambila, who has been living in Australia under a protection visa since refusing to return to her homeland out of fear for her safety, has watched developments closely.

Ms Zwambila was a political activist with Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, and was appointed ambassador under a power-sharing deal with Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

Part of the deal saw MDC-aligned diplomats sent to Australia, Germany, Sudan, Nigeria and Senegal.

Ms Zwambila, and a number of other diplomats, were recalled after Mr Mugabe's dubious election win in 2013.

She was labelled treasonous at home after her decision to seek asylum in Australia.
The weekly parties have become so popular nearby schools have started enlisting Party Down Productions to hold similar events on their campuses.

"Music is such a great way of connecting with kids and students and it's pretty powerful because it's something where you either like the song or you don't," Mr Ferguson said.

"The best thing about it is seeing some of the students get a chance to express themselves that they may not normally get. I'm constantly surprised, every week you'll be surprised.

"One of our shy students, one of the juniors, killed it last week. He was working the crowd, he was singing along karaoke and getting everyone up and dancing. A teacher of his who taught him in primary school came along for the day and she was just blown away."

It's not Mr Ferguson's first foray into the music world. He has recorded children's music with his son, Elliot, after noticing a gap in what was on offer for children who had outgrown The Wiggles but weren't quite ready for top 40 hits.
One of the job advertisements from Raskovic's company offering sales work. In a room at the Mooloolaba Surf Club in Queensland, he outlined to Gibbs his business model. "It all seemed a little dodgy," Gibbs said. "I didn't feel comfortable in the interview and then when he explained how he conducted the business I knew, there and then, it wasn't legal." Lubo Jack Raskovic has set up a new recruitment business with his partner Neo Tau, which specialises in jobs for migrants seeking a visa. Credit:Nick Moir Raskovic followed up with an email to potential employees. Fairfax Media has sighted one of these emails that reveals, for the first time, how Raskovic's business works.

According to the email, Raskovic hires consultants who operate as job scouts in regional locations. Their job is to scrounge around for employers willing to offer visa sponsorship, even if they had to go door to door. These employers are offered a $12,500 "incentive" to be paid as "a training subsidy  when individuals obtain permanent residency or [a] visa". The money is promised to be paid in two parts  firstly a $2500 payment within two weeks followed by a $10,000 payment "paid on permanent residency approval". In exchange for finding an employer, the job scouts receive $5000  half payable when a job placement is agreed and half "upon completion, lodgement and approval of all requisite employer sponsorship documentation". But the job had some potential hidden downsides. Under current laws it is illegal to receive, offer or provide money in exchange for a sponsored work-visa arrangement. The penalties include up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of $75,600 for an individual and $378,000 for companies.

The laws don't just cover employers who accept payment in return for sponsoring a visa, they apply to any person in the supply chain. In fact, money doesn't have to change hands to break the law, the mere offer is enough. Griffith University academic Peter Lee, who is also a migration agent and a former migration specialist at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, examined the Raskovic email at Fairfax Media's request. "On the basis of information provided it does not appear legal," he said. "The risk of prosecution will be real; namely all three, or more, parties in the chain could be affected namely, the prospective sponsor, the prospective visa applicant and the intermediary and others that may be associated in the activity." The sample script sent to potential employees. A spokesman from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection would not say whether it was investigating Raskovic's scheme but said it "investigates all allegations regarding paying for visa sponsorship".

Fairfax Media asked Mr Raskovic whether the scheme was legal, but he did not responded to questions. Many of Raskovic's clients are seeking visas under the government's regional sponsored migration scheme. The scheme enables employers in regional and low-population areas to sponsor skilled employees. It allows a successful applicant and their family to live in Australia and work permanently in a regional area. It's a popular visa with more than 10,000 placements in the past financial year. Raskovic's scheme brings together hopeful migrants with regional employers in the hope the partnership will result in a sponsored visa under the scheme. But his services come with a hefty cost  as much as $70,000, with much of it paid upfront. Many borrowed money from family and friends in their home country to pay his fees. Raskovic also provides migration advice and visa application documents to prospective employers. However, in many cases the job doesn't work out. Former clients told Fairfax often the job is not what was explained to them. At other times, clients have no confirmation that a job actually exists, because they are restricted from speaking to the employer. One employer, approached by Fairfax Media last week, said he had "never heard" of Raskovic or his company, despite being named in a letter of offer given to a former client.

Demand for the regional visa has been growing, but the number of placements has fallen. In 2016-17 there were 19,926 applications received compared to 17,533 applications in 2015-16. During that same time the number of placements dropped from 12,269 to 10,198. It's unclear whether the Immigration Department has prosecuted any breaches of the visa although it says it has a number of active investigations. Harmandeep Brar, 24, from Melbourne, says he paid Raskovic around $45,000 in fees for a job. "I had to ring my parents, as we are on a student visa and we didn't have that much money," he said. "My parents had to bring back money from India." Trained as an automotive mechanic, Brar was offered a job at a waste company fixing diesel machines. He said he told Raskovic, through representatives of his company Global Skills & Business Services Pty Ltd, he wasn't qualified to work on these machines.

After being assured he would be trained, he travelled to Chinchilla in regional Queensland where he worked for waste company We Kando Pty Ltd. He was fired within two months and returned to Melbourne. We Kando declined to comment. "When I told my family back in India I was very depressed  they had given me money and this guy had scammed me," he said. Brar chased Raskovic for a refund, which had been promised in his contract, but Raskovic stopped answering his messages. In October, Global Skills was placed into liquidation with debts of around $2.5 million, leaving 45 creditors, mostly Indian migrants, out of pocket. Meanwhile, Raskovic in the year before going into liquidation, bought luxury cars, including a brand new Porsche and a $3 million mansion in Bella Vista, in Sydney's north-west, under a separate company.

In the months leading up to the liquidation, invoices seen by SBS-Fairfax show companies linked to Raskovic sought payment for more than $1 million in fees, including almost $200,000 to a company run by his daughter, Sarah Raskovic. She declined to answer questions when asked about the payments. Fairfax has also learned that Raskovic hasn't been banned just once, but twice, by the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. In 1999 he was also disqualified from managing a corporation for four years. This disqualification forced Raskovic to resign from the board of his companies in February 1999. However months after resigning, his mother joined one of his companies. Raskovic would later tell the Industrial Relations Commission, as part of an unfair dismissal case, that his mother had no "active role in the management of the company". The commission ultimately found "evidence  capable of giving rise to the inference that [Mr Raskovic] remained involved in the operational and legal affairs of the corporate group during the period of his disqualification". As part of the same case, the commission was told that contracts distributed by Raskovic's company were "unfair" and "against the public interest", and some documents were shown to be backdated, although the commission found the evidence was "not sufficient to found an inference of fraud". Recently, Raskovic has begun working for a new company  All Borders Pty Ltd  set up just weeks before Global Skills went broke, and operating from the same office under a similar business model. It's owned by his partner, Neo Tau, who shares his Bella Vista mansion.

But the recent spate of job advertisements are in the name of another company again  National Business Services  set up in June. Raskovic has declined an interview and has not responded to written questions. Gibbs said he wasn't aware of Raskovic's past but, after meeting him, he had a "gut feeling" something wasn't right. "I then went home and searched his name and found out that his business practices are rotten," he said. Loading
"When their face says it all" is the motto Red Balloon touts to people shopping for skydiving, hot-air ballooning and other experiences.

However, the online retailer founded by entrepreneur and television personality Naomi Simson has egg on its face after it paid penalties totalling $43,200 for alleged breaches of consumer laws.

Red Balloon founder Naomi Simson is a judge on television show Shark Tank. Credit:Network Ten

The penalties follow four infringement notices issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which alleged Red Balloon charged four consumers excessive surcharges on payments they made by MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards.

"Red Balloon was charging these customers more than allowed under the law prohibiting excessive payment surcharges on card transactions," said ACCC deputy chairman Dr Michael Schaper.
Time for reflection and to unleash creative ideas: Early this year, the Finnish government has begun handing out cash to jobless people as part of a two-year experiment. Credit:NYT Another school sees it as the required response to an era in which work can no longer be relied upon to finance basic needs. "We see the increasing precariousness of employment," said Karl Widerquist, a philosopher at Georgetown University in Qatar, and a prominent advocate for a universal social safety net. Not a new idea, but it's gaining momentum: Martin Luther King was an advocate for a type of universal basic income. Credit:AP "Basic income gives the worker the power to say, 'Well, if Walmart's not going to pay me enough, then I'm just not going to work there.'"

The universal basic income is clearly an idea with momentum. Early this year, Finland kicked off a two-year national experiment in basic income. In the United States, a trial was recently completed in Oakland, California, and another is about to launch in nearby Stockton, a community hard-hit by the Great Recession and the attendant epidemic in home foreclosures. The Canadian province of Ontario is enrolling participants for a basic income trial. Several cities in the Netherlands are exploring what happens when they hand out cash grants unconditionally to people already receiving some form of public support. A similar test is underway in Barcelona, Spain. A nonprofit organisation, GiveDirectly, is proceeding with plans to provide universal cash grants in rural Kenya. As a concept, basic income has been kicked around in various guises for centuries, gaining adherents across a strikingly broad swath of the ideological spectrum, from the English social philosopher Thomas More to the American revolutionary Thomas Paine. The populist firebrand Louisiana governor Huey Long, the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., and the laissez-faire economist Milton Friedman would presumably agree on little, yet all advocated some version of basic income.

IMF's looking into it In a clear sign of its modern-day currency, the International Monetary Fund - not an institution prone to utopian dreaming - recently explored basic income as a potential salve for economic inequality. Not everyone loves the idea. Conservatives fret that handing out money free of obligation will turn people into dole-dependent slackers. In the context of the US, still the world's largest economy, any talk of a truly universal form of basic income also collides with arithmetic. Give every American $US10,000 ($12,566) a year - a sum still below the poverty line for an individual - and the tab runs to $US3 trillion a year. That is about eight times what the United States now spends on social service programs. Conversation over.

Labour-oriented economists in the United States are especially wary of basic income, given that the nation's social safety programs have been significantly trimmed in recent decades, with welfare, unemployment benefits and food stamps all subject to a variety of restrictions. If basic income were to replace these components as one giant program - the proposal that would appeal to libertarians - it might beckon as a fat target for additional budget trimming. "Tens of millions of poor people would likely end up worse off," declared Robert Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington-based research institution, in a recent blog post. "Were we starting from scratch - and were our political culture more like Western Europe's - [universal basic income] might be a real possibility. But that's not the world we live in." 'People want to work' And some advocates for working people dismiss basic income as a wrongheaded approach to the real problem of not enough quality pay cheques. "People want to work," said the Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz when I asked him about basic income early this year. "They don't want handouts."

Yet some of the basic income experiments now underway are engineered precisely to encourage people to work while limiting their contact with public assistance. Finland's trial is giving jobless people the same amount of money they were already receiving in unemployment benefits, while relieving them of bureaucratic obligations. The bet is that people will use time now squandered submitting paperwork to train for better careers, start businesses, or take part-time jobs. Under the system the trial replaces, people living on benefits risk losing support if they secure other income. In short, basic income is being advanced not as a license for Finns to laze in the sauna, but as a means of enhancing the forces of creative destruction so central to capitalism. As the logic goes, once sustenance is eliminated as a worry, weak companies can be shuttered without concern for those thrown out of work, freeing up capital and talent for more productive ventures.

The trials in the Netherlands, conducted at the municipal level, are similarly geared to paring bureaucracy from the unemployment system. Ditto, the Barcelona experiment. Navigating the age of robots Silicon Valley has embraced basic income as a crucial element in enabling the continued rollout of automation. While engineers pioneer ways to replace human labourers with robots, financiers focus on basic income as a replacement for pay cheques. The experiment in Stockton, California - set to become the first city government to test basic income - is underwritten in part by an advocacy group known as the Economic Security Project, whose backers include the Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. The trial is set to begin next year, with an undisclosed number of residents to receive $US500 a month.

The trial in Oakland was the work of Y Combinator, a startup incubator. Its researchers handed out varying grants to a few dozen people as a simple feasibility test for basic income. The next phase is far more ambitious. The Y Combinator researchers plan to distribute grants to 3,000 people with below-average incomes in two as-yet undisclosed American states. They will hand out $US1,000 a month to 1,000 people, no strings attached, and half as much to the rest, allowing for comparisons in how recipients use the money, and what impact it has on their lives. 'Interest is exploding everywhere' One key element of the basic income push is the assumption that poor people are better placed than bureaucrats to determine the most beneficial use of aid money. Rather than saddle recipients with complex rules and a dizzying array of programs, better to just give people money and let them sort out how to use it. This is a central idea of GiveDirectly's program in Kenya, where it began a pilot study last year in which it handed out small, unconditional cash grants - about $US22 a month - to residents of a single village.

The program is now expanding its sights, with plans to hand out grants to some 16,000 people in 120 villages. From a research standpoint, these remain early days for basic income, a time for experimentation and assessment before serious amounts of money may be devoted to a new model for public assistance. Yet from a political standpoint, basic income appears to have found its moment, one delivered by the anxieties of the working poor combined with those of the wealthy, who see in widening inequality the potential for mobs yielding pitchforks. Loading "The interest is exploding everywhere," said Guy Standing, a research associate at SOAS University of London. "The debates now are extraordinarily fertile."
The problem with an excellent speech covering something as broad as the Australian economy is that valuable bits are overlooked when they deserve greater attention.

So it was with Luci Ellis' speech on Wednesday, titled "Where will the Growth Really Come From?". Aside from being swamped by the marriage equality result, the Reserve Bank assistant governor was guilty of covering too much too well with that unfortunately rare thing outside the RBA, perspective.

While the headline from the speech was about growth, there also were valuable warnings about the folly of our apparently rising political tide of popularist/protectionist/anti-immigration ratbaggery.

As befitting the Stan Kelly Lecture, Ms Ellis delivered a brief and updated primer on the folly of protectionism. A single graph says much  it took the unwinding of protectionism to get Australian manufacturers out there, to make them world class.
At 150 centimetres in stockinged feet, my refusal to climb ladders forces me to rely on the kindness of strangers (and unstrangers!) and the long kitchen tongs. My family knows if those tongs have gone missing, they need look no further than third shelf down where I will have put them after securing the book of my needs. The top shelf holds the books only needed in emergencies. The ones we kept away from the kids. The old baby books. The Latham Diaries.

In both NSW and Victoria, about seven people a year die after falling off a ladder.

Anyhow, I write this after receiving proof that my mistrust of ladders is on solid ground. Unlike most ladders. Ladders are killing us. Or maiming us. Yet we still tread upon them as if we know what the hell we are doing. Those who work in safety are also working on a campaign for Right Rungs (OK, I made that up) but we don't know yet whether it's working. The campaign, at least in Victoria, is sadly called Ladder Safety Matters. The name's not gripping but its ideas are top rung because the campaign will save lives  Australian studies reveal ladders to be the consumer product "most often associated with DIY-related deaths and hospitalisations".

So before you decide to do a little work around the house and that work includes standing on a ladder, read this. If you want to go ahead and use a ladder even though you do not know what you are doing, wear a helmet. Even if you think you know what you are doing, wear a helmet. I'm not joking.
Here's the rub: where people, by and large, allow their domestic affairs to be shaped by the enduring teachings of Christ, it bodes well for them. However, where metaphorical towers of Babel are built, and we boldly declare that what God has deemed to be good for us, is actually not good enough, then we simply cannot expect to be blessed, and instead, will be given up in time to our own selfishness and sterility. Such regressive change may well take a generation or more to eventuate, but where we proudly sow the wind, we must be prepared to reap the whirlwind. Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn, Vic Will euphoria last? The nation voted "yes" and only now, after the euphoria passes, will the consequences begin to be felt.

Legislative and fundamental social change must now follow. Have we even considered the possible rise in surrogacy and the new and complex laws surrounding every aspect of it? Have we considered the rights of surrogate parents and the future of adult children, seeking their lost parent and answers to fundamental questions regarding their identity? Have we thought about the loss of genetically related grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, of genetically related brothers and sisters lost to each other, of historic family lines disrupted or destroyed? Have we even thought about the generational effects?

Someone said to me many years ago, "Australia is asleep". Australia voted on a simple question about the rights of two people who love each other, to marry. And with hardly a thought about the enduring consequences, we clamoured to make it happen. The sky will not fall in, but what have we really done? It will be interesting to see if the euphoria lasts, or we repent at leisure. Margaret Cathro, Kambah

Safe Schools For at least the last three months of the marriage equality vote people have been saying that they are horrified by sections of the Safe Schools Program. I have been asking them for the exact part of the Safe Schools curriculum that they are objecting to. So far not one has actually been able to reply as to why they are offended. The list of people includes church leaders, various politicians and vocal leaders of the "no" campaign as well as so many ordinary Australians. I am beginning to think they are offended by the Safe Schools program because they have been told they are offended by it, not because of any actual part of the program.

Regardless of this, the "no" campaign has told us that if the "yes" vote wins then programs like Safe Schools will become more common, that would seem to be a ringing endorsement of such programs (anti- bullying and sex education) by a large majority of the Australian people. I just hope the "no" vote supporters have the dignity to respect that decision. Doug Steley, Heyfield Constitution attack Tim Hollo of the Green Institute recently gave voice to an emergent, concerted campaign, writing of starting "a series of constitutional conventions, led by Indigenous people, in suburbs, cities and towns, to redesign ... our democracy".

Whether for inserting special rights for Aborigines, changing parliamentarians' obligations or creating a republic, we are being battered with a concerted campaign to change the constitution. The Green Institute states its aim is "changing the system" and declares, "everything is connected". Mr Hollo fails to recognise that this holistic maxim is a two-edged blade and that reality is not linear. His glib, even if true, assertion about the corrupting power of multinational companies does not establish any need to include prohibition of conflicts of interests, collusion, fraud and the trilogy of feasances by politicians in the constitution. These are properly dealt with elsewhere in the law.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor E-cigarettes a health hazard Professor Colin Mendelsohn is sadly mistaken if he believes the opposition of 23 major NSW health organisations to the use of e-cigarettes in smoke-free areas is just about "annoyance" ("e-cigarette advocate urges govt to lift ban", canberratimes.com.au, November 15). The use of chemicals which are known respiratory irritants in e-cigarettes is a considerable concern to the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and to the more than three in 10 Australians with lung disease. A systematic review of the evidence by NSW Health published in 2016 concluded: "Although more research is required, current evidence regarding passive exposure to EC vapours shows the potential for health impacts.

"Those passively exposed to the vapours of EC users are exposed to numerous pollutants at levels above background and at concentrations that are associated with potential adverse health effects." We expect the NSW government to act on the findings of its own department. Most other States  ACT, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia  have already included e-cigarettes in their smoke-free legislation so that they cannot be used in areas which are designated smoke-free. New Zealand, the country which supporters of e-cigarettes point to as a regulatory exemplar, is planning to ban the use of e-cigarettes in smoke-free areas with its new legislation. Smokers have shown consideration of other people's right to safe air for the past 17 years since the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 first banned smoking in restaurants for the Sydney Olympics. Prof Allan Glanville, president, Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand

Citizens all, let us unite When our founding fathers drew up our constitution in the late 19th century radio was virtually unknown and television, satellites and wi fi were not even on the non-existent radar, so to speak. There was no such thing as an Australian, New Zealand, Canadian or South African citizen. Roughly speaking, those born in any of those dominions/colonies were described as "British subjects". Conservative governments like to and have appointed "black letter lawyers" (of undoubted ability, I hasten to add) to the High Court and, lo and behold, what do they get but a black letter interpretation of Section 44 of our founding document, resulting in an almost literal decimation of our Parliament.

A more progressive court may have taken cognisance of geopolitical developments over the past century and twisted the words "foreign power" so as not to exclude those of us who would be British subjects still, if things had not been changed. This would have saved many, but not all, of our now ex-parliamentarians. Those of more exotic ancestry may have to learn how to fill out forms properly. However, it is obvious to any realistic observer that Section 44 needs a comprehensive overhaul. As that can only be done using the referendum mechanism, it is now time for our pusillanimous pollies to stop wailing about how hard it is to get a referendum through, do their jobs and to get on with it. If they unite and submit an agreed question at the next federal election it would probably cost less than the recent totally unnecessary same-sex marriage survey and have a good chance of success.

People are sick of the present shambles. James Gralton, Garran Parents failing children There are many issues affecting the decline of our education standards. Some of these Ross Gittins addressed in his article "A lesson we must learn" (Forum, November 11, p.10).

However, it is quite inappropriate to focus on the quality of teaching as a major source of the problems. Educating our young is a joint effort between the school and the home. It is the latter that in many cases is not occurring because of our time-poor society. For example, there are not many Australian families who sit around the dinner table each night and communicate with their children. As a consequence, it is the schools that have to include "life skill" subjects in the curriculum because they are not being taught at home.

This erodes time spent on core skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic. On the whole our teachers are extremely dedicated to teaching and learning but families must also become involved rather than leaving all aspects of education to the schools. Yes, mortgages have to be paid but families need to spend regular "non rushed" time with their children to help promote talk, thought and values. Helen Wade, Nicholls Let's talk euthanasia

Now that our elected representatives have shown willingness to spend $22 million of our tax money confirming our opinion on a matter involving social inclusion may we expect that they will spend an equal amount confirming our opinion on the important matter of medically assisted voluntary euthanasia? The emphasis seems to have strayed from humanitarian changes to our laws to the supposed effects on our religious persuasions. The fact the desired assistance is voluntary and does not in any way impel participation by any person not seeking such assistance or providing the assistance for religious or any other reason seems to have been lost in the hysteria. Hopefully the majority of our elected representatives are capable of rising above this hysteria. It's time to stop hiding behind the excuse that it is to hard.

Maxwell Lotton, Fisher Zimbabwe move Re events in Zimbabwe. At last Margaret Thatcher's and Malcolm Fraser's disastrous joint legacy is finally at an end. C. Smith, Kingston

TO THE POINT SESELJA OUT OF STEP The very high yes vote in the ACT for same-sex marriage shows once again that we are the most progressive section of Australian society. Yet in Zed Seselja we have one of the most conservative senators. It is time for liberal Liberal voters to reject this rabid reactionary. John Passant, Kambah ELECTORATES SHOW WAY

Seventy-five per cent of Abbott's electorate said yes, as did Zed's ACT. Hopefully they now realise that the electorate really is much more liberal than they are. Peter Campbell, Cook SHAMEFUL STANCE Peter Dutton claims allowing refugees from Manus to be resettled in New Zealand could lead boats to restart. How tragic that, despite him claiming we now have an unprecedented number of assets monitoring our maritime borders, at huge cost, it is still deemed necessary to prolong the suffering of the genuine refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island in order to deter new boat arrivals. How tragic, and how shameful.

Anne Aisbett, Page OPPOSITION TO NZ, REALLY? The Australian government would not consider the NZ government's offer to take in 150 refugees. Peter Dutton even threatens there would be consequences if NZ went ahead to make a bilateral deal with PNG. Would they have given more consideration if the offer had come from the rogue regime in Cambodia. Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, NSW BERNARDI ODD ONE OUT
Is any painting worth US$450 million? In the world of relatively clear-cut value in which most of us live, clearly not. But in the world of the hyper-wealthy, rules don't apply. Prices for art have been proverbially "insane" for decades.

So, the fact that someone has more than doubled the existing highest price paid for a work of art at auction - of Christ as the saviour - that may or may not be a Leonardo da Vinci, will seem to most of us just another manifestation of a mad world where nothing is madder than the schemes of the art market.

But if "great" works of art, even patently genuine ones, are symbolic baubles to be traded between emirs and oligarchs in a stratosphere of wealth that most of us will never experience, it would be wrong-headed to dismiss the symbolism of art-buying as arbitrary.

Ryoei Saito, the Japanese businessman who acquired van Gogh's Portrait of Dr Gachet in 1990 for an unprecedented US$82.5 million, helped corroborate the Dutchman's then still-burgeoning status as "the world's favourite artist", a kind of secular saint who died for his art. The US$142.4 million for Francis Bacon's Triptych (which now looks piffling) reflects our veneration of artists who journey fearlessly into the dark side of human experience, while US$179.4 million for Picasso's Women of Algiers (the most expensive sold at auction until now), speaks for itself: Picasso, the great monster of modern art, naturally commands monstrous prices.
At the beginning of November, Singapore Airlines announced the world's most luxurious, fully-enclosed first-class seat. Passengers can expect the best: bedding (for two, if desired) embroidered by Lalique, dinner served on Wedgwood, a 32-inch HD screen, two bathrooms and a full-sized wardrobe. Just 10 days later, Dubai-based Emirates sought to outdo the south-east Asian giant with its own first-class suite featuring hardwood floors, mood lighting, kelp-infused moisturising pyjamas and design details inspired by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The high-end one-upmanship would appear to herald a new golden age of luxury air travel, at least for those able to afford tickets that cost in excess of $15,000 per passenger. In fact, first-class cabins have been shrinking for two decades at least, under pressure from an increasingly competitive, price-focused global airline industry and the changing demographics of flying. The latest luxury suites may look futuristic, but it's not clear that first class has a future at all.

The height of luxury: the upper deck bar in this 1972 Boeing 747. Credit:Fairfax Media

The very idea of first-class harkens back more than half a century to the so-called Golden Age of Air Travel, when passenger seating overall was less cramped, food was (allegedly) better, sleeper berths were common and sweatpants weren't acceptable attire for travel. The launch of the Boeing 747 in 1969 introduced an even more lavish world for high flyers that included bars and lounges, world-class cuisine and fat sleeper seats.

Airline deregulation in the late 1970s and early 1980s began changing the financial equation.
In the federal electorate of Blaxland (centred on Bankstown), three in every four voters opposed legislating for same-sex marriage. Only about 15 kilometres away, in electorates such as Sydney and Grayndler, four in every five voters were voting "yes". This is a divide on a social issue probably more profound than on any political issue in Australia since Federation. What it means is that, if a random person from Glebe met a random voter from Lidcombe, the chance that both voted "no" would be only one in eight, and only 22 per cent that they had both voted "yes". Australia-wide, the chance that two random voters had voted in the same way would be more than 50 per cent. The right to an abortion may still, for some people, be as contentious as same-sex marriage. As with same-sex marriage, a clear majority support abortion on demand. For some, however, the issue can never be resolved by opinion polls or plebiscites, and it is still a potent, and vote-changing, matter. Yet it is unlikely that it has ever geographically divided Australians in the way that same-sex marriage seems to have done. Some politicians and Sydney's Daily Telegraph sometimes talk of Sydney's west as though it were homogeneous and different from the rest of Australia. That is not so, although it contains areas with high concentrations of relatively recent migrants, many of whom, particularly Muslims, are more socially conservative than the more established population. Both the political right, and mainstream social conservatives, tend to be more hostile to immigrants and refugees.

Although it is probable that the divide in opinions about matters such as same-sex marriage will be less strong among second and third generations of such Australians, it would be wrong and patronising to consider the chasm between first-generation folk and other Australians as a reflection of a still difficult transition into assimilation and full citizenship. That said, it is far from clear that Christian conservatives can always readily make common cause with them. Both the political right, and mainstream social conservatives, tend to be more hostile to immigration, and refugees, than people of Asian and Middle Eastern background. A few fundamentalist preachers promote a bitter sectarian divide against non-Christians (particularly Muslims). Many conservative Christians are also overtly hostile to concepts of multiculturalism and pluralism, or the sort of rights-based regimes and anti-discrimination laws that have allowed ethnic affiliation and tribalism to persist. It's a bit early for detailed studies of the patterns of voting, other than from the indications given in opinion polls. The ABS, or, it would say, its government masters, focused on the anonymity of voting, rather than on gathering much useful information. But a look at the way particular electorates voted allows me to posit that the overwhelming number of Roman Catholics and Anglicans and members of the Uniting church ignored the more conservative of their religious leaders. Many, indeed, seem to have done so with a relish similar to the way in which voters in once deeply Catholic Ireland repudiated, only a few years ago, a broken and corrupted church up to its neck, from the Vatican down, in the physical, psychic and sexual abuse of women and children. The indications are that a high proportion of people who claim at least notional adherence to the tenets of mainstream Protestant religions paid little attention to those of their authority figures who urged, or implored, them to vote no. This hardly surprises. First, sections of some churches, particularly the Uniting church, have long had progressive views on the role of women and on homosexuality. Second, many people of religious sensibilities have been ignoring supposedly central tenets of their religion, particularly on matters involving sexual manners and personal morality, for more than half a century. It was observed in about 1970, for example, that Catholic women were as likely to be using oral contraception as any other group in the population, and were as likely to have had an abortion. The rate at which people of Catholic background sexually cohabit outside marriage does not appear to differ from the population at large. Available statistics suggest that divorce rates among churchgoers, of any religion or sect, do not differ greatly from general averages for age. Some slight differences  for example, a somewhat lower rate of divorce among regular church-goers of mainstream (but not evangelical) religions  may well be accounted for if the true test was not formal divorce but separation.

We are all, of course, sinners, and there is nothing particularly odd about finding people who cannot live up to the high standards of behavior set by their religion. But in relation to attitudes or behaviour clearly at odds with the official and formal views of religions and their leaderships, it seems that more and more mainstream Christians and Jews no longer even accept traditional views as standards to which they aspire, even if they fail. (With some religions, given the decline in religious education and instruction, it is probable that an increasing number of such people are no longer even sure of the formal standards.) For many of the religious groupings, however, the real problem is the declining moral authority of many of the religious leaders, the poor quality of leadership, and, probably, the generally declining relevance of religion in Australian society. I doubt that the impassioned pleas of most (but not all) of the Catholic bishops moved many people of Catholic background, or persuaded others to change their view. Likewise with the intervention of Anglican bishops, particularly from Sydney. It may well be, indeed, that the size of the "yes" vote was actually increased (as it was with a similar poll in Ireland, not only by the record of these churches with both the incidence and cover-up of sexual abuse, but outrage about their continuing moralising on other, less important, matters). This might have been a good reason for a somewhat lower than expected profile by most of the Catholic bishops, and the fact that some bishops, and other leaders, made it clear there was no absolute reason for Catholics to vote "no." The more career-minded bishops (and Australia has many) may have tallied up imagined brownie points in the Vatican; the more realistic would have wondered whether further evidence of the chasm between the leaders and the led was in their own, or the church's, interest. All the more so when, it was immediately clear, the mainstream campaign had been designed to protect the sacramental nature of their religious ceremonies of matrimony, rather than any civil-society registrations (as marriages) of unions between people. Suggestions that the world would cave in, or society collapse, could hardly be made with great conviction, given that Australia has come late to the show, and that somehow Spain, Italy, Britain, Germany and France seem to have managed without any evidence of destruction of the family, marriage or public morality.

But if the defeat of the no-sayers marks a stage in their declining political influence and relevance, the the Australian Christian Lobby's leadership of the "no" campaign may mark a shift in power intended to be used for political power. The lobby has made few bones about its identification with the right of centre of Australian politics, and seldom hesitates to attack Labor or the Greens, so least for their want of zeal for searching out, prosecuting and punishing sinful or socialist behaviour. It is also clear that it has no time whatever for the Liberal Party's left, or moderates, and only contempt for Liberals who campaigned, in however key a manner, for a "yes" vote. But if Tony Abbott has identified himself with the lobby's fortunes, it is far from clear that his interventions were helpful, or other than self-serving in his efforts to position himself as the logical leader of Australian conservatism. Abbott's instinctive views on social issues may be far closer to those of Christian fundamentalists than others, but his religious background and philosophy, and his general political instincts and ideology, differ from both the spirit and the letter of the more emotional, exceptionalist and often simplistic views of the more Protestant religions. That does not mean that there is not an intersection of interests, one that opportunists on both sides will exploit (and who is a greater or more shameless opportunist than Abbott?). But the problem of searching for moral common causes may be illustrated by the way that, over most of federation, the Catholic church (or, for that matter, Bob Santamaria's movement) found it difficult to associate with temperance advocates, people opposed to gambling, moral rearmament types, or the more dour, bossy, judgmental or obsessed ends of what was then the Methodist church. The American Christian right, the parent of much of the Australian Christian Lobby's philosophy and practice, has too many strange bedfellows to hold any sort of commanding position. Down the track, however, the organisers who made that extra difference in getting 17 seats to vote "no" may be exploring ways of making use of the knack they have shown. Loading I'd not pay too much attention to the assertion that there are no lessons for the political parties in the outcome, or that even voters who got excited will soon subside into a torpor, and go back to voting Labor or Liberal as if nothing has changed. It has, but it is not yet clear how.
While much of our attention has been on the success of the "Yes" vote to legalise same-sex marriage, late last night the NSW Upper House voted down a bill focusing on another important social reform. The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill (2017) failed by 20 votes to 19. While assisted dying and marriage equality involve different rights and affect separate community groups, they have much in common.

Opinion polls have consistently shown majority support for both issues, with the latest figures at 61.6 per cent for same-sex marriage (ABS survey), and 85 per cent for assisted dying (Roy Morgan poll). In spite of this, our elected members of Parliament have repeatedly rejected bills seeking to make them legal, in the case of voluntary assisted dying, on more than 30 occasions.

For both issues, precedents have been set around the world, and the dire consequences warned of by opponents have failed to eventuate. Same-sex marriage is available in 23 countries, including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Africa, Canada and Ireland. Voluntary assisted dying is legal in eight countries, including Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, Colombia, Germany and six American states. The US state of Oregon, which has had assisted dying laws similar to those proposed in NSW and Victoria for more than two decades, serves as a model of a safe and effective framework.

Both marriage equality and assisted dying are human rights issues that centre on personal autonomy  the rights of the individual to make decisions about their own lives. Contrary to cataclysmic warnings of opponents, neither curtail the freedoms of those who oppose them. Individuals who abhor the concept of same-sex marriage will remain free to live their lives in accordance with their own values and traditions, while those who reject the concept of voluntary assisted dying would be free to not seek a medically assisted death.
It was, though, a defeat for a certain brand of public, conservative Christianity, one that has focused on sexuality, morality and traditional views of men and women.

It would be entirely wrong to see Australia's decisive support for marriage equality as a defeat for Christianity. After all, Liberal senator Dean Smith, whose bill legalising same-sex unions is about to be made into law, is a Christian. Labor senator Penny Wong, too, is a woman of faith who has worshipped at Uniting churches.

Who speaks for God? And who speaks for the church? For many, the answers to these questions were rapidly flipped and fried on Wednesday when the postal survey results were announced and the entire country was briefly bathed in a carnival of colour; an antipodean Munchkin land.

Marriage equality advocates celebrating the ''yes'' vote mark past St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney on Wednesday. Credit:Anna Kucera

And a triumph for the grassroots, those in the pews who  as polls repeatedly showed  quietly tolerated but did not share the views of their church leaders, and for those who continually asked why the unelected Australian Christian Lobby is viewed as the voice of Christianity in this country when its membership is so small (and, as researcher Stephanie Judd found, is dominated by Baptists and Pentecostals).

The scenes were galvanic: visceral roars of relief, visible slumping, uncontrolled tears of joy, unabashed dancing, volcanic eruptions of hope and decency and fairness. Is it really possible to say God was not part of that? That God was sitting cranky on the sidelines, lamenting that more people will now formally vow to spend their lives caring for each other?

We have never entirely understood the full diversity of Christianity in this country; we tend to see it as narrow and controlling. But we're not stupid; we know Jesus  the great disruptor  was on about something the Pharisees were not.

This was evident on Gogglebox recently when the families were watching Magda Szubanski  in a powerfully contained, lacerating and vulnerable moment  speak to the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Dr Glenn Davies on Q&A, about her belief that the church should not impose its views on a secular society. She said: "I accept that the church will never marry me  that grieves me in ways you will never know."
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has criticised companies speaking out on social issues. Credit:Andrew Meares Resources Minister and "no" campaigner Matt Canavan told the ABC: "What I find a little uncomfortable this week with the position of CEOs is almost a level of contempt for those who might have a different view." Telling company chief executives what they should and shouldn't talk about publicly seems an odd position given the "no" supporters' apparent concerns for freedom of speech. Joyce, and other chief executives, clearly believe there is a place for corporations to contribute to values-based public debates, which seems perfectly reasonable, even if only on the basis that the top 20 companies employ tens of thousands of people, to whom they owe some moral responsibility. Joyce said that "a huge amount of energy and productivity was lost" when LGBTQI people were unable to be themselves at work.

Such lost productivity would be difficult to quantify in a line item on a company report, but we know that national productivity is adversely affected by individuals' poor mental health, and we know that poor mental health is correlated with being gay or transgender. Joyce also argued there was a business case for companies speaking out on social issues because increasing numbers of shareholders looked at "environmental, social and governance issues" as a reason to invest in companies. This is true, but companies like Qantas are unlikely to support social causes unless they have already reached a groundswell of popularity, and have become safe bandwagons on which to jump. This is why the corporate support for SSM was so telling  the business community had read the public mood much better than politicians had. Now that the same-sex marriage debate is over, with its unprecedented levels of support (or interference) from corporate Australia, will businesses go back to their knitting? Or will they continue to back progressive causes?

When it comes to climate change and investment in fossil fuel companies, increasingly companies are moving ahead of government. They've had to, and not for fuzzy reasons to do with corporate social responsibility, or public relations. In a political environment that is increasingly bitter, partisan, dominated by culture wars and generally unconducive to good policy outcomes, business has to look after itself and move towards clean energy investments. Dutton should be happy  this is very much a case of business sticking to its knitting by protecting shareholders against carbon risk. The most high-profile example of this is the refusal by any of the big four banks to finance the Adani mine in Queensland.

Canavan singled out Westpac for criticism over this, and urged Queenslanders to take their business elsewhere  an extraordinary thing for any minister to do. This week Commbank chairwoman Catherine Livingstone said her bank's funding for coal investments was small and declining, and "we expect that trend to continue over time as we help finance the transition to a low-carbon economy". And on Monday, Medibank, one of the country's biggest health insurers, announced to the ASX it would transition over the next year to low-carbon investments in its international portfolio. A company statement said "we understand that the health of the environment has an impact on the health of the community", and that "we also recognise our role as a corporate citizen, and the increasing expectations the community has of corporate Australia". The certainties of neo-liberalism have been crumbling since the global financial crisis, and public suspicion of large corporate institutions has risen in concert with a loss of faith in centrist politics-as-usual.

Corporations need to fashion themselves as authentic and socially conscious or consumers and shareholders won't back them. Corporate silence on big social issues like gay marriage, the domestic violence epidemic, the gender pay gap, or Indigenous constitutional recognition is increasingly seen as proof that capitalist institutions are faceless and expedient. This in itself is a corporate risk  the sort of sentiment likely to build voter support for a royal commission into the banks, for example. The likes of Canavan and Dutton may despise it, but companies will continue to intervene in social and political debates. Far from corporate fascism, it's corporate pragmatism.
Sometimes I think about my seven years reporting on state politics as a love-affair with the NSW Labor Right faction. My brief during those seven years, or at least the brief I constructed for myself, was to capture some of the unusual characters who populate NSW political life and make it so special.

In NSW politics, there are vivid, interesting characters in all parties and all factions. For example, to have any considerable experience of Fred Nile is to suspect one has entered the pages of a Charles Dickens novel. And whatever you think of Lee Rhiannon's politics, which in my case is not much at all, she's a character all right, all the way down to her made-up surname and her insistence on saying "v" instead of the word "very".

But for sheer political cunning, mixed with policy nous, and all wrapped up in a delicious package of profoundly filthy language, it's hard to go past the NSW Right.

Just the beginning of a list of noteworthy characters from the faction would include Bob Carr, Michael Egan, John Della Bosca, Frank Sartor, Barrie Unsworth, John Robertson, Morris Iemma, Carl Scully, Amanda Fazio and  my spiritual adviser for many years  Michael Costa.
Recently resigned Liberal MP for Bennelong John Alexander said on Friday he would be eligible to stand in next month's byelection after receiving advice from the UK Home Office that he had successfully renounced his rights to British citizenship.

The advice clears up question marks about whether Mr Alexander would be constitutionally eligible to stand in time for the December 16 poll.

Mr Alexander resigned from Parliament over the weekend after he was unable to prove that he was not a dual British citizen. He was one of several MPs engulfed by a citizenship crisis because of a constitutional provision preventing those holding foreign nationalities from sitting in Parliament.

"I had official notification from the [UK] Home Office that I am what I have always believed that I am, indeed something that I have always believed I am: Australian and solely Australian," he said.
FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.
Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating has stepped up his attack on Victorian Labor, slamming its move to legalise assisted dying which he called the "defeatism of those who think the struggle at the end of life is a struggle in vain".

Mr Keating, who attended the Sohn Hearts and Minds Investment Leaders Conference in Sydney, said one of the speakers had charted the extraordinary pace of medical knowledge which, together with lifestyle and nutritional improvements, offered the prospect of people ordinarily having life expectancies beyond 100 years of age within the the next 20 years.

Former prime minister Paul Keating in Sydney on Friday. Credit:Daniel Munoz

Buoyed by that and the narrow defeat of assisted dying legislation in the New South Wales Parliament during an all-night sitting on Thursday, Mr Keating said it was irresponsible for Victoria to be offering solutions to the ill, born of the "pessimism of suicide".

"By a whisker, the NSW upper house has preserved the country's ethical clarity," he said via a statement.
Former prime minister John Howard has welcomed the apparent toppling of Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe and slammed South Africa for failing over many years to push its neighbour towards democracy.

Mr Howard, who once called Mr Mugabe a "grubby dictator", said it was hard to imagine how Zimbabwe could get worse if the military coup underway in the poor and brutalised nation forces him from power after 37 years.

He called on South Africa now to use its clout as the dominant power among the southern nations of the continent to push for democratic change, though he said he was not hopeful this would happen.

Mr Mugabe, 93, was on Friday under house arrest in the custody of the military amid what appears to be a power struggle between his wife Grace Mugabe and recently sacked vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former long-time Mugabe ally.
When my dad sent me a text on Wednesday morning after the result of the marriage equality postal survey was announced, I laughed. And then I cried a little.

His message read as follows: "Congrats to you guys and myself: it's a decisive win! Abbott, shit yourself bastard!"

Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen.

It's funny because there was a time, once, where I didn't think I could really be myself with him. I couldn't even be myself with me.

My parents are in their sixties. They grew up in conservative Vietnam, and raised me with those values. We have gay family members, but growing up, we either didn't talk about it, or did only in whispers.
An Australian Defence Force veteran worked in the West Australian mining industry, put himself through a law degree, but running out money with a wife and two children, he applied for unemployment benefits.

The 24-year-old job agency interviewer said he had a good CV but suggested getting rid of his 12-year military history.

Kelly Walter served in the middle east and Sudan.

The veteran wrote a letter about it to the Minister for Veterans Affairs Dan Tehan.

"He went out to his car and cried for half an hour," Mr Tehan told the launch of the Australian Veterans Employment Coalition.
It began with a typed letter from a mysterious source instructing reporters to place a coded message in a French newspaper. Then, in August 2015, the source agreed to rendezvous with a journalist outside the Louvre in Paris and, later, at a suburban steak restaurant on the Mediterranean.

After this came the leak of hundreds of thousands of emails detailing a web of alleged corruption involving some of the biggest corporate players in the global oil industry. Next came police raids, denials of wrongdoing and a multimillion-dollar legal and public relations war waged by Monaco-based company Unaoil to undermine the allegations it had spent years paying bribes for corporate giants.

Saman Ahsani, left, with brother Cyrus and father Ata.

On Friday, UK corruption investigators laid the first criminal charges in the Unaoil scandal. The Serious Fraud Office charges against two former managers of Unaoil come 18 months after Fairfax Media exposed Unaoil's role as a facilitator running a global network of middlemen fronting for Western companies  including in Iraq for Australia's Leighton Holdings and in Kazakhstan for Worley Parsons. Unaoil's clients were seeking lucrative contracts in the Middle East, central Asia and Africa.

The fraud office also revealed on Friday that it had issued an extradition request for the Monaco-based Unaoil executive Saman Ahsani, who, along with his brother Cyrus and father Ata, own and manage the firm.
Australia's latest scorecard on disparity in wages paid to women and men shows the ACT has gone backwards since 2016, with the gender pay gap growing by 1.5 per cent.

The latest report from the federal government's Workplace Gender Equality Agency showed the ACT's pay gap stood at 12.4 per cent in May 2017, up from 10.9 per cent a year earlier.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency director Libby Lyons. Credit:Louise Kennerley

An overall narrowing of the national pay gap in Australia now sees women now earning $26,527 a year less than men - representing a 15.3 per cent disparity.

The gap was 19.3 per cent in the private sector in May, well ahead of 10.8 per cent in Australia public sector.
The murder of 16-year-old Mahmoud Hrouk, whereby household implements were fashioned into weapons, involved a level of violence that a judge has categorised as "too brutal to describe".

But after the shock of death and the evidence of cruelty to which he had been subjected, the trial of his murderer, the finding of guilt and the vindication of a lengthy sentence, for Mahmoud's family the most inexplicable element of his death remains unresolved: a motive.

Aymen Terkmani, 24, was sentenced to a maximum 45 years in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, with a non-parole period of 33 years, for the aggravated sexual assault and murder of his one-time friend in a dilapidated house in Fairfield East in 2015.

On hearing his sentence he raised his face to the ceiling and blinked rapidly, shifting his weight from foot to foot until he was led down to the cells.
White society invariably living somewhere else has always decided what was best for the Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory.

They took away their children, decided they were better off without missionaries, stopped them living in remote communities, and sent in the army.

ABC's Four Corners expose showed youths being restrained in mechanical chairs. Credit:ABC

Now local Aborigines watch as the federal government attempts to prod the Territory government towards reforms that not only redress their problems but address the national shame its callous, racist behaviour towards children under its care laid at Australia's door.

But Territory governments are provincially patriotic and stubborn. Darwin politicians make careers out of ignoring outsiders and the last time Australia tried to help - the 2007 Intervention initiated by John Howard's government - it unravelled big time.
Announcing her candidacy for the Bennelong byelection, Labor candidate Kristina Keneally was quick to produce a letter showing she had renounced her US citizenship.

Unlike some others falling foul of Section 44 of the constitution in the Australian Parliament it wasn't done in a blind panic.

The Las Vegas-born Keneally's letter is dated 2002, the year before she entered the NSW Parliament in March the next year and two years after she attained Australian citizenship.

As it turns out, she needn't have done so. Holding dual citizenship is no bar to entering the NSW Parliament under the state's Constitution Act.
In a city in thrall to property developers, history often comes a poor second.

But the demolition of a row of pre-war shops in Sydney's inner west provided an intriguing glimpse into life in Sydney in the early 20th century.

Exposed for the first time in decades, a blue and white sign advertising The Sydney Morning Herald looks like it could have been painted last week, its colours vibrant despite its age.

A hand-painted sign for The Sydney Morning Herald was uncovered by a demolition crew in Campsie.

Painted above is a faded, chipped sign for a rival newspaper that has not weathered the passage of time.
The Sydney Harbour ferry recently named Ferry McFerryface has bizarrely become a NSW election issue.

Maritime Union of Australia workers are boycotting the ferry over what they say is a "disrespectful" name and now Opposition Leader Luke Foley says he'll scrap the name if Labor wins government in early 2019.

"If Labor's elected to form the next government in NSW I will dump this silly name," Mr Foley said in a statement on Friday.

"We will rename the ferry and we will engage with the public to find a suitable name which recognises a prominent Australian."
The long-time bodyguard of the Ibrahims, Semi "Tongan Sam" Ngata has been shot outside John Ibrahim's mother's home as the family made last minute preparations for a wedding involving the family of former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer.

John Ibrahim's nephew, Hassan "Sam" Sayour, was today due to marry Aisha Mehajer, the sister of Salim, who is known for his legal battles and his own lavish wedding.

Emergency services were called to a home in Price Street, Merrylands at about 10.45pm and found Ngata with a single gunshot wound to the back.

The 59-year-old was taken to Westmead Hospital, where he remained on Saturday morning in a serious but stable condition.
A man has been charged with ripping the jacket of Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster during a heated protest outside a Liberal Party fundraising event in inner-city Sydney.

Protesters organised by the Refugee Action Coalition Sydney picketed the event at the Australian Technology Park, in Eveleigh, Friday November 10, calling for the evacuation of asylum seekers on Manus Island.

The event was attended by Liberal MPs Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton, as well as City of Sydney councillor Christine Forster, who said protesters tried to punch, and spit at, her as she made her way inside.

On Friday, Redfern police charged a 31-year-old man with malicious damage in relation to ripping Ms Foster's jacket and damaging a fence, and with hindering police in the execution of their duty.
A masked contract killer who shot his target outside a Wollongong nightclub, before chasing him inside and finishing the job in front of shocked patrons and staff, has been sentenced to life in jail.

But Justice Natalie Adams rejected a crown submission to also impose a life sentence on the man who organised the hit, who's previously served time for killing a man and wounding nine people in a shopping centre.

Zlatan Popovic is led to a prison van by Corrective Service Officers at the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on Friday. Credit:AAP

In the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, the judge sentenced shooter Tevi Koloamatangi, 47, to life - meaning he'll die in prison - while Zlatan Popovic, 45, was jailed for 34 years with a non-parole period of 26 years.

They were found guilty in September of the brazen murder of Dragan Sekuljica, 28, who was shot dead by the older man at Splashes nightclub in September 2007.
Up to 1000 students at the University of Sydney are in limbo after their final exam was abruptly cancelled on Friday morning due to fears the exam had been compromised.

Commerce students sitting their final exam for the compulsory business insights unit had just begun reading the exam paper when they were interrupted by an announcement from the examiner, a student told Fairfax Media.

Up to 1000 commerce students had their exam cancelled on Friday morning, due to fears it had been compromised. Credit:Fiona-Lee Quimby

The decision was made after faculty staff learnt of a "potential breach in the security of the exam script", according to an email sent to students on Friday afternoon.

"We went into the exam and sat down," the student, who asked to remain anonymous, said.
A food truck, pop-up restaurant and bar precinct is slated to open in Brisbane courtesy of an expanding Melbourne food group following in the footsteps of so many sun-loving Victorians.

By mid-February, 100 Burgers Group, the folks behind Mr Burgers recent Queensland extension, hope to have a rotating roll call of food trucks and rotating restaurant guest spots running out of Bowen Hills, near the Brisbane Showgrounds.

The group behind Welcome to Thornbury in Melbourne is setting up shop in Brisbane Credit:Wayne Taylor

The concept, set to include a permanent indoor bar and smaller gin and cocktail joint, is based around the group's Welcome to Thornbury, said to draw thousands to its set-up in Melbournes Northcote on a busy weekend.

The Brisbane venture, Welcome to Bowen Hills, will be the first time founder Daragh Kan has taken the setting out of Melbournes inner north, a move he said was motivated in large part by the weather.
The 37-year-old Labor Party member, running as an independent, was granted watchhouse bail, to face the Southport Magistrates Court on December 13.

Penny Toland ran for mayor during the Gold Coast election in 2016. Credit:Penny Toland

The Crime and Corruption Commission on Friday charged CFMEU-backed 2016 candidate Penny Toland after earlier claiming part of her evidence did not seem credible.

A failed Gold Coast mayoral candidate has been charged with perjury after allegedly lying to the Queensland corruption watchdogs inquiry into local government.

Ms Toland was alleged to have knowingly given false testimony to the CCCs Operation Belcarra inquiry into the conduct of candidates at the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Logan council elections.

In a statement issued by defence lawyer Chris Nyst, she vowed to fight the charges.

"I am devastated to have my integrity called into question in this way," she said.

"As far as I was aware everything I said to the CCC from start to finish was absolutely truthful.

"It may be that I was mistaken about minor details of events that happened 12 months and more earlier, but at no stage did I intentionally lie about anything.
A cyclist has passed away in hospital during the early hours of Friday morning after she was "thrown into the air" following a collision with a ute on the Gold Coast, police say.

Suzanne Wallace, 47, was rushed to hospital with critical head, chest and leg injuries after the crash on the corner of Marine Parade and Petrie Street in Coolangatta about 6.15am on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old male driver of the ute was not injured in the crash and has not been charged over the incident.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, there were major traffic issues in the area, with a stretch of Marine Parade closed while police examined the scene.
Motorcycle-riding paramedics, dubbed RAAMBOs, would ride south-east Queensland streets under an LNP government.

The policy, aimed at cutting response times in congested areas, was labelled misguided and potentially dangerous by the paramedics heavily pro-Labor union but cautiously welcomed by a leading emergency services researcher.

A now-retired paramedic motorcycle on show at a recent emergency services expo.

It would see the bikes return to the state for the first time since a trial on the Gold Coast was discontinued in the early 2000s and follow on from the recent introduction of bicycle paramedics for the Commonwealth Games.

Seven bikes and 12 trained paramedics would be included in the initial rollout promised by mid-2018, with the possibility of a statewide rollout to follow.
More than $5 million of drugs have been seized and destroyed across Queensland, with the haul bound for schoolies celebrations, according to police.

Police seize and destroy more than $5 million of drugs bound for schoolies celebrations during week-long raids across Queensland. Credit:Queensland Police Service

Six police operations culminated in week-long raids across the state, with authorities announcing the conclusion of the "tactical action" hours before schoolies week was scheduled to kick off on Saturday.

Detective Superintendent Jon Wacker from the Drug and Serious Crime Group said on Friday the search warrants led to the discovery of cannabis, methylamphetamine, performance-enhancing and image-enhancing drugs.

It will be alleged more than 2000 cannabis plants were found and destroyed after police uncovered numerous "grow houses" and "bush plots". Cash, guns, cars and motorbikes were also seized, officers said.
Former prime minister John Howard has hit out at the size of Queensland's public service, undermining Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls' promise not to cut jobs.

The Liberal Party elder statesman campaigned alongside LNP MP Tarnya Smith in her marginal Brisbane electorate of Mount Ommaney on Friday as he joined the state campaign for the first time.

Former prime minister John Howard said Queensland has too many public servants despite LNP leader Tim Nicholls promising no cuts. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Asked about Queensland's rising debt problem, Mr Howard said economic growth and activity would help eliminate money that was owed but also said a slimmer public service would reduce the burden.

"You also eliminate debt by not just appointing unnecessarily large numbers of state employees," he said.
People who like each other can continue to chat. A mix of both it seems, as Mr Borg tells Fairfax Media that he hoped the app would be acceptable to keep installed on users' phones even after they get into relationships with people. One of the biggest problems facing traditional dating apps is that people tend to abandon them once they get into relationships, thereby cutting off any future revenue streams. Mr Borg says the app was designed to be more than just for dating, but for connecting people with similar interests as well. Spota hopes its app will be used for more than just hookups. It was also founded to get people who typically stare at their smartphones at social functions to start talking to one another, he says.

"We saw that people weren't connecting in real life with people around them. We found people weren't approaching other people in close proximity", Mr Borg says. "And so we thought we could solve this problem with Spota." In typical bootstrapped start-up fashion, the Spota founders are utilising a small office space at their old office in Cambellfield to develop the app rent-free, with the help of a technical agency. Mr Borg says despite the purpose of dating apps being to connect people, apps developed so far had typically been detrimental to society's approach to dating. "Apps like Tinder and Happn were specifically created to improve the dating experience, but in reality, they've made things worse," he says. "Rather than encouraging face-to-face interaction, it's now more acceptable to swipe right and send a generic message.

"Spota was created to bring the human element back to socialising. We want to make it easier to start a conversation with the people around us, whether that be someone who catches your eye at a bar, or someone reading an interesting book on the train, without the awkwardness." If you've ever used a dating app, it's likely you've been sent an inappropriate or insulting opening message. So-called "dick pics", where men send pictures of their penises, is another big problem. Mr Borg says he's working to break down that culture and bring the fun and safety back to meeting people online. Conversations on the Spota app, for instance, begin with an icebreaker question to start interesting conversations from the outset. And like Tinder no pictures are allowed, only GIPHYs from an existing library. "It means you can get to know someone faster, as well as avoid cheesy pickup lines or the boring 'hey' message," Mr Borg says. "What I found with Tinder or Bumble when I used them was that over time it is super repetitive, super boring.

"I've got girlfriends who have always talked about guys being so upfront and forward on Tinder. With Spota we want that conversation to continue in a fun and friendly way and not in a boring way with, 'Hey, how are you going?'. That's why we came up with the ice-breakers such as debatable topics like 'Is pineapple acceptable on pizza?' " To coincide with its launch, Spota announced on Friday that it had signed a partnership with Schoolies on the Gold Coast, just in time for Year 12 school revellers to experience the app. It will allow school leavers to use the app to make new friends, access special promotions and gain entry to the festival's best events. Blake Wright, marketing manager at Schoolies, said Spota would provide a fun, friendly way to connect with the Schoolies community. "Schoolies travel from all over the country to come together and celebrate and we want people to mingle and meet each other," Mr Wright said. "With more and more socialising occurring online, not everyone is equipped with the experience or confidence to approach new people, or to breach the great divide between groups. Spota affords them an avenue to do this."


They are hardly natural bedfellows, but mutual loathing of Labor from the Greens and the state Opposition has seen the parties unite to tear up a government plan to fund new public housing by selling off public land.

This week, the parties combined in the Victorian Parliament's upper house to overturn Labor's plans to rebuild the Markham public housing estate in Ashburton, in the city's south-east.

An artist's impression of the Markham public housing estate redevelopment in Ashburton - which is now in doubt. Credit:Development Victoria

The Greens-Liberal Party coalition has enraged Labor, which says the Greens have put politics ahead of more public housing.

But the unlikely coalition may also have derailed Labor's plan to sell nine public housing estates around Melbourne to developers.
Fritz-Juergen Schroeder cast a knowing eye over the single bed in the corrugated-iron hut and pointed out an old suitcase not much larger than a child's school satchel.

"That's about the size of the bag I brought with me," he said.

Fritz-Juergen Schroeder revisits his first home in Australia. Credit:Jason South

Schroeder was paying a nostalgic visit to his first home in Australia: the Bonegilla Migrant Reception Centre near Wodonga in north-east Victoria.

The post-war migrant camp  Australia's first and largest  is celebrating its 70th anniversary on Saturday and Sunday, November 18 and 19.
Traffic in Melbourne's north could grind to a halt if Opposition Leader Matthew Guy's ambitious proposal to build two massive new toll roads simultaneously gets the green light, the RACV has warned.

The Coalition is investigating the possibility of combining the North East Link road project with a rebooted East West Link if elected at the end of 2018. But Mr Guy emphasised that the controversial $5.8 billion East West Link - which was spiked by the Andrews government at a cost of more than $1 billion - was his party's priority.

An image of the proposed North East Link tunnel, released by the government. Credit:North East Link Authority

Powerful roads group the RACV said the North East Link was needed before the East West Link, and public policy manager Bryce Prosser warned of traffic chaos if roadworks shut down too many existing routes at once.

"There will massive disruption to the residents in the north and the north-east getting to and from the city for a long period," Mr Prosser said.
A "volatile" man who threatened to arrange the gang rape and torture of his girlfriend's mother and to have her teeth extracted "one by one", has been jailed in Melbourne.

The 34-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, raped his partner twice and assaulted her on numerous occasions during their six-month relationship, with the woman fleeing from him in fear of her life.

Man jailed over prolonged abuse of his partner.

A County Court sentencing judge on Friday said that the man had denied the charges, instead attacking the victim's credibility and claiming she'd manufactured the claims for financial gain.

"You were violent, possessive and controlling and behaved unpredictably towards the complainant," the judge said.
Large smoke plumes billowing from a refinery in Melbourne's west are the result of a safety precaution, not a fire, after lightning strikes from a large storm caused a power blackout across the area.

Melburnians looking to the sky took to social media at midday on Friday, concerned by large smoke plumes coming out of the Mobil Australia petroleum refinery in Altona.

But the smoke is a safety procedure which experts call a "temporary increase of flaring" following a power outage in the area.

Several lightning strikes caused a blackout in the entire Altona area, including parts of the Werribee train line, as a thunderstorm rolled over the city's west.
With an investigation into a fatal crash still ongoing, the air show that has entertained crowds in the lead up to Perth's Australia Day fireworks for nearly three decades has been called off for 2018.

The 2017 edition of the long-running event was immediately cancelled after a Grumman G-73 amphibious aircraft taking part in the aerial display crashed into the Swan River in front of hundreds of horrified witnesses on the river banks.

The Grumman sea plane crashed into the Swan River on Australia, killing its two occupants. Credit:Mike Graham

Perth pilot Peter Lynch and his passenger and partner Endah Cakrawati were killed in the crash, which sparked investigations by WA Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

The 2018 Skyshow will go ahead with its regular fireworks display, but 9 News Perth said the City of Perth - which coordinates the entire event - has decided the air show won't run, out of respect for the families of those killed in the crash and because of the ongoing investigations.
A drunk man who broke into a WA house and indecently assaulted a 62-year-old sleeping woman just two months after he was released from prison has been jailed for more than five years.

Matthew Richard Jetta broke into the first house in Greenfields, south of Perth, by entering through a glass sliding door in November 2015, and stole cash and gift cards.

AFR, GENERIC, BRISBANE Scales of Justice outside the District Court in Brisbane --- legal, law, QC, judge, litigation. Friday 25th July 2003 Photo Louie Douvis SPECIALX 19781 Credit:Louie Douvis

He entered a second house also through a sliding door, stole some items and saw a woman sleeping on a mattress, but she woke up when he indecently touched her.

The woman's son also woke up, prompting Jetta to run away.
The family of a worker who was struck by lightning at the Northam Race Club say he is "fighting back" as he remains in an induced coma at Royal Perth Hospital.

Track curating staff member Doug Fernihough, 57, was flown to Perth for treatment in the intensive care unit on Thursday and remains in a critical but stable condition.

The man was struck by lightning at Northam Racecourse. Credit:Facebook

Mr Fernihough's family, including his wife Pauline and their children, said in a statement on Friday that they were praying for him.

"He is a true fighter and while he is in an induced coma, he is giving it his best and fighting back," they said.
Buenos Aires: Military ships and aircraft have been dispatched to the coast of Argentina for a navy submarine missing for two days, officials said.

The vessel, which was patrolling off Patagonia with 44 crew members, last made radio contact on Wednesday, Captain Enrique Balbi, a spokesman for the Argentinian navy, said in a television interview.

Two planes were deployed on Thursday afternoon, local time, to begin searching for the submarine, ARA San Juan, one of three in Argentina's fleet. Rescuers were hindered by poor visibility and they resumed the search on Friday morning using vessels as well as aircraft.

The submarine's last known location was 240 nautical miles off the coast, according to the navy.
Washington: The US Defence Department's official Twitter account retweeted a message on Thursday calling for three American politicians, including President Donald Trump, to step away from politics amid sexual assault allegations.

The tweet, by a person using the handle "Proud Resister", stated the Republican President and Democrat Senator Al Franken should resign from their jobs and that Republican Roy Moore should step aside from running for the Alabama Senate. It also blamed the Republican Party for "making sexual assault a partisan issue," adding: "It's a crime as is your hypocrisy."

An official US government Twitter account appeared, briefly, to endorse a call for President Donald Trump to resign. Credit:Bloomberg

The tweet was quickly deleted with the department saying it was a mistake. At time of publishing, the original Proud Resister tweet had been liked 4.7 million times and retweeted more than 2.1 million times.
Harare: Leaders of Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party are meeting on Friday to draft a resolution to dismiss President Robert Mugabe at the weekend and lay the ground for his impeachment next week if he refuses to stand down, a senior party source said.

"There is no going back," the source said. "If he becomes stubborn, we will arrange for him to be fired on Sunday. When that is done, it's impeachment on Tuesday."

Mugabe is believed to be on the verge of resignation after he was presented with plans to unseat him via a vote of no confidence in Parliament, sources in Harare said.

Senior sources in the Zimbabwean military and the Movement for Democratic Change, the main opposition party, said preparations had been made for the vote of no confidence to end the president's 37-year rule in the country's parliament as early as Monday.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago:--- The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) subregional headquarters for the Caribbean discussed the relationship between debt accumulation, the external sector deficit and lack of robust growth in the Caribbean at a recent meeting in Belize.

ECLACs Deputy Director, Dr. Dillon Alleyne, attended the 49th Annual Monetary Conference which took place in Belize City from 8-10 November 2017, and presented a paper on strategies to model Caribbean economies in light of the emphasis on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).

The response to the Caribbeans high debt burden has thus far focused on raising taxes and curbing expenditure, despite sluggish domestic and external demand, in order to reduce governments borrowing requirements and stabilise the debt overhang.

Dr. Alleyne noted that since the global economic crisis, Caribbean economies - whether as goods producers or service producers - have been limping along with average growth of 1.8% in 2011, 0.4% in 2015 and less than 2% expected in 2017. Low growth has been accompanied by high unemployment, with rates varying between 12-15% from 2011 to 2015. In particular, Dr Alleyne argued that this low growth challenge reflects falling import capacity, which is a major constraint facing the small open economies of the Caribbean.

Against this backdrop, Dr. Alleyne highlighted that the aim of this study was to determine how trade deficit drives debt accumulation, and how said deficit may also impact on growth and income distribution in the region. In order to do so, Dr. Alleyne explained that he utilized a modified Kaleck model  (named after the famous Polish economist Michal Kalecki)  to investigate whether debt accumulation is due to excessive fiscal spending, or whether it is linked to deeper structural challenges, such as falling competitiveness, which generates pressures on governments as the employer of last resort to maintain spending.

For further information, please contact Alexander Voccia at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Denise Balgobin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Telephone: (868) 224-8067/224-8075.

ECLAC Press Release
~ Valya Lake-Pantophlet is Chairperson ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher on Thursday appointed the first full board of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA) foundation and immediately tasked the group to formulate a plan that would eventually result in the incorporation of an independent governing body (Zelfstandig Bestuursorgaan, ZBO).

Finalizing a process that started months ago and stressing country above politics, the Minister appointed seven local professionals to the board whom she described as energetic, knowledgeable, forward and creative thinkers with vast knowledge over various sectors.

Valya Lake-Pantophlet was appointed as Chairperson of the board by the Minister. Lake-Pantophlet is the Current Head of the Department of Economic Licenses and former Executive Director of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA).

Anastacio Baker, current Executive Director of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce, was appointed Vice Chairperson and Treasurer, Law Consultant Eunicio Martina was appointed Legal Council on the board, local commercial airline executive Jeff Oliver was appointed Assistant Treasurer, local entrepreneur in the hospitality field and current Executive Secretary to the Minister Martina Browne was appointed as Secretary to the board, Cherinah Franken of the Product Development section at the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau was appointed a board member and Cecil Nicholas expert in the field of transportation and logistics was also appointed as a board member.

Together with the Head of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau Rolando Brison, the new board of the STA were given several tasks including setting up their operational structure, presenting an action plan to government for 2018 and ensuring that tourism partners and stakeholders are consulted and apprised of the role of the STA moving forward.

The purpose of the STA foundation currently will be to assist the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau in carrying out the tourism policy of the Government of St. Maarten as a tourist destination; to support the growth of St. Maartens land- and sea-based tourism by providing the public and private sectors with focused, sustainable and productive marketing; and the enhancement of the visitor experience. STA will also assist and guide in, and direct all matters related to tourism, whether upon initiative from the public sector or the private sector.

The Minister said eventually incorporating the ZBO is the priority. Immediately upon its incorporation, she explained, the ZBO will be solely responsible for and solely authorized to execute the aforementioned tasks. The Minister met with the board on Thursday to congratulate them on their appointments and stress the importance of the job in front of them.

At this moment in St. Maarten with what has happened over the past few months and how our tourism product will have to rebound, the STA is extremely important moving forward, she said. When you look at Aruba and other destinations, they are ahead at all times because of their STA, the elimination of red tape and the freedom to be creative and dynamic in an ever-competitive market.

I have the utmost faith in all of you who come from various professional backgrounds. You are all professional people who love St. Maarten and I expect you will do your utmost to guide the STA into a position that will benefit St. Maarten and by extension its economy and its people, she said, adding that the intention was the appoint the board around the same time Hurricane Irma struck the island.

She also urged the board members to always be above politics and put country first. This should never be about politics and always about country first. That is what I believe in, that is how I approached my tenure. Work for your people. You are all professionals and I expect this to be your principled position at all times, she said.

As for the Supervisory Council of the STA which consists of one member each from the airport, harbor, SHTA and timeshare association, the Minister explained that the terms of those members have expired, and their aforementioned entities will be notified that they have two months to nominate new persons or recommend the same member for re-appointment.

Press Release from the Ministry of TEATT
Saint Martin Evolution Toastmasters

MARIGOT:--- Toastmaster Vernicia Brooks did it again! She made history when she became the first member of the Saint Martin Evolution Toastmasters Club to attain the highest honor that Toastmaster International can bestow on a member. Toastmaster Vernicia achieved the distinction of Distinguished Toastmaster, joining the ranks of many locally known Toastmaster personalities such as Rolando Tobias, Valerie Brazier, Amanda Vital-Bedminister, and Priscilla Bell just to name a few as well as thousands worldwide.

Since the Toastmaster organization in November 2011, Toastmaster Vernicia Brooks has served the Club in various capacities while working on her personal development as a public speaker. Ms. Brooks has held numerous leadership posts within the organization which included President 2013-2014, Secretary 2014-2015, and VPE (Vice President Education) in 2015-2016. She is also a chartered member and mentor for the Cupercoy Sunset Toastmasters Club. She served on the district level as Area Director for the 2016-2017 Toastmaster year for Area 29, and was the liaison between the three Clubs within her division and the District. She is currently serving as Vice President Education for this year (2017-2018), her second time holding this very important post.

Toastmaster Vernicia passion for the opportunities offered by Toastmaster and its development program which is self-paced has resulted in a loyal and dedicated advocate for their programs. TM Vernicia once said, joining Toastmasters allowed me to be more confident in meetings; express myself clearly and made me capable of defending my views with ease. Through the training received, I was able to increase my confidence and unlock my potentials. One of her favorite quotes is from Napoleon Hill if you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.

President Toastmaster Marlene Toma and members of the Saint Martin Evolution Toastmasters Club congratulates TM Vernicia on her accomplishment and for making the Club proud once again!

Toastmaster Vernicia encourages anyone one wishing to develop speaking or leadership skills to join any one of the eight (8) Clubs on the Island. The Saint Martin Evolution Toastmasters is the only bilingual Club and is located in Marigot, St Martin, and meets every first and second Tuesday of the month at 7:30p.m. at the Former Evelina Halley School in Marigot. For more information about the club, please visit our Facebook page, St. Martin Evolution Toastmasters Club.

Toastmasters International Press Release
All is well, that ends well, one could quickly say, following the news that the government of St. Maarten finally signed the agreement with the Netherlands on the border control. However, we are not at the end of this stand-off, that started with Prime Minister Marlins blunt refusal to even discuss the preconditions set by the Dutch government to the release of reconstruction funds. A lot of valuable time has been lost.

And the government continues to spend money it does not have. On paper, it might sound good, but in reality St. Maarten is facing a crisis. All around us, we are seeing the results of the governments lack of perspective.

The people of St. Maarten during these difficult times were being called to rally against what the Prime Minister called blackmail. Anyone who stood up against this stance of the Prime Minister was reprimanded as anti-St. Maarten.

The Prime Minister coerced the Finance and Justice Ministers against their better judgment to play along, over the backs of our people.

It was not about the conditions set by the Netherlands, it was a chance to put up an egoistic and self-serving fight.

It took a stance by members of parliament to say enough is enough. Could it have been solved in the Marlin coalition? No, because the lines were clearly drawn. You were either for or against the conditions and thus for or against the Dutch aid. From day one it was clear that there would be no compromise.

Opponents of the stance taken by the Prime Minister were accused of selling their souls for a few pieces of silver. Imagine!

And then to add insult to injury.

Because the governments actions were disapproved of by Parliament, the government saw it fit to dissolve parliament and decree elections. The inconsistencies and outright illegalities of this decision are as glaring as can be. And then to blame it on the laws not being in synch with the constitution?

While the notorious article 59 of our constitution in the mind of the government (when convenient) is untouchable, the government changed the election date and said it was due to practicalities.

But better yet, if parties would agree to a national government, then the election could be canceled all together, the Government leader claims.

How convenient!

The Parliament is still awaiting the Integrity chamber draft ordinance from the government. What game will now be played? If Parliament does not receive this draft, it cant handle it and this will create another roadblock.

Today the Justice Minister proudly announces the signing of the border control agreement. Thats his responsibility, clearly, but does he not at least owe the people an explanation?

All that sabre-rattling was but a sick game. I want to see how the Integrity Chamber ordinance will go, also in Parliament. Will games be played there too?

2 months and 10 days after hurricane Irma we are where we are, stressed, anxious, mad, faced with unwanted elections because the Prime Minister decided to act out his imaginary battle for autonomy against the Dutch, when we could least afford it.

Press Release from Leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams
His term also will be concurrent to a two-year term in youth prison to which he was sentenced in August by Judge Diane Druzinski in Macomb County Circuit Court for the assaults. He pleaded guilty to two counts in June...
Company makes a wearable mobility tool for blind and partially-sighted



At a live event at TELUS Harbour in Toronto last evening, TELUS announced the winner of the TELUS Pitch , a small business competition that awarded $100,000 to one entrepreneur to fuel their companys growth.

After shortlisting to three incredible finalists, iMerciv Inc. was ultimately announced as the grand prize winner. Dedicated to improving the confidence and independence of individuals living with vision loss, iMerciv Inc. works to create smart wearable technologies that improve the overall quality of life of the blind and partially-sighted.

Bin Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of iMerciv, pitched his business along with nearly 3,000 other entrepreneurs, many of whom delivered their pitch in a life-size travelling TELUS Pitch elevator at small business conferences across the country. Liu is an engineer by trade and was inspired to found the company following his fathers vision loss and diagnosis of inoperable glaucoma.

iMerciv recently launched its first product, the BuzzClip, a wearable mobility tool that helps people with vision loss better avoid collisions. The device uses ultrasound to detect obstacles that may lie directly in one's path. It then notifies the user of these obstacles through intuitive vibrations, allowing the user to safely navigate around any objects that they may encounter, particularly at head level.

Each of the finalists are exceptional entrepreneurs who have dedicated their lives to solving very important but vastly different problems, said Arlene Dickinson, CEO of District Ventures Capital and Dragon on CBCs Dragons Den. iMerciv took home the grand prize because the team is working to create life-changing technologies, and they have a defined plan for how theyll use the $100,000 to expand their business and offerings. I cant wait to watch their progress and growth.

The iMerciv team will be using the $100,000 prize to ramp up their sales and marketing efforts by hiring a sales team to generate new leads and expand their presence in the 11 countries where the company currently has a customer base. By allocating the prize money towards growth, iMerciv hopes to generate additional revenue in order to more easily build new products. The company will also use the prize money to supplement the research and development costs associated with a second product they are currently in the process of creating that will help further improve the lives of those living with partial vision loss or blindness.

"Being selected as the winner of the TELUS Pitch contest out of thousands of talented, dedicated small business owners from across the country is incredible. Were grateful for this opportunity and so thankful to TELUS for hosting a contest to support Canadian startups and the judges for believing in our team and product, said Liu. "Building technical solutions to complex problems can be extremely difficult with a limited budget, and this $100,000 is going to allow us to grow and help so many more people.

This year's other semi-finalists included Flashfood and JamStack , who each received a $10,000 prize.

TELUS also awarded one "Most Promising Startup" prize to Emma Harris, CEO of Healthy Pet, a telehealth company that connects local veterinarians with pet parents through video so pet owners can access affordable pet healthcare on demand from the comfort of their homes.

This prize consisted of $5,000 of Samsung technology and $5,000 of mentoring and marketing services from startup marketing firm Eighty-Eight.

TELUS also presented a Community Impact award to Jennifer Turliuk, CEO of Maker Kids which runs childrens programs, camps and parties teaching coding, robotics and Minecraft.

This award consisted of $ 10,000  plus an additional $10,000 for the winner to donate to a charity of its choice.

TELUS is proud to recognize these Canadian entrepreneurs as true innovators who are not only reshaping traditional industries, but also giving back to their communities in a meaningful way, said Suzanne Trusdale, vice-president, Small Business Solutions, TELUS.

"Entrepreneurs are the heart of Canada's economy, and as a company whose culture is built on a philosophy of we give where we live we are encouraged to see smaller companies doing the same and we are excited to support their success.
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Insiders have also let slip to the press that negotiators keep returning to issues that were supposedly resolved, such as European issues and climate change . Financial issues are also proving highly divisive, with the FDP, for example, insisting that the proposal to reduce solidarity payments to eastern states by 8 to 12 billion euros within the next four years does not go far enough. The FDP would like to see the income tax surcharge, which was introduced over 25 years ago to help rebuild the states which once constituted East Germany, abolished completely.

'On Key Issues, We're No Further'

But, as expected, the issue causing the biggest headache is the refugee question, specifically, the question as to whether refuges who have been granted asylum should have the right to bring immediate family members to Germany as well.

The left-leaning Greens, on the one hand, and the CSU, which takes a hardline approach on the other, are failing to find much, if any, common ground on this issue. Growing animosity led to the talks actually being halted and the subject changed to finance. In general, the exploratory talks have been irregular, with issues sometimes discussed in small groups, sometimes in larger groups - and sometimes even on a one-to-one basis. None of these constellations have resulted in progress.

Still, the parties didn't spend the whole time arguing. While Merkel, Lindner, CSU leader Horst Seehofer, Goring-Eckart and Ozdemir consulted for almost two hours behind closed doors, the other negotiators got to mingle. CDU politicians were spotted in the Green' office, apparently playing cards. Out of boredom, others counted square brackets - signifying points of contention - in the 62-page draft of the consultation paper. By daybreak, there were quite a few. And everyone tried to gauge facial expressions. At 2 a.m., the chancellor, it was rumored, "definitely smiled," according to one FDP insider.

But what happens next? "Regarding key issues we're basically no further along than we were four weeks ago, which is extraordinary," said Kubicki at 4:30 a.m. "We are confident that we can find agreement if we want to," said Peter Altmaier, Merkel's chief of staff.

The next round of exploratory talks will reveal whether they do want to. It now remains to be seen if going into overtime will help Germany's politicians do what's needed to start forming a government. If they don't, fresh elections will have to be called.








Murder and sexual assault dominate the current news cycle. Every single day it seems we're reading about another beloved figure's sudden but complete fall from grace. The stories go back years, even decades. And as decent people read these stories, recoiling at the horror of these deplorable acts and empathizing with the victims and their families, a part of them must wonder, "Why did this take so long? Why didn't anyone do something about this?" Heinous crimes have many victims, which can make accountability a slippery slope, and it takes a brave person to step up and do something about it.





Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is the story of Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand), a woman fed up with the local police's failure to name a suspect for the rape and murder of her daughter. But what starts as an attempt to use humiliation to force accountability swirls into an emotional maelstrom that draws in an entire small town, pitting a broken woman against the authority that ultimately failed her. McDormand is one of those actresses that can absolutely sell any role she's put in, and in a career that plays as one continuous highlight reel this may be one of her best roles yet. Mildred is broken, but soldiers on with every ounce of resolve she can muster, willingly driving a divide between herself and the small town she lives in for the sake of shining a light on the real problem. We the audience don't always agree with how she goes about her business, but we certainly understand why she does what she does. Writer/director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges)'s witty, twisted, remarkable screenplay has a lot to do with this, but McDormand certainly brings a lot to this role.





The supporting cast members are no slouches themselves. Woody Harrelson is the police chief of the small town, and the primary target of Mildred's frustration. Sam Rockwell turns in another terrific, perhaps even award-worthy, performance as a disturbed but complex local police officer. It would be easy to cast these two characters in particular as villains in a story of one woman's battle with incompetent authority, but Three Billboards is not that movie. There's an unexpected depth and complexity to these characters that 99 times out of 100 would be one-dimensional podunk Keystone Kops, and in the capable hands of next-level talents like Rockwell and Harrelson, their plights become as vital and riveting as Mildred's. Even past these two the cast is stacked, with small but pivotal performances by celebrated character actors such as John Hawkes and a particularly funny and sweet Peter Dinklage.





And that is Three Billboards secret weapon: its wide range of raw emotions, high and low. The truly funny moments in the film are well-earned, hitting so hard that it often takes a moment to realize how well they've disarmed you until the story takes another surprising turn. It's tricky to say anything meaningful about the film in a review for a site that includes "spoiler-free" in its URL, as so many of its impactful moments blindside the audience with hilarity, or horror, or heartbreak. The story is busy but riveting, unfolding with impeccable pacing to a satisfying conclusion for our characters.









For its heavy subject matter, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a remarkably easy watch. The film is a showcase for great actors playing remarkable characters, drawing the audience in and leading them through the full range of emotions at a swift and satisfying clip. Every element of Three Billboards, from McDonagh's sharp writing and directing to superhero flick veteran Ben Davis's striking cinematography, is easily among the career best work of its maker. But it's the flawed characters, particularly the lead trio of McDormand, Harrelson and Rockwell, that make the film flawless. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri handle a difficult and possibly awkward situation with biting wit, emotional rawness, and seemingly effortless grace to craft one of the year's best, most fascinating experiences at the movies.





Share this review.

-Mike Stec
Once again, Harrison & Hetherington will host this years Borderway Black and White Sale and as always it offers an elite line up of world class genetics, with over 100 outstanding heifers being presented from across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Consignors from Northumberland include Absolute Genetics, Paragon Pedigree Herd from Hexham.

Now in its 31st year, this globally recognised event, being held on Saturday 2 December, has established itself as one of the most important dairy sales in the pedigree calendar, and this year the line up is stronger than ever.

Sponsored by Genus ABS and Holstein UK, the sale, which commences at 11am, includes a Soloman granddaughter from the Grand Champion World Dairy Expo 2015 winner, Lovehill Goldwyn Katrysha EX96 2E and an Ultra Stylish Diamondback daughter from the 2017 Agriscot Super Cow, I-Cow Huddlesford Rosann 899 VG88.

If you are looking for red genetics, the sale includes a Red Awesome Red daughter from Luck-E Advent Kandie EX95, the Senior Champion and Best Udder World Dairy Expo winner 2014 and Red & White cow of the Year 2014. There is also on offer an Atwood daughter from one of Irelands most successful show cows, Priestland 5235 PS James Rose EX95 2E.

Harrison & Hetherington dairy auctioneer, Glyn Lucas, explains:

The longevity and success of this sale is testament to the quality of animals being presented. Consigners have been incredibly supportive of this event over the last three decades and credit has to be paid to them for establishing it as a valued fixture on the annual calendar for pedigree dairy producers.
The business, which tracks crop performance through its annual harvest survey, has identified that while average winter wheat yields have slowly climbed since its survey began 19 years ago, growers are now seeing a wider range in yields from year to year.

George Badger, farming consultant and agronomist in the Strutt & Parker Cambridge office, said:

Up until 2008 you can see that yields were relatively consistent year on year, but afterwards the variability seems to be a lot higher.

Whilst the low of 2012 and the highs of 2014 and 2015 are a lot to do with the fortunes of rainfall and sunshine, we think there is another factor at play.

Our survey data, which this year covers 58,000ha, is largely gathered from farms in the East of England and the Midlands where blackgrass is an issue. It is our belief that part of the explanation is a shift to later drilling, as part of a strategy to tackle blackgrass once resistance to contact post-emergence herbicides became more evident from 2010 onwards.

Late drilling is an essential grass weed management tool, but it does result in smaller root structures which leave crops more vulnerable to weather extremes than they were when people could reliably drill in September.

Mr Badger stressed that delayed drilling (after 15 October) remained the right course of action on the worst-affected fields, as it gave growers the best chance of both cultural and chemical weed control.

But the data showed how important it was for farmers to make their decision on a field-by-field, rather than whole-farm, basis so that drilling takes place earlier in those fields suited to it.

The most important factor in determining control with pre-or post-emergence residual sprays was access to moisture, so getting the benefits of autumn rainfall was critical, he said.

An earlier-drilled crop, treated with a well-timed pre-emergence application when there is moisture available, could be better than a later-drilled crop with a pre-emergence application which remains dry in poorer seedbed conditions. Attention to detail is crucial.

In 2017, people who late-drilled second wheats were caught by the dry conditions and lost secondary tillers to the spring drought. This meant that crops of 6 to 7t/ha were quite common in the survey.

2017 Harvest Survey Results

According to provisional results of the Harvest 2017 survey, the most significant change in crop performance was seen in winter oilseed rape yields which rose 27%, from a disappointing 2.9t/ha in 2016 to 3.7t/ha in 2017.

Part of the reason for the improved yields is that only those crops with good potential were taken through to harvest, said Mr Badger. In the eastern region, a large area was lost shortly after establishment due to the dry conditions, with Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (CSFB) damage a secondary problem. Our estimate is that about 80% of the crop was lost in Essex at that point.

However, elsewhere CSFB larvae pressure seemed to be lower and the OSR plants benefited from higher June sunshine hours than we saw in 2016. This helped to push yields to 6% above the five-year average.
In a recent tour of British and Dutch farms, organised by Applied Bacterial Control (ABC)  a firm founded by a group of vets to target antibiotic reduction  delegates learnt about the importance of adopting an holistic approach to support animal health while reducing medicine usage.

In the UK, antibiotic use in farming has reached a record low, following a 27% reduction in the past two years, explains Richard Turner, director at ABC. But there are further targets to meet in the coming years, and its important to share best practice so farmers and vets can learn from their peers elsewhere in the world.

As part of the tour, delegates visited three poultry farms in the UK, which are using probiotics and natural acids to promote gut health. Faccenda, which owns the farms, starts by treating the chicks in the hatchery with a probiotic gel. It then treats the water on the farms with natural acids, both to sanitise the water and to create a gut environment that favours beneficial bacteria while inhibiting damaging bacteria. Finally, it uses a yeast extract to prevent pathogens from attaching to the intestinal wall, with essential oils to support the immune system at times of stress.

Over the past 18 months weve reduced our antibiotic use by 70% while also lowering mortality rates, and this system has been a valuable aspect of our improved performance, explains Stewart Newlands, general manager of the broiler division at Faccenda. We are finishing the birds 100g heavier and half a day earlier. Our pharmacy looks like Holland & Barrett, but it does work.

In the UK, poultry producers are leading the way, having slashed antibiotic usage by 71% between 2012 and 2016. However, other sectors are further behind, and could learn a lot both from the British poultry sector and livestock producers further afield, says Mr Turner.

As vets, we need to change our mentality, and go back to understanding the science. Its about better biosecurity, identifying and treating sickness earlier, and using everything in the toolkit to support animal health and prevent diseases taking hold.

In the Netherlands, ABC visited two pig farms, a calf rearing unit, a feed mill and two natural product manufacturers, exploring how the industry has managed to cut antibiotic use from 565t a year in 2007 to 176t in 2016. In 2008 we had the highest use of antibiotics in livestock in the EU, explains vet Rick Janssen, president of the European Association of Porcine Health Management. The government introduced a series of reduction targets, and the industry had to work out how to meet them.
STAMFORD  Purdue Pharma, the maker of the OxyContin painkiller that is facing a spate of litigation tied to its role in the opioid crisis, is proposing a global settlement in an effort to end state investigations and lawsuits, Bloomberg reported Friday.

Lawyers for Purdue raised the prospect with several southern-state attorneys general who have not sued the company, as they try to determine interest for a broader agreement, according to four people unidentified by Bloomberg.
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Greenwich Realtors may be hoping this years Christmas lists are full of suburban estates.

As of the end of October, the number of Greenwich homes sold for the year is down by about 25 when compared to this time last year, according to Mark Pruner of Berkshire Hathaway N.E. Properties.

There dont seem to be buyers for certain price ranges. In particular, between $2 and $3 million, which is usually our bread and butter, said Jane Brash of Coldwell Banker. There doesnt seem to be a lot of buyers out there, and those who are looking seem to be biding their time. Im not sure if theyre waiting for the spring or what.

The extended state budget-making process could be partially to blame, according to some Realtors. The number of homes set to close spiked at the end of October, according to Pruner, who believes thats evidence the prolonged budget talks affected buyers.

Given how sales are below where we were last year, to have contracts jump up, I think that is an indicator that the settling of the budget was a factor for some people, he said. To the legislators credit, they made some really hard decisions and came up with a budget with good principles moving forward, which should give those who know finance a good feeling. For once, they didnt kick the can down the road.

While fewer homes have sold total so far this year, Greenwichs high-end market has tracked noticeably more sales than in recent months and years. Of nearly 40 single-family home sales last month, 14 sold for more than $3 million and two fetched prices of more than $10 million.

The two outliers included a 9,800-square-foot Georgian Colonial mansion in Indian Harbor that closed for more than $20 million. The other is a 6,620-square-foot Georgian Colonial in Belle Haven costing $12.65 million.

At least three of the other significant sales represent properties where the former home was largely renovated or torn down and replaced with new construction. That list encompasses three Riverside homes that sold for $5.4 million, $5.25 million and $4.66 million.

Pruner attributes the increased activity for high-end homes to the rising stock market. I think people are looking to diversify their investments, he said.

Despite less favorable sales numbers between $1 million and $3 million, Pruner said he believes November and December will be better. Now that the budget is resolved, were seeing contracts going up in what had been weak categories, he said.

Meanwhile, the market for homes priced below $1 million is on fire.

If somethings listed for less than $1 million, you have to grab it, because it wont still be there later, Brash said.

Though that portion of Greenwichs market doesnt garner as many headlines, Pruner said, its worth noting all the activity. Its one of the most active parts of our market, but it doesnt get the attention it deserves since people focus on the extremely high end, he said.

Contact the writer at mbennett@greenwichtime.com; Twitter @Macaela_
STAMFORD  Telma was only 24 when she nearly drowned crossing the border from Mexico into Texas in 1991.

Telma, who requested that her last name not be used to protect her identity, now lives in Stamford, but it was a long trek for the now 50-year-old and her husband to get here. Fleeing the violence that plagued their home country of Honduras was worth it, though.

After a bus from Honduras to Guatemala and then another to Mexico, they walked for three days and three nights. Her feet bleeding, Telma had ditched her shoes.

All that stood between them and their destination was the Rio Grande River. Her husband crossed first, then Telma. But a sudden current pulled her under, and her husband jumped back into the river to save her.

Back then, nothing would stop them from achieving a better life for themselves  not the threat of deportation; not a long, agonizing walk; and certainly not a river.

Now, though, the future is uncertain for Telma and the rest of Connecticuts 1,600 immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the latest immigration target of the Trump administration.

TPS is a government designation created in 1990 that is granted to immigrants from disaster or war-torn countries, where the conditions arent safe enough for them to return, such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

It is given for 18 months, after which time it can be extended. Immigrants without criminal convictions can apply for TPS, which protects them from deportation and allows them to apply for a work permit.

Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security ended protection for the 2,500 Nicaraguans in the U.S. Hondurans, such as Telma, are expected to receive the same fate come July 2018, when their six-month extension expires. Salvadorans and Haitians were not part of the DHS announcement, but their status also expires next year.

Telma, through a translator, said she is fearful for her future. They came to Stamford from Texas because Telma had a friend here. With the help of churches in Texas, they traveled via bus to Stamford, but did not receive TPS until 2001  10 years after they had crossed the border. They were afraid if they brought their original documents to court, they would be deported, because the paperwork mistakenly read California rather than Connecticut.

They have two children, 11 and 12 years old, who were born in the U.S. Telma barely knows Honduras, but her children have never been there.

No easy solutions

Out of Connecticuts 1,600 TPS holders, 1,200 are from Haiti, according to data from the Center of American Progress (CAP). The rest are from countries such as Honduras and El Salvador, whose migrants most commonly fall under TPS.

The U.S. could lose $164 billion in gross domestic product if TPS holders from Haiti, Honduras and El Salvador are removed from the work force, estimates from CAP show. Some 1,000 of the 1,200 TPS-holding Haitians in the state work. If deported, the state would lose $75.5 million in economic activity, CAPs analysis showed.

Nicaraguans have been given until January 2019 to either leave the country or gain permanent residence. Considering the difficulty of the latter, Alicia Kinsman, managing attorney for legal services at the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, is less than optimistic.

According to Kinsman, unless the person is eligible for permanent residency outside of their TPS, there is no easy path to citizenship. For instance, just being the spouse of an American citizen does not make one eligible. Other factors, such as entering the country illegally, prevent these immigrants from gaining permanent residence.

Legislation could fix this in a variety of ways, like comprehensive immigration reform, Kinsman said. Our immigration laws are broken. They dont work for anyone.

Shortly after the announcement was made Nov. 6, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., signed a letter along with other senators and representatives calling on the government to reverse its decision on Nicaraguans and to consider extending the program for other countries.

Nearly 275,000 Americans have parents who are TPS recipients from El Salvador, Honduras or Haiti, the letter stated. Choosing not to renew longstanding TPS designations will result in these American childrens parents being forced to choose between leaving behind their children or living in the United States illegally and at risk of deportation.

On Friday, Blumenthal called the decision a humanitarian nightmare.

These countries would be forced to take back massive amounts of people who dont have lives there and would face a massive readjustment, he told the Stamford Advocate in a telephone interview. These people are fully part of the American fabric despite their status.

Blumenthal characterized the Trump administrations decision as a political move.

Theyre simply pandering to the far right base of their party, he said. It has nothing to do with the merits of this issue. It betrays our American values of taking in people seeking refuge in this country.

Blumenthal said he and his colleagues are in the process of framing legislation that would give TPS holders a permanent legal status. This doesnt mean citizenship, but would enable them to stay in the country legally. While Republican support is lacking, he hopes it can eventually be a bipartisan effort.

My hope is that the administration will heed our calls, he said.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and others also signed a letter in July, urging Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, then the Secretary of Homeland Security, to consider the economic and national security contributions TPS holders give to the U.S.

Continuing to extend TPS for the 10 currently designated countries serves our national security interests and demonstrates to our allies abroad that the United States is a leader in humanitarian efforts, the letter states. Deporting TPS holders back to their home countries would cost billions of taxpayer dollars and would result in several billions in lost tax revenue and economic growth over the next decade.

Their pleas were not heard.

Despite not having criminal records, they have become the latest target for the Trump administration, which also ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program earlier this year.

All of [my clients] are really nervous and apprehensive about what this means for them moving forward, now that theyve made roots here and complied with the legal requirements, Kinsman said. Theyve done every thing asked of them...given whats happened with DACA and Nicaragua and other countries, I suspect that most TPS designations would end.

TPS for African nations such as Sierra Leone were also ended earlier this year.

Every thing in terms of immigration has been a real struggle under this administration, so Im not overly optimistic, Kinsman said.

tclark@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2265; @TravClark2
For the last several years the startup machine has been cranking out new ventures in a wide range of fields, from software to whaling. No matter where you look, an awesome new startup seems to be popping up. And you want to be in on the action.

As luck would have it, you notice that a startup is hiring and you're more than qualified for the gig. You know going in that it's going to be tough and challenging, but you think the potential that lies ahead is just too good to pass up. Its almost a no-brainer. Youre considering joining an exciting startup that will change your professional and personal life forever.

But should you really join a startup? While it is true that the position may be full of potential, more likely than not youve been sold a series of myths. So before doing drastic, check out the following 10 reasons why you might not want to join a startup.

Related: The Pros and Cons of Working for Equity

1. You might not get paid.

Some startup employees work with the understanding that they are sacrificing a decent salary in return for receiving equity in the business. They'll just work their tail off for a couple of years and then reap the benefits when the startup takes off.

But this assumption has two major holes: First, the startup may never succeed. If thats the case, the equity in a failed or failing business really isnt worth much. Second, startups are notorious for being frugal once theyre being funded. That money has to last for who know how long.

So if you take a position at a startup with the assumption that eventually the owners will feel favorably disposed to handing you a beefy salary or pay raise, youre sadly mistaken.

Indeed you may want to second-guess your inclination to take that startup post if youre content with your current position or have an opportunity to join a better-paying company.

Related: Want to Work at a Startup? Here Is How.

2. You may not land a role on the executive team.

A reason some individuals gravitate toward startups is the idea that it might be easier to eventually land an executive position. But how many startups have high-level executives who are not the founders?

And the promise of an executive promotion down the road could be more of a ploy to compensate for low pay. You may end up not making a lot but have an awesome title. Such titles can also be offered during the initial recruitment. Since the startup owners are being careful with their money, the titles are used as bargaining chips.

3. Startups typically fail.

When you join a startup, theres a very real chance that its going to fail. Thats not being harsh. Thats just the nature of the beast, despite what you may have been told.

In 2012 the Wall Street Journal reported that three out of four startups fail, based on research, conducted from 2004 to 2010, examining 2,000 companies that had received at least $1 million in funding.

4. Youre going to work really hard.

You obviously intend to work really hard at any job you've lined up, but theres something completely different about startups. You might work like a maniac for an excessive amount of hours each week because the startup is in a race to beat the clock, trying to create a product or service and establish a market before the money runs out.

If you enjoy that kind of pressure, then go for it. (Most people want to keep their heart rate and blood pressure at healthy levels.) If you're willing to work more than 12 hours a day for little to no pay, then the startup may just be your thing.

5. Your list of responsibilities may be lengthy.

On top of the stress, long hours and low pay, you will have a lot of duties. You may be asked to do multiple jobs. Some people enjoy wearing multiple hats. Others like to know exactly what they have to do during the workweek.

But, theres a flip side to all of this. Startup jobs also include the same mind-numbing responsibilities that the big companies have. So, if you were expecting to try your hand at certain specific exciting tasks, you may be severely disappointed.

Related: Why So Many Startups Never Reach Their Second Funding Round

6. Everything can change quickly.

You may think that if things go south, youll have plenty of notice. But that isnt how startups function.

What if the venture capitalists pull their funding? What if the competition demolishes your business? What if Google enters the space? Or what if another recession hits? Numerous factors can determine the success or failure of a startup. And when the circumstances change, everything changes. One day youre working for a promising startup and the next you are let go.

7. Its chaotic.

Steve Blank, a professor at Stanford and founder of several companies, asks those interested in joining a startup, How comfortable are you with chaos? If youre joining a small startup, one with less than 10 employees, expect chaos every day you arrive to work. I've worked at several startups and it can be very frustrating some days.

If youre not one who enjoys having to be on your toes every day, a startup is definitely not for you.

Related: Ever Had a Boss Who Seemingly Thrived on Endless Chaos?

8. You'll still have a boss (or bosses).

One of the most enticing things about jumping on board a startup is sense that it means that youre no longer "working for the man."

But even startups have managers, CEOs and venture capitalists. If youre lucky enough to have a great manager, thats not a bad thing. This person will pull the team together and get things done.

And a startup funded by a venture capital firm is expected to deliver results on a deadline that the it probably set. Its the firm's money after all. So, don't be shocked if the office dynamics change if the startup fails to produce results or there's been a personality clash between the leaders of the startup and the venture capital firm.

9. You have to build a company.

Say you're an engineer or a developer who has gained notice from a startup. Instead of accepting the job and going back to work in a specified field, you have to build a company. That may sound like an intriguing challenge, but it's not the job you signed up for. As entrepreneur David Bluhm notes, All start-up people need to be business builders versus single contributors and view building the processes around their job as a primary role of the job itself.

10. You may have to pay for expenses.

orget getting wined and dined by a startup. The young company probably doesnt have the money. So who will pay for the expenses when it comes time to impress the media, investors and clients? Yep. This could be coming out of your own pocket if wining and dining is a part of your job description.

Everything from office supplies to cleaning services may have to be provided by employees because of a lack of cash flow. Though you could live without a cleaning service, will anyone really want to step into that workplace after a month or so?

A footnote: I happen to love working as an advisor and investor for the startup SEO Engine and wouldn't trade this gig for the world. Every day is so hard and yet different from any other. (Some days I'm not sure if my credit card will even be able to pay for lunch.) I continue to work on this startup's team because despite all the drawbacks, the rewards far outweigh the risks. I wish you the best of luck in making your decision.

This Entrepreneur.com favorite article was originally posted June 3, 2014.

Related: 50 Signs You Might Be an Entrepreneur

Related:

10 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Join a Startup

How to Make the Big Switch in Career Seamlessly

Growth and Stress: A Delicate Balance For Any Manager



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


On September 17, 2017, Ms. Yvonne Ambrose shared a heartbreaking story in front of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. She testified about her wonderful daughter, Desiree. She told us about how Desiree enrolled in JROTC because she dreamed of becoming a doctor in the United States Air Force. She wanted to help people.

Yvonne also told us about the last day of Desirees life. On Christmas Eve 2016, Desiree was brutally murdered by a 32-year-old man who bought her services on the internet from a pimp. Her mother stated, She was only 16 years old and just wanted to make friends. We know now that adult men found Desiree on social media, reached out to her, pressured her, and used her to make money. Desiree didnt know what Backpage.com was or the harm that would come from this website.

For many years, the furthest reaches of the internet have enabled some of the worst predators in the world. Websites like Backpage.com have been allowed to operate while selling and exploiting people for profit. In fact, between January 2013 and March 2015, Backpage.com earned 99 percent of its profits from adult advertisements.

Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world. Like Desiree, these victims are often young women or children, sold online like pieces of property within increasingly organized networks. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, reports of online child sex trafficking skyrocketed by more than 800 percent between 2010 and 2015. The cause for this incredible increase was noted to be directly correlated to the increased use of the internet to sell children for sex.

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), although intended to help ensure websites remain neutral platforms we can use freely, has inadvertently given broad protections to websites like Backpage.com, shielding them from any responsibility for the harmful and criminal content carried out by their users. The CDA was never written to facilitate the selling of children for sex, and we cannot continue to allow it to be used as a tool sheltering crime online.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee took action against this unconscionable practice by unanimously approving S. 1693, Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA). As a cosponsor of this important and bipartisan legislation, I could not be prouder of the committee. We must deploy every tool we have to stop human trafficking.

SESTA is narrowly crafted to provide clarity to Section 230 and would ensure websites that knowingly expedite sex trafficking can be held accountable in violation of federal sex trafficking laws. The bill also grants state law enforcement the authority to take action.

This legislation would hold the appropriate parties liable and give the victims of these horrible crimes the justice they deserve. The trafficking of young women and children in our society is an atrocity, and the internet can no longer be a place for perpetrators of these crimes to hide. I will be pushing for this legislation to move swiftly to the Senate floor for a vote.

We must protect our children from those who would use the internet to prey on them. The quicker we put this law on the presidents desk, the sooner the facilitators of these heinous crimes can be held accountable.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process, I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
SCOTTSBLUFF  The West Nebraska Arts Center, with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, will present a collection of original artwork, note cards, prints and more by members of the North Platte Valley Artist Guild. The exhibit, sponsored by Platte Valley Companies, continues at West Nebraska Arts Center through Dec. 3.

Everyone is invited to the gallery for the North Platte Valley Artist Guild Annual Art Show open house. The NPVAG Open House will be on Saturday, Nov. 18. The Open House features original, hand-crafted ornaments, artwork, prints, notecards, journals, postcards and more plus the opportunity to meet many of the artists. Open house hours will be 1-4 p.m. Coffee and desserts will also be served. The gallery exhibit and open house are free and open to the public.

The North Platte Valley Artist Guild is an organization of individuals interested in the visual arts who are looking for education, encouragement and inspiration. General membership meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at West Nebraska Arts Center.
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 current consumption trends show rather modernity in the case of Romania and should not be regarded as a problem, according to Prime Minister Mihai Tudose.

"After Washington Post and AFP spread all sorts of 'false information' on Romania's economic growth, even calling it the 'tiger of Europe', Pierre Moscovici, European commissioner for economic and financial affairs, argues in the autumn 2017 European Economic Forecast that Romania has the second largest economic growth in the world after China. Such bad a position to be on! So bad that we have performed the second positive budgetary revision this year and allocated more money for health, education, social security, infrastructure and other priority areas of government, while sticking to the 2.96-percent budget deficit target! This is so bad that INS shows that industrial output posted a record 7.7-percent growth in the first nine months of the 2017," Tudose wrote Thursday in a Facebook post.According to Tudose, those arguing that this economic growth is based solely on consumption posit "a false problem.""This is the truth from figures, and those arguing that this economic growth is based solely on consumption posit a false problem. For example, the United Kingdom (84.1 percent), Poland (76.5 percent) and Croatia (77.9 percent) are countries with a higher share of consumption in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than that of Romania (75.9 percent). Consumption trends show rather modernity in Romania and should not be seen as a problem. We are trying this way to change perception over this false problem and attract everything that can bring added value to our project to modernise Romania," Tudose wrote. AGERPRES
President Klaus Iohannis stated on Thursday, when asked if Speaker of the Deputies' Chamber Liviu Dragnea should resign in the context of his new case with the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), that persons who are under criminal investigations should not be ruling the state.

"I have expressed myself a very long time ago. From the start, the persons who have been criminally sentenced or who are under criminal investigations should not be at the leadership of the state," the head of state said, prior to participating in the Social Summit on fair jobs and economic increase promotion, in Gothenburg.Speaker of the Deputies Chamber Liviu Dragnea is criminally investigated by prosecutors of DNA for establishing a criminal group, abuse of office and financial improprieties committed in the "Tel Drum" case while he was president of the Teleorman County Council.According to a DNA release, Liviu Dragnea, President of Teleorman County Council at that date, is being investigated for establishing a criminal group, for two offenses of use or presentation with bad faith of false documents or false, inaccurate or incomplete statements, if the act has resulted in unfairly obtaining European funds and for two offenses of abuse of office for gaining benefits for himself or another. AGERPRES
Romania's President Klaus Iohannis will be attending today the Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Goteborg, Sweden.

The summit brings together heads of state or government from the EU member states, social partners, but also other top-level key actors. It comprises an introductory plenary session and three working sessions: access to the labour market; fair employment and working conditions; in-between jobs: supporting transition."The meeting will address policies and initiatives in the area at European level to identify ways in which the European Union, the member states and the social partners can ensure the fulfillment of common economic and social priorities," the Romanian Presidential Administration says in a statement.Iohannis will deliver a speech to the session on access to the labour market.According to the Presidential Administration, Iohannis will emphasise the importance of education in ensuring that labour market requirements are met, and he will insist on continual adaptation of educational policies to technological developments and labour market dynamics.He will also point out the need to reduce youth unemployment through relevant educational policies, and also by providing incentives to employers.At the summit, a ceremony will be held to sign a proclamation endorsing the European Pillar of Social Rights.An informal meeting of the members of the European Council will discuss future actions of the European Union in the areas of education and culture."During the debates, President Klaus Iohannis will express Romania's support for those projects and initiatives in these areas, designed to help regain citizens' confidence in European values and to enhance their sense of belonging to a true European community," the statement reads.The President will also advocate intensifying cooperation in the youth area, highlighting the special impact of the Erasmus + programme (the European Union support programme for education, training, youth and sport) in building a European identity for young people and creating the skills required on the labour market."President Klaus Iohannis will underscore the importance of continuing the union's support programmes for the cultural sector as well as improving access to finance for businesses operating in this sector, given the role of culture in supporting economic growth and socio-economic development." AGERPRES
President Iohannis has his opinion of the tax reform, while the Government has its own opinion, which both trade unions and employers believe to be the better, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said on Thursday.

He added that he had not talked with the President lately.Asked if a discussion with Iohannis is necessary given the criticism levelled at the tax measures and also at the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), the prime minister replied: "I do not remember having been criticised for CVM. What is the accusation levelled at the Government? There is an institutional relationship, but we have not had any reason to activate it. He has his own opinion on what tax reform is all about and we have ours. It seems that ours is the better one, as confirmed by trade unions and employers' associations," Tudose said at Baile Herculane, where he was to attend a meeting of the National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).According to him, no one would threaten with protests besides trade union leader Bogdan Hossu. He mentioned that teacher's trade unions were present in the room two days ago at the congress of the trade union confederation, having reached an agreement. "They said that they still display willingness to manifest themselves, but not those in the education system - and I mean here CNSLR Fratia - only the private sector if and when the relationship between employers and employees fails to observe what can be observed from this tax package," said Tudose.He added that the economic environment is attractive to foreign investors. "Yes, it is attractive to foreign investors, given that there are foreign investments every week in Romania," Tudose said."When all companies announce that wages will not be cut - on the contrary, some will increase - can we not get out of this manipulation? Because January 1 and February 1 will come with the pay slips, then what will others say? " PSD national leader Liviu Dragnea said in his turn. AGERPRES
WASHINGTON  A year after Donald Trump was elected president on a promise to revive the ailing U.S. coal industry, the sectors long-term prospects for growth and hiring remain as bleak as ever.  A Reuters review of mining data shows an industry that has seen only modest gains in jobs and production this year  much of it from a temporary uptick in foreign demand for U.S. coal rather than presidential policy changes.  U.S. utilities are shutting coal-fired power plants at a rapid pace and shifting to cheap natural gas, along with wind and solar power. And domestic demand makes up about 90 percent of the market for U.S. coal.

Were not planning to build any additional coal facilities, said Melissa McHenry, a spokeswoman for American Electric Power, one of the largest U.S. utilities. The future for coal is dictated by economics  and you cant make those kinds of investments based on one administrations politics.

Coal plants now make up 47 percent of AEPs capacity for power generation, a figure it plans to shrink to 33 percent by 2030.

The situation highlights the limitations of presidential policy on major industries and global economic trends. As some energy experts have said all along, the forces that will make or break mining are well beyond the powers of the Oval Office.

A White House official did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump has likely done all he can do to help the industry, said Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, which represents major U.S. coal companies.

The government is no longer against us, he said. We now only have market forces to contend with.

Trump has taken action on many promises he made to coal interests in states that helped him win the election.

The president started the process of killing former President Barack Obamas Clean Power Plan, meant to reduce carbon emissions from power plants; ended an Obama-era moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands; ditched limits on dumping coal waste into streams; and started withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Now Trumps energy secretary, Rick Perry, is attempting to push a rule through the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that would subsidize power plants that store at least a 90-day supply of coal on site. The goal is to extend the life of some coal burning power plants, a move Perry says will make the electric grid more reliable.

While the full impact of Trumps coal policy could take years to understand, the changes so far are unlikely to boost domestic demand, energy analysts and utility officials said.

Back 100 percent

Trump has cast the coal industry as a victim of burdensome regulation.

The industry has lost more than 40 percent of its work force in less than a decade and seen production drop to its lowest levels since 1978. Its share of the power market has fallen to less than a third from about half in 2003.

Were going to bring the coal industry back 100 percent, Trump said at a rally in Virginia in August 2016.

So far, progress has been limited.

U.S. coal production is on track to rise more than 8 percent in 2017 over the previous year, to 790 million tons, according to the Energy Information Administration. But 2018 output is expected to decline.

The number of coal miners has also risen slightly to 51,900 in October, up about 2,200 since November 2016  but down about 70 percent from a 1985 peak, according to the Labor Department.

On Nov. 1, Trump cited the modest production increases in message sent via Twitter, asserting, It is finally happening for our great clean coal miners!

But these increases are largely attributable to demand for U.S. coal from Asian steel mills after temporary outages from their usual suppliers in Australia, according to James Stevenson, a coal analyst at IHS Markit.

During the first six months of 2017, Asian countries took in 7.5 million short tons of U.S. coal, up 97 percent over the same period in 2016, according to the EIA.

That demand will soon fade, Stevenson said.

We are not going to get a repeat of 2017, he said of the spike in exports.

Obsolete

Forecasts from utilities and the U.S. government reveal little reason for hope of a sustained coal rebound.

Utilities are expected to shut down more than 13,600 megawatts of coal plant capacity in 2018. That follows a loss of nearly 8,000 MW this year and 13,000 MW in 2016, according to EIA and Thomson Reuters data.

By 2025, coal-fired power plant capacity will dip to 226,380 MW, down about 30 percent from 2011, according to EIA.

Three Texas coal plants owned by Vistra Energy Corp subsidiary Luminant are among the latest to close, bringing the number of plants that shut, or plan to, to 265 since 2010  a figure higher than the 258 plants that remain, according to the Sierra Club, which has campaigned against coal.

Vistra said the closures were forced by lower prices for natural gas and renewable power  and not by environmental regulations.

Duke Energy, one of the countrys largest utilities, has shut down more than 5,400 MW of coal capacity since 2011 and plans to shed another 2,000 MW by 2024.

Over the next decade, Duke plans to invest $11 billion in new natural gas and renewable power  and nothing in new coal-fired generation, said spokesman Rick Rhodes.

A Nov. 2 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis  which has two of the largest coal producers in its district, Peabody and Arch Coal  said coal-fired power plants may eventually become obsolete.

Coal companies believe they can survive despite the troubling market outlook.

St. Louis-based Peabody expects a modest number of coal power plant retirements in the coming years, with some of that lost capacity shifting to remaining plants that will increase output, spokesman Vic Svec said. Logan Bonacorsi, a spokeswoman for Creve Coeur-based Arch, offered a similar forecast.

Robert Murray, the chief executive of privately-held Murray Energy Corp.  one of Americas biggest underground miners and controlling partner in St. Louis-based Foresight Energy  said Trump could do more for the industry. The administration, Murray said, should end tax breaks for wind and solar power and reverse an EPA finding that carbon emissions endanger human health.

But Trumps tax bill last week preserved most solar incentives, which have bipartisan backing. And the EPA has so far steered clear of the so-called endangerment finding on emissions that is the basis of many fossil-fuel regulations, given the breadth of scientific evidence that would be needed to reverse it.

Murray Energy, meanwhile, announced on Oct. 31 it will buy a 30.5 percent stake in a coal-mining partnership in Utah called Canyon Consolidated Resources LLC.

The deal might help the companies cut costs, but its unlikely to help workers: Murray said about 200 of 1,000 jobs in Utah could be lost.

Scott DiSavino of Reuters contributed to this report from New York.
SEATTLE  The tightest U.S. labor market this century is putting pressure on margins for freight haulers and warehouse operators as they bid for hundreds of thousands of workers to move packages during the peak holiday period.

Transportation and delivery companies from United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx to XPO Logistics and Werner Enterprises are raising pay beyond national averages, offering attendance bonuses, and adding attractive new trucks to their fleets.

Competition for seasonal workers has intensified this year as Amazon.com Inc. and others have set ambitious hiring goals in anticipation of strong holiday shopping.

A risk for established delivery and trucking companies is that Amazon, which has beefed up its own delivery operations, could use its own networks more instead of paying vendors higher prices.

Transportation companies must also weed out applicants who fail drug tests. Additionally, the companies faced disruptions from summer hurricanes that idled thousands of workers.

The added costs are pinching margins at some of the biggest U.S. logistics companies. Last week, trucking giants Schneider National, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc., and flatbed carrier Daseke Inc. missed analyst earnings expectations, partly due to driver pay hikes.

Jason Seidl, a Cowen & Co. analyst, said solid freight demand should push truck contract prices higher, but earnings for the next few quarters could be somewhat curtailed by driver costs and the timing of contracts.

For UPS, cost pressures from peak season hiring and higher purchased transportation in certain locations could pressure margins and affect the success of the holiday season, Credit Suisse analyst Allison Landry said.

Trucking and delivery companies will try to offset higher wages by raising prices, said Craig Fuller, Chief Executive of TransRisk, which creates trucking futures contracts using industry pricing data.

Truck contract rates should increase between 6.5 percent and 12.5 percent in 2018  the top of that range would be record-setting for the industry  and a significant portion will go into drivers pockets, Fuller said.

Companies are seeking ways to offset labor costs. This year UPS rolled out peak season surcharges for residential packages, and has already announced increases for 2018. Separately, workers in UPS sorting facilities use Bluetooth audio linked to mobile devices to receive live directions on package routing, eliminating some 40 hours of training.

Rival FedEx is building out a network of drop-off locations to reduce residential delivery costs, which are higher than drop-offs to businesses.

Economists predict faster wage growth as the labor market nears full employment. The unemployment rate is now 4.1 percent, the lowest since December 2000.

Drug test toll

To get seasonal workers, employers are easing some hiring criteria but keeping others in place. For trucking firm Werner, which has invested in new trucks and raised pay, applicants were plentiful this year but qualified ones were not.

Werner hired just 2.7 percent of the roughly 100,000 drivers who applied, and eliminated more than 1,000 applicants who could not pass hair-follicle or urine drug tests.

Its very difficult in this market not only for Werner but for every carrier, Werner Chief Financial Officer John Steele told Reuters.

At one Seattle terminal, managers stopped requiring seasonal drivers to know how to operate a manual transmission, offer $700 bonuses for seasonal drivers who show up every day for a week, and cash bonuses for employees who refer peak-season hires.

Supervisors plan additional overtime pay as needed.

Median pay for truck drivers rose 4.1 percent from last year to $52,629, according to jobs website Glassdoor, well above overall wage growth.

As truck firms hiked wages in the past couple of years, industry employment has followed suit, Jefferies analyst Stephen Volkmann said.

UPS is using messaging app Snapchat to find workers in competitive markets such as Portland, Ore., and Chicago, UPS global recruitment strategies director Paul Tanguay said.

UPS is also seeking 2,700 rural drivers to deliver packages using their own cars, expanding a 2016 pilot program, Tanguay said.

He declined to provide specifics on how close UPS was to reaching its goal of 95,000 seasonal workers. The labor market definitely makes things more challenging to find people, he said.

Higher pay lured Seattle college student Forrest Lampe-Martin to UPS as a seasonal worker last year. The now-full-time employee delivers packages for $18.69 an hour plus overtime, well above the citys minimum wage.

I bring people things that they are eagerly awaiting, said Lampe-Martin, 23, said during a ride-along last week. I feel like Santa with a brown suit.
Tear Out the Heart is ripping its way into the next phase of its career.

The St. Louis rock band just split with Chicago-based indie label Victory Records, which released the bands Violence (2013) and Dead, Everywhere (2015) albums.

Now, frontman Tyler Kasch says the band is going the DIY route in an effort to maintain its artistic integrity.

It was nearly a year ago when we caught up with Tear Out the Heart before a concert at the Ready Room. The band was also in the early stages of prepping its third album for Victory, an album Kasch said would be more aggressive and in line with the bands metal roots.

The band began serious discussions with the label recently regarding that album.

The communication wasnt the strongest, Kasch says, noting there had been a lot of staff changes at the label. When push came to shove, we got on the phone with (label owner Tony Brummel) and chatted it out. It was a long conversation.

The label and band decided to part ways. It happened really quickly, Kasch says. Theres no hard feelings.

The band members wanted to release the album as an EP and drop a surprise single. They also wanted to go for a darker and heavier sound. All those things didnt add up to the equation of working with them again, he says.

Tear Out the Heart treasures its time with Victory Records. Kasch credits the label with taking a chance and putting the young band on the map.

Were forever grateful, he says. If they hadnt given us that opportunity, we wouldnt be a band today.

Kasch says its last Victory Records album, Dead, Everywhere, nearly broke up the band. We just werent getting along, and we werent on the same page. It wasnt cohesive of what the band is.

Now, the band embraces a totally hands-on approach, which Kasch admits is a little scary.

But the change is better for the band. Theres no looking back.

With record deals, you sign on for multiple albums, and thats crazy in 2017, when people are dropping singles and mixtapes on their own, Kasch says. Its a whole different industry. Were taking a page from that book and renovating how we present ourselves to our fans.

The new project will come from the bands stockpile of music thats currently in demo form.

We havent been touring. We havent been playing shows. Weve just been working and writing and demo-ing, piecing it all together, Kasch says. All five of us will get in a room and hammer it out.

The band has taken notes from another St. Louis act, Story of the Year, and the EP will be crowdfunded. In the meantime, the band has pressed a new 7-inch single, Up for Days. The single will be delivered as a perk to fans who contribute to the project.

If the crowdfunding is a big success, the EP could evolve into a full album.

Kasch calls Up for Days, with a video directed by Patrick Lawrence, the strongest representation we have of what we used to be and what were going to be as we progress forward. We feel like its a good steppingstone, so were leading off with that.
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Joyce Ann Huston had been scrolling through microfilm for hours when she saw a familiar name and screamed.

She had found Ellen Fisher, the maternal root of her family tree, in the Latter Day Saints Family History Center in Las Vegas on a census record from 1880. She had been searching for Fisher for years. Until this moment in 2000, Fisher only existed in the stories passed down at family reunions that had taken place since the 1930s.

Huston, 55, who now lives in Ferguson, had discovered the link that connected her black OKelley family to their white plantation-owning ancestors.

She had found the OKelleys slave.

Ellen Fisher was a slave on the OKelley plantation in Mississippi, and she refused to succumb to the advances of her master, so he blinded her in one eye and threatened to toss her into a burning bush. Fisher had children with two of the OKelley brothers, Huston said. She had heard this oral history for decades at family reunions. The story helped explained her grandmothers silky hair and light skin. But they had no proof.

Once she had the slave-owners name, she found a book about the oldest proven progenitor, David Kelly, born in 1763. (The Kelly surname changed over the generations.) Huston reached out to the author of the book, who was one of his white descendants.

Im trying to get more information to find out where my slave ancestor came from, she wrote. She was looking for any written documents to help trace where she may have come from.

Huston received a chilly reception.

Then, she connected with Argie Shumway, an 81-year-old, white Mormon genealogy enthusiast in Provo, Utah. Shumway had posted detailed family history on a genealogy site that showed their common ancestor. Shumway had been working on the OKelley ancestral line for years, just as Huston had been.

Oh, I have black cousins? Shumway said to Huston, without a moments hesitation. Thats fascinating. How can I help you?

This connection started a 17-year unlikely relationship between the women. In 2002, Huston went to visit Shumway in Utah. They share the same great-great-great grandfather and a love of family history. Huston made copies of records and books. Shumway said to her that they needed to document everything they possibly could.

Its easier not to believe something than to believe it, Shumway says about the white author who seemed reluctant to accept Hustons claims of an ancestral connection. Thats especially true when information challenges the world as youve always seen it.

Shumway and Huston nurtured their bond with calls and a few visits. Huston kept Shumway on the phone with her when she visited the site of the Kelly plantation in Mississippi. She called Shumway when her mother, Loyce Pickens Huston, converted from Baptist to Mormon in 2008.

Now the women shared a common religion, as well as an ancestor. Shumway called Loyce Huston to talk about her conversion.

Yes, now you find me a man, Loyce Huston said. Shumway approached one of the few black men she saw in her Mormon church in Utah and asked if he had any relatives she might set up with her cousin. She called Loyce Huston when she struck out with him.

Who said he had to be black? Loyce Huston, laughed.

A turning point came in 2012.

Although Joyce Ann Huston had the death certificates of Ellen Fishers three mixed-race sons that listed the names of their respective white fathers, James Edward OKelley and John Beattie OKelley, they got confirmation when a black male relatives DNA turned out to be an exact match to the OKelley paternal line.

We had found a relationship in our family trees, and our DNA proved it, Shumway said. What an exciting day it was.

Shumways granddaughter moved to St. Louis with her husband, and Huston hosted a party when Shumways son and his family visited her this summer. The Mormons from Utah got to meet their black relatives.

I didnt know what to expect, said Bradley Reneer, Shumways son. He didnt know if there would be resentment or bitterness given the brutal roots of their connection. Instead, he said, I felt like family.

There was a still a lingering gap in this branch of Hustons family tree. She hasnt been able to find an authenticated record of how Ellen Fisher ended up with the OKelleys. They know she was a house servant, a laundress and nanny in Perrytown Woodville, Wilkinson County, Mississippi, whose grandchildren eventually went to college. But Huston hasnt been able to find a ledger or bill of sale to determine who sold Fisher and where she came from.

Thats our genealogy brick wall, she said. Its devastating.

She and her cousin, Nikki Williams Sebastian, have self-published a book about their familys lineage.

We have ancestors who came to America to find freedom and ancestors whose freedom was ripped away from them, Williams Sebastian wrote in the preface.

Their book is about family. But its about more than that. Its a story about who gets to be included in the bonds of family. Its a story that helps explain why some black Americans have Irish surnames. Its a story of journeys, common roots and how our past informs our present.

The fact that some of the white OKelleys embraced them and other white OKelleys rejected them is the story of todays America, too. The fact that they still dont know what happened to their slave ancestor is part of America. Oppression and freedom and loss and rediscovery and reconnection and rejection are still the stories of race in America.

But for the black OKelleys and white OKelleys who took a connection in biology and history and forged a relationship out of it, their story is ultimately about family.

When Loyce Huston died in September, Shumway knew she had to be at her memorial service. Joyce Huston, a vocalist and trumpeter, played on a stage in front of the hundreds of people who came to celebrate her mothers life.

Shumway kneeled at the foot of the stage, enraptured by the music, recording every song on her phone.

Together, they documented the new chapter of this old family history.
BERKELEY  A Berkeley woman was charged Thursday with fatally stabbing a man in September.

Lachelle P. Johnson, 46, of the 6000 block of Madison Avenue, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Sept. 24 stabbing death of Paul Jackson.

Police said Johnson told police she twice stabbed Johnson with a "jabber," or a small knife, during a fight. Charges say they fought about 9:45 p.m. after meeting at a liquor store and leaving together.

Jackon was found inside the common area of the Madison Manor apartment complex. The complex in the 6000 block of Madison Avenue is just east of St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

Johnson was jailed with bail set at $350,000 cash only.
ST. LOUIS  Prosecutors have refiled charges against John Wells, a homeless man accused earlier this year of sexually assaulting four women in the Tower Grove South neighborhood.

Last month, the Circuit Attorney's Office without explanation dropped counts of attempted sodomy, sex abuse and assault against Wells but said his case was still under investigation and that prosecutors intended to refile charges.

A St. Louis grand jury indicted Wells on Oct. 3 on two felony counts of second-degree sodomy plus misdemeanor counts of sex abuse and assault, court records say. The case was suppressed until Wells could be served with the indictment Wednesday.

Police said Wells, 30, approached women and grabbed their genitals or buttocks on May 25 in the 3200 block of Bent Avenue and on June 16 in the 4000 block of Potomac Street. He is also accused of making "provocative" physical contact with a woman June 16 in the 3900 block of Connecticut Street, and of grabbing a woman's buttocks June 25 in the 3500 block of Roger Place.
UPDATED at 6 a.m. Friday with firefighters still dousing warehouse with water

ST. LOUIS  Wednesdays fire started small in the basement of a warehouse near 39th Street and Park Avenue about 10:15. a.m., but firefighters had difficulty finding the source in the buildings smoky and maze-like interior.

As the basement filled with smoke, flames and intense heat, firefighters were ordered out of the building with multiple calls over fire radios and loud horn blasts from fire equipment about an hour after the fire started. Firefighters continued to battle the fire from outside and the roof, but the situation rapidly deteriorated, St. Louis Fire Capt. Garon Mosby said.

The firefighters were ordered back, and as they were moving, there was a whooshing sound. Black smoke billowed out of the buildings doors and windows. Fire burst through the roof, and a wall on the south side of the building collapsed onto a firetruck still parked close to the building. It was 11:29 a.m.

It was such a close thing, Mosby said, that we had a roll call to make sure no one was in the rubble. Amazingly, while one firefighter suffered smoke inhalation during the blaze, no one was hurt in the collapse.

Firefighters continued pouring water on the smoldering debris at Park Warehouse Service into early Friday. A crew on duty at 6 a.m. Friday said they were dousing the building still to make sure there were no flare-ups. A commander said the flames had been extinguished sometime on Thursday.

The department also was monitoring the air quality. While the fires plume of thick, black smoke on Wednesday was hazardous to those with respiratory conditions, testing hasnt shown any particular lingering concern, Mosby said.

Mosby said firefighters were still trying to determine the extent of the contents that had been stored at the warehouse, which was divided into leased spaces. All kinds of goods were stored in the building, from a local publishers stock of thousands of books to toys and blankets meant for patients and families at Shriners Hospitals for Children-St. Louis.

The Environmental Protection Agency responded to the scene and didnt find anything concerning beyond the hazard of the quantity of smoke for those with respiratory problems, Mosby said.

One patient was treated at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and two patients were treated at St. Louis University Hospital for breathing problems from the smoke.

Cardinal Glennon Childrens Medical Center and St. Louis University Hospital are near the scene of the fire, and on Wednesday, officials had been notified of the smoke headed their way. They were advised to shut down their heating and air conditioning systems so that they would not pull the smoke inward, Mosby said. SSM Health gave patients, employees and visitors at the hospitals face masks out of an abundance of caution.

When serious concerns exist about air quality or toxicity, the fire department can call on the St. Louis Department of Health to investigate further. Health department spokesman Harold Bailey said the department had not been called in.

The fire, at 3937 Park Avenue, drew more than 100 firefighters Wednesday while crews from surrounding communities helped cover the rest of the city.

Mosby said there was nothing suspicious about the fire, but the cause may never be known.

Due to the damage to the building we cant determine the seed of the fire, he said. What we need to determine is what is at the bottom of the debris.

Its not safe to put an investigator inside.

Minutes from catastrophe

The firefighters in the building arent the only ones who had a close call. Shortly before the collapse, Mosby had been briefing reporters near the south end of the building. Inside, right behind him, the situation was rapidly deteriorating, but no one on the sidewalk knew that.

In a Facebook Live video posted by KSDK (Channel 5) reporter Abby Llorico, Mosby explains that vehicles moving and ladders coming down signify that the firefighters are repositioning to go into a defensive attack.

So were going to relocate your staging area to a safer place, because currently we are in what we call the collapse zone, Mosby told the reporters.

But the discussion of the move is not urgent, and TV reporters continue to ask questions, which Mosby answers. He tells a Post-Dispatch photographer he will talk to him next, and the briefing breaks up, with Mosby steering the journalists to an area farther from the building.

In Lloricos video, she is 40 or 50 yards away when the wall collapses on the firetruck, just 90 seconds after the briefing wrapped up.

The cab of the fire truck was crushed by chunks of the warehouse wall that fell, and bricks sprayed across the street. Thats when the fire department did a head count to make sure everyone had gotten away safe.

Mosby said the truck, No. 14, likely prevented debris from flying farther and hurting people.

We lost a fire truck but we didnt lose anyone, he said. Im going to say (Wednesday) wasnt a bad day because we all went home.

He said the fire truck was purchased in 2004 for $750,000, but it would cost more than $1 million for a similar piece of equipment today. The city is self-insured.

Nassim Benchaabane, Kim Bell and Michele Munz of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
CHESTERFIELD  A former St. Louis resident who is owed more than $300,000 by a private school here sued Thursday over control of the school and its assets.

The receivership petition filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court asks the court to appoint a third party to essentially take over Barat Academy and its assets in a process similar to an involuntary bankruptcy.

The suit was filed on behalf of Ronald Mitchell, a former pilot in St. Louis who loaned $300,000 to the Catholic high school in 2011, Mitchells attorney Steve Koslovsky said. Mitchell won a judgment against the school in August granting him $312,000, an amount that includes interest, in damages.

The receivership petition was Mitchells last resort, to get the money back, Koslovsky said.

If the court agrees well appoint an independent person to become the receiver, essentially taking over operations of the academy and deciding what should be done.

The school, founded by developer Paul McKee, has struggled with financial issues and lawsuits since its beginning eight years ago in St. Charles County, when it offered free tuition for the first year. It has been sued by creditors and by teachers for more than $400,000 in alleged missed paychecks.

Barat was the first new Catholic high school built in the St. Louis Archdiocese in nearly 40 years and the first in Missouri to be founded by a lay board of directors instead of a religious order. The school was evicted from its original campus in St. Charles County in 2011 after an insurance company sued the school for failing to pay rent. The school moved onto a Chesterfield campus that was once Gateway Academy.

In 2014, a judge ruled against Barat for $1.2 million in favor of the religious group that formerly operated Gateway in a suit over loan repayments.

Court records show previous judgments against Barat in favor of at least five other creditors since, not including Mitchell, that totaled at least $1.2 million.

We are not alone by any stretch, Koslovsky said.

Mitchells petition claims several of the creditors attempted to collect the damages from Barat without success. Each of the creditors will receive notice if the court grants receivership, Koslovsky said.

Mitchell loaned the money to Barat Academy after a suggestion by his then-stockbroker, whose family member was affiliated with the school, Koslovsky said.

While the academy has made irregular payments to Mitchell that went toward interest on the loan, the school has never repaid the promised amount, Koslovsky said.

He had been trying to work with the academy for several years, Koslovsky said. He has no other options available to him.

A receivership could potentially result in the academy halting operations. Koslovsky said Mitchell is aware of the possibility.

We dont really want that to happen, but at the same time we dont think its fair the academy is allowed to operate and ignore the judgments against it, he said. The receiver should pay the creditors back and distribute what assets it has to them in a fair and equal manner.

It would be a shame if the academy has to close but it would only be a result of their own actions.

The loss of the loan repayment has not affected Mitchells ability to make a living, Koslovsky said. Mitchell is now retired and living in Arkansas.

Officials with Barat Academy could not be reached for comment.
ST. LOUIS  Homicide detectives are looking into the death of a St. Charles County man who was admitted to a hospital in October.

Relatives told police that they took Phillip Campbell, 61, to a hospital after he was possibly assaulted on Oct. 28, but they didn't notify police until Oct. 30, according to the department. Police learned he had been found critically injured in a gangway in the 3600 block of Dunnica Avenue in St. Louis.

The police department said it was notified he died on Nov. 10. An autopsy Wednesday did not determine a cause of death, pending further investigation. Homicide detectives are investigating the case as a suspicious death.

Campbell lived on Chele Drive in St. Charles County, but owned a rental property on Dunnica.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this gave an incorrect hometown for Phillips.
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis police officers will be required each month to read and acknowledge a special order reiterating the rights of journalists, according to Interim Police Chief Lawrence OToole.

It states that members of media must be provided, at a minimum, the same access that others are given, but that scene commanders can use their discretion to grant journalists select privileges, so long as the officers duties and the safety of other members of the public wont be compromised.

Officers are expected to read such orders and acknowledge theyve read and understand them on a monthly basis, OToole said. Also, the department will send all officers an advisory asking them to allow journalists to do their jobs and increase officer training in dealing with journalists.

News media will be given every consideration by Department members so that they may perform their news-gathering function; however, they are not entitled to interfere with an officers performance of duty or the safety of citizens, the new order reads.

The move stems from an Oct. 26 meeting between Post-Dispatch editors, Mayor Lyda Krewson and OToole to discuss the way police officers have interacted with reporters covering unrest over the acquittal of former city officer Jason Stockley. Post-Dispatch reporter Mike Faulk was arrested in September while on assignment at a protest downtown.

The Post-Dispatch is encouraged that St. Louis city leaders have listened to our concerns about journalists being able to do their jobs amid an environment that protects them from unwarranted arrests and physical abuse, Post-Dispatch Editor Gilbert Bailon said. We are hopeful this new approach will lead to a safe environment for all journalists to provide essential news coverage for the public.

On Sept. 17, Faulk was among roughly 100 people swept up when police used a tactic called kettling to box them in and arrest them on suspicion of failing to disperse.

Lewis Rice attorney Joseph Martineau, who represents the paper, said the changes in protocol serve as recognition that mistakes were made in arresting the journalists.

But as of Thursday afternoon, no decision has been made whether to charge Faulk, said City Counselor Julian Bush.

OToole says that decision rests with Bushs office. Bush said his office doesnt have all the information yet from the police department to make a determination.

Following Faulks arrest, an attorney for the Post-Dispatch demanded the city implement protocols to prevent any recurrence of arrests of journalists who are covering these important events and who are engaged in no criminal activity whatsoever.

In addition to the special order, all officers will receive an advisory emphasizing that while reporters arent immune from arrest should they break the law, officers should otherwise do nothing to interfere with journalists ability to gather information and report it to the public.

The rights of journalists also will be emphasized as part of training cadets receive at the police academy, and will be included in continued training given to officers already on the force, OToole said.

If you look at the larger picture, we deal with the media on a daily basis. We have crime scenes every day and have for years. Our interactions are constant. I think this will help, OToole said. If theres a way we can improve, we want to improve.

On Wednesday, a federal judge issued wide-ranging restrictions on the ability of St. Louis police to declare protests unlawful and use chemical agents against protesters.

U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry said the kettle in which Faulk was arrested cannot meet constitutional standards, as it was conducted without evidence of force or violence to officers or property in the area.
Potentially harmful smoke no longer poses a threat to St. Louis residents in the plume from Wednesdays warehouse inferno, but officials are testing to see whether debris that now litters some nearby areas contains asbestos.

Environmental Protection Agency personnel and contractors were gathering samples Friday along blocks of Park Avenue and 39th Street next to the collapsed remains of Park Warehouse Service.

Theres a lot of material that departed that building in the fire, said Heath Smith, a federal on-scene coordinator for EPA. Our job is to collect samples and see if there is or isnt asbestos in it.

Smith said test results confirming the presence or absence of asbestos would be available Monday, if not sooner.

Smith said the charred, localized debris does not necessarily present a hazard, but advised nearby residents to leave it be until further notice, if they come across the material.

The agency was prompted to look into asbestos concerns after requests for testing were relayed through the St. Louis Department of Health and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Similar fire-related tests for asbestos were conducted in July, when the historic James Clemens House, at 1849 Cass Avenue, burned down. After the presence of asbestos was found in debris from that fire, more tests were done to check for airborne traces of the material. Clemens was an uncle of author Mark Twain.
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The members of Metropolitan Congregations United for St. Louis, along with Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity in Kansas City, stand in opposition to the attempt by unconfirmed state Board of Education members to call a closed-door meeting with the intent of removing Margie Vandeven, commissioner of education.

The state Board of Education is designed to be an independent, nonpolitical board. Vandeven has worked diligently to gather a team dedicated to moving education in Missouri forward. We support her efforts and deplore this attempt to politicize the board and remove her from office.

John T. Tim Sumners must continue to balk at Gov. Eric Greitens attempts to stack the school board with people who agree to oust Vandeven. As a new appointee, he is rightfully concerned with learning more about his job before taking such a drastic step.

Gov. Greitens duty is to nominate citizens to the board, and thats it. Then the state Senate must confirm them. We call on our senators to be just as troubled as Sumners seems to be about the governors maneuvering behind the scenes to force the board to do what he wants.

Lets be clear: Gov. Greitens has one idea to improve Missouris schools, and that is to vastly expand charter schools. He seems to be ready to do this by any means necessary, ignoring the state constitution and politicizing a nonpartisan board. We urge the governor to work with our school communities to improve education in Missouri.

Carolyn Randazzo  Ferguson

Metropolitan Congregations United for St. Louis

Jan Parks  Kansas City

Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity
As we have since July 2006, each Friday well post our sampling of cigar news and other items of interest from the week. Below is our latest, which is the 556th in the series.

1) Cigar giant Altadis U.S.A. has partnered with Nashville-based boutique outfit Crowned Heads to announce Montecristo Ciudad de Musica, a new cigar line that celebrates the lively spirit of Nashville. The blend recipe includes an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The challenge for us was in taking such an iconic brand as Montecristo and putting our fingerprints on it all the while respecting the tradition and legacy thats existed in the Montecristo brand since 1935, said Crowned Heads co-founder Jon Huber. The four sizesRobusto, Corona Gorda, Sublime, and Piramideare expected to be available later this year and will retail in the $11.95-$16 range (Piramide will be exclusive to Casa de Montecristo locations). Production is 25,000 cigars in each size for a total run of 100,000.

2) Raising taxes on tobacco creates a black market. Thats why it doesnt come as a surprise that New York City, with nearly $5 of local and state tax per pack of cigarettes (on top of significant federal taxes), is now the cigarette smuggling capital of the nation according to a report by the Tax Foundation.

3) Whiskey is popular here in the U.S. and overseas, and thieves in France took notice. This week the popular Maison du Whisky in Paris was broken into, with the bandits walking away with 69 bottles valued at nearly $800,000, including one bottle valued at over $200,000.

4) Inside the Industry: Today is the grand opening of the new Davidoff Lounge at Smoke Inn in West Palm Beach, Florida. The 14,000 square foot space features Asian-inspired modern design, with industrial touches, according to a press release. Tobacco barns and traditions of the Dominican Republic influence a palette of natural materials, structure, and warm decora design delivering a balance of varying materials and architectural features to create a sanctuary of luxury for cigar aficionados to enjoy. Abe Dababneh of Smoke Inn posted the following to Facebook on Wednesday: By far the longest project I have ever been involved in finally comes to an end. I dedicate this shop to all the amazing patrons who have embraced our [West Palm Beach] location for the past 17 years! I hope this new store makes for many, many more years of great memories to come. Dont miss our grand opening celebration Incredible deals all day and complimentary hors d oeuvres and champagne from 6-9 PM.

5) From the Archives: For almost a decade, weve shared what we plan to smoke after Thanksgiving. Heres a list of our nearly 30 past selections. Be on the lookout for our 2017 Thanksgiving cigar selections next week.

6) Deal of the Week: Here are 100 deals, including cigars from Ashton, Oliva, CAO, My Father, Tatuaje, Rocky Patel, Padron, Drew Estate, and more. Free shipping is included on any purchase. If you really want to stock up, add promo code GBP20D at checkout to knock $20 off an order of $150 or more.

The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Altadis / Crowned Heads
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Talking to the High Commissioner of Australia Margaret Adamson, the speaker remarked that Pakistans political leadership was committed to cementing Pak-Australian political engagement for strengthening democratic governance, a press release said.

He expressed satisfaction with the pace of political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq underlined the need for expansion of economic relations through sustained engagement of chambers of commerce and other business forums.

He urged the need for substantial and concrete engagement on pressing issues prevalent in the region and beyond.

He said Pakistani political and military leadership had demonstrated an unflinching commitment to eliminate terrorism from its soil. Referring to cementing cooperation with Australia, he remarked that parliamentary engagement between the two nations was the bedrock of robust relation between the two nations and further urged the need for regular exchange of parliamentary delegations.

Margaret Adamson endorsed Ayaz Sadiqs proposal for regular exchange of parliamentary delegations and cementing people-to-people contacts.

She acknowledged Pakistans sacrifices in global war on terror and added that Australia would continue to support Pakistan at the regional as well as international level in its endeavors for promoting peace, democracy and economic development.

Talking to the Canadian High Commissioner Perry John Calderwood, the speaker said Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with Canada and keen to further strengthen them through parliamentary cooperation and people-to-people and economic contacts.

He underlined the need for enhanced interaction between the parliamentarians of the two countries.

He said relations between Pakistan and Canada were based on mutual goodwill and understanding as well as converging views on important global issues.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said mutual understanding and cooperation would further strengthen relations between both the countries. Democracy in Pakistan was fully entrenched and the present government was committed to the welfare of its people, he added. The speaker said the present parliament comprised of progressive forces and were on the same page on issues concerning masses.

Canadian High Commissioner Perry John Calderwood appreciated speakers remarks and said his country also attached importance to its relations with Pakistan and wanted to further strengthen it though diversification of economic and parliamentary ties.

He assured the speaker that engagement between parliamentarians would actively continue in the days ahead.

He appreciated the contributions of Pakistani expatriates residing in Canada in strengthening the economy and development of Canada.
Brian Rogers

Rogers Rabbits

www.sunlive.co.nz

In just a few short weeks our new government and Prime Minister have made magnificent progress.

Not only does our new PM Jacinda Ardern know the best way to manage our country, shes instructing our neighbours how to run Australia, too.

She can now be appointed Prime Minister of Australasia.

This is because of an insistence that the supposed human rights issue on Manus Island is not being well handled by Malcolm Turnbull and his government, so its just as well Jacinda is on hand to sort out the mess for them.

Never mind that many of the rioting bad-asses on Manus Island are queue-jumping, law-breaking troublemakers. They have rights, you know.

And we dont see Mr Turnbull shoving his sticky beak into NZ politics and humanitarian issues.

Of course, there is a humanitarian crisis happening in New Zealand.

The shocking rate at which children are bashed to death in their own homes.

Imagine the uproar if Malcolm Turnbull decided NZ wasn't doing enough about its humanitarian crisis... the horrific level of violent child deaths. So he harassed our government and tried to evacuate all the at risk kids to prevent their NZ families and friends from continuing to beat them to death.

No different to the level of interference that our new PM is inflicting on our neighbours, just five minutes into the job.

Uh oh, fiscal hole

In other news, economists are jumping up and down about the latest projected borrowing of $13 billion extra that the new government will have to embark on, to cover their spend ups.

Does that sound a tad familiar? Wasnt someone talking about a projected fiscal hole of billions recently? The shortfall in Labours maths? And was scoffed at?

Isnt this exactly what Steven Joyce was trying to warn of before the election? Pfffft, what would he know? Our Australasian Prime Minister and her team know better.

Still, I would be surprised if Mr Joyce is suppressing the urge to say I told you so.

Not so polite here at RR, so I will say it for him.

Revolving doors

In other other news, New Zealands police stations will soon need to have revolving doors fitted.

This is to keep up with the increasing flow of criminals into police stations, thanks to extra police personnel allocated to catch them, and to facilitate their speedy exit from the stations, thanks to the abandonment of the Three Strikes policy that has, for seven years, been a deterrent to recidivist crims.

So effective, in fact, only two bad guys are reported to have ever been bold enough to risk it, and be convicted under the Three Strikes scheme. The many other thousands with two strikes, who until now have been trembling in their jandals in fear of being nailed a third time, can rest easy and go about their unrightful criminal business knowing that the government has their back.

And in really busy metropolitan centres, criminals may as well be issued with a Get Out of Jail Free card, to save the cost of transporting them to and from a police station, when in effect they are never really going to be held there. This will save greenhouse emissions, save the country millions and allow thieves, robbers, murderers, buggerers and fraudsters to get back to business fast and efficiently.

Home faster

It will mean that all criminals will now be sent home faster, since all of them will also have homes to go to, because the dastardly foreigners who have previously bought up all the houses before any New Zealanders could get them, have now been banned from buying existing houses.

Even though these non-resident dastardly foreigners only make up three percent of the house-snatching market, it is great to finally have some scape goats for the spiraling house prices and lack of supply that has dogged the nation.

The criminals will know this, because they will be well educated. In fact, their degrees in Criminology and Law will soon be free, thanks to another excellent new government initiative. It is being funded by the generosity of all the already-educated and taxpaying New Zealanders who have shelled out for their own tuition, training and education plus interest. They dont mind at all that while they pay off their hefty student loans, they are also being fleeced for the next generation of freeloading students to get it all gratis.

And the good news is, any Manus Island crims can be fast-tracked on the new programme! They can be credited with their first two strikes, so they dont feel disadvantaged on arrival in NZ, bringing them up to the same criminal classification as good old ordinary Kiwi losers. Welcome to paradise!

Catastrophe

Finally, another word of condolence about the unfortunate demise of the Prime Ministers cat. We fielded a barrage of complaints about our coverage of this in last weeks column. You nearly made me cry. Both of you. Nearly.

Just a point to ponder - if the cat was clever enough to tweet on Twitter, why couldnt it be taught to look both ways before crossing the road?

A possible answer: The cat only ever looked to the left.
Donna Youngman received her trophy and certificate at the New Zealand Property Investors Federation annual conference last month.

The focus of the award is on structural and decorating renovations. It is open to all members of Property Investors Associations affiliated to the NZPIF who are renovating or managing the renovation of a property or properties in New Zealand.

Donna saw a magazine ad for the competition, and after discussing the idea with other members of the Tauranga Property Investors Association, decided to give it a go.

I sat up until 4am organising it all, putting the before, during, and after photos on a disc, before sending it off the next day.

She says the renovation was finished in July 2016, and is the second relocatable home shes done. She and her husband bought the Poike section on which the winning renovation sits in 2002, back when there was only one three-bedroom brick home on the 679 square metre site.

The house being relocated onto the property. Supplied photos.

Some of the tenants had trouble keeping the lawns under control. While I was putting a new kitchen in, I had to mow the lawn at the same time, and realised it was quite a big job. So I thought another house on the site would fix that problem.

She initially considered building a house from scratch, but was told it would cost around $300,000. So instead, she paid a third of that to relocate an existing home onto the site.

Its a very unusual shape, like a teardrop. Its narrow at the back with the main bedroom, and gets bigger at the front. It was perfect for the section, though.

The 1950s rimu weatherboard house has aluminium ranch sliders and a new roof, as well as full insulation.

Since house takes up most of its section, Donna also made the decision not to have a lawn.

I put weed mat right around the outside of the house and filled it with a grey metal chip. So theres no lawns to mow, which is funny, as the latest tenant is a lawn mowing contractor. But he thinks its great.

The house and land have recently been given a rateable value of $370,000, and the judges for the award commented on Donnas excellent use of space on the section, and the paints she used  all Resene, of course.

I was pretty excited to win. I received a nice certificate and trophy, and I was surprised to be awarded $1500 from Resene. $500 also went to the Tauranga Property Investors Association.
NZ8260 was on approach to Tauranga when a wee mite called Kristie burst into the terminal and made a beeline for the automatic doors to the observation area. She pulled up short, and disappointed.

Closed indefinitely, says the sign on the door, due to terminal reconstruction. Sorry for any inconvenience.

So for plane-spotters, and Kristie, no wailing jet-prop engines, no whiffs of avgas and no up-close and personal with the ATRs on the tarmac for the best part of a year. Because Ray Dumble is future proofing. Hes spending $12.7 million dollars to ensure the airport stays ahead of spectacular growth.

A lot of people have moved off SH1 and onto SH2, says Ray, the airport manager, and they need to stay connected. Its all about connectivity. We have all this growth in Tauranga and we need to stay connected to the rest of New Zealand.

And the rest of the world. Because when Kristie is old enough to do her OE shell walk into Ray Dumbles vision which, by then, will be a terminal that will be more than twice its current size. If shes travelling with Air New Zealand she will check in all the way to London at a fully-automated state-of-the-art kiosk, tag her bags and drop them on a conveyor belt.

The airport will have all the trappings and a very big city feel.

There will probably be a bigger aircraft than the present ATRs to take Kristie to Auckland for her connecting flight. And she should have a choice of carriers. The budget airline Jet Star is apparently in a holding pattern over Tauranga Airport and due to start operating out of the Bay. Yes, theyre coming, and we have set aside facilities for them, says Ray. And we are talking to others.

And the current 14 flights a day of 50 seaters will become 70 seaters. Thats not far away.

Ray Dumbles been working on the airport expansion plan for two years. We started off drawing squares, story boarding. Now look where we are. The storys coming together - theres a binder thick with drawings, stats and plans. And the virtual reality fly through on Rays PC which will soon be shared with everyone on big screens in the terminal. People want to know what we are doing and what the outcome will be. They are being very positive.

The vision is no longer just a vision, or a virtual experience. Naylor Love Constructions now on-site. And when The Weekend Sun dropped in, a digger had just arrived and was clawing away at footings for a new back-of-house, or operational area, where the terminal creeps eastwards.

Its a game of numbers. When I arrived 15 years ago we had 444 seats a day catering for 70,000 passengers a year, says Ray. Now we are doing 368,000 passengers  five and a bit times the number. There were just 85 car parking spaces 15 years ago, now there are 680. That tells us something.

To cope with those numbers, and the projections, the terminal is more than doubling in size  from 1,700m2 to 3,8000m2. The cafe will double in size, with an international airport look and feel about it. The upstairs Koru Lounge will quadruple in size. Growing and reconfiguring  old walls down, new walls up, people moving, lots and lots of people coming and going.

When I doubled the size of the old terminal in 2008, people said what the hell have you done Dumble?

And when you wander into the terminal at 2.30pm on a weekday afternoon and its deserted apart from one cup of tea being sipped and a newspaper be picked over, that question appears to have some merit. What the hell is Dumble doing? The man shrugs it off.

Leisure travelers would probably say that because they dont see the airport at the three peak periods of the day, he explains. They travel off-peak because its cheaper, whereas we have to provide for when the terminal is at its busiest.

To answer his doubters and critics, the manager points to the terminals chocka block peak times  first thing in the morning, lunchtime and later in the afternoon. So hell yeah, we need it, says Ray. But do we need it right now? No. We are providing for ten years down the track.

The present open spaces at the front of terminal will be consumed by the new structure, which will stretch almost out to the tarmac. The walk to, or from, an aircraft will be reduced to 12 or 14 metres and therell be a 50-metre covered walkway across the front of the building.

We cant take the walkway too far out because obviously you have to have wing-tip clearance  but for the comfort and convenience of passengers, we will go as close as we can.

Inside the sprawling new complex, the most obvious change will be the separation of arrivals and departures. Presently congested at one end of the terminal, the arrivals will be at the city end of the terminal, with check-in at the other. The business traveler, without a bag, wont have to go through a busy terminal. They will be looking for a taxi or a rental car so we have taken them out of the terminal.

The big challenge is keeping the place operational without it unnecessarily impacting people. Naylors have an extremely good construction programme, and theyve thought about it long and hard, he says.

They are developing Nelson Airport, and thats about six months ahead of us, so if there are any hiccups there, they wont be happening here.

In Rays fly through theres a room, a space. Its there should the need arise one day, a sad indictment of the times.

Itll probably take just one more incident like Nelson and we will have to start screening. In that infamous 2008 hijack incident, two pilots wrestled a knife-wielding female refugee to the floor in a terrifying mid-air ordeal. Itll be a sad day for the regions if we have to start body and bag screening. But thats just a reality.

It would also mean passengers checking in 20 minutes earlier. Multiply that by 360,000 passengers a year.

And while ratepayers are nickel and diming over a new library and art gallery, Ray Dumble wont be calling on them. We have a huge cash reserve and the projected commercial revenues will do the rest.

But that doesnt mean there arent challenges aside from keeping the airport ticking over during the redevelopment.

Many people were unfamiliar with liquefaction until the Christchurch earthquake belched up grey silt all over the city  well, Tauranga Airport has its own silt issues. Enough to require 10 piles being driven 27-metres into the ground. Under the earthquake codes, when you construct a new building, you have to bring an old building up to the new standard. No point having half a building standing up.

All this development is personally very satisfying for the airport manager of 15 years. But its fantastic for the city  we just need another operator.

Its an airport, and its also a major gateway. We are the in-and-out of Tauranga, so we are image conscious. Everythings nicely mown and all the edges are trimmed. He runs a tidy airport.

And in just 12 months and $12.7 million later, it will be a state-of-the-art airport.
Cities turned to rubble, people destitute, starving, trapped and scrounging for shelter and safety. And its not just the adults, but children too.

It was the story of children in Iraq that tugged at the heartstrings of these local Bay of Plenty children, and theyre motivated to try and help.

The kids from the lunchtime group Adventures With Dad heard about the strife of children over in Iraq and have stepped up to try and do something about it.

Adventures with Dad is a group of fathers trying to take a little time out on a Wednesday  basically a long lunch  to just spend time with their kids and do something together, says dad David Hart.

We play some sport, go to the beach or go to a farm to see animals being born. Usually its something a bit strenuous,

Theyve secured a stall at the Papamoa Little Big Markets this weekend and will be selling their art and crafts, busking and raising money to send to Iraqi children.

But how did they hear about these kids 15,650 kilometers away?

David says Youth With A Mission Australia worker Stevie Lujan came to visit recently and told the group about his experiences working in Iraq and North Korea.

Stevie spent a lot of time in Iraq specifically playing games with the kids, says David.

These are kids that have been displaced from their homes, and the group he was with had organised a makeshift soup kitchen.

The military officers would say okay, you are safe to come this far up today, then the villagers that had been hiding or had run off find out where the convoy is going to go.

The group goes there, sets up, gives them food and, if they can, plays with the kids. They might stay for a couple of days  they just try to calm everyone down a bit.

The kids were really impacted by what Stevie told them about Iraq, so they started asking what they could do and if they could send some toys or something. Stevie had to explain that it was difficult to take random things in a suitcase, but if we could fundraise maybe we could find out what they needed and get the things closer to where it is actually needed.

So the kids will be creating their little hearts out to raise money for children in Iraq. Theyll have a stall at the Papamoa Little Big Markets this Saturday from 9am-2pm.

Its very much driven by the kids wanting to do this - the dads are just helping to facilitate it, says David.
Todays weather forecast is for high cloud increasing, and light rain developing in the evening. Also gusty southeasterlies.

Its a one-clothing layer day today with a high of 21 and an overnight low of 13 degrees.

Low tide is at 1.40pm and high tide is at 7.50pm. Sea temperature is 17 degrees. Theres an average sea swell of about 1.3m and sunset tonight is at 8.03pm.

If youre going fishing today the best fish bite time is between 12noon and 2 pm.

This day in NZ history in 1874 the Cospatrick fire killed 470 people. En route to Auckland laden with immigrants, the Cospatrick caught fire off the Cape of Good Hope.

The tragedy has been described as New Zealands worst civil disaster. Only three survived.

In 1947 on this day 41 died in Ballantynes fire. The fire in Christchurchs prestigious department store was one of the worst in New Zealands history.

And in world history on this day, in 1477 William Caxton published the first dated book printed in England. In 1865 Mark Twains first story was published. In 1928 Mickey Mouse made his film debut in Steamboat Willie, the first animated talking picture

Our quote for today is from Roy T Bennett who said "Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.

To find out about activities and events please check out our Whats On page. Take care and have a great day!
What I'd give for four more kilometres! said chief minister Fabian Picardo, about the restrictions that Gibraltar's geography places on its development. And what I'd give not to have 180 border crossings! responded Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell at a recent meeting in London. Mr Picardo and deputy chief minister Dr Joseph Garcia were meeting the parliamentary Northern Ireland Committee to discuss Brexit and the similarities and differences between the Northern Irish and Gibraltar borders.

There are significant differences in their situations. The frontier between Gibraltar and Spain is 1.2 kilometres, with one crossing point for pedestrians and another for commercial vehicles. Northern Ireland's stretches for 400 kilometres and has nearly 200 crossing points. Gibraltar has never been part of the Customs Union and is not part of Schengen, so its controls are necessary.

The Irish politicians were very interested in the technology which Gibraltar uses, especially to monitor the movement of around 13,000 people between 7.30 and 9.30am. There are 15 high resolution cameras to check pedestrians crossing the border, and 17 checking vehicle number plates in real time.

The Northern Irish politicians believe that their relationship with Dublin is better than that between Gibraltar and Spain. Picardo stressed that on a human level there is understanding, but Spain's claim to sovereignty impedes further cooperation.

Another difference pointed out by the chief minister is that the Gibraltar economy is based on services, particularly finance, insurance and Internet gaming. It imports food and consumer goods from Spain or the UK. The border between the two Irelands has to be crossed half a dozen times a day just in the process of producing a bottle of Bailey's. Its economy is based on farming, agriculture and industrial goods.

The only thing Gibraltar is losing is freedom of movement, explained Picardo. The British government has promised that there will be no 'hard' border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and there will be 'no friction', but nobody has explained how to avoid border controls similar to those of Gibraltar, at its nearly 200 crossing points, if Ireland remains in the Customs Union and Northern Ireland leaves this common tariff area alongside the UK.

The committee asked the chief minister why Gibraltar didn't become part of the Customs Union when the UK joined the former CEE in 1972. Because we had no frontier with Europe, he answered. Spain wasn't in the EC and it had closed the border. Gibraltar, isolated, developed its own taxation system, and so it is actually better equipped than the UK to deal with Brexit.
On 17 November 2009, forty-seven days after its capture, the Alakrana tuna boat and the crew on board were freed after being held hostage by Somali pirates. The Spanish fishing boat, based in the Basque port of Bermeo, was sailing in international waters of the Indian Ocean when it was captured on 2 October 2009. The hijack was the second attack from Somali pirates against the Alakrana in less than a month.

The seven weeks of the vessel's capture saw a great deal of tension; the day after the Alakrana was seized, two Somali pirates were captured by the Spanish Navy and put on trial in Madrid with charges of kidnapping and armed assault and later sentenced to 439 years in prison for the hijack. In retaliation, the Somali hijackers threatened to kill three of the Spanish crew members if the detained pirates were not released.

On 7 November 2009 the families of the 36 kidnapped sailors asked for authorities to cooperate with the Somali criminals and release the arrested pirates in order to guarantee the freedom of the hostages. Thousands of people demonstrated in Vigo and Bermeo, which is where the majority of crew members came from, to further reiterate this demand.

However in the end the crew were freed without the release of the Somalis held in Spain.

Pirate spokesmen told the press at the time of the vessel's release that they were receiving a ransom of 2.5 million euros for handing over the ship and crew. When prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced the &ldquovery good news&rdquo on 17 November 2009, he neither confirmed nor denied this. In his announcement he said, with a smile, that all crew members were &ldquosafe and sound&rdquo and that the &ldquogovernment did what it had to do&rdquo. After the ship's liberation, it sailed freely to Victoria in the Seychelles, arriving there on 20 October. During the ship's release, Spanish forces attempted, to no avail, to capture the pirates who led the hijack while they were fleeing the Alakrana.

From the date of the hijack until the ship's release, the story of the Alakrana was followed closely by the Spanish public, with the news of its liberation triggering excitement and relief around the country. All of the sailors were greeted in the Basque Country and Galicia with banners and celebrations when arriving home.

In 2009, Somali pirates held 10 captured vessels, with over 200 hostages. On the same day of the Alakrana's release, pirates attacked and captured a chemical vessel, the Theresa VIII, on its way to Kenya. The vessel, which was made up of mostly Korean crew, was later released.

As a result of the incident with the Alakrana, on 2 November 2009 Spanish laws were changed to allow security guards to carry firearms of up to 12.7 millimetres on board ships displaying a Spanish flag, provided that the weapon is bought from Spanish arms manufacturers or distributors. It was hoped that this measure would prevent further capture of Spanish vessels and sailors.
'Thirty campers held after Wild West battle' reported the front page of the Daily Mail on Saturday 5 August 1961.

Colin Stoddart, now retired and living in Calahonda, was among the young men who were arrested after a gang fight that took place on St Osyth beach in Clacton.

It was the beginning of a new dawn, one of the most magical eras in the UK, and Colin had been involved in the first recorded bank holiday altercation between the leather-clad rockers and the clothes-focused, young men known as Mods.

This story is among the many that are recalled in Mods to Rockers, a new book available from Amazon, in which Colin recounts his experiences in the music scene of the 1960s.

Colin was born in East London in 1943 and was educated at St Edward's Church of England School in Romford. On leaving school, he went to work for a national high street bank, although his brush with the police in Clacton almost ended his career in banking. During this dark period Colin found solace in being the lead guitarist of a popular local group.

His prevailing love of the guitar and rock 'n' roll music had prompted him to form a group with his friends at school, and so he pursued a parallel career over the next eight years while continuing to work in the bank.

Colin and his generation were at the forefront of a new style, beat and ethos that would take Britain into a brighter and more confident future. His recently published book tells the story of a young man bearing witness to one of the greatest decades Britain ever knew. From his last day at school to supporting some of the era's most iconic groups with his band, The Candles, Colin recalls this exciting period with the utmost precision.

I have a very good memory and I have always hoarded stuff like concert posters and newspaper clippings, so writing the book was not too hard. The difficult part was deciding what to leave out, the former guitarist tells SUR in English.

Mods to Rockers tells the tale of a young man's journey into adulthood, his pursuit of stardom, the dawn of a new scene laced with 'Purple Hearts', and the call of the dingy pubs and clubs of London. Colin relives the very early years of the British rock 'n' roll era, sharing a stage with many emerging British acts, like The Who, Tom Jones, Dave Clark Five, The Merseybeats, and other groups of the time.

One of the author's most treasured memories was playing on the same stage as one of his childhood heroes, the wild man of rock 'n' roll, Jerry Lee Lewis. Another was his first encounter with The Who, the most outlandish band of the time. We were both on the same bill and Roger Daltrey asked if they could use our gear. We had just brought new amps and a drum kit, so we said no: imagine our relief when we saw how they treated their instruments, especially Keith Moon, Colin says, laughing as he recalls the incident.

This is a period that Colin remembers passionately, but by the end of the decade he had abandoned his dream and began working in the fashion industry. The youth subculture of the '60s took on the establishment and changed the world and I witnessed it all, Colin says nostalgically.
The council in Alcaucin has announced that it is working towards converting the town's museum into a centre dedicated to the Neanderthal man whose remains were discovered in the early 1980s near the 'Boquete de Zafarraya', just north of Alcaucin. It would also explain how the area acted as a border between the provinces of Malaga and Granada during medieval times.

The existing art and popular culture museum was opened in 2014, but has failed to attract high numbers of visitors. The new name for the site would be 'Centro de Interpretacion del Neandertal y Alcaucin Tierra de Fronteras,' (Neanderthal interpretation centre and Alcaucin, borderlands).

It is estimated that the conversion would require a 200,000 euro investment. According to the mayor, Mario Blancke, the area is home to one of the settlements with the highest number of Neanderthal remains discovered in Spain. The jaw, tibia and a number of femur bones which date as far back as 35,000 years BC were unearthed during a dig in the early 1980s and the findings led to important discoveries about the life of this extinct species.

The opening of the interpretation centre would allow Alcaucin to demonstrate the importance of the discovery in the Boquete de Zafarraya cave, also known as the Zafarraya cave.

Excavations

The first official archaeological excavations took place between 1981 and 1983. The cave opening is at the bottom of a limestone cliff at 1,022 metres above sea level. The cave itself is small and only goes 20 metres back into the rock, while its width varies between just 500 centimetres in places to 2.5 metres. It is believed that the cave was only used as a base by up to 10 Neanderthals during summer months while hunting.

Blancke added that the town hall, along with Malaga's Diputacion will invest the 200,000 euros. They will collaborate with Velez-Malaga's Museo Municipal de Velez (MUVEL) and Velez-Malaga town hall's archaeologist, Emilio Martin, who said, We aim to have the centre open in October 2018.

According to Blancke, the centre will also explain the history of the Zalia fortress, which also belongs to Alcaucin and is situated near the Malaga to Granada road which passes through the Boquete de Zafarraya.
The last few days have seen Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy in Catalonia, asking Catalans to restore normality in the regional election he has called for December 21st. Rajoy hopes that Catalans will quash the secession movement once and for all (or at least for the moment) by voting for parties who oppose the region's independence; and if such a vote is returned, says Rajoy, his government will raise Spain's official growth forecast for 2018 to around 3%, up from the current 2.3%. For Rajoy, the medium-term health of the Spanish economy depends on the December 21st vote.

Rajoy's administration is understandably concerned about what might happen if the Catalonia crisis continues into next year. Indeed, the Popular Party lowered its estimate for next year's GDP expansion from 2.6% a few weeks ago, in light of the chaos unleashed by an illegal referendum on Catalonian independence on October 1st.

The EU is slightly more optimistic than the Spanish government in its forecast for 2018: currently, its estimate for GDP expansion stands at 2.5%, with the caveat that that figure might have to be revised if the Catalonia issue isn't resolved by the end of this year. Brussels has also predicted, somewhat strangely, that Spain will reduce its budget deficit to 2.4% of GDP in 2018, thus bringing it within their EU-wide limit of 3%. The EU seems to be forgetting that during its time in office, Rajoy's government has missed every single one of the EU's budgetary targets.

The outcome of the December 21st election in Catalonia will impact on Spain's ability to meet its most pressing fiscal goals in 2018, from bringing its unruly budget in line to maintaining GDP growth. Which begs the question of what's likely to happen when Catalans head to the ballot boxes in four weeks' time. The latest polls suggest that it will be a knife-edge vote: a GAD3 survey a couple of weeks ago indicated that pro-independence parties will gain a slim majority in the Catalan parliament, whilst a poll in La Razon newspaper showed that secessionists will win the most seats (65) but miss out on a majority.

Rajoy's life would undoubtedly become a lot easier if Catalonia's pro-independence parties are beaten on December 21st. But if secessionists do find themselves with a parliamentary majority after the vote, then a new and complex phase of the Catalonia issue will begin. Currently, the main separatist parties disagree on whether to push on for full independence or campaign for greater regional autonomy, even though Catalonia currently enjoys a substantial amount of independence from Madrid (or at least it did before Rajoy seized control of the region). Either way, the secessionists want the inauguration of a new status quo in Spain - precisely the opposite of the restoration of normality for which Rajoy is hoping.
Wythe County School Superintendent Jeff Perry is one of four finalists for the school director position in Hamblen County, Tennessee. The finalists were named during a Hamblen County school board meeting this week.

Perry said he applied for the position for several reasons. He said he and his wife own a home in the Hamblen County area and always planned to retire there. Plus, the Tennessee location is closer to his wifes work as a pharmaceutical rep in Kingsport and to his daughter and granddaughter in Wise County.

Our plans always centered around retiring in Tennessee to that particular area, he said. And this opportunity just came up quickly and unexpectedly, and it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Perry said he thoroughly enjoys his position as superintendent in Wythe County and that no internal forces are encouraging him to leave.

I have a great working relationship with my board, and I am able to work with a highly dedicated group of leaders in the Central Office, he said. Our principals are exceptional and our teachers are some of the best educators I have ever worked with in my career. The most important thing is that there are no internal reasons that are pushing me out, but there are some external reasons as to why I have applied.

Another reason Perry is considering a job in Tennessee is that it would enable him to retire and draw retirement benefits from Virginia and still work in Tennessee.

Perry, who has worked for more than 30 years in Virginia, said he has no intentions of leaving public education.

I still love it, he said.

Tennessee is an open interview state, so Perry knew he would be named if he was a finalist for the job. When the news broke, he was attending the Virginia School Boards Association annual conference in Williamsburg.

I knew that it was going to come out; I just thought it would be next week, he said. I talked to the board and to the leadership team. But I have not had the opportunity to talk with principals. And Im also not presumptuous. There are many good candidates; I may or may not be selected.

Perry moved to Wythe Countys school system in July 2015, after helming Wise Countys division. Under his direction, Wise County was ranked as the fourth top-producing academic school in the state.

Under Perrys leadership, Wythe County schools greatly improved their SOL scores, placing the school system in the top 10 academic school systems in the state.

In April, Perry was named Superintendent of the Year for the 19-division Region 7 area.

While the chief of the Wise school system, Perry oversaw consolidation of the countys six high schools into three, constructing two all-new facilities.

This year, the Wythe County school system and several individual schools earned Virginia Index Performance Awards. Wythe, Wise and Scott counties were the only divisions from Southwest Virginia to earn the statewide honor.

Perry is credited with creating a regional curriculum project used by all the local school divisions and in 11 others across the state. He also helped organize the proposed Small Rural School Coalition, which will meet in Wytheville in early December to formally organize. The coalition will work to represent the commonwealths rural school systems, providing them with a single voice to increase political power and influence and improve networking opportunities.

Recently, Perry came under fire from some local parents religious leaders for taking down a prayer plaque at Spiller Elementary after a complaint by the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation.

In addition, the school board unsuccessfully lobbied county supervisors to build a new George Wythe High School and combine the high school with Scott Memorial Middle School on the GWHS site.

Instead, supervisors are proposing an allotment of $10 million for renovations to GWHS.

Hamblen County is northeast of Knoxville. It has a population of approximately 60,000. The capital seat is Morristown.

Regardless of what happens, my primary focus is on the success of the Wythe County Public Schools, and I will continue to remain dedicated to Wythe County Public Schools for the remainder of my career, Perry said. So we are continuing to plan for the future and we continue to improve the curriculum and instructional program as if we would be here forever.

To reach Millie Rothrock, call 228-6611, ext. 35, or email mrothrock@wythenews.com.
No matter where you are, museum has time of first sunrise in 2018

Taipei, Nov. 17 (CNA) People who want to catch the first rays of the sun in 2018 without having to travel can now check when they will hit in their own neighborhoods with the help of the Taipei Astronomical Museum.
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Future-proofing through training

Training and professional development needs to be addressed at the highest level, if maritime safety is to be continued, concluded attendees at The Nautical Institutes (NI) 2017 Command Seminar series.

At the most recent event, held in Cyprus, attendees emphasised that it was important to ensure continuity in the maritime profession, to help seafarers make the most of new technology, while maintaining existing skills and knowledge. New technologies will be used to support the Masters decision, but mentoring and training need to be intensified in the new context of digitalisation, said speaker Capt Alexander Legowski of OL Shipping. This year, more than 500 people from across the industry, from cadets to sailing Masters and senior industry figures, have attended the NIs five command seminars. They were based around the theme of navigation accidents and their causes, looking in some detail at how the industry can best cope with the changes expected over the next 15 years. Concerns included:  The need to address the human element in maritime incidents.

 The problem of fatigue, and false reporting of working hours.

 Challenges of increasing automation on board ship, including autonomous vessels.

 Ensuring training is properly carried out  and that the results are monitored. The NI said it will be working through its position at the IMO and through its professional networks to produce and implement resolutions to these issues. Measures already put in place to address include providing formal professional training for navigation assessors, the establishment of an ice navigator qualification, and the relaunch of its flagship Command Scheme, which provides Masters and aspiring Masters with a thorough grounding that goes well beyond the minimum STCW standards. (An article on the NIs recent work will appear in the November/December issue of Tanker Operator).




Stena Bulk reorganises

Stena Bulk has reorganised its activities into three business areas - crude & fuel, products & chemicals and LNG.

In addition, its business activities previously conducted under the name of Stena Weco will be co-ordinated and incorporated into Stena Bulk. A new office in Copenhagen will also be opened in the next few days. As a result, the company will leave its office in Rungsted, which until now has been used by Stena Weco. This is a natural transition from the old structure to the new one where we now have total control over our business involving product and chemicals transportation in the MR segment. This and other adjustments will result in a clearer structure as regards our business and organisation, explained Erik Hanell, Stena Bulk President and CEO. At the same time as the reorganisation came into force, two new managing directors were appointed - Mats Karlsson (crude & fuel) and Johnny Schmolker (products & chemicals). After many years working with, among other things, the creation and development of the successful Sonangol pool, I am looking forward to taking greater responsibility in this business area, said Karlsson.. I have held a leading position at Stena Weco since it was started up six and a half years ago and I am happy to have a key role in the incorporation of the two companies business into a single business, said Schmolker.



In other changes, Johan Javert has been appointed as vice president, commercial operations, and Sofia Eriksson will take on the position of general manager, business control, WW. Bjorn Stignor continues as managing director of Golden Stena Weco in Singapore as does Goran Hermansson as the LNG business manager.



Stena Bulk products & chemicals, Denmark has moved in to the newly incorporated Stena Rederi offices, where Stena Line, Stena RoRo and Northern Marine Management also reside. The office is located in Copenhagen near the Port of Tuborg. Regional offices in Gothenburg, Houston, Singapore, Shanghai and Dubai will remain.



Earlier this year, Stena Bulk signed an agreement to acquire the remaining 50% of the shares in Stena Weco from its partner WECO Shipping. This resulted in Stena Weco being incorporated into, and wholly owned by, Stena Bulk. Together with Stena Wecos fleet of 65 tankers, Stena Bulk operates around 100 tankers. A third of these are owned and two-thirds are chartered.




NASA scientists have captured close-up images of a massive iceberg, the size of Delaware, that had detached from one of Antarcticas largest floating ice shelves in July.

The photos were captured as part of Operation Icebridge, an initiative led by the U.S. space agency that observers, measures, and images polar ice on the planet.

The A-68 Iceberg

The iceberg, named A-68, which measures 2,200 square miles, had broken away from the Larsen C iceberg in Antarctica during summer. Scientists have said that the icebergs volume is two times that of Lake Erie and it contains so much mass that if all of it were added again to the ocean then it would lead to nearly three millimeters rise in global sea level.

The icebergs detachment, however, will not impact global sea level on its own since it was already afloat on the ocean, but it has put the larger Larsen C ice shelfs destabilization into question, according to scientists.

There is also an ongoing debate over whether the icebergs detachment could have been caused by climate change in any way. However, at present, researchers do not have all the required data to understand what is happening in the floating Larsen C ice shelfs environment, which is impacted by the ocean temperatures beneath it in addition to the air temperature above.

Operation IceBridge Captures Images Of A-68

Operation IceBridge flew a repertoire of airborne instruments over the Larsen C Shelf on Nov. 12. Nathan Kurtz, a scientist with Operation IceBridge who was part of the mission, added that though he knew that the iceberg was massive, he was still unprepared for the real glimpse.

A-68 is reportedly so huge that it still looks like a part of the ice shelf, and only on close attention can one spot the thin line of water between the iceberg and where the shelfs new front begins.

I was shocked, because we flew over the iceberg itself and it looks like its still part of the ice shelf, in terms of how large it is and the surface texture, Kurtz said. To see it fully detached, to see this massive block of ice floating out there, was pretty shocking.

The mission was aimed at getting more than a surficial look at the ice shelf. It is focused on understanding the whole system, including getting information about the bathymetry of the bedrock below. For now, the images of the Delaware-sized iceberg can be seen here.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Samsung is planning to roll out three Galaxy S9 models next year, with one of them being the long-rumored Mini version of its flagship smartphone.

There is no definite proof yet that the Galaxy S9 Mini is really happening, but it appears that Samsung fans will not have to wait long before they find out if the claims are true.

Samsung To Launch Three Galaxy S9 Models, Including The Galaxy S9 Mini

Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said that Apple is planning to release three iPhone models next year. Two models will feature the OLED screen of the iPhone X, and the third will retain the bezel-less design but with an LCD screen to make it cheaper.

It is interesting that a new rumor claims that Samsung is also planning the same thing.

According to Ice Universe, a reliable source of information who has previously leaked correct information about Samsung devices, there will be three Galaxy S9 models next year, debunking stories that there will only be two Galaxy S9 models. In addition to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, the leaker claims that Samsung is also working on a Galaxy S9 Mini.

Like the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, the Galaxy S9 Mini is expected to come with the Infinity Display feature, with the screen curving around the edges of the smartphone. However, true to its name, the third model is said to have a display that will measure under 5 inches, compared to the expected 5.8-inch screen of the Galaxy S9 and 6.2-inch screen of the Galaxy S9+.

There have been previous rumors on Mini versions for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S8, but those devices never materialized. If rumors on the Galaxy S9 Mini are true, though, we will find out about the smartphone sooner than expected.

Galaxy S9 Announcement As Early As February 2018

Another reliable tipster for Samsung devices, an Italian who goes by the name Ricciolo, claimed that Samsung will announce the Galaxy S9 smartphones as soon as February 2018, just before the launch of the annual Mobile World Congress.

Ice Universe corroborated with the rumor by adding that Samsung will start mass production of the Galaxy S9 devices as early as next month.

Samsung traditionally announced its Galaxy S line before the Mobile World Congress, but because of the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco last year, it delayed the Galaxy S8 announcement this year to April. It appears that Samsung will now go back to when it usually announces the flagship devices.

The decision works for Samsung, as it would allow the Galaxy S9 smartphones to enter the market much earlier to face off against Apple's iPhone X.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The deer hunting season in the United States has started off on a shaky foundation, with more animals testing positive for chronic wasting disease in different states.

Infected Deer In Minnesota

The CWD breakout in Minnesota is reportedly expanding within the state's southeastern zone.

Seven new cases of CWD are currently being investigated in Fillmore County, where 11 other white-tailed deer were confirmed to be infected during the surveillance, which began during the hunting season last year.

Minnesotas wildlife research manager Lou Cornicelli said that three of the new cases were found in deer killed by hunters in the Forestville-Mystery Cave State Park. The area is around 7 miles southwest of the main cluster of the diseased deer, which were hunted between Lanesboro and Preston.

Cornicelli added that detecting seven new cases from a sample of 700 hunted deer, which indicated a 1 percent rate of infection, was less worrisome than the fact that three of the infected deer were discovered in a state park located quite a distance away from the actual cluster.

I dont know what it means yet, Cornicelli said.

Minnesotas deer population, comprising of more than 1 million whitetails, was said to be free of CWD until the infection outbreak was detected near Preston. The Department of Natural Resources hoped to contain the epidemic with an aggressive thinning of the white-tailed deer in Fillmore County, backed up by detailed CWD testing of newly hunted animals.

The DNR is also testing for CWD in whitetails harvested by hunters in two special zones centered in Crow Wing and Meeker counties, where surveillance was set up around two deer farms that reported the disease in captive deer in the past year. Cornicelli said there have been no preliminary signs of the disease in the wild deer of those areas so far.

Minnesota Not The Only US State Affected By CWD: Is This Cause For Worry?

Minnesota is not the only state in the country where CWD has been detected in deer population. Reports of CWD-infected deer have also come from Michigan, Montana, Wyoming, and Arkansas.

CWD, which is reported to be on the move, is not only scaring off hunters but also posing a threat to the hunting industry's billions of dollars. The problem, however, does not have a quick solution.

"It's a very serious issue, currently and into the future," the regional director of the Quality Deer Management Association in Indiana and Michigan, Josh Halyard, said. "This is just not something that can be dealt with quickly. It's going to take time, a lot of time, and you don't see results until you're down the road."

Chronic Wasting Disease: Can It Affect Humans?

No cases of CWD infection have been reported in people to date, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC has, however, warned that eating meat from CWD-infected moose, elk, and deer or coming into contact with their body fluids or brain can be risky for humans.

The agency also advised hunters who have harvested animals from a known CWD-infected area to have it tested before consuming it. CDC has further instructed people to follow certain simple precautions, which should be taken while field dressing the animals.

The measures include wearing eye protection and rubber gloves, washing instruments and hands thoroughly after field dressing, and minimizing the handling of spinal tissues and brain of deer.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A team of scientists sent a message to an exoplanet merely 12 light-years away. The message included music and math lessons and could reach the exoplanet in about a dozen years.

Hello, Universe

Last month, a team of artists and scientists beamed out a message to exoplanet GJ 273 in hopes of interacting with intelligent alien life on the planet. Evidently, the team transmitted the message to GJ 273 over a span of three days and included math tutorials, 33 musical compositions, technology, and instructions on how the recipient may respond.

GJ 273 is a gas giant located in Luyten's star, which was discovered just this year. It is an M-type star that takes 18.6 days to completely orbit its star. Should the transmission successfully reach the exoplanet in approximately 12 years and there actually are intelligent life forms who will wish to respond, their response could possibly be expected 25 years from now.

"It is a prototype for what I think we would most likely need to do 100 times, or 1,000 times, or 1 million times," said Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI), on the project's goal of laying a foundation for the future.

SETI And METI

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is a community that aims to understand life beyond Earth. They often focus on watching out for signals or messages from extraterrestrials. METI has similar goals except they take things a bit further by actually initiating interstellar communication with intelligent extraterrestrial life that may wish to respond.

METI's methods are quite controversial, however. For one thing, some have suggested that the method could expose our existence to hostile alien life, posing serious consequences. In response to this concern, Vakoch states that the likelihood of reaching out to an intelligent civilization capable of attacking Earth and yet uncapable of detecting our radiation leaks from televisions and radios are quite remote.

Sending Out A Message

The project is a collaborative work with METI International, Sonar, and the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia. They transmitted their message in binary code at two radio frequencies using the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) in Norway last Oct. 16, 17, and 18.

The Luyten star system was chosen because of its proximity to Earth as well as its potential of being a habitable planet. The team is evidently planning to send another message for the second phase of "Sonar Calling GJ 273b," this time sending expanded tutorials.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The death of net neutrality began looming like an ominous specter since President Donald Trump appointed Ajit Pai, who until 2003 was Associate General Counsel for Verizon, as the Federal Communications Commission chair, replacing Tom Wheeler.

As chair, Pai's stint has involved continuously chipping away at the foundations set by the previous administration to protect America's internet. Little by little, and turning deaf ears to those painstakingly remaining to fight for the internet to remain free and fair, Pai has been reversing progress made during Wheeler's helm. He is hated by nearly everyone who supports net neutrality  but hatred hasn't helped.

Pai Eyes December For Final Vote To End Net Neutrality

Now, reports say Pai is on the verge of laying out plans for a final vote to kill net neutrality once and for all. Next week, Pai will officially call for a December vote to reverse a landmark 2015 net neutrality order barring the blocking or slowing down of web content.

The imminent death of net neutrality should naturally anger U.S. citizens who want their internet to remain untouched by the crusty hands of corporate greed. To them, an America stripped away of net neutrality is a cause for chaos: because the internet won't have protections, internet service providers will have optimum chance to exploit it for monetary gain. By charging subscribers, for example, higher fees to access certain types of services  pay more if you want Netflix, pay more if you want faster Facebook, pay more if you want to access this site  they stand to seize control of the internet.

From there, it's bound to be a slippery slope. What's to stop ISPs, pray tell, from introducing "packaged" internet plans that restructures the internet as a bundles-based subscription service? Facebook could be in one package while Netflix on another; to get both, pay for both.

Could Net Neutrality Still Be Saved?

While organizations such as the ACLU relentlessly fight to protect net neutrality, still, the battle seems won  in Pai's favor, needless to say. In May, the FCC voted 2-1 to advance his plan to withdraw former Obama administration's order reclassifying ISPs as if they were utilities.

Also in May, Pai asked for public comment on whether the FCC should keep regulations limiting ISPs' ability to throttle, slow down, or prioritize certain services over others, also known as "paid prioritization." According to industry officials who spoke to Reuters, they expect Pai to drop such regulations.

The final vote, per sources, will occur Dec. 14.

ISPs argue dropping net neutrality rules could result in billions of broadbands investments, while critics say it will harm regular consumers, smaller internet services, and flat-out poison a free and open internet.

What do you think? For a primer on net neutrality, check out our article.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Fake news has spread over social media like wildfire, that much is certain. The rate by which they are distributed plus the unapologetic luridness of their content makes it difficult for most users, especially those who, for some reason, treat social media as news sources, to separate fact from fiction.

That's why Google, Facebook, Twitter, Bing, and a smattering of news outlets are joining the Trust Project, a nonpartisan organization seeking to address the growing problem of online misinformation. By helping online users distinguish what's real from what might be fake, it hopes to reintroduce reliable journalism in a medium where it's becoming increasingly hard to detect.

A key part of that effort, called Trust Indicators, will be adapted by major social networks including Google, Facebook, Bing, and Twitter. Now live on Facebook, Trust Indicators offer easy-to-access information about a news organization's ethics and practices.

Here's how that's going to work, according to the Trust Project: On Facebook, news articles will have icons next to them. When clicked, a bunch of information about the publisher will pop up, including the backgrounds of the authors, ethics and other standards, and how they do their journalistic work.

"News consumers need a way to tell media companies what we expect from them, the types of news we can count on and will pay for," said craigslist founder Craig Newmark, an early supporter of the effort. "The Trust Indicators set standards for media outlets and allow newspeople to commit to good faith reporting that's worth buying."

Trust Project: Eight Core Trust Indicators

Trust Indicators were created by senior news editors, basing them on in-depth interviews and the highest values of journalism. They are:

 Best Practices: This refers to an outlet's ethics, mission, standards for accuracy, and companies that are funding it.

 Author Expertise: This looks into the background of the authors who wrote the story.

 Type of Work: Used to determine whether the article is straight news, an opinion piece, an analysis, or an advertisement.

 Citations and References: Used to provide additional resources behind facts and assertions, which are especially handy for more complicated investigative-type pieces.

 Methods: Tells why the authors chose to pursue a particular story and how they approached it.

 Locally Sourced?: Informs people if the story is of local origin or expertise.

 Diverse Voices: Ensures a newsroom represents diverse voices.

 Actionable Feedback: Informs users whether a certain news outlet engages with its audience in setting coverage priorities or asks them for help in contributing to the reporting process.

When Will Trust Indicators Be Implemented?

Again, Twitter, Facebook, Bing, and Google have all pledged to use these indicators in the future, but not all implementations are rolled out yet.

On Google, once live, they will appear within Google News, Search, and other services where news is displayed, the company explained in a blog post.

Among the news publications participating in the Trust Project are the Economist, The Globe and Mail, Independent Journal Review, Mic, and The Washington Post. They will, at some point in the future, begin showing Trust Indicators, and so will several more outlets over the next six months.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Those poor fossils.The Future Of The Nuclear Sector In Canada: Industry And Government In Unison Once Again - Energy and Natural Resources - CanadaIn the past decade, cutbacks, the disposition of the Government of Canada's (the "Government") nuclear assets, and privatization of government owned-nuclear companies, as well as the absence of a clear, long-term strategy for nuclear in Canada, indicated a lack of real support by the Government for our nuclear industry.[1] This lack of interest and support, and its impact, reverberated throughout Canada's nuclear supply chain. The tide is turning, based on a number factors, particularly the planned activities at the Chalk River Laboratories in respect of small modular and advanced nuclear reactors. The nuclear industry was unanimous earlier this month in its positive reception of the Government's long-awaited response to the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources (the "Committee") submitted by James Maloney, federal Member of Parliament and Chair of the Committee, this past June. In its report, "The Nuclear Sector at a Crossroads" (the "Report"), the Committee focused on research and innovation, regulatory and safety practices, leadership in nuclear power generation, and the development and commercialization of nuclear technologies.The Government's response reaffirms its renewed support for nuclear energy and reflects positively on the future of the Canadian nuclear sector. In the response, the Government agreed with all seven recommendations, as further detailed below, proposed by the Committee, and the Government committed itself to providing greater stewardship to support a strong and safe nuclear sector. Citing the importance of a low-carbon future, the response recognized that nuclear energy is an important part of Canada's clean energy mix.Standing Committee on Natural Resources' ReportThe Committee's findings are based on evidence from a wide range of experts from industry, government, academia, and civil society.[2] The Report is organized according to the following four themes, briefly summarized:1. Governance, Safety, Waste ManagementThe focus was areas of improvement for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories ("CNL"), updates on security and safety measures for nuclear power plants, and ongoing waste management projects within the sector.[3]2. The State of the Nuclear Energy Industry in Canada and AbroadThe importance of Canada's nuclear power generation to the country's domestic electricity mix was a key highlight, noting that strategic investments will create thousands of new jobs over the next couple decades. Discussing public confidence in nuclear energy, note was made that the vast majority of citizens have little interest in nuclear matters. Reactor technologies, both new and next generation, and their potential benefits for Canada were outlined.[4]3. The Future of Canadian Nuclear Research and DevelopmentThe challenges facing Canadian research and development ("R&D") were detailed, primarily based on the impending closure of one of the country's large research reactors in 2018  the nearly 60-year-old National Research Universal ("NRU"). Industry experts impressed the need for long-term investment in nuclear R&D and presented several proposals to supplant the closure of the NRU next year.[5]
This weekend local residents will get the chance to broaden their horizons and learn about different cultures and countries from around the world.

Individuals from eight different countries will share the stories of their cultural heritage and traditions at an event called A Small World in Fremont, which will be held at Keene Memorial Library on Sunday, November 19th from 1-3 p.m.

The event was organized by Giorgi Orkodashvili, who is an exchange student from Georgia that is currently attending high school locally.

Along with Orkodashvili sharing the history and culture of his home country, the event will also feature presentations from individuals from Pakistan, Israel, Lithuania, Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Italy.

Each person will have about 15 minutes to present about their country, Orkodashvili said. The goal of this event is to share different cultural experiences, as well as different countries traditions and cultures.

The event is being held in conjunction with International Education Week, which is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide, and to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.

At the event, Orkodashvili will share some of the history and traditions of Georgian culture.

Georgia is in the middle of Europe and Asia and it has a very rich traditions, and cultural heritage, he said. We have very, very old traditions and history, because the country is very old.

The country, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, was unified into the kingdom of Georgia in the 4th Century BC. Georgia was invaded by Soviet Russia in 1921 and absorbed into the Soviet Union, before seceding in 1991.

According to Orkodashvili, the country also has an array of climates and geographical areas.

There are seven ecosystems in our country, he said. We have mountains, seas, forests, and desert ecosystems so it is very amazing.

Orkodashvili hopes the event will give people insight and appreciation for different cultures and people.

I hope that people who come and listen to the presentation will understand more about the world and countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa, he said. Hopefully they will understand that outside the U.S.A. there are other countries which are all different and that people have different cultures and traditions.
As the holiday season approaches, businesses in downtown Fremont are decking the halls, or the storefronts, with tinsel and ornaments bringing festive cheer to the area.

Along with the typical holiday decorations that can be found in storefront windows, and on light poles lining Main Street, this year a unique type of artwork can be found throughout the downtown area.

Drawings of snowmen, ornaments, and snow covered hills created by fourth graders at Fremont Public Schools now light up the streets as they are featured on banners and in storefront windows.

We did a coloring contest with fourth graders and they were able to turn those in and almost all of the banners are different, but they are replicas of childrens drawings and ideas of what the holidays mean to them which is really exciting and fun, Shannon Mullen, executive director of MainStreet of Fremont, said.

MainStreet of Fremont, along with help from Barb Tellatin of the Fremont Area Art Association, set the plan into motion to feature local kids artwork throughout the downtown area.

We had this wonderful idea of getting childrens artwork up for the Christmas season and the downtown needed new banners, so that is how it kind of came together, Tellatin said.

Tellatin approached Kevin Earleywine of Fremont Public Schools to see if any art teachers in the district would be interested in doing the project with their students.

He was totally agreeable and very supportive of the project, and the teachers were agreeable to the idea as well, Tellatin said.

In September, FPS art teachers Julie Bristol, Jennifer Trapp and Jesse Kiefer began the project with their students, who by October had completed a multitude of holiday themed drawings.

There are 6 or 7 different lesson plans that were used with the kids, so a lot of the banners are different, Tellatin said. Once all the submission were sent to us we judged out and came up with 45 that we wanted printed, because there are 45 poles downtown.

After collecting the artwork and deciding which 45 drawings would be featured, the pieces were taken to Max D Designs to be printed into the banners that now hang along several streets downtown.

It was a fun project and when picked them up from Max designs I was just so excited, Mullen said. Because they are really fun, and vibrant and they just have a fun twist to them because it is through the eyes of kids.

Along with their artwork being featured on banners, all of the original works are now being displayed in the storefront windows of various downtown businesses.

Its a great way for families to come downtown and see their son or daughters artwork, Mullen said. We put the actual artwork in many of the different businesses throughout downtown so the kids can come downtown and see all of their, and their friends, artwork.

The original drawings can be seen in the windows of the Milady Coffeehouse, Nancys Boutique, Annes Tax Service, Wise Olde Owl, Polymath Cyber Cafe, Kollmeyer Passageway, Sherwin Williams, and many more businesses in the downtown corridor.

I think it is a good fun project and we are encouraging people to come out during the Christmas Walk to look for their child, or grandchild or neighbors banner, Tellatin said.

The project also has another Christmas Walk connection as Gallery 92 West and the Fremont Area Art Association will be holding a peoples choice contest to determine which design reigns supreme.

The top 10 drawings will be displayed and people will have the chance to vote on their top three during the Art Associations Christmas Walk festivities.

We are going to start the voting during the Christmas Walk, and the gallery will open at 11 a.m. and have face painting and a lot of activities, but people can just drop in and we will have a ballot box so they can choose their favorites, Tellatin said.

The top three works of art will be awarded with different amounts of MainStreet Bucks. First place will receive $50 in MainStreet Bucks, while second wins $30 and third place wins $20.

We really appreciate their willingness to participate and we hope that is a good thing for downtown, for the families of the kids, and just everybody involved in the project, Tellatin said.
Louisiana faces rising driver frustrations, more expensive projects and poorly-rated roads and bridges because of the death of a push to increase the state gas tax, state transportation chief Shawn Wilson said Thursday.

In addition, Wilson said the state's new focus is on preserving roads and bridges rather than building new ones because of the lack of new state aid.

"The cliff is here," he said.

Wilson made his comments to a conference hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Louisiana.

Story of Louisiana road, bridge problems: Millions in budget but billions in backlog While Louisiana road and bridge needs poured into a key legislative committee Wednesday, prospects for any sweeping changes are bleak.

Earlier this year a Wilson-backed bid to increase the state gas tax by 17 cents per gallon, and raise about $500 million per year for roads and bridges, died in the Legislature without a floor vote in either chamber.

Opponents said that, despite complaints about daily traffic backups, they were unwilling to pay higher taxes to tackle Louisiana's roughly $13 billion backlog of road and bridge needs.

Motorists pay 38.4 cents in taxes per gallon, including 20 cents in state charges.

Wilson, who is secretary for the state Department of Transportation and Development, said a recent D-plus ranking by a national group for state transportation conditions is deserved.

Report criticizes condition of rural Louisiana roads and bridges Rural road conditions in Louisiana are the 17th poorest in the nation and the state has the ninth most structurally deficient rural bridges, a

Putting off upgrades also carries a pricetag, he said.

"The longer it takes me to get it out the door the more expensive it is going to be," Wilson said of projects.

The lack of new dollars also ensures prolonged traffic problems, higher vehicle maintenance costs and backups like those that have plagued the Baton Rouge area on Tuesday and Wednesday, he said.

"And the citizens are going to say, unfortunately, it is DOTD's fault," Wilson said.

One year ago, at the same conference, Wilson told the group about hopes and plans for finding new transportation dollars during the 2017 regular legislative session.

He disputed comments from lawmakers that he has been whining since that effort failed.

"I will tell you both the governor and I are proud of the work we have done," Wilson said.

"We believe we moved the ball much further than it has ever been in the past 30 years," he said. "That is something that will help us the next time we have that conversation."

No new gas tax debate is expected before 2021 because of legislative rules and political concerns.

"I believe, as I hope you believe, that people still care about transportation," Wilson said.

"The issue isn't going away," he said. "The challenges, the pavement conditions, it is not going to get better."

"As it worsens the outcry and the plea for funding will be much louder."

State hopes private dollars will help replace Belle Chasse Tunnel The state plans to replace the Belle Chasse tunnel as part of a $122 million project that would include private dollars, Louisiana's transport

Transportation chief Shawn Wilson IDs main reason to expect slowdowns on Louisiana road projects The failure of efforts to boost state aid for roads and bridges means key projects statewide will be slowed, Louisiana's transportation chief 

.
In his first campaign for chief executive, Louisianas Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards spoke of working together to fix state problems. That 
OMAHA  A former longtime Nebraska State Patrol trooper is asking the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to revive his lawsuit against the Patrols now ex-leader Brad Rice.

Todd Steckelberg, of Elkhorn, who was a trooper for more than 25 years before retiring, alleged Rice had a grudge against him, kept him from promotions and forced him to spend a shift with a chaplain as part of a work improvement plan.

Steckelberg alleged that, as State Patrol colonel, Rice accused him of misconduct. When he was cleared, Rice accused him of lying and spurred an internal investigation.

In March, U.S. District Judge John Gerrard found the conclusions Steckelberg had drawn about Rices motivations were unsupported by facts.

And more fundamentally, the plaintiff has still not alleged anything regarding the chaplains activities, particularly any religious proselytizing, the judge wrote in an order dismissing the lawsuit against Rice and others at the State Patrol.

Steckelberg appealed, which led to oral arguments Thursday, where his attorney, Joy Shiffermiller, said she didnt see how they werent at least entitled to go forward with discovery on the claim that he had been denied the transfer.

She said after Steckelberg was cleared of wrongdoing in an arbitration hearing, Rice had tried to brand him as dishonest, alleging he had testified falsely at the hearing.

A mans word, as a trooper, is his bond, Shiffermiller said.

She said he kept his job, but the situation created a hostile work environment, and he applied for other positions but was denied.

Assistant Nebraska Attorney General David Lopez argued that, In two careful, thorough and comprehensive opinions, Judge Gerrard here reached the right conclusion, which is after stepping through each of the plaintiffs claims ... he has failed to allege sufficient facts.

The judges, Duane Benton, Bobby Shepherd and Jane Kelly appeared interested in the allegation that Steckelberg had been forced to do a ride-along with the chaplain.

Why isnt that enough? Kelly asked, suggesting it seemed unusual. Why cant you make an inference that you would be riding along with a chaplain for religious-based reasons?

Lopez said the court would have to create a new rule that any interaction with a chaplain was, in itself, a violation of the First Amendments establishment clause, prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

There has to be some showing of coercion, he said.

That wasnt alleged here.

Lopez argued that Steckelbergs case doesnt come anywhere close to reaching the bar to go forward.

In rebuttal, Shiffermiller said Steckelberg was required by a supervisor to do the ride-along. Theres no other purpose than religious proselytizing, she argued.

I dont think the chaplain has to say the Rosary when hes in the car with him, she said.

Shepherd didnt sound convinced.

Do you have a case (you cite) for that? That merely being in the presence of clergy ... would be coercion and would be a violation of the Establishment Clause? he asked.

Shiffermiller said there were several, including one where a government employee was required to go to AA meetings.

The court took the case under advisement.
Carnival Cruise Line to swap out its two New Orleans-based ships in 2019
As the glitter settles and the politicians on the hill work to pass the same-sex marriage bill into law, LGBTQI Canberrans are taking stock and looking to the future.

Michael Sparks, a former academic at the University of Canberra, said the survey had forced him to expose his life to the judgment of the public, which was "just unnecessary."

Troy Simpson at one of the 'yes' rallies in Canberra.

"I felt it was important to speak out and say - particularly on social media - that you can have a normal family and be in a gay relationship," he said.

Dancer and choreographer Jamie Winbank found the survey "really tough".
The increase in small to medium-sized businesses in capital cities has seen a rise in demand for landlords to split floors and accommodate these tenancies.

This has resulted in an increase in the number of spaces for lease in the Sydney CBD sub-150-square-metres market. While vacancy rates are at their lowest levels since 2007, smaller businesses looking to lease office space within the CBD have more options available to them today than 12 months ago.

BFJ Pty Limited has leased a 106-square-metres office suite plus storage at Unit 100/Level 4, 515 Kent Street, Sydney from Macinger.

The available space has shrunk as buildings that once accommodated small businesses have, in general, been sold and converted to residential towers or boutique hotels.

According to agents at JLL, B Grade options make up about 60 per cent of current stock available to tenants in the sub 150 sq m market, and when compared to October 2016 there has been a 19 per cent increase in options available for tenants to consider.
The $11 billion tie-up of wagering giants Tabcorp and Tatts is in the home straight, again, after the Australian Competition Tribunal once more gave its approval to the deal on Friday morning.

The proposed merger of the two companies had already been cleared once by the tribunal, only to be successfully appealed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to the full Federal Court - which referred the case back to the competition tribunal.

Tabcorp and Tatts are in the home straight on their $11 billion merger. Credit:AAP

The Federal Court judge who made the latest tribunal ruling, Justice John Middleton, released a summary of his decision on Friday ahead of the publication of full reasons next week.

"As the tribunal is satisfied that the proposed merger is likely to result in substantial public benefits and that the detriments identified by the ACCC and the interveners are unlikely to either arise or are not otherwise material, the tribunal is satisfied in all the circumstances that the proposed merger would result, or would be likely to result, in such a benefit to the public that the acquisition should be allowed to occur," he said.
The Devonport mayor set to replace Jacqui Lambie in the Senate has called on Parliament to refer him to the High Court, to test his eligibility for the upper house.

Steve Martin, who was number two on Ms Lambie's Senate ticket at the 2016 election, told Fairfax Media he believed the court may choose to immediately examine his constitutional eligibility when it meets on December 8 to select Ms Lambie's replacement.

This occurred with failed Senate candidate Hollie Hughes, who was set to replace Fiona Nash but was also ruled ineligible.

Mr Martin, too, faces a potential constitutional hazard that could put him in conflict with section 44 (iv)  whether, as a mayor, he holds an "office of profit under the Crown".
I expect we'll still be doing this in another 10 years. We're all committed to making it happen. It's a different sort of relationship when you've got a group of girls who have known one another for 10 years and the kids all know each other. It's special. We went through everything at the same time, and we still are." THE WORKATION Amanda Rose, 38, goes away with her friend and business partner Maria Kovacic, 47, at least once a year to take stock and plan ahead. Amanda Rose and Maria Kovacic. "I met Maria online  that's the best way of finding a girlfriend right?! She needed some help with her branding and she found me on LinkedIn. We just clicked. We both love to work. I thought I was a workaholic before I met her.

Maria and I are complete opposites in some ways  she's tall, has dark hair, is married with two adult daughters and works in finance. I'm blonde, single, into fitness and I couldn't add up without my iPhone. But we're both so straight up with each other. We decided to go into business together and created a network for businesswomen in western Sydney. We work so hard that we never find time to relax and brainstorm, so three years ago we decided to go away to do that. Other people go away and drink and relax and walk, but we get bored, so we said, 'Let's go away, eat, drink  and work.' We try to go twice a year. We've been to hotels in Sydney, the NSW Central Coast and Wolgan Valley. We choose somewhere calming, where you can unwind and think clearly. We do career planning, life planning. It gives you a purpose for the next six months. We bring the notes from the previous trip and check off what we've achieved and what we need to do. If you go away just for fun you might talk about these things but you come back pretty much where you left off. We turn up at meals with our charts and notebooks. A woman once said to us, 'Whatever job you do must be so much fun because you girls look like you're really enjoying yourselves.' We still manage to fit in a few facials.

Maria is the only woman besides my mother I will share a room with. We respect each other's space. In a group, everyone always wants to do stuff together. I want to nap when I want to nap and work when I want to work. These trips have brought us closer. We show our personal sides, which, because we're both such private people, we wouldn't do in a group." THE ANGELS PARTY Pamela Yialas, 35, organises a weekend of partying in Melbourne every year for her friends Jessica Arango, 31, Liliam Sheridan, 36, Valentina Roshanak, 35, and Alla Kologrivova, 31. All live in Sydney. Pamela Yialas, Liliam Sheridan, Valentina Roshanak and Alla Kologrivova. "My girlfriends and I go once a year to Melbourne for the weekend, leaving the boys behind. We call ourselves The Angels. Three of us are Colombian and two are Russian. We're not like other girls who like pampering or shopping when they go away. We just go to go out.

Melbourne has the best food, the best bars, that casino life. It's an easy city to have fun in. The winter there is cool, you can dress up. It's an opportunity to live it differently but not have to go too far. We love staying at Crown [casino] because it's easy and convenient. I organise everything  I book as many restaurants as possible, get our names on the door of as many clubs as I can, and always have a bottle of champagne waiting in the room when we arrive. We get dressed, we go out, we find fun and adventure. That's the magic. When we started this yearly weekend it would get a bit wild and wacky, but times have changed. One of us has two kids now, so it's hard for her to get away, and another has a baby, so it's a big ask for her husband. The mums in our group don't want to go out now, they just want to stay in and get a massage. But I say, 'Absolutely not  you can do that in Sydney.'

As we get older we think we have lost that inner-fun person. My role in the group is to remind the others that while we're no longer wild, we can still go out and enjoy ourselves. It's so important to reconnect with that inner sense of fun; it's what keeps you going in life. I try to get the girls to let go of what's going on at home. They might talk to their husband or kids during the day, but when 6pm hits, I say: 'Come on, girls, you've got to let it go. Let's have one night and tomorrow you can resume your life with a hangover.' Through these trips away we have built beautiful friendships. We confide in one another. We consider ourselves like family. I hope we'll still be doing this in 10 years, I really do." THE MOODIE GIRLS' WEEKEND Meg Moodie, 78, began the tradition of an annual weekend with her daughters Belinda, 57, Virginia, 55, Alison, 54, and 51-year-old Angela, 21 years ago.

All the Moodies. "When the girls started getting married and having children, we found we were missing out on time together. So I said, 'Let's have a girls' weekend.' They came to my house in Henley in Sydney and I made tacos for dinner. Virginia never lets me forget that I served something so mundane. Our biggest adventure was going out for breakfast. We enjoyed it so much we just had to do it again. From then on it became bigger and better. We've been to the Central Coast, South Coast, Blue Mountains, Bowral and Melbourne. We never go to the same place twice. There are 10 of us now, including five granddaughters aged between 34 and 22. We made the decision that granddaughters can only join us once they turn 21. It's a very important rule. Some things that are spoken about at the girls' weekend, like menopausal issues, you have to be old enough to appreciate. Virginia runs an initiation ceremony, which includes rules like 'always top up somebody else's glass before your own', and 'uphold the confidence of the group'. Sometimes the mothers help the younger ones finance the trip. My daughters say you learn a lot when three generations are together. It's good to be away with strong women you can trust. The younger generation can talk with older mentors, while we benefit from the younger ones' input. I'm just amazed what a close-knit family we have. I think everybody has to work hard to make that happen, especially when they don't live near one another any more.
It was a leafy suburban street lined with jacaranda trees in Sydney's south-west where one of three secret drug laboratories was discovered and shut down by strike force investigators on Thursday afternoon.

Strike force detectives, Fire & Rescue NSW and specialist police stormed the white weatherboard home in Mt Pritchard to discover a clandestine laboratory stocked with drug paraphernalia.

It was one of seven properties targeted in raids in which $57,000 in cash, and quantities of ice, heroin and ammunition were seized.

The raids were the culmination of an investigation into the supply and manufacture of prohibited drugs and firearm supply, and resulted in the dismantling of an alleged organised criminal syndicate and the arrest of four people.
LNP leader Tim Nicholls is not ruling out teaming up with One Nation to form government after the election but he is not exactly ruling it in, either.

Instead, he said he would not lie to Queenslanders.

On day 20 of the campaign, Mr Nicholls made the furthest trip west of so far, flying into Charleville in the electorate of Warrego, held by the LNPs Ann Leahy on a margin of 14.5 per cent.

LNP leader Tim Nicholls looks on as One Nation state leader Steve Dickson addresses the People's Forum on Thursday night. Credit:AAP

At the Peoples Forum the night earlier, Mr Nicholls drew howls from the audience when he failed to say whether he would work with One Nation if the minor party ended up holding the balance of power.
Sen. Ben Sasse has urged his fellow members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider the broad support for Omaha attorney Steve Grasz in Nebraska as they consider whether to recommend the Senate confirm his nomination to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Nebraskans of all partisan and ideological stripes have stood up in defense of Steves nomination, Sasse said in a written statement filed with the committee.

The nomination by President Donald Trump has attracted wide national attention in the wake of the American Bar Associations assessment that Grasz is not qualified for the position, citing concerns about whether he could separate his personal views from his role as a judge.

Sasse said he was shocked and disappointed by the ABA rating.

Graszs record, including his years as chief deputy attorney general in Nebraska, make his qualifications clear, Sasse said.

But it is the breadth and depth of Steves support from his fellow Nebraskans that make him stand out as a particularly impressive choice for this seat, the senator argued.

Sasse cited endorsements that included statements from former Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson and Deborah Gilg, who had been U.S. attorney for Nebraska under the Obama administration.

When faced with the choice of whether to trust the ABAs completely unverifiable claims produced by its biased, black-box process or the considered judgment of the hundreds of Nebraskans of all viewpoints and backgrounds who have taken a stand in support of Steve Grasz, there is no doubt in my mind that I trust my fellow Nebraskans, Sasse told the committee.
The LNP's Scott Emerson will be in a fight to keep his seat in Parliament, according to the latest poll, with issues such as Adani and One Nation on the agenda.

A ReachTEL poll shows Labor's candidate Ali King and Mr Emerson split 50-50 on two-party preferred in the seat of Maiwar, which covers suburbs including Mount Coot-tha, Indooroopilly and St Lucia.

Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson is in a 50-50 race with Labor, on two-party preferred, according to a ReachTEL poll commissioned by GetUp. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

The poll, commissioned by action group GetUp!, puts the Greens' candidate Michael Berkman in third place on the first preference vote, with 17.7 per cent, which would not allow them to snag the seat.

Mr Emerson had 41.8 per cent, Ms King was at 27.9 per cent, while 9.7 per cent of the 627 Maiwar voters surveyed on November 13 said they were undecided.
She is 42,000 years old, and has come a long way for her Australian debut.

First, she was recovered from the frozen mud in Siberia that was her tomb for so long. Then she was packed into a crate at a tiny museum in Russia and flown to a humidity-controlled cube at the Australian Museum.

Baby Lyuba, the world's most complete and best-preserved woolly mammoth, has arrived in Sydney.

She is in remarkable condition, with her skin and internal organs intact. Scientists even found her mother's milk in her belly.
The Andrews' government has done a back room deal with the Animal Justice Party in a bid to secure a Labor victory in Saturday's crunch byelection in Northcote.

Animal Justice confirmed on Friday it had agreed to direct preferences to Labor in return for more than $500,000 of taxpayer-funded spending on the micro party's favoured causes.

Nina Lenk, Animal Justice Party candidate in the Northcote byelection. Credit:Daniel Pockett

Preferences could be decisive in the vote and Labor has brokered a separate deal with another minor party, the Liberal Democrats, who will also direct preferences away from the ALP's Greens opponents.

The arrangement will see ALP volunteers distribute the Liberal Democrats how-to-vote cards at polling places on Saturday.
But before he could be officially replaced by another building surveyor, Mr Petryshyn visited the townhouses  which he had approved six months before  and deemed them unsafe. He ordered their immediate demolition. The Victorian Building Authority, instead of investigating the surveyor's conduct, reinstated him. The project has left Mr Veleski a financial and emotional wreck, and in substantial debt. "It's caused me anxiety, anger, stress  I've lost a lot of sleep over it." The two half-completed townhouses were built almost a metre too high, on a faulty slab, an independent building report found.

The unlawful extra height at the base means the townhouses also break ResCode and Maribyrnong Council height limits by 1.5 metres. Mr Veleski's building overhangs one neighbouring property, and excavation works may have undermined the other neighbour. A separate building report shows Mr Veleski will have to pay almost $1 million to get the building torn down and the building frame reinstated. Mr Veleski's surveyor, Mr Petryshyn, in June 2016 found the properties were progressing well and had only minor problems. Mr Petryshyn told The Age he did not want to discuss the case. The Age later put a range of questions to him via email over his role in signing off stages of the project but then later declaring demolition necessary.

In response he said via email: "I deny allegations of improper behaviour. No further comment." Craig Little, a Victorian Building Authority spokesman, said Mr Petryshyn had been asked to provide information by this week detailing his mandatory inspections of the slab and frame at the Footscray site. Mr Little said that, as Mr Petryshyn had failed to provide the information, he would now be investigated. The authority could give a property owner consent to terminate the building surveyor, Mr Little said. "But the termination will only take effect once a new surveyor is appointed. The owner of the Footscray property failed to appoint a new registered building surveyor."

Mr Veleski said he had arranged for a new surveyor to take over the Footscray job, but before he could start, a demolition order had been made by Mr Petryshyn. Sahil Bhasin is general manager of Roscon, a company specialising in identifying building defects. "Everyone is on a mission to cover their own backside" when things went wrong in building disputes, he said. Due to the privatisation of building surveying from the 1990s, the work done by council surveyors was opened to the private sector. Mr Bhasin said this had been disastrous for consumers. Mr Bhasin, a former local government employee, said building surveyor powers and responsibilities should be handed back to public authorities such as councils. He said that, since privatisation, building surveyors were regularly not paid enough. This meant inspections were sometimes not done thoroughly, with surveyors attempting to turn over as many projects as possible to make a profit. Some had up to 10 small residential projects running at once, he said.

And he said many developers and builders enjoyed a close relationship with their building surveyors. They often gave developers special "dispensations". Phil Dwyer is a commercial builder, and national president of the Builders Collective of Australia, a body representing small firms around the country. Having read key documents in the case, he said Mr Veleski should have known the price the builder had quoted him was way too low and "always going to fail". He said the surveyor had also ignored crucial issues and still signed off on stages of the project. But he said the conduct of the Victorian Building Authority made clear it was determined to ignore or divert even the most serious complaints. Mr Dwyer said it would be better if the authority ceased to exist. "Their inability to undertake their basic role is doing untold damage to the building industry by allowing questionable operators to flourish in an unregulated environment."
A severe thunderstorm predicted to hit Melbourne has passed over the city, but Mother Nature may return later this weekend to put on a show.

A Bureau of Metrology storm warning earlier for the Melbourne area, which included Western Port and the Mornington Peninsula, has been cancelled.

A severe thunderstorm warning for East Gippsland, North East, West and South Gippsland and parts of Central and North Central forecast districts, however, remains in place, with parts of the state expected to be lashed on Friday evening.

Not all areas of the city escaped unscathed.
Tokyo: It may have been the most profusely regretted 20 seconds in history.

Living up to Japan's reputation for being precise as well as contrite, a train company in Tokyo delivered a formal apology on Tuesday because one of its trains left a station just 20 seconds early.

In a country where conductors beg forgiveness when a train is even a minute late, the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Co posted an apology on its website for "the severe inconvenience imposed upon our customers" when the No. 5255 Tsukuba Express train left Minami-Nagareyama station in Chiba, a suburban prefecture east of Tokyo, at 9.44:20am, instead of 9.44:40am as scheduled.

According to the statement, the train arrived at Minami-Nagareyama on time, at precisely 9.43:40am. But when it came time to leave, the over-eager crew closed the doors prematurely and pulled out of the station ahead of schedule.
Harare: Zimbabwe's governing party has moved to expel President Robert Mugabe from its ranks, taking the first step in legally ousting the 93-year-old leader following last week's military coup.

A majority of the leaders of the party, Zanu-PF, recommended Mugabe's expulsion from the very organisation he had controlled with an iron grip since independence in 1980, according to ZBC, the state broadcaster.

Similar steps, possibly over the next week, by the party's central committee, Parliament and Mugabe's Cabinet could legally end his presidency - in keeping with coup leaders' attempts to soften the image of a takeover that the military insists was not a coup.

The military arrested Mugabe early Wednesday, effectively ending his 37-year rule, although it allowed him to appear in public on Friday to address a university graduation, a yearly tradition.
Authorities from the Anderson County Sheriff's Office transferred William Mitchell Hudson from the Brazos County Jail to state prison Thursday morning, according to Brazos County Sheriff Chris Kirk.

Jurors convicted Hudson of capital murder last week, and Third District Judge Mark Calhoon sentenced him to death Wednesday after jurors decided his fate in less than an hour.

Hudson, 35, killed six members of the Johnson and Kamp families in one night on Nov. 14, 2015. The families had gathered on Tennessee Colony land Thomas Kamp had recently purchased from a distant relative of Hudson's to celebrate the upcoming 24th birthday of Thomas Kamp's son, Nathan. Austin and Nathan Kamp, brothers, flew into Texas from their home in California. Thomas Kamp, his longtime girlfriend Hannah Johnson, her 6-year-old son Kade, and Hannah's parents, Carl and Cynthia Johnson, all met in the rural East Texas area for a weekend of camping. All except Cynthia would be dead before the sun rose that Sunday.

Testimony from the 11-day trial revealed Hudson shot and killed Austin, Nathan and Thomas Kamp and Kade Johnson then shot Carl Johnson and ran out of ammunition; he killed Carl and Hannah Johnson by beating them to death. Cynthia Johnson hid in the cover of darkness and sneaked into the woods when the sun rose to call the police. Hudson was arrested Nov. 15, 2015. His victims ranged in age from 6 to 76.

Defense attorneys argued in the trial's punishment phase that Hudson suffered from brain damage and a personality disorder. They also said Hudson had a fractious early home life at the hands of an abusive father.

Hudson had been in the Brazos County Jail for about two months while awaiting his trial. Toward the end of the trial's punishment phase, several staff members testified Hudson had threatened to fight them and had hidden medication in his cell.

"He provided a few challenges for us," Kirk said. "We're glad it's over."

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, as of Nov. 16 there are 208 men and six women on death row. On average, those on death row spend 10.87 years awaiting execution.

There are three people from Brazos County and one from Anderson County currently awaiting execution. Twelve people from Brazos County and four from Anderson County have been executed since 1976, the year the death penalty was reinstated.

Those on death row who committed a crime in Brazos County are Marcus Druery, who was sentenced to death in 2003 in the death of Skyyler Browne; John Thuesen, who was convicted in 2010 in the deaths of Rachel and Travis Joiner; and Gabriel Hall, who was convicted in 2015 in the death of Edwin Shaar. Robert Roberson III, who was convicted of killing a 2-year-old girl in Palestine, is on death row from Anderson County.

Robert Hurst, public information officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, wrote in an email that those on death row are allowed to use the dayroom and recreational area between five and seven times per week, and can spend up to two hours in the rec yard at a time. Only one offender at a time is allowed in the dayroom or rec yard.

Those on death row live in solitary cells that do not have telephones or televisions, unlike the single cell Hudson had been held in at the Anderson County Jail as he awaited his trial.

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Hudson's death sentence was the third in the state this year. Billy Joel Tracy was also sentenced to death Wednesday for killing a correctional officer in the Barry Telford Unit in New Boston, raising the number of death sentences in Texas this year to four.

Prosecutors and multiple witnesses said during the trial that the land Thomas Kamp had bought from Hudson's distant cousin had held emotional significance for Hudson because he had run cattle over the land with his father, Mack, who died in December 2014. Anderson County District Attorney Allyson Mitchell called it "Hudson land" because the family had lived there since the 1800s. In one recorded call he made from jail, Hudson called the land "mine."

Texas' death row is in the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, more than two hours by car from his family's land in Tennessee Colony. Unless his sentence is overturned after his appeal, he will be transferred to Huntsville for his execution.
A remembrance ceremony is scheduled for early Saturday to honor the 12 Aggies who died in the 1999 Bonfire collapse.

At 2:42 a.m. Saturday, the exact time the 59-foot-tall bonfire stack fell in 1999, thousands are expected to gather at the Bonfire Memorial on the Texas A&M campus to remember the 11 students and one former student who were killed when the 2 million-pound log structure collapsed while under construction.

Devin Lubin, public relations chair for Traditions Council, said the poem We Remember Them will be read during the ceremony, when the crowd will respond that they remember the Aggies as well.

Its a very somber ceremony, its a very beautiful ceremony, and its a great way to honor the students who died, Lubin said.

This year, Traditions Council has been selling T-shirts on campus to raise money for its Bonfire Memorial Enhancement Fund. Lubin said Traditions Council is working with other groups toward having an audio-tour system installed at the memorial to provide visitors with more information and aid those who are visually impaired, along with other enhancements. The sales have ended on campus, but Lubin said a link to purchase the

T-shirts will be available soon on the Traditions Council Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TradCouncil.

Earlier this month, the Texas A&M University Art Galleries hosted annual Bonfire Memorial Conservation Day, which gave community members a chance to help care for the iconic ring of 12 portals oriented toward the hometowns of those who died in the collapse.
As the war-torn nation of Syria continues to deal with political unrest, veteran U.S. government humanitarian worker Mark Ward said providing aid to the region remains a challenge.

Ward -- who recently retired as co-chair of the U.S. Department of State Humanitarian Task Force for Syria and previously served as director of the Syria Transition Assistance Response Team -- gave a public lecture on the topic Thursday in the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library to a crowd filled primarily by students of the Bush School for Government and Public Service.

As the situation in Syria stands today, Ward said "things look pretty dismal" in respect to the ability of outside entities to deliver aid to the areas most in need, in large part because of the reigning government's unwillingness to cooperate.

In what he described as a conflict that has "gone on way too long," Ward said 6.3 million people are displaced today, 3 million are stranded in "hard-to-reach areas," and nearly half a million people are in besieged areas -- all but "one or two" of which are under attack by the Syrian government.

One of the international initiatives created under the previous administration, under the leadership of then-Secretary of State John Kerry, was the International Syria Support Group, Ward said.

The International Syria Support Group -- also known as the ISSG and co-led by the U.S. and Russia -- began in 2015 and was able to make substantial progress in delivering aid to areas in need throughout the country, Ward said. When he got involved in the effort in early 2016, Ward said the group was focused through two task forces to "operationalize" the goals that had previously been outlined to "get down to the working level and improve humanitarian access and reduce the conflict by imposing some cease fires."

"Initially, from about February 2016 up until late summer, early fall, we were wildly successful," he said. "We were all shocked. The access to besieged and hard to reach areas went up 10-fold over what it had been in 2015."

By mid-2016 Ward said a shift began, with the Syrian government approving fewer and fewer supply deliveries. He said after a while, it had become clear the government had shifted its stance and decided not to cooperate any longer.

"It wasn't zero, but every month it was fewer and fewer approvals," he said.

While the current state of the group's access is disappointing, Ward said he believes the model outlined by the partnership is among the more hopeful developments to come out of the international response to the conflict in Syria.

"[The model takes] those countries that have leverage and are most involved and putting them on the spot, making them accountable for progress and solutions," Ward said. "Countries like to be seen as leaders... That was a real draw into the ISSG."

However, drawing a contrast between the State Department under Kerry and his successor Rex Tillerson, Ward said he is "not even sure [Tillerson] is aware [ISSG] exists."

Looking forward, Ward said he believes it will be interesting to see over the coming years how the shift from humanitarian aid to development aid to rebuild cities is handled -- and financed -- now that the Trump administration seems "less inclined" to support to opposition forces in the country.

"Here's the fascinating question: Who's going to pay for it"? he said. "One of the things that I said routinely in Geneva when I was co-chairing this task force with the Russians -- the Russians hated it when I said this, Iran hated it and China hated it -- I would just float the idea that perhaps our priorities would be elsewhere in the world because, after all, Russia, you broke it. Maybe you should fix it."
A Caldwell man accused of killing his stepbrother last December is among 43 people indicted Thursday by a Brazos County grand jury.

A grand jury indictment is not an indication of guilt. It means enough evidence exists for the case to move forward in the criminal justice process.

Rod Sterling Clanton, 51, is accused of shooting and killing his stepbrother after the two got into an argument at Texas 21 and OSR on Dec. 26, 2016. Authorities said Clanton had loaned money to one of his nephews several months prior, demanded repayment and made threats if he didn't get his money.

Stephen Craig Bishop, 54-year old from Bogata, found out about the threats, police said, and confronted Clanton. The two agreed to meet at Texas 21 and OSR after getting into a heated conversation about the loan and subsequent threats.

According to a statement from the Brazos County Sheriff's Office, Clanton told authorities he and his stepbrother argued through their windows as they sat in their trucks. Bishop brandished a handgun, causing Clanton to display his weapon.

Police found a .357 Magnum revolver -- with one spent cartridge and four unspent -- in the passenger seat of Clanton's truck. Authorities pronounced Bishop dead at the scene after finding him sitting in a truck with a gunshot wound to his head. A loaded pistol was in his lap, but there was no evidence it had been fired.

The sheriff's office said Clanton called 911 and told the dispatcher "my brother had a gun and I shot him."

Clanton was booked in the Brazos County Jail on Dec. 27, 2016, and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon/family violence. He posted a $75,000 surety bond and left jail on Jan. 14, according to jail records.

Clanton was indicted on a murder charge by a grand jury on Thursday, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 99 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Brazos County Assistant District Attorney Jessica Escue declined to comment on Clanton's case because it is still pending, but she said Clanton will not be re-arrested as a result of the new charge.

The remaining 42 people indicted Thursday are charged with an array of offenses, including assault of a public servant, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and indecency with a child by sexual contact. Clanton was the only person indicted Thursday on a first-degree felony.
When evaluating mass shootings and discussing gun rights, there are several complex factors to consider, according to two panelists at a public forum on Texas A&M's campus Thursday night.

The MSC Wiley Lecture Series, a student-run organization, host various symposiums on campus throughout the year, giving Aggies the chance to interact directly with experts.

After the Oct. 1 Las Vegas shooting that killed more than 50 people, leaders with MSC Wiley decided to host an event this year that would be related to the topics of gun control and gun violence. Since that shooting, 26 people were killed Nov. 5 at a church in Sutherland Springs.

Several dozen students showed up to the John J. Koldus Building on central campus Thursday evening to listen as panelists Gyl Switzer of Texas Gun Sense and Alice Tripp of the Texas State Rifle Association spoke.

Switzer is the executive director of Texas Gun Sense, a lobbying organization created as a result of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, that works with state legislatures to find reasonable public safety solutions in light of gun violence. She opened the discussion by explaining that she and her organization look at gun violence from the angle of public health, focused not solely on mass acts of terror, but on violence in general and suicide where a firearm is used. She explained how Texas Gun Sense leaders want to push aspects of gun control such as safe gun storage in the home and putting more backbone in laws against violent criminals obtaining firearms.

"We don't need to be about blame, or about anything other than solving the issue," she said of her group.

Tripp is the legislative director of the Texas State Rifle Association, and focuses on supporting the Second Amendment. She opened her portion of the panel by discussing what she said she feels is a lack of evidence that restricting gun owners' rights stops violent crimes. She shared a personal story of how her adult son, a licensed gun owner in Texas, was shot and severely injured by a criminal years ago while he was unarmed. She said the shooter used a stolen gun to attack her son during a robbery.

Tripp believes many steps could have been taken to prevent the 2007 Virginia Tech shooter from killing people; steps that do not relate to taking guns away from law-abiding citizens. She stressed that multiple warning signs of shooter Seung-Hui Cho's instability were evident before he obtained firearms, and she considers him an example of someone the government allowed to slip through the cracks.

"I've never heard of gun violence, because guns are inanimate objects," she said.

Students asked questions about assault rifles and large guns, wanting to know why high-powered weapons are allowed to be owned by the general public. Tripp said to her knowledge, there are 19 deaths by pistols for every death by a rifle in the United States. Students asked about whether the general populous should be more educated about guns while still in school. Switzer responded that more education would be better. At one point in the discussion she pointed out that there isn't, in her opinion, accurate or extensive enough research about gun violence, and noted that the key to protectively preventing shootings before they happen is to observe an individual's behavior before gun ownership.

"A history of violence is the best predictor of future violence," she said, noting that a large amount of mass shooters had problems with violence long before shooting others.

Houston Police Department Chief Art Acevedo was supposed to also speak on the panel, but was unable to attend because of illness.

To learn more about the MSC Wiley Lecture Series, visit wiley.tamu.edu.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission will now offer veteran-owned certification to licensed businesses started by current and former service members.

Veterans who own a TABC-licensed business may now apply to be recognized through the commission's Veteran Outreach Program as a state-recognized veteran-owned bar, restaurant or shop. This certificate will ensure these companies are able to benefit from state programs and tax exemptions designed for franchise owners.

So far, 40 businesses have applied for certification, including local winery Messina Hof. Any business owner with a history of military service can email veterans@tabc.texas.gov to learn how they can receive this designation.
At the COP23 in Bonn, Germany, international climate change negotiations are well underway now prime ministers have joined the negotiations, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron.

On November 5th, during roundtable discussions on non-market approaches to implement the Paris Agreement (under article 6.8 of the PA), the Ukrainian delegation rolled out a proposal for the creation of a new permanent structure that would be called Committee for Future. This committee would place energy companies directly between the international climate negotiations and their national implementation.

Global emissions

The Ukrainian presenter of the proposal stated that, "the Committee for the Future functions in between the global UNFCCC and national [climate plans and] allows direct participation of the corporates. U.S. energy majors and other non-state actors will be brought to the UN table."

Observers and civil society groups have raised the flag that the approval of this proposal would mean the direct positioning of the fossil fuel industry into the center of implementation of the very agreement that is meant to decrease global emissions.

"This is an extremely dubious proposal," states Oksana Aliieva, Program Coordinator at the Heinrich Boell Foundation Ukraine, "the proposal is very real, but the language used is unspecific and no finer details are given. Which companies would be involved in this committee has not been specified."

When asked afterwards by the Ecologist, the Ukrainian delegation stated to have no knowledge of the proposal, despite a Ukrainian delegate officially presenting it during COP23 and no official denouncement of the proposal from the Ukrainian government.

To what degree the bold proposal of Ukraine has been orchestrated by the U.S. government is hard to asses. In the lead-up to COP23, the U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry struck a $80 million dollar deal to ship 700,000 tons of thermal coal to Ukraine by the end of the year.
Before the recent mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, church security was possibly the last thing on church-goers minds when they gathered for worship.

As a direct result of the perceived rise in danger following church shootings in places like Texas and Charleston, South Carolina, and need for security, some Franklin County churches are taking steps to make sure that they are prepared for any situation.

Since 1999, when violence at churches and other places of worship started to escalate, 427 people have died from incidents involving deadly force at faith-based organizations in America, according to church security expert Carl Chinn.

Since the most recent mass church shooting on Nov. 5 in Texas, church leaders are urging congregations of all sizes to consider having a plan for safety before its too late.

According to the website Christianity Today, in 2016, violent deaths were more frequent at faith-based organizations than at schools; in that same year, 65 violent deaths took place at churches or ministries. Of the 65 violent deaths in that year, 52 were murders as a result of 47 attacks, the site says.

One church in Franklin County, Westlake Baptist Church, has noticed a lack of security and preparation and has taken the initiative to discuss how the church should best address the situation in the event of an emergency.

I do not think we're prepared at all, member Dave Davis said. The only resource we have is the Sheriff's Office, and we'd have to wait for them. That could take up to 15 minutes in our location.

Davis said he believes churches should be prepared for any situation and should have an escape plan that is practiced regularly.

He and other church members have spoken with the pastor of Westlake, Justin Larkens, and pondered the idea of selecting a few members to "stand watch" and ensure no potential problems arise.

"We haven't started anything yet, but we're working on it," Davis said.

Members have even proposed having a steady rotation of people on watch, monitoring who is entering the church and checking any suspicious baggage.

We have people that are prepared for any sort of situation, said Will Waller, Pastor of Rocky Mount United Methodist Church. We have ushers that are trained in situations such as an active shooter. We have security cameras, and we have people keeping watch as well. Id say that we are certainly prepared for any situation.

Waller has been with Rocky Mount United Methodist for just over a year and said anytime people are gathered together, they need to be vigilant and be prepared for any situation that may arise.

No congregations in Franklin County have recently reported experiencing reported violence, but they want to be prepared. Westlake already has security cameras installed on the property.

Davis said in his opinion, church violence tends to be a random act of violence where groups of people are gathered.

With violence on the rise in places of worship, churches are trying to find ways to combat the negativity.

In 2014, Religion News Service compiled an article about the decline of church attendance throughout the United States and said the country is in the midst of what might be called The Great Decline. According to the article, previous declines in religion do not come close to what is happening now. They believe that the drop is twice as great as the decline of the 1960s and 1970s.

Davis said he believes the decrease is not because of fear but because people have simply stopped coming to church. He did note that the week following the Texas shooting, Westlake Baptist did suffer from low attendance.

I do not think that we have taken a hit in our attendance, Waller said. But I do think that it has increased anxiety. I dont think that worship is going to take a hit in terms of numbers. We cant live a life of fear; we have to live by faith.

"I don't know if people lose their faith in times like this. I just think they just probably won't come back," Davis said. "The people that are established in their faith of God will keep coming; if we get killed, big deal."

Now that churches are starting to grasp the need for security, the question becomes balancing hospitality and security, and at what point is there too much security, church members said.

Davis is not sure of that answer since Westlake has never had a security detail before.

"If every adult, excluding one, had a firearm that would not be too much," Davis said. "If we had 100 percent that would be even better."

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has informed members of Westlake that anyone on the church property with a firearm would be prosecuted, and if something were to happen they would be charged with a felony, Davis said.

"We do have people with concealed carry licenses, but with charges hanging over you, it's effortless," he said.
Roy L. Muse was on a search-and-destroy mission in Vietnam in 1968 when he was shot. The bullet hit his left hip as he and his unit came upon a base camp occupied by Vietcong soldiers. He had only been in the United States Army for less than a year.

After spending 18 days in a Vietnam hospital, he was transported to an Air Force hospital in Japan for 20 days and then on to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a month.

Because of his wound during his efforts in Vietnam, Muse was awarded the Purple Heart for service members wounded in combat.

Muse said a few weeks ago he was eating in the Veterans Affairs canteen in Roanoke when a fellow veteran, Roger Dickson, approached him after seeing Muses Purple Heart hat. Dickson said he had a Purple Heart parking sign that he wanted to give to a Purple Heart recipient.

Dickson was in the United States Paratroopers Division and served in the Grenada invasion in 1983.

Im not a combat-wounded Purple Heart recipient, Dickson said. But I had this sign and I said, the first person I see with a Purple Heart jacket or hat Im going to see if they want this sign.

The day Dickson delivered, and mounted, the sign at Muses home was Muses 73rd birthday.

He went over the pond for me before I was even a thought, so its the least I could do for him, Dickson said. Its an honor and a privilege. I wish him all the best and thank him for his service.

Muse said he has received between eight to 10 medals for his time in the army.

I think its a great thing, he said of being presented the sign. I love that sign.
The student loan debt plan is on hold, again, and no one knows when (or if) it's coming. What could this mean for you?

Host Teri Barr is talking with Cecilia Clark, a Student Loans Expert with Nerd Wallet, to learn why this newest hold on the program, could take awhile, the 3 things you need to know about and prepare for right now, including making your loan payments again in the New Year.

The latest from Cecilia at NerdWallet:

More episodes on debt:

Support the show: https://omny.fm/shows/pennywise

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
NUNLEY George Washington George Washington Nunley, 81 of Callaway, Va. passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at Fork Mountain Rest Home where he resided for the past 18 months. He enjoyed living at Fork Mountain Rest Home and being able to talk with residents and staff. The staff took excellent care of George and his needs and he was loved by all as family. He was preceded in death by his mother, Livie Nunley; and father, John Nunley; brother, Lewis Nunley; sister-in-law, Virginia Nunley; and first cousin, Catherine Westfall of Ohio. George is survived by one first cousin, Reba Hudson Carter of Rocky Mount; and several second cousins along with their extended family. A special thank you to Irla Whitlow for her numerous visits to George at Fork Mountain Rest Home which he appreciated so very much. George enjoyed farming for over 50 years. He sold fresh produce such as corn, peaches, potatoes, green beans, squash, beets and much more produce in the summer. He also made Christmas wreaths in the winter. In June, 2004 he won a plaque in Recognition of Extraordinary Commitment to the Betterment of Downtown Roanoke known as "Chairman's Award". George was blessed with loving, kind and helpful neighbors, friends and family. Memorial contributions may be made to Bethlehem Church of the Brethren in Boones Mill, Va. The family will receive friends at Flora Funeral Service, Rocky Mount on Saturday, November 18, 2017 with visitation from 12:30 to 2 p.m. with funeral at 2 p.m. with Pastor Bill Hinton officiating. Burial will follow at Bethlehem Church of the Brethren Cemetery, Boones Mill, Va.
What's one of the easiest ways to end a friendship? Loan your friend a significant amount of money. According to a recent survey from Bank of America, money was the fourth greatest cause of stress in a friendship, behind jealousy, gossip, and disagreements. We would rather talk to our friends about family drama, weight, or even love lives than discuss money matters.

Other survey results make it clear why money concerns end friendships. More than half of survey respondents (53%) have seen a friendship end due to money owed, and one-third of respondents are personally fearful of losing a friendship because of a debt.

Those respondents are wise to be fearful, because 43% of Americans are willing to end a friendship over not paying back a debt. Within that group, 74% have their breaking point on debt of $500 or less  and 38% would end the friendship for an unpaid debt of $100 or less.

By more than a 6:1 margin, respondents believe that it's worse to owe money to friends than to have friends owe money to them. Perhaps because of their experiences coming of age in a recession, millennials are especially sensitive to owing money to friends. When they owe money to pals, 38% of millennials report feeling stressed and 37% report being anxious, compared to 29% and 24% of total respondents respectively.

Predictably, this anxiety results in avoidance. Approximately 40% of respondents have been avoided by a friend who owes them money, while 20% of respondents admitted to avoiding a friend to whom they owe money.

Avoiders are creative and thorough in their methods. Over half (56%) ignored texts or phone calls from their friend, 30% have skipped parties or gatherings, 22% have lied about where they are, 21% made eye contact but pretended not to see their friend, 15% have faked an illness, and 11% went so far as to block their friend on social media.

Bank of America sees mobile payments as a way to defuse potential friendship-ending monetary situations. Mobile payment systems allow friends to remind each other of payments and send those payments without awkward face-to-face confrontations.

The survey results back up their claims, especially among debt-sensitive millennials. While 19% of all respondents say that sending money via mobile payment methods would improve their relationship with friends, 41% of millennials believe that statement.

Advantages of mobile payments include the ability to have money appear in their accounts right away (cited by 42% of respondents), holding debtors accountable for what they owe (33%), and eliminating awkward face-to-face meetings (30%).

Do you remember "Pay Back a Friend Day"? Neither do we. Bank of America declared October 17 to be that holiday as a marketing ploy to entice people to download their mobile payment app and put it to use  but that doesn't mean that the message is wrong or misguided. Few people would disagree with the premise that debt between friends causes strain in a friendship. If Bank of America is at the forefront of suggesting a solution to this problem, more power to them.

In an introduction to the Friends Again Report outlining the survey results, Meredith Verdone, Chief Marketing Officer for Bank of America, wrote, "We want to take the awkwardness out of relationships and money, and remind people that no matter how long it's been or how little is owed, friendships are greater than any debt." It will be interesting to see if they release any data about how much money changed hands between friends that day, or if we will be celebrating the "holiday" next year.

In the meantime, ask yourself  do you owe money to any of your friends? If so, have you just forgotten to pay them back or have you been avoiding them? Have you heard from them lately? Whether or not you choose to download Bank of America's mobile payment app, consider taking their advice and reach out. Pay off your debt and potentially save a friendship. Don't wait until the next October 17 to do so.

If you want to say, "It's on me!" the next time the bill comes, check out our credit card offers.
Traditionally known for a steady, measured approach to business growth, America's Heartland is becoming a scene for fast-paced startup innovation and consequently, a focus for investors. This setting provides numerous benefits for founders and startup teams as previous barriers to entry give way to momentum, and new founders face less friction in their endeavors.

Related: 5 U.S. Cities Luring Tech Talent Away From Silicon Valley

When we were evaluating cities for tilr headquarters in 2015, we looked at a number of cities. As the list was carefully whittled down, it became clear tilr's home would be in the Midwest. In October of 2016, tilr opened its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio and we are incredibly happy with that choice.

Based on our experience, there are several benefits (and two notable challenges) to being a Midwest-based startup.

1. Proximity to customers

According to an op-ed by Chris Olsen, co-founder and general partner, Drive Capital, the Midwest market is the fifth largest economy in the world, offering more economic opportunity than Brazil, India or Russia. Furthermore, it is densely populated with Fortune 1000 companies. Per the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, there are more Fortune 500 companies in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana per capita than New York or L.A. This proximity to target customers makes it possible to quickly socialize a startup brand among key prospects and encourages a young sales team to make early contact.

In addition to this density, Midwest companies are often focused on innovation. Some companies, such as Procter & Gamble, have an intentional focus on innovation as part of their core strategy. Other Midwest companies, including those in the retail, manufacturing and automotive industries, are forced through competition to innovate, in order to survive. Startups will find potential Midwest clients open to learning about, buying and integrating new solutions. Tilr found this specifically beneficial during its beta release when the team was quickly able to secure agreements from five top enterprise organizations to pilot its technology.

Related: The Top 7 Cities Competing With Silicon Valley for Tech Entrepreneurs

2. Access to talent

The Midwest offers a diverse talent pool, from the newly educated to the experienced, and a multitude of relocated talent. Additionally, the Midwest is home to some of the best schools in the country including Carnegie Mellon, which is recognized around the world as a leader in computer science and robotics education. For tilr, schools like Miami University of Ohio and the University of Cincinnati have produced significantly better-prepared marketing interns and new graduate talent than any agency to date.

When looking for slightly more tenured talent, Midwest startups will benefit from the ever-present Midwest boomerang effect. It is common that Midwesterners settle close to home as they begin to have families and buy homes. Rising job growth trends and attractive costs of living entice talent of all ages to the Midwest, making it a true competitor to Silicon Valley.

Related: Starting Up Outside of Silicon Valley May Be Tough, But It Lays the Groundwork for Generations of Entrepreneurs

3. Focus on startups

In Silicon Valley, startups are almost passe. In the Midwest, they are all the rage. I was recently in a meeting with a growth equity firm that mentioned that Midwest investments, specifically those in Cincinnati and Milwaukee, were currently very appealing to firms like theirs. Local governments in the Midwest are also working to remove barriers to entry for startups and ensure a supportive environment rich with incentives. For example, after tilr chose Cincinnati for its home the company was awarded a hiring incentive from the city designed to drive job creation.

Many Midwest business communities are also rallying to provide support to startups. In Cincinnati, an incredible support ecosystem has developed, with organizations like Cintrifuse, a startup catalyst, attracting vast resources and deep funding for local startup teams. Although Silicon Valley and New York City are already rich with startup resources, those resources are often hard to find and incredibly difficult to obtain. Like most things in the Midwest, founders will find resources approachable and easier to access.

Related: Utah, the Next Silicon Valley?

4. Heart of it all

At the end of the day, startups are about heart, and the name "the Heartland" accurately describes the Midwest. The Midwest is known for hardworking people. As workers' values evolve from a focus on tenure and stability to a focus on exploration and a sense of being part of something larger, Midwest values offer an appealing foundation for startups. Now, those living in the Midwest can attach themselves to something beyond a problem they're solving for their employer, and to the value of reinvigorating their region with unprecedented innovation and investment. This not only attracts people to the Midwest but also offers founders an amazing talent pool of dedicated team members that will work until the business is successful. Tilr has clearly benefited from Midwest values, employing 33 brilliantly talented people that run the business as if it were their own.

And since the Midwest offers the aforementioned cost-of-living and lifestyle benefits not present on either coast, early founders can maintain a different type of lifestyle than in San Francisco or New York, and can better support their families while growing their businesses. It seems there is correlation between founders with young families and an inclination to anchor a startup in the Midwest. Unlike Silicon Valley, where a young family can call into question a founder's ability to fully dedicate attention to the business, the ability to raise a well-balanced family and a quickly scaling startup is a badge of honor in the Midwest.

Related: No One Can Match Silicon Valley, But Other Cities Benefit From Fostering Startups

Even though the Midwest has been critical to our success, nothing is perfect. A couple things to consider on the con list include:

1. Lots of travel

The founding and executive team of a startup in the Midwest is going to have to travel a lot. Fundraising meetings will likely still happen on both the West Coast and in New York City. In addition to real budgetary considerations, this can be a distraction to a new business and a constant balancing act to decide who will travel and when.

As a practical tip, consider connecting with team members throughout the organization while traveling to keep all in the loop and allow them to experience what a founder's day is like.

Related: How Tech Entrepreneurs Can Excel Outside Silicon Valley

2. Leftover stigma

Despite all the startup activity and investment, some still feel that the Midwest isn't as sexy as a Silicon Valley or New York City. This can make it difficult to recruit talent from places like the Valley, for example. Tilr has overcome this challenge, successfully hiring target candidates, especially those who visit Cincinnati and tilr headquarters, which has that vibrant energy only found in the intersection of innovation and scale. In fact, many talent transplants find themselves surprised by the culture, the culinary arts and nightlife hidden in cities throughout the Midwest.

The benefits, challenges and trends are clear: In the Midwest, startups are popping up faster than ever, investors are acknowledging their potential by infusing significant capital, and talent is fueling this Midwest startup movement by relocating from around the country. As we close out a legacy era of Silicon Valley startup domination, the world is focused on America's Heartland for the next generation of American technology innovation.

Related Video: You Don't Need to Be in Silicon Valley to Grow Your Business

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4 Benefits and 2 Challenges to Running a Tech Startup in the Heartland

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UAE Tech Startups, DTEC's Entrepreneur Day Wants To Support You



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


Silicon Valley is certainly a heady environment, what with every block home to the headquarters of three or four startups. But that doesn't mean every business should make its home there in the Bay Area.

Look at the example of Amazon and its search for a second headquarters site. According to the New York Times, cities all over the country have been vying to woo the tech giant however they can. Altogether, Amazon received 238 proposals from regions and cities across North America and will make its decision on a location in 2018.

Related: 3 Questions to Ask Before Picking a Location for Headquarters

You can bet that all those regions and cities await Amazon's decision with bated breath: Whichever the lucky locale ends up being, it will be in line for a $5 billion investment and about 50,000 jobs. No wonder so many local governments have pulled out all the stops.

Nor should anyone assume that one of the contenders in America's heartland won't win: According to the Kauffman Foundation (which studies business growth), four of the nation's five fastest-growing entrepreneurial cities are located between the coasts. Places such as Columbus, Ohio, and Nashville, Tennessee, offer many of the same amenities San Francisco or New York does, but with a fraction of the competition for attention.

When deciding where to establish a headquarters, you must consider what type of business you want to run. How much does location matter in your industry? Biotech companies, shoe stores, restaurants and online companies all have different needs, and multiple cities are ready to accommodate. By understanding your HQ needs and considering all your options, you can save money while pursuing unique opportunities.

How we decided on St. Louis.

We're originally from London, but when we founded our company, Tallyfy, we lived in Chile. As the business grew, we noticed that most of our customers were in the United States. And because we wanted to expand that market and understand our customers better, the only way to do that was by moving there.

Arch Grants, a nonprofit organization that provides $50,000 equity-free grants and pro bono support to entrepreneurs who locate their early-stage businesses in St. Louis, gave us one of those grants.

That's what led us to conduct research about this city we knew almost nothing about. We discovered that many Fortune 500 companies and other successful businesses were already based in St. Louis. Even better, much of the population was a good fit for our customer profile, which meant we could study our customers in greater detail. We decided to give it a shot.

Today, we still operate out of St. Louis, even after living in Silicon Valley for a stint and winning acceptance to a couple of top accelerators there. Why? We realized that Silicon Valley didnt match our market as well as St. Louis, which had a greater number of medium- and small-sized companies we could target.

Related: 6 Questions You Should Ask Before Moving Your Company to a New Location

We also discovered that we could still get funding from Silicon Valley without living there, which would not be the case living outside St. Louis.

In fact, our largest investor is from Missouri. Further, talent and rent cost more in the Bay Area (with stiffer competition for both), while, in St. Louis, we could get the same level of talent and operate in a larger space for much less. After seeing what each locale had to offer, we decided St. Louis had what we needed to succeed, so we set up shop there -- permanently.

What makes a city the right fit?

Cost, talent and culture are the three factors that should determine where a company settles down. Each of these aspects will have its pros and cons, so founders must weigh their choices carefully before investing in a new city. Here are the questions to ask to make an informed decision:

1. Do we need to see people in person? If the business operates entirely online, this isnt much of a factor. However, if meeting people face-to-face drives revenue, take it into account before moving somewhere that offers fewer customers.

One consideration is that IT work will grow 12 percent over the next 10 years, according to Virtual Vocations. Startups that offer IT services dont need to meet and greet clients the same way that a soft-skills firm does, but both types of businesses can still succeed by choosing their environments carefully.

2. What level of talent can we get, and for how much? Do employees need to come to the office every day, or is telecommuting an option? Which cities have clusters of talent related to this field, and how much does the average employee there cost? Cities such as Boston, for example, have pockets of biotech talent around MIT.

Another consideration is that different types of workers can afford to live in different cities. For instance, a prospective city might prefer those who work in health care to those in finance, so adjust your decision accordingly.

3. What is the citys culture? We didnt particularly like San Francisco because the culture there is so tech-centered. Everyone is a developer -- coding on laptops in coffee shops. St. Louis, on the other hand, offered a more diverse atmosphere where we could build a different kind of business without worrying whether we fit in.

The tight-knit startup culture of St. Louis helped, as well. In our first few months, we noticed how much other corporations based in St. Louis worked with startups to help them succeed, compared to other cities where everything was a competition. With a growing, happy startup culture, as covered by VentureBeat, we knew St. Louis was the kind of place we wanted to work.

4. What is the cost of living? San Francisco, Seattle and New York City all have notoriously high costs of everything -- from rent, to office space, to transportation, to food. For online businesses, an internet connection and a cheap workspace are far more important than a $3,000 apartment that used to be a garage.

Our concerns are not unique; nor is the success we've found outside Silicon Valley. According to the Huffington Post, Tackk -- a cloud-based software company -- has not experienced any drawbacks to operating in Cleveland, as opposed to the traditional tech hubs.

5. How do you feel about it? You wont last long running a company in a place you dont want to be. Unhappy founders dont attract great talent, lead well or like what they do.

So, consider personal factors before settling on a new HQ location. Think about schools, parks, restaurants, nightlife, even the bar scene -- whatever personal priorities you think differentiate one city from another.

Related: 4 Reasons to Stand by Your Midwest Startup Location

Also be careful not to chase money for wealths sake, at the expense of other factors. According to researchers Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton, reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, earning anything above $75,000 per year does not make people any happier.

The lesson? Dont follow the crowd and set up shop in a popular startup area without first asking why.

What does one place have to offer over another? By asking that question, you'll make an objective decision and establish your headquarters in a locale that will be perfect for your company, perhaps for decades.

Related:

5 Factors to Weigh When Choosing Your Company's Headquarters

7 Things to Consider Before Relocating for a Job

5 Crucial Questions You Must Ask Before Moving Your Business



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


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NORWALK  Accidents and errors at Norwalk Hospital have doubled over the last year, an annual review of state hospitals shows.

Overall, the state Department of Public Healths 2016 adverse events report, released Wednesday, notes reports of all errors and incidents dropped by 5 percent statewide, but Norwalk Hospital is trending in the other direction. The annual report tracks the number of events in which people were harmed while receiving care at area hospitals.

Norwalk Hospital reported 15 adverse events in 2016, compared to eight in 2015. However, in a statement released Thursday, the hospital reported a 30 percent decline in incidents so far in 2017. The official 2017 data will not be released until next year.

The mission of Norwalk Hospital is to improve the health of every person we serve through the efficient delivery of excellent, innovative and compassionate care. We strive to deliver the highest quality of care and service by surpassing established national standards through a continuous focus on improvement, innovation and education. ... In addition to optimal safety outcomes for both patients and our staff, the hospital strives to achieve optimal quality outcomes by reducing the incidence of hospital associated conditions, reads the hospitals statement.

Norwalk Hospital is actively engaged in local and statewide initiatives to deliver excellent care to every person served. Norwalk Hospital is a member of the Connecticut Hospital Association's Patient Safety Organization and actively participates in the statewide high reliability collaborative to reduce patient harm across the state. As a result of this active engagement, we thoroughly review every occurrence for lessons learned to hardwire interventions to permanently reduce harm to zero.

Norwalk Hospitals 2016 rate per 100,000 days  which adjusts for patient volume  was 28.1 in 2016, placing the hospital seventh for incidence rate. The hospital ranked 18th in 2015, with just 14 incidents per 100,000 days that year.

More Information Errors and incidents reported event 2015 2016 Retention of foreign object in patient after procedure 1 Patient suicide, attempted suicide, self-harm 2 Patient death or serious injury associated with a fall 2 4 Unstageable, stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcers acquired after admission 5 6 Perforations during open, laparoscopic and/or endoscopic procedures resulting in death/serious disability 2 Death or serious injury of a neonate associated with labor or delivery in a low-risk pregnancy 1 Total 8 15 Adverse event reports Area hospitals and rates of adverse events per 100,000 patient days. Hospital Adverse event reports per 100K patient days Yale New Haven 80 18.8 Bridgeport 37 34.9 St. Vincent's 30 30.8 Stamford 18 25.5 Danbury & New Milford 15 15.7 Norwalk 15 28.1 Griffin 11 35.6 Milford 5 45. 2 Greenwich 5 9.2 Hospitals by the numbers Here are the numbers of adverse event reports at area hospitals, along with their rate of adverse events per 100,000 patient days, which adjusts for patient volume. Bridgeport Hospital Number: 37 Rate per 100,000 patient days: 34.9 Danbury and New Milford Hospitals Number: 15 Rate per 100,000 patient days: 15.7 Greenwich Hospital Number: 5 Rate per 100,000 patient days: 9.2 Griffin Hospital Number: 11 Rate per 100,000 patient days: 35.6 Milford Hospital Number: 5 Rate per 100,000 patient days: 45. 2 Norwalk Hospital Number: 15 Rate per 100,000 patient days: 28.1 St. Vincent's Medical Center Number: 30 Rate per 100,000 patient days: 30.8 Stamford Hospital Number: 18 Rate per 100,000 patient days: 25.5 Yale New Haven Hospital Number: 80 Rate per 100,000 patient days: 18.8 See More Collapse

The most common was severe pressure ulcers (also known as bed sores) acquired during a hospital stay. There were six incidents in 2016, up from five in 2015. Statewide, there were 186 in 2016, down from 230 the previous year.

There were four incidents of patient death or serious injury associated with a fall, up from two the previous year; and two incidents of perforations during open, laparoscopic and/or endoscopic procedures, up from zero in 2015. In 2016, there was one incident of a foreign object left inside a patient, and two incidents of suicide or attempted suicide while being cared for at the hospital.

Overall, in all categories, there were 431 adverse events reports filed in 2016 at Connecticut hospitals, down from 456 such incidents in 2015. The overall number has declined for several years  it was 472 in 2014, and 534 in 2013.

However, the number is much higher than in 2012, when 241 such incidents were reported, but experts have repeatedly attributed that to better reporting on such matters. The report states there were 181 adverse events in the first six months of 2017.

Lisa Freeman, executive director of the Connecticut Center for Patient Safety, said it is upsetting that the decrease between 2015 and 2016 is relatively small.

Were not going to snub (a 5 percent decrease), she said. Thats important, but its small when youre talking about peoples lives.

Overall, the larger hospitals, not surprisingly, had the highest number of adverse events.

Yale New Haven Hospital had the highest, at 80, but its rate per 100,000 days  which adjusts for patient volume  was 18.8, which was lower than at some of the other large hospitals.

Bridgeport Hospital had the next highest number, with 37, and a rate per 100,000 days of 34.9. Both hospitals had more adverse events than 2015, when Yale had 76 and Bridgeport had 26.

Sexual assaults double statewide

Reports of sexual assault and abuse more than doubled over last year at the states hospitals, the annual review shows.

The state reported 24 sexual assaults and abuses at hospitals in 2016  up from 10 the year before, and the highest its been since at least 2012. Norwalk Hospital reported no incidents of sexual assault or abuse in either year.

It is frightening these events are happening in a hospital setting, Freeman said

This has to be looked at, and carefully looked, Freeman said, adding the increase could be due to more people being comfortable coming forward to report abuse.

The highest number of reports of abuse and assaults were at St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport, where there were 10. Yale New Haven Hospital had the next highest amount, with seven. Most of the other hospitals did not report any, or reported only one or two.

Of the 24 events, seven involved staff harming patients, two involved a patient harming staff, 10 were between patients, and five were between an unknown perpetrator and patient. Victim ages ranged from 10 to 59 years.

Two acts between patients were admitted to be consensual, and one patient admitted fabricating an allegation that the facility reported to the state. Out of the 24 events, the report states, five people were either fired or had criminal proceedings initiated. Sexual assault and abuse reports were the fourth most-reported adverse event.
NORWALK  After five years at the helm, Mike Lyons said he will not seek re-election as chairman of the Board of Education at next weeks organizational meeting.

Five years has been enough, Lyons said. I think serving half a decade in this position has certainly been a unique experience ... but I feel during those five years weve done tremendous things. We took a school system that was basically running on auto pilot for a good 20 years and we now have a strategic operating plan that were halfway through, we have a special ed rebuilding plan, were building the first new school in 46 years, we have a whole facilities plan. Thats a lot. And so I felt ... with this accomplished, I can hand the reigns over to a new chair who takes over the school system with the momentum running in the correct direction.

Lyons was first elected to the Board of Education in 2011. He was re-elected in 2015, and his term runs through 2019.

During his re-election campaign, Lyons told The Norwalk Hour he only planned  at that time  to be chairman of the board for a total of three years.

I think three years is a long time to be chairman of a board that big and a budget that big, he said in 2015. Its like having a second job only without any pay. Id be willing to consider one more year as chair to help out Dr. (Steven) Adamowski through his transition, but after that I think it would be time to step back and let somebody else do it.

Lyons has overseen substantial progress as chairman, including convincing the board to hire a chief financial officer to get the districts budget in order, and, after a run of five superintendents, finding one to stick around.

The final thing on his bucket list as chairman, he said, was to extend Adamowskis term, a goal he accomplished earlier this month when the board unanimously voted to extend the superintendents contract to the year 2020.

Board Secretary Heidi Keyes, who was re-elected to a third term Nov. 7, also announced she will not run for a seat on the boards Executive Committee at next weeks meeting. Keyes has served on the committee for five years, most recently as secretary of the board, and previously as vice chairman.

Its been amazing, Keyes said. Weve worked all together in a bipartisan matter, and the executive committee has worked really well. Weve done some amazing things ... to me its a really exciting to be a part of Norwalk Public Schools, but feeling the same way as Mike does, its time to hand the baton over to someone else after five years.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
WESTPORT  The big stone Frazier Peters house at 106 Compo Road was the site of an unusual Thanksgiving celebration 50 years ago.

The house was filled to overflowing with people from the (United Nations), mostly from Africa, and we gave them a Thanksgiving meal, former Westport resident Adap Stolpen said.

Organized by the late Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen and hosted at the former home of her parents, Herman and Gladys Tibbets, the first United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut Thanksgiving was a sight to behold, said Stolpen, who was friends with the Steinkraus family.

Steinkraus-Cohen, who died in 2002, had an eventful life. After attending Vassar College, she became a Juilliard School-trained pianist and teacher. In 1956, she attended the World Federation of the United Nations Association, where she acted as secretary to Eleanor Roosevelt.

Steinkraus-Cohen organized the UNA-CT and UNA of Southwestern Connecticut, founded the International Hospitality Committee of Fairfield County and created Westports jUNe Day celebration.

They used to have people who worked for the UN who didnt know anyone in America and shed invite them up and her mother said, Lets have them for Thanksgiving, Stolpen said of the origins of the first UNA of Southwestern Connecticut Thanksgiving celebration.

Since that first celebration, volunteers in Westport and around Fairfield County have hosted UN staff and diplomats, State Department-sponsored visitors, Fulbright scholars, and other international students into their homes for Thanksgiving on behalf of the UNA of Southwestern Connecticut.

More Information Want to help out? If you would like to get involved in the UNA of Southwestern Conn. Thanksgiving program, contact event organizers Bill and Joan Hass at hassbj@aol.com or 203-454-7685. See More Collapse

Stoplen, who said he is the oldest surviving person related to this program, has hosted international visitors for Thanksgiving many times and experienced several memorable holidays as a result.

A few years ago, at the very last minute, it turned out it was just going to be Thanksgiving for my daughter and her best friend and me, so we invited someone in the home security force from Japan, a couple from Italy, and a student from Columbia University from China who brought her father along, who turned out to be a butcher and carved all the turkey and other food, Stolpen said.

In the end, about a dozen people were invited for dinner.

My daughter turned to me the morning we were going to do this and said, This is such a stupid idea, Daddy. Why are we having people we dont even know? Stoplen said.

No one knew each other at the beginning of the Thanksgiving, Stoplen said, but said by the end of the event, everyone was chattering back and forth with each other.

That evening when we finished putting everything away, (my daughter) said, This is the best Thanksgiving we ever had, Stolpen said.

Easton resident Pat Smith said her 15 years of experience hosting international guests as part of the UNA of Southwestern Connecticut Thanksgiving program has been similarly memorable.

One year we had a diplomat family at the UN from China, Smith said. We had such a good time with them. My daughter was in middle school at the time and she was becoming politically aware and started grilling this guy on Tibet and asking different questions, and then she went and wrote in her diary that she met this nice guy and this was what he was saying.

Two months later, we got a knock on the door and it was the FBI, and they grilled us about our conversation with this family and we said they were just a normal wonderful family, Smith said. My daughter pokes her head in and says to the FBI guy, Oh, I wrote everything in my diary and she brought down the diary and gave them a copy of everything he said.

Even the less-eventful Thanksgivings are special, Stolpen said.

Getting involved and inviting people you dont know to sit at your table for Thanksgiving, to me, is the quintessential American thing to do, Stolpen said.

A lot of people said this was the most significant American event for them because they had no way to get to know Americans in their normal course of affairs, Stoplen said. Its really tough to dislike someone you know.

Later on Thanksgiving Day, Stolpen said he usually takes his international guests across the illuminated Cribari Bridge and over to Compo Beach.

All the things that Westporters take for granted are exciting new adventures for people who dont have a comparable life at home, Stolpen said. Its when privilege becomes mundane that it becomes sad.

svaughan@hearstmedia

ct.com; @SophieCVaughan1
It was a good week for Fred Hubbell and Nate Boulton.

They are the early frontrunners among seven Democrats seeking to become their partys nominee in the states gubernatorial election next year, according to a liberal websites poll and Des Moines Register analysis, both published this week.

Hubbell, a retired Des Moines businessman, and Boulton, a state legislator from Des Moines, were the top choices in a poll published this week by Iowa Starting Line, a website that covers Iowa politics and is published by Pat Rynard, a former Democratic campaign staffer.

In the poll, 22 percent of likely Democratic primary voters said they plan to vote for Hubbell in the June 5 primary election; 13 percent said they will vote for Boulton.

They were the only candidates to reach double figures in support; 47 percent said they are not sure for which candidate they will vote.

Cathy Glasson (6 percent), a nurse and union leader, and John Norris (5 percent), who in the past worked for Tom Vilsack and Barack Obama, received the next-highest support in the poll.

Because so many respondents said they remain unsure and because so few voters are tuned into the race this far out from the June primary, Rynard urged caution in reading too much into the early poll results.

Obviously, since we are seven months out from the actual voting date, all of these numbers should be taken with a big grain of salt, Rynard wrote at Iowa Starting Line. The majority of Democrats in the state havent even heard about most of these candidates yet. The electorate on the day of the primary could look much different. ... This is merely a snapshot of where the race is now, not a prediction of where its going to end up.

The poll, which was conducted by Atlanta-based 20/20 Insight, surveyed 762 likely Iowa Democratic primary voters from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10. The margin of error was 3.6 percentage points.

Democratic Party activists across the state reached a similar conclusion to the poll, according to a report filed this week by the Des Moines Registers chief political reporter, Jason Noble.

Noble interviewed Democratic activists and operatives, and reported that Boulton and Hubbell lead the seven-candidate field, bolstered by demonstrable organizational strength, high-profile endorsements and the promise of ample dollars to fund campaigns into the June 5 primary election and beyond.

Hubbell and Boulton have displayed campaign strength in various ways in these early stages of the race.

Both have claimed successful fundraising hauls, although that cannot be independently confirmed until campaign finance reports are due to the state in January.

Hubbell, who possesses the resources to at least partially self-finance his campaign, was the first candidate to air campaign ads on television.

The Boulton and Hubbell campaigns had strong shows of campaign organization at the Polk County Democrats fundraiser in late September. Both had dozens of supporters show up wearing campaign T-shirts, held nearby pre-event rallies and marched in unison to the fundraiser  Boultons campaign banging thunder sticks and Hubbells accompanied by a local marching band.

But, as Rynard noted, the primary election remains seven months away. Hubbell and Boulton may appear to be the early leaders, but there is plenty of time for Glasson, Norris, or former state party chairwoman Andy McGuire to mount a serious challenge.

And with seven candidates in the race  party activist and former auditor candidate Jon Neiderbach and former Iowa City mayor Ross Wilburn also are running  the decision could wind up in the hands of the partys delegates. If no candidate receives at least 35 percent of the vote in the primary, the nominee is chosen instead by delegates at the partys state convention.

Bottom line: Hubbell and Boulton clearly have made a strong first impression, but there is a long way to go before the Democratic nomination is decided.
This article also appeared on TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.

It never occurred to Tom Petty that gathering a group of friends to play music wouldn't make them big stars. After meeting Elvis at the age of 10 and later watching the Beatles, he knew he was meant to be a musician and approached it with laser focus. In the late 60s at age 17, Tom put his theory into practice gathering several buddies, took guitar lessons, added a few more instruments to the mix and was soon on his way to stardom. Nothing deterred him or slowed him down  not even the disapproval of his father, who was disappointed that his son would take the artistic route, rather than what he considered to be a more masculine, sports-oriented road, into adulthood.

Tom's first band, the Epics, started out in his hometown Gainesville, Florida playing locally between odd jobs to keep them financially afloat until they hit the big time, which he knew in his heart was just a matter of time. The Epics evolved into Mudcrutch, a popular band at the Gainesville University of Florida area bars, but failed to get outside attention. His next band, the Heartbreakers, quickly turned things around making it to the top in 1976 with their hit song Breakdown. Tom and the Heartbreakers never looked back producing classics such as American Girl, Free Falling, and I Won't Back Down. A career that lasted over 45 years.

MORE PHOTOS: Live like a king in this fortress-esque Romanesque Revival mansion

Music poured out of Tom Petty like a fast moving river producing hit after hit, many used for movie theme songs and sound tracks. Just as he imagined as a young boy, Tom and the Heartbreakers became one of the most popular American bands in history, garnering virtually every important award in the music industry and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Petty died in October at age 66 and now his much-loved Lake Sherwood getaway near Malibu and nine miles to the Pacific Ocean is for sale. Built in 1931 with walls of local fieldstone, Petty's retreat has mountain and water views across the natural lake from almost every room and 125-feet of shorefront. Deceptively large at 5,300 square feet, the house has three bedrooms and three baths and underwent an expansion in 2004. Its rustic feel from the fieldstone and natural wooded environment is complimented by its balcony fireplace, redwood-paneled bath with stone bathtub that overlooks the lake and vaulted-beamed ceilings and fireplace in the fieldstone living room.

MORE PHOTOS: 'This American Life' host Ira Glass selling his fab Chelsea apartment

It's a California house with a European mountain-lake chalet vibe geared to inspire creativity from its barrel-tiled roof to its enchanting terrace. It also has a private deep-water dock where one can sit and dream, launch a boat, fish or swim. Located high above the fog line, the property is guaranteed bright sunshine and cool breezes. Listing agents are Dana Sparks and Amy Alcini of Compass Realty in Malibu, California.

Rock and Roll superstar Tom Petty's fabulous Lake Sherwood retreat near Malibu is listed at $5.895 million.
A North Dakota man was arrested Thursday at the Bosselmans Travel Center at 3335 W. Wood River Road.

Hall County Sheriffs Department deputies were called there at about 3:04 p.m. to check on the welfare of a truck driver.

After deputies arrived, they located the truck. Brian Clark, 36, of Fargo, N.D., was the driver.

When deputies approached the truck, they heard a gunshot. It came from inside the cab of the truck. Clark was removed from the truck with help from the Grand Island Police Department and Nebraska State Patrol. A handgun was seized from inside the cab of the truck.

Clark was arrested and booked into the Hall County Jail. He was charged with terroristic threats, use of a weapon in the commission of a felony and obstructing a government operation.

No injuries were sustained in this incident.
A pancake feed fundraiser for Parkinsons patients will be hosted by Central Nebraska Rehabilitation Services on Saturday at St. Leos Catholic Church, 2410 S. Blaine St.

The meal will be served from 8 a.m. to noon. Cost will be $6 for adults and $4 for children 4 and under.

All proceeds will be used to help Parkinsons families in the Tri-Cities area.

Chapman church selling noodles

CHAPMAN  Chapman United Methodist Church is selling homemade noodles.

The noodles sell for $3 for a one-pound bag To order, call Karen at (308) 383-8346 or Carol at (308) 379-2522.

Polish Christmas celebration in Ashton

ASHTON  Wigilia, a Polish Christmas celebration, will be hosted Dec. 3 by St. Francis Catholic Church in Ashton.

Traditionally, wigilia is a Christmas Eve feast observed to commemorate the birth of Christ. Twelve full courses of food represent the 12 apostles of Christ.

The Ashton celebration starts at 5 p.m. in the St. Francis Parish Hall. The meal will not feature any meat, but will include fish, potatoes, soups, vegetables, sauerkraut salad, relishes and Polish desserts. The Rev. Dave Rykwalder will be master of ceremonies throughout the evening.

Reservations should be made by calling Judene at (308) 738-2217, Sandie at (308) 750-6439 or Diane at (308) 750-0676. When making a reservation, you will be asked to bring a food item chosen from a list of foods.

There is no charge to attend the meal, but a freewill offering will be collected to help defray some of the expenses.

For a special treat, the Polish St. Nicholas will visit in traditional dress, so children are welcome to attend with their families.
Its all well and good to prepare new recipes you have come across for the Thanksgiving dinner.

If theres cranberry relish that calls for whole grain Dijon mustard or smoky dried chipotles, you might feel compelled to make it just to get out of that cranberry sauce rut, where year after year you feature the berries combined with clementines, sugar and walnuts.

But sometimes what we crave is the same-old, same-old routine, even if we have had it umpteen times before. Im talking about those simple sides that taste just like how grandma made it.

For something green and snappy, saute tender green beans in olive oil for about 10 minutes, until they are slightly blackened. Then spike them with minced garlic and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and cook for a few minutes longer. That is all that is needed for this side to get a shout-out.

Sweet caramelized Brussels sprouts also will bring unity among the feasters, and make a believer out of anyone. Combine honey or brown sugar with chopped garlic, crushed red pepper and balsamic vinegar or soy sauce, and then drizzle it over slightly charred sprouts.

Drop slender whole carrots (without the green top) in a pot of boiling water that has brown sugar and butter, so they get coated with a thin glaze. Drain, and garnish the root vegetables with chopped fresh thyme or parsley or dill before serving. The only caveat is that you dont have to overcook the carrots like grandma would.

Russet is the way to go when it comes to mashed potatoes. Cook two pounds of spuds in cold water, which is generously salted, until they are tender, or for about 45 minutes. Drain and peel before returning them to the saucepan. Add a cup of hot milk (definitely not cold and not even lukewarm) along with a stick of butter. Mash the potatoes the old-fashioned way with a hand masher, and season with salt and pepper to finish the dish. Granted you could also add cream cheese and sour cream and any kind of cheese. But, why? In this case, less is a lot better.

Speaking about potatoes, scalloped potatoes is another way to highlight spuds on the table. Yukon Gold works better here as they are firmer. Thinly slice the potatoes and layer them in a buttered baking dish. In a bowl, stir together whipping cream or a mix of milk and heavy cream, chopped garlic, salt and pepper and pour the mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese 10 minutes into the baking time if you choose, and cook until the potatoes are golden brown on top.

Finally, it cannot be a Thanksgiving feast without corn gussied up in some fashion. Theres always the simple creamed corn where kernels are simmered in whole milk, butter and shallots. Then there are corn pudding renditions. The traditional Southern way is to combine sugar, flour, eggs, whipping cream and butter; a savory pudding mixes sauteed onions and celery with corn kernels, eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper; and in a bread pudding, baguette cubes and Asiago cheese are added to the corn and baked until the top is browned and the custard is set.

When it comes time to giving thanks, just remember to be grateful for tradition.

These scalloped potatoes can be assembled first thing in the morning, covered with foil and placed in the refrigerator. Then after being brought to room temperature, it can be baked along with the turkey during its last 1 hours of roasting. This way the potatoes can be served warm.

Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

3 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Layer potatoes in a 13-by-9-inch or 3-quart baking dish.

Stir together cream, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour cream mixture over potatoes.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring gently every 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 15 to 20 more minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Let stand on a wire rack 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Recipe from: The Southern Vegetable Book by Rebecca Lang

(Oxmoor House; April 2016; $27.95)

Brussels sprouts are so prep friendly. Trim the tough end and slice the sprout into half lengthwise. Then place it in the pan, with the flat-side facing down, so that it can get charred nicely.

Cast-Iron Blistered Brussels Sprouts

1 pound Brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons canola oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon hot water

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 cup torn fresh mint leaves

Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

Remove outer leaves and stems from Brussels sprouts, and cut in half lengthwise.

Add oil to skillet, and tilt skillet to evenly coat bottom. Place sprouts, cut sides down, in a single layer in skillet.

Cook, without stirring, 4 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle with kosher salt; stir and cook 2 more minutes.

Stir together honey and hot water. Stir garlic, soy sauce, red pepper and honey mixture into sprouts. Stir in mint leaves, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from: The Southern Vegetable Book by Rebecca Lang

(Oxmoor House; April 2016; $27.95)

The original recipe called for fresh corn but being November et al, I went with frozen kernels for the obvious reason. I also used skim milk and increased the amount of whipping cream, and it worked just fine.

Corn-Asiago Bread Pudding

1 cup skim milk

1-1/2 cups whipping cream

3 large eggs

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (12-ounce) baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese

Whisk together milk, whipping cream, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl; add the bread, tossing to coat. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Stir corn and Asiago cheese into the bread mixture.

Spoon into a well-buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until set and golden brown.

Makes 12 servings.

Recipe adapted from: Recipe Revival: Southern Classics Reinvented for Modern Cooks by editors of Southern Living (Oxmoor House; Oct. 18, 2016; $27.95)
With The Knight celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the annual fundraiser can now be called a longtime tradition for Grand Island Central Catholic.

A Knight in Emerald City is the theme for the 2017 event, which take places from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday at Grand Island Central Catholic, 1200 N. Ruby.

Central Catholic has three well-known annual fundraisers each year: Karnival Kapers, Husker Harvest Days food booths and The Knight.

Karnival Kapers, the schools oldest fundraiser, will celebrate its 49th anniversary next spring. The multiple food booths at Husker Harvest Days make up the second-longest annual fundraiser for Central Catholic, while The Knight is the youngest.

However, The Knight has quickly grown into Central Catholics largest annual fundraiser.

Co-chairs for A Knight in Emerald City are Tena Herbek and Steph Connick. While the name for the 2017 event refers to The Wizard of Oz, the theme will be visually apparent to attendees as they step onto the Yellow Brick Road when they enter Central Catholics main gymnasium. Students painted red poppies on the window to that entrance, while members of the 2017 decorating committee made matching red paper poppies to lay on the floor nearby.

The event includes a two-part silent auction, with bids for first silent auction ending at 8 p.m. Friday and bids for second silent auction ending at 9. The Knights live auction begins at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Merchandise, gift packages, and travel and vacation packages for all the auctions can be found at https://www.qtego.net/qlink/gicc.

The Qtego technology will also be used for bidding during Friday evenings live auction. Herbek and Connick said Central Catholic students will be available to assist any adults in the on-site audience who need help with the Qtego system to make their bids.

A Knight in Emerald City also raised funds this year through an Ozsome Raffle that features a MacBook Pro as the grand prize, a GoPro as the runner-up and Beats headphones as the consolation prize.

Within a few years of the very first The Knight fundraiser, the event started having annual themes that have included Dickens of a Knight, when the gymnasium was transformed into a Dickens Christmas village; Twas The Knight Before Christmas in honor of the famous Christmas poem; The Roaring Knight, which had a Roaring 20s flavor; The Knight in Hollywood that recalled Hollywoods heyday of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s; and The Knight in Tuscany, to honor the beautiful central Italy region famous for its food and wine.

Central Catholic Superintendent Steve Osborn said some proceeds from The Knight go to the Central Catholic Development Foundation, with proceeds also helping pay for the general operations of the school.

Another tradition that has grown out of The Knight is a portion of the money for a specially designated Fund-An-Item. Previous Fund-An-Item endeavors have included upgrades to technology with the purchase of Microsoft tables and iPads for students, the purchase of e-textbooks, the purchase ceiling projects for use in classrooms, to purchase laptops for music and renovation of the schools front lobby.

The front lobby project was done not only to beautify that area, but also to install seating to make it easier for younger students to use it a gathering place while they waited for a ride home for parents. The lobby also was upgraded to meet students technology needs.

The 2017 Fund-An-Item is renovation of the chapel at Central Catholic.

Osborn, Herbek and Connick said all those enhancements for the school have helped enrich the lives of students and faculty. But they also believe The Knight has been an enriching experience for the past 20 years to all the businesses and individuals who have donated items, as well as to all the Central Catholic parents and supporters who have performed the necessary jobs to put on The Knight, including the people who decorate the gymnasium to create a new theme for each years event.
On Oct. 28, Kathie Reisdorph received a new heart. That heart was warmed with a night-time welcome home Thursday night in front of her home at 2516 Riverside Drive.

Friends staged a surprise party at 6:30 p.m. Standing on her lawn, the group said a prayer and sang Amazing Grace.

The welcome was put together by Reisdorphs significant other, Dave Wetherilt, who lives one door down. He brought her home from Omaha Thursday afternoon.

Wetherilt let friends and family know of his plan while she was still in Omaha.

I planted the seed in about six to 10 ears, and I said go for it, he said.

Friends didnt go inside the house because Reisdorph is still recovering and because she cant really be around people, Wetherilt said. The gathering was meant to be a quick howdy and welcome home. The party was originally scheduled for Wednesday night, but doctors asked Reisdorph to stay in Omaha an extra day.

Wetherilt expected people from Ponderosa subdivision, where Reisdorph used to live, and from her church, Evangelical Free.

Reisdorph underwent the heart transplant at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha.

She had been on the transplant list for 29 hours. She went on the list at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 27.

At 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, we got a call that there was a heart, Wetherilt said. And so we skedaddled down the road. We were in Omaha by 5:45. And they did the transplant Sunday at noon.

Reisdorph is doing well and was excited about coming home, he said.

But her immune system is low, which is a deliberate part of the procedure. Wetherilt is taking measures to make sure her home is germ-free.

Reisdorph thinks the world of the cardio rehab unit at CHI Health St. Francis, said Wetherilt, who lives at 2610 Riverside Drive.

She is a grandmother of three.

Wetherilt and Reisdorph both celebrated their 65th birthdays in October. Shes two days younger than I am, he said.
Pairs and pairs of socks were placed in bags and strewn across a table in a Grand Island Northwest High School classroom Thursday afternoon.

The socks  which totaled 1,719 pairs  were all donated by Northwest students as part of the Northwest Student Councils Socktober sock drive.

Northwest Student Council Adviser Darbie Mazour said the Socktober event was started by YouTube star Kid President. She added the 19 students on the student council decided to bring the event to Northwest to gather socks to donate to area organizations.

Our plan was that we realized the least (common) article of clothing the homeless shelters got was socks, so we decided to do a sock drive, freshman Taryn Randall said. We wanted to focus (on) socks. We wanted to get the school to participate because we know the school participates.

Senior Katherine Brown said the student council wanted to get its name out there and show people it and Northwest could do good things for the community.

Mazour said this is the first year the Northwest Student Council has coordinated a Socktober sock drive. She added the contest was between advisement classes and each advisement class received a donation box.

The Northwest student council students said their initial goal was to get 1,500 pairs of socks.

Sophomore Addie Warner said she was skeptical at first.

I didnt even think we would make our goal because when I was picking up boxes, there were not that many socks in each box, she said.

Brown said the advisement class advisers were good about getting students to donate. She added she believes students were not motivated to give at first.

One of advisers asked the kids what they wanted to do. Did they want to bring in their own socks they bought on their own, or did they want to pool their money? Mizour said. They decided to pool their money and the kids found the best bargains for their money. One group ordered off of Amazon and got a bunch of socks.

The student council students said they also pushed their classmates to donate during Socktober. They added each of them personally donated socks. Hernandez said she brought a 12-pack of socks to school to donate.

Mazour said each advisement class that participated in the Socktober sock drive received a gallon of ice cream. The winning class  which donated 310 pairs of socks  received a breakfast party.

She added the Northwest Student Council plans to donate the socks to The Salvation Army and the Crisis Center. Mazour said the student council may also consider donating the socks to Project Homeless Connect in the future.

I am so proud of the kids at Northwest, Mazour said. They are generous kids. They come through in events like this when they want to help others.
DES MOINES  As the fallout from sexual harassment allegations and a $1.7 million settlement continues at the Iowa Capitol, state lawmakers are trying to determine the best path forward.

In the Iowa Senate, where the alleged harassment transpired, leaders are weighing whether to create a human resources director position to help oversee future complaints.

The Iowa House has already made that decision and plans to hire a human resources director. A timeline has not been set.

One area a new human resources director could examine is the House and Senates current policies on sexual harassment training.

In some areas, the chambers are lacking compared to other states.

Iowa Senate Democrat wants sex harassment review released DES MOINES | The top Democrat in the Iowa Senate called on her GOP counterparts Thursday to 

State lawmakers are exploring their options in the wake of sexual harassment allegations made by Kirsten Anderson, a former Iowa Senate Republican caucus staff member who sued the state after she was fired in 2013. Anderson claimed she was fired in retaliation for reporting incidents of sexual harassment; Bill Dix, the leader of the Iowa Senate Republicans, does not dispute Andersons claims that she and others were sexually harassed, but Dix also maintains Anderson was fired for poor work performance.

Anderson testified in front of a jury in July. One Senate Republican staff member who was cited by Anderson in court documents as the source of much of the alleged harassment resigned in September. A few weeks later, a jury ruled in favor of Anderson, and the state settled the case for $1.75 million.

The Senate actually has the stronger of the chambers sexual harassment training policies. In the Senate, sexual harassment training is held every year during the first few weeks of the legislative session, and is required for all senators and staff every two-year general assembly.

In odd-numbered years (just after an election), all senators, full-time and part-time staff take the training. In even-numbered years, any new senators or staff take the training.

The training is a one-hour session conducted by staff from the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.

The Iowa House policy, on the other hand, requires no in-person sexual harassment training for legislators, who are required only to sign and say they read a two-page document that reviews House policy against sexual harassment. Legislators must sign and submit the document to the Houses Chief Clerk every two-year general assembly.

Newly hired House clerks  assistants that work for the legislators  take part in a harassment prevention training class at the beginning of each legislative session, and House pages  low-level aides who run errands for legislators and clerks  receive training from House staff during orientation.

Starting in December, all legislators and staff also will be asked to review a slide show provided by the states Department of Administrative Services. Each employee will print a certificate and submit it to his or her supervisor.

The House also plans to bolster its ability to respond to potential sexual harassment claims by hiring a human resources director. The new director will investigate employee complaints and concerns and review policies and recommend changes.

The director will also perform typical human resources functions, such as writing job descriptions, assisting with the hiring and orientation of new employees and assisting with hiring and firing procedures.

The House will continue with the hiring of a human resources professional to assist legislative employees. I believe that this is the right decision, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, a Republican from Clear Lake, said in a statement. A human resources professional, dedicated to that role, will provide expertise and continuity in an increasingly complex field in order to provide the best working environment we can for our employees. The Iowa House will always look for opportunities to make improvements.

Dix has come under criticism for postponing the decision to hire a human resources director for the Senate  he said he wants to get more external input in order to determine the best possible policy  and for saying Senate Republicans will not publish the findings of their internal investigation. Dix said he is not releasing the investigation results out of respect for the privacy of those who were interviewed.

From my perspective, I want to be completely open and transparent. We want to make sure that whatever we do it has been done in the best possible way and the most accountable way, Dix said this week.

Senate Republican staffers have not responded to an open records request from the Cedar Rapids Gazette for any documentation of the investigation.

Iowa Senate Minority Leader Janet Petersen said Senate Republicans should publish their findings.

Releasing the findings of your internal investigation would be a first step in making sure the Legislature is a safe and welcoming environment for all employees, protecting Iowa taxpayers, and protecting the rights of those who raise concerns about harassment, Petersen wrote in a letter to Dix.

While Andersons lawsuit shook the Iowa Capitol, the entire country is experiencing a wave of allegations of sexual harassment or assault after multiple media outlets reported Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein harassed or assaulted dozens of women. Others who have been accused in recent weeks include more in the movie and television industries, and prominent politicians.

Iowas is far from the only statehouse impacted as well. In the past month, women in at least 16 states have accused male state lawmakers of sexual assault or harassment. Only five of those states  California, Colorado, Kentucky, Oregon and Vermont  require all state lawmakers to attend regular anti-harassment training, according to a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts Stateline.

In the other 11 states, anti-harassment training takes place only while training new legislators, only in one chamber, just once every five years, or not at all, according to the Stateline report.

At the federal level, Iowas senior Republican U.S. Senator, Chuck Grassley, helped make mandatory sexual harassment training on Capitol Hill.

Grassley pressed leaders on the Senate rules committee to make sexual harassment training mandatory for all offices, and joined roughly 20 senators in supporting a resolution that does just that. The resolution requires all lawmakers and staff complete the training within 60 days of starting work in the Senate and re-complete the training every two years.

Comprehensive mandatory anti-harassment training will now be a critical component of how we show our employees they are valued, respected, and protected, Grassley said in a statement.
Taxpayers and parents of Grand Island Public Schools students, a public meeting will be held at Grand Island Senior High Little Theater at 6:30 p.m. Monday to discuss the proposed academies and block scheduling at GISH.

There are sweeping changes coming that affect your students education and our taxes. Now is the time to voice concerns with these changes. A considerably less diverse and smaller school, Kearney High School, has block scheduling and their test scores are lower than GISH on the Nebraska State Accountability Assessments. See test results for Kearney Senior High School, at www.usnews&worldreport.com.

Another Nebraska school, South Sioux City High School, is returning to traditional scheduling next year from block scheduling. The Nashville, Tenn., metro schools and the consultant to GISH, Jay Steele, have adopted the block scheduling to the detriment of their Fine Arts Department. We have a thriving Fine Arts Department and more than 30 active, student-led clubs for specific student interests.

Our Career Pathways Institute is top notch. Our students are graduating with college credits and have many opportunities to achieve, grow, and thrive with the current programs. We need to adapt and make positive adjustments in our school systems to stay current, but without such drastic changes. The changes are proposed for incoming freshmen, fall of 2018. This comes at a time that Kearney is faced with a $1.5 million state aid reduction. Now is the time to address these issues with our school administrators and board of education.
"Transparent" actress Trace Lysette has accused actor Jeffrey Tambor of sexually harassing her on the set of the Amazon series.

Lysette's allegations mark the second time the star, who plays Maura Pfefferman on the critically acclaimed dramedy, has been accused of sexual misconduct. Earlier this month, Tambor's former assistant Van Barnes accused the actor of sexual harassment in a private Facebook post, according to Deadline. Tambor vehemently denied those allegations, which Amazon said it would investigate.

Lysette, who plays yoga instructor/dancer Shea on the series, told The Hollywood Reporter that Tambor said he wanted "to attack" her "sexually" ahead of shooting a memorable Season 2 scene. She also made allegations of inappropriate physical contact.

"He came in close, put his bare feet on top of mine so I could not move, leaned his body against me, and began quick, discreet thrust back and forth against my body," Lysette told the magazine. "I felt his penis on my hip through his thin pajamas."

An Amazon spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that the "information will be added to our ongoing investigation." Tambor issued a lengthy statement to the magazine in response to the allegations.

"For the past four years, I've had the huge privilege - and huge responsibility - of playing Maura Pfefferman, a transgender woman, in a show that I know has had an enormous, positive impact on a community that has been too long dismissed and misunderstood. Now I find myself accused of behavior that any civilized person would condemn unreservedly. I know I haven't always been the easiest person to work with. I can be volatile and ill-tempered, and too often I express my opinions harshly and without tact. But I have never been a predator - ever. I am deeply sorry if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being sexually aggressive or if I ever offended or hurt anyone. But the fact is, for all my flaws, I am not a predator and the idea that someone might see me in that way is more distressing than I can express."

The accusations against Tambor have dealt a blow to a series lauded for its progressive outlook on gender issues and representation of LGBT characters. Lysette's character has had a particularly groundbreaking arc. In Season 3, Shea - who, like Lysette, is transgender - began a romance with Maura's cisgender son, Josh, and disclosed that she was HIV-positive.

The fourth season of "Transparent" premiered in September. In August, Amazon announced that it had renewed the show for a fifth season. (Disclosure: Amazon founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

It's unclear if the recent allegations against Tambor will affect the show's production schedule. But Lysette, in her statement to The Hollywood Reporter, urged the company not to cancel the show.

"My hope is that Amazon can find the good in this, and use this as an opportunity, a teachable moment to re-center the other trans characters in this show with the family members instead of just pulling it," Lysette said. "Let our brilliant writers continue to craft something that is entertaining and creates a social change the way they know how. Don't let the trans community suffer for the actions of one cis male actor."
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It's the age of fourth-wave feminism, of Wonder Woman and widespread girl-truce and "I believe you."

But flip on the TV, go to the movies or even slide into the soft velvet seats of a theater orchestra section, and still, somehow, the Mean Girl reigns. She's the pop-cultural archetype we just can't seem to quit.

There's Mellie Grant in "Scandal," although Olivia Pope certainly has her moments. There's the sorceress with the enviable cheekbones in "Maleficent" and Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada." Even if a lifetime of traumas hadn't been flung her way, Cersei Lannister would probably still have been the most beguiling tyrant on "Game of Thrones." In the protracted blood feud between the Swifts and the Kardashian-Wests, the Mean Girl is definitely Taylor. (Or maybe it is Kim. It's all so super-unclear.)

And now? She's Broadway-bound.

A freewheeling 2 1/2-hour "Mean Girls" musical, based on the 2004 cult movie written by comedian Tina Fey, is working out the kinks on Washington, D.C.'s National Theatre stage before it heads north for a Broadway run.

A serious contender for one of moviedom's most terrifying Mean Girls, Regina George, leader of the clique known as the Plastics, has a smartphone now, and skinny jeans, platform heels and tight leather jackets, not to mention a few slithery rock numbers.

She's also just like the Regina George of Fey's film, doling out her affection and seriously warped teenage vengeance in equal measure, until her victims attempt to turn the tables and replace her with one of their own.

"They betrayed you; that's what girls do," her mother, a gossipy Mama Plastic in her own right, sings to Regina in the show.

Outside the theater, 13 years after "Mean Girls" hit the megaplex, womanhood has changed. In our era of kindness and allies and pink-hatted sisterhood, is betrayal really still what girls do?

"I'm not mean! I'm a woman," argues Donna Rodney, 49, of Silver Spring, Maryland, as she waits to enter the National Theatre on a recent rainy afternoon. Women are her support system, she says, but she has a theory about why the Mean Girl persists.

"I think there's a lot of stereotypes people want to hang on to," she says. "It's more interesting to be mean and nasty to other women than to be inclusive and understanding and to be a caring person.

"Being mean is far more interesting."

On screen, and onstage, it certainly does make for a good time. But who among us hasn't known one - just one! - Mean Girl in real life? Who has not dreamed of secretly slipping her Kalteen bars?

The Mean Girl has graduated from her high school highjinks and now has a law degree from an Ivy and thinks your life is cute. She's in your Ashtanga yoga class, bending into her asanas just a little bit more deeply than you are. (Not that the class has anything to do with her perfectly carved calves, she wants you to know. Those are just good genes, probs.)

She doesn't just live. She thrives.

"Unfortunately, yes," says Rosalind Wiseman, an educator and author who literally wrote the book on Mean Girls, laughing sympathetically.

Wiseman's 15-year-old book, "Queen Bees and Wannabes," was the source material for "Mean Girls." In it, Wiseman described girlhood as an animalistic landscape of Queen Bees (moneyed pretty girls who alternate kindness with reproach, basically just to gaslight their entire social group); Sidekicks (the totally indoctrinated disciples of the Bee); Targets (fairly obvious, this one); and other girls you should hope never to cross in a dark alley.

But "Queen Bees" wasn't fiction; it was a manual for parents whose teenage daughters were growing up so fast, and potentially into psychotic little Mussolinis.

Not everyone will encounter a Mean Girl in their lifetime, says Wiseman, but there continue to be girls - and grown women - who "disproportionately make life miserable for the other people around them."

Now, she might just use social media to do it.

"For women, there's a sense of having to be this billboard of yourself, this Instagram post of yourself," Wiseman says of the 2017 version of the Mean Girl, who has us all striving to appear as though we have achieved perfection, the curated life.

Worse, "her friends are mandated to say, wherever they are, 'Aw girl, you're so cute. You're so hot.' And none of that is necessarily true," Wiseman says. "The girls feel obligated to say it."

"Yeah, I have some friends that are kind of terrible," confirms Elyse Collier, 26, of New York, as she waited for her cousin outside the National Theatre. "I'm getting married, and I have lots of bridesmaids, and they have lots of ... personalities."

As she bats her long lashes, streaks of rose-gold glitter twinkle on her eyelids, and we can't help wondering aloud whether Elyse, who is lithe and blond, might be a Regina George. "Oh, no, no," she replies without hesitation. She is a Karen - pretty, happily vapid and, um, how to put it? Not so committed to intellectual pursuits.

Even if Fey had never decided to adapt "Queen Bees and Wannabes" into a film, Wiseman might not have escaped the attention showered upon her after the book was published.

The media was obsessed with the Queen Bee - now better known as the Mean Girl - and with the notion that every day in America, girls were waging bloodcurdling emotional war against one another.

Wiseman, who has a quick laugh and a habit of dropping unprintable words, has written more than half a dozen books, including one on boy behavior. But she acknowledges that it's her field report on girls who feed on the destruction of other girls that has endured.

Just like the Mean Girl herself.
The Madison County Board approved a $145 million budget and $30 million tax levy Wednesday, but not before partisan bickering and some occasional personal attacks.

Much of the debate was along partisan lines, with Democrats criticizing various aspects of the budget. A major area of contention was cuts proposed in the County Clerks budget that would have severely impacted early voting.

The board voted 24-4 in favor of the budget after extensive discussion. Voting against the budget were board members Michael Doc Holliday, D-Alton; Jim Dodd, D-Alton; Jack Minner, D-Edwardsville; and Gussie Glasper, D-Madison.

Several other Democrats said that although they had serious concerns, they would support the budget.

Three of five people addressing the board before the debate also talked about budget issues.

One, who identified himself as Larry Evans, an election judge, spoke in favor of restoring funding to the County Clerks Office. Also speaking were Recorder of Deeds Amy Meyer and Regional Superintendent of Schools Robert Daiber, who spoke against major cuts to their departments.

The cuts affecting early voting were the most vocally criticized. The original budget included drastic cuts for early voting and Election Day costs, but most of that funding was restored. However, County Clerk Debra Ming-Mendoza had said during budget meetings that she would have to cut early voting in the Madison/Venice area, based on voter turnout.

Ming-Mendoza said later during discussion that her office has made arrangements with the Venice Township Clerks Office to conduct early voting there at no cost to the county.

Another area of dispute was the addition of staff and programs by the administration.

There was also some criticism of the budget process. While preparation of the budget was much more open than in past years, there was criticism that the administration did not meet with or provide information or direction to department heads prior to approximately 30 hours of Finance Committee hearings.

As the discussion went on, some of the criticism became personal attacks. At one point, County Administrator Doug Hulme told board member Kristen Novacich, D-Granite City, that she should attend meetings, and board member Mike Parkinson, D-Granite City, responded that Hulme should work on Fridays.

Also approved was a $30,766,427.35 tax levy, down about $1.8 million from the previous year.

A major factor in the decrease was the passage of a property tax cap last November.

The budget calls for approximately $47 million in general fund spending, which pays for many of the day-to-day expenditures; $68 million in special revenue funds; and $10 million for capital projects.

The budget calls for increased spending for public safety.

In capital improvements, major projects include renovations to the Madison County Courthouse, expected to cost about $1.5 million; repairs and improvements totaling $2.5 million for the Wood River Annex; and $5.4 million for the Madison County Jail.

The budget takes effect Dec. 1.

Also approved were three emergency appropriations: $212,019 for the Health Department for public health preparedness in an emergency; $31,000 for a grant from the Illinois Justice Information Authority to the Family Violence Prevention Coordinating Council; and $14,560 from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts for a Child Protection Data Courts Project Grant.
The Eighth Annual Turkey Trot 5K hosted by Edwardsville Neighbors in Need on Thanksgiving morning is moving to the SIUE campus this year.

After maxing out participation at last years Edwardsville High School location, the new SIUE location offers unlimited participation, and theres still time to register for the event.

The Edwardsville Neighbors in Need annual Turkey Trot 5K and kids fun run is the organizations second largest fundraiser. The Taste of Edwardsville, for which the organization was founded, is its largest fundraiser.

Ryan Govreau, Marketing Co-Chair for Edwardsville Neighbors in Need, explained that the Turkey Trot 5K was making the move to SIUE after the event had grown larger than the Edwardsville High School location could accommodate.

We maxed out at 700 and then we were getting a lot of pushback because people were not able to be in the event because we were maxed out. So we opted to move to SIU, and we will no longer have a maximum, Govreau noted.

We loved the high school. It has a big parking lot, cool atmosphere back there but we just maxed out the trails, Chad Opel, Neighbors in Need Co-Founder, elaborated about the change in venue. The trails are maybe 8-foot wide and you get six, seven, 800 people on there, it gets tight fast.

Opel added that they were super excited about moving out to SIU for a couple of reasons. I love SIU. Love the campus. I think its awesome. I think its going to be great. Its something different, he said. Its going to be a big loop so we dont have to worry about any capacity. We can literally have 5,000 people out there if we want to.

We start at Founders Hall, and then well use some roads, some bike trails, Govreau noted about the new location.

Youre actually going to run through campus, Opel added. I think its a win-win for SIU, us and the residents of Edwardsville.

The Turkey Trot 5K has come a long way since its first race when 200 people signed up. Every year it has grown, Opel said. We just tacked on 50 to 100 people every year.

The 2016 Turkey Trot 5K drew 806 participants, and this years registration is on track to top that total. Our goal this year was to get to 1,000 - that would be a bigger jump than normal, Opel stressed. A lot of it comes down to the last week before it. If the weather is good, we get a lot of signups (late).

While the Turkey Trot 5K is the largest 5K in Edwardsville, Opel attributed its popularity to it being on Thanksgiving morning. I feel like its actually why were having success because people want to have that family tradition, Opel said.

He added that what theyve learned is that their race participants are only about 15 to 20 percent runners or competitive runners. The other 70 to 80 percent of the people are people like me  they are not runners, Opel said. They show up with their family, their dogs, their kids, their neighbors, their friends from out of town. And they say, This is a great day for us to get together. Lets get up a little earlier. Lets get in a little exercise. So it kind of hits them with a feel good from a family standpoint, a little exercise and they get to feel charitable on a day about giving thanks.

Thats why I believe we have the biggest race in town, Opel added. Not because our race is so great. Its a good day. We got lucky with the right day.

Although participants can sign up for the Turkey Trot 5K the morning of the event this year, Opel and Govreau encouraged everyone to sign up online at www.athlinks.com/event/17273

Early packet pickup will take place on Nov. 22 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Visionary Wealth Advisors, located at 1254 University Dr. in Edwardsville. Those who dont pick up their packets early, can pick them up the day of the event, Thanksgiving Day, from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in parking lot A by Founders Hall.

The kids fun run kicks off at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K race starts at 8:40 a.m. An awards ceremony follows at 9:40 a.m. The top three males and females overall receive medals and a pie donated by A Little Piece of Heaven. Medals are also awarded to the top three males and females in the following age groups - 10 & Under, 11-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-45, 46-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60 plus.

Opel emphasized that its a perfect morning event for Thanksgiving Day that wont get in the way of the popular Thanksgiving meal and family time. The fastest runners will do it in like 15 minutes. Even if youre walking, youre done in a little over an hour to an hour-and-a half. Its a pretty quick event, Opel said. You can throw the turkey in (the oven) and youre back at home (in plenty of time to eat). We have everything cleaned up and put away, stuff in the storage unit and Im sitting down at the lunch table eating Thanksgiving with my family.
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Linkedin KOMINFO (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Fri, November 17, 2017

Young and veiled women who care about their appearance must recognize Muslim fashion boutique Dian Pelangi, named after owner Dian Wahyu Utami.

But in the past, Dian had a somewhat negative view of fashion.

She acknowledged that in her teenage years, she felt forced by her parent to take fashion as her major at SMK 1 Pekalongan in Central Java.

Sometimes I cried every time I went home because some of my friends mocked me, saying that I would become a tailor, said Dian.

But her views have since changed. Her creativity in utilizing traditional fabrics such as Pekalongan batik, songket (traditionally women textile) from Palembang and remnants of fabric have brought her to the international stage.

Dian received a warm welcome from fashion lovers in Paris at the Paris Fashion Week for Piece 2018, held on Oct.4.

And along with designers Barli Asmara, Catharine Njoo, Melia Wijaya and Vivi Zubedi, she showcased her work at New York Fashion Week: First Stage Spring Summer 2018.

Designers from Indonesia that appeared at the event have fulfilled the requirements set by International Management group as the organizer. The requirements are, among other things, originality, the power of concept and production capability.

Apart from Dian, local sneaker producers Exodos57 also stole the show, and were later showcased to President Joko Jokowi Widodo at the commemoration of Youth Pledge Day at the Bogor Palace last October.

The sneaker producers from Bandung showcased shoes that were made from leather, and blended with canvas and woven fabric from Yogyakarta.

The sneakers that President Jokowi observed are from the newest series that caries the theme 3Laborate, referring to a collaboration between three brands, namely Exodos57, UnionWell and Rawtype Riot.

The combination proved that newly designed modern shoes can represent the identity of Indonesia through woven fabric from Yogyakarta.

The fashion, culinary and handicrafts sectors are already a big industry that we want a piece of. There are also others areas we set as a priority to develop, namely games, application, music and film, said creative economy agency Bekraf head Triawan Munaf, at the Forum Merdeka Barat 9 (FMB9) gathering event at the Presidential Staff Office on Nov.14.

. (./.)

In the future, the economy will not merely depend on natural resources, Triawan said.

Data from Bekraf shows that the contributions made by the creative industry was recorded at Rp 784.82 trillion in 2014, an increase of 8.6 percent from the Rp 852 trillion recorded in 2015.

Of the total contribution, the culinary, crafts and fashion sector have made the largest contribution in the creative economy, he added.

. (./.)

The culinary sector contributed 41.69 percent, followed by fashion at 18.15 percent and crafts at 15.7 percent. In addition, the film industry grew by 10.28 percent, music by 7.26 percent, arts and architecture at 6.62 percent and games at 6.68 percent.

Given the potential that the creative economy has, the government is determined to support the sector, as it is viewed as providing the most job opportunities for young people, especially women. Data from Bekraf shows that women account for 53.68 percent of the workforce in the creative economy.

Creative economy players also have access to banks to secure capital. In 2016, the creative economy secured Rp 7.699 trillion in capital from banks. The figure surpassed the target of only Rp 4.9 trillion.

Soto Diplomacy

It is expected that the creative economy will develop into an engine that Indonesia relies on to boost its position in the global market.

Bekraf said one of the steps to take is involving ambassadors that represent Indonesia in other countries.

Currently, Bekraf is developing various programs that need real support from a strong international network, such as diplomacy using soto (soup), coffee and woven fabric.

However, the success of culinary and fashion diplomacy requires active participation from the ambassadors representing Indonesia in promotional campaigns.

As a whole, Bekraf focuses on 16 creative economy sub-sectors including fashion, film, animation, the culinary sector, crafts, fine arts, performing arts, music, architecture, visual communication design, product design, application development and games, television and radio and photography.

The 16 sub-sectors are expected to propel national economic growth, contributing to the GDP, boosting exports and creating employment opportunities.

If the creative industry is developed well, then it is not impossible to see Indonesian success in the international scene regarding the creative economy, such as emulating South Korea and K-Pop.

The creative industry has become our strength. If the industry is developed well, with young people given room to innovate and foster their creativity, then the outcome can be showcased to the outside world, said President Jokowi after watching music festival, We The Fest at JIExpo, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta on Aug.11.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) The Hague, Netherlands  Fri, November 17, 2017 12:06 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a298ccb7 2 Lifestyle Anne-Frank,Amsterdam Free

The foundation maintaining the Amsterdam house where Anne Frank hid from the Nazis during World War II said Thursday that it had bought another property where her family lived in the 1930s.

But the Anne Frank Foundation said it had no plans to use the "other home" as a museum, as it does with the one in Amsterdam's canal belt where the Frank family hid for two years, and which now draws thousands of visitors each year.

"It's important for the foundation that the home where Anne Frank lived in the 1930s remains intact and is looked after in a proper way," spokeswoman Annemarie Bekker said.

"It has a very special character... the home situated at the Merwedeplein is inextricably linked to Anne Frank," Bekker added, referring to a square in Amsterdam.

The home in southern Amsterdam formerly belonged to a housing corporation which had said it could no longer assume responsibility for its upkeep.

The Frank family lived in the modest brick building from 1934 until they went into hiding in a secret annexe at a home on Amsterdam's Prinsengracht street in 1942.

Anne Frank's father Otto bought the first house in 1933 after fleeing rising anti-semitism in neighbouring Germany, and she arrived there as a four-year-old girl.

Fuzzy black-and-white pictures show a smiling Anne looking from a window frame or sitting in a deck chair on the house's rooftop terrace.

Read also: Five facts about Anne Frank

The Ymere housing association and the Anne Frank Foundation reached an agreement to sell the house to the foundation. (AFP/Koen van Weel )

On July 6, 1942, the Franks retreated into the secret annexe of the other home as the Nazis were rounding up Jewish families after invading The Netherlands in 1940.

In her diary, Anne chronicled her life in hiding until August 1944, when her family was most likely betrayed and sent to Nazi concentration camps.

She died at Bergen-Belsen in Germany in early 1945, aged 15, less than a year after her capture and just before the end of the war.

Her diary, writing during her time in hiding, is one of the most moving testimonies of the war.

More than 30 million copies have been sold, and numerous adaptations of the book have been made, including plays, television series and a film.

The home purchased by the Anne Frank Foundation has been restored to its original 1930s style.

Since 2005 it had been let out to the Dutch Foundation for Literature, which uses it as a home for writers forced to flee their countries because of persecution.

Currently Syrian writer Samer Alkadri and his family reside at the home, Bekker said.
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Linkedin Stevie Emilia (The Jakarta Post) Singapore  Fri, November 17, 2017 09:14 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2980686 1 Art & Culture Raden-Saleh,national-gallery-singapore,art-exhibition,painting-exhibition,Indonesian-artists,artist,#artist Free

Two landscape paintings by great Indonesian artist Raden Saleh appeared in public for the first time ever at an exhibition, which opens on Thursday at the National Gallery Singapore.

Titled Between Worlds: Raden Saleh and Juan Luna, the new exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore showcases masterpieces by the Indonesian and Filipino masters, exploring each of the artists works over their illustrious careers across different time periods.

Despite coming from different countries and being active at different times in the 19th century, the two shared a similar journey as Southeast Asian artists who sailed across the ocean to hone their craft in Europe, earned their place within European art worlds and achieved successes in their home countries.

Raden Saleh and Juan Luna are two of the earliest and most significant artists, who propelled the prestige of Southeast Asian art around the world in the 19thcentury, said the gallerys director Eugene Tan.

Raden Saleh, who received the title of Kings Painter by King Willem III of the Netherlands, was the first Indonesian artist to receive training in Europe. He refined his skills in the Netherlands before going on to receive acclaim in Germany and Paris for his signature Orientalist animal hunts and fights.

It was in Paris that Raden Saleh painted his monumental works like Deer Hunt on the Island of Java ( 1847 ) and Boschbrand (Forest Fires, 1849), which entered the collections of the French and Dutch kings, respectively.

Luna, taken under the wing of Spanish painter Alejo Vera, studied in Madrid and Rome. His painting, Spoliarium, earned him fame in Spain and won him the first-class medal in Spains annual art exhibition in Madrid in 1884. He later moved to Paris, taking part in the salons while

exhibiting and accepting his commissions in Spain.

Raden Saleh and Juan Luna made an impact in the seats of colonial power in the 19th century with their success in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain, proving that Asian artists were at least the equals of their European counterparts, Tan said.

The exhibition, which opened on Nov. 16 and runs until March 11 next year, is part of Century of Light, a special presentation of two exhibitions focusing on the art of the 19th century.

The gallerys curatorial & collections deputy director Russell Storer said the Between Worlds exhibition was the culmination of four years of effort by the gallerys curators  Clarissa Chikiamco, Syed Muhammad Hafiz and himself, to bring together the two masters paintings, drawings and archive materials from Southeast Asian, European and American museums and private collections, for the very first time.

Six Horsemen Chasing Deer ( 1860 ) by Raden Saleh (National Gallery Singapore/File)

With their support, we have been able to shape a rich and expansive exhibition that will enable people to learn about the remarkable lives and careers of Raden Saleh and Juan Luna, and to appreciate the impact they made in the art worlds in Europe as well as in Southeast Asia, he says.

Fifty-seven works by Raden Saleh in the exhibition include two landscape paintings of Java from the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

One of them, Six Horsemen Chasing Deer ( 1860 ) showcases two high-ranking Javanese men and four retainers on horseback, chasing a stag and a deer on the plains south of Bandung, where Raden Saleh lived as a young man and was familiar with the sport as he himself was an accomplished horseman.

The other work, entitled Javanese Temple in Ruins ( 1860 ), depicts the 9thcentury Buddhist temple located around three kilometers east of Borobudur temple. Raden Saleh had visited both temples when visiting his relative.

The two works were part of four landscape views of Java commissioned by Scottish businessman Alexander Fraser in the late 1850s. Fraser took the paintings back with him when he moved to London in 1879. The paintings were eventually donated by his wifes niece Sally Burbank Swart to the Smithsonian. They are the only known Raden Saleh paintings in a public collection in the United States.

Curator Hafiz said the current show was the first time Raden Salehs works from both Europe and Southeast Asia had appeared together. Previous shows, such as in Indonesia and then Germany, only exhibited works from Indonesia and Europe, respectively.

The two works from the Smithsonian, he said, had never been displayed, ever, since they were stored in its warehouse facilities. Maybe because theyre not relevant for the American museum because Raden Saleh did not go to America, Hafiz said.

When they heard we were doing the show, they said great. Before the works could travel, they had to conserve them, change the frame and to stabilize them. So a lot of money and logistical arrangements [were involved], he said, adding that after the show, the two paintings would be on long-term loan to the gallery.

He said the main challenge was to bring in all the collections for the show.

A painting in the Louvre collection, which has been on long-term loan to a town hall a three-hour ride outside Paris since 1912, could not be taken to Singapore due to its fragile condition.

Another of Raden Salehs masterpieces, Gevangenneming van Diponegoro, also known as The Arrest of Prince Diponegoro ( 1857 ), is also not part of the show since it is in the Indonesian presidential collection.

We tried our best but it was not possible, maybe because theyre not ready to let the work out of Jakarta, Hafiz said.

But in any case, it may even be good for the show because, I mean, when you talk about Raden Saleh, the only painting that appears in peoples heads is The Arrest of Diponegoro, and they forget about the rest of his works. So we saw this [show] as a way to expand the stories.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 14:05 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2998ae6 1 City City-Hall,anies-baswedan,Sandiaga-Uno Free

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno left the city on Friday.

Anies flew to Medan, North Sumatra, on Friday morning to attend the 10th national meeting of the Islamic Students Alumni Association (KAHMI), in which Anies was recognized as one of its loyal members.

The two-day event was scheduled to be opened by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Friday.

Meanwhile, Sandiaga has been away from the city since Wednesday to represent Jakarta administration at a global forum of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) in the United Arab Emirates. He was listed as one of the speakers at the event.

Before leaving Jakarta, Sandiaga said he would look for new foreign investors to fund the citys infrastructure construction.

Earlier this year, Sandiaga promised to share responsibilities with Anies. "If Mas Anies leaves town, I will 'guard the cage' [City Hall]," he told the media in July before his inauguration as deputy governor. (yon)
MASON CITY | See a need, fill a need. The quote is not original with Austin Bailey  its actually from the 2005 movie Robots  but Bailey uses it to explain his venture into script writing.

Bailey, 19, a veteran of Stebens Childrens Theatre and Mason City Community Theatre, is author of A Gift That Lasts: A One-Act Christmas Play, which will be presented this Sunday at First Baptist Church in Mason City.

Bailey said they started doing Christmas programs at the church a couple of years ago. Last years program was one his mom found online. This year, they struggled to find one they liked, and someone asked Bailey if he could help.

This is the first play Ive finished, Bailey said. Hes started others, but none good enough for me that were worth finishing.

Bailey prefers acting, and stage work like running sound cues, to writing.

Its really different for sure. I like the visceral feeling of acting. Its a lot different sitting down and writing  trying to feel what itd be like on stage. Writing is fun  a little more stress than those others.

In A Gift that Lasts, unexpected events occur amid the chaos of Christmas preparations for the Brenner family that force a respite for them in order to focus on the implications of Jesus coming, according to a news release.

The play is about a little girl named Sally who has a sort of broken family in ways, Bailey said. She learns about the gospel through her Aunt Linda who comes to visit.

We all know the meaning around Christmas, Bailey said. The play makes clear why we need a Savior, and share that knowledge with others.

The story is stirring, thoughtful, and thoroughly biblical yet comedic and light, said Terry Bailey, Austin's mom.

Besides being the playwright, Bailey also chose the cast, designed the set and is the director. When asked if it was hard not being on stage, he sighed.

Yeah, it is. After graduating from Stebens, I cant really be in those shows anymore.

He added that he couldnt direct as well if he were also on stage.

Its important to me that the message be brought out. I couldnt do both.

While writing the play, he had certain people in mind for the cast, including his family.

Through my time at Stebens and the community theater, I know a lot of good actors. Weve got a really good cast.

Cast members are Deb Rohne, Janae Hansen, Branden Shank, Aurora Stepleton, the Rev. Ron Stein, pastor at First Baptist Church and Greg, Terry and Andrew Bailey, Austins family.

Bailey's had challenges in directing his first play.

Theres been a lot of moments in blocking that things arent at all what I imagined them to be, Bailey said. I threw a lot of stage directions out of the window.

He gives credit to Stebens Childrens Theatre for helping him do it all.

Watching Tom Ballmer direct all those many years has prepared me to direct. It helps. Stebens is to be thanked for all thats being done right now in my career. Id dont think Id be able to write and direct without all that experience.
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Linkedin Mariette Le Roux and Marlowe Hood (AFP) Bonn, Germany  Fri, November 17, 2017 08:30 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a297cf75 2 World UN,UN-climate-conference,White-House,Bonn,Germany,DonaldTrump,Donald-Trump,climate-change,Climatechange,climate-crisis Free

Countries launched a coal phase-out initiative Thursday at UN climate talks in Bonn, offering an antidote to the defence of Earth-warming fossil fuels by US President Donald Trump's administration.

Spearheaded by Canada and Britain, the "Powering Past Coal Alliance" commits more than 20 nations, cities, and regions to weaning themselves off a commodity that produces 40 percent of the world's electricity -- a major contributor to global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

The list includes Angola, Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, the Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, and Mexico, the regions of Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta, and the city of Vancouver.

The state of Washington is the sole American signatory.

"This is another positive signal of the global momentum away from coal, benefiting the health of the climate, the public and the economy," said Jens Mattias Clausen of Greenpeace.

"But it also puts on notice the governments who lag behind on ending coal, or those who promote it, that the worlds dirtiest fossil fuel has no future."

The Trump administration insisted Thursday it was "committed" to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, as long as this does not threaten energy security or the economy.

"Our guiding principles are universal access to affordable and reliable energy, and open, competitive markets that promote efficiency and energy security, not only for the United States but around the globe," US acting assistant secretary of state Judith Garber told the conference.

To this end, it would "support the cleanest, most efficient power generation, regardless of the source," she said.

Garber was the most senior US administration representative at the "high-level segment" of the annual UN climate huddle. Most other countries were represented by heads of state or ministers.

On Monday, White House officials drew the ire of observers and delegates in Bonn by hosting a sideline event defending the continued use of fossil fuels at a forum whose very purpose is the drawdown of carbon emissions.

- Protecting US interests -

Trump announced in June that the United States will withdraw from the climate-rescue Paris Agreement championed by his predecessor Barack Obama and endorsed by the world's nations to cheers and champagne in 2015. The rules determine that no country can exit the pact before November 2020.

Garber said Washington still intends to withdraw "at the earliest opportunity", but remained "open to the possibility of rejoining at a later date under terms more favourable to the American people."

An Obama-era official who helped deliver the agreement -- a feat that took more than two decades of tough negotiations -- lashed out Thursday at Trump's "wrongheaded" decision.

"Climate change is a huge challenge, we all know that," Todd Stern, who was Obama's special envoy for climate change, told AFP on the sidelines of the conference he attended as an observer. He left government in 2016.

"We are in a... race against time to transform the economy faster than the bad stuff of climate change. Trying to say it's a hoax, or it doesn't mean anything, or it's a terrible agreement and the rest of the world is laughing at us, is just so.. ridiculous," he said -- citing some of Trump's stated reasons.

The United States is the world's biggest historical greenhouse gas polluter, and second only to China for current-day emissions.

The US presence at the Bonn talks has not been universally welcomed, especially as it has taken a tough line on a demand from developing countries for a firmer commitment to climate finance.

Trump has also renounced an Obama-era promise to deliver $2.5 billion dollars into the Green Climate Fund.

Many question why the US is at Bonn at all, given its rejection of the Paris Agreement.

The State Department explained Washington wished to "ensure a level playing field that benefits and protects US interests."

- Three degrees -

The Paris Agreement commits countries to limiting average global warming to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over Industrial Revolution levels, and 1.5 C if possible, to avert calamitous climate change-induced storms, drought and sea-level rises.

Nations submitted voluntary emissions-cutting commitments to bolster the deal, but scientists say the pledges placed the world on course for warming of 3 C or more.

Since Monday last week, bureaucrats have haggled over a Paris Agreement "rule book", which must be finished next year and will specify how countries calculate and report their emissions cuts.

Energy and environment ministers descended on Bonn Wednesday for the final three days, tasked with resolving tough issues above the pay grade of rank-and-file negotiators.

"The Paris Agreement is a global pledge to hand over a healthy planet to future generations, and now the time has come to show that we will honour this pledge," European Union climate change commissioner Miguel Canete told delegates on Thursday. (**)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 12:28 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a298d3b5 4 Business BI,credit-growth-projection,revision Free

Bank Indonesia has revised down its projection for the credit growth of banks to between 8 to 10 percent, from 10 to 12 percent, because of the low demand for credit.

Credit grew 7.78 percent in September, slightly higher than the 7.75 percent growth recorded in June, but total growth from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 was only 3.8 percent, BI Governor Agus Martowardojo said on Thursday, as reported by kontan.co.id.

Therefore, we see that by the end of this year, banks will try to achieve their business plans, but the realization will be about 8 to 10 percent, Agus said.

The demand for loans was lower than BI's previous estimate because many corporations had only just finished consolidation, he said.

They want to ensure their balances are healthy. Therefore, they have not proposed increasing credit. They will study the global economy first, Agus added.

Banks were also consolidating to keep the quality of their loan disbursement, he added.

Agus said BI supported the loan disbursement by keeping the counter cyclical buffer (CCB) at 0 percent.

BI Deputy Governor Erwin Riyanto explained that the CCB is a macro-prudential instrument to control credit disbursement.

If credits grows too high, banks have to add capital. Currently, growth is low, thus the CCB does not need to be increased. Meaning banks do not need to add capital, he added. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (Bloomberg) Hong Kong  Fri, November 17, 2017 12:43 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29904fe 2 Business China,stock-market,Goldman-Sachs Free

Its not often that Chinas official media agency takes aim at a specific stock.

But thats what happened to Kweichow Moutai Co. on Thursday, when Xinhua News Agency said shares in Chinas biggest liquor maker should rise at a slower pace. Within hours, the company had made its own stock exchange filing, says it hopes investors are cautious in making decisions, and that analysts share price targets and valuations in the market are "overly high". The result was a plunge of as much as 5.8 percent in the Shanghai-listed shares, their biggest decline in two years.

Moutai has more than doubled this year, with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. alone raising its target on the company 11 times, as investors embraced the companys profitable strategy of targeting the mass market. Moutai, which earlier this year overtook Diageo Plc as the worlds most-valuable distiller, is now trading at 30 times estimated earnings, its highest valuation in seven years.

"Xinhua is concerned that a runaway rally in heavyweight like Kweichow will hamper the stability of the overall market," said Hao Hong, chief strategist at Bocom International Holding Co. in Hong Kong.

Since a debt-fueled stock market bubble burst in 2015, wiping out $5 trillion of value, Chinese policy makers have acted to restrain excessive speculation in equities -- including a crackdown on aggressive investments by insurers. The result has been an unusually tepid market, with volatility falling to the lowest level in decades.

Analysts are bullish on Moutai, with the stock attracting 26 buy ratings, two holds and zero sells. Goldman, which last increased its price target this week, sees the shares rising a further 23 percent over the next 12 months. Moutais net income more than doubled in the third quarter to 8.7 billion yuan ($1.3 billion).

Moutai was down 4.7 percent at 11:11 a.m. local time, erasing $6.6 billion in value. Other liquor maker shares also declined. Luzhou Laojiao Co. slid 4.4 percent, paring its rally this year to 105 percent. Wuliangye Yibin Co. dropped 5 percent.

The state has been trimming Moutai holdings as shares surged. China Securities Finance Corp.s stake fell to 1.56 percent at the end of September from 2.35 percent at end-2016, exchange filings showed.

 With assistance by Amanda Wang
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 16:42 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29a0469 1 City City-administration,complaints Free

Starting Nov. 18, Jakarta residents can lodge complaints at district offices across the city as officials at the district offices have been instructed to serve citizens every Saturday, a top official has announced.

City assistant secretary for governance Bambang Sugiyono said at City Hall on Friday that the complaint section would open for two hours until 10 a.m. He further said district officials would work on the complaints the next day, on Sunday.

Unsolved problems will be discussed at a leadership meeting [attended by the governor and deputy governor] on Monday, he said as quoted by kompas.com.

Jakartans had been encouraged since the leadership of former governor Joko Jokowi Widodo in 2012 to lodge complaints about the administrations services to the governor at City Hall in the morning on any weekday.

The practice had continued until incumbent Governor Anies Baswedan took office last month and said he would devise a more effective way for people to submit complaints so that did not have to visit City Hall. (vny)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17 2017

The government has invited coffee buyers from Canada to Takengon in Central Aceh to take a close look on the production process of Gayo coffee, a specialty coffee only grown in the area.

Five Canadian buyers are staying in the province from Nov. 13 to 17 to meet representatives of coffee producers, including PT Meukat Komoditi Gayo, PT Orang Utan Lestari, Redelong Organic Cooperatives, Kopi Wanita Gayo (Kokowa Gayo) Cooperatives and Arinagata cooperatives.

The Trade Ministrys export product development director, Sulistyawati, said the visit, organized by the ministry in cooperation with Canadas Trade and Private Sector Assistance (TPSA), was scheduled to introduce a variety of types of Gayo coffee to the buyers.

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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java  Fri, November 17, 2017 10:07 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a298209f 1 Business workers,fund,hanif-dakhiri Free

The government is studying the possibility of establishing what it calls a workers fund as a temporary financial cushion for people losing their jobs and to fund training courses to equip them with new skills.

Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri said the fund would prioritize dismissed employees and those who were working but yet could not make ends meet for their families.

People who lose their jobs would receive training for additional skills, and members of their families would also get unemployment benefits, the minister said on Thursday.

"With the fund, we will retrain the dismissed employees and the working poor, so they can find a job again," he said at the Bogor Palace in West Java.

He added that, sometimes, training could take a long time, which is why their family members needed financial support.

The program was expected to cover the unemployed people and their families for up to one year -- six months to support their families while they are in training and another six months while they are in the process of finding a new job, the minister said.

A final decision on the workers fund was expected by the end of this year, he said, adding that he would talk to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati about whether to fund the measure through the state budget or through the social insurance scheme. (bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17 2017

The Jakarta Small and Medium Enterprises Agency is investigating reports about the rental of Tanah Abang sidewalks to street vendors, and the alleged involvement of civil servants in the business.

The vendors reportedly pay Rp 500,000 (US$36.90) per month to get space on the sidewalks to conduct their business.

The rent, which is considered low by most of the vendors, has led to them leaving the kiosks provided by the administration to go back to doing business on the sidewalks.

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Linkedin News Desk (AFP) Ankara, Turkey  Fri, November 17, 2017 08:45 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a297e6b2 2 World Iran,Russia,Turkey,Syria,Vladimir-Putin,Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan,Hassan-Rouhani Free

Russian President Vladimir Putin will next week host Turkish and Iranian counterparts Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani for summit talks on Syria, officials from Turkey and Russia said Thursday.

With the violence in Syria diminishing but still no political solution in sight, the three presidents will meet at Putin's official residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 22.

The meeting -- the first such summit between the trio -- comes as Ankara, Moscow and Tehran cooperate with increasing intensity on ending the more than six-year civil war in Syria.

They are sponsoring peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana and also implementing a plan for de-escalation zones in key flashpoint areas of Syria.

Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that the three leaders would discuss progress in reducing the violence in Syria and ensuring humanitarian aid goes to those in need.

Describing Iran, Russia and Turkey as the three "guarantor" countries, he said the talks would look at what they could do for a lasting political solution in Syria.

Turkey's top diplomat Mevlut Cavusoglu said the foreign ministers of the three countries would meet in the southern Turkish city of Antalya by the end of the week.

Confirming the summit, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was just these three countries who were the "guarantors of the process of political settlement and stability and security that we see now in Syria".

There was no immediate comment from Tehran.

- 'Six meetings in one year' -

The cooperation comes despite Turkey still officially being on an opposite side of the Syria conflict from Russia and Iran.

Russia, along with Iran, is the key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Moscow's military intervention inside Syria is widely seen as tipping the balance in the conflict.

Turkey, however, has backed the rebels seeking Assad's ouster in a conflict that has left more than 330,000 dead.

But Russia and Turkey have been working together since a 2016 reconciliation deal ended a crisis caused by the shooting down of a Russian warplane over Syria.

In recent months, Turkey has markedly toned down its criticism of the Assad regime and focused on opposing Syrian Kurdish militia seen by Ankara as a terror group.

According to the Anadolu news agency, Putin and Erdogan have already met five times this year and spoken by telephone 13 times.

Erdogan last met Putin for talks in Sochi only days ago on November 13, agreeing on the need to boost elements for a lasting settlement.

Turkey earlier this month said Russia had decided to postpone a planned Syria peace conference with all parties after Ankara objected to the potential inclusion of Kurdish forces.

Moscow denied this was the case, saying a date for the conference had never been set. Peskov told reporters in Moscow that the date for the "Congress of Syrian National Dialogue" had yet to be fixed. (**)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 14:30 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a299a2e3 1 City night-club,closure Free

City administration permanently closed Diamond Discotheque in West Jakarta on Thursday evening following allegations last September that drug distribution had occurred inside the venue.

We, the public order officers, permanently stop business activities in Diamond Discotheque as of today, the operation head of the Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) Harry Aprayitno said on Thursday according to kompas.com.

Diamond Discotheque had been temporarily closed since September, when the police arrested Indra Jaya Piliang, the head of the Golkar Party's research and development division, and his two friends for allegedly holding a party involving drugs at the premises.

The shutdown was successfully conducted without resistance, he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Governor Anies Baswedan said the administration would close the nightclub on the grounds of the violation of Bylaw No. 6/2015 on Tourism.

"We want to be serious in eradicating drugs. Once the place is found to have drugs, it can no longer operate," he said.

Previously in October, Anies ordered the shutdown of Alexis Hotel and massage parlor in North Jakarta for allegedly facilitating prostitution. (cal)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 12:33 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a298f3fe 1 Business Hotel,jakarta,occupancy-rate,decline Free

Hotels in Jakarta faced a decline in occupancy rate because of online-based bed-and-breakfast (BnB) services and increased efficiency among corporate customers, Jakarta Hotels Association chairman Alexander Nayoan said.

Occupancy rate declined by 20 basis points (bps) on average compared to two years ago, and the decline was more severe in four- and five-star hotels, he added.

"Three-star hotels have better performance with around a 90-percent occupancy rate. It seems good, but in fact, two years ago, they were often overbooked," Alexander said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

With the economic slowdown, travelers prefer to stay in rented rooms booked via online-based BnB services, he said.

He added that by staying in BnB rooms, they spent only about Rp 150,000 (US$11.1) per night, cheaper than Rp 350,000 when they stayed at three-star hotels.

Moreover, Alexander said, the slow economy had forced businesses to be more efficient, such as by using Skype-based conferences, instead of conducting business trips.

Alexander also said efficiency affected the number of expatriates -- regular hotel customers -- in Jakarta.

"The number of expats is declining now and many of the existing expats have moved to the suburban areas. You can see more expats living in Cengkareng, nearby Soekarno-Hatta airport, than in Jakarta now," he said. (bbn)
MASON CITY | A Mason City man has been arrested on drug charges and for violation of pretrial release for a pending drug case in Cerro Gordo County.

Derrick Scott Winters, 30, of Mason City was arrested at the Ashley Inn Nov. 5 for possession of a controlled substance, marijuana  third or subsequent offense.

According to court documents, Winters was in possession of a bag containing marijuana. Winters has two previous convictions, one in Floyd County in August and another in Cerro Gordo County in May 2008.

A preliminary hearing was held Thursday in Cerro Gordo County District Court.

This offense was in violation of pretrial release for two other charges on Oct. 3.

Winters was listed as homeless in the criminal complaint in October.

At 12:26 a.m. on Oct. 3, Winters was pulled over in a traffic stop, driving a turquoise 1994 Pontiac Sunbird on 15th Street Northeast in Mason City.

According to court documents, Winters was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. He was charged with possession of marijuana  second offense and possession of methamphetamine  second offense.

Winters arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 21 at the Law Enforcement Complex for the Oct. 3 charges.

Winters is held in Cerro Gordo County Jail on $12,000 bond.

 Courtney Fiorini
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 15:11 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a299dc2b 1 City tolerance,jakarta,Setara-institute,survey Free

Sectarian and religious lines exploited during the gubernatorial election period has given Jakarta the status of "most intolerant city in Indonesia," a survey conducted by human rights group Setara Institute revealed on Thursday.



Jakarta was at the bottom of a list of 94 cities studied from November 2016 to October 2017. The study, called "The 2017 Index of Tolerant Cities," measured cities' midterm regional development plans, government actions and statements, discriminatory policies, intolerant acts and demographic composition based on the harmony among people of different groups.

In a similar study published in 2015, Jakarta ranked 64th.

Jakartas tolerance index decreased because of a number of events related to elections, for example, refusal to pray for the deceased or politically motivated religious sermons, Setara deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos said.

During and prior to the election, banners threatening not to religiously treat the bodies of deceased Muslims who supported incumbent governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian and Chinese-Indonesian, were placed in some parts of the capital.



Bonar said he suggested the current Jakarta administration, led by newly elected Governor Anies Baswedan, heal the wounds after the divisive election by empowering public interaction among different faiths.

The government should approach religious clerics and organizations and encourage them to spread the message of tolerance, he said. (fac)
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Linkedin Carole Landry (AFP) United Nations, United States  Fri, November 17, 2017 09:15 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2981385 2 World Japan,UN,Syria,Security-Council,Russia,chemical-attack Free

The UN Security Council was expected to vote, probably on Friday, on a 30-day extension of a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria to allow for negotiations after Russia vetoed a renewal of the probe.

Japan on Thursday presented a draft resolution that would give the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) another 30 days as the United States and Russia work to reach a compromise on the future of the panel.

Russia earlier cast its 10th veto on Syria at the council, blocking the one-year extension of the JIM as proposed in a US-drafted resolution that won 11 votes.

A Russian-drafted resolution fell short of the nine votes required for adoption, garnering just four votes in favour.

The joint UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel was set up by Russia and the United States in 2015 and unanimously endorsed by the council, which renewed its mandate last year.

The expert team is tasked with determining who is responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Russia has sharply criticized the JIM after its latest report blamed the Syrian air force for a sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun that left scores dead.

The attack on April 4 triggered global outrage as images of dying children were shown worldwide, prompting the United States to launch missile strikes on a Syrian air base a few days later.

Syria has denied using chemical weapons, with strong backing from its main ally Russia.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley assailed the veto as a "deep blow", saying: "Russia has killed the investigative mechanism which has overwhelming support of this council."

"By eliminating our ability to identify the attackers, Russia has undermined our ability to deter future attacks."

The Japanese move however revived hope that the JIM could be salvaged.

The draft text obtained by AFP would renew the JIM mandate for 30 days and task UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with submitting to the council in 20 days "proposals for the structure and methodology" of the panel.

Japan requested a vote for Thursday, but diplomats said it was more likely that the council would consider the measure on Friday.

A resolution requires nine votes to be adopted at the council, but five countries -- Russia, Britain, China, France and the United States -- can block adoption with their veto power.

- Flawed probe -

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the investigation of the Khan Sheikhun attack suffered from "fundamental flaws" and that the US-drafted resolution was "geared toward entrenching the inherent flaws of the JIM."

In its draft, Russia had insisted the panel's findings on Khan Sheikhun be put aside to allow for another "full-scale and high-quality investigation" by the JIM.

The Russian veto came as the United Nations was preparing to convene in Geneva on November 28 a new round of talks to end the six-year war and underscored deep divisions over Syria.

Eleven of the council's 15 members voted in favor of the US-drafted resolution, while Egypt and China abstained. Bolivia joined Russia in voting against the measure.

Russia, China, Bolivia and Kazakhstan voted in favour of the Russian draft, while seven countries opposed it. Four countries abstained: Ethiopia, Senegal, Egypt and Japan.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the Russian veto was a blow to international efforts to curb the use of chemical weapons.

"Let there be no doubt: we have unleashed a monster here," said Delattre.

Previous reports by the JIM have found that Syrian government forces were responsible for chlorine attacks on three villages in 2014 and 2015, and that the Islamic State group used mustard gas in 2015. (**)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 14:37 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a299c10d 1 Politics Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,setya,setya-novanto,KPK,e-ID,graft,graft-suspect Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has called on House of Representatives Speaker and graft suspect Setya Novanto to follow legal procedures being handled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) regarding his case.

I demand Pak Setya follow the legal process, Jokowi told journalists after he attended an event held by the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) at the House compound in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Friday.

I am sure law enforcement in our country has done well, said the President.

Setya, who is also the Golkar Party chairman, is undergoing medical treatment at Medika Permata Hijau Hospital in South Jakarta after he was injured in a car accident last night.

(Read also: Ethics Council backs Setya despite suspect status)

Setya was reportedly on his way to attend an interview with MetroTV when the accident occurred. The car was traveling at a high rate of speed, Setya's lawyer Fredrich Yunadi said.

The KPK has issued an arrest warrant for Setya as he has repeatedly dodged summonses for questioning. The antigraft body has also asked the National Police and Interpol to put Setya on their most-wanted persons list.

Setya has cited various reasons for avoiding KPK's questioning, including claiming immunity as a lawmaker, for which the KPK first had to secure the President's approval to be able to summon him.

On Wednesday evening, KPK investigators searched Setya's home in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, to arrest him, but they were met by only his wife and lawyer. (ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 16:19 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a299ff18 1 National journalist,setya,setya-novanto,Jakarta-police,KPK,graft-suspect Free

The Jakarta Police named on Friday private television station MetroTV journalist Hilman Mattauch a suspect of reckless driving that led to graft suspect and House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto being sustaining injuries.

Hilman was reportedly behind the wheel of the car taking the Golkar Party chairman to the MetroTV studio for an interview when the accident occurred.

Yes, he is a suspect. We also ticketed him, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said as quoted by tribunnews.com in Jakarta on Friday.

(Read also: Jokowi orders Setya to obey law)

Hilman has been charged under Traffic Law articles 283 and 310 on reckless driving, which carry a maximum three-month jail sentence.

As the charge carries less than five years, we dont need to detain him, Argo said.

He went on to say that the police were collecting more evidence, such as pieces of broken windshield and scratches on the utility pole hit by the car. The police have not as yet determined whether it was really an accident or happened by design, he said.

Argo said the car belonged to Hilman and was bought about one year ago.

Setya is currently undergoing medical treatment and is being closely monitored by KPK investigators. (foy/ebf)
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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta, Central Java  Fri, November 17, 2017 12:49 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2990b12 1 National KAI,Christmas,New-Year,New-Year-Eve-celebrations,Yogyakarta,surakarta Free

The VI Regional Operator (Daop) Yogyakarta of state railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) has prepared six additional trains to serve passengers departing from Yogyakarta and Surakarta (Central Java) to Jakarta, Bandung (West Java) and Surabaya (East Java).

The six trains will be added to 13 regular trains, which comprise Taksaka morning and evening lines, Sancaka, Lodaya, Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga lines, with a total capacity of around 13,000 passengers per day.

Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga trains will serve the Gambir Station (Jakarta)  Solo Balapan (Surakarta) route while Lodaya will serve the Bandung Station  Solo Balapan route. Meanwhile, Sancaka is ready to carry passengers traveling from Tugu Station in Yogyakarta to Gubeng Station in Surabaya and vice versa.

We predict the number of passengers during the Christmas and New Year holidays will increase by around 4 to 6 percent compared to normal days, KAI Daop VI Yogyakarta spokesperson Eko Budiyanto said at Purwosari Station on Thursday.

He further said the holiday season was expected to start on Dec. 21 and end on Jan. 7. He predicted homebound travel in train stations within the Daop VI working area would peak on Dec. 24 and on Jan.1 and 2.

Passengers can purchase tickets for extra trains starting from Nov. 1 while regular tickets can be bought 90 days before the departure, he said.

To anticipate unexpected incidents during the holiday season, Eko said KAI was ready to dispatch 91 additional officials to train crossings and other locations prone to security disruptions. (ebf)

Safe travel: Passengers wait for their train at Solo Balapan Station in Surakarta, Central Java. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 18:18 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29a382b 1 City puncak,landslides Free

The Bogor Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has reminded motorists planning to pass along cliff roads in the resort area of Puncak in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java, to be alert to the risk of landslides amid heavy rain pouring in the area for hours on Friday afternoon.

The head of the emergency unit at the agency, Budi Aksomo, urged motorists not to use the cliff roads during rainfall. Dont force yourself to go via the cliff roads [during rain]. It is better to take shelter for a while and avoid such roads, Budi said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The heavy rain lasted from at 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., inundating a number of areas in the district of Cisarua.

Incessant rain also led to an increase in the water level at the Katulampa sluice gate in Bogor to alert level 3, two counts below the top alert level.

Jakarta residents, especially those living along the Ciliwung River, should anticipate flooding, Budi said. (vny)

Topics : puncak landslides
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Linkedin Mariette Le Roux (AFP) Bonn, Germany  Fri, November 17, 2017 07:45 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a297b844 2 World BarackObama,Barack-Obama,climate-change,Climatechange,climate-crisis,DonaldTrump,Donald-Trump,ParisAgreement,Paris-Agreement Free

The Obama-era official who helped deliver the 2015 Paris Agreement, lashed out Thursday at the Donald Trump administration's "wrongheaded" decision to abandon the first-ever pact committing all countries to limiting climate change.

Todd Stern, who was Barack Obama's special envoy for climate change, said he was "annoyed, frustrated" by the new president's rejection of a deal that took the world's nations more than two decades to negotiate.

"It's completely wrongheaded thing to do," Stern, who left the state department in 2016, told AFP on the sidelines of a UN climate conference in Bonn which he attended as an observer.

"Climate change is a huge challenge, we all know that," he said.

"We are in a... race against time to transform the economy faster than the bad stuff of climate change," he said.

"Trying to say it's a hoax, or it doesn't mean anything, or it's a terrible agreement and the rest of the world is laughing at us, is just so.. ridiculous."

Obama was a champion of the deal which America ratified just two months before Trump, who has described climate change as a "hoax", was elected to the White House.

Trump announced in June that America would abandon the pact, but the rules determine this cannot happen until November 2020.

The United States is the world's biggest historical greenhouse gas polluter, and second only to China for current-day emissions.

This week, Syria became the 196th country to formally adopt the Paris Agreement, leaving America as the only nation in the UN climate convention to reject it.

The pact commits countries to limiting average global warming to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over Industrial Revolution levels, and 1.5 C if possible, to avert calamitous climate change-induced storms, drought and sea-level rises.

To bolster the agreement, nations submitted voluntary commitments to curb emissions.

But the 1 C mark has already been passed, and analysts say the world is headed for a 3 C-warmer world, or more, on current country pledges.

- 'More angry than sad' -

While waiting to exit the deal, Washington is participating in the UN climate talks, where envoys are working out "rules" for putting the agreement into action.

Not all have welcomed the presence of the Americans in their midst, and Stern said Trump's decision "inevitably undermines the credibility and... strength of the US team."

He also criticised the White House hosting a sideline event at the talks on Monday, where administration officials and energy company executives defended continued fossil fuel use.

"Do I think it's constructive to do an event on coal? No, obviously not," said Stern, now a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think-tank.

Having invested more than seven years in negotiating the Paris Agreement, Stern said he felt "more angry than sad" at the way things have turned out -- "annoyed, frustrated".

"Ideologues thought it was a good idea, and some of the president's so-called base supporters thought it was a good idea, but you have to look pretty hard to find informed people, companies... who thought that was a good idea," he said. (**)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 19:14 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29a6370 1 City fire,Tangerang,factory Free

A fire broke out at a factory in which paint thinner manufacturer PT Mustika Carana Laksana operates in Tangerang, Banten, on Friday. The fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.

Tangerang Police chief Sr. Comr. Harry Kurniawan said a number of police officers, firefighters and five fire trucks had been deployed to the site to rescue roughly 100 workers, as the factory was located in a densely populated area.

Harry said it was rather difficult to extinguish the fire that started around 1:30 p.m. as the paint thinner was flammable.

We have yet to calculate the losses from the fire, Harry added as quoted by kompas.com. (vny)

Topics : fire Tangerang factory
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17 2017

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedans plan to let motorcycles pass through the capitals main thoroughfares has drawn wide criticism, with opponents arguing that it would be counterproductive to the city administrations efforts to encourage residents to use public transportation.

Anies earlier said he planned to scrap the motorcycle restriction policy  which has been implemented along Jl. MH Thamrin and Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta since 2015  for the sake of equality among road users.

This means he would revise Gubernatorial Regulation No. 141/2015 on motorcycle restriction, which was issued by former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama.

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MASON CITY | A Mason City man accused of first-degree murder in the deaths of his grandparents will be arraigned in court this month.

Codie Matz, 25, was charged after police said they found Kenneth Hackbart, 61, and Kathleen Hackbart, 64, dead in their southwestern Mason City home during a welfare check Nov. 7.

Matz lived with his grandparents, court documents indicate.

Court documents list the time of the incident as 7:23 a.m. Police said in the criminal complaint that the two were stabbed.

Matzs arraignment is Nov. 28 at the Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center.

He is required to appear for the arraignment unless a written arraignment is filed prior to the hearing.

Matz is being held on a $1 million bond in the Cerro Gordo County Jail.

 Courtney Fiorini
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi and Safrin La batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17 2017

In a turn of events on Thursday night, hours after he went missing to avoid arrest, Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto was involved in a traffic accident, calling into question the odds of him being detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) over alleged graft.



Setya, who is also the speaker of the House of Representatives, was rushed to Medika Hospital in Permata Hijau, South Jakarta, after a car accident in the area that night.



[The car Setya was in] was traveling at a high speed when the accident occurred, Fredrich Yunadi, one of Setyas lawyers, said at the hospital.



Setya, who was reportedly on his way to attend a media interview, suffered a concussion and several other injuries, including scratches to his hands from shards of glass from the shattered windscreen, Fredrich said.



The accident is the latest in a string of incidents hampering the graft case. Setya has dodged many of 12 KPK summonses for questioning in the e-ID card graft case, citing various reasons, including illness, a working visit and immunity as a lawmaker.



The KPK has stepped up efforts to hold Setya responsible in one of the biggest corruption scandals in the countrys history, but when investigators went to his residence in South Jakarta with an arrest warrant on Wednesday night, they failed to find Setya.



We have done everything we can to persuade him to meet summonses as a witness and suspect, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said on Thursday.



Deemed a key figure in the e-ID case, Setya might drag others into the KPK investigation, including senior politicians from various political parties implicated in the case  which some say may be used by Setya as leverage to gain support to evade KPK detention.



Dozens of politicians implicated in the case include Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, both of whom are members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and are considered close to President Joko Jokowi Widodo.



Setya is known as a powerful politician and has been credited with turning the second-largest party of the country to back Jokowi for the 2019 presidential race.



The KPK arrest attempt on Wednesday night came only hours after Jokowi publicly said that the KPK should consider using all means available to summon Setya, who lodged another pretrial motion against his second suspect-naming last Friday.





Golkar and the PDI-P are also among major proponents of the Houses political inquiry into the KPK, which was launched shortly after the e-ID investigation. Critics believe it is an attempt to reduce the KPKs power and disrupt its investigation into the case.



Yet, the antigraft body remains resolute in the e-ID case and placed Setya on a wanted list shortly after the accident, urging him to turn himself in.



We decided to request that the National Police put him on the wanted list, said Febri, who also revealed that a KPK team would go to the hospital to assess Setyas condition.



The KPK has warned that no one should offer sanctuary to Setya.



Those who protect or hide [Setya] may face three to 12 years in prison, as stipulated in the Corruption Law, Febri said.



It is not the first time the KPK felt what appears to be retaliation from suspects trying to evade investigation. In early 2015, police named two KPK commissioners as suspects of document forgery and perjury, respectively, after then-National Police chief Budi Gunawan had been named a suspect of graft, in what was widely believed to be a police vendetta.



Police refuted such speculation, while the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) subsequently dropped the charges against the KPK commissioners. Budi later was cleared of suspect status following a pretrial motion.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 16:04 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a299ee7a 1 Business PPA,capital-injection,SOEs,PTDI-aircraft-industry Free

State-owned asset management firm PT Perusahaan Pengelola Aset (PPA) has injected some Rp 1.94 trillion (US$143.48 million) into eight state-owned companies (SOEs) up until September, to assist the companies restructuring programs.

The Rp 1.94 trillion bailout fund for the eight companies is an accumulation of the funds disbursed as the companies entered the PPA restructuring program, PPAs general manager Dikdik Permadi said during an event in Jakarta on Thursday as reported by Antara.

The companies that received the funds were PT Dirgantara Indonesia (Rp 605 billion), PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Rp 604.2 billion), PT Pal Indonesia (Rp 225.8 billion), PT Kertas Kraft Aceh (Rp 277.4 billion), PT Industri Gelas (Rp 122.8 billion), PT Industri Kapal Indonesia (Rp32.1 billion), PT Kertas Kraft Aceh (Rp 50 million) and PT Survey Udara Penas (Rp 22.5 million).

Dikdik stressed that the companies are required to repay the bailout fund if they recovered. He said PPA still had Rp 500 billion of funds that could be used for bailouts in 2018.

Meanwhile, another PPA general manager, Ardian Pratama, said the government had injected Rp 3.25 trillion into PPA. The fund was injected three times with sums of Rp 1 trillion, Rp 1.5 trillion and Rp 750 billion, he added. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 12:28 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a298d67a 1 City village-fund,monitoring,Tangerang Free

To prevent the misuse of village funds, Tangerang authorities in Banten will tighten the monitoring of the village fund program.

Tangerang police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sabilul Alif said on Thursday that the police had coordinated with the regions Community Empowerment and Village Administration Agency (DPMPD) to monitor, prevent and handle any irregularities related to the program.

"We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tangerang regency's DPMPD and we will also provide guidance for all babinkamtibmas [police officers assigned to villages as advisors on security and public order] regarding the monitoring of village fund allocation," Sabilul said, as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

Babinkamtibmas is to ensure that the fund will arrive on time and that the recipients receive the exact amount as intended.

He said the implementation of the village fund program, which is aimed at developing infrastructure, medical and learning facilities, should be monitored so that it can benefit society as intended. (rdi)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 14:01 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a29985ce 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Wonderful-Indonesia,Balikpapan,actress Free

After a recent meeting between the Tourism Ministry and Indonesian celebrity entrepreneurs concerning co-branding partnership deal with Wonderful Indonesia tourism brand, actress Prilly Latuconsina who was one of the guests shared the events photos to her more than 19 million followers on Instagram (@prillylatuconsina96).

Its only recently that I became an entrepreneur and now I'm doing a collaboration with Wonderful Indonesia, Im so happy. Im proud to be an Indonesian; lets promote Indonesia's tourism #PesonaIndonesia #WonderfulIndonesia, she captioned one of her posts.

A post shared by Prilly Latuconsina (@prillylatuconsina96) on Nov 14, 2017 at 2:38am PST

Indonesia is a country of million destinations, thousands islands, different languages, cultures and beauties. Check out the top 10 destinations list published by @kemenpar, which one have you visited before? Dont just travel overseas, explore your own country. Check out http://www.indonesia. travel/ and Pesona e-magazine at www.kemenpar.go.id # PesonaIndonesia #WonderfulIndonesia, she wrote in another Instagram post.

Prilly is currently running her food business called Really Cake in Balikpapan.

The 21-year-old is planning to travel to Raja Ampat in the future, as she considers Raja Ampat the perfect place for millennials to travel with their friends. (kes)
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Linkedin Karamjit Kaur (The Straits Times/Asia News Network) Singapore  Fri, November 17, 2017 11:02 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2987a42 2 News Changi,Changi-airport,Airport,Singapore,Airlines,Warsaw Free

For the first time, travelers at Changi Airport will be able to fly direct to Warsaw, Poland, from May 15, 2018.

LOT Polish Airlines will start with three flights a week, which will be increased to four from July, Changi Airport Group said on Friday.

The airline will operate the services with a Boeing B-787-8 aircraft in a three-class configuration offering economy, premium economy and business cabins. This translates to 1,008 one-way weekly seats.

With this new service, Singapore is now linked to Poland directly for the first time, the airport said.

Passengers will also have onward connections to other Polish cities as well as Central and Eastern Europe via LOT's network from Warsaw Chopin Airport.

From Changi, LOT's passengers will also be able to access 47 city links in South-east Asia and South-west Pacific.

Read also: Polish Airlines opens chartered commercial flight, cargo transport to Bali

CAG's managing director of air hub development Lim Ching Kiat, said that Changi has been actively growing its connectivity to Europe, adding that the new link "is a fruit of our collaboration with LOT".

Countries in Eastern Europe like Croatia, the Czech Republic and Hungary are becoming more popular with Asian travellers and LOT's new service from Singapore will bring greater convenience and new options to our passengers to reach these countries, he said.

For the first ten months of this year, over 3.6 million passengers travelled between Singapore and Europe, a year-on-year increase of 7.8 per cent.

By mid-2018, 12 airlines will offer direct services from Singapore to 18 cities in 14 European countries.

Three new European city links - Athens, Dusseldorf and Stockholm - have been added to Changi Airport's network since 2016.

LOT's chief executive Rafal Milczarski, said: "We are more than happy to announce a new direct service between Singapore, one of the most developed business centres in the world and a travel mecca for many tourists, and Warsaw placed in the very heart of Central and Eastern Europe."

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This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 16:10 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a299f4e3 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,10-new-bali,Jokowi,#Jokowi Free

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo recently attended a limited cabinet meeting that talked about the development of 10 New Balis on Nov. 16.

Theres a huge opportunity to develop our tourism if we have plenty of new tourist destinations, said Jokowi at the meeting.

He explained that tourism is currently growing in the global scene, such as China that sends out 125 million tourists in a year. In five years, the number is expected to reach 180 million.

Additionally, out of the 125 million Chinese tourists, 62 million traveled to Asian countries.

Read also: Komodo dragons not under stress: Head of Komodo National Park

Jokowi asked for the 10 New Balis to be developed quickly and for each destination to be different from others.

I feel like we need to have that distinction. We hope that from the 62 million [Chinese] tourists, half or third of them can come to Indonesia and thats already 20 million people from one country, he told.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that it takes a village to develop the tourism industry; he himself implements the ABCGM (Academician, Business Community Government and Media) Pentahelix concept where he partners with other ministries and departments to boost tourism development.

Infrastructure needs the help of Public Works and Housing Ministry, accessibility is with Transportation Ministry, nature is with Environment and Forestry Ministry, culture is with Education and Culture Ministry, corporation is with State-owned Enterprises Ministry, ICT is with Communication and Information Technology Ministry, immigration and customs are with Law and Human Rights Ministry, promotional budget is with Finance Ministry, overseas promotion is with Foreign Affairs Ministry, homestay and tourist village are with Rural Development and Transmigration Ministry, safety and security are with the National Police and destination development is with regional administrations. (kes)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Fri, November 17, 2017 15:07 1825 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a299d71c 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Melbourne Free

The Tourism Ministry together with Consulate General of Indonesia in Melbourne, Visit Indonesia Tourism Officer (VITO) Melbourne and Helloworld, one of the biggest travel agents in Melbourne, are set to hold a consumer selling activity on Nov. 20-27.

The event, set in Central Business District (CBD) Melbourne Eastern Suburb of Doncaster, is said to take the business-to-consumer (B2C) approach.

We are targeting to attract 50,000 visitors throughout the seven days of the exhibition, said the ministry's deputy assistant for Asia-Pacific Tourism Promotion Vinsensius Jemadu.

Apart from promoting Wonderful Indonesia tourism brand to Australians, the ministry also seeks to shed the negative press about Mount Agung in Karangasem, Bali.

Read also: The hipster's guide to Melbourne's indie bookshops

Our target is to inform Australian tourists that Bali is safe; the alert status of Mount Agung has been lowered down, explained the ministry's deputy minister for Overseas Promotion, I Gde Pitana.

Bali is still the biggest magnet for Indonesian tourism, but the ministry is also introducing other exciting destinations to the world. The good news is, 60 percent of Australian tourists are repeat travelers, meaning that theyve been to Indonesia more than once, added Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.

From 2015 to 2016 there was an increase of 14 percent in the number of Australian tourists who visited Indonesia.

For this year, the ministry is targeting to welcome 15 million foreign tourists.

Creating the 10 New Balis is the governments program to develop tourist destinations outside Bali. Australian investors and businessmen can also opt to invest in Indonesia's tourism sector, told Arief. (kes)
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation steps up its crusade for a rezoning of the area below Union Square with a Wednesday rally. The organizations strategy has been controversial because it wants to withhold support for a proposed Union square tech hub unless the mayor agrees to the rezoning. [Curbed]

A look at the changing face of Orchard Street. [Curbed]

Emmanuel Perrotin talks about his huge new gallery in the Beckenstein building. [Architectural Digest]

More details regarding the death of an Australian diplomat who fell from a Clinton Street balcony. [Daily News]

A few more local Democrats look at pursuing Brian Kavanaghs State Assembly seat. The position became available when Kavanagh won a special election to replace State Sen. Daniel Squadron. [Town & Village]

(Opinion) Yes, a huge number of applicants compete for a relatively small number of affordable apartments in NYC but you shoulsnt necessarily believe what you hear about the citys housing lotteries. [City & State]

A look at Drew Carolans new book, Matinee: All Ages On The Bowery, which offers portraits of the hardcore kids of the Bowerys 80s scene. [NPR]
OSAGE | Unlike last year, Mitchell County Attorney Mark Walk wasn't surprised a district court judge upheld a previous decision in a court case involving steel wheels, local Mennonite Church members and a county ordinance.

"Just in general terms, it was what I anticipated the court was going to do," Walk told the Globe Gazette by phone this past week.

Walk was referring to a case where Derek Zimmerman, 14, of Orchard, was charged with a road protection violation and unauthorized use of metal tires on Addison Avenue near Howard County.

Magistrate Nicholas Larson ruled last June while the county's ordinance restricting steel wheels on paved roads was unconstitutional  citing freedom of religion under the First Amendment  Iowa code required Zimmerman to apply for a state permit, which is not included in Mitchell County's ordinance.

The freedom of religion portion stems from the fact that Zimmerman is associated with the Old Order Groffdale Conference Mennonite Church, which prohibits its members from using rubber wheels.

Walk appealed last year's decision, citing a similar case involving Mitchell County and the Iowa Supreme Court in 2012.

He told the Globe Gazette last year he was surprised at Larson's ruling, but after further consideration, he understood why Larson arrived at his decision.

"After reviewing the magistrates decision, and why he found it was unconstitutional, I thought the ruling was on solid ground," Walk said this past week.

District Judge Rustin Davenport stated in a ruling filed last week that he agreed with Larson's decision, determining Mitchell County's ordinance is unconstitutional, but that Zimmerman should have applied for a special permit under Iowa code.

"The existence of a conflicting county ordinance would not necessarily prevent the issuance of a permit under state law," Davenport's ruling stated. "Here there was not an effort to seek a permit, and it was not certain that no permit could be obtained."

County files appeal in ruling OSAGE  Mitchell County Attorney Mark Walk has filed an appeal with Iowa District Court in r

David Kuehner, the attorney who represented Zimmerman, told the Globe Gazette that like Walk, he wasn't surprised by the court's ruling.

"If the county is really concerned about the condition of the roads, then they need to work with members of the Mennonite Community to work through that," Kuehner said by phone.

Davenport's ruling means Zimmerman still needs to pay a $20 fine, along with other court costs, for violating the state code.

Walk and Kuehner said they don't plan on appealing the district court's decision.

While Walk hoped for a different outcome, he wasn't upset about the ruling.

"Is the glass half full or is the glass half empty?" he said. "I would like to see it reversed in terms of the decision regarding the state law, but I cant say Im surprised."
CLEAR LAKE | A trio of Clear Lake siblings has achieved a feat their instructor says is unheard of in Iowa high school music.

Senior Irene Swanson and sophomores Theo and Tim Swanson have earned spots in the 201-piece All State Orchestra. The orchestra performs during the 2017 All State Music Festival, which runs Thursday through Saturday in Ames, culminating with a concert 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hilton Coliseum.

Students selected for the orchestra must distinguish themselves not only as a top player worthy of All State, but the best player in his or her instrument group, band director Brandon Borseth said.

"It is an honor all by itself to make All State, but to have three siblings all make it in the same year and to be accepted into the orchestra is unheard of," Borseth said.

The Swansons began their musical careers as fifth-graders. Irene said she started playing the French horn because her mom "thought I should be in band."

Her twin brothers followed  Theo plays the trombone, while Tim plays the oboe. This will be the twins' second All State performance.

They, senior Abbi Parcher and other Clear Lake students auditioned for All State in Hampton about a month ago.

Parcher, who plays the clarinet, said the most nerve-wracking part isn't the audition  it's seeing the results being posted.

"First you have to wait for your instrument list, then it feels like it takes 10 minutes for that paper to roll down," she said. "Then you have to find your name.

"The entire process is like getting kicked in the stomach, but it's worth it," said Parcher, who will be performing for her third time at All State. She will join the 281-piece All State Band.

The Swanson siblings on Thursday auditioned for and received top spots in the orchestra. Irene was named second chair, while Theo and Tim were named first chair in their sections.

All credit Borseth with helping them prepare for the prestigious event.

"I would not be in the place I am without Mr. Borseth," Tim said. "He is an incredible teacher and a great person all-around."

Irene and Abbi are planning music-related careers. Both will attend the University of Northern Iowa, where Abbi will major in performing arts management and Irene in music education.

"I like working with kids," Irene said. "The signs were pointing me in that direction."
Elected officials, people run for political office under the pretenses they will represent the interests of those who voted them into office. On the national and state level, it takes large sums of money to successfully run for office. There are millionaires willing to provide those large sums of money, but as successful business folks, they expect a return on their investment.

The millionaires will demand legislation that will return substantially more monies than was donated for the election. These millionaires demand laws skewed on their behalf, special tax breaks and laws detrimental to the competition while having no concern for the interests of the middle class.

The middle class does not have the money to buy their politicians. The millionaires can easily demand favorable legislation and would receive it but for one small item. The ballot box.

The poor in Iowa, the working class, the middle class still controls the ballot box come November. It is the job of the politicians to convince us that trickle down will still raise all ships, that snake oil is a real cure and giving all of the tax breaks to the top 1 percent will provide all of us real wage growth.

Iowa is broke, out of money. Quality health care is on the decline. Mental health treatment is difficult to obtain. Infrastructure is crumbling. New affordable housing is not adequate.

If Iowa is to grow, it needs to raise money, substantial amounts of money. Willie Horton had it figured out, he robbed banks because that is where the money is! Taxes need to be raised on the super-rich. Iowa corporations need to pay their fair share. We need to stand up and demand a substantial tax increase for the top 1 percent in Iowa.

Stan Walk, St. Ansgar
In the documentary, the audience is first introduced to Philip Glass, a Texan and lifelong hunter whose dream is to hunt each of the Big Five: a lion, buffalo, leopard, rhino, and elephant. As despicable as this sounds at first, Philip is truly convinced his big-game hunting is helping save the targeted species from extinction. This is not a simple delusion on his part, but the conclusion of a well-thought reasoning. The thousands of dollars he pays for each animal (around $50 000 for an elephant) goes toward helping rangers track poachers, and the up keeping of the reserves the animals inhabit. There is also a common mantra that is chief in Philips belief, which is that if it pays, it stays- that is, if you assign monetary value to an animal, it is worth protecting, as its being alive is financially beneficial. So, paradoxically, by hunting and killing the Big Five, Philip is seemingly helping in their conservation by encouraging their breeding and protection from poachers. The documentary aims to weigh both sides of the debate surrounding this controversial claim. However, Clusiau and Schwarz admit this was not their original goal: At the beginning, we came thinking that we should shame this industry, Schwarz says. In fact, it is only when they were introduced to John Hume, a fierce advocate for the legalising of the rhino horn trade that the directors started to understand the complexity of the matter. Hume believes in the if it pays, it stays mantra- and aims to harvest and sell the horns of his more than 1500 rhinos- a process seemingly roughly akin to cutting ones fingernail. My detractors of course will tell you that Im doing it for greed, that I want all this money from the horn, he says. If I sold all of the horns I have, which is six tons of it, at what I consider an average price in South Africa of 10 000 dollars, I would get about half of what my project has cost me to date. A retired property developer, Hume spends about five million Rand (263 000) each month on security for the animals, veterinary costs, and various other expenses. Schwarz says, John was introduced to us as this devil that wants to gain of the rhinos. And I think pretty quickly when we met him, we thought that even though we were not sure that we agreed with him, we didnt feel that he was the cynical person we were led to believe. We felt that he really believes this is his life mission, and that he really believes in what he does. I think that was the beginning of me questioning things, he continued. I think thats what started setting the tone for making Trophy more as a heart and mind battle daring to ask hard questions. This year, Hume took the South African government to court in order to lift a 2009 moratorium on the domestic rhino horn trade that triggered a massive spike in poaching.After winning the case, he held his first rhino horn auction in August. However, the international ban still remains, which means that the horns biggest demanders, China and Vietnam, were not allowed to take part. I believe I have the recipe to save rhinos from extinction. I genuinely do, Hume says. I believe I have proved it on my project. But the world does not want to see it. In some instances, its definitely because of ignorance. Some people have no idea what theyre talking about and yet they tell me a lot about how I should breed my rhinos. One of the aspects of the issue that is hard to grasp for Westerners is that wild animals are sometimes a burden for Africa and that the economic factor plays an important part for the population. Clusiau says, one of the things I learned the most about is that if you go to these communities where there is an incentive to look over the animals, it creates a whole different dynamic. That even though we dont want elephants bulldozing our crops or lions eating our children, the monetary incentive means that the population will be less inclined just to poison everything. They tend to have a greater idea of how to live with these rhinos and elephants, and that its possible to take other measures to take them away from us that does not require killing. And so I think its that attitude that I learned a ton about that this incentive, the economics of it is really an important thing to this issue. Hume has already felt Trophy is helping the audience understand the complex issue a bit better: People seem a bit more informed. And if people are informed, they might still have an opinion thats not yours, but its easier to debate with them. Its easier to spread your word. Schwarz adds, I think hunters, animal rights organisations, all of us, we agree on the base issue, which is great: we all want animals to be here forever. Thats not like gun control, like abortion. We want to get to the same place, we just disagree how to get there. The problem is, in order to get there, we have to start talking because the left and the right here, they hate each other. And theyre not listening to each other. And I really believe its going to take all of us if we have a chance. I think thats why we see this film as a conversation starter. It would have been an easier marketing film if we would have just shamed this industry, but that would not have been responsible. Trophy is a documentary that takes its audience out of its comfort zone by questioning our beliefs and ethical positions on the pressing issue at hand. From an American trophy hunter to the worlds largest rhino breeder in South Africa, it grapples with the consequences of imposing economic value on animals. It will leave you debating what is right, what is wrong and what is necessary in order to save the great species of the world.
An animal hospital in the US is entertaining customers with a hilarious take on advertising.

The Harvest Hill Veterinary Practice in Oklahoma City regularly puts up funny signs to amuse passers-by and encourage them to use their services.

Locals and customers have been sharing the photos online, to applause from the social media community.

Our vet is the best. A post shared by Matt Mahler (@themahler) on Aug 28, 2015 at 4:29pm PDT

Strangely, the innovative advertising signs began with a not-so-positive reaction from a member of the public.

About five to six years ago I came up with a sign that read Fleas and Ticks Suck, ask us about prevention, owner of the hospital and veterinarian Dr Mark Reser told the Press Association.

Not all that funny, but a decent pun. We had a few people comment on it, and actually one complaint, which oddly made me decide to continue.

(Harvest Hills Veterinary Hospital/PA)

One mother called and told us she did not appreciate our sign since she was trying to teach her young child not to use that kind of language.

I realised that that meant she took the time to read it and remember it, so even though she was offended I figured that meant that people were paying attention and would be more likely to read if it was funny.

Reser admits he and the team have found it difficult to come up with rib-tickling signs all the time, so have turned to the internet for inspiration on occasion. Lately one of the teams veterinary technicians, Kayla, has taken over the reins.

(Harvest Hills Veterinary Hospital/PA)

The signs have been a big hit with customers. In fact some have taken them rather literally.

We had one sign that read Free exams for Penguins and a lady made a penguin costume for her dog and brought it in, we gave her a discount for effort.

(Harvest Hills Veterinary Hospital/PA)

Reser says he doesnt have a favourite sign. I like bigg mutts and I cannot lie and Watch me snip, now watch me spay spay were commented on the most, though not original.

Our current one is a Game Of Thrones one which says A Lannister always spays his pets.

He does still have a fondness for the sign that kicked the whole venture off. Even though fleas and ticks suck was not our funniest, it was my first, accurate and original so I am fond of it.
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When, where, and how many dead? These are the only uncertainties about America's next gun massacre. None of these have brought any changes in our gun laws, thanks to Republicans and the gun lobby. After the Texas church massacre, Gov. Greg Abbott said our only hope to prevent these is God, not one word about gun laws.

I don't want to downplay God, but it ain't workin', Greg. You know, if God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, then He knew it was going to happen, He was there, and He had the power to prevent it. All He had to do was zap the guy.

No citizen should have assault weapons, period; only law enforcement and military. Or should we make grenades and GPR's legal too? Even the slaughter of 20 first-graders and six teachers at Sandy Hook made no difference, and Obama begged for action.

We don't need to ban bump stocks, just the guns they are put on. Don't think bump stocks ever killed anyone. I have three guns for hunting and they are sufficient to protect my home and family. I may buy a hand gun also.

Trump's tax bill:

1. Average middle class tax cut is $800 (wow), some will actually increase. That $66/month will buy three cases of beer.

2. The wealthiest Americans and rich corporations are the benefactors, fact check it. And it will not "trickle down." It will go to increase profits, inventory, equipment, and shareholders, most of whom are rich also. If you are middle class and feel a "trickling" down your leg, it won't be tax savings.

3. The bill increases the deficit $1.5 Trillion.

4. Trump lied when he said "biggest tax cut in history."

Studies show eighth largest! Trump lies again. Dump Trump!

Steve Epperly, Mason City
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HIGH RIVER, Alberta, Nov. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Western Investment Company of Canada Limited ("Western") (TSX-V:WI) along with a partner ("Partner") have signed a Letter of Intent ("LOI") to acquire 90% of an Agrifood Processor ("Agrifood Processor" or "Business") in Western Canada (the "Transaction").



The LOI establishes the purchase price for the Agrifood Processor at approximately $25.5 million including market value of real estate valued by a third party. $22 million of the purchase price shall be paid upon the closing of the Transaction (pending the appraised market value of the real estate valued by a third party), while up to another $3.5 million may be paid over four years by way of a performance based earn-out.

On closing, Western will own approximately 50% and its Partner approximately 40%, while the current owner will retain 10% ownership in the Business.

Western CEO Scott Tannas commented: "Western is proposing to acquire yet another iconic Western Canadian business whose strong market share, well-known brand, and a history of earnings and cash flow makes it a natural asset in the Western family. The company has a young management team led by a founder focused on finding the right partners to ensure the continuity of the business."

The Transaction will be funded through a cash equity investment, 400,000 common shares of Western with a deemed value of $0.625 per share and senior amortizing debt. Western does not anticipate requiring more equity financing to complete the Transaction.

The LOI contains a number of conditions to closing, including approvals from the board of both Western and its Partner, the completion of due diligence, a mutually acceptable purchase and sale agreement, the receipt of debtor financing on acceptable terms, and the receipt of all regulatory approvals including that of the TSX Venture Exchange. The parties have agreed to keep the identity of the Agrifood Processor confidential until all conditions have been removed along with a closing by January 31, 2018.

Mr. Tannas concluded: "Over the coming weeks we will work to complete this transaction and the previously announced 'Specialty Retailer' investment. With four investments closed or in process and an active pipeline of opportunities, Western has a busy year ahead creating more shareholder value."

About The Western Investment Company of Canada Limited

Western is a unique publicly traded, private equity company founded by a group of successful Western Canadian businesspeople, and dedicated to building and maintaining ownership in successful Western Canadian companies, and helping them to grow. The Company's shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol WI. For more information on the Company, please visit its website at www.winv.ca.

CONTACT INFORMATION

The Western Investment Company of Canada Limited

Scott Tannas

President and Chief Executive Officer

(403) 6522663

stannas@winv.ca

Advisory

This news release may contain certain forwardlooking information and statements, including without limitation, statements pertaining to board approvals, satisfactory completion of due diligence, entering into a purchase and sale agreement, receipt of debt financing and obtaining regulatory approvals. Statements containing the words: 'believes', 'intends', 'expects', 'plans', 'seeks' and 'anticipates' and any other words of similar meaning are forwardlooking. All statements included herein involve various risks and uncertainties because they relate to future events and circumstances beyond Western's control. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. A description of assumptions used to develop such forwardlooking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forwardlooking information can be found in Western's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Any forward looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Western does not undertake to update any forwardlooking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.
OTTAWA, Ontario, Nov. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. (Cornerstone) (TSXV:CGP) (Frankfurt:GWN) (Berlin:GWN) (OTC:CTNXF) is pleased to announce that it has filed a management information circular calling the special meeting of securityholders of Cornerstone to seek approval of the plan of arrangement providing for, among other things, the previously announced spin-off of Cornerstone Exploration Inc. Details regarding the arrangement were announced on July 13, 2017 and August 24, 2017 and are more fully described in the circular.



The circular and related proxy materials are being mailed to Cornerstone securityholders and are also available on SEDAR under the issuer profile of Cornerstone at www.sedar.com. The special meeting is scheduled to be held at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on Thursday, December 14, 2017 at 155 Wellington Street West, 40th floor, Toronto, Ontario.

The board of directors of Cornerstone unanimously recommends that Cornerstone securityholders vote FOR the arrangement. In order for the arrangement to proceed, it must be approved by at least 66-2/3% of the votes cast on the arrangement by the securityholders of Cornerstone present in person or represented by proxy at the special meeting. Cornerstone securityholders are encouraged to read the circular and related proxy materials for details regarding how they can vote in respect of the arrangement.

About Cornerstone:

Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration company with a diversified portfolio of projects in Ecuador and Chile, including the Cascabel gold-enriched copper porphyry joint venture in north west Ecuador. Exploraciones Novomining S.A. (ENSA), an Ecuadorean company owned by SolGold Plc and Cornerstone, holds 100% of the Cascabel concession. Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including SolGolds fully funding the project through to feasibility, SolGold Plc will own 85% of the equity of ENSA and Cornerstone will own the remaining 15% of ENSA. SolGold Plc is funding 100% of the exploration at Cascabel and is the operator of the project.

Further information is available on Cornerstones website: www.cornerstoneresources.com and on Twitter. For investor, corporate or media inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations:

Mario Drolet; Email: Mario@mi3.ca; Tel. (514) 904-1333

Due to anti-spam laws, many shareholders and others who were previously signed up to receive email updates and who are no longer receiving them may need to re-subscribe at http://www.cornerstoneresources.com/s/InformationRequest.asp

Cautionary Notice:

This news release may contain Forward-Looking Statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements of Cornerstones plans, objectives, strategies, intentions and expectations. The words potential, anticipate, forecast, believe, estimate, expect, may, project, plan, and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Statements. Although Cornerstone believes that its expectations reflected in these Forward-Looking Statements are reasonable, such statements may involve unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed in our regulatory filings, viewed on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com . For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets, predicting natural geological phenomena and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of an environmental, climatic, natural, political, economic, business, competitive, or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our Forward-Looking Statements. Although Cornerstone believes the facts and information contained in this news release to be as correct and current as possible, Cornerstone does not warrant or make any representation as to the accuracy, validity or completeness of any facts or information contained herein and these statements should not be relied upon as representing its views after the date of this news release. While Cornerstone anticipates that subsequent events may cause its views to change, it expressly disclaims any obligation to update the Forward-Looking Statements contained herein except where outcomes have varied materially from the original statements.

On Behalf of the Board,

Brooke Macdonald

President and CEO

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.
NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 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
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

January 2018 is fast waning. The sun is sliding behind winters gray shroud: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will hand over the baton of leadership to her successor. This peaceful transition, if uninterrupted or not halted by ongoing political intricacies regarding the October poll, which some say was marred by fraud and gross irregularities, maybe the first experienced in over seven decades. Johnson Sirleaf, whose record is well positioned in the pages of history books and on the marble slabs of monuments as the first elected female president in Africa, leaves behind a trail of records that are both rapturously commendable and heavily detestable. A more corrupt, poor and hungry nation with abundant resources and vast inequalities. Broken systems, lamed institutions, and tainted characters. Historians will spend years writing Liberias journey under her 12 years rule.



Through the vicissitudes of time, books will be replete with fascinating narratives about Ellens otherwise heroic life, but for Liberians at home including me, we will never shilly-shally from delving into the failures; of course, we will not also turn blind eye to the successes, most notable of all, the clearing of nearly $5 billion in debt relief. With the resilience of Liberians, peace was maintained but there still exists a chronic division among tribes, and the native-congo debate, due in part to the failure of the state to reconcile the people during the fresh post-war era.



When she took office, Liberia was a glut experience of rife poverty and economic carnage. Sirleafs election was a vaunted boost for the global feminist movement. The world made a solemn pause to celebrate the fact that out of a continent, where women were considered creatures of a lesser god, a woman has risen to the majestic height of meeting feminine force with masculine force; that out of a country, where women were the victims of societal dehumanization and denied participation in the affairs of the state including voting right, now has a woman as its president. The development world was a scene of success and bliss because one of its darlings had been elected  the woman they had absolute trust in; who they assumed would have built Liberia in the twinkling of an eye. A Harvard graduate and globally acclaimed economist. The politics were well played  a win for the global political order.



When Grandma (as I and many other Liberians would call her as a show of filial piety) was inaugurated, peoples faces became billboards of hopes  an unrestrained clamoring call for better living conditions. Whether it was in the kitchens of Monrovia or the farmlands of villages, the peoples thirst for change was in mammoth display evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of people  young and old, rich and poor, able and disabled  who were glued to their radio on January 16, 2006. So too I was tied to the news alongside my mother, though I was much younger. For the first time, we heard the Iron Lady spewing spicy words, declaring, Corruption, under my administration, will be the major public enemy. Nothing better could have redeemed, re-energized and resuscitated optimism other than when she said: We will work to ensure that when our children say papa na come, papa will come home joyfully with something, no matter how meager, to sustain his family. More than a decade later, papa has come home, but he has been coming as a hungry, frustrated, hopeless yet worthy man, who cannot feed his family; he is an epitome of misery and agony. Papa has come home, but papa has lost respect in his family because papa cannot provide basic support for his wife and children. Was this the joyful come home Madam Sirleaf spoke about back in 2006? Chimerical contrasting.



Sirleafs two terms end in barely two months. As she exits, corruption has gained a prouder place in her administration. It is so deeply entrenched in the government that she gave it different names: public enemy number one, vampire and cancer. Corruption became truly cemented when the President appointed one of her sons to spearhead the state-run oil agency, National Oil Company of Liberia. Under his watch, oil giants including ExxonMobil and Chevron struck deals that culminated into a whopping sum of money said to be over $125 million, and about two years after he had left, the company went down the drain - it financially collapsed.



The litany of corruption cases is far bemusing for a rock star, who enjoys the confidence of the international. The confidence is so high to an extent that even in the midst of growing corruption scandals, donors find pleasure dishing out, in other words wasting millions into a system that falls short of accountability, nursed by a deficit of integrity and culture of impunity. I wouldnt have agreed more when someone once said that pouring more money into broken systems may only fund more inefficiencies, and I suppose that explains why there still remains systemic loophole despite the billions that have been injected through foreign investments. Corruption is her administrations legacy. Had funds meant for the health sector been properly used and disbursed, Salome Karwah, a Liberian health worker who was featured on the cover of Time magazine as a fighter in the 2014 Ebola epidemic, would not have died in childbirth complications.



Nearly 12 years after, the Lady Mandela as some had nicknamed her during the years of her first term is now the victim of her peoples choler and criticisms. While statuses may be erected in other countries in her memory, the thought of building one in Liberia will suffer backlash and may seem impossible.



Our problems today cannot be chalked up simply to events of the past. Countries like Rwanda and Vietnam have success stories we can emulate. As Madam President departs, she leaves behind a nation that is a danger to itself.





About the Author: Abraham Keita is a young Liberian activist. His work for children and youth continues to inspire and influence millions across the globe. Follow him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amb.abrahammkeita/ and Twitter @VIKeita

What is your take? Please post your comments below:


South Sudanese War

The unspeakable atrocities that are happening in South Sudan are unfathomable, not only because of the scope of savagery in the war between the Dinka and Nuer peoples, but also because it defies every tenet of our civilized being in which we take so much pride. Civilization, however, has hardly penetrated the first layer of our thick skin. We assume that our unprecedented advancements in technology, medicine, space exploration, engineering, literature, and all forms of arts have equally deepened our moral and ethical conviction. No. We have in fact become increasingly immune and unmoved by the savagery which is unfolding before our eyes in so many countries.

Many judge the raging human atrocitiesbe that in South Sudan, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and many other placesin relative terms to the horrors of wars and the unprecedented violence of the last century and before. They argue that todays world is better and safer than at any time in the history of mankind. That said, the idea of Never Again, adopted in the wake of the second World War, has become nothing but an empty slogan. Should we really measure our moral conduct today in relative terms to the moral decadence of yesteryears?

Go explain that to those who have suffered unmatched cruelty and brutality and found salvation only in death. To the starving little boy who is about to pass away from malnutrition; to the girl that was raped a dozen times and left to die; to the shattered father who lost his entire family; to the weeping mother whose child died in her arms.

Yes, go explain it to the tens of thousands of children who are about to perish because of lack of medical care; to the millions of traumatized refugees who lost hope of ever recovering again. Go explain to them, you are better off today than the tens of millions who perished before you.

The irony is that we often compare the human capacity for mercilessness, torture, and random killing to a wild beast, when in fact the most vicious of all beasts would be insulted to be compared to the atrocities and slaughter that humans are capable of committing against one another.

Lets look at the tragedy that has gripped South Sudan.

Six million peopleover half of the entire populationsuffer from severe food shortages, some surviving on as little as a cup of rice per day. It is projected that in 2018, nearly 1.1 million South Sudanese children will still be acutely malnourished.

Armed forces use rape as a weapon of war. As a method of coercion, girls as young as seven are raped and burned alive in front of their parents. Rape is often used as a payment for services and a recruitment incentive for militias. Gang rape is so prevalent it is now considered normal, while pillaging leaves villages in a blood bath.

Nearly 7,000 new cases of cholera have been reported this yeara 73% increase from 2016 and the highest number of cases since 2014and 51% of all infected are children and teenagers. Hospitals and aid vehicles are intentionally targeted by militia forces, and volunteers are ambushed and killed.

The malaria rate has increased from last year, accounting for 65% of all illnesses. Approximately 78,000 people are infected every week, most of whom are under the age of five. In 2017, more than 1.57 million cases of malaria have been reported, which is an increase of 300,000 over 2016.

Tens of thousands of children have been recruited as child soldiers, carrying rifles taller than themselves. Children travel unaccompanied  separated from their families after villages are raided  and many of them end up dying in the wilderness. Women and children hide in swamps while bodies pile in front of them. A whole new generation is lost, as nationwide 51% of South Sudanese children are not attending school.

Men are slaughtered, and some have been locked in steel shipping containers beneath the sun without food or water, left to fry to death. Women are captured, forced to march, and raped nightly, while civilians, who are not actively involved in the hostilities, are targeted as a military tactic.

Ethnic cleansing between the Dinka and Nuer is spreading across the country, with many observers warning that it is now approaching the level of genocide. The UN confirms that ethnic cleansing by way of starvation, gang rape, and village burning has become the status quo, and as a result, nearly two million people have been internally displaced since 2013.

Arms are pouring across the South Sudanese border by merchants of deathChina and Russiawho are refusing to impose an embargo on exporting their killing machines. More than 50% of the national budget is spent on arms and bloated military salaries.

Given all this unfolding horror, what is most disturbing and outrageous is that the international community has not only forfeited its moral obligation by not taking every measure to mitigate the conflict, but proved its miserable failure to provide the necessary funding to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of starving and sick children who are on the verge of dying.

The total humanitarian aid given to South Sudan in 2017 is nearly $1.5 billion, which has not been nearly enough to avert a total catastrophe. Of that, while nearly $1 billion was contributed by the US, the rest of the international community provided only the remaining $500 million combined.

As a case in point, although the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) required US $181 million in 2017 for the Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) for South Sudan, only 75 per cent was funded. As a result, there is significant underfunding in the Health, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sectors, which is to the detriment of children that could otherwise survive.

Where is the UN Security Council, which can pass enforceable resolutions to end the violent hostilities but has demonstrated nothing but ineptitude and self-serving political wrangling? Where are the leaders of the free world, who roll out the haughty concept of human rights but shamelessly are not moved by the outcry of the shattered people? This death and destruction will leave behind a stigma that Western powers will have to bear. As George Bernard Shaw observed, The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.

Yes, I know how hard it is to go into a war zone, where a war of extermination is raging. How sad and how disgraceful it is, though, that the countries capable of mitigating this disastrous civil war are sitting on their hands and claim to be civilized, when in fact savagery is still flowing in their veins.

Humanity is not a concept that we should merely aspire to, it should be the reality to which we must live up and never waver. Historic experiences must be instructive. If history does not teach us where we have erred and what moral lesson we can draw out of it, then we cannot escape the conclusion that our so-called civilization is nothing but the attire we wear, as we are still irredeemably immoral inside.

About the Author: Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU. He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies.

alon@alonben-meir.com Web: www.alonben-meir.com

What is your take? Please post your comments below:


By Mayo Sueta

suetamay@grinnell.edu

This past Sunday, Nov. 12, the International Student Organization (ISO) hosted the annual Food Bazaar. Each year, students sign up to cook around 40 servings of a dish from their home country and share their unique recipes with the community. This year, they had 57 recipes from all over the world. Deqa Aden 18, president of ISO, stressed the extensive planning that went into organizing the event and the logistics of readying the ingredients for the cooks.

The work that really went into it was us trying to figure out a system. Like how can people submit their recipes?  [Then we moved on to] dividing the work  to communicating with [the cooks] about their dish for more information.  Then we just basically moved into the idea of bringing all the recipes into a master list Then [we went] shopping and then we [had] to sort everything out.  [Then we spent] all Friday night  distributing their ingredients to them,  so it took weeks and weeks of planning, Aden said.

Despite the work involved, she felt that it was all worth it to see the event succeed.

Its all for the fun of it. Its all for the people.  I feel good. Everybodys happy. Everybodys tummy is filled with interesting food.

During the weekend, kitchens all over campus were occupied by students preparing their dishes for the event.

For her first year participating in the Food Bazaar, Avery Barnett 21 chose to cook a popular dish from her home country, Jamaica.

Me and my friend Caleb,  we made jerk chicken and festival, which is one of the most known dishes that comes from Jamaica, she said. We chose it because  it just embodied Jamaica more so than what our national dish is.

Yawen Zhang 20 from China made a dish that especially reminded her of home.

Its just like a homemade dish that you just cook at  home and its not like super fancy, she said. Its really famous [in] my hometown and  when youre cooking [it,] the whole floor will have the smell. Actually, there [were] people who [were] following the smell and [coming] to the kitchen [to] ask me what I [was] making.

David Chang 18 and Ana Segebre 19 created a fusion dish.

Ana is Honduran and so we wanted to make a dish that sort of represented both Korean and Honduran cultures. Shes also half Mexican, so what naturally came to mind was some taco but with like a Korean marinated beef, he said. We were conflicted whether we should just make and devote our time to a purely Korean dish or a purely Honduran dish and I [said] lets have fun with this and thats the whole spirit of ISO right?
My mother is an incredible woman. A native of Texas, my mother has instilled in me my greatest personality traits: strong will and passion. Besides being my mother, though, she was also my teacher, both inside and outside the classroom. According to her, I was devastatingly average until I was a student in her second grade class. She is the person who provided me with a deep-seated interest in learning and justice. She was never afraid of challenging what I thought, pushing me harder to love more and work harder. She was the one who first launched me into politics, by signing me up to knock on doors for former President Barack Obamas reelection campaign. She pushed me to jump on a campaign to update the Human Rights Ordinance in Miami-Dade County to include gender identity and gender expression when I had some extra time in the second semester of my senior year of high school.

When I saw my world turned upside down on Nov. 8, 2016, a part of me resented that my mother had led me down the path to politics. My throat still stings a little whenever I think about sitting in Lyles on that fateful night. But my mom was also one of the people I relied on most after the devastating results of that election. Since I was young, she had taught me that there is always work to do. Regardless of what happens on Election Day, there are a million things to get done  and somebody has to do it. That is, I think, what makes me who I truly am.

Like many other Democrats, I fell asleep extremely happy last Tuesday, Nov. 7. We handily won very important races in Virginia and New Jersey and broke barriers at the state and municipal level across the country, electing many first-time and female candidates to office. I see so much of my mother in the women candidates that won handily last Tuesday. I see her sense of justice in State Senator-Elect Manka Dhingra, who served as a prosecutor for more than 17 years before being elected to the Washington State Senate this past Tuesday. I see her sense of pragmatism in Danica Roem, elected as the first openly transgender person to the state legislature in Virginia. Roem is also passionate about infrastructure, focusing on fixing Route 28 so that constituents can have better and safer commutes. I see my mothers strength in New Jerseys Lieutenant Governor-Elect Sheila Oliver, who was never afraid to take on the boys club of New Jersey politics, including helping to uncover the Bridgegate emails during Chris Christies term as governor.

But there are also other races to watch and take notice of in the coming months, including the race for mayor of Cedar Rapids. Monica Vernon, who you might remember from her run for Congress in 2016, advanced to the run-off against attorney Brad Hart. I cant help but see the overwhelming compassion my mother practices everyday in the actions and qualifications of Vernon. She did incredibly important work helping rebuild the city of Cedar Rapids after the devastating floods of 2008. Shes long been an advocate for women, helping to establish the first shelter for women and children in Cedar Rapids many years ago.

My mom instilled many values in me, and I try and seek out the same things in the candidates I look up to. These are just a few of the amazing women that I have been paying attention to. I hope you can find some inspiration in these women, and also find candidates that reflect your own values.

 Austin Wadle 18
Sexplanations is an anonymous Q&A column to increase access to information regarding sex, sexual health, sexuality, relationships, and the promotion of sexual respect at Grinnell College. Questions are answered collaboratively by the Sexual Health Information Center (SHIC), the Stonewall Resource Center (SRC) and the Office of Wellness and Prevention. Submit questions at https://goo.gl/forms/buyQ1aZWhdcDspUx2

Are my Title IX rights gone now that Betsy DeVos has rescinded the Obama Era Title IX guidance?

Thanks!

 Lost to DeVos

Hi Lost to DeVos, This is a complicated question. Technically, Title IX itself has not changed, but its interpretation has altered somewhat over the years. As students, you are still entitled to an education free of discrimination on the basis of sex. This includes sexual and gender-based harassment, stalking, intimate partner abuse and other forms of sexual violence and exploitation.

During the Obama administration, the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) was published, pushing educational institutions that receive federal funding to widen their net to include a number of other practices to help strengthen Title IX. The guidelines recommended in the DCL include publishing policies related to Title IX, having a Title IX coordinator, training employees about their reporting responsibilities, having prompt and equitable processes and avoiding mediation in cases of sexual assault. Two of the most impactful guidelines recommended by the DCL were about equitable complaint processes and retaliation. Equitable complaint processes ensure that both the victim/survivor and the respondent have rights to a support person of their choice (including attorneys), equal and timely access to all information and the opportunity to appeal. Further, interim remedies such as a no contact order or moving dorms help the parties avoid one another during the process. This section also states that schools must utilize a preponderance of evidence or evidence that presents the event as more likely than not (51 percent chance of) having happened. Guidelines around retaliation protect all those involved in a proceeding from any adverse action.

Although the federal government has rescinded the 2011 DCL and 2014 Questions and Answers guidance, Grinnell will continue to abide by the Obama Era Title IX guidance to the greatest degree possible. To clarify, the new guidance does not increase the evidence standard but allows for an institution to choose between preponderance of evidence and clear and convincing evidence. The new guidance states that the standard used should be consistent with the standard used to adjudicate other forms of misconduct across campus.

This means that Grinnell maintains its standard of using a preponderance of evidence in Title IX cases. For full conduct cases, Grinnell will continue to use external investigators and adjudicators. As always, a number of interim remedies are available, and many Grinnell students who choose to meet with the Title IX office decide they would only like to utilize interim remedies. A person does not need to pursue or participate in any conduct proceeding to access interim remedies.

For more information, please see The S&B interview with the Title IX office in the article College to Uphold Most Obama-Era Title IX Guidelines, Reconsider Mediation Approach from September 2017 or check out www.grinnell.edu/sexualrespect. If you continue to have questions about Title IX on campus or are interested in having more conversations about improving the Title IX process here at Grinnell, please reach out to [titleix] or a member or the Title IX team.

Ive never had sex with a person with this set of genitalia! Ah! What do I do?!

 Perplexed about privates

Hey Perplexed about Privates!

Lets first talk about how we talk about peoples sexual places. Especially when youre referring to the bits of a partner who is trans/gender non-conforming, you cannot assume what language they use to describe their chest and crotchy bits. And being able to refer to body parts is important in physically intimate sex, so everyone can know what theyre consenting to when you ask to touch their body.

Of course, asking how people refer to their bodies can feel awkward if youve never done it before, and if youve been with a partner for a long time it might feel different. For example, when Im really in the groove with someone and were having open conversation, Ill ask if they have any specific ways they like to refer to their chest and crotch, and then offer my own preferences: Hey, do you have any ways you like to refer to your body parts? I myself dont like being referred to by my dick or cock, but I dont know if I have a preferred set of language  just not those. If were not so close, Ill usually hold-off and be attentive to ways they talk about their own body, and in the meantime refer to their chest and crotch. Sometimes, I dont even have to use the word crotch where specific actions like giving head already specify where the action is headed. I also start off by asking: Are there any places you dont like to be touched? We all have a right to establish red zones  areas off limits to any kind of touch  so making space to acknowledge that before any touching happens is such a nice and necessary thing.

And now a gripe: I do not appreciate people telling me  warning, really  that this is the first time theyve been with a male-bodied/AMAB (assigned male at birth)/trans person. It makes me feel on-edge and alien and it feels like this person is preemptively asking for compassion for their inevitable shittiness. Instead of voicing novelty, I think its a better practice to reflect on what this means for sexual communication and comfort. Should I check-in more about what feels good and how much pressure I should be applying? Should I be explicit about discomforts Im feeling? Should I ask for more instruction about how they like to be touched?

The answers to these questions are always YES, especially with new partners. Excusing ones responsibility to communicate with new partners by drawing attention to how my body is novel to them not only alienates me and makes me feel bad, but it also directs us away from good informative communication (and therefore, good sex). This approach is all about abandoning that dusty sexual script and talking openly about you and your partner(s) pleasures and discomforts! Talk about actions for pleasure when youre uncertain. Talk less about how ones gender/sex/disability/physicality is exotic for you.
By Carter Howe

howethom@grinnell.edu

Effective on Jan. 1, 2018, College faculty and staff will see their health insurance premiums increase by 5.6 percent and their dental insurance premiums by 2 percent. Much more controversially, however, approximately 150 College employees will lose their flex credit benefit.

Flex Credit is money given to employees who 1. Decline our health insurance coverage and seek coverage through a spouse/domestic partner/parents plan elsewhere or 2. Employees who insure another College employee on their health or dental plan receive a discount to the net premiums they pay for coverage, wrote Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Mary Greiner in an email to The S&B.

Because the flex credit system gave refunds to those who elected to use it, having this benefit taken away is akin to a pay cut for the 150 College employees who took advantage of the credit.

An announcement regarding the policy change that was obtained by The S&B says that flex credit benefits like the ones offered by the College are not a standard feature of health insurance plans, and that the Colleges health insurance plan still meets standards of affordability prescribed by law.

Elimination of flex credit dollars ensures that the College is compliant with a demonstration of affordability under the Affordable Care Act. Survey data, collected and researched by Willis Towers Watson, reveal that insurance waiver Flex Credit dollars are outdated and are no longer considered a best practice, the announcement read.

However, for many College employees, the removal of flex credit dollars is significant. For Ann Isgrig, an administrative assistant in the department of student affairs, who uses health insurance her husband gets through his employer, the loss of flex credit dollars from the College now means that she will receive a little more than $3,000 less from the College in compensation per year.

I was given  I dont know what it is  $200 a month in my paycheck because I was on my husbands insurance, so now as of January 1, theyre not going to do that anymore, Isgrig said.

Additionally, though many employees acknowledge that the benefits they receive from the College are generally of high quality, they are more upset about the way they were notified about the changes to their health insurance. Isgrig received an email notifying her about the changes on Nov. 6, four days before the start of the open enrollment period, which lasts from Nov. 10 through 20, during which employees are free to change their health insurance plan. Employees are not allowed to change their health insurance plan during the rest of the year unless they experience a qualifying event.

Sending information about health insurance in early November is a common, annual practice, according to Greiner.

Open enrollment materials were sent to faculty/staff on Nov. 7  this is sent typically the same time every year, Greiner wrote.

However, Isgrig said that before the email was sent, there was little notice that the flex credit would be taken away.

It just seems kind of a crappy way to inform us that they were going to do that without having some education around it or a town hall. Ive worked other places where theyve done things like that to employees, and theyve always been transparent about it and told us, you know, a couple months ahead you know hey youre not going to get a raise this year or hey you know were going to take this benefit away from you, but it just  didnt seem like it was communicated in a just way, Isgrig said.

I think that transparency is really needed and I just want to say that I want us to be better than [average].  I think we have good benefits, but it may not come from benefits but it sure as heck should come from the way that we treat each other and the way we communicate with each other.  Dont give us surprises; let us be a part of that conversation, said a College employee at a fireside chat on Tuesday about the changes in health insurance hosted by members of the department of human resources.

Ultimately, Isgrig said that the slow communication about the changes in health insurance is indicative of an unequal environment for employees at the College.

The fact [is] that it seems like theres a hierarchy in how people are treated here, and Ive heard it from multiple sources that its worse here than it is at other colleges, more pronounced, and so I guess I would just say, in addition to the flex credit thing, I would definitely like to see staff and faculty treated on a [fairer] basis when it comes to benefits and raises.
CHICAGO, Nov. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iManage, the company dedicated to transforming how professionals work, today announced that Allens  a prestigious global law firm based in Australia, serving 55 of the world's top 100 companies and more than 75 of Australia's top 100 companies  has selected iManage for Work Product Management.



Allens undertook a strategic review of their technology platform that included input from their people. They were not looking for a simple upgrade; they wanted a fresh approach to engage staff and clients in a mobile world while also improving security and unlocking access to prior work product through advanced search and AI technology.

When we started our journey of selecting a replacement for our current system, we took a fresh approach with no bias for any vendor, said Bill Tanner, acting Chief Information Officer, Allens. During our extensive evaluation of available enterprise-scale products, it became clear to us that iManage offered the most advanced solution for addressing our productivity, mobility and security needs.

iManage consolidates multiple point applications for managing content, security and knowledge that simplifies the experience for end users and reduces IT complexity.

iManage Work will replace Allens existing document management system, bringing a powerful and user-friendly solution for document and email management to more than 1300 users. The firm also selected iManage Mobility to enable staff to access the entire electronic file from any device or location delivering a productivity gain that was not previously possible.

iManage provides practical options for meeting the security requirements demanded by our clients and, with 25 of the top 30 global firms using iManage today, they are also the most experienced and proven in working with firms of our size, said Rachel OConnor, Chief Knowledge Officer, Allens. Given the quality of the overall user experience that iManage Work 10 offers and the integration with RAVN Systems, we anticipate rapid and broad adoption of iManage throughout the firm. We are delighted to join the iManage community and look forward to a sustaining partnership with a visionary vendor who understands the challenges that large law firms face today.

iManage partner Phoenix Business Solutions was chosen to assist Allens with the design and delivery of its iManage implementation based on the companys depth and breadth of expertise as a global information management solutions provider for the professional services industry.

Leading professional services firms are being challenged to deliver greater value to clients while enhancing their governance and security over critical client work product, said Dan Carmel, Chief Marketing Officer, iManage. After its own extensive evaluation, Allens has come to the same conclusion as over 75% of the worlds leading law firms  iManage delivers the features, performance and security to address todays challenges.

Follow iManage via:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/imanageinc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iManageinc/

Blog: https://imanage.com/blog/

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/imanage

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/imanage

About iManage

iManage transforms how professionals in legal, accounting and financial services get work done by combining the power of artificial intelligence with market leading document and email management. iManage automates routine cognitive tasks, provides powerful insights and streamlines how professionals work, while maintaining the highest level of security and governance over critical client and corporate data. Over one million professionals at over 3,000 organizations in over 65 countries  including more than 2,000 law firms and 500 corporate legal departments  rely on iManage to deliver great client work.
This past Tuesday, Nov. 14, Grinnell College held an installation ceremony to recognize faculty and staff who have been honored with an endowed faculty chair. In addition to being publicly honored, each recipient gave a short speech reflecting on their work and time at the College.

Donations create endowed faculty chair positions, which often carry the name of the donor, who can stipulate the requirements such as the field of study or academic interests of the recipient. The endowed chair allows professors and faculty to advance their research with sizable funding.

There are no additional requirements expected of the professors who take on new titles as the holders of endowed chairs. They are expected to continue their work and they receive additional funding to promote their scholarship, wrote Mike Latham, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, in an email to The S&B.

Endowed professorships have a long history at the College, dating back to the 1850s. After receiving the chair, professors carry the title until retirement. After a former chair retires in the spring, the search for a successor is conducted. When the next individual is selected, an installation ceremony is held in the fall of that same year.

By awarding an endowed chair, the College provides public recognition of the recipients achievements and potential. To even be considered for holding an endowed faculty chair, an individual must show excellence in their academic pursuits and in the service to the College.

[Named chairs and professorships] are extremely important to the academic enterprise. They honor outstanding scholars and teachers, they support their best work, they confer prestige on the institution and on the recipient. And they also signal donors esteem for faculty and the important work they do, said Raynard Kington, president of the College, at the installation ceremony.

This year, Elaine Marzluff, Daniel Reynolds, Erik Simpson and Shuchi Kapila were honored with endowed chairs.

Marzluff, a professor of Chemistry, received the Breid-McFarland Professor of Science endowed chair. Marzluff has done extensive research on the structure of peptides and proteins. She plans to continue and expand this work with her newly endowed faculty chair.

Its an incredible honor to be recognized. We have so many faculty here who do so many amazing things who could list the same sort of things we do. Its kind of humbling to be pulled out of that group and be pointed out as [doing] something special, Marzluff said. Its a recognition Im not sure I ever expected to have, and its nice to have that recognition.

Reynolds, a professor of German, has been honored with the Seth Richards Professor in Modern Languages endowed chair.

Reynolds recently completed a book about tourism to sites of the Holocaust and remembrance. He plans to continue his research on tourism and the Holocaust and learn Polish to study the Holocaust memory in Poland and German-Poland relations.

Its humbling. Its an honor. Its wonderful to be recognized. Im very cognizant of many of my colleagues, whom I admire greatly who also would deserve endowed chairs.  Its humbling in that regard when I think about some of the work my other colleagues do, Reynolds said. What I also liked about it is that it says Grinnell values the liberal arts. And I think these chairs have existed for a long time. They are a legacy of Grinnells commitment to the liberal arts.

Simpson, a professor of English, has been awarded with the Samuel R. and Marie-Louise Rosenthal Professor of Humanities endowed chair. Simpson has published two books: Literary Minstrelsy, 1770-1830: Minstrels and Improvisers in British, Irish and American Literature and Mercenaries in British and American Literature, 1790-1830: Writing, Fighting, and Marrying for Money.

Additionally, Simpson serves as co-leader for the academic side of planning the new Humanities and Social Sciences Complex and as Grinnell Colleges Principal Investigator for a $1.6 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Its humbling to be grouped with the other chair-holders, both those installed this year and the ones who already hold endowed chairs, because I admire those colleagues enormously. More broadly, the installation has given me an opportunity to reflect on and talk about how happy I am to be part of the larger Grinnell  of faculty, staff, alumni, and community members  who work together to make this such a special place, Simpson wrote in an email to The S&B.

Kapila now holds the title of assistant vice president for global education, and senior international officer.

Having endowed faculty chairs sets Grinnell College apart from its peer institutions. The presence of such accomplished individuals on campus serving as faculty gives Grinnell students a valuable resource that is hard to come by at other colleges.

Our faculty is full of scholars who love to teach, Latham said at the installation ceremony. And I think thats a phrase that captures todays honorees especially well. All of them are innovative, dynamic scholars who have worked the leading edge of their fields.  They are also gifted and dedicated teachers, the kind of instructors that one can only hope our students have the chance to meet and learn from.
Editors Note: Matt Ricketts, Amihan Huesmanns and Camila Barrios-Camachos names were misspelled in certain instances in the first publication of this article. The S&B apologizes for our mistake.

By Saiham Sharif

sharifsa@grinnell.edu

Last weekend on Nov. 11, five alumni, Chris Wilde 88, Amihan Huesmann 93, Anna Dudda 96, Camila Barrios-Camacho 12 and Javon Garcia 14, who are all of queer and other marginalized identities, came together to share their stories of struggle in a panel titled Traversing Identities: Intersectional Activism at Grinnell College.

The term intersectionality was coined by Kimberle Crenshaw, specifically to describe the experience of being Black and being a woman. That term has gone into broader usage. I want to make sure we remember the origins of a term created by a Black woman, Dudda said.

The panel drew from an event on-campus in the 80s known as The Speakeasy.

[It] was a panel put together by student of color, where people of the audience, like myself, were invited to come, and as I like to say, sit down and shut up and be schooled. Audience members were not allowed to ask questions, make comments or respond in any way. And the people of color were there to tell their stories in blistering honesty, Wilde said.

Throughout the panel, the alumni talked about their multiple identities, their Grinnell College experiences with those identities and their lives post-graduation. Grinnell forced some of the panelists to think differently about their identities.

I identified as White, which is especially weird because Im a third culture person. Dont ask me where Im from unless you want to sit down and have coffee. I have a whole itinerary. I had never been in a space that was primarily white American since, like, the fourth grade, Huesmann said.

I grew up in a time when transgenderism wasnt a thing. It wasnt until much, much later when I realize what was really going on, Dudda said.

Barrios-Camacho spoke about her experience as a graduate student in neuroscience.

I saw the reality of what graduate school is like, as a queer, as a Latina. I remember walking into the student orientation, scoping around and [thinking], Im going to be here for six years, she said.

For many of the older panelists, Grinnell was an especially difficult place in part due to the lack of important resources such as the Stonewall Resource Center (SRC) and the Accessibility Office. When the SRC opened in 1986, it was called the Human Resources Center, a signifier of administrational opposition.

If even just one gay person is served by the founding of the Gay Resource center, then his work, in particular would be rewarded by that, Wilde said, recalling the words of Matt Rickett 89, who was part of the group that founded the organization.

When I was at Grinnell, we didnt have a disability access office at all. We didnt have language around access, she said.

I knew I was gay since birth, but it was like, how do I say it out loud? Coming to Grinnell was a dream come true because I didnt expect a college in Iowa to embrace me. The SRC just meant so much to me, knowing I could have that space. By the time I left Grinnell, I truly became comfortable with my sexuality, Garcia said.

Yet the stories of the panelists urge current students to do more. The SRC, though helpful for many, is inaccessible due to its location in the basement of Younker.

Following the event, Wilde concluded that it was a success.

All of us involved with the creation and execution of the Traversing Identities panel were extremely pleased with how it went and each of us received many thanks and accolades, wrote Wilde in an email to The S&B.

Yet the limited time of the panel couldnt fully honor Grinnells queer, intersectional alumni.

Had we more time for the panel itself (one hour was NOT ENOUGH even for what we set out to accomplish), we wanted to expand backward in time to include older queer alumni with intersectional identities, Wilde wrote. We thought it was important to focus on alumni who would have been on campus during the time that the SRC has existed.
It's our annual Labour Weekend tradition ...The Sound 'Hall Of Fame' Countdown... Where we honor the greatest 500 songs of all time as voted by you.
PLANO, Texas - (Nov. 17, 2017) - JCPenney announced today the release of its 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, highlighting the Company's sustainability and community efforts across its operations worldwide. The report, which details activities for fiscal years 2015 and 2016, illustrates the Company's ongoing commitment to the highest level of corporate citizenship.

For the 2017 report, JCPenney partnered with Texas A&M University's 180 Degrees Consulting group to learn the latest stakeholder expectations for CSR reporting. A team of six students from the group performed analysis to identify industry standards when reporting CSR data, and made suggestions to the Company based upon their findings. The group's key recommendations drove the initial ideation of, and inspiration behind, the framework of the 2017 report, which summarizes each Company commitment using four pillars: our people, our communities, our products and our planet.

"The Golden Rule has guided every customer interaction at JCPenney for over a century, and we understand the importance of applying a similar ideology to our global efforts in social responsibility and environmental sustainability," said Marvin R. Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer at JCPenney. "We recognize the important role we play in being a responsible employer, neighbor and community advocate, and acknowledge the significance of positively connecting with younger consumers who share these values."

The online report outlines Company achievements in a variety of categories, including:

Diverse Workforce - As of 2016, more than half of the JCPenney associate population are minorities, and the progression is positively represented at all levels within the Company, including the executive team. In fact, Ellison is one of only five African-American CEO's in the Fortune 500. Moreover, from 2013 to 2016, the percentage of ethnic minorities employed at JCPenney increased from 46 percent to 51 percent, and women have represented 80% of the total associate base since 2013.



Community Relations - In 2015 and 2016, JCPenney associates logged more than 67,700 volunteer hours, donating their time and skills to benefit local non-profit organizations. Associates also completed more than 800 volunteer projects in support of National Volunteer month within the same period. What's more, through the Company's "Change for the Better" giving campaign, JCPenney associates gave more than $3.5 million to 6,200 local non-profits across the country.



Responsible and Ethical Sourcing - J. C. Penney Purchasing Corporation (JCPPC) is one of the largest and most experienced importers of textiles and apparel in the United States, enabling JCPenney to purchase merchandise from nearly 2,600 domestic and foreign suppliers. The Company's Social and Environmental Responsibility teams - located in buying and quality assurance offices around the world - work with an industry-leading third-party auditor to conduct compliance audits of factories producing JCPenney private brand apparel. In fiscal years 2015 and 2016, our third-party provider conducted over 2,000 social audits, and, in 2016, we extended this effort to include textile mills, completing over 100 assessments to help improve mill conditions.



Energy Conservation - In 2015, JCPenney set an aggressive energy and greenhouse gas emissions goal to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions per sq. ft. 15 percent by 2020. Just two years into the journey, JCPenney surpassed the goal by reducing emissions 19.6 percent, a decrease driven largely by behavior change and a robust Company-wide energy management system utilized in nearly 840 stores. As part of its ongoing energy management efforts, JCPenney continues a long-standing partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR TM program. The Company has received ENERGY STAR's Partner of the Year, Sustained Excellence designation for ten consecutive years, and proudly displays the ENERGY STAR logo at over 650 ENERGY STAR certified buildings throughout the Company.



Responsible Recycling - JCPenney is making efforts to significantly reduce waste by recycling 85% of the Company's annual domestic waste by 2020. Through this promise, JCPenney has increased its recycling rate to 80 percent in 2016, up nine percent since 2014. Plus, the Company recycled 74,000 tons of waste in 2016 alone, while decreasing waste to landfill by 5,000 tons from 2014 to 2016. Furthermore, in 2015 and 2016, JCPenney recycled approximately 147,000 tons of waste, which equals approximately 80 percent of total waste from the Company's operations.

Ongoing Ambitions

In 2015, JCPenney adopted a goal to reduce total water consumption across U.S. operations five percent by 2020 (2014 baseline). The Company is making strong progress toward the goal through a combination of engineered solutions and behavior change. As a result of these efforts, JCPenney has reduced domestic (in-store) water consumption by 12 percent from 2012 to 2016, and reduced landscape irrigation during the same time period by 66 percent.

For more information, please review the 2017 Corporate Sustainability Report by visiting the Company Info page under the Corporate Overview section of jcpenney.com.

Media Relations:

(972) 431-3400 or jcpnews@jcp.com

Follow @jcpnews on Twitter for the latest announcements and Company information.

Investor Relations:

(972) 431-5500 or jcpinvestorrelations@jcpenney.com



About JCPenney:

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Showcasing the states industrial landscape among Scottish businessmen, West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday charted out potential areas of collaboration ranging from engineering, services to IT and ITes, between Bengal and Scottish industries.

Banerjee was present in a business meet here organised by Scottish Development International with the support of Asia Scotland Institute and Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.

Top business houses of Scotland were present and we had a fine round of interaction with business leaders from Bengal on prospects of investment and doing business in the state.

I think there are potential areas where you can invest. Potential areas of collaboration included engineering, services, healthcare, education, tourism and hospitality, power and energy, life sciences and research, food processing, IT and ITeS, she said.

She invited Scottish business heads to the Bengal Global Business Summit in January, 2018 to have a feel of the possibilities in Bengal.

Describing Bengal as the gateway of north-eastern states and South East Asia, Banerjee said Scottish investors would get an opportunity to expand their businesses in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Thailand.

Ahead of Bengal Business summit scheduled to be held in January, a state delegation led by Banerjee has been highlighting the UK investors to explore opportunities in the states industrial landscape.
A woman has alleged she was kidnapped by a cab driver and his associate from south Delhi before being gangraped and looted in Greater Noida, police said.

Police on Thursday said the incident occurred on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday when the victim had taken a cab from a place near Ansal Plaza to go to her residence in Rohini.

When the woman was waiting for autorickshaw, the accused cab driver, finding her alone, offered her a lift to drop her residence in Rohini. He drove to Dhaula Kaun area from where his associate boarded the car and both began misbehaving with her.

They threatened her and forcibly took her to a deserted place in Greater Noida and allegedly took turns to rape her on gun point, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal said.

They raped her for over five hours before dropping her on Wednesday morning near Greater Noida, the police officer said.

The accused also took away her gold ornaments, mangal sutra, cell phone and Rs 12,000 in cash, Biswal said.

A case has been registered in Hauz Khas police station and investigation is underway to identify the accused cab driver and his associate, he added.
Three persons have been arrested in connection with running an inter-state gang involved in ATM frauds in Pali district here, police said on friday.

Ajay Rathore (22), his brother Sachin Rathore (24) and their friend Vijendra Chouhan (42), all residents of Haridwar, robbed people by tampering with ATM machines and withdrew money from their accounts, SP Pali, Deepak Bhargav said.

They have duped people of over Rs 2 crore in the last two years in over 250 incidents, he said.

The officer said the accused used to restrict ATM machines from dispensing cash and later withdrew money from them.

They have confessed to committing the crime in various districts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, he said.

All three were produced before the court from where they were sent to 10-day police remand, SHO Raipur police station, Rajendra Singh Charan said.
Standing firmly with Bollywood, the Maharashtra government on Thursday assured security to theatres which screen Padmavati, the upcoming epic period drama by filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali that has come under attack from critics.

Minister of State for Home (Urban) Ranjit Patil said that in view of the volatile situation, security would be provided to all theatres screening the film which has raked up controversy days before its release.

All measures will be taken. We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis to ensure that no untoward incident happens, Patil told the media.

Besides, he said some groups opposing the film had met government representatives to explain their stand and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was seized of the matter.

The development came a couple of days after Fadnavis provided a precautionery security cover to Bhansali, who is facing death threats from various quarters.

The state governments stand is in contrast to the stand taken by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Mumbai Ram Kadam, also President of the Film Studios Setting and Allied Mazdoor Sangh.

Kadam said that in view of the public sentiments, they had decided to oppose the film tooth and nail and threatened that his union would never work with Bhansali in future.

Besides Bhansali, even the lead heroine of the film, Deepika Padukone, has been threatened by the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, which has called for a nationwide shutdown on December 1 to oppose the film release.

However, the Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Sena has said it would take a stand on the film only after watching it and if anything was found objectionable it would discuss the issue with Bhansali.

We have decided not to oppose it without watching it. We are aware that some groups and individuals are against it, but we shall watch the film first before taking any stand, MNCS President Amey Khopkar said in a statement.
Air quality in the National Capital Region on Thursday showed no improvement as the Air Quality Index (AQI) deteriorated a little and remained in the very poor category even as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) deferred its decision on ban on construction activities and the Delhi governments plea for exemptions on the odd-even traffic scheme to Friday.

On Thursday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), recorded the AQI of Delhi-NCR at 362 at 6 p.m. as compared to 353 on Wednesday.

Weather monitoring stations of the CPCB at DTU and Anand Vihar stations found air quality in those areas in the severe bracket while other 17 stations in Delhi showed air quality in very poor category.

AQI in neighbouring Noida and Gurugram was found severe on Thursday.

The major pollutant PM2.5 or particles with diameter less than 2.5 micro meter, recorded 362 units putting it in very poor category while PM10 concentration was found at 281 units  considered as poor.

While the Supreme Court-monitored Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) lifted ban on entry of trucks and on construction activities in Delhi, the ban on construction activities was to remain in force as the NGT did not pass any order in this regard on Thursday.

System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), weather forecasting body under Ministry of Earth Science, has predicted levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in Delhi to remain in very poor and poor categories, respectively, on Friday.

EPCA member and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) researcher Usman Nasim told IANS the pollution levels in the region may go up in coming days due to climatic conditions.

Pollution may increase in next few days due to withdrawal of north-west winds. As wind speed goes down, pollution levels to go up. As per SAFAR, AQI will remain in very poor quality, Nasim said.

He said the major contributing factor would be local vehicular emission now and increase in moisture would aggravate it.

He said stubble burning in states of Punjab, Haryana had almost came to an end.

Nasim warned that certain actions from EPCA may come again, in case AQI enters the severe category.

Mahesh Palwat, Director of Skymet, a private weather forecast agency, said air quality may show little improvement in the afternoon but it will remain in very poor category, mostly during morning and night hours.

At present, it is snowing in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. As its effect, winds from north-west and north will start and air pollution will decrease in Delhi from November 20. The wind speed will be around 20kmph, Palawat told IANS.

EPCA had imposed restrictions under the severe-plus or emergency category of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on November 7, after a thick yellow blanket of smog covered Delhi due to the cumulative effect of stubble burning in neighbouring states and meteorological reasons.

Under the severe-plus category, according to rules, truck movement in Delhi was stopped, construction work was banned, odd-even scheme for vehicles was imposed and schools were shut.

The very-poor GRAP comes in force when PM2.5 levels are between 121-250 units or PM10 levels are between 351-430 units. Under very-poor, diesel generator sets are also banned and the motor parking fee is enhanced by three-four times to discourage private cars on roads.

On Thursday, the EPCA lifted the restrictions following improvement in the air quality.

As NGT deferred its decision on the odd-even scheme to Friday, construction activities would remain suspended till its further directions.

As far as construction is concerned, it will not be allowed since the NGT ban is there, Nasim said.

According to the report, titled India State-level Disease Burden and released by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu recently, indoor air pollution also caused six per cent of the disease burden last year.

The contribution of air pollution to disease burden remained high in India between 1990 and 2016, with levels of exposure among the highest in the world, it said.
Beijing is once again expected to ask New Delhi to shed its opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits India for the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meeting on 11 December.

Diplomatic sources here acknowledged that it would be difficult for China to give a concrete shape to the CPEC project without India being on board. The multi-billion dollar CPEC is the flagship project of Chinas ambitious Belt, Road Initiative (BRI).

Sources said Beijings contention was that the CPEC was aimed at enhancing economic cooperation and not achieving any political ambitions.

India says it would never give up its objection to the so-called CPEC since it runs through Indian territory under the illegal occupation of Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. There would be no compromise on Indias sovereignty, New Delhi has repeatedly told Beijing. In fact, India refused to participate in Chinas BRI Summit in May this year because of its opposition to the CPEC.

The RIC trilateral meeting was earlier slated to be held in April but was postponed at the behest of China, which was apparently upset over Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lamas visit to Arunachal Pradesh. Beijing lays claim over the entire Indian North-eastern state.

This will be the first high-level visit from Beijing following the elevation of Xi Jinping at the 18th Communist Party Congress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a brief informal interaction with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at Manila on the margins of the East Asia Summit earlier this week.

The RIC meeting is to be followed by talks between the Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China over the lingering boundary dispute towards the end of December. The boundary talks are being considered most significant against the backdrop of the more than two months military stand-off between the two countries at Doklam, which ended on 28 August. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is the SR on the Indian side while Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi is his countrys SR at the talks.

Observers here say the SRs meet may not produce any major outcome but it would certainly help reduce the current tension on the border between the two countries.
ABUJA, Nigeria, Nov. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today two law firms announce the Business African Connection Protection (BACP) program for business investors considering or currently involved with investment opportunities in Africa. International law firm Robert Peterson & Fields Associates, P.C. and Nigeria-based law firm, Law Office of Roberts & Shoda. The program will be the first cooperative to launch a legal services program to global investors who want to get involved with an investment or business opportunity in Africa.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b107b537-561b-4226-aa3a-b15ad5f7f7b4

Over the past two decades, or more since the beginning of the internet-era going mainstream, there have been an epidemic of international scams that range from everything to counterfeit cashier checks, bogus letters of credit and bank guarantees, counterfeit black or marked dollar bills that require special processing to remove ink or markings, bogus government documents delivered by corrupt government officials (or impostors posing as African government leaders), or the more notorious 419 letter scams.

This press article is definitely not to libel or slander African businesses or trading commerce in Africa. Cary Lee Peterson, a representative at Robert Peterson & Fields Associates says that "the purpose of this new service is to save clients time and money when considering getting involved with an investment opportunity in Africa that have cost hundreds and thousands of victims time and money that can cause irreparable damage and harm to your family or business with no possible recourse to recover or seek justice for the parties that defrauded them; some who arent even based in Africa when the initial scam is perpetrated."

Earlier this year a high profile businessman from New York City, who is a semi-celebrity co-starring in a popular reality TV series, contacted Cary Peterson about some investments that he had made in Ghana and South Africa over the few years. The puzzling part about this client is that he had an American business partner based in Ghana to oversee the investment projects but the alleged fraudsters were pulling the wool over his eyes, which led his American partner in Manhattan to believe that everything was on the up and up. Much like other investment scams, things went sour the day when the two American investors asked to see the books and withdraw cash equity from their investment that was supposedly active and making revenue for several years prior. Attorney Adeniyi Shoda consulted with the two investors and the next week visited Ghana to investigate the business affairs in Ghana and confirmed the American investor's ventures in African were all faux. None of the documents, statements, or information they received from their business contacts in Ghana were legitimate. The few thousand of dollars the two American men spent on ACBP saved them $75,000 that their business contact in Ghana said would be required to release of their funds made through their business investment.

The new anti-fraud solution will help clients investigate a gold mine, gold bullion bars in the D.R. Congo, or diamonds in Equatorial Guinea with supposed Kimberly certifications. Nonetheless, a potential investor should take the same precautions as they do when theyre contemplating buying real estate, acquiring a company, or making any type of substantial investment anywhere else in the world -- it's best to contact an attorney.

The Business African Connection will cost a client less than $10,000 as opposed to pouring $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000 from your life savings, corporate credit line, or home equity line into a confidence scam that could be an independent grifter using social media to fleece his targets or an international crime ring with fifty to one hundred players that enable the coordination of a complex confidence scheme.

ABOUT LAW OFFICE OF ROBERTS & SHODA

The law firm of thirteen lawyers is licensed to practice law in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other countries of West Africa. One of the services the firm provides is to run due diligence for clients by verifying documents and business proposals with government agencies in Africa. The firm has many years of experience in corporate law has proved invaluable in meeting the needs of our Clients in this respect.

ABOUT ROBERT PETERSON & FIELDS ASSOCIATES, P.C.

The law firm held in U.S. and Micronesia has over thirty legal associates, with branch offices in California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Canada, Europe, United Arab Emirates, and Australia. The firm offers attorney and paralegal services for lobbying, international affairs, governmental law, and elections law. Providing clients with robust advisory and representation with over 11 years in business and 200 years of attorney experience among over 30 attorney associates, collectively.



Contact for Consultation: consultation@rpflegal.com, or visit www.rpflegal.com

Media Contact: Devin Blake - dblake@columnist.com
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking stay on the release of the film An Insignificant Man, saying freedom of speech and expression is sacrosanct and should not be ordinarily interfered with.

The film is based on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Dismissing the plea, the Apex Court said, Freedom of speech and expression is sacrosanct and should not be ordinarily interfered with. Any film or drama or novel is creation of artist.

An artist has his own freedom to express himself in a manner which is not prohibited in law, it added.

Petitioner Nachiketa Walhekar had alleged that a clip of his was used in the documentary to glorify Kejriwal and sought its removal.

The non-fiction political thriller (as termed by the directors) captures the journey of the AAP between December 2012 and December 2013, concluding with the Delhi elections, where a newly formed AAP took the country by the storm winning 28 out of 70 seats.

Earlier, a similar petition was filed in the Gujarat High Court against the release of the movie.

The Gujarat Assembly elections are in December and the model code of conduct (MCC) is in effect right now. Advocate Bhavik Samani filed the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the Gujarat High Courts direction to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to restrain release of the film on the ground that the MCC is in effect in Gujarat in view of the assembly polls. Somani has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) saying An Insignificant Man violates the MCC.

The trailer of the 100-minute documentary, which has real-life characters essaying the roles, has been out in social media. The movie is slated to release on Friday.
Joint Indo-Bangladesh Training Exercise Sampriti 2017, which was being conducted at Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte in Mizoram, culminated on Thursday with a validation exercise.

It was the seventh such exercise in the Sampriti series. The 13-day-long field training exercise commenced on November 6.

The exercise was aimed at strengthening and broadening the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between the Indian and Bangladesh armies, an official statement said.

The final exercise was reviewed by Major General Md Moshfequr Rahman of the Bangladesh Army and Major General M.S. Ghura of the Indian Army.

Besides promoting understanding and interoperability between the two armies, it further helped in strengthening bilateral ties, the statement added.
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP hit out at Farooq Abdullah for his remarks that 70 years had passed but India could not get back PoK, saying that it was the NC Chiefs father Sheikh Abdullah who convinced first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to announce a unilateral ceasefire when the Indian Army was poised to liberate PoK.

State Spokesperson of J&K BJP Anil Gupta said the wavering stand and conflicting statements of Abdullah, MP and President of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, were pushing the Kashmiri youth towards extremism.

The lingering fear of Kashmiri speaking Muslims becoming a minority and Sheikh Abdullah virtually losing the race to Premiership to some non-Kashmiri speaking leader made Sheikh convince the then Prime Minister Nehru to announce a unilateral ceasefire, when Indian Army was poised to liberate the remaining parts of the state, resulting in creation of PoJK, he said.

Rather than liberating POJK as promised by his father and the unanimous resolution passed by Indian Parliament, Abdullah has meekly submitted to the Pak narrative which has added to the confusion of Kashmiri youth, he said.

Gupta said Abdullahs recent statements have added to the confusion of Kashmiri youth who are already faced with a dilemma of politics versus religion.

Let down by politicians like Farooq and other members of his bandwagon, they are gravitating towards radicalisation.

Terrorists like Zakir Musa are emerging as new icons. The reality is that disillusioned Kashmiri youth is looking for direction, he added.

The BJP leader said that the youth wanted to join the national mainstream but when leaders like Abdullah parrot the Pakistani leaders and make pro-Pakistan statements, they are compelled to re-think.

After the Prime Minister of Pakistan denounced the concept of Azadi for Kashmir, he also came out with a ditto statement unmindful of his earlier statements on the subject, he said.

Gupata said Abdullah was repeatedly talking of Pakistan as a nuclear nation, giving credence to the statements of Pakistan political and military leadership resorting to nuclear blackmail of India.

Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence and not war- fighting, Abdullah should stop creating fear psychosis among the common masses, he said.
Private hospitals across Karnataka, including Bengaluru would reopen their Out Patient Departments (OPDs) on Friday on the advice of the Karnataka High Court on Thursday, said two official of the medical associations.

OPDs in all private hospitals across Bengaluru will re-open on Friday as advised by the High Court bench, state Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) President-elect C. Jayanna told IANS here.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by an advocate (N.P. Amruthesh) against the doctors strike on Wednesday, a division bench of the High Court headed by Acting Chief Justice H.G. Ramesh and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar directed the private doctors and their associations to withdraw the strike and restore the OPD services from Friday.

Hundreds of private hospitals across the state on Thursday shut their OPDs again as thousands of doctors intensified their strike against the penal provisions in the amendment bill to the KPME Act drafted by the government.

The four-day strike began on Tuesday. The OPDs were also shut on November 3.

The OPDs in all private hospitals across the state will function normally from Friday, as we do not want patients to be affected. We have given an assurance to the High Court bench to keep the OPDs open, Indian Medical Associations (IMA) Karnataka Chapter Secretary B. Veeranna told IANS.

Though the bench said it could pass an order, it was refraining, giving time for the doctors to withdraw their strike and directed the state government to address their demands on the stringent provisions in the amendment bill to the Karnataka Private Health Establishment Act, 2007.

The state Advocate General (Madhusudan Naik) has submitted a letter to the bench from the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) assuring the High Court that the state government would discuss the provisions of the amendment bill with the representatives of the doctors association on Friday at Belagavi, said Veeranna quoting Naik.

The Chief Minister also assured the High Court the amendment bill would be tabled in the legislative assembly only after discussing its provisions with all the stakeholders, including the doctors, the legislative select committee members and the lawmakers.

The bench adjourned the case for further hearing to Friday.

The state government had included stringent provisions in the amendment bill to regulate the functioning of private hospitals, including their costs of treatment and redressing the grievances of their patients.

Of the registered 1.25 lakh doctors in the state, only about 10,000 work in the state-run hospitals, while over a lakh are employed in about 40,000 private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics.

The private doctors are staging the hunger strike at Belagavi, about 500 km from Bengaluru, where the 10-day winter session of the legislature began on Monday.

The four main demands are inclusion of government doctors under the KPME Act, no grievances redressal committees, no penalty on erring doctors or their imprisonment for the death of any patient due to medical negligence and ceiling on cost of treatment only for government health schemes under which eligible patients are treated in private hospitals or clinics.
The strategies adopted for the battle of Gujarat Assembly elections by major political parties and regional parties are fast getting cleared. With Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) releasing a list of 70 candidates on Friday and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) releasing the list of 21 candidates earlier, the election momentum in Gujarat is slowly increasing.

Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in two phases on 7 and 14 December and the results will be declared on 18 December along with Himachal Assembly elections result.

The first phase will cover 89 constituencies in 19 districts, and the second phase 93 seats in 14 districts.

Here is quick look at regional parties competing in Gujarat elections:

Lok Janshakti Party

On Friday, another NDA ally of the BJP, Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) declared its support to the BJP in the Gujarat elections and has decided not to field any candidates in the state.

The LJP was formed in 2000 when Paswan split from the JD(U). The party led by Paswan has a considerable following amongst Dalits in Bihar and has been with the NDA since 2014.

The party senior Ram Vilas Paswan has already campaigned extensively for BJP in the state to help it attract Dalit voters.

Janata Dal (United)

The other important parties to openly declare their plans for the coming elections include both the factions of the Janata Dal (United)  Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav.

While the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) has already decided to fight the elections as an independent party, without any tie-up with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally in Bihar, the BJP, it has declared a list of 12 candidates who would be fighting mainly from the tribal regions of the state.

While the Sharad Yadavs faction of JD(U) is said to be fighting the election alongside the Congress party and the two parties are in talks for seat-sharing arrangements.

Samajwadi Party

The Uttar Pradesh based Samajwadi Party (SP) under the stewardship of the UP ex-chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has said that it has already decided to contest five seats in Gujarat and is waiting for the Congress to respond to its proposal for a joint front on all other seats. The party said that it was waiting for the Congress to respond to its overtures.

The SP has shortlisted the Assembly seats of Pardi, Mandvi, Dhoraji, Jamjodhpur, and Somnath to contest the elections and has lined up its star campaigners including Akhilesh Yadav, Jaya Bachchan, Azam Khan to come to Gujarat.

According to Samajwadi Partys Gujarat Chairperson Surendra Yadav, the party has decided to field Mahendra Yadav from Pardi (Ahmedabad) constituency, Shailesh Bhavishankar Joshi from Kutchs Mandvi seat, Jailbhai Phogalbhai Der from Dhoraji seat of Rajkot, Mohanbhai Hirjibhai Rabdia from Jamjodhpur seat in Jamnagar and Jagmal Jadhav from Somnath to contest the election.
On day two of his Uttar Pradesh tour to mediate in the contentious Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Friday said he was confident that the solution to the dispute will be in national interest.

Addressing the media after meeting members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) in Lucknow, he said: We are holding dialogue and discussions over the issue and I am confident that something good will come out of it.

I am sure that the solution to this issue will be in national interest, he added.

He further said that there was no conflict between Hindus and Muslims and that the two communities can come together to find a solution.

Reiterating his earlier stand for an out of court settlement, he said: We all believe in the judiciary but it cant bond hearts We need a solution straight from the heart.

Senior Muslim cleric and AIMPLB member Khalid Rashid Firangimahali expressed confidence that the meeting would help clear doubts and strengthen the bond between the two communities over the issue.

The spiritual guru met the Muslim clerics at around 10 am even though the AIMPLB had clearly stated that it wont surrender claim on Ayodhya and had even turned down Sri Sris proposal for a meeting on November 14.

The meeting with AIMPLB comes a day after Sri Sri visited Ayodhya and held talks with Hindu leaders and other stakeholders and said that the issue could be resolved only through dialogue.

Long term solution for this problem can only come through dialogue Courts cant give you long term solution. Both the communities (Hindus and Muslims) should come together, Ravi Shankar told the media.

Its not easy task but let me talk to everyone, I need some time Dialogue is the only way to find a solution for Ayodhya, he added.

Last month, Ravi Shankar had expressed his willingness to mediate in the Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir dispute.

Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has voiced doubts over Ravi Shankars efforts to resolve the issue saying the issue of constructing a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya can never be resolved through talks.
The Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu said that we need to focus on womens issues in India, while receiving the first copy of the book Journey of Women Law Reforms and The Law Commission of India  Some Insights, in New Delhi on Friday.

The author of the book is former Joint Secretary, Law Commission of India, Dr Pavan Sharma.
The Congress and the BJP continued to exchange barbs over the Rafale aircraft deal on Thursday with Rahul Gandhi accusing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of allegedly changing the entire deal to benefit a businessman, a charge debunked by the ruling party.

The Congress vice president also asked why no questions were put to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on BJP president Amit Shahs son Jay, whose company his party alleged has witnessed a quantum jump in turnover since the Modi government came to power.

You ask me so many questions and I answer all of them. I want to ask you, why dont you question Prime Minister Modi on the Rafale deal. Why dont you ask about Amit Shahs son?

Why dont you question the prime minister who changed the entire Rafale deal to help a businessman? he asked.

Gandhi said the prime minister should explain the Reliance on someone with nil experience in aerospace for the Rafale deal.

Self Reliance is obviously a critical aspect of Make in India, Gandhi added in a series of tweets on the Reliance Rafale deal.

Responding to Gandhi, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Congress is reminded of its rule when it rakes up such an issue.

They are finding it difficult to accept that there has been no case of corruption in the three-year rule of the Narendra Modi government, Prasad, who was briefing reporters on cabinet decisions, said when asked about allegations levelled by Gandhi.

The Rafale deal was the focus of debate earlier this week as well when the Congress accused the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting crony capitalism and causing a loss to the public exchequer.

Congress communications department head Randeep Surjewala alleged that the government neglected the interests of public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

He also alleged that Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of Rafale aircraft, refused to transfer technology to it and instead entered into an agreement with Reliance Defence.

The BJP dismissed the allegation, claiming it was intended to divert attention as party bigwigs faced the prospect of being questioned in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scandal.

In a statement, Reliance Defence Limited dubbed the Congress allegations as baseless and unfounded.

It said its subsidiary formed a joint venture, Dassault Reliance Aerospace, after a bilateral agreement between two private companies and the Indian government has no role to play in this.

The company said government policy of June 24, 2016 allows for 49 per cent FDI in the defence sector under the automatic route without any prior approval.

Surjewala had also said that the aircraft was being purchased at much higher rates than what was decided after the completion of the tender process under the previous UPA government.
Lebanon, which historically has lunged from crisis to crisis, is now at the core of the struggle between two pivotal regional powers ~ Iran and Saudi Arabia. The recent resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri is more a symptom of that struggle than the outcome of domestic discord in his country.

Of course, he had blamed Iranian influence, and had even expressed fears of his assassination. The regional plot has thickened with Saudi Arabia advising its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. Whether or not Hariri was forced to resign by the palace in Riyadh can only be speculated upon; the fact that he remains in Saudi Arabia has fuelled speculation that he might have been abducted by those now at the helm of the desert kingdom.

Markedly, his resignation coincided with the shooting down of a missile in the vicinity of Riyadh, provoking Saudi Arabia to blame Hezbollah and its patron, Iran, for what it calls this act of war. Fears that this standoff could escalate into an outright military clash are dangerously real. Central to the current bout of sub-regional tension is the desert kingdoms concern that Iran is intent on completing its establishment of a Shia crescent across the region.

Arguably, this is a logical corollary of its support for Bashar al-Assad and the fight against ISIS. The Middle East cauldron is on the boil, more so after President Trump has virtually jettisoned Barack Obamas feelers to Iran, exemplified with the momentous nuclear deal. Israel is yet another factor in the overall geostrategic construct. Iran has now emerged as a confident and well-armed foe, and this has set alarm bells ringing from Riyadh to Tel-Aviv.

Hezbollah is far from weakened, and Lebanon has been caught in the vortex of the mounting ferment that is almost reminiscent of the devastating conflict of 2006.

The dramatis personnae has been no less unnerving, chiefly the emergence of Saudi Arabias new Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and the trans-Atlantic machinations of President Trump. Irans intent to achieve unprecedented influence has doubtless deepened tension in a swathe of the Middle East, indeed lending a new dimension to the ferment that has been building up for a while.

Instead of using its influence to rein in Riyadh, White House is reported to have given a blank cheque to the Saudi prince in effect making the waters murkier.

The French President, Emanuel Macrons visit to the Saudi capital does point to an effort to calm the waters, but how much influence Europe can exert remains rather uncertain. Russias plans and interests in the region are another critical, and opaque, issue.

For Saudi Arabia, the war with Yemen has turned out to be disastrous. There is a vacuum at the helm in Lebanon. And it shall not be easy for a theocratic Saudi Arabia to forge an overt alliance with Israel.
It was an almost inexplicable contradiction, indeed a euphemism, that Zimbabwe presented to the world on Wednesday. As tanks rumbled on the streets of Harare, the capital ~ with the 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe in military custody ~ the army was overly anxious to make it abundantly clear that this is not a military takeover of government. To claim, as did the head of the African Union, that it seems like a coup is a gross understatement, if ever there was one. Indeed, the coup was the singular certainty in the midst of the overwhelming chaos and confusion, one that is embedded in a clash between personalities over the succession issue. There can be no two opinions on the facts of the case ~ Mugabe has been ousted by his dismissed Vice-President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, generally referred to as the Crocodile, for his decision to nominate his wife, Grace. In a word, the bite of the Crocodile has led to Mugabes exit close to 40 years after Zimbabwes independence from white minority rule and his assumption of power (1980). The military has indicated that its seizure of power is temporary and a bloodless correction. True, no blood was shed, but the Generals have made it obvious that, having ejected the worlds oldest Head of State, the country is on course for a change of guard. Mugabe has little or no faith in the certitudes of democracy; his 52-year-old wife is as yet an unkown quantity in the political narrative. The Presidents 37 years in power appear to be over even if he continues to be the resident of the presidential palace for now, rather than going into exile.

Trends since Wednesday do suggest that his former Vice-President, Mnangagwa, will very probably succeed him, rather than a General, as would seem likely after a military coup. Across the continent of Africa, there have been strident calls for calm and restraint. The military is acutely aware that to call the changeover a coup could lead to complications. Not least the eventuality that Zimbabwe would have to be suspended from the African Union and the Southern African Development Community.

Wednesdays military intervention can be contextualised with the economic and political crisis that has been building up for some time. Indeed, this is said to have damaged Mugabes hard-earned status as an icon of liberation. Last weeks dismissal of Mnangagwa from the office of Vice-President brought matters to a head. Thus did Mugabe clear the way for his wife. Ergo, the timing of the counter-mobilisation by the Crocodile is crucial ~ in the immediate aftermath of his removal. Crucially, the army has done his bidding even before he has assumed power as President. Mnangagwa has used the military and Mugabe has lost the war of succession.
TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V:MON) has completed an initial channel sampling program at the Soris Lithium Project in central Namibia which returned an average lithium grade of 0.76% Li 2 O with values up to 3.66% Li 2 O from all channel samples. The best result from channel sampling returned 14 metres of 1.93% Li 2 O. The channel sampling program was designed to test lithium bearing spodumene mineralization in a number of pegmatites on the property where prior operators mined for tantalum and tin and did not test the lithium potential of the property.

On October 24, 2017, Montero entered into an agreement and is currently in a legal and technical due diligence period whereby Montero may at any time elect to acquire an 80% interest in the Property by committing to spending C$1 million and completing a feasibility study within 3 years of transfer of the mining rights to Montero. Montero is awaiting mineralogical sample analysis and lithium assay results of RC chips from a prior drill program before electing to acquire an 80% interest.

A total of 4 channel sample traverses were collected as representative sections of the pegmatite mineralization along approximately a 2.4 km strike length. Channel samples were taken every 1 metre across the exposed and accessible portions of the pegmatite with a total of 53 samples submitted for full chemical analysis to SGS Laboratories in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Channel sample results returned lithium values up to 3.66% Li 2 O, tantalum values up to 1,917ppm Ta 2 O 5 and tin values up to 12,696ppm SnO 2 . The samples within the selected channels are representative of those channels but may not necessarily be representative of the overall mineralization hosted in the pegmatites on the property. Spodumene has been identified as the major lithium bearing mineral. Results from channel sampling were returned as follows:

RESULTS OF THE CHANNEL SAMPLING PROGRAM Channel Width in Lithium a Tantalum b Tin c Location Metres Li 2 O % Ta 2 O 5 ppm SnO 2 ppm NC1 16 0.68 112 3812 CC1 5 0.13 120 1405 MC1 14 1.93 155 689 SC1 6 0.03 793 401 a. Li 2 O obtained by conversion factor of 2.153 b. Ta 2 O 5 obtained by conversion factor of 1.2211 c. SnO 2 obtained by conversion factor of 1.2696

Dr. Tony Harwood, President and Chief Executive Officer of Montero commented, Monteros first channel sampling program has confirmed lithium, tantalum and tin mineralization over a 2.4 km strike length of exposed pegmatite. Channel MC1 returned 14m at an average grade of 1.93% Li 2 O where the best individual sample assayed 3.66% Li 2 O. Monteros primary interest at Soris is to test the lithium content of the spodumene bearing pegmatites to establish a lithium resource. Prior operators never tested for lithium. Initial Lithium assay results from prior operator RC drill holes are expected shortly which will provide Montero an understanding of the lithium potential in a third dimension. These, along with mineralogical test results designed to understand metallurgy, will enable Montero to decide whether to proceed with trying to define a lithium resource.

The lithium, tantalum and tin values from Channel MC1 and Channel NC1 returned the best lithium values. The width of exposed pegmatite at Channel MC1 is 24m and Channel NC1 is 16m although all the pegmatite was not necessarily sampled due to surface rubble. Nico Scholtz Pr.Sci.Nat. carried out the channel sampling program for Montero and the locations are outlined below.

A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f052d761-d17b-4467-96e0-1b5a12c620ce

The Soris Lithium Project is in central Namibia, north west of the town Uis which is 220km north of Walvis Bay, Namibias largest commercial deep-water port. The project is in the Erongo Region and is connected by dirt and asphalt road to the port of Walvis Bay.

The zoned pegmatites at the Soris Lithium Project belong to a group of highly fractionated, tantalite-cassiterite, lithium-rich rare metal pegmatites known as Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatites. The Soris pegmatites were previously mined on a small scale for tin and tantalum (Diehl, 1992). The pegmatite has not been mined or systematically sampled or assayed for lithium.

A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e458ef9e-4b89-40a6-9d03-d269b3b2a296

The pegmatites at Soris have narrow border-zone comprised of fine to medium grained feldspar-quartz-muscovite rock, succeeded inwards by a narrow similar wall-zone. Inwards from here, the pegmatite is a mixture of feldspar, quartz, spodumene and green muscovite. The pegmatite contains spodumene throughout this internal zone varying in volume from about 10% to >30% of the pegmatite. The spodumene occurs as coarse-grained large prismatic crystals up to 0.8 m in length and as smaller plate-like crystals 1 cm in length. The crystals are randomly arranged in a matrix of variably coarse-grained microcline and albite feldspars. The spodumene is pale green to white or grey in colour.

Lithium assay results from a previous 31-hole RC drill program as well as mineralogical analysis from samples taken are yet to be received.

Qualified Person's Statement

This press release was reviewed and approved by Mr. Mike Evans, M.Sc. Pr.Sci.Nat., who is a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 and a Consulting Geologist to Montero. A review was also undertaken by Nico Scholtz, Pr.Sci.Nat., a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 and has extensive experience in rare metal pegmatite exploration and Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatites.

About Montero

Montero is a mineral exploration and development company engaged in the identification, acquisition, evaluation and exploration of mineral properties in Africa. Currently these include Lithium, Tantalum and Tin in Namibia, Phosphates in South Africa and Rare Earth Elements (REE) in Tanzania. Montero is reviewing and evaluating other opportunities from its operating base in South Africa. Montero trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MON.

For more information, contact:

Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd.

Dr. Tony Harwood, President and Chief Executive Officer

E-mail: ir@monteromining.com

Tel: +1 416 840 9197 | Fax: +1 866 688 4671

www.monteromining.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.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements, projections and estimates with respect to the Share Consolidation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such information is based on information currently available to Montero and Montero provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking information by its very nature involves inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Montero to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Monteros mineral properties, and financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Monteros activities; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Monteros forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Montero does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Top Pakistani and US military commanders have blamed each other for not doing enough to stop cross-border terrorism, the media reported on Friday.

The two-day visit of US Central Command (Centcom) Commander General Joseph Votel, in which he held meetings with senior Pakistani military commanders, including Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa, reinforced the perception that Pakistan and the US had not been able to narrow their trust deficit despite a series of high-level meetings, reports Dawn news.

Votels trip, which was his fourth to Islamabad, was believed to be a preparatory visit for the upcoming trip of US Defence Secretary James Mattis, who is expected to visit Pakistan next month.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Bajwa told Votel on Thursday that Pakistans committed efforts for peace in Afghanistan were not being reciprocated. He pointed towards the latest cross-border attack on a Pakistani post in Bajaur in which two soldiers were killed.

Votel stressed the Administrations message that Pakistan must prevent all militants from operating within and across its borders.

It was essentially the reiteration of the demand for action against the alleged safe havens, the ISPR said.

Pakistan and the US have had a series of meetings to bridge their differences since President Donald Trumps remarks on the new US policy for the region and Afghanistan in which he bitterly criticised Pakistan for insincerity in fight against terrorism while getting billions of dollars from America.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said efforts were continuing to bridge the gap between the perceptions of the two countries in the wake of Trumps South Asia and Afghanistan policy, and to arrive at a consensus on moving forward and exploring avenues of cooperation between both sides, Dawn reported.

He noted that Pakistan was actively engaged in dialogue with the US at all levels, and believes that dialogue is the best way forward to enhance cooperation between the two sides.
Syrian activists and a monitoring group say almost two dozen civilians have been killed in the last three days of fighting in the suburb of the capital, Damascus, along with dozens of government forces and rebels.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that since Tuesday, 22 civilians died from government shelling and bombardment of the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta suburb.

It says 29 pro-government fighters have been killed while scores of rebels were killed or wounded. The fighting is the latest breach of a local truce, brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The activist-run Ghouta Media Center says 15 civilians were killed on Wednesday, when Ahrar al-Sham rebel faction penetrated into a Syrian military compound in the area to battle pro-government fighters there. The fighting is still underway.
Organization: UN WOMEN

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Monitoring and

Reporting Specialist

Post Level: SB-3

About US:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter

of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against

women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality

between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human

rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Uganda has continued to

accommodate refugees fleeing from surrounding countries in the region. Inflows

of refugees from the conflict-ridden areas of South Sudan and the Democratic

Republic of the Congo continued as of August 2017. A total of 1,021,903 South

Sudanese arrived in Uganda (as per 31st August 2017, UNHCR) due to violence or

persecution, 86% of whom are women and children.

Job Summary: The Programme

Associate, Monitoring & Evaluation will provide substantive support to the

planning, monitoring, reporting, evaluation, and Knowledge Management functions

of the UN Women Uganda Country Office.



Key Duties and Responsibilities:



Provide support in the development, update,

effective and efficient implementation of the programme and projects

Monitoring and Evaluation plans;



Assist in development of measurement and

monitoring tools and identify data sources for programme and/or projects

performance and impact indicators;



Support establishment and coordination of

effective mechanisms of monitoring the programme/projects implementation

including development of evaluation processes, innovative approaches;



Support preparation of the programme/project(s)

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan capturing qualitative and quantitative aspects

according to the annual work plans and log frame;



Support the programme/project team with data

management and identifying programmatic/project issues and prompt corrective

actions to enhance the programme/project objectives;



Support the development and testing of M&E

methods, revise and assist in the implementation of recommendations to improve

the efficiency of current monitoring systems;



Prepare necessary M&E forms and format to

capture necessary data and information from the field;



Collect data from the relevant stakeholders and

conduct data analysis to measure the performance(s) against the indicators and

targets;



Ensure that activities/events needed for

monitoring are scheduled and responsibilities assigned;



Collect monitoring evidence that the outputs are

being produced as intended and efficient;



Draft regular M&E programme/projects

reports and assist the programme/projects reviews and evaluations;



Support programme/projects teams in conducting

surveys, studies, assessments and similar;



Identify and formulate lessons learned and

document best practices from evaluations and studies to be integrated into

programme reports;



Assist in the identification of potential

implementation problems and bottlenecks and contribute to the common M&E

activity of the UN Women Country Office;



Contribute to knowledge networks and communities

of practice;



Serve as a focal person and liaise with M&E

staff of the programme/projects and UNDP Country Office to ensure coordination

of the unit within broader UN Women M&E activities and efforts;



Contribute to regular capacity building of the

programme/project(s) and CO staff on RBM, M&E and other relevant topics;



Perform other M&E duties including across CO

programmes as may be required and assigned by the supervisor(s), projects or

UN Women management. Provide inputs in the elaboration of work plan;



Support the programme/project team in the

promotion of evaluation standards, quality assurance/control and capacity

development;



Ensure the maintenance of sound filing system

and appropriate use and recording of programme/projects experience, activities

and results;



Ensure that projects data are entered to the

data management system (RMS, corporate intranet and similar), update

project-related data on website, as needed;



Ensure that information and data from the

projects activities is captured, documented, analysed and reported in a

results-based and timely manner;



Assist in preparation of programme/projects

annual, semi-annual reports and other ad hoc reports;



Provide inputs in developing the Annual Work

Plans (AWPs), projects implementation plans, etc;



Perform other reporting duties as may be

required and assigned.



Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing

in the CO, focusing on achievement of the following results:



Participation in the training for the

programme/project personnel;



Sound contributions to knowledge networks and

communities of practice.











Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:



The ideal candidate for the United Nations UN

WOMEN Programme Associate, Monitoring & Evaluation job opportunity should

hold a Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Economics,

Management, or related field;



Additional certification in statistics,

qualitative/quantitative research methods, data management, and Monitoring and

Evaluation will be considered as an asset.



At least three years of professional experience

in the field of rights based monitoring and evaluation;



Previous experience in Programme design,

management, and implementation;



Experience in implementing gender equality and

womens empowerment programmes or analytic work in gender and development,

gender analysis and/or human rights;



Experience in developing and implementing

monitoring and reporting tools;



Experience in reviewing and writing

results-based donor reports;



A proven ability to liaise with a myriad of

stakeholders and partners, including government, civil society, international

organizations and grassroots organizations;



Experience in the usage of computers and office

software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems;



A relevant working experience in Uganda is added

advantage.



Language: Fluency in English; Knowledge

of the Ugandan local languages is an asset.

Personal Competencies:

Core Values: Respect for Diversity; Integrity; Professionalism.

Core Competencies:



Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender

Issues;



Accountability;



Creative Problem Solving;



Effective Communication;



Inclusive Collaboration;



Stakeholder Engagement;



Leading by Example.

Functional Competencies



Good knowledge of programme management;



Good knowledge of rights-based approach and

result-based management;



Sound knowledge of international standards on

human rights, womens rights and related instruments;



Demonstrated development/programming skills

particularly those that are pertinent to UN Women strategic priorities on

gender issues and womens rights;



Ability to create, edit and present information

in clear and presentable formats;



Ability to manage data, documents,

correspondence and reports information and workflow;



Ability to develop detailed operational plans,

budgets, and deliver on them for development results;



Strong IT skills;



Strong analytical skills.

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 WOMEN 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.

st December

2017 Deadline: 1December2017



find us on our facebook page

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com orfind us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline






VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Latam Resources Pty Limited (Latam or the Company) is pleased to announce that pursuant to a subscription agreement entered into between Latam and NRG Metals Inc. (NRG) dated November 15, 2017 (the Subscription Agreement) Latam has acquired direct or beneficial ownership of an aggregate of 9,800,000 common shares (Common Shares) in the capital of NRG and 9,800,000 warrants of NRG (Warrants) entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.20 for a period of three years from the distribution date (the Acquisition).



Prior to the Acquisition, Latam did not beneficially own or control, directly or indirectly, any securities of NRG. After completion of the Acquisition Latam holds approximately 9.66% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares.

The Common Shares were acquired by Latam for business related investment purposes. Pursuant to the Subscription Agreement Latam subscribed for an aggregate of 980,000 Units and as such Latam expects to acquire 620,000 additional Units upon clearance of the personal information forms by the TSX Venture Exchange. Latam does not have any definitive plans or future intentions which relate to NRGs current business or corporate structure. In connection with the Acquisition, NRG and Latam entered into a warrant exercise agreement which prevents Latam from being able to exercise any Warrants that will cause Latam to hold more than ten percent (10%) of NRGs issued and outstanding Common Shares as of the date of the Warrant exercise. Latam and NRG also entered into an ancillary rights agreement pursuant to which Latam may nominate certain individuals as directors of NRG. Further details regarding the Acquisition can be found on SEDAR under NRGs company profile at www.sedar.com.

This Press Release is issued pursuant to National Instrument 62-103  The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues, which also requires a report to be filed with the applicable securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada, which report will contain additional information with respect to the foregoing matters (the Early Warning Report). A copy of the Early Warning Report will be filed on SEDAR under NRGs company profile at www.sedar.com and can also be obtained by contacting the company at the number listed below.

For further information, please contact:

Latam Resources Pty Limited

c/o Chengdu Chemphys Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Tower 3-1101, Yintai Center, 1199 North Tianfu Ave, Hi-Tech District, Chengdu

610041, P.R. China

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to, future plans and intentions of Latam, the appointment of certain persons as directors and officers of NRG and associated matters. Although the Company believes in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct or enduring. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things that the plans of Latam may change. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States of America. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws.
But the tribe has a long way to go
Global road safety charity fund of the International Road Assessment Programme (IRAP) has initiated its risk assessment program to address high risk roads around the country. The initiative in India would be supported by a $200 million corpus fund donated by global logistics provider FedEx.

"Safety is at the core of what we do and we are committed to bring positive changes in the world. We are a key support of the UN Road Safety Collaboration and Global Alliance of NGOs advocating road safety," said Shane O' Connor, communications adviser, FedEx Services.

"We will be focusing for the next 12 months on understanding the needs of the programme in India, and allocate funds as per need," Connor added.

The India chapter of International Road Assessment Programme will bring together government, investment, research and NGO partners from across the country, said Rob McInerney, chief executive officer, International Road Assessment Programme.

According to Mclnerney, the road assessment program would primarily be based on IRAP's in-house star-rating methodology (five star - safest, one star - least safe) as well as investment planning tools, which provide in-built safety components in road design for all road users.

IndiaRAP will seek to eliminate one-star and two-star unsafe roads and to become a leader in promoting the design and construction of brand new five-star, safe and smart motorways in the country, added McInerney.

The IndiaRAP will be headed by Jignesh Bhavsar, an IIT-Mumbai graduate, as the technical head of the program. He will be assisted by a team of six others to coordinate with state and city agencies in assisting them to have safer roads.

India, has the reputation of having the least safe roads and the highest road accidents in the world. More than 150,785 lives are lost on Indian roads every year, accounting for 17 lives lost on roads every hour in the country.

India will host the World Road Meeting of the International Roads Federation in 2018, and is aiming to have a road safety bill passed in Parliament.

Nitin Gadkari, minister of road transport and highways, had committed assistance to the programme for conducting an evaluation of accident blackspots on national highways.

The IndiaRAP office will be based out of the Asian Institute of Transport Development (AITD), Delhi, and will receive the renowned institute's expertise on all matters, said K.L. Thapar, chairman AITD.

"The IndiaRAP programme will be guided by the star-rating system and will have local experts, using local research and resources to save lives on roads," said Bhavsar.

The programme finds support from World Bank and Asian Development Bank as well, and all their road project investments in India would be mandatorily assessed by IndiaRAP.

A local capacity building of road safety experts, individuals and more importantly of non-profit organizations working for the cause of road safety in India, are all bound to find a common platform in the program.

The IRAP programme had so far addressed road safety concerns by bettering roads across 17 nations. Their recent intervention in China received huge support from the government, which is aiming to build 3 lakh kilometers of roads.

The programme, however, is due to face its toughest challenge in India, where a mixed road use pattern and even animals complicate the situation. The challenge to improve Indian roads could only come close to what IRAP faced in Venezuela, said Mclnerney.
The Mumbai Police on Thursday beefed up the security of actor Deepika Padukone after Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) warned of physical harm incase she did not refrain from "inciting public sentiments", a senior official said.

Karni Sena leader Mahipal Singh Makrana on Thursday invoked the nose chopping of Surpanakha in the epic Ramayana and said if the Bollywood film Padmavati was not banned and Padukone does not refrain from fanning sentiments with her provocative language, the Rajputs will not lag behind in acting.

"The Mumbai Police have increased actor Deepika Padukone's security after the outfit issued the nose chopping threat," Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven Bharti said.

We are providing her adequate security after the threat, he said. The police will also provide security at the actor's residence as well as office in Mumbai.

Also Read: Fringe group threatens to cut off Deepika's nose

They have already provided protection to filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali after the Rajput community outfit protested outside his office in suburban Juhu last Saturday while accusing him of distorting historical facts in the history drama.

Police have beefed up security at Bhansali's residence in Versova in the city.

Organisations like the SRKS have been protesting against the release of the film, claiming that it distorts history and hurts sentiments.

The SRKS has called for a country-wide bandh on December 1, the day the film is slated to be released.

In January this year, the SRKS had attacked the sets of the movie in Jaipur and even slapped Bhansali.

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said the government was assessing Padukone's security in the wake of the threats.

"We have already provided security to Sanjay Leela Bhansali as he was found to be at risk. Now a security assessment of Deepika Padukone is being done. If she is found to be at risk, adequate steps will be taken. However, nobody's threat can be taken at the face value until the government assesses it," he said.

Padukone had on Tuesday hit out against those protesting the release of Padmavati and reportedly said that "we've regressed as a nation".
Faced with a rejuvenated Congress, fallout of GST and demonetisation and the anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP in Gujarat has tried to play safe in the first list of candidates that were declared from New Delhi on Friday.

Gujarat goes to polls in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The party that has followed, more or less, no repeat theory in most of the elections ever since Narendra Modi had taken over as chief minister in 2001, however retained 50 of its sitting MLAs in the list of 70 candidates that were declared. The BJP has also given tickets to five of the 12 leaders, who quit Congress and joined the party.

In the first phase on December 9, polling will be held on 89 seats. The first list includes candidates for both the first and second phase.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani will contest from their respective seats of Rajkot (West), Mehsana and Bhavnagar (West).

Keeping in mind the ongoing Patidar agitation, the BJP has given tickets to 15 Patels in their first list. Patidars have been demanding reservation under the OBC category for over two years now. OBC candidates have also been given tickets.

The first list of candidates was not out before some hitches. Till late night on Thursday, Rupani, Patel and BJP national president Amit Shah had a meeting in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

Patel said that the candidates were finalized taking into consideration caste equations and region specific requirements. He denied that giving tickets to Patidars had anything to do with the Patidar agitation.

Notable names in the BJP list include promoted IPS officer P.C. Baranda, who resigned two days ago and joined the BJP. No minister has been dropped from the first list.

The last date for filing the nominations for the first phase of election is November 21.

The Congress is yet to come out with its list and top party leaders, including party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi are meeting Gujarat Congress leaders in New Delhi. It is believed that the first list might be out on Saturday.

Sources said that party has not been able to decide on a few names in the Saurashtra region and wants to be cautious, fearing a rebellion if certain party men are not given tickets.

Congress leader Ahmed Patel also held talks with Alpesh Thakore, the Thakore leader who recently joined the Congress. He also held talks with members of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti. While PAAS has officially said that its members have gone to New Delhi to take the talks the further about reservation, sources said that PAAS has been demanding tickets for its members and supporters. Sources said that Thakore, too, is demanding a share.
The talks between opposition Congress in Gujarat and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, demanding reservation under OBC category, received a setback late on Friday night with the PAAS giving a 24-hour ultimatum to the Congress to clear its stand on reservation.

PAAS convener Dinesh Bamania told THE WEEK from New Delhi that if the Congress did not clear its stand in 24 hours, they would oppose the party in the forthcoming elections. The PAAS is already asking the voters to vote the BJP out of power.

Gujarat polls are in two phases on December 9 and 14.

The PAAS conveners had gone to New Delhi to have talks with the Congress leaders. It is not clear whether the deadlock was over the reservation issue or over PAAS' demand for seats.

Bamania claimed that Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki had a primary meeting with them and told them that they would meet again after the Congress' Central Election Committee's meeting. However, even after the CEC meeting got over, they have not met us and Solanki is not picking up our phone calls, he said.

Solanki could not be reached for his comments.

Bamania is believed to have given the ultimatum after speaking to PAAS leader Hardik Patel. Patel has been caught in a sleaze row after CDs, featuring his look alike or allegedly him with a woman, started doing the rounds. Though he has alleged that this has been the handy work of the BJP, the ruling party maintained that it was inside work of PAAS members over some problem in distribution of money given to them by the Congress.

Congress has come in support of Patel in the CD row. Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, too, has extended support to Patel.

Patel is supposed to attend a rally in Mansa, about 41-kilometer away from Ahmedabad on Saturday. He had said that he would reveal more inside stories about the CD in the meeting.

Bamania said that they would want the Gujarat Congress leaders to come to Gujarat and clear its strength. If we are talking about overthrowing the BJP, Congress is a small thing, he said.

Asked if things did not work out with the Congress would they contest elections as independent candidates, he said all these decisions would be taken after 24 hours.

Bamania said that they were made to sit at the Gujarat Bhavan and it was an insult.

Reacting to the latest development, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel said that the deadlock shows that the Congress and PAAS were trying to use each other to meet their vested interests. He also claimed that PAAS had asked for 35 to 40 tickets from the Congress.

Patel said that it appears that the Congress is not interested in issues of the Patidars and PAAS, too, is not interested in reservation but is interested only in getting tickets.

About 10 days ago, the core committee of PAAS had held a meeting with senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal over how they (Patidars) could be given reservation as per the constitution.
Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan said the Central government is not misusing the income tax department to target the V.K. Sasikala-led faction of the AIADMK. This after the IT department said it uncovered cash and documents, belonging to undisclosed income, after conducting numerous raids on premises owned by Sasikalas relatives and aides.

Said Radhakrishnan to THE WEEK, It is wrong to say the BJP government at the Centre is misusing the IT department to settle score. The IT department is an autonomous body and is not biased towards any one political party. He said it was a disgrace for Tamil Nadu to have leaders like Sasikala who have so much of illegal wealth. Every politician should be clean. The government of India is working towards a corruption-free India. Unfortunately, there are some corrupt leaders in Tamil Nadu, which is sad. Such raids, across party lines, will deter politicians from making money the wrong way.

Meanwhile V. Pugazhendhi, the AIADMK secretary and a leader from the Sasikala faction, said what is happening in Tamil Nadu is not right. Pugazhendhi looks after the party affairs in Karnataka. His house was also raided by the IT sleuths some days ago.

Said Pugazhendhi to THE WEEK, The BJP is meddling in the affairs of the AIADMK big time. Truth will prevail. I am not scared of anyone. I am not going to say anything more now as the officers are still conducting raids at different places. Once all the raids are over, I will speak to the media. And, mind you, I will have a lot to say.

The IT department, over the last few days, has raided multiple locations, including the residence of Sasikala in Chennai, premises of Jaya TV and Kodanad Tea Estate, among several other locations in Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. In fact, tax officials chartered private cabs and pasted wedding stickers on the windscreens of their vehicles to ward off any chance of suspecion.

According to officials, many AIADMK leaders deposited black money in bank accounts of shell companies to dispatch undisclosed cash. Also, many shell companies in Chennai were all of a sudden activated after demonetisation.

Tax officials are now planning to open bank lockers of Sasikalas aides and shell companies.

Said V.K. Dhivakaran, brother of Sasikala, As long as we are alive, the BJP will not succeed in their mission.

Dhivakaran alleged the BJP has a master plan to elevate its state president, Tamilisai Soundararajan, as chief minister of Tamil Nadu after making her win the by-election to R.K. Nagar constituency, which fell vacant after J. Jayalalithaas death.

However, Soundararajan told THE WEEK: He is simply making baseless allegations. The BJP will come to power in Tamil Nadu soon in the proper manner, and not through the means of implementing the powers of the Union government.
In a first, the United States, India and China have agreed to work together to make cyberspace a safer and secured place to live and work.

A joint trilateral meeting between representatives from three countries was held on Thursday at the Vivekananda International Foundation, a New-Delhi based think tank.

Establishing the relationship between cyber security and socio-economics, Arvind Gupta, director, Vivekanand International Foundation, said, "Cyber is no more limited to security only, it is now linked with socio-economics as well, which includes politics, industry, health, education and critical infrastructure. This is why cyber security and safety has become an imperative issue. If attention will not be given to cyber security then its socio economic consequences can be serious."

Denying the existence of cyber wars, Bruce W. McConnell, global vice president, EastWest Institute, said, "I don't think it's a cyber war right now. There are cyber skirmishes. Among the nations, they are testing and are investigating each others defences. But I don't think we have reached the level of warfare."

" There are 40 countries who are building cyber weapons capabilities. However, dangerous is the fact that there is a likelihood of misunderstandings or miscalculations occurring within the countries and they might react without complete information. So, this trilateral meet will aim at creating relationships and communication channels to help avoid those miscalculations," he added.

During the meeting, delegates identified specific mechanisms for improving cooperation on a trilateral basis to investigate and respond to cyber incidents.

The delegation also explored ways to contribute to overall trust building between the parties including the potential role for industry in this regard.

Underscoring the significance of the bilateral meeting, Yan Hanbing, director, Operation Department, National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team Coordination Center of (CNCERT) China said, " I believe this is a very important conference perhaps in history. China, India and the US have huge internet presence and also India and China have the biggest markets and largest populations. The US is the most powerful state on the internet. Thereby, these three countries coming together to discuss cyber security is grand."

Hanbing also acknowledged cyber attacks taking place between India and China and expressed hope that this will be resolved.

Cyberspace refers to the virtual computer world, and more specifically, is an electronic medium used to form a global computer network to facilitate online communication.

Cyberspace's core feature is an interactive and virtual environment for a broad range of participants.
CPI (Maoists) have lauded the bravery of human rights activists, who, despite repeated threats and harassment, are raising their voice against the atrocities committed against people in areas where Maoists are present.

The Central Regional Bureau (CRB) of CPI (Maoists) has issued a statement in this regard and congratulated the activists for the job they have been carrying out tirelessly.

The Maoist group, which does not believe in Indian Constitution, however, slammed the government machinery for trying to harass the activists who work within the framework of the Constitution.

As you come forward for the implementation of the rights provided in the Indian Constitution the state targets you. It considers you as activists of Maoist frontal organisations. You are so harassed that you are unable to work, the release of CRB said.

Maoists raised the issue of harassment of eminent activist Baba Amtes son Prakash Amte who is also a human rights activist.

It considered Bhoomkal Sena in Gadchiroli as same as Salwa Judum in Chattisgarh which continue with state sponsored atrocities.

As Operation Green Hunt intensifies, attacks on peoples well-wishers and rights activists too are on the rise. Our party severely condemns all these. Though the state is chasing you, torturing and instigating, you fearlessly and courageously stand on behalf of people and make a sincere and just struggle for the ideals you believe. Our party conveys revolutionary greetings to all of you ,said the statement.

The statement has come at a time when the home ministry is all set to take action against certain NGOs for siding with the terror outfits or becoming a gateway for funding of terror outfits in India. The release of Maoists nonetheless would strengthen the argument of Narendra Modi government that all NGOs are not fountainheads of virtue.

The Maoists also hailed the rights activists for condemning the police and government whenever they attacked Maoists.

It is known to everyone that immediately after the PLGA guerrillas in the leadership of our party take actions against the police or the informer mechanism as per the peoples judgment, the police, political leaders and ministers bring severe pressure on you to condemn this. But you remain strong to your position, said CRB.

We dont have any objection to receive your response to any such mistakes from our part, or if you feel so, in the ongoing revolutionary movement. You know that our party is transparent and immediately admits our mistake whenever there is a loss to the people. Especially when people lose their lives in the land mine accidents orchestrated by our guerrillas we do not hesitate or get into discussions about collateral damage and admit our mistake in a straight manner and ask excuse from the victim families, the statement said.
Tearing into Congress for levelling allegations against procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jet, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Congress-led UPA government was 'indecisive' for ten years to address critical necessity of fighter jets for Indian Air Force.

"Bickering on price by the main opposition party is shameful. Between 2004 and 2014, the entire decade, the UPA government could not come to a decision. Therefore when we came to power in 2014, we had to move forward so that the Air Force is not left with the need for preparedness," Sitharaman said, while adding that IAF's combat ability was 'grim' when NDA came into power.

She added that the necessity to strengthen combat fleet of the IAF was first mooted in 2000, as the force demanded at least 126 multi medium role combat aircraft (MMRCA). "Previous NDA government did lots of discussions on MMRCA between 2000 and 2004. But then UPA came into power. They did not pay any attention to IAF's requirement for a full decade," Sitharaman briefed media from the MoD's war room in South Block in Delhi.

Defending the cost of the deal, Sitharaman maintained that her ministry got a better deal. "We have obtained a better deal for 36 Rafale jets, which they (UPA) were negotiating for 126," she added.

On Thursday, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanao had also defended the cost of the deal.

In response to the allegations of not following due process for going ahead with the deal, Sitharaman said that the agreement was signed with the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in loop and the active participation of her predecessor Manohar Parrikar.

"Allegations by Congress are not only baseless, but also shameful and such bickering was a "disservice" to the armed forces," Sitharaman said by adding that the deal was finalised following a transparent procedure.

Her remarks came a day after the Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of changing the "entire deal" to benefit a businessman, who was even part of the Modi's delegation to Paris in April 2015.

"Wherever the prime minister travels, there is also a business delegation with him. business delegation holds meeting with their counterpart in that country and the prime minister has no role in the talks," she clarified.

The minister said the final agreement for 36 Rafale jets was signed in September 2016, after five rounds of lengthy discussions between Indian and French sides and approval by the CCS.

IAF had signed a Euro 7.87 billion (approx Rs 59,000 crore) deal with the French government for purchase of 36 fighter jets under flyway condition from Dassault Aviations, the manufacturer.

IAF is desperate to increase its combat strengtha key concernwhich has been raised by the force on many occasions. IAF at present is operating with 32 squadrons and on the verge of losing out more squadrons as MiG 21 and MiG 27 fleeting is ageing and the Air Force would achieve its sanctioned strength of 42 fighter squadrons by 2032. IAF will have 83 indigenous Light Combat Aircaft Tejas, 36 Rafale and 36 additional Sukhoi fighter jets by end of 2019.
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Injection Molding Plastics Market is a manufacturing procedure of producing parts by injecting materials into a given mold. Injection molding is practiced with a variety of materials that include metal, confections, elastomers, glasses and thermosetting polymers. Materials that are used for the part are inserted into a barrel that is heated, then mixed and spilled into a mold where it cools and turns solid. After the product being usually designed by an engineer or by an industrial designer, a mold-maker is used to make the mold from aluminum, steel or metal. They are then out in a machine meant for precision to make the features of the final product. Injection molding is extensively utilized for manufacturing a wide range of parts from the smallest objects to the central parts of cars. The parts that are to be molded should be designed very meticulously in order to promote the procedure of molding. Factors such as the material which is used, the required features and shapes of the parts, the properties of the molding machine and the materials of the molds must be taken in consideration. The adaptability and flexibility of the injection molding is aided by the broadness of its design and its possibilities.



Increasing requirement of injection molded plastics in numerous industries such as medical disposal, automotive, electronics & consumer goods, technological advancements and packaging is boosting the growth of the injection molding plastics market. It is useful in creating a number of things such as pocket combs, musical instruments, bottle caps, toys etc. In addition, factors like curtailed cost of labor, swift production, reduced wastage and capacity to process various raw materials at the same time are also contributing towards the growth of this market. However, the fluctuating prices of crude oil and raised initial tool costing of injection molding could hamper the overall growth of this market. The packaging industry is said to lead the market due to massive implementation in healthcare and cosmetics.

Browse Complete Report: http://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report/injection-molded-plastics-market

Market Players

Cascade Engineering

The Dow Chemical

Bemis Manufacturing

ContiTech AG

Great Wall Plastic Industries

Berry Plastics

Lacks Enterprises

SABIC Innovative Plastics

Fabrik Molded Plastics

Magna International

Tupperware Brands

Sonoco

Visteon

BASF

Horizon Plastics International

Get Sample: http://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report-sample/CM08192

Key Findings of Adhesive & Sealant Market

Packaging is said to continue dominating the market due to extensive application in cosmetics and healthcare. In 2014, this segment accounted for 33.4% of complete market volume.

North America and Europe are the countries that collectively accounted for a significant the market share in year of 2014.

Highest growth is to be exhibited by the Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene segment at the time of forecast.

The global injection molded plastics market is divided with a substantial number of key players in regional as well as global market. This section is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.95% during the year of 2016 to 2025.

Healthcare is anticipated to be the fastest growing industry due to the wide use of tubes, needles, pregnancy tests and surgical blades.

The market was dominated by Asia pacific and was worth 70.18 billion in the year of 2013. Furthermore, this region is anticipated to encounter swift growth at a CAGR of 4.95% from the year of 2016 to 2025.

About Crystal Market Research

Crystal 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.

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Suyash Dixit, a 24-year-old software engineer in Indore, has declared himself as the king of an unclaimed strip of 2,072 square kilometers of land between Egypt and Sudan.

Self claimed king of this 'no man's land', Suyash has founded the idea of the first 'virtual governance of a kingdom' and named it as 'Kingdom of Dixit', which will be ruled online from India.

The piece of land which he is claiming to be the king is presently not under the authority of any country.

Suyash has claimed that he has also sent a mail to the United Nations, proclaiming the strip as a new country 'Kingdom of Dixit'. The UN, however, has not replied to his proclamation yet.

"I want to run a country on a community basis. I want to work for humanity in this kingdom not for any religion. I went to the location which was adventurous and equally dangerous. I have designed a flag for my kingdom as well. We will provide free shelter to the people living in nearby areas to bring population to our kingdom," Suyash told ANI.

Reportedly, this Indore boy has received more than 800 applications from people across the world to be the citizens of his kingdom and has been receiving over a thousand friend requests on his social media website.

Suyash has also declared his father Rakesh Dixit as the prime minister and the army chief of this lifeless place. He has also designed a flag for his kingdom.

He has also appealed to all the nations in the world including India to help in providing basic facilities in this land.

"I am feeling very proud for my son. He was always so innovative. This place is going to be crime free and tax free," Suyash's father said.
MONTREAL, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aurvista Gold Corporation (Aurvista or the Company) (TSX-V:AVA) (OTCQB:MGMLF) (Frankfurt:AV2) reports that the Company will cease to trade under the symbol AVA at the close of trading today, November 17, 2017. The Company announced on November 8 that the official corporate transition from Aurvista to Maple Gold is tentatively set for November 20, 2017, with common shares set to commence trading under the new symbol MGM on the TSX-Venture Exchange (TSX-V). The Companys common shares currently trade on the OTCQB under the symbol MGMLF and will commence trading under the symbol M3G on the Frankfurt Exchange at market open on Monday, November 20, 2017.

The TSX-Venture Exchange has also accepted for listing 31,034,150 common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants") of the Company issued as part of the non-brokered Charity Flow-Through and Hard Dollar Unit offerings which closed on June 26 and July 14, 2017 for aggregate gross proceeds of $10,100,000.

The Warrants will be listed for trading on the TSX-V under the symbol "MGM.WT" at market opening on November 20, 2017. The statutory hold period for the Warrants ended on November 15, 2017.

Each Warrant entitles its holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.40 at any time prior to 4:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on June 27, 2022. The Warrants are governed by the terms and conditions of a Warrant Indenture entered into between the Company and Computershare Trust Company of Canada on July 14, 2017.

The Company reminds the Warrant holders that there is no requirement to surrender their existing Aurvista Warrant certificate, however, should Warrant holders prefer to have a new Warrant certificate evidencing the new name, they may surrender their existing Aurvista Warrant certificate to Computershare Investor Services Inc. at 100 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1.

Douay Gold Project and Company Profile:

Aurvista Gold Corporation is a well-funded gold exploration company focused on advancing one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in Quebec. The Companys district-scale 370 km Douay Gold Project covers 55 km of strike along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone within the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec. The Project has an established gold resource that remains open in multiple directions, with excellent infrastructure and several large scale operating mines within 150km. For more information please visit the Companys website at www.aurvistagold.com.

ON BEHALF OF AURVISTA GOLD CORPORATION

Matthew Hornor

B. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO

For Further Information Please Contact:



Mr. Joness Lang

VP, Corporate Development

Office: +1 416.682.2674

Email: jlang@aurvistagold.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 PRESS RELEASE.

Forward Looking Statements:

This news release contains forward-looking information" and forward-looking statements (collectively referred to as forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and managements best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Companys expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys opinions and beliefs, financial position, business strategy, plans for drilling and re-logging, characterisation of gold mineralisation, geological modelling, data integration, establishing high-quality inferred resource expansion targets, testing target areas, the Companys goal to deliver significant value, drill campaigns, and plans and objectives of management for future properties and operations. When used herein, words such as anticipate, will, intend and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are based on certain estimates, expectations, analysis and opinions that management believed reasonable at the time they were made or in certain cases, on third party expert opinions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, and uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual events, results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future events, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Aurvista Gold Corporations filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Companys website at www.aurvistagold.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
RICHLAND, WA, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Medical Isotope Corporation (OTC PINK: ADMD), a late-stage radiation oncology-focused medical device company, is initially focusing its animal therapy development efforts on canine soft-tissue sarcomas and feline sarcomas; which the Company believes will establish a short-term pathway to market for its RadioGel product in the veterinary services industry. Once these therapies are effectively commercialized, the Company plans to expand its efforts into the treatment of other animal cancers.



Mike Korenko, CEO of ADMD, stated, Our focused strategy will optimize the use of our precious investor dollars and allow us to enter the private clinical market prior to completing the animal testing on the wider variety of cancers. As an added benefit, this same data we generate from our initial animal studies will also be used to fulfill part of the requirement for our human pre-clinical testing.

In September 2017, the Company filed a request for device product classification from the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), a division of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Companys legal team at Hogan Lovells, a top multi-national law firm, is helping to respond to comments received from the CVM, and management believes ultimately RadioGel will receive device classification.

Animal testing of RadioGel is underway at the University of Missouri. RadioGel therapy has completed the universitys Internal Safety Review and the detailed test plan is being reviewed by the Principal Investigator. Because this testing will be used for the pre-clinical testing for application in humans, the test package will also be sent for final review by the human side of the FDA. Therapy treatment on animals will begin as soon as final comments are received from the FDA. This testing now has a dual benefit and is a critical path for both the veterinary and human markets.

After canine therapy testing is complete, the University of Missouri will shift its focus to equine sarcoids as the next animal indication for use. In addition, the University of California at Davis will use RadioGel to demonstrate advanced therapies, such as treating prostate cancer.

We previously announced our efforts to develop relationships with consortiums of private clinics as the most effective way to expedite our roll-out," commented Korenko. "Through these discussions, it was clear that publishing our results with the Veterinary Cancer Society (VCS) would provide significant benefit. To that end, the first poster on RadioGel was presented at the VCS annual meeting in late October."

At the meeting, held in Portland on October 26-28, Tomoko Takahashi of Nihon University in Japan delivered the first presentation on RadioGel. Takahashi also expressed interest in using RadioGel upon her return to Japan next year, which should benefit the Companys strategy to obtain international licensing.

During the VCS annual meeting, ADMD personnel met with Phillip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD., the Director of Clinical Trials for VCA. Dr. Bergman expressed enthusiasm for RadioGel as a novel product that could be used to improve access to radiation therapy beyond the 12 veterinary centers that currently provide traditional radiation therapy treatments. He also emphasized the benefit to patients, owners, and vets of the once and done aspect of a RadioGel treatment versus the typical courses of radiation therapy or chemotherapy that require several weeks and multiple exams by the veterinarian.

Dr. Bergman is a former President of VCS and observed several new product launches over the years. He understands the pitfalls that new products may experience and emphasized the importance of garnering the support of key opinion leaders to drive the adoption of a new product in the marketplace. His support will be key to gaining inroads within the veterinary market for a variety of indications for use.

We believe were in a strong position to execute, concluded Korenko. As we move forward with this focused strategy, multiple milestones can be achieved in the near-term, setting the stage for sustainable, long-term growth.

About Advanced Medical Isotope Corporation (OTC: ADMD)

The strategic market sector of ADMD is isotope applications. Currently, the Company is engaged in the development of RadioGel, an Yttrium-90 based brachytherapy device, for the treatment of tumors. Brachytherapy uses radiation to destroy cancerous tumors by placing a radioactive isotope inside the treatment area.

The company is engaging the FDA for permission to use RadioGel for the treatment of advanced basal and squamous cell skin cancers. The IsoPet Solutions division of ADMD is focused on demonstrating the safety and therapeutic effectiveness for different animal cancers in four different university veterinary hospitals. ADMD is positioning itself so that after this demonstration phase, The Company can begin to generate revenues through the sale of RadioGel to private animal clinics.

The Company currently is outsourcing material aspects of manufacturing of its product in the United States and intends to enter into licensing arrangements outside of the United States for the manufacturing and distribution of RadioGelTM in other countries.

About RadioGel

RadioGel is a hydrogel liquid containing tiny Yttrium-90 phosphate particles to be injected into a tumor. This hydrogel is a liquid at temperatures below body temperature but begins to gel, harden, upon injection as the temperature increases to normal body temperature, thereby locking the particles in place. The particles emit a very high concentrated and contained beta irradiation to kill the tumor. The beta radiation has a short penetration distance so there is minimal collateral damage to healthy tissues outside of the injected area.

RadioGel also has a short half-life  delivering more than 90% of its therapeutic radiation within 10 days. This compares favorably to other available treatment options requiring up to 6 weeks or more to deliver a full course of radiation therapy. This is an outpatient treatment much safer to the personnel treating the patient than competing brands and the patient can go home immediately with no risk to family members.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by the use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimates," "projects," "intends," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to successfully execute its expanded business strategy, including by entering into definitive agreements with suppliers, commercial partners and customers; general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing various engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technical advances and delivering technological innovations, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, regulatory requirements and the ability to meet them, government agency rules and changes, and various other factors beyond the Company's control.








The cost of some parking in the London Borough of Islington will cost more than double for drivers of diesel cars under new directives to target 'toxic pollutants' - though it won't take into account how dirty a car actually is.

The surcharge will cost all diesel motorists 2 an hour on top of existing hourly fees, which range from 1.20 to 6.

The measures, which are due to be rolled out in January, will see the cost of parking surge for diesel owners who park in any of the 6,500 short-stay bays in the area.

First short-stay parking surcharge for diesel owners: Islington Council has confirmed that any diesel driver who uses one of the 6,500 short-stay parking pays in the area will be charged an extra 2 an hour

Islington Council, which was also the first local authority to ramp up the cost of parking for residents that own all diesel cars, said the surcharge will be introduced because 'London is on the brink of an air quality emergency' and Islington straddles several major thoroughfares with 'huge amounts of traffic putting out toxic diesel pollutants'.

Claudia Webbe, the council's executive member for environment and transport, said: 'We hope that this measure will encourage owners of diesel vehicles to switch to cleaner, more sustainable modes of transport and lead to improved air quality in the borough.'

She also urged other local authorities to consider similar schemes as poor air quality is 'a problem for all London residents'.

Islington hit all residents permits for diesel cars with a 96 surcharge on top of their existing charges in 2015.

The latest move is likely to spark uproar among those who regularly park in the North London borough, especially those driving the latest Euro 6 emissions low-CO2 producing diesel models.

Unlike the T-Charge, which only targets drivers of pre-Euro 4 emissions cars that have proven higher emissions outputs, Islington's tariff affects all diesel cars irrespective of the Euro emissions standards - even hybrids producing very little pollution in urban areas at all will have to pay 2 extra an hour to park.

Claudia Webbe, Islington Council's executive member for environment and transport. said that the area was on the brink of an 'air quality emergency'

The RAC's roads policy spokesman Nick Lyes warned that the move will 'further antagonise drivers of diesel vehicles in the borough' after Islington established a surcharge for residents' permits in 2015.

He condemned the regressive nature of the policy, saying that many families and small businesses would 'dearly wish' to switch to a new, cleaner vehicle but they cannot afford the expense.

Mr Lyes also claimed that targeting parked vehicles when other options to boost air quality may be available indicates that council officials 'perhaps are more interested in raising revenue from diesel owners', especially with councils having to tighten budgets and local authorities being made responsible for trimming air pollution levels outlined in the DEFRA Air Quality Plan earlier this year.

The RAC spokesman added: 'Whats more, imposing additional penalties on diesel vehicles could also inadvertently force people into petrol cars which we know is bad from a greenhouse gas point of view.'



Islington Council was also the first UK local authority to charge residents an extra 96 a year for a parking permit if they owned a diesel. Both this and the short-stay parking charge doesn't take into consideration if you drive one of the latest - cleaner - Euro 6 standard diesel cars

When the same borough introduced a 96 annual surcharge on resident permits for those who own diesel cars, it said it was to 'protect residents from the health risks associated with diesel emissions'.

The scheme, which is still in place today, has been heavily criticised by local drivers, because it doesn't take into account how clean the latest diesel cars are.

For all cars made after 2001, the amount residents have to pay for a 12-month parking permit varies depending on the CO2 emissions output of their vehicle.

But the 96 surcharge isn't subject to the same flexibility.

For instance, owners of a petrol car producing between 101 and 110g/km CO2 only have to pay 17.50 for a year-long permit. However, owners of a diesel car with the same emissions has to pay 113.50, with the addition of the 96 surcharge.

Even drivers of super-efficient plug-in hybrid diesels, like the Volvo V60 twin-engine which produces just 48g/m CO2 that runs predominantly in urban areas in full electric mode, are hit with the fee.

Instead of paying nothing, like all pure electric and petrol hybrids with sub-100g/km CO2, owners of the cleanest diesels are still hit with the 96 charge.

My Lyes said Transport for London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) - due to be introduced in 2019 - will cover a wide geographical area of the capital, including Islington, and is arguably a 'more sensible way to target the most polluting vehicles which are driving around the impacted area'.
It had been a quiet year so far the Mkango Resources share price, but the stock jumped into action this week.

Investors poured money into the junior explorer after it inked a 'transformational' deal which will fund the development of its Songwe Hill rare earth minerals project in Malawi.

Talaxis  a subsidiary of Noble Group  has agreed to plough in 12million to fund a bankable feasibility study at Songwe in return for a 49 per cent stake in the project.

Funding boost: Investors poured money into Mkango Resources after the junior explorer inked a 'transformational' deal which will fund the development of its Songwe Hill rare earth minerals project in Malawi

It also has the option to acquire a further 26 per cent interest, if it arranges funding for the projects development.

Assuming Talaxis takes all of the potential stake, the deal means Mkango will retain a 25 per cent holding in Songwe and is free-carried to production.

Talaxis investment might not just be limited to Songwe either.

Mkango recently announced a new venture with Metalysis focused on alloy powders and magnet technologies, which Talaxis can take a 49 per cent stake in by investing 2m in two tranches.

Shares gained 170.5 per cent across the week to 10.8p.

Aukett Swanke Group was another big riser on the junior market this week as it unveiled a 'significant' new project win which will see it design and deliver a swanky new mall in Dubai.

The Lesso Mall  named after the Chinese client which commissioned Aukett  will provide more than 1.2m square feet of retail space plus various car parks on a 'prominent site' in the country.

To give you an idea of the size, the Westfield White City shopping centre in London and Bluewater in Kent are only slightly larger so its safe to say it will be a big undertaking.

The mall is expected to be completed by mid-2020 which, along with other confirmed work, will give Auketts Dubai operation decent revenue visibility over the medium term, the firm said.

There was nothing particularly majestic about Regal Petroleums performance this week after the junior oiler told investors its offices in Ukraine had been raided by the countrys tax authorities.

Regal said its offices and warehouses in Kiev and Yakhnyky  where its MEX-GOL and SV gas projects are located  were searched last week, with officials removing documents and impounding some equipment.

The company said it is getting its legal team on the case, claiming the raids were 'entirely unjustified' and against Ukrainian law in a 'significant number of areas'.

Retail development: Aukett Swanke Group was another big riser on the junior market this week as it unveiled a 'significant' new project win which will see it design and deliver a swanky new mall in Dubai

Regal tried to reassure investors saying that business is continuing as normal, but that wasnt enough to stop some selling up with shares down 13.2 per cent to 6.3p.

Elsewhere it looks like posh wallpaper maker Walker Greenbank might have spoken a little too soon in last months bullish interim results statement.

Back then, the company said order intake was growing ahead of last year and was 'on an improving trend' in the run-up to its key autumn selling period.

However since that announcement, order intake has not been sustained and brand sales in the UK having 'weakened significantly' against management expectations. Sods law some might say.

Given that this is supposed to be a prime sales period for the company, Walker now expects full-year profits to be 10 per cent lower than previously forecast.

Shares plunged 33.8 per cent to 142p.

Its been a fairly poor week for the global markets as a whole, and both the junior and blue chip indices reflected that.

The AIM All Share shed 1.3 per cent, or 13.5 points, to sit at 1,023.2 come thisafternoon, while the FTSE 100 fell almost one per cent, or 70 points, to 7,365.

Choppy waters: Fishing Republic was one of the junior markets biggest fallers this week as it launched a strategic review alongside a wholesale board shake-up after a sharp downturn in trading from last month sparked a big profit warning

Fishing Republic was one of the junior markets biggest fallers this week as it launched a strategic review alongside a wholesale board shake-up after a sharp downturn in trading from last month sparked a big profit warning.

Chris Griffin  formerly e-commerce director at SuperGroup  has been appointed acting chief executive and will undertake the review of the sport fishing retailer.

Like-for-like store sales dropped by 13 per cent last month compared to growth of 16 per cent in the nine months up to the end of September, while the groups online business has also been affected.

The company  which sells fishing tackle, rods and clothing  said it would likely slump to a loss this year as it blamed an intense price war and rising competition for the drop-off in performance.

Shares sunk 51 per cent to 19.8p.

BOS Global also headed lower as it warned investors that administration is a possibility unless it can sort out its finances.

The business software firm is in urgent discussions with lender Innovation Corporation and its broker over its financial position.

Unsurprisingly the uncertainty has weighed on the share price, which dived 47.7 per cent to 0.78p over the past few days.
Cashing in: Advisers charge an average of 3,250 to transfer their pension pots

Pension advisers have pocketed 715million by persuading savers to give up their guaranteed income in retirement.

Some 220,000 people have transferred their nest egg out of a defined benefit pension scheme since rules were changed in 2015  shifting 50billion of cash in total.

The average fee charged by advisers is 3,250, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). That would mean a windfall of 715million for advisers.

But it is feared that unscrupulous firms are targeting retirees who have little knowledge of financial services  particularly when their pension schemes are changing, such as at the Tata UK Port Talbot steel plant in Wales.

Some companies use aggressive sales tactics ranging from cold-calling and hassling targets on Facebook, to offering free meals, cash and even standing outside factories to talk to staff.

Although many people will have a good reason for transferring their cash out of a defined benefit pension scheme  swapping a guaranteed annual income for a one-off lump sum  in some cases it is the wrong thing to do.

Regulators and campaigners insist that unbiased advice is essential.

Former pensions minister Baroness Altmann said: 'It shouldn't be a gravy train to jump on, it should be an analysis of what the right thing is to do.'

Concerns came to a head this week as it emerged Tata UK steel workers were being preyed on.

They are facing a major restructuring of their 15billion pension scheme, creating an opportunity for advisers to make huge profits.

One business organised chips and curry nights where staff could talk about transferring, and another arranged one-to-one meetings in a nearby hotel.

Al Rush of advice firm Echelon Wealthcare and investment site Fiver a Day, who went to Port Talbot to investigate, said he'd heard of one case where a saver was charged 20,000 fee for withdrawing a pot of 500,000.

He said pension vultures were flying in from as far away as Newcastle and the South East to sign people up. Victims are being promised unrealistic returns as high as 10 per cent a year, he said.

'They're signing people up over lunchtime  one adviser is getting people to turn up with their paperwork at seminars and transferring them there and then,' said Rush. 'I know one worker who had his money transferred out and now doesn't know where it is.'

A total of 11,000 steel workers have inquired about transferring their cash, and around 1,700 have done so.

Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb said this figure is bound to rise.

Parliament's Work and Pensions Committee is now rushing out a report to stop any more damage.

Its chairman, Labour MP Frank Field, said: 'Steel workers are being besieged by these rogues.'

Tony Brady of trade union Unite said: 'We are very concerned about rogue advisers and sharp practice  we are aware of what's happening at Port Talbot.' The FCA is also looking into what has been going on at Port Talbot.
Engineering firm GKN has ditched its incoming chief executive while warning it could have to write off a further 130million.

Kevin Cummings, chief executive of the firm's aerospace arm, was appointed to the top job two months ago and had been due to take over on January 1.

However, he left yesterday with immediate effect after the board said the FTSE 100 company needed 'alternative leadership'.

GKN gave few details on the decision  which pushed shares down 4.7 per cent  but it appears to be linked to a damaging review of finances at its aerospace plants in the US.

The mounting problems have fuelled further speculation of a break-up at the 3.5billion firm, which built Spitfires during the Second World War and now makes car, plane and machinery parts for clients around the world.

Fears are also being raised for the company's dividend.

Cummings, 55, had been chief executive of the aerospace division since 2014, having joined the US business in 2008.

He was named chief executive of the whole firm in September and was due to take over after current boss Nigel Stein retires at the end of the year.

But, in October, GKN issued a profit warning, saying it expected profit for the year to be only slightly above 2016.

Bosses flagged two potential legal claims against the aerospace and automobile divisions, which could cost up to 40million. They also highlighted operational challenges at the aerospace division.

The firm said it would write off around 15million at its aerospace plant in Alabama, after a review of the value of the stock and the amount owed by clients.

That triggered a wider review of aerospace plants in the US, with bosses announcing yesterday they were likely to write off a further 80million to 130million as a result.

Bosses said yesterday: 'The board has concluded that the next stage of GKN's development is best delivered under alternative leadership.

'As a result, Kevin Cummings, previously CEO designate, will leave the board and GKN with immediate effect.'

Non-executive director Anne Stevens, 69, will step in as interim chief executive until the role is filled permanently.

The turmoil comes amid fresh speculation in recent weeks that GKN could split its aerospace and automotive divisions to create two FTSE 100 companies.

Yesterday, RBC Capital markets analyst Wasi Rizvi said the turmoil may be seen as making a break-up more likely.

Nicholas Hyett, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'Losing one chief executive is unfortunate, effectively losing two starts to suggest carelessness.'

Details of any pay-off for Cummings, who earned 1.4million during 2016, have not yet been revealed.

GKN said it had started the search for a new chief executive, considering both external and internal candidates.

Hans Buthker, formerly chief executive of Fokker Technologies, is now in charge of the aerospace division.
Latvian English

Riga, 2017-11-17 12:56 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Major consolidated financial statement data for January-September:

Revenue USD 1 064 million (EUR 955 million), up by 13.5% year-on-year

Gross profitability 4.8%, up by 0.7 percent points year-on-year

Gross profit USD 50.6 million (EUR 45.4 million), up by 33% year-on-year

Net profit USD 7.1 million (EUR 6.4 million), up by 11% year-on-year

The ELKO Groups revenue for the first nine months of 2017 increased by 13.5% to reach USD 1 064 million (EUR 955 million), compared to USD 938 million (EUR 840 million) for the same period in 2016.

At the beginning of July 2017, the acquisition of 85% of shares in one of the leading distributors of hardware and electronics in Sweden, Gandalf Distribution AB, was completed. Sales also began in the Polish market by attracting a local sales team for IT and consumer electronics. Starting with the third quarter, consolidated reports include results for both Gandalf Distribution AB and Poland, separating out operating results for both the Nordic region and Poland as part of the Baltic region, as product supply to Poland is sourced from both the Riga warehouse and the Amsterdam Logistics Centre.

Gross profit reached USD 50.6 million (EUR 45.4 million), which is 33% more than for the nine months of the previous year. The increase in gross profit reflects the companys efforts to optimise business operations by giving up part of its service outsourcing, mainly in the CIS region.

Breakdown of turnover by region

Central and Eastern Europe  up by 6.6%, reaching USD 395 million (EUR 355 million)

CIS region  up by 16%, reaching USD 569 million (EUR 511 million)

Baltic States  up by 5.3%, reaching USD 81 million (EUR 72 million)

Nordic countries  turnover for July-September was USD 19 million (EUR 17 million)

About ELKO

The ELKO Group is one of the region's largest distributors of IT products and solutions, representing 180 IT manufacturers, and providing a wide range of products and services to more than 7 000 retailers, local computer manufacturers, system integrators and enterprises within various sectors in 30 countries across Europe and Central Asia. The Groups turnover in 2016 amounted to USD 1 460 million.

More information:

www.elkogroup.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elko-group

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elkogroup/

Twitter: @ELKO_Group
MBABANE  He has proven, over and again, that he is international material!



Afro-jazz artist and guitarist Bholoja, in partnership with South African promoters, will be hosting a festival in Madagascar.

Bholoja, real name Mbongiseni Ngubane, revealed that his visit to Madagascar a few weeks ago entailed a lot of business but it was mainly on launching the festival next year.



I have partnered with a team from South Africa. I went with them to Madagascar to launch the festival.

We have not yet decided on the name of the festival but we will soon, said Bholoja.



It is not the first time for the internationally renowned artist to be involved in organising a festival. Last year, he hosted the inaugural Yebo Mzala, Yebo Gogo Arts Festival which saw many soulful artists from all over Africa.



However, this will be the first international festival he co-hosts, and he said his main aim is to make sure that Swaziland shines through-out the festival.



Bholoja has great relationships with international artists and producers. This year alone, he collaborated with one of South Africas jazz pioneers Don Laka,in his song titled Home and he roped in Blu Lamp, a band from Mpumalanga, as his formal band.

He has been in liaison with his producer from France known as David F.



David F is the one who produced Bholojas album titled Swazi Soul Volume 2.
THE political situation unfolding in Zimbabwe does not come as much of a surprise really given its precarious economic state that has driven hundreds of thousands of people into poverty.

It was not a matter of if it would happen but rather when the people would resort to take the initiative to call for a change in leadership.

After four decades of rule, who would think President Robert Mugabe would lose his grip of power due to a fundamental error of judgment that saw him line up his wife as successor and dismissing likely candidate, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Evidently this was not the plan agreed to with key stakeholders, in particular the army, so why deviate from it? Mugabe had his way for many years, even if it came at the cost of lives and economic and social hardships of his people. But not this time. Ironically, it is the army that has always ensured his extended stay in power that has ultimately decided enough is enough.



A darling of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Mugabe was never going to be forced to step down by his colleagues after 37 years in power - no matter how bad things would get in his country.



However, today he joins a long list of leaders who have been forcibly removed from power. SADC leaders are, once again, faced with the challenge of restoring order. Recently it was Lesotho where peacekeeping troops, which include Swazis, were deployed to safeguard any possible conflict following the shooting of an army general who was trying to implement SADC recommendations.



There is no telling as yet, whether or not things will get better in Zimbabwe under new leadership but it must be said that a military takeover sets a bad precedent for the country.



We are hoping for a peaceful transition as we monitor these developments. The SADC response this time around, will determine whether it serves the interests of the leaders or that of the people in member countries.



*** Govt makes them cry ***



Seeing an elderly woman weep after being turned away at a disbursement centre where her peers were receiving social grants was heartbreaking. It was to be expected though, with the Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM) office having indicated earlier that all those who turned 60 this year had not been included in the data base and therefore not budgeted for. But is this acceptable?



Government is not naive to the reality that the data base of the elderly increases yearly. The disbursement of grants has been ongoing for years and annual trends are well documented. The well educated officers in the DPMs office know this and ought to cater for it in the budget request for every new financial year.

This is standard procedure with everything government does. If there are provisions for escalations in projects, why are there no provisions for such when it comes to human beings?



Government is also capable of re-allocations. We see this a lot with projects or national events so how is this not possible now with the elderly?



Each day presents more clarity to the perceptions that this Cabinet is more concerned with infrastructure than human life.

We are beginning to sound like a broken record in highlighting the absence of fiscal prudence which the citizens are expected to accept while operations remain normal in Cabinet. It came as no surprise that the acting PM Paul Dlamini and his ministers were kicked out of the House of Assembly by Members of Parliament (MPs) on Wednesday after the MPs demanded the payment of the monthly elderly grants for those who turned 60 in April 2017. They also want Cabinet to pay the outstanding Phalala Fund bill of E170 million.

Call it grandstanding, electioneering, campaigning or whatever, but the action by the MPs is commendable. Cabinet needs a serious shake up to give serious attention to the lives of the people.

The people of this country have become mere statistics to these men and women entrusted with improving lives.

How do you explain cutting health funding so you can build more roads? Who will use these roads, ghosts? The Health minister deserves to explain to the nation how Phalala Fund ran up an unpaid bill of E170 million resulting in the suspension of specialist services in neighbouring South Africa, leaving several patients dead and hundreds of others on the edge.

Every way you turn, people are crying because of the hardships brought about by Cabinet. They need to wipe these tears today!
RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beauty salon in Raleigh dsparada Color Salon is announcing a Small Business Saturday event hosted at their Raleigh beauty salon. The event will showcase a range of the salons products and services at discounted prices in a fun, festive party atmosphere.

The dsparada Color Salon Small Business Saturday Celebration will take place on Saturday November 25th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. During the event, all salon products will be marked 20% off for purchase by those in attendance.



There will also be complimentary mimosas and hors d'oeuvres for guests to enjoy during the event. Salon owner Don Stacy says, The dsparada Color Salon will be in full party mode during our Small Business Saturday Celebration. Were gonna decorate the salon, pump up the music and make it super-fun. We look forward to seeing old friends at the event and also making some new ones."



The salon owners also will be raffling off a product basket filled with Goldwell products (a $250.00 value). For every product purchased, the customers name will be placed in a basket for a drawing for the Goldwell products to be held December 20th. Attendees do not have to be present during the drawing to win.



Dsparada Color Salon is an award-winning beauty salon offering the very latest in hair styling and color options. Whether its for a special event or personal self-expression, the stylists at dsparada Color Salon are known for assisting their clients in creating the perfect look. Dsparada has been voted best hair and color salon in the Raleigh area by the readers of Wake Living Magazine for four years in a row.



Services include haircuts, hair styling, hair coloring, highlighting, bridal updos and innovative coloring techniques like balayage. From classic to extravagant, dsparada can help with finding the perfect style for each client. The salon offers extended businesses hours until 8:00 pm from Tuesday through Friday.



Don Stacy is a respected hair stylist to the stars and holds his entire team to the same standards hes used to style top models and performers. Stacy says, We hope to see the Raleigh community turn out for our event on Saturday, November 25th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm!



About dsparada Color Salon: Raleigh hair salon dsparada offers the very best in cutting-edge treatments and services. They take an innovative approach to hair color and styling that helps every client look and feel their very best. Dsparada Color Salon is located in Suite 100 at 6520 Falls of the Neuse Road in Raleigh, North Carolina. Those in the public who wish to learn more about the event or book one of their salon services may do so by calling (919) 790-1707. Additional information about the Raleigh beauty salon is also available by visiting the dsparada website.

dsparada Color Salon

(919) 790-1707

www.dsparada.com
MANZINI  In an act that could be best described as complete disrespect for the House of the Lord, two suspects are alleged to have broken into four different churches and stole valuable items.



The two men have since been arrested and charged with housebreaking and theft. They are said to have mainly targeted churches and allegedly stole electronics and certain parts of the sound systems. The duo is alleged to have targeted the churches when there was no one present.



Dumsani DUShongwe (27) of Mbikwakhe and Nathi MaThousand Magagula yesterday appeared before Principal Magistrate David Khumalo after they were arrested and charged with seven offences of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft.



Both suspects, who are said to be friends, would allegedly break into the churches situated in the countrys different regions and steal several items, which included sound systems, bass guitars, speakers, keyboards, microphones and amplifiers, among other things.

The churches include World Revival Ministries (Luyengo), Ekujabuleni Church (Buhleni, Hhohho Region), New Covenant church (Boyane), Mhlangatane Church (Buhleni, Hhohho) and Madulini Church (Nhlangano), among others.



The suspects would allegedly break into the churches while they were locked and use force to gain entry.

Gadgets such as crowbars, pickaxes and other weapons were allegedly used to break doors and windows so to get inside the different rooms of the premises, before the suspects would allegedly steal the electronics and musical instruments.



Information gathered is that Shongwe and Magagula would travel in a vehicle, a Honda Fit, which they allegedly used to load the items after stealing them from churches.




LOBAMBA  Akunamali, (there is no money). This was the message relayed by the acting Prime Minister (PM), Paul Dlamini, to Members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday afternoon.



The negative message only earned Cabinet another immediate kicking out from the House of Assembly.

On Wednesday, the MPs had sent Cabinet to come back with responses on how they would address the issue of the non-payment of the grants for the elderly who had turned 60 this financial year and further address how patients under the Phalala Fund would be assisted.

However, in response the DPM came back with news that did not sit well with of the MPs as he minced no words in saying the new elderly would not be paid because there was no money budgeted for them.

This earned him the wrath of the MPs who said they had not tasked Cabinet with telling them that there was no money, but to have a plan on how the two issues would be addressed.

In his statement, the acting PM said, Cabinet wishes to state that it is a long process to include every elderly who has just turned 60 years into the database and that cannot happen overnight.



Dlamini said these new elderly had not been budgeted for by government nor was an allocation made by Parliament. Parliament is requested to observe the set budgetary processes and not set a precedent, said Dlamini.

He said government was not reneging on its commitment to support the welfare of the elderly, but was resource constrained.

Dlamini said the elderly would gradually be budgetted for and absorbed into the system accordingly which was why allowing the continued registration further confirmed its commitment.



On the Phalala Medical Referral Scheme, the acting PM said the major challenge had been the increase in the number of patients requiring assistance under the fund and the escalating fees associated with the referrals. This has led to the country owing huge amounts of monies to the medical facilities and service providers in South Africa, said Dlamini.
MANZINI  After 37 years of Zimbabweans yearning for change, moves to overthrow Robert Mugabe are not enough to lure the citizens in diaspora back to their home country.



This transpired during interviews conducted with some Zimbabweans living in Swaziland regarding the developments in their country. There are over 300 Zimbabwean nationals living in the country. They said even though change was all that Zimbabweans have been praying for, if word making rounds that former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa would be the successor were true, then little or no change at all would prevail in their country.



Mnangagwa is also a member of ZANU-PF and has been working with Mugabe for a long time until recently when he was sacked for allegedly being disloyal. When this happened, Mnangagwa had already revealed that he was contending to become Mugabes successor.

According to the Zimbabweans, having Mnangagwa as a leader would mean continuous suffering under the leadership of a new oppressor. They said this was more so because all along, Mnangagwa was Mugabes right hand man with whom he committed crimes that resulted in social and economic strains while violating human rights.



For this, the immigrants said they were still concerned by the implications that the developments in their country would entail in the future of Zimbabweans.



Mnangagwa and Mugabe are two sides of the same coin. Nothing much of change is bound to happen in Zimbabwe because even though one might have been sacked; in actual fact what these guys are doing is protecting each other while disguising the move as a means to better the country, said Chief Chiwara; a Zimbabwean living in Swaziland.



Another citizen who preferred anonymity, in fear of being spied on, mentioned that this was not the first time that Zimbabweans hopes were tested in this manner only for things to remain the same for 37 years.



They are toying with our emotions because they know we are aching for transformation. Until everything is clear, Ill remain on the fence regarding my reaction to this, he said.



In addition, another Zimbabwean *Tom said it was thrilling that Mugabe was finally ousted because the countrys economys decline was a result of his doing.

However, *Tom was worried by the way Mugabe was overthrown, saying it had dug a trench for the whole country because he would not go down without a fight and should he succeed in re-assuming his position; the whole country would greatly pay for it.
MBABANE  A drug dealer will not have a merry Christmas as his cocaine with a street value of E24 million, was busted at Ngwenya Border Gate yesterday afternoon.



The 37-year-old man from Tanzania was arrested while trying to cross to South Africa driving alone in a Kia Sportage.

The cocaine was stashed in the spare wheel compartment in the vehicle, in 30 different black plastic bags which weighed 2kg each.

The street value of 1kg of cocaine is E400 000 and the suspect will not be named as he has not made an appearance in court.

In the plastic bag, there was crushed chilies which were used to deter sniffer dogs from smelling the drugs.



Inside each black plastic bag was a transparent one which was sealed.

After it had been ripped open, a white cloth which had been completely sealed was also found.

When the cloth was cut open there was yet another transparent plastic bag which contained the cocaine that was in cubes.



Information gathered was that the suspect had entered into the country through the same border gate in the morning from South Africa.

He then went to Manzini where he found the vehicle waiting for him with the consignment and the car keys were in the ignition and he simply drove off.



According to officers based at the border gate, the suspect came into the country on November 8 in the morning and went back to the neighbouring country in the afternoon.

He then came back in the country on November 11 in the morning again and he left in the evening.
New York , Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --











Shark Tank Featured Company Becomes Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Hispanica Intl.





Hispanica International, Inc. (OTCQB: HISP) a brand accelerator company focused on exotic brands in the alternative beverage and snack industry, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Victorias Kitchen. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Victorias Kitchen is an almond water specialty beverage company based in Los Angeles, California. The acquisition is expected to accelerate VKs growth and expand national reach via Hispanicas proprietary distribution system.

Plans for the acquisition were previously announced by Hispanica in October as we took preliminary steps for Victorias Kitchen to join Hispanicas branded products portfolio. The acquisition is intended to offer a unique upscale specialty beverage as part of Hispanicas family of proprietary brands.



Finalizing the deal and adding Victorias Kitchen to our portfolio is something we are excited about, stated Hispanica Chairman and CEO Fernando Oswaldo Leonzo. The Victorias Kitchen brand already has some name recognition due to its appearance on Shark Tank and product placement on NBC shows. More importantly, the almond water, lemon ginger, and coconut almond water products are all-natural and aligned with the type of company we are looking to build our next generation brands around., Leonzo said. Plans are under way to enhance Victorias Kitchen brands product offerings with organic ingredients, new flavors, and expanded distribution into nationally recognized retailers.



Over the past several years, alternative beverages and niche categories have outperformed most traditional massmarket categories within the beverage industry. In particular, valueadded water gained market share in 2016, while larger, more established, categories failed to grow.



According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, valueadded water outperformed all other segments with a 12.3% volume increase in 2016. As the market continues to trend away from soft drinks, Hispanica is focused on an all-natural exotic flavor acquisition growth strategy, based on geographic expansion and targeted product-line extensions. Victorias Kitchen co-packer arrangement has enabled a smooth transition, with no added infrastructure costs associated with the final agreement.



About Hispanica International, Inc.

Hispanic International, Inc. (HISP) is a public company founded in 2013. Formed as an ethnic food and beverage company, HISP has leveraged innovation to re-shift its focus into a brand accelerator beverage and snack company with the goal of expanding it all-natural exotic flavor its portfolio of companies that are all-natural and offering exotic flavors to the mainstream market. The HISP accelerator backs beverage/snack companies, which it can acquire, by building a proprietary distribution platform to enhance its own brands and position them for mass market entry.

Based in New York, HISP plans to continue investing in companies focused primarily in the beverage sector, while adding snacks to their portfolio over time. HISP will continue to focus on all-natural exotic flavors, as well as health and wellness-related products, consumer snacking, grocery and health trends. HISP will continue to accelerate beverage and snack companies at different stages, from start-ups to established brands.

HISP is also committed in building long-term relationships with its consumers by offering superior, high quality products at competitive prices. HISP is headquartered in New York and currently has distribution operations in New York City Tri-State Region, Washington DC Metro Area, as well as in Los Angeles and the Northern California Region.

For more information on Hispanica International, Inc. please visit http://www.hispanicadelights.com





SAFE HARBOR ACT

Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains statements that constitute 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 appear in a number of places in this release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Hispanica International Delights of America, Inc. its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) financing plans; (ii) trends affecting its financial condition or results of operations; (iii) growth strategy and operating strategy. The words may, would, will, expect, estimate, can, believe, potential and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements including those relating to the Companys financing being adequate for the Company to close this acquisition, being able to place its products in the retail stores, to launch its growth and expansion plans among others, are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Hispanica International Delights of America, Inc.s ability to control, and actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. No information in this press release should be construed in any way whatsoever as an indication of Hispanicas future revenues, financial performance or stock price. More information about the potential factors that could affect the business and financial results is and will be included in Hispanica International Delights of America, Inc.s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Investors and Corporate Relations

Please Contact: corporaterelations@hidainc.com

info@hidainc.com

1(866) 928-5070




WASHINGTON  It was no surprise when Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand spoke out this week on the cascading reports of sexual abuse by prominent men.

But it was a surprise that she managed to turn the story back on herself by telling a New York Times interviewer that former President Bill Clinton should have quit in the wake of the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal that tarnished his presidency.

Gillibrand, born into a prominent Albany political family, has turned sexual abuse in the military and on campus into signature issues. Neither the Campus Accountability & Safety Act nor the Military Justice Improvement Act have become law but many credit Gillibrand with changing the dialogue on these issues.

Even so, her stray comment on President Clinton may have damaged a key long-standing relationship shes had with her chief political patrons, Bill Clinton and also Hillary Clinton _ whose Senate seat Gillibrand took over in 2009.

Asked by the New York Times on Thursday whether Clinton should have departed office after revelations that he lied about an affair with then White House intern Monica Lewinsky, Gillibrand said: "Yes, I think that is the appropriate response.

She quickly segued into a more-nuanced answer about "things have changed today," implying the standards of the late 1990s -- when the House impeached Clinton but the Senate did not remove him from office -- are not the same as today, and the misdeeds President Donald Trump talked about on the notorious "Access Hollywood tape should be judged by current-day yardsticks.

But it was too late. "Senator says intern affair should have sunk Clinton," was the New York Times headline Friday.

Gillibrand is up for re-election in New York in 2018, a race that so far looks like a breeze for her. And at age 50, her name figures prominently on potential lists of Democratic presidential contenders for 2020.

Reaction from the Clinton camp and Republicans was fast and furious, some of it not quotable in a daily newspaper.

In an email, the Republican National Committee called Gillibrands answer "one of the most blatantly political statements in recent memory  (Gillibrand is) finally jumping on the 'denounce Bill Clinton bandwagon ahead of a 2020 presidential campaign.

The RNC included five tweeted pictures showing Gillibrand and Bill Clinton in campaign-victory poses, with one in which Gillibrand says how honored she was to have Clinton campaign by her side in her initial run in 2006 for a House seat.

Gillibrand was an early and enthusiastic supporter of Hillary Clintons presidential bid last year. Clinton, whom Gillibrand has considered a political mentor, also wrote a forward in Gillibrand's 2014 memoir, "Off The Sidelines."

Phillipe Reines, a close Clinton adviser and spokesman, called Gillibrand a "hypocrite on Twitter. "Over 20 yrs you took the Clintons endorsements, money, and seat," Reines tweeted on Friday. "Interesting strategy for 2020 primaries. Best of luck."

Gillibrand has amassed a campaign coffer of $9.5 million in contributions this year alone, with $8.7 million cash on hand as of Sept. 30. No viable GOP opponent has arisen, with less than a year to go until Election Day 2018.

While Gillbrands political fortunes in New York remain solid, her national standing could be in jeopardy.

"She muffed that answer, said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. "Theres plenty of time for her to make it up to (the Clintons), but clearly she has repair work to do.

It is not altogether clear that for Gillibrand, putting some distance between herself and the Clintons and herself is a bad thing - even though the Clintons remain vastly popular in Democratic circles.

"Nationally, it could play both ways, said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion on Poughkeepsie. "The sun has set (on the Clintons) somewhat. My guess is that next week, (Gillibrand) will have a better-framed answer.

Although Hillary Clinton won more votes than Trump in 2016, many Democrats believe she ran a lackluster, overconfident campaign that failed to reach traditional Democratic voters - especially those in the white blue-collar category.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer has built an entire mini-campaign around reaffirming Democratic Party commitment to bread-and-butter economic issues, dubbing it the "Better Deal. While not specifically castigating Hillary Clinton, Schumer has made it clear that Democrats will lose elections if they fail to sharpen their economic message.

In that regard, Gillbrand is arguably much closer to Hillary Clinton, a committed feminist whose stand on sexual abuse in its many dimensions is appealing to women voters - especially those with college degrees.

"Her overall image of seriousness, soberness and attention to detail is appealing to well-educated suburban swing voters, who also are not the easiest electoral targets for Democrats, said Lawrence Levy, dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.

"In politics, sometimes the elected official makes the issue or the issue makes them, Levy said. "So this is a happy intersection for her. Whatever attention shes getting, shes earned. And its not necessarily a slam-dunk in terms of political benefits.
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WASHINGTON - The ''no'' votes of Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik and John Faso proved inconsequential to the outcome of the GOP tax bill, with the House easily approving it Thursday along party lines.

Stefanik and Faso were among 13 Republican House members to vote against the measure.

In addition to Stefanik and Faso, three other New York Republicans opposed the bill: Reps. Lee Zeldin and Peter King of Long Island, and Dan Donovan of Staten Island.

The state's remaining Republicans - John Katko of Syracuse, Chris Collins of Williamsville, Tom Reed of Corning, and Claudia Tenney of New Hartford - voted for it.

The legislation would slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, collapse seven brackets into four, eliminate deductions for high out-of-pocket medical bills, phase out the estate tax and end the deduction for state income-tax payments while capping property tax deductions at $10,000. It would also double the standard deduction for non-itemizers to $24,000 for a couple filing jointly.

In an interview after the vote, Faso said he found much to like in the bill, particularly the cut in the corporate tax rate. And most middle-class taxpayers in his Hudson Valley district would have seen a tax cut, he said, notwithstanding loss of the state-and-local tax (SALT) deductions.

But the House bill, if enacted, would ''accelerate the movement of people and jobs out of New York state, particularly high-net-worth individuals,'' said Faso, a former Assembly minority leader. ''It was too precipitous a change, and it could have had a damaging impact on our economy and state finances.''

Stefanik, in a similar interview, said that while the House modified its termination of the SALT deductions to include the $10,000 cap on property taxes, she was still troubled by the bill's elimination of the deductibility of state income-tax payments.

''When I ran the numbers using IRS data, I saw there were many cases in my district where state income-tax deductions were larger than property-tax deductions,'' said Stefanik, who represents the sprawling North Country from just north of Albany to the U.S.-Canada border.

''I represent a high-tax state,'' said Stefanik. ''I believe New Yorkers should see tax relief.''

She said elimination or dilution of the SALT deductions would result in ''double taxation,'' a term invoked by Democrats but rejected by many Republicans including President Trump's budget director, Mick Mulvaney.

But she insisted she could still vote for the final bill if aspects she considers detrimental to New York are smoothed out or eliminated in a House-Senate conference, if the Senate passes a bill.

Both Faso and Stefanik are considered vulnerable Republicans in swing districts. Faso, in his first term, is facing a crowded field of Democrats itching to take his place in 2018.

He and Stefanik denied any wheeling and dealing with GOP House leadership prior to the vote, saying their decisions were based solely on what they felt was best for constituents.

''Leadership met with me, trying to address my concerns,'' Faso said. Ultimately, ''I told them I couldn't support it. That was it.''

President Donald Trump, badly in need of a legislative win, journeyed to Capitol Hill to urge on House Republicans. Later, Trump tweeted that the House vote is ''a big step toward fulfilling our promise to deliver historic TAX CUTS for the American people by the end of the year!''

The tax battle now moves to the Senate, where rules dictate that the bill cannot cost more than $1.5 trillion over a decade if Republicans want a simple majority vote that they can win. They dominate the Senate by a slim 52-48 margin.

If the bill exceeds the $1.5 trillion figure, Senate rules require 60 votes for approval - a bridge way too far for Republicans, given the Senate's 46 Democrats and two independents are guaranteed ''no'' votes.

With one Republican, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, already opposing the bill, GOP leaders can ill afford to lose any more votes.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer continued to hammer away on the Senate bill Thursday, saying the last-minute ending of the Obamacare individual mandate - the requirement that all must have health insurance - made a bad bill worse.

''The whole idea of taking money from the pockets of hard-working Americans, of taking money out of their healthcare, and giving it to big corporations and those at the very top is so backward, so wrong, that the American people will reject it,'' Schumer said on the Senate floor. ''And the blame will fall on the Republicans' shoulders.''

In Albany, the statewide Council of School Superintendents held a press conference warning that the elimination of the SALT deductions could impact school funding and home prices, disrupting the real estate market.

A coalition of progressive groups kept up their rich-versus-the-poor rhetoric and warned of electoral consequences of passing the bill.

"Any representative that votes in favor of this bill will have a huge black mark starting out in any re-election campaign," Strong Economy for All Executive Director Michael Kink said at a Capitol press conference. "Any representative that puts their neck on the line to vote in favor of it is just asking for protest, campaign ads, Facebook posts."

After the vote, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, encouraged such protest.

"Phone lines, social media pages and mailboxes are being flooded with comments from people demanding that Congress stop doing the bidding of the biggest donors and corporate lobbyists and get back to doing the peoples' work," he said. "Those calls, emails, letters and social media posts need to continue."

Speaking before the vote took place, Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggested that it wasn't enough for Faso and the other four Republicans to vote ''no.'' He went as far as to suggest that Faso in particular - who represents Sullivan County, where the governor was speaking from - was allowed to vote no by leadership because they knew they had enough votes without him. Faso denied it.

"It's baloney," Cuomo said. "I don't care how you vote, yes or no. You're a Republican congressperson, you can stop it. You can stop it. Faso should go to his leadership and say, if you do this, I'm out."

By "I'm out," Cuomo meant resign, he later clarified. "That's what they would do if they really represented the people of this state."

At another event on Long Island after the vote, Cuomo said the vote in favor of the legislation by the four New York Republicans was a "betrayal."

"The House played politics in a way I've never seen politics played before," Cuomo said.
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An Albany-based biotechnology startup recently won $50,000 at FuzeHub's commercialization competition.

Praxis Biotechnology is developing a medication to reduce inflammation associated with rosacea without affecting the rest of the body. Rosacea is a condition that causes redness and bumps on the skin. The company, founded in 2016 by an assistant professor at Albany Medical College, is housed at the school's Biomedical Acceleration and Commercialization Center.

FuzeHub, a nonprofit organization that helps small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in New York, debuted the competition Wednesday and Thursday in Albany. Seventeen entrepreneurs participated and five companies, including Praxis Biotechnology, were awarded $50,000 each for their ideas.

The startup intends to use the funds to test the medication through patient studies, said Alejandro Adam, founder of Praxis Biotechnology.

"We are so excited about this opportunity," he said. "Now we can test science in the real world."

Two of the companies awarded funding are based in Buffalo, with the other two based in Syracuse and Potsdam, respectively. FuzeHub will also provide the winners with mentorship opportunities and access to other resources.

Praxis Biotechnology stood out because their product addresses a widespread condition, said Alyson Slack, manager of manufacturing and strategic initiatives at FuzeHub.

"They approached the problem scientifically, and their market is eager for a better solution," she said.

miszler@timesunion.com  518-454-5018  @madisoniszler
TBC Bank Awarded "Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site" in the World by Global Finance

TBC Bank is pleased to announce that it has received the award for the Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site in the world from Global Finance magazine at its Best Digital Bank Awards 2017. This follows a number of other Global Finance digital bank awards won by TBC Bank on both local and regional (CEE) levels earlier this year.

"We are extremely proud to receive this global award. It reflects our commitment to offer our customers best-in-class digital solutions and underlines our team's excellence. This award encourages us to continue our efforts to achieve the highest standards and become the best digital financial services company in the region," commented Vakhtang Butskhrikidze, Chief Executive Officer of TBC Bank.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Head of Investor Relations

Anna Romelashvili

ir@tbcbank.com.ge

About Global Finance

Global Finance, founded in 1987, has a circulation of 50,000 and readers in 193 countries. Global Finance's audience includes senior corporate and financial officers responsible for making investment and strategic decisions at multinational companies and financial institutions.

Global Finance regularly selects the top performers among banks and other providers of financial services. These awards have become a trusted standard of excellence for the global financial community.

About TBC Bank Group PLC ("TBC PLC")

TBC PLC is a public limited company registered in England and Wales that was incorporated in February 2016. TBC PLC became the parent company of JSC TBC Bank ("TBC Bank") on 10 August 2016. TBC PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol TBCG.

TBC Bank, together with its subsidiaries, is the leading universal banking group in Georgia, with a total market share of 38.0% of loans and 39.8% of non-banking deposits as at 30 June 2017, according to data published by the National Bank of Georgia.
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When Tony Gaddy walked into the Capital Region Chamber for a Minority and Women Business Ownership event in July, he was shocked he only knew five people out of the nearly thirty in attendance.

"How did I not know there were that many men and women of color who had their own businesses?" Gaddy wondered.

Gaddyassociate publisher with Best Version Mediadecided he didn't want to wait until the next event organized by the Chamber to reconvene with the community. On Aug. 14, he "sent out an email on a Monday saying, 'Let's meet'" at El Patron Mexican Grill and Cantina on Central Avenue. "That Wednesday 16 people showed up."

Since then, 20 to 30 minority business owners have been attending biweekly meetings to network and collaborate their way to more successful businesses.

"One of my personal objectives is to make sure that each of us that's here tonight is still here one to three years from now when most businesses fail," Gaddy said to members at a Nov. 8 meeting. "And minority-owned businesses are closer to that one year."

Gaddy's group is one of multiple organizations in the Capital Region that connect minority business owners, which Pedro Diazinterim president of the The New York Capital Region Hispanic Chamber of Commercesays is essential "so they can understand each other's services and support each other."

Reality: Black and white

When it comes to succeeding socially and economically, many minorities say their race and ethnicity create additional obstacles to reaching their goals.

"There's a lot of fear in the community with regards to whether or not they'll be accepted," Diaz said.

Angelicia Morris, executive director at the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission, said another obstacle minorities face is lack of equity.

"The majority is the minority when it comes to education, access to economic development and jobs," Morris said. "There are systems in place that makes opportunity access hard for people of color."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2012 Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons, the Capital Region has 13,496 white-owned businesses with paid employees, 976 Asian-owned, 286 Hispanic-owned and 88 black-owned. A 2010 American Community Survey found those populations make up 84, three, four and eight percent of the Capital Region population, respectively. Looking at past trends, such as the nearly 50 percent increase of minority-owned businesses nationwide from 2007 to 2012, the number of minority-owned businesses in the Capital Region has likely continued to increase in the past five years.

Members of different minority communities point their fingers at multiple causes of their underrepresentation in the entrepreneurial realm, but one of the main objectives these groups focus on is access.

Diaz, for example, said he hopes that by connecting both veteran and new minority business owners, the latter will become more comfortable and confident in their endeavors while increasing opportunities for Latinos in the region.

"There's a problem with not just being disconnected from resources," Gaddy said at the group meeting, "but from the information."

'What are we bringing to the table?'

It's Wednesday night at El Patron, and chatter and music are echoing into a private room of the colorful restaurant where around 20 blacks and two Latinos are seated.

After introductions and elevator pitches, the Latino music was drowned out by passionate brainstorming.

"The Capital Region is very diverse," Morris said to the other attendees. "We are high consumers in those areas, but we are not yet at the table. So what are we bringing to the table?"

"I go out and look at, 'Do we have capable MWBEs out there?'" one state worker added. "A lot of the ones who are certified are not minority-owned businesses, but women-owned. Or if it is minority-owned, we're in one category, we're not spread out."

"When it comes to sales and marketing we have to have different sales pipelines," said Camerine Robinson, founder of VQuest Consulting. "Look at ways that you can increase that pipelinesocial media, the church. We all have ideas, but we have to revisit our work plan every week."

"We have to do a better job of raising our own bar," added Trent Griffin-Braaf, owner of Tech Valley Hospitality Shuttle.

The consensus was clear: the community has talent and potential, but needs to take advantage of such groups as a "space to share ideas and concerns, and be effective by action, plan, strategy and mobilization," Morris said.

But while some minorities feel that being a minority may add another challenge to getting to the table, others believe the contrary.

Christian Cuevas moved to the mainland U.S. from Puerto Rico with his family when he was 15 years old. The first member of his family to graduate from college, he is now a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual  and says his success is in large part due to his Hispanic identity.

"I'd say about 90 percent of my business comes from the Hispanic community," Cuevas said. "As a fellow Hispanic and immigrant, I can connect with them at a totally different level."

Being a minority, Cuevas said, "does add complexity, but I think it only benefits you because you're more than just one-dimensionalyou have more depth to your practice."

His colleague, Jonathan Hernandez, agreed.

"The roles are reversed  I can connect to a demographic that people who don't look like me may struggle with because of the level of trust," Hernandez said.

"I think about my successful friends who are from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, that had to overcome adversity to get to that level, but it's still possible to get to that level  now more than ever."
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Colonie

A test of water leaking from a pipe that drains the Colonie town landfill into the Mohawk River found elevated levels of PFOA, a dangerous industrial chemical that has drawn increasing scrutiny after fouling the drinking water supply of a small Rensselaer County village.

PFOA levels in the sample registered 68 parts per trillion, just below the drinking water safety standard of 70 ppt, according to test results released Friday by Waterford Supervisor Jack Lawler.

Waterford has joined Halfmoon to oppose a plan by Colonie to double the size of its landfill along the banks of the Mohawk, and hired a firm to test the water that drains from the landfill into the river.

"At the least, these test results indicate that further tests ought to be done," said Lawler. "This is just the result of a single test, so I do not want to be alarmist."

PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, is a cancer-causing chemical used in creation of non-stick and heat-resistant surfaces. The chemical sparked changes in state drinking water rules after it was found in unsafe levels in the drinking water for the village of Hoosick Falls, apparently spilled from a local industry and getting into groundwater.

State Department of Environmental Conservation spokesman Sean Mahar said the agency is reviewing the test results from Latham-based Sterling Environmental Engineering. He added that water quality tests are routinely taken near the Cohoes intakes about two miles downriver and have not found unsafe levels of PFOA or other chemicals.

He said the state will "conduct additional (Mohawk) sampling beginning next week ... in an effort to further ensure there are no threats to public health and the environment."

Colonie Public Works Engineer Matt McGarry said tests show the river, fed by stormwater runoff and tributaries from across the region, is safer than the standards used for filtered drinking water when testing for some elements. He said the site sampled is "substantially fed by runoff from heavily trafficked Route 9."

In the Mohawk, the apparent presence of PFOA comes as both Waterford and Halfmoon officials fight Colonie's landfill expansion. Town officials also have criticized DEC for not having conducted tests in the Mohawk near the landfill.

The town wants to expand into a 132-acre section of the already capped landfill called Area 7, which includes hazardous waste taken there through the 1980s. Under the plan, new trash could ultimately be piled up to eight stories higher in the coming decades.

Part of that site includes 50 acres where hazardous waste was dumped by Colonie. The DEC classifies this area, which does not include an underground liner to help collect potential pollution from seeping into the ground and possibly the river, as an inactive hazardous waste site.

Opponents worry the weight of extra trash could put added pressure on hazardous materials, forcing them through groundwater and ultimately into the river.

In August, Waterford and Halfmoon got the river advocacy group Riverkeeper to take water samples from the river and from two pipes that collect drainage water from the landfill. The samples were then analyzed by Sterling.

Engineers hired by the town are recommending that the ground beneath the proposed expansion be stabilized by injecting a type of cement deep underground, which could relieve pressure from pushing out potential pollution through the ground toward the river.

In 2011, Colonie agreed to lease the 44-year-old landfill to Texas-based Waste Connections Inc. The 25-year agreement gave Colonie $23.8 million up front, plus another $33.5 million over the life of the deal, with cash incentives for expanding the facility.

The town applied for the landfill expansion in February 2015. The DEC asked for more information and took public comments until early July of this year.




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Schenectady

A year after The Alt made its debut, the media outlet's publisher said he is "pleased" with the product though revenue remains below target.

"We're pretty pleased," said John DeAugustine, who is also publisher of the Daily Gazette. "We learned a lot in the first year and we're going to be making some adjustments. We haven't gotten the revenue out of it that we wanted."

The arts-focused weekly and website that also publishes news and features covering the Capital Region launched roughly a year after Metroland, the area's longtime alternative newsweekly, was shuttered. The online calendar, which includes information about shows, gallery openings, concerts and other events, has remained an important part of the website, DeAugustine said.

The sales team will work with Bob O'Leary, the new vice president of revenue diversification at the Daily Gazette, to develop new ad strategies and ways to bring in revenue, DeAugustine said. The Alt is bankrolled by the Daily Gazette, Proctors in Schenectady and the Albany-based advertising and creative agency Overit. The trio has invested more than $400,000 in cash and in-kind services into the publication.

The Alt is editorially independent and has a staff of four full-time employees as well as freelance contributors.

One of the future changes will be the size of the print product, which will shrink in terms of the number of pages, DeAugustine said.

"We started out with a really large format," he said. "It was more than we needed."

The publication is also distributed at fewer locations than when it debuted: It was initially distributed at about 400 locations in the region's four main counties and is now available at roughly 350 sites, DeAugustine said.

They started out with a high number of distribution points and about 80 percent of the product was being picked up, allowing them to scale back, he said.

David King, an editor and associate publisher, said people have been more interested in news, investigative articles and in-depth features than the staff initially thought. The publication plans to continue offering these kinds of articles, he said.

"It's very refreshing," King said.

miszler@timesunion.com  518-454-5018  @madisoniszler
Fiat-Chrysler's controversial Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, a rocket disguised as a muscle car, began shipping Monday. A few 2018 models have been promised to Bay Area dealerships.

With a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 providing 840 horsepower and zero to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds, the Demon is one of the world's fastest cars, especially over short distances. But its brutal power (pushing 1.8 G-force) has some people worried about more than burnt-rubber trails marking up streets.

The car "is so inherently dangerous to the common safety of motorists that its registration as a road-worthy automobile should be banned," declared an April editorial in the Automotive News. The publication argues that while other more powerful, even faster cars are available from other automakers, the Demon's drag-racing capabilities set it apart.

"Laudably, the entire industry has made great strides toward improved vehicle safety in recent years, even as it dials up performance capabilities," the editorial states. "But with the Demon, Dodge spits on that goal and irresponsibly moves in the opposite direction, knowingly placing motorists in danger in the process."

That did not sit well with the Automotive News' commenters, many of whom blew a gasket.

"When did Automotive News turn into a pack of shrieking little girls?" asked one.

Wrote another: "We are provided no substantiated reason why it should be banned other than 'durr its fast'. And the slightly slower Tesla whatever gets a free pass because it grows polar bears and saves plants rather than burning evil gasoline."

Dodge is marketing the limited-edition Demon as legal for the street yet perfectly happy on the track (with modifications).

In fact, it's so track-oriented, it comes with only one seat  the driver's. Front passenger and rear seats are options, priced at only $1 a piece.

But the Demon's awesome acceleration is doubtlessly its biggest selling point. The National Hot Rod Association has certified it as the world's fastest quarter-mile production vehicle.

Dodge reportedly said a production model pulled a wheelie nearly three feet long.

Only 3,000 of the cars, which start at $85,000 (including the $1,700 gas guzzler tax), will be available in the United States. And only a few Bay Area dealerships will get them.

Two are coming to Stewart Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Colma, according to salesman Michael Keylin, but they've already been spoken for.

Keylin downplayed concerns that the muscle car could present a danger to other drivers because of its blistering speed in the quarter-mile, reportedly 140 mph under 10 seconds.

He noted that General Motors and other carmakers have models with similar-sized engines as the Demon. And even Dodge's own Viper boasts of a considerably bigger (8.4-liter, V-10) engine and has a reputation for especially scary handling on wet roads. Yet nobody's talking about outlawing the Viper.

Keylin said that some dealerships in southern states were marking up the Demon by as much as $50,000, which he said put it in an entirely different class of car.

"The people who bought a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon are performance enthusiasts to the core, and having a custom car with accessories that improve overall performance is critical," Fiat Chrysler North America's passenger car chief Tim Kuniskis told USA Today earlier this year.

Kuniskis does not expect the Demon to be a big moneymaker, but rather a draw to get car shoppers to buy other Dodges, such as the less powerful Challenger Hellcat.

Dodge will be showcasing a Challenger along with the rest of its fleet of 2018 models at the San Francisco Chronicle 60th Annual International Auto Show this Saturday through Nov. 26.
MUSIC

The Modigliani String Quartet wowed local music critics and classical music fans who watched the group's 2016 Union College Concert Series debut. And the French ensemble is back this year. The foursomeviolist Laurent Marfaing, cellist Francois Kieffer and violinists Amaury Coeytaux and Loic Rioformed in 2003 and have become one of classical music's most notable ensembles. They will perform selections by Schubert (Quartettsatz in C-Minor, D. 703); Brahms (Quartet in C-Minor, Op. 51, No. 1); Puccini (I Crisantemi); and Mendelssohn (Quartet in F-Minor, Op. 80). 3 p.m. Sunday. $30; free for students with valid I.D. Union College, 807 Union St., Schenectady. 518-388-6080; http://www.unioncollegeconcerts.org
BLINDSPOT: "GUNPLAY RICOCHET"

NBC, 8 p.m.

As the team chases a deadly bomber who is terrorizing Manhattan, Jane (Jaimie Alexander) uncovers a shattering secret from her youth.

JANE THE VIRGIN: "CHAPTER SEVENTY"

The CW, 9 p.m.

Jane's (Gina Rodriguez) book is finally being released, but her plans to have a party at the local bookshop where she was inspired to be a writer hit a snag.

GREAT PERFORMANCES: "INDECENT"

PBS, 9 p.m.

See Paula Vogel's award-winning work inspired by the true story of the controversial 1923 Broadway debut of Sholem Asch's "God of Vengeance," for which the cast of the original production was arrested on the grounds of obscenity.

TIM & FAITH: SOUL2SOUL

Showtime, 9 p.m.

This documentary special features country music power couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill with concert footage and behind-the-scenes clips from their 2017 world tour.

Z NATION: "CRISIS OF FAITH"

Syfy, 9 p.m.

Warren (Kellita Smith) and the others encounter a mysterious stranger who they think is a grave robber, but who turns out to be something much more.

BLUE BLOODS: "PICK YOUR POISON"

CBS, 10 p.m.

Eddie's (Vanessa Ray) judgment is clouded by her past when she arrests a loathed acquaintance from college on questionable charges.

101 PEOPLE WHO MADE THE 20TH CENTURY

Reelz, 10 p.m.

New Series! The series counts down the movers and shakers of the 20th century who changed the world, be it from the stage, the pulpit or the corridors of power. This episode includes Richard Branson, Pablo Escobar, Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dali, Billy Graham, Margaret Thatcher and many more.

SUPERSTITION: "TANGLED WEB"

Syfy, 10 p.m.

The Hastings are visited by a local mystic, Aunt Nancy, who believes she has the answer to defeating the Dredge.

Brought to you by the publishers of TV Guide.  TV Guide 2017
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The property at 2622 Riverside Drive was once the site of a run-down old house designated as a tear-down.

To Rachel Paxton, the dilapidated structure was a welcome challenge.

Paxton co-owns house remodeling company CFV Home Restoration with her father, Mike Cooney. Her ability to see past the degraded condition of neglected homes recently paid off for the family business.

While hunting for their next project, Paxton and her father came across the Riverside home once owned by former Houston mayor Otis Massey. He's remembered for selling off a sprawling plot of land that's now part of the Texas Medical Center. Paxton began researching both the late politician and his old abode.

She learned that Massey, who was a two-term Houston mayor in office from 1943 to 1947, commissioned this Riverside residence in 1928.

Paxton also discovered that Massey's grandchildren currently own industrial equipment company Caterpillar Tractor. She contacted them and was able to obtain the original design plans for the home.

WOMEN BUILDERS: Female custom builder takes on male-dominated industry with unique Texas homes

"His grandchildren still own the company that they founded, so it was easy to locate them," she recalls. "We had lunch and they gave me some old photographs and the original contract, and that contract showed (the layout) of the house."

That meeting, and the documents the Masseys provided, would lead to a more accurate restoration, but refurbishing was the easy part. Paxton also had to persuade her father that the project was a worthy undertaking with tremendous potential.

"One of the biggest challenges was convincing people that it's not a tear-down," she says, adding that she eventually managed to sway her father.

Cooney and Paxton have been reconditioning old houses in Houston's Washington Terrace and Riverside communities since 2011. Paxton's mother works alongside them and serves as the interior design lead for the company.

INDUSTRY SHIFT: Team of millennials leave oil & gas to launch home restoration company

Paxton also owns her own downtown Houston branch-off of the business, called Pax Houstonia.

CFV Home Restoration initially only bought small cottages, but over time they have scaled up the size and difficulty of their projects.

The Massey house proved to be a particularly challenging task. The house was not only battered and decaying, it had also been converted into a four-plex. It required a lengthy nine months to repair.

"So many walls had been added," Paxton explains. "There was a bathroom on the front porch, there was a bathroom in the kitchen." She says they were able to restore it "back to its original shape."

"We put back the original trim, the original hardwoods," she says. "It still looks like the original." She credits "the integrity of the structure" with the finished product.

The costly restoration is now a three-story, 4,168-square-foot home with French doors, Craftsman architectural features and a terra-cota covered porch.

Paxton says that she and her family will continue to pursue similar projects in Riverside and Washington Terrace.

She explains that part of what drives her to seek out houses in disrepair is the new development she's seeing in that neighborhood.

"The lots in Washington Terrace are small and meant for cottages," she explains, adding that bungalows are being torn down to accommodate multiple large townhouses that crowd the block.

"There are four to six townhouses on one lot, from the edge of one side of the lot, to the other edge. It's affected the neighborhood negatively, aesthetically" and economically, she says. "They don't care what the neighborhood will look like in 20 years."

She adds that Riverside "still has a stigma" because of its reputation as a crime ridden part of town in decades past. Paxton believes it's evolved for the better recently and will continue to grow. A new H-E-B could be coming up, and its location makes for easy access to the Museum District and medical center.

Beyond that, she says that historic houses are rapidly being replaced by cookie-cutter homes with shoddy construction. Older houses were built to withstand age better than the boxy new townhouses cropping up all around Houston and its suburbs, she explains.

Paxton says that her vision and dedication could help salvage the well-built Houston dwellings that were erected long ago.

"I can see the houses being in style for centuries instead of just for this decade," she said.
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Troy

Victorious Life Christian Church has managed to hold on to its congregation over the years, but church leadership is still faced with the challenge of maintaining a more-than-150-year-old house of worship. A recent repair showed creativity and ingenuity.

As Michael Lopez of Troy Architecture Practice (TAP) reports, the church's sandstone foundation was deteriorating. The blocks at street level looked as if they had melted. Their decorative, vermiculated (tooling to resemble worm tracks) surface was crumbling and falling off. The church turned to TAP, a nonprofit that provides design and planning services to low-income people, neighborhood groups and other nonprofit organizations.

Pure restoration would have entailed replacing the stone with brownstone. But the last American brownstone quarry closed in 2012, and it was beyond the church's means to have stone imported from Europe.

Another option was to replace the stone with pigmented cast stone, which would involve removing every sandstone block and installing a non-historic material.

They agreed on a compromise: The church's contractor, Ganem Contracting of Round Lake, chiseled away the deteriorated stone until it reached sound material, then used stainless steel rods to attach approximately three inches of a special mortar made to patch sandstone and dyed to match the original stone. The congregation agreed to spend $85,000 on the project, part of $162,000 in exterior rehabilitation.

lhornbeck@timesunion.com  518-454-5352  @leighhornbeck
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Navy officials acknowledged that one of its air crews was responsible for skywriting a penis over a rural Northern Washington county Thursday.

Local media began receiving reports of the phallic symbol above the skies in Okanogan County Thursday afternoon.

"After it made the circles at the bottom, I knew what it was and started laughing," Okanogan's Ramone Duran told The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review. "It was pretty funny to see that. You don't expect to see something like that."

RELATED: Seattle anchor tries to draw a cannon on air and ... OH LORD NO!

Officials at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island later confirmed that one of its aircraft was responsible, saying an an F/A-18 Growler flew in a pattern "that left a condensed air trail resembling an obscene image to observers on the ground. "

"The Officers and Sailors of the United States Navy are professionals, held to the highest standards, while serving our nation with pride around world," Lt. Cmdr. Leslie Hubbell, the base's media officer, said in a statement. "The actions of this aircrew were wholly unacceptable and antithetical to Navy core values. We have grounded the aircrew and are conducting a thorough investigation -- and we will hold those responsible accountable for their actions. The Navy apologizes for this irresponsible and immature act.



"The Navy apologizes to anyone who was offended by this unacceptable action," the statement continued. "An investigation into this flight will be conducted and if appropriate, the aviator(s) responsible will be held accountable."

Vice Admiral Mike Shoemaker, commander of Naval air forces, also weighed in.

"Naval aviation continually strives to foster an environment of dignity and respect," he said in a statement. "Sophomoric and immature antics of a sexual nature have no place in Naval aviation today. We will investigate this incident to get all the facts and act accordingly."

Now Playing: The Blue Angels practiced over San Francisco Thursday ahead of their Fleet Week show. Video: SFGATE

A Federal Aviation Administration official told KREM there was nothing the FAA could do about the drawing since it posed no safety risk, adding the FAA "cannot police morality."

NAS Whidbey Island is the home to all of the Navy's squadrons of the Growler electronic attack jets, very similar to the F/A-18 Hornets used by the Blue Angels. The station is also home to four P-3 Orion Maritime Patrol squadrons and two Fleet Reconnaissance squadrons flying the EP-3E Aries.

Okanogan County sits on the U.S./Canadian border northeast of the Wenatchee National Forest.

Seattlepi.com reporter Stephen Cohen can be reached at 206-448-8313 or stephencohen@seattlepi.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @scohenPI.
NYS DEC

BROADALBIN  Two people are accused of illegally shooting deer from Fulton County highways and dumping the animals' bodies in fields, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Wednesday.

Environmental Conservation Officers, Fulton County Sheriff's deputies and State Police were called to the town on the night of Oct. 28 to investigate a report that someone was shooting from a pickup truck.
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: Jupiter Asset Management Ltd (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 Gocompare.com Group 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 16th November 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" Yes

ZPG 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:



Ordinary 0.02p



Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 12,542,839 2.99 (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



1,369,979 0.32 (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL: 13,912,818 3.32

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: None Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: None

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 NONE

(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 Ordinary 0.02p CFD Increasing a long position 214,396 1.036202

(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 None

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit None





(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) None





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: 17th November 2017 Contact name: Nabeel Ashraf Telephone number: 0203 817 1407

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service and must also be emailed to the Takeover Panel at monitoring@disclosure.org.uk. 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.
ALBANY  A woman who defrauded hundreds by pretending to be an attorney has been sentenced to 1  to 3 years in state prison and ordered to pay nearly $270,000 in restitution and penalties.

Antonia Barrone, who has gone by other names including Mario Vrendenburg, pleaded guilty last month to defrauding more than 400 New Yorkers out of more than $23,000 over a span of about five years. She was sentenced Thursday in Albany County Court on one count of scheme to defraud.

The Attorney General's Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit in May against Barrone and her company, NYS Prisoner Assistance Center, also known as NY Parole Aids. The suit charged her with bilking hundreds of people, including prison inmates and their families, out of thousands of dollars by purporting to handle administrative parole appeals and other legal matters.

Barrone apparently operated the fraudulent business from her home, and duped hundreds by claiming to be an attorney and misleading consumers into thinking her business was staffed with attorneys.

"Deceiving vulnerable New Yorkers into paying for unlicensed legal services is reprehensible, costing them thousands each and jeopardizing their rights," said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. "My office won't hesitate to prosecute those who defraud New Yorkers by practicing without a license."

Although Barrone is not an attorney, she advertised an array of legal services on the company website and charged thousands of dollars to provide legal services, according to papers filed by the Attorney General's office. The services included filing administrative and judicial appeals on behalf of inmates who were denied parole by the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and representing inmates at administrative hearings and individuals facing criminal charges in various state courts. In some cases, Barrone accepted fees but did not perform any services.

In August, Albany County Supreme Court Acting Justice Gerald W. Connolly 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 consumers who paid for legal services. The judgment also prohibits Barrone from practicing law without a license or advertising or selling legal or paralegal services.

The Attorney General's Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau also launched a criminal investigation into Barrone's conduct. On Oct. 16, Barrone was arrested and arraigned in Albany City Court before Judge Holly A. Trexler on a felony complaint filed by the Attorney General's office charging: five counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, two counts of third-degree grand larceny, one count of fourth-degree grand larceny, one count of unauthorized practice of a profession, and one count of scheme to defraud.

To carry out her 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 attorney's knowledge.

The prosecutor stated that Barrone and the entities she operated had over 400 clients seeking legal services throughout New York, in counties including but not limited to Albany, Cayuga, Clinton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren and Westchester.

Barrone's sentence Thursday will run consecutive to another sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison that Barrone received Thursday on an unrelated felony conviction. Barrone is also scheduled to be sentenced in Saratoga County Court to a concurrent term of incarceration on a separate unrelated felony conviction. Combined, Barrone will spend 2 5/6 to 7 years in state prison.

Consumers can check whether an individual is a licensed attorney in New York state by visiting the New York State Unified Court System's website.
BALTIMORE - It was not unusual for Sean Suiter to be roaming through one of the city's most violent neighborhoods as night fell.

The 18-year police veteran spent his early days as an officer patrolling West Baltimore, returning often as a homicide detective seeking closure for those mourning loved ones lost on its streets.

Looking for answers is what Suiter was doing Wednesday while investigating the triple shooting of three young men left to die last December in a boarded-up house.

Suiter was working the case with his partner from the homicide unit and wanted to speak to a suspicious-looking man in a vacant lot between rowhomes. But shortly after Suiter approached, the man pulled a gun and fired.

Now Playing: A Baltimore police detective was gravely injured after being shot in head and remains on life support. Mayor Catherine Pugh is asking the public to keep the detective, his family and the BPD in their thoughts and prayers. Video: WBAL

With a single gunshot to Suiter's head, the gunman transformed a detective charged with solving Baltimore's murders into the city's 309th homicide of the year.

The slaying of the father of five became yet another tragic symbol of violence in this crime-battered city, where the killings continue to soar and the mayor says crime is "out of control."

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"I pray for Baltimore," said Dana Bell, the mother of one of the victims in the triple homicide Suiter was investigating. "If people don't respect the law and life, they aren't going to respect anything."

As of Thursday night, law enforcement officials said they were actively searching for the gunman, whom Police Commissioner Kevin Davis called a "heartless, ruthless, soulless killer."

"We remain dedicated and committed to finding the person who ended such a beautiful life of such a wonderful detective, husband, father and friend," Davis said. "We will find the person responsible for this ridiculous, absurd, unnecessary loss of life."

Suiter, 43, was a U.S. Navy veteran who had grown up in Washington, D.C., and lived with his wife and family in Pennsylvania. Suiter's relatives could not immediately be reached.

Suiter was transported Wednesday to the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center shortly after the shooting at about 5 p.m., where he remained on life support until he was pronounced dead at noon Thursday.

Police had only a vague description of the suspect, saying he is a black man who wore a black jacket with a white stripe and may be injured. The reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case was increased Thursday to $169,000 after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) had the state boost the amount by $100,000.

Though Davis said, "it shouldn't take 69 cents" for someone to "do the right thing."

After the shooting, tactical units and helicopters fanned out in the area, with the neighborhood still taped off well into Thursday as police cadets went canvassing door-to-door.

It is the second time this month that a police officer has been shot in Baltimore. On Nov. 4, an off-duty D.C. police sergeant was fatally shot while sitting with a woman in a car in Northwest Baltimore. The case also remains under investigation with no publicly named suspect.

Crime has long been entwined with the Baltimore's identity, but the violence took on a renewed urgency when homicide rates reached historic record levels after Freddie Gray died in police custody in April 2015. Residents rioted and protested in the wake of Gray's death, and already fragile relations between police and the community further deteriorated.

Before Wednesday, Baltimore had logged 308 homicides for the year, up 14 percent from 271 this same time in 2016.

In April, the 22-year-old son of a Baltimore police officer who was fatally shot during a 2007 attempted robbery also died by gunfire.

Months later, the brother of Baltimore police spokesman T.J. Smith was killed in his own apartment.

And weeks after that, a 97-year-old vet was bludgeoned to death in his pajamas during a break-in.

A prominent Baltimore defense attorney, a state delegate and a city councilman also count themselves among the grieving families who've had a relative killed this year.

"I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of crime in the city of Baltimore," City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young said.

Suiter was shot in one of the most dangerous pockets of Baltimore, which has one of the county's highest per capita murder rates.

Johnny Felder, 41, who lives on Fremont Avenue, said he was at work when his wife called him about the Wednesday shooting two blocks from their home. Mayor Catherine Pugh is right in saying that crime is "out of control," Felder said.

"We hear gunshots all the time down that way," he said, pointing south to Fremont Avenue and Bennett Place, where the detective was shot.

Felder added: "I blame all sides. I blame the youth. I blame the parents. I blame the schools." Felder did not mention the police on his list, and he said that was intentional. "I feel for them. I can't imagine being in their shoes."

Those who knew Suiter described the detective as a dedicated officer, who was respected by both residents and colleagues.

Bell, the mother of one of the triple homicide victims, said she talked to Suiter every week and that he had recently told her he had developed promising leads.

Suiter had told her, she said, that the gunman was targeting someone else and that her son, Antonio Davis, was caught "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"He was my rock," Bell said of Suiter through sobs, shortly after learning he had died. "He always took my calls. I had no one to help me through this and he was it. He held my hand all the way. He promised me he would find my son's killer. I don't know what I'll do without him."

- - -

Bui and Hedgpeth reported from Washington. The Washington Post's Clarence Williams contributed to this report.
Albany

If the tax overhaul that Congressional Republicans passed on Thursday makes it into law, school superintendents in New York fear it could spark a revolt when people vote on school budgets in May.

That would be less than a month after the April 15 tax filing deadline. Those New Yorkers who lose their state and local tax deductions might be shocked to see how much more they are paying.

Angered, they could vent their frustation on school taxes by voting "No" on budget plans which come during the third week in May. School budgets are one of the few government taxing vehicles that require voter approval.

Theyll take it out on the budgets, said Jeffrey Simons, superintendent at the East Greenbush school district. He was among the group of local school leaders and members of the state Council of School Superintendents who spoke against the plan on Thursday morning, hours before the U.S. House of Representatives approved their version of the plan.

Many New York state politicians and special-interest groups oppose the plan, including a group of mayors from across the state who held a rally on Monday.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, along with U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, the Democratic Majority Leader, have also criticized the proposal.

The House Republican plan which passed on Thursday calls for state and local tax, or SALT, deductions to be capped at $10,000. The measure still needs approval in the Senate where the current plan calls for elimination of state and local tax deductions.

School property taxes in New York, while much higher than those in most states, are claimed as deductions on federal taxes. Some opponents have questioned whether the value of homes could dip if the tax deductions are lost.

The school district leaders also echoed fears expressed by Cuomo that the loss of deductions for property and income taxes by the states highest earners would punch a hole in the state budget. Those who pay the most taxes could easily move to lower tax states.

The White House scoffed at that assertion this week, noting that New York's high taxes are the real problem.

With less money in the state coffers, there could be less for poorer school districts which rely heavily on state aid more than on local property tax levies.

The poorest districts would be the most negatively impacted, said Mary Beth Fiore, superintendent at the Elmira Heights school district.

Many school districts around Elmira and other parts of the economically struggling Southern Tier depend on state aid for up to 70 percent of their budgets.

Participants at Thursdays press conference took particular aim at GOP Congressman Tom Reed, whose district includes much of the impoverished Southern Tier, and who is counted as a yes vote on the latest plan along with fellow Republicans Chris Collins and John Katko.

David ORourke, district superintendent at the Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattarugus BOCES, noted that education is one of the largest employers in that part of the state.

Its incomprehensible why a New York state representative would vote for this, ORourke said.

rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU
ALBANY  Mayor Kathy Sheehan defended the decision to declare Albany a sanctuary city, saying the addition of immigrants injects vibrancy and money into the city.

"If a warrant is issued, we can hold people, but we have to follow the Constitution," Sheehan said. "The final thing, too, is this: We are a city with a growing immigrant population, and it is good for our economy. When we look at Northeastern cities in an aging population, if we want to continue to have a vibrant economy, we need to be welcoming to everybody."

Sheehan made her remarks Thursday night on Fox News in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

The federal Department of Justice recently sent letters to Sheehan and officials from 25 other cities and counties nationwide and select states warning that they are risking federal grant funding by implementing so-called sanctuary city policies.

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Fox News interviewed Sheehan about Albany's status, attempting to pinpoint whether the city would cooperate in apprehending illegal immigrants associated with the MS-13 Gang  a recent target of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations team.

Carlson rebutted the notion that immigrants have improved communities' economies.

While federal officials have made 345 arrests of those accused of being part of the gang on Long Island and in the surrounding New York City area since May, Albany hasn't dealt with anyone affiliated with the group, Albany acting police Chief Bob Sears said.

"I'm not saying that they're not here," Sears said. "It's something that we would be very interested in knowing all about. We do communicate with state and federal partners to make sure we're keeping an eye on that group, and any type of group that would be a danger to our area."

Acting Assistant Attorney General Alan Hanson wrote to Sheehan that DOJ "is concerned" that an executive order issued by the mayor earlier this year affirming that city police would not question individuals on the basis of immigration or citizenship status  except when necessary to probe criminal activity by that person  doesn't comply with federal law.

The law in question bars local and state governments from enacting laws or policies that require officials to withhold immigration status information from federal authorities.

President Donald Trump has previously emphasized the importance of cracking down on MS-13, an international criminal gang based principally in El Salvador. He delivered a fiery speech on Long Island in July in which he called members of the gang "animals" and promised to "destroy" them, according to NBC News.

The anti-gang effort is also known as "Operation Raging Bull."

Federal authorities on Thursday announced more than 250 alleged MS-13 gang members and associates were arrested after an investigation that lasted more than a year across two countries.

Carlson said Albany's sanctuary status encourages more illegals to reside in the city, which he suggested helps the MS-13 gang.

"The truth is that this is political, so it's hard to take a lecture from you about the Constitution when you know perfectly well this is political pressure coming to bear on you and other mayors that is making you ignore federal laws on this subject, but not on others," Carlson said.

"This is why the provision in the Brady Hand Gun law that required local municipalities to do background checks was found to be unconstitutional," Sheehan responded. "The federal government cannot force municipalities, states or local governments, to do things that are not within our power. We're not Uber-ICE here."

Sears noted city police don't hold people unless they're being arraigned on charges. That's what Albany County jail, or state prison is for.

"We literally only hold people until the next arraignment," he said. "We only hold people who are under arrest."
ALBANY  The University at Albany has tapped a Johns Hopkins University chair and AIDS researcher to lead its School of Public Health.

David R. Holtgrave was named to the position Thursday, and will start in the role March 1. He takes over for Philip Nasca, who retired Jan. 1. Laura Schweitzer, the university's vice president for health sciences, has served as interim dean since then.

Holtgrave is an endowed professor at Johns Hopkins, and founding chair of the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, a position he has held since 2005. But he's perhaps most known for his research in HIV/AIDS. From 1997 to 2001, he led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HIV/AIDS research and support division.

"David Holtgrave is an excellent leader who will fully leverage UAlbany's significant academic and research assets in the School of Public Health," said UAlbany President Havidan Rodriguez. "David can significantly contribute to strengthening and expanding the health sciences and biomedical research. I am confident he will build on the achievements of our many partnerships in this area, especially with Wadsworth Laboratories and the New York State Department of Health."

Holtgrave was also awarded a tenured faculty position as professor of health policy and behavior at the school, which was founded in 1985 as a partnership between UAlbany and the state Department of Health. Its mission is to serve as a leader in addressing current and emerging public health challenges.

"UAlbany SPH has a very important arrangement with the state Health Department unlike any other in the United States, and I am profoundly excited, honored and humbled to be a new part of this team," Holtgrave said. "The School already has outstanding students, faculty and staff, all of whom are eager to take the next big leap forward in further improving the public health and building health equity in Albany, New York state and around the globe. SPH is indeed poised to revolutionize the science of public health impact."

Before his time at Johns Hopkins, Holtgrave was professor, vice chair and director of graduate studies in the department of behavioral sciences and health education at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health.

A native of St. Louis, Holtgrave has devoted his career to addressing public health challenges, including preventing HIV and ensuring care and stable housing for those living with the virus. His work also addresses the disproportionate burden HIV and other public health challenges place on underserved communities.

His research has focused on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention and care interventions, and how such findings can be used in public policy making. He has also studied relationships between social capital measures, infection disease rates and health risk behavior.

He served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during President Obama's administration.

Holtgrave received his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri at St. Louis, and received his doctorate in quantitative psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also was a post-doctoral research fellow at Harvard University School of Public Health.
Greggs

British bakery giant Greggs is "really sorry" it replaced baby Jesus with a sausage roll in a Christmas advertisement.

The chain, which has 1,800 locations, on Wednesday apologized for its ad, which depicted the Three Wise Men kneeling before a manger containing a delicious pastry-wrapped sausage instead of the infant Son of God. The ad was a promotion for the Greggs' Advent calendar.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Macarthur Minerals Limited (TSX-V:MMS) (the Company or Macarthur Minerals) is pleased to announce that it has finalised heritage agreements with the Palyku and Njamal native title claimants. Both groups have withdrawn their objections paving the way for all the Exploration Licences in the Pilbara to be granted in a matter of days.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b53cbd65-3c73-41ee-be1a-3da6f1040185

David Taplin, President, CEO and Director of Macarthur Minerals commented:

Macarthur Minerals is very excited about the highly anticipated grant of tenements for all of its Pilbara tenements, which paves the way for exploration and drilling on those tenements for conglomerate gold, gold, and lithium. Importantly this places Macarthur Minerals ahead of most of the other conglomerate gold explorers in the region and is a significant milestone for Macarthur Minerals. Following grant, Macarthur Minerals entire tenement package will consist of 15 Exploration Licenses covering ~1,300km2 in the Pilbara and 15 Mining Leases covering 62km2 in the Yilgarn region for its iron ore projects.

The location of the 15 Exploration Licenses in the Eastern Pilbara is shown in Figure 1.

NATIVE TITLE

The Company has successfully negotiated Heritage Agreements with the Palyku and Njamal native title groups. Both groups have withdrawn their objections to the granting of the Exploration Licences. Removal of the objections is the final step, before grant of the tenements. Exploration Licences E46/1114 and E46/1115 were already granted on November 10, 2017, and the Company anticipates another 13 Exploration Licences will be granted within the next week.

YALGOO EXPLORATION

The Company is pleased to announce that it has sold its 15% interest of Yalgoo Exploration Pty Ltd (Yalgoo Exploration), which owns the Melville Project in Western Australia for A$200,000. The Company considers its interest in the Melville Project to be non-core to its gold strategy.



As previously announced on 14 August and 19 October 2017, the Companys wholly owned subsidiary, Macarthur Lithium Pty Ltd (MLi) settled proceedings in the Supreme Court of Western Australia against Mining and Metallurgy Process Solutions Pty Ltd (MMPS) regarding the first right of refusal granted to MLi in respect of the shares in Yalgoo Exploration under the Mineral Rights Deed between MLi and Yalgoo Exploration. The Company has already received $100,000 as part of that settlement.

Under the settlement, MLi has agreed to be paid a further $200,000 for its 15% of the issued capital of Yalgoo Exploration. MLi will also receive 5% of gross sale proceeds for lithium rights, if Yalgoo Explorations rights to lithium are sold within 2 years.

ABOUT MACARTHUR MINERALS LIMITED (TSX-V:MMS)

Macarthur Minerals Limited is an exploration company that is focused on identifying high grade gold and lithium. Macarthur Minerals has significant gold, lithium and iron ore exploration interests in Australia and Nevada. Macarthur Minerals has two iron ore projects in Western Australia; the Ularring hematite project and the Moonshine magnetite project.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

MACARTHUR MINERALS LIMITED

 Cameron McCall 

Cameron McCall, Executive Chairman

Company Contact:

David Taplin, Joint CEO and Director

dtaplin@macarthurminerals.com

Tel: +61 407470044



Joe Phillips, Joint CEO and Director

jphillips@macarthurminerals.com

Tel: +61 448899247



www.macarthurminerals.com



THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

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.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain of the statements made and information contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the current expectations, assumptions or beliefs of the Company based upon information currently available to the Company. With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this press release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the timely receipt of required approvals, the reliability of information, including historical mineral resource or mineral reserve estimates, prepared and/or published by third parties that are referenced in this press release or was otherwise relied upon by the Company in preparing this press release. 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 no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct as actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in exchange rates and certain commodity prices, uncertainties related to mineral title in the project, unforeseen technology changes that results in a reduction in iron ore demand or substitution by other metals or materials, the discovery of new large low cost deposits of iron ore, uncertainty in successfully returning the project into full operation, and the general level of global economic activity. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Such statements relate to future events and expectations and, as such, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and except as may otherwise be required pursuant to applicable laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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Once considered a suburb in downtown Albany, the Mansion District typified an early residential urban enclave.

And with a little imagination, 1 Elm St. gives a glimpse of what that may have looked like.

When William Harris bought the 1910-built home in 1989, he was told it had once been a taxi company and an auto repair shop downstairs and an Italian social club upstairs. It now has a garage, living room, dining room, kitchen, one bedroom, two bathrooms, and a bar.

"It's wider than the (homes) to the left and right (of the property) that were built in the 1860s," said Holly Katz, Harris' partner, who works for the federal government and is on the Mansion Neighborhood Association. "This was an empty lot and then it got filled in as commercial space."

The Mansion District, an Italian neighborhood, had several different social clubs for different regions of Italy, Katz said; Harris and Katz were told the upstairs of the building was the Abbruzzese Club. The nearby St. Anthony's Church (since decommissioned by the Albany Diocese) was built on Grand Street in 1907 to serve the growing Italian community in Albany.

The black and white checkerboard floor in the foyer seems timeless and the grandeur continues with the art  mostly from the Albany Center Gallery  along the walls.

Harris is a board member (and was past president) of the Albany Center Gallery, and is also on the board of the Albany Institute of History and Art.

Step into the living room with the wood-burning fireplace and more Albany Institute "Recycle Your Art Show" paintings wherever you turn. A door in the floor hides a wine cellar in the basement.

"It was probably an oil pit when it was a taxi company," Katz said. "There are steps to go down. There's a hatch."

Head upstairs and find a recently remodeled bathroom in a contemporary style. Nearby company Acme Wood Floors redid the hardwood underneath the carpet in the bathroom.

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Then head to the bar, which the couple redid shortly after purchasing the home, recreating what it may have once looked like.

"Our former neighbors had some old photos of what it was like when it was the original," Katz said. "When Bill first had the bar built, he and the carpenter went around to local bars."

During the historic Albany house tours, the couple offers beverages and has the juke box playing.

The one bedroom decorated in mid-century decor is off from the bar.

Katz said she enjoys her short walk to work as well as the proximity to downtown Albany.
With Taosieach Leo Varadkar scheduled to meet his UK counterpart Teresa May face-to-face this week, Fianna Fail TD and Spokesperson on Horticulture and Food, Jackie Cahill has said that Ireland must focus on further developing its relationship with France in a post-Brexit world to ensure Irish agri-business remains strong.

The Tipperary TD was speaking after a meeting with the new French Ambassador to Ireland, Stephane Crouzat, in his role as vice-chair of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee.

Mr Varadkar and Ms May were due to meet on the sidelines of a EU summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.

At present, there is 10bn in trade flowing between Ireland and France, and this must grow in a post-Brexit world, said Deputy Cahill

The Irish agri-food sector is a major exporter of Irish produce to France.

Of course, the British market has traditionally been our main export market, but with Brexit coming quickly down the tracks, it was time to diversify into other markets, he said.

France has a population of 66.9 million people which is comparable to that of the UK, and we need to strengthen and grow our commons links so both sides can prosper, said Deputy Cahill.

He said that Ireland and France had common and shared goals with regard to the Common Agriculture Policy.

We need to work together even more so as Britain leaves the European Union, he said.

There were those within the EU who would use the UK withdrawal from the Union to downgrade the importance of this plan, and the importance of farm families and locally produced food products to the European economy, said Deputy Cahill.

"Our meeting was constructive, and in addition to Brexit and the CAP, we held discussions on climate change, the role of forestry, and the Mercosur trade agreement.

Now more than ever, the entente cordiale between our two nations needs to be encouraged and deepened, he said.
Short of Christmas Eve itself, Santas busiest day in the run up to December 25th is set again for Shannon Airport as the big man jets in for his fifth successive annual Santa Flights on December 2nd and 3rd.

Over 2,000 children and their parents/guardians will be carried into the skies to meet Santa 15,000ft above sea level in what has now become the most anticipated event for children across the region aside from the big day itself.

The excitement will be palpable and noise deafening as the delight fills the Shannon terminal and skies above for a very special two day treat for children from across the country.

To raise even more funds for the Shannon Group charities this year, the airport is putting a new lottery system in place, to replace the 9.99 charge per seat last year. A 1 per seat application fee will apply to enter this years lottery and if you win the lottery no other charges will apply. All profits raised from the event will go to Shannon Groups designated charities for 2017, the Cahercalla Community Hospital & Hospice, Ennis and Home Share Clare.

The lottery system goes live on Wednesday next, 15th November at 12 noon with details on how to enter the lottery available on the Shannon Airport Facebook page, the airports twitter account and on their website www.shannonairport.ie. The lottery will close on Monday 20th at 3pm and the winners will be notified by text on Wednesday 22nd November.

The event will be staffed and supported by teams from across Shannon Group companies  Shannon Airport, Shannon Heritage, Shannon Commercial Properties and the International Aviation Services Centre (IASC)  with the excitement being raised from the off at the airport as check-in will be manned by Mrs Claus and her team.

Children will also be treated to a range of Christmas activities - dancing elves, games and other treats - in the transit lounge to help them while away the final minutes before boarding.

Bookings are confined to a maximum of six but with the airport determined to ensure as many children as possible avail of the very special Christmas treat, a maximum of two adults will be allowed with any group of six. No child will be allowed on their own without an adult.

Said Matthew Thomas, Shannon Group CEO: This is a very special Christmas event for us. We get huge support from the region and across Ireland every year and convincing Santa to come here and jump on board flights mid-air is our way of saying thank you. Its a special time of year and were delighted to be able to put such huge smiles on so many childrens faces.

Said Shannon Airport Managing Director Andrew Murphy: Christmas is one of our busiest periods of the year and its a wonderful time to be working at an airport as you see so much emotion unfold. But for excitement, no other day beats our Santa Flights. Theres incredible excitement, noise and its a real logistical challenge for our staff to process so many children across two days but they rise to it brilliantly each year and deserve great credit for that. It simply wouldnt be possible without their massive effort over two days but its so worth it in the end.
Nenagh-based Energy Communities Tipperary Cooperative CLG (ECTC) won the Best Community Energy Awards at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Awards ceremony, which took place in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham in Dublin.

Vice-Chair of ECTC, Liam Lynch, Rearcross, said Aileen Campion (Birdhill), Marcella Maher-Keogh (project Coordinator) and I attended the event. We were up against some very strong competition in our category and it was with great pride that we collected this national award.

Terry Griffith, Birdhill, the ECTC Chairperson said afterwards For the past five years, the efforts of our volunteer-led community cooperative, working with SEAI, have made 800 houses in Tipperary and surrounding areas more energy efficient and comfortable for their occupants. A total of 7 million has been spent within our communities, strengthening the local economy and creating employment. Winning this national award recognises the unique community energy model we have created. We look forward to building on our success and growing the company by introducing additional communities to the scheme in 2018.

ECTC, using the Better Energy Communities (BEC) scheme run by the SEAI, enables householders to have insulation and heating system upgrades carried out. A householder only needs to fill in an expression of interest form and a quotation will be provided to them. If the householder is happy to proceed, ECTC will arrange the contractors and handle all of the paperwork.

For householders in receipt of certain social welfare payments, a grant of up to 80% is available. For all other householders, there is a grant of 35%. Community buildings can also avail of a 50% grant.

The Project Coordinator for ECTC, Marcella Maher-Keogh of Templemore, said Receiving this Communities Sustainable Energy Award is a wonderful achievement for our community group. Since 2012, its been a privilege to be the coordinator for such a ground-breaking project, and to have worked alongside an outstanding team of volunteers and contractors. This award is a recognition of their work, and what weve all built together.

Even now, five years on, Im still surprised by the number of homes without proper insulation or even proper heating systems. This project is all about helping people; we deal with cancer patients who are struggling without enough heat, and people who cant afford to stay warm. Our aim is to get the message out: were here for our community; if you need help, contact us."

The ECTC board currently has representatives from Birdhill, Burgess, Cappamore, Drumbane/Upperchurch, Kilcommon/Rearcross/Hollyford, Lorrha/Rathcabbin, Newtown, Puckane and Terryglass. If there are any householders or communities that are interested in contacting them about the scheme, get in touch by emailing info@energycommunitiestipp.ie, by phone 086-108-0356, on Facebook www.facebook.com/Energy

CommunitiesTipp or by completing the online registration form on www.bit.ly/ectform2.
Richard Mulcahy, Ph.D., a professor of history and political science at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville, recently received the Pennsylvania History Associations Philip S. Klein Article Prize for his article titled, The Justice, the Informer, and the Composer: The Roy Harris Case and the Dynamics of Anti-Communism in Pittsburgh in the Early 1950s.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX:SGQ) (HK:1878) (SouthGobi or the Company) announces that on November 16, 2017, it learned that Mr. Aminbuhe, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, was arrested on October 11, 2017 and is being detained at Rizhao City Detention Center in China as a suspect in a fraudulent loan case.



The Board of Directors (the Board) has formed a special committee (the Special Committee) of independent non-executive directors, comprised of Mr. Mao Sun, Ms. Jin Lan Quan and Mr. Yingbin Ian He, to initiate a formal internal investigation into the charges against Mr. Aminbuhe and the connection, if any, between those charges and the Company and his conduct as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, which will include engaging external advisors to assist in the investigation. The Special Committee will report to the Board from time to time with respect to the results and status of its investigation and the potential impact of these matters, if any, on the business and affairs of the Company.



As announced on November 13, 2017, Mr. Aminbuhe is currently on leave from the Company and that Mr. Bing Wang is acting as the Interim Chief Executive Officer in his absence. During this interim period, the Company will continue to carry on its business in the normal course, relying on the depth and experience of its management team and the Board.

The Board will continue to closely monitor this situation and will provide further information with respect this matter as and when appropriate.

About SouthGobi

SouthGobi, listed on the Toronto and Hong Kong stock exchanges, owns and operates its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. It also holds the mining licences of its other metallurgical and thermal coal deposits in South Gobi Region of Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China.
[November 16, 2017] RenaissanceRe Women's Forum Hosts Female Senior School Students for Career Day

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: RNR) (the "Company" or "RenaissanceRe") hosted 42 female students from eight senior schools at a Career Day and mentoring event. The event was coordinated by the Company's Women's Forum, an employee resource group focusing on providing activities and resources that empower women. "Our goal is for the girls to leave with a good understanding of our industry and the various career opportunities that are available in reinsurance," said Ross Curtis, Chief Underwriting Officer at RenaissanceRe. "We are proud to offer this unique opportunity for future leaders to hear from the women who contribute directly and significantly to our Company's success." During the Career Day event, women at RenaissanceRe shared their insights into the reinsurance industry, outlined various job roles at the company, offered tips for interviewing, and highlighted skills students will need to develop to be successful in the corporate world. Emma Lopez, VP Underwriting Operations at Renaissancee and member of the Company's Women's Forum, said, "The event provides a valuable opportunity for the girls to learn about a variety of career paths and consider the skills and experiences they may want to pursue during their educational journey."



Students and school career counsellors were also able to network with women at RenaissanceRe who offered insight into their daily work activities in areas such as Administration and Office Management, Claims and Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, Marketing, Risk and Underwriting. Leah Dean SVP, Group Human Resources at RenaissanceRe noted, "As a leading employer in Bermuda, we are proud to help cultivate the next generation of business leaders on the Island. By introducing young women to career paths and opportunities that they might not otherwise consider, we are taking steps to attract more women to careers in underwriting, the law, technology as well as the reinsurance industry as a whole."

Participating schools included: Berkeley Institute, Bermuda High School, Bermuda Institute, Cedarbridge Academy, Mount St. Agnes, Saltus Grammar School, Somersfield Academy and Warwick Academy. RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. is a global provider of reinsurance and insurance that specializes in matching well-structured risks with efficient sources of capital. The Company provides property, casualty and specialty reinsurance and certain insurance solutions to customers, principally through intermediaries. Established in 1993, the Company has offices in Bermuda, Ireland, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171116006500/en/

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[November 16, 2017] The American Journal of Managed Care Names Dr. Ilana Graetz as the Recipient of the "Seema S. Sonnad Emerging Leader in Managed Care Research Award"

The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) honored Dr. Ilana Graetz from the University of Tennessee as the recipient of the 2017 "Seema S. Sonnad Emerging Leader in Managed Care Research Award" during the Patient-Centered Oncology Care meeting on November 16th. "Dr. Graetz exemplifies the values and qualities of the 'Seema S. Sonnad Emerging Leader in Managed Care Research Award'. Her extensive background in research, academia, and publications focused on topics relevant to managed care makes her truly deserving of this award. We are proud to recognize dynamic and well-versed professionals like Dr. Graetz who are making a huge impact in the field," said Jeff Prescott, PharmD, senior vice president of Managed Markets. Dr. Graetz, an assistant professor (tenure track) in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has published over 17 articles in some of the industries' top-tier journals, including AJMC. Her articles highlight the impact of the use of health information technology on care processes and patient outcomes in managed care settings. She also serves as the principle investigator on three grants, one of which is researching the eturn on investment from implementation of electronic health records.



Prior to her doctoral training, Dr. Graetz worked at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, where she collaborated with Doctors John Hsu and Mary Reed in research projects, which were documented in AJMC. These projects focused on electronic health records and patient-initiated emails in conjunction to out-of-pocket costs. This award was established in honor of Seema S. Sonnad, Ph.D., the former associate editor for AJMC, who passed away in June 2015. Dr. Sonnad served as a mentor to many young investigators and prior to her passing, she was an advocate for the creation of an award that recognizes and encourages early career achievements in the field of managed care.

For more information, visit: www.ajmc.com. About The American Journal of Managed Care: The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) is a peer-reviewed, MEDLINE-indexed journal that keeps readers on the forefront of health policy by publishing research relevant to industry decision makers as they work to promote the efficient delivery of high-quality care. AJMC.com is an essential website for managed care professionals, distributing industry updates daily to leading stakeholders. Other titles in the AJMC family include The American Journal of Accountable Care and two evidence-based series, Evidence-Based Oncology and Evidence-Based Diabetes Management. These comprehensive offerings bring together stakeholder views from payers, providers, policymakers, and other industry leaders in managed care. To order reprints of articles appearing in AJMC publications, please contact Dr. Jeff Prescott at (609) 716-7777, x331. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171116006170/en/

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[November 16, 2017] CQG Announces Strategic Leadership Changes to Support CQG China Launch

Rod Giffen Named President, CQG APAC; Ryan Moroney Appointed President, CQG Europe and the Americas DENVER and CHICAGO, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CQG has had a focused effort to add China to its global network of data and execution. With the imminent launch of this initiative, the firm announced today that Rod Giffen, President, CQG, has relocated to China and will serve in the newly created position of President, CQG APAC. Ryan Moroney will return to CQG to assume the new role of President, CQG Europe and the Americas.



Tim Mather, CEO of CQG, said: "We view China as an important addition to our global presence. Rod has been instrumental in developing a talented team in preparation for the forthcoming rollout. I'm excited about adding China to our global network to better serve our customers." Moroney, who will re-join the firm in December, began his career in 2003 as a member of CQG's Data Quality team. During his 11 years at CQG, he helped build CQG's API business. His roles at CQG expanded to include product management of the Market Data and Order Routing teams and Director of Operations for the API division. He left CQG to pursue an opportunity at S&P Capital IQ, where he currently serves as Vice President of Sales to S&P's Corporates Segment in the Americas.

Mather said: "We're very pleased to welcome Ryan back to CQG to oversee our U.S. and European business, where we continue to focus on developing products that meet the needs of our expanding customer base." Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/605598/cqg_logo_color_gray.jpg SOURCE CQG

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[November 16, 2017] Tuya Smart Leads The Conference IOT Without Borders

SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuya Smart led the Global Intelligient Conference & 2017 Tuya Smart Service & Platform Strategic Upgrading in Shenzhen. The conference, also named "IOT without borders" invited thousands of global brands and partners as well as relevant associations and governments, discussing topics like AI, Big Data and cloud computing.

Tuya Smart was established in 2014, the founding team came from AliCloud. It has become a global IoT platform that provides Wi-Fi module, Cloud Service and App Development. The manufacturers are only required to put the Wi-Fi module into their hardware products. p>At present, Tuya Smart has accumulated services of more than 2,000 manufacturing enterprises, helping the manufacturing industry move forward through six continents and 165 countries. The cloud platform has over 300 million daily interactions. Moreover, Tuya Smart has created over 10 billion GMVs for customers as we have helped traditional manufactures step into a new retail.



Tuya Smart issued the following programs at this conference: Smart Business Free Program Tuya Smart opens its API/SDK and standard APP free of charge to the public, targeting to help 100,000 manufacturing enterprises to achieve product intelligence.

AI PLUS Generate more AI solutions with Tuya Smart's AI platform Global IoT OmniChannel Open up the channel between first-rate international brands and e-commerce by major platforms, both at home and abroad Smart Business Academy Associate with Hangzhou Dianzi University, training 10,000+ technical talents and senior managers for IOT industry, issuing white paper, trend analysis and management consulting reports regularly. AI Capital Alliance Connect capital for the smart manufacturing industry View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tuya-smart-leads-the-conference-iot-without-borders-300558431.html SOURCE Tuya Smart

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[November 17, 2017] LendFoundry's Founder, Anubha P. Bags STPI's Woman Entrepreneur of the Year - 2017 Award

BANGALORE, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- During the FY 2016-2017, the state of Karnataka has contributed 40% to the total software exports of India. LendFoundry (a product of Sigma Infosolutions) being a leading member unit, its founding member & Director, Anubha P. has been recognized for her key role in the IT industry. Sigma Infosolutions Ltd., which has developed a revolutionary fin-tech product, LendFoundry, for the alternative lending industry, today announced that its founding member and director, Anubha P. has been awarded 'Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2016-17' by STPI Karnataka. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/606782/Woman_entrepreneur_award_LendFoundry.jpg )

She was conferred with the award in 'STPI IT Export Award Function' during the 20th edition of Bengaluru ITE.Biz 2017 under the umbrella event of Bengaluru Tech Summit on 16th November 2017. She was presented this Award by Shri Priyank Kharge, Hon'able Minister of IT, BT & Tourism, Government of Karnataka and Mr. Suvarna Raju, Chairman & Managing Director Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. The award is a testament to her contribution to IT and financial industry. It also emphasizes organization's alignment to the goal of financial inclusion for a futuristic digital India. She has been instrumental in design, creation, and operationalization of Sigma's fintech product, LendFoundry. Under her leadership, LendFoundry has been able to bring more accessibility and tranparency to loan origination and loan servicing through its proprietary full-stack cloud platform and empower lending institutions to provide fraud-proof credit even to the first time borrowers. The product is also capable of solving big rock problems of lending industry like NPA management, risk analytics and other key issues needing high computation solutions.



Speaking on this occasion, Ms. Anubha P said, "At Sigma my leadership focus has always been to deliver greater value to our clients and employees. We strive to achieve this through an 'Outcome Focused' mindset where we believe in creating positive outcomes for our external and internal customers. LendFoundry, our fintech product is an outcome of innovation, dedication and sheer hard work put in by the team at Sigma. I believe that LendFoundry has the potential to affect millions of lives by simplifying lending processes. I am grateful to STPI for recognizing these efforts and the contribution by the team this is a real shot in arm moment for all of us at Sigma. " Ms. Anubha believes in driving a culture of positive outcomes for the employees at the organization. All the plans and policies at Sigma have been set up to establish an empathetic and collaborative work culture, which leads to a sustainable growth. She has co-founded Sigma Infosolutions in 2004 and has more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry.

About LendFoundry LendFoundry, a product developed by Sigma Infosolutions, is the next-generation, end-to-end lending platform based on cloud for alternative lenders. Packed with 50+ pre-configured, out-of-the-box APIs with major FinTech platforms, it can help digitize a lender's entire loan lifecycle. For more information, please visit: http://www.lendfoundry.com/ About Sigma Infosolutions Ltd. Sigma Infosolutions is a leading global IT solutions and services company headquartered in Irvine, USA, with development centers in Bangalore & Ahmedabad in India. The company delivers innovative IT solutions for FinTech, Online Retail, Telecom and Technology companies that help them drive enhanced customer engagement, operations efficiency and return on IT investments. Since its inception in 2004, Sigma has grown into a tight-knit team of 300+ technocrats who are passionately aligned to the cause of ensuring positive business outcomes for clients through digital innovation. With its 'positive business outcomes' commitment, Sigma seeks to add differentiated value to enterprise leadership who want to make an impact on their businesses, with IT. Sigma Infosolutions is an ISO 9001: 2008 & ISO 27001: 2013 company, which ensures world-class quality standards while delivering IT solutions and assuring clients of their information security. For more information please visit: http://www.sigmainfo.net/ Media Contact:

Shaleen Swatantra

[email protected]

+91-97390-50499

Marketing Lead

Sigma Infosolutions



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[November 17, 2017] MAS Announces Winners of the Global FinTech Hackcelerator

SINGAPORE, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the three winners of the Global FinTech Hackcelerator. The three winners were selected from a pool of 20 finalists that presented their solutions at Demo Day today, as part of the 2nd Singapore FinTech Festival. The winners are (in no order of merit):







Company Name Description of winning solution Moxtra Moxtra is an embeddable Secure Messaging and Business Collaboration Service for the mobile on-demand era that helps transform business critical applications for mobile and web with powerful collaboration. SQREEM SQREEM offers a platform that delivers asymmetric information in real-time on virtually any market, economy, or company around the world. SQREEM data can be fed into existing risk management systems and trading platforms, or accessed via custom dashboards developed specifically for individual clients. The firm offers AML and KYC solutions to track external market events, trends and insights. Trunomi Trunomi provides customer consent and data rights management technology which enables businesses to request, receive and capture customer consent to the use of their personal data. For the business we create consent receipts and convert them to customer data rights accessible across all data systems. Trunomi enables businesses to comply with regulations by putting in place auditable workflows to record and prove lawfulness of processing of customer data.

The Global FinTech Hackcelerator, powered by KPMG Digital Village, is a platform for problem statements collected from the financial industry to be matched with innovative market-ready solutions from around the world. This year, MAS published 100 problem statements under four categories (Customer-Facing, Financial Inclusion, RegTech, and General), and received 580 submissions from over 40 countries. Twenty teams were shortlisted by a panel of industry judges to participate in the 12-week programme[1]. The teams worked with corporate champions and industry mentors to tailor and refine their market-ready solutions into contextualised prototypes and implementable use cases for the industry. (Please refer to Annex A for a list of corporate champions and industry mentors.) On Demo Day, each of the 20 finalists made a 5-minute pitch in front of the judging panel, followed by a question-and-answer segment with the judges. (Please refer to Annex B for the Demo Day judging panel.) The judges selected Moxtra, SQREEM and Trunomi as winners based on their ability to address the problem statement, innovativeness in the application of technology, and ease of adoption and scalability. Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer of MAS, said, "This year we are happy to have KPMG and more than 100 mentors from the industry work with the 20 finalists to refine and contextualise their solution for this region. We look forward to seeing these innovative solutions implemented and adopted in the coming months." Moxtra, SQREEM and Trunomi received their awards from MAS Managing Director, Mr Ravi Menon, at the FinTech Awards ceremony this evening. Each team received a cash prize of S$50,000. Mr Menon also handed out awards to the five winners in the student category of the Global FinTech Hackcelerator. (Please refer to Annex C for the list of winners.) This category was introduced this year to encourage innovation and creative-thinking amongst students around the world in solving industry problems. MAS thanks KPMG Digital Village for their dedication and support to the Global FinTech Hackcelerator. Annex A: List of Corporate Champions and Industry Mentors (see attached) Annex B: Demo Day Judging Panel (see attached) Annex C: List of Global FinTech Hackcelerator Student Category Winners Ardiente Ardiente comprises students in their penultimate year in Singapore Management University and National University of Singapore, majoring in data science, economics and analytics. They have developed hybrid deep learning and machine learning algorithms to detect fraudulent transactions. The team is looking for industry partners to test out their algorithms. FinnovAI FinnovAI is a 2-man team from IIT Madras. They have developed and tested preliminary theories to predict market behaviour using machine learning techniques and deep learning models. Their plan is to create an intuitive and user-friendly website which will learn the user's investment history and make recommendations about the user's future financial strategy. LMB LMB consists of 4 second-year Business Applications students from Republic Polytechnic. They have proposed a banking mobile app catering to the visually handicapped. The app comes with features such as a digital Braille keyboard, voice guidance systems (in 4 different national languages), thumbprint and PIN number for 2FA, and directional guidance to nearest ATM or bank branch. PolyGen PolyGen is a team of 7 students from Republic Polytechnic pursuing a Diploma in Business Applications. They have developed a prototype for their solution CocoHub, which enables payments through mobile phones with or without internet connection. Their solution leverages on PayNow, hence the merchant does not need to incur any credit card surcharge for this cashless solution. VANSJH VANSJH is a group of classmates from Republic Polytechnic. They hope to improve the convenience of mobile banking for the visually impaired through their solution called OBVI, which can be integrated into an existing bank's mobile app. OBVI can dim the phone screen at the start of the application for privacy purposes; it also comes with an Interactive Voice Response to guide the user to navigate the services within the app. Annex D: Quote Sheet Winning Teams Moxtra Balasubramanyam Mohan, General Manager - Products & Operations: "Moxtra is very privileged to win this prestigious award and be recognised for its solution that focuses on providing a hi-touch, personalised client engagement and collaboration for the financial services industry. We want to enable financial institutions to redefine how they deliver "mobile first" client engagement through the Moxtra solution that is embeddable, secure and auditable. The solution aims to deliver customers a great user experience, increase customer relationship value by over 150% and bank staff productivity by over 100%. This award and recognition will help us accelerate our growth not just in the region, but globally." SQREEM Ian Chapman-Banks, CEO: "SQREEM Technologies, as a Singapore based company is proud and humbled to have been the recipient of this amazing award. As a company, we have been focusing all our attention and resources on building a world class machine learning platform and also, we are aiming to becoming a world leader in acquiring and processing behavioural data to help solve real world problems for our finance banking and insurance clients. We started in Singapore and now we are expanding to the rest of Asia, UK, EU and the USA. With the help of this award, this will turbo charge our expansion." Trunomi Stuart Lacey, CEO and Founder: "Trunomi is thrilled to win this award from MAS, further recognizing the value of our global data privacy enhancing solution. Our platform unlocks the power of customer data using consent and data rights management and enables large organizations to offer their customers an easy and powerful set of tools to manage the access to and control of personal data; solving key regulatory problems and enhancing customer trust, experience and engagement. We are grateful for the expert advice and support from MAS and KPMG Digital Village in contextualizing our solution for the ASEAN market and this award and their support will help us accelerate our growth in this key region." Organisers Chia Tek Yew, Head of Financial Services Advisory, KPMG in Singapore: "The commercial viability and ease of adoption of each of the top 20 finalists was a very important criteria in this year's Global Fintech Hackcelerator. We are already seeing the corporates in financial services taking an interest in some of their solutions, and making concrete plans to work together on pilot projects for potential implementation within their business." Jan Reinmueller, Head of Digital Village, KPMG in Singapore: "The true value of the Global Fintech Hackcelerator is moving the needle on corporates' approach to fintech innovation. I definitely encourage the financial services community to study the proposals and solutions that the winners and finalists have presented, and pursue opportunities for co-innovation. In doing so, the overall industry will be addressing the challenges identified at the start of this journey, and benefitting from it." Judges Ian Pollari, Global Co-Leader of Fintech, KPMG International: "The winners of the Global Fintech Hackcelerator have demonstrated strength in the application of innovative technologies, the commercial uniqueness of product, and ability to scale beyond a single market or customer segment. The challenge now is for financial institutions to find and focus on the most executable fintech opportunities, whether it is to radically transform their business or drive incremental innovation." Jeremy Anderson, Co-Chairman, Global Financial Services, KPMG Global: "It has been an exciting day for fintech, and for myself as a judge of the Global Fintech Hackcelerator, to see how innovation is having a major impact on financial services for the benefit of customers and businesses. The depth and breadth of technologies applied, the global representation in the Hackcelerator, and the supportive environment for new technology championed by MAS, continues to place Singapore in the global spotlight for fintech." Png Chin Yee, Senior Managing Director, Temasek: "It has been an exciting morning with a fantastic line-up of finalists with solutions to real world issues." Rajeev Kumar Gupta, SHIFT Programme Manager a.i. -- ASEAN and SAARC, United Nations Capital Development Fund: I'm very proud to be here as a judge. The finalists have shown us really impressive solutions that the marketplace can leverage on. Mentors Celine Le Cotonnec, Chief Data Officer, AXA Insurance: "Mentoring Roameeo was an enriching experience. After the on-going pilot on road safety, we wish to integrate their innovative approach on Cognitive Assessment into our connected fleet offer for risk management. We believe it has the potential to influence positively driver behaviour. AXA always saw value in collaboration with start-ups to create unique value proposition and improve the Customer experience of our partners." Vincent Teo, VP, The Open Vault @ OCBC, Fintech & Innovation Group, OCBC Bank: "Participating in the Global FinTech Hackcelerator programme as a mentor was a great experience. Besides providing us an opportunity to plug into the wider, global FinTech ecosystem, we managed to gain exposure to innovative solution providers which we believe can help us address some of the pain points we are facing in the bank today." TG Ramakrishnan, Head, Digital, Singapore, ASEAN and South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank: "Our vision is to be a digital bank with a human touch, and we are committed to nurturing the next generation of tech leaders to shape the future of banking. This mentorship programme offered a mutual exchange of ideas, provided a deeper understanding of digital platforms and facilitated the sharing of best practices across borders. This sets the path for greater synergy between financial institutions and fintechs to deliver stronger propositions and platforms for consumers." About the Singapore FinTech Festival Organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore in partnership with The Association of Banks in Singapore and in collaboration with SingEx Holdings, the Singapore FinTech Festival will provide a platform for collaborations, connections and co-creations within the FinTech ecosystem in Singapore and beyond. In keeping with this spirit, the Festival is supported by the industry. Festival Grand sponsors include AMTD, Deloitte, and Prudential. A series of back-to-back events that will take place from 13 - 17 November 2017, the Festival will comprise the Global FinTech Hackcelerator, Innovation Lab Crawl, FinTech Awards, FinTech Conference, and Investor Summit. For more information, please visit www.fintechfestival.sg. [1] See MAS' media release "MAS Announces Finalists for the Global FinTech Hackcelerator and FinTech Awards", 15 September 2017 -- http://www.mas.gov.sg/News-and-Publications/Media-Releases/2017/MAS-Announces-Finalists-for-the-Global-FinTech-Hackcelerator-and-FinTech-Awards.aspx SOURCE The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)

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[November 17, 2017] Mega Business Expo to be Held at Hyderabad on November 25-26

HYDERABAD, India, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyderabad is all set to host India's only International Expo for Trade, Industry, MSMEs & Startups, 'Skill Seeds International MSME and Startup Expo 2017' from 25-26 November 2017 at the NSIC Campus, ECIL, Hyderabad. www.HyderabadOnline.in and Skillseeds have joined hands to promote local businesses and are conducting this 2-day event in Hyderabad. This event holds extreme importance for the MSME sector too. The Expo will provide an excellent platform for businesses to exhibit their products & services, networks & find new business opportunities, markets, buyers, sellers, raw materials, investments & share knowledge about Central/State Government's new promotional schemes, policies & legislations, etc. The Expo is expected to see a participation of 20,000+ visitors, 100+ exhibitors, 20+ private equity bank funds, 30+ ministries, MLA, MLC, 100+ B2B/B2C meetings, 25+ PSU's- Ind. departments, etc. Also, there would be stalls to showcase individual enterprises/startups, for which the tariff will be according to the size of the enterprises starting from Rs.10,000 to Rs.25,000. Organizers of the event, IESBUD (Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Federation) is a non-profit organization whose main focus s to turn 'job seekers to job creators'. Hyderabad's No.1 Portal & Digital Marketing Solutions company, www.HyderabadOnline.in has joined hands with IESBUD as the Official Digital Media Partners for the Expo. www.HyderabadOnline.in has been working with over 300 small and medium-sized businesses from across the city and helping them grow their business through Digital Marketing Solutions.



CEO & MD of www.HyderabadOnline.in, Mr. Raj Kumar Jalan says, "In today's world, where internet is helping businesses get new customers on a daily basis, www.HyderabadOnline.in has been working seamlessly for businesses across the city of Hyderabad to get them unmatched online visibility. We already have a strong network of 300+ businesses who are connected with us and our collaboration with the Expo is an excellent step in this direction. The Expo is a not-to-miss opportunity for the newbies in the business world, who want to give their company/startup a great start and exposure." Chairman & Managing Director of IESBUD, Mr. Ganesh Donthi adds, "The aim of the Expo is not revenues, but to encourage emerging startups from every field and help them fight it out in this competitive world. There is no entry fee too for students, whom we see as the building-blocks of our country. We invite students to be a part of this 2-day event and explore ideas and business opportunities."

About www.HyderabadOnline.in: www.HyderabadOnline.in is a part of the IndiaOnline.in Network of 480+ Websites, which is owned and operated by our parent company - Pan India Internet Private Limited (PIIPL). The IndiaOnline.in Network covers each & every state/city/town of the country and maps them with a dedicated website. It focuses on the small & medium Enterprises (SME) sector and helps them go online with its state-of-the-art Digital Marketing Solutions. The company's GETONLINE platform helps SMEs to address the 3M Challenges of Digital Marketing & Online Visibility i.e. Making, Managing & Marketing, through a single platform.





Media Contact:

Rudradeep Ghosh

E - [email protected]

M - +91-9643105045

Pan India Internet Private Limited (New Delhi)



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[November 17, 2017] InnerScope Hearing Technologies, Inc. Announces a Deal With Samplified International BV. for Exclusive Referral Rights for the North America Audiology Retail Market

ROSEVILLE, California, November 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- InnerScope Hearing Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: INND) has announced an exclusive referral relationship for the North America audiology retail market with Samplified International BV a top-level Amsterdam-based company of the Samplified group of companies ("Samplified"). With subsidiaries in Boulder, Colorado (Samplified Audio LLC), Lanaken, Belgium (Samplified Europe NV) and Mississauga, Canada (Samplified Audio Solutions Inc.). The Agreement allows INND to be a preferred partner and vendor with Samplified for all consumer audio products that use the Clementine Wear program and platform. This preferred partner and vendor arrangement also gives INND direct access to Samplified's China office for engineering and sourcing support in assisting and facilitating the design and manufacturing of consumer audio and headset products that use the Clementine Wear program and platform. Samplified is the developer of the Clementine and Clementine Wear software program and platform. Clementine is a hearing app platform that is designed to help companies in the audiology field, such as audiology retail and manufacturers, to bring their services in line with technology trends and new patients demands. The system can support any service model that a firm develops via any channel. Clementine Wear platform is a cloud-based service platform supported via Android or iOS-based apps that provide full Bluetooth Low Energy functionality, including audio streaming, over-the-air firmware upgrades and updates, remote screening, programming and fitting. The Clementine Wear platform is designed to be compatible with wireless consumer audio products, hearing protection for occupational health and sports/leisure activities and even conventional hearing aids. Designed to support the sales and service of any type of personalized audio product. Matt Moore, INND CEO states, "This exclusive arrangement is two-fold for INND. First, it gives us a distinct advantage over other business that supports and supplies te North America audiology market. We believe what Samplified has developed with Clementine and Clementine Wear, a 'game changer' in the hearing and audiology industry. Using this cloud-based platform, it allows INND to solidify and grow its presence in the North America audiology market whereby, seamlessly integrating all of our products and services as well as having instant communication directly with audiology practices. Second, being a preferred partner and vendor with Samplified gives us also the ability to design and manufacture our own line of consumer audio products while leveraging off their supply and manufacturing chain. This could not of come at a better time, the demand and the market for consumer-based audio products, known as, Hearables or Personal Sound Amplifiers Products ("PSAP's") and Over-The-Counter ("OTC") Hearing Aids for individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing losses is expected to grow with the passage of the OTC Hearing Aid Act, signed by President Trump on August 18, 2017. The North America audiology market is wide open and primed for the latest new innovation, in high-quality consumer audio products including PSAPs, OTC Hearing Aids, as well as other hearing assistance technology via Android or iOS-based apps, like the Clementine Wear platform. These new innovations will change how hearing health care is delivered to the hearing impaired."



About InnerScope Hearing Technologies (INND) InnerScope Hearing Technologies (INND) is a technology-driven company with highly scalable B2B and B2C solutions. The Company offers a B2B SaaS based Patient Management System (PMS) software program, designed to improve operations and communication with patients. INND also offers a Buying Group experience for audiology practice, enabling owners to lower product costs and increase their margins. INND will also compete in the DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) markets with its own line of "Hearables", and "Wearables" and revolutionary APPs on the iOS and Android markets.

INND has plans on opening, operating and expanding a chain of audiological and retail hearing device clinics. INND's seasoned team of professionals, with collectively over 200+ years of experience in the hearing aid industry, including successful operations in hearing aid manufacturing and retail store management. Our team has the knowledge, relationships, and the experience to quickly deploy new products and software to serve the over 360 million people around the globe that are hearing impaired. For more information, please visit http://www.innd.com. About Samplified International BV Samplified has brought together a wealth of experience in audiology, wireless audio engineering, embedded software development, hearing product design, manufacturing and distribution along with emerging technologies. Samplified has their main European office in Lanaken (Belgium). Additionally, Samplified has offices in The Netherlands (Amsterdam), Canada (Toronto) and the United States. This international team of entrepreneurs, developers and researchers has build two platforms for personalized audio: Clementine and Clementine Wear. For more information, please visit http://www.askclementine.com. Contact:

InnerScope Hearing Technologies, Inc.

Matthew Moore

[email protected]

+1-916-218-4100



http://www.innd.com SOURCE InnerScope Hearing Technologies, Inc.

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[November 17, 2017] Exelon Generation's Commitment to Communities, Environment Continues with Contribution to Illinois Natural Park and Trail System

Exelon Generation is donating $150,000 toward the development of the Arroyo Trails nature park in Channahon, Ill., where families, children, school and community groups will be able to experience the wonders of nature and the area's natural environment. Exelon Generation Senior Vice President Susan Landahl will present the donation to the People for Channahon Parks Foundation Friday, Nov. 17 at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Arroyo Trails project. "Exelon Generation is proud to support the Arroyo Trails project because it will not only preserve and protect these natural lands, rivers and watersheds, but also provide year-round educational opportunities for kids and adults to learn about science, nature and the environment," Landahl said. The Arroyo Trails project will include outdoor play structures, an outdoor amphitheater for educational programs and organizational gatherings, walking trails, a ravine overlook, informational and educational kiosks, and more. The park will be managed and maintained by the Channahon Park District, and development planning is being coordinated with the People for Channahon Parks Foundation. "This is the biggest campaign the Foundation has run to develop the Arroyo Trails nature park, and Exelon's gift has made a major impact on the development of the project,"said Mike Rittof, People for Channahon Parks Foundation board president. "Arroyo Trails will be a great asset not only to Channahon but also the Will and Grundy County areas. We're delighted to be able to fund the development of these natural resources for the local area."



Three of Exelon Generation's six Illinois nuclear facilities - Braidwood, Dresden and LaSalle stations - are located near the Arroyo Trails nature park, and more than 2,000 Exelon Generation employees live and work in the area. Exelon Generation is committed to being a good neighbor, operating its plants safely and responsibly, and supporting its local communities through charitable contributions for community organizations and initiatives, environmental programs that improve the quality of the environment, educational programs that teach and promote the benefits of nuclear energy, and civic engagement activities that build trust and goodwill. Exelon Generation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), is one of the largest, most efficient clean energy producers in the U.S., with a generating capacity of more than 35,500 megawatts. Exelon Generation operates the largest U.S. fleet of carbon-free nuclear plants with 20,300 megawatts of capacity from 23 reactors at 14 facilities in Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Exelon Generation also operates a diverse mix of wind, solar, landfill gas, hydroelectric, natural gas and oil facilities in 18 states with more than 15,200 megawatts. Exelon Generation has an industry-leading safety record and is an active partner and economic engine in the communities it serves by providing jobs, charitable contributions and tax payments that help towns and regions grow. Follow Exelon Generation on Twitter (News - Alert) @ExelonGen, view the Exelon Generation channel on YouTube, and visit: http://www.exeloncorp.com/companies/exelon-generation.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171117005444/en/

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[November 17, 2017] Ygrene Receives Community Partner Award from MOKAN Construction Contractors Assistance Center

Ygrene Energy Fund, a national leader in resiliency and clean energy financing, today received the Community Partner Award from MOKAN Construction Contractors Assistance Center, a leader in advancing opportunities for minority and female businesses within the St. Louis Metropolitan area. The award highlights Ygrene's efforts to connect minority businesses with access to stronger energy-contract job opportunities, particularly its community-based partnership with MOKAN and the city's clean-energy financing program, Set the PACE St. Louis. "Set the PACE St. Louis has demonstrated tremendous support for minority and women contractors through its inclusion scholarship initiative," said Yaphett El-Amin, Executive Director of MOKAN. "This partnership and expanded inclusion initiative will provide an opportunity for minority and women-owned businesses and workers to gain access to financing for energy efficiency projects, expanding access to these services for low income communities." The Community Partner Award will be awarded at MOKAN'S 43rd annual Awards Anniversary Dinner, an event designed to bring together public, private and non-profit industry stakeholders and expose minority business owners and workers to the region's top industries, with a primary focus on expanding capacity building and workforce opportunities. "We're honored to receive this award from MOKAN because it reflects Ygrene's work and company values," said Byron DeLear, Managing Director & Central Regional Executive for Ygrene. "Specifically, Set the PACE St. Louis has been an effective platform to help minority contractors succeedin the home performance and clean-energy environment. We look forward to seeing Ygrene, and the role of PACE, grow within the region through the partnerships we've established."



Ygrene recently acquired Missouri-based Energy Equity Funding (EEF), the property assessed clean energy administrator, which oversees Set the PACE St. Louis and the Missouri Energy Savings Program for St. Louis County. The former launched in 2013 with the goal of offering innovative financing solutions for City of St. Louis property owners to perform energy efficiency and renewable energy property upgrades. The program has completed some of the largest commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (News - Alert) (PACE) projects in the nation, including comprehensive energy efficiency upgrades on historic buildings and redevelopment of underutilized properties and vacant buildings to help revitalize the region's urban core. St. Louis County's Missouri Energy Savings Program, or "MO-ESP," launched earlier this year. Exceeding $4 billion in project funding nationally, PACE financing has grown in its appeal due to a track record of attracting private capital (as opposed to taxpayer funds) to power one of the most successful public policy and local economic development initiatives in the United States.

About Ygrene Energy Fund Ygrene Energy Fund is a national leader in residential and commercial clean energy financing. Founded in 2010, Ygrene's award-winning, privately funded Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program is revolutionizing the home improvement industry, making it easier for property owners to invest in their futures and a healthier environment. Ygrene is delivering greater choice for home and business owners by providing accessible and affordable financing for energy efficiency, renewables, water conservation, storm protection and seismic upgrades. Recognized as one of the fastest growing asset classes in the country, PACE has proven to be a successful tool for supporting public policy initiatives, all without the use of public tax dollars or credits. To date, Ygrene has provided over $1 billion of private capital to more than 400 local communities, creating thousands of jobs and investing millions into local economies across the U.S. Learn more at ygreneworks.com. About MOKAN Since 1974, MOKAN has been a leader in advancing opportunities of growth for minority and female businesses within the St. Louis Metropolitan area. MOKAN in 2010, launched the MOKAN Institute through a collaborative partnership with St. Louis Community College. In 2012 MOKAN expanded its facilities to 4666 Natural Bridge which is now known as the MOKAN Business and Educational Center. Through this expansion MOKAN has continued to not only service the needs of the minority construction community but has expanded its services to other minority businesses and workers. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171117005469/en/

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vilacto Bio Inc. (OTCQB:VIBI), today announced that it has retained The Equity Group Inc. to facilitate all aspects of the Companys investor relations and financial communications.



Vilacto Bio selected The Equity Group due to its 43-year track record of delivering specialized, comprehensive IR programs for small- and mid-sized public companies. The Equity Group combines legacy knowledge of capital markets communications, and an unparalleled reputation for integrity and client service with evolving industry best practices to design and execute investor relations programs that help deliver long-term shareholder value.

Vilacto Bio seeks to establish associations with only organizations of the highest caliber and we have again demonstrated this by engaging The Equity Group, stated Gert Andersen, CEO of Vilacto Bio. We are confident in their ability to help us provide professional corporate communications and investor relations to all stakeholders of Vilacto Bio."

About The Equity Group

Founded in 1974 and headquartered in New York City, The Equity Group helped launch the practice of investor relations and financial communications. Now in its fifth decade as an independent, full-service investor relations firm, the firm is led by a seasoned team of professionals with over 175 years of aggregate experience. Learn more at www.theequitygroup.com.

About Vilacto Bio Inc.:

Vilacto Bio Inc. (OTCQB:VIBI) is a cosmeceutical and biotech company that has exclusive rights to the fully patented Lactoactive molecule, which in numerous studies has demonstrated above average effect in treating conditions such as inflammatory diseases, diabetes, psoriasis, skin aging, and skin issues in different levels. The Company also developed and markets a consumer skincare line under the Vilact trademark. The Company aims to further develop its Lactoactive molecule for the purpose of increasing the quality of its retail and medical skin cream products as well as licensing its Lactoactive molecule to the pharmaceutical industry.

Vilacto Bio Inc.

Fabriksvej 48

4700 Naestved

Denmark

Gert Andersen

Phone: +1 646-893-7895

info@vilactobio.com

www.vilactobio.com

Forward-Looking Statements & Disclaimers:



The information in this Press Release includes certain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provisions of Federal Securities Laws, as that term is defined in section 27a of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21e of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this document, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Investors are cautioned that such statements are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including the future financial performance of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events, or circumstances after the date of this release except as required by law.
[November 17, 2017] $16K Grant to Help Low-Income Senior Homeowners in Alexandria

The GAEDA Revitalization Corporation (GRC) yesterday was awarded a $16,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and Red River Bank, an FHLB Dallas member institution. GRC will use the Partnership Grant Program (PGP (News - Alert)) funds for architectural and legal fees, as well as site preparation related to affordable housing. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171117005561/en/ The GAEDA Revitalization Corporation yesterday was awarded a $16,000 grant from FHLB Dallas and Red River Bank for architectural and legal fees and site preparation related to affordable housing. (Photo: Business Wire) The nonprofit officially launched in May 2017 with the mission of increasing the availability of affordable housing in inner-city areas of Alexandria, Louisiana. "There is a tremendous need for affordable housing in Alexandria," said Willie Spears, GRC executive director. "Some of our inner-city neighborhoods are deteriorating from within. Thankfully, Red River Bank has a strong and sincere commitment to giving back to the Alexandria community that permeates the entire organization." Through the PG, FHLB Dallas matches a member's contribution to a community-based organization (CBO) of $500 up to $4,000 at a 3:1 ratio for a maximum $12,000 contribution.



"We have a responsibility as a financial institution to provide lending services to low- and moderate-income residents in our community," said Jannease Seastrunk, vice president and Community Relations/CRA officer at Red River Bank. "Working with FHLB Dallas, Red River Bank is able to facilitate changes that can only happen when organizations like ours work together." Ms. Seastrunk also chairs GRC's five-person, volunteer board.

GRC's redevelopment strategies include building partnerships with elected officials, churches and other nonprofits. In addition, GRC plans to acquire and develop quality, accessible housing on low-cost lots, as well as rehabilitate owner-occupied homes for senior citizens. Awarded annually via a lottery system through FHLB Dallas members, PGP grants may be used for research, organizational capacity-building, grant- and funding-application assistance or contractual services. "The PGP is a uniquely positioned grant for members because it multiplies their contribution to a CBO three times," said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. "This win-win situation allows more needed funding to flow into communities where investment can quickly improve residents' quality of life." In 2017, FHLB Dallas awarded $300,000 in PGP funds through 31 member institutions to assist 30 community-based organizations. Combined with the $104,550 contributed by FHLB Dallas members, a total of $404,550 was awarded to the organizations. About Red River Bank Red River Bank is a full-service community bank headquartered in Alexandria, Louisiana. Red River Bank was chartered in 1998 in Rapides Parish and began operating its first banking center in Alexandria in 1999. Red River Bank offers consumer and commercial banking services and products, mortgage lending services, and investment services. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $66.4 billion as of September 30, 2017, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community investment by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 840 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171117005561/en/

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[November 17, 2017] Robotic Assisted Surgical Devices (RASD) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends and Forecast, 2015 - 2023

NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The global market for surgical robotics was valued at around USD 5.7 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach USD 24.4 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of around 23.6% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2023. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04828835 Robotic surgery, computer-assisted surgery, and robotically-assisted surgery are terms for technological developments that use robotic systems to aid in surgical procedures. Robotically-assisted surgery was developed to overcome the limitations of pre-existing minimally-invasive surgical procedures and to enhance the capabilities of surgeons performing open surgery. Surgical robotics has evolved from a niche research field 25 years ago to a growing area of innovation and development, spearheading evolution in precision medicine, personalized healthcare, and quality of life improvements.



The commercial success of the first generation clinical robotic systems has inspired an ever-increasing number of players from both commercial and research organizations, resulting in smaller, safer, and smarter devices that aspire to roam the human body and blur the lines of disease prediction and prevention. Robotic surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System manufactured by Intuitive Surgical was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000.



The technique has been rapidly adopted by hospitals in the United States and Europe for use in the treatment of a wide range of conditions. The most widely used clinical robotic surgical system includes a camera arm and mechanical arms with surgical instruments attached to them. The surgeon controls the arms while seated at a computer console near the operating table. The console gives the surgeon a high-definition, magnified, 3-D view of the surgical site. The surgeon leas other team members who assist during the operation.







Since these surgical procedures performed through a small incision, the patient experience a number of benefits compared to open surgery. These benefits include less trauma on the body, faster recovery time, minimal scarring on the body, less pain, less blood loss, fewer complications and good geometric accuracy. These above-mentioned benefits along with favorable reimbursement scenario and technological innovations are expected to propel the market growth at an impressive rate. However, there are certain restraining factors associated with these devices are expected to hinder the market growth in the coming years, which includes high costs of devices, longer set-up times, new technology and lack of sufficient trained professionals.



Geographically, North America is the leading contributor to the market and is expected to retain its position during the forecast period due to the presence of large number of players offering these devices, and large base of patients with greater affordability. However, Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period. This is predominantly due to increased healthcare awareness, technological advancements, and growing awareness among the population about the treatment options available in the market.

Report Highlights:

The report delivers a strategic analysis of the global market for RASD and growth forecast for the period from 2017  2023. The scope of the report includes competitive analysis of various market players who are operating in the market, segmental analysis based on type. It also covers geographical analysis of the market with growth forecast for the period of 2017  2023. The Porter's Five Forces analysis and value chain analysis included in the report provides an insight into market dynamics and industry competition.



Moreover, the report also includes growth strategies and entry barriers to be considered to cater to the exact business opportunities in this market. Additionally, to aid in strategic decision making, the report also includes competitive profiling of leading players, recent developments in the industry and various business strategies adopted by them. This report will help players in global RASD market to plan and implement their strategies in different market areas such as emerging geographies, and new technologies Companies profiled:

The company profile section include detailed analysis of some of the key players such as Accuray, Intuitive Medical, Stryker, Mazor Robotics, Rob Surgical Systems, Elekta, CyberHeart, Biobot Surgical, Hansen Medical, TransEnterix, etc.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04828835

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. __________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/robotic-assisted-surgical-devices-rasd-market---global-industry-analysis-size-share-trends-and-forecast-2015--2023-300558809.html SOURCE Reportlinker

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[November 17, 2017] PROLIM Named a Winner of 2017 Dallas 100 Awards

Dallas, TX, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PROLIM, a rapidly growing global PLM solutions company, was named as one of the top 100 fastest growing privately held companies in Dallas at the 27th Annual SMU Cox Dallas 100 Awards Ceremony and Banquet on Thursday, November 16th, held at the Omni Dallas hotel. Dallas 100, co-founded by the Caruth Institute, honors the ingenuity, commitment, and perseverance of the fastest-growing privately held entrepreneurial businesses in the Dallas area. According to Caruth Institute data, this years winning companies collectively generated billions of dollars in sales over just the past three years. We are excited to be selected for the Dallas 100 again this year. Its a well-known and coveted title in the city of Texas. We are proud to be recognized for the hard work and ingenuity we apply to our business practices and look forward to continuing our upward trajectory, stated Prabhu Patil, CEO, Founder, and President of PROLIM. I want to share credit with our hard-working employees. Their strong commitment to product innovation and superior customer service means PROLIM is always ready to stand up and lead the business community in creating healthy, happy and more productive work environments. And given PROLIMs focus on enabling innovation through IT and PLM technology, our team consistently helps our clients quickly scale their PLM needs, reducing their time-to-market.



About Dallas 100

The Cox Schools Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship ranks the top 100 Dallas entrepreneurial companies annually based on percentage growth and absolute dollar growth over the previous three years. The Institute, working with the accounting firm BKD LLP CPA and Advisors examined sales from hundreds of companies for 2014 to 2016, the last year for which complete data is available. The event recognizes privately held corporations, proprietorships or partnerships headquartered in the Dallas area that often dont get attention, but which have created jobs and generated wealth for their founders and employees and enhanced the area economy.

About PROLIM Corporation

PROLIM is a leading provider of end to end PLM, IT, and Engineering Services for global 1000 companies in aerospace, automotive, medical devices, and industrial machinery with global operations in the USA, Canada, Europe, and India. PROLIM helps customers to improve profitability and efficiency by providing high value IT and PLM technology services. Allison Maloney PROLIM Global Corporation 800-9-PROLIM [email protected]

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[November 17, 2017] Satellite Technology Helps Ranchers Manage Feed Crops

WINNIPEG, Nov. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to working with agricultural industry partners to explore and develop new risk management tools that meet the needs of Canadian farmers when faced with serious challenges beyond their control. Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, Terry Duguid, on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister, Lawrence MacAulay, was at the University of Manitoba's Asper School of Business today to announce federal support for a study exploring the use of new and innovative technology to track hay and pasture production. The cutting-edge research, headed by Dr. Lysa Porth in the Warren Centre for Actuarial Studies and Research at the University of Manitoba's I.H. Asper School of Business, will play an important role in contributing to the stability to the cattle sector. Working with the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association (SCA), with $988,000 in federal funding, the project consists of collaborative research with Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) to use new satellite-based technology to reliably estimate forage growth at the farm level in each province, and to develop a forage production index, which would form the basis for the development of new insurance tools. Quotes "Feed is the lifeblood of any livestock operation, and our government understands the importance of helping to protect ranchers from risk such as losses to their forage crops. This project uses cutting-edge satellite technology to equip ranchers with the information they need to manage those risks and demonstrates why the University of Manitoba is renowned for its world-class research. With this targeted investment, our government is helping to ensure our ranchers remain on the cutting-edge of science, which helps to create good jobs and grow our economy."

- Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South "The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association is glad to suport and facilitate this research into forage insurance innovation. Grass and hay insurance uptake rates in the prairies are much lower than for annual crops. Some of this is due to program design and how programs work. By exploring satellite options perhaps we can move perennial crops closer to competitive balance with annual crops, at least when it comes to insurance programs offered. The AgriRisk Initiatives program is the successor to the program that helped to bring Western Livestock Price Insurance to the marketplace and we are glad to see the federal government continue investing in finding new solutions for producers."





Ryder Lee , Chief Executive Officer, Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association "This project provides a tremendous opportunity to bring together leaders in agricultural risk management and insurance, both within Canada and internationally, across academia, the private sector and government. Satellite-derived approaches show promise for improving forage insurance, based on improved design that is cost-efficient, representative and reliable, however, more research and development is needed. Our team looks forward to working with the project partners and discussions with Canadian producers in order to help develop improved risk management for forage based on state-of-the-art technology."

- Lysa Porth, Director, Warren Centre for Actuarial Studies and Research, and Assistant Professor / Guy Carpenter Chair in Agricultural Risk Management and Insurance

Quick Facts Budget 2017 focused on agri-food as one of the top industries in the Government's Innovation and Skills Plan, an ambitious effort to make Canada a world leader in innovation with a focus on expanding growth and creating good, well-paying jobs.

a world leader in innovation with a focus on expanding growth and creating good, well-paying jobs. Budget 2017 set an ambitious goal of growing Canada's agri-food exports to $75 billion by 2025.

agri-food exports to by 2025. Saskatchewan farms reported 3.9 million acres of tame hay in 2016. (Statistics Canada)

farms reported 3.9 million acres of tame hay in 2016. (Statistics Canada) This project is led by Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, and involves an interdisciplinary research team with members from the University of Manitoba , University of Waterloo , Nanyang Technological University , SCOR Inc. (an international agricultural reinsurance provider) and Airbus Defence and Space, along with cooperation from Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) and Alberta's Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC).

, , , SCOR Inc. (an international agricultural reinsurance provider) and Airbus Defence and Space, along with cooperation from Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) and Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC). This investment is made through the AgriRisk program which supports the research and development, as well as the implementation and administration of new risk management tools for use in the agriculture sector. AgriRisk is a Growing Forward 2 Business Risk Management initiative. Associated Links Growing Forward 2 (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

AgriRisk (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association

University of Manitoba - Agricultural Risk Management and Insurance Research Group Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada

Like us on Facebook: CanadianAgriculture SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Halifax

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[November 17, 2017] Inovva continues its diversification by launching www.donationplus.com a Donor Management and Donation Processing system

MONTREAL, Nov. 17, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Inovva is pleased to launch DonationPlus.com, a Donor Management and Donation Processing platform built on its flagship PublisherElements suite of tools. Headed by Patrick Durbano, Vice President of Non-profit Business Development, this launch continues to illustrate Inovva's focus on growth, and signals a new era in its diversification strategy as it expands to non-profit organizations, a sector that generates over $110 billion in annual donations in Canada. This launch coincides with Inovva's sponsorship and exhibition at the Association of Fundraising Professionals Congress in Toronto on November 20. Headed by a Highly Skilled Leader

Patrick brings over 25 yearsexperience, most of which were dedicated to the needs of North American non-profits. His extensive knowledge of Donor Database systems, online and offline donation processing, and back office services gives him a unique insight to provide charities, non-profits and associations with progressive and effective tools.



A Solution Engineered to Enhance Donor Stewardship

Using Patrick's insight, Inovva has engineered its PublisherElements solution to benefit the non-profit marketplace. It is the first solution of its kind that integrates the needs of publishers and charities into a single record. Through outsourcing back-office tasks and providing access to leading-edge technologies, Inovva's resources are focused on taming the increasingly complex challenges facing charities by creating tools that will make them quicker, more flexible and more engaged within their donor community. "We are thrilled about launching DonationPlus," says Inovva President Brinda Luckoo. "It is more intuitive, more flexible and provides more growth opportunity for our publishing clients while enabling us to boldly and seamlessly assist charities to grow their donor bases and donation revenue. By leaning on Patrick's expertise, we were able to develop advanced features like real-time dashboards; single-record, multi-channel constituents; built-in query tools and integrated payment processing. We are truly excited about serving the non-profit community!"

About Inovva

Inovva provides state-of-the-art digital tools designed to drive growth in the media, publishing and non-profit sectors. The company delivers forward-thinking solutions and expertise that cover all aspects of audience engagement, subscription fulfilment, sales management, donor stewardship, rights and royalty management, as well as content management for print, web and mobile platforms. Inovva is a wholly owned subsidiary of Equisoft, with head offices located in Montreal, Quebec. Website: inovva.com. SOURCE Inovva

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[November 17, 2017] SendGrid Announces Closing of Initial Public Offering and Full Exercise of the Underwriters' Option to Purchase Additional Shares

DENVER, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SendGrid, Inc., a leading digital communication platform, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 9,430,000 shares of common stock, including the full exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase 1,230,000 additional shares of common stock, at a price to the public of $16.00 per share. The shares are listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "SEND." Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as book-running managers for the offering. William Blair & Company, L.L.C., KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Piper Jaffray & Co. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated acted as co-managers. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus. A copy of the final prospectus may be obtained from Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014 or email at [email protected]; or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Attention: Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, telephone: 1-866- 803-9204, or email at [email protected].



A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with, and declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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 these securities in any state or 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. About SendGrid:

SendGrid is a leading digital communication platform, enabling businesses to engage with their customers via email reliably, effectively and at scale. A leader in email deliverability, SendGrid has processed over 36 billion emails each month for internet and mobile-based customers as well as more traditional enterprises.

Investor Relations Contact:

David Banks

SendGrid

888-985-7363

[email protected] Media Contact:

David Friedman

SendGrid

303-868-9641

[email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sendgrid-announces-closing-of-initial-public-offering-and-full-exercise-of-the-underwriters-option-to-purchase-additional-shares-300559009.html SOURCE SendGrid

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By Trend





Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be on an official visit in Baku on November 19-20, Hikmat Hajiyev, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys spokesman, told Trend on November 17.

Lavrov is scheduled to meet with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and other high-ranking officials within the framework of the visit, Hajiyev said.

He added that following the meeting, a joint press conference with the participation of both ministers will be held.
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NEWTOWN, Pa., Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (TSX:HSM) (OTCQB:HSDT) ("Helius" or the "Company"), a medical technology company focused on neurological wellness, has received numerous inquiries asking for clarification on the results of the registrational and long-term treatment clinical trials reported on November 9, 2017 (http://heliusmedical.com/index.php/newsroom/news-release/2017/204). In response to those inquiries, Helius wishes to clarify the observations from the two trials previously reported and its plans to include the data in an application for marketing authorization by FDA.



Philippe Deschamps, Chief Executive Officer of Helius, stated, The data showed participants who received PoNS Therapy experienced average SOT score improvements double to triple the increase that would be expected with physical therapy alone in a much shorter timeframe. The company is excited to finalize and submit its regulatory dossier to the FDA.

Registrational TBI Trial

Background Information:

Sensory Organization Test (SOT) was the measurement tool used in the trial to assess balance. It is a reliable, reproducible, referenced metric and recognized as a measure of clinically significant changes in trials measuring balance.

SOT Composite Score is a 0 to 100-point scale where zero means the patient cannot balance unaided and 100 implies perfect balance.

An average SOT score for a neurologically intact adult is 70  80 and a change in score of 8 points is considered clinically significant. The mean baseline score for subjects in the trials was about 40, representing a population with a profound loss of balance.

According to medical literature, subjects with chronic balance disorders caused by mild to moderate TBI have historically demonstrated limited response to physical therapy alone, with typical increases in SOT scores of 8-13 points over a 6-9 month period of time.

Study Design:

The registrational trial was a randomized, double blind, multicenter clinical study designed to determine if a high frequency pulse (HFP) version of the investigational PoNS Therapy was superior to a low frequency pulse (LFP) version of the PoNS Therapy, that was intended in the trial design to be non-therapeutic. The LFP stimulus was detectable and was used to maintain blinding of study subjects and investigators.

Subjects:

 Had suffered a mild to moderate TBI and had a chronic balance disorder.

 Were at least one-year post injury and would, therefore, be unlikely to spontaneously recover their balance.

 Had all completed balance rehabilitation therapy, documented by a healthcare professional to no longer provide benefit. Therefore, if they responded to investigational PoNS Therapy with either HFP or LFP, it would likely be due to the intervention of the PoNS Therapy.

 Had suffered a mild to moderate TBI and had a chronic balance disorder.  Were at least one-year post injury and would, therefore, be unlikely to spontaneously recover their balance.  Had all completed balance rehabilitation therapy, documented by a healthcare professional to no longer provide benefit. Therefore, if they responded to investigational PoNS Therapy with either HFP or LFP, it would likely be due to the intervention of the PoNS Therapy. The primary effectiveness endpoint in the trial was a responder analysis, comparing the HFP group to the LFP group. A responder was defined as a participant whose SOT score increased by more than 15 points, which is twice what is considered clinically significant and above what is typically seen in patients treated with PT alone.

The secondary effectiveness endpoint in the trial was the mean change in composite SOT score at 2 and 5 weeks, compared to baseline.

Our prospective statistical analysis plan contemplated the scenario where the LFP PoNS Therapy was observed to be therapeutically active in the trial which would make it more difficult to reach statistical significance in the between-group comparison for our primary endpoint. The statistical analysis plan also provided for combining the data for HFP and LFP into a single group to assess the secondary endpoints of mean increase in SOT scores from baseline to the score at 2 and 5 weeks post PoNS Therapy.

Results of Registrational Trial:

The response rates in this study showed that 75.4% (HFP) and 60.7% (LFP) of participants had at least a 15-point change in SOT, having previously plateaued on PT alone. There was a trend to higher response rate in the HFP group when compared to the LFP group, but as between the groups, both groups showed a strong response. The p value was = 0.081. Of note, the increase in SOT score in each group, 27.6 for HFP and 23.6 for LFP are markedly above what has been established for PT alone (8 - 13 points), a therapy all participants had previously undergone with no further benefit. Given this outcome, the next step of our statistical analysis plan was to combine the results for the two groups to ascertain if the mean change in the combined group would be significantly different from zero at the end of two weeks and five weeks of treatment. This would statistically assess whether the interventions in the HFP and LFP groups were positively therapeutic or not. The mean change was +18.3 at the two-week measurement point and +24.6 at week 5. Both measurements were statistically significant , p value <0.0005.

p value <0.0005. We assessed the change in SOT scores for each of the HFP and LFP groups and observed a statistically significant change p<0.025 when comparing the increase in SOT scores in both the week 2 and week 5 measurement points in both the HFP and LFP groups compared to the baseline scores.

The study met the primary and secondary safety endpoints. At baseline and post-PoNS therapy, the primary safety endpoint assessed falls and the secondary safety endpoint assessed headaches.

We did not observe any device related serious adverse events.

Figures associated with registrational trial data are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/90b198e0-48b9-4b31-87ba-71c15e344c63

Long-Term Treatment Trial

The long-term treatment trial was performed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It was designed to investigate what happens when subjects in both HFP and LFP PoNS Therapy groups discontinued treatment for 12 weeks after receiving 14 weeks of therapy.

The results of the long-term trial were very similar to the results of the registrational trial.

There were no statistical differences between the HFP and LFP groups.

This study demonstrated that PoNS Therapy could help bring balance from profoundly disabled participants, to the normal range in 14 weeks of treatment and that this result was sustained without further therapy for another 12 weeks without any kind of prescribed therapy.

There were no device related serious adverse events in the long-term treatment trial.

Figures associated with long-term treatment trial data are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/89613bca-a5e0-4ff9-83ab-001430282bd0

Plans for FDA Submission for Marketing Authorization

First, it is critical to note that the planned route to market for the PoNS Therapy is as a class II medical device via the de novo classification process. This is novel technology for which there are currently no substantially equivalent devices being marketed in the US. During the pre-submission meeting with FDA, it was established that the investigational PoNS Therapy study to address balance symptoms in participants with mild to moderate TBI was a Non-Significant Risk device study.

FDA will evaluate the probable benefit to health from the use of the device against any probable injury based upon a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. There is a reasonable assurance that a device is effective when it can be determined by FDA, based upon valid scientific evidence, that in a significant portion of the target population, the intended use of the device will provide clinically significant results. We believe we have met this standard in the results of the two clinical trials reported on in this communication in participants that had significant balance disorder associated with their mild to moderate TBI.

Second, the treatment of balance disorder after TBI is a significant health issue and represents an unmet medical need. We believe the results of these two clinical trials indicate that the investigational PoNS Therapy represents a promising opportunity to help patients and address a recognized unmet medical need.

Helius also has accomplished the following steps to securing marketing authorization:

Proven Quality Management Systems. The company obtained ISO 13485 certification in October 2016 (http://heliusmedical.com/index.php/newsroom/news-release/2016/117-helius-medical-technologies-to-receive-iso-13485-certificate-precursor-certification-for-regulatory-applications-in-europe-canada-and-australia) and in September, 2017 passed their annual audit with no issues. Helius has therefore satisfied this element. Design Verification: The company is engaged in a battery of tests to ensure the investigational PoNS device can be manufactured to the required quality. These tests, once successfully completed, will accompany submission to FDA.

Conclusion

We look forward to discussing the data with FDA to secure marketing clearance for the device. We now anticipate that our 510(K) application to the US FDA will be submitted in the first half of 2018, with clearance expected in the second half of 2018. The timing on our submission is based on our decision to use devices from our scale manufacturing line for our submission for clearance to enhance the quality and reliability of our commercial devices at launch.

About PoNS Therapy

The Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS) is an investigational non-invasive device designed to deliver neurostimulation through the tongue. PoNS Therapy combines the use of the device with physical therapy and is currently being evaluated in a multicenter clinical trial for the treatment of balance disorder for subjects with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury.

About Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

Helius Medical Technologies is a medical technology company focused on neurological wellness. Helius seeks to develop, license and acquire unique and non-invasive platform technologies that amplify the brains ability to heal itself. Helius intends to file for FDA clearance for the PoNS device. For more information, please visit www.heliusmedical.com.

The Toronto Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Cautionary Disclaimer Statement:

Certain statements in this news release are not based on historical facts and constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities laws (forward-looking statements).

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding ongoing or planned clinical research, the manner in which the FDA or other regulatory bodies may asses and interpret the results of our registrational clinical trial and the long-term treatment trial, expected future development timelines, regulatory submissions and approvals or other business initiatives and objectives.

Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as anticipate, believe, estimate, intend, will and similar expressions.

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 Companys expectations include the failure of the Company to achieve its business objectives and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements 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 statement. 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. Risks and uncertainties about the Companys business are more fully discussed in the Companys disclosure materials, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian securities regulators and which can be obtained from either at www.sec.gov or www.sedar.com.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements except to the extent required by law.
THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InZinc Mining Ltd. (TSXV:IZN) (the Company) is pleased to announce that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the Financing) of up to 20,000,000 units (the Units) at a price of $0.10 per Unit for aggregate proceeds of up to $2.0 million. Each Unit will consist of one common share (a Common Share) of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (a Warrant). Each full Warrant will entitle its holder to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.15 for a period of 24 months from completion of the Financing.

Red Cloud Klondike Strike Inc. and other parties at arms length to the Company (collectively, the Finders) will act as the finders in connection with the Financing. The Company will pay the Finders a fee of 7% in cash and 7% in Warrants (the Finders Warrants). Each Finders Warrant will entitle the Finders to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.15 for a period of 24 months. The net proceeds from the Financing will be used for advancement of the Companys exploration projects and for general corporate purposes.

Certain insiders of the Company intend to participate in the Financing. The issuances of Units to insiders of the Company pursuant to the Financing will be considered related party transactions within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 in respect of such insider participation, based on a determination that the fair market value of the participation in the Financing by insiders will not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company expects to file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction less than 21 days prior to the closing of the Financing, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able to avail itself of the proceeds of the Financing in an expeditious manner.

Closing of the Financing is expected to occur on or before December 7, 2017 and is subject to all regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities issued in connection with the Financing will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

The Company intends to complete a portion of the Financing pursuant to Multilateral CSA Notice 45-318 Prospectus Exemption for Certain Distributions through an Investment Dealer (CSA 45-318) and the corresponding instruments, orders and rules implementing CSA 45-318 in the participating jurisdictions (collectively with CSA 45-318, the Investment Dealer Exemption). In addition to conducting the Financing pursuant to the Investment Dealer Exemption, the Company will also accept subscriptions for Units where other prospectus exemptions are available.

In accordance with the Investment Dealer Exemption, the Company advises that, as at the date hereof, there is no material fact or material change in respect of the Company that has not been generally disclosed. Additionally, the Company advises that there is no minimum number of Units being offered pursuant to the Financing.

About InZinc

InZinc is focused on growth in zinc through exploration and expansion of the advanced stage West Desert project (100%) in Utah and exploration of the early stage Indy project (100% option) in British Columbia. West Desert has a large underground resource open for expansion and has district scale exploration potential. A West Desert preliminary economic assessment completed in 2014 forecasted 1.6 billion pounds of zinc production over 15 years. Indy comprises both near surface exploration targets and regional discovery potential. Both zinc projects are well located with easy access and existing infrastructure.

InZinc Mining Ltd.

"Wayne Hubert

___________________

Wayne Hubert

CEO and Director

Phone: 801.369.7860



Website: www.inzincmining.com

For further information contact:

Joyce Musial

Vice President, Corporate Affairs

Phone: 604.317.2728

Email: joyce@inzincmining.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the Companys next shareholder meeting. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plan, design, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results, performance, or actions and that actual results and actions may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Companys Management Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with certain securities commissions in Canada and other information released by the Company and filed with the appropriate regulatory agencies. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.

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.
Kansas City Lady Tech Training

WiSTEMM WiSTEMM Women in STEMM: WiSTEMM Putting a well-deserved spotlight on women in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine By focusing on successful STEMM leaders, WiSTEMM intends to draw attention to the resource shortfall in these careers and provide inspiration for others to pursue careers in these areas.

Local Hipster Lunch Menu

Shaka Noodle Shack & Hang 10 Pier Land in North Kansas City A framed photo of Chewbacca holding a surfboard hangs over the table where a couple is digging into a plate of noodles that's topped with Alfredo sauce, avocado sour cream, and chimichurri. This is the Shaka Noodle Shack, where the decor is as unexpected as the flavor combinations.

Suburban Chase Aftermath

Police end search in Grandview, believe MHP arrested suspects in 2nd chase GRANDVIEW, Mo. - Lee's Summit police believe Missouri Highway Patrol troopers arrested a suspect they were searching for in Grandview Friday morning. Lee's Summit police told 41 Action News officers went to an apartment complex at 4:30 a.m. for reports of car break-ins.

Sunflower State Wasteland Confirmation

Study ranks Kansas as the second-most flown over state by commercial airliners in the continental U.S. - Wichita Business Journal While it might be a derisive term in the minds of many Kansans, a new study related to commercial air traffic patterns shows that the Sunflower State is, technically, flyover country. Kansas ranks as the second-most flown over state, according to the study from ChampionTraveler that determined the ratio of flyover flights to destination flights over the past 12 months.

Sen. Claire Gives Away Franken Cash

McCaskill donates campaign money she got from Franken PAC Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill says she's giving away $30,000 that fellow Democratic Sen. Al Franken's leadership PAC donated to her campaign.

Voting Redux In Kansas

Kansas Political Party Officials Say Move to Fall Local Elections Offers Benefits The 2017 Kansas election is officially in the books, as counties finished most of the work finalizing their results Thursday. This was the first election since local races were moved to the fall, and voter turnout was up in many areas.

Kansas City Second Chance

For Kansas City homeless, City Union Mission can be a starting point for recovery They're seen on the street corners, cardboard signs in their in hands. People may ask, how did the homeless people get there? Why don't they seek help? One such person is Heather, 54. She was married for 23 years before she was widowed in 2005.

Celebrate Kansas City Chiefs Playbook

So-called 'Hill Mary' is something the Chiefs practice regularly 8:52 AM ET Adam TeicherESPN Staff Writer Close Covered Chiefs for 20 seasons for Kansas City Star Joined ESPN in 2013 KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Andy Reid joked this week that some plays the Kansas City Chiefs unveil during games look like they were just drawn up on the sideline.

Pron hottieis an author, fitness trainer, world traveler and former porn star. Right now her many talents inspire these workaday links regarding all things Kansas City.Checkit:And this is thefor right now . . .
New York, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AlixPartners, the global consulting firm, today announced the appointment of John Riley as a managing director in the firms Financial Advisory Services practice. He will work from AlixPartners Washington, D.C. office.

With more than 30 years of experience in his field, John is a leading expert in advising public companies on complex accounting and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission-related reporting issues. He joins AlixPartners from Navigant Consulting Inc., where he worked since 2002 and where, most recently, he was a managing director assisting individuals, major corporations and accounting firms with complex accounting and auditing issues related to financial reporting, regulatory, and civil- and criminal-litigation matters.

Prior to that, he worked at Arthur Andersen LLP, where he rose to become an audit practice director was responsible for providing technical advice on accounting, auditing and auditor independence issues.

From 1984 to 1995, John held progressively more responsible positions at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, rising to become deputy chief accountant for the SEC in 1992 and acting chief accountant in 1995.

He holds a bachelors degree in accounting from the University of Baltimore, and is a certified public accountant.

Simon Freakley, Chief Executive Officer at AlixPartners, said: Were delighted to have John join our firm. As a technical accountant and former regulator with extensive expert-testimony experience, he is well-placed to serve our clients on a wide range of business challenges and opportunities. His expertise and judgment will only deepen our offering in these areas."

About AlixPartners

In todays fast-paced global market timing is everything. You want to protect, grow or transform your business. To meet these challenges, we offer clients small teams of highly qualified experts with profound sector and operational insight. Our clients include corporate boards and management, law firms, investment banks, investors and others who appreciate the candor, dedication and transformative expertise of our teams. We will ensure insight drives action at that exact moment that is critical for success. When it really matters SM www.alixpartners.com.
"Mike Shanin interviews KCMO City Manager Troy Schulte about the next steps for KCI and the status of the convention hotel. Cynthia Wheeler, Danedri Herbert and Steve Mirakian discuss the status of KC's biggest projects, Kevin Yoder's chances of retaining his seat in the Kansas 3rd District race and the latest in the turmoil between Frank White and the Jackson County Legislature."

Tonight's gold standard of the KCMO discourse takes a moment to consider the "man behind the curtain" at City Hall and one of the strongest advocates of the local development agenda . . . In addition to some other ongoing topics worthy of a mention.Check the description . . .You decide . . .
A homeless Kansas City man has been charged in Tuesday's stabbing near 9th and Prospect in KC. According to the Jackson County Prosecutor, 40-year-old Sonny R. Scott faces charges of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, and two counts of armed criminal action. According to court records, police went to the area of 9th and Prospect on a reported stabbing.
The department announced earlier this week it's buying more than 900 ballistic helmets for its officers.





The helmets are meant to be used in potential situations where officers may come under fire . . .





"These officers -- I mean, they have to be equipped," said Stacy Jackson, wife to David Jackson with the KCMO Police Department. "They're the ones protecting us. We've got to at least provide equipment to protect them."

"KC has often asked for more police on the streets and greater 'community outreach' but now we see the same kind of militarization tactics from KCPD that have been used in Ferguson, MO during the uprising and among several other departments who are arming themselves with war machines. This is a far cry from community policing that has been demonstrated to reduce crime in other cities. Why are the police stocking up on riot gear? What are they preparing for? Are the protests planned for the midterm election really that terrifying to law enforcement? What kind of message does it send when KCPD sends police in full combat gear into our streets? And will these military uniforms also adorn officers in suburban neighborhoods too? No one is arguing against greater safety for officers, but who will protect the residents of KC from something that looks a great deal like military occupation."

Before we really get into it this morning . . . A quick question of KCPD equipment arises from our. . .This story seems innocent enough and locals want to see police have the tools they need to do their very dangerous job . . .Deets:Accordingly, here's the response from a self-described KCPD "watchdog" on the topic of the new gear . . .To be fair, KCPD has used tactical gear like the helmet, armored vehicles and a vast array of spy tech (up to &) during their operations for quite a number of years.You decide . . .
Congressman Cleaver Releases Statement on House Tax Bill

(Kansas City, MO) - Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II released the following statement after the passage of the tax bill.





It was truly disappointing to witness the passage of the hastily drafted House tax plan yesterday. Like many Missourians, I support efforts to simplify the federal tax code; however, I strongly oppose shifting the tax burden from corporations onto hard-working, middle-class families.





This tax plan would eliminate deductions that so many families, small business owners, and seniors rely on, such as: child care deductions, student loan payments, teachers out-of-pocket expenses, and large medical bills due to cancer, Alzheimers and other illnesses. For these reasons, I voted, No on H.R. 1.





With a 90 year-old mother-in-law and a 96 year-old father and tens of thousands of seniors in my Congressional District, I could not in good conscience vote for a tax plan that does so little for them and for working Americans. This tax bill will drive up our national debt, adding at least $1.5 trillion to the debt and triggering over $136 Billion in spending cuts, including $25 Billion from Medicare in 2018. Congress should find a bi-partisan solution that would provide tax breaks without leaving this kind of debt burden for future generations.

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Local word on the latest tax effort that might die in the Senate but has still earned a great deal of rebuke along partisan lines.Checkit:You decide . . .
OLATHE, Kan. - Thursday morning dozens of Sysco delivery drivers in Olathe traded their trucks for picket signs. The group of 38 went on strike to highlight what it called "unfair labor practices" by the food distributor. Driver Mike Burner said the group voted in December 2014 to unionize as part of the Teamsters Local 41.
Greek daily Kathimerini recently published the following report of a visit by Happy Village (the youth camp of the Urban Rail Transport company, STASY) to the most picturesque trails of the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest National Park in Thrace, northen Greece:

The participants in the five-day excursion were young people aged 16 to 25 undergoing training for their role as team leaders. Being a team leader entails being a good role model and helping youngsters during camp activities, and in doing so, preparing them for the responsibilities of adult life.

A tour of the Silk Museum in the town of Soufli, near the border with Turkey, gave the youngsters plenty of food for thought. My generation tends to underestimate the industrial history of Greece because it didnt end very well, says 20-year-old Stefanos Koufakis, who is a third-year student at the University of Piraeus.

The museum, which presents the history and significance of sericulture and silk manufacturing in the region, as well as the impact of globalization on the industry. Hopefully the silk industry will be rediscovered, noted Stefanos, who is also from Thrace. Stefanos grew up hearing stories from his grandmother, who worked in silk manufacturing in the 1950s and 60s, when the local economy was still powered by the industry. For him, the excursion was also an opportunity to take a break from the rigors of daily life, as he has to work to support himself through school.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: SilentResident,Philly boy92 License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ekathimerini.com
Azores Airlines will offer a special promotion for Cyber Monday. In fact, it will start on Black Friday Between November 22nd to November 29th book in a special price of $449 including taxes round trip from Boston to the Azores Islands



(TRAVPR.COM) USA - November 16th, 2017 - Boston, MA  Azores Airlines will offer a special promotion for Cyber Monday. In fact, it will start on Black Friday Between November 22nd to November 29th book in a special price of $449 including taxes round trip from Boston to the Azores Islands. Flights to Ponta Delgada, Portugal, from Boston Logan available for the four following dates: November 24th, November 29th, December 3rd and December 5th, 2017. And the return dates are: November 29th and December 3rd, 5th, 6th and 10th. Booking is easy call Azores Airlines Vacations America at (800) 762-9995, or log on to

The Azores are known for their brightly-colored blue green lakes, rolling prairies, volcanic craters, colorful hydrangeas, the middle-age churches, and beautiful manor houses. With the year-round temperatures of 57F and 71F the Azores make a perfect escape shelter for those who is not quite enjoying New Englands winter frosts.

For wine lovers the Azores offer local wines made from Verdelho, Arinto, and Terrantez from local grape vines surrounded by volcanic rocks to protect them from chilly evening temperatures and winds. Cyber Monday Deal suggests the great opportunity to explore the Azores Islands without breaking the bank.

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 call your travel agent or log on to www.AzoresAirlines.pt or call (800) 762-9995.

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Milwaukee, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

The personal injury law firm of Hupy and Abraham is proud to announce that Attorneys Jason Abraham and Robert Domol have been named to the 2017 list of Wisconsin Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. The Super Lawyers list provides visibility to attorneys who exhibit excellence in the practice of law. It is highly regarded as the premium source for outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Both the Super Lawyers and the Rising Stars lists are based on a multiphase selection process, including peer review and a separate third-party research component. Only five percent of Wisconsin attorneys can be named to the Super Lawyers list, while those 40 and under are among only 2.5 percent of lawyers named to the Rising Stars List.

Attorney Abraham joined Hupy and Abraham, S.C. in 1993 and was named shareholder in 1999. Shortly after, the firms name was changed to Hupy and Abraham. Attorney Abrahams extraordinary talents handling personal injury cases have resulted in him obtaining approximately $350 million by settlement or trial.

Attorney Domol, who serves clients in Appleton, Wisconsin, joined Hupy and Abraham in 2014. Since then, he has been dedicated to providing the best service and results to each and every one of his clients.

Hupy and Abraham, S.C.

Founded in 1969 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, personal injury law firm Hupy and Abraham, S.C. has a proven record of success with large settlements in serious cases, collecting over a billion dollars for more than 70,000 satisfied clients. The firm has a long-established reputation of providing sound legal representation to accident victims, securing fair compensation for its clients and giving back to the community.

With 11 offices located in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, the law firm handles personal injury cases including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, pharmaceutical and medical device class actions and nursing home neglect and abuse cases.

The firms 26 experienced attorneys are committed to going above and beyond the call of duty for their clients by tirelessly representing them to the best of their ability while being involved in the local community  from raising funds for local charities to participating in safety and accident prevention initiatives. In the past three years, the firm has donated more than $500,000 to more than 250 worthwhile causes.

Hupy and Abraham, S.C. has received top ratings from a number of national professional organizations for many years and was voted Best Personal Injury Lawyers in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 and voted Best Personal Injury Law Firm in 2016, 2014, 2013 and 2012 in another popular poll, and named Best Law Firm in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinels Top Choice Award in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, the firm was named a Webby Award Honoree in the Best Law Website Category and was honored at the Legal Marketing Associations Your Honor Awards for Best Website: Reboot. In 2017, the firm was voted Best Personal Injury Law Firm by the Wisconsin Law Journal readership.

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83f98b09-0659-454f-9c03-48760ce89aa3

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7fd23a32-4e86-4718-9019-fde1d4af3f5e
hikesterson/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Some renters of homes owned by the billion-dollar landlords highlighted in an ABC News investigation might be surprised to learn that they, as taxpayers, have a stake in their corporate landlords business.



Thats because of a new initiative by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), in which Fannie Mae guarantees mortgage-backed securities on rental homes. (Fannie Mae, along with Freddie Mac, is a government-sponsored enterprise that securitizes mortgages, allowing private lenders to put more of their money back into lending.)



The first deal went to Invitation Homes, founded by financier Stephen Schwarzman, a onetime adviser of President Donald Trump and chairman and CEO of The Blackstone Group private equity firm. In January, it was disclosed that Invitation got $1 billion deal from Fannie Mae to back up its mortgages during the tail end of the Obama administration, thus helping Invitation lower its borrowing costs and acquire more units.



Meanwhile, some of the rental homes in the stable of Starwood Waypoint, a company once led by longtime Trump ally Tom Barrack, are still jointly owned with Fannie Mae in an arrangement that dates to the mortgage meltdown. The company mentions the joint venture in a 2017 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.



According to Aaron Glantz, a senior reporter for Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting who has published a series of reports on the home rental business, the Obama administration encouraged these types of investments in foreclosed homes in order to prevent neighborhoods from becoming blighted.



The Obama administration encouraged this behavior, and even set up a joint venture between Fannie Mae and Tom Barrack's company. Fannie Mae helped Tom Barrack get started in this business, Glantz told ABC News. But we have to ask ourselves could there have been another way.



Starwood Waypoint and Invitation have announced plans to merge, creating a company that will own about 82,000 rental homes nationwide, and affordable housing advocates have raised concerns with the FHFA, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, arguing that its not right for taxpayers to essentially be helping large corporate landlords.



Earlier this month, 136 nonprofit organizations from 20 states signed a letter to the FHFA director, a copy of which can be read here, voicing concern that these government-backed deals run counter to the FHFAs obligation to foster home ownership and stable communities. While the rental companies argue that the buying up foreclosed homes prevents blight, critics say the companies are taking affordable homes away from prospective buyers  and taxpayers are helping them do it.



Fannie Mae, as a government sponsored entity, should be focused on trying to help low- and moderate-income people achieve the American Dream of home ownership, said Kevin Stein, deputy director of the California Reinvestment Coalition, one of the letters signatories. Theyre literally converting home-owner opportunities into home-renter opportunities.





Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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: Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP (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 Worldpay Group 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 16 November, 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" YES, Vantiv Inc and Vantiv UK Limited

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:



3p ordinary



Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



87,444,764 4.3722







(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL: 87,444,764 4.3722









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 3p ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 2,000,000 4.0775 GBP

(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: 17 November 2017 Contact name: James Gange Telephone number: 212-446-4029

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.
Boston and Chicago, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the nation, has been named to the 2017 Boston Globe Top Workplaces list. While this is the first time Guaranteed Rate has been included on the Boston Globe list, the company  headquartered in Chicago -- has been named a Top Workplace by the Chicago Tribune seven out of the last eight years including 2017. The Top Workplaces lists are based solely on employee surveys measuring overall employee engagement and satisfaction, including compensation, diversity, leadership, and training.

Im thrilled Guaranteed Rate is receiving well-deserved recognition as a great place to work, says Branch Manager Shant Banosian, one of the top producing loan originators in the country. There is no better company in the mortgage space today than Guaranteed Rate. The company utilizes the most innovative technology, offers a terrific work-life balance, and employs the best of the best in the industry. Employees are provided the necessary tools and training to be as successful as possible and exceed their own goals and expectations.

Guaranteed Rate hosts frequent employee appreciation events, offers a comprehensive wellness program and employs the most top loan originators of any mortgage lender in the country. Top sales performers this year enjoyed trips to Mykonos, Greece and the Ritz Carlton Cancun with the Amalfi Coast and the Grand Hyatt Bel Mar Resort in the Bahamas slated for 2018.

Giving back is also a huge part of the Guaranteed Rate culture, with employees working together to positively impact the community through food drives, annual fundraisers, and the Guaranteed Rate Foundation, which donates funds to those in desperate need of help. The Guaranteed Rate team recently chaired the New England Walk for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, which raised a total of $535,000.00 for the kids at St. Jude, where they are changing the way the world treats childhood cancer and no family ever receives a bill for treatment, housing or transportation while at St. Jude.

The entire list of Top Workplaces may be found at BostonGlobe.com and in the November 19 issue of Boston Globe magazine.

About Guaranteed Rate

Guaranteed Rate is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the company has approximately 195 offices across the U.S. and Washington, D.C., and is licensed in all 50 states. Since its founding in 2000, Guaranteed Rate has helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances and funded nearly $23 billion in loans in 2016 alone. The company has become the Home Purchase Experts by introducing the world's first Digital Mortgage technology and offering low rate, low fee mortgages through an easy-to-understand process and unparalleled customer service. Guaranteed Rate won an American Business Award for its Digital Mortgage technology in 2016, ranked No. 1 in Scotsman Guide's Top Mortgage Lenders 2016, was chosen Top Lender 2016 and 2017 by Chicago Agent magazine and made the Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list seven of the past eight years. Visit rate.com for more information.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6a892bd7-3fee-4062-91bd-8c4c861d6529
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

An interstate committee of the UT, Haryana and Punjab has approved the construction of a ring road around the city.

The decision came during a meeting of the high-level committee of Haryana, Punjab and UT regarding integrated planning and development of Chandigarh region held here today.

Haryana Chief Secretary DS Dhesi, Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh and Adviser to the UT Administrator Parimal Rai attended the meeting.

The proposed ring road will reduce traffic congestion on the citys arterial roads  Madhya Marg and Dakshin Marg. It will link the expressway project of GMADA near Mullanpur and Banur. The propsed ring road will go up to Baddi and some parts of Haryana.

During the meeting, it was also decided to improve connectivity in the tricity. It was decided that Punjab and Haryana will be involved in the making of a comprehensive mobility plan of Chandigarh. The UT has already started the work on it. Discussions were also held on ensuring seamless connectivity between the UT and the states of Haryana and Punjab.

The neighbouring states have agreed to construct a 700-metre road between Sector 20, Panchkula, and Peer Muchalla in Punjab, and construct a bridge over Ghaggar river to facilitate traffic coming from Sector 25 and 26 in Panchkula. It was also decided to construct an alternative road to the Chandigarh international airport. A technical survey will be conducted for the purpose.

It was decided that Haryana would start the work of widening of a road in the Panchkula area leading to Hallomajra in Chandigarh to ensure free flow of traffic.

Punjab and Chandigarh agreed on approaching the Railway department for getting an RUB constructed near the Baltana railway crossing.

The Administration informed that it would acquire land to connect with two additional approach roads to Punjab  one will connect at Vikas Marg and the other Dakshin Marg.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

A substation attendant of the UT Electricity Department died under mysterious circumstances today.

It is alleged that the employee, identified as Harwinder Singh, died after being thrashed by people in Sector 25 where he, along with his colleagues, had gone to snap the power connections of the households that defaulted on payment of bills. The victim though didnt have any injury mark on the body.

MP Singh, Superintending Engineer (SE), Electricity Department, said a team of the department, along with the area SDO, had gone to Azad Colony for the enforcement drive.

Local residents started protesting in a bid to prevent the power employees action.

It is alleged that the victim was thrashed by the protesters, following which he fell unconscious.

He was rushed to the PGI where he died.

In a press release, the UT police claimed that employees of the Electricity Department neither took any police protection nor did they inform the police department before visiting the colony.

Police officials claimed that during preliminary investigation, no apparent injury mark was found on the victims body. They stated that they were looking for witnesses and CCTV cameras, if any, installed near the spot.

The FIR will be registered after recording the statements of other officials of the Electricity Department, who were present at the spot when the incident took place, the police said.

A Medical Board will conduct the post-mortem examination. Meanwhile, an investigation into the incident has been initiated by officials at the Sector 11 police station. Sources said cops questioned a few local residents in this connection
Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

After Chandigarh DGP Tajender Singh Luthra, will Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, bend rules to allow admission of SSP (Traffic) Shashank Anand to the three-year LLB course? The Syndicate will take a decision on it on November 19.

Anand was posted at Chandigarh on July 31 this year. He has been pursuing the three-year LLB (evening) programme from the Department of Laws, Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, Haryana, from 2015. At present, he is enrolled in the fifth semester at the MDU.

It would not be possible for me to return to Rohtak to complete this programme. In addition to this, as per the Bar Council of India guidelines, the evening programme has been discontinued. Thus, this is the last opportunity for me to complete the LLB programme, of which I have already completed two out of three years, he said in his application to the PU Vice-Chancellor.

The last date for the submission of the admission form was September 7. For the delay, Anand reasoned, In this regard, it is submitted that the undersigned remained extremely occupied with the maintenance of law and order and the security of vital installations in Chandigarh in the wake of the Panchkula violence following the conviction of Sirsa Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case as well as the student body elections in your esteemed university.

He had sent his admission form on September 19. Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover sent the case to the Department of Laws, which in its academic and administrative Commitee meeting, dated September 29, stated that condoning the delay was beyond their jurisdiction.

Also, in a joint meeting of the Board of Control and Academic Committee on October 24, it was decided that since the university was going to file a review petition in a migration case in the High Court, his admission be put on hold.

Earlier, the court had cancelled seven migrations in reserved categories, stating that the overall merit had to be followed as there was no rule of reservation in migration.

On September 8, the court had ordered, The respondent university is directed to fill vacant seats in the fifth semester of the LLB three-year course by first exhausting the merit list prepared pursuant to applications invited for the 2016-17 session. In case, there are leftover seats, only then the merit list prepared pursuant to the applications invited in the 2017-18 session shall come into play.
Maj-Gen Ashok K Mehta (retd)

Maj-Gen Ashok K Mehta (retd)

Recently in Nepal

Last month, there was a short-lived but inconclusive debate in India on the government's intention to hold simultaneous elections to state and central legislatures. In Nepal (as in Sri Lanka where the idea is being explored), with its new constitution promulgated, the first simultaneous provincial and federal elections are to be held on November 27 and December 7. With Parliament dissolved, the Constituent Assembly turned legislature after the promulgation of Nepal's fifth constitution on September 20, 2015, which India only 'noted' and not welcomed, four governments were formed in four years led by Nepali Congress's Sushil Koirala, United Marxist Leninist KP Oli, Maoist's Prachanda and currently NC's Sher Bahadur Deuba. Nepal has seen 25 governments, including one royal coup, in the last 27 years of multi-party democracy.

Left Alliance formation

Nepal is still recovering from the joy of Dussehra and Tihar (Bhai Tika) which together consumed three weeks. Election fever has been rising, following the local body elections held earlier this year. 2017 is the year of elections in Nepal. If elections were held now, the People's Poll projection points to a victory for the UML and Maoists Left Alliance in parliamentary and provincial elections. Soon after Dussehra, Nepal was rocked by the surprise of the century: the formation of the 'Left Alliance', Communist parties of Nepal banding together with the UML and Maoists vowing to merge as one party after the elections. With the Deuba-led first NC-Maoist coalition government still in place, Prachanda's betrayal hurt hard. This new Right-Left combination was born after Prachanda deserted Oli in government formation last year in which both China (for the first time) and India played no mean role. While both Left parties have formed coalition governments in the past, this is the first time they will fight elections as allies. The shock and awe of the Left Alliance was crowned with five former PMs  Prachanda, Madhav Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Baburam Bhattarai and Krishna Prasad Oli  affirming Left unity. Only hours later, Bhattarai was the first to walk out with his Left Eye (election symbol of his Naya Shakti party which he formed after leaving Maoists) metaphorically bruised over differences on the Gorkha seat which Bhattarai wants. He has swiftly joined the NC-led Democratic Alliance and will fight for that seat.

Coalition of convenience

The UML-Maoist alliance is a coalition of convenience between natural adversaries turned temporary allies, prompting Deuba to cobble together the Democratic Alliance. The Deuba-led alliance has attracted Nepal Loktantrik Forum's Bijay Gachhadar, an ex-Congressman who has merged his party with NC, the flexible royalist Kamal Thapa of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, and the Pashupati Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana faction of the RPP. Mahanta Thakur's Madhesi Rashtriya Janata Party and the Federal Socialist Forum of Upendra Yadav will support the Democratic Alliance.

High drama accompanied speculation that ambushed by the Left Alliance, Deuba will delay elections. Shredded of their portfolios, Maoist ministers refused to resign, alleging Deuba would postpone elections. Kamal Thapa justified joining the government to ensure elections were held on schedule. The mood in the UML and Maoist camps is upbeat. With media on its side, the propaganda wings re-energised and China's deep pockets at work, the UML is hailing its nationalist leader Oli as a patriot who had the gumption to stand up to India during the infamous blockade. Whipping up anti-India sentiment is easier now and a useful vote-catcher. The Left Alliance will likely bag maximum votes in the hill areas, hill districts merged in Terai and along the East-West highway.

Hurdles for alliance

What can go wrong with the fortunes of the Left Alliance? Grassroot leaders of Maoists have opposed the tie-up with the UML who were targeted during the People's War by the Maoists. Implementation of seat adjustments is still imperfect at the ground level. The Maoists who are the flag-bearers of the transformation of Nepal into a democratic, secular, inclusive republic and who should bag maximum votes, are now factionalised and have lost their shine due to image dilution  war crimes and corruption. That Prachanda's past will catch up with him is why he wishes to be in government to escape the outcome of transitional justice and accountability. The Maoists' flip-flop - Left to Right  may diminish their vote bank. While in the 2008 elections, the United Maoists won more seats than the NC and UML together, in 2013, they slumped to a poor third position. Still, like the Madhesi combine in the first Constituent Assembly, Maoists were kingmakers in the second CA. It is possible that Nepalis may not vote along the same lines as the local body elections in the provincial and at least in the federal elections. The Democratic Alliance may pip the Left Alliance past the post in the federal elections by making Hindutva an issue  returning Nepal to a Hindu state. Though former King Gyanendra recently put in a word: 'I am ready to take over', there is little appetite for return of monarchy.

The new 60:40 election system of First Past The Post and Proportional Representation does not lend itself to political stability as Sri Lanka learnt and may be dumping it. Ironically, PR is weighted in favour of Khas Arya (Brahmin Chhetris) which is the eternal ruling class and who will be contesting majority of seats in FPTP. India and China have invested heavily in this crucial first election after the constitution. For China, a Left Alliance win is its victory too and that too near India's geo-strategic heartland. Its pledge to punish India for its omissions and commissions, especially in Arunachal Pradesh, could be consummated. But then, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip. And the Democratic Alliance may end up doing 'Bhailo' (victory dance).

What political pundits say

Political pundits have based their prediction of a win for the Left Alliance in federal and provincial elections (except in No2 Province which is RJP-FSF stronghold) based on analysis done by the web portal SetoParty.com which has taken the results in the local body elections as the 'voting trend'.

In these, the UML won 14,098 posts, the NC 11,457 posts and the Maoists 5,041 posts.
S Nihal Singh

S Nihal Singh

AFTER US President Donald Trumps swing through Asia, taking in bilateral meetings and regional summits, what has he achieved? Much to the relief of White House staff, he remained on script for the initial part. He flew the flag of America First, spoke of Chinese President Xi Jinping in reverential terms, brought India centre stage in repeating his mantra on the Indo-Pacific before reverting to making policy on tweets.

Mr Trump is still in the process of conceptualising his foreign policy even as he takes countries to task for running large surpluses in trade with the US. But particularly in relation to China, the crucial part of his tour, he has come empty-handed, with his hosts adept at boosting his ego by giving him an emperors welcome.

It is well known that Mr Trump acts on instinct, rather than intellectual analysis. His instinct goes in the direction of the quadrilateral meeting of officials of the US, Japan, Australia and India. Significantly, there was no joint statement, with New Delhi on its part taking a cautious line so as not to broadcast its anti-Beijing theme.

The overall impression the Trump visit left was of the US abandoning its leadership role. First, he tore up the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement his predecessor took so long to put together. Then he expressed his aversion to multilateral agreements, preferring bilateral ones. At some moments, it seemed he was deliberately handing over the leadership role to President Xi, willingly grasped. The irony of a one-party state marrying capitalism with state-controlled economy leading the cry of multilateralism is too glaring to miss.

While the economic and political communities are reconciled to the aberrations of the Trump era, they believe their country can row back to the post-World War II hegemonic role the US has occupied in Europe and Asia. But international affairs are not static and President Xi, after his triumph at the recently concluded party congress, has already announced that it was time for his country to take centre stage in the world.

On the other hand, as President Trump has demonstrated, he has a domestic constituency less swayed by feelings of doing good for the world than to fight for selfish ends often tinged by the racist disease that has had a second birth. It is not that America has changed dramatically, rather the racists feel empowered by the Trump era.

No one expected Mr Trump to take up human rights issues in China or in the Philippines where President Rodrigo Dutertes record in getting rid of drug addicts in a summary faction is common knowledge. The plight of the Rohingya refugees does not figure in the final summit communique although the US has tried to make an indirect gesture by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson going to Myanmar to appeal to the state authorities.

President Trump has been quite clear in announcing his intention beforehand that, contrary to decades of American practice, it is not his countrys mission to tell individual countries how they should order their domestic affairs. In any case, he believes in conducting transactional relations with nations.

In a sense, Mr Trump cannot conceptualise relations with individual countries and the world at large because of his limited understanding of how the larger issues of the world take shape. He prides himself on deal-making but thinks in terms of getting the better of his opponent in his fashion. International negotiations are a far more complex game because Mr Trump does not possess the background knowledge of the epochal events of the past.

Against this backdrop, the countries Mr Trump has visited are still assessing the results of a new US President undertaking an Asian safari with his pet themes of America First and the imperatives of balanced trade. Having decided to shower effusive praise on the Chinese hosts, his most difficult assignment was in South Korea. For one thing, the countrys leadership was sensitive to Mr Trumps war-like rhetoric of sound and fury and he had even called President Moon Jae-in an appeaser because of his earlier efforts, snubbed by Pyongyang, to seek a peaceful solution. In any event, earlier reports in the US of suggestions that artillery could make short work of millions of South Koreans in the first hours of a war, rather than harm Americans on the mainland, gave an edge to southerners nervousness.

Finally, Mr Trump could not take it any longer. An official North Korean description of the US President being old took him to his favourite habit of tweeting. His retort was that he had refrained from calling the North Korean leader short and fat, a kind of schoolboy tit for tat that does not behove a President on official visits to Asian countries.

Consistency is not a virtue of President Trump. While the America First slogan is popular with his domestic constituency, people in the countries he has visited are wondering what to make of it. Obviously, countries such as Japan and South Korea where American troops are stationed are protected by US power and are sensitive to Mr Trumps instinct to reduce international military commitments. He is therefore forced to accept this reality even while asking them for more money for their protection.

The world is wondering how long this game will go on. After he assumed office, people at home and around the world were hoping that the responsibilities of office would help tone down his angularities and self-image. True, he has had to make compromises over his more extravagant formulations over NATO, for instance. But for the most part, the intellectual establishment deems now to have given up hope that he can turn over a new leaf. They are now simply waiting for his term to end.

The Chinese leaders are laughing up their sleeves over what they see as the pitfall of democracy. But while American institutions will survive the aberrations of the Trump presidency, there will be more tests ahead for President Xis one-party state.
RESTON, Va., Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Unissant, Inc., an advanced data analytics and business solutions provider that combines agility with innovation, today announced that it was selected by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to support and maintain the operational environments for ACF systems.



Under this five-year contract, Unissant will be supporting the ACFs Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) with wide-ranging support services that include systems engineering and integration, data center design, application/system design, technology insertions and IT Service Management Processes Support.

A division of the Department of HHS, ACF promotes the economic and social well-being of children, families, individuals and communities with leadership and resources for compassionate, effective delivery of human services.

Unissant has a long history of working with Government CIOs, ensuring IT operations and service delivery align with business needs and reduce costs while improving customer satisfaction and enhancing IT effectiveness, said Manish Malhotra, Chairman and CEO of Unissant. We are proud to be selected by ACF to help them promote an efficient and secure computing environment by maintaining data in a manner that holds it at the highest level of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, ensuring privacy protections at all times.

Unissants teaming partner on this program, Synectics, is an industry leader in Grants Management and Data Analytics Solutions. Synectics has over 20 years of experience working with programmatic and grants office staff on creating, operating, maintaining and modernizing grants systems across HHS including extensive work at ACF and the Office of Head Start (OHS).

About Unissant Inc.

Unissant is an advanced data analytics, and business transformation services provider with expertise in healthcare and health IT, finance, national security, and energy. The company delivers innovative solutions to assist government agencies and private sector businesses in tackling their biggest challenges. Founded in 2006, Unissant is a SDB, CMMI Level 3, ISO 9001 & 27001 certified company headquartered in Reston, Virginia. In March 2017, Unissant received the Government Project of the Year award by Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum (SECAF).

About Synectics for Management Decisions Inc. (Synectics)

Synectics is a mid-tier CMMI Level 3, ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 20000 certified data science and IT consulting firm based in Arlington, VA. It has serviced the Federal Government for over 40 years and its current clients include ACF, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Its core capabilities include health IT solutions; data science and analytics; and grants management solutions that encompass infrastructure management, application development, and enterprise architecture.

Contact:

John Meagher

jmeagher@unissant.com

1 703-889-8500 135
Houston, November 17

The foster mother of three-year-old Indian girl Sherin Mathews found dead in a culvert in Dallas has been arrested and charged with child abandonment.

Sherin was adopted last year by the Indian-American couple, Wesley Mathews and Sini Ann Mathews. The couple left Sherin home alone while they went out for dinner with their 3-year-old biological daughter on October 6, the night before the child was reported missing by her adoptive father.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Wesley has already been arrested and charged with injury to a child, a felony charge. He is now in jail with a $1 million bond. The crime is punishable with up to 99 years in prison.

The couple from Kerala, allegedly left Sherin alone in the kitchen because she refused to drink her milk, police in Richardson, Texas, said yesterday. The 35-year-old mother was arrested yesterday when she turned herself in at the Richardson City Jail, escorted by her attorney.

She is being held on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at $250,000, the police said.

Sini, a nurse at Childrens Medical Center Dallas, could face additional charges, sergeant Kevin Perlich said. The toddler is expected to be moved out of foster care to live with an extended family member in Houston.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

Just about six months after 15-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on a train, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today reserved its verdict on his fathers plea for probe by an independent agency such as the CBI.

Justice Rajan Gupta reserved the verdict after hearing lengthy arguments from all parties related to the case. Junaids father, Jalaluddin, had during the course of hearing claimed that panchayats were being organised in his village for pressuring him to withdraw the case. He had also alleged that the Haryana Government was knowingly shutting its eyes.

Counsel for Haryana, on the other hand, claimed before Justice Guptas Bench that Junaids father was bargaining for a compromise. In a detailed reply, Mohinder Singh, DSP (Railways), Faridabad, ,submitted that the petition filed by Junaids father was abuse of the process of law.

Junaid, his brother and their two cousins were attacked on a Mathura-bound train in June by a mob, which allegedly hurled communal slurs on the victims. Cheema claimed that the offences were intentionally diluted.

In his petition, Jalalunddin through counsel Arshdeep Singh Cheema had contended that the occurrence was deliberately projected as sudden and confined to anindividual act.

Cheema added it was done to give benefit to the accused and to camouflage the existence of an unlawful assembly having object of commission of a serious offence. The statements of witnesses, too, were not recorded as per the law.

Dubbing it as a clear case of deliberate distortion of true facts in the course of investigation, Cheema had asserted that calculated distortions, discrepancies and contradictions were introduced. As a direct result of the infirmities introduced into the case, four accused were admitted to bail even before the trial started.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

The CBI, which is probing the Pradyuman murder case, was today asked by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to produce the status report or case diary.

The direction by Justice Surinder Gupta came during the hearing of bail petitions filed by the Pinto family, owners of Ryan institutions. Fixing November 21 for further hearing in the matter, Justice Gupta also made it clear that the stay on the arrest of the Pinto family would continue.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, senior advocates RS Cheema and RS Rai, along with Arshdeep S. Cheema, Anurag Arora and Sandeep Kapoor argued that the petitioners had not been called by the CBI for investigation. They were ready to cooperate and appear before the CBI, whenever required.

Rai said nothing new had cropped up against the petitioners and the management during the course of investigation by the CBI despite two arrests in the case. Rather, there was no incriminating evidence against them or the management.

CBI counsel Sumeet Goel argued: Prima facie, careless attitude of the management has aided Pradyumans murder. Investigation is at a crucial stage and a larger conspiracy is yet to be unearthed. Any relief at this stage may hamper investigation.

Counsel appearing for Pradyumans father also objected to bail on the grounds that the petitioners had directly approached the High Court instead of moving Gurgaon courts.

Granting regular bail to Ryan International Groups northern zone head Francis Thomas and HR head Jayesh Thomas, the High Court had on October 7 also granted interim bail to founding chairman Augustine Pinto, MD Grace Pinto and their son, Ryan Pinto.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 17

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the CBI had failed to solve the rape and murder case of a Kotkhai girl and all arrests made so far were in connection with the custodial death of one of the accused in the case.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Virbhadra said the CBI had not only failed to solve the case, but also made it far more complicated and complex. The CBI seems to have changed the direction of the rape and murder case into a custodial death as all arrests have been made in this connection only, he remarked.

Meanwhile, the CBI today took arrested Superintendent of Police (SP) DW Negi to Delhi for further questioning in the rape and murder of the 16-year-old Kotkhai girl.

Negi, who was arrested yesterday, was sent to five-day judicial remand. He would be produced before the court on November 20.

Negi, who was part of the Special Investigation Team constituted to probe the rape and murder case, was the SP, Shimla, and was closely associated with the case. Eight other police officials, including Inspector General of Police Zahur Zaidi and Deputy Superintendent of Police Manoj Joshi had already been arrested in the custodial death of accused Suraj.
Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, November 17

Finally, the long dry spell has come to an end with fresh snowfall in the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti. Several areas in the district received up to 25cm of snowfall today.

Koksar, Gondhla, Miyar and Tod valley received considerable snowfall, while Keylong, the district headquarters, received 5cm snow.

Normal life was thrown out of gear as traffic remained disrupted in the district.

The fresh snowfall has brought cheer on the faces of farmers, but at the same time, they are worried about long spell of winter.

People rue that the district lacks better medical facilities and during winter, the situation becomes bad when the main road leading to the Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul-Spiti, gets blocked for months due to heavy snowfall. During that period, the district remains cut off from rest of the world.

Kishan Kumar, a resident of Lahaul valley, said that snowfall had brought chill in the region. He said that residents were hopeful that the district administration would reopen the road between Kullu and Lahaul as early as possible. The road was blocked due to heavy snowfall at the Rohtang Pass.

Sanjive Kumar, another resident of district, said, With closure of the Rohtang Pass, air service remains the only option for residents of the district.

We urge the district administration to reopen the Rohtang Pass if weather improves in coming days, he said.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Deva Singh Negi urged the people to refrain from venturing out in the inclement weather.

The DC advised visitors to get themselves registered at the rescue posts at Marhi and Koksar while moving from Manali towards Lahaul and vice versa. It would help the authorities in providing help to the victim as the terrain was tough, he added.

The Rohtang Pass would be opened for traffic as soon as the weather improves in the region, he added.
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 17

The School of Bioengineering and Biosciences at Lovely Professional University (LPU) is organising a two-day conference on Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Water Management in collaboration with the Department of Bio-resources Engineering, and McGill University, Canada.

More than 200 scientists, researchers and professors from across the world gathered on the campus to recommend effective solutions for utilising contaminated and polluted water as potable and in cleaner ways. Researchers are from countries including Canada, USA, Germany, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Argentina and others. During this conference, selected 150-plus international research papers are to be presented, discussed and deliberated upon.

Senior Scientist at Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology, Rajesh Kapur, inaugurated the conference. Explaining the waste water in its three forms  physical, chemical and biological  he touched the last aspect and suggested research and development works to split multiple carbon into simple carbon.

MC Commissioner Basant Garg invoked students and scientists to take present day water crisis as a serious opportunity to churn out better and befitting solutions against it.

Professor at Department of Bio-resource Engineering, McGill University, Quebec, Canada, Prof Shiv Prasher spoke on Innovative green technology for simultaneously reducing water and air pollution in agricultural regions.

Taking the example of his country, Prof Arvydas Povilaitis of Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Lithuania, stated that the European Union had a water policy and aimed at good ecological and chemical quality status for surface, underground and coastal waters.

Researchers at LPU including Vice Chancellor Dr Ramesh Kanwar, Prof Dr Neeta Raj and Research Student Deepika Bhatia threw light on Bio-decolourisation of disperse dyes by using naturally occurring bacteria.
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 17

Notwithstanding fresh assurances by the Union Government to solve issues of West Pakistan refugees on humanitarian grounds, the PDP-BJP coalition in J&K has allegedly initiated the process to delete the names of West Pakistan refugees from the list of beneficiaries getting subsidised ration under the National Food Safety Act (NFSA).

The names of nearly 60 refugee families living in Uttam Colony on the outskirts of Jammu city have reportedly been deleted from the ration card beneficiaries list issued by the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) department.

We have been told bluntly by the authorities that from this month our names have been deleted from beneficiaries lists as refugee families do not have Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs), said Tara Chand, a West Pakistan refugee.

Without any notice, we were asked to submit our ration cards to get them updated. Now we have been asked to produce PRCs to be included in the list, he said, adding that for the last 25 years refugees living in the colony have been getting subsidised ration.

Angry about the inhuman decision of the state government, refugees leader Labha Ram Gandhi alleged that it appeared that the government wanted to starve them as they had been demanding constitutional rights. He warned that they would come on the streets against the decision. In a day or two, I will meet Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh. If he fails to solve the issue, we will knock the doors of the Central government.

Gandhi said that just two days ago Union Minister Jitendra Singh had given the assurance that all rights would be provided to the West Pakistan refugees but the coalition government, with the BJP as an equal partner, was treating West Pakistan refugees as Bangladeshi or Rohingya refugees.

Gandhi said he had received information from other parts of the region as well that refugees were being asked to produce PRCs for getting subsidised ration.

When contacted, Director, CAPD, Rashid Ahmed Inqlabi said Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Rajiv Ranjan was chairman of the committee empowered to include or exclude beneficiaries under the NFSA scheme. Ranjan, on the other hand, said the lists were prepared in 2015, before he assumed charge. He, however, said anyone had the right to make a representation to get their name included in the list.

Over 1.5 lakh West Pakistan refugees living in camps since 1947 have not been given PRCs because they are not state subjects.
Srinagar, November 16

A policeman and a militant were killed in an attack on police force and subsequent gunfight in Zakura on the outskirts of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Friday.

Three militants travelling in a car opened fire at a police team at the Zakura crossing on Srinagar-Ganderbal road, killing sub-inspector Imran Tak  a 31-year-old sub-inspector from Udhampur's Mang village  and wounding a special police officer (SPO), a police officer said.

A militant commander, identified only as Mugais from Parimpora, was killed in the gunfight that followed. Mugais was part of Zaid Musa's extremist Ansar Ghazwatul Hind.

The officer said the police team managed to intercept the car and apprehended one militant, but two others fled. Police are looking for them, he added. TNS/PTI
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 17

A police officer of the elite counter-insurgency unit and a militant commander were killed in a militant attack on the outskirts of Srinagar on Friday afternoon.

Sub-Inspector of J&K Police Imran Tak, 31, a resident of Udhampur, was killed in a shootout at Zakura, some 15 km from the city centre, at around 4 pm. Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Munir Khan, said a police party had gone for an operation where a shootout took place.

It is not that the police party was attacked. They had gone for an operation and there was a shootout between militants and the SOG (Special Operation Group) party, in which Sub-Inspector and an Special Police Officer was injured. The Sub-Inspector was taken to hospital, but unfortunately he succumbed to his injuries, Khan said. The IGP blamed Lashkar-e-Toiba for the attack.

A militant commader, Mugais, of Parimpora, was also killed and his associate Tauseef was arrested in the gunfight, the police said.

In the gunfight, Mugais of Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen was wounded, but he escaped from the encounter site. He later succumbed to his injuries, a police officer said. Police said Mugais had earlier this year joined Zakir Musa-led Ansar Ghazwatul Hind, affiliated to Al-Qaida.

Sources, however, said a police party of the SOG had set up a check-point at Zakura as they had input about movement of militants in the area.

As a Santro car with Srinagar registration number reached the check-post, the militants believed to be two in number fired indiscriminately from inside the car wounding two policemen including, the Sub-Inspector. The militants fled from the spot and left behind the car, the sources said. One suspected militant Tauseef who was inside the car was arrested by the police.

Soon after the incident, police and CRPF launched a massive hunt to trace the militants involved in the attack.

Meanwhile, a wreath-laying ceremony was held in Srinagar to pay tributes to the slain police officer.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barings, one of the worlds leading asset management firms, announced today that it served as Lead Agent on a senior secured credit facility to support Sentinel Capital Partners in its acquisition of Nekoosa (Nekoosa or the Company).



Headquartered in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, the Company is a leading manufacturer of specialty paper and film products used in the graphics and commercial print markets, including application and pressure-sensitive tapes, specialty synthetic papers, sheeted digital and offset grade carbonless paper, and extruded film products. Nekoosa serves a highly diverse base of more than 70,000 commercial print and graphics shops in 65 countries.

Barings served as lead senior lender on the transaction, which included a senior term loan and a revolving credit facility.

Sentinel is pleased to have Barings support on our investment in Nekoosa, said Scott Perry, a partner with Sentinel Capital Partners. Barings provides flexible capital solutions, seamless execution, and the proven capacity to support future growth, offering us great confidence in our ability to execute Nekoosas strategic plan.

Barings values the strong partnership we have developed with Sentinel Capital Partners and appreciates the opportunity to support its investment in Nekoosa, said Justin Lay, a managing director in Barings North American Private Finance Group. Sentinel excels in backing niche market leaders such as Nekoosa, and we look forward to working together to scale the business through organic and inorganic initiatives.

With over 650 investment professionals, including more than 70 dedicated solely to private finance, Barings leverages its global presence and local expertise to source private credit investments in developed markets worldwide. This global sourcing network, coupled with a diverse portfolio of platform companies, provides Barings with ongoing opportunities to finance middle market transactions including new platform investments, add-on acquisitions and recapitalizations across the U.S., Europe and Asia.

About Sentinel Capital Partners

Sentinel Capital Partners specializes in buying and building businesses at the lower end of the middle market in the United States and Canada in partnership with management. Sentinel targets aerospace and defense, business services, consumer, distribution, food and restaurants, franchising, healthcare, and industrial businesses. Sentinel invests in management buyouts, recapitalizations, corporate divestitures, and going-private transactions of established businesses with EBITDA of up to $65 million. Sentinel also invests in special situations, including balance sheet restructurings and operational turnarounds. For more information about Sentinel, visit www.sentinelpartners.com.

About Barings

Barings is a $299 billion* global asset management firm dedicated to meeting the evolving investment and capital needs of our clients. We build lasting partnerships that leverage our distinctive expertise across traditional and alternative asset classes to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service. Part of MassMutual, Barings maintains a strong global presence with over 650 investment professionals and offices in 16 countries. Learn more at www.barings.com.

*As of Sept. 30, 2017

17-305487
Jasmine Singh

A missionary, socialist, and a rebel, who would never bat an eyelid while talking about the discrepancies in society.

The Baba Bodh of theatre, as Gursharan Singh was called, had staged the play Takht Lahore, targeting Ayub Khans regime in Pakistan. This play was the reason for his dismissal from a government job.

As Chandigarh plays host to the Gursharan Singh Naat Utsav starting November 21 at Punjab Kala Bhawan, artistes who worked with him in the border villages of Amritsar, artistes who owe their existence in theatre to this die-hard leftist, step up on stage, to share moments spend with this man that have left a deep impact in their heart and soul.

As they know Bhajji

Gursharan Singh left a deep impact on many, in both acting and in personal life. Popular Punjabi actor Harish Verma, who joined Bhajji in 1999, owes his dialogue delivery to the noted theatre personality. This was just one aspect of how he influenced my acting, but there are numerous other things that I learnt from him which have become integral to my living. To be honest, as an actor he wouldnt say much, he would always tell me to focus on dialogues and expressions because that is real acting.

Harish went to trace his filmi career and doing pretty well in it. He would often tell me, Harish apniyan foto bana ke Bombay bej, tera face sohna hai, Harish smiles remembering the days spent with Gursharan Singh.

Those who worked with him, those who were in awe of him, those who shared endless cups of tea with him, know that Gursharan Singh would often talk about the basic rights and how there should be equality in the distribution of these rights.

There is yet another interesting incident that people from theatre remember about this towering personality. In September 1976, Gursharan Singh staged a play at Jammu University. Four days after the performance he was arrested in Amritsar. He was charged for hatching a conspiracy to blow up the bridge.

But the judge, who acquitted him in the case, had remarked that the police should have ideally charged him for staging a play rather than attempting to blow up a bridge.

Talking about relevance

Gursharan Singh would often describe his theatre as rural theatre with modern sensibilities. And this is way too relevant in todays time, more than ever before, shares theatre-person Sahib Singh, who spent good eight years with Bhajji touring Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Canada and England.

Bhajji would talk about the Dalits, he would talk about the marginalised people of society and what we are doing for them. And I think his theatre is very much relevant and required to deal with the present scenario.

On the personal front, it is the habit of reading world literature, and the habit of questioning the need for theatre that he got from Bhajji.

Even today, whether I am doing a play or a film, I ask myself why is it important and for whom.

Gursharan Singhs contribution to the world of theatre (his was also called the thadi theatre, one that didnt need a stage to perform), is enormous. In his lifetime, Bhajji wrote about 70 plays that include Toya, Kursiwala, Manjiwala and more. He also founded the Natak Kala Kendra in Amritsar and the Chandigarh School of Drama in the late 80s.

There cannot be another Bhajji

Popular theatre personality Shabdeesh of Suchetak Rangmanch and his wife Anita Shabdeesh have been organising the festival on Gursharan Singh.

But if you ask me, if we can carry forward his legacy, of course we can, but we cannot write or express the way he did. Neither me, nor Sahib Singh, nor Kewal Dhaliwal, can write like him. What we can is carry forward his ideologies, and what his theatre stood for but there definitely cannot be another Gursharan Singh.

Ikatar Singh, who worked with Gursharan Singh for 10-11 years and is carrying forward his theatre, too believes that there can be no one like him.

I try to keep his content and style intact. But then there are many small theatre groups in Punjab which are doing plays based on the content of his plays. Their style might vary, but not the essence. The Naat Utsav is dedicated to playwright Ajmer Singh Aulakh.
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 16

The Communist Party of India (CPI) paid homage and garlanded the statue of Kartar Singh Sarabha on his Martyrdom Day today with a pledge to defeat all sorts of efforts to bring in fascism in the country.

Addressing party activists, the CPI assistant secretary, Dr Arun Mitra, cautioned that there was a concerted effort by the corporate sector and religious fundamentalists to build the cult of Narendra Modi as messiah for all the ills.

He said, This is reminiscent of encouraging Hitler and Mussolini in Germany and Italy in 1930s, respectively, who were created and used by the contemporary corporate.

The party assistant secretary, DP Maur, said India was a country with lot of diversity and its people had unshakable faith in democracy. He said, They have understood these machinations and will not allow murder of democracy in the country as is being done by the present rulers.

The CPI city secretaries, Ramesh Rattan and Gurnam Sidhu, said the decision of demonetisation taken by the Prime Minister by bypassing the Cabinet and the Parliament, but in consultation with a few corporate houses, was a reflection of the centralisation of the power.

They said, Similarly, the GST has led to economic anarchy in the country, but these actions are being eulogised in a Gobbelian propaganda manner.

Others who addressed party workers on the occasion, include Randhir Singh, Ramadhar, Kameshwar, Chamkaur Singh, Dr Gulzar Pandher, Lalit Kumar and Vijay Kumar.
TNS & agencies

Jaipur/New Delhi, November 17

Rajasthan was today rocked by fresh protests against period drama Padmavati with protestors blocking entry to the Chittorgarh Fort and burning effigies of filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and shots being fired in the air.

Sarv Samaj Samiti Protest Committee members restricted the entry to Chittorgarh Fort by closing the Padan Pol gate. Someone from the protesters opened fire from an old rifle during the sit-in, Additional SP Rajan Dushyant said, adding the person was identified and booked. Otherwise, he said, it was a peaceful sit-in amidst deployment of extra force around the fort.

We have been holding a sit-in for the past seven days near the fort. Over 1,000 members of the Sarv Samaj Samiti participated in the protest today. The gate was closed to block the entry of tourists for the first time. Guide, tourists, photographers and auto-drivers extended their full support to the demand for ban on the controversial film, Narpat Singh Bhati, Samiti convener said.

Member of Parliament CP Joshi met the protesters and promised that their sentiments would be conveyed to people concerned, Chittorgarh District Collector Indrajeet Singh said.

Authorities decided not to make the scheduled halt of the luxury train Palace on Wheels at Chittorgarh and instead continued its journey to Udaipur due to the protests.

In Jaipur, Sarv Samaj members, demonstrated outside a multiplex in Vaishali Nagar, where the movie was scheduled to be screened, and also burnt Bhansali's effigy.

In Bikaner, Bajrang Dal activists burnt Bhansali's effigy outside the district collectorate. A rally was taken out from Tulsi circle to collectorate and a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was submitted against the film.

Shri Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi said in Bengaluru that if the film was not banned, the organisation would intensify its agitation across the country.

Meanwhile, looking at the tension around the release of the film, the Mumbai police warned protestors against being adventurous. Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Deven Bharti said: Any individual or group which attempts to be adventurous, will be dealt sternly and will face strict legal action.

CBFC returns film to makers

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has sent Padmavati back to the makers as the application for the certification was incomplete

The CBFC said the movie would be reviewed as per the set norms once it is sent back to the board after sorting out the issue

Book filmmakers: plea in SC
Ahmedabad/New Delhi, November 17

The BJP on Friday released its first list of 70 candidates for the next months Gujarat Assembly elections, which includes Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and state party chief Jitu Vaghani.

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Of the 70 candidates, 18 are Patels, 16 OBCs, three SCs and 11 STs, party sources said.

Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held over two phases on December 9 and 14.

The list of candidates was finalised by the BJPs Central Election Committee, which met in Delhi on Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.

While the list retains 49 sitting MLAs, three legislators have been dropped. The party has accommodated five former Congress legislators, who had switched over to the BJP earlier this year, in its first list.

Rupani will seek re-election from Rajkot (West), Patel from Mehsana and Vaghani from Bhavnagar (West).

Apart from Rupani and Patel, 15 of 25 ministers have also made it to the list.

Former IPS officer P C Baranda, who resigned this week from the police service, has been given the ticket for Bhiloda (ST) seat.

The party has also fielded 16 OBC candidates.

The OBCs had launched a counter agitation in the state against inclusion of Patels in the OBC category.

A Patel community outfit led by Hardik Patel has been vociferously demanding reservation for Patidar community.

Hardik Patel has made overtures to the Congress after taking an aggressive stand against the ruling BJP.

The five former Congress MLAs, who secured a BJP ticket, are Raghavji Patel from Jamangar (rural), Dharmendrasinh Jadeja from Jamangar (north), C K Raulji from Godhra, Mansinh Chauhan from Balasinor and Ramsinh Parmar from Thasra.

They had cross-voted against Congress heavyweight Ahmed Patel in a keenly-fought Rajya Sabha election a few months back, and joined the BJP later.

However, Bholabhai Gohel, another former Congress MLA who joined the BJP after cross-voting in the Upper House election, failed to make it to the ruling party list.

Instead, the party has given a ticket to its own nominee Bharatbhai Boghra in Jasdan, which was won by Gohel in 2012.

The party dropped three of its sitting MLAs while changed the seat of one.

The sitting MLAs who failed to get renominated are Bhavna Makwana from Mahuva, Varsha Doshi of Vadhvan and Nalin Kotadia from Dhari.

Bavku Undhad, sitting MLA from Lathi, has been moved to Amreli.

The party has fielded its former Amreli MP Dilip Sanghani from Dhari assembly seat.

According to the list declared by our Central BJP, our 49 sitting MLAs have been given tickets, while one independent candidate who had won in 2012, has also been fielded, Nitin Patel said.

Our list has four women candidates. It tries to give proper representation to all castes and communities of the state, Patel said.

He added that the second list of candidates will be declared soon.

The elections have become a prestige battle for the BJP, which has been in power for over two decades in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah.

Political activity in the state has already gained momentum with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and top BJP leaders hitting campaign trail. PTI
Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 17

In an embarrassment for the government, the Dean of Diplomatic Corps, Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, met senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday and raised concerns of envoys over air pollution impacting their health.

Castellanos met with Sanjay Verma, Chief of Protocol in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and discussed how Delhis air pollution is also impacting inflow of tourism as well as the health of diplomatic staff of missions in the city.

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In a formal statement Ambassador Castellanos said, We completely understand that the issue needs to be addressed for the better future of all the people that live in this city, and not only for the diplomatic community. We all breathe the same air.

Verma took note of the concerns of the diplomats assigned to Delhi and their families, on the current environmental conditions in the city.

The MEA has assured the diplomatic community of dealing with the issue, including learning best practices from countries that have traversed this experience.

Quoting the MEA official, the deans statement said, The unusual deterioration in the quality of air is a product of multiple causes, most of which are indeed domestic, but have also been aggravated by a dust storm from a distant geography. The simultaneous aggregation of these cases has led to an environmental challenge, which the government of India is determined to address and ameliorate.

Over the last week, voices of concern have grown in the diplomatic community with some embassies and high commissions reporting increased respiratory problems and health issues in staff members.

Two diplomats from ASEAN member countries have wrapped up their Delhi postings ahead of time while others advanced their year-end vacations.

Thailands Ambassador Chutintorn Gongsakdi informed the media that he has written to his foreign ministry headquarters to explore the possibility of declaring India a hardship posting.

He further explained on Twitter, Hardship/special situation classification for Delhi means that we can access better staff welfare measures, such as air purifiers, medical check-ups, trips back home and additional days off for morale and as compensation.

Costa Rican envoy Mariela Cruz Alvarez too, who was hospitalised following respiratory ailments, expressed her deep concerns in a blog that went viral this week.

What happened last week in Delhi was her voice speaking to the whole world, Alvarez wrote in her blog referring to India and pollution and climate change challenges for the world.

The Diplomatic Corps is also expected to take up the issue formally with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. As the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in India, I thanked the Chief of Protocol for his time and effort in addressing this issue, and we both hope that the outcome of the efforts of both Central and local government will bring rapid and positive results, not only for the diplomats living in India but also for every citizen, children and adult, that live in this very active, energetic and busy city, said Ambassador Castellanos official statement.
Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 17

In a diplomatic embarrassment for the government, the Dean of Diplomatic Corps in Delhi today made a formal representation to share concerns about Delhis air crisis.

Ambassador Frank HD Castellanos met Sanjay Verma, Joint Secretary (Protocol) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and discussed how Delhis air pollution was also impacting tourism and diplomatic staff of missions in the city. In a statement, Ambassador Castellanos said, We completely understand that the issue needs to be addressed for the better future of all people that live in this city, and not only for the diplomatic community. We all breathe the same air.

Sanjay Verma took note of concerns of diplomats and their families on the current environmental conditions in the city. The MEA has assured the diplomatic community of dealing with the issue, including learning best practices emerging from countries that have traversed this experience.

Quoting the MEA official, the Deans statement said, The unusual deterioration in the quality of air is a product of multiple causes, most of which are indeed domestic, but have also been aggravated by a dust storm from a distant geography. The simultaneous aggregation of these cases has led to an environmental challenge, which the Government of India is determined to address and ameliorate. Over the last week, voices of concern have grown in the diplomatic community with some embassies and high commissions reporting increased respiratory problems and health issues among staff members.

Two diplomats from ASEAN member countries have wrapped up their Delhi postings ahead of time while others advanced their year-end vacations. Thailands Ambassador Chutintorn Gongsakdi informed media that he had written to his foreign ministry headquarters to explore the possibility of declaring India a hardship posting. He tweeted: Hardship/special situation classification for Delhi means that we can access better staff welfare measures, such as air purifiers, medical check-ups, trips back home and additional days off for morale and as compensation. Costa Rican envoy Mariela Cruz Alvarez, who was hospitalised following respiratory ailments, also expressed deep concerns in a blog that went viral this week.

The Diplomatic Corps is also expected to take up the issue formally with Delhis Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. As the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in India, I thanked the Chief of Protocol for his time and effort in addressing the issue, and we both hope the outcome of efforts of both central and local government will bring positive results, not only for the diplomats living in India but also for every citizen, children and adult that live in this very active, energetic and busy city, read Ambassador Castellanos statement.
Tribune News Service

Lucknow, November 17

The Yogi Adityanath government would soon sign an MoU with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to step up its campaign for vaccination of infants against the dreaded Japanese encephalitis that has been claiming lives on a regular basis in Gorakhpur.

At a meeting between the Microsoft founder-philanthropist Bill Gates, his wife Melinda and UP CM Yogi and their officials here today, it was decided that the MoU for a five-year contract would take up general health issues of young mothers and their newborns along with allied issues.

CM Yogi admitted that vaccination against Japanese encephalitis and acute encephalitis syndrome could not be effective without a special sanitation drive and safe drinking water and sewage in the villages in the catchment area of 38 districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The CM said improving the quality of care at Gorakhpurs Baba Raghav Das Medical College where 70 infants had died within the first five days of November was the governments priority. This included further training of the doctors at the hospital, which catered not only to eastern UP but Bihar as well as Nepal, he said.

Gates said his foundation was committed to providing technical assistance to the government to effectively combat vector and water-borne diseases, improving availability of potable drinking water, sanitation and malnutrition among mothers and infants.

The Microsoft founder offered to provide the latest technology to improve sanitation and drainage in the catchment districts. His foundation is already in talks with the Indian Medical Research Centre for the establishment of a monitoring centre at the BRD Medical College Hospital in Gorakhpur, said Gates.

Focus on Gorakhpur
New Delhi, November 17

Gravely concerned over growing terrorism, India and France on Friday decided to strengthen counter-terror cooperation, and asked the international community to oppose the countries which are financing, sheltering and providing safe havens to terrorists.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held wide-ranging talks with her French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, during which they also decided to strengthen cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), a development which comes barely days after India held quadrilateral talks with Japan, Australia and the US in Manila on the sidelines of India-ASEAN Summit.

The two ministers discussed key regional and international issues as well as the visit of the French President to India next year.

We expressed grave concern on growing terrorism and decided that we need to fight the evil together. We appealed to all countries to oppose those financing, sheltering and providing safe havens to terrorists, Swaraj said at a joint press event with the French minister.

Though her statement did not name Pakistan, the remarks were in a veiled reference to it.

She said they also discussed concrete measures to expedite operations at the Jaitapur nuclear power project.

As part of the nuclear cooperation agreement between India and France signed in 2008, Paris is to help build atomic power reactors for New Delhi under which the French firm EDF will build six atomic reactors of 1650 MW each at Jaitapur, some 500 kms south off Mumbai, with National Power Corporation India Limited (NPCIL) as operator.

The two sides discussed growing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region and the issue of maritime security, Swaraj said.

The aim is to ensure free trade on international seas, tackle piracy and maritime terror. We decided to secure sea channels and build capabilities through engagements in bilateral as well as multilateral foras, she said.

On his part, the French minister said he was here to lay the groundwork for the visit of the French president which would take place early next year during the summit of the International Solar Alliance.

Describing his talks very useful and substantive, he said, On matters such as combating terrorism, maritime security, cooperation in the Indian Oceanwhere France and India are two countries belonging to the Indian Ocean Rimwe have a complete commonality of views, which calls for the strengthening of our partnership.

Earlier this year, France, along with the US and the UK, had co-piloted a proposal to ban JeM chief Masood Azhar by the UN. However, the proposal was thwarted by China.

The French minister also termed Indo-French strategic tie-up as a partnership of trust based on democratic values and partnership of heart.

He said France was keenly desire to pursue and further strengthen the exceptional strategic partnership that has united India and France since 1998.

It was Frances first strategic partnership in Asia and for 20 years it has been enriched and continues to be concretised from year to year, he added.

We share not only values but also the same analysis of major international issues. Our bilateral relations must be understood as an expression of this common analysis, he said.

The visiting dignitary also talked about robust defence ties, saying the bilateral defence partnership is well known through the Rafale and Scorpene projects  to mention only the most emblematic ones  but it is far broader than that, similar to our cooperation in the Indian Ocean.

He also said the partnership for the planet was at the core of Frances global diplomacy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron have expressed their desire to maintain the momentum created with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the founding of the International Solar Alliance.

They wished to have the State visit coincide with the first summit of the International Solar Alliance here in Delhi. This is very positive and will enable us to enhance the attractiveness of this international organisation, which will play a crucial role in helping developing countries gain access to sustainable energy at lower costs, he said.

The minister also invited Indian students, researchers and artists to visit France.

He will inaugurate Bonjour India festival in Delhi and Jaipur, which will offer the best of this partnership of hearts through 300 events across 33 Indian cities. PTI
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, November 17

Maharashtra has joined Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in examining the feasibility of deploying Virgins Hyperloop One as another means of high-speed transport.

On Thursday, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with entrepreneur Richard Bransons Virgin to identify the potential route for the hyperloop.

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Virgin Hyperloop One will work with its partners in the region and the PMRDA will help navigate the regulatory requirements and support the report with data. The preliminary study is intended to analyse the applicability and benefits of hyperloop technology, identify high priority routes within the state based on demand analysis and socio-economic benefits, and inform the Government of Maharashtra in any future decision to progress to the full project stage, the company said in a statement.

At the event where the MoU was signed, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the hyperloop had the potential to link Indias first and seventh most populous cities.

The Chief Minister also suggested that the company examined the feasibility of connecting Nagpur with Mumbai and Pune via the hyperloop. To coincide with the Digital India initiative and the pivotal role that technology will play in it, Virgin Hyperloop One can be a key facilitator, said Nick Earle, SVP Global Field Operations, Virgin Hyperloop One.

According to the company, the hyperloop consists of capsule-like vehicles that pass through a pressurised tube at very high speed using magnetic levitation. However, the hyperloop is still undergoing trials around the world and has not been rolled in actual working condition.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Doctors Manitoba has selected Theresa Oswald as its new Chief Executive Officer starting in January 2018. Well known to the medical community around the country as the Province of Manitobas former Minister of Health, Oswald more recently served as the Executive Director of the Womens Health Clinic in Winnipeg.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e58fd11b-4e91-40d2-be1c-d8baed5a3c78

Theresa is uniquely qualified to lead our organization. With her background, she has a rare and comprehensive understanding of the health care system and the important role that physicians play in it, said Dr. Aaron Chiu, President of Doctors Manitoba. She is a widely respected leader and few can match her knowledge or her contacts in this field. Additionally, we feel she will confidently uphold our tradition as a non-partisan organization to advocate for the well-being of physicians and their patients.

Oswald was the unanimous choice of the selection committee after an extensive national search. She was the longest consecutive serving Minister of Health (2006-2013) since medicare was introduced to Canada.

The number one concern for physicians is the health of their patients. As CEO, my number one concern will be to support physicians in providing the best possible care for the people of Manitoba, said Oswald. Physicians have great wisdom to share with their patients, with the leaders of the health care system and with Manitobans. My role will be in part to help their voices be heard.

Doctors Manitoba represents more than 3,000 physicians in the province. In addition to its role of negotiating compensation with government, Doctors Manitoba also provides a range of services to physicians from benefits and insurance to health and wellness programs aimed at supporting physicians when they are off the job.

Our selection committee was impressed with Theresas skill, knowledge and professional approach. She has an extremely well-informed global view of the challenges facing physicians and the health care system, said Chiu. It is also appropriate for our organization to select a woman for this role. Most students entering medical school today are women, so it is fitting that we have a woman leading Doctors Manitoba.

Oswald was the provinces first female Minister of Health and now becomes Doctors Manitobas first female CEO. She will take over from Robert Cram, who is retiring after 22 years with Doctors Manitoba including 15 years as director of negotiations and the last seven years as CEO.

I join the Board and our entire membership in thanking Bobby for his outstanding service to our organization, said Chiu. He has consistently provided strong leadership to the physicians of Manitoba and is leaving the organization in excellent condition.

ABOUT DOCTORS MANITOBA (doctorsmanitoba.ca)



Founded in 1908, Doctors Manitoba represents more than 3,000 physicians in the Province of Manitoba today. Its membership includes practicing and retired physicians, medical students and residents. Its goal is to promote a social, economic, and political climate in which physicians can provide Manitobans with the highest standard of health care, while achieving maximum professional satisfaction and fair economic reward.

Contact:

Interviews and photos are available on request.

Adam Dooley

Dooley Communications Inc.

204-291-4092

adooley@dooleycommunications.ca
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 17

In the intra-party tussle between factions led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and senior leader Sharad Yadav, the Election Commission (EC) today ruled that the real Janta Dal-United belonged to the former group and had the exclusive right to use the official party symbol, Arrow.

The decision is seen as a setback to Yadav and leaders belonging to his faction. The JD-U is a recognised state party in Bihar.

The Election Commission, in its order issued today, said the group led by Nitish Kumar has demonstrated overwhelming majority support in the legislature wing as well as the majority in the national council of the party, which is the apex organisational body of the JD-U.

The group led by Nitish Kumar is hereby recognised as the Janata Dal (United)... Consequently, the group led by Nitish Kumar is entitled to use the reserved symbol Arrow of the party as a recognised state party in Bihar, the order noted.

Welcoming the EC decision, partys secretary general and chief spokesperson KC Tyagi said: The group led by Kumar has been entitled to use the reserved symbol of the party. The party congratulates all its workers, counsels and office-bearers.

He added that the decision had exposed the other groups claim that there has been dispute in the party following the decision of alliance with the NDA in Bihar.

Battle on: Sharad faction

The rival Sharad Yadav faction declared that the battle would not end here. Group's spokesman Javed Raza, who is considered close to Yadav, said they would very soon decide the future course of action in consultation with their lawyers.

All I would like to say at this point is that the Election Commission's image has taken a beating with this decision. We suspect the decision has been taken hurriedly under some pressure. Our battle will continue, Raza said.

Another rebel group leader Arun Shrivastava said the decision was surprising as we had countered their (Nitish factions) every argument but they could not counter any of ours.

(With agency inputs)
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 17

In what is the first government rebuttal of Congress partys allegations on the Rafale fighter jet deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said cost negotiated per aircraft by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was much lower than what was negotiated by its predecessor, the United Progressive Alliance, during its tenure.

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On being asked repeatedly how much the aircraft cost when the UPA was negotiating purchase after Rafale was selected as lowest bidder in a trial process of six plane makers, Sitharaman said:  I am not shying away from giving figures, asking Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra to share the details.

UPA was the ruling dispensation between 2004 and 2014.

She said the Rafale had been selected as lowest bidder in 2012 and although protracted negotiations followed, there were no contract.

The 36-plane deal from Rafale was for 7.8 Billion Euros (almost Rs 59,000 crore). The Defence Secretary was asked to share the figures of the 2012 bid and negotiation

Sitharaman said the decision for emergency purchase was taken in view of the urgent requirement of the Indian Air Force (IAF). "Between 2000-14, entire decade the UPA Government could not arrive at a decision and now they are questioning us, said the Minister.

The Prime Minister understood loss of time and took the government-to-government route for 36 aircraft. Transfer of technology made no sense," Sitharaman said addressing the media.

Saying that the Congress could be accused for error of commission, she said the cost of 36 aircraft was much lesser than that under discussion for 126 jets.

Sitharaman said under the Defence Procurement Procedure it was "allowed to contract a friendly Government to get 36 aircraft in fly away condition at the earliest. The procedure was duly followed", she said.

Over the last few days Congress party has raised serious questions on the Rafale deal, claiming there were deviations in procedure and escalation in price.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had claimed that the cost of one plane was Rs 526.1 crore, whereas under NDA, the plane is costing Rs 1570 crore. Why was transfer of technology for HAL not insisted and finally, has the joint venture between Dassault and Reliance Defence been cleared by the Union Cabinet asked the Congress leader.

The Defence Minister said the Transfer of technology is not economically feasible with just 36 planes, but could have been done with 126 planes.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 17

The visiting delegation of 11 CEOs of leading firms from California under the aegis of Visit California sees Punjab as a potential catchment area to attract tourists to the US state as a luxury destination.

The delegation interacted with stakeholders in the tourism sector after arriving from Mumbai where they met Bollywood stars and magnates in the sector. An MoU was signed with the Producers Guild of India on the occasion.

Visit California had opened its India office in 2010, but has mounted an intensified campaign to project the state as an attractive destination of late.

It had organised California Day with tour operators and stakeholders from Punjab in Gurgaon last September.

In a press conference here today, Visit California president and CEO Caroline Beteta said: We are excited at the opportunity that the Indian market presents for travel to California.
Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

In a setback to Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today dismissed his plea against a Fazilka courts orders summoning him as an additional accused in a drugs case.

The Bench held that the call details between the additional accused and the convict could not be brushed aside lightly.

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The order by Justice AB Chaudhari came less than a month after the Fazilka Additional Sessions Judge summoned Khaira and four others to face trial as additional accused.

The judge had, on October 31, convicted 10 accused and simultaneously decided on an application under Section 319 of CrPC for summoning the additional accused by passing the impugned order.

Quashing the order on issuance of non-bailable warrants, Justice Chaudhari gave the petitioners the liberty to apply to the trial court for anticipatory/regular bail, which would be considered on merit.

The HC Judge said the evidence pointed out by the public prosecutor and the reasons given by the trial court could not be said to be leading to merely a prima facie case. The call details cannot be taken lightly in the wake of drug smuggling across Pakistan border.

Justice Chaudhari quoted the impugned judgment, which, among other things, referred to the additional public prosecutors argument that during investigation, it transpired that the kingpin behind the whole of the sequence was Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

Khairas counsel had dubbed the matter as a classic instance of political vendetta. But Justice Chaudhari asserted he was not prepared to accept the submission that the prosecutions actions were actuated with malice.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

The Punjab Cabinet on Friday approved the creation of a Special Operation Group (SOG) to check militant threat, with non-fiscal incentives for those personnel who join the new force.

The SOG will contain counter-action force and neutralise militant threats such as fidayeen attack, hostage situations and armed infiltration, according to a spokesperson of the Chief Ministers Office.

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The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, discussed the advantages of setting up the SOG, which would help respond effectively, adequately and in the least possible time to neutralise armed aggressors.

It will also minimise collateral damage in the form of loss of civilian lives and damage to the strategic assets of the country, working in close coordination with other state players like district police, civil authorities, Army, NSG, IB, and Intelligence Wing etc.

Triggered by the Gurdaspur and Pathankot fidayeen attacks, the need to create the SOG was felt by the state government on account of the inadequate training and lack of sophisticated units in the existing police units.

The SOG personnel would have world-class training and the highest degree of commitment to tackle armed threats and would function as the states premier and specialised response team.

With Intelligence reports suggesting plans by fidayeen groups to target the security and vital installations/establishment in the state, the SOG will operate to protect Punjab and its people.

Non-gazetted officers (NGOs) and officers shall have minimum tenure of five years in the SOG. After successful completion of the tenure of five years, NGOs and ORs of Punjab Armed Police and Indian Reserve Battalion/Commando would be posted in district cadres.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

Punjab government has decided to amend its policy to allow early release of mentally incapacitated or terminally ill convicts undergoing life term, a press release by the state government said on Friday.

The state Cabinet that met on Friday approved of changes to its Premature Release Policy after Punjab and Haryana High Court recently questioned the states existing policy

The changes would enable premature release of life convicts who are mentally incapacitated or who are suffering from terminally ill disease like cancer, suffering from full-blown aids or failure of both kidneys. The mentally incapacitated or seriously ill prisoners would be eligible for consideration for premature release after completion of 10 years of imprisonment, with or without remission. Prisoners suffering from cancer, or who have suffered and whose kidneys have failed, would also be eligible for premature release, the press release said.

The Cabinet has asked for a report on prisoners that continue to remain in jail even after they have served their sentences.

The state government will ask the central government to revise its existing blacklist to allow Punjabis who have been charged with terrorism under the now-repealed Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) and were currently living abroad to return to the country, the release said.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

Punjab Cabinet has approved a programme that aims at helping youngsters of Punjabi origin and living abroad to connect with their roots.

Called Connect with Your Roots (CYR), the programme will help young boys and girls of Punjabi origin whose parents, grandparents or great grandparents have settled abroad connect with their ancestral roots and culture, a press release issued by the state government said on Friday.

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had announced the programme  which will target youngsters between 16 and 22 during his recent visit to London. He will write to the ambassadors and high commissioners of various countries about the scheme to invite youngsters to join the programme, the press release said.

Launched by the NRIs Affairs Department, the programme is scheduled to begin on January 9, 2018  to coincide with the NRI Day. Each batch will comprise 15 youths.
New Delhi, November 17

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that the Union Government is following up the murder case of Banga resident Dharampreet Singh and will extend all help to his family.

I have received a detailed report on the unfortunate death of an Indian student in California. It was a case of an armed robbery at a gas station in which the robbers shot Dharampreet, who was working there, Swaraj said in a series of tweets.

The police have arrested a suspect of Indian origin. We are following up further investigation by the police, she tweeted.

On Monday night, 20-year-old Dharampreet was robbed before being shot dead outside the Madera city limits, local daily Fresnobee reported. He was on duty at a grocery store next to a gas station in Fresno city. He was a student of accounting and had gone to the US around three years ago on a student visa.

The police arrested Amritraj Singh Athwal (22) for the murder when he was stopped by a Fresno County sheriffs deputy shortly after the shooting. Another suspect is at large.

Madera County Sheriff Jay Varney said Athwal faced robbery and murder charges. Dharampreet was a completely innocent victim, just doing his job, when he was senselessly killed during this robbery, Varney said.  Agencies
Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 17

A raid conducted by the Moga police at the petrol pump owned by gangster Dharminder Singh, alias Gugni, led to the recovery of several illegal firearms. The police have rounded up the manager of the petrol pump for alleged links with the gangster.

Senior police officials of the Ludhiana Commissionerate are mum about the development. Even the Moga police are tight-lipped. The petrol pump has been locked.

Sources in the police confirmed that the Moga police had conducted a raid at the petrol pump located on the Shingar Cinema road on November 15. Senior officers of the Moga police conducted the raid. They thoroughly searched the petrol pump.

The Moga police rounded up the manager of the petrol pump and took him along. Several weapons, reportedly illegally ones, were recovered from the pump. The police also questioned the petrol pump staff, said a senior police official of Ludhiana.

Gugni is among the accused nabbed by the Punjab police in cases relating to seven killings of RSS and Hindu leaders in Punjab. Gugni was charged with supplying weapons to the operatives of the Khalistan Liberation Force and the ISI. Despite being lodged in the high-security Nabha jail, Gugni was supplying weapons to the assailants, a police official said.

Meanwhile, the Ludhiana police today produced one of the five accused, Jimmy Singh, before the court which extended his police custody by a day. The police are mum about the ongoing interrogation of Jimmy. Sources also said a UK NRI, Jagtar Singh Johal, could also be brought here for interrogation by the city police in a day or two.

NIA team meets Dhoke

A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday visited the city and held a closed-door meeting with Police Commissioner RN Dhoke.

Sources said the NIA team discussed the killing of RSS worker Ravinder Gosain. Since the nabbed accused in the cases of seven killings have foreign links or are being supported by handlers in Pakistan and other European countries, the NIA will lead the probe to reach the masterminds behind the killings who are hiding in foreign lands.

An NIA official, when asked about the purpose of their visit, refused to talk.
THOSE who are anxious about the steady increase of plague in Lahore will be interested to learn from a memorandum issued by the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India in which he expresses concern for the Punjab and the western parts of the United Provinces. He states that in no year since 1904 was plague mortality in India in October so heavy as now. There are approximately 42,000 deaths reported as compared with 23,000 last year in the same month. Plague mortality in India only begins to rise in the month and continues to rise till about April and then rapidly declines. But the figures for the very first month this year indicate a black outlook-unless the situation in the Punjab changes.
STOCKTON, Calif., Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kretschmar Premium Meats & Cheeses has joined forces with Save Mart Supermarkets and country music star Easton Corbin to donate $1,000 to Make-A-Wish Northeastern California and Northern Nevada.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d1239ae-64b2-4f16-b086-a6ceb99b4786

Corbin, three-time American Country Award winner and Kretschmar brand partner, presented the donation during his concert in Stockton on Friday as part of Kretschmars Legendary Wishes campaign, which helps Make-A-Wish grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

It was an honor to partner with Kretschmar and Save Mart to help Make-A-Wish grant more wishes for children, said Corbin. This is something really special that Kretschmar is doing across the country, and Im proud to show my support for this cause.

Thanks to supporters like Kretschmar and Save Mart, Make-A-Wish Northeastern California and Northern Nevada grants wishes to children in our local community battling life-threatening medical conditions. Its supporters like these that allow us to bring joy back to a child life, said Jennifer Stolo, Chief Executive Officer, Make-A-Wish Northeastern California and Northern Nevada.

Since 2012, Kretschmar has contributed more than $725,000 to Make-A-Wish nationally and sponsored more than 15 wishes with local chapters through the brands Legendary Wishes campaign.

Additionally, with the help of retail partners, Kretschmar has raised more than $115,000 through sales of Make-A-Wish paper stars sold at stores registers for $1 donations, employee donations, and sandwich fundraisers. The brand gives these funds to local Make-A-Wish chapters to grant more wishes.

Make-A-Wish has positively impacted the lives of so many children and their families as they endure the challenges of battling life-threatening medical conditions, said Michael Baughman, Smithfield Foods director of marketing. Everyone at Kretschmar is incredibly grateful for Make-A-Wish, and their efforts to grant wishes and change lives. We are privileged to have the opportunity to help make more unforgettable experiences possible with help from our friends at Save Mart.

For more information about Kretschmar Deli and its involvement with Make-A-Wish visit www.KretschmarDeli.com or www.Facebook.com/KretschmarDeli. Kretschmar is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

Corbin hit the music scene in 2009 with a #1 single, A Little More Country Than That and won several Breakthrough Artist awards. Since then, he has released three hit albums with songs including Roll With It, Lovin You is Fun, and All Over the Road. Corbin has a full touring schedule in 2017 and is currently working on his fourth studio album.

About Kretschmar

Kretschmar Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses has meant quality since 1883. Our hams are made with a unique hardwood smoking process. Kretschmar poultry and beef are hand-trimmed using the finest cuts. Our full line of Off-The-Bone deli meats are delicately sliced from the leanest, most tender cuts. And our premium Wisconsin cheeses repeatedly win in competitions world-wide. Try the Legendary Taste of Kretschmar today. For great recipes and more, like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/kretschmardeli or visit our website at www.kretschmardeli.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the worlds largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cooks, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curlys, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Save Mart

Based in the Central Valley, The Save Mart Companies is 207 stores strong with more than 15,000 employees throughout northern and central California and Northern Nevada. They believe in "Farm Today, Home Tomorrow", which means providing the finest produce, meats and dairy in the world. Save Mart is committed to giving back more than $5 million back to the communities they serve. They're a big partner in the fight against hunger and promoting healthy eating.

About Make-A-Wish Northeastern California and Northern Nevada

Make-A-Wish Northeastern California and Northern Nevada was established in 1983 as one of the early local chapters of Make-A-Wish America, which is the leading wish-granting organization in the country. Since then, it has granted more than 6,300 wishes to children within its 37-county service area. The mission of Make-A-Wish is to grant wishes to children, age 2  to 18, with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. For more information about Make-A-Wish Northeastern California and Northern Nevada, call 916.437.0206 or visit necannv.wish.org.

About Easton Corbin

With two No. 1 singles, multiple awards and nominations, plus performances on some of the biggest stages in the world, Mercury Nashvilles Easton Corbin has made a lasting impression on the country music landscape. He is lauded for his traditional country sound, authentic lyrics and mastery of understatement. American Songwriter says, Easton Corbin has one of those rare, glorious voices that was madejust madefor singing country music. His self-titled debut album released in 2010 and spawned back-to-back hits A Little More Country Than That and Roll With It; making him the first country male artist in 17 years to have his first two consecutive singles reach No. 1. In 2012 the Gilchrist County Florida native released his sophomore album, All Over The Road, which included the Top 5 hits Lovin You Is Fun and All Over The Road. Corbin set a career-best debut on Country Airplay with his top 5 hit single, Baby Be My Love Song, from his No. 1 debuting album About To Get Real. His latest single, Are You With Me, was most added song at country radio the day it was released. Are You With Me first appeared on All Over The Road and was such a special song to Corbin he carried it over to About To Get Real in hopes it would be a radio single. Corbin spent 2016 on one of the biggest tours in country music -Carrie Underwoods The Storyteller Tour. Corbins new single, A Girl Like You, from his upcoming fourth studio album, is currently climbing on the country singles charts and was released to rave reviews. Taste of Country picked it as a Critics Pick saying, it takes a fraction of a second to know Easton Corbin is on to something different with A Girl Like You.
IN the course of a thoughtful article on Indian reforms contributed to the "Daily News" of October 2nd, Mr. S.K. Ratcliffe writes:-"The one essential principle to be established is Responsibility. The one blunder that would imperil the scheme is the refusal, for any reason or through any fear, of an adequate measure of responsibility to Indian representatives and legislatives bodies." Do the Anglo-Indian opponents believe that the present system of Government of India is responsible to the people in the sense in which it ought to be? We all know what its responsibility to the Parliament is in reality. It is reduced to a very dangerous minimum-and now even a hint from the Secretary of State is regarded as dangerous to the prestige of the "men on the spot." It is no doubt an irresistible temptation to those who have wielded power so long to oppose any reform tending to transfer that power to the people.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17

Despite the National Green Tribunal reprimanding Uttarakhand for carrying out construction of a new Assembly building at Bhararisain (in Gairsain Chamoli) without the mandatory clearances, the Assembly session will kick off from December 7 at Bhararisain, Speaker Prem Chand Aggarwal has said on Friday.

Yesterday, the countrys Green Court had contended that the construction activity was initiated at Gairsain without obtaining environment clearances. There is no move to postpone or plan to hold the Assembly session elsewhere. It would be held at Gairsain as our officers are already engaged in the preparations for holding the session, said Aggarwal, who returned to office today after a foreign tour.

Aggarwal said that the court has raised some objections about fulfilling certain provisions, which are already being looked into. Since, I took over in March no new construction activity has taken place at Gairsain. Now, whatever new construction activity is started, it would be within the norms, he said.

Significantly, Aggarwal also rejected the Leader of the Opposition Indira Hiryadeshs claims that the opposition was not taken into confidence while calling off the last budget session. As a result, the opposition had announced that it would not attend the Business Advisory Committees meeting for discussing the agenda for the upcoming Assembly session at Gairsain. Whatever, we did was within the rules, there was no need for coming up with a new business agenda and seek prior approval, as the house was adjourned the same day, said Aggarwal.

He also reiterated that no attempts were being made to suppress the voice of the opposition. The House can only function with the collective support of the government and the opposition. Both the government and the opposition have equal responsibility for ensuring that the House runs smoothly, he stressed.
Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17

Uttarakhand forest authorities will be seeking assistance from para military force - Indo Tibetan Border Police Force  and the Army for safeguarding the wildlife in the border protected area of Gangotri national park that shares borders with Tibetan.

One of the biggest protected areas of Uttarkhand and the third largest in the country, Gangotri national park in Uttarkashi district is spread around little less than 2,400 sq km. It is home to some of rare wildlife species like snow leopard.

In the recent years, there has been a spurt in the population of stray dogs which is also in some way posing a threat to blue sheep and Himalayan goral. Often these stray dogs feed on leftover food items at the ITBP check posts and thus a spurt in their population has been witnessed.

Seeking cooperation from the ITBP, forest authorities have asked the para military force to shun providing any type of food items to these stray dogs. Images in camera traps have been recorded that reveal stray dogs chasing blue sheep and goral.

Further, there have also been incidents in the past when camera traps installed at various places inside the park has been damaged or stolen and assistance from the ITBP would help strengthen the security arrangements as the ITBP would also keep an eye on installed camera traps in order to check anti-wildlife elements.

Uttarakhands Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Wildlife Dr Dhananjay Mohan disclosed that they have held meetings with Army and ITBP officials and have sought their cooperation in the wildlife conservation. He said the ITBP officials have assured to help curb stray dog menace by ensure that the canines do not get the leftover food at the check posts.
Dehradun, November 17

Uttarakhand Congress has taken to streets resenting recent state BJP governments decision to include a large number of villages in the state within jurisdiction of municipalities and municipal corporations. Protests were held at various places across the state, including capital Dehradun.

Congress workers in Dehradun led by former Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Leader of Opposition in the state Dr Indira Hridyesh today staged demonstration at Ashley Hall Chowk and set ablaze the effigy of state BJP government terming the decision as anti-people.

Addressing the gathering, Hridyesh asserted that the state government was trying to force its opinion on people and has included a large number of village areas across the state in municipalities and Municipal Corporations despite large-scale opposition by village representatives. Former minister Dinesh Agarwal and former MLA Rajkumar were prominent among the protesters.

Similarly, protest was held at Doiwala, where Congress workers demanded immediate withdrawal of notification that has included several of gram sabhas in the municipalities and municipal corporations. Similar protests were held at Uttarkashi, where Congress workers took out a protest rally against the state government and staged dharna at the district headquarters.

Those opposing including of villages in municipal areas argue that such decision will prove counter production for them. They said while farmers get seed, fertilisers and other agriculture equipments from village blocks at subsidised rates would not get the same after their villages are included in municipal areas. Further, they will have to pay house taxes now being part of the municipal areas.  TNS
Washington, November 17

The US should make it clear to Pakistan that the Trump administration would not tolerate Pakistan providing safe havens to terrorists, nominee for Under Secretary of Defence for Policy John C Rood said on Friday.

Rood said Pakistans failure to keep a check on terrorist safe havens was undermining the USs efforts in Afghanistan, compelling Washington to explore new options.

Ultimately, we in the United States, have got to make it clear to the Pakistani government that we cant tolerate that sort of support that will undermine our efforts in Afghanistan, where our troops have been fighting and weve had over 2,000 of our Americans killed in that conflict, Rood said during his confirmation hearing.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Rood was responding to a question from Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Rood said Pakistan sheltering the Taliban and Haqqani network had been a real undercut to the USs efforts in Afghanistan.

...and unfortunately, this is a problem thats persisted really over the 16 years of that conflict, a very stubborn problem to solve, he said.

Rood also spoke about the new strategy, which calls for regionalising the approach, involving India more in the reconstruction and the support of the Afghan government.

So, in addition to the US, involving a larger number of partners in a discussion with Pakistan is one potential avenue that may produce results, he said.

McCain said over the years he had developed an excellent relationship with his friends in Pakistan.

But theres going to come a time where we have to tell them they have to choose and, of course, Chinese influence is increasing and as you know there is further turmoil that is going on as we speak, McCain said.

This is a very, very complex and difficult challenge were facing, but weve tried everything that I know of, besides saying, Look, you either help us or were going to have to change our relationship, he said.

Earlier in a written answer to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Rood said it is important for the US to maintain a constructive relationship with Pakistan to advance its mutual interests.

However, the US should also demonstrate its serious concerns about Pakistan expanding its nuclear programme and providing safe havens for militant groups in its territory, he said.

Sanctuary and freedom of movement for the Afghan Taliban and associated militant networks inside Pakistani territory continue to be contributing factors that negatively impact security conditions and stability inside Afghanistan, Rood said.

If confirmed, Rood said, I will examine ways in which the US can end Pakistans sanctuary for militant networks.

Randall Schriver, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, said if confirmed, he would review what steps the US, particularly the Department of Defence, could take to convince Pakistan to cut off support and sanctuary for militant and terrorist groups.

I understand that the US seeks a constructive relationship with Pakistan that advances mutual interests, such as defeating ISIS and al Qaida, but we also have serious concerns about Pakistans expanding its nuclear programme and providing safe havens for militant groups in its territory, Schriver said. PTI
Harare, November 17

The spectacular rise and fall of Zimbabwes uncompromising First Lady, Grace Mugabe, had an unusual beginning: an office affair.

It was the early 1990s when President Robert Mugabes eye fell upon one of his shy young typists.

She would become his wife, a ferociously ambitious politician and, more than two decades later, a contributor to the downfall of her 93-year-old husband.

President Mugabe is trying to cling to power after the military took over this week in response to his purge of vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, a liberation war fighter and Graces sworn enemy. Mnangagwas aides even accused her of trying to poison him with ice cream from her dairy farm this year. She denies this.

Grace, now 52 and under house arrest in Harare, had been calling for Mnangagwas removal for weeks as the two fought an increasingly bitter winner-takes-all contest to succeed the man who has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

It wasnt the first time Grace had wielded influence over her husband. When it appeared former vice-president Joice Majuru was in line to succeed Mugabe in 2014, he fired her following public rallies at which Grace derided Majuru. This time she appears to have gone too far.

The purge of Mnangagwa and many of his comrades irked the military, who had no intention of allowing Grace and her youthful Generation 40 (G40) faction of the ruling ZANU-PF to take over the political reins.

Deeply unpopular among much of the Zimbabwean public due to her alleged corruption and volatile temper, Grace does not have the liberation credentials the military believe are required to be a Zimbabwean ruler.

The lavish lifestyle that earned her the nickname Gucci Grace and the political ambition that almost propelled her to the presidency were not evident when she met her future husband.

He just started talking to me, asking me about my life, she told a South African journalist in 2013. I didnt know it was leading somewhere. I was quite a shy person, very shy. At the time, they were both married. President Mugabes wife, Sally, was desperately ill and died in 1992. Grace and Robert were married in 1996 and have three children.  Reuters
Tokyo, November 17

A Japanese railway operator has issued a deep apology for the tremendous nuisance caused by a train departing 20 seconds early, surprising even a nation renowned for both punctuality and politeness.

The Tsukuba Express train linking Tokyo and the capitals northern suburbs pulled out of Minami Nagareyama Station at 9:44:20 instead of 9:44:40.

We deeply apologise for causing tremendous nuisance to customers, said the Tsukuba Express company.

There was no complaint from customers over this incident, said the firm, which added that no one missed the train due to the premature departure.

Japanese railway services, including Shinkansen bullet trains, are famous for their world-beating punctuality.

Even the slightest delay prompts an effusive apology from the train guard, which often lasts longer than the hold-up itself.

With trains running the same route every few minutes to cope with huge numbers of passengers, even brief delays can back up the whole network causing overcrowding.

Stations in Toyko employs dozens of staff--with their famous white gloves--to ensure the prompt departure of trains and to manage the crush during rush hour.

The bullet trains in Japan are also famed for their customer service, with one offering passengers an onboard footbath to soothe their travelling woes.

The train firm said it was surprised by the attention the story was getting, saying: We have issued similar apologies for trains that departed earlier than scheduled before.

A spokesman told AFP the apology was issued because strict safety procedures were not followed.

What matters is not the 20 seconds...The point is that our formal procedure should be this: A sound rings 15 seconds before the departure, followed by an announcement asking for caution due to the closing doors, and then the doors shut, he said.

Lax management could cause safety problems in the future, the spokesman said. There are sometimes passengers who try to jump on the train...they could be caught in doors if the doors shut without warning, he said.

But the apology had several social media users scratching their heads.

This is surprising even to Japanese, said one user with the handle @takamin_.

A weird country in which a 20-second difference prompts a sincere apology while faking quality data on aluminium and steel products or misconduct on car check-ups are done just like that, another tweet read.

This was a reference to a recent string of corporate scandals that has floored the reputation of Japan Inc. AFP
Harare, November 17

Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe appeared in public on Friday for the first time since the army took charge this week, as the ruling party made plans to force him to step down after more than three decades in power.

Mugabe, who is 93, opened a graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University in Harare. He wore blue and yellow academic robes and a mortar board hat and appeared to fall asleep in his chair as his eyes closed and his head lolled.

Mugabe led the countrys liberation struggle and has dominated its politics since independence in 1980. He said he was still in charge but a senior member of the ZANU-PF ruling party said it wanted him gone.

If he becomes stubborn, we will arrange for him to be fired on Sunday, the source said. When that is done, its impeachment on Tuesday.

In contrast, the military said in a statement on national television it was engaging with Mugabe. It referred to him as Commander-in-Chief and said it would announce an outcome as soon as possible.

Mugabe is revered as an elder statesman and member of the generation of Africas independence leaders but he is also viewed by many in Africa as a president who held his country back by remaining in power too long. He calls himself the grand old man of African politics.

Zimbabwes official newspaper, the Herald, ran photographs late on Thursday showing him grinning and shaking hands with military chief General Constantino Chiwenga, who seized power this week.

The images stunned Zimbabweans who thought it meant Mugabe was managing to hold out against Chiwengas coup, with some political sources saying he was trying to delay his departure until elections scheduled for next year.

The ZANU-PF source said that was not the case. Anxious to avoid a protracted stalemate, party leaders were drawing up plans to dismiss Mugabe at the weekend if he refused to quit, the source said.

There is no going back, the source told Reuters. Its like a match delayed by heavy rain, with the home side leading 90-0 in the 89th minute.

The army is camped on his doorstep. His wife, Grace, is under house arrest, and her key political allies are in military custody. The police, once a bastion of support, have showed no signs of resistance.

Furthermore, he has little popular backing in the capital. The only words Mugabe spoke at the graduation ceremony were met with ululations from the crowd. In a telling irony, one of the graduates was the wife of Chiwenga.  Reuters

America wants new era in Zimbabwe
Islamabad, November 17

In a blunt message to Pakistan, a top US general has told the countrys military leadership that Islamabad must prevent militants from operating within its soil and across its borders to bring in security and stability in the region.

US Central Command (Centcom) Commander General Joseph Votel, who was here on a two-day visit, also emphasised the importance of improved Pak-Afghan relations, and the need for strengthened border security, including measures to coordinate military operations along both sides of the border, according to a statement from the US Embassy.

During his visit, Votel met senior Pakistani military commanders, including Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Hayat and Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar.

The US Centcom Commanders visit, his fourth to Islamabad, is believed to be a preparatory visit for the upcoming trip of US Defence Secretary James Mattis, who is likely to visit to Pakistan next month.

Pakistan and the US have had a series of meetings to bridge their differences since President Donald Trumps Fort Myer speech on the new US policy for South Asia and Afghanistan in which he criticised Pakistan for showing insincerity in the fight against terrorism despite getting billions of dollars in assistance from America.

Trumps harsh language had aggravated the already strained bilateral relations.

Votel stressed the Donald Trump Administrations message that Pakistan must prevent all militants from operating within and across its borders, the Embassy statement said here.

Votel underscored the vital role Pakistan can play in facilitating a peace process in Afghanistan and in bringing stability and security to the region, it said.

It was essentially the reiteration of the demand for action against the alleged safe havens, Dawn reported today.

During his meeting, Gen Bajwa told Gen Votel that Pakistans committed efforts for peace in Afghanistan were not being reciprocated. He pointed towards the latest cross-border attack on a Pakistani post in Bajaur in which two soldiers were killed.

Following the attack, the military had called for more efforts by all stakeholders in Afghanistan, both the NATOs Resolute Support Mission and the Afghan security forces, for elimination of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan and effective border security.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal, speaking at the weekly media briefing, said yesterday that efforts were continuing to bridge the gap between the perceptions of the two countries in the wake of President Trumps South Asia and Afghanistan policy, and to arrive at a consensus on moving forward and exploring avenues of cooperation between both sides.

Noting that Pakistan was actively engaged in dialogue with the US at all levels, he said, he believes that dialogue is the best way forweard to enhance cooperation between the two sides. PTI
Islamabad, November 17

Pakistani security forces have shot dead a Baloch militant involved in the killing of 15 men in Balochistan province this week.

Younis Taukali was killed by paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) near Turbat where 15 bullet-riddled bodies were found on Wednesday, the militarys Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The dead hailed from Punjab and were trying to illegally travel to Europe via Iran.

Taukali was one of the top commanders of the separatist Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) which has been declared a terrorist group by Pakistan.

He was also involved in attacking FC convoys with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and was wanted for multiple killings, the ISPR said.

Baloch nationalists blame the Pakistani government for exploiting the natural resources of the countrys largest province and often target government installations and security forces. PTI
English French

Villers-les-Nancy, 17 November 2017 - 6:30 p.m. (CET)

PRESS RELEASE

2017 third-quarter revenue + 8.46 %

In m 2017 2016 Change Q1 35.42 30.46 + 16.30 % Q2 36.60 33.07 + 10.69 % Q3 (unaudited) 32.54 30.00 + 8.46 % First 9 months 104.56 93.53 + 11.80 %

PHARMAGEST Group had revenue for the 2017 third-quarter of 32.54 million, up 8.46% from the same period in 2016.

For the first nine months, revenue reached 104.56 million with 11.80% growth year over year.

Q3 2017 business highlights:

The Solutions for Pharmacy Division - Europe maintained good momentum in the 2017 third-quarter (+2.78%); the deployment of operations recently acquired in Belgium (MULTIPHARMA and COOP) is starting to produce results. At 30 September 2017, the Division had revenue of 74.72 million, up 3.24% from 30 September 2016 and representing 71.50% of the Group revenue.



The Solutions for Health and Social Care Facilities Division consolidated its growth: the installed base is expanding, with the average shopping cart of new customers marginally below the 2016 level. It is noteworthy that AXIGATE, consolidated as of the 1 st of July, had a positive impact on Group revenue (+ 795,000). At 30 September 2017, this Division had revenue of 9.45 million, up 29.68% from 30 September 2016 and representing 9% of the Group revenue.



The Solutions for e-Health Division was supported by recurrent sales providing visibility. The Division had revenue of 7.89 million, up 18.80% from 30 September 2016 and representing 7.55% of the Group revenue.



The Fintech Division: despite slower growth in the 2017 third-quarter largely reflecting the impact of the summer period (little investment due to the vacation cycle), this Division, at 30 September 2017, had revenue of 12.50 million, up sharply 73.13% from 30 September 2016, representing 11.95% of Group revenue.





Outlook:

In line with its strategic objectives, the Solutions for Pharmacy Division - Europe, Solutions for Health and Social Care Facilities Division and Solutions for e-Health Division are continuing to develop solutions for integration within patient care pathways. These address aspects that are both organisational (notably, the coordination of healthcare professionals across the "non-hospital/hospital" spectrum) and technical.

Today, PHARMAGEST Group's vision is thus fully aligned with the new governmental directives. On the 7th of November, Ms. Agnes BUZYN, the French Minister of Health, launched a public consultation on the National Health Strategy in four priority areas identified by the Government: promoting health and prevention, combating social or territorial inequality, the quality and effectiveness of care, innovation and the role of citizens in the governance of the health care system. French government authorities have adopted a long-term approach to healthcare issues which is very positive for the Group.

Concerning the Fintech Division, following a seasonal slowdown in capital investments, revenue trends in September and October provide grounds for confidence for the months ahead. The Division is continuing to develop new versions of its platform and new tools.





Financial calendar:

Publication of 2017 annual revenue: 15 February 2018

About PHARMAGEST Group :

PHARMAGEST Group is the French pharmacy information technology leader, with a market share of more than 41% and more than 900 employees. The Group's strategy is based on a core business of improving healthcare through information technology innovation and developing two priority areas: 1/ Services and technologies for healthcare professionals, with a focus on assisting pharmacies in patient medication compliance; and 2/ technologies for improving the efficacy of healthcare systems.

To roll out this strategy, PHARMAGEST Group has developed specialised businesses, including pharmacy IT, e-Health solutions, solutions for healthcare professionals, solutions for pharmaceutical laboratories, connected health devices and apps, and a sales financing marketplace.

These businesses are divided into four Divisions: Solutions for Pharmacy Division - Europe; Solutions for Health and Social Care Facilities; Solutions for e-Health; and Fintech.

Listed on Euronext Paris(TM) - Compartment B

Indices: CAC SMALL and CAC All-Tradable par inclusion

Eligible for the Long-Only Deferred Settlement Service (SRD)

ISIN: FR 0012882389 - Reuters: PHA.PA - Bloomberg: - PMGI FP

For all the latest news go to www.pharmagest.com
Dallas, November 17

The driver of a pickup displaying an expletive-filled message to President Donald Trump and his supporters in the Houston area was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office records show Karen Fonseca was arrested about 2 pm yesterday on an outstanding fraud warrant issued in August by the Rosenberg Police Department. She remained in the county jail last night with bond set at US$ 1,500.

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A sheriff's spokesman has not answered a message seeking details behind the warrant.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls had threatened Fonseca with a disorderly conduct charge over the decal.

However, District Attorney John Healey said he didn't think it would have been a prosecutable case.

Fonseca had said she would not remove the decal. She said she had been stopped by law officers, but that they have no grounds to issue a citation.

"It's not to cause hate or animosity," the 46-year-old Fonseca told the Houston Chronicle. "It's just our freedom of speech and we're exercising it."

Nehls on Wednesday posted a photo of the truck message on Facebook alongside a request to speak with the driver.

Nehls in his post said that a county prosecutor told him the message could warrant a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

But at a news conference later Wednesday, he seemed to back away from that idea. Nehls said he supports freedom of speech but worried that profane messages could incite others and lead to confrontations that would disturb the peace he's pledged to keep.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff's office, which covers the county just southwest of Houston, said Thursday that Nehls' post was removed once the pickup driver was identified.

"Due to the hate messages he has been receiving toward his wife and children, the sheriff will not be commenting on the matter further," spokeswoman Caitilin Espinosa said by email.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas posted on Facebook that Fonseca's message is protected speech and urged her to reach out to the organization.

The ACLU noted a 1971 US Supreme Court case that overturned the conviction of a man for disturbing the peace for wearing a jacket with an expletive as part of an effort to protest the military draft and the Vietnam War. AP
Theres no one route to the future, yet there already are on ramps open to it.

If you were asked to describe a smart highway, you might say it swiftly collects tolls. You might say it speeds the flow of goods. You might say it advances safety. You might even say it glows. And you might say, how on Earth do I merge onto this ribbon of wonder?

All thats promised by myriad visions of the smart highway is nowhere near here yet, but some smart features already exist in some places. The technology is also being incorporated into the planning of major urban and suburban transportation-infrastructure projects.

Unlike the smart trucks and cars that are grabbing headlines, the smart highway seems to be slowly sneaking up on us. But that will change. As more highway users come to understand what intelligent roadways can offer trucking and society at large, more pressure will be directed at local, state, and federal government to speed their development by taking out regulatory speedbumps and spurring public and private investment.

To compare whats here and now to whats likely around the corner and what might be coming along somewhere down the road, it helps to start with a working definition of just what a smart highway is. Lets peg it as a road with one or more intelligent and/or interactive technological features bolted onto it or built into its design.

Following that line of thinking, we can see that existing roads with overhead gantries to make toll collection faster and safer or weigh-station bypass systems to benefit truckers as highways boasting smart features.

Where From Here

Where the smart highway goes from here appears limited only by the imagination. Transportation engineers might argue that mundane but critical technical limits like bandwidths and network speeds may play a role in what smart features get rolled out first and where. But infrastructure funding, or the lack thereof, will no doubt be the greatest limiting factor to building out the smart highway.

Lars Stenqvist, executive vice president of Volvo Group Trucks Technology and chief technology officer of Volvo Group, has been doing a lot of thinking about where technology and trucking are headed. An industrial engineer by training, he freely admits, I dont know what the future will look like, but I have a clear view of where its headed.

During a recent media briefing, he explained that smart trucks and smart infrastructure will work best hand-in-glove. Stenqvist said these three technologies have the greatest potential to change trucking: data connectivity, electric power, and autonomous driving.

He pointed out that even though each of these is being developed independently to one degree or another, their full impact will be felt when the three converge to benefit trucking and society by increasing highway safety, reducing congestion, and enhancing the quality of life.

In La La Land

Californias I-80 Smart Corridor project aims to boost safety and speed traffic flow by deploying various interactive smart features, including overhead signs that are dark until a lane-blocking incident occurs. Then, colored arrows, Xs and advisory speeds are shown.

Various forms of smart roads already exist, including one thats been quietly going about its business for over 30 years in the City of Los Angeles.

One could say that in La La Land, the streets may be paved with dreams, but in reality they are studded with sensors  25,248 to be exact, according to a CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric) project presentation by Daimler AG.

The 7.5 million vehicles running around Americas second largest city are kept moving smoothly and safely in large measure thanks to Los Angeles state-of-the-art Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control System.

ATCS was launched for the 1984 Summer Olympics and has grown to become the most advanced traffic control system in the U.S., fueled by a massive number of data sources. On top of all those sensors that generate second-by-second input, there are more than 500 cameras trained on critical intersections.

Data is relayed by the sensors, embedded in surface streets and freeway lanes, to the systems control center. When the sensors determine traffic has slowed down, alerts are sent. System operators then reference cameras trained on the affected intersections to determine the cause of any tie-up and then take corrective actions, such as changing cycle times for traffic signals.

A newer initiative in the Golden State is the I-80 SMART Corridor Project in the Bay Area. It consist of a network of integrated electronic signs, ramp meters, and other state-of-the-art elements placed on roadways between the Carquinez Bridge in Contra Costa County and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to help improve safety and reduce congestion.

The project aims to provide real-time traffic information via variable speed signs and blocked-lane signs, as well as other improvements, including real-time ramp metering on 44 on-ramps to reduce merging conflicts and manage traffic volumes on I-80.

Just as every full-blown smart highway will be built of component technologies, existing roadways may be fitted with various stand-alone smart features. For example, an in-cab safety speed advisory notification system for truck drivers is being piloted on the Pennsylvania Turnpike by Drivewyze as an add-on service to its PreClear weigh-station bypass application.

Truck drivers signed up for the Drivewyze service get notifications in their cabs when approaching any of 26 curves and ramps on the Pennsylvania Turnpike where the advisory speed is less than the posted speed.

Doug Johnson, director of marketing, calls the Drivewyze platform the largest vehicle-to-infrastructure safety network in the world. It connects software in trucks to infrastructure at the roadside as well as to public and private infrastructure dispersed elsewhere.

He notes that the company is looking at developing other V2I solutions, such as an e-inspection system. Our objective is to build a service that provides carriers with a partial CSA credit, for volunteering to provide hours of service, driver, and carrier safety data in advance of a weigh station, says Johnson. This would be more than a bypass service, and we are in the process of trialing this now in a number of jurisdictions.

Alphabet Soup

The two communication technologies that largely underpin the capabilities of smart highways and the smart cars and trucks that roll over them are vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I).

V2V refers to on-board communication devices that transmit and receive messages about speed, heading, brake status, etc. With that technology, autonomous vehicles can communicate V2I directly with compatible infrastructure and V2V with other vehicles fitted with transmitters. V2I can be viewed as shorthand for technology that enables vehicles to use GPS and cellular/satellite links to communicate with roadside structures, such as toll gantries and weigh stations, or even all the way back to a fleets headquarters or a repair shop.

Smart highways embed smart technology on key stretches of highway in order to cut congestion, improve efficiency and reduce the risk of accidents, explains Jon Morrison, president of Wabco Americas, which counts connected-vehicle products among its offerings. He notes that southeast Michigan, for instance, has more than 100 miles of such roads. He says V2I technology is a key building block.

For example, says Morrison, one stretch of I-75 in Metro Detroit is equipped with high-tech roadside bar codes that communicate with vehicles equipped with V2I technology to alert them when there is construction or lanes closed ahead. Similarly, there is a road that communicates with properly equipped vehicles when the traffic signals ahead are about to turn red. These technologies use V2I communication and vehicle GPS receivers to monitor traffic issues.

There are also research highways in the works, including one that doubles as a real-world road. A year ago, Ohio announced that it will invest $15 million to install state-of-the-art infrastructure for testing autonomous and connected vehicle technologies along a designated Smart Mobility Corridor.

The corridor, a 35-mile stretch of four-lane, limited-access highway between Dublin and East Liberty, will be equipped with high-capacity fiber optic cable to instantaneously link researchers and traffic monitors with data from embedded and wireless sensors along the roadway.

These links will enable testing smart transportation technologies on a highway that carries up to 50,000 vehicles per day through rural and urban settings in a full range of weather conditions. Ohio DOT notes that, more immediately, the data gathered will also provide more frequent and accurate traffic counts, weather and surface condition monitoring, and incident management improvements.

Fred Andersky, director, customer solutions and marketing - controls for Ohio-based advanced safety solution supplier Bendix, says that among the first applications for the Buckeye States research road will be testing portable smart-highway solutions, like short-range communications used to send out alerts there is a work zone in place or congestion ahead.

Further down the road, he expects testing to expand into real infrastructure, such as lane-marking transmitters that are powered by solar energy tapped from reflective side-by-side lane markings. Andersky says such a setup would be used to center vehicles in their lanes. And it would work on a clear day  and in rain or snow.

Heres a depiction of one scenario for the rollout of autonomous vehicles on smart highways in the metro New York City area. According to the Regional Plan Association, getting really smart with vehicles and roads will require making many assumptions," some of which will likely not play out as anticipated.

Not So Fast...

As for when we might all start gliding over highways that were designed to be smart from the ground up, consider some takeaways from a report released last month by the nonprofit Regional Plan Association.

The RPA paper focuses on improving the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan area with the goal of making autonomous vehicles an everyday reality in the densely populated tri-state region thats centered on New York City.

Along with legal and privacy issues that could delay adoption of autonomous cars, trucks, and buses, RPA contends that before self-driving vehicles can take to the streets in any sizable number, it must be recognized that theres no one-size-fits-all solution for communities to address AVs.

RPA argues that physical planning strategies and government regulations will need to differ by geography and time of day. Whats more, suburban issues, including managing highway traffic, transitioning large areas devoted to surface parking, and adapting land use policies, will have to be addressed. And in urban areas, it will be a priority to regulate street space and address impacts on public transportation as well.

On the other hand, the regional planning group points out that already dozens of other groups and governments around the country and the globe are examining these issues and trying to better understand how to respond to this new technology.

The reason for all the studying to get smart highways built is manifold: To improve safety, to increase productivity and reduce stress in daily life, and to improve mobility for unlicensed drivers, including seniors and the disabled. And to make goods cheaper: Costs associated with moving goods (and their price to customers) could be substantially reduced if trucks were automated and if an alternate solution was devised (self-service and/or automation) to unload the vehicle, notes RPA.

Wabcos Morrison sees the largest challenge with smart highways being the investment in the infrastructure. Experts estimate that in the U.S. alone it costs hundreds of billions of dollars to equip the countrys 4 million miles of paved roads, in addition to the intersections, with [V2I] technology.

He notes that another hurdle to overcome is what to do with all the data that will be generated by and along smart highways.

It is likely that certain agencies will want to collect that data, says Morrison. Transportation planners may want to utilize the data collected on smart highways for use in designing more efficient roadways. Automakers may want access to the data when designing vehicles. The media may want to use it to monitor flow for their traffic reports. Exactly who will have access to the data gathered by the technology and how it is used is certainly something that will have to be addressed by the industry and related stakeholders.

Bendixs Andersky says for the full promise of smart highways and vehicles to be realized, there will have to be a coordinated effort between technology providers and government regulators. He adds, all of this will require the federal government to get more involved in [transportation planning and funding] than it has of late. And heavy trucks must be part of that equation.

The National Association of City Transportation Officials, which is expected to soon release its guidance on smart highways and vehicles, has already promoted several policymaking principles. These include calling for federal policies to be developed on data-sharing requirements and developing expressway plans that emphasize modernization over expansion, so roadside infrastructure is ready to accommodate the needs of autonomous vehicles.

During the extensive testing that will be required in the lengthy run up to adopting autonomous vehicles on a grand scale, NACTO suggests that the use of partially automated vehicles should be limited to controlled environments  like highways.

That opinion underscores the major role trucking will need to play in lobbying for increased highway funding, whether through public or private investments.

Those monies will be essential to cover the cost of the high-tech infrastructure that both motorists and freight haulers will rely on to save time, money and lives when driving on every shining stretch of smart highway ahead.
English French

TORONTO, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced that Alexander Wiafe of Toronto, Ontario was sentenced on November 8, 2017 to five years in prison and, in lieu of a forfeiture order, was fined $96,000. If the fine remains unpaid after five years from his release from custody, Wiafe may also face an additional 18 months of incarceration. Wiafe had previously pleaded guilty on August 8, 2017, in the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto, to one count of fraud over $5,000 under the Criminal Code.



A CRA investigation revealed that Wiafe, as director and sole shareholder of Wiafco Industries Ltd. (Wiafco), filed eight quarterly Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) returns for the filing periods from March 13, 2013 to December 31, 2014 claiming refunds for purchases that were either fictitious or not incurred by the company. By filing his fraudulent returns, Wiafe claimed a total of $997,842 in GST/HST refunds to which he was not entitled, and received two refund payments totaling $106,057 which he used both for personal expenditures and also to further the fraud.

Although Wiafco was purportedly in the business of importing and exporting used clothing, detailed analysis of its records and inspection of its business premises did not reveal any legitimate commercial activity or source of funds. In fact, Wiafcos invoices and banking records were falsified, and Wiafe paid for leasing Wiafcos business premises and equipment with the refunds he received from filing his first two fraudulent GST/HST returns.

All case-specific information above was obtained from the court records.

Tax cheating is a crime. Falsification of records and claims, wilfully not reporting income, or inflating expenses can lead to criminal charges, prosecution, jail time, and a criminal record. In 2016-2017, of the 37 convictions, 24 taxpayers were sent to jail for tax evasion for a total of 607 months.

If you have made an omission in your dealings with the CRA, made a tax mistake or left out details about income on your tax return, the Agency may give you a second chance to correct your tax affairs and avoid criminal prosecution. The Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP) may give you the opportunity to come forward, make things right, and have peace of mind. Disclosures that are made before the CRA launches an enforcement action such as an audit or criminal investigation may only result in you having to pay taxes owed plus interest. That being said, the VDP is currently under review. Changes will be announced in the Fall of 2017. More information on the VDP can be found on the CRA's website at www.canada.ca/taxes-voluntary-disclosures.

Further information on convictions can be found in the CRA Newsroom at canada.ca/cra-convictions.

For media information:

Paul Murphy

Manager, Communications

(416) 952-8105
OKLAHOMA CITY  Legislative pay will drop next year.

The Legislative Compensation Review Board on a 4-3 vote Thursday decided to reduce legislative pay by 8.8 percent. Lawmakers currently make $38,400 per year, not including benefits.

The drop will affect those who are elected or re-elected in 2018.

The drop also applies to additional compensation that lawmakers who serve in leadership roles receive.

Christian Brim was among those voting against it, saying the reduction was not enough.

Im afraid I will be the hand grenade here, Brim said during discussion.

He thought it should drop by 50 percent but would settle for something less, he said.

Legislative pay has not been increased since 1999.

In discussing legislative pay, the panel noted a decline in state revenue, significant cuts to state agencies, the four-month legislative session and low pay of state employees and teachers.

Actual pay for legislators today is $48,383 ($38,400 salary + $9,984 total per diem) and state employee average is $43,979, according to information provided by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.

Members also said they thought legislative pay should be more comparable to the average Oklahoman, based on the number of days worked.

Gov. Mary Fallin called lawmakers into special session on Sept. 25 after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled they illegally passed a $1.50 a pack tax on cigarettes. The action knocked a $215 million hole in the state budget that lawmakers are currently trying to fill with cash and cuts to agencies.

Voting for a reduction in legislative pay were: Mike E. ONeal; Bill Sims; Keith Cochran; Wesley L. Milbourn, the chairman.

Members Brim, Andrew McDonald and John George voted no.

Two members were absent.

Fallin has five appointees. The Senate and House each respectively have two appointees.

Milbourn said the move will save the state slightly more than $500,000 a year.

According to information provided by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, salaries and per diem for lawmakers cost about $7.2 million a year.

The 8.8 percent reduction does not affect the per diem lawmakers receive.

Oklahoma ranks second in the region in salary and per diem based on the number of days lawmakers are in session, according to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.

Milbourn said Oklahomans are frustrated with the state Legislature. Various groups have come to the Capitol to protest potential cuts, he said.

He said people have expressed to him that they believe lawmakers are not doing their jobs.

Milbourn said it is not easy to tell someone they are going to receive less in pay.

The four-month legislative session is only a portion of the work that lawmakers do, said House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka. Cutting compensation ensures that in the future many lower-income but capable citizens wont be able to run for the Legislature. Only those with the financial means will have the opportunity to represent citizens at the Capitol.

But McCall said the boards action creates an opportunity for a broader discussion when lawmakers return in February on how money is spent on pay for agency and cabinet appointments.

Many of these directors and appointments make four to five times as much as a state legislator, if not more, McCall said. The same agency heads that said they were going to cut services to the states most vulnerable due to lack of funds are paying themselves and their subordinates hefty six-figure salaries. That money could be used to help those same people they threaten to cut.

The governor said she was surprised by the boards action and noted many lawmakers work more than 40 hours a week representing their constituents, costing them compensation from their normal jobs and time away from their families.

The board is a constitutionally formed independent panel granted the power to change the pay of lawmakers, Fallin said in a prepared statement. Their vote reflects the level of the publics frustration.
Holding up a photo of their 26-year-old son, Lance and Sherry Davis spoke about why they are among the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit filed Friday by the ACLU of Oklahoma in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City against two state agencies concerning cuts to disability services.

Tomas Davis functions at the level of a 7-year-old with his diagnoses of cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, epilepsy with grand mal seizures, schizophrenia and acute asthma. He requires total care, as he is unable to walk, sit or stand unassisted.

He lives in Noble and receives an in-home support waiver administered by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services to provide 85 hours a week for personal care, habilitation training specialist and vocational services. The family was notified that the waiver would be eliminated on Dec. 1, and they were provided no alternatives.

Lance Davis said it would mean his wife would have to quit her job. Without her income, they could no longer pay their monthly bills.

Well probably have to move out of our house because we cant keep Tomas in his own house, in his normal environment, Davis said. Its pretty upsetting because it seems like each year we go through this. We just want it to stop. We just want to live in our community and just want to have our son live in our house with us. And if we lose those services, well no longer be able to do that.

The ACLU had warned state agencies early this month of the possibility of a lawsuit if cuts to services were made in the budget. The Oklahoma Disability Law Center, a federally funded advocacy system, joined in the suit against DHS and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

The Health Care Authority administers the states Medicaid program, and DHS provides and manages services either directly or through contractors.

DHS let more than 20,000 recipients of the ADvantage and in-home support waivers for adults know on Oct. 31 that benefits would end Dec. 1.

On Friday evening, Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed House Bill 1019  the state budget bill  but left intact provisions that temporarily fund DHS, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. Her action also keeps the Department of Health solvent through the end of the fiscal year.

DHS spokeswoman Sheree Powell said the agency had made the notifications and cuts based on legal requirements.

DHS didnt want to do any of this in the first place, Powell said. As an agency, we were required to file a revised balanced budget which forced us to identify $69 million in reductions. Because of legal requirements, we had to give service recipients 30-day notice that their services could be ending if the Legislature did not come up with a funding solution.

The budget measure, HB 1019, provides DHS with nearly $696 million, which means a reduction of $4 million in services instead of $69 million.

Should this bill be signed by the governor, the agency will be able to avoid cutting all of the services which have previously been announced and we can immediately begin sending notices to clients letting them know their services are funded and will continue, Powell said before Fallins action Friday night. We certainly look forward to that day.

ACLU of Oklahoma Legal Director Brady Henderson said the lawsuit will move forward because there is no guarantee services will return or how long it will last.

Whether we can call this a budget, its a stopgap. Its a Band-Aid on the broken leg, proverbially speaking, Henderson said. HB 1019 is a good emergency fix to an emergency problem, but it doesnt deal with the long-term issue. For people who depend on ADvantage Waiver or other similar programs, this one event is in a context of years of cuts to services and decade-long wait lists.

Plaintiffs argue that the cuts violate the Americans With Disabilities Act and U.S. Supreme Court rulings that protect the rights of people with disabilities to stay in community housing rather than be forced into institutions.

Amy Gioletti, staff attorney for the ACLU of Oklahoma, said at the heart of the lawsuit is the right to choose where to live and not be forced into institutional care.

Its about making sure individuals have the right to live in the integrated setting to them, Gioletti said. Our clients have robust lives. They provide essential community services in their communities. They are artists, and they are loving family members. So what we hope to do with this lawsuit is remind the state of its federal obligations to provide community-based living in the most integrated setting available.

Henderson said the services are tailored to each person based on needs.

These services are so important because it is not one-size-fits all, Henderson said. DHS comes in and figures out what you need. The alternative with institutionalization is a one-size-fits-all. It effectively takes you out of the community.

Melissa Sublett, executive director of the Oklahoma Disability Law Center, said her office has been flooded with calls from people receiving services but also from those on waiting lists for services, who now worry that no help is in sight.

Weve had an abundance of families contacting our office in a panic over this tragic cuts in services, Sublett said. Weve heard of families having to leave the state and families who are already losing their services  their attendants are quitting in anticipation of the Dec. 1 elimination of the waivers.

Other plaintiffs include:

 A 49-year-old Norman man, Richard Anderson, with cerebral palsy who lives alone but gets about 20 hours of help each week from a home health aide. He is a songwriter, enjoys computers and is a founding member of Oklahoma ADAPT. He has lived independently in the same apartment complex for nearly 32 years.

 A 21-year-old Tulsan, Trevor Hay, with developmental disabilities, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and connective tissue syndrome. He functions at a 5-year-old level and lives with a single mother and his twin sister. His mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and is undergoing reconstructive surgery. He receives about 37.5 hours of habilitation and vocational services each week.

 His twin sister, Taren Hay, has the same developmental disability diagnoses and limitations.

 A 43-year-old Durant woman, Rhonda Cassell, who has a traumatic brain injury, seizure disorder and double vision. Hit by a car at age 7, she is paralyzed on her left side and requires 24-hour care. She receives about 28 hours of in-home help a week. Her mother has lupus, osteoarthritis and congestive heart failure, making it impossible for her to be a full-time caregiver.

 A 52-year-old Norman resident, Lori Taylor, who has cerebral palsy. A photographer, she is also a founding member of Oklahoma ADAPT. She has lived independently since age 17 with 17.75 hours a week of in-home services assistance for personal care.
The key info

Cenk Tosun sets Besiktas target

Through to round of 16: Bayern Munchen, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur



Could qualify on matchday five: Barcelona, Basel, Besiktas, Chelsea, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester United, Porto, Real Madrid, Roma, Sevilla, Shakhtar Donetsk



Cannot finish in top two: Anderlecht, Celtic, Feyenoord

The matches*

Tuesday



Group E: Spartak Moskva v Maribor (18:00CET), Sevilla v Liverpool

Group F: Napoli v Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester City v Feyenoord

Group G: Besiktas v Porto (18:00CET), Monaco v RB Leipzig

Group H: Borussia Dortmund v Tottenham Hotspur, APOEL v Real Madrid

Wednesday

Group A: CSKA Moskva v Benfica (18:00CET), Basel v Manchester United

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain v Celtic, Anderlecht v Bayern Munchen

Group C: Qarabag v Chelsea (18:00CET), Atletico Madrid v Roma

Group D: Juventus v Barcelona, Sporting CP v Olympiacos

*All kick-offs 20:45CET unless otherwise stated

Highlights: Napoli 2-4 Man. City

How to follow

Play and win

Highlights: Roma 3-0 Chelsea

The big five: what to watch



Winner takes all



Liverpool v Sevilla and Basel v Manchester United are both games where each team knows a win would take them through (in fact a draw would be OK for United) regardless of the other result in their group. Shakhtar, Roma and Barcelona are just a point away while victory would suffice for Madrid and Chelsea, also without having to worry about what happens elsewhere.

Big names in danger



Atletico have made it through the group stage four years in a row, reaching two finals. Dortmund have done so five seasons running. But both will be out if Atletico lose to Roma (or draw, should Chelsea avoid defeat) and Dortmund cannot beat Spurs (or regardless should Madrid win). Also in peril are Napoli and Monaco, who knocked out Dortmund to join Atletico in last season's semi-finals.

Highlights: Tottenham 3-1 Real Madrid

APOEL hark back to glory days



APOEL's greatest European moment was taking on Real Madrid in the 2011/12 quarter-finals. Now they can make a bit more history when they host the reigning European champions knowing victory would take them within two points of Madrid. Given the events of matchday four, when Tottenham inflicted Madrid's first group defeat since 2012, while APOEL completed home and away draws with Dortmund, any Cypriot confidence would not be entirely misplaced.

New goal



Anderlecht, Celtic and Feyenoord's hopes of progress in this competition are now over but their European seasons are far from finished. Feyenoord know that as long as they stay within three points of Napoli they could overtake the Italians when they welcome them on matchday six  but as the Dutch champions have lost all their matches and their next opponents Manchester City have a 100% record, their task is anything but straightforward. Celtic are three points above Anderlecht in their section so the Belgian side must stay in touch with the Scottish club ahead of the pair's matchday six encounter in Glasgow.

Goals STILL continue to flow



With 48 more goals last time out, the total of 204 in this group stage is creeping  in fact soaring  ever closer to the record of 292 from 1999/2000. Meanwhile Dortmund's group-best tally of 21, set last season, is under severe pressure from Paris, who are already up to 17 and also on course to be the first team to keep six clean sheets.
| By Mary T. Phelan

In an open letter Nov. 17 to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) community, UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, addressed concerns about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed Nov. 16 by the U.S. House of Representatives. Here is the text of that letter:

Nov. 17, 2017



To the UMB Community:



I know many of you are concerned about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed yesterday by the U.S. House of Representatives. The leadership of UMB and of the University System of Maryland (USM) share those concerns. In a letter signed last week by Chancellor Caret and every USM president, we outlined to all eight of Maryland's representatives the provisions to which we object.



I sent a similar letter to Maryland's congressmen early this week, which conveys my concerns regarding the bill's potential harm to UMB's revenue and operations and, most importantly, to our students, employees, and alumni.



We will continue to engage with Maryland's congressional delegation as tax reform legislation moves forward, and I encourage you to add your voice to this debate.



Sincerely,



Jay A. Perman, MD

President
MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI) announced that Glenn Galloway will be joining the organization as chief information officer.

Galloway joins CDI from Childrens Health Network, where he has served as their chief executive officer since 2014. Galloway takes over the chief information officer role from Linda Bagley, who has taken on a new role with CDI as senior vice president and general manager for the organizations Central region.

Glenn brings a wealth of healthcare and healthcare IT expertise to our organization, said Rick Long, chief executive officer at CDI. He comes at an important time as we continue to advance our technology and push for stronger integrations and interoperability among our referring provider to meet the growing demand for high-quality, high value outpatient-based diagnostic imaging services and procedures.

Galloway has more than thirty years of experience in healthcare IT including serving as senior vice president with Optum UHG (formerly Ingenix Inc.), chief information officer at Childrens Minnesota, and co-founder of Healthia Consulting Inc.

About Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI)

Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI), which includes Insight Imaging and many market-based partnerships, is one of the nation's leading providers of high-quality diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology services through its network of outpatient centers and mobile imaging solutions. The organization, with more than 2,000 associates nationally, is committed to delivering clinical excellence in communities across the U.S. driven by its affiliated subspecialized radiologists, compassionate, safe and cost-efficient care, and superior service to referring providers and patients. For more information on our locations, partners and services, visit myCDI.com.
A file photo from 2008 shows displaced Afro-Colombian children in the Familias en Accion settlement on the Pacific near the port of Tumaco. Afro-Colombian communities on Colombia's Pacific coast have experienced high levels of violence.  UNHCR/Marie-Helene Verney

It is with growing concern that UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has been noting an increase in murders of and threats against human rights defenders and community leaders in the Pacific Coast region of Colombia. In most cases, the victims are from indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

A month ago today, on 17th October, Jose Jair Cortes, a leader from the Afro-Colombian community of Alto Mira y Frontera in Tumaco, in the south-western department of Narino, was killed by members of an unknown armed group. Since then, and according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia, at least seven further leaders have been killed and many others have been threatened. In all there are 78 known deaths of leaders and members of social organizations this year and at least 13 other suspected murders. By any measure this is alarming.

In Mr Cortes case, he was already under the protection of the authorities at the time of his murder, because of repeated threats against him. He was a leader of the Community Council of Afro-Colombian people who inhabit this region and have been affected by mass displacement and confinement. Some 1,500 people have been displaced in 2017 and many more have been living in confinement, which effectively means they cannot access their crops or fish to maintain their basic subsistence needs. Between 7 and 12 November more than 46 families were forcibly displaced from the Barbacoas and Tumaco municipalities (Narino department). Leaders from these areas believe that the real number of victims could be much higher because people are afraid to report abuses.

Implementation of Colombias Peace Agreement with the FARC, which was announced a year ago, has meant many challenges for communities affected by the presence of armed groups and unlawful activities such as drug trafficking and illegal mining. The power vacuum left by the FARCs demobilization has turned many areas into territories disputed between new and existing illegal armed groups. Delays and problems to do with local implementation of the main accords of the Peace Agreement, such as voluntary substitution of illicit crops or local development, have increased uncertainty in an environment where the presence of the state remains weak.

Proper protection of the most affected populations, including internally displaced persons, is crucial to the ongoing peace-building efforts in Colombia. UNHCR urges the Colombian authorities to implement additional protection measures both for individuals at risk and for affected communities. These need to include a police presence in targeted areas, the setting up telecommunication infrastructure to improve communications, and other measures. In the same way, it is important to consult Afro-Colombian and Indigenous authorities and communities in several departments affected by the continuing presence of illegal armed groups, in order to effectively respond to the challenges to the Peace Accord.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
Rohingya refugees are resorting to increaingly desperate measures such as makeshift rafts to cross the Naf River to Bangladesh.  UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

GENEVA  More than 30 makeshift rafts carrying over 1,000 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh in the past 10 days and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, says it is concerned at the growing number of people resorting to desperate means to flee Myanmar.

Unable to pay to cross the Naf River, which forms the border, refugees were building rafts from whatever materials they could find, such as bamboo poles and jerrycans tied together with rope and covered with plastic sheets, UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler told a press briefing at the Palais des Nations on Friday.

More than 200 Rohingya refugees are known to have drowned in shipwrecks and boat incidents since the start of the crisis on 25 August, Spindler said. Recent arrivals told us they had been waiting for more than a month in desperate conditions on Myanmars shores. Food and water are said to be running low.

An estimated 620,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August.

Spindler said that, despite efforts to provide more aid and services, overcrowding and difficult living conditions in the camps and makeshift sites increased health, sanitation and fire risks, as well as violence and trafficking.

My family and I fled, so we did not end up in jail.

There is an urgent need for additional land and more space for shelters and infrastructure to provide life-saving services and aid including water points, latrines, bathing areas, distribution points, child safe and friendly spaces, safe spaces for women and girls, community centres, etcetera, he added.

So far, UNHCR has delivered hundreds of thousands of aid items including tents, plastic sheeting, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, buckets and jerrycans.

Speaking to UNHCR in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, some 70 families who arrived this week said they fled extortion and harassment in Buthidaung, in Myanmars Rakhine state.

One man said uniformed men threatened to seize their belongings. My uncle and my grandfather rejected their orders to share their belongings, so they were detained, he said. My family and I fled, so we did not end up in jail.

They walked through a hilly area to reach Dong Khali Chor island from where they could sail to Bangladesh. During the journey, they were stopped at a military checkpoint. They took everything. We left with nothing but the clothes on our backs, the man added.

I am here because I want to have a shelter and I want to sleep peacefully.

Those who reached the island faced a long wait. Sidiq Ahmad said he and his family of seven were stranded there for more than 30 days, unable to afford the boat fare to Bangladesh. As the demand for boats has increased, boatmen have raised prices to as high as 10,000 Bangladeshi taka (US$120) per person.

Food and water were running low, so Sidiq and seven other men decided to build a raft of bamboo and plastic jerrycans.

We decided to leave at night because the tide was high, so we could reach Bangladesh faster and avoid the sun in the day time, said Sidiq, 37, who arrived with his wife and five children aged one to 12. The raft carried 34 people, more than half of them children.

Paddling with plates attached to bamboo sticks, it took them four hours to cross the three-kilometre-wide river to reach Bangladesh. At least 130 Rohingya refugees are known to have died at sea during the perilous journey.

When they arrived in Bangladesh, Sidiqs group collapsed from fatigue and hunger. They were found sleeping in the shade of a boat near Shahporir Dwip, Coxs Bazar. Eventually they were taken to a transit centre in Sabrang, where they were given water and hot food.

I am here because I want to have a shelter and I want to sleep peacefully, said Sidiq.
New Delhi, Nov 17 (UNI) The coal based power sector will continue to be a major violator of new emission norms that will come into effect shortly, according to an analysis done by the Centre for Science and Environment.

These new norms were enacted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in December 2015 in view of the sectors massive contribution to air pollution and its huge water wastage.

Of the total emissions from the industrial sector, the power sector alone contributes 60 per cent of the PM (particulate matter), 45 per cent of sulphur oxide, 30 per cent of nitrogen oxide and 80 per cent of mercury emissions.
Colombia: UN political chief urges Parties to stay the course

United Nations, Nov 17 (UNI) More must be done to ensure that the remarkable gains of the first phase of Colombias peace process are maintained, the top United Nations political official has said, wrapping up a visit to the country with an appeal to all Colombians to rally behind the accord, especially to ensure that former combatants are reintegrated into civilian life.

"I arrived this week, at the request of the Secretary-General, to convey a sense of growing concern about how the peace process has been evolving over the past several months, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, told reporters there on Wednesday.

Despite a range of commendable activities under way by the Government, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the international community, Mr Feltman highlighted three concerns, beginning with the lack of an overall strategy for reintegration, concrete plans and resources to enable its success.
ICAO carries out USOAP for India, finds it satisfactory

New Delhi, Nov 17 (UNI) Under the International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), a five member audit team carried out the audit of India in areas of Personal Licensing, Airworthiness, Operations, Legislation and Organization from 6th to 16th November and found it satisfactory.

The audit involved verification of response provided by DGCA against protocol questions made available by ICAO. Verification process consisted of checking the documentary evidence, perusal of relevant files, discussions with relevant officers and industry visits.

Teams visited Chennai, Mumbai and CATC, Allahabad to ascertain the implementation of safety related procedures as per regulations laid down by DGCA in line with ICAO annexes/documents.

As per preliminary feedback, the audit team was satisfied with the safety system put in place by the safety regulator. As per procedure laid down by ICAO, the audit team presents its report to the headquarter team and draft report is made available to the state in about 90 days.

The state is required to provide its comment and draw its action plan on various aspects of the report and make it available to ICAO within 45 days. Thereafter the report will be finalised and made available to member states.

UNI ADP SHK 1856
Lebanon's Middle East Airlines lifts electronics ban on London flights

BEIRUT, Nov 17 (Reuters) Lebanon's national carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) on Friday lifted restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes travelling from Beirut to London, the airline said.

Britain implemented curbs on electronic items in the cabin in March on direct flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in response to unspecified security threats.

Passengers had to check devices larger than a mobile phone such as laptops into the plane's hold.
Malaysia Q3 GDP grows 6.2 pct y/y, beats median forecast

(Rptng, under correct file name)

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (Reuters) Malaysia's economy expanded 6.2 percent annually in the third quarter, central bank data released on Friday showed, recording its highest quarterly growth in more than three years.

Growth in the July-September period was supported by robust private sector spending and strong exports, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said at a news conference.
OTTAWA, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Twenty-one prominent leaders from business, environment, labour, research, youth and indigenous organizations across Canada are issuing the following statement:



We congratulate Canada for joining the call by 20 nations to phase out coal power by 2030. Coal power is the number one global source of greenhouse gas emissions, and a major source of air pollution that harms or kills millions of people and causes billions of dollars in economic costs worldwide each year.

Canada has shown real leadership on this issue. Most provinces and territories have coal-free electricity systems. Ontario phased out coal power in 2014, Alberta is in the process of doing so, and other provinces are making real progress, backed by a federal commitment to accelerate a nation-wide phase out of traditional coal power by 2030.

Canada has one of the worlds cleanest electricity grids  with over 80% from non-emitting sources. Given our abundant energy capacity, with a major push on new energy infrastructure, investment and innovation, plus conservation, we can transition off of coal power in a way that benefits the environment, the economy and society. It is important that this be done in a way that supports affected workers and communities.

Signed,

Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy

Ross Beaty, Chairman, Pan American Silver Corp; Executive Chairman, Alterra Power Corp

John Coyne, Vice President, Legal & External Affairs and General Counsel, Unilever Canada

Michael Crothers, President & Canada Country Chair, Shell Canada

Stewart Elgie*, Professor of law and economics, University of Ottawa

Richard P. Eno, CEO and Board Member, BioAmber

Greg Kiessling, Executive Chairman, Bullfrog Power

John Lounds, President and CEO, Nature Conservancy of Canada

David Miller, President and CEO, WWF-Canada

Lorraine Mitchelmore*, CEO, Field Upgrading; Former President, Shell Canada

Ken Neumann, Canadian National Director, United Steelworkers

Merrell-Ann Phare, Founding Executive Director, Centre for Indigenous Resources

David Runnalls, Board Chair, Pembina Institute

Jean Simard, President and CEO, Aluminium Association of Canada; Director, SWITCH

Merran Smith, Executive Director, Clean Energy Canada

Rick Smith, Executive Director, Broadbent Institute

Kirsten Tisdale, Managing Partner Government and Public Sector, EY (Ernst & Young)

Scott Vaughan, President and CEO, International Institute for Sustainable Development

Annette Verschuren*, CEO, NRStor; former CEO, Home Depot Canada

Rob Wesseling, President and CEO, The Cooperators

Galen Weston, President, Executive Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited

* = Smart Prosperity co-chairs

All are signing as individuals, not necessarily on behalf of their organizations

The Smart Prosperity Leaders Initiative was launched in 2016 by respected Canadian leaders from business, think tanks, labour, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and NGO communities. Our purpose: To harness new thinking to accelerate Canadas transition to a stronger, cleaner economy. For more information, please visit www.smartprosperity.ca

For media inquiries, please contact:

Eric Campbell

Director, Communications & Outreach

Smart Prosperity Institute

eric@smartprosperity.ca | 613-462-3375
New Delhi, Nov 17 (UNI) The Election Commission on Friday recognized the party led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the real JD(U) and allotted the Arrow symbol to it.

The Commission in its order on the dispute said the group led Mr Kumar had demonstrated overwhelming majority support in the legislature wing as well as the majority in the National Council of the Party which is the Apex level organisational body of the Party.

Accordingly, it said, the group led by Mr Kumar is hereby recognised as the Janata Dal (United) in terms of Paragraph-'l5 of the Symbols Order.

Consequently, Election Commission said, the group led by Mr Kumar was entitled to use the reserved symbol 'Arrow' of the Party as a recognised State Party in Bihar.

UNI NAZ SHK 1617
Pakistan issues "last warning" to Islamists blocking entrance to capital

By Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (Reuters) Pakistan's government on Friday issued a final warning to members of a hard-line Islamist party who have blocked a main road into the capital since last week, raising fears of a violent clash as they refuse to budge.

Hundreds of supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan party have been blocked the road to Islamabad for nearly 10 days, demanding that the minister of law be sacked for what they term blasphemy.
Pakistan issues "last warning" to Islamists blocking route into capital

By Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (Reuters) Pakistani authorities issued a final warning on Friday to members of an Islamist party blocking a main road into the capital, raising fears of a violent clash.

Hundreds of supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan party have been blocking the route into Islamabad for nearly 10 days, demanding the minister of law be sacked for what they say is blasphemy.
SC forms bench to probe Pakistanis involved in Panama scandal

Islamabad, Nov 17 (UNI) Supreme Court (SC) has formed a 2-member bench to probe the involvement of all the Pakistanis in the Panama Papers scandal, reported Dunya News.

The bench was formed on Thursday after appeals were filed by Jamaat Islami (JI) chief and Advocate Tariq Asad.

Justice Ijaz Afzal will be heading the bench while Justice Maqbool Baqir will be the other member.
Sudan Commits to sever ties with North Korea

Washington, Nov 17 (UNI) Following bilateral meetings in Khartoum with Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry has formally announced Sudans commitment to sever all trade and military ties with North Korea.

According to a press statement by Ms Heather Nauert, the Department of State spokesperson, here on Thursday,the United States has welcomed the Government of Sudans pledge and would continue engagement on this issue to ensure that this commitment was fully implemented.

The press statement added that isolating the North Korean regime was a top priority for the United States, and was a key element to maintaining peace and stability worldwide.
Venezuela opposition leader Ledezma flees to Colombia

By Andrew Cawthorne and Julia Symmes Cobb

CARACAS/BOGOTA, Nov 17 (Reuters) Venezuelan opposition leader Antonio Ledezma, who was detained in 2015 on allegations of coup-plotting but had been under house arrest in Caracas, has fled over the border to Colombia, authorities said on Friday.

"Welcome to freedom!" tweeted former Colombian President Andres Pastrana, who is close to Venezuela's opposition.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Block One Capital Inc., (TSXV:BLOK) (the Company or Block One Capital Inc.), is issuing this press release in response to a request by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) to comment on recent trading activity of its stock.



The Company announces that it is not aware of any material, undisclosed corporate developments and has no material change to report at this time. The Company will keep the market informed as required.

As per the Companys news release dated November 6, 2017, the Company intends to direct new investment capital into the Blockchain sector and is currently reviewing potential opportunities.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

David Berg

Chief Executive Officer and Director

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on the Companys expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has in no way passed upon the merits of the qualifying transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christopher P. Cherry

Chief Financial Officer and Director Essex Angel Capital Inc.

Office: 604-908-3095 info.essexangelcap@gmail.com
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN.



CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunniva Inc. ("Sunniva" or "the Company"), a North American provider of medical cannabis products and services, is pleased to announce that it has filed and obtained a receipt for its final prospectus (the Prospectus) from the securities regulatory authorities in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

The Prospectus qualifies the distribution of 94,878 common shares of the Company issuable upon the exercise of 86,253 special warrants (the Special Warrants). The Special Warrants were issued as part of a larger offering of 983,753 special warrants of the Company (the Offering Special Warrants) at a price of $6.75 per Offering Special Warrant to purchasers in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario on a private placement basis pursuant to prospectus exemptions under applicable securities legislation.

The Special Warrants were issued pursuant to the terms of special warrant certificates issued by the Company and an agency agreement dated June 27, 2017 among the Company, Canaccord Genuity Corp. and Beacon Securities Limited.

A copy of the Prospectus is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The Company has received conditional approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) for the listing of its common shares on the CSE, subject to the completion of customary requirements of the CSE, including the receipt of all required documentation. Once final approval is received, the common shares of the Company will commence trading under the trading symbol: SNN. Subject to satisfying all conditions of the CSE, the Company expects the common shares of the Company will commence trading on the CSE in the next two weeks.

About Sunniva Inc.

Headquartered in Western Canada, Sunniva (formerly Sunniva Holdings Corp.) is a vertically integrated medical cannabis company committed to improving the quality of human life through its planned delivery of low cost, high-quality medical cannabis and better access to physician-led therapies and delivery methods. Sunniva brings legitimacy to the nascent medical cannabis market through state-of-the-art technology, strict regulatory compliance, safety and education. Sunniva operates in Canada and California and plans to cultivate, produce and distribute a broad range of solutions focused on patients needs. Sunniva operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries - CP Logistics, Sunniva Medical, Natural Health Services and Full-Scale Distributors.

For more information please visit: www.sunniva.com

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release and the Prospectus contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, statements regarding Sunnivas plan to cultivate, produce and distribute a broad range of solutions focused on patients needs and Sunnivas plan to list on the CSE, the timing and expectation that the common shares of the Company will commence trading in the next two weeks, are "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk factors included in the Prospectus, including without limitation, dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including acquiring and renewing state, local or other licenses and any inability to obtain all necessary governmental approvals licenses and permits to complete construction of its proposed facilities in a timely manner; engaging in activities which currently are illegal under US federal law and the uncertainty of existing protection from U.S. federal or other prosecution; regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. state-law legalization, particularly in California, due to inconsistent public opinion, perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry, bureaucratic delays or inefficiencies or any other reasons; any other factors or developments which may hinder market growth; Sunnivas limited operating history and lack of historical profits; reliance on management; and the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability; competition, including from more established or better financed competitors; and the need to secure and maintain corporate alliances and partnerships, including with customers and suppliers. Readers are encouraged to the review the section titled Risk Factors in Sunnivas Prospectus. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Although Sunniva has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 forward-looking statements. Sunniva assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.

Contact Information

Dr. Anthony Holler

Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

587-430-0680

ir@sunniva.com
TORONTO, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIMCO Canada Corp. (PIMCO Canada) today announced the November 2017 cash distributions for the ETF series (ETF Series) of the PIMCO Canada mutual funds that distribute monthly (Funds). Unitholders of record of the ETF Series, at the close of business on November 30, 2017, will receive per-unit cash distribution payable on December 1, 2017.



Details of the per-unit cash distribution amount are as follows:

Fund Name

Ticker Cash Distribution per Unit ($) PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) PMIF 0.03252 PIMCO Investment Grade Credit Fund (Canada) IGCF 0.01976

The Manager, PIMCO Canada administers and manages the PIMCO Canada ETFs, and retains Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC, (PIMCO), to provide sub-advisory services to the Funds.

About PIMCO

PIMCO is a leading global investment management firm, with offices in 11 countries throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Founded in 1971, PIMCO offers a wide range of innovative solutions to help millions of investors worldwide meet their needs. Our goal is to provide attractive returns while maintaining a strong culture of risk management and long-term discipline. PIMCO is owned by Allianz S.E., a leading global diversified financial services provider.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions expect, intend, will and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Funds. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Funds, PIMCO Canadas and/or PIMCOs current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, market factors. Although the Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors which affect this information, except as required by law.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in the ETF Series Units. Please read the prospectus and ETF Facts carefully before investing. The ETF Series Units are not guaranteed, their value may change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

For a summary of the risks of an investment in the fund, please see the specific risks of mutual funds section of the prospectus. Units of ETF Series trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase risk of loss. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination.

The products and services provided by PIMCO Canada may only be available in certain provinces or territories of Canada and only through dealers authorized for that purpose. PIMCO Canada has retained PIMCO LLC as sub-adviser. PIMCO Canada will remain responsible for any loss that arises out of the failure of its sub-adviser.

Contact:

Agnes Crane

PIMCO  Media Relations

Phone: +212 597.1054
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and perfectly seasoned deli meats, honored a Salt Lake City military family on Friday in partnership with WinCo Foods and Operation Homefront, to thank them for their service. This special event took place during the grand opening celebration of the local WinCo Foods store.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3dd164d4-2b1b-49b8-ad26-65ef3d20f2b1

When the Manninos arrived at the new store, Eckrich surprised the family with a grocery shopping spree. Then at checkout, the brand provided the family with another surprise: a gift of free groceries for a year at WinCo Foods, valued at more than $10,000.

Retired Corporal Nicholas Mannino served honorably in the U.S. Army for six years as an Infantryman. During his service, he was honored with several awards. Nicholas and his wife, Stephanie, have been together for 17 years. Stephanie is Nicholas full-time caregiver and a member of Operation Homefront's Hearts of Valor program, a network of more than 3,000 caregivers of wounded service members which provides annual retreats, support groups, and online communities.

"We are grateful for this gift of free groceries from Eckrich and WinCo Foods," said Nicholas Mannino. "With six children, and the holidays right around the corner, this gift could not have come at a better time. Thank you, Eckrich and WinCo for this generous donation."

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank, and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. Eckrich, now in its sixth year of the partnership, has donated more than $3 million to the organization since 2012. Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive  not simply struggle to get by  in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.

Eckrich is proud to support military families across the country, and we are grateful for WinCos continued partnership, said Mike Paribello, Smithfield Foods senior director of marketing. We are inspired by the sacrifices made by the Mannino family and we hope this small gift of groceries will serve as a sign of our appreciation for all that they do.

For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter. Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Eckrich

Founded by Peter Eckrich in 1894, Eckrich has a rich heritage starting from a small meat market in Fort Wayne, Ind. Through it all, Eckrich meats have been recognized for their great taste and supreme quality, craftsmanship, care and pride. For more information, visit www.eckrich.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Operation Homefront

Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive  not simply struggle to get by  in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves Americas military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.org.

Contact:

Hannah Meadors

Breaking Limits for Eckrich

2137 South Blvd., Suite 200

Charlotte, N.C. 28203

Cell: 434-250-4770

E-Mail: hmeadors@breakinglimits.net
Wyoming Business Tips for Nov. 26-Dec. 2

A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (WSBDC), part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Cindy Unger, WSBDC business adviser

I have developed a great invention and have compiled a list of angel investors who might possibly be interested in financing my company. How do I construct a pitch deck? Nate, Casper

I have to answer your question with a question. Have you completed a full business plan yet?

There has been plenty of press about successful companies that have started with financing from angel or venture capital. That has resulted in many aspiring entrepreneurs thinking that creating a pitch deck and obtaining angel funding is easy.

Angel investors are betting their own hard-earned money on you and your company, in return for an equity share in your business. The hope is that, in return for a huge risk, the investor(s) will ultimately earn a huge reward.

According to a study quoted by the Angel Capital Association, Angels lose some or all of their money in 52 percent of their investment deals. Typically, they make at least 10 investments in order to realize any return on investment.

Thus, angels are very particular about the businesses they fund. If interested, they are likely to have plenty of questions about your future business plans. The pitch deck is essentially a distillation of your full business plan. You need to understand all the details of your business in order to answer any detailed questions that may result from your pitch deck presentation.

Beyond sketching out the details of a business, your presentation deck needs to create a compelling story within a short time span. However, you need to get in the door with that slide presentation. Ten slides to convey your message in 20-30 minutes is the ideal. Below is a brief description of what each of the 10 slides should entail:

-- Purpose. Define your company purpose in a single concise and precise sentence.

-- Problem. Describe the customer problem that your product/service will solve. What are the current solutions, and what are their shortcomings?

-- Solution. What is your unique and compelling value proposition?

-- Timing. Why hasnt someone already come up with your solution?

-- Market opportunity. Who are your customers, and how large is your potential market? What have you accomplished to date?

-- Competition. Who are your direct and indirect competitors? How and why will you be able to attract their established customers? What are your potential vulnerabilities?

-- Business model. How will your company operate? What is your sales and distribution model?

-- Team. Who are your founders and key team members? What are their qualifications to lead this company? If funded, who will you hire?

-- Financial projections. Current and future.

-- Investment ask. What do you need the money for? What milestones do you plan to achieve with this round of funding?

For additional assistance with a business plan or slide deck, call Unger at (307) 234-6683 or email cindyu@uwyo.edu.

A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments are available at www.wyomingsbdc.org/blog1/.

The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922.
Pedestrians walk in front of an electronic stocks indicator showing the numbers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in the window of a securities company in Tokyo on Nov 16, 2017. (Photo: AFP/Toshifumi Kitamura)

Prices have been falling for much of the week as the sharp gains of October and early November led to profit-taking and worries about high valuations, while US lawmakers' tax reform struggles are also dampening sentiment.

Eyes are on Washington as Republicans from each chamber of Congress provide differing plans to overhaul the tax system, raising concerns they will not be able to push anything through before the end of the year, as Donald Trump had hoped.

The most recent idea in the Senate is to repeal the Obamacare individual mandate as part of the plan, leading to speculation the legislation could collapse in the same way as their healthcare reforms.

"This is a classic omnibus political stunt to get an unattractive piece of legislation passed by stapling it to something that is likely to get passed," Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader, said.

"But, given that such a move was already expressly voted down on the floor of the Senate, and taking into account resistance from House Republicans it may have just made the President's Christmas timetable a little harder to meet."

Failure of the bill could hit world equities, which have rallied on the back of hopes the market-friendly measures would be introduced.

On Wall Street all three indexes were sharply lower a week after posting record highs.

OIL GAINS LIMITED

Tokyo, which had fallen for six straight days after hitting a 25-year high on Tuesday, jumped 1.5 per cent, while Hong Kong added 0.6 per cent.

Sydney was 0.2 per cent up, Seoul added 0.7 per cent and Wellington and Jakarta were well up.

However, Shanghai lost 0.1 per cent and Singapore shed 0.8 per cent.

With oil prices creeping up slightly energy firms in Asia were mixed following this week's big losses in the commodity.

Hong Kong-listed CNOOC was up 0.7 per cent but PetroChina shed 0.4 per cent, while Inpex in Tokyo lost almost two per cent and Sydney-listed Rio Tinto ticked up.

Crude plummeted on Tuesday and Wednesday after the International Energy Agency (IEA) cut its forecast for crude consumption for next year. That was compounded by data pointing to a rise in US stockpiles.

While official figures Wednesday showed the increase in reserves was not as big as expected, investors remain on edge, and there are also worries an OPEC-Russia output cut might not be extended.

"It sounds like there is some discourse between OPEC and non-OPEC in terms of not committing to something at the end of the month, and maybe kicking the can down the road," Nick Holmes, an analyst at US-based Tortoise Capital Advisors LLC, told Bloomberg News.

In early European trade London rose 0.1 per cent, while Paris and Frankfurt each gained 0.4 per cent.

- Key figures around 0720 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.5 per cent at 22,351.12 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.6 per cent at 29,018.76 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 per cent at 3,399.25 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 per cent at 7,379.82

Euro/dollar: DOWN at US$1.1777 from US$1.1800 at 2150 GMT

Dollar/yen: UP at 113.09 from 112.85

Pound/dollar: UP at US$1.3170 from US$1.3168

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP three cents at US$55.36 per barrel

Oil - Brent North Sea: UP 11 cents at US$61.98

New York - DOW: DOWN 0.6 per cent at 23,271.28 (close)
Afghan security personnel arrive to the site of a deadly suicide bombing, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Nov 16, 2017. ( Photo source: AFP )

Afghan security personnel arrive to the site of a deadly suicide bombing, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Nov 16, 2017. ( Photo source: AFP )

The deadly attack, claimed by the Islamic State group in a brief message via its Amaq propaganda agency, was the latest to hit the Afghan capital, where insurgents have been stepping up assaults in a devastating show of force.

Supporters of Atta Mohammad Noor, the powerful governor of the northern province of Balkh and a vocal critic of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, had been holding an event inside a wedding hall at the time of the blast.

Noor was not at the gathering, one of his aides told AFP. Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack as a "criminal act".

The bomber tried to enter the building but was stopped at the security checkpoint where he detonated his device, Kabul police spokesman Abdul Basir Mujahid told AFP.

"A number of our police personnel are among the casualties," Mujahid said. "As a result of today's suicide attack eight police and six civilians have been killed while a further 18 have been wounded."

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish had earlier put the death toll at nine, including seven policemen and two civilians.

"The bomber detonated himself after he was identified by the police at the entrance gate," Danish said.

'CHAOS AND PANIC'

"After lunch as we were exiting the hall a huge explosion shook the hall, shattering glass and causing chaos and panic," Harun Mutaref, who was at the gathering, told AFP.

"I saw many bodies including police and civilians lying in blood."

Mohammad Farhad Azimi, a member of parliament and supporter of Noor, said he saw "many casualties".

"Some of my bodyguards have been injured," he added.

An AFP photographer said the windows of the wedding hall had been shattered by the force of the blast and a vehicle parked outside was on fire.

Dozens of police and intelligence officers have swarmed the area and blocked access to the public.

Photos posted on Twitter purportedly from the attack showed multiple bodies of men lying on top of each other in a muddy street and in a drain, and people dragging away the wounded.

Noor, a senior leader of the Tajik-dominated Jamiat-e Islami party, has been an outspoken critic of Ghani and the National Unity Government.

It is not the first time that top officials in the Jamiat political group have been targeted by attackers.

Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, who heads Jamiat, survived an attack at a funeral in Kabul in June where suicide bombers tore through a row of mourners. Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also escaped unharmed.

Political and ethnic rivalries have been intensifying ahead of next year's long-delayed district and parliamentary elections, which would pave the way for the 2019 presidential ballot.

Noor has previously hinted that he may run for the country's highest office.

On Wednesday Ghani - who is a Pashtun, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan - sacked the Independent Election Commission chief Najibullah Ahmadzai after technical and political bungling, fuelling speculation the vote will not go ahead.

That came after the recent firing of Education Minister Asadullah Hanafi Balkhi, who was considered a close ally of Noor, and one of Ghani's advisers Ahmadullah Alizai.

Noor has recently called for the return of Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord who fled to Turkey in May after he was accused of raping and torturing a political rival in 2016.

Earlier this year Noor met with Deputy Chief Executive Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior figure in the mainly Shiite Hazara ethnic community, and Dostum in Turkey to form the "Coalition for the Salvation of Afghanistan".
Speakers discuss the women-led SMEs financing in the seminar. - VNS Photo

The study authors urged banks to design uniquely tailored products and services for women-owned small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in order to support the under-tapped potential of this segment.

The study, by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) under the World Bank, Women-Owned Enterprises in Viet Nam: Perceptions and Potential, released on Thursday, said that investing in women and promoting gender equality helps businesses reach new markets and expand.

The IFC report identifies Viet Nams women entrepreneurs as one of the significant forces within the SME sector. Their 95,900 firms account for 21 per cent of the countrys total formal enterprises, and 42 per cent of womens businesses are SMEs.

Running nearly 45,000 SMEs across sectors, women entrepreneurs were found to bring in average annual revenue similar to that of male entrepreneurs. Despite their strength, women entrepreneurs are less likely to access loans than their male peers.

One of the key difficulties that women-owned businesses find is limited capital access in banks. They feel they are not taken seriously as the customer segment, said Rubin Japhta, senior operations officer of the IFCs Banking on Women/SME Banking division.

Speaking with the Viet Nam News on the sidelines at the seminar, Rubin said women more often find informal forms of financing. For example, they borrow from their families or take personal loans from banks and use the money for their businesses.

This is a more expensive financing option for business, Rubin said. Banks need to change their services and see the women-owned SMEs as a distinct market segment. You need to think and look through what we call the gender lens.

The financing gap is estimated at $1.2 billion for women-owned SMEs in Viet Nam. Though Viet Nam has policies to encourage womens entrepreneurship, most banks see this segment as less profitable, higher risk and lacking in financial management skills.

The IFCs research showed that women business owners want to borrow more to invest in their companies and they typically record higher revenue per employee and lower default rates than their male counterparts.

Vietnamese women are great at doing business. They are more aware of risk than male counterparts which allows them to better run their businesses, said Craig Chittick, Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam.

Vietnamese women have a large role in their families but they are very good at balancing family responsibilities and running businesses, the ambassador said. He endorsed the idea that banks should provide better services to women entrepreneurs.

Dao Gia Hung, deputy head of SME Banking of the Viet Nam Prosperity JSC Bank (VPB), said VPBank initiated its pilot women strategy one year ago and the percentage of businesswomen in its SMEs portfolio increased from 15 per cent to 25 per cent this year.

The non-performing loan (NPL) rate among women-owned businesses is lower than among men, Hung said, adding that he believes women are more risk-averse than men and they make payments carefully. We see a big opportunity in the over $1 billion market of women entrepreneurs.

On Thursday, IFC also launched the study Tackling Childcare: The Business Case for Employer-Supported Childcare which encourages companies to support childcare for women employees. By doing so, they can hire and retain talented women, boosting profits and productivity.

IFC has invested more than $1 billion in private-sector banks via its Banking on Women programme and has provided advisory services to banks that want to better serve the womens market.
Companies will be pressed to adhere to regulations on employee insurance and benefit payments

According to Article 216 of the revised Criminal Code, which will take effect on January 1, 2018, evading payments of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance for employees will face heavy punishments, including fines and imprisonment (see box for details).

In the 1999 Criminal Code, sanctions for evading the aforementioned payments remain unclear, making it hard for authorised agencies to punish violators.

Commenting on the sanctions in the new Criminal Code, Nguyen Lan Phuong, partner at US-backed law firm Baker & McKenzie Vietnam, told VIR that the VND1 billion ($45,454) fine for offenders is still low, given that this crime involves and affects a large number of employees.

The monetary penalty should actually be higher to deter commercial legal entities from committing this act, Phuong said. The reality is that there are companies, including foreign-invested ones, which have been intentionally failing to pay insurance for their employees. This has caused serious impacts for employment-related government policies.

Nguyen Thi Nhung, head of Human Resources at a Korean-backed garment firm in the southern province of Binh Duong, told VIR that these punishments are suitable and they should be increased.

It is aimed to ensure equality for all firms. While many firms strictly abide by labour-related regulations, many have broken the law without facing any punishment, Nhung said.

The Criminal Law should clarify that in addition to facing these sanctions, violators shall have to pay all insurance packages in arrears for their employees, and even have to compensate for their employees losses, she added.

Each month, Nhungs firm has to pay VND2.5 billion ($113,636) for its 1,500 workers.

However, Tran Trong Binh, partner at a French-backed law firm based in Hanoi, argued that these sanctions can horrify enterprises who are now already facing burdens, such as high taxes and fees, as well as complex administrative procedures.

But I think it will not be so easy for these sanctions to be implemented, because it is difficult to find out who is responsible for evading insurance payments out of the companys management board, chairpersons, CEOs, general director, and chief accountant, Binh told VIR.

In another case, how can the money earned from the evasion of insurance payment be used remains a question. If it is used as part of the companys revenue, it is one story, but if it is used for personal purposes, it is another story. This means sanctions will also have to be different, he said.

Also according to the Criminal Code, new sanctions for violations in the illegal dismissal of employees are also stipulated.

Specifically, if a person for his/her own sake illegally dismisses or forces or threatens employees or public servants to quit their jobs, resulting in financial hardship, the offender will be subject to a monetary fine of VND10-100 million ($454.54-4,545), non-custodial reform of up to one year or imprisonment of three months to one year.

Violators will additionally be fined VND100-200 million ($4,545-9,000) or be sentenced to a one to three-year jail term if they illegally dismiss two employees or more or fire mothers of children under one year of age.
The decree will make sure less buyers get their fingers burnt

Among the big projects to be launched is An Khanh New City Developments sale of its first phase this quarter. The mega $2 billion project is developed by South Koreas Posco E&C and Vietnams Vinaconex, located in Hanois Hoai Duc district, along the Thang Long Boulevard.

Scheduled for completion in 2013, the city is expected to supply 6,440 apartments, equivalent to 392,319 square metres of accommodation, enough for 30,000 people.

Even though Hoa Phat Group, the investor in a more than 1,000 apartment Mandarin Garden in Cau Giay districts Tran Duy Hung road, refused to release its launching time, real estate experts predicted the project would be soon launched.

At the beginning of this month the CT7D, located in Le Van Luong street and invested by Nam Cuong Group and the FLC Landmark Tower of FLC Group will also be launched, with a total of 200 units and prices ranging from VND23 million ($1,200) to VND28 million ($1,470) per square metre.

In Gia Lam district, over the Red River, the second lot of Rung Co Residentials belonging to the Eco Park is also being launched, with around 1,500 apartment units.

In addition, Victoria Van Phu, Star City, Diamond Tower and Song Da City View will also add apartments to the mix.

Real estate consultant CBRE Vietnam expected that there would be 3,000 units in Hanoi launched this quarter, compared to 1,950 units in the third quarter. There were more than 4,600 units launched in the second quarter.

This decline, according to CBRE Vietnam, could be due to the Decree 71, effective on August 8, 2010 providing guidance on the Housing Law, which caps the proportion of units sold via capital contribution contracts at 20 per cent with the remaining 80 per cent sold on transaction floors.

This decree, CBRE Vietnam said, had put a pressure on developers with low financial capabilities and enhanced market transparency.

However, CBRE Vietnam executive director Richard Leech said new project launches would continue trending towards more affordable options.

With the opening and improvement of major infrastructure routes, the capitals western and southern districts are attracting new residents with easier access for commuting into the core urban districts, Leech said.

He said that the Decree 71 was expected to benefit the market by enhancing transparency, placing pressures on developers with low financial capabilities, lessening the threat of price bubbles and limiting speculative forces.

Tran Nhu Trung, Savills Vietnam associate director, said the Decree 71 had showed off its advantages to clearly regulate five types of mobilising capital investment. However, Trung said the procedures to implement Decree 71 were still complicated and wasted customers time and energy.

The more simple it [decree] regulates, the more it is practical in the real life, Trung said.
A smoking replica of the Statue of Liberty by Danish artist Jens Galschiot at a park in Bonn during UN climate talks, slowed down by the United States' defence of the use of fossil fuels. (Photo: AFP/Patrik Stollarz)

A smoking replica of the Statue of Liberty by Danish artist Jens Galschiot at a park in Bonn during UN climate talks, slowed down by the United States' defence of the use of fossil fuels. (Photo: AFP/Patrik Stollarz)

Envoys from nearly 200 countries, including delegates from Washington, gathered for the conference in Bonn to negotiate a rulebook, to be adopted next year, for enacting the global deal reached to cheers and champagne in 2015.

Delegates reported mixed progress in Germany, with the reemergence of divisions between rich and developing countries.

A key stumbling block was on finance for the world's poorer nations to help them prepare for and deal with the fallout from climate change, including more frequent and severe superstorms, droughts and land- and crop-gobbling sea level rises.

Another obstacle was the insistence of developed nations - led by the US - that all countries share similar obligations under the Paris pact, while developing greenhouse gas polluters want a certain degree of leeway.

The conference from Nov 6 to 17 is the first of the UN's climate body since President Donald Trump announced in June that the US will withdraw from the agreement championed by his predecessor Barack Obama.

The rules determine it can only leave in November 2020, and in the meantime, Washington continues to fill its seat at the climate talks.

"The stars are not well aligned since Trump's exit" from the pact, Seyni Nafo, a negotiator for African nations, told AFP of the talks.

"It's like the heart wasn't there. The position of the United States influences other developed countries, which in turn has consequences for the positions major developing nations adopt. It's a game of wait-and-see."

Not helping the mood, White House officials hosted a sideline event with energy company bosses Monday to defend the continued use of fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas blamed for emitting planet-warming gases into the Earth's atmosphere.

At its very essence, the Paris Agreement seeks a drawdown of carbon emissions.

The pact commits countries to limiting average global warming to under two degrees Celsius over Industrial Revolution levels, and 1.5 Celsius if possible, to avert worst-case-scenario climate change.

"RIDICULOUS"

Nations submitted voluntary emissions-cutting commitments to bolster the deal, but scientists say the pledges place the world on course for warming of 3 Celsius or more.

How, and when, to update country commitments to bring them in line with the 2 Celsius target, is a central topic in the ongoing negotiations.

"Our task has been made all the more difficult with the disengagement of the world's largest historic emitter from the Paris Agreement," Maldives environment minister Thoriq Ibrahim told delegates Thursday on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States at the forefront of climate change-driven sea-level rises.

The Trump administration insisted, however, that it was "committed" to limiting greenhouse gas emissions - as long as this does not threaten energy security or the economy.

Acting assistant secretary of state Judith Garber told the conference that the US would "support the cleanest, most efficient power generation, regardless of the source".

An Obama-era official who helped deliver the Paris agreement - a feat that took more than two decades of tough negotiations - lashed out at Trump's "wrongheaded" decision to withdraw from the pact.

"Climate change is a huge challenge, we all know that," Todd Stern, who was Obama's special envoy for climate change, told AFP on the sidelines of the conference he attended as an observer. He left government in 2016.

"Trying to say it's a hoax, or it doesn't mean anything, or it's a terrible agreement and the rest of the world is laughing at us, is just so ... ridiculous," he said - citing some of Trump's stated reasons.

The United States is the world's biggest historical greenhouse gas polluter, and second only to China for current-day emissions.

The negotiations will carry on without the US, and nations and businesses will continue moving away from fossil fuels, said Mohamed Adow of Christian Aid, which represents poor country interests at the talks.

He pointed to a coal phase-out initiative launched in Bonn Thursday with the backing of 20 countries - led by Britain and Canada.

"But what we have lost is the diplomatic leadership of the US in driving the process," added Adow.

"We are missing the old US administration in lining up the politics."
President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump today, meeting on the margins of the APEC conference in Da Nang, Vietnam, confirmed their determination to defeat ISIS in Syria. They expressed their satisfaction with successful US-Russia enhanced de-confliction efforts between US and Russian military professionals that have dramatically accelerated ISISs losses on the battlefield in recent months. The Presidents agreed to maintain open military channels of communication between military professionals to help ensure the safety of both US and Russian forces and de-confliction of partnered forces engaged in the fight against ISIS. They confirmed these efforts will be continued until the final defeat of ISIS is achieved.

The Presidents agreed that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria. They confirmed that the ultimate political solution to the conflict must be forged through the Geneva process pursuant to UNSCR 2254. They also took note of President Assads recent commitment to the Geneva process and constitutional reform and elections as called for under UNSCR 2254. The two Presidents affirmed that these steps must include full implementation of UNSCR 2254, including constitutional reform and free and fair elections under UN supervision, held to the highest international standards of transparency, with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate. The Presidents affirmed their commitment to Syrias sovereignty, unity, independence, territorial integrity, and non-sectarian character, as defined in UNSCR 2254, and urged all Syrian parties to participate actively in the Geneva political process and to support efforts to ensure its success.

Finally Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump confirmed the importance of de-escalation areas as an interim step to reduce violence in Syria, enforce ceasefire agreements, facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, and set the conditions for the ultimate political solution to the conflict. They reviewed progress on the ceasefire in southwest Syria that was finalised the last time the two Presidents met in Hamburg, Germany on July 7, 2017. The two presidents, today, welcomed the Memorandum of Principles concluded in Amman, Jordan, on November 8, 2017, between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America. This Memorandum reinforces the success of the ceasefire initiative, to include the reduction, and ultimate elimination of foreign forces and foreign fighters from the area to ensure a more sustainable peace. Monitoring this ceasefire arrangement will continue to take place through the Amman Monitoring Center, with participation by expert teams from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Russian Federation, and the United States.

The two Presidents discussed the ongoing need to reduce human suffering in Syria and called on all UN member states to increase their contributions to address these humanitarian needs over the coming months.
Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman. Photo: Francois Duhamel/Netflix

More than just pushing the boundaries between performance and real life, Andy Kaufman never truly acknowledged the divisions between them. The trickster performance artist popularly known for stints on SNL and Taxi has become an increasing influence among comics  and a legend among comedy fans  since his death from lung cancer in 1984. His most admired work involves testing his audiences limits, for better or for worse; this ranged anywhere from taking his entire Carnegie Hall audience out for milk and cookies to literally wrestling women while denigrating their entire sex. So its no surprise that Jim Carrey, who invoked the impish spirit of Kaufman in order to play him in Milos Formans 1999 biopic Man in the Moon, got lost in the part and nearly broke the production in half.

At that time, Carreys process was documented by Kaufmans former girlfriend, Lynne Margulies, and Kaufmans former writing partner, Bob Zmuda. Though the studio was not keen to release footage in 1999, the new Netflix doc Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond  Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton unlocks the vaults, putting Carreys backstage shenanigans on full view. Director Chris Smith, who had profiled other curious creatives in documentaries like American Movie and The Yes Men, intercuts the tape from 1999 with interviews with an older, wiser, mellowed, present-day Carrey. Though Kaufman fans will be disappointed not to learn much about their idol, the documentary is a fascinating look at the way Carrey willfully pushed himself out of his comfortable seat as the famous comedian who made Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber. Here are the ten big revelations we gleaned from the film.

(It should be noted that Carrey is the only actor interviewed in 2017, so all quotes come directly from his mouth unless otherwise noted.)

Jim Carrey contacted Andy Kaufman telepathically early in the moviemaking process.

Once Carrey got the news hed be playing Kaufman in Man on the Moon, he was on the beach wondering where Andy would be. (Carrey never mentions the wildest bit of Kaufman lore, promoted by longtime Kaufman collaborator Bob Zmuda, that Kaufman is alive and in hiding somewhere in New Mexico.) While musing that his idol would be trying to communicate telepathically, Carrey saw a school of dolphins surface in the distance. It was completely absurd, says Carrey. But somehow, it worked. In the days that followed, Carrey says he felt Kaufman tap him on the shoulder and say, Sit down. Ill be doing my movie.

Milos Forman had to prostrate himself before Tony Clifton.

When Carrey let the spirit of Tony Clifton (one of Kaufmans characters) rule his behavior, he passed out (possibly) drunk on couches, crashed Steven Spielbergs offices, took over the Playboy Mansion, brought a bunch of Hells Angels to the set, cowed friends and foes alike, and demanded that his ego be stroked. The last directive also had to be followed by Forman, the Oscar-winning director of Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, who reportedly called Carrey two weeks into shooting to say, I have never been intimidated by another man, and I am intimidated by Tony Clifton.

Carreys antics inspired a crazy melodrama everywhere on set.

Because Kaufman was a master of blurring lines between art and reality, it follows that a production discombobulated by its stars behavior could become unmoored. According to Carrey, the Kaufman family (including Andys brother, Michael, and sister, Carol) embraced me as Andy, as if I was family, as if I was back. Meanwhile, the actors began losing their bearings, too. In one scene, the actor who played Kaufmans dad, Gerry Becker, had a very real father-son argument with Carrey while the latter was getting into makeup. The interaction left one of the makeup ladies in tears, confessing that Beckers language reminded her of something her own father might have said. Of this phenomenon, Carrey says, No one really knew what was real or not real half the time.

Universal initially withheld the backstage footage for fear that Carrey would look like an asshole.

The behind-the-scenes tape of Jim & Andy was initially commissioned by the studio as an electronic press kit. Carrey suggested Lynne Margulies and Bob Zmuda be in charge of the project, and the higher-ups agreed. After the footage of Carreys aggressively puckish behavior began to surface, the studio was not impressed. While quoting some of Universals derision to Zmuda on set, Carrey said, I dont care if Jim Carrey wants to jack off all day. Its our movie. Its our set. Its our concept. And yes, Carrey remembers hearing they did not want him to look like an asshole.

Relatively speaking, Courtney Love comes across like a mannered, well-adjusted performer.

Given Loves long history of impulsive behavior in and out of the public eye, one would be tempted to think her presence would be enough to light the gasoline pooling beneath the production. Sure, Love  who played Kaufmans aforementioned girlfriend Margulies  frolics in her underwear with Carrey as a sort of on-set initiation. But in relation to the madness Carrey emanates, she comes across like another of Carreys fans and a positively normal person.

Kaufmans Thank you veddy much is Carreys Alrighty, then!

Kaufmans wrestling bouts, Carrey posits, were a reflection of his disdain for standard joke structures and crowd-pleasing in general. Carrey goes so far as to say that being a slave to catchphrases and fans expectations can chew you up. Director Chris Smith, in one of his savviest moves, plays a stock interview of a young, up-and-coming Carrey wondering what it would be like to be so famous that getting away with  anything he wants to is impossible. Though this early clip feels like a starry-eyed actor dreaming of his future, its final moments betray Carreys deep doubts about the cost of fame. When the film returns to the set of Man in the Moon, it feels even more like Carreys Kaufman-esque behavior is an escape from that prison of fans expectations.

The compromises of Carreys own fathers life pushed Jim to pursue comedy.

When asked about his dad, Percy, who passed away in 1994, Carrey talks about Percys talent as a saxophone player  though Percy never emigrated from Toronto to see if he was good enough to make a living at it. Instead, Carreys father became an accountant to support his family and, at the age of 51, lost his job anyway. The Carrey family became homeless for a time, and the bitterness never left Percy. When you compromise and fail, says Carrey of his father, It hurts even more than failing at what you love.

Kaufmans long-lost daughter met her father for the first time on set.

In a further blurring of the lines between real life and make-believe, Kaufmans daughter  who was put up for adoption when Kaufman was a teenager and never knew her father  asked to meet Andy on set. Carrey says that she and Andy spent an hour in a trailer together telling each other that they love each other, exploring the reason why it happened like it happened, and where he is now. There isnt any footage of this meeting  and, no, thats not Kaufmans real daughter on TMZ insisting her dad is alive.

Pro wrestler Jerry Lawler attacked Carrey on set.

In real life, Andy Kaufman and pro wrestler Jerry Lawler were friends. They planned exhibitions and appearances together, including their famous encounter on Late Night With David Letterman. But on set, the puckish Carrey took to taunting Lawler, and violence seemed imminent on more than one occasion. Things really came to a head when Carrey scorned the idea of using stunt doubles for a wrestling scene, and antagonized Lawler by accusing him of being an establishment player whos afraid of insurance companies, afraid to do something outrageous, afraid to be an artist. (In his defense, Carrey says, At that point, I was not me I was making choices based on what Andy does.) Lawler attacks, Carrey goes to the hospital and, to Carreys glee, the whole affair makes the news.

Carrey might come out of limbo to play Jesus.

Anyone wondering where Carrey has been in the past decade or so might listen to his spacey, spiritual 25-minute commencement speech for Maharishi University of Management or read about the suicide of his former girlfriend, Cathriona White. Theres a heavy sadness to his current incarnation, but he seems to be a spiritual seeker these days. (I used to be a guy who was experiencing the world, he told Jimmy Kimmel in May. And now I feel like the world and the universe experiencing a guy.) Organized religion gets mentioned more than once in Jim & Andy and near the end of the film, Carrey says, I wonder what would happen if I just decided to be Jesus? Say what you will about messianic delusions, Carrey has the beard for it.
Still smiling from the wonderful hospital stay down memory lane last week? You are not alone. No Cosy in the Rocket over the opening titles made me nostalgic for episode 300. Alas, were moving on to 301. And what better way than putting our doctors into the middle of a disaster they never saw coming: a cyberattack.

The entire hospital is in chaos thanks to, as Bailey puts it, some Cheeto-stained pirate nerd hacking the network, taking all patient records hostage, shutting down CT machines, locking people out of the blood bank, and generally wreaking havoc on the very tech-forward hospital. Until Grey Sloan Memorial can pay the ransom  5,000 bitcoins, or $20 million dollars  it has been effectively thrown back into the Stone Age. No offense, Webber.

Any episode following such a big to-do was going to have to work hard, and aside from the truly shocking final few seconds  I gasped, people  Out of Nowhere fell short. Thats saying a lot, since Greys is headed into two months of winter hiatus and several patients lives hang in the balance. I just wasnt entirely invested in most of them. There were some highlights, though, lets start there.

How great was it to see Alex Karev tending to tiny children again? Its been a while since weve seen Alex really dig into a case. Seven-year-old Frankie has thick blood disease and he is a king among kindergarteners. He does things like tell Alex that his mom called him stupid hot, and other precocious kid stuff. Because of his disease, he can throw clots easily and hes on anticoagulants, but since hell be going into surgery, they need to reverse that so he doesnt bleed out. Its this whole thing. Heres the problem: Frankie starts getting a headache, and Alex and Amelia are worried it could be the sign of a clot in the brain. Since all the computers are down, they cant get into his records to see if theyve already started reversing his blood thinners or not. If they have, Alex is in the clear to give the kid heparin, which would thin his blood and stop the clot. If they havent started the reversal, and Frankie is not suffering from a clot but a brain bleed, more blood thinners on top of his usual meds would be catastrophic. Doctoring is so hard!

The only way Alex, Jo, and Amelia can find out what drugs have previously been administered is by tracking down whoever was on Frankies case the shift before. While Frankie is getting worse and asking Alex to promise to marry his mom and keep her safe if he dies (I KNOW), Jo is running all over the hospital trying to get an answer. She definitely gets her cardio in for the day.

Jo hits roadblock after roadblock and time is running out. Alex and Amelia have to rely on their gut instincts. The probable thing is to assume the anticoagulants have been reversed and Frankie is throwing a clot. He needs heparin. Only, while Alex and Amelia are having this debate, Jo learns the exact opposite is true. Giving Frankie heparin would kill him. Jo races through the hospital to tell Alex, she frantically texts NO HEPARIN, etc., etc., but shes in the elevator and theres no service. We watch in horror as Alex adds medicine to Frankies IV. (But are we sure its heparin?)

Unfortunately, Jo wont be able to check in with Alex for some time: She bolts off the elevator and walks right into  HER HUSBAND. Matthew Morrison is back. And he calls her Brooke and also Jo. And he has oddly great/horrific timing. Holy hell, you guys. Talk about a disaster you didnt see coming.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are also great things you dont always see coming. When Arizona and Carina DeLuca were first hooking up, I admittedly brushed it aside. Just another hot lady showing up at Grey Sloan and instantly falling for Arizona. AZ is top-notch, I get it, but also my eyes are still sore from all the Minnick-induced rolling. Then they fizzled out and Carina hooked up with Owen, and though still unenthused, they were very hot with their naked breakfast cooking and all. Case closed, right? Wrong. Arizona and Carina team up to deliver a baby, sparks reignite between them, and now my ship has big, billowing sails, or whatever the kids are saying now. (Definitely not that.)

Due to an understaffed OB department  because Grey Sloan can never have just one emergency  Bailey gives Carina temporary privileges. Carina is giddy to get back to delivering babies and not just watching women masturbate in an MRI machine. You know, that old hat.

Carinas patient isnt an easy first case back. Shes scared and shes taking it out on her doctors. She isnt ready! She isnt going to be a good mother! Its too late, lady! That baby is literally coming out of you. Carina calls Arizona to help calm the situation and the woman starts crowning in the middle of the hallway.

You guys, can you imagine if you walked into Grey Sloan that day for some routine screening and all of a sudden there are cyberhackers in control of all the monitors and the power goes off and BABIES ARE FALLING OUT OF WOMEN IN THE HALLWAY?

Arizona, of course, is great with the mom-to-be, and she calms her down as Carina guides the kid out. It is a pretty cute baby, so Im glad the woman comes around on motherhood in the end. Arizona and Carina make eyes at each other and realize theyre a good team. They both miss each other, and it looks like they want to say more but they cant. The chemistry is just oozing off the screen.

The same cannot be said for Jackson and Maggie, who take a giant leap forward in their inevitable romance story line. Theyre working on a patient who just happens to be a man who very recently met his adult daughter. After the hackers start messing with the power in the hospital, they decide their patient needs to be transferred elsewhere. While traveling with their patient, Jackson and Maggie realize they have SO MUCH in common. Maggie just met her father, and so did Jackson! Jackson belonged to a country club in Boston, and Maggie worked there! They make awkward flirty eyes, and when the helicopter theyre transporting their patient in hits major turbulence, Jackson grabs Maggies trembling hand. They have a quick moment, but the turbulence shakes one of the patients tubes loose and blood sprays everywhere. Its incredible that after 300 episodes there are still things that have never been done on Greys Anatomy before, but here we are. Bloodbath on a helicopter. It is most definitely a mood killer.

More than that, because hes dealing with THE BLOOD, Jackson misses an urgent call from Bailey, giving him the go-ahead to transfer the $20 million dollar ransom (from Jacksons Im buying a boat money) in order to stop the hacker madness and save, well, pretty much everyone in the hospital.

Laughter Is the Best Medicine, Except for Real Medicine

 What of our Harper Avery Award winner? Meredith is suffering through lame news interviews and splenectomies-gone-wrong with Glasses the Intern. Glasses is the perfect kind of intern for Meredith to yell at, and hes grown on me. Currently, Meredith has him hooked up to their patient because shes bleeding out on the table, the blood banks are locked, and Glasses is a match. Greys, you are insane and I love you.

 When all the doctors have to go computerless for their diagnoses and treatments, Dr. Webber is living his best life. He gets to teach everyone how they did it in the old days. The young doctors learn the flip and dip, how to use a newspaper to tell if there is blood in the belly, that newspapers are physical objects printed on actual paper and dont only exist on phones, etc. So much learning!

 Amelia Shepherd, how dare you say Doc McStuffins is not a real doctor! I know a tiny little lamb who would disagree. And something tells me that when you get your hands on a patient it doesnt only tickle a little. It probably tickles a whole damn lot.

 Im all for Beefcake Ben, but why the gratuitous shot of him working out and then having him disappear for the rest of the episode?

 Arizona on why she didnt become an OB/GYN: I did not go into ladies vaginas because I do not like to mix business with pleasure.

Sob Scale: 0/10

Not a single tear. Im telling you, something terrible is going down soon. Bring it on, 2018!
Photo: Ursula Coyote/Starz Entertainment, LLC.

The second season of The Girlfriend Experience, Amy Seimetz and Lodge Kerrigans Starz adaptation of a 2009 Steven Soderbergh film, is taking an approach unusual even in this most saturated moment of TV history. Rather than continuing the narrative of season one, which starred Riley Keough as a law student entering the world of high-end escorts, season two breaks the series in half with two entirely new narratives. (One is written and directed by Seimetz, the other by Lodge.) As a result, The Girlfriend Experience has become something of a cinematic universe, encompassing a disparate group of women all dealing with some element of the titular profession. But if the series is still defined by any one thing, it would be the characters, who give The Girlfriend Experience the continuity it has.

By the end of the second episode, which is helmed by Seimetz, theres a good chance that one character stands out most of all: Paul, the first john who hires Bria (Carmen Ejojo) after she flees to a small New Mexico town to escape her criminal ex. Bria is in the witness protection program, and has been reduced to a far less glamorous life than the one she formerly led  working on an assembly line, outfitted in Walmart duds, caring for a surrogate daughter she doesnt want. Her return to providing the girlfriend experience is as much an attempt to take back control of her life as it is a way to make money, wield power, and explore sexuality  the dominant themes of season one  but Paul complicates that notion very fast. For a guy paying for escorts, he doesnt seem all that interested in sex, and he sure does asks about her kid a lot. It doesnt take long before you start wondering what hes up to and why.

In stark contrast to the clients from the first season, who generally ranged from depressed rich businessman to cocky rich businessman, Paul is equal parts sweet and discomfiting, a guy who leads self-help seminars, combining guru leadership in the vein of Tony Robbins with a New Agey infusion of crystals and scream therapy. Its a remarkable tightrope walk of a role, exemplified by the first scene in which Paul appears: Hes late to his meeting with Bria at a bar, but somehow turns his lateness into a strange mission statement that involves the rejection of the word sorry and a surprising desire for Bria to get to know him. The scene requires a different challenge than your typical creepy-yet-charismatic supporting player. On the one hand, Paul seems kind, compassionate, and interested in Bria beyond the exchange of sex for money; on the other, the fact that he is exchanging money for something makes us wonder what that something exactly is. Even among our best character actors, its hard to think of many who could pull off the part  which makes it all the more remarkable that the guy who does is Harmony Korine.

Korine is, of course, the gonzo writer-director behind such lunatic classics as Gummo and Spring Breakers; he got his start at 19 writing the script for Larry Clarkes Kids, about as idiosyncratic a beginning as anyone in Hollywood. But aside from a few small parts in some indies and his notorious appearances on Letterman  in which he seemed to at once delight and confound the legendary talk show host  Korine doesnt tend to step in front of the camera. Even for those viewers familiar with his work, he isnt immediately recognizable as Paul.

Thats why its such a treat to discover that Korines performance on The Girlfriend Experience is one of immaculate control, a precision that goes beyond the performance itself: Hes playing a character who is precise, a character who is manipulative and layered. Its not just good acting; its technically good acting, the kind that belies a deep understanding of how to form, inhabit, and enliven a role. And as is typical of good acting, Korine constantly surprises and beguiles. At no point can you predict what hes about to do next, even once you start to pick up on Pauls peculiarities.

When I told Seimetz, the writer and director behind the Bria story line, how good I thought Korines performance was, she could barely contain her enthusiasm. Hes so good! she said. I think peoples minds are going to be blown, because one, you dont even have to be familiar with Harmony to watch him  hes such a live wire.

Seimetz especially values the directorial eye that Korine brings to the role. Like Jay Duplass, the writer-director who landed a breakout role in Transparent, and whose performance similarly obscures the nature and method of his characters idiosyncrasies, Korine seems to have an instinctive sense of naturalism. Its as if all the time hes spent directing actors taught him how to avoid cliche and affectation.

Hes such a director, and what was so fun about working with him was, he gets that with a scene, you can talk about it and talk about it and talk about it, but you just have to finally fucking do it, Seimetz said. He would be like, Why dont we just do it? And Im like, Yes, exactly, thats how I feel! Because as a director, every question comes through you, and at a certain point, you just need to do it and then itll be clear to everyone what decisions need to be made.

Seimetz explained that Korines approach on set was an essential part of making the character work. Any actor playing Paul would have to muster an element of surprise; the character required that unpredictability, that sense of danger. Korines filmmaking experience allowed him to accomplish that task in a functional, practical way.

Each actors different in their approach, and for him, because hes a writer-director, he really needs to play around on the first two takes and go off in these weird directions to understand what makes the scene tick, Seimetz said. Not that there was any sort of argument  he never questioned anything  its just him as a performer. To get to a place where he understood what the lines meant, it took breaking it open and trying stuff that wasnt on the page and then realizing, Oh, right, I can get that same energy and put it back into this. And sometimes I was like, That was genius, were going to roll with that, because that character requires such a live-wire unpredictable energy. I feel like I wrote it for him. Its wild.

Although the part wasnt actually written for Korine, its not hard to believe that it might have been. And while its a total shock to see any relatively unknown actor, much less one whos also a significant filmmaker, burst out with such an accomplished performance, it does make a strange sense that Korine had this in him. Hes always been a talented director of actors, and his characters tend to be so distinct from those of other filmmakers as to be unimaginable outside of his films  from the heightened rural Americans of Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy to the bikinid criminals and Riff Raffesque gangster of Spring Breakers. No one could ever accuse Harmony Korine of lacking vision, even if they found his vision inscrutable. But whats startling is how smoothly he slides into Seimetzs world  and that the breakout TV actor of the fall is the guy who made Trash Humpers.
Michael Stuhlbarg. Photo: VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images

In addition to suspending House of Cards, Netflix also pulled Gore, a Gore Vidal biopic it was producing, as a result of the many sexual-misconduct allegations leveled at the star of both projects, Kevin Spacey. His co-star Michael Stuhlbarg has addressed the matter while doing press rounds for another one of his fall movies, The Shape of Water. I understand whats going on, Stuhlbarg told The Hollywood Reporter. Honestly, we all have some hope that perhaps  over time there will be a chance for people to see it in the light in which it was meant to be seen. The actor, who will also be seen in this years Call Me by Your Name and The Post, played Vidals longtime partner, Howard Austen. The biopic is based on Jay Parinis biography Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal. Stuhlbarg added in his interview with THR, When you work hard on something, you want people to see it. I think theres a desire for us to maybe have that happen. The Old Vic Theater in London has disclosed that 20 sexual-misconduct complaints have been made against Spacey since the first allegations came out late last month.
Former Mad Men producer Marti Noxon has come forward to support a writer on the show who said creator Matthew Weiner was a bully who sexually harassed her. Earlier this month, Kater Gordon, who won an Emmy for her work on the show, said during a late-night writing session Weiner suggested she owed it to him to let her see him naked. In Noxons statement, per The Hollywood Reporter, the producer says she recalls hearing about the encounter after it allegedly happened. I believe her, Noxon wrote. I was at work with her the day after what she described transpired. I remember clearly how shaken and subdued Kater was  and continued to be from that day on. Noxon described Weiner as a emotional terrorist, and said the staff was reluctant to report him because he was so powerful.

A representative for Weiner denied Gordons accusation after it was published on The Information, saying, Mr. Weiner spent eight to ten hours a day writing dialogue aloud with Miss Gordon, who started on Mad Men as his writers assistant. He does not remember saying this comment nor does it reflect a comment he would say to any colleague. Read Noxons full recollection below:

About a week ago Kater Gordon, a young female writer who worked on Mad Men bravely came forward with her account of being sexual harassed by Matt Weiner. While sharing writing duties with him, she recalls that he causally mentioned something to the effect of you owe it to me to show me your naked body. I believe her. I was at work with her the day after what she described transpired. I remember clearly how shaken and subdued Kater was  and continued to be from that day on.





Responding to her statement, Matt claimed he would never make that kind of comment to a colleague. But anyone with an even cursory knowledge of the show Mad Men could imagine that very line coming from the mouth of Pete Campbell. Matt, Petes creator, is many things. He is devilishly clever and witty, but he is also, in the words of one of his colleagues, an emotional terrorist who will badger, seduce and even tantrum in an attempt to get his needs met. This personality type can not help but create an atmosphere where everyone is constantly off guard and unsure where they stand. It is the kind of atmosphere where a comment like you owe it to me to show me your naked body may  or may not  be a joke. And it may  or may not  lead to a demotion or even the end of a career.





Everyone at Mad Men, regardless of gender or position, was affected by this atmosphere. Why did we not confront him more or report him to our parent companies? Well, for one, we were grateful to him for the work and truly in awe of his talents. For another, it was hard to know what was real when moods and needs shifted so frequently. Self-advocacy is important and I agree we all need to do it more and rely on less on faulty institutions to do it for us. But it is very difficult when the cost is, at best, fear and uncertainty  and at worst the loss of a job and ruined reputation.





Taking that action is one thing to contemplate if you have money in the bank and family to fall back on  but quite another for people from all walks of life without a safety net. And when sexual favors are lightly added to the bag of tools one might use to stay employed and valued, it can be destabilizing or even devastating. It may not be illegal, but it is oppressive. I witnessed it and, despite the fact that that I was a senior consultant on the show, I also experienced it in my own way in my days at Mad Men. I believe Kater Gordon.
Photo: Dimitri Hakke/Redferns

Though Ebba Nilsson now lives in Brooklyn, her story could only have begun in Sweden. The daughter of a well-off family, the grunge-loving Nilsson attended Rytmus Musikergymnasiet, the prestigious Stockholm music magnet high school that counted Robyn among its students. Upon graduating, Nilsson joined a rock band that dissolved around the time her interests shifted into a different field of music. She didnt have much money, but the Swedish welfare state provided a margin of comfort and security while she delved further into pop songwriting and singing.

Naturally, she wasnt the only Swede with such interests. Since the late 90s the sound of American pop performed by women had been dominated by the presence of Max Martin, a Swedish perfectionist with an uncanny sense for discovering the melodies most likely to lodge in listeners ears and a matchless dedication to teasing out the microscopic nuances that would amplify them most. Connected with Martin through Alexander Kronlund, a mutual acquaintance and fellow Swede, Nilsson moved to the United States, even bunking at Martins California estate for a time before finding a place of her own.

Martins mentorship wasnt crucial, but it was certainly helpful; he inducted her into Wolf Cousins, a songwriting collective he was assembling. All the while, Habits, a spare, serpentine song Nilsson had written in New York in the wake of Hurricane Sandy to help cope with a breakup, was gaining attention. Independently released, the single won a large audience online; this led to Nilsson, who performs as Tove Lo, being signed to an artist deal with Island Records. Rereleased for radio, Habits crested at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and became the nucleus for an EP, Truth Serum, as well as a debut album, Queen of the Clouds. The albums sales were hardly on the scale of Martins superstars, but between the chart success of Habits and Talking Body (another cut from the LP which topped out at No. 12), Nilsson had cemented her status as an artist worth investing attention and time in.

Since then, all the elements for Tove Lo have been in place. Her albums  the third of which, Blue Lips, comes out today  are organized conceptually and with symmetry. Just as Queens 15 tracks were divided neatly into three five-track sections titled The Sex, The Love, and The Pain, and as its 2016 successor Lady Wood was sectioned off into two six-track halves, Fairy Dust and Fire Fade, Blue Lips 14 tracks are evenly split between Light Beams and Pitch Black. The overlap and dissonance between sex and love are her primary subjects, and she pursues them with uncommon directness and intelligence. For her, the brain feels and the body thinks; her songs are a process of baring where physical intimacy shades into emotional honesty.

Tove is brave enough to put herself forward completely and smart enough to know that shes going to get hurt. Her love doesnt have social overtones or religious implications; if she inhabits a myth, as on Lady Woods chill single Cool Girl, she does so with the intent to undermine it. Production-wise, her fellow Wolf Cousins are ready to supply her with the latest in Swedish song technology, precise confections of synths and programmed drums ready to be remixed by EDM DJs in a few months or diluted into songs sung by American pop superstars in a couple years. To hear her is to hear the future.

Its a package as compelling as it is seamless. Having proven, early on, her ability to write songs that chart high, Nilsson now seems content to turn out a few hits for other artists while maintaining a low profile: Despite being kind of perfect and very catchy, Disco Tits, the lead single for Blue Lips, hasnt made a huge splash, but thats not the point. Shes not interested in chasing trends or sales; what matters, for this self-possessed artist, is turning out a maximally cohesive collection, and its thanks to this commitment to refining her craft that Blue Lips has a fair claim to be the best album of her career. Regardless of whether current taste catches up in time to make hits out of any of its songs, its indisputable that the tracks on Blue Lips hit harder than their predecessors. While keeping faith with how shes already established herself, Los choosing new grooves and discovering new angles every bit as effective as those in her prior work. Her dark voice has always excelled at expressing feelings as well as her remove from them; Shedontknowbutsheknows, with its third-person narration, turns out to fit her delivery perfectly. Shes never done a straightforward ballad before; now she has. If she reinvented the cool girl before, now shes flipping the scripts on Bitches. Shes always been sex-positive; now shes speaks about receiving oral stimulation in a matter-of-fact tone.

Perhaps the best example of her growth comes in Cycles, a song where her self-awareness of her tendency to repeat her mistakes itself becomes a new subject. Im in a cycle / I admit it / How can I change it when I dont know when Im in it? she asks. But her capacity for self-reflection allows her to progress while staying true to old patterns. Cycles are mandatory, but spiraling upward is her own achievement. If Taylor Swifts unwieldy Reputation suggests how the pure marquee pop heralded by Martin is going the way of rock, Blue Lips shows how the demise of the old dinosaurs opens up space for nimbler, more warm-blooded artists to grow.
What, you thought you would get only one season of handsome British men educating you about the joys of the vine? The Wine Show is coming back for a second season on Hulu starting on December 1, which will again feature the debonair Matthew Goode, with the addition of his new second-in-command, James Purefoy. (Who, yes, is also quite debonair.)

While the first season took place in Umbria, Italy, this time, the duo is off to a villa in the south of France to sample all of the finest du vin possible, which, per Hulu, will also involve kayaking and caving in the Ardeche, rounding up bulls on horseback in the Camargue, baking in Lyon, and even cooking their own lunch in the sweltering kitchens of the legendary Palme dOr restaurant in Cannes. For all of you Matthew Rhys enthusiasts out there, dont worry: The fellow Matthew will stay on as a Wine Show consultant, showing off the coolest wine gadgets from the comfort of jolly old London. Were getting seven episodes of this, people! Le swoon!
Photo: Lionsgate

The tolerance drama Wonder centers on August (Auggie) Pullman (played by Jacob Tremblay, of Room), who is born with congenital facial deformities and, after years of being taught at home, is lovingly but tremulously compelled to go to a private New York middle school. He is predictably shunned and, in some cases, ridiculed, resulting in much grief for his mother, Isabel (Julia Roberts); father, Nate (Owen Wilson); and older sister, Via (Izabela Vidovic). But slowly  with many ups and downs  Auggie comes in contact with the better angels of our nature, even our notoriously mean-spirited middle-school nature.

Wonder is the sort of movie that seasoned cynics dread, but the best-selling book and its sequels by R.J. Palacio are written in a matter-of-fact style (Auggie has largely come to terms with his face) that can make you cry by indirection. The filmmakers have mostly taken their cues from Palacio. Mostly. Okay, only somewhat. Shots of noble people are held too long and the music tugs insistently on our heartstrings. But director Stephen Chbosky did the exquisite adaptation of his own YA novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and the dread of isolation comes naturally to him. And while screenwriter Steve Conrad wrote Ben Stillers unforgivably mush-brained The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, his script for The Pursuit of Happyness evoked without undue sentimentality a parents primal terror of homelessness. Both are well-versed in unhappyness.

It helps that all through the movie there are details and lines (many from the book) that put a complicated spin on the ability to cope. (Its not just a matter of being strong. You have to be smart.) Auggie has had 27 surgeries since he was born, and the Pullmans have them hanging on the wall, an art project. You know they faced a choice: Try to forget those grueling episodes or embrace the past, wear it with honor. Via (short for Olivia) is inadvertently but persistently ignored as her parents dwell on her brothers well-being, but musing on the two genes (one from each parent) that gave Auggie his face, she tells a friend, He won the lottery. In another world, Id look like him. Robertss Isabel  who asked God not to let the other kids be cruel  greets Auggies arrival with an actual friend, Jack Will (Noah Jupe), with a rapid range of expressions, from confusion to shock to happiness to wonder. Its very Julia, but very real.

I hesitate to point out that three of the movies first sensitive responders are black: the ethics-oriented teacher, Mr. Brown (Daveed Diggs); Summer (Millie Davis), who sits beside Auggie at lunch; and Justin (Nadji Jeter), the high-school violin player whos instantly smitten with Via and encourages her to try out for the school play, Our Town. The obvious implication is that black people can relate to Auggies alienation in a way the privileged white kids cant. But that implication isnt underlined  for the best. In any case, Jeters playful rapport with Vidovics Via is irresistible, and Diggss daily precepts (which occupy their own book) are beacons amid the sad fog. When given a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind, is one. Remember that, commenters.

Wonder has an overflowing humanism that extends to less-sympathetic characters, who at moments take up the point of view (and narration) from Auggie. Miranda (Danielle Rose Russell) is Vias best friend, who has suddenly abandoned her for a more popular clique, and midway through, Miranda explains what happened at summer camp that made her turn away. Its a bit of a cheat, insofar as the narration is like their therapy: By talking it all out, they prime themselves for redemption. But I like the impulse to show that everyone has his or her reasons for behaving badly  though the filmmakers dont extend that humanist courtesy to the rich parents of the class bully. (Like good libertarians, they believe its perfectly natural for the wealthy and healthy to mock the less fortunate, who obviously didnt work hard enough not to suffer facial deformities.)

As he proved in Room, Tremblay can convey worlds of emotions through understatement. Here, he shows that tilt of a head (generally down), the angle of a gaze, and the volume of speech (generally low) can be more eloquent than any expression. He uses that face the ways Greeks used masks: We project much on it. As Via, Vidovic is instantly lovable, having the movies second most open visage  running, of course, far behind Roberts, who face runneth over, but in a nice way. Wilson conjures a lot of pathos by simply looking sad and ineffectual.

Wonder is shot simply, without fuss, and with a piano-heavy score by Marcelo Zarvos that is sometimes perfect and sometimes too plaintive, meant to signal Auggies beautiful little soul. I could have done without all the inspirational pop songs, though I can hardly begrudge a student choir singing the Polyphonic Sprees Reach for the Sun (with the lovely refrain, Follow the day) in the final scene. The filmmakers get away with a few cameos by Auggies quasi-soul mate, Chewbacca, chiefly by underselling them. And though ones eyes might roll on hearing that the school play is Our Town, theres a reason that work has survived so many years and fashions in drama  its a true American masterpiece, unrivaled in its mixture of tenderness and stoicism.

On The X-Files, Fox Mulder had a poster of an alien spaceship with the words, I Want to Believe. I wouldnt mind having a Wonder poster with the same phrase. I want to believe that people can be good, if not instinctively good, then by following the right examples, or even through shame at doing bad. Perhaps Ive overpraised Wonder, but as a wise man once said, When given a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick discussed immigration, Democratic disdain for President Donald Trump and budget challenges facing the state during a talk in Waco on Thursday with the McLennan County Republican Club.

The Republican from Houston said the GOP must remain vigilant in the face of an energized Democratic party howling about Trumps presidential win that, at least for now, disrupted the momentum of progressives and former President Barack Obama in controlling the national media, the judiciary and higher education, he told Republicans gathered in Knox Hall at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum during a stop in a multi-city tour.

Democrats hate that, and theyre coming after us, Patrick said. President Trump is getting credit for nothing, though the stock market is at an all-time high and hopefully we will see a tax reduction. Most important of all, we are viewed as mighty in the world again.

We have a tough election year coming up, and I urge you not to take anything for granted. Im asking you to get at least 10 voters to show up at the polls. Recently in Virginia, Republicans turned out in record numbers, but it made no difference. A blue wave prevailed.

Virginia voters on Nov. 8 elected Democrats in races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, and gained 14 seats in the House of Delegates, according to the New York Times.

Patrick praised Gov. Greg Abbott for opposing the creation of sanctuary cities and signing into law a measure prohibiting them in Texas. The bill also allows law enforcement to inquire about the residency status of people who are lawfully detained, while sanctuary cities allow people to hide, he said.

He said 220,000 arrests involving individuals identified as living in Texas without legal authorization have been reported by law enforcement since 2011.

They were charged with 600,000 crimes, including murder and rape, Patrick said. The governor is not anti-immigrant but is anti-illegal immigration.

Patrick said the population of Texas has grown by 9 million since George W. Bush left the governors mansion in 2000. It will increase to 42 million people by 2040, according to state estimates cited by Patrick, who said the growth creates challenges for state leaders.

Well need $7 billion to $8 billion more in our budget just to break even when the Legislature next meets, Patrick said. And in Texas you must have a balanced budget. We must live within our means.

Abolishing the franchise tax will create a $2.5 billion shortfall, Patrick said.

Im glad it passed because it benefits business, he told Republicans. But the money will have to be replaced.

Still, calls by Democrats for a state income tax will fall on deaf ears, and there will be no increase in the sales tax, he said.

Education accounts for 52 percent of the state budget; health care, 31 percent; and public safety, 11 percent, according to Patrick.

Thats a total of 94 percent, he said. Keep that in mind when someone suggests we trim the budget. The options are limited.

Discussing the ravages of Hurricane Harvey, Patrick said about 400,000 people remain homeless because of damage to about 150,000 residences.

For a six-week period, we were all Texans, he said of response to the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. There were no liberals or conservatives, no Republicans or Democrats. It was the best of times and the worst of times, as it says in A Tale of Two Cities. 

On a lighter note, Patrick mentioned that a movie is being made about State Sen. Wendy Davis 13-hour filibuster in June 2013 against a proposed bill that would limit abortion options in Texas.

Titled Let Her Speak, makers of the film have landed a commitment from Sandra Bullock to play the title role.

Guess who plays the villian? Me, said Patrick, a former state senator.

Someone in the crowd asked Patrick about who will play him in the movie.

I dont know. I would think George Clooney, he said, naming the handsome leading man. My wife said I look more like a fat Dan Aykroyd.
Baylor Law School plans to expand its clinical programming through its new Trial Advocacy Clinic with a $60,000 grant from the Cooper Foundation of Waco.

Under the supervision of the Trial Advocacy Clinic director Josh Borderud, third-year Baylor law students represent low-income Waco-area residents in municipal citation cases that are set for trial, primarily in Waco Municipal Court.

This legal representation will seek to reduce the occurrence and impact of fines, surcharges, license suspensions, warrants, and other consequences that can keep local residents from obtaining and maintaining employment and meeting their obligations.

The Trial Advocacy Clinic grew out of the Veterans Clinic, where students have represented veterans in litigation matters under the supervision of Baylor Law faculty and staff attorneys since 2012. With the hire of Borderud in 2016 as a full-time attorney to direct the Veterans Clinic and other clinical programs, the capacity to expand student litigation opportunities increased.

The Cooper Foundation grant will provide funding for the expansion of the Trial Advocacy Clinic. This is the first grant awarded to Baylor Law to assist low income-citizens in the Waco area, regardless of military service. With the grant distributed over a three-year period, the funds, designated for clinic personnel, will enable the clinic to grow.

Since there is no constitutional right to a court-appointed attorney in municipal citation cases, most people are forced to represent themselves, Borderud said. With this generous grant from the Cooper Foundation and our partnership with Waco Municipal Court, we will further prepare our students for the practice of law by meeting this need and representing those who could not otherwise afford a lawyer.

In the inaugural trial for the clinic, recent graduate Lena Proft and third-year student Renson Abraham represented a single mother of five facing an unsecured child citation. Utilizing their State Bar of Texas temporary trial cards, they cross-examined two police officers, questioned the client and her daughter on direct examination, and delivered the closing argument. The judge was moved by their presentation of sympathetic evidence and fined the mother only $1 and then cut her court costs in half.

The Trial Advocacy Clinic joins the ranks of other Baylor Law clinical programs that give law students practical experience in solving the legal problems of those in need, including the Veterans Clinic, the Immigration Clinic and the Intellectual Property Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic.

For more information on the Baylor Law School Trial Advocacy Clinic, contact clinic staff at 254-710-4244 or Trial_Clinic@baylor.edu.
The Waco Scottish Rite Bodies honored four Waco-area nonprofit agencies with the Stephen F. Austin Distinguished Service Award during a Night of Recognition Nov. 6 at the Lee Lockwood Library and Museum.

Caritas, Meals on Wheels Waco, Mission Waco and Friends for Life each was presented a granite award along with a $10,000 donation from the Waco Scottish Rite Bodies.

Each of the charities is celebrating a milestone of service in 2017. Meals on Wheels Waco and Caritas are marking 50 years of service to the community, while Friends for Life and Mission Waco started 25 years ago.

Representatives from each of the organizations were on hand to accept the award.

The award is given to recognize humanitarian endeavors and outstanding community leadership. It was first presented in 1999.

Caritas operates a food pantry and thrift stores to help families in poverty, but also began a case-management system in 2013 to help clients learn to become more self-sufficient. Buddy Edwards has been executive director since December 2008.

Meals on Wheels Waco delivers more than 200,000 lunches a year to older adults, and as part of Central Texas Senior Ministry operates senior centers and provides transportation to clients. Melody McDermitt has led the group for 35 years.

Friends for Life was founded by Inez Russell to help the elderly and people with disabilities live independently as long as possible and bring together generations. The organization offers a guardianship service in 81 Texas counties for those without a family member.

Mission Waco provides a variety of services and programs to assist the poor throughout the Waco community as well as globally.

It was begun by Jimmy and Janet Dorrell. Jimmy Dorrell continues as its executive director.
Waco Independent School District will be applying for a $450,000 transformation zone grant through the Texas Education Agency to help support the district through its planning process to save five schools facing the possibility of closure next year, Superintendent A. Marcus Nelson announced at Thursday nights school board meeting.

Nelson and other administrators gave an update Thursday on progress made since the district wrapped up three community meetings about how to save the campuses if they dont pass state accountability standards in May. Waco ISD officials are counting down the days until they must produce a plan to the state to save the campuses, and administrators want residents to know they have been working non-stop to find the best option, they said. The deadline to apply for the grant is Nov. 30, Nelson said.

Weve had an outstanding month of conversations. We had standing-room only meetings all over the city, Nelson said. We do have a situation where were seeking input from our community.  Weve also completed several meetings with local nonprofit organizations, and all of them have been very fruitful. Our plan is to not only identify an in-district charter with a local nonprofit, but to be quite candid, we plan on using several local nonprofits as part of our transformation plan.

Those organizations could include Wacos chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, NAACP, the YMCA, Prosper Waco or the United Way of Waco-McLennan County, all of which Nelson said have already agreed to help the district transform the campuses.

The work were going to be doing will be different than its ever been in this community before, Nelson said.

The districts plan has to be to the school board for approval by January and to the state by February, leaving little work time remaining because of Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.

But administrators have been discussing the struggling campuses since the law that could require their closure was passed in 2015. Planning didnt start with the series of community meetings on the topic that ended Nov. 6, or with a law passed last year that lays out options for turnarounds.

It feels like a short amount a time, if you only look at that window.  When you talk about a plan thats going to be recommended to the board later this school year, youre talking about something thats really not two months in the making, but two years or more, Waco ISD spokesperson Kyle DeBeer said.

Alta Vista Elementary School, Brook Avenue Elementary School, J.H. Hines Elementary School, G.W. Carver Middle School and Indian Spring Middle School have failed state academic standards for five consecutive years or more, which leaves them open to closure if they dont pass this year.

The district could repurpose schools with a new campus ID number, effectively making them new schools, or create a partnership with a nonprofit group. The law passed last year also lays out an option to transfer the schools to a for-profit entity, but Nelson has ruled out the for-profit transfer option.

If the district decides to repurpose the campuses, a majority of the students in the repurposed campuses must be new, and the majority of grade levels served must be different, DeBeer said. If the district leans more toward the nonprofit route, the district will have to figure out how to create wrap-around services needed to support the five schools, DeBeer said.

That has left the district reaching for community input on its options, which could include making both middle schools single-gender campuses or creating a sixth-grade center.

The district is also considering realigning J.H. Hines and South Waco elementary schools to serve prekindergarten through second grade, while Alta Vista and Brook Avenue could be realigned to serve third through fifth grades.

The feedback has been constant since the last community meeting held Nov. 6, members of the superintendents cabinet said Thursday afternoon. The group meets weekly and on an ad hoc basis to discuss proposals, best practices and related research, DeBeer said.

Some of the research includes pulling historical data on previous attempts to improve the campuses, said Scott McClanahan, interim executive director of secondary curriculum.

For example, the district has tried a sixth grade center before but didnt see an improvement. All elementary schools fed into the center, then out to junior high campuses and back into a ninth grade center.

We dont want to go backward. Thats the kind of research were doing between each meeting we have, McClanahan said. Or were looking at other districts that have tried those same plans to see what the viability is.

For single-gender campuses, Waco ISD officials are looking toward the success rate of Austin ISD, which established two single-gender campuses to address issues in low-performing middle schools, McClanahan said.

Initially, Nelson proposed the idea of single-gender campuses in the community meetings as a way to help keep students focused and avoid some of the challenges middle-schoolers face.

Residents raised concerns at the time about the transition back to co-ed high schools.

Administrators are also evaluating building capacity and where students live to make sure any plan allows families to remain engaged, McClanahan said.

Even the conversation in the community meetings touched on looking at whether you merge attendance zones, like Alta Vista and South Waco, so that you have two campuses serving different grade levels at each campuses, but this larger attendance zone, DeBeer said. Thats the level conversation about attendance zones is happening at. If you pair up campuses, how does that affect the merged attendance zone? I havent heard any discussion of redrawing.

Since the last community meeting, residents have also suggested developing homework clinics that let parents gain a better understand of their childs curriculum and offer more focused help at home, said Grace Benson, interim executive director of elementary curriculum.

The district has already held two clinics, and the idea has extended to schools not in the states crosshairs, including Parkdale Elementary School, Benson said.

Our community has been wonderful. I mean, really wonderful, not in just suggesting, but saying We should try this, and I have a commitment from this organization. Lets try this,  Benson said. This is all community and parents asking, and I feel thats huge.

Residents need to know administrators arent rushing to decide on the districts options and that the ongoing community engagement plays a critical role in finding the right fit, she said.

In the meantime, the research will remain at the cabinet level, so teachers can focus on preparing students to pass the states exams, DeBeer said. the next update on the districts plans will be given during the next school board meeting, which is expected to be Nov. 30 after the Thanksgiving break.

We want the very best, the very best, because thats what they deserve, Benson said. Its on our minds 24/7.
A Nationals-led push to defy Malcolm Turnbull and force a powerful commission of inquiry into Australia's banks could finally succeed, with another backbench Coalition MP suggesting he might cross the floor to back the probe.

Queensland MP Llew O'Brien told Fairfax Media that he was a "50-50" chance to vote for a commission of inquiry, which has the same powers as a royal commission but reports to the Parliament, not the executive.

Coalition senator Barry O'Sullivan is leading a Nationals push for a banking commission of inquiry. Credit:Andrew Meares

If he voted in favour of it, and was joined by one more Coalition MP  for example, fellow Queensland MPs George Christensen or Warren Entsch, who have previously called for a royal commission  an inquiry would likely be established through the support of Labor, the Greens and the crossbench.

Mr O'Brien told Fairfax Media "I'm grappling with it at the moment, it's something I'm considering".
Thanks for joining us as we've gone through the royal commission's findings and recommendations and the reactions from political leaders and community groups.

To recap:

The commission has recommended wholesale change of the NT's youth detention and child protection systems to address "shocking and systemic failures". It says the problems have been ignored at the highest levels and called for the rapid closure of the Don Dale youth detention facility.

The federal and NT governments have pledged serious action in response to the report. Community groups have made clear they will fight to make sure the recommendations are not forgotten and neglected.

For more on the report's contents and the responses, revisit some of our earlier posts.
A former St George Bank employee who withdrew more than $2 million from his clients' accounts to fund his gambling addiction has been jailed for more than six years.

Simon John Harris, 37, pleaded guilty to 315 counts of obtaining a benefit by fraud.

Harris was based on St Georges Terrace until his employment was terminated. Credit:Tamara Voninski

On Friday, the WA District Court was told how Harris committed the fraud offences in his capacity as a business relationship manager with the St George Bank in WA.

He was based on St Georges Terrace until his employment was terminated in November last year.
"I am a special-needs educational assistant in a high school and it got to the point where I couldn't walk up stairs to the class room or across the school grounds. Even house work was hard to do," Ms Ashby said. In August last year, Ms Ashby was put onto the transplant list. "You take your phone to bed every night waiting for the call. You just don't know when it is going to happen," Ms Ashby said. Right now, 1,300 Australians are waiting for a life-saving transplant. Western Australia has the second lowest donation rates, with 16.2 donations for every 1 million people, according to the Organ and Tissue Authority.

Ms Ashby got the news she had been waiting for in January this year when she went into the clinic for a routine visit before a lunch date with her girlfriends. "I was just all dressed up ready to meet my girlfriends for lunch," she said. "They said ' well we've got the heart and it is happening today'. I said 'oh' and they said 'like right now'. I said 'should I call my husband?'" Ms Ashby said the next few hours were a blur, but she still remembers the gratitude she felt upon awakening. "I am forever grateful. I was just thinking how lucky I was that someone had done that to give me a second chance," she said.

DonateLife WA's state medical director Bruce Powell said organ donation was a "profound" gesture of generosity. "It is a unique thing. Governments can contribute financially, doctors can contribute professionally, but these organs themselves come from the community," he said. "It is genuinely a profound thing that people do. Let's be honest, at the end of the day as a donor you are the only person that won't benefit, yet people do show that generosity. "It speaks to Australians and them being generous and community spirited. I think it says something about the broader community."

One donor can improve the plight of up to 10 people. In 2016, a record 1,713 Australians received a life-saving transplant, all because of the generosity of 503 deceased individuals and 267 living organ donors. "This year [WA's] numbers are up from between 30-40 per cent from last year, thanks to the community's acceptance of donation as a good thing," Dr Powell said. He emphasised the importance of making your wishes known to your family by registering as an organ donor. "We know that if, God-forbid, one's family is asked whether or not to allow their relative to donate, if the name is on the register that question is an easier one to answer," he said.

"About 85-95 per cent of the time families will say yes." Without that knowledge, only about 60 per cent of Australian families will give that consent, according to the Organ and Tissue Authority. "I think getting that instruction from someone makes our conversation with relatives a very different one. For families who perhaps don't know, to be confronted with that uncertainty at a time of great sorrow is very difficult," Dr Powell said. Ms Ashby said she had been given a "whole new life". "I can't contain the amount of vitality and energy I have now," she said.

"I have all this energy, I want to walk and dance. That is actually something that I find hard to comprehend even now. "My plan is to get up and try and wakeboard this summer." Ms Ashby now walks 5-10 kilometres every day and swims 1,600 metres in the pool three times a week. "The Transplant Games are coming up next year in September on the Gold Coast," she said. "People who have had whole organ transplants can compete. My aim is to go to the transplant games next year and see how I go in the swimming."
A mid-air collision between a helicopter and an aircraft in the south of England has resulted in a "number of casualties".

Both of the aircraft are understood to have come from Wycombe Air Park in Buckinghamshire, just north of London, shortly after midday on Friday, local time.

Police patrol the area near the scene of a mid-air collision between a helicopter and an aircraft, in Buckinghamshire. Credit:AP

Air crash investigators have been called to the crash site, in dense woodland, alongside paramedics, firefighters and Thames Valley Police, who said the first priority was "preservation of life".

A spokeswoman for South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) said: "There have been a number of casualties at the scene, but at this stage this is all we are able to confirm."
The DMV reports that more than 5,000 people in New England are waiting for a life saving transplant, and everyday 20 people die because the organ they need doesn't get to them in time.

"He loved his family, he loved his friends. [He was an] outdoorsy kid. [He was] just happy," said Shelby Boyce about her brother Kyle Rodgers. "He was a die-hard hunter."

In 2012 the West Topsham teen and his family left the Green Mountains for Tennessee. Two years later, the 14-year-old was riding in the passenger seat when the car he was in hit a tree. He was rushed to the hospital where he died.

"It was a really hard decision for my parents but he wouldn't have been able to do the things he loved," said Boyce.

Boyce says saying goodbye to her younger brother was the hardest thing she's ever had to do, but is comforted knowing a part of him still lives on.

"All of a sudden I was going to work and I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, I was really weak," said Tyson Brisby.

Brisby was rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with stage three congestive heart failure. The Jacksonville, Florida resident was told he needed a heart transplant and that the chances of finding a match in time were slim. "I had pretty much given up on life," said Brisby.

But then he got a call and was rushed into surgery. When he woke up, his wife gave him the news, his heart was from a 14-year-old boy named Kyle Rodgers.

"He was a baby he didn't have a chance to live. At least I lived 51 years," said Brisby.

"My brother wanted to be an organ donor even before he passed away," said Boyce. "He was like, if anything ever happened this is what I would want to do. Unfortunately something did happen."

Brisby isn't the only life Kyle saved, five recipients across the country received his organs. Both Brisby and Rodger's family hope others make the same decision Kyle made.

"I am here today speaking to you because of Kyle... he was a giver," said Brisby.

"When you're gone, what do you care? It's kind of a funny way to put it, but if someone else can benefit from it, why not give it to someone," said Boyce.

Being a donor can help save eight lives, and help many more through tissue donations.
One day, President Trump calls the US justice system a "laughingstock." The next day he wants it used to investigate his 2016 election opponent Hillary Clinton. He appears to hold unparalleled disregard for the independence of the US justice system.

So, on Tuesday when Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified for five hours before the House judiciary committee, some members asked whether Sessions -- the nation's top law enforcement officer -- could be independent and uphold the rule of law.

Sessions sounded less like a man trying to protect the rule of law than one trying to protect his job.

The independence of the Justice Department is no theoretical question. Trump, judging from his Twitter account and other statements, seems bent on using it to punish foes. His public pressure on the department and the man who runs it is unprecedented.

After previously calling Sessions "beleaguered" and "weak," Trump declared November 3 on Twitter: "Everybody is asking why the Justice Department (and FBI) isn't looking into all of the dishonesty going on with crooked Hillary & the Dems."

On Monday, DOJ said it was considering appointing a special counsel to look into allegations of wrongdoing regarding the 2010 sale of a uranium company to Russia, which the State Department under Secretary Hillary Clinton approved.

"In a functioning democracy," Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, asked Sessions, "is it common for the leader of the country to order the criminal justice system to retaliate against his political opponents?"

Sessions declined to give a "yes or no" answer as Conyers requested, but said, "the Department of Justice can never be used to retaliate politically against opponents, and that would be wrong."

Conyers continued, and Sessions demurred.

"Should the President of the United States make public comments that might influence a pending criminal investigation?" Conyers asked.

"Well, I don't know exactly what the facts of what you're raising, and what amounts to the concern you have," the attorney general said.

Sessions said he would not be "improperly influenced," yet immediately added, "The President speaks his mind. He's bold and direct about what he says. The people elected him. But we do our duty every day based on the laws and fact."

As he sat alone before the 41-member committee, television cameras rolling, Sessions tiptoed around questions of basic democratic norms that at any other time would have been easily answered.

He was buffeted by both sides: Republicans who want a fresh investigation into Clinton; Democrats who worry about such a move and, more importantly, who believe Sessions has not been candid about contacts with the Russians while he helped run the Trump campaign. Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller and several congressional committees are investigating Trump campaign links to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Sessions rejected claims that he had earlier lied about his Russian-related activities. He said he had merely forgotten relevant conversations. He said previously and Tuesday that he was testifying "to the best of (his) recollection."

The Russia-related lines of Q-and-A drew most of the headlines.

Yet Trump's extraordinary disdain for the nation's judges and prosecutors made Sessions' less than robust defense of DOJ independence equally salient.

"You said when you started your testimony today that there is nothing more important than advancing the rule of law," Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, said. "And when you answer the way you have, it suggests that the rule of law is crumbling at our feet."

Sessions had declined to answer directly Deutch's questions raising the specter of Trump interference in the Russia investigation, querying on whether the President had the power to fire Mueller or pardon any Trump associates charged in the scandal.

In his defense, Sessions said he had not researched certain legal questions or fully thought out matters related to the presidential authority brought so clearly to the fore in the Russia probe Trump abhors. (Last May, when he fired FBI Director James Comey, who had been leading the bureau's investigation, Trump told NBC he had been thinking "of this Russia thing" and frustrated at the attention it was getting.)

For his part, Sessions said he was just being cautious.

"The attorney general," he said, "should not be giving legal opinions from the seat of his britches."
BOZEMAN  The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for leads on who was responsible for shooting a crop dusting plane in southwestern Montana.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported Thursday that a crop dusting plane owned by Headwater Flying Service was shot at twice on July 18 near Belgrade while the pilot was applying fungicide to wheat crop.

Officials say one bullet hit the plane 18 inches from the cockpit, and a second bullet hit the wing. Both shots came from the ground.

The pilot was uninjured.

Investigators determined from bullet fragments found on the plane that the projectiles came from a .22-caliber long rifle.

The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office has assisted the FBI in the investigation.
On Nov. 1, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the legislation that has protected some of the most revered places in Montana. They include the Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn, West Pioneer, Blue Joint, Sapphire, Ten Lakes, Middle Fork Judith and Big Snowies.

Montanas great public lands champion Sen. Lee Metcalf introduced this legislation, called the Montana Wilderness Study Act, with the foresight that these wildlands managed by the U.S. Forest Service needed to be protected until the surrounding communities and Congress had the opportunity to consider them for permanent protection. Thanks to this bill, the areas protected, known as wilderness study areas," have since provided clean water to nearby communities, ensured healthy populations of fish and big game, and allowed for multiple kinds of outdoor recreation that help sustain our economy.

These wild places have come to signify the essence of Montana. Its almost impossible to imagine our state without them, since they so clearly evoke our outdoor heritage.

Congress has repeatedly tried to find long-term solutions for these areas addressed in Metcalfs bill. Nine times between 1984 and 2013, legislation was introduced to release some large tracts of wilderness study areas and permanently protect other large tracts. Each of these bills represented a compromise that reflected the input of Montanans across the state. A 1988 bill passed both the House and Senate. Unfortunately, President Reagan chose not to sign it.

Since then, numerous collaborative groups have been working on finding resolution not just for the WSAs managed by the Forest Service, but also for the additional 37 WSAs managed by the Bureau of Land Management, including the Centennial Mountains in southwest Montana, Bitter Creek along the Hi-Line and Terry Badlands in the east, all of which support our unique cultural identity as Montanans and some of the healthiest big-game populations in North America.

We learned just how precious these wildlands are to Montanans during this years legislative session in Helena. One of our states biggest advocates for transferring and selling off our public lands, Rep. Kerry White, introduced a resolution calling on Congress to lift protection on these wildlands and get the ball rolling on industrializing them.

Montanans reaction to Whites resolution was, not surprisingly, swift and furious. HJ 9 was a serious threat to our blue-ribbon streams, wildlife, economy, drinking water, and our outdoor way of life.

Over the following weeks, lawmakers were barraged with thousand of emails and calls from around the state telling them to reject this resolution as it was then written. At a legislative hearing, more than 70 people signed in as opponents of HJ 9, while only 10 signed in as proponents.

This outpouring of opposition compelled Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee to dramatically revise the resolution and add language that asked Congress to, among other management options, consider permanently protecting  as wilderness  the places addressed in the resolution.

As the reaction to HJ 9 made clear, the way to resolving the fate of our WSAs is for our congressional delegation to support local, collaborative efforts focused on each of these areas, not to impose some top-down, one-size-fits all legislation that decides the fate of all of these places in one fell swoop  with little or no opportunity for public input.

After 40 years, Ten Lakes, Blue Joint, Bitter Creek and other wilderness study areas across the state still represent the best of Montana in all its diversity, as do the wildlife, fish, water and outdoor recreation economy that rely on these cherished places. We're calling on our elected officials to handle these places with the respect they deserve. The lifeblood of our state depends on it.

Mountaineer Conrad Anker, Bozeman, climbs in the Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area. Karen Aspevig Stevenson, Miles City, hikes in the Terry Badlands WSA. Veterinarian Daniel R. Savage, Kalispell, recreates in Ten Lakes WSA. Teacher Kathy Hundley, Darby, rides horses and mules in the Blue Joint and Sapphire WSAs.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 13, 2017 | 05:48 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Leaders at Paducah businesses, churches and schools are invited to attend a training event next month on how to react to an act of violence in public locations.The Police Foundation of Paducah-McCracken County, in partnership with the Paducah Police Department, is hosting the event December 12-13 at the Clemens Fine Arts Center of WKCTC. The guest speaker for the event is nationally recognized expert Kenneth D. Hughes.Topics included in the training sessions include:+ Ten-minute exercise and role-play scenario+ A quick overview of the modern era of school shootings+ Response and survival during a mass shooting+ Can mass shootings be prevented?+ The 2nd Amendment - The right to bear arms and community safety+ Public safety response+ Points to ponderTwo sessions will be held.The first session will be from 1 - 5 pm on Tuesday, Dec. 12, and is recommended for staff and security personnel at schools and churches.The second Session will be from 9 am - 1 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 13, and is recommended for local businesses.For information about the event, or to inquire about helping as a corporate sponsor, contact Chief of Police Brandon Barnhill at 270-444-8590.

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If you looked at a map and could pick any place in the whole world to live, where would you choose? Maybe you're partial to the sun and sand. Maybe you crave the mountains. Maybe you love a bustling city or the quiet countryside. Whatever it is, we all have our preferences when it comes to a place to live. A few years ago, my husband Michael and I decided we wanted to live in Europe. We traveled there every chance we could, but wanted a way to really explore all it had to offer. Europe was our goal. But where would we live? And how could we leave our home, family, friends, and create a life abroad? In this post, I hope to explain why we chose Heidelberg, Germany, our thought and decision making process, and why I still think this might be the best place in the world to live.

Before moving abroad, we did extensive research on the best places in the world to live. One thing about Michael and I: we do our fair share of investigation before making decisions. Especially Michael. Most people love the part in the engagement process when you register for gifts. Not me. Michael took painstaking analysis of toasters and towels. He'd stop and look up Consumer Reports on which blenders were best. So when we decided to move abroad he made spreadsheets, read everything he could, divided everything into our needs, and the pros and cons of each country. So, whether it's something huge, like a place in the world to live, or something smaller like what camera to buy, we take our time when making a decision and weigh all the options. I hope to use my blog as a way to show our path of decision making, and hopefully make yours easier.

Whether you want to move abroad or not, I think it's interesting to understand why we chose what we did, and how it now compares to where I've traveled. I've been living in Germany for over a year so I think I can testify to what it's really been like.

Why we moved

Many people think that I moved abroad for my job, or Michael's. The thing is we moved abroad with absolutely no visa, no friends, and no jobs. We simply wanted to travel Europe and the best way to do that is live there. Our first step was to make sure I could make the move, aka, be away from my parents. So we moved to Nashville. At the time, I was working from home at a marketing and social media job. Michael convinced his company that he could work remotely. So we made the move to Nashville and found out we absolutely loved it. Later that year, I started blogging full time. Michael resolved that he'd quit his job when the time came for us to go overseas.

As for our decision to move abroad it came about as a if we both had the same thought at the same time. I can't tell you who said it first because it's like we both dreamed it together. When we went to Paris for the first time, I got tears in my eyes watching the Eiffel tower light up. I thought to myself, I'll probably never see this again. And then I realized that's ridiculous. If I want to see it again, I can and should. Our short trips to Europe before made me realize how much I wanted to at least try this out.

When we told people about our plan they most often responded in two ways: Wow, you guys are so lucky! or my favorite: Why?

The shocking truth is that most people in the US don't hold passports (it's under 50%!) and many don't spend time traveling. There's nothing wrong with that. We all have our wants and needs. I don't care at all about handbags. Some girls prize a Louis Vuitton. I would rather go to Italy. The fact that we all have different preferences is what makes the world go 'round. To me, life is about figuring out exactly what you want then doing absolutely everything you can to get it. I think the part of figuring out what you want is actually the hardest. For years and years I had no idea what to do with my life. I remember in college I wasn't really sure what to study. There's only one thing I knew I liked: working for myself. Finding out that I should be a blogger took all kinds of different paths before landing on this.

Moving abroad became a necessary part of our life. What if we didn't do it? I knew that if we didn't at least try we would regret it forever. Lastly, the world is more connected. The internet makes it easier for me to stay in touch with family and friends. I can talk on Facetime or see what's happening on social media. Do I miss out sometimes? Of course. But I wouldn't trade it.

Our wants/needs in a place to live

When we started researching, we first went at it with a broad approach. We read articles to see why certain countries were ranked as the best places to live. For example, we looked at Business Insider, which listed out the best places to live based on a number of factors such as life expectancy, education, gender equality, and financial wealth.

Time and time again, we kept seeing Germany high on the list. But I wanted to make sure. So, we nailed down some criteria for what we wanted in a country:

 Centrally located in Europe

 Easy to travel within and out of

 Good economy

 Speak some English

 Is a big enough city to find what we need

 Feels European

 Affordable

Now, let me walk you through that criteria. First and foremost, we wanted to live somewhere that was easy to travel around. While I think about Spain and England are lovely, they are not very centrally located in Europe. The great thing about countries like Germany and France is that they are central in Europe, so it's easy to take any means of transportation to anywhere else. Train travel is big here so it makes sense to hop on a train and be in a completely different country.

I think Greece is absolutely gorgeous. I am amazed by the white walled city of Santorini and the history in Athens. But the economy is in fairly bad shape and again it's not centrally located. It wouldn't be easy to go from Greece to say Denmark.

Next, we wanted somewhere that had a good grasp of English. We fully planned on learning the language (although that's proved much more difficult than expected) so finding a place that spoke English was necessary. Luckily, many places in Europe speak English extremely well. Particularly Germans. I swear they might be the best besides the Nordic countries.

I'm from Dallas and am a big city girl, so I wanted a city that would have what I needed. I knew moving to Europe would mean no more Target or CVS, so I wanted to still have grocery stores and convenience stores close by. Most of Europe is fairly densely populated, so smaller towns tend to have everything you need. But still, I didn't want anything too remote.

Places like Frankfurt and Berlin are big cities with great transportation, but they are very modern looking. You won't see as many half-timbered homes or old churches. The fact is these cities were bombed in WWII so they've been completely rebuilt. They are still lovely, but they don't have that quintessential Europe feel that I was looking for.

Norway was named the happiest country on earth but it's incredibly expensive and not centrally located. And really cold. So while this might be a great place for many, it didn't fit in with our criteria for where we wanted to live. By the way, European countries make up 7 of the 10 happiest countries in the world with the first 6 places being all European countries. We ended up putting together a list of what we researched with notes about why each place made sense for a move.

After researching and hemming and haw-wing, we picked Germany. It was the clear winner in all categories and ranks very high on so many different lists of countries to live in. The next step was to choose where in Germany. We went through a similar process of slimming down our choices. We came up with about 10 cities in Germany that made sense based on location, looks (don't judge! But hey, we wanted something that felt European), temperature (we didn't want a place that would always be freezing), size, and access to transportation.

After each making our own excel spreadsheets, we got together to hammer out which picks were the best for us. We decided on three cities: Dusseldorf, Cologne, and Heidelberg. Then we decided to independently do some research. Time was ticking and we needed to know where we were moving so we could start making real plans. After a couple days of reading articles, Googling images, and scanning Pinterest, we met in our guest bedroom/Michael's office to pick a place.

We both sat there grinning, I think we both knew what we were going to say. On a count of three we both shouted, Heidelberg! Excited, we started making the big plans. Little did we know what was in store for us- despite all the research. I announced it on the blog, sold practically all my stuff, we tried to rent an apartment from afar to no avail, and tried to secure visas. Emphasis on tried.

If you'd like to read more on that process, read this post from when we made the move over.

Now that I've traveled through Europe more I'm able to really compare Heidelberg to other cities in Europe. Has it been a good choice? Would I still live in Heidelberg, Germany, given the option? Luckily, that answer is a resounding yes. There are, of course, some things that are more difficult about living abroad (I've outlined that in what I've learned about Germans since living in Germany here and part 2 here). Being an expat is definitely a very different lifestyle. But Heidelberg makes so much sense as a place to live.

Here's why Heidelberg was the perfect pick to live abroad:

 It's freaking gorgeous. Almost every season is just lovely. Spring is full of flowers, Summer has incredible weather, Fall is brightly colored, and Winter brings the Christmas Markets. The castle overlooking the river is stunning and every morning I walk the dogs to a lush green park with rolling hills in the distance. The traditional stacked European houses are so quaint.

 The city is smaller compared to where I've lived before  Dallas and Nashville. But that's not a problem because it's fairly touristy. We have all the big European stores and the Hauptstrasse is a my own personal outdoor mall.

 There's a market that occurs just down our street every Wednesday and Saturday that offers some of the best cheese I've ever had in my life, sausage, and beautiful flowers.

 The location is incredible. We are a 45 minute drive from pretty Strasbourg, France, Frankfurt airport  one of the biggest airport hubs in Europe- is a 30 minute train ride, or Stuttgart airport is 45 minutes away. The train connections are awesome (Paris is 3 hours away by train) and the public transportation system here is phenomenal.

-It's not overly busy. Many popular cities can feel overly crowded but that's not the case with Heidelberg. During the Christmas markets and the late Spring and early Summer it seems to get busier but it's nothing like a big city like London or Paris.

 It's also a great place to get away. We can drive about 15 minutes and be in the hills with the dogs. Having that capability is a huge benefit.

 It's a university town, so there are a lot of young people. That means there's an active nightlife and bar scene. There's also an active community of expats here.

 Heidelberg is basically dead center of Europe. So it's so easy (and convenient) to get anywhere.

Some drawbacks are that it's not as big as some other cities, so there's not always as many activities as there might be in somewhere like Munich. It's not a huge city, so if we were to look for jobs (that's not our need) then it would be harder. Although there is a bigger city close by, Mannheim. That's also the city we go to if we want to see a movie. There also aren't as many food choices because it's a smaller city, but this also helps us save cost on food.

I truly feel like Heidelberg was the best choice for us when picking out where to move abroad. It's beautiful, quaint, a great location, and still feels like a fairytale.

If you're interested in learning about our unusual process of getting a Freelance visa, check out this post. It goes into detail about our situation, how we got denied initially, and how we secured a visa. It's worth the read!

More to read:

How I Make Enough Money Blogging to Travel

Why I Left Everything Behind to Move Abroad

What to do in Heidelberg, Germany

What it's like to be an Expat
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In the great Greek revival, two years ago, one thing went missing  the chorus. In modernising ancient tragedies, from Medea to Oresteia, writers and directors tended to whittle them down into taut human dramas about families in turmoil. Choruses got cut or scaled back. A few remained in full, but to little effect. The National Theatre's Antigone had a smattering of suits, civil servants in stasis, while zombie-like waifs juddered through its Medea.

Here, then, is choral power unleashed. David Greig's clipped version of Aeschylus's Suppliant Women makes them its protagonist. A crowd of young women, drawn from the community, just as Greek dramas recruited locals on tour, stand onstage in a huddle. Colourfully, even cacophonously, dressed, they're refugees, fled from Egypt to escape enforced marriages. Stood outside the Greek city of Argos, baring suppliant branches bound up with white rags, they're seeking asylum; sanctuary from male violence. They sing-speak as one: "The worries of women and exile are endless."

Plot-wise, it's simple: the women pray to new Gods and plead Argos's king to offer them safety, forcing his hand with the threat of mass suicide. Essentially, it's a series of supplications, women hoping for help, but its power resides in the force of its staging. Drilled by Mary King, the chorus beat out their sentences in sync, words set to rhythms backed up by drums. They move as a unit, skipping and stamping and standing their ground; vulnerable and mighty at the same time in Sasha Milavic Davies' choreography. It's a ritual display that bypasses the brain and gets into your body. When they fall silent, it can stop your breath. The physical, vocal presence is such that you cannot but feel for them  or, indeed, feel with them.

Beauty only exacerbates that. On Lizzie Clachan's unforgiving breeze-block floor, the women celebrate beneath clouds of confetti and sit, in the dark, clutching candles in jars. Exposed outside the city, the threat of male violence is a constant. Soldiers come carrying clubs against their spindly branches. Pirates bear torches in the face of their tealights, and they flee like fireflies through the night.

This is the refugee experience abstracted; the same as it was, at heart, two millennia ago. That is made both less familiar and more; less, because it strips out the imagery we've grown so accustomed to, life-jackets and hijabs and rafts packed with people; more, because these women are like us, of us, are us. In another world, another moment, they really could  would  fall foul of the same fate. In stripping out the specifics, detaching itself from this crisis or that, The Suppliant Women states the plain case.

In that, it wrestles with the ethics and politics of asylum. When Oscar Batterham's King Pelasgos, slick-suited as a Macron or an Obama, strides out to meet them, he weighs up his options: shut the women out or invite a foreign war in. Call it Merkel's Dilemma. His heady tenor makes him all thought, and Pelasgos needs to classify  "Are you maybe Ethiopian?"  where all he should do is feel. Towards the end, Greig's script wrangles with assimilation. The city presses the suppliants to marry, freely, as locals do. The women push back and refuse. In the abstract, it's simple: offer sanctuary, allow space, trust that new arrivals will return that respect.

All this is a return to theatre as ritual, and The Suppliant Women follows the old structures of Greek theatre. Its tone is ancient and contemporary at once, with echoes of Beyonce and Hamilton in its sound, but its form now feels somehow alien. Beginning with a libation  the offering of wine  it reminds us that the Greeks thought theatregoing a civic duty. In its clear-headed reasoning and its full-bodied feeling, The Suppliant Women reminds us just why.

The Suppliant Women runs at the Young Vic until 25 November.
U.S. wildlife officials began issuing permits for lion trophies hunted in Zambia and Zimbabwe ABC News confirmed today.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said the decision was made after concluding that regulated hunting would help the survival of the endangered species in the wild.The African lion population has decreased 42 percent in the past 20 years, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. The officials did not provide any additional details about what new information led to the decision to issue permits to import lion trophies from those countries. The Fish and Wildfire Service said it takes at least 45 days to get a permit approved so its unclear if any have been granted since they began accepting applications.In 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service placed African lions on the endangered species list for the first time due to the "dramatic decline of lion populations in the wild." The designation says that imports of African lions will "generally be prohibited" but still allows the government to issue permits to import the species "such as when it can be found that the import will enhance the survival of the species." There is an estimated 17,000 - 19,000 African lions remaining in the wild.In addition to Zambia and Zimbabwe, the government allows permits for wild lions and lions from managed areas in South Africa and is reviewing policies about importing lion trophies from Mozambique, Namibia, and Tanzania.A U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said they found that "legal, well-regulated sport hunting" can benefit conservation by providing incentives to local communities and generating revenue that can be directed to conservation programs, saying that the programs in Zambia and Zimbabwe will enhance the survival of the species in the wild. They began issuing permits to import lion trophiesIn addition to Zambia and Zimbabwe the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows permits to import trophies from hunted wild lions and lions from managed areas in South Africa and is reviewing policies about importing lion trophies from Mozambique, Namibia, and Tanzania.
Local women whose passion and service have made a difference in the lives of incarcerated women in Kansas were honored Thursday.

World Impact Topeka hosted a luncheon Thursday afternoon to thank Nell Ritchey and Glenda DuBoise, both of Topeka, and the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica from Atchison for empowering women.

The money raised through Thursday's lunch will go toward the women in the Topeka Correctional Facility, so they can take a four year seminary class.

One organizer says the event was all about empowering women, no matter where they are or what they have done.

"People ask the question 'Why?'" Shampayne Lloyd said. "Why do we want to do this? Well the women that are locked up, they are still women, they are going to get out, and what better way to help them while they're in prison to become citizens that will be viable when they come out. We just want to poor into them so when they get out they will be successful."

Lloyd said this was a good opportunity to recognize women for the contributions they make to the city.
Welcome to The Independent Herald E-Edition! Check back each week on Tuesday to see our[Read More]
Decatur Memorial Hospital and Sav-Mor Pharmacy have teamed up to open a medical clinic in Mount Zion.

Mount Zion is important to us, DMH President and CEO Tim Stone said during a celebration Thursday to unveil the facility. He went on to describe the community as the anchor of the hospital's southeast corridor as it continues to enhance its services to rural Central Illinois communities.

He said the expansion is made possible through collaborations like the one with Sav-Mor Pharmacy, which allows the hospital to serve the needs of the region without the costs associated with a hospital-owned building.

Sav-Mor Pharmacy, in turn, gains a valuable neighbor and access to potential clients in need of prescription and over-the-counter medications and other items recommended to them following the doctor visit.

You can't be any more convenient than that, said Dave Falk, owner of Sav-Mor Pharmacy, while glancing at an open interior door between the two businesses. Falk said the clinic builds upon a relationship the Mount Zion store already had with the hospital to provide various health screening events.

The DMH Mount Zion Medical Center is a walk-in clinic located at 1410 E. Village Parkway. Its hours are 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday. The facility, led by physician assistant Everett Shaw, serves patients with common, acute illnesses. There is a laboratory on site.

***

Todd Parker knew the Decatur market had potential when he opened his Northwestern Mutual satellite office in Decatur.

Three short and successful years later, the office has been designated a district office. The change means a larger staff, a larger service area and now, a new location.

Northwestern Mutual recently moved from 106 N. Main St. to 240 S. Main St. in the Olde City Hall building.

An open house and a Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. today.

The Decatur district includes Macon, Moultrie, Christian, Shelby and DeWitt counties. The district is served by seven representatives and four support staff, with plans to add 10 more employees in the next year, Parker said. There also will be intership opportunities.

Northwestern Mutual provides weath management, insurance and financial planning services.

Call (217) 423-0400.

***

Longtime employee Jennifer Lane has purchased the Mattoon Flower Shop and plans to relocate this business to downtown Mattoon next year.

The Mattoon resident has worked for almost 20 years at this flower shop, 505 S. 23rd St. Lane said she and her husband, Brandon, acquired the Mattoon Flower Shop name and inventory from retiring owner Cathy Bunyard in September. Lane said she has enjoyed her time at the flower shop and wants to continue working with this business, so she took the opportunity to purchase the shop.

Lane said she plans to move Mattoon Flower Shop to a leased location, 1808 Broadway Ave., next spring to make use of the building that Keith Summers has renovated there and to be among the growing number of businesses downtown.

"I'm excited. I think it will be a benefit for Mattoon for the flower shop to go into downtown," Lane said.

Don and Rena Irons opened Mattoon Flower Shop in 1936 at the 505 S. 23rd location, Lane said. Bunyard, a longtime employee, purchased the shop from the couple in 2004. Lane said she started working in the Mattoon Flower Shop greenhouse for Don and Rena Irons, and later became a full-time floral arrangement designer. Lane said she has gotten to know many regular customers there over the years.

"We will always cherish our customers and we are excited to bring in new ones," Lane said.

Mattoon Flower Shop is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Call (217)235-0331.
Digging into the Thanksgiving Day feast is a joy, but preparing it takes work. This green salad with pear dressing is a simple but elegant first course, and it will take some of the stress out of the gig. And  bonus!  its lighter than the usual holiday recipe. How did we do it? By swapping out some of the oil in favor of a very flavorful pear puree.

Indeed, this salad is an ode to pears, teamed up with a couple of their best buddies: walnuts and blue cheese. (Cheese!? So much for lightness, right? Not really. Theres only half-an-ounce per person.) Youll need one very ripe pear for the dressing and two firm ripe pears to slice and add to the salad, so planning ahead is key. Most pears in the supermarket are rock hard when you buy them and need several days to ripen. You can speed up the process by placing them in a brown paper bag alongside a bunch of bananas.

Walnut oil is our oil of choice because it complements the pears sweetness. (It also happens to be wonderful drizzled on vegetables, raw or cooked, and on all sorts of cheeses.) My favorite brand is La Tourangelle from France, but there are many other brands, both domestic and imported, that will do the job. Just be sure to store it in the refrigerator once youve opened it because walnut oil  like any other nut or seed oil  can go rancid easily if left at room temperature too long. Still, if you dont want to invest in a bottle  its a little pricey  use safflower or sunflower oil instead.

Likewise, youre welcome to swap in a different nut for the walnuts and a different cheese for the blue cheese, including Parmigiano-Reggiano, goat cheese, or aged gouda.

You can whip up the dressing, toast and chop the nuts, and crumble the cheese several days before the big feast. Then on Turkey Day theres nothing to do but toss the salad, slice the pears and serve. Its the kind of salad that looks very pretty on the plate.Green salad with pear dressing, Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts

Start to finish: 40 minutes (20 active)

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 very ripe small pear, peeled, cored and sliced -inch thick (it should measure - cup sliced), plus 2 firm ripe pears (preferably red)

 cup distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons walnut oil

 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 cups loosely packed watercress, arugula or greens of your choice

 cup chopped toasted walnuts

4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola Dolce, Roquefort, or blue cheese of your choice

Directions

In a small saucepan combine the sliced pear, vinegar, honey and salt; bring to a boil. Simmer until the mixture is reduced to  cup. Let cool slightly, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the oil and pepper; pulse one or two times. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.

Core the remaining pears and slice thin. In a large bowl drizzle the watercress with some of the pear dressing and toss well. Mound one-eighth of the salad on each of eight plates and top each portion with the walnuts, Gorgonzola Dolce and sliced pears.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 170 calories; 112 calories from fat; 12 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 13 mg cholesterol; 261 mg sodium; 11 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 5 g protein.
The Southeast Minnesota Arts Councils board of directors awarded 52 grants amounting to more than $311,525 to emerging artists and arts organizations in the region.

Local winners included:

Bluff Country Studio Art Tour received a $3,000 Presenter/Production Assistance grant for Studio Art Tour 2018.

Winona State University College of Education received a $3,000 Presenter/Production Assistance grant for Young Writers Conference (YWC).

Great River Shakespeare Festival received a $10,000 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant for Concerts on the Green 2018 Season.

Frozen River Film Festival received a $10,000 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant for Festival Marketing Assistance.

Minnesota Marine Art Museum received a $10,000 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant for Water Portraits by Contemporary Artist Mary Solberg.

Mid West Music Fest received a $10,000 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant for Festival Production Assistance.

St. Charles Elementary School received a $3,000 School Residency grant for Drawing Deepens Our Understanding of the World Around Us.

Theatre du Mississippi received a $10,000 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant for 2018 Productions.

Winona Symphony Orchestra received a $10,000 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant for 2018 Childrens Concert for third- and fourth-graders, and a $4,000 General Operating Support grant for Staffing & Salaries.

Chamber Music Live received a $10,000 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant for Apollo Musical Festival 2018.

Southeast Minnesota Bluegrass Association received a $3,000 Small Towns/Rural Areas grant for May 2018 Bluegrass Music Festival.

Rushford-Peterson High School received a $3,000 School Residency grant for Two-day Workshop and Concert with Professional Jazz Musicians.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.

SEMAC is the State Arts Board-designated granting authority for local/regional arts producing and sponsoring organizations and disburses funds allocated for this purpose by the Minnesota State Legislature. The SEMAC region includes the counties of Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha and Winona.
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois has launched an initiative that aims to inform police officers and the public about how to spot and assist elderly people suffering from dementia.

The state introduced the Silver Search Awareness Campaign on Nov. 1, the Southern Illinoisan reported.

Under the campaign, police recruits and officers statewide will be trained on warning signs, interacting with those affected by dementia and the criteria for initiating a Silver Search  a special category of missing persons focused on senior citizens.

The campaign is the result of a bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Daniel Biss of Evanston and Democratic Rep. Natalie Manley of Joliet.

In a news release provided by The Alzheimer's Association, Biss said the "Silver Search program is a crucial step toward making our state safe for the hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans with Alzheimer's disease."

A task force has been created to assist in the effort, according to the release.

"The Silver Search Task force brings agencies and organizations together with the common goal of creating a Silver Search program and toolkit to assist in missing person cases involving those with Alzheimer's or dementia," according to the release.

Craig Burge, missing person coordinator for the Illinois State Police, said in the release that missing person cases are always a race against the clock.

"In any missing person case, time is of the essence," Burge said. "Nowhere is that more evident than situations where persons with Alzheimer's or dementia go missing."

Theresa Dewey, a care navigator with the Alzheimer's Association, said but 60 percent of those diagnosed with dementia wander at some point.

"It only takes a moment of disorientation to become lost, and the situation can rapidly become dangerous," Dewey said.

Dewey said those who suffer from dementia are more likely to comply if the person approaching them has an understanding of the condition.
Winona native Kari Casper van Wakeren will be reading her new childrens book, Bubble Wrap Girl, at Flippin for Books at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at Winona Senior High School.

She is one of the featured celebrity authors that morning. She will also be making visits to the Winona Public Elementary Schools the three days before Thanksgiving.

Van Wakeren, who attended Madison Elementary School and now lives in Alexandria, said shes looking forward to reading to children in the city she grew up in.

Im pretty excited to do it, she said. Itll be cool to return the gratitude I received while living in Winona.

Bubble Wrap Girl is van Wakerens first book, and is about a girl named Izzy Magee who gets hurt doing lots of things. Like most kids, Izzy doesnt like getting hurt, so one day, her parents wrap her up in bubble wrap. While wrapped in bubble wrap, Izzy doesnt get hurt as often, but she realizes she cant do the things she likes to do either. Eventually, she decides that being brave and trying new things is better than not getting hurt.

The story was inspired by a conversation van Wakeren had with her daughter, who was 4 years old at the time. She wrote the book to encourage her own kids and others to live life without being afraid of getting hurt. It is a story that celebrates resilience and the reality that we all have what it takes within us to do hard  and great  things.

The illustrations bring the books message to life, which relates to kids as well as adults.

I hope the kids go away knowing they have what it takes within them overcome hard things and accomplish great things, van Wakeren said. Thats the message I want to spread to families and their kids.

She said Saturdays event will be focused just on the reading, but the following week shes visiting different elementary schools in the area to talk with kids about the process of writing and publishing a book.Sometimes (kids) dont know about the possibilities out there until they see someone doing it, van Wakeren said. I want to give them an example of something they can aspire to be in life.

Bubble Wrap Girl was self-published through Beavers Pond Press in Edina, Minn. It is available for purchase at Paperback and Pieces, Amazon or through van Wakerens website at www.karivanwakeren.com.
The annual November deer hunting season for licensed hunters using rifles, shotguns and high-powered handguns opens Saturday morning in Buffalo and Trempealeau counties and elsewhere throughout the state of Wisconsin.

The regular 9-day season opens Saturday and runs through Sunday, Nov. 26, an annual deer hunt that brings many hunters of all ages and genders together over the Thanksgiving Day holiday season.

It promises to be another good deer hunting season, and the state Department of Natural Resources said it was enthusiastic about prospects for the 2017 season.

The deer hunting goal in Buffalo County calls for decreasing the deer herd. The management goal in Trempealeau County is to increase deer numbers.

Landowners in Buffalo and Trempealeau counties reported a high count of does with multiple fawns, the DNR says, and ample supply of bucks with good to excellent antler growth.

In its three-year goal of reducing the deer herd in Buffalo County, hunters licensed there were issued three free farmland antlerless tags and an additional 1,500 bonus tags were available for purchase on private lands.

We are coming out of a third straight mild winter and a good summer growing season, said DNR big game ecologist Kevin Wallenfang.

As expected, we are seeing good to excellent deer numbers throughout most of the state, Wallenfang said, adding that there was increased antlerless tag availability in many counties.

The DNR forecast an overall increase in harvested deer registrations, noting that gun, crossbow and archery success was up 22 percent in 2016.

Wallenfang said deer hunting choices have changed since the days of seeing a majority of deer taken during the annual nine-day gun hunting season.

A growing percentage of the total deer harvest in Wisconsin is now attributed to early archery and crossbow seasons when hunters can take to the woods more often and in nicer weather during peak times of rut.

Wisconsins four deer management zones and county-based deer management units have not changed for 2017.

Licensed hunters statewide received one valid buck deer tag, the DNR said. Each license also included one or more farmland Zone 2 antlerless tags that must be designated for use in a specific zone or management unit.

The Farmland Zone 2 antlerless tags may not be used in the Northern Forest or Central Forest zones, but bonus antlerless tags may be available for specific management units within those zones, the DNR said.

The DNR says all bonus antlerless deer tags are zone, management unit and land-type specific, each costing $12 for license resident hunters, $20 for non-residents and $5 for youth 11 and under.

Buck hunting only was scheduled in management units including Eau Claire, Ashland, Iron and Vilas counties in the northern and central forest zones.

The 2017 deer hunting season marks the third year of registering harvested deer electronically by phone, computer or smart phone. Registration is required by 5 p.m. the day after bagging and recovering a deer.

Deer hunters are no longer required to validate paper carcass tags or attach them to harvested animals. And it is no longer required to keep a tag with the meat. But hunters must carry physical or electronic proof of having a licensed tag.

The Central Farmland deer management zone that includes Trempealeau and Buffalo counties registered around 130,800 deer during the 2016 gun season. Some 23,650 deer were taken in the zone by crossbow and about 28,650 by archers. The DNR says the total Wisconsin deer kill in 2016 topped 316,000.
A collegiate partnership is creating more employment opportunities for Baraboos non-English speaking residents.

Madison Area Technical College and the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County have partnered to offer free English as a Second Language courses at the Baraboo campus. The classes are taught by Madison College instructors, focusing on career-building language skills at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

Madison College Northern Regional Dean James Falco said the program will provide non-English speaking residents with opportunities to gain employment and advance in their current jobs.

We are preparing them not only for careers, but were preparing them to start getting ready for the GED, he said. Then they can move into bridge programming in different sectors, whether its manufacturing, hospitality and restaurant or another field.

Falco said the collaboration began after Baraboo Mayor Mike Palm contacted Madison College to discuss the possibility of bringing English language courses to Baraboo. Palm said he had been approached by a member of the local Hispanic community who said there was a need for both English language and General Equivalency Diploma classes in Baraboo.

I did some investigation and found out that Madison College offers English as a second language at some other campuses, Palm said. I approached James Falco and asked him if that would be possible in Baraboo.

The two organized informational sessions in the community and found the proposed courses were more popular than anticipated.

We thought we could maybe offer this at the library, Palm said. But when we realized how many people were involved, we saw that we did not have the space there. Thats when we got the UW-Baraboo campus involved as a potential place from which to hold the classes.

Falco said 94 students are now enrolled in five, eight-week English language courses taught by Madison College instructors at UW-Baraboo. Falco said class sections filled up so quickly after courses began in August that Madison College added additional fall sections and will continue to offer the program through the spring semester.

Madison College instructor Ryan Peterson said his students come from a variety of countries, and their time in the United States ranges from three months to 15 years. He said many English learners are parents seeking to improve their familys quality of life.

The majority of my students are from Mexico, Peterson said. Many of my students are parents who have dedicated their time here to getting their children fully integrated into American culture and now are making time for themselves to improve their well-being and take the next step in their careers.

UW Colleges Regional Executive Officer and Dean Charles Clark said the partnership with Madison College has allowed the university to better meet the educational needs of Sauk County residents. He said the courses also could prompt students and their families to someday pursue higher education.

We had the facility that could serve that purpose and Madison College had the instructors, so we were very happy to partner with them so that we could meet the needs of our residents in Sauk County, especially in Baraboo, Clark said. This is a way of introducing not only them to UW-Baraboo, but also introducing their families to the campus as well.

Falco said students are able to take the classes at no cost due to support from the Sauk County Development Corp., Seats Inc. and Joses Mexican Restaurant, which purchased textbooks. SCDC Executive Director Ed White said the courses could help manufacturers and other businesses address workforce shortages in Sauk County.

We felt this was a way to allow Hispanic workers to learn better English skills and become more productive workers, White said. They can take better jobs, run more equipment and be safer workers because they can read safety manuals and operate all of the equipment and those sorts of things.

To register for courses, students can contact Madison College at 608-258-2440 and set up a time to take an English language assessment. Madison College faculty will then register the student for classes based on the assessment.

Falco said he expects the partnership will continue in the future, adding that the program could be expanded to include GED certification as well.

That is our hope that this is just the beginning, he said.

Editors note: Information included with a photo attached to this report was updated Oct. 20 to correct the name of Ann Deitrichs employer.
Baraboos Common Council has signed off on putting a vehicle registration tax to a referendum vote in April.

Tuesday the council voted unanimously to ask voters permission to charge an extra $20 a year to pay for street repair. This wheel tax would generate an estimated $270,000 for road work.

In other action, the council approved an operating agreement for the Baraboo-Dells Regional Airport, implementation of a plan to restructure the Fire Department and construction of a new deer exhibit at Ochsner Park Zoo.

Wheel tax

Municipalities across Wisconsin are enacting taxes on top of the $75 the state charges each year for vehicle registration. The Legislature is considering requiring municipalities to get voters permission via referendum. With some Common Council members on the fence about increasing citizens tax burden, Baraboo decided to preemptively put the question to voters. The councils Public Safety Committee previously voted in favor of holding a referendum.

Mayor Mike Palm sought feedback on the proposed wheel tax through the city newsletter, and found opinions mixed. An unscientific online poll hosted by the Baraboo News Republic, Portage Daily Register and Beaver Dam Daily Citizen earlier this year found 64 percent of respondents oppose wheel taxes.

Municipalities are turning to the wheel tax in response to declining state road aid. Baraboo is considering borrowing $1.8 million for street repairs next year. The city received $767,000 in general transportation aid in 2011, but only $577,000 last year.

Fire study

Baraboo will pay a consultant up to $24,000 to implement a management plan for the Fire Department.

On Tuesday, the Common Council voted 7-0 to pay RW Management $4,000 per month for up to six months. The measure previously won support from the councils Public Safety Committee.

Earlier this year, the Waukesha firm analyzed the Fire Department and determined its needs to add daytime staff and move to a new facility. According to RW Managements implementation proposal, project manager Jeffrey Roemer will lead meetings of Fire Department staff and administration and develop a training plan. Consultants will be on-site two to three days a month.

This is trying to put together some more detailed working relationships, said City Administrator Ed Geick.

City leaders said RW Management will focus on department operations, not facility needs for the Fire Department and Baraboo District Ambulance Service. An architect will help city leaders tackle facilities issues separately.

Hopefully these two paths come together next spring, Geick said.

RW Management has determined adding full-time staff would help the department respond to daytime calls, when most paid-on-call firefighters arent available. The firm recommends hiring a full-time firefighter to respond to daytime calls and handle routine daily duties, an emergency services director to facilitate cooperation with the ambulance service, and a building inspector who also would serve on the Fire Department and assist the fire inspector.

The consultant also called for the Fire Department to implement an on call schedule that would assign shifts during weeknights and weekends, ensuring a company of firefighters would be available to respond when full-time staff is off duty.

Deer exhibit

A $40,000 gift from a local charity will pay for a new deer enclosure at the zoo. The Sauey Family Foundation has offered to rebuild an existing whitetail enclosure, to be named the Matilda Lavik Sauey Deer Exhibit.

Deer currently live alongside a pond in the parks southeast corner. The new exhibit will be built by next summer in the parks northeast corner, adjacent to a wolf exhibit.

The zoos 1997 master plan calls for expanding into the area near the corner of Park Street and Eighth Avenue. Plantings will shield the exhibit from the street.

Its a fairly simple project, said Parks Director Mike Hardy.

Airport agreement

The council voted unanimously for a new agreement governing how the airport will be run. With the city of Wisconsin Dells and town of Delton having relinquished their ownership shares last year, the two remaining owners  the city of Baraboo and village of Lake Delton  plan to switch the facilitys governing body from a committee to a commission. City Attorney Emily Truman said commissions have additional authority.

In principle its not going to look very different from how its being run, she said. It certainly makes things easier.

The airport committee previously voted in favor of this change, and the operation agreement, as has the Lake Delton Village Board. The airport commission will to have only two voting members. Any measure generating a split vote will fail.
Just because someone waves an American flag or wears a flag pin doesnt mean they understand how lucky they are to live in the United States. Most of us rarely think about how it compares to other countries and how it became one of the most envied in the world.

Its our differences and varied family histories that make this country unique. It grew from a settlement of a few European immigrants to one that opened its arms to the rest of the world. Our countrys first motto, E Pluribus Unum, Latin for out of many: one, first was expressed on the Great Seal of the United States in 1782.

Unless were 100 percent Native American, we are here because of immigrants. Yet those who came later often were greeted with fear, hatred and sometimes violence. Thankfully, most people today appreciate the contributions patriotic immigrants made and continue to make to this country.

Referring to an August survey, the Pew Research Center reported: For a large majority of Americans, the countrys openness to people from around the world is essential to who we are as a nation. It found that 68 percent of those surveyed believe Americas openness to foreigners is a defining characteristic of our country. Thats what the Statue of Liberty represents: a welcome to those who are searching for a better life.

Were not as divided as some want us to believe. Americans are mostly good people who come together when it counts. We unite to send aid to fellow Americans after hurricanes and other natural disasters. Fire departments and electric companies send their people to help with wild fires and major power outages. When farmers in one area suffer from drought, farmers from other areas pitch in and share what they have. Individuals of all races and religions, nonprofit organizations, church groups and many others consistently unite to help fellow Americans.

Everyone came together as patriots when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941 and when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. One of the times most noted for American patriotism and unity was after 9/11, when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked by terrorists. The events of that day shook the nation and brought us all together.

When I asked friends about the times theyve felt the most patriotic, they responded: When I vote; when I saw the Statue of Liberty; visiting Arlington National Cemetery and seeing how many sacrificed their lives for our country; at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; registering new voters; hearing my mother talk about her journey to this country in steerage; returning from a trip to the Soviet Union; Barack Obamas election; during patriotic celebrations; while working on a campaign; marching with others to advocate for democracy; helping immigrants fill out citizenship applications; seeing the Vietnam Wall; marching in the Memorial Day parade behind the color guard; seeing, for the first time, the flag backlit and moving in a gentle breeze; visiting the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

I felt enormous patriotism in 1966, as I arrived in New York City after living in Germany for two years. I immediately noticed the wide diversity of races, hair styles and clothing. In Germany back then, everyone looked and dressed almost the same. Here, differences were commonplace and accepted.

But the most fiercely patriotic Ive felt was when I lived in Canada and heard TV commentators consistently belittle American policies. At a college graduation ceremony I attended, one of the speakers was a star of a Canadian comedy show. Unbelievably and inappropriately, she spent almost her entire speech tearing down the U.S. As I listened, I became furious.

When I saw her at the graduates reception, I went up to her and said, I lived in the United States longer than youve been alive, and I never once heard anyone attack Canada or Canadians. Ive been here only a month and Ive heard Canadians attack my country almost every day. She walked away.

Three years later, I came home. As my plane was circling Chicagos OHare Airport, I cried in happiness when I saw a line of American flags lining the road to the terminals. Thats when I realized how much I loved this country.

In fact, most of us love it more than we know. Some love it enough to risk their lives for the freedom it represents. Many show their appreciation for it by informing themselves and voting. Some fight for our rights on the floors of state and federal legislatures. And some show their love for this country by standing, or kneeling, to pledge, uphold and guarantee liberty and justice for all.

Arent we lucky we live here?
Donald Trump is a terrible person, but he is not our countrys worst problem. He is a symptom of it.

Trump lies constantly. He has shown little compassion for people. He dodged the draft during the Vietnam era, then disparaged war hero John McCain. He vulgarly bragged about groping women and is facing harassment allegations.

Trumps failure to condemn Russia for its involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign is conspicuous. He referred to neo-Nazis as very fine people.

He attacks the press because it prevents him from becoming the dictatorial ruler he desperately wants to be. The real danger to democracy, however, is not from Trump but from the people who support him.

As the investigation into Russian involvement in our elections gets closer to Trump, expect him to ramp up efforts to goad the childish leader of North Korea to nuclear war. Trumps narcissism, lack of compassion for people and unethical behavior suggest he could without conscience cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people simply to avoid impeachment and an unflattering position in history.

Lets hope the investigation into Russias meddling in our election gets rid of Trump before he does more damage.

Dave Wester, Baraboo
JUNEAU  A plea hearing has been scheduled for an 18-year-old Vesper woman who is charged in a February attack on a 17-year-old Beaver Dam girl.

Kaylee B. Derrie is charged with felony counts of burglary to a building or dwelling, physical abuse of a child and false imprisonment. She faces up to 24 years in prison and a $45,000 fine if convicted of the charges.

Derrie appeared on Friday before Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Steven Bauer, who set the plea hearing on Nov. 28.

According to the criminal complaint, Derrie and a 16-year-old Juneau boy pulled into a parking lot in the 800 block of Park Avenue on Feb. 15. The boy told police that he and Derrie intended to kill themselves with a handgun belonging to the boys father, but he wanted to say goodbye to an ex-girlfriend first. So he and Derrie left the gun in the car and walked to the Beaver Dam girls house.

Beaver Dam Police were dispatched to a residence in the 700 block of Park Avenue at 7:15 that morning for a stabbing. According to the criminal complaint, police made contact with a 17-year-old girl, who said a woman matching Derries description had entered her home with an ex-boyfriend. Derrie allegedly began hitting and strangling her.

The girl said she tried to call her father or 911, but the phone was taken away from her. The girl was able to access a knife and started stabbing Derrie in the back so she could free herself. After she stabbed Derrie, her ex-boyfriend and Derrie left the home.

The officer noted that the girls right hand was bleeding and there was a one-inch gash between her thumb and index finger.

Police received a tip about a car stopping at the Wild Goose Gas Station at Highways 33 and 26, and that a person was looking for medical supplies and was stabbed in the back.

Derrie was taken into custody by Washington County deputies. The stab wounds were not life-threatening, but she was taken to St. Josephs Hospital in West Bend.
MADISON  A former Wisconsin prisons secretary said Friday he's writing a tell-all book about how the investigation into abuse at the state's youth prison was botched and how difficult life was inside Gov. Scott Walker's Cabinet.

Ed Wall said he's written five chapters of the book so far and is planning 25 more chapters. He doesn't have a publication date and is still looking for an agent. He said the book will focus on how politicians don't care about anything but themselves.

"It's going to give people insight into what life is really like inside the Walker Cabinet," Wall said in a telephone interview. "I learned I don't like working with politicians. They're far too focused on themselves than the people they're supposed to serve."

Walker appointed Wall as Department of Corrections secretary, a cabinet position, in 2012. Word broke in late 2015 that the DOJ had been investigating allegations of widespread guard-on-prisoner abuse at the youth prison outside Irma. Wall ultimately resigned in February 2016 as news broke that the FBI had taken over the investigation.

State law permitted Wall to return to his previous job as administrator of the DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation. Justice officials gave him the job back, but quickly demoted him and placed him on administrative leave.

Attorney General Brad Schimel fired him in April 2016 after he sent a letter to the home of Walker's chief of staff, Rich Zipperer, asking for help in getting his old administrator's job back. He noted in the letter the administration's concerns about creating public records and told Zipperer to feel free to shred it. Schimel said he couldn't trust an employee who encourages others in state government to break the law.

Wall has since landed a job with a New Hampshire cybersecurity firm, but is still bitter about not getting his DCI job back.

He said the book will detail how the DOJ botched the youth prison investigation. He said he asked the agency to look into the abuse allegations in early 2015. Justice officials reluctantly agreed to investigate but assigned only one agent on a part-time basis to the case. They eventually assigned a second agent on a part-time basis during the summer of 2015, but they never pulled any incident reports or inmate medical reports, Wall said.

The agency finally sent dozens of agents into the prison in December after an inmate got his foot slammed in a door during a scuffle with guards and lost two toes.

Wall also said he plans to write about how Walker's appointees were tightly controlled and had to get permission to promote any potential stories to the media, as well as about how the DOJ "bullied" him out of his administrator job so Schimel could give a person of his own choosing the position.

Asked for a response, Walker spokesman Tom Evenson said in an email that Wall's replacement as DOC secretary, Jon Litscher, is widely respected and Walker is glad to have him in the administration. He did not address Wall's allegations.

DOJ spokesman Johnny Koremenos said in an email that Wall hasn't accepted that he cost himself his job by trying to circumvent the state's open records law.

He didn't immediately reply to a follow-up email seeking a response to Wall's allegations that the Lincoln Hills investigation was inadequate.
Church is one of the few places where partisan politics isnt overtly promoted or displayed.

The U.S. Senate should keep it that way by rejecting the Houses attempt to allow campaign activity  including candidate endorsements and political contributions  to flow through religious and other charity organizations.

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, spoke forcefully against turning church sanctuaries into campaign operations during a recent meeting with the State Journal editorial board, and again last week during debate in Washington over the Republican proposal to overhaul the federal tax code.

Tucked into the 429-page House tax bill is a partial repeal of the Johnson Amendment, a 1950s rule forbidding churches and charities from blatantly endorsing or financially supporting candidates in elections if they want to claim a tax exemption. Former Democratic President Lyndon Johnson, when he was a U.S. senator, originally proposed the rule, and Republican President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law with support from a GOP-controlled Congress.

The Johnson Amendment to the tax code is rarely enforced. In fact, President Donald Trump ordered his administration last spring to be lenient with the rule.

Yet it continues to serve as a deterrent to outright and elaborate electioneering by churches, which could become tax havens for campaign money and activity if the Johnson Amendment were to go away.

Repealing the Johnson Amendment will politicize the pulpit, Kind told his colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee last week. It will create civil war in the pews. It will establish Republican and Democratic churches, synagogues and mosques overnight. We all know how tribal and polarized our political system is today. We are self-segregating way too much already.

Besides damaging the fellowship that churches seek to foster in their communities, a House repeal could cost the federal government $2 billion over 10 years in lost tax revenue, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. And some good-government groups fear the change will cost far more than that, opening up a dangerous loophole for tax-free political donations.

This will be a backdoor attempt to do it, Kind said.

Critics of the Johnson Amendment claim it infringes on the First Amendment rights of pastors and churches to speak their minds.

No, it doesnt. It merely stops them from turning their churches into tax-free political machines.

The U.S. Senate  including Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, and Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison  should help ensure the Johnson Amendment stays on the books, regardless of other tax policy changes.
Columbus Books and Beer has picked Champion Chocolatier by Wisconsin author, Amanda Zieba, for its gathering on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at The Black Kettle, 139 N. Ludington Street.

Amanda Zieba is a teacher by day, a wife and mother always, and a writer any minute she can squeeze in. In addition to this title, Zieba is the author of eight books for children and young adults, including a recently completed epic young adult fantasy novel, geocaching titles, a picture book, and middle-grade chapter books.

Zieba not only authors her own novels, she encourages and teaches others how to find their authors voice through her Story Seedlings project.

I use my passion, expertise, toolkit of strategies, and healthy doses of encouragement to get that story out of your brain and onto the paper, said Zieba.

Champion Chocolatier, a heartwarming tale set in Duluth, is perfect for the busy, chilly days leading up to the holidays. We meet Emmy, a 30-year-old stuck in a dead-end job she hates, just as her life takes a pleasantly unexpected turn when she wins a Facebook contest to own and operate a chocolate shop in northern Minnesota. When she leaves the big city for a fresh start (despite knowing nothing about business or candy making) fun, romance and a little mystery follow. Will her new business succeed before the Dec. 31 deadline? Will the cute guy from the store-next-door add to her sweet rewards or will he only be a disaster-level distraction?

Anyone who is interested is encouraged to attend on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Black Kettle, 139 N. Ludington Street in Columbus. For those wishing to read the book in advance, copies are available at the Black Kettle for $10 or you can order from Amazon. Zieba will also have copies of her other titles available for purchase when she visits on Dec. 7.

Books and Beer is a different type of book club that engages local and regional authors with readers in the community in a fun, casual setting. In addition to the Dec. 7 event, upcoming featured authors and titles include Kristin Oakleys Carpe Diem, Illinois on Jan. 25; Barbara Brittons Building Benjamin: Naomis Journey on March 22; and Brea Behns Prep for Doom on April 26. More information can be found on the groups Facebook page Books and Beer Columbus.
DECATUR  The Macon County States Attorneys Office is set to gain a new prosecutor dedicated to handling opioid cases, funded by the private foundation of Macon County Sheriff Howard G. Buffett.

The position, as well as a paralegal and their benefits, will be covered through a $180,000 grant from the Buffett Foundation. The position was approved by the countys Justice Committee at a Nov. 16 meeting, according to the meeting minutes, and will go before the full county board Dec. 14.

It is a three-year grant and is not expected to be renewed afterward, Assistant States Attorney Michael Baggett told the Justice Committee. Baggett said the grant should enhance the offices ability to aggressively take on the opioid epidemic at the local level.

When reached by phone Friday afternoon, States Attorney Jay Scott said he would need to speak to Buffett before he could comment about the grant. A spokeswoman for the foundation said Buffett was flying to Rwanda to accept an award and would not be available for comment until next week.

Buffett was appointed sheriff on Sept. 15 by outgoing Sheriff Thomas Schneider, who said he was stepping down for health- and stress-related reasons. Buffett has said he will serve the remainder of Schneiders term, until November 2018, but will not run for the position in the upcoming election.

Data from the Illinois Department of Public Health shows an increasing number of people in Macon County have died of opioid overdoses over the past four years. Six deaths were reported in 2013, and 14 were reported in 2016.

The son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, Howard Buffett has given millions of dollars to Decatur-area projects and agencies in recent years. The Decatur City Council is set to consider on Monday a $1 million grant for sweeping neighborhood revitalization efforts, and Buffett has paid $260,000 for consultants to evaluate the Macon County Jail with the expectation that he will spend even more on improvements.

Before he became sheriff, Buffett had provided more than $1 million in grant funding to the sheriffs office to pay for the hiring of a drug intervention officer and underwrite the cost of accessing drug treatment programs.

With the funding, the sheriffs office in February 2016 began offering a new option for drug users. They were invited to come to the Law Enforcement Center and turn over any drugs or paraphernalia in exchange for a new lease on life through a drug treatment program.

About 50 percent of the inmates in our jail are drug addicts, who are involved with drugs just for personal use. Our jails can not handle this, Buffett told the Herald & Review in September 2016. They might have stolen something. They're not violent criminals, not dealers, not bad people. What they have is similar to a drinking problem.

In the same article, Buffett shared that his cousin, Billy Rogers, died of a heroin overdose when he was 37. The experience inspired Buffett's passion for helping drug addicts and preventing addiction, he said.

It sticks with you," Buffett said. A drug problem is not just that person's problem.
Columbus residents will have to brace for another extensive street renovation project in a few years.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation hosted a public meeting to discuss the Highway 89 project Nov. 15 at Columbus High School. The project, which will likely occur in 2022 or a year earlier, includes renovation from Avalon Road to Park Avenue. Renovation along James Street/Highway 16 and 60 is just wrapping up after several months.

The meeting was hosted by DOT representatives Steve Porter and Karla Knorr, but City Administrator Patrick Vander Sanden was also present to field questions. The project schedule includes another public information meeting in spring/summer of 2018. An environmental document will be published in April, followed by a draft showing 60 percent of the preliminary plans by May. Final plans are scheduled to be finished by May of 2020 with construction beginning in the summer of 2022.

Porter, the project designer, said work could be moved to the summer of 2021 if the DOT has funds available.

The Highway 89 corridor between Avalon Road and Park Avenue is approaching the end of service life, Porter said. The DOT is proposing to reconstruct the roadway on the current alignment, while slightly adjusting the vertical profile to meet current roadway standards.

Porter and Knorr presented a slide show detailing the timeline of the project, along with proposed work and how it will impact traffic. During construction, Highway 89 will be closed to through traffic and detoured. However, access to residences and businesses throughout the corridor will be maintained during renovation.

During the project, the DOT will purchase property for right or way access and temporary easements and real estate purchases will start next summer or fall.

The pavement along Highway 89 has shown significant deterioration, Porter said. This project will replace the pavement structure, widen roadway for bike lane additions, and improve intersections.

Additional work for the project includes upgrading the storm sewer system, installing ADA accessible crosswalks, signing/marking, lighting, sanitary sewer and a water main.

Were requesting input from the community on these projects to achieve a safer, more desirable roadway, Porter said.

The project will start near the intersection of Avalon Road and extend north less than a mile to the Park Avenue intersection.

The presentation drew several questions from residents. A few attendees wondered why bike lanes are necessary if the roadway is going to be built slightly wider. One resident proposed making a shared pedestrian/bike lane through the roadway.

Some residents are also concerned too many trees will be removed during construction. The DOT said about 20-25 trees will be uprooted, but the city will receive a credit from the state to replace those trees. Residents said the trees provide needed shade during hot summer months.

Traffic and speed were also a concern. The project will run through areas along both St. Jerome School and Columbus High School. Residents want to make sure proper speed signs will be posted alerting motorists to slow down in school zones.

We can assure you that proper signage will be posted, Knorr said.

Residents also asked when the business section of Highway 151 will see renovation. Vander Sanden said there are no future plans for work along that corridor.

We dont have the funding available right now to plan work for that area, Knorr said.
DECATUR  A Decatur man accused of shooting a woman to death in her apartment was sentenced to 45 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on Friday.

Darion L. Evans, 18, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Cesley Taylor, 21, who was shot to death while being robbed in her apartment on Sept. 7, 2015. The sentencing in Macon County Circuit Court was the result of a plea deal with the states attorneys office.

The deal included that Evans, who prosecutors said fired the shots that killed Taylor, plead guilty to first-degree murder, but other charges would be stricken from the record. Evans is required to serve 100 percent of his 45-year sentence. Upon his release, he will have mandatory supervision for three years. He as given credit for time served in jail since Sept. 8, 2015.

Evans, Daiquan Cline, Shaitan L. Cook Jr. and Ryan H. O'Neal were all 16 the day prosecutors said they went to Taylor's northside apartment, 1450 E. Wellington Way, to rob her and her roommate, Britney N. Wilson. Wilson, then 20 years old, survived multiple gunshot wounds.

Evans, O'Neal, Cook and Cline each initially faced four counts of first-degree murder. Each of the defendants also faced one count of attempted first-degree murder, for shooting Wilson and two counts of armed robbery.

If Evans would have been found guilty in a jury trial, Judge Thomas E. Griffith, said Friday that Evans minimum sentence would have been 76 years in prison for the charges brought against him. He said he thought the 25-year enhancement for discharging a firearm would apply to the case, which was previously a topic of discussion due to Evans being 16 at the time of the shooting.

Adults, for example, face an automatic 25-year enhancement on murder sentences if they kill with a firearm. The issue was up for discussion because recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions require that juveniles not automatically receive extended sentences, like adults, without courts first considering their life and criminal history, state of mind and backgrounds.

Daniel Fultz represented Evans and said his client was adamant about apologizing to Taylors family.

I am sorry, Evans said. It didnt mean to go down like that.

Cline, 18, is being held in the Macon County Jail and has already pleaded guilty to being involved in the murder. He has been ready to accept a plea deal for a 20-year sentence in exchange for testifying against O'Neal, who has a bench trial scheduled for Dec. 19.

Cline's sentencing has been moved to Dec. 21. Cline has also been waiting for the other defendants to be sentenced before finalizing his plea deal.

Cook has a pretrial hearing scheduled for Monday.
Editor's note: This story reflects crime statistics as of Oct. 31. Police on Sunday morning reported the shooting death of a 48-year-old Effingham man in Decatur, bringing the homicide total for 2017 to nine. More details here.

DECATUR  Decatur will finish 2017 with more shootings than any of at least the past six years, fueled by a series of incidents from April through September that also drove the number of homicides higher. Community advocates who have long fought the negative perception the city has a serious crime problem still point out Decatur has a lower overall crime rate than comparable nearby cities.

The rise in overall violent crime involving firearms is notable, however. The shooting statistics compiled by Decatur Police are broken down into attempts to shoot someone and hits, when a person is actually struck by a bullet. Through Oct. 31, police have recorded 37 attempts and 45 hits, higher than 2016s total of 34 attempts and 20 hits. The amount of gunfire is significant as firearms account for most homicides.

Police and prosecutors say it's difficult to narrow down a reason for the recent trend.

We were having a real good year until July and then it seems like weve just had a lot of things since then (murders and violence), said Macon County State's Attorney Jay Scott. Its been very stressful for our office, given the staff level we have, to deal with it, but weve done everything we can to get the bad guys off the street.

As of Oct. 31, Decatur police reported eight homicides this year, four more than the number recorded in 2016 and more than the 10-year average of six per year, according to crime data provided to the Herald & Review. Eighty-two shootings were recorded for the year through Oct. 31, already higher than the five-year average of 55 per year.

Data was not available for November.

Just one homicide was reported the first six months of the year: a non-firearm crime involving a baby girl who died March 23 from injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome. Then, on July 2, police found the body of a 36-year-old man who they said was shot multiple times as he fled his attackers. Six more shooting deaths followed over the next four months, many of them with no discernible connection to each other.

Its like the floodgates opened and we had murder, murder, murder, Detective Sgt. Chris Copeland said.

Copeland, Scott and other community leaders say the numbers remain far below what Decatur experienced in the 1990s, when gang-related incidents helped cement the dangerous reputation that the city's advocates have been fighting to shake off ever since.

Decatur citizens like Norma Woods, who lives on Center Street, worry about the citys crime rate and Woods said she doesn't generally go out after dark too much for safety reasons. And shes particularly concerned about a minority of people with mental health problems who should not be out on the streets.

But the 59-year-old woman contrasts crime in Decatur today with her childhood in Chicago, when she recalls being let out of school early so she had a reasonable chance of getting home without getting caught up in gang violence.

Decatur, she said, is definitely not like that.

Id say yes, I generally feel safe here, she said.

Those charged with promoting growth in Decatur and Macon County hope to promote a similar message. Recent upticks aside, they say Decatur's crime rate is still a strong selling point when compared to other communities.

Decatur is not a bad place to live," said Nicole Bateman, community marketing manager for the Limitless Decatur & Macon County marketing effort. "Its not crime-ridden, and we still rank lower for crime than many other cities.

Nationally, violent crime increased in 2016 for the second year. Violent crimes such as shootings and robberies rose 4.1 percent in 2016 from the year before, with homicides climbing 8.6 percent, according to the figures released in September.

Homicide numbers fluctuate

In Decatur, other police figures show a slowly rising trend in violent crimes of all types between 2013 and 2016, the most recent year for which the data is available. In 2013, police logged 351 violent crimes; in 2016, the number was 392, a rise of 11.6 percent.

The number of killings in Decatur has fluctuated over the past 10 years. Eight homicides so far in 2017 is double the total of the prior year, when police and inquest records say there were four. FBI crime reports show three killings, but Copeland said one incident was missing from the FBI records.

In 2015, Copeland said there were seven homicides reported, although FBI records show six. The highest number of homicides reported in the past decade was in 2011, when 10 people were killed.

Of the murders committed this year, police have made arrests in the majority of the cases.

Kwantrevis D. Richardson, 20, is charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 31 shooting deaths of Michael E. Roberts-Mathenia, 43, and Johnathon T. Ballance, 34. The two were found dead in a residence in the Park City mobile home community.

Zachary M. Pherigo, 17, has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the Oct. 16 shooting death of his 2-year-old nephew, Justin Lee Murphy Jr.

Jason A White, 27, and Ryan Waters, 20, are charged with first-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Zachary Hubbartt of Windsor, whose body was found at a residence in the 1200 block of East Condit Street on Aug. 27. Autumn D. Billings, faces a preliminary charge of obstructing justice.

Demesheo M. Lovelace died after being gunned down in Greenwood Cemetery on July 2. The three suspects in the crime are Darelle Fox, 31, his brother Joseph Fox, 27, and Shawn Eubanks, 25. They were arrested a week later and jailed on preliminary first-degree murder charges.

Duan L. Lewis, 23, was arrested March 29 and faces a charge of first-degree murder in the death of a 5-month-old girl. The girl died March 28 after suffering injuries "consistent with shaken baby syndrome" on March 23.

Two other cases are active, but detectives said at inquest hearings last month that they had no witnesses and were searching for leads in both:

James M. Basse, 40, of Decatur, was found in the 1400 block of East Wood Street on Sept. 15 dead of multiple gunshot wounds.

Andrian T. Chatman was found dead in the 800 block of West Decatur Street shortly after midnight on Sept. 26.

In 2015, the Limitless Decatur & Macon County campaign, which seeks to promote the area, confronted the subject of Decatur's crime-ridden reputation with a stat-heavy video on city safety.

In the video, Decatur police Chief Jim Getz looked back over 20 years as numbers appeared on the screen with some eye-popping figures: In that two-decade span, murders were down 90 percent, rape and sexual assaults were down 83 percent, robberies were off 57 percent and assault/battery down 50 percent.

Copeland, who began his police career in 1997, recalled coming in at the tail-end of what had been a tough time to be a police officer. In 1996, the city had 11 murders; in 1994, it had 13; and in 1993, there were 12, Copeland said.

Several of those murders were related and it was all the Gangster Disciples and the Vice Lords (gangs) going back and forth, Copeland said. Ive heard stories, from before I came on to the department, of guys just turning the corner in a squad car and suddenly finding themselves in the middle of a drive-by shooting. There was a lot of real bad violence.

He points out that todays violence and murder rate, tragic as it may be, is not running at those 1990s levels. But it also isnt so easy for the police to narrow down and focus on a cause for it, either. He said while some shootings can be linked to the same suspect or groups of suspects, many of the murders recorded in 2017 dont have discernible connections.

Property crimes have also been on the rise, according to FBI crime data: They increased nearly 19 percent between 2014 and 2016, rising from 2,249 to 2,673.

On the property crime side, Copeland said it can also be hard to read much of a trend in those numbers, either. He said one determined burglar working a neighborhood, or vandals armed with a BB gun shooting out dozens of car windows can knock the crime stats out of the park.

Looking at the overall crime numbers, the states attorney said its unfortunate this bad stretch was happening in a community he still rates as very safe and a far cry from the nightmare days when those gangs were on the loose.

Back then, yes, there were a lot of people being shot and a lot of people being killed, Scott recalled. Thats when Decatur got its rough-and-tumble reputation and its been very tough to get rid of that reputation.

Today, I feel safe here and Ive walked streets all over the city of Decatur and Ive never once felt threatened. We want people to know what a safe community we have.

Community perception

Chris Robinson lives on Church Street near Division Street, not far from a police surveillance camera tacked to a power pole. Its illuminated by a flashing blue light at night, flagging the neighborhoods reputation for an elevated crime level. But Robinson, 66, said his neighborhood is a lot safer than it used to be when he moved in three years ago and strangers playing illegal dice games on his front porch made him fear what might happen next.

Now its calmer, the dice players long-since chased away, but he estimates the noise of gunfire still disturbs his sleep about once a month on average.

The rest of the time, I sleep like a baby and now Ive got old Jake the Snake with me, said Robinson with a smile. Hes my pitbull, and hell eat you up.

Community boosters like Bateman do acknowledge that a persons perception of crime is going to be driven by where they live. Someone who never hears gunfire has a very different view of their citys safety than someone who hears it once a month.

Bateman said the neighborhood she first lived in when coming to Decatur more than a decade ago has declined and was clear in saying Decatur is not without its higher-crime areas.

But she said that was also true of any city, anywhere, and Decatur has done much to improve its overall quality of life and to control crime.

She also made a point, which Det. Sgt. Copeland had mentioned, that a substantial number of those who become the victims of violence were put at risk by their own behavior. Copeland had cited the example of people seeking drugs or dealing in them, which becomes a factor in a high percentage of crime.

If you are not involved in these types of risky behaviors, you are going to be fine here (in Decatur), said Bateman.
CHARLESTON  A psychiatrist now has the records needed to complete a mental health evaluation for the teenage boy accused of shooting a fellow Mattoon High School student at school on Sept. 20.

A hearing was held Friday morning in Coles County Circuit Court to address subpoenas for records regarding the accused teenager, Josiah Lyons, 14. Psychiatrist Lawrence Jeckel had requested these records for his mental health evaluation of Lyons. The evaluation will address the possibility of insanity at the time of the incident, whether the boy is a risk to himself or others and if he is able to understand and help with his case.

Now that these records have been made available to Jeckel via court order, the hearing for Lyons has been continued to Jan. 11 to give the psychiatrist time to complete his evaluation.

State's Attorney Brian Bower and Lyons' attorney, Ed Piraino of Champaign, agreed to this court date on Friday during a hearing before Circuit Judge Matt Sullivan, who is presiding over the case.

Piraino told the judge that he has received a hard drive containing police reports about the shooting and that he still needs to go through these reports in advance of the Jan. 11 hearing. Mattoon police officers completed more than 200 interviews with Mattoon High School students, staff and others as part of these reports.

Lyons is a juvenile, but the Herald & Review has opted to use his name because his identity has been widely disseminated and already made public.

Lyons was an freshman at the time of the Sept. 20 shooting in the school's cafeteria. Another boy, who reportedly was not the actual target, was shot during the incident before the shooter was subdued, according to authorities' accounts. The boy was hit in the upper chest, but previous reports indicate that he is recovering from his wounds.

In juvenile court, Lyons has been charged with aggravated battery with a firearm. It's a felony offense that could lead to his being held in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice until age 21. On Friday, Lyons appeared in court while in custody of a juvenile detention facility. He was returned to this facility following the hearing.

According to information presented during a previous hearing and from authorities, Lyons allegedly started to aim the gun at a girl but teacher Angie McQueen grabbed him by the arm and the shot hit the other student instead. More shots were fired into the cafeteria's ceiling before McQueen and Mattoon police school resource officer Kasey Alexander subdued the boy, according to the accounts.
DECATUR  When the late Gayle Sablotny started the Share the Gift effort at the Lutheran School Association, the school bought Christmas presents for a handful of children in foster care through Lutheran Child and Family Services.

Nine years ago, when Allison Nolen started working at the LSA, that was eight kids.

This year, it's 51, and that number may grow. Last year, when some kids on the list hadn't found sponsors yet, LSA picked up the remainder and provided presents for 68 children.

We didn't commit to quite as many (this year), because we didn't know how fundraising was going to go, Nolen said. We only chose 50, but they gave us 51. Last year, we started with 50, but a lot of people donated, so we went and got more kids. There's usually about 150 (names) on the list, and we take about a third of those.

Other organizations and businesses pitch in, too, and none of the children is forgotten, she said.

It costs $100 per child to buy needed clothes and coats, mittens and hats, plus some of the items on the child's wish list, Nolen said. To raise funds, the school is collecting donations each day this week, and students who bring in at least $5 per day, either in toys and clothes, cash or gift cards, gets a day for a free pass on the dress code.

A lot of people are afraid to buy things in the fear that somebody already brought it, even though we keep the list (of needed items) updated, Nolen said.

Many of the families arriving with donations brought checks or cash, and gift cards to Walmart. Nolen said that will give them money for a shopping trip planned for Nov. 30.

Sometimes, we get a list of what they want and need, and sometimes we don't get any information, Nolen said. There's one caseworker who just said, 'girl, 16.' Sometimes, we just don't know.

High school students go shopping in the school's storage room, where donations are kept, and choose items for their assigned child, and whatever is lacking on the list of that child's needs is part of the shopping list, where the cash and gift cards are used. The items come back to the school to be wrapped and packaged up for delivery to Lutheran Children and Family Services.

Student government president Jared Gregory has been helping out with the annual event since he was a freshman, and last year, he said, the students were invited to the annual Christmas party Lutheran Children and Family Services puts on for the children. He enjoyed watching the children open their presents, he said, and it was nice to see the youngsters they'd helped in person.

We've gotten about $1,500 so far from businesses in the community or people who wanted to sponsor a kid or multiple kids, so that's been really helpful this year, Gregory said.




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The same 29-year-old Decatur man has been cited in two fatal crashes that have claimed the lives of three people since September.

Four other stories you should see are the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to give $1 million to neighborhood revitalization project, Santa House is ready to open, Decatur Housing Authority applicants line up and new off-road vehicle trail planned for Southern Illinois.

Same man cited in Macon, Clinton fatal accidents

The same 29-year-old Decatur man was cited for failure to yield at an intersection in two crashes on U.S. 51 that have killed three people since September, court documents show.

Andrew J. Johnson of Decatur was driving the grain semitruck struck by Tony and Karen Hable, both 57, on Saturday in DeWitt County.

Johnson was also driving a pickup truck in the Sept. 4 crash in Macon that killed 80-year-old Phil Jacobs of Decatur. His wife, Norma Jean Jacobs, was injured in the crash. Phil Jacobs, who was a former writer and photographer for the Herald & Review, died Sept. 12 as the result of his injuries from the crash.

City council to consider $1 million Buffett grant

The city council will vote Monday on whether to approve a $1 million grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation for the city's "Community Revitalization" program.

A memo from City Manager Tim Gleason says the grant "would be specifically designated for the neighborhood redevelopment portion of the overall program, with actual budgeted line items to be considered and approved by the (foundation) in the next several months."

Santa House ready to light up for Christmas

Get those wish lists ready, kids: Santa Clause is ready to turn on the lights in his Central Park house.

Santa Claus will arrive with the Lighted Christmas Parade in downtown Saturday evening. Afterward, he will take his place inside the adorned little house on the west side of Central Park.

And he is just as excited as the children for that day.

Housing authority applications arrive

Hundreds of applications arrived at the Decatur Housing Authority on Thursday as low-income residents vie for a chance at making it to the Housing Choice Voucher Program, formerly called Section 8.

Residents visited the housing authority offices on Wednesday, the only day applications were open. Jody Pallone, coordinator of the Housing Choice Voucher Program, said 616 applications were given to applicants Wednesday.

Pallone said 520 applications were returned to the housing authority on Thursday. Completed applications will be placed in a lottery managed by a computer program, which will randomly select 200 applicants.

Off-road vehicle trail planned for Southern Illinois

In 1993, the Sahara Coal Co. closed its doors and some 300 miners lost their jobs.

Gov. Bruce Rauner visited that companys reclaimed strip mine near Carrier Mills on Wednesday and announced that the state plans to develop a 26-mile off-highway vehicle trail system here, the first-of-its kind on state-owned land in Illinois.

Rauner said the trail system at The Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area will be a tremendous boon for the economy here in Southern Illinois.

Its going to bring a lot of good jobs, he said.
SCE&G proposes gas, solar for Summer replacement

17 November 2017

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South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G) has unveiled a proposal that would see some of the capacity that should have been provided by the VC Summer nuclear power plant project replaced with gas and solar generation. The company's shareholders would absorb the net construction costs of the abandoned nuclear project.

Summer unit 2, pictured in June 2017 (Image: SCE&G)



The proposal issued yesterday by the Scana Corporation subsidiary provides about $4.8 billion in benefits to SCE&G customers, and will require approval from South Carolina's Public Service Commission (PSC).

SCE&G proposes acquiring a 540 MWe gas-fired power plant to replace "more than" 40% of the power that was projected to be provided from the two-unit Summer plant. The $180 million purchase price of the gas-fired plant will be borne by Scana shareholders, who will also forego any shareholder return over the life of the plant. The company said it will also add about 100 MWe of large-scale solar capacity to its system.

Electric rates for SCE&G's customers - commercial, industrial and residential - will roll back to where they would have been in March 2015, which represents a reduction of about 3.5%. Scana shareholders will absorb the net nuclear construction costs through lower earnings over 50 years, which the company says will account for about $2.9 billion of the total $4.8 billion.

SCE&G owns 55% of the Summer project, with the remainder owned by Santee Cooper.

"We've heard our customers' frustrations about paying for a power plant and having nothing to show for it. This proposal gives customers additional power generation while also lowering rates for customers," said SCE&G President of Retail Operations Keller Kissam said.

Kissam is to become the company's president and chief operating officer from 1 January 2018.

Scana Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Addison said the company hoped "interested parties" would endorse the proposal so that it could obtain PSC approval. "Current projections indicate that if this proposal is adopted, we would not need an additional generation source for several years. This is a key step to meeting South Carolina's robust economic growth," he said.

SCE&G on 31 July announced its decision to cease construction of the two 1200 MWe Westinghouse-designed units at VC Summer. Westinghouse filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March, and SCE&G's announcement followed co-owner Santee Cooper's decision to suspend construction because of projected completion delays and cost overruns.

A total of four AP1000 units - two each at VC Summer in South Carolina and Vogtle in Georgia - were under construction in the USA prior to Westinghouse's bankruptcy filing. Construction began on Summer unit 2 and Vogtle unit 3 in March 2013, with work beginning on Summer 3 and Vogtle 4 in November of that year. Vogtle's co-owners, led by Georgia Power, in August filed a recommendation with the Georgia Public Service Commission to complete construction of the new units as the most economic choice for customers. Bechtel is now managing daily construction efforts at the Vogtle site under the direction of Southern Nuclear Operating Company.

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Upgrade allows continued operation of Ringhals units

17 November 2017

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Some SEK900 million ($107 million) will be invested in installing independent core cooling systems at units 3 and 4 of the Ringhals nuclear power plant in Sweden. The legally-required safety upgrade will enable the two reactors to continue operating beyond 2020.

Ringhals 3 and 4 (Image: Vattenfall)

Vattenfall's reactors at Forsmark and Ringhals have already undergone a comprehensive modernisation programme to allow them to operate until the mid-2040s. However, in October 2014, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority said by 2020 all operating Swedish reactors must have a "robust permanent installation that includes power supply and systems for pumping of water and an external water source independent of those used in existing emergency cooling systems". This requires engineering deep within the reactor building and potentially its primary coolant circuit.

The decision to install independent core cooling systems at Ringhals 3 and 4 was taken today by the board of directors of both Ringhals AB and Vattenfall.

Torbjorn Wahlborg, head of generation at Vattenfall and chairman of the board of Ringhals AB, said: "This is a very positive decision, and it means that Ringhals will continue to supply climate-smart electricity for a long time to come. The investment comes at a time when essential measures are being taken to increase efficiency in order to meet the tough competition on the electricity market."

He added, "With the decision to upgrade Ringhals 3 and 4 with independent core cooling, we are adding a further safety system to plants that are already safe, and we can now plan for continued operation for coming decades."

Vattenfall's board of directors decided in June 2016 to install independent core cooling at the three boiling water reactors at Forsmark, in which it holds a 66% stake. At that time, Vattenfall noted the project to install the systems in all three reactors at Forsmark "will take several years and will be planned not to impact energy production".

Revised closure dates for units 1 and 2

In April 2015, Vattenfall - which owns a 70.4% stake in the Ringhals plant - announced that, due to declining profitability and increased costs, it had informed co-owner EOn of its decision to close Ringhals units 1 and 2 in 2018-2020 instead of 2025 as previously planned.

In September of that year, Vattenfall said that it would limit future investment in the units, effectively meaning that they would be unable to operate beyond 2020. The following month it confirmed Ringhals 2 would be decommissioned in June 2019 and Ringhals 1 in June 2020.

At its board meeting today, the board of directors of Ringhals AB decided to extend the operation of the two reactors by up to six months. Units 1 and 2 will now be shut in December 2020 and December 2019, respectively. It noted there will be no further extension to the operation of either unit.

Bjorn Linde, CEO of both the Ringhals and Forsmark plants, said: "By extending the operating period by up to six months, we can utilise the nuclear fuel we have already bought for fossil-free electricity generation instead of putting it straight into the planned final repository. The extension is profitable for Ringhals, for Swedish electricity generation and for the climate."

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by World Nuclear News

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IAEA knows more about Iran thanks to JCPOA

17 November 2017

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The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has led to a significant reduction in Iran's nuclear activities while enabling the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to increase its knowledge of the country's nuclear programme, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said in a speech at Harvard University.

Amano addressed the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs John F Kennedy School of Government on 14 November, at the end of his official visit to the USA. He said the JCPOA had given the Vienna-based agency greater powers of inspection in the country, which is now subject to the world's most robust nuclear verification system.

The JCPOA was signed in July 2015 by Iran and the EU3/EU+3 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the USA - also referred to as the P5+1 - plus the European Union) and implemented in January 2016. Under its terms, Iran agreed to limit its uranium enrichment activities, eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium and limit its stockpile of low enriched uranium over the next 15 years. The agreement cleared the way for the lifting of nuclear-related economic sanctions imposed against Iran.

The JCPOA had been a "substantial gain" for verification, because of the combination of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, Additional Protocol and additional transparency measures which represented the most robust verification system in existence anywhere in the world, Amano said. He noted that Iran had committed itself to implementing fully its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and to provisionally applying its Additional Protocol, which he said was a key element.

The Additional Protocol requires Iran to make an extensive declaration of all of its nuclear fuel-cycle-related activities and update that declaration at least once a year, including submitting its future nuclear plans.

"If Iran were to cease applying the Additional Protocol, we would have less access to important information and locations," he said.

The IAEA verifies and monitors that Iran is abiding by the restrictions on its nuclear activities it accepted under the terms of the agreement.

"Our inspectors are on the ground 24/7. We also monitor Iran's nuclear facilities and centrifuge manufacturing and testing locations, using permanently installed cameras and other sensors. We have regular access to more locations under the Additional Protocol, which has also provided the Agency with more information about Iran's nuclear programme," Amano said.

IAEA inspectors now spend around 3000 days in the field in Iran every year - twice as many as in 2013 - and have placed around 2000 tamper-proof seals on nuclear material and equipment. They have taken hundreds of environmental samples, as well as collecting and analysing images captured daily by surveillance cameras and information from open sources.

"As of today, we had access to all the locations that we needed to visit," Amano said, adding that, for confidentiality reasons, the agency does not disclose details of which locations it has visited.

With Iran now subject to the world's most robust nuclear verification regime, Amano said the IAEA's systematic safeguards processes enabled it to develop a full understanding of the nuclear fuel cycle and to spot any anomalies."With Iran's Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and, in particular, the Additional Protocol, being implemented, we are confident that we can detect diversion of nuclear material, or misuse of nuclear facilities, and any nuclear activities and materials that are not included in Iran's declaration, in a timely manner," he said.

Although the JCPOA's provisions limiting some of Iran's nuclear activities will expire after a specified time limit, the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol are agreements between IAEA and Iran, and will not expire. The safeguards arrangement will remain in force as long Iran country remains a party to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NTP), Amano noted. He said he had urged the country, which has committed itself to implementing the Additional Protocol, to ratify it "as a very important next step to reinforce the sustainability of the JCPOA".

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NASA to test prototype Kilopower reactor

17 November 2017

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will this month start testing uranium-fuelled Stirling engines for use in possible future missions to Mars. The technology has been developed as part of the Kilopower project.

The Kilopower reactor (Image: NASA)

The Kilopower reactor could produce 1-10 kilowatts of electrical power, continuously for ten years or more. The prototype power system uses a solid, cast uranium-235 reactor core. Reactor heat is transferred via passive sodium heat pipes, with the heat then converted to electricity by high-efficiency Stirling engines. Such engines use heat to create pressure forces that move a piston, which is coupled to an alternator to produce electricity.

NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland has managed all phases of the Kilopower Project, from designing and building the hardware, with contributions from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, through developing the test plan and operating the tests. The National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA's) Y12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is providing the reactor core.

NASA is partnering with the US Department of Energy's Nevada National Security Site to carry out the tests, which will continue into early next year. The Kilopower hardware will undergo a full-power test lasting some 28 hours.

Lead researcher Marc Gibson said, "The upcoming Nevada testing will answer a lot of technical questions to prove out the feasibility of this technology, with the goal of moving it to a Technology Readiness Level of 5." He added, "It's a breadboard test in a vacuum environment, operating the equipment at the relevant conditions."

Patrick McClure, project leader on Kilopower work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), said: "A space nuclear reactor could provide a high energy density power source with the ability to operate independently of solar energy or orientation, and the ability to operate in extremely harsh environments, such as the Martian surface."

David Poston, chief reactor designer at LANL, added, "The reactor technology we are testing could be applicable to multiple NASA missions, and we ultimately hope that this is the first step for fission reactors to create a new paradigm of truly ambitious and inspiring space exploration. Simplicity is essential to any first-of-a-kind engineering project - not necessarily the simplest design, but finding the simplest path through design, development, fabrication, safety and testing."

Lee Mason, principal technology for power and energy storage at NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, said: "The Kilopower test programme will give us confidence that this technology is ready for space flight development. We'll be checking analytical models along the way for verification of how well the hardware is working."

Space missions require reliable, long-lasting power sources both for propulsion once they are in space and to power experiments and equipment. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) have been widely used as power sources in satellites and other space vehicles such as the Mars rover Curiosity. However, virtually all RTGs are usually powered by plutonium-238, which is now in short supply.

Mason said, "What we are striving to do is give space missions an option beyond RTGs, which generally provide a couple of hundred watts or so. The big difference between all the great things we've done on Mars, and what we would need to do for a human mission to that planet, is power. This new technology could provide kilowatts and can eventually be evolved to provide hundreds of kilowatts, or even megawatts of power."

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DECATUR  Money to fund the city of Decatur's sweeping neighborhood revitalization efforts could come from Howard G. Buffett, as the Decatur City Council is set to consider on Monday accepting a $1 million grant from Buffett's private foundation.

"We are beyond thankful for this generous offer and what it can mean for this initiative and our community," City Manager Tim Gleason said in an emailed statement.

It's just the latest in an ever-growing list of local donations from Buffett, who was appointed Macon County sheriff in September. In a city where local government bodies have been stifled by declining population and property values over a period of years, Buffett's foundation has funded new initiatives like the law enforcement-themed exhibit at the Children's Museum of Illinois and the city's state-of-the-art fiber optic network, set to become operational Dec. 1.

Other Buffett gifts have supported community services, from the local chapters of United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois to the Boys and Girls' Club to the Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center.

The community revitalization initiative fits into that portfolio. Though the plan itself has yet to be finalized, the idea grew out of years of discussion between officials and city leaders around how to combat the economic disinvestment of Decatur's core neighborhoods.

Abandoned and blighted properties, sinking home values, job losses and population decline have been problems for years in certain pockets of the city, while other neighboring towns and neighborhoods have stabilized or even grown.

"I believe that the foundations willingness to contribute such a substantial amount of funding support to this work says a lot about the confidence that the Foundation and Howard have in the people of Decatur to accomplish something great here," Gleason said.

A memo from Gleason's office to the council says the grant "would be specifically designated for the neighborhood redevelopment portion of the overall program, with actual budgeted line items to be considered and approved by the (foundation) in the next several months."

The city has organized more than 100 volunteer residents to participate in working groups to essentially brainstorm and then coalesce around some initiatives and solutions to improve.

The Buffett Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Buffett, the 62-year-old son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, was sworn in as sheriff Sept. 15 after former Sheriff Thomas Schneider announced his resignation, citing stress and health reasons. He had volunteered as an unpaid auxiliary deputy sheriff for the department for five years.

Schneider said he appointed Buffett because he did not want to create an unfair advantage for any of the three sheriff's lieutenants  Lt. Jonathan Butts, Lt. Tony Brown and Lt. Jim Root  who have announced that they plan to run for the office in the November 2018 election.

The council will also consider

An incentive agreement with a custom electronic design and installation business that is set to open at 228 N. Park St., on the north corner of Central Park off Franklin Street. Under the agreement, the city would reimburse the business for half of its sales tax revenue over the course of five years, up to $73,300, according to council documents. The developer, Liaison Home Automation, LLC, would remodel the building at its own expense. Construction would begin by the end of this year. City officials said the move was expected to retain nine full-time jobs and create 10 more full-time jobs over the next two years.

A 2018 tax levy proposal that would raise the levy by roughly $13,500, to $13.87 million. A public hearing on the tax levy is set for Dec. 4, and the council would vote formally on Dec. 18. Information provided to the council does not provide an estimated tax rate.
Kuang Si waterfalls is a popular tourist destination in the Luang Prabang area in Laos, South East Asia. The beautiful scenery in the fall guarantees a fairytale experience for all its visitors. The waterfall is the highlight of the Luang Prabang area; it is a site not to be missed by anyone visiting.

Description

Kuang Si Falls are located eighteen miles south of Luang Prabang in Laos. The Kuang Si Falls, also called the Tat Kuang Si waterfalls are the largest in the Luang Prabang area. Kuang Si consists of shallow pools at the top of the hillside. Further down, the pools merge to form a fall with a 200 foot drop.

Habitat

The area around the Kuang Si Falls is covered with rain forests that are recognized globally for the richness in birds. In the falls, tropical vegetation covers the land making it a beautiful green jungle.

Uniqueness

After flowing through a limestone-rich jungle, the giant Kuang Si waterfall empties out into three gently cascading pools. A walk from the lowest pool up is heavenly, with spectacular sites of water flowing over white limestone rocks before gathering into aquamarine pools. The surrounding is a tropical jungle made up of lush green trees that seem to allow in just the right amount of light. The waterfall, with its water cascading in a mighty torrent sound, is an intensely majestic site to watch.

Tourism

The Kuang Si Falls is a popular tourist destination for locals and visitors alike. The journey to the waterfall gives tourists a great view of the rice field as well as a great chance to meet the locals in the area. One of the best places to stop along the way is Hmong village. Here, older females still dress in local costume. Tourists can also buy some hand-woven crafts to add to their souvenir collection in exchange for an opportunity to take photos in the village. The cool weather at the waterfall provides a much-needed escape from the heat. The lower levels of the falls offer an excellent venue for a day out with the kids or for a picnic. There are slippery trails that lead to the top of the fall. The climb is tricky, but the view of the valleys below is worth the effort. However, children and frail people should refrain from going to the higher levels. Visitors can reach the Kuang Si waterfalls by hiring a motorcycle. Although an excellent way to enjoy the villages' beauty en-route, the rocky terrain may prove hard to go on for riders. Easier alternatives include hiring a tuk-tuk, booking a tour, or using one of the many mini-buses at the Naluang minibus station. Some people prefer to travel down the Mekong River by boat and then board another boat to the falls. Tourists are required to pay a small admission fee used to maintain the bridges and walkways.

Threats

Kuang Si waterfall is home to a unique and endangered species of bear, the Asiatic black bear. Also known as moon bears, these animals face the danger of extinction due to the belief that they are source of medicine in China. The bear products trade is worth $2 billion, but studies have not shown any medicinal properties in bear bile. It is also believed the bear bile can be prescribed for cancer patients and it is commonly used to alleviate hangovers. Most bath products also contain the bile juice from these unique bears. A sanctuary constructed in the Kuang Si falls rescues the bears and protects them from poachers. There are about twenty-three bears in the sanctuary.
The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental regional body that brings together east African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan. These countries are within the African Great Lakes region. The first EAC that brought together Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania collapsed in 1977 and was, in 2000, revived by the three countries. Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan joined this community over a period of time. Sudan and Somalia have expressed interests to join the community. The main vision of EAC is to establish the East African Federation. However, the community has had its share of suspicion among member states.

History

Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have a historically intertwined social, economic, and political background including the shared Lake Victoria. Kenya and Uganda first had a customs union in 1917, and by 1927 Tanganyika (before inclusion of Zanzibar) joined the two. There were previous bodies like the East African High Commission (EAHC) (1928-1961) and the East African Common Services Organization (EACSO) (1961-1967). EACSO dissolved to form the first EAC in 1967 whose aim was to have a common market, common customs, and other services to grow the economies. At the time, Kenya was, and remains, EACs biggest economy. EAC collapsed because Kenya demanded more seats at the top organs, and there were also unrealistic demands by both Tanzania and Uganda. Uganda dictator Idi Amin also accused Tanzania of hosting forces out to topple him. Although the collapse led to the loss of benefits of economies of scale, Kenya celebrated. In 1993, presidents Moi (Kenya), Museveni (Uganda), and Mwinyi (Tanzania) signed the Treaty for EAC that kickstarted reintegration process that came to fruition in 2000. Rwanda was the first to join, followed by Burundi. South Sudan is the latest member of the EAC to join. Since then EAC has progressed smoothly with confederation as the immediate need then federation.

Structures and Initiatives

The EAC region is rich in minerals and agricultural products. With only Kenya and Tanzania having coastlines, the EAC countries have several integrated infrastructure plans that include pipelines, railways, and roads connecting the countries. The main organs of the EAC are:

The Summit: The heads of state or government of the member countries who steer the strategic vision of EAC. This organ sits once annually.

Council of Ministers: Makes important decisions and is also the governing organ of the EAC. Members of this organ are the ministers or cabinet secretary from the six countries in whose dockets the EAC lies. The Council of Ministers sits twice each year.

Coordinating Committee: The Coordinating Committee coordinates all the activities of the Sectoral Committees and also recommends the establishment, composition, and functions of the Sectoral Committees. This committee meets twice per year but may hold extraordinary meetings upon request.

Sectoral Committees: These committees often meet to conceptualize programmes and conduct thorough monitoring and evaluation of the programmes implementation.

East African Court of Justice (the Court): The Court ensures the adherence to the law when interpreting and applying the EAC Treaty. This Court seats in Arusha and has Sub-registries in all of the member states within the premises of the local courts.

East African Legislative Assembly (EALA): EALA has the legislative, representative, and oversight mandate. Each partner state elects nine people to sit in EALA and also has seven ex-officio members.

The Secretariat: The Secretariat is the executive organ that acts as the guardian of the treaty. This Secretariat has the Secretary General with four deputies, the Counsel of EAC, and hundreds of permanent staff who work on a daily basis.

In addition, the EAC also has a standby force hosted in Nairobi Kenya and recently rolled out a single passport.

Demographics

English and Swahili are the official EAC Languages. Other major languages include French, Kinyarwanda, and (O)Luganda. Burundi and Rwanda share close ethnic ties while some ethnic communities live in more than one country like the Luo (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and some roots in South Sudan) and Maasai (Kenya and Tanzania). In total, EAC has 169,519,847 inhabitants and if it were a country, it would have been ninth largest population globally. Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Kigali, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Mwanza, Arusha, Dodoma, Kisumu, Mbeya, and Juba are the largest cities by population and infrastructure respectively.
Africa is on the move is a statement often taken at face value. However, this statement is true in many ways including the fact that Africa has developed rapidly in the last fifty years, faster than the rate at which Europe industrialized. The continent has an elaborate transport network in the growing regionalism that is slowly taking over. One such project is the Trans-African Highway.

What is the Trans-African Highway Network?

The Trans-African Highway (TAH) which is a road network connecting major African cities. The African Union, African Development Bank (ADB), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) are the major project donors of the 35,221 miles road network. This network also goes by other names like Trans-African Corridors or Road Corridors. The idea behind the TAH network is the development and better distribution of trade, health, and education by connecting previously inaccessible areas.

Major Highways in the TAH Network

The network is composed of nine highways, of which there are six east-west routes and three north-south routes.

East-West Routes

TAH 1: This highway runs from Cairo to Dakar along the Mediterranean coast then continues down along the Atlantic coast of north-west Africa. TAH 1 is 5,366 miles and joins TAH 7 to form an additional north-south route. Among the cities that TAH 1 serves includes Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Rabat.

TAH 5: TAH 5 runs from Dakar to Ndjamena covering 2,794 miles. Also known as the Trans-Sahelian Highway, TAH 5 links west Africa to Sahel. Only 80% of this road is complete.

TAH 6: Covering 2,622 miles, TAH 6 connects Ndjamena to Djibouti and continues down through the Sahelian region towards the Indian Ocean.

TAH 7: TAH 7 (TransWest African Coastal Road) covers 2,490 miles from Dakar, Senegal to Lagos, Nigeria and is 80% complete. TAH 7 joins TAH 1 to form an additional south-north road in the westernmost part of Africa.

TAH 8: Contiguous to TAH 7 in Lagos, TAH 8 runs from Lagos to Mombasa covering a total 3,889 miles. Together with TAH 7, they form the east to west highway of 6381 miles. TAH 8 is complete in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic (CAR). However, there are missing links in DR Congo thus preventing its complete use.

TAH 9: TAH 9 is basically complete though parts of it in DR Congo and Angola require repairs. This road runs from Beira to Lobito and is 2,189 miles in length.

North-South Routes

TAH 2: TAH 2 (Trans-Saharan Highway) is 2,799 miles between Algiers and Lagos. This road is basically complete with less than 120 miles that require paving. However, due to the security status in the desert, authorities restrict the roads usage.

TAH 3: The route connects Tripoli, Libya with Cape Town, South Africa through Cameroon, Angola, and Namibia. This route has the most missing links.

TAH 4: TAH 4 is 6,355 miles long from Cairo Pretoria through Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia. The road is largely complete but parts of it in northern Kenya and Sudan-Egypt border are not safe.

Countries Served

TAH serves most African Countries except Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Swaziland, South Sudan, Rwanda, Malawi, Lesotho, and Equatorial Guinea, although Swaziland, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Malawi have their own highways that connect to different sections of TAH. Though more than half of TAH is complete, a lack of maintenance in some areas continues to derail the project due to lack of political will. The poor state of roads in some parts of TAH is as a result of bad weather, human activities, and wars. Because of these missing links, smooth travel is only possible in the eastern and southern African sections of TAH. Central Africa region is the worst affected.
A woman lost her job, her family, and her freedom after she was busted for having sex with students.

Police in Colombia were called by a father of a concerned student after he found partially nude photos of the teacher on his sons phone.

The teacher who was identified as 40-year-old Yokasta M, is accused of grooming her teenage students and threatening to give them failing grades if they did not sleep with her.

Yolasta offered the students who were 16 and 17-years-old to help with their studies.

She then invited them to her home in Medellin. She then blackmailed the students into sleeping with her or get failing grades.

The teacher used WhatsApp Messenger to send explicit photos, videos, and messages to her students.

After her arrest, one of the students uploaded all of the graphic photos and videos he received from his teacher to social media.

The photos sent to the teenagers show Yokasta M posing in her underwear or bikinis. In some photos, she covered her private parts with stuffed animals.

After learning about the reason for her arrest, the womans husband filed for divorce.

In addition to a divorce, Yokasta now faces 40 years in prison.
DECATUR  Hundreds of applications arrived at the Decatur Housing Authority on Thursday as low-income residents vie for a chance at making it to the Housing Choice Voucher Program, formerly called Section 8.

Residents visited the housing authority offices on Wednesday, the only day applications were open. Jody Pallone, coordinator of the Housing Choice Voucher Program, said 616 applications were given to applicants Wednesday.

Pallone said 520 applications were returned to the housing authority on Thursday. Completed applications will be placed in a lottery managed by a computer program, which will randomly select 200 applicants.

Brandon Bell and Janiya Deberry were among the applicants who came to the eastside Decatur office in the rain Wednesday looking for hope and a way forward. Like more than 600 other applicants, they had to pick up the form in person, fill it out and put in the mail the same day. Any applications received today will be added to lottery, while any received later will be discarded.

They hope to be chosen because they have a child on the way. Currently, they are staying with Bells mother, but they want a place of their own to raise the baby.

The 200 chosen by the computer program will be on the waiting list for a voucher that will allow them to choose and lease or purchase safe, decent and affordable privately-owned rental housing, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Those on the waiting list will wait weeks or months and then get the option to use a voucher, once people with a voucher leave the program.

Hopefully, it wont take that long, Bell said. We are just trying  trying to (do) something, some way.

The others will have to apply again in several months at the next lottery.

In Decatur, one in four people are living in poverty, according to U.S. Census records. This means 19,000 residents are eligible for housing authority programs. Currently, the housing authority serves 4,000 people or 1,700 families, Decatur Housing Authority Executive Director Jim Alpi told the Herald in Review in July.

The housing authority funds 1,096 vouchers for the Section 8 program. Alpi explained many prefer Section 8 because it allows them to receive a voucher and choose any residence that meets the program requirements.

In August, the housing authority, on average, spent about $490,000 a month on housing vouchers. The total budget for the year is $5.9 million.

A current housing authority resident, Charles Lane, stopped by the housing authority on other business and picked up an application to try something new. Its his first time in the lottery, but he said if his application is chosen, he will get a house big enough for his kids and grandkids to visit him.

I would love it. You could get a house. I live in an apartment now. I have children and grandchildren, he said. And if I could get a house, I would have room for them to come sometimes.

He also thinks it would be cheaper than his current public housing rent.

It matters because it helps you financially, he said.

Once people are on the waiting list, employees at the housing authority go through and set people up with vouchers until every person on the waiting list has a voucher or another type of housing, Alpi said.

When a voucher becomes open, housing authority employees will call or send a letter to the applicant to notify them that they can begin looking for a home of their own.

Vicky Nixon's previous experience with the program wasn't all smooth sailing. Nixon, another applicant at the office on Wednesday, has received a housing voucher twice. But she previously used a wheelchair, and each time was unable to find a place to live that would accommodate it.

I was chosen twice, but at the time, I couldnt find anything for a handicap unit, she said. I have a leg this time. Im not in a wheelchair so it will be easy.

Staff writer Jaylyn Cook contributed to this story.
250 new jobs for Wrexham as packaging company picks Llay for new HQ  50m investment expected

This article is old - Published: Friday, Nov 17th, 2017

Hotpack Packaging Industries, a leading producer and wholesaler of quality disposable food packaging materials in the United Arab Emirates, is basing their European Headquarters and a new 360,000 square foot factory in Llay.

We are told Hotpack Packaging UAE, through its UK arm H-Pack Packaging UK Ltd, completed on the purchase of the Sharp Phase 2 building and land early last month.

Today Economy Secretary, Ken Skates announced that Hotpack is looking to create 250 manufacturing and warehouse jobs on the site over the next 3 to 5 years.

After 22 years of expansion in the middle east, the Hotpack management team had been looking for a suitable location to manufacture in Europe. The companys decision to locate to North Wales follows months of support and advice from the Welsh Government as well as a 1.5m loan provided through the Development Bank of Wales. The loan is the first in North Wales to come from the Welsh Governments 100 million Wales Flexible Investment Fund.

The company has praised the support it received from Welsh Government and the Development Bank which helped it to select Wales as a base ahead of stiff competition from Slovakia and other European countries.

Hotpacks location in North Wales is expected to bring 50m of inward investment to the region.

Economy Secretary, Ken Skates said, I am delighted that following a period of close working between Welsh Government and Hotpack Ltd, and 1.5m of support through the Development Bank, the company has made the decision to move to Wrexham.

With a business plan that expects to deliver 250 jobs over the next 3 years, I am confident that Hotpacks move here will bring genuine benefits to the local economy and community, and I look forward to visiting when the new facility is up and running.

This is an example of exactly what can be achieved when businesses are given access to the right advice support. Last month I was pleased to launch the Development Bank of Wales, which will provide us with a competitive edge over the rest of the UK. I am confident this will ensure we enjoy even more success in boosting job opportunities in communities right across Wales.

Hotpack Packaging Global Managing Director, Mr Abdul Jebbar said: From our very first visit to region, the people of Wales and in particular Wrexham, offered us an exceptional levels of support, both personally and commercially.

We were particularly impressed to by the assistance of Economy Secretary, Ken Skates and Rural Affairs Secretary, Lesley Griffiths, other local politicians and Wrexham Council. The Welsh Governments business support team have worked closely with us throughout our fact finding visits. Having now completed on the site purchase, we have already commenced the site factory & development and we took forward to a long and mutually prosperous relationship with the people and businesses of Wales.

North Wales Regional Manager, Rhodri Evans of the Development Bank of Wales said: It is great news the first company in North Wales to benefit from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund is one with the potential of major job growth in the area. Working with Welsh Government, we have been able to provide the finance to help attract an expanding business to Wales and choose Wrexham as the location for its first UK base.

Hotpack will be sharing the site with Sharp who are already located there.

Local MP Ian Lucas told us: I am absolutely delighted that this investment has been made in Wrexham  it is a vote of huge confidence in our area. Since I first met with Hotpack back in 2015, within 48 hours of them contacting me, I have been working with Ken Skates AM, Lesley Griffiths AM and the team at Hotpack to bring this factory to Llay.

Todays announcement is the culmination of a great deal of effort by all concerned. Im looking forward to the opening of the premises  and to more jobs for our area.

Welcoming HotPack to Wrexham, local AM Lesley Griffiths said: This is really positive news. The Welsh Government has worked closely with the company to help secure this investment in Wrexham. Whilst representing the Welsh Government in my role as Cabinet Secretary for Environment & Rural Affairs earlier this year, I visited Hotpack headquarters in Dubai to discuss the companys impending expansion to the UK.

To attract an international company to the area, Wrexham clearly has a reputation as a place where businesses can flourish. Many local businesses have highlighted to me the skilled local workforce and dynamic industrial capacity which enables companies to succeed.

H-Packs move contributes to several other success stories in Wrexham in recent times  Chetwood Financial Ltd opened its offices creating 90 jobs, a 1m business hub is being developed in the town centre and the Wales Development Bank launched. Plans for a North East Wales Metro are also progressing. All of this clearly demonstrates the pro-active Welsh Labour Government is investing in our town  supporting businesses, improving infrastructure and ultimately boosting our regions economy.

Cllr Terry Evans, Lead Member for Economic Performance and Regeneration, said: Wrexham has a long list of strong economic assets  especially in the production and manufacturing sectors  and our strength as a town and location for business is well-known. This move by H-Pack, and their parent company Hotpack, is a good sign of confidence in Wrexham and we should be proud of that.

We at Wrexham Council have been heavily involved in this project, and offered any help we could in order to facilitate this development  and we will continue to offer whatever help we can in future.

The below corporate video gives an indication to the type and wide range of work Hotpack carry out



We first discovered the likely location of Hotpack back in March/April when Arabian Business and other similar sites reported on the announcement during a visit to Dubai, however the slightly odd press release quoted Ken Skates the Economy Secretary of the City of Wales.

After looking to firm things up from a local perspective there was no comment or official announcement in Wales or the UK from any involved party at the time for commercial reasons, and we were firmly told that any story could potentially have adverse outcomes on a yet to be finalised deal. Later in August a similar exchange took place, despite the news appearing on the official Hotpack website, and on a UK based business website in late October.

Thus erring on the side of caution, this is now officially news locally several months later, as of midnight today when the embargo from Welsh Government expired.

Top pic: Hotpack elsewhere and how it could look in Llay.
Courageous duo take on Everest challenge in aid of charity

This article is old - Published: Friday, Nov 17th, 2017

Two keen trekkers are going higher and more extreme then before in the name of charity.

Susan and Gavin Mascall, who work at Wrexham Council, are spending 14 days trekking up to the Everest Base camp to raise funds for Bowel Cancer Support North Wales.

From the Everest Base Camp their journey will take them beyond it to a peak that is higher up, before descending back to Lukla for a flight back to Kathmandu.

Gavin works with people who have been referred for exercise by their GP as part of the National Exercise on Referral Scheme. Over the years he has worked with many who have suffered with bowel cancer and it is these courageous people who inspired the pair to use this trek to raise money for the charity.

Having previously taken on Toubkal (the highest mountain in Africa), the Austrian Alps and the French Alps, the pair hope their new adventure in Everest will help raise vital funds for their chosen charity.

Speaking about their trek, Gavin said: We love being in the mountains and to go to the Himalayas has always been a dream of ours.

We decided to raise some money for Bowel Cancer Support North Wales as we were inspired by one of the clients that we have worked with on the National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS), who set this group up, even though she is still undergoing treatment for her cancer.

We have been able to support her through her cancer journey and hopefully raising this money will mean that more people can be supported through a diagnosis of bowel cancer across North Wales.

We still work closely with many cancer patients and know how much speaking to someone else who has had a cancer diagnosis themselves can mean.

Whatever we are able to raise will hopefully take some of the burden off the small team of volunteers at Bowel Cancer Support North Wales and enable their network of support to grow.

You can donate and support their fundraising via their Crowdfunding page here.
Within days of the eruption of a media hysteria over sexual abuse allegations against Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, a Senate Democrat has been targeted in a similar campaign. A Los Angeles woman accused Senator Al Franken of Minnesota of forcibly kissing and groping her in 2006.

By Thursday afternoon, amid near-universal condemnation from other Senate Democrats and many Republicans, Franken had issued two public apologies to Leeann Tweeden, now a news broadcaster at KABC radio, and referred himself for investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee.

Franken, a former standup comedian and regular on Saturday Night Live, was elected to the US Senate in 2008 and reelected in 2014. The incident involving Tweeden took place during a USO tour to entertain troops in Afghanistan in 2006, which Franken headlined, with Tweeden appearing as a model and in a comedy skit directed by Franken.

Tweeden said she had come forward with her account of Frankens conduct after having California Representative Jackie Speier on her program several weeks ago. Speier has been spearheading efforts to launch a congressional investigation into sexual harassment of employees and interns on Capitol Hill by senators and congressmen, citing her own experiences as a young staffer decades ago.

In the wake of the array of abuse allegations against prominent Hollywood figures, beginning with producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Kevin Spacey, a congressional hearing took place last week at which Speier and other female legislators and staffers voiced similar allegations against current and former members of Congress.

The atmosphere in Washington is as venomous as in Hollywood. There were reports of a creep list, which CNN described as an informal roster passed along by word of mouth, consisting of the male members most notorious for inappropriate behavior, ranging from making sexually suggestive comments or gestures to seeking physical relations with younger employees and interns.

Speier said that there were at least two active sexual harassers among current members of Congress, and announced she would introduce a bill with the acronym ME TOO, after the hashtag associated with the uproar over sexual abuse in Hollywood. It is a near certainty that others on Capitol Hill will be named in the wake of the report on Franken, extending and intensifying the furor over alleged sexual misconduct.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Ethics Committee investigation into Frankens conduct would begin immediately, although it wasnt clear whether the panel even had jurisdiction, since the incident took place two years before Franken was elected.

The Democrats are now being hoisted on their own sexual misconduct petard. Congressional Republican campaign committees immediately fired off press releases demanding that virtually every Democrat running for reelection next year to the House and Senate denounce Franken and return contributions that he had made to their previous campaigns.

They were following the example of the Democratic campaign committees, which made every Republican senator running for reelection next year pronounce on whether Roy Moore should remain as the partys candidate for Senate in Alabama, to fill the vacancy left by Jeff Sessions when he left the Senate to become Trumps attorney general.

The media campaign against Moore remained at full boil, with five more women brought forward by the Washington Post and other newspapers, claiming either that Moore had sought to date them while they were teenagers and he was in his 30s, or that he had sexually assaulted them. This brings the total to nine women speaking about encounters that took place between 1977 and 1991.

As the number of women has grown, the number of prominent Republicans and right-wing media outlets defending Moore has shrunk. His campaign was cut off by the National Republican Senate Campaign Committee and the Republican National Committee, and Senate Republicans lined up to demand that Moore withdraw and to threaten his expulsion from the Senate should he win the election December 12.

Fox News has largely abandoned the Moore campaign, and even ultra-right radio host Rush Limbaugh denounced him. Only the fascistic Breitbart News, headed by former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon, continues to support him.

Moore himself remained defiant, appearing at rallies and church services across the state to denounce the accusations of sexual misconduct as a conspiracy of the Republican and Democratic establishments and the media.

The Alabama state Republican Party decided Wednesday to maintain its support for Moore in the runoff next month. But Moores fundraising has reportedly dried up, and polls showed his campaign now trailing significantly behind his right-wing Democratic Party opponent, former US Attorney Doug Jones.

The American media has been completely focused on the charges against Moore, and now Franken, to the virtual exclusion of other political issues for nearly a week. After McConnell declared Monday, I believe the women, and called for Moore to withdraw, both the Washington Post and the New York Times ran editorials hailing this venal reactionary, the tool of Wall Street and the coal bosses, as a great statesman. The Times gushed that McConnell said words that thousands of victims of sexual harassment and assault have waited in vain to hear.

New media reports raise accusations against the 93-year-old ex-President George H. W. Bush for alleged unwanted touching 26 years ago. And the New York Times, which spearheaded the campaign against Weinstein and Spacey, has now begun to raise again the decades-old charges of sexual misconduct against former President Bill Clinton.

The Times published one op-ed column under the headline I believe Juanita, referring to unproven 30-year-old allegations of rape made by Juanita Broaddrick against Clinton. Another news analysis was headlined, What About Bill? Sexual Misconduct Debate Revives Questions About Clinton, and cited a slew of liberals now having second thoughts about their opposition to impeachment in 1998-99.

On CNN, which has given round-the-clock coverage, the insufferable Chris Cilizza mourned over President Trumps inability to speak out credibly on the issue due to the well-known allegations against himand his own tape-recorded boastingof sexual assaults. Cilizza contrasted Trump to his predecessors George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who supposedly could act as moral leaders.

Apparently, the evaluation of these two former presidents has not been negatively impacted by their responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of thousands in the various wars over which they presided. Nor has Bushs reputation as a chivalrous gentleman been marred by his refusal in 1998, while governor of Texas, to commute Karla Fay Tuckers death sentence. Bush actually joked about her 11th hour plea for mercy.

The WSWS warned only three days ago that the campaign against Moore has set a dangerous and reactionary precedent, with the claim that allegations of sexual assault must be taken as true as soon as they are brought forward, regardless of such democratic principles as due process, the presumption of innocence, and the right of the accused to confront and rebut the charges against him or her.

The campaign against Moore, and now against Franken and soon to be others on Capitol Hill, is an ugly spectacle, whose operative method is that of a witch-hunt. The political agendas driving this fraudulent moral crusade are utterly reactionary.
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Africa

Ugandan doctors and medical workers continue illegal action

Ugandan doctors and medical staff went on strike on Monday last week in the face of government claims that their strike is illegal.

The Ugandan Medical Association (UMA) called the strike to demand the government honour an agreement to improve wages and conditions.

The action was called by UMA, which is not a trade union body and has no negotiating rights. It has earned the ire of the medical sector trade unions that oppose its strike call. As UMA has no negotiating rights, the strike is technically illegal.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museni intervened, ordering resident district commissioners to immediately monitor hospitals and health centres and take note of workers not returning to their posts.

Interns who joined the strike have been told they may have to reapply for their training course.

The Uganda Medical Workers Union, the National Organisation of Trade Unions and the Uganda Nurses and Midwives are planning to take UMA to court for calling the strike, which they claim is out of their jurisdiction.

Broadcasting workers continue their strike at South Africas state media

South African Broadcasting Corporation employees are continuing their strike for a 10 percent pay increase.

Their union, the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union (BEMAWU), is waiting on government arbitration services to open discussions with the state media company.

Workers have been incensed by the CEOs annual wage remuneration of R3.37 million (US$234,000), incorporating a R887.000 (US$61,600) bonus, while the company made a net loss, and income declined by half a billion rand (US$350 million).

Miners at Harmony Gold, South Africa, repeat unofficial action

Miners went out on wildcat strike action at Harmony Golds South African Kusasalethu mine last Friday. The strike had been provoked by the sacking of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) branch officials.

The strike has not been sanctioned by the AMCU national leadership, in spite of an onslaught on jobs.

Wildcat action has become a feature of the workforces response at the mine since the beginning of the year, always countered by a Labour Court interdict sending miners back to work.

The AMCU has agreed with the Harmony management to send the workers back to work on Monday.

The Kusasalethu mine is the companys second largest gold producer, and it increased its output over the year 2016-2017 by over 10 percent while sacking almost a quarter of the workforce.

South African power generating company stocks coal in preparation for strike

Eskom, the South African electricity-generating company, is stockpiling coal in preparation for a potential strike in the coal industry. The power supplier is 83 percent dependent on coal in generating electricity for South Africa.

Coal workers in the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) are threatening to strike on November 19 unless they get a three-year wage deal from the coal owners syndicate, the Chamber of Mines.

The Chamber of Mines, which represents around 40 percent of coal producers in South Africa and employs around 14,000 workers, is not budging on its offer.

The various companies are offering between 5 and 7.5 percent increase, whereas the miners want 8 percent a year over a three-year deal.

Eskom has run up debts of R471 billion (US$3.26 billion), is essentially bankrupt, and depends on government finance to the tune of R8 billion (US$554.5 million) a month. Corruption is rife.

Nigerias teachers, hospital workers and research staff protest jointly

Workers in Nigerias educational union, the National Academic Staff Union (NASU), went on national strike Tuesday, alongside hospital staff organised in the Senior Staff Association of Teaching Hospitals and the Academic Staff Union of Research.

The unions came out after a 15-day warning notice had elapsed and in the face of frustration over continued reneging on agreements by the government over the last five years.

NASUs academic workers are also demanding 12 months of unpaid wages and allowances and the implementation of retirement at age 65.

The unions called off an 11-day strike in late September.

Ethiopian winery workers strike for wage increase

Twelve-hundred employees at the Ethiopian Castle Winery went on strike at the end of last month, demanding a wage increase alongside 33 other demandsincluding enhancements in benefits and safety provision, labour rights, promotions and contracts.

The workers say they have been raising these issues for three years, with no response, until they locked management out.

Labourers at the winery are paid around 40 Birr (US$1.5) a day, cleaners are paid 1,150 Birr (US$40) a month and security guards get at most 3,200 Birr (US$115) a month.

The company exports to the US, China and Europe.

The workers returned to work with a promise of a pay rise of between 15 to 70 percent, though many of the other demands have yet to be settled.

Europe

Bus workers strike in northwest England

On Monday, bus drivers and engineers working for Arriva North West, which covers the greater Manchester area, along with staff at First Manchester based at the Rusholme depot, held a further one-day strike.

They are members of the Unite and GMB unions. Staff in both disputes are seeking a pay rise to eliminate a pay differential that leaves them earning less than colleagues in neighbouring depots operated by the two companies.

The 2,000 drivers and engineers working for Arriva North West voted to hold weekly Monday strikes until the end of this month. They have now agreed to hold a further nine days of strikes in December, which will include two three-day blocks of strikes.

London school staff fight to defend pay and conditions

Staff at the Charlton Park Academy in southeast London held two one-day strikes, Tuesday and Thursday last week. The members of the GMB and the National Education Union are protesting the changes made to contracts for new staff at the school who receive a reduced sick pay rate as compared to existing staff. The school was made an academy in 2012.

Staff have been taking intermittent strike action since July. A further strike had been planned for Thursday of this week but was called off by the union as they began talks with the trust Monday.

UK driving examiners vote for industrial action

Around 2,000 driving examiners in England, Scotland and Wales, members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, are to hold a 48-hour strike on December 4. They are also due to begin a work-to-rule on November 23.

The date of the strike coincides with the introduction of a new style of examination by the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The examiners are protesting plans by the DVSA to increase the number of tests examiners are expected to carry out each day from six to seven, alongside the introduction of the new test.

UK university lecturers to ballot over attack on pensions

UK university lecturers belonging to the University and College Union (UCU) are to be balloted on the defence of their pension scheme. Currently, their pension, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), is a defined benefit plan and is in surplus, but employers are seeking to replace it with a lower-paying defined contribution scheme.

In a ballot carried out by the UCU, over 85 percent of university staff indicated they would be willing to take industrial action to defend their pension scheme. At a special conference held last week, delegates voted to ballot on strike action and a work to rule.

Greek metro staff continue protests

Staff working on the Athens metro system, the STASY, continued their programme of partial strikes this week to oppose the Syriza-led governments plans to privatise it. On Thursday, they carried out a 24-hour strike, which also impacted the Kifissia-Piraeus electric railway (ISAP). Intercity rail services were disrupted last Monday when Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) workers held a three-hour strike between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. demanding improved working conditions and safety procedures.

Czech financial workers strike threat

Czech bank and insurance staff represented by the OSPPP union have threatened to strike in selected bank and insurance offices, as part of a push for increased pay. They issued the strike threat in response to employers reluctance to negotiate. OSPPP represents around 8,000 staff.

Cypriot power workers union calls off action

Following talks on Tuesday between the Cypriot president, Nicos Anastasiades, and the power unions representing staff at the state-owned EAC electric power company, the unions called off proposed strike action against privatisation.

The Cypriot government wants the Transmission System Operator (TSO) to become an autonomous body, responsible for the provision of electrical power to end-users. The unions called off the threatened strikes after the Cypriot government agreed EAC assets, such as the transmission grid infrastructure, would not be transferred to the TSO.

Portuguese teachers on two-day walk-out

Teachers in Portugal, represented by the FENPROF union, began a two-week action on Monday. They undertook a partial strike by refusing to teach the first hour of the school day. This was reinforced on Wednesday by an all-out 24-hour strike. They are protesting educational reforms to be outlined in an upcoming budget statement and also in favour of improved career prospects.

Romanian workers protest tax changes

On Sunday, thousands of Romanian workers took part in protests in cities throughout the country. They were protesting tax changes that would see workers pay a bigger contribution towards social insurance while employers would pay less.

Middle East

Yemeni teachers continue strike

Yemeni teachers organised in the Yemen Teachers Syndicate are continuing a strike to protest the non-payment of their salaries since October of last year. Teachers in the rebel Houthi-controlled areas are affected, and in some of the areas 90 percent of the teachers are supporting the action. The authorities have responded by drafting unpaid volunteers to carry out the teachers duties.
A 21st century McCarthyism has emerged in recent months, in the form of a frenzied campaign spearheaded by the Democratic Party alleging that Russian meddling is responsible, not only for the defeat of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, but also for instigating or deepening social, racial and political divisions in the US.

The language of leading Democrats today bears more than a passing resemblance to that of Wisconsin Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy more than 60 years ago. Then it was reds under the bed that posed an imminent threat to the American way of life. Today we are told that Putins Internet trolls are responsible for working-class anger over inequality, political corruption and police violence. In the 1950s, McCarthy demanded that the media root out subversives. Today, top Democrats in Congress are demanding that Facebook, Google and YouTube turn over information on users and censor content.

According to the Democrats, Moscow is subverting American democracy, including by meddling in elections that are supposedly models of popular sovereigntythis some seven years after the Citizens United decision of the US Supreme Court made explicit what was already well known: that American bourgeois democracy is an empty shell, in which elections are reduced to a choice between the candidates of two officially entrenched right-wing parties that are equally controlled by a financial oligarchy.

Another ingredient in the anti-Russia campaign is the recent charge that Russia-linked individuals and web pages posed as supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement and of the protests against police violence. The Baltimore Sun and other news outlets cited a report about a Facebook page called Blacktivist, which had promoted a rally last year to mark the first anniversary of the death of Freddie Gray at the hands of the police. This allegedly was an attempt by the Kremlin to heighten racial tensions during the 2016 presidential campaignas if the numerous nationwide protests were simply the product of the nefarious adversary in Moscow.

The demonization of Russia is part of the Democratic Partys attack on Trump from the right. Rather than exposing his fascistic rhetoric, xenophobia and attacks on the working class, the Democrats have sought to prove their patriotic bona fides, ensure a hard line against Russia and build up an atmosphere of nationalism amid deepening worldwide geopolitical tensions. More and more, this campaign is directed against left-wing websites and organizations, with the aim of criminalizing dissent.

Millions of workers and youth, in the US and around the world, know relatively little about the US Red Scare and witch hunt associated most prominently with the name of McCarthy. Todays defenders of the Second Gilded Age and advocates of imperialist war often piously denounce McCarthyism, even while they carry out their own neo-McCarthyite campaigns.

McCarthyism was utilized in the mid-20th century to whip up right-wing nationalism and super-patriotism. Charges of Soviet or communist subversion, infiltration and disinformation became the pretext for witch hunts in Hollywood, the universities and the labor movement. The witch hunt led to lost jobs and ruined lives, while sowing divisions within and weakening the working class. What began in 1947 with President Trumans insistence on loyalty oaths for federal employees led within a few short years to the heyday of the demagogue from Wisconsin, whose Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations became the loudest promoter of the witch hunt.

Anticommunism did not begin with McCarthys own political career, nor did it end with his political downfall in 1954, after the political and economic establishment concluded that he had outlived his usefulness and he was censured by the Senate. The first Red Scare came immediately after the Russian Revolution a century ago, and anticommunism has been a constant feature of US political life since then, sometimes on a lower level and at other times, as in the period of McCarthyism, reaching a fever pitch.

As a recent book, Black Freedom, White Resistance and Red Menace, by Yasuhiro Katagiri, explains: Even after the Wisconsin senators disappearance from the national political arena, McCarthyisms unsavory legaciesthe self-serving use and abuse of hearsay and insinuation, the deliberate indifference to hard evidence and the strident cries of Communist conspiracy used to impugn the legitimacy of adversariesoutlived their original inventor and remained a part of the national political scene. In the South McCarthyism most often took a racist form

The charge of alien subversion was directed against every struggle of the working class, in strikes and union organizing and in the fight against Jim Crow segregation. Though somewhat less well-known as a target of red-baiting, the civil rights movement is an important part of this history.

A major role was played by the Southern wing of the Democratic Party, unchallenged by the administration of Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s. A prime example of the activities of the Southern Democrats is contained in the early history of the House Special Committee on Un-American Activities.

This committee, founded in 1938 supposedly to examine Nazi and fascist activities, quickly turned almost exclusively to hunting socialists and communists. It was renamed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1945 and continued its operations for the next 30 years.

At its founding, the committee was chaired by Martin Dies, a Democratic congressman from Texas, and it quickly became known as the Dies Committee. Dies book, The Trojan Horse in America (1940), declared, Moscow has long considered the Negroes of the United States as excellent political recruits for the Communist Party, [and] it has envisaged an unusual opportunity to create racial hatred between the white and Negro citizens of the United States.

Compare these words to the current claims, made mostly by Democrats in Washington such as Californias Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, that Russia is using the Internet to promote discord in the US by inflaming passions on a range of divisive issues, including seeking to mobilize real Americans to sign online petitions and join rallies and protests.

1954 was the year of the Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation in the nations public schools. The first stirrings of the mass Southern civil rights movement were also emerging. The Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott was launched later that year to fight against segregation and discrimination in public transportation.

The political representatives of Jim Crow carried out a policy of what was called massive resistance to racial integration. This includedin addition to the mass arrests and beatings of demonstrators, as well as the killings of civil rights activists like Medgar Evers, Viola Liuzzo and many othersan ideological and political crusade against alleged communist infiltration and subversion.

Paradoxically, McCarthys eclipse in the Senate breathed new life into HUAC in the House. The focus of its efforts became civil rights organizers and their liberal supporters in the South, who were depicted as useful idiots, allowing themselves to be used by the Moscow-directed communist conspiracy.

The charges of subversion, attributed to outside agitators, were a staple of the campaign in defense of Jim Crow. Behind the scenes, much of the witch-hunting was the work of Northern supporters of segregation, men like J.B. Matthews, whose political odyssey took him from religious pacifism, through a brief association with the American Communist Party in the early 1930s, to a career as a leading right-wing red-baiter. Mathews was the research director and counsel of the Dies Committee for more than six years, from the late 1930s to the mid-1940s. His later career spanned the period of the McCarthy witch hunt and the segregationist campaign throughout the 1950s and part of the 1960s.

Matthews was not an insignificant figure during this period. In the aftermath of the September 1957 Little Rock, Arkansas school desegregation crisis, for instance, he prepared a report titled Communists, Negroes and Integration for the right-wing Hearst Corporation media empire. According to Matthews, the problem was that communists were at work, with their customary fanatical dedication, in stirring up trouble in the field of public school integration.

At every point in the decade between the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 some ten years later, the civil rights struggle was attacked as the work of foreign agents of a hostile power. From Little Rock in 1957 to the lunch counter sit-ins beginning in 1960, to the Freedom Rides challenging interstate bus segregation in 1961, the March on Washington in 1963 and the Mississippi Freedom Summer voter registration campaign of 1964, Matthews and others were ready with press releases, blacklists and names of alleged conspirators and Communist dupes.

Much of the red-baiting campaign was conducted by what came to be known as the little HUACs, Southern state legislative un-American committees in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee, which used the witch-hunt techniques to defend segregation.

In Louisiana, for instance, the Joint Legislative Committee held hearings in March 1957, introducing a black ex-member of the Communist Party as a national authority on the influences bringing about a sudden upsurge of disturbances between the races.

For their own purposes the racist red-baiters targeted the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NACCP), which reflected the views of the most conservative and anticommunist elements and had conducted its own purge of left-wing elements. In Georgia, Attorney General Eugene Cook gave a speech in 1955 that declared that the NAACP had allowed itself to become part and parcel of the Communist conspiracyfomenting strife and discord between the white and negro races in the South.

This campaign continued without interruption into the 1960s. In the summer of 1961, at the time of the Freedom Rides, various Mississippi officials, including US Congressman John Bell Williams, made radio broadcasts declaring, in the words of the state attorney general, that there is not a bit of doubt in the world that the Freedom Rides were the work of communists.

By this period of the Cold War, many Republican and Democratic politicians in the North were criticizing Jim Crow segregation in the South, although they did absolutely nothing until the development of the mass movement of the early 1960s began to force their hand. During this entire time, however, J. Edgar Hoover remained in charge at the FBI, and Hoovers role was in some ways even more sinister than that of McCarthy. Hoover cultivated relations with whoever occupied the White House over these decades, while at the same time encouraging the most openly racist elements in the South. The pathological racism and virulent anticommunism of Hoover, who ruled the domestic intelligence establishment for 48 years until his death in 1972, is well known. Hoover shared the Dixiecrats conviction that the civil rights movement was communist-inspired.

The original McCarthyite witch hunt was not simply the product of the Wisconsin demagogue. It could not have taken place if it had not corresponded to the needs of American capitalism during the Cold War against the Soviet Union. It was used to intimidate all opposition and drive socialists out of the industrial labor movement that had been formed in the mass struggles of less than a decade and a half earlier. This campaign was used to put the nation on a war footing against the USSR. When the Cold War became less intense in the mid-1950s, McCarthyism subsided somewhat, while still being held in reserve.

The dominant sections of the US bourgeoisie concluded during this period that segregation in the South was incompatible with the interests of the ruling class as a whole. In the eyes of the liberal elements, it undercut the ideological and political struggle against the Soviet Union and China in the so-called Third World. With considerable success, the Stalinist regimes in Moscow and Beijing pointed to the apartheid-like system in the South as evidence of the brutality and repression of American capitalism, as well as the hypocrisy of Washingtons denunciations of communist totalitarianism.

There were also economic factors working against the continuation of officially sanctioned Jim Crow. American big business saw investment opportunities in this region, but segregation in public accommodations and the educational system interfered with such plans.

These processestogether, above all, with the mass movement for civil rights in the Southfinally led to the dismantling of Jim Crow in the 1960s, almost a century following the end of slavery. The witch-hunting efforts of the little HUACs during this period were of a rearguard character. This outcome, however, in no way negates the historical significance of the red-baiting of the civil rights struggle. This whole episode demonstrates how the technique remains the stock-in-trade of reaction.

The world political situation has, of course, changed considerably over the past half-century. The protracted degeneration of the Soviet Union under Stalinism led to its dissolution more than a quarter of a century ago. Why, then, has Russia-baiting, with all of its distinct echoes of the red-baiting of the mid-20th century, reappeared?

An oligarchic capitalism has taken shape in the former USSR, but it is nevertheless still perceived as an obstacle to the geopolitical aims and interests of a declining and crisis-ridden American imperialism. This is part of the reason for the renewed McCarthyism, with its demonization of Moscow as the cause of practically all tensions and crises in the United States. For the first time in at least three decades, the US media and political establishment is consumed with a campaign against a foreign adversary, demanding total loyalty at home against this alien threat.

Behind the anti-Putin campaign lies above all the fear within the American ruling class of the growing anger within the working class, an anger that threatens to blow up the two-party political monopoly through which the corporate and financial aristocracy has ruled for generations. It is a measure of how far and how sharply to the right the bourgeois political spectrum has moved in the past two generations that it is the Democrats who are spearheading the new McCarthyism today.

This rightward movement also characterizes the African-American politicians and a layer of those black activists who have been anointed by the media and sections of the Democratic Party as the spokespersons for the struggle against police violence and other attacks on African-American workers and youth.

Leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus have joined with representatives of Black Lives Matter to echo the filthy rhetoric of the white supremacist politicians of the 1950s and 1960s. Instead of scornfully rejecting the attempt to turn protests against police violence into another justification for the foreign policy aims of American imperialism, they embraced them.

DeRay McKesson, for example, a Black Lives Matter figure and a Democratic aspirant for mayor of Baltimore in last years election, was quoted in the Baltimore Sun as warning against those who have been really dismissive of the Russian influence for the past couple of months. This is a reminder that this goes deeper than some people want to believe.

And Terrell Jermaine Starr, writing in The Root, agreed wholeheartedly with the campaign to demonize Russia. The Soviets didnt love us then, and Putins Russia certainly proves it doesnt love us now, he wrote, clearly indicating that the campaign against racism and police violence must be subordinated instead to corporate America and the Wall Street politicians of the Democratic Party. As this shameless support for the line of the US intelligence agencies demonstrates, McKesson, Starr and similar figures reflect the interests of an upper-middle-class layer of the population, not those of African-American workers and youth.

The criminalization of dissent is a bipartisan endeavor. Notwithstanding the bitterest tactical differences, the US ruling elite is united on the need to take on the working class. This includes directing outward the seething social tensions under conditions of record social inequality.

Trump and the Democrats are vying to lead the new witch hunt. While Trump encourages fascist elements and speaks in unvarnished terms of dictatorship and war, the Democrats play the anti-Russia card, trumpeting their connections to the intelligence and military establishment and leading the charge for censorship against left-wing opposition.

The new McCarthyism is a direct attack on democratic rights and it is aimed above all at the working class. The fight against it raises the need for an understanding of its historical antecedents, to educate and politically arm the working class for the struggle against the decaying capitalist system.
An animated work about the most important event of the 20th century, the Russian Revolution, could have gone badly wrong. However, German writer and filmmaker Katrin Rothes 1917: The Real October is an interesting experiment.

Rothe, who has twice won the prestigious Grimme Award (for work in German television, in 2014 and 2017), wanted to know how artists responded to the tumultuous events a century ago.

To this end, she read various historical studies, but she was impressed most of all by a work including several eye-witness accounts. This gave the filmmaker the idea of presenting the events of February to October 1917 in Russia from the subjective standpoint of a number of artists, while supplementing this with documentary footage from the great Herman Axelbank documentary, Tsar to Lenin (1937).

The revolutionary developments are documented by the artist (voiced by Inka Friedrich) in her studio as she cuts out figures and places them on a timeline on the wall, painted in red, and comments on them. The most important events are introduced with clips from Tsar to Lenin, photos and cardboard signs. For example, poet Vladimir Mayakovskys denunciation of high society is underscored by film images of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.

Rothe uses collages cut out with scissors, animated figures, each created individually, and an ingenious arrangement of various materials (sparkling bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard, felt, etc.). The background and interiors are drawn carefully and sometimes underlaid with colour. Rothe aptly describes the result as a mixture of two-dimensional animated drawing and three-dimensional puppet animation.

In the imagery, Rothe repeatedly draws on the terse and expressive iconography of the revolution (and post-revolutionary period). In the film her Mayakovsky cites the comment by the anarchist newspaper Russkaya Volnya on March 18, 1917: If you want your placards and banners to attract more attention, then ask the artists for help. Many of them, including the poet, were willing to provide it.

The scenes of the masses are impressively effective, especially the mass funeral for the victims of the February Revolution with its red coffins. In the words of Alexandre Benois, one of her protagonists, The purest Breughel.

The five protagonists are the writer Maxim Gorky (voice: Martin Schneider); the out-and-out sceptic, bourgeois lyricist and diary writer Zinaida Gippius (Claudia Michelsen); the painter, stage director and critic Benois (Hans Zischler); the suprematist painter Kazimir Malevich (Arne Fuhrmann); and the enthusiastic revolutionary and futurist Mayakovsky (Maximilian Brauer).

From February to October, the five artists adopt sharply differing attitudes to the ever intensifying struggle for power between the masses and the provisional government.

Gippius, the wife of famed writer Dmitry Merezhkovsky, who lives comfortably opposite the seat of government in the Tauride Palace, observes the mass movement with increased hostility after her initial hopes of a bourgeois democracy in Russia appear less and less likely to be realised.

Gippius is skeptical from the outset. A friend of Alexander Kerensky, she becomes disappointed by his political failures. She represents the bourgeois and petty bourgeois circles who initially welcome the collapse of the autocracy and old society, while simultaneously fearing its consequences.

The poet defines her attitude to the war, I am for the war. For its quickest possible and dignified end. Over the course of the months, Gippiuss comments, especially in regard to the Bolsheviks, become ever more venomous.

In Literature and Revolution (1924), Trotsky draws a biting portrait of the poet, which provides a necessary corrective to the figure in the film, who is portrayed in a rather favorable manner. Trotsky cites one of her verses, And swiftly you will be driven to the old stable with a club, o people, disrespectful of holy things, and remarks, What an inimitable slice of life is this effort of the decadent mystic poetess to wield a club (in iambics!)

In regard to another passage, in which Gippius threatens the people with her whips, Trotsky comments that one can see her nature quite clearly. Only yesterday she was a Petrograd lady, languid, decorated with talents, liberal, modern. Suddenly today, this lady, so full of her own subtleties, sees the black outrageous ingratitude on the part of the mob in nailed boots, and, offended in her holy of holies, transforms her impotent rage into a shrill womanish squeak (in iambics). And indeed, if her squeak will not shatter hearts, it will arouse interest. A hundred years hence the historian of the Russian Revolution will perhaps point out how a nailed boot stepped on the lyrical little toe of a Petrograd lady, who immediately showed the real property-owning witch under her decadent-mystic-erotic Christian covering.

It is no accident that later, exiled in Paris, this delicate lady placed all her hopes in Hitlers Third Reich.

Gorky, who always refers to himself as a socialist (although he was never a Marxist, as Rothe asserts), is increasingly unsettled by the mass movement in 1917 and fears the worst. His traumatic experience during the failed revolution of 1905, in which he was a participant, leads him to dark thoughts, A lot of blood will flow, an endless amount.

Gorky intervenes when he sees art and culture under threat and founds a working group to defend monuments. The artists are divided among themselves, but agree on a resolution calling for the saving of culture and present the latter to the provisional government, which graciously accepts it. A commission on culture is founded. Troubled by the situation and dissatisfied by the government and its determination to prosecute the Russian war effort, Gorky launches a newspaper Novaya Zhizn (New Life) and wants to set up his own party, which he believes may only have three members.

The Bolshevik and literary critic Aleksandr Voronsky later characterised Gorky like this: Mans thought is majestic, free and fearless, but with us in Russia, it is separated and torn away from the original instincts of life. The writer [Gorky] sees in this rift between thinking and feeling the tragedy of our revolution. During the revolution, it emerged that the principle of reasonthe intelligentsiaended up outside of the element of the people. And Gorky, notwithstanding his proletarian origins, belongs, as Rothes 1917: The Real October makes clear, to the intelligentsia.

Mayakovsky, who is spared from going to the front during World War I thanks to Gorkys intercession and is stationed instead in Petrograd, is the most impassioned figure in the film.

He not only shows up everywhere guns are being fired, but appears during the first days of the February Revolution to author a poetical timeline of events. Mayakovsky ardently hopes for the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks, visits the workers and reads them his poems. He founds an all-Russian artists council and earns money by drawing for newspapers. He cites his two-line satirical verse, Eat your pineapples, chew your quails eggs / Be warned, bourgeois, youre on your last legs, with which the film also concludes.

The out-and-out bourgeois Benois, by contrast, is only fleetingly touched by the revolutionary tumult. He keeps his distance, and is concerned by the fate of the Winter Palace and the Hermitage with its artistic treasures. After the seizure of power by the workers and peasants, he is astonished at the lack of damage caused during the overturn.

Benois (who went into exile in 1927 and died in Paris in 1960) increasingly regrets having become involved in the revolution. Resigned, he retreats into isolation. He expresses a complete lack of understanding and sympathy for the needs of the working class. His cook, who has to wait in line for food for hours and can hardly put a meal on the table, is a really silly goose. She makes repeated demands, such as having Sundays free and the like.

Malevich, the creator of the Black Square (1915), becomes an enthusiastic supporter of the revolution because he sees it as a rebirth of art. He proposes that artists organise museum visits for workers and establish city halls of art. With art, he wants to come to the aid of the younger generation, which carry the spark of the new, across the country.

Katrin Rothe explained her notion of the relevance of the film in an interview: It is a film that looks at the past from today. Artists do not make revolutions, they have no weapons and are not politicians. But they are significant participants in something, which can be described as the general mood. They cannot control what emerges from this, but they can either assume this responsibility or not.

Rothes summary is: Art experienced an awakening after 1917, but the sought after freedom was only a brief illusion. This perhaps applies to the personal fates of many individual artists, but what the Soviet and Russian artists created and experimented with in the few years before their suppression by the Stalinist bureaucracy continues to have an impact to this day and continues to provide contemporary artists with an impulse to develop their work.

The director ends her work with the pessimistic conclusion, I experienced the end of socialism in 1989. I wanted to find the true October, I have found hundreds of truths. What is left? Words and works.

What the director, born in 1972, experienced was the collapse of the Stalinist regime, the gravedigger of the revolution, and not socialism. Her film itself, the fact that she took up this subject, is proof that the ideas and challenge of the Russian Revolution, and the answer it gave to war and exploitation, are posed once again today.
On Tuesday morning, Puerto Rican authorities held a public hearing advancing the New Government of Puerto Rico Act. The bill itself and the hearing, which followed the announcement that Hurricane Maria fully destroyed 70,000 households when it devastated the US territory on September 20, both constitute warnings that a brutal offensive against Puerto Rican workers and youth is being prepared.

Referring to the historically excessive expenditures of the US territory and the estimation of $100 billion in costs from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the bill states, weve been forced to re-think and re-design the Government of Puerto Rico. Among other drastic measures, it calls for authorizing the Governor to reorganize, externalize, consolidate and suppress agencies, programs, and services of the Executive branch.

There is little doubt that such dictatorial powers are aimed at imposing the austerity diktats of the financial oversight and management board responsible for ensuring the payments to the bondholders of the islands $74 billion debt. Local officials acknowledge that, in order to receive any of the $94.4 billion they requested from Washington on Monday in relief aid, the authority of the financial board will have to remain unquestioned.

Puerto Ricos resident commissioner to the US Congress, Jennifer Gonzalez Colon, also announced Monday that she introduced a bill to reform the Stafford Act, which currently limits disaster relief aid to the restoration of infrastructure to its previous state, which in the case of Puerto Rico was wholly inadequate.

During the public hearing on the New Government, held jointly with members of the colonial upper and lower legislative chambers, public officials took turns in seeking to legitimize the exploitation of the ongoing humanitarian crisis on the island and chaos in the relief efforts to aggressively overhaul public institutions.

The intensity of the measures being prepared is underscored by the insistence that this restructuring will be aimed at fulfilling the existing 10-year fiscal plan, which aims to reduce the number of public agencies from 130 to 35 and to cut $2.75 billion in expenditures annually.

The secretary of labor, Carlos Saavedra, portrayed the crisis as a window of opportunity to further the governments services to the financial and corporate oligarchies. However, as the bills reassurances to public workers also show, the main fear is that such an escalation in austerity and privatizations will provoke a mass upheaval and the independent mobilization of Puerto Rican workers.

This is a historic opportunity to make a new government, he said, a process that could lead to some movements of personnel, cynically adding that this specific legislation will lead to no layoffs.

Almost immediately, however, the director of the islands fiscal agency AAFAF, Gerardo Portela, vowed that the main aim was for the government to save money. The secretary of Justice, Wanda Vazquez, simply declared that the 130 public agencies are unnecessary.

In the middle of this farce, and less than a week after a power blackout reduced the share of Puerto Rican households with electricity from 40 to 18 percent, another massive power outage took place. According to the public electric power company PREPA, a technical failure on the same transmission line as the previous week, which covers the San Juan metropolitan area, made the island-wide generation collapse from 50 to 22 percent. Several medical centers lost power.

Even though it took the Electric Power Authority a few hours to fix the failed lines, these incidents expose the unreliability of the infrastructure that is being restored and how urgent it is to modernize it.

Even prior to Tuesdays blackout, 31 of the 78 municipalities still had no power at all, while most of the other municipalities only had partial supply. On Tuesday, the trade union associated with PREPAs workforce, UTIER, said that the 50 percent figure is suspicious, given that the government has refused to make public recent data on average electricity use across the island.

UTIER also denounced the subcontracting of repair work on the Palo Seco facility to a Puerto Rican private firm, rather than sending available PREPA workers. Such maneuvers are signs that the government is already pushing away the public utility from the still halting reconstruction efforts, which have so far depended upon the public workers.

On the same day, the governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosello, and the head of PREPA, Ricardo Ramos, both testified before the US House Natural Resources Committee, in a hearing which amounted to another step towards the privatization of the power utility.

At that hearing, US legislators sought to portray PREPA as an unfixable and corrupt mess, attacking it for signing a hugely over-priced $300 million contract with a tiny and inexperienced firm, Whitefish Energy. In response, Ramos insisted that the company offered the best terms, but recognized that PREPA has been failing for a long time and is susceptible to corruption. On the other hand, Rossello declared bluntly that he is considering privatizing PREPA.

Since the Obama administration created the financial control board in 2016, assembling a group of right-wing political operatives charged with dictatorially imposing austerity and funneling money to Wall Street, it has rejected restructuring the debt and has openly called for the privatization of PREPA.

A naked illustration of this was given by one of the members of the board, Andrew Briggs. The Intercept reported Tuesday that, at a public event, Briggs listed the barriers preventing Puerto Ricos recovery, including: minimum wage laws, labor rules requiring just-cause termination, paid sick days for employees, paternity leave, and overtime pay. In this sense, he said he hoped the hurricane would incite some changes, like the alcoholic who hits rock bottom.

The economic conditions on the island are the result of more than a century of colonial exploitation of the islands working class as a cheap-labor platform and the more recent flight of investment capital seeking cheaper labor, particularly in Asia, which has resulted in a more than 10 percent economic contraction over the past decade.

Almost two months after Hurricane Maria, the majority of Puerto Ricans are still living a nightmare, with the US Army Corps of Engineers reporting that 80 percent of the 60,000 households requiring temporary roofing still have none, and that only 7 percent of the debris has been cleared.

Laura, a retired New York City sanitation woman who lives in the southeastern town of Arroyo, told the WSWS, I just got my electricity back on last week. The Stryker company, which has a factory here with 1,000 workers that makes medical equipment, hired a private company to completely redo the electrical infrastructure to get their factory running again. The poles are made of concrete instead of wood, which is easily knocked down in a hurricane. The people in the towns around it hope they can get their power restored too.

People are cleaning with contaminated water and there is a serious mosquito problem too. A lot of sewerage goes into the water and the rivers go into the sea. Theres a quarter-mile stain on the beaches. But it is even worse in the poorer areas in the countryside and up in the mountains. There are still areas that havent been reached where people need clean water. Some houses without roofs still havent gotten tarps to cover them from the elements.

They are saying it could take nine months to get the electricity fully restored. If it were not for the municipal workers and other people here in Arroyo lifting up downed poles and wires, cleaning up and clearing away debris, we would still be in a disaster. Teachers have cleaned the schools, people with extra generators are bringing them to the elderly. But Im afraid everything is going to be worse after the hurricane. We need help.

In a blatant signal of Washingtons utter indifference to the suffering of the Puerto Rican people, the Pentagon is pulling out US military units sent to participate in relief efforts, including dozens of helicopters that had been flying relief missions. We're out of the emergency phase, but people still need help, Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan told CNN after announcing that his troops were being withdrawn.

This week a new set of schools resumed classes, reaching a total of 932 open schools, out of a total of 1,132. Its expected that a large portion of those remaining will not open, and that one of the windows of opportunity that Puerto Ricos officials will seek to exploit is for the wholesale privatization of the education system. Puerto Ricos secretary of education, Julia Keleher, already tweeted last month that the transformation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina into an all-charter school district was a point of reference.

For its part, the state water utility AAA announced Tuesday that about 10 percent of the households it serves still have no running water. And, in terms of telecommunications, only 60 percent of the island has cellphone coverage.
Behind the remaining legacy workers at the Big Three assembly and stamping plants stand the more recently hired second tier, or in progression workers, followed by increasing numbers of temporary part-time workers and a vast army of workers at the auto parts plants.

Parts workers employed by hundreds of different so-called OEMs, or Original Equipment Manufacturers, produce, assemble and sequence the bulk of the components that feed the assembly plants of the major automakers. Some pay dues to the United Auto Workers (UAW), while many others are not unionized.

Eight years after the Obama administrations bailout of the auto industry, and five years after its founding, Detroit Manufacturing Systems (DMS) offers an illustration of this new face of auto production. Its profits are based on super-exploited younger workers and a layer of other workers who have experienced hardships such as long-term unemployment or jail time.

Workers at DMS, like those across the parts industry, face a management dictatorship on the shop floor. Most workers hire in to DMS at $11-12 per hour while some young workers hired through Grow Detroits Young Talent, a city-sponsored program, can get as little as $9.50. They work 10-12 hour shifts and often have a love/hate relationship with overtime; while they hate working long hours there is a certain dependency on the additional income.

DMS founder Andra Rush is typical of a privileged layer of minority entrepreneurs who have been cultivated over decades with the help of personal connections, tax breaks and business incentives. She was a featured guest of Obama at his 2014 State of the Union address, promoted as an example of the recovery of the auto industry. Her fortune, currently estimated in the hundreds of millions, rests on the backs of a low-wage labor force, held in check by the United Auto Workers.

DMS was founded in June 2012 as a joint venture between the French auto parts supplier Faurecia and Rush Group Limited.

The deal to found DMS was orchestrated from the outset by Ford Motor Company. Ford had first made a deal in which Faurecia would lease the former Visteon plant in Saline, Michigan. Visteon had been spun off from Ford into a separate, privately traded company, in 2000 but Ford regained ownership of the Saline plant along with 16 others in 2005, when it created Automotive Component Holdings Inc., to prevent Visteons collapse.

The lease of the massive 1.3 million square foot facility brought with it $1.1 billion in interior parts contracts but required Faurecia set up a minority-owned joint venture to supply a substantial portion of the parts.

The 2nd Tier program of Fords Supplier Diversity Development (SDD) establishes M/W/VBE purchasing objectives for its major parts suppliers. Failure of Tier 1 suppliers to purchase at least six percent of goods and services from minority-owned, two percent from women-owned and three percent from veteran-owned business enterprises may place their business relationship with Ford Motor Company at risk, according to the Ford SDD website.

This is where Rush Group came in to seal the deal. Founder and CEO Andra Rush is not only a woman, but a descendant of the Mohawk Native American Tribe in Ontario, Canada.

Andra Rush has had a working relationship with Ford since 1984, when she started Rush Trucking, primarily as an expediting company for Detroits Big Three automakers. Rush Trucking grew rapidly and later became a section of Rush Group Ltd. as Andra Rush expanded her business into parts assembly and sequencing with the founding of Dakkota Integrated Systems in 2001. Dakkota is another joint venture between Rush Group and Intier Automotive Interiors, a subsidiary of Canadian auto parts supplier Magna International. Both Rush Trucking and Dakkota have contracts with all of the Big Three automakers.

Ford approached Rush about the joint venture as an integral part of its deal with Faurecia. In order to establish the minority woman-owned status of DMS, Rush Group was to hold the majority share, with Faurecia owning the remaining 45 percent.

DMS was awarded over 60 percent, or nearly $700 million, of the Ford parts contracts from the start. This work was to take place at the newly renovated Gateway Industrial Center on Detroits west side.

In exchange for bringing jobs and investment to the city of Detroit, DMS was rewarded handsomely with tax credits and abatements. The Michigan Economic Development Corp. awarded DMS tax credits worth up to $4,055,642 through its Michigan Economic Growth Authority program. Likewise, the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. worked with DMS to establish a 12-year property tax abatement valued at $4.2 million.

One DMS worker told the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter, Theres a lot of dirty messy stuff going on in there. The owner Andra Rush is a minority, shes Native American, and gets all these tax breaks for bringing jobs to Detroit and hiring minority workers and felons on parole. They have newer management and supervision pushing lean manufacturing. It might be good for them but it doesnt do anything for us.

And the union representation is complete BS. Aside from a couple exceptions they all mingle with management and have their preferential list. One line has been on layoff for retooling and they just hired 200 new people instead of calling them (the laid-off workers) back. The pay maxes out at $17-18. A lot of the guys laid off were in the $15 range. They just want to bring in new workers to pay them $12. Its like organized crime; thats really what it is.

The company gets a tax break and we are left struggling. I had to move because they raised my rent by $250.

While workers toil for long hours on starvation wages the company is doing quite well. After five years of making cockpits, instrument panels, door panels and glove boxes exclusively for Ford, DMS is beginning to branch out. A second production facility was recently opened in Toledo, Ohio near the Fiat Chrysler Toledo Assembly Complex. More work is also coming to the Detroit plant. In August DMS received an $8 million-dollar investment for both plants through a federal New Markets Tax Credit.

According to the worker in Detroit, We are supposed to be getting 14 injection molding presses from the Saline plant. That would basically put us at capacity. They supposedly paid only $1 for each press. It sounds like a shady deal to me.

Despite DMS expansion, industry analysts are predicting a downturn in auto sales. Workers at DMS and at other parts plants must not be caught unawares. The UAW functions as a company police force and will only facilitate further cuts. Rank-and-file committees must be elected as the first lines of defense. Indeed, such committees must be built as organs of struggle for a counteroffensive against the decades-long attack on wages, benefits and working conditions. Parts workers must establish lines of communications across company, state and national boundaries and reach out to their brothers and sisters in the major auto plants to coordinate actions. All autoworkers, whether at the parts plants or assembly plants, must be guaranteed decent pay and benefits and the right to full-time employment.

This fight for workplace rank-and-file committees must be seen as the first step in forging the political independence of the working class in a broader struggle against war and social reaction.

The WSWS Autoworker Newsletter will do all it can to aid in this fight. We urge workers to contact us so we can expose the brutal conditions inside the factories. Share this article widely on social media!
Eighteen hundred telecom workers have been on strike against Charter Communications-Spectrum in New York City and northern New Jersey for nearly eight months. While the striking workers have demonstrated their determination to fight and enormous self-sacrifice, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and other unions have led these workers into a dead end.

The strike was provoked when Charter-Spectrum, formerly Time Warner Cable, demanded elimination of its pension and hospitalization plan contributions, reduction in medical benefits, elimination of overtime pay for Saturday and Sunday, and reduction of holidays from 9 to 7. Having taken the measure of the union, which has left the strikers isolated, the company has refused to budge on nearly all of its takeaway demands. The intervention of a federal mediator, hailed by the IBEW, has done nothing to change the situation.

Strikers have been forced to subsist on starvation rations. IBEW Local 3, whose top four executives average $183,000 in salary, plus perks, paid out a weekly strike benefit of $150 until unemployment benefits kicked in eight weeks after the walkout began. Now the miserly unemployment benefits are set to expire at the end of December. Most workers have been forced to take other jobs, often at Uber or Amazon, to pay their bills.

On November 9, the local union executives voted to assess members of the Construction Division of Local 3, which is not on strike, a half percent of their paychecks to provide a strike benefit to Spectrum workers that would be approximate to unemployment benefits.

Although the IBEW has 662,000 members and Local 3 itself has 27,000, the union has forced the Spectrum workers to fight this battle alone. In fact, during the strike Spectrum has gotten work done by contracted companies with employees who are members of Local 3s other division. This despite the fact that as part of a multiemployer pension fund, all divisions of Local 3 have pensions and medical funds under the same Joint Industrial Board (JIB). The companys threat to liquidate the Spectrum fund could weaken and potentially bankrupt the JIB for 90,000 members.

Felix Alvarez, an electrician in the Local 3 construction division for 19 years, spoke to the WSWS Telecom Worker Newsletter at an October 30 Times Square rally for the Spectrum strikers, which was attended by around 3,000 workers, mostly from the locals construction division. It affects all 90,000 pensions when Spectrum stopped paying into JIB. The pensions are not that big to start with, and if they cut 30 percent like they did with the Teamsters, it is a tragedy. This is why a lot of people have to go back to work. They cant afford to retire because the cost of living keeps going up. I think there should be a strike by all of Local 3. I dont think Spectrum will hold negotiations until there are more strikes.

Nick Volpe, a construction electrician in IBEW Local 3, told the WSWS, These rallies are well and good, but it is not helping the Spectrum strikers who have been out for more than seven months. All we know is that we have these rallies. We have had a few, and there have been no results. Spectrum is just saying, So what? I dont think they are even in negotiations.

At the monthly rallies, the Central Labor Council and the AFL-CIO have only brought out a token presence of New Yorks large workforce and have used the events as photo-ops for Democratic Party politicians. Present on the platform was Chris Shelton, president of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the largest telecom union, which betrayed the six-week-long strike by nearly 40,000 Verizon workers last year. The CWA and the IBEW have blocked any unified struggle against the Verizon, AT&T and other firms even though these highly profitable corporate giants are waging a common war against the jobs, living standards and working conditions of workers throughout the industry.

New York City Public Advocate Letitia James postured as a militant in order to promote the lie that the Democrats and Mayor Bill de Blasio are friends of the striking workers. She shocked union officials by shouting out that the workers of the city need to shut it down! Christopher Erikson, the Local 3 Business Manager, nervously responded, I didnt say that.

The IBEW is now fashioning ways to wind down the strike. In October, Local 3 announced an apprenticeship program open to Spectrum strikers that would train them for potential electrical jobs at city and state construction sites. The four-year on-the-job apprenticeship program would mean the strikers would suffer drastic wage cuts while still having to pay union dues. In any case, many of the strikers with over twenty years of experience would not have the time left to make a return to apprenticeship worthwhile.

Local 3 waited three years after the last contract expired, sabotaging the opportunity for joint industrial action during the Verizon strike. It only called a strike when Spectrum decided to stop payments into the IBEW pension fund, which the union executives consider a threat to their income and business opportunities.

The IBEW and other unions are in an anti-working-class alliance with the Democrats who, no less than the Republicans, have carried out a decades-long war against the working class. New York is seething with social inequality, with a soaring stock market and real estate boom fueling the fortunes of billionaires like Donald Trump and ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg while the majority of workers are struggling with rising health care, education and housing costs, along with stagnant or falling real wages.

Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio, both Democrats, have shown themselves to be tools of Wall Street, but were given platforms at the September 16 rally in Brooklyn. Cuomo is remembered by state workers for threatening them with layoffs if they did not accept reduced pensions, a key issue in the Spectrum strike.

De Blasio announced support for Local 3 during an interview with the Spectrum-owned TV channel New York One. However, his real attitude toward workers was clearly revealed during the 2016 Verizon strike, when he enforced the injunction against the striking workers and sent city police to shepherd scab workers through the picket lines.

The only way forward is to break free from the stranglehold of the union. Workers must form their own rank-and-file committees, independent of the union bureaucracy and reach out broadly for real support from telecom and other workers in the region. At the same time, the working class requires a new political strategy, based on a break with both corporate-controlled parties and the building of a mass political movement of the working class to fight for a socialist program, including the transformation of the telecommunications industry into a public enterprise collectively owned and democratically controlled by workers themselves.

The Socialist Equality Party and WSWS Telecom Worker Newsletter urge Spectrum and other workers to contact us and build the necessary leadership to take forward this fight.

The authors also recommend:

Seven-month Spectrum strike in New York and New Jersey highlights assault on pensions

[30 October 2017]

Lessons of the Verizon strike

[2 June 2016]
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- The numbers are in and they're not looking good. According to the FBI, hate crime incidents are on the rise.

A hate crime is defined as an act to cause injury, emotional suffering, or property damage through harassment or vandalism motivated by race, religion, or sexual orientation. This kind of crime typically creates a hostile or offensive environment for the victims.

According to the FBI, the number of hate crimes in the United States has been on the rise since 2014, with over 6,000 instances of these crimes. Of those, about 1,500 people were victims of hate crimes motivated by religion, with Jewish and Muslim victims making up a majority of them.

It's though that the number of hate crimes could be decreased if we, as a whole, come together and learn about those around us.

"I think if you spend time with people from a different race, you're not so likely to be committing racial crimes," says Jack Campbell, the State Attorney of the Second Judicial Circuit of Florida. "I think if you spend time with people from a different religion, you're going to find there's more that binds us than separates us. I think that's where we need to make strides of spending time together and making those common bonds."

Campbell did tell me that he doesn't believe that the recent mass shootings like the one in Sutherland Springs are hate crime related, but that's not stopping local churches from taking action.

Faith-based leaders in Gadsden County are getting the opportunity to learn how to handle a mass shooter situation, with the first of two meetings happening Thursday. In early December, these leaders will have the chance to actually practice an active shooter drill.
FLORIDA (WTXL) - The Florida Democratic Party's chairman has stepped down amid accusations of harassing behavior towards several women.

Former FDP chairman Stephen Bittel announced his resignation on Twitter Friday afternoon:

According to a POLITICO report, the accusations came from six former FDP staffers and consultants. The claims detailed that while Bittel never assaulted them, they say his "creepy" behavior towards them created an uncomfortable work environment.

The woman allege, according to the report, he would make inappropriate comments, invited women to his hotel room, and even kept a "breast-shaped stress squeeze-ball" on his desk.

The POLITICO report says that Bittel apologized in a written statement. You can view that apology here.

His resignation comes after several members of his party called on him to leave. Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum was one of those members calling on Bittel to step down:

Stephen Bittel must step down as FDP Chair. These courageous women came forward with disturbing stories of harassment, and its our duty to stand in the gap for them and others in these situations. Although these allegations are not criminal, they clearly paint a picture of a hostile working environment for women. We must actively work to shift the power dynamics in which men have deluded themselves into thinking they have control of women. We must work to create an environment where women know they are not alone and feel comfortable to come forward.

Gillum was quick to respond to the news of Bittel's official resignation as well saying in part, "I am glad Stephen Bittel resigned - there was no alternative. The FDP must move forward quickly to rebuild their culture and create an inclusive, safe work environment.

Gillum was not the only gubernatorial candidate to call for Bittel to step down.

Gwen Graham, just two hours before Bittel's announcement, posted on Twitter that she called him to tell him he should step down:

Fellow Democratic candidate Philip Levine also weighed in saying that, "I have zero tolerance for harassment in politics or the workplace. Its time to change the culture and it must start at the top. I hope Chairman Bittel does the right thing and steps down as Chairman. No individual should feel less than safe and comfortable in their workplace."
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) - A massive fire at a senior living community in Pennsylvania injured at least 20 people and forced dozens more, many of whom were unable to walk, into the cold night air.

The blaze was reported around 11 p.m. Thursday at Barclay Friends Senior Living Community in West Chester, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Philadelphia.

The fire quickly spread to multiple buildings and flames could be seen shooting from the roofs and windows of the structures. Residents were forced to evacuate outside into the cold, with temperatures overnight hovering in the low 40s. News helicopter video showed dozens of residents on the lawn or along the street, wrapped in blankets. Many of them had been pushed in wheelchairs or rolled on beds to safety.

Chester County emergency officials said at least 20 people were taken to area hospitals for treatment. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

A spokeswoman for Main Line Health, a not-for-profit health system, said one of its hospitals also was prepared to provide shelter to some additional residents of the senior living community.

According to its website, Barclay Friends offers various levels of care including memory care, skilled nursing and post-acute rehab.

Early Friday morning, the local chapter of the American Red Cross said on Twitter that it had multiple teams on the scene and that it was working with county officials and facility staff to assist displaced residents.

A cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
ATLANTA (CBS46) - A metro Atlanta student was told to change his shirt during a school field trip. The shirt had the words "Fake News Network" written on it, and the field trip was a tour of CNN.

The Peachtree Charter Middle School student is the son of DeKalb County Commissioner Nancy Jester and Stan Jester, a member of the DeKalb County Schools' Board of Education.

They want an apology from the school.

Jaxson was asked to change his shirt and the school later apologized. But on his blog, Stan Jester says the school needs to apologize to his son as well, and writes that DeKalb County Schools might have a consistency problem with the First Amendment.

Stan Jester points to the Cedar Grove High School softball players who took a knee during the national anthem back in October. He says DeKalb County Schools are being hypocritical by celebrating those students, but forcing his son to change his shirt.

CBS46 contacted the Jester family to ask them to talk about this with us. Nancy Jester said they would be willing to talk at another time.

CBS46 also spoke to several parents at the school and none of them wanted to speak to on camera. But there were some who told CBS46 the student should not have worn the shirt because it was in poor taste, and they hate to see middle school students politicized.

DeKalb County Schools sent CBS46 the statement below:

"An incident occurred at a DeKalb County school last week in which a teacher asked a student to change his shirt prior to leaving the school for a field trip. The request was out of concern for the students safety in accordance with the districts Student Code of Conduct, which states . . . .  the wearing of clothing, tattoos or other adornments which show offensive and/or vulgar words, pictures, diagrams, drawings or includes words or phrases of a violent nature, a disruptive nature, a sexual nature, politically/socially controversial words or graphics or words or phrases that are derogatory regarding a persons ethnic background, color, race, national origin, religious belief, sexual orientation or disability is prohibited. The parent of the student was contacted by the principal and informed that the student was being asked to change his shirt. The student complied with the request made by the teacher. The safety of all DCSD students and staff is paramount."

Copyright 2017 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee man stopped for driving a car without a tag is facing additional charges after admitting to deputies that he occasionally sells meth.

Thomas H. Smith, booked into the Leon County Detention Center on Wednesday, was arrested for trafficking methamphetamine, on sight violation of probation, and operating a motor vehicle without a drivers license.

Smith was pulled over for driving without a tag on Wednesday while driving his Cadillac CTS westbound on Tharpe St. According to an arrest document, Smith told the deputy he had recently applied for a tag but had not yet received it.

Asked by the deputy for a license, Smith handed the deputy a Florida ID card. The deputy's search of a database found that Smith was never issued a drivers license, only an identification card.

The deputy then handcuffed Thomas for and escorted him to the rear of his patrol car.

At first, Thomas told the deputy he had nothing illegal in his car, the deputy wrote in the arrest affidavit. But then, when asked by the deputy for consent to search the car, Thomas said, "Sir, I'm not going to lie to you. I have meth in the car between the seat and center console."

After the deputy read Smith his Miranda Warnings, Smith told the arresting Leon County Sheriff's Office deputy that he "occasionally sells a small amount of methamphetamine," and said he was holding the drugs for someone else, according to the arrest report.

Among other things found, the deputy wrote, his search of Smith's car turned up a zipper pouch between the drivers seat and center console, where Smith said it would be found.

The pouch contained "multiple large bags of a crystal-like substance" that weighed approximately 66 grams with packaging.

The deputy also found $245 in assorted bills on Thomas.

After running Thomas' information, deputies found he was on probation for meth charges out of Tallahassee with an end date of July 17, 2022. He was arrested and taken to the Leon County Jail.

He remains in jail on a $25,250 bond.

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.
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Some lawmakers are taking aim at a recent Washington Supreme Court decision that put the onus on counties to determine whether water is legally available in certain rural areas before they issue building permits.
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LGBTQ populations face stark health disparities nationwide, and on top of that, even in Dane County, they can face discrimination in their doctors office. Some local health care providers are working to combat that.
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.

Happy shootin' my friends!

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Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
Omul cu Martoaga revine pe scena Teatrului George Ciprian

Satira, idealism si gravitate, in care eroul, modestul arhivar Chirica, interpretat de Dan Tudor, este mistuit de pasiunea pentru cai, care il face sa cumpere cea mai jalnica martoaga. Aceasta pasiune il face sa piarda la pariuri nu numai banii, dar si increderea [citeste mai departe]
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu and leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) says that the state should not provide any aid to companies to pay for their firewood, unless there is "a political and administrative decision" saying otherwise, but it should grant a firewood aid only

- President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday stated that the European Commission's proposal regarding the high gas prices is good and Romania agrees with the new measures. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends

- President Klaus Iohannis is participating, Thursday through Friday, in Brussels, in the meeting of the European Council, among the topics of discussion being the necessary measures in the field of energy, following the package of proposals presented by the European Commission and the reaffirmation

- President Klaus Iohannis will participate, on Thursday and Friday, in Brussels, in the meeting of the European Council, among the topics of discussion being the necessary measures in the field of energy, following the package of proposals presented by the European Commission and the reaffirmation

- The European Commission should come up with a clear plan in terms of the temporary capping of the natural gas price at the European Union level, based on which we will discuss what to do next, President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- The European Union's unity can be strengthen if Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia become past of the Schengen area, President Klaus Iohannis stated on Thursday, prior to the first meeting of the European Political Community, in Prague, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- President Klaus Iohannis participated on Tuesday in a videoconference with European Council President Charles Michel and a group of European leaders as a preparation stage for the meetings to take place on Thursday and Friday in Prague. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- President Klaus Iohannis promulgated on Thursday a law that provides for an increase in the unemployment benefit to people with a contribution period of at least one year, which will be equal to the value of the reference social indicator. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste
Ahmedabad: Patel community leader Hardik Patel on Friday took a poetic dig on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party BJP over the alleged sex CDS circulating in the market showing in which he has been shown in bad light.

The Patel quota leader today took to Twitter and tweeted a poetry taking on the PM and his party on a host of issues.

    

  

   

    

     

     

     

  CD 

    

    

    

      Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) November 17, 2017

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader attacked the ruling BJP over a temple built by the right-wing outfit Hindu Maha Sabha in the name of Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse in Gwalior recently.

The Ram Temple issue also found mention in his poetry in which he said that the BJP dispensation will do nothing on the issue.

He also made personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and criticised him over the mob lynching incidents across the country.

His outfit 'PAAS', meanwhile, claimed that the BJP might release 52 more morphed video clips of the Patidar leader and his aides to defame them ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections 2017.

PAAS convener Dinesh Bambhania accused Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and state BJP unit chief Jitu Vaghani of spreading morphed sex clips of Hardik Patel and other group leaders.

He alleged that a Rs 40-crore deal was struck by the BJP with an unnamed builder from Pune for making morphed sex videos of Hardik Patel.

The PAAS is not contesting Gujarat Assembly polls but has vowed to stop the BJP from coming back to power.

The BJP, on the other hand, denied all charges and said the party had no role to play in Hardik Patels alleged sex videos.

As PAAS has claimed that 52 more CDs are still there, it shows that they are aware that their own workers might have prepared them. It is their internal matter, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel told reporters.

Earlier, Hardik Patel said he was not surprised as it was an expected ploy to defame him in poll-bound Gujarat.

I had been saying for some time that all such dirty things, including such a video, would be flung at me, but I dont care and I will continue my fight against the BJP, the firebrand youngster had said.

An alleged sex video of 24-year-old pro-reservation Patidar leader Hardik Patel was telecast on local Gujarati TV channels on Monday.

Hardik Patel has been veering towards the Congress ahead of the Gujarat polls and the party promised it would give the influential Patidars constitutionally valid reservation. The Gujarat elections will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14 and the results will be declared on December 18.
Former New York Mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg speaks in the U.S. Climate Action Center at the COP 23 Fiji UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. The "America's Pledge" campaign works to compile and tally the climate actions of states, cities, colleges, businesses, and other local actors across the entire U.S. economy. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said that it has summoned RJD chief Lalu Prasad`s wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav in connection with a money laundering probe into the 2006 IRCTC hotel maintenance contract case.

An ED official, confirming the dates of the summons, told IANS: "We have summoned Tejashwi and Rabri Devi on November 20 and 24 respectively."

On November 13, the financial-probe agency had questioned Tejashwi Yadav, for the second time for over eight-and-a-half hours.

He was questioned by the ED for over nine hours on October 10.

Rabri Devi, against whom the ED has issued seven summons, has not testified before the agency for questioning in the case.

The ED is probing financial irregularities in the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Tejashwi, his father and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad and other family members.

On July 27, the Enforcement Directorate had registered a case under the PMLA following an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and is probing the trail of funds allegedly transferred through shell companies.

The CBI registered a corruption case on July 5 against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav for alleged irregularities in the allotment of contracts for two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006 to a private firm when the RJD chief was the Railway Minister.

The contracts were given to Sujata Hotels, a company owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochhar, allegedly in lieu of bribe in the form of a plot of prime land in Bihar, the CBI said.

Apart from Ahluwalia Contractors` promoter Bikramjeet Singh Ahluwalia, who has also been questioned in the case, former Union Minister Prem Chand Gupta`s wife Sarla Gupta and then IRCTC Managing Director P.K. Goel are also accused in the case.
New Delhi: Superstar Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are ready to entice the fans one more time with their sizzling chemistry in Tiger Zinda Hai (TZH). The film which is helmed by 'Sultan' director Ali Abbas Zafar is hitting the big screens on December 22, 2017.

While the trailer of TZH has already crossed 50 million views on YouTube and has become the most liked Hindi film trailer ever, the makers are geared up to release the first song 'Swag Se Swagat' soon.

Almost every day a few fresh stills from the track featuring Salman and Katrina are being shared online and it is making us super anxious. From the looks of it, the chemistry is palpable and Katrina is looking super hot in the pictures.

Her complete look and Sallu's Bhai's attitude is full of Swag. We are waiting for this starry swag to become the next big chartbuster number. In TZH, we will get to see some A-class action sequences as Hollywood big name Tom Struthers has added his master touch.

Are you excited about 'Swag Se Swagat'?
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the maintainability of a petition challenging the provision mandating linking of Aadhaar with PAN number and for filing income tax returns.

The top court said it had already upheld the validity of an Income Tax Act provision making Aadhaar mandatory for the allotment of permanent account number (PAN) and filing of tax returns in its judgement delivered in June this year.

"How this petition is maintainable now We had upheld the vires (of the provision). Now, a judgement on right to privacy has come but there is no judgement on Aadhaar. How this petition has been filed," a bench comprising justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan asked.

The counsel, appearing for petitioner Binoy Viswam, a CPI leader, later withdrew the plea.

The bench granted him the liberty to file an application for intervention in the main Aadhaar matter which is scheduled to come up for hearing before a Constitution bench in the last week of this month.

The top court had on June 9 upheld section 139AA of the Income Tax Act making Aadhaar mandatory for allotment of PAN cards and filing of tax returns, but had put a partial stay on its implementation till a Constitution bench addressed the issue of right to privacy.

Later, the Constitution bench had declared right to privacy as a fundamental right.

Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act provides for mandatory quoting of Aadhaar or enrolment ID of Aadhaar application form for filing of income tax returns and making application for allotment of PAN with effect from July 1 this year.

Meanwhile, the apex court on Friday also refused to hear a separate petition which had challenged the linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts.

The court said it cannot hear several petitions raising similar issue and asked the petitioner to move an application for intervention in the main Aadhaar matter.
New Delhi: Enterprise services arm of debt ridden telecom firm Reliance Communications has sent notices to its rivals to stop a "malicious campaign" implying that it is closing down voice services for business clients.

In a statement, RCom Global Cloud Xchange (GCX) said today that it has sent "a 'Cease & Desist' notice and/or injunction to a number of competitors in India, after learning from its Enterprise customers that these competitors are carrying out an illegal and malicious campaign, spreading misinformation and wrongly implying that Reliance Enterprise Voice services will shortly be discontinued".

RCom recently announced that it is closing down voice services for retail subscribers on its networks. The company, however, plans to continue providing data services.

RCOM-GCX said that given the serious nature of the matter, it has already raised the issue with the legal and regulatory authorities concerned.

The company clarified that for its India enterprise business customers, voice services such as PRI (Primary Rate Interface), centrex, toll free, cloud telephony and SIP Trunk, would all continue to be offered without any interruption.

"We would like to re-iterate that there is no truth to these messages and that we will continue to offer our entire bouquet of Enterprise Voice Services, just as before and with no changes," the statement said.

The company, which has been reporting losses since last four quarters, said that it will continue to make investments in the enterprise business and development in its consumer wireless business space.

"We are extremely excited about the growing business opportunities in the enterprise space and continue to make investments to significantly enhance our operations, data centers and network infrastructure, in order to better serve our Enterprise Business customers across India and globally," RCOM-GCX said.
NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal on Friday lifted the ban on the entry of trucks in Delhi. The green court, however, added that the entry must be properly regulated.

The ban had been imposed on November 9 after the pollution levels touched 'severe plus' category.

As per the orders, the Delhi Traffic Police and the Municipal Corporations of Delhi had been asked to prohibit the entry of heavy and medium goods vehicles, except those carrying essential commodities in the national capital.

The NGT also lifted its ban on construction activities in Delhi-NCR but refused to lift its ban on industrial activities causing pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region region.

"All directions in relation to emissions from industry, burning of waste and crop residue shall continue to be enforced," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The tribunal also directed the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to submit their action plan on steps taken to curb pollution within two weeks.

It gave a green signal to the construction of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway but said no dust pollution should be caused.

The NGT had earlier asked the city government to identify the most polluted areas and sprinkle water, while allowing non- polluting industries and those manufacturing essential goods to operate in Delhi-NCR.




New Delhi: The Patiala Court will on Friday hear the bail plea of alleged hawala dealer Mohammad Aslam Wani, close aide of separatist Shabir Shah, in connection with the terror-funding case.

Aslam Wani was arrested in connection with a decade-old money laundering case, involving Kashmiri separatist Shabir Shah.

Earlier on September 26, Wani withdrew his bail application in regard to the case.

On September 23, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told a Delhi court that Shah had admitted to receiving funds from Pakistan's terror outfits to spread terror in Jammu and Kashmir and others parts of India.

Wani also admitted to his complicity in the crime, the ED said.

A charge sheet filed by the ED further stated that Shah admitted that he talks to Hafiz Saeed on phone on the issue of Kashmir, and last spoke to him in January, 2017.

Shah also confessed to have received funds from terror outfits from Pakistan to promote terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir and others parts of India, the charge sheet said. (ANI)
NEW DELHI: Foreign diplomats posted in the national capital have raised concerns over the poor air quality and sought help from the Indian government.

The high air pollution is not only affecting the diplomatic community but also the tourists and other visitors coming to the country, a diplomat said.

As a diplomat, we are concerned for our tourists coming to India and the nationals living here, but this does not affect only us, Dean of Diplomatic Corps, Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, told reporters on Friday.

Castellanos said a delegation of foreign diplomats would meet the officials of the External Affairs Ministry today to discuss the issue.

We'll meet MEA and discuss measures which were taken by other countries facing a similar problem, he added.

The air quality in Delhi has reached dangerous levels over the past few weeks due to multiple factors.

They claimed that rampant burning of crop residues by the farmers in Punjab and Haryana has resulted in the spike in toxic fumes in the air.

In addition, vehicular and industrial emissions, as well as dust materials from the construction sites have contributed to the deteriorating air quality.

The doctors have warned of a major medical emergency in the national capital if the toxic air continues to persist.
New Delhi: In yet another incident concerning the safety of women in the national capotal, it has now emerged that a young woman was allegedly gang-raped and looted by a taxi driver and his associate in Delhi.

According to reports, the woman was abducted from Ansal Plaza and gang-raped by the two men at gunpoint.

The two also allegedly made a video of the crime and threatened the woman of circulating it on the social media if she reported the matter to anyone.

In her police complaint, the woman said that she had taken a taxi at midnight near Ansal Plaza to go to Rohini on November 14.

On her way, the driver allowed another person to board the taxi and both started misbehaving with the woman.

The girl was taken to Greater Noida and gang-raped by the two men.

The accused also took away her gold ornaments, cell phone and Rs 12,000 cash and dropped her near Greater Noida and fled away.

A case has been registered at Hauz Khas police station and the investigation is underway.

With ANI inputs
New Delhi: Accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of misleading the public over pollution in the NCR, the BJP on Friday said it will approach the Supreme Court over non-utilisation of green cess by the AAP government and thus "violating" court order.

"Our party will move a contempt plea in the Supreme Court on the issue of non-utilisation of environmental cess fund," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari told reporters here.

Tiwari said the Delhi government had issued a notification on October 20, 2015, in accordance with Supreme Court directive to impose the cess on all goods vehicles entering Delhi.

The government was expected to give quarterly accounts of the cess collected to the Supreme Court, he said.

The BJP leader alleged that the fund was to be used for improvement in public transport system, cleaning and repairing roads, but Kejriwal neither gave any record of collected funds to the Supreme Court not use the same for its intended purpose.

The AAP government has come under attack from opposition after a Right to Information reply revealed non-utilisation of Rs 787 crore collected as environmental cess in 2017.

The Delhi government, in a reply to RTI activist Sanjeev Jain, said it received Rs 50 crore in 2015, Rs 387 crore in 2016, and Rs 787 crore as environment cess from January 1 to September 30 in 2017.

The Kejriwal government said it had spent Rs 93 lakh of the cess in 2016, but there was "no mention of any expenditure" in 2017.

Tiwari also accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of trying to privatise bus services in the city.

"The government tried to approve a proposal on privatisation in the name of a premium app-based bus service but was withdrawn due to strong opposition by the BJP," Tiwari said.

Leader of the Opposition in Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta said: "The Kejriwal government has announced several times to purchase new buses. But the operational fleet of Delhi Transport Corporation has depleted."

"DTC staff is facing difficulties in getting wages/salaries and the government is pushing the corporation into a financial crisis only for political gains," Gupta said.

Gupta alleged mismanagement in DTC bus depots and said that despite a parking space for about 1,500 buses in four rural bus depots at Ghumanhera, Dichaukalan, Narela, and Bawana, only 163 buses were being parked there.

Gupta said the government had put forth a proposal to buy 2,000 new buses but these will not ply on roads before December 2018.
NEW DELHI: India's domestic air traffic registered a growth of 20.52 percent in October when airlines flew 10.45 million passengers as compared to 8.67 million during the corresponding period last year.

Market leader IndiGo ferried the maximum number of passengers at 4.13 million, 39.5 percent of the entire domestic aviation market, according to the monthly traffic data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday.

It was followed by Jet Airways with 1.58 million passengers and SpiceJet with 1.36 million.

SpiceJet reported the highest passenger load factor (PLF) or seat utilisation for the month of September at 93.7 percent, followed by GoAir at 87.6 percent and IndiGo at 87.3 percent.

"This is the 32nd month-in-a-row that SpiceJet has flown with load factors in excess of 90 percent," the airline said in a statement.

In terms of on-time performance, IndiGo is at the top with 83.9 percent of its flights arriving and departing as per schedule.
New Delhi: India and Russia have discussed ways to boost bilateral trade and investments to strengthen economic ties, the commerce ministry said on Friday.

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu met Russia's Minister for Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin in Moscow yesterday and discussed the current level of trade between the countries and ways for its enhancement.

"They also discussed opportunities that the fast growing economy of India provides for doing business, particularly in the field of manufacturing," the ministry said in a statement.

Prabhu is on a visit to Russia from November 15-17, to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting of the ministers of member states responsible for foreign economy and trade.

This is the first ministerial conference on trade organised by the organisation after India became a full member in June.

Prabhu also met the Member of Board (Minister) for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EaEC), Veronika Nikishina and discussed early start of negotiations of the proposed free trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Commission.

Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are EaEC members.

A joint feasibility report on the proposed agreement was completed last year. It concluded that the proposed pact is feasible and mutually beneficial with substantial potential welfare gains and augmentation of trade in goods.

Further, it said Prabhu participated in a round table interaction with 30 of Russia's leading business leaders from sectors including steel, engineering, railways, financial services and nuclear energy.

"The minister told the gathering about the new initiatives of the Government of India, particularly with regard to ease of doing business, priority areas like financing in the nuclear energy sector, natural gas and railways," the statement added.
New Delhi: Buoyed by India's rating upgrade by Moody's, Railway and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said the government will stay on the path of good governance and focus on effective delivery to people.

He said the rating upgrade, and improvement in ease of doing business ranking, culminate into bringing confidence into India growth story.

The US-based Moody's has upgraded India's sovereign rating after a gap of 13 years to Baa2 with a stable outlook. The rating action implies India is investment grade with moderate credit risk, which is two notches above the junk grade.

"Our dharma is to stay on path of good governance and effective delivery to people of India. Endorsements, rating upgrade, certification, surveys, election results are incidental. We are working for people of India and people have endorsed us," Goyal said.

He said the number of BJP-supported government went up from six in 2014, to 18 today. "By next month they will be 19. and we are fast transitioning to a corruption free and Congress free India in the years to come," he said.

Goyal said the election results in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will be phenomenal.

"In Himachal Pradesh, there are some people who are predicting as high as 58-60 seats for BJP. In Gujarat, people have seen the delivery of good governance for 22 years and I wouldn't be at all hesitant to predict a 150 plus tally for BJP in Gujarat," he said.

Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are due next month.
New Delhi: A NASA report has issued a warning for Mangalore in Karnataka and Mumbai saying that the two cities are in grave danger from floods due to melting ice caps.

Rainfall had heavily doused the two cities this season causing floods in many parts of the region. As per the report, India's southeastern coast in the state of Tamil Nadu witnessed up to 550 mm (21.7 inches) of rain in the past week, while total rainfall in southeastern India was measured at around 200 mm (7.9 inches).

NASA further confirmed information received from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center saying that computer models indicate that rains are expected to move in a northerly direction, wind speed is predicted at approximately 37 to 46.3 kilometers per hour, and with a minimum central pressure near 1004 millibars.

Moreover, the low-pressure continued to produce heavy rain in Tamil Nadu and in remote areas over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, NASA revealed.

The research, detailed in the journal Science Advances, could provide scientists a way to determine which ice sheets they should be "most worried about".

The researchers explained that as land ice is lost to the oceans, both the Earth's gravitational and rotational potentials are perturbed, resulting in strong spatial patterns in sea-level rise (SLR).

Over the next 100 years, the glacial melt may potentially rise Mangalore's sea levels by 15.98cm as and to 15.26cm in Mumbai and 10.65cm for New York, the research said.

These insights are based on data collected by a tool developed by NASA to forecast which cities are vulnerable to flooding due to the melting of ice in a warming climate.

This provides, for each city, a picture of which glaciers, ice sheets, and ice caps are of specific importance, researchers said, WION reported.

As cities and countries attempt to build plans to mitigate flooding, they have to be thinking about 100 years in the future and they want to assess risk in the same way that insurance companies do, said Erik Ivins, senior scientist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the US.
Gandhinagar/New Delhi: The Congress party`s Central Election Committee (CEC) is holding hectic meetings with senior Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders and also with recently-inducted OBC community leader Alpesh Thakore in Delhi, to decide on the candidates for the Gujarat Assembly election first list.



With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declaring its list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections on Friday, the Congress CEC is likely to also declare its list later on Friday, party sources said.



The last day for filing of nominations is November 21 for the first phase of the state assembly elections.



On Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party announced its second list of candidates for the contest. The AAP has so far declared 20 candidates for the elections.



The Congress has been out of power in the state for more than two decades.



Last Friday, the Congress` Central Election Committee (CEC) had cleared the names of 70 candidates for the first phase of Gujarat polls in the meeting that was presided over by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, sources said.



According to the sources, the names of the candidates are likely to be made public on Friday, especially after the saffron party declared its first list.



Congress party`s Rajya Sabha MP, Ahmed Patel, along with some senior party leaders, is holding a meeting with PAAS leaders who are seeking reservation status for the Patidar community.



The leader of the PAAS group, Hardik Patel, is not present, but Dinesh Bambhania, Lalit Vasoya, Manoj Panara, Kiritbhai Patel, convenors of the group, are in Delhi to the meeting.



The Other Backward Caste (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakore is also attending this meeting, the sources said.



The Congress is believed to have agreed to let Alpesh Thakore have a say in candidate selection in the Thakore-dominated seats of north Gujarat and tickets for him and his father, the sources added.



Alpesh Thakore had joined the Congress after a grand show of strength in Gandhinagar last month, at which Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi welcomed him into the party.



Alpesh, with time has gained political maturity, and initially it was speculated that he will join the saffron party. But going on his word that he will do whatever his community decides, and after the decision he joined the grand old party, in a big boost for the Congress.



The PAAS group too has pledged that whatever happens - irrespective of whether they support the Congress or not --, they will be definitely opposing the BJP. Another community leader, Jignesh Mewani representing the Scheduled Caste community has also expressed his disapproval for the saffron party.



It is learnt from sources inside the Congress that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is also in talks with the Congress and once again they have decided to join hands for the assembly elections. And like in previous alliances, the NCP will be contesting on two to three seats in the state.
AHMEDABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released its first list of candidates who will be contesting the Gujarat elections.

The 70-candidate list includes incumbent Chief Minister Vijay Rupani who will be contesting from Rajkot West. Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel will be contesting from Mehsana and Gujarat BJP President Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West.

The party has also given tickets to six of the 14 defecting Congress MLAs and has repeated most of the sitting MLAs in their constituencies in this first list

Surprisingly and contrary to speculation, both the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) members, Varun Patel and Reshma Patel, have not been included in the first list of candidates.



Two BJP MLAs, Vadhwan constituency`s Varshaben Doshi, and BJP MLA from Dhari constituency, Nalin Kotadia, have been dropped. Instead, Dhanjibhai Patel is to contest from Vadhwan and Dileep Sanghani will be contesting from Dhari.

The decision to finalise the candidates was taken in a meeting attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and other members of the BJP Central Election Committee.

Gujarat goes to polls in December, where the first phase for 89 seats will be held on the 9th and for the remaining 93 seats it will be held on the 14th. The results will be announced along with that of Himachal Pradesh on December 18.
NEW DELHI: Former US president Barack Obama will come calling to India on December 1 when he holds here a Town Hall to interact with the young leaders.

I will interact with young leaders and learn about the work they are doing to impact their communities, he said in a video posted on Twitter.

The visit is part of an outreach programme for his non-profit organisation the Obama Foundation.

On December 1, @BarackObama is headed to India to host a Town Hall with hundreds of young leaders. Check it out: pic.twitter.com/IWoCOmqi4L  The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) November 16, 2017

I want to have a chance to talk to young people who are doing amazing work all across India.

Were going to be organising a town hall with young leaders from various parts of India, who can share with me some of the work theyre trying to do in their communities to make it better, the former president said.

He said his foundation would support emerging leaders who are trying to make their communities better.

Obama will also visit Germany, Indonesia, and Brazil as part of the outreach programme.

As one of the most culturally, religiously, linguistically, and ethnically diverse nations on earth, Indias democracy shows us the collective strength of engagement within and across communities.

Most of Indias 1 billion people are under 35 years old, an engaged and passionate generation who are finding innovative ways to create positive change across India  change that benefits the world,  Bernadette Meehan of the Foundation said.

The event will be live streamed on Obama.org.
New Delhi: Denmark, Sweden and Norway are expecting Indian tourists to consume more than 3.5 lakh hotel room nights in a year as the three Scandinavian nations are going all out to attract travellers from the country by promoting their tourism destinations.

The Scandinavian Tourist Board (STB) has been actively holding promotional events in India in its bid to reach out to Indian travellers so that they visit Denmark, Sweden and Norway ? the three northern European countries that were largely unexplored by Indian tourists in the past.

Following the recent increase in the number of Indians visiting Scandinavia, Air India in August this year launched direct flights from India to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Earlier, these destinations, along with Oslo, were connected via Dubai.

Mohit Batra from the STB said India is one of the most important regions in the world and that is why the three Scandinavian countries are going all the way to woo Indian tourists.

"Indians are more loved and welcomed by the European countries and people are looking forward to cultural exchanges from both sides," Batra said while elaborating some of the reasons behind the recent surge in the number of Indian tourists to Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

"We are looking at Indians consuming 3,50,000 hotel room nights in Scandinavia in a year," he said, adding that on an average, these numbers are expected to grow at 10 per cent.

In Asia, India is ranked as Sweden's second source market after China.

Ruth Dolla, Project Manager India of Visit Sweden, said India has emerged as the world's fastest-growing outbound market and it is second only to China.

"The number of Indians travelling overseas is set to rise from around 15 million now to 50 million by 2050. That 50 million is a huge number. This will mean a big growth in spending overseas," she said.

Dolla said introduction of direct flights from India to Sweden and Denmark will definitely lead to a sharp rise in the numbers of Indian tourists visiting the three Scandinavian nations.

"We see India as a huge market for tourism source to Sweden. We have been working in the Indian market since 2015. We have seen a very good increase in the number of tourists coming to Sweden. There are 150 Swedish companies operating in India.

"We have received an 18 per cent increase in the number of Indian tourists this year. We have got 1,76,000 visitors from India last year. It is increasing every year and month. We have registered a 35 per cent increase in tourism in August this year compared to the corresponding month last year," she said.

A perfect combination of authentic nature experiences, world-class and modern progressive cities and a friendly, modern, sustainable lifestyle sets Sweden aside as a unique destination for travellers, she said.

Flemming Bruhn, Director of Visit Denmark said India is a very exciting and developing market for Scandinavia.

"We have seen a double-digit growth in the number of Indian tourists visiting Denmark. This year, unfortunately, Copenhagen has been fully booked by travellers and it has been very difficult for Indian travellers to find (hotel) rooms.

"We will increase hotel capacity by 20 per cent in the next two years to accommodate the rising number of travellers," he said.

Norway has witnessed a 16 per cent increase in the number of Indians visiting the country since 2016.

In the first half of this year, more than 11,000 visas were issued to Indians by the Royal Norwegian Embassy. In 2007, only 3,500 visas were issued to Indians. The number grew to roughly 4,000 by 2010 and 6,000 by 2014.

Denmark, Sweden and Norway are part of the Schengen visa system.

Bengt Hammer, Sales and Key Account Manager Asia and Oceania at Visit Flam, Norway said India is a big promising market.

"India's economy is growing fast. Indians are visiting Norway in a large number. They love the destinations there. Last year, we experienced a 10 per cent increase in Indian tourist arrival. Around 15,000 Indians are in Flam city.

"We also see a role of Bollywood in promoting tourism in Norway. Some Indian films have been shot in the country," Hammer said.

Norway, well known for its natural, untouched beauty and some of the best architectural attractions in the world, has eight attractions listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
New Delhi: In view of attacks on eyewitnesses in the Asaram sexual assault case, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and the state governments to come up with a proper mechanism to ensure the safety of witnesses in the sensitive cases.

The apex court had in past asked the central government to frame a national witness protection programme, in view of growing threats to eyewitnesses.

The apex court passed the order while hearing a writ petition stemming from the Asaram case.

The order was passed after the apex court was informed that the security cover given to witnesses was decreasing while the cases were still on in lower courts.

An apex court bench led by Justice AK Sikri was hearing a high-profile case where godman Asaram Bapu (Asumal Sirumalani) and son Narayan Sai have been accused of sexual assault on women followers of Asarams religious cult and offences under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly assaulting minor followers.

The controversial godman and his son Narayan Sai have been in judicial custody for the last four years on the sexual assault charges.

A criminal writ petition had been filed last year by several witnesses who feared for their safety after several other witnesses have been killed or have gone missing since the investigations began and witnesses had come forward to testify against the self-styled godman and his son.

A number of witnesses have been killed or disappeared while the investigation into sensitive matters were still on and legal proceedings continued in different courts in India.
New Delhi: French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Jean-Yves Le Drian, arrived here today for a two-day visit to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two sides.

Minister Le Drian will call on for wide-ranging talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the State visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India.

The French minister will hold political meetings with several Indian dignitaries, including India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of State (IC) for Power and New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh.

He will also meet Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser to the Indian Prime Minister.

Minister Le Drian's day one visit will be to strengthen various aspects of France's bilateral cooperation with India, its foremost Asian strategic partner: security, economy, sustainable urban development and renewable energy, education and research, people-to-people ties and cultural affairs.

On the second day of his visit, he will officially launch the third edition of the Indo-French platform "Bonjour India" on Saturday.

Jean-Yves Le Drian will also unveil "The Experience": an immersive and interactive multimedia journey to the heart of the Indo-French relationship.

The Grand Opening of Bonjour India will take place at Amber Fort, Jaipur, on Saturday evening. The event will be attended by Minister Le Drian, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, which will feature a monumental video creation by French artist Xavier de Richemont, entitled "Barghal".

Bonjour India is a three-month Indo-French collaborative platform focused on innovation, creativity, and partnership, which will be presented in more than 300 events in 33 cities across India.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France and discussed the strategic and bilateral relations between the two countries.

During his meeting with Drian, PM Modi said that the significance of India-France Strategic Partnership is not limited to the bilateral context, but acts as a force for peace and stability in the regional and global context as well.

The Prime Minister appreciated the contribution of the France Minister to the growing India-France engagement, in his current role as well as in his earlier role as Defence Minister of France.

PM also told him that he looks forward to receiving President Macron in India at his earliest convenience.

Drian briefed Modi on recent developments in the bilateral relationship as follow-up to the Prime Ministers visit to France in June 2017.

On the second day of his visit, Drian will officially launch the third edition of the Indo-French platform "Bonjour India" on Saturday.

Jean-Yves Le Drian will also unveil "The Experience": an immersive and interactive multimedia journey to the heart of the Indo-French relationship.

The Grand Opening of Bonjour India will take place at Amber Fort, Jaipur, on Saturday evening. The event will be attended by Minister Le Drian, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, which will feature a monumental video creation by French artist Xavier de Richemont, entitled "Barghal".

Bonjour India is a three-month Indo-French collaborative platform focused on innovation, creativity, and partnership, which will be presented in more than 300 events in 33 cities across India.
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NEW DELHI: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on Friday hit out at the Narendra Modi government for celebrating Moody's upgrading India's credit rating. "We should celebrate Moody's upgrade by holding a midnight ceremony in Central Hall of Parliament and damn Standard and Poor's," he tweeted on Friday.

Pinning faith in India's progress on the economic front, Moody's Investor Services on Friday upgraded the country's ratings for the 1st time since 2004. Moody's said that the recently-introduced goods and services tax (GST) will promote productivity by removing barriers to interstate trade.

However, unfaced by Moody's appreciation, Standard and Poor's reportedly said that India needs to address its weak fiscal position. S&P has till now retained India's rating at 'BBB-' with a stable outlook.

Hailing Moody's ratings, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that it is a belated recognition of all the positive steps taken with regards to the Indian economy. "We welcome this upgrade, we believe that it is a belated recognition of all the positive steps which have been taken in India in the last few years, which has contributed to the strengthening of the Indian economy," Jaitley said on Friday.
New Delhi: The Congress today accused the Modi government of "clutching at straws" to reclaim the lost credibility, and said it and rating agency Moody's have failed to gauge the mood of the nation.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala also sought to downplay Moody's rating upgrade of India, saying the same agency had miscalculated US subprime mortgages before the economic meltdown.

"After destroying India's economy, the Modi government is clutching at straws to claim lost credibility," he said on Twitter.

"Modiji and Moody's 'jodi' (duo) have failed to gauge the mood of the nation," he said, adding that hunger deaths, agri distress, job losses, lowest credit ratings, rising prices, plunging exports, flawed GST, demonetisation disaster, stagnant growth are the real indices to measure it.

Taking a dig at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Surjewala said, "Mr Jaitley, do remember that Moody?s, S&P and other rating agencies defaulted in rating American sub-prime mortgages...Before the economic meltdown."

"Lesson is stop acting and get your act together. Shun arrogance and listen to the trade and industry," he told the finance minister.

The Congress leader said the Modi government relied upon a World Bank report of Delhi/Mumbai to claim all is well and quoted a PEW survey of 2,464 people to claim victory.

"At this pace, Modiji should be fighting next election abroad," he said, taking a dig at the prime minister.

"Mr Jaitley, history teaches us valuable lessons. You ignore them at your peril! As greed, collusion and crony capitalism sank banks and Wall Street, please read who contributed to wiping away people's money.

"Hope you are not following the same trajectory!," he said.

Moody's Investors Service today raised India's sovereign rating for the first time in 13 years, saying growth prospects have improved with continued progress on economic and institutional reforms.

The US-based agency changed its rating outlook to 'stable' from 'positive', saying the reforms will help stabilise rising levels of debt.

Top ministers and officials of the government hailed the rating upgrade by Moody's as "long overdue" and hoped others such as S&P and Fitch will follow suit as it presses ahead with steps to ratchet up growth.
New Delhi: A court here on Friday dismissed the bail plea of alleged hawala dealer Muhammad Aslam Wani, arrested in a money laundering case.



Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma rejected the bail plea of Wani.



The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had in September filed a charge-sheet against Wani and Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).



Wani was arrested on August 6. He had reportedly confessed that he had passed on hawala money amounting to Rs 2.25 crore to Shabir Shah.



Shah was arrested on July 25 on charges of money laundering in a case dating back to 2005 when the Delhi Police Special Cell had arrested Wani.



In the 2005 case lodged by the Special Cell, the court had acquitted co-accused Wani of the charges of criminal conspiracy and other offences but convicted him under the Arms Act, his defence counsel told the court.



The ED submitted that conviction under the Arms Act was a triggering point to take action under the PMLA.



Both Wani and Shah have denied the charges.
Here are the top stories of November 17, 2017:

1. No harm will be done, I have full faith in judicial system: Deepika Padukone on Padmavati controversy

She has been called names. There have been threats against her life. One man even offered Rs 5 crore to anyone who would behead her. Slightly flustered as she may be, Deepika Padukone is clear and sure about one thing - the courts will deliver her justice in the raging controversy over her latest film, 'Padmavati'. Read full report

2. Using more military force in Jammu and Kashmir? Most Indians support it, suggests Pew survey

At a time when many sections in the society are demanding removal of AFSPA in some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, more than 60 percent respondents of a survey believe that the Centre should use more military force in the state, American fact-tank Pew Research Centre said on Friday. Read full report

3. Let's celebrate Moody's by damning Standard and Poor's: Yashwant Sinha

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on Friday hit out at the Narendra Modi government for celebrating Moody's upgrading India's credit rating. "We should celebrate Moody's upgrade by holding a midnight ceremony in Central Hall of Parliament and damn Standard and Poor's," he tweeted on Friday. Read full report

4. Shashi Tharoor should study history, says his party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia  Know why

It seems Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's 'valourous maharajas' comment hasn't gone down well with another party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia. Taking strong objection to Tharoor's remark, Scindia said, "I think he should study history, I am Jyotiraditya Scindia and I am proud of my past." Read full report

5. Saudi King Salman to step down next week, son Mohammed to take over: Report

Saudi Arabia's King Salman may step down next week and hand over the crown to the Islamic kingdom to his son, Mohammed bin Salman, a British news outlet has reported. If it does happen, this would be a major development that is likely to have a cascading effect on the region. Read full report
Mumbai: The makers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" have rubbished reports that the film, which is facing protest from several Rajput groups, has been postponed to January next year.

There have been reports saying that the makers plan to postpone the release of "Padmavati" to January 12, following political pressure.

When contacted Ajit Andhare, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, told PTI, " (It's a) complete rumour."

He also shared a statement on Twitter.

"Rumours of postponement of Padmavati are baseless," he tweeted.

The period drama has been courting controversies as several fringes including Rajput Karni Sena are protesting against the film and Bhansali for distorting historical facts.

The film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh is set to release on December 1.
Patna: Amid ongoing protest against director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming movie Padmavati, the Sri Rajput Karni Sena on Friday said that it won't allow the controversial film's release at any cost.

The fresh warning came from the outfit's chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi.

Lashing out at actress Deepika Padukone, Kalvi said that she was not the President of India to roll out orders on the release of the movie 'Padmavati'.

"Who will tolerate the fact that Rani Padmavati is being shown as the lover of Allauddin Khilji? Deepika Padukone, in her statement, said that the film would be released at any cost. She is not the president of this nation. She is trying to provoke us. I, the founder of Rajput Karni Sena, am saying that this film will not be released," Kalvi was quoted as saying by ANI.

He even condemned Sanjay Leela Bhansali for using Rani Padmavati's name for commercial gains.

"If I ever meet him I will ask him to not use my mother's name, Rani Padmavati. I will not tolerate this," Kalvi said.

He further said it was not only the Rajput Karni Sena, but everyone in the society who was coming forward to speak against this film.

Kalvi went on to say that he will formally request the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to take a stand and stop this film from being released.

The Centre needs to decide what has to be done here,' Kalvi said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people today protested at the main gate of Chittorgarh Fort forcing the authorities to close it for visitors.

#Bihar: Women of Rajput community protested against #Padmavati film in Patna, say won't let the film be released in the state. Rajput Karni Sena President Lokendra Singh Kalvi also present. pic.twitter.com/erwubW0QEb  ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2017

Protesters were also seen brandishing swords and other arms at the site. Some shots were reportedly fired during the protest which triggered panic among the tourists gathered outside the fort.

Some tourists were seen leaving the site in a hurry after gun shots were heard.

Police deployment has been increased to prevent the situation from going out of control.

On Thursday, a member of the Rajput Karni Sena had said that if need be, action would be taken against Padukone.

Speaking to ANI, Mahipal Singh Makrana said, "The Rajput Karni Sena is fighting to protect the image of women being portrayed in the films. We never raise a hand on women but if need be, we will do to Deepika what Lakshman did to Shurpanakha for violating the rules and culture of India."

The outfit's chief had earlier called for a nation-wide shutdown on December 1  the day film is supposed to be released. Lakhs would gather on December 12 if the film's release is not halted, he said.

"Our ancestors wrote history with blood, hence, we will not let anyone blacken it," the Sena chief added.

The Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha members also protested against the film in Jaipur and filed signatures with blood to be sent to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The protests have turned even more violent, as acts of vandalism in Rajasthan's Kota were reported on Tuesday.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday summoned India`s Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh over alleged ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) which it said left two civilians dead.



Mohammad Faisal, who heads the South Asia wing in the Foreign Office, summoned the Indian envoy and "lodged a strong protest on the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces in Chirikot and Nezapir sectors on Friday.



"The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws," the official said.



"The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," he added.



The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the incidents of truce violations, said an official statement.



The Indian diplomat was also told that New Delhi should permit the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role in Jammu and Kashmir.



The Foreign Ministry said that this year the "Indian forces have carried out more than 1,300 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary" which, it claimed, had led to the deaths of 52 civilians and injuries to 170.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to respond to a plea which has sought its direction on issues, including availability of sufficient gas supply in the NCR and review of status of existing coal-based power plants, aimed at tackling the problem of air pollution.

The application has also sought the top court's direction to implement the 2015 emission standards for power plants by December this year and also direct the Centre to strengthen the distribution of electricity in the National Capital Region (NCR).

A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, representing the Centre, about it and he said that he would take instructions and file a response, if necessary.

The application has been filed by an advocate, who has been appointed as an amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter.

During the hearing, the court also observed that it would consider the issue of deadline for implementing BS-VI emission standards for vehicles.

The plea has sought a direction that "sufficient gas supply be made available so that all power generation in the NCR is from power plants using gas as their principal fuel".

It has also sought ban on import of pet coke and furnace oil, review of status of existing coal-based power plants and a time-bound switch over to natural gas.

It has said the Centre should be directed to oversee measures to strengthen the distribution of electricity in NCR to ensure that there was no shortfall in availability of power on 24X7 basis.

Meanwhile, the bench asked the Centre, amicus and the counsel appearing for the Central Pollution Control Board to identify the money, which was collected under various heads pursuant to orders passed by the court in pollution matter, so that it could be properly utilised.

The court, however, did not pass any order on a separate application filed by the amicus seeking a direction for collection of a compensatory sum on petrol and diesel in the NCR which would be used for measures to deal with pollution in the region.

The plea has also sought a direction to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to examine the feasibility of existing technologies and present a workable scheme on the use and disposal of crop stubble to the court.

The court was hearing a PIL filed in 1985 by environmentalist M C Mehta who had raised the issue of air pollution in the Delhi-NCR.
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is expected to take a call on Islamabads offer of arranging a meeting between the alleged Indian spy, Kulbhushan Jadhav, and his wife on humanitarian grounds.

Pakistan government had on Thursday said that it was waiting for India's response on its to allow alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife.

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said this in during his weekly media briefing yesterday.

"The Government of Pakistan has decided to arrange a meeting of Commander Kulbhushan Jhadav with his wife, in Pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds, Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had said in a statement on November 10.

"A Note Verbale to this effect has been sent to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, he had said, adding that the meeting would take place on Pakistani soil.

Pakistan had last week said that it will allow 46-year-old Jadhav to meet his wife, months after India had requested Islamabad to grant a visa to his mother on humanitarian grounds.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April on charges of espionage and terrorism. The International Court of Justice in May halted his execution on India's appeal.

Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies.

However, it is not clear what prompted Islamabad to allow Jadhavs wife to meet him in Pakistan.

There was speculation that the two countries discussed the issue in a recent meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Sawraj and the newly-appointed Pakistani High Commissioner to New Delhi Sohail Mahmood.

Some media reports have linked Pakistan's offer to the quiet efforts by the US.

Pakistan, however, insisted that the offer was made purely on the ''humanitarian grounds''.

The offer from Pakistan came as India awaits the re-election of Dalveer Bhandari at the International Court of Justice. If Bhandari loses his re-election bid against Britains Christopher Greenwood for the last seat at ICJ, India will have no representation at the UN court.

Jadhav has filed an appeal with Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to seek clemency, which is still pending. Last month, the Pakistan Army had said it is close to a decision on the mercy petition of Jadhav.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested him from restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy.

Jadhav's sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India. After India approached the ICJ, a 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.

The ICJ has asked Pakistan to submit its response or memorial by December 13 before the court could start further proceedings in the case.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: At a time when many sections in the society are demanding removal of AFSPA in some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, more than 60 percent respondents of a survey believe that the Centre should use more military force in the state, American fact-tank Pew Research Centre said on Friday.

When it comes to dealing with the disputed border regions of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian public favors an aggressive stance. A 63 percent believes the government should be using more military force. Few say India should use less force or even the same amount as it is using now, the Pew survey report said.

The state has been on the edge since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani by security forces in July last year. It has witnessed widespread clashes between the security forces and civilians since then.

According to the survey, while Indians have consistently given Pakistan negative ratings in Pew Research Center surveys, the extent of their disapproval has intensified in 2017. More than six-in-ten (64 percent) in India have a very unfavorable view of Pakistan today, up from 55 percent last year.

Disdain for Pakistan cuts across party lines  BJP and Congress party supporters express similar levels of negativity for Indias longtime foreign rival (70 percent vs 63 percent very unfavorable), the report further stated.

The survey, conducted between February 21 and March 10, sought the views of 2,464 people across the country, in both urban and rural areas.

J&K interlocutor briefs Rajnath Singh about dialogue

The Centre's special representative (interlocutor) for a sustainable dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma, who undertook a five-day visit to the state, briefed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on November 15 on the first round of talks he had with various sections of the society there last week.

Sharma made his presentation at a core group meeting, chaired by Rajnath Singh for a security review of Jammu and Kashmir. It was attended by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and top brass of Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing, National Investigation Agency and para-military forces.



In the meeting, Sharma informed the Home Minister about the response that he got during his meetings with different sections of society, including political parties, student organisations, and social and religious groups in Jammu and Kashmir as well as those from the Jammu Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Jammu Bar Association, representatives of West Pakistan refugees and others. The former spy chief also shared the major concerns voiced by those he had met during the visit.

An old Kashmir hand, Sharma, who had served in the state with the Intelligence Bureau from 1992-94 when militancy was at its peak, kickstarted his exercise in Srinagar by talking to representatives of about half-a-dozen apolitical organisations and others and later for two days in Jammu.



Sharma, who has the rank of Cabinet Secretary, called on former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and held discussions with him.
SRINAGAR: Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq slammed the Narendra Modi government for not introducing the Islamic banking system in the country.

Expressing his vent against the Centre, Mirwaiz accused the government of not introducing the Islamic banking due to its politically motivated religious agenda.

The Hurriyat leader expressed his views on Twitter to hit out at the Modi government.

"Express regret at Govt of Indias rejection to introduce #IslamiBanking due to its politically motivated religious agenda.#Kashmir has been demanding Islamic banking for a long time to accrue of the benefits of banking as per Islamic law & in turn help the economic growth of J&K," he tweeted.

He also cited some IMF figures to criticise the government for not implementing Islamic banking in Jammu and Kashmir. Mirwaiz claimed that the J&K people have long demanded the introduction of such banking system.

"Govt blinded to the benefits that Islamic banking can bring to its people & overall economy.As per IMF,Islamic finance assets grew at a double-digit growth rate from $200 US billion in 2003 to $1.8 trillion at the end of 2013 that include non muslim countries China,Germany,UK &US," his another tweet said.

In a major move, the RBI decided not to pursue a proposal to introduce Islamic banking in the country.

Replying to an RTI query, the central bank said the decision was taken after considering the wider and equal opportunities available to all citizens to access banking and financial services.

Islamic or Sharia banking is a finance system based on the principles of not charging interest, which is prohibited under Islam.
SRINAGAR: Pakistan Army on Friday opened indiscriminate fire at the Indian positions near the international border in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector, injuring a jawan and triggering a massive retaliatory firing by the security forces.

Automatic weapons and mortars were used in the unprovoked firing by the Pakistani forces along the Line of Control (LoC), the ANI reported.

Friday's unprovoked firing was another major ceasefire violation by the Pakistani border guards.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army is strongly retaliating against the Pakistani shelling.

An Army jawan sustained minor injuries in the exchange of fire.

"Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics, and mortars from 0745 hours in Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC)," a senior Army officer said.

On November 2, a BSF jawan was killed when Pakistani Rangers attacked a patrol party along the International Border in Samba district.

A girl was injured when Pakistani troops opened fire from small arms along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch district on October 31.

On October 18, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling in the district.
Srinagar: One policeman was martyred and a special police officer (SPO) was injured when terrorists attacked a police party in Zakura Hazratbal area in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

The cop killed was posted as a sub-inspector with the J&K Police.

Three militants travelling in a car opened fire on a police team at the Zakura crossing on Srinagar-Ganderbal road, killing sub-inspector Imran Tak and injuring to a special police officer (SPO), a police official said.

Following the incident, the security forces have cordoned off the area and combing operations are underway to flush out the terrorists.

More details awaited.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An ambulance driver from Kerala on Wednesday rushed a one-month-old baby for an urgent surgery, driving a distance of 516 km from Kannur to here in just seven hours.

The driver Thamim managed to cover the distance of at least 13 hours in seven with the help of Kerala Police and Child Protect Team organisation.

He picked the infant, Fathima Labia from the Kannur facility and dropped her to the SRI Chithra Mission Hospital.

Fathima had to undergo an emergency heart surgery. She was transported by road as the arrangement of air ambulance to the nearest airports could not be made possible.

Kerala Police in collaboration with an NGO, Child Protect Team organisation ensured that Thamim's ambulance could run without traffic hindrances.

Two SUVs reportedly accompanied the ambulance to make it run smooth.
Bhopal: A 10-year-old girl was gang-raped here many times in the last few months by three men, who took the help of a woman to lure her each time. The four have been arrested, police said on Friday.



Jahangirabad Superintendent of Police Bhartendu Sharma told IANS that the girl lives in Jahangirabad area. While on her way to school, she would be offered toffees by a woman, who lives in the neighbourhood. The woman would then hand over the girl to the three men. This went on for months.



The girl fell ill one day and told her mother, who works as a domestic help, of her ordeal. The mother took her to the police station and registered an FIR.



On the basis of the complaint, the police arrested Gokul Chaurasia, Nanhu Lal and Gyanendra and the woman who helped them.



The incident comes weeks after a college student was raped by four men in Bhopal. Despite being the daughter of a policeman, she had to struggle to get her complaint registered. The four accused were later arrested.
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the process of handing over the land for a memorial to Shiv Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray was in the last stages.

The land is situated at the mayor's bungalow in Shivaji Park, Dadar.

"The process of handing over the land is in the last stage. Once the process is completed, the plot will be handed over (to the Shiv Sena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial Trust). The government is making all efforts to clear it on a priority," Fadnavis said here.

The CM was speaking at a press conference after paying homage to Thackeray on his fifth death anniversary.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray was also present at the press meet.

The proposed memorial was announced on November 17, 2015. A committee under chairmanship of the then chief secretary had suggested a few sites, but Uddhav Thackeray had approved the spot where the mayor's bungalow now stands.

Meanwhile, a Sena release said the party chief today presented a cheque of Rs 2 crore to Fadnavis for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, to help farmers.

"The Sena president toured all the districts of the state, addressed farmer gatherings and took a strong position for the cause of cultivators due to which the government announced a loan waiver scheme.

"However, despite the government's assurance, money has not been yet deposited in bank accounts of farmers," the release stated.

"Until that happens, Uddhav Thackeray asked all his party MPs, MLAs and corporators to donate a month's salary for farmers. He himself contributed Rs 10 lakh," it added.
New Delhi: Investor wealth on Friday rose by Rs 1.71 lakh crore as India's sovereign credit rating upgrade gave investors a big reason to cheer.

Both Sensex and Nifty today ended with more than 0.5 percent gains, powered by financial and metal stocks.

The rating action by Moody's became apparent right in the opening session that saw the BSE index shoot up 414 points at one point. But the momentum failed to carry on as investors rushed in to shave profit as the index closed the day at 33,342.80, up 235.98 points -- or 0.71 percent. The gauge had rallied 346 points in the previous session.

Led by the gain in the stock market, the total market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies surged by Rs 1,71,489.22 crore to Rs 1,44,90,494 crore.

Moody's Investors Service today raised India's sovereign rating for the first time in 13 years, saying growth prospects have improved with continued progress on economic and institutional reforms.

The US-based agency upped India's rating to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed its rating outlook to 'stable' from 'positive', saying the reforms will help stabilise rising levels of debt.

Meanwhile, Cipla was the leader of the Sensex chart, gaining 2.64 percent, while HDFC Ltd came in next, up 2.23 percent.

Broader markets played along, with mid-cap and small cap indices adding up to 1.03 percent.

On BSE, 1,615 stocks advanced, while 1,135 declined and 174 remained unchanged.

With PTI Inputs
Beijing: Chinese tech giant Huawei has denied favouring Muslims with its phones equipped with alarms for prayers after it was "viciously attacked" by Chinese netizens, state media reported on Friday.

Huawei issued a statement saying that the alarm function is specifically designed for customers in overseas regions, and is not available in China.

Huawei's statement comes after netizens posted videos and screen shots of one of Huawei's product commercials showing it designed the alarm function for users to do morning prayers at nearby mosques.

But the commercial has been removed from Huawei's website and e-commercial websites such as JD.Com and Taobao, the state-run Global Times reported.

Many netizens criticised Huawei for giving preferential treatment to Muslims with some even calling for a boycott of the company.

However, Huawei's defenders said they believe the company is considerate enough to design such a function for Muslims.

The company said someone "deliberately distorted" the facts and fanned the flames to attack Huawei, and that it has vowed to take legal action.

Huawei is a global company which provides customised designs for people from different countries, culture and ethnic groups, the company said.

As early as in 2008, Huawei was attracting many Muslims in countries such as Indonesia by designing special functions for them to practice their faith, such as including the Koran in the cell phone, the Global Times report said.
Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are expected to come together on Friday to pay their respects to Bala Saheb Thackeray  the charismatic and polarising leader of Maharashtra.

According to reports, Maharashtra CM is expected to attend an event at the Shivaji Park to commemorate the fifth death anniversary of the late Shiv Sena supremo.

Fadnavis took to Twitter to pay his tribute to the iconic leader of the Maharashtra, whose death five years back shook the entire nation.

Thousands of people today thronged the Shivaji Park to pay their tributes to the iconic leader, who died on 17 November 2012.

Bala Saheb founded Shiv Sena - a right-wing organization - that is known for championing the causes of Hindus and has its presence felt more prominently in Maharashtra and in other states.

Uddhav Thackeray, the present leader of the party, is also likely to address a vast gathering of supporters on the occasion.

Bal Thackeray was born on 23 January 1926, and worked as a cartoonist for the English news company The Free Press Journal until he left and created his own politically oriented newspaper Marmik.

Bal Thackeray formed Shiv Sena because he was more concerned about the well-fare of Maharashtrians and their rights. Thackeray was the man who created a Marathi votebank in Mumbai and its surrounding regions.

He was a controversial figure in the political landscape because of his blatant hatred of Muslims and his approval of Adolph Hitler's actions.

Nonetheless, he was very respected in his community and had great oratory prowess through which he used to move and convince his audience.

Bal Thackeray was succeeded by his three sons, Bindumadhav Thackeray, Jaidev Thackeray

Uddhav Thackeray.

He was the only leader after George Fernandes who could bring Mumbai to a standstill with a single command.

Thackeray is credited with engineering the first non-Congress government in Maharashtra.

At a time when the Congress dominated the political scene in Maharashtra, his son of the soil agenda - later taken up by various regional political parties, including his nephew Raj Thackeray - swayed locals and won votes.

Never known to mince words, Thackeray once famously described himself as the man who has the remote control of the first Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra, in 1995.

The firebrand leader stirred up several controversies during his public life.
Mumbai: The Mumbai Police on Friday beefed up the security of actress Deepika Padukone who plays the titular role of Queen Padmavati in noted film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcomiing movie Padmavati in view of threats from the Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS).

ANI today published pictures of the security cover given to the actress in view of the threats from the right-wing outfit, which is demanding a ban on Padmavati's release over what it calls ''the glaring distortion of historical facts'' by the makers of the movie.

A heavy posse of security men has been deployed outside the actress's residence as well as the office in Mumbai.

"The Mumbai Police have increased actor Deepika Padukone's security after the outfit issued the nose chopping threat," Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven Bharti was quoted as saying by PTI.

The Rajput Karni Sena had on Thursday warned of physical harm in case she did not refrain from "inciting public sentiments".

Karni Sena leader Mahipal Singh Makrana invoked the nose chopping of 'Surpanakha' in the epic Ramayana and said if the Bollywood film "Padmavati" was not banned and Padukone does not refrain from fanning sentiments with her provocative language, the Rajputs will not lag behind in acting.

Rs 5-crore offered for beheading Deepika, Bhansali

Following Shri Rajput Karni Sena's threat to Deepika Padukone, the Chatriya Samaj in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday announced a reward of Rs 5 crore to anyone beheading Padmavati's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the actress.

Demanding a ban on Padmavati, Thakur Abhishek Som, an office-bearer of the Chatriya Samaj announced the reward. Deepika has played the titular role of Queen Padmavati in the movie.

Thakur Som, who is an active member of the Samajwadi Party, warned the Bollywood actress to leave the country or face beheading. He had also threatened the Director Sanjay to withdraw release of the controversial film or be ready to face the consequences.

"The role played by Deepika has hurt the sentiments of Rajput women. No Rajput woman dances in public. Director Sanjay has no knowledge of the history of Rajputs in the country. He has distorted historical facts and should be punished," stated Som.

Earlier in the day, the Union Home Ministry said that it will provide all help to the authorities to maintain law and order amid ongoing protests against the film.

Also, the Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha members had signed a letter in blood to be sent to the Central Board of Film Certification as a mark of protest.

The members of the unit have been asserting that the movie hurts the sentiments of the Rajputs and should not be allowed to be released. The film is slated for release on December 1.

The Karni Sena had called for 'Bharat Bandh' on December 1, which is slated as the release date of the film.
Brickhouse BBQ is dropping the BBQ from its name and will reopen with the owner of the State Street restaurant Sweet Tea as its new chef.

The restaurant, 408 W. Gorham St., which opened in 2010 next to Riley's Wines of the World, closed two months ago after owner Jongyean Lee lost her sous chef.

"I didn't mean to close," Lee said. "The sous chef got a new job and the chef couldn't handle it himself. He left, too... Without a kitchen it's hard to run a restaurant."

The restaurant closed Sept. 24, but some kitchen staff helped Lee open one day in early November to hold a previously-scheduled wedding.

Lee plans to reopen Nov. 29 with Candy Flowers as her executive chef. Flowers' southern food cafe, Sweet Tea at the Fountain, on the 100 block of State Street, is in a holding pattern, Flowers said.

One of the reasons it needed to close was for the eventual demolition of the building for a new hotel.

"We are moving the spirit of Sweet Tea to the Brickhouse," Flowers said, noting that the menu will offer the same types of southern comfort food as Sweet Tea, but will also keep the pulled pork and smoked chicken that Brickhouse offered.

Flowers said the former Brickhouse fare might taste a little different. "They'll be the Sweet Tea version. They'll be my recipes as opposed to the Brickhouse recipes."

Lee said the restaurant will drop the BBQ from its name, but that won't happen right away. She said having BBQ in the name led people to think the restaurant just served barbecued ribs. "They didn't understand that we have salads and other things," Lee said.

The restaurant invested in new smokers about a year ago, Lee said.

Lee describes Brickhouse taking on more of a "soul-food style," but Flowers prefers to think of her cooking as Southern comfort food. Most people equate soul food with too much salt and a lot of pork, she said.

Flowers said the new Brickhouse will have barbecue, but it will no longer be its main focus. She pointed out that 90 percent of her side dishes will be vegetarian.

"We're in an area where there are a lot of students, so we want to make them feel like they can come here and get a home-cooked meal," said Flowers, who grew up in Atlanta.

Some of her more popular dishes are fried chicken brined in sweet tea, spicy braised greens and pineapple upside down cake. And she also offers tea that is extremely sweet.

Going into the Brickhouse is an opportunity for Flowers move into a bigger space, gain more exposure and be closer to her customer base, she said.

"Just how Sweet Tea right now is Sweet Tea at the Fountain, this will be Sweet Tea at Brickhouse."

Flowers, who's been running Sweet Tea since July 2016, wanted to make sure she wasn't "stuck without somewhere to go" when the building comes down.

"We're just happy to be able to continue to serve. It's just been a wonderful experience. The Fountain was a great experience," she said. "We just want to be able to continue to do that and this was an opportunity to continue to do that regardless of what happens to the building."

Lee, along with her husband, Hyungirl Lee, also owns Samba Brazilian Grill, Riley's Wines of the World, The Vineyard and The Church Key, both at 626 University Ave.; and Badger Liquor.

Brickhouse is in a narrow building where Gorham Street turns into University Avenue. It has an urban, warehouse look, with exposed brick and duct work, large windows and lots of wood. The restaurant has three levels, plus a rooftop patio with a view of the Capitol, and can handle almost 200 customers.

Lee said that recently Flowers surprised her by having a home-cooked meal delivered to Riley's at its 9 p.m. closing time. Lee took it home and was impressed with the fried chicken, beans and rice, macaroni and cheese and cornbread.

"I'd heard her food was good," Lee said, "and it was."
Mumbai: In more trouble for noted film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Friday seeking the deletion of some objectionable content from the controversial movie Padmavati.

According to ANI, the petition has been filed by a lawyer, who wants some objectionable scenes removed from the movie.

A lawyer filed a petition in Supreme Court against #Padmavati, seeking deletion of objectionable scenes. Court said "will consider the plea" pic.twitter.com/pPV8cFTeew  ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2017

Responding to the plea, the apex court said that it ''will consider it.''

Earlier this morning, the Mumbai Police beefed up the security of actress Deepika Padukone who plays the titular role of Queen Padmavati in noted film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcomiing movie Padmavati in view of threats from the Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS).

ANI had published pictures of the security cover given to the actress in view of the threats from the right-wing outfit, which is demanding a ban on Padmavati's release over what it calls ''the glaring distortion of historical facts'' by the makers of the movie.

A heavy posse of security men has been deployed outside the actress's residence as well as the office in Mumbai.

"The Mumbai Police have increased actor Deepika Padukone's security after the outfit issued the nose chopping threat," Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven Bharti was quoted as saying by PTI.

The Rajput Karni Sena had on Thursday warned of physical harm in case she did not refrain from "inciting public sentiments".

Karni Sena leader Mahipal Singh Makrana invoked the nose chopping of 'Surpanakha' in the epic Ramayana and said if the Bollywood film "Padmavati" was not banned and Padukone does not refrain from fanning sentiments with her provocative language, the Rajputs will not lag behind in acting.

Rs 5-crore offered for beheading Deepika, Bhansali

Following Shri Rajput Karni Sena's threat to Deepika Padukone, the Chatriya Samaj in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday announced a reward of Rs 5 crore to anyone beheading Padmavati's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the actress.

Demanding a ban on Padmavati, Thakur Abhishek Som, an office-bearer of the Chatriya Samaj announced the reward. Deepika has played the titular role of Queen Padmavati in the movie.

Thakur Som, who is an active member of the Samajwadi Party, warned the Bollywood actress to leave the country or face beheading. He had also threatened the Director Sanjay to withdraw release of the controversial film or be ready to face the consequences.

"The role played by Deepika has hurt the sentiments of Rajput women. No Rajput woman dances in public. Director Sanjay has no knowledge of the history of Rajputs in the country. He has distorted historical facts and should be punished," stated Som.

Earlier in the day, the Union Home Ministry said that it will provide all help to the authorities to maintain law and order amid ongoing protests against the film.

Also, the Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha members had signed a letter in blood to be sent to the Central Board of Film Certification as a mark of protest.

The members of the unit have been asserting that the movie hurts the sentiments of the Rajputs and should not be allowed to be released. The film is slated for release on December 1.

The Karni Sena had called for 'Bharat Bandh' on December 1, which is slated as the release date of the film.
Washington: Actor Jeffrey Tambor has been accused by another woman of sexual harassment.

The 73-year-old actor has been accused by fellow `Transparent` actor Trace Lysette, who plays a Yoga instructor, Shea, in the series, of making lewd, sexually suggestive and unwelcome remarks to her several times, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

Lysette has appeared as a guest star in multiple episodes of the show`s four seasons to date.

She has claimed, "Jeffrey made many sexual advances and comments at me, but one time it got physical.

"However, Amazon said that the new information would be added to their ongoing investigation.According to Lysette, during a break in filming of a scene, Tambor made lewd comments and forced himself on her in a "sexually aggressive manner."

The actress is the second on the `Transparent` payroll to come forward with allegations that Tambor has subjected them to sexual harassment, sexual assault and generally abusive behaviour on the sets of the critically adored series.

The first accuser, Van Barnes, is a trans woman, who worked as Tambor`s personal assistant, and whose allegations have led to an internal investigation by Amazon Studios.

The second season of `Transparent` traces a father`s journey to womanhood, Maura Pfefferman, which is played by Jeffrey Tambor, in a role that has won him two Emmys and struggles to find the right inflection for the popular queer catchphrase.

According to an Amazon spokesperson, "this information will be added to our ongoing conversation."Tambor has, however, denied the claims.
New Delhi: Top Pakistani actress Mahira Khan is a popular name across the border. She has an incredible work to her credit and a huge fan following. Her latest release 'Verna' which the cast was extensively promoting in Pakistan has faced a ban and that upset the actress.

'Verna' is directed by renowned director Shoaib Mansoor starring Mahira and Haroon Shahid in the lead roles. The film got embroiled in a controversy owing to its content.

Reportedly, the filmmaker has filed an appeal, and the decision to release the film in the country is still pending. Mahira's Verna is about a rape victim's fight for justice and the film still awaits its certification from the censor board.

The actress finally opened up on the issue and took to Twitter to vent out her feelings. She wrote: Tonight I realize how powerful artists are, not those in power. We are. Why else do we get banned? Why else do our films pose a threat to them? In this game of power - we will always win. Art/love/truth always does! #PowerDiGame #verna

Tonight I realize how powerful artists are, not those in power. We are. Why else do we get banned? Why else do our films pose a threat to them? In this game of power - we will always win. Art/love/truth always does! #PowerDiGame #verna  Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) November 16, 2017

A ban on the release of 'Verna' has started a Twitter debate on why films are targetting most of times. Twitterati stands united with the artistes and have slammed the controversy surrounding the film.

No doubts. This threat lead to this ban! Art will win no matter what. Today or tomorrow it is always going to be a winner.#Verna November 16, 2017

Yes! #Verna has given them a headache...they get scared when their reality gets exposed. All the best to you mk  Verna On 17.11.17 (@ZehraRimsha) November 16, 2017

'Verna' is scheduled to release on November 17, 2017. Back home, Deepika Padukone starrer 'Padmavati' is facing a similar situation where fringe groups are protesting against the release of the film.
New Delhi: Scientists have been provided with vital information about gases in a galaxy cluster located at a distance of 240 million light years from Earth via data captured by a 'lost' satellite mission.

When the Japanese Hitomi X-ray satellite  a joint initiative by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)  was launched, little did the space agencies know that it will come to an abrupt end due to problems with its altitude control system.

However, they also probably didn't expect that during the 38 days that it was functional, it would gather data that would give astronomers an access to important insight into the Perseus galaxy cluster  a collection of thousands of galaxies orbiting within a thin hot gas.

The data has allowed scientists to analyse the composition of the Perseus gases and gain a deeper understanding of the stellar explosions that created them.

The gas in the Perseus cluster averages 50 million degrees Celsius and is the source of the cluster's X-ray emission.

Using Hitomi's high-resolution Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) instrument, researchers observed the cluster between February 25 and March 6, last year, acquiring a total exposure of nearly 3.4 days.

The SXS observed an unprecedented spectrum, revealing a landscape of X-ray peaks emitted from various chemical elements with a resolution 30 times better than previously seen.

In a paper published in the journal Nature, researchers show that the proportions of elements found in the cluster are nearly identical to what astronomers see in our Sun.

One group of elements is closely tied to a particular class of stellar explosion, called Type Ia supernovas. These explosions entail the total destruction of a white dwarf, a compact remnant produced by stars like the Sun.

These blasts are thought to be responsible for producing most of the universe's chromium, manganese, iron and nickel - metals collectively known as 'iron-peak' elements.

The study suggests that the same combination of Type Ia supernovas producing iron-peak elements in our solar system also produced these metals in the cluster's gas.

This means both the solar system and the Perseus cluster experienced broadly similar chemical evolution, suggesting that the processes forming stars  and the systems that became Type Ia supernovas  were comparable in both locations.

"Despite the failure of the mission soon after launch, the precious few observations that we did obtain have proven to be transformational for our understanding of superheated cosmic plasmas," said Poshak Gandhi, astronomer at University of Southampton.

"Such plasmas outweigh known galaxies in clusters 10 to one, so are an essential component to our complete understanding of the universe," said Gandhi, who was among a 200-strong team of scientists involved in the international collaboration.

(With PTI inputs)
Bengaluru: The first French Tech Hub in India would be established in Bengaluru with international collaborations on R and D under an MoU signed by the Karnataka government and Business France India.

The French Tech Hub is part of the five programmes identified under the umbrella of the French Tech as part of the partnership to develop and intensify mutual beneficial cooperation with the Karnataka government.

Twenty two French Tech Hubs have been setup in the world.

"The establishing of the French Tech Hub in Bengaluru will provide a single point access to innovations in France," IT, BT and Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge said.

The MoU was signed at the ongoing Bangalore Tech Summit 2017, a flagship programme of the Karnataka government, on the second day of the mega-event here.

Kharge said Bengaluru has been the innovation and start-up hub of the country and has proven to be a preferred location for start-ups.

"We intend to provide best in class exposure to our start-ups for cross learning, incubation and partnerships. In this regard, the partnership with Business France India will enable Karnataka start-ups to leverage the inherent strength of France in education and R&D," he said.

The MoU sees promise in the dynamic start-up ecosystem which has emerged in France over the last few years as well as the strength of Karnataka as a start-up hub, a release said.

Five areas identified for the MoU include promotion of French Tech Ticket, a program designed for entrepreneurs from all over the world who want to create their startups in France, international collaboration and learning and commercial expedition.

Business France is the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy.

Its three key responsibilities are to support French or foreign companies with their international development, facilitate job-creating foreign investment in France and promote France's attractiveness to business.
COPENHAGEN: Alphabet Inc`s Google said it has bought a plot of land in southern Denmark adjacent to a planned Apple Inc data centre to make sure it has the option of building one there too.

Apple said in July it would spend around $950 million to build a centre with a planned opening in 2019. If Google follows suit it would make the area one of the world`s largest data centre hubs, the local municipality Aabenraa said.

"This is great news," Denmark`s energy minister Lars Christian Lilleholt told Reuters on Friday.

"It signals that Google has plans in Denmark, and I think it`s because we have some of Europe`s lowest power prices for companies, some of the greenest energy, and a high security of supply," he said in a telephone interview.

Facebook in January announced plans to build a data centre in Odense in central Denmark, its third outside of the United States.

Besides its new 131 hectare (324 acres) plot in Aabenraa Google also owns a 73 plot in Fredericia, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Aabenraa.

Google has no plans for the lots yet, but wanted to secure the possibility to expand its data centres in Europe if required, a spokeswoman told Reuters.
Mumbai: Actor Akshay Kumar gave a suggestion to an aspiring actor while shooting for "The Great Indian Laughter Challenge".



Before commencing shooting of the Star Plus show, Akshay interacts with the audience. While doing so, he met a fan who was a waiter and plans on becoming an actor, read a statement.



He reminded Akshay of his struggling days. The actor then told the young man: "Always keep your goals in front of you. When I was a waiter back in Bangkok, I used to keep a picture of actress Sridevi, actors Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan in front of me while working."



"That time I knew I always wanted to become an actor and this helped me work in the direction of achieving my dream. Today, I can proudly say that I have worked and been associated with all three of them in some way or the other."
New Delhi: Bollywood has had a number of film stars who aced their performances not only as big screen actors but even took the television industry by storm. These actors appeared as hosts and it gave them immense popularity.

Here are some of our dear celebrities who contributed significantly to the television industry:

1. Amitabh Bachchan- Kaun Banega Crorepati

Big B's iconic 'Devviyon aur Sajjanno' and the popular music of India's one of the most sought-after television shows, Kaun Banega Crorepati instantly pops up in our minds, the moment someone mentions a general knowledge show.

KBC is still running and the show just wrapped up the shoot of season 9.

2. Karan Johar- Koffee With Karan

Who could ever forget the quirky jokes on Koffee with Karan and the mug signing towards the end of each episode. This is the show where Alia Bhatt called 'Prithviraj Chauhan' as India's president and where most celebrities shared their personal stories! K Jo is surely one of our favourite hosts.

3. Shah Rukh Khan- Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?

The king of romance, SRK delighted his fans when he appeared on television as a host with Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?. The show was an Indian version of the American game show, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? He even started his career from the small screens. Remember Fauji?

4. Akshay Kumar- Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi

Akshay is known for his martial arts expertise and when he hosted a show like Khatron Ke Khiladi, no one could keep calm. Akshay played a doting host on the show, helping contestants to get over their fears in this immensely popular show. Akshay hosted the 1st, 2nd and 4th season of the show.

5. Salman Khan- Bigg Boss

The 'Baap' of all reality shows, Bigg Boss found its favourite host in Salman Khan who has hosted 7 seasons of the show including the current Bigg Boss 11. Several other celebrities have hosted the show including Arshad Warsi, Amitabh Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty.

6. Simi Garewal- Rendezvous with Simi Garewal

The gorgeous Simi Garewal's talk show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal was well received by the audience and soon became a cult talk show. Celebrities came and talked about their personal lives on the show with Simi as the host.

7. Aamir Khan- Satyamev Jayate

Watching Satyamev Jayate highlight the social issues prevalent in our society, not only did it struck the right chord with viewers but also gave us Aamirthe host. He did a brilliant job in projecting the peoples' problems and bringing them up on National Television.
NEW DELHI: In more trouble for Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, protesters in Uttar Pradesh have announced a bounty of Rs 50 lakhs on the heads of the two Bollywood fraternities for "wrongfully portraying" queen Padmini in their coming film 'Padmavati'.

The protesters, including both men and women, were seen holding a protest march and shouting slogans against Bhansali and Deepika in Sambhal district.

The latest threat comes a day after a Meerut resident from the Kshatriya community on Thursday announced a bounty of Rs 5 crore on the heads of Padmavati film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone.

Thakur Abhishek Som of Sardhana Chaubisi, who claimed affiliation to the Samajwadi Party, said the Kshatriya community will not tolerate wrongful portrayal of the queen and meddling with its rich heritage.

The makers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" have rubbished reports that the film, which is facing protest from several Rajput groups, has been postponed to January next year.

There have been reports saying that the makers plan to postpone the release of "Padmavati" to January 12, following political pressure.

When contacted Ajit Andhare, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, told PTI, " (It's a) complete rumour."

The period drama has been courting controversies as several fringes including Rajput Karni Sena are protesting against the film and Bhansali for distorting historical facts.
Lucknow: All issues can be resolved through dialogue, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said here on Friday after meeting Muslim leaders as part of his efforts to mediate a solution to the protracted Ram temple dispute.

Ravi Shankar, who was in Ayodhya yesterday and met various leaders across the religious spectrum, said he respected the courts but they cannot connect hearts.

"Even after 100 years, the judgements of courts will remain but if we find a solution through our hearts it will be recognised through the ages," Ravi Shankar told newspersons after meeting the rector of the Farangi Mahal Islamic Centre of India, Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangimahli, and other community leaders.

Farangimahli is also a senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

"We accept that it is a little late for such efforts but we want that the issue should be resolved soon," Ravi Shankar said.

"I am confident we will achieve something big for the country through this," he added.

According to Ravi Shankar, a new message of brotherhood needs to be taken forward.

Asked if his efforts are aimed at a settlement before the court decision on the issue or even after that, he said, "We are not leaving any possibility... We are not working on an agenda but trying to find a way."

The Art of Living founder asked for time and said there was no hurry, religious heads would come together and talk.

Giving his take on the talks, Farangimahli said differences will be removed if leaders of both sides sit together and talk regularly.

Ravi Shankar yesterday met Dinendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara as well as Muslim intellectuals in Ayodhya and Faizabad.

His efforts to mediate have found favour only with a section of both communities with major parties, including the AIMPLB and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, expressing their reservations.

A day before visiting Ayodhya, he had met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow and said he wanted "unity and amity".
The Marvel universe is vast and ever-expanding.

It lives on screens small enough to fit in your pocket and larger than life itself. It exists on TV, the movie theater, and streaming services of all kinds.

And it all began on the pages of a comic book.

Marvel dates back to 1939, when its beginnings as Timely Publications introduced the Human Torch, among others, to audiences. Along the way, Captain America appeared, as did the rest of the Fantastic Four, with the Invisible Woman, the Thing and Mister Fantastic joining a revamped Human Torch for a superhero team. By this time, in 1961, the company had adopted the name Marvel Comics (the name of its first publication as Timely, by the way), and its roster of superheroes started rolling out: the Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Doctor Strange, the X-Men, the Avengers, Daredevil, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Inhumans, Black Panther  and thats just some of the characters who appeared in the 1960s.

So many more followed, some forgettable, some memorable, all powerful, with rich backstories and missions to carry out. Marvels infiltration into television started in the 70s, with The Amazing Spider-Man and The Hulk, and continues today, with scads of Marvel characters all over the airwaves: Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Marvels Inhumans on ABC; The Gifted on Fox; Daredevil, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones on Netflix; Legion on FX.

And its about to get a bit bigger.

On Friday Marvels The Punisher begins streaming on Netflix. Its the story of Frank Castle, an ex-Marine who was part of a top-secret mission that turns out to be part of a larger conspiracy. He gains the nickname The Punisher after he launches a vengeance campaign against the killers of his wife and family. The thing is, those in charge of that top-secret operation want him dead because of what he witnessed and what he knows.

Jon Bernthal (Shane from The Walking Dead) reprises the role he played in the second season of Daredevil, now as the lead of his own show. Hes fueled by anger, not superpowers; that, and an impressive array of firepower and weaponry. Hes aided by David Lieberman, aka Micro (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), whose background as an NSA analyst helps Castle uncover some of the mysteries behind his familys murder.

Also premiering this week is Marvels Runaways, streaming Tuesday on Hulu. Its the story of a group of teenagers who find out their parents have been lying to them for quite a long time. They band together to find out whats behind their parents actions, along the way discovering some interesting things about themselves (spoiler alert: They have superpowers!). Their parents, unfortunately, want to stop them before they find out too much  or find themselves in danger. Runaways comes from executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the team who created Gossip Girl and the recently rebooted Dynasty.

And among the upcoming Marvel incarnations are Cloak & Dagger, for Freeform; and an animated Deadpool series for FXX, both to premiere in 2018.

A Marvel universe, indeed.

Back for a cause: Jon Stewart is again hosting Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs, this year on HBO after many years on Comedy Central. The fundraiser is raising money for NEXT for Autism, which pays for education spaces and other tangible things that make lives better for people with autism. The benefit was started by comedy writer Robert Smigel and his wife, Michelle, to help their son, Daniel. This years special features Stephen Colbert, J.J. Abrams, Edie Falco, Robert De Niro, John Oliver, Andy Samberg, Sarah Silverman  really too many to mention here. Who wont be appearing is Louis C.K., who was removed from the program after allegations of sexual harassment were made public by the New York Times. Night of Too Many Stars airs live at 7 p.m. Saturday on HBO.

It begins : The annual airing of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Ch. 27, and the SNL Thanksgiving Special  no doubt including Paul Simon singing Still Crazy after All These Years while wearing a turkey costume, and other well-worn bits  airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Ch. 15. Can the Christmas specials be far away? Nope; they start the day after Thanksgiving. With a vengeance.

What else is new? The 2017 American Music Awards, featuring performances by Lady Gaga, Nick Jonas, Imagine Dragons and Khalid, Demi Lovato, Kelly Clarkson and Diana Ross, will be presented at 7 p.m. Sunday on Ch. 27; and Chicago Med returns to join its brethren, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., at 9 p.m. Tuesday on Ch. 15.
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Friday asked the West bengal government to submit an affidavit by next week regarding the number of deaths that have taken place in the state due to dengue. The HC also asked the government to list out the measures taken to fight the disease.

The Mamata Banerjee government had on Thursday said that 38 people had died due to dengue and claimed that the media was sensationalising the issue by creating a situation "out of nothing".

Advocate General (AG) Kishore Dutta had submitted that 23 people had died of the vector-borne disease in the state-run hospitals and another 15 in private facilities since January.

Questioning the maintainability of the public interest litigation (PIL) petitions filed with regard to the alleged dengue outbreak in the state, the AG said the petitioners had relied on newspaper reports and not on any independent research.

"A situation has been created out of nothing. Dengue is nothing new, it occurs worldwide," Dutta said.

The AG said around 1.3 lakh people had been tested for dengue at government facilities in the state and of them, around 21,000 had been confirmed to be suffering from the disease.

The petitioners have alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state is hiding the actual figures of those affected by dengue.
Lahore: A Pakistani judicial board will decide on November 22 whether to extend JuD chief and the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's house arrest or not, a court was told on Friday.

A law officer of the Punjab provincial government during the hearing in Saeed?s house arrest case told Lahore High Court Judge Qazi Amin Ahmed that the Punjab Judicial Review Board would decide this matter on November 21.

The LHC held the hearing on a petition filed by Saeed challenging the October 24 order of the Punjab's Home Department to extend his detention for another one month under a public safety law.

The court in the last hearing had issued a notice to the provincial government seeking reply on Saeed's detention. Accepting the law officer's request the LHC adjourned the hearing for November 22.

Last month, the Punjab Judicial Review Board had extended by 30-days Saeed's detention which will expire by the last week of this month.

On January 31, Saeed and his four aides -- Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain -- were detained by the Punjab government for 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. However, the last two extensions to his detention were made on the 'public safety law'.

The board refused to extend the detention of Saeed?s four aides. They were later set free in the last week of October.

Under the law, the government can detain a person for up to three months under different charges but to extend the detention, it needs approval from a judicial review board.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar- e-Toiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The US has offered a USD 10 million bounty for Saaed for his alleged role in the Mumbai attack.
MOSUL: Hussein Faleh has only one dream: to return to his home in the ravaged Old City of Iraq`s Mosul.



But, more than four months after government forces declared victory in their operation to push the Islamic State group out of its largest stronghold, moving back into his house remains a distant prospect.

"I would love to go back and rebuild my house, but the security forces don`t allow it," the unemployed father-of-three, 29, told AFP.

While the fierce street battles to reclaim the winding alleyways of the second city`s historic centre ended in July, officials and residents say the deadly legacy of jihadist rule still haunts Mosul`s old heart.

The famed area that once boasted traditional houses, mosques and churches is now largely a deserted tangle of metal and rubble -- stalked by fears of booby traps left behind by IS or sleeper cells of fighters ready to strike at any moment.

"Civilians regularly fall victim to explosions," said Ghazwan al-Dauaui, who is in charge of human rights for the local authorities. Only the sound of the nearby Tigris river or the noises of stray animals can be heard among the ruins of buildings that still bare IS slogans.

Every once in while, a blast rings out as the security forces combing the Old City detonate ordnance left behind.

But their main job still remains hunting for any IS members who might have managed to go to ground when government troops arrived.

"IS fighters are still hiding in cellars where rubble has not been cleared away," said Khalaf al-Hadidi, a member of the provincial council.

"They survive thanks to stores of food and water."

Hadidi said that Iraqi personnel regularly flush out and kill fighters but they "do not announce" it because the authorities are desperate to convince the population that they are finished with IS.

In this limbo of fear, it is no surprise that rumours swirl.

One has it that some jihadists manage not to come out for months as they feed intravenously and wear adult nappies.Sociologist Hamed al-Zubeidi, who is based in Mosul, says that so long as these "sleeper cells" remain, life cannot return to the city`s historic centre.

"It delays the reconstruction and will lead to a new collapse of security," he said.

For now, life in Mosul appears to be a tale of two cities.

Compared to the west bank of the Tigris where the Old City is located, the districts on the east bank are "paradise", says 28-year-old civil servant Safad Yassin.

He has decided to rent a flat for his family across the river, while they wait, he hopes, to return to their home.

Provincial police chief Wathiq al-Hamdani says that in east Mosul "95 percent of residents have returned to their homes".

Some 39,000 families have supposedly moved back into outlying districts on the west bank but not to the Old City.

"Stabilising the situation will take some more time, a lot of effort and the rebuilding of public services," Hamdani said.

For the few who have returned, the nights in the Old City are filled with anxiety as each sound stirs fears of unseen threats.

"All sorts of rumours are spreading because of these noises," said Umm Mohammed, 33.

"But perhaps it is only the wind blowing through the ruins."
Baghdad: The Iraq army said it launched an assault today on the small Euphrates valley town of Rawa, the last in the country still held by the Islamic State group.

"Operations to liberate Rawa began at dawn," the Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

The launch of the attack as the Syrian army battled for a second day to retake the town of Albu Kamal just across the border.

An army general contacted by AFP at the front predicted that the battle for Rawa would be swift as "the majority of IS fighters who were in the town have fled towards the Syrian border."

The US-led coalition battling the jihadists said on Thursday that they had lost 95 per cent of the cross-border "caliphate" the size of Britain that they declared in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
RIYADH: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was on Friday preparing to leave Saudi Arabia for France, a move aimed at defusing political turmoil sparked by his shock resignation in Riyadh.

The Lebanese premier is due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday after allegations from Hariri`s political rivals back home that he was essentially being held hostage by the Saudi authorities.

The announcement of the visit came after Hariri met French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh Thursday, with Lebanon`s former colonial power Paris hoping to ease a crisis that has driven up tensions between regional titans Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Hariri, a dual Saudi citizen, has been in Riyadh since issuing a statement on television there on November 4 that he was stepping down because he feared for his life while also accusing Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his nation.

The announcement -- which reportedly took even some of Hariri`s closest aides by surprise -- and his subsequent failure to return home to officially quit in person, fuelled speculation that he was acting under orders from his Saudi patrons.

Both Hariri and Riyadh denied claims he was being held against his will, with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir insisting he could leave the country "when he pleases".

Macron`s office said the French leader would meet Hariri at noon on Saturday.Lebanese President Michel Aoun, who had accused Saudi authorities of "detaining" Hariri and refused to accept his resignation from abroad, welcomed the news about the trip to Paris.

"We hope that the crisis is over and Hariri`s acceptance of the invitation to go to France is the start of a solution," he said Thursday on the official presidential Twitter account.

"If Mr. Hariri speaks from France, I would consider that he speaks freely, but his resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he will have to remain there until the formation of the new government," Aoun said later in a statement issued by his office.

France`s intervention was the latest in a string of European efforts to defuse the tensions over Lebanon, where divisions between Sunni Hariri`s bloc and Shiite Hezbollah have long been part of the broader struggle between Riyadh and Tehran.

There is no indication what Hariri plans to do after visiting Paris, but Macron had insisted he would then be free to return to Lebanon to either hand in or rethink his decision to quit. Hariri`s resignation comes as temperatures have soared in the long-standing regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with Riyadh undergoing a major shake-up under ambitious Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

The two powers are backing opposing sides in the protracted wars in Yemen and Syria -- entangling them in a complex web of proxy conflicts.

France sparked ire from Tehran after Le Drian accused it of "hegemonic" ambitions in the region during his visit to Riyadh.

"France has a biased and partisan approach to the crises in the region and this approach, whether intentionally or not, is even contributing to turning potential crises into real ones," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said Friday.

Meanwhile mutual suspicion of Iran also appears to have pushed US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel closer together, despite the two countries having no official diplomatic ties.

In a rare interview with an Arabic-language outlet published Thursday, Israel military chief Gadi Eisenkot said his country was prepared to share information with Saudi Arabia to face Iran`s plans "to control the Middle East."

Earlier both Hezbollah and Iran accused Saudi Arabia of pressing Israel to launch attacks in Lebanon.
Islamabad: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday said that the military was always ready to deal with any kind of "perpetual threat" on its eastern border including the LoC with India.

The Chief of Army Staff visited the Rawalpindi Corps headquarters where he was briefed on the prevalent situation along the Line of Control (LoC)/the Line of Actual Contact (LAC) and operational preparedness, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), army's media wing, said in a statement.

"Expressing satisfaction on the response to India's ceasefire violations, Bajwa said that there cannot be any let up for our preparedness for response against perpetual threat on our eastern border including LOC/LAC," the ISPR said.

Meanwhile, China's Special Envoy on Afghan Affairs Deng Xijun called on Bajwa at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.

Matters of mutual interest including regional security with particular emphasis on Pak-Afghan border management and counter-terrorism efforts were discussed, the ISPR added.
Ankara: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Ankara had pulled out 40 Turkish troops from a NATO exercise in Norway, in a new outburst of tensions with its Western allies.

Erdogan said in a televised speech to ruling party members he had ordered the troops to be removed from the exercise after an incident on Thursday deemed offensive to himself and the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Turkey, which became a member of NATO in 1952, is a key member of the alliance but tensions have grown in recent months over its crackdown after the failed coup and Ankara`s increasingly close alliance with Russia.

Without going into detail over the incident, Erdogan said an image of Ataturk and his own name were used "and these were the targets".

He said Turkey`s top general Hulusi Akar and EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik -- who were on their way to a NATO conference in Halifax, Canada -- had informed him of the incident.

"They said `this has happened... and we are going to take out our 40 soldiers`. And I said `absolutely, don`t hesitate, take them out right now`" Erdogan said.

"It`s not possible to have this kind of alliance," he added, speaking in front of giant pictures of himself and Ataturk, who founded modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire in 1923.

Turkish officials contacted by AFP said there were for now no further details on the incident. There was also no immediate comment from the Norwegian military.

Some Turkish media speculated that his comments indicated that images of Ataturk and Erdogan had been used for target practice in the exercise.

NATO`s website lists two military exercises that are currently ongoing in Norway. It was not clear what drill Erdogan was referring to and there was no immediate comment from NATO.

While Turkey is still playing an active role in the alliance, its Western allies have been particularly troubled by a deal for Ankara to purchase an S-400 air defence system from Russia.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman may step down next week and hand over the crown to the Islamic kingdom to his son, Mohammed bin Salman, a British news outlet has reported. If it does happen, this would be a major development that is likely to have a cascading effect on the region.

The website of British newspaper Daily Mail said in an exclusive report that 81-year-old King Salman, after handing over the crown to his son, will continue to hold the title of 'Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques'.

This would be the first time in 64 years that the crown of Saudi Arabia will pass from one generation to the next. After the death of the founder of the present House of Saud, King Abdulaziz 'Ibn Saud' in 1953, all six kings have been his sons.

The handover of power to Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS as he is widely known, comes just weeks after he ordered a wave of arrests of around 40 royals in what was described as a crackdown on graft.

Sources told Daily Mail that after taking the crown the 32-year-old MBS will shift focus to Iran, the other major player that is jostling with Saudi Arabia for supremacy in the region. The Saudi royal family has always seen Iran in antagonistic terms, especially after the Iranian Revolution in 1978, which overthrew the Persian monarchy and established a theocratic Islamic Republic.

The sources said MBS is likely to work with Israel to counter Iran and also to defeat Hezbollah, the Tehran-backed Lebanese militia. Israel too had put out the view that it would be willing to work with Saudi Arabia to cut Iran down to size.

MBS has also given strong indications that he intends to break the nexus between the House of Saud and the literalist and puritanical Salafi clergy, also known as Wahhabi. He has said he favours a more moderate strain of Islam. He has also been leading the effort to make Saudi Arabia a more viable economy by diversifying it away from oil.

This is likely to have a significant on the balance of religious power in the entire region. The House of Saud came to power in the 1930s with the help of Ikhwan militia of the Salafi movement. Since then, Salafi clerics have had a grip on power in the kingdom. However, the Salafis' predominance in violent Islamist movements and terror outfits has been a growing point of discomfort for the Saudis.

Mohammed's purge of the royal family found support from US President Donald Trump. He tweeted:

I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing.... November 6, 2017

....Some of those they are harshly treating have been milking their country for years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2017

It remains to be seen how the remaining members of the House of Saud react to the handover of power from Salman to Mohammed. With around 40 princes being held prisoner in a luxury hotel in Riyadh, it doesn't seem too tall an ask.
United Nations: The UN Security Council has failed to adopt the draft text of the US addressing the renewal of the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN investigating chemical attacks in Syria.

The resolution on Thursday received 11 votes in favour and two against, with two abstentions, Xinhua reported. But since one of the votes against it was from Russia, a permanent council member, the resolution failed to pass.

China abstained from voting on the resolution.

The Security Council had planned to put on vote two draft resolutions, each of which would renew the mandate of the JIM, which ends on November 17. Russia withdrew its draft resolution before the vote began, citing procedure reasons.

"China is firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons by whichever country, organization or person for whatever purposes and under whatever circumstances," said Wu Haitao, China`s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

He said, "we have always maintained that the JIM should carry out comprehensive, objective and impartial investigations into chemical attacks in Syria."

"Base this work on solid evidence and draw conclusions that can stand the test of time and reality. Only by doing so can the perpetrators of chemical weapon attacks in Syria and those accountable be brought to justice and can the Syrian people be freed from the suffering caused by chemical weapon attacks," Wu added.

There had been a great deal of activity around the renewal of the JIM and its final report in the last few weeks.

The US put to a resolution to vote to renew the JIM with the same mandate for an additional year on October 24, two days before the release of the JIM`s final report.

Russia vetoed the resolution, arguing a need to evaluate the effectiveness of the JIM by assessing the final report before discussing its renewal.

On November 2, Russia and the US circulated competing for drafts renewing the JIM`s mandate.

On November 7, Edmond Mulet, head of the JIM`s leadership panel, briefed the council on its final report. During the briefing, the existing divisions in the council were on full display.

Russia criticised the JIM for falling short of the standards of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday which said Russia`s armed forces numbered just over 1.9 million people, including over 1 million military servicemen.

The TASS news agency said the new decree replaced an older one from 2016 which had put the total number of personnel in the armed forces at around 1.8 million.
A man who allegedly fired gun shots into the air in Downtown Madison in October was taken into custody Thursday afternoon.

Marquis Lampley, 20, with Madison and Milwaukee addresses, was tentatively charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety, Madison police said.

The police department's violent crime unit had developed probable cause to arrest Lampley, and he was found and arrested on Regent Street late Thursday afternoon.

Lampley allegedly fired a gun into the air the morning of Oct. 8 near the intersections of John Nolen Drive, East Wilson Street and Williamson Street.

A woman had gotten out of Lampley's car and was walking away shortly before he got out and fired several rounds into the air before getting back into his car and driving off.

Nobody was hurt.
New Delhi: Most global powers are now openly talking of containing China. This invariably comes with mentions of increasing cooperation with India as a counterbalance in the region. But how did the Asian giant go from an economic fairy tale to being referred to as a threat to the global order? Simply put, it refuses to play by the rules.

Here is a 10-point guide to understanding the rising fear of China:

1. Chinas economic growth for decades has been driven by two things. One, adopting an export-oriented economic model that has made it the worlds factory. Two, infrastructure-driven domestic growth. Both these drivers of Chinas economic growth have slowed down in recent years.

International markets for Chinas goods are not growing  they have either saturated or are going through economic crises. And, there is little left for Chinas huge construction sector to build at home. There are now more houses than people in China, and at least a dozen ghost cities.

2. China had to increasingly rely on the import of raw materials for its manufacturing industry and to meet its energy needs. This meant it invested in a number of countries to get its hands on natural resources.

3. China has decades-long border disputes with most of its neighbours. The most sensitive territorial claims for Beijing at the moment is the South China Sea, which step on the toes of nearly every country in Southeast Asia. China also has other long-standing territorial issues with Japan in the east and India in the west.

4. China has the largest active military in the world. And it is using this force to aggressively posture against much smaller countries in its neighbourhood in an attempt to cow them into silence against its policies and its expansionism.

5. There are three major issues that underscore Chinas refusal to follow international rules. One, Beijing refused to recognise the orders of the arbitral tribunal on the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) because the ruling went against it. This was serious, since China was a voluntary signatory to UNCLOS, which among other things aims to ensure that all countries have unfettered access to global shipping routes.

6. Two, China has invested in countries around the world , especially in Africa, with one-sided contracts that are often seen as a loot of that countrys natural resources. The local economies in these countries also fail to reap the benefits of huge projects because most of the labour is brought in from China. Beijing has also been accused of bribery and unethical practices in these cases.

7. Three, Chinese companies are facing an increasing number of accusations of intellectual property theft. These accusations usually come from companies that manufacture in China, who say the manufacturer steals their designs. These designs are then used to either create clones of the products or to manufacture copied products that Chinese companies sell for much cheaper. These accusations are especially rampant for electronic goods.

8. The other major concern for global powers is the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. Experts have warned that the project, which is reliant on infrastructure projects funded by Chinese loans to host countries, will leave behind a trail of debt ridden nations with projects that may not bring economic benefits. Such a debt trap could trigger a domino effect of strained economies, which would strain global economic growth. Further, OBOR projects run through some areas that are disputed between countries, adding a touch of a doubt to longevity and viability. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) running through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is merely one example of this.

9. China is also sending its military further outward each year. It recently opened a naval base in Djibouti and has military access to the Gwadar Port in Pakistan.

10. The common thread through most of the concern is that if China refuses to play by the rules of the established global order, it could lead to the collapse of the relatively calm post-World War II international system. The efforts of the West on this front seem geared to conserve this rules-based world order. To this end, global powers are increasingly trying to bring more players on board what is already looking like a bloc that is meant to clip Chinas wings at each turn. China is unlikely to take this quietly.
A former Wisconsin prisons secretary said Friday that hes writing a tell-all book about how the investigation into abuse at the states youth prison was botched and how difficult life was inside Gov. Scott Walkers Cabinet.

Ed Wall said hes written five chapters of the book so far and is planning 25 more chapters. He hasnt hired an agent yet and doesnt have a publication date, but he said the book will focus on how politicians dont care about anything but themselves.

Its going to give people insight into what life is really like inside the Walker cabinet, Wall said in a telephone interview. I learned I dont like working with politicians. Theyre far too focused on themselves rather than the people theyre supposed to serve.

Walker appointed Wall as Department of Corrections secretary, a cabinet position, in 2012. Word broke in late 2015 that the DOJ had been investigating allegations of widespread guard-on-prisoner abuse at the youth prison outside Irma. Wall ultimately resigned in February 2016 as news broke that the FBI had taken over the investigation.

State law permitted Wall to return to his previous job as administrator of the DOJs Division of Criminal Investigation. Justice officials gave him the job back, but quickly demoted him and placed him on leave.

Attorney General Brad Schimel fired him in April 2016 after he sent a letter to the home of Walkers chief-of-staff, Rich Zipperer, asking for help in getting his old administrators job back. He noted in the letter the administrations concerns about creating public records and told Zipperer to feel free to shred it. Schimel said he couldnt trust an employee who encourages others in state government to break the law.

Wall has since landed a job with a New Hampshire cybersecurity firm, but is still bitter about not getting his DCI job back.

He said the book will detail how the DOJ botched the youth prison investigation. He said he asked the agency to look into the abuse allegations in early 2015. Justice officials reluctantly agreed to investigate but assigned only one agent on a part-time basis to the case. They eventually assigned a second agent on a part-time basis during the summer of 2015, but they never pulled any incident reports or inmate medical reports, Wall said.

The agency finally sent dozens of agents into the prison in December after an inmate got his foot slammed in a door during a scuffle with guards and lost two toes.

A federal judge in July ordered staff at the prison to reduce their use of pepper spray and cut back on shackling inmates and placing them in solitary confinement. The order stemmed from a class-action lawsuit The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and the Juvenile Law Center filed on inmates behalf. An FBI investigation continues.

Wall also said he plans to write about how Walkers appointees were tightly controlled and had to get permission to promote any potential stories to the media, as well as about how the DOJ bullied him out of his administrator job so Schimel could give a person of his own choosing the position.

Asked for a response, Walker spokesman Tom Evenson said in an email that Walls replacement as DOC secretary, Jon Litscher, is widely respected and Walker is glad to have him in the administration. He did not address Walls allegations.

Schimel aide Johnny Koremenos said in an email that Wall hasnt accepted that he cost himself his job by trying to circumvent the states open records law.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received on November 17 the recipient of 2017 Presidential Award for the Global Contribution in the Area of Information Technologies Tony Fadell, founder of Nest Labs.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office, greeting the prominent scientist, Serzh Sargsyan noted that the Presidential Award for Global Contribution in the Area of Information Technologies expresses the united admiration and gratitude of the Armenian people towards those who propel the civilization becoming symbols of the time.

By bestowing this award we also try to draw the attention of our youth on success cases and successful people, explaining by all the possible means that humans are the greatest wealth with their shortcomings and problems, but also their talent. Our focus on this sphere, I think, gives results. Our youth has great interest towards this sector and we are glad the schoolchildren are also interested, President Sargsyan said.

Tony Fadell thanked the President for the reception and noted that he has already met with the Prime Minister of Armenia and is aware of the innovations in the IT sector, and particularly in the electronic management. You should open your country for the outer world, you should tell about your positive developments, Tony Fadell said, adding that its very important that physics and mathematics, and other subjects related to the IT are on a high level in Armenia. Tony Fadell also expressed interest in working with Armenian specialists in the future.

In the evening, at the Presidential Palace there will be a reception in honor of the recipient of the Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies for year 2017 Tony Fadell.

Additional information on the RA Presidential Award for the global contribution to the IT area

Tony Fadell is the eighth recipient of the Presidential Award for the global contribution to the area of information Technologies. The first award was bestowed on the former President of the Board of Directors of Intel Corporation Greig Barrett in 2010, the second one was given in 2011 to Steve Wozniak - a co-founder of the Apple Computers corporation, the third one  in 2012 went to Federico Faggin - the Honorary President of the Synaptics Company, the fourth award went to Tsugio Makimoto, the President of Semiconductor Industry Association, President of the Techno Vision company, former CEO of the Hitachi Company, the fifth  to Chief Development Officer of Sysco Systems, Inc., Mario Mazzola, the sixth  to Director General of Kaspersky Lab Evgeni Kaspersky.

The Presidential Award for the global contribution to the IT area was founded by President Serzh Sargsyans decree of July 6, 2009 and is aimed at the enhancement of the areas development. The award is annual and is bestowed on the individuals who have made outstanding contribution to the area and whose input  technological, educational, organizational, financial or other has resulted in significant developments in the area of information technologies. The nomination program is carried out by the award committee designated by the President of Armenia and the international commission. The award represents a medal symbolizing Armenia and high technologies, a diploma and a souvenir.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Tony Fadell, founder of Nest Labs, the recipient of 2017 Presidential Award for the Global Contribution in the Area of Information Technologies, is convinced that Armenia is on the right path on creating a digital society, reports Armenpress.

During the awarding ceremony at the Armenian Presidential Palace, Tony Fadell thanked the Armenian President, the Prime Minister and the Committee for nominating and electing him for this award.

You truly believe that there is a way to take your country from where it has been, where it is today and where its going. I would like to leave you with a few words about things I have seen about success in my 25-30 years career in the IT business. The first thing is about creating an environment for success to happen. There are three important things that President has already mentioned, the first one is education, education at all levels, from primary school all the way up and it is not just after postgraduate, but even beyond. The world is a changing place; it is changing faster than ever. Today is the slowest the world will ever be, it will only accelerate through technology and the people, world citizens not just through the school they have done, but each day. And so whatever programs that you can create to continually educate yourselves as well as your constituents, as well as your population, the better off your economy will be and will allow new things to flourish that we havent seen before, Tony Fadell said.

According to him, the second is about government, it is about government leadership. He said the Armenian government now has an ability to not just have technology inside the government, its now about shaping a digital society and creating laws, regulations and working in public-private partnerships to define what digital society is. It is about how we are going to embrace technology, what does privacy mean, what does security mean, what does data access mean for all demographics. I believe that Armenia has this, after talking to the Prime Minister, after talking to the President; you are on the press of this, onto creating a digital society, as the world has never seen before, because you have a microcosm here and if you look at startups, they always start with a small team. You are a small country, but it can grow outsize if you take advantage of this microcosm that you have and this community you have and lead, not just follow, not just adopt technology, but actually think about what your society can be and work towards it every day and unlike a startup I know tenacity of the Armenian people. The government is not going away, so if you imagine it in 10 or 20 years and even if there is ups and downs, youll get there, because the government is not going away, its a state of mind and you will have different startups that will be able to create this digital society for all, he said.

The third thing, according to him, is the public-private partnership. Its really about opening up to accept things, people such as myself, investors, teams, mentors into your society as well as having them come into ours so that we can learn and communicate and take the best of the world, because I believe if you can set a digital society sooner than any other country, the world will be looking at you to see how it is done the right way. So those three things I believe is whats going to bring you forward. you will try, you will fail, but you will learn and you keep going, you dont stop, you keep trying, because if you know what you believe is true, it will be the future, you will get there one day as long as you keep learning along the way. So again, I challenge you, I hope to come back, I hope to help you in someway to create that digital society, to show the world what it really means to embrace the next millennia. You have been around many millennia, this country, this people have been around many millennia, just like you have done to create the alphabet, to adopt the Christianity as the first country in the world. Adopt a digital society that is equality for all for all in the digital world and you will again set the stage like you have done in the past, Tony Fadell concluded.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The key topic of discussion of the Coverage of integration processes in CIS and EEU territories media forum have become prospects of integration, main issues of covering integration processes and challenges.

The media forum, which is attended by leading media experts, politicians and political analysts from Armenia, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, will sum up trends of integration processes, prospects and peculiarities of coverage.

Organizers of the event are ARMENPRESS state news agency and the Armenian branch of the CIS Countries Institute.

Any integration process is aimed at responding to the countrys social economic and political challenges and is in line with the foreign political vision of the states. It is aimed at realization of reforms which have synergic result. The forum will enable to discuss the diverse perceptions regarding the two integration processes, Professor Alexander Margarov, head of the Armenian branch of the CIS Institute said.

The media forum will proceed under two plenary sessions  Information Accessory of Integration Processes and Assessments, Current Situation, Prospects within CIS and EEU Integration Processes.

The significance of covering integration processes and importance of cooperation between news agencies of state involved in various integration platforms is difficult to overestimate. One of the goals of the forum is to discover these opportunities and realize potential of partnership as much as possible, Aram Ananyan, director of ARMENPRESS news agency said.

ARMENPRESS news agency and BELTA news agency of Belarus are expected to sign a memorandum of cooperation during the forum. Guests of the forum will also deliver master classes for students of Armenian universities.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The cancellation of the Special cover issued by HayPost CJSC and dedicated to the 2017 GIT Award of the President of the Republic of Armenia for outstanding contribution to humanity through IT was held in the Armenian Presidential Palace on November 16, HayPost CJSC told Armenpress.

The Special cover depicts the 8th Laureate of Global Award of the President of the Republic of Armenia for Outstanding Contribution to Humanity through IT Tony Fadell, Lebanese-American innovator, founder of Nest Labs and creator of iPod trademark. The Special cover also depicts seven Laureates of the previous years.

The Special cover represents a unique philatelic product - a thematic cover, on which 2 stamps dedicated to the theme GIT Award of the President of the Republic of Armenia for outstanding contribution to humanity through IT and issued in 2013 are attached and which will be cancelled with a Special postmark. The Special cover was designed with a print run of 500 pcs.

The cover signing ceremony has been attended by President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, Minister of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies Vahan Martirosyan, the 8th Laureate of GIT Award of the Armenian President Tony Fadell.
Heres how members of Wisconsins congressional delegation voted on major issues in the week ending Nov. 18.

Note: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, voted. By custom, the speaker does not vote except in rare circumstances.

HOUSE

Flood Insurance Renewal: The House on Nov. 14 voted, 237-189, to renew the National Flood Insurance Program through fiscal 2022 under terms that allow private-sector competition, permit businesses to leave the program and require residential premium hikes of 6.5 percent annually. A yes vote was to send HR 2874 to the Senate.

Voting yes: James Sensenbrenner, R-5, Glenn Grothman, R-6, Sean Duffy, R-7, Mike Gallagher, R-8

Voting no: Ron Kind, D-3, Gwen Moore, D-4

Not voting: Mark Pocan, D-2

Hurricane Sandy Claims: The House on Nov. 14 rejected, 190-236, a bid by Democrats to shelve HR 2874 (above) until the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general certify that thousands of disputed disaster claims from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 have been resolved. A yes vote backed the motion.

Voting yes: Kind, Moore

Voting no: Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Gallagher

Not voting: Pocan

$700 Billion for Military in 2018: The House on Nov. 14 adopted, 356-70, the conference report on a $700 billion military authorization for fiscal 2018 that provides $66 billion for combat abroad, funds a 2.4 percent pay raise for uniformed personnel, officially declares climate change a U.S. and global security threat and requires the administration to develop a strategy to counter Russias undermining of Western democracies. (HR 2810)

Voting yes: Kind, Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Gallagher

Voting no: Moore

Not voting: Pocan

Floor Debate on Dreamers Bill: The House on Nov. 14 voted, 234-189, to block a Democratic bid to force floor debate on a bill now in committee that would grant permanent legal status to the so-called dreamers who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children. A yes vote was in opposition to floor debate on HR 3440.

Voting yes: Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Gallagher

Voting no: Kind, Moore

Not voting: Pocan

Republican Tax Overhaul: Voting 227 for and 205 against, the House on Nov. 16 passed a GOP-drafted bill (HR 1) that would reduce business and personal taxes by $1.5 trillion through fiscal 2027 while simplifying the tax code, increasing standard deductions and making numerous other changes to tax rules. A yes vote was to pass the bill over Democratic arguments that it is heavily tilted in favor of corporations, investment firms and wealthy households.

Voting yes: Paul Ryan, R-1, Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Gallagher

Voting no: Kind, Moore

Not voting: Pocan

State and Local Tax Deductions: The House on Nov. 15 blocked, 234-193, a Democratic move to effectively strip HR 1 (above) of its provisions to end the deductibility on federal returns of state and local income and sales taxes and cap the deductibility of property taxes on federal returns at $10,000. A yes vote opposed a motion aimed at retaining state and local income and sales tax deductions.

Voting yes: Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Gallagher

Voting no: Kind, Moore

Not voting: Pocan

SENATE

Steven Bradbury Confirmation: The Senate on Nov. 14 confirmed, 50-47, Steven G. Bradbury, a partner in a Washington law firm, as general counsel for the Department of Transportation. The nomination proved controversial over Bradburys authorship of memos used by the George W. Bush administration to justify its enhanced interrogation, or torture, of detainees suspected of terrorism. He was acting head of the Department of Justices Office of Legal Counsel at the time. A yes vote was to confirm Bradbury.

Voting yes: Ron Johnson, R

Voting no: Tammy Baldwin, D

David Zatezalo, Mine Safety Regulator: The Senate on Nov. 15 confirmed, 52-48, David Zatezalo, a former coal executive, to head the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Democratic critics noted that his company, Kentucky-based Rhino Resources, clashed repeatedly with Obama administration regulators over health and safety violations in 2011-2012 while he was its CEO. A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.

Voting yes: Johnson

Voting no: Baldwin

Joseph Otting, Comptroller of the Currency: The Senate on Nov. 16 confirmed, 54-43, Joseph M. Otting to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an agency of the Treasury Department that oversees national banks and federal savings and loans. Otting was president and CEO of OneWest Bank between 2010-2015, working with bank founder and now Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin. A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.

Voting yes: Johnson

Voting no: Baldwin

KEY VOTES AHEAD

Congress is in recess until the week of Nov. 27.

 Thomas Voting Reports
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenias state news agency ARMENPRESS, and the state news agency of Belarus BELTA signed a memorandum of cooperation during the media forum titled Coverage of Integration Processes in the CIS and EEU territories in Yerevan.

The memorandum was signed by ARMENPRESS director Aram Ananyan and BELTA director Dmitry Zhuk.

This memorandum will enable us to more intensively use our information flows. We will be able to widely cover processes happening in the two countries of mutual interest, create new platforms of cooperation. We plan to jointly implement common projects and programs, Aram Ananyan said.

Armenpress is a member to 4 international media organizations. The agency represents Armenia in CIS Information Council, Black Sea Association of National News Agencies, Council of national news agencies of Southeastern Europe and the Balkan countries (observer) and News Agencies World Congress.

Armenpress chaired over the Black Sea Association of National News Agencies in 2014-2016, the sessions of which and the CIS Information Council were held in Yerevan in 2014.

Armenpress has signed agreements on bilateral partnership with over 20 leading news agencies nearly 1/3 of which have been signed during the last 5 years. TASS, Reuters, Xinhua, IRNA, MENA, BTA, AGERPRES, BELTA, Kazinform and many other media agencies with which information and photo exchange is conducted.

BELTA is a Belarusian telegram agency, which is the largest information agency in the country. It is operating as a state news agency for more than 95 years and provides accurate information of various sectors of Belarus. BELTA was founded on December 23, 1918, when the Belarusian branch of the Russian Telegram Agency was opened in Minsk.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Media experts, who arrived in Yerevan to discuss the issues of covering integration processes in the CIS and the EAEU region, agree that integration is not an end in itself, it pursues a concrete goal. And in order to reach that goal some resources are needed one of which is information, reports Armenpress.

During a media forum in Yerevan titled Coverage of integration processes in CIS and EAEU territories, Alexander Margarov, head of the Armenian branch of the CIS Institute, said during the discussion they will try to present different elements of integration, as well as its coverage.

According to Aram Ananyan, director of ARMENPRESS state news agency, today the states in the world do not act as isolated islands. Processes exist in the rapidly changing world which create new challenges both for the states and media outlets. And sometimes the citizens search for the responses to these challenges in the media pages. Therefore, such meetings and discussions between the media allow to combine the directions, understand how partners think. I am happy to host our partners here and together understand what is the formula for success of integration, Aram Ananyan said.

He stated that the public awareness on integration processes and political decisions is always necessary. We should not measure the degree of the public awareness, rather we need to measure those important processes that affect the daily life of our countrys citizens, our business community and media. The integration processes should always be in the spotlight of news agencies and media experts, he said.

The media forum, which is attended by leading media experts, politicians and political analysts from Armenia, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, will sum up trends of integration processes, prospects and peculiarities of coverage. Organizers of the event are ARMENPRESS state news agency and the Armenian branch of the CIS Countries Institute.

ARMENPRESS news agency and BELTA news agency of Belarus signed a memorandum of cooperation during the forum. Guests of the forum will also deliver master classes for students of Armenian universities.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan on November 17 attended the opening of forum in Gyumri titled Strengthening the provinces through the promotion of high technologies, press service of the government told Armenpress.

Welcoming the forum participants, the PM said the name of the forum reflects a right goal: Armenia has set a goal to develop the high technologies field as one of the directions boosting the economy which has a great potential for attracting investment and the export. The PM noted that the provincial and community development has a unique place in Armenias economic development vision. Combination of these two can provide a desirable result. The Technological Center in Gyumri is a good example on how it is possible to establish and develop a structure in the province that promotes the development of technical and business skills, contributes to innovation research and development in the field of high technologies, carries out commercialization of mind and talent and turns it into successful businesses, the PM stated, adding that over the three years of its activity the Technological Center has already created nearly 200 jobs, has nearly 100 beneficiary companies and prepares more than 500 specialists annually. 25 local and foreign companies operate in the Center.

PM Karapetyan said the development of high technologies is directly linked with the strategically significant Digital agenda for which the Digital Armenian Fund and the Center for Strategic Initiatives are jointly working. Without the implementation of a digital agenda the progress and development of our country, our economy is impossible. It will enable to ensure our countrys competitiveness, increase the efficiency of the public administration system and the level of transparency, as well as to improve the business environment. Our technological centers can play a great role in the development and implementation of the digital agenda. The state is quite interested in, welcomes and encourages the participation of our techno-centers in this process, the PM said. He welcomed the fact that these centers are not only created in Yerevan. The Gyumri Technological Center, TUMO, Smart Center in Lori are good example which allow to believe that we are able to deliver the high technologies, innovation to our remote regions and make them available for the citizens regardless of how far they live from the capital. We will be consistent in this process to continue at greater pace and are ready to assist any good, logical initiative, the PM said.

The PM addressed the forums youth participants stating that they are the greatest potential of Armenia. We have a good opportunity with you so that each of us will bring his/her contribution to the changes initiated by us in his/her city, province. We talk a lot of about the digital agenda since it is quite relevant. When we are able to describe our government subjects, digitize it, our shortcomings, advantages and the driving force will be fixed during that time, the PM said and wished them a productive work.

The forum has been organized by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation and the Gyumri Technological Center in partnership with the Armenian Government, the Shirak Governorate, the Gyumri Municipality, Armenian Relief Fund, the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

The two-day forum is attended by 150 young people from all provinces of Armenia who are interested in technological education, engineering, programming and innovative fields.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Coming up with an invention in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process is quite difficult. If Azerbaijan gets a bit watchful to those calls which the Co-Chairing countries present as settlement of the conflict, then greater opportunities will be opened for advancing this process and having results, Armenias FM Edward Nalbandian told a press conference.

Commenting on the recent statement-demand from Baku on having a specific result from the NK conflict talks, Nalbandian said that Armenia is always in favor of intensive negotiations for the settlement of the NK conflict, because there is no alternative to the negotiations process.

In this context we highlight the mediation efforts of the Co-Chairing countries aimed at the exclusively peaceful solution of the conflict. Making statements, pretending to be a lamb..I think they cant deceive anyone, the minister said.

He reminded the many urges of the co-chairing sides  to refrain from destructive, maximalist positions, reaffirm commitment to the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict. The Co-Chairs urge to respect and implement the trilateral and termless ceasefire agreement, respect the previously reached agreements. And what is Azerbaijan doing?, the minister said.

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) met separately on 14 and 16 November with the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov. The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meetings.

The Co-Chairs issued a statement which says: The Co-Chairs discussed with the Foreign Ministers concrete steps to implement the agreements reached by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan during the Geneva summit on 16 October 2017, as well as other items raised by the Co-Chairs in Geneva. During the meetings, the Co-Chairs and the Ministers reviewed a number of working proposals currently on the table. The Ministers agreed to hold a joint meeting on the margins of the December 2017 OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. During a visit to Gyumri, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan toured the Kumayri Historic Center, followed by a consultation in the City Hall, where the process of development of the historic center was discussed.

The PM was briefed on the planned works for restoring the infrastructures of the Shiraz and the adjacent streets of the historic center. The PM tasked to submit a specific schedule of works within a week.

It is necessary to launch construction as soon as possible, moreover when the weather allows to, he said.

Local officials said the restoration of the other streets of Gyumri, financed by the EBRD, will begin in the upcoming spring.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Brazils foreign minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira talked about his visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial during a press conference in the Armenian foreign ministry, reports Armenpress.

I know about the tragedy faced by the Armenian people and today with a great emotion I visited the Memorial in Yerevan dedicated to the memory of the victims of that terrible events, the Brazilian FM said, adding that such events should not repeat. It does not refer to Armenia only, but also to the entire humanity and it is necessary to constantly talk about it. Intolerance, xenophobia have no place, and you can be confident in my solidarity on this matter, he said.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Today 25 thousand Armenians live in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. The Armenian community here is very active connected with its roots, Brazils foreign minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira said during a press conference in Yerevan on November 17, Armenpress reports.

Our friendly relations have been maintained long ago. We have signed a number of agreements which we need to make more effective, he said. The foreign ministers of the two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding on trade and investment cooperation. It will allow to make the trade turnover more dynamic and create new opportunities for investments, the FM said. It is necessary to encourage the Armenian and Brazilian investors. Brazil is developing economically: despite the difficulties of the past three years, this year we expect 1% economic growth.

Brazil and Armenia have signed 10 documents 7 of which have been signed over the past two years. The two countries have established diplomatic relations on February 17, 1992.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Petros Shirinoghlu, chairman of the board of trustees of the Holy Savior Armenian Hospital of Istanbul, who is known for his close ties with Turkeys ruling circles, released certain details on his November 15 meeting with Vice PM Hakan Cavusolgu and several advisors of President Erdogan in Ankara, Istanbuls Armenian Agos reported.

Shirinoghlu said the reason of departing for Ankara was congratulating him on being appointed to a new position (Cavusoghlu has been appointed as Vice PM on July 19, 2017).

He said that he wanted to meet with President Erdogan, however the meeting didnt take place because the president was in Qatar.

I asked for a speedy decision to be made regarding the patriarchal election, however Cavusoglu said the issue is being dealt by the ministry of interior. He said that the ministry will soon release a statement on this matter, Shirinoghlu said.

The meeting with Cavusoghlu was followed by a meeting with Erdogans advisors. He said that no discussion about the Armenian community took place during that meeting.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The memorandum of cooperation signed between ARMENPRESS state news agency and the news agency of Belarus BELTA will enable the reporters of both sides to pass training in each others agencies through exchange programs.

BELTA director Dmitry Zhuk told ARMENPRESS that the memorandum of cooperation signed with Director of ARMENPRESS news agency Aram Ananyan during the media forum titled Coverage of Integration Processes in the CIS and EEU territories in Yerevan, puts a new ground for information exchange.

By the signing of the memorandum, a real step is being taken for ARMENPRESS and BELTA in terms of exchange of information and materials. Today we have reaffirmed with a document what have agreed on and were implementing. Its a very convenient mechanism, since, for instance, I should send my correspond to Yerevan to cover the defense ministers visit within the frames of the CSTO, I have to spend money for air ticket or another thing, but in this case I can apply to my colleague, and they will send us the news and photos. This agreement enables to work in this way, Dmitry Zhuk said.

Armenpress is a member to 4 international media organizations. The agency represents Armenia in CIS Information Council, Black Sea Association of National News Agencies, Council of national news agencies of Southeastern Europe and the Balkan countries (observer) and News Agencies World Congress.

Armenpress chaired over the Black Sea Association of National News Agencies in 2014-2016, the sessions of which and the CIS Information Council were held in Yerevan in 2014.

Armenpress has signed agreements on bilateral partnership with over 20 leading news agencies nearly 1/3 of which have been signed during the last 5 years. TASS, Reuters, Xinhua, IRNA, MENA, BTA, AGERPRES, BELTA, Kazinform and many other media agencies with which information and photo exchange is conducted.

BELTA is a Belarusian telegram agency, which is the largest information agency in the country. It is operating as a state news agency for more than 95 years and provides accurate information of various sectors of Belarus. BELTA was founded on December 23, 1918, when the Belarusian branch of the Russian Telegram Agency was opened in Minsk.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on November 17 received President of the Senate of Netherlands Ankie Broekers-Knol, press service of the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

President Sargsyan welcomed the guest in Armenia and reaffirmed Armenias interest to maximally strengthen the Armenia-Netherlands friendship and dynamically developing inter-state relations at bilateral and multilateral formats. President Sargsyan attached great importance to the cooperation in international structures.

Serzh Sargsyan considered her visit to Armenia symbolic as it is taking place in the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two friendly countries.

President Sargsyan said Netherlands, being an EU founding member, with its developed economy, leading role in technological innovations, public developments, is a good example for Armenia, also in terms of implementation of fundamentals reforms.

The Armenian President and the President of the Netherlands Senate discussed the large-scale reforms being conducted in Armenia in the conditions of transition to new governance system after the Constitutional changes, as well as making the legislation in accordance with the new realities and demands. President Sargsyan assured that Armenia is committeed to continue the reforms that are being implemented by the assistance of the international partners and friendly states. He expressed confidence that Netherlands with its centuries-old experience of parliamentary democracy can also be useful for Armenia at this period by making the transition process to parliamentary system more effective.

The officials attached importance to the role of inter-parliamentary diplomacy in the relations of states.

The meeting also touched upon the Armenia-EU ties and cooperation, as well as the recent achievements in these ties and the upcoming programs.

The sides also exchanged views on regional issues and threats, as well as the settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
YEREVAN, 17 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 17 november, USD exchange rate down by 0.64 drams to 486.78 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.22 drams to 574.01 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 8.17 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.08 drams to 644.89 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 60.82 drams to 20032.43 drams. Silver price down by 1.53 drams to 266.68 drams. Platinum price down by 113.18 drams to 14570.47 drams.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received on November 17 the Foreign Minister of Brazil Aloysio Nunes Ferreira.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office, greeting the guest and highly assessing the interstate relations based on the historical friendship between the Armenian and Brazilian peoples and cultural and other similarities, President Sargsyan highlighted the personal contribution of Aloysio Nunes Ferreira to the strengthening of that friendship.

The President of the Republic recalled with warmth his visit to Brazil in August, 2016 and his productive and constructive meeting with President Michel Temer. Serzh Sargsyan emphasized that Armenia is ready to continue deepening the relations and cooperation with Brazil  a country enjoying high reputation and having a serious role in the region and the international arena.

The interlocutors mutually recorded with satisfaction the assistance of Armenia and Brazil to one another not only in bilateral relations but also in international organizations. The Foreign Minister of Brazil noted that the approaches of the two friendly countries coincide in many issues or are very close to each other. Nunes Ferreira reaffirmed the position of his country supporting the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

Brazils Foreign Minister expressed words of commendation addressed to the large Armenian community in Brazil, stressing that Armenians are deeply respected in Brazil and being citizens of Brazil are at the same time closely tied to their roots and are very patriotic people who significantly foster the strengthening of Armenian-Brazilian relations.

FM Aloysio Nunes Ferreira hoped that his visit to Armenia will give new impetus to the development of bilateral relations and will outline new horizons for partnership.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan participated in the event on the International Students' Day on November 17. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Government of Armenia, the Premiers address reads as follows,

Dear students, dear youth,

I heartily congratulate you on International Students' Day.

The youth are the future of any country. But I also share the opinion that the youth are also our present. Every day our youth prove that they are capable of great deeds, starting from our guys standing on the front line, ending by our students who win in international Olympiads, scientists, builders, businessman and managers. I am convinced you can change the world. Moreover, I am convinced only due to you we can have tremendous developments.

Our policy is oriented to that we maximally use your potential. Today already numerous vigorous, creative and most importantly, patriotic young people are employed at the Government. There are numerous spheres in our country that are entirely new for us and here its of crucial importance, if I refrain from saying its necessary to think beyond stereotypes, being creative and courageous. We have initiated ambitious programs that will radically change the vector of our countrys developments. In this context I am sure the more and successfully we are able to integrate our youth in our management system and our daily life, the faster we can develop.

Dear students, dear youth,

I am extremely interested and want to offer you to appreciate your being young, rationally use your time, learn, develop, go to sports, make friends, enjoy your time, love, fall in love and most importantly, serve to our country.

Always stand firm, do not be afraid of having your personal opinions, express them and defend them, but in any of your initiatives give preference to the benefit of the country - its beyond the personal, family and friendship.

There is no successful person who during his life has not had numerous unsuccessful attempts. Do not be afraid of them, but use those attempts maximally effectively. Today is the era of intelligent people. Everyone can change his surrounding world by his kind words, tolerance, intelligence and diligence.

Completing my speech I want to assure you that we are greatly interested and will stand with you in any of your projects oriented to the development of our country.
SAN FRANCISCOIt may only be mid-November, but NakedSword Originals has announced the release of their end-of-year "blockbuster" movie, Paris Perfect. Directed by NakedSword Originals' award-winning director mr. Pam, Paris Perfect is a beautifully shot, sex-drenched romp through the City of Love that was shot on location in Paris, France in conjunction with French broadcasting company PinkX. The Paris Perfect DVD and download are now available on the Falcon Studio Group Store.

The big-budget release features an all-star cast that includes Colton Grey, Francois Sagat, Johnny V, Trenton Ducati, Theo Ford, Dani Robles, Gabriel Cross, and Denis Vega.

According to a plot description from the company, innocent blue-eyed Colton Grey gets dumped by his dickhead porn star boyfriend Trenton Ducati, so he convinces his best friend Johnny V to leave San Francisco for a trip Gay Paree. The young Americans land with very little cash and even less command of the French language, but a case of mistaken identity by Theo Ford leads them to a gorgeous penthouse and a series of misadventures involving two Spanish hit men, Dani Robles and Deni Vega, a grudge fuck with sexy Brit Gabriel Cross, and a steamy encounter with international superstar Francois Sagat. Debts are paid, everyone gets laid, and memories are made in Paris Perfect.

Executive Producer of the project, NakedSword President, Tim Valenti said, "I want to give a huge thanks to our partners PinkX for helping us create such a unique and original movie. P is both perfectly entertaining and incredibly sexy at the same time. The cast is incredible, the story is solid and it's shot beautifully in an absolutely stunning city. I have no doubt it will be one of our most successful releases of the year."

For DVD wholesale purchasing, contact Toby Morris at [email protected]. Contact Toby J Morris for additional image assets, information and access to the Falcon Studios Group Media FTP.
SAN FRANCISCORaging Stallion has released its latest feature, TSA Checkpoint, featuring the brand's trademarked "all-natural" men. Award-winning Director Steve Cruz has put together a cast of 11 hung and horny men who get to act out their steamy airport security fantasies. Passengers, Federal Agents, and airport employees hook up to suck and fuck their way through the normally mundane and sometimes annoying reality of travel. TSA Checkpoint is now available on DVD and download at the Falcon Studios Group Store.

The sexy jet-setting sex fest is led by Raging Stallion exclusive Rikk York, who is joined by hairy and muscled fan favorites Tegan Zayne, Eddy Ceetee, Aleks Buldocek, Lorenzo Flexx, Buck Richards, Trent King, Teddy Torres, Alex Mecum and Derek Bolt.

Traveling no longer has be a drag. Forget the lines and the delays, because those who hit the TSA Checkpoint might just get a hunky agent making them hard in a pat-down or a cock up the ass in a cavity search.

When Rikk York sets off the alarms at a TSA checkpoint, Officer Daymin Voss finds some contraband shoved up Rikk's fuzzy ass. Daymin probes the traveler until he sets off both of their explosive devices. Tegan Zayne is heading home for spring break and decides to take a nap in the air lounge. When hot daddy pilot Eddy Ceetee enters the lounge Tegan is no longer tired and goes straight for Eddy's cockpit. Lorenzo Flexx and Aleks Buldocek are airline baggage handlers. After going through some luggage and trying out some sex toys, Aleks bends his co-worker over the inspection table and drills. Buck Richards is a sexy first-class lounge barista who serves up more than a cup of coffee to passenger Trent King. Baggage handler Lorenzo Flexx stumbles upon passenger Teddy Torres jacking his rod by the men's room, inspiring him to get on his knees. TSA Officer Alex Mecum catches Teddy and brings him into custody where Alex and fellow officer Derek Bolt have some fun with the hung stranger.

As a frequent traveler and an adult content director, I can't help but wonder how much shenanigans are going on behind the scenes, said director Steve Cruz. We can only see the tip of the iceberg when we check our bags or go through security. This is my entertaining and a little bit twisted fantasy of what might be happening with the men who live their daily lives in the service of flying customers.

Falcon Studios Group President Tim Valenti said: Traveling doesn't have to be tedious. I'm not condoning feeling up a TSA Agent or putting contraband up your ass, but I sure will tell you to fantasize all you want when you see a hottie at the airport. Steve Cruz does an amazing job bringing out the fantasy, the humor, and the hot action with the studs of Raging Stallion.

For DVD wholesale purchasing, contact John Gunderson ([email protected]). Contact Toby J Morris ([email protected]) for additional image assets, information and access to the Falcon Studios Group Media FTP.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.Strike 3 Holdings LLC, the parent company to such popular, award-winning websites as Blacked.com, Vixen.com and Tushy.com, has filed suit in federal court in the Western District of Michigan, suing seven people whom the company has identified as having downloaded its movies through BitTorrent websites and seeking their physical addresses.

According to the complaint filed by Plaintiffs' attorney Joel Bernier on November 14, "Plaintiff used IP address geolocation technology by Maxmind Inc. (Maxmind), an industry-leading provider of IP address intelligence and online fraud detection tools, to determine that Defendants IP address traced toa physical address in this District. Over 5,000 companies, along with United States federal and state law enforcement, use Maxminds GeoIP data to locate Internet visitors, perform analytics, enforce digital rights, and efficiently route Internet traffic."

While the defendants are all "John Does" and described further only by their IP addresses, the Plaintiff has identified several movies downloaded illegally by each address. For example, "John Doe subscriber assigned IP address 172.15.113.94" is alleged to have downloaded 23 movies or web scenes from all three websites. The other six defendants are similarly described, and to each complaint is attached a list of the allegedly illegally downloaded movies. However, in order to serve the complaint on each John Doea requirement for the lawsuit to continueBernier is seeking to find out the physically address of each defendant from his or her internet service provider.

According to Michigan news site mlive.com, "Three of the 'John Doe' defendants live in Grand Rapids. Others are in Bellevue, Big Rapids, Kalamazoo and Rapid City in Kalkaska County."

The complaint also contains some flowery language to describe the material on the three websites, as well as "two-time director of the year" (and Strike 3 co-owner) Greg Lansky, who has allegedly been dubbed "the adult film industry's 'answer to Steven Spielberg.'"

"Strike 3s motion pictures and websites have won numerous awards, such as 'best cinematography,' 'best new studio,' and 'adult site of the year'," each complaint reads. "Strike 3s motion pictures have had positive global impact, leading more adult studios to invest in better content, higher pay for performers, and to treat each performer with respect and like an artist."

The cause of action itself is simple enough: "Plaintiff is the owner of the Works, which is an original work of authorship. Defendant copied and distributed the constituent elements of Plaintiffs Works using the BitTorrent protocol. At no point in time did Plaintiff authorize, permit or consent to Defendants distribution of its Works, expressly or otherwise."

The complaint asks the court to stop the defendants from further infringing on Strike 3's copyrighted works, to delete the works already downloaded, and to pay a fine and attorney fees and litigation costs.

Strike 3 is seeking a jury trial on the charges, but that can't happen until the defendants are more specifically identified and served, so there is no projected trial date yet.

The complaint against "John Doe subscriber assigned IP address 172.15.113.94," which is nearly identical to the other six lawsuits filed, can be found here.
LONDONHot Octopussinnovators of the Guybratorsannounced the coming release of its newest male toys, the Pocket Pulse and Pocket Pulse Remote.

The new models will be available online soon.

Utilizing two large vibration motors to deliver deep and powerful vibrations, these compact strokers, which are designed to be used with lubricant, take stroking to a whole new leveldelivering power in the palm of your hand.

Lightweight and flexible, the Pocket Pulse series can be used flaccid or erect and are completely waterproof. The Pocket Pulse Remote, with its additional remote control, offers added flexibility to solo users as well as a heightened level of fun for couples play.

Key features of the Pocket Pulse include:

 An affordable introduction to Guybrators

 Two large vibration motors that take stroking to a new level

 An open shape that enables the toy to be used flaccid or erect

 The ability to make a splash with these waterproof toys

The Pocket Pulse is priced at the following:

 Pocket Pulse: $85 U.S., $109 Candaian, 69 GBP, 89 EUR, 119 AUD

 Pocket Pulse Remote: $99 U.S., $129 CAD

The Pocket Pulse collection is available to order now, making it the perfect stocking filler this Christmas.For more, visit HotOctopuss.com.
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.
Fitchburg Mayor Jason Gonzalez should apologize to Kaleem Caire for unfairly and abruptly cutting Caire off during a budget hearing Tuesday night.

Fitchburg officials even called the police on Caire, CEO of One City Learning Centers, as Caire calmly testified in opposition to Fitchburgs plan to cut and no longer guarantee funding to the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County.

Thats no way to treat a citizen who is merely expressing his views before a government panel. Mayor Gonzalezs rude and startling overreaction needlessly escalated an otherwise civil and thoughtful community discussion.

The thing that brought me here today was first and foremost the fact that I saw legislators, you all  members of this council  who refused to meet people in this community, Caire testified, seated at a table in front of the council. Mayor Gonzalez, as much as I respect you 

Before Caire could finish that sentence, Gonzalez interrupted him, slamming down his gavel.

Thats out of order, the mayor said. Were here to talk about budget amendments. Thats out of order, sir. Youre done.

(You can watch the disturbing interaction at: go.madison.com/fitchburg.)

Gonzalez later claimed Caires comments were a personal attack on the council. Thats a stretch. The mayor also said Caires statement was unfair because the mayor had met with others on the issue, though not with Caire, who no longer lives in Fitchburg.

Yet by aggressively shutting down Caires measured and respectful comments, Gonzalez only reinforced Caires point.

This is what Im speaking to  that you can only hear from certain people, Caire told Gonzalez during their exchange.

A city official called police to the scene after Caire refused to stop talking. Caire, who didnt speak for long, soon left voluntarily. Gonzalez later ordered another speaker to stop talking and leave after he criticized the mayors treatment of Caire.

Fitchburg Ald. Julia Arata-Fratta has since apologized to Caire for the way Caire was treated, according to Caire, who is threatening legal action.

Gonzalez should tell Caire hes sorry, too, and pledge to be much more open to public input in the future.
The Trump administration will reverse the Obama-era prohibition on importing taxidermied elephant heads and tusks from endangered wild African elephants from Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The administration claims that this "will enhance the survival of the species in the wild" by diverting funds to conservation. This was the rationale for permitting rhino horn sales in Africa, which drove poaching and further endangered wild rhino.

African elephant populations declined by 30% between 2007 and 2014. Fewer than 350,000 survive in the wild.

Zimbabwe has been ruled by the corrupt, brutal dictator Robert Mugabe since 1987 and is currently in the midst of a coup d'etat. Zambia's a serial human rights offender that criminalizes homosexuality and uses libel laws to suppress political opposition.

Donald Trump's sons are notorious hunters of endangered animals and have posed for photos with pictures of leopards, lions, buffalo and elephants that they slaughtered and butchered for trophies.



Authorities in Zimbabwe claim there are around 82,000 elephants in the country, with annual quotas for hunters at 500 elephants. In Zambia, where some 22,000 elephants reside, falling numbers in recent years have led to government bans on these hunts. However, citing a resurgent population in 2015, that ban was overturned. Tourists are able to hunt elephants on private game ranches in Zambia, many bordering protected national parks, with wild elephants often wandering over invisible lines. Last year, 30 elephants were killed there.



Trump to let Americans import ivory and hunting trophies again [Adam Popescu/New Scientist]





(via Naked Capitalism)
Sitting in a combine, hour after hour, gives Blake Hurst a lot of time to worry. But it's not low corn prices he's fretting about, or the damp fog that's threatening to turn to rain.

Hurst is worried about NAFTA and what could happen to his farm, his family and his community if the U.S. pulls out of the trade agreement, as President Donald Trump has threatened to do.

"Here's this harm we're inflicting on ourselves. I feel like I should be able to do something about it. And I can't," said Hurst, who is also the president of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

"This isn't the difference between vacationing on the Riviera and not  this is the difference between our farm surviving or not."

Four generations of the Hurst family have farmed in northwestern Missouri, near Tarkio. They have 6,000 acres of corn and soybeans, half owned, half rented. It's hard to know exactly where all their production goes, but much of the soybean crop ends up in China, and corn is exported to Mexico.

The concern is that without the NAFTA agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, tariffs as high as 15 per cent on corn will return. And that, says Hurst, will turn a razor-thin profit margin to a loss.

"Of course the response you get when someone talks about trade and how it affects agriculture, the typical response is, 'Well, y'all voted for Trump, you deserve what you're getting.' That's sort of tough."

Tough, but also true. Three-quarters of voters in Atchison County, where Hurst farms, voted Republican in the 2016 presidential election. That includes Charlie Hurst, Blake's 83-year old father. He wasn't thinking about NAFTA when he cast his ballot, despite Trump's many calls to get rid of the agreement.

"I hope when all's said and done, he won't upset agriculture that much," said the elder Hurst, taking a quick break from combining.

"But you never know what will happen here. We're a long way from Washington."

Story continues

A $13 billion warning

The hope that Trump's anti-trade talk was bluster is turning to panic in the U.S. agriculture industry.

This week 168 farm organizations and businesses wrote to all 50 U.S. governors arguing that leaving NAFTA would cost more than 200,000 jobs and $13 billion in GDP.

Just giving notice to withdraw, which would put negotiators on a six-month deadline, would have consequences for farmers. The letter warns, "Contracts would be renegotiated or cancelled, sales would be delayed or lost altogether, able foreign competitors would rush to seize our export markets."

Negotiators from the three countries are expected to meet again in mid-December for another round of talks. This whole renegotiation was sparked by Trump's denunciation of the trade deal.

One company with much at stake is Kansas City Southern, which owns and operates railways in the United States and Mexico, a complicated web of commerce so tied to trade that many simply call it The NAFTA Line. Grain from the Midwest goes south; vehicles and other finished products head north.

In an interview at the company's headquarters in Kansas City, executive vice-president Warren Erdman warned this latest round of NAFTA negotiations could be bumpy.

"This is a very big deal for our continent and for our country," he said. "It really comes down to remaining competitive in a global economy. We remain optimistic that things will get worked out, simply because it's so critically important that they do."

Just like the farmers: the railway seems to be holding out hope that the tough trade talk is posturing and ultimately, their industry and their bottom line won't suffer.

"Sometimes the negotiations can establish positions that might be more severe than what ultimately is agreed to," said Erdman. "But there's no way of knowing that until we reach the final results."

Despite this uncertainty: many farmers still support the president. When Trump chose Springfield, Mo.,to launch his tax reform plan, Blake Hurst went to the rally. The president's speech, he said, was eloquent.

"Talking about how important it is for U.S. business to be competitive, and how tax reform would make that happen. So that's pretty good stuff. That's pretty exciting, and I agreed with it."

But then Trump mentioned NAFTA. He called the deal terrible and horrible.

"From my perspective, he's incorrect," said Hurst.

Hurst points out Trump made that speech at a factory that manufactures industrial fans. But the factory is surrounded by farms.
Rumble

Our lives are full of moments where we must interact with each other and make compromises for the sake of coexisting. We face complicated social involvements that require some give and take to get things done and to benefit everyone. A life full of selfish decisions and actions would make everything harder for all involved. But occasionally, this compromise is difficult and emotions and pride get the better of us all. Tact an diplomacy gives way to anger and resentment and the sparks fly. This is what happened here in a simple and easily solved dilemma. As cars made their way through the parking lot, two met bumper to bumper and reached an impass. Onlookers could hear horns honking and impatient voices. It seemed that either could have backed up a little to make way, but the moment became tense and both dug in their heals. Cameras came out as people watched the exchange. Two grownups should have been able to resolve the matter without a spectacle. The man in the car with the trailer has difficulty in backing up. And in fairness, he has not blocked anything but his own lane. He wants to go forward and around the corner. The lady coming around the curve has entered into the middle of the lane and she could either adjust to her right, or back up out of the way. But she has her sights on a parking spot that is being blocked by the car and trailer. She may be afraid to back up, but she has the option to veer out and to her right. The car and trailer could pull forward and completely resolve the matter. What she does not like is the escalation in his voice as she hesitated and tried to decide what to do. Her initial reaction was to stop and do nothing. The man honked. She stared at him. He gestured and told her to move her car. And this is where it seemed to become unfriendly. Her passenger got out of the car, stood in the lane and began smoking a cigarette. She said she could not move as she was waiting for him to get back in. This was clearly a move of defiance. The camera recorded the moments that followed that initial meeting and up to that point. The man's impatience is now at a peak as the minutes have dragged on. Traffic has built up behind both vehicles. Backing up now is tricky for the woman, and impossible for the man. Other horns honked. The man began to swear and the passenger of the woman's car makes a deliberate show of taking his time getting back into the car. Spectators began to talk about intervening with advice or a reprimand. The cars behind both vehicles backed up and out of the way, leaving just the two in the predicament. The man finally got into the vehicle and the woman made a very slow move forward and out of his way. For Canada, this is an unusual display of impatience that left people shaking their heads. What had gone on for nearly 5 minutes was a seemingly needless showdown. Who is more to blame in this scenario? Is it the man with his rude demands, or the woman with her reluctance to move her car over to the right?
. 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.
Even the interviewer seemed surprised at the answer Rory Stewart, the U.K. minister of international development, gave about how Britain should deal with citizens who chose to leave the country to join ISIS.

"I'm afraid we have to be serious about the fact these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them," Stewart told BBC Radio's John Pienaar last month.

Stewart, a former diplomat, continued: "These are people who are executing people  who have held women and children hostage, who are torturing and murdering, trying, by violence, to impose their will. Our response has to be, when somebody does that, I'm afraid, to deal with that."

Those words may sound chilling, but they reflect a country that's suffered several brutal jihadi attacks in recent years, and sees jihadi returnees as a threat. Other countries have come to the same conclusion.

But Canadians who join the militant group have so far had little to fear from their own government, either at home or abroad.

The British government has co-operated with the U.S. on drone strikes that killed two of Britain's most notorious ISIS members: Mohammed Emwazi (aka Jihadi John) and Junaid Hussain.

The Sunday Times reports that Britain's Special Air Service, SAS, has been given a "kill list" of British jihadis, including notorious ISIS recruiter and convert Sally Jones, and a dozen others with British university degrees in technical fields such as electronics.

Brett McGurk, former U.S. president Barack Obama's special envoy for the fight against ISIS, who retains his post under Donald Trump, stated it explicitly on a recent visit to Syria. "Our mission is to make sure that any foreign fighter who is here, who joined ISIS from a foreign country and came into Syria, that they will die here in Syria."

"They're not just talking about it," said Christian Leuprecht, an expert on terrorism and security at Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont. "Australia is another country that's taken the same approach  that they would prefer that those individuals who've been identified as foreign fighters not return home."

Story continues

France, too, is working to eradicate its jihadis overseas. A Wall Street Journal investigation published in May quoted French and Iraqi officials describing French special forces co-operating with Iraqi units to hunt down and kill French jihadis.

'Very real question'

But Canada is taking a different approach.

"Canada does not engage in death squads," Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told CBC's Power & Politics on Friday.

"With the battlefield activity winding down, there is a very real question about where the foreign fighters go, and all of our allies, whether they're in the Five Eyes or the G7, we've all agreed to collaborate very carefully."

Goodale said anyone who poses a terrorist risk, homegrown or from elsewhere, is viewed "with the greatest of seriousness" by Canada's intelligence, security and police agencies.

Spokesman Dan Brien suggested the government's focus is on changing minds.

"Returning foreign terrorist travellers and their families, specifically women and children, require the appropriate disengagement and reintegration support," he wrote in an email to CBC News

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said his department's job is ensuring foreign fighters don't become a threat.

"We will make sure that we put every type of resource into place so Canadians are well protected," he told a crowd at the Halifax International Security Forum on Friday.

At the end of 2015, the government said it was aware of about 180 individuals "with a nexus to Canada" who had travelled overseas to join such groups, and of another 60 who had returned to Canada.

According to a 2016 report, Public Safety Canada is aware returning jihadis "may have skills, experience and relationships developed abroad that could be used to recruit or inspire individuals in Canada. They may also engage in terrorist financing, helping others to travel, or even planning attacks in Canada.

"The attacks directed by [ISIS] in Paris and Brussels provide examples. Most of the attackers were returnees linked to [ISIS]."

'We've known about this for years'

The almost total collapse of ISIS in Iraq and Syria over the last few months seems likely to bring more returnees back to the West. And the bitter-enders who chose to remain through that collapse may be among the most dangerous of its followers.

"We've known about this for years," says Leuprecht, "and at the latest we should have started to think about it systematically when we started the bombing campaign against ISIS. As so often in this country when it comes to defence and security issues, we start thinking about it ... when our room for manoeuvre has massively diminished."

Leuprecht said an assassination policy would be problematic under Canadian law, and might not enjoy public support.

Since Canada isn't targeting jihadis on the battlefield or successfully convicting them in court, says Leuprecht, "the third option is that they just show up and live peacefully ever after. Or not so peacefully."

To date, only two returnees, Pamir Hakimzadah and Rehab Dughmosh, have been charged with leaving Canada to participate in terrorism. Four more men, some of whom may be dead, have been charged in absentia. To date, no Canadian has been successfully prosecuted for travelling to Syria or Iraq to join a terror group.

According to government estimates more than 200 Canadian "terrorist travellers" have faced no legal consequences in Canada.

"The challenge is they're not stupid," said Leuprecht. "They know that CSIS will likely monitor them using wiretap warrants, on grounds of reasonable suspicion."

Leuprecht says deradicalization programs are highly controversial and there is little empirical evidence that they work. In any case, Canada doesn't have such a program.

The Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence, launched in June, does not handle individual cases, but supports initiatives by other levels of government and organizations across Canada.

Brien says it also supports "action-orientated research," but it remains unclear what that means in practice.
Silhouetted African elephant at sunset, Etosha National Park, Namibia. (Photo: Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to reverse a ban on importing elephant hunting trophies from two countries in Africa, but White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the move is not final.

Trophies from elephants hunted in those two countries were banned by the administration of President Barack Obama in 2014. The African elephant is classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List of Threatened Species, which means it is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

President Trump has previously spoken out against hunting after photos of his eldest sons, Don Jr. and Eric, posing with trophies provoked criticism. The pictures included one of Don Jr. holding a severed elephant tail. Trump addressed the issue on Twitter in March 2012.

Im not a hunter and dont approve of killing animals. I strongly disagree with my sons who are hunters, but they acted legally and did what lots of hunters do, Trump wrote.

Given Trumps past opposition, Yahoo News asked Sanders at the White House press briefing Thursday afternoon why the president wants the ban on elephant trophies lifted and whether he has changed his views on hunting.

Actually, there hasnt been an announcement thats been finalized on this front, Sanders said.

Sanders referred questions to the Department of the Interior, which oversees the Fish and Wildlife Service.

A reporter raises her hand as White House press secretary Sarah Sanders holds the daily briefing at the White House. (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters)

The ban on elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia is scheduled to be lifted Friday morning when the Fish and Wildlife Services decision is published in the Federal Register. Currently, the decision is available for public inspection. It will take effect barring a last minute intervention.

Yahoo News pressed Sanders on the fact that lifting the ban seems imminent. Once again, she stressed that it was not yet official.

There hasnt been an announcement. And until thats done, I wouldnt consider anything final, Sanders said, later adding, I would defer you to the Department of Interior for the time being. And when we have an announcement on that front, well let you know.

Story continues

The Department of the Interior did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Yahoo News.

Elephant trophies are currently allowed to be imported into the United States from Namibia and South Africa. The Fish and Wildlife Service is currently reviewing whether to permit elephant trophies to be imported from Tanzania. Under the new proposal, trophies hunted from the start of 2016 until the end of 2018 could be imported into the country.

A Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson told Yahoo News the decision was made because of improvements in the elephant management programs in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Yahoo News asked the spokesperson if they were confident Zimbabwes program would continue after an apparent coup in that country earlier this week. The spokesperson referred that question to the State Department, which has not responded to a request for comment.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Originally published in Commentary on November 15, 2017





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.

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..Analysis from Israel..16 November '17..The growing divide between Israeli and American Jews was a major topic of conversation at this weeks annual meeting of the Jewish Federations of North America. It was also the topic of a lengthy feature in, which largely blamed the Israeli government. Inter alia, it quoted former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro as saying, in reference to that majority of American Jews who identify as non-Orthodox and politically liberal, There is an idea that has some currency in certain circles around the Israeli government that says, You know what, we can write off that segment of American Jewry because in a couple of generations their children or grandchildren will assimilate.I agree that the idea of writing off this segment of American Jewry has some currency in Israel. But in most cases, its due less to fantasies about liberal Jews disappearing than to a belief that Israel will have to do without them whether it wants to or not, because liberal Jews can no longer be depended on for even the most minimal level of support. And by that, I dont mean support for any specific Israeli policy, but for something far more basic: Israels right to be heard, by both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences.Nothing better illustrates this than recent decisions by two campus Hillels to bar mainstream Israeli speakers from addressing Jewish students. At Princeton, it was Israels deputy foreign minister, Tzipi Hotovely, and at Stanford, it was a group of Israeli Arab veterans of the Israel Defense Forces. I can understand Hillel refusing to host speakers from the radical fringes. But how are Jewish students supposed to learn anything about Israel if campus Hillels wont even let them hear from representatives of two of the countrys most mainstream institutions  its elected government and its army?Both Hillels later termed their decisions a mistake  most likely under pressure from Hillel International, whose CEO, Eric Fingerhut, was the lead author on Princeton Hillels apology. But that doesnt change the fact that at two leading universities on opposite sides of the country, the Hillel directors, both non-Orthodox rabbis, initially thought canceling the speeches in response to progressive students objections was a reasonable decision. Princetons Julie Roth thought it completely reasonable to deny her students the chance to hear an official Israeli government representative try to explain the governments policies. And Stanfords Jessica Kirschner  backed , incredibly, by the universitys pro-Israel association  thought it completely reasonable to deny her students the chance to hear from non-Jewish Israelis who dont agree that Israel is an apartheid state.American Jewish rabbis and lay leaders obviously have the right to disagree with Israeli policies. But how is any relationship possible if one side wont even allow the other to be heard? Gagging and boycotts Israel can get from its enemies; it doesnt need American Jews for that. So if Israel cant even rely on them to enable interested students to be exposed to mainstream Israeli views, what exactly are they contributing to the Israel-Diaspora relationship? And why, under these circumstances, should Israel have any interest in accommodating their concerns about, say, prayer arrangements at the Western Wall? Moreover, consider who did step in to allow the Princeton and Stanford speeches to take place as planned  the Orthodox Chabad movement, which, on both campuses, volunteered to host the speakers on very short notice. If Orthodox groups are the only ones in America these days even willing to provide a venue for Israelis who deviate from progressive orthodoxy, why wouldnt Israel give greater weight to Orthodox views than non-Orthodox ones?Nor is this problem limited to college campuses. The most salient example  one worth revisiting precisely because both sides consider it a turning point in the relationship  was the dispute over the Iranian nuclear deal.Given the almost wall-to-wall Israeli consensus that the deal was dangerous (despite deep disagreements over how best to oppose it), many Israelis felt no less betrayed by American Jewish support for the deal than many American Jews felt when Israel reneged on the Western Wall compromise two years later. As former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren told Haaretz, We went to American Jews and told them that the Iran deal endangers 6 million Jews in Israel, and that its not an American political issue, but rather, a matter of Jewish existence, and I dont need to tell you what happened. Indeed, absent that sense of betrayal, I suspect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might have been more willing to rebuff ultra-Orthodox pressure over the Western Wall.But policy disagreements I can accept, even on issues of existential importance. What I found far more troubling was liberal American Jews reaction to Netanyahus efforts to lobby against the deal, which Haaretz reporter Judy Maltz accurately described as follows: Considering that 70 percent of American Jews had voted for Barack Obama, Netanyahus efforts to lead a revolt against him were seen by many in the Jewish community as unconscionable. Indeed, many prominent American Jews vociferously objected to Netanyahus speech to Congress against the deal, using terms like humiliated and angered to describe their feelings. Yet somehow, I havent heard a word from them against European leaders efforts today to lobby Congress to defy President Trump and preserve the deal.In short, many liberal American Jews didnt just oppose the Israeli governments policy, they even objected to the governments efforts to publicly advocate for its chosen policy. Effectively, they declared that Israel had no right to make its views heard in America if doing so discomfited them.Many liberal Jews remain staunch supporters of Israel. Yet the ranks of the Roths and Kirschners seem to be growing every year. And though Israel and Diaspora Jewry can survive disagreements about policy, if liberal American Jews arent even willing to hear what Israeli Jews think, and provide a platform for others to hear it, the relationship will be over. I continue to think that would be tragedy. But you cannot have a relationship with people who dont even acknowledge your right to speak  even if those people are your family.
 visiting an apple farm to try some cider donuts 

turtleneck | scarf | similar denim here and here | sunglasses

 roses and lilies in my courtly check vase from my guy for our anniversary 

 still dreaming of these cotton fields in Mississippi (outfit here) 

 the prettiest handbag that I attached my new pom pom strap to  in love! 

 hot cocoa with a cozy knit blanket by the fireplace in Big Bear (recipe here) 

Happy Friday! I am actually coming to you from sunny Jamaica! Ive never been to Jamaica before, but an opportunity arose and my sister is coming along as my plus one/photographer. About a year ago we explored London and Paris together, and this year we are having a little pre-holiday beach time. I love making memories like this with her that I know well look back on in the years to come!

Ill be sharing more about this trip on the blog soon, and you can follow along some of our shenanigans on Instagram.

Above are a few highlights from our long anniversary weekend in Big Bear, and after receiving a lot of questions from you guys on social media, Ill be sharing some of our favorite things to do there next week. We go at least once a year (sometimes twice), so we definitely have some favorite spots. So more on that to come!

Last but not least, I will be sharing all the best Black Friday/Cyber Monday steals and deals in the upcoming week. Be sure to check back as I keep posts updated with all the goods! You can see all my holiday posts under the holiday tab at the top of this page.

Thanks so much for reading and have a beautiful weekend  XO 
Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size. Today we look at the La Flor Dominicana TAA 48. This is a cigar we last assessed back in December 2016.

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres

Binder: Cameroon

Filler: Dominican

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Flor S.A.)

Box Pressed Toro: 6 x 54

In 2016, La Flor Dominicana released an exclusive offering to the Tobacconists Association of America (TAA) known as the La Flor Dominican TAA 48. The cigar is part of an annual release known as the TAA Exclusive Series where several manufacturers and brand owners offer an exclusive cigar to be sold to only TAA member retailers. The TAA 48 pays homage to the 48th edition of the TAAs annual convention.

In 2016, La Flor Dominicana offered TAA member retailers an opportunity to select the cigar that would be the 2016 exclusive offering from La Flor Dominicana. Three sizes based on a common blend using a San Andres Natural wrapper, Cameroon binder, and Dominican filler. These sizes were presented to the TAA retailers as candidates for the TAA 48: a Robusto (5 1/4 x 50), a Gordo (6 1/4 x 60), and a box-pressed Toro (6 x 54). The final selection was made in March 2016 at the 2016 TAA Convention held in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico with the box-pressed Toro becoming the winner.

In addition, when the La Flor Dominicana TAA 48 was announced, a second blend was also announced called the La Flor Dominicana TAA 48 Celebration Limited Edition Maduro. This was a more limited release that features a Connecticut Broadleaf offering that was only made available at events held at TAA retailers supporting the rollout of the TAA 48.

After a short hit of black pepper, the La Flor Dominicana TAA 48 delivers notes of chocolate, earth, and citrus. There was a slight damp quality to the earth notes, and a very slight sour component to the citrus. Early on, the earth and chocolate notes were in the forefront. As the cigar experience moved into the second half, the earth notes took over as the sole primary note. Toward the last third, there was an increase in the pepper. What I liked this time around with the TAA 48 is the pepper didnt have as much pungency as it did last year.

Given this cigar had about 18 months of age on it, it lost a little bit in terms of strength and body, from when smoked a year ago. I assessed both attributes on the upper end of medium.

Ive been very critical of the job the TAA has done with its Exclusive Series, but over the past few years La Flor Dominicana has also been one of the few shining stars in this series. The extra year of age helped the flavors become more refined with this cigar. This is a cigar I would recommend to an experienced cigar enthusiast. Id also recommend this to a novice looking to graduate to something on the medium side. As for myself, this is a cigar Id smoke again and its one that is worthy of box consideration.

Photo Credit: Cigar Coop
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New York, November 17, 2017Guatemalan authorities should immediately release community reporter Jerson Antonio Xitumul Morales and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Local police on November 11 arrested Xitumul, a reporter with the independent digital media outlet Prensa Comunitaria, in Guatemalas eastern Izabal province, Jorge Santos, the head of the national human rights organization Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders of Guatemala, told CPJ. The journalist had been covering a local fishermen guilds protests in the area against the Guatemalan Nickel Company since early 2017, Santos said.

A court yesterday in Izabals El Estor municipality charged Xitumul with incitement to commit crimes, threats, and illegal detention related to his alleged participation in protests on May 4, according to Santos and the online news site El Periodico.

Both Santos and Andrea Ixchiu, a colleague of Xitumuls at Prensa Comunitaria, told CPJ that Xitumul was covering the protests for the outlet, clearly identified himself as a reporter, and was not participating in the demonstrations.

Covering protests is not a crime, said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney. Journalists in Guatemala must be able to report on issues of public interest without fearing retaliation. We call on Guatemalan authorities to immediately release Jerson Xitumul Morales and drop all charges against him.

The El Estor mayors office did not respond to CPJs calls and emailed request for comment.

Local officials and mining company employees had harassed Xitumul since May for his coverage of the fishermen guilds protests against the mining company, according to Ixchiu. The fishermen blame the company for environmental damage around the areas Lake Izabal, Ixchiu said.

A local judge, Edgar Anibal Arteaga Lopez, on August 11 originally issued an arrest warrant for Xitumul, along with another Prensa Comunitaria journalist who had also covered the demonstrations, and five people involved in organizing the protests, according to news reports. Local authorities have arrested two people who were involved in organizing the protests in addition to Xitumul, Santos said.

Yesterday, Arteaga ordered Xitumul to remain at the preventive detention prison in Puerto Barrios, the Izabal provincial capital, until his next hearing, scheduled for February 2018, according to Ixchiu.

Ixchiu told CPJ that Xitumuls colleagues and family are concerned for his safety in the prison, which also houses gang members.

In a video interview filmed outside the courtroom after yesterdays hearing, Xitumul said he was paying the price for exposing the truth.
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International Press Freedom Awards go to imprisoned Cameroonian journalist,

Mexican correspondent, Thai reporter, and Yemeni blogger

Awardees Pravit Rojanaphruk, Patricia Mayorga, Afrah Nasser with Joel Simon and Christiane Amanpour (CPJ/Barbara Nitke)

New York, November 16, 2017Journalists from Cameroon, Mexico, Thailand, and Yemen were honored Wednesday night at the Committee to Protect Journalists 27th annual International Press Freedom Awards for courageous work amid risks such as imprisonment, threats, and exile.

The families of two recently murdered former International Press Freedom Awardees  Pavel Sheremet of Ukraine, and Javier Valdez Cardenas of Mexico  also attended the event. The crowd of nearly 1,000 stood to honor the two journalists and their loved ones following a video tribute to their work and to CPJs efforts to combat impunity.

All of us in this room lose sleep over the safety of those who work for us, or with us, in difficult and dangerous places, said David Rhodes, president of CBS News and chair of the awards dinner. Like all of the news organizations here tonight, we support journalists willing to take risks on behalf of their readers, listeners, and viewers  and their right and need to be informed.

The evenings host, chief international correspondent for CNN and CPJ board member Christiane Amanpour, also reminded guests of the importance of American leadership on press freedom, saying, We need the U.S. to be a beacon  a defender, not a destroyer, of First Amendment values everywhere. The brave journalists we honor tonight certainly think so. They have paid dearly, some with their lives or liberty, to report the news.

Thai reporter Pravit Rojanaphruk, who faces sedition charges for his critical reporting on Thailands junta, received his award from Financial Times U.S. Managing Editor Gillian Tett. Veteran journalist and 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker presented an award in absentia to Ahmed Abba, a Cameroon correspondent for Radio France Internationale who has been imprisoned since 2015 on terrorism charges for his reporting. Academy award-winning actor Meryl Streep presented Patricia Mayorga with her award. Mayorga, a correspondent for Mexicos Proseco and founder of the Free Journalism Network, was forced to flee Chihuahua state by death threats for her reporting on corruption and human rights. Miriam Elder, world editor at BuzzFeed News, presented the award to Afrah Nasser, an independent Yemeni blogger living in exile in Sweden.

Judy Woodruff, managing editor of PBS NewsHour, received the inaugural Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award for her work in advancing press freedom. Woodruff has covered politics and other news for more than three decades at CNN, NBC, and PBS, and is a founding co-chair of the International Womens Media Foundation. The award is named in honor of the late journalist and CPJ board member Gwen Ifill, who co-anchored PBS NewsHour with Woodruff.

I dedicate this award to all journalists across the land, who are determined to stay true to the facts, true to their mission, despite the efforts to silence or intimidate them, Woodruff said.

The event was held at the Grand Hyatt New York and included an appeal during the evening that was matched by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. I offer a special salute of thanks to our dinner chair, David Rhodes, president of CBS News, said Kathleen Carroll, chair of CPJs board. David is an eloquent advocate for the cause that brings us together tonight. Under his leadership, we have so far raised over $1.9 million to help journalists in trouble.

Note to Editors:

High-resolution photos of the awardees and the event are available by CPJ and Getty Images at Flickr.

Video profiles of the awardees and their speeches are available:

Ahmed Abba (video profile only)

Patricia Mayorga

Pravit Rojanaphruk

Afrah Nasser

Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Awardee Judy Woodruff (speech only)

Media contact:

Kerry Paterson

Advocacy and Communications Manager

[email protected]

+1 (212) 300-9031
You do not need a Kindle to read the MOOC eBook. Download a free Kindle app, see here
Socialist spokespersons Margarita Robles (l) and Meritxell Batet request clarification on Russian interference. Claudio Alvarez

More information Clarifications needed

The main opposition Socialist Party (PSOE) has called on the deputy prime minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, to appear in the parliamentary commission of official secrets to offer a full explanation of interference by other countries in the Catalan independence drive. We want to be informed of all possible foreign interference in Catalonia, if it existed and what actions have been taken from the government and the CNI [Spanish secret service] to clarify it, said on Thursday Margarita Robles, the spokesperson of the Socialist group in Congress.

The foreign activity could have had a significant effect on the political situation in Catalonia, Robles added, in reference to the activity that has been detected from Russian territory, which has included the spread of fake news and exaggerated stories.

We want to be informed of all possible foreign interference in Catalonia Margarita Robles, the spokesperson of the Socialist group

The fact that the risk exists  as we have been informed fundamentally via media outlets  of this possible foreign interference requires for us to be informed, Robles continued. The Socialist group has chosen the Reserved Expenses commission (commonly known as official secrets) given that it is, in Robles words, the appropriate framework of seriousness and rigor for the deputy prime minister  who is responsible for the CNI  to supply all of the information that the government has and what it has done to avoid this interference, Robles said. Our understanding is that this is not a question of government, but of state, she added.

The Spanish government confirmed last Friday that there had been foreign intervention via social networks aimed at benefiting the pro-independence narrative. This is a serious issue, where democracy has to face up to the challenge of new technologies, Popular Party (PP) government spokesperson Inigo Mendez de Vigo said. The [Spanish] government has confirmed that a lot of the messages and interventions that have come via social networks are from Russian territory, said last week Maria Dolores de Cospedal, the defense minister. That is not to say necessarily that they are from the Russian government.

This is a serious issue, where democracy has to face up to the challenge of new technologies Inigo Mendez de Vigo, PP spokesperson

The issue is also on the radar of the European Union and the US State Department. We are, of course, very concerned about the allegations of Russian interference in events in Spain, an American spokesperson said.

The controversy has already prompted a response from Russia, which has demanded concrete facts. Maria Zajarova, the spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry, has called on the Spanish government to provide evidence of interference. Russia deeply regrets that the wave of anti-Russian campaigns that have been unleashed in Western media have been elevated by Madrid to an official level in the context of the Catalan crisis, she said. Zajarova also warned that the accusations could damage bilateral relationships.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, this Thursday in Madrid. YURI KADOBNOV (AFP)

More information Clarifications needed

The director of Russias foreign intelligence services, Sergei Naryshkin, has accused the Spanish authorities of political repression against the promoters of the Catalan independence referendum, which went ahead on October 1 despite having been declared illegal by Spains Constitutional Court. He also criticized the brutal police violence used by security forces at some polling stations during the vote.

The Russian officials declarations came shortly after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy confirmed that Russian and Venezuelan hackers had intervened during the Catalan crisis. Naryshkin described the actions of the Catalan regional government as the supreme form of democratic expression of popular will during a speech he made at a conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Europe (IE). Integrated within the Russian Academy of Sciences, the IE is dedicated to studying the continents issues and creating reports and ideas for Russian foreign policy.

When the results of the referendum made them uncomfortable, they subjected voters to political repression Sergei Naryshkin

The European elites, said Naryshkin, continue to position themselves as exemplary bearers of democracy. However, in Catalonia, when the results of the referendum  as the supreme form of democratic expression of the popular will  made them uncomfortable, they not only refused to recognize them, but also subjected the initiators of the vote to political repression and the participants in support of independence to brutal police violence.

Naryshkin mentioned Catalonia along with other topics in a critical take on EU policy. The head of Russian espionage made a historical parallel and a curious comparison between the behavior of the Spanish government and the young Soviet Russia, which granted independence to Finland in 1917, because it was a just decision from a historical and truly democratic perspective. The authorities of Spain, a member of the EU, a country that considers itself to withhold the rule of law, acted differently, Naryshkin said.

Naryshkin added that Russia is interested in the EU being a strong, reliable and stable development partner

Among those attending the IE event was the head of the international relations commission for the Federation Council, Konstantin Kosachov, and the Russian representative for NATO, Alexander Grushko. The attendees noted the progressive distancing between the EU and Russia.

Naryshkin worked with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the mayors office in St. Petersburg and became head of the lower house of parliament, the Duma, in the fall of 2016, before going on to direct the foreign espionage service.

The official stressed that his intervention was based on an analysis of information that had reached the department he is in charge of. Naryshkin added that Russia is interested in the EU being a strong, reliable and stable development partner.

Harming relationships

The words of the espionage chief were not the only reference from a Russian official to be made on Thursday. The spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zajarova, said that accusations of Russian interference in Catalonia harm relations between the two countries. We would like our Spanish colleagues to begin to respond to their words and present concrete facts, the spokesperson said.

English version by Debora Almeida.
The remains of the house in Alcanar where Abdelbaki Es Satty's body was found. Josep Lluis Sellart

Spains National Intelligence Center (CNI) admitted on Thursday that it had had contact with the mastermind of the terror attacks in Catalonia this summer, Abdelbaki Es Satty, during the time that he was in prison in Castellon, between 2010 and 2014. The Spanish secret service did not, however, clarify how often these contacts took place, nor the duration, nor whether they were paid. They did state that they took place within the protocol established for convicts in prison and who have maintained relationships with jihadists.

The imam from the small Catalan town of Ripoll who headed the jihadist cell behind the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils in mid-August in which 16 people died, was no stranger to Spains security forces. Apart from having been investigated as part of the Chacal operation into Islamic jihadism  carried out after the 2004 Madrid train bombings that killed 193 people  it has now emerged he was an informant for Spains National Intelligence Center (CNI) during his time in a Castellon prison where he served four years for drug trafficking.

This has been confirmed by sources from the Spanish secret services, although they have not specified for how long the imam worked for them, or whether he was paid.

Es Satty died in an explosion at a house in Alcanar (Tarragona) while preparing explosive material for major attack.

Those same sources clarified that the contacts established with Es Satty fall within the usual protocols of the agency, and that it is normal to obtain information to fight terrorism from those in prisons who may have information. In any case, Es Satty was not sent to prison for terrorism offenses, but rather for drug trafficking.

Born in the mountainous Rif region of Morocco, Es Satty had tried to transport 121 kilos of hashish into Spain but was caught at the border with the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in North Africa. However, CNI sources say that he had contacts with jihadists, presumably to help them leave leave Spain, according to other sources from the counter-terrorism fight.

According to Es Sattys statements during his drug-trafficking trial, he was blackmailed into trying to transport both drugs and people into Spain, although he never provided any evidence of this.

While the case being led by Judge Fernando Andreu with Spains High Court is still under judicial seal, these new details coming out suggest that Es Satty was no stranger to the states security forces and that he had been known to them almost since he arrived in Spain in 2002. His name appeared in the address books of some of those arrested for 2004 Madrid train bombings. He was also investigated as part of the Chacal operation against terrorism although wire taps failed to provide enough evidence to see him formally accused of a crime. He was arrested for drug trafficking in 2010 and he served out all of his four-year sentence.

In Vilvoorde, Belgium he offered his services as an imam in 2015, after leaving prison. But he raised suspicions and a local police officer asked for a background check from Catalan police. Indications point to the fact that the Catalan police were the only security force in Spain who did not have a file on him. If he had been registered, with his criminal record noted, he would not, in theory, have been able to practice as an imam in Ripoll. However, he began doing so in 2015.

English version by Debora Almeida.
Journalists at the Belgian Palace of Justice for Puigdemont's hearing on Friday. Javier Albisu (EFE)

Sacked Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont and the four former members of his government who fled to Belgium after the Catalan parliament approved a universal declaration of independence last month appeared before a Belgian judge on Friday afternoon.

Puigdemont and former Catalan ministers Antoni Comin, Clara Ponsati, Lluis Puig and Meritxell Serret  all ousted after Madrid used emergency constitutional powers to remove them from office  had been summoned to appear in the court after a European arrest warrant was issued for them.

All five officials face charges including rebellion, sedition, and misuse of public funds

All five face charges in Spain including rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds and making deliberately unlawful decisions as elected officials (known in Spanish as prevaricacion) for their role in the independence push in Catalonia.

Belgian prosecutors have called for the presiding judge to execute the arrest warrant for all of the above crimes except prevaricacion.

Fridays hearing lasted just one hour and neither the Catalan politicians nor their lawyers offered testimony, according to court sources. But no decision was taken by the judge as to whether the European arrest warrant would be executed.

Instead, Puidgemont and the former members of his government must now reappear in court on December 4, defense lawyers said. The judge will then require a further 10 days after that to make a decision on the execution of the arrest warrant.

Puidgemont and the former members of his government must now reappear in court on December 4

This decision can then be appealed by both Belgian prosecutors and the sacked Catalan government members.

The defense teams for the Catalan politicians have been arguing that the basic rights of Puigdemont and his former ministers will be violated if they are extradited to Spain.

However, this will be difficult to prove within the European context. It is not enough to say this is the case. The lawyers will have to demonstrate that there is a real risk and the arguments will have to be very specific because there is a presumption of respect for human rights among European countries, explains Anne Weyembergh, professor at the Institute for European Studies of the Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

But the Belgium judge could use a possible legal loophole to argue against the handover of the five politicians to Spanish authorities. The European legal framework allows for a judge to have the option of denying the handing over of suspects in cases where the crimes in question are not on the list of 32 offenses where that handover is usually almost automatic, and where the crimes have different definitions in Spain and Belgium. This is the case for both rebellion and sedition.

Belgian courts are obliged to deny extradition requests when crimes do not have the same definition in both countries

And in Belgium, what is considered optional under European law, has become obligatory: that is, Belgian courts are actually obliged to deny extradition requests in cases where crimes do not have the same definition in both countries involved, rather than this being just an optional move.

Despite this, experience suggests the Belgian judiciary is no less likely to recognize a European arrest warrant that other European countries, although data is scarce. In Belgium, judicial authorities tend to lend more weight to the principle of mutual trust, especially when compared to countries such as the UK and Ireland, said Weyemgergh.

Belgian judges exercise less control, she added.

English version by George Mills.
Immediately after Mahmoud Ahmadinejads acerbic speech against the Islamic Republics judiciary this week, the Telegram channels close to the former president reported that his official website, as well as his movements website, Dolatebahar (the Government of Spring) have been shut down.

In his most bitter speech against Larijani brothers, Ahmadinejad directly addressed the judiciary, warning You are either not Iranian or do not know Iran.

Three Larijani brothers, all born in Iraq to an Iranian ayatollah, occupy key positions in Iran. Ali Larijani is the Speaker of Parliament, Sadegh Amoli Larijani is Chief-justice and the eldest brother, Javad Larijani is the Secretary of High Council for Human Rights under the supervision of his younger brother, the chief-justice.

Two other brothers, Fazel and Bagher have also held high positions in the Islamic republics ruling system.

Former president Ahmadinejad in his speech accused top judiciary officials of conspiracy against himself and his close ally, insisting that they are attempting to convict his deputy, Hamid Baghaei for political reasons.

However, he warned, Over my dead body you may convict Baghaei.

Hamid Baghaei, Ahmadinejads deputy in executive matters during his second term of presidency, disregarded a court summon on Wednesday, November 15, and, along with two other Ahmadinejad aides took refuge in the Shia sanctuary of Shah Abdul Azim in Shahr-e Rey, south of Tehran.

Soon, on the same day, Ahmadinejad joined them and delivered a vitriolic speech, maintaining that the politically motivated judiciary had arrested Baghaei for conspiring against him and his close allies, Yet, Baghaei resisted under pressure and aborted the plot.

Earlier, Baghaei had asserted that his interrogators pressed him to speak against Ahmadinejad and his close allies.

Based on video clips circulated in social media, Ahmadinejad lambasted the judiciary and accused it conspiring to convict Baghaei without any evidence.

Ahmadinejad, renowned for not mincing his words, reiterated, We are against Larijani brothers. Is it a crime to be against somebody? We cannot let these [brothers] dominate the country and place people under pressure to the point that they submit to foreigners.

The former twice president had earlier asserted that filing legal cases against himself and his allies are designed to lay the groundwork for boosting Ali Larijanis position as a candidate in the next presidential election.

Meanwhile, Baghaei has also maintained that he had been under pressure by his interrogators to admit that Ahmadinejad is in fact a spy.

Responding to the pressure on his former deputy, Ahmadinejad addressed the top judiciary officials, deriding, [I am not a spy, you and] your father are spies.

Baghaei was first arrested for embezzlement in 2015 but, according to Ahmadinejad close allies, he was later freed by the Supreme Leader, ayatollah Ali Khameneis special order.

Once again, last July, Baghaei was detained but later released on a huge bail.

Currently, another close ally of Ahmadinejad, Esfandyar Rahim Mashshayee has also been summoned to court for insulting the Supreme Leader, offending the ruling systems officials and spreading false information.
Neighborhood patrols will to be deployed all over Iran, the commander of Mobilization Resistance Force, Baseej, has announced.

We have plans to reduce the number of checkpoints and gradually replace them with neighborhood patrols, Iranian Students News Agency, ISNA cited the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps commander of Baseej, General Gholamhossein Gheybparvar as saying on November 15, in a press conference.

Meanwhile, in its Thursday edition, the reformist daily Etemad has compared the new plan to the notorious Revolutionary Committees, renowned as Komitehs in 1979 when the Islamic Republic was established in Iran.

Immediately after the Islamic Revolution, the Komitehs, pushing the regular police forces aside, were deployed in all major cities, erecting checkpoints wherever they wanted, inspecting and searching people, vehicles and arresting whoever they suspected of being anti-revolutionary.

Of all the Government agencies created as a result of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, not one is more feared or detested than the Komiteh, or Committee, the national disciplinary patrol responsible for enforcing Islamic regulations on social behavior reported the New York Times in 1990.

Now, apparently the most feared Komitehs are set to return.

The commander of Baseej has not explained the necessity and reason behind devising the new plan but, has maintained, The candidates for serving as patrols will be selected and trained after their credentials are approved.

The new patrols, according to General Gheybparvar, Are not going to be armed and will serve in coordination with judiciary and police forces.

Furthermore, the IRGC general has insisted that the new patrols will not enter peoples private properties and will only take the responsibility for providing security in public places.

However, he has also not elaborated on what the new patrols can do that the police cannot.

Though, immediately after the Islamic Revolution, Baseej forces were deployed and set their own checkpoints all over Iran, but their numbers were significantly reduced in late 1980s.

In 2008, once again, Baseej patrols reappeared all over Iran. They used to patrol major cities on foot and in groups of five.

Baseej patrols are deployed in 1000 urban locations all over Iran to help providing stable security in the neighborhoods, confront the burglars and thugs and prevent any attempt to vandalize and damage public properties, Baseejs Operations deputy, Ahmad Zolqadr said at the time.

Nevertheless, a year later, in 2009, during the controversial presidential election, the newly deployed patrols played a crucial role in suppressing millions of people who protested official result of the voting and reelection of the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Video clips and images showing a Baseej patrol car storming into protesters was widely distributed and shocked everybody.

According to reformist daily Etemad, the new plan is a sort of history revisited. The new patrols, Etemad says, are a reminder of Komitehs in 1980s when they were involved in a gamut of matters, including confrontation with distributors of what was labelled as illegal cassettes and tapes of songs and videos as well as storming into family parties they labelled as immoral.

Meanwhile, a motion titled as strengthening Baseej was passed by majlis on Wednesday, November 15. The parliamentary motion was originally passed in 2015 but the Guardian Council, GC returned it to majlis for some amendments.

Based on the new amendments, the government is dutybound to allocate suitable plots for military training of Baseej forces and their maneuvers.

Several other motions have also passed in recent years aimed at strengthening Baseej.

Baseej forces are mainly selected from volunteer youth, usually school dropouts who relish a powerful role in society.

It is not clear why parliament insists on strengthening Baseej and not the regular police force.
By contrast, Democrat nominee Doug Jones is 63, and considering the differences between the medias handling of the two candidates, its more likely that Mr. Jones could take full advantage of the benefits of incumbency, and stay on for much more than this half a term, should he win the day on December 12.

Republican primary winner Roy Moore is 70, the same age as fellow politicians Hillary Clinton, Jon Corzine, William J. Jefferson, Tom Daschle, and Carol Moseley Braun. If he should win the race, its reasonable to assume this half term is likely all he would serve in the office.

There will be an election in Alabama to fill the unexpired US Senate term of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Unlike most Senate races, since this is a special election, its not for a full six years; the winner will only serve for three years  half a term.

The state of Alabama has been a reliable Republican state in most statewide elections for some time now; the people of Alabama trend conservative, being supporters of the Founding principles of this nation and the Judeo-Christian tradition of Western Civilization and they show it on Election Day.

In short, the people of Alabama tend to agree completely with Roy Moore on the issues, and disagree completely with Doug Jones on the issues. So it should be no wonder that the media, in their effort to swing this otherwise-impossible election toward their party, the Democrats, have chosen to focus entirely on personal behavior allegations against Judge Moore in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Throughout the general election campaign, Doug Jones, a Clinton appointee in the Justice Department (he served as a US Attorney from 1997 to 2001) has managed to avoid the hard political questions of a campaign in a state unwelcoming to his party. We dont know if he has any scandals in his past (perhaps not); we barely know where he stands on the issues. Hes not in the news talking about specific policy positions; hes only in the news when he tags along on the medias story about Roy Moores dating habits as a young single attorney.

The only issue of the race has become the allegations that the moralizing champion of the Ten Commandments was (allegedly) a creep in his younger days, going after girls too young for him. Thats the issue at hand, and its not remotely as easy to analyze as we would like.

Unlike such examples as President Clintons (D, AR) affair with an intern, in which a blue dress proved the deed, or Anthony Weiners (D, NY) attempted pickups of young girls, in which cellphone records included photos that proved the allegations, there is no such evidence in the Roy Moore charges. They are 40-year-old cases of he said / she said, and the only piece of physical evidence yet submitted, a yearbook inscription, was so obviously faked as to be laughable on its face.

Oddly, there have been several very different charges against Judge Moore, most of which are not remotely illegal, just unusual in todays view, in terms of a legal but considerable age discrepancy. And a couple of which, if true, would indeed be reprehensible, but those charges are the ones that are hardest to believe (the worst charge, in fact, was angrily assailed by the accusers own son!).

The Left believes them because they WANT to believe them  bringing down a grandstanding evangelical for hypocrisy is their greatest joy.

Fairer-mined people are troubled, because the case is not nearly as clear as the Left would have us believe.

To my mind, the objective analysis of the situation needs to begin with a focus on several key points:

The allegations are a distraction from the issues. The Left knows they cannot win a Senate seat in Alabama unless they can somehow convince the Right that the Republican nominee is unacceptable. From a political consulting tacticians viewpoint, this is logical; its exactly the thing a campaign should attempt. But it does make the charges highly suspect, especially when we consider the fact that they were only made after it was too late  according to state law  for the party to legally make a replacement on the ballot. The allegations cannot be vetted by the normal processes in a court of law. Unlike most political scandals, this one is so dated that no accusation of criminality can be evaluated by the courts. Charges of child molestation are notoriously difficult even under the best of circumstances, with a lack of witnesses and the possibility of misinterpretations by participants. After the statute of limitations is up, there can be no trial in which to even have the partial assistance of the rules of evidence and the cross-examination of witnesses. In short, these charges are almost impossible to vet with confidence. The true issues that matter to most voters  economic, foreign policy, military structure, healthcare, etc.  are getting short shrift as a result of this distraction. The voters of Alabama have two roles to play  both in choosing an individual to represent their positions in the Senate, and in contributing one member to the almost 50/50 breakdown of a hundred senators in an incredibly partisan and divided body. The voters must choose which legislator will vote their way, in construction of the Senate each December, and in every bill that comes before him in committee and in the full Senate. The true question, in short, is Which of these two men will cast the votes that the majority of Alabamans agree with/

Roy Moore, for all his well-known pomposity and grandstanding ways, is a solid and predictable conservative on the issues of the day. He believes in limited government, and has made it clear that, if elected to the Senate, he will vote for Republican construction of the Senate, and vote to support Republican appointments and Republican bills. He can be expected to ally with the conservative sub-majority in the US Senate  Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, etc. No wonder the Democrats are so anxious to defeat him.

By contrast, Doug Jones has staked out a place on the far left of his party. If elected, he will cast Alabamas vote for the leadership team of Senators Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin. He can be expected to vote against all Republican bills, from the moderate ones of the GOP leadership to the conservative ones of the Paul/Cruz/Lee wing.

On specific issues, from his speeches to his official website, Doug Jones has made several things clear:

Doug Jones advocates national healthcare and opposes repeal of the notoriously illegal and destructive Affordable Care Act in short, he supports Obamacare.

Doug Jones opposes mandatory sentencing, and advocates broadening the use of alternative sentencing, to set convicted criminals free sooner even than they are now.

Doug Jones supports such Leftist utopian ideas as mandating that all jobs pay a living wage and demanding equal pay legislation, the kinds of government micromanagement of the private sector that destroy jobs and drive industries out of the country.

Doug Jones is an unapologetic believer in Al Gores hoax once known as Global Warming and now called manmade climate change. He supports Obama-era efforts to force movement from efficient power sources to costly and inefficient green energy and he supports the outrageous Paris Accords.

In short, in virtually every way, Democrat Doug Jones is on the record as a left-wing extremist. He doesnt always sound like it, because he has the political sense to sound measured and reasonable when addressing Alabama audiences but a vote for Doug Jones is a vote for the socialist policies of the Obama era.

What, then, is an Alabama voter to do? To some people, Doug Jones seems more likeable, and to others, Roy Moore does. To some, Doug Jones comes with less baggage, to others, the baggage of Roy Moore  his years of efforts to keep the Ten Commandments on display in his courtroom, are a proud badge of honor (just for the record, the Founding Fathers would side with Moore on that one, and would be baffled that it was ever even an issue). And to some, the allegations of misbehavior so freshly leveled against Roy Moore are indeed a blemish that should not be rewarded with so lofty a post.

But this is exactly where the press and the politics must step aside, for the cold calculation that must matter to todays voter. The election of a US Senator mustnt be viewed as a reward for one candidate or the other; such posts are not deserved plums with which to cap a resume. The election of a US Senator is the selection of a representative in the Senate, someone to cast your vote on the bills that cross his desk.

In the final analysis, what really matters most to you and to our country  is it what a candidate did twenty, or thirty, or forty years ago, or is it how he will vote in the US Senate, day after day, for the three or more years he serves?

The most important thing for the voters of Alabama is how their Senator votes in the US Senate.

Will he vote to cut tax rates, or to raise them?

Will he vote to reduce the size of the bureaucracy, or increase it?

Will he vote to free our wonderful energy sources of oil, coal, nuclear and natural gas, or will he vote to crush them, and instead subsidize Chinese windmills and solar panels with our tax dollars?

Will he vote to free our economy from costly and destructive international accords, or to further weigh down our economy with carbon taxes and limitations?

Will he vote to allow our criminal justice system to keep convicts out of our communities, or will he vote to swing open the prison gates and flood our neighborhoods with people already proven to be criminals?

In the end, this truly isnt a difficult choice for the Alabama voter. It will take time to sort out these allegations. Over the next year or two, well have time to find out for sure whether the worst of these allegations were true or fraudulent, and whether the dating habits of a man in the 1970s really should contribute to an election choice today and then the voters can renominate Mr. Moore, or retire him  in the 2020 primary  picking someone else to serve as their Republican nominee henceforth.

But in the meantime, while these thoughts are being carefully and honestly considered, who should be casting Alabamas votes in the US Senate? Do they want three years of Alabamas representative casting conservative votes in that body, or do they want three years of Alabamas representative casting socialist votes?

Thats really the question for an Alabama voter to decide. Judging from former Senator Jeff Sessions election totals these past few cycles, it really shouldnt be that hard to work out.

Copyright 2017 John F. Di Leo

John F. Di Leo is a Chicagoland based trade compliance trainer, US Customs broker, writer and actor. He is currently performing (through Sunday, November 19) as Kris Kringle in the radio play version of Miracle on 34th Street with the Elgin Theatre Company.





Permission is hereby granted to forward freely, provided it is uncut and the IR URL and byline are included.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

The 6th edition the Heavy Caspian conference, organized by Heavy World Events and Media, was held on October 19th in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan. This forum is the only one of its kind in Russia and the CIS and is a very significant event for the transport industry. Heavy Caspian 2017 is designed mainly for participants from the countries of Transcaucasia and Central Asia. This year the conference was organized in Tashkent for the first time, with previous editions having been held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Heavy Caspian 2017 attracted the most important players on the oversized and project cargo transportation and installation market. Attendees included over 130 delegates from Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Georgia, Germany, England, Italy and Luxembourg.

AsstrA took an active part in this highly important conference. Irina Kaputa, a specialist from the AsstrA Associated Traffic AG Oversized and Heavy Cargo Division, shares her impressions of this event:

"Heavy Caspian 2017 stood out due to the huge amount of available information and great communication between participants. Uzbekistan is quite a closed country where most of the economic sectors are under strict state control, including the transportation and logistics industry. Officials from the state regulatory departments unveiled their vision for the development of the nations oil and gas industry as well as for the practical organization of the transport industry in Uzbekistan.

The transport and logistics companies with real on-the-ground experience in Central Asia proper provided visual demonstrations of the various methods used to overcome the regions difficult geographical conditions and successfully deliver oversized and heavy cargo. The organizers managed to build an active dialogue between government representatives and the front-line transportation providers, as the exchange of their opinions really does have practical value."

Bahodirov Alisher, Head of Innovation and Localization at Uzbekneftegaz, the Uzbek national oil company, detailed the nations oil and gas industry development priorities for 2017-2020. The government has decided to update Uzbek refinery equipment, which currently delivers a product of only average quality, and take new measures to improve quality as well as the depth at which the petroleum products are refined. The main delivery dates for new ovens, compression equipment, distillation columns, and other refinery equipment from Western Europe, Korea, Japan, India, South Africa and the USA are scheduled for between 2018-2022.

Due to the fact that many large-scale projects are planned in this region in the near future, the increased transparency and availability of information from government agencies served as an invitation for new service providers to participate in the development of the oil and gas industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

"The structure of the conference resembled blocks of information, with each speech concerning a specific topic. The time for discussion after each presentation was a great opportunity to assess how that particular issue plays out in the real world. The atmosphere at this exhibition was very friendly. Participants at Heavy Caspian 2017 were keen to exchange experiences and open to establishing business relationships. As the region of Central Asia is very interesting for us, we managed to establish contact with potential suppliers of logistics services in the region and to learn about the practical experiences of others, as described in their visual presentations," says Ms Kaputa.

At this moment, the Central Asian countries are actively developing resources already discovered under the Caspian Sea shelf. Demand for offshore drilling platform development projects is growing, as are requirements to strengthen the sea shelf bottom and to construct new refining facilities. AsstrA analysts predict that oil production and exploration technologies will be supplied by large companies in the oil and gas production industry as well as specialized oil refiners.

About the company:

AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG is an international transport and logistics holding company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It has been operating in the sphere of logistics for more than 20 years. The company is represented in 16 countries of Europe, Asia and the CIS. It offers a whole entire range of services through a single logistics operator.



In particular, the company ensures international transportation by various types of transport, import and export support of any type of cargo, as well as cargo insurance "against all risks" in the most reputable insurance companies in Germany and Switzerland. The package also includes project logistics, trading, warehousing and customs services.

Thanks to the wide geographic range and cooperation with professionals, AsstrA offers advantageous logistics solutions at reasonable prices and takes into account the needs of each customer and partner.

Contact us:

Email: [email protected],

.: +994 55 813 59 74

WhatsApp & Viber: +48 576147796

Website: http://www.asstra.com

Fb: https://www.facebook.com/AsstrAsia/?ref=bookmarks
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

Today, the United States Government, working through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) sponsored a conference on Developing Womens Entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan as part of the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The event brought members of parliament and representatives from government agencies, public unions, international organizations, embassies, and think tanks together to discuss ways to overcome obstacles to the advancement of womens entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, and to emphasize the role women can play in economic diversification.

USAID/Azerbaijan Mission Director Mikaela Meredith noted Supporting entrepreneurship is a top priority of the United States Government. Entrepreneurship generates employment and contributes to stability and prosperity. She also added: Women play a powerful economic role when they are able to create, grow, and manage their own businesses. Around the world, economies thrive in countries where women have the opportunity to fulfill their economic aspirations. Women can turn their ideas into reality and transform the world around them with a great idea, and hard work, as long as they are given the resources to do so. Mission Director Meredith also positively noted the steps that the Government of Azerbaijan has recently taken to facilitate business growth.

Mr. Ghulam Isaczai, the UN Resident Coordinator and the UNDP Resident Representative, said The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda views the expansion of womens entrepreneurship as an important accelerator in eradication of poverty, elimination of inequality, progress towards global universal education and quality healthcare for all. To strengthen women entrepreneurship, we need the continuous support of all actors including the UN system, relevant government agencies, civil society, media and the expert community. At UNDP Azerbaijan, we are proud to have dedicated a considerable share of our resources to assisting women entrepreneurs, promoting businesswomen role models and advocating for better policies to boost womens active and rewarding participation in the private sector.

Launched in 2008, Global Entrepreneurship Week is an important annual event that recognizes innovators and job creators that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth, and expand human welfare through business activities. From November 13-19, millions of people around the world will participate in events and competitions that will inspire, connect, and engage the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

Presidents of Russia Vladimir Putin and Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, said Erdogan summing the results of his visit to Russia, "Star" newspaper reported.

According to Erdogan, Armenia must comply with the UN Security Council resolutions.

Turkish president said that he discussed the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Vladimir Putin.

Erdogan announced about this when summing up his visit to Russia, the Turkish newspaper Star reported.

He said that at the meeting it was noted that it would be useful for Russia to pay more attention to this issue.

"He [Putin] thinks so himself, but in my opinion, he has no hopes because of the positions of the parties. I reminded him of the decision taken on the liberation of the five districts and the Armenian side was supposed to leave these territories. The UN recognized the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, but despite this, the Armenian armed forces do not leave these areas, and if these areas are liberated, the ancestral inhabitants of these regions can return to their native lands, " Haberturk quotes Erdogan as saying.

The talks between the presidents of Russia and Turkey took place on November 13 in Sochi.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

The issue Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the fight against terrorism have become an example of absolute cooperation between the United States and Russia, Matthew Bryza, former US ambassador to Azerbaijan and former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, told RIA Novosti agency.

The two countries have absolutely different views about the conflict in Georgia [South Ossetia and the Abkhazia conflict], but at the same time, they are cooperating on the issue of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the fight against terrorism, he said.

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.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan in Yerevan said that Brazil is a peace-loving country and advocates peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenia media reported Nov. 17.

Aloysio Nunes Ferreira said that the issue should be resolved within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and truce must be maintained to achieve a lasting peace.

In turn, Edward Nalbandyan said that Russia, as a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group and an important partner of Armenia and Azerbaijan, plays an important role in efforts to resolve the conflict.

He noted that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Armenia Nov. 20-21, and a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation will be discussed.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

Illegal visit of Mexican MPs to the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia harms Mexican-Azerbaijani relations, said El Excelsior, an influential Mexican newspaper.

The Azerbaijani Embassy in Mexico believes that three MPs from the leftist National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) and the Party of the Democratic Revolution, who illegally visited the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia, exceeded their powers, the newspaper said.

The MPs visited the Nagorno-Karabakh region without the permission of the Azerbaijani government.

On October 21-28, the MPs were supposed to be in Armenia as part of visit of the Armenia-Mexico friendship group. However, while being there, they visited the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Azerbaijans territory occupied by Armenia, and this provoked outrage of the Azerbaijani side, El Excelsior noted.

The newspaper wrote that the Charge d'Affaires of Azerbaijan in Mexico Mammad Talibov sent an official letter to President of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico Jorge Carlos Ramirez Marin October 25 requesting to investigate the visit.

Also, the influential Mexican newspaper Milenio wrote that the left-wing MPs contributed to a diplomatic conflict with Azerbaijan.

The visit took place on the initiative of Co-Chairman of the Armenia-Mexico Friendship Group from the Armenian Parliament Karen Avagyan, the newspaper said. The appeals of pro-Armenian Mexican MPs and unauthorized visits to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan led to the MPs being declared persona non grata. A letter submitted by the Azerbaijani side, reads: 'This provocative and unacceptable move by Mexican MPs contradicts the spirit of friendly and cooperation relations between Mexico and Azerbaijan, and is aimed, undoubtedly, at damaging these relations'.

Another influential Mexican newspaper El Universal writes that the Mexican MPs have caused the protest of Azerbaijan.

All three federal MPs of Mexico have been illegally visiting the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region without the permission of the Azerbaijani government since 1992, wrote the newspaper. Therefore, Mammad Talibov, the charge daffaires of Azerbaijan in Mexico, expressed serious concerns over the visits to the occupied Azerbaijani territories not taking into account Azerbaijani legislation and warnings about visits to the region, posted on the official website of the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs.

In addition to these newspapers, the issue was covered by a number of other media outlets, including a radio channel: http://www.20minutos.com.mx/noticia/298598/0/preocupa-a-azerbaiyan-visita-ilegal-de-diputados-de-morena-y-prd/;http://www.ejecentral.com.mx/diputados-de-prd-y-morena-causan-conflicto-diplomatico-con-azerbaiyan/

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

All kinds of international crimes were committed against Azerbaijan, chairman of the Council on State Support for NGOs under the President of Azerbaijan, the countrys MP Azay Guliyev said during final discussions on the International Crimes Prevention and Punishment System: National Legislation and International Law topic.

The discussions were related to the draft law On prevention of international crimes and punishment of perpetrators.

Guliyev noted that considering international crimes that were committed against Azerbaijan, the preparation of such a draft law is very important.

He said that this is one of the important projects financed by the Council on State Support for NGOs.

He added that the discussions are successfully coming to an end.

I think that the draft law should be adopted by the Azerbaijani Parliament, Guliyev said.

The MP also stressed that both the parliament and civil society took part in the work on the draft law.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to provide funding for the construction of main water pipes and facilities on the Absheron peninsular.

Under the order, 10.1 million manats is allocated to Azersu company for carrying out the construction works.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Ilhama Isabalayeva  Trend:

Azerbaijani MP Agil Abbas has proposed to adopt a law that provides for the recognition of the media outlets financed from abroad as foreign agents.

He made the proposal at a meeting of the Azerbaijani Parliaments Committee for Cultural Issues.

In turn, Rafael Huseynov, chairman of the committee, said this may be done both in the form of adoption of a separate law and in the form of an addition to the existing laws.

On Nov. 15, amendments were made in laws in Russia that make it possible to recognize the media outlets financed from abroad as foreign agents.
Details added (first version posted on 11:15)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Alisher Sultanov.

Deputy PM Alisher Sultanov extended greetings and best wishes of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to President Ilham Aliyev.

He noted that Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev always recalls with immense pleasure his meetings with President Ilham Aliyev and calls him a great son of Azerbaijani people.

The deputy PM underlined that the Uzbek president notes the necessity of making full use of opportunities for developing bilateral relations between the two countries.

He said that the Uzbek president looks forward to visiting Azerbaijan, adding that active preparatory work is underway to make this trip fruitful.

Pointing to the recently launched Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Alisher Sultanov hailed the regional importance of the project.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked the deputy prime minister for the warm words, hailing his meetings with his Uzbek counterpart. The head of state emphasized that the brotherly relations between the two countries and peoples are based on common history, culture and language factors.

Praising high level political contacts between the two countries, President Aliyev underlined the importance of mutual trust between the heads of state, as well as mutual support in international organizations.

The head of state also noted the significance of increasing efforts to expand cooperation in a number of areas, including in trade, energy, and transport ones.

President Aliyev thanked for the greetings of Shavkat Mirziyoyev and asked the deputy prime minister to extend his greetings and best wishes to the Uzbek president.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Azerbaijani MP Sahib Aliyev has proposed to establish a medal for heroism shown in the April battles of 2016.

He made the proposal at a plenary session of the Azerbaijani Parliament Nov. 17 during the discussion of amendments to the law On Establishment of Orders and Medals of Azerbaijan.

The MP noted that the servicemen who participated and showed heroism in the April battles have the right to wear the medal on their chest.

On the night of Apr. 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from Armenian armed forces. As a result of artillery shelling of Azerbaijans settlements, located near the line of contact, six civilians were killed, including two children aged under 16, and 26 people were seriously injured.

During the four days of fighting, Azerbaijani Armed Forces liberated the heights near the Talish village, as well as the Seysulan settlement, which could pose a threat to the safety of the Goranboy district and Naftalan city.

Azerbaijan took over control of the Lele Tepe strategic height, located near the Fuzuli district, which allows controlling a large territory. Also, as a result of the April battles, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces took under control the roads in the Aghdere-Madaghiz direction.

Thirty tanks, up to 15 artillery mounts and fortifications belonging to Armenia were destroyed, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 of the enemys servicemen were wounded during the battles.

The military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (GMT + 4) upon mutual agreement of the sides.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be on an official visit in Baku Nov. 19-20, Hikmat Hajiyev, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys spokesman, told Trend Nov. 17.

Lavrov is scheduled to meet with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and other high-ranking officials within the framework of the visit, Hajiyev said.

He added that following the meeting, a joint press conference with the participation of both ministers will be held.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Afshan Khan will pay an official visit to Azerbaijan on November 20-22 for the first time, the UNICEF office in Azerbaijan said in a message Nov. 17.

According to the message, Afshan Khan will meet with senior officials, public and youth representatives.

As part of her visit, Afshan Khan will first attend the opening ceremony of the fourth National Children's Forum, organized by UNICEF and the Azerbaijani State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, on the Universal Children's Day, which is celebrated on Nov. 20.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

In celebration of International Education Week (IEW), US Embassy Baku organized a series of workshops conducted by international education expert Professor Dr. David Wick, from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

The workshops are designed to help higher education institutes attract international partners and students.

Dr. Wick has delivered education sessions and workshops on the topics of diversity, inclusion, equity, social justice, marketing, advising, exchange management, comprehensive internationalization, program design, and teaching at conferences in the US and abroad.

His trip to Azerbaijan gave him a chance to share U.S. educational techniques, expertise and best practices with representatives of several Azerbaijani universities. The workshops were held at the Baku American Center of the US Embassy and the University of Languages and at ADA University.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Huseyn Valiyev  Trend:

Azerbaijani products can be easily supplied to the European countries markets thanks to the cooperation between Azerbaijani and Bosnia and Herzegovinas companies, Rufat Mammadov, head of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO), told Trend Nov. 15.

Mammadov said that Azerbaijani products can be supplied to the European countries markets due to Bosnia Herzegovinas free trade agreement with the European Union.

"We can also offer Bosnia and Herzegovinas companies to supply goods to the markets of the CIS countries with which Azerbaijan has a free trade agreement, that is, the issue is mutual interest," he said. "Of course, we are still at the early stages of bilateral trade and investment relations. But there are so many opportunities that can be used to increase the trade turnover and the presence of Azerbaijani business in this market."

"Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina held many business meetings and business forums," Mammadov said. "The enterprises and companies from Bosnia and Herzegovinas Olovo town have been represented at the Azerbaijan-Bosnia and Herzegovina business meeting in Baku Nov. 15."

"Business circles of the two countries are interested in a wide range of issues, primarily in such areas as construction, heavy engineering, automotive industry, agriculture, food industry, textile industry, furniture industry and various sectors of manufacturing industry."

"Azerbaijani companies, working in agriculture, agrarian industry, processing industry and food production, are already operating in Bosnia and Herzegovinas market," he said. "It is a traditional sector for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Azerbaijan."

"The companies of the two countries also cooperate in the furniture industry," Mammadov said. "There are great prospects for establishing cooperation in the textile industry, which is now actively developed in Azerbaijan. Bosnia and Herzegovina also has skills in textile industry."

"We are organizing export missions to the priority foreign markets through the Made in Azerbaijan brand," he said. "It is early to say about the date of the visit of the Azerbaijani exporters to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nevertheless, if there is an interest, we can organize an export mission to this country to promote Azerbaijani products in this market. Everything will depend on the agreements reached by our companies within today's business forum and previous business meetings."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey has announced a tender for handing over the Kalamis-Fenerbahce cruise port in Istanbul to an interested side for 36 years, Turkeys Privatization Administration told Trend Nov. 17.

Foreign companies, consortia, as well as private individuals are allowed to participate in the tender.

The bidders having a bank account in the amount of 30 million Turkish liras must submit a document testifying that.

Documents should be submitted until Feb. 15, 2018. The cost of participation in the tender is 30,000 Turkish liras.

For additional information please call: (+90) 312 585 80 80

Earlier, Turkey announced a tender for handing over a port in the countrys Tekirdag north-western province to an interested side for 36 years.

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend:

The Asian Development Banks (ADB) Board of Directors has endorsed a 5-year Country Partnership Strategy for Turkmenistan to support regional cooperation and economic diversification during 2017-2021.

The Bank announced that the document is ADBs first full Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) with Turkmenistan since the country joined ADB in 2000.

Turkmenistan has made important progress in recent years and achieved upper middle-income status, said Sean OSullivan, Director General of ADBs Central and West Asia Department.

ADB will work with the government and people of Turkmenistan to build on this progress by enabling the country to diversify its energy markets, improve its regional transport connectivity, and diversify its non-hydrocarbon economy," he added.

Turkmenistan is the 12th largest natural gas producer in the world, with the 4th largest natural gas reserves, and the 10th highest oil producer in the Asia and Pacific regionthe countrys economy has grown rapidly. However, highly concentrated export basket and export markets have made the economy vulnerable to changes in commodity prices. Turkmenistans national development strategy aims to shift to a growth model based on economic diversification, innovation, and sustainable development, with greater regional cooperation., according to the ADB

The CPS provides three main avenues of support: hydrocarbon market diversification and energy trade promotion; diversification of the non-hydrocarbon sectors through transport infrastructure investments to improve market connectivity, and supporting private sector development, including small and medium-sized enterprises; and knowledge work on economic diversification and reforms.

ADB will also support knowledge work on economic diversification and economic reforms. Regional cooperation and integration, particularly within the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC), which Turkmenistan joined in 2010, is a priority area of the CPS.

Established in 1966, ADB is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members48 from the region. In 2016, ADB assistance totaled $31.7 billion, including $14 billion in cofinancing.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The provision of women with equal rights in the labor market is the key to the efforts of the Azerbaijani government to diversify the economy, Mikaela Meredith, head of USAID mission in Azerbaijan, said.

Ms. Meredith made the remarks during the conference entitled "Development of Entrepreneurship among Women in Azerbaijan", held within the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Baku Nov. 17.

The Global Entrepreneurship Week is held worldwide on November 13-19. The Global Entrepreneurship Week has been held since 2008.

Ms. Meredith said that USAID has supported the development of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan for years.

"The Azerbaijani government is working to diversify the economy and improve the living conditions of citizens, she said.

Ms. Meredith also stressed that numerous studies show that when women are involved in the economy, their families are more educated and happy.

"Women play big role in the economy, when they can launch their own business, develop and manage it, she said. The economy is thriving in those countries where women can realize their economic goals."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to support the development of entrepreneurial skills among 40 women in Azerbaijan in 2018, Mikaela Meredith, head of USAID mission in Azerbaijan, said.

Ms. Meredith made the remarks during the conference "Development of Entrepreneurship among Women in Azerbaijan", held within the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Baku Nov. 17.

The representatives of embassies, international organizations, the Azerbaijani government and "think tanks" are taking part in the event. The Global Entrepreneurship Week is held worldwide on November 13-19. The Global Entrepreneurship Week has been held since 2008.

USAID plans to deliver 10 grants for female entrepreneurs to implement projects in 2018.

Ms. Meredith said that so far, USAID reviewed over 70 business plans and supported 30 new projects of female entrepreneurs in different spheres, beginning from carpet weaving and ending with rice growing.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan has proposed to reduce the minimum amount of soft loans for women entrepreneurs in the country from 5,000 to 1,000 manats, Sevinj Mammadova, senior adviser of the committee, said.

She made the remarks Nov. 17 at the conference titled Development of Women Entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan held in Baku within the Global Entrepreneurship Week.

She noted that it is difficult for women to get a loan because its minimum amount is 5,000 manats.

As far as rural women are concerned, in most cases they dont own any property, and they dont even have a car registered under their names, she said.

She noted that the committee had already sent the relevant proposals to the Azerbaijani Economy Ministry. (1.7002 manats = 1 USD on Nov. 17)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Kazakh Baiterek 4 LLC started to export canned vegetables to China.

The company functions in South Kazakhstan and produces 1.5 tons of vegetable products per year, according to executive body of South Kazakhstan region.

The demand for our products grows every day. I think our consumers are satisfied with our products, and now we have set up exports to foreign markets, said Bakhytzhan Ospanov, Deputy Director of Baiterek 4 LLP, the local executive body said in an announcement.

He added that previously, the companys production was mainly supplied to Western Kazakhstan and Astana city, but now the demand on fresh canned vegetables in a number of foreign countries, including China is growing and Baiterek 4 already exports products to China, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Baiterek 4 LLP was launched in 2015 within "Business Roadmap 2020" state program. The company is equipped with modern Chinese, Russian and Bulgarian equipment and its value is 115 million tenge.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

The UNEC rector, professor Adalat Muradov told the guests about the directions of the universitys development strategy. He noted that the target of UNEC is to be among the world ranking universities and it is the only Azerbaijani higher educational institution that has the branches abroad and provides the education in four languages.

The rector drew the attention to the fact that UNEC was highlighted among the best 161-170 universities in QS Ranking table for the Developing European and Central Asian region, and the 4-th best university in the region among the economical universities. A. Muradov provided the guests with the detailed information about the Electronic University Model and Differential Labor System applied at UNEC.

The rector noted that at the Russian Economic School established at UNEC the personnel training was conducted in 9 specialities and the students were sent to the prestigious corporate structures of Russia for work experience internship. Rector of UNEC drew the attention to the positive development of relations with leading Russian universities and pointed out that he is ready to cooperate with the other Russian universities for prepation of highly qualified russian speaking specialists in economy.

The pro-rector for the International Cooperation at Belgorod State National Research Universitiy Vladislav Kuchmistiy expressed satisfaction with tour to UNEC and highly appreciated the achievements of the university in the sphere of the international relations.

He highly appreciated the successful experience of UNEC in the double diploma program with the prestigious universities of the world and noted that they are interested in the coopertaion in this sphere.

V.Kuchmistiy, speaking about the meetings held at the Russian School of Economics and the International Economics School, noted that the UNEC students have the very high academic level.

In the meeting were exchanged the views on the direction of expanding the relations in the education and scientific-research sphere.The guests expressed their interest in studying UNEC experience.

After the discussions, the parties signed the cooperation agreement in the science and education sphere. According to the document, the parties will provide the exchange of teachers and students and will organize the joint summer and winter schools. The joint steps will be taken in the direction of establishment of scientific cooperation and the development of the advanced methods of teaching and will be organized the scientific seminars and conferences.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The development of entrepreneurship among women is an important catalyst for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Ghulam Isaczai said.

Isaczai made the remarks during the conference entitled "Development of Entrepreneurship among Women in Azerbaijan", held within the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Baku Nov. 17.

The representatives of embassies, international organizations, the Azerbaijani government and "think tanks" are taking part in the event. The Global Entrepreneurship Week is held worldwide on November 13-19. The Global Entrepreneurship Week has been held since 2008.

He said that the development of entrepreneurship among women can help eliminate the problems of poverty, inequality, as well as obstacles to the development of global education and health.

"For the development of women's entrepreneurship, there is a need for sustained support of all state agencies, including the UN, media outlets, civil society and experts," Isaczai said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Kazakh Aktobe Rail-Belt Plant LLP (ARBP) and Russian Railways signed an agreement on supply of 7,500 tons of 65 rails to Russia.

The agreement was signed by the Head of Kazakhstan Railways Kanat Alpysbaev and the President of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov at the 19th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Russia intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation, Kazakh media outlets reported.

Long-length rails produced by the Kazakh manufacturers will be used for modernization of Russian railways.

By the end of this year ARBP will supply 7,500 tons of P65 120-meter rails to Russia.

The ARBP is expected to export more than 550,000 tons of rails by 2020.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.17

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

An expert group of the European Investment Bank (EIB) will arrive in Uzbekistan next week to work out an action plan, Podrobno.uz reported citing EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan Eduards Stiprais.

"Next week, in fact, the EIB will start preparatory work to enter the Uzbek market with its favorable credit resources, which the state and business structures will be able to use for further development of the economy and entrepreneurship. This is an extremely important step, "the ambassador said.

Stiprais noted that the EIB mission may also get acquainted with some investment projects that will be submitted by the government.

In October 2017, the EIB and Uzbekistan signed a framework agreement in Washington. Now the bank can support public and private sector projects in such areas as public infrastructure, energy and energy efficiency, and small business development.

The agreement on signing the agreement was reached after the meeting of the EU-Uzbekistan Council in Brussels on July 17.

Uzbekistan became the fourth state in Central Asia, cooperating with the EIB. To date, the EIB has signed transactions amounting to about 710 million euros in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.17

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

The Asian Development Banks (ADB) announced that it will continue to support the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline project.

In a 5-year Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Turkmenistan, the Bank revealed that ADB will continue to support the project, including the possibility of providing financial advice, financing shareholder equity in TAPI pipeline company, and non-sovereign loans, and credit enhancement.

"ADB will support transport infrastructure investments to improve market access and regional connectivity," the bank reported.

The Bank stressed that regional power interconnection projects such as Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TUTAP), Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP), and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline project will be the primary vehicles of ADB support to diversify Turkmenistans power and natural gas export markets to South Asia.

ADB has been instrumental for TAPIs progress to date, serving as the TAPI secretariat since 2003 and, more recently, acted as transaction advisor.

The total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1,814 kilometers. A 214-kilometer section of the pipeline will run through Turkmenistan, a 774-kilometer section will run through Afghanistan and an 826-kilometer section will run through Pakistan to Fazilka settlement on the border with India. The pipelines annual capacity will be 33 billion cubic meters of gas.

Construction of the Turkmen section of TAPI started in 2015 and is scheduled to be finished in late 2018.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

In January-October 2017, 7.095 billion manats was invested in Azerbaijans oil and gas sector, as compared to 7.19 billion manats in the same period of 2016 (a decrease of 1.3 percent), the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee said in a report.

In January-October 2017, the total volume of investments in Azerbaijani industrial sector amounted to over 8.1 billion manats, which is by 6.7 percent less than in January-October 2016.

Meanwhile, 7.05 billion manats out of that volume was invested in Azerbaijans extractive industry in January-October 2017, which is by 9.8 percent less than in the same period of 2016, the report said.

Investments in production, distribution and supply of electricity, gas and heat amounted to 386.8 million manats in January-October 2017 that is by 60.8 percent more than in the same period of 2016.

(1.7002 AZN = 1 USD on Nov. 17)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.17

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Royal Dutch Shell PLC delegation headed by CEO Ben van Beurden, the press service of the president reported.

The sides discussed current issues and prospects for cooperation in the oil and gas sector of the country, including the further development of the Karachaganak and Kashagan projects.

Berden recalled that on Nov.18, 20 years will pass from the signing of the Production Sharing Agreement on these fields.

"These projects turned out to be very good and effective. All expenses were repaid on time, and now the projects are working for profit," Nazarbayev responded in turn.

Kazakh Prime Minister, Bakytzhan Sagintayev also met with the Royal Dutch Shell PLC delegation.

The sides discussed the issues of the cooperation and the implementation of the joint oil and gas industry projects in Kazakhstan.

Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. Shell, a British-Dutch multinational oil and gas company, is one of the parties to the North Caspian Production Sharing Agreement signed on 18th November 1997.

Kazakhstan, holding 3 percent of the world's oil reserves, is among the top 15 countries in the world in terms of proven oil reserves.

Oil and gas bearing areas occupy 62 percent of the country's territory, and have 172 oil fields, of which more than 80 are under development. More than 90 percent of the oil reserves are concentrated in the 15 largest fields.

The fields are located on the territory of six of the fourteen regions of Kazakhstan. These are the Aktyubinsk, Atyrau, West Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Kyzylorda and Mangistau regions. About 70 percent of hydrocarbon reserves are concentrated in the west of Kazakhstan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Canadas Zenith Energy produced 47,950 barrels of oil at the onshore block of Azerbaijans Muradkhanli-Jafarli-Zardab field, starting from April 1 [beginning of the companys fiscal year] to October 1, 2017, a source in the Azerbaijani oil and gas market told Trend Nov. 17.

Almost 45,400 barrels of Azerbaijani oil were sold during the period. As of late September 2017, there were 2,588 barrels of unsold oil in the companys storage facilities, but it was sold in the following months, said the source.

The source noted that the companys capital expenditures amounted to $931,000 in April-September 2017.

Generally, this amount was spent as part of the program of rehabilitation and development of the field in Azerbaijan, added the source.

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Zenith Aran Oil Company signed a Rehabilitation, Exploration, Development and Production Sharing Agreement (REDPSA) in March 2016 for a block that includes the Muradkhanli, Jafarli and Zardab oilfields. These fields cover an area of 642.2 square kilometers. Production under the agreement began in August of 2016.

Zenith holds a 80-percent participating interest in the three fields within the contract area, while SOCAR retains the remaining 20 percent. The duration of the agreement is 25 years, with a potential extension of 5 additional years.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 18

Trend:

The Southern Gas Corridor project plays an important role in ensuring the energy security of Europe, Maros Shefovic, Vice President of the European Commission on Energy Union Affairs said at a meeting with Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov on a visit to Belgium, The Energy Ministry of Azerbaijan told Trend on Nov. 17.

According to the report, the meeting noted the high level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU in various fields, including in the energy sector. Parviz Shahbazov spoke about the contribution made by long-term cooperation with the structures of the European Union in the energy sector in the process of modernization of the energy infrastructure of Azerbaijan, the improvement of legislation in this area. Having informed about the progress of the work on the Southern Gas Corridor project, the Minister expressed the hope that the work on the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP) will be completed on time.

Noting, in turn, that the project "Southern Gas Corridor" plays a big role in ensuring the energy security of Europe, Maros Shefovich said that the European Commission will continue to support this project.

The meeting also discussed preparations for the next ministerial meeting within the framework of the Consultative Council of the Southern Gas Corridor, part of the new Agreement on Strategic Partnership between the European Union and Azerbaijan concerning energy cooperation, the issues of Azerbaijan's cooperation with the European Commission and the European Union within the EU4Energy program.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

The International Bank of Azerbaijan is distinguished by its innovative approach of launches to its customers a digital service IBAm, based on Backbase platform, which is one of the leading brands in the field of digital banking.

This platform, regardless of time and place, allow their users to manage bank accounts, make various payments. Users of IBAm will benefit from the following advantages:

 Information about customer accounts;

 Types of plastic cards, their status, as well as information on the current balance;

 History of transactions on card and current accounts;

 Blocking and unlocking plastic cards;

 Activation and deactivation of the SMS-notification service;

 Transfers to cards of both the International Bank of Azerbaijan and cards of many other banks of the country;

 Transfers from card to card and from account to account;

 Information about the location of bank branches, ATMs and payment terminals;

 Constantly updated exchange rates and currency converter;

 Payments for utilities, mobile communications, cable television and other services.

The number of functions, capabilities and integration of new updates of these digital services will continue to grow. The use of the above services is completely safe and controlled through one-time passwords.

For the clients of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, the connection and use of the services of "IBAm" is completely free. Clients, who have joined these services within 3 months will be able to transfer to existing current accounts and cards, as well as to the cards of most banks in the country without commission.

Users of operational systems IOS and Android will be able to download the IBAm application in the AppStore and Google Play, respectively.

Download links:

Google Play-https://www.play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=iba.mobilbank

AppStore: https://www.itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibam-mobil-bank/id1251456175?ls=1&mt=8

Information about products and services of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, the modern state bank of the country, can be found on the official website www.ibar.az in all 36 branches and 40 bank sub-branches, by calling the Information Center at the short number 937, as well as on the official website Bank in the social network Facebook.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Huseyn Valiyev  Trend:

A backup television tower is expected to be commissioned in Baku in early 2018, a source in the Azerbaijani Radio and Television Broadcasting and Satellite Communications Production Association told Trend Nov. 17.

According to the source, the commissioning work is under completion.

"The equipment necessary for commissioning of the television tower will be delivered to Azerbaijan soon," he said. In general, all operations must be completed until early 2018 upon the instruction of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies. The backup TV tower will be used in case of necessity, for example during maintenance works.

According to the source, initially, all TV channels included in the social package, as well as Public Radio will be broadcast via the backup television tower.

"The number of radio channels can increase in the future as far as the radio companies show interest in that," the source said.

The backup television tower is based in Bakus Narimanov District and will be connected with the Baku television tower.

The main goal of the project is to ensure uninterrupted broadcasting of state-owned TV channels in case of possible problems. Additional transmitters will also be installed for this purpose.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

Trend:

Azercell, the company presenting 4G services for the first time in the country and aiming to provide all regions in Azerbaijan with high quality mobile internet, has installed new 4G stations.

In addition to Baku, Absheron peninsula and Ganja, Azercell subscribers will now enjoy 4G services in Barda, Shamkir and Lankaran. Thus, starting from November 10, subscribers are able to obtain LTE-backed Sim-cards for free from official service points in Shamkir, Barda and Lankaran.

It should be noted that Azercell is planning to install 127 LTE base stations by the end of the year in order to improve and expand the 4G network in the regions. Out of 127 base stations, 33 will be installed in Baku, Absheron and Sumgait, while 94 will be installed in the regions.

Unbelievable high speed internet provided by 4G network allows for better usage of mobile TV, video-conference, online and various programs offered via internet. The high speed internet provided by 4G especially boosts the development of device-to-device and M2M services. This technology provides for data measurement, collection and delivery and is mainly used in banking, transportation, security, health, utilities services.

Azercell possesses the largest 4G network in the country. The users of 4G internet provided by Azercell have increased five-fold in 2017 while the volume of mobile internet usage increased by 55 percent. Last year Azercell improved its 4G network by 84.1 percent.

Aiming to provide high quality services to its 4.5 million subscribers, Azercell continues to apply the most state-of-the-art technologies.

For more information, please contact [email protected]

The leader of the mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48 percent share of Azerbaijans mobile market Azercells network covers 80 percent of the territory and 99.8 percent of population of the country.

Currently, 4.5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, 24/7 Customer Care, online customer services, GPRS/EDGE, M2M, MobilBank, one-stop- shop service offices Azercell Express, mobile e-service ASAN signature, etc.

Azercell deployed first 4G  LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality surveys of Global Wireless Solutions company and international systems specialized in wireless coverage mapping such as Opensignal and Testmy.net, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.17

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

The World Bank and the Uzbek Ministry of Economy have organized a workshop focusing on the issues of introduction of international standard for energy management at Uzbekistans industrial enterprises in Tashkent.

The experts and representatives of industrial enterprises involved in the Pilot Program on the implementation of an energy management system informed the event participants about results that were achieved after introducing EnMs, as well as the lessons learned from the implementation process.

The industrial sector is the second largest energy end user, after the residential sector, and accounts for about 25 percent of total final energy consumption in Uzbekistan. The large presence of energy-intensive industries, obsolete production processes, inefficient equipment, and a general lack of systematic monitoring and control of energy use in industrial facilities have a major contributing factor to the high energy-intensity of the domestic economy, according to the Bank.

Using energy efficiently helps organizations save money as well as helping to conserve resources and tackle climate change. With the support of the Korean Green Growth Trust Fund (KGGTF), the World Bank and the Ministry launched the Pilot Program on Implementation of EnMs in March 2016. It is a part of the World Banks industrial energy efficiency assistance program.

The main objectives of the Pilot Program were to support broader adoption of EnMS by adapting international best practices in Uzbekistan, using tested methods: a practical EnMS implementation guidance book and training of local specialists for EnMS implementation support.

The Pilot Program focused on guiding flagship companies in energy intensive sectors to implement formal EnMS. As a result, JSC Bekabadcement and JSC Quizilcumsement became the first companies in the cement sector, and JSC Kattakurgan yog-moy the first company in the edible oil sector, to implement formal EnMS certified to ISO50001. Their experience is now being replicated in other enterprises.

In 2016, JSC Bekabadcement became one of the first participants that joined the Pilot Program, having introduced EnMs at the enterprise after their staff underwent special trainings and developed plan of actions. JSC Bekabadcement representatives shared their experience with the workshop participants.

The implementation of EnMS, together with modernization investments helped the enterprise achieve reduction in gas and electricity consumption by 26% and 2%, respectively.

In Uzbekistan, the World Bank currently supports implementation of 16 projects, which are worth of around US$2 billion.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

A presentation of planned economic projects was held in the Sergely region of Uzbekistan within the framework of President Shavkat Mirzieev's visit Nov.17, reports the press service of the president.

Thus, "Bek mega textile", "Dara elite", "Laura peri fashion" and "Orchid beauty" companies are planning to organize production of textile products and ready-made garments, "riginal textile and print" - production of finished products from denim, accessories and "Ella" - sewing women's coats and leather goods.

Companies "Orient confection" and "Sladus produce" are planning to expand the production of confectionery products, "Korton Osiyo" Ltd. - corrugated boxes and packing boxes for fruits and vegetables. The project of the enterprise "Aminovs company" is aimed at the production of household appliances, "entral sia" - building nails, metal wires and electrodes.

Also, there will be new companies in the service sector. In particular, the "Nazm-nur progress" LLC is aimed at creating a modern cardiosurgical clinic, the organization "Global medical center" - the expansion of the multidisciplinary medical center and LLC "Kilpyong leaders" - erection of the park and business center.

Thanks to these projects, export-oriented products will be produced, which will create hundreds of jobs.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 17

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmenistans Foreign Ministry hosted a meeting with the European Union Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Ambassador Roland Kobia, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message Nov. 17.

The sides exchanged views on topical issues of the regional agenda, discussed the current security situation in Afghanistan and the mechanisms of regional cooperation of the Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.

The parties expressed support for a peaceful settlement of the situation in Afghanistan and noted the importance of further cooperation within the EU-Central Asia dialogue on security with the participation of Afghanistan. Noting Turkmenistans interest in ensuring security, peace and sustainable development in Central Asia and Afghanistan as well as the countrys positive experience, proposals were made to consolidate joint efforts in this direction, says the message.

The meetings agenda included the fight against international and regional threats to security, such as terrorism and radicalism, the fight against drugs as part of the EU programs, and joint activities of the Central Asian countries and the European Union on border management.

The two sides also noted the importance of the 7th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA VII), held recently in Ashgabat, in further regional economic integration.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nov. 17

By Diana Aliyeva  Trend:

A meeting dedicated to implementation of tasks on increasing the effectiveness of offense prevention and combating crime, solving problems in this direction was recently held under the chairmanship of Uzbekistans President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The meeting was attended by members of parliament and government, responsible employees of law enforcement and supervisory bodies, as well as representatives of civil society institutions. Heads of local authorities and other responsible departments participated in it through a video conference.

At the meeting, special attention was also paid to issues of eliminating unemployment, which is one of the main factors in preventing crime, the Uzbek presidents press service said in a statement.

In this regard, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev focused on the fact that more than 16,000 people, who committed crimes, are unemployed.

He noted that for preventing this, a head of each sector should fully support business entities in the territory entrusted to him, promote creation of new workplaces, and take specific measures for ensuring employment of unemployed citizens.

Another relevant issue is discrepancy with the requirements of todays measures taken on ensuring road safety. Thus, 2,031 people died and 7,622 people were injured as a result of about 8,000 traffic accidents over the past 10 months.

The main reasons of these incidents are serious problems with culture of compliance with the Road Traffic Rules by citizens.

Taking this into account, instructions were given to responsible officials on improving the road traffic culture of drivers and pedestrians, equipping roads with modern technical means of ensuring traffic safety.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Azer Ahmadbayli  Trend:

For about forty years, since 1979 Islamic Revolution occurred, Iran has been walking on the razor's edge. Adverse foreign-policy environment and continuous outside pressure have taught the countrys leadership to perfectly respond to frequently rising challenges and take carefully weighed and in-time decisions.

It looks like a Tetris game, where Iran successfully manages to stack falling pieces down and avoids depriving itself of free space even when the fall accelerates.

However, it concerns, for the most part, international issues unlike domestic problems that arise from time to time. This, for instance, became apparent after the recent devastating earthquake on the Iran-Iraq border.

The earthquake hit large parts of Iraq and Iran. The epicenter was in the southwest of the Iraqi city of Halabja, but the highest casualties occurred in Irans Kermanshah province. According to the latest official data, more than 530 people have been killed and over 7400 people injured in western Iran. In Iraq the total number of deaths made 11 with 130 injured.

Undoubtedly, special emergency and civilian teams together with mobile brigades of medical aid have done and are doing their best to alleviate suffering those got injured in the quake-hit area.

Soon after the quake occurred, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei issued a message calling on all Iranian officials and institutions to rush to the aid of those affected in these early hours [after the incident].

President Hassan Rouhani also issued necessary directives to facilitate and accelerate rescue operations. All high-ranking officials, concerned about the issue, arrived to the spot at once.

But while on the individual level everyone displayed selflessness and exertion regarding peoples rescue, the system management has raised unpleasant questions.

A large number of apartments that were destroyed and damaged in the earthquake were built under former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who initiated the Mehr Housing Scheme - a major plan to provide low-cost housing across the country. The initiative has long faced many criticisms for the quality of construction, al-Monitor reported.

After taking office in 2013, President Rouhani, who was among the critics of the plan, said that despite his opposition he was committed to complete construction.

Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi also attacked the scheme, calling it an absurd plan with negative effects on Irans economy.

Reformist-directed newspapers strictly criticized the scheme, saying that it was precisely the example of mismanagement of an administration that sought to announce at any price that it had been in favor of poor people, and that Ahmadinejad and all the people involved in construction including contractors must be put on trial.

Factual evidence: guess which of the buildings has been constructed under the Mehr Housing Scheme

Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Hamed Mazaherian told Shargh Nov. 14 that this is only the beginning of the problems of the Mehr Housing Scheme and that other social, cultural and economic dimensions of these problems will surface in the following years, al-Monitor reported.

Also, many people suffered from hypothermia during the night after the quake as temperature drops sharply at night hours in the region and there were not sufficient quantities of warm blankets at hand, in addition to hot meal provision that has not been organized promptly.

Finally, there was a problem with ambulances.

Unfortunately we faced the lack of ambulances at the moment for transportation of the injured people from the earthquake-hit areas, Governor General of Kermanshah Province told Tasnim News Agency.

Users on social networks also noted the issue of lack of ambulances.

The image above shows that while Iran at one point was capable of discharging 800 ambulances for pilgrims on their route to holy shrines in Iraq (Arbaeen rally), it was unable to provide enough of ambulances to respond to an unforeseen contingency  the devastating quake in its backyard.

Iran could direct its unflagging energy and its money to achieve outstanding economic results including creation of an excellent homeland emergency response system but it doesnt.

The story reminded me the former Soviet Union, which used to provide its ideological allies like Vietnam, Nicaragua, Angola etc. with billions of US dollars and great lots of weaponry to resist American imperialism, having at the same time no meat and butter on the shelves of its shops.
Tehran, Iran, Nov. 17

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

An upcoming trilateral meeting on Syria between Iran, Russia and Turkey will probably come as a venue for the three sides to put final touches on their Syria cooperation, an expert believes.

Recently, the Kremlin announced that in the coming days it will host a gathering of the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey to discuss their cooperation over the political developments in Syria.

In the light of recent remarks by some Iranian commanders, this upcoming meeting will probably help the cooperating sides draw a trajectory of political developments after the "Islamic State" (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) is wiped out, Ali Geranmayeh told Trend Nov. 17.

Masoud Jazayeri, the second in command of Iran's General Staff of Armed Forces, recently said in an exclusive interview with Trend that the IS is witnessing its final days of life.

Iran, Russia, and Turkey support the preservation of Bashar Assad as president at least for as long as elections are held and a new government is formed.

Syria has been in a state of chaos since 2011 when domestic disturbances occurred. The IS took the moment to occupy swaths of land of the country.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.17

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyans notorious statement in May, in which he claimed that the population of the country will reach 4 million by 2040, has become a object of hot discussions and ridicule in the public and expert community in Armenia.

Analysts continue noting that the population of the country is sharply declining and there are no prerequisites for a possible increase. Currently the population is even less than 3 million and given the trend, it will probably be under 2 million by 2040. However, Sargsyan still continues to believe in his pipe dream.

Last week, he held a meeting on demographic problems where again stated the objective to increase the population of Armenia to 4 million. He, however, admitted the problems of security caused by relations with neighbors, which, of course, have a negative impact on the demographic situation in Armenia.

Currently the country is not involved in a war, but people continue to leave abroad. This is the clear indicator of their dissatisfaction with the government and its activity. At this rate, the regions of Armenia will become completely empty in a few decades.

Official statistics confirm this. The indicators published in October show that Armenias demographic situation has worsened even more in 2017. As much as 14,300 people left the country during the past year, according to the National Statistical Service, and in the last five years the number of permanent residents of Armenia decreased by 302,400. In addition, 2017 shows the lowest birth rate in the last five years.

Estimations say that if the current trends of births, deaths, and leaving of the country continue, Armenias population will decrease by 860,000, thus becoming about 2.14 million by 2040, by far not Sargsyan's desired 4 million.

Obviously, the problems of Armenia in relations with neighbors are the main trouble that affects the social and economic situation in the country, and thus causes the outflow of population. Because of these problems, Armenia misses the opportunity of participation in different regional projects, and the country has long turned into the black sheep of the region. The main of these obstacles, which prevents the well-being of the Armenian population, is, of course, the long-lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and illegal occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijans territories.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Friday to bolster his countrys defenses, calling the threat from North Korea the gravest security concern Japan has faced since World War II, The Washington post reports.

Outlining his priorities in a policy speech to parliament, Abe described North Koreas sixth nuclear test earlier this year and two missile launches that flew over Japan as a national crisis.

He promised concrete action to respond to what he called escalating provocations by North Korea.

We will strengthen Japanese defense power, including missile defense capabilities, in order to protect the peoples lives and peace, he said.

Abe says Japan will take "concrete actions'' under the Japan-US alliance in order to respond to any emergency amid Pyongyang's "escalating provocation.'' He says Japan will further strengthen its missile defense capability.

Japan's defense spending has steadily increased since Abe took office in 2012. Tokyo has said it plans to buy more American missile defense systems.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is facing a wave of withering bipartisan criticism that his effort to reform the State Department is instead spurring an exodus of talent that undermines American diplomacy and endangers the nation, CNN reports.

The turmoil surrounding Tillerson's stewardship of the State Department deepened this week as lawmakers questioned key elements of his strategy to shrink what he sees as a bloated bureaucracy.

Sens. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who chairs the Armed Services committee, and Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, said low morale and a perceived flood of career diplomats leaving Foggy Bottom "paint a disturbing picture."

In a Wednesday letter to Tillerson, the senators expressed "deep reservations" about his staffing decisions, which, they said, "threaten to undermine the long-term health and effectiveness of American diplomacy." Voicing concerns over a recent halt in hiring new foreign service officers -- a move they say will result in a lack of experienced personnel in the future -- the lawmakers urged Tillerson to lift a hiring freeze and promote experienced Foreign Service officers.

Sen. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, warned a "high-level decapitation of leadership" has "put our country in danger."

"This situation is alarming," he told reporters Wednesday.

Even Tillerson's typical allies, such as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, have tough words for the secretary of state. The Tennessee Republican earlier this week slammed Tillerson's reorganization efforts, saying, "I don't think they are anywhere close to having a plan to present relative to the reforms that they want."

Rocky first year

The rebukes mark the latest headache for Tillerson, whose rocky first year in office has been marked by disagreements with President Donald Trump and an inability -- or unwillingness -- to connect with career staff at the State Department, which has led to plummeting morale. Tillerson's management struggles combined with widespread reports that he's frustrated in the job are fueling constant speculation that his days in the administration are numbered and that CIA Director Mike Pompeo is waiting to take over. (For his part, Tillerson insists he isn't going anywhere and is scheduling work-related trips into next year.)

The lawmakers' concern about staffing was prompted by a letter from the president of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a union for US foreign service personnel, excoriating the State Department's leadership. Ambassador Barbara Stephenson told union members the top ranks of the foreign service are leaving "at a dizzying speed."

Career ambassadors are the most elite US diplomats in the foreign service, equivalent to a four-star general. Fewer than 60 individuals have attained the rank since it was instituted in 1955. Of the five people who held the rank at the beginning of the administration, three have since retired or quit. Stephenson lamented the department's partial hiring freeze and predicted the loss of top talent will be felt for years.

(Tillerson has approved 2,300 exemptions from the hiring freeze as of last month, according to the State Department. That includes more than 300 foreign service officers and 150 civil service staff employees.)
The Defense Department press office told reporters on Thursday that all 3,000 additional US troops that are part of President Donald Trumps new surge strategy have made it to Afghanistan, Sputnik reported.

The new wave of US troop deployments to Afghanistan had been delayed in October because heavy lift aircraft were diverted to support hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

"All uplift troops have arrived in Afghanistan," the press office said.

The Defense Department would not provide any specific information regarding troop movements or location.

On August 21, Trump announced a new strategy for Afghanistan, in which he vowed to continue US support for the Afghan authorities in their fight against Islamic extremists and to expand authorities for US troops to target terrorists in Afghanistan.
US President Donald Trump will continue to look for ways to work with Russia, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said during a press briefing, Sputnik reported.

The United States and Russia have stood on the opposite ends on various global issues, but the Trump administration has continuously said it seeks to find common ground with Moscow.

"He [Trump] does think that there are places where we can work with Russia particularly whether it's on Syria or North Korea he's going to continue to look for ways to work with them that help America," Sanders said on Thursday.
A Russian newspaper affiliated with the Defense Ministry reported Friday that Russian warplanes destroyed over 1,250 assets belonging to Daesh militants during a week of military operations in Syria, Sputnik reported.

The planes made over 500 sorties to find and engage targets of the Daesh terror group (IS), an infographic published in the Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper has revealed.

During the same period, Russian spy drones flew more than 300 reconnaissance missions, detecting 432 Daesh targets. Russian bomb squads on the ground have found and detonated some 45,000 explosive devices.

Pentagon earlier rejected Russia's proposal to conduct joint actions against Daesh in Syria saying that the targeting process of the US-led coalition against the terrorist group is independent of third party input.
Siemens (SIEGn.DE) employees protested in various German cities on Friday against the companys proposal to cut 6,900 jobs, which a senior Siemens official said could be revised after negotiations with the union, Reuters.

Siemens said on Thursday it wanted to cut about 6,900 jobs, or close to 2 percent of its global workforce. Roughly half of those would be in Germany, mainly at its power and gas division, which has been hit by the rapid growth of renewable energy.

IG Metall, Germanys largest trade union, called for the protests in Berlin and the city of Offenbach near Frankfurt, urging Siemens to revise plans it said would harm the company.

We have concepts, alternatives, and we expect the company to have a serious talk with us, the works councils, about the future for Siemens, said Klaus Abel, a senior union representative in Berlin.

Siemens human resources chief on Friday said it could modify its plans after talking with the union.

Iris Gleicke, the German governments commissioner for eastern German affairs, urged Siemens to strike a fair bargain with workers, noting the job cuts would be devastating for sites in structurally weak parts of eastern Germany.

I expect that Siemens and the workers representatives would agree on a fair balance of interests, she said.

Horst Schneider, the mayor of the city of Offenbach, where Siemens plans to cut 700 jobs, said the city has a further right to exist in this global company.

It cannot be that the big ones always eat the small ones, Schneider said.

We will fight for our work, said Tanja Scorrano, who has among the protesters, having worked for Siemens in Offenbach for 27 years.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet in Antalya this week, said the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a message Nov. 17.

During the meeting, discussions will be held on the settlement of the Syrian crisis, according to the ministry.

Turkey, Russia and Iran will also discuss the Syrian crisis during the meeting of presidents in the Russian city of Sochi on November 22, 2017.

Erdogan has recently visited Sochi, and during the Nov. 13 meeting, the presidents of Turkey and Russia discussed the situation in Syria.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has claimed more than 500,000 lives.

Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The Islamic State, the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The main topic of the talks in Russias Sochi will be the settlement of the Syrian crisis at a meeting of presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran, the Turkish media quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Nov. 17.

Erdogan said that the parties will also discuss the situation in the Syrian cities of Idlib and Afrin.

All the parties are interested in the settlement of the Syrian conflict, said the Turkish president.

Turkey, Russia and Iran will also discuss the Syrian crisis during the meeting of presidents in the Russian city of Sochi on November 22, 2017.

Erdogan has recently visited Sochi, and during the Nov. 13 meeting, the presidents of Turkey and Russia discussed the situation in Syria.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has claimed more than 500,000 lives.

Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The Islamic State, the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkish businessman of Iranian origin Reza Zarrab, arrested in the US, was assaulted in prison by one of the prisoners, Turkeys A Haber TV channel reported Nov. 17.

Reportedly, Zarrab was transferred to other prison after the assault.

In March 2016 Zarrab was arrested in the US for an attempt to evade US sanctions against Iran.

Earlier, the Turkish media reported that the countrys government could not get any information about the arrested businessman.

As a result, the Turkish Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to the US. The US responded to a note of protest and disclosed Zarrabs exact location.

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The meeting of Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu with his Russian and Iranian counterparts, Sergey Lavrov and Mohammad Javad Zarif, will be held on November 21, the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Trend Nov. 17.

The meeting will be held in Antalya, said the ministry.

Turkey, Russia and Iran will also discuss the Syrian crisis during the meeting of presidents in the Russian city of Sochi on November 22, 2017.

Erdogan has recently visited Sochi, and during the Nov. 13 meeting, the presidents of Turkey and Russia discussed the situation in Syria.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has claimed more than 500,000 lives.

Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The Islamic State, the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey, Iran and Russia have a common position on the settlement of the Syrian crisis, the Turkish media quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Nov. 17.

Erdogan said that despite a number of disagreements, the regions countries are interested in the settlement of the Syrian crisis.

The Turkish president added that the three countries presidents will discuss the Syrian crisis in Sochi on Nov. 22.

He added that the United States has not fulfilled its promises regarding the Syrian crisis settlement.

Erdogan on Nov. 13 visited Sochi and during a meeting there with Russian president discussed the situation in Syria.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has claimed more than 500,000 lives.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey withdrew its servicemen participating in NATO exercises in Norway, Turkish media cited the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Nov. 17.

Reportedly, the reason is that photos of Turkeys incumbent president, as well as first president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were placed as conditional enemy images on the shooting range as part of the military exercises.

Erdogan added that such behavior does not correspond to the spirit of cooperation and alliance between Turkey and NATO.

The Turkish president said that around 40 Turkish servicemen were to participate in the exercises.

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
KYODO NEWS - Nov 17, 2017 - 02:15 | All, World

A Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel that recently made a port call in Japan may have breached a ban imposed by Tokyo on the entry of third-country ships that had earlier visited North Korea, investigative sources said Thursday.

According to the sources, a crew member from the vessel "Ocean Skipper" told Japanese police that the ship called at the North Korean port of Rajin in January and February, loaded tens of thousands of tons of coal each time and shipped them to China.

If the statement is true, the vessel violated Japan's unilateral sanctions against Pyongyang, which, among other things, prohibit any ship from entering a Japanese port if it made a previous stop in North Korea.

But Japanese police allowed the Ocean Skipper to depart without initiating necessary procedures for a criminal case. The vessel's captain could have faced up to three years in prison or 3 million yen ($26,600) in fines.

The crew member was questioned by police at Chiba Port, southeast of Tokyo, where the cargo vessel was docked from Nov. 3. The police also found records of the coal shipments from Rajin to China on the vessel, the sources said.

The Ocean Skipper left for Singapore on Monday after loading around 40,000 tons of slag, a substance separated from metal ore during the refining process.

A ship that enters a port in Japan must relay its latest 10 port stops to the Japan Coast Guard. The ship's call at Rajin was not reported by the Ocean Skipper.

Japan imposed an entry ban on third-party ships that called in North Korea after a government decision in February last year. But with more than 50,000 ships entering Japanese ports every year, it is a difficult task for authorities to track the ships' recent port visits.
KYODO NEWS - Nov 16, 2017 - 00:47 | Arts, All

The Beaujolais Nouveau 2017 vintage went on sale in Japan on Thursday, but with people's tastes maturing, the traditional celebration of the French wine's seasonal release is on the decline.

As imports of the wine from the Beaujolais region are expected to fall for the fifth consecutive year, the alcoholic beverage industry is studying various ways to boost demand.

"Now that the Japanese drink wine more frequently than before, the event (of celebrating the release of Beaujolais Nouveau) has become not so special," an industry official said.

The volume of imports has almost halved since its peak in 2004 and has been on the decline since 2013, according to Mercian Corp., a unit of one of Japan's largest beer makers Kirin Holdings Co.

As part of efforts to promote the drinking of Beaujolais Nouveau with family and friends at home, Asahi Breweries Ltd. and Kirin have posted recommended accompanying meal recipes online.

Suntory Wine International Ltd. is intensifying promotions targeting companies, encouraging them to use the French wine at events where they want employees to build camaraderie.

Suntory Wine International is planning to enlist a total of 11 companies, including Mitsubishi Electric Corp., in holding such events this year.
By PTI: Guntur, Nov 17 (PTI) A south Korean diplomat has lauded the make-in-India programme and said this has enabled companies from his nation invest a Rs 25,000 crore and around 100 more of them will soon invest in Andhra alone.

"Around 100 Korean companies are going to invest in Andhra in the next six months," Kim Hyung Tae, the consul general of South Korea for South India said here late last evening.

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Praising the make-in-India inititive of the Central government, Tae said the programme has helped the country to become a business-friendly destination.

"With the make-in-India programme, India has become a business-friendly destination, because of which around Rs 25,000 crore have been invested in India by South Korean companies," Tae told reporters.

"With Andhra Pradesh growing day-by-day, South Korean investments are also growing," the consul general added. PTI COR NRB BEN BEN BAS

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VK Sasikala's husband M Natarajan to serve jail time after Madras High Court upheld CBI special court's verdict in the 1994 luxury car import case.

By Akshaya Nath: Madras High Court today has upheld the CBI special court's verdict of two-years jail term for M Natarajan, husband of VK Sasikala in the luxury car import case which happened in 1994.

The economic offences court had convicted him and three others to four years of imprisonment. Following this, Natarajan had filed an appeal at the Madras High Court.

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In 1994, Natarajan had declared that a Toyota Lexus car that he imported from the UK was a used 1993 model and submitted fabricated invoices changing the vehicle's manufacturing date to July 1993.

Natarajan, his nephew V Bhaskaran, Yogesh Balakrishnan and Sujaritha Sundararajan are the ones who have been convicted in this case.

According to the investigation, it was found that the fabricated invoice had led to Rs 1.62 crore loss to exchequer.

After the MHC's order, Natarajan's side seeks more time to surrender sighting Natrajan's health. Natarajan had recently undergone a dual transplant surgery in Chennai.

The MHC meanwhile has stated that it wants all the mentioned parties in the case to surrender within the given time-frame.

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Tim Cook

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Measures of valuation like the cyclically adjusted price-earnings ratio show that stocks are as expensive as they were during the dotcom bubble.

But tech valuations can be justified, according to Jim McCaughan, CEO of Principal Global Investors.

That's because the largest companies are now propelled by intellectual property, not manufacturing, which complicates using older valuation metrics for new kinds of firms, he said.

Some of the closely followed measures of tech valuations show they are over-expensive, and for some investors, they point to trouble ahead.

They include the cyclically adjusted price-earnings ratio, which takes the price of the S&P 500 and divides it by ten years worth of earnings. For the broader stock market, this gauge is back to its highs of the dotcom bubble in the early 2000s.

But tech valuations are justified and it would be a mistake to view the sector through this lens, according to Jim McCaughan, CEO of Principal Global Investors, which oversees $423 billion in assets.

McCaughan argues that the US economy's base has shifted from being manufacturing and capital-intensive to being intellectual.

"This is why the Shiller CAPE doesn't work anymore," McCaughan said. "If you think about the cyclically adjusted price-earnings, the intellectual framework that was developed involved physical investment. When you're on intellectual property  and that's what creates value  some of the older concepts are kind of redundant."

All you have to do is look at the five-largest publicly traded US companies by market cap. Ten years ago, they were ExxonMobil, General Electric, Total, Microsoft, and Citi. Exchange Total for Walmart, and you have the largest firms in 2001, right after the dotcom bubble burst.

Today, it's Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook. These tech companies and others like Netflix have led the stock market's rally this year, gaining 38% as a sector on the S&P 500, more than double the benchmark index.

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Unlike some of the largest companies of yesteryear, they don't have a lot of factories or capital equipment.

"What they have is intellectual property  basically code and ideas," McCaughan told Business Insider.

Even Robert Shiller, who helped develop the CAPE ratio, has warned against using this valuation measure to time the market.

"Long-term investors shouldnt be alarmed and shouldnt avoid stocks altogether," Shiller wrote in the New York Times in March. In a Fortune interview, he said he "would be inclined to recommend" some tech stocks that were undervalued even by the CAPE ratio, although he did not specify which ones.

The dominance of intellectual-property firms is not a global phenomenon. British Petroleum, Royal Dutch Shell, HSBC, and even British American Tobacco are all among the top 10 European companies by market cap, McCaughan pointed out.

"Fine companies, but not the future," McCaughan said.

"They're not the intellectual-property companies that dominate in the US. This is one of the reasons I think Europe is a bit of a value trap. Although this is an unfashionable way to put it, my belief on the basis of the structure of the corporate sector is that the US is a 'buy' on setbacks and Europe may be a 'sell' on strength, and that's to do with the qualitative nature of the underlying market."

NOW WATCH: A $6 trillion investment chief reveals the one area of the stock market to avoid

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An American Express credit card is seen on a computer keyboard in this picture illustration taken September 6, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/Illustration

By Jemima Kelly

LONDON (Reuters) - American Express has introduced instant blockchain-based payments using Ripple, a fintech start-up, for U.S. corporate customers sending funds to UK-based businesses that bank with Santander UK, the companies said on Thursday.

American Express said its FX International Payments (FXIP) business had partnered with Ripple to provide real-time, trackable non-card payments from the United States to Britain. Customers are already using the service, the companies said, and it would be extended in the future.

This marks one of the first major uses of blockchain, a shared database of transactions maintained by a network of computers on the internet that is best known as the system underpinning bitcoin.

Financial firms hope the nascent technology can reduce the cost and complexity of burdensome processes such as securities settlement and international payments, but many say widespread use of the technology is still several years away.

"American Express has a long history of integrating new technologies..., said American Express's chief information officer Marc Gordon, in a statement.

"This collaboration with Ripple and Santander represents the next step forward on our blockchain journey, evolving the way we move money around the world."

San Francisco-based Ripple, whose main focus is blockchain-based cross-border payments, works with many big banks and is backed by firms including Standard Chartered Plc, Accenture Plc (ACN.N) and SBI Holdings.

The company is in a legal battle with rival blockchain startup R3 Holdco LLC over an options contract to purchase Ripples digital currency XRP. XRP has increased in value by more than 30 times as other cryptocurrencies have also soared.

"Transfers that used to take days will be completed in real time, allowing money to move as fast as business today," said Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse in a statement.

(The story was refiled to correct the seventh paragraph to show Ripple HQ is in San Francisco, not New York)

(Reporting by Jemima Kelly; editing by John Stonestreet)
Mr Steele told friends that the majority of his dossier is accurate: PA

The former British intelligence officer who compiled the infamous dossier that included allegations of collusion between President Donald Trump and the Russian government says that he thinks the dossier is between 70 and 90 per cent accurate, according to a new book on the subject.

In the book, Collusion: How Russia Helped Donald Trump Win, former MI6 agent Chris Steele is quoted telling friends that he thinks the dossier will be vindicated, the Guardian reports. The reports he compiled were based on sources cultivated over a span of three decades working in the intelligence community.

Ive been dealing with this country for thirty years. Why would I invent this stuff, Mr Steel is quoted saying.

That considerable experience is one of the reasons that Mr Steeles dossier  which included explosive allegations that splashed across headlines around the world  was taken seriously in Washington. Mr Steele has authored hundreds of reports on Russia and Ukraine, and some of those were passed among high level officials in the US government including former Secretary of State John Kerry.

The dossier, built on sources used in those reports, included allegations that the Kremlin had personally damaging information on Mr Trump, like sex tapes recorded when Mr Trump was in Moscow in 2013. Other evidence reportedly suggested that Mr Trump had actively colluded with Russian intelligence to turn the 2016 election in his favour.

The episode burnished Steeles reputation inside the US intelligence community and the FBI. Here was a pro, a well-connected Brit, who understood Russian espionage and its subterranean tricks. Steele was regarded as credible, Luke Harding, the author of the book and also a journalist at the Guardian, wrote.

Mr Steele reportedly told the FBI about the allegations hed uncovered, but that his FBI contacts eventually went quiet as the 2016 election neared. The book says that he had told a friend that it was clear he had given them a radioactive hot potato.
Headquartered in Deerfield, IL, Caterpillar (CAT) is the world's largest heavy-machinery maker and seen as a bellwether for global economic activity.

The company has benefitted a lot from improving global growth and a weak dollar since it derives more than half its sales from international markets.

Impressive Results

Caterpillar reported another strong quarter with adjusted earnings per share surging 129% year over year. Earnings also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.22 by 60%. Revenues improved 24.6% year over year to $11.4 billion in the quarter, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.6 billion.

Better-than-expected performance resulted from strong demand for its construction equipment as well as cost-control efforts. Sales increased across all regions, with largest increase in North America, while China sales remained strong.

The management also raised its revenue and earnings guidance for the year.

Rising Earnings Estimates

Analysts have raised their estimates for the company after excellent earnings. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current and the next fiscal year have increased to $6.40 per share and $7.63 per share from $5.26 and $6.74, before the results.

The company has been beating estimates consistently over the past few quarters. The average positive surprise for the past four quarters is 53.1%.

Caterpillar, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Caterpillar, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Caterpillar, Inc. Quote

The Bottom Line

In addition to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Zacks Industry rank of 8 out of 265 (top 3%) greatly increases the likelihood of short-to-mid- term outperformance. The stock also has a juicy dividend yield of 2.3%.

The company had to struggle with sluggish demand for many years, but with economic growth picking up in most parts of the world, their outlook has improved substantially.

Earlier this year, the IMF had raised their growth expectations for the Eurozone and emerging markets including China. And while the timing of Trumps $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan remains uncertain, Caterpillar is expected to be a big winner from it.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All



Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.



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California on Thursday unveiled its latest set of marijuana regulationsthis time, emergency rules that will guide the legalized recreational market when it opens in January. The regulations published by the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Department of Public Health were shaped by early draft proposals and legislation enacted this summer. They cover testing, growing, packaging and potency requirements for both the medical and recreational sectors. And they will likely change.The state has created a Cannabis Advisory Committee, comprised of growers, retailers,union representatives and others with interests in the marijuana industry, to consider the regulations and suggest change.Here are a few takeaways from the emergency regulations presented to the committee on Thursday.

Everything's temporary, for now. Regulators will rely on temporary four-month licenses to get the market rolling on Jan. 1. To get those short-term permits, however, applicants will have to show that they have authorization to operate from their local government agencies. That may not be readily available, as some cities and counties are still grappling with how to handle recreational enterprises. The regular licensing process will ramp up in 2018. While that happens, the state will operate in a six-month transition period and allow retailers and operators to move and sell existing inventory that might not meet regulations on packaging or potency caps.

It's going to cost moneya lot of itto make money. Everyone in the marijuana business will pay a licensing fee that varies significantly based on the size and type of operation. Someone who transports marijuana onlywithout performing any quality-control testingwill pay $500. The biggest distributors doing product testing will be charged $125,000 a year for a license. That's not counting the $500 to $1,000 that license-seekers will have to pay just to apply for a permitor the costs for entrepreneurs who need multiple licenses. Regulation watchers have questioned whether California's fees, added to a 15 percent excise tax and local charges, will cost so much that small businesses will be squeezed out and the black market will continue to operate. Lori Ajax, bureau chief of Cannabis Control, said Thursday the agency worked with an economist to set fees so that they only cover state costs. As to what the impact of those fees might be, "There's much work to be done on our regulations," Ajax said.

California is about to enter the edibles shape-and-packaging debate. The emergency regulations ban edibles that appeal to children. For now, that includes no munchables in the shape of human beings"either realistic or caricature"animals, fruit or insects. Edibles must be covered in an opaque packaging, which can't "imitate" any products that are marketed to kids. Colorado has grappled with how to regulate edibles for years, a struggle amplified in 2014 when the chief medical officer called for an outright ban on consumable marijuana. Oregon approved recreational marijuana use in 2015 but did not allow edible sales until strict rules went into effect in 2016. Miren Klein, an assistant deputy director at the California Department of Public Health, conceded Thursday that deciding what packaging and products appeals to kids is a subjective endeavor. "We tried to outline as much as we could in this regulation package," Klein said. "If the committee has any other ideas or suggestions that we could consider for a permanent package we definitely welcome that." Klein said pre-approving each product is not feasible. Pointing to California's physical and market sizes, she said, "if you think our licensing fees are expensive now that definitely will drive up the licensing fees." Read more: IRS Power Is Challenged in Marijuana Dispensary's Supreme Court Petition Marijuana's Rapid Growth Could Put New Spotlight on Arbitration We Asked 4 Marijuana-Industry Lawyers 4 Questions. Here's What They Said Four Takeaways From California's New Report on Banking and Marijuana
Bike-sharing, the year's hottest startup trend in China and beyond, looks like it is about to see the biggest casualty of its cut-throat competition.

Bluegogo, which had raised $90 million from investors and operates around 700,000 bikes across China, seems headed for the deadpool after Technode, our Chinese partner site, reported that the company has lost a slew of top executives and is now preventing users from withdrawing their 100 RMB ($15) deposit due to financial issues.

Things are so bad, Technode said, that the company is in the process of dissolving and all salary payments to employees have been delayed until February 2018. Staff have reportedly already waited months without being paid, and the website is no longer online.

In yet another bad sign: the CEO is said to be 'somewhere overseas.'

From the now defunct website

Bluegogo is some ways behind billion-dollar startups Mobike and Ofo, which have been backed by huge firms like Tencent and Alibaba and are in talks over a potential merger, but it does have a major China presence and it did make an effort to expand to San Francisco. That global plan collapsed, however, due to issues with local regulation.

Mobike and Ofo, meanwhile, are in the process of ambitions expansion plans aimed at taking their services to more than 200 cities across North America, China and Europe. This tale is a reminder of their dominance at home and what it takes to even just compete at this point.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said his government kept under check the mushrooming of private schools by setting up state-run institutions that imparted quality education to poor children free of cost.

The AAP dispensation has completely changed government schools where the standard of education was earlier in a bad state, he claimed at the launch of a web portal for the Loan Guarantee Scheme and Scholarship.

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The scheme provides loans to needy students through banks and the government takes their guarantee.

The chief minister claimed that since the AAP formed government, there have been "revolutionary" changes which were being discussed globally and in the country.

"Earlier, governments schools were deliberately being deteriorated in a systematic manner and the entire education sector, be it primary, secondary, colleges and technical, was moving towards privatisation.

"Fees of these institutions were so high that the common man could not afforded it. But since we came to power, we have changed the wave of privatisation of education in the country," Kejriwal said.

He also said that people earlier did not "want to send their children to government schools" where the standard of education was bad.

"When honest politics, honest people came to Delhi (government), principals, teachers and officials did a wonderful job in the last two and a half years, due to which the results of class 12 of government schools were better in comparison to private schools this year," the chief minister said.

Kejriwal said, "We have prepared such a model where a child, whether from a poor or rich family, would get quality education free of cost."

"This is happening for the first time that people are taking out their children from private schools and getting them admitted to government schools," he claimed. PTI BUN ANB

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By David Morgan and Amanda Becker

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. Congress approached a major test on Thursday of its ability to enact sweeping tax cuts, as lawmakers prepared for their first full-scale vote on tax legislation.

Republicans in the House of Representatives were expected to take up their bill to cut federal tax rates on corporations, small businesses and individuals after an 11:30 a.m. (1630 GMT) meeting with President Donald Trump, who wants to sign a tax package into law before year end.

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan told Fox News early on Thursday he was confident his chamber had the votes to pass their version of the plan. A vote was expected early on Thursday afternoon.

"Big vote tomorrow in the House. Tax cuts are getting close!" the Republican president tweeted on Wednesday night.

But Trump's tax reform hopes have begun to encounter resistance in the Senate, where the Republicans' narrow majority means they have to keep almost everyone in the party on board. The Senate version of the tax bill has faced criticism from some Republican lawmakers, including Senator Susan Collins, who helped sink a Republican effort to repeal Obamacare earlier this year.

Senate Republicans have made the risky decision to tie their tax plan to a repeal of the mandate for people to get healthcare insurance under former Democratic President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, exposing the tax initiative to the same political forces that wrecked their anti-Obamacare push.

Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson said Trump called him Wednesday night after Johnson announced his opposition to the current Senate plan over what he said were unequal rates for small businesses and non-corporate enterprises known as "pass-throughs," versus corporations.

Still, Johnson said he was hopeful a final bill could be passed by year's end.

"I'm trying to fix it, and I want to vote yes," Johnson told CNBC, adding that Trump told him he would meet with Treasury officials on the issue. The president's public schedule did not list any Department of Treasury meetings for Thursday.

Story continues

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For more news videos visit Yahoo View.

Republicans have long promised tax cuts and they see enacting the legislation as critical to their prospects of retaining power in Washington in the November 2018 congressional elections. Despite controlling the White House and Congress, Republicans so far have no major legislative victories from 2017 to show voters.

"The American people have waited years for a fair, simple, and competitive tax code. Right now, in this moment, we stand on the doorstep of delivering," Kevin Brady, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said during the House tax reform debate.

'TAX SCAM'

Democrats have condemned both the House and Senate tax plans as giveaways to the wealthy and U.S. corporations, pointing to analyses showing that millions of Americans could end up with a tax hike because of the elimination of popular deductions. Repeal of or cuts to some deductions is a way to offset the revenue lost from tax cuts.

"This is not a tax plan. This is a tax scam," said Representative Maxine Waters, a California Democrat.

Nonpartisan congressional analysts have also said the provision to repeal the health insurance mandate in the Senate version would drive up premium costs and cause some 13 million Americans to lose coverage. It also sets individual tax rate cuts to expire while reductions for corporations are permanent.

The Senate and House tax plans must eventually be reconciled and merged into a final plan that can pass both chambers before it goes to Trump to sign into law.

"We'll find a middle ground and we'll get it to the president's desk ... This is a big deal for us," Republican Representative Tom Cole told MSNBC.

The main challenge facing Republicans remains the 100-seat Senate, where they can lose no more than two votes from their 52-48 majority if they hope to enact tax reform.

Senator John McCain, a Republican who also voted against his party's healthcare overhaul effort earlier this year, and his colleagues Bob Corker and Lisa Murkowski, are considered critical votes along with Collins.

(Reporting by David Morgan and Amanda Becker; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, David Alexander and Katanga Johnson; Editing by Peter Cooney and Frances Kerry)
U.S. companies won't tolerate failure on corporate tax reform, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday. "We've already seen a rash of inversions," the Wisconsin Republican said on CNBC, referring to the practice of U.S. companies merging with foreign firms in lower tax countries, and then redomiciling there. "[If] we don't get this done, those companies sitting back and waiting for us to fix this tax code are going to leave," he predicted on "Squawk Box." Ryan's comments came as the House and Senate work on separate tax overhaul plans in hopes of passing a bill for President Donald Trump to sign by year-end. In a CNBC interview last week, top Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn also warned about inversions . The director of the National Economic Council, who used to be the No. 2 executive at Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) , said, "Look, a year ago, I was on the other side of this equation. I was advising companies how to get out of the burdensome U.S. tax system. We were talking about inversions; we were talking about moving companies out of the United States." In light of his current role in the administration, Cohn said he does not regret his efforts at Goldman. "I didn't feel guilty because boards have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders. That's what they're supposed to do. So, you know what? We're going to make America competitive. We're going to make it compelling for people to build their companies in America."In Wednesday's CNBC interview, Ryan made the case for how to create a more attractive business environment in America. He cited three main corporate tax changes, including cutting the federal rate from 35 percent to 20 percent; allowing immediate "full expensing" of capital expenditures; and switching to a "territorial system" that would not subject American companies to U.S. taxes on foreign earnings.The current "worldwide system" in the U.S., which requires companies to pay U.S. taxes on earnings wherever they are generated, penalizes American companies that want to bring foreign income back home, Ryan said."They basically don't as a result. That's why we have $3 trillion in cash parked overseas in the first place," Ryan said. "Unlocking that brings that money home. But unlocking that also puts us on a better level playing field." In addition to a move to a "territorial system," the House approach proposes a one-time "tax holiday" rate of 12 percent on cash returns and 5 percent on non-cash repatriated from overseas. "When you combine 'full expensing,' which will be effective immediately, with a rate cut, with repatriation, it says the incentive is to invest in America," Ryan said. "Getting from the last of the country pile, meaning the highest industrial world tax rate, to one of the best tax rates, we really are convinced that that's going to give us faster economic growth and higher wage growth."WATCH: Full interview with House Speaker Ryan U.S. companies won't tolerate failure on corporate tax reform, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday. "We've already seen a rash of inversions," the Wisconsin Republican said on CNBC, referring to the practice of U.S. companies merging with foreign firms in lower tax countries, and then redomiciling there. "[If] we don't get this done, those companies sitting back and waiting for us to fix this tax code are going to leave," he predicted on "Squawk Box." Ryan's comments came as the House and Senate work on separate tax overhaul plans in hopes of passing a bill for President Donald Trump to sign by year-end. In a CNBC interview last week, top Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn also warned about inversions . The director of the National Economic Council, who used to be the No. 2 executive at Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) , said, "Look, a year ago, I was on the other side of this equation. I was advising companies how to get out of the burdensome U.S. tax system. We were talking about inversions; we were talking about moving companies out of the United States." In light of his current role in the administration, Cohn said he does not regret his efforts at Goldman. "I didn't feel guilty because boards have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders. That's what they're supposed to do. So, you know what? We're going to make America competitive. We're going to make it compelling for people to build their companies in America." In Wednesday's CNBC interview, Ryan made the case for how to create a more attractive business environment in America. He cited three main corporate tax changes, including cutting the federal rate from 35 percent to 20 percent; allowing immediate "full expensing" of capital expenditures; and switching to a "territorial system" that would not subject American companies to U.S. taxes on foreign earnings. The current "worldwide system" in the U.S., which requires companies to pay U.S. taxes on earnings wherever they are generated, penalizes American companies that want to bring foreign income back home, Ryan said. "They basically don't as a result. That's why we have $3 trillion in cash parked overseas in the first place," Ryan said. "Unlocking that brings that money home. But unlocking that also puts us on a better level playing field." In addition to a move to a "territorial system," the House approach proposes a one-time "tax holiday" rate of 12 percent on cash returns and 5 percent on non-cash repatriated from overseas. "When you combine 'full expensing,' which will be effective immediately, with a rate cut, with repatriation, it says the incentive is to invest in America," Ryan said. "Getting from the last of the country pile, meaning the highest industrial world tax rate, to one of the best tax rates, we really are convinced that that's going to give us faster economic growth and higher wage growth." WATCH: Full interview with House Speaker Ryan



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Credit Suisse Group AG CS is planning to distribute its trading, investment-banking and wealth management operations post Brexit to various European cities, per an article by Bloomberg.

Frankfurt, Madrid and Paris top the banks list of preferable locations. Though no final decision has been taken so far, the bank has ruled out Dublin and Amsterdam as potential trading hub.

The bank is in talks with the regulators in Germany, France and Spain for establishing a hub in European Union. Currently, Credit Suisse has a full banking license in Germany and a full broker license in Spain, along with a wealth management hub in Luxembourg.

Last year, the bank moved jobs to Dublin to provide hedge-fund services. However, it is considered only as a third-country branch rather than a full subsidiary. Thus, it has to receive the necessary regulatory clearance in order to become a base for passporting into the rest of the European Union.

Credit Suisse is one of the few lenders which are yet to come to a decision regarding shifting operations. Britains exit from the European Union would snaps the rights of U.K-based banks to serve customers from London. This has set the companies to look for a new hub.

Among others, the Swiss bank, UBS Group AG UBS is currently mulling over Frankfurt as a plausible option for its trading headquarters in the region

Amid these ongoing restructuring, the New Yorks banking regulator imposed a fine of $135 million on Credit Suisse, accusing it of trading ahead of client orders and sharing information with other banks to boost its profit by influencing currency prices and benchmark rates.

These restructuring moves and litigation expenses are likely to weigh on the banks financials. However, its focus on improving Wealth Management arm bodes well for the long term.

Shares of Credit Suisse have gained 11.7% year to date, underperforming industrys growth of 16.5%.

Currently, Credit Suisse carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Story continues

Stocks to Consider

A couple of better-ranked stocks in the same space are Shinhan Financial Group SHG sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited NTB carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Shinhan Financial has witnessed an upward earnings estimate revision of 8.5% for 2017, over the last 30 days.

Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son has witnessed an upward earnings estimate revision of 2.2% for 2017, over the last 30 days.

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Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.



Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.



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Crude mixed in Asia

Investing.com - Crude oil prices were narrowly mixed on Friday as investors looked ahead to weekly US rig count figures to set the tone.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange crude futures for December delivery rose 0.33% to $55.32 a barrel, while on London's Intercontinental Exchange, Brent lost 0.21% to $61.23 a barrel.

Overnight, crude oil prices settled lower on Thursday as investors fretted over a potential uptick in global supply amid reports that Turkey and Iraq discussed resuming exports from the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline.

A discussion between Iraq and Turkey on resuming Kirkuk oil export from the Ceyhan pipeline sparked fears of oversupply as many said a possible uptick in exports would forced OPEC to rein in production.

The priority is to resume oil exports from Kirkuk through the Iraqi-Turkish pipeline once it has been rehabilitated or replaced by a new one, Iraqs Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi said.

That added to recent fears that rising U.S. production would dampened the impact of Opecs production cuts, which so far are widely believed to be moving oil markets closer to rebalancing.

Preliminary U.S. production figures showed weekly output rose by 25,000 to an all-time high of 9.65 million barrels per day, as crude oil stockpiles rose for second week in arrow, the Energy Information Administration Energy Agency said.

Inventories of U.S. crude rose by roughly 1.9 million barrels for the week ended Nov. 11, missing expectations of a draw of 2.2 barrels.

Data pointing to rising U.S. output comes ahead of an OPEC meeting on Nov. 30 in Vienna, where it is expected the oil-cartel will extend its output-cut agreement beyond the March 2018 deadline.

In May, Opec producers agreed to extend production cuts for a period of nine months until March, but stuck to production cuts of 1.2 million bpd agreed in November last year.

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Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota. (2013). Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi / ALM [/caption] U.S. Sen. Al Franken came under fire Thursday after a radio newscaster recounted being groped and kissed by the former comedian during a USO tour of the Middle East in 2006, three years before the Minnesota Democrat took office.Less than 24 hours earlier, Franken was speaking out about sexual harassment to make his case against forced arbitration clauses in employment contracts that can silence victims of abuse.As he began his questioning Wednesday of Kirkland & Ellis partner Kate OScannlain, the Trump administrations nominee for U.S. Labor Department solicitor, Franken said the two had spoken earlier in the week about revelations of system sexual harassment in the workplace across a wide variety of industries.And I think one reason people are horrified is because they find its hard to believe its so widespread. Part of the reason they dont know its so widespread is because of the forced arbitration clauses found in employment contracts which prevent victims from speaking out, which keeps the arbitration all secret, Franken said. In an op-ed published a few months back, Gretchen Carlson, who recently took on her former boss at Fox News, Roger Ailes, wrote: So many women are being silenced by employers who force them into a secret, star chamber proceeding called arbitration. By coercing women to remain silent about illegal behavior, the employer is able to shield abusers from true accountability and leave them in place to harass again. The arbitration process has silenced millions of women who otherwise may have come forward if they knew they were not alone.Ms OScannlain, Franken continued, you and I discussed this issue. Do you agree that forced arbitration clauses that prevent victims of workplace harassment from speaking out about what has happened to them are problematic?

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Kate O'Scannlain. Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi / ALM

OScannlain replied: I do, senator, and we did have a great conversation about that yesterday. I want to say that theres no place for sexual harassment in the U.S. workforce and that it obviously is a very prevalent issue. And particularly in the instance of Gretchen Carlson, in the Fox News situation, that clause failed her and didnt enable her to know about the other women who were going through a similar situation. Franken pressed OScannlain to support stopping companies from including arbitration agreements in employment contracts, saying, Well, I want to get rid of that clause, that kind of clause. OScannlain demurred, telling Franken she would not commit to any policy consideration out of deference to Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta. But I agree that theyre problematic and I agree that the issue needs to be discussed and further studied. And i look forward to working with you on that. With that, Franken turned to another nominee at Wednesdays confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. On Thursday, the newscaster Leeann Tweeden published a first-person account of being groped and kissed by Franken in December 2006. Tweedens post, on the website of the Los Angeles-based KABC Radio, featured a photograph of Franken smiling at a camera with his hands hovering over her breasts. Tweeden described being forcibly kissed by Franken during a rehearsal for a skit on the USO tour. I immediately pushed him away with both of my hands against his chest and told him if he ever did that to me again I wouldnt be so nice about it the next time, Tweeden wrote. I walked away. All I could think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth. Franken said in part in a statement Thursday, responding to and apologizing for this conduct: The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women. Theres more I want to say, but the first and most important thingand if its the only thing you care to hear, thats fineis: Im sorry. He continued: I respect women. I dont respect men who dont. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed. Read more: Kirkland Partner, Trump Pick for Top Labor Lawyer, Calls Arbitration Reach 'Problematic' Gordon Rees Partner Leaves Management After 'Hannity' Appearance Wilson Sonsini Invests in New Sexual Harassment Reporting App Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Provisions in Employment Agreements Under Fire From Hollywood to HR: What Lessons Can be Learned from the Weinstein Scandal?
The medical condition of North Korea's latest escapee reveals worrying insights about health and hygiene in the rogue state. The individual, who was shot multiple times after running across the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea on Monday, is currently recovering at a hospital near Seoul. His chances of survival, however, are complicated by the "enormous number of parasites" found in his body, South Korean doctor Lee Cook-Jong told Agence France-Press on Thursday. In the man's small intestine, Lee discovered numerous roundworms, including one that was 27 centimeters, or about 11 inches, long. "I've never seen anything like this in my 20 years as a physician," he told AFP.Parasites such as roundworms are reportedly widespread in the nuclear-armed nation and can often be the result of consuming vegetables fertilized with human feces. South Korea faced a similar problem until the use of commercial fertilizers became widespread in the 1980s.Roundworms "thrived in Korea because human excrement was practically the only method used to fertilize the land, possibly due to the relative scarcity of cattle," said a report published in Cambridge University's Medical History journal this June. In recent years, the secretive state has received shipments of fertilizer from Seoul and beyond, but it's not clear whether that's being continued in light of the latest international sanctions . Malnutrition is also a common issue in North Korea, where famines are a regular occurrence . WATCH: North Korea's latest defector may have useful information about Pyongyang The medical condition of North Korea's latest escapee reveals worrying insights about health and hygiene in the rogue state. The individual, who was shot multiple times after running across the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea on Monday, is currently recovering at a hospital near Seoul. His chances of survival, however, are complicated by the "enormous number of parasites" found in his body, South Korean doctor Lee Cook-Jong told Agence France-Press on Thursday. In the man's small intestine, Lee discovered numerous roundworms, including one that was 27 centimeters, or about 11 inches, long. "I've never seen anything like this in my 20 years as a physician," he told AFP. Parasites such as roundworms are reportedly widespread in the nuclear-armed nation and can often be the result of consuming vegetables fertilized with human feces. South Korea faced a similar problem until the use of commercial fertilizers became widespread in the 1980s. Roundworms "thrived in Korea because human excrement was practically the only method used to fertilize the land, possibly due to the relative scarcity of cattle," said a report published in Cambridge University's Medical History journal this June. In recent years, the secretive state has received shipments of fertilizer from Seoul and beyond, but it's not clear whether that's being continued in light of the latest international sanctions . Malnutrition is also a common issue in North Korea, where famines are a regular occurrence . WATCH: North Korea's latest defector may have useful information about Pyongyang



More From CNBC


Devel Motors unveiled the final concept version of its ambitious Sixteen hypercar at the Dubai Motor Show this week, a car that it claims will reach speeds of around 310 miles per hour when it finally goes into production.

Ladies & Gentlemen let me introduce to you Devel Sixteen production version. #devel_sixteen #develsixteen #devel #v16 #5000hp #5007hp #quadturbo #beyondextreme, yes you can buy them, 1 year delivery A post shared by Devel Sixteen Prototype (@devel_sixteen) on Nov 15, 2017 at 4:09am PST

That would make it the world's fastest car if the claim can hold up, beating out the 277.9 mph mark just set by the Koenigsegg Agera RS and posing a challenge to the likes of the Bugattis and John Hennesseys of the world. The Dubai-based specialty company first announced its ambitions four years ago and has since joined forces with Italian firm Manifattura Automobile Torino, which worked on James Glickenhaus' SCG 003 and the Apollo Intensa Emozione, and Muskegon, Mich.-based Steve Morris Engines.

The powertrain supplier, speaking of which, recently released a video of the 81-mm quad-turbo, 12.3-liter V16 engine it's developed for the car, reaching 5,007 horsepower on a dynamometer. The screaming sound is unbelievable.

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Even if the car, the design of which is inspired by a jet engine, can make good on its audacious claims, the Sixteen won't be street legal. Devel developer Rashid Al-Attari told CNN the Sixteen is "more of a dragster" and says the company is developing two versions permissible on roads: A 2,000-hp V8 and a V16 quad-turbo that makes 3,000 hp. They'll cost $1.6 million and $1.8 million, respectively, though the company apparently has no plans to limit production numbers.

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Car vlogger Shmee can take you on a walkaround of the car and the accompany Devel Sixty off-roader in the video below.

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The company expects to complete the car, including testing, "in the next 12 to 18 months," Al-Attari said.



Related Video:

The Devel Sixteen hypercar, and its 5,000-hp engine, are real originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Nov 2017 14:35:00 EST.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is questioned by reporters as lawmakers arrive for a vote, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017.

As both candidate and president, Donald Trump promised not to cut either Medicaid or Medicare, the government health-insurance programs for the poor and the elderly. The Republican partys tax reform proposal, however, looks set to break that promise.

Republican leaders want their tax bill to end the individual mandate, the requirement for all Americans to have health insurance. Ending the mandate is mainly intended to reduce the burden on businesses (which pay a large share of health insurance). Moreover, the individual mandate isnt all that popular. Democrats may have a harder time getting people as excited to defend the mandate as they did to save Medicaid,' Perry Bacon Jr. observed at 538.

However, might Democrats rally around a call to save Medicare? It turns out the tax bill will also cut billions from this program, because one of the many rules lawmakers must navigate to change US spending, the Pay-As-You-Go Act (PAYGO), requires the White House to order immediate budget cuts if deficits increase in a given year.

Because the tax bills under consideration would add as much as $1.5 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, they will violate the PAYGO rules. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) evaluated the bill (pdf) and said the White House budget office would be required to issue a sequestration order within 15 days of the end of the session of Congress to reduce spending fiscal year 2018 by the resultant total of $136 billion.

CBO estimates that $25 billion would come out of Medicare, with the remaining cuts hitting other spendingincluding student loans, Obamacare spending to back up the individual insurance market, and even agricultural subsidies. Because discretionary spending has been cut so deeply, and programs like Medicaid and Social Security are exempt from sequestration, there wouldnt be enough left to trim to make up the $136 billion, leaving lawmakers in a bind.

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Of course, they could simply waive the rules or change them, but that would require 60 votes in the senatea tough ask for Republicans still fretting about growing deficits (like South Carolina senator Bob Corker), or for Democrats who might not want cuts but wont want to enable a tax bill they despise.

Losing just three Republican votes in the senate will mean the end of tax reform. Yesterday, Wisconsin Republican senator Ron Johnson came out against the bill because, he says, it doesnt treat small business fairly compared to multinational corporations. When it comes to health care, Maines moderate Republican senator Susan Collins is under scrutiny. She was a key no vote that thwarted the repeal of Obamacare, and her constituents just passed a referendum expanding Medicaid in their state.

Between cuts to Medicare and higher premiums expected from the repeal of the individual mandate, this tax bill will also have a major impact on the health care system. Will that be enough to convince Collins to say no once more?

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HPT vs. HCP: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

The Dow traversed a tense week, suffering losses on two consecutive days after a key component cut its dividend significantly. Adding to the indexs woes were lingering concerns over the Trump administrations ability to push through its much vaunted tax cuts. Ultimately, the Dow rebounded on the penultimate trading day of the week, buoyed once again by encouraging earnings numbers.

Last Weeks Performance

The Dow lost 39.73 points to end in the red last Friday. Market watchers speculated about the likely outcome of a delay in tax reforms, proposed last Thursday by the Senate Finance Committee. Shares of Intel Corporation INTC and Merck & Co., Inc. MRK declined 1.6% and 1.3%, respectively, and weighed heavily on the Dow. However, shares of The Walt Disney Company DIS advanced 2.1% and pared some of the losses for the blue-chip index.

The index declined 0.5% over last week, snapping its eight-week winning streak. The Senate Finance Committee released a tax plan which aims to reduce corporate tax rate to 20% but not before 2019, in contrast to the 2018 deadline proposed by the House Republicans. Although investors turned jittery following concerns that tax cuts may be delayed, markets curtailed part of the declines after the House Ways and Committee passed a Bill to reframe tax reforms.

Meanwhile, Apple Inc.s AAPL market value jumped over $900 billion for the first time ever. Finally, benchmarks touched new highs last Monday following news of a possible merger between Broadcom and Qualcomm, marking the 26th trading day when an all-time high was achieved by all the three key U.S. indexes in 2017. This is the highest number of record highs achieved in a single year.

The Dow This Week

The index gained a little less than 0.1% on Monday. While tax woes continued to worry investors, gains were capped further after shares of General Electric Company GE plummeted to a five-year low after releasing weak EPS guidance for 2018. However, gains for The Boeing Company BA and Mattel, Inc. MAT boosted the markets.

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Meanwhile, investors closely followed Trumps visit to Asia. Speaking in Manila Trump commented that he would make an important announcement regarding trade on Wednesday in Washington.

The index shed 30.23 points on Tuesday to end in negative territory. Shares of General Electric declined for the second straight day, by 5.9%, to hit its lowest levels since 2011.

Moreover, oil prices declined after the International Energy Agency slashed its global crude-demand forecasts. This factor also weighed on the broader markets. Further, lingering tax-reform woes also dampened investor sentiment. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren commented that the Republican tax plan would eventually lead to an economic slowdown.

The index declined 0.6% on Wednesday after energy shares tanked following a decline in oil prices. This also marked the Dows worst one-day drop since Sep 5.

Additionally, worries centered on a possible delay in tax reforms also led the markets lower. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee announced major amendments to its version of the tax bill. The proposal abolishes the individual mandate of Obamacare and increases the child tax credit.

The Dow rebounded from two days of losses on Thursday, gaining more than 187 points or 0.8%. Strong earnings performances from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. WMT and Cisco Systems Inc. CSCO helped propel the index higher. Shares of Wal-Mart and Cisco gained 10.9% and 5.2%, respectively. Additionally, the House passed the Republican-led tax legislation, boosting investor sentiment further.

Components Moving the Index

General Electrics shares were down over 4.5% in mid-morning trading on Nov 13 after the company announced that it had slashed its dividend in half, as well as other strategic business decisions. GE has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

The dividend cut marks only GEs second since the Great Depression, and the company said shareholders payout will now be 12 cents a share, down from 24 cents a share; the cut will become effective in December. GEs only other dividend cut was back during the Great Recession in 2009.

GE also unveiled annual profit projections that were well below Wall Street expectations. The company said that 2018 will be a reset year, and anticipates profit in the range of $1 and $1.07 per share; analysts were expected $1.15 per share. Additionally, GE is expecting weak free cash flow of roughly $7 billion, about half the companys normal level. (Read: General Electric Shares are Falling Today: Here's Why)

The Home Depot Inc. HD posted fiscal third-quarter earnings of $1.84 per share, which escalated 15% from $1.60 recorded in the year-ago quarter. The figure also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.81.

Net sales grew 8.1% to $25,026 million from $23,154 million in the year-ago quarter. Moreover, the top line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $24,523 million. The company's overall comparable-store sales (comps) increased 7.9%, while comps in the United States grew 7.7%.

Home Depot now expects now expects sales growth of nearly 6.3%, alongside a 6.5% increase in comps. Earlier, the company projected net sales growth of 5.3% and comps increase of 5.5%. Moreover, management now anticipates earnings per share to be up nearly 14% to $7.36 in fiscal 2017 compared with the previous guidance of 13% growth to $7.29. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Cisco reported first-quarter fiscal 2018 non-GAAP earnings of 61 cents per share beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. However, the figure remained unchanged on a year-over-year basis. Cisco has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Revenues declined 1.7% year over year to $12.14 billion and were almost in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Acquisitions contributed 60 basis points (bps) to revenue growth in the quarter. Security and Applications revenues increased in the quarter.

For second-quarter fiscal 2018, revenues are expected to rise 1-3% on a year-over-year basis. Non-GAAP earnings are anticipated between 58 and 60 cents per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 58 cents, while that for revenues is at $11.73 billion. (Read: Cisco Beats Q1 Earnings Estimates, Outlook Positive)

Wal-Mart posted third-quarter fiscal 2018 adjusted earnings of $1.00 per share which exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 97 cents and grew 2% from 98 cents reported in the year-ago period. Earnings also exceeded the higher end of the guided range of 90 - 98 cents per share.

Total revenues came in at $123.2 billion (including membership and other income) that advanced 4.2% year over year and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $121.1 billion. The upside was driven by strength at all three businesses.

For the fourth-quarter fiscal 2018, Zacks Rank #3 Wal-Mart expects both U.S. comps (excluding fuel) and Sams Club comps (excluding fuel) to increase in a range of 1.5-2.0% for the 13-week period ending Jan 26, 2018.

The company raised its bottom-line view for fiscal 2018 and now envisions adjusted earnings in the range of $4.38-$4.46 per share, as compared with the prior expectation of $4.30-$4.40. GAAP earnings are expected to range from $3.84-$3.92 per share. (Read: Walmart Stock Gains on Solid Q3 Earnings & Raised View)

Boeing recently sealed a deal for delivering 40 787-10 Dreamliners to Emirates  the largest airline in the Middle East. Notably, the aircraft giant received the order on the very first day of the Dubai Airshow.

Deliveries of these twin aisle jets are scheduled to commence from 2022, while the 40th jet of the lot is expected to be delivered by 2030. The purchase order, in addition to the 40 jets, comes with equipments related to the 787-10 fleet, with a total value of $15.1 billion as per the current list price. (Read: Boeing to Deliver 787-10 Jets to Emirates for $15.1B)

In a separate development, Boeing has inked a deal with flydubai for 225 737 MAX airplanes. Valued at $27 billion at current list prices, the order was awarded during the 2017 Dubai Air Show. It marks the largest-ever single-aisle jet order from a Middle East carrier. (Read: Boeing & flydubai Ink $27B Deal for 225 737 MAX Airplanes)

Performance of the Top 10 Dow Companies

The table given below shows the price movements of the 10 largest components of the Dow, which is a price weighted index, over the last five days and during the last six months. Over the last five trading days, the Dow has lost 0.4%.

Ticker Last 5 Days Performance 6-Month Performance MMM -1.2% +15.9% GS -2.1% +6.1% IBM -1.6% -3.0% HD +1.9% +5.8% BA +0.7% +44.3% UNH -0.8% +25.6% MCD -0.3% +14.1% TRV -1.9% +9.1% JNJ -0.9% +8.7% AAPL -0.8% +10.1%

Next Weeks Outlook

Following the developments of Thursday night, markets are finally witnessing some definite progress on the tax cuts front. GE also seems to have recovered from its recent debacle though the stock may remain under pressure for some time. However, earnings have continued to be strong overall and for key components of the index. Going forward, there is little to prevent stocks from notching up further gains in the days ahead.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled Thursday night the companys latest electric vehicle, a semi-truck that shares a number of parts with its new mass-market passenger vehicle the Model 3, including the same motor. Even the handles come from the Model 3.

The Thursday night reveal, a splashy VIP-filled event held on the grounds of Teslas design studio and Musks other company, SpaceX, marks a notable milestone and new level of risk (and possible reward) for the company. But in Musks view, the truck makes economic sense and is another part of his vision to build a sustainable energy company.

Musks entrance, in which he rode at a brisk clip in the new Tesla Semi (the official name), illustrates his hopes for the new product, which he says will go from zero to 60 miles per hours in five seconds. The Tesla truck will be able to travel 500 miles on a single battery charge when fully loaded and driving 65 mph, Musk said.

Reservations for the Tesla Semi are $5,000 per truck. Production of the Tesla Semi will be begin in 2019.

The semi truck will drive just like any other Tesla, Musk said, making reference to the passenger electric vehicles the Model S, Model X, and Model 3.

Tesla Semis will be charged via so-called megachargerssimilar to Teslas supercharger networkwhich will generate the energy required to charge the battery via solar panels.

Tesla is also guaranteeing the drive train for 1 million miles, Musk said to the raucous crowd.

The companys trucks program, which started in January 2016, is led by Jerome Guillen, the previous director of Teslas Model S program. Guillen is former Daimler executive who was responsible for the development of the companys new generation of Class 8 trucks. He joined Tesla in 2010.

Some Nuts and Bolts

The Tesla Semi is a Class 8, the largest heavy duty freight trucks.

The Tesla Semi is a standard fifth-wheel and can pull any size trailer that would feasibly give the company flexibility. In North America, the Tesla Semi would be allowed to pull a trailer as long as 53 feet. With that kind of hauling capacity, Tesla will likely be the first semi truck customer. The Tesla Semi trucks would be ideal for shipping batteries and electric motors produced at Teslas massive battery factory near Reno, Nevada to its vehicle factory in Fremont, Calif.

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The Tesla Semi has two drive axles. Each drive axle has two motorsthe same electric motors in Teslas new Model 3 sedan.

The cab of the truck, which is where the driver sits, is pushed forward, a design thats possible because there are none of the parts required in traditional diesel semis, such as an engine, transmission, after-treatment system or differentials. This leaves more space for the cab itself, which contains a captains chair and a secondary seat.

The cab also has two touchscreen displaysagain a Model 3 screenpositioned on both sides of the driver. The Tesla semi has built-in connectivity that integrates directly with a fleets management system to support routing and scheduling, and remote monitoring, according to the company. .

The semi- truck has regenerative braking, a feature found in its electric passenger vehicles (as well as electric vehicles from other automakers) that delivers power to the battery when drivers take their foot off the accelerator.

The Tesla Semi is also outfitted with Autopilot, an advanced driver assistance system found in the companys electric passenger vehicles. Autopilot uses sensors, cameras, and radar and software to offer several advanced driver assistance features that when combined provides what some describe as semi-autonomous capabilities. Its supposed to allow Tesla vehicles to drive keep within a lane, match speed to traffic conditions, and automatically change lanes without requiring help from the driver.

Another Milestone

The Tesla Semi represents a notable milestone and new level of risk for the company.

The trucks program represents another step in Teslas metamorphosis from electric vehicle automaker to sustainable energy company. Teslas portfolio started with electric passenger vehicles and now includes solar and energy storage.

The first part of that mission, which centered on passenger cars and solar, has been outlined on the companys website for more than a decade. The second piece is newerat least in the public realmand is where the Tesla Semi comes in, along with other goals like solar roofs that are integrated with battery storage and autonomous driving capabilities.

In the weeks leading up to the reveal, Musk ramped up the teasers and promises. In one comment on Instagram, he wrote: This is no mere truck. It will transform into a giant robot, fight aliens, and makes one hell of a latte.

Teslas electric semi-truck unveiling was originally scheduled for Oct. 26. But Musk postponed the Tesla truck unveiling so the company could focus its resources on fixing Model 3 bottlenecks and increasing battery production for Puerto Rico, which suffered heavy damage to its electrical grid from Hurricane Maria.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today hailed the ratings by saying that it was an evidence of the unparalleled good work done by the Narendra Modi-led government.

By India Today Web Desk: Hours after Moody's ratings were declared, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah welcomed it.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley addressing a press conference said that the ratings were a reflection of the governments positive work.

Here's what Jaitley said:

The fact that a series of steps including demonetisation, which are now taking Indian economy to a greater formalization and digitization, something which is being universally acknowledged: FM Jaitley

It is encouraging that there is an international recognition and it firms our determination to follow the path that we have embarked upon: Jaitley

It is a recognition and an endorsement of the reform process which has gone on in India, particularly in the last 3-4 years, where a number of structural reforms have taken place which has placed India on a path of high trajectory growth: Jaitley

Moody's upgrades a reflection of positive steps by Modi govt, says finance minister.

We welcome this upgrade, we believe that it is a belated recognition of all the positive steps which have been taken in India in the last few years, which has contributed to strengthening of Indian economy: FM Jaitley on Moody's upgradation of India's rating.

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Earlier today, Amit Shah in a series of tweets hailed the ratings by saying that it was an evidence of the unparalleled good work done by the Narendra Modi-led government.

Moody's remains bullish on reforms done by Modi government and is confident of India's growth potential," said Shah in a tweet.

In another tweet, Shah also cited the recent Ease of Doing Business rankings and Pew Study that ascertained that PM Modi is the most popular politician. He added that all the rankings and survey results are testament of the hard-work and reform by Modi government.

Indias largest ever increase in Ease of Doing Business rankings, Pew study ascertaining PM @narendramodi jis popularity, Moodys upgrade are all reflections of Modi Govts hard-work and reform process.- Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 17, 2017

US-based Moody's today upgraded India's sovereign credit ratings by a notch to Baa2 with a stable outlook citing improved growth prospects driven by economical and institutional reforms.

Moodys remains bullish on reforms done by Modi Government and is confident of Indias growth potential.- Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 17, 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too lauded the results emphasising the efficiency of his government improving business climate in the country.

Moody's believes that the @narendramodi Government's reforms will improve business climate, enhance productivity, stimulate foreign and domestic investment, and ultimately foster strong and sustainable growth. @MoodysInvSvc- PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 17, 2017

The rating upgrade comes after a gap of 13 years - Moody's had last upgraded India's rating to Baa3 in 2004.

--- ENDS ---
Emirates newly revealed Boeing 777 first-class suite - Duncan Chard

Earlier this week at the Dubai Air Show, Sir Tim Clark, the Briton who runs Emirates, unveiled the airline's new multi-million-pound first- and business-class cabins. The new first class on its Boeing 777 jets is one of the most exclusive in the sky, with only six seats in a 1-1-1 configuration. Each passenger has their own 40sq ft private, fully enclosed suite with floor-to-ceiling walls and sliding doors almost 7ft high. You can set the temperature, the lighting, and use iPad video calling to the galley to order food and drink that can be delivered through a service hatch.

The configuration means not everyone can have a window seat, but Emirates will broadcast live images from cameras fixed to the outside of the plane to create real-time virtual windows on the walls of the central cabins. The bed, which moves sideways as it reclines, so it is snug against the side wall, has a zero gravity setting to create a sense of weightlessness for better sleep. The fabric of the pyjamas is infused with sea kelp to moisturise your skin. Amenities are Bulgari. The TV is a whopping 32 wide.

Privacy assured within the enclosed suite

The new cabins, designed with Mercedes Benz, will be introduced - for reasons best-known to Emirates - on the Dubai to Geneva and Dubai to Brussels routes from December 1, before moving to more ritzy destinations, such as Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and Australian cities, most likely Brisbane and Perth.

From 2019, the new first-class cabin will be installed on the A380, which Emirates uses for its London, Manchester and Birmingham flights. Theres a spruced-up business-class cabin on Emirates new 777s, with plusher seats that turn into flat beds and more wood finishes. A whole new business-class cabin, similar to the one on the A380 where passengers have their own pod and direct aisle access, will follow on Emirates all-new 777s from 2020.

A centre-cabin first-class suite with real-time video footage broadcast on its porthole-shaped screens

The Emirates launch comes shortly after Singapore Airlines unveiled new first-class suites that can even incorporate double beds, but has more generally emerged at a time when many airlines are cutting back on the perks in first class. Sir Tim, however, insists: Demand remains very strong. We have a very loyal customer base and we need to keep them interested in what we are doing.

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Yet, behind the soft leather and mood lighting, even the mighty Emirates is hedging its bets. Its new first cabins are smaller. The 777 is down to six seats from eight and, when it is re-fitted, the A380 will be down to 11 seats in first class from 14. Some 40 of Emirates 170-strong 777 fleet will soon no longer have a first-class cabin at all. The airline will also soon have 15 A380s in a two-class-only configuration - business and economy. Emirates is also charging economy passengers to reserve their seats and flirting with charging some economy passengers to check in luggage. Anyone, not just premium passengers, can now use Emirates lounges - if they pay.

Life in fabulous first class

Faced with the challenge of lower oil prices and a drop in the volume of business- and first-class tickets bought by companies, Emirates is increasingly conscious of the need to cut costs. Hence the $15bn order announced at this weeks air show for 40 of the largest size of the super-economical twin-engine Boeing 787-10s that carry 280 passengers - a tiny number for Emirates. Stand by for more orders. Emirates decision to reveal its new first class on a Boeing 777, coupled with the order for the 787s, over the rival Airbus A350, is a hefty blow to Airbus. Passengers' response to the new suite will no doubt influence how the airline develops and positions its premium products in future.
A couple of people ride the subway as they read newspapers as the train pulls into the Times Square stop in Manhattan, New York, U.S. February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission wants to rollback landmark media ownership regulations that prohibit owning a television station and newspaper in the same market and making it easier to acquire additional TV or radio stations, Chairman Ajit Pai said on Wednesday.

If approved at the FCC's November meeting, the move would be a win for newspapers and broadcasters that have pushed for the change for decades, but was criticized by Democrats who said it could usher in a new era of media consolidation.

The FCC in 1975 banned cross-ownership of a newspaper and broadcast station in the same market, unless it granted a waiver, to ensure a diversity of opinions. The rule was made before the explosion of internet and cable news and Republican President Donald Trump and Pai have vowed to reduce government regulation.

"We must stop the federal government from intervening in the news business," Pai told a congressional panel, noting that many newspapers have closed and many radio and TV stations are struggling. Pai moved earlier this year to make it easier for some companies to own a larger number of local stations.

Pai said the marketplace no longer justifies the rules, citing Facebook Inc (FB.O) and Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) dominance of internet advertising.

"Online competition for the collection and distribution of news is greater than ever. And just two internet companies claim 100 percent of recent online advertising growth; indeed, their digital ad revenue this year alone will be greater than the market cap of the entire broadcasting industry," Pai said.

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, a Democrat, said at the hearing Wednesday the move would lead to further consolidation in the media business and should be opposed. There are three Republicans and two Democrats on the panel.

Pai also proposes to make it easier for companies to own multiple TV and radio stations in the same market and he would allow two local stations among the top four in a market to petition the FCC to merge.

Story continues

The Pew Research Center said in June total weekday circulation for U.S. daily newspapers fell 8 percent in 2016, marking the 28th consecutive year of declines, while Sunday circulation declined to 38 million, the lowest levels since 1945. Newspaper ad revenue in 2016 fell to $18 billion, down from $49 billion in 2006.

News Media Alliance Chief Executive David Chavern said newspapers need economies of scale to complete. He praised Pai's move, saying the current rules "do not make sense, particularly when newspapers compete with countless sources of news and information every day."

The National Association of Broadcasters said it backs Pai's plan, noting that policymakers have approved numerous "mega-mergers" among phone, cable and satellite programmers "while at the same time blocking broadcast/newspaper or radio/TV combinations in single markets."

The group added "this nonsensical regulatory approach has harmed the economic underpinning of newspapers, reduced local journalism jobs, and punished free and local broadcasters at the expense of our pay TV and radio competitors."

Free Press, an advocacy group, said the proposal would make it easier for Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc (SBGI.O) to complete its $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune Media Co (TRCO.N) with fewer divestitures.

The "disastrous proposal is tailor-made for Sinclair and other giant broadcast chains that push often slanted or cookie-cutter content over the public airwaves," the group said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
The FCC is poised to make the most significant changes to its media ownership rules in a generation on Thursday, a relaxation of limits that broadcasters see as long overdue and opponents view as another step toward consolidation of local media.

The changes  expected to pass by a party line, 3-2 vote  are taking place just as the FCC is considering whether to allow Sinclair Broadcast Group to merge with Tribune Media, creating a station group powerhouse with control over 233 stations and a reach of 72% of the country.

Democrats are tying the FCCs moves to relax ownership rules to Sinclair, arguing that Chairman Ajit Pai is giving preferential treatment to one company that has been favorable to the Trump administration. Pai, though, has defended the merger review as well as his proposed changes, pointing out that he has long been a critic of regulations he sees as outdated.

Few regulations are more disconnected from todays realities than the F.C.C.s media ownership rules, he wrote in a New York Times op-ed last week.

But Michael Copps, a former FCC commissioner who is now senior adviser to Common Cause, told reporters on Wednesday, We are on the eve of media madness at the FCC and to me tomorrow is really the nadir of the FCCs credibility.

If adopted, the changes would allow for:

Common ownership of a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same market. The newspaper industry has long lobbied for the elimination of this rule, on the grounds that the print business is struggling and could benefit from teaming up with local broadcast outlets.

David Chavern, president and CEO of the News Media Alliance, said that for many papers, you either need investment or you need to sell.

By getting rid of the rule, it adds a lot more buyers into the possible mix. A local station would be a likely interested party should a newspaper go on the block, he said. Thats what happened recently when the Chicago Sun-Times was up for sale, but local TV stations were not able to bid.

Story continues

Still, public interest advocates worry that combinations of newspapers and TV stations will merely mean the further elimination of jobs in the market  and fewer independent voices.

Common ownership of two top four TV stations in the same market, subject to a case-by-case review by the FCC. Stations would no longer need to show that after a combination, at least eight other independently owned outlets remain in the coverage area.

Broadcasters point to the decline in the local ad market as a reason to bulk up, even in the same city. They face stiffer competition from cable, as well as new online rivals from Google and Facebook.

Critics say that this rule will hasten media combinations and limit local coverage and diversity as major station groups seek cost efficiencies.

Greater leeway for joint sales agreements. This applies to stations that have agreements to sell more than 15% of the advertising time of another outlet in the same market. They no longer will have to count those pacts in calculating whether they are within national TV ownership limits.

Stations say that the agreements have helped outlets in smaller markets survive, but critics say that the JSAs have been abused as a way for media companies to skirt the 39% nationwide ownership cap.

The changes to the rules follow other actions the FCC has taken earlier this year:

Restored the UHF discount. Station groups can count their UHF holdings as just half the outlets reach. That gives media companies greater leeway to purchase stations and still fall within a national ownership cap.

Station groups were relieved, and it is hard to see how Sinclairs merger with Tribune could have proceeded without the change. But critics say that the discount doesnt make sense anymore, as the original rationale behind the UHF discount was that those stations used to have a weaker signal and reach. After the transition to digital television in 2009, that is no longer the case.

Eliminated rule requiring that broadcast stations have a main studio in their local coverage area. They would still be required to maintain a local or toll-free phone number.

Advocates of the change say that smaller stations were forced to maintain a physical presence even though members of the public rarely visited, and that it will free up money that can be spent on programming. Opponents see it as another way to make it easier for broadcasters to consolidate.

The Sinclair-Tribune combination has been held up by public interest groups as the shape of things to come.

On Wednesday, representatives of Sinclair and Tribune appeared at an event on Capitol Hill in which they debated public interest advocates opposed to the transaction. The event was sponsored by Georgetown Laws Institute for Technology Law & Policy and the panel was moderated by Gigi Sohn.

Among the speakers was Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who told the gathering, This merger threatens to create a concentration of unprecedented scope and scaleand unquestionably will affect the public interest.

But Rebecca Hanson, senior vice president of strategy and policy at Sinclair, said that in the disruptive media environment, stations face greater economic pressures.

We believe that free, over-the-air broadcasting should be just as compelling and have just as high quality content as that behind the paywall, she said. You can only do that if you have scale.

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WASHINGTON  Broadcasters will be allowed to combine with a newspaper in the same market, and could be allowed to own two of the top four stations in a city, as the FCC on Thursday relaxed a series of long-standing media ownership regulations.

The new rules, passed in a 3-2 vote, may be challenged in court, but if they survive they will mark the most significant changes to media ownership regulations in a generation. They could lead to further consolidation and mergers among broadcasters, who have long argued that they need greater scale to compete with cable and internet companies for local ad dollars.

The media ownership regulations of 2017 should match the media marketplace of 2017, said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. He said that what the agency was doing were dragging the broadcast rules into the digital age. He said that the changes are needed given the changes in consumer habits, as they get their news not just from local stations but from websites, podcasts and social media.

The changes are taking place just as the FCC is considering whether to allow Sinclair Broadcast Group to merge with Tribune Media, creating a station group powerhouse with control over 233 stations and a reach of 72% of the country.

Democrats are tying the FCCs moves to relax ownership rules to Sinclair, arguing that Chairman Ajit Pai is giving preferential treatment to one company that has been favorable to the Trump administration. Pai, though, has defended the merger review as well as his proposed changes, pointing out that he has long been a critic of regulations he sees as outdated.

The two Democrats on the commission delivered vehement dissents.

Instead of engaging in thoughtful reform, which we should do, the agency sets its most basic values on fire. They are gone, said Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. As a result of this decision, wherever you live the FCC is giving the green light for a single company to own the newspaper and multiple television and radio stations in your community.

Story continues

Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said, This is really about helping large media companies grow even larger. She predicted floodgates to more consolidation. She said that the FCCs moves will shut out new entrants in the business, including minorities and women. She said that the changes were deeply flawed and lacked data to support them, and suggested that the changes could not survive in court.

Commissioner Michael ORielly, a Republican appointee, said that he had no doubt that the changes would end up back before the court, as previous efforts over the past 15 years have.

The changes will allow for:

Common ownership of a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same market. Some public interest groups warn against this change, but on Capitol Hill, legislation to remove the restriction has garnered some bipartisan support.

Common ownership of two of the top four TV stations in the same market, subject to a case-by-case review by the FCC. Stations would no longer need to show that after a combination, at least eight other independently owned outlets remain in the coverage area. The FCC also eliminated a rule that explicitly prohibited one entity from owning more than two TV stations and one radio station in the same market, although companies would still have to comply with other restrictions.

Greater leeway for joint sales agreements. This applies to stations that have agreements to sell more than 15% of the advertising time of another outlet in the same market. They no longer will have to count those pacts in calculating whether they are within national TV ownership limits.

Stations say that the agreements have helped outlets in smaller markets survive, but critics say that the JSAs have been abused as a way for media companies to skirt the 39% nationwide ownership cap. With other changes in the ownership rules, public interest groups say that major media companies could own two of the top four stations in a market and have effective control over others.

Earlier this year, the FCC took a number of other changes that will have an impact on the broadcast landscape:

Restored the UHF discount. Station groups can count their UHF holdings as just half the outlets reach. That gives media companies greater leeway to purchase stations and still fall within a national ownership cap.

Station groups were relieved, and it is hard to see how Sinclairs merger with Tribune could have proceeded without the change. But critics say that the discount doesnt make sense anymore, as the original rationale behind the UHF discount was that those stations used to have a weaker signal and reach. After the transition to digital television in 2009, that is no longer the case.

Eliminated rule requiring that broadcast stations have a main studio in their local coverage area. They would still be required to maintain a local or toll-free phone number.

Advocates of the change say that smaller stations were forced to maintain a physical presence even though members of the public rarely visited, and that it will free up money that can be spent on programming. Opponents see it as another way to make it easier for broadcasters to consolidate.

The FCC also adopted an incubator program to try to increase diversity in the broadcast business. The commission will now take public comment on how it should be designed.

Related stories

FCC's Move to Relax Ownership Rules Could Lead to Wave of Media Mergers

Senators Seek Investigation of FCC Review of Sinclair-Tribune Merger

AT&T-Time Warner, Sinclair-Tribune Test Trump Era Appetite for Big Media Mergers

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Senate Republicans just announced that the repeal of the individual mandate (in the form of reducing the penalty tax to zero) will be in the Senate Finance Committee's version of tax reform. The individual mandate has never been successful toward the objective of attracting people to the program. There are much better ways to do that. But killing the mandate while simultaneously opening up the market to cheaper stripped down alternatives would combine to create unintended consequences the Republicans haven't appeared to comprehend. Recently, President Trump encouraged his administration to craft regulations that would enable insurance companies to sell short-term medical policies with a duration of 12 months. These short-term medical policies would not have to comply with the Obamacare benefit mandates. They could exclude people with pre-existing conditions. Today, buying one of these policies would trigger the individual mandate tax penalty because a person had not purchased qualified coverage. But, if the individual mandate tax penalty is repealed as part of the Republican tax bill there would be no such penalty to buy one of these policies. I could easily see the individual health insurance market bifurcated into a sick and healthy pool because of these changes: The sickest taking advantage of the guarantee issue protections in the Obamacare compliant market.The healthiest buying a succession of these "short-term" 12 month policies while guaranteed to be able to opt back into the Obamacare market when they got sick. In fact, I could see these "short-term" policies sold on a calendar year basis so those prohibited from renewing, because of a recently acquired condition, would be able to conveniently opt into the Obamacare guaranteed insurability market when their short-term coverage expired right in line with the annual open enrollment.I can envision these "short-term" policies offering a fairly comprehensive medical and hospital benefit set even though they did not cover all of the mandated benefits. These policies could also be much cheaper by excluding things like pregnancy and mental health and substance abuse coverage.I could easily see these policies costing half of what the Obamacare compliant policies cost.So, the healthy would have the best of both worldscheap and even arguably attractive coverage while still being guaranteed to be able to opt into a much more comprehensive Obamacare policy every January 1st if they got sick.It's not hard to see what would happen. We would have two risk pools:The very expensive Obamacare compliant risk pool with only the very sickest left in it, andThe very cheap "short-term" policy risk pool with the healthiest people.And, the unsubsidized cost for those who acquired a pre-existing condition and were forced to opt back into the Obamacare compliant market, would be simply astronomical. Remember, 40% of those in the individual health insurance market make too much to qualify for a premium subsidy.In other words, this scheme works much better than what we have todayuntil you get sick. And, everyone ultimately acquires a pre-existing condition.A health insurance system that works only while you are healthy is not a health insurance system.Obamacare is a disaster because it only works best for the sickest and those with the lowest incomes. As a result, the healthy have disproportionately stayed away driving the costs up to unaffordable levels for those who don't get the big subsidies. And, only 40% of those who are subsidy eligible are now participating.This Republican scheme would work best for the healthiest. It would also work well for the poor because the premium subsidy system would protect them from the even higher costs inside of Obamacare.But the Republican scheme would be devastating for those in the unsubsidized middle class who would not be able to afford coverage once they got sick.Ironically, the people the Republican scheme would hurt the most would be those in the middle class (the unsubsidized) that have been most vocal in calling on the Republicans to fix the system. Commentary by Robert Laszewski, the president of Health Policy and Strategy Associates . He has 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, serving as a chief operating officer for nine of those years, before beginning his Washington, D.C. policy- and market-consulting business. This article first appeared on Robert Laszewski's blog . For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow@CNBCopinionon Twitter. Senate Republicans just announced that the repeal of the individual mandate (in the form of reducing the penalty tax to zero) will be in the Senate Finance Committee's version of tax reform. The individual mandate has never been successful toward the objective of attracting people to the program. There are much better ways to do that. But killing the mandate while simultaneously opening up the market to cheaper stripped down alternatives would combine to create unintended consequences the Republicans haven't appeared to comprehend. Recently, President Trump encouraged his administration to craft regulations that would enable insurance companies to sell short-term medical policies with a duration of 12 months. These short-term medical policies would not have to comply with the Obamacare benefit mandates. They could exclude people with pre-existing conditions. Today, buying one of these policies would trigger the individual mandate tax penalty because a person had not purchased qualified coverage. But, if the individual mandate tax penalty is repealed as part of the Republican tax bill there would be no such penalty to buy one of these policies. I could easily see the individual health insurance market bifurcated into a sick and healthy pool because of these changes: The sickest taking advantage of the guarantee issue protections in the Obamacare compliant market. The healthiest buying a succession of these "short-term" 12 month policies while guaranteed to be able to opt back into the Obamacare market when they got sick. In fact, I could see these "short-term" policies sold on a calendar year basis so those prohibited from renewing, because of a recently acquired condition, would be able to conveniently opt into the Obamacare guaranteed insurability market when their short-term coverage expired right in line with the annual open enrollment. I can envision these "short-term" policies offering a fairly comprehensive medical and hospital benefit set even though they did not cover all of the mandated benefits. These policies could also be much cheaper by excluding things like pregnancy and mental health and substance abuse coverage. I could easily see these policies costing half of what the Obamacare compliant policies cost. So, the healthy would have the best of both worldscheap and even arguably attractive coverage while still being guaranteed to be able to opt into a much more comprehensive Obamacare policy every January 1st if they got sick. It's not hard to see what would happen. We would have two risk pools: The very expensive Obamacare compliant risk pool with only the very sickest left in it, and The very cheap "short-term" policy risk pool with the healthiest people. And, the unsubsidized cost for those who acquired a pre-existing condition and were forced to opt back into the Obamacare compliant market, would be simply astronomical. Remember, 40% of those in the individual health insurance market make too much to qualify for a premium subsidy. In other words, this scheme works much better than what we have todayuntil you get sick. And, everyone ultimately acquires a pre-existing condition. A health insurance system that works only while you are healthy is not a health insurance system. Obamacare is a disaster because it only works best for the sickest and those with the lowest incomes. As a result, the healthy have disproportionately stayed away driving the costs up to unaffordable levels for those who don't get the big subsidies. And, only 40% of those who are subsidy eligible are now participating. This Republican scheme would work best for the healthiest. It would also work well for the poor because the premium subsidy system would protect them from the even higher costs inside of Obamacare. But the Republican scheme would be devastating for those in the unsubsidized middle class who would not be able to afford coverage once they got sick. Ironically, the people the Republican scheme would hurt the most would be those in the middle class (the unsubsidized) that have been most vocal in calling on the Republicans to fix the system. Commentary by Robert Laszewski, the president of Health Policy and Strategy Associates . He has 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, serving as a chief operating officer for nine of those years, before beginning his Washington, D.C. policy- and market-consulting business. This article first appeared on Robert Laszewski's blog . For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.



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One of the key Democratic Party complaints about the GOP tax reform plan has been the argument that it doesn't do enough for small businesses and the middle class. And now we have a potential game-changer with Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson essentially joining in the same chorus and vowing he won't vote for the bill in its current form.Johnson's main objection is the fact that the Republican tax reform bills in both the House and Senate do not cut tax rates as generously for smaller businesses that are taxed at so-called "pass-through" rates. To be specific, the current GOP tax reform bills in both houses of Congress slash the corporate rate from 35 to 20 percent. But sole proprietors, partnerships, and S-corporations currently taxed at individual income-tax rates as high as 39.6 percent, would only see a reduction to 25 percent in the House bill and an even smaller reduction in the current Senate version. A report surfaced Wednesday that the Senate GOP will make further changes to the "pass-through" tax cuts , but Johnson is clearly not happy with the process so far. Johnson is trying his best not to appear to be a spoilsport about this. Appearing on CNBC's Squawk Box Thursday morning , he talked repeatedly about how he wants to fix the problem to get a bill passed. He even said that President Donald Trump promised him to address the issue, quoting the president as saying "I will work my tail off over the weekend to fix this problem." But nobody really needs to work anyone's tail off here. The best move for the White House and the congressional GOP is to simply call the Democrats' and Johnson's bluff and just cut the rate on pass-throughs to 20 percent, and find one or two more places to cut individual middle class taxes too.And when they do that, they can sit and watch as the Democrats and maybe a few wary Republicans like Johnson have the audacity to move the goal posts again. I'd give the chances of that happening even money. That's right. Here's what they'll say: How can the Republicans further cut taxes without facing a major backlash from conservative deficit hawks and non-partisan fiscal watchdogs? Won't more tax cuts reduce revenues more and add to the already scandalous $1.7 trillion the CBO estimates the Republican tax reform will add to the debt?Can we get real please? All this hand-wringing and crying about reduced tax revenue is really beside the point. Revenue is not the problem. Even if record amounts of it came pouring into the Treasury say, right now, government spending would not be able to balance the books anyway. How do we know this? Because it just keeps happening. It happened again last month as the federal government took in a record, as in record high, $235.3 billion in tax revenue. But it still ran a deficit for October of $63 billion. Have a nice day.With record inflows still not stemming the tide of irresponsible spending, worrying about revenue is like worrying about whether an alcoholic is getting enough booze.When members of Congress from either party focus on revenues without promising major spending cuts and reforms it's just a distraction technique. The problem is spending and out of control liabilities Washington refuses to reform like Social Security and Medicare. The government needs to learn some fiscal restraint.Good luck with that.With that in mind, let's get back to the current realities facing the Republicans and this tax bill. They can keep pretending that the tax reform battle is about revenue balance sheets and deficits or they can start to realize they must do a better job of convincing the public to get behind the idea. Speaking of the public, the latest polls show they basically hate the GOP tax reform plan. When the voters are telling the pollsters they don't believe or like the tax cuts Washington is promising them, it's time to make a different and more believable promise. The Republicans almost got there with the doubling of the standard deduction that the overwhelming majority of tax filers would enjoy. But then they messed much of that up by eliminating many other deductions that benefit a lot of those same non-itemizing tax filers. The simple fix for that is to keep that plan to double the standard deduction and stop messing with everything else. But doing that, along with allowing smaller businesses to get in on that 20 percent corporate rate still won't be enough if people like President Trump, Speaker Paul Ryan, and other Republicans don't do a better job of selling the plan to the public. To do that, they'll have to make those middle class tax cuts the first and last thing they talk about in every interview, rally speech, and tweet. Otherwise, the Democrats, the news media, and plenty of Republicans will still see it as a giveaway to the rich.Both parties have an ugly not-so-secret secret that they do not really do very much for the middle class. But when they stop even pretending to put the middle class first, they really fall flat on their faces. Every other concern the GOP tax reformers have about the fate of their bill pales in comparison to losing the argument about middle class tax cuts. Senator Johnson is doing them a favor really in pointing this out. They ignore him, and the polls, at their great peril.Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter@jakejakeny. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. One of the key Democratic Party complaints about the GOP tax reform plan has been the argument that it doesn't do enough for small businesses and the middle class. And now we have a potential game-changer with Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson essentially joining in the same chorus and vowing he won't vote for the bill in its current form. Johnson's main objection is the fact that the Republican tax reform bills in both the House and Senate do not cut tax rates as generously for smaller businesses that are taxed at so-called "pass-through" rates. To be specific, the current GOP tax reform bills in both houses of Congress slash the corporate rate from 35 to 20 percent. But sole proprietors, partnerships, and S-corporations currently taxed at individual income-tax rates as high as 39.6 percent, would only see a reduction to 25 percent in the House bill and an even smaller reduction in the current Senate version. A report surfaced Wednesday that the Senate GOP will make further changes to the "pass-through" tax cuts , but Johnson is clearly not happy with the process so far. Johnson is trying his best not to appear to be a spoilsport about this. Appearing on CNBC's Squawk Box Thursday morning , he talked repeatedly about how he wants to fix the problem to get a bill passed. He even said that President Donald Trump promised him to address the issue, quoting the president as saying "I will work my tail off over the weekend to fix this problem." But nobody really needs to work anyone's tail off here. The best move for the White House and the congressional GOP is to simply call the Democrats' and Johnson's bluff and just cut the rate on pass-throughs to 20 percent, and find one or two more places to cut individual middle class taxes too. And when they do that, they can sit and watch as the Democrats and maybe a few wary Republicans like Johnson have the audacity to move the goal posts again. I'd give the chances of that happening even money. That's right. Here's what they'll say: How can the Republicans further cut taxes without facing a major backlash from conservative deficit hawks and non-partisan fiscal watchdogs? Won't more tax cuts reduce revenues more and add to the already scandalous $1.7 trillion the CBO estimates the Republican tax reform will add to the debt? Can we get real please? All this hand-wringing and crying about reduced tax revenue is really beside the point. Revenue is not the problem. Even if record amounts of it came pouring into the Treasury say, right now, government spending would not be able to balance the books anyway. How do we know this? Because it just keeps happening. It happened again last month as the federal government took in a record, as in record high, $235.3 billion in tax revenue. But it still ran a deficit for October of $63 billion. Have a nice day. With record inflows still not stemming the tide of irresponsible spending, worrying about revenue is like worrying about whether an alcoholic is getting enough booze. When members of Congress from either party focus on revenues without promising major spending cuts and reforms it's just a distraction technique. The problem is spending and out of control liabilities Washington refuses to reform like Social Security and Medicare. The government needs to learn some fiscal restraint. Good luck with that. With that in mind, let's get back to the current realities facing the Republicans and this tax bill. They can keep pretending that the tax reform battle is about revenue balance sheets and deficits or they can start to realize they must do a better job of convincing the public to get behind the idea. Speaking of the public, the latest polls show they basically hate the GOP tax reform plan. When the voters are telling the pollsters they don't believe or like the tax cuts Washington is promising them, it's time to make a different and more believable promise. The Republicans almost got there with the doubling of the standard deduction that the overwhelming majority of tax filers would enjoy. But then they messed much of that up by eliminating many other deductions that benefit a lot of those same non-itemizing tax filers. The simple fix for that is to keep that plan to double the standard deduction and stop messing with everything else. But doing that, along with allowing smaller businesses to get in on that 20 percent corporate rate still won't be enough if people like President Trump, Speaker Paul Ryan, and other Republicans don't do a better job of selling the plan to the public. To do that, they'll have to make those middle class tax cuts the first and last thing they talk about in every interview, rally speech, and tweet. Otherwise, the Democrats, the news media, and plenty of Republicans will still see it as a giveaway to the rich. Both parties have an ugly not-so-secret secret that they do not really do very much for the middle class. But when they stop even pretending to put the middle class first, they really fall flat on their faces. Every other concern the GOP tax reformers have about the fate of their bill pales in comparison to losing the argument about middle class tax cuts. Senator Johnson is doing them a favor really in pointing this out. They ignore him, and the polls, at their great peril. Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny . For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.



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The House Republican tax plan includes a $1.5 trillion corporate tax cut and a giant tax hike on graduate students. Tamar Oostrom, who is currently earning her Ph.D. in economics at MIT, has been crunching the numbers to determine how the current House Republican bill would affect the taxes paid by graduate students. "This bill would increase our tax by 300 or 400 percent. I think it's absolutely crazy," she tells NPR . "The past week this is what I've been talking about with other graduate students, with classmates. I think we're all shocked." Grad students like Oostrom often afford advanced degrees by earning a tuition waiver. In these instances, graduate students will work for the university by teaching classes and/or conducting research in exchange for free tuition. According to the American Council on Education , roughly 145,000 graduate students receive this kind of tuition reduction. Some programs provide graduate students with a modest stipend for food and housing. For instance, Ryan Hill, a fourth-year Ph.D. student at MIT, receives a $30,000 living stipend and a tuition waiver allowing him to forego paying $50,000 in tuition. He currently pays taxes on his $30,000 stipend, but under the proposed House tax bill, his tuition waiver would also be taxed  meaning he would be taxed as if he was earning $80,000 a year. "I wish we didn't have to stress about money as much as we already do," Hill tells NPR . "It's been already very hard to just emotionally get through this time of life because we have to be so frugal." Hill, a former Republican and current Independent, says that he and his wife are saving money by eliminating their dental insurance and sewing clothes for their newborn baby. Amanda Coston, a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon tells Wired reporter Robbie Gonzalez that her taxes would increase by almost 400 percent. Coston conducts research and teaches for the university in exchange for a $32,400 stipend and attends classes thanks to a tuition waiver worth $43,000. Under the proposed tax plan, her taxable income would increase from $32,400 to $76,234. "It was just such a shock," she tells Gonzalez . "It really changes the calculus on my finances. This suddenly makes a lot of things like rent, car payments, groceries, all that stuff, no longer affordable." The Harvard Crimson reports that graduate students at Harvard would also see their taxes increase by 400 percent. "Taxes for Harvard graduate students could increase almost four-fold under a Republican tax plan presented in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month," write Caroline Engelmayer and Phelan Yu . Samantha Hernandez, legislative director of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students says that this kind of tax increase would make it financially impossible to earn a Ph.D. in the United States . "I monitor all legislation at the state and federal levels that could affect graduate and professional students, and this is just  this would have the greatest negative impact of anything I've seen," she explains to Wired . "It would be devastating." Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on FacebookDon't miss:Harvard Business School professor: Half of American colleges will be bankrupt in 10 to 15 yearsHow to build your perfect college list, according to a Stanford-educated admissions expertThe 3 biggest myths about paying for college, from a CEO who went to Harvard for free The House Republican tax plan includes a $1.5 trillion corporate tax cut and a giant tax hike on graduate students. Tamar Oostrom, who is currently earning her Ph.D. in economics at MIT, has been crunching the numbers to determine how the current House Republican bill would affect the taxes paid by graduate students. "This bill would increase our tax by 300 or 400 percent. I think it's absolutely crazy," she tells NPR . "The past week this is what I've been talking about with other graduate students, with classmates. I think we're all shocked." Grad students like Oostrom often afford advanced degrees by earning a tuition waiver. In these instances, graduate students will work for the university by teaching classes and/or conducting research in exchange for free tuition. According to the American Council on Education , roughly 145,000 graduate students receive this kind of tuition reduction. Some programs provide graduate students with a modest stipend for food and housing. For instance, Ryan Hill, a fourth-year Ph.D. student at MIT, receives a $30,000 living stipend and a tuition waiver allowing him to forego paying $50,000 in tuition. He currently pays taxes on his $30,000 stipend, but under the proposed House tax bill, his tuition waiver would also be taxed  meaning he would be taxed as if he was earning $80,000 a year. "I wish we didn't have to stress about money as much as we already do," Hill tells NPR . "It's been already very hard to just emotionally get through this time of life because we have to be so frugal." Hill, a former Republican and current Independent, says that he and his wife are saving money by eliminating their dental insurance and sewing clothes for their newborn baby. Amanda Coston, a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon tells Wired reporter Robbie Gonzalez that her taxes would increase by almost 400 percent. Coston conducts research and teaches for the university in exchange for a $32,400 stipend and attends classes thanks to a tuition waiver worth $43,000. Under the proposed tax plan, her taxable income would increase from $32,400 to $76,234. "It was just such a shock," she tells Gonzalez . "It really changes the calculus on my finances. This suddenly makes a lot of things like rent, car payments, groceries, all that stuff, no longer affordable." The Harvard Crimson reports that graduate students at Harvard would also see their taxes increase by 400 percent. "Taxes for Harvard graduate students could increase almost four-fold under a Republican tax plan presented in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month," write Caroline Engelmayer and Phelan Yu . Samantha Hernandez, legislative director of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students says that this kind of tax increase would make it financially impossible to earn a Ph.D. in the United States . "I monitor all legislation at the state and federal levels that could affect graduate and professional students, and this is just  this would have the greatest negative impact of anything I've seen," she explains to Wired . "It would be devastating." Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook Don't miss: Harvard Business School professor: Half of American colleges will be bankrupt in 10 to 15 years How to build your perfect college list, according to a Stanford-educated admissions expert The 3 biggest myths about paying for college, from a CEO who went to Harvard for free



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A defence ministry proposal has suggested that the DRDO develop very short-range air defence systems under Make in India even as the Army looks at foreign vendors for a similar missile system.

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: Even as the army evaluates the missile systems of global vendors for a deal expected to be worth over Rs 12,000 crore, the defence ministry is moving towards indigenous development of similar very short-range air defence systems to promote Make in India.

A discussion took place at a high-level meeting in the defence ministry by top government and military officials where it was proposed that the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) should go ahead to develop the Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORAD) in the country itself, defence sources told Mail Today.

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The development is taking place at a time when foreign vendors from three countries - Russia, France and Sweden - have fielded their systems for procurement by the Army to replace their vintage IGLA shoulder-fired air defence systems.

The plan to develop the missile system which can strike targets at ranges of six to seven kms indigenously is being considered as the NDA government has come up with a missile policy which states that the country should become self-reliant in fields of missile by the year 2022, the sources said.

In recent times, the NDA government has moved very fast in favour of indigenous missile systems over the ones to be procured from foreign vendors as it decided to go in for home grown Akash air defence missiles over the ones developed by foreign vendors which were being tried by the army.

The government is also thinking of doing away with the plans to build a single-engine fighter aircraft programme in favour of the light combat aircraft Tejas which is still in the evolution stage in terms of technology and capabilities.

The ongoing global tender for the VSHORADS is also moving very slowly as after over five years in trials and re-trials, the defence ministry has reached the general staff evaluation stage and formed a technical oversight committee to look into the procedures followed by the tender procedure.

Under VSHORAD tender, Indian Army and Indian Navy plan to procure 5,175 missiles and 1,276 single and multi-launchers worth over Rs 15,000 crore with the transfer of technology to Indian defence sector partner for local manufacturing in the country.

Sources in the army said even though every contender has been given opportunity to make themselves compliant with the requirements of the tender as some of them were non-compliant in some fields.

The army has been giving chances to the vendors as it does not want to come to a single vendor situation as the defence ministry is strictly against single-vendor cases as they create a monopoly situation.

--- ENDS ---

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WASHINGTON  After months of internal squabbling and doubts, House Republicans passed their tax proposal on Thursday, a major step forward for a House GOP that has thus far been unable to deliver on any major piece of President Donald Trumps agenda.

The House passed the bill 227-205, with 13 Republicans joining every Democrat in opposing the measure, which would lower individual tax brackets, dramatically cut the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, and nearly double the standard deduction while eliminating a slew of smaller write-offs.

But even as Republicans celebrated the passage of their tax plan, the public perception of the bill is less than stellar. According to the most recent polling, only 30 percent of Americans support the GOP tax plan, with 40 percent opposing the bill and another 30 percent unsure. Most Americans believe they wont see a tax cut from the GOP tax plan. In fact, only about 25 percent of Republicans believe they will pay less as a result of the measure, while 47 percent of Americans believe Trump will pay less.

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) led Republicans in passing their tax plan Thursday. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump came to the Capitol on Thursday to rally Republicans and implore them to vote yes (and, apparently, give a maundering speech about his trip to Asia). But his whip efforts, late and unnecessary, didnt seem to do much to move members. The same Republicans who have appeared doubtful from the beginning over concerns about eliminating the state and local tax deduction  mostly Republicans from high-tax states such as New Jersey and New York  ended up voting against the bill.

After a small mutiny in the House as leadership was releasing the bill in October, Republicans did adjust the legislation to allow filers to write off the first $10,000 of their property taxes. But for the Republicans who voted no, even that adjustment might still result in a significant number of their constituents facing a tax increase.

Of the 13 Republicans who voted no, five come from New York, four come from New Jersey, three from California, and one, Rep. Walter Jones Jr., comes from North Carolina. (Jones was concerned about adding to the debt.)

Story continues

The other Republicans who voted no are: Reps. Dan Donovan (N.Y.), John Faso (N.Y.), Darrell Issa (Calif.), Peter King (N.Y.), Leonard Lance (N.J.), Frank LoBiondo (N.J.), Tom McClintock (Calif.), Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.), Chris Smith (N.J.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Lee Zeldin (N.Y.) and Rodney Frelinghuysen (N.J.), who chairs the Appropriations Committee.

California Republicans, many of whom serve highly taxed areas, mostly got onboard with the GOP tax plan, a trend that has played out repeatedly on two other budget votes setting up the reconciliation bill. (Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process to pass the tax bill so they can sidestep the 60-vote threshold in the Senate and pass the legislation with a simple majority.)

The Senate is still a significant hurdle for Republicans. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has come out against the Senate version of the bill, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) also seems unlikely to vote for the bill if, as expected, it includes a repeal of the individual mandate for Obamacare. The GOP can currently afford to lose only two Republicans on their measure, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking a tie to push the bill over the finish line, but there are a number of other Republicans who have concerns about the bill, particularly a somewhat restrictive 25 percent pass-through rate for S corporations and the mandate repeal.

The Senate math is also complicated by an Alabama Senate special election. Democrat Doug Jones is polling ahead of Republican Roy Moore after numerous allegations have come out that Moore dated  as well as sexually assaulted  teenage girls when he was in his 30s. A Jones victory would mean Republicans could lose only one vote and still pass the bill.

The Senate is aiming to pass the bill before the Dec. 12 special election, with the intention of making the Alabama race meaningless for tax reform, but  the Senate being the Senate  delays are more than possible.

On the House side, GOP lawmakers seem to have gone along with this tax bill despite some reservations because they feel the need to have something to point to next year when it comes time for re-election. Conservatives were concerned about debt, as the bill would allow Republicans to increase debt by $1.5 trillion over 10 years in the name of tax cuts.

Republicans from those highly taxed blue states were concerned some of their constituents would face tax increases, or at least not as big of a tax cut as voters in other states. And a number of other Republicans had individual concerns with a such an expansive tax code rewrite that has drawn major opposition from home builders, real estate agents and small businesses.

But conservatives ultimately sided with arguments that tax cuts dont need to be paid for. Leadership was able to split the votes from Republicans adversely affected by the state and local deduction changes. And other Republicans with more specific concerns fell in line.

Democrats criticized their GOP colleagues for selling this tax plan as a middle-class tax cut when 47 percent of the tax benefits, according to a study by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, would go to the richest 1 percent.

On the House floor, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the argument of trickle-down economics BS. Republicans groaned.

The passage of the House bill is a significant moment in the tenure of Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). The former Ways and Means chairman has long sought to rewrite the tax code  he claimed on Thursday that this is a generational defining moment  and Ryan portrayed the GOPs tax bill as a necessary step to ignite the economy.

Its about tax relief. Its about fairness. Its about simplicity. Its about easing the stress and anxiety in this country, Ryan said.

Arthur Delaney contributed to this report. This post has been updated with additional details on the vote and quotes from Ryan.

Also on HuffPost

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Taking Security Seriously

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) before the start of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing concerning the roles and responsibilities for defending the nation against cyberattacks, on Oct. 19, 2017.

With Liberty And Justice...

Members of Code Pink for Peace protest before the start of a hearing where U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 18, 2017. Committee members questioned Sessions about conversations he had with President Donald Trump about the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, the ongoing investigation about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other subjects.

Whispers

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, speaks with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) before a confirmation hearing for Christopher Sharpley, nominee for inspector general of the CIA, on Oct. 17, 2017.

Not Throwing Away His Shot

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical "Hamilton," makes his way to a meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in the Rayburn Office Building during a round of meetings to urge federal funding for the arts and humanities on Sept. 13, 2017.

Medicare For All

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), center, speaks on health care as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), left, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), right, listen during an event to introduce the Medicare for All Act on Sept. 13, 2017.

Bernie Bros

Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pack his office on Sept. 8, 2017. Members of the "Draft Bernie for a People's Party" campaign delivered a petition with more than 50,000 signatures to urge the senator to start and lead a new political party.

McCain Appearance

Sen. John McCain, second from left, leaves the Capitol after his first appearance since being diagnosed with cancer. He arrived to cast a vote to help Republican senators narrowly pass the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

A Narrow Win

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, center, speaks alongside Sens. John Barrasso, left, John Cornyn, right, and John Thune, rear, after the Senate narrowly passed the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

Kushner Questioning

Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, arrives at the Capitol on July 25, 2017. Kushner was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in a closed-door meeting about contacts he had with Russia.

Hot Dogs On The Hill

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) prepares a hot dog during the American Meat Institute's annual Hot Dog Lunch in the Rayburn Office Building courtyard on July 19, 2017.

And Their Veggie Counterparts

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) visits the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals veggie dog giveaway on July 19, 2017, countering a National Hot Dog Day event being held elsewhere on Capitol Hill.

Poised For Questions

Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, waits for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican on July 18, 2017.

Speaking Up

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 17, 2017.

In The Fray

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks to members of the media after announcing the revised version of the Senate Republican health care bill on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2017.

Anticipation

Christopher Wray is seated with his daughter Caroline, left, as he prepares to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be the next FBI director on July 12, 2017.

Up In Arms

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 10, 2017.

Across A Table

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Capitol Hill on June 29, 2017.

Somber Day

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks about the recent attack on the Republican congressional baseball team during her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on June 15, 2017.

Family Matters

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, and his sons, Jack, 10, and Brad, arrive in the basement of the Capitol after a shooting at the Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017.

A Bipartisan Pause

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, coach of the Republican congressional baseball team, tells the story of the shooting that occurred during a baseball practice while he stands alongside Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), left, a coach of the Democratic congressional baseball team on June 14, 2017.

Hats On

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) reacts about the shooting he was present for at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, as he speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 14, 2017.

Public Testimony

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn in to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017.

Comey's Big Day

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill on June 8, 2017.

Conveying His Point

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his interactions with the Trump White House and on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on June 7, 2017.

Selfie Time

Vice President Mike Pence takes a selfie with a tourist wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda on June 6, 2017. The vice president walked through the rotunda after attending the Senate Republican policy luncheon.

Budget Queries

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney testifies before the House Budget Committee about President Donald Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017.

Flagged Down By Reporters

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, leaves a closed committee meeting on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017. The committee is investigating possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Shock And Awe

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hold a news conference on the release of the president's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2017.

Seeing Double

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) arrives in the Capitol for the Senate Democrats' policy lunch on May 16, 2017.

Honoring Officers

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the Capitol on May 15, 2017.

Whispers

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, and ranking member Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) talk during a hearing with the heads of the U.S. intelligence agencies in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2017.

Skeptical

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2017.

Differing Opinions

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) gives a thumbs-up to protesters on the East Front of the Capitol after the House passed the Republicans' bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on May 4, 2017. The protesters support the ACA.

Real Talk

United States Naval Academy Midshipman 2nd Class Shiela Craine (left), a sexual assault survivor, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel with (2nd from left to right) Ariana Bullard, Stephanie Gross and Annie Kendzior in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 2, 2017. Kendzior, a former midshipman, and Gross, a former cadet, were both raped twice during their time at the military academies. The academy superintendents were called to testify following the release of a survey last month by the Pentagon that said 12.2 percent of academy women and 1.7 percent of academy men reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact during the 2015-16 academic year.

In Support Of Immigrants

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), center, is joined by dozens of Democratic members of the House of Representatives to mark "Immigrant Rights Day" in the Capitol Visitor Center on May 1, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The Democratic legislators called on Republicans and President Donald Trump to join their push for comprehensive immigration reform.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
After the failure of healthcare reform, Republicans in Washington have turned to tax reform as their next major effort.

The House of Representatives recently passed its version of a tax-reform bill, but the version that's currently making its way through the Senate looks rather different. Before any tax reform proposal can be signed into law, both chambers must pass identical bills.

With that in mind, here's a rundown of the most important similarities and differences between the two versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Black notebook on a desk with tax reform in yellow letters on the cover.

Image Source: Getty Images.

Individual tax brackets and standard deductions

For individuals, one of the most important differences between the two bills is how the marginal tax brackets for individuals would be structured.

The House's version of the bill would reduce the number of brackets to four, keeping with the GOP's promise to simplify the tax code, with rates of 10%, 25%, 35%, and 39.6%. On the other hand, the Senate would keep the seven-bracket structure, but with lower rates. Currently, we have marginal tax rates of 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, 35%, and 39.6%, and the latest version of the Senate's plan would lower these to 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 38.5%. The Senate's bill makes its individual tax cuts temporary, while the House's plan makes them permanent.

In addition, both bills would get rid of personal exemptions, but would roughly double the standard deduction.

Tax Filing Status Current 2018 law House bill Senate bill Single $6,500 $12,200 $12,000 Head of household $9,550 $18,300 $18,000 Married filing jointly $13,000 $24,400 $24,000

Data Source: Tax Foundation.

Corporate taxes: A few key differences

For starters, both versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would lower the top corporate tax rate from 35% to 20%. The key difference is that the cut would go into effect in 2018 under the House's plan, while the Senate would delay the cut until 2019.

Story continues

Businesses would also be able to repatriate cash held overseas at a special 14% rate under the House bill, while the Senate would allow a lower 10% rate.

Another key difference is what the bills do for pass-through income, which is income earned through a LLC, S-Corp, or partnership. The House bill lowers the top pass-through income tax rate from 39.6% to 25% for small businesses. The bill also has a 9% rate on the first $75,000 in income for business owners making $150,000, which will phase in over five years. The Senate's latest proposal would take a somewhat different approach and allow a 17.4% deduction of business income for certain industries.

Tax deductions and credits for individuals

Let's start with the largest tax deduction of all, under current law. The state and local tax deduction, also known as the SALT deduction, is a big deal to Americans who live in high-tax states, such as California, New York, and New Jersey. The Senate bill eliminates this deduction completely, while the House allows for a deduction for property taxes only, up to $10,000.

Some major deductions would be preserved under both bills. Specifically, both preserve the mortgage interest deduction, but the House bill caps it at up to $500,000 of principal (current law is a $1 million maximum.) They also both keep the deduction for charitable contributions, as well as the adoption tax credit, which originally was not included in the House bill, but was part of the amended version that passed.

Furthermore, both versions of the bill would increase the tax credits available to families, but the Senate bill is significantly more generous in this respect. The House bill raises the current $1,000 child tax credit to $1,600 and introduces a new "Family Flexibility Credit" worth $300 per year for individuals and $600 for couples. On the other hand, the Senate bill calls for a $2,000 child tax credit and provides for a $500 credit for other qualifying dependents, and also dramatically increases the phase-out income limit for the credit.

The bills' effects on education tax breaks are a major difference. The Senate bill preserves most education tax benefits, while the House bill makes significant changes to some potentially valuable education tax breaks. Just to name a few:

The House bill would repeal the deduction for student loan interest.

The Lifetime Learning Credit would be repealed, as would the tuition and fees deduction, but the American Opportunity Credit would become available for five years (currently four).

Coverdell ESAs would be unavailable for new contributions after 2017.

Finally, the Senate's bill preserves a few more key deductions that the House's version would get rid of, including the deduction for student loan interest, as well as the medical expense deduction.

Two major tax breaks for the wealthy

Both versions of the bill would immediately double the lifetime exemption for the estate tax to about $11 million for individuals and $22 million for couples. The key difference is that under the House bill, the estate tax goes away completely in 2024, while the Senate keeps the tax, just with the higher exemption amounts.

Furthermore, both bills would repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax, or AMT, which ensures that high-earners pay a minimum amount of tax, even if they have massive amounts of deductions.

The Senate bill revisits part of the Affordable Care Act debate

Finally, it's important to mention one provision that was recently added into the Senate's version of the bill. The latest version would reduce the penalty for not having qualifying health insurance, known as the individual mandate, to $0. The House's version does not make changes to any healthcare-related tax provisions.

What will tax reform actually look like?

I mentioned in the introduction that in order for tax reform to become law, the House and Senate will need to pass identical bills. And as you can see, while most of the main ideas are the same, the execution is far from identical at this point.

For this reason, assuming that the Senate's version passes, there will likely be lots of compromise between GOP leaders in the House and Senate to try and iron out the differences between the two. The bottom line is that the eventual tax reform bill that is passed (if any) is likely to be significantly different than either of the two versions we've seen so far.

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RLI Corp. (RLI) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues.

Investors in Nordic American Tankers Limited NAT need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Jan 19, 2018 $17 Put had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.

What is Implied Volatility?

Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy.

What do the Analysts Think?

Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Nordic American Tankers shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Nordic American Tankers is a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) in the Transportation - Shipping industry that ranks in the Bottom 14% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 30 days, one analyst has increased the earnings estimates for the current quarter, while two have dropped their estimates. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from a loss of 5 cents per share to a loss of 6 cents in that period.

Given the way analysts feel about Nordic American Tankers right now, this huge implied volatility could mean theres a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected.

Looking to Trade Options?

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DUBAI (Reuters) - The Israeli army's chief of staff told an Arabic language online newspaper that Israel was ready to share "intelligence information" with Saudi Arabia, saying their countries had a common interest in standing up to Iran. Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot told the privately Saudi-owned Elaph in what it said was his first interview with an Arabic newspaper that Israel had no plans to attack Lebanon's Hezbollah group. Saudi Arabia has ratcheted up pressure on arch-foe Iran, accusing Tehran of trying to expand its influence in Arab countries, often through proxies including the Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group. Increased tension between Tehran and Riyadh has fueled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to working together against what they see as a common Iranian threat. Saudi Arabia maintains that any relations with Israel hinge on Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. Asked if Israel had shared any information with Saudi Arabia, Eizenkot said: "We are ready to share information if necessary. There are many shared interests between us." He said U.S. President Donald Trump's election on a platform that calls for increasing pressure on Iran has provided an opportunity for new alliances in the Middle East. Both Saudi Arabia and Israel view Iran as a main threat to the Middle East. "A major and general strategic plan must be prepared to stop the Iranian danger, and we are ready to exchange expertise with moderate Arab states and exchange intelligence information to face Iran," he said, according to Elaph, which said the interview was conducted at Eizenkot's office in Tel Aviv by an Israeli Arab journalist. Earlier this month, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri announced his resignation in a surprise move that had plunged Lebanon into a new political crisis. Hariri's resignation thrust Lebanon into the front line of a regional struggle between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran that has also buffeted Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain. It also raised speculation about possible military action against Lebanon by Israel, which sees Hezbollah as a strategic threat. Responding to a question on speculation that Israel may launch a military operation against Hezbollah, Eizenkot said: "We do not have any intention initiating any offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon and reaching a (state of) war. But we will not accept a strategic threat against Israel." (Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
wall street trader sad

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Welcome to Finance Insider, Business Insider's summary of the top stories of the past 24 hours. Sign up here to get the best of Business Insider delivered direct to your inbox.

It's not looking good for Wall Street traders.

According to an annual survey by Wall Street recruiting firm Options Group, total compensation for fixed income and equities professionals in the US will be down 7% from last year, on average. You can read more about the report here.

In related news, a color-coded chart shows which finance jobs are in demand  and where Wall Street is headed. And Citigroup hired a former Goldman Sachs banker to cover a booming Wall Street business.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, America's investing giants have a major problem with the GOP tax plan. And Gary Cohn had an awkward moment when CEOs appeared to shoot down one of the biggest arguments for the GOP tax plan.

And Richard Cordray, who has helmed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since 2012, announced he would step down as the director of the consumer watchdog at the end of the month.

In macro news, the Fed is starting to pay closer attention to the other America. The retail apocalypse is killing jobs, and it's left "the economy vulnerable to an adverse shock." And President Trump is reportedly considering Allianz' Mohamed El-Erian for a post at the Fed.

In crypto news, a Chicago trading firm is setting up shop in Singapore to dominate the bitcoin market in Asia. The chairman of Interactive Brokers warned that bitcoin futures could "destabilize the real economy." And a Sequoia Capital partner told us why he's not scared of blockchain startups.

And elsewhere in fintech, Betterment, the investing startup with $11 billion in assets, is rolling out a new service to make charitable giving easier.

In markets news:

Story continues

Lastly, these are the most extravagant hotel amenities money can buy.

NOW WATCH: We just got a super smart and simple explanation of what a bitcoin fork actually is

See Also:
Puja (19) died after she was unable to gain access to medical treatment at any of the local private hospitals in the last three days.

By India Today Web Desk: The ongoing strike by private doctors across Karnataka claimed a life in Puttur Taluk of Dakshina Kannada district early on Friday.

Nineteen-year-old Puja died after she was unable to gain access to medical treatment at any of the local private hospitals in the last three days.

Puja, a B com student, had been suffering from a chronic kidney ailment and her health had deteriorated on Friday. Most out-patient departments(OPDs) in Mangalore city were open on Friday.

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The incident comes at a time when the Karnataka High Court on Thursday observed that the doctors should call off the strike and head back to work to fulfil their duty towards society.

Over 40,000 private doctors across the state have been on strike since November 13.

However, on Friday there was some relief for patients as OPDs in private hospitals in Bengaluru began functioning after the High Court's observation.

--- ENDS ---
State-owned oil company PDVSA was once the crown jewel of Venezuela's now imploding economy (AFP Photo/Federico PARRA)

Caracas (AFP) - A pillar of Venezuela's economy, PDVSA was in its heyday one of the five top oil companies on the planet.

The state-owned enterprise has now failed to make interest payments on some of its debt, meaning it's entered "selective default," just like the government.

The fate of the company, founded in 1976, is closely tied to that of Venezuela, which is dependent on oil and sales of its heavy crude for some 96 percent of its export earnings.

Its bonds represent 30 percent of Venezuela's external debt -- estimated at around $150 billion -- which the government is seeking to renegotiate.

President Nicolas Maduro owes the difficulties to a fall in oil prices -- which have halved since 2014 -- and US government sanctions, which prohibit any US person or bank from buying the country's debt.

But many economists, like Cesar Aristimuno, blame a drop in production, which is at its lowest level since the 1990s, excluding a strike observed between December 2002 and February 2003.

Currently Venezuela produces 1.9 million barrels per day, compared with 2.3 million barrels in 2016.

Before the late President Hugo Chavez came into power in 1999, that figure stood at 3.1 million barrels per day.

Revenues mirrored the decline, from $122 billion in 2014 to $72 billion in 2015 -- to $48 billion in 2016.

It's a stark contrast from a decade prior, when the industry newsletter Petroleum Intelligence Weekly ranked PDVSA as one of the world's leading companies, with even more power than giants Shell or Chevron.

So why such a tumble?

Experts point fingers at a lack of investment and exploration and inadequate maintenance of oil installations.

"PDVSA is virtually the only source of foreign exchange in the Venezuelan economy, and the government has spent everything without looking at oil investments," said Risa Grais-Targow, the Eurasia research group's Latin America director.

- 'PDVSA is ruined' -

Story continues

The group's windfall was primarily used to finance huge public spending and a budget deficit of around 20 percent of its GDP.

"PDVSA is ruined. Why? Because it has become a bank," said Jose Gonzales, director of the consulting firm GCG Advisors.

Beginning in 2005, the enterprise has fed a government fund to the tune of some $130 billion, according to economist Orlando Ochoa.

To build up the fund the budget was prepared using an oil base price lower than in reality, Ochoa told AFP.

According to oil services company Baker Hughes, Venezuela has only 39 active wells, compared with 83 in October 2013. This threatens the "ability to improve production," said expert Jesus Casique.

Prices have been rising in recent months and Venezuelan crude now exceeds $55 per barrel -- the highest level since 2015, even though it is far from its average price in 2014 of $88.42.

But PDVSA has lost efficiency: the group has seen its workforce explode from 40,000 to 150,000 employees in 18 years, and producing a barrel rings up at $40, Gonzales said.

Corruption is another scourge, with a court probe underway over 10 contracts worth $35 billion that were over-billed upwards of 230 percent, for example.

PDVSA is also at the heart of Venezuela's geopolitical alliances: 36 percent of its production is used to repay loans to China and Russia, as well as sending crude oil to Cuba and the Caribbean under cooperation agreements, according to Aristimuno.

Only a small portion of the fuel feeds into the domestic market, where gas prices are the lowest in the world -- a kilogram of meat costs as much as 75,000 liters (19,812 gallons) of gasoline.

That's why, Aristimuno says, the country depends more than ever on the 750,000 barrels a day the US is buying -- just as Washington increases pressure on the Maduro government.
The EC (European Commission), the regulatory authority of the European Union, recently announced that its decision on the proposed merger between Qualcomm Inc. QCOM and NXP Semiconductors NV NXPI may come in 2018.

On Oct 27, 2016, Qualcomm had entered into a definitive agreement with the Netherlands-based mobile chipset giant for the latters acquisition. Per the deal, Qualcomm would be paying $110 per NXP share in cash, reflecting an enterprise value of approximately $47 billion (equity value of $39 billion) for NXP.

In June 2017, the EC launched a thorough investigation into the proposed acquisition. The EC will conduct an in-depth probe to assess if the deal leads to higher prices, exclusion of rival chipset suppliers and reduced innovation in the semiconductor industry. The merged entity is likely to command a strong market position with an extensive portfolio of baseband chipsets and chips for near-field communications.

Earlier, the EC had twice halted its review of the deal -- once in June and again in August. Initially, Qualcomm had anticipated that the buyout deal would be closed by the end of 2017. Notably, the proposed merger has already been approved by the U.S. antitrust authorities.

On Oct 5, 2017, the U.S. mobile chipset giant had submitted its new proposal to the EC. According to Reuters, Qualcomm has told regulators it will not acquire NXP's standard essential patents, which the Dutch company can sell to another buyer, the sources said. The company also agreed not to take legal action against third parties related to NXP's near field communication (NFC) patents except for defensive purposes. NXP co-invented NFC chips, which enable mobile phones to be used to pay for goods and store and exchange data.

Meanwhile, hedge fund Elliott Management Corp. and two other large shareholders of NXP have approached the company to renegotiate the terms of the deal, which they consider grossly undervalued. In August, Elliot Management had disclosed to having accumulated shares and derivatives amounting to a 6% stake in NXP Semiconductor. Majority of the companys shareholders are now reluctant to tender their shares at the rate specified by Qualcomm.

Story continues

NXP Semiconductors is the largest manufacturer of high-performance, mixed-signal mobile chipsets with 14% market share. The company has a strong clientele serving more than 25,000 customers through its direct sales channel and a global network of distribution channel partners. The combined entity is expected to generate annual revenues of more than $30 billion. Also, it is likely to position itself as a strong player in the next-generation mobile chipset segment with a potential market size of $138 billion by 2020.

Qualcomm expects the transaction to be significantly accretive to its non-GAAP EPS immediately upon completion. Further, the company expects to generate $500 million of annualized run-rate cost synergies within two years of the transactions closure.

The takeover will also push Qualcomm up the ranks to the second position after Intel Corp. INTC in terms of sales in the broader global semiconductor market. Moreover, the combined entity will emerge a formidable challenger to other large semiconductor firms like Broadcom Ltd. AVGO, which submitted a $135 billion (including debt) to acquire Qualcomm in Nov. 6, 2017.

Price Performance of Qualcomm

Qualcomms shares have gained 25.2%, outperforming the industrys growth of 8.5% over the past 30 days. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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The Senate and House tax bills may have differences, but it's highly likely Republicans will be able to come to an agreement and pass a final legislation, Sara Fagen, a former senior aide to President George W. Bush, told CNBC on Thursday.She pegged the odds of victory at 70 percent. "These tax bills, while certainly they have very different elements, are more aligned than they are opposed. And there is real sense  by Republicans that this has to get done. They need it for the country, and they need it politically for their own jobs," the former political director for Bush said in an interview with " Power Lunch ." The House passed its version of tax reform on Thursday and the Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote Friday on whether to advance its measure to the full chamber. There is little room for Republican defections in the Senate, where the party only holds a two-seat majority. On Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told CNBC he would not vote for the measure in its current form. He said he wants to fix it so that he can support it. Meanwhile, GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bob Corker of Tennessee and John McCain of Arizona have voiced concern. They have not said whether they would ultimately vote for the bill. "If you start seeing more people talk about defecting as Republicans it gets really hard to figure out how this gets put together in the Senate," Fagen said.However, she said the "psychology of winning" the vote on Thursday was very important.Fagen also said Senate leadership will work things out with Johnson because they can't afford to lose him.David Bahnsen, chief investment officer at HighTower Advisors Bahnsen Group, agrees. "Senator Johnson is not going to get everything he wants. But I think he's going to get enough to get him on board and probably improve the bill in the meantime," he said in an interview with " Closing Bell ." If the Senate passes its bill, the two chambers will have to craft a joint plan before Congress can pass final legislation.Terry Haines, senior political strategist at Evercore ISI, said the chances of tax reform's ultimate success is pretty high."There's going to be a little bit of horse-trading that goes on but fundamentally what this is about is holding onto structure of aggressive corporate tax cuts, the individual tax cuts  and keeping it within budgetary lines of this small static increase in deficit that's been agreed to by the House and the Senate," he told "Closing Bell." CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace and Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.WATCH: Bahnsen on tax reform: Senate will end up deciding what's in final bill The Senate and House tax bills may have differences, but it's highly likely Republicans will be able to come to an agreement and pass a final legislation, Sara Fagen, a former senior aide to President George W. Bush, told CNBC on Thursday. She pegged the odds of victory at 70 percent. "These tax bills, while certainly they have very different elements, are more aligned than they are opposed. And there is real sense  by Republicans that this has to get done. They need it for the country, and they need it politically for their own jobs," the former political director for Bush said in an interview with " Power Lunch ." The House passed its version of tax reform on Thursday and the Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote Friday on whether to advance its measure to the full chamber. There is little room for Republican defections in the Senate, where the party only holds a two-seat majority. On Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told CNBC he would not vote for the measure in its current form. He said he wants to fix it so that he can support it. Meanwhile, GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bob Corker of Tennessee and John McCain of Arizona have voiced concern. They have not said whether they would ultimately vote for the bill. "If you start seeing more people talk about defecting as Republicans it gets really hard to figure out how this gets put together in the Senate," Fagen said. However, she said the "psychology of winning" the vote on Thursday was very important. Fagen also said Senate leadership will work things out with Johnson because they can't afford to lose him. David Bahnsen, chief investment officer at HighTower Advisors Bahnsen Group, agrees. "Senator Johnson is not going to get everything he wants. But I think he's going to get enough to get him on board and probably improve the bill in the meantime," he said in an interview with " Closing Bell ." If the Senate passes its bill, the two chambers will have to craft a joint plan before Congress can pass final legislation. Terry Haines, senior political strategist at Evercore ISI, said the chances of tax reform's ultimate success is pretty high. "There's going to be a little bit of horse-trading that goes on but fundamentally what this is about is holding onto structure of aggressive corporate tax cuts, the individual tax cuts  and keeping it within budgetary lines of this small static increase in deficit that's been agreed to by the House and the Senate," he told "Closing Bell."  CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace and Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report. WATCH: Bahnsen on tax reform: Senate will end up deciding what's in final bill



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With a wave of sexual misconduct allegations hitting Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, Republicans in the upper chamber have largely withdrawn support for him and appear to be searching for a way to oust Moore if he is able to pull off a win in the December special election. Leadership is even threatening to expel him from the chamber by a two-thirds vote. A look at the paltry history of congressional expulsions suggests that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will have a real challenge if he is forced to go that route.Only fifteen senators have been formally expelled from the Senate, and of those 14 were Civil War era members who were tossed for supporting the Confederacy. The only other expelled Senator was William Blunt from Tennessee way back in 1797 for treason. Since the Civil War, the Senate has held three separate votes on expelling members  for charges ranging from being a Mormon in 1909 to speaking in opposition to America's entry in WWI to conflict of interest. In each case, the Senate voted against expelling the member.In lieu of expulsion, the Senate has managed to force members to resign when faced with serious ethical clouds or actual criminal convictions. McConnell himself was very active in the last two such efforts - Nevada Senator John Ensign (R) who resigned in 2011 following an investigation into conflict of interest charges during his cover-up of an affair, and Oregon Senator Bob Packwood (R), who resigned in 1995 before facing an expulsion vote for multiple sexual harassment charges.The House of Representatives has a similar record with expulsions. Only two have been expelled for non-Civil War related reasons. In 2002, Representative James Traficant (D) in 2002 was kicked out following convictions of racketeering and bribery and Rep. Michael Myers (D), who was convicted in the Abscam sting.This is not to say that an expulsion or forcing an official out is impossible. These days, with 24/7 news cycle shining its harsh light, members of Congress may find themselves very wary of the political fallout for letting a wayward official stay in office. The result may be that members of Congress are willing to exert much more pressure on misbehaving officials than in the past. In the House, we've seen bipartisan resignations a plenty from a cavalcade of politicians accused of sex-related hijinks over the last decade, including Tim Murphy (R-PA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Eric Massa (D-NY) and Christopher Lee (R-NY). A corruption conviction was the end of the line for Chaka Fattah (D-PA) and a cocaine conviction toppled Trey Radel (R-FL).Based on his political career, which includes two separate instances of being pushed out as Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice, and especially based on his refusal to back away from the current Senate race, Moore appears to be exactly the type of official who is immune from resignation pressure. For McConnell and the Republicans, an expulsion vote is no sure thing. There is a reason that there have been so few expulsion attempts  they are a real rejection of the right of the voters to choose their own representatives, especially one, like Moore, who the voters would know going in faced these specific complaints.There are also basic electoral questions for the GOP. Before the scandal, Moore had shown that he is popular with a significant subset of the Republican base. Voting to expel him could engender electoral backlash for Senators already facing potential primary challengers on the right. However, if Moore's support cratered enough due to the nature of the charges, conservative voters might forget about Moore and not hold it against GOP Senators who vote for expulsion. But, as with everything else, that is no sure bet this electoral cycle. Commentary by Joshua Spivak, a senior fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform at Wagner College in New York. He blogs at The Recall Elections Blog . Follow him on Twitter @recallelections . For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow@CNBCopinionon Twitter. With a wave of sexual misconduct allegations hitting Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, Republicans in the upper chamber have largely withdrawn support for him and appear to be searching for a way to oust Moore if he is able to pull off a win in the December special election. Leadership is even threatening to expel him from the chamber by a two-thirds vote. A look at the paltry history of congressional expulsions suggests that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will have a real challenge if he is forced to go that route. Only fifteen senators have been formally expelled from the Senate, and of those 14 were Civil War era members who were tossed for supporting the Confederacy. The only other expelled Senator was William Blunt from Tennessee way back in 1797 for treason. Since the Civil War, the Senate has held three separate votes on expelling members  for charges ranging from being a Mormon in 1909 to speaking in opposition to America's entry in WWI to conflict of interest. In each case, the Senate voted against expelling the member. In lieu of expulsion, the Senate has managed to force members to resign when faced with serious ethical clouds or actual criminal convictions. McConnell himself was very active in the last two such efforts - Nevada Senator John Ensign (R) who resigned in 2011 following an investigation into conflict of interest charges during his cover-up of an affair, and Oregon Senator Bob Packwood (R), who resigned in 1995 before facing an expulsion vote for multiple sexual harassment charges. The House of Representatives has a similar record with expulsions. Only two have been expelled for non-Civil War related reasons. In 2002, Representative James Traficant (D) in 2002 was kicked out following convictions of racketeering and bribery and Rep. Michael Myers (D), who was convicted in the Abscam sting. This is not to say that an expulsion or forcing an official out is impossible. These days, with 24/7 news cycle shining its harsh light, members of Congress may find themselves very wary of the political fallout for letting a wayward official stay in office. The result may be that members of Congress are willing to exert much more pressure on misbehaving officials than in the past. In the House, we've seen bipartisan resignations a plenty from a cavalcade of politicians accused of sex-related hijinks over the last decade, including Tim Murphy (R-PA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Eric Massa (D-NY) and Christopher Lee (R-NY). A corruption conviction was the end of the line for Chaka Fattah (D-PA) and a cocaine conviction toppled Trey Radel (R-FL). Based on his political career, which includes two separate instances of being pushed out as Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice, and especially based on his refusal to back away from the current Senate race, Moore appears to be exactly the type of official who is immune from resignation pressure. For McConnell and the Republicans, an expulsion vote is no sure thing. There is a reason that there have been so few expulsion attempts  they are a real rejection of the right of the voters to choose their own representatives, especially one, like Moore, who the voters would know going in faced these specific complaints. There are also basic electoral questions for the GOP. Before the scandal, Moore had shown that he is popular with a significant subset of the Republican base. Voting to expel him could engender electoral backlash for Senators already facing potential primary challengers on the right. However, if Moore's support cratered enough due to the nature of the charges, conservative voters might forget about Moore and not hold it against GOP Senators who vote for expulsion. But, as with everything else, that is no sure bet this electoral cycle. Commentary by Joshua Spivak, a senior fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform at Wagner College in New York. He blogs at The Recall Elections Blog . Follow him on Twitter @recallelections . For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.



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By Samia Nakhoul and Katie Paul BEIRUT/RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi authorities are striking agreements with some of those detained in an anti-corruption crackdown, asking them to hand over assets and cash in return for their freedom, sources familiar with the matter said. The deals involve separating cash from assets like property and shares, and looking at bank accounts to assess cash values, one of the sources told Reuters. Dozens of princes, senior officials and businessmen, including cabinet ministers and billionaires, have been detained in the graft inquiry at least partly aimed at strengthening the power of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. These include billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the kingdom's most prominent businessmen. One businessman had tens of millions of Saudi riyals withdrawn from his account after he signed. In another case, a former senior official consented to hand over ownership of four billion riyals worth of shares, the source said. The Saudi government earlier this week moved from freezing accounts to issuing instructions for "expropriation of unencumbered assets" or seizure of assets, said a second source familiar with the situation. There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government on the deals and the sources declined to be identified because these agreements are not public. Analysts said the deals may help end uncertainty about the anti-corruption crackdown but could have an impact on Saudi Arabia's risk perception among investors. "Eliminating uncertainty about what the Saudi authorities are going to do goes a long way toward giving the market comfort that the regime is getting its house in order, and plugging its deficit," said Louis Gargour, founder and senior portfolio manager at London-based hedge fund LNG Capital. Riyadh has been cutting spending while raising taxes and fees to curb a state budget deficit caused by low oil prices. The deficit, which hit $98 billion in 2015, is shrinking but at a high cost to the economy - data in late September showed Saudi Arabia in recession during the second quarter. The Saudi government has in recent years been pressing wealthy individuals to invest more in the kingdom and bring home some of their wealth from overseas. The United States is closely watching the situation in Saudi Arabia, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday. Asked about agreements to hand over wealth for detainees' freedom, Mnuchin told CNBC: "I think that the Crown Prince (Mohammed bin Salman) is doing a great job at transforming the country." DEPLETED COFFERS Gargour said: "From a civil liberties point of view obviously incarcerating people doesnt give us comfort, and thats why weve seen spreads on Saudi bonds go 50 basis points or so wider." Funds started selling Middle East bonds early this month after Saudi Arabia detained dozens of senior officials and businessmen in an unprecedented crackdown on graft. Credit spreads and the cost of insuring debt against default have increased not only for Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, but across the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Qatar, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi. "From a trading point of view you want to identify the private companies most impacted and short or sell them, and conversely public sector companies will benefit," said Gargour. The market value of the portfolio of Saudi equities held by the Public Investment Fund, the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, has gained, even as the arrest or questioning of more than 200 people in the inquiry caused stocks in many privately controlled firms to slump. Reuters could not immediately verify a Financial Times report that in some cases the government is seeking to appropriate as much as 70 percent of suspects' wealth to channel hundreds of billions of dollars into depleted state coffers. The Saudi authorities have help from international auditors, investigators and people with experience in tracing assets. Bank representatives are on hand to execute the decisions immediately, one of the sources said. Saudi authorities have said they have questioned 208 people in an anti-corruption investigation and estimate at least $100 billion has been stolen through graft, an official said last week as the inquiry expanded beyond the kingdom's borders into the United Arab Emirates. Those detained include other high-profile businessmen such as Mohammad al-Amoudi, whose wealth is estimated by Forbes at $10.4 billion, with construction, agriculture and energy companies in Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia; and finance and healthcare magnate Saleh Kamel, whose fortune is seen at $2.3 billion. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is trying to use the anti-corruption purge as a way of boosting his popularity with the Saudi population, said Jason Tuvey, Middle East economist at Capital Economics. "But he may have realized that by doing this hes gone a step too far and ruffled too many feathers, and he is maybe trying to find a way out that means these people dont end up in prison forever and can carry on their business operations as before." (additional reporting by Tom Arnold in DUBAI, Lawrence White and Claire Milhench in London; Writing by Saeed Azhar; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Here's an analysis of the first list of candidates released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP ahead of Assembly elections in his home state, Gujarat.

A woman welcomes BJP President Amit Shah as he begins a door-to-door campaign at a residential area in Ahmedabad for the upcoming Gujarat state assembly elections (Photo: Reuters)

By Jumana Shah: The BJP released the first list of 70 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections on Friday afternoon.

Not surprisingly, the Patidar factor has dominated the ticket distribution: There are as many as 15 Patidar candidates - the largest component.

Patidars are believed to constitute upto 18 per cent of Gujarat's electorate. The community, which has supported the BJP for two decades, is perceived to be at loggerheads with the party over a demand for reservations under the OBC quota.

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On the other hand, the Koli community - which also constitutes 18 per cent of the electorate - is represented by only six candidates in the BJP's first list.

The other community that is significantly represented is the Kshatriya (Rajput) community, with eight candidates.

Two Jain candidates and two Brahmin candidates, along with 26 OBCs over and above the reserved seats: that's the caste break-up of the first list.

This isn't the list of the first phase of elections (December 9) but essentially a list of seats that the BJP thinks are safe. Plus, there's no dispute over the candidates.

The second phase of the polls is on December 14.

YOUNG GUNS VS BJP

Political observers say the list reflects the fact that there's an ongoing movement against the BJP by young guns like Patidar leader Hardik Patel.

At least nine Thakor candidates have been fielded. "Looking at the first list, it appears the BJP's strategy would be to counter Hardik's impact on Patidar votes with Thakor votes," a Congress source said.

"In a seat where Thakor and Patidar voters are in equally high numbers, the BJP has fielded a Thakor candidate based on ground feedback that Patidars are supporting Hardik here and may therefore vote against BJP."

Leuva leader Bavku Undhad, who won on Keshubhai Patel's Gujarat Parivartan Party ticket in 2012 and is perceived as a very strong candidate, has been fielded against Congress's emerging young Patidar face Paresh Dhanani.

Leuva leader Dilip Sanghani, who lost in 2012 against GPP's Nalin Kotadiya, has been picked to contest from Dhari. Kotadiya later joined the BJP when GPP merged with BJP.

Though Sanghani isn't a strong candidate for the seat, he's perceived as a popular community leader and has been chosen to send a larger message to the community.

CONGRESS TURNCOATS

Five Congress turncoats who recently joined the BJP have been given tickets. So has Ketan Inamdar, a former independent from Savli who joined the BJP some months ago.

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Fielding turncoats and independents is a relatively new phenomenon in the BJP, a very strict cadre-based party.

The party's picks in Gujarat indicate that its overriding focus this time has been on candidates who can win on their own.

At least two seats - Limbayat and Vagra - are minority-dominated. The BJP could have fielded Muslim candidates, but it has not. The party has dropped three sitting MLAs and re-picked 49 candidates.

Amit Shah is in Ahmedabad to finalise the list of candidates.

WATCH | BJP, Congress cross swords on social media over Gujarat election

--- ENDS ---
Humans, generally speaking, are incredibly interested in the potential existence of intelligent alien life. The idea that an alien civilization exists somewhere in the cosmos has always fascinated us, but wev yet to find any evidence that our dreams are more than fantasy. Now, scientists have taken a big step towards contacting extraterrestrials, sending a message to a nearby star system that may well host an advanced civilization, but not everyone thinks that was such a good idea.

A group of scientists hungry for evidence of aliens took it upon themselves to send a message to the system called GJ273, which resides approximately 12.4 light-years away from Earth. Thats a pretty sizable distance, but the signal will eventually get there, and if ET is listening theyll most certainly know its not an accident.

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The message, which reportedly included samples of music, language, and math, also included a request that anyone who gets it should attempt to respond. If the scientists strike gold, a message would likely be headed back our direction by around 2042, and astronomers will be listening closely for any sign of it.

However, many scientists have voiced their displeasure at the idea that mankind might proactively contact an alien civilization, especially one that has mastered spaceflight. Without having any idea of whether or not our needle-in-a-haystack signal is retrieved by a peaceful alien race or a hostile one, many fear that we could be setting the stage for the ultimate destruction of mankind and perhaps Earth as we know it.

One of the more vocal opponents of the effort is world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking, who has suggested that yelling into the void may bring dire results. Likening the arrival of an alien race to Earth to that of Europeans arriving in America, Hawking warns that a more advanced species could do whatever they wanted to our planet with little regard for mankinds fate.

Story continues

The signals, which were sent in mid-Otober, should arrive at their destination many years from now, and if we indeed to hear back, it will be a momentous occasion. Lets just hope we dont annoy them if theyre having a bad day.

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Republican Sen. Ron Johnson told CNBC on Thursday he wants to fix the GOP tax reform bill so he can support it. "In the current form, I wouldn't vote for it," Johnson said on " Squawk Box " one day after he became the first Senate Republican to explicitly say he would not back the plan . "It's not a real good process," the Wisconsin lawmaker said. "The House is voting on theirs today. We're going to be voting on ours right after Thanksgiving."Johnson said he's been working for months behind the scenes to make changes, but he added that he's not going to let his "version of perfect" sink tax reform. "I want to get this thing fixed, and vote for pro-growth tax reform that makes all American businesses competitive globally," he said. "I care deeply about this country, I care deeply about this deficit."As a former small business owner, Johnson said he's particularly concerned about the so-called pass-through rate, in which the profits and losses of sole proprietorships, partnerships, and S-corporations "pass through" to their owners who are then taxed at individual income-tax rates, currently as high as 39.6 percent."We can't leave anybody behind, which is why they came up with the 25 rate for pass throughs," he said. "The problem is, neither the House or the Senate version really honored that commitment to pass-through businesses, which I argue are a huge engine of economic growth." Johnson said President Donald Trump called him on Wednesday night about pass throughs and told him that he's " meeting with Treasury officials today.""'I will work my tail off over the weekend,'" Johnson quoted Trump as saying.Republicans hold only a two-seat majority in the Senate, so the GOP has little margin for defections because Democrats are uniformly opposed to the plan. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bob Corker of Tennessee and John McCain of Arizona have also voiced concerns over the tax plan. They refused to say whether they would ultimately vote for the bill. The Senate's tax plan, unveiled last week , includes cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent and making broad tweaks to the individual tax system.  Reuters contributed to this report. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson told CNBC on Thursday he wants to fix the GOP tax reform bill so he can support it. "In the current form, I wouldn't vote for it," Johnson said on " Squawk Box " one day after he became the first Senate Republican to explicitly say he would not back the plan . "It's not a real good process," the Wisconsin lawmaker said. "The House is voting on theirs today. We're going to be voting on ours right after Thanksgiving." Johnson said he's been working for months behind the scenes to make changes, but he added that he's not going to let his "version of perfect" sink tax reform. "I want to get this thing fixed, and vote for pro-growth tax reform that makes all American businesses competitive globally," he said. "I care deeply about this country, I care deeply about this deficit." As a former small business owner, Johnson said he's particularly concerned about the so-called pass-through rate, in which the profits and losses of sole proprietorships, partnerships, and S-corporations "pass through" to their owners who are then taxed at individual income-tax rates, currently as high as 39.6 percent. "We can't leave anybody behind, which is why they came up with the 25 rate for pass throughs," he said. "The problem is, neither the House or the Senate version really honored that commitment to pass-through businesses, which I argue are a huge engine of economic growth." Johnson said President Donald Trump called him on Wednesday night about pass throughs and told him that he's " meeting with Treasury officials today." "'I will work my tail off over the weekend,'" Johnson quoted Trump as saying. Republicans hold only a two-seat majority in the Senate, so the GOP has little margin for defections because Democrats are uniformly opposed to the plan. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bob Corker of Tennessee and John McCain of Arizona have also voiced concerns over the tax plan. They refused to say whether they would ultimately vote for the bill. The Senate's tax plan, unveiled last week , includes cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent and making broad tweaks to the individual tax system.  Reuters contributed to this report.



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Berlin (AFP) - Hundreds of angry Siemens workers protested at the industrial behemoth's historic Berlin factory Friday, in the first revolt against a mass jobs cull that unions have vowed to resist with all their might.

"We are Siemens and we aren't going anywhere," the crowd chanted, a day after the firm announced it would slash some 6,900 positions globally, mainly at its troubled power and gas unit.

Germany will account for almost half of the job losses.

Nearly 600 jobs will disappear in the German capital alone, including at the sprawling Dynamowerk site which, among other things, makes the huge gas turbines that have fallen out of favour as countries switch to renewable energy.

The demo was called by Germany's powerful IG Metall union, which has slammed the layoffs as "unacceptable" and pledged to put up fierce resistance.

"We will take to the streets and we expect the mobilisation to be spectacular because you can see the level of solidarity between the employees," union member Kris told AFP, declining to give his last name.

"I can tell you that the mood in the meetings is very combative," he added, sporting the union's red jacket emblazoned with the slogan "Siemens metal workers. We fight like bears".

Siemens unveiled the layoffs as part of a major overhaul as it grapples with falling orders in a changing energy landscape.

But the "painful cuts" Siemens says are necessary have sparked outrage after the conglomerate -- which also makes trains, wind turbines and medical equipment -- only last week reported flourishing financial results.

Net profit for 2016-2017 rose by 11 percent year-on-year to 6.2 billion euros, it said.

As well as the layoffs in Germany, Siemens plans to close its sites in Goerlitz and Leipzig, both in the country's economically weaker former communist east.

Some 1,100 jobs are also set to go in the rest of Europe, while the United States will see 1,800 layoffs.

Martin Schulz, the leader of the Social Democratic Party that is set to go into the opposition after September's general election, called the job cuts an "outright scandal".

"It's a slap in the face for all those employees who worked so hard for the company and its profits."
Motley Fool

Carnival says it will use the proceeds from this debt offering to pay off principal on existing debt (i.e., roll over the old debt), as well as for general corporate purposes. In theory, this should mean that Carnival will be paying off notes that carry higher interest rates, with money from new notes that cost it less in interest. Logically, when we consider that interest rates have been trending higher as the Fed continues to hike its targeted federal funds rate, it seems more likely that Carnival would end up paying more on any new debt it issues, than what it pays on the debt it's replacing.
After months of teasing investors and fans that his company's first electric semi will "blow your mind," Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk finally took the wraps off the truck. Actually, he rolled into the unveiling in Hawthorne, California, sitting in the cab of the new Tesla Semi. With a slick design that will allow truckers to stand in the cab, Musk and his team believe the electric semi will give drivers a far better experience, while increasing safety and significantly reducing the costs. The biggest difference between the Tesla Semi and other Class 8 trucks is the location of steering wheel and the driver. Instead of being on the left-hand side (or on the right side in Europe), the steering wheel is in the center of the cab with one touchscreen panel positioned on both sides of the driver. In addition, Tesla said each truck will have built-in connectivity that integrates directly with a fleet's management system to allow routing and remote monitoring. The Tesla Semi will draw on parts and lessons learned from building the Model S, X and 3. For example, the Tesla Semi will feature four Model 3 electric motors and the touchscreen panels in the cab are the same ones used in the Model 3. In addition, because the Tesla Semi does not have a large diesel-powered engine, the driver has been pushed farther forward and will ride in a more spacious cab than a traditional Class 8 semi. The first editions of the Tesla Semi do not include a sleeper compartment for truck drivers. While Musk and his team believe the Tesla Semi will change the trucking industry, Wall Street analysts say its impact will depend on how the economics of the truck work for shipping companies . One aspect that will get a lot of attention is how quickly the trucks' batteries will degrade after heavy use that could reach 50,000 miles annually. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi highlighted the potential issue in a note to investors writing, "While battery degradation has largely ceased to be an investor controversy for Tesla's consumer vehicles, it may pose a more pertinent risk for the Tesla Semi." Even if the numbers behind the Tesla Semi are promising for trucking companies that are hyper-focused on lowering costs, the automaker will have its work cut out winning orders. Four manufacturers dominate the Class 8 truck market, with Daimler's (XETRA: DAI-DE) Freightliner division holding almost 40 percent of the market. Watch: Tesla may not be able to keep up with production for Semi After months of teasing investors and fans that his company's first electric semi will "blow your mind," Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk finally took the wraps off the truck. Actually, he rolled into the unveiling in Hawthorne, California, sitting in the cab of the new Tesla Semi. With a slick design that will allow truckers to stand in the cab, Musk and his team believe the electric semi will give drivers a far better experience, while increasing safety and significantly reducing the costs. The biggest difference between the Tesla Semi and other Class 8 trucks is the location of steering wheel and the driver. Instead of being on the left-hand side (or on the right side in Europe), the steering wheel is in the center of the cab with one touchscreen panel positioned on both sides of the driver. In addition, Tesla said each truck will have built-in connectivity that integrates directly with a fleet's management system to allow routing and remote monitoring. The Tesla Semi will draw on parts and lessons learned from building the Model S, X and 3. For example, the Tesla Semi will feature four Model 3 electric motors and the touchscreen panels in the cab are the same ones used in the Model 3. In addition, because the Tesla Semi does not have a large diesel-powered engine, the driver has been pushed farther forward and will ride in a more spacious cab than a traditional Class 8 semi. The first editions of the Tesla Semi do not include a sleeper compartment for truck drivers. While Musk and his team believe the Tesla Semi will change the trucking industry, Wall Street analysts say its impact will depend on how the economics of the truck work for shipping companies . One aspect that will get a lot of attention is how quickly the trucks' batteries will degrade after heavy use that could reach 50,000 miles annually. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi highlighted the potential issue in a note to investors writing, "While battery degradation has largely ceased to be an investor controversy for Tesla's consumer vehicles, it may pose a more pertinent risk for the Tesla Semi." Even if the numbers behind the Tesla Semi are promising for trucking companies that are hyper-focused on lowering costs, the automaker will have its work cut out winning orders. Four manufacturers dominate the Class 8 truck market, with Daimler's (XETRA: DAI-DE) Freightliner division holding almost 40 percent of the market. Watch: Tesla may not be able to keep up with production for Semi



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FILE PHOTO: Toyota logos are seen at City Toyota in Daly City, California, U.S., October 3, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

GUANGZHOU/BEIJING (Reuters) - Toyota Motor said it would consider selling locally designed and manufactured all-electric vehicle models in China, as it looks to expand its EV lineup and comply with Beijing's upcoming new-energy vehicle (NEV) production and sales quotas.

China has set strict quotas for electric and plug-in hybrid cars that come into effect from 2019. It has an ambitious target of 2 million NEV sales by 2020 and has signaled longer-term it will phase out the sale of conventional petrol-engine cars.

This seismic shift towards NEVs has prompted a flurry of electric car deals and new launches as manufacturers worldwide race for a share of the world's largest auto market.

"To respond to expanding demand for EVs, more widely and more comprehensively, we have begun considering the possibility of having our China joint-venture partners provide us with EVs," Hiroji Onishi, Toyota's head of China operations, said at a press briefing at the Guangzhou auto show on Friday.

Foreign car manufacturers are allowed to operate in China by forming joint ventures with Chinese partners. Toyota's joint venture partners in the country are China FAW Group Corp [SASACJ.UL] and Guangzhou Automobile Group.

Apart from the all-electric battery car models developed by its local joint ventures, Toyota also plans to launch an EV model, designed in Japan, in China in 2020.

But the EV engineered in Japan would have to be produced in China to qualify for NEV credits, but it was not immediately clear whether Toyota planned to locally manufacture the EV.

When China's green car quotas take effect in 2019, automakers will need to accumulate credits by producing and selling enough NEVs to hit a threshold equivalent to 10 percent of annual sales. That level would rise to 12 percent for 2020.

Toyota said it was also studying the feasibility of selling hydrogen fuel-cell commercial vehicles in China.

It began testing hydrogen fuel-cell cars in China in late October as part of a study to determine the feasibility of selling its Mirai hydrogen electric passenger car in China.

"We plan to continue to study fuel-cell cars' feasibility in China and have decided expand its scope to include fuel-cell buses," Onishi said.

(Reporting By Beijing Newsroom and Hong Kong Newsroom; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
By PTI: By Aditi Khanna

London, Nov 17 (PTI) A mid-air collision between a light aircraft and a helicopter today resulted in a "number of casualties" in south-east England.

Thames Valley police officers at the crash site in the village of Waddesdon near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire said they were focused on "preservation of life".

"We are aware of a number of casualties following an incident this afternoon in Waddesdon, Aylesbury...Fire and ambulance services are also in attendance and preservation of life is first priority," a spokesperson said.

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Both aircraft came from Wycombe Air Park, also known as Booker Airfield near High Wycombe, which offers flight training.

A spokesperson for the airstrip said, "Wycombe Air Park can confirm that at 12 pm (local time) today we were informed of an incident north-west of Aylesbury involving two aircraft from Wycombe Air Park".

The site of the crash is close to the Royal Air Force (RAF) base of Halton, which has since confirmed that no military aircraft had been involved in the collision.

The local Bucks Fire and Rescue teams remain in attendance, having sent seven vehicles including urban search and rescue.

The UKs Air Accidents Investigation Branch has also sent a team to probe the crash.

"There have been a number of casualties at the scene, but at this stage this is all we are able to confirm," South Central Ambulance Service said. PTI AK KUN

--- ENDS ---
President Donald Trump will likely score his first major legislative victory with tax reform, former House GOP Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Wednesday. Cantor said that while America boasts the largest economy in the world, Washington was yet to come to terms with a "very conventional" and "disruptive" leader."There is a much greater than 50 percent chance that tax reform will happen the U.S. has got to stay competitive in this disruptive environment," he said at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Petroleum Conference (ADIPEC). House Republicans are poised to vote on their tax reform bill on Thursday , hoping to secure the most concrete step yet toward overhauling the American tax system. GOP leaders believe they can pass the bill this week, despite lingering resistance from some Republicans. Trump is expected to join lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday in an effort to reaffirm the case for tax cuts shortly before the vote.Key sticking points in making the final legislation include the treatment of state and local tax deductions and raising enough revenue to make up for the tax cuts.Expect even more regulatory reliefEarlier in the month , Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said already "thrilled" business executives should expect even more regulatory relief over the coming months. Ross said the Trump administration had been able to deliver on deregulation policies because the president was able to exercise his executive powers in order to achieve these aims.And while other campaign pledges were yet to come to fruition, Ross said it would be unfair to blame Trump "when Congress fails to act on something." CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report. President Donald Trump will likely score his first major legislative victory with tax reform, former House GOP Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Wednesday. Cantor said that while America boasts the largest economy in the world, Washington was yet to come to terms with a "very conventional" and "disruptive" leader. "There is a much greater than 50 percent chance that tax reform will happen the U.S. has got to stay competitive in this disruptive environment," he said at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Petroleum Conference (ADIPEC). House Republicans are poised to vote on their tax reform bill on Thursday , hoping to secure the most concrete step yet toward overhauling the American tax system. GOP leaders believe they can pass the bill this week, despite lingering resistance from some Republicans. Trump is expected to join lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday in an effort to reaffirm the case for tax cuts shortly before the vote. Key sticking points in making the final legislation include the treatment of state and local tax deductions and raising enough revenue to make up for the tax cuts. Expect even more regulatory relief Earlier in the month , Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said already "thrilled" business executives should expect even more regulatory relief over the coming months. Ross said the Trump administration had been able to deliver on deregulation policies because the president was able to exercise his executive powers in order to achieve these aims. And while other campaign pledges were yet to come to fruition, Ross said it would be unfair to blame Trump "when Congress fails to act on something."  CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.



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US President Donald Trump is keen to sign a massive tax overhaul into law by year's end, but it might be a struggle to get the bill passed in the Senate (AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm)

Washington (AFP) - House Republicans delivered a first-step victory Thursday to President Donald Trump by passing a landmark tax overhaul, but the debate now shifts to the Senate, where a narrower path to success awaits.

Trump had rallied his party footsoldiers barely an hour earlier in the US Capitol, leaning on them to advance the sweeping tax cuts for corporations and individuals as he seeks to lock down a first major legislative win by year's end.

The House of Representatives voted 227 to 205 to pass the legislation, after Trump addressed Republican members in person and urged them to get the measure over the finish line.

Trump, in a tweet, congratulated the House for taking "a big step toward fulfilling our promise to deliver historic TAX CUTS for the American people by the end of the year."

The bill's success also marked a key victory for House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has struggled to get Trump's agenda through Congress.

Ryan reiterated his assertion that in the first year the cuts will save $1,182 for a typical family of four earning $59,000.

The overhaul is "about tax relief, it's about fairness, it's about simplicity, it's about easing the stress and anxiety in this country," Ryan said.

It was also clearly about checking a key box that had been a prominent campaign pledge, after Trump and his Republicans failed on several attempts to repeal president Barack Obama's health care law.

House Republican Don Bacon told reporters that Trump saw Thursday's vote as a "do-or-die" effort.

"Hey, you got a chance to be mediocre or to be great. Today's your chance to get it right," Trump told the Republicans, according to Bacon.

Several lawmakers burst into applause on the House floor when the bill passed, despite concerns by some Republicans in high-tax states like New Jersey that their constituents could end up paying more to Uncle Sam.

Thirteen Republicans voted against the legislation. No Democrats supported it.

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With the first major hurdle cleared, conservative congressman Dave Brat said Trump's role will be as messenger in chief.

"We just want him to sell it to America," Brat said.

The overhaul is a dicier proposition in the Senate, where Republicans hold a two-seat majority, 52-48.

Ron Johnson became the first Senate Republican to publicly oppose the measure, warning that it hands major tax breaks to corporations while treating other businesses differently.

"I'm not going to vote for this tax package," Johnson told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

With senators expected to vote along party lines, Republicans can afford only two defectors. If three vote no, the bill fails.

Adding a new twist to the ambitious legislation, Senate Republicans have bowed to Trump pressure and included a repeal of the Obamacare individual mandate in their tax overhaul.

Republicans are keen to take another stab at crippling the 2010 health care law.

Repealing the rule that requires individuals to have health insurance or pay a fine would save $338 billion, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projected, money that could help pay for tax reform.

But the CBO also projected it would raise health insurance costs by 10 percent, and lead to 13 million fewer people with coverage over the next decade.

- 'If we fail...' -

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said such cost increases could "more than wipe out" the tax cuts seen by middle-class families.

Other Democrats warned that tax burdens will actually go up for millions of working-class and middle-class families.

A handful of Senate Republicans could make or break the legislation.

They include John McCain, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who together sank Trump's Obamacare repeal effort this summer.

Senator Lindsey Graham sounded a dire political warning.

"Whatever is wrong with this bill, we've got to make it better," he told Fox News. "If we fail, we are dead.... That's the end of the Republican majority."

Congress is off next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, and when they return there will be little room for delay.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to hold a vote right after Thanksgiving.

Then come negotiations to synchronize the House and Senate versions.

"We'll come to a common point and we'll get this to his desk at Christmas," House Republican Tom Cole said.

But the fusion could be tricky.

While the House version permanently cuts the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, effective in 2018, the Senate's would delay that cut by a year.

The House also maintains the nation's top bracket for the wealthiest individuals at 39.6 percent, while the Senate lowers the top tier to 38.5 percent.
U.S. government debt yields rose Thursday after jobless claims unexpectedly rose and U.S. industrial production beat Wall Street expectations. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note (U.S.: US10Y) sat higher at around 2.354 percent at 1:49 p.m. ET, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond (U.S.: US10Y) was up at 2.794 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices. Earlier, the 2-year Treasury note yield hit a high of 1.716 percent its highest level since Oct. 2008 when the 2-year note yielded as high as 1.716.The higher number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits took Wall Street by surprise last week as the U.S. Labor Department wades through a backlog of applications from Puerto Rico. Despite the temporary influx of claims as a result of the weather-related destruction on the island, the underlying trend hinted at tightening labor markets. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 249,000 for the week ended Nov. 11, the Labor Department said on Thursday. U.S. industrial production, meanwhile, rose 0.9 percent in October versus a 0.5 percent increase expected by a Reuters survey of economists. Industrial production gained 0.3 percent in September. A number of U.S. Federal Reserve are set to deliver remarks Thursday. In Michigan, Governor Lael Brainard will be speaking at the Financial Stability Conference; while Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan will be in Houston, Texas, speaking at a CFA Society Houston event.Elsewhere, House Republicans passed their tax reform bill today, despite lingering resistance seen from some Republicans.CNBC's Jacob Pramuk and Gina Francolla contributed to this report. U.S. government debt yields rose Thursday after jobless claims unexpectedly rose and U.S. industrial production beat Wall Street expectations. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note (U.S.: US10Y) sat higher at around 2.354 percent at 1:49 p.m. ET, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond (U.S.: US10Y) was up at 2.794 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices. Earlier, the 2-year Treasury note yield hit a high of 1.716 percent its highest level since Oct. 2008 when the 2-year note yielded as high as 1.716. The higher number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits took Wall Street by surprise last week as the U.S. Labor Department wades through a backlog of applications from Puerto Rico. Despite the temporary influx of claims as a result of the weather-related destruction on the island, the underlying trend hinted at tightening labor markets. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 249,000 for the week ended Nov. 11, the Labor Department said on Thursday. U.S. industrial production, meanwhile, rose 0.9 percent in October versus a 0.5 percent increase expected by a Reuters survey of economists. Industrial production gained 0.3 percent in September. A number of U.S. Federal Reserve are set to deliver remarks Thursday. In Michigan, Governor Lael Brainard will be speaking at the Financial Stability Conference; while Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan will be in Houston, Texas, speaking at a CFA Society Houston event. Elsewhere, House Republicans passed their tax reform bill today, despite lingering resistance seen from some Republicans. CNBC's Jacob Pramuk and Gina Francolla contributed to this report.



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U.S. government debt yields fell on Friday after the strong housing starts data surprised Wall Street. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note (U.S.:US10Y) sat slightly higher at around 2.345 percent at 1:46 p.m. ET, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond (U.S.:US10Y) was up at 2.786 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices. Earlier today, the 2-year Treasury note yield hit a fresh high of 1.7250 percent, its highest level back to Oct. 2008 when it yielded as high as 1.77 percent. First off, housing starts and building permits jumped to a one-year high in October as one-time hurricane effects continue to skew data. Housing starts surged 13.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.29 million units, the Commerce Department said on Friday. Housing starts haven't surged that much since last October. On the central bank front, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans is expected to speak at the Community Bankers Symposium in Chicago. Tax reform has been a key market mover, after news emerged Thursday that House Republicans passed a bill to cut taxes on businesses and individuals, with the tax reform plan receiving 227 votes in favor , beating the 205 votes that voted against. If the bill does end up becoming law, it would cut the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent without delay. Tax reform will now look towards the Senate, where the Finance Committee expects to vote on Friday. CNBC's Jacob Pramuk and Gina Francolla contributed to this report



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People queue to withdraw money from an ATM in Caracas on November 14, 2017 (AFP Photo/Federico PARRA) (AFP/File)

Washington (AFP) - If the crisis-stricken Venezuelan government manages to scrape together funds to make payments on its delinquent bonds, that would change the default designation but not the nation's prospects, a top ratings agency told AFP on Wednesday.

Standard and Poor's declared Venezuela in "selective default" on Monday after the government of President Nicolas Maduro failed to make the already-late payments on two state bonds within the grace period.

But Venezuela announced Wednesday a restructuring deal with Russia on a small part of the estimated $150 billion in foreign debt held by the oil-rich but cash-poor nation, and says it has made payments on those bonds.

S&P managing director Joydeep Mukherji, who handles Latin American and Caribbean sovereign ratings, said even if those payments are confirmed, other debt service remains in doubt, including on four other bonds that already are overdue.

The agency also had declared state oil company PDVSA in selective default for non-payment on some of its obligations.

So even if the government manages to make a payment, it would "just go back to where you were before default. The larger picture hasn't changed just because you managed to scrape together cash to pay the bonds."

A default designation would have legal ramifications, allowing creditors to take action to demand payment, including potentially seizing valuable assets, but it would not change the situation on the ground.

"They've been in dire straits for quite a while," he said, and the ratings on the debt at "CC" is still "the closest you can get to the abyss without falling into default."

Like other observers of the deteriorating political situation in Venezuela, where the government has installed a constituent assembly to overrule the opposition-controlled Congress, and faces US economic and financial sanctions, Mukherji does not see prospects for the Maduro regime to change course.

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"The economic policy has been the same for many, many years now... I have no reason to think, based on past performance, that a big change is coming now."

While lenders have seen many other defaults in Latin America, notably Argentina in 2002, Venezuela's situation is unique in many ways, not least that the government promised to pay its debt but also called for a creditors meeting Monday to discuss a restructuring, where it failed to present any plan.

Normally a country in crisis has declared default and approached creditors to negotiate a solution.

Venezuela, unlike other cases, has valuable resources in the United States that creditors could attempt to seize for repayment, notably its oil exports and Citgo with its three refineries, owned by PDVSA.

There also is huge uncertainty due to the US sanctions that prohibit American institutions and individuals from buying new Venezuelan bonds, which normally would be part of any restructuring.

But Venezuela's case is anything but normal, he said.

"There is more uncertainty than in previous debt restructurings."
GUANGZHOU/BEIJING (Reuters) - Volkswagen Group said on Thursday it plans to spend 10 billion euros ($11.8 billion) by 2025 to develop and manufacture all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles as it seeks to comply with upcoming stringent rules in China.

The group, which includes Volkswagen AG <VOWG_p.DE> and Audi AG <NSUG.DE>, intends to launch 15 of the so-called new energy vehicles (NEV) models over the next two to three years, and an additional 25 after 2025, China chief Jochem Heizmann told Reuters on Thursday.

China's NEV production and sales quotas, which must be met by 2019, have prompted a flurry of electric car deals and new launches as automakers in China race to ensure they do not fall short. Automakers that do fall short will be required to buy credits.

Volkswagen currently has around 10 NEVs already on the market in China, although all are imported models with limited sales volumes, according to a company spokeswoman.

Heizmann, speaking ahead of the Guangzhou auto show, added that the group is aiming to sell 400,000 new energy vehicles per year in China by 2020 and 1.5 million per year by 2025. NEVs refer to all-electric battery cars and heavily electrified plug-in hybrids.

Heizmann said some of those models will have a 400-600km driving range on a single full charge. By comparison, Tesla's <TSLA.O> model S has a range of 490km and as much as 632km depending on battery capacity, according to the company.

The Volkswagen Group is also confident that its group companies and their local China joint venture partners will be able to generate enough NEV sales volume to account for NEV quotas by 2019, Heizmann said, adding that there will be no need to buy credits.

"We need high volumes of new energy vehicles... we are working on full speed on that."

Last week, General Motors Co's China chief Matt Tsien told reporters GM's China joint ventures will be able to generate enough NEV sales volume to account for NEV quotas by 2019 and without the need to buy credits.

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Tsien said both GM <GM.N> and its China joint-venture partners "are working to at least meet, if not exceed, those credit mandate requirements."

The Guangzhou auto show starts on Friday.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Hong Kong Newsroom.; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) shares surged to an all-time high, jumping more than 10 percent Thursday after the world's largest retailer showed it can hold its own in a challenging retail environment. Same-store sales for its U.S. locations climbed for the 13th-consecutive quarter, as the big-box retailer cited a bright spot in its food business and a boost from shoppers stocking up on hurricane supplies. The Arkansas-based company reported strong growth online, with e-commerce sales soaring 50 percent in the fiscal third quarter, a year after it acquired Jet.com. That's a slower pace than in the prior period when digital sales were up 60 percent. Wal-Mart also raised its full-year earnings expectations, taking an aggressive stance heading into the important holiday season.Here's what Wal-Mart reported, compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a Thomson Reuters survey of analysts:Earnings of $1 a share, excluding items, compared with a forecast profit of 97 cents per share.Revenue was $123.18 billion, versus an estimate of $121 billion.Same-store sales for U.S. stores, excluding fuel, climbed 2.7 percent, compared with an anticipated increase of 1.8 percent."We have momentum, and it's encouraging to see customers responding to our store and eCommerce initiatives," CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement."Existing customers have become advocates for popular initiatives like online grocery and free two-day shipping, and as a result, new customers, suppliers and partnerships are coming to Walmart."In the third quarter, Wal-Mart reported net income of $1.75 billion, or 58 cents a share, which included a $283 million charge to account for a likely fine related to a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violation investigation that has been ongoing since 2012. Excluding that charge and other one-time costs, Wal-Mart earned $1 a share, outpacing Wall Street estimates.A year ago, Wal-Mart posted net income of $3.02 billion, or 98 cents a share.Total revenue for the third quarter climbed 4.2 percent, to $123.18 billion from $118.18 billion. This included sales growth of 4.3 percent for Wal-Mart's U.S. business, 4.1 percent growth for Wal-Mart's international stores and 4.4 percent growth at Sam's Club.The average ticket at Wal-Mart's U.S. stores was up 1.2 percent, helped by the rapid growth of its food business. Wal-Mart said its grocery categories delivered the strongest quarterly comparable sales performance in nearly six years, with fresh meat, bakery and produce leading the way."Market share in the critical food category continues to grow as the expansion of its buy-online/pick-up in store capability is driving increased sales, and the focus on improving working capital continues," Moody's retail analyst Charlie O'Shea wrote in a note to clients."As usual, we expect Walmart to largely set the tone on multiple fronts and in multiple categories for the Holiday season."Comparable sales at U.S. stores, excluding fuel, were up 2.7 percent, versus a 1.2 percent increase a year ago, also outpacing analysts' estimates. Wal-Mart said hurricane-related impacts benefited comparable sales by roughly 30 to 50 basis points. And with fuel, total U.S. comparable sales were up 3 percent, versus a 1.1 percent increase a year ago.Same-store sales at Sam's Club, excluding fuel, climbed 2.8 percent in the fiscal third quarter, compared with an increase of 1.4 percent one year ago. With fuel, Sam's Club's comparable sales grew 4 percent, versus 0.7 percent growth a year ago.Looking to the full year, Wal-Mart is now calling for adjusted earnings per share ranging from $4.38 to $4.46 in fiscal 2018. It previously expected earning $4.30 to $4.40 a share, while analysts had forecast a per-share profit of $4.38."We expect top line growth going forward to be led more by comp sales and eCommerce with less emphasis on new units in the U.S.," Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said on a prerecorded conference call."We're prioritizing eCommerce, technology, supply chain and store remodels over new stores and clubs." Wal-Mart's latest results show the company is holding its own in a competitive field, which includes rival Target (NYSE: TGT) . On Wednesday, Target issue a more conservative outlook for the holidays , sending its shares tumbling. Meantime, all signs point to Wal-Mart being in a retail war with internet giant Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) . After acquiring Jet.com, the big-box retailer's online sales have skyrocketed, as Wal-Mart brought other brands including Bonobos, Modcloth and Moosejaw into its portfolio. The company is also expanding curbside grocery pick-up service, beefing up its digital assortment and working with Amazon-rival Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) on voice-activated shopping. One weakness for Wal-Mart has been that its profit margins have dipped slightly due to more aggressive promotions. The retailer has been investing heavily to keep its prices competitive, and operating margins fell to 3.9 percent during the fiscal third quarter, from 4.4 percent a year ago. "Price investments in certain markets and the mix effects of our growing eCommerce business were the primary contributors to the decline, although the impact from hurricanes in the U.S. was a significant contributor as well," Biggs said. Heading into the holidays, Wal-Mart plans to invest more in its stores  holding seasonal parties for customers  and offer more merchandise online. Just this week, the company announced a partnership with Lord & Taylor in which Walmart.com will begin selling the department store chain's high-end apparel next spring. McMillon said Thursday the company is focused on attracting more "premium brands," such as KitchenAid and Bose, to the company's website.Including Thursday's gains, Wal-Mart shares have climbed more than 40 percent in 2017.WATCH: Wal-Mart reports third-quarter earnings Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) shares surged to an all-time high, jumping more than 10 percent Thursday after the world's largest retailer showed it can hold its own in a challenging retail environment. Same-store sales for its U.S. locations climbed for the 13th-consecutive quarter, as the big-box retailer cited a bright spot in its food business and a boost from shoppers stocking up on hurricane supplies. The Arkansas-based company reported strong growth online, with e-commerce sales soaring 50 percent in the fiscal third quarter, a year after it acquired Jet.com. That's a slower pace than in the prior period when digital sales were up 60 percent. Wal-Mart also raised its full-year earnings expectations, taking an aggressive stance heading into the important holiday season. Here's what Wal-Mart reported, compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a Thomson Reuters survey of analysts: Earnings of $1 a share, excluding items, compared with a forecast profit of 97 cents per share. Revenue was $123.18 billion, versus an estimate of $121 billion. Same-store sales for U.S. stores, excluding fuel, climbed 2.7 percent, compared with an anticipated increase of 1.8 percent. "We have momentum, and it's encouraging to see customers responding to our store and eCommerce initiatives," CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement. "Existing customers have become advocates for popular initiatives like online grocery and free two-day shipping, and as a result, new customers, suppliers and partnerships are coming to Walmart." In the third quarter, Wal-Mart reported net income of $1.75 billion, or 58 cents a share, which included a $283 million charge to account for a likely fine related to a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violation investigation that has been ongoing since 2012. Excluding that charge and other one-time costs, Wal-Mart earned $1 a share, outpacing Wall Street estimates. A year ago, Wal-Mart posted net income of $3.02 billion, or 98 cents a share. Total revenue for the third quarter climbed 4.2 percent, to $123.18 billion from $118.18 billion. This included sales growth of 4.3 percent for Wal-Mart's U.S. business, 4.1 percent growth for Wal-Mart's international stores and 4.4 percent growth at Sam's Club. The average ticket at Wal-Mart's U.S. stores was up 1.2 percent, helped by the rapid growth of its food business. Wal-Mart said its grocery categories delivered the strongest quarterly comparable sales performance in nearly six years, with fresh meat, bakery and produce leading the way. "Market share in the critical food category continues to grow as the expansion of its buy-online/pick-up in store capability is driving increased sales, and the focus on improving working capital continues," Moody's retail analyst Charlie O'Shea wrote in a note to clients. "As usual, we expect Walmart to largely set the tone on multiple fronts and in multiple categories for the Holiday season." Comparable sales at U.S. stores, excluding fuel, were up 2.7 percent, versus a 1.2 percent increase a year ago, also outpacing analysts' estimates. Wal-Mart said hurricane-related impacts benefited comparable sales by roughly 30 to 50 basis points. And with fuel, total U.S. comparable sales were up 3 percent, versus a 1.1 percent increase a year ago. Same-store sales at Sam's Club, excluding fuel, climbed 2.8 percent in the fiscal third quarter, compared with an increase of 1.4 percent one year ago. With fuel, Sam's Club's comparable sales grew 4 percent, versus 0.7 percent growth a year ago. Looking to the full year, Wal-Mart is now calling for adjusted earnings per share ranging from $4.38 to $4.46 in fiscal 2018. It previously expected earning $4.30 to $4.40 a share, while analysts had forecast a per-share profit of $4.38. "We expect top line growth going forward to be led more by comp sales and eCommerce with less emphasis on new units in the U.S.," Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said on a prerecorded conference call. "We're prioritizing eCommerce, technology, supply chain and store remodels over new stores and clubs." Wal-Mart's latest results show the company is holding its own in a competitive field, which includes rival Target (NYSE: TGT) . On Wednesday, Target issue a more conservative outlook for the holidays , sending its shares tumbling. Meantime, all signs point to Wal-Mart being in a retail war with internet giant Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) . After acquiring Jet.com, the big-box retailer's online sales have skyrocketed, as Wal-Mart brought other brands including Bonobos, Modcloth and Moosejaw into its portfolio. The company is also expanding curbside grocery pick-up service, beefing up its digital assortment and working with Amazon-rival Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) on voice-activated shopping. One weakness for Wal-Mart has been that its profit margins have dipped slightly due to more aggressive promotions. The retailer has been investing heavily to keep its prices competitive, and operating margins fell to 3.9 percent during the fiscal third quarter, from 4.4 percent a year ago. "Price investments in certain markets and the mix effects of our growing eCommerce business were the primary contributors to the decline, although the impact from hurricanes in the U.S. was a significant contributor as well," Biggs said. Heading into the holidays, Wal-Mart plans to invest more in its stores  holding seasonal parties for customers  and offer more merchandise online. Just this week, the company announced a partnership with Lord & Taylor in which Walmart.com will begin selling the department store chain's high-end apparel next spring. McMillon said Thursday the company is focused on attracting more "premium brands," such as KitchenAid and Bose, to the company's website. Including Thursday's gains, Wal-Mart shares have climbed more than 40 percent in 2017. WATCH: Wal-Mart reports third-quarter earnings



More From CNBC


Crown Castle (CCI) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues.

New economic data and prominent retail earnings results are among the headline grabbers this morning, as the market anticipates passage of the House version of a domestic tax cut plan for corporations and individuals. Tomorrow the Senate version comes up for a vote, but neither bill fully compliments the other, so expect more heavy lifting in this regard going forward.

In fact, should we see a smooth passage in both houses of Congress before the end of the week, this should generate positive sentiment in the market. Losses weve seen over the past week of trading may have begun with softness in Asian markets, but have stuck around due to newly found concerns whether a tax reform package will pass Congress this year. Major legislative reform has proven elusive for the Trump administration and its GOP-led lawmakers, and some are hedging these tax reform measures may be headed down the same road.

Certainly you cant blame Q3 earnings for any headwinds in the market; results continue to impress in a general sense, even among many in the tougher Retail space. Today, we see a tale of two big-box retailers:

Discount leviathan Wal-Mart Stores WMT once again outperformed estimates on both top and bottom lines in its fiscal Q3 2018 results, bringing in $1.00 per share on $123.2 billion in quarterly sales. These numbers topped the 97 cents and $121 billion expected, respectively. Comps were highest in the past 8 years. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company posted Q4 earnings guidance in a range between $4.38 - 4.46; the Zacks consensus estimate had previously been $4.38, so well look to see if earnings estimates rise from here, bringing the Zacks Rank along with it.

Wal-Mart shares are up sharply in todays pre-market, north of 6% at this hour. Year to date, WMT is up more than 30%.

Another big-boxer, Best Buy BBY, however, missed Q3 earnings by a penny to 78 cents per share, on $9.32 billion in revenues that fell short of the $9.35 billion in the Zacks consensus. Even still, EPS results were 30% higher than in the year-ago quarter, on comps that were up 4.4%. EPS guidance for Q4 is lower than analysts were expecting, however. The Zacks Rank #3 company has sold off 2% following the quarterly release, and shares remain up more than 30% year to date.

Story continues

Econ Data Wrap-Up

Initial Jobless Claims jumped by 10,000 for the second week in a row to 249K last week; the previous weeks 239K was unrevised. This is still within the (non-hurricane-affected) multi-year range of 225-250K, synonymous with a robust U.S. labor market. Continuing claims claim down noticeably last week, to 1.86 million  again, a very strong number for overall domestic employment  from 1.9 million the previous week.

Import Prices gained 0.2% last month, posting 2.5% growth year over year. Stripping out volatile petroleum costs, this number shaves to 0.1%. Export Prices hit 2.7%, unchanged year over year and, although pretty strong, are still down a tick from the previous months 2.8%. Not exactly breakout numbers from a U.S. economy perspective, nor is it more of the same mundane slog-through weve seen for the past few years. Consider this metric good enough for now.

October Industrial Production outperformed expectations, putting up growth of 0.9% from the estimated 0.6%. Utilization rates notably increased as well, reaching 77% from the 76.2% expected and the 76.4% in the last read. We last saw 77% industrial production growth back in the spring of 2015, 2 1/2 years ago.

The Philly Fed Survey for the month of November came in lighter than expected: 22.7 from the 24.0 consensus estimate. This is a narrow but deep glimpse into economic strength in the 6th largest city in the U.S., Philadelphia, and while useful, often result in volatile numbers month to month. The volatility here is relatively benign.



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On November 14, a woman filed a complaint with the Chennai Police after she was raped and robbed at her residence.

By Akshaya Nath: The Chennai Police has taken into custody a 28-year-old man from Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu on charges of rape and robbery.

The arrest was made following complaints of rape and robbery by two residents, who fell prey to the accused recently.

On November 14, a woman filed a complaint with the Chennai Police after she was raped and robbed at her residence.

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A day later, another case was filed by a man who was robbed at knife point. He managed to grab the ID card of the accused who had attacked him.

Based on the ID card, a team of officials sprung into action and arrested him from Krishnagiri. During the interrogation, it was found out that he is the same man who had raped and robbed a woman on November 14.

During the investigation, police found incriminating evidence in the accused's mobile phone which prove his involvement in sexual offenses and robberies.

The accused has confessed to being a serial rapist. The police department is closely investigating the cases that he has confessed to.

Of late, several cases of crimes against women have been reported in Tamil Nadu. Earlier last year, a techie was hacked to death at a railway station.

Though that incident had thrown light on the crimes against women in the state, things are yet to change for the good. Recently, a man had set a techie on fire after she rejected his proposal.

ALSO WATCH | Vizag horror: Pedestrians ignore while drunk man rapes mentally ill woman on footpath

--- ENDS ---
Vancouver, B.C., Nov. 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The British Columbia Utilities Commission has completed its inquiry examining the impact on BC Hydro ratepayers associated with continuing, suspending or terminating the Site C project.



The Site C Inquiry Panel received 620 written submissions, and heard from 304 speakers during 11 Community Input Sessions throughout the province. In addition, the Panel held three First Nations Input Sessions and two Technical Presentation Sessions.

This was a challenging project with a very tight timeframe, said David Morton, Chair & CEO of the BCUC, With the significant contributions of those who participated in this Inquiry, the Panel and Commission staff worked very hard to produce a report that will assist the government in its decision making.

The report and executive summary are available on the BCUC Site C Inquiry website: www.sitecinquiry.com.

The Panels key findings are:

The BCUC is not persuaded that the Site C project will remain on schedule for a November 2024 in-service date. The Panel also finds that the project is not within the proposed budget of $8.335 billion. Currently, completion costs may be in excess of $10 billion.

The Panel finds the least attractive of the three scenarios is to suspend and restart the project in 2024. The suspension and restart scenario adds at least an estimated $3.6 billion to final costs and is by far the most expensive of the three scenarios. In addition, the Panel considers it the most risky scenario because, among other things, environmental permits will expire and that will require new applications and approvals.

The Panel finds the Site C termination and remediation costs to be approximately $1.8 billion, in addition to the costs of finding alternative energy sources to meet demand.

Regarding future energy needs, the Panel finds BC Hydros mid load forecast to be excessively optimistic and considers it more appropriate to use the low load forecast in answering the questions set out in the Inquiry. In addition, the Panel is of the view that there are risks that could result in demand being less than the low case.

The Panel believes increasingly viable alternative energy sources such as wind, geothermal and industrial curtailment could provide similar benefits to ratepayers as the Site C project, with an equal or lower Unit Energy Cost.

Neither completing Site C nor implementing a portfolio of alternative energy sources is without risk. The Panel reviews the risks of each approach in the report.

On August 2, 2017, the Lieutenant Governor in Council, by OIC No. 244, requested that the BCUC, pursuant to section 5(1) of the Utilities Commission Act, advise the Lieutenant Governor in Council respecting BC Hydros Site C project, in accordance with the terms set out in the OIC. The OIC is available on the BCUCs Site C Inquiry webpage.
Harvard Is Ranked Best Business School for Third Straight Year



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"Each stage of the journey is crucial to attaining new heights of knowledge."



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Harvard Business School offers the nations best MBA program, the third straight year the Massachusetts-based school has bested its peers in our annual ranking of graduate business schools.The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the MIT Sloan School of Management jumped into the second and third spots, bumping Duke Universitys Fuqua School of Business and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth from the top five. Penn States Smeal College of Business jumped 12 spots to crack the top 25. Other schools experienced a steep fall, such as the George Washington University School of Business, which tumbled 14 spots to fall out of the top 50.Each schools ranking is based on surveys of recruiters, alumni, and students, as well as recent graduates success at landing jobs and securing high starting wages.Want a great chance at landing a salary thatll be the envy of your peers? Try Stanford Graduate School of Business, which produces MBAs that, on average, secure the highest pay in the country immediately after graduation (even though recruiters dont seem to value them all that highly, ranking them 20th when it comes to preparing graduates for the workforce).Columbia Business School produces the biggest share of MBAs that immediately get to work in the financial services industry. A larger share of MBAs from the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business go into tech than Silicon Valley stalwarts Stanford or the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.Fancy a job in Asia? The Rady School of Management at the University of California at San Diego could be your best bet, since about two of every five among its recent MBAs end up taking jobs there._________________
Guys,There comes a time you are failing at every possible stepBut you still dont give up because the end is not always a logical extensionThere comes time when you need miracle at every possible stepIllogically enough, you still keep tryingThe lunatic poem that I wrote sometime back has started making little sense to me now.Took GMAT yesterday. Finally, a third-time lucky. It's a good feeling - achieving what you aimed for!Before everything, thank you, everyone, on this club for help. I apologise beforehand for keeping the debrief long and verbose.First Mock Score (GMAT Prep) - 580Average Mock Score - 710-730GMAT - April 26th, 2017 - 680 (Q51, V29)Average Mock Score - 730-740GMAT - July 18th, 2017 - 700 (Q49,V37)Average Mock Score - 740 (Scored 780 in Manhattan twice, but I was giving them for third time)GMAT- Nov 16th, 2017 - 750 (Q51,V42)My story has been a hell lot of struggle. I work in a startup, where I spend 12-13 hours a day. This leaves little time for study. However, sacrificing a bit of sleep, I used to regularly study for 4-5 hours a day.I have no secrets to offer, but just this - keep identifying the problem and keep solving. Whether it's SC strategy or anxiety, every problem has a solution. If you want it bad enough, nothing can stop you. Whatever stage of preparation you are, keep hope. You will definitely succeed if you keep removing the bottlenecks.I read it somewhere, and this line never fades from my mind - success is a momentary happiness, failure is a learning, but the perseverance is the best feeling! The feeling that you will not give up. The feeling that no matter, what you will move on. The feeling that nothing can stop you from pursuing what you want. A proof that you want it so bad, that there can only be delay, but, no deadlock. Keep fighting!Yeah, it's easy for some people. But it's impossible to none. #StayInTheGameI started preparing for GMAT in Feb and took my first attempt in April. I was scoring 710-730 in mocks, but I could just score 680(Q51, V42). In next attempt, after working a lot on my verbal (help of - Personal Tutor), I scored 700(Q49, V37). In this attempt, I couldn't even finish the quant section and took a penalty. Dejected after the attempt, I started my round one application. I applied to Duke and Oxford.I wrote an article after my second attempt. It motivates me every time I read. Check out if you need some motivation dose. I was okay with Duke's reject, but SAID reject sort of shocked me.In October, I convinced myself to prepare again for GMAT. I again took help of , as I had great experience working with them.My biggest problem was to stay calm, so I will delve into details here. I hope it's useful for people struggling to stay focused in the exam.In my last attempt (700 one), I couldn't even read first 5 question properly because of anxiety. I was in so much pressure because of feelings such as "first 10 question are important", "GMAT is so important", and "I have to do the question in 1:30 min".

First problem - How to stay calm?

I used to have constant pain in stomach and raised heartbeat in the exam. It didn't use to let me even read the question properly in beginning and end.I dealt with this quite seriously for 1 month.Here are my few tips to stay calm:

Noting:

"You get effortless focus when you stop trying for it."



Noting is a great meditation technique. It basically says that you should let the thoughts flow. It's something like a person standing on the side of the road and just observing the traffic.How it's done: Focus on breathing. Whenever you get distracted - just classify whether it's thinking or though ( the first level noting).After some practising, start second level noting (classifying it into positive, negative, or neutral).Noting helps you realise that everything is in mind and that anxiety is just a thought. During the GMAT, whenever I was feeling anxiety, I was just noting and moving on. It's extremely powerful technique.

Focus on breathing and body sensation:

That's the key to every meditation technique. I used an excellent app - Headspace for this. I took its premium subscription.I took anxiety and focus module. I used to meditate 30 minutes in morning. I used to get three reminders a day apart from the morning. I work in a startup, where we have sleeping room. So I either used desk or sleeping room to take 3 more sessions of 3 minutes in a day.

Get detached from work

It's one of the core philosophy of Gita, a spiritual book. When you have given your best, you should get detached from the result. Just be an observer. The lust for the result will do more harm than good. The day before the exam, I spent a lot of time deemphasizing the importance of GMAT - It's not the biggest thing in life. Moreover, even if I do screw here I will do something good in life. (for me it would have been startup)These all techniques worked for me, and I was quite calm in my final attempt. I hope this works for you.

Second problem - Timing especially in verbal section

Sentence Correction

Critical Reasoning

Reading Comprehension

DS

This was a huge pain for me. Here is what worked for:: Manhattan strategy worked for me.- Have the first glance, and identify the first splits (the better you get at this step with practice, the better is your timing)- If possible, chop of few options based on step 1- Read for meaning (always reading in understandable chunks - while reading identify parallel and subjugate ideas)- Attack question with split strategy: Practicing with LSAT helped me in improving time. Do there 16-25 question, which is extremely tough, so a 700 level question practice. Initially, I used to take 2:30 minutes per question. But after optimising and fixing process for every question types, in general, I used to take around 1:45-2 minutes. Optimising approach could be done by watching videos of Ron. As I was struggling a lot, I took help of a personal tutor. He helped me trim my approach.- First read the prompt- Assumptions - Just form an equation (Premise -> Conclusion) and identify answer. Generally, 1:30 min.- Bold Face: Attack each statement separately in option (1:30-1:45 min)- Evaluate Question: I always used to err on this question type, so I gave 2:00-2:15 minutes. First, identify assumptions, then attack, and then apply variance test- Strengthen and Weaken: They could be tricky. Generally 1:45-2 Min: I followed my tutor's approach, which was quite close to Manhattan approach.Reading for opinion and skimming details helped me trim time. Moreover, once I perfected global question process, I was able to save a lot of time, as they take the least amount of time.: Just followed Manhattan process. Started included algebraic approach thanks to Brunnel. As I was good in algebra, this really helped. Finally, I settled on this:- Value Question - Algebra approach- Yes/no Question - Number testing approach

Strategies for various sections:

Sentence Correction:

Modifier

Tenses

Subject-Verb agreement

Pronoun

Parallelism:

Resources used:



First, splits are real. I could see the normal split - idiom usage (both), which/that etc. split today. While it's okay to focus on meaning, you shouldn't neglect split approach. My accuracy was improved in the second attempt, but I was taking 1:45 min on an average on SC. To reduce the average time, I adopted split strategy rather than read every option. This helped me do SC questions in 1:20 -1:30 min.Second, I know it has been said a lot, but here it goes again - stick to official questions. They are enough. I religiously did 100+ official question, read the entire explanations (of 4-5 pages) on Manhattan forum. I made notes for this. I have attached the strategy notes that I made of these error types. Overall, there are not many different types of errors that you need to focus on.- Type (adjective and adverb) and placement. Understand all the nuances here. I focussed a lot on this. You should understand intricacies such as:Edward studies at ISB, graduating with distinction. --> Since the act of graduation didnt happen at the time of studying - this is not viable.Recently documented examples of neurogenesis, the production of new brain cells, include the brain growing in mice when placed in a stimulating environment or neurons increasing in canaries that learn new songs.After neglecting modifiers  brain and neurons are examples of neurogenesis (non-sensical)Preposition modifier can be both adverbial and adjectival: Read the basic and ignore (for non-native). As per Ron, tenses are tough to grasp for non-native, although I never struggled, as GMAT, in general, just test - perfect and continuous tense cases. It was never my first attach.- It's generally my first point of attack. You just have to learn all the rules.- Again not a complex topic. I used to neglect ambiguity and just focus on matching singular/plural and subject/object caseYou should all weirs types of parallelism such as active-passive so that you don't cross off the right answer. After this, just follow Ron's advice - Parallelism is a Beauty contest. Just pick the most elegant one.Manhattan SC GuideOffical GuidePersonal Tutoring from - It was gamechanger for me.- Some high-quality tough questions for practice.Personal tutoring from helped me a lot. Aravind and Saikaran, my tutors, helped me tweak my strategy and approach for SC questions.

Critical Reasoning:

Strategy to get comfortable with tough CR and master paraphrasing answer



Solve famous paradoxes

For concept building, I used LR Bible and .I believe you start cracking CR once you start seeing the line of reasoning, which have fixed patterns - analogy, causation, correlation etc. In facts, wrong answers have also pattern. Once you start maintaining error and correcting your approach CR improves.I maintained and CR Strategy Doc (collection of some of my strategy).I practised around 20 LSAT sets. This helped me groom my CR skills in final stages of preparations.I did all of 700+ level questions of GMAT Club from reputed institutes in CR.- Guess possible answer for official questions with looking answer- Here is a list of paradox Apart from interesting, this exercise makes you comfortable with tough CR. For exmaple, Simpson Paradox was used in one GMAT Prep question about award for national and international movies - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpson%27s_paradox Similarly, low birth weight paradox and Faint young sun paradox is quite intersting. First, just read the paradox. Then predict multiple answer. Then check whether you wer thinking in right direction or whether you were logical. I used to do this at work with my team mates - a good entertaining exercise.Overall, I believe practice helps a lot in CR.

Reading Comprehension

Following strategy worked for me:- Taking notes: This helped me improve my accuracy from 60-70% to 90%.- Practicing LSAT passages: These passages took away fear of GMAT long passages- Maintaining error and fixed strategy for every question types- Ron videos on RC are extremely usefulI followed framework of my Tutor Saikaran - ROCI (Read the opinion and skip information)

Quant:

Apart from some Manhattan Guide, I didn't use any other material for theory in quant. I maintained and notes that helped me a lot.I used following resources for solving 700 level questions:100 Hardest Questions GMAT Club- ManhattanManhattan mocks are awesome in quant

Resources Used:

Official Guides CrackVerbal Personal Tutoring Session (20 hours)Mock: GMAT, Manhattan, Veritas, GMAT Club, Kaplan, , Economist, and Princeton. (Written in order of my preference)Manhattan guidesVeritas CR GuideLSAT PapersKaplan 800Kaplan Quiz Bank (Did only 100 question)Economist Question Bank (There is a trick to freely access all their questions. It's stored in Google Cache. Sorry Economist Team!)Question Bank

Tips for success

- As identifying pattern in a key in GMAT, you should maintain:Strategy Doc: Detailing question types, strategy, and patterns: This will help you improve accuracy- You can use the mocks even twice or thrice. I even used Manhattan mocks thrice. In my third attempt, I was using mock not as a score estimator but just as a tool to solidify my approach.- Keep optimising your technique, even 10-second reduction per question matters- Make the best use of GMAT Club questions. You can do timed sets to improve your timing #SuggestionGood luck!
tonyzzz wrote:

Background:

- Chinese American male, 29 years old, married.

- Undergraduate: Economics @ UCLA.

- GMAT: 700 (V35, Q49, AW6, IR2). I've taken the GMAT twice. First time I scored 620 in April this year. I improved to 700 three months later in July.

- GPA: 3.2

- WE: 6 years in a private equity commercial/residential investment and development firm (a family business setting but not my family's business) in San Francisco. Promoted for 3 times. Now hold a director title. Main duties include project management, property management, marketing, potential project acquisition analysis.

- EC: Co-founded a podcast station with my college friends; sound editor for my wife's dance studio; community service at a local temple to help disadvantaged seniors during college, etc.

- Development of interest in consulting: At my current job I have helped many retail business owners/entrepreneurs set up their companies as our shopping plaza tenants - primarily restaurants, coffee shops, bridal shop, furniture stores, etc. Through helping them I realize that I lack skills in X, Y, and Z and thus will need an MBA to reinforce those areas. To have the adequate tools and power to make an impact in the small to midsize business (SMEs) circle, I developed my interest in being a management consultant. I would like to work at a top global consulting firm in order to expose/immerse myself with the big corporate training so that I can be my own boss in the long run.

- Short-term goal: to work at MBB or Deloitte/Accenture/EY to focus on retail management consulting.

- Long-term goal: to found my own consultancy to help small to midsize businesses succeed in the retail industry.



School selections:

I've already applied to CBS Early Decision (rejected without interview), Tuck R2, Johnson R2. Now I'm working on Yale SOM and Fuqua for R2. I really need some advice for the last 3-4 schools that I'm going to apply in December. I'm debating between Ross and Anderson, while I'm definitely applying for Tepper and USC Marshall.



Please feel free to share with me your thoughts based on my candidacy. I've felt frustrated to confirm on the last few schools to apply to.



Thank you!!



mbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant

17+ years in MBA Admissions Consulting; 40+ positive reviews on GMAT Club

https://www.mbamission.com/who-we-are/testimonials/jen-kedrowski/



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Jen KedrowskimbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant17+ years in MBA Admissions Consulting; 40+ positive reviews on GMAT ClubSign up for a free 30-minute consultation: https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/ Read our Insider's Guides to the top b-schools: http://www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders Signature Read More

Hi there,Your work experience sounds solid, and I like your various community & EC involvements and the thought you've put into your goals. With the lower GPA and borderline GMAT, it's true that the top tier of schools are going to be tough... I'd be hopeful for consideration at Johnson, Tepper, and Marshall... I'd choose Ross over UCLA for you in my view. You could also look at options such as Emory or Georgetown for more of a backup potentially. Good luck! Let us know if you'd like to speak further, we do offer free consultations if interested at www.mbamission.com/consult _________________
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By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Nov 17 (PTI) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will begin a tour of Bangladesh and Myanmar from tomorrow during which he is expected to persuade the two countries to seek a "proper solution" to the raging Rohingya refugee crisis.

Both Bangladesh and Myanmar are friendly neighbours of China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media briefing here today.

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During Wang?s visit, he will exchange views on bilateral relations, issues of regional and common interest, he said.

Asked whether the Rohingya refugees issue will figure in the talks, Geng said "on the Rakhine state issue, China will continue to make efforts to promote two sides to dialogue and seek proper solution to the relevant issue".

An estimated 618,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled mainly Myanmar since a military crackdown was launched in Rakhine in August, which the United Nations and watchdogs have said amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Despite Beijing?s opposition, the United Nations General Assembly?s human rights committee endorsed a resolution by an overwhelming 135 votes to 10 calling on Myanmars authorities to end military operations against the Rohingya, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

Geng earlier said Wang will visit Bangladesh and Myanmar from November 18 to 19. During his stay there, Wang will hold talks with his counterparts and meet leaders, he said.

In Myanmar, Wang will take part in the13th foreign ministers meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) being held in Nay Pyi Taw from Novembr 20 to 21.

Besides holding bilateral talks with Myanmar leaders, he will have bilateral meetings with some heads of delegation to promote a new-type of Asia-Europe partnership and address challenges together, Geng said.

China, which provided unwavering support for Myanmar?s military junta over two decades, is behind a USD 7.3 billion deep-water port in Rakhine, which plays a pivotal role in Beijing?s belt and road trade initiative, the Post report said.

It also built USD 2.45 billion oil and gas pipeline project linking the remote coast of Rakhine to southwestern China?s Yunnan province, 770km away. PTI KJV NSA

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The increase in the number of the Missions blue helmets comes against the backdrop of increasing fighting in the African nation and the resulting added insecurity and misery of its civilian population.



The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR, known by its French acronym, MINUSCA, has also come under numerous attacks, which have killed at least 12 peacekeepers this year and injured many more.



In an effort to draw attention to the fragile situation in the country that, in his words, is often far from the media spotlight, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres travelled to CAR in late October.



In CAR, the UN chief warned of religious divisions in the country, stressing that these rifts are a result of political manipulation that must be condemned and avoided at all costs.



Security Council condemns incitement to ethnic, religious hatred



Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member Council condemned in the strongest terms incitement to ethnic and religious hatred and violence and the multiple violations of international humanitarian law and the widespread human rights violations and abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence, committed  in particular  by the mainly Muslim ex-Seleka and mainly Christian anti-Balaka elements, as well as other militia groups, and the targeting of civilians from specific communities.



The Council also reiterated its serious concerns over the dire humanitarian situation in the country because of the deteriorating security situation, and the lack of access for and attacks against relief workers.



According to estimates, over 600,000 people have been internally displaced within the country and more than 500,000 have sought refuge beyond CARs borders. This total figure of more than 1.1 million displaced  internally or abroad  is the highest ever recorded for the country.



Also by the resolution, the Security Council called on the national authorities to take concrete steps, without delay and as a matter of priority, to strengthen justice institutions and to fight impunity and urged them continue their efforts to restore the effective authority of the State over the whole territory of the CAR.



Human rights, including child protection and sexual violence in conflict



Concerning the human rights situation in the country, the Council reiterated the urgent need to hold accountable all perpetrators of violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law.



It also called upon all parties to conflict, including ex-Seleka and anti-Balaka elements, to end all violations and abuses committed against children, in violation of applicable international law, including those involving their recruitment and use, rape and sexual violence, killing and maiming, abductions and attacks on schools and hospitals.



[The Council] further calls upon the CAR authorities to swiftly investigate alleged violations and abuses in order to hold perpetrators accountable and to ensure that those responsible for such violations and abuses are excluded from the security sector, read the resolution.



UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe



Source: www.justearthnews.com










In a move that some see as a sign to Hezbollah and Iranian militias, it was stipulated that Moscow immediately remove non-Syrian fighters from the safe zone  a middle ground of five kilometers between regime forces and opposition factions.

In an article published in Asharq Al-Awsat, the text of the agreement they obtained is outlined. They report that the agreement stipulates that Russia must spread 10 monitoring points and two search points, in return for a pledge from Washington and Amman to immediately work with opposition factions fighting ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and Qaeda at the separation line in the ceasefire area of southwestern Syria.

According to Jordans Minister of State for Media Affairs, Mohammad Momani, the representatives of the three countries signed the agreement in the capital, Amman. These representatives who set up a temporary de-escalation zone in southern Syria to back the ceasefire along the confrontation lines in the southwest, never mentioned Hezbollah and the Iranian militias by name. However, according to Asharq Al-Awsat, the tripartite talks in Jordan were clearly tackling Tehran-linked militias fighting in Syria.

Previously, a US official asserted that the agreement involves Iranian forces and militias backed by Tehran, including the Lebanese Hezbollah, in addition to foreign fundamentalist militias fighting with Jubhat al-Nusra and other extremist groups.

A Russian official disavowed that explanation, saying it was wrong.

The most important item in the tripartite document is related to the establishment of a buffer zone free of foreign fighters, in a sign to Hezbollah and Iranian militias, said Western officials who received the text of the new agreement.

No foreign intelligence is allowed in the designated buffer zone, the text asserts, which is based on maps attached to the text, and is likely located five kilometers adjacent to opposition-controlled areas in the countryside of Daraa, Sweida and Quneitra.

The tripartite agreement is based on seven principals that are similar to the texts of the de-escalation zones reached in Damascus Ghouta, the countryside of Homs, and other areas.

The agreement has an additional item that stipulating that local administrative councils remain in the area, and also allows delivery of humanitarian aid and construction materials. As well, there is a Jordanian pledge to open the border crossings with Syria.

US President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met informally on the sidelines of a regional economic summit in Vietnam early this month. Regarding the agreement in Amman, they discussed an extensive statement on the conflict in Syria, that would reaffirm both leaders commitment to defeat ISIS in the country, and the necessity of keeping existing military communications open.
Earlier this month, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, unexpectedly resigned from Saudi Arabia, citing fears that Hezbollah- the Iran-backed terrorist group- would assassinate him as they did his father, former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, in 2005.

While the consequences of Hariris resignation are still unknown- Lebanese President Michael Aoun refuses to accept the resignation until Hariri returns to Lebanon- it is clear that Iranian aggression has expanded far beyond its own borders.

This is bad news for the Lebanese people, for countries like Israel who share a border with Lebanon, for the other Arab states, and America and its interests in the Middle East.

John Bolton, the former US Ambassador to the UN, wrote an op-ed for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) explaining that Irans expansionist strategy was predictable and therefore preventable.

He wrote: Sadly, Irans progress was foreseeable from the inception of Barack Obamas strategy of using Iraqi military forces and Shia militia units as critical elements in the campaign to eradicate the ISIS caliphate in Syria and Iraq. The Baghdad government is effectively Irans satellite. Accordingly, Obamas decision to provide that regime with military assistance and advice strengthened Irans hand even further and materially contributed to its efforts to establish dominance in Iraqs Shia regions.

This same pattern can be seen across the Middle East. Its all part of the Iranian Regimes plan to create a Shiite Crescent from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.

Unfortunately, no one in the Pentagon, the State Department, or the National Security Council told Donald Trump about the implications of Irans strategy.

Hariris resignation means that now there is very little that stands between Iran and the total domination of Lebanon, which could pose a serious and immediate threat to US ally Israel, whom the Iranian Regime refers to as the little Satan.

The surrounding Arab states also see that a Shiite Crescent will be incredibly damaging to national and international security, especially with the growing threat of Irans ballistic missiles capability.

Bolton, also a former undersecretary of State for arms control and international security, wrote: The Trump administration cannot continue idly watching Iran advance without opposition. Washington and its regional allies need a comprehensive strategy to deal with Iran, not a series of ad hoc responses to regional developments. Time is fast running out.
By PTI: engagement: Swaraj

New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today that civil nuclear cooperation was an "important pillar" of Indias engagement with France and the two countries have discussed "concrete ways" to expeditiously implement the 9,900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP).

Addressing a joint press event with her French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, Swaraj said that apart from atomic energy, cooperation in defence and space constitute the principal pillars of the bilateral strategic partnership.

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For India, France was one of the first countries to have a high degree of cooperation in the strategic area.

It was also the first country to have signed the civil nuclear cooperation agreement in 2008 - even before the United States - after the Nuclear Suppliers Group gave a unique waiver to India despite New Delhi not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"The civil nuclear cooperation is an important pillar of our bilateral engagement. Both sides discussed concrete ways to expeditiously implement the Jaitapur project," Swaraj said.

As part of the nuclear cooperation agreement India and France signed in 2008, Paris is to help New Delhi build six atomic power reactors of 1,650 MW each at Jaitapur, some 500 kms south of Mumbai.

French firm EDF will build the six reactors of the long- pending JNPP, with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) as its operator.

Swaraj also said that France has provided a "consistent support" to Indias candidature for the membership of multilateral export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassennar Arrangement, and the Australia Group.

"Frances support was vital in Indias accession to the The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in June 2016," Swaraj noted.

The JNPP was first envisioned in 2009 and the deal was signed between Areva S.A. and the NPCIL in 2010. The six power reactors are to be built using the European Pressurised Reactor (CPR) technology. PTI PR ABH

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The MP government had filed a case of criminal defamation against KK Mishra in June 2014 under section 199 (2).

By Rahul Noronha: A court in Bhopal on Friday sentenced Congress spokesperson KK Mishra to two years in jail after he was found guilty of making defamatory statements against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in connection with the Vyapam case .

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Mishra. In case he fails to pay the fine, the sentence will be increased by 3 months in jail. Mishra was however granted bail after the sentence and he said that he will continue his 'fight'.

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The MP government had filed a case of criminal defamation against KK Mishra in June 2014 under section 199 (2).

The case was filed after KK Mishra had said that many of the candidates selected illegally as constables in the transport department through the recruitment agency Vyapam hailed from Gondi- the town to which Shivraj Singh Chouhan's wife Sadhna Singh belongs.

The prosecution had alleged that Mishra had lowered the dignity of the CM and his family through the unsubstantiated allegations.

KK Mishra had earlier filed a revision petition at the High Court demanding that his case be heard elsewhere. His petition was dismissed by the HC and another petition filed by Mishra with the same prayer at the Supreme Court was not entertained either.

On Thursday, a day before the sentence was delivered, Mishra had rather dramatically declared through social media that the ruling in the case would be out on Friday and he would like to inform the media of the same before the department of public relations does.

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Washington D.C. is a city full of museums. Visitors have a large choice of places to go to learn about United States history, culture and art.

The latest one to open in Washington is the Museum of the Bible. The 40,000-square-meter building is located near the U.S. Capitol, the National Mall and several Smithsonian museums.

Unlike most major museums in Washington, the $500 million Museum of the Bible was not financed by the government. An American businessman, Steve Green, mostly paid for it. He is the president of Hobby Lobby, a large business that sells arts and crafts.

Greens idea for the museum came after he privately collected more than 300 Bible-related artifacts. He wanted a way to share these items with the rest of the world in a permanent home.

Green says the goal of the museum is to educate people, not preach to them. Theres just a basic need for people to read the book, he told reporters. We just want to present the facts and let visitors decide.

Museum officials have said the institution is not intended to represent the views of any particular religious or political group. They noted that more than 100 scholars representing a variety of groups helped design all exhibits in the museum.

However, some religious scholars have questioned whether the museum provides a balanced view of the Bible and religious history.

Joel Baden is a professor at Yale Divinity School and co-author of the book Bible Nation. He told Reuters the museum leaves out some important history relating to other major world religions.

They are telling a story of the Bible that is a particularly American Protestant one. He said little attention was given to Roman Catholics, Jews, Muslims and Mormons.

There are also concerns about the museums true intentions because of several controversies involving Steve Green and Hobby Lobby. Green and his family have been very public in opposing birth control and supporting efforts to include Bible teachings in U.S. public schools.

In 2014, Hobby Lobby won a U.S. Supreme Court case giving the right to deny workers at family-owned companies health coverage for birth control.

In July, Hobby Lobby also was ordered to pay a $3 million fine and return artifacts the company bought without knowing the items had been smuggled out of Iraq. The company admitted it should have taken greater care in doing business with its dealers. Museum officials said none of those items were meant to be put in the Museum of the Bible.

John Fea is head of the history department at Messiah College, a private, Christian college in the state of Pennsylvania. He said he thinks it will be very difficult for the museum to remain neutral in proving information about the holy book.

Its going to be very, very hard to present the Bible in that way," he said. "Because the Bible is always so sort of ensconced, and so connected to a particular religious tradition and their way of interpreting it.

Visitors enter the museum through a dramatic 12-meter-tall bronze entrance containing writing from the first book of the Bible, Genesis. One museum official said about the design, "when you walk in, youre really walking into the Bible.

The writing on the doors came from an early version of the Gutenberg Bible. The Gutenberg Bible was the first major book printed in Europe with movable type.

Among the many Bibles shown at the museum is one called the Eliot Indian Bible. The museum says it was the first Bible printed in America in a Native American language.

The Museum collection also includes several first editions of the King James Bible and early versions from Christian Reformation leader Martin Luther.

Also shown are a large collection from the Dead Sea Scrolls, and what the museum describes as the world's largest collection of Torah scrolls, covering more than 700 years of history.

In addition, visitors can explore an area on the Bibles influence on cultures across the world, including education, literature and art. Included in this area are a Bible once owned by Elvis Presley and modern fashion designs inspired by biblical subjects.

There is no cost to visit the museum, but donations are accepted.

Im Bryan Lynn. And I'm Caty Weaver.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from VOA News, the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Is the Museum of the Bible a place you want to visit? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

artifact  n. things made by people in the past

innovative  adj. using new methods or ideas

engage  v. to do something

preach  v. speak or write about something in an approving way

basic  adj. simple, not including anything extra

exhibit  n. collection of objects placed in one place for people to see or inspect

controversy  n. strong disagreement over something among a large group of people

ensconced  adj. positioned safely or comfortably somewhere


The beating that ended Pehlu Khans life in April was captured on video.

A group of men hit the 55-year-old man, threw him to the ground and stepped on him in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan. He asked them to stop but they refused.

As the beating continued, people nearby were stealing Khans cows. They took the cows to a nearby Hindu-run shelter that accepts stolen cows and sells them. Cow theft and sales have brought money to needy Hindu communities in rural areas.

About 14 percent of the 1.3 billion people living in India are Muslim. Public attacks on the Muslim population have raised concerns about the direction the country is taking. The attackers are mostly nationalistic Hindus who helped Narendra Modi win the office of prime minister in 2014. They are working as private militias in the cow stealing operations.

Modi has worked since becoming prime minister to persuade the world that India is a good place for foreign investment. But, the violent crime clashes with this image. His strongest supporters are now seen as shaping India through violence and religious discrimination. But public demands that Modi stop the crime have gone unanswered. Many wonder if Modi has enough influence over his supporters to make them stop.

States that Modis Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, governs are reported to have had a notable increase in the stealing of cows from Muslims.

There is no official record on the number of cows stolen from Muslims since 2014. But Reuters news service says it spoke to two main northern Indian groups of cow thieves, called cow protectors there. Reuters reports they said they had stolen about 190,000 cows since Modis election. Sometimes they stole them in the presence of police, the groups leadership reportedly said. Reuters reports the groups also said Muslims were the victims in almost every case.

It is difficult to put value on the stolen cows. Prices go as high as $385 for young healthy animals. That is a lot of money in India, where some 270 million people live on less than $2 a day.

Hindus view cows as holy animals. The killing of cows for meat is illegal in most of India. Dinesh Patil is a district head of the Bajrang Dal group in the southwestern state of Maharashtra. The group is closely linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, a major nationalist Hindu organization.

Patil told Reuters, Everyone in this world is born Hindu. They are turned into Muslims when they are circumcised and Christians when they are baptized.

The RSS argues that foreign intervention by Muslims and then Christians has polluted Indias purity for more than one thousand years. The RSS helped create Modis political party. The prime minister first attended the groups meetings as a child.

Patil said that the Bajrang Dal took almost every one of the 1,700 cows at the center he manages from, in his words, Muslim slaughterers.

Sudhanshu Trivedi is a national spokesman for the ruling BJP. He said his party expects anyone with knowledge of illegal acts, such as cow slaughter, to tell the police. He added that in cases where cows were taken, it was because their owners had broken laws.

It is not redistribution of wealth. It is just stopping of illegal activities, he said.

Modis office directed Reuters to the Home Ministry for comments on this issue. The ministry said it is not correct that cow stealing has risen on Modis watch. Also, it said it is preposterous to suggest that Hindus are organizing to steal and redistribute cattle.

Some people have taken the law into their own hands in the name of protecting the cows, the ministry noted in a written statement. But, it said, the Government is committed to protecting the legal rights of all citizens, including minorities in India.

The Supreme Court has also dealt with the issue. In September, the court ruled that central and state governments must deploy police to prevent cow theft and related violence.

Some Hindu activists seem to ignore Modis calls to end the attacks. One group of cow protectors, known as Bharatiya Gau Raksha Dal, claims 10,000 members mostly in western and northern Indian states. Pawan Pandit, a part-time computer program engineer, is their leader. He said the prime ministers condemnation of what he called anti-social activities did not move the group to stop.

The cow protection movement totally belonged to the BJP before 2014, Pandit added. Now groups like ours have the momentum.

He said militias operating under his cow protection group captured as many as 60,000 cows in the three years before Modi came to office. Since 2014, Pandit noted, the group has taken more than 100,000 cows, often working with police.

Im Pete Musto. And I'm Caty Weaver.

Zeba Siddiqui, Krishna N. Das, Tommy Wilkes and Tom Lasseter reported this for the Reuters news service. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Is religious conflict a problem in your country? How does your government deal with unfair treatment of minorities? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

theft  n. the act or crime of stealing

district  n. an area or section of a country, city, or town

circumcise(d)  v. to cut off the skin at the end of the penis of a man or boy, or outer sexual organs of a woman or girl, mainly for religious reasons

baptize(d)  v. to officially make someone a member of a specified Christian church through the ceremony in which a small amount of water is placed on a person's head or in which a person's body is briefly placed under water

slaughterer(s) - n. someone who kills animals for food

redistribution  n. the act of dividing something among a group in a different way

preposterous  adj. very foolish or silly

cattle  n. cows, bulls, or steers that are kept on a farm or ranch for meat or milk

committed  adj. willing to give your time and energy to something

momentum  n. the strength or force that allows something to continue or to grow stronger or faster as time passes


This is Whats Trending Today

The line of people stretches out the door at Munchs Burger Shack in Tokyo. The tiny eatery serves American-style hamburgers, among other things.

Many of the people who line up have come from far away to try the food. Haruyuki Sano traveled 1.5 hours for a hamburger.

Not just any hamburger.

Sano and others are eager to try the same hamburger that United States President Donald Trump ate here last week: the 100 percent U.S. Angus beef Colby Jack Cheeseburger. Trump ate a Munchs burger with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit to Japan.

It tasted great, like steak, Sano said after tasting the burger.

Trumps tough talk on trade and security does not always get positive responses in Japan, which sees the U.S. as its most important partner. But his love for the Japanese version of the American hamburger is popular with many here.

I like Trump, said Sano. He adds that putting ones country first makes sense. He thinks Japan should do that, too.

While better known for foods like sushi and ramen, Japan has long enjoyed American food. So-called premium burgers are growing especially popular.

Munchs Burger Shack now offers the President Trump Set on its menu. It includes the burger along with coleslaw and french fries. It sells for 1,400 Japanese yen, or $12.

Munchs co-owner, Yutaka Yanagisawa, shook Trumps hand last week after the president finished eating his burger. The president said the food was very good.

I felt so honored, Yanagisawa said, adding that all he could say in reply was thank you.

He says the President Trump Set is now one of the most popular options on the menu.

The experience of eating at restaurants in Tokyo is increasingly about fun storytelling, says Jotaro Fujii. He is a Tokyo-based food expert. This storytelling usually includes sharing photos of meals on Instagram.

He expects the Trump effect for Munchs Burger Shack to be huge.

Talk of lines brings more lines, said Fujii. Rather than mere taste, the value and joy come from being able to say: I had the same burger as Trump.

I'm Pete Musto.

The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

hamburger - n. a flat, usually round cake of finely chopped beef that is cooked and served usually in a roll or bun

steak - n. a thick, flat piece of meat and especially beef

premium- adj . of high or higher than normal quality

mere - adj. used to say that something or someone is small, unimportant, etc.

joy - n. a feeling of great happiness

sushi - n. a Japanese dish of cold cooked rice shaped in small cakes and topped or wrapped with other ingredients (such as pieces of raw fish)

ramen - n. very thin, long noodles used in Asian cooking


Vietnams largest technology company may profit from a free trade deal agreed to at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, meetings in Da Nang this month.

The new agreement replaces the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which the United States withdrew in January.

Eleven countries meeting at APEC agreed to the new deal.

On the basis of the results of four rounds of negotiations, Ministershave agreed on some important contents, including an agreement of a new name for TPP with 11 members, the Comprehensive Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), said Tran Tuan Anh, Vietnams Trade Minister on Saturday.

The redesigned deal came after President Donald Trump took the United States, the worlds largest market, out of the TPP. Trump said he preferred bilateral agreements to large treaties.

Truong Gia Binh, chairman of Vietnams largest technology company FPT, spoke to VOA about protectionism as a barrier to free trade. He said he believes the U.S. will return to trade talks.

I strongly believe at a certain point the U.S. will come back to discuss strong commitment to growth. And I think thats going to be the way America goes as the leader in the world, Binh said.

Vietnam hopes to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of free trade as it expands in the Pacific. Vietnam has rapidly growing exports, including technology.

FPT is growing its operations at home. It opened a large new building in Da Nang in April. Speaking at the new building, Binh discussed his belief in free trade.

I think thats very important for Vietnam, not only open to the world, but also to improve the regulations for trading and manufacturing and make Vietnam more international, he said.

Technology is growing fast in Vietnam.

For domestic, we normally got 15 percent annually. For export, we normally get 25 percent per year, said Binh.

Intel and Samsung are among the biggest investors in the country, he added.

In 2010, Intel opened a $1 billion chip factory in Vietnam. Samsung makes half of its mobile phones in the country. By some estimates, they account for 20 percent of Vietnams exports.

Free trade and investment are driving Vietnams economy. It has one of the strongest growth rates in Asia, at more than 6 percent a year.

Vietnam has trade deals with a number of other countries, including South Korea and Japan. Binh said His company's largest operation is in Japan. He said the country is a big market where the company sees continued growth.

A trans-Pacific deal, even without the United States, would also help the economy since Vietnam would trade more with its neighbors.

FPT says it will not miss the worldwide, digital revolution.

Vietnam was late for the last three industrial revolutions, said Binh. He said this may be the last chance for the country to catch up with the rest of the world.

I'm Susan Shand

Daniel Schearf wrote this report for VOANews. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

bilateral - adj. involving two groups or countries

beneficial - adj. producing good or helpful results or effects: producing benefits

regulation - n. an official rule or law that says how something should be done
Corning Incorporated engages in display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences businesses worldwide. The company's Display Technologies segment offers glass substrates for liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablets, and handheld devices. Its Optical Communications segment provides optical fibers and cables; and hardware and equipment products, including cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware and connectors, optical components and couplers, closures, network interface devices, and other accessories. This segment also offers its products to businesses, governments, and individuals. Its Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that provide material formulations for glass, glass ceramics, crystals, precision metrology instruments, software; as well as ultra-thin and ultra-flat glass wafers, substrates, tinted sunglasses, and radiation shielding products. This segment serves various industries, including mobile consumer electronics, semiconductor equipment optics and consumables; aerospace and defense optics; radiation shielding products, sunglasses, and telecommunications components. The company's Environmental Technologies segment offers ceramic substrates and filter products for emissions control in mobile, gasoline, and diesel applications. The company's Life Sciences segment offers laboratory products comprising consumables, such as plastic vessels, liquid handling plastics, specialty surfaces, cell culture media, and serum, as well as general labware and equipment under the Corning, Falcon, Pyrex, and Axygen brands. The company was formerly known as Corning Glass Works and changed its name to Corning Incorporated in April 1989. Corning Incorporated was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Corning, New York.
Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2021, the company marketed approximately 301 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States, Canada, and in 20 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
By Mustafa Shaikh: Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam said on Friday that Vidharbha Infotech Pvt. Ltd, which has contract of towing vehicles in Mumbai, doesn't have expertise in this work. Asking for an investigation by a competent officer, Nirupam alleged that the software solutions company got work contracts wherever IAS officer Pravin Darade was posted.

"In the case of towing contract, there was a condition for Rs 50 crore bank guarantees that's why smaller companies are unable to bid. Why has Vidharbha Infotech given an office space at traffic police's headquarters for free? Since this company got contract, towing charges in Mumbai has increased from Rs 400-Rs 600. We're getting to see inhuman instances like mother's being towed with their kids," said Nirupam.

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Though, no proof was provided by the politician to link the bureaucrat and the company, he alleged that it can't be a mere coincidence that since the government has come to power, this company has received 10 contracts.

"Darade has been given a bungalow in Mumbai till he retires. Never has this happened in the country before. I am just asking for an enquiry in the case," he added.

Nirupam alleged that before coming to Chief Minister's office, Darade was Chairperson of Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), the same company got a contract. When he was transferred from CMO to MMRDA as Additional Metropolitan Commissioner, the same company got a contract.

CM's office sent a statement clarifying that allegations made by Nirupam are baseless. Neither the Chief Minister's office nor Praveen Darade has to do with towing van contract which has been awarded by traffic police. In fact, KPMG was appointed as a consultant for the contract. This agency suggested the use of ultra modern hydraulic cranes for towing operations and based on this suggestion, traffic police called for tenders.

The Maharashtra towing Association and other contractors have moved to High Court over this contract and the state government has called for a report from Mumbai police. The report is with the government and will be placed before the High Court.

WATCH VIDEO | Mumbai: Traffic officials tow car with woman, baby inside

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Dominion Energy, Inc. produces and distributes energy in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Dominion Energy Virginia, Gas Distribution, Dominion Energy South Carolina, and Contracted Assets. The Dominion Energy Virginia segment generates, transmits, and distributes regulated electricity to approximately 2.7 million residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers in Virginia and North Carolina. The Gas Distribution segment is involved in the regulated natural gas sales, transportation, gathering, storage, and distribution operations in Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho that serve approximately 3.1 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. It also has nonregulated renewable natural gas facilities in operation. The Dominion Energy South Carolina segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 772,000 customers in the central, southern, and southwestern portions of South Carolina; and distributes natural gas to approximately 419,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in South Carolina. The Contracted Assets segment is involved in the nonregulated long-term contracted renewable electric generation and solar generation facility development operations; and gas transportation, LNG import, and storage operations, as well as in the liquefaction facility. As of December 31, 2021, the company's portfolio of assets included approximately 30.2 gigawatt of electric generating capacity; 10,700 miles of electric transmission lines; 78,000 miles of electric distribution lines; and 95,700 miles of gas distribution mains and related service facilities. The company was formerly known as Dominion Resources, Inc. Dominion Energy, Inc. was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.
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Delhi's air quality stayed out of the 'severe plus' category, continuing a three-day trend, but a forecast suggested that pollution level in the city may worsen over the weekend.

Entry of trucks and heavy vehicles was banned in the Capital after air pollution crossed critical level.

By Mail Today Bureau: Delhi breathed relatively easy as air quality remained outside the 'severe plus' category for third day straight, prompting authorities to withdraw the ban on entry of trucks and restore parking fees to usual rates.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority lifted the ban on construction activities as well but Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal kept it in abeyance as the matter was pending with the National Green Tribunal.

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However, the NGT, which had separately issued an order banning entry of trucks (except those carrying essential commodities), has posted the matter for hearing on Friday. The transport department issued a notification lifting the ban following the LG's nod, thereby allowing thousands of trucks, which were stuck at the entry points, to enter the city.

SAFAR (System of Air Quality And Weather Forecasting And Research) has forecast that air quality may dip over the weekend due to incursion of moisture and fall in inversion layer which will keep pollutants trapped near the surface. The air quality index - at 363 - was in the 'very poor' zone.

The volume (24-hour rolling average) of ultrafine particulates PM2.5 and PM10 were 184 and 299 micrograms per cubic metre respectively. The civic bodies and the DMRC restored the quadrupled parking rates to normal with immediate effect.

The EPCA separately wrote to the chief secretaries of UP, Rajasthan and Haryana informing them that hot mix plants can now be allowed to operate.

However, measures enforced under the GRAP's 'severe' category, including the closure of the Badarpur thermal power plant, ban on brick kilns and stone crushers will continue.

The measures, part of the Graded Response Action Plan, were enforced on November 8 after pollution levels spiked, hitting the emergency category, accompanied by thick smog. The EPCA said the measures can be lifted with immediate effect as the prevailing air quality does not warrant such tough action.

"We are watching the situation very carefully and we have been informed by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology that pollution may rise again because of increased moisture in the air in the coming days. However, if the conditions continue to improve and air quality stabilises, we will review the measures under the 'severe' category and inform you accordingly," EPCA chairman Bhure Lal wrote.

NGT directed the Delhi government to submit data of ambient air quality in the city and said it would consider its ban on construction and industrial activity in the NCR on that basis. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said it would take up the matter on Friday and till then its order would be in force.

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Japanese electronics company Toshiba scaled back its consumer PC business a few years ago, and now a report from Japanese news organization Nikkei suggests that Toshiba is looking to sell off its PC division altogether possibly to Asus or Lenovo.

Toshiba denies that its in talks to sell its PC business. But it would hardly be surprising if the company decided to do so in the near future.

This week Toshiba sold 95 percent of its TV business to Chinese electronics company Hisense. And the companys PC business lost money last year and its expected to lose even more this year.

For a little while it looked like Toshiba was going to create a new Japanese PC company by combining with Fujitsu and Vaio. But Fujitsu recently sold a majority stake in its PC subsidiary to Lenovo, so its unlikely thatll happen anytime soon.

Its been years since Toshiba was a major player in the PC space, which is currently dominated by HP, Lenovo, Dell, Apple, and Asus. At this point I suspect if Toshibas not negotiating to sell its PC business, its only because the company is having trouble finding buyers.
A suicide bomber killed 14 people at a political gathering in the Afghan capital yesterday in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid said another 18 people were wounded, and that the casualties included security forces and civilians. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said the attacker struck at the entrance to the wedding hall where the event was being held.

The Islamic State group claimed the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency. The Taliban denied involvement.

Parliament member Hafiz Mansoor, who attended the meeting but was not harmed, said around 700 supporters of the governor of the northern Balkh province were attending a conference to highlight his work.

Afghan security forces have struggled to combat the Taliban and other insurgents since the U.S. and NATO shifted to a counterterrorism and support role at the end of 2014. The Taliban have seized a number of districts across the country, and both groups have carried out major attacks.

Both the Taliban and the Islamic State affiliate, which is largely made up of disgruntled former Taliban fighters, are at war with the government. Both groups want to impose a harsh version of Islamic law on Afghanistan, but they are fiercely divided over leadership, tactics and ideology, and have clashed on a number of occasions.
The 2017 Macau Good Design  Berlin Exhibition opens today at the China Cultural Centre in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition is an extension of a showcase previously exhibited at the 2016 Hong Kong-Macau Visual Arts Biennale, as well as the Beijing Minsheng Art Museum, the Gansu Dunhuang International Cultural Expo, and the Henan Art Museum in Zhengzhou. It features graphic design, animation design and a 3D mapping show. Across these mediums local elements from Macau are highlighted, such as design and production of Macaus products, award-winning works in previous editions of the Macau Design Biennale and paintings depicting Macau by 19th century British painter George Chinnery, The showcase runs from November 18 to 30. According to the Cultural Affairs Bureau, it offers German audiences a humanistic image of Macau presented from different angles.

Wai Long public housing plan questioned

The president of the Architects Association of Macau, Wong Chung Yuen, criticized the government for having answered too fast when questioned by the public about the number of Wai Long public houses. In the governments Policy Address, it is indicated that only 6,500 public house units will be available at the Wai Long public housing project, which is 1,500 short of the governments previous promise. Wong said that the government was not careful in its calculations back then. In Wongs opinion, there will also be a need for serious consideration concerning transportation once the project is done. During a press conference this week, the chief executive said that after several works it was concluded that only 6,500 units can be built.
China yesterday reiterated its call for an agreement between North Korea and the U.S. under which the North would gain concessions if it freezes its nuclear weapons program, apparently contradicting remarks a day earlier by President Donald Trump.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang Geng said Chinas position has not changed and the freeze-for-freeze initiative, under which the U.S. and South Korea would suspend large-scale military exercises in return, remained a first step.

We believe that the freeze-for-freeze initiative is the most viable and reasonable plan against the current backdrop, which cannot only alleviate the current tensions, but also addresses the most urgent security concerns of all sides, Geng told reporters at a regular briefing.

Such an agreement would create opportunities and conditions for the resumption of peace talks, and find breakthroughs to get out of this stalemate, Geng said.

The U.S. has long dismissed the proposal, saying North Korea must unilaterally cease its program before negotiations can begin. Earlier, Trump told reporters that China had agreed with the U.S. on that point during his 12-day trip through Asia that included a state visit to China, where he was hosted by President Xi Jinping.

President Xi recognizes that a nuclear North Korea is a grave threat to China, and we agreed that we would not accept a so-called freeze for freeze agreement, like those that have consistently failed in the past, Trump said.

China and Russia have proposed the agreement, also known as dual suspension, as a way to restart long-stalled negotiations.

China, North Koreas only major ally, said Wednesday that it would send a high-level special envoy to the Norths capital, Pyongyang, amid an extended chill in relations between the neighbors.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the director of the ruling Communist Partys International Liaison Department, Song Tao, would travel to Pyongyang today to report on the partys national congress held last month. Song would be the first ministerial- level Chinese official to visit North Korea since October 2015.

Trump, who wants China to play a bigger role in pressuring North Korea to end its nuclear program, reacted to the announcement of the visit by calling it a big move.

China is sending an Envoy and Delegation to North Korea  A big move, well see what happens! he tweeted yesterday. He did not elaborate. AP
The man who led Malaysia through the final two decades of the 20th century and has waded back into its politics in recent months said yesterday the countrys current government is deeply problematic and must go.

We are facing a lot of difficulties with a government that ignores the rule of law, Mahathir Mohamad told an audience in Thailand at a forum about Southeast Asia.

These kinds of people must go, he said of current Prime Minister Najib Razaks government, which has held onto power through a huge corruption scandal.

Mahathir, now 92, was Malaysias prime minister from 1991 until 2003. Today, he has emerged as an unlikely rallying point for an opposition coalition stocked with people who once despised him. He has recently taken a strong stance against Najibs government, saying his one-time protege is corrupt and has elbowed Malaysia backward instead of propelling it forward.

Im working with the very people who used to call me dictator and other nasty things, Mahathir said. He has insisted he does not want to become prime minister again and is said to be considering running for a parliamentary seat.

The opposition coalition tried to go after Najib over an international financial scandal that involved a state fund he created when he came to power in 2009. The so-called 1MDB fund is being investigated in the United States and several other countries. The U.S. Justice Department has said at least USD4.5 billion is believed to have been misappropriated from the fund.

Najib has denied any wrongdoing. The coalition has targeted him in a number of ways, trying to engineer a no-confidence vote, asking for the intervention of the countrys king and trying to get police involved. Each effort fell short.

Now we have to wait for elections, Mahathir said. We hope the elections will be fair and just, but we have worries about it.

General elections in Malaysia must be held by August 2018.

In recent days, two Malaysian newspapers linked to the government have run stories about Mahathirs granddaughter, Meera Alyana Mukhriz, and chronicled what they call her lavish lifestyle. The coverage is widely perceived as a shot at the former premier.

Asked about it, he seemed unfazed.

You can publish the picture of my granddaughter on a yacht, he said, then quipped, It was a small yacht anyway.

Mahathir was in Bangkok speaking at a forum called ASEAN@50: In Retrospect, which looked back on the past half century of the Southeast Asian economic and security alliance. The forum was sponsored by The Bangkok Post.

In remarks to the forum, Mahathir reflected on ASEANs history and its penchant for helping Southeast Asian nations develop economically but, more importantly, avoid conflict with each other. He attributed that ability to a diplomatic politesse rooted in the groups leaders, who he said know how to deal with contentious issues without being too pointed.

You couch your words in a way that doesnt raise the hackles of another leader. You place constraints on yourself by being polite, he said. Developing an almost club-like atmosphere is very important.

But he lamented the loss of a tradition  that longtime regional leaders really got to understand each other. Heads of state and government now pass across the stage so fast, he said, that its hard to build relationships as he did with fellow Southeast Asian leaders like Singapores Lee Kuan Yew and Indonesias Suharto.

We knew each other very well. We were friends, Mahathir said. Now, every time you have a meeting of ASEAN, you see different faces. . One term is not enough to develop good friendships. Ted Anthony, Bangkok, AP
Venice is planning to divert massive cruise liners. Barcelona has cracked down on apartment rentals.

Both are at the forefront of efforts to get a grip on overtourism, a phenomenon that is disrupting communities, imperiling cherished buildings and harming the experience of travelers and local residents alike.

Tourism-phobia has become increasingly prevalent, particularly in European destinations where visitors crowd the same places at the same time.

The backlash has even given rise to slogans such as Tourists go home and Tourists are terrorists.

This is a wake-up call, Taleb Rifai, secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, told tourism ministers and industry executives last week at the World Travel Market in London.

The resentment could rise as tourism increases. The UNWTO forecasts 1.8 billion trips by 2030, up from 1.2 billion in 2016. Add in the 5 billion domestic trips now, and thats a lot of tourists. Cheap airfare is helping to fuel the growth, along with massive growth in international travel from countries like China.

Yet many destinations rely on tourism as a primary source of jobs and prosperity. Tourism accounts for around 10 percent of the worlds annual GDP, bringing hard currency into many countries that desperately need it, like Greece.

But tourism can also harm the quality of life for residents, with packed beaches, locals priced out of housing and congested streets in the narrow byways of European cities dating back to medieval times. Longer term problems include environmental damage and the long-term sustainability of cities as viable places to live and work.

For all these reasons, managing tourism is a prominent topic of debate in the industry and a central theme at the World Travel Market.

Rifai, who leaves the UNWTO at the end of the year, dismissed the idea that growth is the enemy. Pulling up the drawbridge, he argued, would be irresponsible when tourism accounts for one in 10 jobs worldwide.

What is required, he stressed, is the need to manage tourism in a sustainable and responsible way that benefits local communities.

Efforts to manage overtourism are becoming more innovative and increasingly tapping new technologies. For example, apps can help tourists visit popular destinations at less busy times. And while critics say Airbnb has priced out locals, its supporters say home rentals can ease pressure on cities by spreading visitors far and wide.

Patrick Robinson, Airbnbs director of public policy for Europe, Middle East and Africa, noted that last year 69 percent of the platforms users in Amsterdam stayed away from the city center.

In some cases, tourist quotas make sense. In the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador has imposed a 100,000 annual limit on visitors. The Croatian city of Dubrovnik, where visitor numbers surged after the Adriatic Sea resort was used as a setting for the series Game of Thrones, has mulled limiting those entering the citys medieval walls to 4,000 daily.

Other strategies include promoting offseason visits, opening up new destinations or tweaking marketing. Prague is pushing local walks off the beaten track, while London promotes neighborhoods such as Greenwich and Richmond.

There is no one solution for all, every destination is different, said Gloria Guevara, the new president and CEO of the London-based World Travel & Tourism Council.

Barcelona, which became a tourist juggernaut after the 1992 Olympics, has outlined measures to balance the needs of locals and visitors. The city has cracked down on unlicensed rentals and established a tourism council that includes residents, business, unions and government. The hope is that by listening to all the stakeholders, Barcelona can reduce the strains tourism places on the city and ameliorate tensions between residents and visitors.

Businesses do not want to put their customers in places where they are being treated as an unwelcome pest, and I think some of the language that weve seen thats hostile to tourism verges on hate speech, said Tim Fairhurst, head of strategy and policy at the European Tourism Association.

Venice has witnessed a tourism backlash in response to the monumental increase in visitors, many of whom irk locals by going to the same spots at the same time.

The problem at the moment is the intolerable concentration of human numbers in these small spaces which are still thoroughfares in what is still a living city, said Jonathan Keates, chairman of the Venice In Peril Fund.

Last week, a plan was announced to block giant cruise ships from steaming past Venices iconic St. Marks Square. Few think its enough, and theres talk of higher taxes on tourists, timed tickets to venues or even the introduction of turnstiles.

Everyone, though, has a role to play, including the tourists themselves.

Venice recently introduced the Enjoy Respect Venice initiative which controls, fines or disciplines travelers who strip and jump into the canals or who eat on church steps. The new measures, according to Keates, clamp down on those treating the place as a kind of extended marble beach rather than a viable city.

Fairhurst said simple measures can make a difference, such as changing opening hours or increasing parking facilities.

There are lots of ways in which we use our cities inefficiently, where with a much more holistic and long-term approach, we could do better, he said.
Macau Scholars Union  vice president Li Jiazeng strongly condemned the governments 2018 policy report for not setting up measures to enhance patriotic education in Macau.

Yesterday, the Macao Polytechnic Institute (IPM) held an academic symposium on the governments Policy Address, which was presented this week by Chief Executive Chui Sai On.

During the symposium, Li questioned: If Macau gained so much under the support of the State, why shouldnt the city pay back the motherland? In addition, the scholar remarked on the Hong Kong peoples low passion and low consciousness in terms of national pride.

He mentioned that this was a result shown in a survey carried out in Hong Kong and targeting Hong Kong residents.

I think that if there are people in Macau daring to conduct such a report, they will conclude that the results are not much better than Hong Kongs, said Li.

Li criticized the Policy Address for only devoting a small part to discussions about the enhancement of patriotic education for students. Li reasoned that more texts should be added into the policy address next year.

Leng Tiexun, director of the One Country Two Systems Research Centre of IPM, on the sideline of the symposium, indicated that he does not think that the Policy Address needs new measures.

The government administration is basically [already working on these issues] [] I think maybe the new aspects should concern what the public has been talking about, such as the government having new measures regarding disasters, said Leng.

The difference in this policy address is that it emphasized the importance of the constitutional law and of the Basic Law. In the past, it emphasized the Basic Law more, said Leng, adding I think these are some practical actions.

Leng suggested that the government should add more context regarding the construction of the legislative structures. I think that [political, social, legal] system build-up is always a big thing for Macau, said Leng.

Another scholar, IPM scholar Yang Yunzhong, pointed out obvious flaws in the policy address.

Yang mentioned that the Greater Bay Area agreement clearly specifies that Macaus development positioning is One Center and One Platform, and One Base. [The One Base] consists in building a communication and cooperation base where Chinese culture is the mainstream, and where multi-culturalism co-exists. [] It is a pity that the report did not correctly comprehend it [the positioning] and emphasize it, complained Yang. JZ
Southeast Asian nations avoided mention yesterday of Chinas construction of islands in the South China Sea and a U.N.-linked arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijings claims in the disputed waters in the latest show of Chinas regional clout.

President Rodrigo Duterte, speaking on behalf of fellow heads of state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, also expectedly skirted any expression of alarm over serious human rights concerns in the region, including the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and his deadly anti-drug campaign in a statement following their annual summit Monday in Manila.

Such statements have been made public shortly after the annual gatherings of leaders of the 10-nation bloc but there was no immediate explanation for the three-day delay, which drew the attention of some Manila-based diplomats. The few instances of delays in the past were caused by differences over wording on long-thorny issues, like the territorial rifts.

China, which wields considerable influence on ASEAN, has steadfastly opposed criticism of its artificial islands, where it has reportedly installed a missile defense system despite widespread concern, including by the United States, Japan and Australia.

Duterte, who took office last year and assumed ASEANs rotational chairmanship this year, has openly tried to court Chinas friendship, trade, investment and infrastructure financing. He has toned down sharp rebuke of Chinas assertive actions in the strategic waterway, one of the worlds busiest, and refused to immediately seek Chinese compliance with an arbitration ruling last year that invalidated its vast claims in the South China Sea on historical grounds.

His rapprochement turned the Philippines from being one of Beijings sharpest critics in the disputed sea.

In the ASEAN statement, Duterte repeated previous calls for a peaceful resolution of the disputes, adherence to the rule of law and welcomed the approval of a framework or outline of a proposed code of conduct aimed at preventing confrontation in the contested waters. Deadly clashes have erupted in the past between Chinese and Vietnamese forces.

With an agreed outline, first proposed 15 years ago, negotiations could now start for the regional code, according to a joint statement by ASEAN and China whose leaders met Monday. Both sides agreed to start the negotiations early next year and conclude the talks as soon as possible, with Duterte taking a position that the code should be legally binding, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

We further reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, emphasized the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states [] that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea, the statement said.

While ASEANs decision to adopt a non-confrontational approach promotes friendly relations with China, it may not foster the rule of law, said Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow with the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

It is bad because it clearly places the political expediency of good relations with China over holding China to fulfilling its commitments under international law, Cook said. Short term expediency trumps long-term principle.

On human rights, ASEAN welcomed the commitment by Myanmar authorities to ensure the safety of civilians, take immediate steps to end the violence in Rakhine, restore normal socio-economic conditions, and address the refugee problem through verification process in language devoid of the alarm expressed by some governments amid deadly conditions threatening the Rohingya. Jim Gomez, Manila, AP
The fugitive leader of Catalonias secessionist movement said that he will repeat as his partys leading candidate in upcoming elections for the Spanish region while he fights extradition from Belgium.

Carles Puigdemont told El Punt-Avui television from Brussels that he is handpicking a list of candidates to run under him in Dec. 21 elections for Catalonias regional parliament, which were called by Spains national government after the regions legislators voted to declare independence.

He said that the list, running under the name Together For Catalonia (Junts pel Catalunya), will include members from his Democratic Party of Catalonia (PDeCAT) and some independents without a background in politics.

I have told PDeCAT that I need to make a list that is more mine than of the party so the greatest number of people feel comfortable, Puigdemont said. PDeCAT has accepted it and is working toward it.

The Democratic Party of Catalonia confirmed to The Associated Press that its national board decided Wednesday to accept Puigdemonts proposal to create his own list.

Puigdemont said he plans to run his campaign from Brussels, where he and four former Cabinet members are facing an extradition hearing that could send them back to Spain to face accusations of rebellion and sedition. A Belgian judge released them from custody after they turned themselves in more than a week ago under the condition that they remain in Belgium.

I am excited to campaign, but with limitations, Puigdemont said. I dont have the right to leave Belgium and obviously I wont.

Puigdemont is a wanted man since he fled Spain following a crackdown by authorities after Catalonias parliament voted in favor of a declaration of independence Oct. 27. He has said he went to the European Unions capital because he didnt trust that he would be fairly treated by Spanish courts.

Puigdemont and the other four former ministers have their extradition hearing Friday. However, the entire extradition process could take months.

He and 13 other former Cabinet members face prison sentences of up to 30 years. Nine former members of his government remained in Spain and were sent to prison by a judge while the investigation proceeds.

Spains government responded to the northeastern regions declaration of independence by firing Puigdemonts government, dissolving Catalonias Parliament and calling snap elections that it hopes will lead to a victory by parties against independence.

Polls forecast a tight race between parties in favor of secession and those who want to preserve centuries-old ties with the rest of Spain. According to the polls, Puigdemonts party is poised to lose votes, while the pro-secession Republican Left is expected to get the biggest block of votes yet fall well short of an outright majority.

Puigdemont said he was disappointed that he failed to persuade the Republic Left party to join his coalition.

Catalan separatists claim a mandate for independence from the results of a referendum on secession held Oct. 1 despite a ban by Spains top court, a boycott by parties against independence and its failure to meet international standards. Forty-three percent of eligible voters turned out to cast ballots in the face of police raids on polling places. If Puigdemont is convicted, besides jail time he could be banned from holding public office.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has pledged to quash all attempts of a breakaway, citing the Spanish constitutions provision that the nation is indivisible.

Earlier Wednesday, Rajoy expressed confidence his government could handle any outside attempts to tamper with the election in Catalonia after his government had said there were indications of cyber-meddling by foreigners.

Spanish Defense Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal said Monday that many actions to mount a misinformation campaign to destabilize Catalonia had come from Russian territory and elsewhere in recent months. However, both Cospedal and Rajoy said Spain had no indication the Russian government was involved. Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, dismissed insinuations of Russian meddling in Catalonia as unsubstantiated. Ciaran Giles, Joseph Wilson, AP
The Dean of Diplomatic Corps said he expressed diplomats' concern about air pollution in the national capital at a meeting with Chief of Protocol Sanjay Verma.

A schoolboy covers his face with a handkerchief as he waits for a passenger bus on a smoggy morning in Delhi (Photo: Reuters)

By Geeta Mohan: Dean of Diplomatic Corps Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, who represents more than 150 foreign missions in India, met with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials to discuss the problem of air pollution in Delhi. Castellanos is also the Dominican Republic's Ambassador to India

The meeting was held after many diplomats - from various missions - raised the issue of health hazards caused by smog, and its impact on the "inflow of tourism." In fact, due to high pollution levels in the national capital, many diplomats have been forced to move out of the city, a PTI report said.

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After his meeting with Chief of Protocol Sanjay Verma (an MEA official), Castellanos told India Today he "expressed the concern that we all have, not only for the diplomats and their families but for all the residents of this city of New Delhi."

A lot of tourists from the nations represented by these diplomats "are cancelling their trips," he said.

"It's affecting the hotel industry."

Castellanos said the first point of contact was the Ministry of External Affairs, but that he would also seek an appointment with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "I will make a courtesy visit to the local government in Delhi. I plan to do it next week," he said.

'UNUSUAL DETERIORATION'

In a press release, Castellanos' office quoted Sanjay Verma as having taken note of the concerns about the "environmental conditions."

"As you know, the downturn in the environment index affects not just the capital of the country, but many other parts of Northern India," he was quoted as saying.

The Dean of Diplomatic Corps' statement adds: "The unusual deterioration in the quality of air is a product of multiple causes, most of which are indeed domestic, that have also been aggravated by a dust storm from a distant geography."

'TOP PRIORITY'

The Narendra Modi government has been working to improve air quality in Delhi and its environs. The envoy was told this was a matter of "top priority".

Several diplomats India Today spoke to emphasized that the solution comes from "joint responsibility."Ambassador Castellanos reiterated this view.

He said he had shared methods and best practices many other nations follow to reduce pollution and environmental hazards.

"The Mexican ambassador had written a lengthy article on how Mexico coped with it...We are sharing some of the information with the Indian government. This is not only affecting Delhi but impacting India, including parts of Pakistan," Castellanos said.

WATCH | Virat Kohli urges Delhiites to use public transport, share rides to fight pollution

--- ENDS ---
A subanalysis of the phase III ALEX study has shown that alectinib 600 mg twice daily is more effective than standard of care crizotinib in Asian patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress.

The J-ALEX study demonstrated that alectinib 300 mg twice daily improved progression-free survival compared to crizotinib in Japanese patients with ALK positive NSCLC. The ALEX study subsequently showed improvement in progression-free survival with alectinib 600 mg twice daily compared to crizotinib in a global population of ALK positive NSCLC patients.

This subanalysis of the ALEX study investigated the efficacy and safety of alectinib 600 mg twice daily compared to crizotinib in Asian versus non-Asian patients with ALK positive NSCLC. As previously reported, the ALEX study included 303 patients who were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive alectinib or standard of care crizotinib. There were 69 Asian patients in each treatment group. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival.

A distinguishing feature of the study was that all patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain every six months, regardless of whether or not they had brain metastases at the start of the study. The time to progression in the brain was measured and compared between the two treatment groups.

"Around 50% of NSCLC patients with ALK mutations will develop brain metastases so it is very important to demonstrate the efficacy of alectinib in the brain," said lead author Professor Tony S.K. Mok, Chairman, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The subanalysis showed similar efficacy and safety with alectinib in Asian and non-Asian patients. Progression-free survival was longer with alectinib compared to crizotinib in Asian and non-Asian populations, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 0.46 and 0.49, respectively. Alectinib reduced central nervous system (CNS) progression compared to crizotinib in the Asian and non-Asian groups, with cause-specific HRs of 0.21 and 0.16, respectively. Median overall survival was not reached in either subgroup.

Response rates to alectinib and crizotinib were 81.2% versus 76.8%, respectively, for the Asian subgroup and 84.3% versus 74.4%, respectively, for the non-Asian subgroup.

The rates of nausea, vomiting, and grade III toxicities overall were lower with alectinib compared to crizotinib, and similar between the Asian and non-Asian subgroups. Liver toxicity due to alectinib was slightly higher in the Asian compared to the non-Asian subgroup.

Mok said: "Alectinib 600 mg twice daily was similarly effective in Asian and non-Asian patients in the ALEX study in terms of progression-free survival, CNS progression, and response rate. The rates of toxicities were also comparable. The findings suggest that 600 mg should be the standard dose of alectinib across Asia."

Commenting on the research, Dr Pilar Garrido, Head of the Thoracic Tumour Section, Medical Oncology Department, Ramon y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, said: "ALK rearrangements emerged as important therapeutic targets in NSCLC in 2007, defining a distinct molecular subset of tumours. Around 5% of NSCLC patients harbour ALK mutations and are highly sensitive to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which efficiently induce apoptosis. Patients wih advanced ALK positive NSCLC have a high lifetime risk of CNS metastases and a high frequency of brain metastases at diagnosis, with the CNS being the most common site of disease progression."

Garrido continued: "The first approved ALK inhibitor, crizotinib, significantly increased response rate and prolonged progression-free survival compared to first- and second-line chemotherapy. However, patients almost invariably relapse on crizotinib, commonly within one year. Alectinib is a highly selective and potent next-generation ALK inhibitor - with high CNS penetration - that has demonstrated significant anti-tumour activity against ALK-rearranged NSCLC in several trials. The phase III ALEX and J-ALEX trials showed the superiority of alectinib compared with crizotinib in progression-free survival and reducing the risk of progression in both non-CNS and CNS lesions. Alectinib also had a favourable adverse event profile compared to crizotinib in both studies although in the J-ALEX trial the dose of alectinib (300 mg twice daily) was lower than the approved dose in countries other than Japan."

This subgroup analysis presented at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress confirms that alectinib can be safely used at the standard dose of 600 mg twice daily in the Asian population, said Garrido. She continued: "We now have an extremely efficacious drug to be added to our first line armamentarium without differences in efficacy or safety based on ethnicity."

Regarding the need for further research, Garrido said: "Although next generation ALK inhibitors are extremely potent, eventually all patients relapse. Our next step is to better identify the underlying mechanisms of resistance to provide the best sequence of available agents to our patients."
Alexey Terskikh, Ph.D., Associate Professor Development, Aging and Regeneration Program. Credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

A new collaborative study led by researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) and UC San Diego School of Medicine has found that a medication used to prevent and treat malaria may also be effective for Zika virus. The drug, called chloroquine, has a long history of safe use during pregnancy, and is relatively inexpensive. The research was published today in Scientific Reports.

Zika virus remains a major global health risk. In most adults, Zika causes mild flu-like symptoms. But in pregnant women, the virus can cause serious birth defects in babiesincluding microcephalya neurological condition in which newborns have unusually small heads and fail to develop properly. There is no treatment or way to reverse the condition.

"There is still an urgent need to bolster our preparedness and capacity to respond to the next Zika outbreak," says Alexey Terskikh, Ph.D., associate professor at SBP. "Our latest research suggests the anti-malaria drug chloroquine may be an effective drug to treat and prevent Zika infections."

Terskikh is co-senior author of a new study that examined the effect of chloroquine in human brain organoids and pregnant mice infected with the virus, and found the drug markedly reduced the amount of Zika virus in maternal blood and neural progenitor cells in the fetal brain. Pregnant mice received chloroquine through drinking water in dosages equivalent to acceptable levels used in humans.

SBP's Alexey Terskikh, Ph.D., on using an anti-malaria drug for Zika virus. Credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

"Our research is the first to study Zika infection in a mouse model that transmits the virus in a way similar to humans," explains Alysson R. Muotri, Ph.D., professor and director of the Stem Cell Program at UC San Diego and co-senior author of the study. "Until now, researchers used a mouse strain that is deficient in interferona signaling protein that heightens anti-viral defenses. Those mice actually die from Zika infection, making it difficult to study the natural transmission of the virus from father and mother to fetus and to assess the effect of this transmission on the newborns."

"We believe our mouse model more accurately represents the way Zika virus infects men, women and babies while in the womb," adds Terskikh. "Although chloroquine didn't completely clear Zika from infected mice it did reduce the viral load, suggesting it could limit the neurological damage found in newborns infected by the virus."

"In the 1950's, the Brazilian health agencies added chloroquine into cooking salt and distributed it to the population in endemic areas as an effective way of spreading the inexpensive anti-malarial drug as a prophylactic on a wide scale. This strategy was known as Pinotti's Method, named after its originator Dr. Mario Pinotti. It might be worth considering this medicated salt program one more time in Brazil", suggests Muotri.

Alysson Muotri, Ph.D., Professor, UCSD Stem Cell Program. Credit: University of California San Diego

"Chloroquine has a long history of successfully treating malaria, and there are no reports of it causing birth defects," says Terskikh. "Additional studies are certainly needed to determine the precise details of how it works. But given its low cost, availability and safety history further study in a clinical trial to test its effectiveness against Zika virus in humans is merited."
Researchers at King's College London have signed an agreement with three partner organisations to offer a customised type 2 diabetes self-management education programme for the South Asian population in three London Boroughs.

The Diabetes for South Asians (DoSA) programme is a bespoke three-month long diabetes self-management course for South Asians with type 2 diabetes. It was developed over several years, through research at King's College London, the University of Warwick and working with people from different South Asian communities. The programme has been available to patients in Bexley since August 2017 and is now available in Greenwich and Lewisham as part of a wider field trial.

Type 2 diabetes is a long-term health condition that is characterised by high levels of glucose in the blood. The condition is often, but not always, associated with being overweight, can take many years to develop and can damage the body, particularly if it is not diagnosed early enough. Common complications associated with Type 2 diabetes include heart disease; stroke; kidney disease (nephropathy); eye disease (retinopathy) and nerve damage (neuropathy), which raises the risk of amputation.

People from South Asian communities are known to be up to six times more likely to have type 2 diabetes than the general population. In addition, South Asians tend to have poorer diabetes management, putting them at higher risk of serious health complications, such as cardiovascular disease.

Furthermore, the survival rates in South Asian young patients are also significantly lower compared to the Caucasian population.

The DoSA programme has been developed involving people from Sikh, Punjabi and Gujerati communities during three joint workshops held over six months. It offers South Asian adults living with type 2 diabetes a range of resources to help them manage their condition. This includes: personal appointments with diabetes educators; a colourful and upbeat manual incorporating information, stories, knowledge quizzes and places to track their own diabetes activities.

Over the three month duration of the project, the diabetes educator offers three telephone or email contacts to provide support, motivation and answer any diabetes health-related questions. Additional information is also available in two booklets called Healthy Eating: healthy eating and cooking with Type 2 diabetes and Celebrations: managing celebrations with type 2 diabetes.

The programme resources are written in English, but the personal appointments may be delivered by diabetes educators in different South Asian languages (where these language skills are available locally).

The roll-out of the DoSA programme is a collaboration involving King's College London, the University of Warwick, Spirit Healthcare, Successful Diabetes and Bexley Health Ltd. In addition to having developed the programme, King's is leading the service evaluation of the field trial sites.

Spirit Healthcare is a provider of products and services and specialises in diabetes education and management. They are working to recruit Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to the DoSA field trials. These are NHS diabetes education providers who add DoSA to their portfolio of patient education programmes.

Successful Diabetes is an organisation which supports people living or working with the condition by providing education and skills training, particularly for healthcare professionals in the NHS. Successful Diabetes is providing the training for diabetes educators delivering DoSA and has also been involved in creating content for the programme

Bexley Health Ltd is a CCG responsible for the planning and commissioning of health care services in three London Boroughs - Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham. They are the first CCG in the UK to offer the DoSA programme to patients in their area.

Jackie Sturt, Professor of Behavioural Medicine in Nursing in the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care at King's College London said: "It has been fantastic to work with people from different South Asian cultural backgrounds to develop DoSA. Their input has been essential to ensure it speaks both to the broad South Asian community but also more specifically to communities within that.

"Modifying cooking methods and managing celebrations, for example, are vital parts of living successfully with diabetes and these needs are often different according to religion and culture. It has been important to reflect this in the programme to ensure that people can see that it is personalised to them and their lifestyle as much as possible."

Rosie Walker, Owner and Director of Successful Diabetes added: "DoSA is a high quality, one to one education programme which will meet a huge need for tailored diabetes related education among people of South Asian origin and lifestyle. It has been a pleasure to partner with King's and Spirit Healthcare and the participating field trial centres. I am proud to have been involved in DoSA's development and in the field trials, and look forward to its roll out nationally to the benefit of people with Type 2 diabetes'

Tim Loveridge, Managing Director Clinical Services, Spirit Healthcare said:

"Spirit Healthcare is proud to be involved as a partner to the DoSA programme. As an organisation, we are committed to making the nation happier and healthier through empowering patients to better self-care. Our proven structured diabetes education programmes consistently score 99% on the NHS Friends and Family test and feedback from patients is that the programmes consistently help them better understand their condition."

The DoSA programme is currently being rolled out three London Boroughs as a field trial and it is hoped will become more widely available soon. CCGs interested in providing a DoSA field trial and for more information about the DoSA programme, please visit the Successful Diabetes website.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A team of Swedish scientists have used national registries of more than 3.4 million Swedes aged 40 to 80 to study the association between dog ownership and cardiovascular health. Their study shows that dog owners had a lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease or to other causes during the 12-year follow-up.

A total of more than 3.4 million individuals without any prior cardiovascular disease in 2001 were included in the researchers' study linking together seven different national data sources, including two dog ownership registers. The results are being published for the first time in Scientific Reports. The goal was to determine whether dog owners had a different risk of cardiovascular disease and death than non-dog owners.

"A very interesting finding in our study was that dog ownership was especially prominent as a protective factor in persons living alone, which is a group reported previously to be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death than those living in a multi-person household. Perhaps a dog may stand in as an important family member in the single households. The results showed that single dog owners had a 33 percent reduction in risk of death and 11 percent reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease during follow-up compared to single non-owners. Another interesting finding was that owners to dogs from breed groups originally bred for hunting were most protected," says Mwenya Mubanga, lead junior author of the study and PhD student at the Department of Medical Sciences and the Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University.

In Sweden, every person carries a unique personal identity number. Every visit to a hospital is recorded in national databases, accessible to researchers after de-identification of data. Even dog ownership registration has been mandatory in Sweden since 2001. These scientists studied whether being registered as a dog-owner was associated with later diagnosis of cardiovascular disease or death from any cause.

"These kind of epidemiological studies look for associations in large populations but do not provide answers on whether and how dogs could protect from cardiovascular disease. We know that dog owners in general have a higher level of physical activity, which could be one explanation to the observed results. Other explanations include an increased well-being and social contacts or effects of the dog on the bacterial microbiome in the owner," says Tove Fall, senior author of the study and Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the Department of Medical Sciences and the Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University.

"There might also be differences between owners and non-owners already before buying a dog, which could have influenced our results, such as those people choosing to get a dog tending to be more active and of better health. Thanks to the population-based design, our results are generalisable to the Swedish population, and probably also to other European populations with similar culture regarding dog ownership," says Tove Fall.

More information: Mwenya Mubanga et al, Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death  a nationwide cohort study, Scientific Reports (2017). Journal information: Scientific Reports Mwenya Mubanga et al, Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death  a nationwide cohort study,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16118-6
Hypertension associated with lung cancer: In the diagram, a tumour is shown in the right lung. Histological comparison of two blood vessels shows dramatic thickening of the wall of the vessel removed from the tumour region. Changes in blood vessels of this nature are responsible for the pulmonary hypertension observed in lung cancer patients. Credit: MPI f. Heart and Lung Research

Shortness of breath and respiratory distress often increase the suffering of advanced-stage lung cancer patients. These symptoms can be triggered by pulmonary hypertension, as scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim and the German Center for Lung Research found after examining more than 500 patients. The pulmonary hypertension observed is possibly due to immune and inflammatory processes triggered by cancer cells. Treatment could focus on this mechanism.

Lung cancer has long since taken on the character of an epidemic: the disease is already responsible for more than a quarter of all cancer deaths, and the trend is rising. One reason for this is that the prognosis is poor: only one-fifth of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis. This is partly due to the fact that lung cancer is often not recognized until it is in an advanced stage. Another problem is that a variety of different lung cancers exist, each of which requires its own therapeutic concept. This, in turn, requires a better understanding of the disease.

Doctors have noted that many patients with progressive lung cancer develop shortness of breath and respiratory distress. The same symptoms also occur in diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research together with colleagues from the German Center for Lung Research therefore measured the diameter of the pulmonary artery of about 500 lung cancer patients using computer tomography. "We found thickening of the walls of the pulmonary artery in more than half the patients. This is a clear indication that these patients also suffer from pulmonary hypertension," says Rajkumar Savai, who headed the study.

To identify the causes, the lung researchers analyzed three different forms of lung cancer in mice. "These were tumour types that grow at different rates and can be experimentally induced in the lungs of mice. All three mouse models showed signs of pulmonary hypertension as tumour growth progressed," says Soni Pullamsetti, the study's lead author.

Inflammation in blood vessels could act as trigger

But why does lung cancer often lead to pulmonary hypertension? "Neither in the patients nor in the mouse models were we able to detect any clots or cancer cells  both conceivable triggers  migrating into the vessel wall," explains Savai. However, the researchers did find that blood vessels located near tumours were infiltrated by a large number of immune cells.

Further experiments showed that the immune cells release various chemical messengers, as is generally observed in inflammatory reactions. Conversely, pulmonary hypertension did not occur when the mice in the experiment lacked functioning immune cells. For the Bad Nauheim-based scientists, this is an indication that inflammatory processes triggered by lung cancer may be responsible for pulmonary hypertension.

Werner Seeger, Director at the Max Planck Institute and Director of the Medical Unit at Giessen-Marburg University Hospital, hopes the team's findings will lead to approaches for developing a treatment. "Previously unknown abnormalities in blood vessels, triggered by inflammatory processes in lung tumours, could be the underlying cause of the symptoms observed in patients." New therapeutic approaches could start here."

More information: Soni Savai Pullamsetti et al. Lung cancerassociated pulmonary hypertension: Role of microenvironmental inflammation based on tumor cellimmune cell cross-talk, Science Translational Medicine (2017). Journal information: Science Translational Medicine Soni Savai Pullamsetti et al. Lung cancerassociated pulmonary hypertension: Role of microenvironmental inflammation based on tumor cellimmune cell cross-talk,(2017). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aai9048
This picture shows a district in Salvador, the Brazilian metropolis where scientists have elucidated the Zika burden. Credit: Ianei Carneiro

Scientists have measured the Zika burden in a Brazilian metropolis, and their data indicate that the outbreak may be coming to an end and further outbreaks in the region seem unlikely. The study has also provided new evidence supporting the link between Zika infection during pregnancy and malformations in newborns. A third finding is important with regard to intervention measures: Zika virus infection predominantly affects poor regions.

In 2016, news about the Zika virus in Brazil made the headlines in Europe for the first time. With approximately 65 million people affected, it is one of the largest epidemics in the last few years. The Olympics additionally fueled fears that the virus could spread globally. When the first cases of newborns with microcephalic malformations of the brain were observed in connection to Zika, it became apparent that further research was called for. The DZIF responded to this global challenge and, under the leadership of Jan Felix Drexler, Charite - Universitatsklinikum Berlin, initiated a German alliance project with Brazilian scientists to investigate the pathogenesis and epidemiology of Zika.

Population immunity is giving the virus less latitude

"The spread of the Zika virus in northeastern Brazil has been so intense that the current Zika epidemic could soon be over," explains Drexler. People who have undergone Zika virus infections usually become immune to the virus. Consequently, fewer people can now contract Zika virus infections and subsequently serve as a source of the virus for mosquitoes. According to the authors of the study, "Outbreaks in the same region are therefore rather unlikely." The Zika virus is currently spreading from Brazil to neighbouring countries, but according to Drexler, the outbreak may gradually fade out on its own. However, to date, it is still unclear whether the virus can hide in other animals and subsequently cause new outbreaks in humans.

Laboratory-based data on the spread of the virus available for the first time

The study is the first laboratory-based epidemiological study since the start of the Zika epidemic. Samples from 910 humans in Salvador, northeast Brazil, were tested for Zika virus antibodies, as well as for other viruses transmitted by mosquitoes such as Chikungunya and dengue. The samples were obtained before, during and after the peak of the Zika outbreak. An infection rate of over 60 percent was observed in this metropolis. With mathematical modeling and sociodemographic data alongside the laboratory values, the scientists used a multidisciplinary approach to elucidate the speed of virus spread, areas most affected by Zika and the link to malformations in newborns.

Link between Zika and microcephaly

"The increased number of newborns with microcephaly observed during the Zika outbreak in Brazil is linked to Zika infection of the mother during early pregnancy," explains Drexler. Data from the Brazilian metropolis have confirmed this suspicion and, together with other studies, enable the researchers to estimate the absolute risk of microcephaly upon infection of the mother during pregnancy: approximately one out of 100 mothers infected during early pregnancy will bear a child with microcephaly.

Link between Zika and poverty

Analysis of geospatial data and socioeconomic status demonstrated a connection between the likelihood of Zika infection and increased poverty. "We can see that poorer regions are more severely affected by Zika," confirms Drexler. "Reasons for this can currently only be assumed." The scientists suspect that living conditions contribute to the situation. "Mosquitoes can more easily access these homes and people are more exposed." According to the authors of the study, these findings could be taken into consideration for developing future intervention measures, such as ensuring that people living in poorer regions have better access to protection against mosquitoes. In addition, more targeted use of the potential vaccines and drugs that scientists are currently working on intensively could be planned.

More information: Eduardo Martins Netto et al, High Zika Virus Seroprevalence in Salvador, Northeastern Brazil Limits the Potential for Further Outbreaks, mBio (2017). Journal information: mBio Eduardo Martins Netto et al, High Zika Virus Seroprevalence in Salvador, Northeastern Brazil Limits the Potential for Further Outbreaks,(2017). DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01390-17

Provided by German Center for Infection Research
Its only a matter of time before central banks adopt blockchain to settle high-value, interbank fund transfers, according to the head of Ripple, whose technology has won support from former Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke.

As the technology, which is based on encrypted distributed ledgers, catches on, central banks around the world will be afraid to miss out, Ripple Chief Executive Officer Brad Garlinghouse said Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg.

Once that movement takes hold, that acceleration goes quickly, Garlinghouse said on the sidelines of the Singapore FinTech Festival. Is it one year or is it five years? Its probably somewhere in between.

His opinions carry some weight, as the head of a payments-focused blockchain developer thats tied to the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market value. Ripple worked recently on a blockchain trial with the Bank of England and earlier this month hosted officials from more than two dozen central banks at a blockchain summit in New York.

The San Francisco-based startup helps financial institutions process global payments using blockchain and works with over 100 firms. Its backers include venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Google Ventures and banks such as Standard Chartered Plc and Banco Santander SA. American Express Co. said Thursday it will use Ripples network for overseas payments to Santander customers in the U.K.

In October, Ripples technology was described as promising by Bernanke, who oversaw the Federal Reserve in the aftermath of the financial crisis. His appearance at a Ripple-hosted conference in Toronto as a keynote speaker had surprised some pundits, owing to his previous skepticism over cryptocurrencies.

Central banks that are exploring blockchain technology include:

Bank of England: Conducted a proof of concept test with Ripple, integrating the companys blockchain technology for simulated cross-border payment. Bank of Canada: Collaborating with Payments Canada and TMX Group to experiment with an integrated securities and payment settlement platform. Monetary Authority of Singapore: Leading a group of banks, the citys stock exchange and technology companies to explore applications for payments Hong Kong Monetary Authority: Developing a cross-border network for trade and trade finance with Singapores MAS

While a rising number of entities are exploring blockchain-based payments, including the global cross-border service SWIFT and upstarts such as the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, Garlinghouse doesnt see them as competitors.

Theres a massive difference between testing something and deploying it at scale, he said.

Industries from finance to health care to utilities are working with blockchain, with the goal of radically changing how payments are tracked, securities and derivatives trades are processed, and health records are stored, among potential uses. Ripple refers to this as the internet of value, where money travels as far and as fast as information moves on the internet.

While Ripple isnt considering going public just yet, Garlinghouse signaled that the company is open to buying payment companies. He put a value of more than $12 billion on Ripples holdings of its cryptocurrency, XRP.

Companies often go public so that they have a security they could use to make acquisitions, he said. Our hurry to go public may be lower because I can use XRP as a strategic asset to invest in an ecosystem and to maybe make acquisitions.
An India Today TV expose caught the chief mahant of the Nirmohi akhada offering money to Sunni Waqf Board on behalf of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in order to get the board to give up its claim over the dispute Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site.

A secret formula has been exposed between Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (2nd from left) and Nirmohi akhada, one of the stakeholders in apex court for building the Ram temple. (Far left) Dinendra Das of Nirmohi akhada.

By Shivendra Srivastava, Kumar Abhishek: In what could derail the ongoing talks to resolve the Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya, a secret deal has been exposed between Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Nirmohi akhada, one of the stakeholders in Supreme Court for building the Ram temple.

The expose by India Today TV caught mahant Dinendra Das of Nirmohi akhada offering money to Sunni Waqf Board in lieu of 2.77 acre of land at the disputed site in Ayodhya. According to Das, the proposal was made by Sri Sri who is mediating with the stakeholders in the Babri mosque dispute for an out-of-court settlement.

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Sunni Waqf Board is one-third stakeholder in the disputed land, where Babri Masjid was demolished by kar sevaks in 1992. In the tape, Das is seen explaining the secret deal by Ravi Shankar wherein he offers to pay a hefty sum of money to the Waqf board for the land.

Das said this proposal was given to him when he visited Bengaluru on November 11 to meet Ravi Shankar. According to Das, Ravi Shankar offered to give Rs 2 crore to 20 crore to Sunni Waqf Board for leaving their stake on the disputed land.

However, Ravi Shankar refuted the allegations and claimed there was no secret deal with Nirmohi akhada.

LAND FOR LAND

Das claimed, according to Sri Sri's formula, the Waqf board could also be offered an alternate piece of land for building a mosque and give up their claim on the existing land.

As per the expose, the land would be given by Nirmohi akhada in Vidya Kund in Ayodhya. In the tape, Das claims that Haji Mehboob of Sunni Waqf Board was well aware of this deal and a final discussion will be taken on the visit of Sri Sri in Ayodhya.

Soon after the expose, the stakeholders went into a tizzy. Ravi Shankar said he had only come to Ayodhya to meet different stakeholders for amicable solution of years-old dispute. He rubbished the charges, saying everybody has the freedom to express their views but he did not pay any importance to these allegations.

Nritya Gopal Das, president of Ram Janm Bhumi Nyas, also termed the allegations false and questioned the credibility of Das. "He has no credibility... the allegations are baseless," he said.

YOGI ADITYNATH: 'ALREADY TOO LATE'

But even as the dialogue process in on in Ayodhya, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and senior BJP leaders are not very hopeful about a positive outcome of the exercise.

Speaking exclusively to India Today TV, Adityanath said, "We are not averse to talks but his (Sri Sri's) initiative doesn't seem to bear fruit because it's already too late. Now, people should wait for the court verdict as the court will start day-to-day hearing in the case from December 5."

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Not only the chief minister but BJP leader Vinay Katiyar too has no hope of any amicable solution. Katiyar, who met Sri Sri in Lucknow on Wednesday, said finding a solution to Ayodhya dispute through talks is a distant dream.

After the expose, many stakeholders of Ayodhya dispute are up in arms against Sri Sri. Ram Vilas Vedanti and Acharya Dharmdas have openly accused Ravi Shankar of foul play. They alleged that Sri Sri's efforts might be honest but his Ayodhya visit for finding a possible solution to the dispute could only worsen things.

(Banbir Singh also contributed to this report)

--- ENDS ---
Oil prices may reach $120 a barrel and stay at this level for 2 years

Zelenskyy receives 'signals' that Putin wants direct talks

Security Service of Ukraine puts Ramzan Kadyrov on wanted list

Unidentified men open fire at market in Izeh city in southwestern Iran

Karen Donfried tries to explain State Department's decision to exempt Azerbaijan from 907th Amendment

Philip Reeker says U.S. administration representatives have no access to Nagorno-Karabakh

Rimac Nevera sets speed record for production electric cars

Reeker: Pace and depth of current talks between Yerevan and Baku demonstrate potential to resolve conflict

FBI director considers TikTok threat to US National Security

Bob Menendez says Ukraine supplies Azerbaijan with phosphorus bombs it used in Karabakh

Delegation headed by Speaker of Armenian Parliament is in Tbilisi

Austin: U.S. intends to continue supplying weapons and aid to Ukraine during winter

Armenian politician charged with abuse of office, money laundering

Karen Donfried says Armenia and Azerbaijan have historic opportunity to establish lasting peace

Bob Menendez: How can the U.S. justify security assistance to the Baku regime?

Azerbaijan fires at residents of Sarushen village of Artsakh

Head of Portugal's Finance Ministry: EU countries must work faster on energy intervention

Kuwait executes 7 prisoners

Czech Republic plans to train up to 4,000 Ukrainian servicemen next year

Ukraine once again asks US for powerful drones

Belarusian border guards shoot down drone intruding into airspace from Ukraine

Armenian Deputy PM: Regional electricity export opportunities significantly increased

Greek authorities temporarily ban export of firewood from country

Azerbaijan protests to France in connection with Senate resolution

Blinken calls on Aliyev to observe ceasefire and limit provocations

Pashinyan: We're advancing rights of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan: Armenia invites Azerbaijan to sign framework agreement on peace

Pashinyan: Most of the arable land of 4 villages in Tavush Province is occupied by Azerbaijanis

Armenian Prime Minister: Let the opposition loudly reject Russia's proposals

Pashinyan: 2023 budget growth in social protection compared to 2018 is 56%

Inflation in UK up to 41-year high of 11.1% in October

Pashinyan: We don't want to provoke war between CSTO and Azerbaijan

Pashinyan's explanation: How should we fight inflation?

Pashinyan: Armenia submitted its proposals for peace treaty to Azerbaijan, we are waiting for a response

Pashinyan: Army budget 2023 more than doubled compared to 2018

CNN: CIA director visits Kyiv

Macron urges Iran to calm down and respect the French

IRGC forces detain Mossad spy in southern Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister expresses dissatisfaction with number of 'unrealistic comments' by Azerbaijani officials

Parliament Vice-Speaker: Armenian military-industrial complex able to establish serial production of military products

Armen Grigoryan receives Major General Daniel Lasica

Poland says Ukrainian missile could be cause of explosion

Ivanka Trump says she will not participate in her father's presidential campaign

KGB of Belarus states about 'threat of intervention' from Baltic States, Ukraine, and Poland

Belarus says AFU blew up bridges in direction of Gomel and Mozyr

22-year-old soldier dies in accident with army truck in Armenia

Indonesian president hands over G20 presidency to India

Azerbaijani Ombudswoman's distorted perception of reality: French Senate Resolution 'will undermine peace in the region'

Nikol Pashinyan holds telephone conversation with Irakli Garibashvili

Four explosions blow up in sky over Belgorod

NATO Secretary General to hold meeting of alliance on incident in Poland

Finnish Foreign Ministry: Many in NATO believe that Turkey has created an awkward situation for the alliance

Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem receives group of wounded participants of 44-day Karabakh war

AP: Drone with explosives attacks oil tanker off the coast of Oman

LPR announces attack by AFU from Popasna to Kharkiv Oblast

Toyota reveals next-generation Toyota Prius hybrid

Central Bank head: State Budget deficit in Armenia to grow to 3.1% of GDP in 2023

Erdogan believes Russia had nothing to do with the missile incident in Poland

Thanasis Bakolas shares concerns that Armenian politician banned from leaving Armenia

Biden and Sunak discuss missile incident in Poland at G20 summit

Russian Defense Ministry: Elements of the Ukrainian S-300 system fell in Poland

Erdogan: Biden administration is determined to sell F-16s to Turkey

Gold price remains stable

Copper falls in price

Microsoft to leave Azerbaijan

G7 and NATO leaders say they are ready to support Poland in investigation of bombings

Joe Biden asks Congress for new funding for Ukraine

Finance Minister: Capital expenses will greatly increase in Armenia in 2023

Azerbaijani MFA accuses French Senate of undermining relations normalization process between Baku and Yerevan

Armen Grigoryan to pay working visit to India

AP: Missile falls in Poland may have been fired by Ukraine to shoot down Russian missile

Erdogan plans to discuss fertilizer transportation and grain deal with Putin

Oil price falls

Blinken calls on Armenian Prime Minister to maintain momentum of peace talks with Azerbaijan

CNN: NATO aircraft tracked the trajectory of the missile that fell in eastern Poland

Armenian FM to visit Tunisia

Yerevan draft budget 2023 revealed

U.S. Embassy: Major General Daniel Lasica arrives in Armenia

Armenian MOD refutes another misinformation of Azerbaijani MOD

Media: Fire in Istanbul is caused by several explosions, not just one

Drone 'allegedly' blows up oil depot in Oryol Oblast

Trump officially announces that he will run for president in 2024

Anwar Gargash: UAE has no interest in choosing sides between great powers

Ukraine suspends oil pumping through Druzhba pipeline towards Hungary

Germany urgently needs gas turbines to stabilize power grids

Polish media report on fall of two missiles on country's territory

Economic downturn worsens in eastern EU due to a spike in inflation

U.S. believes that meeting between Biden and Jinping was strong signal to rest of world

Karabakh MFA welcomes resolution adopted by French Senate

Italy bans facial recognition technology and smart glasses

Germany to establish maintenance center in Slovakia for weapons supplied to Ukraine

Energy Ministry: Russia carried out most massive shooting of Ukraine's energy system since war starts

French Senate passes resolution calling for sanctions against Azerbaijan

Rishi Sunak hints that he will abandon plans to declare China 'threat' to national security

EU supports any call to phase out fossil fuel use

Secretary of Security Council of Armenia receives delegation of EU special envoys, member states

Armenian President Vahagn Khachatryan receives newly appointed ambassador of Cyprus

Zelenskyy's adviser: The situation after Russian shelling is critical

Newly appointed ambassador of Cyprus visits Armenian Genocide memorial

Borrell: EU countries must work together to replenish their military stocks
YEREVAN.  Armenia has always stood for intense negotiations aimed at the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, on Friday stated the above-said at the joint news conference with his visiting Brazilian colleague.

He noted that the respective negotiations have no alternative, and added that from this viewpoint, the Armenian party to this conflict underscores the mediators efforts aimed solely at a peaceful settlement to this conflict.

Nalbandian said he and his Azerbaijani counterpart may meet either on December 6 or 7 or 8, within the framework of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council meeting in Vienna.

As for Azerbaijans statements with respect to the content of the Karabakh peace talks, the Armenian FM recalled that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries (Russia, US, and France) urge to refrain from destructive maximalist approaches, but Azerbaijan continues such an approach.

Also, Nalbandian recalled that after the discussion of the basic principles for numerous years, Azerbaijan had announced that this should not be done.

Because of this, the statements and the attempts to appear in sheeps clothing will not ensure success [for Azerbaijan], stressed the Armenian FM.
YEREVAN.  The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, did not comment on the content of the declaration of the forthcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels.

At a news conference on Friday, Nalbandian was asked about the differences between the approaches of the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and how these differences will reflect on the said declarations provision on conflicts.

The Armenian FM responded that these differences are well known.

But it would be more accurate to talk about the differences of approaches between Azerbaijan and the European Union, Azerbaijan and the international community, Nalbandian added. The position of the European Union on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution has always been the same in support of the efforts and approaches of the Co-Chair countries. It has never been a random position, but has been a well comprehended and elaborated approach that has been aimed at not harming the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process, but rather by contributing to the efforts and approaches of the Co-Chairs to have an impute to the exclusively peaceful resolution of the conflict. The EU has always adhered to this position.

As for the Declaration, then the negotiations are continuing and before they are concluded it is premature to state something on this Declaration. There are still several days. Well see.
Officials from India and China have held their first meeting of the border affairs working mechanism after the 72-day Doklam stand-off, with civilian and military officials from the two countries meeting in Beijing on Friday.

By Ananth Krishnan: Officials from India and China have held their first meeting of the border affairs working mechanism after the 72-day Doklam stand-off, with civilian and military officials from the two countries meeting in Beijing on Friday.

Both sides "reviewed the situation in all sectors" of the border and "agreed that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas is an important prerequisite" for growing relations, a statement from the Indian Embassy in Beijing said.

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Both sides also exchanged views on "further confidence-building measures and strengthening of military-to-military contacts".

The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) is the first meeting since the stand-off in the India-China-Bhutan trijunction, with both sides disengaging on August 28. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, China in early September and agreed to move past the stand-off and look forward.

The statement on Friday said the talks were "held in a constructive and forward-looking manner". The Indian delegation was led by Pranay Verma, Joint Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs and the Chinese delegation by Xiao Qian, Director General, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with both foreign ministry and military officials taking part.

WATCH VIDEO | BRICS Summit: Modi, Xi meet for first time after 73-day-long Doklam standoff

--- ENDS ---
WASHINGTON, DC - Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Raffi Hamparian consulted this week with U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a member of the influential Appropriations Committee, about strengthening the U.S.-Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) relationship, including through increased travel and communications among officials as well as artists, educators, students, and other civil society stakeholders.

Senator Van Hollen serves on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, which sets funding levels for foreign aid, among other issues.

The ANCA is proud of our decades-long relationship with Senator Van Hollen, remarked ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian. From our work in 2001 on the Maryland Armenian Genocide resolution with then-State Senator Chris Van Hollen to our work with him as a member of the U.S. House - Chris Van Hollen continues to be a stalwart friend of Armenian Americans, from Baltimore to Bethesda and across the state of Maryland.

Senator Van Hollen, earlier this year, led efforts on the Senate side to secure continued assistance to Artsakh, a one-of-a-kind aid program, started in Fiscal Year 1998, that has provided maternal health care and clean drinking water and, is, today, funding the HALO Trust's work clearing mines and unexploded ordnance from across Artsakh's interior fields and farmlands. The Maryland Senator's efforts were supported by the Ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and fellow appropriator Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL).

These efforts on the Senate side were matched by Armenian Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), who - with the help of his Caucus colleagues - secured the passage, on September 7th of this year, of the Valadao Amendment to the foreign aid bill, H.R. 3354, appropriating funds for the completion of HALO's demining mission. Over the past two decades, the U.S. aid program to Artsakh - initiated through ANCA advocacy - has secured over $40 million dollars in life-saving U.S. assistance to the independent republic.

The HALO Trust has successfully demined approximately 97% of Artsakh, destroying over 8,733 anti-personnel mines, 2,584 anti-tank landmines, 180,858 small arms ammunition, 12,423 cluster bombs and 48,572 other explosive items.

The ANCAs efforts to secure direct U.S. assistance to Artsakh dates back to May of 1997, when Congressman Brad Sherman first offered an authorization amendment, as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to the Foreign Policy Reform Act, to authorize direct U.S. funding for Artsakh. This effort lead to subsequent support, later that same year, by appropriators, notably then-senior Congressman Joe Knollenberg of Michigan, who successfully worked to ensure that the House Appropriations Committee approved a Foreign Aid bill (Public Law 105-118) that ultimately led to the allocation of an initial $12 million FY 1998 allocation for Artsakh.

Earlier this year, Senator Van Hollen secured the adoption of an amendment to the foreign aid bill opposing the use of US funds to facilitate the sale of arms to Turkish President Erdogans security detail. In the wake of this amendment, the proposed arms sale was withdrawn by the Administration. His support for issues of concern to Maryland's Armenian American community dates back to his long service in the U.S. House and, prior to that, his tenure in the Maryland state legislature, where he helped lead that state's recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Joining ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian in the meeting with Senator Van Hollen were ANCA Eastern Region Board member Armen Sahakyan and ANCA Government Relations Director Raffi Karakashian.
People are travelling to Munch's Burger Shack in Tokyo to get a taste of the dish that was served to Trump.

By Asian News International: Few days ago U.S. President Donald Trump ate a specially-cooked cheeseburger during his visit to Japan and it turns out that the burger has made quite an impression on the minds of the people of Japan.

Trump started his first official visit to Asia with a stop in Japan and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe treated the president to standard American favorites, including hamburgers and steak.

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Famous Tokyo chain Munch's Burger Shack chef/owner Yutaka Yanagisawa whipped up a USD 10 Colby Jack and fries for the president.

Also Read: Beef and 360-year-old soy sauce: Here's what Donald Trump was served in South Korea

Since that day, the burger and steak have become quite famous with Japanese people, reports Seattle Times.

The burger served to Donald Trump. Picture courtesy: Instagram/munchs_burger_shack

People have been travelling for long hours to get a taste of the same cheeseburger U.S. President Donald Trump ate.

The president wanted his meal to be perfect, so the order was given in such a way that his meal was not a disaster.

The chef was asked to bring the ingredients and his equipment to prepare the burgers and it was not just the president who was going to eat the meal, but an entourage of 20 people, those had the meal with Trump and Abe.

Also Read: Trump ate shark-fin soup in Vietnam, despite his country battling against shark-fin trade

It is being reported that the restaurant saw a seven percent rise in company share prices following Trump and Abe's visit to the Ginza location.

The team at Munch's Burger Shack, Tokyo. Picture courtesy: Instagram/munchs_burger_shack

Meanwhile, Yanagisawa's dream is to open a restaurant in New York.

The popular chef believes that more than the taste it is about the feelings you put in for the customer, in every burger.

--- ENDS ---
New outbreak: Deadly virus, similar to Ebola, with NO treatment now strikes Uganda

Uganda is in the middle of a health care crisis as the deadly Marburg virus has once again hit the African nation. Health chiefs have announced that the virus, which is clinically similar to the Ebola virus, has been detected in five cases. The reports note that an emergency Marburg virus screening is being carried out at the Kenya-Uganda border in Turkana, where three members of the same family died of the disease.

Reports have detailed that the outbreak first started back in September when an adult male in his 30s, who used to work as a game hunter and resided near a cave with a heavy bat colony, had been admitted to a local health center after falling ill with high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. According to reports, the man did not respond to antimalarial treatment and his health quickly deteriorated. The man was taken to another hospital but passed away shortly. The mans middle-aged sister and a third victim had also subsequently passed away.

Marburg virus disease is a rare disease with a high mortality rate for which there is no specific treatment. The virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids, and tissues of infected persons or wild animals (e.g. monkeys and fruit bats), according to a disease entry posted on the World Health Organization (WHO) website. Health experts note that the deadly virus kills up to 88 percent of people it infects and is currently considered as one of the most deadly pathogens to date.

However, key health officials remain uncertain about the range of the fatal outbreak. (Related: Black Death and incurable Marburg Virus now spreading across Africas cities worlds medical system helpless to stop it.)

At moment we dont know if there are other people apart from the dead who have contracted the disease. Health experts are still investigating in addition to sensitising the population about the dangers of Marburg and we call for public vigilance, says Dr. Diana Atwine, Ugandas health ministry permanent secretary.

WHO recommends steps to cut the risk of contracting marburg virus

In line with the recent Marburg virus outbreak in Uganda, the WHO has listed key pointers in preventing the onset and transmission of the disease. These tips include:

Keeping the public well informed  According to the WHO, communities affected by the outbreak should keep the general population informed about the nature of the disease in order to prevent the onset of community stigmatization. Likewise, the health organization suggests that people presenting symptoms of the disease be taken to treatment facilities immediately. The organization also highlights the importance of following outbreak containment guidelines. As per the WHO, people who have died of the disease should be promptly buried.

 According to the WHO, communities affected by the outbreak should keep the general population informed about the nature of the disease in order to prevent the onset of community stigmatization. Likewise, the health organization suggests that people presenting symptoms of the disease be taken to treatment facilities immediately. The organization also highlights the importance of following outbreak containment guidelines. As per the WHO, people who have died of the disease should be promptly buried. Wearing protective clothing and equipment  The WHO encourages people to wear gloves and other appropriate protective clothing such as masks during work or research activities and tourist visit to mines or caves where fruit bat colonies roost in order to reduce the risk of bat-to-human transmission.

 The WHO encourages people to wear gloves and other appropriate protective clothing such as masks during work or research activities and tourist visit to mines or caves where fruit bat colonies roost in order to reduce the risk of bat-to-human transmission. Avoiding direct contact  The health organization also discourages healthy, unaffected people from having direct contact with infected patients to prevent the onset of human-to-human transition within the community. The WHO also suggests wearing gloves and protective clothing when attending to the needs of infected patients. Moreover, the WHO advises that routine hand washing should be practiced after visiting sick relatives and when taking care of infected family members at home.

Find more news on the plague and other outbreaks at Plague.info.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Express.co.uk

WHO.int

Submit a correction >>
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) Multi-drug resistant organisms are spreading resulting in community-acquired infections which are resistant to the latest generation of antibiotics, a new study has revealed.

As part of the retrospective study, the study analysed 201 patients of community-acquired infections and found that classically hospital strains which were drug resistant with high mortality are now spreading in public.

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Conducted by the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), the studys findings are worrying because the organisms carrying high mortality are resistant to the latest generations of antibiotics.

The study - titled Association of high mortality with extended?spectrum A-lactamase (ESBL) positive cultures in community acquired infections - which has been accepted for publication in Journal of Critical Care stated that the 201 patients did not come in contact with any health facility in the last three months or more.

ESBLs are organisms resistant to various newer generation antibiotics and can be easily transferred in the community.

"The distinction between community-acquired and hospital-acquired infections is becoming increasingly blurred. The main reasons for this are the spread of classically hospital strains, particularly resistant Klebseilla and E. Coli, into the community and vice versa, and the repeated admissions of individuals to hospitals with longstanding underlying diseases," said Dr Sumit Ray, author of the study and vice-chairman of critical care at SGRH.

In addition, the contribution of antibiotic resistance in the community through easily available antibiotics often used without medical supervision has resulted in an increasing reservoir of potential infections, Dr Ray said.

"The resistance to high end antibiotics by organisms contracted by patients in the community resulting in high mortality, seen in our study, is a cause for worry and needs further research and a proper action plan," he said.

According to the researchers, the striking point noted in the results is the emergence of E.coli as the most common bacteria in the community causing bacteraemia, respiratory and urinary tract infection.

They are also causing higher mortality in ESBL positive producers as compared to ESBL negative producers. PTI PLB KUN

--- ENDS ---
The Next Mandarin

Looks like 'China hands' will continue to assume India's top diplomatic job. Former envoy to China, Vijay Gokhale, is likely to succeed foreign secretary S. Jaishankar, who was given a one-year extension on January 28, 2017. Gokhale is among the four candidates from the 1981 batch under consideration, including Sujan Chinoy, Y.K. Sinha and Debraj Pradhan, the envoys in Japan, UK and Norway, respectively. Gokhale, who speaks Mandarin, was deeply involved in negotiating the Doklam border crisis, and was even praised for his role by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who met him on October 20, shortly before he left for Delhi to take over as secretary, economic relations.

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Metro Man

Photo by K Asif

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari knows the way out of the city's traffic jams. He was driving home from a literary event in the capital to meet guests waiting at home when he was stuck in a nasty traffic jam. The Bhojpuri filmstar hopped out of his car and took the nearest metro. No surprise, this is his second metro ride in as many months. Nothing like a politician with a plan B.

Team Effort

How many Congressmen does it take to write a newspaper editorial? Quite a few, it seems. Three senior party leaders had a hand in party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's recent article for a British financial newspaper attacking demonetisation. Former rural development minister Jairam Ramesh prepared the initial draft after being briefed by Rahul. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former finance minister P. Chidambaram fact-checked the piece. An associate in office helped Rahul vet the final proof.

Manufacturing Dissent

Photo by Pankaj Tiwari

President Ram Nath Kovind's maiden function in Madhya Pradesh was interrupted by slogans demanding the release of godman Ram Pal, who has been in a Haryana jail since 2014 on murder and sedition charges. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan defused the situation by accepting the petition and later presenting it to the president. Later, the police made another embarrassing discovery-the sloganeers had been 'sponsored' to attend the event, part of the 'crowds' ferried to Bhopal by the state SC welfare department.

--- ENDS ---
the left is now an orthodoxy that you have to follow, "and if you dont, you become a bad, evil person, and it doesnt matter what youve done in the past or what you stand for. You just become evil and youre demonized



she's right

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there's accountability and then there's making someone into a strawman or rendering them a pariah

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This all the way! Im going to be less eloquent below due to those enabling ONTD members that keep giving her a pass and she doesn't even take accountability for her words nor has she changed her way of thinking.



She loves arguing and she loves attention and is another fake "woke" individual.

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mte

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exactly



this is so disappointing

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Yes, and some of them are really proud of it too.

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Yep

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She is and, I mean, if you think about it, most liberals are basically societys rejects. These are people who, for whatever reason, have decided not to function as a normal person should. Their issues become their identities. These rejects meet other rejects, and create a community of rejection. One where they are at the center of their own universe. And suddenly, no one elses experiences, issues or opinions matter. I believe that this is why so many liberals are also narcissistic. They lose the ability to look outside of their own rejection, and analyze situations objectively. They then attempt to silence anyone with a different perspective. You see these dynamics play out all the time with the liberal left



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I see this here all the time tbh.

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people say this all the time tbh. I see people being mad that there are no poc in the lord of the rings films and its just like, look, tolkien wrote those books to represent a prehistoric myth for england. there dont NEED to be poc in the films. I wouldnt expect a film about nigerian mythology to have to feature non-african characters, nor would I want it to. we dont need to be represented in every single form of media.

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Buckle up, bb. Its going to be a bumpy night.

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stop calling american neoliberals "the left", pls & ty.

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yeppp

(altho what she's saying def applies to actual left elsewhere tbh)

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imo what she's mostly referring to is vocal neoliberals (american & otherwise tbh) whose social ideologies & political (as in economic, legal, foreign policy, etc) ideologies rarely match and who thrive on call out culture re: the former. as an actual socialist leftist i'd v much like to be excluded from that narrative lmao

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This, I honestly don't know who is considered leftist for gringos, they don't know what that actually meana

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agreed

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thank you

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she's pressed ppl called her out on her trans exclusionary comments tbh. she's right that ppl are better at writing their own stories, and normative voices always get first dibs over the marginalized. wish she would reflect on that a little more for herself.

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Why would she be "pressed"? She didn't say anything incorrect or wrong.

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I feel like she's throwing out a lot of hypotheticals to make a more exaggerated point. Like using "Bangladeshi" just to make it seem SO absurd because why write about Bangladeshis lol!



Perhaps if she cited a specific example it would be more impactful.

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I think she was probably referring to the black and white dichotomy that dominates conversations of race, where other marginalized races are ignored. I'd imagine that's an issue she's had presented to her a lot in response to her work.

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So if you write about a white woman, for many parts of the left its valid criticism to say you ignored Mexicans and Bangladeshis. And Im just thinking, No. People have to be allowed to tell the story. I dont necessarily want a white woman telling the Nigerian woman story.



I feel like part of the sentence is missing here, or an inflection that doesn't come across in print. She's saying people are overly critical about what representation means, but it's still important to have authentic, diverse voices -- you can't please everyone, but obviously everything shouldn't be told through a white lens? I assume that's her point.

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I thought I wouldn't agree with her but mostly I do. Her use of "the left" is very (ironically) US Americans though, not the terminology I'd use. But it is true that there are segments of faux-concerned liberals that go overboard regarding what can and cannot be said about certain topics and in what way... Just look at the last Adichie controversy.



Honestly though, the whole conversation was great. I really liked the parts about race relations in the US compared to other countries, and I definitely get her frustration at the racist assholes in the Paris airport.

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Look at this fucking post. We can't even acknowledge biology or sex based oppression as a reality anymore. Are we any better than the right wingers who deny climate change and evolution?

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the correlation between right-wing ideology and genderist is fucking scary and then how people conflate radical feminism with conservatism is so fucking obviously misogynistic i can't

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Where's the lie. Even with terminology like "assigned X at birth," as if biological sex was a made-up notion and people could randomly "assign" you a sex however they saw it fit.



But it happens in politics and other areas too. I've had people tell me, a born-and-raised South American woman, that I'm a colonized US lover because I disagree with the narrative that every problem in my country and the region comes from US interventionism. Critical thinking just goes off the window.

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oop 

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I think the tone of people's criticisms of her have a lot to do with her viewing it as an orhtodoxy. The vitriol that some people in the left will spew at someone that isn't quite on-board yet with the "consensus," who may need education or correction, is legitimately scary sometimes.



But that's a concern that's met with accusations of being a tone-policing oppressor, which means there is no conversation to be had that doesn't involve immediately conforming to the dogma. Which is an understandable position to take given the myriad slights that marginalized people have to deal with on the regular, and refusals of people to hear their voice, but it sounds exhausting and counterproductive for everyone involved.

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This is a pretty good comment, it basically sums up my thoughts about this issue.

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She's old enough to step away and re-read the education that was given to her and then come back.



She's too proud and too self absorbed.



She's living for the attention.



Very ann coulter-ish.



But obviously that's an extreme comparison. I just mean in the 'say stuff for attention' sense.

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How do you know she hasn't made an effort to educate herself on the subject?





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Your arrogance is astounding... she is perfectly well educated, she just doesn't agree with you.

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no one should say anything/everyone should say everything



Edited at 2017-11-17 12:58 am (UTC)

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She can fuck all the way off.



The irony is that her explanation is the same as those on the conservative right.



I.e.: being vocabulary responsible and treating others with respect is political correctness.



No, you don't get a free pass for being an asshole and especially when people try to educate you in a respectful manner but claim they're being intolerant of your views.



Bye

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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Here we go again

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Big hug to all the American ONTDers suffering through this bullshit right now. Your government sucks and I'm sorry.

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I'm actually pretty confident we can stop!



There are all the other horrors, though, so thanks for hug <3



Edited at 2017-11-17 12:16 am (UTC)

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Yay! Even if (or hopefully when!) this stops I'm just so sorry that you guys have to fight so hard just for shitty things NOT to happen.

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i'm loving rosie's tweet

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I am going to try saying GOD SPARED U randomly as an insult from now on.

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Right?!





"GOD SPARED YOU?!" Say it just like that and then walk away.

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i love her on twitter

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For some reason I love when celebs call God 'her' or 'she'. I'm not religious but I love it.

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Me everyday:

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footballers wives <3

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Your government really despise you guys.



I still can't believe that a fourth if the population decided the fate of the other 75%.

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Not even a 4th babe. Like 10% at most

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It's just nuts to me that presidents/parties can come in and essentially tear laws up if they want to, to meet their own agenda, and it can be done so easily??

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And that we can't do anything about it except vote every 2-4 years.

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I AM TIRED

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Hugs

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Me too.

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I don't think it will pass the Senate

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Can we also talk about how Roger Stone was behind the Al Franken ratfuck



It's so fucking dodgy

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idc who was behind it



i care about what al franken did when he was in front of an unconscious woman, tho

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Not touch her breasts, perhaps?

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I don't understand how 'those' American voters are this stupid.

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Same, I just dont understand it. We have conservative voters in my country too of course, but it would be political suicide for any political party to try and push through those kind of policies that directly hurt the working class and middle class voters, that take away peoples right to health care. I dont understand how Trump and the Rebublicans even got the votes to get into power?!

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They literally don't care because they are that racist

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bingo

they really think being white will/can save them

and that tells you everything you need to know about white supremacy, they feel fucking untouchable, even by things directly designed (by their own!!!) to ruin them

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That and as long as the ~libtards are mad, thats all that matters. Theyre fucking stupid.

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i'm so tired

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Hugs

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Me too

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Same :(

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Call anyway!



Also, if you can, spread the info on who this tax reform hurts around to people you know from your state. Get people mad at their senators. Every bit can help flip a seat, no matter how red a state is.

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So basically the rich dont get a tax cut and Everyone is screwed

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where on earth did you get the idea that the rich don't get a tax cut? lmao

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No, the rich DO get a tax cut and everyone else is screwed.

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i'm confused about how paul ryan continues to promote this tax bill as if it's going to help cut taxes for the middle class. has he addressed the facts?

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Paul Ryan is a craven monster whose only goal in life is to kill poor people and women, so he just dgaf. The fact that they all lie without consequences about this bill and without things like a CBO score is disgusting. It's funny to me bc you can't really lie about tax cuts once they happen. Americans will directly feel the impact--small businesses won't see a difference, families won't see a difference, etc and the GOP will try and gaslight their way out of it. Fortunately for the GOP the people they harm the most continue to vote for them.



He's also a giant fucking hypocrite bc when his dad died he used the social security survivors benefits to help pay for his college tuition.



Edited at 2017-11-17 12:33 am (UTC)

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Paul Ryan doesn't know what facts are.

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Because he is fucking evil.

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GOP plan most likely to hike taxes for



1) Grad students

2) Relatively affluent homeowners in high-cost metro areas

3) Upper middle class filers in blue states



I sense a theme, here... https://t.co/rYuavPkPDM  Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 17, 2017



also Trump is going to fuck over so many grad students. I am thankful I ended up doing my research in Canada. Students will seek education elsewhere and this will be another huge roadblock for science. MAGA apparently??

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I'm confused about the losing insurance coverage. I know the premiums are double what they were in 2016 (which is a whole other issue that should have been fixed and has not been), but I'm not following how people are going to "lose" their insurance other than the fact that they can not afford the increasingly high premiums.

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As someone who lived in AL for a long time, wow at that poll. Hopefully that means some sort of change is coming. AL was all about blaming Obama for everything when I lived there

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The ONLY silver lining in this is if people who voted for Trump for mainly tax cut purposes get fucked by this hardcore. I would have so much schadenfreude.

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I'm still trying to grapple with the ban lift on ivory trade. This country is fucked.

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Just one more way rich assholes can kill off every single animal on this earth because they can...

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it is guillotine time forreal

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agreeing 100% with every single comment of yours in this post

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thank you so much!

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These two bombshells were well-known for their lusty soft core films. Favored by certain directorsby special requestHailing from Argentina, Isabel captivated audiences in the genre called "sexploitation". She was called "" for all her sexy water scenes. She did not break into North America, but became a scandalous sensation in South America. She has since retired from acting.1) Most of her films were directed, written, and co-starred by her lover Armando Bo2) She and Armando filmed 27 movies together3) During that time, the censorship board in Argentina butchered Isabel's films4) Shy Isabel started drinking whiskey to get through all the nude scenes5) Named "Ambassador of Popular Argentine Culture" by former President of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner6) First woman in Argentina to do frontal nudity on film7) She appeared in American Playboy magazine8) Her films were considered so outrageous that criminal charges were established and Armando sometimes spent a weekend in jail9) Scenes for Isabel's films were sometimes shot twice and she participated in a hunger strike battling censors.10) Arguably her most notable film is 1969's "Fuego"The Eritrean-Italian beauty became a star in blaxploitation films. She has also retired from acting, but continues work as a producer. One of the most notable black women in Italian films alongside Carla Brait, Laura Gemser, Beryl Cunningham, and Ines Pellegrino.1) Grew up speaking Italian due to Italy's colonization of Eritrea (Eritrea gained independence in 1991)2) Becoming Miss Ethiopia allowed her to travel to Italy3) She was only 16, but lied that she was 18 to participate in the beauty pageant4) Studied at the Institute Vittorio Bottego in Italy5) Model for painter Renato Guttuso6) Starred in a coffee ad7) Was a favorite of director Luigi Scattini8) Her films cause such a scandal that people in her country of origin complained to her father9) She met many industry connections at cafes in Italy.10) Starred in her final film "La Ragazza Fuori Strada" in 1973Two women who became more than just "hot bodies". They are a part of cinematic history.
Casting

Xena

Vanessa Angel was originally cast as Xena but had to drop out due to being ill and not being able to make it to the show. In turn they cast Lucy (F)Lawless who had already appeared in the show as a different character.



Vanessa went on to star in the tv adaption of Weird Science which ran for 5 seasons.

Gabrielle

Long before Lauren Conrad turned down a summer job in Paris for love, there was Sunny Doench. Sunny was the first choice to play Xena's sidekick Gabrielle but when she found out the show was being filmed in New Zealand she declined due to not wanting to leave her boyfriend in LA and pursuing a long distance relationship. No word on if the boyfriend put a ring on it.



Renee O'Conner ended up taking over the iconic role.



The Many Faces of Karl Urban

While Hercules/Xena were famous for reusing actors for different roles, Karl Urban has seemed to play the most characters in 1 show!



Karl is most well known for playing the famous Julius Caesar in both Hercules & Xena. He also went on to play Cupid, the offspring of Aphrodite and Ares for a number of episodes. His other two turns at playing different characters only lasted 1 episode each.

Pregnancy

From Bard to Badass

Time Jump

Twilight of the Gods

Callisto

Xena

Gabrielle

Xena was an iconic show and while starting my rewatch I had to do an ONTD original! Don't expect anything fancy like Zyuranger!Xena originally appeared in a trilogy of episodes on Hercules: The Legendary Hero as a warlord bent on destruction.They were originally going to kill the character off at the end of her stint on Hercules but the studio wanted a spin off show to pair with Hercules. Due to the audiences reaction to Xena it was decided that she would get her own show and be redeemed. Not only was Xena due to die in her original stint on Hercules before gaining a spin off, there would be other changes that would change the foundation of the show.Lucy Lawless became pregnant during the shows 5th season and this had tremendous effect on the show going forward.Gabrielle was meant to regain a modified bo staff, that was given to her by Ephiany after the characters were returned to the land of the living but once they found out that Lucy was pregnant they decided that Gabrielle would take a bigger role in the fight scenes and would need to be more deadly thus giving her a pair sais.Once Xena gave birth to her daughter Eve, the producers decided the show would jump ahead 20 years and introduce Xena's daughter as a grown woman. This also resulted in them killing off multiple characters and jumping ahead of Hercules in the timeline.When it came to deciding to finally kill the Greek Gods off, the plans went through a lot of changes. Originally it was to take place on Hercules but the series ended before they were able to tell the story. They were interested in doing a team up movie between Hercules/Xena that would see them bring an end to the gods but that never panned out. Finally it was decided to adapt the storyline to Xena. Twilight of the Gods now named "Motherhood" was considered one of the series best episodes. They shot so much footage that they could've made a movie out of it.Callisto was originally saved in 'Return of Callisto' but was changed last minute.The villain of "The Ides of March" was originally going to be Alti, but R.J. Stewart settled in favor of Callisto.Xena/Callisto changing bodies was suppose to be a 1 episode deal but after Lucy injured her back, they prolonged it by 1 extra episode to give Lucy time to heal.Xena went through 3 major costume changes throughout her history and 2 costume designers. Ngila Dickson was in charge of designing costumes for the first 4 seasons of X:WP. She left the show after Season 4 to design all the costumes seen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Jane Holland would take Ngila's place for the 5th and 6th seasons.Xena's first costume appeared on Hercules when she was coming to an end as a Warlord. It was extremely intricate, giving the character a cape, a chainlink glove to catch her Chakram, a place to hold a dagger, and gold trimming.Once the character was redeemed and got her own show, her costume was streamlined and simplified.When Lucy Lawless became pregnant in Season 5, the character switched to a blue/silver costume paired with a coat and pants. After Lucy gave birth, she went back to her iconic costume. Jane Holland said "There's something quite scary about changing Xena's costume," Holland admits, "when it has been the same since she started, practically Even though there has been a change in the style, she's always had the brown and copper. That's her signature and it's a very bold move to change that. Now she's in blue and silver, which is pretty wild and wacky So especially as a new designer, that's quite a biggie!Gabrielle went through more major costume changes then Xena did throughout the shows duration. The character started out as an country girl aspiring to be a bard. She would later go on to be influenced by Xena and become a warrior. The character went on to become an Amazon Queen. When talking about Gabrielles costume changes in Season 5 & 6 she had this to say "She is occupying a different, more developed role," Holland explains of the character, "she's become more of a fighter. Therefore it was appropriate for her costume to change."By the time both series had come to an end Kevin Sorbo was one salty dude! In an interview he revealed his frustrations with Lucy Lawless/Xena. Kevin wasn't happy with the missed crossover opportunities, Xena "stealing" talent from Hercules and even accused Lucy of cheating with the series creator and being pissed that he would give Lucy roles in his films over Kevin."Xena took all my directors, they took half my writing staff, they took everybody to go and work for that show. They took half my crew! So, you know, it upset a few people, including myself But I just think of it as like, why are you stabbing us in the back? We're the show that started it! So it was kind of weird... it was a weird vibe. We never really saw them. People think because we shot in New Zealand, you know, we had, like, seven locations, and because each crew was so big, we could never be in the same location at the same time, so we would rotate. You know, I would bump into them once every four months and say, 'Hi, how ya doing?"' Source: My memory + My dvds + source
he truly does. ever since he quit smoking, drinking, drugs from the early days his voice has gotten a lot better.

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ONTD, are you a current ticket holder?

bless  i love be still sfm

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And may your limits be unknown

And may your efforts be your own

If you ever feel you can't take it anymore

Don't break character

You've got a lot of heart

Is this real or just a dream?







omg bb how insensitive could i be asking this question.



smh. they better add dates close to you or i will threaten to unstan.





Edited at 2017-11-17 03:42 am (UTC) omg bb howcould i be asking this question.smh. they better add dates close to you or i will threaten to unstan.

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but if it comes to it i'll just travel to a festival this summer and make a vacay out of it

nnnnn bless!but if it comes to it i'll just travel to a festival this summer and make a vacay out of it

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"Be Still" has gotten me through a lot of tough shit. I'm so grateful for them and that song.

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Same. If I ever get the chance to meet Brandon I wanna tell him this.

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Too poor, no tickets

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I do have tickets \o/



If I ever got a tattoo Id want it with a lyric from be still

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i loki hope they perform this one on their current tour.



underrated and so good. i want this played at my ONTD funeral when banned and/or leave tbh.



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they didn't add dates for Mexico :(

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they better. like...they're in Mexico every other month.



why they would skip Mexico on this tour is beyond me. pendejos.

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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MY dream is to hear Be Still live

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Also yes I purchased tickets to their January 9th show but Ticketmaster still has a hold on the tickets and Im getting worried.

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Saw them in Dublin last night. Great show!



I've to go to work in less than an hour and I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Going to be a fun day at the office.

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Battle Born got me through a rough time. Be Still is beautiful. I can't wait to see them again next monday.

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Yeah, me too. It has some duds, but it's still a great album. It's weird how they all turned against it. It will always hold a special place in my heart because it came along just when I needed it.

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Yeah me too. People always say they wish they'd make another Hot Fuss, but Sam's Town is clearly their best album.

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I'm seeing them Sunday! The setlists look great, I'm so excited

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BUT SHE PINKY SWORE TO CHINA LAST WEEK SHE WOULDN'T SEE ANYONE ELSE! THEY WERE ON A BREAK WHEN ALL THAT HAPPENED ANYWAY

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Awwww 

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So glad someone responded with this 

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it's a harsh world

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She was so pretty

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yet they roll out the red carpet for tramp. china is trash

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Well sis I guess you're officially blacklisted from China with that comment.

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my bet is on #russia . they're tracking all of us for when we get sent to the gulags when put in takes over.

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This boils down to anyone with a social conscience isn't allowed in China. So all the entertainers/models who are going are just airheads who don't care what's going on in the world. Good to know.

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well duh, he is the US president. it's not china's fault your country voted for him.

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Katy has kyary, taylor has president xi



the battle has spread to asia, y'all

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Idk man kyary is pretty dope...

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but does she have nuclear missiles?

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dont blame me!

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promote that BOP!

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Omg this whole thing is a giant mess and I'm here for it. Did Taylor's visa get denied too?

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taylor won't even rebuke the kkk sis



she's baking cookies for xi as we speak

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http://entertainment.time.com/2013/12/31/taylor-swift-divides-neighbors-with-beachfront-wall/ no, but she's banned from mexico bc she wants to #buildthewall

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#FakeNews







There will be no further explanation. There will only be There will be no further explanation. There will only be #Reputation (On #Itunes ).

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no, like a month ago the chinese government put out an announcement saying harry and taylor were both approved for work visas so she dropped out because of something else (probably because its such a fucking mess it wasnt even worth it)



Edited at 2017-11-17 05:56 am (UTC)

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So is anyone actually performing lol. Someone at Victorias Secret is gonna get fired for this giant mess

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I hope it's the smug PR woman with the Instagram account showing off all of her travels.

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Who? I wanna see this.

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GOALS, tbh.

Who is it?

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Harry is going to perform his entire boring-ass album while the models slowly walk down the runway.

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Well, it was a bad idea to do it in China in the first place. Didn't the producers do any research? Idiots.

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i feel like china's banned most popstars lol

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CANCEL IT!

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lmfao

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This whole article just seems to be cherry picking off the ott meltdowns on twitter today lol. No doubt theres been some issues with the show but this whole exclusive reads more like someones been reading twitter then actually has bts dirt lol

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VS dealing with it on everyones behalf would mean theyd have to be a competent company tho and trust me theyre not

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Would it be VS or their agency? I have no clue but I feel like the latter would have handled it better.

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Oop, there it is.

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I had no idea VS didn't deal with the model's bureaucratic shit. It's really stupid.

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my experience with fashion as a pr person is that even huge companies (that you think have their shit together) are terrible at planning anything in advance and conceptualise everything before they bother to look at the challenges. this is why fashion people are constantly stressed the fuck out - youre not let in on the actual plan/concept until like a month (if you're lucky) before a huge thing is happening and just somehow have to make it happen



99% this is also the case with VS, they waited to the last minute to look at HOW theyre going to do this. visa's for china shouldve been an obvious challenge and they should have had a designated team apply for the people involved ages ago since the shows press is so reliant on the individual models' fame etc.

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...due to pro-Taiwan support"



"Katy Perry banned from China......due to pro-Taiwan support"

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mte

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and nothing of value was lost

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as a Taiwanese person, this is hilarious



sheesh China fucking relax

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While McDonald's accepted the increase in price of product, several other restaurants have opted to wait and observe the impact to take a call on change in price.

By Pooja Shali: A day after social media outrage over McDonald's enhancing base price of items, India Today conducted a check at various eating outlets in Delhi.

The revised Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates since November 15 has generated a mixed response among owners of eateries. Initially in July, the government announced a slab of 18 per cent on AC and non-AC restaurants, which has now been reduced to 5 per cent.

advertisement

This has brought some relief and cheer amongst consumers. However, reports soon trickled in of restaurants and fast-food joints increasing base price of products. With this, there has not much impact on the bill generated.

One such post was shared on Twitter with the bill reflecting the minute change after the revised rate.

While McDonald's accepted the increase in price of product, several other restaurants have opted to wait and observe the impact to take a call on change in price.

Satish Aggarwal, owner of Bengali Sweet House, central Delhi, said, "We will be forced to contemplate an increase in base prices because the rollback used to pay our suppliers (during previous GST) has been closed. The impact of reduced GST is still not clear in the market. Customers are benefitting from reduced slab but there is no obvious enthusiasm."

Bengali Sweet House is waiting for the wedding season to understand the GST impact.

"We are expecting an increase in the volume during the wedding season. Due to the rollback there has been a huge impact, ie, around Rs 10,000. If we decide to bear a part of the burden and increase a little amount then eventually, the volume will enhance and business will blossom. Imposing the entire burden on customers will be unfair. Customer benefit is the ultimate priority and so we will wait and observe. We are not considering price increase right now," added Aggarwal.

Meanwhile, Cafe coffee Day (CCD) outlets across the national capital have revised prices since the government announced the revised rate. A notice put up at payment counters in CCD outlets confirmed the same. However, no company official or manager was willing to speak on record.

CCD outlets have put up the notice confirming the change in price.

Meanwhile, restaurants like the Colonel Kebabs maintain they shall not be escalating the price range."We have not increased our charges since the last one year and we have no intention of escalating it now. This is an individual decision of restaurant owners and we chose to hold back, for now," said Manish, co-manager at Colonel Kebabs.

advertisement

McDonald's, in its defence, said, "GST has come down from 18 per cent to 5 per cent, but input tax credit has been withdrawn. With this, our operating costs have gone up by 10-12 per cent. After taking the cost into account, the effective tax benefit would have been less than a per cent."

--- ENDS ---
We have 43! F.Y.R. Macedonia joins the line up for #Eurovision 2018, giving Lisbon a joint record number of participating countries! pic.twitter.com/eRnkfBztTd  Eurovision (@Eurovision) November 17, 2017

Theres more! The first wave of tickets for #Eurovision 2018 goes on sale on 30th November! Find out more: https://t.co/BapXjdPmss pic.twitter.com/AUfTdRcOAM  Eurovision (@Eurovision) November 17, 2017

After explaining in my previous post that Macedonia would not take part of next year's contest due to debts, they are in again. No explanation was given to why ESC changed its decision (if I know anything, I'll update the post), but this is great news! (also #justicefordancealone Tickets for the grand final vary between 35 and 299 euros and and the first wave starts going on sale on November 30th at 11:00 CET at Blueticket pt. Tickets for the semifinals and remaining shows will go on sale in January.Waylon is back to represent The Netherlands! He was in ESC 2014 (aka the year Conchita won), teamed up with Ilse DeLange in a duo under the name The Common Linnets. They finished 2nd (the best result for the country in decades) with the song 'Calm after the storm'.Waylon is not part of the duo anymore (although Common Linnets is still active) because he is trying to pursue his solo career. His fourth album, Seeds, was released in 2016.SOURCE: 1
Looove my zac , BUT FUUUUUUUCK THE CIRCUS! 

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I saw the trailer for this last night at the theatre and it looks like absolute shit.

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All feelings about circuses aside, but am I crazy or are Hugh and Zac perfect for these roles??

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so cute, i'll watch

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Love the cast, but this looks terrible.

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a girl i went to college with is zendaya's stunt double so i kinda wanna see it to spot her



but it looks so bad

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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I want to see this. I have no ill feels about this.

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Already dig the dancing ngl

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These comments are weird b/c it erases these actors talents ...they can sing just at a basic level.

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This looks so so so cheesy but it's an upgrade from the shitty comedies he's usually in. I'd love for him to do more musicals tbh I loved him in Hairspray.

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i like the aesthetics of a vintage circus

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this movie looks like fun but im nhf watching animals get tortured into performing

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what this about?

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I cannot stand Hugh's singing voice at all

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i don't care for the shit reviews and expectations. i'm going to watch this in theaters.

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All eyez on Z in the center of the ring just like a circus. 

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My baby Zac is a good singer and a good dancer <3

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So this is like Moulin Rouge meets Cirque du Soleil?

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The internet is eating up her stupid magaize spread. Also Drake and his chivalry. Fans are the worst.

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Ia. It's just as bad as those stans that still worship Chrxs Brxwn

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barely saw that story anywhere except ONTD, thanks to her team, I assume, and it's not at all misogynistic to call her out for actively supporting him. And also: how about the VICTIM needing support??? How about



I'm still raging over that #WeLoveYouNicki hashtag that trended after the verdict came in, as if she was being unfairly dragged all over the place for his actions. Isaw that story anywhere except ONTD, thanks to her team, I assume, and it's not at all misogynistic to call her out for actively supporting him. And also: how about the VICTIM needing support??? How about #WeSupportSurvivors or some shit? UGH. Stans.

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lmao is that queen mcadams?

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It is! I rebageled a thing for her birthday today and then realized it made a pretty good reaction gif. Pretty sure that's from Southpaw.

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These are the same people who write long essays about how terrible R Kelly is awful and how black children are ignored in this white society. Fucking hypocrites... I honestly think that every "woke" black person who supports Nicki because #BlackGirlsMagic can choke. If in your black feminist logic, supporting a mediocre black rapper is more important than supporting the young black female victim (A LITTLE BLACK GIRL!) her brother raped, then you are trash.These are the same people who write long essays about how terrible R Kelly is awful and how black children are ignored in this white society. Fucking hypocrites...

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This gif is fantastic

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how stupid are her fans that they can't figure out she bankrolled his defense and will obviously be the one paying for the appeal?

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And putting money on his books while hes locked up. Lmao.

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dont u know its all her mothers money from her """"successful"""" gospel album career and ~business~!!!!!

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she is beyond trash. girl bye

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my friend retweeted that magazine cover and i didn't know if i should be like "hey she supports her rapist brother" or not because my friend is a survivor herself and i didn't want to trigger her if she wasn't aware. i assume she doesn't know because she doesn't follow celebrity gossip much and i think minaj got the story buried pretty well.

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Fuck her.

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I can't at that mess of a spread. There's nothing class or cute about it. Just as perverted as her brother!

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If other news sources want to start copying ONTD, nows the time.

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Honestly, I'm all for it. She is complicit. I'm following cameltoee's footsteps.

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So theres DNA evidence he raped an 11 year old...

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They found his semen stains on the girl's pajamas. I just didn't want to go into full graphic detail to avoid any possible triggers.



Edited at 2017-11-17 09:20 pm (UTC)

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i had a stan DM on insta claiming that the victim's mom could have put the semen in her underwear from a condom. i mean...

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The hate shes getting for her brothers actions is so OTT here.

but it is ONTD after all.





As far as we know she hasn't publicly denounced him.

We don't know that she paid for everything directly as there isn't really any proof, shes stayed quiet on it.



As much as ONTD likes to admit I highly doubt they would publicly denounce their sibling with the risk of being outcasted by their entire family.

These are pretty private matters and no celebrity owes you a public crusificion of one of their loved ones because they ended up being an awful person.



But ONTD gonna bandwagon I guess

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If my brother raped someone I would never speak to him again.

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Okay but would you publicly denounce him on Twitter and social media because gossip sites feel entitled to it?

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SAME

Id feel bad for the victim and my mom but bye he can choke



Edited at 2017-11-17 11:06 pm (UTC)

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Why r u always defending rapists

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get a new schtick, sis

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the Minaj a trois photo grossed me out tbh

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She looked so dumb.. I immediately thought this was a way to remove attention from some shady shit.

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Same

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Couldnt her mom visit her son on her own?

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nika Maraj only visited her brother because her mother hasn't seen him since he was found guilty (on November 9th) for raping his step-daughter who was 11 years old at the time. She "only wanted" to support her mother.





Sis.. read pls

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I can read. There are other ways for her to support her mother. If my brother raped my stepdaugter-in-law, i would refuse to see him. If my mom wanted to do that and needed emotional support, i would visit her house afterward and order some postmates or something. \_()_/

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Nah Nicki we done here

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girl bye

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Three California Agencies Issue Marijuana Licensing Rules

They said they expect the emergency regulations to take effect in December 2017, but the implementation date for the issuing state commercial cannabis licenses remains the same: Jan. 1, 2018.

Three California state agencies that are the state's cannabis licensing authorities have posted their proposed emergency licensing regulations for commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis. They said they expect the emergency regulations to take effect in December 2017, but the implementation date for the issuing state commercial cannabis licenses remains the same: Jan. 1, 2018.

California will be able to license only businesses that are in compliance will all local laws, they stressed.

The three are the Department of Consumer Affairs' Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Public Health's Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch, and the Department of Food and Agriculture's CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Division; each one developed new regulations to reflect the law defined in California's Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act.

Bureau of Cannabis Control:

www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/bcc_prop_text_reg.pdf

www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/bcc_fact_sheet.pdf

Department of Food and Agriculture:

www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/cdfa_prop_text_emerg_reg.pdf

www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/cdfa_fact_sheet.pdf

Department of Public Health:

http://www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/cdph_prop_text_emerg_reg.pdf

http://www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/cdph_sum_emerg_reg.pdf

On June 27, 2017, Gov. Brown signed the act into law. It creates one regulatory system for both medicinal and adult-use cannabis. Prior to the law's passage, state licensing authorities had released proposed regulations to govern the implementation of the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. The Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency will hold a workshop with state-chartered banks and credit unions next month to discuss regulatory and compliance issues and the potential approaches to banking cannabis-related businesses.
This article was first posted on May 22, 2002. We share it again today in conjunction with WUWM's Bubbler Talk spot on "Old Smoky."

You don't have to be THAT old to remember the days when Old Smoky used to serve Bay View. The neutered steam locomotive didn't go actually anywhere, but folks loved it just the same ... at least for a little while.

Kids would visit it and gaze in awe at the massive example of industrial achievement. Although some of us thought it was ancient, Smoky wasn't all that old.

The American Locomotive Company built Smoky  aka locomotive No. 265  in 1944 and delivered it to the Milwaukee Road in August of that year with a price tag of $195.926.73.

It had a relatively short life hauling 80-90 freight cars between Milwaukee, Bensenville, Illinois, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Smoky racked up 900,000 miles of service, which also included passenger service between Milwaukee and Minneapolis and Chicago and Omaha.

Just 10 years after it was delivered, Smoky was retired and the Milwaukee Road gave Smoky to Milwaukee to be used as an exhibit. She was placed on a spot near East Conway and South Bay Streets, west of the naval reserve armory, on Nov. 18, 1956. A dedication ceremony was held the following May.

The city erected a chain-link fence and some floodlighting and a life-like crew was installed in the cab by Milwaukee Public Museum artist Adolphe Seebach. A number of local labor unions donated time, effort and materials to set up the exhibit, at which two generations of kids would marvel.

The 4-8-4 engine (which meant it had four wheels up front, eight main drive wheels and four more smaller wheels at the back) was immediately popular and a group of citizens raised $7,000 for a fund created to maintain Old Smoky.

Although it sat immobile on a short section of track, behind a fence, the 412-ton Smoky was in full working order (oh, if only we kids had known THAT!).

Alas, all good things must come to an end and Smoky's tenure in Milwaukee was to be relatively short-lived.

In 1974, there was talk of moving the locomotive to Capitol Court, but that fell through, leading the Journal to write, "It is tough to get misty eyed over the fate of Old Smoky, though the decrepit steam locomotive's future has just taken a turn for the worse. Restoration of the giant engine to display quality appears an expensive and difficult job. The city, which will eventually have to move the powerless locomotive out of the path of the Lake Freeway, ought to think twice before it pours any money into this monument to vandalism."

The paper suggested the city find a group willing to restore the engine and donate it. And's that's exactly what happened.

In 1975, Smoky  which the Journal described as "Milwaukee's ignored and practically abandoned reminder of the great days of the steam locomotive" was hitched up on April 7 and sent south  "dragged away to another final resting spot," in the words of the afternoon paper  to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois, where it currently resides.

Here is a 2012 update on Old Smoky.
In honor of the 100th anniversary of Master Lock, a company founded in Milwaukee, we're sharing this history and tour that originally appeared in 2017. For details on the company's year-long celebration, visit masterlock.com/100-years.

Year founded: 1921

President: David Youn

Number of employees: About 2,700 worldwide, including about 700 in Milwaukee and Oak Creek

There are many sites around Milwaukee that were once home to large, buzzing industrial centers, employing hundreds, sometimes thousands of neighborhood folks, and we lament their shuttering and the effect of that loss on our city and its economy.

Most days, however, I drive past one of these sprawling factories that, despite its outward serenity, is anything but quiet inside. Behind the gates is Master Lock, founded in Milwaukee in 1921.



Founder Harry Soref. (PHOTO: Master Lock)

Master Lock employs about 400 people  most are members of UAW Local 469  at its Center Street factory, which I visited recently. Another 400 or so employees work at the companys new headquarters and research and development center in Oak Creek. About 1,900 work in an assembly plant in Nogales, Mexico, and a warehouse across the border in Arizona. Some jobs that had moved to China in the early 1990s were moved back to Milwaukee in 2011.

Master Locks roots date to World War I when, in 1919, Russian immigrant Harry Soref, then a traveling locksmith working as a military consultant, was inspired by the kind of laminated steel used in bank vaults and battleship hull construction to create a padlock using the same method. His lock was designed to safeguard wartime military equipment.

(PHOTO: Master Lock)

Back in Milwaukee two years later, Soref enlisted his friends Philip Yolles and Samuel Stahl, and according to an official company history, they "rented a one-room workshop, purchased a grinder, a drill press and a punch press and hired another of Sorefs friends, Hans Peterson  this is the founding of The Master Lock Company."

Soon Master Lock  headquartered initially on Plankinton Avenue in Downtown Milwaukee, and later near the Pabst Brewery  was so respected in the business that Appletons Harry Houdini sought out Soref to pick his brain on how to escape the locks he used in his world-famous act.

At the height of Prohibition, T-men ordered nearly 150,000 locks to aid in shuttering booze-pouring bars and pubs all across the country. In 1935 Master Lock created its first combination lock  which it also still makes today. You might remember the combination from the one that swung on your high school locker.



The Fuller Warren factory in 1891. (PHOTO: Courtesy Milwaukee Public Library)

The company grew quickly and needed more space. So, it bought the old Fuller Warren Company stove and furnace factory on a five-acre chunk of land bordered by Clarke and Meinecke, 30th and 32nd Streets, where it has remained  and continued to grow  ever since.

"We've been at this site for over 75 years," says Facilities Engineer John Ballogh. "When we moved here originally we thought this site is so large we'll never be able to fill it up. Since then we've had multiple expansions that have gone up. They purchased some of the other buildings that were here (on adjacent land) ... one of them used to make bridles for horses. There was a foundry that was here."

One of the old facades is covered up, though you can still see the oversized novelty lock that adorned the roof above. Fortunately, an Art Deco update to what is now the main entrance survives, though you cant see it from Center Street (you might be able to spy it from 32nd).

(PHOTO: Master Lock)

This place is always a hive of activity, because six days a week Master Lock runs three shifts around the clock. On the seventh day, there are two shifts.

"All of our parts manufacturing is here," says Ballogh. "Depending on the product, we ship approximately 3 million parts a day to be assembled at our operation in Nogales."

There is one type of lock that is entirely manufactured and assembled in Milwaukee, and I bet you have at least one floating around somewhere in your house right now. Its the iconic model 1500D.

"You probably had one on your locker at school," says Ballogh.

Donning a neon vest, a hard hat and earplugs, Ballogh takes me into the factory and we walk for more than an hour. And we walk. And we walk. And we walk. Near the end, I ask if weve passed anything twice and Ballogh says no. The place is indescribably huge.

And it is indescribably busy. There are machines and workers everywhere. Brass bars are fed into machines. Other contraptions suck wire off big spools. An open flame tempers steel. Nimble hands do subassembly work. Stamping machines spit out keys and other parts. One machine shoots out laminated lock parts like a slot machine hitting jackpot.

The sounds mingle to create a symphony that any industrial noise band would covet.

It is truly an amazing sight.

Though Harry Soref died in 1957, his company had already become the largest padlock manufacturer in the country. Master Lock has continued to grow, acquiring American Lock in 2003 and Canadas largest combination lock manufacturer, Dudley Lock, the following year. And it still calls Milwaukee home.

"It's extremely important for us to continue to support our local economy," says Dan Franklin, Master Locks VP of manufacturing operations. "I think it's great that we have not only a headquarters in Oak Creek, but a manufacturing facility in Milwaukee when others chose to vacate. It means that we are a part of the community and I think we're looked at as such.

"Essentially, we're responsible for this economy, we're responsible for this state and we're proud of that. It means a great deal for us. There are a lot of folks that are out there that are just as invested as we are, 96 years of manufacturing. There are people on the (factory) floor that are working 51, 53 years in this facility. To me, that means a lot. So if they've got that level of commitment, then we've got to have that level of commitment back in return.

"So it means a lot, but in turn, we've got to continue to stay competitive, continue to move the business forward. So all those nuances that are part of driving a successful business, we think we still have the ability to do it here and be vital."

One big challenge for a company like Master Lock is finding qualified people.

"In the trades area, that's a gap not just here in Milwaukee, but if you look across the country, trades as a whole become very difficult, skilled trades," says Franklin. "We have to lean into the schooling systems  into MATC, into the high schools, into the grade schools, to make sure that people recognize that manufacturing is still a great way to learn and earn a good living."

One of the ways Master Lock leans in is to donate bike locks to the Milwaukee Police Department. Another is by looking a block east to MPS Clarke Street School, where it has a tight relationship.

"For several years now we've been supportive at Christmas time at Clarke Street School," Franklin says. "We bring them here. We give gifts out to the second grade group. We're also providing them an opportunity for to visit us, talk about what we do, and then share. We've been fortunate to be successful here. We'll give school supplies for back-to-school.

"With every student that comes through Clarke Street School there's hope, there's a chance, and we've got an opportunity to really give back. There are 400-plus people in this factory. Think about that. What better way to help? Those are all parts of making the community better, because you've only got a finite number of people out there, so if we all lend a hand, we can do a much better job."
Fugitive Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma, a key opponent of President Nicolas Maduro, traveled to Madrid on Friday after escaping house arrest in the Venezuelan capital. Ledezma, 62, had hours earlier crossed the border into neighboring Colombia, saying he intended to fly to Europe to organize resistance against Maduro's rule, which has left millions of Venezuelans facing food and medicine shortages. The opposition leader boarded an Avianca flight from Bogota to Madrid, where he was scheduled to arrive early Saturday, airport sources at Bogota's El Dorado airport said. "My voice is joining a chorus of Venezuelans who have asked for help from Colombia," Ledezma told reporters after arriving in the Colombian border town of Cucuta. Several Venezuelan magistrates have taken shelter in Colombia, including former attorney general Luisa Ortega, who is under government protection. He said his journey was worthy of a film, taking him past more than two dozen Venezuelan police and national guard positions before he was able to reach Colombia. However, he gave no details of his escape. Ledezma said he had fled Caracas because Venezuelan military and intelligence officials had informed him of a "government plan" against him, although he provided no details. "I don't want to be a hostage to tyranny, to be used to subdue an opposition," he said. In Caracas, Maduro minced no words. "Today, it's Antonio Ledezma who has left us. Now the vampire is flying around the world. He's off to Spain with a special deal, off to sip wine on the Gran Via. They can keep him," the president said at a rally in the capital. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Ledezma, whose wife is currently living in Spain, was at risk in Venezuela. "I know that his life was in danger because of the position he took firmly and coherently against this false dialogue," she said, referring to talks between the government and the opposition. Ledezma has been critical of a planned new round of talks hosted by the Dominican Republic in December, after earlier efforts failed to get off the ground. He said he had conveyed his objections to the talks in a phone call with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who has been a vocal critic of Maduro. "It is time to step aside and allow a transitional government, so that Maduro cannot continue torturing the people of Venezuela," Ledezma told reporters before heading to Madrid. "Maduro is starving the people of Venezuela." Organization of American States chief Luis Almagro hailed the mayor's escape. "My regards to Antonio Ledezma, moral reference of Venezuela, now free to lead the fight from exile, for the establishment of a democratic system in his country," he wrote on Twitter. Earlier, Colombia's migration department said Ledezma had "entered Colombian territory by land, over the Simon Bolivar international bridge." The mayor, a lawyer by profession, was arrested and jailed in February 2015 after being accused of plotting to overthrow the president. He had been under house arrest following surgery. He was elected Caracas mayor in 2009 and re-elected in 2013. Ledezma is a member of the Democratic Action opposition party, which was the biggest party in Venezuela before the arrival into power of Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez in 1999. He told Venezuelans that it was not a time to lose faith in their struggle. "You have to keep flying the flag which symbolizes the dignity of a people who have lost food, who have lost their cash and who don't have even have the money buy a sandwich," Ledezma said.
A Yemeni man who dressed as a hooded suicide bomber for a Halloween party has been fined in Malaysia for causing a public nuisance, his lawyer said Friday. Amjad Jalal Ahmed Al-Dahan wore a fake beard and a cardboard belt with two empty water bottles taped to it. He also had on a white robe with a scarf wrapped around his head at the party in an apartment complex in Petaling Jaya, a city next to Kuala Lumpur. Al-Dahan, 34, pleaded guilty and was fined 400 ringgit ($100), the maximum fine for the offence, his lawyer Saraswathy Devi told AFP. Largely Muslim Malaysia has arrested hundreds of suspected militants in recent years, including several people connected to the Abu Sayyaf group operating in the southern Philippines. Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia have been on alert after Filipino militants backed by foreign fighters and waving the black Islamic State (IS) group flag seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi in May. The Philippine government and security analysts said the attack on Marawi is part of an IS plan to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia.
Apple's new Face ID technology may be coming to a living room near you.

The Taiwanese supplier for Apple's smart speaker HomePod hinted it expects smart speakers in general to have 3-D facial-recognition technology, the Japan-based Nikkei Asian Review reported. While the supplier, Inventec Appliances, did not say HomePod will one day include Face ID, market analysts believed it was an inevitability, with one predicting to Nikkei it will happen by 2019.

Face ID, which so far is available only on the iPhone X, has been the breakthrough technology for Apple this year, thanks to the suite of new cameras and sensors on the front side of the phone. Beyond unlocking an iPhone, Face ID also proved to be a hit with Animojis, custom animated characters that use the user's voice and mirrors their facial expressions in the Messages app.

HomePod may be only the latest Apple product to include Face ID. Recently, Bloomberg reported Apple is working on a redesigned iPad that would have the home button replaced with Face ID for next year.

At Inventec Appliances' earnings conference meeting, CEO David Ho said smart speakers with Face ID and other AI features are likely but he was not sure if they would be a hit.

"We see trends that engineers are designing smart speakers that will not only come with voice recognition but also incorporate features such as facial and image recognition," said Ho. "Such AI-related features are set to make people's lives more convenient and to make the product easier to use."

Despite a December launch date, it is still unknown when exactly the HomePod will be released. Announced first at the Worldwide Developers Conference in May, Apple boasted about the $349 HomePod's high-tech speaker abilities with artificial intelligence powered by Siri.

Apple is expected to ship only 50,000 HomePods in 2017 to the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, Taipei-based Fubon Securities analyst Arthur Liao told Nikkei. But Liao thinks HomePod shipments will rise to 4 million in 2018.

2017 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Forest cleared by bulldozers towing massive chains. Credit: Noel Preece

When you think of devastating deforestation and extinction you usually think of the Amazon, Borneo and the Congo. But eastern Australia ranks alongside these in the top 10 of the world's major deforestation fronts  the only one in a developed nation. Most of the clearing is happening in Queensland, and it is accelerating.

Only last year a group of leading ecologists voiced their alarm at new data which showed the clearing of 296,000 hectares of forest in 2013-14. This was three times higher than in 2008-09, kicking Australia up the list as one of the world's forest-clearing pariahs. At the 2016 Society for Conservation Biology Conference, a Scientists' Declaration was signed by hundreds of scientists, expressing concern at these clearing rates.

But the latest snapshot, Queensland's Department of Science report on land cover change published last month, showed a staggering 395,000ha of clearing for 2015-16: a 133% increase on 2014-15. As far as we can tell this rate of increased clearing is unmatched anywhere else on the globe.

Strong vegetation management laws enacted in Queensland  the Vegetation Management Act 1999  achieved dramatic reductions in forest and woodland loss. But the subsequent Liberal National state government, elected in 2012, overturned these protections.

The current government, elected in 2015, has tried and failed to reinstate the protections. In response, "panic clearing" caused clearing rates to shoot up, in anticipation that the state election will deliver a government that will reintroduce the much-needed protection of forests.

The Queensland Parliament is now in caretaker mode ahead of the November 25 election. The Queensland Labor Party has pledged to reinstate laws to prevent wholesale clearing, while the LNP opposition has vowed to retain current clearing rates.

Australian community and wildlife lose

Whichever way you look at it, there is not a lot of sense in continued clearing. Australia already has some of the highest extinction rates on the planet for plants and animals. With 80% of Queensland's threatened species living in forest and woodland, more clearing will certainly increase that rate.

Clearing also kills tens of millions of animals across Australia each year, a major animal welfare concern that rarely receives attention. This jeopardises both wildlife and the A$140 million invested in threatened species recovery.

This rate of clearing neutralises our major environment programs. Just one year of clearing has removed more trees than the bulk of 20 million trees painstakingly planted, at a cost of A$50 million. Australia's major environment programs simply can't keep up, and since 2013 are restoring only one-tenth of the extent of land bulldozed just last year.

Restoration costs to improve the quality of waters running onto the Great Barrier Reef are estimated at around A$5 billion to A$10 billion over 10 years. Nearly 40% of the land cleared in Queensland is in reef catchments, which will reverse any water quality gains as sediment pours onto the reef.

Climate efforts nullified

Since 2014, the federal government has invested A$2.55 billion on reducing emissions in the Carbon Farming Initiative through the Emissions Reduction Fund. Currently 189 million tonnes of abatement has been delivered by the Emissions Reduction Fund. This  the central plank of the Australian government's climate response  will be all but nullified by the end of 2018 with the current clearing rates, and will certainly be wiped out by 2020, when Australia is expected to meet its climate target of 5% below 2000 emissions.

Ironically, this target will be achieved with the help of carried-over results from the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which Australia was only able to meet because land clearing had decreased between 1990 and 1997.

Why is this happening?

Most of the clearing in Queensland since 1999 has been for pasture. Most good cropping land was cleared decades ago. Removing trees in more marginal lands can increase the carrying capacity for a short time with an immediate, and usually short-lived, financial reward. These rewards come at the expense of long-term sustainability, which future landholders and government will bear.

Large areas of the cleared lands have been subject to substantial erosion and nutrient loss from the newly cleared lands, and land degradation over time, and some areas have suffered massive woody weed incursions.

This is playing out today across the north where pastoralism is a marginal activity at best, with declining terms of trade of about 2% per year, with no net productivity growth, high average debts and low returns, and many enterprises facing insolvency. Clearing vegetation won't change that.

A recent preliminary valuation of ecosystem services, on the other hand, estimated that uncleared lands are worth A$3,300-$6,100 per hectare per year to the Australian community, compared with productivity of grazing lands of A$18 per hectare.

With a clear divide between the policies Labor and the LNP are taking to the election, now is a good time to give land clearing's social, economic and environmental impact the scrutiny it deserves.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
By PTI: Ahmedabad, Nov 17 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a survey conducted by US think tank Pew and Moodys rating upgrade for India.

Rupani slammed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for criticising major reforms of the Modi government like note-ban and GST and accused him of giving "wrong" figures regarding Gujarat.

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"The Pew Research Center has come out with a survey which said popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increased after three years of his rule," Rupani said.

According to the survey conducted by the American think, Modi remains "by far" the most popular figure in Indian politics.

Modi at 88 per cent is 30 points ahead of Rahul Gandhi (58%), 31 points ahead of Congress president Sonia Gandhi (57%) and 49 points ahead of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (39%), said the survey conducted between February 21 and March 10.

"Today, international rating agency Moodys upgraded Indias rating due to hard work done on the economic front by the Modi government," he said.

"This proves the Union government is going in the right direction under Prime Minister Modi," he said.

Gandhis criticism of the Modi government on its key policy decisions have no meaning, the BJP leader said.

"Rahul Gandhi has been criticising our government on the issues of demonetisation and GST during his poll campaign in Gujarat. Now his claims have been punctured," Rupani said.

The Congress leader is giving "wrong" figures about job scenario in the BJP-ruled state, Rupani said.

"Rahul has been claiming that state has 30 lakh unemployed youth. However, the figure is just below six lakhs.

Rupani said, "As per the figures released by the Central government, Gujarat created 83 per cent of all jobs in the country in 2016."

Gandhi has been giving wrong figures on the issue of schools also, Rupani said.

"I challenge him to declare the source of his figures that he has been quoting in his speeches in Gujarat. All the figures are wrong," he said. PTI PD RSY

--- ENDS ---
A mural in Redfern, Sydney, based on the lyrics of the Joe Geia song "40,000 Years." Credit: Billy Griffiths

In July, a new date was published that pushed the opening chapters of Australian history back to 65,000 years ago. It is the latest development in a time revolution that has gripped the nation over the past half century.

In the 1950s, it was widely believed that the first Australians had arrived on this continent only a few thousand years earlier. They were regarded as "primitive"  a fossilised stage in human evolution  but not necessarily ancient.

In the decades since, Indigenous history has been pushed back into the dizzying expanse of deep time. While people have lived in Australia, volcanoes have erupted, dunefields have formed, glaciers have melted and sea levels have risen about 125 metres, transforming Lake Carpentaria into a Gulf and the Bassian Plain into a Strait.

How are we to engage with a history that spans 65,000 years? There is a "gee whiz" factor to any dates that transcend our ordinary understanding of time as lived experience. Human experiences are reduced to numbers. And aside from being "a long time ago", they are hard to grasp imaginatively.

It is all too easy to approach this history as one might read the Guinness Book of Records, to search the vast expanse of time for easily identifiable "firsts": the earliest site, the oldest tool, the most extreme conditions. The rich contours of Australia's natural and cultural history are trumped by the mentality that older is better.

To political leaders, old dates bestow a veneer of antiquity to a young settler nation. To scientists, they propel Australian history into a global human story and allow us to see ourselves as a species. To Indigenous Australians, they may be valued as an important point of cultural pride or perceived as utterly irrelevant. Their responses are diverse.

Recently, one of us, Lynette Russell, asked 35 Aboriginal friends and colleagues of varying ages, genders and backgrounds for their thoughts about Australia's deep history.

Many of the responses were statements of cultural affirmation ("We have always been here" or "We became Aboriginal here"), while others viewed the long Indigenous history on this continent through the lens of continuity, taking pride in being members of "the oldest living population in the world" and "the world's oldest continuing culture".

As expressions of identity, these are powerful statements. But when others uncritically repeat such notions as historical fact, they risk suggesting that Aboriginal culture has been frozen in time. We need to be careful not to echo the language of past cultural evolutionists, who believed, in Robert Pulleine's infamous words, that Aboriginal people were "an unchanging people, living in an unchanging environment".

This article seeks to move beyond the view of ancient Australia as a timeless and traditional foundation story to explore the ways in which scientists and humanists are engaging with the deep past as a transformative human history.

Memories of time

The revolution in Australia's timescale was driven by the advent of radiocarbon dating in the mid-20th century. The nuclear chemist Willard Libby first realised the dating potential of carbon-14 isotopes while working on the Manhattan Project (which also produced the atom bomb). In 1949, he and James Arnold outlined a way to date organic materials from a couple of hundred years old to tens of thousands of years old. The key was to measure the memories of time preserved in carbon atoms.

By comparing the decaying isotope, carbon-14, with the stable isotope, carbon-12, they were able to measure the age of a sample with relative precision. The rate of decay and amount of carbon-14 provided the date.

"A new time machine has been invented", Australian archaeologist John Mulvaney declared when he realised the implications of the method. In 1962, he used the new technique at Kenniff Cave in the central Queensland highlands and was stunned to discover that Australia had been occupied during the last Ice Age. The dates of 19,000 years overturned the long-standing idea that Australia was the last continent to be inhabited by modern humans and the artefacts he uncovered in his excavations revealed a rich history of cultural adaptation.

The following decade, at Lake Mungo, Australia's human history was pushed back to the limits of the radiocarbon technique. A sample from spit 17 of Mulvaney and Wilfred Shawcross' excavations at Lake Mungo revealed that the ancestors of the Mutthi Mutthi, Ngyiampaa and Paakantji peoples had thrived on these lakeshores over 40,000 years ago. Geomorphologist Jim Bowler also revealed the dramatic environmental fluctuations these people endured: what is now a dusty and desiccated landscape was then a fertile lake system with over 1000 km2 of open water.

The 1989 excavations at Madjedbebe (Malakunanja II), Arnhem Land. Credit: Mike Smith

The date of 40,000 years had a profound public impact and announced the coming of age of Australian archaeology. The phrase "40,000 years" quickly appeared on banners outside the Tent Embassy in Canberra, in songs by Aboriginal musicians and in land rights campaigns. When the bicentenary of European settlement was marked on 26 January 1988, thousands of Australians protested the celebrations with posters reading "White Australia has a Black History" and "You have been here for 200 years, we for 40,000". The comparison magnified the act of dispossession.

The discovery of 65,000 years of human occupation at Madjedbebe rock shelter on Mirrar land, at the edge of the Arnhem Land escarpment, draws on a different dating method: optically stimulated luminescence. This technique analyses individual grains of sand and the charge that builds up in their crystal quartz lattice over time. By releasing and measuring this charge, geochronologists are able to reveal the moment a grain of sand was last exposed to sunlight.

The archaeological site at Madjedbebe is far more than an old date; it reveals a long and varied history of human occupation, with evidence of profound cultural and ecological connections across the landscape, cutting edge Ice Age technology (such as the world's earliest ground-edge axe) and dramatic environmental change.

Perhaps most evocatively, throughout the deposit, even at the lowest layers, archaeologists found ochre crayons: a powerful expression of artistic endeavour and cultural achievement.

In the wake of the discovery, in August 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull seized upon the new date in his speech at Garma, singling out the possibilities of this deep time story for political reconciliation:

"I am filled with optimism about our future together as a reconciled Australia. Last month scientists and researchers revealed new evidence that our First Australians have been here in this land for 65,000 years.  This news is a point of great pride for our nation. We rejoice in it, as we celebrate your Indigenous cultures and heritage as our culture and heritage  uniquely Australian."

Although Turnbull revels in the deep time story, his speech avoids reflecting on the more recent past. Here is a statement of reconciliation that does not address the estrangement that it is seeking to overcome. As such it opens itself up to being dismissed as simply a prolonged platitude.

We cannot engage with the past 65,000 years without acknowledging the turbulent road of the past two centuries.

A story of rupture and resilience

When Europeans arrived in Australia in the 17th and 18th centuries they were setting foot onto a land that had been home to thousands of generations of Indigenous men and women. These groups lived along the coasts and hinterlands and travelled into the mountains and across stone plateaus; they thrived in the harsh deserts and gathered in great numbers along waterways and rivers.

Although Australia is a continent, it is home to hundreds of different nations, over 200 language groups and an immense variety of cultural, geographic and ecological regions. To the newcomers these people were simply perceived as "the natives", and despite the immense cultural diversity across vastly different environmental zones, the disparate groups became labelled with the umbrella term: "the Aborigines".

There is a similar tendency today to homogenise the deep history of the first Australians. The dynamic natural and cultural history of Australia is too often obscured by tropes of timelessness. Tourism campaigns continue to tell us that this is the land of the "never never", the home of "ancient traditions" and "one of the world's oldest living groups".

Such slogans imply a lack of change and hide the remarkable variety of human experiences on this continent over tens of thousands of years. While there is great continuity in the cultural history of Indigenous peoples, theirs is also a story of rupture and resilience.

The discovery of old dates at Madjedbebe does not make the history of the site any more or less significant. It simply reminds us that science, like history, is an ongoing inquiry. All it takes is a new piece of evidence to turn on its head what we thought we knew. Science is a journey and knowledge is ever evolving.

The epic story of Australia will continue to shift with the discovery of new sites and new techniques, and by engaging and collaborating with different worldviews. It is a history that can only be told by working across cultures and across disciplines; by bridging the divide between the sciences and the humanities and translating numbers and datasets into narratives that convey the incredible depth and variety of human experience on this continent.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Credit: EPFL

EPFL researchers have come up with a fact-based system to measure urban cleanliness. Municipal authorities will now be able to draw on objective assessments when planning their street cleaning  a sector with multi-million-franc budgets.

The concept is straightforward: on one hand, vehicles equipped with video cameras to record the city streets, and on the other, a computer able to spot waste, identify it and classify it  in the blink of an eye. A researcher from EPFL's Signal Processing Laboratory 5 (LTS5), working with local startup Cortexia, the Haute Ecole Arc and several Swiss cities, has created a system that provides cities with an objective way of assessing the cleanliness of their streets, including detailed information on the amount, type and location of waste. The system should help them decide which and how many street sweepers to purchase, how often to clean the streets, and which areas need to be cleaned more often because they are dirtier or because the garbage there is more dangerous. With a fact-based assessment at their fingertips that showed what sort of trash is located where, and which areas are hardest hit, city officials would be able to implement much more efficient  and potentially much less expensive  street-cleaning programs. That's the approach described in an article appearing in Computer Vision Systems.

A definition of cleanliness based on human perceptions

In the absence of quantifiable and scientific criteria, city officials rely on human perception when it comes to setting up street-cleaning programs. "It's a key factor for cities in Switzerland and in Europe more generally, because it affects residents' quality of life and has a bearing on how attractive cities are for both tourists and businesses," says Mohammad Saeed Rad, a scientific assistant at the LTS5. "But cities today don't have the objective metrics they need to manage their waste." Every city has its own approach to assessing the cleanliness of its streets. Zurich does this by sending people out several times a year to walk the streets and record the trash they encounter  bottles, cigarette butts, etc. Others do it by asking residents to rate various parts of town for cleanliness.

The system recognizes every object and classifies it in the correct category. Credit: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne

To obtain the fact-based assessment needed, the researcher's system uses vehicles equipped with high-definition video cameras to record city streets and all the objects on them. A computer then analyzes the images using special software to identify each object, determine if it is waste and, if so, assign it to one of 25 categories labeled as "waste"  e.g., plastic bottles, newspaper, cigarette butts or leaves. The researchers used machine learning to 'train' the computer to recognize and categorize various types of waste. They showed the computer as many images of as many types of waste as possible so that it can recognize them all. "We are still improving our results by feeding the database," says Rad. The more types of waste the computer sees, the fewer mistakes it will make in recognizing and categorizing it.

The researchers had their work cut out for them, since the computer has to be able to recognize two-centimeter-long cigarette butts, for example, in images taken several meters above ground at a speed of two frames per second. "At first, we decided to mount the cameras on the top of the city's street sweepers, since they are sure to visit the dirtiest parts of town," says Rad. "We then realized, with our partner cities, that these vehicles could not be driven in a number of important areas like parks and playgrounds. So we came up with a bicycle-mounted version of our system." The researchers ran tests in the rain and in the early light of dawn to gauge system improvement.

The researchers developed an index composed of 25 types of waste. Using this index, cities can customize their waste analysis methods, picking and choosing from standard criteria. "City officials can choose the categories they want to include in their assessment, depending on which ones they consider waste and what street-cleaning resources they have," says Rad. For both Rad and Cortexia, it was important to link object recognition to a response. "Glass shards are more dangerous than chewing gum and should probably be cleaned up first," says Rad. "Along the same lines, certain types of waste are evaluated differently depending on whether they are hidden away somewhere or located in a park where children play."

More information: Mohammad Saeed Rad et al. A Computer Vision System to Localize and Classify Wastes on the Streets, Computer Vision Systems (2017). DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-68345-4_18
A sculpture with polar bear on a spear by Danish artist Jens Galschiot is pictured outside the 23rd UN Conference of the Parties (COP) climate talks in Bonn, Germany, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Global talks on curbing climate change wrapped up Friday, with delegates and observers claiming progress on several key details of the 2015 Paris accord.

The two-week negotiations focused on a range of issues including transparency, financial assistance for poor nations and how to keep raising countries' targets for cutting carbon emissions.

"We are making good progress on the Paris agreement work program, and we are on track to complete that work by the deadline," Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama told diplomats hours before the meeting in Bonn, Germany, was due to conclude.

Bainimarama, who presided over the talks, faced the challenging task of reconciling the often conflicting positions of rich and poor countries, especially when it comes to what each side needs to do to curb climate change.

By late Friday, two main issues remained unresolved: the question of how far in advance rich countries need to commit billions in funding to help developing nations, and a dispute over whether Turkey should have access to financial aid meant for poor countries.

Signatories of the Paris agreement want to keep global warming significantly below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) by the end of the century. That goal won't be achieved unless countries make further efforts to sharply reduce carbon emissions caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuels.

A replica of the Statue of Liberty by Danish artist Jens Galschiot emits smoke in a park outside the 23rd UN Conference of the Parties (COP) climate talks in Bonn, Germany, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Observers say the U.S. delegation played a largely constructive role during the talks, despite the Trump administration's threat to pull out of the Paris accord.

While one group of American officials led by White House adviser George David Banks raised eyebrows by hosting a pro-coal event during the talks, a second group consisting of seasoned U.S. negotiators quietly got on with the painstaking job of refining the international climate rulebook, said Elliot Diringer, a veteran of such U.N. meetings.

"It's a smaller team but a strong team," said Diringer, who is the executive vice president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a Washington think tank. "From all accounts they have been playing a constructive role in the room advancing largely the same positions as before."

Ottmar Edenhofer, chief economist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, cautioned that while the Bonn talks might be considered a diplomatic success, little concrete progress has been made on tackling what he called the "coal trap."

A coal-burning power plant steams in Gelsenkirchen, Germany while the 23rd UN Conference of the Parties (COP) climate talks end in Bonn, Germany, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

"We are being pressured by the mass of available coal: it's very cheap on the market but it's very expensive for society because of air pollution and climate change," he said, noting that Japan, Turkey, Egypt and Indonesia plan to keep investing in coal-fired power plantsa major source of carbon emissions.

Environmental groups voiced disappointment at German Chancellor Angela Merkel's failure to announce a deadline for her country to stop using coal, even as other nations such as Canada, Britain and France committed to a phase-out during the talks.

Leadership hopes are now being pinned on President Emmanuel Macron of France, who is hosting a climate summit in Paris next month to mark the second anniversary of the landmark accord.

Further low-level talks will take place over the next year in order to present leaders with final drafts for approval at the next climate meeting in Katowice, Poland, in December 2018.

A coal-burning power plant steams behind wind generators in Gelsenkirchen, Germany while the 23rd UN Conference of the Parties (COP) climate talks end in Bonn, Germany, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Delegates take moving stairs in the convention center during the COP 23 Fiji UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Monitoring the egos of employees could prevent bad behaviour because people who feel entitled are more likely to behave unethically at work, research suggests.

People who think they should receive special treatment, even if it is not deserved, are likely to break the rules because they are driven by self-interest and the need to look good in the eyes of others.

Experts say the study shows companies should start measuring how entitled their employees feel  both before they hire them and during appraisals  in order to spot people who could potentially damage their reputation and prevent them behaving badly.

Entitled people are even more likely to behave unethically when they personally support the organisation they work for, and share the same personal goals as the company. They convince themselves their actions are moral and want to maintain their inflated self-esteem by achieving a high status in their organizations, and are willing to take shortcuts to get there.

The research, carried out in China and the UK, shows entitled people hold a consistently positive view of themselves and they have a desire to maintain this positive self-image. They also have a deep concern for what others think of them, and they place great value on receiving approval and recognition from others. They resort to unethical behaviour as a way of maintaining and protecting their large ego.

The researchers, from the University of Exeter Business School, SOAS University of London, Deakin Business School, Australia and Aston Business School, confidentially surveyed workers at a Chinese textile manufacturing company with revenues of more than one billion RMB in Zhejiang Province in April 2014. They had to answer questions like "I honestly feel I'm just more deserving than others" and "If it would help my organization, I would exaggerate the truth about my company's products or services to customers or clients." using a scale. They also surveyed 230 people in the UK in the spring of 2016, asking them similar questions.

Dr Allan Lee, from the University of Exeter Business School, who led the research, said: "We have found people who feel entitled may exhibit a greater willingness to engage in unethical behaviour to maintain what they think is their high status. These people are more willing to take risks and shortcuts. They are driven by status and want to get what they see as their just rewards quicker. They want to meet targets, and don't mind bending the rules to get there.

"This means organisations must ensure that they put mechanisms in place that reduce the likelihood of entitled people breaking the rules, as this behaviour can have a big impact on their reputation. This could be measuring levels of entitlement among employees during selection and performance evaluation procedures to determine which employees leaders should focus their attention on. Managers could also make sure their workers clearly understand the relationship between performance and rewards so that inflated expectations are reduced."

Investigating When and Why Psychological Entitlement Predicts Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior is published in the Journal of Business Ethics.

More information: Allan Lee et al. Investigating When and Why Psychological Entitlement Predicts Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior, Journal of Business Ethics (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s10551-017-3456-z Journal information: Journal of Business Ethics
Shawn Butler, a graduate student at the University of Tennessee College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, analyzes cotton research plots from his laptop thanks to images obtained with an unmanned areial system (UAS), also called a drone. This research could help farmers improve crop monitoring. Credit: Ginger Rowsey

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, could help farmers determine if their crop is growing satisfactorily, according to a recent study conducted by University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture researchers.

The study evaluated the ability of a UAS to accurately and precisely determine plant populations of cotton. Producers routinely assess plant populations early in the growing season to determine the state of their crop - and what management decisions are needed to ensure an optimal harvest. This is most often done by counting the number of plants within a selected distance and repeating those counts in different locations throughout the field to find an average.

"This traditional approach is reliant upon a highly uniform plant population across the entire field and can be influenced by human bias," says Shawn Butler, graduate student in the University of Tennessee College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. "Theoretically, an aerial approach could provide spatially dense information on plant populations across large areas quickly and remove human bias."

For two years, researchers assessed plant stands of emerging cotton through manual counting and through images obtained from both digital and multi-spectral cameras mounted beneath a quad-copter. The quad-copter was flown at varying altitudes ranging from 30 to 120 meters.

Of the two camera systems analyzed, the images produced from the multi-spectral camera proved to be more accurate in estimating plant populations, with a greater than 93 percent accuracy. However, researchers say the red, green, blue (RGB) images produced by the less-expensive digital camera still looked promising, with a greater than 85 percent accuracy using current methods and scripted programming.

"Based on initial results, the aerial imagery provided by either RGB or multi-spectral sensors may be a sufficient tool to improve accuracy and efficiency of plant stand assessment," says Butler. "The most impactful difference to the end user in deciding a method to use will be the cost between the two camera systems."

"Crop monitoring is a big obstacle for many producers," says Tyson Raper, project leader and assistant professor with the UT Department of Plant Sciences. "We want to continue to evaluate tools and methodologies that have the potential to help farmers overcome monitoring challenges, improve response time and increase profitability."

Butler presented this research at the 2017 International ASA, CSSA and SSSA Annual Meeting, "Managing Global Resources for a Secure Future," held in Tampa, Florida. The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America hosted the meeting.

Provided by University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
Looking upstream from the York Haven hydroelectric plant, with the concrete dam running through the Susquehanna River. Credit: Cube Hydro Partners, LLC

The addition of a nature-like fish passage to a Susquehanna River dam in Pennsylvania should allow migrating fish to more easily reach spawning grounds, according to Penn State researchers.

"The basic idea is to open up part of the dam and then let fishes go through," said Xiaofeng Liu, assistant professor of civil engineering and lead principal investigator of the project. "It sounds so simple, but it's not. Fishes are very picky in terms of the flow speed, turbulence, fluctuation and even temperature and water quality. All of these things need to come together."

Migratory fish trekking along the Susquehanna River from the Chesapeake Bay during spawning season used to be so abundant, they created a thriving commercial fishing industry. They were also a primary food source for Native Americans and helped early European settlers fight off starvation. When the York Haven Dam was built in 1904, however, and three additional dams soon after, they shut off the river course, putting the fishing industryand the future of the fish themselvesat risk of extinction.

Though some of the fish adapted and found alternative locations to lay their eggs, their populations have still plummeted. Before the dam was built and humans polluted the river, tens of millions of fish swam against the current every year during the spring fish run. In fact, in the spring of 1827, 15 million fish were caught at the river mouth, so many that some were turned into fertilizer. However, by the 1980s, biologists estimated the population of remaining American shad, once the Susquehanna's premier fish, to be in the thousands along the river and in the bay.

In the past several decades, efforts have been made to gradually reopen the river and its tributaries to migratory fish. York Haven now uses a fish ladder, which enables fish to pass over the dam by swimming and leaping up a series of short steps, while the other three damsSafe Harbor, Holtwood and Conowingoall use fish lifts, which function like an elevator, to transport the fish to the other side of the dam.

Despite these efforts, the ladders and lifts show only limited success since fish still have to find their way through passages or into an elevator chamber and then pass through all four dams. Often fish become confused and get lost along the way. To improve the situation, Liu and his colleagues are developing a "nature-like" fish passage for York Haven, a design they hope to eventually use at other locations as well.

To create the passage, part of the dam will be removed and replaced by an in-stream structure that will mimic what the fish encounter as they migrate in nature. Since hydraulic conditions are complex at these sites, both computational modeling and physical modeling will be used to decrease the uncertainties that can occur under different flow conditions.

The team will utilize a 3-D high-resolution computational model to look at turbulent flow and a second model to track fish movement. They will couple those results with a physical, scaled-down model that will allow them to see ideal flow characteristics and how the targeted fish species, the American shad and eel, will respond to these conditions.

"Around here, in the mountainous areas, these streams and creeks have a lot of boulders and rocks and fallen trees in the channel," Liu said. "That's the natural status of the channel and the fish have biologically adapted to that through evolution."

To simulate the natural debris in the area, the researchers will create a model that includes more than 600 4-to-6-foot boulders, as well as varying flow conditions for different fish's needs.

"Basically, it's like a ramp with stops for the fish to climb up," Liu said. "But the ramp might be too long or the elevation is too tall for certain fish, so we're going to provide them with resting areas so they can swim through the rapids between boulders and when they are tired, they can rest in the wake area behind the boulders."

Once the successful model has been developed, the team will turn it over to Cube Hydro Partners, LLC, the owner and operator of the York Haven hydroelectric facility and funding partner on the project.

"It is important to Cube Hydro to ensure that our projects are designed and operated in an environmentally sound and sustainable way," said Rick Cunningham, Cube Hydro's Director of Marketing and Sales. "Partnerships with leading institutions reinforce our philosophy and provide real-world applications for the next generation of hydropower industry leaders."

The company hopes the project will provide critical information and quantitative data that will improve their design and can be used by others.

"This is an exciting opportunity for us to team with an energy company on an important environmental issue," said co-principal investigator Peggy Johnson, dean of the Schreyer Honors College and professor of civil engineering. "Creating a functioning and sustainable fish passage requires interdisciplinary research and seeks to restore a healthy environment in the river."
Chimpanzee feeding on an orange. Credit: Cecile Sarabian, HELP Congo, Kyoto University

Chimpanzees do some pretty disgusting things.

In their natural habitats, chimpanzees are known to pick up seeds from feces and re-ingest them. In captivity, some practice coprophagy: the deliberate ingestion of feces. These behaviors usually involve their own fecal matter, or that of their closest family members. If presented with feces and other bodily fluids from others, however, that's an entirely different story.

In 2015, researchers from Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute went to the Primate Center at the 'Centre International de Recherches Medicales de Franceville' (CIRMF) in Gabon to test whether chimpanzees are grossed out by some of the same things as humans, particularly those that are sources of infectious disease.

Avoiding biological contaminants is a well-known manifestation of the adaptive system of disgust. In theory, animals evolved with this system to protect themselves from pathogens and parasites, which are often associated with media or substrates that invoke our sense of disgust. For example, bodily products are universal disgust elicitors in humans, but until now we did not know whether they also elicit similar reactions in our primate cousins.

Vision-mediated avoidance of feces, condition 1. Adult male chimpanzee Vaillant, is first feeding atop foam control (left) then, atop brown feces replica (right). Credit: Cecile Sarabian, Kyoto University

In a new study published in Royal Society Open Science, researchers found evidence that exposure to biological contaminantsie feces, blood, semenvia vision, smell, and touch, influences feeding choices even in chimpanzees.

A series of novel experiments show that chimpanzees delay eating food items placed atop replica feces compared to the more benign brown foam; generally stay further away from the smell of potential biological contaminants; and recoil from food items associated with soft and moist substrates.

"If chimpanzees and other primates can discern contamination risk via different cues, individuals with higher sensitivities to feces and other bodily fluids may be less infected, which could have important health benefits," explains Cecile Sarabian, the lead author of the study.

"Moreover, such results may have implications for animal welfare and management. We can better inform staff and keepers about the adaptive value of such sensitivity and its flexibility, as well as identify which individuals may be more at risk of infection and therefore require more attention."

Touch-mediated avoidance of biological contaminants, "dough" condition. Adult female chimpanzee, attempts to reach food inside an opaque box. Here, the food reward lies on a dough substrate. After touching the substrate, she refused to feed. Credit: Cecile Sarabian, Kyoto University

While visual and olfactory cues of biological contaminants made the chimps hesitate before chowing down, it did not stop them from feeding entirely. However, tactile information seemed to elicit the strongest aversive reaction.

When the researchers presented chimpanzees with an opaque box where they could reach in for food placed atop a soft and moist piece of dough, the chimps recoiled immediately after making contact. They did not, however, react the same way if the food was placed atop a piece of rope.

Chimpanzees, therefore, spontaneously react just like humans when blindly touching soft and moist substrates, which incidentally are expected to be rich in biological contaminants compared to hard and dry substances.

"While anyone watching the reactions of these chimpanzees in the tactile experiments can empathize with them, it's premature to say that they feel the same as we might in that situation" cautions Andrew MacIntosh, senior author on the study. "What's great about these experiments, though, is that the observed responses are functionally similar to what ours would be, providing evidence that the mechanism underlying their behavior could be similar to ours."

"These experiments hint at the origins of disgust in humans, and help us better understand the protective function of this emotion" concludes Cecile Sarabian. "We are currently in the process of expanding our 'disgusting' work to include other primate and non-primate species"

More information: Cecile Sarabian et al, Avoidance of biological contaminants through sight, smell and touch in chimpanzees, Royal Society Open Science (2017). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170968 Journal information: Royal Society Open Science
Credit: University of California - Santa Barbara

To date, most empirical evidence on climate change impacts have focused on the agricultural sector. Little is known about the effects on, say, manufacturing in, say, China, which is in many ways "the factory of the world."

In a new paper published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, UC Santa Barbara researchers shows that climate change will dramatically lower output for the Chinese manufacturing sector.

Using detailed production data from a half-million Chinese manufacturing plants in the period 1998-2007, the research team estimated the effects of temperature on firm-level productivity, factor inputs and output. They predict that by the middle of the 21st century, if no additional adaptations occur, climate change will reduce Chinese manufacturing output annually by 12 percentequivalent to a loss of nearly $40 billion in 2007 dollars.

With the Chinese manufacturing sector producing 32 percent of national gross domestic product (GDP), this effect is equivalent to a 4 percent drop in overall Chinese GDP annually. Further, given that China's manufacturing sector supplies 12 percent of global imports, the worldwide economic consequences may be substantial.

"Previous work has largely focused on how climate change may affect economic activity by lowering the productivity of workers," said co-author Kyle Meng, an assistant professor of environmental economics in UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and the Department of Economics. "It is well documented that when it's hot, people work less productively."

The new paper, written with Olivier Deschenes, a professor of economics at UCSB, Peng Zhang of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (and a former Ph.D. student at UCSB) and Junjie Zhang of Duke Kunshan University in China, points to the effects of temperature on the productivity of capital as well. That is, increasing temperatures not only make workers less productive, they also make machines operate less well.

"In one particularly striking result, we separately examine temperature sensitivity between low- and high-tech industries in China," Deschenes said. High-tech industries include those that produce medical supplies, aerospace equipment and computer equipment. "We typically think of these sectors as being capital intensive with indoor production facilities that tend to operate with air conditioning," Deschenes continued. "We find that these industries are just as sensitive to extreme temperature as low-tech industries."

According to Meng, the results suggest that if we are to reduce climate losses on manufacturing output, adaptation measures should not focus solely on reducing the sensitivity of workers to extreme heat, but also that of factory machines.

"More broadly, our paper introduces a new cost of climate change that hasn't been documented before," he said. "China is already doing a lot to reduce its emissions. These existing policies were put into place even without this new evidence on manufacturing sector losses. Given the importance of manufacturing for China, we hope our findings will help lead to more stringent Chinese climate policy."

More information: Peng Zhang et al. Temperature effects on productivity and factor reallocation: Evidence from a half million chinese manufacturing plants, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2017.11.001
Biodiverse forest with Norway spruce, beech and birch trees. Picture was taken in autumn in middle Germany. Credit: Christian Hueller

Forests fulfill numerous important functions, and do so particularly well if they have a diversity of trees, according to a new study. As a second study demonstrates, forest managers do not have to decide on the provision of solely one function, such as wood production or nature conservationseveral services provided by forest ecosystems can be improved at the same time. Both studies were led by scientists from Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), and published in the prestigious journal

Forests are of great importance to humans. The wood grown in forests is used in our houses for furniture, roof timbers and flooring; forests store carbon from the air and thus counteract climate change, and they help prevent soil erosion and regulate the water cycle. Forests are also enjoyed for recreation by cyclists and hikers. The basis for these benefits are functions that constantly take place in forests: The trees conduct photosynthesis, grow, produce offspring, defend themselves against hungry insects and deer, fight off pathogens and protect themselves against drought. They take up nutrients, which are then released when the trees die and decompose.

A new study, led by researchers from Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), demonstrates that many of these ecosystem functions perform better in forests with a higher level of biodiversity, i.e., when forests are made up of multiple rather than just a single tree species. The researchers investigated the importance of biodiversity for forest functioning in six countries across Europe: Germany, Finland, Poland, Romania, Italy and Spain. Within forested regions, the scientists selected plots that varied from one to five species. In Germany, for example, mixtures consisted of beech, oak, Norway spruce, birch and hornbeam. The researchers then measured 26 functions in these plots that are relevant to nutrient and carbon cycles, the growth and resilience of the trees, and forest regeneration. Their findings show that when trees inhabit forests with many tree species, they grow at a faster rate, store more carbon and are more resistant to pests and diseases than trees in species-poor forests. "Therefore, converting forest monocultures to multi-species forests should generally result in a higher delivery of ecosystem goods and services to humans," says Sophia Ratcliffe, who led the study at Leipzig University.

The findings of this research also indicate that the positive correlation between tree diversity and forest functioning is strongest in regions where water for the trees is scarce and the growing seasons are longer, i.e., in southern and central Europe. Christian Wirth, Head of the Department for Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity at Leipzig University, explains why this is important: "Our summers will be drier and longer as a result of climate change. We therefore presume that, in the future, it will be even more important to manage forests in a way that they have a high diversity of tree species."

Another study shows that for forest managers, it is not necessary to concentrate on one particular ecosystem service that they would like to improve in forests. This study was also carried out in the same six woodland areas and with significant contribution of the researchers from Leipzig. The scientists have carefully examined 28 ecosystem functions and have addressed the following question: if an ecosystem function in a forest is particularly high, then does this negatively affect any other ecosystem function? The answer is no, according to the findings of the investigationin a forest, several functions can be simultaneously high.

This has practical implications for the management of forests, says Fons van der Plas, the first author of the study. "In recent years, scientists have become increasingly interested in promoting so-called ecosystem multifunctionality, the simultaneous provisioning of multiple ecosystem services. Our study has shown that ecosystem multifunctionality is not just a theoretical concept, but that it is valid in forests throughout Europe, as the promotion of one type of service can go hand-in-hand with the promotion of other types of services." The researchers have also found, however, that in many cases, forest multifunctionality could be increaseda huge potential for forest management.

More information: Sophia Ratcliffe et al, Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in European forests depend on environmental context, Ecology Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1111/ele.12849 Journal information: Ecology Letters

Provided by German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Rock flathead is one of Australias favourite fish. Credit: Alpha/Flickr

Have you ever questioned the environmental or economic sustainability of the flathead you order from your local fish and chips shop? Do you know where it's from?

Not all fish are caught in an ecologically sustainable way, but scientists are working with fisheries managers to address this.

"To sustainably manage a fishery we need to know its births, deaths, immigration, migration and growth rates", says Dr John Morrongiello, a fish ecologist at the University of Melbourne's School of BioSciences.

"We also need to know where a fish lives, what it eats and how all these factors are affected by changes in the environment."

Dr Morrongiello's team uses complex data modelling to understand the factors impacting fish stocks.

"This helps us understand how the process of fishing itself affects the fish through changing traits like growth rates."

Dr Morrongiello and his colleagues Dr John Ford, Dr Rob Day and PhD student Joshua Barrow have been working in Corner Inlet in southern Victoria to understand how environmental conditions have affected the growth of the commercially valuable Rock Flathead.

Their research was published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.

What rock flathead growth reveals about sustainably managing fisheries

The team measured the changes in growth patterns of 526 Rock Flathead fish collected over 32 years, and analysed these against environmental factors like temperature and river flow. They ran the data through several climate change scenarios to see likely growth rates in 2030 and 2070.

After accounting for factors like age (old fish grow slower than young fish) and sex (females grow faster than males), the researchers showed Rock Flathead grow faster when there are higher river flows and at higher water temperatures.

Growth was measured using bones in the fish's head called otoliths that play a role in hearing and balance. Lead author Mr Barrow says these otoliths have the fish equivalent of tree rings, and can indicate the age of the Rock Flathead.

"If you take a section of the otolith, it has rings like a tree trunk and so you can see how fast the fish grows, how old it is and which particular years line up with those environmental conditions."

Mr Barrow says the high river flows correlate with more seagrass growth, an important habitat for flathead, which are an ambush predator.

Higher temperatures mean more seagrass meadows, and directly help the cold-blooded flathead fish by allowing them to be more active and hunt for food.

The climate change models showed that the fish are likely to grow faster as the climate warms.

"River flows are predicted to decrease, but these will likely be offset by rapid increases in temperature," says Mr Barrow.

This study compliments a larger body of research led by Dr Ford, which examines the changing coastal habitats of Corner Inlet, in Victoria's Gippsland, in relation to variations in the density of seagrass cover over the last 50 years. The researchers have found that decades of intensified weather events, algal blooms and chemical pollutants have contributed to a decline of seagrass in the area.

"By combining this finding with John's larger project investigating what's driving seagrass decline and recovery, we can provide a clear link between the Rock Flathead's habitat and how this actually affects the commercial fishery," says Mr Barrow.

How can data modeling help manage fish stocks?

Australian fisheries are using this kind of data to help ensure the ongoing viability of their industry.

"It's giving us a very clear indication of whether we might be driving those stocks into the negative or whether we are getting the maximum, or the optimum, productivity out of them," says Dr Ford, an independent sustainability accreditor and honorary researcher at the University of Melbourne.

"What sustainability is all about is balancing this desire to continue to feed a growing population in a world which supports the actual ecosystem."

Dr Morrongiello says that to manage both the environmental and economic impacts of fisheries we need a collaborative effort between consumers, scientists and industry.

"We are generating the scientific knowledge and have a supportive industry and government so there is no excuse why we can't get good outcomes," says Dr Morrongiello.

"It's about managing the fine balance between having a sustainable and viable fishery supported by a healthy ecosystem, and over-harvesting a resource or degrading the environment and causing fisheries to collapse.

"Thankfully, we get the balance right more often than not in Australia."

Look out for the Marine Stewardship Council blue tick label on sustainably fish products. Credit: Marine Stewardship Council

How can we, the consumers, help?

So what can we as consumers do to make educated choices and help promote sustainable fisheries? There are three easy ways to achieve this.

Buy Australian fish that is locally sourced

Australian fisheries operate within strict codes and practises that ensure their sustainability. They rely on research to maintain a healthy ecosystem, as well as a sustainable population.

Diversify your choice

Don't just choose tuna or salmon, as demand for certain types of fish can lead to overfishing and population depletion. Choose from a variety of locally sourced and regionally specific fish to support the local industry and maintain diversity within our oceans. Sustainable and under-appreciated species include sardines, leatherjacket, mackerel, squid/calamari and mullet.

Look for eco-labelled products

The Marine Stewardship Council gives sustainable fish products a blue tick to help consumers make ecologically sound choices.

More information: J Barrow et al. Environmental drivers of growth and predicted effects of climate change on a commercially important fish, Platycephalus laevigatus, Marine Ecology Progress Series (2017). DOI: 10.3354/meps12234 Journal information: Marine Ecology Progress Series
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) An iconic 19th century haveli in Old Delhi, painstakingly restored over six years, and Mumbais refurbished Wellington Fountain are among the landmarks that have earned a special mention in UNESCO Asia- Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation this year.

Nestled in a narrow bylane of the Walled City, three- storeyed Haveli Dharampura in Gali Guliyan, a stones throw from the historic Jama Masjid, was converted into a heritage hotel.

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Union minister and heritage connoisseur Vijay Goel, owner of the charming mansion, at a press conference held in its luxuriant courtyard today, appealed to the government to come up with policies to encourage other haveli owners to restore their properties, by offering them incentives.

"The conservation of Haveli Dharampura rescued an extraordinary 19th century residence in old Delhi from years of unsuitable interventions and adapted it for contemporary use as a luxe boutique hotel.

"The havelis original spatial configuration was re- established and ornate architectural elements were carefully restored, returning the building to its former splendour," said Duong Bich Hanh, Chair of Jury for Heritage Awards UNESCO Bangkok.

His statement was read out by Goel at the press conference which was also attended by Union Culture Secretary Rashmi Verma and ASIs Director General Usha Sharma, among others.

Verma said the recognition was "well-deserved" and fed to the "experiential culture" that tourists today wish to enjoy, over and above the visit to a few cultural heritage monuments.

"There are many monuments and structures which do not fall in the ambit of the ASI. So, individual efforts like this are commendable and required. The government will support but unless there is no passion, it wont happen," she said.

Verma, who also holds the charge of tourism secretary, emphasised that "we need to work in partnership". "A sense of pride and a sense of ownership has to be inculcated among the owners, and everyone should work together on it," she said.

"We will definitely promote this as a heritage spot in the heart of Chandni Chowk that gives you the feel of the area," she added.

The ASI director general said a "replication" of this model was needed in the country.

Lauding the efforts that went into the restoration of the haveli, the UNESCO jury expressed hope that "you will continue to share the lessons learned from the project to encourage heritage conservation efforts in your country and throughout the region".

The UNESCO also praised the restoration of the Wellington Fountain, saying it "demonstrates the importance of extending heritage protection efforts to the public realm".

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"The project is a notable step forward in strengthening the understanding and commitment for appropriate management of municipalitys civic heritage," it said in a statement.

The colonial-era fountain was built in 1860s and named after Duke of Wellington.

The awards were announced earlier this month. Besides, Haveli Dharampura and Wellington Fountain, the Bomonjee Hormarjee Wadia Fountain and Clock Tower in Mumbai and Gateways of Gohad Fort in Gohad, Madhya Pradesh, were also recognised in the Honourable Mention category. PTI KND AAR

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How does the Japanese tree frog figure into the latest work of noted mathematician Steven Strogatz? As it turns out, quite prominently.

"We had read about these funny frogs that hop around and croak," said Strogatz, the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics. "They form patterns in space and time. Usually it's about reproduction. And based on how the other guy or guys are croaking, they don't want to be around another one that's croaking at the same time as they are, because they'll jam each other."

Strogatz and Kevin O'Keeffe, Ph.D. '17, used the curious mating ritual of male Japanese tree frogs as inspiration for their exploration of "swarmalators" - their term for systems in which both synchronization and swarming occur together.

Specifically, they considered oscillators whose phase dynamics and spatial dynamics are coupled. In the instance of the male tree frogs, they attempt to croak in exact anti-phase (one croaks while the other is silent) while moving away from a rival so as to be heard by females.

This opens up "a new class of math problems," said Strogatz, a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow. "The question is, what do we expect to see when people start building systems like this or observing them in biology?"

Their paper, "Oscillators That Sync and Swarm," was published Nov. 13 in Nature Communications. Strogatz and O'Keeffe - now a postdoctoral researcher with the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - collaborated with Hyunsuk Hong from Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, South Korea.

Swarming and synchronization both involve large, self-organizing groups of individuals interacting according to simple rules, but rarely have they been studied together, O'Keeffe said.

"No one had connected these two areas, in spite of the fact that there were all these parallels," he said. "That was the theoretical idea that sort of seduced us, I suppose. And there were also a couple of concrete examples, which we liked - including the tree frogs."

Studies of swarms focus on how animals move - think of birds flocking or fish schooling - while neglecting the dynamics of their internal states. Studies of synchronization do the opposite: They focus on oscillators' internal dynamics. Strogatz long has been fascinated by fireflies' synchrony and other similar phenomena, giving a TED Talk on the topic in 2004, but not on their motion.

"[Swarming and synchronization] are so similar, and yet they were never connected together, and it seems so obvious," O'Keeffe said. "It's a whole new landscape of possible behaviors that hadn't been explored before."

Using a pair of governing equations that assume swarmalators are free to move about, along with numerical simulations, the group found that a swarmalator system settles into one of five states:

Static synchrony - featuring circular symmetry, crystal-like distribution, fully synchronized in phase;

Static asynchrony - featuring uniform distribution, meaning that every phase occurs everywhere;

Static phase wave - swarmalators settle near others in a phase similar to their own, and phases are frozen at their initial values;

Splintered phase wave - nonstationary, disconnected clusters of distinct phases; and

Active phase wave - similar to bidirectional states found in biological swarms, where populations split into counter-rotating subgroups; also similar to vortex arrays formed by groups of sperm.

Through the study of simple models, the group found that the coupling of "sync" and "swarm" leads to rich patterns in both time and space, and could lead to further study of systems that exhibit this dual behavior.

"This opens up a lot of questions for many parts of science - there are a lot of things to try that people hadn't thought of trying," Strogatz said. "It's science that opens doors for science. It's inaugurating science, rather than culminating science."

More information: Kevin P. O'Keeffe et al. Oscillators that sync and swarm, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01190-3 Journal information: Nature Communications
Sabinyo volcano and thick forest in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo, habitat of the endangered mountain gorilla. Credit: Martin Harvey/WWF

The equivalent of 85 billion tons of carbon dioxidea huge amount equal to three-quarters of the carbon stored in forests across the contiguous United Statesis locked in the living vegetation of one African country that holds much of the second largest tropical rainforest in the world, according to new research.

The study conducted by NASA, UCLA and the World Wide Fund for Nature-Germany produced the first high-resolution map of the amount and distribution of carbon stored in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). DRC is the largest country in the Congo Basin and home to a massive and largely inaccessible rainforest that is Earth's second largest reservoir of carbon in vegetation, second only to the Amazon Basin rainforest. The DRC's forests cover an area four times the size of California.

The DRC carbon stock estimates are based on very fine-scale three-dimensional measurements of forest structure that provide, for the first time, data for one of the most diverse tropical forests on Earth. The measurements will help scientists understand the role of this forest in the global carbon cycle and how variations in climate may influence their carbon stock and function.

"We learned that the distribution of carbon in the above-ground biomass of the more than 150 million hectares (about 371 million acres) of forest in the DRC is extremely variable and diverse because of the region's climate, soil types, and a long history of human presence," said Sassan Saatchi, a senior researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, who led the research team. "You cannot think of the Congo rainforest as this big green carpet anymore. We encountered a large variety of tree sizes and densities across the DRC, producing extremely complex regional patterns of carbon stored in the forest."

Traditionally, inventories of forest carbon and biomass are done by researchers who hike into the forest and set up plots on the ground that attempt to capture the full range of terrain. These data are then catalogued, measured and revisited in the future to see how they've changed. The Congo Basin forests, however, span five countries, and many areas are difficult to access due to the lack of infrastructure and rough terrain, which doesn't allow for comprehensive ground measurements of the forest carbon. To observe the forests, the research team took to both air and space.

Map of the spatial patterns of above-ground biomass in the Democratic Republic of Congo and within its provinces at 1-hectare (10,000-square-meter) spatial resolution. Credit: NASA-JPL/Caltech/UCLA/World Wide Fund for Nature-Germany

Using the same forestry techniques to establish inventory plots on the ground, the research team contracted a local African company to fly an airplane outfitted with a commercial Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) instrument over 216 locations covering more than 2.5 million acres (half a million hectares) of tropical forest. At each location, the LIDAR captured the height, canopy profile, and outline of treetop canopies with data points 20 inches (50 centimeters) apart, from which they derived the forest structure and carbon estimate. These data were paired with data from NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, which provided the slopes and curves of the ground surface itself; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Advanced Land Observing Satellite Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) data; and U.S. Geological Survey-NASA Landsat vegetation observations. The combined data sets were scaled up to produce a map of the entire above-ground forest carbon stocks for each 12,000-square-yard (1-hectare) land unit.

Conserving tropical forests like the Congo is a high priority for the United Nations in its efforts to defray the effects of climate change. The U.N. has a policy initiative known as Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) in nations with large forests like the DRC. The new findings and research methods, conducted in partnership with scientists and the DRC government, are the first step for DRC to establish a baseline assessment of its carbon stocks and a system for future forest monitoring required to participate in REDD+ and be eligible for compensation for preserving the forests.

Saatchi says preserving forests is probably the most immediate mechanism we have to mitigate carbon dioxide accumulating in the atmosphere. A quarter of the entire amount of carbon that goes into the atmosphere globally is absorbed by Earth's vegetation, so protecting and possibly increasing the amount of carbon stored in forests could have significant benefits, such as mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity and water quality.

"The DRC national carbon map is a truly significant contribution to DRC's future sustainable development," said co-author Aurelie Shapiro at World Wide Fund for Nature-Germany in Berlin. "This innovative product demonstrates with unprecedented accuracy the important role of Congolese forests in mitigating climate change, which is facilitating investments into emissions reductions programs."

To estimate the carbon stored above ground in DRC forests, the research team developed data sets for tree height and tree cover, which vary from one end of the DRC to the other. This information is also extremely helpful to conservationists interested in quantifying the health of habitats for gorillas and other at-risk animals, said Shapiro.

Provided by NASA
Gradient Fingerprint Mapping can be used to determine how loss of sea ice will impact sea level rise at a specific location. Credit: Carla Schaffer / AAAS

(Phys.org)A trio of researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a new tool to map sea level rise for major cities depending on which parts of the Earth's ice sheets melt and by how much. In their paper published on the open access site Science Advances, Eric Larour, Erik Ivins and Surendra Adhikari describe the tool and the ways it can be used.

As the ice at the poles (and on mountain tops) slowly melts due to global warming, sea levels will risethat much is obvious. Less obvious is how much rise in sea level different cities will actually experiencethis is because the Earth spins (and wobbles) and because there are gravitational differences at different points on the planetsome due to the changes in mass of the ice itself. Because of this, it is difficult to say how much a given city will be impacted in the coming years. In this new effort, the team at NASA has made things much easier for city planners. They have created a tool that accounts for all the factors that will impact sea level changes at various points around the globe over time. The end result is that people responsible for long-term planning for cities that exist on or near the sea now have a tool that they can use to see how much sea levels are expected to rise for their city over a given time-frame.

As one example, the tool shows, the researchers report, that ice melting off the northwest corner of Greenland will have a direct impact on sea levels for London over the course of the next century. New York, on the other hand will be much more impacted by ice melting on the whole northern half of Greenland. Moving south, the tool shows that melting of the northern parts of the Antarctic ice sheet will have a profound impact on Sydney, Australia.

Contribution of glaciers and ice sheet around the world to local sea-level rise in a subset of coastal cities located across all five continents. The movie shows the wide differences in the way ice contributes to sea level according to which city is being considered. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The researchers describe their tool as offering a sea-level fingerprint for the planet, one that can be modified as conditions change and more is learned about climate change.

The gradient of sea level rise near New York City with respect to ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet. Red indicates a larger impact on NYC local sea level rise. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

More information: Eric Larour et al. Should coastal planners have concern over where land ice is melting?, Science Advances (2017). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700537 Abstract

There is a general consensus among Earth scientists that melting of land ice greatly contributes to sea-level rise (SLR) and that future warming will exacerbate the risks posed to human civilization. As land ice is lost to the oceans, both the Earth's gravitational and rotational potentials are perturbed, resulting in strong spatial patterns in SLR, termed sea-level fingerprints. We lack robust forecasting models for future ice changes, which diminishes our ability to use these fingerprints to accurately predict local sea-level (LSL) changes. We exploit an advanced mathematical property of adjoint systems and determine the exact gradient of sea-level fingerprints with respect to local variations in the ice thickness of all of the world's ice drainage systems. By exhaustively mapping these fingerprint gradients, we form a new diagnosis tool, henceforth referred to as gradient fingerprint mapping (GFM), that readily allows for improved assessments of future coastal inundation or emergence. We demonstrate that for Antarctica and Greenland, changes in the predictions of inundation at major port cities depend on the location of the drainage system. For example, in London, GFM shows LSL that is significantly affected by changes on the western part of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), whereas in New York, LSL change predictions are greatly sensitive to changes in the northeastern portions of the GrIS. We apply GFM to 293 major port cities to allow coastal planners to readily calculate LSL change as more reliable predictions of cryospheric mass changes become available. Journal information: Science Advances

 2017 Phys.org
The Paris Agreement is the first truly universal climate treaty. The United States is now the only country to opt out

On December 12, 2015, 195 countries gathered in the French capital to conclude the first truly universal climate treaty, the Paris Agreement, aimed at preventing worst-case-scenario global warming.

The Palestinian Authority has since joined the UN's climate convention and the Paris Agreement, bringing the total to 196.

In June 2016, President Donald Trump announced the United States would pull out of the Paris pact, which his predecessor, Barack Obama, had ratified the year before.

The United States is now the only country to opt out, though it cannot formally withdraw until November 2020.

The goal

Nations agreed to hold global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels, and "pursuing efforts" to keep it to 1.5 C.

The lower goal was a demand of poor countries and island states at high risk of climate change effects such as sea-level rise.

But experts say keeping temperature rise under the two-degree ceiling is a tall order, requiring an immediate and deep reduction in emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Based on voluntary national pledges to reduce emissions, the planet is on track for warming of about three degrees, scientists warna recipe for more frequent and intense floods, droughts and superstorms.

Getting there

Signatories will aim for emissions to peak "as soon as possible", with "rapid reductions" thereafter.

By the second half of this century, states the pact, emissions from human activities such as energy production and farming, and the amount that can be absorbed by carbon-absorbing "sinks" such as forests or storage technology, must be in balance.

The UN's climate science panel says greenhouse gas emissions have to drop 40-70 percent between 2010 and 2050, and to zero by 2100, for any chance of hitting the 2 C target.

Tracking progress

In 2018, and every five years thereafter, countries will take stock of the overall impact of their efforts to rein in global warming.

It "urges" and "requests" all countries to update emissions-cutting pledges by 2020 and every five years after that.

Some nations, including the United States, set emissions-curbing targets for 2025, others for 2030.

Financing

Rich countries are expected to provide funding to help developing countries make the costly shift to cleaner energy sources and shore up their defences against the impacts of climate change.

Donor nations must report every two years on their financing levelscurrent and intended.

In a non-binding "decision" that accompanies the treaty, the $100 billion (85 billion euros) per year that rich countries have pledged to muster from 2020 is referred to as a "floor"meaning it can only go up.

The amount must be updated by 2025.

On current trends, climate grants and loans from governmentsboth bilateral and through development bankssuggest total public financing would reach about $67 billion in 2020, according to the OECD.

But Trump has said the United Stateswhich had pledged $3 billion towards the Green Climate Fund, of which it delivered $1 billion under Barack Obamawould not fulfil its financing commitments.

 2017 AFP
Sedimentary rock layers chronicling Earth's geological history. Credit: Georgia Tech / Yale / Reinhard / Planavsky

For researchers pursuing the primordial history of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere, a new study might sour some "Eureka!" moments. A contemporary tool used to trace oxygen by examining ancient rock strata can produce false positives, according to the study, and the wayward results can mask as exhilarating discoveries.

Common molecules called ligands can bias the results of a popular chemical tracer called the chromium (Cr) isotope system, which is used to test sedimentary rock layers for clues about atmospheric oxygen levels during the epoch when the rock formed. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated in the lab that many ligands could have created a signal very similar to that of molecular oxygen.

"There are some geographical locations and ancient situations where measurable signals could have been generated that had nothing to do with how much oxygen was around," said Chris Reinhard, one of the study's lead authors. Though the new research may impact how some recent findings are assessed, that doesn't mean the tool isn't useful overall.

Rock record tool

"We're not trying to revolutionize the way the tool is viewed," said Yuanzhi Tang, who co-led the study. "This is about understanding its possible limitations to make discerning use of it in particular cases."

Tang and Reinhard, both assistant professors of biogeochemistry in Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, published their team's results in a study on November 17, 2017, in the journal Nature Communications. Their work was funded by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, the NASA Exobiology program, and the Agouron Institute.

"On a global level, the chromium isotope system is still a great indicator of atmospheric oxygen levels through the ages," Tang said. "The issue we exposed in the lab is more local with isolated samples, especially during eras when there wasn't much atmospheric oxygen."

Leaping ligands

Without a dominant oxygen presence, ligands likely made a great reactive substitute, as the researchers demonstrated in reactions with chromium. Like oxygen, ligands strongly attract electron pairs, which is what characterizes them as a chemical group.

And like reactions with oxygen, reactions with ligands enable metals like chromium to move around more easily in the world. In this case, the researchers were interested in organic ligands, ligands that contain carbon.

It's relatively simple to take a chromium isotope reading on a rock sample. First, crush the sample. Second, dissolve the pulverized rock in acid. Then place the solution in a mass spectrometer, which determines how much chromium 53 and how much chromium 52 is in the sample. Credit: Georgia Tech / Christopher Moore

They were more apt to match oxygen's mobility effect on chromium that made it end up as the signals in sedimentary rock that scientists, today, look for as a sign of ancient atmospheric oxygen.

Here's roughly how the chromium isotope system works, followed by how organic ligands could make for false positives.

Chromium rollercoaster

The Earth is an enormous chemical laboratory performing reactions in conditions varying from arctic cold to volcanic heat, and from crushing ocean depths to no-pressure upper atmospheres. Winds and waves sweep around materials like turbulent conveyor belts, depositing some in sediments that later turn to stone.

Chromium's ticket for the rollercoaster ride into sedimentary rock was usually an oxidizing agent that made it more soluble and better able to float, and atmospheric oxygen was an ideal oxidizer. The chemical reaction, which can be found in the study and involved manganese oxide handing off oxygens to chromium, would be a little like adding pontoons to chromium compounds.

For billions of years, Earth's atmosphere was nearly devoid of O2, but after oxygen began increasing, especially in the last 800 million years, it became the domineering oxidizer. And characteristics of chromium deposits in ancient layers of rock became a great indicator of how much O2 was in the atmosphere.

Today, researchers test deep rock layer samples for the relation between two chromium isotopes, 52Cr, by far the most common Cr isotope, and 53Cr, to get a read on oxygen presence across geological eras.

"You powder the rock up; you dissolve it with acid, and then you measure the ratio of 53Cr to 52Cr in the material by using mass spectrometry," Reinhard said. "It's the ratio that matters, and it will be controlled by a range of complex processes, but generally speaking, elevated 53Cr in ocean sediment rock tends to indicate oxygen in the atmosphere."

By the way, these Cr isotopes are stable and don't undergo radioactive decay, thus the system does not work the way radiocarbon dating does, which relies on the decay of carbon 14.

Chris Reinhard and Yuanzhi Tang are biogeochemists in Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Credit: Georgia Tech / Christopher Moore

Chemical imposter

In the lab, with a small assortment of organic ligands, Tang's group showed that reactions of chromium with ligands led to 53Cr/52Cr signals that closely mimicked those stemming from oxygen-chromium reactions.

"Ligands have the capability to mobilize chromium as well," Tang said. "In fact, ligands might be a significant factor in controlling chromium isotope signals in certain rock records."

Organic ligands were probably around long before Earth's atmosphere filled up with O2. And today, hundreds of millions of years after the reactions occurred, it's basically impossible to find out if oxygen or ligands were at work.

Little discrepancies

If not accounted for, ligand reactions can distort small details in rock records about atmospheric oxygen, and they may have already.

Like paleontologists, who catalog ancient animal bones and other fossils, geologists keep massive, digitized archives of rock that they study to learn more about Earth's ancient geological history. Scientists began testing physical samples of them with the Cr isotope system around 2009 and adding the results to the records.

"Since then, some discrepancies have turned up," Reinhard said. "Ancient soil layers were showing evidence of oxygen when it probably shouldn't have been there. Other samples from the same period weren't showing that signal."

But some researchers confronted with odd Cr signals have thought they had perhaps stumbled upon a radical find, and they developed explanations for how O2 may have been surprisingly bountiful on the lonesome spot where a particular rock layer formed, while molecular oxygen was scant on the rest of the globe. Others puzzled that atmospheric O2 levels may have risen much earlier than overwhelmingly broad evidence has indicated.

"A lot of that could be chalked up to other chemical processes and not to interactions with oxygen," Reinhard said.

The study may serve as a cautionary tale about how to view Cr isotope data, especially when they leap off the page.

More information: Emily M. Saad et al, Redox-independent chromium isotope fractionation induced by ligand-promoted dissolution, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01694-y Journal information: Nature Communications
Murdoch University researchers have identified an important nursery for a critically endangered species of sawfish and are calling for conservation efforts to be focused there.

Associate Professor David Morgan and a team from the Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research used acoustic telemetry to record the movements of a number of juvenile Green Sawfish (Pristis zijsron) near the mouth of the Ashburton River and in adjacent tidal mangrove creeks near Onslow in the Pilbara.

The species, which can reach a length of up to 7.3 metres, is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific oceans, with nurseries occurring in relatively shallow coastal waters or estuaries.

But the fish is believed to have suffered a major recent decline due to factors which are common issues for the five different species in the sawfish family, including a loss of nursery habitats, barriers to migration and the susceptibility of their distinctive rostrum to entanglement in fishing nets.

"Identifying and then protecting nursery habitats is crucial for conservation efforts, and the southern Pilbara currently represents the key nursery habitat in Australia for this species," Professor Morgan said.

"An understanding of how the young sawfish then move within these habitats is also important for sustainably managing their populations along developing and developed coastlines like that of the Pilbara."

Professor Morgan said recent studies of the related Freshwater Sawfish in the Kimberley had found that the very young remain in shallow waters and move into deeper waters of the same habitat in their second year, presumably to avoid predators, strandings and for feeding.

"We believe green sawfish use habitat in a similar, very restricted way," he said.

"As such, even small management interventions such as simple campaigns educating the public about the conservation status of sawfishes which urge them to avoid fishing in these areas or collecting their rostrum as trophies, could help with their protection.

"But it is concerning that in a few short visits to the area in 2011 and 2012 by our research team, we witnessed evidence of trophy collecting and illegal gill netting."

Professor Morgan and his team tagged 37 juvenile green sawfish with acoustic transmitters for the study during April and October 2011. Their movements were tracked by receivers placed on moorings throughout the study area for up to 500 days.

It was found that the youngest sawfish stayed close to the river mouth, with movement increasing with growth. Larger sawfish moved between the river mouth or creeks and nearshore coastal habitats depending on the tide.

Professor Morgan said more research was urgently required to understand the distribution and habitat use of Green Sawfish along the Western Australian coastline.

"There is a high likelihood that other river mouths and estuaries are providing important nurseries for Green Sawfish," he said.

"Based on the global importance of the region for sawfish conservation, it would be best to gather this information to help plan sawfish management before human pressures escalate in these once-remote places."

The study was funded by Chevron Australia Pty Ltd and administered through the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI).

The research was published in the journal Endangered Species Research.

More information: DL Morgan et al. Habitat use and site fidelity of neonate and juvenile green sawfish Pristis zijsron in a nursery area in Western Australia, Endangered Species Research (2017). DOI: 10.3354/esr00847
In many places in the world fishers still, utilize spearfishing as a subsistence means of catching food. The Bajo of SE Asia is an indigenous group who still commonly practice such activity in Wakatobi, Indonesia. Credit: Richard Unsworth

New research demonstrates that seagrass meadows are important fishing grounds all around the globe. The work highlights that there is an urgent need to start appreciating and understanding this role to be able to build more sustainable fisheries. A study led by Dr Lina Mtwana Nordlund at Stockholm University, published in the scientific journal Fish & Fisheries, examines the global extent to which these underwater meadows support fishing activity.

"If there is seagrass and people there is most certainly fishing. It doesn't matter if it is a country with high or low human development, fishing occurs. But the reasons for fishing and the target species vary" says Dr Nordlund who is based at Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Science at Stockholm University in Sweden.

In countries with a low human development index score seagrass fishery activity tends to target anything one can find that can be eaten, sold or used as bait. These seagrass fisheries have a major significance for daily food supply and livelihoods. In countries with a very high human development index score, seagrass fisheries are more commonly recreational with specific species targeted, such as clams. The research highlights that nearly every type of fishing gear is used within seagrass fisheries.

"The ecological value of seagrass meadows is irrefutable, yet their loss continues at an accelerating rate. Now there is growing evidence globally that many fisheries associated to seagrass are unrecorded, unreported and unmanaged, leading to a tragedy of the seagrass commons" says co-author Dr Richard Unsworth, Swansea University.

The researchers from Stockholm University, Cardiff University and Swansea University highlight that because seagrass is generally found nearshore in shallow sheltered environments, it creates an accessible fishing ground in nearly all weather conditions.

The authors have studied seagrass fisheries all around the world from the Philippines, to USA, Indonesia, the Turks & Caicos Islands and locations in the Mediterranean. "Seagrass meadows are being damaged and degraded globally and urgent action is needed to stem the loss of seagrass meadows. Their importance as a key fishing ground is yet another reason why we need to start appreciating the value of seagrass" says Dr Mtwana Nordlund.

More information: Lina M Nordlund et al. Global significance of seagrass fishery activity, Fish and Fisheries (2017). DOI: 10.1111/faf.12259 Journal information: Fish and Fisheries
Embossed gold application with motif of animal combat of Levantine origin. Credit: Christian Eckmann; RGZM, DAI Cairo and University of Tubingen

As part of a German-Egyptian project, archaeologists from Tubingen for the first time examine embossed gold applications from the sensational find of 1922. The motifs indicate surprising links between the Levant and the Egypt of the pharaohs.

Researchers from Tubingen working on a German-Egyptian project have examined embossed gold applications from the treasure of the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun for the first time. The objects come from the famed find made by English archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922. Until now, they had been held in storage at the Egyptian Museum Cairo. They can be seen at a special exhibition at the museum which began on Wednesday.

Through painstaking hours in the lab, the partners restored the objects at the Egyptian Museum. They also made drawings of the items and did comprehensive research on them. A team of conservators, Egyptologists and specialists in Near Eastern archaeology found the embossed gold applications in the same crate they were placed in by Howard Carter's team immediately after their discovery. At the time, the artefacts were photographed and packed, unrestored, and were never again removed until this project.

Fragments from a tomb: 100 entire embossed gold applications were ultimately assembled. Credit: Christian Eckmann; RGZM, DAI Cairo and University of Tubingen

During years of detail work, conservators Christian Eckmann and Katja Broschat of the Romisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum Mainz reassembled the fragments to produce 100 nearly complete embossed gold applications. They suspect the items are decorative fittings for bow cases, quivers and bridles. IANES archaeologists from Tubingen examined the images on the embossed gold applications and categorized them from an art-historical perspective. In her dissertation, doctoral candidate Julia Bertsch succeeded in distinguishing the Egyptian motifs on the embossed gold applications from those that could be ascribed to an "international," Middle Eastern canon of motifs.

Among these are images of fighting animals and goats at the tree of life that are foreign to Egyptian art and must have come to Egypt from the Levant. "Presumably these motifs, which were once developed in Mesopotamia, made their way to the Mediterranean region and Egypt via Syria," explains Peter Pfalzner. "This again shows the great role that ancient Syria played in the dissemination of culture during the Bronze Age."

Interestingly, he adds, similar embossed gold applications with thematically comparable images were found in a tomb in the Syrian Royal city of Qatna. There, the team of archaeologists from Tubingen led by Pfalzner, discovered a pristine king's grave in 2002. It dates back to the time of around 1340 B.C., so it is just a bit older than Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt. The archaeologist says, "This remarkable aspect provided the impetus for our project on the Egyptian finds."

"Now," says Pfalzner, "we need to solve the riddle of how the foreign motifs on the embossed gold applications came to be adopted in Egypt." The professor says that here, chemical analyses have been illuminating. "The results showed that the embossed gold applications with Egyptian motifs and the others with foreign motifs were made of gold of differing compositions. That does not necessarily mean the pieces were imported. It may be that various local workshops were responsible for producing objects in various styles  and that one used Near Eastern models."

After the current initial exhibition of these objects in Cairo, they will be on display in future in the new Grand Egyptian Museum close to the pyramids at Gizeh. Now, almost a century after they were discovered, and thanks to the work of archaeologists from Tubingen and Egyptologists and conservators from Mainz and Cairo, the scientific analysis of these artefacts from one of Egypt's most sensational archaeological finds has been completed.

After Howard Carters sensational find, the embossed gold applications were stored in this box. They were analysed for the first time in 2013. Credit: Christian Eckmann; RGZM, DAI Cairo and University of Tubingen
Six melanoma cells. Their DNA (blue) is found in the nucleus of the cells, their microtubules (red) in the cytoplasm, surrounding the nucleus. Credit: Netherlands Cancer Institute

Scientists have been searching for it for decades: the enzyme that cuts the amino acid tyrosine off an important part of the cell's skeleton. Researchers of the Netherlands Cancer Institute have now identified this mystery player, which may be of vital importance to the understanding of cell function and division, and therefore the understanding of cancer. The results are published in Science.

Just like the human body as a whole, each human cell has a skeleton it needs for functioning properly. That so-called cytoskeleton allows a cell to maintain its shape, move to different places and transport molecules through its interior. Long chains called microtubules form an important part of that skeleton and function as a highway for the transport of molecules. For example, microtubules play a key role in cell division by allowing the cell to meticulously align their chromosomes before dividing them amongst daughter cells. Their crucial importance to the cell is easily illustrated by the working mechanism of a widely used group of cancer medicines called taxanes: they disrupt microtubule function and thereby kill dividing cells.

Mystery player

It has been suggested that proper transport at this crucial moment in the cell cycle involves detyrosination, in which the amino-acid tyrosine is removed from the tail of one of the microtubules' main building block: -tubulin. Over the past four decades scientist have been searching for the main actor in this process. Despite its importance for several cellular processes it remained unknown which enzyme takes off the tyrosine.

Researchers of the Netherlands Cancer Institute have now solved this puzzle by unmasking the mystery player. By using their recently developed innovate genetic screening method Joppe Nieuwenhuis and his colleagues identified the small SVBP protein as being a crucial part of the process. This small protein binds  and thereby stabilizes  proteins called vasohibins, which appear to have tubulin detyrosination activity. Nieuwenhuis: "These findings are surprising, because vasohibins were thought to function outside the cell and only recently it was predicted that these proteins might function as enzymes, without knowing their function."

Hard puzzle

Now just how did Nieuwenhuis and his colleagues at Thijn Brummelkamp's lab find these key molecular players? By using genome wide random mutations in human cells containing just one copy of each gene. Subsequently they selected the cells in which the studied process of detyrosination was broken due to one of the randomly introduced mutations. Selecting the cells with very little detyrosinated tubulin they discovered these cells had a mutated (and therefore dysfunctional) SVBP gene. Further experiments confirmed the interaction with vasohibins and its effect on tubulin detyrosination.

"For cell biologists this could be an important step", says Nieuwenhuis. "We have found a piece of the puzzle that scientist have been staring at for many years because the process of detyrosination was discovered 40 years ago. This knowledge could be relevant to further understand the processes of mitosis, cell migration and cancer development. It is already found that the invasive front in some tumor tissues, where cells are migrating most actively, contains a high amount of detyrosinated tubulin. It is interesting to speculate that inhibition of detyrosination could be beneficial under certain conditions."

Interestingly, in the same edition of Science a group of French scientists reached similar conclusions using a biochemical approach to identify detyrosinating enzymes.

More information: Joppe Nieuwenhuis et al. Vasohibins encode tubulin detyrosinating activity, Science (2017). DOI: 10.1126/science.aao5676 Journal information: Science
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 16 (PTI) The Delhi High Court today sought the assistance of Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik on several aspects pertaining to formulation of a mechanism to deal with the issue of safety of women in the national capital.

It said it wanted to know from the police chief aspects relating to shortage of manpower in the force.

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"We are seeking his (police commissioner) assistance to know the feasibility of creating a special cell to monitor all cases of crime against women since their inception, including registration of FIR and filing of charge sheet," a bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Sanjeev Sachdeva.

The bench said the special cell may also keep a watch on vulnerable areas where such crimes frequently occur and ensure that adequate police force is deployed there.

The court said it was of the opinion that for effective assistance in the proceedings, the police commissioner be present before it on December 11, the next date of hearing.

Special commissioner of police or joint commissioner of police, as the police commissioner deems appropriate, be also present in the court, it said.

"The police commissioner may consider these aspects while appearing in the court on December 11 and indicate the possible plan," the bench said.

The courts directions came during the hearing of a PIL initiated by it in 2012 after the December 16, 2012 gangrape of a young woman in a moving bus. The victim later succumbed to injuries inflicted on her by the rapists.

The court was also unhappy over the central government not arriving at a decision on whether to sanction more police personnel for Delhi with the issue pending before the finance ministry since July 2015 after the home ministry cleared it.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain produced letters addressed to the finance secretary and secretary (expenditure). He said the proposal of 12,528 additional posts for the Delhi Police was sent to the finance secretary for approval.

To this, the bench asked the government to take the issue on "warfooting" and spend some extra time, hold a series of meetings and finish of the matter.

It said in last three years, several meetings have taken place at the government level but no solution has come up.

"Similar exercises were conducted twice in the past where one ministry or department would not receive concurrence.

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"Departments should consider the possibility and make an appropriate order to ensure that those portions which are acceptable are passed and implemented so that the Delhi Police posts are augmented," it said.

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal, who was present during the hearing, broke down while narrating the ordeal of several minor girls who were raped in the national capital after which they had to undergo surgeries.

On being asked by the court as to how many child rapes took place in Delhi in last one year, she said around 1,000.

Meanwhile, advocate Meera Bhatia, an amicus curiae in the matter, submitted that the deputy commissioners of police of each distict in Delhi should gear up in their own areas as they have the list of bad elements of their jurisdiction.

The bench had earlier said the Centre was playing "snakes and ladders" on the issue of increasing the number of police personnel in Delhi even though the metropolis is "clearly not safe", while taking note of recent rape of an 11-month girl.

The court has been from time to time issuing directions to the police, Delhi government and Centre on the issues of augmenting the police force, bettering forensic labs and expediting testing of samples besides ensuring compensation to victims of sexual offences. PTI SKV HMP PPS SC

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By PTI: Hyderabad, Nov 17 (PTI) GenY Medium, a city-based digital marketing firm, today said it has signed an agreement with the Canadian government to start operations in the North American country.

According to a company statement, the agreement was signed in the presence of K T Rama Rao, Telangana Minister for Information Technology, and Francois-Phillipe Champagne, Minister of International Trade of Canada, at an event of Indo-Canadian bilateral relationships.

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The expansion is an outcome of a Canadian delegations business visit to Hyderabad earlier in 2017, inviting Indian companies to explore business opportunities in the North American country, it said.

"The companys (GenY Medium) plan is to gradually ramp up the team in Canada to about 50 employees over the next 36 months and to serve over 100 brands in Canada, thereby helping them grow their business using igital technologies," said the statement.

Co-founder and CEO of GenY Medium, Yashwant Kumar said, they already serve a few customers and brands in Canada.

By setting foot in the region, GenY will not only contribute to the Indo-Canadian trade relations, but also help SMBs in Canada use digital marketing to grow their business, Kumar said.

The company, which plans to set up a technology- focused digital marketing firm, specialises in healthcare, real estate, education and consumer goods & services domains, the release added. PTI GDK RSY

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The incident came to light after the student narrated the assault to his parents and showed them his injuries.

By Ashish Pandey: Hyderabad police on Sunday arrested a school teacher for allegedly caning a five-year-old student of Sacred Heart School at Tarnaka.

The accused teacher identified as Kumudhini was taken into custody soon after the parents lodged a complaint against her.

The incident came to light after the five-year-old shared the ordeal with his parents and showed them his scaled back.

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More details awaited.

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Retailers Welcome Senate Committee OK on Tax Reform

WASHINGTON, November 16, 2017  The National Retail Federation welcomed tonights approval of tax reform legislation by the Senate Finance Committee and urged approval of the bill by the full Senate.

With this pro-growth measure now approved by committee, we urge senators to spend the Thanksgiving break building consensus on how to pass tax reform and to set aside any differences that might keep this vitally important goal from becoming reality, NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. Tax reform is the key to increased prosperity that small businesses, large employers and middle-class workers have all been waiting for for more than a generation. This is about jobs, wages and Americas future.

The Finance Committee tonight approved the Senates version of tax reform, voting just hours after the full House approved the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on a 227-205 vote this afternoon. A vote by the full Senate is expected after Thanksgiving. While details vary, both versions would cut the federal corporate tax rate to 20 percent from the current 35 percent, reduce taxes for small business pass throughs and lower taxes for middle-class workers.

Both the House and Senate bills would provide the first comprehensive rewrite of the U.S. tax code since 1986.

Earlier this week, Shay served as moderator as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke at an Ohio Council of Retail Merchants event in Columbus. Last month, Shay told President Trumpduring a White House meeting with trade association CEOs that retailers strongly support tax reform as a way to create jobs and boost the nations economy.

NRF has led the retail industrys fight for tax reform for years, calling on Congress to eliminate tax breaks that benefit only some industries and to use the revenue saved to lower rates for all companies, including small businesses. A recent NRF analysis found that reducing the corporate tax rate to 20 percent could result in the creation of between 500,000 and 1.5 million new jobs throughout the economy.

NRF is the worlds largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nations largest private-sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs  42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nations economy.

Other Point of Sale News
Yowza!! eCoupon App Launches Ahead of Black Friday

Denver, Colo., Nov. 15, 2017  IoT Broadband LLC, an internet-of-things investment company, announced today the re-launch of Yowza!!  an eCoupon app offering hundreds of thousands of digital discounts and electronic coupons from national and local retailers.

In time for Black Friday and the holiday shopping season, Yowza!! is now available for free in the iOS and Android app stores for mobile devices or atYowzarewards.com. Yowza!! offers up-to-date online discounts from Americas best known retailers such as Amazon, Target, Walmart, Macys, Best Buy and more. Yowza!! gives consumers immediate access to digital discounts and coupons from their favorite local retailers, restaurants, pharmacies, hotels, airlines, pet stores as well as from nationally recognized retail chains. The app also provides in-store coupon codes and offers that are redeemable within local merchant locations. In addition, Yowza!! users gain the ability to buy gift cards that can be instantly delivered via email or sent directly to friends and family members.

For retailers, Yowza!! offers the unique ability to build rewards and loyalty campaigns via the Yowza!! merchant portal. Interested merchants can send inquiries toadmin@iotbroadband.com to sign up.

Now is the perfect time to re-energize the digital coupon app. According to Invesp, 31 billion eCoupons will be redeemed worldwide in 2019, up from 16 billion in 2014, while the number of coupon users is expected double by 2019 to more than 1 billion, said Michael Kelly, CEO of IoT Broadband, LLC. Yowza!! is the perfect solution for consumers and retailers alike, providing consumers with instant digital discounts and product savings while delivering brand loyalty and unique local and national rewards campaigns to merchants.

Kellys IoT Broadband acquired Yowza!! earlier this year. Kelly has a robust background in developing commerce and technology solutions for retailers; he was previously a DISH Network executive vice president and Blockbuster president. He was responsible for direct and commercial sales, and he led DISH Networks advertising venture with Google called AdSense for TV while facilitating DISH Networks role as a launch partner in the Google TV platform. He was also responsible for DISH Networks set-top box audience measurement platform and addressable advertising network. Prior to DISH Network, Kelly founded Kelly Broadcasting Systems (KBS) which operated satellite transmission facilities around the globe until merging into DISH Network in 2000. Kellys global footprint extended to licensing and distributing broadcast networks into North America that originated from Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Holland, Italy, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries.

About IoT Broadband, LLC

IoT Broadband, LLC, is a Denver-based technology and internet-of-things investment company, founded by former DISH Network Executive Vice President and Blockbuster President Michael Kelly. The company holds investments in commerce and technology solution companies including AlphaBay, LLC, (www.alphabay.com), a SaaS, Cloud and enterprise point-of-sale technology; Spindle, Inc. (OTCQB: SPDL) (www.spindle.com), a merchant and retail unified commerce solutions provider; Unreel.me, an enabler of video streaming services for network and content providers, and Yowza!! (www.yowzarewards.com) which offers eCoupons and merchant loyalty rewards programs.

Other Point of Sale news:
China dispatched a special envoy to North Korea on Friday, a trip hailed as a "big move" by US President Donald Trump, who has urged Beijing to pile pressure on its nuclear-armed ally. Diplomat Song Tao was travelling to the North on behalf of President Xi Jinping to brief officials on the recent Chinese Communist Party congress and other "issues of mutual interest", foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. But analysts expect Song to address the nuclear standoff, which has roiled relations between the two Cold War-era allies as China has backed United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests and sixth nuclear blast. Trump, who warned Xi during his trip to Beijing last week that time was "quickly running out" to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter on Thursday to hail the mission as "a big move, we'll see what happens!". The US leader wants China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the reclusive regime. But experts doubt Song's visit will yield major breakthroughs. "China has virtually no political influence on North Korea. Its influence is derived from economic leverage," Bonnie Glaser, China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP. "Relations are extremely stressed. Perhaps the lowest point since the Korean War," she said. "Perhaps (the mission) will put a floor under China-North Korea relations, preventing further deterioration." - Ties at 'lowest point' - China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enacting a series of UN measures that include bans on imports of coal, iron ore and seafood from the North. But Beijing fears that squeezing Pyongyang too hard would cause its collapse. Song will be the first Chinese envoy to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited. Geng gave scant details about the trip, saying he did not know if Song had arrived in Pyongyang, who he will meet or what topics he will discuss. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said it had spotted him at Beijing's airport earlier on Friday. China's relations with North Korea are currently at "the lowest point they've been in history", leaving the North diplomatically at its most isolated, said Lu Chao, director of the North Korea Research Centre at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. As a high-level diplomat, Song would likely meet directly with North Korea's top leaders, he said. "As far as North Korea is concerned, China's opinion is still an important one and will certainly arouse their full attention," Lu said. - 'Freeze for freeze' - As nuclear tensions have soared, Xi has pushed for negotiations and a "dual track approach" in which the United States would freeze its military drills in the region while North Korea halts its weapons programmes. Trump claimed this week that Xi had agreed to drop his plan during their talks last week, but Beijing stood by its policy. "We believe that at the moment, this is the most realistic, feasible, fair and reasonable plan," Geng told a regular news briefing. Yuan Jingdong, a specialist in Asia-Pacific security issues at the University of Sydney, expects little from Song's mission. "We can expect some face-saving, assuring but very general and abstract commitments with no substance changes in North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes," Yuan said. The visit is "more about warning North Korea against going to extremes than forcing it to give up the nukes" because China's top priority remains maintaining regional stability, he said. Song would likely "assure Kim that if he behaves within a reasonable bound he can expect Beijing to continue providing some assistance and resist broadening the sanctions."
(PHOTO: Getty Images)

A man who was part of a group of six debt collectors that wrecked a food court stall in Funan Digital Mall in 2015 was jailed four years and two months on Thursday (16 November) for a string of offences, including harassing debtors.

Francis Lee Sian Sian, 41, was also fined $10,000 and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for life and sentenced on various other charges unrelated to his debt-collecting antics.

Of the 48 charges Lee was slapped with  which included voluntarily causing hurt, driving while under disqualification, rash driving and theft of a motor vehicle  he was convicted on 19, while another 26 were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

He is claiming trial to one charge of rioting while a charge of robbery and one of voluntarily causing hurt have been subjected to a discharge amounting to an acquittal.

Funan mall incident

Lee, was working as a debt collector with Double Ace Associates at the time of the Funan Digital Mall incident. He along with five colleagues had been tasked to collect a $21,000 debt on behalf of the companys client, Oregano Trading.

The five accomplices, Chew Keng Leng Andra, 39, Tan David, 36, Francis Lee Sian Sian, 39, Tang Wei Leong, 44, Lim Boon Tiong, 41, and Yong Chee Meng, 39, have all been sentenced.

On 15 January 2015, the six put on matching black polo t-shirts bearing the words Debt Recovery and visited the Soup Master food stall at Funans Food Junction outlet around 1.15pm.

The stalls owner, Sherman Chang, was absent at the time. In his place was 35-year-old Li Lili, who was manning the stall.

The group then told Li that they were there to collect the owners supposed debt and would disrupt business if their demands were not met.

They then switched off the stalls lights, put up a banner bearing the message Debt recovery in progress in front of the store and took turns to tell customers that the stall was closed. The men then demanded that Li contact her boss and let him know to pay his alleged debt.

Story continues

They did this for over an hour before vandalising the stall. Yong kicked a rice cooker, pushed the cash register onto the floor and swept utensils off the counter top while Chew added various sauces and food into a pot of soup, ruining it. Around $880 worth of damage was done to the stall.

History of harassment and violence

After leaving the Funan Digital Mall, Lee and six other debt collectors visited Neo R & R Pte Ltd, a car rental company, to collect on an alleged $7,000 debt.

While there Lee struck 32-year-old Lan Jurong, the business accounts manager and the wife of its owner, in the face after she tore up a debt recovery form. A subsequent medical report showed that the victim, who was also three months pregnant at the time, suffered a fractured nose and tenderness over her nasal bridge.

For his actions, Lee was charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt.

Earlier that month, on 8 January 2015, Lee and two others went to collect a $32,143 debt at a flat in Jalan Berseh from a George Lazar.

While the trio were there, they demanded that the tenant, Lazars niece, settle the debt. When the tenant failed to do so, the trio repeatedly kicked the gate of the flat and shouted vulgarities at the woman. They also cut off the electricity to the womans flat, plunging her house in darkness.

Lee also committed offences while visiting debtors on separate occasions in 2014.

In January that year, he gained access to a condominium unit where his debtor was residing and rang the doorbell continuously. He later banged the door repeatedly. When the tenant took a video of his actions on her mobile phone, Lee grabbed the device and threw it over the parapet.

In April 2014, Lee and two others went to a Korean Restaurant at Thomson Road to collect a debt from a woman who worked there. The womans sister, who was also present, filmed the three as they were creating a ruckus, prompting Lee to slap her.

Lee, who was given a lifelong ban for driving all classes of vehicles in 2007, was disqualified for life again for driving offences committed while he was banned.

On 8 August last year, Lee hit a National Environment Agency (NEA) officer with his car after the officer caught him for throwing a lit cigarette butt onto the ground at an open-air car park off Clemenceau Avenue North.

As a result, the officer was flung onto the bonnet of the car. He clung onto the wiper of the car but Lee did not stop. Lee drove with the officer hanging onto the bonnet of the car for 146m before the officer fell off near the exit of the car park.

The prosecution sought a jail term of at least three years and 11 months. Said Deputy Public Prosecutor Kenneth Kee, Being licensed and being legitimate are two separate concepts  a point that (Lee) failed to comprehend by engaging in the very same strong-arm tactics commonly employed by unlicensed moneylenders.

In sentencing Lee, District Judge John Ng noted that he had numerous charges, previous convictions and had also offended while on bail.

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Prosecutors in the trial of the alleged Libyan mastermind of the 2012 attack in Benghazi that killed a US ambassador argued Thursday that he was equally responsible even if he did not personally take part. Wrapping up final arguments in the trial of Ahmed Abu Khattala over the 2012 Benghazi attack, US government lawyers said he was guilty of conspiracy and murder in the deaths of US ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. "'I will kill all the Americans, each and everyone of them...': This is what the defendant Abu Khattala said and this is exactly what he did," prosecutor Michael DiLorenzo told a jury in the trial in Washington federal court. "On September 11, he took action," DiLorenzo said, highlighting that the attack in the eastern Libyan city took place on the anniversary of the 9/11 Al Qaeda attacks. Khattala, in his 40s with a long white beard, sat passively in his chair in the courtroom, where his trial opened seven weeks earlier. DiLorenzo summed up his argument that Khattala was an Islamic extremist who hated Western culture and believed the US operated a cell of spies in Benghazi. Prosecutors allege that he directed the attack by some 20 men armed with grenades and heavy weapons on the US consulate and a second annex building where agents of the CIA worked. The attack set fire to the consulate, where Stevens and a second State Department official, Sean Smith, died of asphyxiation. Later that night two former Navy Seals who were contracted to the consulate operation, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, were killed by mortar fire on the annex. The attack shocked the United States. Stevens was the first American ambassador killed in the field since 1979. Republicans in Congress launched an intense investigation that accused president Barack Obama and then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton of mismanagement, neglect and covering up the truth of the incident. - Murder and terror charges - Khattala is facing 18 separate charges including murder and material support for terrorists. The 12-person jury is to begin weighing a verdict after final arguments in the case wind up on Thursday. Khattala's lawyers argue that although he is a conservative Muslim, he did not hate the West. To the contrary, they said he was a "Libyan patriot" who says he worked with Americans to bring down the Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi, who was killed in 2011. The photographs and videos that show him at the site during the attack do not prove he was part of it, his lawyers say. He was only a bystander who came to watch. But the US government argues he commanded the Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia behind the attack. Even if he did not physically participate, DiLorenzo argued, in a conspiracy "the defendant is equally liable." - Test case - Khattala's trial is a test case for foreign suspects forcibly brought to the United States for trial. He was captured in 2014 when US special forces carried out a raid based on intelligence provided by a Libyan man who ultimately received a $7 million reward from the US government. On November 4 a second Libyan accused of involvement in the Benghazi attack, Mustafa al-Imam, was put on trial in the same Washington court, days after being captured and brought to the United States. Al-Imam was called one of the men who attacked the consulate.
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Friday accused Hezbollah, which Riyadh blames for the shock resignation of Lebanese premier Saad Hariri, of holding Lebanon hostage and using its banks to launder money. Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Madrid that the Shiite group was destabilising Lebanon by maintaining its arsenal and fighters in the Mediterranean nation. "You cannnot have a militia with a military force that operates outside the scope of the government," he told reporters after talks with Spanish counterpart Alfonso Dastis. "We see Hezbollah hijacking the Lebanese banking system to launder money, we see Hezbollah hijacking Lebanese ports in order to smuggle drugs, we see Hezbollah engaging in terrorist activities and interfering in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen," he added. "Unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a (solely) political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and by extension Iran," he said. "This is not acceptable to us and is not acceptable to the Lebanese." Lebanon, long abused by regional powers seeking to exert influence, was plunged into uncertainty this month after Hariri's shock resignation, announced on television from Riyadh. Hariri said he was stepping down because of Hezbollah and Iran's "grip" over his country. The resignation -- which caught even some of Hariri's closest advisers off guard -- comes at a time of mounting tension between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are backing opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen. His subsequent failure to return home to officially quit in person fuelled claims that he was acting under orders from his Saudi patrons. But both Hariri and Riyadh have denied allegations he was being held against his will, with the Lebanese leader on Friday dismissing all speculation about his situation as "rumours". "We are supportive of Prime Minister Saad Hariri but we are against Hezbollah's takeover of Lebanon," Jubeir said. Hariri was expected to leave Saudi Arabia for France later Friday, a move aimed at defusing political turmoil sparked by his resignation.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) The UN aviation watchdog ICAO has concluded its audit of the countrys aviation sector and according to preliminary feedback it was "satisfied" with the regulatory mechanism, the government said today.

A five-member audit team of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was in India between November 6 and November 16 as part of its universal safety oversight audit programme.

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The team appraised six different areas, including personnel licencing, airworthiness, operations, legislation and organisation.

The team members visited Chennai, Mumbai and that Civil Aviation Training College in Allahabad to inspect implementation of safety procedures laid down by the ICAO and Indias aviation regulatory body Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

"As per preliminary feedback, the audit team was satisfied with the safety system put in place by the safety regulator," according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The audit involved verification of response provided by the DGCA to certain protocol questions sent by the ICAO.

The ICAO audit carries a lot of weight globally and is crucial for Indias aviation sector, which has emerged as one of the fastest growing domestic aviation markets in the world.

To ensure that global aviation safety measures are complied with, the ICAO regularly carries out the universal safety oversight audit of its member states.

After an audit in 2012, the ICAO had placed India in its list of 13 worst-performing nations. Subsequently, a similar exercise carried out in 2014 by the US regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded Indias aviation safety ranking, bringing it below Pakistan and on par with countries such as Ghana, Barbados and Bangladesh.

As a result, Indian airlines were not allowed to add new routes to the US or sign commercial agreements with US airlines during this period.

The rating was restored to the top category in 2015, when India reportedly scored better than the global average in airworthiness, air navigation services, operations and licensing. PTI JC SMN SMN

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ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran accused France on Friday of fuelling tension in the Middle East by taking a "biased" stance on Tehran's regional policy, and President Emmanuel Macron said Tehran misunderstood its "balanced" position.

"It seems that France has a biased view towards the ongoing crises and humanitarian catastrophes in the Middle East," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state TV. "This view fuels regional conflicts, whether intentionally or unintentionally."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday France was worried about Iran's involvement in the Middle East crisis and its disputed ballistic missile programme.

"Irans role and the different areas where this country operates worries us," Le Drian told a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel Jubeir in Riyadh.

"I am thinking in particular of Iran's interventions in regional crises, this hegemonic temptation and Im thinking of its ballistic programme," he said.

Iran has repeatedly rejected France's call for talks on its missile programme, saying it is defensive and unrelated to its 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers.

Asked at an EU summit in Gothenburg about Iran's accusations, Macron said Tehran misunderstood France's "balanced" position of talking to everyone and not taking sides between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.

"Our wish is that Iran has a less aggressive strategy in the region and that we can clarify its ballistic missile strategy which seems to be uncontrolled," he said.

"Iran is a power that we wish to have a dialogue with and that we will continue to talk to."

Paris suggested this week that new European Union sanctions against Iran could be discussed over its missile tests. But EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini seemed to dismiss that idea on Tuesday.

Shi'ite-dominated Iran and its regional arch-rival Sunni Saudi Arabia are involved in proxy wars across the region, backing opposite sides in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.

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Jubeir told Reuters on Thursday that the kingdom's actions in the Middle East were a response to what he called the "aggression" of Iran.

Qasemi said Jubeir was repeating baseless claims, the state news agency IRNA reported on Friday.

"Saudi Arabia's foreign minister's gestures and his blame game will definitely not reduce the responsibility of this country in undermining the regional stability and security," Qasemi said.

(Reporting by John Iris in Paris and Parisa Hafezi in Ankara; editing by Andrew Roche)
A Japanese railway operator has issued a deep apology for the "tremendous nuisance" caused by a train departing 20 seconds early, surprising even a nation renowned for both punctuality and politeness. The Tsukuba Express train linking Tokyo and the capital's northern suburbs pulled out of Minami Nagareyama Station at 9:44:20 instead of 9:44:40. "We deeply apologise for causing tremendous nuisance to customers," said the Tsukuba Express company. "There was no complaint from customers over this incident," said the firm, which added that no one missed the train due to the premature departure. Japanese railway services, including shinkansen bullet trains, are famous for their world-beating punctuality. Even the slightest delay prompts an effusive apology from the train guard, which often lasts longer than the hold-up itself. With trains running the same route every few minutes to cope with huge numbers of passengers, even brief delays can back up the whole network causing overcrowding. Stations in Toyko employs dozens of staff -- with their famous white gloves -- to ensure the prompt departure of trains and to manage the crush during rush hour. The bullet trains in Japan are also famed for their customer service, with one offering passengers an onboard footbath to soothe their travelling woes. The train firm said it was "surprised" by the attention the story was getting, saying: "We have issued similar apologies for trains that departed earlier than scheduled before." A spokesman told AFP the apology was issued because strict safety procedures were not followed. "What matters is not the 20 seconds... The point is that our formal procedure should be this: A sound rings 15 seconds before the departure, followed by an announcement asking for caution due to the closing doors, and then the doors shut," he said. Lax management could cause safety problems in the future, the spokesman said. "There are sometimes passengers who try to jump on the train... they could be caught in doors" if the doors shut without warning, he said. But the apology had several social media users scratching their heads. "This is surprising even to Japanese," said one user with the handle @takamin_. "A weird country in which a 20-second difference prompts a sincere apology while faking quality data on aluminium and steel products or misconduct on car check-ups are done just like that," another tweet read. This was a reference to a recent string of corporate scandals that has floored the reputation of Japan Inc. Car giants Nissan and Subaru have admitted that uncertified staff had inspected vehicles while Kobe Steel has been embroiled in a quality data-faking scandal. However, @cindy176 just commented: "Everyone should be more relaxed."
By Duncan Miriri and Thomas Mukoya

NAIROBI (Reuters) - At least five people were killed on Friday as Kenyan police tried to disperse supporters accompanying opposition leader Raila Odinga from the airport to central Nairobi, police said.

Police fired tear gas at the convoy in which Odinga was travelling and used water cannon as they tried to stop it reaching the capital's main business district.

Some protesters threw stones at police. Two vehicles, including a police truck, were set on fire.

A Reuters photographer saw two bodies with gunshot wounds as police and protesters fought on one of the main roads leading to the business district.

Police said five people were stoned to death by angry mobs after they were caught stealing and denied they had used excessive force against the opposition supporters.

"These incidences occurred before the police arrived at the various scenes," the police service said in a statement.

Police retreated several times along the route after the protesters were unmoved by the teargas and water cannon spray. They finally held their ground near the city's main park, where Odinga, just returned from the United States, intended to address a rally that had been banned.

He blamed President Uhuru Kenyatta for the violence.

"My anger is with that guy called Uhuru Kenyatta. I went abroad... After you welcomed me well, he sent policemen to teargas you, to beat my people, to fire bullets at them. Isn't this barbaric?," he told his supporters after driving to safety.

Odinga has called for a "National Resistance Movement" to protest against the outcome of a repeat presidential election last month which saw Kenyatta win a second, five-year term with 98 percent of the vote after Odinga boycotted the contest. Only 39 percent of registered voters took part.

The repeat poll was ordered by the Supreme Court after it annulled the results of the August election, won by Kenyatta, over procedural irregularities.

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The court will rule on Monday on cases that seek to nullify the rerun election.

The political crisis has stirred fears for the stability of Kenya, a regional hub for trade, diplomacy and security.

Earlier on Friday, demonstrators threw up burning barricades on Mombasa Road, the highway that links Nairobi's downtown business district and the airport.

Despite a partial police ban on protests in the capital, hundreds of people had gathered in the morning near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to await Odinga's return. Police fired into the air to disperse them.

Once Odinga landed, motorcycle taxi drivers and people on foot shouted their support as the motorcade, which included lawmakers from Odinga's opposition coalition, began moving toward central Nairobi.

Dozens of international flights depart and arrive daily at Nairobi's main airport. The national airport authority said on Twitter just before midday that operations were running normally.

Kenya Airways said it had been "impacted" by the disruptions around the airport and offered to book travellers who missed their flights on subsequent ones.

Kenya's prolonged election season has disrupted its economy. Human rights groups say at least 66 people have died in bloodshed surrounding the two elections.

Ahead of Monday's Supreme Court ruling, Kenya Airways' chairman told an investor briefing on Friday: "Hopefully we dont have another presidential election so we can get on with life."

(Reporting by Duncan Miriri and Thomas Mukoya Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he will return to Lebanon for Wednesday's Independence Day celebrations and explain his situation, after his shock resignation announcement in Saudi Arabia sparked political turmoil. Speaking after talks in Paris on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking to broker a way out of the crisis, Hariri said he would "make known my position" once back in Beirut. "As you know I have resigned, and we will discuss that in Lebanon," he told reporters, saying he needed to meet with President Michel Aoun before taking further steps. The news follows two weeks of deep uncertainty after Hariri's surprise announcement to step down on November 4. His failure to return to Lebanon since sparked rumours that he was being held in Riyadh against his will, which both he and Saudi officials denied. "To say that I am held up in Saudi Arabia and not allowed to leave the country is a lie," he said in a Twitter post just before flying to Paris overnight. Hariri's wife and eldest son Houssam joined him for lunch with Macron at the Elysee Palace, but their two younger children, who live in Saudi Arabia, have remained there "for their school exams", a source close to the premier said. After the meeting, Macron's office said the president will "continue to take all necessary initiatives for Lebanon's stability." "We are helping to ease tensions in the region," the Elysee Palace added. Hariri's mysterious decision to step down -- which president Aoun has refused to accept while Hariri remains abroad -- has raised fears over Lebanon's fragile democracy. Hariri's camp has sought to allay the concerns, with a source saying the premier had a "fruitful and constructive" meeting with the powerful Saudi crown prince. Hariri -- whose father, ex-prime minister Rafiq Hariri, was killed in a 2005 car bombing blamed on Hezbollah -- took over last year as head of a shaky national unity government which includes the powerful Shiite movement. A dual Saudi citizen who has previously enjoyed Riyadh's backing, he resigned saying he feared for his life. He accused Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his country. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir meanwhile insisted from Madrid on Friday that "unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and, by extension, Iran". - Battle for influence - Hariri's resignation was widely seen as an escalation of the battle for influence between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, which back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. His attempt to step down also coincides with a purge of more than 200 Saudi princes, ministers and businessmen. Riyadh on Saturday recalled its ambassador to Berlin in protest at comments by Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel which were interpreted as a suggestion that Hariri acted under Saudi orders. Without mentioning Saudi Arabia directly, Gabriel had said Thursday that he shared concerns about the threat of instability and bloodshed in Lebanon and warned against "adventurism". "Lebanon has earned the right to decide on its fate by itself and not become a pinball of Syria or Saudi Arabia or other national interests," he had said earlier in the week. Germany's foreign ministry had yet to comment on the row, but in a statement it welcomed Hariri's "imminent return to Lebanon". - 'Start of a solution' - France's intervention was the latest in a string of European efforts to defuse tensions over Lebanon, where divisions between Hariri's Sunni bloc and Shiite Hezbollah have long been a focal point in a broader struggle between Riyadh and Tehran. Paris, which held mandate power over Lebanon for the first half of the 20th century, plans to bring together international support for Lebanon, depending on how the situation develops. The French president has also telephoned his counterparts in the US and Egypt, Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as well as the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss "the situation in the Middle East". He and Trump "agreed on the need to work with allies to counter Hizballah's and Iran's destabilizing activities in the region", according to a White House statement Saturday. However, Macron told reporters Friday that France wanted "dialogue" with Iran and aimed to "build peace not to choose one side over another". Ahead of Hariri's departure, Aoun -- an ally of Hezbollah -- welcomed the trip to Paris, expressing hope that it was the "start of a solution". "If Mr Hariri speaks from France, I would consider that he speaks freely," Aoun said. "But his resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he will have to remain there until the formation of the new government."
People stand on rocks on the shore during low tide as the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower Panama (3rd L) is seen next to apartment buildings in Panama City, Panama October 11, 2017. Picture taken October 11, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Lemos (Reuters)

By Stephen Grey and Ned Parker

(Reuters) - Ever since its dictator, Manuel Noriega, was captured by U.S. troops in 1989 and jailed for 30 years for drug trafficking, racketeering and money laundering, Panama has struggled to live down its reputation as a financial haven for the profits of crime.

The country has tried to boost legitimate income by developing tourism, banking reforms and a major refurbishment of its ocean-linking canal. The arrival of the globally recognized Trump brand, first with the staging of Miss Universe in 2003 and later with the opening of Ocean Club at a ceremony in 2011, marked a step along the road towards rehabilitation.

But there have been hiccups. Ricardo Martinelli, the country's president from 2009 to 2014, who was called "my friend" by Trump at that at the opening of the Ocean Club, was arrested in Miami in June 2017 on an extradition warrant from Panama. He was alleged to have tapped the phones of opposition politicians and is facing multiple investigations for corruption. Martinelli has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated.

In a report out today, Global Witness, an anti-corruption watchdog, says that Panama in the 2000s presented particular challenges for property developers. "Although there was no requirement in Panamanian or U.S. law at that time that developers or licensors like Trump conduct due diligence on unit purchasers, any responsible businessperson who wanted to prevent money laundering should have ensured such checks took place," the report says.

(By Stephen Grey and Ned Parker; editing by Richard Woods and Janet McBride)
File photo for illustration.

They were both working as security officers and had used their security post at a construction site in Tuas South as their lodging.

But on 16 November last year, Joshua Thomas, 34, got into an argument with Jasvinder Singh, who admitted to defecating around the security post. During the argument, Thomas punched Singh multiple times, and also shoved him to the ground. Singh was later found dead the next morning.

On Friday (17 November) at the State Courts, Thomas pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt. The court heard that Thomas and Singh, both Malaysians, were deployed to the Tuas South construction site by their company, Security Specialist Inc. Thomas would work the day shift from 8am to 8pm, while Singh worked from 8pm to 8am.

Both used the security post as their accommodation even though they were not allowed to. Singh also told his employer to credit his salary into Thomas bank account as he did not have his own in Singapore. Thomas would withdraw the salary and hand it over to Singh every month.

On the day of the incident, Thomas had headed out to withdraw part of Singhs salary after his shift. He also bought dinner and a bottle of brandy, which they shared during the meal. Thomas then went out to get two more bottles and they continued drinking, even while Singh was supposed to be on his shift.

At around 11pm, Thomas accused Singh of defecating around the security post instead of going to the nearby toilet to do so. Singh initially denied the accusations, but later admitted to them and apologised. However, Thomas did not accept the apology, and punched Singh twice in the face out of anger. The punches were so forceful that the victims turban came off his head.

Thomas then brought up a previous conversation he had with Singh that involved Singh allegedly molesting children in Malaysia. They also argued about a loan that Singh had taken from another security officer in another company, which he had not repaid.

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At this point, Thomas then punched Singh again, and told another security officer who had been drinking with them that the victim deserved it. The whole argument lasted about two hours. It was unclear how many times Thomas had punched Singh in total.

At about 1am on 17 November 2016, Thomas punched Singh again. When the victim tried to stand up, he pushed Singh forcefully onto the floor. Singh remained on the ground without moving.

After trying to wake Singh up and realising he could not do so, Thomas took the money he had given to the victim earlier that night and boarded a taxi to Tuas. From there he hitched a ride on a lorry to Geylang, where he checked into a hotel with a Thai prostitute and remained for the rest of the day. He also asked a female friend to join him.

At about 5pm, Thomas received a call from a colleague who informed him that Singh had died and police officers were at the security post. He was asked to surrender himself, but refused to do so. Police later received information and traced him to the hotel in Geylang, where they arrested him. He has been in remand ever since.

An autopsy report indicated that Singh died due to a fracture-dislocation of the cervical spine. Three fractures were also found on Singhs face, along with multiple bruises and two dislodged teeth.

Thomas case will be heard in court again on 4 January 2018. If convicted, he will be facing up to 10 years jail, a fine, and caning.
AFP News

Kenya's former president Uhuru Kenyatta arrived Tuesday in eastern DR Congo's main city of Goma, as fresh clashes with M23 rebels occurred just to the north, sending thousands fleeing. Troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were battling M23 fighters in Kibumba, 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Goma, security officials and local residents said. The M23 has recently seized swathes of territory in North Kivu province, displacing tens of thousands of people in their advance. Kibumba is considered one of the last obstacles to the rebels before Goma, a commercial hub of one million people on the Rwandan border. On Tuesday afternoon, rumours that the M23 was approaching sent a fresh wave of people fleeing to the Kanyaruchinya displacement camp, south of Kibumba. About 40,000 people are currently in the camp, according to its head. A security official who asked for anonymity said that people began to flee after seeing soldiers themselves retreating towards Goma after clashes with M23 rebels. North Kivu's military governor, General Constant Ndima, urged people to remain calm late Tuesday. "I want to reassure you... Loyalist forces are containing the enemy on the heights of Kibumba," he told reporters. The crisis has cratered relations between the DRC and its smaller central African neighbour Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of backing the militia. Uhuru Kenyatta, a mediator for the seven-nation East African Community (EAC), arrived in Goma on Tuesday and visited Kanyaruchinya. He told reporters late Tuesday that the stories he had heard were "heart-breaking". "I cannot ignore what I have seen," Kenyatta said. "I must say to all parties: You cannot negotiate in the face of human catastrophe". - 'De-escalation' - Kenyatta's visit to the DRC is the latest in a round of diplomatic bids to defuse the crisis in the impoverished country's volatile east. The former president landed in the Congolese capital Kinshasa on Sunday for talks, following on the heels of a visit from Angolan President Joao Lourenco. The EAC has also called for a "peace dialogue" in Kenya's capital Nairobi on November 21. In addition, the bloc has agreed to send a peacekeeping mission to eastern DRC. Kenyan troops arrived in Goma over the weekend, as part of that operation. On Monday, Kenyatta urged armed groups to put down their arms and return to the negotiating table. "There is nothing that can be gained through the barrel of a gun," he had told reporters. On Tuesday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had discussed the situation with Rwanda's Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta, on the margins of the G20 meeting in Indonesia. "I underscored the United States deep concern about the continuing violence in eastern DRC, and called on Rwanda to take active steps to facilitate de-escalation," he said in a tweet. - Rebel return - Biruta, for his part, tweeted that Rwanda is committed to regional diplomatic mechanisms to bring peace to eastern DRC, as well as to finding a political solution to the crisis. Over 120 armed groups roam the region, many of which are a legacy of regional wars which flared at the turn of the century. The M23 -- a mostly Congolese Tutsi group -- first leapt to prominence in 2012 when it briefly captured Goma before being driven out. But the rebel group returned in late 2021 after years of dormancy, claiming the DRC had failed to honour a promise to integrate its fighters into the army, among other grievances. It captured the strategic town of Bunagana on the Ugandan border in June. In recent weeks, the rebels have also won a string of victories against the Congolese army, edging closer towards Goma. The DRC expelled Rwanda's ambassador in late October amid the renewed M23 offensive. Despite official denials from Kigali, an unpublished report for the UN seen by AFP in August pointed to Rwandan involvement with the M23. Rwanda accuses the Congolese government of colluding with Hutu militants who fled across the border after the 1994 Rwandan genocide. hbm-at/eml/kjm
Three men were found guilty of possessing and conspiring to make explosives ahead of a contentious 2015 vote on political reform by a Hong Kong court Friday. The trio were arrested along with two others at a time of heightened political tension in Hong Kong, following the failure of mass "Umbrella Movement" rallies to win democratic reform for the semi-autonomous city. The five were detained as legislators prepared to vote on a Beijing-backed reform bill on how the city should choose its next leader, a year after the widespread protests that were seen as an unprecedented rebuke to China. The legislation, which stipulated that candidates must be vetted by a committee loyal to Beijing, was eventually voted down by pro-democracy lawmakers. The jury at the city's High Court found Rizzy Pennelli, 24, guilty of one count of conspiracy to make explosives and two counts of possessing explosives. Cheng Wai-shing, 31, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to make explosives and one count of possessing explosives, with Chan Yiu-shing, 36, guilty of one count of possessing explosives. Defendants Wu Kai-fu and Man Ting-lock were acquitted. The court had heard how the defendants had joined an anti-government group which had discussed causing "chaos" around the vote. Local media previously reported that the group advocated independence for Hong Kong. Calls for self-determination or even a full split from China grew out of the Umbrella Movement's failure to win concessions through largely peaceful protests. On the trial's first day prosecutors said the group had tried to make explosives at an abandoned graffiti-covered television studio in the northeastern district of Sai Kung. Police had seen flashes and smoke coming out of the building and had discovered acid, hydrogen peroxide and acetone during a raid, prosecutor Jonathan Man Tak-ho told the jury. "There was a shadow of threat, there was a threat that never was carried out," John Haynes, defending Pennelli, told the judge Friday. "At the time of the arrest... the state of materials wasn't in a condition for completing some sort of a massive bomb," he added. The sentencing hearing was set for December 8. Judge Kevin Zervos called the offences "very serious" and "totally unacceptable" and remanded the trio in custody. Conspiring to manufacture explosives carries a maximum jail term of 20 years.
Cambodia on Friday hit back at critics of its ban on the country's main opposition, calling the United States "ringleaders" of an alleged coup plot by the party and threatening to build closer ties with Russia and China. The row emerged after Cambodia's Supreme Court, effectively controlled by strongman premier Hun Sen, outlawed the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and banned more than 100 of its politicians Thursday, accusing the party of attempting to overthrow the government. Washington, along with the European Union, demanded Cambodia reverse the ban and warned the dissolution of the party was a setback for democracy that would strip next year's elections of legitimacy. But a spokesman for Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) said Friday the decision to dissolve the CNRP was in line with the law, adding the country would be fine without US support. "If the EU and US won't assist us, there are countries like Russia, China, Japan and South Korea who would help us continue the democracy," Sok Eysan told AFP, calling Washington the "ringleaders" of CNRP's alleged coup plans. Washington has previously rejected Cambodia's allegations of American involvement in plotting to oust the government as baseless. Cambodia faced a chorus of condemnation from the US, EU and the United Nations following Thursday's ruling that essentially allows Hun Sen's party to run uncontested in 2018 polls. The CNRP is the country's only viable opposition party, and it nearly unseated the CPP in 2013 elections. The Supreme Court verdict is the culmination of a strangling of dissent in Cambodia, with CNRP president Kem Sokha jailed for treason in September as part of a crackdown that has also seen media outlets shuttered, journalists jailed and activists harassed. The United States called for the Cambodian government to "undo its recent actions against the CNRP (and) release imprisoned CNRP leader Kem Sokha" in a statement from the White House. "On current course, next year's election will not be legitimate, free, or fair," the statement said, adding the US would pull support for Cambodia's National Election Committee. Although US President Donald Trump met with Hun Sen at a regional summit last week, the US leader did not comment on the brewing political crisis. - EU, UN rebuke - Washington's condemnation came after the European Union said next year's elections have been stripped of credibility with the CNRP pulled from the race. "A situation in which all parties, including the CNRP, their leaders and their supporters are able to carry out freely their legitimate functions, must be swiftly restored," an EU spokesperson said in a statement. It warned that "respect of fundamental human rights" is a prerequisite of Cambodia's duty-free access to the bloc's markets. The UN later echoed the concerns, calling accusations against the CNRP "vague". "The use of law against the CNRP and its members is a smokescreen - it is the rule by law, and not the rule of law," the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said in a statement. Cambodia largely relies on trade with the US and EU to bolster economic growth following a savage civil war that ended in 1975. Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander who defected, has ruled the country since 1985 and says he has brought much-needed peace and stability to the impoverished nation. But he is also accused of squeezing out his rivals through well-timed crackdowns and dubious court cases. Analysts say he has been emboldened by financial backing from Beijing, which has lavished the country with investment that has made it less dependent on aid from Western democracies. - 'Unjust' - The CNRP said it still considers itself a legitimate party and plans to stand in next year's election, even though more than half its 55 lawmakers have fled the country. Rights groups slammed Thursday's ruling, with HRW saying the decision signalled the "death of democracy" and Amnesty International calling it a "blatant act of political repression". Observers say the current climate of repression is harsher than previous clampdowns, with Hun Sen foregoing even the pretense of respecting human rights and a free press. In addition to assaults against the CNRP, his government has shut down a series of outspoken NGOs and independent news outlets, including the respected Cambodia Daily. In Cambodia's sleepy capital Phnom Penh, life returned to normal Friday for some residents too scared to protest the verdict delivered at Thursday's heavily-guarded trial. "Most people don't support the court's decision but I just stay quiet," tuk-tuk driver Ly Huor told AFP, vowing to vote next year. "It's very unjust. It's like they are robbing the will of the people." burs-jv/amz/kaf
One significant phrase that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has contributed to the Indian political lexicon is competitive federalism. The prime minister, who helmed what came to be known as the "Gujarat Model" of development when he was chief minister of the state, has consistently maintained that states are the real growth engines of the economy and has worked towards encouraging healthy competition among states based on one parameter-development.

But more than a decade before the prime minister adopted it as his guiding principle, India Today had heralded the spirit of competitive federalism in the country through its pioneering project-the annual State of the States study. Based on objective data sourced from government and other authentic sources, the study was aimed at gauging the performance of Indian states across various parameters such as the economy, agriculture, health, education and infrastructure.

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Launched in 2003, this annual exercise has over the years come to be regarded as the gold standard in measuring the socio-economic performance of the states. Over the years, chief ministers have proudly displayed trophies-given to them based on the results of the study-in their offices. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, before he became defence minister, would carry the trophies his state won in different categories through the entire duration of his flight back from Delhi. He would vow to win more trophies the next year.

Chief ministers who did not win would send angry queries. They would demand data, want to understand the methodology and seek to improve their performance so that they could top the tables the next year. In this, the SoS exercise achieved what it set out to do-instil strong, healthy competition among states for socio-economic growth. The acknowledgment came from none other than the prime minister himself. "India Today has been rating Indian states and giving awards to the best performing one. It soon became a benchmark and others started following that model," he said in Delhi last year.

The accolades and recognition notwithstanding, India Today has constantly striven to improve the accuracy and scope of its SoS study. In the first year of the survey, big and small states were examined together. To avoid unfair evaluation, they began to be segregated from 2004. Between 2003 and 2010, absolute data from the year of evaluation was examined. This gave some large states an advantage as they started from a higher base on several parameters, giving them a significant lead in recent years. Punjab, for instance, emerged as the best state for all the years between 2003 and 2010, except in 2009.

To create a level playing field, we changed the methodology in 2011, and decided to examine improvements states had made over a period of one year. The change intensified the competition, resulting in new winners almost every year-Maharashtra in 2011, Gujarat in 2012, Kerala in 2013, Tamil Nadu in 2014, Gujarat in 2015.

However, there were certain apprehensions about assessing a state's performance based on data for a single year. Several big states complained that their sustained achievements over the years were ignored and that growth at the higher levels is slower than when you start from a lower base. To correct this anomaly, we gave awards in two segments last year-the best performing state and the most improved state. For the best performing states, absolute data of the current year was examined. For most improved states, improvement on all parameters over a period of the last year was taken into account. So Kerala emerged as the best performing state while Tamil Nadu showed the maximum improvement. Among small states, Goa was the best performing while Puducherry emerged as the most improved.

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In the 15th year of the SoS study, some new adjustments have been made to make the methodology more robust. Though the states have been clubbed in two big segments, large and small, several states have complained that those with a larger population and economy often won the unfair advantage of big numbers when absolute numbers for a particular year were being considered. On the other hand, while examining improvement over a particular year, smaller states with low base enjoyed an undue advantage when percentage of growth was factored in. To address these reservations about the methodology, we decided to combine the two barometers of evaluation this year-absolute data for a particular year and improvement over a period of time. And since improvement over just a year could be considered insufficient to measure consistency of performance, we expanded the time frame to five years. The results this year, therefore, are a combination of two sets of data-the absolute numbers of a state for 2015-16 and its improvement between the five-year period of 2010-11 and 2015-16.

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We also wanted to take into account actual expenditure by the states under various parameters, but uniform data was not available for all states. All numbers examined for evaluation under various parameters were neutralised by taking into account two factors-population and geographical size of the states. A new category-tourism-has also been introduced in this year's study. We have also made a change in nomenclature, from "e-governance" to "governance", broadening the scope of this parameter, and adding cleanliness to the category of environment. For small states, we have not announced results in entrepreneurship, environment and cleanliness, inclusive development and governance because of certain reservation about available data.

The new methodology has thrown up surprise winners among big states-the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, which has been ranked among the top five in seven of the eleven categories, made it to the top. The youngest state of the country, Telangana, earning positions among top five in four out of 11 categories, is the second best performing state. Among other new states, Uttarakhand, boosted by religious tourism, performed well-good show in education, entrepreneurship and law and order-but Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have fallen behind despite being high on resources.

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While north and south India share equal honours in the top 10 best performing states, the complete absence of states from the east is a glaring lacuna in India's growth narrative. Two states from the east-Bihar and Jharkhand-find no place in the top five states in any category, Assam does well only in two categories and West Bengal and Odisha in one category each.

According to a research paper by Praveen Chakravarty and Vivek Dehejia, Senior Fellows in Political Economy at the IDFC Institute, a Mumbai think tank, in 1960, the average person in West Bengal earned

Rs 390 per annum while his counterpart in Tamil Nadu earned Rs 330. In 2014, however, while the earnings of the average person in West Bengal stood at Rs 80,000 in a year, the average person in Tamil Nadu was earning Rs 1,36,000 per year. Tamil Nadu went from being the fourth poorest state in 1960 to the second richest in 2014.

In 1960, the top three states were also 1.7 times richer than the bottom three. By 2014, this gap had almost doubled, with the top three states being three times richer than the three at the bottom of the list. The richest state in terms of per capita GDP in 1960, Maharashtra, was twice as rich as the then poorest state, Bihar. In 2014, the richest state, Kerala, was four times richer than the still poorest state of Bihar. This fourfold gap between the richest and the poorest large state in India is among the highest in the world. Despite showing a high growth rate in recent years, the Bihar story doesn't seem to change-in nine out of 11 categories, it finds itself at the bottom of the pile of five states. As dismal is the story of Uttar Pradesh, arguably India's most politically significant state; it finds no place among the top 10 in nine categories.

When it comes to small states, Puducherry, which was the most improved state in 2016, bagged positions among the top three in five of the seven categories. But our new methodology reveals a shocker in Goa's performance. Except in economy and tourism, the state has not been able to secure positions among the top three in any of the other five categories. One reason perhaps could be the interruption the state has seen in political leadership.

Leadership is the most defining element in the development model of any state. In the past three years, 21 Indian states have seen a change in government and 13 states have got debutant chief ministers. The SoS report card can be a useful tool for them to calibrate their strategies for the state and help them set out priorities. The India Today SoS study will be back to measure and reward their success.

METHODOLOGY

How the States Were Ranked

The India Today Group's State of the States study was conducted by Nielsen, a global information, data and measurement company. The data for the parameters (see table) under every category-agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, economy, law and order, governance, inclusive development, tourism, entrepreneurship and environment and cleanliness-were collected from recognised and highly credible government and academic sources. The parameters are normalised so as to ensure that comparisons across states are meaningful. Two sets of data were examined-the performance of the states in 2015-16 in all the parameters and their improvement between 2010-11 and 2015-16. In the category of entrepreneurship, only the data for 2015-16 was examined, as consistent and reliable data on improvement was not available. While scrutinising the data for 2015-16, every parameter of each category was ranked. The rank varied based on the parameter under consideration. For instance, a higher concentration of households with electricity gets a higher rank whereas a higher incidence of crime elicited a lower rank. The final composite rank is simply the equally weighted average of each of the parameters. This yielded a category-specific rank for each state. The same process was repeated while examining the improvement of states across all parameters. The final results were achieved after combining the ranks (see table) of the states in every category based on the statistics of 2015-16 and improvement shown in data between 2010-11 and 2015-16. In short, the best performing state = Rank (current) + Rank (improvement).

--- ENDS ---
Rainy Irish days in June  what can you do?

Well, faced with a day of traditional Irish downpours, the legendary Jay Dords kindly gave up the whereabouts of the mythical (if not extremely hard to skate) eggpipe, then we ventured north of the border into Belfast for a session at the sometimes partly undercover MonkeyBird Social Club. Or The Driving Range, if you prefer.

Once again featuring Conhuir Lynn, Ben Grove, Matthew Nevitt, Ste Roe, Dave Watson, Gav Coughlan and Keith Walsh along with an appearance from Denis Lynn, seen here skating for the first time in 6 months, on someone elses borrowed board and shoes, both of which were the wrong sizes. Classic.

Episode 3 will be with you next week  if you need more Crates action before then youll be pleased to learn that all previous episodes can be found here.




New research, November 6-12, 2017

Posted on 17 November 2017 by Ari Jokimaki

A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below.

The figure is from paper #32.

Climate change impacts

1. Nitrogen availability dampens the positive impacts of CO 2 fertilization on terrestrial ecosystem carbon and water cycles

"Results suggest that the rate of global GPP increase is overestimated by 85% during 2000-2015 without N limitation. This limitation is found to occur in many tropical and boreal forests, where a negative leaf N trend indicates a reduction in photosynthetic capacity, thereby suppressing the positive vegetation response to enhanced CO 2 fertilization."

2. Climatic variability and dengue risk in urban environment of Delhi (India)



"Findings reveal significant changes in weather across the year having significant and positive association with dengue cases at specified lags. Weeks in April and July to October with gaps have been identified as the high risk weeks based on the estimated relative risk. There has been intra-annual expansion in dengue risk period extending beyond monsoon and post-monsoon."

3. Introduction to Special Issue: Disciplinary Perspectives on Climate Change and Conflict



"These authors find little evidence for direct pathways from climate change to violence, especially for group-level violence and armed conflict. However, there is stronger evidence for indirect effects in agricultural and other vulnerable settings and for exacerbating ongoing violence rather than initiating new violence. The authors also emphasize the importance of governance and institutions, adaptive capacity, and potential cooperative behavior in moderating violence."

4. Flood vulnerability, local perception and gender role judgment using multivariate analysis: A problem-based participatory action to Future Skill Management to cope with flood impacts



5. Risk perception and adaptive responses to climate change and climatic variability in northeastern St. Vincent



6. Does weather forecasting relate to foraging productivity? An empirical test among three hunter-gatherer societies



7. Climate change impact on the potential yield of Arabicacoffee in southeast Brazil

8. Potential rice exposure to heat stress along the Yangtze River in China under RCP8.5 scenario

9. Influence of climate variability and length of rainy season on crop yields in semiarid Botswana



10. Increasing drought and diminishing benefits of elevated carbon dioxide for soybean yields across the US Midwest



11. The effects of projected climate and climate extremes on a winter and summer crop in the southeast USA



12. Irrigation offsets wheat yield reductions from warming temperatures



13. Temperature-mortality relationship in dairy cattle in France based on an iso-hygro-thermal partition of the territory



14. Impacts of temperature extremes on European vegetation during the growing season

15. Vegetation phenology on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its response to climate change (19822013)



16. Rapid responses of plants to temperature changes

17. Lags in the response of mountain plant communities to climate change



18. Emerging stress and relative resiliency of Giant Sequoia groves experiencing multi-year dry periods in a warming climate



19. Nitrogen limitation of decomposition and decay: how can it occur?



20. Impacts of warming and nitrogen addition on soil autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration in a semi-arid environment



21. Carbon cycle confidence and uncertainty: exploring variation among soil biogeochemical models



22. Multidecadal fCO 2 Increase Along the United States Southeast Coastal Margin

23. The fatty acid content of plankton is changing in subtropical coastal waters as a result of OA: Results from a mesocosm study



24. Ocean acidification does not impair predator recognition but increases juvenile growth in a temperate wrasse off CO2 seeps



25. Participatory scenario planning and climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability research in the Arctic



Climate change mitigation

26. How much do direct livestock emissions actually contribute to global warming?



"We find that direct livestock non-CO 2 emissions caused about 19% of the total modelled warming of 0.81C from all anthropogenic sources in 2010. CO 2 from pasture conversions contributed at least another 0.03C, bringing the warming directly attributable to livestock to 23% of the total warming in 2010."

27. Role of e-reader adoption in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of book reading activities



"Adopting e-readers was discovered to reduce both the GWP per person and the GWP per person-book of book reading activities. The GWP of e-books read with an e-reader and the GWP of paper books were found to break even at 4.7 books per year, provided consumers read less than 11 h a day. According to the web survey, e-reader users purchase more than seven e-books annually on average, which resulted in a smaller GWP per person-book relative to that of one paper book."

28. Climate change, future Arctic Sea ice, and the competitiveness of European Arctic offshore oil and gas production on world markets



"We find that under current hydrocarbon prices, oil and gas from the European offshore Arctic is not competitive on world markets."

29. Variability and correlation of renewable energy sources in the Portuguese electrical system



30. Diurnal and seasonal variations of greenhouse gas emissions from a naturally ventilated dairy barn in a cold region



31. Can abandoned peatland pasture sequestrate more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than an adjacent pristine bog in Newfoundland, Canada?



32. Outdoor cooking prevalence in developing countries and its implication for clean cooking policies



33. An initial scoping of transitional justice for global climate governance



34. Climate Engagement in a Digital Age: Exploring the Drivers of Participation in Climate Discourse Online in the Context of COP21

35. Politicization of science: how climate change skeptics use experts and scientific evidence in their online communication



36. Uncertainties in modelling the climate impact of irrigation



37. Greenhouse Gas Emissions under Different Drainage and Flooding Regimes of Cultivated Peatlands



38. Reduction of solar photovoltaic resources due to air pollution in China



Climate change

39. Changing world extreme temperature statistics



"In contrast to this earlier work, we find that in every region except North America all-time high records were set at a rate significantly (at least 3) higher than in the null hypothesis of a stationary climate. Except in Antarctica, all-time low records were set at a rate significantly lower than in the null hypothesis. In Europe, North Africa and North Asia the rate of setting new all-time highs increased suddenly in the 1990s, suggesting a change in regional climate regime; in most other regions there was a steadier increase."

40. An energy balance model exploration of the impacts of interactions between surface albedo, cloud cover and water vapor on polar amplification



"We examine the effects of non-linear interactions between surface albedo, water vapor and cloud cover (referred to as climate variables) on amplified warming of the polar regions, using a new energy balance model. Our simulations show that the sum of the contributions to surface temperature changes due to any variable considered in isolation is smaller than the temperature changes from coupled feedback simulations. This non-linearity is strongest when all three climate variables are allowed to interact. Surface albedo appears to be the strongest driver of this non-linear behavior, followed by water vapor and clouds. This is because increases in longwave radiation absorbed by the surface, related to increases in water vapor and clouds, and increases in surface absorbed shortwave radiation caused by a decrease in surface albedo, amplify each other. Furthermore, our results corroborate previous findings that while increases in cloud cover and water vapor, along with the greenhouse effect itself, warm the polar regions, water vapor also significantly warms equatorial regions, which reduces polar amplification. Changes in surface albedo drive large changes in absorption of incoming shortwave radiation, thereby enhancing surface warming. Unlike high latitudes, surface albedo change at low latitudes are more constrained. Interactions between surface albedo, water vapor and clouds drive larger increases in temperatures in the polar regions compared to low latitudes. This is in spite of the fact that, due to a forcing, cloud cover increases at high latitudes and decreases in low latitudes, and that water vapor significantly enhances warming at low latitudes."

41. Recent Advances in Our Understanding of the Role of Meltwater in the Greenland Ice Sheet System



"There have been dramatic increases in surface meltwater generation and runoff since the early 1990s, both due to increased air temperatures and decreasing surface albedo. Processes in the subglacial drainage system have similarities to valley glaciers and in a warming climate, the efficiency of meltwater routing to the ice sheet margin is likely to increase. The behaviour of the subglacial drainage system appears to limit the impact of increased surface melt on annual rates of ice motion, in sections of the ice sheet that terminate on land, while the large volumes of meltwater routed subglacially deliver significant volumes of sediment and nutrients to downstream ecosystems."

42. Unveiling aerosolcloud interactions  Part 1: Cloud contamination in satellite products enhances the aerosol indirect forcing estimate



"We find that previous satellite-based radiative forcing estimates of aerosolcloud interactions represented in key climate reports are likely exaggerated by up to 50 % due to including retrieval artefacts in the aerosols located near clouds. It is demonstrated that this retrieval artefact can be corrected in current products."

43. On the emergent constraints of climate sensitivity



"The relationships between the contrived metrics and ECS can also be linked statistically to shortwave cloud feedback. Thus any proposed or forthcoming ECS constraint based on the current generation of climate models should be viewed as a potential constraint on shortwave cloud feedback, and physical links with that feedback should be investigated to verify that the constraint is real. In addition, any proposed ECS constraint should not be taken at face value, since other factors influencing ECS besides shortwave cloud feedback could be systematically biased in the models."

44. A consistent sea-level reconstruction and its budget on basin and global scales over 1958-2014

"The global-mean sea-level reconstruction shows a trend of 1.50.2 mm/y over 1958-2014 (1), compared to 1.30.1 mm/y for the sum of contributors. Over the same period, the reconstruction shows a positive acceleration of 0.070.02 mm/y2, which is also in agreement with the sum of contributors, which shows an acceleration of 0.070.01 mm/y2."

45. The impact of bias correction and model selection on passing temperature thresholds



46. Exceptional airmass transport and dynamical drivers of an extreme wintertime Arctic warm event



47. The role of humidity in determining scenarios of perceived temperature extremes in Europe



48. Warming across decades and deciles: minimum and maximum daily temperatures in China, 19552014



49. Variations in North Pacific sea surface temperature caused by Arctic stratospheric ozone anomalies



50. How uncertainty in field measurements of ice nucleating particles influences modeled cloud forcing

51. Simulated changes in aridity from the last glacial maximum to 4xCO 2



52. Comparison of various drought indices to monitor drought status in Pakistan



53. Seasonal predictability of Kiremt rainfall in coupled general circulation models



54. Scale dependency of regional climate modeling of current and future climate extremes in Germany



55. Regional Antarctic snow accumulation over the past 1000 years

56. Snow accumulation variability over the West Antarctic Ice Sheet since 1900: a comparison of ice core records with ERA-20C reanalysis



57. Blowing snow sublimation and transport over Antarctica from 11 years of CALIPSO observations

58. Heat flux distribution of Antarctica unveiled



59. Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Mass Loss: Recent Developments in Observation and Modeling



60. The modelled liquid water balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet

61. Algae drive enhanced darkening of bare ice on the Greenland ice sheet



62. The distribution and hydrological significance of rock glaciers in the Nepalese Himalaya



63. Simulated historical (19012010) changes in the permafrost extent and active layer thickness in the Northern Hemisphere



64. A new map of permafrost distribution on the Tibetan Plateau

65. Warmer spring conditions increase annual methane emissions from a boreal peat landscape with sporadic permafrost



66. Hemispheric asymmetry in stratospheric NO 2 trends

67. A two-year forecast for a 60-80% chance of La Nina in 2017-18



68. How predictable are the Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations? Exploring the Variability and Predictability of the Northern Hemisphere



69. Regime shift of Indian summer monsoon rainfall to a persistent arid state: external forcing versus internal variability



70. Inflated uncertainty in multi-model based regional climate projections



71. Climate and anthropogenic controls of coastal deoxygenation on interannual to centennial timescales



72. Changes in terrestrial near-surface wind speed and their possible causes: an overview



73. Uncertainty in recent near-surface wind speed trends: a global reanalysis intercomparison



74. A Statistical Study of Unusual Tracks of Tropical Cyclones near Taiwan Island



75. Severity scale for tornadoes



76. Variations of climate, surface energy budget and minimum snow/ice extent over Canadian Arctic landmass for 2000-2016



77. Intrinsic and atmospherically-forced variability of the AMOC: insights from a large ensemble ocean hindcast



Other papers

78. Social Resilience to Climate-Related Disasters in Ancient Societies: A Test of Two Hypotheses



"The paper finds that societies allowing greater political participation appear to provide greater resilience to catastrophic climate-related disasters, generally supporting the predominant perspective in contemporary disaster response."

79. The role of African dust in Atlantic climate during Heinrich events



80. Why artificial light at night should be a focus for global change research in the 21st century


It's known in Slovak as the nezna revolucia (gentle revolution), as distinct from the povstanie, or uprising, that occurred at the end of the Second World War.

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NOVEMBER 17 is the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the 1989 overthrow of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. It's known in Slovak as the nezna revolucia (gentle revolution), as distinct from the povstanie, or uprising, that occurred at the end of the Second World War.

Is there a difference? A povstanie, perhaps, derived from the verb vstat, to get up or rise, is a more casual and disordered affair, one difficult to fix to a certain day, and, given the fact the word is a Slovak one, one that has a more local place in regional history.

Revolucia, on the other hand, is a foreign word, one perhaps applied to events of outstanding, or at least greater than merely Slovak, historical importance.

Revolts are obviously slippery events, as are the words used to describe them. As with the Wizard of Id comic strip, and its 'the peasants are revolting' double entendre, Slovak features odpor, meaning resistance as well as disgust. Narazit na odpor is to meet with opposition; sparat sa v nose je odporny zvyk means 'picking your nose is a disgusting habit'.

There is also a little dispute about who actually started the November revolucia, with sociologist Jan Buncak saying a demonstration on November 16 in Bratislava started the whole thing, but it took a larger, and more violent, encounter between students and police in Prague in November 17 to really get the ball rolling.

"Bratislava was then a provincial capital, and things that happened in the provinces were of a lower order than events in the capital," he said.

Whoever was responsible, the revolucia has given immortal phrases and slogans to the Slovak language. Happening as it did on the main squares (namestia) of cities around Czechoslovakia, it drew even the most timid (nesmeli) from their homes to strngat klucami (shake their keys) as a gesture of unity and defiance.

Jozef Majsky, now in jail awaiting trial on fraud charges, recalls telling customs officials wanting to inspect his shipments of computers from the far east to "go shake their keys on the square and stop hindering the building of democracy".

On those squares people sported the trikolora, the blue, white and red of the Czechoslovak flag (memories of 1789), wore budajky (a kind of woolen skull cap made popular by one of the early revolutionaries, Jan Budaj), and were told to "urobte koridor" (make a path) for visiting politicians and ambulances. Which people did, almost as if trained.

The politicians, many united in the Verejnost Proti Nasiliu (Public Against Violence - VPN) party, gave rise to edifying slogans.

"Knazko, Budaj, vy ste skveli, s vami ide narod cely," referring to revolutionary and later Culture Minister Milan Knazko, meant "Knazko, Budaj, you guys are great, the whole country is with you."

Or there was "Ked nam bude tazko, pomoze nam Knazko" ("When the going gets tough, Knazko gets going").

How about that old chestnut, "Peter Weiss is very nice", with the transformed communist's name being emblazoned on campaign buttons.

Not that the communists were very popular after 1989: "Volte cislo desat, nech vas ma kto vesat!" (Vote party number 10 - the Communists - and give them the chance to hang you!) expressed a refusal to bury the hatchet with the country's former leaders.

While it all seems rather innocent and naive today, those slogans were at least more inventive than the "modra je dobra" ("blue is good") of the SDKU that we saw this past fall, and less cynical than "Za Slovensko, za Tatry, volim cislo dvadsattri" (For the sake of Slovakia and the Tatra mountains, I'm voting number 23) of the Slovak National Party.

And Peter Weiss, I'm sure, is still very nice.

Slovak Matters is a bi-weekly column devoted to helping expats and foreigners understand the beautiful but difficult Slovak language.

The next Slovak Matters will appear on stands December 2, Vol. 8, No. 46.
The November revolution carries the attribute Velvet in Czech, and Nezna (Tender) in Slovak, because no violence was used to enforce the changes.

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This article was first published on November 16, 2009.

Like a convict released from prison after many years: freedom suddenly returns, but you dont know how to handle it. This is how Vaclav Havel, one of the leaders of the Velvet Revolution and the first president of Czechoslovakia after 1989, recently characterised the post-communist condition. Indeed, 20 years after the sound of ringing keys had vanished from the squares of Slovak towns most people agree that the transformation has been tough and often disappointing. But freedom remains, and November 17 now symbolises the day when Slovaks did away with totalitarianism.

Those six days in November shook Slovakia, is how the Tyzden weekly described the revolutionary developments. It was like an avalanche. On Thursday, November 16, some 200 students created a chain of hands to express their dissatisfaction with the circumstances at universities. On Sunday November 19 almost 500 protesters met in Umelecka Beseda [a building near the Old Bridge], on Monday at Hviezdoslavovo Square there were around 2,000, on Tuesday November 21 there were 20,000 in Gottwald Square [now Namestie Slobody] and on Wednesday November 22, at the first meeting of the Student Coordination Committee and Public Against Violence [VPN] in SNP square, there were around 100,000 of them. And the avalanche spread on, to the squares of all the bigger Slovak towns.

Before November 17

Jozef Zatkuliak from the Historical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences said there was a series of factors, expressions, speeches and proclamations against the regime in Czechoslovakia prior to November 1989. In the preceding year there were several anniversaries that gave people the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with the regime; in particular they sought to return to 1968, the year of the Prague Spring, and asked for its rehabilitation or the rehabilitation of social reforms in general.

1989 started off with the Palachiada  the commemoration of the self-immolation, in protest at the Soviet occupation, of student Jan Palach in January 1969  the harsh suppression of which provoked popular turmoil, said Zatkuliak. In the same month, the Helsinki Protocol was signed, which committed Czechoslovakia to respecting basic human rights and liberties.

[Czechoslovakia] had become a subject of international criticism, especially in comparison with the surrounding countries, such as Hungary or Poland, where developments were definitely directed towards democracy, Zatkuliak told The Slovak Spectator. In Poland, the first semi-democratic elections, with the participation of Solidarity, took place in June 1989 and in Hungary a roundtable of opposition and communist representatives was formed to negotiate future development.

Two moments played an important role in influencing the public in 1989  the initiative Nekolik vet (A few sentences), which was signed by about 40,000 Czechoslovak citizens by autumn 1989. And for Slovaks there were also the August 1989 protests against the arrest of the so-called Bratislava Five, a group of intellectuals including lawyer and politician Jan Carnogursky and political scientist Miroslav Kusy who had organised a small protest in the village of Predmier and requested democratic elections.

The protest was significant in that it unified the various Slovak opposition streams, Zatkuliak said.

According to Stefan Auer, Director of the Innovative Universities European Union Centre at La Trobe University in Melbourne and author of the award-winning book Liberal Nationalism in Central Europe, even after 20 years most perspectives of 1989 are rather parochial. For Germans, and the West more generally, it's about the fall of the wall, for Hungarians the opening of the borders, for Poles the rise of the Solidarity.

The fact that is often ignored is that all these revolutions could only have taken place because of the developments in the neighbouring countries, including the 'motherland' of communism, the Soviet Union and Gorbachev's perestroika there, Auer told The Slovak Spectator. So the most important thing for me to remember from 1989 is that it was not one event, one revolution, but a series of revolutions that were influenced by each other even though the actors did not acknowledge it, or were not even aware of it.

We want no violence

The November revolution carries the attribute Velvet in Czech, and Nezna (Tender) in Slovak, because no violence was used to enforce the changes. According to Zatkuliak, this was also thanks to the democratic traditions that Slovakia inherited from the first Czechoslovak Republic which existed between the two world wars.

The basis of Czechoslovak society was also that soon after the emergence of the common state a civic society was established socially and culturally  and it had all the characteristics that a civic society should have, Zatkuliak said.

According to him, violence wasnt present also because the communist regime in Czechoslovakia didnt have all the characteristics of a totalitarian regime.

The prevailing opinion in Czechoslovakia was that the changes didnt need the assistance of the army, Zatkuliak said. It was foreign to most citizens and official representatives, although its necessary to say that the communist regime was preparing for the mobilisation of a part of the army even after November 17, 1989.

This tradition of non-violence is according to Zatkuliak common for the countries in the region, mainly Hungary and Poland.

For Auer, the 1989 revolutions in Central Europe were strange in the sense that they changed the very meaning of the word revolution.

Ever since the French Revolution of 1789 a revolution was meant to be violent and driven by an ideological blueprint for radical change, Auer said. The key innovation of 1989 was that radical change was implemented without radical means; that is, without violence. In this way 1989 established a new paradigm of non-revolutionary revolution that has been emulated more recently with various degrees of success  or indeed failure  in places as different as Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine, or even Iraq.

A recent survey among citizens of the V4 countries suggested that opinions about the 1989 revolutions are far from unified. While in Slovakia 53 percent of people found todays system better than before 1989, the Institute of Public Affairs (IVO), which performed the poll in Slovakia, reported that in Hungary a majority of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the current arrangement of society and thought that the socialist times had been better. Nostalgic feelings about the pre-1989 period occur in all the post-communist countries, most significantly in the former East Germany, but in Slovakia too.

Zatkuliak sees the reason for such nostalgia as being the pain associated with the transformation process, with two economic and social crises in the past 20 years  one in 1991-1993 and another in 1999-2000  when standards of living in Slovakia declined drastically. Revolutionary times were marked by a certain idealism and even naivety and the real transformation process was much more complicated than expected, so no wonder some people are disappointed, he said.

Auer said that the transition in central Europe has been successful, despite the many mistakes which he believes could and should have been avoided.

Yet this is in the nature of liberal democracy: it is open-ended, we will always need more of it, he said.

Havel himself admitted in a recent interview published by the SITA newswire that he was naive to expect a change of thinking within a few years after the fall of communism.

I admit that I was deeply mistaken to think that it would come earlier, he said. Its really a task for decades.

Todays politicians are according to Havel people in their fifties, still touched by the 1970s period of so-called normalisation which followed the Soviet occupation, which he said also affected their children, who felt its atmosphere.

Sooner or later the time will come for the children of these children to enter public life, Havel said. And there I see the promise that they could bring a really backlit, clean space and that we wont have to swear about politics anymore, because there will be people wholl be able to gain trust by their natural, democratic conscience, even if they have minority opinions.

Although the past 20 years have forced the peoples of central Europe to take off their rose-tinted glasses and see that living in a democracy doesnt guarantee a life free of troubles, the message of the revolution that human rights must be taken seriously and are worth fighting for remains, according to Auer.

And that people fighting for liberty against all odds, who might appear to be unrealistic dreamers to their contemporaries, may well be vindicated by history, he said.
Matador Resources Company, an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, production, and acquisition of oil and natural gas resources in the United States. It operates through two segments, Exploration and Production; and Midstream. The company primarily holds interests in the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring plays in the Delaware Basin in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. It also operates the Eagle Ford shale play in South Texas; and the Haynesville shale and Cotton Valley plays in Northwest Louisiana. In addition, the company conducts midstream operations in support of its exploration, development, and production operations; provides natural gas processing and oil transportation services; and offers oil, natural gas, and produced water gathering services, as well as produced water disposal services to third parties. As of December 31, 2021, its estimated total proved oil and natural gas reserves were 323.4 million barrels of oil equivalent, including 181.3 million stock tank barrels of oil and 852.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas. The company was formerly known as Matador Holdco, Inc. and changed its name to Matador Resources Company in August 2011. Matador Resources Company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Fishermen who venture into the sea for their livelihood are frequently arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of crossing the international maritime border.

By Akshaya Nath: A day after the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 10 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing near Neduntheevu in the nation's waters, mother of one of the fishermen attempted self immolation in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam today.

With Thursday's arrest, the total number of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody has gone up to 109.

Fishermen who venture into the sea for their livelihood are frequently arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of crossing the international maritime border.

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Fishermen in Tamil Nadu have been repeatedly seeking the Centre and state's intervention and help to safeguard their livelihood.

On the death anniversary of APJ Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced and handed over approvals for fishermen to start alternative fishing techniques. This would promote the fishermen from venturing deep into the sea or crossing the international borders.

Fishermen in Rameshwaram have long been demanding the release of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody. Fishing families have been facing extreme condition in the Jaffna prison. In fact, a fisherman from Rameshwaram is in a very critical condition in a Sri Lankan prison and the family has been trying all possible means to bring him back to India.

"My father is old and has very high sugar. He is in a very critical condition, but we have not got any means to bring him home. We have been regularly trying to reach out for help," said Jasmin, whose father Sagayam Pichai is in Sri Lankan custody. He was arrested on September 3, 2017.

"We are only practising our livelihood. Our ancestors have been fishing in the very same coast, and now we are taking it forward. What will we do for our survival if we are asked to stop the only thing that we know in life?" questioned Emerat, a fisherman in Rameshwaram.

Only yesterday did Tamil Nadu fisheries minister Jayakumar assure that there would not be anymore fishermen arrest in Tamil Nadu by Sri Lankan government.

The ten fishermen arrested today have been remanded to Jaffna prison till 30 November, 2017. The eight Nagapattinam fishermen arrested on November 5, their jail term has also been extended to November 30.

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Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut.
Banco Santander-Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking products and services in Chile. It operates through Retail Banking, Middle-Market, Corporate Investment Banking, and Corporate Activities segments. The company offers debit and credit cards, checking accounts, and savings products; consumer, automobile, commercial, mortgage, and government-guaranteed loans; and Chilean peso and foreign currency denominated loans to finance various commercial transactions, trade, foreign currency forward contracts, and credit lines, as well as mortgage financing services. It also provides mutual funds, insurance and securities brokerage, foreign exchange, financial leasing, factoring, financial consulting and advisory, investment management, foreign trade, treasury, and transactional services, as well as specialized services to finance projects for the real estate industry. In addition, the company offers short-term financing and fund raising, and brokerage services, as well as derivatives, securitization, and other tailor-made products. It serves individuals, small to middle-sized entities, companies, and large corporations, as well as universities, government entities, and local and regional governments. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated 326 branches, which include 220 under the Santander brand name, 14 under the Select brand name, 7 specialized branches for the middle market, and 22 as auxiliary and payment centers, as well as 1,338 ATMs, including depository ATMs. Banco Santander-Chile was incorporated in 1977 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. owns, manages, and operates senior living communities in the United States. It operates in three segments: Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). The Independent Living segment owns or leases communities comprising independent and assisted living units in a single community that are primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors. The Assisted Living and Memory Care segment owns or leases communities consisting of freestanding multi-story communities and freestanding single-story communities, which offer housing and 24-hour assistance with activities of daily living for the Company's residents. This segment also operates memory care communities for residents with Alzheimer's and other dementias. The CCRCs segment owns or leases communities that provides various living arrangements, such as independent and assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing; and services to accommodate various levels of physical ability and healthcare needs. It also manages communities on behalf of others. As of December 31, 2021, the company owned 347 communities, leased 299 communities, and managed 33 communities on behalf of others. Brookdale Senior Living Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.
Brookfield Asset Management is an alternative asset manager and REIT/Real Estate Investment Manager firm focuses on real estate, renewable power, infrastructure and venture capital and private equity assets. It manages a range of public and private investment products and services for institutional and retail clients. It typically makes investments in sizeable, premier assets across geographies and asset classes. It invests both its own capital as well as capital from other investors. Within private equity and venture capital, it focuses on acquisition, early ventures, control buyouts and financially distressed, buyouts and corporate carve-outs, recapitalizations, convertible, senior and mezzanine financings, operational and capital structure restructuring, strategic re-direction, turnaround, and under-performing midmarket companies. It invests in both public debt and equity markets. It invests in private equity sectors with focus on Business Services include infrastructure, healthcare, road fuel distribution and marketing, construction and real estate; Industrials include manufacturers of automotive batteries, graphite electrodes, returnable plastic packaging, and sanitation management and development; and Residential/ infrastructure services. It targets companies which likely possess underlying real assets, primarily in sectors such as industrial products, building materials, metals, mining, homebuilding, oil and gas, paper and packaging, manufacturing and forest product sectors. It invests globally with focus on North America including Brazil, the United States, Canada; Europe; and Australia; and Asia-Pacific. The firm considers equity investments in the range of $2 million to $500 million. It has a four-year investment period and a 10-year term with two one-year extensions. The firm prefers to take minority stake and majority stake. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. was founded in 1997 and based in Toronto, Canada with additional offices across Northern America; South America; Europe; Middle East and Asia.
Meek Mill; 20KJAY-Z has penned a thought-provoking op-ed in the New York Times regarding Meek Mill's recent two-to-four-year prison sentence for violating probation.

In his essay, titled "The Criminal Justice System Stalks Black People Like Meek Mill," Jay argues that what's happening to Meek "is just one example of how or criminal justice system entraps and harasses hundreds of thousands of black people every day."

"The Story of O.J" rapper continues, "I saw this up close when I was growing up in Brooklyn during the 1970s and 1980s."

"Instead of a second chance, probation ends up being a land mine, with a random misstep bringing consequences great than the crime. A person on probation can end up in jail over a technical violation like missing a curfew."

JAY-Z adds that he was "inspired" to write about Meek Mill's sentencing because of the rapper long criminal history.

He points out Meek's first brush with the law at nearly 19 years old after being convicted for drug and gun possession, and consequently having to serve an eight-month sentence.

"Now he's 30, so he has been on probation for basically his entire adult life. For about a decade, he's been stalked by a system that considers the slightest infraction a justification for locking him back inside," Jay writes.

"Probation is a trap and we must fight for Meek and everyone else unjustly sent to prison."

As previously reported, hundreds of protesters gathered Monday outside Philadelphia's Criminal Justice Center to call for Meek Mill's prison sentence on probation violations to be overturned.

Rick Ross and Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving both showed up to speak at the event.

As of Tuesday, Meek's lawyers are reportedly attempting to have the judge who sentenced him removed from his case.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
By Geeta Mohan: Ahead of the the elections to appoint the fifth judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), India has been lobbying hard with diplomats in New Delhi. Ministry of External Affairs officials met envoys of various embassies in separate meetings to end the deadlock at the United Nations (UN) in electing its fifth judge at ICJ.

The ambassador of Thailand to India Chutintorn Gongsakdi, in an interview to Mail Today, said that he met MEA officials and India's primary focus is to secure a two-thirds majority for its candidate Dalveer Bhandari at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), achieving a moral high ground as opposed to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) where the British candidate Christopher Greenwood has a majority.

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"In this situation it is little difficult because you have the UNSC where one candidate has a majority and then you have the UNGA, where India has a majority but is seeking a two-thirds majority which is the standard by which a decision is carried. I think at the very least there would be some discussion on moral considerations," the envoy said.

He also emphasised on the importance India was attaching to tying this issue with UN reforms and the fight between the P5 and the rest of the world (RoW). Ambassador Chutintorn said that the message being conveyed to representatives of developing nations is, "it is our fight".

Highly placed sources in the Indian government said that the main objective of the exercise is to "make sure we win". India's focus is to get a two-thirds majority at the UNGA and also more crucially, to gain two more seats at the UNSC. Convert the one abstention and ween away one more onto the Indian side so that India gets eight seats at the UNSC and wins, the source said.

The Thai envoy also reiterated the same thoughts as that of the Indian official that a two-thirds majority would bring the discussion back to the need for UN reforms that reflects the changed world order of today. "I think it shows that all this is tied to UN reforms. Global governance has changed and now people have been calling for UN reforms as well. The decision being made based on who is member of the Security Council and who is not does not reflect key values of a democracy," said the envoy.

For any candidate to win the election, he would have to secure 97 votes at the UNGA and at least 8 votes at the UNSC. Mail Today has learnt that the President of UN General Assembly and President the UN Security Council had a meeting to deliberate on how to break the deadlock. The world body is also trying to work out a solution ahead of the next election, which will be held on Monday

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Montana Brown has put herself forward to replace Caroline Flack as host of Love Island.

Montana, who appeared on this years series of the ITV2 show, said that taking over hosting duties would be a dream.

That is the aim, Montana told the Huffington Post. I want to go back for starters, and I think it would be good for a presenter to know how it feels and know their problems and know the issues.

That would be amazing, long-term wise. Caroline has got some competition.

In a chat with Star magazine, Montana added: That would be the dream. I can empathise with the contestants and I feel Id be perfect for it.

Love Island: Montana

Unless youve done it, you dont understand how intense it is in there.

However Montana went on to insist there was no real rivalry between her and Caroline, praising the lovely TV presenter.

Shes phenomenal. You need [support] in there  you need some hope! Montana said of Caroline, who has fronted Love Island since 2015.

Meanwhile, Montana revealed that as well as hosting, shes also up for more reality TV.

I wouldnt do Big Brother but Id love to go into the jungle  come at me! she explained. And Strictly Come Dancing, although Im such a bad dancer, so Im not sure that would be a very good idea!

Montana, who split from her Love Island boyfriend Alex Beattie just after the series finished, previously admitted she had only gone on the show to launch a media career.

Love Island 2017: Montana

Following Julys final, Montana made an appearance on ITVs Loose Women and revealed: I just thought it would be a really good platform for me to do what I want to do.

I dont know what that is yet, but I just thought it would open some doors and maybe some opportunities as well.

She added: To be in the public eye, I feel like it gives you a great platform to influence the public in a good way.
By Munish Pandey, Arvind Ojha: India Today has gained access the interrogation report of Shahjahan Kandy, a PFI member, who left India to join ISIS but was arrested by Turkey police while crossing their border to enter Syria.

The Centre has been mulling a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) for many months now, and a recent development is likely to strengthen the government's case. Shahjahan Kandy, a PFI member who was deported to India by the Turkey police while he was trying to cross the Syria border, has made sensational revelations during his interrogation by the Indian agencies.

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India Today has exclusively accessed the copy of Shahjahan's interrogation report. Shahjahan, who is a resident of Kannur in Kerala, according to reports, became the area president of PFI in 2007-2008. He was then heading a team of 9 PFI members. Shahjahan later joined the mouthpiece of PFI, Thejas Daily, and actively started meeting other PFI members.

In 2010, he joined Facebook and became members of two groups - Free Thinkers and Right Thinkers. Through Facebook, he came in contact with many potential recruits who according to him were useful in spreading PFI's activities.

Soon Shahjahan left India and when he returned to India in 2013, he started attending PFI's seminars. During one such seminar, he came in contact with a person named Sameer who motivated him for Hijra.

In 2016, Shahjahan left India for Syria along with his family. During his interrogation, he has revealed that many people like him were motivated by Sameer to move to Syria and help ISIS. The route was given by Sameer in which Shahjahan first went to Malasiya, then through Tehran and Istanbul he tried entering Syria. All those who were ready to fight for ISIS were given 3 months' training in Istanbul.

In 2016, Shahjahan along with two other friends, Munaf and Shahjil, tried to cross the border. His friends successfully made into Syria by crossing the Turkey border but Shahjahan failed. Later on, in 2017 he again tried to crossed the border but was caught at the Turkey border with fake passport.

Shahjahan, an ISIS sympathiser himself, has disclosed that all 17 youths who disappeared from Kerala have joined ISIS. PFI has been accused of forceful religious conversions . In the last few months, at least nine PFI members have reportedly joined ISIS.

NIA is currently investigating Shahjahan's case. Sources say the group could soon be banned by the government for its alleged links to terrorism and conversion activities.

Kandy was active on Facebook until June 2016 and was frequently putting up pictures and posts about purported violence against ISIS fighters. Security agencies say social media has become one of the biggest sources of recruiting new jihadis by instigating them with provocative posts.

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WATCH | Operation Conversion Mafia: Kerala's conversion factories unmasked

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STEM Funding

Rural Districts Land STEM Grants with Help from Local Farmers

Rural school districts in 40 states are getting a STEM education boost, thanks to help from local farmers.

Among the winners, the Monroe City School District and the Ralls County School District in Missouri each landed $10,000 in America's Farmers Grow Rural Education grants. Launched in 2001, the program allows farmers who qualify to nominate school districts to receive grants of $10,000 or $25,000 to boost STEM education through new technology, lab upgrades, curriculum development or other projects.

"There were more than 30 farmers who advocated on our behalf for us to receive this grant," Said Tracy Bottoms, Monroe City superintendent, in a local news report about the grants. "This money is invaluable to us. We can't move forward and give our students more STEM opportunities without this."

Monroe will use its grant money to buy curriculum from Project Lead the Way for students in grades 58. Project Lead the Way is a nonprofit that asks students to solve challenges such as designing a therapeutic toy for a child with cerebral palsy, solving a fictional crime or cleaning up an oil spill.

"We had a basic introduction to the program last year, and we have great projects we want to do, but chemicals and other items all cost money," Bottoms said. "This money will let kids see what science looks like from a hands-on process."

Other winners of $10,000 grants (or $25,000 if noted) included:

Alabama: Colbert County and Madison County;

Arizona: Agua Fria Union High School DIstrict, Saddle Mountain Unified School District, Yuma Elementary District ($25,000);

Arkansas: Clarendon School District, Hamburg School District, KIPP Delta Public Schools and Monticello School District;

California: Guadelupe Union Elementary, Maple Elementary and Patterson Joint Unified;

Florida: Jackson County;

Georgia: Pelham City, Southwest Georgia STEM Charter School, Bleckley County and Irwin County;

Idaho: Hansen District and Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind;

Illinois: Lewiston CUSD, Newark CHSD 18, Oakwood CUSD 76, Polo CUSD 222, Prairieview-Ogden CCSD 197, Red Hill CUSD 10, Scott-Morgan CUSD 2, Somonauk CUSD 432, Thompsonville CUSD 174, Warrensburg-Latham CUSD II, A-C Central CUSD 262, Belleville TWP HSD 201, Central A&M CUD 21, Edgar County CUD 6 and Hamilton Co CUSD 10;

Indiana: Madison-Grant United School Corp., North Spencer County School Corp., Sheridan Community Schools, South Vermillion Community School Corp., Southwest School Corp., Tri-County School Corp., Whitko Community School Corp., Centerville-Abington Community Schools, Fairfield Community Schools, Fayette County School Corp. and Greencastle Community School Corp.;

Iowa; Mount Ayr Community School District, Murray Community School District, New London Community School District, Pocahontas Community School District, Seymour Community School District, South Winneshiek Community School District, Algona Community School District, Atlantic Community School District, Bondurrant-Farrar Community School District, Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District, Davis County Community School District and Eagle Grove Community School District;

Kentucky: Livingston County and Ballard County;

Maryland: Talbot County Public Schools;

Michigan: Niles Community Schools, Ubly Community Schools, Vicksburg Community Schools, Hastings Area School District, Hemlock Public School District and Kingston Community School District;

Minnesota: Lake Park Audubon School District, Lanesboro Public School District, Murray County Public School District, Princeton Public School District, Breckenridge Public School District, Buffalo LK-Hector-Stewart Public Schools, Fairmont Area School District, Fillmore Central and Goodhue Public School District;

Nebraska: North Bend Central Public Schools, O'Neill Public Schools, Palmyra Schools, Shelton Public Schools, Thayer Central Community Schools, Arapahoe Public Schools and Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools;

New York: Lyons Central School District and South Jefferson Central School District;

North Dakota: Kulm 7, Milnor 2, Carrington 49 and Hillsboro 9;

Ohio: Lynchburg-Clay Local, Miller City-New Cleveland Local, Milton-Union Exempted VIllage, Wayne Trace Local, Crestview Local, Graham Local and Hardin Houston Local;

Oklahoma: Porter Consolidated and Yarbrough;

Pennsylvania: Mercer Area School District, Northeast Bradford School District, Northern Tier Career Center, South Huntington County School District, Spring Cove School District, Union City Area School District, Claysburg-Kimmel School District, Homer-Center School District and Juniata Valley School District;

South Carolina: Florence 3;

South Dakota: Mitchell School District 17-2, Tea Area School District, 41-5, Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6 and Edmunds Central School District 22-5;

Tennessee: Lauderdale County and Robertson County;

Texas: Kress ISD, Memphis ISD, Odem-Edroy ISD, Woodsboro ISD, East Bernard ISD, El Campo ISD, Forsan ISD and Haskell CISD;

Washington: Paterson School District and Royal School District; and

Wisconsin: Lena School District, Montello School District, New Richmond School District, Parkview School District, Bloomer School District, Wisconsin Dells School District, Durand School District and Juda School District.

Further details can be found at americasfarmers.com/grow-rural-education.
Steep increases in global coal prices are forcing Vietnams coal-fired power plants deeper and deeper into the red as they struggle to minimize losses caused by cost overruns worth billions of U.S. dollars.

Coal prices have steadily risen since early 2016, adding an addition US$1.27 billion in costs for importing coal to Vietnam o, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

Australian Newcastle coal, an important source for Vietnams coal needs, has more than doubled to reach an average of $100 per metric ton since the beginning of 2016.

Prices for Newcastle coal hit a 2017-high of $103.5 per ton this year, driven primarily by Asian demand, according to Reuters.

The sharp increases are having a crippling effect on Vietnams power industry, whose demand for imported coal continues to increase at gradual rates.

Last year the Southeast Asian country imported 12 million metric tons of coal, an enormous 131 percent increase from 5.2 million metric tons the year before.

In 2017 Vietnam spent nearly $1.2 billion importing 12 million metric tons of coal from Jan-Oct, according to customs data. In October alone, coal imports hit 1.2 million tons, worth $161 million, a 68 percent increase from October 2016.

The International Energy Agency expects that Vietnam will be importing 35 million metric tons of coal annually by 2021. If the current prices remain steady, the country is looking at a $3.5 billion annual price tag for coal.

Tim Buckley, IEEFA's director of energy finance studies, says high coal prices result in price risks and trade deficits for Vietnam.

Vietnam should use the current situation as a warning signal to prioritize diversifying the resources it uses for power generation and begin to place a heavier emphasis on renewable energy.

Buckley recommended that Vietnam take caution in investments and development projects involving coal-fired power plants.

IEEFA attributed the skyrocketing coal prices to a policy shift in China, which seeks to support its domestic coal mining coal companies. China is also switching to clean energy and expects to increase its solar power supply by 50 gigawatts this year alone.
Internet users in Vietnam are being warned of a malicious software program hiding on websites to steal the computing resources on visitors devices to mine the cryptocurrency Monero for hackers.

The Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team (VNCERT) announced on Thursday that it has received numerous complaints over the past week of cybersecurity threats caused by the CoinHive malware program.

Monero, like Bitcoin, is a digital currency where coins are mined by using computing power to solve puzzles and problems in the cryptocurrencys systems.

CoinHive is a JavaScript program that lurks unseen on websites in order to tap into the processing power of visitors' computers and mine Monero.

When a visitor accesses a website infected with CoinHive, the malicious program is able to secretly run on the victims Internet browser and solve problems to earn Monero. The mined coins are then transferred directly to the hackers wallet.

The process taps into the computers CPU power, chips, or graphics cards on the borrowed PC. It also causes the victims computer to consume more electricity and runs up a higher power bill.

A man carries out a transaction on a Bitcoin machine in Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

VNCERT has initiated an emergency response to tackle the malware and introduced a set of recommendations for Internet users to protect themselves, according to deputy director Ngo Khac Lich.

Webmasters are advised to ensure their websites have not been infected by the malware, whereas Chrome users are recommended to install No Coin Chrome or minerBlock extensions, and the NoScripts add-on for Firefox users, to stay secure.

PC users can also check if their CPU resources are being stealthily abused by malware through the Windows Task Manager or Resource Monitor functions.

Threats from cryptocurrency mining malware is rapidly growing, with the CoinHive variant becoming the sixth most-used malware in October, according to the latest Global Threat Impact Index report by Check Point Software, a cyber-security solutions provider.
A plane filled with emergency assistance provided by the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) for the Vietnamese victims of Typhoon Damrey arrived in south-central Khanh Hoa Province on Thursday.

The Raya Airways plane departing from the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA) in Malaysia touched down at Khanh Hoas Cam Ranh airport around noon.

According to an AHA representative, the US$175,000 shipment included 600 family kits, 3,000 toilet sets, 1,000 home repair kits, and one aluminum canoe powered by a Yahama 40HP engine.

The emergency goods will be distributed to people in the storm-hit provinces of Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Quang Ngai, and Binh Dinh.

Typhoon Damrey is Vietnams deadliest storm so far this year, killing at least 106 and leaving hundreds more injured after hitting south-central Vietnam on November 4.

The heavy flooding that followed days of downpour cut off parts of the region, leading to a shortage of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene for affected residents.

Typhoon Damrey relief provided by ASEAN is unloaded from a Raya Airways plane that landed at Cam Ranh airport in Khanh Hoa Province on November 16, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Last Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi announced that over $1 million in emergency assistance and longer-term disaster risk reduction support to Vietnam would be provided to help the country respond to the impacts of Typhoon Damrey and future disasters.

South Korea has also pledged to provide a $1 million aid package to support those affected by the typhoon, its foreign ministry announced the same day.

Russian President Vladimir Putin provided Vietnam with $5 million in monetary support and 40 metric tons of goods to help the country in its relief efforts.

New Zealands Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters pledged a government aid package of $500,000 for Damrey relief during a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh on November 9.

According to Tran Quang Hoai, director general of Vietnams Directorate for Disaster Prevention, this is the second time of the year ASEAN had provided aid to regions affected by natural disasters in Vietnam.

In early, the bloc sent relief to the mountainous areas of northern Vietnam that were hit with flash floods and landslides.

ASEAN is a social, economic and political organization whose members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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Here are the news stories you should not miss today, November 17:

Politics

-- The first Q&A session at a Thursday meeting of Vietnams lawmaking National Assembly focused on problems regarding the countrys public debts and bad debts.

Society

-- A man in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong has been fined VND25 million (US$1,105) for chopping down a tree on the sidewalk in front of his company headquarters.

-- The Peoples Court in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on Thursday sentenced 22-year-old Nguyen Minh Cuong to 15 years in prison for raping two young girls, aged eight and nine.

-- A tropical depression is forecast to enter the East Vietnam Sea on Friday and potentially develop into a storm in the next days, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported.

-- The Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has ordered authorities in the northern provinces of Lao Cai and Yen Bai to investigate the destruction of local natural forest, which had been reported in recent exposes by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

-- The second branch of the flyover at Nguyen Thai Son Roundabout in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, which connects Nguyen Kiem and Hoang Minh Giam Streets, was overloaded with vehicles on Thursday, the first day after its inauguration.

-- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has supported goods and equipments worth a total of $175,000 for victims of Typhoon Damrey in Vietnam.

-- Tran Vinh Tuyen, vice-chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, has ordered a comprehensive inspection of local parking lots which operate without a license and overcharge customers.

Business

-- Most budget flight tickets during next years Lunar New Year holiday, which falls on February, have been sold out while the price of standard tickets has begun increasing.

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Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are set to perform comprehensive inspections of parking lots operating without licenses and overcharging customers.

Tran Vinh Tuyen, vice-chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee, has ordered the examination of local parking facilities in order to deal with these violations.

According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters on Thursday, some parking venues near the citys immigration office on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 3 are overcharging customers.

The facilities at 190 and 200 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai charged VND10,000 (US$0.44) per motorbike, double the rate promulgated by local authorities.

Nguyen Binh An, a commuter who had parked his motorcycle in one of the lots, recounted an exchange with one of the attendants.

The attendant aggressively told me to find another parking lot if I wanted a lower rate, An said.

Located just 100 meters away a licensed parking venue was charging only VND4,000 ($0.18) per bike.

However, the lot was filled by 2:00 pm.

A representative from the municipal Department of Finance stated that the upcoming inspection will focus on ensure that parking lots near the Mien Dong (Eastern) and Mien Tay (Western) Bus Stations, Dam Sen Park, and other popular commuter destinations are charging appropriate rates.

According to the official, privately owned parking lots are allowed to charge rates higher than those of city funded lots. The rates for private lots, however, must be submitted to the financial department and approved by the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee.

The administration has only agreed on the price list of the parking lot inside Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

This means other private parking venues will be penalized if they are caught charging higher than city regulations allow, as they have not submitted any listing to competent authorities.

An official from the administration in District 3 stated that officers had carried out patrols at several parking lots in the neighborhood, after which violations regarding licensing and prices were dealt with.

Further inspections and stern punishments will be applied to solve similar issues in the district, he added.

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Vietnam has asked experts from South Korea to look into the cause of cracks discovered on the girder of an under-construction bridge in the Mekong Delta.

The Ministry of Transport stated on Friday it has sought help from South Korean experts to examine the error at the construction of Vam Cong Bridge, which connects Dong Thap Province and Can Tho City across the Hau River.

Developers and consultant units of the project discovered the cracks on a steel girder at the top of the abutment No.P29 on Tuesday.

The transport ministry then asked the Cuu Long Corporation for Investment, Development and Project Management of Infrastructure (Cuu Long CIPM), the developer of the bridge, to cease the construction to ensure safety for workers as well as the structure.

A team of officers from the Transport Engineering Construction and Quality Management Bureau, the Department of Science and Technology, and local pundits were also tasked with resolving the problem.

Results of an examination showed that there were no other cracks on the bridge except those found on abutment No.P29.

The Vietnamese experts asserted that structure of the bridge is still ensured.

A team of experts and officials inspect the situation on November 16, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat convened a meeting on Friday morning, following a personal inspection of the project on Thursday afternoon.

During the gathering, Deputy Minister Nhat stressed the necessity of a careful and comprehensive evaluation of the project to ensure the quality and longevity of the structure.

All statistics have been sent to South Korea. Experts from the East Asian country have also been asked to give a helping hand.

The Vam Cong Bridge project is carried out with the capital investment of US$271.58 million, allocated by the official development assistance (ODA) from the South Korean government and counterpart fund from Vietnam.

The structure is 2.97 kilometers long, 24.5 meters wide, including six lanes of vehicles.

The project is conducted by South Korean contractors, namely the Joint Venture of Dasan - Kunhwa  Pyunghwa, and the joint venture of GS Engineering & Construction Corp and Hanshin.

Cuu Long CIPM, on behalf of Vietnams transport ministry, is the project developer.

The construction began in September 2013.

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Stem cells from a Taiwanese donor were transported to Ho Chi Minh City for the medial operation, marking an important milestone in Vietnams medical advances.

Hematopoietic stem cells transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells  those that give rise to all the other blood cells  most often performed on patients with certain cancers of the blood or bone marrow.

The Vietnamese patient in this case is 25-year-old Q.D.A. from southern Ca Mau Province, who was admitted to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Blood Transfusion and Hematology (BTH) in May with a diagnosis of chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia.

According to doctors at BTH, this rare type of leukaemia, which are cancers of the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow, only occurs in three or four people per million in a year.

Those diagnosed with the disease are only known to survive for another 20-30 months on average, according to Dr. Huynh Van Man, head of the HSCT department at BTH.

HSCT is the only cure for the cancerous disease, which typically affects those older than 60 years old with an extremely small number of patients under 40, Man said.

When A. was first admitted on May 15, his family was in a state of desperation, as the only relative capable of donating stem cells  his sister  did not pass the assessment of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match status that was required of donors.

With no available peripheral blood-derived stem cells bank in Vietnam, doctors at BTH had to initiate a search for a suitable foreign donor.

The stem cells journey

According to Dr. Phu Chi Dung, director of BTH, previous Vietnamese patients diagnosed with such rare diseases had to travel abroad for the transplantation, which could cost from five to ten times more than in Vietnam.

However, for years now BTH has worked with hospitals across 30 countries and territories to sign agreements on supplying the Ho Chi Minh City-based hospital with stem cells for transplantation procedures.

Among them is the Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center in Taiwan, which was able to find a perfect match for A. within just two weeks of receiving requests from Vietnamese colleagues.

The anonymous donor is a 37-year-old Taiwanese man with the same blood type and weight as A.

Between September 13 and 18, A. had his bone marrow destroyed with chemicals to get ready for the transplantation.

On September 17, the donor was hospitalized for the extraction of stem cells

A group of BTH doctors were sent to Taiwan to take over the stem cells, while another waited at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to receive the precious cells once it reached Vietnam.

After 15 hours of transportation by air and land, with the support of Taiwanese and Vietnamese customs officers to quickly clear the medical package, the stem cells arrived at BTH at 11:20 pm on September 20.

Minutes later, A. was already welcoming the new cells from a stranger across the ocean into his body.

Doctors from the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Blood Transfusion and Hematology chair a press conference announcing his successful stem cells transplantation in Ho Chi Minh City, November 16, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A historic breakthrough

According to Dr. Dung, the chances of finding a matching stem cells donor from ones relatives are getting smaller as Vietnamese give less and less birth.

In more developed countries, patients like A. can rely on a bank of donated stem cells if all family members are not suitable donors, Dung said.

Vietnam currently has a bank for stem cells derived from the umbilical cord, but not from peripheral blood or bone marrow, he explained.

The first-ever successful hematopoietic stem cells transplantation from peripheral blood of an unrelated donor in Vietnam is a historic breakthrough that opens new paths and hopes for the treatment of malignant conditions in patients who do not have a related donor, Dung said at a press conference announcing the successful operation on Thursday.

The achievement was made possible thanks to the works of a team of medical experts with over 20 years of experience at BTH, he added.

The cost for A.s treatment is VND847 million (US$37,000), over 62 percent of which is covered by his medical insurance, the doctor disclosed.

This fee does not include medical expenses in Taiwan and the cost of transporting the stem cells back to Vietnam, which would add another $14,500 to the sum, according to the doctor.

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What on earth is Chance all about?

A psychiatrist falling for his patient? A psychiatrist intervening in the personal life of his patient? A psychiatrist descending into disarray and losing control?

The opening episode of Hugh Lauries new drama is all of these and none of these a slow-burn drama about a shrink whose work leaves the office and colludes with his personal life.

Laurie stars as San Francisco-based forensic neuropsychiatrist Eldon Chance, who assesses patients only to recommend the best specialist for them to work with.

Hes recently split from his wife and his teen daughter isnt happy about it. Chance is a less-than-perfect dad. Hes also another medical role for the man so synonymous with Dr. Gregory House, albeit less cranky, less brilliant and without the assistance of his cane.

The key patient in the premiere is Jaclyn Blackstone (Gretchen Mol), an attractive if troubled woman who explains she has split personalities. A straightforward diagnosis becomes complicated when some time later Chance meets her in public, appears to be curiously drawn to her, and is convinced by a colleague that she is the victim of domestic violence.

Concurrent with this is a sleeper B-plot of Chance visiting an antique dealer to sell a desk, who introduces him to ex-Afghanistan war veteran-turned metalworker Darius D Pringle (Ethan Suplee). As D touches up his desk to fetch a higher price, an odd friendship forms, opening an entry into a strange underbelly of San Fransisco lowlifes.

When Chance encounters Jaclyns dubious husband, cop Raymond (Paul Adelstein), he calls on D for a bit of muscle assistance.

Its hard to know what to make of Chance. On the one hand I admire the left-of-centre choices, and on the other I felt some frustration, unclear what our hero was looking for.

On the question of crossing the lines between doctor and patient (which Naomi Watts transgressed so brazenly in Gypsy), the rules are pretty clear cut. Here they seem to be overlooked by characters who are intelligent and noble. If we are to presume he is besotted by his patient to compromise himself, it is only lightly established.

Ethan Suplee (best known for My Name is Earl) gets an interesting role as a brooding, hulk of a man befriending a neuropsychiatrist, to the point of reversing positions and becoming his adviser, in at least one scene. Even Chances cynical receptionist, can read her boss pretty easily.

Sometimes Chance plays with time, sometimes it overplays the darker undertones, and ultimately it raises more questions than it answers. This is a character piece, and one that it is again hard to see how it fits the SBS Charter, aside from arthouse aspirations.

At least with an actor of Lauries strength this could be an unexpected reward once it is much clearer about where it is headed.

9:40pm Thursday November 30 on SBS.
By PTI: Jammu, Nov 17 (PTI) An Army jawan was injured as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Jammu districts, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said today.

Pakistani Army resorted to ceasefire violation for the third consecutive day today.

"Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 0745 hours in Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC)," a senior Army officer said today.

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Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively. The firing is still on, he said.

In another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired on forward posts along the LoC in Khour belt of Akhnoor sector last night to Indian troops gave a befitting reply, the officer said.

An Army jawan sustained minor injuries in the exchange of fire, he said.

On Wednesday, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch sector.

On November 2, a BSF jawan was killed when Pakistani Rangers attacked a patrol party along the International Border in Samba district.

A girl was injured when Pakistani troops opened fire from small arms along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch district on October 31.

On October 18, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling in the district. PTI AB NSD

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Wolf Creek star John Jarratt has denied allegations of sexual assault dating back to the 1970s, according to media reports.

Police are investigating an allegation of a historical sexual assault on Sydneys eastern beaches, a police spokesman told The Daily Telegraph.

The allegations were reported to police earlier this month and relate to a matter from the 1970s.

A woman who worked in the industry made a statement to Shoalhaven police in NSW about a week ago, the article notes.

Jarratts management Ignite Elite Artists said in a statement, John emphatically and completely denies the allegations of sexual assault.

These allegations are completely unfounded and untrue.

Season 2 of Wolf Creek is due to have its premiere screening in Sydney next Thursday, ahead of its return to Stan in December.

Season 1 is currently screening on Nine.
china democracy

James Pomfret/Reuters

Wukan, a Chinese village, was once a symbol of grassroots democracy in China.

There are now surveillance cameras on major street corners and informants, according to villagers.

Democratic dissidents have reportedly quit their posts, been jailed, or were harassed.



WUKAN, China (Reuters) - Surveillance cameras peer at residents from every major street corner. Informants are everywhere, villagers say. And more than a dozen villagers are languishing in prison or detention.

The southern Chinese village of Wukan was once a symbol of grassroots democracy in China. Now, a year after the authorities quelled protests over land grabs and the jailing of a local leader, Wukan is locked in a stifling security squeeze.

A rare visit to Wukan by a Reuters team and interviews with half a dozen villagers and sources familiar with the situation revealed that the village and surrounding area remain tightly policed as the government tries to maintain security at all costs.

Villagers in Wukan once warmly welcomed the media, but many are now afraid of speaking for fear of reprisals.

"There's nothing left here," said one young man in Wukan who was edgy and wouldn't talk for long. "You know what happened," he added before moving quickly away.

The sources said that a provincial-level "Wukan Mass Working Group" had been set up with about 100 full-time personnel and charged with ensuring "stability" by marshaling a network of informers, security patrols, surveillance systems and floodlights in the village.

In the 1980s, the Chinese government began allowing elections in villages nationwide, although democracy activists say the votes for village committees were rarely free from official influence.

But after a series of protests against local officials in Wukan in 2011, when government offices were ransacked, authorities eventually backed down, allowing the village to hold open elections that became a beacon for democratic hope in China.

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But now, Wukan, once famous in China as the "democracy village," has succumbed to China's tightening grip over civil society and individual rights, said Zhuang Liehong, a former Wukan protest leader who helped lead an uprising against local authorities in 2011.

"What is happening in Wukan is what is happening in China," said Zhuang. "It's a dark reflection of China, with no freedom of expression. No individual rights."

There was no immediate response from the Guangdong provincial government to faxed questions from Reuters seeking comment.

Under President Xi Jinping, the government has intensified efforts to deepen the reach of the Communist Party into all aspects of life in China. Critics say it brooks no dissent, and has been cracking down on civil society, which it sees as a challenge to central authority.

"When Xi took the reins in 2013, repressing boundary-pushers in civil society was a cornerstone of his political campaign to consolidate power," Diana Fu of the University of Toronto and Greg Distelhorst of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrote in an academic paper on "Grassroots Participation and Repression in Contemporary China."

With China's recent leadership transition further consolidating Xi's power, the next five years will likely see a continuation of tough social stability policies that will have an impact on places like Wukan, some analysts say.

"The party has decided to double down on authoritarianism after the problems they've faced," said Nicolas Bequelin, Amnesty International's director for East Asia.

china democracy wukan

James Pomfret/Reuters

Village in the global spotlight

During the 2011 protests, Zhuang helped barricade the coastal hamlet of 15,000 people against battalions of riot police. He spoke by telephone with Reuters from New York, where he is now in exile after leaving Wukan in 2014.

Wukan sits in a picturesque region flanked by hills and a deep water harbor, with lush farmland, ponds teeming with fish and shrimp, and the occasional flash of kingfishers.

Its troubles began in the 1990s when swathes of farmland began being sold off to property developers by the village leadership in a series of opaque deals.

In 2011, these problems came to a head, when many villagers began demanding that the land be returned.

A months-long insurrection against local authorities and riot police put a global media spotlight on Wukan, leading to a rare populist victory in Communist China when the provincial authorities eventually backed down.

The village committee at the center of the land deals was removed and a free election was allowed that saw all seven of the protest leaders voted into public office.

This village committee soon came under pressure from allies of the old leadership seeking retribution, they said. Over the course of the next few years most of the protest organizers left public office, including their leader, Lin Zuluan, who was jailed for corruption last summer.

The protests last year erupted after villagers demanded Lin's release. Many villagers say the charges were concocted and that a confession by Lin on state television was forced.

The protests ran for several months and were quelled by hundreds of riot police firing rubber bullets, hurling tear gas and beating up villagers with batons, victims and witnesses told Reuters at the time.

Last December, the People's Court of nearby Haifeng town, which oversees Wukan, sentenced nine villagers to jail terms ranging from two to nine years for a number of charges including illegal assembly, disrupting traffic and spreading false information, according to a notice on its website.

There was no immediate response to a Reuters request for comment from the Lufeng government, which has jurisdiction over Haifeng and Wukan.

One villager, Zhang Bingchai, was jailed for two years for allegedly spreading false information, the court said. Two acquaintances who knew him said he had spoken about the situation in Wukan, to outsiders on his mobile phone and had posted some images of the crackdown.

Zhuang said his 67-year-old father, Zhuang Songkun, was jailed for three years on a charge of gathering a crowd to block traffic during the protests.

The hard line against the protests reflects the government's desire to ensure stability, said Xiong Wei, the founder of New Enlightenment, a village advocacy organization in Beijing who has visited Wukan on numerous occasions.

"And they've been very successful," said Xiong. "No one dares raise their head. But the problems haven't been resolved," he added, referring to the land seizures.

china democracy wukan

James Pomfret/Reuters

A new 'ethos' and resentment

Beyond a checkpoint manned by paramilitary police with guns, the main road into Wukan is now lined with giant billboards and colorful flags projecting a new narrative of stability and peace. Propaganda billboards and posters were also displayed around town.

"Advance solidly to execute the strategy of loving the people," read one, illustrated with a flock of doves flying over uniformed officers clutching rifles as they look across toward a portrait of Mao in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

"Police and the people build a harmonious and civilized Wukan together," it read. Another sign urged a "New Ethos."

Beneath the surface, however, resentment lingers amongst those who spoke to Reuters.

"Wukan has reached a dead end now," said one villager. "People won't do anything."

Back in New York, Zhuang, the exiled former Wukan protest leader, said he'll keep speaking out.

He said his mother has been harassed and his house surveilled with cameras. Visitors to his house have been questioned and several detained, he said. His assertions could not be independently confirmed.

All of the other former Wukan protest leaders have since quit their posts, been jailed, or harassed, he said.

"Besides me, there are no voices left. It is silent now."

(Reporting by James Pomfret; Editing by Philip McClellan)

NOW WATCH: Take a tour of a tiny 225,000 London flat that used to be a broom cupboard

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VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP)  A mayor in northeastern Lithuania has invited U2 frontman Bono to visit the shopping mall in Lithuania that he allegedly owns part of due to low-tax Malta investments whose documents were recently leaked.

Utena mayor Alvydas Katinas says he has written to the Irish rocker to see the Ausra shopping center, which sits 95 kilometers (59 miles) north of Vilnius, the capital.

Katinas said Thursday that Bono, who has never visited Lithuania before, also could help make the Lithuanian town better known to the world.

He said he also wanted to congratulate Bono for winning the Global Icon Award that U2 received Sunday at the MTV Europe Music Awards in London.

The so-called Paradise Papers leaks have detailed widespread tax dodging by multinationals and wealthy individuals.

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By PTI: Belagavi (Ktk), Nov 16 (PTI) The Karnataka governments much-hyped anti-superstition bill to prevent and eradicate "inhuman evil practices" was unanimously passed in the Legislative Assembly today with some minor amendments.

The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017, tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday, states that it intends to protect the common people against "evil" and "sinister" practices.

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The bill seeks to combat and eradicate other such inhuman practices propagated and performed in the name ofA"black magic" by conman with sinister motive of exploiting the common people, thereby destroying the social fabric in the society.

Further, it aims to bring social awakening and awareness in the society and create healthy and safe social environment.

Replying to the debate, Social Justice Minister H Anjaneya said certain minor amendments sought by some members would be made part of the bill.

Practices like Mudradharane by Madhwa Brahmins hasA been exempted.

As per this practice, Mudras (dyes) usually made of gold or copper are heated on coal fire and stamped on the body.

Vashikarana, practised in occult science as an act of subjugation or advertising about it in the name of treatment has been banned, following the suggestions made by the members during the debate.

The legislation was earlier proposed as The Evil,A Inhuman and Superstitious Practices Prevention Bill.

AfterAomitting the word superstitious, it is now titled The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil PracticesAand Black Magic Bill, 2017.

Cleared by the government on September 27, the CabinetA had earlier discussed the bill under the title The KarnatakaA Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and OtherA Inhuman Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Bill.

It had in July 2016 referred the legislation to aA Cabinet sub-committee headed by Revenue Minister KagoduA Thimmappa, citing that most of the ministers wanted the billA to be studied in detail before coming to any decision.

Anjaneya, explaining the contents of the bill to the House, sought support of members in unanimously passing itA with an intention to eradicate all evil practices from theA society.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the governments intention through this bill was towards eradication of social evils and secure those who are being oppressed in the name of such practices.

"Our intention is not to hurt anyones sentiments orA feelings as being projected. There should be no place for suchApractices in todays world," he said.

Stating that there were provisions to make anyAaddition or deletion, Law Minister T B Jayachandra had earlier said the bill was similar to the one in Maharashtra.

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But the Karnataka bill has savings and schedule categories, which classify the practices that could be tolerated and those that need to be controlled or prohibited.

According to the bill, for removal of doubts, nothingA in the Act shall apply with respect to the forms of worshipA mentioned under the heading savings and they include practicesAlike pradakshina, yatras, parikramas performed at religious places, among other normal practices.

It also includes the advice with regard toAVastushastra, advice by jyothishya and other astrologers.

Those practices which have been included under theA schedule for prohibition are -- performing any inhuman, evilAact and black magic in search of precious things, bounty andAhidden treasures.

Other practices listed under 16 points forAprohibition, include facilitating any person to roll overAleaves of leftover food by other persons in any public or religious places or similar practices that violate humanAdignity.

Also, forcing any person to carry out evil practicesAsuch as killing of an animal by biting its neck and coercingAany person or persons to perform fire walk at the time of jatras (temple/village fest) and religious festivals haveA also been included, it added.

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Stressing the need for educating people about evil practices in the society, Opposition BJP Leader JagadishA Shettar said "if we dont educate, then it just becomes another record." PTI KSU RA RC KJ

--- ENDS ---
By Dado Ruvic

BOZANOVICI, Bosnia (Reuters) - The sign nailed to a tree marking one of the few paved roads bears the name of the village's favourite son: "General Mladic Street".

In a garage that serves as the makeshift tavern, his portrait looks down on the men who spend the day sharing a bottle of brandy.

Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military commander who will hear his verdict on charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity next week in the Hague, is one of the highest profile war crimes suspects in Europe since Nuremberg.

In the international court where his trial began more than five years ago, he is accused of ordering the killing of 8,000 unarmed Muslim men and boys after the capture of the town of Srebrenica, and raining artillery on civilians during the siege of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

But here in his home village, where barely two dozen people -- mostly his blood relatives -- still remain in the hardscrabble countryside of the Bosnian hills, Mladic is, as the slogan on his portrait above the drinkers declares, "a hero".

"He did not do such things. Others did it. The general is a colossus, a great and good man," said Zoran Mladic, one of several villagers who identify themselves as cousins of the ex-general.

Mladic, who was captured in 2011 after a decade and a half on the run, is still revered in the Serb sector of Bosnia as a hero and defender of the nation during the 1992-1995 war that killed more than 100,000 people.

In his native village of crumbling cabins scattered across the slopes, every home has his portrait. Villagers pay him the ultimate compliment: he was a good worker, who often came back to visit, and a useful hand bringing in the harvest as a reaper in the fields.

"He did not kill people. During the war he gathered our Muslim neighbours from a nearby village and warned them in time to leave," said Dusko Mladic, another cousin, sitting in the tavern, who said he was a childhood playmate of the general.

Story continues

"I still often go to that village, work with Muslims and don't have any problems," he said.

The villagers are mainly farmers who keep cattle and sell produce in Sarajevo, which Mladic's forces kept under a 43-month siege, bombing its citizens daily and depriving them of water, power and food.

Today, as in much of the countryside, the younger generation has largely abandoned the village to go to Sarajevo in search of jobs. Those left behind barely survive on small pensions and the sale of milk and meat, disappointed at the lack of support by the Bosnian Serb authorities.

They fear Mladic will be convicted and remembered as a war criminal.

"I would be happiest if he died before the judgement," said another cousin, Mile Mladic. That was the fate of Slobodan Milosevic, the former leader of Serbia, who died four years into his own genocide trial, ending it without a verdict.

"We would then raise a large monument for him in the village and write the truth. All this that is happening is not the truth. It is a lie. The general is not guilty."

(Writing by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Peter Graff)
WAKEFIELD, Neb. (AP)  Utility officials say a new wind farm being built in northeastern Nebraska will provide 200 megawatts of power to a planned Facebook data center.

The Rattlesnake Creek Wind Project will be built between the towns of Allen, Emerson and Wakefield, the Sioux City Journal reported . Demand for power from Facebook helped resurrect the project that had been at a standstill since 2013 after its former owners, Trade Winds, couldn't find buyers for the energy the farm.

More than 100 landowners are involved in the project. The wind farm will distribute $80 million in property tax and landowners payments in its first 20 years.

The Andover, Massachusetts-based Enel Green Power North America Inc. is spending $430 million on the project. The farm will cover 32,000 acres and generate up to 320 megawatts of power, making it the second largest wind farm in the state.

The company has begun surveying and pre-construction work on the project, but full construction won't begin until the spring, said Mark McGrail, Enel's associate vice president of energy management. Turbine delivery is expected to begin in June, he said.

The project is expected to employ about 300 people during the construction phase and establish up to 16 full-time jobs.

Facebook's data center, which will be located 100 miles away in Papillion, will receive 200 megawatts from the farm. The rest of the power will be available for other buyers.

McGrail says the project will likely be operational at the end of 2018.

The new version of the project is a partnership between Facebook, Trade Winds, Enel Green Power North America Inc. and the Omaha Public Power District to provide companies access to renewable energy. Enel is a subsidiary of the multinational Enel Group, which is headquartered in Italy.

___

Information from: Sioux City Journal, http://www.siouxcityjournal.com

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SWNS

<p>Feeling under the weather? Try the rom-com remedy  three in five Americans say its their go-to movie genre when down for the count.</p><p>Thats according to a new poll of 2,000 millennial parents of kids ages 4-12, where theyre also watching action and adventure movies (37%) and series like Harry Potter or the Hunger Games (36%).</p><p>When sickness strikes, more than four in five (82%) spend most of their time in their bedroom, with 42% staying put on the couch in their living room.</p><p>This may contribute to the fact that the average parent watches five hours of TV or movies each sick day.</p><p>Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of <a href="https://delsym.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="1">Delsym</a>, results showed how respondents are optimizing comfort with their favorite things.</p><p>Results revealed that respondents get sick about three times per year.</p><p>Respondents were more likely to prefer old favorites than to wrap their heads around new content when feeling ill. (23% vs 15%).</p><p>When parents are sick with their children, the most popular movies to watch are the Harry Potter series (32%) and the Toy Story series (32%).</p><p>They also watch movies like Frozen (30%), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (28%) and Moana (25%).</p><p>More than half (56%) of respondents have a go-to or favorite feel-better comfort movie, with the average person saying they can watch it four times in a row without getting sick of it</p><p>In fact, 45% of those admit they can watch it more than four times and one in 10 of those (11%) even say they can watch it an infinite amount of times.</p><p>In total, respondents have watched their feel-better movie about 34 different times.</p><p>This movie has been respondents favorite for about six years, perhaps because it reminds them of good times (61%) and makes them laugh (53%).</p><p>Parents report feeling relaxed (54%), happy (48%) and calm (40%) after watching their favorite movie.</p><p>Almost two-thirds (63%) of parents agree that theyve passed their love of their favorite movie along to their child.</p><p>Nothing brings a family together quite like movie night, and nothing makes movie night better than a feel-good flick that fills you with warm, fuzzy feelings  especially when youre sick. We understand that feeling better means more than just relieving your cough symptoms  its about cozying up on the couch as you and your family work to feel better together, said Albert So, Marketing Director, Upper Respiratory Brands at Reckitt, including Delsym.</p><p>The survey also delved into how respondents are remedying their ailments by caring for their five senses. </p><p>In order to alleviate their symptoms, parents tend to want to taste soup (42%) and hot beverages like tea or coffee (26%).</p><p>They also want to touch things like their favorite blanket (40%), their significant other (19%) and their pet (14%).</p><p>When it comes to smell, respondents like to breathe in something clean like fresh linens (42%), medicine (36%) and something cooking in the kitchen (26%).</p><p>And while trying to feel better, respondents like to listen to music (58%) and their friends and family talking (29%).</p><p>When a family member is under the weather, the entire household is caught in the storm and that daily routine can be thrown off course, bringing with it discomfort and chaos. Families not only need fast-acting relief, but they need comforting remedies to help them navigate that storm, said So. Whether its moms chicken soup, your go-to feel better movie or cozying up with your kids, whatever it is that makes you feel better can go a long way.<br><br></p><p><em>Survey methodology:</em></p><p><em>This random double-opt-in survey of <strong>2,000 millennial parents of kids aged 4-12</strong> was commissioned by <strong>Delsym</strong> between <strong>October 6</strong> and <strong>October 10, 2022</strong>. It was conducted by market research company <a href="https://www.onepoll.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="2">OnePoll</a>, whose team members are members of the <a href="https://www.mrs.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="3">Market Research Society</a> and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (<a href="https://www.aapor.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="4">AAPOR</a>) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (<a href="https://www.esomar.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="5">ESOMAR</a>).</em></p>
By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A jury heard closing arguments on Thursday in the federal government's case against Ahmed Abu Khatallah, who is accused of conspiring to organise the 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

Khatallah, the first defendant to face criminal charges in connection to the Benghazi attack, is on trial for 18 counts, including murder and providing material support to terrorists. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

He was captured in 2014 by U.S. military and FBI officials in Libya and transported to the United States aboard a Navy vessel.

A second person alleged to be involved, Mustafa al-Imam, made his first court appearance earlier this month.

Khatallah is not accused of directly participating in the attack on the U.S. consulate or the nearby CIA annex.

Rather, prosecutors say he worked behind the scenes to help orchestrate it, making him a co-conspirator and organizer.

The government over the past several weeks has introduced evidence, from phone records showing that the defendant made calls to his associates right before they were captured on grainy videos participating in the attack, to testimony from a variety of witnesses.

One witness who testified was a man identified by the pseudonym Ali Majrisi.

Majrisi was paid $7 million by the government to befriend Khatallah, gather evidence against him and eventually lure him to the place where he was captured by U.S. forces.

The jury at the trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia also heard emotional testimony from State Department and CIA officials, who spoke in detail about how Stevens and the other three Americans died.

"You have not heard that he lit the match," prosecutor Michael DiLorenzo said Thursday. "You have not heard that he fired the mortars."

But he is "equally as guilty," he said, because a co-conspirator is liable for any crimes deemed to be a reasonable, foreseeable consequence" of a conspiracy.

Story continues

Khatallah's lawyer, Michelle Peterson, told jury members on Thursday that the government was trying to play on their emotions to win a conviction, when in fact the evidence of the case did not prove his guilt. She suggested that the witnesses paid by the government with a "bag of cash" were not credible.

"They want you to hate him," she said. "Mr. Abu Khatallah is not guilty of these charges."

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Children rest on a bed at their family hut at a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, Yemen November 12, 2017. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad (Reuters)

(Corrects paragraph 15 to say Aden port only partially open and Sanaa airport remains closed, not open for commercial flights)

By Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles

GENEVA (Reuters) - The heads of three U.N. agencies urged the Saudi-led military coalition on Thursday to lift its blockade of Yemen, warning that "untold thousands" would die if it stayed in place.

The coalition closed all air, land and sea access to Yemen on Nov. 6 following the interception of a missile fired towards the Saudi capital, saying it had to stem the flow of arms from Iran to its Houthi opponents in the war in Yemen.

Yemen already has 7 million people on the brink of famine, but without the reopening of all ports that number could grow by 3.2 million, the heads of the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the World Health Organization said in a joint statement.

"The cost of this blockade is being measured in the number of lives that are lost," the statement from David Beasley, Anthony Lake and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

"Together, we issue another urgent appeal for the coalition to permit entry of lifesaving supplies to Yemen in response to what is now the worst humanitarian crisis in the world."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote to Saudi U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi to warn him that the blockade was "already reversing the impact of humanitarian efforts," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.

"The Secretary-General is very much disappointed we've not seen a lifting of the blockade. The Secretary-General and his humanitarian team are heartbroken at the scenes we're seeing from Yemen," Dujarric told reporters.

Saudi Arabia has since said that aid can go through "liberated ports" but not Houthi-controlled Hodeidah, the conduit for the vast bulk of imports into Yemen.

For months, the U.N. has warned that the closure of Hodeidah would dramatically escalate the crisis.

Story continues

As of Wednesday, 29 vessels, with 300,000 tonnes of food and 192,000 tonnes of fuel, had been blocked, while U.N. ships carrying $10 million (7.56 million) of health and nutrition supplies and 25,000 tonnes of wheat were waiting to berth at Hodeidah, according to another U.N. statement.

"Without fuel, the vaccine cold chain, water supply systems and waste water treatment plants will stop functioning. And without food and safe water, the threat of famine grows by the day," the U.N. agency heads said.

At least one million children are at risk if a fast-spreading diphtheria outbreak is not stopped in its tracks, and the lives of 400,000 pregnant women and their babies are under threat because of the lack of medicines.

There is also the risk of a renewed flare-up in cholera, which was on the wane after the most explosive outbreak ever recorded - with over 900,000 cases and 2,200 deaths in the past six months.

The number of new cholera cases has declined for the last eight weeks, Sherin Varkey, UNICEF deputy representative in Yemen, said in a telephone interview from Sanaa on Thursday.

The government-controlled port of Aden has partially re-opened for limited shipments of aid, while Sanaa airport remains closed for commercial and humanitarian flights. Humanitarian access is inadequate as "needs are so huge", he said.

"There is a fuel crisis. Some estimates say fuel will only last in the country for 20 days because of the blockade and challenges of getting fuel into the country," Varkey said.

UNICEF is helping provide clean water to 6 million Yemenis by ensuring fuel is delivered to water pumping stations in cities, he said.

"Our worry is with the fuel shortage this could affect and even we assume reverse the declining trend (in cholera)," he said.

(Reporting by Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Toby Chopra and James Dalgleish)
Karnataka High Court has directed protesting private doctors to call off their strike as they have a sense of duty towards the society.

By India Today Web Desk: A division bench of Karnataka High Court headed by acting chief justice on Friday directed all the protesting private doctors against the controversial Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act to return to work.

More than 40,000 doctors remained off across the state from November 13 to November 16, thus paralysing the private health care system in the state.

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The High Court while hearing a PIL on the matter came down heavily on the doctors for protesting. Acting Chief Justice Ramesh said that doctors have a sense of duty towards the society.

"Doctors cannot protest on streets while patients are suffering. Even if we assume that the state government passes the law, doctors can always challenge it in the court. Doctors should be legally better advised," added Chief Justice Ramesh.

In the order, the court noted that Right to Life is a fundamental right and in turn, right to be treated remains vital.

The damage done to the patients cannot be altered as doctors are protesting.

The court noted that it will hear all the grievances of the doctors, but first they will have to call off the strike and report to work immediately.

S Basavraj, advocate representing The Bangalore Private Hospital Association said that the doctors will now have to call off the stirke. "If doctors don't call of the strike and report to work, it might lead to contempt of court," added Basavaraj.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaih held meeting with all stakeholders on Friday and reached a middle ground.

He tweeted, "I am happy my meeting with the representatives of Doctors was successful. We have succeeded in resolving all issues around KPME Bill."

I am happy my meeting with the representatives of Doctors was successful. We have succeeded in resolving all issues around KPME Bill.- Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 17, 2017

The bill will now be tabled on by the health minister on Monday in the Assembly.

--- ENDS ---
Bank of America Merrill Lynch upgraded ICAP to buy from neutral with an unchanged price target of 500p, saying the stocks recent underperformance has added valuation appeal to a compelling strategy.

It noted ICAP shares have dropped 19% this year, which is around 18% more than the All Share and attributed much of the weakness to macro/referendum concerns.

The bank said it continues to see ICAP as well placed, especially post the NEX separation. NEX is the company which will endure once ICAP sells the bulk of its voice assets to Tullett Prebon.

We have supported the companys separation of its voice broking from the electronic assets (NEX Group), and believe that these businesses should have a vibrant future, BofA said.

It said that while there is no visibility about the regulatory environment if the UK were to vote to leave Europe, ICAP should be able to cope under such scenarios.

In addition, it pointed out that ICAP is structurally short sterling, so should optically benefit from a weak sterling post a leave vote scenario.

We havent changed our fundamental views, estimates or price objective on ICAP. All that has changed is the markets valuation of the stock.

We understand that the UK referendum vote will generate investor uncertainty, but to the extent anyone can predict the consequences of a UK leave scenario, we think these would be pretty modest for ICAP. We have therefore upgraded the stock.

At 0830 BST, ICAP shares were up 2.3% to 424.05p.
John Flannery, chief executive of multinational conglomerate General Electric , picked up 60,000 shares in the embattled group on Friday, a show of faith aimed at stymying concerns raised by many investors after what had undoubtedly been a rough week in its boardroom.

The share purchase came to a total of $928,532.93, or $18.27 per share.

In the week leading up to the purchase, GE cut its dividend in half and issued lacklustre guidance for its 2018 financial year before having its long-term debt rating reduced from A1 to A2 by credit rating agency Moody's Investor Service due to the dark clouds gathering over its energy business.

"The downgrades reflect the severe deterioration in the financial performance of GE's Power segment that will last through at least 2019," said Moody's senior credit officer Rene Lipsch.

Flannery said GE would be looking into exiting several businesses, including its majority ownership of oil services group Baker Hughes, but Lipsch noted that GE would not be able to sell its way out of its predicament.

"Moody's does not anticipate that GE will allocate a meaningful portion of any proceeds from planned asset disposals to debt reduction in the near term to help expedite the restoration of its credit metrics," the analyst said.

As of 1500 GMT, General Electric had lost 18.11% and was sitting at 15.56 per share.

Top Director Buys

General Electric Co (GEC)

Director name: Leonard,Flannery John

Amount purchased: 60,000 @ $18.27

Value: $928,532.93



Bunzl (BNZL)

Director name: van Zanten,Frank

Amount purchased: 9,000 @ 2,135.00p

Value: 192,150.00



Kier Group (KIE)

Director name: Veritiero,Claudio

Amount purchased: 1,931 @ 1,030.00p

Value: 19,889.30



Falanx Group Ltd (FLX)

Director name: Read,Mike

Amount purchased: 350,000 @ 5.20p

Value: 18,200.00



Essentra (ESNT)

Director name: Breen,Tommy

Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 5.10p

Value: 510.00



Sig (SHI)

Director name: Monro,Richard

Amount purchased: 93 @ 160.70p

Value: 149.45



Sig (SHI)

Director name: Maddock,Nick

Amount purchased: 93 @ 160.70p

Value: 149.45



Jpmorgan Asian Investment Trust (JAI)

Director name: Gould,Ronald

Amount purchased: 34 @ 370.00p

Value: 125.80





Top Director Sells
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) Three men have been arrested for killing an undertrial inside the Rohini court complex here earlier this week, the police said today.

The victim, Vinod alias Balle, was produced by the staff of Third Battalion in Rohini Court on November 13.

While he was being taken back, he was shot dead. The assailant, Abdul Khan, was arrested from the spot and the weapon of offence seized.

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During interrogation, it emerged that Khan was a member of Neeraj Bawanas gang and on his information, the three other accused were arrested yesterday, a police official said.

Further details are awaited. PTI SLB NSD

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1. Create a nighttime environment for sleeping, not caregiving. Unless it is essential that you sleep in the same room as the person you're caring for, you should sleep in a separate room. Protect that room as a sanctuary. It should be cavelike  cool, dark and relatively quiet  to help elicit your natural sleep response. Keep it free from anxiety-provoking stimuli, such as insurance forms and medical reports. If you must listen for your loved one in another room, then use a baby monitor.

2. Worry intentionally during a specific "anxious hour." Many caregivers have difficulty falling or staying asleep because they have a head full of worries about their loved one's care. Rather than worrying at night when it's time for sleep, you can purposely worry at more convenient times during the day. Set an hour during the early evening to write down a to-do list as well as all the concerns that are troubling you. Then put the writing away in a drawer until the next morning. This simple action may have the effect of depositing your anxieties for the night, helping you relax and fall asleep.

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3. Prompt sleep with good habits. Just as children need bedtime stories and lullabies, many adults need routines before sleep. Playing video games and watching TV can be too stimulating. Drinking alcohol may drop you into slumber but won't keep you asleep all night. Gentle stretching, reading or listening to relaxing music or guided imagery will help you attain a more restful frame of mind and promote more restorative sleep. Try to keep your sleep cycle regular by getting into bed at night and rising in the morning at the same times every day.

4. Use your breath. Yoga and meditation are based on the power of deep breathing. Sleep can be, as well. By taking deep, slow, regular breaths, you can slow your heart rate and begin to relax your muscles  all necessary physiological changes for falling asleep. It helps to keep your focus on your breathing by counting your breaths or feeling the air pass in and out of your nose and mouth. When your mind drifts back to your anxieties, just remember that staying awake and worrying doesn't make you a better caregiver or help you solve the next day's problems. It only makes you tired. Let sleep overtake you so you can face the coming challenges with your best energies.
Laura feels more drawn to his sharper brother, Jamie (Garrett Hedlund), a hunky, poetical reprobate who comes back from World War II a flyboy hero, hugs Laura rather harder than he should, and bonds with a fellow veteran he really shouldn't: the Jacksons son Ronsel (Jason Mitchell, who deserved an Oscar nom for Straight Outta Compton). Lots of white townsfolk want to salute Ronsel, but they mostly wont. Not when hes back from the Black Panthers (the WWII tank division that refuted racist views of black soldiering by inflicting 130,000 casualties on the Axis), and his emancipated notions collide with homicidal KKK guys like the McAllan boys Pappy (Jonathan Banks, 70, purged of the kindness that shines through his tough guy on Better Call Saul).

The war scenes are almost Dunkirk-worthy, and cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Fruitvale Station) rapturously evokes rural homeland scenes where a subtler war is waged with a glance, a word, a knife, a gun or an incendiary Sunday sermon. Even people who mean well obliviously do harm, like Laura when she hires Florence to look after her kids. Laura knows how horrible it is to be forced to live with Pappy, who oppresses her more than Henry, but doesnt get that Pappy menaces Florence more, nor that Florence neglects her own in caring for hers. My own mother I remember being blue from the dark of the morning when the moon would still be up, Blige says in one of many voiceovers that increase her Oscar odds, kissing my sister and I on our eyelids, us pretending to be asleep, she going off to work to wake and kiss someone elses children in sunlight. I swore that my own children would have all of me.
The National Dog Show, airing on Thanksgiving Day on NBC from noon to 2 p.m. ET, is officially a Turkey Day tradition in its 16th year  one thats not complete without the sonorous voice and jovial, if sometimes deadpan, insights of its longtime host, actor John OHurley.

OHurley likes to call himself the everyman of the canine competition. But if the stage and screen star  you may know from his days as J. Peterman on Seinfeld  doesnt have the strong opinions of cohost David Frei on the gait of a bullmastiff or the coat of a white bull terrier, this is not his first rodeo  er, you know  either. Ask him his favorite show-dog breed, and hes quick to wax poetic on the merits of the Irish setter. With their perfect posture and beautiful auburn coat allowed to go long, they saunter into the ring with their fast gait and look like the redhead who just walked into the cocktail party.

And sure, hes never quite gotten used to how trainers store liver treats in their mouths before feeding them to their dogs, but hes not judging. (If you dangle lobster claw in front of me, I will hold any position you ask, says O'Hurley, who now co-owns the J. Peterman catalog.) What really matters is that when it comes to sussing out the all-important best-in-show title, hes not nearly as confused as the rest of us are. First of all, a dog is judged on how well it reflects the standard for its particular breed, not against each other or on the cute factor. Whats more, a pup that scores well earlier on the dog show circuit can be favored to win this major competition. Not that upsets dont sometimes happen. Or as OHurley sums it up: We do find those that lead the pack from the start ... but ... every dog has its day.
The modern Western Longmire became A&E's No. 1 scripted drama, got canceled (apparently for having too many grownup viewers), was saved through a mass protest by fans  as Star Trek was in the '60s  and found new life and artistic freedom on Netflix. All the show's mysteries are solved in its final 10 episodes of Season 6, which starts streaming Nov. 17. Longmire costar A Martinez, 69, who plays Jacob Nighthorse, the activist owner of Wyoming's Four Arrows Casino, says it's the best thing that ever happened  and not just for him.

You're the only actor I've interviewed who got the break of his lifetime at 64.

No kidding, man! That's when I got Longmire. I'd surfaced in the soap Santa Barbara (1984-92), but when my face faded from that [young] face, it was difficult to get work for a few years. Someone told me, "When your hair goes gray, there'll be work for you." My hair wasn't gray, but once I grew gray hair on my face, suddenly I'm not suffering.

Did Longmire succeed because it has classic Western DNA  and also ripped-from-the-headlines themes about reservation life?

Yeah, it's got a lot of the western values in it. Sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor), whose way of looking at the world is in danger of being rendered obsolete, is holding on to his values by sheer force of will. He's smart, soulful, intuitive, brave. But he has demons: He's lost his wife and doesn't know who's responsible. It makes him inflexible when a bit of compromise would be more useful.

Cassidy Freeman plays the only child of Sheriff Walt Longmire, a man who is skeptical of Jacob Nighthorse, played by A Martinez (above). Ursula Coyote/Netflix

What's your character Jacob Nighthorse's demon?

His demon is what's happened to Native Americans, what it's like to live on a reservation on the Wyoming border. Nighthorse was a radical in the day who's become a businessman and policeman. He's preposterously rude, which is fun to play. He'll bend rules and accuse the sheriff of doing the same thing. They both stand up for ideals, and there's respect that neither wants to articulate. There's a poet in Nighthorse. He uses more words than necessary because he loves to hear himself talk.

That's not the classic Western cliche of the noble native of few words, or with a silent tear in an anti-littering commercial. Nowadays Native Americans won't pipe down.

Yeah! I often play villains, and when you get to play one who's educated, who has the chops of a lawyer, it feels like sitting down to a wonderful meal.

What does Sheriff Longmire see in Nighthorse?

Someone who's got his hands in every bad thing. Whenever there's trouble anywhere, his antennae say Nighthorse is responsible  and escaping responsibility.
The increase in alcohol use, in high-risk drinking behavior and in alcohol abuse and dependence for those 65-plus was at least double that of the general population, said the study, published in JAMA Psychiatry and sponsored in part by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). It compared drinking levels in 2001 to 2002 with those in 2012 to 2013.

The increases were substantial and unprecedented relative to earlier surveys, the JAMA Psychiatry article said. One of the most troubling findings was a 107 percent increase in the number of adults 65 and over with alcohol use disorder, which as defined by the NIAAA is often characterized by compulsive alcohol use and a negative emotional state when not using alcohol. "Even as an expert in the field, it shocked me," said Brenda Iliff, executive director of the Hazelden alcohol and drug treatment facility in Florida.
Istock

Your Thanksgiving feast will cost you a little less this year than it did in 2016  and will carry the lightest grocery bill since 2013  according to an annual survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation.



The organization estimates the price of the traditional Thanksgiving meal for 10 this year will run $49.12, down 75 cents from last years $49.87 tab. The survey is an informal tally of 12 popular Thanksgiving dishes, including stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, green peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie mix and pie shells, whipped cream, milk and, of course, turkey as the main course. The farm bureau has released its Thanksgiving dinner cost estimate every year since 1986, when the price of a meal for 10 would have set you back $28.74. The bill peaked at $50.11 in 2015, but has been trending downward the past two years.

"The last time Thanksgiving was this cheap was 2013," John Newton, the federation's market intelligence director, told CNBC. "The fact you can have that classic meal for under $5 per person says a lot about the U.S. farmer and the harvest they produce every year."



Tracking prices for individual items of holiday fare, turkey saw the biggest year-to-year decline, falling 1.6 percent to less than a dollar per pound. Sweet potatoes, rolls, green peas and pie shells are also cheaper this year, while stuffing, cranberries, whipped cream and pumpkin pie mix trended up in price from the 2016 survey.
Many people need the money, so they start their benefits at 62. But what about those with substantial investment portfolios? Even if they can afford to wait, would they come out ahead if they claimed at 62 and invested those benefits for growth?

I put this question to Bill Reichenstein, a professor of finance at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and cocreator of one of the most powerful Social Security calculators. He adjusted for various taxes (for example, the probable tax on a higher-income investors Social Security income) and assumed a 2 percent annual cost-of-living increase in benefits. After running several cases at the national average life expectancy for people who are 62, he found that they all produced the same answer: Financially, its better to wait.

For example, say that you claim at 62 (accepting a much smaller check for starting early) and put the money into a nest egg invested half in stocks and half in bonds. You decide not to tap your savings to replace that Social Security income. Youd rather hold your income down so you can build your investments up. At 70, you start drawing on that nest egg, taking the monthly benefit you would have gotten if you had waited until 70 to collect. How long will your invested Social Security money last, after tax?

Oops, only until age 81. That just about matches national life expectancy. But on average, people in the top two-fifths of the income range live longer than that. For a 50-year-old, thats nearly 89 for men and 92 for women. Roughly half of the well-to-do will probably exceed even that extended age. Your invested nest egg will run out, leaving you only the discounted Social Security benefit that you took at 62.
By PTI: Bengaluru/Belagavi, Nov 17 (PTI) Doctors protesting the proposed amendments to an act aimed at making them accountable for medical negligence today ended their indefinite strike, which had crippled health services in private hospitals and nursing homes, after an agreement with the government.

The decision to call off the strike was taken at a meeting between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and representatives of doctors, who had intensified the stir yesterday, declaring it to be indefinite.

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The Karnataka High Court also passed an interim order directing the agitating private doctors to restore forthwith their medical services.

A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar observed that basic medical services are a right to life for every citizen and disobeying its order will amount to violation of court order.

The doctors were up in arms against the amendments to theAKarnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007,Awhich among others propose six months to three years jail termAand hefty penalty for medical negligence on the part of doctors.

Addressing a joint press conference in the presence ofA Siddaramaiah and state Health Minister Ramesh Kumar at Belagavi, the Indian Medical Associations Karnataka chapter president H N Ravindra said the government had addressed the concerns of the doctors on contentious issues before tabling the amendments.

"We had detailed discussions on touchy issues. Finally, there is a happy ending to the doctors" strike. We are grateful to the chief minister and health minister. We announce calling off our strike," Ravindra, who was on an indefinite hunger strike for the past three days at Belagavi, said.

He also owned responsibility for the deaths that happened due to the doctors strike and sought pardon from the people.

Ravindra said the fear among the doctors was for real.

He, however, did not elaborate on the settlement the doctors and government arrived at.

Siddaramaiah said the government would make changes in the draft bill as was decided in the meeting and the same will be tabled in the Assembly on Monday.

Ramesh Kumar said the amendment was planned as the KPME Act had not yielded the desired result.

"People used to come to us with complaints against the private hospitals and nursing homes. As a responsible and pro-people government, we had to respond to it. In this context we thought of introducing the amendment," he said.

Sudarshan Balal, who attended the meeting as part of the IMA delegation, said the government has agreed to remove the clause of imprisonment and hefty penalty from the bill.

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Stating that a common mans interest had been kept in mind, Siddaramaiah said "Im making it very clear, there were some doubts and fear that doctors had regarding the bill. That has been cleared. Complete justice will be done to common man."

Asked about reported deaths due to the doctors strike, Siddaramaiah questioned whether there was any proof that they died because of the strike.

"If there is any such cases we will look into and examine it," he said.

Doctors affiliated to five medical bodies had announced the shutdown of out-patient departments (OPD) services till the government dropped its move.

A section of doctors had withdrawn the strike yesterday.

Health services in private hospitals and nursing homes were hit twice in the last two weeks by the strikes ofAdoctors who alleged that the proposed changes, which among others provide for jail term for medical negligence, were "draconian" in nature. PTI GMS KSU BDN RA RC KJ

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En espanol | House Republicans approved a massive $1.5 trillion tax overhaul package Thursday, the first step in the majoritys plan that would provide big tax rate cuts to corporations but raise taxes and health care costs for millions of older Americans.

The House approved the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by a 227-to-205 vote. All House Democrats voted against the measure. They were joined by 13 Republicans, virtually all from high-tax states, including New York, New Jersey and California, which would be hardest hit by measures that would eliminate or cap popular tax breaks on mortgage interest and state and local taxes.

The measure would hurt older Americans in a variety of ways. It would eliminate the medical expense deduction, which allows taxpayers to deduct out-of-pocket medical and health care expenses that exceed 10 percent of their income. That would result in a tax increase for millions of older Americans. Nearly three-quarters of the taxpayers who claim this deduction are over 50 years old, and 70 percent have annual incomes below $75,000, according to AARPs Public Policy Institute.

Supporters of the House bill argue that it would cut taxes for many low- to middle-income Americans and that lowering the top corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent would spur economic growth. But critics say most of the benefits would go to businesses and the wealthy.

An AARP analysis found that if the House bill became law, 1.2 million taxpayers over age 65 would actually see their taxes increase in 2018, and that the number would swell to 4.9 million by 2027. The analysis also showed that more than 5 million older Americans would not see any tax relief.

Changes to the tax code should not result in a disproportionate, adverse impact on older Americans, said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond. Efforts to restructure all or part of the federal tax system should recognize the importance and maintain incentives for health and retirement security.

The House bill would cut the number of tax brackets from seven to four, setting new tax rates at 12 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent, and keeping the top bracket at 39.6 percent.

Standard deductions would rise from $6,350 to $12,000 for individuals and from $12,700 to $24,000 for married couples. But the bill would eliminate the added standard deduction for taxpayers age 65 and over, which is $1,250 for individuals and $2,500 for couples. The bill would eliminate all personal exemptions. The measure also would repeal the alternative minimum tax, which affects higher-income earners.

Taxpayers ability to deduct state and local taxes would be sharply curtailed. Property owners could write off up to $10,000 in state and local property taxes, but the deduction for state and local income and sales taxes would disappear. Mortgage interest deductions would be capped at the interest on $500,000 in loans, compared with the current $1 million, although homeowners with existing loans would not be affected.

Action on the tax overhaul now switches to the Senate, which is expected to begin debate on its measure the week after Thanksgiving.

AARP will continue to urge that any tax overhaul treat older Americans more equitably, including by retaining the medical expense deduction and the standard deduction for the elderly. AARP will also continue to push for the bill to include the Credit for Caring Act, which would provide a new federal tax credit of up to $3,000 to family caregivers to cover lost out-of-pocket expenses, such as adult day care. In 2016, family caregivers spent nearly 20 percent of their income, on average, providing care for an adult relative or friend.

AARP also opposes the inclusion in the Senate proposal of a repeal of the requirement that most Americans have health insurance coverage. Abolishing that requirement would raise premiums for health insurance by about 10 percent and add 4 million people to the uninsured rolls by 2019 and 13 million by 2027, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The amendment to repeal the individual health coverage requirement will leave millions of Americans uninsured, destabilize the health insurance market, and lead to spikes in the cost of premiums, LeaMond said.
New Mexico music surely gets a crowd out of its seats and dancing.

The traditional music is a staple on KANW-FM, 89.1.

And for nearly a decade, the radio station has celebrated New Mexico Latin music recording artists with its Los 15 Grandes de Nuevo Mexico.

The awards create a greater public awareness of the cultural diversity of New Mexico musics recording artists and creators by honoring artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the New Mexico music recording industry.

The event is a fundraiser for 89.1 KANW, New Mexico Public Radio.

Michael Brasher, KANW general manager, said listeners often call in during Saturday broadcasts.

Often they will express that the music and the artists provide a lot of happiness in their lives, he says. Its important to have an event where we showcase the talent. Its also a chance to say thank you to the listeners for being supportive after all these years.

This years event includes performances from Al Hurricane Jr., Sparx, Lorenzo Antonio, Cuarenta y Cinco, Lluvia Negra Band, Chris Arellano, DeZi Cisneros, Tanya Griego, Divino, Ernestine Romero, Rhythm Divine, and Johnny Sanchez y Puro Norte.

There will also be a dance party after the awards featuring Lorenzo Antonio and his mariachi band.

Brasher says the event will also celebrate the life of Alberto Nelson Al Hurricane Sanchez, who passed away Oct. 22.

We asked the listeners to come in and sign a card for the Sanchez family, he says. Were going to present the card to the members of the Sanchez family and express our gratitude for Als influence in New Mexico music.

Brasher is proud that the event has grown into a celebration of community for New Mexico.

Finding performers is easy, because the artists want to play, he says. The event has become one of prestige.
You cant keep doing this forever.  Diana Prince/Wonder Woman to a bruised and battered Bruce Wayne/Batman.

I can barely do it now.  Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Boy, they sure do have a lot of coveted orbs and ancient cubes and magical stones in the superhero universes.

Often these glowing objects have been tucked away for millenniums, lest they fall into the wrong clutches of the obligatory fire-eyed entity that talks with a deep, mechanical voice and rages on about destroying all the planets, because thats what those guys aspire to do.

In Justice League, the MacGuffins are known as Mother Boxes, and there are three of them: one hidden in the deepest depths of the sea, one under heavy guard on Themyscira aka Paradise Island aka the home of the Amazons, and one buried by man. By the looks of it, man did the worst job of hiding a Mother Box, seeing as how a couple of old-timey Viking types apparently dug a six-foot hole and covered the Box with dirt.

We need a reason for Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) to recruit a new team of warriors, and the reason is a giant, evil creature named Steppenwolf (a not particularly memorable CGI villain voiced by the great Ciaran Hinds) has come to Earth to retrieve the Mother Boxes and impress his own mommy and, oh yes, destroy all worlds as we know them.

Doesnt take much imagination to know how its all going to turn out, but the fun in Justice League is in seeing Afflecks Batman and Gal Gadots Wonder Woman teaming up with Ezra Millers Barry Allen/The Flash, Jason Momoas Arthur Curry/Aquaman and Ray Fishers Victor Stone/Cyborg.

Its a putting-the-band-together origins movie, executed with great fun and energy.

About those actors playing the Fab Five (with room for more to come). Theyre a wonderful (and ridiculously good-looking) group of performers, and they play well together. Thanks to a nifty screenplay by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon and just the right mix of heavy-iosity and humor in the directorial tone of Zack Snyder, Justice League marks a solid step forward for the DC Comics Extended Universe.

Justice League opens in the immediate aftermath of the death of Superman. Early on, we hear Norwegian pop star Sigrid singing Leonard Cohens Everybody Knows and we see fear and violence and uncertainty on the streets of Gotham and Metropolis. (At times its a bit confusing as to which city were visiting. Remember, in this particular universe, Metropolis looks a lot like Chicago with layers of CGI skyline, and Gotham City is just across the bay.)

With the help of his ever-loyal butler/strategist Alfred (Jeremy Irons), Bruce Wayne recognizes a pattern of destruction at various points on Earth (creepy robotic flying insect creatures are the key), leading him to realize the planet will soon be attacked. By the time he makes contact with Diana Prince, she says the attack isnt coming  its already here. Steppenwolf has invaded Paradise Island and has stolen one of the Mother Boxes.

Jason Momoa brings a biker/rock star swagger to the role of Aquaman, who initially finds Bruce Wayne amusing (You actually dress up as a bat?) and is hesitant to join the battle until his own underwater people are attacked. Ray Fishers Cyborg, still learning by the minute about his powers, is another reluctant warrior who eventually joins the team.

Theres no such hesitation on the part of Ezra Millers Flash. He says Yes! to Bruce Waynes pitch before Wayne can explain what the job entails. (Like Tom Hollands Spider-Man in the Avengers universe, Miller in essence represents every teenage comic book geek. Sure, they have their own impressive skill sets, but theyre fans of the big boys and girls, and theyre giddy about the prospect of joining the team.)

Its maybe the least spoiler-y spoiler in modern movie history to reveal Henry Cavills Clark Kent/Superman makes a return in Justice League. Ill not reveal the circumstances, but I will say The Flash spoke for me when he voiced concerns about the possibility of a Stephen King Pet Sematary scenario.

As terrific as the primary actors are in playing the superheroes and their alter egos, Justice League also benefits from an amazing roster of great veterans in smaller roles, from the aforementioned Hinds and Irons to Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Joe Morton as Dr. Silas Stone, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, Billy Crudup as Barry Allens dad, Diane Lane as Martha Kent and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.

Love that J.K. Simmons, but it was a little jarring to see him beaming the Bat Signal into the skies above Gotham, because I still remember him playing that editor from the Daily Bugle who was convinced Spider-Man was a menace to society.

The most likable warrior, the coolest warrior, the most magnetic warrior in Justice League is  Wonder Woman. In rapid fashion, Gal Gadots WW has become my second-favorite superhero in all the comic book universes, second only to Robert Downey Jr.s Tony Stark/Iron Man.

And rapidly gaining.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Phil Griegos political downfall could end with the former state senator spending the next decade  or longer  behind bars.

The ex-Senate committee chairman was convicted Thursday of fraud, bribery and violating state ethics laws after a nearly three-week trial that included testimony from top New Mexico lawmakers and state officials.

Altogether, the jury found him guilty of five of the eight public corruption counts he was facing, including four felony charges. He will be sentenced in mid-February.

Griego, a 69-year-old Democrat from rural San Miguel County, was largely stoic as the verdict came in. His wife was in tears.

Griego did not speak to reporters while leaving the downtown Santa Fe courthouse with his trademark cowboy hat in hand, but his attorney said he was surprised by the verdict, which was reached after about eight hours of deliberations.

I dont believe the state proved its case, but the jury thought otherwise, attorney Tom Clark told reporters. He also said he plans to file an appeal.

Attorney General Hector Balderas, who filed the charges against his fellow Democrat last year, described the verdict as necessary in compelling elected officials to behave ethically.

Holding the powerful accountable is how we ensure our government truly serves the citizens of New Mexico and that no one is above the law, regardless of their political status, Balderas said after the verdict was announced.

Specifically, the Attorney Generals Office had accused Griego of pushing for legislation authorizing the 2014 sale of a historic state building near the Capitol, concealing his involvement in the deal and ultimately making a $50,000 commission as a real estate agent for the buyer.

Griego resigned from the Senate under the cloud of an ethics investigation in 2015, putting an end to a legislative career that lasted for more than 18 years. While he acknowledged at the time violating a constitutional provision against profiting from legislation passed during his term in office, he maintained that he never committed a crime.

Free for now

While Griego faces likely jail time, hes still a free man for now.

After the verdict was announced Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Clara Moran asked that Griego be taken into custody, citing his inappropriate conversation with a witness during the trial.

However, Griegos attorney argued against the request, citing Griegos advanced age, health problems and lack of a criminal record, and District Judge Brett Loveless ultimately decided to allow Griego to walk out of the courtroom.

I dont find that hes a flight risk  hes appeared at every proceeding, Loveless said.

Loveless also said sentencing in the case would be held in 90 days. It will be up to the judge at the sentencing hearing to determine how much time Griego will spend in prison and what type of restitution he will have to repay.

Prosecutors said Griego could face up to 17 years behind bars, though Griegos attorney cited a slightly lower number. Griego had faced up to 23 years in prison and $33,000 in fines if he had been convicted of all eight counts.

Meanwhile, Griego also faces separate public corruption charges  including perjury, fraud and embezzlement  for allegedly pocketing money from his campaign account and lying about it on required reports.

However, its not clear whether that case will move forward, given Thursdays verdict, as Attorney Generals Office prosecutors indicated they wanted to go forward with sentencing instead of waiting on the other case.

Ethics commission

During the trial, at least six current and former lawmakers testified  including Senate Democratic floor leader Peter Wirth of Santa Fe and former House Speaker Ken Martinez of Grants  and the Griego saga played a prominent role during legislative debate this year over whether to create an independent state ethics commission.

Lawmakers ultimately approved the idea of an ethics commission during this years session after years of rejecting it, and the issue will go before voters statewide in the November 2018 election.

However, the trial also highlighted the numerous conflicts of interest in the New Mexico Legislature, which is the nations only non-salaried legislature.

A licensed real estate broker, Griego served for years as chairman of the Senate Corporations Committee and earned a reputation at the Roundhouse as a business-friendly Democrat with close ties to lobbyists.

But many of the states current 112 legislators also hold outside jobs, and Griegos defense team had sought to portray the ex-lawmakers actions as non-criminal in nature.

I dont think anyone comes away from this unscathed, Clark said.
Walt Longmire and his crew are about to take their last ride.

The New Mexico-based series 10-episode final season will begin streaming Friday on Netflix.

And what a journey its been.

Longmire began filming in New Mexico in 2012.

When it premiered, the series  then airing on A&E  was renewed for a second season by its second episode.

The series posted strong ratings before A&E decided to cancel it after its third season. The network didnt know what to do with the show because the demographics skewed to an older audience.

Fans launched an online campaign to save it and eventually the streaming service Netflix picked it up, where it found a home and a wider audience.

A&E did us a favor (in) that they named us a certain thing and the show proved to be more than that, said Cassidy Freeman, who plays Cady Longmire, on the move to Netflix. The answer was to change our location and Netflix was a place that didnt need advertisement money. It was a bold and smart move. The viewership just exploded when we moved to Netflix.

Longmire is a contemporary crime thriller set in Wyoming. It is based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson.

The story follows Walt Longmire, played by Robert Taylor, the sheriff of fictional Absaroka County, Wyo. Freeman plays Cady Longmire, Walt Longmires daughter.

The series stars Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Adam Bartley and A. Martinez.

Series producer Greer Shephard said the past six years on Longmire were a life-altering labor of love that pushed the team all to the limit creatively, physically and emotionally.

Longmire became a way of life and a way of being  an experience defined by compassion, collaboration and camaraderie. Because our journey was riddled with job-like obstacles (like cancellation!), we were never sure if each season would be our last. So each additional year we were allowed to make the show felt like a gift that inspired tremendous gratitude. It still seems miraculous that we ran for six seasons.

Shephard added, I honestly had no idea that Longmire would engender such a massive following. When I set out developing Craig Johnsons books for television over 7 years ago with Hunt Baldwin and John Coveny, my interest was in reinstating a romantic hero in an otherwise overpopulated landscape of antiheroes. I personally longed for a character who reminded me that there was still decency and nobility in mankind. I wanted the man of Walt Longmire and his beloved West to transport me to a better, hopeful place. I guess there were a lot of other people who wanted the same thing.

The series began shooting the final season in March and ran through mid-June in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Valles Caldera, Pecos and other locations in northern New Mexico.

The series interior shots have been done at Garson Studios at Santa Fe University of Art and Design.

For Freeman, the past year has been a whirlwind of emotions because of the long goodbye.

We knew when we were picked up for a season six and Netflix let us know that it was a final season, she said. We were grateful to have a final chapter because thats not always a guarantee. There was something satiating that we could craft an ending.

Playing Cady Longmire was an interesting journey for Freeman.

In the book series, Cady Longmire wasnt in Wyoming, she was in Philadelphia working as a lawyer.

When I spoke to the producers about that before the first season began, they told me that without Walts wife in the pictures, they needed someone to have an emotional touchstone with him, Freeman said. Cadys journey is about self identity. She tried to follow the rules. She tried to rebel. She found that her true belonging was within her. I see it as a relatable journey and I loved playing Cady.

During production, Freeman said the cast was aware of the many lasts for the show.

During scenes, I would often ask, Is this my last scene with him or her?  she said. We didnt really know what was happening with the script because everything was moving so fast. Wed shoot scenes based on the actors availability.

When the cast wrapped in June, there was a party, of course.

And the party has continued with festivities in Los Angeles for post-production.

Leading up to the finale on Friday, that will be the official last one for the show, Freeman said. None of us will have any reason to revisit this. Now this journey is really over and its a final goodbye.

Freeman will miss the state after spending much of six years here.

What I will miss about New Mexico is that its a super magical place, she says. Ive worked in a lot of places all over the world. This place felt like home and I often return in my own personal time. Ive cultivated a group of friends. What I gained out of Longmire along with work and experience, is knowing about the film industry in New Mexico. People dont realize how top-notch it is. I dont know why anyone would outsource work when working in New Mexico; you have a great choice of thinkers and artists. Its an incredible place. Not to mention that you can have 10 different landscapes in one state. Its incredibly rare.


Billy the Kid, New Mexicos most notorious outlaw, was a choirboy compared to some of the cattle thieves, cutthroats and train robbers that ravaged the territory.

Desperadoes led by John Selman and John Kinney, the High Fives Gang, the Bronco Bill Walters Gang, the Seven Rivers Boys and the Horrell brothers were menacing and often mad dog-mean factors on the New Mexico frontier in the decades leading up to statehood in 1912.

The John Kinney Gang was huge, probably the biggest in the territorys history, said Don Bullis, New Mexico author and historian. The gang operated in southwest New Mexico after 1878 and stole so much livestock (in the Mesilla Valley) they almost put farmers out of business because they were running off all their oxen.

But the Horrells were the nastiest, the most vicious. They were big-time cattle thieves and racists. They shot Hispanic people at random. They shot up a Hispanic wedding (on Dec. 20, 1873) in Lincoln. Casualties in the wedding shooting included four men killed and a woman who was wounded.

Bullis gives a talk titled Outlaw Gangs: The Scourge of Territorial New Mexico at 2 p.m. today at the Sandoval County Historical Societys DeLavy House in Bernalillo.

Bullis said John Kinney was run to ground and arrested in March 1883 and that the Horrells murderous ways soon made New Mexico too hot for the four brothers  Sam, Mart, Merritt and Tom  who were still living in early 1874. Those four returned that year to their home ground near Lampasas in central Texas.

Most of them were dead within five years, killed by vigilantes or in feuds, Bullis said.

Hooked on New Mexico

Bullis, 77, was born in Bowling Green, Ohio, but he has made New Mexico his home since the 1960s and lives now in Rio Rancho with his wife, Gloria. You would be hard put to find anyone more versed in the states history than he is. If there is anything Bullis does not know about New Mexico outlaws, chances are good no one else knows it either.

He has written two novels and nine nonfiction books. The nonfiction includes Ellos Pasaron Por Aqui (They Passed By Here): 99 New Mexicans and a Few Other Folks, Unsolved: New Mexicos American Valley Ranch Murders & Other Mysteries, Duels, Gunfights & Shoot-Outs and New Mexicos Finest: Peace Officers Killed in the Line of Duty. In 2011, the New Mexico State Library named Bullis New Mexicos Centennial Author.

Bullis became fascinated with New Mexico during a visit to the state in 1955. When it came time to attend college, he enrolled at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. One of his fellow students and friends at ENMU was Michael Blake, who would go on to write the novel Dances With Wolves and the Oscar-winning screenplay for the movie based on the book. Both Bullis and Blake were honored as outstanding ENMU alumni in 2013.

Bullis earned bachelors degrees in American history and American literature from ENMU in 1970 and did graduate work in literature at the University of New Mexico.

My intention was to get a Ph.D. and teach college, Bullis said. I thought that was what Id like to do. But I had to work my way through college, so it took me nine years to get through Eastern and after a year at UNM I had been around colleges for 10 years. I guess I just reached the saturation point.

Instead he wove together an intriguing career that included both newspaper and police work.

No Robin Hoods

Bullis was a columnist for the New Mexico Independent from 1979 to 1982, served as editor of the Sandoval County Times-Independent, wrote a history column for the Rio Rancho Observer from 1987 to 2002 and does a column these days for New Mexico Stockman magazine.

In a law enforcement career that started in 1982 and ended 20 years later, he worked as an investigator for the Sandoval County Sheriffs Department, was town marshal for the village of San Ysidro and then served with the State Department of Public Safety, retiring from the latter as sergeant in charge of intelligence operations. He was part of the governors Organized Crime Prevention Commission from 1987 through 1989.

Working newspaper and police beats is about the best way there is to learn about outlaws. Bullis said the main difference between todays criminals and those in territorial New Mexico is that 90 percent of modern crime stems from drug use.

In territorial times, crime was motivated by greed, laziness and, I suppose you could say, poverty to some extent, Bullis said. Poverty is always with us.

One thing for sure, Bullis said, is that the notion of Old West outlaws as righteous renegades or Robin Hoods is nonsense.

There was nothing noble about them, he said. Most were venal lowlifes.

Hatful of buckshot

In Ellos Pasaron Por Aqui (2005), Bullis notes that even while they were beating a retreat from New Mexico in 1874, the Horrell brothers could not forego their vile and ferocious tendencies.

About 15 miles west of Roswell, they encountered five Hispanic freighters and killed all of them, he writes.

But, as noted earlier, most of the brothers got what was coming to them. John Pink Higgins, a cattleman and gunfighter, shot Merritt to death in a Texas saloon in 1876. In 1878, Mart and Tom were arrested for robbing and killing a merchant in Bosque County, Texas, and were visited in jail soon afterward by more than 100 masked citizens.

They didnt even take them out and hang them, Bullis said. They just shot them in their cells. Mart was shot 11 times and Tom 10. A witness said that afterwards there was enough buckshot on the floor to fill the crown of a good-sized hat.
By Shalini Lobo: Two women were molested by the same predator within a span of ten minutes at Delhi's ITO metro station. Both women were wrapping up their day and heading home when the accused lurked behind them and touched them inappropriately. The incident took place on Monday at around 9.30 pm and the CCTV video has been surfaced today.

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"It was around 9:23 pm according to the CCTV. I was wrapping up for the day and heading home when this man came behind me and touched me. When I rebuked him, he said sorry and then groped me and fled", said the victim who is a journalist with a leading media firm.

This wasn't all, this braveheart put on a strong fight and yelled and shouted but there were no guards along that stretch, "Had there been security personnel , this man wouldn't have the guts to so this', she added. She was held in a room by CISF personnel for 90 minutes when she went to file a complaint.

This was not the only lady groped by this sexual predator. The accused after this groped another woman while he was in the metro station . "There was a man following me and when I asked him what he was doing, he groped me and fled". The second victim also added that the incident took place due to lack of security personnel at the metro stations.

The police however said that both the CISF and the police have co-operated and within two days had identified the accused and taken him into custody by Thursday evening. However, this incident leaves behind a huge question on the safety of women commuting through public transport in the national capital.

WATCH VIDEO | Molestation attempt on Delhi woman at metro station

--- ENDS ---
SANTA FE  A former Santa Fe sandwich shop owner has filed a federal lawsuit against the state Department of Health, alleging it should have known he did not have a catering license before hiring him to serve food at a holiday lunch party last year and that the department later made false statements to news media about what made numerous employees sick.

Shannon Quintana, former owner of Bad Ass Sandwich Shop  which later changed its name to Kick Ass Sandwich Shop after it was sued by a Utah-based company with a similar name  was asked to cater a DOH lunch Dec. 14 and served chicken and steak options, not sandwiches.

About 71 employees experienced gastrointestinal symptoms within the next 24 to 48 hours, which the DOH said was caused by Quintanas food. Kick Ass later closed its doors due to slumping sales.

Quintana filed a tort claim in U.S. District Court Wednesday, by himself without a lawyer or pro se, against the DOH and its executive business administrator Denise Griego-Martinez, who Quintana said reached out to him to cater the party.

Quintana claims Griego-Martinez was negligent in hiring him for the job. He also says DOH spokesman Paul Rhien made false statements to the Journal when he said that the contamination that sickened people who dined at the hoiliday party came from Quintanas food.

Quintana argues that lab results he obtained under a public records request dont identify whether the contamination came from his food or from food DOH employees brought dishes to the party. The bad press caused Quintana to lose his business and accrue massive debt, he says.

Now Im fighting foreclosure and working 80 hours a week to make minimum payments that I will never be able to pay off from my business losses after suddenly having to close, Quintana wrote.  I have nothing anymore and New Mexico Department of Health drives on with no accountability and accepts no responsibility whatsoever for their horrible handling of their holiday party.

Rhien reiterated Thursday that the food poisoning came from Quintanas food.

From their survey, our epidemiologists were unable to identify a specific food item that may have been associated with the outbreak, Rhien said in an email. We believe that there may have been cross-contamination of menu items served by the vendor during the luncheon.
To say that the New Mexico Environmental Law Center is an asset to the state is an understatement.

The Center is an advocate for all that makes New Mexico a wonderful place to live: healthy communities, a well-functioning environment, social and environmental justice. The center represents those who have no other advocate, leveling the playing field so that ordinary citizens have a chance to prevail against odds that are stacked against them. Here in the Augustin Plains, for example, we face an international corporation with deep pockets that is intent on mining water from an aquifer of fossil water that sustains the residents and the economy of Catron County, an aquifer that cannot recover from the massive pumping and transporting of water that is proposed. The Center has steadfastly supported and represented this community, opposing the wealthy investors who are capable of hiring a large array of attorneys, all of them trying to convince the state that mining water in our basin will be good for the state.

The Center has provided, and continues to provide, critically important support to our community. With its help, the project has been rejected twice by the Office of the State Engineer, and those decisions have been upheld by the court upon appeal. The center continues to guide our community and the two organizations  San Augustin Water Coalition and the Augustin Plains Challenge  fighting this water grab attempt, providing advice for direction and strategy.

The project of the Augustin Plains Ranch LLC would, if approved, pump 54,000 acre feet of water  17 billion gallons  per year from the aquifer, put that water in a pipeline and ship it to the Albuquerque area. The application for this project does not state a beneficial use in the form of an end user, and it is impossible to tell to whom this water will eventually be sold. This amount of pumping from the aquifer would deplete it in a finite amount of time, and the people here in Catron County would be left literally high and dry. To our community this project makes no sense unless the profit of an international corporation is all that matters. Our organization, the Augustin Plains Challenge, is determined to make sure that decision makers know that a lot matters besides lining corporate investors pockets. This project jeopardizes the viability of a thriving ranching community. The New Mexico Environmental Law Center stands on the front line with us, helping to safeguard our future.

In a related case, the Santolina planned community, the Center has supported those who find such a large-scale development out of proportion to the needs of the Albuquerque area. The SouthWest Organizing Project has opposed this development, and the Augustin Plains Challenge opposes this project as well. There are indications that the water from the Augustin Plains basin will be the source of water for this development, and two bad projects do not combine to make one good project. With the help of the NMELC, decision makers will be persuaded to deny both these proposals.

The rules of the process established by the Office of the State Engineer and the intricacies of water law leave the ordinary citizen in an untenable position if left to his/her own resources. None of us as individuals can adequately defend ourselves in such a complex case, and we have banded together to form an organization that will support the law center that supports us in our effort to stop this proposed project. Should the project be approved, that approval would set the stage for such projects across the state, and rural communities would find themselves fighting similar battles. It is of the utmost importance to keep the New Mexico Environmental Law Center alive and vibrant, giving our communities a fighting chance to preserve our water which will by extension preserve our culture, our way of life, our economy, and the environment, which, indeed, makes all life possible.
For years, the argument in New Mexico has been that parents alone should decide whether their child needs to repeat a grade in school. Now it turns out barely half of the parents who need solid academic information to make that decision are even getting it.

State lawmakers have believed it is so important adults know when their first-, second- and third-graders are behind in reading that theres a state law requiring school districts to notify them of that by mid-schoolyear  so there is time for parents, grandparents or guardians to step in and work with educators to do what they can to help their children get up to speed before the end of the school year. The notice also gives adults time to explore whether holding a child back might improve their chances of future success.

So its outrageous to learn only 56.5 percent of such parents statewide received the required notifications from their school districts last school year. In hard numbers, 27,143 first- through third-graders were not proficient in reading midway through the 2016-17 school year, but only 15,344 notification letters were sent to their parents. (And while its important to note thats a great improvement from two years ago, when just 8 percent of families were notified mid-year, it is still far short of the requirements.)

Study upon study has shown the importance of reaching reading proficiency in the early years of elementary school; its said you learn to read in the early grades and read to learn thereafter. Without this most basic skill, youngsters fall further and further behind  a key reason many drop out before attaining a diploma, let alone a college degree, relegating them to menial employment opportunities and slim chances of economic independence.

It was even worse at the states largest school district: Albuquerque Public Schools had about 9,500 first- through third-grade elementary school students who were behind in reading, but only about 1,000 parents were notified in writing  an unconscionable 10.5 percent, according to recently released data from the state Public Education Department.

PED Secretary-designate Christopher Ruszkowski points out, The district isnt even giving the parents the option of intervening mid-school year to help their kids  with tutoring, extra time reading at home, after-school reading programs or other methods  to get on grade level, let alone weigh the important decision whether or not to hold them back a year.

Meanwhile, nearly all the families of Alamogordo Public Schools struggling readers received letters by mid-school year last year, and those families worked with the district to determine retaining 117 students in first to third grade last school year was the best option. By comparison, at Albuquerque Public Schools, about 15 times larger than Alamogordo Public Schools and a longstanding foe of PEDs efforts to improve the states dismal eduction record, only 103 reading-challenged students repeated a grade.

And while not every parent gets involved, theres no telling what that number would have been if families had simply been formally informed, or how much better off those students would be now if they had had the chance for remediation and/or retention then.

Some districts and teachers unions can (and often do) complain that more money for reading programs will solve the problem, but wed argue a 44-cent stamp on a letter to the parents of struggling kids is an important first step and might accomplish even more. Some also say the letters arent needed because parents are told during parent-teacher conferences whether their children need extra help. But there is no guarantee that is occurring, and such verbal notification simply disregards the intent of the law, the written policy that accompanies it, and the reason report cards are written, not verbal. Having important information in writing matters, and very little is more important than childrens education.

Of course, there is a range of ability below proficiency and, of course, not all students should be or need to be retained. But shouldnt the families of those students who not only require, but also deserve additional intervention and remediation be told that so they can contribute to the effort? Shouldnt they be in the loop so they can help ensure their kids are getting the extra help they need?

The obvious answer is yes, and that information should be provided in writing.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Teen births fell in 2016, continuing a steep decline that began in 2007, the New Mexico Department of Health reported on Thursday.

Births to teenage girls in New Mexico are now at their lowest level in decades, the NMDOH said.

Nevertheless, New Mexico still has among the highest teen birthrates in the nation, NMDOH Secretary Lynn Gallagher said in a news release.

The teen birthrate for ages 15 to 19 was 29.4 per 1,000 females in 2016; the teen birthrate for ages 15 to 17 was 16.9 per 1,000 females in 2016.

The reasons for the continued decline are access to family planning services, sex education programs and contraception, she said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the states with the highest age 15-19 birthrates per 1,000 births, based on 2015 statistics for all races, are Arkansas, with 38.0 births; Mississippi and Oklahoma, with 34.8 births; and New Mexico and Texas, with 34.6 births.

The states with the lowest age 15-19 births per 1,000, are Massachusetts, with 9.4 births; New Hampshire, with 10.9 births; and Connecticut, with 10.1 births.

Gallagher specifically pointed to NMDOHs Family Planning Program, which provides access to confidential, low- or no-cost family planning services through public health offices, community clinics and school-based health centers. In addition, as part of the Family Planning Program, areas of the state that have a shortage of health care providers are being served by telemedicine.

The decline in teen births coincides with the increasing number of teens being served at Title X Family Planning clinics, a federal program enacted in 1970, where teens have chosen long-acting reversible contraception  such as injections, intrauterine devices (IUDs) and subdermal implants  as their primary birth control method, according to the NMDOH.

The Family Planning Program also offers BrdsNBz, a text-messaging system for teens with free, confidential answers to sexual health questions in English or Spanish.

The decline in New Mexico teen births mirrors a national decline over the same period. Still, Gallagher said, the states teen birthrate remains too high.

The birthrate for teens ages 15 to 19 fell 14 percent from 2015 to 2016, and 55 percent over the past nine years; births among younger teens, those ages 15 to 17, were down 11 percent from 2015 to 2016, and nearly a 60 percent decrease since 2007.

While we are making important progress in reducing teen pregnancy and unintended pregnancy in New Mexico, the reality is that too many teens are still having babies, Gallagher said.
Editors note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Independent Petroleum Association supported the ordinance as written. The association has taken no position on the ordinance.

BERNALILLO  The Sandoval County Commission voted 4-1 to approve an amendment to a proposed oil and gas ordinance early today.

The amendment would impose closer scrutiny with public notice and hearings for any request by companies to conduct activities in densely-populated zones of the county.

Thats a substantial change from the original ordinance, which would have created an administrative process without public notice to approve permissive use permits for oil and gas companies to operate in all unincorporated land in the county.

The ordinance must now be rewritten with the amendment, meaning a final version wont be voted on until January 2018.

The county meeting took place in front of an overflow crowd of about 200 people at the Sandoval County administrative offices.

Public comment on the ordinance lasted until nearly midnight Thursday, pushing the final vote to amend the regulations until early today.

Dozens of speakers lined up to speak for and against the proposed law, which would regulate industry activities for the first time on unincorporated land in the county. That included community activists, environmentalists and representatives of many of the eight pueblos in Sandoval County who spoke in opposition to the ordinance.

Business leaders, joined by some local residents and university students from New Mexico Tech, also lined up in support, while about 75 people who could not enter the commissions packed chambers listened by video in the buildings lobby.

Opponents criticized the ordinances lack of any special protections against potential damage to water, air and land from future industry activities. Tribal leaders in particular voiced concern about impacts on water resources and the County Commissions lack of consultation with the tribes before preparing the ordinance for a vote.

We live in a desert, Sandia Pueblo Lt. Gov. Lawrence Gutierrez told the five commissioners. Water quality and quantity is imperative. Were fighting for every little bit of water we can find in the mid-Rio Grande area, and those issues arent being addressed.

Timothy Menchego, cultural resource coordinator for Santa Ana Pueblo, said the commission is making a decision that affects tribes throughout the county without any serious consultation.

We want this tabled until data and studies can be provided on the impacts of this ordinance, and then do government-to-government consultations between the county and tribes as sovereign nations.

On the other side, leaders from the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, the Association of Commerce and Industry and Rio Grande Foundation all urged the commission to approve the ordinance as written. Speakers said the commission has been debating and re-working the ordinance for two years and its time to put the issue to a vote.

Its a fair, reasonable and balanced ordinance thats been developed, debated and discussed for over two years, said Steve Jenkins, president and CEO of the Sandoval Economic Alliance. Its time to move forward.

Some New Mexico Tech students as well urged the commissions approval to provide high-paying employment opportunities to allow more local college graduates to remain in the state.

Opportunities for college graduates have declined and many of us are forced to leave, said Tech student Michael Ward. When we graduate, theres nothing for us to do here. We dont want to have to take our knowledge and careers to other places.

If the original ordinance had been approved by the commission it would have established permissive use zones for oil and gas activities where companies could apply for permits to drill wells in all unincorporated land throughout the county. The applications would have been processed within 10 days without public notice or hearings. With the amendment approved early today, those permissive use permits still apply to many unincorporated lands throughout the county. But it would no longer apply to densely-populated zones where companies will now be required to get conditional use permits.

If approved in January, the law would leave environmental oversight and monitoring to state and federal authorities, requiring applicants to demonstrate that theyve achieved all needed permits and licenses from those government entities before receiving a county permit to conduct local activities.

Leaving such oversight to state and federal regulators is deliberate to avoid potential litigation for overstepping the county authority, Commission Chairman Don Chapman told meeting participants.

Its taken us two years to get the ordinance to the point where we feel comfortable that it wont expose us to litigation or step on the toes of other authorities, Chapman said. Weve done our due diligence here.
WASHINGTON  Minnesota Sen. Al Franken personally apologized to the woman who has accused him of forcibly kissing her and groping her during a 2006 USO tour, saying he remembers their encounter differently but is ashamed that my actions ruined that experience for you.

In a guest appearance Friday on ABCs The View, Leeann Tweeden read a letter she received from the Democratic lawmaker in which he also discussed a photo showing him posing in a joking manner, smiling at the camera with his hands above her chest as she naps wearing a flak vest aboard a military plane.

Franken missed votes in the Senate Thursday afternoon and has not made any public appearances since the allegations came out.

Both had been performing for military personnel in Afghanistan two years before the one-time Saturday Night Live comedian was elected to the Senate. Tweeden, a former Fox TV sports correspondent who now is a Los Angeles radio anchor, has said Franken had persisted in rehearsing a kiss and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth.

Franken told Tweeden in the letter he wanted to apologize to you personally, adding: I dont know what was in my head when I took that picture. But that doesnt matter. Theres no excuse. I understand why you can feel violated by that photo.  I have tremendous respect for your work for the USO. And I am ashamed that my actions ruined that experience for you. I am so sorry.'

Franken, 66, was the latest public figure to be caught in the deluge of revelations of sexual harassment and misconduct that have crushed careers, ruined reputations and prompted criminal investigations in Hollywood, business and beyond.

While Franken has repeatedly apologized, there were no signs the issue would go away any time soon. Fellow Democrats swiftly condemned his actions, mindful of the current climate as well as the prospect of political blowback in next years elections.

Republicans, still forced to answer for the multiple allegations facing Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, joined in pressing for an investigation. Franken said he would welcome it.

Franken abruptly canceled a sold-out book festival appearance scheduled for Monday in Atlanta, festival organizers said. He had been scheduled to speak and promote his book, Al Franken, Giant of the Senate.

Tweeden posted her allegations, including a photo of Franken and her, Thursday on the website of KABC, where she works as a news anchor for a morning radio show.

On Friday, Tweeden said she didnt come forward with the hope that Franken would step down. Thats not my call, she told ABCs Good Morning America. I think thats for the people of Minnesota to decide.

Franken faces re-election in 2020.

Meanwhile, a Minnesota woman and rape survivor who worked with Franken to craft legislation for fellow survivors said Friday the senator should take his name off the bill. Abby Honold, 22, who was raped by a fellow University of Minnesota student in 2014, called Frankens conduct disappointing and said someone else should champion the bill.

Eight women who worked for Franken in the Senate vouched for him, saying in a joint statement Friday that he treated them with the utmost respect.

In a statement Thursday, Franken apologized to Tweeden and his constituents while maintaining that he remembered the rehearsal differently. Tweeden said she accepted his apology.

I respect women. I dont respect men who dont, Franken said. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.

President Donald Trump, who has faced his own allegations of sexual misconduct, ridiculed Franken in tweets Thursday night: The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? .. And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women.

Trump has been publicly silent about the allegations against Moore, the Republican nominee in Alabamas special Senate election. Through a spokeswoman, he called the allegations of sexual misconduct against the former judge very troubling but stopped short of calling on Moore to drop out.

Trump once boasted that as a celebrity you can do anything, speaking of groping and kissing unsuspecting women. More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, claims Trump denies.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday: Senator Franken has admitted wrongdoing, and the president hasnt. I think thats a very clear distinction.

The accusations against Franken come just days after the Senate unanimously adopted mandatory sexual harassment training for members and staffs amid a flood of stories about harassment, sexual misconduct and gender hostility from staffers, aides and even female elected officials.

Frankens fellow Minnesota Democrat, Amy Klobuchar, condemned Frankens behavior. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, facing a tough re-election next year, said, Comedy is no excuse for inappropriate conduct, and I believe there should be an ethics investigation.

___

Associated Press writers Kyle Potter and Amy Forliti in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
MONTGOMERY, Ala.  Standing on the white marble steps of Alabamas Capitol, Kayla Moore surrounded herself with two dozen other women Friday to defend husband Roy Moore against accusations of sexual misconduct that are dividing Republicans, and women in particular.

He will not step down. He will not stop fighting for the people of Alabama, Kayla Moore said at a Women for Moore rally. Acting as her husbands lead defender, she lashed out at the news media and thanked people who were sticking behind her husband. To the people of Alabama, thank you for being smarter than they think you are, Moore said.

Not everyone is sticking with Roy Moore, however, and certainly not all women.

I was going to vote for him. I was going to be one of his voters. I just dont know that I can vote for him anymore, said Laura Payne, a Trump delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Since last week, Moore has been engulfed by accusations of sexual misconduct toward women in their teens when he was a deputy district attorney in his 30s. Several of his accusers have allowed their identities to be made public.

One said Moore molested her when she was 14. Another said Moore assaulted her when she was a 16-year-old waitress after he offered to drive her home. Five others said Moore pursued romantic relationships with them when they were between the ages of 16 and 18.

I have not found any reason not to believe them . They risked a whole lot to come forward, Payne said of the accusers.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said she also has no reason to disbelieve the women and is bothered by their allegations. But Ivey said she will vote for Moore anyway for the sake of GOP power in Congress.

We need to have a Republican in the United States Senate to vote on things like Supreme Court justices, other appointments that the Senate has to confirm and make major decisions, Ivey said.

Moore has ignored mounting calls from Washington Republicans concerned that if he stays in the race against Democrat Doug Jones he may not only lose a seat they were sure to win but also may do significant damage to the partys brand among women nationwide as they prepare for a difficult midterm election season.

The Alabama GOP, meanwhile, reaffirmed its support for Moore on Thursday.

The accusations sent a shockwave through the Senate race in Alabama, where Republicans typically have a lock on statewide election. Democrats already hoped to stand a chance against the polarizing jurist who was twice removed from chief justice duties because of defying court orders regarding the Ten Commandments and gay marriage.

A Fox News poll released Thursday, a week after the first accusations, showed Jones leading Moore by eight points. Support from women was helping to give Jones the edge with 68 percent for Jones compared to 32 percent for Moore.

One of them is longtime Republican Tracy James, who worked for former senator and current U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Her cousin was a Republican governor. She wont vote for Moore, a decision she made before the election.

My hope is that the Moore debacle will not only be a wake-up call for evangelicals, but also for Republicans, who should stand back and say, Wow, look at the kind of person we almost elected to our ranks, James said.

But Kayla Moore says her husband is exactly the kind of person who needs to be in the Senate.

Decades ago, then known by her maiden name, Kayla Kisor, she was performing in a hometown dance recital when she first caught Roy Moores eye. As he wrote in his 2009 autobiography, seeing her was something he never forgot.

Years later, Moore wrote, when she was 23  shes 14 years his junior he finally met her. They wed in 1985.

Now, Kayla Moore is doing more than standing by her husband  shes his most aggressive defender against allegations threatening his Republican bid for U.S. Senate.

When Moore makes a public appearance, Kayla Moore is there. When something pops up on social media that could help his cause, she shares it on Facebook. And she was the star at the Statehouse rally in Montgomery.

Speakers there said the allegations against Moore were out of character for the man they have known for years.

I do not recognize the man these ladies are describing, Ann Eubank, a fixture in Alabama Republican politics, said of the accusers.

Across the street from the rally, Rose Falvey, 25, held a Moore is a pedophile sign, a reference to the 14-year-old accuser.

Falvey, who runs an LGBT community center, said she was angered by the stories about Moore since he had fought to block gay marriage in the state.

I think its really hypocritical and an embarrassment for the state of Alabama, and hes dragging us backwards, Falvey said.

____

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples and Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama, and Zeke Miller and Catherine Lucey in Washington contributed to this report.
Gallup, NM  The Gallup Police Department canceled the Amber Alert early Friday morning for a father suspected of taking his 8-month-old child, according to an email from the New Mexico State Police.

He was located by the Gallup Police Department.

The Amber Alert was issued for the baby boy who police say was taken by his inebriated father Thursday night.

Lt. Elizabeth Armijo, a New Mexico State Police spokeswoman, said Gallup police are asking for the publics help in finding eight-month-old Tyron Denetclaw-Benally, Jr. She said the childs father, Tyron Denetclaw-Benally, Sr., 28, took him during a domestic dispute in Gallup.

She said Denetclaw-Benally, Sr. was extremely intoxicated when he took the baby and left on foot from the Taco Bell, at 914 East Highway 66 in Gallup, around 10:00 p.m.

The child is feared to be out in the elements with the father, Armijo said.

He is believed to be in danger if not found immediately.

Denetclaw-Benally, Jr. is Native American, 23 inches tall, 20 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. The child has four top teeth, two bottom teeth, and birthmarks on a shoulder and lower back. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with a white tank top shirt and a black Bat Man shirt. He was wrapped in a red Kansas City Chiefs blanket and had on Christmas-style diapers.

Denetclaw-Benally, Sr. is Native American, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 260 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black windbreaker, no shirt and blue sweat pants. He was carrying a black backpack, possibly wearing a blue beanie cap, and had Lok sunglasses.

Denetclaw-Benally, Sr. may have access to white Dodge pickup with NM license plate LLC834.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Gallup Police Department at 505-722-2231
BRUSSELS  A court in Belgium on Friday pushed back the extradition arguments of ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four allies until at least Dec. 4, likely keeping the secessionist rebels in Belgium right through Catalonias regional election campaign.

The court hearing in Brussels for the five Catalans is the latest step in their flight from Spain to Brussels and their refusal to return to face rebellion and sedition charges that could land them in jail for 25 years or more.

Puigdemont plans to lead his partys campaign for the Dec. 21 election called by Spains government in an attempt to find a democratic fix to the nations worst institutional crisis in nearly four decades.

The prime ministers of Spain and Belgium spoke Friday before the court session, discussing ties that have been strained due to the Catalan officials who are wanted on a Spanish arrest warrant.

Puigdemont lawyer Paul Bekaert said after the first court session Friday that we will argue the case on Dec. 4. Whatever decision is made at that stage, two appeals will be possible and a final ruling could well only come only after the Dec. 21 vote.

Bekaert said even though the prosecutor asked to agree to the Spains extradition request for the five, the defense lawyers could still give written arguments until early next month.

So nothing has been decided today, he said.

The prosecutor said, according to Belgian law, there was no corruption on the part of the Catalan five but a conspiracy of civil servants. And he added that for a refusal to fully commit to their jobs there can be no extradition. He did not address Spains rebellion and sedition charges.

The Belgian government has said that it cant intervene in Spains extradition request since its up to the countrys independent judiciary to make the decision.

It is a judicial case based on the separation of powers. It is up to the judicial authorities, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said after meeting with his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Goteborg, Sweden.

Rajoy later said he would respect whatever decision the Belgian court makes. He said respecting the independence of the judiciary and accepting judicial decisions was a basic principle of the EU and it would not be a good idea to begin questioning that now.

But the extradition issue continued to create unease.

Spain supplied the Belgian prosecutor with information detailing the jail conditions for Puigdemont and the four others should they be extradited. Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said all the information requested had been sent but added nobody in Europe is going to give us lessons on democracy.

EU nations have backed Madrid in its standoff with Catalonia. Yet Belgium was among the first to criticize the use of violence by Spanish police who tried to stop a banned Oct. 1 independence referendum. Spain says its police response was proportionate.

Rajoy, meanwhile, dismissed as intolerable claims Friday by a leading pro-independence Catalan politician that Spain had threatened to send in troops and warned there would be extreme violence if the Catalan government pushed ahead with its independence drive.

The Republican Left of Catalonia party politician Marta Rovira told the regions RAC1 radio that the message had been passed on to Puigdemont and his deputy Oriol Junqueras  head of Roviras party  following the Oct. 1 referendum.

She said the threat had come from Spanish government sources but did not identify them.

Rajoy said the claim was an enormous lie and shameful.

The Catalan government took the referendum as a mandate to vote for independence on Oct. 27. Spain responded by sacking Puigdemonts government, dissolving the regional parliament and calling a new election in Catalonia.

Spains National Court called Puigdemont and his ex-government in for questioning but Puigdemont and four allies fled to Belgium, saying they feared they wouldnt receive a fair hearing in Spain.

However, nine other fellow Catalan officials did answer the summons and a judge sent eight of them provisionally to prison.

Rajoy repeatedly warned the Catalan secessionist lawmakers that he would not allow the prosperous region to break away and Spains courts had ruled that any such attempt was unconstitutional.

Puigdemont will have to campaign from Belgium since he is prohibited from leaving while his extradition is ruled upon. He can run unless he is convicted.

Polls forecast a tight race between parties in favor of secession and those who want to stay part of Spain.

___

Ciaran Giles contributed from Madrid, Joseph Wilson from Barcelona, Spain and Lorne Cook from Goteborg, Sweden.
A Decatur, Texas, man convicted of child pornography in Carlsbad was sentenced last month to 15 years incarceration.

After his prison term, Timothy Deaderick, 55, was also ordered to serve five to 20 years parole following his prison term, and ordered to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

More than 10,000 images and videos of child pornography were discovered by investigators on Deadericks computer in April 2016.

He entered a plea of no contest and was convicted in Fifth Judicial District Court July 2017.

Deaderick was found guilty of one count of criminal solicitation for possession of visual medium of sexual exploitation of children, one count of distribution of visual medium of sexual exploitation of children, and 16 counts of manufacturing visual medium of sexual exploitation of children.

Carlsbad Police Departments Sgt. Scot Naylor said more than 4,000 images and videos were used as evidence against Deaderick.

According to court documents, the case was originally investigated by the New Mexico Attorney Generals Office in February 2016, after Deaderick downloaded images and video through a shared network.

The Attorney Generals Office then turned the information over to the Carlsbad Police Department in April 2016.

He was arrested summer 2016.

Naylor, who assisted investigating the case, said Deaderick was actively downloading content when a search warrant was executed at his residence on Boyd Drive.

Naylor said shortly after the search of his home and interview sessions with police, Deaderick moved back to Texas.

Like other child pornography cases, Naylor said this case was tough to investigate.

You kind of get numb to it after a while. Its a job and youre doing something good, he said. Especially having your own kids, it motivates you to go out there and find them.

DeJanay Booth can be reached at 575-628-5546, dbooth@currentargus.com and @DeJanayBooth on Twitter.



2017 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.)

Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com

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The Centre diverted over Rs 50,000 crore earned from environment cess to other budgetary heads, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia alleged in response to allegations his government did not utilise a Rs 1,000-crore green fund.

By Mail Today Bureau: Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Thursday responded to allegations of environment taxes worth at least Rs 1,003 crore being left unutilised with his government by attacking the BJP-led Centre on similar charges.

He said at a press conference, "Nobody questions the Centre. They diverted at least Rs 56,000 crore earned from environment cess to other budgetary heads. Nobody asks even the Lieutenant Governor who has not been granting us land for a bus depot."

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"Instead, the media is saying we have orchestrated a scam by not using the environment taxes earned by us. The truth is that we are planning to buy electric buses and do much more to safeguard Delhi's air, but everyone accuses us freely."

Several hundred crores of funds are lying with the centre and Delhi government, collected as green fund to combat air pollution, even as the national capital struggles to ward off a toxic haze.

The lion's share of the amount, Rs 1,003 crore (till November 10), comes from an Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) imposed by the Supreme Court in 2015 on trucks entering Delhi while the rest is made up of cess on every litre of diesel sold, in effect since 2008.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has amassed Rs 62 crore as one per cent cess from dealers selling diesel cars with engine capacity of 2000CC and above in the Delhi-NCR region following a directive of the Supreme Court in August last year.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) collects the ECC and hands over the amount to the city's transport department every Friday, Usman Nasim, a researcher with the Centre For Science and Environment (CSE), said.

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DALLAS  The driver of a pickup displaying an expletive-filled message to President Donald Trump and his supporters in the Houston area was arrested Thursday on an outstanding warrant.

Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office records show Karen Fonseca was arrested about 2 p.m. Thursday on an outstanding fraud warrant issued in August by the Rosenberg Police Department. She remained in the county jail Thursday night with bond set at $1,500.

A sheriffs spokesman has not answered a message seeking details behind the warrant.

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls had threatened Fonseca with a disorderly conduct charge over the decal. However, District Attorney John Healey said he didnt think it would have been a prosecutable case.

Fonseca had said she would not remove the decal. She said she had been stopped by law officers, but that they have no grounds to issue a citation.

Its not to cause hate or animosity, the 46-year-old Fonseca told the Houston Chronicle. Its just our freedom of speech and were exercising it.

Nehls on Wednesday posted a photo of the truck message on Facebook alongside a request to speak with the driver.

Nehls in his post said that a county prosecutor told him the message could warrant a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. But at a news conference later Wednesday, he seemed to back away from that idea. Nehls said he supports freedom of speech but worried that profane messages could incite others and lead to confrontations that would disturb the peace hes pledged to keep.

A spokeswoman for the sheriffs office, which covers the county just southwest of Houston, said Thursday that Nehls post was removed once the pickup driver was identified.

Due to the hate messages he has been receiving toward his wife and children, the sheriff will not be commenting on the matter further, spokeswoman Caitilin Espinosa said by email.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas posted on Facebook that Fonsecas message is protected speech and urged her to reach out to the organization. The ACLU noted a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned the conviction of a man for disturbing the peace for wearing a jacket with an expletive as part of an effort to protest the military draft and the Vietnam War.

A woman who raised her middle finger in October to Trumps motorcade as it passed her in Virginia was fired from a government contracting firm for violating the code of conduct policy. But the Texas case differs in that a government entity threatened punitive action for vulgar material directed at the president.

Lynne Rambo, a law professor at Texas A&M University specializing in the First Amendment, said Thursday that the 1971 Supreme Court case made two points clear: the states attempt to regulate profanity or civil discourse is not a sufficient reason to justify restricting speech, and profane language directed at a specific person is different from vulgar content thats broadly disseminated.

Its state action to threaten as (Nehls) did and he really ought to know First Amendment law better than that, Rambo said.

Fonseca says the message has been on the rear window of the pickup for nearly a year and itll stay there for the time-being.

Theres no law against freedom of speech, nothing in the law book here in Texas, she told KHOU-TV in Houston. Ive been stopped numerous times, but they cant write me a ticket.
LAS CRUCES  Additional funding to prepare for the arrival of Virgin Galactics spaceflights and a measure to increase confidentiality for tenants will be on Spaceport Americas wish list when the New Mexico Legislature convenes in January, 2018.

Dan Hicks, Spaceport America CEO, told attendees at the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce 2017 Space Update Luncheon on Thursday that more spaceports are poised to enter the commercial space industry, with 10 other licensed spaceports operating and an additional nine applications pending with the Federal Aviation Administration. And, with Virgin Galactic set to begin manned flights as soon as next year, more funding is needed to accommodate the increased traffic expected to follow, he said.

Hicks said he will seek an additional $600,000 from the Legislature to increase staff levels and continue with infrastructure improvements. At a cost of nearly $220 million, the taxpayer-financed Spaceport America opened in 2011. At the time, officials envisioned a new commercial space economy that would transform southern New Mexico. That economy has yet to come to fruition, but officials are hopeful.

The funding is necessary to stay on par with other spaceports around the country, Hicks said. With 16 people currently on the Spaceport America staff, Hicks hopes to increase that number to 26 very quickly to accommodate Virgin Galactics planned move to New Mexico.

He pointed to Florida, which has a $20 million operating fund, a $7 million financing fund and a $20 million infrastructure fund. Florida gets $18.9 million in state appropriations and an additional $19 million in state grants. It generates $2.8 million in customer revenue.

Virginia, another competitor, has a $25 million operating budget, state appropriations of $11.8 million and customer revenue of $16.1 million. California has a $7.3 million operating budget with roughly $500,000 in state appropriation and $8.1 million in customer revenues.

New Mexicos Spaceport America has a $6.1 million operating budget with a current state appropriation of $375,000 with $600,000 in local gross receipts taxes generated solely from Dona Ana and Sierra counties. Customer revenue generates $2.1 million.

Other than New Mexico, the state figures Hicks listed are taken from public records in 2014 and do not reflect any increases in their funding since that time, Hicks said. That makes it even more urgent that New Mexico increase funding to allow Spaceport America to continue to grow, he said.

Weve got a good revenue stream. Weve got good clients. Weve launched over 100 rockets, Hicks said. The state should continue to support this economic engine with an increase in funding, he added.

In addition to funding, spaceport officials hope the Legislature will consider passing a Commercial Spaceport Protection Act, to provide confidentiality to spaceport tenants who are concerned disclosing too much information will harm their business in a very competitive field.

A similar measure, the Spaceport Confidential Records Act, was sponsored by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, during the last session but was withdrawn when complaints arose over the spaceports transparency. It would have added a new exemption to the state public records act for companies doing business at the spaceport.

Hicks said that under current laws, companies at the spaceport have to provide information that other businesses in the state dont and that makes it more difficult to attract new tenants. The new proposal would be similar in nature to Papens bill. Spaceport America, constructed and funded by the state, is required to fully disclose almost all its activity and would continue to do so, at least with regard to finances, employees, spending and operations, Hicks said. The measure would assure proprietary information of the tenant companies would not become public.

The commercial space industry is very invested in keeping their secrets, Hicks said. Having a spaceport where we can keep those secrets is very important.

In reviewing the past year, Hicks pointed to 14 launches from the vertical launch area and an additional 60 during the course of the inaugural Spaceport America Cup, an event that saw 1,100 students representing 91 universities from around the globe descend on southern New Mexico to compete with their rocket designs. Two launch system tests were conducted at the spaceport as well as one flight mission and two balloon missions.

A new static rocket motor test facility was constructed in conjunction with UP Aerospace, which is expanding its motor production capabilities at the spaceport, Hicks said. Boeing used the spaceport to test its Starliner, a new crew capsule, and the company has selected two sites on White Sands Missile Range as its primary and secondary landing sites for crewed missions, which will increase its activity at Spaceport America as well, he said.

Virgin Galactic is still testing White Knight Two and SpaceShipTwo with glide tests in Mojave, but is expecting to begin flights out of Spaceport America in 2018, if testing continues successfully. White Knight Two is the vehicle that carries SpaceShipTwo, christened VSS Unity, to launch altitude before it engages its engines and powers to the upper atmosphere.

We will see exciting things from them next year, Hicks said.

New Mexico Technical College completed its third launch from the spaceport on Nov. 9 and another is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 13, 2018. University of Southern California will be making its third launch attempt on Jan. 3, 2018, in an attempt to fly above the Karman Line, or 330,000 feet.

The aerospace industry related to Spaceport America has created an estimated 100 additional jobs at an average annual salary of $60,000 during the year, Hicks said. The industry continues to grow and is currently valued at $330 billion per year. Roughly 75 percent of that amount is private entrepreneurs investing in aerospace, and can be drawn to Spaceport America in the form of low-earth orbit launches for scientific research in near-zero gravity as well as tourism and in support of university research and aeronautics, he said.

The spaceport is also primed for an increase in orbital launches as single-stage-to-orbit and returnable booster technology advances. In addition, there is long-term possibility in transportation as more spaceports come on line around the globe.

Hicks told the crowd the long-awaited southern road into the spaceport should begin construction by the end of November or early December and be complete by May, 2018. He also said the Spaceport America tours, which shut down about a year ago, would be returning sometime soon when details of an agreement with a new tour operator were finalized.

Jason Gibbs may be reached at 575-541-5451, jgibbs@lcsun-news.com or @fjgwriter on Twitter.



2017 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)

Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com

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LAS CRUCES  Nearly 500 U.S. Army soldiers could be stationed at White Sands Missile Range, if Army leaders agree to a request from New Mexicos congressional delegation.

Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and Reps. Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Lujan and Michelle Lujan Grisham joined in a letter to Army leaders requesting that WSMR be considered to house one of the new security force assistance brigades.

SFABs are a new creation by the Army. The Army website describes them as the first permanent unit of its kind in the U.S. Army, solely dedicated to advising and assisting partner nations in developing their security force capability, from the tactical to ministerial level.

The letter explained that there is $170 million worth of modern, battalion-sized facilities at WSMR that are vacant and immediately available, along with more than 130,000 square feet of brand new facilities, from headquarters to maintenance bays; a new dining facility; and a 134,000-acre maneuver training area with close proximity to the personnel of the 1st Armored Division and Brigade Modernization Command at Fort Bliss.

WSMR lost its last deployable Army unit in 2013 when it was announced that the 2nd Engineering Battalion would be deactivated. There were 535 soldiers attached to that battalion.

The SFAB established in May at Fort Benning, Georgia, and five others planned  a total of five in the active component and one in the National Guard  will each have 529 soldiers assigned.

We appreciate Armys decision to accelerate the establishment and selection of the remaining five SFABs, the letter stated. WSMR has a long history of hosting active-duty units, and the state of New Mexico would provide a warm welcome to the Army should it decide to station an SFAB at White Sands. In basing roughly 500 officers and senior noncommissioned officers at WSMR, the Army can take full advantage of the exceptional training capabilities offered at the post while making the best use of taxpayer dollars.

Why WSMR?

The letter went on to note the unique geographic advantages of WSMR.

From a training standpoint, WSMR is the largest overland military installation in the country, it said.

The letter noted that the Army, Navy and Air Force all are supported by WSMR, along with numerous private contractors.

WSMR also frequently hosts allied and partner nation elements, offering one-of-a-kind opportunities for training and integrating joint forces, it stated.

It was sent to Secretary of the Army Mark Esper and Army Chief of Staff Mark A. Milley.

Members from the delegation met with Esper this year and provided documentation on the advantages of WSMR. He committed during his confirmation hearing to give the proposal full consideration, according to a press release from the delegation.

Priority No. 1: readiness

Col. Scott Jackson, an infantry officer who has served in the Army for 27 years, is the commander of the first SFAB in Georgia.

Jackson said part of the advising mission of an SFAB is knowing that the American way of doing things is not always the best way to do things with a partner.

There is an Iraqi way of doing things. There is an Afghan way of doing things, he said. If you dont realize that, if you are not sensitive to their way of business, what you propose as an advisor will have no credibility, and you will have no trust. And you will be an ineffective advisor.

Lt. Col. Johnathan Thomas, who serves with the Armys force management directorate at the Pentagon, said the SFABs could grow into a full-sized brigade combat team, if necessary.

What the SFAB also does, Thomas said, is get after the Armys No. 1 priority: readiness.

Being able to provide advisors to assist our partner nation security forces not only helps them defend their country and their interests, and put down existing threats or emerging threats in their area, but also helps us with our readiness, he said. Because now we dont have to send our forces forward and do those things. Those forces are capable of doing it for themselves.



2017 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)

Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com

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PHOENIX  The Arizona Supreme Court handed a major victory Friday to backers of expanded Medicaid for 400,000 Arizona residents, upholding a hospital fee that covers the states share of the costs under the program.

The high court ruled unanimously on a challenge brought by Republican lawmakers who opposed the Medicaid expansion plan championed by former Gov. Jan Brewer in 2013. The challenge had wound its way through state courts ever since, being upheld all along the way.

Losing the assessment would have forced major enrollment cuts. The vast majority of funding for the expansion population comes from the federal government, but the state has to cover some costs.

The decision comes amid a national debate over Medicaid expansion, which was a centerpiece of former President Barack Obamas health care law. President Donald Trump has been pushing to repeal the law since entering office. Republicans have been trying to dismantle the law in Congress but could not come up with enough votes in the Senate. Maine voters last week passed a measure that paves the way for Medicaid expansion in that state.

Lawyers with the Goldwater Institute represented the Republican lawmakers in Arizona. They argued that the hospital assessment was actually a tax that required a two-thirds vote under a voter-approved 1992 Constitutional amendment covering tax increases. Brewer only got a majority of lawmakers to back the plan.

The Goldwater Institute called the court decision a blow to taxpayer rights.

The voters who limited the Legislatures ability to raise taxes certainly didnt intend to give even greater power to unelected officials to impose assessments,' Christina Sandefur, a Goldwater attorney, said in a statement. This is a classic case of taxation without authorization.

The states Medicaid agency and an advocacy group representing Medicaid recipients argued an exemption for fees set by state agencies means the hospital assessment is legal. Lower courts agreed with that argument.

Groups such as the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association praised the courts decision.

This is a great day for Arizona, and one we have awaited through a four-year legal fight, the group said. Had the high court instead opted to strike down the law that re-opened Arizonas Medicaid rolls, the consequences would have been dramatic.

The high court sided with the state, saying the fee was not a tax. It is not prescribed by formula, amount or limit and is set by the agency director, exemptions to the 2/3 vote requirement for new taxes.

The opinion was written by Chief Justice Scott Bales and joined by five members of the seven-member court and an appeals court judge. That judge was sitting in for Justice Clint Bolick, who was formerly the Goldwater Institutes lead attorney, recused himself from the case.

The states hospitals paid $265 million in assessments in the last fiscal year based on the number of people they treated. In return, they got patients who were covered by Medicaid. The state hospital association backed the assessment because its members were losing hundreds of millions of dollars caring for uninsured low-income patients.

Brewers law restored coverage for childless adults earning less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level who had been covered in Arizona before the Great Recession sapped state revenues. It also extended coverage to all Arizonans legally in the country who earn up to 138 percent of the poverty level.

Brewer, a Republican, surprised many when she embraced the expansion. She angered many fellow Republicans with her efforts, which included calling a special legislative session after Republican House and Senate leaders stalled a vote for weeks.

She said in an interview Friday that she was very gratified that the court sided with her, saying a ruling the other way would have cost lives, decimated rural hospitals and hurt the states economy.

Over 400,000 Arizonans now will continue to receive health care and mental health care and life-saving treatment, and thats really important, Brewer said. Doing the right thing almost always means doing the hard thing, and I have absolutely, absolutely no regrets.

With the expansion, about 1.9 million Arizona residents are now covered by Medicaid.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Students in New Mexico public schools generally make about a years worth of academic progress for each year theyre in school.

But many students are starting kindergarten behind their peers, so they actually need even more growth to catch up, according to a new report prepared by analysts for the Legislative Finance Committee.

Furthermore, the achievement gap  lower test scores for students from low-income families, for example  remains, the report says.

One potential solution, legislative analysts say in the report, is expanded use of pre-kindergarten programs that have a track record of success at raising students test scores. The benefits of pre-K persist through eighth grade, LFC program evaluator Sarah Dinces told lawmakers Friday.

And there are also positive effects, she said, for students who participate in both pre-K and a K-3 Plus program that adds 25 days to the beginning of the school year.

The state, however, must ensure the programs are carried out with high standards, according to the report.

The report recommends prioritizing money for districts that will carry out K-3 Plus on a schoolwide basis, keep students with the same teacher all year, and ensure theres only a short gap between the end of K-3 Plus and the beginning of the school year.

The program was hit with budget cuts this year as New Mexico faced a broader financial crisis that exhausted its reserves and damaged its credit rating. Altogether, the state awarded about $18 million this summer for K-3 Plus programs, down about 28 percent from the previous year.

Fridays report comes as New Mexico struggles with low student performance compared with the national average. But it points out that year-to-year growth isnt necessarily the problem.

New Mexico schools are advancing learning a little over one year during each grade, said Matt Montano, deputy secretary of the Public Education Department.

If our kids were coming in on a level playing field, that would be sufficient, he said. Wed be competing with other states in the country, but we actually need more growth in a given year.

The 39-page report was prepared by program evaluators who work for the Legislative Finance Committee, a 16-member panel of lawmakers.

Dinces, who led Fridays presentation, said the report found that New Mexico students  especially from low-income families  tend to change schools often, which contributes to low test scores.

Poverty and high rates of students just learning English are also factors, the report said.

But Dinces said some districts are showing strong grains, despite poverty and other challenges.

The study, she said, tracked specific groups of students as they progressed from kindergarten to third grade and from third to eighth grade.

Several lawmakers said they grew up poor  or moved around often  and that its important New Mexico maintain high expectations for every student, regardless of background.

Its the adults, not the kids, who are responsible, state Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa, said.

It is essentially all of our fault and all of our problem, he said. We need to provide the resources where theyre needed.
WASHINGTON  The White House Friday sent Congress a $44 billion disaster aid request thats already under attack from lawmakers from hurricane-hit regions as way too small.

The request, President Donald Trumps third since hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria slammed the Gulf Coast and Caribbean, would bring the total appropriated for disaster relief this fall close to $100 billion  and thats before most of the money to rebuild Puerto Ricos devastated housing stock and electric grid is added in.

The new installment would add $24 billion to the governments chief disaster account and establish a new $12 billion grant program for flood risk mitigation projects. Smaller amounts would go to small business loans and to aid farmers suffering crop losses.

The request followed lobbying by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who pressed the White House for far more. There are sure to be attempts to add to the measure as it advances through the House and Senate.

This request does not come close to what local officials say is needed, said New York Rep. Nita Lowey, top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

Even before the measure was delivered, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called it wholly inadequate. Cornyn worked in September to nearly double Trumps initial request for Harvey aid and has been battling with the White House behind the scenes.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded, I dont think $44 billion is a low amount and my guess is if you asked any average citizen across this country they wouldnt feel that its low either.

She said Texas should step up and provide state money to the rebuilding efforts. But she said damage assessments in Puerto Rico hadnt been completed yet and additional requests were expected.

The measure arrives as lawmakers and the White House face numerous budget-related issues by years end, including a deadline of Dec. 8 to avert a government shutdown. Top Capitol Hill leaders are also negotiating bipartisan spending increases for the Pentagon and domestic agencies in hopes of passing a catchall government funding bill. They are also seeking to renew a popular program that provides health care to children from low-income families.

And theres a tax bill that is Republicans top priority. GOP leaders have appeared wary of tackling other budget-related issues while the tax legislation was taking shape but time is running low and coming weeks are likely to bring a burst of activity. Talks on increasing tight caps on agency budgets have centered on a GOP plan for a two-year, $182 billion increase that still falls short of demands by both defense hawks and Democrats seeking more for domestic programs.

Rossello has requested $94 billion, including $18 billion to rebuild the islands power grid and $31 billion for housing. The White House anticipates sending another request focused on the needs of the island territory but hasnt indicated when that would be.

Because Hurricane Maria occurred more recently, damage assessments are ongoing, said White House budget director Mick Mulvaney.

Mulvaney also asked lawmakers to consider $59 billion in spending cuts to pay for the aid, including $44 billion from benefit programs by extending automatic cuts known as sequestration over the 2025-2027 budget window.

Texas and Florida officials also expressed disappointment. Abbott, the Texas governor, submitted a $61 billion request to Trump last month for Harvey-related damages, including ambitious requests for flood control and navigation projects. He called the White House request completely inadequate.

The Florida congressional delegation asked for $27 billion. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, said in a statement that the request doesnt come close to providing what is needed. People are hurting and they desperately need our help, yet this request has no money to provide housing for evacuees and barely any money for Floridas citrus growers. Thats unacceptable.

Congress needs to pass a more robust disaster bill that actually provides the funding needed to help people recover, Nelson said.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Congress had proven its commitment to aid those suffering from the natural disasters of the fall. Ryan said the House would review the request and work with the administration and members from affected states to help the victims get the resources they need to recover and rebuild.

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Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.
The University of New Mexico has settled a potential multi-million dollar case brought by a former anesthesiology resident who said her hospital supervisors retaliated against and fired her after she reported being raped by a colleague.

Cynthia Heralds story has gone before a civil jury twice since she filed her case in 2011. In 2013, she lost the case but successfully appealed. The case was before a jury again for the past two weeks, culminating Thursday in final testimony.

But late Thursday, UNM placed a call to Heralds attorney team offering to settle the case.

Herald, and her attorneys Lisa Curtis and Randi McGinn, said this morning that they are pleased with the settlement, details of which will remain confidential for six months. Her civil lawsuit sought about $4 million in lost wages in addition to compensation for damages.

Maybe I can go back to being my normal self, Herald said following this mornings hearing dismissing jurors and resolving the case in front of District Court Judge Shannon Bacon.

UNMs attorneys on the case, Lorna Wiggins and Patricia Williams, declined to comment after the hearing. UNM in a statement later said, the University and Dr. Herald have mutually agreed to settle her lawsuit.

Ensuring the safety and well-being of our patients is a critical priority, Paul B. Roth, chancellor for Health Sciences, said in the emailed statement. Cases like this demonstrate the need for us also to renew our commitment to timely and appropriately addressing allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

UNM had claimed Herald made the accusations to cover for her failure in the residency program caused by her drug addiction. Herald was terminated from the residency program in June 2010. The man she accused of raping her graduated from the program, was recommended by his UNM supervisors for a pain specialty fellowship.

He was never charged. He was also never interviewed by UNM supervisors following Heralds reporting.
A former tax collector with the state Taxation and Revenue Department pleaded guilty to three counts of extortion during his first appearance in federal court Friday morning.

Larry Mendoza, 44, is facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, according to the plea agreement. The agreement ensures he wont face additional charges for the scheme and prosecutors are recommending that he be sentenced to the low end of federal sentencing guidelines, though its not clear what that sentence would be.

Mendoza accepted cash and checks from businesses that owed taxes, sometimes collecting the money in various parking lots. At one point in the investigation, Mendoza was recorded on tape saying call me Mr. Cash, Kari Converse, Mendozas attorney, said in court.

FBI agents started investigating Mendoza in February 2017 when they were approached by the owner of Dos Amigos Anglers, a Santa Fe fly-fishing business, who said he was extorted by Mendoza. Mendoza initially threatened that the state would seize the fishing business for unpaid taxes and then offered to reduce the companys tax burden in exchange for cash payments of around $500 at a time, according to search warrants in the case.

Magistrate Judge Laura Fashing released Mendoza under certain conditions after his court appearance.

Theres a whole long story of what led to this. But its not par for the course for him, Converse said in court. Hes scared to death.

Converse couldnt be reached for comment after the hearing.

Mendozas sentencing hearing hasnt been scheduled.

Mendoza worked for the state from 2007 through 2017, and starting in 2013 he was responsible for collecting outstanding taxes from business owners, according his plea agreement.

Prosecutors said in the plea agreement that Mendoza was responsible for between $40,000 and $95,000 in losses.

Following Mr. Mendozas departure, the (taxation and revenue) Department has conducted internal reviews of its processes and strengthened internal security measures to address the conduct of Mr. Mendoza while he was an employee here, Ben Cloutier, a spokesman for the department, said in an email.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in a lengthy battle between New Mexico and Texas over management of one of North Americas longest rivers.

Oral arguments in the Rio Grande case are scheduled Jan. 8.

All sides say the stakes are high given uncertainty about the future sustainability of water supplies throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Farmers, water policy experts, city officials and others have been working behind the scenes to build a framework for a possible settlement.

Texas took its case to the Supreme Court in 2013, asking that New Mexico stop pumping groundwater along the border so that more of the river could flow south to farmers and residents in El Paso.

New Mexico has argued in court documents that its meeting delivery obligations to Texas.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  A Northern Arizona University professor is accused of stalking a student and two firefighters she met online.

The Arizona Daily Sun reports that a federal grand jury indicted 36-year-old Melissa Ann Santana this week on five counts of felony stalking.

According to court documents, the married interior design professor started cyber-stalking an NAU student in February 2015 months after they met through Craigslist.

Over the next several months, she met two U.S. Forest Service firefighters through Tinder and sent both harassing messages. She allegedly keyed one of the mens cars and slashed the tires.

She is also accused of harassing their colleague and one of the mens fiancee through social media.

NAU spokeswoman Kimberly Ott says Santana is no longer employed there and declined to comment further.

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Information from: Arizona Daily Sun, http://www.azdailysun.com/
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) The Congress today accused the Modi government of "clutching at straws" to reclaim the lost credibility, and said it and rating agency Moodys have failed to gauge the mood of the nation.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala also sought to downplay Moodys rating upgrade of India, saying the same agency had miscalculated US subprime mortgages before the economic meltdown.

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"After destroying Indias economy, the Modi government is clutching at straws to claim lost credibility," he said on Twitter.

"Modiji and Moodys jodi (duo) have failed to gauge the mood of the nation," he said, adding that hunger deaths, agri distress, job losses, lowest credit ratings, rising prices, plunging exports, flawed GST, demonetisation disaster, stagnant growth are the real indices to measure it.

Taking a dig at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Surjewala said, "Mr Jaitley, do remember that Moody?s, S&P and other rating agencies defaulted in rating American sub-prime mortgages...before the economic meltdown."

"Lesson is stop acting and get your act together. Shun arrogance and listen to the trade and industry," he told the finance minister.

The Congress leader said the Modi government relied upon a World Bank report of Delhi/Mumbai to claim all is well and quoted a PEW survey of 2,464 people to claim victory.

"At this pace, Modiji should be fighting next election abroad," he said, taking a dig at the prime minister.

"Mr Jaitley, history teaches us valuable lessons. You ignore them at your peril! As greed, collusion and crony capitalism sank banks and Wall Street, please read who contributed to wiping away peoples money.

"Hope you are not following the same trajectory!," he said.

Moodys Investors Service today raised Indias sovereign rating for the first time in 13 years, saying growth prospects have improved with continued progress on economic and institutional reforms.

The US-based agency changed its rating outlook to stable from positive, saying the reforms will help stabilise rising levels of debt.

Top ministers and officials of the government hailed the rating upgrade by Moodys as "long overdue" and hoped others such as S&P and Fitch will follow suit as it presses ahead with steps to ratchet up growth. PTI SKC SMN

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SANTA FE  New Mexicos two U.S. senators have successfully added an amendment to a major defense funding bill to help protect Los Alamos National Laboratorys role as the nations producer of plutonium pits, the triggers for nuclear weapons.

The possibility of moving pit-making to another weapons complex site was first raised at a meeting of a nuclear safety board in June in Santa Fe.

As the Journal reported then, an official with the Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration said a study was underway to determine if meeting pit-production goals for a huge weapons modernization plan could be best met at Los Alamos or by adding capabilities elsewhere. Loss of the pit-making job  none have been made since 2011, but LANL is ordered to make up to 80 per year by 2030  would cost Los Alamos millions, and possibly billions, of dollars worth of work.

No findings from the study have been released, and no one has proposed moving pit production. But Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Democrats, made a preemptive strike with an amendment to the defense authorization bill passed by the Senate Thursday and which now awaits the presidents signature.

It requires the Trump administration to meet certain requirements to justify moving pit manufacturing from Los Alamos, including by certification by the Secretary of Defense and review by the Nuclear Weapons Council. If no decision is made within 150 days of Trump signing the defense funding bill, the pit work stays in Los Alamos using planned, new underground modules.

The two senators didnt address their amendment in comments released about the defense bill. Heinrich said he will continue to ensure our installations in New Mexico have strong, sustainable national security missions for years to come.

Critics maintain theres no need for new pits with thousands currently in storage. Greg Mello of the Albuquerque-based Los Alamos Study Group said the senators see only dollar signs involved.

Rebuilding even a small version of the Rock Flats Plant (which formerly made pits in Colorado) near Santa Fe will have very serious consequences for the region and the country as a whole, he said.

LANL has been under attack for safety lapses. In 2016, it was the only one of the DOEs nuclear facilities to receive a failing safety rating in the area of criticality, or prevention of uncontrolled nuclear chain reactions, although no such accidents have taken place.

In all, the defense bill includes more than $14 billion for the NNSA, an increase of nearly $1 billion over the last fiscal year. The funds support weapons work and environmental cleanup at LANL, Sandia National Laboratories and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southern New Mexico.

Another Udall-Heinrich amendment supports the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, an independent panel that oversees the labs. The measure requires board members to report to Congress each year about whether the White Houses budget request for the board is enough to fund reviews deemed necessary to ensure safe operations at DOE sites. Supporters say the boards role is critical given safety issues at LANL and the planned uptick in nuclear weapons work.

The bill also authorizes spending for projects at New Mexico bases, including $50 million at Cannon Air Force Base, $4.2 million for Holloman and more than $9 million for Kirtland Air Force Base.
BBC Global News Ltd, the BBCs commercially funded international news arm, has announced the appointment of Charlie Villar to its newly-created Chief Operating Officer position.

Villar, who is currently the BBCs Director of Tax, Treasury and Corporate Finance, will start with immediate effect and will be responsible for the financial and operational leadership of the company, bringing together finance, engineering, internal and external communications, HR and legal and business affairs. He will join the management team and will be one of two directors of the company, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Jim Egan. The appointment comes as the company expands to incorporate the advertising sales arm of the BBC.

Speaking about the appointment, Egan said, I am delighted to be welcoming Charlie to BBC Global News Ltd as our first Chief Operating Officer. As we complete the expansion of the business and embark on a new phase for BBC World News and BBC.com, Charlie brings the ideal mix of private and public sector experience to the leadership team. High quality commercially funded journalism has never been more important but it has also never been under greater pressure. Charlies appointment will bring expertise, energy and a fresh perspective to our enduring mission of staying true to the BBCs unique editorial values and running a business which continues to be commercially successful.

Villar added, This is a hugely exciting time to be joining BBC Global News Ltd, especially as the business comes together with BBC Advertising. External market forces and changing consumer behaviours are resulting in the rapid evolution of how people across the world consume news on TV, online and mobile devices; fake news and social media are causing audiences to seek out reliable, trusted sources; and media companies are looking for new business models to be fit for purpose in a demanding environment. Global News Ltd benefits from the BBCs outstanding reputation for high quality, together with its deep experience of responding to changes in technology and audience behaviour. I am really looking forward to joining the team to guide the business as we respond to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

In his role as the BBCs Director of Tax, Treasury and Corporate Finance, Villar developed the BBCs long-term financial plan following last years renewal of the BBCs Royal Charter and he was also responsible for managing the relationship of the BBCs commercial subsidiaries with the BBC Public Service.

Villar spent the first part of his career in the commercial sector. He is a qualified accountant, having trained with Arthur Andersen. He then moved onto Deloitte where he worked in Audit and Corporate Finance, advising clients across the Financial Services, Media and the Telecoms sectors. Prior to joining the BBC in 2010, he was a Director at the Shareholder Executive - HM Governments in-house corporate finance and shareholding arm - where he led high profile restructurings of Northern Rock, The Royal Mint, and Ordnance Survey.
Bloomberg|Quint, Indias premier business and financial news company, has launched a WhatsApp service for decision makers and executives on the go. A first of its kind offering in the business space, the service will connect subscribers to Bloomberg|Quints comprehensive daily coverage of global and domestic business news, market movements and views from the countrys most influential corproate leaders. This service follows the recent launch of Bloomberg|Quints BQ LIVE, Indias first digital live streaming business news service available across its site, the bloomberg terminal and leading social and video platforms.

With WhatsApp emerging as one of the top channels for consumption and sharing of news, Bloomberg|Quint has launched this service to deepen its engagement with users and augment its distribution footprint. Subscribers to the service receive Bloomberg|Quints much acclaimed All You Need To Know morning podcast, alerts and updates on the economy, corporate and markets news. Users can also interact through hashtag based search to consume content of their interest such as markets, opinion, business and politics.

To subscribe, users have to click on this link and save the number as a WhatsApp contact, and message Start BQ to initiate their subscription.

Within days of launch, the service has garnered a strong positive response from users.

Speaking on the launch, Anil Uniyal, CEO of Bloomberg|Quint, said, As a brand, we believe in being accessible to our users wherever they are. WhatsApp evidently is a platform of choice for top executives to consume and share content with peers and thus this service is integral to our digital-first philosophy. The initial response has been overwhelming and we are committed to scaling up this service in terms of users and features.

Bloomberg|Quint provides high-quality business news and insights to Indias decision-makers, executives and entrepreneurs. With a native, platform-first philosophy in content, Bloomberg|Quint has fast emerged as one of the most engaging business brands on digital. Bloomberg|Quints content spans engaging and innovative mobile-friendly formats including live video streaming and produced video, published articles, op-eds, data infographics and charts, social content, newsletters, polls and live chats, photo essays and contests across its own and partner platforms including The Quint, Twitter, Yahoo, Facebook.

Bloomberg|Quint reaches more than 2 million monthly users across its on-site and partner platforms. More than 50% of Bloomberg|Quints audience comprises of C-level executives and entrepreneurs. During Budget 2017, Bloomberg|Quint delivered over 50 million in reach, including 15 million video views and more than 25k shares on social media, ahead of several legacy players in the space. It was also recently rated as the most viewed business news brand on Facebook amongst new-age publishers. (Source: Vidooly, Facebook Video Report, June 2017)
Indias 1st romantic radio station, ISHQ 104.8 FM, is bracing up its existing line-up of innovative content with the launch of Calling Karan. Hosted by Bollywoods ace director and the king of chat shows, Karan Johar, the show will serve as a platform for listeners seeking advice on love and relationships. KJo, known for being real and unfiltered, will be seen as listeners friend  radios new BFF. Pitched to become the biggest show on radio, Calling Karan will air five times a week (Mon-Fri), thrice a day, with 8 pm - 10 pm being the first airing, and repeats at 10 am -12 noon, 2 pm  4 pm.

Karan Johar will draw inspiration from his own lifes experiences and give listeners some straight up advice on love and relationships in his inimitable style, which will be interspersed with celebrity call-ins and interesting trivia. Bringing in an element of his trademark chat shows, the closing segment will feature a rapid-fire round, but with a role-reversal  KJo will respond to quick questions by the listeners! Ishq FM will also post the show on digital platforms for online consumption, thereby expanding its reach exponentially.

Speaking about Ishq FMs newest offering, Shivangini Jajoria, National Head, Operations, ISHQ 104.8 FM said, As a radio station, we are constantly trying to raise the bar for providing engaging content to the listeners. From launching Gaydio  Indias first LGBTQ show on mainstream radio to sending people to Paris on Valentines Day to propose on Eiffel Tower, Ishq is trying to redefine the radio landscape. Thrilled with the fantastic response we have received from our listeners so far, we are happy to offer yet another unique show, hosted by Bollywoods most quintessential romantic filmmaker. Advertisers are always looking for clutter breaking content which generates PR; Calling Karan provides them with one such exciting show to associate with.

Commenting on the show, Karan Johar said, Excited to have formally launched my first ever show on RADIO! Calling Karan on Ishq 104.8 FM will be your one stop advice shop for relationships and matters of the heart! I am your new BFF on Radio!

ISHQ 104.8 FM, known for providing long music sweeps and shortest ad breaks, already has a good loyal listener base. With a show like Calling Karan which is expected to generate a lot of conversations in social media, the radio station will continue to accrue many more listeners in the coming months. Karan Johar, known to be the definition of love, friendship, and bold decisions, will make for a befitting host and indeed be radios new BFF!
Raymond Group, the leading manufacturer, marketer and retailer of worsted suiting fabrics and ready-to-wear apparel, today announced One Park Avenue, a customer facing initiative for Park Avenues range of mens grooming products. Resonating with the confident young male of today,

One Park Avenue will entail a distinct brand, product and an aggressive Go-to-market strategy. The brand will soon make its way to international markets such as the Middle-East, Bangladesh and Nepal, with a phase 2 plans to enter South Asian markets of Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Myanmar in the next six months.

The mens grooming category is undergoing a transformation and expanding into multiple formats and subformats. Park Avenue is seen as a mature and sophisticated brand that is recognized as a pioneer in the male grooming space. Under the One Park Avenue initiative, the brand will have synergies in terms of a Unified Visual Identity, repositioning itself with a wider grooming portfolio, premium international packaging and innovative products. The overall brand architecture will have blue, white and black colours across product categories. Additionally, the entire range will be available through exclusive brand outlets of Park Avenue apparel along with other sales & distribution channels across India and International markets.

Launching the initiative Gautam Hari Singhania  Chairman & Managing Director, Raymond Ltd. said,

Changing customer preferences, improved lifestyles and growing consciousness among male consumers, presents us with huge opportunities in the FMCG space. After the acquisition of Ansells stake earlier this year, One Park Avenue is yet another significant step that will strengthen our FMCG play both nationally and internationally, which is an important driver for value creation for the Raymond group and an integral part of the Raymond Re-Imagined journey.

One Park Avenue is being led through the introduction of a new range of fine fragrances and new positioning statement Unleash your X factor. The new Eau De Parfums are masterblended by global perfumers with exotic ingredients and are available in 50ml and 100ml priced at Rs 399 and Rs 699 respectively.

Commenting on this initiative and exciting prospects for the FMCG business, Giriraj Bagri, CEO  FMCG Business, Raymond Ltd. said At Raymond we are leveraging synergies across our FMCG businesses to create a strong and monolithic FMCG play in our core categories. Simultaneously we are also utilizing cross organizational expertise to bring in efficiencies and cost optimization to help us invest more aggressively towards newer initiatives such as One Park Avenue. The idea of One Park Avenue is built on unique consumer insights backed by strong innovation that will drive consumer acquisition and enhance consumer relevance for our lead brand Park Avenue. Going forward, we hope to clock exponential growth and hence a coherent unified premium imagery and identity of Park Avenue has been created for offering the same product experience globally.
Six months ago, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian had criticised the global ratings agencies for projecting discriminatory outlook of India's economy against China's. Now, Moody's seems to have rectified the flaws.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) to the Narendra Modi government, Arvind Subramanian must be feeling vindicated after credit ratings agency Moody's upgraded India's sovereign rating for the first time in 13 years praising "progress on economic and institutional reforms".

After the Moody's Investors Service today raised the rating from Baa3 to Baa2, CEA Arvind Subramanian said that the rating upgrade was "long overdue" and "is a recognition of reforms like GST, bank recapitalisation plan, bankruptcy code and macro-stability."

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Earlier this year, Arvind Subramanian had slammed the global ratings agencies for ignoring India's sustained efforts at bringing economic reforms in the country.

Responding to queries in New Delhi today, Arvind Subramanian said that the government "is going to do what it has to do on the domestic front - employment growth, economic growth, reviving investment."

WHAT ARVIND SUBRAMANIAN HAD SAID?

In May this year, Arvind Subramamian had criticised global credit ratings agencies for not upgrading India's rating despite, what he perceived as, clear improvement in its economic fundamentals. He had said that the global agencies were "inconsistent" in rating India and China.

India had then been clubbed in the lowest investment grade making the borrowing rates for India higher in the global market. Lower grade for a country's economy signals more risk involved for investors putting money in there.

Arvind Subramanian had then said, "In recent years, ratings agencies have maintained India's BBB- rating, notwithstanding clear improvements in our economic fundamentals. At the same time, China's rating has actually been upgraded to AA-, even though its fundamentals have deteriorated."

"In other words, the ratings agencies have been inconsistent in their treatment of China and India. Given this record - what we call Poor Standards - my question is: why do we take these rating analysts seriously at all," Subramanian had asked.

HOW MOODY'S MAKES AMENDS

Moody's had last upgraded India in 2004. But, it changed the outlook from "stable" to "positive" in 2015, a year after the Narendra Modi came to power. The latest review of Indian economy by Moody's is a welcome sign for the country.

The improved rating by the Moody's means that the agency has changed Indian economy's outlook from "positive" to "stable" after 13 years. Moody's stated that the economic reforms undertaken by the Narendra Modi government would help stabilise rising levels of debt.

An upgrade by Moody's is expected to follow a similar review by other agencies including Standard & Poor's and Fitch. Moody's rating upgrade follows the World Bank's latest ranking for ease of doing business. India got a 30-place jump in the ranking on ease of doing business to occupy the ladder at 100th position.

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Moody's has mentioned about measures like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, improvements in the monetary policy framework, recapitalisation banks to clean up non-performing loans and reforms aimed at expanding the coverage of formal economy.

In its statement, the ratings agency said, "While India's high debt burden remains a constraint on the country's credit profile, Moody's believes that the reforms put in place have reduced the risk of a sharp increase in debt, even in potential downside scenarios."

Moody's has projected India's GDP growth to moderate to 6.7 per cent for the current fiscal against 7.1 per cent for the previous year. However, it predicted a 7.5 per cent GDP growth rate for 2018-19 - a crucial financial year for the Narendra Modi government before the next Lok Sabha elections.

"While a number of important reforms remain at the design phase, Moody's believes that those implemented to date will advance the government's objective of improving the business climate, enhancing productivity, stimulating foreign and domestic investment, and ultimately fostering strong and sustainable growth," the Moody's statement read further.

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iProspect India, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, completes 20 years in India today, November 17, 2017. In this two decades of existence in the digital marketing industry, iProspect has emerged as Indias No. 1 and largest digital performance agency.

iProspect India started life in the year 1997 as Communicate 2, founded by Vivek Bhargava. The agency was acquired by iProspect from Dentsu Aegis Network in 2012, following which Bhargava led iProspect Communicate 2 as the Founder and Managing Director. The company was rebranded as iProspect India at the end of 2015, with Bhargava leading as Chief Executive Officer, till Rubeena Singh took over as CEO of iProspect India in December 2016. Bhargava was then promoted to a larger role of CEO of DAN Performance Group.

The company enjoys a 160-plus client roster, including marquee brands like Myntra, Shopclues, Koovs, Raymond, Aegon Life, American Express, Axis Bank, Bharti Axa, HDFC, ICICI, Kotak, Maxlife, Reliance General Insurance, Royal Sundaram, Yes Bank, Cleartrip, Thomas Cook, Apollo Hospitals, Remit2India, Bloomberg|Quint, and Wildcraft, among others. It is home to over 250 people across four offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi and Chennai.

In this exclusive conversation with Adgully, Vivek Bhargava, CEO, DAN Performance Group, walks down memory lane and recalls his days as an entrepreneur, setting up Communicate 2, becoming part of a bigger set-up in Dentsu Aegis Network and more importantly, his major learnings while leading iProspect India over its two-decade presence in the Indian market and how the agency has carved out a successful place for itself.

Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India, speaks to Adgully about her association with the agency, her vision for the team, Moment Marketing' and much more.

Inclined towards technology from an early age, Vivek Bhargava decided to move away from his family business under Bhargava Group and venture out on his own, taking the entrepreneurial road. His father, who was sceptical about this decision, told Bhargava never to come back to the family business if he failed in his venture. This spurred the young entrepreneur to trudge on and fight his way through the dotcom bust, facing bankruptcy, even having to tweak his business model several times.

Bhargava lived through all and turned around his digital venture. Today, he is passionate about sharing his experiences, insights and struggles with youngsters who are looking to become successful entrepreneurs. He has been mentoring promising young people as part of Unicorn India Ventures, which invests in seed and early stages of technology focussed businesses across industry verticals.

Giving a boost to budding entrepreneurs is not the only passion of Bhargava. He is also a table tennis enthusiast and plays the game competitively. In fact, he won medals in the 40-plus category of the last two national tournaments. Bhargava is taking forward the cause of table tennis with his Kamgar Academy situated in Elphinstone Road, Mumbai.

Edited excerpts:

When you began, there was no sign of digital and no one knew what internet was all about. What made you get into this sector?

I come from a conventional business family, where we were made to work in various industries that came with other perks like visiting foreign locations like Paris. With those foreign trips, the idea of communications came to my mind. The way developed countries were using marketing communications to their advantage impressed me a lot. First of all, during that time, Indian companies were not good at marketing communication. And using technology for the same was an even bigger lacuna. That made me think of coming up with a company that would help Indian corporates create a niche for themselves.

You were very young when you started on this, but even then did you have any vision in place that this was what you wanted to do?

When I was working in my family business, I had a realisation that technology will change the face of the world and it will come to India as well. Although, it took a lot of time to come to India. But that vision was very clear and I wanted to do that for the rest of my life. My father supported the idea of me having a company and working in it for few hours a day. However, doing this would have put a limit on me coming back to my family business. That made me more resolute about my company and helped me stick to my work even though there were times when I wanted to go back to my family business.

But the vision was clear on a broader sense. You can never be sure of where your company will go in the future till you spend the first thousand days in any entrepreneurial venture, but the idea was very clear that I wanted to help companies use ad leverage technology for better marketing communications.

During the course did you change your areas of work?

Yes, during the course the business model had to pivot many times. For instance, when we began, marketing communications meant making websites for companies and when Chandra Babu Naidu had gone to the US for fundraiser, the CD he took with himself, which had the Muchchad Panwala website was all done by us. At that time, we were called a full service agency. When the dotcom bust happened, everything was commoditised. We were doing a major website for a big enterprise and they wanted to cut the price by 90 per cent. Then Search happened. I felt that was the next big thing as you could target the intent of the user. It was performance based. These experiences taught me to focus on fewer things and become the best at it. That business model of focussing on performance in the initial period and becoming the best at it was the change.

The business model changed again in 2008-09 due to media changes. Media went up and down, which affected us. 70-80 per cent of our revenue was coming from BFSI and every single of them stopped spending, which almost made us bankrupt. That made us change our business model, where we had to become retail based and charged for content, SEO, consulting, etc., and basically it made us less direct media. We also diversified to different verticals. Today, too, we are changing and evolving even as we speak. Because the digital industry came in so quickly, the broader vision remains the same. Having said that, how we were going to achieve that when the route we take keeps changing every year or 6 months, was a challenge.

What are the five high points of your journey?

As I mentioned earlier, we did this website called Muchchad Panwala, which was very exciting. We've had some amazing clients, including Chandra Babu Naidu, MTV, and we have also worked with some of the largest companies. We also won the first two Gold Awards in the Digital category in the history of the Abby Awards in India.

As and when business model changes, the low points become the high points. Changing the entire company around, maturing as an entrepreneur by trial and fire  those 4-5 years were the high points, although they were also low ones due to the market economy and a couple of more things. Negotiation became an issue and we had to lose out on a major account. That setback taught us a lot and with those learnings it became a high point as we were confident of doing well without that. After 4 years, we got back with a changed business model and made more revenue than what we would have made four years ago. So, in hind sight it proved beneficial for us.

The sale is the high point. For an entrepreneur, one flip establishes your credibility and creates a safety net and I believe, as an entrepreneur you are allowed to make mistakes and fail. Because if we look at it, we can realise that if we dont bet on it all the time, whats the worst that can happen?

(Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India, adds here: Its not applicable all the time because there are a lot of people relying on you for employment and they cant be penalised for your doing!)

You mentioned about a safety net. Does it make you confident that one can always bounce back? Will that entrepreneur ever stop?

When you are an entrepreneur, its like being a trapeze artist doing somersaults. If you fall, there is no way of coming back. With a safety net, you can always fall and come back and do more somersaults. With this safety net, you can always climb back again.

How have you seen the industry grow over the last two decades? How many players were there?

Four-five players have survived. During the dotcom bust there were thousands of agencies, but once there was a fall, not many stayed back. It takes a lot of courage to stay back and stay persistent. I still believed in the vision because I was passionate. As they say, the future is digital and it always will be.

What are some of the challenges and learnings during the last two decades?

The biggest challenge was to let go of the talent. There were times when you did not know if the employee would come tomorrow to stick with you. Paying remunerations was also sometimes a hard phase, when you did not know how you would manage all the salaries. Despite all these, you smile and work on regardless of what the company is going. The challenge to talents and capital was a tough thing. The other challenge that we faced was that we never got access to decision makers for a good 10-15 years. We could not get access to the people who could move the needle for the organisation and working in digital was a big challenge. But we ways took the road less travelled and that gave us the edge over others.

My learning has been in the roads less travelled and having that optimism. People really underestimate this. Thirdly, being happy, as happiness brings you success. It is also important that you have likeability even though the industry is full of competition. Having a competitive spirit, but also thinking more of lending a helping hand and improving the industry and not making it just about you is an important thing. I have taken various workshops and built up one to one relationships.

Tell us more about the role you played in evangelising the digital ecosystem.

I realised that the only way to improve the digital landscape in India is to create digital fitness across the organisation. I have done hundreds of workshops to do that, getting digital in the DNA of the organisation. Having to pull off eight hours of content a day on digital can be really exhausting, but I have done all that. The ability to help people evangelising digital will develop the platform and in the performance sector you will be a dominant player. I still continue to do this.

What are the advantages of being an early mover?

There are more disadvantages than advantages as you get to face all the early problems and solve them for all the other following players. But, one of the advantages is the relationships that you build up along the way. It helps you realise now the problems that companies are facing today. This also helps you realise many of the business problems they are facing than just the digital problems. There is a digital hammer they have in the hand, but digital cant be the solution all the time. The ability to work on it with the CEOs and CMOs was one of the advantages that we had. The kind of credibility and reputation you build up is amazing, as you have the biggest longevity as compared to the thousands who have perished.

What are the international relations that you have built?

I realised that the US and the UK are far ahead of us in the digital domain. But we did not have the resources to hire those people to come here and train us, thus I thought of doing offshore work with a few of the largest companies like Yahoo. So I would go and speak in conferences like Adtech, SEM and many more and made good international relations there and pitched offshore. We have been in association with global experts for a long time and continue to be. The ability to stay close friends with entrepreneurs internationally with a lot of experience gives you a huge competitive advantage.

How has life changed from being an entrepreneur to being part of a larger organisation with a safety net?

I have always loved what I did, but one of the key things that Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has done really well is not make things too differently for the entrepreneurs. 70 per cent of the entrepreneurs who worked with Dentsu have stayed back, but that ratio was from earlier times. It only means that Dentsu gives you the same kind of freedom that you get in your own business. That is how DAN works as one of the largest companies in India. It gives you a lot of confidence in what you do. One of the primary reasons why I am sticking around for more time is because of what I am allowed to do now. For instance, if I am about to start a new company, Dentsu gives me that freedom and the flexibility to do that. This also helps in retaining the talent for a longer time in an organisation.

When entrepreneurs are sold and the freedom is taken away, they become merely a cog in the wheel. Then they just want to get over with their earn-out to get over and go back home. I have never had the need to do this as Dentsu gave me the freedom that I wanted to work with.

There is not a lot of difference in what I was allowed to do as an entrepreneur and what I am allowed to do here. From future point of view, this is a good trait for others as well. The senior most managers in the organisation have been entrepreneurs themselves. So, all of them have enjoyed the quirks because they have made something successful and there is no reason why they should be changed. The reason why DAN is growing organically is because of their one-line philosophy and it has retained its entrepreneurs. That is where you feel the real electrifying buzz.

I have faith in the vision that Vivek has: Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India

As they say, Product to services  the part you handled before and the one that you handle now, there is a huge difference, although the business remains more or less the same. How do you plan to take it on from here?

The reason why I took this risk of moving to a different kind of side of business is because, first, I found it very interesting and exciting. Second, because I have faith in the vision that Vivek has for the organisation. Its important to agree with it in order to carry that forward, otherwise your day to day life becomes extremely challenging. And its true that you need to have likeability in the group of people you work with, as people work for people and not just for the job. On that front, we are fairly aligned on where we see iProspect to be. Coming from what I saw when I came in, iProspect is a company with huge pull-run and growing much ahead of the market and has become very large. So, I think that my role is devising how we manage this growth even at such a large and exaggerated rate, and how we keep growing at an accelerated rate. That has been my focus for the last ten months  to manage it as a large business, manage the teams, upscaling our business processes, going into diverse and allied areas to expand the business performance for our clients.

Tell us more about the technology and data you would be working on. Any new data technology that you shall be incorporating? What are the expectations that you seek to match up to?

The expectation that our clients have is that we bring excellence to the table and we have a high-performance team here and they are very committed to do that. Its a virtual cycle, the clients push us to do better and we work towards getting that done with the help of a great talent pool who want to give their best. If you look at it from the organisations perspective, the investments that were made two and a half years ago in data technology have started to pay off now, giving us a big headstart vis-a-vis other agencies. So today, with those technology tools and our experience, what began as a small thing has now taken a bigger shape.

Things keep changing very quickly, so we have to keep adapting ourselves with the new digital ecosystem around us and start building on them. But in terms of the trends, you have to be very sharp and quickly identify the trends and alter your service in that area. For instance, content is going to play a big role in the coming year, because its not just about optimising the media but also personalising the communication at a one to one level. So, we are focussing on how to use data driven content and marry that with performance.

Also, it is what we call Moment Marketing, it is no longer about getting the leads but getting the people in the right context when they are ready to engage and making it more effective for clients. So, at the backend of it, we need more technology to effectively do that. We try to give our clients more personalised and moment driven marketing. Apart from that, the other leg is measuring outcomes and using technology tools to get the insights to co-optimise to improve performance.

What is your vision in terms of nurturing the talent and importance of having the right team?

In the services, you are as good as your team. Its the backbone of your organisation. We induct fresh talent and train them and get the people in the markets that are far ahead of us and get their learnings here and help the others in learning the same.
PANJIN, China, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Panjin, a coastal city in the rustic belt of northeast China, has flourished as a booming industrial port as a result of the Belt and Road Initiative and broader international cooperation.

Situated on the Liaodong Bay of the Bohai Gulf, Panjin is a key terminal on all three trade routes linking northeastern China with Europe via Mongolia, Russia and the Arctic separately.

With Panjin Port at the core, a transportation network comprising high-speed railways and expressways distribute goods to six surrounding cities with an aggregate population of 20 million within one hour. The port also provides northeastern China and Inner Mongolia the closest access to the sea.

The Panjin Municipal Government formed a plan to turn Panjin into a moderately developed city with international competence.

In February, 11 local enterprises went abroad to explore cooperation along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. More than 500 officials and corporate executives from Germany and China attended the 2017 International Beer Festival in September.

In mid-October, Panjin became the first city in northeast China to join the Sino-German Industrial City Alliance, a platform to facilitate the implementation of the strategies of Made in China 2025 and German Industry 4.0.

Compared to the other Chinese members of the alliance, Panjin enjoys a distinctive geographic advantage and takes lead in a set of domestic reforms from business environment optimization to new energy vehicles.

A number of European enterprises including Leoni Group, Clariant and Dynasol have established joint ventures there. The city is also in talks with BASF, Evonik, Oiltanking and Steinbeis for more cooperation.

Panjin Vocational and Technical College has even partnered with a German institution to co-develop the disciplines of chemical, elderly care and machine electricity so as to train more technicians qualified for German-invested companies.

In the future, a world-leading petrochemical and fine chemical industrial base and a special equipment manufacturing base will be built there. European enterprises specialized in the production of ethylene and its down stream products, functional polymer, high-tech materials and pharmaceutical intermediates are particularly welcomed, according to the Publicity Office of Panjin Municipal Government.

As automated and intelligent manufacturing is among the top agenda of the city's industrial restructuring, the city is seeking to broaden cooperation with high-end petroleum equipment manufacturers and high-tech companies with growth potential overseas.

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November 17, 2017

TEHRAN, Iran  Tourism is nowadays at the core of attention of many governments across the world because of its major contribution to social and economic development. As the World Tourism Organization states, the business volume of tourism equals and sometimes surpasses that of crude oil exports.

Such facts, along with possessing numerous tourism attractions  including UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites  have prompted Iran to step up efforts to boost its tourism industry, particularly under President Hassan Rouhani.

To achieve this aim, the Rouhani administration has taken measures that mainly focus on creating better conditions to attract foreign tourists in addition to showcasing Iran's historic and natural attractions.

In this respect, the development of medical and health tourism has been put on the agenda on the grounds that the country enjoys diverse climate conditions, natural resources such as hot and cold mineral springs, and different types of medicinal herbs. Geographical proximity along with high-quality medical services at low cost in comparison with developed and regional countries have also contributed to reasons behind the governments decision to bolster medical and health tourism.

In this vein, inclusive measures  such as holding medical tourism exhibitions in other countries and signing memorandums of understanding with 32 countries to host representatives from Irans leading company (HEGTA) in charge of health tourism to help facilitate travel of foreigners to Iran for medical purposes  have been taken. The holding company, affiliated with Irans Social Security Organization, is also conducting a major medical tourism plan that in its first phase involves the participation of 22 hospitals  five of which are private.

In terms of infrastructure, measures taken so far are divided into two sections: those in major cities, and the others in border areas such as free economic zones. Projects in major cities include a hotel hospital in the capital city of Tehran, which is the largest in the Middle East. The complex, now operational, has 100 beds and 100 suites to accommodate patients companions. To the south of Tehran, a health care complex dubbed Healthcare City is underway in the historic city of Isfahan. The project consists of four phases and is estimated to cost $260 million. The first phase became operational in late October, offering services such as beauty treatments and traditional medicine. In the northwest, the private sector is constructing a hospital in the city of Urmiya in which nearly $260 million has been invested so far, and almost the same amount is still needed to complete the project, which will become Irans first smart hospital capable of being connected with similar hospitals in the world.

This is while infrastructure projects in border areas mainly involve the construction of medical centers. In this regard, free zones have been paid special attention as they enjoy competitive factors such as sharing borders with neighboring countries, easier transit and lack of visa-related issues. The Persian Gulf island of Kish has made progress in medical tourism by offering visa-free medical services and possessing well-equipped medical centers and proper accommodations. Although other free economic zones such as Aras in the northwest and Arvand in the southwest are not as advanced as Kish, measures have been taken in these regions as well. On Oct. 28, Esmail Zamani, head of the Arvand Free Zone, said the region will soon make its first visa-free health tourism center operational. "[The neighboring Iraqi city of] Basra with a population of 5 million is of special importance. Citizens of Basra would be able to travel to the [Arvand] free zone by land and receive medical services or other services available and then return home, Zamani was quoted as saying by local media.

According to Zamani, more than $230 million has been invested to develop infrastructure in Arvand Free Zone over the past three years, while foreign and Iranian private sectors have also made a $1.3 billion investment in the same period.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Mohammad Nasri, the CEO of one of the licensed travel agencies active in health tourism, said, The majority of our patients are from the UK, Australia, Iraq, Canada, Pakistan, Jordan, Bahrain, Germany, Qatar, [the United States] and India. He added, Rhinoplasty, IVF, hair transplants, weight-loss surgeries, dental treatments and eye care are the top inquiries of our patients, in order.

According to the Health Ministry, 105,000 inbound tourists visited Iran for medical purposes during the last Iranian year (which ended March 2017), bringing $588 million in revenue to the country  up from $350 million in 2012. This is while earlier in the year, Mohammad Panahi, vice president of the Association for Development of Medical Tourism Services, said the countrys revenues from health tourism were around $1.2 billion in 2016 without mentioning the number of medical tourists who had visited Iran.

One reason behind the contradicting figures is the countrys visa procedure. Although Iran issues visas on arrival to citizens of over 180 countries, it requires health tourists to apply for a special visa. Since a great number of medical tourists travel to Iran independently or through unauthorized agents, theyre not counted as medical tourists in official data.

Based on Irans Sixth Economic Development Plan (2017-22), the number of health tourists must increase to up to 600,000 every year. Also, by 2025, Iran plans to increase revenue from health tourism to $2.5 billion. Despite all the advancements in recent years, the set targets seem difficult to reach, as there are challenges that need to be addressed.

To help better manage health tourism affairs, the Health Tourism Council was formed two years ago. However, as Cooperatives Minister Ali Rabie stated back in August, lack of integrated management along with insufficient advertisement is still hampering activities in the health and medical tourism sectors. In the meantime, Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi believes that the nonmedical sectors are the main challenge. Medical society currently enjoys required skills and scientific capabilities, he told the IRNA news agency Oct. 14, adding, The medical industry is not the problem now. Other issues must be addressed such as hotels, passenger transportation, flights and particularly visa-related affairs.

An insufficient number of approved travel agencies and hospital and medical centers to accept foreign patients along with unauthorized agencies and middleman is also among existing problems. If the country is to meet its planned targets in health and medical tourism, it is widely believed among officials and experts alike that more needs to be done. Such a necessity becomes more highlighted when rivals like neighboring Turkey plan to become the worlds second hub for health tourism by 2023  and Turkey has already taken measures to advertise its health tourism and thermal tourism in at least 40 countries.
November 15, 2017

BAGHDAD  In a Nov. 14 press conference, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) authorities that he will not wait long to take control of the Kurdistan region's border crossings with Turkey and Iran. We will regain control of border areas without escalation. But our patience will run out. We will not wait forever. We will take action, Abadi said.

Turkish Minister of Customs and Trade Bulent Tufenkci ssid previously that his country has reached an agreement with Iraqs central government to open a border crossing through Ovakoy in Sirnak province, southeast Turkey. Being out of the reach of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, the crossing in Ovakoy is a strong economic and political blow to Kurdistan Region authorities.

The border dispute is a result of the desire of Baghdad, Turkey and Iran to keep Kurdish influence at bay. Kurdish authorities have been delaying the handover of the borders, and the Iraqi forces have threatened to start operations to gain control over the crossings.

Meanwhile, the United States and its Iranian opponent are both interested in the Faysh Khabur strategic crossing. The United States is trying to avoid a conflict and it is working on setting a common security strategy for all areas of conflict, including the crossing. This explains why the United States has suggested the presence of representatives from its US-led coalition at the crossing.

The Popular Mobilization Units have expressed interest in reclaiming the crossing, which would connect them with their allies in Syria. Moreover, the location links the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline to Turkey and acts as an important and lucrative economic passage between Iraq and its neighbors.

In addition to the crossings great economic value to Turkey, Ankara is concerned that it could potentially connect the Kurds in Syria and Iraq, which would facilitate support to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in its battle against Turkey.

Located close to Faysh Khabur and within the Iraqi Kurdistan Region since 1991, the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing (Habur) has been the only border crossing between Iraq and Turkey. Kurdish forces took control of this crossing after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.

The Kurds benefited from intraregional trade through the Ibrahim Khalil crossing and gained high revenues amounting to $6 billion per year.

Up until Nov. 7, the Ibrahim Khalil crossing had been under total KRG control; Iraqi and Turkish forces reached the Faysh Khabur border crossing 7 kilometers (4 miles) away ct. 31.

Jasim Mohammed Jaafar, a member of parliament who is close to Abadi, clarified the military and administrative situation. He told Al-Monitor, What the media has reported concerning the total control of the federal forces at the Ibrahim Khalil and Faysh Khabur crossings is false. He added, The Turkish and Iraqi federal forces control the Ibrahim Khalil crossing point from the Turkish end, while the Kurdish forces remain at the other end, and they are refusing to hand over the crossings administration, tax funds and customs data to the federal authorities.

Jaafar describes the situation in Faysh Khabur as follows, The Kurdish and Iraqi Federal authorities are still experiencing problems at the crossing from the Kurdish end, and the bridge leading to the crossing located 5 kilometers (3 miles) away is still controlled by the Kurdish peshmerga forces.

Jaafar continued, If the Iraqi Kurdistan region insists on occupying the crossing, the Iraqi federal government will have no other option than resorting to force to open the gates at the crossing.

The minister said, On Nov. 3, common security committees were created under the patronage of the US in order to deploy mixed peshmerga and Iraqi forces in Faysh Khabur. He considers that the situation will not last forever given the Kurdish unconstitutional behavior.

Currently, the results of the agreements and security developments are not affecting trade. Ali al-Kaabi, an Iraqi businessman working in the Jamila section of Baghdad, told Al-Monitor, I received a shipment of imported goods from Turkey on Nov. 9, and he affirmed that transit truck drivers have not encountered any changes across the route.

Al-Monitor met with a number of truck drivers. One of them told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that some trucks will be making major changes to their routes in the near future in order to avoid the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

He added, Truck drivers have started taking the Tal Afar route [from Ibrahim Khalil] to Mosul, which is almost 160 kilometers (100 miles) long." It only briefly passes though the Iraqi Kurdistan Region; the more direct route, through Dahuk, is only 130 kilometers, but goes through much more KRG territory,

The truck driver continued, "Its a sign that trade routes far from Kurdistan will be used. Such routes were prosperous in the 1990s  but they lost their popularity due to the Gulf War and the threats of the Islamic State [IS].

Iskandar Witwit, an Iraqi lawmaker and a member of the parliamentary security committee, told Al-Monitor, We are proceeding with the measures to distance [the KRG] from border crossings and stop using the Ibrahim Khalil crossing. We will end up using new crossings altogether.

Witwit pointed out the political significance of holding power over the crossing by saying, This crossing will marginalize the Iraqi Kurdistan region in terms of intraregional trade, and it will allow the Iraqi and Turkish forces to communicate better without Kurdish interference and entirely control oil exportation operations from the north, Kirkuk and Mosul.

He continued, A close examination of the map clarifies how the regions spread across the western side of the Tigris River would act as points of connection with Turkey and Syria through set border crossings especially since the Iraqi forces have also freed the Qaim border crossing. This guarantees a connection between Syria and Iraq, isolates IS, and cuts contact between the PKK and the Kurds in Iraq.

The overall developments reveal that there will be ongoing steps toward the regional and international isolation of the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Losing control over border crossings, following the federal forces takeover of Kirkuks oil Oct. 17, could place the Iraqi Kurdistan Region in a major economic crisis that could put an end to its separatist dreams.
November 17, 2017

State Comptroller Joseph Shapira published a special report Nov. 14 on Israel's national preparedness against the drone threat. The comptroller cited the urgency of the threat in his decision to publish now rather than waiting to release the analysis as part of his annual report. Previous assessments, like that of the Hamas terror tunnels, he said, have sometimes lagged behind the rapid development of severe threats, and there is no time to waste.

The comptrollers report touches on the threat of drones not only from a security perspective, but also from a criminal perspective. He emphasized that terror organizations have long known the advantages of drones, and they intend to expand their use significantly. Thats the reason that the comptroller repeatedly recalls the threat of the Hamas Gaza tunnels, which werent addressed appropriately by the security establishment before the Protective Edge operation of summer 2014.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is prevalent among Hezbollah, the Islamic State as well as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. In February 2017, for example, the Israeli air force intercepted a UAV that flew from Gaza to the Mediterranean Sea, likely as a test by Hamas' military wing. Half a year earlier, an Israeli fighter jet fired a missile at a Hamas drone and shot it down. In another incident in June 2015, a Hamas drone crashed in an open field in Israel.

During Operation Protective Edge, the air force intercepted a drone that took off from Gaza and reached the beaches of Ashdod. A video later posted by Hamas' military wing claimed that another drone succeeded in bringing photos from the area of Israeli army headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Hamas offered additional information: The name of the aircraft was Ababil, the same as the Iranian-developed drone that was further developed and used by Hezbollah. The name was taken from a Quran passage about birds that can kill people by throwing small stones at them. Hamas even explained that the organizations engineers had succeeded in creating three models of UAVs: an A1A for observational missions, an A1B for offensive missions and an A1C for suicide missions. This information seemed to have been provided to bolster the morale of Gaza residents during Operation Protective Edge, and its unknown whether Hamas is truly capable of reaching Tel Aviv with a drone. Hamas motivation to create a system of unmanned craft for operational and intelligence purposes has only grown stronger since then, and several drones have been launched from Gaza. Those that penetrated Israeli air space were intercepted, but the attempts attest to Hamas' determination.

In the past, Israel had judged that Hamas' UAV development was intended mainly for morale-boosting purposes. But the security establishment now understands that Hamas is aiming much higher.

Against Israel's advanced fighter jets, Hamas UAVs look like weapons from a past century, but that was the Israeli view of the Qassam rockets at first. When Hamas started developing the Qassam rocket, it was mocked in Israel. Hamas military commander Mohammed al-Deif was also skeptical, and only after a test across from the Gaza shore in August 2001 did he decide to greenlight the rockets development. The rest is history.

The Qassam rocket became a useful weapon of deterrence against Israel. A security source at the Palestinian Authority told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the drone tests in the Gaza Strip by Hamas and Islamic Jihad have become routine. According to him, most of the tests take place near the beach of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip as well as in the center of Gaza, in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp area.

There is no chance of hiding these tests, and in my opinion Hamas isnt trying to hide them, the source said. According to him, Deif never gave up his dream to create an advanced intelligence-collection unit also capable of bombing operations, as well as the desire to continue developing an operational airborne fleet for intelligence and offensive purposes.

The Qassams main developers, Adnan al-Ghoul and Nidal Farhat, were eliminated by Israel only after the rockets prototype was completed and it was no longer possible to stop its development.

The state comptrollers special report warns against belittling the technological abilities of the Gazan drones. While they may seem easy to shoot down, they pose a significant security threat. Israel must prepare to face it immediately, before its too late. The prime ministers office had a brief response: The problem of drones is known and is being addressed.
November 17, 2017

This is a tale of two cities  the Jordanian version  and it is surreal in many aspects. It started on Oct. 21, when Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki revealed in a meeting with local media that his government had finished a comprehensive study to build a new Amman. He said the new city would not be connected to the capital. The announcement shocked Jordanians, who were taken by surprise. The idea had never been proposed by previous governments or publicly discussed.

Almost a week later, on Oct. 29, Mulki announced that the new city was part of the government's effort to stimulate the economy and attract investment, especially from the private sector, and that it would be built entirely on government land. The project, he claimed, would help ease traffic congestion in the capital and contribute to solving the challenges of overcrowding.

Still, Jordanians were perplexed. Was this new city to become Jordans new capital? Why did Mulki call it a new Amman? Most important, where would the cash-strapped government find the money to finance such a mega project?

Under pressure from the public and media, government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani made things worse while speaking to a local TV station. On Oct. 28, Saraya news reported him as saying that no one knows where new Amman will be located except for four or five persons. The outlet also noted, He himself doesnt know. Momani did say, however, that the new capital has been under study for the last six months, and it will be constructed in partnership with the private sector since the state budget will not be sufficient. He revealed that it is to be carried out over five phases.

Meanwhile, no one from the private sector has stepped forward to confirm the project ever being discussed. The public began playing a guessing game on social media platforms about the secret location of the new city. Most have rejected outright the notion of moving the capital from Amman.

Feeling the need to end the controversy, the government on Nov. 5 unveiled maps and additional details about the new city, describing the project as a significant step aimed at providing a better lifestyle for residents, improving services and offering low-cost housing. A government statement said the nameless city will accommodate the accelerating urban expansion of Amman and Zarqa, among other cities, and provide convenient alternatives in terms of the quality of housing as well as alleviate current urban pressures, including overcrowding.

It added that the new city will be smart and sustainable, equipped with adequate infrastructure and adaptable to long-term urban planning, leaving the door open to future development. The project will involve cooperation between the public and private sectors under a build-operate-transfer formula with financing secured from local, regional and international financial institutions and banks. According to maps, the city will lie 30 kilometers east of Amman and Zarqa on government land with phase one kicking off in mid-2018. That phase will be completed by 2030, and the entire project will be concluded by 2050.

The government has refrained from calling the city New Amman, but the public has not stopped asking for more details. The mayor of Amman, Yousuf al-Shawarbeh, has emphasized that no new city will ever replace Amman as the capital. He told members of the city council on Nov. 6 that the proposed city is one part of a long-term government plan to meet the needs of future generations. He said that Ammans population, currently 4 million people on 1,680 square kilometers, is growing at a rate of 2.4% annually. The government expects the combined population of Amman and Zarqa, 10 kilometers east of Amman, to reach 10 million by 2050.

Economist Jawad al-Anani, a former deputy prime minister, is a fan of the project. He told Al-Monitor that Jordan must plan if it is to overcome the problems of overcrowding and traffic congestion that Amman suffers from today.

Diverting population pressure from the capital to the governorates will improve public services and create jobs, allowing for a better distribution of wealth, he said. We have an opportunity to build a smart and clean city with proper planning, modern public transportation system, and that is also dependent on clean energy.

The location of the new city is ideal, Anani believes, since it will be close to natural resources, including water, and not far from the Iraqi border and Jordans only seaport, Aqaba.

Political analyst Amer al-Sabayleh told Al-Monitor that the governments assertions remain unconvincing. We have to look at the larger picture and try to put this project into perspective, in light of the American plan to impose a grand regional settlement [of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict], he said. This project could be part of the so-called economic peace in the region. He warned that such a huge project could end up draining state resources.

Some economists agree with Sabayleh's thinking. Economic analyst and columnist Fahed al-Fanek wrote in the daily Al-Rai Nov. 3 that the plan is no more than a real estate venture where the government will end up paying rent to the private sector. He also warned that the private sector, which has apparently not been consulted, already owes hundreds of millions of dinars to local banks and will be unable to finance such a huge undertaking. The project will deny the private sector needed funds to participate in the reconstruction of Syria and Iraq while damaging the service-dependent economy of Amman as a capital city.

For many Jordanians, New Amman is more of a white elephant project designed to deflect attention from the current economic crisis and the tough and unpopular decisions the government is expected to approve before the end of this year. At the top of the list is ending bread subsidies, a sensitive issue likely to result in public outcry and protests.
By PTI: (Eds: Adds FMs comments, quotes, details)

New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) In a boost to the Modi government, Moodys Investors Service today raised Indias sovereign rating for the first time in over 13 years, saying that growth prospects have improved with continued economic and institutional reforms.

The US-based agency upped Indias rating to Baa2 from Baa3, changing outlook to stable from positive, and said that reforms will help stabilise rising levels of debt.

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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley termed the move as "belated recognition" of reforms undertaken by the government and said the reform agenda will continue with emphasis on higher spending on infrastructure and in rural areas.

Government officials expressed hope that other credit rating agencies such as S&P and Fitch would follow suit.

While upgrading the rating, Moodys cited reforms like the recently-introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST), improvements to the monetary policy framework, measures to clean up non-performing loans and efforts to bring more areas into the formal economy.

The one-level step-up from the lowest investment-grade ranking puts India in the league of the Philippines and Italy.

Indias sovereign credit rating was last upgraded in January 2004 to Baa3 (from Ba1). Baa3 was theAlowest rating in the investment grade -- just a notch above the junk status. Baa2 rating means investment grade with moderate credit risk, and is two notches above the junk grade.

Moodys had in 2015 changed rating outlook to positive from stable.

The rating upgrade comes within weeks of the World Bank handing a 30-place jump to India on its ease of doing business ranking to place it at 100th rank.

"We welcome (the upgrade) and believe that it is a belated recognition of all the positive steps taken in India in the last few years which have contributed to the strengthening of the Indian economy," Jaitley said

It recognises major economic and institutional reforms undertaken by the government, he added.

He promised to stick to the path of fiscal discipline.

There are fears that the government may turn populist as the BJP prepares for about a dozen state polls and the general election in 2019.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said the government will stay on the path of good governance and focus on effective delivery to people.

The government "is going to do what it has to do on the domestic front -- employment growth, economic growth, reviving investment," said Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian.

Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said the upgrade has recognised government efforts on fiscal deficit, consolidation and debt control.

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Moodys said the upgrade is underpinned by expectation that "continued progress on economic and institutional reforms will, over time, enhance Indias high growth potential and its large and stable financing base for government debt, and will likely contribute to a gradual decline in the general government debt burden".

In a statement, it further said: "While Indias high debt burden remains a constraint on the countrys credit profile, Moodys believes that the reforms put in place have reduced the risk of a sharp increase in debt, even in potential downside scenarios."

Moodys projected Indias real GDP growth to moderate to 6.7 per cent in the current financial year, from 7.1 per cent in 2016-17.

While GST and demonetisation have undermined growth over the near term, real GDP growth will rise to 7.5 per cent in 2018-19 as disruption fades, it said.

It went on to list demonetisation, Aadhaar system of biometric accounts and targeted delivery of benefits through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system intended to reduce informality in the economy as other measures that had an impact.

Key steps that are yet to fructify include planned land and labour market reforms, which rely to a great extent on cooperation with and between states, Moodys said.

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The governments efforts to reduce corruption, formalise economic activity and improve tax collection and administration, including through demonetisation and GST, both illustrate and should contribute to the further strengthening of Indias institutions, it added.

However, challenges with implementation of GST, ongoing weakness of private sector investment, slow progress with resolution of banking sector asset quality issues and lack of progress with land and labour reforms at the national level remain, it said.

Moodys cautioned that a material deterioration in fiscal metrics and the outlook for general government fiscal consolidation would put negative pressure on the rating.

The rating could also face downward pressure if the health of the banking system deteriorates significantly or external vulnerability increases sharply. PTI JD ANZ SA

--- ENDS ---
November 17, 2017

RAMALLAH, West Bank  A joint training on Oct. 24 in Israel between the Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli civil defense units has been stirring accusations in Palestine of normalization. This training was held amid frozen security coordination between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel, which was halted in July following security measures at the Temple Mount. Coordination fully resumed between the two sides on Oct. 27.

More than 400 people from Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Spain, Italy and France participated on Oct. 24-25 in a two-day, wide-scale exercise dubbed "Middle East Forest Fires" between Hebron in the West Bank and Beersheba within the green line. The event was held under the auspices of the EU and aimed at beefing up mechanisms to address natural disasters.

The exercise is a simulation of huge fires that might result in regional catastrophes; it demonstrates methods of cooperation among humanitarian relief teams to improve performance and exchange of information in emergencies among the regions countries. The ultimate goal is to save lives and preserve nature, without allowing national affiliations to get in the way.

Palestinian political parties, bodies and committees have always criticized cooperation between the PA and Israeli institutions. This joint training received its share of criticism, as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) condemned the Palestinian and Jordanian cooperation in the training as an act of normalization.

The BDS statement added, The allegations claiming such normalization projects have their advantages are refuted by Israels exploitation of these projects to serve its settlement and occupational ends. Such projects give the impression that normal ties between Israelis and Palestinians under occupation are possible.

BDS general coordinator Mahmoud Nawajaa told Al-Monitor, The joint exercise is tantamount to normalization with Israel because there is no emergency. The Palestinian Civil Defense does not have to take part, and worse yet, its participation encouraged Jordan to follow suit.

Meanwhile, Shadi Othman, the communication and information officer at the European Commission in Jerusalem, told Al-Monitor that the joint exercise is part of a regional project under the EU auspices to extinguish fires and preserve nature in the regions countries, regardless of the political circumstances.

He added, A single country cannot face a huge fire alone. This was the case of the Mount Carmel fire in 2010 and the 2016 fires in Israel, which necessitated the aid of neighboring countries, including the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Othman further noted, The project focuses on promoting coordination to face disasters. It is in line with the EUs vision to bring about change in humanitarian issues and natural disasters like volcanoes, earthquakes and arson.

The EU supports the Palestinian civil defense through occasional aid programs that included the two-phase capacity building program. The first phase consisted of handing over five vehicles for a quick response, nine vehicles for administrative support, 12 mobile lighting units and 15 generators in June 2015. Phase two that took off March 16 consisted of handing over 12 fire engines and ambulances.

Director of Public Relations and Media at the Palestinian Civil Defense Department Nael al-Izza told Al-Monitor, The Palestinian civil defense participated in the practical exercise with nine civil defense vehicles and 40 firefighters who did joint exercises to extinguish forest fires. Three relief specialists also took part to promote the establishment of a national relief team.

Izza noted that the joint exercises are in the best interest of Palestinians. He told Al-Monitor, As Palestinians, we have an interest in participating in such exercises because we have geographic links with Israel. If disasters occur or fires break out in Israel, we would be harmed. We should have the experience to face such prospects and to deal with aid and international aid teams. The various firefighting teams should be aware of their role and work mechanism regularly.

He further added, The project aims at building a regional response system to address disasters. The PA, Israel and Jordan cannot face crises single-handedly. The project sought to increase the response level in terms of geographic links, especially as humanitarian work beats political borders.

Forest fires are the second most dangerous on the risk and priority scale of the Palestinian Civil Defense after earthquakes. The PA is trying to face this by forming a national team and system to manage the risks of disasters and crises. Izza said, Forest fires are classified second on the scale of risks because most Palestinian regions have a geographic connection to forests with biodiversity. We are responsible for their protection. Floods, rain and snowstorms come in third place.

The Palestinian Civil Defense is holding constant joint training with its Israeli counterpart to face road accidents. Izza said, We have been holding joint training sessions with Israel to face road accidents for the past two years.

Izza added, The focus on coordination in road accidents stems from the Palestinians and Israelis use of the same roads and vehicles and facing the same risks. It is not possible to side with one party, religion or ethnicity at the expense of another when it comes to saving peoples lives.

The Civil Defense refuses to implement exercises related to road accidents inside the West Bank. Izza said, We hold our [joint] exercises within the green line areas. There is a political decision not to hold joint training in the settlements in the West Bank or their byroads. Besides, exercises have not been held before inside the West Bank, as the field work there is impractical."

Palestinian sources told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Palestine, Jordan and Israel are inclined to build a regional team and a system to respond to disasters and dangers that might break out in the three countries.The sources indicated that the exercise will not be the last but will be followed by joint exercises in different fields in the coming months. If a natural disaster happens, the three countries will coordinate together at the field level, the sources said.
November 16, 2017

A special security committee, set up in 2015 by then-Interior Minister Rami Hamdallah, and a prison in Jericho that allegedly operates outside the judiciary's supervision have come under scrutiny in recent weeks.

Jawad Obeidat, chairman of the Palestinian Bar Association (PBA), referenced the committee and the prison during a Nov. 9 demonstration by lawyers, judges and staff of the attorney generals office in Ramallah. The demonstration was called to protest the arrest of Mohammad Hussein, a lawyer from the village of Deir al-Hatab, in a Nablus court the preceding day. Addressing his fellow jurists, Obeidat called on President Mahmoud Abbas to dismiss Hamdallah from his current post of prime minister for acting outside the law.

For the lawyers, judges and staff of the attorney generals office, Hussein's arrest was an extrajudicial act that violates the sanctity of the courts. The PBA therefore called for the demonstration the next day and suspended all cooperation with the Palestinian government until their colleague is released.

On Nov. 8 in the Magistrate Court in Nablus, security officers in civilian clothing violently arrested Hussein and took him to the controversial Jericho prison. He was released Nov. 10, on orders from Hamdallah, who also appointed a committee to investigate the incident.

Saudi-based Arab News on Nov. 11 quoted Azzam Hashlamon, legal adviser to the minister of Jerusalem affairs, as saying that video evidence demonstrates that the arrest took place inside the courthouse. This is a clear violation of the independence of the judiciary and the principles of the rule of law, he said.

Majed Arouri, a specialist in Palestinian law, told Al-Monitor that the Jericho prison had been set up to deal with armed individuals acting outside the law in the Balata refugee camp. It was set up in 2015, following repeated problems by armed individuals in the camp, but has continued to operate since then under the direct control of the Ministry of Interior. Individuals held in this prison have made complaints of abuse and torture, Arouri told Al-Monitor.

Meanwhile, in a letter dated Oct. 22, Nael al-Hooh, vice chairman of the PBA, had addressed Abbas, demanding that he dissolve the security committee. In compliance with the rule of law, we call on you to disband this committee and all the prisons and detention centers connected to it, in accordance with the laws of the State of Palestine.

Shawan Jabarin, director general of the human rights organization al-Haq, said in a Nov. 8 interview with 24 FM radio station that the extrajudicial prison has facilitated arbitrary arrests and the circumvention of legal procedures. Crimes are being committed in the security committees Jericho prison, especially torture and abuse of prisoners, Jabarin asserted. These repeated offences must end. The idea that a person is held there in the name of the local governor is illegal, and there is no legal text that supports it.

Mohammed Mansour, undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, insists that what happened in the Nablus courthouse was a one-time mistake. Speaking at length on 24 FM on Nov. 13, Mansour said problems had begun when during a demonstration in Deir al-Hatab, rioters, including Hussein, destroyed $28,000 worth of public property.

The lawyer had lost a case in the Palestinian Supreme Court [involving] a $55 million sewage treatment plant funded by Germany, which villagers dont want built in their village, Mansour said. Arrest warrants were issued against the protest leaders and the lawyer. The protest leaders turned themselves in voluntarily, while the lawyer waited 48 hours and was escorted to the attorney generals office, which decided not to detain him.

Hussein's appearance had been in response to his having been summoned. An agreement between the government and the PBA includes a provision that the association must be informed whenever one of its members is summoned by the police for questioning. It was an hour after leaving the attorney general's office that security agents seized Hussein in court.

Mansour told 24 FM that after Hamdallah intervened, he personally went to Jericho on Nov. 10 to make sure the lawyer was released and drove him home to his village. According to Mansour, all those arrested have since been released.

Regarding the controversial committee, Mansour told the Ramallah-based radio station that the security committee does not act outside the law. It is simply a security coordinating committee ensuring speedy results regarding security matters, he said.

The Palestinian jurists protest has not only resulted in the release of the arrested lawyer, but also in shedding light on the executive branch of governments interference in judicial affairs. Such actions impede the independence of the judiciary and pave the way for the creation of unsupervised detention centers, where there is a greater possibility that prisoners will be subject to torture and abuse.
November 16, 2017

The latest Saudi ultimatum to Lebanon, after the baffling resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, is reminiscent of a similar development half a century ago. In February 1967, Riyadh warned Beirut to remain neutral in the kingdom's tug of war with Cairo over Yemen and threatened to evict Lebanese expatriates and withdraw Saudi cash deposits from Lebanese banks. The Saudis' pressure united Lebanese politicians, and Riyadh never followed through on its threats. Looking back at 65 years of engagement, Saudi Arabia has never had a Lebanon strategy. Several factors  most notably the geographical distance from Lebanon, the lack of a powerful or armed Lebanese ally and the lack of coerciveness and purpose have hindered its ability to develop an effective policy.

To the Lebanese, Saudi Arabia always came second to Egypt, Israel, Syria and now Iran. In the 1970s, Riyadh pursued two contradictory goals in Lebanon: endorsing Palestinian resistance against Israel and supporting a strong Lebanese state. In the 1990s, Riyadh reached its maximum influence by empowering the Syrian regime's control over Lebanon in return for expanding the powers of the Sunni prime minister and containing Hezbollah. This influence, however, was restricted to economic affairs, while Damascus handled politics and security, which left Lebanon's economy increasingly dependent on Saudi Arabia.

Indeed, the emergence of Saudi-backed Rafik Hariri to lead post-war Lebanon gave Riyadh a seat at the table, but the Syrian regime kept Hariri in check as he began to develop an extensive network of contacts with world leaders. Riyadh helped Hariri consolidate power at the expense of all other Sunni leaders in Lebanon, as demonstrated in the 2000 parliamentary elections. His assassination in February 2005 ended Syrian-Saudi cooperation in Lebanon and forced Syrian troops out of the country. Iran gradually filled the void, and Hezbollah became directly involved in Lebanese politics.

Pressuring Saad Hariri to resign and confront Hezbollah marks a landmark shift in Saudi policy. Riyadh's policy tradition in Lebanon had long been to mediate between rivals, maintaining the same distance from all Lebanese groups and supporting the central government. Riyadh has been most effective in Lebanese politics when acting in the shadow of the United States or Syria, rather than in the forefront. Saudi policy has traditionally viewed Lebanon through the lens of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Riyadh has been known to pull back from Lebanese politics when confronted with adversity and re-engage when rival parties appear ready to talk. In 1979, after gunfire hit the helicopter of the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Riyadh withdrew nearly 700 soldiers from the Arab Deterrent Force deployed to preserve Lebanon's stability. That move allowed the Syrian army to gradually gain control of Lebanon and paved the way for the Israeli invasion in 1982. In May 2008, when Hezbollah clashed with and disarmed the Future Movement, led by Saad Hariri, Saudi Arabia backed away and endorsed the Doha Agreement, which ended Lebanon's political crisis in 2008. The guiding principles of Saudi policy have now completely changed.

Preemptive and aggressive political pressure has replaced mediation and withdrawing during adversity. Now, Riyadh considers Iran the major threat instead of Israel. Saudi policy is no longer in the shadow of the United States or Syria. Cash-strapped Riyadh is not providing financial assistance to the Lebanese government or to anti-Hezbollah political parties, including the Hariri-led Future Movement. Riyadh is stepping in to directly deter Hezbollah, overlooking the concerns of allies inside and outside Lebanon.

The Saudis, who once romanticized Lebanon's service-oriented economy and tourist trappings, believe the country is slipping from their hands. The Lebanese, who built their wealth in Saudi Arabia and whose government once relied on Riyadh for assistance, are contemplating new markets. The trade volume is now in favor of Saudi Arabia, and Riyadh withdrew all its cash deposits from the Lebanese central bank after the Hezbollah war with Israel in July 2006. In addition, the Syrian war has changed the way the Lebanese economy functions. Traveling from Lebanon via Syria to reach the Gulf countries is no longer an option, so alternative maritime trade routes are being explored. The most potent connection between the two countries remains, however, the 350,000 Lebanese nationals who work in Saudi Arabia and transfer an average of $4.5 billion to Lebanon annually.

One cannot underestimate the long-term implications of the kingdom's move. In the past few weeks, the anti-Saudi sentiment within the Lebanese Sunni community has been alarming and unprecedented. Riyadh inadvertently made Hariri the most popular Lebanese leader, endorsed by everyone except his own principal in Riyadh. In the past two decades, Saudi policy weakened every Sunni leader to prop up Rafik Hariri and is now complaining that Saad Hariri cannot politically confront Hezbollah after gradually stripping him of power, including financial resources.

The concept of Lebanon's neutral foreign policy has been from the necessity of avoiding a Saudi backlash against the Lebanese economy, as Beirut always viewed Riyadh as the wealthy secondary power that should be accommodated, not followed. While deterring Hezbollah is paramount, doing so requires a long-term approach of cultivating relations in Lebanese politics, whereas Saudi policy has been absent from Lebanon since 2011.

Riyadh's risky gambit had no realistic endgame or allies to execute it. It has failed miserably no matter the outcome. Once Saudi Arabia overcomes its own domestic turmoil, damage control is imperative to sustain influence in Lebanon.
Language learning service Duolingo added a Chinese course to its platform earlier this month, with the program also being available through its Android app. Like all other Duolingo courses, the Chinese one is entirely free to use and has no content hidden behind any kind of paywalls. Instead, users looking to support the app can purchase a monthly subscription that allows them to skip through ads which occasionally appear between lessons. The service isnt monetized in an aggressive manner and is still largely focused on learning, with ads only showing sporadically to non-paying members of the online language learning community and previous comments from the company implying that its set to continue pursuing that development strategy going forward.

The newly added Chinese course was designed to teach you over 1,000 words and features bonus skills dedicated to internet slang, food, business communication, and festivals, i.e. topics that youre likely to want to talk about with Chinese speakers. The program also ships with a new type of exercise meant to allow you to learn and practice tones, a crucial component of a tonal language like Chinese. The actual database of words was taken from HSK, Chinas standardized exam for determining the level of ones Chinese fluency, with the knowledge base spanning all words and grammar from the first three HSK levels and also encompassing some HSK 4 knowledge, Duolingo said, without elaborating on the matter.

The arrival of a Chinese course to Duolingo comes several months after the Android app was updated with a Japanese program, with the latest language addition presumably being its final one in 2017. Chinese support was rolled out following months of internal testing and should be largely bug and error-free, though youre encouraged to send feedback to the company if you suspect anything is amiss about the course. The Chinese programme was rolled out as part of the latest client-side update for Duolingo that can be downloaded by referring to the Google Play Store banner below. Some minor bug fixes are also understood to be part of the package, with the new build of the app coming with no additional software requirements and still being compatible with the vast majority of contemporary Android smartphones and tablets.
In a strange turn of events, it seems YouTube managed to flag a Google ad for Chromebooks as inappropriate. At least that is what seems to have been the case for a short period of time before the issue was rectified. It was however, not fixed before someone managed to record the event and post it to  YouTube, of course.

The video below shows a Chromebook ad (for the Chromebook Pixel no less) which had initially been blocked by YouTube along with the confirmation that this video has been removed for violating YouTubes policy on spam, deceptive practices, and scams. Effectively confirming that YouTube did flag the content as inappropriate. There has been no word on the event from Google or YouTube since it happened although this is likely to be seen as an example of the issue surrounding the use of machine learning to decide whether content is appropriate or not. After all, if it is capable of flagging Googles own content, then it stands to reason that it is capable of flagging other content that might not be considered inappropriate under other circumstances.

Google, and in particular via YouTube, has been on a mission of late to try and stop the spread of in appropriate content via its platform and services. Whether that is inappropriate content targeted at younger users, extremist content, or ads which are not considered suitable for content they accompany. The cracking down on the latter of those, suitable ads, could be partly to blame for this latest situation. As back in April of this year Google did make it clear it will adopt artificial intelligence (AI) solutions as additional means to ensure brand safe ads are being displayed alongside videos advertisers would be happy with. This was in response to a situation YouTube found itself in where some brands became less confident in YouTube as an advertising platform following some paid-for ads showing alongside videos promoting content deemed offensive. Whether that underlying technology is exactly what has caused the issue with Googles own ad being flagged remains to be seen, although it is likely to be a possibility. Below is how the ad should have looked compared to how it did look, as well as the video highlighting the ad being blocked at the time.

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A Samsung Electronics made device identified by the model number SM-J250F thats thought to be the Galaxy J2 Pro was listed in the database of the Wi-Fi Alliance on Thursday, having been awarded the communications certificate thats a requirement for a commercial release in the United States. The listing doesnt reveal many technical specifications about the supposed Galaxy J2 Pro though it does state that the device was tested by the WFA while running Android 7.0 Nougat. While the agency doesnt elaborate on the matter, its likely that this particular variant of Googles operating system was heavily reskinned by Samsung and was presumably running some build of the Samsung Experience software suite, the same one thats pre-installed on other devices from the company. Support for Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n will also be part of the package offered by the SM-J250F, as suggested by the same certificate.

The existence of the device thats widely believed to be advertised as the Galaxy J2 Pro was accidentally confirmed by Samsung itself earlier this week after the South African unit of the Seoul-based tech giant prematurely launched the smartphones support pages. The same handset was also benchmarked on Thursday, having been spotted as featuring Qualcomms Snapdragon 430 SoC clocked at 1.4GHz and 1.5GB of RAM, as well as 32GB of internal flash memory. The upcoming smartphone is likely to sport a dedicated microSD card slot with support for up to 256GB of additional memory. Its previous benchmark sighting had it running Android 7.1.1 Nougat, thus not being in line with the newly unveiled Wi-Fi certificate, with the most likely explanation for the discrepancy being that the WFA was given an older prototype of the Galaxy J2 Pro (2018) to test. While its benchmark listing may have also been incorrect, mobile benchmarks are usually accurate when it comes to detecting Android versions, making that a less probable scenario.

With the SM-J250F previously receiving certificates from both the Federal Communications Commission and Bluetooth Special Interest Group, it appears that the South Korean original equipment manufacturer is preparing to commercially release the handset in the United States. No concrete availability windows have yet been rumored in the industry, though an early 2018 release seems likely.
The Indian division of Samsung Electronics promoted two high-level executives to new positions earlier this month, with local mobile chief Asim Warsi being given the role of the companys Global Vice President and its Bengaluru-based R&D institutes director Dipesh Shah promoted to the position of the Global Senior Vice President, IANS reported on Friday, citing industry sources. Both newly elevated executives will continue operating in India and oversee Samsungs operations as the company ramps up its ambitious investment plans aimed at strengthening its position in the local market. The tech giants next major investment amounts to Rs. 4,915 crore ($756 million) that its planning to commit to its product manufacturing plant in Noida, Samsung confirmed earlier this year. The goal of the expansion is to double the firms Android smartphone production in the country while simultaneously boosting the local economy, thus strengthening its relations with New Delhi that has been aggressively promoting the Make In India initiative in recent times.

Mr. Shahs success with positioning Samsungs institute in Bengaluru in line with the Make In India program is said to be one of the main reasons for his promotion, according to people familiar with the matter. Previous statements from the company officials indicated that Samsung is largely satisfied with its 2017 performance as the firm continued leading the market across a variety of handset segments. According to some estimates, Samsung seized more than 65 percent of the Indian smartphone market by value in the third quarter of the year, with its performance partially being strengthened by the Diwali period, traditionally a lucrative term for consumer electronics manufacturers in the South Asian country. Despite the fact that Samsungs local phone business is still growing, its expansion is presently being outpaced by Xiaomi, still a relatively new entity in India which it entered only three years ago, yet is currently the second largest handset vendor in the country with a realistic chance of overtaking Samsung in the coming months, according to numerous industry trackers.

The South Korean original equipment manufacturer is now reportedly in the process of revamping its India strategy by specifically targeting some of Xiaomis Redmi-branded handsets, currently the firms top performers in the region. As per industry sources, new Galaxy J and Galaxy ON-series devices are set to be launched shortly, being aimed at matching Xiaomis offerings both in terms of features and prices. The increasingly competitive state of the Indian smartphone market should ultimately benefit consumers as more companies get involved in price wars and commit to offering bigger incentives for purchasing their products.
The VUDU app on Android TVs NVIDIA SHIELD was recently updated and along with that update came support for HDR content. The SHIELD is one of the most powerful Android TV devices on the market and one which can provide playback of HDR content through a number of apps, with VUDU being the more recent of which to be added to the list.

Although the VUDU app is now available on a number of other Android TV devices (after being released from its SHIELD exclusivity), the newly added support for HDR will only really be usable on the SHIELD. Therefore, this is really only news for owners of a SHIELD device. Although for those who use the service for the SHIELD, the option of playing content in HDR will be a welcomed one. In addition to the newly-added HDR support, the VUDU app on Android TV is also now capable of making use of Google Assistant functionality. This is a feature that was only recently introduced to Android TV and is still one that is in the process of rolling out to supported Android TV devices. So even though this is a VUDU feature which is now accessible to Android TV devices in general, it is one which will be dependent on whether or not the Android TV device in use has received an update supporting Google Assistant functionality. At the moment this is a pretty limited list with the Nexus Player having been the most recent device to gain the support. The SHIELD of course, was the first device to be updated boasting support for Google Assistant.

Which means SHIELD owners can now not only play HDR content through the VUDU app but can also make use of Google Assistant integration to find and engage with content on VUDU. As is usually the case with Google Assistant, once the SHIELD is listening, it is just a matter of using a voice command such as OK Google, play The Dark Tower on VUDU and the system will take over. Likewise, once content is playing, Google Assistant allows the viewer to use voice commands to control the watching experience, such as turn the volume up, stop playing and return to main menu, or rewind two minutes. This should work for content that you want to rent or buy through VUDU, as well as content you might already have stored in your VUDU library. The updated version of VUDU with the new supports should already be live on compatible devices.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is expected to arrive rather soon, and the phone has just surfaced on OppoMart, a Chinese reseller. Now, OppoMart provided an image of the Redmi Note 5, but chances are that this image is fake, as the Redmi Note 5 will likely sport a somewhat different design, and on-screen buttons, not capacitive ones. The phone will ship with really thin bezels, and a rear-facing fingerprint scanner, though its quite possible that the phones main camera will sit higher on the phones back side. Its also worth noting that this phone will be made out of metal, and that its back side will be curved.

Now, the phones specs did surface a number of times thus far, and those are the specs that OppoMart is listing as well, at least most of them. The source claims that the Redmi Note 5 will sport a 5.99-inch fullHD+ (2160 x 1080) display, and that is highly likely. The device will be fueled by the Snapdragon 625 64-bit octa-core SoC according to OppoMart, and that is possible, but theres also a chance that Xiaomi may implement a more powerful chip in this phone, like the Snapdragon 636, for example. Either way, were looking at a mid-range processor from Qualcomm here, though its possible that the company plans to release a MediaTek variant of the Redmi Note 5 as well. A 12-megapixel shooter will be placed on the back of the Redmi Note 5, claims OppoMart, while a 5-megapixel snapper will be included on the phones front side. The device will arrive in both 3GB and 4GB RAM variants, which will ship with 32GB and 64GB of storage, respectively. A 4,000mAh non-removable battery was mentioned in rumors, and OppoMart agrees with that, it has listed that very same battery on its website. Android Nougat will come pre-installed on this phone, while Xiaomis MIUI 9 OS will ship on top of it.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 was expected to arrive already, but that did not happen, though if rumors are to be believed, the phone will land before the end of this month. The device actually surfaced on JD.com quite recently, though its specifications or design were not revealed by the site. The Redmi Note 5 may launch alongside the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus, though well see what will happen.

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By India Today Web Desk: After 13-year gap, Moody's upgrades India's rating, gives thumbs up to reforms implemented so far

Ratings agency Moody's upgraded India's rating to Baa3 while saying that the economic reforms implemented so far in the country will advance the Modi government's objective of fostering strong and sustainable growth.

India wants hotline connecting Indian and Chinese army headquarters

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India will be asking for a hotline connecting the army headquarters of India and China at the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India China Border Affairs (WMCC).

The Ashes: Australia recall Tim Paine, Shaun Marsh; Matt Renshaw, Matthew Wade dropped

Tim Paine, who played the last of his four Tests in October 2010, has been included in a 13-man squad for the opening two Tests, replacing the out-of-form Matthew Wade and denying Peter Nevill a spot.

Padmavati row: Deepika gets special security after Karni Sena threats

Padmavati actress Deepika Padukone has been provided special security by the Mumbai police after the Karni Sena threatened to chop off her nose.

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By PTI: Bhopal, Nov 17 (PTI) A court today sentenced Madhya Pradesh Congress chief spokesman K K Mishra to two years in jail in a defamation case filed by the state government on behalf of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Minutes after the verdict, the court, presided over by Additional District and Session Judge Kashninath Singh, granted bail to Mishra, whose counsel said he will challenge the ruling in the High Court.

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The court found Mishra guilty of making false and defamatory statements against Chouhan and his family. It also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the Congress leader.

If Mishra fails to pay this fine, he will have to undergo additional three more months of imprisonment.

The case dates back to June 21, 2014, when Mishra, addressing a press meet here, had alleged 19 people from Gondia, Maharashtra, the home district of Sadhana Singh, Chouhans wife, were illegally recruited as constables in the state transport department.

He had alleged the state transport constable recruitment test was part of the Vyapam scam - a massive admission and recruitment racket Madhya Pradesh.

Mishra had also levelled other allegations against Chouhan and his family.

Public prosecutor Anand Tiwari, on behalf of the state government, in July 2014 had filed a defamation suit against Mishra, stating his vague allegations had damaged the status of Chouhan and his family members.

Judge Singh, after hearing both the parties and going through the material on record, convicted Mishra.

"The court found Mishras statements false. Nobody from Gondia made it to the transport department as a constable," Tiwari told reporters in the court premises.

Mishras counsel Ajay Gupta said his client will move the Madhya Pradesh High Court against the verdict.

We are going to move the High Court against the lower courts verdict in the defamation case," Gupta added. PTI COR LAL BN RSY GSN

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A few stories I heard this week, and its only Thursday:

A distinguished scientist, 50-something and currently working in London, confided in me that she still hasnt got over the fact that, a few years ago, after failing to gain a promotion, a member of the interview panel tried to make light of her frustration by reminding her that her husband was a medical doctor. She also told me how her family tried to hide the fact that she was doing her PhD in the US because she was living there without her husband.

A colleague is furious after an interview where the interviewer hadnt even looked her in the eye. A male colleague who was witness to the whole thing realized for the first time how difficult it is for women to gain the right to be heard" without appearing aggressive.

A seemingly self-assured woman admits to feeling daunted by the challenges she is facing at work. An older female colleague tells her not to worry, that womens feelings of insecurity mean they always work twice as hard as men, which in turn makes them less likely to make a mistake due to an excess of self-confidence.

Several young, attractive girls arrive for a meeting dressed-to-the nines. They are aware that they due to meet a client whos a bit "old school".

In a trial for an alleged gang rape, the judge allows evidence from a private detective who was employed to tail the victim. She might receive less compensation as shes managed to lead a seemingly normal life. Five monsters stand accused of tying her up, gagging and raping her and sharing the video.
On November 12, 2017, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China signed a free trade and investment pact to strengthen economic cooperation between the two regions and stimulate economic development. The two agreements, the ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) and the ASEAN-Hong Kong Investment Agreement (AHKIA), were signed at the 31st ASEAN Summit in Manila and will come into force on January 1, 2019.

The agreements cover all aspects of trade in goods, such as tariffs; rules of origin; non-tariff measures; customs procedures and trade facilitation; trade remedies; technical barriers to trade; and sanitary and phytosanitary measures. They also include elements related to trade in services; investment; economic and technical co-operation; dispute settlement mechanism; and other areas of interests to be mutually agreed upon by the two parties.ofcomments: This FTA brings Hong Kong into parity with mainland China which has had an FTA with ASEAN for several years. Hong Kongs unique mix of China and Asian focused financial services and regional service support are a great mix with ASEANs overall reach and this agreement provides a much needed boost to Hong Kongs overall attractiveness as an investment destination for Asia.

Strong trade links between Hong Kong and ASEAN

Hong Kong holds a distinct advantage across the Asia-pacific region in terms of its unique location and strong links to the international markets as well as Mainland China. While Hong Kong is part of China, it conducts its economic and trade relations separately from the mainland and serves as a bridge connecting the Chinese mainland and Southeast Asia.

With the increasingly close economic and trade ties between China and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong plays an important role as a trade link between the two. For instance, through its Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) with Mainland China, Hong Kong provides preferential market access to Hong Kong service suppliers as well as tariff-free treatment for products of Hong Kong origin in China. This has therefore created a strong nexus connecting foreign businesses (mostly businesses from ASEAN) to China through Hong Kong.

Since 2012, the re-exports of goods of ASEAN origin through Hong Kong to China have risen at the rate of 6.4 percent annually on average. In 2016, 12 percent of trade between ASEAN and Mainland China, with a value of over US$54 billion, was routed through Hong Kong.

Further, in the last ten years, the value of bilateral commodity trade between Hong Kong and members of the ASEAN has increased by 72 percent. ASEAN is Hong Kongs second largest partner in commodity trade. In 2016, the commodity trade between ASEAN and Hong Kong reached US$107 billion (HK$833 billion), whereas trade in services stood at US$15.4 billion (HK$121 billion) in 2015.

Among the individual member states, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are Hong Kongs leading trading partners, representing 38.8 percent, 15.7 percent and 15.2 percent of Hong Kongs total merchandise trade with the region respectively.

In terms of investment, at the end of 2015, the ASEAN ranked sixth among Hong Kongs destinations for outward direct investment, at US$ 28 billion (HK$218 billion), and also sixth among Hong Kongs sources of inward direct investment, at US$ 71 billion (HK$555 billion).

Opportunities arising from the Hong Kong  ASEAN Free Trade Agreement

Hong Kong is among the worlds freest and most open economies. However, the customs duties imposed by ASEAN on Hong Kong goods put Hong Kong at a great disadvantage in terms of its trade relationship with South East Asian countries. The newly signed AHKFTA is set to change this.

The FTA will reduce the customs duties imposed by ASEAN and improve Hong Kongs overall competitiveness in the international market. The AHKFTA together with the China-ASEAN FTA and the Mainland China-Hong Kong CEPA will broaden Hong Kongs position as a hub for international trade and services.

In terms of business benefits, the agreement will offer four key advantages to stakeholders in the region, namely tariff reduction fortrade in goods; better and fairer investment protection; fewer restrictions for trade in services; and a longer stay for business travelers.

Previously, only seven of the ten ASEAN countries allowed business travelers from Hong Kong to stay in the country without a visa for up to 14  30 days. The free trade deal will allow Hong Kong business travelers to stay in any ASEAN country for up to 90 days, without requiring a business visa.

With regards to trade restrictions, both Hong Kong and ASEAN countries will remove barriers on foreign capital participation and the number of foreign workers employed. Foreign businesses can benefit significantly from AHKFTA as the agreement will extend Hong Kongs network to cover all major economies in South East Asia. As all ASEAN member states are also economies along Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the closer ties established between Hong Kong and ASEAN will help foreign enterprises tap business opportunities offered by the BRI.
Corporate Lawyer of the Year: Rachel Launders, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Nine Entertainment Co

Government Lawyer of the Year: Annette Musolino, Chief Counsel, Department of Human Services

Legal Team of the Year  Small (1  9 lawyers): Salmat Limited

Legal Team of the Year  Large (10+ lawyers) - Department of Lands, Legal Services WA

Young Lawyer Achiever of the Year: Michael Hogan, Wormald Australia Pty Limited

Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility: National Australia Bank

This years winners of the 2017 Australian In-House Awards reflect the rapidly shifting environment organisations are navigating, the Association of Corporate Counsel Australia (ACC Australia) said.The winning group shows how in-house lawyers are becoming an integral part of management teams for organisations battling 21st century risks, including crisis management, cyber security, and corporate social responsibility.The winners are:Launders took on a significant challenge in April last year when four staff members from 60 Minutes were arrested in Beirut, ACC Australia said.Musolino is leading efforts for a strong service culture, characterised by quality advice and clear communication. She provides strategic legal advice and assistance to the secretary, the executive and the minister for human services and engages with key stakeholders to develop and enact a range of strategies to address technical, fiscal, and policy considerations against the government policy landscape, ACC Australia said.The Salmat legal team developed a security incident response plan to counter a potential cyber breach, which has led to the development of a comprehensive response plan for the organisation.The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, responsible for the administration of Western Australias Crown land estate, has a legal team that navigates a complex mix of legal and policy matters. The department would not run effectively without sound and current legal advice, ACC Australia said.Meanwhile, Hogan has gone through a trial by fire, as he took over Wormalds legal team at a volatile time for the company. He joined the company just after it had been divested by its parent and a new management team installed. He established a legal function for what the industry was referring to as a 130-year-old start-up.Its an exciting time for the Australian in-house legal profession, with many responding to the opportunities and challenges presented by the challenges of 21st century risks, digital disruption and environmental, social, and governance issues, said Gillian Wong, ACC Australia outgoing president.
Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis shared stage in Mumbai on the occasion of Balasaheb Thackeray's 5th death anniversary. Fadnavis was seen cracking jokes which failed to humour Uddhav Thackeray.

By Mayuresh Ganapatye: Today, Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra CM Fadnavis shared a dais in Mumbai on the occasion of 5thd death anniversary of Shiv Sena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray.

But disagreement between them was clearly evident from their body language.

HERE IS A REPORT

All is certainly not well between Shiv Sena and BJP since the State Assembly election 2014.

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Last year's BMC election added fuel to the fire between these two where both the parties contested separately and Sena won with a very slight margin.

Today, when both these leaders came face to face for inauguration of a website of Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial, it was quite evident from their body language that they still have a strained relation.

It was a well known fact that Fadnavis and Uddhav shared a very good relation but in today's function, Uddhav Thackeray's face reflected the entire story that how upset he is with Fadnavis.

Though Fadnavis made an attempt to neutralise the atmosphere on the stage by cracking some jokes but Uddhav gave a very cold response and tried to avoid Fadnavis.

It shows Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray is not happy with BJP and Fadnavis government. Reason behind this is very clear; BJP ministers are not clearing the files quickly and developmental work in Sena MLA's constituencies is not happening at the desired pace.

On December 7, there is by-election for state legislative council.

Narayan Rane who had left the Congress recently and floated his own party wants to contest in this election as he had already given his support to the BJP.

To win the election, Rane wants 145 votes but as of now BJP has gotten only 135 votes.

Shiv Sena is quite upset with Fadnavis as he wants to induct Rane in his cabinet where Sena already has ministers. Shiv Sena never wanted to see Narayan Rane sitting in the same cabinet with them.

During the general election of 2014 no one could have imagined this scene where Uddhav and Fadnavis are not talking to each other. And that to while sharing the same dais, it shows that the distance between these two old friends have increased over a period of time.

The Shiv Sena and BJP are sharing power in state as well as the Center but all doesn't look well between them.

Fadnavis also knows that if Shiv Sena remains upset for a long time then they may join anti-BJP camp during the 2019 elections which BJP really doesn't want.

Now it would be interesting to see how Fadnavis tackles this issue and keeps Shiv Sena within NDA.

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Sarah Graydon





Sally Parker





Jenny Spillane

Juno Legal has enlisted three senior legal counsel as the firm sees a rapid increase in demand for bespoke in-house legal services.Sarah Graydon, Sally Parker, and Jenny Spillane have become Juno lawyers, joining Matt Farrington, Marissa Flowerday, and Helen Mackay.Graydon, who joined the firm from New Zealand Post, where she led the in-house team, has legal experience in corporate, commercial, health, and telecommunications. She said she was attracted to the firm because of the opportunity to work with a variety of in-house legal teams and the Juno crew, who she likes, respects, and thinks would make good colleagues.Parker has worked in commercial and technology teams at national law firms and companies. She is the former New Zealand legal counsel and company secretary of Nokia New Zealand. She has advised on legal, governance and commercial matters including complex and high value technology projects.Parker says she feels fortunate to be able to lead and contribute to important legal work on a part-time basis. The flexibility of project work is allowing me to resume my legal career while still meeting my family commitments, she said.Spillanes practice is concerned with commercial matters, with a particular focus on the telecommunications industry. She has held senior roles at TelstraClear, DB Group, and Russell McVeagh. She is also a former president of the In-House Lawyers Association of New Zealand.I am new to the model of providing flexible resourcing for an in-house legal team, having previously been employed within teams for long periods of time, she said. I am enjoying it even more than I anticipated. I think it is the mix of working within the collegial team environment balanced with the flexible model that appeals to me.Juno Legal is building a collaborative practice of experienced in-house lawyers who all have in-depth knowledge of the in-house legal function. They work as embedded lawyers in existing in-house legal functions, advising start-ups and businesses without internal counsel, helping in-house legal teams sharpen their focus and lift their performance, and helping teams use technology better to achieve more effective and efficient outcomes.
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Codenamed C300 and scheduled to roll into dealerships in 2019, the all-new Korando has been caught testing in the southernmost part of Europe . Disguised as a Tivoli with a longer wheelbase and a modified body shell, the prototype is most likely a test vehicle for the newcomers platform.Not to be confused with the Tivoli EV confirmed for 2019/2020, the Korandos rear underbody hides a generous muffler and an exhaust tip exiting on the left-hand side of the bumper. Up front, right behind the lower part of the bumper, youll notice what appears to be the engines radiator or intercooler, thus confirming the prototype is powered by fossil fuel.In addition to the Tivoli SsangYong plans to offer two more electric models, one of which coming in the form of the Korando EV. The-powered versions, meanwhile, will make use of the tried-and-tested 1.6-liter turbo diesel found in the Tivoli and an all-new 1.5-liter turbo engine with direct injection technology.by nature, the 2019 Korando will be offered withfor those who cant do without off-road capability.In comparison to the C200 , the Korando C300 is expected to get a side-hinged tailgate instead of the current generations hatchback rear door. Underpinned by a stretched evolution of the Tivoli platform, the Korando C300 benefits from the technical know-how of parent company Mahindra.The Indian automaker is leading the electric powertrain development for the South Korean brand, with the Korando EV expected to offer 300 kilometers (186 miles) from a full charge of the lithium-ion battery. If, however, Mahindra cant pull off such a task, then theres always the possibility of a plug-in hybrid powertrain instead of an all-electric setup. Hybridization is something SsangYong has on its mind for a few years now, but chief executive officer Johng-sik Choi made it clear all-electric is the way to go in the long run. And with the all-new Korando, SsangYong hopes to increase production volume to 250,000 cars per year by 2019.
His words weren't an exaggeration as the Tesla Semi and the surprise Tesla Roadster are truly mind-boggling vehicles, but they stand just as strongly in this context as well. If you've been following Bostin Dynamics over the past years, you'll know just how far they've taken human- and animal-like robots, but that still won't prepare you for this clip.It shows the latest iteration of Atlas, the company's humanoid robot previously seen getting beaten with a long stick just to prove how well it can maintain its balance in just a fraction of a second. If there's ever an opening at the American Gladiators, Atlas will make a fine candidate.And yet with every new clip they release, the guys at Boston Dynamics somehow manage to make things even scarier. There's no gore, no violence, no weapons or puppy cruelty - they don't need any of that. All they have to do is show Atlas performing the kind of tasks you don't want to see a robot do.Let's face it, if they showed it doing the dishes, nobody would mind. Or, as an earlier version of SpotMini did, grabbing a beer from the fridge and bringing it to its master. That's what we want robots for. Instead, Bostin Dynamics chose to reveal Atlas as it goes through a short parkour course.We don't know how heavy this robot is, but we don't imagine a hulk of metal can be too light. Yet despite that, it has no problem jumping up obstacles as high as its waistline. As for the finishing move... we'll just let you discover that one out. But be ready to have your mind blown - twice in less than 12 hours, thanks to Elon Musk and Boston Dynamics.
Textron Aviation announced this week it will continue its Top Hawk program for 2018, providing a new Cessna Skyhawk 172 to five university programs for use in their flight training and recruiting efforts. As the Top Hawk program enters its fourth year, were proud to build on a program that has allowed us to support general aviation and contribute to the enhancement of student pilot training, said Doug May, Textrons vice president for piston aircraft. The new Skyhawks will go to Middle Tennessee State University, in Murfreesboro; University of Dubuque, in Iowa; Lewis University, in Romeoville, Illinois; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in Prescott, Arizona; and California Aeronautical University, in Bakersfield.

Garmin and Bose also will contribute to the Top Hawk program again this year. Garmin will provide a G1000 NXi database subscription and a Garmin Pilot subscription, and Bose will provide two A20 aviation headsets for each Top Hawk aircraft. The Top Hawk program began in 2015, with four universities. Students that year logged more than 1,300 flight hours in the airplanes.
Hillary Clinton still questions the legitimacy of the 2016 presidential election results, especially given Russia's interference, and thinks an independent commission is needed to get to the bottom of it.

In an interview with Mother Jones' Ari Berman, Clinton said the result of Moscow's meddling "wasn't just influencing voters, it was determining the outcome."

Get smart: American intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, FBI and the ODNI (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) have all agreed that Russia actively worked to tilt the election in favor of Donald Trump. However, it's still unclear whether their efforts impacted the results.

The other side: Last week, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he believes Vladimir Putin's denials about election meddling, and said he is reluctant to press him further so that the U.S. and Russia can work together on other issues like North Korea and Syria.
Stephen Bittel, Florida's Democratic Party chairman since last January, resigned today after several women accused him of making inappropriate comments toward them, according to Politico's interviews with six women.

Key quote: "There was a lot of boob stuff in his office," one woman, a former fundraiser for Bittel, told Politico. "I was told by other women not to go into his bathroom. I was warned."

Why it matters: Bittel is another Democrat after Franken who has faced allegations of sexual harassment, and he's likely not going to be the last. His resignation is one example of some of the consequences these men will face in the wake of these revelations.

His statements:

To Politico on Thursday, before his official resignation: "Every person, regardless of their gender, race, age or sexuality should be treated with respect and valued for their hard work and contributions to our community and if any of my comments or actions did not reflect that belief I am deeply sorry. I have much to learn, but my goal is and has always been to make sure every member of our party has a safe environment in which to succeed. It seems I've not been successful in that goal, and I will do better."

on Thursday, before his official resignation: "Every person, regardless of their gender, race, age or sexuality should be treated with respect and valued for their hard work and contributions to our community and if any of my comments or actions did not reflect that belief I am deeply sorry. I have much to learn, but my goal is and has always been to make sure every member of our party has a safe environment in which to succeed. It seems I've not been successful in that goal, and I will do better." On the day of his resignation: "When my personal situation becomes distracting to our core mission of electing Democrats and making Florida better, it is time for me to step aside. I am proud of what we have built as a Party and the wins we have had for Florida families, but I apologize for all who have felt uncomfortable under my tenure at the Democratic Party. I am working with our leadership to elect my successor."

One more quote: "He's just so f----ng creepy," a former party staffer told Politico. "He just leers at you, and stares. I don't know if you know what that feels like, but he just leers at you. I don't know how to describe the feeling."
A new presentation from the Dallas Fed has a chart that caught my eye. It shows how employment in one key part of the industry  extraction and supporting activities  has not bounced back alongside U.S. production, which fell sharply in 2015 after prices collapsed but has been moving up again for a year and heading for record levels.

Data: Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals

Between the lines: Kunal Patel, a senior research analyst with the Dallas Fed, offered some insight in an email exchange:

"There are likely a variety of factors causing employment to not keep up with rising production. Primarily, efficiency gains (faster drill times and more production output per well) are allowing operators to produce more with less people," Patel said.

Some evidence: He notes that the oil rig count as November 10 was 738, which is slightly under half of the 2014 average, yet production has risen by by about a million barrels per day over the last year to the current level of roughly 9.6 million barrels per day.

"Additionally, greater use of technology is likely leading to automation of some tasks and allowing operators to be streamlined and more efficient. Big data has also allowed the industry to be more efficient," Patel said.

Go deeper: He highlighted this Bloomberg piece on industry adoption of advanced tech and data analysis, and this Dallas Morning News story on industry employment trends and technology.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian thinks it is more appropriate to speak about differences in the approaches of Azerbaijan and the European Union rather than Azerbaijan and Armenia towards the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement as far as the dispute over wording in the final declaration at an upcoming Eastern Partnership summit is concerned.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Yerevan with his visiting Brazilian counterpart on Friday, Nalbandian also commented on the reports suggesting that the ambassadors of all 28 European Union member states have agreed on the text of the declaration for the summit to be held in Brussels on November 24 apart from one paragraph, which has to do with regional conflicts, and on which Armenia and Azerbaijan have suggested conflicting language.

As for the declaration, negotiations are underway, and until the completion of these negotiations it is early to state anything about it. There are still a few days ahead, lets see, the top Armenian diplomat said.

At the same time, Nalbandian insisted that Azerbaijans approach differs from that of the EU as much as it differs from Armenias.

Here we should rather speak about the differences in approaches to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement of Azerbaijan and the EU, Azerbaijan and the international community rather than Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said in response to a question asked by an RFE/RL Armenian Service reporter.

This difference has emerged on multiple occasions, including during the previous summits The EUs position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement has always been the same  in support of the efforts and approaches of the [OSCE Minsk Group] Co-Chair countries. It is not a situational position, but it is a well-thought-out and conscious approach that does not harm the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but contributes to the efforts and approaches of the Co-Chair countries and promotes a solely peaceful resolution of the conflict. The EU has never changed this position.

Nalbandian spoke to the media today following his trip to Moscow where he met on November 14 with the Minsk Groups American, Russian and French co-chairs and reportedly agreed on a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, on the sidelines of an OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Vienna, Austria, next month.

Ahead of his separate meeting with the mediators on November 16, Mammadyarov stressed that at the talks with Yerevan Baku demands concrete results and does not want negotiations to be held for the sake of negotiations.

Nalbandian, in this regard, reminded his Azerbaijani counterpart that the Co-Chair countries at the highest level have urged the parties to refrain from destructive and maximalist approaches if they want the settlement of the conflict.

The Co-Chairs have urged [the parties] to reaffirm their commitment to the peaceful settlement of the conflict. Has Azerbaijan done that? The Co-Chairs have urged [the parties] to reaffirm their commitment to the three well-known principles of international law: the non-use of force or threat of force, [the right of nations to] self-determination and territorial integrity. Has Azerbaijan done that? The Co-Chairs call for unconditionally respecting and implementing trilateral open-ended cease-fire agreements. Does Azerbaijan do that? The Co-Chairs urge [the parties] to respect the agreements reached earlier. Does Azerbaijan do that? the Armenian foreign minister charged.
17 November 2017 10:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 117 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on November 17.

Armenians were using large-caliber machine guns.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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17 November 2017 15:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

A protest action demanding the release of two Azerbaijanis Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, who are kept hostages by Armenian militaries in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan for more than three years, was held in front of the Armenian Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, APA reported on November 16.

The protesters started marching from the Marjanishvili metro station. Representatives of local Azerbaijani organizations, activists and students participated in the event, chanting Freedom for Azerbaijani hostages, No to Armenian occupation, and other slogans.

Dilgam Asgarovs son Kurdoglu Asgarov, who also participated in the protest, said that for almost four years Armenians illegally keep hostage his father and Shahbaz Guliyev. He noted that the purpose of the action is to draw the attention of the international community to the fate of the hostages.

The two Azerbaijanis were detained by the Armenian armed forces in July 2014 while visiting their native places and graves of loved ones in the occupied Azerbaijani Kalbajar region. Moreover, Armenian forces killed the third captivated Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov.

Later, Guliyev and Asgarov were judged illegally by the unrecognized courts of a separatist regime in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. Following an expedited judicial process in December 2015, Asgarov was sentenced to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years. Attempts of Azerbaijan to provide justice and to free the hostages are still unsuccessful.

Azerbaijans State Committee on Affairs of Refugees and IDPs, the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons and other agencies have repeatedly urged international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to assist in release of Guliyev and Asgarov, whilst the problem remains topical yet.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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By India Today Web Desk: When the Andhra Pradesh government announced the winners of the Nandi Film Awards on Tuesday, little did they know that they would stoke a fire. There is a huge outrage over the jury's choice for 2014 - Nandamuri Balakrishna's film Legend swept the Nandi Film Awards with eight wins, including Best Actor (Nandamuri Balakrishna) and Best Director (Boyapati Srinu).

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Allegations of favouritism were made, with many questioning Legend's win over Manam, which starred three generations of the Akkineni family - Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Akkineni Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya.

Jury member Prasanna Kumar appeared on a television debate and reasoned that Legend ran successfully for 1170 days, and that the film is socially relevant. Manam, a film about rebirth, did not fit the criteria.

Filmmaker Mahesh Kathi told The Times Of India, "Balayya's Legend won eight awards including Best Actor and Best Director. In fact Balakrishna himself announced those awards. While he might not have influenced the jury, him being the member of the ruling party in the state, there is a serious case of conflict of interest."

Allu Arjun and Shruti Haasan-starrer Race Gurram, which was the highest grossing film of 2014, was also snubbed. The film won only two awards, for Best Comedian (Brahmanandam) and Best Male Dubbing Artiste. Race Gurram producer Nallamalupu Bujji alleged that their film was ignored at the Nandi Awards because they did not indulge in lobbying.

ALSO WATCH: Nandamuri Balakrishna stokes controversy after assaulting fan

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17 November 2017 16:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

This summer the Latvian national airline airBaltic carried 5,830 passengers between Baku and Riga, which is an increase of 12 percent compared to the summer of last year, the airline told Azernews.

Because of this, airBaltic made a decision to extend the operational season between Riga and Baku next year from May 2 to October 25.

"It means an increase in the number of flights between Baku and Riga by 89 percent. All flights are planned to be operated with the state-of-the-art Bombardier CS300 aircraft, the company said.

The airBaltic operated regular flights between Baku and Riga since 2006. At the end of October, the airline joined the BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan) Azerbaijan, in that way increasing the opportunities for all authorized agents in the local market to work with airBaltic.

The company noted it is always evaluating opening new destinations with enough demand. At this point, however, there are no specific plans on launching new destinations between other cities of Azerbaijan and Riga.

Founded in 1995, airBaltic today connects the Baltic region with 60 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and the CIS. Its primary shareholder is the Latvian state, which holds 80.05 percent of the companys shares.

The fleet of airBaltic includes 30 aircraft  seven Bombardier CS300, 11 Boeing 737 and 12 Bombardier Q400Next Gen. In 2012, the airline was ranked by Airlinetrends among the Top 10 airlines globally for innovations. In 2014 and 2015 OAG air travel intelligence company awarded AirBaltic for being the most punctual airline in the world.

The airBaltic-planned increase in the number of flights between Riga in Baku is logical as many tourists have visited Azerbaijan, especially its capital Baku, during past years and their number continues to increase annually. As a result, today Baku is among the most visited cities of the CIS. Over the past year, Azerbaijan received over 2 million tourists. In general, for the past 10 years, the number of tourists visiting the country increased by five times.

People in Azerbaijan are well known for their hospitality, while the countrys nature with its climate, beauty and uniqueness mesmerizes even the most claimant tourists. The country with rich ancient history has thousands of places to visit, ranging from the capital to the unique villages lost in the clouds.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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17 November 2017 11:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

EY Azerbaijan held a training session for the Ministry of Taxes of the Azerbaijan Republic entitled International Financial Accounting Basics: Accounting for Revenue and Fixed Assets at the Education Center of the Ministry of Taxes in Shamakhy on November 14 2017.

The training was led by EY Assurance Manager Kamran Safaraliyev and EY Assurance Senior Emil Mahmudzade.

The presentations and discussions covered IFRS aspects such as revenue recognition, recognition of fixed assets, as well as differences between IFRS and local tax legislation. Specific attention was paid to the application of a new revenue standard (IFRS 15) and possible tax implications. Further, training participants discussed key issues arising during financial and tax audits, as well as possible solutions to these problems.

Kamran shared: The participants were extremely interested in new IFRS provisions, and their tax implications in particular, and proactively participated in discussions. I am very happy with the training, and I hope that this cooperation between EY Azerbaijan and the Ministry will be long-lasting and productive. As a company, we highly value this cooperation.

EY was delighted to see all the participants at the session and thanks each of them for their enthusiastic participation!

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 200 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.

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16 November 2017 21:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Azerbaijan offers Russias St. Petersburg city to expand cooperation in the sphere of services and processing industry, Rufat Mammadov, head of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO), said.

Mammadov made the remarks at the Azerbaijani-Russian business meeting in Baku on November 16.

"Usually, when we talk about trade with Russia, first of all, agricultural products come into our mind," Mammadov said. We are a traditional supplier of these products in the region. We have a [competitive] advantage, but we should expand ties in a number of spheres. We should not be limited only to the food industry."

He said that Azerbaijan and St. Petersburg could also cooperate in the fashion sector.

"There are all the necessary opportunities in Azerbaijan and a production chain has been established beginning from cotton growing and ending with production of final products," he said.

Mammadov recalled that at present, Azerbaijan actively promotes the Made in Azerbaijan brand.

"We launched a very ambitious and practical program for the promotion of the Azerbaijani brand in foreign markets, he said. We launched our activity with our traditional trading partners. Russia ranks first among consumers of our non-oil products."

As for cooperation with St. Petersburg, Mammadov added that currently, a delegation of Azerbaijani businessmen is on a visit to this city.

He said that the delegation members have held over 200 bilateral meetings over two days.

"St. Petersburg is very important for us, he said. We feel great prospects and potential, which has not yet been fully used.

Russia is one of the main economic and trade partners of Azerbaijan. During the cooperation, Russias investments in Azerbaijans economy exceeded $3.7 billion. Azerbaijani entrepreneurs invested over $1 billion into the Russian economy.

The data of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee shows that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to almost $1.66 billion in January-October 2017, which is 10.35 percent of the entire trade turnover between Azerbaijan and other countries.

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16 November 2017 21:03 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The businessmen from Russias St. Petersburg city show great interest in cooperation with Azerbaijan in a wide range of spheres, Elgiz Kachayev, chairman of the Committee for the Development of Entrepreneurship and the Consumer Market of St. Petersburg, told reporters in Baku on November 16.

Among those spheres are light industry, processing industry, agriculture, tourism sector and petrochemistry, he said.

The measures for the development of tourism, which have been recently taken both in Azerbaijan and St. Petersburg, are giving results, he said. It is necessary to expand the number of flights between Azerbaijan and Russia.

Kachayev added that as for tourism in Azerbaijan, gastronomic, health and cultural tourism can be of interest.

"Azerbaijan has a very interesting culture, he said. Your country has a great historical past and the prevalence of the Russian language makes it possible to communicate without interpreters."

He also added that Azerbaijan and St. Petersburg increased the trade turnover by almost 5 times in January-June 2017 compared to the same period of 2016.

"The volume of trade turnover between two countries was about $120 million in January-June 2017, he said. The growth was fixed from both sides. I think this is only the beginning of the path supported by the presidents of two countries. The presidents made it clear that both countries should intensify and diversify relations."

Kachayev also stressed the importance of establishing joint logistics centers.

Russia is one of the main economic and trade partners of Azerbaijan. During the cooperation, Russias investments in Azerbaijans economy exceeded $3.7 billion. Azerbaijani entrepreneurs invested over $1 billion into the Russian economy.

The data of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee shows that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to almost $1.66 billion in January-October 2017, which is 10.35 percent of the entire trade turnover between Azerbaijan and other countries.

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17 November 2017 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The provision of women with equal rights in the labor market is the key to the efforts of the Azerbaijani government to diversify the economy, Mikaela Meredith, head of USAID mission in Azerbaijan, said.

Meredith made the remarks during the conference entitled "Development of Entrepreneurship among Women in Azerbaijan", held within the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Baku on November 17.

The Global Entrepreneurship Week is held worldwide on November 13-19. The Global Entrepreneurship Week has been held since 2008.

Meredith said that USAID has supported the development of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan for years.

"The Azerbaijani government is working to diversify the economy and improve the living conditions of citizens, she said.

Meredith also stressed that numerous studies show that when women are involved in the economy, their families are more educated and happy.

"Women play big role in the economy, when they can launch their own business, develop and manage it, she said. The economy is thriving in those countries where women can realize their economic goals."

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17 November 2017 14:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to support the development of entrepreneurial skills among 40 women in Azerbaijan in 2018, Mikaela Meredith, head of USAID mission in Azerbaijan, said.

Meredith made the remarks during the conference "Development of Entrepreneurship among Women in Azerbaijan", held within the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Baku on November 17.

The representatives of embassies, international organizations, the Azerbaijani government and "think tanks" are taking part in the event. The Global Entrepreneurship Week is held worldwide on November 13-19. The Global Entrepreneurship Week has been held since 2008.

USAID plans to deliver 10 grants for female entrepreneurs to implement projects in 2018.

Meredith said that so far, USAID reviewed over 70 business plans and supported 30 new projects of female entrepreneurs in different spheres, beginning from carpet weaving and ending with rice growing.

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17 November 2017 15:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The development of entrepreneurship among women is an important catalyst for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Ghulam Isaczai said.

Isaczai made the remarks during the conference entitled "Development of Entrepreneurship among Women in Azerbaijan", held within the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Baku on November 17.

The representatives of embassies, international organizations, the Azerbaijani government and "think tanks" are taking part in the event. The Global Entrepreneurship Week is held worldwide on November 13-19. The Global Entrepreneurship Week has been held since 2008.

He said that the development of entrepreneurship among women can help eliminate the problems of poverty, inequality, as well as obstacles to the development of global education and health.

"For the development of women's entrepreneurship, there is a need for sustained support of all state agencies, including the UN, media outlets, civil society and experts," Isaczai said.

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17 November 2017 15:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

Azerbaijan, with its rich historical and architectural heritage, is famous for its historical monuments, one of the most mysterious, charming features of which is the wide coverage of shebeke art in the architectural buildings of its ancient cities, of which Sheki and Nakhchivan draw special attention.

Shebeke as a form of architecture appeared in the Azerbaijani architecture from the 9th-12th centuries. The earliest examples of Shebeke art, made from stone, were found in Azerbaijan by archaeologists; openwork stone lattices were in the palaces, and in simple houses, baths, mosques.

The peculiarity of the art is based on the fact that no glue or nails are used during the construction of the figures. Little pieces of colored glass are inserted into a wooden lattice usually made from walnut or oak trees.

Folk craftsmen of the 17th-18th centuries used in their compositions colored glass with thickness of only one millimeter. Contemporary craftsmen, however, cannot reach this level: the material used by them is glass about three millimeters thick.

Sheki, with its delightful beauty of nature, hospitable people and the richest history, has many interesting architectural monuments that are worth paying attention to. However, still, when it comes to the architecture of Sheki, the first association that comes to mind is Shebeke.

The Palace of Sheki Khans can be considered as the most striking example of shebeke art. This majestic Royal Palace of Sheki Khans, built in the 18th century without a single nail with luxurious wall paintings and openwork windows, is rightly called the pearl of Azerbaijani architecture in the stone citadel.

Before to start a new piece of Shebeke art, a master "turns on" his fantasy, because firstly it is necessary to use imagination to create a new and exclusive pattern. Then a "layout" is done on the paper, that is, a life-size model is drawn to calculate the size of all the parts with maximum accuracy.

After that, work on wood begins: the frame is prepared, the elements of the construction are cut out, account of which goes to thousands, with grooves for the glass. The next and the final step is assembling. Shebeke requires high precision, because with the slightest mistake, the entire mosaic created can fall apart into colored pieces.

Another region popular with having an architecture rich in shebeke is Nakhchivan. When it comes to the tradition of shebeke, it is impossible not to recall the Khan palace in Nakhchivan, Jameh in Ordubad as well as a number of other monuments in the Autonomous Republic, as magnificent examples of this art. In recent years, shebeke samples have been widely used in the doors and windows of the restored monuments.

Khan's palace in Nakhchivan is one of the most beautiful examples of this art. The Palace, built in a special order and combining many types of folk art, is distinguished by its original architectural style.

In the palace, built in the 17th century, a 40-centimeter floor-standing throne was created in the western corner of the hall for guests. The windows in this corner are decorated with shebeke from the floor to the ceiling, while the ceiling is decorated with small mirrors. Shebeke compositions with colorful shades in the palace preserve the two centuries old look and with their brightness attract the attention of many tourists visiting Nakhchivan.

Geysariyya, a historical monument of the 17th century built of baked bricks, which located in the center of Ordubad, is another monument that features the examples of shebeke art in itself.

Geysariyya means a covered oriental market built in the past to sell the king's diamonds and jewelry. Such buildings can be found in three parts of the world: Samarkand, Tabriz and Ordubad.

The monument consists of a hall center, a round dome covering its roof, composite four supporters holding the dome in the corners and the passages arranging between the supporters and side wall recesses. In 1978 Geysariyya was restored by Zakir Hashim oglu Babayev, architect from Ordubad and since 1981 the monument has been functioning as History-Ethnography Museum of Ordubad region.

With regard to its architecturalconstructive structure, Juma Mosque linked to the 18th century, which is rich in shebeke samples, was erected at the highest point in the central square of Ordubad.

Shebeke is one of the most demanding areas of folk art that requires special abilities, experience and technology. It is like light itself: fragile in appearance but robust and reliable in their everyday use.

Generally, walnut tree is preferred in the preparation of shebeke, which is related to its elasticity. For its longevity, it is cooked and dried, and then cut into thin layers. These pieces are collected in the form of certain geometric shapes and decorated with colored glasses.

The network is also one of the challenging areas of decorative art and is mainly associated with architecture. Usually, shebeke masters prefer traditional natural ornaments. Currently this art is used not only in the restoration of monuments, but also in construction of new buildings.

The knowledge of eastern architectural elements, geometry, mathematics, painting are necessary in order to learn this art. Nowadays in Nakhchivan young people interested in this work understand that patience is the most important issue for learning shebeke, and sometimes many are not patient enough to work as shebeke masters. Therefore, the impatient person cannot remain long in this art as it takes many years to grow up as a professional.

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17 November 2017 13:52 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

Azerbaijan, a country with outstanding historical heritage and remarkable traditions, has been elected as vice-president of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for 2018.

Ministry of Culture and Tourism told Trend that 12 new member countries selected to the Committee also took part in the session, as a result of election held during extraordinary session of the committee held at the UNESCO headquarters.

Azerbaijan was elected as a member of the committee for a four-year term in 2015.

During the extraordinary session, the country was elected as Vice President of the World Heritage Committee for 2018 and joined the Bureau of the Committee along with Bahrain, Brazil, Spain, Zimbabwe and China.

Bahrain was elected as President of the World Heritage Committee for 2018 at the extraordinary session.

The 42nd session of the Committee is planned to be held in Bahrains capital, Manama.

The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties. It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List. It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed. It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Azerbaijan signed and ratified almost all the conventions and other legal instruments of UNESCO. The country became member of UNESCO on June 3 1992, after restoration of its independence. In 2003, Azerbaijan and UNESCO signed the framework agreement on cooperation in the areas of culture, science, education and communication, which allowed Azerbaijan to become one of the donors of UNESCO.

Of note, the Icherisheher (Old City), Maiden Tower and Shirvanshah's palace were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, while since 2007 the Gobustan National Historical-Artistic reserve is also listed among these heritages.

Now the country works to include the Shaki Khans Palace and the historical part of Azerbaijans Shaki city to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

UNESCOs Heritage list also includes the Novruz holiday, Azerbaijani mugham, national ashig art, the national carpet, traditional Kalagayi headwear and national musical instrument tar.

This May the organization marked the 600th anniversary of the death of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Imadaddin Nasimi.

Moreover, this year UNESCO also celebrated the 200th anniversary of the first settlement of Germans in Azerbaijan. In 2013, with the support of UNESCO the 900th anniversary of Azerbaijani poetess Mahsati Ganjavi was celebrated in Paris.

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17 November 2017 16:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

The Institute of Archeology and Ethnography is one of the most active institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. Almost every week, archeologists announce the next unique artifact, thus opening up new pages of the mysterious history of the country.

As a result of one of these investigative studies carried out by the leading researcher of the Institute, PhD in History Anar Agalarzade discovered burial mounds located on the left side of Badadan-Khanalion village of Masalli region, on right bank of the same river, in Lankaran lowland, Talysh mountains.

The diameter of these soil covered kurgans is 45-50 m and the height of the upper cover is 4-5 meters, the institute told Trend. These graves, built at an altitude of 870 meters above sea level, are found one at a time in the village. The kurgans are mostly east-west oriented.

Agalarzade said that, according to preliminary estimates, these monuments belong to the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age, that is, the end of II millennium BC and the beginning of I millennium BC.

The researcher noted that Bronze-early Iron Age mounds, present in the southern region of Azerbaijan, allowed the communities of the primitive community to observe the spiritual culture and burial customs of the present era.

The burial mounds of the mountainous and foothill zone are of great importance for gaining information about the socio-economic, public relations of the Bronze and early Iron Age societies and mainly the economic life of the ancient tribes. While rocky burial mounds are particularly characteristic for the mountainous zones in the southern region, the foothills and the Aran region are dominated by soil-coated burial mounds. All this difference is clearly observed in the vicinity of the monuments, he said.

The systematic archeological excavations that will be carried out in the future, according to Agalarzade will make it possible to determine the more accurate historical and chronological framework of the burial mounds in Badalan and to observe the features of burial customs.

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US-based Moody's today upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to Baa2 with a stable outlook citing improved growth prospects driven by economic and institutional reforms.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah during the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting for state elections, at BJP headquarters in Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: Ahead of the Gujarat Assembly election to be held in December, the Narendra Modi government is under attack from the Opposition over the former's claims of development.

The Congress in particular has launched an offensive to refute the BJP's claims of development at the national level and in Gujarat.

During his campaign for the Gujarat poll, Congress vice-president has been questioning the government over economy, particularly in the wake of demonetisation move and GST.

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However, the developments in the last fortnight give the BJP a handle to counter the allegations of the Opposition.

MOODY'S CREDIT RATING

The US-based Moody's today upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to Baa2 with a stable outlook citing improved growth prospects driven by economic and institutional reforms.

The rating upgrade comes after a gap of 13 years. Moody's had last upgraded India's rating to Baa3 in 2004.

In 2015, the rating outlook was changed to positive from stable.

The Baa3 rating was the lowest investment grade - just a notch above junk status.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet after the ratings said that Moody's believe that government's reform will improve the business climate.

Quoting Moody's he said it Moody's believes that the BJP government's reforms will improve business climate, enhance productivity, stimulate foreign and domestic investment, and ultimately foster strong and sustainable growth.

Moody's believes that the @narendramodi Government's reforms will improve business climate, enhance productivity, stimulate foreign and domestic investment, and ultimately foster strong and sustainable growth. @MoodysInvSvc&; PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 17, 2017

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley held a press conference hours after the Moody's ratings were released and said they were a reflection of the government's positive work.

"The fact that a series of steps including demonetisation, which are now taking Indian economy to a greater formalisation and digitisation, something which is being universally acknowledged," Jaitley said.

He further said it is encouraging that there is an international recognition and it firms our determination to follow the path that we have embarked upon.

BJP president Amit Shah too hailed Moody's ratings and claimed that the Modi's government's reform initiatives will help put India on a higher growth trajectory.

Moody's believes that Modi Govts reforms will improve the business climate, enhance productivity, attract more investment & put India on a higher growth trajectory.&; Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 17, 2017

EASE OF DOING BUSINESS

In the beginning of this month, India jumped 30 places to rank 100th in the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking. The ranking was based on a slew of reforms in taxation, licensing, investor protection and bankruptcy resolution.

The ranking comes as a shot in the arm for the Modi government.

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.

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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.

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

PEW SURVEY

Just a couple of days ago, Pew survey said Prime Minister Modi remains "by far" the most popular figure in Indian politics.

The findings came through the main findings of Pew's latest survey conducted among 2,464 respondents in India.

Modi at 88 per cent is 30 points ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (58 per cent), 31 points ahead of Congress president Sonia Gandhi (57 per cent) and 49 points ahead of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (39 per cent), said the survey conducted between February 21 and March 10.

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Pew said the public's "positive assessment" of Modi is buoyed by "growing contentment" with the Indian economy: more than eight-in-ten say economic conditions are "good", up 19 percentage points since immediately before the 2014 election.

The share of adults who say the economy is "very good" (30 per cent) has tripled in the past three years, it added.

Overall, seven-in-ten Indians are now "satisfied" with the way things are going in the country. This positive assessment of India's direction has nearly doubled since 2014, Pew said.

--- ENDS ---
17 November 2017 14:26 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The round table "Textile collections in museums" has kicked off in Baku.

The event was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijani Carpet Museum and the 110th anniversary of the birth of Latif Karimov, the founder of the museum, an outstanding scientist and carpet artist, Trend Life reported.

In her speech, museum's director Shirin Melikova spoke about the activities of the institution over the recent period, implemented projects, as well as the work to promote Azerbaijani carpet art.

Melikova stressed that over the past two years, the museum received carpets, national clothes, jewelry and various items found during archaeological excavations.

Museum's director said that the round table will discuss such topics as conservation and restoration of carpets, carpets, national clothes, fabrics, their preservation and exhibition.

Issues related to establishing ties with textile museums, associations and communities in different countries, exchange of experience, holding scientific conferences on textile collections, exhibitions, seminars, master classes, etc. will also considered.

The head of the Cultural Institutions and Folk Art Department at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Fikret Babayev spoke about the attention and concern of the state about museum institutions. He informed the audience about the implemented projects aimed at the development of the museum business.

Azerbaijani carpet art has an ancient history. They are known at international level, saved and stored at the world museums and private collections. Thanks to the care of the country, on November 10, 2010, the Azerbaijani carpet art was included into the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.

Azerbaijan's Carpet Museum established in Baku in 1967, being the first carpet museum in the world is the very place that can familiarize all the interested with the unique examples of the national carpets.

The main purpose of the creation of the museum was to store, research, and demonstrate unique examples of the carpet weaving art, which are the Azerbaijans national heritage. The initiator of the museum was Latif Karimov  an outstanding scientist and carpet weaver, the founder of the science of Azerbaijan Carpet Weaving Art, artist and teacher, author of the fundamental work Azerbaijani carpet.

In 2007, the President Ilham Aliyev, signed a decree for the creation of a new building for the museum in the territory of Seaside National Park.

A new carpet museum, designed in the form of a rolled carpet, opened in the Baku Seaside Park in 2014 and all carpets were transferred to this museum.

Today museum hosts many events, such as exhibitions, international symposiums, and conferences, are held.

During its 50 years of existence, the museum has organized more than 30 exhibitions in different countries throughout the world

Azerbaijan's Carpet Museum operates as the site for the comprehensive research of traditional carpet weaving art and its popularization within world culture.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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17 November 2017 10:54 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Presidents of Russia Vladimir Putin and Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Erdogan summing up the results of his visit to Russia, Star newspaper reported.

He said that it was noted at the meeting that it would be useful for Russia to pay more attention to this issue.

"He [Putin] thinks so himself, but in my opinion, he has no high hopes because of the positions of the parties. I reminded him of the decision taken on the liberation of the five regions and that the Armenian side was supposed to leave these territories, Haberturk quoted Erdogan.

He noted that the UN Security Council recognized the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, but despite this, the Armenian armed forces do not leave these areas.

If these areas are liberated, the ancestral inhabitants of these regions can return to their native lands, Erdogan said.

The talks between the presidents of Russia and Turkey took place on November 13 in Sochi.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Turkey has always supported the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on Azerbaijans territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of the country's internationally recognized borders.

Turkey and Armenia severed diplomatic relations in 1993 due to occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenian Armed Forces and Yerevans claims to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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17 November 2017 12:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The issue Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the fight against terrorism have become an example of absolute cooperation between the U.S. and Russia, Matthew Bryza, former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan and former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, told RIA Novosti on November 17.

The two countries have absolutely different views about the conflict in Georgia [South Ossetia and Abkhazia conflict in 2008], but at the same time, they are cooperating on the issue of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the fight against terrorism, he said.

Russia and the U.S., along with France, are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group, which spearheads the OSCEs efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict 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 regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Until now, Armenia controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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17 November 2017 14:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Booking.com, the Netherlands-based travel fare aggregator website, has resumed illegal hotel reservations in Azerbaijans occupied territories, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend on November 17.

He noted that previously, after a serious protest from Azerbaijans Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture and Tourism, the website ceased making illegal hotel reservations in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenian armed forces.

However, as a result of an investigation, it was revealed that Booking.com has renewed the illegal hotel reservations in Azerbaijans occupied lands. Promotion of Azerbaijans occupied lands as a tourism destination by Booking.com and making hotel reservations there absolutely contradicts the principles of international law, the Charter of the World Tourism Organization, the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, as well as relevant decisions and recommendations of the World Tourism Organizations Executive Board, said Hajiyev.

The spokesman stressed that promotion of the occupied territories, where more than a million Azerbaijanis were subject to bloody ethnic cleansing, as a tourism destination and making hotel reservations there is inconsistent with any moral framework.

"Azerbaijans occupied territories are closed for legal international money transfers, whereas hotels are booked in Azerbaijans occupied lands via online payments on Booking.com, which takes profit from this," said Hajiyev, adding this is considered as illegal international money transfer and money laundering.

He pointed out that with such activities detrimental to the corporate business ethics, Booking.com creates an unserious impression about itself and undermines its reputation.

The spokesman added that Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Culture and Tourism carry out coordinated relevant measures in connection with the issue, and Azerbaijans Embassy in the Netherlands has also received instructions.

Azerbaijan takes necessary measures against those, who are engaged in illegal business or economic activity in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia. Moreover, unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan are considered illegal and individuals who pay such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys black list.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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17 November 2017 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

The twentieth century went down in history not only as an age of science and technology, but also as a century of national revival, the liberation of peoples from colonialism and the formation of national states.

Exactly 29 years ago, the Azerbaijani people took the national liberation movement. After 70 years under the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan had the chance to regain its independence.

On November 17, 1988 a single free voice of the Azerbaijani people, able to defend their interests, fight for their independence, and territorial integrity sounded for the first time. This day was a turning point on the way to the revival of national identity.

From the very beginning of 1988, Armenia launched an open aggression against Azerbaijan. With the explicit connivance of the then head of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, with the support and direct instruction of the Armenian government, the mass expulsion of more than 200,000 Azerbaijanis who lived in Armenia began.

Millions of Azerbaijanis headed for the streets on this day, for the first time shouting slogans of freedom and demanding the restoration of their violated rights.

Azerbaijanis stood up to express their endless anger and distrust of the then Soviet leadership, and fought for their liberty from the empire.

It was a truly popular movement, a movement of single will for national independence. In early December, the movement was suppressed by Soviet troops. However, in the history of Azerbaijan these days have forever remained as the beginning of the national movement, and November 17 has since been considered a national revival day.

This campaign was called the "Movement of the Square", and the largest Square in Baku, where Azerbaijanis conducted sit-in protests after the liberation movement, began to be called "Azadlig" ("Freedom").

The protests lasted for 18 days and nights, becoming the ever largest protests in the USSR. The Azerbaijani people proved that they could stand up for themselves to defend their rights and motherland.

The scale of the protests forced Moscow to announce a state of emergency for the first time, mainly in Azerbaijan. The Soviets internal security forces used heavy equipment against the protesters, wounding and killing civilians.

Despite the many hardships facing Azerbaijan, the nation took bold steps toward democratization, reorganization, and rebuilding.

The day is devoted to the enligheteners, the fighters for national liberation who have preserved through the centuries the spiritual values of the nation and its morality.

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17 November 2017 15:19 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be on an official visit in Baku on November 19-20, Hikmat Hajiyev, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys spokesman, told Trend on November 17.

Lavrov is scheduled to meet with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and other high-ranking officials within the framework of the visit, Hajiyev said.

He added that following the meeting, a joint press conference with the participation of both ministers will be held.

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17 November 2017 16:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The battles between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces in Nagorno-Karabakh in April last year and the liberation of several strategic heights and settlements showed the professionalism and combat readiness of the Azerbaijani Army. Today it was proposed to establish a medal for heroism shown during these battles.

Azerbaijani MP Sahib Aliyev made this proposal at the plenary session of the Parliament during the discussion of amendments to the law On establishment of orders and medals of Azerbaijan, Trend reported on November 17.

The MP noted that the Azerbaijani servicemen who participated in the April battles and showed heroism have the right to wear this medal on their chests.

The situation on the frontline between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops aggravated on April 2, 2016, after the Armenian military units in the occupied lands began shelling Azerbaijani positions. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched counter attacks and as a result, the Azerbaijani troops retook hills around the village of Talish, as well as Seysulan settlement, and also took over Lele Tepe hill located in the direction of Fuzuli region.

Military operations on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops were stopped on April 5 with mutual consent of the sides.

During the April clashes, over 320 Armenian servicemen were killed, more than 500 Armenian soldiers were injured, 30 enemy tanks and other armored vehicles, as well as more than 25 artillery pieces were destroyed during the counter attacks of Azerbaijan, while Armenian side hid the real figures saying that only 80 soldiers died.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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17 November 2017 16:39 (UTC+04:00)

The UN Migration Agency (IOM) organized a technical workshop on sharing expert experience countering irregular migration in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Republic of Azerbaijan) on November 16-17.

The event was organized within the framework of the Consolidation of Migration and Border Management Capacities in Azerbaijan (CMBA) project, implemented by IOM in close partnership with the State Migration Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Border Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population. The project is funded by the European Union and co-funded by British Petroleum and their co-ventures and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (U.S.).

During the opening session, the head of the State Migration Service of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Shahin Nabiyev, stressed the importance of the workshop. He emphasized that development within the migration sphere was one of the top priorities of the high-level cooperation established on a multilateral basis between Azerbaijan, the European Union and IOM. He also praised the good results achieved so far as a result of this cooperation.

Ambassador Kestutis Jankauskas, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, underlined the successful implementation of the project. He expressed his assurance that the two-day training, with the participation of high-level international experts, would contribute to the work of the various migration bodies employees. He emphasized that, for the EU, the fight against trafficking in human beings remains a priority and it stands ready to continue to fight jointly in order to eradicate this crime. He said that the broad nature of the stakeholders, brought together in this workshop to discuss issues regarding irregular migration, was testimony to the nature and scope of migration. According to the Ambassador, migration management is rightly regarded as one of the most complex and resource consuming issues that we are confronting today. Ending his speech, Ambassador Jankauskas expressed his appreciation of the current cooperation with the IMO office in Azerbaijan.

Chief of IOM Mission in Azerbaijan, Serhan Aktoprak made clear the necessity for a high-road approach to the Global Compact negotiations, which respect the human rights of all migrants, regardless of their migratory status; facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration; and reduce the incidences and impact of forced and irregular migration. He emphasized that there was also a good opportunity for Azerbaijan to be a part of the Global Compact on Migration, which is expected to be approved in 2018. He also hoped that Azerbaijan would actively participate in the upcoming meeting in Mexico. The Chief of Mission strongly called for the unity of all countries in countering irregular migration, especially now that the world is witnessing tragic events related to the movement of people from one region to another.

The participants from the various national institutions from the Republic of Azerbaijan, country representatives from the France, Romania, UK, Belarus, Indonesia, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan and the IOM experts from the Headquarters, Global Migration Data Analysis Center and Regional Office in Vienna held discussions on challenges, new approaches, and shared their experiences in responding to the irregular migration including smuggling of migrants and trafficking of human beings.

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17 November 2017 17:49 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Afshan Khan will pay an official visit to Azerbaijan on November 20-22 for the first time, the UNICEF office in Azerbaijan said in a message on November 17.

According to the message, Afshan Khan will meet with senior officials, public and youth representatives.

As part of her visit, Afshan Khan will first attend the opening ceremony of the fourth National Children's Forum, organized by UNICEF and the Azerbaijani State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, on the Universal Children's Day, which is celebrated on November 20.

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17 November 2017 14:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Trends exclusive interview with Acting Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs at the U.S. Department of State Sue Saarnio.

Intro: "As the Acting Special Envoy for the State Departments Bureau of Energy Resources, it is my pleasure to discuss energy issues of common interest between the United States and Azerbaijan. Our countries have a longstanding bilateral relationship, with energy playing a key role."

Q: Azerbaijan, jointly with its international partners, is very close to the completion of the Southern Gas Corridor project. How do you assess the progress in implementation of the project and its significance in ensuring Europes energy security?

A: The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) will make a significant contribution to Europes energy security. The SGC has made tremendous progress. Development of Azerbaijans offshore Shah Deniz 2 (SD2) gas field is nearly complete, as is the expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCPX) and construction of the Trans-Anatolian pipeline (TANAP). The final pipeline in the SGC, the Trans Adriatic pipeline (TAP), has also made substantial progress, especially in Greece and Albania. The Italian portion, after some initial challenges, is making good progress. We remain confident that gas deliveries to Turkey will begin in 2018 and to Italy in a 2020/21 timeframe.

Q: Various projects are under construction for transporting gas to Europe. What importance do you attach to the Southern Gas Corridor under new conditions, given the EU intention to diversify the energy supply sources?

A: Many EU members recognize that their reliance on a single source of natural gas imports exposes them to serious political and economic risks, and that they should take steps to diminish that reliance by diversifying their gas importsby country of origin and path of delivery.

While the EU has added LNG infrastructureboth terminals and floating storage regasification units (FSRUs)the SGC is the only major pipeline project now under construction that will provide a new source and new route for gas delivery to Europe.

This is an enormously significant development and would not have been possible without the concerted and sustained efforts of countless government and private sector stakeholders from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Albania, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. The U.S. government has strongly supported this project from its inception, much as we earlier supported the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.

The SGC and BTC are remarkable examples of what we can achieve when we work together toward a common purpose.

The initial phase of the SGC, with gas supplies from SD2, is just the beginning. Under the right circumstances, the SGC could be expanded to deliver additional volumes from Azerbaijan, as well as new volumes from the Eastern Mediterranean and/or Turkmenistan.

The SGC could thus become a basis for positive cooperation across the region, providing a range of gas producers with a stable source of export earnings, while helping to underpin Europes long term energy security.

Q: On September 14 Baku hosted the signing ceremony of a new contract on development of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block of oil and gas fields until 2050 with participation of two US companies. What is the significance of the deal for the international energy cooperation? How will this agreement affect Azerbaijans role as a supplier of energy resources to world markets?

A: Azerbaijan has been supplying large volumes of oil to global markets since completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline in 2006. Extension of the ACG Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) will help ensure that Azerbaijan remains a major supplier of oil to European and world markets.

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Thanks to non-filling of vacancies, the National Green Tribunal, which is supervising measures to battle pollution in Delhi, is inching towards closure.

By Harish V Nair: It may be supervising measures to save Delhiites from pollution. But the harsh truth is that the National Green Tribunal itself is gasping for breath.

Thanks to non-filling of vacancies, the green court, set up six years ago as a specialised forum for effective and speedy disposal of cases pertaining to environment protection, forest conservation and compensation claims, is inching towards closure.

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If urgent measures are not taken to appoint new judicial and expert members, the tribunal which has three courts in its principal bench in Delhi and four zonal benches (east, west, central and south) will soon be functioning with less than one-third of its sanctioned strength of 20.

Due to non-filling of vacancies against retirements, according to retirement dates of judges accessed by Mail Today, there will be only be three judicial members and two expert members left after February 12, 2018. At present the strength is six (judicial members) and three (expert members) respectively.

Alarmed at the state of affairs, the Delhi High Court recently asked the Centre if it "planned to wind up the NGT". In September, the Centre had told the court that it has received 80 applications for the post of judicial members and 150 for expert members. But mysteriously, things have not moved any further.

'ALARMING SITUATION'

"Situation is so alarming that due to paucity of members, at present only one out of three courts of Delhi Principle Bench is functioning. Two of the four zonal benches also stopped functioning mainly due to non-appointment of new expert members. As per the rules, each bench of the NGT should comprise of at least one judicial member and one expert member," Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who moved Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the Centre to take steps for immediate filling of vacancies, told Mail Today.

The retirement of two expert members -- PC Mishra (East Zone, Kolkata Bench) and P Satyanarayana Rao (South Zone, Chennai Bench) -- on Wednesday brought the functioning of these two benches to a grinding halt. A judicial member posted at the Central Zone Bench in Bhopal will finish his term on Friday.

Two judicial members -- the chairperson of the tribunal Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice VD Salvi -- will be attaining superannuation on December 31, 2017, and February 13, 2018, respectively. An expert member, Bikram Singh Sajwan, will be retiring on December 9, 2017.

As per the eligibility rules till now, the NGT chairperson should be a retired judge of the Supreme Court. Other judicial members are retired judges of high courts. 'Expert members' should have a professional qualification and a minimum of 15 years experience in the field of environment/forest conservation and related subjects.

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But despite the constraints, the NGT is not doing a bad job vis-a-vis disposal of cases. Out of the 23,341 cases filed in 2011, when it was set up, 19,970 have been decided and the pendency is just 3,371 cases.

The high court has been of late staying some orders passed by the NGT due to lack of quorum in the bench. This problem is only set to aggravate if the appointments are delayed.

Advocate Bansal, who is also an executive member of the NGT Bar Association, said in his petition: "In short period of its existence, NGT has shown tremendous commitment towards delivery of environmental justice. Despite that lackadaisical and apathetic attitude of the Central government regarding filling the vacancies is intriguing and appalling. Due to the red-tapism involved in bureaucracy, a fine institution like the NGT is heading towards a premature death."

The shocking plight of the environment court comes out at a time when there is a buzz that the Centre is against a strong, active and assertive NGT. The government has been at loggerheads with it on several occasions for creating roadblocks in fast-tracking of projects citing violation of environmental rules.

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The appointments may also be getting delayed as the Centre aims to have a major say in who will sit as judges of the NGT and other tribunals.

The Centre has modified the process of appointments. Instead of a senior judge, its chairperson will now be recommended by a five-member panel, which will be led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) or a nominee of the CJI, but a majority of the other members in the recruitment panel will be recommended by the environment ministry.

The new rules have been challenged in the Supreme Court.

--- ENDS ---
17 November 2017 15:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Kazakhstans airline SCAT has signed a contract for the purchase of the six aircraft of the latest generation with American Boeing, according to the press service of the air company.

"The conclusion of this contract is particularly significant for the company in the year of its 20th anniversary. Buying a Boeing 737 MAX 8 SCAT will not only raise the level of service, but will also give a new impetus to the development of the aviation industry of Kazakhstan," CEO of the company Vladimir Denisov said.

In addition to expanding the airline's route network, the deal will also provide all its passengers with a new level of air transportation, based on new technical equipment, flight speed, Wi-Fi function and convenience of the salon, the official statement said.

Moreover, the interior of each aircraft will be developed taking into account the personal wishes of the customer. All planes will be delivered directly from the manufacturer.

The contract also provides for the right to purchase additional five aircraft of the same type.

Since the beginning of the year SCAT airline has transported more than 1.6 million passengers, showing an increase in passenger traffic of more than 46 percent, compared with the indicators of the previous year.

There are 92 air routes with the length of more than 84,000 kilometers over the territory of Kazakhstan while 73 air corridors pass on the border with neighboring countries. As many as 80 percent of the air transit traffic of foreign airlines over the territory of Kazakhstan pass through routes connecting Europe with South-East Asia as well as routes between South Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Kazakhstan has airports in Shimkent, Atbasar, Karaganda, Kyzyl-Orda, Balkhash, Burundai, Zaisan, Petropavlovsk, Semipalatinsk, Ust-kamenogorsk, Uralsk, Taldy-Kurgan, Kokshetau, Pavlodar, Zhezkazgan, Atyrau, Zhambyl, Zhairem, Ekibastuz, Almaty, Aktau, Kostanay, Aktyubinsk, Arkalyk, and Astana cities.

Kazakhstan's existing airlines are Air Astana, Air Company MEGA, Avia Jaynar, Bek Air, Berkut Air, Euro-Asia Air, Excellent Glide, Irtysh-Air, SCAT, Semeyavia, Zhetysu, and Zhezkazgan Air.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 November 2017 15:41 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkmenistans Foreign Ministry hosted a meeting with the European Union Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Ambassador Roland Kobia, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message on November 17.

The sides exchanged views on topical issues of the regional agenda, discussed the current security situation in Afghanistan and the mechanisms of regional cooperation of the Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.

The parties expressed support for a peaceful settlement of the situation in Afghanistan and noted the importance of further cooperation within the EU-Central Asia dialogue on security with the participation of Afghanistan. Noting Turkmenistans interest in ensuring security, peace and sustainable development in Central Asia and Afghanistan as well as the countrys positive experience, proposals were made to consolidate joint efforts in this direction, says the message.

The meetings agenda included the fight against international and regional threats to security, such as terrorism and radicalism, the fight against drugs as part of the EU programs, and joint activities of the Central Asian countries and the European Union on border management.

The two sides also noted the importance of the 7th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA VII), held recently in Ashgabat, in further regional economic integration.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 November 2017 15:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkey, Iran and Russia have a common position on the settlement of the Syrian crisis, the Turkish media quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying on November 17.

Erdogan said that despite a number of disagreements, the regions countries are interested in the settlement of the Syrian crisis.

The Turkish president added that the three countries presidents will discuss the Syrian crisis in Sochi on Nov. 22.

He added that the United States has not fulfilled its promises regarding the Syrian crisis settlement.

Erdogan on Nov. 13 visited Sochi and during a meeting there with Russian president discussed the situation in Syria.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has claimed more than 500,000 lives.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 November 2017 17:09 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

A document on cooperation was signed between Aktobe Relining Plant and Russian Railways JSC, Kazakh Prime Minister's press service reported.

The document was signed in Aktobe within the framework of the 19th session of the Kazakh-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation by leaders of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC Kanat Alpysbayev and President of Russian Railways JSC Oleg Belozyorov.

Long-distance rails of high quality of Kazakhstan manufacturers will be used in the modernization of Russian railways.

By the end of this year, the plant will supply 7,500 tons of rails of P65 brand up to 120 meters long. The export potential of the Aktobe Relining Plant is more than 550,000 tons until 2020.

The meeting of the Kazakhstan-Russia intergovernmental commission was held by Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister Askar Mamin and his Russian counterpart Igor Shuvalov.

"When the EurAsEC project was born, the leaders of our countries said that it was necessary to ensure real cooperation, real integration. This plant, Aktobe Relining Plant, is just the embodiment of this idea. I hope that the products of the plant will be in demand on the territory of many countries," he said.

Within the framework of the visit in Aktobe, the heads of the Kazakh and Russian delegations visited a number of social facilities, including the Nazarbayev Intellectual School and the Academy of Creativity.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 November 2017 18:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Iran and Ukraine discussed issues of further cooperation in the air industry.

Head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi who is heading delegation to Ukraine discussed bilateral cooperation in the field of air industries with Antonov company CEO Oleksandr Kryvokon on November 17.

Iran's Ambassador to Ukraine Mohammad Beheshti Monfared as well as a number of Ukrainian defense industries official also attended the meeting, which discussed the future of cooperation between the two states in the field of airplane manufacturing.



The Iranian parliamentary delegation visited different sections of Antonov Airplane company before the meeting.



Iran and Antonov company have been cooperating in the production and operation of the aircrafts for two decades.

Antonov AN-140 airplane is being manufactured in Isfahan under Ukrainian company license and is called Iran-140. This type of plane is produced in three models including passenger, passenger-transport and military-transport with a capacity of 52 persons.

After purchasing the production licence for the An-140 from Ukraine in 2000, Iran built its first Iran-140 passenger plane in 2003.

The two countries have also held negotiations to produce Antonov-158 which can carry 100 persons for six years.

The U.S.-led sanctions on aircraft and spare parts exports to Iran have left the Iranian airlines saddled with not only some of the oldest fleet in the Middle East, but in the world.

Since sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic were lifted last year, Iran began to take steps to upgrade its air industry, revamp an aging airline fleet, equipment and airports.

The countrys national flag carrier airline  Iran Air  has already signed deals to buy 100 planes from Airbus, 80 from Boeing and 20 from ATR.

Iran has several private and public airline companies in operation, all have average fleet age above 22 years, among which IranAir is the oldest one. The number of operational airports in the country is 46.

While Iran has attempted to kick start its own commercial aviation manufacturing industry and has also sourced aircraft from Russia and Ukraine, its efforts to acquire Western-made aircraft and spare parts have largely failed due to sanctions.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 November 2017 19:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The first conference on mediation of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be held in Istanbul, the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Trend on November 17.

The ministry said that the conference, titled Surge in Mediation The Role of the OIC, will be held on November 21, 2017.

Regional issues are expected to be discussed during the conference, according to the ministry.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
A study, published in Gastroenterology, examined how differences in insurance coverage, comorbidity, tumor characteristics and treatment affected colorectal cancer survival in African American and white patients.

Helmneh Sineshaw, MD, of the American Cancer Society, and colleagues used the National Cancer Database to examine African American and white CRC patients between 16 years and 64 years old. Researchers used five-year survival and Cox proportional hazard models to generate hazard ratios.

Here's what you should know:

1. The five-year survival rate difference between African American and white unmatched CRC patients was 9.2 percent. The survival rate for white patients was 66.5 percent, while the rate for African American patients was 57.3 percent.

2. Survival rate did not change after researchers matched patient groups to demographics. When matched to insurance coverage, survival rate decreased to 9.2 percent for white patients and 4.3 percent for African American patients. Survival decreased further for African American patients when matched by tumor characteristics to 2.4 percent.

3. In hazard models, insurance and tumor characteristics accounted for 54 percent and 27 percent of excess death risk for African American CRC patients, respectively.

Researchers concluded, "Insurance coverage differences accounted for approximately one-half of the disparity in survival rate between African American versus white patients  Tumor characteristics accounted for a quarter of the disparity. Affordable health insurance coverage for all populations could substantially reduce differences in survival times of African American versus white patients with CRC."
Six people fell ill Thursday morning at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, N.H., after a bag of white powder was ripped open during a struggle between police and a man under arrest in the emergency department, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Authorities said Theodore Macenas was arrested early Thursday morning on a domestic charge and appeared to be under the influence of drugs during the booking process. He was taken to the hospital after requesting medical treatment.

A police officer guarded Mr. Macenas while he waited to be treated at Elliot Hospital. The officer realized Mr. Macenas was concealing drugs on his body when he took him into the bathroom at approximately 9:30 a.m.

"The officer struggled with Macenas as he attempted to swallow the unknown powdery substance," police said in a statement, according to the Union Leader. "The struggle caused a tear in the plastic bag, which caused the powdery substance to contaminate the floor of the bathroom and the adjacent hallway. A second officer assigned to the hospital detail helped the officer subdue the combative man."

After the incident, two police officers, a nurse, a physician, a hospital security guard and a nursing student complained of nausea, headaches, rapid heartbeat and other symptoms.

Firefighters in hazardous material suits decontaminated the bathroom where the incident occurred and an adjacent hallway, treating the powdery substance as if it were heroin or fentanyl. A lab is testing the substance to determine its content.

All six of the individuals exposed to the substance were discharged from the hospital by Thursday afternoon, according to the report.

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Reps. David McKinley, R-W.Va., and Mike Thompson, D-Calif., introduced a bill Tuesday that would prevent a significant reduction in Medicare Part B payments for certain hospitals that participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

The payment cuts are included in CMS' 2018 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule, which was finalized earlier this month. Under the rule, Medicare would pay hospitals 22.5 percent less than the average sales price for drugs purchased through the 340B program. That's compared to the current payment rate of average sales price plus 6 percent. CMS is implementing this policy in a budget-neutral manner by offsetting the projected $1.6 billion decrease in drug payments by redistributing an equal amount for non-drug items and services within the OPPS.

The bill introduced this week, H.R. 4392, would place a permanent moratorium on the $1.6 billion in 340B payment cuts.

The American Hospital Association and America's Essential Hospitals both thanked Reps. McKinley and Thompson for leading the bipartisan effort to prevent the payment reduction. "This bill's supporters span the country, demonstrating how this policy jeopardizes care in communities nationwide," said Bruce Siegel, MD, president and CEO of America's Essential Hospitals.

The Association of American Medical Colleges and three health systems joined the AHA and America's Essential Hospitals in a lawsuit filed Monday against HHS that seeks to stop implementation of the 340B program payment cuts included in the OPPS rule.

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By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal today refused to set aside the environmental clearance granted to Amaravati, the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh, saying that the prohibitory order would "jeopardise the financial interest" of the state and degrade the environment.

The green panel, however, said that the project falls under the Category B of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 2006 and imposition of additional conditions in the environmental clearance (EC) were necessary.

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While allowing the construction, the tribunal said the project was being undertaken as a necessity of executive and legislative decisions and a state has to have its capital.

"Large scale works of the project have already been executed at huge public expense and any prohibitory directions at this stage would not only jeopardise the financial interest of the state but would also become a serious environmental issue...," the NGT said.

The apex environmental watchdog directed the project proponent to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 5 crore and said it would be liable to be encashed if any conditions of the EC was violated.

Imposing a number of conditions, the NGT said, "the project proponent shall conduct or cause to be conducted a comprehensive study on hydro-geomorphology of the area with a view to effectively plan water retention ponds/reservoirs, storm water drains and their interconnectivity...," the NGT said.

"Any alteration of the flood plains by construction of the storm water drains, retention ponds and related development within the capital city should be done only after conducting a study," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The green panel formed two committees -- a supervisory and an implementation committee -- to have requisite regulatory control over the performance of the project proponent.

While the supervisory committee would be headed by the Additional Secretary of Environment Ministry, the implementation committee would be chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of Environment of Andhra Pradesh.

"The supervisory committee shall meet at least once in three months to finalise all policy directions and the manner in which the order granting the EC and conditions imposed in this judgement are to be carried out by the project proponent," the bench said.

"The implementation committee shall meet every month and would ensure that the directions contained in this judgement and as decided by the supervisory committee and such other conditions as are imposed in future are actually implemented at the ground by the project proponent," it said.

The committee should provide a time-frame within which conditions imposed in the EC should be executed and it should conduct a comprehensive inspection of the entire project of capital city at Amravati, the tribunal said.

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The judgement came on a plea filed by activist P Srimannarayan, E A S Sarma and others which claimed the site at Amravati was a flood-prone area and the state government had not considered the ecological and environmental aspects of the project while selecting the location for the greenfield capital city.

Amaravati the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, is located on the southern banks of the Krishna river in Guntur district.

The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) was entrusted with planning, co-ordination, plan execution, promoting and securing the planned development of the capital region. PTI PKS KJ

--- ENDS ---
Here are eight recent news updates on health IT companies.

1. Jonathan Bush, CEO of athenahealth, said during an investor call last month the company will sell one of its two corporate jets.

2. CliniComp, a San Diego-based EHR provider, offered to enter into a settlement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Nov. 13 if the agency agreed to a review of the company's EHR.

3. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently awarded CSRA a $158 million contract to help digitize its patients' health records before it begins its transition to the Cerner EHR.

4. General Electric released plans to restructure its operations Nov. 13. The company plans to place greater focus on its healthcare, aviation and energy businesses.

5. Half of phishing victims use Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail as their email provider, according to recent research led by Google.

6. All three Greenway Health EHR and practice management solutions achieved 2015 ONC Health IT certification, the company announced Nov. 8.

7. Meditech introduced a private, cloud-based EHR solution called Meditech-as-a-Service Nov. 14.

8. A New York state judge recently denied a request to freeze $225 million as part of a lawsuit a group of investors filed against Outcome Health and its two founders Nov. 7.
Integris Bass Baptist Health Center in Enid, Okla., named Finny Mathew president, effective Jan. 2, 2018, according to an Enid News & Eagle report.

Here are four things to know:

1. Mr. Mathew will join Integris Bass Baptist from Crossroads Community Hospital in Mount Vernon, Ill., where he currently serves as CEO.

2. He previously worked at Oklahoma City-based Integris Health, serving in numerous roles, including director of operations for Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.

3. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

4. Mr. Mathew holds a master's degree in healthcare administration from Trinity University in San Antonio.
Stay in the know with Becker's Hospital Review's weekly roundup of the nation's biggest healthcare news. Here's what you need to know this week.

1. Nashville General to end inpatient care

Nashville (Tenn.) Mayor Megan Barry announced Nov. 9 Nashville General Hospital will end all inpatient services and transition to an ambulatory surgical care center providing only outpatient services.

2. AMGA: 10 median salaries by medical specialty

This year, 77 percent of medical specialties saw an increase in median compensation.

3. 5 things to know about Alex Azar, Trump's pick for HHS secretary

President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Monday he selected Alex Azar to fill the post of HHS secretary, left open by Tom Price, MD, who resigned Sept. 29 following an investigation into his extensive use of taxpayer-funded private jets.

4. Essentia Health employees without flu shots face firing Monday

Employees of Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health have a handful of days left to receive flu shots if they have not already. Come Monday, Nov. 20, employees who are not immunized, have no intent to receive flu shots and lack an exemption run the risk of termination.

5. St. Luke's hospital unable to take Medicare, Medicaid patients after accreditation error

St. Luke's Nampa (Idaho) Medical Center, a new hospital under Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke's Health System, cannot take nonemergent Medicare and Medicaid patients unless they pay out-of-pocket for services.

6. Aetna CEO on healthcare sign-ups: 'I have someone else do it for me, because I can't take it'

During a keynote discussion at a Financial Executives International conference in New York City Monday, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini described healthcare as a "rat's maze."

7. CHS to sell additional hospitals worth $2B in revenue

Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems completed its 30-hospital divestiture plan Nov. 1. Now, the company expects to sell another group of its hospitals with combined revenue of $2 billion, Chairman and CEO Wayne Smith said during a third quarter earnings call.

8. CHS shares continue downward spiral, hit all-time low

Shares of Community Health Systems closed Tuesday at $4.23, their lowest price ever.

9. California hospital board considers harassment allegations involving CFO, calls for CEO's dismissal

Fort Bragg, Calif.-based Mendocino Coast District Hospital board members evaluated the performance of the hospital's CFO and CEO during a closed meeting Thursday.

10. Shuttered Tennessee hospital needs patients to pay up to cover $40k in past-due wages

Copper Basin Medical Center in Copperhill, Tenn., was behind on its payroll when it closed Oct. 1, and some employees are still waiting to be paid

11. Hospital groups, health systems sue HHS to halt $1.6B in payment cuts

Three hospital groups and three provider organizations sued HHS Monday in an attempt to stop payment cuts for drugs purchased through the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
For the last two years, Eric Weintraub, MD, a psychiatrist with the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, has defied federal law by providing treatment for opioid addiction via telemedicine to patients at a halfway house in Hagerstown, according to a report from Politico.

When Dr. Weintraub speaks with these patients remotely before ever meeting them in person, he violates a 2007 federal law. However, he feels the need to provide this service, since the Hagerstown community has a lack of physicians who can prescribe and oversee treatment with Suboxone, which is a controlled substance. Suboxone is a dissolvable mouth strip that contains a mix of buprenorphine and naloxone. The medication delivers a low opioid dose and is taken daily to minimize withdrawals and curb cravings.

"I'm not a guy in a trailer in the mountains prescribing drugs," Dr. Weintraub told Politico. "We just felt this was a major public health crisis, and we had an effective, evidence-based treatment."

In Washington County, where Hagerstown is the county seat, opioid-related deaths surged more than 500 percent between 2010 and 2016. A total of 120 people in the county died of an opioid overdose in 2015 and 2016, according to data from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency in October, thereby expandeding access to telemedicine services for addiction. However, the Drug Enforcement Administration has yet to revise its regulations on the matter.

To read Politico's full report, click here.

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Five spine surgeons discuss what they wish they had known at the onset of their careers.

Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses.





Next week's question: What are you most thankful for this year?

Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 5 p.m. CST.

Question: What do you wish you had known during your first year of practice?

Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: The list is too numerous to be enumerated here. I am going to say that I wish that I had known how to be collaborative. After leaving my first job, I was overjoyed to start private practice. I felt that I could take on the entire community. My hubris, while not my undoing, did create unnecessary tension with my colleagues. Had I not been so afraid of not succeeding, I could potentially have created professional relationships that could have endured the tumult now happening.

But, thankfully, as I have settled in, got more experience and had my share of difficulties, I have learned to collaborate and share information. I feel now that we as a surgical community have power together if we can find a way to sit at the same table. And, I think the cream will continue to rise to the top.

Vladimir Sinkov, MD. Spine Surgeon at New Hampshire Orthopaedic Center (Nashua): I wish I had known more about how to run a private practice. During the training years, we did not get much teaching on marketing yourself, billing and how to deal with insurance rules, pre-certifications, appeals and overhead expenses as well as how to select and hire staff and assistants. All of that was on-the-job training for me, and it was sometimes was more complex or time consuming than the actual clinical patient care and surgery.

Stephen Tolhurst, MD. Spine Surgeon at Texas Back Institute (Plano): Everyone wants to become busy quickly. Taking the time to enjoy your family and your free time while your practice is building can be difficult, but is very rewarding. Soon your schedule will be hectic and you will wish for those opportunities again. Professionally, use your free time to establish and learn from surgeon mentors who can help you throughout your career. Taking the time to study new techniques or to fill in any gaps in your fellowship training can significantly enhance the skill set and range of services you offer your patients.

Gerardo Zavala II, MD. Director of Spine Surgery at St. Luke's Baptist Hospital (San Antonio): Listen to the older surgeons. Despite you coming out of training and you knowing the medical aspect of a surgery, it is never a substitute for the practicality and imperfections of real life. Be open about your deficiencies early with someone more senior than you. Your patients will benefit from it and you will mature faster as a surgeon. Often younger surgeons struggle with addressing possible shortcomings with others, not realizing that all surgeons went thru the same difficulties.

Isador H. Lieberman, MD. Spine Surgeon at Texas Back Institute (Plano): I wish I had known how much fun and gratifying it can be to help people smile.
Potato farmers in Northern Ireland could potentially be facing the worst in harvest since 1985, according to the Ulster Farmer's Union.

Potato farmers in Northern Ireland could potentially be facing the worst in harvest since 1985, according to the Ulster Farmer's Union.

They have warned that due to the increasingly long periods of wet weather, fields have been left virtually inaccessible until very recently.

"Some growers have only been able to get into their fields for the first time this month," said UFU potato chairman Robert Sibbett.

"Potatoes are just rotting in the fields because the weather is so wet.

"I'm normally finished harvesting the potatoes by the time the clocks change.

"I don't remember it being this bad since the wet weather in 1985.

"It's having a knock-on effect on everything else."

In some cases, the situation is so bad growers have abandoned harvest attempts until the New Year due to the poor ground conditions.

There are also reports that small amounts of rot are being found in harvested potatoes in storage.

For some potato farmers, this could end up being the worst harvest in living history, and up to 10% of their crops could be left green and leave them inedible.

This loss could end up costing farmers hundreds of thousands of pounds each.

"These unfavourable conditions affect the quantity of marketable produce coming out of the ground," says Mr Sibbett.

"It is proving to be another financially testing harvest.

"Growers are doing their best to adjust to the poor weather and the challenges it brings to harvesting their crops.

"Growers should continue to market their crops strongly and hope that these efforts are given due merit from buyers, processors and retailers," the UFU representative said.

Ards Peninsula potato farmer Derek Erwin - who told the Belfast Telegraph in late October that he faced losing more than 130,000 worth of potatoes because of the wet conditions, said that potato farmers were facing disaster.

Mr Erwin - who has around 220 acres of potatoes in the ground - said that the constant rains and lack of wind and sunlight was making it impossible to finish the harvest.

"The machines just sink into the mud," he said last night.

Even a hard cold snap that stiffened the ground would be of little help, the farmer added.

"We can't lift the tubers is they are -4C," said Mr Erwin.

"They're too easily damaged.

"It's the same all over Northern Ireland.

"The best off are probably the farmers in south Down - but for the folk in north Antrim it's just been terrible.

"We're somewhere in the middle here.

"We need more light, and breezier days that'll dry the ground so we can get the potatoes lifted."
Investors have pumped another $98 million (74 million) into Deliveroo, bringing its fundraising total to $482 million (365 million).

The Series F funding round was led by the likes of T Rowe Price Associates and Fidelity Management & Research Company  who have backed tech giants including Facebook and Tesla.

Follow-on investments were made by existing investors including Accel Partners, Index Ventures, General Catalyst and DST Global, who upped their stake in the company, while additional funding was provided by private investors.

Deliveroo said that at $482 million, the company can lay claim to the largest investments for a European or UK tech firm to date, with the company now valued at $2 billion (1.5 billion).

The funds will be used in part to invest in a programme for delivery-only kitchens, that help restaurants expand without upfront costs in an effort to increase food selection and improve delivery times.

Investments will also be made into its tech team  further developing its logistics algorithm and artificial intelligence systems, as well as into further expansion into new markets.

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The announcement comes ahead of the launch of its 200th location, with plans to start serving customers in Cannes, France, as of Tuesday November 21.

Deliveroo said the investment will benefit the wider UK economy.

Deliveroo will provide more well-paid and flexible work for riders and will help to generate substantial extra revenues for its restaurant partners.

Through its expansion Deliveroo is helping to keep great local restaurants in business in high streets across the UK, the company said in its release.

The delivery firm earlier this month claimed a victory for its riders who want the flexibility of being self-employed rather than to be classed as workers, marking the latest case of employment rights in the so-called gig economy.

It came after a Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) rejected an application by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain to represent drivers in parts of north London, according to Deliveroo.
Hit satirical TV series Spitting Image is to take on US President Donald Trump in a rebooted version of the show, co-creator Roger Law has revealed.

The artist was approached by US network NBC, which has since been in talks with production company Avalon, Law said.

The spin-off is expected to be penned by US writers, although current plans will see it filmed in the UK, where the puppets will also be made.

Law has already created a puppet of President Trump for the potential showmakers, and it is to go on display at Norwich's Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts as part of a retrospective of the artist's work.

He said he did not want to reboot the series in the UK but was tempted by the US approach "because of Trump".

He added: "Quite what you do I'm not sure because he satirises his f****** self. They seem to be quite serious, we've had a puppet made."

Asked if he thought the US leader and prolific Twitter user would post a critique about his puppet parody, Law said: "That'll get a few more viewers. He spends six hours a day watching television so of course he'll watch it."

Law created Spitting Image in the 1980s alongside Peter Fluck and the show ran for 13 years, parodying famous figures from Margaret Thatcher to Arthur Scargill.
Ballymena actor Liam Neeson has donned a festive jumper while showing his support for the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice's Christmas campaign.

The Hollywood star filmed a short video for the charity voicing his support for their Jingle All The Way fundraiser, and encouraged people across Northern Ireland to do the same.

Looking very festive in his jumper, complete with flashing lights, Liam said: "I'm very proud that my hometown Ballymena is supporting the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice Jingle All The Way Christmas campaign."

Quoting a line from his famous Taken film, he added: "There are a particular set of skills you can use to support Jingle All The Way, from wearing wacky Christmas jumpers to hosting your own separate events.

"Let's show our support for life limited children and their families this Christmas."

He finished the message, by adding: "Join the jingle now," before pointing to the camera and declaring: "Join it!"

It's best to do what Liam says, isn't it?

For more information on the NI Children's Hospice's Christmas campaign, visit www.nihospice.org/support-us/jingle-all-the-way
Ireland's Foreign minister Simon Coveney (L) and Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson take part in a joint press conference at the Irish Foreign affairs office in Dublin on November 17, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images

Boris Johnson has issued a new call for the EU to give the green light for the second phase of the Brexit negotiations to begin.

The Foreign Secretary, in Dublin for talks with his Irish counterpart, Simon Coveney, said that if they were to resolve the issue of the border with Northern Ireland, they had to be able to discuss Britain's future relationship with the EU.

"Everybody recognises the unique circumstances of the border with Northern Ireland. Everybody understands the difficulties that that border poses and nobody wants to see a return to a hard border," he said.

"In order to resolve those issues and get it right for our peoples, it is necessary now to move on to the second stage of the negotiations which really entail so many of the questions that are bound up with the border issue."

However, Mr Coveney said they still needed greater "clarity" of the UK's proposals for dealing with the border issue before the talks could move on to phase two.

"We all want to move on to phase two of the Brexit negotiations but we are not in a place right now that allows us to do that," he said.

"We also have very serious issues in phase one, particularly around the border and the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process that need more clarity than we currently have."
By PTI: Amaravati

New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today refused to interfere with the environment clearance granted to Amaravati, the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh.

The green panel formed two committees --a supervisory committee and an implementation committee -- to monitor work on the project site of Amaravati.

Earlier, the NGT had sought responses from the Centre and Andhra Pradesh after a plea filed by activist P Srimannarayan, E A S Sarma and others. The petition claimed the site is a flood-prone area and the state government had not considered the ecological and environmental aspects of the project while selecting the location for the greenfield capital city.

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The NGT had directed Andhra Pradesh government not to carry out any operation to clear the land falling in the project area without obtaining environmental clearance to the project.

However, the green panel said last year that there was no stay on construction activity for the proposed capital on the banks of the Krishna but made it clear that continuation of the project would be subject to final decision of the Tribunal and the orders already passed by it.

The petitioners have made Ministries of Environment and Forests, Urban Development and Water Resources, AP government and Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) parties in the case.

The plea contended that the government had proposed large scale urbanisation and infrastructure development on areas, comprising flood plains, wetlands and fertile agricultural land which were primarily paddy fields.

The plea alleged that APCRDA was procuring land by signing agreements with land owners and farmers for minimal prices.

It sought directions to constitute an expert committee to analyse the environmental and social aspects associated with the areas identified for development of the capital city.

It also urged the tribunal for an immediate stay on the acquisition of flood plains, wetlands and fertile lands for purposes of urbanisation and infrastructure development till a comprehensive environment assessment was undertaken. PTI PKS RRT MIN

--- ENDS ---
Northern Ireland director of prosecutions Barra McGrory has said it would be "highly unlikely" a woman would be prosecuted for revealing she was raped in order to claim child benefits, but couldn't guarantee it.

Under new government rules child benefits will not be paid out for a third child unless it was conceived in the case of rape.

The change has caused controversy in Northern Ireland as it is an offence not to report a serious crime and there are fears those women who did not report a sexual assault could end up facing jail.

Labour shadow Northern Ireland secretary Owen Smith raised the matter in the Commons. He produced a letter from the outgoing Public Prosecution Service Director.

The Labour MP said Mr McGrory stated in the letter: "It is a potential offence to withhold information regarding an act of rape."

Speaking on the BBC Stephen Nolan show, Mr McGrory said he "wished the letter had not been used" as it referred to a specific case.

"He did not publish the letter which he wrote to me," Mr McGrory said.

"The letter asked if I could give any guarantees in the context of a disclosure of a rape in relation to a benefit disclosure.

"No reasonable prosecutor can future guarantee there will be no prosecution when an offense exists.

"What I did say was that this was a very complex issue and there had never been a prosecution of a woman who latterly disclosed she had been raped."

Mr McGrory said there were several safety guards in place and it would be highly unlikely there would ever be a prosecution. But while there was a "degree of flexibility" in the law it was "much more complex" in Northern Ireland than in Britain.

He said he was concerned over the "scaremongering" around the issue and wanted to "clarify some concerns people may have".

"The law allows for a potential prosecution of an individual for withholding information about a serious criminal offence carrying a sentence of over five years - which of course rape is one.

"But it also only allows for such a prosecution if there is no reasonable excuse for withholding that information. And of course, one would expect that in the vast majority, if not all cases, if a woman discloses she has been raped many years ago and in the context of a benefits situation, that one would look at the reasonable excuse around that.

"Many women do not complain about rape at the time for all sorts of good reasons close to the time it has happened."

Mr McGrory said the law was not necessarily out of date in relation to the matter as there were "plenty of safety nets" to prevent such cases reaching court including considerations made on if a case would be in the interest of the public to take.

A midwife told by a woman she had been raped would be "unlikely" to face prosecution, Mr McGrory added.

"But you can not give guarantees in any context, every case has to be assessed," he said.
Missing man Anthony Fitzgerald- Wilson has been found safe and well.

Police thank the public for their help.
Around a third of Northern Ireland customers have been scammed while doing their Christmas shopping online, according to a new survey

Around a third of Northern Ireland customers have been scammed while doing their Christmas shopping online, according to a new survey.

According to Barclays, 31% of people in Northern Ireland have already been scammed in previous years while Christmas shopping on the web.

Across the UK, festive fraud victims are estimated to lose around 1.3bn in total, it said.

Joanna McArdle, relationship director at Barclays Northern Ireland, said: "While families in Northern Ireland are preparing to enjoy the festive season, criminals are ready to pounce on anyone who lets their guard down.

"Buying gifts online may be more convenient than heading to the shops, but with Christmas 2017 set to be the most fraudulent on record, online shoppers must be more vigilant than ever.

"Beat the fraudsters by looking out for the typical warning signs such as the padlock symbol on retailers' websites."

According to Barclays, "record levels of cyber-crime and growth of festive e-commerce are set to create unprecedented levels of fraud for Christmas 2017".

The survey also showed that almost half of online shoppers in Belfast "either don't know, or aren't sure, how to identify a secure website when shopping online".

"As a result, of those who had fallen victim to online fraud, only a fifth said they check for the padlock authentication symbol in the address bar on the payment page," the survey said.

Around 60% of those quizzed said they feel confident about their online security around the Christmas period.

"This is a noticeable overall drop in confidence compared to other times of the year, when 77% say they feel secure when shopping online," it said.

Barclays says customers should "look out for the padlock symbol and 'https' in the address bar" when buying online, and "watch out for deals that look too good to be true".

It also said customers should not use public wireless internet to buy Christmas shopping online, as well as never giving out a card pin or online banking password.

Last month, Northern Ireland's high streets and retail parks were dealt a "black trading cloud" after suffering a huge slump of 6.5% in shopper numbers last month.

Footfall fell a further 6.5% during October, compared to a 4.3% decline in September, the highest in the UK, according to the latest Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) with Springboard.
A massive gulf between Ireland and the UK in the Brexit negotiations was in clear evidence as Boris Johnson arrived in Dublin today.

The UK's Foreign Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney publicly disagreed on a series of issues during an early morning press conference.

In particular Mr Johnson said the future of the border region cannot be decided until the second phase of the Brexit talks.

Asked to offer up even a hypothetical vision of how a 'frictionless border' might work, Mr Johnson said the British government's view "is you can only really crack the problem" in the second phase of the talks.

By contrast Mr Coveney said: "The parameters [of how a post-Brexit border might work] need to be a lot clearer and more credible before we go on to phase two."

The European Council will meet next month to decide whether the talks should move past negotiations on the so-called divorce bill, citizens' rights and the Irish question.

Mr Coveney admitted there is "an impasse" in relation to the border and urged the UK government to consider keeping Northern Ireland in the customs union.

The minister said everybody wants the talks to progress but "we are not in a place right now that allows us to do that".

Mr Coveney also called for a lengthy transitional period of up to five years to allow businesses adjust to life after Brexit.

This was rejected by Mr Johnson who said he was unaware that Ireland support "such a long transitional period".

He said the "maximum reassurance" for companies and people can be provided "in a much shorter timescale".

Mr Johnson said Brexit should "proceed as fast as possible".

Despite the clear diplomatic split emerging between Dublin and London, Mr Johnson did reiterate that the UK has "no interest whatsoever in seeing a hard border".

But Mr Coveney responded that the challenge is to find "a credible roadmap to get us there".

"There's a sense of jumping into the dark here," he said.

Separately Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is meeting British Prime Minister Theresa May in Gothenburg today.
The funeral is due to be held today of Margaret McAlorum, the campaigning west Belfast mother of murdered schoolgirl Megan, after the 63-year-old died in hospital.

Mrs McAlorum was waiting for a liver transplant for a rare condition when she passed away earlier this week.

Hundreds of mourners are expected to turn out today to say a final farewell to the mother-of-seven at St Oliver Plunkett Church at Requiem Mass at 10am.

She is to be buried alongside Megan in the City Cemetery following a service in the chapel where she said her final goodbye to her beloved daughter 13 years ago.

Mrs McAlorum is survived by her husband Frankie, and children Frankie, Richard, Lynne, Paula, Stephen, Kirsty.

Megan was just 16 when she was killed in a forested area of west Belfast in April 2004.

Thomas Purcell, a member of the Traveller community, originally denied murdering the schoolgirl but pleaded guilty at the last minute.

Describing Mrs McAlorum - who campaigned tirelessly for justice for Megan - as "the rock of the family", her daughter Lynne said they have been heartened by the support shown to them by the local community.

She said Mrs McAlorum had developed primary biliary cholangitis, a rare auto-immune condition that affects the liver.

"Megan had it as well but we didn't know that until the autopsy," she told the Irish News. "She was to get a transplant but fell into a coma on Friday.

"She did come around a few times and we were all there with her when she died at 2.14am on Tuesday.

"My daddy is just devastated, they were so close, we all are. We are such a close-knit family and that was all down to mummy, she was the rock of the family.

"Even after Megan's death when we were all struggling in our own way she was always there to pull us back together.

"She was so brave. Our home hasn't stopped with people calling to pay their respects.

"Everyone who met or knew her loved her.

"We are grateful to have had her as our mother and that we are as close as we are will be her legacy. She brought us together; she was brave and loving and we are just devastated she is gone".

When Purcell was transferred to an English jail to serve out his sentence without the McAlorums being informed, the family complained. It led to a change in policy and victims' families are now informed of the release date or any transfer by convicted killers.
Barra Best recalls his first ever live weather forecast on BBC Newsline, broadcasting to the nation while providing maternity cover for a colleague, and cringes at the thought. "Looking back, I'm like a cardboard cutout. Just a moving mouth," he admits. "I was terrified. But it was a great way to cut my teeth. It's live. There's no autocue, no script, so you're really thrown in at the deep end."

Barra got through those first few agonising minutes and has since gone on to become one of Northern Ireland's most popular local weather forecasters, having learned in person from the likes of Angie Phillips and Cecilia Daly. But it hasn't all been plain sailing.

"I have stumbled a few times," he laughs. "Viewers have to realise that when I come to the end of a weather bulletin I have someone counting down in my ear and it can be confusing.

"Once, the voice was counting down while I was trying to get 'sunshine and showers' out and it took three or four attempts. Aside from that, though, I've had no Michael Fish moments."

Barra is, of course, referring to the legendary bespectacled, moustachioed BBC weather forecaster who, in 1987, infamously advised the Great British public not to expect a hurricane - the very same hurricane that duly arrived the next day, causing widespread devastation.

Viewers of BBC Northern Ireland will also be aware that Barra does not share his forecasting forerunner's questionable fashion sense, preferring sharp-cut suits, shirts and ties to novelty woollen jumpers with lightning bolts and grey clouds knitted in for comic effect.

"It was all very different when I was a kid," the 34-year-old agrees. "It was probably harder for forecasters back then. They had magnets that they used to stick on to boards.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Some of the 183-strong choir made up of young performers from schools right across Northern Ireland, rehearse for this evenings UK-wide link up for a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The local school children will be performing as part of this live rendition on BBC One from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Jake Carter and his band who will be performing as part of Children in Need: The Best Bits this Sunday on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Jake Carter and his band who will be performing as part of Children in Need: The Best Bits this Sunday on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Jake Carter and his band who will be performing as part of Children in Need: The Best Bits this Sunday on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Jake Carter and his band who will be performing as part of Children in Need: The Best Bits this Sunday on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Jake Carter and his band who will be performing as part of Children in Need: The Best Bits this Sunday on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Some of the 183-strong choir made up of young performers from schools right across Northern Ireland, rehearse for this evenings UK-wide link up for a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The local school children will be performing as part of this live rendition on BBC One from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Some of the 183-strong choir made up of young performers from schools right across Northern Ireland, rehearse for this evenings UK-wide link up for a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The local school children will be performing as part of this live rendition on BBC One from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Some of the 183-strong choir made up of young performers from schools right across Northern Ireland, rehearse for this evenings UK-wide link up for a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The local school children will be performing as part of this live rendition on BBC One from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Some of the 183-strong choir made up of young performers from schools right across Northern Ireland, rehearse for this evenings UK-wide link up for a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The local school children will be performing as part of this live rendition on BBC One from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye All set for this evenings BBC Children in Need are presenters Jo Scott, Barra Best (and Pudsey Bear) who will be presenting during the evening live from the Railway Gallery at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down. The appeal show begins at 7.30pm. Tune in for a special highlights programme  Children in Need: The Best Bits on Sunday (November 19) on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye All set for this evenings BBC Children in Need are presenters Jo Scott, Barra Best (and Pudsey Bear) who will be presenting during the evening live from the Railway Gallery at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down. The appeal show begins at 7.30pm. Tune in for a special highlights programme  Children in Need: The Best Bits on Sunday (November 19) on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye All set for this evenings BBC Children in Need are presenters Jo Scott, Barra Best (and Pudsey Bear) who will be presenting during the evening live from the Railway Gallery at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down. The appeal show begins at 7.30pm. Tune in for a special highlights programme  Children in Need: The Best Bits on Sunday (November 19) on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye All set for this evenings BBC Children in Need are presenters Jo Scott, Barra Best (and Pudsey Bear) who will be presenting during the evening live from the Railway Gallery at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down. The appeal show begins at 7.30pm. Tune in for a special highlights programme  Children in Need: The Best Bits on Sunday (November 19) on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye All set for this evenings BBC Children in Need are presenters Jo Scott, Barra Best (and Pudsey Bear) who will be presenting during the evening live from the Railway Gallery at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down. The appeal show begins at 7.30pm. Tune in for a special highlights programme  Children in Need: The Best Bits on Sunday (November 19) on BBC One Northern Ireland at 4.35pm William Cherry / Presseye / Facebook

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Whatsapp Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 17th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye Some of the 183-strong choir made up of young performers from schools right across Northern Ireland, rehearse for this evenings UK-wide link up for a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The local school children will be performing as part of this live rendition on BBC One from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum outside Holywood, County Down

"Not only were they memorising their story but also where they had to put the symbols. Now we have graphics. We've made lots of advances. And I think the clothing has improved too."

In recent years, Barra has moved into presenting, most notably with his charming Walk The Line series, venturing back into Northern Ireland's rich railway history, and since 2013 he has been the face of BBC Northern Ireland's Children in Need coverage along with fellow presenter Jo Scott.

Barra is fronting the live charity extravaganza again this weekend from the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum in Cultra. It's a job that fills him with a warm, welcome sense of nostalgia as Children in Need as a whole does for viewers right across the UK.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Barra Best BBC Northern Irelands Barra Best with Jo Scott and Pudsey Bear launching this years Children in Need appeal Barra Best and dad Aidan Barra Best and mum Cathy Barra said he and his sister Bronach love competing and having banter together Barra filming BBC NIs Walk The Line at Bundoran beach, Donegal / Facebook

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"I always remember watching Children in Need when I was growing up," says Barra. "Making little donations where I could, doing a few sporting challenges in school to raise money. Terry Wogan was a fantastic presenter and you had all those strange challenges, like beans in the bath. They don't do that so much these days.

"When I moved to the BBC, I decided to do a quiz in north Belfast, where I live, and we did it again last week and raised around 2,000. Pamela Ballantine and I used to do a challenge where we ate as much as we could. Burgers, pork, steak. I wanted to lie down in a dark room afterwards, while Pamela met a friend in another restaurant and had a salad. I've no idea how she did it.

"Presenting Children in Need is always great craic. Four years ago I mentioned to one of the producers of the live show that I'd love to have a go at presenting and I've been doing it ever since. The nerves always kick in during live television, as they always do, but I'm really looking forward to it."

Before then, Barra will have completed a charity digital detox that will see the self-confessed social media addict give up all of his devices for 24 hours. "I was forced into it," he laughs. "It's going to be tough. No phone, no tablet from 3pm till 3pm the following day.

"I'm obsessed with my phone. It's the social media apps that take up my home screen and most of my battery life. Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat. They're my top three. I'm not allowed to use anything, though. No social media whatsoever. I can't believe I agreed to it."

Barra was born and raised in west Belfast, in the shadow of Clonard Monastery just off the Springfield Road. He attended St Gall's Monastery Primary School, which is no longer open, and subsequently De La Salle College in Andersonstown. His childhood was happy, mainly due to the fact that he was "spoiled rotten".

"My granny Kathleen lived alone just around the corner from us and I visited her almost every day. I got away with murder in her house. I loved my granny. Sadly, she passed away 16 years ago. We had the best craic in her house - me and my sister, Bronach (32). We were always competing and having the banter."

Barra's mother, Cathy, worked in catering, while his father, Aiden, still works as a social worker. And Barra was an extrovert from day one. "My mum tells me I was always in the middle of everything. I was involved with clubs at school and the Young Enterprise initiative. My sister is a bit quieter than me".

He also demonstrated a shrewd business sense from an early age.

"I used to look forward to the Clonard Novena every June," he explains. "When it was on, I would come out with a big bucket of hot soapy water, during every mass, and wash as many cars as I could. I made a quid for every car I washed. So I was loaded by the time the novena was over." Barra harboured ambitions to become a vet, having filled his family home with dogs, cats, fish, hamsters and gerbils. "God knows how many pets I had. I even had a pet rat. Not one of those ugly grey ones, a white one with a brown patch named Ben. But becoming a vet didn't work out." Instead, Barra studied IT at university in Liverpool and he says that his three years there were "some of the best of my life".

He would visit iconic Mathew Street, home to the Cavern Club where the Beatles and Cilla Black made their names, and visit as many pubs and clubs across the city as his student loan would allow. "I remember the first day I arrived in Liverpool, just loving life, and by that first night I was phoning my mum crying, panicking, terribly homesick.

"But she didn't hear from me again for about a week because everyone else showed up at the halls of residence and that was me away. I didn't want to go home.

"Liverpool for me is just like being anywhere in Ireland. They have the same sense of humour, just a different accent. I loved the whole city.

"Now, when I'm talking to school pupils in Belfast, I always tell them to go away to study, if they can. It's the best three years of your life."

After university, Barra worked in IT for a year-and-a-half, but was inspired to complete a Masters in journalism after a friend did the same. He "hasn't looked back since", finding positions at Cool FM and Downtown Radio before moving to the BBC.

Today, he loves the broadcasting life, even the 4.30am alarms and the unpredictability of the staff rota.

"I would never do a nine-to-five job again," he admits. "Most of my friends love it - they have their evenings, their weekends, they're able to plan ahead, but it's not for me.

"Ask me again in the middle of winter when I'm on my way into work at 4.45am, and I may contradict myself, but I'm done by midday and I have the rest of the day to myself. There are pros and cons but I love it."

It is, thankfully, a short drive into BBC Broadcasting House on Ormeau Avenue from his north Belfast home.

A Belfast boy through and through, it's unlikely that Barra will ever leave the city. "I know it's an old cliche to say that we're the friendliest people in the world, but we are," he says.

"When I'm out and about, people come up to me in the supermarket and say, 'Here, can I put the clothes on the line tomorrow or what? Can I cut the grass?'

"And I love that. I love that banter, the fact that people feel comfortable enough to wind you up. For me, Belfast is where it's at."

It's been a long and fruitful seven years since Barra first presented the weather but you get the feeling that he has loved every second, a smile permanently plastered across his face.

And it's a good thing he's single, too. "I have the freedom to go wherever I want and do whatever I want without having to ask anyone for permission, like a lot of my friends have to do," he laughs. "Right now, I'm loving life."

Children in Need, tonight, BBC One, 7.30pm
Residents affected by the tower block fire in Dunmurry returned to their homes yesterday afternoon.

The acrid smell of burnt plastic hung in the air as a reminder of the terrifying blaze on Wednesday that, fortunately, did not claim any lives.

Coolmoyne House tenants and their families went back armed with buckets and mops to clean up and attempt to get back to some form of normality.

Outside the high-rise the damage was clear, and firefighters could be seen carrying out their investigations.

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It is believed the blaze was started by a burning toaster in a flat on the ninth floor occupied by a single man in his 50s.

He was the only person taken to hospital as a result of smoke inhalation. He remains in a stable condition.

Of the 56 flats in the block, 16 were unfit for residents to return to. Those people either stayed with relatives or were put up in hotels by the Housing Executive.

Firefighters had to break through the doors of at least six flats in an effort to ensure nobody was trapped inside.

Margaret Forsythe (81) was forced to flee her seventh-storey home of 40 years when a neighbour warned her of the blaze raging just two floors above.

Although it wasn't damaged by flames or smoke, Ms Forsythe is unable to return because of water damage from the hoses used to put out the fire.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Margaret Forsythe (81) The door of the flat where the blaze broke out The smoke damage from the 9th floor fire in Coolmooyne House in Dunmurray The smoke damage from the 9th floor fire in Coolmooyne House in Dunmurray The door of the flat where the blaze broke out, and (right) Margaret back in her home to collect items The secene of the fire / Facebook

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Her carpets have been left sodden, and blackened watermarks trail the walls from the light switches (below), meaning that, for now, her home is uninhabitable and she is having to live with her sister on the other side of the city.

The former civil servant in the Department of Agriculture suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which can be exacerbated by smoke.

She was allowed to visit her flat yesterday afternoon with niece Karen Curlett (50) to collect necessities.

Speaking in her living room, the still shocked pensioner said that in the 40 years she had lived in the block she had never experienced anything like it.

She explained: "I was sitting with my sister in my flat having dinner and was just about to make a cup of tea, but my intercom went off and when I went to the door there was a lady there who told me: 'You better get out Margaret because there's a fire'.

"My sister and I had to take the lift, and when we got out there was burnt stuff falling on to the ground.

"I don't know what was going through my head, I was just numb."

When the pair emerged on to the street Margaret had to take shelter in a nearby car as she is unable to stand for long.

Thankfully, her family came to her rescue and she was able to stay with her great nephew until the damage could be assessed. Margaret added: "I wouldn't be without my family and it's good that my sister was here that night because I would have panicked and wouldn't have known what to do.

"I feel so grateful for the girl who knocked on my door and the intercom was going mad, so they must have been ringing everybody to give them the warning about the fire."

She added she was just happy nobody was killed or badly injured in the blaze.

"It's lucky there was nobody really hurt," she said.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The flats at Seymour Hill . Pic: Crowded Space Drones The flats at Seymour Hill . Pic: Crowded Space Drones A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press The blaze in Dunmurry Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Pic: Freddie Parkinson Presseye Freddie Parkinson Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Pic: Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Wednesday 16 November 2017 Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Wednesday 16 November 2017 Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Wednesday 16 November 2017 Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Wednesday 16 November 2017 Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Freddie Parkinson PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson / Facebook

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"I got away in time so I wasn't too poorly.

"I love my wee flat. I'm comfortable here and when I go to bed at night and lock my door I feel safe. It was a bit of a shock to be honest, because we were just sat watching the television.

"We've got a fire alarm but it didn't go off.

"My smoke alarm goes off very easily but it didn't work last night. I probably will still feel safe when I come back. But I hope I am not out of it too long."

Karen said the fact that the fire alarms were silent could have had fatal consequences on Wednesday night.

She told the Belfast Telegraph: "The police were lovely and brought us into the flat and showed us around with a torch to get her medication that she needed for the night.

"The Housing Executive have been very good and informative and have let us in to get her clothes because she's now out of her home.

"Margaret can't live here because there's no electric, no heat and everything's soaking.

"The alarm went straight to the fire brigade, but how quick does a fire have to take before lives are lost?

"The firefighters were amazing but you just don't know how quick the fire could take hold.

"They were here in no time and were able to contain it, but it could have been so much worse."
Anti-abortion protesters in Belfast forced a woman attending a family planning clinic to flee into city centre traffic, an MLA has claimed.

Clare Bailey from the Green Party claimed protesters often acted aggressively outside the Marie Stopes clinic on Great Victoria Street and the Family Planning Association at Shaftesbury Square.

Yesterday, the South Belfast MLA met with MPs and activists in the House of Commons to call for buffer zones at the entrances to family planning clinics.

"In January 2017, I launched my own consultation on safe access to healthcare services due to the harassment and intimidation of women trying to access both the Marie Stopes clinic and also the Family Planning Association," she said.

"As an activist and escort for the Marie Stopes clinic, I have witnessed first-hand the intimidation and harassment of women trying to access healthcare.

"Women are so frightened by the actions of these protesters.

"They are regularly filmed, reported to police or received threats to have their images uploaded to social media. I have been assaulted, spat on, splashed with holy water and even had a client run into oncoming traffic to escape these people."

While defending the right to free speech and protest, Ms Bailey said those responsible were instead engaged in a "concerted campaign of harassment and intimidation against women on the streets of Belfast".

She added: "This is being taken very seriously in the UK and it is time Northern Ireland did the same."

Last month, Ealing Council passed a motion to ban anti-choice campaigners from harassing women outside abortion clinics.

In Portsmouth, councillors backed proposals to consider buffer zones after recent anti-abortion activity outside the St Mary's Hospital. But Bernie Smyth, campaigner for the anti-abortion group Precious Life, described Ms Bailey's claims that protesters acted in an intimidating manner as "complete nonsense".

She added the PSNI were better equipped to respond.

In 2015, Mrs Smyth successfully appealed a conviction after she was initially convicted of harassing former Marie Stopes clinic director Dawn Purvis.

The guilty verdict was quashed after a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence in the case against her.

In October this year, Moira Brennan from Precious Life was ordered by a judge not to "harass, pester, annoy, molest or assault" a volunteer at the Marie Stopes clinic.

Volunteer Saoirse Johnston had complained of repeated harassment while working as a client safety escort, where she accompanies those nervous of protesters into the clinic.

In 2015, Ms Brennan was convicted of assaulting an employee of a sexual health charity as she left an unplanned pregnancy clinic in Belfast.

The Ballymoney woman was fined 400 and ordered to pay her victim 400 in compensation after hitting the employee with a clipboard.
The Mumbai police has warned adventurous protesters with strict legal action in the face of threats over Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed Padmavati.

By India Today Web Desk: The Mumbai police has warned individuals and groups against taking the law into their hands while protesting against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film Padmavati.

In a statement, Joint Commissioner of Police (L&O) Deven Bharti said that "any individual or group which attempts to be adventurous, will be dealt sternly and will face strict legal action. We are committed to provide security to everyone individually or collectively and have taken adequate measures for protection of individuals who have received threats. (sic)"

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He said that the policy would not interfere with protest conducted in "a democratic manner", but assured those who had received threats that "we will not allow miscreants to create any problem and they can indulge in their routine activities without any fear".

Padmavati has been facing the ire of fringe Hindu groups all over the country, with the Shri Rajput Karni Sena spearheading the protests. From Rajasthan to Karnataka, through Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, the film has been seeing protests for several months now.

Ever since rumours of a dream sequence featuring Deepika Padukone, who plays Rani Padmini, and Ranveer Singh, who plays Alauddin Khilji, surfaced, the Shri Rajput Karni Sena has been on a rampage.

From thrashing Bhansali and tearing his clothes to vandalising the film set, the Karni Sena has made sure their noise is heard. The Karni Sena has called for a Bharat bandh on December 1, the day Padmavati is slated for a release.

Padmavati's lead actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali have faced threats of physical harm from these groups which say they would not allow "distortions" of Rajput history to be shown.

The ruling party, BJP (Bharatiya Janta Party), has also said that filmmakers should not "distort historical facts". Most of the protests have happened in Rajasthan, but some have spilled over to Mumbai too.

Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor and BJP leader and Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Smriti Irani are engaged in a bitter fight on Twitter over Padmavati.

The film is scheduled to be released in theatres on December 1. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is yet to give a certificate to the film because of incomplete documents.

ALSO WATCH: Karni Sena holding Padmavati hostage

--- ENDS ---
Four men and a woman charged with taking part in an illegal parade and wearing paramilitary style clothing had the charges against them withdrawn on Friday.

A prosecution lawyer told Craigavon Magistrates' Court that while charges against the five, who all refused to identify themselves or to stand up in the dock when requested to do so, are being withdrawn, the case is to proceed by way of report".

The lawyer revealed that a similar case had been referred to the Court of Appeal but that a decision in that case is expected in the next few weeks.

The five defendants are: Martin Stephen Conlon (48), Tarry Drive in Lurgan; Christopher Martin Hamill (27), Lurgan Tarry, Lurgan; Audrey Sharpe (49), Drumbeg, Tullygally; Declan McCrory (47), Aghaboy Road, Omagh and Sean Pearson (24), Culmore Park, also in Omagh.

They are all jointly charged with two counts of taking part in an un-notified public procession on April 15 and 16 this year and on two further charges of wearing items of clothing, namely paramilitary style uniforms, "in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he was a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation, contrary to Section 13(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000," on the same dates.

None of the surrounding circumstances giving rise to the allegations have been opened in court but it is understood they relate to un-notified parades in Lurgan and Belfast on 15 and 16 April this year.

In court District Judge Bernie Kelly told the PPS they had made an excellent decision".

Mark them withdrawn by way of report and Mr Lunny, can you explain and reinforce the fact that this isnt the gates of hell, the judge told defence barrister Conor Lunny.
A guitarist who saw a man shot dead by the Army at a dance has told an inquest he will "never forget" the noise he heard that night.

John Craig was a 17-year-old member of the band playing at Toby's Hall in Ardoyne, north Belfast, when Joseph Parker (25) was killed in December 1971.

Mr Parker suffered fatal wounds from rounds fired by a member of the 1st Battalion of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment.

It emerged that Mr Craig only learned of the inquest last week and came forward to the Coroners Service with a statement.

He said he had suppressed memory of the event because it traumatised him.

Speaking to Ronan Daly, counsel for coroner Joe McCrisken, Mr Craig recalled that his band The Circle were booked to play the venue that night.

"It was my first time there, and I have never been back," he told the inquest.

Mr Craig said the band had taken a break from playing and were sitting on stage when he noticed soldiers entering the hall. He said the compere for the night urged them to start playing again because he sensed the military presence might spark trouble.

"It was an attempt to diffuse the situation," he said. "We began to play Get it On by T. Rex because it was very popular at the time. It had the desired effect, because people began to dance.

"It was frightening for both sides. The soldiers were just looking at people - intimidating people."

Earlier a deposition from the officer in command of the patrol, Captain Barton, now deceased, was read out. His submission said that he, a sergeant, two lance corporals and a private had entered Toby's Hall in the belief that a wanted republican may have been present.

The officer's statement and more from other soldiers present concurred that they discharged rounds after the crowd became violent towards them. They said it was necessary to secure their safety and prevent their weapons from being taken from them.

Mr Craig said that there was little room for the soldiers to manoeuvre between tables where there were people sitting and others who were dancing, so they jostled through the crowd, making their way towards the top of the hall.

He added: "I could see their rifles, so they were in an upright position, not in a firing position.

"People were angry and some were shouting 'out, out'. Others were saying 'get the f*** out of here'. I have an absolute vivid memory because I never saw this before, or since, about how a riot starts."

Mr Craig said a young girl threw what he thought was a crumpled crisp bag at a soldier and a shot was then fired into the air.

"It was then that I saw who I think was the victim make his way towards a soldier with his fists clenched," he added.

"It was at that point, without a shadow of a doubt, that a soldier from a distance of 6ft to 8ft away from him aimed his rifle at his groin and fired directly into him.

"Then bullets went off all over the place. I'll never forget the noise until the day I die. It was horrendous."

Peter Coll QC, counsel for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), challenged Mr Craig's powers of recall after almost 46 years since the shooting.

"You are coming at this cold. You have given no other account before this one," he said.

Mr Craig replied: "Since last Friday I have been back in Toby's Hall remembering the sequence of events. It's like running a video again, again and again."

The inquest continues.
The Housing Executive is facing fresh questions over fire safety measures at its 33 high-rise buildings in Northern Ireland in the wake of the Dunmurry tower block blaze.

Terrified residents of Coolmoyne House feared they were facing a Grenfell-type tragedy after a fire broke out on the ninth floor of the 14-storey building on Wednesday night.

The blaze, believed to have been accidentally caused by a toaster, burst through the windows on two sides of Coolmoyne House and led to the evacuation of around 100 tenants from 56 flats.

The fire happened just over five months after the Grenfell Tower inferno which claimed 71 lives in London.

Firefighters rescued the man whose flat caught fire in Coolmoyne House and paramedics tended to four patients.

Last night, a man remained in a stable condition in Lagan Valley Hospital, while a woman was discharged.

Residents of Coolmoyne House branded the lack of audible fire alarms in parts of the building "a disgrace" and said questions needed to be answered by the Housing Executive.

Seventh-floor resident Sarah Ritchie (71), who helped to evacuate a neighbour in her 80s - who had been unaware of the danger - from the block, said she "didn't sleep for worrying" after being allowed back into her home at around 9pm. "The smell of the smoke is terrible, and some flats have terrible water and smoke damage," she revealed.

She added: "I would have expected the building to have audible communal fire alarms, especially after Grenfell, and I'm worried that without one we could burn to death in a future incident.

"Everyone wants audible fire alarms installed in the communal areas".

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The flats at Seymour Hill . Pic: Crowded Space Drones The flats at Seymour Hill . Pic: Crowded Space Drones A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press The blaze in Dunmurry Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Pic: Freddie Parkinson Presseye Freddie Parkinson Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Pic: Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Wednesday 16 November 2017 Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Wednesday 16 November 2017 Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Wednesday 16 November 2017 Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Wednesday 16 November 2017 Repairs and cleaning up starts after the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry. Freddie Parkinson PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/11/2017 A fire has broken out at a high-rise block of flats in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of west Belfast. Firefighters and ambulance crews were sent to Coolmoyne House flats on Seymour Hill, as flames and smoke hit multiple floors of the tower block Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson  Wednesday 15 November 2017 All services attend the fire at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry Freddie Parkinson / Facebook

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Whatsapp The flats at Seymour Hill . Pic: Crowded Space Drones

Yesterday DUP leader Arlene Foster visited the scene to survey the damage to the scorched tower.

Praising the "speedy response" of the emergency services, agencies and voluntary organisations, Mrs Foster said she was "grateful for no fatalities".

The Seymour Hill & Conway Residents Association and Youth Council has set up a crowdfunding page to assist victims who "lost everything" in the blaze. A Housing Executive spokeswoman said it took residents' safety "extremely seriously".

She said: "We work closely with the Fire Service to ensure we remain fully compliant with all fire safety regulations, have robust fire safety regimes and carry out regular inspections in all of our high-rise buildings.

"In Coolmoyne, each of the 56 flats has two smoke alarms and one heat detector alarm installed. The communal hallways are fitted with a silent smoke detection system, which is monitored 24 hours a day.

"Yesterday's fire was contained to one flat, which was severely damaged. Seventeen other flats were impacted, primarily by water damage and a small number with smoke damage.

"Our response maintenance staff worked overnight on a clean-up operation and our contractors are on site today again, going door to door ensuring the electrics are safe in each home."

Three Coolmoyne House residents were placed in overnight accommodation at a hotel on Wednesday. It was hoped they would be able to return to their homes yesterday.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service group commander Geoff Somerville said there was "no legal requirement" for Coolmoyne House to have audible communal fire alarms, and the existing system was "appropriate" for the regulations in place when the tower was built.
A Catholic priest who ministers in Co Fermanagh has called for the Church to accept that it has "lost Christmas" and abandon the word altogether.

Father Desmond O'Donnell, who has a congregation in Cleenish Parish near Enniskillen, has urged Christians, no matter the denomination, to accept that the term 'Christmas' had been shorn of any sacred meaning.

"We've lost Christmas, just like we lost Easter, and should abandon the word completely," he argued.

"We need to let it go, it's already been hijacked and we just need to recognise and accept that."

Fr O'Donnell, who worked in Australia for 28 years, insisted he was not a Scrooge, and did not wish to deny non-believers their festive celebrations.

"I am not seeking to take anything away from anyone, I am simply asking that space be preserved for believers for whom Christmas has nothing to do with Santa and Reindeer," he added.

"My religious experience of true Christmas, like so many others, is very deep and real - like the air I breathe.

"But non-believers deserve and need their celebration too, it's an essential human dynamic and we all need that in the toughness of life."

A biblical scholar and psychologist, he even quoted from the Psalms to argue that a little bit of wine makes the heart rejoice.

"I'm all for Christians choosing to celebrate Christmas by going out for meals and enjoying a glass of wine, but the commercialisation of anything is never good," he said.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights / Credit: William Cherry/Presseye William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye A massive turn out in Ballymoney for the first of the causeway coast and Glens borough councils lights switch on's in the Borough. PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAULEY MULTIMEDIA Mayor Joan Baird with Santa at the iBallymoney lights switch on. PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAULEY MULTIMEDIA Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Kerry McLean from BBC Radio Ulster who turned the lights on where there was massive turn out in Ballymoney for the first of the causeway coast and Glens borough councils lights switch on's in the Borough. PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAULEY MULTIMEDIA Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Rylie and David Adair from Liscolman pictured at the Ballymoney lights switch on on Thursday evening. PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAULEY MULTIMEDIA Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community Childrens Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th November 2017 - Photo by William Cherry/Presseye LISBURN LIGHTS UP FOR CHRISTMAS The Lisburn Community Childrens Choir sing as thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the CityOs Christmas tree and glittering street lights. Despite the cold weather the crowd were kept entertained with dazzling stilt walkers, festive characters and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Performing Arts students. Music was provided by a Christmas samba band, a concert band and Lisburn Community ChildrenOs Choir got everyone in the festive spirit with a beautiful performance of popular Christmas carols. William Cherry / Presseye / Facebook

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Whatsapp Thousands lined the streets of Lisburn City Centre (Thursday 16th November) to watch the Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and special VIP guest Santa light up the Citys Christmas tree and glittering street lights / Credit: William Cherry/Presseye

"I'm just trying to rescue the reality of Christmas for believers by giving up 'Christmas' and replacing it with another word."

The clergyman, whose latest book To Love And To Be Loved was published in September, admitted that he wasn't hopeful about the sacred institution being willing to change, but warned that its refusal to do so will have consequences.

"It will mean that secularisation and modern life will continue to launder the Church," he said.

"It will start to institutionally break down, I've already seen it happening around the world in Malta, Poland and Uruguay, and it's starting to happen in Ireland.

"It's like watching the same movie over and over again - the Protestant Churches are battling too."

The Oblate priest, who is based in Dublin, added: "For many people God is just a word representing someone to blame in their calamity or a crutch to lean on in a time of distress, and the reality is that 'Christmas' no longer means Christmas."
Theresa May will meet European leaders including Republic of Ireland counterpart Leo Varadkar as she continues to push for a breakthrough in Brexit talks.

The Prime Minister will meet the Taoiseach on the margins of a major European summit today, with the issue of the Irish border one of the key sticking points in the Brexit negotiations.

Mrs May was also due to have talks with Sweden's prime minister Stefan Lofven last night as his country hosts leaders from across the European Union to promote fair jobs and growth.

The Prime Minister hopes EU counterparts will agree next month that sufficient progress has been made in the first phase of the Brexit talks to move on to discussions about the future trading relationship between the UK and the bloc.

Resolving cross-border issues between Ireland and Northern Ireland as a result of Brexit is one of the main areas where progress is required before EU leaders can agree to move to the next phase of the negotiations - along with citizens' rights and the financial settlement between the UK and EU.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said "you can expect Brexit to come up, along with other issues of importance" in Mrs May's talks with her counterparts.

Today's Gothenburg social summit brings together political leaders and other key players to discuss issues including workers' rights and how to promote fair economic growth.

Mrs May will take part in a working session on fair employment and working conditions and is expected to highlight the findings of the Taylor report, published in July, which examined the treatment of workers in the so-called gig economy.

She will tell fellow leaders "how the UK is addressing issues head-on in relation to the way employment practices are changing and the opportunities and challenges this presents and to point out how we've been consulting with business groups, trade unions and wider stakeholders".

The Government has committed to responding to the Taylor report by the end of the year.
The officers were caught automatically by speed vans before the PSNI decides to pursue a prosecution.

Police officers are being referred for prosecution by the PSNI for speeding at work in recent months - despite legislation that protects them while performing their duties, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

In at least two cases the officers involved opted not to accept penalty points, and fought their cases in court.

Both were acquitted and the charges against them were dismissed.

The officers were detected breaking the speed limit by static traffic cameras in vans operated by the PSNI while driving their police vehicles.

It is understood that in one case an officer was prosecuted for travelling just over the 30mph speed limit.

Hundreds of PSNI members in specialised units are required to demonstrate as part of their contract of employment that they can drive in excess of 100mph on public roads.

And emergency service personnel are legally protected for speeding in the course of their duty by the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.

It states that no speed limit applies to vehicles being used by police and other emergency services, as well as the military and customs, while they are on duty.

SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan branded the situation a "total waste of vital public money and resources" and an "example of bureaucracy gone mad".

He said: "This is a ridiculous situation. The PSNI have a duty to protect life and prevent crime, and it's entirely understandable that they need to get to a certain area quickly and sometimes they need to exceed the speed limit by quite a bit.

"I'm sure no officer is exceeding the speed limit unnecessarily and they are entirely justified in trying to get to the scene of a crime or other emergency.

"It's utterly ridiculous that the PPS are deciding to use public money and Court Service resources to penalise officers doing their duty.

"Any reasonable judge will know that police officers have a duty to protect life and ensure public safety.

"Are we now going to have fire engine and ambulance drivers fined for exceeding the speed limits when they are trying to save lives?"

Solicitor Michael May, who was retained by the Police Federation to represent the two officers who contested the charges, said: "Any police officer would find it very stressful to find themselves under criminal investigation and facing charges that could put them on the wrong side of the law.

"The officers were driving police vehicles and were detected by speed cameras which automatically issued the tickets.

"The PSNI determine who was driving the vehicle and the officer gets the chance to say why they were speeding.

"If that isn't accepted then the officer could get three penalty points on their own driving licence and their personal insurance takes a hit, or they could go to court.

"In the two cases I have been involved in, the officers refused the penalty points and the PPS did make the call to prosecute.

"The speeds that the officers were doing were not too far over the limit.

"The officers successfully used the standard defence that they were speeding in the execution of their duties. Ultimately it is for the PPS to decide whether to prosecute."

The PPS confirmed that it had received a "small number" of files from the PSNI recently in relation to officers speeding while on duty.

"This is potentially a criminal offence unless the officer can establish by evidence that on the occasion in question the vehicle was being used for a police purpose and that compliance with the speed limit would be likely to hinder that purpose on that occasion," a statement said.

"While it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of any case which has gone through due process, I can say that we carefully consider all of the available evidence in every case, applying the test for prosecution in line with the code for prosecutors."

The Police Federation confirmed that it was offering legal assistance to a "very small number" of officers who had been prosecuted for speeding.

The PSNI said it would respond on the basis of a Freedom of Information request.
Sinn Fein is set to vote on changing the party's stance on abortion.

The BBC reports a motion will be put forward to allow abortions in cases where woman's life, health or mental health is "at serious risk or in grave danger" or in cases involving a fatal foetal abnormality, rape or sexual abuse.

Michelle O'Neill will reportedly back the motion, with a vote taking place at the conference.

This latest motion is seen as a liberalisation of policy due to the reference to serious risk to a woman's life, health or mental health.

At the party's Ard Fheis in 2015 the party changed its policy to support abortion in limited circumstances.

The Republic is set to vote on repealing the 8th amendment of the Irish Constitution - which currently bans abortion in most circumstances - in May or June of 2018.

Speaking at the conference on Friday evening, Sinn Fein's leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill said her party had "invested hugely in the peace process and the political institutions for the benefit of everyone and we remain committed to making the institutions work".

"I want to lead Sinn Fein back into a new Executive, which represents genuine equal partnership government," she said.

Mrs O'Neill reiterated her party's focus on equality issues and its commitment to an Irish language act.

"A key challenge for us all is to confront sectarianism and the causes which segregate our communities still  20 years on from the Good Friday Agreement," she said.

"The DUPs denial of rights for all citizens, and the failure to fully implement previous political agreements, the contempt shown for Irish national identity and culture combined with the RHI scandal to tip us into the ongoing political crisis.

"These rights include marriage equality, language rights, a bill of rights and the rights to an inquest in legacy cases.

"An Irish language act has both practical and symbolic importance in recognising and respecting Irish national identity."

Also speaking at the event was Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald.

She said the party was interested in entering government in the Republic, but that they would not enter government "just to make up the numbers".
Not that long ago in a restaurant not so far away a Star Wars legend showed up for his dinner.

Star Wars creator George Lucas swapped the Cantina at Mos Eisley for the more welcoming surroundings of Holywood's Noble.

"Holywood not Hollywood," the restaurant tweeted.

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Saul McConnell was tight-lipped on the film producer's visit to his award-winning restaurant on Thursday.

"We were told it was a VIP but not who it was," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

Lucas is one of Hollywood's greatest film producers. Since the 1970s many children right across the world have tried to use the force to move things after his Star Wars first hit cinemas. The franchise, which is now owned by Disney, has so far spawned nine films with the latest one to be released in 2019. Lucas was also responsible for the Indiana Jones films.

Saul continued: "He and his party had a lovely bite to eat, they enjoyed themselves and he was very obliging to have his picture taken with some of the staff.

"There was a great buzz.

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"We have been bound to confidentially, but like all our customers we want them to enjoy their meal in private and we hope Mr Lucas had a good time and felt at home in Holywood."

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars cast members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning. They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Rian Johnson (director ) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Rian Johnson (director ) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Rian Johnson (director ) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Rian Johnson (director ) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 13/5/2016 Daisy Ridley (Rey) pictured as Star Wars Cast Members arrive at Belfast International Airport on Friday Morning , They are due to film Star Wars Episode VIII at Malin Head in Co Donegal. The entire shoot is very much top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way, and access to the beauty spot is closed for the next three days. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker / Facebook

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Asked what he'd recommend a weary traveller that may have travelled a long way in a "bucket of bolts," Saul replied: "Only the best food."

"We've been very lucky, what with Game of Thrones to have a few celebrities drop in and we just work to make sure they enjoy themselves."
A viable explosive device was discovered after a security alert in Belfast.

Police were called to the scene of a suspect device in the Lavinia Square area of south Belfast on Thursday.

Police and ATO recovered a viable device which has been taken away for further examination. The surrounding area was closed during the operation, and has since re-opened. Some residents were also evacuated from their homes but have since been allowed to return.

Police have appealed for information.
Children, who have been spanked, show greater behaviourial problems as compared to those who haven't been spanked, claims the study.

By Asian News International: Parents, you may want to avoid spanking your kids, suggests a recent study.

Children who have been spanked by their parents by age 5 show an increase in behaviour problems at age 6 and age 8 , relative to children who have never been spanked, according to new findings.

The study, which uses a statistical technique to approximate random assignment, indicated that this increase in behaviour problems cannot be attributed to various characteristics of the child, the parents, or the home environment - rather, it seems to be the specific result of spanking.

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Lead author Elizabeth T. Gershoff (University of Texas at Austin) said that the findings suggest that spanking is not an effective technique and actually makes children's behaviour worse not better.

Historically, trying to determine whether parents' use of spanking actually causes children to develop behaviour problems has been difficult, because researchers cannot ethically conduct experiments that randomly assign parents to spank or not.

Gershoff and coauthors Kierra M. P. Sattler (University of Texas at Austin) and Arya Ansari (University of Virginia) examined data from 12,112 children who participated in the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. When the children were 5 years old, their parents reported how many times they had spanked their child in the past week (if any). The researchers classified any child whose parent provided a number other than zero as having been spanked.

Also Read:Kids with good memories are better liars: Study

The researchers then matched children who had been spanked with those who hadn't according to 38 child- and family-related characteristics, including: the child's age, gender, overall health, and behaviour problems at age 5; the parent's education, age, and marital status; the family socioeconomic status and household size; and factors related to parenting quality and conflict in the home.

Pairing the children in this way yielded two groups of children whose main difference was whether their parents had spanked them, effectively accounting for other factors that could plausibly influence the behaviour of both parent and child. This approach allowed the researchers to approximate the random assignment of participants to groups, a hallmark of experimental design.

To gauge children's behaviour problems over time, Gershoff, Sattler, and Ansari examined teachers' ratings when the children were 5, 6, and 8 years old. Children's teachers reported the frequency with which the children argued, fought, got angry, acted impulsively, and disturbed ongoing activities.

The results were clear: Children who had been spanked at age 5 showed greater increases in behavior problems by age 6 and also by age 8 when compared with children who had never been spanked.

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"The fact that knowing whether a child had ever been spanked was enough to predict their levels of behavior problems years later was a bit surprising," said Gershoff. "It suggests that spanking at any frequency is potentially harmful to children."

"Although dozens of studies have linked early spanking with later child behavior problems, this is the first to do so with a statistical method that approximates an experiment," she concluded.

The study appears in journal Psychological Science.

--- ENDS ---
A charity that provides support to victims of sexual violence has seen a surge in people seeking help in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Nexus NI reported a 21% spike in referrals for their specialist counselling service in the last three months.

It said the global media storm over the Weinstein case was one factor.

Hollywood has been rocked by allegations against the film mogul. A large number of women have come forward to say they were sexually harassed or assaulted by Weinstein - allegations he has denied.

Nexus said it has seen more referrals than ever before and is encouraging other victims to come forward to seek help.

Since October 2016, the charity has delivered more than 17,000 counselling sessions across 41 locations - up 2,000 on the previous year.

Cara Cash, the chief executive of Nexus NI, said: "We're seeing more and more stories in the press every day, and the #MeToo hashtag on social media has also sparked conversation around sexual assault both in Northern Ireland and across the globe.

"We see the increase in referrals as a positive step forward as it means that victims of any form of sexual violence are starting to feel that they can seek help.

"Sexual assault can have a lifelong impact on a victim and we want to remind them that it is never their fault. They should know they have nothing to be ashamed of and there is strength and hope in seeking help.

"We work hard to make Nexus a safe and trusted source of support for everyone."

She added: "We are here to support victims of sexual assault no matter who they are, who the perpetrator is or when the assault took place.

"If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual violence, please reach out and get help. No one has to suffer alone."
Boris Johnson and Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney are to discuss global issues as part of the Foreign Secretary's day trip to Dublin

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will hold talks on Friday with Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney.

The pair will discuss global issues and human rights at a breakfast meeting in Dublin as part of Mr Johnson's day trip to the city.

It is expected that Brexit will be raised although the issue is not on the formal talks agenda as there are ongoing contacts between the two governments, including with Brexit Secretary David Davis.

The priorities for the discussions are global affairs that Ireland and the UK cooperate on and how those relations will look in the future.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: "It is a meeting about bilateral affairs and international relations including Africa and the Middle East."

It is understood Mr Coveney will be keen to stress the need to main tain the uniquely close economic, political, cultural and people-to-people links Britain and Ireland share and the practical ways in which these relations can be developed.
Theresa May met with her Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven ahead of a summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Ireland's Prime minister Leo Varadkar (L) and Britain's Prime minister Theresa May (R) talk ahead a discussion session during the European Social Summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, on November 17, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Jonathan NACKSTRANDJONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images

Theresa May has been urged by European Union leaders to spell out how much the UK will pay Brussels in a so-called divorce bill in order to secure progress on trade talks.

The Prime Minister repeated her promise that the UK will "honour our commitments" to the European Union as it leaves the bloc but came under pressure to go further.

Mrs May wants EU leaders to agree to move on to the second phase of Brexit talks covering the future trade relationship and a possible transitional period at a summit in Brussels next month.

She used a gathering of EU counterparts in Gothenburg to push her case - but was told "clarity" was needed on the divorce settlement and there was no guarantee of a breakthrough in December.

On the margins of a summit in the Swedish city, Mrs May met European Council chief Donald Tusk, French president Emmanuel Macron, Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni and Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar as she attempted to build support.

On the eve of the summit she met Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven, who said Mrs May needs to clarify what the financial settlement would cover, and it was "very difficult to say" whether trade talks would be given the go-ahead in December.

She also had an impromptu meeting with Polish prime minister Beata Szydlo in a Gothenburg restaurant on Thursday night.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said "the clock is ticking" and "work has still to be done" before the December 14-15 summit.

Ireland and the UK clashed over the Northern Irish border, one of the three areas on which "sufficient progress" needs to be made before trade talks can be given the green light.

The other issues on which progress will be judged are the rights of EU citizens in the UK and Britons on the continent and the so-called divorce bill.

Reports - dismissed as speculation by Downing Street - suggested Mrs May could be prepared to offer a further 20 billion in payments, which would bring to around 38 billion the total sum Britain is prepared to pay to settle its liabilities - well short of the 60 billion euro (53 billion) sought by Brussels.

The Prime Minister said she hoped the European Union would respond positively to her Brexit approach.

But a Brussels source said Mr Tusk's message to the Prime Minister was that "such a positive scenario is not a given, it will require more work and that time is short".

Mrs May said as she arrived in Gothenburg: "We look forward to the December European Council. We are continuing to look through the issues.

"I was clear in my speech in Florence that we will honour our commitments.

"But of course we want to move forward together, talking about the trade issues and trade partnership for the future.

"I have set out a vision for that economic partnership, I look forward to the European Union responding positively to that so we can move forward together and ensure that we can get the best possible arrangements for the future that will be good for people in the United Kingdom and across the remaining EU27."

If leaders do not agree to move to the second phase at the summit in Brussels on December 14-15, then it could mean no progress until the next scheduled European Council in March.

That would add to business uncertainty and increase the potential for the UK to leave without a Brexit deal.

The meeting with French leader Mr Macron is significant because his country has been perceived as being a barrier to progressing to the next phase of Brexit negotiations.

Brexit Secretary David Davis said many EU nations were now keen to move on to trade talks, but notably omitted Germany and France from his list.

Speaking to the BBC in Berlin on Friday morning, Mr Davis said: "Many of them do want to move on. They see it as very important to them.

"Countries like Denmark, countries like Holland, countries like Italy and Spain, countries like Poland can see the big, big benefits in the future deal we are talking about."

Downing Street said Mrs May and Mr Tusk acknowledged that there is "more work to be done" after "positive discussions" in Gothenburg.

The two leaders spoke about the "progress which had been made so far" in the negotiations on citizens' rights, Northern Ireland and the financial settlement, a Downing Street spokesman said.

"Prime Minister May and President Tusk agreed that there is more work to be done and discussed how to take further steps forward together in advance of the European Council in December."

In her "constructive" talks with Mr Macron they "looked forward to further progress being made" before the December summit.

"President Macron and the Prime Minister also discussed the strong bilateral relationship which exists between France and the UK and looked forward to building upon it further in coming months and years," the spokesman said.
She was speaking at the start of the Republican party's Ard Fheis in Dublin on Friday evening

Sinn Fein is committed to restoring powersharing at Stormont, the party's Northern Ireland leader has insisted.

Michelle O'Neill said however that any agreement to resolve the region's political crisis will be based on the DUP's ability to "embrace a rights-based society and equal partnership government."

She was speaking at the start of the Republican party's Ard Fheis in Dublin on Friday evening.

Northern Ireland has been without a functioning government since January following the resignation of the then deputy first minister Martin McGuinness over the DUP's handling of a botched green energy scheme, called the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

On Saturday, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is expected to outline his future leadership plans, and potentially a timetable for retirement, in what is being billed as a "historic and significant" speech.

Ms O'Neill blamed Stormont's ongoing political crisis on the DUP's "denial of rights for all citizens", failure to fully implement previous political agreements, contempt for Irish national identity and culture and the RHI scandal.

She said Sinn Fein has "invested hugely" in the peace process and the political institutions and insisted the party is committed to making the institutions work.

"I want to lead Sinn Fein back into a new Executive, which represents genuine equal partnership Government," said Ms O'Neill.

"For over 10 months Sinn Fein has sought to resolve these issues through dialogue and political negotiations with the DUP and both Governments.

"However, despite our best endeavours the discussions were unsuccessful."

She claimed this was "in large part pre-determined by the Conservative party's pact with the DUP to keep them in government".

Ms O'Neill added: "Sinn Fein remains committed to the restoration of the institutions and the Executive.

"However, they only have value if they enjoy the confidence and support of the people they were established to serve. For, as Martin McGuinness said, there is no going back to the status quo."

She also said the Sinn Fein leadership will continue to "make every effort to find a political solution to the political breakdown."

"If the DUP or anyone else wish to exercise political power in Government in the North of Ireland now or in the future, then the cost is to embrace a rights-based society and equal partnership government, which works for everyone.

"This would pave the way for the Executive to be restored," she said.
Theresa May will meet Mr Tusk and the Taoiseach in the margins of a major European summit in Gothenburg on Friday (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

European Council president Donald Tusk has set a deadline of the start of December for Britain to make further movement on its Brexit divorce bill and the future of the Irish border.

Speaking after talks with Theresa May in Sweden, Mr Tusk said the EU has completed the internal work necessary to give the green light for talks on trade and transition to begin at the next European Council summit in Brussels on December 14-15.

But he said that much more progress was needed from the UK on two of the three key issues in withdrawal talks in order to break the deadlock which has prevented the move to the second phase of negotiations which the UK is seeking.

We will be ready to move on to the second phase already in December, but in order to do that we need to see more progress from the UK side, said Mr Tusk.

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While good progress on citizens rights is being made, we need to see much more progress on Ireland and on the financial settlement.

He said he had told Mrs May that this progress needs to happen at the beginning of December at the latest.

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Speaking at the conclusion of an EU jobs summit in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, Mr Tusk warned: If there is not sufficient progress by then, I will not be in a position to propose new guidelines on transition and the future relationship at the December European Council.

Mr Tusk said he and Mrs May agreed to meet again next Friday to assess the situation in more detail.

Mrs May told reporters as she left Gothenburg: We are agreed that good progress has been made but there is more to be done, that we should move forwards together towards that point where sufficient progress can be declared and we can look ahead to what I have already said I want to see as a deep and comprehensive and special partnership between the UK and the remaining 27 members of the EU.

Mrs May is anxious to secure the agreement of EU leaders to open discussions on Britains future relations with the bloc  including a free trade deal  when they meet next month in Brussels.

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Brexit Secretary David Davis suggested that he wanted to see compromise from Brussels, warning EU leaders that they will get nothing for nothing.

In any negotiation you want the other side to compromise, Mr Davis told the BBC. I want them to compromise. Surprise, surprise, nothing comes for nothing in this world.

But so far in this negotiation, weve made quite a lot of compromises. On the citizens rights front, weve made all the running.

Asked about the Brexit Secretarys claim that the UK had made all the concessions so far in the negotiations, Mr Tusk said: I can say only that I appreciate Mr Daviss English sense of humour.

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In meetings at the summit with Mr Tusk, Mr Varadkar, Swedish PM Stefan Lofven, French president Emmanuel Macron and Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni, Mrs May came under pressure to spell out how much the UK will pay Brussels in a so-called divorce bill in order to secure progress on trade talks.

The Prime Minister repeated her promise that the UK will honour our commitments to the EU as it leaves the bloc but came under pressure to provide further clarity.

Summit host Mr Lofven said the UK needs to clarify what the financial settlement would cover, and it was very difficult to say whether trade talks would be given the go-ahead in December.

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And European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said the clock is ticking and work has still to be done before the December 14-15 summit.
The Prince of Wales views a guard of honour as he arrives at VC Bird International Airport in Antigua (Victoria Jones/PA)

The Prince of Wales was welcomed with pomp and ceremony to Antigua and Barbuda as his tour of hurricane-ravaged Caribbean islands began.

His visit started as the UK Government reaffirmed its commitment to stand by the islands devastated by the natural disasters and announced a further 15 million in support.

Charles was making his first official visit to the Commonwealth nation whose island of Antigua escaped the worst of Hurricane Irmas high winds and lashing rain, but neighbouring Barbuda bore the brunt of its destructive powers.

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The heir to the throne arrived on a scheduled British Airways flight accompanied by new International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt.

The politician, who is making her first overseas visit since replacing Priti Patel, earlier announced the new financial package  12 million for Dominica and 3 million for Antigua and Barbuda.

During the three-day trip that will also see Charles visit the British Virgin Islands and Dominica, the Prince and the Cabinet minister will meet survivors, see the devastation and thank the military and NGOs for their efforts.

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Antigua has the Queen as head of state, and waiting to meet the Prince on the runway was the governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda, Rodney Williams, and the countrys prime minister, Gaston Browne.

The red carpet welcome included a guard of honour and a band who played the national anthems of Britain and Antigua before Charles inspected the troops.

Ms Mordaunt said: The UK aid mission was huge, covering small islands stretching more than 1,000 miles apart, where buildings, airports and infrastructure had been razed to the ground.

I want to pay tribute to the governments of the Overseas Territories, our humanitarian staff and to the military effort, which has been absolutely essential in delivering relief.

Now as we move on from the immediate response phase, on to the long-term future of the islands, Britain will continue to stand by people whose lives were devastated.

We are also talking to the international private sector who can support the reconstruction efforts to make sure the islands can build back, and better.

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Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to barrel through the Caribbean in decades, devastated huge swathes of the British Virgin Islands in September and left Barbuda almost uninhabitable after destroying nearly all of its buildings.

Less than two weeks later, the region was rocked by a second major storm, Hurricane Maria which decimated Dominica and Puerto Rico.

With the announcement of the 15 million package  plus 15 million recently allocated for the affected Overseas Territories of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos  the UK Government has now committed 92 million to help recovery and long-term reconstruction in the region.
British explorer Benedict Allen has been airlifted by helicopter after going missing on an expedition to find a remote tribe in Papua New Guinea.

The 57-year-old was flown to the capital Port Moresby, and is reported to be feverish with suspected malaria.

His agent Jo Sarsby said: Benedict looks forward to being reunited with his family and friends but will need some time to get back to full health.

He would like to send thanks for all the kind messages he has received.

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Mr Allen, who deliberately had no mobile phone or GPS device with him, was dropped into the remote jungle three weeks ago.

He was hoping to reach the Yaifo, a tribe thought to be one of the last on Earth to have no contact with the outside world.

The explorer was reported missing earlier this week after he failed to board a flight back home via Hong Kong on Sunday. He was later spotted near a remote airstrip, sparking the rescue efforts.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, a good friend, tweeted that Mr Allen was due to be on a plane home on Saturday.

He added: Explorer @benedictallen is now recovering from fever, poss malaria in Papua New Guinea capital having got disoriented on remote jungle trek.

Mr Allens wife Lenka Allen previously told how the couples children  10-year-old Natalya, Freddie, seven, and two-year-old Beatrice  were missing their father.

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After hearing of sightings of Mr Allen, she told the Daily Mail: It is such a relief. Im so happy, its amazing.

In a blog post on his website in September, Mr Allen described the Yaifo as one of the last people on the entire planet who are out of contact with our interconnected world.

He wrote: Just like the good old days, I wont be taking a sat phone, GPS or companion. Or anything else much. Because this is how I do my journeys of exploration. I grow older but no wiser, it seems.
He says that he wants to devote his life to the service of society and cows, just like Lord Krishna.

By Mausami Singh: As some members of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) came out of Congress leader Ahmed Patel's residence in the high-profile Lutyen's Delhi area, one of them - who claims to be a farmer by profession - said he had been barefoot for the last six years, keen to walk literally on Lord Krishna's footsteps.

"I have not been wearing any footwear for the last 6 years," he said with a smile on his face.

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Our India Today reporter noticed this Patidar leader called Manoj Panara standing without footwear. We learnt that he had walked all the way from Ahmedabad to Delhi barefoot. What has prompted him to do so? Motivation to serve, he says.

Barefoot Manoj Pannara

According to mythology, Krishna walked barefooted for days serving the people. "Inspired by Lord Krishna and his love for cows, I am literally following in his footsteps. I want to devote my life to the service of cows, just like Krishna and work for the welfare of society. I have constructed a cowshed in my village, which is home to 200 cows," PAAS leader Manoj Panara said.

A resident of Morbi, Panara says that he will walk barefoot for a total of 7 years, i.e. one more year. He said he was just a servant wanting to work for those in need, just like Lord Krishna served as a human being. "Krishna has inspired me to dedicate my life for the larger human good", adds Panara.

So does this walk in Lord's service also become a disadvantage occasionally? The PAAS leader says that because of being barefoot, he has been turned away from several five-star hotels. But determined to walk on the path laid down by Krishna, he feels no pain, no discomfort.

In today's times when politicians are so accustomed to lavish lifestyles, ranging from wearing branded clothing to living in five-hotels, Manoj Panara's story is a welcome departure and an account that draws attention for its resolve to serve.

--- ENDS ---
KFC Christmas baubles are now available in a giveaway online (KFC New Zealand)

Fans of KFC can celebrate their love of the fast food even at Christmas.

While turkey might be the poultry most associated with December 25, KFC in New Zealand has found a way to muscle in on the festive season.

Its created a series of KFC Christmas baubles, complete with a slick black presentation box.

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The designs include a bauble version of Colonel Sanders, a chicken drumstick, a bucket of chicken, a chicken wing and fries.

A video released on YouTube and shared by the main KFC New Zealand Twitter account reveals: The magic of KFChristmas Decorations Coming Soon.

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The decs arent for sale, but will be available via a giveaway, although only in New Zealand.
A court in Brussels has pushed back the extradition arguments of ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four allies until at least December 4, which is likely to keep them in Belgium until Catalonia's regional election campaign.

The court hearing in Brussels for the five secessionist rebels is the latest step in their flight from Spain to Brussels and their refusal to return to face rebellion and sedition charges that could land them in jail for 25 years.

Before the court session, the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium discussed their bilateral relations, which have been strained over the Catalan officials who are wanted on a Spanish arrest warrant.

Mr Puigdemont's lawyer Paul Bekaert said after the first court session: "We will argue the case on December 4."

Whatever decision is made at that stage, two appeals will be possible and a final ruling could well only come only after the December 21 election day in Catalonia.

Mr Bekaert said even though the prosecutor asked for the execution of the extradition request from Spain for the five, the defence lawyers could still give written arguments until early next month.

"So nothing has been decided today," he said.

The prosecutor added that, according to Belgian law, there was no corruption on the part of the Catalan five but a "conspiracy of civil servants". He said that for a refusal to fully commit to their jobs "there can be no extradition".

The Belgian government says it cannot intervene in Spain's extradition request as it is up to the country's independent judiciary to make a decision.

"It is a judicial case based on the separation of powers. It is up to the judicial authorities," prime minister Charles Michel said after meeting his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Mr Michel's spokesman, Barend Leyts, said the talks were "constructive" and did not centre on the Catalan issue, b ut the extradition issue continued to create unease.

Spain supplied the Belgian prosecutor with information detailing the jail conditions for the five Catalans if they are extradited.

Interior minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said all the information requested had been sent but pointed out that "Spain has been a state of law for many years", adding that "nobody in Europe is going to give us lessons".

The ministry said the ousted Catalan government members, who are being sought for alleged rebellion, sedition and embezzlement, would have access to their lawyers.

AP
Mafia "boss of bosses" Salvatore "Toto" Riina, is seen behind bars during a trial in Rome in 1993 (AP/Giulio Broglio)

One of Sicily's most notorious Mafia bosses may be visited by family at the hospital where he is in a coma and still a prisoner serving more than two dozen life sentences, Italy's justice minister has said.

Justice minister Andrea Orlando said relatives of Salvatore "Toto" Riina could see him at a hospital in the northern city of Parma.

Ministry officials said Riina, who turned 87 on Thursday, was in a medically-induced coma.

Italian media have reported that his health deteriorated after two recent surgeries.

Riina is serving 26 life sentences for murder as a powerful Cosa Nostra boss.

Nicknamed "the beast" for his reputation as a killer, he was captured in Palermo, Sicily's capital, in 1993 after 23 years as a fugitive.

He has been imprisoned under a law that requires strict security measures for top mobsters, including limits on family visits, detention in isolated sections of prisons and drastically-reduced time out of their cells.

Prosecutors accused Riina of masterminding a strategy, carried out over several years, to assassinate Italian prosecutors, police officials and others who were going after Cosa Nostra when he allegedly held the helm as the so-called "boss of bosses".

The bloodbath campaign ultimately backfired on Cosa Nostra.

After bombs killed Italy's two leading anti-Mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two months apart in 1992, the state stepped up its crackdown on Sicily's mafiosi.

Riina was captured in a Palermo apartment six months after Borsellino and his police escorts were killed by a car bomb.

Born in Corleone, a Sicilian hill and Mafia stronghold, he steadfastly refused to collaborate with law enforcement after his capture.

Riina was incarcerated at a Milan prison before he was taken to hospital.

In July, a court denied a request by Riina's family to transfer the convicted mobster to house arrest because of his ailing health.

AP
Saad Hariri said in a tweet that he stayed in Saudi Arabia to consult about the future of Lebanon (Future TV/AP)

Lebanon's prime minister Saad Hariri has dismissed reports about his alleged detention in Saudi Arabia as "rumours", hours before he was expected to leave the kingdom to go to France, two weeks after his shock resignation.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said Mr Hariri is expected in Paris's presidential palace by midday on Saturday.

Mr Hariri said in a tweet that he stayed in Saudi Arabia to consult about the future of Lebanon and its relations with the region.

"All stories spreading about my sojourn and departure or that deal with the circumstances of my family are merely rumours," he added.

His televised resignation from Riyadh on November 4 stunned the Lebanese, many of whom saw it as a sign that the kingdom - the prime minister's chief ally - had decided to drag tiny Lebanon into the Sunni kingdom's feud with the region's other powerhouse, the predominantly Shiite Iran.

The surprise resignation sparked many accusations, including from the Lebanese head of state President Michel Aoun who accused Saudi Arabia of detaining him.

Saudi officials denied the reports, adding that Mr Hariri was an ally, but railed against Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, accusing the two of meddling in the region's affairs and backing anti-Saudi rebels in Yemen.

The move by Saudi-aligned Mr Hariri raised concern in a region already beset by conflict. Many feared Lebanon's delicate sectarian-based political system could be easily upended if the county is dragged into a battle for regional supremacy between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

On Friday, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said there will be no stability in Lebanon unless the militant group Hezbollah disarms.

"This is what we hope," Adel al-Jubeir said at a press conference in Madrid.

It was the second day in a row that the Saudi minister had criticised Hezbollah. On Thursday, he called the group a "first-class terrorist organisation" that should lay down its arms and respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

Mr Hariri is expected in Paris this weekend following a French invitation, which appears aimed at ending speculation about him being held against his will.

AP
Nato's secretary-general has apologised to Turkey over military exercises in Norway during which Turkey's founding leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were reportedly depicted as "enemies".

Mr Erdogan said Turkey withdrew 40 of its soldiers participating in the drills at Nato's Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway, in protest at the incident and criticised the alliance.

"There can be no such unity, no such alliance," he said in an address to his ruling party's provincial leaders.

Details of the incident were sketchy but Mr Erdogan said Mr Ataturk's picture and his own name were featured on an "enemy chart" during the drills.

The individual who posted the material was described as a Norwegian civil contractor seconded by Norway, and not a Nato employee.

Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement saying: "I apologise for the offense caused."

He said the incident was the result of an "individual's actions" and did not reflect the views of the alliance.

He added that the individual was removed from the exercise and an investigation was under way.

"It will be for the Norwegian authorities to decide on any disciplinary action," Mr Stoltenberg added. "Turkey is a valued Nato ally, which makes important contributions to allied security."

Mr Stoltenberg apologised again at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. He said he has already spoken with the Turkish defence chief and that it "won't create any lasting problems, and I think it's already behind us".

Norwegian defence minister Frank Bakke-Jensen apologised for the incident as well.

"The message does not reflect Norway's views or policies and I apologise for the content of the message," Mr Bakke-Jensen said. "Turkey is an important ally in Nato, and we value our good cooperation."

AP
Song Tao, left, arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport for his flight to Pyongyang (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The highest-level Chinese envoy to North Korea in two years has arrived in Pyongyang to try to improve soured relations between the two nations.

Tensions have risen over Beijing's tightening of sanctions and expressions of support for US President Donald Trump's calls for more pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

Song Tao's official mission is to brief North Korean officials on the outcome of China's ruling Communist Party congress held last month.

He is visiting as President Xi Jinping's special envoy, according to Chinese and North Korean state media, but no other details about his itinerary or whether he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been announced.

The visit is seen as an effort by Mr Xi to explore a new approach in relations and probably also reflects Mr Xi's desire to head off further pressure from Washington.

China's relations with North Korea have deteriorated under Kim, who has ignored Beijing's calls to end the North's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests and return to disarmament talks.

North Korea staged its sixth nuclear test on September 3, detonating what it said was a hydrogen bomb, and most recently launched a ballistic missile on September 15, firing it over the Japanese island of Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean.

China, North Korea's largest trading partner, says its influence with Kim's government is often exaggerated by the US.

Beijing is opposed to measures that could bring down Kim's regime and lead to a refugee crisis along its border, and while enforcing harsh new UN sanctions targeting North Korea's sources of foreign currency it has called for steps to renew dialogue.

The visit comes as Joseph Yun, the US envoy for North Korea, met his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon on the resort island of Jeju, South Korea.

"China, of course, has a big role to play on north-east Asia security issues," Mr Yun was quoted by South Korea's Yonhap news agency as saying, adding that he hopes China "regards the denuclearisation as a critical goal. We do hope that special envoy will forward that goal."

Mr Song's visit to North Korea also comes as China and South Korea repair their relations that soured over Seoul's deployment of a US anti-missile system.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is to visit China next month for talks with Mr Xi.

AP
US and Serbian army paratroopers jump from a US Air Force transport aircraft at Lisicji Jarak Airport (AP)

American and Serbian paratroopers have held joint exercises in Serbia, watched with unease by Russia which is trying to increase its influence in the Balkans.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended the last day of the four-day drills that included joint jumps by Serbian and US troops from two US Air Force C-130J Hercules transport planes close to the Serbian capital, Belgrade.

Mr Vucic said: "The joint exercise contributes to the (military) skills, but also enhances partnership and friendship that was not always seen in the past."

American and Nato-related military activities in the Balkans regularly trigger anger from the Kremlin, which opposes the Western military alliance's expansion in the former communist eastern Europe.

Serbia, which tries to balance politically between Russia and the West, claims military neutrality.

Mr Vucic said: "I'm grateful to our American partners who have showed that in a short time we could organise these activities."

In 1999, a 78-day US-led Nato bombardment ended a Serbian crackdown against ethnic Albanian separatists in its former province of Kosovo, making the Western military alliance unpopular among Serbs.

John Gronski, the US Army Europe deputy commanding general, said after the drills that exercises with Serbian forces "build the readiness of both of our militaries and when you have ready military, a region can be more stable and secure".

Moscow has been arming the country with fighter jets and other equipment, worrying neighbouring states that saw a bloody civil war in the 1990s.

But Nato and Serbia have been improving co-operation since the country joined its outreach Partnership for Peace programme in 2006.

"I believe that we will improve (our relations) in the future," Mr Vucic said, adding: "Serbia will, understandably, jealously preserve its military neutrality."

AP
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to respond to a plea which has sought its direction on issues, including availability of sufficient gas supply in the NCR and review of status of existing coal-based power plants, aimed at tackling the problem of air pollution.

The application has also sought the top courts direction to implement the 2015 emission standards for power plants by December this year and also direct the Centre to strengthen the distribution of electricity in the National Capital Region (NCR).

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A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, representing the Centre, about it and he said that he would take instructions and file a response, if necessary.

The application has been filed by an advocate, who has been appointed as an amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter.

During the hearing, the court also observed that it would consider the issue of deadline for implementing BS-VI emission standards for vehicles.

The plea has sought a direction that "sufficient gas supply be made available so that all power generation in the NCR is from power plants using gas as their principal fuel".

It has also sought ban on import of pet coke and furnace oil, review of status of existing coal-based power plants and a time-bound switch over to natural gas.

It has said the Centre should be directed to oversee measures to strengthen the distribution of electricity in NCR to ensure that there was no shortfall in availability of power on 24X7 basis.

Meanwhile, the bench asked the Centre, amicus and the counsel appearing for the Central Pollution Control Board to identify the money, which was collected under various heads pursuant to orders passed by the court in pollution matter, so that it could be properly utilised.

The court, however, did not pass any order on a separate application filed by the amicus seeking a direction for collection of a compensatory sum on petrol and diesel in the NCR which would be used for measures to deal with pollution in the region.

The plea has also sought a direction to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to examine the feasibility of existing technologies and present a workable scheme on the use and disposal of crop stubble to the court.

The court was hearing a PIL filed in 1985 by environmentalist M C Mehta who had raised the issue of air pollution in the Delhi-NCR. PTI UK ABA MNL SJK RKS SC

--- ENDS ---
Most party conferences are about as interesting to outsiders as the annual meeting of the local trainspotters' society. They're for the faithful. The devotees.

This weekend's Sinn Fein ard fheis promises to be different, for two reasons, both connected.

The first is because of Gerry Adams' closing "presidential address" tomorrow. The contents remain as tightly guarded at this stage as the Third Secret of Fatima, although he himself has been hinting at some mysterious major announcement for weeks now.

Is the man who's led the republican movement since 1983 - just three years fewer than dictator Robert Mugabe, whose rule of Zimbabwe also appears to be coming to an end around the same time - about to announce that this will be his last outing as party leader?

The second point of interest in this year's ard fheis, scheduled to open in Dublin later this afternoon, is that the party looks poised to ditch its long-standing opposition to entering coalition in the Republic with either of the country's two main Civil War parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

At the most recent election in the south, held only last year, Sinn Fein was adamant that it would need to be the largest party before considering any kind of arrangement to enter government.

That stance did not serve them well. The party increased its share of the vote, but one reason why most voters still shun the party, apart from its toxic past, is a natural resistance to casting mere protest votes. If elected representatives won't take office, why bother backing them at all?

Some delegates this weekend have put down motions to maintain that absolutist position, but the ard chomairle is seeking approval, instead, to leave its options open by hiving the decision on a possible coalition off to a special ard fheis after any future election, "based on the party's ability to secure a progressive, republican programme for government".

Such a move towards greater political realism is not before time. It's now 10 years since the recession hit. Throughout that period, a new generation of Sinn Fein representatives has emerged, but what's also increased is frustration at being unable to either halt the advance, or ameliorate the effects, of austerity.

In order to do so, they must take power, not simply sit on the sidelines, carping.

Entering coalition as the junior partner carries huge risks. Traditionally, that role has been held in governments in Dublin by the Irish Labour Party, who've often suffered grievously for it.

Smaller parties, such as the Liberal Democrats in the 2015 UK General Election, are always disproportionately punished.

Sinn Fein ministers risk being a lightning-rod for discontent in the same way. More avowedly Left-wing groupings in Irish politics, who prefer the purity of opposition to the taint of compromise, are already gearing up to attack the move as a sell-out.

Negotiating an acceptable programme for government might not even prove possible. It may be too soon for the centre ground in Irish politics to swallow its distaste and accept Sinn Fein as potential partners.

But that the party may be about to signal a readiness to cut deals with its rivals could turn out to be as historic as the decision to abandon asbentionism with regard to the Dail back in 1986. The two developments at this year's ard fheis are connected because, although Sinn Fein spokespersons refuse to countenance any insults to their beloved leader, Gerry Adams's continued presence would make any coalition arrangement with other parties impossible.

That means Adams has to be nudged out of the picture in advance in favour of someone more acceptable to southern tastes, such as the party's current deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald, who, while tainted to some extent by her blind loyalty to Gerry, is nonetheless seen by voters in the Republic as an effective, tenacious operator.

Their president being forced to spend more time in Northern Ireland, following the death of Martin McGuinness, has been, albeit in sad circumstances, a political blessing in disguise, giving freer rein to his colleagues back in Dublin to flex their own muscles.

What that's exposed is where the power now lies in Sinn Fein. Northern Ireland used to be where the party looked for leadership. The role of republicans in what they called the "26 counties" was to provide support, both moral and practical, to the "armed struggle".

Deep within the Green Book was even buried an article of faith that the only body with a right to run the country was the IRA army council, most of whose members were based in a small, north-eastern corner of the country.

There are some old war horses still clinging to that quaint superstition, but they've been put in their place by assertive, Dublin-based politicians, many of whom have never even been north of the border and for whom the Provos are little more than a legend.

Spokespersons will go on talking tough to unionists and Downing Street to please the grassroots, and leaders will continue to troop along to IRA-themed shindigs, such as last weekend's march in Ravensdale, Co Louth, when young people decked up in paramilitary fancy dress and marched along to flags and bands in memory of the so-called 'Edentubber Martyrs', who blew themselves up with their own bomb during the border campaign 60 years ago.

These days, though, it's all just spectacle. The Troubles have become a heritage theme park.

From now on, the main business of the party is to be in government in Leinster House, and Northern Ireland must take its place at the back of the queue.

Look at the motions set for debate at this weekend's ard fheis. They're overwhelmingly concerned with bread-and-butter politics in the Republic. Northern Irish concerns are tagged on almost as an afterthought.

As for the party's nominal Stormont leader, Michelle O'Neill, she'll get to address delegates today, as is her right, but her speech is very much second on the bill to that by Mary Lou McDonald.

Whether that's because the Sinn Fein leadership, with the tacit approval of the IRA, has concluded that a devolved administration more to its liking in Northern Ireland is only achievable by weaponising the muscle of an Irish government, or whether they don't want Stormont back at all, preferring to sit out the Brexit negotiations and see what effect withdrawal from the EU has on the structural cohesion of the United Kingdom, ultimately doesn't matter.

Northern Ireland has become a sideshow to the party's broader ambitions. This weekend's proceedings will merely formalise the handover of power.
Gerry Adams has hung around longer than every other political leader on the world stage bar Robert Mugabe and now it seems he'll outlast him too.

As the Zimbabwean President is under military house arrest in Harare, the Sinn Fein President opens his party's ard fheis in Dublin today 34 years after becoming leader.

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Five British prime ministers, seven taoisigh, and five US presidents have come and gone on his watch. His has been a remarkable political career and he is being allowed to choose the terms of his leaving.

After first mentioning it last year, he will announce when he's stepping down on Saturday night just before the Sinn Fein ard fheis closes. This is a very long goodbye.

When Mr Adams does retire, he may be awarded some honorary party title. Even if he's not, it's difficult to believe he won't remain the key behind-the-scenes figure in Sinn Fein wielding influence regardless of who takes over.

Truly powerful leaders get to choose their successors and Mr Adams strongly supports Mary Lou McDonald who is the runaway 1/50 favourite with Paddy Power. But there are tricky times ahead for Sinn Fein, perhaps more in the medium- than short-term.

With Mr Adams goes a mountain of IRA baggage that should enhance Sinn Fein's electoral chances in the Republic.

But for a party in which the cult of personality has become so central, it's very challenging to lose two totemic leaders like Adams and Martin McGuinness in a relatively short space of time.

Under a leader with no IRA CV, the old style military discipline will begin to crumble within Sinn Fein.

The flurry of resignations and allegations of bullying in the Republic, show that internal tensions are there just as in every other party. While Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland has seen far fewer public divisions, this may change.

A party led by Mary Lou McDonald won't command the same loyalty from the republican base as one led by Adams or McGuinness.

That unwavering commitment that party activists show is for men who brought the movement through the war, the hunger strike, and all those dark, dreadful days - not for a woman from south Co Dublin who was filmed out shopping for prawns.

We are entering what are truly fascinating times for Sinn Fein.

Mr Adams has taken Sinn Fein from the political margins to become the wealthiest party in Northern Ireland.

If it reaches a deal with the DUP, it could be back in government at Stormont.

A role as junior partner in a Dublin administration could be on the cards after the next Dail election.

Of course, the Sinn Fein President has secured all this by bringing his party from its traditional republican position of 'a united Ireland or nothing' and taking it on the long slow journey to constitutional nationalism.
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By PTI: (Eds: Updating with the killing of militant)

Srinagar, Nov 17 (PTI) A police officer and a militant were killed in a shoot-out in Zakura area of Srinagar today, prompting authorities to impose curfew-like restrictions in eight police station areas and shut schools and colleges.

A police officer said the slain militant, Mugees Ahmad Mir, was an associate of Zakir Musa, who left the Hizbul Mujahideen to float an IS affiliate in Kashmir.

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Mugees Ahmad Mir, a resident of Paranoia in the city, was brought home dead this evening, the police official said, adding that he was injured in the shoot-out.

Three militants travelling in a car opened fire on a police team at the Zakura crossing on Srinagar-Ganderbal road, killing sub-inspector Imran Tak and injuring a special police officer (SPO), the police official said.

He said the police team managed to intercept the car and apprehended one militant, but two others fled from the scene.

Later, police came to know that Mugees Ahmad Mir, one of the two militants who had managed to escape, was brought home dead.

Meanwhile, authorities have decided to impose curfew-like restrictions in eight police station areas of the city as a precautionary measure.

"Restrictions will remain in force in Parimpora, Khanyar, M R Gunj, Nowahtta, Maisuma, Kralkhud, Rainawari and Safakadal police station areas tomorrow to prevent any law and order problems," the official said.

He said schools and colleges will remain closed in the city tomorrow, but exams will be held as per schedule.

"The examination admit cards will be treated as curfew passes for students who are writing exams tomorrow," he added. PTI MIJ SMN SMN

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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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The University of Bristol led project will enhance work already ongoing in Thailand to understand the drivers of ABR and behaviours around antibiotic use.

UK Research Councils and the Department of Health have awarded a grant to the University of Bristol to lead an inter-disciplinary research project to tackle the growing threat of antibacterial drug resistance (ABR) in Thailand.

Thailand, like many countries, is currently facing a major health threat due to the high prevalence of ABR in disease-causing bacteria found in humans, animals and the environment.

In response to the threat of ABR, the Thai Government has instigated its National Strategic Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2017-2022). The aim is to improve national surveillance for ABR bacteria to quantify the problem, and includes initiatives to reduce the rate of infections and the usage of antibiotics, which are known to select for ABR bacteria.

The University of Bristol led project will enhance work already ongoing in Thailand to understand the drivers of ABR and behaviours around antibiotic use. At the outset, the project will involve a series of workshops in Thailand to share knowledge amongst Thai and UK ABR experts, to bring together a group of early career academics, and to collectively develop a research programme that will consider the related parameters.

The information generated from microbiological, genomic and chemical screens, together with anthropological research, will be used to identify changes that might reduce ABR in Thailand.
Confessions are particularly dangerous because there is a powerful common sense to them - most people believe they would not confess to a crime they did not commit.

Within hours of the news that a seven-year-old student of Ryan International School, Pradyuman Thakur, had been killed, the Gurugram police reported that it had cracked the case and arrested the murderer - Ashok Kumar, bus conductor at the school. The police claimed that Kumar had 'confessed' to murdering Pradyuman. More significantly, they claimed he led them to the murder weapon - in legal speak, the murder weapon was 'recovered' on a 'disclosure' by Kumar.

In the great majority of cases of such a nature, Kumar's arrest would have signalled the end of media interest in the murder. His applications for bail would have then been denied because bail will be denied in serious offences unless the accused is able to establish that there is no reasonable connection between him and the offence - a reversal of the presumption of innocence that Kumar's 'confession' would have made impossible to surmount. His family would then have exhausted their resources in the first years of his incarceration on expensive private counsel and ever more desperate bail applications.

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By the time of his first real chance to challenge the prosecution's version in court - perhaps two, maybe three or even four years after his arrest-he would have been left with the services of an overworked and underpaid 'legal-aid' counsel appointed for him by the court. He would have then had to - with representation by the aforementioned legal-aid counsel - dispel the common sense that he must be the murderer because it was he who led the police to the murder weapon; knowing that courts routinely convict on such evidence.

All of this even as Indian law deems confessions to the police inadmissible as evidence.

Luckily for Kumar, not only were Pradyuman's parents unwilling to accept the police version, they also had the resources to petition the Supreme Court. As importantly, parents of other students in the school threw their weight behind Pradyuman's parents; there were protests outside the school, and a nearby liquor vend was torched. Faced with mounting pressure, the state government transferred the investigation to the CBI, which then gave Kumar a clean chit and pinned the blame on a juvenile from the school.

Confessions are particularly dangerous because there is a powerful common sense to them - most people believe they would not confess to a crime they did not commit; a belief held with little knowledge of police interrogation techniques and other real-world factors that cause false confessions.

Internationally, there is growing scholarship on the baneful effects of false confessions. In the US, the Innocence Project notes that one in every four 'wrongful convictions' is the product of false confessions. Studies have shown that faced with a confession, the police often close investigations and overlook important evidence contrary to the confession. In 2010, the Centre on Wrongful Convictions (USA) reported several cases where a confessor was tried and convicted despite DNA evidence exculpating him. Studies also show that confessions tend to corrupt other evidence, triggering confirmation bias in forensic experts and lay witnesses alike. Scholars have called this the "corruptive confessions" hypothesis.

It is a known fact that in a large majority of cases, confessions are procured by torture, under duress, or by trickery. There has been growing scholarship on the role interrogation techniques and other situational factors play in producing false confessions, even where the more egregious forms of torture are absent. But the most important developments in criminology in so far as investigation into the Pradyuman murder is concerned is the role 'adolescence' and 'mental illness' play in the production of false confessions. Because the CBI today claims that a juvenile with a reported history of borderline mental health issues has 'confessed' to the crime. As of news reports today, the juvenile has retracted his confession saying he was tortured and that the confession was not a true record of what he said. It is of crucial importance that the latest 'prime suspect' is also assured treatment that is substantively, as well as procedurally, just.

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Jawahar Raja is a lawyer practising in Delhi

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Women are only using PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) as an excuse to cope up with their lives, claims this psychologist.

By India Today Web Desk: Mood swings, bloating, breast pain and unusual cravings--such premenstrual symptoms, among other ones, are known to be experienced by most women every month, before they start menstruating.

However, a certain female psychologist refuses to buy the very idea of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome), claiming all of it to be nothing but a ''myth''.

In her recently launched book, The Hormone Myth: How Junk Science, Gender Politics and Lies about PMS Keep Women Down, psychologist Robyn Stein DeLuca explains and thereby debunks a lot of concepts surrounding the effect of female hormones.

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While she agrees that hormones do induce unpleasant symptoms, they are, however, not severe enough to be inhibiting in nature.

For DeLuca, PMS is an example of how modern women are struggling to cope up with their lives, which, in turn, is validated by ''lies'' professed by books, magazines and the medical community, reported the Independent.

DeLuca also went to the extent of saying that PMS is like using a "get-out-of-jail-free card.''

Also Read: Do women in India need period leave? Will it ostracise women in the work space?

DeLuca's claim seems to pose an open challenge to previously established medical theories that proposed that PMS was real. In 1931, Robert Frank became the first gynaecologist to publish scientific studies about a condition that he called ''premenstrual tension.'' Later, the term ''Premenstrual Syndrome'' or PMS was coined in 1957, by a British doctor named Katharina Dalton.

However, the debate about whether PMS actually exists is not new. Earlier, Joan Chrisler, PhD, a psychology professor at Connecticut College and president of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research was quoted as saying by American Psychological Association that "PMS and PMDD are both 'culture-bound' syndromes."

The same paper also quoted Jean Endicott, PhD, director of the premenstrual evaluation unit at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, who said, "It's a real biological condition for which women seek treatment--and for which effective treatment is available."

Later, a Gender Medicine study, conducted by the University of Toronto, in 2012, suggested that ''PMS may not exist.''

Also Read:Periods have no impact on women's memory or multi-tasking ability, says study

Again, Jayashri Kulkarni, Professor of Professor of Psychiatry, Monash University, asserted that "PMS is real and denying its existence may harm women.''

To define PMS as a myth betrays a ''lack of neuroscientific understanding...Rejecting the existence of PMS leads to increased hardship for women. Added to her burden of distressing symptoms is the frustration and pain of invalidation, and pejorative comments of disbelief about her cyclical mood or other symptoms,'' she wrote in an article in theconversation.com.

While the debate continues, one cannot deny that most women still undergo the pain of premenstrual symptoms. According to Massachusetts General Hospital Centre for Women's Mental Health, around 75 per cent women have been known to display unpleasant, premenstrual physical and psychological symptoms.

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A survey, conducted by National Health Portal India last year, revealed that while 91 per cent of women reported at least one symptom, 10.3 per cent had PMS and 3.1 per cent fulfilled the criteria for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). And medical studies are yet to draw a conclusion on the actual cause of PMS.

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The corporate watchdog will look into any potential risks to shoppers from the boom in buy now, pay later platforms such as Afterpay, as consumer groups worry these services escape laws designed to protect customers.

With buy now, pay later platforms eyeing strong growth in the peak Christmas shopping period, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) on Friday confirmed it was closely watching the fast-growing sector.

Buy now, pay later services such as Afterpay are being offered by more retailers in the lead-up to Christmas. Credit:Katherine Griffiths

Buy now, pay later schemes are like a modern form of lay-by for tech-savvy millennials, but with an important difference. Unlike lay-by, these services allow customers to take their goods home before they have paid for them, paying the merchant back over fortnightly instalments.

The largest provider, Afterpay, does not charge interest, so it is not covered by consumer credit laws. It makes about 80 per cent of its revenue from fees charged to merchants, and the remainder mainly from late payment fees, which are $10 per late payment and another $7 if the payment is not made within a week.
In the first rebuttal from the government after Congress' allegations of a scam in the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said "all procedures had been followed".

By Sudhi Ranjan Sen: Senior Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials have said that the cost of 36 Rafale fighter jets bought from France was about 10 million euros (about USD $ 12 million), cheaper than the original contract negotiated by the previous UPA government.

Over the last few days, Congress party has raised serious questions on the Rafale deal and alleged escalation in prices and irregularities in following procedures.

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And, in the first rebuttal from the government, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said "all procedures had been followed".

Sitharaman said that the decision for emergency purchase was taken in the wake of an urgent requirement of the Indian Air Force (IAF). She was speaking to reporters in New Delhi.

"Between 2000-14, the UPA government could not arrive at a decision. Fourteen long years of negotiations and still no decision. That was the situation when our government came to power in 2014. PM Modi understood the loss of time and took the government-to-government route for 36 aircraft. Transfer of technology from France to India made no economic sense", Sitharaman added.

'CONG CAN BE ACCUSED OF ERROR OF OMISSION'

"The Congress can be accused of error of omission", the Defence Minister said, adding that the cost of 36 aircraft was much lesser than the amount under discussion for 126 jets. The Defence Minister, however, refrained from giving out the exact cost of the fighter jets being bought from France.

Sitharaman said that under the Defence Procurement Procedure, it was "allowed to use the government-to-government route to buy the 36 aircraft in fly-away condition at the earliest."

"The procedure was duly followed", she said.

Last September, India had signed a deal worth 7.8 billion euros with France for 36 Rafale jets.

WATCH VIDEO | Politics erupts over Rafale deal, Congress questions if 36 jets enough for IAF

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Lendlease has highlighted the challenges it faces in providing a safe workplace after three workers died on its construction sites in the last eight months.

Chairman David Crawford and chief executive Steve McCann began Lendlease's annual general meeting on a downbeat note expressing condolences to the families of the workers who lost their lives.

Chairman David Crawford at the Lendlease annual general meeting on Friday. Credit: James Brickwood

"As always, I will begin with the most important subject, safety," Mr McCann said.

"Our pursuit of an incident- and injury-free workplace remains an ongoing challenge," he said.
The prospect of an $11 billion takeover has put a rocket under the Santos' share price, but analysts warn that bid-driven surge may have driven valuations so high it could nobble a deal.

On Thursday morning, it emerged that American investment house Harbour Energy had made a proposal for Santos in August, courtesy of a story in The Australian Financial Review.

Santos later that day confirmed the bid had indeed been presented at a price of $4.55 and had then been rejected. But Harbour is now tipped to be ready for another crack at Santos, this time pitching at $5.30 a share.

The market reaction was strong. Santos's share price pushed up more than 16 per cent since Wednesday, from $4.38 to $5.09 on Friday morning before easing back to $5.01 by the market close.
Early next year, an important development will take place in the belly of a gleaming new Qantas airliner as it takes to the sky bound for Los Angeles from Australia.

The plane will be one of the airline's brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and the demonstration flight will be the first ever to make the trip between Australia and the United States fuelled, in a meaningful way, by biofuel. Fuelled by mustard seeds to be precise.

The flight is the product of a new partnership that Qantas says should establish a home-grown sustainable aviation fuel industry offering a new crop and opportunity to farmers and a way for the airline to cut emissions and reduce volatility in its biggest cost.

The flight will run on a mix of standard jet fuel and 30 per cent biofuel derived from a type of mustard seed. The airline claims it will cut carbon emission by 20 per cent compared to a flight using only petroleum-derived fuel.
Singapore fund manager TrustCapital Advisors has finalised the sale of five major office buildings on Australia's east coast for $727.55 million.

TrustCapital moved to offload the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane towers in June through agents CBRE and JLL.

PA Realty purchased 850 Collins Street for $156.1 million.

The fund's tower at 469 La Trobe Street sold to an AMP Capital separate account client for $160.5 million. The 19,864 square-metre office was recently upgraded and had full occupancy.

Two other buildings at 850 Collins Street and 575 Bourke Street were purchased by PA Realty  a joint venture between MEC and CLSA Real Estate  for $156.1 million and $140.2 million respectively.
Naomi Simson describes herself as a role model for small business, but the Shark Tank judge has been left red-faced after the competition watchdog fined her business for excessive payment surcharges.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Friday announced Red Balloon would have to pay a fine of $43,200 after finding it had overcharged some customers.

The online retailer sells 'experiences' in Australia, such as skydiving jumps, wine tours, and cooking classes.

"As a role model in small business, compliance is really important and detail can often get you," Simson told Fairfax Media. "Hand on heart this is not intentional. I am all about values and integrity and yet I still had something missing."
In the biggest philanthropic gift in the history of education in Australia, as many as 10 NSW universities are vying for the chance to offer a new western civilisation degree to be completely funded as part of a $3 billion bequest from health care magnate Paul Ramsay.

Mr Ramsay, who died in 2014, wanted a significant part of his personal fortune to be spent on funding an academic centre to revive the liberal arts and humanities.

Paul Ramsay left $3 billion to his personal foundation when he died in 2014. Credit:Peter Braig

The new Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation, to be formally launched on Monday, will offer a western civilisation arts degree in two or possibly three universities in NSW and the ACT, as well as fund 30 generous scholarships at each selected university.

About $25 million a year will be spent on the centre and its Ramsay scholars, as they will be known, will get at least $25,000 a year to cover tuition and living costs.
State MPs have voted down a bill to introduce voluntary assisted dying laws in NSW following a full day of emotional debate.

The bill was defeated in the Legislative Council by 20 votes to 19 in a vote that took place just after 11pm on Thursday.

It is a disappointing end for a campaign launched by a cross-party working group of MPs in a bid to convince the Parliament to support the bill based on similar laws in the US state of Oregon.

Advocates were hopeful the bill was sufficiently conservative to garner support of the upper house.
The education of our children is fundamental to their development.

Education should be accessible to all, regardless of race, family type or whether or not you have a disability.

Taking a stand is not only important for the child but also helps pave the way for a more tolerant education system. Credit:Paul Heyes / Alamy Stock Photo

As parents we must advocate for our children, like a Melbourne mother who this week took action in the Federal Court on behalf of her autistic daughter, accusing a private school of refusing enrolment on the basis of her disability.

Discrimination law in Australia ensures that children hold legal rights when enrolling at school and throughout their schooling; it is unlawful to be discriminated against or vilified in relation to things such as conducting assessments, treatment in the classroom and accessing resources.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) Indira Gandhis original wedding card, a moving letter by Mahatama Gandhi written to her after her mother passed away, are among the rare photographs related to the former Prime Minister that will be showcased at an upcoming exhibition celebrating her hundredth anniversary.

Titled, "Indira: A Life of Courage", the show will feature three hundred rare and unseen images from the archives of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, along with her personal collection of favourite attires.

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Divided into five segments, the show will cover different aspects of her life -- from her early days in Shantiniketan to her final day as the Prime Minister of India.

After her schooling, Indira went to Vishwa Bharati University in Shantiniketan under the tutelage of Rabindranath Tagore, and her time there have contributed significantly to the collection.

"The pictures that we have displayed from her time in Shantiniketan show her admiration for Tagore and the school," Pramod Kumar KG, the curator of the show said.

While in one of the group photographs Indira is seen posing with Tagore, in another she is seen performing during a dance event.

The show will also include a short video clipping of her marriage ceremony with Feroze Gandhi at her home -- Anand Bhawan in Allahabad, and a picture clicked just before she dedicated the house to the nation.

"When we decided to digitise the pictures, we were surprised to see the scale at which the objects and materials related to her life were present," KG said.

Photographs of her family, including those of her grand children Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, will also be part of the show.

Another photograph, accessed from Rangoon Studios, features the marriage ceremony of her elder son Sanjay Gandhi with Maneka Gandhi in 1974.

"This collection has come from many sources including the government, private sources, and photographers," he said.

While the major part of the exhibition will be held in the sprawling lawns of Indira Gandhi Memorial, a part of the show, to be held indoors, will feature apparels she wore during some of the important historical events.

The printed saree Indira from her last visit to Odisha, the saree she was seen in at a meeting with former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto during the signing of the Shimla Pact and her favourite Mizo dress that she used to don on weekends, will all be available for public viewing during the exhibition.

"She was particularly known for taking on the attires and costumes of the local regions she went to," KG said.

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The exhibition which will open to public on November 19, was inaugurated today in the presence of political figures like former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit among others.

"It will make the new generation who has just known about Indira Gandhi but havent physically seen her, learn more about her.

The show is a dedication to life and courage of Indira Gandhi, through pictures and her personal collections. She was one of Indias most outstanding leaders," Dikshit said. PTI RJS TRS TRS

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The Don Dale Youth Detention Centre will be shut down within three months and sweeping changes made to address "shocking and systemic failures" in the Northern Territory's youth justice system after a landmark royal commission.

The final report of the royal commission into NT child detention and protection declared the system had long failed to rehabilitate children, protect human rights and comply with relevant laws, saying the problems "occurred over many years and were known and ignored at the highest levels".

Handed down 15 months after the royal commission was established to deal with shocking revelations out of the Don Dale facility, the report has also recommended the creation of a new children's court and that the age of criminal responsibility be lifted from 10 to 12, which would be a first in Australia.

The commissioners said no child under the age of 14 should be in detention unless convicted of a serious and violent crime and posing a genuine risk to the community. They found the use of force and isolation should be limited while tear gas and "spit hoods"  famously used on 17-year-old Dylan Voller  must be banned.
Queenslands 2017 election campaign issues were old-fashioned and lacked a vision for the future, two experts on sustainability and politics have lamented.

Professor Peter Newman from Curtin University said Queenslands future was in electrifying its transport, making better use of electric cars, electric buses, trains powered by lithium batteries at rail stations that were themselves powered by solar panels.

The Australian National University's John Wanna, meanwhile, said Queenslands political leaders were ignoring future possibilities from rapidly advancing health technologies and future jobs and affordable housing potential in satellite cities during the campaign.

Is there vision in the policies for Queensland from our political leaders? Credit:AAP

Professor Newman is an acknowledged expert in urban planning and sustainability at Western Australias Curtin University and was Sydneys Sustainability Commissioner between 2004 and 2006.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has committed to building three new rail stations on the Gold Coast but the funding schedule for the $120 million project is unclear.

The new stations would only happen if the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project went ahead, and would be delivered after Cross River Rail, meaning the stations would not be built until 2023.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk discusses Labor's rail plans at Robina. Credit:AAP

Ms Palaszczuk stood at the Robina railway station with Transport Minister Jackie Trad to announce the three new stations would be built at Pimpama, Helensvale North and Worongary-Merrimac.

The three new stations will mean more Gold Coast residents can benefit from the 3150 extra peak-hour seats on the Gold Coast line under Cross River Rail, helping to take pressure off the M1 as well, Ms Palaszczuk said.
Baghdad: Iraqi forces have captured the border town of Rawa, the last remaining town under Islamic State control, signalling the collapse of the group's self-proclaimed caliphate.

Rawa's capture marks the end of IS's era of territorial rule over a so-called caliphate that it proclaimed in 2014 across vast swathes of Iraq and Syria.

US-backed Iraqi security forces liberate Rawah, north-west of Baghdad, the last IS-held town, on Friday. Credit:Osama Sami

Iraqi forces "liberated Rawa entirely, and raised the Iraqi flag over its buildings," Lieutenant General Abdul Ameer Rasheed Yarallah said in a statement from the Joint Operations Command.

Syria's army has also declared victory against the terror group, but last week militants re-infiltrated Albu Kamal, near the border from Iraq, and are still fighting there, as well as in some villages and desert areas nearby.
Beijing: Authoritarian politics collided with China's share bike boom, it seems. The young entrepreneur behind collapsed company Bluegogo has blamed a controversial Tiananmen Square advertising campaign for its woes.

In an extraordinary twist, Bluegogo's chief executive, Li Gang, wrote in an open letter that his bike share firm had been "cursed since June".

Bluegogo chief operating officer Sun Ye on one of the company's bikes. Credit:Sanghee Liu

He did not mention the June 4 anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square killing of student protesters, but referred to an "advertising accident that affected a large investment and possible acquisition".

On June 4, images began circulating on Twitter and WeChat suggesting Bluegogo had changed the bike icon on its mobile phone app to a tank.
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The DeBlasio Administration will reconsider a policy that allows developers to build homes for the rich in order to fund housing for the poor after a Crown Heights pol vowed to kill a scheme to bring luxury condos along with so-called affordable apartments to her nabes publicly owned Bedford-Union Armory, said the head of the citys Economic Development Corporation on Tuesday.

The mayor is seriously considering this policy on a citywide basis and whether it is appropriate in any circumstances for the city to be providing condos on city-owned property, James Patchett said at a Council hearing on the project.

The city is seeking approval from Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo (DCrown Heights) and her colleagues to lease the early-20th-century military structure at 1579 Bedford Ave. to developer BFC partners in a 99-year agreement, which would require the real-estate company to erect a recreation center and affordable housing on the site.

But to fund those amenities, the administration allowed the developer to include market-rate rentals and luxury condominiums in its redevelopment plan  a financial trade-off that the councilwoman and locals passionately oppose, which Patchett acknowledged at the hearing.

The thinking at the time was market-rate condos would be a way of developing proceeds to be able to pay for those needs, Patchett said. As Councilwoman Cumbo has indicated, and as weve heard from the community repeatedly, that is a significant concern and we take that very seriously.

The leaders of an alliance of community groups that object to the scheme staged rallies and circulated statements protesting the redevelopment proposal, and both Community Board 9 and Borough President Adams came out against it as part of the city-backed plans official public review process.

And now the scheme faces its final major hurdle in City Hall, where Cumbo promised to lead her colleagues in a vote against it, a move that would all but send the project back to square one. She blasted the officials behind the proposal at Tuesdays hearing, chiding them for not altering the plan despite months of public resistance to it.

For you to come today to this city Council  is really inappropriate to the people who have come here today who want to hear about a better project that is more reflective of the needs of the community, she said.

And following the Council session, Cumbo reiterated that she would not support selling city land in the form of expensive condominiums.

We will not permit the sale of public land at the Bedford-Union Armory. We made it clear that the proposal must not contain luxury condos, she said. This deal is far from done. I will continue to push the city to the furthest threshold during negotiations, in order to remove the condos from the plan and bring the best project home for the Crown Heights community.

But the swanky residences are not locals only point of contention with the redevelopment scheme. Opponents also object its so-called affordable housing, most of which they claim will still be too expensive for neighborhood residents, according to one critic, who said the citys willingness to reevaluate the condos is just one of many concessions it needs to make.

Getting rid of the luxury condos is a fraction of what the community has been calling for, said Cea Weaver, who works for housing-advocacy group New York Communities for Change. Im shocked the city thinks this is a viable compromise, and Im shocked theyre not offering more given this is public land.

The activist claimed that axing the condominiums is actually a cause for concern, because Cumbo  whose pledge to veto the redevelopment proposal came amid a fierce campaign to retain her Council seat in this years primary election  will use that allowance as an excuse to change her position on the plan.

I suspect that Laurie Cumbo and the administration will reach a compromise and the project will be approved, and I think were beginning to see the outline of what that compromise will look like, Weaver said.

Cumbo did not reply to requests asking her to specify exactly how the city must amend the plan in order to earn her support by press time.

Members of Councils Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions, and Concessions will revisit the armory proposal later this month, when they are expected to vote on the matter, according to a spokesman for the subcommitees chairman, Bronx Councilman Rafael Salamanca.
Narendra Pal, a government school teacher in Zirakpur near Chandigarh, got the shock of his life when he received an sms just before midnight that Rs 10,000 has been withdrawn from his account through an ATM in Surat. By the time he could realise what was happening, he got two more messages about withdrawal of Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000. He had fallen victim to online fraud. As the first debit happened a few minutes before 12 midnight, the fraudster was able to transact again immediately as withdrawal limit for the next day set in.

As more and more people use online banking services, which are now reaching the unbanked under the financial inclusion programmes of the government, banking frauds are rising. Also, post demonetisation, there has been a sharp rise in online transactions. Pal informed his bank about the transactions immediately by calling on the helpline number. He also wrote to the bank branch and the RBI that he had not shared details of his bank account and ATM card with anyone. He also filed a complaint with the crime branch's cyber cell. The officers took him to the petrol pump where he had last used the card but nothing came out of it. Pal says the bank staff was cooperative but still it took him more than two months and two-three visits to the branch to get his money. He had to forgo the interest.

People like Pal need not worry now. The RBI has come out with guidelines that say the bank will have to make good the entire loss if the customer notifies it about the unauthorised/fraudulent transaction within a stipulated period. The RBI has taken forward the draft guidelines on customer liability in case of online fraudulent transactions that it had issued in August 2016. "Considering the recent surge in customer grievances associated with unsanctioned electronic transactions, the recent notification shared by RBI entails a more specific guideline to protect customers from potential cases of fraud or misuse.

Banks will therefore have to set up robust frameworks around fraud identification and early warning mechanisms covering the online and digital space", says Vikram Babbar, Partner, Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services, EY India.



Onus on Bank

While earlier, the onus was on the customer to prove that he or she has not shared his bank details with anyone, now it is the bank that has to prove that the customer was at fault and not careful enough while using online banking facilities. The earlier system used to result in the customer suffering losses or the bank taking long to pay the money as there were no clear guidelines or stipulated period for refunds. "Many people are apprehensive about online transactions. These guidelines will build trust among bank customers," says Kalpesh J. Mehta, Partner, Deloitte Haskins and Sells.

This is a big step, believes Mahesh Patel, President and CTO, AGS Transact Technologies, as this will encourage banks to use better fraud monitoring systems.

"As the onus was on the customer, the cost of a good fraud monitoring system was more than the cost of actual fraud for banks. As a result of this, barring the top few banks, the rest refrained from investing in fraud monitoring systems," says Patel. The RBI guidelines ask banks to implement a robust and dynamic fraud detection and prevention mechanism and assess and fill gaps if any.

Customer to get full refund

Banks will pay for the entire loss in the following cases.



When a fraudulent transaction has happened due to deficiency or negligence on the part of the bank irrespective of the fact that the customer has reported it or not. "A digital transaction goes through various intermediary platforms such as the payer bank, the payee bank, the payment gateway, etc, and the transaction has to be encrypted. No data should be stored with either of the intermediaries but only transferred. Therefore, if a fraud happens during this process, the customer should not be held liable. As per RBI recommendations, the bank will have to refund to the customer," says Mehta of Deloitte Haskins and Sells. When there is a third-party breach where the deficiency lies neither with the bank nor the customer but with the system somewhere else and the customer notifies the bank regarding the transaction within three working days.

For example, last year, the systems of Hitachi Payment Service, to which some banks had outsourced their ATM transaction processing, were compromised, affecting around 3.2 million cards across banks such as ICICI, SBI, YES and HDFC.

In this scenario, if the customer informs the bank about the fraudulent transaction within three working days after receiving the communication, the bank will have to make good the entire loss to the customer.

Limited liability If the fraud has happened due to the negligence of the customer, he or she will have to bear the entire loss till the bank is informed about the transaction.

If the customer shares confidential information like ATM PIN, card number, etc, with somebody knowingly or unknowingly, he or she will have to bear the entire loss till the bank is informed about the transaction. If neither the bank nor the customer is responsible but the fraud has happened due to the fault in the system and the customer informs the bank within four or seven days, the customer liability will be limited to the transaction value or Rs 10,000, whichever is less. The limit applies in case of savings bank accounts, credit cards with limit of up to Rs 5 lakh, and current accounts with annual average balance limit up to Rs 25 lakh. If a person informs within three days, the entire amount is paid back. For current accounts, overdraft accounts and credit cards with limit above Rs 5 lakh, the maximum limit is Rs 25,000.

For basic saving bank deposit accounts, that is, no-frills accounts, the limit is Rs 5,000.

If there is a delay of more than seven days, the customer's liability will be decided as per the policy approved by the bank's board.

Banks convey to their customers who have registered their mobile number and email with banks about every transaction through email and sms. Now, the RBI has advised banks to ask for a mobile number if the customer wants to take the online transaction facility so that he or she is notified about every transaction. The banks may not offer the facility of electronic transactions, other than ATM cash withdrawals, to customers who do not provide mobile numbers to the bank. At present, banks charge for the SMS service. However, RBI guidelines do not mention anything about who will bear the SMS charges. At present, the charges are borne by account holders.

Reply option

Apart from multiple channels like website, phone banking, SMS, e-mail, IVR, a dedicated toll-free helpline, reporting to the home branch, etc, for reporting fraudulent transactions, banks will have to provide the customer an option to reply to an SMS and email alerts. Further, the RBI has directed banks to provide a direct link for lodging complaints, with specific option to report unauthorised electronic transactions on home page of bank's website.

The fraud reporting system of banks shall also ensure that immediate response (including auto response) is sent to customers acknowledging the complaint along with the registered complaint number. The communication systems used by banks to send alerts and receive their responses thereto must record the time and date of delivery of the message and receipt of customer's response, if any, to them. This shall be important in determining the extent of a customer's liability.

Timeline for refund

After the customer has informed the bank about the transaction, the bank shall credit the amount to the customer's account within 10 working days as per the new guidelines.

Apart from this, in cases where the customer liability is to be decided by the bank's board, the complaint should be addressed within 90 days and if the board is unable to decide the customer liability, he or she should be compensated as per zero liability and limited liability provisions.






Britain will honour its commitments to the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday, trying to reassure increasingly frustrated leaders in the bloc who want London to spell out how much it will pay on Brexit.

May will meet leaders on the sidelines of an EU summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, to try to break the deadlock over the divorce settlement. But a government source said she was not yet planning to detail which commitments Britain was ready to pay.

She also faces a growing row with neighbour and EU member Ireland after Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said Dublin was not ready to allow the talks to move onto a discussion of future trade next month, something London desperately wants so it can offer some certainty to nervy businesses.

Under pressure at home from lawmakers in her own party who are concerned she is preparing for Britain to walk away with no deal and from EU officials to increase her opening bid, May's main focus in Gothenburg will be a meeting with Donald Tusk, the summit chair who is overseeing the Brexit process.

"For the negotiations, those continue, and obviously we look forward to the December European council and continuing to look through the issues. I was clear in my speech in Florence that we will honour our commitments," she said, referring to a speech in Italy two months ago when she last sought to re-set the talks.

"I've set out a vision for that economic partnership. I look forward to the European Union responding positively to that so we can move forward together," she told reporters.

May has long said Britain will "honour its commitments" but EU officials are urging the prime minister to detail which ones, and, if not demanding a total sum, to at least give them an idea of the shape of her proposed settlement.

But May, weakened after losing her Conservative Party's majority at a June election she did not need to call, has little room for manoeuvre. Some of her team of ministers are pressing her to hold off from naming a figure, seeing it as one of the few levers Britain has to press for better trade deal.

Tusk will remind May, according to an EU source, that "time is short" to deliver the kind of progress needed for EU officials to give the green light at the mid-December summit to opening talks on their future relationship.

The bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said he needs to hear more from Britain on three key divorce conditions, including the financial settlement, by the start of next month if the EU is to be in a position for all 27 other national leaders to trigger the second phase at a summit on Dec. 14-15.

Britain's Brexit minister David Davis, who addressed German businesses in Berlin on Thursday as part of London's wider efforts to unlock the talks, said on Friday it was clear many EU leaders wanted to move the talks forward.

"Of course they are saying that (more money is needed before progress) but the other thing that is also clear is that many of them do want to move on. It's very important to them," Davis told BBC radio.

A day earlier, he said Britain was ready to go "over and above" what it owed to the EU budget until 2020, but pressed on how and when the government would try to narrow the gap between its offer and the EU's demands, he said: "Wait for another few weeks before I answer that."

In Dublin, British foreign minister Boris Johnson tried to ease concerns on another front by saying no one wanted a return to a hard border with EU member Ireland, which some fear could usher in a return of the Troubles, three decades of violence between Irish nationalists and British unionists.

But while both he and Ireland's Coveney struck an amicable tone at a news conference, they remained far apart.

Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar was withering in his criticism of Britain. "Sometimes it doesn't seem like they've thought all this through," he said in Gothenburg.

"If we have to wait until the New Year, if we have to wait for further concessions, so be it." (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Ishwar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of south Delhi told India Today that there are several contradictions in the woman's testimony.

By Munish Pandey: Hours after India Today reported that a Rohini resident was allegedly abducted and gangraped on gun-point by a taxi driver and his aide in Greater Noida, Delhi Police has expressed 'doubts' over the woman's story.

Ishwar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of south Delhi told India Today that there are contradictions in the statement given by the complainant.

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"When we cross-questioned her, she changed her statement. Now we are verifying her claims. Meanwhile, we are also looking around for the accused taxi driver," said Singh.

The woman in her complaint said that she boarded the taxi from Hauz Khas on Tuesday night for a drop in Rohini but on the way, the driver took another passenger from Dhaula Kuan.

The two then drove her to Greater Noida and gangraped her somewhere near Pari Chowk area.

They also allegedly robbed her of her gold ornaments, mobile phone and Rs 12,000 in cash. The woman further claimed that she somehow managed to reach her home at 5am on Wednesday, and informed her family about the incident.

Her family then made a PCR call to the KN Katju Marg police station but since the woman was allegedly abducted from Hauz Khas, a case was registered at a different police station that had jurisdiction over the area.

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The Irish government is hopeful Northern Ireland's political parties will make a fresh attempt at restoring their devolved power-sharing government in the next few weeks, Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Thursday.

The latest efforts to break a near year-long stalemate collapsed at the start of this month, prompting Britain to begin setting a budget for the province, a major step towards imposing direct rule from London for the first time in a decade.

Many in Northern Ireland fear direct rule would further destabilize a political balance between pro-British unionists and Irish nationalists that has already been upset by Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

"I hope in the next few weeks we will be able to get back around the table. I think it is fair to say the parties are trying to move this forward and I hope the governments will be able to facilitate an agreement," Coveney told parliament. Coveney helped facilitate the talks as Ireland is a co-guarantor of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which ended 30 years of sectarian violence that killed 3,600 people. He said he still believes a deal is achievable.

Irish Nationalists Sinn Fein and the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) shared power for a decade until Sinn Fein pulled out of government in January, complaining it was not being treated as an equal partner.

DUP leader Arlene Foster has said she hopes talks can resume soon while Sinn Fein has called for greater intervention from the governments in Dublin and London.

Analysts say a fresh round of talks is unlikely to be contemplated before the DUP's annual conference on Nov. 25. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
It was announced today that the European Investment Fund (part of the EIB Group) and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) have tripled their finance for Irish SMEs under the COSME programme in Ireland with a new increase to EUR 330 million.



The additional EUR 230 million was agreed to meet the demand for new financing requests from Irish companies, after 3,500 SMEs primarily in the agri-sector, fully utilised the EUR 100 million financing supported by the COSME EFSI counter-guarantee agreement signed last year. The loans backed by the European Commissions COSME programme allowed SBCI to launch a new 3 year risk-sharing product last year which was fully utilised within 6 months.



The EIF agreements with SBCI are guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe. The EIB Group supported the launch of SBCI in 2014 and the opening of the new office last year gives local entrepreneurs a direct contact point in Ireland for EIF and EIB financing solutions. Entrepreneurs will continue to access finance directly from SBCIs on-lending banks in Ireland.



Speaking today, An Tanaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald said, "I welcome this announcement and I look forward to working with the EIB Group on further significant supports for Irish businesses. In addition to the Brexit Loan Scheme which I recently announced, I am also working with the EIB and the SBCI on the development of a Brexit Investment Loan Guarantee Scheme."

EIB Vice President for Ireland, Andrew McDowell added, "This new engagement follows successful financing for 3,500 companies under the COSME programme signed last year and that is now being extended by an additional EUR 230 m. It demonstrates the EIB Groups strengthened support to enable new investment by thousands of companies across Ireland at a time of uncertainty relating to Brexit. Todays agreement is also expected to be followed by a EUR 300m joint scheme with SBCI to address working capital challenges of Irish companies as announced in last months budget."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Aer Lingus today announced a new North American route from Dublin to Seattle, Washington State which will be Irelands first ever direct service to the Emerald City. The Airbus A330 offering both business and economy class services will operate four times weekly from May 18th, 2018 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Seattle has strong business links to Ireland, boasting a vibrant technology sector which is home to some of the largest technology companies including Microsoft and Amazon, both of which have significant operations in Ireland.

Since joining IAG in 2015, Aer Lingus has launched six new direct transatlantic services to Los Angeles, Newark, Hartford, Miami, Philadelphia and now Seattle, marking the largest ever transatlantic expansion in the airlines history.

Seattle adds 50,000 additional seats to the airlines transatlantic programme for summer 2018, with total 2018 transatlantic capacity now reaching more than 2.75 million seats.



As a result of this record transatlantic growth, 600 new jobs have been created at Aer Lingus. Last month saw the launch of a pilot recruitment drive to hire 200 pilots over the next three years and almost 3,000 applications were received for the first wave of 100 positions in October.

The airlines fleet and employment will expand significantly over the next five years with the acquisition of Airbus A321Neo long-range (LR) aircraft from 2019. Aer Lingus claim this aircraft type will open up new markets, expand the network and enable a new growth phase for Aer Lingus.



Speaking at the launch of Aer Lingus Dublin Seattle route, CEO of Aer Lingus, Stephen Kavanagh said, "We are delighted to announce Seattle as our latest transatlantic route for summer 2018. We believe this service will offer great value choices to our guests and further enhance Irelands trade and business links with the U.S. Since joining International Airlines Group some two years ago we have grown and strengthened our Dublin Gateway to North America and we look forward to continuing this development in the years to come."



CEO of Tourism Ireland, Niall Gibbons added, "2017 looks set to be another record year for Irish tourism from North America, with the latest CSO figures showing more than 1.6 million arrivals from the United States and Canada during the January to September period this year  an increase of +18.6% when compared to the same nine-month period in 2016. Todays announcement is really positive and augurs well for prospects for tourism from North America to Ireland in 2018 and beyond.



Source: www.businessworld.ie
Bankers relocating from London to other European financial hubs following Britain's exit from the European Union could face lower pay packages, according to an industry survey published on Friday by compensation consultant Emolument.

The average managing director, one of the more senior ranks in investment banking, earns 478,000 pounds a year in London compared with 312,000 pounds in Paris, 298,000 pounds in Frankfurt and 333,000 pounds in Milan, the survey said.

Those figures comprise the average annual salary and bonus combined of 4,475 front-office bankers' pay packages analyzed for the study, Emolument said.

Around 10,000 finance jobs will be shifted out of Britain or created overseas in the next few years if the UK is denied access to Europe's single market, according to a Reuters survey of firms in September.

Frankfurt was by far the most popular destination for the new roles, the Reuters survey said, with Paris a distant second.

Frankfurt Mayor Peter Feldmann talked up the attractions of his city on Friday for bankers considering relocating, praising its security, international schools, transportation, diversity and night life.

Feldmann, opening a conference of elite bankers, said: "You can leave your body guards at home."

"You hardly find gated communities because you dont need them."

"Every kid in our town knows what money is," he said. "It is not something to be ashamed of, but it is a part of our identity."

London leads the pay market across all ranks of investment banking from the most junior associates up to managing directors, the Emolument study showed. Frankfurt comes second for more junior staff while Paris is second to London in terms of pay for senior executives.

Pay is not the only consideration for bankers looking at which of the European financial centers offers the most attractive overall lifestyle. In Frankfurt, 70% of bankers interviewed said they had a good work-life balance, Emolument said, as against 61% for London and 59% for Paris.

"As regards moving away from London to other EU capitals, while pay may be lower, pain points such as schooling and generally higher quality of life should compensate bankers transferring to the continent," Alice Leguay, co-founder at Emolument said. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
The current 50% limit in the stake that foreign companies can have in carmaking factories in China will be lifted as long as the companies are producing new-energy cars in free trade zones. Above, an electric car charges at a station in Beijing on Oct. 23. Photo: IC

Foreign new-energy carmakers will be allowed to own a larger stake in their joint ventures in free trade zones in China, while certain companies such as Tesla Inc. might be able to wholly own their assets.

Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday that the current 50% limit in the stake that foreign companies can have in carmaking factories in the country will be eased as long as the companies are producing new-energy cars in free trade zones by June. Tariffs will also be lowered for cars made by foreign firms and sold in China, the ministry added.

The new rules are an outcome of U.S. President Donald Trumps three-day visit in China, which ended Friday, the ministry said.

Last month, Chinas Ministry of Commerce said Tesla was negotiating with the Shanghai government to build a production facility there. And recently, The Wall Street Journal reported that Tesla and the Shanghai government reached a deal to build a wholly owned electric-vehicle factory in the citys free trade zone.

China has been actively pushing the development of the electric-vehicle sector in recent years as part of its efforts to clean up the countrys polluted air as well as to shift away from heavy dependence on energy imports. Another preferential policy is that Beijing has allowed foreign carmakers since June to form up to three joint ventures, up from two previously, if they produce new-energy cars.

Another reason for foreign carmakers to go solo in China: protection of their intellectual property. According to various media reports, foreign carmakers believe forming joint ventures could lead to potential leakage of patents and other technology.

Meanwhile, the research arm of Chinese oil giant PetroChina Co. issued a report saying the costs for new-energy vehicle will be comparable to traditional fossil fuel by 2030.

Dai Jiaquan, chief researcher at PetroChina, said prioritizing the development of new-energy vehicles is crucial to Chinas energy security.

If we want to reach the goal of reducing the countrys oil import to less than 70% by 2025, the country need to ramp up efforts to continue investment in the sector, Dai said.

This article has been corrected to make clear that not all foreign-owned carmakers will be allowed to be full owners of their plants in China's free trade zones, and that the current 50% limit that foreign carmakers can own in mainland factories will be eased, not removed.

Contact reporter Mo Yelin (yelinmo@caixin.com)
Chinas Ministry of Finance is concerned that local governments have used public-private partnerships as a way to circumvent central government efforts to control the growth in off-balance sheet local government debt. Above, a highway is under construction in Inner Mongolia in July 2016. Photo: Visual China

China is stepping up efforts to close loopholes in its public-private partnership initiative that are being exploited by local governments to borrow more money through banned channels.

In a notice posted Thursday on its website, the Ministry of Finance announced an overhaul of the approval system and told local governments nationwide that they have until the end of March to comply with orders to review, identify and remove unqualified projects from the official PPP registration system.

Delisting means the deals will not be eligible to be funded through the PPP model, under which private companies invest in government infrastructure projects. Authorities unable to meet the deadline will be given a 30-day grace period, but after that, the registration of new projects will be suspended in their provinces, the statement said.

The order is intended to prevent the PPP program from being abused and turned into a new type of (government) financing vehicle, and to firmly contain the risks of an increase in hidden debt, the ministry said.

The announcement comes amid mounting evidence that the initiative has been used as a way to circumvent central government efforts to control the growth in off-balance sheet local government debt and improve the transparency of local finances. Under pressure to support the program amid a tepid response from the private sector, some local officials are offering secret deals or incentives to entice outside investors and approving projects that dont fit the PPP criteria laid out by the central government.

Highly vigilant

As far back as 2016, the Ministry of Finance was already concerned that PPP projects had accumulated excessive debt and in October of that year ordered local finance departments to survey local government borrowings as well as spending on PPP projects.

The ministrys latest crackdown was foreshadowed by Vice Finance Minister Shi Yaobin earlier this month. Speaking at a PPP financing forum on Nov. 1, he said that hidden risks have been built up, and we must be highly vigilant and take concrete measures to sort them out.

In its statement Thursday, the ministry provided a list of projects that are not eligible to be registered in the official PPP system, including non-public-service programs such as commercial property development, those involve in national security, and pure construction deals where the private investor is not involved in the operation of the project after construction is completed.

Also banned are deals that have not obtained official approval such as ownership transfer of state-owned assets and those that have not passed the required value-for-money (VFM) analysis and fiscal affordability reviews, the ministry said. VFM analysis seeks to determine whether replacing a purely state-funded investment and operation of a project with a PPP arrangement is cost-effective and/or improves the quality of the public service.

Projects that do not have a sustainable future payment mechanism for the public asset or service and are dependent on government payments or subsidies for their operation, or where charging fees will trigger an abrupt spike in fiscal spending over a certain period of time, will also be prevented from registering.

Even projects already in the system may have their classification revoked if the review finds problems, such as improper VFM analysis or fiscal affordability assessment, and no progress within a year of enrollment, according to the statement.

Existing PPP projects will also be removed if borrowed money is used to make the investment, or if local governments have promised to buy back the equity of private investors or to compensate private investors for losses on their investment capital, it said. Deals with local authorities providing guarantees for debt repayment will also be taken off the system.

China introduced the PPP program in late 2013 to help cash-strapped local governments maintain investment. Projects listed under the initiative allowed them to raise money for public infrastructure projects amid a crackdown on other sources of off-balance sheet funding, notably the use of local government financing vehicles (LGFVs), companies set up specifically to issue bonds and get bank loans  which local governments themselves were banned from doing.

By the end of September, a total of 14,220 projects with a combined planned investment of 17.8 trillion yuan ($2.68 trillion)  nearly a quarter of Chinas gross domestic product in 2016  had been registered, according to the MOFs latest quarterly PPP report. Of those, 6,778 with total planned investment of 10.1 trillion yuan have reached the stage of preparation, procurement or execution.

Disguised debt

The report also revealed the increased scrutiny that PPP projects are getting from the ministry. Of the 973 projects removed from the ministrys national PPP system in the first nine months of this year, 635 were withdrawn in the third quarter. Some had failed to attract enough private capital or were cancelled by local authorities because they did not obtain the necessary official approvals.

A common concern has been local authorities abuse of the model to disguise debt as equity, and ruses such as bringing in sham private investors to push projects through.

In February, the MOF ordered the government of central Chinas Hubei province to investigate a PPP deal in the provincial capital of Wuhan after the project published shareholder information showing that all of the private investors were in fact banks. Similar problems were uncovered in contracts for public transportation projects in the eastern province of Shandong and the southwestern province of Guizhou.

Contact reporter Fran Wang (fangwang@caixin.com)
Only two non-Chinese companies made Gartner Inc.'s list of Asia's top 10 "digital disruptors"  any entity that causes a cultural sea change via "digital capabilities, channels or assets." Above, a subway passenger has a QR code on his cellphone scanned to pay for a ticket at the Longyang Road Station in Shanghai on Oct. 30. Photo: IC

Eight of the top 10 digital disruptors in Asia came from China according to a new list by a leading industry consultant, underscoring the countrys role in producing some the regions leading and most cutting-edge high-tech firms.

Chinas top three internet companies  Tencent Holdings Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Inc. and Baidu Inc.  finished in the top three spots in that order on the list, compiled by Gartner Inc.

The research and advisory firm defined digital disruptors as any entity that affects the shift of fundamental expectations and behaviors in a culture, market, industry or process that is caused by, or expressed through, digital capabilities, channels or assets.

Fourth and fifth on the list were Ant Financial Services Group, the financial affiliate of Alibaba, and e-commerce company JD.com Inc. respectively. Other companies that made the list were private car services firm Didi Chuxing at No. 6, smartphone maker Xiaomi Inc. at No. 7, and peer-to-peer lender Lufax at 10th.

The only non-Chinese companies on the list were search giants Yahoo Japan Corp. and Naver Corp. of South Korea.

Gross domestic product growth in Asia/Pacific is 1.6 times faster than the worldwide market, Gartner research director C.K. Lu said. Adoption of technologies like mobile wallets is much higher, and you can reach 1.7 billion internet users in these markets. As Chinese and American digital giants battle to disrupt global markets, no one can afford to sit on the sidelines.





The eight Chinese companies on the list are all household names in their home market and have begun limited expansions outside. E-commerce leaders Alibaba and JD.com have become major forces on the China retailing scene, taking advantage of the lack of established traditional retail networks to gain a far larger portion of the overall market compared with their Western peers. Similarly, electronic payment services operated by Ant Financial and Tencent have experienced explosive growth over the last two years, using smartphone-based bar and QR code technology to leapfrog the West, where credit cards still dominate.

As these companies influence grows, 80% of traditional firms will lose 10% of their market share from such disruptive competitors, Gartner predicted.

Each digital disruptor claims a unique stake in the digital business ecosystem of Asia, and is only growing from strength to strength, Lu said. Chief information officers and information technology leaders need to ask if they are suitable candidates to collaborate with or compete against  ignoring them is not an option.

Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)
By PTI: United Nations, Nov 17 (PTI) Russia has vetoed at the UN Security Council a US-drafted resolution on the extension of a UN-led probe to determine who was behind the chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

The US, its allies and human rights groups have termed Russias 10th veto a serious blow to the efforts of the Joint Investigation Mechanism (JIM), whose operations ceased when its current mandate expired at midnight last night.

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The US draft resolution, which was supported by 11 of the 15 Security Council members, was vetoed by Russia as China and Egypt abstained while Bolivia joined Russia.

"Russia has killed the Joint Investigative Mechanism, which has overwhelming support of this Council," the US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said at the UN headquarters in New York.

"By eliminating our ability to identify the attackers, Russia has undermined our ability to deter future attacks. Assad and ISIS will no longer be on notice for the use of chemical weapons by Russias actions today. The message to anyone listening is clear: in effect, Russia accepts the use of chemical weapons in Syria," Haley said.

She further said that regardless of what its Russian protectors do here in the Security Council, the Assad regime should be on clear notice: "the United States does not accept Syria?s use of chemical weapons."

Haley said that as the US did in April, it will do it again if it must.

"We will defend the international standard against chemical weapons use. It would be wise for the Assad regime to heed this warning," she added.

Slamming Russia, she said, "What a shame it is that Russia has revealed itself to be a government whose allegiance is to the Syrian regime, not the truth or the protection of innocent civilians."

Russia may have succeeded in silencing one independent voice in Syria today, but there are others who will carry on this work, Haley added.

Francois Delattre of France expressed alarm at the wielding of the veto by the Russian Federation.

The Mechanism had worked with professionalism and tenacity, seeking the truth in Syria, providing clear, well- documented truth proving the culpability of the Assad regime in certain attacks and that of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da?esh) in other attacks, he said.

British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft also said that the JIM is a panel created by the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to monitor whether Syria is upholding a treaty that bans their use.

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Both the Syrian government and militants of the Islamic State are being blamed for using chemical weapons in the war that grew out of protests in 2011.

"It is Russia that has failed. They have failed in their duties as a permanent member of this Security Council, they have failed as a state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, they have failed as a supposed supporter of peace in Syria," he said.

In a statement, Human Rights Watch said Russia has entered the realm of double digits with its tenth veto on Syria since 2011, sending another shameful message that they will protect the Syrian government at the cost of the Syrian people.

"UN member states should insist on continued investigations into chemical attacks so perpetrators can be held to account," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.

The Russian Ambassador Vassily A Nebenzia said his country had been unable to support the draft resolution drawn up by the US, but it is not true that his delegation had not engaged in communications in that regard.

Over the course of several weeks, it had explained that it could not take the proposal seriously, because it was erroneous from the outset and geared towards entrenching the Mechanisms flaws.

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Today?s statement by the US delegate had not focused on the Mechanism, but instead on the Russian Federation, he alleged.

Russia has been highly critical of the JIMs findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015. It also used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others who survived the nerve agent. PTI LKJ SMJ

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Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org

ATLANTA  The Carter Center deeply regrets the decision of the Cambodian Supreme Court to dissolve the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. The decision, taken in response to a government-initiated lawsuit, follows a government crackdown on peaceful opposition that has included the arrest of CNRP leader Kem Sokha in early September and the closure of numerous media outlets. The abuse of the judicial system to eliminate the main opposition party is a serious violation of the right of Cambodian citizens to freely choose their representatives, specified in international law.

The move against the CNRP is particularly disheartening in view of the positive efforts Cambodia has made since 2013 to reform the election administration and to improve the quality of the voter lists. The decision to reverse course means that Cambodians will not have genuine choice and competition in the upcoming election.

During a Carter Center pre-election visit to Cambodia in August, representatives of the ruling party, the opposition, civil society, and the election administration expressed interest in a Carter Center observation mission for the upcoming election. However, the court decision and the serious deterioration of the political environment means The Carter Center cannot consider deploying observers to an election process that is manifestly unfair.

The Carter Center urges the government of Cambodia to take the following steps immediately to allow the Cambodian people to exercise their democratic rights in accordance with Cambodias international and regional commitments and obligations:

Annul the dissolution of the CNRP and the ban on many of its activists from participating in politics for the next five years

Release Kem Sokha from detention

Allow print and electronic media to function and report freely

###

"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
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Australia's same-sex marriage vote: How did religious groups vote?

Australia has spoken, and most emphatically. The plebiscite on same sex marriage found that the electorate was unequivocally in favour of changing the law to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Or were they?

Certainly, every state returned a clear majority in favour of legalising same-sex marriage, even in this - unusual for Australia - non-compulsory vote.

But some communities were not convinced. Western Sydney, for example, which is reported to be 'more Asian than European' returned high numbers of No votes.

There has been much debate in Australia over the last few days about why many 'Westies' voted no. The Guardian's analysis of the data finds correlations between religion and voting No, particularly among people who identify as Muslim or as Christian.

There's no doubt that some of the most vocal advocates of the No vote were Christians. Former pastor Senator Abetz expressed 'regret but respect' for the vote but couldn't help pointing out that the number of No votes was higher than many other recent electoral victories.

The No camp are not likely to take this lying down, and will be looking for political leadership that represents their values. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott is said to be considering a way back to the forefront of politics. 'His performance on this campaign positions himself once again as a potential leader, which is a complete turnaround', says the Sydney Morning Herald's Latika Bourke, who calls Abbott 'the standout campaigner for the No vote'.

Tensions between religion, culture and sexuality are clear and the next steps in this process will prove crucial. Abetz and others are likely to push hard on the implications of legislation. Campaigners are already citing conflicts between religious belief and provision of services to same-sex couples.

They're calling it an issue of religious freedom, but not all people who identify with a religion will have voted no. The 2015 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey notes that 47% of people who identify as religious say they support equal rights for same-sex couples. The forthcoming debate about religious freedom will throw up some interesting questions about how many people of faith are represented by socially conservative views. We don't yet know whether this concern reflects widespread consensus among people of faith, or a vocal minority.

Katie Harrison is Director of ComRes Faith Research Centre www.comresglobal.com

You can follow her on Twitter @harrisonkt_
For God and country: What do the US military think of Christians, the Bible and America's 'moral decline'?

A new survey has polled the views of American military members on Christian faith and the Bible. Most military members have a 'very positive' view of believers, and say that American morality is in decline, while nearly half believe Bible doesn't have enough influence on society.

The study by Barna Group, released this month, explores the attitudes of US military personnel, past and present, and their perspectives on contemporary religion.

Most (76 per cent) said they knew 'faithful' Christians, and among those who said so 78 per cent said they knew such people in the military  just five per cent of respondents did not know any Christians at all. These relationships apparently tend to be good  most (55 per cent) said they had a 'very positive' perception of the believers they knew. Eighty-one per cent said that a Christian they knew had talked to them about their beliefs in God.

Such evangelical interactions are positive too, generally leaving people feeling affirmed (31 per cent), inspired (29 per cent), curious (26 per cent) or uplifted (23 per cent).

Among those who are either 'friendly' or 'neutral' towards the Bible, most (86 per cent) believe that American morality is in decline. Such a view is most common amongst those who are retired or have been discharged from the military (91 per cent) or those who are 'born-again' Christians (92 per cent).

Many also believe the Bible could be part of the solution. A little less than half (46 per cent) of service men and women said the Bible has too little influence in US society  though 22 per cent said the Bible has 'too much' influence, and 33 per cent said its influence was 'just right'.

For those who turn to Scripture only infrequently, the most common reason to do so would be for comfort (37 per cent), or seeking life direction (30 per cent). Just over a quarter (28 per cent) seek Scripture in order to be closer to God. When it comes to defining the Bible, respondents were most likely to say it is the inspired word of God, free from error  granted that some of it should be taken symbolically (35 per cent).

The survey also explored how military life shapes identity. Central to the self-perception of many is their military profession (53 per cent), followed closely by American heritage/nationality (51 per cent). Religion was foundational for 31 per cent of respondents.

The full Barna study can be read here.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with fresh inputs)

United Nations, Nov 17 (PTI) Russia has vetoed for the 10th time to stop action by the UN Security Council against Syria to a US-drafted resolution on the extension of a UN-led probe to determine who was behind the chemical weapons attacks in the strife-torn country.

The US, its allies and human rights groups have termed Russias veto a serious blow to the efforts of the Joint Investigation Mechanism (JIM), whose operations ceased after its current mandate expired at midnight last night.

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The US draft resolution, to allow JIM to continue its work of identifying perpetrators of Syrias toxic gas attacks, was supported by 11 of the 15 Security Council members.

But, it was vetoed by Russia as Egypt and China abstained, while Bolivia joined Russia in voting against the measure.

Russia has been critical of the JIMs findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015. It also used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others who survived the nerve agent.

"Russia has killed the JIM, which has overwhelming support of this Council," the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said at the UN headquarters in New York.

"By eliminating our ability to identify the attackers, Russia has undermined our ability to deter future attacks. Assad and ISIS will no longer be on notice for the use of chemical weapons by Russias actions today. The message to anyone listening is clear: in effect, Russia accepts the use of chemical weapons in Syria," the Indian American top diplomat said.

She further said that regardless of what its Russian protectors do here in the Security Council, the Assad regime should be on clear notice: "the United States does not accept Syrias use of chemical weapons".

Haley said that as the US did in April, it will do it again if it find it must.

"We will defend the international standard against chemical weapons use. It would be wise for the Assad regime to heed this warning," she added.

Slamming Russia, she said, "What a shame it is that Russia has revealed itself to be a government whose allegiance is to the Syrian regime, not the truth or the protection of innocent civilians."

Russia may have succeeded in silencing one independent voice in Syria today, but there are others who will carry on this work, Haley added.

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Francois Delattre, the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, expressed alarm at the wielding of the veto by the Russian Federation.

The mechanism had worked with professionalism and tenacity, seeking the truth in Syria, providing clear, well- documented truth proving the culpability of the Assad regime in certain attacks and that of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da?esh) in other attacks, he said.

British Ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft also said that the JIM is a panel created by the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to monitor whether Syria is upholding a treaty that bans their use.

Both the Syrian government and militants of the Islamic State are being blamed for using chemical weapons in the war that grew out of protests in 2011.

"It is Russia that has failed. They have failed in their duties as a permanent member of this Security Council, they have failed as a state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, they have failed as a supposed supporter of peace in Syria," he said.

In a statement, Human Rights Watch said Russia has entered the realm of double digits with its 10th veto on Syria since 2011, sending another shameful message that they will protect the Syrian government at the cost of the Syrian people.

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"UN member states should insist on continued investigations into chemical attacks so perpetrators can be held to account," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.

The Russian Ambassador Vassily A Nebenzia said his country had been unable to support the draft resolution drawn up by the US, but it is not true that his delegation had not engaged in communications in that regard.

Over the course of several weeks, it had explained that it could not take the proposal seriously, because it was erroneous from the outset and geared towards entrenching the Mechanisms flaws.

Today?s statement by the US delegate had not focused on the Mechanism, but instead on the Russian Federation, he alleged. PTI LKJ SMJ AKJ SMJ

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HTC Vive cancels partnership with Google Daydream

HTC

HTC had a highly-anticipated product in the name of Vive. It is a standalone virtual reality (VR) headset that held high-hopes for VR users, especially since there were plans to integrate Daydream. However, according to recent reports, HTC's supposed collaboration with Google was cancelled.

The partnership was announced as early as May of this year, with HTC, Lenovo, and Google working together to deliver next-generation VR experience to consumers. However, an article from TechCrunch recently confirmed that the proposed HTC VR headset will not feature Daydream, not in the U.S. market. This also meant that the VR partnership with Google is cancelled, as far as Daydream is concerned.

Supposedly, the VR platform would have been installed with HTC's Vive Focus. However, the HTC spokesperson who spoke with TechCrunch stated that they "will not be bringing a standalone device to the western markets on Daydream."

HTC has also announced its plans to launch the Vive Focus in China. However, this is the only released information as of now  the price of the headset and even the release date has not been disclosed yet.

HTC did reveal some of the features and the appearance of the Vive Focus. According to The Verge, it is a standalone, all-in-one VR headset. Sporting an electric blue as its main color, the device also takes design cues from the PlayStation VR headset and HTC's very own Vive Deluxe Audio strap.

It will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip, assisted by "inside-out positional tracking." Depending on when it will be released, it will also be the first standalone VR headset that will offer six degrees of freedom.

Meanwhile, as HTC dashed hopes of having a Daydream-powered Vive, Google declares that they are still working with Lenovo's standalone VR headsets. Google VR VP Clay Bavor also recently tweeted that he had been enjoying the pre-release version of a Lenovo headset that runs Daydream.
Jennifer Lawrence reveals she auditioned for 'Easy A' but did not get the part; Emma Stone replies, 'You suck'

Reuters/Eric Thayer

"The Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence revealed that she auditioned for the lead role in the 2010 teen comedy "Easy A" but did not get the part. Lawrence shared the experience during a roundtable with other Hollywood icons tackling the volume of harassment in the industry.

The roundtable to discuss the issue was hosted by The Hollywood Reporter and Lawrence was among the participants. Joining Lawrence were Mary J. Blige, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Saoirse Ronan, and "Easy A" star, Emma Stone.

Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes

During the roundtable session, Lawrence admitted she wanted to play the character Olive Penderghast in "Easy A." The Golden Globe winner said, "I auditioned for Easy A. I wanted it so bad." Stone, who got the part then retaliated with "Well, guess what? You didn't get it. You didn't get it because you suck." Lawrence then jokingly asked Stone to step outside and settle the matter.

Many fans and critics then tried to imagine what could be the turnout of their careers if Lawrence was cast for the comedy film.

Stone was generally lauded for her portrayal of Olive Penderghast, but Lawrence, being a versatile actress, would also be able to surely portray the lead character in "Easy A" effectively. Lawrence's involvement in "The Hunger Games" franchise could have also been affected had she starred in "Easy A."

The casting of Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen for the movie adaptation of the popular novel was confirmed in March 2011, seven months after the release of the film "Easy A."

Lawrence and Stone are good friends and they are both part of the campaign against harassment in the film industry. Both of them also shared their opinion about the gender inequality present in the industry up to this day. Stone said "Women have had to fit into these different boxes for so many years just to get work."
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry relationship news: Queen Elizabeth invites 'Suits' star for Christmas

YouTube/Larry King

Meghan Markle will, indeed, have a very merry Christmas as she is said to get an invite from Queen Elizabeth II for the Holidays. With that, the rumors about her engagement announcement with Prince Harry get stronger.

According to Mirror Online, the Queen asked the "Suits" star if she could join the Royal family for dinner in the House of Windsor on Christmas. Although the 36-year-old star is excited about the invite, she cannot help but be sad thinking about her mother, Doria.

Fortunately, Kate Middleton has thought of a way so that Markle would not have to leave her mom in Los Angeles. "Kate's offered to put Doria up in a guest bedroom at Anmer Hall," a source told the publication.

"Kate was a bag of nerves the first time she did Christmas with the Royals," the insider added. So, Prince William's wife knows how Markle exactly feels spending her first Holiday with the monarchs. So, the soon-to-be mother of three wants to help her feel comfortable.

However, this news just makes the engagement rumors between Markle and Prince Harry get stronger. In fact, for a long while now, people have been waiting for the next royal wedding. There are even hearsays that an engagement announcement is about to happen soon.

Ever since Markle and Prince Harry outed their relationship to the public, they have been surrounded by a lot of speculations. Although it is not new for a high-profile royal, their romance is different.

A Toronto-based royal historian and author named Carolyn Harris told CBC News the two's relationship milestone is something not often seen by the people until a royal engagement happens. The couple also openly talk about their romance.

To recall, Markle discussed things about how she feels toward Prince Harry and how their romance is going in a cover story by Vanity Fair. They even went public at the recent Invictus Games in Toronto last September. They were seen very sweet to each other, and her mom, Doria, was even present at the event.
Pope Francis condemns 'perverse' climate change deniers

Pope Francis condemned the 'perverse attitudes' of climate change deniers and sceptics in an address to world leaders yesterday, in what may be taken as an implicit attack on the leadership of Donald Trump.

In a message delivered to the UN COP-23 Climate Change conference concluding today in Bonn, Germany, Pope Francis said climate change was 'one of the most concerning phenomenons that our humanity is living', according to Catholic News Agency.

'We need a solution that unites everyone, because the environmental challenge that we are living, and its human roots, involves and touches us all,' he said. The pontiff said that progress on combatting climate change was 'often frustrated by various motives that range from negating the problem to indifference, comfortable resignation or blind trust in technical solutions.

'We must avoid falling into these four perverse attitudes, which certainly don't help honest research and sincere, productive dialogue.'

Pope Francis implored international leadership and a 'shared strategy' on the issue, noting that it was two years since the 'historic' 2015 Paris Climate Agreement was established. Signatories of the agreement committed to reducing carbon emissions and stopping global temperatures from rising above two degrees Celsius.

Many will take the pope's challenge to climate change deniers as a thinly veiled barb against US President Donald Trump, who dramatically pulled out of the Paris Agreement earlier this year. His controversial move signaled a break from both the Obama administration and international consensus on the environment, and a nod to the significant climate change sceptic group amongst his supporters. It's not the first time the pope and Trump have clashed on public policy.

In his conference message, Pope Francis said that some countries 'must try to assume a guiding role' and give due attention to impoverished and vulnerable nations particularly at risk from climate change. He said solutions should not just be considered on an economic and technical level, but on social and ethical levels too.

'I would like to reiterate my urgent invitation to renew dialogue about the way in which we are building the future of the planet,' the Pope said.
Samsung Galaxy S9 specs rumors: Geekbench scores still lower than iPhone X; Launch on Feb. 25?

Apple's latest iPhones are currently on top of the hierarchy in terms of performance, thanks to the A11 Bionic chip that powers them, and this may still be the case even after Samsung Galaxy S9 launches next year. This is if the alleged Geekbench 4 results of the tech giant's 2018 flagship are to be believed.

The model SM-G960F recently appeared on the benchmarking website. This model number is widely assumed to be Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S9, considering Galaxy S8+ came with the model number SM-G955F. According to the listing, the new device will run Android 8, sport 4 gigabytes (GB) of random access memory (RAM) and be powered by a new octa-core Samsung Exynos chipset.

The Samsung phone earned a multi-core score of 7,787 on Geekbench 4 and a single-core score of 2,680. Those are impressive numbers, especially when compared with the device it would replace. The Samsung Galaxy S8 only had a single-core score of 1,856 and a multi-core score of 6,295.

Although the results still place the phone among the best Android smartphones on the market right now, those figures are not close to matching that of the new iPhones'. The iPhone X alone, which had the lowest numbers among the three due to its higher display resolution, had earned a 4,197 single-core score and a 10,051 multi-core score on the same test.

Then again, Geekbench's repository has a supposedly nasty habit of manipulating scores, so it is best to take these results with a grain of salt. The Samsung Galaxy S9 series is still in the prototype phase as well, and this could just be one of those models being tested at the moment. If it is, the company still has plenty of time to tweak the performance.

The next-generation Galaxy S device has no release date yet, but Forbes predicts it could follow its traditional timeline and get unveiled just before the Mobile World Congress (MWC). This year, Samsung had to push back the launch in April due to the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco.

Assuming there will be no roadblocks ahead, it should go back to its original release schedule next year. With the MWC 2018 taking place on Feb. 26, the S9 may be unveiled on Feb. 25.
'Tokyo Ghoul 2' movie sequel rumors: Is another Kentaro Hagiwara-directed film in the works?

Shochiku Films website

Popular manga "Tokyo Ghoul" was recently adapted as a live-action film and was released in Japanese theaters. The film, which is directed by Kentaro Hagiwara, also had a successful run in the United States. But that is not all, rumors for a "Tokyo Ghoul 2" movie sequel is milling around the internet.

Fans are hyped with the news when actress Fumika Shimizu accidentally leaked about the film. According to Japan's Daily Sport, she is negotiating her contract for her role in "Tokyo Ghoul 2" as Touka Kirishima. The said leak was, apparently, revealed unintentionally when Fumika announced her retirement.

However, fans were quick to notice it and were hyped by the news of an upcoming movie sequel for the anime. Rumors about the sequel started while others are saddened that Fumika will no longer be returning to "Tokyo Ghoul 2" as Touka.

In an interview with ComicBook, Kentaro is hoping that there will indeed be another live-action film. It is noted that the live-action adaptation of Sui Ishida's manga series is widely regarded. He said that if the movie will happen, more interesting characters will be introduced. He is also looking into creating a good balance between the cool visuals and the dramatic elements of the manga.

Kentaro hopes that his live-action films will end the curse of bad live-action anime adaptations. With that, he said that there should be a sense of reality and the visuals in the manga version should be updated well for live-action.

He also revealed that one of the most challenging part is to make the kagune (a ghoul's predatory organ) appear realistic. He wanted to show the beauty of Sui Ishida's artwork against the "more grotesque content." With that, he created a ratio of 70 percent beauty to 30 percent ugliness. A good example of that is Kaneki's kagune wherein he added some light sparkles to make it appear shiny.

If "Tokyo Ghoul 2" movie sequel will indeed happen, Kentaro will make sure that he will have a good adaptation of the manga. As for the plot and storyline, it is not yet revealed as of this writing. But like other live-action films, it would be based on the manga with a little twist.
"If everything goes according to plan, he could become the prime minister when the Congress comes to power. If I know Rahul Gandhi, he may not like to accept an official assignment and this man will be Rahul's Manmohan Singh," says a Congress general secretary, on condition of anonymity naturally, about telecom entrepreneur Sam Pitroda, who is now campaigning for the party in Gujarat. The state goes to polls in December.

The statement by a party general secretary is certainly in the realm of speculation, but Pitroda's evolution as a political voice is not going unnoticed. He has already been seen in kurta and trademark Gandhi cap, making statements laden with symbolism in an election environment. Sample this: "If you talk about democracy, you need collective leadership. You can't have one guy making all the decisions. No matter if it's God; even he is not qualified," said Pitroda, in an all too apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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This is Pitroda's second innings in politics. A close advisor to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, he is often credited for the telecom revolution in India. Born to Gujarati parents in Titlagarh in Odisha as Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, 75, he has headed India's National Knowledge Commission and served as advisor to former prime minister Manmohan Singh on public information infrastructure and innovation. Earlier this year, he quit from the post of information technology advisor to the Odisha government.

Unlike many, his association with the Nehru-Gandhi family has remained intact over the years. Rahul, though nearly three decades younger than Pitroda, calls him by his first name. Several young Congress leaders give Pitroda credit for Rahul Gandhi's recent image makeover-the chairman of the party's overseas department had reportedly "arranged" Rahul's speeches at multiple venues in the US.

The party has launched Pitroda in Gujarat for two reasons-he is a Gujarati and has an iconic appeal among urban youth, an area where the BJP has traditionally performed better than the Congress. He did his schooling in Vallabh Vidyanagar in the state and went to engineering college in Vadodara. Pitroda is currently touring five cities-Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Surat-to get a feel of what urban Gujaratis expect from the Congress. As part of the plan, small traders, workers and women are being consulted and their inputs are likely to make it to the poll manifesto. Pitroda has been put in charge of the team that will prepare a "people's manifesto" that will focus on education, health, small and medium enterprises, employment generation and environment protection.

For good effect, Pitroda has also started invoking the name of the original Gandhi. He attacked the Gujarat government for closing down the school Mahatma Gandhi went to. The Gujarat government had initiated the process of shutting down the school (originally called Alfred High School) in September last year.

Not directly mentioning Modi's Gujarat model, Pitroda takes him on the prime minister on his main poll plank-development. Not for him the "big projects-driven American model"; he prefers "the Gandhian focus on rural development, farmers, small projects". The party has been consciously targeting youth under 35 and two internal surveys have mentioned the high cost of education as one of the peeves of students about the state government. On this too, Pitroda makes his pitch: "Privatisation of education in Gujarat is a major issue. Students have been made to pay hefty fees for education."

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The only false note so far: dissing the role of social media as a promotional tool. He should know how much of Rahul's newfound celebrity is owed to his digital following. In another apparent reference to Modi, he said: "Some leaders have to depend on fancy tools such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with people." A self-goal?

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I Cant Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street, by Matt Taibbi (Spiegel & Grau, 336 pp., $28)

If you accept the Black Lives Matter narrative that police routinely murder black men, youll probably love Matt Taibbis I Cant Breathe, an idiosyncratic, race-based account of Eric Garners 2014 death. The facts of the incident dont readily support a racial explanation, since the arresting officers (including an African-American police sergeant) didnt single out Garner because he was black. They were ordered to bring Garner in because he had been selling bootlegged cigarettes, as he had done for years, leading to repeated arrests and fines. Taibbi doesnt deny this. In fact, he relates in detail how Garner graduated from crack-cocaine dealer to untaxed-cigarette merchant, the only jobs he held for any length of time.

The most controversial issue in the Garner incident was the chokehold used by arresting officer Daniel Pantaleo when he wrestled Garner to the ground. Was this excessive force, or was it justified, given that Garner resisted arrest? Many racialize the issue, arguing that police are generally more aggressive with black suspects than with white, but criminological research has not borne out these claims. Taibbi is not really interested in exploring this question, anyway. The real villain in the Garner case, he tells us, was a policy that would massively amp up police confrontations in certain neighborhoods only. In other words, the Garner incident was a result of over-policing in black and Hispanic communities, what Taibbi considers to be the equivalent of Broken Windows policing.

Even today, after several decades in practice, Broken Windows policing is poorly understood. The phrase derives from a celebrated 1982 Atlantic Monthly article by James Q. Wilson and George Kelling, in which the authors argued that police should attend to low-level offensesactivities that may not even be crimes, but that nevertheless degrade quality of life in communities and perhaps lead to more serious offenses. They stressed the police role in maintaining orderbreaking up fights, running off drunks and panhandlers, keeping young people under controlas a key to ensuring strong community norms. But does order maintenance mean arrests and summonses, or merely informal policingand is informal policing even possible in an age of motorized patrol, 911 complaints, and a lack of familiarity between beat cops and civilians? And what happens when the communities with the most disorder are low-income, African-American neighborhoods, in which some residents resent the police instead of viewing them as a positive force?

Taibbi lumps Broken Windows policing together with the NYPDs Stop-Question-and-Frisk (SQF) policymisleadingly, because SQF is not aimed at low-level disorder, the kind that Garner was engaging in, but the removal of guns from the street. One can certainly make the case, however, that Garners arrest and repeated harassment was an example of Broken Windows policing, the abolition of which Black Lives Matter protestors have made one of their rallying cries. They see it as a racist policy because of the disproportionate number of arrests and summonses of African-Americans. Taibbi agrees, calling it clear evidence of racial profiling.

But what if African-Americans engage in a disproportionate number of offenses? This takes us to the heart of a chicken-and-egg debate. Police say that they deploy more officers to low-income black neighborhoods because thats where the crime is. Their critics say that if one measures crime by arrests, the figures for blacks will be high only because thats where the cops are.

The police have a strong case here, at least for serious and violent crimes. Not only are civilian felony complaints higher for poor black communities, but objective, non-police sourcessuch as crime-victim surveys and homicide-mortality ratesalso point to high African-American involvement, especially in violent crime. NYPD brass contend that enforcement of quality-of-life violations is driven by community complaints; data from 311 and 911 calls supports that assertion.

Consider the facts regarding the police precinct in which the Garner incident occurredthe 120th, on the North Shore of Staten Island. A 2012 NYPD report reveals that the precinct was 41 percent white, 29 percent Hispanic, and 23 percent black. Yet blacks made up 52 percent of known crime suspects, 61 percent of known violent-crime suspects, and 59 percent of the persons stopped. The stops of African-Americans were out of proportion to the black population of the precinct, but they were closely aligned with the number of black suspects. Taibbi mockingly dismisses black crime statistics, but they are remarkably consistent in precincts throughout New York City, and indeed, in precincts in every big city in the United States. Such figures have been persistent since the mid-twentieth century, when the Great Migration brought a massive number of low-income African-Americans to urban areas of the north. (For details, see my book, The Rise and Fall of Violent Crime in America.)

Contrary to Taibbi, the root of the problem is not racist policing, but rather the law-enforcement and order-maintenance mission of the police and the inordinate number of disorderly persons and serious law violators in low-income black neighborhoods. If blacks make up a disproportionate number of offenders, then the police are bound to arrest a disproportionate number of blacksand this will yield a disproportionate number of stops, summonses, and, sadly, abuse incidents involving police and black civilians. Throw into the mix the long history of police bias and the resentment it has generated, and the result is one of the most intractable law-enforcement problems in the U.S.

In his zeal for racial justice, as he defines it, Taibbi portrays the lawless in a sympathetic light and the law-enforcers either as thugs or as a kind of border patrol, keeping white neighborhoods racially pure. Aggressive policing, he claims, maintains the reality of segregation in part by policing the borders separating poor black neighborhoods from affluent white ones. Actually, crime and disorder in poor black neighborhoods, not the police, are responsible for residential and economic segregation, driving out middle-income populationswhite and black.

One can be deeply saddened by Eric Garners fate without endorsing his choices. As Taibbi relates, Garner spent his life selling drugs and illegal cigarettes, never held a regular job, never stayed out of jail long enough to care for his family, abandoned his wife and children, and filled his home with drugs and violence. Strange, then, that Taibbi concludes that he liked him.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Greater Gotham: A History of New York City from 1898 to 1918, by Mike Wallace (Oxford University Press, 1,196 pp., $45)

For years, whenever mentioning the historian Mike Wallace, one always had to add, not the 60 Minutes Mike Wallace. Around 1999, however, it may have been the 60 Minutes Wallace who felt at a disadvantage, for Mike Wallace, New York historian, had become improbably famous. For decades a well-known figure in academia, he became more broadly known as the Pulitzer Prize-winning coauthor (with Edwin G. Burrows) of the bestselling Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, and then as the principal talking head in Ric Burnss monumental New York: A Documentary Film, in which his role resembled that of Shelby Foote in Ken Burnss Civil War series. He stayed momentarily in the limelight, founding the Gotham Center for New York City History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and writing A New Deal for New York (2002), a plea for a 1930s-style rebuilding of the city that appeared at a time of uncertainty about the citys future after the 9/11 attacks. And then, just as suddenly as he had leapt into public view, Wallace receded again. He was, we were told, at work on the sequel to Gotham, taking the story up to the present day.

Published in 1998, Gotham covered some 300 years of New York history and weighed in at 1,383 pages; Wallaces new book, Greater Gotham, covers just 20 yearsfrom 1898 to 1918but takes up 1,196 pages. These bookend years are notable: the first is the year of the Consolidation of Greater New York, when Americas most populous and fourth-most populous cities (New York and Brooklyn) merged into a super-city, the supremacy of which no other U.S. city would ever contest (as Chicago had lately contested New York Citys status); the second marks the end of World War I, when New York emerged as the central city of a new world order.

New Yorks history has been so eventful that any 20-year chunk of it would make for an interesting book. But the first two decades of the Consolidation offer particularly rich material, and Wallace covers as much of it as he can. In his introduction, he describes his approach: a series of views from above that move closer and closer to the ground, from a discussion of Wall StreetWashington relations (in which such figures as J.P. Morgan and Elihu Root loom large) to the merger mania that created the trusts (from petroleum to chewing gum) and conglomerates (U.S. Steel, the first billion-dollar corporation). In models of concise summary, he offers swift yet remarkably detailed histories of the citys investment banks, commercial banks, trust companies, and insurance companies. Wallace is a superb writer: he has the experienced scholars sure sense of what to put in and what to leave out, and his prose has almost breathless forward motion, keeping the reader going page after page after page. He zooms in on different levels and aspects of the urban experience: from garbage collection to opera, from zoning (introduced in New York in 1916) to immigration (this is the era of the southern Italian and eastern European Jewish mass migrations). This was also the era of the building of New Yorks greatest institutionsuniversities, museums, and libraries. In a section on the New York Public Library, Wallace quotes Lenin, who, after reading the 1911 annual report of the New York Public Library, wrote in Pravda of his awe at what New York had accomplished: making these gigantic, boundless libraries available, not to a guild of scholars . . . but to the masses, to the crowd, to the mob! . . . Such is the way things are done in New York.

One gets a good sense of the books scope and approach by going to chapter 14, Popular Cultures, where we learn of the birth of nightlife, when for the first time unchaperoned young men and women attended public dances, first in rented halls, then in commercial dance palaces in Times Square and Coney Island, where servants, stenographers, salesgirls, and seamstresses shed their shirtwaist-and-skirt regalia and donned gaudy eye-catching outfits that, like Bowery fashions of the past, copied and parodied elite styles. In Turkey Trots and Bunny Hugs, dancers mimicked animal movements or pressed their loins together in mock intercourse. Alarmed reformers (those perennial killjoys of Gotham life) feared for the girls moralsand sexual exploitation by unscrupulous men. Before Rihanna and Miley, there was Irving Berlins Everybodys Doing It Now, New Yorks nightlife anthem of 1911. As for the elites, they couldnt wait to join in on the fun. Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish hired black ragtime bands to play at her dance parties at Sherrys. Society women attended afternoon tea dances at hotels where they dancedsometimes the tangowith immigrant men for hire, such as a recently arrived young Italian named Rudolph Valentino. African-American musicians provided the soundtrack of New York nightlife. Initially barred from union membership, black musicians became the citys highest-paid, and soon broke down union barriers. The anarchic spirit of New York nightlife was harnessed and mainstreamed by such performer/entrepreneurs as Vernon and Irene Castle and deftly marketed by the formidable Elisabeth Marbury. The divine Irene pioneered bobbed hair and unconstraining clothingno corsets, no heavy petticoatsand supplanted the Gibson Girl as the symbol of American glamour. She was also the prototype of the flapper, and Wallace helps us understand that much of what we associate with the flapper era and Prohibition lifestyles of the 1920s was already well in place in New York by 1918.

Wallace, whose father was a band leader, knows his music, too. Hes especially good on the career of Sophie Tucker, daughter of a Yiddish-speaking Orthodox immigrant family who, early on, was a blackface coon shouter, until her popularity enabled her to take control of her career. Refusing thereafter to appear in blackface, she artfully combined African-American and Jewish musical styles, hired and promoted black musicians, employed risque material and double entendres, and wowed them at such nightclubs as Reisenwebers at Columbus Circle. She was, writes Wallace, at the vortex of a cultural whirlwind that was transforming the citys gender, sexual, ethnic, and racial arrangements. This chapter is a model of how urban history should be written. Reisenwebers, Wallace dutifully points out, was at the southwest corner of Eighth Avenue and 58th Street; whenever he mentions a building, he tells us exactly where it stood (or stands). Historians hardly ever do this, yet the specificity is compelling, and its one of my favorite things about this book. (Another is that he refreshingly relegates those shopworn figures of this era, Stanford White and C.K.G. Billings, to footnotes.)

A student of Richard Hofstadters at Columbia in the 1960s and active in the student protests there in 1968, Wallace was a founder of the Radical History Forum in 1973 and of Radical History Review in 1975. He is very much a man of the political Left. He essentially views capitalism and social justice as at odds with each other. To the extent that immigrants in New York succeeded, he believes, it was not because they were buoyed by a vibrant economy but because they used their collective influence to effect social reforms (from New Yorks neighborhood libraries to powerful labor unions) that, in time, would usher in New York workers golden age, which, Wallace notes elsewhere, was the middle of the 20th century. Expect to find, in Greater Gotham, a great deal about the labor movement and about such events as the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire. These are, of course, major subjects, and Wallace does them justice; they are, as they may not be for all readers, linchpins of his worldview. Still, Greater Gothams overt leftism should not put off readers of different outlooks, because Wallace has such love for his subject and because his writing has such verve. Unlike most academics, he never appears merely to be going through the motions, and he never uses jargon that distances writer from reader. Breathtaking in scope and penetrating in detail, Greater Gotham revels in New Yorks sheer force, energy, and creativity.

Photo: Wurts Bros. / New York Public Library
This chocolate Labrador wins the race to Diary's heart by a whisker. It's not wearing nipple tassels. For the avoidance of doubt.

Happy Friday readers. What a week it has been. Earlier on this week, bakery chain (and verified national treasure) Greggs got itself into a spot of bother when it tweeted out a picture of a nativity scene with the part of the sweet, baby Jesus being played by one of its 90p sausage rolls. The non-believers amongst us laughed while the rest got annoyed. So, Greggs apologised. Only for it to turn out that the whole thing had been a half-baked PR stunt to begin with. Still, thats just the way that social media marketing rolls these days.

Also, yesterday, David Davis gave a speech in Berlin where he essentially told a bunch of German people that Brexit was all their fault. He warned the EU not to put politics above prosperity which, if you think about it, is a statement so laced with hypocrisy as to be farcical. Having intended to beard the lion in its den, it seems the closest Davis got was being called incompetent by the parody Twitter account of Number 10s Larry the Cat.

This week in charity sector satire: A person donated a pair of edible nipple tassels to a Mind charity shop, Guide Dogs reach out for faux-face hair and Moz the Monster faces a possible plagiarism lawsuit.

Fifty shades of strange

In the run up to this years #givingtuesday - which is on 28 November this year people, get it in your diaries  the Charities Aid Foundation has conducted a survey of some of the weirdest and wackiest charity shop donations received in Britain this year. And, yeah, theres a few doozies.

Amongst some of the better items donated, which Diary will go into in more detail in the richness and fullness of time, one (or, more accurately two) item(s) stick out from the list of findings. A branch of mental health charity Mind reportedly received donation of the entire Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy along with, and this is the best bit, edible nipple tassels and a whip.

Theres quite a lot to unpack there, to be honest. Long term readers of this column may well remember, about a year or so ago, a Welsh branch of Oxfam had to essentially beg people to stop donating copies of E.L. James S&M-riddled, global super-smutty-smash hit novel, as it had literally hundreds of copies in stock.

Well, this latest revelation rather dials this up to 11. Bad enough to have to take stock of all three books in the trilogy  was one book not enough?  what exactly is a charity shop going to do with a pair of edible nipple tassels? Well, obviously, two things spring to mind. Or to Mind.

But it also raises all sorts of questions around health and safety. Were the tassels still in date? What were they made from? What do edible nipple tassels retail for? How long do edible nipple tassels stay fresh? Actually, again, that last question is somewhat loaded.

Alas, the CAF survey doesnt say what the charity shop in question did with the tassels but this column imagines they went straight in the bin, which was then filled with gasoline and burnt.

A branch of Marie Curie, meanwhile, had a funeral urn donated to it. The survey points out, helpfully, that the urn contained ashes. Diary understands that a competition will be held with the Australians over whether we can keep them.

Meanwhile, one no-doubt very well meaning canine aficionado donated a Christmas dinner in a jiffy bag to the Dogs Trust, saying they didnt want their sponsored dog missing out on the festivities. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase a dogs dinner.

Also, a Barnardos store in an unspecified location received a full-sized stuffed adult bison, although depressingly no photographs could be found to verify this information. As one CAF spokesman pointed out to this column surely if youre going to take delivery of a full bison, youd at least get a photograph of it?

A full list of the items found this year can be seen here.

Archduke Faux-Furdinand

Disclaimer to begin. The above pun has no bearing on the story beyond the faux and fur bits. Anyway, to the good people of Guide Dogs now, and a hair-raising new campaign to get their puppies more used to facial hair.

Its the Guide Dog face fur appeal and, yes, the charitys not asking for your money but your fake beards and moustaches.

It seems that Guide Dogs plans to dress up its female volunteers in fake beards. This is not because they need a cunning disguise, as Diary first thought - this column was all ready to send in a French peasant's outfit.

Instead it appears that volunteers are overwhelmingly female, whereas blind people are not. Here's the charity to explain.

Do you have any unwanted fake beards or moustaches hiding in your fancy dress box? Guide Dogs needs your help.

Were appealing for public support after our latest research reveals guide dog puppies could benefit from early exposure to facial hair.

Whilst Guide Dogs is on a drive to recruit more male volunteers both in dog-focused roles and more generally, in the meantime were asking for your leftover Santa beards and Mario moustaches to help our pups continue to grow into confident, well-socialised guide dogs.

Bold plan, Guide Dogs, calling for people to give up their leftover Santa beards a month before Christmas starts. Still there are adorable Labrador puppies to think of here.

Moz money, Moz problems

This column has already touched on John Lewis 2017 Christmas ad already and, frankly, hoped never need write anything about it ever again. Yet, damn it all, events have conspired once more against your intrepid diarist in the form of the ugly, giant, snoring, purple-furred head of the law.

To be fair, we've had to crowbar this piece into our charity column. But Barnardo's is a charity, and it's getting the cash from some Moz-themed stuff, so there we go, all is good.

The Guardian reports today that Chris Riddell, renowned author, illustrator and childrens laureate, has tweeted @ the folks over at John Lewis to draw the striking similarities between Moz and his own, albeit somewhat more sinisterly named monster, Mr Underbed.

Riddells tweet says simply: John Lewis helps themselves to my picture book with a small video of his 1986 book which is about a large, blue monster who sleeps under the bed of a small boy and then befriends him in the wee hours.

John Lewis helps themselves to my picture book. https://t.co/mrVHmalTwh  chris riddell (@chrisriddell50) November 16, 2017

John Lewis reportedly spent as much as 7m on the campaign, which was ostensibly created by its long-term creative agency Adam&Eve  itself presumably borrowed from the existing literary concept of well-known Biblical power couple and apple-enthusiasts Adam and Eve.

Riddell said he was struck by the similarity of the concept when I watched the ad, and subsequently a number of people have tweeted and emailed me pointing this out. So I decided to do a Facebook post, tongue in cheek, about John Lewis promoting Mr Underbed.

A spokeswoman for John Lewis sounded less amused at the tongue in cheek accusation of plagiarism, saying: The story of a big hairy monster under the bed which keeps a child from sleeping is a universal tale which has been told many times over many years.

Ours is a Christmas story of friendship and fun between Joe and Moz The Monster, in which Joe receives a night light which helps him get a good nights sleep. The main thrust of our story is utterly different to Chris Riddells.

Regardless of the outcome of this potential creative commons stoush, Diary cant help but think the bigger crime here is the fact that the band Elbow were paid to cover a classic Beatles song. Shame on you John Lewis. Shame!
One of the most cumbersome aspects of a denial letter is the often-abrupt transition from letter to legalistic policy language to establish what the policy says regarding a particular type of incident. Claims people refer claimants to the policy in order to demonstrate that a particular type of loss is not covered in the policy.

Just quoting the policy, however, is not as simple as it sounds. Problems occur when the quoted policy, which is filled with legalese, is transposed to the letter with poor formatting or when the denial writer neither prepares the reader for the policy nor summarizes its key point but just refers him or her to it as though it was self-explanatory.

Here are six tips on making policy language more readable. They are drawn from hundreds of denial letters I have seen while teaching my one-day on-site Effective Writing for Claims Professionals seminar at insurance companies and claims associations across North America:

Indent the policy quotation. If the policy language has the same margin as the rest of the letter, the reader may not be aware when the letter writer has switched to policy language. Indenting the policy passage immediately helps the reader make the transition. Space it for maximum readability. In an effort to save space, the denial letter writer often chooses to delete the spaces between sections that occur within the policy. Spacing is as important to comprehending policy language as it is to comprehending any other type of writing. Dont leave out spaces between policy sections and subsections, if they exist in the policy. Use a different typeface to make the policy language stand out. By switching from one typeface (for the letter) to another (for the policy language), you allow readers to visually differentiate letter from policy language. Use ellipses () to show omissions within the quoted policy sections. An ellipsis () is the proper punctuation to show that you have omitted some policy language in your desire to focus solely on those parts of the policy that pertain to the readers claim. They play fair with the reader by indicating that the reader has chosen to omit certain sections, words or phrases in the policy. Use italics and boldface to highlight pointsbut tell the reader they are yours. You may choose to italicize or boldface parts of the quoted policy language, but you then have to give your reader the message that you  the letter writer  are commenting on the policy. Do this by putting your comment in brackets [ ]. For example, [Italics mine]. Lead in to policy language with a paraphrase of the salient point. Too many claims people just drop the policy quotation in their letters without any prefatory comment except please refer to the following. The writer should prepare readers for what they are about to read in the policy by paraphrasing a key point (e.g., These next three paragraphs of policy language discuss some of the types of weather conditions that are not covered in your policy.). Also, after concluding the policy quotation, make a smooth transition back into your letter by either commenting on the quotation or by relating the key points to the reason you give for denying coverage. (e.g., So, as you can see from the policy, when a rodent chews a hole in the pool liner, coverage is excluded. Therefore, we must deny your claim.).

The following letter is a good example of how NOT to quote policy language in a letter. The writer may not be able to change the policy language but can at least lead into the policy more smoothly, paraphrasing the legalistic sentences the reader is about to read:

**

February 25, 2017

Date of Loss: January 20, 2017

Claims Number: 3490

Policy Number 143739

Insured: Rick Mooney

Jill Mooney

Mr. and Mrs. Mooney:

This letter is regarding your claim for fire damage sustained to a 2017 feed wagon, owned by Marshall Farm Supply, Inc., occurring on January 20, 2017.

There is no coverage for this loss within your XXX Personal Liability Coverage

Policy form 400-1(08-08) as follows:

Page 12 and 13 of 20 exclusions

F. Coverage L  Liability

Coverage does not apply to:

Property damage to property rented to, occupied or used by or in the care of an insured, except for the property damage to the insured locations that is caused by fire, smoke, or explosion;

Page 14 of 20 Additional Coverages

C. Coverage N  Damage to the Property of Others

2. We will not pay for property damage

c. Arising out of:

(1) Professional services, a business or farming operation engaged in by an insured

Additionally, there is no coverage under your policy for

Page 15 of 20 Optional Coverages

A, Coverage D-Damage to Farm Equipment of Others.

We regret that we are unable to make payment for this claim based on the policy provisions. We hope this letter explains our position. If you have any questions after reviewing this letter you may reach me at 666-6666 or e-mail bbbb@gasil.com.

Thank you.

**

While the writer tries to use boldface to make the policy read better, it doesnt help. What would help would be a sentence leading into the policy language that says: There is no coverage for your feed wagon according to the following three sections of your policy.

With more and more judges insisting that insurance letters sound less boilerplate and more original, claims professionals need to rethink the formatting, phrasing and organization of their denial letters or insurance companies may find themselves denied the verdicts they seek when squaring off against a claimant in a court of law.
After India Today probed and exposed the ground reality in Alibag, Raigad Collector has decided to go for a second round of legal battle in a higher court with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan for his farmhouse there.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: Maharashtra's Raigad Collector has decided to go for a second round of legal battle in a higher court with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan for his Alibag farmhouse.

Raigad Collector Dr Vijay Suryavanshi in an exclusive interview to India Today said that their team would "seek a legal opinion from state administration to fight a legal battle against Shah Rukh Khan and others, in higher court, most probably, Bombay High Court."

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While talking to India Today, Dr Suryavanshi said that the actor has violated the Environmental Act and CRZ rules while constructing his bungalow at Alibag.

"In 2015, the local administration at Alibag had filed a First Information Report (FIR) in police station against Shah Rukh Khan for violating CRZ rules, etc. Action was taken by local officers, but subsequently, he managed to get a stay order against our action from the local court", he said.

When India Today exposed how the actor had allegedly misused Section 63 of Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act and how violation of Costal Regulatory Zones (CRZ) rules had taken place by constructing the super-luxury bungalow, instead of repairment of old farm-huts, the Collector Office took the cognizance.

He decided to call for an urgent meeting of district officers, including police officials, on Saturday to discuss the further action-plan.

Almost 85 entities/individuals at Alibag have managed to take a stay order against government action on their alleged violations. The collector categorically said that the further legal action in higher court would be against all (including SRK). It includes many big corporate names, Bollywood celebrities, sportsmen and politicians.

Besides a criminal complaint filed at Alibag, another written complain was filed by an activist at Khar Police Station in Mumbai in January 2017 against Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan and Deja Vu Farms Private Ltd.

After completing its preliminary inquiry, in May 2017 Mumbai Police had sent a two-pages communication to Alibag office, seeking some case details. But nothing happened until India Today itself probed and exposed it.

--- ENDS ---
has quietly launched an app designed to help truck delivery drivers get in and out of warehouses faster.

The app, called Relay, rolled out late last month and is available on Apple and Android devices. Drivers enter cargo information into the app, allowing them to check in with a QR code and get through the security gate, avoiding the manual process of badging in. At some facilities, Amazon has built special Relay lanes, according to the app page.

Relay is Amazon's first attempt at automating the truck delivery process, which is error-prone due to its reliance on phone calls and paperwork. About 80 percent of cargo in the U.S. is transported via truck, which makes the market a big target for tech companies like Uber and start-ups such as Convoy and Trucker Path. According to Convoy, the trucking market is worth $800 billion.

While Relay may have a narrow application today, it serves as the first connection point between Amazon and potentially millions of truck drivers, a job that's become one of the most common in the U.S. Amazon is reportedly looking into other services as well, including an app that would match truck drivers with cargo shippers.
With all the talk on Wall Street about CEOs who have let their companies down, like former General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, CNBC's Jim Cramer wanted to focus on the cream of the crop.

"While a lousy CEO can wreck even the best enterprise, the flip-side is also true," the "Mad Money" host said. "A great CEO can turn a company that may be mediocre into a powerhouse and stir up a tremendous amount of value in the process."

That's why Cramer wanted to highlight the work of Miles White, longtime chairman and CEO of health care giant Abbott . The $96 billion company deals mainly in diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition and generic drugs, with 70 percent of its sales coming from outside the United States.

Since White took over in 1999, he's made moves that have rewarded his shareholders handsomely, the most major being the spin-off of Abbott's pharmaceutical arm into AbbVie in 2013.

More specifically, White has shown his finesse in creating value, Cramer said. First there's Abbott's stock, which has gone from $22 a share to $55 a share under his leadership. Then there's the stock of AbbVie, which is now worth $94.47 as of Wednesday's close.

In 2004, White also spun off Hospira, Abbott's hospital supply segment, which Pfizer later bought for $17 billion. For shareholders who held on to their stake, it added p to another $9 per share for Abbott.

"Add it all up, all these different pieces, and you get $159 of value, meaning if you bought Abbott when White came in as CEO and you held it along with AbbVie, you'd have a 623 percent gain," Cramer said. "In other words, if you invested $1,000 in Abbott back then, your investment would now be worth $7,230. That doesn't seem like a lot of single-stock risk to me. No, it seems like pure stock price appreciation."

How did White do it? The CEO began by bolstering Abbott's drug business (which later became AbbVie). Within four years of White becoming CEO, Abbott released Humira, which would go on to treat forms of arthritis, plaque psoriasis and Crohn's Disease, among other ailments.

For over 10 years, Humira  which was created to level Abbott with the likes of Pfizer and Merck  was one of the best-selling drugs in the world. In 2016, it made $16.1 billion in sales, making it the best-selling drug in the world by a healthy margin.

"White's ability to take Humira and turn it into [the] blockbuster drug that it is today transformed Abbott Labs from a laggard into a leader. It's the kind of story business schools will write case studies about for years and years," Cramer said.

In an emailed response to CNBC's request for comment, Abbott spokesperson Scott Stoffel wrote:

"Our intent is to be the best company in the markets in which we compete. That means the company that offers the best solutions and, consequently, the best performance and returns. Mr. White's ability to strategically shape our company to meet this goal over two decades has made us one of the world's most successful companies and an extraordinary investment."

Many of White's deals either fine-tuned Abbott's focus  like its purchase of diabetes care provider TheraSense  or paid off in droves  like when the company acquired Piramal Healthcare's generic drug business, making Abbott the largest maker of generic drugs in India.

And even after the AbbVie spin-off, Abbott has continued to do deals, most recently buying medical device manufacturer St. Jude Medical for $25 billion in cash and stock.

"What makes this guy such a savvy deal-maker? It is simple, White has a real talent for anticipating consumers' future medical needs and then aggressively positioning his company to benefit from them," Cramer said. "The impact of Humira cannot be overstated  not only did he see the demand for this fabulous autoimmune drug that nobody else seemed to, but that drug then made billions of dollars which Abbott could use to fund all those acquisitions."

Similarly, White had the foresight to spin-off his company's pharmaceutical arm ahead of the explosion of the debate about drug prices, which now doesn't apply to Abbott.

Plus, White knows his own game  when Abbott's stock was going through a bout of under-performance in 2016, the CEO bought $46 million of his stock. Since then, it's turned him a $14 million profit.

"Here's the bottom line: good management is the key to success in any industry ... and it needs to be celebrated when we find it," Cramer concluded. "Miles White has done an amazing job for his shareholders at Abbott, so the next time you seem him do some insider buying, I suggest you pick this terrific stock up right along with him."
watch now

Kudos to Miles White

Miles D. White, CEO, Abbott Getty Images

With all the talk on Wall Street about CEOs who have let their companies down, like former General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, Cramer wanted to focus on the cream of the crop. "While a lousy CEO can wreck even the best enterprise, the flip-side is also true," Cramer said. "A great CEO can turn a company that may be mediocre into a powerhouse and stir up a tremendous amount of value in the process." That's why Cramer wanted to highlight the work of Miles White, longtime chairman and CEO of health care giant Abbott . The $96 billion company deals mainly in diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition and generic drugs, with 70 percent of its sales coming from outside the United States. Since White took over in 1999, he's made moves that have rewarded his shareholders handsomely, the most major being the spin-off of Abbott's pharmaceutical arm into AbbVie in 2013.

Dexcom CEO on Abbott competition

Kevin Sayer, CEO, Dexcom Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Abbott gaining FDA approval for its no-prick glucose monitoring device won't have a dramatic effect on Dexcom's sales, Dexcom President and CEO Kevin Sayer told CNBC on Thursday. "One of the hidden assets of Dexcom is this investment we've made in technology," Sayer told Cramer. "Our system offers features that competitors' don't. We connect to phones. We share data with people who watch patients. We offer performance and accuracy that others don't. We've been competing with [Abbott's] Libre in Europe for three years now, and you've seen our international growth, up 80 percent in the third quarter. So it's not like we're getting killed." In Dexcom's post-earnings conference call, management said Dexcom could release its own blood-free glucose motoring device by the end of next year.

PPG Industries CEO on electric cars driving gains

The rise of electric cars has brought some unusual ancillary benefits to the coatings industry, particularly PPG Industries , Chairman and CEO Michael McGarry told CNBC on Thursday. "We're working with all the battery companies," McGarry told Cramer. "Without getting into the particular customers, there's actually more coatings on a battery than there are on the car because what they try to do is try to insulate the battery from the rest of the car from a cooling perspective and also for prevention of thermal events or fires." As the No. 1 supplier of those battery coatings in the world, PPG Industries will likely be a leading beneficiary from increased electric car output, which most major auto manufacturers predict will come sometime in the 2020s. "Obviously, it's many years away, but when it comes, we'll be on the forefront," McGarry said. "We're going to be well-positioned regardless of who's winning, whether it's electric or whether it's hybrids or whether it's traditional gas-powered."

Congratulating Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang

Finally, Cramer applauded Fortune's choice of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as Businessperson of the Year. "This man is, quite simply, brilliant, and the company he created is a gem, one of the great enterprises of our time," the "Mad Money" host said. "I want you to read this Fortune article, which gives you some tremendous background on Huang and NVIDIA, including a sense of this company being a lot like Intel back in the early '90s." Cramer noted how many major trends Huang saw coming, from the artificial intelligence boom to the rise of machine learning to the development of gaming. "Congratulations, Jensen. You deserve it," Cramer said. "You're a visionary who's created one of the most fantastic companies of the era. And I think this story and your success are far from over."

Lightning Round: Only Mad Money
Opko Health Inc. : "Oh my god, the quarter, not good. I mean, this thing has become a genuine house of pain. No, this is like a neighborhood of pain. And until [CEO] Dr. Frost comes on, we're going to back away. We have to. We have to."

Lowe's Companies, Inc. : "Like Lowe's, love Home Depot . That's the one I want you in."

Blackstone Group LP : "You get a 5 percent yield, you add that in. If you reinvest the dividend, I think you're fine. I want you to stick with it."

Capital Senior Living Corporation : "I've got to tell you, the senior living community business is not one of my favorite businesses and I'm not going to recommend it here. Other than Ventas , I really just don't care for it."

Cypress Semiconductor Corporation : "It's too cheap. We heard from the CEO recently. I think this stock has $18 written all over it."

Mirati Therapeutics Inc. : "Remember, I like all the targeted oncology companies, but only as specs. No more than 5 percent of your portfolio, and that's it. Because the ones that win are going to go up big and the ones that lose are going to make you nothing."

Symantec Corporation : "I didn't like the last quarter of Symantec. I prefer Proofpoint if we're going to go in there. Don't forget, Cisco had a security business that grew 8 percent, outgrowing everybody. Clearly taking share."
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with more inputs, quotes and pix)

PTI11_17_2017_000091B

Houston, Nov 17 (PTI) The foster mother of 3-year-old Indian girl Sherin Mathews found dead in a culvert in Dallas has been arrested and charged with child abandonment, with police alleging that the Indian-American couple left the toddler in the kitchen alone and went out for dinner.

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Sini Ann Mathews and husband Wesley Mathews went out for dinner with their 3-year-old biological daughter October 6, the night before Sherin was reported missing by her adoptive father.

Sherins adoptive father, Wesley has already been arrested and charged with injury to a child, a felony charge. He is now in jail with a USD 1 million bond. The crime is punishable with up to 99 years in prison.

The couple from Kerala, allegedly left Sherin alone in the kitchen because she refused to drink her milk, police in Richardson, Texas said yesterday.

The 35-year-old mother was arrested yesterday when she turned herself in at the Richardson City Jail, escorted by her attorney.

She is being held on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony. Bail has been set at USD 250,000, police said.

Sini, a nurse who works at Childrens Medical Center Dallas, could face different or additional charges, Perlich said on the case which has been widely reported in the international media.

Sini appeared before a family court judge on Monday to attempt to regain custody of her biological daughter, who had been moved into foster care after Sherins death.

The toddler is expected to be moved at some point out of foster care to live with an extended family member in Houston.

A state jail felony in Texas is an offense that is punishable by confinement in a state jail facility from six months up to two years.

"This all stems from this ongoing investigation with Sherin. Its sort of a culmination of everything weve got so far," police Sergeant Kevin Perlich said.

"It was our decision that now was an appropriate time to make an arrest," the Dallas Morning Post quoted him as saying.

Detectives determined Wesley and Sini went to a restaurant in Garland with their biological daughter, leaving Sherin home alone, placing her in "imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment," according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Cellphone records show both parents phones were at the restaurant that evening. A receipt showed only one childs meal had been purchased, the affidavit stated. The waiter also confirmed that only one child was at the meal.

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In an interview with detectives October 23, Wesley said that he and his wife had left Sherin, alone while the rest of the family went to eat dinner.

He said he became impatient when Sherin refused to drink her milk and went to dinner without her, the affidavit stated.

Wesley told detectives that he asked his wife to go with him and Sherins sister and Sini did so without being coerced, police documents state.

Police said they have not determined whether Sherin was alive when the couple returned home an hour and a half later, the Dallas Morning News reported.

An affidavit said the toddler was in the kitchen where they left her.

"The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office is continuing to work on determining the cause of death. Those results will be made available when complete," Richardson Police said in a Facebook post.

Wesley had initially said he sent Sherin outside to an alley near their house about 3 am because she refused to drink her milk.

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After Sherins body was found, he changed his story and to say he "physically assisted" Sherin with her milk, and admitted to removing her body from the home after she choked and stopped breathing, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Authorities launched a massive search and a cadavour dog found the body of a small child in a culvert on October 22. The body was later identified as that of Sherin.

Sherins death prompted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ask the Indian Embassy in the US to be actively involved in the case and keep her informed. She also sought a probe into the adoption process of Sherin, who was adopted by the Indian-American couple last year from Bihar.

Following Sherins case, India decided that passports to adopted children will be issued only with prior clearance by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. PTI AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
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Oil prices rose on Friday, retracing much of the week's losses, which were stoked by concerns about oversupply. U.S. light crude ended Friday's session up $1.41, or 2.6 percent, to $56.55 a barrel. Benchmark Brent crude oil was up $1.23, or 2 percent, at $62.59 a barrel by 2:27 p.m. ET (1827 GMT), recovering ground after five sessions of losses. "After five days of continuous losses, an upside correction is always on the cards. Such a jump, however will not mean a change of heart," said Tamas Varga, analyst at brokerage PVM Oil Associates. A 5,000-barrel oil leak in South Dakota  that led TransCanada Corp to shut part of its Keystone pipeline system on Thursday  added to the bullish tone, PVM said. But oil prices still posted their first weekly decline in six weeks, as signs of rising U.S. output were compounded by doubts that Russia would support an OPEC deal to extend curbs on production.

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Signs this week of rising output in the United States have dampened the impact of a deal restricting output agreed by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and several other producers. Its curbs on oil output had propped up prices, taking Brent above $64 last week to highs not seen since 2015. "Upside potential is being capped by oversupply concerns fueled by the surge in U.S. crude production," PVM said. Weekly U.S. crude oil production hit a record of 9.65 million barrels per day (bpd) this month, meaning U.S. output has risen by almost 15 percent since their most recent low in mid-2016. The number of rigs operating in U.S. oil fields was unchanged, after posting the largest rise since June in the previous week, oilfield services firm Baker Hughes reported. The International Energy Agency said on Thursday that the U.S. would account for 80 percent of the global increase in oil production over the next 10 years. "Let's assume that U.S. oil production continues its upward trajectory. They could very well be at 10 million bpd by the end of 2017," said Matt Stanley, a fuel broker at Freight Investor Services (FIS) in Dubai. The production cutting agreement expires in March and was expected to be extended at OPEC's next meeting on Nov. 30. But signs that Russian support for the deal may be wavering have injected uncertainty and undermined the recent rally.

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Bitcoin hit a new record high Friday, coming within $2 of $8,000.

The cryptocurrency touched an all-time high of $7,998.40 in the early hours, U.K. time, according to industry website CoinDesk. The digital currency erased the days gains to trade slightly lower near $7,632 late Friday afternoon.

It's been a wild week for bitcoin, which sold off heavily last weekend, falling to around $5,500. Since Sunday, the cryptocurrency has risen from that low to Friday's high, marking a 45 percent increase.

In that time, bitcoin's market capitalization, or the total value of the digital coins in circulation, has risen from $92 billion to $133.5 billion, according to Coinmarketcap.com.

The price dip last weekend came after an upgrade to the bitcoin network, SegWit2x, which was planned for November 16, was called off. The aim was to increase the transaction speeds of SegWit2x, which has increasingly slowed down over the years. If the upgrade took place, it would have caused what is known as a "hard fork," causing a new bitcoin spin-off to be formed.

Two previous forks have already happened earlier this year, leading to the creation of bitcoin cash and bitcoin gold.

But support for the Segwit2x upgrade waned, causing developers to call off its planned implementation.

This appeared to be the initial catalyst for the sell-off.
An Airbus A380 jet airliner (top), a Boeing 777 jet airliner (L), and the Al Fursan aerobatic team in flight at the 2017 Dubai Airshow. Getty images | Marina Lystseva | TASS

Airshows are traditionally an opportunity for the big aircraft manufacturers to seal the deal on long order negotiations with airlines and leasing companies. The likes of Canada's Bombardier and Brazil's Embraer will look to defeat each other in the smaller-sized jet market, but the headline battle in commercial aviation is conducted between Europe's Airbus and the U.S.' Boeing. The Dubai Airshow 2017 was no different as the big two looked to outdo each other for new business. Leading into the show, Boeing held a healthy lead over Airbus for orders in 2017, accounting for an estimated 65 percent of new order value. But could the firm stretch that lead or did Airbus manage a fight back in Dubai?

Boeing

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner in flight. Boeing Company | Paul Weatherman

The U.S. manufacturer stunned observers with an opening day order from Emirates for 40 787-10 Dreamliners. The current list price for the deal is $15.1 billion. Emirates will receive the medium twin-aisle plane from 2022. Azerbaijan Airlines then placed a new order for five earlier models of the same aircraft, the 787-8 Dreamliner. Along with a provisional commitment to buy two large freighters, the deal added another $1.9 billion to Boeing's order book. Following that, Ethiopian Airlines doubled a previous commitment to Boeing and will now buy four 777 freighters. The list price for that deal was $1.3 billion. Ethiopian currently has 30 of Boeing's 737 MAX planes on order as it looks to take advantage of rapid aviation growth in Africa.

Boeing 777F Cargo Freighter Source: Boeing Co.

Boeing saved its best until the second last day of the airshow, however. It signed an agreement with budget carrier flydubai for 225 737 MAX planes, holding a list price of $27 billion. Boeing said the deal represents the largest-ever single-aisle jet order, by both value and number of aircraft, from any Middle East carrier. On the last day of the airshow, Boeing signed a final purchase agreement with Kazakhstan's SCAT Airlines for the purchase of six Boeing 737 MAX 8s. That deal is valued at $674 million. SCAT Airlines also has an opportunity baked into the deal that allows it to purchase another five aircraft at a later date.

Airbus

Airbus A380 performs an aerial demonstration over the Le Bourget Airport during the 52nd International Paris Air Show on June 22, 2017, in Paris, France. Yuriko Nakao | Getty Images

Airbus was heavily tipped to announce an Emirates order for 30 new A380 planes on day one of the airshow. The deal never happened and Emirates President Tim Clark offered an indication why, when he explained that Airbus needed to commit to the superjumbo program for at least 10 years. It wasn't until day three of the show that Airbus announced a commercial order. Golden Falcon Aviation signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 25 of Airbus's popular A320neo aircraft. Although the contract value was not unveiled, the list price for one A320neo is approximately $108 million, giving a total order of $2.7 billion. The planes will be used by Kuwait's resurrected Wataniya Airlines. Then came the big one. Airbus turned its fortunes around with a mammoth order of 430 jets from the A320 family, worth a list price total of $49.5 billion. The buyer, who will seek financing for the deal, was U.S. private equity firm Indigo Partners. Signing the deal for Indigo was veteran airline investor Bill Franke, who described it as the largest aircraft order ever.

An Airbus A320 in manufacturer livery. Source: Airbus

Airbus signed off at Dubai with a $500 million deal to sell Air Senegal two A330neo wide-body aircraft. The airline said it planned to use the plane to develop medium and long-haul routes.

So who won?
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

The U.S. Senate is considering two bills that could, if made into law, dent ad growth at Facebook, Google parent Alphabet and other internet companies. As is often the case in Washington, the bill with the lower profile has a better chance of becoming law.

Goodbye to a key internet loophole?

That's the bill the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology passed and sent to the full Senate for consideration on November 8. Dubbed SESTA, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, it would take away a key legal defense that internet companies have enjoyed since 1996. That's when Congress granted a loophole to companies that host internet services on their web sites, which absolved them of liability for content their users uploaded. That loophole now stands in the way of the SESTA bill launched by Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, which has been pushed by advocates for victims of human and sex trafficking.

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It has the momentum of moral justice, because thousands of women, girls and boys have been exploited and had their lives destroyed by predators they've met online. Because the legislation launched by Portman, a Republican, deals with the most unsavory underbelly of the internet, few have talked about it  except for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Columbia Journalism Review and other advocates of free speech online. Those organizations point out that repealing what's called the exemption of Section 230 of the 1996 Telecom Act could have an unintended and dire consequence. It could cause Google and Facebook to restrict the uploading of legally-risky content to their sites and give them de facto market control over internet speech. For the companies, that could mean lower sales of the ads that have made them two darlings of growth investors. Shares of Google parent Alphabet have surged almost 30 percent this year, while Facebook has soared 55 percent.

Stop the Russians!

Portman's bill has gotten less attention than another introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and backed by other Democrats, including Senator Mark Warner, ranking member of the Intelligence Committee. That bill, which is also co-sponsored by Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, deals with a different exemption enjoyed by Google and Facebook, one having to do with disclosures for online political ads. That bill, the Honest Ads Act, has the support of more than 30 members of Congress. It would require political ads that air online to have the same disclosures that political ads on radio and TV currently do -- like who paid for the ad. It's high profile given that executives of the companies  and another from Twitter  were grilled in both houses of Congress earlier this month, after Russian propagandists used those platforms to try to influence the 2016 election. The bill could crimp revenue growth at the internet companies, since foreign people and organizations would no longer be able to buy ads, and the long list of legally mandated disclosures would make these ads less attractive on mobile devices. That matters, given that political ad sales have grown sharply, based on a report from Borrell and Associates. Yet its chances of passage are further away than those for Portman's bill. Of the 33 members of Congress who sent a signed comment to the election commission backing new rules, not one was a member of the GOP majority. The Klobuchar bill, introduced in October, sits with the Senate rules committee and has not been put to a committee vote, let alone cleared one, as Portman's bill has. Neither bill is a sure thing, given that Google over the last two years has been among the largest U.S. corporate spenders on lobbying. Yet of the two pieces of legislation, the one backed by Portman and headed for the full Senate already, is more likely to impact investors first. Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified a bill co-sponsored by Senators Klobuchar and Warner. The Honest Ads Act was introduced Oct. 19.

WATCH: Should FB ads face regulation?
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As stocks drifted down from their highs on Friday, CNBC's Jim Cramer urged investors not to blame earnings action for the market's failure to rally. "Even the amazing numbers and the stock moves from Foot Locker, from Ross Stores, from Gap, even from Abercrombie & Fitch, they weren't enough to prop up the averages," the "Mad Money" host said. "But no one ever said the stock market had to be rational, and in fact, market irrationality often gives us exactly the kinds of great opportunities I talk about because we can try to make money by going against the grain." Cramer said a lot of the market's moves have been mirroring overseas markets, a trend he called "stupidity" because foreign stocks often slide on a weakening dollar, which is a boon for U.S. companies. "That said, while blowout earnings reports can't always save the broader market, a beat-and-raise quarter will almost always produce higher prices for the stock in question," Cramer said. "It's another reason why you have to pay attention to the individual earnings reports." With that in mind, Cramer turned to the stocks and events he'll be watching next week:

Monday: Agilent Technologies, Urban Outfitters, Palo Alto Networks

Agilent : Agilent reports earnings after Monday's closing bell, and Cramer has been amazed by this technology equipment testing company's repeated upside surprises. "It's remarkable how consistent this company is, and the stock hit a new high today. I would not be surprised if it's got more room to run," he said. Urban Outfitters : Shares of Urban Outfitters have been roaring ahead of its Monday earnings announcement, presenting an interesting dilemma: Can this retailer's stock continue to run after its report? "I actually think the answer could be yes," Cramer said. "Look at Children's Place . That said, the recent retail rally relies heavily on short-covering, which means when the shorts are finished re-positioning, it's likely to run out of steam. So I'm going to take a pass on Urban Outfitters." Palo Alto : Cramer was concerned about this cybersecurity play ahead of its report. Though Palo Alto's last quarter was strong, the "Mad Money" host worried that Cisco's security arm could be taking market share from Palo Alto. "While I think the world of Palo Alto's CEO, Mark McLaughlin, I want to watch this one and wait here, mainly because the stock was up so big today," he said.

Tuesday: Lowe's Companies, Salesforce.com, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, GameStop

Lowe's : Even though Lowe's has had some strong earnings results of late, Cramer didn't want to recommend the retailer's stock ahead of its report. "I don't believe Lowe's is performing at the level of Home Depot , and I think the Home Despot didn't get nearly the credit it deserved after reporting its blowout quarter. So why take a chance with the likely inferior Lowe's?" he said. Salesforce : Shares of this Cramer-fave cloud play have run ahead of its Tuesday earnings report, but the "Mad Money" host still excepted a big quarter. "Every year I go to Dreamforce in San Francisco, that's their tech festival, and each time I'm blown away by all the new clients and all the business they're doing around the world. I think Salesforce goes higher, as CEO Marc Benioff just keeps winning contract after contract, but please don't buy the first tick of the trade if it's up," Cramer said. HPE : Cramer felt "uneasy" about Hewlett Packard Enterprise ahead of the tech company's earnings report on Tuesday because of its cohort of competitors. "I'm as negative on it as I am positive about HP . That's the one that's got the PC and the printers, and it continually blown away the numbers," he said. "That thing's been a total beast and beasts tend to keep running." GameStop : Having spoken to an array of gaming companies and CEOs, Cramer was especially worried about this video game retailer's earnings report. "The digital world has really taken over," he said. "I think there's just not enough brick-and-mortar business left for GameStop to make a real go of it."

Wednesday: Deere & Company, durable goods orders

Deere : With agricultural stocks in the midst of a powerful up-cycle, Cramer expected a strong earnings report from agricultural equipment play Deere. Shares of the company have been flying high, but Cramer said it could be a buy before and after earnings. Durable goods: Cramer also anticipated strong data about U.S. durable goods orders from the Commerce Department. The results will shine a light on whether the economy is strong enough for a December rate hike. "I think the answer is yes, we have good, strong numbers, but we know from the last two weeks of selling that we're hearing a lot of commentary about short rates shooting up while long rates are flat. That's a condition that's often been a precursor to a recession. I don't believe we will get one this time, but I'm not above looking at the data to challenge my thesis," the "Mad Money" host said.

Final Thoughts

"Here's the bottom line: there are a lot of great earnings reports coming early next week, so pay attention before everyone goes away for Thanksgiving," Cramer concluded.

WATCH: In Cramer's weekly game plan, don't blame earnings
In the absence of rail and air linkages, roads have been the lifeline for the people in Sikkim. However, with the state having to share 30 kilometres of NH10 with West Bengal, any unrest in the Darjeeling Hills has a fallout on trade and transport in the smaller state. As happened with the indefinite call for a bandh in June against the West Bengal government which brought life to a halt in Sikkim.

Come November 30, and some of that inconvenience could well become a thing of the past. On that day, Sikkim will get its first public air base, a greenfield airport at Pakyong in east Sikkim, 35 km from capital Gangtok. So far, the state had to rely on the airport at Bagdogra, 124 km away in Jalpaiguri district. The new airport has been built at a cost of Rs 300 crore and is situated at 4,700 feet.

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Efforts are also on to connect the 40 km stretch between Rangpo and Siliguri with a railway line. Meanwhile, the state has also ensured that the 1,795 km of village roads, 894 border roads and 184 km of the state highways are properly maintained and in excellent condition.

"Maintenance of roads is of utmost importance and the Sikkim government does not compromise on quality when it comes to building new roads or repairing old ones," says G.P. Upadhyaya, secretary in-charge, human resource development, Sikkim. As a result, a ride through Sikkim is smooth and the traffic disciplined despite there being no traffic signals or traffic police.

Elaborating on the state's focus on infrastructure, Upadhyaya adds that whether it is building roads, bridges, houses or dams, "we follow safeconstruction practices, and contracts are awarded only to those companies that promise to adhere to the basic specifications."

Another aspect on which Sikkim prides itself is rural and urban electrification. A majority of the households in the state already have an electricity connection and mega hydel power projects generating 2,000 megawatts of power coming up in North Sikkim promises to light up the remotest corners of the state. This is besides the 24 hydel power projects that have been commissioned under public-private partnership with the objective of producing 5,500 MW of power. Sikkim has a peak hydel capacity of 8,000 MW with a 3,000 MW base for potential development.

The state has also been successful on the housing front. The chief minister's Rural Housing Mission has been able to deliver 25,000 kutcha house-free abodes to more than 100,000 people. The houses have an area of 800 sq. feet and come with a living cum bedroom, kitchen, toilet and one balcony. The government is spending Rs 5 lakh on each house, and the individual is required to give his labour free. The cost of labour is covered under MNREGA or the Mahatma Gandhi National rural Employment Guarantee, allowing the beneficiary additional income along with a new house. The government is spending Rs 300 crore in all on the project. In case an individual does not possess land, the government provides it free of cost. "By converging several centrally sponsored schemes with the Rural Housing Mission, we have recovered 50 per cent of the cost of the project from the Government of India," says a housing department secretary.

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The latest feather in Sikkim's cap is a 1,000-bed multi-speciality hospital which will also have a medical college attached to it. It is being built at Sichey, five kilometres from Gangtok.

--- ENDS ---
WHEN: Today, Friday, November 17, 2017

WHERE: CNBC'S "Squawk Box"

Following is the unofficial transcript of a FIRST ON CNBC interview with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC's "Squawk Box" (M-F 6-9AM) today, Friday, November 17th. Following are links to video from the interview on CNBC.com: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2017/11/17/treasurys-steve-mnuchin-gop-plan-delivers-middle-income-tax-cuts.html & https://www.cnbc.com/video/2017/11/17/treasurys-steve-mnuchin-expect-tax-bill-on-president-trumps-desk-before-christmas.html.

All references must be sourced to CNBC.

ANDREW ROSS SORKIN: ALSO THE HOUSE PASSED ITS $1.5 TRILLION TAX CUT YESTERDAY. JOINING US RIGHT NOW TO TALK TAXES, TREASURY SECRETARY STEVEN MNUCHIN. GOOD MORNING TO YOU, MR. SECRETARY.

TREASURY SECRETARY STEVEN MNUCHIN: GOOD MORNING. GREAT TO BE HERE WITH YOU.

SORKIN: THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. WE HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE THIS ALL GOES FROM HERE, BUT I WANT TO START WITH THIS BECAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE A BIG CONVERSATION ABOUT IT THIS MORNING  WHICH IS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR PLAN, THERE ARE STILL CONCERNS THAT OVER TIME AND YOU LOOK AT  YOU LOOK AT THE SENATE PLAN IN PARTICULAR, BUT OVER TIME BOTH PLANS ULTIMATELY ON THE INDIVIDUAL RATE THAT PEOPLE WILL PAY MORE, NOT LESS, WHAT DOES THE ADMINISTRATION THINK ABOUT THAT, AND HOW SHOULD WE?

MNUCHIN: I THINK THAT IS JUST NOT THE CASE. THE FOCUS OF THE PLAN REALLY IS MIDDLE INCOME TAX CUTS AND DELIVERING THOSE RIGHT AWAY, AND MAKING OUR BUSINESS TAX SYSTEM COMPETITIVE. AND I THINK YOU KNOW AS A RESULT OF THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS AND SCORING AND THE BIRD RULE, THERE ARE CERTAIN PARTS OF THIS THAT EXPIRE, BUT WE HAVE EVERY EXPECTATION THAT DOWN THE ROAD THAT CONGRESS WILL EXTEND THEM, AND THIS IS JUST AROUND THE SCORING ISSUES.

SORKIN: WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE TIMELINE NOW? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT CHRISTMAS. BUT IN TERMS OF GETTING BOTH OF THESE, BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE, IN THE SAME PLACE.

MNUCHIN: WELL I THINK WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT TIMELINE. I MEAN, YESTERDAY WAS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE DAY IN TERMS OF HAVING THE HOUSE PASS THE BILL. THAT'S A  A GREAT MOVE FORWARD. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SENATE AS SOON AS THEY GET BACK FROM THANKSGIVING VOTE ON THE BILL, AND OUR EXPECTATION  WE'D GO TO CONFERENCE RIGHT AWAY, AND WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO THINK WE'LL GET IT TO THE PRESIDENT'S DESK BEFORE CHRISTMAS FOR HIM TO SIGN.

JOE KERNEN: MR. SECRETARY. I WANT TO COME AT IT FROM THE JUST THE OPPOSITE WHILE I HAVE YOU, AND THEN I'M GONNA GO LET ANDREW TAKE OVER AGAIN. BUT I GOT A CALL YESTERDAY FROM SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN NEW YORK, PRETTY WELL TO DO GUY, TALKED TO HIS ACCOUNTANT. HIS TAXES ARE GOING THROUGH THE ROOF, BASED ON THIS. BECAUSE HE DOESN'T  HE'S NOT ABLE TO WRITE OFF  HE'S LIKE  HE'S A REPUBLICAN, HE SAID I ELECTED REPUBLICANS, I VOTED BECAUSE OF EITHER TAX REFORM OR -- HE SAID I DON'T EVEN CARE IF MY TAXES GO DOWN. I JUST WANT TO -- I THOUGHT THEY WOULD AT LEAST STAY WHERE THEY ARE. HE SAYS HIS ACCOUNTSANT INFORMS HIM IT'S GOING TO BE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE BASED ON THIS. THAT WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IN A REAGAN TAX PLAN. WHY  WITH THE HOUSE PLAN  HOW DO YOU ANSWER THAT? HE'S ACTUALLY GETTING A HUGE TAX INCREASE FROM A REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION.

MNUCHIN: WELL FIRST OF ALL, I'M SENSITIVE TO THIS ISSUE HAVING LIVED IN NEW YORK AND CALIFORNIA, AND I HAVE LITERALLY SPOKEN TO HUNDREDS OF BUSINESS PEOPLE IN BOTH THOSE STATES. SO, FIRST OF ALL, AS WE'VE SAID, THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PLAN IS TO SIMPLIFY TAXES AND LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD. SO WE'RE GETTING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OUT OF SUBSIDYIZING STATES, AND THAT OBVIOUSLY DOES IMPACT THE HIGH TAX STATES. HAVING SAID THAT FOR SOMEONE WHO MAKES $100,000, $200,000, $300,000 IN HIGH TAX STATES, THEY WILL GET TAX CUTS. FOR PEOPLE WHO MAKE $1 MILLION OR MORE, THEIR TAXES ARE GOING TO GO UP ON THE PERSONAL SIDE. NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, THEY'RE GOING TO GET THE BENEFIT OF BUSINESS TAX REDUCTION, WHICH WILL BE VERY, VERY GOOD FOR NEW YORK. THEY'RE GOING TO GET THE BENEFIT OF PASS-THROUGH REDUCTION, WHICH WILL BE VERY GOOD FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS. SO 

KERNEN: ITS THE -- THAT'S THE GREATER GOOD, MR. SECRETARY. YOU HAVE TO CONVINCE THESE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE PAYING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T TELL THEM, WELL, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO DO MUCH BETTER BECAUSE THEY'RE PAYING MUCH LESS. YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT. THAT'S LIKE THE GREATER GOOD. IT'S JUST -- I KNOW THERE'S -- YOU GOT TO WORK WITHIN THESE CONSTRAINTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE REPUBLICAN IDEA OF TAX REFORM, I DON'T THINK EVERYONE KNEW THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE GOING TO HAVE HUGE TAX INCREASES. I MEAN, ARE THEY -- IS IT PUNITIVE BECAUSE THEY MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY?

MNUCHIN: I DON'T THINK IT'S A QUESTION OF THE GREATER GOOD AT ALL. I THINK THERE ARE GOING TO BE LOTS OF COMPANIES IN NEW YORK THAT WHEN THEIR TAX RATES GO FROM 35% TO 20% CAN INCREASE WAGES. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE ELIMINATION OF STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, PROBABLY CLOSE TO ABOUT 4% IN NEW YORK. IN THE SENATE VERSION THERE'S A 1% REDUCTION. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY A 3% TAX INCREASE FOR PEOPLE WHO MAKE $1 MILLION OR MORE. A LOT OF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS FUNDING LOTS OF MIDDLE INCOME TAX CUTS AND UNDERSTAND THAT.

SORKIN: MR. SECRETARY, ON THE PASS-THROUGH ISSUE BECAUSE IT CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TALKED A LOT ABOUT TRYING TO HELP SMALL AND MIDSIZE COMPANIES AND BUSINESSES. ACCORDING TO THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, THESE ARE ESTIMATES IN 2015, NEARLY 70% OF INCOME FROM PARTNERSHIPS, WHICH INCLUDE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES AND 66.9% OF S-CORPORATIONS, THE INCOME GOES TO THE TOP INCOME PERCENTILE. SO WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT, HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT ISSUE?

MNUCHIN: YEAH. I DON'T HAVE THE UPDATED STATISTICS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I WAS LOOKING AT THEM YESTERDAY, AND I DO KNOW THAT 98% OF THE NUMBER OF PASS-THROUGHS HAVE $500,000 OR LESS OF INCOME. SO THE LARGE NUMBER OF PASS-THROUGH RETURNS ARE ALL $500,000 OR LESS. THOSE PEOPLE WILL GET SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTIONS, SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE BUSINESSES. THE 2% OTHERS OBVIOUSLY EARN MORE THAN 2% OF THE INCOME. BUT AGAIN, THESE ARE ABOUT BUSINESSES THAT ARE GOING TO REINVEST IN THE BUSINESS THAT WILL BE GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY, GOOD FOR GROWTH, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE LOWEST PASS-THROUGH RATES WE'VE HAD SINCE THE 1930s.

SORKIN: AND MR. SECRETARY, WHILE WE HAVE YOU ON, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. NICK MULVANEY WILL BE THE DIRECTOR OF THE CONSUMER PROTECTION BUREAU. HE ONCE SAID THAT THE CFPB WAS A SICK, SAD JOKE. HOW SHOULD AMERICANS THINK ABOUT THAT?

MNUCHIN: WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT AS TO WHO WILL BE THE INTERIM HEAD, AND THEN WE'LL BE WORKING WITH HIM AND WITH THE SENATE ON CONFIRMING SOMEONE. I THINK FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE'VE SAID THERE ARE REFORMS THAT SHOULD GO ON AT THE CFPB, AND I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN WHOEVER THE PRESIDENT PICKS FOR THAT WILL DO A GOOD JOB.

SORKIN: AND THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU IN PERSON, WE WERE BOTH IN RIYADH. SINCE THEN, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF NEWS OUT OF SAUDI ARABIA, INCLUDING THESE ARRESTS AND NOW NEWS POTENTIALLY THAT SOME OF THOSE THAT WERE ARRESTED THEIR INCOMES ARE GOING TO BE  AND WEALTH IS GOING TO BE CONFISCATED. LOTS OF AMERICAN INVESTORS WERE IN RIYADH WITH US THINKING ABOUT INVESTING IN THAT REGION AND IN THAT COUNTRY IN PARTICULAR AND SAUDI ARABIA. THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE LEADERSHIP THERE. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON WHAT'S HAPPENED THE LAST TWO WEEKS, AND DID YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF IT? DID THEY TELL YOU WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU WERE THERE?

MNUCHIN: WELL, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT, AND IT WAS GREAT TO SEE YOU THERE. YOU KNOW, THE FOCUS FOR US WAS THE TERRORISTS FINANCING TARGETING CENTER. BUT THERE WERE AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF INVESTORS THERE, AND I THINK THAT THE CROWN PRINCE IS DOING A GREAT JOB IN TRANSFORMING THE COUNTRY. I MEAN, THE STATISTIC HE MENTIONED IS REALLY INCREDIBLE. 70% OF THE COUNTRY WILL BE 30 YEARS OR YOUNGER. AS IT RELATES TO THE CORRUPTION CHARGES, WE DID NOT DISCUSS THAT WHILE WE WERE THERE, AND WE WE'RE OBVIOUSLY MONITORING THE SITUATION.

SORKIN: AND THEN, FINALLY, YOUR BOSS, OUR PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT TRUMP, HAS MADE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON TWITTER ABOUT AL FRANKEN, SENATOR AL FRANKEN. WANTED TO GET YOUR TAKE.

MNUCHIN: I'M GOING TO LEAVE THAT TO THE PRESIDENT. HE IS DOING A GOOD JOB ON TWITTER.

SORKIN: OKAY. SECRETARY MNUCHIN, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU.

MNUCHIN: THANK YOU.

SORKIN: YOU BET.

For more information contact:

Jennifer Dauble

CNBC

t: 201.735.4721

m: 201.615.2787

e: jennifer.dauble@nbcuni.com

Emma Martin

CNBC

t: 201.735.4713

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Jack Welch is a celebrated, legendary CEO. In his two decades at the helm of General Electric, he grew revenues to $130 billion from $25 billion and profit to $15 billion from $1.5 billion. Market capitalization ballooned to $400 billion, growing by a multiple of 30. His management became so revered that after he retired from General Electric, Welch launched the online-only business school, the Jack Welch Management Institute. This year, its MBA program was ranked one of the best by Princeton Review. He's a veritable leadership guru. So what does he say is the key to being a successful leader? What is the secret to inspiring and motivating people to do their very best? "The trick is building truth and trust," says Welch, speaking at the Synergy Global forum in New York City recently. "If [your employees] trust you, they tell you the truth, and when you get the truth, you act quickly," the octogenarian management expert says. "And so truth and trust play an enormous role. People have to trust you. You have to build in trust for people." As a business leader, building trust comes from doing the following three things, according to Welch.

People have to trust you. You have to build in trust for people. Jack Welch former CEO of General Electric

Be direct

Candor is critical to developing trust. And that involves being clear with everyone on your team about how they are doing and what they need to do to improve. "I have spoken to over a million and a half people over the last 17 years around the world. Suzy [Welch] and I traveled to conference after conference for a while after I retired from the company I was with," Welch says, referring to his wife, a CNBC contributor. "We asked that question and we didn't get 10 percent of the crowd knowing where they stood," he says. "If you are a leader and you are a manager, shame on you if people don't know where they stand. You have a moral obligation leading people's lives, talking about their future and not telling them where they stand. It is incredible. It is a shock to me." Every three months, managers should write down for each employee what they are doing well and what they need to improve, says Welch.

Set the vision

Your team needs to feel that you have a clear sense of where you are going as a company. This is a message Welch has been espousing for decades. "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion," says Welch in an interview with Harvard Business Review in 1989, according to an online transcript. And for your message to get through, it has to be streamlined, Welch says. "For a large organization to be effective, it must be simple. For a large organization to be simple, its people must have self-confidence and intellectual self-assurance. Insecure managers create complexity. Frightened, nervous managers use thick, convoluted planning books and busy slides filled with everything they've known since childhood," Welch says to HBR. "Real leaders don't need clutter. People must have the self-confidence to be clear, precise, to be sure that every person in their organization  highest to lowest  understands what the business is trying to achieve. "But it's not easy. You can't believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple."

Have fun

Your team needs to feel like the office is the "the cool kid's basement," says Welch. "If you have a unit, you want the six people in your unit to think they have the world by the a-- and the same thing if you have a 400,000-person GE." Recognize and appreciate team successes. The office cannot have a dour energy. Leaders need to regularly check in with themselves to be sure they are thinking about their employees first, says Welch. "Do I understand my purpose in being here? It's not about me, it's about them. The workers. Am I making them so excited they hate being home on the weekend  they want to be in here, working? Am I making it so much damn fun here? Am I celebrating every little victory with a keg of beer or something else," says Welch. "We had kegs before you could spell Silicon Valley," says Welch, referring to the tech mecca famous for its perks. "I am telling you, you have got to make your place ... the place everybody wants to be." See also: Former FBI hostage negotiator: This surprising technique makes you look fearless in any negotiation Tony Robbins: This 90-second exercise will help you eliminate stress and anxiety From college dropout to CEO of a billion-dollar company: 3 leadership lessons from the founder of Hootsuite
The leader of embattled General Electric is stepping up and buying the company's shares with his own personal funds.

General Electric Chairman and CEO John Flannery disclosed he purchased 60,000 GE shares at a stock price of $18.27 on Wednesday in a government securities filing. The transaction is worth nearly $1.1 million.

Shares of General Electric initially rose before closing down 0.2 percent Friday.

Flannery's insider buy transaction may be a vote of confidence for the industrial company. GE shares plunged after the company's dividend cut announcement and the unveiling of its turnaround plan during its Nov. 13 investor day.

"The GE of the future is going to be a more focused industrial company," Flannery said during his presentation at the company's investor day. "It will leverage a lot of game-changing capabilities."

General Electric stock is significantly underperforming the market this year. Its shares have declined 42 percent year to date through Thursday versus the S&P 500's 15.5 percent return.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
Seen by many as Europe's economic powerhouse, Germany is also looking to be a leader when it comes to green energy.

Its Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has described the expansion of renewable energy as "one of the central pillars" in Germany's energy transition, also known as the "Energiewende".



Last year, for example, renewables were responsible for 29 percent of gross electricity generation in Germany.



With renewables, finding reliable ways to store energy is crucial, because sources such as wind and solar do not promise a constant stream of power. If storage solutions can be found, then the transition to renewable sources of energy will be that much smoother.



As Germany looks to move to renewable sources of energy, some innovative ideas are being developed as mining companies rethink their business models.



The Prosper-Haniel coal mining facility in Germany's western state of North-Rhine Westphalia is slated to close in 2018. Efforts are now underway to extend its life once coal is no longer mined. The plan? An underground, pumped storage system.



According to the U.S. Department of Energy, pumped storage hydropower (PSH) "works like a battery." With a PSH system, water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper one "for storage and later generation", the DOE says.



Usually, schemes make use of a reservoir on a hill and another in a valley. According to those developing underground pumped storage facilities, conventional schemes are limited by "topographical conditions."



With an underground pumped storage plant, the lower reservoir can be placed below ground, with "drop heights" of up to 1,200 meters.



Andre Niemann, from the University of Duisburg-Essen's Center for Water and Environmental Research, works on the scheme in North-Rhine Westphalia.



"The basic idea is a classical pump storage scheme: you have an upper reservoir and then a lower reservoir," he told CNBC.



Niemann said that the upper reservoir was set to be built on existing infrastructure, while the lower reservoir would be located more than 500 meters deep in the rock.



He added that after investigating a number of facilities, it was concluded that a capacity of 200 megawatts would be suitable for the site.
Brooks Kraft | Corbis | Getty Images

People with student loans

The House bill would repeal the student loan interest deduction, which allows student loan borrowers who make up to $65,000 and married couples who make up to $130,000 to lower their taxable income by $2,500. This deduction allows people with student debt to save up to $625 a year. In 2015, over 12 million borrowers deducted the interest on their student loans. Increasing the financial burden on student loan borrowers could make student loan repayment impossible for millions of Americans. Currently, over 44 million Americans hold a total of $1.4 trillion in student loan debt. It takes the average student debt borrower 20 years to pay off their loans, and over 3,000 people default on their federal student loans every day.

Parents of college students

Parents of full-time college students are often able to receive the American Opportunity Tax Credit. The American Opportunity Tax Credit is available for married couples who earn up to $160,000 and single parents who earn up to $80,000. The credit gives these families up to $2,500 annually for every child enrolled in college. Currently, families can claim this credit for four years of a child's education. The House plan would allow parents to claim this benefit for a student's fifth year but would decrease the value of the benefit. It also would eliminate the Lifetime Opportunity Credit which allows students who attend college for more than five years to claim an annual $2,000 benefit.

Parents saving for future college tuition payments

Dennis Drenner/Bloomberg | Getty Images

Current graduate students

The bill would increase taxes for graduate students by roughly 400 percent. Under the House GOP tax plan, tuition waivers, which allow graduate students to attend college tuition-free in exchange for working at the university, will be taxed as income. According to the American Council on Education, roughly 145,000 graduate students receive this kind of tuition reduction. Legislative director of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students Samantha Hernandez, says that this kind of tax increase would make it financially impossible to earn a Ph.D. in the United States. "I monitor all legislation at the state and federal levels that could affect graduate and professional students, and this is just  this would have the greatest negative impact of anything I've seen," she explains to Wired. "It would be devastating."

College faculty and staff

Many colleges offer their faculty and staff tuition benefits for their children. This allows thousands of parents, like Fred Vautour, to send their kids to college. Vautour, who works for Boston College as a nighttime janitor, was able to send his five children to college thanks to the school's tuition benefits. "As much as I struggled, it was incredible to be able to do that for them," he told The New York Times. "I took this job for benefits, but never imagined this would be one of them." Under the House tax plan, benefits like these would be taxed as income, dramatically increasing the taxes of workers like Vautour.

Private colleges

The House tax plan includes a 1.4 percent excise tax on college endowments at private universities valued at $100,000 or more per full-time student. Based on 2014-15 endowment values, The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities estimates that more than 150 institutions would be affected by this proposed tax. For instance, Wabash College which has fewer than 900 students, would pay a tax of about $350,000 per year. "At Wabash, 40 percent of our students are first-generation college students and about one-third are eligible for federal Pell Grants based on family income. Our students' four-year graduation rate is nearly double that of their counterparts at Indiana's two largest universities," writes Wabash President Gregory Hess. "Should the tax on private college endowments become law, Wabash will be forced to reduce scholarships, cut its workforce or reduce wages across the board. How do any of those options help middle-class families?"

What's next
The winds of war in the Middle East, specifically pitting Iran against Saudi Arabia, are turning into a full-blown sandstorm. And the latest evidence of this comes from a surprising source: An interview in a Saudi newspaper.

No, a relatively short interview in an Arabic-language paper in Riyadh isn't usually a big deal. But it is when that interview is with the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Lt. General Gadi Eisenkot.

The interview alone is big news, as it's the first of its kind with an Israeli military official in the Saudi press. But it's what Eisenkot said in the interview that really made history and made it clearer than ever that Saudi Arabia and Iran are marching ever closer to a direct confrontation.

Here are the three Eisenkot quotes from Saudi Arabia's Elaph newspaper that deserve the most attention:

"With President Donald Trump, there is an opportunity for a new international alliance in the region and a major strategic plan to stop the Iranian threat." "We are ready to share intelligence, (with Saudi Arabia), if necessary. There are many common interests between us." "Iran seeks to take control of the Middle East, creating a Shi'ite crescent from Lebanon to Iran, and then from the Gulf to the Red Sea. We must prevent this from happening."

The creation of once non-existent ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel has been widely reported, but never publicly confirmed by either government, ever since the Iran nuclear deal was signed by the U.S. and other key Western nations. There have been coy hints to be sure, like when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a halfhearted "no comment" to 60 Minutes reporter Leslie Stahl when she asked him last year if Israel had improved its relationship with Saudi Arabia as part of a coalition against Iran. And neither Israel nor Saudi Arabia has yet confirmed widespread reports in the Middle Eastern media that new Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman secretly visited Israel in September.

In that context, General Eisenkot's very public interview in a government sanctioned newspaper, (as all official newspapers are in Saudi Arabia), is a relatively massive public admission of allegiance between former sworn enemies. And the point of that admission is not to strike up the band for a rendition of Kumbaya, but to get that new coalition's ducks in a row for the ever more inevitable direct war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

To be clear, it's not a political hot potato for the Israeli government or Netanyahu if such an alliance becomes public. While some segments of the Israeli public rebuff political leaders who make peace process concessions to the Palestinians, peace deals or cooperation with Arab nations for mutual security reasons are welcome news in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

It's in the Arab nations where this is very dicey. That's especially true in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of extremist Islamic Wahabbism, where any acknowledgement of Israel's legitimacy -let alone working with the country - can be met with massive and violent protest. The world saw that in stark terms when Muslim Brotherhood assassins murdered Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat in 1981 in retaliation for the peace deal he signed with Israel two years earlier.

But Crown Prince bin Salman apparently isn't giving any quarter the extremist old guard. In addition to plowing ahead in his hawkish stance against Iran, he's also cracking down on extremist clerics in the kingdom in a way no Saudi leader has ever even tried. At the same time, the prince has been promoting clerics who speak of tolerance for Judaism and Christianity. He's taken away the religious police's power to make arrests for "crimes" like immodesty. And, as has been reported most widely of all, he and the king have finally started to lift the nation's ban on women driving.

There is a method and a correlation to all of this. Bin Salman clearly understands that to fight Iran effectively and earn the crucial support he needs from the U.S. and Israel, he must present the world with a clear difference in culture and intentions than Iran. If the Saudis continue to abandon the long-running race to lead the world in Islamic extremist and violent piety and show a willingness to recognize and respect Israel, that will be a stark enough difference for anyone to notice. And there's a time element here as both Saudi Arabia and Israel are clearly seeing the current Trump administration in Washington as at least a silent partner in all this. But they also know this can change, so the time to move is now.

The priorities the Saudis are making make sense in the context of the more bitter and much longer-running Sunni-Shia war that's been going in fits and starts since the year 632. Hatred for the U.S. and Israel may seem supreme in radical Islamist cultures, but the Sunni-Shia divide is worse and a lot older. And with the wars in Syria and Yemen showing no signs of slowing down, hostilities between the Sunni standard bearers in Riyadh and the Shia rulers in Tehran have never been more likely.

In the past, Israel has always been a potential deal breaker for any coalition of Muslim countries engaged in an alliance with the U.S. Saddam Hussein, for example, tried to destroy the coalition against him in the first Gulf War by launching Scud missiles at Tel Aviv in 1991. That effort failed, but it was one of the most serious challenges to the war. The George H.W. Bush administration fought hard to keep Israel out of the war to preserve the loose Arab coalition against Iraq.

Now, Saudi Arabia has gone many steps further than just hoping to keep Israel on the back burner. This newspaper interview is tantamount to openly flaunting a growing partnership against Iran.

The Saudis, long the biggest bank in the Middle East and the controlling force behind OPEC, are making it clearer than ever that it's okay to partner with Israel. On its face, that's a peaceful and modernizing move. Hopefully, it will endure and yield dividends long beyond the current political climate.

But as anyone who knows the history of the region will tell you, right now the growing ties between the Saudis and Israelis could be an ominous sign that war is coming.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
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Issuing digital tokens is a popular way for many start-ups to raise money, but two prominent names in the cryptocurrency space warned about the rise in fraudulent projects that offer little value to investors. Initial coin offerings, or ICOs, are a fundraising vehicle where investors send some form of digital currency  usually bitcoin or rival token ether  to the start-up. In exchange, they get an entirely new token that can be used to redeem a service offered by the firm. It does not give investors an equity stake in the company and they have basically no rights. Many of the sales are used to back "high-quality projects, but there have been a lot of copycat projects where people copy all the same materials (and) don't intend to deliver any value to the people buying the tokens," Joseph Lubin, co-founder of ethereum, told CNBC this week at the sidelines of the Singapore Fintech Festival.

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Ethereum creates a blockchain-based platform on which developers can build applications. That ecosystem runs on its own digital token, called ether, which has become the second-largest cryptocurrency by market value  about $32 billion, according to Coinmarketcap.com  behind bitcoin. Lubin  who is also the founder of blockchain software company ConsenSys  said many of the copycat companies issuing tokens were based out of China, which is why Beijing's ban on new token sales was an "appropriate approach." "With China's political approach to things, and with the fraud that was rampant there, it made a lot of sense for them to pause things a little bit and get a better, deeper understanding of the ecosystem, and scare potential fraud perpetrators," he said. Companies have raised at least $3 billion via coin sales so far this year, according to website Coinschedule, which tracks activity in the space. Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple  the company behind the fourth largest cryptocurrency by market value  agreed. "I think a lot of what's happening in the ICO market is actually fraud, and I think that will (eventually) stop," he told CNBC, adding that many investors are now suing token issuers.

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For example, investors have sued the organizers of the ICO for a company called Tezos that raised over $230 million. Reuters reported two lawsuits have been filed  the most recent one was filed this week and alleged that Tezos' organizers broke U.S. securities laws and defrauded and misled participants during the token sale, according to Reuters. Garlinghouse said token issuers are currently operating in a "gray area," while waiting for regulation to catch up. In the long run, he said, that gray area will go away. The CEO pointed out that in the securities market, it took decades for rules protecting both investors and companies to be implemented  the same will happen with digital tokens. "There are a lot of really fabulous things that get done with digital assets and blockchain technologies to reduce friction, to reduce costs, and enable things that weren't possible before. I think instead of focusing on those, we're distracted by what's going on in this gray area," Garlinghouse said. Authorities in China, United States, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and elsewhere are looking into ways to regulate cryptocurrencies and the issuing of digital tokens. Some argue that having heavy-handed regulation could stifle innovation in blockchain as companies may need to set aside a larger portion of their budget for regulatory compliance. Lubin said he disagreed. "I haven't seen regulators stifle innovation at all," he said, explaining that proponents of cryptocurrencies and regulators have similar interests: They are "attracted to more equitable systems" that are fair and efficient, they like consumer protection which is what decentralization "is kind of about and we have to work it out. We have to mature it." He added that regulators needed to wrap their head around the details of how the technology works and "rationalize what it offers compared to what the current rules are." Bitcoin, the world's biggest cryptocurrency by market value, has taken plenty of bad press from financial luminaries in recent months. On Thursday, Morgan Stanley's CEO told CNBC that bitcoin does not deserve the attention it's getting. His Wall Street peer, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon predicted that if "you're stupid enough to buy [bitcoin], you'll pay the price for it one day." Despite the skepticism, the cryptocurrency almost topped $8,000 per token on Friday morning Asia time  it started 2017 at only about $1,000.

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By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) The Congress today accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of "misleading" the nation on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal by not making public the price of the aircraft, and alleged a "cover-up".

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said defence preparedness cannot be a subject for politicising, and accused Sitharaman of using the defence ministry premises for "political mudslinging".

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"Repeated attempts at shoddy cover-up and complete non- transparency in purchase of Rafale aircraft have raised serious questions on national interests and national security by the Modi government.

"You hold political press conferences in BJP offices where you indulge in political mudslinging but you cant violate the sanctity, the integrity of the defence ministry by making its premises an occasion or a platform for political mudslinging and I think that is most unfortunate," he said.

Asking why the defence minister or the Modi government are hiding from disclosing the aircraft price, Surjewala said, "The question is rather simple. What is the price per aircraft of the 36 Rafale aircraft being purchased by the Modi government?"

He asked whether it is correct that per aircraft price of Rafale as per the UPA governments negotiations was USD 80.95 million or Rs 526 crore as against the purchase price by Modi government of Rs 1,570.80 crore per aircraft.

"Why has the price gone up then? From Rs 570 crore to Rs 1,570.80 crore? And does it mean that there is clear cut loss to the exchequer? And who is responsible for the same?" he asked.

The defence minister said that Anil Ambani did not go to France, but his company itself has issued a statement saying he was there in France, Surjewala claimed.

"So, who is lying? And who is misleading the country? The day when Modiji announced purchase of Rafale aircraft on April 10, 2015, in France, Anil Ambaniji was present there.

"Why is the minister misleading the country? The country is seeking answers for the questions and she will have to answer it," he said.

It is surprising that Sitharaman said India does not require transfer of technology and that the "transfer of technology of manufacturing aircraft does not make any sense", according to the Congress leader.

"Whether she will tell the country why Make in India does not make sense? Why the defence minister and Modi government find Make in India as non-sensical?

"What objection does Modi government have if technology is transferred to a public undertaking so that it can manufacture the aircraft with licence? Whether the minister wants to say that the Modi government will not purchase aircraft from Rafale (in future) after the buying these 36 aircraft?" he asked.

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Surjewala asked how the prime minister took a "unilateral decision" on buying 36 aircraft of Dassault, bypassing the mandatory defence procurement procedure and in the absence of an inter-governmental agreement with France at that time.

He also questioned why public sector undertaking HAL was bypassed for getting the offset contract of Rs 30,000 crore despite the work share agreement of March 13, 2014, between HAL and Dassault Aviation.

"Why did the prime minister promote the interests of a private corporate entity over a public sector undertaking?

"Is it not correct that HAL is the only Indian entity which has decades of experience of building aircrafts? How was HAL by-passed in favour of Reliance, when Reliance had zero experience of building fighter aircraft?" he questioned.

On the defence ministers remark that emergency purchase was made as the UPA did not buy it for 10 years, Surjewala said, "Truth is they are not going to purchase even a single aircraft during five-year rule of Modiji. So what is the consequence of the emergent purchase? Hence, instead of misleading the country, they should give direct answers to the questions asked."

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He also said that it was the Congress that initiated internal bidding process and if there was delay in it, the BJP should tell how many aircraft they bought in last 41 months.

"When she is not telling purchase price of the aircraft, how would you know the aircraft price has gone up? At least, she should tell what is the price of the aircraft?" he said. PTI SKC ENM SMN

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The Navy said Friday an aircrew in the Pacific Northwest was responsible for creating lewd skydrawings.

The incident comes amid raised awareness about sexual harassment in the workplace and even assaults.

" The American people rightfully expect that those who wear the Wings of Gold exhibit a level of maturity commensurate with the missions and aircraft with which they've been entrusted," the Navy said, in a statement provided to CNBC.

"Naval aviation continually strives to foster an environment of dignity and respect. Sophomoric and immature antics of a sexual nature have no place in Naval aviation today. We will investigate this incident to get all the facts and act accordingly," the statement read.

"This event clearly stands in stark contrast to the way our aviators and Sailors are performing with utmost professionalism, discipline and excellence from our carrier flight decks and expeditionary airfields around the world today," it added.

The event happened Thursday when an EA-18G Growler attack jet (a variant of the F/A-18) flew in the skies above Okanogan, a community about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The plane's flying pattern "left a condensed air trail resembling an obscene image to observers on the ground," the Navy spokesperson said.

The Navy promised a full investigation into the matter and possible action against the crew involved. The EA-18 aircraft involved was home-based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.

"The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable," Michael Welding, the base public affairs officer, said in a statement.

Social media was filled with reports discussing the incident and photographs showing the phallic sky images.

Separately, the Pentagon on Friday released data about sexual assaults at local installations, and it revealed the prevalence rates for men and women have gone down since 2012.

The prevalence rates of sexual assaults showed a decrease from 6.1 percent of active-duty women in 2012 to 4.3 percent in 2016, the most recent period with available data. For active-duty men, the prevalence of sexual assault went from 1.2 percent in 2012 to 0.6 percent in 2016.
Naming hedge-fund billionaire Nelson Peltz to the Procter & Gamble board will be beneficial to shareholders, Anne Sheehan, director of corporate governance at CalSTRS, told CNBC on Friday.

The activist investor won a proxy-vote recount for a board seat earlier this week after the initial results showed he failed to secure enough votes. P&G can still challenge the result.

Sheehan said after the vote is certified, P&G should give Peltz a seat at the table.

"Someone like Nelson would bring a fresh perspective to the boardroom at P&G. They really have had a lot of insiders there. They've done well over the years, but I think bringing a fresh set of eyes and a new start there would be beneficial to shareholders," she said in an interview with "Closing Bell."
The House Republican tax bill will place a higher burden on those who earn more than $1 million a year but provide a break to everyone else, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday.

Speaking a day after the GOP-led chamber passed the controversial reform measure, Mnuchin told CNBC that the benefits will go to lower- and middle-income people, and even the rich will find benefits through other provisions.

"The objective of the plan is to simplify taxes and level the playing field," he said on "Squawk Box."

However, the plan has come under fire, particularly from those in high-tax states like New York, California and New Jersey, which will get hit under a provision that eliminates the deduction for state and local taxes.

Opponents say that measure is a stealth tax hike on the middle class.

"We're getting the federal government out of subsidizing states. That obviously does impact the high-tax states," said Mnuchin, who added he is "sensitive to this issue" as he has lived in both New York and California.

"For someone who makes 100, 200, 300,000 dollars in high-tax states, they will get tax cuts. People who make a million dollars or more, their taxes are going to go up on the personal side," he said. "Having said that, they're going to get the benefit of a business tax reduction, which will be very, very good for New York. They're going to get the benefit of a pass-through reduction, which will be very good for small- and medium-size businesses and entrepreneurs."
Vladimir Putin orders to Russian army to finish drills in west and center military region in Leningrad, Russia on March 3, 2014.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday which said Russia's armed forces numbered just over 1.9 million people, including over 1 million military servicemen.

The TASS news agency said the new decree replaced an older one from 2016 which had put the total number of personnel in the armed forces at around 1.8 million.
Though his condition was clear from early in his life, it wasn't until 2012 that a genetic test told him precisely what caused it: Pete has a mutation in a gene called SCN9A, which provides instructions for making the sodium channel NaV1.7.

Now 36, Pete has never known what pain feels like. He estimates he's broken more than 70 bones in his body, often not realizing it until weeks or months later.

"So they were like, 'Yeah, he probably doesn't feel pain,'" Pete said.

When his parents took him to his pediatrician, and then a specialist in Seattle, he was poked and prodded, jabbed in the back with needles; nothing.

When Steve Pete was a baby, he chewed off a portion of his tongue. He didn't feel a thing.

Steve Pete has a rare condition called congenital insensitivity to pain, or CIP, and doesn't know what pain feels like.

"One time, I was having an attack for several days, and I finally went to the hospital and they were like, 'Oh, it's psychosomatic; there's nothing wrong with you,'" Millius, now 37, recalled. "I kind of just let it go and figured it was something that I would have to deal with."

Across the country, in Delaware, Reid Millius was growing up with the opposite problem: She suffered intense pain in her arms, legs, hands and feet that she couldn't explain. The only visible sign was occasional redness.

Pete's are silent. His condition, called congenital insensitivity to pain, or CIP, is exceedingly rare. According to the National Institutes of Health, there have only been about 20 cases reported in the scientific literature .

"It's like a little volume knob on pain-sending neurons," said Dr. Stephen Waxman, a professor of neurology at Yale, and the director of the Neurorehabilitation Research Center at VA Connecticut. "You turn it up, and they're going to be shouting when they should be whispering. You turn it down, and they don't make any noise. They don't send pain signals."

Several members of Reid Millius' family have inherited erythromelalgia, also known as Man on Fire syndrome.

It wasn't until her young niece started exhibiting similar symptoms that Reid did some detective work. She was just starting a master's degree program that gave her access to scientific research journals, and she started hunting for anything that could explain her symptoms.

"That's when I discovered the Man on Fire Syndrome," Millius said. "I was like, 'Oh my God, this is the first thing I've ever read that actually sounds like what we have!'"

Genetic testing confirmed Millius was right. Both she and her niece, as well as three of her siblings, and now her two daughters, have all tested positive for inherited erythromelalgia, also known as Man on Fire Syndrome.

It too is caused by mutations in the SCN9A gene that affect the sodium channel NaV1.7. Where Steve Pete has a loss-of-function mutation, Millius and her family have gain-of-function mutations. And that means they endure excruciating pain.

"These are patients who experience searing, scalding, burning pain in response to mild warmth," Waxman said from his labs in West Haven. "Wearing shoes, putting on a sweater or a sport jacket, entering a room at 69, 70 degrees Fahrenheit  they describe it as feeling as if hot lava had been poured into their bodies."

What Millius and Pete didn't know, as they separately endured their medical mysteries, was that Waxman and other scientists had been looking for them for years.

"Neurologists see neuropathic pain all the time; we see it every day, but we never see families," Waxman said. "We launched a search for families with inherited neuropathic pain."

Why families? Because "rare genetic diseases can teach us important lessons about more common diseases," Waxman explained. "We were searching for rare experiments of nature."

Those experiments have now entered the labs of half a dozen biopharmaceutical companies. The hope: development of a new class of medicines that can mimic Pete's genes, to treat families like Millius', and the millions of people living with other forms of chronic pain.

The need is urgent. About 100 people in the U.S. die each day from an opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By far the most-prescribed pain drugs now are opioids, which generate $6 billion in annual revenue, Cowen Research said in a recent report. The market for non-opioid pain medicines could reach $10 billion, Cowen projects, with good alternatives.

Medicines focused on NaV1.7 hold the potential to avoid the side effects of opioids, including addiction, because they aim for a target that's important for pain signaling in peripheral nerve cells, rather than working in the brain, Waxman said.

"The big need in this country, and internationally, is improved treatment  more effective treatment  for chronic pain: medications that will more effectively alleviate pain and that will not have unacceptable side effects, particularly side effects on the brain, [such as] sleepiness, confusion, loss of balance [and] double vision," he said.

Scientists within the drug industry say they feel the urgency too.

"The opioid crisis  we're living it right now," said John Dunlop, vice president of neuroscience discovery research at biotech giant Amgen . "There are many, many individuals in our country who are dying from this opioid crisis, and so we are very committed to this approach to try to develop non-opioid medications for pain."

Amgen's researchers are testing molecules of every shape and size to find the best approach to targeting NaV1.7. One potential medicine is based on the venom from Grammostola porteri, more commonly known as the Chilean tarantula.



"Venoms have been a very rich source of compounds against a number of different ion channels," Dunlop explained. "Spiders and other species use these toxins to incapacitate prey and to protect themselves."

Seeing the promise of targeting NaV1.7 to treat pain, Amgen screened its library of about 300 toxin venoms. The Chilean tarantula was the best fit. The company then worked to modify the peptide to make it more selective for NaV1.7, Dunlop said. Amgen is also working on other approaches.

Specificity is crucial. NaV1.7 is one of nine sodium channels in the body, and others are implicated in important other functions.

"A classic one is NaV1.5, in the heart," said Dan Sutherlin, director of discovery chemistry at Genentech, which has NaV1.7-targeted pain medicines in human clinical trials. "Others are in other peripheral organs and the central nervous system that are important for many different physiological functions."

Genentech, a unit of Swiss drugmaker Roche , has finished phase 1 clinical trials of two molecules targeting NaV1.7. The goal is to find a therapy that's selective, convenient and optimally potent.

"We really believe in this target and are convinced that if you inhibit it in the proper way  that if you can affect the channel in the right way, you will have a profound effect on pain," Sutherlin said.

Pain-sensing neurons aren't the only cells that express NaV1.7, though  it's also found in cells essential to giving us our sense of smell. Thus, Steve Pete can't smell anything at all.

Researchers say effect on smell could be a side effect to potential medicines targeting NaV1.7.

Work is also underway at Biogen , which acquired its NaV1.7 program from Convergence Pharmaceuticals. Its experimental drug, dubbed BIIB074, is in phase 2 studies for trigeminal neuralgia, stabbing pain that attacks patients' faces.

Regeneron also has work underway, in preclinical development (it hasn't yet started human trials). And Vertex has a program targeting another sodium channel, NaV1.8.

Despite the support of elegant genetics work, targeting NaV1.7 to develop successful medicines has not been easy. Already the field has seen some setbacks.

In late June, Israeli drugmaker Teva and Canadian biotech Xenon said a midstage clinical trial in post-herpetic neuralgia, a complication of shingles, failed to meet its goals. The companies didn't make clear why. Denise Bradley, a spokeswoman for Teva, said the companies are discussing next steps for the compound, called TV-45070.

Xenon was a major contributor to research on genetic drivers of CIP, leading a search for people like Steve Pete. The company has also partnered with Genentech on its NaV1.7-targeted programs.

Drug giants Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson also at one point were in the hunt for NaV1.7 medicines, but both have left the space.

One reason for setbacks is simply that developing medicines, even with clearly defined genetics work supporting the research, is very hard. And developing pain medicines has its own particular set of challenges.

There's no biomarker for pain, Yale's Waxman points out, such as measuring blood pressure or tumor size. And the gauges of pain are subjective. Patients are often asked to grade the intensity on a scale of 0 to 10; what may be a 7 to one person could be a 9 to another.

"Despite that," Waxman said, "I was pleased to see that the biopharma community has been attracted to this target."

Steve Pete and Reid Millius, with their mirror-image mutations, both say they're hopeful and excited their rare genes may contribute to medicines that could help with the opioid epidemic.

"To think that, hey, within the next 5-10 years that could potentially end people's pain without negatively impacting their life?" Pete said. "It's pretty exciting."

CNBC's Jodi Gralnick contributed to this report.

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We've been here before. Exactly this time last year, in fact. Not to mention every year for nigh on a decade, with any improvement in air quality brought about by a Supreme Court-ordered move towards the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in public transport vehicles in 2001 wiped out just six years later. What we've seen instead is air so thick and noxious-a cinereous haze through which barely anything can be seen-that on November 7 the Indian Medical Association declared it a "public health emergency" and recommended that people submit themselves to a voluntary period of house arrest. "Welcome to the Apocalypse", as this reporter overheard one young mother say to another as they dropped their children off at school in central Delhi, air masks clamped firmly to everyone's faces. A day or so later, the schools were closed.

Still, casting about for some cheer, Anumita Roychowdhury, an executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in Delhi, argues that this year is different, a watershed of sorts. "For the first time," she says, sitting at a small round table in a hall in the organisation's Lodhi Road office, "this region, this country actually, has an organised emergency plan to deal with this kind of situation." Cold comfort, residents of Delhi might think, as they look out at the baleful smog. But, insists Roychowdhury, without the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) demanded by the Supreme Court in December 2016, matters might have been worse. She says that since the air quality got so bad that a state of emergency was declared-requiring, according to GRAP, stopping the entry of trucks into Delhi and the temporary cessation of all construction work, in addition to the measures taken when the air quality is merely 'severe' and 'very poor'-the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, has assessed the response and attributed "15 to 20 per cent" of "what minimal improvement there has been" to GRAP. Perhaps. But as small beer goes, this is of the pygmy variety.

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If GRAP has had an effect, and the very existence of a planned response is cause for celebration, what has been predictably ineffective, even infuriating, has been the response of politicians at both state and central level. There are three state governments that need to work together to improve air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR): Delhi, led by AAP; Punjab, led by the Congress; and Haryana, led by the BJP. And then there's the Centre.

Around noon on November 7, Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, as if he were, like the rest of us, perplexed by the incompetence of the authorities, tweeted: "Delhi has become a gas chamber. Every year this happens... We have to find a soln to crop burning in adjoining states." This is a deft bit of buck-passing. Kejriwal has been quick to point out that AAP sent letters in August to government departments in Haryana, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh warning of the onset of winter and the crop burning that so exacerbates the NCR's already foul air. This is a bit like watching a rock sail through the air and milliseconds before it hits a child in the head, shouting "watch out", and then crowing "told you", as the parents and concerned passersby gather around the prone, stricken child. What Kejriwal hasn't said, and what has been revealed after an RTI application, is that his government has had Rs 787 crore to spend, collected from the environment cess, and spent only Rs 93 lakh in over two years in power.

The truth is that AAP, like the neighbouring governments and the Centre it is so eager to blame, has done very little since emergency conditions last year to mitigate the effects this year. Not that you'd get anyone at the party to admit it. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tells an affecting story about seeing two children projectile vomit out of the window of their school bus, and how it prompted him to close the city's schools, without feeling the need to take any personal responsibility for letting things come to such a pass. Atishi Marlena, a member of AAP's political affairs committee and advisor to Sisodia, has frequently drawn attention to smog being a North Indian problem without, again, acknowledging that the Delhi government is a part of that problem. And party leader and spokesperson Ashutosh, when contacted on the phone, runs through a litany of complaints about other state governments while deflecting AAP inaction-from failing to add buses to Delhi's inadequate 'fleet' to not vacuum-cleaning the dust off the streets as promised-onto bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of cooperation from other agencies, like the Delhi Development Authority. "Delhi's unique administrative situation" is a favourite AAP phrase, intended to signify "dont blame us, we want to govern but we're not allowed to". Over time, this wearies, sounds to voters like excuse-making.

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But at least AAP appears to acknowledge the scale and seriousness of the issue. The chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana have spent more time hurling childish insults at Kejriwal than addressing either crop burning or pollution in their states. While cities in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are even more polluted than Delhi, yet there appears little pressure on them to enact reforms. According to a World Health Organization ranking, based on figures collated between 2008 and 2015, 10 Indian cities are among the world's 20 most polluted. Despite people living in cities across northern India breathing the worst air in the world, the equivalent some say of smoking dozens of cigarettes a day, the Centre appears to believe pollution is an issue for state governments alone.

Ashutosh is right when he says that the Centre must take it upon itself to mediate a discussion between states on a long-term, year-round plan to tackle pollution. On crop burning, the Centre claims that the Punjab government has failed to spend Rs 97 crore allocated to it between 2016 and 2018 to help subsidise alternatives. But this is a drop in the bucket. AAP, Ashutosh says, is "demanding that the Centre release Rs 3,000 crore to subsidise machines for farmers in Punjab. There is an agrarian crisis and the state has been left bankrupt by the Badals (who control the Shiromani Akali Dal, the party that has governed Punjab for the last decade before being voted out in March)." It's why Ashutosh sees no contradiction in AAP complaining about stubble burning in Delhi while in Punjab its leader of the opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira joins farmers in setting a field alight. "It's not about farmers," Ashutosh says, "it's about the system and state apparatus." And so, despite threats of arrest for burning stubble, farmers, already burdened by debt, have continued the practice because they cannot afford the Rs 5,000 per acre they say it costs to dispose of excess straw in environmentally sustainable ways. Punjab asked the Centre for Rs 1,109 crore to offset 40 per cent of the cost to farmers, but the money has not been forthcoming.

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Harsh Vardhan, the Union environment minister, ironically at a climate change conference in Germany when the worst of the smog descended on Delhi, continues to tell journalists that pollution, while admittedly an issue, cannot be said to be a killer. There is no need to panic, he says, because what is happening in Delhi with pollution is not on par with what happened in Bhopal in 1984. The rhetorical gymnastics and absurd logic employed by the environment minister contradict his own position on pollution-"a silent killer"-before he became minister. A widely quoted study recently published in the Lancet, perhaps the most reputable journal of its kind worldwide, estimated that polluted air and water caused the deaths of 2.5 million Indians in 2015 alone. Even the ministry of health and family welfare estimates that about 6 per cent of diseases in India in 2016 were caused by outdoor pollution. How then can pollution be a matter for states and not the Centre?

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Stubble burning in a paddy field in Patiala. Photo: Parveen Negi

Sunita Narain, the director general of CSE and a member of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, or EPCA, asserts that "nobody is serious about pollution". Judging by the disinterest of the central government, the puerility of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's spat with Kejri-wal, and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's hauteur, it's an observation that's hard to counter. As Narain's colleague Roychowdhury makes it clear, there is little political will to take the necessary decisions to combat air pollution. The surfeit of media-fuelled outrage at this time of the year gives the impression that it is only at the onset of winter that pollution becomes a problem. The air quality in Delhi is unsafe throughout the year. Stubble burning only accentuates, makes many times worse, an ongoing travesty. Recent studies have pinned the blame on differing causes, but taken together offer a composite of reasons why Delhi is, according to the WHO, the world's 11th most polluted city by particulate matter concentration. These airborne particles are most dangerous, especially PM2.5, penetrating deep into the lungs, with children particularly vulnerable.

Mukesh Sharma, a professor at IIT Kanpur, co-authored a study in January last year and pins the blame mostly on road dust and vehicular emissions. More than half of Delhi's air pollution, he contends, is the fault of vehicles crisscrossing the city's dusty and sometimes unpaved roads. His conclusion echoes a study by the air monitoring agency SAFAR that examined Delhi's air pollution during the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and found road dust to be the largest factor. The Delhi government's odd-even plan, which takes half the cars off the road, gestures at the problem while being largely ineffective because of the weakness of the city's public transport infrastructure and AAP's willingness to grant exemptions to two-wheelers, responsible for so much of the vehicular pollution.

Governance is the underlying issue. Roychowdhury says that the answers to pollution in the NCR are apparent. What is lacking is political urgency, a willingness to take difficult decisions. In part, there is an implied criticism too of the city's richer inhabitants, people who complain loudly about farmers burning crop residue but would rather buy expensive air masks and air filters than fork out higher parking charges, tolls and congestion fees. In Beijing, you can only buy a new car if you do not already have a vehicle registered in your name. Imagine enforcing that in Delhi. There is evidence that emergency response works, somewhat. Now, as wind and potentially light rain relieve the worst of the smog, the challenge is to commit to a year-round strategy to improve air quality.

Last year, China put in place a five-year plan to reduce PM2.5 levels by 25 per cent. To meet that goal, they're making necessary investments in wind and solar energy and setting stringent emission standards. Delhi, Roychowdhury says, needs to reduce PM2.5 levels by 74 per cent. Local governance-despite AAP's penchant for shrugging its shoulders and feigning frustrated helplessness-is vital. If AAP wants to persuade people to give up their cars, even for just a few days a week, it needs to provide alternatives; if that means badgering the DDA every day for land to build bus depot, well then, surely, that is AAP's job. Even then, to improve air quality in the capital, a new study argues, will require the cooperation of neighbouring state governments. And, of course, a Centre that believes a solution to pollution is its business.

Narain calls for our politicians to "grow up". A difficult proposition when the evidence suggests they would rather snipe at each other on social media than get together in a room and have a conversation. (Kejwiwal and Khattar would finally meet on the 15th.) A pox on all your houses, a denizen of Delhi might wish to declare. Except, the pox is already on our house.

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It's hard to avoid cryptocurrency talk these days. Yet just a few years ago, blockchain was a little-known technology. So for Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, leaving behind a career at the likes of AOL and Yahoo was a risky proposition. "For me, joining this industry was a belief that there is something, a movement, a fundamental change happening," Garlinghouse told CNBC at the Singapore FinTech Festival on Wednesday. Financial technology start-up Ripple is the owner of XRP, currently the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization  behind the likes of Ethereum and Bitcoin  according to data from CoinMarketCap. The California-based start-up was founded in 2012 and allows financial institutions to process their customers' payments from any place in the world "instantly" and "reliably," using blockchain. Prior to working in the blockchain space, Garlinghouse held senior positions in other businesses, including as AOL's president of consumer applications; he worked at Yahoo for six years. Garlinghouse started at Ripple as chief operating officer in 2015, before going on to become its CEO.

Ripple

"I think there's a lot of interesting stuff going on in Silicon Valley. As I was looking around, to me, what was happening in the blockchain and crypto world was a movement," he said, describing how he wanted to work for a company that stood out from other typical industries. "What's happening in crypto, and certainly what's happening at Ripple  we have an opportunity to fundamentally change the way global commerce is managed, from a payments point of view. "If we're successful, then that's transformative. It allows us to put our own little dent in the universe." In October, the company announced that more than 100 financial institutions had joined RippleNet, an enterprise blockchain network owned by Ripple. Members who have joined the company's global network include the likes of Credit Agricole, BBVA, UniCredit, Standard Chartered, UBS and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. Garlinghouse said: "So far, we've been extremely fortunate, we've got over 100 customers. I think given the network effects associated with that, we feel like we've really hit a tipping point where the value of participating keeps growing by the number of nodes on the network  it's an exponential increase in value."

Ripple CEO's checklist when assessing opportunities
Prince Mohammed bin Salman Sasha Mordovets | Getty Images

Saudi authorities are reportedly offering cash-for-freedom deals to dozens of the nation's wealthy elites who were detained earlier this month on charges of corruption. But Middle East watchers said the payments may not be as sinister as they first appear or create significant risks to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful royal behind the purge. To be sure, the arrangements threaten to provoke allegations of extortion and harden pockets of opposition to bin Salman at a sensitive time. King Salman bin Abdulaziz is expected to hand the throne to the crown prince soon, and Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, is seeking foreign investment to underwrite its economic transformation plan. However, the asset seizures could essentially function like settlements, which would allow the nation to avoid messy court battles and move on from the purge, some analysts told CNBC. Further, while the appropriations are likely to chafe some centers of power in the kingdom, they also stand to bolster bin Salman's standing among average Saudis, many of whom resent the excesses of the sprawling royal family, analysts told CNBC.

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"The purge increases the risk that Mohammed bin Salman faces challenges over the short term," said Ayham Kamel, head of risk consultancy Eurasia Group's Middle East and North Africa practice. "However, this consolidation and purge  or anti-corruption campaign  will eventually give him more power and allow him to have more leverage in implementing Vision 2030, his transformation plan, and generally changing the structure of Saudi Arabia." On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that Saudi officials were offering to release detainees who signed over assets. Authorities sought to appropriate as much as 70 percent of some Saudis' wealth in a bid to shore up the nation's finances, which have been pressured by a prolonged oil price downturn, according to the Times. Reuters also reported on the deals, but said it could not confirm the 70-percent appropriations. The crackdown has reportedly expanded. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that authorities have detained about two dozen military officials and several businessmen in recent days. There is no doubt corruption is an entrenched problem in Saudi Arabia, but prosecuting elites would put Saudi Arabia on a long and difficult path that could destabilize the country, Kamel said. The alternative is to penalize the individuals through asset seizures, which also has the benefit of boosting the country's finances, he said. Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, said the messaging from Riyadh on the appropriations will be critical. "The more they can make it look like a process that would happen in any Western country, the more they can convince investors that this is all going to be okay," she told CNBC.

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Saudi authorities are negotiating a price for the freedom of princes and businessmen held over allegations of corruption, the Financial Times reported.

The Saudi government is looking to appropriate as much as 70 percent of a suspect's wealth in some cases, the Financial Times reported Thursday, citing sources which could not be verified by CNBC. The settlements have the potential to channel hundreds of billions of dollars into depleted state funds.
Saudi authorities have reportedly detained about two dozen military officials and several businessmen, widening a crackdown that has already ensnared princes, ministers and other wealthy elites.

Commanders in Saudi Arabia's armed forces are among those authorities have swept up as part of a corruption investigation in recent days, The Wall Street Journal reported. It was not clear whether they are accused of wrongdoing or were being called as witnesses, the Journal said.

The investigation is seen as both a campaign to rein in graft and a move to consolidate power under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is widely expected to take his father's place as king sometime soon.

Billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and the former head of the National Guard, Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, are among the royals who were detained in the first wave of arrests earlier this month.

The arrests contributed to a rally in energy markets, fueled by geopolitical tension, that pushed oil prices to their highest levels in more than two years.

The news of additional arrests follows reports that Saudi authorities are offering to release wealthy detainees if they forfeit their assets.

Read the full story here.
Pradeep Gaur | Mint | Getty Images

According to a 2016 Pew Research Center report, 22 percent of American adults have contributed funds to crowdsourced fundraising project. The market for crowdfunding is expected to grow to greater than $300 billion by 2025, according to Fundly, a crowdfunding website that promotes itself as a platform to "raise money for anything." Yet the realm of charitable crowdfunding is a legal Wild West, and rife with pitfalls for donors and recipients. Shenkman said the gift-tax conundrum may arise when campaigns are organized by a friend or relative of the ultimate recipient, and the recipient will not be the one who withdraws funds. Although the gift-tax exclusion allows individuals to give up to $14,000 to a given recipient, in 2017, without filing a gift-tax return, the money must be immediately available to the recipient to qualify for this exclusion (in legal parlance, it must be a gift of "present interest"). If crowdfunding donations can't be immediately withdrawn by the recipient, they may not pass this test, Shenkman said. "You have this absurd result, that people who are giving small dollar amounts may actually have a gift-tax reporting requirement that they may violate," said Shenkman.

Another headache for donors: their contributions aren't deductible unless they donate to a qualified organization such as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. That means you can't deduct an amount you donated to assist with an individual's medical bills, for example. Medical fundraising is the fastest-growing category on YouCaring, a platform for "compassionate crowdfunding," according to the company's website. Crowdfunding websites provide varying levels of assistance to donors trying to navigate tax rules. GoFundMe maintains a list of "Certified Charities" that have been verified as nonprofits, and automatically sends donors tax receipts for contributions to campaigns that benefit one of those charities. But the platform also allows recipients not on that list to describe their campaigns as a "charity" on its website.

With a lot of these websites it's very easy to feel good donating money. But whether you're doing good can be unclear. Daniel Borochoff founder of CharityWatch

The website of Generosity, a platform for "socially conscious fundraising" owned by Indiegogo, states that donors should contact campaign organizers to determine if donations are tax deductible. The website advertises campaigns that claim to benefit registered nonprofits alongside campaigns that make no such claims. Donations can even create unintended headaches for recipients. If a beneficiary receives means-tested government benefits such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income, then receiving a large cash inflow from a crowdfunding campaign could cause him or her to lose government benefits, said Jonathan Blattmachr, a principal at Pioneer Wealth Partners in New York and director of estate planning for Peak Trust Company. That could mean that, for example, funds from crowdfunding pay for medical expenses that Medicaid would otherwise have covered. "You might think you're helping the recipient, but you're actually hurting her," Blattmachr said. Raising funds on behalf of a supplemental or special needs trust, for individuals seeking help with medical bills, would circumvent the problem, Shenkman said. Perhaps the biggest problem for donors, however, is the difficulty in evaluating whether funds will actually be used for the purposes described in a crowdfunding campaign's pitch. GoFundMe, Indiegogo's Generosity and YouCaring all have procedures in place to guard against misuse of their platforms, according to spokespersons for each of the companies. But it's impossible for crowdfunding companies to thoroughly vet every organizer and recipient who uses their platforms, said Daniel Borochoff, founder of CharityWatch.

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By PTI: (EDs: Updating with fresh quotes, background)

Lucknow, Nov 17 (PTI) Working to find out an amicable solution to the Ayodhya tangle, Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today said that unlike any court verdict, a solution through dialogue will be recognised for ages.

Ravi Shankar was talking to newspersons after meeting rector of Darul Uloom Farangimahal, Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangimahli and other Muslim leaders as part of his efforts to mediate a solution to the protracted Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, a day after he met various leaders across the religious spectrum.

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"All issues can be resolved through dialogue...we all respect the courts but it (courts) cannot connect hearts... even after 50 years or 100 years, the judgements of courts will remain as such but if we find out a solution through our hearts it will be recognised for ages," he said.

Farangimahli, who is also a senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board( AIMPLB), however, later clarified that he welcomed Sri Sri as Iman-e-Shahr and Imam-e-Idgah.

"The AIMPLB has nothing to do with this meeting. I have welcomed him as Iman-e-Shahr and Imam-e-Idgah," Farangimahli said.

Ravi Shankar said they both agreed on the need to build bridges and that there is really no conflict between comminities living together for centuries. "We have to create an atmosphere of friendliness, belongingness and togetherness and then we can solve all the issues of the country."

The spiritual leader, however, accepted that it was late for such efforts but added he wanted the issue to be resolved soon.

"All issues concerning the nation and population need to be discussed...a new message of brotherhood and old culture needs to be taken forward," he said.

To a question if these efforts are for a settlement before the court decision or even after that, he said, "We are not leaving any possibility... we are not working on an agenda but trying to find a way out...give us time there is no need for hurry...we will talk to all...religious heads will come together and talk."

Ravi Shankar was confident that something big will be achieved for the country through this dialogue.

Farangimahli said that the common thing that emerged between the two leaders was that if leaders of both the religions sit on a regular basis at every level, differences will be resolved.

"He has come to the Islamic Centre to meet us...madarsa children welcomed him as per the ganga jamuni tehzib of the country...we have together deliberated on how the two major communities should be brought together to spread the mission of communal harmony in the country in a big way," Farangimahli said.

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The message that will go from here will have a very good impact, he said.

Leaders of the Islamic Centre and Idgah were also present during the meeting, representative of Art of Living Gautam Vig said.

The Art of Living founder had offered to mediate on resolving the issue, but his efforts have found favour only with a section of both the communities, while the major parties including the AIMPLB (All India Muslim Personal Law Board) and VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) have expressed reservations over his role.

The VHP and the AIMPLB have already rejected the relevance of mediation efforts of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.PTI SAB SMI GSN GSN

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There are still plenty of questions about Tesla's new Semi, but there is no doubt it is innovative and represents a number of firsts for the trucking industry, says one analyst.

"To be honest we think the truck is a little bit of a game changer, not so much for Tesla but for the trucking industry itself," Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Friday.

"It is going to be the industry's first Class 8 truck with 500 miles of range; it is going to be the industry's first level 4 autonomous truck, and it is going to be the industry's first truck that is nearly 50 percent cheaper to operate in a level 4 autonomous platoon," he added.

Level 4 autonomy is the second-most-advanced level of self-operating capability on the 0-5 scale developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

The need for many of the Semi truck's unique features has been questioned by analysts and others in the industry.

The trucking industry has narrow profit margins, and carriers are primarily concerned with saving as much as possible.

To make the economic case, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told a crowd in Los Angeles on Thursday that the total per-mile cost of ownership for the truck would be $1.26 per mile, compared with $1.51 per mile for a comparable diesel truck.

Whether the Tesla's exceptional features  such as a cockpit with a centered captain's chair and room enough to stand  will matter much to customers remains to be seen. But some are already showing interest. Trucking firm J.B. Hunt Transport Services said on Friday it is reserving multiple vehicles, and retailer Wal-Mart said it preordered several.

"Tesla is doing what it does best, which is delivering innovation," Shanker said.
The Trump administration's reversal of a ban on the import of trophy hunted animals from Africa has driven a wedge between the White House and a powerful Republican committee chairman.

On Friday, House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., slammed the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced this week, to allow the importation of endangered African elephants killed for trophies in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

"Elephants and other big game in Africa are blood currency for terrorist organizations, and they are being killed at an alarming rate," Royce said in a statement.

"Today Zimbabwe is in economic and political crisis," he said. "I have zero confidence that the regime  which for years has promoted corruption at the highest levels  is properly managing and regulating conservation programs."

As of Friday, Zimbabwe's longtime president, Robert Mugabe, was believed to be under house arrest following his detention earlier this week by members of the military, in a move the military insisted was not a coup d'etat. Mugabe has led Zimbabwe for nearly 40 years, overseeing a frequently corrupt regime that violently suppressed political opposition.

It is unclear why the Fish and Wildlife Service chose to reverse the Obama-era ban on trophy elephants from Zimbabwe now, but an agency official told ABC News that "new information" from Zimbabwe and Zambia caused it to rethink the ban.

"Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation," an agency spokesperson said in a statement.

News of the decision sparked an immediate backlash from conservation groups, who pointed to the African elephant's endangered status.

In Washington, Republican responses to news of the ban's reversal were largely muted -- the GOP has a long record of supporting individual gun rights and increased access to public lands for hunters.

But according to Royce, the ban on trophy hunting endangered species in Zimbabwe was about national security, as much as it is about conserving wildlife populations.

"The administration should withdraw this decision until Zimbabwe stabilizes," Royce said Friday. "Elephants and other big game in Africa are blood currency for terrorist organizations, and they are being killed at an alarming rate. Stopping poaching isn't just about saving the world's most majestic animals for the future  it's about our national security."

President Donald Trump had yet to weigh in on the new trophy import rules Friday. But his two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are avid hunters, and have been photographed trophy hunting leopards in Zimbabwe.

Guardian tweet
President Donald Trump's plea to Saudi Arabia to award the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with the listing of Saudi Aramco, the Kingdom's national oil company, came only a day or so before the country's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, locked up dozens of the country's political and business elite and froze billions of dollars of their assets.

Yet, none of this seems to have changed Trump's opinion that hosting the IPO (initial public offering) in Wall Street is, to quote his November 4 tweet, "important to the United States."



Trump's eagerness to win the biggest IPO in history stems from his view that the soaring stock market is the best reflection of what he views as the success of his economic policies. By adding Aramco to the S&P 500, Trump hopes to continue the rally deep into 2018 and beyond, even if his tax plan were to falter.

He knows that such a mammoth IPO, estimated at $100 billion, would beef up the stocks of potential underwriters like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan as well as scores of service providers associated with the offering.

He also hopes that a New York IPO would solidify U.S.-Saudi relations even beyond the $350 billion arms deal signed between the two countries earlier this year, bringing more lucrative deals down the road.
When Universal Music Group CEO Jody Gerson meets with potential employees, she cuts right to the chase.

"I want to know what you would bring to the table at our company, what your passions are and what your life is like," she said during an interview with Adam Bryant of The New York Times.

Gerson has two go-to questions that help her determine if candidates are a good fit. The first is, "What do you want?" Gerson says that is a "big question for me."

This isn't entirely open-ended: Gerson looks for a specific type of answer. She wants to know what candidates plan to accomplish for the company, not hear about their personal career trajectories. If they only focus on themselves, "it's probably not the right fit."
Venezuela is negotiating with its international creditors how to restructure the repayment of $60 billion. But despite the ongoing debt talks, analysts do not see strong reassurances that Venezuela will honor its financial commitments, even if its creditors are in a generous mood. "It's going to be one of the messiest defaults ever," Bill Blain, head of capital markets and alternative assets at Mint Partners, told CNBC via email.

President Nicolas Maduro began talks with creditors last Monday to restructure $60 billion of debt. China, one of the creditors, said it is confident about Venezuela's ability to repay.

Venezuelans queue outside a polling station as they wait to cast their vote during regional elections in Caracas, Venezuela on October 15, 2017. Juan Barreto | AFP | Getty Images

The South American country has managed to get some help from Russia. Moscow announced Wednesday that it had agreed to restructure the $1.35 billion owed by Venezuela, providing Maduro with some breathing space. However, this hasn't convinced analysts that Venezuela is able to pay back its creditors. "What have they paid, what they say they will pay and what they can't possibly pay is very unclear," Blain told CNBC. "It's no surprise that such a mismanaged economy is going into a mismanaged default, and the emerging market players holding the debt know that and are gaming their positions to try extract the best exit."

How did Venezuela reach this point?

"Declining oil output has aggravated the problem; production sunk below 2 million barrels per day in October, the lowest level since the 1980s," Nicholas Watson, senior vice president of Teneo Intelligence, said in a note Wednesday. The Venezuelan economy  heavily dependent on the revenues from its oil exports  has been significantly affected by the drop in oil prices in the last few years. Production has fallen to below 2 million barrels a day and, without financial resources to invest in the sector, it is set to keep declining.

Federico Parra | AFP | Getty Images

At the same time, Venezuela has been hit by sanctions, which has restrained its liquidity in dollars. The U.S. administration has banned dealings in new debt from both the Venezuelan government and its state oil firm, arguing that those funds help Maduro's government, described as "dictatorship." "The combination of sanctions against Venezuela and key officials, the regime's lack of legitimacy and its failure to come up with any credible economic reform program, means skepticism towards any refinancing will be difficult to untangle," Watson said.

Has Venezuela defaulted?

Venezuela failed to make $200 million in coupon payments for its global bonds. As a result, S&P declared Tuesday that Venezuela had fallen into a "selective default" and that "there is a one-in-two chance that Venezuela could default again within the next three months." Fitch Ratings also downgraded the Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA due to "payment default." "Regardless of the term (default), it seems clear they have missed their payments on those specific obligations and have therefore defaulted on them and are open to legal action from bondholders," Fernando Freijedo, Latin America analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC on Thursday.

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He noted that bondholders, however, have not yet demanded payment in the U.S., probably to give Caracas some time and thus increasing their chances of getting their money back. Blain from Mint described the situation more bluntly: "From an objective perspective you have to conclude that Venezuela is in default and now it's a matter of going through the process, which won't be easy." "Officially, it has not defaulted  but to all intents and purposes confidence has gone and the country is bust," he added.

What will happen now?
Wells Fargo 's head of consumer lending was fired this week over a communication he had with another former executive about that person's firing.

The San Francisco-based bank said Friday that Franklin Codel, a senior executive vice president who had been promoted to the position as head of Consumer Lending only last year, was dismissed, effective immediately. The dismissal, the bank said, was because Codel acted "in a manner that was contrary to the company's policies and expectations of its senior leaders."

The bank wouldn't get more specific about the nature of the communication. Reached by phone Codel would only say, "I'm proud of my career at Wells Fargo."

Codel oversaw 45,000 workers in home lending, auto dealer services, personal lending and personal insurance. Wells Fargo is the nation's biggest mortgage lender and servicer. The executive, based in Iowa, joined Wells in 1993 and was head of home lending from 2015 to 2016, when he was promoted to head consumer lending in a big management shuffle.

Wells is still reeling from the fallout of a fake account scandal that cost its former CEO and other executives their jobs after it was discovered workers had created millions of accounts without customer approval or knowledge in order to achieve internal sales goals.

Wells said Friday the dismissal didn't involve the business or operations of the consumer lending operations and was not related to sales practices. It said a permanent successor will be named by the end of the year.

"Difficult as this situation is, the decision reflects our commitment to our values and culture and to executive accountability," said Tim Sloan, Wells Fargo's president and CEO. "We have a strong team in Consumer Lending and I am fully confident that the transition will be smooth and that its businesses will continue to operate normally in serving our customers."




watch now

The world's second-largest oil exporter could be poised to back out of a widely anticipated extension to global supply cuts, Chris Weafer, senior partner at Macro-Advisory, said Friday. OPEC members are reportedly forming a consensus with other allied crude exporters to extend their production deal by nine months. That would prolong the agreement among OPEC, Russia and other oil-producing nations to keep 1.8 million barrels a day off the market through the whole of next year. Nonetheless, Weafer said that while at first glance Russia backing out of a production deal looking to clear a global supply overhang seemed to be a "crazy position to take," the context of Russia's changing industrial priorities meant it actually made "perfect sense." Weafer said if oil stays in the $60 to $65 a barrel range, Moscow's support for a deal extension beyond March next year would be "very unlikely." Weafer said that Russia still makes money with the oil price in the mid-$50s and any higher would prompt U.S. shale firms to ramp up production. He also believes that this price would incentivize the Russian economy to diversify away from oil, a major long-term benefit for the country.

'Risk of another collapse'

"The higher the price of oil then raises the risk of more investment into, for example, U.S. shale and Canadian Sands projects, which, as was seen in 2014, risks a big increase in global supply," Weafer said in a research note originally published in an article for The Moscow Times Thursday. He argued, therefore, that Russia's sustained backing of the OPEC-led deal could "create a risk of another collapse" next year.

Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak (L) and Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih. Heinz-Peter Bader | Reuters

Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak  a key architect of the output cut deal that was extended last May  said in October that Moscow would be in favor of extending the OPEC-led production deal into late 2018. However, Weafer said Novak's comments had since lost relevance because they were made at a time when the oil price was drifting in the $50 to $55 range. Brent crude traded at around $62.05 a barrel Friday afternoon, up 1.14 percent, while U.S. crude was around $56.01 a barrel, up 1.6 percent. The price of oil collapsed from near $120 a barrel in June 2014 due to weak demand, a strong dollar and booming U.S. shale production. OPEC's reluctance to cut output was also seen as a key reason behind the fall. But, the oil cartel soon moved to curb production  along with other oil producing nations  in late 2016.

Moving away from oil dependency

Weafer argued if Russia opted out of extension cuts, it would allow the non-OPEC nation to continue with efforts to diversify its economy at a time when it was looking to move away from oil dependency.

A worker walks past a drilling rig of the Rosneft-owned Prirazlomnoye oil field outside the West Siberian city of Nefteyugansk, Russia. Sergei Karpukhin | Reuters
Two policemen were injured, and one terrorist was arrested, a police officer said.

Imran Ahmad, the police officer who was killed in the attack

By India Today Web Desk: A sub-inspector was killed after terrorists attacked a police checkpost in Srinagar's Zakura Hazratbal area on Friday.

The victim was identified as Imran Ahmad.

Ahmad was in criticial condition, and later succumbed to his injuries. A wreath-laying ceremony took place late in the afternoon, ANI reported.

Two policemen were injured, and one terrorist was arrested, a police officer said.

#UPDATE Srinagar: One Sub Inspector has lost his life and a PSO has been injured in the attack- ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2017

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Another terrorist "reportedly escaped from the encounter site. The area has been surrounded to locate the militant," the officer added.

Police said the checkpost that was attacked was set up after specific inputs about the movement of militants in the area.

(Inputs from agencies)

--- ENDS ---
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The patches have been out for only a few days, but as best I as can tell at this early juncture, Novembers Patch Tuesday bugs arent as bad as they were in October. Thank Redmond.

If you use an Epson dot matrix printer, if youre seeing an error that CDPUserSvc has stopped working, or if you were forcibly upgraded from Win10 Creators Update, version 1703, to Fall Creators Update, version 1709, I have some good news and some bad news.

Dot matrix dissed

Microsoft has acknowledged a bug in its Patch Tuesday updates that causes some Epson SIDM and Dot Matrix printers to fail. The bug appears in this months patches for every version of Windows:

Microsoft doesnt acknowledge the bug in the Win 8.1 Security-only (manual download) patch, KB 4048961, or in the Win 7 Security-only patch, KB 4048960, but Ive seen reports that theyre similarly afflicted.

You have to wonder when Microsoft stopped testing dot matrix printers  and why this bug wasnt picked up in the numerous Monthly Rollup Previews.

Microsoft says:

After installing this update, some Epson SIDM and Dot Matrix printers cannot print on x86 and x64-based systems. ... Microsoft and Epson have determined the cause of the issue and are working on a solution. This problem is not related to the printer driver, so installing current or older print drivers will not resolve the issue. Microsoft will provide an update in an upcoming release.

Which is Microsoft-speak for theres a bug in the patch, not in Epsons drivers, and well try to figure out a way to fix it as soon as we can. Itll be interesting to see if we get a silver-bullet patch  one patch that kills this specific buggy security behavior  or if well see a new out-of-band cumulative update, sooner or later.

[ To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page. ]

Until Microsoft gets its act together, the only solution is to uninstall the latest security patch and hide it so Windows wont install it again. While youre at it, consider whether the gain from patching on Patch Tuesday outweighs the schadenfreude of watching others go down in flames.

Forced upgrades to 1709

The problem that I described on Wednesday continues apace: People all over the world who had set Win10 Creators Update to wait for Current Branch for Business before moving on to the next version are getting sandbagged. Windows Update is apparently turning a blind eye to the CBB setting. But, as explained on Wednesday, it does honor the feature update deferral setting.

No doubt somebody at Microsoft thinks that the setting can be ignored, now that the CBB terminology has been replaced with Semi-Annual Channel. Except, of course, the CBB terminology persists in Microsofts own documentation. Dirty pool.

Theres a new wrinkle. I have an unconfirmed report from Henk van Elburg that some folks with Win10 1607 set to wait for CBB are also getting upgraded to 1709. Without permission, of course.

CDPUserSvc errors

A report from robincm2 on the TechNet forum says that folks with Win10 Anniversary Update, version 1607, are seeing a notification about CDPUserSvc failing, every time they log on to Windows. Robincm2 goes on to provide this screenshot:

Woody Leonhard/IDG

Microsoft hasnt acknowledged the problem yet, but it seems to be associated with the Win10 1607 and Server 2016 patch KB 4048953. Gunter Born talks about the error in his German-language Borns IT- und Windows-Blog. In an unsigned piece, the Informa blog myITforum goes on to say:

According to reports, the CDPUserSvc (Connected Devices Platform Service) service stopped working for a few customers with October updates, but was then recognized as not working by a larger group after the November updates for Windows 10 were delivered this week. The issue only happens for Windows 10 1607 users. Microsoft support suggests the ultimate solution is to just upgrade to Windows 10 Fall Creators Update: This problem behavior is a known issue in RS1 and is tracked under Issue #8013247. This issue with the service has been fixed in RS2. And, according to the statement it doesnt seem likely that an ultimate fix will be proffered  except for upgrading. Well have to wait to see how Microsoft ultimately handles the situation.

Glenn Turner on the patchmanagement.org mailing list has put together a clever script that disables the CDPSvc and CDPUserSvc services.

My recommendation from last week stands: Temporarily turn off Automatic Update and lets see what the beta testers turn up.

Have a bug thats bugging you? Join the entomologists on the AskWoody Forum.
By India Today Web Desk: Back in 2012, Karan Johar introduced Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra to Bollywood, courtesy Student Of The Year. And five years after the hit film, KJo is ready to roll Student Of The Year 2 , but with a new star cast. This time Tiger Shroff has been roped into play the leading actor in the film.

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After months of speculation, the film is finally on track. Here's what we know about Tiger Shroff-Karan Johar's next.

SOTY 2 to go on floors in early 2018

Tiger, who is currently busy with Baaghi 2 , will begin shooting for the film early 2018. In an interview to Mumbai Mirror, Tiger said, "Early next year, I start Student of the Year 2. That's the only film I've confirmed my dates for as of now. The rest will depend on how long this shoot takes. The Rambo shoot is scheduled to kick off towards the end of next year. The film with Hrithik sir will start before that."

Punit Malhotra to return to director's chair

While Student of The Year was directed by Karan Johar, the second in the franchise will be helmed by Punit Malhotra. It's been four years since Punit directed a film, but he is planning to make a comeback with Student of The Year 2.

Two-leading ladies

While Student of The Year had two guys fighting over one girl, the new one has two leading lady ladies. The makers have roped in Tiger as the leaidng actor, but the names of the female leads have been kept under the wraps. Buzz has it that Chunky Panday's daughter Ananya Panday will make her Bollywood debut with Student of The Year 2, but there's no official confirmation.

Tiger Shroff's tryst with romantic-comedy genre

He is only four films old in Bollywood, and till now Tiger Shroff hasn't experimented with rom-com genre. But that's going to change with Karan Johar's Student of The Year 2. Known for his action films, Tiger will now play a typical romantic hero in a typical KJo film. And this has left Tiger excited. "It is Karan [Johar] sir's baby. He told me that he gets a lot of mails from people asking him when he would go on floors with the sequel. It is an honour to work with Karan sir," he told Hindustan Times.

ALSO WATCH: Tiger Shroff opens up on kissing Shraddha Kapoor, his stunts and being a rebel

--- ENDS ---
There can be a bit of a glass half empty, glass half full debate about the latest housing figures. There were 217,350 additional dwellings in England last year  up by 27,700 on 2015-16. So that is progress, but still nothing like enough to ease overcrowding for millions of households  and realise the dream of home-ownership for millions more. What is so frustrating is that the Government could make huge progress not by spending money but by raising billions through further sales of state land  Oliver Letwins memoirs have shown us how much more could be done. Not just twice or three times as much, but exponentially more  ten times or a hundred times more.

That leaves me as a glass half empty man. Yet digging away at the figures there are some encouraging signs. For a start the total is really 222,000 additional dwellings. That is because there were also 4,620 net additional communal units (student accommodation to you and me) which were not included. But if extra student flats are provided then that eases pressure on the rest of the private rented sector. There are more homes available for others.

Also not counted are the empty homes brought back into use. But this has been a quiet Conservative success story which is continuing. Last year there were 589,766 vacant dwellings in England, the year before it was 600,179. In 2010 it was 737,147. Applying the New Homes Bonus has proved an effective incentive. In terms of empty council homes the number last year was 23,928. The year before it was 27,421 and in 2010 it was 30,369.

Within the total there are still some disturbing numbers. To take some examples from London, we see that in Enfield there are 427 empty council homes, in Southwark its 578, in Camden 592, in Hackney 600, in Greenwich 733. Ealing has the highest figure at 897. All are Labour councils of course  led by those who will busily denounce the Tories for the shortage of social housing. There needs to a be a use or lose it rule established. Councils should not be allowed to hoard long term derelict properties  they should be forced to sell them and use the proceeds to bring other homes back into use.

What the latest housing figure do include though are the 37,000 extra homes from change of use. This is due to a Conservative reform which has made this much easier  a policy Labour opposed. Roberta Blackman-Woods, when the Shadow Planning Minister, said it was entirely misguided. Nicky Gavron, on the London Assembly, warned of the threat to Londons offices. She said:

London may have surplus office space, but as we heard today, there seems a real danger that these Government plans could be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

A Labour Party policy pronouncement declared:

Reform is urgently needed in this area following the Governments recent interventions to extend permitted development rights from the centre without taking into account local considerations. For example, the top down change to permitted development from office to residential property from which 75 per cent of London councils have already said they will seek exemption. We are proposing the radically different approach of handing councils the power to determine their own permitted development rights.

The housing shortage would be even worse if Labour had got their way.

Then there is the expansion of the housing supply due to people building extensions. If people convert a house into flats this will show up as an increase  converting flats back into a house, as a reduction. Last year the net conversions figure was an increase of 5,680 in the number of homes. What doesnt show up  but I suspect is rather more significant, is the number of extra bedrooms created in existing homes. If someone builds another bedroom and takes in a lodger that still provides an extra person with a home  even though it doesnt mean an increase in the number of homes. Or the extra space might be used to accommodate an elderly relative  whose own home can then be rented out or sold. Of course there are endless variations but the upshot is that increasing the size of existing homes is part of the solution.

Building works can be controversial  especially to neighbours of properties undertaking a cellar conversion to provide a basement. Loft conversions tend to be less of a problem. Permitted development rights should be extended to make reasonable building extensions easier to accomplish without the extra cost and delay of planning permission  especially when consent would invariably be granted anyway.

Furthermore at present the Government punishes those who restore a derelict house or extend their home. VAT is imposed. What sort of madness is that if the ambition is to increase the housing supply?

There is a housing crisis and the fundamental changes needed to allow a functioning market have not yet been taken. However there are some modest signs of improvement which are welcome. New building is the main answer but lets remember it is not the only one.
Damian Thomson has kindly shared on Twitter a remarkable description of Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwes teetering tyrant, from Matthew Parris:

All I have said about Robert Mugabe is that he is a deep and complex man and there is much to be proud of in his record, as well as some terrible questions to answer.

Those with a Times subscription can read the full piece. Its short, and rooted in Parris (who was raised and educated in Rhodesia) personal connection to the country.

Its not wrong, either, to read the other side of the very one-sided image many of us have of the country. In fact, it reads much like my attempts to sell friends and readers on the many charms and virtues of Northern Ireland, which are too often obscured behind images of the Troubles.

But to argue that there is much to be proud of in this mans record? And that these must be weighed not against crimes but against questions?

Even if your heart doesnt bleed for the white Zimbabweans persecuted by his government, Mugabes crimes are beyond question. Within a few years of taking office the Zanu-PF regime unleashed the Gukuruhundi, an orchestrated mass murder in which over 20,000 people were killed.

So bad were the killings, in fact, that fellow rebel leader Joshua Nkomo would declare Mugabes regime worse than Smiths.

Then there are the slum clearances, which have apparently cost over 700,000 people their home or livelihood, and the sheer scale of human suffering implied by the fact that Zimbabwes average life expectancy fell from 62 in 1990 to just 36 in 2006. Heres a brief portrait of misrule so catastrophic campaigners are pushing for it to be classed as crimes against humanity:

Physicians for Human Rights found that the Mugabe regime destroyed the countrys healthcare system and pursued policies that ruined what had been a vibrant agriculture, depriving all but a tiny elite of proper nutrition, water, and a sustainable livelihood. One result has been a cholera epidemic and the spread of other diseases.

So much for the terrible questions. The real question is: what has Mugabe got to be proud of?

None of the crimes for which he is infamous were necessary to toppling Ian Smiths racist government. In fact, by the time Zanu-PF came to power it was already on the way out. The final government of the unrecognised Rhodesian state (by then named Zimbabwe Rhodesia) was a mixed-race administration led by the non-violent Abel Muzorewa.

His government, and the peaceful-if-gradual path not taken it represented, is little remembered now. But it flatters Mugabe to believe that he was the only alternative to the Rhodesian Front, let alone the best. What good did he do that could not have been achieved, through better means, by better men?

Thats the question which sifts heroes from villains, and which apologists for the latter either fail to consider or actively avoid. It seems unlikely, in this ailing despots case, that there is very much to the answer.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Students of Immaculate Conception Catholic Schools Grade 6 class got real experience in helping the less fortunate.

On Friday, Nov. 17, the students were at the Agape Centre to volunteer and help make food for the soup kitchen.

The students had raised $295 dollars to fund the soup kitchen at the Agape Centre for one day. They raised the money on Monday, Nov. 13 during their Pajama Day at school. Students had to pay $2 each to participate in Pajama Day.

The endeavour was done to mark World Poverty Day.

In all, 13 students were at the Agape Centre on Friday volunteering. They were doing things like moving food into the food bank and chopping up fresh vegetables for the soup kitchen.

We learned that we shouldnt waste food and we should give it to the poor, said one student.

One of their teachers Kim Adams said that since the students had this experience, many of them had said that they want to volunteer at the Agape Centre during high school as a part of their volunteer hours.
CORNWALL, Ontario  St. Lawrence College President Glenn Vollebregt issued a 48 hour notice to students for the resumption of classes on Friday, Nov. 17.

As most of you know, there will be a resolution shortly, he said in a written statement on the St. Lawrence College website. The government is taking steps to end the strike. My hope is that it will be settled over the weekend however none of us can know that for certain. Regardless of the exact date, please consider this note as your minimum 48-hour notice and begin planning to return to class early next week. You will receive the exact return date as soon as I know.

Vollebregt went on to promise that he would save students semesters and that their outstanding assignments would not be due on their first day back.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynnes Liberal Government had tabled back to work legislation to end the five week strike between the College Employers Council (CEC) and the union representing college faculty workers, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).

The CEC had previously by-passed the union and submitted a deal directly to college faculty workers for a vote, which was rejected by a margin of 86 percent. The CEC and OPSEU then resumed talks on Thursday, Nov. 16, but those talks broke down a few hours later and with both sides refusing binding arbitration, Premier Wynne stepped in with the back to work legislation.

The Premier had hoped to pass the legislation by Thursday night, but that failed due to lack of support from the NDP. The NDP then refused to consent to their support on Friday. The Ontario Provincial Parliament will now be sitting into Saturday to pass the back to work bill.
An old maxim about conventional military forces goes something like this: To be successful, an army must be bred, fed and led.

The same three things apply to your bank or credit union brand in order for it to be successful.

Obviously, there are differences between an army and your brand and slight variations in the definitions of these three words. Heres how it breaks down for your bank or credit union brand:

Bred: This means you must develop enthusiastic brand ambassadors from all employees, in effect breeding a culture of brand loyalty and excitement. This applies to both new employees when they first enter your bank or credit union culture as well as existing employees regardless of tenure. This generally goes back to how well your brand is backed up by proactive and effective training. Without this training, youll have a difficult task breeding the loyal brand soldiers you need to succeed.
What's going on in and around Somerset County?

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By PTI: with Asean

Jammu, Nov 17 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today urged the Union government to include the Srinagar International Airport among the airports in India from where flights to the Asean countries are to be operated.

In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Mufti said the beginning of flights between the countries of the 10-member Asean grouping and Srinagar would give the desired push to the states tourism industry.

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"The operation of flights from and to cities like Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore and other cities in the region would have a positive impact on the tourism industry and bolster the states economy," she said in the letter.

Several representatives of the state tourism industry have met Mufti over the months and requested her to ensure the state is linked to Asean countries to boost tourism.

In 2003, India had signed an open skies agreement with the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).

Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam make up the Asean regional grouping.

In another communication to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, Mufti sought the continuation of central assistance to the states poultry industry, extension of loan recovery period.

She also sought the waiving of interest in respect of unit holders to sustain their business which suffered heavily during the 2014 floods, besides the high cost of feed imported from neighbouring states.

Representatives of the Poultry Dealers Association had recently met Mufti and urged her to take up the issues with the central government. PTI AB ABH

--- ENDS ---
Talking Points:

- The U.S. Dollar remains in a precarious position as we near a holiday-shortened week, with Thanksgiving in the United States on Thursday.

- EUR/USD positioning remains stretched at -2.24, and this could be pointing to additional topside in the pair/USD weakness. Click here to access IG Client Sentiment.

- Looking for trade ideas? Check out our trading guides. And if youre looking for something more interactive in nature, check out our DailyFX Webinars.

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The U.S. Dollar remains in limbo, at least in the near-term, after the strength seen over the previous few weeks pulled back to a key level of support on Tuesday. Follow-thru price action on Wednesday and Thursday was unable to get back into that bullish trend, with sellers continuing to offer resistance below prior areas of support. This puts the U.S. Dollar in a precarious position as we near a holiday-shortened week in the United States with Thanksgiving next Thursday.

U.S. Dollar via DXY Four-Hour: Bullish Theme on the Ropes, Prior Swing Support Holds

Chart prepared by James Stanley

Next weeks calendar is largely front-loaded, and relatively quiet. The theme du jour is Central Bank speak, and for American traders, Thanksgiving morning offers a couple of drivers of relevance with the release of meeting minutes from the October ECB rate decision along with a speech from SNB President, Thomas Jordan. The week starts off with a speech from RBA Governor, Dr. Phillip Lowe, and on Tuesday evening we hear from Fed Chair Janet Yellen speaking at Stern Business School at NYU. The following morning brings the release of U.S. Durable Goods, and at 2:00 PM ET we get the meeting minutes from the Feds rate decision earlier in the month.

So, despite the holiday-shortened week, the recipe remains for a continuation of volatility. Below, we look into major FX markets of relevance as we approach next week.

EUR/USD

This is probably the most pensive scenario around the U.S. Dollar at the moment. DXY carries a roughly 57.6% allocation of the Euro, so the argument can be made that DXY is very Euro-heavy. This also means that when the Euro is pricing in specific drivers, such as ECB stimulus or the potential for an ECB stimulus exit; DXY can get contorted by the move in the Euro. Present tense is a great example: If we look at DXY, well see relative weakness; and that shows through very well in the recent strength of EUR/USD. But  at the same time, were seeing considerable USD strength against Aussie and New Zealand Dollars.

Yesterday we discussed the likely reason as to why so much strength has shown-up in the Euro so quickly after the rate decision that saw the ECB extend QE into 2019. German GDP numbers released on Tuesday came-in red-hot, and this drove Euro-Zone GDP growth to .6% for last quarter. This puts Europe on pace to outgrow the United States this year, and the representative Central Banks have been on considerably divergent paths. While the Fed has hiked rates four times in the past two years, with a fifth apparently on the way in December, the ECB is nowhere near tighter policy after having just extended QE for another nine months.

If this growth story is to continue, it appears as though the ECB will have some catching up to do while the Federal Reserve can take a more gradual approach to future rate hikes. The return of the bullish theme is not yet completely confirmed: As we discussed yesterday, there are setups on both sides of EUR/USD and that fact remains as we head towards the weekend.

There is a valid case for bearish continuation, as price action is finding resistance on the under-side of a prior trend-line along with a batch of resistance that had held the October highs in the pair. If we do take out that group of prior swing highs that runs up to 1.1880, the prospect of bullish continuation will look considerably more attractive.

EUR/USD Daily: Resistance at Under-Side of Trend-Line, October Swing Highs

Chart prepared by James Stanley

AUD/USD

While the U.S. Dollar has been relatively weak against the Euro, weve seen a far different story against the Australian Dollar. The Aussie is in the process of hurdling down to fresh five month lows, fast approaching the vaulted psychological level of .7500 in the pair.

As weve been following, the short-side of AUD/USD has been considerably more attractive for USD-strength plays than EUR/USD or GBP/USD. We added to the position last week via an Analyst Pick, and this mornings drop hit the first target of the most recent addition to the position along with a break-even stop. For next week  traders will want to be cautious of triggering fresh shorts so near that key psychological level of .7500. For short-side re-entry, there are a couple of mechanisms that can help.

The first way of approaching is to let prices pull back to some form of resistance so that the initial risk on the entry can be controlled. We look at a few of these potential pullback levels below, demarcated in red. The second method of approach is to let the breakout below .7500 take place to allow the market to show its hand, or, said otherwise, to confirm that a break below .7500 will even be possible with our current context. At that point, traders can then look for prices to pull back to that key level in the effort of using that prior support as fresh resistance.

AUD/USD Four-Hour: Falling Towards .7500, Potential Resistance Levels Applied

Chart prepared by James Stanley

NZD/USD

The pain in the New Zealand Dollar continues and this is another area in which weve seen rather profound USD-strength in the recent past. The selling in the Kiwi really began to heat up around the election of newly-installed PM Jacinda Ardern. Ms. Ardern has some unique ideas, and shes already started the process of implementation. The very role of the RBNZ is in question, and the bank is currently led by interim Governor, Grant Spencer. For a more detailed explanation, we discussed the backdrop around this situation in our Kiwi-Dollar forecast two weeks ago entitled, The New Zealand Dollar and The Tides of Change Ahead of the RBNZ.

NZD/USD had produced a double-bottom formation when prices bounced off of the 2017 low in late-October, which was showing around .6818. Given the context of NZD/USD, we were looking at a double-bottom breakout should prices fall below this floor, leading to a fresh 2017 low. That break-down began last night, and prices are continuing to fall as we head towards weekend.

But, as we looked at in Aussie earlier, chasing a fresh breakout on a Friday can be a challenging way of trying to trade momentum. Rather, traders can use the information given from the move  the ability of sellers to take over  into approaches for next week. On the chart below, weve added four subordinated support levels. Traders can now look for prices to move down to fresh support, at which point the prior level of support can become new resistance. Meaning  if we get a run to .6750, the prior support level of .6818 can be utilized for resistance on down-side continuation approaches.

NZD/USD Daily: Double-Bottom Breakout Down to Fresh 2017 Lows

Chart prepared by James Stanley

--- Written by James Stanley, Strategist for DailyFX.com

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The New Zealand Dollar traded broadly lower yesterday, sustaining a move that started in Asia Pacific hours that appeared to reflect a move out of cash and into riskier NZD-denominated assets. This might reflect ebbing political worries that had been triggered by Labours shock triumph in post-election coalition talks. Perhaps Prime Minister Jacinda Arderns spat with previously friendly Greens over their refusal to ratify a revised TPP trade agreement hinted that the new government might be less radical than some feared.

The Swiss Franc was the weakest on the day however as global share prices recovered after the previous days losses. The currency seems to have recovered a degree of haven appeal, making it vulnerable at times when investors mood brightens. The inverse correlation between an average of the Francs value against its major counterparts and the MSCI World Stock index now at a formidable 0.72 on 20-day percent change studies having been virtually nonexistent just three week ago. The similarly low-yielding Euro and JapaneseYen likewise suffered, with the swell I risk appetite proving broadly negative for funding FX.

DailyFX Economic Calendar: Asia Pacific (all times in GMT)

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IG Client Sentiment Index Chart of the Day: EUR/JPY

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Retail trader data shows 37.2% of traders are net-long EUR/JPY, with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.69 to 1. In fact, traders have remained net-short since Aug 04 when EUR/JPY traded near 129.449; price has moved 2.6% higher since then. The number of traders net-long is 29.0% higher than yesterday and 4.5% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 4.9% lower than yesterday and 9.7% lower from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests EUR/JPY prices may continue to rise. Yet traders are less net-short than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current EUR/JPY price trend may soon reverse lower despite the fact traders remain net-short.

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Talking Points:

The Special Counsel investigating possible links between the Trump campaign and Russia has reportedly issued its first subpoena.

The Nikkei 225 slipped back while the Japanese Yen gained on this news

Risk appetite looks set to struggle while the story plays out

Just getting started in the trading world? Our beginners guide is here to help

The Japanese Yen made gains on the US Dollar Friday, while the Nikkei 225 slipped, on a report that the first subpoena against the election campaign of US President Donald Trump had been issued pursuant to investigations of alleged collusion with Russia.

Special Counsel Robert Muellers team has ordered documents, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing a source familiar with the matter. The source also told the Journal that Trumps campaign was surprised by the movehaving offered what it called full, voluntary cooperation with previous requests.

Although this is the first time that Trumps campaign has been ordered to turn over information, a subpoena was previously served on his former campaign manager Paul Manafort and some associates. Manafort has already been charged with multiple counts. It was also announced in October that former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about contacts with Russian officials.

Still, this latest clear sign that the investigation into Trumps campaign isnt going away anytime soon knocked risk appetite in Asia. The Nikkei 225 shed over 300 points after the news broke, with little obvious other reason for the slide. USD/JPY fell to 112.39 from around 113.00 before the story.

The Japanese Yen is perceived as a haven currency in times of market stress and seems to have fulfilled this role on Friday. USD/JPY was already retracing from recent peaks, a process now apparently accelerating. The pair needed to hold on around the 113.00 level to prevent a bearish head and shoulders pattern from appearing on the chart. Now that that level has given way, that pattern appears to be holding.

--- Written by David Cottle, DailyFX Research

Contact and follow David on Twitter: @DavidCottleFX
Farooq Abdullah, the former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir, likes to make provocative statements. Few take him seriously anymore. His latest remark, "Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to Pakistan", can therefore be summarily dismissed - but only after setting the record straight.

Abdullah said India had "betrayed" the people of J&K by not granting the state autonomy and not implementing its promise of holding a plebiscite. (Note: Not a word meanwhile escaped from the loquacious Abdullah during his press interaction on the betrayal by successive J&K governments of 4,00,000 Pandits driven from their homes by Islamists and separatists towards whom the father-son party, the National Conference, leans.)

Abdullah senior, as usual, is muddle-headed over the "promise" of a plebiscite in J&K. Of course, a plebiscite was promised by Jawaharlal Nehru. And of course that promise was formalised in a United Nations resolution in August 1948 even as the India-Pakistan war over Jammu & Kashmir still raged.

Indian soldiers during the 19471948 war. Photo credit: Wikipedia

The resolution said: First, enforce a ceasefire. On December 31, 1948, a ceasefire was duly enforced. The resolution went on to say: Second, all Pakistani troops and other irregular Pakistani fighters must vacate the whole of Jammu & Kashmir.

Was that done? No. Sixty-nine years later, PoK remains under illegal occupation by Pakistan in defiance of the 1948 UN resolution.

The UN resolution said third and finally: Once all Pakistani troops and other Pakistani irregular tribal fighters vacate the whole of Jammu & Kashmir, a plebiscite in the state will be called. By not complying with the second condition of the UN resolution to vacate PoK, Pakistan forfeits the right to the third condition: ie, a plebiscite.

Farooq Abdullah knows this perfectly well. And yet every few months, in order to placate the National Conference's communal vote bank, he raises the issue of autonomy, plebiscite and PoK.

He is best ignored but the issues he raises cannot be.

Abdullah's comment contradicts India's position on PoK articulated in an all-party resolution adopted by a Congress-led Parliament in 1994 that PoK is an integral part of India.

Abdullah's scatter-brained remark, however, serves the useful purpose of shining a light on the first war between India and Pakistan in 1947-48 over Jammu & Kashmir spearheaded by Field Marshal KM Cariappa whose "singular distinction", historian Ramachandra Guha recently wrote, "was that he was the first army chief. He was not necessarily the best, either in the field or as a tactician."

Is Guha right?

Consider the facts.

Cariappa was the first Indian army chief, taking over in January 1949 from the last British chief of the Indian army, Lt. General Sir Roy Bucher.

What was Cariappa's role in the long battle in 1947-48 to drive the invading Pakistani army and its tribal forces out of Poonch, Kargil and Uri?

In early-1948, as GOC-in-C of the Western Command, Lt General Cariappa led the force that recaptured Poonch, Kargil, Dras and other areas that the Pakistani army had overrun.

The Indians had been ill-prepared for the war over J&K that erupted weeks after the accession of the state to India. The Pakistani army, helped by irregular tribal fighters, made deep inroads into J&K. General Cariappa appointed Lt General KS Thimayya as GOC of the 19th Division as the war wore on.

By mid-1948, General Cariappa's troops were pushing the Pakistani army back. The tide had turned decisively in India's favour.

Politics now struck. Nehru was "persuaded" by the United States to halt the Indian army's advance. Despite orders from New Delhi to scale back the Indian army's thrust to drive the Pakistani army out of the whole of Jammu & Kashmir, General Cariappa defied the government and continued to push forward, securing Ladakh for India before operations ceased.

Following the UN mandated ceasefire on December 31, 1948, General Cariappa was appointed the first Indian to head the Indian Army. He took over as commander-in-chief of the army from Lt General Sir Roy Bucher on January 15, 1949. The day is celebrated as Army Day.

General Cariappa was conferred the rank of Field Marshal in 1986 by the Rajiv Gandhi government at the age of 87. The only other Indian army officer to be conferred the rank of Field Marshal (by, incidentally, the Indira Gandhi government) was Sam Manekshaw in 1973, when he was only 58.

As a young Major, Manekshaw like General Thimayya had served under General Cariappa in the 1947-48 India-Pakistan war. Manekshaw though never saw action on the J&K battlefront and was posted to MO Directorate. Manekshaw had, however, proved himself on the battlefield in Burma in 1942 during World War 2. He was lauded for bravery, but did not, unlike Cariappa, get to command a battalion.

Whether or not Field Marshal Cariappa deserves a posthumous Bharat Ratna, as army chief General Bipin Rawat has recommended, is not the key issue. The key question is the accuracy of Guha's claim that Field Marshal Cariappa's "singular distinction was that he was the first (Indian) army chief."

Singular?

The evidence suggests Guha is wrong. There is a deep but unspoken anger among Left-leaning "intellectuals" (I use the word loosely) against General Bipin Rawat following the army chief's commendation of Major Gogoi in the jeep incident amidst stone pelting in the Valley. Anything that General Rawat says will see bile from these sections of Indian society rise to the surface and curdle, trapped in its sourness.
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By PTI: (Eds: Rephrasing intro, adding more inputs)

By Aditi Khanna

London, Nov 17 (PTI) A UK special forces dog was today awarded a medal equivalent to the countrys highest military honour for his role in saving hundreds of troops from Taliban booby traps in war-torn Afghanistan.

Mali, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal ? equivalent of the human Victoria Cross ? for his heroic actions in sniffing out Taliban booby traps during a highly sensitive military operation in 2012.

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A booby trap is a hidden explosive device intended to kill a person.

The canine was instrumental is assisting troops to clear militants from a Kabul tower block despite suffering serious shrapnel injuries.

He is credited with saving British and Afghan lives as he took part in the Special Boat Service (SBS) assault.

"Despite sustaining quite horrendous injuries, he absolutely stayed by his handlers side and forged forward with them to help them carry out their duty. Its that gallantry and devotion to duty that we are recognising," said Jan McLoughlin, director-general of the veterinary charity, Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

Mali was part of a mission aimed at ending a major siege by an armed suicide squad holed up in the tower block in Kabul and securing a key Taliban stronghold during the operation.

He stayed by the side of his military handler, who cannot be named, as he was sent through direct fire on two separate occasions to conduct searches for explosives.

He successfully indicated the presence of insurgents numerous times, giving the UK assault force vital seconds to engage the enemy in close quarter combat.

Mali was seriously injured by three grenade blasts, with the first two explosions causing injuries to his chest, front and rear legs.

A further blast detonated close to his face, causing the loss of his front tooth and damage to his right ear.

The dog, who has since recovered from his injuries, is believed to have played a key role in breaking the stalemate that had begun to develop in the war in Afghanistan.

"I am extremely proud of Mali. The way he conducted himself when it mattered most enabled my colleagues to achieve success in close combat. Being awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal recognises Mali?s vital role within the force that day," said Corporal Daniel Hatley, his current handler.

Now retired from frontline duties, he works at the RAVC?s Defence Animal Centre in Leicestershire, where he and Hatley help train new dog handlers.

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Dogs were highly valued during the Afghanistan campaign for their ability to sniff out homemade bombs and explosives.

Special forces units also regularly used attack dogs during raids.

The Dickin Medal was instituted by PDSA founder Maria Dickin in 1943 as the highest award any animal in the world can achieve while serving in military conflict.

Previous recipients include 32 pigeons, 31 dogs, four horses and one cat.

As Mali received his award today he also marked the 100th centenary of the charity?s inception. PTI AK NSA CPS

--- ENDS ---
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By PTI: By Aditi Khanna

London, Nov 17 (PTI) A UK special forces dog was today awarded a medal equivalent of the countrys highest military honour for his role in saving hundreds of troops during his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Mali, a Belgian Malinois, has been awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal ? the equivalent of the human Victoria Cross ? for his heroic actions in sniffing out Taliban booby traps during a highly sensitive military operation in 2012.

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The eight-year-old dog was instrumental is assisting troops to clear militants from a Kabul tower block despite suffering serious shrapnel injuries.

He is credited with saving British and Afghan lives as he took part in the Special Boat Service (SBS) assault.

"Despite sustaining quite horrendous injuries, he absolutely stayed by his handlers side and forged forward with them to help them carry out their duty. Its that gallantry and devotion to duty that we are recognising," said Jan McLoughlin, director-general of the veterinary charity,APeople?s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

Mali was part of a mission aimed at ending a major siege by an armed suicide squad holed up in the tower block in Kabul and securing a key Taliban stronghold during the operation.

He stayed by the side of his military handler, who cannot be named, as he was sent through direct fire on two separate occasions to conduct searches for explosives.

He successfully indicated the presence of insurgents numerous times, giving the UK assault force vital seconds to engage the enemy in close quarter combat.

Mali was seriously injured by three grenade blasts, with the first two explosions causing injuries to his chest, front and rear legs.

A further blast detonated close to his face, causing the loss of his front tooth and damage to his right ear.

The dog, who has since recovered from his injuries, is believed to have played a key role in breaking the stalemate that had begun to develop in the war in Afghanistan.

"I am extremely proud of Mali. The way he conducted himself when it mattered most enabled my colleagues to achieve success in close combat. Being awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal recognises Mali?s vital role within the force that day," said Corporal Daniel Hatley, his current handler.

Now retired from frontline duties, he works at the RAVC?s Defence Animal Centre in Leicestershire, where he and Hatley help train new dog handlers.

Dogs were highly valued during the Afghanistan campaign for their ability to sniff out homemade bombs and explosives.

Special forces units also regularly used attack dogs during raids.

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The Dickin Medal was instituted by PDSA founder Maria Dickin in 1943 as the highest award any animal in the world can achieve while serving in military conflict.

Previous recipients include 32 pigeons, 31 dogs, four horses and one cat.

As Mali received his award today he also marked the 100th centenary of the charity?s inception. PTI AK NSA

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Global Payments Inc. provides payment technology and software solutions for card, electronic, check, and digital-based payments in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Merchant Solutions, Issuer Solutions, and Business and Consumer Solutions. The Merchant Solutions segment offers authorization services, settlement and funding services, customer support and help-desk functions, chargeback resolution, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security services, consolidated billing and statements, and on-line reporting services. This segment also provides an array of enterprise software solutions that streamline business operations of its customers in various vertical markets; and value-added services, such as point-of-sale solutions, and analytic and engagement tools, as well as payroll and human capital management services. The Issuer Solutions segment offers solutions that enable financial institutions and retailers to manage their card portfolios through a platform; and commercial payments and ePayables solutions for businesses and governments. The Business and Consumer Solutions segment provides general-purpose reloadable prepaid debit and payroll cards, demand deposit accounts, and other financial service solutions to the underbanked and other consumers, and businesses under the Netspend brand. It markets its products and services through direct sales force, trade associations, agent and enterprise software providers, referral arrangements with value-added resellers, and independent sales organizations. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
A popular supermarket in the UK received boycott threats on Twitter for featuring a Muslim family celebrating Christmas in an advertisement. Several people even thrashed the supermarket for selling halal meat.

By Iram Ara Ibrahim, India Today Web Desk: Britain's biggest supermarket, Tesco, got caught in a controversy when it released a 16-second video asking customers, "Which food makes your Christmas dinner?"

Turkey? Sauerkraut? Pie? Which food makes your Christmas dinner? However you do Christmas, Everyone's Welcome at Tesco. #EveryonesWelcome pic.twitter.com/fIIPraiglC- Tesco (@Tesco) November 12, 2017

The advertisement showed a Muslim family celebrating Christmas and it did not go well with a lot of people.

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Responding to the advertisement on Twitter, the customers posed threats of boycotting the supermarket for being disrespectful of the day Christ was born.

"I am boycotting your store for the simple fact of your disrespectful ads against the Christian faith," one user tweeted.

"You don't DO Christmas. It is the celebration of the birth of The Christ. Show some respect to those who do believe," said another.

There were customers who found the inclusion of a Muslim family in an advertisement celebrating a Christian holiday provocative, while others thrashed the supermarket for selling halal meat.

People on Twitter also questioned the policies of the store to sell halal meat and Tesco was forced to give a clarification.

My family all shop at Tesco but may reconsider after finding out that you sell halal product...this is an unnecessary, barbaric practice...is all your halal products clearly labelled???- Matt Marner (@MattMarner18) November 12, 2017

"All our Tesco-branded meat suppliers to the UK market stun the animal before slaughter, even though some of this is also processed to halal standards. As we do not specify to these suppliers that halal practices should be followed, such as a blessing, we choose not to market the meat as halal. For example, the vast majority of New Zealand lamb sold in the UK is processed to the halal standards described.",said the retailer.

Even after receiving massive criticism, the retailer went on to say that "Everyone's welcome at Tesco."

Spread cheer with your festive shop! For every fresh turkey you buy, well give 1 to help people in need. However you do Christmas, Everyones Welcome at Tesco. #EveryonesWelcome T&Cs: From 06/11 to 24/12. Donation split equally between Fareshare & The Trussell Trust pic.twitter.com/52FGeaglsu- Tesco (@Tesco) November 17, 2017

Some customers saw the comic side to what happened while others also questioned the ones who had issues with the advertisement.

Gonna be much easier to get my Christmas shopping now all these tiresome arseholes are boycotting Tesco.

- Ben Holmes (@BunkanMerguson) November 12, 2017

Apparently (a small minority of) people are upset with the @Tesco advert because there are Muslim people in it. How ridiculous. Why not just enjoy Christmas and love everyone <3- Louise (@LouisePentland) November 13, 2017

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Norbord Inc. manufactures and sells wood-based panels for retail chains, contractor supply yards, and industrial manufacturers primarily in North America and Europe. The company offers oriented strand boards for use in sheathing, flooring, and roofing in home construction applications; particleboards that are used in flooring and other construction applications; and medium density fiberboards for use in cabinet doors, moldings, and interior wall paneling applications, as well as related value-added products for use in the construction of new homes, and renovation and repair of existing structures. It markets its products under the Durastrand pointSIX, Pinnacle, Stabledge, TruFlor pointSIX and TruFlor, Rimboard, SteadiTred, QuakeZone, Tallwall, Trubord and Windstorm, SolarBord, TruDeck, StableDec, SterlingOSB, Caberwood MDF, Conti, and Caberboard brand names. The company was formerly known as Nexfor Inc. and changed its name to Norbord Inc. in June 2004. Norbord Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
By Mustafa Shaikh: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has trained 11 dogs in aerial transport experience and 'heli slithering'. Till now 10 batches have been trained at NSG headquarters in Manesar. This training is on the lines of the US marine dogs, which will be of help during disaster situations in which the dogs will come down of the helicopter about 30-35 feet and detect humans trapped under the debris.

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The training of these dogs starts when they are six months old. First, it starts with acquainting themselves with their handler, obedience training, and swimming. A few months later, they are taught advance training like aiding personnel in rescuing people trapped under debris, detecting human scent. This requires specialised urban search and rescue tasks where they have to shift through rubble mounds and look for people trapped beneath it.

"NDRF has 12 units in India. During the rescue operations in Nepal and Chennai floods we realized the importance of aerial experience to dogs. Just yesterday a dog returned from heli slithering training which made our count to 11 for Mumbai and Pune. This removes the fear of height from the mind of dogs," said NDRF Commandant, Anupam Srivastava.

NDRF has 300 dogs countrywide and hopes to extend this training to other dogs as well. Two dogs have three handlers assigned. In case of a collapse the dog can be sent to a collapse site, he will sniff, stare at the spot then gesture at his trainer and will bark. This means that the dog has traced human scent. These dogs are bought in young and specialize in detecting human scent.

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Williams-Sonoma, Inc. operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand. The company also provides home decor products under the West Elm brand; kids accessories under the Pottery Barn Kids brand; and an organic bedding to multi-purpose furniture under the Pottery Barn Teen brand. In addition, it offers made-to-order lighting, hardware, furniture, and home decors inspired by history under the Rejuvenation brand; and women's and men's accessories, travel, entertaining and bar, home decor, and seasonal items under the Mark and Graham brand, as well as operates a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and decor industry. The company markets its products through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs, and retail stores. It operates 544 stores comprising 502 stores in 41states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; 20 stores in Canada; 19 stores in Australia; 3 stores in the United Kingdom; and 139 franchised stores, as well as e-commerce websites in various countries in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea, and India. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
AbbVie Inc. discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals in the worldwide. The company offers HUMIRA, a therapy administered as an injection for autoimmune and intestinal Behcet's diseases; SKYRIZI to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults; RINVOQ, a JAK inhibitor for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients; IMBRUVICA to treat adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), and VENCLEXTA, a BCL-2 inhibitor used to treat adults with CLL or SLL; and MAVYRET to treat patients with chronic HCV genotype 1-6 infection. It also provides CREON, a pancreatic enzyme therapy for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency; Synthroid used in the treatment of hypothyroidism; Linzess/Constella to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation; Lupron for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis and central precocious puberty, and patients with anemia caused by uterine fibroids; and Botox therapeutic. In addition, the company offers ORILISSA, a nonpeptide small molecule gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist for women with moderate to severe endometriosis pain; Duopa and Duodopa, a levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel to treat Parkinson's disease; Lumigan/Ganfort, a bimatoprost ophthalmic solution for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension; Ubrelvy to treat migraine with or without aura in adults; Alphagan/ Combigan, an alpha-adrenergic receptor agonist for the reduction of IOP in patients with OAG; and Restasis, a calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant to increase tear production, as well as other eye care products. AbbVie Inc. has a research collaboration with Dragonfly Therapeutics, Inc. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois.
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a marine fuel logistics company that markets and supplies refined marine fuel and lubricants to vessels in port, at sea, and on rivers worldwide. The company offers fueling services to ocean-going and a range of coastal vessels, including oil tankers, container ships, drybulk carriers, cruise ships, reefers, LNG/LPG carriers, car carriers, and ferries, as well as to marine fuel traders, brokers, and other end-users of marine fuel and lubricants. It also markets and distributes marine lubricants under the Alfa Marine Lubricants brand; and provides a range of shipping services, such as technical support and maintenance, insurance arrangement and handling, financial administration, and accounting services. As of December 31, 2016, the company owned and operated a fleet of 46 bunkering vessels, including 45 double hulls and 1 single hull special purpose vehicle; 15 double hull bunkering vessels with an aggregate carrying capacity of approximately 292,400 deadweight ton (dwt); operated 10 land-based storage facilities with an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 1,075,000 cubic meters; and operated 2 vessels as floating storage facility with a cargo carrying capacity of approximately 86,800 dwt. Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Athens, Greece.
By PTI: Hajipur (Bihar), Nov 17 (PTI) Two police officials were today suspended in connection with the hooch tragedy in Vaishali district which has claimed four lives, a top police officer said here. "The SHOs of Rajapakar and Barachi Sahayak police stations, Changu Ram and Shahbaz Khan respectively, have been suspended for laxity and dereliction of duty", IGP of Tirhut zone Sunil Kumar told reporters here.

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The IGP, who toured Vasauli village where people had consumed spurious liquor two days ago, said "a few villagers including village chowkidar were involved in the illicit liquor trade". Four people have died so far after consuming spurious liquor while another is still undergoing treatment at a hospital where his condition is stated to be critical. The village chowkidar, whose brother was arrested for involvement in the illicit liquor business in the village, has been removed, Superintendent of Police of Vaishali, Rakesh Kumar had said earlier in the day. The SP had also sent 11 policemen, including the now suspended SHO Shahbaz Khan, to Police Lines for laxity and dereliction of duty. Sale and consumption of liquor was banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government since April last year. PTI NAC RG

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By Shreya Goswami: If there's one thing that celebrity chef Vikas Khanna always does, it is to strike the right chord through everything he does. The Michelin-starred chef did the same again, during his recent trip to Delhi.

Khanna was in town to launch his new book, A Tree Named Ganga, but also took the opportunity to take into account the current climatic situation. As the goodwill ambassador for the Smile Foundation, he felt he needed to take his new book--his third work of fiction for children--to the kids of Delhi, while teaching them a valuable lesson through example.

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Also Read: 8 times Vikas Khanna made India proud on an international platform

The MasterChef India judge joined the Smile Foundation's 'Gift a Tree' initiative, and pledged to plant 25,000 trees. The reason? Well, North India is facing smog like never before, and Delhi is definitely among the worst-hit areas. On this occasion, the chef combined the idea of planting trees with the launch of a book about a tree.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/thevikaskhannagroup

Tree plantation should happen every day

"I think tree plantation is something that should happen every day, not like the American Mother's Day," he said, after planting a few trees with children in a park in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi. "It should be an everyday initiative in so many ways. We are taking too much away from nature. Now we are talking about fruits, trees, life. Let's also talk about sustainability. So that's how we came up with this partnership between Smile Foundation and Tropicana, with the aim to plant trees with children, and let's call all those trees Ganga. You can't get more sacred than that."

Khanna revealed that he does feel strongly about the issue, and that the initiative is quite close to his heart. "There's a cycle in nature. We should talk about balance. The story has many phases. It could be a form of human arrogance or natural arrogance. But when we see what the Smile Foundation is doing, there's so much of selflessness mixed with this. Because of them, it helps to create a balance. Somebody in this life has to be giving for somebody else to receive," he explained.

The initiative and Khanna's act also resonates with the theme of his 28th book, the newly-released A Tree Named Ganga. The story is about a tree called Ganga. "It's a small tree that grows very arrogant, because it's so beautiful and successful. When you have so much, you've got to share. When the tree stops sharing, it begins to break, and it becomes isoltated in the world," he said, while adding that humans have done much harm to nature through a similar arrogance.

Also Read: Vikas Khanna took his mom to the IIFA Awards, and had a great weekend

Gud and water: How Vikas Khanna's family deals with the smog

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With his mother, Bindu Khanna, also present at the event, Khanna shared with us some of the nuskhe his family used to deal with the smog in his hometown, Amritsar. "We used to have gud first thing in the morning, because gud is supposed to help you boost your immunity."

But that isn't all. "The second thing we used to do was sprinkle water. There were a lot more trees back then, of course. My father used to plant a lot of trees. Before my father passed away, he planted pomegranate trees, lemon trees, as many as he could. Those trees have now grown out of proportion. So when I go back, the first thing I do is go pluck some nimbus, and I keep smelling them."

Its the GREATEST news for any author in the world when a book gets into a reprint on the day of its publication. This is what happened to #ATreeNamedGanga Im super humbled and thankful to all of you for this honor. To all our little victories. Announcing something awesome for - #POEATRY tonight. ?????????????????????????????? A post shared by Vikas Khanna (@vikaskhannagroup) on Nov 15, 2017 at 9:11pm PST

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A Tree Named Ganga, and Varanasi

With regard to his new book, Khanna explains that he loves the way people react when they hear a chef is writing fiction. "People don't expect that from you, and I love that. People don't even expect these things from a chef. But who do you expect this from? You expect this from children's authors. And children's authors are quite like us," the author of 28 books quipped.

But where did he get the inspiration for his book from? "I was inspired by the river, Ganga," he explains. "I was in Varanasi, and I saw these trees. I've been there on seven trips till date. There's something about that place that inspires you to form art, because, it talks about such impermanence. In Varanasi you feel that everything is one second away from that funeral pyre. You never get to see such a sight in other places."

Picture courtesy: Instagram/thevikaskhannagroup

Varanasi, it appears, is quite a favourite for this chef from Amritsar, Punjab. "People there have a very different sense," he said, while sharing an anecdote. "I was shooting in Varanasi once, and we asked a family if we can shoot in their home. They said yes. We forgot to tell them the time, so we went back immediately. They were having a fight at home. I asked again if they are fine with our using their terrace for the shoot, because I thought they got offended," said the chef who is known for his grounded and approachable nature.

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"And then they revealed that they were fighting over what they'll serve us for breakfast! They weren't fighting about giving us permission, they were fighting over what we'll have for breakfast. The lady of the house wanted to put 10 things on the table, and she was yelling. Next day we go and she has worked all night, and she has made all this food, including jalebis! That's how hospitable they are," he added.

Also Read: Chef Vikas Khanna will now be seen on a screen at Venice Film Fest 2017

Cannes, failure, and success

Khanna has already made a hat-trick appearance at the reputed Cannes Film Festival since 2015, and wants to go back to the French Riviera next year as well. "But it has to be in a creative form," he says. "I don't want to go for that photo-op thing there. I think first with Utsav it was fantastic what we did. The next year, Kitchens of Gratitude was an amazing subject," he reminisced.

The chef also explained why and how he became the man he is today. "A lot of people don't know that my life had almost come to a stop around 2006. I had totally gone bankrupt," he says. "I had closed my cooking school. I had just closed the restaurant, Purnima, in New York. [The restaurant Gordon Ramsay had brought him in to run] In 2006, it was a sudden crash. After 9/11 we were given grants to open restaurants near the World Trade Centre. Those closed as well. Everything seemed to have stopped in a moment."

But what changed things for the chef, who has since made a very successful career with his work? "The same day I closed Purnima, I met His Holiness, the Dalai Lama," he explains. "And he said that nothing ends in the universe, it's always a changing form. I just loved that. After that I always say that failure is another changing form. His Holiness also told me to go and explore the world. When I told him that all my businesses had closed, he said "oh, so now you're free.""

That first interaction with the Dalai Lama was refreshing and inspiring for Khanna. "I thought that was amazing, and that's when I wrote Return to The Rivers," he says. "That was my first travelogue, and it got the James Beard Award nomination, and the IACP Cookbook Award--the highest honours in America. But that all started because of that moment of failure. If that would have not happened, I would have never happened."

Sanjeev Kapoor, and the birthday jam

While Khanna was busy releasing A Tree Named Ganga on November 14--his birthday--people from across the world sent him birthday wishes, even as the new book went for a second reprint. But one birthday wish took the internet by storm.

A post by India's master chef, Sanjeev Kapoor, revealed a jamming session the culinary duo had when they last met. Kapoor, who plays the drums and sings rather well himself, posted a video where Khanna is seen singing along with him.

Isnt @vikaskhannagroup a complete rock star ? Happy birthday Vikas ! To many more jam sessions, laughter bouts and exciting food stories. Wish you lots of love, happiness and succsess in everything you do. #happybirthdayvikas ! A post shared by Sanjeev Kapoor (@sanjeevkapoor) on Nov 14, 2017 at 12:14am PST

"I told him, sir-ji, please mute the video," Khanna explains. Like many Indians, Khanna grew up a fan of Kapoor. "He's like an elder brother and a guru. He's the one person who put Indian food where it is. Running home from school to watch his show is a part of Indian history," he says. "There are lakhs of people like us, he's unique. Every time we spend time, he laughs because of the way I speak Hindi. He speaks as clearly as Amitabh Bachchan, and he corrects me when I go wrong."

It's this humility, despite his many international achievements till date, that endears Khanna to his fans from across the globe.

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AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. It also offers ProxyEdge, an electronic proxy delivery and voting solution; data-driven solutions and an end-to-end platform for content management, composition, and omni-channel distribution of regulatory, marketing, and transactional information, as well as mutual fund trade processing services; data and analytics solutions; solutions for public corporations and mutual funds; SEC filing and capital markets transaction services; registrar, stock transfer, and record-keeping services; and omni-channel customer communications solutions, as well as operates Broadridge Communications Cloud platform that creates, delivers, and manages communications and customer engagement activities. The company's Global Technology and Operations segment provides solutions that automate the front-to-back transaction lifecycle of equity, mutual fund, fixed income, foreign exchange and exchange-traded derivatives, order capture and execution, trade confirmation, margin, cash management, clearance and settlement, reference data management, reconciliations, securities financing and collateral management, asset servicing, compliance and regulatory reporting, portfolio accounting, and custody-related services. This segment also offers business process outsourcing services; technology solutions, such portfolio management, compliance, fee billing, and operational support solutions; and capital market and wealth management solutions. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Lake Success, New York.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. owns and operates utilities, transport, midstream, and data businesses in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company's Utilities segment operates approximately 61,000 kilometers (km) of operational electricity transmission and distribution lines; 5,300 km of electricity transmission lines; 4,200 km of natural gas pipelines; 7.3 million electricity and natural gas connections; and 360,000 long-term contracted sub-metering services. This segment also offers heating and cooling solutions; gas distribution; water heaters; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioner rental, as well as other home services. Its Transport segment offers transportation, storage, and handling services for merchandise goods, commodities, and passengers through a network of approximately 22,000 km of track; 5,500 km of track network; 4,800 km of rail; 3,800 km of motorways; and 13 port terminals. The company's Midstream segment offers natural gas transmission, gathering and processing, and storage services through approximately 15,000 km of natural gas transmission pipelines; 600 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage; 17 natural gas processing plants; and 3,900 km of gas gathering pipelines, as well as one petrochemical processing complex. Its Data segment operates approximately 148,000 operational telecom towers; 8,000 multi-purpose towers and active rooftop sites; 10,000 km of fiber backbone; 1,600 cell sites and approximately 12,000 km of fiber optic cable; and 2,100 active telecom towers and 70 distributed antenna systems, as well as 50 data centers and 200 megawatts of critical load capacity. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
American Midstream Partners, LP provides midstream infrastructure that links the producers of natural gas, crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), condensate, and specialty chemicals to various intermediate and end-use markets in the United States and Mexico. Its Gas Gathering and Processing Services segment offers services to producers of natural gas and crude oil, including transporting raw natural gas and crude oil from various receipt points through gathering systems, treating the raw natural gas, processing raw natural gas to separate the NGLs from the natural gas, fractionating NGLs, and selling or delivering pipeline-quality natural gas and NGLs. The company's Liquid Pipelines and Services segment transports, purchases, and sells crude oil. Its Natural Gas Transportation Services segment transports and delivers natural gas from producing wells, receipt points, or pipeline interconnects for shippers, local distribution companies, and utilities, as well as industrial, commercial, and power generation customers. The company's Offshore Pipelines and Services segment gathers and transports natural gas from receipt points to other pipeline interconnects, onshore facilities, and other delivery points. Its Terminalling Services segment provides petroleum products, distillates, chemicals, and agricultural products storage services at its marine terminals for commodity brokers, refiners, and chemical manufacturers. As of May 10, 2018, the company owned approximately 5,100 miles of interstate and intrastate pipelines; gas processing plants and fractionation facilities; an offshore semisubmersible floating production system with nameplate processing capacity of 90 thousand barrels per day of crude oil and 220 million cubic feet per day of natural gas; and terminal sites with approximately 6.7 million barrels of storage capacity. American Midstream GP, LLC serves as the general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
There is a range of issues that may be debated threadbare in the Gujarat election campaign, which has mostly witnessed inflated claims and baseless counter-claims.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Porn in Politics, Pappu, Vikas Gone Crazy, machine to turn potatoes into gold and similar stuff have dominated the Gujarat Assembly election campaign.

When it came to making political statements, the politicians have made exaggerated claims leaving aside the real issues of Gujarat. In an interview earlier this week, BJP president Amit Shah claimed that Gujarat is "three times ahead" of Congress ruled state.

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Amit Shah said, "You can go and check any village without any notice to see that 24-hour electricity is being provided in Gujarat's 24,000 villages... That work has been done by the BJP."

Shah also claimed due to Narmada canal, drinking water is available across Saurashtra and Kutch regions. Amit Shah's another claim was this: "Take a look at five years in any Congress state, Gujarat is three times ahead of Congress states on any aspect of development."

ELECTRICITY: A POWER ISSUE?

A quick fact check would tell a different story. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) report, (accessible here), the penetration of electricity in Gujarat is up to 96 per cent of the households.

On the other hand, two of the big states, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, where Congress has been in power have better electricity supply.

The NFHS-4 shows that 99.5 per cent households in Himachal Pradesh have electricity supply while almost 98 per cent (97.8) homes have power connection in Karnataka. Himachal Pradesh went to polls early this month while Karnataka would vote next year to elect a new Assembly.

Interestingly, Uttarakhand, where the BJP defeated the Congress early this year in Assembly election, has a power supply in 97.5 per cent households, 1.5 per cent more than that in Gujarat. Uttarakhand was under Congress rule for the past five years.

With regard to Amit Shah's claim about drinking water availability, the NFHS-4 statistics suggest that Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand fared better than Gujarat.

POTATO IS NO GOLD

But, only Amit Shah or BJP people are not making exaggerated claims. Congress's de facto supremo Rahul Gandhi, in his latest aggressive avatar, is doing the same. At a poll rally in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised a machine that would turn potatoes into gold.

It is not clear if PM Modi ever made that statement in his promises to farmers. Even the Congress spokespersons were found short on words to explain Rahul Gandhi's attribution to PM Modi.

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The Congress leaders, responding to the query on Rahul Gandhi's purported jibe, said that the potato gold comment was meant to be a "joke" to put in perspective the "exaggerated promises of prosperity" of farmers made by PM Narendra Modi in the past.

Such political discourse is setting agenda for Gujarat Assembly polls. However, there are serious issues with Gujarat development model carved out under the BJP's more than two-decade rule in the state.

GUJARAT FARES POOR ON SOCIAL INDICATORS

Despite high economic growth for about two decades under the BJP rule, Gujarat has performed poorly on social indicators including sex ratio, infant mortality, life expectancy and poverty eradication. Gujarat ranks 10 among major states on the scale of Human Development Index.

The Handbook of Statistics of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) (which can be accessed here) paints a dismal picture of Gujarat on several indicators of human prosperity.

The RBI data shows that high economic growth rate was not new to Gujarat but while it did exceedingly well on building infrastructure during the 22 years of BJP rule, it faltered on equitable distribution of development.

Gujarat ranks 10 among 20 major states in terms of population living below poverty. Gujarat is at 11th position in the list of major states in terms of infant mortality signaling poor nutrition and healthcare of children in the state. The obvious victims would be from the BPL families in a state which boasts of high a model development model. Gujarat is placed at 10th position for life expectancy at birth and 7th for bare literacy. States

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GUJARAT FALTERS ON BETI BACHAO CAMPAIGN?

Another area where Gujarat has failed is sex ratio. Gujarat is ranked 15th among 20 major states of the country in terms of sex ratio, which is 919 women against the national average of 943 for every 1,000 men.

The problematic aspect of it is the fact that while the national sex ratio improved during 2001 and 2011, it fell in Gujarat. The sex ratio was 920 in 2001 in Gujarat. This indicates to another grave issue of possible female foeticide a practice still prevalent in many parts of rural India.

Reports suggest that during the period, 181 people were arrested for acting in violation of prenatal Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act in Gujarat, but police could not prove the case in majority.

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Only six persons were reported to have been convicted during the period for conducting pre-birth sex determination tests. However, Gujarat improved its child sex ratio between 2001 and 2001 from 883 to 890. But, a lot more still needs to be done especially when the central government of the BJP-led coalition is focusing on campaigns like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.

THE POVERTY RIDDLE

Poverty data is like a riddle in Gujarat, which has made tremendous progress on economic scale. In 1993-94, Gujarat had a poverty ratio of about 38-40 per cent depending on the figures one accesses. World Bank data puts the below poverty line at 38 per cent while some other records place it at 40.

But, back then Gujarat ranked number 3 in India in terms of people living above poverty line. Thereafter, its ranks have more or less been falling constantly. In 2011 census, it was at number 10 among the major states.

According to RBI data (which can be accessed here), 18 states and Union Territories had less percentage of their population below poverty line than Gujarat, which had 16.6 per cent people in that zone. To put in perspective, it may be noted that between 1993-94 and 2011, Kerala improved its rank from 6 to the top of the table.

A World Bank report for 2012, titled - Gujarat, Poverty, Growth and Inequality - said, "Gujarat is home to 60 million people, of whom one-sixth are poor. Since 2005, the state has made significant progress in reducing poverty, supported by high growth and low inequality in consumption."

It further noted, "Despite being one of India's fastest growing states, poverty reduction in Gujarat was slower than in other advanced states in the country. As a result, some parts of Gujarat continue to face high levels of poverty." (The report can be accessed here)

GUJARAT AND INVESTMENT

The BJP has been an ardent advocate of private investment for fast paced growth of economy. The Gujarat model thrived on campaigns like Vibrant Gujarat Summit, which began only two years after Narendra Modi took charge as the chief minister of the state. He became the first Gujarat CM to complete full term of five years.

In 2003, first Vibrant Gujarat Summit was held. Eight such summits have been organised till date. Reports say that Gujarat government has claimed to have signed altogether 51,378 MoUs worth Rs 84 lakh since the first Vibrant Gujarat Summit. This is a humongous amount considering that the GDP of India is about Rs 170 lakh crore.

The Gujarat government also claimed that 57 per cent of the MoUs signed were either implemented or under implementation. This would mean that money worth little over half the country's GDP was either invested or under the process of investment in Gujarat alone. This does not seem to be the case.

However, the Commissionerate of Industries under the Gujarat government has put out a different data on its website (which can be accessed here). It says that between 1983 and September, 2016, a total of 6,251 projects worth Rs 2.76 lakh crore were implemented in Gujarat. It also states that a total of 4,033 projects worth Rs 9.51 lakh crore are under implementation.

The battery of leaders from the Opposition may do well by questioning the BJP on development, which even the BJP is ostensibly eager to debate.

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Red Hat, Inc. provides open source software solutions to develop and offer operating system, virtualization, management, middleware, cloud, mobile, and storage technologies to various enterprises worldwide. It offers infrastructure-related solutions, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, an operating system platform that runs on hardware for use in hybrid cloud environments; Red Hat Satellite, a system management offering that helps to deploy, scale, and manage in hybrid cloud environments; and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, a software solution that allows customers to utilize and manage a common hardware infrastructure to run multiple operating systems and applications. The company offers application development-related and other technology solutions, such as Red Hat JBoss Middleware, a solution for developing, deploying, and managing applications; integrating applications, data, and devices; and automating business processes in hybrid cloud environments; The company's application development-related and other technology solutions also includes Red Hat cloud offerings, a software solution that enables customers to build and manage various cloud computing environments; Red Hat Mobile, a software development platform that enables customers to develop, integrate, deploy, and manage mobile applications for enterprises; and Red Hat Storage, a software solution that enables customers to manage large, unstructured, or semi-structured data in hybrid cloud environments. It also provides consulting, support, and training services; and realtime operating system, distributed computing, directory services, and user authentication. Red Hat, Inc. has collaboration with Juniper Networks Expand to provide a unified solution for enterprises designed to manage and run applications and services. The company was formerly known as Red Hat Software, Inc. and changed its name to Red Hat, Inc. in June 1999. Red Hat, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Conagra Brands, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer packaged goods food company in North America. The company operates in four segments: Grocery & Snacks, Refrigerated & Frozen, International, and Foodservice. The Grocery & Snacks segment primarily offers shelf stable food products through various retail channels in the United States. The Refrigerated & Frozen segment provides temperature-controlled food products through various retail channels in the United States. The International segment offers food products in various temperature states through retail and foodservice channels outside of the United States. The Foodservice segment offers branded and customized food products, including meals, entrees, sauces, and various custom-manufactured culinary products packaged for restaurants and other foodservice establishments in the United States. The company sells its products under the Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera brands. The company was formerly known as ConAgra Foods, Inc. and changed its name to Conagra Brands, Inc. in November 2016. Conagra Brands, Inc. was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
The Indian Army issued a request for information for a proposed procurement of 60 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that would help the force up its ability to monitor Pakistani and Chinese troops in border regions.

By Manjeet Negi: Seeking to bolster its ability to monitor movements of Chinese and Pakistani troops, the Indian Army is looking to procure 60 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

The Army issued a request for information (RFI), which stipulates that the drones should have a range of 200 kilometers and must remain operational at altitudes of 15,000 feet.

The RFI also says taht the drones should be based on proven or matured technologies that do not require further fundamental research. Notbaly, the RFI adds that the drones will be developed and manufactured by an Indian company.

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A request for propsal (RFP) is likely to be issued in January 2018.

The development comes around a month after Army chief General Bipin Rawat warned that the Indian military must prepare for a two-front war with India and Pakistan.

Just last week, the Army had accepted tender inquiries for an acquisition of 600 mini-UAVs. The force is looking to spend around Rs 950 crore to procure these mini-UAVs under a "buy Indian" scheme that will work to boost the Modi government's ambitious Make in India project.

The Indian Army already has four Nishant Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, which were procured in 2011 and are tasked with intelligence gathering over enemy territory as well as reconnaissance, surveillance, target designation and artillery fire correction.

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Deutsche Post AG operates as a mail and logistics company in Germany, rest of Europe, the Americas, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates through five segments: Express; Global Forwarding, Freight; Supply Chain; eCommerce Solutions; and Post & Parcel Germany. The Express segment offers time-definite courier and express services to business and private customers. The Global Forwarding, Freight segment provides air, ocean, and overland freight forwarding services; and offers multimodal and sector-specific solutions. This segment's business model is based on brokering transport services between customers and freight carriers. The Supply Chain segment delivers customized supply chain solutions to its customers based on modular components, including warehousing and transport services; and value-added services, such as e-fulfilment and returns management, lead logistics partner, real estate solutions, service logistics, and packaging solutions for various industrial sectors. The eCommerce Solutions segment provides parcel delivery and cross-border non-time definite international services. The Post & Parcel Germany segment transports and delivers mail communication, parcels, physical and hybrid letters, and special products for the delivery of goods; and offers additional services, such as registered mail, cash on delivery, and insured items. This segment also provides digital products, including stamps with data matrix codes and various postal services. Deutsche Post AG was founded in 1490 and is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.
A recent leap seems to have worked wonders for Yeh Hai Mohabbatein's ratings.

Raman and Ishita in a still from Yeh Hai Mohabbatein.

By India Today Web Desk: For the past two weeks, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein seems to have regained its lost glory, at least, as far as the show's ratings are concerned. According to latest BARC India data, the Divyanka Tripathi and Karan Patel-starrer show is back in the Top 5, with a bang.

The show has garnered 5.6 million impressions (Nov 4-10), up from last week's 5.1 million impressions. Before that the show barely managed to register 3.9 million impressions.

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Post the year and a half leap, the show has moved to Budapest where the lead pair Raman and Ishita meet again. Raman doesn't remember his wife Ishita any more because of certain medications given to him by Simmi.

Ashok and Ishita surprisingly have joined hands. The latter meets Raman as a business investor, and he starts to develops a liking for Ishita.

Post leap, Raman's daughter Ruhi has become her father's biggest business rival and leaves no stone unturned to make things difficult for him.

Looks like viewers have approved these new changes in the show.

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Exchange Income Corporation engages in aerospace and aviation services and equipment, and manufacturing businesses worldwide. It operates in two segments, Aerospace & Aviation, and Manufacturing. The Aerospace & Aviation segment offers scheduled airline, cargo, charter, and emergency medical services to communities located in Manitoba, Ontario, Nunavut, British Columbia, and Alberta, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. It also provides after-market aircraft, engines, and component parts to regional airline operators; designs, modifies, maintains, and operates custom sensor-equipped aircraft; and offers maritime surveillance and support services in Canada, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. In addition, this segment provides pilot flight training services. The Manufacturing segment manufactures window wall systems primarily used in high-rise multi-family residential projects; stainless steel tanks, vessels, and processing equipment; heavy-duty pressure washing and steam systems, commercial water recycling systems, and custom tanks for the transportation of various products, primarily oil, gasoline, and water products; precision parts and components primarily used in the aerospace, defense, healthcare, and security sectors; electrical and control systems integrator focused on the agricultural material handling; and precision sheet metal and tubular products. This segment also focuses on the engineering, design, manufacture, and construction of communication infrastructure, as well as wireless and wireline construction and maintenance services; and provision of technical services. Exchange Income Corporation is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada.
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.
INDUS Holding AG is a private equity firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions and corporate spin-offs. The firm does not invest in retail and service companies, pure trading or consumer goods businesses, companies with significant dependencies on individual business partners, start-ups, turnarounds, mature businesses, and companies undergoing restructuring. The firm typically invests in middle market and mature companies. It primarily makes long-term investments in medium-sized manufacturing companies in energy and environmental technology; infrastructure and logistics technology, intelligent logistic infrastructure; automation, measurement and control technology; medical engineering; life science; construction and safety technology; industry; digitalization; green tech; medical equipment for the ageing society; innovative construction technology; and public and private security sectors. The firm acquires small and medium-sized companies based in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the German-speaking regions of Europe. It typically invests in companies with annual sales between 20 million ($22.05 million) and 100 million ($110.28 million), EBIT between 2 million ($2.66 million) and 10 million ($13.28 million), equity ratio above 30 percent, and a double digit operating margin. It prefers to invest in companies with low level/no liabilities to banks. The firm seeks to take a majority stake in its portfolio companies initially and building it up to 100 percent. It prefers to acquire mainly owner-managed companies. It also seeks second-level acquisition opportunities. The firm invests through its balance sheet. INDUS Holding AG was founded in 1989 and is based in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
Eagle Materials Inc., through its subsidiaries, produces and supplies heavy construction materials and light building materials in the United States. It operates through Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, and Recycled Paperboard segments. The company engages in the mining of limestone for the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of Portland cement; grinding and sale of slag; and mining of gypsum for the manufacture and sale of gypsum wallboards used to finish the interior walls and ceilings in residential, commercial, and industrial structures. It also manufactures and sells recycled paperboard to gypsum wallboard industry and other paperboard converters, as well as containerboard and lightweight packaging grades. In addition, the company engages in the sale of ready-mix concrete; and mining, extracting, production, and sale of aggregates, including crushed stones, sand, and gravel. Its products are used in commercial and residential construction; public construction projects; and projects to build, expand, and repair roads and highways. The company was formerly known as Centex Construction Products, Inc. and changed its name to Eagle Materials, Inc. in January 2004. Eagle Materials Inc. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
PROS Holdings, Inc. provides solutions that optimize the processes of selling and shopping in the digital economy worldwide. The company offers PROS Smart Configure Price Quote that improves sales productivity and accelerate deal velocity by automating common sales tasks; and PROS Smart Price Optimization and Management that enables businesses to optimize, personalize and harmonize pricing across the complexity of their go-to-market channels in the context of dynamic market and competitive conditions. It offers PROS Airline Revenue Optimization; PROS Airline Revenue Management solution that delivers algorithmic forecasting and network optimization for the travel industry; PROS Airline Real-Time Dynamic Pricing that offers accurate booking class availability and seat prices; and PROS Airline Group Sales Optimizer which enables airlines and their travel agent partners to create and manage group bookings, contracts, and policies. Further, it provides PROS Digital Retail, a configurable end-to-end solution for airlines to optimize the traveler experience from inspiration to post-trip; and PROS digital offer marketing solutions provide performance content management and search engine marketing tools that enable businesses in the travel industry. Additionally, the company offers software-related services, such as implementation, configuration, consulting, training, and maintenance and support services. It sells its software solutions to customers in various industries, including automotive and industrial manufacturing, transportation and logistics, chemicals and energy, food and beverage, healthcare, high tech, and travel. The company markets and sells its software solutions through its sales force, as well as through partners, resellers, and systems integrators. PROS Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III Scots L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Aoba Life Insurance Company Ltd., Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI Ireland L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI US L.P., Dale/P Minerals Limited Partnership, Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Horizon GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sprint GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Harvest Asset Management LLC, Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Kyouei Nenkin Home, LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., Lotus Reinsurance Company Ltd., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Montana Capital Partners, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund A LP, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund II - A LP, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Desert Falcon Farms Manager LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI River Bend Ranches LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PG Friendly Partners Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM AC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory Shanghai Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Australia Pty Ltd, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Feeder VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM Custom Harvest LLC, PGIM DC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC JV GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC Solutions LLC, PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM Holdings Limited, PGIM Hong Kong Ltd., PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM IRELAND LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments Ireland Limited, PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management Shanghai Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital Ireland Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM QUANTITATIVE SOLUTIONS LLC, PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Global Master Fund GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles II S de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Japan Ltd., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. CORE Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate UK Limited, PGIM Scots Limited, PGIM Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Shanghai Company Ltd., PGIM Singapore Pte. Ltd., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM Taronga Investor GP LLC, PGIM U.S. Agriculture Fund LP, PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Wadhwani LLP, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings UK Limited, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP SCOTS FEEDER LLP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF Debt Fund Manager LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica Business Consulting Shanghai Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Hong Kong Holdings Limited, Pramerica Insurance Agency China Company Ltd., Pramerica Luxembourg CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate Scots LP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I Scotland Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Netherlands GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Scots CP GP LLP, Preco III Scotland Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Inc., Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd. Prudential Gibraltar Agency Kabushiki Kaisha, Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Select Strategies LLC, Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Tax Services LLC, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service, Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy US Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., VIP Australia Holding Company LLC, VIP Australia Trustee Pty Ltd, Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I Ireland L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I US L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.

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General Mills, Inc. manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates in five segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; Asia & Latin America; and Pet. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream, nutrition bars, wellness beverages, and savory and grain snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. It also supplies branded and unbranded food products to the North American foodservice and commercial baking industries; and manufactures and markets pet food products, including dog and cat food. The company markets its products under the Annie's, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Blue Buffalo, Blue Basics, Blue Freedom, Bugles, Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, EPIC, Fiber One, Food Should Taste Good, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gardetto's, Go-Gurt, Gold Medal, Golden Grahams, Haagen-Dazs, Helpers, Jus-Rol, Kitano, Kix, Larabar, Latina, Liberte, Lucky Charms, Muir Glen, Nature Valley, Oatmeal Crisp, Old El Paso, Oui, Pillsbury, Progresso, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Totino's, Trix, Wanchai Ferry, Wheaties, Wilderness, Yoki, and Yoplait trademarks. It sells its products directly, as well as through broker and distribution arrangements to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, e-commerce retailers, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, convenience stores, and pet specialty stores, as well as drug, dollar, and discount chains. The company operates 466 leased and 392 franchise ice cream parlors. General Mills, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. operates as a branded consumer products company worldwide. It operates through three segments: Home and Personal Care; Global Pet Care; and Home and Garden. The Home and Personal Care segment provides home appliances under the Black & Decker, Russell Hobbs, George Foreman, Toastmaster, Juiceman, Farberware, and Breadman brands; and personal care products under the Remington and LumaBella brands. The Global Pet Care segment provides rawhide chewing, dog and cat clean-up and food, training, health and grooming, small animal food and care, and rawhide-free products under the 8IN1 (8-in-1), Dingo, Nature's Miracle, Wild Harvest, Littermaid, Jungle, Excel, FURminator, IAMS, Eukanuba, Healthy-Hide, DreamBone, SmartBones, ProSense, Perfect Coat, eCOTRITION, Birdola, Good Boy, Meowee!, Wildbird, and Wafcol brands. This segment also offers aquarium kits, stand-alone tanks, and aquatics equipment and consumables under the Tetra, Marineland, Whisper, Instant Ocean, GloFish, OmegaOne, and OmegaSea brands. The Home and Garden segment provides outdoor insect and weed control solutions, and animal repellents under the Spectracide, Garden Safe, Liquid Fence, and EcoLogic brands; household pest control solutions under the Hot Shot, Black Flag, Real-Kill, Ultra Kill, The Ant Trap, and Rid-A-Bug brand names; household surface cleaning, maintenance, and restoration products, including bottled liquids, mops, wipes, and markers under the Rejuvenate brand name; and personal-use pesticides and insect repellent products under the Cutter and Repel brands. The company sells its products through retailers, e-commerce and online retailers, wholesalers, and distributors. Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Snap-on Incorporated manufactures and markets tools, equipment, diagnostics, and repair information and systems solutions for professional users worldwide. It operates through Commercial & Industrial Group, Snap-on Tools Group, Repair Systems & Information Group, and Financial Services segments. The company offers hand tools, including wrenches, sockets, ratchet wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, punches and chisels, saws and cutting tools, pruning tools, torque measuring instruments, and other products; power tools, such as cordless, pneumatic, hydraulic, and corded tools; and tool storage products comprising tool chests, roll cabinets, and other products. It also provides handheld and computer-based diagnostic products, service and repair information products, diagnostic software solutions, electronic parts catalogs, business management systems and services, point-of-sale systems, integrated systems for vehicle service shops, original equipment manufacturer purchasing facilitation services, and warranty management systems and analytics. In addition, the company offers solutions for the service of vehicles and industrial equipment that include wheel alignment equipment, wheel balancers, tire changers, vehicle lifts, test lane equipment, collision repair equipment, vehicle air conditioning service equipment, brake service equipment, fluid exchange equipment, transmission troubleshooting equipment, safety testing equipment, battery chargers, and hoists, as well as after-sales support services and training programs. Further, it provides financing programs to facilitate the sales of its products and support its franchise business. The company serves the aviation and aerospace, agriculture, construction, government and military, mining, natural resources, power generation, and technical education industries, as well as vehicle dealerships and repair centers. Snap-on Incorporated was founded in 1920 and is based in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
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.
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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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.
Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland.
The following companies are subsidiares of Vodafone Group Public: 360 Connect S.A., 3@ Telecom, A-ccelerator B.V., A-ccelerator Holding B.V, AAA (Euro) Limited, AAA (MCR) Limited, AAA (UK) Limited, Acorn Communications Limited, Africonnect (Zambia) Limited, Ag Mercantile Company Private Limited, Al-Amin Investments Limited, Amsterdamse Beheer- en Consultingmaatschappij B.V., Apollo Submarine Cable System Limited, Array Holdings Limited, Asian Telecommunication Investments (Mauritius) Limited, Aspective Limited, Astec Communications Limited, Autoconnex Limited, Aztec Limited, BelCompany BV, Bluefish Apac Communications Pte. Ltd, Bluefish Communications, Bluefish Communications Limited, Business Serve Limited, C&W Worldwide Nigeria Limited, C.S.P. Solutions Limited, CCII (Mauritius) Inc., CGP India Investments Ltd., CGP Investments (Holdings) Limited, COOP Mobil s.r.o, CT Networks Limited, CWGNL S.A., CWW Operations Limited, Cable & Wireless Access Limited, Cable & Wireless Americas Systems Inc., Cable & Wireless Aspac Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless CIS Services Limited, Cable & Wireless CIS Svyaz LLC, Cable & Wireless Capital Limited , Cable & Wireless Communications Data Network Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Communications Starclass Limited, Cable & Wireless Communications Technical Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd (Beijing Branch), Cable & Wireless Europe Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless GN Limited, Cable & Wireless Global (India) Private Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Business Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Holding Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Telecommunication Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Holdco Limited, Cable & Wireless Networks India Private Limited, Cable & Wireless Trade Mark Management Limited, Cable & Wireless UK Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless UK Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Waterside Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Pension Trustee Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Voice Messaging Limited, Cable & Wireless a-Services Inc, Cable & Wireless a-Services Limited, Cable and Wireless (India) Limited, Cable and Wireless (India) Limited Indian Branch Office, Cable and Wireless Nominee Limited, Cable and Wireless Worldwide South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cavalry Holdings Ltd, Celfocus  Solucoes Informaticas Para Telecomunicacoes S.A, Cellops Limited, Cellular Operations Limited, Central Communications Group Limited, Central Telecom (Northern) Limited, Centurion GSM Limited, Chelys Limited, City Cable (Holdings) Limited, Cobra do Brasil Servicos de Telematica ltda., Commnet Cellular Inc., Complete Network Technology, Connect (India) Mobile Technologies Private Limited, Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited, Dataroam Limited , Device Insight, Digital Island (UK) Ltd, Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, East Africa Investment (Mauritius) Limited, Emtel Europe Limited, Energis (Ireland) Limited, Energis Communications Limited, Energis Holdings Limited, Energis Local Access Limited, Energis Management Limited, Energis Squared Limited, Erudite Systems Limited, Esprit Telecom B.V., Eudokia Limited, Euro Pacific Securities Ltd., Eurocall Holdings Limited, Europolitan Holdings AB (now Europolitan Vodafone AB), FB Holdings Limited, FM Associates (UK) Limited, FinCo Partner 1 B.V., FireFly Networks Limited, Flexphone Limited, GS Telecom (Pty) Limited, Gateway Communications Africa (UK) Limited, Gateway Communications Tanzania Limited, General Mobile Corporation, Generation Telecom Limited, Ghana Telecommunications, Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited, Global Cellular Rental Limited, Globe Limited, GrandCentrix GmbH, Grupo Corporativo ONO S.A.U., H3ga Properties (No 3) Pty Limited, HBO Nederland Cooperatief U.A., HBO Netherlands Channels sro, HBO Netherlands Distribution B.V., Hellas Online, How2 Telecom Limited, Hutchison Essar Ltd, Indus Towers Limited, Intercell Communications Limited, Internet Network Services Limited, Invitation Digital Limited, Ipergy Communications NV, Isis Telecommunications Management Limited, Jaguar Communications Limited, Jaykay Finholding (India) Private Limited, Jupicol (Proprietary) Limited, KABELCOM Braunschweig Gesellschaft Fur BreitbandkabelKommunikation Mit Beschrankter Haftung, KABELCOM Wolfsburg Gesellschaft Fur BreitbandkabelKommunikation Mit Beschrankter Haftung, Kabel Deutschland, Kabel Deutschland Holding, Kabel Deutschland Holding Erste Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Holding Zweite Beteilgungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Neunte Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Siebte Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabelfernsehen Munchen Servicenter GmbH & Co. KG, LG Financing Partnership, LGE HoldCo V B.V., LGE HoldCo VI B.V., LGE HoldCo VIII B.V., LGE Holdco VII B.V., LLC Vodafone Enterprise Ukraine, Le Bunt Holdings Limited, Legend Communications Limited, Liberty Global, Liberty Global Content Netherlands B.V., London Hydraulic Power Company, M-PESA Foundation, M-PESA Holding Co. Limited, ML Integration Group Limited, ML Integration Limited, ML Integration Services Limited, MV Healthcare Services Private Limited, Mannesmann AG, MetroHoldings Limited, Mezzanine Ware Proprietary Limited (RF), Mirambo Limited, Misrfone Trading Company LLC, MobiFon S.A., Mobile Commerce Solutions Limited, Mobile Phone Centre Limited, Mobile Wallet VM1, Mobile Wallet VM2, Mobile by Sainsburys Limited, Mobiles 4 Business.com Limited, Mobileworld Communications Pty Limited, Mobileworld Operating Pty Ltd, Mobilvest, Motifpros 1 (Proprietary) Limited, Multi Risk Indemnity Company Limited, Multi Risk Limited, ND Callus Info Services Private Limited, Nadal Trading Company Private Limited, Nat Comm Air Limited, National Communications Backbone Company Limited, Navtrak Ltd, Netforce Group Limited, Netgrid Telecom SRL, Number Portability Company (Proprietary) Limited, ONO, Omega Telecom Holdings Private Limited, Oni Way  Infocomunicacoes S.A, Oskar Mobil S.R.O., Oxygen Solutions Limited, P.C.P. (North West) Limited, PPL Pty Limited, PT Network Services Limited, PTI Telecom Limited, Peoples Phone Limited, Pinnacle Cellular Group Limited, Pinnacle Cellular Limited, Plex Limited, Plustech Mercantile Company Private Limited, Prime Metals Ltd., Project Telecom Holdings Limited, Quickcomm Software Solutions, Radio Opt GmbH, Rian Mobile Limited, SBC SMART CITY 1517 B.V., SMMS Investments Pvt Limited, Safaricom Limited, Safenet N.P A., Sarmady Communications, Scarlet Ibis Investments 23 (Pty) Limited, Scorpios Beverages Pvt. Ltd, Silver Stream Investments Limited, Singlepoint (4U) Limited, Singlepoint (4U) Ltd., Singlepoint Payment Services Limited, Siro Limited, Spar Aerospace (Nigeria) Limited, Sport TV Portugal S.A, Starnet, Stentor Communications Limited, Stentor Limited, Storage Technology Services (Pty) Limited, T.W. Telecom Limited, T3 Telecommunications Limited, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern Beteiligungs GmbH, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG, TNAS Limited, TSM NZ Limited, Talkland Airtime Services Limited, Talkland Australia Pty Limited, Talkland Communications Limited, Talkland International Limited, Talkland Midlands Limited, Talkmobile Limited, Tele2 Italia SPA, Tele2 Spain, Telecom Investments India Private Limited, Telecommunications Europe Limited, Ternhill Communications Limited, The Cobra Group, The Eastern Leasing Company Limited, The Old Telecom Sales Co. Limited, Thus Group Holdings Limited, Thus Group Limited, Thus Limited, Thus Profit Sharing Trustees Limited, TnT Expense Management LLC, Tomorrow Street GP S.a r.l., Tomorrow Street SCA, Torenspits II B.V., Townley Communications Limited, Trans Crystal Ltd., UMT Investments Limited, UPC Nederland Holding I B.V., UPC Nederland Holding II B.V., UPC Nederland Holding III B.V., Unified Communications, Uniqueair Limited, Urbana Teleunion Rostock GmbH & Co.KG, Usha Martin Telematics Limited, VAPL No. 2 Pty Limited, VBA (Mauritius) Limited, VBA Holdings Limited, VBA International (SL) Limited, VBA International Limited, VEI S.r.l., VM SA, VND S.p.A, VSSB Vodafone Shared Services Budapest Private Limited Company, Verwaltung Urbana Teleunion Rostock GmbH, Victus Networks S.A., Vizzavi Finance Limited, Vizzavi Limited, Voda Limited, Vodacall Limited, Vodacash s.p.r.l., Vodacom (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Business (Angola) Limitada, Vodacom Business (Ghana) Limited, Vodacom Business (Kenya) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa (Nigeria) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa Group (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa Group Services Limited, Vodacom Business Cameroon SA, Vodacom Business Cote Divoire S.A.R.L., Vodacom Congo (RDC) SA, Vodacom Financial Services (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Group Limited, Vodacom Insurance Administration Company (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Insurance Company (RF) Limited, Vodacom International Holdings (Pty) Limited, Vodacom International Limited, Vodacom Lesotho (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Life Assurance Company (RF) Limited, Vodacom Payment Services (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Properties No 1 (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Properties No.2 (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Tanzania Limited Zanzibar, Vodacom Tanzania Public Limited Company, Vodacom UK Limited, Vodafone (NI) Limited, Vodafone (New Zealand) Hedging Limited, Vodafone (Scotland) Limited, Vodafone 2, Vodafone 4 UK, Vodafone 5 Limited, Vodafone 5 UK, Vodafone 6 UK, Vodafone Albania Sh.A, Vodafone Alternatif Telekom Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Americas 4, Vodafone Americas Virginia Inc., Vodafone And Qatar Foundation L.L.C, Vodafone Asset Management Services S.a r.l., Vodafone Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Automotive Deutschland GmbH, Vodafone Automotive Electronic Systems S.r.L, Vodafone Automotive France S.A.S, Vodafone Automotive Iberia S.L, Vodafone Automotive Italia S.p.A, Vodafone Automotive Japan K.K, Vodafone Automotive Korea Limited, Vodafone Automotive SpA, Vodafone Automotive Technologies (Beijing) Co Ltd, Vodafone Automotive Telematics Development S.A.S, Vodafone Automotive Telematics S.A, Vodafone Automotive UK Limited, Vodafone Belgium SA/NV, Vodafone Benelux Limited, Vodafone Bilgi Ve Iletisim Hizmetleri AS, Vodafone Business Services Limited, Vodafone Business Solutions Limited, Vodafone Canada Inc, Vodafone Cellular Limited, Vodafone Central Services Limited, Vodafone China Limited (China), Vodafone China Limited (Hong Kong), Vodafone Connect 2 Limited, Vodafone Connect Limited, Vodafone Consolidated Holdings Limited, Vodafone Corporate Limited, Vodafone Corporate Secretaries Limited, Vodafone Czech Republic A.S., Vodafone DC Pension Trustee Company Limited, Vodafone Dagitim Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Data, Vodafone Distribution Holdings Limited, Vodafone Egypt Telecommunications S.A.E., Vodafone Elektronik Para Ve Odeme Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Empresa Brasil Telecomunicacoes Ltda, Vodafone Empresa Mexico S.de R.L. de C.V., Vodafone Enabler Espana S.L., Vodafone Enterprise Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Austria GmbH, Vodafone Enterprise Bahrain W.L.L., Vodafone Enterprise Bulgaria EOOD, Vodafone Enterprise Chile SA, Vodafone Enterprise Communications Technical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Corporate Secretaries Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Denmark A/S, Vodafone Enterprise Equipment Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited  Czech Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited  DubaiI Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Finland OY, Vodafone Enterprise France SAS, Vodafone Enterprise Germany GmbH, Vodafone Enterprise Global Businesses S.a r.l., Vodafone Enterprise Global Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Global Network HK Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Global Network Pte. Ltd., Vodafone Enterprise Hong Kong Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Italy S.r.L, Vodafone Enterprise Korea Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Luxembourg S.A., Vodafone Enterprise Netherlands BV, Vodafone Enterprise Norway AS, Vodafone Enterprise Regional Business Singapore Pte.Ltd., Vodafone Enterprise Singapore Pte.Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Spain S.L.U.  Portugal Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Spain SLU, Vodafone Enterprise Sweden AB, Vodafone Enterprise Switzerland AG, Vodafone Erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Vodafone Espana S.A.U., Vodafone Euro Hedging Limited, Vodafone Euro Hedging Two, Vodafone Europe B.V., Vodafone Europe UK, Vodafone European Investments, Vodafone European Portal Limited, Vodafone Finance Limited, Vodafone Finance Luxembourg Limited, Vodafone Finance Sweden, Vodafone Finance UK Limited, Vodafone Financial Operations, Vodafone Financial Services B.V., Vodafone Fixed Ltd, Vodafone Foundation, Vodafone Foundation Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Gestioni S.p.A, Vodafone Ghana Mobile Financial Services Limited, Vodafone Global Content Services Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise (Hong Kong) Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise (Italy) S.R.L., Vodafone Global Enterprise (Japan) K.K., Vodafone Global Enterprise (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Vodafone Global Enterprise Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise Russia LLC, Vodafone Global Enterprise Taiwan Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise Telecommunications (Hellas) A.E., Vodafone Global Network Limited, Vodafone Global Network Limited  Slovakia Branch, Vodafone Global Services Private Limited, Vodafone GmbH, Vodafone Group (Directors) Trustee Limited, Vodafone Group Pension Trustee Limited, Vodafone Group Services GmbH, Vodafone Group Services Ireland Limited, Vodafone Group Services Limited, Vodafone Group Services No.2 Limited, Vodafone Group Share Trustee Limited, Vodafone Hire Limited, Vodafone Holding A.S., Vodafone Holdings (Jersey) Limited, Vodafone Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Vodafone Holdings Europe S.L.U., Vodafone Holdings Luxembourg Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Finance Pty Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Receivables Pty Limited, Vodafone IP Licensing Limited, Vodafone India Digital Limited, Vodafone India Limited, Vodafone India Services Private Limited, Vodafone India Ventures Limited, Vodafone Institut fur Gesellschaft und Kommunikation GmbH, Vodafone Intermediate Enterprises Limited, Vodafone International 1 S.a.r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone International 1 S.a r.l., Vodafone International 2 Limited, Vodafone International Holdings B.V., Vodafone International Holdings Limited, Vodafone International M S.a r.l., Vodafone International Operations Limited, Vodafone International Services LLC, Vodafone Investment UK, Vodafone Investments (SA) Proprietary Limited, Vodafone Investments Australia Limited, Vodafone Investments Limited, Vodafone Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Vodafone Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone Ireland Distribution Limited, Vodafone Ireland Ltd., Vodafone Ireland Marketing Limited, Vodafone Ireland Property Holdings Limited, Vodafone Ireland Retail Limited, Vodafone Italia S.p.A., Vodafone Jersey Dollar Holdings Limited, Vodafone Jersey Finance, Vodafone Jersey Yen Holdings Unlimited, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland Field Services GmbH, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland GmbH, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland Kundenbetreuung GmbH, Vodafone Kenya Limited, Vodafone Leasing Limited, Vodafone Libertel B.V., Vodafone Limited, Vodafone Luxembourg 5 S.a r.l., Vodafone Luxembourg 5 S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone Luxembourg S.a r.l., Vodafone Luxembourg S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone M-PESA SH.P.K., Vodafone M-Pesa S.A, Vodafone M.C. Mobile Services Limited , Vodafone Magyarorszag Mobile Tavkozlesi Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Vodafone Malta Limited, Vodafone Marketing UK , Vodafone Maroc SARL, Vodafone Mauritius Ltd., Vodafone Mobile Commerce Limited, Vodafone Mobile Communications Limited, Vodafone Mobile Enterprises Limited, Vodafone Mobile NZ Limited, Vodafone Mobile Network Limited, Vodafone Mobile Operations Limited, Vodafone Mobile Services Limited, Vodafone Multimedia Limited, Vodafone Nederland Holding I B.V., Vodafone Nederland Holding II B.V., Vodafone Nederland Holding III B.V., Vodafone Net Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Network Pty Limited, Vodafone New Zealand Foundation Limited, Vodafone New Zealand Limited, Vodafone Next Generation Services Limited, Vodafone Nominees Limited1, Vodafone ONO S.A.U., Vodafone Oceania Limited, Vodafone Old Show Ground Site Management Limited, Vodafone Overseas Finance Limited, Vodafone Overseas Holdings Limited, Vodafone Panafon International Holdings B.V., Vodafone Panafon UK, Vodafone Partner Services Limited, Vodafone Payment Solutions S.a r.l., Vodafone Portugal  Comunicacoes Pessoais S.A., Vodafone Procurement Company S.a r.l., Vodafone Property Investments Limited, Vodafone Pty Limited, Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C., Vodafone Retail (Holdings) Limited , Vodafone Retail Limited, Vodafone Roaming Services S.a r.l., Vodafone Romania S.A, Vodafone Romania M - Payments SRL, Vodafone Romania Technologies SRL, Vodafone Sales & Services Limited, Vodafone Satellite Services Limited, Vodafone Servicios SL.U, Vodafone Servizi E Tecnologie S.R.L, Vodafone Servicos Empresariais Brasil Ltda., Vodafone Shared Services Romania SRL, Vodafone Specialist Communications Limited, Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland Gemeinnutzige GmbH, Vodafone Technology Solutions Limited, Vodafone Teknoloji Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Tele-Services (India) Holdings Limited, Vodafone Telecel-Comunicates Pessoais S.A., Vodafone Telecommunications (India) Limited, Vodafone Telekomunikasyon A.S, Vodafone Towers Limited, Vodafone UK Content Services Limited, Vodafone UK Investments Limited , Vodafone UK Limited1 , Vodafone US Inc, Vodafone Ventures Limited1 , Vodafone Vierte Verwaltungs AG, Vodafone Worldwide Holdings Limited, Vodafone Yen Finance Limited , Vodafone m-pesa Limited, Vodafone-Central Limited Vodaphone Limited, Vodafone-Panafon Hellenic Telecommunications Company S.A., VodafoneZiggo Group Holding B.V, Vodata Limited , Vouchercloud SA (Pty) Ltd, Wataneya Telecommunications S.A.E, Waterberg Lodge (Proprietary) Limited, Wayfinder, Wheatfields Investments 276 (Proprietary) Limited, Wireless Interactions & NFC Accelerator 2013 B.V., Woodend Cellular Limited, Woodend Communications Limited, Woodend Group Limited, Woodend Holdings Limited, XB Facilities B.V, XLink Communications (Proprietary) Limited, Your Communications Group Limited, ZUM B.V., ZYB, Zelitron S.A., Zesko B.V., Ziggo B.V., Ziggo Bond Company B.V., Ziggo Deelnemingen B.V., Ziggo Finance 2 B.V., Ziggo Financing Partnership, Ziggo Holding B.V., Ziggo Netwerk B.V., Ziggo Netwerk II B.V., Ziggo Services B.V., Ziggo Services Employment B.V., Ziggo Services Netwerk 2 B.V., Ziggo Zakelijk Services B.V., and Zoranet Connectivity Services B.V..

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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.
Solomon Telekom Company Limited, trading under the name Our Telekom, is boosting its capacity with SES Networks to support the launch of its upcoming 4G/LTE network across the Solomon Islands archipelago.

SES announced that Our Telekom, the leading operator in the Solomon Islands and Oceania region, is upgrading fibre-like high throughput capacity again on the O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite fleet to roll out a suite of 4G/LTE services for consumers and businesses this year, in response to rapidly rising data consumption by subscribers. The Solomon Islands government (SIG) is also a chief beneficiary of this significant capacity expansion with SES Networks, which will support Our Telekoms efficient delivery of high-speed, reliable broadband for critical internet services to the SIGs offices in the capital, Honiara.

The increased bandwidth further improves connectivity speeds for Our Telekoms customers, who already enjoy fibre-like services due to the low latency and high throughout offered by the O3b MEO satellites. Since 2015, Our Telekom has relied on SES Networks for their primary off-island connectivity. The telco company has since upgraded its bandwidth six times by a total of 376% to meet fast-growing demand.

Loyley Ngira, CEO at Our Telekom, said, The broadband connectivity enabled by SES Networks on the low latency O3b MEO constellation has had a profound and transformative impact throughout the country. Our customers, whether residents, businesses, universities or government, have readily embraced Our Telekoms connectivity services. This significant capacity upgrade with SES will be instrumental for our 4G/LTE network roll-out, to provide even faster, dramatically improved connectivity all across the Islands.

This capacity expansion will significantly enhance [Our Telekoms] already robust network and help them to usher in the next phase of connectivity for the Solomon Islands, said Imran Malik, Vice President, Fixed Data, and Asia-Pacific at SES Networks.
The Moto X4 has a good display, just enough battery life and dependable performance. Yet, it's a phone that I would only recommend to compact phone lovers. There are plenty of phones with better cameras and similar performance, that also happen to be cheaper than this device. For compact phone lovers, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro is a more value for money article.

Motorola Moto X4 4GB detailed review

Whenever we discuss compact smartphones at the Digit office, I pull out my three-year-old Moto X to demonstrate what compact really means. Its a form factor thats lost on the modern consumer and smartphone maker alike. People want big screens and companies give it to them. In the process, little old me is left without a phone that truly suits my fancy. Enter the Moto X4.





Build and Design

Now, Im not saying this is the phone Ill buy, but its a form factor I absolutely adore. A 5.2 inch screen with a Galaxy Note 8 like curved glass back (Gorilla Glass 3) makes for a truly compact smartphone. Im avoiding words like pretty or beautiful here, because I personally dont think the Moto X4 qualifies for such accolades. Though it looks good from the back, I cant get past the thick ugly bezels on the front. And I believe there would be many who would argue with me on that. After all, why couldnt this phone have 18:9 aspect ratio, thinner bezels and a taller form factor?

Its a solid build too. The Moto X4 doesnt feel flimsy or breakable, though theres absolutely no way to argue against the fact that glass can break. Im waiting to hear from Motorola to know what it would cost to get this glass fixed if broken. Nevertheless, theres a metallic frame around the device, adding some level of protection from drops. It blends seamlessly with the rest of the device and brings the whole design together.

The Moto X4 isnt the lightest smartphone out there, but the added heft is quite nice. With its smaller form factor, I feel the heft gives the phone an altogether sturdier feel.

Display

Since I dont particularly care for big screens, Ive spent hours watching videos on the Moto X4. I confess, I wasnt particularly impressed with the screen when I first saw it. But having used the phone for a week or so, I stand corrected. The display brings impressive contrast and colours, and though they dont particularly pop, its a pleasant experience. Its adequately bright and 1080p works without fail alongside the 5.2 inch size. The display is also good to touch and resistant to fingerprints and stickiness.

Performance

The Snapdragon 630 is an upgrade over the efficiency focused 625 chipset. It has eight Cortex 53 cores and is clocked at 2.2GHz. The phone was able enough with regular tasks and app launch times arent long, unless youre playing games like Injustice 2 or Asphalt 8. The Moto X4 powers through pretty much anything you throw at it. Its not particularly snappy, but it works.

The problem though is that the same can be said of phones like the Moto G5S Plus and Moto G5 Plus. Given that you can save a substantial sum of money this way, the compromises seem easily justified. Motorola may have a hard time explaining why the Moto X4 should make any sense over those other phones.

The Indian version of the device is not under the Android One program and it doesnt have Alexa support out of the box. Motorola says it can add Alexa to the phone as soon as Amazon releases the voice app for the same in the country. For Android One, Motorola said that the primary purpose was to enable Project Fi on the phone. Since Googles network isnt available in India at the moment, the Android One monicker makes no sense for India.

Camera

As far as dual cameras are concerned, Motorola has so far used the monochrome plus RGB sensor combination. With the Moto X4, the company took a shot at LGs method, combining a 12MP sensor alongside another 8MP wide angle sensor. Wide angle here is an actual wide angle lens, unlike on the telephoto plus wide angle combos. Motorola offers 120 degree field of view on the secondary camera.

Shooting wide

With the wide angle lens, you get a fish-eye like effect from this phone. And barrel distortion from such lenses can often be used to a photographers advantage. However, it wouldnt fare well in the hands of amateurs. Moreover, barrel distortion on the Moto X4 is quite high and can look really unnatural. Even if you were to shoot landscapes with this, you would probably be put off by the distinctly curved edges on subjects.

For instance, dont be surprised if edges of windows or doors near you suddenly seem convex instead of straight. Clicking down a straight path, the Moto X4 tends to distort objects close to the camera , producing a curved effect, which is unnatural and unpleasant.

Shot by the primary camera

Shot by the secondary camera. Notice how the edges of the glass walls have been curved. Also, details are quite low

Lastly, the secondary sensor is noticeably weaker than the primary, which creates a stark difference between photos clicked by the two. Since they have different resolutions, Motorola cant allow you to seamlessly zoom between them either. Not that would would use digital zoom a lot in the first place.

Primary camera

The primary camera has a 12MP sensor and f/2.0 aperture. It has 1.4 micron pixels and the overall experience was underwhelming to say the least. I was able to take decent photos when shooting in daylight and most well lit conditions. Colours here are quite accurate and though details are reasonably high, I would expect more from a phone that costs Rs. 20,000. The phones dynamic range is quite low as well.

Daylight

Indoor incandescent lights

100% crop

Adding to that is the fact that the Moto X4 doesnt excel at low light photography. In fact, I saw some white balance issues when shooting pictures in low light conditions.

Depth Mode

Since it has two cameras, the Moto X4 tries to use the data from here to create bokehs. But photos really look like Snapseed filters here. In fact, the filters will probably work better for you. Background blur on bokeh photos creep into subjects often and the camera app becomes laggy when in this mode, thanks to the extra processing that happens

Primary problem

But I could still see people getting some use out of the Moto X4s camera, if it wasnt for the fact that its the slowest camera on the market today. Im not exaggerating when I say that even the Lenovo K8 Plus (a phone that costs half as much as this) feels faster. The Moto X4s camera takes too long to focus, meaning youll miss most shots. When it does focus, it will take a pretty few moments to process photos. This becomes even slower when you use the depth mode.

In essence, youll lose out on moments when clicking with this camera. And everything considered, the Moto X4s camera really doesnt belong in the 20k price segment. There are plenty of phones with better cameras, including the Xiaomi Mi A1, Moto G5 Plus, Moto G5S Plus and Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro.

Camera Samples gallery

Battery

On regular usage, the Moto X4s camera lasts for a work day quite easily. That incldues, browsing social media, 10-odd phone calls, two hours watching downloaded video on Netflix and about 20 shots using the camera. For all intents and purposes, this is adequate battery life, and what you will get from most smartphones today. Its dependable, but not phenomenal.

Bottomline

I love the Moto X4. But thats only because Im a sucker for compact smartphones. If thats your primary requirement, then go ahead and buy this phone. But do keep in mind that you will be compromising on the camera department and its not the fastest smartphone out there either. At the same price, I do believe a Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro is a more value for money proposition, even for compact phone lovers. It has a much better camera, better display, similar performance and longer battery life.
UK and Netherlands-focussed independent energy group Parkmead posted its preliminary results for the year to 30 June on Friday, reporting gross profit of 1.2m for the period, swinging from a 4.6m loss in the 2016 financial year.

The AIM-traded company said it had a strong total asset base of 82.2m as at 30 June, adding that it had maintained strict financial discipline.

It also remained well-capitalised, with cash balances of $34.3m (26.4m) as at period end, as well as a balance sheet free of debt.

Parkmeads low-cost Netherlands gas production was providing positive cash flow to the company, the board said, with all revenues from Netherlands production received in euros, mitigating recent currency fluctuations.

On the operational front, Parkmead said new dynamic reservoir modelling suggested Diever West had approximately 108 billion cubic feet of gas-in-place volumes, which is more than double the post-drill static volume estimate of 41 Bcf.

The group had thus substantially increased production from its Diever West gas field by perforating the Akkrum reservoir formation.

2017 has been an important year of progress for Parkmead, said executive chairman Tom Cross.

The group moved into gross profit as a result of increased gas production and the cost reduction programme in the UK.

This is an outstanding achievement for Parkmead at a time when global oil prices have remained low.

Cross said Parkmead's gas production acted as a natural hedge in the challenging oil price environment.

We are delighted to have significantly increased production at the Diever West gas field, which increases Parkmead's cash flow.

New reservoir modelling indicates that Diever West could be more than double the size originally expected.

Cross said the company was also pleased to have been able to increase its stakes in core areas of its portfolio during the year, particularly around the Greater Perth Area oil hub in the UK North Sea, where Parkmead strengthened its position.

The group is in discussions with leading international service companies and oil companies with regards to the Greater Perth Area, Cross added.

The team at Parkmead is working intensively to evaluate and execute further value-adding opportunities which could provide additional cash flow to the company.

Parkmead is analysing both oil and gas, and wider energy sector opportunities, which could broaden and enhance the group's revenue stream.

Cross added that Parkmead was well-positioned for growth.

We have excellent regional expertise, significant cash resources, and a growing, low-cost gas portfolio.

The group will continue to build upon the inherent value in its existing interests with a balanced, acquisition-led growth strategy, securing opportunities that maximise long-term value for our shareholders.
DP Poland , which holds the exclusive master franchise for the Dominos Pizza brand in Poland, celebrated the opening of its 50th location in the country on Friday.

The AIM-traded company said the 50 Domino's Pizza stores were located in 21 Polish cities, with 26 corporately managed, two under management contract and 22 sub-franchised.

The opening of our 50th store is a major milestone for Domino's Pizza in Poland, a milestone that we are celebrating with promotions across the store estate, said chief executive Peter Shaw.

Store 50 is located in Olsztyn, a town with a population of some 170,000, 200km north of Warsaw.

Shaw noted that the company and Dominos brand were now present in 21 Polish towns and cities, ranging from the capital city Warsaw with a population of around 1.8m, to towns of 100,000.

He said DP Poland had four further stores currently under construction.

Our second commissary that came on stream in August is fully operational and is supplying a large proportion of our stores.

Our expanded commissary capacity has the potential to supply up to 150 stores, Shaw explained.

We opened our first store in Warsaw in February 2011 and, through the backing of our investors and the hard work of our team and our sub-franchisees, the establishment of Domino's as a national brand in Poland is moving from vision to reality.
Hobbyist business Hornby was on track to implement a new strategy aimed at reinvigorating its key brands as losses widened over the first half of the group's trading year.

Group revenue slid 22% to 17m in the six months leading to 30 September, resulting in a total pre-tax loss of 4.6m compared to the 3.3m it had lost twelve months prior.

With net debt growing from 2.1m to 4.7m over the year, and just 350,000 of its 7.75m UK revolving credit facility left to be drawn down upon, Hornby announced on Friday it would be issuing more than 40m new ordinary shares to finance the group's strategic objectives, strengthen its balance sheet and fund the acquisition of Pennsylvanian company LCD Enterprises.

The acquisition of the 49% stake in LCD Enterprises, the holding company of Oxford Diecast Group, was said to be for a cash consideration, with Hornby was looking to raise as much as 12m via the placement and open offer.

David Adams, Hornby's interim chairman, said, "Lyndon Davies and his team has identified the need for further investment in the company's brands. This will come in the form of direct capital expenditure and the acquisition of the stake in LCD Enterprises.

"The new funds will also strengthen the balance sheet, allowing Hornby to fully exploit the benefits of its investment," he added.

Also discussing the results, Lyndon Davies, Hornby's chief executive, said, "By simplifying and improving basic business process, together with better selection and delivery of the highest quality products, we will re-establish the value of our brands in the eyes of consumers and collectors alike."

As of 1345 GMT, shares had gained 3.59% to sit at 30.56p.
EU Council President Donald Tusk warned Theresa May on Friday that she had just two weeks to offer more money to the UK's Brexit divorce bill if there was to be any hope of trade talks beginning before the year's end.

Tusk said he was "ready" to start the next phase of negotiations, covering the future of trade relations between the two parties, but reaffirmed his stance that Britain must demonstrate more progress towards reaching an agreement on the amount of the 'divorce bill' paid to the EU and an agreement on the Northern Irish border by early December if he was to make any recommendations to EU leaders at their next meeting on 14 December.

This came a day after Prime Minister Theresa May was said to be mulling a potential 20m increase to the divorce bill in order to move talks on, according to one report.

On Friday May said the talks, which had been deadlocked for some time over the size of the bill, the question of EU citizens' rights and what was to be done about Ireland, had shown "good progress".

But Tusk was not for giving way without a firm commitment. "We will be ready to move on to the second phase already in December," he said. "But in order to do that, we need to see more progress from the UK side."

The former Polish PM said if "there is not sufficient progress by then" he would "not be in a position to propose new guidelines on transition and the future relationship at the December European Council."

Downing Street said it would honour existing financial obligations to the EU, ensuring the bloc was no worse off during its current budgetary period ending in 2020.

However, the EU had repeatedly called on the UK to go much further than its 20bn offer, asking Westminster to contribute to "longer-term liabilities", like regional development spending and contributions to the pensions of EU officials.
Robert Mugabe has made his first public appearance after being placed under house arrest by the country's military on Wednesday.

President Mugabe was spotted at a graduation ceremony in the capital of Harare dressed in a blue and yellow board alongside a mortarboard hat with the crowd seemingly supporting him as he made his first public address in days.

Mugabe could also be seen singing the national anthem alongside the crowd, yet his wife, Grace Mugabe, and the higher education minister, Jonathan Moyo, were nowhere to be seen.

His appearance was marred by an army announcement on Friday that it was in talks with Zimbabwe's President, assuring the public that "significant progress" had been made.

Mugabe has rejected pressure to step down, describing the army's intervention as "illegal", sources close to the military said, according to the Guardian.

Zimbabwe's army took control from the president following his sacking of the Vice-President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, in what was seen as manouvre to favour Grace Mugabe to succeed him at the helm of the country and the Zanu-PF party.

The millitary has since detained approximately a dozen senior officials and leading members of the G40, a faction of the ruling Zanu-PF party loyal to the first lady.

The whereabouts of Grace Mugabe, since the takeover, was still unknown.
Credit card providers have agreed with the Financial Conduct Authority to ask customers' permission before raising their credit card limits, after research found this was a contributing factor to debt problems for many people.

The Citizens Advice Bureau had urged Chancellor Philip Hammond to ban unsolicited credit card increases altogether in his statement next week after finding 6m people had their credit limit increase in the last year prior to their consent.

Bank of England officials warned banks and other credit providers in the summer that they may face fresh action against careless lending, in what was referred to as a "spiral of complacency" regarding creeping levels of consumer debt.

Close to a third of those showed signs of struggling financially, stirring fears that credit companies are putting individuals and the wider economy at risk of being debt ridden.

Credit card holders, on average saw their card limits rise up to 1,481 without being asked, the research found, with 12% of people receiving increases of 3,000 or more, despite records showing that 85% of people believe credit companies should seek permission of card holders before increasing their limits.

Only 23% of credit card holders given a larger credit limit had asked for one, with the remaining three-quarters of people being given a larger credit limit by their card companies without explicit consent.

Citizens Advice said it was concerned that the credit card companies weren't being required to seek permission from their existing customers before raising limits.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of the charity, said: Its clear that credit card companies are contributing to the rise in consumer debt.

Rather than credit card holders seeking to take on more debts, lenders are actively pushing it on people without enough consideration as to who can afford to pay and who cant.

Few consumers support unsolicited increases and our research shows that they make peoples debt problems worse. The Chancellor must step in to prevent credit card companies weighing people down with unwanted debt - particularly when they are already struggling to keep their heads above water.

Bank of England financial stability director Alex Brazier said in July that a serious increase in personal loans could pose a danger to the UK economy.

While household incomes edged forward just 1.5%, outstanding payments on car financing, credit card balances and personal loans had all risen 10% in the last 12 months.

Brazier said: "Household debt  like most things that are good in moderation  can be dangerous in excess", and that the current trend was "dangerous to borrowers, lenders and, most importantly from our perspective, everyone else in the economy."

Although the readiness of consumers to take on more debt to fund spending did allow for a strong growth of the economy in the immediate wake of the Brexit vote, which was quite contrary to what the BoE had predicted, Brazier said there were "classic signs" of lenders, believing the risks were lower after this period of growth placing "undue weight" on the recent performance of credit cards and loans in "benign conditions."
UK Brexit secretary David Davis has come out fighting against France and Germany over their attitude to exit negotiations, and blamed the European powers for the stalemate in the talks.

During a visit to an economic conference in Berlin on Friday, Davis was critical of the two states approach to Brexit ahead of a key meeting of EU leaders in December in which they will decide whether sufficient progress has been made to progress to the second phase.

Davis also said that the negotiations were not a one-way street and that the EU had to be willing to compromise.

Germany and France are the most powerful players on the European continent, Davis told the BBC. So what they believe is very influential, sometimes decisively so. But it is a whole-of-Europe decision, it is a 27-country decision.

I want them to compromise. So far in this negotiation weve made quite a lot of compromises. We havent always got that back.

Talks between the two sides have stalled in recent months as they fail to agree on the key issues of financial settlements, citizens rights and the Irish border question.

Davis comments suggested that the talks have not been jovial in the weeks leading up to December, with chief negotiator Michel Barnier handing out an ultimatum to the UK earlier this month.

"I think it would be in all of our interests that we proceed to phase two in December," he said. "But...sometimes it doesn't seem like they've thought all of this through."
With a massive cult following in India, the Jawa brand continued to enthrall bike enthusiasts. Will Jawa enthusiasts see a resurrection of the iconic brand in India? Well yes. Mahindra has obtained the brand license to sell Jawa motorcycles and more interestingly the company has revealed the launch details of the retro-styled bikes.

One of the reasons for Jawa motorcycles to be discontinued in India was its two-stroke engine as it could not scale up to offer an environment-friendly unit. But that has changed with Jawa introducing a 350cc OHC (Overhead Cam) four-stroke unit to comply with emission norms so that it can penetrate global markets.

The Jawa 350 is one of the motorcycles from the brand to employ the new 350cc unit. Here's all you need to know about the Jawa 350cc motorcycle that is all set to rise like a phoenix.

Design

The Jawa 350 continues to offer the nostalgia of the 60s and 70s retro-styled motorcycle with its circular headlight, iconic and boxy fuel tank and a flat seat. The Jawa 350 features telescopic front forks and conventional dual spring suspension at the rear.

The bike's design is minimalistic with a whole lot of chrome added to the tank, headlamp, handlebar, rear view mirror and dual analog instrument console reminiscent of motorcycles from the bygone era.

Recommended Video EICMA 2017: Royal Enfield Interceptor And Continental GT Unveiled - DriveSpark

Features

While the erstwhile Jawa hardly boasts of modern features, the present Jawa 350 is available with 305mm disc brakes, making the Jawa 350 the first motorcycle to get one, and drum brakes at the rear along with ABS. The motorcycle uses 19-inch wheels at the front and 18-inch wheel at the rear.

The Jawa 350 is equipped with a 17-litre fuel tank, and the bike weighs 154kg, a clear indication that Jawa has scaled up its development to meet modern requirements unlike some of its previous bikes such as 175, Monarch, Deluxe Road King and CL II lacked.

Engine Specifications & Gearbox

The Jawa 350 is powered by a 350cc air-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine which cranks out 26bhp @ 5250rpm and 32Nm of torque @ 4750rpm and comes mated to a 4-speed gearbox. Jawa claims the 350 can sprint to a top speed of 120kph.

The four-stroke Jawa 350cc engine meets Euro 4 emission norms in Europe and comes with fuel injection and ABS, falling in line with present-day emission norms requirement.

DriveSpark Thinks!

With the launch confirmed to early 2019, it is to be seen if Mahindra will launch the same Jawa 350, available for Europe and other countries, in India or will there be a surprise regarding styling is to be seen when Mahindra is expected to showcase the Jawa 350 at the 2018 Auto Expo.

The Jawa 350 will rival the popular Royal Enfield Classic 350 in the Indian market and is expected to be priced in the same range as the RE. We expect Mahindra to be aggressive in pricing the Jawa in the range of Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others may pose a threat to American democracy, suggests a new report from The Omidyar Group.

The report follows recent disclosures about targeted dark post advertising, fake news and other abuses propagated by Russian troll farms during the 2016 presidential election.

Among the questions the report raises is whether the U.S. government may need to take steps to protect the public from future influence campaigns that could undermine the very foundation of a free society, wrote billionaire eBay founder Pierre Omidyar in a Washington Post op-ed published earlier this week.

For all the ways this technology brings us together, the monetization and manipulation of information is swiftly tearing us apart, he wrote. From foreign interference in our elections to targeted campaigns designed to confuse and divide on important issues, groups looking for an important way to infiltrate and influence our democracy have found generous hosts in the world of social media.

Bias, Manipulation, Intolerance

There are six major ways social media directly threatens democratic ideals, according to the report:

Facilitating echo chambers and hyperpartisanship; Spreading false or misleading information; Conflating popularity with legitimacy; Providing tools for political manipulation; Allowing microtargeting to influence behavior change; and Amplifying hate speech, intolerance and exclusion.

Facebook plans to release information regarding the extent of Russian efforts to target U.S. voters, COO Sheryl Sandberg told Axios in an extensive interview, but she hedged when asked specifically whether the company was aware of collusion between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign.

Facebook previously handed over direct evidence to congressional investigators, Sandberg said, and it has hired 4,000 additional people, employed machine learning, and taken several other major steps to better police its internal systems.

I See You

There needs to be greater transparency about election-related ads on social media sites, said Darrell West, director of the Center of Tech Innovation at Brookings. Right now, it is impossible to see who is behind large advertising campaigns, and that is corrosive of American elections.

Voters need to know what is happening in order to judge a political campaign, West told TechNewsWorld.

Its difficult to know the exact impact of these campaigns on voter behavior, but large online campaigns can be important, he added.

People rely on social media platforms to communicate with each other, conduct business and form opinions, said Dan Nadir, vice president of digital risk at Proofpoint, but the Internet wasnt designed with trust in mind.

Often our confidence in an email, a website, a social account, or even a mobile app has no technical basis, he told TechNewsWorld, and we need to recognize how easy it is to abuse it.

Omidyar does a good job laying out some of the election-related problems with social media, but the solutions offered, while well intended, miss the mark by a bit, observed Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

Though hes spot on in criticizing how online media can be used to promote bogus information and spread partisan messages, simply regulating social media sites isnt likely to succeed, King told TechNewsWorld.

The Omidyar proposal would require the federal government to go on a new and highly radical round of business and financial regulations, King said. In addition, such a change would likely eliminate or drastically reduce anonymity of online social media users.

It would be ideal if social media firms like Facebook, Google and others voluntarily adopted some of Omidyars suggestions, he suggested, but doing so would hurt their revenues significantly.

Unless a larger number of voices call for major reform, wholesale changes are unlikely to happen, King said.

Despite legitimate concerns about the role of social media in the 2016 election, a lot of what took place was new for everyone, and social media executives should not be treated as though they were capable of seeing the future, said Chris Calabrese, vice president of policy at the Center for Democracy & Technology.

I dont think we want to pick on a particular tool and say this is the problem, he told TechNewsWorld. Nor do I want to say the solution is some kind of government censorship. Thats not something we want to endorse.

Its not surprising that Russia or any other outside entity would try to influence U.S. elections, said Richard Forno, assistant director of the UMBC Center for Cybersecurity.

However, I think the broader danger is that social media was part of a concerted effort to undermine not just the outcome of the election, but to sow distrust in the electoral system, he told TechNewsWorld, and the very sources of information that a citizenry needs to make informed decisions about their political status and/or future.
By Sarah Bedolfe

Summer in southeast Alaska is kelp season for the cofounders of Barnacle Foods, Lia Heifetz and Matt Kern. Each week, the pair watches the tides and weather, waiting for the right moment to cruise out to the abundant kelp beds offshore. They lean over the side of the boat and pull up the fronds and stalks, one piece at a time. As soon as they get back to shore, they start processing the days harvest into a local delicacy: kelp salsa.

Salsa and Alaskan algae might seem like odd bedfellows, but for Barnacle Foods, its a calculated decision. The kelps savory notes make the salsas flavor a little more explosive, according to Kern. And the pairing is also a practical one. Salsa is such a familiar food item, Heifetz said. Its a gateway to getting more people to eat seaweed.

Barnacle Foods is part of a small but growing movement of chefs, scientists and farmers who want to make edible kelp go mainstream. Seaweed is an extra-healthy crop, rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iodine and omega-3 fatty acids. And its not only good for you, its good for the planet.

Its a crop that we can grow without the use of freshwater and without the use of land, said Paul OConnor, a marine scientist and founder of This is Seaweed, which sells edible Irish seaweed. Its 99 percent environmentally friendly.

Something for Everyone

Kelp is a near-perfect food, but theres one problem: Not enough people eat it. Though seaweed is a cooking mainstay in Asian countries, its struggled to gain a toehold in places like Europe and the U.S. Food innovators like Mark Kulsdom are trying to change this.

Kulsdom is the founder of The Dutch Weed Burger, a company that introduces diners to seaweed through the power of fast food. The weed burgers cheeky name grabs the attention of tourists and festival-goers in the Netherlands, though there are no illicit ingredients to be found.

The burger, bun and sauce each use a different type of locally grown seaweed or algae. With the recent opening of The Joint, Kulsdoms new restaurant in Amsterdam, his team expanded the menu to include seaweed-y variations of sausage, shawarma and fish and chips.

Kulsdom emphasized that even though The Joints dishes are vegan, his clientele are not necessarily strict herbivores. We didnt so much want to cater to the vegan community, Kulsdom said, we wanted to cater to everybody.

New and Old

OConnor faces a different hurdle than Kulsdom. This is Seaweed sells various types of dried Irish seaweeds as seasonings for other foods. But home chefs face a learning curve with This is Seaweeds products, since dulse or alaria flakes arent as familiar as black pepper. So, the company posts recipes and serving suggestions alongside its products. OConnor recommends sprinkling a pinch of seaweed flakes on your egg in the morning, or perhaps on your potatoes or soup.

Though seaweed might seem exotic, OConnor and other seaweed producers are tapping into centuries-old traditions. Seaweed was once a popular food in OConnors native Ireland, although it fell out of favor after being used as a staple during the Irish Potato Famine. In the U.S., Barnacle Foods Heifetz noted that seaweed has long been an important traditional food for the native people of Southeast Alaska.

Changing Tides

Efforts to revive kelp could be paying off. According to OConnor, public perceptions of seaweed in Europe and the U.S. seem to be changing. People are more open to it, and they trust seaweed as something that has health benefits to it, he said. Its become more than just that slimy thing that I slip on when Im at the beach.



A selection of seaweed flakes. This is Seaweed

Growing more edible kelp could bring big benefits to the ocean. Seaweed helps maintain water quality by absorbing excess nutrients. Seaweed farms can even help the climate. Kelp takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, produces oxygen and can locally mitigate the effects of ocean acidification.

The future looks bright for seaweed purveyors everywhere. Were really excited about the potential of seaweed and kelp as a major food source, Kern said. They hope to become steady buyers for seaweed farmers, promoting this sustainable industry in Alaskan waters. Heifetz added: We hope that we can play a key role in sharing this amazing resource.
About 210,000 gallons (5,000 barrels) of oil leaked Thursday from TransCanadas Keystone oil pipeline near Amherst, South Dakota, drawing fierce outcry from pipeline opponents.

The leak, the largest spill to date in South Dakota, comes just days before Nebraska regulators decide on whether its controversial sister projectthe Keystone XL (KXL) Pipelinewill go forward.

Enough is enough. Pipelines leakits not a question of if, but when. The pending permit for TransCanadas Keystone XL pipeline should be flatly rejected by Nebraskas Public Service Commission (PSC), but know that no matter what the outcome, the fights not over yet, said Scott Parkin,

Rainforest Action Netrworks Organizing Director. We need to stop all expansion of extreme fossil fuels such as tar sands oiland we need the finance community to stop funding these preventable climate disastersdisasters for the climate, the environment and Indigenous rights.

CNN reported that the spill occurred in the same county as part of the Lake Traverse Reservation.

We are concerned that the oil spill is close to our treaty land, but we are trying to stay positive that they are getting the spill contained and that they will share any environmental assessments with the tribal agency, said Dave Flute, tribal chairman of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate.

According to TransCanada, the Keystone pipeline system delivers Canadian and U.S. crude oil supplies to markets around North America, stretching 4,324 kilometers (2,687 miles) in length. It starts from Hardisty, Alta., east into Manitoba where it turns south and crosses the border into North Dakota. It then runs south through South Dakota to Steele City, Neb., where it splits. One arm goes east through Missouri for deliveries into Wood River and Patoka, Ill., and the other runs south through Oklahoma to Cushing and onward to Port Arthur and Houston, Texas.

The proposed KXL would add to the massive Keystone system, with its line starting in Hardisty, Alberta and ending in Steele City.

Image of Amherst incident taken earlier today by aerial patrol as part of our initial response. For more updates, visit https://t.co/8yWI1Oq2EM pic.twitter.com/uRNtYUdVjL  TC Energy (@TCEnergy) November 16, 2017

In March,

President Trump overturned President Obamas rejection of the KXL by signing an executive order to advance the project forward. Trump said that doing so would boost construction jobs but critics noted that it would only create 35 permanent jobs.

Environmental groups have long battled against the proposed tar sands project, over fears it would lock in

decades of increased climate pollution.

A peer-reviewed

study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy found that extracting and refining oil sands crude from Canada produces 20 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than the same process for conventional American crude, Newsweek reported in 2015.

As the KXLs proposed route crosses the Ogallala Aquifer, a major underground deposit of fresh water, a spill could threaten waterways and

drinking water sources.

Americans fought the Keystone Pipeline, because we knew it endangered our nations water and a stable climate,

Environment Americas Global Warming Director Andrea McGimsey said in a statement after the spill. The Nebraska Public Service Commission should look to todays disastrous leak as Exhibit A when commissioners decide in the coming week whether to allow Transcanada to extend this hazardous pipeline through their state. This latest disaster is an urgent reminder that we must stop building infrastructure for dangerous fossil fuels and transition to clean energy as soon as possible.

TransCanada said Thursday that it shut down the pipeline after detecting a pressure drop in their operating system. An investigation into the cause of the spill is underway.

The safety of the public and environment are our top priorities and we will continue to provide updates as they become available, the company said.

This isnt the Keystones first spill. In

April 2016, the line gushed 18,600 gallons (400 barrels) of oil in South Dakota.

With their horrible safety record, todays spill is just the latest tragedy caused by the irresponsible oil company TransCanada, said Ben Schreiber, senior political strategist at

Friends of the Earth. We cannot let the worlds fossil fuel empires continue to drive government policy toward climate catastrophe. The only safe solution for oil and fossil fuels is to keep them in the ground.

Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the states Department of Environment and Natural Resources told CNN that the were no initial reports of waterways, water systems or wildlife impacted by the leak.

It is a below-ground pipeline but some oil has surfaced above ground to the grass, Walsh said. It will be a few days until they can excavate and get in borings to see if there is groundwater contamination.

TransCanada said that crews, including its own specialists from emergency management, engineering, environmental management and safety as well as contracted, nationally recognized experts are assessing the situation.

Groups from other states that are facing their own pipeline battles have also decried the incident.

From the multitude of spills weve seen in Ohio along the construction of the

Rover Pipeline, to the 210,000 gallon spill today in South Dakota due to a mishap with the Keystone XL pipeline, we should be sure safeguards are in place to ensure that all Ohioans, and Americans, have clean air, land and water, said Melanie Houston, the director of Climate Programs at the Ohio Environmental Council.

Greenpeace is also urging Nebraska officials to say no to the new pipeline.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission needs to take a close look at this spill, said Rachel Rye Butler of Greenpeace. A permit approval allowing Canadian oil company TransCanada to build Keystone XL is a thumbs-up to likely spills in the future.
By David Leestma

Greenpeace and the Nature and Youth environmental group opened a lawsuit this week over Norways failure to abide by its constitutional obligation to safeguard the environment for future generations.

The lawsuit, which focuses on local environmental damage and the contribution that oil extraction will make to climate change, challenges 10 licenses issued by the Norwegian government for exploration in the Barents Sea. Given to Statoil, Chevron and other oil companies, the licenses violate Norways constitution and the Paris agreement, according to the plaintiffs. Government lawyers claim the case is a publicity stunt that risks valuable jobs.

Dovetailing with an emerging legal trend, the case was inspired by climate litigation brought to courts in the U.S., Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand. In Norway, the plaintiffs are holding the government to a law, known as Section 112, that states: Everyone has the right to an environment that safeguards their health and to nature where production ability and diversity are preserved. Natural resources must be managed from a long-term and versatile consideration which also upholds this right for future generations.

Over the course of the case, which will likely last two weeks, the state is expected to claim that the plaintiffs reading of Section 112 is too sweeping and that Norway doesnt have a legal responsibility for emissions of oil and gas exports. Norway is already the seventh largest CO2 emissions exporter in the world, according to a recent report.

During opening statements, the states attorney referred to the case as constitutional activism and a performance. He warned that the lawsuit, if successful, would stop all future oil licenses awarded off Norway and would imperil hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Onlookers and activists filled the Oslo district courts biggest courtroom on Tuesday, highlighting the profile of the case. A former Supreme Court judge, Ketil Lund, is advising plaintiffs, a move that further emphasizes the cases significance.

Greenpeace insists global fossil fuel companies already have discovered more oil and gas than can safely be burned.

The Paris agreement, to which Norway is a signatory, seeks to limit global warming to under 3.6F (2C).
Pope Francis issued a strong message to negotiators at the COP23 climate talks in Bonn, Germany on Thursday, warning them not to fall into four perverse attitudes regarding the future of the planetdenial, indifference, resignation and trust in inadequate solutions.

Francis, who has long pressed for strong climate action and wrote his 2015

encyclical on the environment, renewed his urgent call for renewed dialogue on how we are building the future of the planet.

We need an exchange that unites us all, he said, because the environmental challenge we are experiencing, and its human roots, regards us all, and affects us all.

The pontiff also said he hopes the COP23 talks would be inspired by the same collaborative and prophetic spirit of COP21, which led to the landmark signing of the

Paris agreement to avoid global temperature rise well below 2C.

The Agreement indicates a clear path of transition to a low- or zero-carbon model of economic development, encouraging solidarity and leveraging the strong links between combating climate change and poverty, Francis said.

Although the pope did not call any countries out by name, the U.S. is the only country not in support of the Paris agreement due to

President Donald Trumps declared withdrawal from the pact. Syria and Nicaragua, which were the only other holdouts, recently joined the accord.

Trump, who notoriously said global warming is a hoax, has filled his administration with lawmakers who question the science of climate change or

reject mankinds role in causing the global issue.

Francis has spoken against global warming skeptics

several times before. In September, during an in-flight press conference from Colombia to Rome, the pope said that those who reject climate science remind him of a psalm from the Old Testament about stubbornness.

Man is stupid, the Bible said. Its like that, when you dont want to see, you dont see, he

said as the papal plane flew near Caribbean islands pummeled by Hurricane Irma. His statement was not addressed to any political leader in particular.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration used its only public forum at COP23 to promote

coal.

According to the

Associated Press, the top American representative at the talks told other delegates that the U.S. is still committed to reducing greenhouse gas even though the Trump wants to exit the Paris accord.

Dozens of nations have joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance,

launched Thursday at the climate talks, to phase out the use of coal by 2030. The alliance involves more than 20 nations including Angola, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Portugal and Switzerland, according to Reuters. The states of Oregon and Washington have also joined.

The climate talks are expected to end Friday.
The American Wild Horse Campaign on Thursday harshly criticized Interior Sec. Ryan Zinkes appointment of Brian Steed, the former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT), as the acting director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as dangerous and out of step with the wishes of the vast majority of Americans.

Rep. Stewart is leading the charge to slaughter Americas wild horses and burros over the opposition of 80 percent of Americans, said Suzanne Roy, AWHC Executive Director. Putting his deputy at the helm of the agency charged with protecting these national icons is like putting the wolf in charge of the chicken coop.

Americans dont want the government to be in the horse slaughter business, and Interior Secretary Zinke should appoint someone to lead the Bureau of Land Management who is committed to protecting, not destroying, Americas historic mustangs, Roy concluded.

Roy added that the long-term leadership for this agency, which manages 245 million acres of public land in the West, should be determined through a full and transparent confirmation process, not a late-in-the-day political appointment by the secretary.

In July, the U.S. House of Representatives issued what AWHC called a death warrant when it passed the Stewart Amendment to a 2018 spending bill that would allow for the destruction of wild horses and burros the BLM considers to be surplus. The Senate has yet to weigh in on the subject, but if it concurs, the amendment could lead to the killing of more than 90,000 wild horses on the range and in holding facilities.

Brutal Outlook for Healthy Wild Horses and Burros: BLM Calls for Shooting 90,000 https://t.co/ePTwoYrYhJ @greenpeaceusa @foe_us  EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) October 20, 2017

Stewart and Zinke are pushing for the destruction of Americas mustangs to appease the special interest livestock lobby, which views wild horses as competition for cheap taxpayer subsidized grazing on public lands. (Public lands ranchers pay $1.87 per animal per month to graze livestock on public lands while the going rate for private land grazing in the West is $22.60.)

Livestock industry groups like the National Cattlemans Association are lobbying for the killing and slaughter of wild horses and burros on public lands even though 80 percent of BLM land grazed by livestock has no wild horses present on it.

AWHC is calling on Congress to reject the Stewart amendment in favor of appropriations language that would require the BLM to use non-lethal birth control to manage Americas wild herds, as recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. The Senate is expected to release its 2018 Interior Appropriations bill later this month.
Long before there was an independent federal education departmentbefore many states had school systems, in factthere was a federal education statistics agency.

Today, the National Center for Education Statistics celebrates its 150th anniversary (albeit without a permanent commissioner in place). Though the agency remains independent of the Education Department, its work has laid a bedrock for education policy in the United States in areas from large-scale testing, to tracking students over time, to using surveys and local administrative data to understand changes in schools.

NCES, even if people arent aware of it, has played a huge role in shaping education research, said Sean P. Jack Buckley, a former commissioner of NCES. The idea of standardized assessments in longitudinal studies  really all grew out of NCES and IES [the Institute of Education Sciences], and it drives so much research now that probably more than half of researchers arent aware of where that came from.

Early Years

In 1867, Congress passed a law creating the first education department, focused primarily on collecting education statistics, in the Department of the Interior. (The Department of Education did not exist as a full-scale, cabinet-level agency until 1979.) The statistics agencys first goal was collecting such statistics and facts as shall show the condition and progress of education in the several States and Territories.

You were looking at a growing nation and people were just trying to get a handle on the scope of education in the country, said Thomas Snyder, the current program director for annual reports and information at NCES.

Yet some of the key questions from those early reports would sound very familiar to education watchers today. The early annual reports often drew contrasts to international education systems in France or Prussiathough one noted with pride that the United States spent more per pupil than any other country.

Equity was also an issue from the start. In its 1870 report, for example, the agency detailed the limited schooling available for newly freed black studentsthe achievement gap at that time meant that 80 percent of black adults and 20 percent of white adults couldnt read or write their own names.

Data was hand-collected and varied wildly. For example, New Mexico did not provide any data in the first collection, because citizens voted against establishing any public schools that year. In Greeley, Colo., officials of a newly established school district complained that they were struggling to build a common curriculum ... with as great a variety of textbooks as there were number of pupils.

The quality of the data was very dependent on what the states were able to put together, Snyder said of the agencys early work. A lot of states just werent able to provide data because they didnt have the resources. In a way, our use of administrative data has come full circle today.

Throughout the first part of the 20th century, the agency continued to expand in scopethough its staff never rose much above 120 peopleas policymakers interest in education grew. After World War I, the agency began to study more vocational and career training, and after the G.I. Bill passed and returning war veterans began heading to colleges and universities, it added significantly more studies of postsecondary access.

The agency began its first major longitudinal studies in the late 1970s and 80s.

Emerson Elliott, the first NCES commissioner to get that title and a presidential appointment, took charge of the agency in 1985, just as NCES faced a blistering evaluation by the National Academy of Sciences. The Academy criticized NCES for having slow turnaround and not having established standards for its statistical practices.

It was a wonderful report from the perspective that it said, in very authoritative terms, what we had been saying for years, Elliott said. The academy report argued that if NCES could not be turned around, it should be folded up, and the responsibility sent to the [National Science Foundation], recalled Elliott, now the director of special projects at the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

Instead, the agency developed explicit standards for data quality and privacy, and guidelines for how to plan studies to answer educators and policymakers questions which are still in large part used today. By the time I left, there was a consistent feeling that the center was a respectable member of the federal statistical community, he said. You could trust the data.

Building NAEP

Elliott also expanded the National Assessment of Educational Progress from a single long-term trend study to state-level studies of math and reading, and national and internationally benchmarked studies of academic subjects, from civics and social studies to technology and engineering.

I do remember that perceptions were very different in NAEPs early years, Elliott said. He recalled standing next to Washington Gov. Booth Gardner, then president of the National Governors Association, just before the announcement of NAEP results in 1990. He said, Ah, this wont make any difference because all the states [results] will be the same. He couldnt possibly have been more wrong.

Peggy Carr, the current acting NCES commissioner and an NCES staff member since the early 1980s, said the agency learned a lot as the NAEP expanded. For example, anomalies in NAEP reading scores led to a massive investigation and panels with other researchers. In the end, officials learned that brown ink in one of the automatic test booklets was read incorrectly by the grading machines, skewing the results. The color of ink makes a difference. ... Things like that matter, Carr said. We have learned from those nuance errors that we have to be methodical.

Today, the agency is working to move NAEP from pencil-and-paper to computer-adaptive testing, and moving from rapidly shrinking surveys to studies that integrate more of the demographic, programing, and other data that schools collect for general reporting and accountability purposescommonly called administrative datainto research surveys. But those changes, too, raise new issues for the agency.

Mark Schneider, a vice president and an institute fellow at the American Institutes of Research and the NCES commissioner from 2005-08, recalled that in the mid-2000s, one CD of data was being shipped on a delivery truck that got into a wreck. The CD was lost, with potentially personally identifiable information for more than 17,000 students; NCES had a backup of the data, but had to contact every family to let them know what had happened. While merging electronic data can protect against physical losses like that one, he said he worries that large merged data sets could become bigger targets for hackers. It will be a constant balance between ensuring that policymakers and researchers have the information they need and protecting the privacy of the students who provide the data, he said.

The key thing is the administrative data is unstructured; you have data collected for X and you need to repurpose it for Y, Schneider said.

Schneider believes NCES will be grappling with how to best use administrative data for years to come. We had 100 years of experience in making surveys better and betterthere was a whole science around question ordering, question writing  and what do we have on administrative data? Ten years, 20, maybe? Its a new world.
We are in the midst of a seismic shift in consciousness around sexual harassment and assault. The sweeping allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinsteinmore than 100 women have accused him of sexual harassment and assault since Octoberwas only the beginning. A growing group of high-profile actors, television executives, politicians, academics, news editors, and journalists have been accused of sexual aggressions, including actor Kevin Spacey, comedian Louis C.K., and Republican Senate candidate Roy S. Moore. Every hour brings scores of testimonies from women and men publicly sharing their experiences, including on social media through the #MeToo campaign.

But amid the accusations and public outrage, there has been scant attention paid to how to prevent sexual harassment or assault. Yes, we have workplace policies and awareness campaigns, and many employers are requiring some form of harassment training for their employees. But these trainings are largely ineffective. They dont provide honest and comprehensive education about sexual and gender power dynamics. And they are largely aimed at limiting an employers liability. Most critically, we arent teaching young people the prevention strategies they should learn beginning in elementary school.

Heres what we should pay attention to: Teaching self defense and empowerment to young people decreases sexual violence. Multiple studies have proven that comprehensive safety education is the most effective and long-term solution to harassment and assault prevention. But it takes trained educators to help students realize the strength they have to fight this epidemic.

Like most, I never received any warning about sexual predators. At age 16, I had the brilliant idea to hitchhike across the country alone. One evening in a Colorado hippie commune, I woke up with a drunken housemate on top of me. Although I struggled and repeatedly said no, his force and mass were then too much for me. It took many years for me to call the incident rape, and even longer to understand why, in a house filled with people, I didnt call out for help.

It wasnt until I took a self-defense course years later that what had happened in Colorado became clear. The course, which taught an empowering model of self defense, opened up another world for me. I learned how to listen to my gut and register dangerous situations. I learned de-escalation and negotiation skills that I applied in my everyday life, not just when I felt my safety was at stake. I learned I have the right to say no loudly and publicly in response to unwanted behavior, however minor, and if my no was not respected, I learned physical skills to stop the behavior.

In 2009, building on my work as a self-defense instructor, I founded the rape-prevention nonprofit No Means No Worldwide and began adapting the methods to one of the most sexually violent places in the world: Nairobi, Kenya, where 1 in 4 girls is raped every year.

All instructors are young men and women from local communities who complete a training before teaching an empowerment, self-defense, and intervention program to secondary school students (typically ages 10 to 20). While the girls learn assertiveness, boundary-setting rules, and self defense, the boys learn to challenge rape culture, ask for consent, and use bystander intervention when they hear someone planning or bragging about a rape or witness an assault in progress.

The research weve conducted in collaboration with Stanford and Johns Hopkins universities has shown that wherever our [self-defense] courses have been taught to girls, rape rates have decreased by half."

To be clear: In no way do we stress meeting violence with violence. Students are encouraged to follow their intuition in an attack. The goal of empowerment self-defense is to get away safely and tell someone about the situation. The key is giving students the skillsboth mentally and physicallyto stand up to inappropriate behavior at a young age and create a culture of mutual respect.

Since 2009, the research weve conducted in collaboration with Stanford and Johns Hopkins universities has shown that wherever our courses have been taught to girls, rape rates have decreased by half. One 2014 study found that more than half of the nearly 2,000 high school girls in Nairobi who finished the self-defense course had deflected sexual harassment or rape. Similarly, after taking the training, of the 35 percent of adolescent boys who witnessed a sexual assault in progress, three-quarters of them successfully intervened to stop it. Similar self-defense approaches at several colleges in the United States and Canada reduced the risk of sexual assault among students by as much as half.

At home, K-12 schools have an important role to play in sexual-violence prevention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18 , but it doesnt have to be this way. All children need techniques to challenge rape culture and to learn how to deal with inappropriate comments, unwanted touching, coercion, and assault.

As children grow, educatorsbe they teachers or school counselorsmust create space for honest and sincere dialogue about age-old sexual power dynamics. Since most schools dont offer these kinds of classes yet, to do so will require bold, innovative leadership on the part of school leaders. They will need to advocate and fundraise for sexual-assault-awareness curricula, as well as recruit trained professionals well prepared to teach empowerment and self-defense strategies that are proven effective. There may be naysayers and other red tape, but these are skills students will use over the course of a lifetime.

This type of sexual-assault-prevention education is not about blaming women for their clothing choices or labeling young men as rapists. Nor is it about revenge or turning young women into battle-ready maidens. It is about providing a countering voice to the violence and negative gender stereotyping that boys and girls experience beginning in puberty and remain trapped in for much of their lives. It is about changing our culture through education, one step at a time.
Illinois has decided that in order to be considered proficient on its statewide high school test, students will have to earn a higher score on the SAT than the one thats correlated with college readiness.

The decision has touched a nerve in national testing debates about how states should meaningfully measure high school achievement and report it clearly to parents.

As part of its work to create an accountability system for its schools, the Illinois state board of education decided last month that students will be deemed proficient if they score 540 on each section of the SAT, the exam Illinois uses to measure high school achievement.

Each section of the college-admissions exam is scored from 200 to 800. The College Board considers students college ready if they score 480 in English and 530 in math. That means they have a 75 percent chance of earning a C or better in entry-level, credit-bearing college classes.

Other than influencing their chances of college admission, scores below the 540 cutoff wont affect Illinois students, since their grades and graduation are not linked to their scores.

But Illinois schools have a lot on the line in the new plan; their students average SAT scores will count for 20 percent of their academic rating in the report card Illinois issues for each public school.

And early signs suggest cause for concern. In the first statewide administration of the SAT, in the spring of 2017, Illinois juniors averaged a 512 in English/language arts, so only 39.8 percent met the 540 cutoff score. In the math, their average score was 504. Only 36.4 percent met the SAT score cutoff.

I worry about my colleagues who feel the pressure to maintain their ratings. This could be a black mark on their records, said Kevin OMara, the executive director of the High School District Organization of Illinois, which represents the superintendents of the states 140 high school-only school districts.

Setting the proficiency cutoff at a level that exceeds the SATs own college-readiness benchmarks was a poor decision, he said, and one that is likely to confuse parents.

How do you explain to parents that the College Board considers your kid college-ready, but our state board says they didnt make the cut? OMara said.

How High is Proficient?

The 540 cutoff scores were set by panels of educators who were brought together to dive into the states academic standards and determine the level of achievement on the SAT that best reflects mastery of those standards, A. Rae Clementz, the state boards director of assessment and accountability, said in an interview. That level turned out to be higher than the College Boards college-readiness score, she said.

To see whether their recommendations were reasonable, they examined how proficiency rates would compare to rates on tests students already take, such as PARCC, which Illinois uses to measure achievement in grades 3-8, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, Clementz said.

The panelists found, for example, that with a 540 SAT cutoff, 36.3 percent of students would score proficient in math. Currently, 32.3 percent of 8th grade students score proficient on the math portion of the PARCC exam. With a 540 score cutoff in English, 39.7 percent are projected to score proficient on the SAT, slightly higher than the 37.4 percent of 8th graders who reach that range on PARCC.

Clementz acknowledged in a webinar that the state will need to do considerable messaging to clear up confusion between the College Boards definition of college readiness and the scores that Illinois decided reflect mastery of the states academic expectations.

Scott Marion, the executive director of the Center for Assessment, which advises states on testing issues, said a move like Illinois comes with benefits and risks.

On one hand, it signals high expectations, but it also could backfire if schools ratings go down. Then it becomes a credibility problem for them: Are schools doing a good job?

In the last few years, as a wave of anti-testing sentiment crested, many states dropped the tests theyd been using to measure mastery of their standards, and chose to use college-admission tests instead. Psychometricians have warned that the SAT and ACT were designed to measure the likelihood of success in college, not whether students learned the skills outlined in their states academic standards.

Wrestling With Scores

Twelve states now use the SAT or ACT as their official measures of achievement, and theyre wrestling with the same cut-score-setting process as Illinois, since federal law requires states to report three or more levels of achievement on their tests.

Four states that use the SAT decided to tackle the problem together. Delaware, Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire brought educators together to figure out the SAT score that best reflected their academic expectations, as stated in the Common Core State Standards.

They settled on using the College Boards own college-readiness benchmarks as their proficiency cutoffs, even though the panels of educators recommended higher cut points.

Michigan uses the SAT college-ready benchmarks to connote proficiency on its test, according to a spokesman for the state department of education.

States that use the ACT have made varied choices about where to set their proficiency cutoff scores. ACT, which is scored on a 1-36 point scale, considers students college-ready with scores of 18 in English, 22 in math and reading, and 23 in science. In Louisiana, students are considered proficient if their composite score on the ACT is 21 or higher.

Nebraska took a different approach, setting the ACT score cutoff at 18 in both math and English, four points lower than ACTs math college-readiness score, and two points below it in English. State education department spokesman David Jesperson said that in setting those scores, Nebraska took into account the scores its state universities use for admission.

In Wisconsin, proficiency means an ACT score of 22 in math, the same level as ACTs college-ready cutoff, and 20 English, a blend of ACTs benchmarks for the reading and English portions of its exam. Wyoming set its proficiency scores at one point below ACTs college-ready benchmark in math and one point above it English/language arts, according to the ACT.
TORONTO  Blockchain has been hailed by some in the technology industry as a potential method to help improve cyber security. However, security researcher Majid Malaika warns that Blockchain can potentially be abused to enable a new form of botnet that would be very difficult to take down.

Malaika detailed his Blockchain-powered botnet in a session at the SecTor security conference on Nov. 15. The overall attack method has been dubbed Botract by Malaika, as it abuses inherent functionality in the smart contracts that help to enable Blockchain.

A smart contract is code running on a blockchain, Malaika explained.

There are many different blockchain technologies in use today. Bitcoin first helped to popularize the idea of blockchain, which is essentially a distributed ledger system that maintains an accurate accounting of transactions.

For Botract, Malaika chose to use the Ethereum blockchain, which powers the popular Ethereum crypto-currency.The leading language for creating Smart Contracts on Ethereum today is a language called Solidity, which Malaika said is similar in some respects to JavaScript.

When a smart contract is loaded into the blockchain, it becomes part of the blockchain and is fully distributed. As such, Malaika postulated that if a smart contract was written to enable command and control for a botnet, that botnet would then be as resilient as the blockchain itself.

You could create an unstoppable botnet application that would be very difficult to bring down or block, Malaika said.If you post something in the blockchain it stays there forever.

How Botract Works

Malaika explained that a bot commander would first need to write some command and control code and then publish that as a smart contract to the blockchain. The bot commander will then infect systems using spam, malicious websites and malware executables.

Once systems have been infected with malware, the bot commander will then send commands out via the blockchain. For example, an attack command could be to DDoS a particular target.

Once the command has been inserted into the smart contract, the infected system bots will communicate with the blockchain to get the command and launch an attack, Malaika said.

The reason why botract works is due to a fundamental flaw in the blockchain smart contract model. Malaika said that the problem is that there is implicit trust in the end user.

As of today, anyone can write code and publish it on the blockchain, Malaika said. Its a strength of Ethereum in that its easy to contribute, but we have to think about it from a hacker point of view as well.

Malaika added that there is no code scrutiny when it comes to smart contracts loaded in the Ethereum blockchain. That said, he noted that with smart contract, there is a transaction fee that needs to be paid, which could potentially be a limiting factor for the Botract attack.

The purpose of the Botract research according to Malaika was to bring awareness to the potential security implications of smart contracts. In the future, hed like to see the development of a governance model for the blockchain and smart contracts that meets future demands for security.

The power of blockchain is that it is distributed and decentralized and anyone can run a smart contract, but is there a model that we can enforce to prevent something bad from happening? Malaika asked. If there is a smart contract running on blockchain and you want to remove it, you have to launch a hard fork and thats not easy.

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eSecurityPlanet and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.
Sophos researchers warn that cybercriminals are using Microsofts Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to spread ransomware.

The attack presents a particular threat to small businesses, since many of them outsource their IT to third-party contractors, which leverage RDP to access their networks  the largest business Sophos saw hit by this attack had 120 employees, and most had 30 or fewer.

The researchers found that cybercriminals are using network search engines like Shodan to search for RDP instances open to the Internet, then leveraging NLBrute to launch brute force attacks on RDP  and then logging in and creating several additional administrative accounts.

Once theyve established persistent access, the attackers download and install low-level system tweaking software, then use that software to reconfigure (or just disable) anti-malware software, backup services, and database services. Then they download and run ransomware.

Because theyve used their sysadmin powers to rig the system to be as insecure as they can, they can often use older versions of ransomware, perhaps even variants that other crooks have given up on and that are now floating around the Internet for free,' Sophos Mark Stockley wrote in a blog post detailing the threat.

In one attack, we saw a folder on the desktop containing four different types of ransomware, Stockley wrote. The crooks ran each in turn until one of them worked.

Preventative Measures

In response to the threat, Sophos suggests taking the following precautions:

If you dont need RDP, make sure its turned off Consider using a virtual private network (VPN) for connections from outside your network Use two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever you can Patch early, patch often After an attack, check to see what the crooks have changed Set a lockout policy to limit password guessing attacks

Another advisable precaution is to back up sensitive data on regular basis  but a recent StorageCraft survey of more than 500 IT decision makers found that 51 percent of respondents said that while they would benefit from more frequent data backup, their existing IT infrastructure doesnt allow it.

Additionally, 51 percent of respondents said they arent confident in their ability to perform instant data recovery in the event of a failure, and 43 percent said theyre struggling with data growth and believe its going to get worse.

Threat Awareness

A separate Intermedia survey of more than 1,000 U.S. office workers found that while 70 percent said their organization regularly communicates about cyber threats and 30 percent said their organization specifically warned of the WannaCry attack, 31 percent admitted they arent familiar with ransomware.

Among those that have fallen victim to a ransomware attack at work, 59 percent of employees paid the ransom themselves, and 37 percent said their employers paid.

Surprisingly, that number actually rose among those who were specifically alerted to the WannaCry attack by their employers  69 percent of those employees paid the ransom themselves.

Our latest report shows that, even in the face of increasing attacks, there are large gaps in overall awareness of how to handle a ransomware strike, Intermedia CTO Jonathan Levine said in a statement. Employees are willing to go to great lengths to try to get data back, including paying ransoms out of their own pockets, even though 19 percent of the time the data isnt released even after the ransom is paid.

As ransomware continues to evolve and become more advanced, organizations of all sizes and types must acknowledge it as a very real threat, Levine added. This is especially true for SMBs that may not have the resources, tools or training that larger organizations use to recognize, prevent and protect themselves from such attacks.
ITHACA, N.Y. - How does the Japanese tree frog figure into the latest work of noted mathematician Steven Strogatz? As it turns out, quite prominently.

"We had read about these funny frogs that hop around and croak," said Strogatz, the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics. "They form patterns in space and time. Usually it's about reproduction. And based on how the other guy or guys are croaking, they don't want to be around another one that's croaking at the same time as they are, because they'll jam each other."

Strogatz and Kevin O'Keeffe, Ph.D. '17, used the curious mating ritual of male Japanese tree frogs as inspiration for their exploration of "swarmalators" - their term for systems in which both synchronization and swarming occur together.

Specifically, they considered oscillators whose phase dynamics and spatial dynamics are coupled. In the instance of the male tree frogs, they attempt to croak in exact anti-phase (one croaks while the other is silent) while moving away from a rival so as to be heard by females.

This opens up "a new class of math problems," said Strogatz, a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow. "The question is, what do we expect to see when people start building systems like this or observing them in biology?"

Their paper, "Oscillators That Sync and Swarm," was published Nov. 13 in Nature Communications. Strogatz and O'Keeffe - now a postdoctoral researcher with the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - collaborated with Hyunsuk Hong from Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, South Korea.

Swarming and synchronization both involve large, self-organizing groups of individuals interacting according to simple rules, but rarely have they been studied together, O'Keeffe said.

"No one had connected these two areas, in spite of the fact that there were all these parallels," he said. "That was the theoretical idea that sort of seduced us, I suppose. And there were also a couple of concrete examples, which we liked - including the tree frogs."

Studies of swarms focus on how animals move - think of birds flocking or fish schooling - while neglecting the dynamics of their internal states. Studies of synchronization do the opposite: They focus on oscillators' internal dynamics. Strogatz long has been fascinated by fireflies' synchrony and other similar phenomena, giving a TED Talk on the topic in 2004, but not on their motion.

"[Swarming and synchronization] are so similar, and yet they were never connected together, and it seems so obvious," O'Keeffe said. "It's a whole new landscape of possible behaviors that hadn't been explored before."

Using a pair of governing equations that assume swarmalators are free to move about, along with numerical simulations, the group found that a swarmalator system settles into one of five states:

Static synchrony - featuring circular symmetry, crystal-like distribution, fully synchronized in phase;

Static asynchrony - featuring uniform distribution, meaning that every phase occurs everywhere;

Static phase wave - swarmalators settle near others in a phase similar to their own, and phases are frozen at their initial values;

Splintered phase wave - nonstationary, disconnected clusters of distinct phases; and

Active phase wave - similar to bidirectional states found in biological swarms, where populations split into counter-rotating subgroups; also similar to vortex arrays formed by groups of sperm.

Through the study of simple models, the group found that the coupling of "sync" and "swarm" leads to rich patterns in both time and space, and could lead to further study of systems that exhibit this dual behavior.

"This opens up a lot of questions for many parts of science - there are a lot of things to try that people hadn't thought of trying," Strogatz said. "It's science that opens doors for science. It's inaugurating science, rather than culminating science."

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This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
Scientists have identified a set of biomarkers that indicate which patients infected with the Ebola virus are most at risk of dying from the disease.

The results come from scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and their colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the University of Tokyo and the University of Sierra Leone. The results were published online Nov. 16 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe.

The findings could allow clinicians to prioritize the scarce treatment resources available and provide them to the sickest patients, said the senior author of the study, Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a virology professor at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.

The focus of the study were blood samples from Ebola patients that were obtained during the outbreak in Sierra Leone in 2014. The Wisconsin team obtained 29 blood samples from 11 patients who ultimately survived and nine blood samples from nine patients who died from the virus. The Wisconsin team inactivated the virus according to approved protocols, developed in part at PNNL, and then shipped the samples to PNNL and other institutions for analysis.

The team looked at activity levels of genes and proteins as well as the amounts of lipids and byproducts of metabolism. The team found 11 biomarkers that distinguish fatal infections from non-fatal ones and two that, when screened for early upon symptom onset, accurately predict which patients are likely to die.

"Our team studied thousands of molecular clues in each of these samples, sifting through extensive data on the activity of genes, proteins, and other molecules to identify those of most interest," said Katrina Waters, the leader of the PNNL team and a corresponding author of the paper. "This may be the most thorough analysis yet of blood samples of patients infected with the Ebola virus."

The team found that survivors had higher levels of some immune-related molecules and lower levels of others compared to those who died. Plasma cytokines, which are involved in immunity and stress response, were higher in the blood of people who perished. Fatal cases had unique metabolic responses compared to survivors, higher levels of virus, changes to plasma lipids involved in processes like blood coagulation, and more pronounced activation of some types of immune cells.

Pancreatic enzymes also leaked into the blood of patients who died, suggesting that damage from these enzymes contributes to the tissue damage characteristic of fatal Ebola virus disease.

The scientists found that levels of two biomarkers, known as L-threonine (an amino acid) and vitamin-D-binding-protein, may accurately predict which patients live and which die. Both were present at lower levels at the time of admission in the patients who ultimately perished.

The team found that many of the molecular signals present in the blood of sick, infected patients overlap with sepsis, a condition in which the body - in response to infection by bacteria or other pathogens - mounts a damaging inflammatory reaction.

Fifteen PNNL scientists contributed to the study. Among the corresponding authors of the study are three PNNL scientists: Waters, Thomas Metz and Richard D. Smith. Three additional PNNL scientists - Jason P. Wendler, Jennifer E. Kyle and Kristin E. Burnum-Johnson - are among six scientists who share "first author" honors.

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Other PNNL authors include Jon Jacobs, Young-Mo Kim, Cameron Casey, Kelly Stratton, Bobbie-Jo Webb-Robertson, Marina Gritsenko, Matthew Monroe, Karl Weitz, and Anil Shukla.

Analyses of proteins, lipids and metabolites in the blood samples were performed at EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of Science User Facility at PNNL.

The study was funded by a Japanese Health and Labor Sciences Research Grant; by grants for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas from the Ministry of Education, Cultures, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; by Emerging/Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Project of Japan; and by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. Support was also provided by the Department of Scientific Computing at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and by a grant from the National Institute of General Medicine.
A subanalysis of the phase III ALEX study has shown that alectinib (1) 600 mg twice daily is more effective than standard of care crizotinib in Asian patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress. (2)

The J-ALEX study demonstrated that alectinib 300 mg twice daily improved progression-free survival compared to crizotinib in Japanese patients with ALK positive NSCLC. (3) The ALEX study subsequently showed improvement in progression-free survival with alectinib 600 mg twice daily compared to crizotinib in a global population of ALK positive NSCLC patients. (4)

This subanalysis of the ALEX study investigated the efficacy and safety of alectinib 600 mg twice daily compared to crizotinib in Asian versus non-Asian patients with ALK positive NSCLC. As previously reported, the ALEX study included 303 patients who were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive alectinib or standard of care crizotinib. There were 69 Asian patients in each treatment group. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival.

A distinguishing feature of the study was that all patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain every six months, regardless of whether or not they had brain metastases at the start of the study. The time to progression in the brain was measured and compared between the two treatment groups.

"Around 50% of NSCLC patients with ALK mutations will develop brain metastases so it is very important to demonstrate the efficacy of alectinib in the brain," said lead author Professor Tony S.K. Mok, Chairman, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The subanalysis showed similar efficacy and safety with alectinib in Asian and non-Asian patients. Progression-free survival was longer with alectinib compared to crizotinib in Asian and non-Asian populations, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 0.46 and 0.49, respectively. Alectinib reduced central nervous system (CNS) progression compared to crizotinib in the Asian and non-Asian groups, with cause-specific HRs of 0.21 and 0.16, respectively. Median overall survival was not reached in either subgroup.

Response rates to alectinib and crizotinib were 81.2% versus 76.8%, respectively, for the Asian subgroup and 84.3% versus 74.4%, respectively, for the non-Asian subgroup.

The rates of nausea, vomiting, and grade III toxicities overall were lower with alectinib compared to crizotinib, and similar between the Asian and non-Asian subgroups. Liver toxicity due to alectinib was slightly higher in the Asian compared to the non-Asian subgroup.

Mok said: "Alectinib 600 mg twice daily was similarly effective in Asian and non-Asian patients in the ALEX study in terms of progression-free survival, CNS progression, and response rate. The rates of toxicities were also comparable. The findings suggest that 600 mg should be the standard dose of alectinib across Asia."

Commenting on the research, Dr Pilar Garrido, Head of the Thoracic Tumour Section, Medical Oncology Department, Ramon y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, said: "ALK rearrangements emerged as important therapeutic targets in NSCLC in 2007, defining a distinct molecular subset of tumours. Around 5% of NSCLC patients harbour ALK mutations and are highly sensitive to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which efficiently induce apoptosis. Patients wih advanced ALK positive NSCLC have a high lifetime risk of CNS metastases and a high frequency of brain metastases at diagnosis, with the CNS being the most common site of disease progression."

Garrido continued: "The first approved ALK inhibitor, crizotinib, significantly increased response rate and prolonged progression-free survival compared to first- and second-line chemotherapy. However, patients almost invariably relapse on crizotinib, commonly within one year. Alectinib is a highly selective and potent next-generation ALK inhibitor - with high CNS penetration - that has demonstrated significant anti-tumour activity against ALK-rearranged NSCLC in several trials. The phase III ALEX and J-ALEX trials showed the superiority of alectinib compared with crizotinib in progression-free survival and reducing the risk of progression in both non-CNS and CNS lesions. Alectinib also had a favourable adverse event profile compared to crizotinib in both studies although in the J-ALEX trial the dose of alectinib (300 mg twice daily) was lower than the approved dose in countries other than Japan."

This subgroup analysis presented at the ESMO Asia 2017 Congress confirms that alectinib can be safely used at the standard dose of 600 mg twice daily in the Asian population, said Garrido. She continued: "We now have an extremely efficacious drug to be added to our first line armamentarium without differences in efficacy or safety based on ethnicity."

Regarding the need for further research, Garrido said: "Although next generation ALK inhibitors are extremely potent, eventually all patients relapse. Our next step is to better identify the underlying mechanisms of resistance to provide the best sequence of available agents to our patients."

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One of the hottest travel destinations right now is Iceland  the Land of Fire and Ice.

Iceland is a unique destination that offers pristine nature, active geysers, healing geothermal pools, dramatic lava fields, magnificent waterfalls, breathtaking landscapes and a chance to view the Northern Lights.

The Charleston Chamber is excited to announce a new travel program to this amazing country next Oct. 6-12.

Highlights of the trip include a city tour of Reykjavik, a full day adventure to the South Shore with volcanoes and waterfalls, a relaxing soak in the mineral rich waters of the Blue Lagoon, a full day excursion on the Golden Circle tour to the Thingvellir National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, a whale watching trip and a special excursion to view the Aurora Borealis.

All members of the public, Chamber members and non-members are invited to attend a free informational meeting today at 11 a.m. at the Charleston Chamber office, located at 501 Jackson Ave. in Charleston.

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Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses nationwide.

The eighth annual Small Business Saturday is set for Saturday, Nov. 25. This national campaign backed by American Express urges consumers to take a break between the big-box madness of Black Friday and the bargain-hunting mania of Cyber Monday and spend a day patronizing neighborhood merchants.

The Charleston Chamber is a Neighborhood Champion for the event and we are asking area residents to Shop Small on Saturday, Nov. 25 and help fuel the local economy.

Small business owners can easily participate in the promotion. A variety of free marketing tools are available so that businesses can let their customers know they are a Small Business Saturday participant.

More information, including the free marketing tools, can be found at www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday or www.shopsmall.com

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The Charleston Chamber is now accepting nominations for awards that will be presented as part of the program at the Chamber Annual Dinner on Jan. 27, 2018.

The Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award has been presented by the Chamber each year since 1965. The criteria for judging each nominee are: (1) demonstration of an active leadership role for the betterment of the community; (2) membership in business, civic, social and/or service organizations; (3) a willingness to serve as demonstrated by years of service; (4) a high level of personal commitment; and (5) service as a role model to help others reach their full potential.

Dr. David Glassman was recognized as the Outstanding Citizen of the Year last year.

For the 14th year, the Chamber will recognize the Small Business of the Year at the Annual Dinner. This award is designed to honor a small business that has made a significant contribution to the local community and economy. It is intended to recognize a successful and growing business that has achieved its status through ingenuity and hard work.

The criteria for selection of the Small Business of the Year are: (1) member in good standing for the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce; (2) any for-profit or not-for-profit headquartered in Coles County; (3) in operation at least three years; (4) demonstrated community involvement and contribution; (5) positive customer service relationships and practices; and (5) progressive business growth and performance.

"Whats Cookin was presented the award at the Annual Dinner last year.

Detailed criteria for selection, submission instructions and nomination forms for all of the awards are available at the Chamber office or by calling 217-345-7041. The forms can also be downloaded from the Chamber website at www.charlestonchamber.com.

Nominations, including any supporting documentation, should be sent to the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 77, Charleston, IL 61920 or dropped off at the Chamber office (501 Jackson Ave.) by 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8.
Leipzig. Forests fulfil numerous important functions, and do so particularly well if they are rich in different species of trees. This is the result of a new study. In addition, forest managers do not have to decide on the provision of solely one function - such as wood production or nature conservation - as a second study demonstrates: several services provided by forest ecosystems can be improved at the same time. Both studies were led by scientists from Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), and published in the prestigious journal Ecology Letters.

Forests are of great importance to humans: the wood grown in forests is used in our houses for furniture, roof timbers and flooring; forests store carbon from the air and thus counteract climate change, they help prevent soil erosion and regulate the water cycle. Also when we go for a walk in a forest, we use it for recreation. The basis for these benefits are functions that constantly take place in a forest: the trees carry out photosynthesis, grow, produce offspring, defend themselves against hungry insects and deer, fight off pathogens and protect themselves against drought. Nutrients are taken up by the trees and are then released when the trees die and are decomposed.

A new study, led by researchers from Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), demonstrates that many of these ecosystem functions perform better in forests with a higher level of biodiversity, i.e., when forests are made up of multiple rather than just a single tree species. As part of the European-wide research project "FunDivEUROPE" the researchers investigated the importance of biodiversity for forest functioning in six countries across Europe: Germany, Finland, Poland, Romania, Italy and Spain. Within forested regions, the scientists selected plots that varied in the number of tree species, from one to five species. In Germany, for example, mixtures consisted of beech, oak, Norway spruce, birch and hornbeam. The researchers then measured 26 functions in these plots that are relevant to nutrient and carbon cycles, the growth and resilience of the trees, and forest regeneration. Their findings show that when trees inhabit forests with many tree species, they grow at a faster rate, store more carbon and are more resistant to pests and diseases than trees in species-poor forests. "Therefore, converting forest monocultures to multi-species forests should generally result in a higher delivery of ecosystem goods and services to humans", says Sophia Ratcliffe, who has led the study at Leipzig University.

The findings of this research also indicate that the positive correlation between tree diversity and forest functioning is strongest in regions where water for the trees is scarce and the growing seasons are longer, i.e., in southern and central Europe. Christian Wirth, Head of the Department for Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity at Leipzig University, Managing Director of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, explains why this is important: "Our summers will be drier and longer as a result of climate change. We therefore presume that, in the future, it will be even more important to manage forests in a way that they have a high diversity of tree species."

Another study shows that for forest managers, it is not necessary to concentrate on one particular ecosystem service that they would like to improve in forests. This study was also carried out in the same six woodland areas and with significant contribution of the researchers from Leipzig. The scientists have carefully examined 28 ecosystem functions and have addressed the following question: if an ecosystem function in a forest is particularly high, then does this negatively affect any other ecosystem function? The answer is "no"; according to the findings of the investigation - in a forest, several functions can be simultaneously high.

This has practical implications for the management of forests, Fons van der Plas, the first author of the study, says: "In recent years, scientists have become increasingly interested in how one could promote so-called ecosystem multifunctionality, the simultaneous provisioning of multiple ecosystem services. Our study has shown that ecosystem multifunctionality is not just a theoretical concept, but that it is valid in forests throughout Europe, as the promotion of one type of service can go hand-in-hand with the promotion of other types of services." The researchers have also found, however, that in many cases forest multifunctionality could be increased - a huge potential for forest management. Tabea Turrini

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Further information:

Project FunDivEUROPE (led by the University of Freiburg): http://www.fundiveurope.eu

iDiv media release on a similar subject: https://www.idiv.de/en/news/news_single_view/news_article/woodlands-in.html

Second research paper: 10.1111/ele.12868

Contact persons:

Prof Christian Wirth

Head of the Department for Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity at Leipzig University

Managing Director of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig

Max Planck Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena

49-341-97-38591

cwirth@uni-leipzig.de

https://biologie.biphaps.uni-leipzig.de/en/institut/ag/systematic-botany-and-functional-biodiversity/people/christian-wirth/

Dr Fons van der Plas

Postdoctoral researcher in the Department for Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity at Leipzig University

49-341-97-38587

alfons.van_der_plas@uni-leipzig.de

While the study was carried out: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern (Switzerland) and Senckenberg Gesellschaft fur Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre

Dr Tabea Turrini

Science communications officer

Media and Communications department

German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)

49-341-9733106

tabea.turrini@idiv.de
FRANKFURT. With a miniaturised space probe capable of being accelerated to a quarter of the speed of light, we could reach Alpha Centauri, our nearest star, in 20 to 50 years. However, without a mechanism to slow it down, the space probe could only collect data from the star and its planets as it zoomed past. A theoretical physicist at Goethe University Frankfurt has now examined whether interstellar spacecraft can be decelerated using "magnetic sails".

For a long time, the idea of sending unmanned space probes through the depths of interstellar space to distant stars was purely utopian. Recent research on new concepts - amongst others within the "Breakthrough Starshot" project - has shown that miniaturised space probes could be accelerated by means of powerful lasers. Slowing them down again seems more challenging, since they cannot be fitted with braking systems for weight reasons. However, according to Professor Claudius Gros from the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Goethe University Frankfurt, it would be possible to decelerate at least comparatively slow space probes with the help of magnetic sails.

"Slow would mean in this case a travel velocity of 1,000 kilometres per second, which is only 0.3 percent of the speed of light but nevertheless about 50 times faster than the Voyager spacecraft," explains Gros. According to Gros' calculations, what is needed is a magnetic sail in order to transfer the spacecraft's momentum to the interstellar gas. The sail consists of a large, superconducting loop with a diameter of about 50 kilometres. A lossless current induced in this loop then creates a strong magnetic field. The ionised hydrogen in the interstellar medium is then reflected off the probe's magnetic field, slowing it down gradually. This concept works, as Gros was able to show, despite the extremely low particle density of interstellar space (0.005 to 0.1 particles per cubic centimetre).

Gros' research shows that magnetic sails can decelerate 'slow' spacecraft weighing up to 1,500 kilograms. However, the journey would take historical periods of time, for example about 12,000 years to reach the seven known planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system. Surprisingly, slower cruising probes the size of a car could be launched by the same laser which would make it possible to send, according to current planning, high-speed space probes weighing just a few grams to Alpha Centauri.

Missions to distant stars that would take thousands of years are out of the question for exploratory missions. But the situation is quite different in cases where cruising time is irrelevant, such as missions that open up alternative possibilities for terrestrial life. Such missions, like Gros proposed in 2016 under the name of 'The Genesis Project', would carry single-celled organisms, either as deep-frozen spores or encoded in a miniaturised gene laboratory. For a Genesis probe, it is not the time of arrival which is important, but the possibility to decelerate and then orbit the target planet.

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Publications:

Claudius Gros: Universal scaling relation for magnetic sails: momentum braking in the limit of dilute interstellar media, Journal of Physics Communications 1, 045007 (2017)

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2399-6528/aa927e

Claudius Gros: Developing Ecospheres on Transiently Habitable Planets: The Genesis Project, in: Astrophysics and Space Science 361, 324 (2016)

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10509-016-2911-0

Further information:

Professor Claudius Gros, Faculty of Physics, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Riedberg Campus, tel.: +49(0)69-798 47818, email: gros07[@]itp.uni-frankfurt.de

New Scientist, 13 November 2017: Should we seed life through the cosmos using laser-driven ships?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2153165-should-we-seed-life-through-the-cosmos-using-laser-driven-ships/

Current news about science, teaching, and society in GOETHE-UNI online

Goethe University is a research-oriented university in the European financial centre Frankfurt The university was founded in 1914 through private funding, primarily from Jewish sponsors, and has since produced pioneering achievements in the areas of social sciences, sociology and economics, medicine, quantum physics, brain research, and labour law. It gained a unique level of autonomy on 1 January 2008 by returning to its historic roots as a "foundation university". Today, it is among the top ten in external funding and among the top three largest universities in Germany, with three clusters of excellence in medicine, life sciences and the humanities. Together with the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Mainz, it acts as a partner of the inter-state strategic Rhine-Main University Alliance. Internet: http://www.uni-frankfurt.de

Publisher: The President of Goethe University Editor: Dr. Anne Hardy, Referee for Science Communication, PR & Communication Department, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Tel: (069) 798-13035, Fax: (069) 798-763 12531.
Kyoto, Japan - Chimpanzees do some pretty disgusting things.

In their natural habitats, chimpanzees are known to pick up seeds from feces and re-ingest them. In captivity, some practice coprophagy: the deliberate ingestion of feces. These behaviors usually involve their own fecal matter, or that of their closest family members. If presented with feces and other bodily fluids from others, however, that's an entirely different story.

In 2015, researchers from Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute went to the Primate Center at the 'Centre International de Recherches Medicales de Franceville' (CIRMF) in Gabon to test whether chimpanzees are grossed out by some of the same things as humans, particularly those that are sources of infectious disease.

Avoiding biological contaminants is a well-known manifestation of the adaptive system of disgust. In theory, animals evolved with this system to protect themselves from pathogens and parasites, which are often associated with media or substrates that invoke our sense of disgust. For example, bodily products are universal disgust elicitors in humans, but until now we did not know whether they also elicit similar reactions in our primate cousins.

In a new study published in Royal Society Open Science, researchers found evidence that exposure to biological contaminants -- ie feces, blood, semen -- via vision, smell, and touch, influences feeding choices even in chimpanzees.

A series of novel experiments show that chimpanzees delay eating food items placed atop replica feces compared to the more benign brown foam; generally stay further away from the smell of potential biological contaminants; and recoil from food items associated with soft and moist substrates.

"If chimpanzees and other primates can discern contamination risk via different cues, individuals with higher sensitivities to feces and other bodily fluids may be less infected, which could have important health benefits," explains Cecile Sarabian, the lead author of the study.

"Moreover, such results may have implications for animal welfare and management. We can better inform staff and keepers about the adaptive value of such sensitivity and its flexibility, as well as identify which individuals may be more at risk of infection and therefore require more attention."

While visual and olfactory cues of biological contaminants made the chimps hesitate before chowing down, it did not stop them from feeding entirely. However, tactile information seemed to elicit the strongest aversive reaction.

When the researchers presented chimpanzees with an opaque box where they could reach in for food placed atop a soft and moist piece of dough, the chimps recoiled immediately after making contact. They did not, however, react the same way if the food was placed atop a piece of rope.

Chimpanzees, therefore, spontaneously react just like humans when blindly touching soft and moist substrates, which incidentally are expected to be rich in biological contaminants compared to hard and dry substances.

"While anyone watching the reactions of these chimpanzees in the tactile experiments can empathize with them, it's premature to say that they feel the same as we might in that situation" cautions Andrew MacIntosh, senior author on the study. "What's great about these experiments, though, is that the observed responses are functionally similar to what ours would be, providing evidence that the mechanism underlying their behavior could be similar to ours."

"These experiments hint at the origins of disgust in humans, and help us better understand the protective function of this emotion" concludes Cecile Sarabian. "We are currently in the process of expanding our 'disgusting' work to include other primate and non-primate species"

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The paper "Avoidance of biological contaminants through sight, smell and touch in chimpanzees" appeared 08 November 2017 in Royal Society Open Science, with doi: 10.1098/rsos.170968

Kyoto University is one of Japan and Asia's premier research institutions, founded in 1897 and responsible for producing numerous Nobel laureates and winners of other prestigious international prizes. A broad curriculum across the arts and sciences at both undergraduate and graduate levels is complemented by numerous research centers, as well as facilities and offices around Japan and the world. For more information please see: http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en
WOODS HOLE, Mass.--Using a simple "mirror trick" and not-so-simple computational analysis, scientists affiliated with the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) have considerably improved the speed, efficiency, and resolution of a light-sheet microscope, with broad applications for enhanced imaging of live cells and embryos.

MBL Fellows Hari Shroff of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and Patrick La Riviere of the University of Chicago, with lead author Yicong Wu of NIBIB, report on their technique this week in Nature Communications.

"In one sense, it couldn't be easier," Shroff says of the team's technique. Instead of growing their biological samples on glass cover slips, they used mirrored cover slips, which are commercially available. They then mounted the samples on a microscope invented in Shroff's lab (the diSPIM), which has two objectives providing perpendicular views of the sample (see photo).

In the typical diSPIM set-up, one objective transmits a thin sheet of light to the sample while a camera behind the second objective collects the image. The objectives then switch roles: One illuminates a thin section of the sample in the perpendicular direction while the other objective images it. With mirrored cover slips, however, the transmitted light (as well as the fluorescence it produces in the sample) is reflected off the mirror, so the two objectives can simultaneously collect four complementary views of the sample.

This doubles the speed of the microscope and markedly improves its efficiency at collecting light, which is useful for imaging fast-moving biological processes and samples with low light.

But collecting more information faster is only half the battle: It then needs to be computationally resolved to produce a image. La Riviere led the team in developing an algorithm to fuse the views and optimize spatial resolution in all three dimensions (x, y, and z).

"The computation is really enabling for this technique," La Riviere says. "While the mirror multiplies the information captured by the cameras, it also introduces some contamination that would not normally be there. What we were able to show is by properly modeling the process - basically, by converting the microscope into mathematics - we could effectively remove that contamination and recover all the information (imaged by the cameras)."

The team demonstrated the technique's applicability by imaging a variety of live samples, including microtubule, mitochondrial, membrane, and Golgi dynamics in cells and calcium activity in nematode embryos.

"The ongoing collaboration between Hari Shroff and Patrick La Riviere to innovate at the cutting edge of light microscopy continues a long tradition at the MBL of developing new and exciting ways to examine the fundamental processes of cellular life," says David Mark Welch, MBL Director of Research.

Over the past year, scientists at the MBL have been using a diSPIM system generously on loan from Applied Scientific Instrumentation, Inc. As part of the MBL's strategic initiative to advance innovation in biological imaging and image analysis, the MBL will purchase a diSPIM system by 2018 that will be available for use by all resident and visiting scientists and students.

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Citation:

Wu, Yicong et al (2017) Reflective imaging improves spatiotemporal resolution and collection efficiency in light sheet microscopy. Nature Communications: doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01250-8

The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery - exploring fundamental biology, understanding marine biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution and an affiliate of the University of Chicago.
The international Cundill History Prize today announced the British historian Daniel Beer as the 2017 winner of the US$75,000 prize - the richest in non-fiction for a single work in English. The London-based historian was awarded for his ground-breaking study of Siberian penal colonies, The House of the Dead: Siberian Exile Under the Tsars (Allen Lane).

Beer, who lectures at Royal Holloway, University of London, was chosen by the jury of world-class historians and authors over the US-based Austrian Walter Scheidel and the Universite du Quebec a Montreal professor Christopher Goscha. Margaret MacMillan, Chair of the Jury, made the announcement at the Cundill History Prize Gala at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Run by Canada's McGill University, the international Cundill History Prize rewards the best history writing in English. Choosing from a record 300 submissions, the jury unanimously agreed that The House of the Dead stood above the formidable competition as a work of history that delivers exceptional scholarship in a relevant and accessible read.

Margaret MacMillan, Chair of the Jury, said: 'Daniel Beer has done extraordinary research, using underappreciated and unexamined sources, to show what exile meant to generations of Russians and other nationalities within the Russian Empire. He gives a moving and heart-rending account of what happened to these people, most of whom never returned from Siberia. The House of the Dead is a haunting and important contribution to Russian history, and hugely deserving winner of the 2017 Cundill History Prize.'

Juror Amanda Foreman said: 'Daniel Beer has a universality of approach that is both innovative and important. He tells the story of an immense tragedy, spanning hundreds of years. The House of the Dead uses a huge canvas, but Beer is able to bring out individual stories and a real sense of what it means to be human. This book is a triumph.'

Juror Roy Foster said: 'Daniel Beer's The House of the Dead reads like a tragic Russian novel, which is apposite since Dostoevsky and, indeed, Chekhov figure in the story of Siberia. The book shows the tragedy of the people who were sent marching east, and the extraordinary variety of the lives they made, and lost, there: Russian revolutionaries, Polish nationalists, and all sorts of felons and outcasts. While beautifully written, and a riveting read, it is quarried out of an extraordinary range of sources, hitherto unavailable, and is a work of great scholarship.'

The two runners up each received a Recognition of Excellence Award, together with US$10,000: Christopher Goscha was awarded for his definitive history of Vietnam (Vietnam: A New History, Basic Books), Walter Scheidel for his controversial economic thesis The Great Leveler (Princeton University Press).

Juror Rana Mitter said: 'The Cundill History Prize is given to a book that marks a particular excellence in the quality of history, and what I mean by that is 'craft'; providing something for the writing and the study of history that shows a particular sort of ambition, scope and dedication. Daniel Beer has combined meticulous use of archives with a gripping narrative drive. This is a book that shows the historian's craft at the highest level.'

Juror Jeffrey Simpson added: 'The Cundill History Prize looks for outstanding historical scholarship, but also accessibility: a reader who is not an expert should be able to read and understand the book it chooses. And the winner must teach us something we can profit from today, as we grapple with contemporary problems.'

Antonia Maioni, Dean of Arts at McGill University, said: 'At McGill, we value research-intensive history and, at the same time, the ability to communicate to the rest of the world the importance of history writing and an understanding of Canada's role in the global setting. The Cundill History Prize plays a hugely important role - championing the highest quality historical scholarship from around the world, and rewarding books that can reach out to appeal to a wide audience, ignite conversation, and evoke a better understanding of ourselves and others.'

The House of the Dead has also been shortlisted for The Wolfson History Prize, The Pushkin House Russian Book Prize and the Longman History Today Prize, 2017.

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Keep up to date with the award and join the conversation: http://www.cundillprize.com | twitter.com/CundillPrize | facebook.com/cundillprizemcgill

For all media enquires please contact:

Cynthia Lee

Media Relations

Relations avec les medias

McGill University

Universite McGill

514-398-6754

cynthia.lee@mcgill.ca

Fiona McMorrough

Daniel Kramb

Stephanie Speight

FMcM Associates

0207-405-7422

fionam@fmcm.co.uk

danielk@fmcm.co.uk

stephs@fmcm.co.uk

'It is hard to imagine the hell of Siberia's penal colonies under the Tsars. This history paints a vivid and grisly picture... An absolutely fascinating book, rich in fact and anecdote.'

David Aaronovitch, The Times

'Based on archival research in Moscow, St Petersburg and Siberia, Beer's book is a splendid example of academic scholarship for a public audience.'

Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times

'Gripping, horrifying... numerous stories of human resilience in the face of adversity.'

Richard J. Evans, Times Literary Supplement

'Although Beer's subject is grim, his writing is not. Grace notes of metaphor elevate The House of the Dead above standard histories; it is also ground-breaking and moving.'

Oliver Bullough, Telegraph

'The House of the Dead is masterful, gripping and deeply researched. It's filled with astonishing, vivid and heart-breaking stories of crime and punishment, of redemption, love and terrifying violence. It has an amazing cast of despots, murderers, whores and heroes, and takes place in godforsaken mines, Arctic villages and beautiful taiga. It's a wonderful read.'

Simon Sebag-Montefiore, BBC History magazine

About the Cundill History Prize

The Cundill History Prize recognizes and rewards the best history writing in English. A prize of US$75,000 is awarded annually to the book that embodies historical scholarship, originality, literary quality and broad appeal. The two runners-up each receive US$10,000. The Cundill History Prize is administered by McGill University in Montreal and awarded by five distinguished jurors. It honours the abiding passion for history of its founder, F. Peter Cundill, by encouraging informed public debate through the wider dissemination of history writing to new audiences around the world. http://www.mcgill.ca

The 2017 shortlist comprised:

The House of the Dead: Siberian Exile Under the Tsar by Daniel Beer (Allen Lane)

Vietnam: A New History by Christopher Goscha (Basic Books)

The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century by Walter Scheidel (Princeton University Press)

The 2017 longlist comprised:

Black Elk by Joe Jackson (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux)

Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and its Legacy by Heather Thompson (Pantheon Books)

Martin Luther by Lyndal Roper (Bodley Head)

Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts by Christopher de Hamel (Allen Lane)

The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America by Frances FitzGerald (Simon & Schuster US)

The House of the Dead: Siberian Exile Under the Tsar by Daniel Beer (Allen Lane)

The Islamic Enlightenment: The Struggle Between Faith and Reason, 1798 to Modern Times by Christopher de Bellaigue

Vietnam: A New History by Christopher Goscha (Basic Books)

Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis, 1890 to 1928 by Stephen Smith (Oxford University Press)

The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century by Walter Scheidel (Princeton University Press)

Previous winners: Stuart B. Schwartz (2008), Lisa Jardine (2009), Diarmaid MacCulloch (2010), Sergio Luzzatto (2011), Stephen Platt (2012), Anne Applebaum (2013), Gary Bass (2014), Susan Pedersen (2015), Thomas W. Laqueur (2016). http://www.cundillprize.com

About McGill University

Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, McGill is a leading Canadian post-secondary institution. It has two campuses, 10 faculties, 12 professional schools, 300 programs of study and almost 41,000 students, including more than 9,700 graduate students. McGill attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,000 international students making up 30% per cent of the student body. Over half of McGill students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 20% of our students who say French is their mother tongue. http://www.mcgill.ca

About F. Peter Cundill

F. Peter Cundill (1938-2011), a distinguished alumnus of McGill University, was a philanthropist, sportsman, diarist, and renowned global investor. A voracious reader and inveterate traveller, F. Peter Cundill had an abiding passion for history: he believed that it was possible to comprehend the present and arrive at a measured perspective about the future only by first understanding the past. This led him to found the Cundill History Prize. The Cundill Foundation continues to support charities, research projects, and educational and enterprise gifts to young people. http://www.thepetercundillfoundation.com
Find related stories on NSF's Critical Zone Observatories at this link.

The thin veneer of Earth's surface that stretches from the top of the forest canopy to the base of bedrock is known as the "critical zone." It's where fresh water flows, rock turns to soil and life flourishes.

To provide a deeper understanding of the critical zone, the National Science Foundation (NSF) supports nine Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs) that stretch from coast to coast. NSF CZO scientists study how the critical zone responds to changes in climate and land use.

At the 2017 AGU Fall Meeting, held at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, from Dec. 11-15, 2017, dozens of CZO researchers will present new results on a range of topics, from the structure, function and evolution of Earth's "living skin" to the interactions between climate and rocks.

CZO scientists will discuss plants as plumbers and builders of the critical zone; the effects of Hurricane Maria on the Luquillo, Puerto Rico, critical zone; wildfire in the critical zone; rainfall-triggered landslide hazards; carbon dioxide in sagebrush steppe ecosystems; land-use legacies of old-field succession; snow-dominated headwater catchments; and myriad other subjects.

Researchers at NSF's CZOs are working to answer such questions as:

How do landscapes evolve over human timescales and over millennia, and how is that process affected by the presence and flow of water?

How do soil and weathered bedrock move down hillslopes, and how are they linked with the evolution of channels that often surround the bases of these hillslopes?

How do biological processes affect physical processes such as erosion and weathering?

Are there signals in the landscape that can tell us about past climates and about how landscapes responded then, or might respond in the future, to climate change?

The NSF CZO program will host booth #2032 in the exhibit hall. On Thursday, Dec. 14, the program will host a town hall meeting, "Critical Zone Observatories: Platforms for Collaborative Science," from 12:30-13:30 in the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 208-209.

Find a partial list of CZO science-related sessions, talks and posters by date/time below.

Monday, Dec. 11, 2017

U13B-37: The influence of critical zone structure on runoff paths, seasonal water storage, and ecosystem composition

15:28 - 15:31 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 252-254

H14D-02: Using a spatially-distributed hydrologic biogeochemistry model with nitrogen transport to study the spatial variation of carbon stocks and fluxes in a Critical Zone Observatory

16:15 - 16:30 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 283-285

H14D-03: Ecohydrological consequences of vegetation interactions within the critical zone in the tropical Andes: multi-scale assessment of vegetation change consequences

16:30 - 16:45 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 283-285

H14D-08: Where should the upper boundary of the earth's critical zone be?

17:45 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 283-285

Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017

EP21H-01: Lithologic controls on critical zone processes in a variably metamorphosed shale-hosted watershed

08:00 - 08:15 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, room 352

B21D-1981: Fostering collaboration across the U.S. Critical Zone Observatories Network

08:00 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H21A-1439: Critical zone structure inferred from multiscale near surface geophysical and hydrological data across hillslopes at the Eel River CZO

08:00 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

B21J-02: Differential chemical fractionation of dissolved organic matter during sorption by Fe mineral phases in a tropical soil from the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory

08:15 - 08:30 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 386-387

H22A-01: Boron isotopes at the catchment scale, a new potential tool to infer critical zone processes. (Invited)

10:20 - 10:35 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 298-299

H22A-02: Decoupling of stream and vegetation solutes during the late stages of weathering: insights from elemental and magnesium isotope trends at the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory, Puerto Rico

10:35 - 10:50 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 298-299

ED22A-02: Climate change literacy across the Critical Zone Observatory Network

10:35 - 10:50 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, room 245

B23D-2097: The potential for iron reduction in upland soils in Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

EP23C-1938: Subsurface particle loss during shale weathering can alter soil and rock chemistry

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H23H: Plants as builders and plumbers of the critical zone I Posters

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H23H-1768: Soil weathering agents are limited where deep tree roots are removed, even after decades of forest regeneration

H23H-1769: Predicting Plant-Accessible Water in the Critical Zone: Mountain Ecosystems in a Mediterranean Climate

H23H-1771: Illuminating pathways of forest nutrient provision: relative release from soil mineral and organic pools

H23H-1777: How soil water storage moderates climate changes effects on transpiration, across the different climates of the Critical Zone Observatories

H23H-1779: Temporal dynamics of tree source water in sky island ecosystems with ephemeral snow pack: a case study using Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir)

H23H-1780: The Dual Role of Vegetation as a Constraint on Mass and Energy Flux into the Critical Zone and as an Emergent Property of Geophysical Critical Zone Structure

H23H-1781: Gilbert's soil production paradigm applied to a critical zone's fractionation of particle sizes

B23C-2076: Coupled modeling of rhizosphere and reactive transport processes

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H23N-08: Wildfire in the critical zone: pyro-geomorphic feedbacks in upland forests

15:21 - 15:38 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 283-285

ED24A-02: Teaching climate science within the transdisciplinary framework of critical zone science

16:20 - 16:35 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, room 245

Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017

B31H-01: Using the Critical Zone Observatory Network to put geology into environmental science

08:00 - 08:05 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 383-385

H31J-08: An integrated geophysical and geochemical exploration of critical zone weathering on opposing montane hillslope

09:45 - 10:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 298-299

B33D-2108: Portable gamma spectrometry: measuring soil erosion in-situ at four Critical Zone Observatories in P. R. China

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H33A-1645: Quantifying seasonal dynamic water storage in a fractured bedrock vadose zone with borehole nuclear magnetic resonance

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H33D-1709: Imaging preferential flow pathways of contaminants from passive acid mine drainage mitigation sites using electrical resistivity

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

B33G-03: Deep soil carbon in the critical zone: amount and nature of carbon in weathered bedrock, and its implication for soil carbon inventory

14:10 - 14:25 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 386-387

Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017

B41E-2011: Toward a standardized soil carbon database platform in the U.S. Critical Zone Observatory Network

08:00 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

B41F-2028: Carbon dioxide effluxes and their environmental controls in sagebrush steppe ecosystems along an elevation gradient in the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory

08:00 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H41C-1449: Hydrologic functioning of the deep critical zone and contributions to streamflow in a high elevation catchment: testing of multiple conceptual models

08:00 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H41G: Modeling the critical zone: integrating processes and data across disciplines and scales III Posters

08:00 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H41G-1524: Effects of Precipitation Type on Streamflow Efficiency At Critical Zone Observatories in the Western United States

H41G-1531: Cracking up (and down): Linking multi-domain hydraulic properties with multi-scale hydrological processes in shrink-swell soils

H41G-1534: Scaling up: What coupled land-atmosphere models can tell us about critical zone processes

H41G-1538: Parameterization of Nitrogen Limitation for a Dynamic Ecohydrological Model: a Case Study from the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory

H41G-1539: Spatial Variability of Soil-Water Storage in the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory: Measurement and Prediction

H41G-1540: Can Process Understanding Help Elucidate The Structure Of The Critical Zone? Comparing Process-Based Soil Formation Models With Digital Soil Mapping

H41G-1541: The impact of hydrologic segmentation on the Critical Zone water fluxes of headwater catchments

H41I-1556: Does variability in shallow hydraulic conductivity explain subsurface electrical resistivity anomalies in a Piedmont hillslope?

08:00 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H41J-1595: Measurements of soil, surface water, and groundwater CO2 concentration variability in Earth's critical zone: low-cost, long-term, high-temporal resolution monitoring

08:00 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

PA42A: How does your geoscience research matter, and can you explain how it matters to the public?

10:20 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 255-257

PA42A-07: Sustainable California: Getting the word out through a web-based TV channel -- 10:50 - 10:55

PA42A-08: Critical Transition in Critical Zone of Intensively Managed Landscapes -- 10:55 - 11:00

PA42A-11: Every rural resident knows that the geosciences matter! -- 11:10 - 11:15

H42F-04: Recent developments and emergent challenges in ecohydrology: Focus on the belowground frontier

10:52 - 11:02 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 280-282

Town Hall: Critical Zone Observatories: platforms for collaborative science

12:30 - 13:30 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 208-209

H43O-01: Hydrologic synthesis Across the Critical Zone Observatory Network: a step toward understanding the coevolution of critical zone function and structure

13:40 - 13:55 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, La Nouvelle C

H43S: Modeling the critical zone: Integrating processes and data across disciplines and scales I

13:40 - 15:40 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 298-299

H43S-01: Simulation Based Exploration of Critical Zone Dynamics in Intensively Managed Landscapes -- 13:40 - 13:55

H43S-03: Discerning Thermodynamic Basis of Self-Organization in Critical Zone Structure and Function -- 14:10 - 14:25

H43S-06: Constructing an everywhere and locally relevant predictive model of the West-African critical zone -- 14:55 - 15:10

H43S-07: Elucidating Critical Zone Process Interactions with an Integrated Hydrology Model in a Headwaters Research Catchment -- 15:10 - 15:25

H43S-08: From Buckets to Basins: Scaling up from the CZO to the NOAA National Water Model -- 15:25 - 15:40

B43E: Concentration-discharge relations in the critical zone I Posters

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

B43E-2166: Seasonal Stream Partitioning and Critical Zone Feedbacks within a Colorado River Headwater Basin

B43E-2172: Relating runoff generation mechanisms to concentration-discharge relationships in catchments with well-characterized Critical Zone structures and hydrologic dynamics

B43E-2175: Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) and Particulate N (PN) behaviors in Response to Storm Events in the Clear Creek, IA Site of the Intensively Managed Landscape - Critical Zone Observatory (IML-CZO)

B43E-2178: Changes in DOM Character and Composition during Spring Snow Melt in the Jemez River Basin Critical Zone Observatory

B43E-2179: Flow pathways in the evolving critical zone - insights from hydraulic groundwater theory

B43E-2181: Merging Hydrologic, Geochemical, and Geophysical Approaches to Understand the Regolith Architecture of a Deeply Weathered Piedmont Critical Zone

H43J-1782: Patterns in soil electrical resistivity across land uses in the Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory landscape

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H43P-06: Critical zone co-dynamics: quantifying interactions between subsurface, land surface, and vegetation properties using UAV and geophysical approaches

14:55 - 15:10 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 283-285

H44G: Modeling the critical zone: integrating processes and data across disciplines and scales II

16:00 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 298-299

H44G-02: Pedotransfer functions in Earth system science: challenges and perspectives -- 16:15 - 16:30

H44G-04: Hydrologic Drivers of Soil Organic Carbon Erosion and Burial: Insights from a Spatially-explicit Model of a Degraded Landscape at the Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory -- 16:45 - 17:00

H44G-05: Effects of Climate on Co-evolution of Weathering Profiles and Hillscapes -- 17:00 - 17:15

H44G-07: Towards Understanding Soil Forming in Santa Clotilde Critical Zone Observatory: Modelling Soil Mixing Processes in a Hillslope using Luminescence Techniques -- 17:30 - 17:45

H44G-08: Multi-scale geophysical study to model the distribution and development of fractures in relation to the knickpoint in the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory (Puerto Rico) -- 17:45 - 18:00

IN44A-07: ODM2 admin pilot project- a data management application for observations of the Critical Zone

17:30 - 17:45 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 228-230

Friday, Dec. 15, 2017

H51K-1413: Hydrological functioning of West African inland valleys explored with a critical zone model

08:00 - 12:20 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

EP52B-05: A dynamic hydrology-critical zone framework for rainfall-triggered landslide hazard prediction

11:20 - 11:35 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 353-355

ED53I-0234: Using the NGSS to analyze the NGSS suggests teaching the critical zone to improve NGSS implementation

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

EP53D: Where things aren't: understanding the role of porosity in the critical zone posters

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

EP53D-1762: The influence of subsurface porosity and bedrock composition on ecosystem productivity and drought resilience in the Sierra Nevada Batholith, California (Invited)

EP53D-1763: Land use legacies of old-field succession and soil structure at the Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory in SC, USA.

EP53D-1764: Insights into the base of the critical zone from geophysical logging and groundwater flow testing at U.S. Critical Zone Observatories (CZO) and critical zone study sites (CZs)

EP53D-1765: Making the most of CZ seismics: Improving shallow critical zone characterization using surface-wave analysis

EP53D-1768: Mapping porosity of the deep critical zone in 3D using near-surface geophysics, rock physics modeling, and drilling New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

EP53D-1770: The role of rock moisture on regulating hydrologic and solute fluxes in the critical zone (Invited)

H53G-1552: Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of dissolved organic carbon in waters and soils in a snow-dominated headwater catchment: investigations at Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory, Owyhee County, Idaho

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H53G-1560: Linking carbon and hydrologic fluxes in the critical zone: Observations from high-frequency monitoring of a weathered bedrock vadose zone

13:40 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Poster Hall D-F

H53L-03: Hydrological connectivity in the karst critical zone: an integrated approach

14:10 - 14:25 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 288-290

B54A: Concentration-discharge Relations in the critical zone II

16:00 - 18:00 -- New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 356-357

B54A-02: Perennial flow through convergent hillslopes explains chemodynamic solute behavior in a shale headwater catchment

B54A-03: Cross-site comparisons of concentration-discharge relationships reveal climate-driven chemostatic set points -- 16:30 - 16:45

B54A-04: Thermodynamic Constraints on Coupled Carbonate-Pyrite Weathering Dynamics and Carbon Fluxes (Invited) -- 16:45 - 17:00

B54A-06: Mechanisms Generating Chemostatic Si-discharge Relationships in Granitoid Catchments of the Critical Zone Network -- 17:15 - 17:30

B54A-08: Understanding the Role of the Co-Play between Land Use and Climate on Sediment Flux Laws in Intensively Managed Landscapes -- 17:45 - 18:00

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Children vaccinated against influenza are significantly less likely to experience serious complications from the virus that could land them in hospital, new research from Public Health Ontario (PHO) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) has found.

Published in the Nov. 17 issue of PLOS ONE, the study found that young children who were fully vaccinated against influenza saw their risk of hospitalization due to influenza infection drop by 60 per cent overall. Even for children partially vaccinated against influenza (i.e., those who received one dose of influenza vaccine during their first influenza season), risk of hospitalization due to influenza dropped by 39 per cent.

"Influenza can cause serious illness, especially in young children, but there hasn't been a lot of research that has examined the magnitude of the influenza vaccine's effectiveness at preventing kids from getting really sick and being hospitalized," says Dr. Jeff Kwong, a scientist in Applied Immunization Research and Evaluation at PHO and a senior scientist at ICES. Dr. Kwong is the senior author of the research paper.

"This research paper helps fill that gap by showing how effective the influenza vaccine can be at protecting young kids against serious complications from influenza infections," adds Dr. Kwong.

The researchers examined nearly 10,000 Ontario hospital records of children aged six months to under five years where a respiratory specimen was collected and tested for influenza; 12.8 per cent showed lab-confirmed influenza. The scientists included four influenza seasons - 2010-11 to 2013-14 - and broke the data down to compare children who were fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated and those who didn't get the vaccine. They also compared variations by age group and the circulating influenza strains each season.

Overall, fully vaccinated children aged two- to four-years-old saw their risk of hospitalization due to influenza drop by 67 per cent while those aged six to 23 months saw their risk drop by 48 per cent.

"These results show that flu vaccines are effective at preventing influenza hospitalizations in young kids, and this extended to those who received their vaccination in two consecutive seasons. This contributes to the evidence that this group should be receiving their seasonal vaccine annually to prevent such serious outcomes," says Sarah Buchan, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto and the study's lead author.

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This research was conducted in collaboration with scientists from PHO, ICES, the University of Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, North York General Hospital, Sinai Health System, William Osler Health System, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, McMaster University, London Health Sciences Centre, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Health Laboratory.

Public Health Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of all Ontarians and reducing inequities in health. Public Health Ontario links public health practitioners, front-line health workers and researchers to the best scientific intelligence and knowledge from around the world. For the latest PHO news, follow us on Twitter: @publichealthON.

The Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) is an independent, non-profit organization that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of health care issues. Our unbiased evidence provides measures of health system performance, a clearer understanding of the shifting health care needs of Ontarians, and a stimulus for discussion of practical solutions to optimize scarce resources. ICES knowledge is highly regarded in Canada and abroad, and is widely used by government, hospitals, planners, and practitioners to make decisions about care delivery and to develop policy. For the latest ICES news, follow us on Twitter: @ICESOntario

For more information, please contact:

Janet Wong

Media Relations Advisor, PHO

janet.wong@oahpp.ca

647-260-7709

Deborah Creatura

Media Advisor, ICES

deborah.creatura@ices.on.ca

(o) 416-480-4780 or (c) 647-406-5996
discovery by an international team of researchers from Princeton University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Humboldt University in Berlin points the way to more widespread use of an advanced technology generally known as organic electronics.

The research, published Nov. 13 in the journal Nature Materials, focuses on organic semiconductors, a class of materials prized for their applications in emerging technologies such as flexible electronics, solar energy conversion, and high-quality color displays for smartphones and televisions. In the short term, the advance should particularly help with organic light-emitting diodes that operate at high energy to emit colors such as green and blue.

Organic semiconductors are ideal materials for the fabrication of mechanically flexible devices with energy-saving low temperature processes, said Xin Lin, a doctoral student and a member of the Princeton research team. One of their major disadvantages has been their relatively poor electrical conductivity. In some applications, this can lead to difficulties and inefficient devices. We are working on new ways to improve the electrical properties of these organic semiconductors.

Semiconductors, typically made of silicon, are the foundation of modern electronics because engineers can take advantage of their unique properties to control electrical currents. Among many applications, semiconductor devices are used for computing, signal amplification and switching. They are used in energy-saving devices such as light-emitting diodes and devices that convert energy such as solar cells.

Essential to these functionalities is a process called doping, in which the semiconductors chemical makeup is modified by adding a small amount of chemicals or impurities. By carefully choosing the type and amount of dopant, researchers can alter semiconductors electronic structure and electrical behavior in a variety of ways.

In their recent Nature Materials article, the researchers describe a new approach for greatly increasing the conductivity of organic semiconductors, which are formed of carbon-based molecules rather than silicon atoms. The dopant, a ruthenium-containing compound, is a reducing agent, which means it adds electrons to the organic semiconductor as part of the doping process. The addition of the electrons is the key to increasing the semiconductors conductivity. The compound belongs to a newly-introduced class of dopants called dimeric organometallic dopants. Unlike many other powerful reducing agents, these dopants are stable when exposed to air but still work as strong electron donors both in solution and solid state.

Seth Marder and Stephen Barlow from the Georgia Institute of Technology, who led the development of the new dopant, called the ruthenium compound a hyper-reducing dopant. They said it is unusual, not only its combination of electron donation strength and air stability, but in its ability to work with a class of organic semiconductors that have previously been very difficult to dope. In studies conducted at Princeton, the researchers found that the new dopant increased the conductivity of these semiconductors about a million times.

The ruthenium compound is a dimer, which means it consists of two identical molecules, or monomers, connected by a chemical bond. As is, the compound is relatively stable and, when added to these difficult-to-dope semiconductors, it does not react and remains in its equilibrium state. That posed a problem because to increase the conductivity of the organic semiconductor, the ruthenium dimer needs to react with the semiconductor it and then split apart.

Lin, the Princeton doctoral student who was lead author of the Nature Materials article, said the researchers looked for different ways to break up the ruthenium dimer and activate the doping. Eventually, he and Berthold Wegner, a visiting graduate student from the group of Norbert Koch at Humboldt University, took a hint from how photosynthetic systems work. They irradiated the system with ultraviolet light, which excited molecules in the semiconductor and initiated the reaction. Thus, under exposure to the light, the dimers were able to dope the semiconductor, leading to a roughly 100,000 times increase in the conductivity.

After that, the researchers made an interesting observation.

Once the light is turned off, you might expect the reverse reaction to occur and the increased conductivity to disappear, Marder said. However, that is not the case.

The researchers found that the ruthenium monomers remained isolated in the semiconductor _ increasing conductivity _ even though thermodynamics should return the molecules to their original configuration as dimers. Antoine Kahn, the Stephen C. Macaleer '63 Professor in Engineering and Applied Science who leads the research team, said the physical layout of the molecules inside the doped semiconductor provides a likely answer to this puzzle. The hypothesis is that the monomers are scattered in the semiconductor in such a way that it is very difficult for them to return to their original configuration and re-form the ruthenium dimer. To reform, he said, the monomers must be facing in the correct orientation, but in the mixture they remain askew. So, even though thermodynamics shows that dimers should reform, most never snap back together.

The question is why arent these things moving back together into equilibrium, said Kahn. The answer is they are kinetically trapped.

In fact, the researchers observed the doped semiconductor for over a year and found very little decrease in the electrical conductivity. Also, by observing the material in light-emitting diodes fabricated by the group of Barry Rand, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Princeton and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, the researchers discovered that doping was continuously re-activated by the light produced by the device.

The light activates the system more, which leads to more light production and more activation until the system is fully activated, said Marder the Georgia Power Chair, in Energy Efficiency and Regents Professor of Chemistry. This alone is a novel and surprising observation.

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Other papers authors include: graduate students Kyung Min Lee, Michael A. Fusella, and Fengyu Zhang, of Princeton, and Karttikay Moudgil of the Georgia Institute of Technology

The work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.
CAMDEN - The 20th century saw revolutions in scientific medicine, consumer culture, and social welfare, and in the understanding of human development and potential, explains Janet Golden.

And while many intellectual thinkers, scientists, and industrial innovators helped to lead America into this new age, says the professor of history at Rutgers University-Camden, credit also goes to our youngest members of society: babies.

Taking a "cradle-up approach," Golden examines the critical role that infants played in joining ordinary Americans to the modern revolutions of the 20th century in her forthcoming book, Babies Made Us Modern: How Infants Brought Americans into the Twentieth Century (Cambridge University Press, 2018).

According to the Rutgers-Camden scholar, she primarily focused her research on studying the actual experiences of infants. With assistance from Russell Johnson, a librarian and archivist at UCLA biomedical library, she culled information from hundreds of baby books, the majority of which were kept by mothers.

"Baby books document not just the care and treatment of infants by families, but infants' changing material worlds, helping us to shift assumptions about their inner lives, and the role that governments, private organizations, and medical institutions and health professionals played in their care and protection," she says.

Golden also examined a range of other materials as well, including folklore, Japanese-American internment camp newspapers, the records of nurses on Native American reservations, oral histories from the Great Depression, Congressional hearings, and letters sent to the Children's Bureau.

Her book essentially makes two arguments: first, she says, as infant mortality rates fell, public investment in infants declined and shifted to means-tested programs serving poor infants with the expectation that other babies' welfare would be a private family matter. Secondly, as the title of the book states, babies helped to modernize American society.

She explains that, in 1900, 100 infants out of 1,000 died before their first birthday, resulting in a collective interest in infant welfare. Reformers undertook new efforts to save the lives of babies, including private charity work, as well as state and local government programs.

In 1912, the United States became home to the first national government agency devoted to children, the United States Children's Bureau. Working within severe fiscal and legislative restraints, the bureau's leaders succeeded in creating programs to educate mothers, helping to make infant care routines orderly and scientific.

"Put simply, more babies survived because of our government's efforts to combat infant and maternal mortality," says Golden.

According to Golden, World War II proved to be a turning point, first by "knitting infants and government into a tighter bond and then, in the postwar years, by quickly unraveling a relationship that had built up over the previous decades."

In wartime, she says, the federal government underwrote the delivery and care of one out of every seven babies born in the United States - 1.2 million in all. With declining infant mortality rates, growing numbers of Americans insured through their workplaces, an expanding middle class and a booming national economy, subsequent programs for babies would be means-tested, meaning the family's financial status would be examined to determine eligibility for public support.

"With this in place, 'our' babies became divided into 'my' babies and 'other people's' babies," says Golden.

As the Rutgers-Camden researcher explains, the baby boom years - 1946 to 1964 - brought 76 million new Americans amid a growing economy. Consumer culture reached new heights, and purchases for babies accelerated as new specialty products for them came on the market.

"Purchases for babies, seen as necessary to saving their lives and health, spurred poor and working-class families to move from reliance on folk remedies, homemade goods, mothers' milk, and table foods," she says.

The role of "salesbabies," hawking everything from revolvers, to cigars and war bonds became prominent in American culture. In addition, babies played a role in linking ordinary families to financial institutions. After World War I, "Buy now, pay later" credit and installment plans enabled families to purchase big items like carriages, cribs, and high chairs, along with baby bottles, baby food, and baby clothes.

"Many families entered the world of consumer culture by way of their infants, making purchases for their babies when they had little money to spare," says Golden.

Among the many other advancements that took "baby steps," says Golden, psychology assumed an increasingly powerful place in American life in the 20th century - in higher education, in professional practices such as social work, and in popular culture.

Reflecting on her research, Golden encourages others to save those old family baby books and send them to an archive.

"These records," she says, "put together with a variety of other sources, reveal how infants were integral to the growing cultural authority of scientific medicine, the robust expansion of the consumer economy, the rise of new theories of self and society, and the increasingly complex relationship of the state to the family."

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La Jolla, Calif., November 17, 2017 -- A new collaborative study led by researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) and UC San Diego School of Medicine has found that a medication used to prevent and treat malaria may also be effective for Zika virus. The drug, called chloroquine, has a long history of safe use during pregnancy, and is relatively inexpensive. The research was published today in Scientific Reports.

Zika virus remains a major global health risk. In most adults, Zika causes mild flu-like symptoms. But in pregnant women, the virus can cause serious birth defects in babies--including microcephaly--a neurological condition in which newborns have unusually small heads and fail to develop properly. There is no treatment or way to reverse the condition.

"There is still an urgent need to bolster our preparedness and capacity to respond to the next Zika outbreak," says Alexey Terskikh, Ph.D., associate professor at SBP. "Our latest research suggests the anti-malaria drug chloroquine may be an effective drug to treat and prevent Zika infections."

Terskikh is co-senior author of a new study that examined the effect of chloroquine in human brain organoids and pregnant mice infected with the virus, and found the drug markedly reduced the amount of Zika virus in maternal blood and neural progenitor cells in the fetal brain. Pregnant mice received chloroquine through drinking water in dosages equivalent to acceptable levels used in humans.

"Our research is the first to study Zika infection in a mouse model that transmits the virus in a way similar to humans," explains Alysson R. Muotri, Ph.D., professor and director of the Stem Cell Program at UC San Diego and co-senior author of the study. "Until now, researchers used a mouse strain that is deficient in interferon--a signaling protein that heightens anti-viral defenses. Those mice actually die from Zika infection, making it difficult to study the natural transmission of the virus from father and mother to fetus and to assess the effect of this transmission on the newborns."

"We believe our mouse model more accurately represents the way Zika virus infects men, women and babies while in the womb," adds Terskikh. "Although chloroquine didn't completely clear Zika from infected mice it did reduce the viral load, suggesting it could limit the neurological damage found in newborns infected by the virus."

"In the 1950's, the Brazilian health agencies added chloroquine into cooking salt and distributed it to the population in endemic areas as an effective way of spreading the inexpensive anti-malarial drug as a prophylactic on a wide scale. This strategy was known as Pinotti's Method, named after its originator Dr. Mario Pinotti. It might be worth considering this medicated salt program one more time in Brazil", suggests Muotri.

"Chloroquine has a long history of successfully treating malaria, and there are no reports of it causing birth defects," says Terskikh. "Additional studies are certainly needed to determine the precise details of how it works. But given its low cost, availability and safety history further study in a clinical trial to test its effectiveness against Zika virus in humans is merited."

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Co-authors of the study include: Sergey A. Shiryaev, Antonella Pinto, Chen Farhy, Chun-Teng Huang, Alex Y. Strongin, SBP; Pinar Mesci, Isabella Fernandes, UC San Diego; Nicholas Sheets, Sujan Shresta, La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology.

Funding sources for this study include: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (DISC2-09649), National Institutes of Health (U19MH107367), NARSAD Independent Investigator Grant and the International Rett Syndrome Foundation.

About SBP

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) is an independent nonprofit medical research organization that conducts world-class, collaborative, biological research and translates its discoveries for the benefit of patients. SBP focuses its research on cancer, immunity, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders and rare children's diseases. The Institute invests in talent, technology and partnerships to accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries that will have the greatest impact on patients. Recognized for its world-class NCI-designated Cancer Center and the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, SBP employs about 1,100 scientists and staff in San Diego (La Jolla), Calif., and Orlando (Lake Nona), Fla. For more information, visit us at SBPdiscovery.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/SBPdiscovery and on Twitter @SBPdiscovery.

About UC San Diego School of Medicine

UC San Diego School of Medicine, established in 1968, is the region's only medical school. As a top-tier academic medical center, our role is to improve health through innovative research, education and patient care. The School of Medicine is closely tied to the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and UC San Diego Health, which includes the Hillcrest Medical Center, Jacobs Medical Center, Moores Cancer Center, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, Shiley Eye Institute and many other centers, clinics and affiliates throughout Southern California. We have long been at the forefront of translational research, transforming patient care through discovery and innovation leading to new drugs and technologies. Learn more at healthsciences.ucsd.edu.
MATTOON -- The community is invited to attend the eighth annual Lake Land College Pathways Holiday Auction from 7:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Nov. 29 in Northeast Building, room 114 on campus.

Pathways to the Future alternative education program is an alternative high school program serving Lake Land district students between the ages of 16 to 21 who have dropped out or are at-risk of dropping out of high school.

Through the past seven years, employees have raised more than $31,379 to provide gifts and necessities to Pathways students during the holiday season. Many of these students come from impoverished backgrounds and homes that often lack basic necessities. Once gifts are purchased, remaining funds will be used to help cover GED exam scholarships.

Many items have been donated by local businesses, along with handmade craft items and homemade baked goods. Donated items are auctioned off during an all-day silent auction and a spirited live auction. Both donations of live and silent auction items are welcome.

For more information regarding this event, contact English instructor Matt Landrus at 217-234-5317 or Director of Adult and Alternative Education Dirk Muffler at 217-234-8383.
New research demonstrates that seagrass meadows are important fishing grounds all around the globe. The work highlights that there is an urgent need to start appreciating and understanding this role to be able to build more sustainable fisheries. A study led by Dr Lina Mtwana Nordlund at Stockholm University, published in the scientific journal Fish & Fisheries, examines the global extent to which these underwater meadows support fishing activity.

"If there is seagrass and people there is most certainly fishing. It doesn't matter if it is a country with high or low human development, fishing occurs. But the reasons for fishing and the target species vary" says Dr Nordlund who is based at Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Science at Stockholm University in Sweden.

In countries with a low human development index score seagrass fishery activity tends to target anything one can find that can be eaten, sold or used as bait. These seagrass fisheries have a major significance for daily food supply and livelihoods. In countries with a very high human development index score, seagrass fisheries are more commonly recreational with specific species targeted, such as clams. The research highlights that nearly every type of fishing gear is used within seagrass fisheries.

"The ecological value of seagrass meadows is irrefutable, yet their loss continues at an accelerating rate. Now there is growing evidence globally that many fisheries associated to seagrass are unrecorded, unreported and unmanaged, leading to a tragedy of the seagrass commons" says co-author Dr Richard Unsworth, Swansea University.

The researchers from Stockholm University, Cardiff University and Swansea University highlight that because seagrass is generally found nearshore in shallow sheltered environments, it creates an accessible fishing ground in nearly all weather conditions.

The authors have studied seagrass fisheries all around the world from the Philippines, to USA, Indonesia, the Turks & Caicos Islands and locations in the Mediterranean. "Seagrass meadows are being damaged and degraded globally and urgent action is needed to stem the loss of seagrass meadows. Their importance as a key fishing ground is yet another reason why we need to start appreciating the value of seagrass" says Dr Mtwana Nordlund.

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Their paper - Global significance of seagrass fishery activity - is available (Open Access) to read here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/faf.12259/full

A popular science summary of the paper is available here: https://linamtwananordlund.wordpress.com/2017/11/17/seagrass-is-a-key-fishing-ground-globally/

Contact: Lina.Mtwana.Nordlund@su.se or phone +255774881238 (Tanzania)
Writing in the Journal Fish & Fisheries, Dr Richard Unsworth of Swansea University (together with colleagues at Cardiff University and Stockholm University) examine the global extent to which these meadows of underwater plants support fishing activity.

"Wherever seagrass exists in proximity to people, our research finds that it's used as a key targeted fishing habitat" said Dr Unsworth, who is based at Swansea University's Biosciences department.

"Our research is for the first time recording how globally extensive the use of seagrass meadows as a fishery habitat is. In developing countries this activity tends to have a major significance for daily food supply and general livelihoods. In developed countries the role of this activity is more for recreation or species specific targeted fisheries (e.g. clams)."

Dr Nordlund from Stockholm University added "The ecological value of seagrass meadows is irrefutable, yet there loss continues at an accelerating rate. Now there is growing evidence globally that many fisheries associated to seagrass are unrecorded, unreported and unmanaged, leading to a tragedy of the seagrass commons".

In their article, the researchers highlight that because of their nearshore, shallow water distribution in sheltered environments seagrass meadows make great places to fish in all conditions. This leads to high intensity of fishing effort often all year round.

The authors have studied seagrass fisheries all around the world from the Philippines, to Zanzibar, Indonesia, the Turks & Caicos Islands and locations in the Mediterranean. They have found many similarities in the types of fishing gear used the major animal families that are fished and the extent of effort focused in these sensitive habitats.

Even in small seagrass meadows in Wales fishers can be seen targeting shrimp at low tide and placing gill nets to catch Bass. By providing a three-dimensional structure in an otherwise barren sea, seagrasses provide the perfect hiding place for fish and invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp and clams. This abundance of animal life is what attracts fishers.

"It is important that more recognition is given to the value of these habitats for supporting fisheries as they're being damaged and degraded globally." said Dr Cullen-Unsworth (Cardiff University), one of the co-authors who is also director of the marine conservation charity Project Seagrass who are working to highlight the importance and plight of these sensitive marine habitats.

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Their paper - Global significance of seagrass fishery activity - is available (Open Access) here http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/faf.12259/full

Notes

Swansea University is a world-class, research-led, dual campus university. The University was established in 1920 and was the first campus university in the UK. It currently offers around 350 undergraduate courses and 350 postgraduate courses to circa 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The University's 46-acre Singleton Park Campus is located in beautiful parkland with views across Swansea Bay. The University's 65-acre science and innovation Bay Campus, which opened in September 2015, is located a few miles away on the eastern approach to the city. It has the distinction of having direct access to a beach and its own seafront promenade. Both campuses are close to the Gower Peninsula, the UK's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Swansea is ranked the top university in Wales and is currently The Times and The Sunday Times 'Welsh University of the Year' for 2017. It is also ranked within the top 300 best universities in the world in the Times Higher Education World University rankings.

The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 showed the University has achieved its ambition to be a top 30 research University, soaring up the league table to 26th in the UK, with the 'biggest leap among research-intensive institutions' (Times Higher Education, December 2014) in the UK.

The University has ambitious expansion plans as it moves towards its centenary in 2020, as it continues to extend its global reach and realising its domestic and international ambitions.

Swansea University is a registered charity. No.1138342. Visit http://www.swansea.ac.uk
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a protein that can be targeted to suppress growth of a common type of breast cancer known as "estrogen receptor positive" (ER+), including ER+ cancers that are resistant to standard treatments.

The protein, tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6), is an enzyme molecule that is highly expressed in multiple tumor types, including prostate, ovarian, and breast cancers. It can promote cancer cell survival and growth of ER+ breast cancer cells. The study, titled "PTK6 regulates growth and survival of endocrine therapy-resistant ER+ breast cancer cells," was published in an online study today in NPJ Breast Cancer.

"Never before has PTK6 inhibition been shown to inhibit growth and induce cell death of ER+ breast cancer cells, including those resistant to standard treatments for this subtype such as tamoxifen," said Hanna Irie, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology) and Oncological Sciences at The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and senior author of the study. "We are excited and gratified by these remarkable results, which could lead to a new way to treat these drug resistant metastases of ER+ breast cancers and/or prevent their metastases in the first place."

According to Dr. Irie, the research is especially important because it supports the potential therapeutic value of targeting PTK6 in ER+ breast cancers, which constitute the most common subtype of breast cancer. Approximately 65 percent of all breast cancers express the estrogen receptor (ER +) and/or the progesterone receptor (PR+). One in eight women in the United States has a chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer and an estimated 250,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2017.

Standard treatments for ER+ breast cancer are endocrine therapies such as tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. "Endocrine therapies are still the most effective medical therapy for this subtype of breast cancer, and the end goal is to inhibit growth and/or kill ER+ breast cancer cells," said Dr. Irie. "However, some breast cancer patients still develop metastatic ER+ disease despite these common endocrine therapies, so newer treatments are very important and necessary to kill endocrine therapy-resistant cancers."

"This is a truly exciting discovery for the field of breast cancer," said Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD, Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute. "This breakthrough could lead to more effective therapies for women with this very common subtype of breast cancer and be the therapeutic target that the drug companies have been waiting for."

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This work was supported by a Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research Grant, as well as Baylor College of Medicine, which made key research contributions.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system encompassing seven hospital campuses, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 10 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 18 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Nephrology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery, and in the top 50 in four other specialties in the 2017-2018 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in six out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology and 50th for Ear, Nose, and Throat, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally. For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The Cape Floristic Region is home to an estimated 9,000 plant species -- many found nowhere else on Earth

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- South Africa's Cape Floristic Region is one of the richest repositories of plant life in the world.

Here, about 20 percent of Africa's flora grows in a landscape that accounts for less than 0.5 percent of the continent's area, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The diversity of plant life is among the highest on the planet. About 69 percent of the region's estimated 9,000 plant species live nowhere else in the world.

Now, a team of scientists including University at Buffalo biogeographer Adam Wilson has won a United Nations (U.N.) data prize for creating a digital tool for monitoring threats to this biological jewel.

The researchers -- including Wilson, PhD; ecologist Jasper Slingsby, PhD, at the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON); and data scientist Glenn Moncrieff, PhD, at Ixio Analytics in South Africa -- were one of six winning teams in U.N. Global Pulse's Data for Climate Action Challenge, which asked scholars to use private sector data sources to address problems tied to climate change.

The group won the competition's Thematic Award for Climate Mitigation.

The competition was hosted by U.N. Global Pulse -- a flagship innovation initiative of the U.N. Secretary-General that aims to accelerate discovery, development and scaled adoption of big data innovation for sustainable development and humanitarian action -- in collaboration with Western Digital Corporation and with support from the Skoll Global Threats Fund.

Wilson traveled to Bonn, Germany to receive the award on Nov. 12 at a companion event to the Sustainable Innovation Forum, a side event to COP23, the annual U.N. Climate Change Conference taking place from Nov. 6-17

PHOTOS: For additional photos not available through EurekAlert, please contact Charlotte Hsu in UB Media Relations at chsu22@buffalo.edu.

Aiding conservation of South Africa's fynbos

The digital tool the team created is a system that maps and analyzes vegetation in the fynbos, a belt of shrubland in the Cape Floristic Region that includes parts of protected areas forming a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The system is capable of detecting abnormal changes in fynbos plant life.

This is no easy task, as it requires distinguishing between unnatural aberrations -- such as declines resulting from drought, development or climate change -- and natural variations caused by wildfires, which are common in the region.

As Wilson explains, land in the fynbos burns roughly every six to 20 years, and fires are an important part of the life cycle of many local plants. The seeds of some species, for example, grow in cones that only open naturally after fire.

"Wildfire is an important part of the ecosystem, so there is a natural cycle of vegetation loss and recovery," says Wilson, an assistant professor of geography in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. "To monitor this ecosystem, you need to be able to identify changes that fall outside of these natural variations, and our system does this quite well."

"By detecting potential threats to the ecosystem in near-real time, our tool can inform the responses of conservation authorities, citizen scientists and policymakers," Slingsby says.

Mapping threats to shrubland

The team's tool is called EMMA -- the Ecosystem Monitoring and Management Application.

It is still being piloted, but it includes an interactive, web-based map that researchers can use to compare expected vegetation status to actual changes seen in images from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, and from Planet, a private company that provided high-resolution satellite images of the Earth through the U.N. Global Pulse data challenge.

EMMA also includes a smartphone app that field rangers, landowners and citizen scientists can use to map locations where they have spotted specific plant species in the wild, along with threats such as invasive plants, landslides and illegal clearing of vegetation.

"Systems like EMMA have been very useful for monitoring forest ecosystems, but we don't have any way of doing this in non-forest ecosystems such as shrublands and natural grasslands, as far as I am aware," Moncrieff said. "The tool we've created could have a lot of utility for other fire-prone ecosystems, such as the Mediterranean Basin, California or South Western Australia."

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The Central Iberian Peninsula was characterised by a very arid savanna during the middle Miocene, according to a study led by the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) that compares the mammal assemblages from different localities in Africa and South Asia with those that inhabited the Iberian central area 14 million years ago.

The results of this study, recently published in PLOS ONE, are the product of more than fifteen years of fieldwork and previous paleontological studies of the fossil vertebrate remains found at the Somosaguas paleontological site (Madrid), which allowed paleontologists to inferthe type of environment that existed in the middle Miocene in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula. This fossil site is located at the Somosaguas Campus of the UCM, a particular feature as only two paleontological sites have been discovered up to now at university campuses worldwide (the other one being located in the USA).

The body size of every species is largely influenced by the environmental conditions of the habitat where each species lives. For example, elephants that inhabit humid places (such as those in Asian jungles) are smaller than elephants that live in dry places (such as those that inhabit in African savannahs).

"Based on this premise, the distribution of sizes within a mammal community can offer us valuable information about its climatic context", explains Iris Menendez, a researcher at the Department of Paleontology of the UCM and the Institute of Geosciences (UCM and CSIC).

In this study paleontologists have been able to infer that the centre of the Iberian Peninsula witnessed a very arid tropical climate with a high precipitation seasonality. After a brief wet period, the annual dry season could last up to 10 months. "These results confirm the previous inferences on the Savannahs environment of Somosaguas in the Miocene, but placing this habitat at their driest estimated, within the limits between the savanna and the desert", says Menendez.

This study compiled the information of climatic parameters for more than 60 current localities from Africa and Asia, including information of the body size of the mammalian species that inhabit these localities.

"For this purpose, we made a compilation of information on mammalian fauna lists, their body sizes, and climatic parameters for these localities, such as temperatures and precipitation. Based on this data, we developed statistical models suitable for the inference of different climatic parameters in the past", says the UCM researcher.

"We included the information on the 26 mammal species found in the Somosaguas site, which allowed us to infer the environment by comparison with the extant assemblages", she adds.

Somosaguas is a particularly interesting fossil site in the context of paleoecological and paleoclimatic studies because it was located at a turning point during the Miocene. At this time, there was a marked change from warm and relatively humid global conditions to colder and arid environments. This inflection point eventually led to the beginning of the Pleistocene glaciations.

Moreover, the Somosaguas fossil site, due to its location within a university campus, gives to the general public the opportunity to visit it and learn all the details of the investigations that have been carried out from the data collected in the successive excavation campaigns.

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Menendez, I., Gomez Cano, A.R., Garcia Yelo, B.A., Domingo, L., Domingo, M.S., Cantalapiedra, J., Blanco, F. & Hernandez Fernandez, M. (2017) Body-size structure of Central Iberian mammal fauna reveals semidesertic conditions during the middle Miocene Global Cooling Event. PLOS ONE, 12: e0186762. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186762
To date, most empirical evidence on climate change impacts have focused on the agricultural sector. Little is known about the effects on, say, manufacturing in, say, China, which is in many ways "the factory of the world."

In a new paper published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, UC Santa Barbara researchers shows that climate change will dramatically lower output for the Chinese manufacturing sector.

Using detailed production data from a half-million Chinese manufacturing plants in the period 1998-2007, the research team estimated the effects of temperature on firm-level productivity, factor inputs and output. They predict that by the middle of the 21st century, if no additional adaptations occur, climate change will reduce Chinese manufacturing output annually by 12 percent -- equivalent to a loss of nearly $40 billion in 2007 dollars.

With the Chinese manufacturing sector producing 32 percent of national gross domestic product (GDP), this effect is equivalent to a 4 percent drop in overall Chinese GDP annually. Further, given that China's manufacturing sector supplies 12 percent of global imports, the worldwide economic consequences may be substantial.

"Previous work has largely focused on how climate change may affect economic activity by lowering the productivity of workers," said co-author Kyle Meng, an assistant professor of environmental economics in UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and the Department of Economics. "It is well documented that when it's hot, people work less productively."

The new paper, written with Olivier Deschenes, a professor of economics at UCSB, Peng Zhang of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (and a former Ph.D. student at UCSB) and Junjie Zhang of Duke Kunshan University in China, points to the effects of temperature on the productivity of capital as well. That is, increasing temperatures not only make workers less productive, they also make machines operate less well.

"In one particularly striking result, we separately examine temperature sensitivity between low- and high-tech industries in China," Deschenes said. High-tech industries include those that produce medical supplies, aerospace equipment and computer equipment. "We typically think of these sectors as being capital intensive with indoor production facilities that tend to operate with air conditioning," Deschenes continued. "We find that these industries are just as sensitive to extreme temperature as low-tech industries."

According to Meng, the results suggest that if we are to reduce climate losses on manufacturing output, adaptation measures should not focus solely on reducing the sensitivity of workers to extreme heat, but also that of factory machines.

"More broadly, our paper introduces a new cost of climate change that hasn't been documented before," he said. "China is already doing a lot to reduce its emissions. These existing policies were put into place even without this new evidence on manufacturing sector losses. Given the importance of manufacturing for China, we hope our findings will help lead to more stringent Chinese climate policy."

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It's not just our eyes that play tricks on us, but our ears. That's the finding of a landmark Australian-Italian collaboration that provides new evidence that oscillations, or 'strobes', are a general feature of human perception.

While our conscious experience appears to be continuous, the University of Sydney and Italian universities study suggests that perception and attention are intrinsically rhythmic in nature.

This has profound implications for our understanding of human behaviour, how we interact with environment and make decisions.

A paper published today in Current Biology provides the important new evidence for the cyclical nature of perception.

The key findings are:

1. auditory perception oscillates over time and peak perception alternates between the ears - which is important for locating events in the environment;

2. auditory decision-making also oscillates; and

3. oscillations are a general feature of perception, not specific to vision.

The work is the result of an Italian-Australian collaboration, involving Professor David Alais, Johahn Leung and Tam Ho of the schools of Psychology and Medical Science, University of Sydney; Professor David Burr from the Department of Neuroscience, University of Florence; and Professor Maria Concetta Morrone of the Department of Translational Medicine, University of Pisa.

With a simple experiment, they showed that sensitivity for detecting weak sounds is not constant, but fluctuates rhythmically over time.

It has been known for some years that our sight perception is cyclical but this is the first time it has been demonstrated that hearing is as well.

"These findings that auditory perception also goes through peaks and troughs supports the theory that perception is not passive but in fact our understanding of the world goes through cycles," said Professor Alais from the University of Sydney.

"We have suspected for some time that the senses are not constant but are processed via cyclical, or rhythmic functions; these findings lend new weight to that theory."

These auditory cycles happen at the rate of about six per second. This may seem fast, but not in neuroscience, given that brain oscillations can occur at up to 100 times per second.

"These findings are important as humans make decisions at the rate of about one-sixth of a second, which is in line with these auditory oscillations," said Professor Alais.

The study found a variation of oscillation between the two ears, first one ear is at peak sensitivity, then the other. The oscillation is so fast that we are normally unaware of it, but can be revealed in experiments using very fine-grained timing.

Why should the brain sample information in this cyclic fashion? Theories abound, but one popular idea - favoured by the authors of this study - is that it reflects the action of attention which appears to sample neural activity in rapid bursts.

The scientists are next focusing their attention on perceptions of touch and how this might make use of neural oscillations as part of a goal of characterising perception in general over all the senses.

"The brain is such a complex 'machine' one could say - it is a testament to science that we are starting to make sense of it - but a takeaway could be that there is so much we don't know," Professor Alais concludes.

"A decade ago, no one would have thought that perception is constantly strobing - flickering like an old silent movie

For the moment, this research shows one thing very clearly: our sensory perception of the world is fundamentally oscillatory, like a strobing light or a wave waxing and waning.

The strobing brain - how it works:

When we peruse a scene, not all parts are equally important: some receive more attention than others and are prioritised in processing. This is an effective strategy, concentrating limited cognitive resources on specific items of interest, rather than diluting resources over the entire space.

Similarly, oscillating attention would produce an analogous result over time, with resources concentrated into small temporal epochs instead of being sustained in a uniform but thin allocation.

This strobing approach to attention would bind together relevant information at regular time points and allow new groupings of information to reassemble at other moments.

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(Nov. 17, 2017) - Educational psychology researchers from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have received a grant for more than $147,000 from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs for a new program that integrates educational psychology and deaf education.

In partnership with UT Health San Antonio, the Deaf Education and Educational Psychology (DEEP) Learning in Texas Project is a five-year program that will be used to train 12 new school psychologists that specialize in deaf education, and 27 teachers of the deaf in how to apply principles of educational psychology in their work with children.

"Both school psychology and deaf education have documented shortages over recent years, but there are even fewer professionals who possess competencies in both deaf education and school psychology," said Felicia Castro-Villarreal, associate professor in the UTSA Department of Educational Psychology and co-principal investigator of the grant. "The DEEP project seeks to address this professional need and also increase teacher quality by preparing teachers of the deaf and school psychologists who will provide effective, high-quality instruction and related services to children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families."

Graduate students who participate in the project will complete cooperative course work in educational psychology and deaf education and hearing science at both UTSA and UT Health San Antonio. This course work will include hands-on, practical experiences through internships in deaf education settings.

"A collaborative and interdisciplinary grant of this nature affords students the training from experts across disciplines as well as a varied and well-rounded perspective that only collaborative systems can develop," said Castro-Villarreal. "Graduate students will learn how to work with students, families, schools and systems of those who are deaf and hard of hearing. This represents a population of students with special needs who typically receive little attention in school psychology training programs."

Through the DEEP project, the graduate students will also receive a tuition reimbursement and stipends for their participation. Upon completion of the program, the UTSA students will graduate with their master of arts in school psychology with a specialization in deaf education.

"This grant is one of several awarded to the department faculty this year and very much reflects our commitment to seeking external funding to support innovative projects that will have direct and immediate impacts on our students and the community," said Jeremy Sullivan, chair of the UTSA Department of Educational Psychology and principal investigator of the DEEP grant.

Faculty in the department will begin admitting their first fully-funded cohort of students through the DEEP grant in the fall of 2019.

"It's an amazing achievement to have been awarded this grant with UT Health San Antonio for its impact on the community, our students and our respective programs," said Castro-Villarreal. "Our students will receive learning opportunities that many school psychology students simply don't have."

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JACKSON, Tenn. - Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, could help farmers determine if their crop is growing satisfactorily, according to a recent study conducted by University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture researchers.

The study evaluated the ability of a UAS to accurately and precisely determine plant populations of cotton. Producers routinely assess plant populations early in the growing season to determine the state of their crop - and what management decisions are needed to ensure an optimal harvest. This is most often done by counting the number of plants within a selected distance and repeating those counts in different locations throughout the field to find an average.

"This traditional approach is reliant upon a highly uniform plant population across the entire field and can be influenced by human bias," says Shawn Butler, graduate student in the University of Tennessee College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. "Theoretically, an aerial approach could provide spatially dense information on plant populations across large areas quickly and remove human bias."

For two years, researchers assessed plant stands of emerging cotton through manual counting and through images obtained from both digital and multi-spectral cameras mounted beneath a quad-copter. The quad-copter was flown at varying altitudes ranging from 30 to 120 meters.

Of the two camera systems analyzed, the images produced from the multi-spectral camera proved to be more accurate in estimating plant populations, with a greater than 93 percent accuracy. However, researchers say the red, green, blue (RGB) images produced by the less-expensive digital camera still looked promising, with a greater than 85 percent accuracy using current methods and scripted programming.

"Based on initial results, the aerial imagery provided by either RGB or multi-spectral sensors may be a sufficient tool to improve accuracy and efficiency of plant stand assessment," says Butler. "The most impactful difference to the end user in deciding a method to use will be the cost between the two camera systems."

"Crop monitoring is a big obstacle for many producers," says Tyson Raper, project leader and assistant professor with the UT Department of Plant Sciences. "We want to continue to evaluate tools and methodologies that have the potential to help farmers overcome monitoring challenges, improve response time and increase profitability."

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Butler presented this research at the 2017 International ASA, CSSA and SSSA Annual Meeting, "Managing Global Resources for a Secure Future," held in Tampa, Florida. The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America hosted the meeting.

The study was conducted at three locations - the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson and the UT AgResearch and Education centers at Milan and Ames Plantation. Other project team members include Mike Buschermohle, Interim Assistant Dean of UT Extension. Cotton Incorporated provided partial support for this project.

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.
DETROIT - A new study published today - World Prematurity Day - in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology provides additional support for treatment with vaginal progesterone to reduce the risk of preterm birth, neonatal complications and infant death in pregnant women with a short cervix. A shortened cervix is the most powerful predictor of preterm birth.

A meta-analysis of individual patient data by researchers at the Perinatology Research Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Detroit Medical Center, further validates the use of vaginal progesterone to decrease the risk of preterm birth and improve perinatal outcomes in women with a single pregnancy found via sonography to have a short cervix. Vaginal progesterone therapy to reduce preterm birth was developed at the PRB in 2011.

The findings are welcome news in the fight against preterm birth, the leading cause of death in children younger than 5. The March of Dimes annual report on preterm birth for 2017 indicates that the rate of preterm birth in the United States climbed for the second consecutive year in 2016 after nearly a decade of decline.

The 2017 March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card provides preterm birth rates and grades for all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, based on birth data from the National Center for Health Statistics. The latest report card puts the national preterm birth rate at 9.8 percent (a C grade), an increase from the rate of 9.6 percent in 2015. Preterm birth rates worsened in 43 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Only four states received an A grade. Michigan, with its 10.1 percent rate, ranked worse than 26 states and received a C grade.

Among the 100 U.S. cities with the greatest number of births in 2015, Detroit had the second highest rate of preterm delivery with 13.9 percent. Only Cleveland, Ohio, had a higher rate of preterm birth with 14.9 percent. Both cities earned an F grade from the March of Dimes.

Births occurring before the 37th week of pregnancy are considered preterm. In preparation for birth, the cervix (lower part of the uterus) thins and shortens during pregnancy. In some women, the cervix shortens prematurely. The natural hormone progesterone, inserted in the vagina either as a gel or tablet, has been associated with a reduction of the risk for preterm birth associated with a short cervix in multiple studies conducted by National Institutes of Health and WSU investigators.

To confirm progesterone's effectiveness, the researchers investigated randomized controlled studies that compared women who received vaginal progesterone with those who received a placebo or no treatment for a single birth and a mid-trimester sonographic cervical length of less than 25 mm.

The study examined data from 974 women (498 assigned to vaginal progesterone and 476 assigned to placebo) who participated in one of five trials. The use of progesterone was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of preterm birth at less than 33 weeks gestation. Progesterone use also significantly decreased the risk of preterm birth from less than 36 weeks to 28 weeks gestation. Women who used progesterone delivered closer to their due date than did women supplied with placebos.

The use of progesterone also significantly decreased the rate of respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal death, low birthweight and admission to neonatal intensive care units for newborns with no deleterious effects on childhood neurodevelopment.

"This study addresses a controversy that emerged after the publication of another study in February 2016. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth from less than 28 weeks to less than 26 weeks in women with a sonographic short cervix. Moreover, vaginal progesterone reduces admission to NICU, respiratory distress syndrome and composite neonatal morbidity," said Roberto Romero, M.D., chief of the PRB and professor of Molecular Obstetrics and Genetics for the Wayne State University School of Medicine, lead author of the study. "Our results, coupled with those of cross-effectiveness research and implementation research, shows that universal cervical screening of the uterine cervix with the administration of vaginal progesterone is cost-effective and can be implemented in the real world."

An estimated 15 million babies are born preterm worldwide annually. Preterm birth and its attendant complications are responsible for nearly 1 million deaths each year. Complications of preterm birth are the leading cause of child mortality. Infants who do survive run the risk of further complications, including acute respiratory, gastrointestinal, infectious, central nervous system, hearing and vision problems, as well as long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy.

More than 380,000 babies are born preterm in the U.S. each year, according to the March of Dimes. With the recent increase in the percentage of preterm births in the nation, 8,000 more babies were born prematurely in 2016.

The economic impact of premature birth in the U.S. is more than $26 billion annually, according to the March of Dimes. This underscores the importance of addressing preterm birth on Nov. 17, World Prematurity Day.

The study's authors, including Sonia Hassan, M.D., associate dean for Maternal, Perinatal and Child Health and professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology for WSU, and director of the Center for Advanced Obstetrical Care and Research for the Perinatology Research Branch, have recommended universal transvaginal cervical length screening at 18 to 24 weeks gestation and administration of vaginal progesterone for women found to have a short cervix.

"This study confirms what we've previously shown - vaginal progesterone is a critical treatment for women and babies at high risk for preterm birth," said Dr. Hassan, who published the initial findings of the beneficial effects of vaginal progesterone on preterm birth. "This treatment is of particular importance to the pregnant women of Detroit and the State of Michigan."

"This study addresses a controversy that emerged after the publication of another study in February 2016. Our IPD meta-analysis demonstrates that vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth from less than 28 weeks to less than 26 weeks in women with a sonographic short cervix. Moreover, vaginal progesterone reduces admission to NICU, RDS and composite neonatal morbidity. Our results coupled with those of cross-effectiveness research and implementation research, shows that universal cervical screening of the uterine cervix with the administration of vaginal progesterone is cost-effective and can be implemented in the real world."

###

About Wayne State University School of Medicine

Founded in 1868, the Wayne State University School of Medicine educates more than 1,000 medical students annually in Midtown Detroit. In addition to undergraduate medical education, the school offers master's degree, Ph.D. and M.D.-Ph.D. programs in 14 areas of basic science to about 400 students annually. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @waynemedicine | Facebook/WayneStateMedSchool Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 27,000 students.
New Life Church to hold

'Following Jesus' class

CHARLESTON -- New Life Church plans to hold its "Following Jesus" class for November at 2 p.m. Saturday in the upstairs meeting area at County Market.

Community members are invited to join the church in discussing the essentials of Christianity, such as prayer, worship, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, and more.

Additional information is available by visiting www.newlifesullivan.org, calling 217-728-4200 or emailing liz@newlifesullivan.org.

Our Women's Ministry

to meet for breakfast

SULLIVAN -- Our Womens Ministry is scheduled to meet for breakfast and coffee from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month at the Red Apple Family Restaurant, 1402 S. Hamilton St.

Our Women's Ministry reports that this is a time to have fun, drink coffee, and enjoy fellowship together. All women are invited, young or old. For more information, call 217-728-7855 or email office@sullivanchog.org.

Baptism Sunday to be held

SULLIVAN -- New Life Church plans to offer baptisms at the end of its 10 a.m. Sunday service.

New Life reports that water baptism is not just a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ, but it's also a spiritual operation that separates one from their old life.

For those who would like to be baptized Sunday, there will be teams available to assist at the back of the sanctuary. New Life is located at 1504 Cooks Mill Road. Call 217-728-4200 or email liz@newlifesullivan.org for more information.

Family Worship Center

celebrating 6 years of ministry

MATTOON -- Community members are invited to join the Mattoon Family Worship Center on Sunday as they celebrate six years of ministry in the community.

Violinist Marty Spriggle from Elkhart, Ind. will join the center's Worship Band, followed by a message from Pastor Brad Brown.

The celebration service starts at 10 a.m. and everyone is welcome. The church is located at 5475 Lerna Road. For more information, contact Marsha Figgins at 217-246-4035 or mafiggins@eiu.edu.

New Life Church to hold

children's crayon party

SULLIVAN -- The children at New Life Church have been studying about the colorful life of David, and they plan to celebrate what they've learned during an event from 10 to 11:13 a.m. Sunday.

Children from ages preschool to fifth grade can join them for games, songs, snacks, and prizes. New Life is located at 1504 Cooks Mill Road, Sullivan. More information is available via 217-728-4200 or liz@newlifesullivan.org.

Next Step Class to be held

SULLIVAN -- Community members are invited to attend a Next Step class at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at New Life Church in Sullivan to learn about the church's vision, values, and classes.

Participants can meet with Pastor Dave in the Blue Room after the service for the 30-minute class and a free drink from the cafe. New Life Church is located at 1504 Cooks Mill Road in Sullivan. More information is available via www.newlifesullivan.org, 217-728-4200, or liz@newlifesullivan.org.

Water baptism class to be held

SULLIVAN -- The Vineyard Church will offer water baptisms on 8:45 a.m. Sunday.

Those who are ready to take this next step can attend a class at the Vineyard, located at 1805 S. Hamilton. Visit www.thevineyardchurch.us/ or call 217-728-4574 for more information.

Arthur United Methodist

to dedicate new building

ARTHUR -- From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, the bishop is scheduled to visit the Arthur United Methodist Church.

There will be worship services at 8 and 10 a.m. Following the 10 a.m. service, a dedication dervice will be held for the church's new addition. The church then plans to hold a potluck to welcome the bishop and to present him with check for UMCOR.

Arthur United Methodist is located at 128 E. Illinois St., Arthur. More information is available via www.arthurunitedmethodist.org/, 217-543-3159, or aumchurch@consolidated.net

Walnut Grove church

to hold Moms Group

ARCOLA -- Walnut Grove Christian Church, 12930 E. County Road 1700N, plans to host a Moms Group at 9 a.m. each Monday.

Child care is provided for this scripture-based book and video study. More details are available at www.walnutgrovecc.org, 217-856-2155, or office@walnutgrovecc.org.

Central Community Church

to hold 'Be Aware' class

MATTOON -- A "Be Aware" class will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Central Community Church.

This is a class by Lt. Lisa White and Melissa M. Harden. Both of these ladies are passionate about sharing what they know from experience and training to keep themselves out of harm's way.

The class' organizers report that on too many times, people are caught off guard because they are distracted. They advised that people must be aware of their surroundings and know how to get to safety before a situation turns bad.

Central Community Church is located at 200 Lafayette Ave. East in Mattoon. More information is available via www.mattooncentralcommunity.org/, 217-235-0535, or jill@mattooncentralcommunity.org.

New Life offering

'Soup & Testimonies'

SULLIVAN -- New Life Christian Church reports that one of the most powerful things people can do as followers of Jesus is share stories, such as how has God answered their prayers, healed them, or spoken to them.

New Life plans to hold "Soup & Testimonies," a night full of soup and stories, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. All food is free, and donations are accepted.

Children's church and a teen program will be offered that night. New Life Church is located at 1504 Cooks Mill Road, in Sullivan. More information is available via www.newlifesullivan.org, 217-728-4200, and liz@newlifesullivan.org.

Cumberland County

Thanksgiving dinner set

TOLEDO -- Community members are invited to have Thanksgiving dinner at the Toledo Christian Church, 501 S. Maryland in Toledo, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Thanksgiving day.

This community dinner is sponsored by local churches, businesses, and individuals of Cumberland County. Those who would like to help can send donations to Toledo Christian Church, Box 366, Toledo IL 62468, memo "Thanksgiving meal."

They will be serving a traditional meal with all the trimming. Volunteers are welcome. More information is available via www.toledochristianchurch.org or 217-849-3187.

Community Thanksgiving

dinner set in Charleston

CHARLESTON -- Salisbury Church will partner with the Villas of Holly Brook to provide a free community Thanksgiving meal from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Thanksgiving Day.

The menu consists of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, noodles, corn, and pumpkin pie. Reservations or home deliveries can be arranged by calling 217-208-7340 or 217-512-3082 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Villas of Holly Brook is located at 738 N. 18th St., Charleston.

Christian Science Society

to hold Thanksgiving service
Thursday, November 16, 2017

PR Genome Webinar: December 5, 2017

Webinar Overview

2017 was the year of AI. Suddenly, it seems like every marketer has an artificial intelligence strategy, every tech company is pitching its AI capabilities, and every agency is boasting about its AI capabilities. Lets get real though. How are AI and machine learning impacting the communications field? How are PR professionals using it, and what applications of it will be most relevant over the course of the decade? How will it change media relations, and how wont it? Will AI be used to craft releases, create pitch strategies, generate content, and even serve as your next boss? These panelists will give a sense of whats really coming in 2018 and beyond.

Moderator

David Berkowitz David Berkowitz

Chief Strategy Officer

Sysomos

David Berkowitz is the chief strategy officer of Sysomos, the insights-driven social platform. His previous roles include serving as chief marketing officer at Publicis Groupe agency MRY and vice president of emerging media at Dentsu agency 360i. Mr. Berkowitz has contributed more than 500 columns to outlets such as Advertising Age, MediaPost, and VentureBeat, and he has penned his Serial Marketer blog since 2005. He has spoken at more than 300 events globally. | Follow David:

Panel

Rowan Benecke Rowan Benecke

Global Chair, Worldwide Technology Practice

Burson-Marsteller

Rowan Benecke is the Chair of Burson-Marstellers Global Technology Practice. As a member of Burson-Marstellers global executive leadership team, Rowan is responsible for the overall strategic direction, business management, client relations and team development of the agencys Technology Practice across dozens of offices in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Rowan specializes in partnering with senior executive teams to tell compelling stories about their brands, customers and products within the context of technology trends and issues that drive global business. He has more than 20 years of experience developing award-winning strategic communications programs for consumer and technology brands in the United States, Asia and Europe.

Rowan has managed communications campaigns for a broad range of established and emerging brands around the world. His current client work includes leading Burson-Marstellers global relationships with Avaya, Huawei, Intel, Oracle and Zebra Technologies.

Rowan previously held executive management roles in North America, EMEA and APAC with other leading global agencies while living in New York, Madrid, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Sydney, Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago. Rowan is now based in New York City. | Follow Rowan: @rowanbenecke

Allyson Hugley

President, Measurement and Analytics Practice

Weber Shandwick

Allyson Hugley is the President of Weber Shandwicks Measurement and Analytics Practice. Her responsibilities include leading measurement and analytics work across the global network, spearheading agency thought-leadership in this area and providing analytics and insights counsel to the agencys top global accounts. Allyson is a frequent speaker at PR industry conferences, as well as being a guest lecturer at New York University and The City College of New York on the topic of PR measurement and analytics.

Since joining Weber Shandwick in 2011, she has led analytics and program evaluation projects for clients across a variety of sectors including financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and materials, government, telecommunications, and consumer packaged goods. She has also developed award-winning communications research and evaluation programs.

Allyson is a member of the Market Research Council (MRC) and the former co-Chair for the North American chapter of the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communications (AMEC). She has also served on AMECs board of directors. The Network Journal recognized Allyson among the 25 most influential black women in business for 2015. This year, she was also recognized by PR News as one of the Top Women in PR and inducted into their PR Measurement Hall of Fame. In 2012, she was listed among PRWeeks Top 40 under 40. That same year, she received an honorable mention for PR News Measurement Person of the Year.

Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Allyson was the Senior Vice President of Insight Creation at MSLGROUP and before that a research manager at Scholastic. She started her career at RoperASW (now GfK), where she was a senior research director responsible for consumer intelligence, corporate communications, message effectiveness and audience measurement research. | Follow Allyson:

Scott Varland

SVP, Marketing Innovation

M Booth

Scott came to M Booth with more than 15 years of experience developing branded marketing and building experiences to span the web, mobile and emerging platforms. He has created award winning campaigns and products for clients including MillerCoors, Kia, LOreal, Sony, Red Bull and HBO.

As SVP Marketing Innovation, Scott is responsible for guiding clients from strategy to execution across an ever expanding set of consumer touch-points. Prior to joining M Booth, Scott led the Creative Technology teams at IPG Media Lab and Ansible Worldwide, two special business units within IPG Mediabrands. He also co-founded Socialbomb, a venture-backed product development studio focused on mobile, social and second screen applications and experiences. Socialbomb was first to market with a Facebook integrated photo sharing application for iPhone, and went on to build products and web applications for dozens of clients ranging from TV networks and CPG brands to the U.S. government. In May of 2013, Socialbomb was acquired by Refinery29, a media and lifestyle brand. | Follow Scott:

REGISTER
From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Friday, November 17, 2017

Libby Smith and Levi Roth. We are both Project Managers at the Applied Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. We recently wrapped up work on the largest project of our professional lives. The INTERFACE Project included all 16 Wisconsin Technical Colleges and as you can guess each college had a diverse project team with different communication needs. This 4-year grant required constant communication with project teams on a variety of levels whether it was communicating data requirements, project updates, documentation requests, etc. We learned a lot about effective communication with a large stakeholder community and we want to share some hot tips we have learned with you!

Hot Tips:

Webinars and Conference Calls are your friends. With stakeholders in every corner of the state, holding regular meetings virtually was critical to ensuring everyone was on the same page. We met twice yearly face-to-face, but taking the time to communicate information in-person via webinars and conference calls helped build relationships and ensured everyone had an opportunity to ask questions about complicated data gathering guidelines. This way we could answer the question for the entire group in a concise manner, plus we were able to record and archive our conversations.

With stakeholders in every corner of the state, holding regular meetings virtually was critical to ensuring everyone was on the same page. We met twice yearly face-to-face, but taking the time to communicate information in-person via webinars and conference calls helped build relationships and ensured everyone had an opportunity to ask questions about complicated data gathering guidelines. This way we could answer the question for the entire group in a concise manner, plus we were able to record and archive our conversations. FAQs and standardized templates are powerful tools. We quickly realized how important it was to create a standardized way of doing things that is adopted by everyone involved. When working with a variety of stakeholders they may be reporting the same information but collecting it in different ways. Templates were a necessity and FAQs cleared up questions quickly. You help alleviate confusion with a common document that helps walk through questions or issues without filling up your email inbox.

We quickly realized how important it was to create a standardized way of doing things that is adopted by everyone involved. When working with a variety of stakeholders they may be reporting the same information but collecting it in different ways. Templates were a necessity and FAQs cleared up questions quickly. You help alleviate confusion with a common document that helps walk through questions or issues without filling up your email inbox. Build relationships with your clients. This idea may seem obvious, but in our busy schedules can often be overlooked. In conjunction with our regularly scheduled webinars and conference calls, we made it a priority to also meet with our stakeholders at their college twice a year. We felt like these meetings were so crucial to building and maintaining healthy client relationships over the course of the project. It improved buy-in and commitment. Your clients might also begin to view your webinars and conference calls as welcomed constructive conversations instead of nuisances. These are just a few hot tips we wanted to share to help improve others client communications or at the very least, have you start thinking about the level of effective communication you have with your clients. Let us know if you have any additional hot tips for effective communication!

The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Milwaukee Evaluation! Week with our colleagues in the Wisconsin statewide AEA Affiliate. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our Milwaukee Evaluation! members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the

About AEA The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association and the largest in its field. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products and organizations to improve their effectiveness. AEAs mission is to improve evaluation practices and methods worldwide, to increase evaluation use, promote evaluation as a profession and support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and knowledge about effective human action. For more information about AEA, visit www.eval.org. Hello! We areand. We are both Project Managers at the Applied Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. We recently wrapped up work on the largest project of our professional lives. The INTERFACE Project included all 16 Wisconsin Technical Colleges and as you can guess each college had a diverse project team with different communication needs. This 4-year grant required constant communication with project teams on a variety of levels whether it was communicating data requirements, project updates, documentation requests, etc. We learned a lot about effective communication with a large stakeholder community and we want to share some hot tips we have learned with you!These are just a few hot tips we wanted to share to help improve others client communications or at the very least, have you start thinking about the level of effective communication you have with your clients. Let us know if you have any additional hot tips for effective communication!The American Evaluation Association is celebrating with our colleagues in theThe contributions all this week to aea365 come from our members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.


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Official figures show there is a record number of EU workers in the UK but farmers are still short of seasonal workers, the NFU has warned.

The NFU has sent a letter to The Times in response to its recent article on government figures which show a record number of EU workers in the UK.

Its front page story on 16 November, Record number of EU workers in Britain despite Brexit vote, refers to a report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which shows the number of EU citizens working in the UK has risen to a record high, despite last years referendum.

It wrote that despite fears of a so-called "Brexodus", 2.37 million migrants from EU states were employed between July and September, an increase of 112,000 on the same period last year.

After an initial drop in the three months after the vote in June 2016, the number of EU citizens employed has risen in every quarter this year.

The article says the figures show a different side to the story compared to news of food being left to rot in the fields due to lack of EU migrant labour.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) explained that that fruit and vegetables were being left to rot because of a shortage of seasonal workers, suggesting that more were needed for unskilled roles.

Alp Mehmet, vice-chairman of campaign group Migration Watch UK, said the figures "show that predictions of a Brexodus are nonsense".

Much of the increase has been down to more Romanians and Bulgarians working in the UK.

Seasonal workers

But in her letter to The Times, NFU Deputy President Minette Batters said that the industry still faces a "significant challenge" in finding reliable workers to work on British farms, despite EU citizens working in the UK at record highs.

"The ONS data on EU citizens that your article refers to on the front page... doesnt account for seasonal workers that come to the UK for less than 12 months  these make up the majority of the workforce," Ms Batters said.

"This is where fruit, veg and flowers growers in particular are already experiencing real difficulty. Our latest survey of recruiters in this area shows a worker shortage of 29% in September, raising the average shortfall for the year to 11%.

"The British farming sector needs commitments from Government that, where needed, there will be sufficient numbers of permanent and seasonal workers from outside the UK in the run up to the UK leaving the EU and beyond."

Indeed, farms were nearly a third short of workers in September, a 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.

The NFUs labour providers survey reveals that there was a 29% shortfall in seasonal workers for horticulture businesses in September, raising the average shortfall for the year to 11%.

The survey also shows that the number of returning workers to farms, a critical source of the workforce, fell to 16%, its lowest level all year. The returnee rate had been as high as 65% in January.
CHARLESTON -- A psychiatrist now has the records needed to complete a mental health evaluation for the teenage boy accused of shooting a fellow Mattoon High School student at school on Sept. 20.

A hearing was held Friday morning in Coles County Circuit Court to address subpoenas for records regarding the accused teenager, Josiah Lyons. Psychiatrist Lawrence Jeckel had requested these records for his mental health evaluation of Lyons. The evaluation will address the possibility of insanity at the time of the incident, whether the boy is a risk to himself or others, and if he is able to understand and help with his case.

Now that these records have been made available to Jeckel via court order, the hearing for Lyons has been continued to Jan. 11 to give the psychiatrist time to complete his evaluation. State's Attorney Brian Bower and Lyons' attorney, Ed Piraino of Champaign, agreed to this court date on Friday during a hearing before Circuit Judge Matt Sullivan, who is presiding over the case.

Piraino told the judge that he has received a hard drive containing police reports about the shooting and that he still needs to go through these reports in advance of the Jan. 11 hearing. Mattoon police officers completed more than 200 interviews with MHS students, staff and others as part of these reports.

Lyons, 14, was an MHS freshman at the time of the Sept. 20 shooting in the school's cafeteria. Another boy, who reportedly was not the actual target, was shot during the incident before the shooter was subdued, according to authorities' accounts. The boy was hit in the upper chest, but accounts indicate that he is recovering from his wounds.

In juvenile court, Lyons is charged with aggravated battery with a firearm. It's a felony offense that could lead to his being held in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice until the age of 21. On Friday, Lyons appeared in court while in custody of a juvenile detention facility. He was returned to this facility following the hearing.

According to information presented during a previous hearing and from authorities, Lyons allegedly started to aim the gun at a girl but MHS teacher Angie McQueen grabbed him by the arm and the shot hit the other student instead. More shots were fired into the cafeteria's ceiling before McQueen and Mattoon police school resource officer Kasey Alexander subdued the boy, according to the accounts.

Some sources have indicated that bullying might have been the motivation for the shooting, but authorities have not released information regarding any possible motive. Authorities have not said how the boy was able to bring the gun inside the school.

The suspect is a juvenile, but the JG-TC has opted at this time to use his name, as his identity has been widely disseminated and already made public.
Farmers have seen greater variability in winter wheat yields over the past decade than they did in the previous five years, according to new analysis.

Strutt & Parker, which tracks crop performance through its annual harvest survey, has identified that while average winter wheat yields have slowly climbed since its survey began 19 years ago, growers are now seeing a wider range in yields from year to year.

Up until 2008, yields were relatively consistent year on year, but afterwards the variability has increased.

Whilst the low of 2012 and the highs of 2014 and 2015 are a lot to do with the fortunes of rainfall and sunshine, Strutt & Parker's analysis thinks there is another factor at play.

George Badger, farming consultant and agronomist in the Cambridge office, said: Our survey data, which this year covers 58,000ha, is largely gathered from farms in the East of England and the Midlands where blackgrass is an issue.

It is our belief that part of the explanation is a shift to later drilling, as part of a strategy to tackle blackgrass once resistance to contact post-emergence herbicides became more evident from 2010 onwards.

Late drilling is an essential grass weed management tool, but it does result in smaller root structures which leave crops more vulnerable to weather extremes than they were when people could reliably drill in September.

2017 harvest survey results

According to provisional results of the Harvest 2017 survey, the most significant change in crop performance was seen in winter oilseed rape yields which rose 27%, from a disappointing 2.9t/ha in 2016 to 3.7t/ha in 2017.

Part of the reason for the improved yields is that only those crops with good potential were taken through to harvest, said Mr Badger.

In the eastern region, a large area was lost shortly after establishment due to the dry conditions, with Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (CSFB) damage a secondary problem. Our estimate is that about 80% of the crop was lost in Essex at that point.

However, elsewhere CSFB larvae pressure seemed to be lower and the OSR plants benefited from higher June sunshine hours than we saw in 2016. This helped to push yields to 6% above the five-year average.

The overall winter wheat yield for 2017 was 9.1t/ha, which was up 2% on the previous years average of 8.9t/ha.

The increase was largely attributable to the better performance of first wheats which yielded an average of nearly 9.5t/ha, compared to 9.2t/ha in 2016. In contrast, second wheats came under more pressure and averaged 7.8t/ha, compared to nearly 8.8t/ha last year.

'Mixed year'

It was a mixed year for wheat, said Mr Badger. The open autumn in 2016, with rainfall levels in the Cambridge area of only 20mm, compared to the five-year average of 57mm, encouraged growers to drill later.

However, crops did not tiller proficiently during the cooler months and didnt get the duration of growth they needed in the spring to compensate. Lodging was also a problem for many growers, with rains in May and June encouraging late nitrogen uptake and a surge in growth. The wet July and August also hit Hagberg levels and specific weights.

Reflecting the challenging year for spring crops, because of the lack of rainfall in April, spring barley yields were down 7% on last years levels to just under 6.0t/ha. Lodging was an issue in a number of crops, as was brackling, which led to high harvest losses as not all the crop could be picked up.

Spring beans also struggled in the dry conditions with yields averaging 3.8t/ha. For the first time in the history of our survey, winter beans averaged significantly higher than spring beans, said Mr Badger.

The open autumn offered the right sort of establishment conditions for winter beans. In contrast, spring beans struggled to develop decent root structures and high temperatures during flowering also affected pod set.

There was better news for growers of winter barley, who saw yields rise 9% to average 7.3t/ha. This was up on DEFRAs estimate of 7.1t/ha, but below the S&P five-year average.
Farmers from across the country will be in London to celebrate the launch of a new cook book starring them, their produce produce and Great British recipes.

Announced in October, 'Countryside Kitchen: Farm, Food, Fork' includes 77 recipes that use only British seasonal ingredients cultivated by British farmers.

The book will be formally launched in London on Monday (20 November) with several of the wholesome dishes from the book being showcased during the event, which will be held at the London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury.

Front and centre of the event will be those farmers, growers and producers who help grow the food, including the High Priestess of Rhubarb, Janet Oldroyd, who listens to her crops growing in her dark houses, and Alastair Wilson, who claims his salad farm at Rainford on Merseyside is the highest of this type in the country.

Countryside Kitchen, the NFUs first ever recipe book, highlights how ordinary Brits can make the most of great British seasonal produce and find out more about where food comes from.

Countryfile presenter and farmer Adam Henson provides a foreword for the book and encourages everyone to reconnect with British seasonal food.

'Delicious and diverse'

NFU Deputy President Minette Batters will open the launch. She said: British farmers produce some of the most delicious and diverse food in the world, all the while adhering to assured Red Tractor standards.

This logo helps to show shoppers the food they are buying can be traced back to the farms on which it was produced, adhering to some of the highest standards of environmental protection, food safety, hygiene and animal welfare.

The NFUs Countryside Kitchen recipe book can help to reconnect readers with their food and give them an insight into the lives of the farmers who work so hard to put food on our tables.

Food and farming is the bedrock of the UKs largest manufacturing sector, food and drink, an industry that contributes 109 billion to the economy and provides jobs for 3.8 million people. It really is a sector we cant afford to take for granted and this cook book helps to recognise and celebrate food producers and great British food and farming.
Four postgraduate agricultural students from across the UK are receiving a national award from the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust to support their studies.

NFU Mutual Charitable Trusts Centenary Award provides bursaries for 75% of their course fees, and further awards will be available in 2018.

Launched by NFU Mutual to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2010, the annual award scheme provides bursaries of up to 75% of course fees for selected postgraduate students in agriculture.

To date, 33 young people have received help through the award to further their education.

NFU Mutual has provided 250,000 to fund the award programme, which is expected to run until 2020.

The four selected students for 2017 are: Ella Forrest from West Yorkshire: MSc Ruminant Nutrition, Harper Adams University; Callum Weir from Cambridgeshire: MSc Agricultural Economics, University of London; Emma Caudwell from Lincolnshire: MSc Rural Land and Business Management, University of Reading and Joe Collins from Shropshire: MSc Sustainable Crop Production, University of Warwick.

Announcing the recipients for 2017, Richard Percy, NFU Mutual Chairman, said: We recognise the crucial role students in agriculture play in shaping the future of the industry. Our aim for the Centenary Award scheme is to create a long-standing legacy, and demonstrate our commitment to young people and the countryside.

To select the students, the judging panel looked to award individuals who were not only excellent academic performers, but were also passionate about making a difference within the UK agricultural industry.

Mr Percy added: We are delighted to be supporting Emma, Joe, Ella and Callum with their studies, and wish them all the very best for the future.

Centenary Award bursaries will again be available in 2018. Applications for the award next year will be invited from the start of January 2018.
Scotland's sheep sector could be destroyed by a 'hard' Brexit, with average incomes expected to decline by 210 per cent, according to a hard-hitting report.

AHDBs latest Horizon report, which looks at the state of Scottish agriculture under different Brexit scenarios, explained how a hard Brexit could send sheep farmers falling 12,000 into the red.

Launched at Agriscot in Edinburgh on Wednesday (15 November), the report is written in collaboration with Quality Meat Scotland and Scotland's Rural College.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing commented: There is no doubt a hard Brexit would be catastrophic for Scottish farming, particularly our sheep sector. If we lost support like the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme, I fear thousands of hill sheep farmers would cease farming.

Im told that, in a private conversation, the Prime Ministers right-hand-man, Damien Green, said: Scotland wants to go to war over support for the sheep sector.

We are not going that far, but we have told Michel Gove in the strongest of terms how vital it is for support to be maintained, and Ill continue to press him until we get answers. Im not asking for any favours. Im only asking those who promised, during the EU referendum campaign, that no funding would be lost, to keep those promises."

Three scenarios

The AHDB report highlights the risks and opportunities Brexit presents to Scottish food and farming businesses under three scenarios.

This includes the scenario 'evolution', which means farm payments, labour supply and trade agreements remain similar. 'Liberalisation', which means direct payments are removed, Pillar 2 payments increase to 50% of current overall support, regular labour costs increase by 50%, and no UK - EU trade deal.

The third scenario the report states is 'fortress UK', where direct payments are removed, EU markets are limited by tariff, and agri-environment payments are reduced to 25% of current levels.

The worse case scenario for Scottish sheep farmers is under the scenario 'fortress UK', because of an insufficient amount of Pillar 2 funds to make up for the loss of direct support. The sectors main export market will put up barriers to free trade under this scenario.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has described how Scottish farmers are "substantially in the dark" about what happens after Brexit through the "unconscionable" neglect of the UK government.

Ms Sturgeon called on the UK government to make good on its promise to give the devolved administrations a "genuine role" in discussions, saying they had been "cut out" of talks.
New technology and methods are being trialled to deter the UK's largest bird of prey from attacking young livestock.

New techniques to stop white-tailed sea eagles from preying on lambs are being trialled in Argyll and on Skye, in north west Scotland.

Photographs of a sea eagle carrying a new born lamb taken earlier this year reignited the bitter feud between farmers and conservationists over the reintroduction of Britains biggest bird of prey.

Crofters and farmers in the Highlands and Islands have frequently complained that the large birds of prey pose a risk to young livestock.

Hill lambs are an easy target for the bird, and there have been reports of adult sheep and ewe hoggs being attacked.

To deter the predators, there used to be a scheme compensating sheep farmers for any lambs lost due to the attacks.

However, the new techniques being trialled include new technology, including audio or light-based bird scaring devices, which is hoped will prove more successful. Eagle habitats which are situated near areas of sheep are also being felled.

Scottish Natural Heritage is working with other organisations, including Forest Enterprise Scotland, on the trials.

The white-tailed sea eagle went extinct in the UK during the early 20th century, due to illegal killing, and the present population has been reintroduced.
Farmers in the Netherlands have slashed their antibiotic usage by more than 60% since 2007, and British vets are using their experiences to help UK farmers meet their own reduction targets.

In a recent tour of British and Dutch farms, organised by Applied Bacterial Control (ABC)  a firm founded by a group of vets to target antibiotic reduction  farmers learnt about the importance of adopting an holistic approach to support animal health while reducing medicine usage.

In the UK, antibiotic use in farming has reached a record low, following a 27% reduction in the past two years, explained Richard Turner, director at ABC.

But there are further targets to meet in the coming years, and its important to share best practice so farmers and vets can learn from their peers elsewhere in the world.

As part of the tour, farmers visited three poultry farms in the UK, which are using probiotics and natural acids to promote gut health. Faccenda, which owns the farms, starts by treating the chicks in the hatchery with a probiotic gel.

It then treats the water on the farms with natural acids, both to sanitise the water and to create a gut environment that favours beneficial bacteria while inhibiting damaging bacteria.

Finally, it uses a yeast extract to prevent pathogens from attaching to the intestinal wall, with essential oils to support the immune system at times of stress.

'Improved performance'

Over the past 18 months weve reduced our antibiotic use by 70% while also lowering mortality rates, and this system has been a valuable aspect of our improved performance, explained Stewart Newlands, general manager of the broiler division at Faccenda.

We are finishing the birds 100g heavier and half a day earlier. Our pharmacy looks like Holland & Barrett, but it does work.

In the UK, poultry producers are leading the way, having slashed antibiotic usage by 71% between 2012 and 2016.

However, other sectors are further behind, and could learn a lot both from the British poultry sector and livestock producers further afield, said Mr Turner.

As vets, we need to change our mentality, and go back to understanding the science. Its about better biosecurity, identifying and treating sickness earlier, and using everything in the toolkit to support animal health and prevent diseases taking hold.

Dedicated vet

In the Netherlands, ABC visited two pig farms, a calf rearing unit, a feed mill and two natural product manufacturers, exploring how the industry has managed to cut antibiotic use from 565t a year in 2007 to 176t in 2016.

In 2008 we had the highest use of antibiotics in livestock in the EU, explained vet Rick Janssen, president of the European Association of Porcine Health Management. The government introduced a series of reduction targets, and the industry had to work out how to meet them.

The result is that Dutch farms now have to have a dedicated vet, who must visit every four weeks and draw up an annual farm health plan.

In-feed antibiotics and preventative antibiotics are banned, as are certain antibiotics which are critical to human health, such as third and fourth generation cephalosporins.

Group medication can only be prescribed by the vet, and broad-spectrum antibiotics can only be used after laboratory tests, with stringent recording and benchmarking of all medicine use.

However, removing all of this medication could compromise animal welfare, so many farmers and vets have adopted holistic approaches to boost natural health and immunity, said Mr Janssen. Vaccine sales increased by 120% between 2010 and 2016, while veterinary advice sales increased by 23.5%.

'Mindset switch'

Erik Boer, a vet at the Vechtdal practice, said farmers and vets had previously used antibiotics as a kind of insurance.

Its been a mindset switch, improving the environment, water and feed, and looking at other products. The use of garlic and other natural extracts has increased significantly  you can improve the animals immunity and help them to keep eating when they are ill so that they can eliminate the infection more easily.

With scientific understanding of the microbiome improving all the time, its exciting to see the benefits of working with good bacteria to combat disease more naturally, added Mr Turner.

There is no silver bullet to replace antibiotics, but with better farm management and immune support maybe we dont need one. Improved animal health and reduced medicine use is a win-win all round.
Solar must go on rooftops instead of farmland, charity says
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Padmavati controversy : Deepika Padukone gets death threat for insulting sentiments | FilmiBeat

The Maharashtra government is doing a security assessment of actor Deepika Padukone and will also provide security to theatres, if needed, in the wake of protests against Bollywood film Padmavati, Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said.

The film's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has already been provided security, he said.

The minister also said that a communication from Rajput community objecting to the "content" in the upcoming Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie had also been received.

The government is doing a security assessment for actor Padukone, who plays the lead role in the film, he said.

There were reports of threats to the actor from fringe groups amid the controversy over the movie's content.

Organisations like the Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) have been protesting claiming the film distorts history and hurts sentiments.

The SRKS has called for a country-wide bandh on December 1, the day the film is slated to be released.

"We have received a communication from the Rajput community. Different members of the community from various places across the state have put forward their demands. We are ascertaining the steps to be taken. Our first priority is a middle path, that is agreeable to both parties," Patil told PTI.

If mediation doesn't work out, the government will provide security to theatres as per protocol and past precedents, he added.

Asked to comment on the SRKS's reported threats, Patil said the government is assessing the security of the actor.

"We have already provided security to Sanjay Leela Bhansali as he was found to be at risk. Now a security assessment of Deepika Padukone is being done. If she is found to be at risk, adequate steps will be taken. However, nobody's threat can be taken at the face value until the government assesses it," he said.

Padukone had on Tuesday hit out against those protesting the release of Padmavati and reportedly said that "we've regressed as a nation".
Plot

The film opens on a rainy day (Because it's a suspense thriller, dude!). You see a middle-aged woman walking hurriedly on a street. Until kaboom! She's knocked down by a vehicle. Her umbrella flies up in the air and then comes down in slo-mo. That's exactly how you feel when the end credits roll in this film.

But before that, you need to endure almost two hours of repeated mention of the word 'will' and twists that add no meat to the plot. Set in the lush locales of Mauritius, an aging billionaire Dolly Khambatta (Lilette Dubey) asks her financial manager- an investment banker Patrick aka 'Pat' (Gautam Rode) to hire a governess for her. In walks Sheena Roy (Zareen Khan) and our boy already starts having hots for her right from the first glimpse of her legs. Somehow Pat manages to convince Mrs Khambatta to hire Sheena.

Your guess is good as ours. Pat has some ulterior motives. Left with no other choice, Sheena submits to Pat's amorous advances and ends up cheating on her boyfriend Ricky (Abhinav Shukla). But hey, it isn't all black and white here!

Direction

In one of his interviews, director Ananth Mahadevan had termed Aksar 2 as an old-fashioned suspense thriller. Sadly, the film doesn't turn it to be one!

To top it, it's got lines that goes like 'Watch your back...issi pe shahbaasi milti hai aur khanjar bhi" and "Jo the woh chale gaye..jo hain woh bhi chale jayengey". At several junctures, the narrative goes for a complete toss. Too much confusion and chaos prevail in the name of twists in Aksar 2 and Anant Mahadevan's bleak direction add more to the woes.

Performances

Poor Zareen Khan! The girl is simply reduced to wearing tight-fitting outfits for titillation. So there, you have got her dressed in neon pinks that scream disaster. At a point, one of the character in the film suggests 'she needs a makeover' and boy, we couldn't agree more. One point for Ms. Khan for sporting a 'what-the-hell-am-I-doing- here' expression all through the film.

Barring a scene or two, Gautam Rode too falters all over the place. Abhinav Shukla has most of his screen-time devoted to lip-locking and flaunting his chiselled body.

Mohit Madaan has a deadpan look plastered on his face throughout and has only two scenes to let a hint of expression spill out.

You feel sorry for Lilette Dubey as much as for her hideous white wig that's breeze-proof. Did I mention we also have Sreesanth who sleep-walks through most of his role?

Technical Aspects

The only good thing about Aksar 2 is the picturesque location of Mauritius that looks perfect for a vacation. But sadly, these good-looking places can't save the say for the film. One wished that the editing scissors were sharper.

Music

The biggest letdown of Aksar 2 is its forgetable music. The songs lack a recall value unlike the ones from the Emraan Hashmi- Udita Goswami- Dino Morea starrer Aksar which topped the musical charts back then.

Verdict

Towards the climax of the film, one of the characters tell another, "Maybe we could have a happy ending for both of us'. Sadly, that fails to happen with the audience. This one is worth-a-miss!
CHARLESTON -- The Eastern Illinois University Police Department is looking to expand active shooter training beyond the campus to those in the community.

University police equipped to train people through the ALICE program, an active shooter response training program, have been broadening the net of people on campus that are in some way ready for that kind of incident.

More recently, departments and groups in Klehm Hall got to run through the program.

As previously reported, this trainings importance was solidified for university law enforcement with events such as the shooting at Mattoon High School in September or the Sutherland Springs, Texas shooting leaving 25 people dead.

Prior to Sept. 20, people always thought this was going to be somewhere else, but then on Sept. 20, Coles County became somewhere else, UPD Chief Kent Martin said.

Now, he and others in the department have been looking at going further with the Charleston community in mind.

This is important enough that we need to make it available to the public because it is not just school settings where this happens, Martin said.

The way the world is today, you just never know when or where something may happen and this program provides options for what you can do if you find yourself in that situation. We want to get the knowledge out to people who may not have it.

These people include older generations of people that likely did not receive this education through drills when they were elementary and secondary education, said Melanie Burns, Family and Consumer Sciences department chair who went through the program recently. She said many of the staff and faculty are at those ages where different safety procedures were taught if at all.

A lot of people still follow the lockdown mentality of turn off the lights, close the door and be quiet and maybe they won't find us, Martin said.

This model of protection is obsolete and was not even geared to better prepare individuals for mass shootings like those in recent memory. Martin said this model was created for drive-by shootings and not necessarily threats within the building.

For Burns, the knowledge was invaluable and she wanted to take part in the program to rather be safe than sorry.

If the unfortunate does happen, people will have some different ways to react, Martin said. You don't ever want to be exposed to it, obviously, but if you are exposed to it, you don't want that to be the first time any of this has gone through your mind.

Currently, the details including dates and venues are in the works to have sessions for training, however, Martin said he was committed to move. UPD will be collaborating with the CPD on the project when it is fully in place.

Martin said there will likely be a registration-type system put in place to take part in these trainings. Martin said organizations across town have already inquired about getting this training.

Those looking for more information can call the department at 581-3213.
Karthi As Theeran Thirumaran

Karthi portrays the character Theeran, the daring honest cop, in an excellent manner. He definitely has put in a lot of effort to get the physique right and watch out for his expertise in the action sequences. He looks like a real cop in each frame.

He has come out successful in portraying Theeran and thus leaving no shades of the previous cop role that he has done. Undoubtedly, Karthi as Theeran keeps you glued to the seats with his riveting performance.

Rakul Preet Singh As Priya

Rakul Preet Singh gets to play a usual role. In comparison, her character lacks the required depth but at the same time, she has done a good job with her portrayal of Priya.

Rest Of The Cast

Abhimanyu Singh plays the role of the main antagonist and he evokes fear in the minds with his excellent portrayal of the leader of the dacoit group. It is his best outing in Kollywood, so far.

It was nice to see Boss Venkat in a well-written role and he makes the maximum use of it by showcasing a fine performance. The film also features some newcomers in important roles and most of them have done complete justice to their roles.

Script & Direction  H Vinoth

With Theeran Adhigaram Ondru, H Vinoth has once again proved his credibility as a sensible film-maker. The extensive research that he has done for the development of the characters and the storyline is quite evident. The writing requires due credits as he packs the punch with the sequences many a times without the aid of the usual punchlines and mass dialogues.

It is not easy to package an action entertainer in the most convincing way, but with Theeran Adhigaram Ondru H Vinoth has shown the industry that it is definitely possible to come up with such a film. He has made the best use of the technical resources available to deliver a riveting and nail-biting cop story. The film-maker is in complete control of the product and each scene in the film has its own due importance in the main storyline.

Music - Ghibran

Well, songs don't have much importance in the film but at the same time, Ghibran got a big chance to experiment with the re-recording, which he has made the best use of. The BGM of the film gels well with the pace and the mood of the movie.

Other Technicalities

Theeran Adigaram Ondru has rich production values. Sathyan Sooryan has done an excellent job with the camera as he had to cover two different landscapes in the two halves and he has made them look sublime. The editing by Sathyan Suryan is crisp despite the long running time of the movie. A big pat on the back for the action choreography team as they have come up with some real, raw and at the same time, riveting action sequences in the film.
In what could be a tragedy of sorts for the Telugu fraternity's cinema heritage, a major fire mishap occurred on Monday(Nov 13) evening at one of the oldest studios of T-Town, Annapurna Studios which is owned by the Akkineni family. The incident occurred in Banjara hills, Hyderabad.

The fire broke out due to a short circuit which brought down five movie sets including the set of Manam movie, a movie set which is not just a set-up but considered to be monumental with emotional values by King Nagarjuna.

However, the bigger disappointment is for the Mega fans. Megastar Chiranjeevi's upcoming big ticket film, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, was all set to go on floors in the first week of December and a giant set too had been erected in the Annapurna Studios. Due to the fire accident, the complete set needs to be re-erected now, starting from the scratch.

The period based flick now will have to wait for some more time before commencing its principle photography as creating the massive set for the said genre is a tedious and a time consuming task.

Though the producer of the movie, Ram Charan, has nothing much to worry about the financial losses (as the same would be covered by the insurance companies), he might have to wear his thinking hat about the movie's schedule, planning and release as the same gets postponed now.

In another instance, the makers of Prince Mahesh Babu's upcoming flick Bharat Ane Nenu (BAN), are contemplating on a new release date. The makers of the movie had initially planned to get the movie on to screens for the Sankranti occasion.

Since Pawan Kalyan-Trivikram Srinivas's Agnathavasi was already in the race along with ripe rumours about Ram Charan's Rangasthalam 1985 too, in the Sankranti battle though the latter eventually moved to Ugadi slot, the team of BAN pushed the release to April 27th, a summer release.

Now the makers are considering another convenient date as Superstar Rajinikanth's much anticipated 2.0 has now been pushed to April 13. In addition to that, Allu Arjun's Naa Peru Surya too would be releasing in the last week of April.

Producers of Bharat Ane Nenu are very cautious and are trying to avoid clash with any big budget movie as they are not willing to risk it the way the team of Spyder did.

Sources in the industry are at a buzz that the makers are once considering Sankranti occasion or Republic Day weekend in order to play a safe gamble. However, the movie has just completed 50 percent of its principal shooting and needs to toil hard day in and out to meet the expected deadline.
Geospatial imagery company Spookfishhas announced this morning it has been awarded a national contract to provide CIMIC Groupwith imagery across Australia.Terms of the agreement include an initial fee and ongoing subscription fees on a user basis, which will vary in accordance with CIMICs project pipeline, to a maximum potential value of $250,000 per annum.The national contract builds on Spookfishs existing and growing customer base, which includes Western Australian private and government sector organisations.The imaging technology company said the national contract represents further commercial validation of the Spookfish product in a competitive market in addition to the positive financial impact the agreement has on the companys revenue.Spookfish said it was a competitive tender process and expects more national sales opportunities to follow.Shares in Spookfishare trading 4.94 per cent higher to 8.5 cents.
We're not at the end of 2017 quite yet, but it's safe to say that Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A -0.58%) (BRK.B -0.39%) has had a solid year. Warren Buffett's investment vehicle made a number of splashy, value-enhancing moves, and strengthened its already formidable portfolio, this year.

Of course, not every play Buffett and company made was a win, but for the most part Berkshire did very well. Here's a look at the more impressive highlights of its 2017.

Apples and banks and stores

In mid-2016, Berkshire revealed that it had accumulated a sizable stake in Apple. Buffett-watchers were still digesting the famously tech-averse financier's big dive into the sector when he struck again. At the top of this year, Berkshire disclosed that it had nearly tripled its stake in the tech giant.

That move was extraordinarily prescient. This year, Apple has delivered sets of quarterly results that have not only beaten analyst estimates but also established new records for key line items such as quarterly revenue and per-share earnings.

A very impressed market has traded Apple's stock up by 45% since the beginning of the year. This has nicely lifted the value of Berkshire's stake, which according to the company's latest regulatory filing stands at over 130 million shares.

In August, Berkshire pulled the trigger on what was arguably its best deal of 2017, exercising its right to buy a big stake in Bank of America's common stock.

"Big" is an understatement; the warrants Berkshire received as part of a 2011 deal with Bank of America gave it the right to acquire 700 million shares. That gives it almost 7% of the outstanding amount, making Buffett and his gang the monster bank's largest shareholder.

The Bank of America in post-financial crisis 2011 was in a much weaker state than the Bank of America this summer. The 200%-plus share-price improvement over that stretch of time reaped Berkshire an immediate $12 billion gross paper profit.

Elsewhere in the financial sector, Berkshire took on a nearly 17.5 million-share stake worth almost $520 million in Synchrony Financial, the leading provider of retail store credit card products. Many investors are skeptical about the future of retail; Buffett isn't one of them. So far, like many of his bets, this one is paying off. Since the purchase was made public, Synchrony's stock has risen by 12%.

A similar scenario is playing out with Store Capital, a real estate investment trust that specializes in retail sector sale-leasebacks, in which a retailer sells its property to Store Capital, which then leases it back to the retailer. Buffett's faith in retail is paying off in this instance, too; Store Capital's stock is up by 9% since Berkshire's purchase was revealed.

On the divestment side of the equation, it came to light in August that Berkshire had bailed out of longtime holding General Electric. That was one of the company's better sells, as GE's stock price has eroded by 21% from the time Berkshire's sell-off became known.

Good outweighs bad

As mentioned, there were a few clinkers for Berkshire in 2017.

The company suffered a rare setback when its bid to take over privately held utility Oncor Electric Delivery lost out to a richer offer from natural gas utility holding concern Sempra Energy. And earlier in the year Berkshire committed $15 billion to one of its portfolio holdings, Kraft Heinz, to buy European consumer-goods giant Unilever. The target company unceremoniously rejected that bid.

On the whole, though, Berkshire's moves have been smart and beneficial. The proof is in the assets -- at the end of the company's Q4 2016, the total market value of its equity portfolio was $129 billion. In the latest reported quarter, Q2 2017, that number had swelled to $162 billion -- a nearly 26% increase.

It's rare for any investment fund -- for that's what Berkshire essentially is -- to post such a gain over a mere two quarters. It's also extremely challenging for a company with a huge asset base to grow said base at a meaningful rate. Berkshire and Buffett continue to be outperformers, and by and large they can be proud of their performance this year.
Gov. Pete Ricketts on Friday announced that the Nebraska Department of Agriculture has signed letters of intent with nine soybean processing companies in Bulgaria to promote the use of Nebraska-grown soybeans and soybean products in their facilities.

The nine companies want to maximize their output and are looking to source soybeans from Nebraska and other U.S. states. The companies currently use about 2 million metric tons of soybeans per year and have a total production capacity of 2.7 million metric tons.

The signed agreements come after executives and owners of the Bulgarian companies visited Nebraska earlier this year to learn more about soybean production in the state. They visited a soybean farm in Geneva, the Aurora Cooperative, the grain storage and trading operations of Gavilon and Scoular in Omaha, a shipping container/loading facility in Council Bluffs and the ADM soybean processing facility and power plant in Lincoln.
EU Parliament says Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova could be considered for EU membership - GeorgianJournal
US Ambassador does not recognize borders mentioned by de-facto president of occupied Tskhinvali Region - GeorgianJournal
Nebraska would be one of the states hardest hit if the U.S. decides to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement, according to a report released Friday.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released its assessment of which states would feel the biggest negative effects from a NAFTA pullout just as U.S. negotiators were heading back to the bargaining table with their Mexican and Canadian counterparts.

The talks in Mexico City commenced Friday and are expected to last through Tuesday.

President Donald Trump has said he believes NAFTA is "the worst agreement ever negotiated" and is a much better deal for Mexico and Canada than it is for the U.S.

He has sought changes to the deal that many observers have said are unworkable.

Among the most contentious, according to the Bloomberg news service, are increasing the regional content requirement for automobile manufacturing to 85 percent from 62.5 percent, with a 50 percent minimum for U.S. content.

Another contentious U.S. proposal, Bloomberg said, is adding a sunset clause, which would automatically terminate the deal after five years unless the three countries agree to extend it.

Assuming he doesn't get what he wants in a renegotiation, the president has threatened to withdraw from the 23-year-old trade deal.

Experts have agreed that would have negative effects for all three countries, but, according to the chamber, it would hit a dozen states, including Nebraska, much harder than others.

The report projects that 87,000 jobs in the state would be at risk if the agreement is terminated, 10th most among all the states.

"Fully 42 percent of Nebraska exports are destined for customers in Canada and Mexico, generating more than $2.6 billion in export revenue. A large majority of Nebraskas grain and oilseed (93 percent) exports go to Canada and Mexico, and withdrawing from NAFTA would hit this sector hard," the report says.

"Beef, corn, and soybeans are Nebraskas chief agricultural products, and the NAFTA market is critical for each. Nebraska is a top beef exporting state, and Mexico is a critical market. However, withdrawal from NAFTA would lead to an increase in Mexican tariffs on beef from zero to 25 percent, a significant blow for Nebraska ranchers."

The report says Michigan would likely be hit the hardest, with 366,000 jobs at risk.

To see the full report, go to: https://www.uschamber.com/above-the-fold/which-states-would-be-hit-hardest-withdrawing-nafta.
Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime (2017) key specs revealed by GFXBench News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu

Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime (2016) is over one year old and it looks like the company is prepping to launch its successor sometime soon. We say so as a new Samsung smartphone carrying the number SM-G571 has been spotted on the GFXBench benchmarking platform.

The new SM-G571 is expected to be the Galaxy J5 Prime (2017) as the yesteryear model carries the model number SM-G570. According to the leaked GFXBench listing of the upcoming Galaxy J5 Prime, the smartphone is likely to flaunt a 4.8-inch HD 270p display. Under its hood, the device is believed to feature a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos 7570 chipset paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage space.

The benchmark listing also suggests that there will be a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front-facing selfie camera on board the Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime (2017). Both these cameras are believed to feature support for FHD 1080p video recording.

Besides these, it is speculated that the SM-G571 will carry similar specifications as its predecessor in terms. For now, there is no confirmation regarding the launch date of the Galaxy J5 Prime (2017) but it is believed that the smartphone will be unveiled in the coming days or weeks.

Given that Samsung has already announced its flagship smartphones for this year including the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8, it is time for the company to focus on the mid-range smartphones. Eventually, it looks like Samsung is eager to unveil the cheaper lot of phones before it can come up with the Galaxy S9 and S9+ early next year.

In fact, there are several reports revealing the details regarding the upcoming smartphones from Samsung's stable. We saw the leaked renders of the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018). Also, the leaked information regarding these smartphones has tipped that these smartphones might arrive with Infinity Display panels as seen on the current generation flagship models.

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Mozilla launches new Firefox Quantum browser for faster surfing News oi -Chandrika According to Mozilla, Firefox Quantum will allow you to "surf a ton of pages, open a zillion tabs" without a glitch.

A new browser is in town. Mozilla has just launched its latest browser called Firefox Quantum. Built on a completely overhauled core engine, it is over twice as fast as Firefox from 6 months ago.

According to Mozilla, Firefox Quantum will allow you to "surf a ton of pages, open a zillion tabs" without experiencing a glitch as it uses comparatively lesser memory. It is said to be the biggest update Mozilla has released after the Firefox 1.0 back in 2014. If you are interested, you can install it right now to see the improvements over its last version.

While the blog post by Mozilla mentions that Firefox Quantum is fast, there are no definite numbers given. The User Interface (UI) has been redesigned as well. Dubbed as Photon, this new UI aims to modernize and unify anything under Firefox. As suggested by the name, Photon UI is said to be incredibly fast and smooth. What's more, the redesigned UI of Firefox Quantum will look the same regardless of the device you are using.

Additionally, the Pocket integration has moved one step forward as it now includes Pocket recommendations as well as your most visited pages.

The blog post further reveals that in the US and Canada, Google will become the default search provider in Firefox Quantum.

Besides all these, Mozilla has apparently made several performance improvements in the browser's core and shipped a new CSS engine, Stylo, that takes better advantage of today's hardware with multiple cores that are optimized for low power consumption.

Firefox has also been improved so that the tab you're on gets prioritized over all others, making better use of your valuable system resources. Lastly, there are innumerable ways in which you can customize the Firefox toolbar right out of the box. We have embedded the video down below to give you a glimpse of the new browser.

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Ericsson is in talks with Indian telecom for 5G News oi -Priyanka The company said that it has already signed 36 such memoranda of understandings with global telecom operators.

After partnering with India's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel, Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson today said that it is in talks with Indian telecom on the 5G front.

The company said that it has already signed 36 such memoranda of understandings with global telecom operators.

Meanwhile, Ericsson also showcased the first-ever live 5G end-to-end demonstration in the country. The demonstration using Ericsson's 5G test bed and 5G New Radio (NR) delivered a throughput of 5.7 Gbps and ultra-low latency of 3 milliseconds.

According to a latest Ericsson study, 5G technology will enable a $27.3 billion revenue potential for the Indian telecom operators by 2026.

The largest opportunity will be seen in sectors like manufacturing, energy, and utilities followed by public safety and health sectors. This will be over and above the revenue generated from traditional services which are expected to grow up to $63 billion by 2026, the report noted.

"We are strengthening our commitment to the Indian market by pioneering the first live 5G demonstration in the country. The 5G technology showcase has been organized in the direction of creating a robust 5G ecosystem as the government plans to have 5G network rollout by 2020," said Nunzio Mirtillo, Head of Market Area-SE Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson.

"5G is expected to play a major role in digitalization of industries. 5G will bring the new level of performance and characteristics to the telecom networks enabling new services and creating new ecosystems. New revenue streams will open for operators as they go beyond being Connectivity and Infrastructure providers to become service enablers and service creators," said Nitin Bansal, managing director, Ericsson India.

Further, the report stated that agriculture will open-up revenue opportunities up to $ 400 million for telecom operators. The application of 5G will be in areas like field monitoring and mapping, livestock routing and monitoring, on-field applications, and related services.

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Celebrate Nebraska

Celebrate! Nebraska

Finish

Celebrate! Nebraska is the home of happy news!

From birthdays, confirmations and graduations to weddings, anniversaries and retirements, Celebrate! Nebraska is the perfect place to let everyone know about your special announcement.

Published every Sunday in the Lincoln Journal Star.
Dunford: U.S. Military Advantage Over Russia, China Eroding

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2017  The U.S. military advantage against near-peer competitors is eroding, and America must invest in capabilities to ensure deterrence, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts earlier this week.

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford -- an alumnus of the school -- said Russia and China have examined U.S. operations since the Gulf War and invested in capabilities and doctrines to counter America's conventional overmatch.

Two U.S. advantages come to the fore: the network of allies around the world and America's ability to project power around the world, Dunford said.

These are linked capabilities, he explained, citing U.S. intervention in Afghanistan in 2001 as the classic example. The United States was attacked on 9/11 by terrorists operating out of Afghanistan. Within a month, U.S. service members were on the ground taking the fight to al-Qaida -- a move made possible by cooperation from allies and the ability of the American military to move people on a global scale and sustain them once they arrived.

Strategies to Minimize Advantage

Russia and China -- and other nations -- have studied the American way of war and devised capabilities and strategies to minimize this American advantage, the chairman said.

"As an example, if you take the naval alliance in Europe, Russia understands that the transatlantic link is critical for us to meet our NATO commitments," he added.

The "anti-access, area denial" strategy looks to develop systems to limit U.S. ability to move into the region and then to operate freely within the region to meet alliance commitments, Dunford said. "So there's two issues there," he added. "One is actually our ability to meet our alliance commitments. The other is deterrence, which is closely linked to the assurance of our allies."

Today, the United States has a conventional competitive advantage against any potential adversary, the nation's top military officer said. "I also will tell you that in the last 10 or 15 years, that competitive advantage has eroded, and it's no longer as decisive as it was some years ago," Dunford added.

Russia, China and others have concentrated funding and resources in areas such as electronic warfare, cyber capabilities, anti-space capabilities, anti-ship cruise missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles. These systems have "the express purpose of keeping us from projecting power into the Pacific, or into Europe as the case may be, in meeting our alliance commitments," the chairman said.

Russia has absolutely no desire to fight a conventional war with the United States and NATO, Dunford said. "What Russia has done over time now is they've combined political influence, economic coercion, information operations, cyber operations and military posture to advance their interests," he said, referring to the dynamic as "adversarial competition."

This type of conflict has a military dimension, the general said, but it falls short of traditional armed conflict.

"Because of the form of government in Moscow, they're much more  able to combine all elements of national power to advance their interests," he said. "And while we may be inhibited in peacetime from using certain capabilities -- certain cyber capabilities, conducting certain activities, conducting certain information operations and so forth -- they don't share the same restrictions. They're actually conducting activities and employing capabilities that we may associate with war, but they're doing it on a day-to-day basis in the context of this adversarial competition."

The same is true on the other side of the world in the South China Sea, he said.

Effective Deterrence

"I think we do have effective deterrence in the conventional fight against Russia, and frankly see China's methodology in dealing with issues like the South China Sea or in dealing with [terminal high-altitude area defense missiles] in South Korea," he said. "When THAAD was fielded in South Korea, China's response was to put really heavy economic pressure on South Korea. The decision they made -- the costs imposed on South Korea for fielding THAAD -- is billions of dollars. That affects political decision-making."

All of this is not in isolation, the chairman emphasized, noting that this is the most volatile, complex security environment since World War II.

He stressed that all the threats facing the United States are interrelated and that none can be viewed in a vacuum. Terrorist actions in East Africa affect operations in the Middle East and Asia, and drug networks in South and Central America could be used by terrorists to ship people or weapons into the United States, he pointed out. All are aspects that the United States must deal with right now, he said.

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Army Chief: No Reduction of Standards to Meet Recruiting Goals

By C. Todd Lopez Army News Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2017  Despite news to the contrary, the Army will not be recruiting bipolar personnel, the Army's chief of staff said here yesterday, even if those individuals apply for a waiver.

"There has been no change in standards," Gen. Mark A. Milley told reporters at a Defense Writers Group breakfast. "The Army hasn't reduced standards or changed standards."

What has changed, Milley said, is where decisions on waivers are made. In 2009, the Army pulled approval authority out of the hands of U.S. Army Recruiting Command and brought it up to Army Department level. In August of this year, that decision authority was pushed back down to USAREC, where it rightly belongs, the general said.

"A decision was made in August to re-empower the commanding general of Recruiting Command with the authority to consider, grant and waive things and approve people in the Army," Milley said. In the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Air Force, he noted, approval authority for waivers sits with equivalent agencies.

Milley parsed out the meaning of the word "consideration" to ensure the definition was clear. He said all services have always considered all waiver requests. "When someone's application comes in and someone's paperwork is filled out, then someone on the Army's side has to physically look at the paperwork," said he explained. "So you always are considering."

Essentially, he said, consideration happens when Army personnel read a waiver. All waiver requests, therefore, are considered, in that all waivers are read.

But, Milley clarified, "considering a waiver is not the same as granting a waiver."

Types of Waivers Disallowed

Milley cited Defense Department policy that outlines what kinds of conduct and mental health waivers cannot be granted. Among waivers that cannot be granted for entry into service are those for:

-- Conviction or adverse adjudication for a sexual offense;

-- Major misconduct involving an adult conviction or adult adverse adjudication, which Milley clarified as an "adult felony";

-- Misconduct or juvenile major misconduct for criminal use of drugs other than marijuana

-- Mood disorders, including major depression, cyclothymia, bipolar and other mood disorders;

-- Drug or alcohol use disorder not in sustained remission (less than 12 months since last occurrence of any diagnostic criterion other than craving);

-- Any overdose of any medication, prescription or over-the-counter, accidental or otherwise;

-- Any condition involving self-mutilation as a means of emotional coping; and

-- Any suicidal attempt or gesture, including ideation with plan.

"Those are the categories," Milley said, where "you aren't coming in the U.S. military."

Quality Trumps Quantity

Milley said Army recruiters have a tough job filling the ranks with new soldiers, and those recruiters have to meet both numbers of new recruits, and quality of new recruits. But quality has to be considered first, he said.

"If you make the numbers, great. That'll be awesome," Milley said he tells recruiters. "But make the standard. There will be no reduction in accessions standard. No change. You will not reduce quality to gain quantity."

Despite a challenging recruiting environment, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey said he thinks Army recruiters will be able to meet their recruiting goals -- even if they have to maintain both Army and DoD standards for new recruits.

"It's a tough task; there are 350 million people in America," Dailey said. "And there is a decreasing population of eligible 18-to-24-year olds. We know that. But I have no doubt that we will be successful in doing that. We demonstrated that last year. We met all DoD thresholds for requirements for our young soldiers. We had one of the best retention years we've had in over a decade in the U.S. Army by retaining very high quality soldiers.

"Numbers are important, end strength is important," Dailey said. "But quality and standards are paramount, and they will not be violated."

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Release

No. NR-393-17 November 16, 2017

Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Shanahan's Meeting with Ugandan Minister of Defense Adolf Mwesige

Deputy Secretary of Defense spokesperson Cmdr. Sarah Higgins provided the following readout:

Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan met with Ugandan Minister of Defense Adolf Mwesige in Vancouver, Canada at the 2017 U.N. Peacekeeping Defense Ministerial yesterday.

Secretary Shanahan recognized that Uganda has been in Somalia for 10 years and thanked Minister Mwesige for his country's contribution to security there. He also acknowledged those Ugandan lives lost in Somalia. He expressed his understanding of the frustration with the pace of progress in Somalia but also his confidence that progress is being made.

The leaders discussed how to best help the Horn of Africa move forward toward stability in Somalia. The U.S. Department of Defense continues to support Ugandan forces in Somalia with equipment including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and five new Huey-2 helicopters, which were delivered yesterday.

Both leaders confirmed the importance of continued collaboration between DoD and the Ugandan Ministry of Defense in advancing regional security in East Africa.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1373941/

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President Mugabe refuses to resign after meeting generals

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 07:16PM

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has refused to cede power to the military which has seized power in the southern African country and put him under house arrest.

Generals met with Mugabe on Thursday in the capital, Harare, and made efforts to push the 93-year-old veteran to resign, sources confirmed to the AFP news agency.

Mugabe's motorcade reportedly took the president from his home to State House to hold a meeting with the generals.

The president also held meetings with envoys from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc.

Images of the meeting showed Mugabe dressed in a navy blue blazer and grey trousers standing alongside army chief General Constantino Chiwenga who smiled and was dressed in camouflage military fatigues.

Military forces took control of Harare on Wednesday, with soldiers and armored vehicles blocking roads to the main government offices, the parliament, and the courts in central Harare.

Mugabe has been in power for almost four decades, since the former British colony gained independence from the UK in 1980.

To many Zimbabweans, he is a "war hero" and an "African icon" who played a definitive role in making the country independent.

However, his deteriorating health in recent years has triggered a succession war between his wife Grace and Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The military generals are strongly opposed to Grace's presidency, while Mnangagwa has maintained cordial ties with the military.

On Thursday, the African Union expressed concern, calling on Zimbabwe's military to halt what "seems like a coup".

AU chief, Guinea's President Alpha Conde, warned that the continent "will never accept the military coup d'etat" in Zimbabwe and called for a return to the "constitutional order."

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres also called for "calm and non-violence" and for the fundamental rights of Zimbabwean citizens to be preserved, a spokesman for the UN chief said.

In Harare, residents continued life as normal on Thursday, commuting, socializing and working as they ignored the few soldiers still on the streets.

The state-owned Herald newspaper in its editorial took a neutral stand by remaining loyal to Mugabe but also endorsing the military's action.

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Three militant killed, 74 arrested in Egypt's raids in Sinai

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 06:48PM

Egyptian military has launched a major counter-terrorism operation in the restive Sinai Peninsula, killing three militants and arresting 74 others.

Military spokesman Colonel Tamer el-Rifai said Thursday that a number of raids had been carried out on the hideouts of militants in Sinai earlier in the day.

He said the military had also managed to destroy five four-wheel-drive vehicles and four bomb-making workshops while ammunition and fuel stocks were also targeted in the raid.

Sinai has seen massive militancy since the outer of former president Mohamed Morsi four years ago. Egypt has lost hundreds of its troops in the volatile region, where a branch of Daesh, a Takfiri terrorist group mainly active in Iraq and Syria, targets police posts as well as civilians.

The Egyptian military says hundreds of militants have been killed in the counter-terror operations in the region. However, the North African country still suffers from widespread militant attacks.

Some 16 police forces were killed last month when Egyptian forces launched an attack on militants in an area some 100 kilometers outside the capital, Cairo, in the western desert region. The government said militants that had entered Egypt from neighboring Libya, where various militant groups vie for power, were behind the attack on police forces.

Many blame the continued militancy in Egypt on policies of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former army chief who led the coup against Morsi in 2013.

Sisi's administration has been tough on followers of the Muslim Brotherhood, the most prominent political party in Egypt which is now outlawed. Many members of the party, including Morsi, have been given harsh sentences while tens of thousands have been arrested awaiting trial.

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18 killed in Afghan bomb attack near political gathering

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:23AM

At least 18 Afghan people, including policemen and civilians, have lost their lives in a bombing near a hotel in the country's capital, Kabul.

Police sources said the casualties took place on Thursday when the bomber tried to get into the hotel building which was hosting a political gathering  but was stopped at the security checkpoint.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said supporters of Atta Mohammad Noor, the powerful governor of Afghanistan's Balkh Province, had been holding an event inside the hall of the hotel at the time of the explosion.

"After lunch, as we were exiting the hall a huge explosion shook the hall, shattering glass and causing chaos and panic," Harun Mutaref, a participant at the gathering said. "I saw many bodies including police and civilians lying in blood."

A Press TV correspondent said that among those killed in the attack were eight police officers. This is while the Interior Ministry had earlier put the number of the fatalities at seven police officers and two civilians.

The Daesh Takfiri terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the latest in a wave of violence in Afghanistan that has killed and wounded thousands of civilians this year.

Afghanistan is engulfed by violence and many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops.

The United States and its NATO allies occupied the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror in 2001, which toppled the Taliban regime.

Over the past 16 years, the Taliban have been carrying out militancy across Afghanistan, killing and displacing government officials, security forces, and civilians.

The Takfiri Daesh terrorist group has also more recently gained a foothold in the country.

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Zimbabwe opposition leader returns home after coup

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 10:56AM

Zimbabwe's opposition leader and former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai has returned to the African country to following an effective coup against long-time President Robert Mugabe.

A spokesman for Tsvangirai, who is the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said he had flown back home from South Africa late on Wednesday, adding that two other former government ministers had also returned to their country from Russia.

The privately-owned NewsDay Zimbabwe paper reported that Tsvangirai was "ready to enter negotiations to form a transitional government with former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa."

Political tensions emerged in Zimbabwe last week after Mugabe fired Mnangagwa and accused him of plotting to take power, including through witchcraft. Mnangagwa, who enjoyed the backing of the military, had previously been considered the most likely to succeed the president if Mugabe resigned or died while in power. His sudden dismissal, however, raised speculations that Mugabe was clearing the way for his wife, Grace, to take the position.

The Thursday announcement came a day after the army seized power in the country in what was described by the leader of the African Union as a "coup."

Military forces blocked roads to the main government buildings in the center of the capital, Harare, and sought to portray it as a "bloodless transition" away from Mugabe.

Meanwhile, Reuters cites a "source" said that Mugabe and his wife and two key figures from her G40 political faction are under house arrest at Mugabe's "Blue House" compound in Harare.

The army has also detained Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo, a leading member of the G40, which is a faction of the ruling ZANU-PF party, run by the president's wife.

ZANU-PF said in series of tweets on Wednesday that "E Mnagngawa will be president of ZANU PF as per the constitution of our revolutionary organization."

Mugabe and his wife have been on the European Union (EU)'s sanctions list along with other key figures in Zimbabwe's ruling elite, facing travel bans and asset freezes abroad.

The Zimbabwean president has called the sanctions, by the EU and separately by the United States over rights issues "wrong," blaming them for his government's failure to pay its workers on time, which led to a crippling strike last year.

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US starts drill with Japan near Korean Peninsula

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 07:16AM

Japan and the United States have started conducting a 10-day joint naval drill in southern Japan, despite North Korea's warnings that the exercises seriously risk triggering an actual war.

The US Navy said in a statement on Thursday that the annual drill would "take place in waters surrounding Okinawa," in the south of Japan, and was "designed to increase the defensive readiness and interoperability of Japanese and American forces through training in air and sea operations."

The statement said the exercise would involve some 14,000 US troopers, and aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, as well as the guided-missile destroyers USS Stethem, USS Chafee, and USS Mustin, among others.

"The exercise follows more than a week of scenario-based training ashore," the US Navy said.

The AFP reported that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met the commander of the US Pacific fleet, Harry Harris, as the Okinawa drill kicked off and called for "close coordination" between Tokyo and Washington to "enhance deterrence" against Pyongyang.

The southern island of Okinawa hosts more than half of the 47,000 US military personnel in Japan.

Washington and Tokyo agreed in 1996 to relocate the US Marines' Futenma base, currently in a heavily-populated area, to a new site in Okinawa; however, many residents, whose prefecture was the only part of Japan to suffer a bloody land battle during World War II, want the base and the US military off their land altogether.

Protests against the US base have been going on for around nine years as Okinawans complain about crime and noise connected to the base.

The Thursday announcement was made just after the US conducted a joint naval drill with South Korea in the western Pacific earlier this week.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, North Korea censured that drill and said the current situation was "the worst ever" around the Korean Peninsula.

Tensions between the US and North Korea have dramatically increased following a series of weapons tests by Pyongyang and an exchange of barbs between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korea has been under a raft of crippling United Nations sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear tests as well as multiple rocket and missile launches.

Pyongyang has firmly defended its military program as a deterrent against the hostile policies of the US and its regional allies, including South Korea and Japan.

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Rose is a 12-year-old deaf girl who loves silent films. Ben is a boy about the same age who is deafened by a lightning strike. Both run away to New York -- Rose from nearby New Jersey; Ben from Minnesota.

Thats the bare bones outline of Wonderstruck, director Todd Haynes's adaptation of the book by Brian Selznick, whose Hugo was turned into a movie by Martin Scorsese.

Haynes and Selznick, who wrote the script, frame the movie as parallel stories  Roses tale from 1927 is in black and white; Bens from 1977 is in bright color.

Rose (Millicent Simmonds) lives at home with her stern father, who forces her to lip read and speak. A movie fan  her favorite actress is Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore)  Rose steals a picture of Lillian out of magazine and watches entranced a Mayhew performance in Daughter of the Storm.

Walking out of the theater, banners proclaim the coming of the talkies. Arriving home, Rose is confronted with the arrival of the man who is to teach her how to read lips. So she escapes, getting on a train for New York, a newspaper clipping in her hand directing her to the theater where Lillian is about to star in a play.

Ben (Oakes Fegley) is a troubled boy trying to find his place in the world. His librarian mother, Elaine (Michelle Williams), would tell him nothing about his father, always putting it off until later. Then she dies in a car accident, leaving Ben with an aunt and uncle.

But on a late-night trip back to his house, Ben discovers a book called Wonderstruck with a note inside from a Danny to Elaine, written on a bookmark. Ben picks up the phone to call the number of the New York City bookstore on the bookmark. Lightning strikes and he wakes up in the hospital, deaf.

The resourceful Ben somehow manages to escape from the hospital and get on a bus for the Big Apple to try to find his dad.

Theres no point in revealing what Rose and Ben discover when they get to the city or why the stories are being told together.

But it is important to note that Wonderstruck is serious cinema, not Hollywood sentimentality, and it comes from a director who has often paid homage to past films in his work, most notably in 2002s Far From Heaven, a reworking of 1950s Douglas Sirk melodramas.

The homages in Wonderstruck are obvious. The Rose portion of the film revisits silent movies, albeit sans the cards that in the 1920s provided some context and dialogue  you have to figure that out yourself.

The Ben portion is a nod to movies set in New York in the 70s and its about as gritty as they come. When Ben hits the city at the Port Authority bus station, it is at its dirtiest and most intimidating.

Haynes is also a highly visual filmmaker who holds his subjects and the story at an emotional distance.

That means the picture moves slowly, especially early, compared with a Hollywood production, and is dependent on its captivating imagery  much of it inside the American Museum of Natural History.

That approach, however, doesnt detract from effective performances by Simmonds and Fegley  one of whom is always on screen  or the hauntingly touching ending of the well-told story of the courageously determined deaf children.
Suicide Bomber Kills At Least 11 At Kabul Rally For Northern Governor

RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan November 16, 2017

KABUL -- At least 11 people have been killed in a suicide attack on a Kabul rally by supporters of Mohammad Atta Noor, the powerful governor of Afghanistan's northern Balkh Province.

Noor, an outspoken critic of President Ashraf Ghani's national-unity government and a former factional militia leader in the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, was not attending the November 16 rally at the time of the attack.

Kabul police told RFE/RL that at least nine police officers and two civilians were among those killed in the suicide bombing. Police said at least seven officers were injured in the blast.

The attack took place at the Naveen Palace wedding hall in Kabul's Khair Khana neighborhood while the rally was going on inside the building.

Afghanistan's Defense Ministry said the attacker wore a suicide vest and tried to enter the building but was stopped outside the entrance by security officials.

A ministry spokesman told RFE/RL the attacker detonated his explosives when police stopped him.

Noor is the chief executive of the mainly ethnic Tajik Jamiat-e Islami party -- one of the key factions of the so-called Northern Alliance that fought against the Taliban regime before it was ousted by the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001.

Noor has hinted that he may run for president in 2019.

In the initial months after the downfall of the Taliban regime, Noor's militia fighters clashed repeatedly in northern Afghanistan with fighters loyal to another former Northern Alliance commander, ethnic Uzbek leader Abdul Rashid Dostum.

But Noor and Dostum, who is now one of two vice presidents in Ghani's government, recently resolved their differences and have agreed to form a political alliance, together with ethnic Hazara Deputy Chief Executive Mohammad Mohaqiq, aimed at bolstering the number of Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara officials in the central government.

Dostum's political compact with President Ghani, a Pashtun, began to unravel after Dostum was accused in December 2016 of ordering an elderly political rival to be sodomized with a Kalashnikov.

Dostum has refused to cooperate with the attorney general in the case and claims the allegations against him are a form of blackmail aimed at stripping him of his authority.

Dostum fled to Turkey in May.

In July, Noor and Mohaqiq traveled to Turkey where they met with Dostum to form their new alliance, which they call the Coalition for the Salvation of Afghanistan.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-kabul-noor- suicide-bombing/28857610.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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Armenia, Azerbaijan Dispute Partnership Language Over Nagorno-Karabakh

Rikard Jozwiak November 16, 2017

BRUSSELS -- A dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the wording of a potential one-paragraph statement on the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh has delayed completion of a final declaration for next week's Eastern Partnership summit sponsored by the European Union.

European diplomats who asked not to be identified told RFE/RL on November 16 that the EU side wanted to avoid specifically naming the various conflicts in the so-called "Eastern neighborhood" in the final declaration of the November 24 summit in Brussels.

The proposed text stated, "The summit participants call for renewed efforts to promote the peaceful settlement of conflicts in the region on the basis of the principles and norms of international law."

It added that "the resolution of the conflicts, building trust and good neighborly relations are essential to economic and social development and cooperation."

However, both Armenia and Azerbaijan have insisted on different but competing language in the relevant paragraph, EU diplomatic sources told RFE/RL. The sources did not describe the language proposed by the opposing sides.

The sources said the paragraph will be left open, possibly for leaders to decide on when the summit convenes.

EU sources said diplomats still hope to avoid a repeat of what happened at the 2015 Eastern Partnership summit in Riga -- where disputes over the text delayed finalization of the declaration by several hours.

The Eastern Partnership was created in 2009 to deepen EU ties with six Eastern European partners -- Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

Officials said the 28 EU member states agreed among themselves in early October on a draft declaration, which was sent to the Eastern partners for feedback. All other language has been agreed upon, except for that pertaining to Nagorno-Karabakh, officials said.

Yerevan and Baku have been embroiled in a long, bloody fight over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was populated mostly by ethnic Armenians but was officially part of Azerbaijan.

Armenian-backed separatists seized the region during a war that started in the late 1980s and killed some 30,000 people; intermittent fighting has continued since a 1994 cease-fire and diplomatic efforts to resolve the territorial dispute have brought little progress.

Other conflicts have also plagued partnership nations over the past years, mostly involving Russia or Moscow-backed forces.

Russia has occupied Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula since seizing it in March 2014, and it backs separatists whose war against Kyiv's forces has killed more than 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April of that year.

Russia has also unilaterally recognized the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia following a brief war with Georgia in 2008. And Moscow maintains troops in Moldova's breakaway Transdniester region over the repeated objections of the Moldovan authorities.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-eastern-partnership -statement-nagorno-karabakh-armenia -azerbaijan/28858152.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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Russia Calls Spain's Accusations It May Have Meddled In Catalonia Vote 'Hysteria'

November 16, 2017

Russia has dismissed allegations from Spanish leaders that it may have spread "disinformation" that helped precipitate a crisis over Catalonia's vote for independence last month.

"The Spanish authorities, NATO, and the newspapers did not bring up a single worthwhile argument to back these claims," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on November 15.

"We consider these claims to be groundless, and more likely a deliberate or inadvertent continuation of the same hysteria that is now happening in the United States and a number of other countries."

Western leaders and intelligence agencies have said they suspect Russia sponsored covert campaigns to "sow discord" and influence public opinion in the run-up to major votes in the West since last year, including the 2016 British vote to leave the European Union and the 2016 U.S. election of President Donald Trump.

Spanish leaders on November 14 raised the possibility of Russian "disinformation and manipulation" of public opinion in connection with Catalonia's independence vote, which prompted Madrid to oust and arrest the province's leaders.

Spain's Defense Minister Dolores de Cospedal, speaking at a meeting of European Union foreign and defense ministers, said it was clear that a lot of the messaging on social media around the Catalan vote "came from Russian territory," though a definitive link to the government has not been proved.

"I will raise the question of how disinformation and manipulation around the referendum and subsequent events in Catalonia have developed," Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on November 15 asserted that Madrid was trying to divert attention from Spain's worst political crisis in decades by raising the accusations against Russia.

"Probably they are arranging this kind of scandalous, sensational hysteria in order to distract the attention of their electorate from their inability to resolve their problems at home," Lavrov said during a visit to Belarus.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-calls- spanish-leaders-accusations-may-have-meddled- catalonia-vote-hysteria/28856804.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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Beijing and Manila Agree to Solve South China Sea Dispute with Words, Not Wars

Sputnik News

23:45 16.11.2017

To mark their improving relations China and The Philippines have inked a series of agreements strengthening diplomatic and economic ties - including one to avoid any military conflict in the disputed South China Sea, once a flashpoint between the two nations.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the right hand man of General Secretary Xi Jinping, met with the ever-controversial President of The Philippines Rodrigo Duterte at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Pasay, Philippines.

The two men shook hands and issued a joint statement that both nations should focus on resolving their territorial conflicts in the South China Sea by dialogue, not force. "Both sides believe that the maritime dispute is not the full sum of the China-Philippines relationship," the statement said. "Both sides also reaffirm the importance of maintaining and promoting regional peace and stability, freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the South China Sea as well as freedom of commerce and other peaceful uses."

Both sides agreed to work harder "to manage and prevent incidents at sea, enhance maritime dialogue and cooperation, and pursue a stable growth of bilateral relations. Both sides agree to strengthen maritime cooperation in areas such as marine environmental protection, disaster risk reduction, including possible cooperation in marine scientific research, subject to further consultations."

Duterte issued a statement of his own, discussing the "improving relations between ASEAN and China" when it came to issues in the South China Sea. "In view of this positive momentum, we looked forward to the announcement of the start of substantive negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) with China," Duterte said, hopefully sometime in 2018.

The "Code of Conduct" is meant to be a comprehensive set of rules dictating how vessels are to behave in the disputed waters to avoid inflaming international tensions. In his statement, Duterte claimed that he had successfully tested a hotline between the Chinese and Philippine foreign ministries in case of maritime emergency.

"In our view, these are practical measures that could reduce tensions and the risks of accidents, misunderstandings and miscalculation," he said.

Beijing also opened their deep pockets to put their money where their mouth is: 14 economic deals were inked, most of them related to the construction of public works such as bridges, dams, and irrigation projects in The Philippines. China also granted over $22 million to Manila to rebuild the city of Marawi, the site of five months of brutal fighting between the Philippine military and Daesh-affiliated militants.

While China and The Philippines have never been outright enemies, they have often clashed over disputed territories in the South China Sea, mostly around the Spratly Island chain. Beijing considers the whole of the South China Sea their sovereign territory. To enforce their claim, they have undertaken massive artificial island construction initiatives since 2015.

This has led them into territorial disputes with The Philippines and many other nations, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan  all of whom save the last are also ASEAN members. In 2012, the navies of China and The Philippines stood off in the Scarborough Shoal, leading to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) to hear the case over the territorial dispute.

The PCA ruled that the Chinese claim to the territory was illegitimate, which did little to dissuade Beijing from continuing construction of artificial islands in the Spratlys. Between then and now, Xi became President of China and Duterte President of The Philippines. Relations have steadily improved since then.

A September 2017 Pew Research Group poll found that 55 percent of Filipinos had a favorable view of China  up from 38 percent in 2014. The same poll marked a significant decline in the opinion that Manila should be tough on China in territorial disputes and an uptick in those who support a strong economic relationship between the two Asian nations.

 Sputnik

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UN agency chiefs call for immediate lifting of humanitarian blockade in Yemen

16 November 2017  With much of Yemen's air, sea and land entry points closed, heads of three United Nations agencies on Thursday called for immediate lifting of such blockade in the conflict-ravaged southern Arabian country so that lifesaving humanitarian supplies can pass.

"While the Saudi-led military coalition has partially lifted the recent blockade of Yemen, closure of much of the country's air, sea and land ports is making an already catastrophic situation far worse," said a joint statement issued by World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Anthony Lake, and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"The space and access we need to deliver humanitarian assistance is being choked off, threatening the lives of millions of vulnerable children and families," the statement added.

Since 2015, Yemen has been in a conflict between forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and those allied to the Houthi rebel movement.

The UN agency chiefs jointly appealed for the coalition to permit entry of lifesaving supplies to Yemen, describing the situation "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world" in which more than 20 million people, including over 11 million children, are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, at least 14.8 million are without basic healthcare and an outbreak of cholera has resulted in more than 900,000 suspected cases.

"Some 17 million people do not know where their next meal is coming from and 7 million are totally dependent on food assistance. Severe acute malnutrition is threatening the lives of almost 400,000 children. As supplies run low, food prices rise dramatically, putting thousands more at risk," the statement said.

The statement said that all of the country's ports  including those in areas held by the opposition  should be reopened without delay, as that is the only way that UN-chartered ships can deliver the vital humanitarian cargo that the population needs to survive.

Flights from the UN Humanitarian Air Service  into and out of Yemen  should be given immediate clearance to resume.

"The clock is ticking and stocks of medical, food and other humanitarian supplies are already running low," the statement said, warning that the cost of this blockade is being measured in the number of lives that are lost.

"On behalf of all those whose lives are at imminent risk, we reiterate our appeal to allow humanitarian access in Yemen without further delay," it said.

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In Colombia, UN political chief urges parties to 'stay the course' set out in peace accord

16 November 2017  More must be done to ensure that the remarkable gains of the first phase of Colombia's peace process are maintained, the top United Nations political official has said, wrapping up a visit to the country with an appeal to all Colombians to rally behind the accord, especially to ensure that former combatants are reintegrated into civilian life.

"I arrived this week, at the request of the Secretary-General, to convey a sense of growing concern about how the peace process has been evolving over the past several months," the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, told reporters there on Wednesday.

Despite a range of commendable activities under way by the Government, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the international community, Mr. Feltman highlighted three concerns, beginning with the lack of an overall strategy for reintegration, concrete plans and resources to enable its success.

"The drifting of a number of FARC members out of the zones, for a range of reasons that include joining the so-called 'dissidents' is a troubling sign of what could be the result on a wider scale if reintegration efforts are not very substantially accelerated," Mr. Feltman stated.

Secondly, he underscored his apprehension over the security situation in former conflict zones, particularly areas in which FARC vacated while their laying down their arms to convert to an unarmed political movement.

"We share the deep concern about the reported vacuums of authority in many of these areas and the resultant insecurity for communities as other illegal groups move in to fill the void," he underscored.

Mr. Feltman's final concern was about legal uncertainties, predominantly affecting FARC members, which have resulted in delays in approving key legislation.

Citing Monday's decision by the Constitutional Court on the Tribunal, he expressed hope that Congress would quickly adopt the implementing legislation, asserting, that: "This would only be consistent, in our view, with the decision of the same Parliament to ratify the peace agreement one year ago."

On the ceasefire between the Government and the National Liberation Army, the Under Secretary-General said: "We hope that the parties can come to a timely decision on its extension past 9 January, and to communicate that as soon as possible to the Security Council."

While recognizing that the peace process is subject to legitimate debate, Mr. Feltman appealed to all of Colombia's institutions, parties and to the public at large, saying that despite differing views, "all surely can also see the national interest in ensuring that regions which for more than five decades have been besieged by lawlessness, violence and under-development are now stabilized and integrated fully into the economy and governance."

"It is our strong view that this can be achieved by the robust implementation of the Peace Agreement," he added.

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Suicide Blast Hits Afghan Political Gathering in Kabul

By Ayaz Gul November 16, 2017

At least 10 people have been killed and many more wounded by a suicide bomb attack near a political gathering in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

A city police spokesman, Baseer Mujahid, told VOA eight security officers, including a senior police commander, were among the dead in Thursday's attack.

The bomber wanted to enter an event hall where supporters of Balkh province Governor Attah Mohammad Noort had gathered to "honor" his national services. But Mujahid said tight security around the venue prompted the attacker to blow himself up at an outer security post.

Afghan media, quoting security sources, put the death toll at more than 18, including civilians.

The Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Noor, a notorious warlord and powerful regional leader, is a longtime stalwart in the Jamiat-i-Islami party, which is part of the Afghan national unity government.

Noor recently formed a three party political alliance, including the Jumbish party of General Abdul Rashid Dostum, another controversial and notorious warlord in the north. Dostum represents the minority Uzbek community.

Both the warlords are highly critical of mostly ethnic Pashtun leaders around Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Thursday's violence came amid heightened political tensions as politicians are jockeying for position ahead of the 2019 presidential elections in Afghanistan.

Kabul has witnessed major bombings this year, killing and wounding hundreds of people.

The Taliban and Islamic State have both taken credit for the bloodshed. Taliban insurgents have also intensified battlefield attacks against government forces across Afghanistan in 2017, killing and wounding thousands of them. Stepped up hostilities have also caused record civilian casualties this year.

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US, Japan Naval Forces Annual Exercise Seen as Signal to Pyongyang

By Carla Babb November 16, 2017

U.S. and Japanese naval forces have begun their annual bilateral training exercise, seen as a show of force amid North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

More than 14,000 U.S. personnel are participating in 10 days of drills, which will include the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the guided-missile destroyers USS Stethem, USS Chafee and USS Mustin, and a maritime patrol and reconnaissance squadron.

The exercise in the waters surrounding Okinawa is designed to increase the defensive readiness and interoperability of Japanese and American forces through training in air and sea operations. It is meant to pressure North Korea and send a strong signal to Pyongyang of America's ability to rapidly mobilize a potent military force.

The drills begin as China announced Thursday a "dual suspension" proposal was the best option for handling North Korea. China and Russia have proposed that the United States and South Korea stop major military exercises in the area in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programs.

U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected any "freeze for freeze" agreement.

"For forward deployed forces, exercises are a critical component to readiness. They do, in fact, assure our partners," Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. told Pentagon reporters Thursday. "They also exercise a powerful deterring effect."

The exercise follows joint naval exercises in the Western Pacific involving U.S. and South Korean naval forces.

Three U.S. aircraft carriers also participated in separate exercises Sunday with Japan's largest warship.Tokyo dispatched one of its two large helicopter carriers and two escorts to participate in the drills in the Sea of Japan and East China Sea.

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Haiti Prepares to Introduce Its Revived Military

By Yvan Martin Jasmin November 16, 2017

More than two decades after Haiti's leader disbanded its army, with its history of violent coups, the Caribbean nation is about to unveil a reconstituted military.

The Haitian National Army will be formally reintroduced with a parade in this northern port city on Saturday, the anniversary of a decisive 1803 battle [Battle of Vertieres] nearby that secured Haiti's independence from France.

"The army I am reinstating for you is a professional one. It is a necessity for our country. It will not be an army of repression," President Jovenel Moise, who took office in February, said at a news conference last week. "It will be instead an army that will help out when a hurricane strikes our country. It will help repair roads. This is the army I have promised you."

Civilian force

Moise aims to distinguish it from the military that overthrew Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1991. When Aristide reclaimed the presidency in 1995, he dismantled the army and put security in the hands of the civilian Haitian National Police. That force now has roughly 15,000 officers.

In contrast, the army has at least 150 recruits, young men and women mostly engaged in building up the impoverished country's infrastructure, Defense Minister Herve Denis said at news conference Monday. Since their selection in late summer, they have set up a medical clinic in central Haiti and begun fixing roads.

Eventually, there could be 3,000 to 5,000 troops, Denis said.

"But we know that we cannot have an army of that size the next day" because of budget constraints, he added.

Haiti's government has allocated $8.5 million for defense spending in the 2018 fiscal year. Denis acknowledged funding challenges but, according to the Miami Herald, said the armed forces' patrols could stem annual losses of $200 million to $500 million in contraband coming from neighboring Dominican Republic.

The army's restoration draws mixed reactions at home and abroad.

The army offers precious jobs in a poor country whose unemployment rate tops 40 percent.

But Wednesday marked the third consecutive day of street demonstrations in Cap-Haitien, the country's second-largest city, with hundreds of public high school students protesting spending on a new military when their teachers have gone unpaid for months.

Their rallying cry: "We don't want an army, we want an education!"

"The country has other priorities that are more important than the army," Edouard Innocent, the city's former mayor, told VOA in a phone interview. He said Moise should "prioritize economic development, education, health.  I think this army is [a means] for the president to secure his power."

Right to an army

Cine Aneus Daneus, a lawyer in Cap-Haitien, pointed out that Haiti has the constitutional and sovereign right to an army. He called for "a professional army" to protect the country's borders and provide aid in case of natural disasters. He added, "This force must not be involved in politics."

Nenel Cassy, a Haitian senator, told VOA he worried that the army would strain the national budget and could be used to suppress political dissent. He said its reinstatement created "a chaotic situation."

The army's reinstatement comes a month after the end of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), aimed at steadying the leadership after the 2004 military coup. That effort has given way to the U.N. Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), meant to strengthen the justice system, policing and human rights protections.

The United Nations and foreign governments, including the United States, discouraged Haiti from reviving its army. Instead, they supplied financial aid and training for the Haitian National Police.

Kenneth Merten, the State Department's special coordinator for Haiti, said the U.S. government disapproved of a reconstituted Haitian army because of that army's history of coups d'etat. He told VOA's Creole Service early this year that the U.S. has "spent a lot of money so Haiti could have a police force that is competent and transparent."

The United States, Haiti's biggest benefactor, has disbursed at least $3.9 billion in post-2010 quake aid.

'Good reason to be nervous'

Given the high degree of international involvement in Haiti, restoring the army brings "a sense of nationalistic pride with certain elements of the population," Geoff Burt, executive director of the Canada-based Center for Security Governance, told VOA.

But "there's good reason to be nervous," added Burt, who has explored the issue's complexities in a report last year for the International Journal of Security & Development.

One argument is that rebuilding the army could distract from the "more important priority of building a more effective, accountable police force."

"The big problem isn't with the army per se, it's the connection to the political process," Burt said. " Will the army become a player in Haitian politics? That's what everyone would like to avoid."

The VOA Creole Service's Jacquelin Belizaire, Jean Philippe and Jean-Pierre Leroy contributed to this report.

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S. Sudan President Reconciles With Former Army Chief

By John Tanza, Dimo Silva November 16, 2017

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and his former army chief of staff apparently have reconciled, a week after a tense standoff in Juba threatened to escalate into violence.

The reconciliation happened Thursday at a prayer service at the president's residence in Juba. Pictures surfaced on the internet showing Paul Malong hugging Kiir.

The coziness seems a world away from events last week in Juba, when tanks and dozens of government troops surrounded Malong's house after he refused to release a platoon of soldiers guarding him.

Malong had been under house arrest at his residence since May, after a string of resignations by military officials who alleged there was ethnic bias in the army, and that soldiers were committing war crimes in the context of South Sudan's civil war.

Praise from U.N. representative

Earlier on Thursday, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative in South Sudan, David Shearer, praised the Kiir administration for peacefully resolving the weeklong standoff with Malong.

The tanks and troops were withdrawn Saturday after Malong agreed to release 26 of his 30 bodyguards. Shearer said the move calmed tensions.

Shearer told reporters at a U.N. base in Juba that it's important for South Sudanese to resolve their conflicts internally.

"This conclusion came down simply to the choice of putting South Sudan and stability in Juba before all other concerns. We are grateful for the statesmanlike way in which the situation was resolved," said Shearer.

UNMISS mandate

Shearer said he hoped the U.N. Security Council would renew the mandate for the U.N. peacekeeping in mission in South Sudan, which is due to expire a month from now.

A review team is scheduled to arrive in Juba from U.N. headquarters in New York within two weeks. Shearer said the team would assess the security situation and consult with officials from the government and aid agencies operating in South Sudan.

"This team will also spend two days in Addis Ababa, where it will meet with other South Sudanese groups, including the opposition," said Shearer.

The review team will provide a report to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who will report the team's findings to the Security Council. Shearer said the report would influence the Security Council's decision on whether to renew the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate.

If the team determines that security conditions have improved in South Sudan, Shearer said the U.N. would help coordinate the "voluntary safe return" of more than 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering in six U.N. camps across the country.

That number has fluctuated depending on the security situation, but "the trend is now showing a slow decline," said Shearer.

The U.N. special representative cautioned, however, that the U.N. was still far from announcing that conditions are safe for IDPs to return.

Shearer welcomed Kiir's recent decree ordering security forces and local leaders to allow aid workers unfettered access to 6.2 million people in need of assistance across the country.

"We will continue to monitor the process of that access. The fact that it comes from the top means we anticipate and we expect others right down the chain of the security forces to follow that order," said Shearer.

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Lincoln police have arrested a Crete man accused of embezzling more than $1.1 million from a local contractor.

Mark M. Ackerman of Crete was taken into custody in the case Thursday. He is charged with theft by unlawful taking of more than $5,000, a felony.

The alleged embezzlement was reported to Lincoln police Oct. 15 by Ackerman, according to the probable cause affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Ackerman told police that while working as the office manager, he diverted funds from the contractor's bank accounts into his personal accounts, through electronic transfers and, on a few occasions, paper checks.

LPD's investigation showed that more than $1.1 million may have been deposited in Ackerman's account, the affidavit said.

Ackerman appeared in court on Wednesday and Judge Timothy C. Philips set his bond at $15,000, of which he needed to pay 10 percent to be released. He bonded out shortly after the hearing.

Last month, Vertical Horizons Contracting Inc., or VHC, filed a lawsuit against Ackerman, which has since been amended, asking a Lancaster County District judge to order him to repay $1,640,950.11.

Based on statements Ackerman made to police, VHC officials believe the company's loss may be more than $1.64 million, the company's attorney, Adam Prochaska, said in the lawsuit.

Owned by Carl Whittle, the contractor at 500 W. South St. services the telecom, manufacturing, oil and gas, and utility industries, according to its website.

Ackerman began working there in October 2007 and was fired Oct. 13, two days shy of his 10th work anniversary, the lawsuit said.

Ackerman's responsibilities included collecting and managing company funds, bookkeeping and payroll, purchasing and overseeing the financial day-to-day operations, the lawsuit said.

Prochaska alleges the theft began in January 2008 and continued until last month.

VHC officials allege Ackerman used VHC funds for personal reasons, transferred them into his personal bank accounts and misappropriated its assets, the lawsuit said.

Prochaska asked the court to order Ackerman to repay the losses and for any damages deemed appropriate.

On Friday, Ackerman's attorney Justin Kalemkiarian said his client had no comment on the allegations at this point.
Zimbabwe's Political Future in Limbo

By VOA News November 16, 2017

Zimbabweans faced a second day of political uncertainty Thursday, with rumors surfacing about how and when President Robert Mugabe would relinquish control after nearly four decades in power.

Mugabe was placed under house arrest Tuesday by military forces as they seized control of the southern African country in a swift and bloodless operation. Sources say Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state at 93-years-old, is refusing to resign and turn over power to a transitional government.

Various reports say Mugabe's former vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai have both returned from their self-imposed exiles to take part in a new government.

Reuters news agency is reporting that Mugabe and his wife Grace are being held at the deposed president's compound in Harare.

The crisis began to unfold Monday, when General Constantino Chiwenga, the head of Zimbabwe's armed forces, warned that he would "step in" unless Mugabe stopped trying to purge the ruling ZANU-PF party of supporters Mnangagwa.Dozens have been arrested since Mugabe fired the vice president on November 5.

The longime ruler indicated he was planning to replace the ousted vice president with the first lady, which would put her in position to become president when Robert Mugabe retires or dies.

Zimbabwean tanks rolled through the streets of Harare the next day, blockading parliament and taking over the country's television station. But defense forces insisted their action was "not a military takeover of government."

Leaders of several Southern African nations gathered in neighboring Botswana Thursday to discuss Zimbabwe's political crisis.

A joint statement signed by leaders of more than 100 civil society groups urged Mugabe to peacefully step aside and pave the way for "an all-inclusive, all stakeholder process which will determine the future of Zimbabwe.

Mnangagwa, 75, was seen for years as a likely successor to the president, and maintains strong backing in the army. Grace Mugabe, 52, has support in the party's youth wing and is believed to have engineered the firing of another vice president, Joice Mujuru, in 2014.

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Zimbabwe on Edge Amid Negotiations After Military Takeover

By Anita Powell November 16, 2017

Zimbabweans are hoping for a speedy and smooth resolution to their nation's sudden political crisis, as opposition figures, civil society and religious groups urge longtime President Robert Mugabe to step down in the wake of a military takeover.

But reports Thursday said Mugabe was resisting, and South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, dashed hopes of a quick final act, telling his parliament, "It is too early to take any firm decision now."

Mugabe hasn't been seen in public since being placed under house arrest in Harare by soldiers Tuesday night. Mediators sent by the South African government met at Mugabe's home Thursday and at State House.

Analyst Knox Chitiyo of the Chatham House research institution, was in Harare when the military deployed its tanks on Tuesday. Chitiyo, who is Zimbabwean, says the longer the military is perceived to be in charge, the more unstable things will become.

"The key issue is the time scale," he told VOA in Johannesburg. "The military will want...these negotiations to be completed, as quickly as possible. They want to have the president, or if it's acting president, in place as soon as possible. They want an interim administration announced, I think, as soon as possible. The military does not want this to drag out, because the longer all this drags out, the murkier, the messier it could become."

Some key figures in Zimbabwe's opposition are proposing a transitional government ahead of the elections already planned for next year.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday urged Mugabe to resign.

"Mr. Robert Mugabe must resign, step down immediately in line with the national sentiment and expectation, taking full regard of his legacy and his contribution to Zimbabwe, pre- and post-Zimbabwe," he told reporters in Harare.

The vice president whom Mugabe recently fired  arguably the catalyst for this military takeover - has kept a low profile. Emmerson Mnangagwa, says Piers Pigou of the International Crisis Group, will lose credibility if he appears too close to the military.

"It's absolutely critical for the new incumbent to be able to, I suppose, be able to distance themselves from the illegal actions of the armed forces here, or ostensibly what looks like it," he told VOA. "I simply don't know how they're going to put lipstick on that pig."

But, Chitiyo says, the negotiators have a lot to discuss. The crisis came out of a long-running, bitter rift in the ruling ZANU-PF party, which Mugabe has led for decades. Observers saw the move to fire Mnangagwa as a step toward the installation of Mugabe's wife, Grace Mugabe, as vice president. That would have put the unpopular first lady in line to someday replace her 93-year-old husband.

"It's very delicate, there's also negotiations within the party, between the party and the opposition, between the powers that be currently and South Africa and the region," Chitiyo said. "So there's multiple negotiations, delicate negotiations. Too much talk too soon could do more harm than good. I think that's what the military is saying."

The military insists this is not a coup, and the powerful war veterans' association called the action a "bloodless correction."

For that narrative to work, however, they need one thing that no one ever thought would be easy to get: for Zimbabwe's fiery, passionate leader to leave without a fight.

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Cambodia High Court Dissolves Opposition Party, Cementing One-party Rule

By David Boyle November 16, 2017

Cambodia's Supreme Court has dissolved the country's main opposition party in a ruling likely to cement Prime Minister Hun Sen's already expansive grip on power.

Thursday's unanimous ruling by the nine-member court also bans 118 members of the now-defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party from any political activity for the next five years. The court sided with a lawsuit filed by Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party, accusing the CNRP of being involved in a foreign-backed plot to topple the government.

The United States and other countries accused by the ruling party have denied backing any subversive plots.

The ruling caps a crackdown on dissenting voices launched by the prime minister ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. The repressive moves include the arrest of CNRP leader Kem Sokha on charges of treason, which led half of the party's lawmakers to flee, and the closure of The Cambodia Daily, one of the country's last independent newspapers, after the publishers received an exorbitant overdue tax bill they said was bogus.

End of fledgling democracy?

The dissolution of Cambodia's only credible opposition party effectively leaves the country as a one-party state, which critics say could spell the end of more than 25 years of efforts to implement democracy the country.

For those Cambodians who spent years trying to build a representative and democratic government, the ruling is a painful blow that raises hard questions.

The massive, $1.6 billion U.N.-backed effort to seed democracy in Cambodia started in 1992, when U.N. personnel began flooding into the country to build the institutions to support a new democratic government.

In 1993, a wide-eyed TV news assistant named Chhorn Bunhom returned to the country he had fled as a petrified 6-year-old to cover this extraordinary intervention.

"I'm on top of this aussie U.N. car/van and you can see little kids jumping up and down think that, you know, the U.N. is here to save them," he said, recalling his entry into the country across the Thai border in Poipet.

Working as a sound recordist and camera assistant Bunhom had been flung right into an explosion of euphoric enthusiasm in a country that had known little else than misery and horrific violence for decades.

The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia had come to bring democracy.

With it came not only the possibility of an end to authoritarian rule but a transformative injection of economic activity both through direct investments and commerce generated by the hedonistic excesses of some 20,000 foreign peacekeepers.

"It's like somebody bought a million dollar fire cracker and just lit it up in the middle of the night in Cambodia and that's what I felt like - Cambodia all of a sudden had light," he said.

Today, nearly 25 years later, a generation enlisted to build an idealistic new vision of Cambodia can only watch with dismay.

Echoes of Cambodia's dark past

This week, a 65 hectare area surrounding the Supreme Court was on lockdown with only the odd confused tourist trying to leave or return to a hotel and a small contingent of journalists allowed in.

Two journalists, Oun Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, were arrested on Tuesday and will reportedly be charged with espionage on accusations they provided information to their employer Radio Free Asia - which shut down its Cambodia operations last month citing intimidation.

The night before the court hearing, security forces made up of police, military police and guards made coordinated visits the offices of prominent human rights NGOs such as Adhoc and Licadho to check if they were harboring protesters, while roadblocks were set up on major arterials into the city.

It's an environment Chin Channa, a translator for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal who championed its creation back at the turn of the century, remembers only too well from his days as a monk before the 1993 election.

Back then his enthusiasm for the royalist revival of Prince Norodom Ranariddh's opposition FUNCINPEC party constantly got him in trouble with authorities and his superiors in the clergy.

"A lot of monks were afraid but for me I did not feel any fear," he said, adding he was chased out of a temple in Battambang by a chief abbott infuriated with his incessant politicking.

Channa believes governance programs in Cambodia have failed only because of the ruling party's resistance.

"This has worked so far. I've been working with many organizations and those organizations have trained a lot of Cambodian people including government officials, police officers, judges, prosecutors, lawyers and students so they been exposed to this new leadership and governance system," Channa said. "But the ruling party has never been able to maintain this momentum, they tried to bring Cambodia back to the communist way of leadership."

Lack of compromise

Thida Khus, who helped bring back many Cambodian Americans to the country in 1993 to help set up civil society organizations and teach in universities, says there are many reasons why UNTAC's mission ultimately failed.

She provided input into the drafting of the constitution and later founded the organization SILAKA to encourage Cambodian women to take greater participation in politics - exposing her constantly to the country's evolving political culture.

"Cambodians don't like to confront each other if they don't agree with each other - they'd rather walk out of a situation. But in a democracy sometimes you need to be persistent and not to compromise and many of the Cambodians do a lot of compromise since the election of the U.N.," she said.

Khus says that while human rights education in Cambodia has been extensive, until recent there were few efforts to teach the public about political rights and democratic culture.

Bunhom, now a documentary filmmaker and TV producer, says western countries were naive to think that democracy can be grown "like a tree."

"I think democracy is very much like a system of thinking and that is, when you want a person to change his or her way of thinking, you really need to argue your point and you really need to be there among them."

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Kenya Supreme Court Hears Challenges to Election Re-run

By Mohammed Yusuf November 16, 2017

Kenya's Supreme Court is in its last day of hearing arguments on two petitions contesting results of the October 26 presidential election. Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared winner by a landslide after challenger Raila Odinga urged his supporters to boycott the poll, which was a re-run of the August election the court declared invalid.

The two petitions were filed by a former lawmaker, Harun Mwau, and two human rights defenders, Njonjo Mue and Khalef Khalifa. The petitioners argued the electoral commission committed illegalities by going ahead with the election in spite of opposition leader Raila Odinga pulling out of the race.

Benjamin Musyoki, who represents Mwau, argues the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission was supposed to carry out a new nomination process after the annulment of the original August 8 poll.

"When elections are annulled under article 140, none of the previous candidates, none of the previous processes is safe. All processes are done away with, and actually, in your order, you said that election was null and void. So it is like it did not exist."

Mwau also argued the election should be revoked based on the violence witnessed in parts of the country and low voter turnout.

The human rights defenders, Mue and Khalifa, argued the electoral commission did not conduct the presidential election in all 290 constituencies as required by the constitution.

The commission failed to deliver voting materials to some opposition strongholds in the west of the country, due to violent protests.

But Attorney General Githu Muigai said this should not be a reason to annul the election.

"What was the legal effect of the failure to hold an election in 25 constituencies? What was the legal effect, if any? None, simple answer - none. Why? Because this constitution does not require majorities based on constituencies, it requires majorities based on counties," Muigai said.

The petitioners insist the October 26 poll must not stand. But Kenyatta lawyer Fred Ngatia argues the court should put the country's interests first after months of political uncertainty.

"The common good is that which is to the benefit of the entire nation. The common good in my submission would be to uphold the constitutional order so that we do not slide into darkness. Absent a constitutional order the chances of sliding into darkness are very high," Ngatia said.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule Monday on whether Kenyatta's win will stand or be annulled again.

Whatever the outcome, the opposition has said that it will not recognize the Kenyatta presidency and that it will continue its struggle for electoral justice.

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Zimbabwe Coup Leader Traveled to China One Week Before Arresting Mugabe

Sputnik News

01:43 17.11.2017

The key architect of the soft coup in Zimbabwe this week traveled to China and met with top military officials just days before the confusing and still-unfolding government shakeup, sparking speculation that Beijing may have played a role in the coup that has seen Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe placed under house arrest.

General Constantino Chiwenga, who leads the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF), met with a top official with the People's Liberation Army (PLA), General Li Zuocheng, on his trip to the Asian giant. Zuocheng, chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, told Chiwenga that "China and Zimbabwe are all-weather friends," according to a report from the Chinese Defense Ministry.

Chiwenga reportedly replied that Harare wanted to "deepen exchanges and cooperation in all fields with China to promote the rapid development of bilateral state and military relations between the two countries"  standard official boilerplate after government meetings, to be sure.

Chiwenga also met with General Chang Wanquan, Minister of Defense, and thanked him for Beijing's "long-time, selfless help" to the young state of Zimbabwe.

Chiwenga then returned to Zimbabwe and issued a bold and unprecedented statement in response to the removal of his political ally, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa. On Monday, he declared that the military would "remind those behind the current treacherous shenanigans that, when it comes to matters of protecting our revolution, the military will not hesitate to step in."

Mnangagwa, a former soldier who enjoys great popularity with the military, had served in the government of independent Zimbabwe for 37 years. Many saw him as the likely successor to 93-year-old president Robert Mugabe  until Mnangagwa was suddenly ousted on November 6.

This was taken as a signal that Mugabe wished his successor to be his wife, Grace Mugabe, who wields considerable power in the youth wing of ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party.

Chiwenga and other military leaders, angered by the prospect of independence-era ministers being ousted by Grace Mugabe and her supporters, leaped into action. They had the Mugabes placed under house arrest and arrested one of Grace's lieutenants, Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo.

A report obtained by Zimbabwean newspaper The Financial Gazette claimed that Chiwenga would install Mnangagwa as the country's new president, to lead a "transitional government that would rule for five years."

But how does Beijing figure into what is visibly an internal power struggle? They certainly have a vested interest in Zimbabwe, as they are the African country's largest foreign investor, funding billions of dollars worth of development projects, including a new parliament building in 2016. Washington, DC, think tank The Jamestown Foundation once described China as the "only major international supporter" of the isolated Mugabe regime.

But although Zimbabwe and Mugabe are synonymous to many, Beijing has been surprisingly relaxed on the prospect of his overthrowal. An editorial in The Global Times, which is owned by the Chinese Communist Party and is often used to disseminate Beijing's official line on issues, said that the coup "will not affect the general trend of bilateral ties."

"The long-term friendship between China and Zimbabwe will transcend the internal disturbances in Zimbabwe," the article said.

Shen Xiaolei, an Africa expert from the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the South China Morning Post that Beijing would respect Zimbabwe's "own attitudes."

He lamented the fall of Mugabe, but added that "the Chinese government has [a policy of] non-interference in Africa's internal affairs."

The timing of Chiwenga's visit has sparked speculation that he visited China to warn Beijing of the impending coup, or even seek China's blessing. Shen denied any such cloak-and-dagger activity. "Chiwenga's visit was arranged long ago, so it's impossible he visited China over this matter," he said.

 Sputnik

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'Unity, solidarity and collaboration' can turn tide on terrorism, bolster human rights, says UN chief

16 November 2017  Noting that at least 11,000 terrorist attacks occurred in more than 100 countries last year, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed on Thursday that "terrorism is fundamentally the denial and destruction of human rights."

"Terrorism has been unfortunately with us in various forms across ages and continents," Mr. Guterres said in a lecture on counter-terrorism and human rights at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London.

"But modern terrorism is being waged on an entirely different scale, and notably its geographic span. No country can claim to be immune," he added.

Last year, more than 25,000 people died and 33,000 injured in at least 11,000 terrorist attacks in more than 100 countries.

In 2016, nearly three-quarters of all deaths caused by terrorism were in just five states: Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria and Somalia. The global economic impact of terrorism is estimated to have reached $90 billion in 2015. That year, terrorism costs amounted to 17.3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in Iraq and 16.8 per cent in Afghanistan.

Recalling how the Magna Carta 800 years ago established the principle of the rule of law, the Secretary-General said that at its core, human rights are a true recognition of common humanity.

"When we protect human rights, we are tackling the root causes of terrorism. For the power of human rights to bond is stronger than the power of terrorism to devastate," he said.

Priority actions in counter-terrorism

He went on to underscore five key counter-terrorism priorities.

First, he stressed the need for much stronger international cooperation, announcing that he intends to convene the first-ever UN summit of heads of counter-terrorism agencies next year to forge new partnerships and build relationships of trust.

Second is a sustained focus on prevention, which includes addressing the factors that radicalize young people and make terrorism a fateful option for them.

Terrorists are losing physical ground in Syria and Iraq, but gaining virtual ground in cyberspace. Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube have launched an anti-terror partnership, the 'Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism,' aimed at thwarting the spread of extremist content online.

"This is a start. We need to keep the momentum," he said.

Third is to uphold human rights and the rule of law.

Facing threats of an unprecedented nature, States are scrambling to enhance efficiency of their counter-terrorist legislation. Without a firm basis in human rights, counter-terrorism policies can be misused and abused, for instance, to suppress peaceful protests and legitimate opposition movements.

Fourth, the battle of ideas must be won. "We should never shrink from pointing out the cynicism and errors of terrorism. At the heart of darkness, we should build a new age of enlightenment," Mr. Guterres said.

"When terrorists portray violence as the best way of addressing inequality or grievances, we must answer with non-violence and inclusive decision-making," he added.

The Secretary-General's fifth priority is to lift up the voices of the victims of terrorism. Some of the best guides are the victims and survivors of terrorist attacks, who consistently call for accountability and results  not blanket measures or collective punishments.

He urged young people to become clear-thinking and enlightened citizens.

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PLA builds strong army in new era

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 07:46, November 16, 2017

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Less than a month after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese military has taken measures to become "world-class."

China will basically complete modernization of national defense and armed forces by 2035 and fully build the army into "world-class forces" by the mid-21st century, pledged Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in his report to the congress held in October.

LOYAL TO PARTY

The Central Military Commission (CMC) issued a guideline on Nov. 5 to affirm the absolute leadership of the Party over the army, requiring that troops be absolutely loyal, honest and reliable to Xi, who is also chairman of the CMC.

The CMC said the armed forces should deeply and comprehensively implement a system in which the chairman of the CMC has overall responsibility for the military. The system was added to the CPC Constitution at the Party congress.

The top priority of maintaining the authority of the leadership core is to safeguard the CMC chairperson responsibility system, Xu Qiliang, vice chairman of the CMC, wrote in the People's Daily Tuesday.

"In the face of profound and complex changes at home and abroad, along with fierce ideological struggles, it's a fundamental issue for our military to maintain its original nature, tenet and color," Xu said in the article.

Noting the political environment in the military has improved, Xu ordered troops to strengthen their consciousness in maintaining political integrity, thinking in big-picture terms, following the leadership core and keeping in alignment.

BUILT TO FIGHT

"A military is built to fight. Our military must regard combat capability as the criterion to meet in all its work and focus on how to win when it is called on," Xi said at the CPC National Congress.

During his inspection tour to the CMC joint battle command center on Nov. 3, Xi reiterated the need for the armed forces to improve their combat capability and readiness for war.

"The capability to win is strategically important in safeguarding national security, and strengthening that capability and combat readiness in the new era would provide strategic support to the realization of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation," Xi said, urging progress in joint operation command systems and training conducted under combat conditions.

To sharpen the military's fighting capacity, reforms have been made in the past few years, including the establishment of the PLA Army General Command, PLA Rocket Force and PLA Strategic Support Force.

The four general departments were reorganized into 15 agencies of the CMC, and five theater commands have replaced the seven military area commands.

STRICT MILITARY GOVERNANCE

The CMC released a regulation Monday to standardize the benefits for military officials, including offices, housing, cars and medical services, in its latest move to govern the military with strict discipline.

To curb decadence in the military and make the troops more combat-ready, the CMC issued an alcohol ban in late September, listing 11 occasions on which soldiers and officers are not allowed to drink alcohol.

In the past five years, fighting corruption in the military has been a focus of the sweeping anti-graft crackdown.

Dozens of military officers have been investigated and jailed, including Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong, both former top generals and vice chairmen of the CMC. Guo was convicted of accepting bribes and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016, while Xu died of cancer in 2015 before he could face trial.

"The building of work style and the fight against corruption in the military have gained major achievements," Xu Qiliang wrote in the article.

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Delegation to DPRK unrelated to Trump's visit: China

People's Daily Online

(People's Daily Online) 14:57, November 16, 2017

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday denounced rumors that the timing of the country's special envoy's visit to the DPRK is related to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent visit to China, adding that such practice is merely a long-standing tradition.

"The purpose of this visit is to brief about the party congress and exchange views on issues of common interest and bilateral interest. Informing each other on Party Congress has been a long-standing tradition between the Communist Party of China and Communist Party of other socialist countries including the Workers' Party of the DPRK," Spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Wednesday.

According to the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Song Tao, a special envoy of President Xi Jinping and minister of the International Department, will leave for the DPRK to inform the country of the 19th CPC Congress and visit the DPRK on November 17. Song will be the first ministerial-level official to visit the DPRK since 2015, as high-level visits between the two nations have been halted for years due to the Korean Peninsula crisis.

Despite the fact that Trump has repeatedly called on China to do more to pressure Pyongyang into altering its nuclear plan, China insists that it has been comprehensively implementing DPRK-related UN Security Council resolutions, and any new sanctions should be formulated by the Security Council.

"China has been comprehensively, accurately, faithfully, and strictly implementing all DPRK-related resolutions adopted by the Security Council, and fulfilling our due international obligations, Geng said. "At the same time, we oppose unilateral sanctions imposed on the basis of one's domestic laws and outside the Security Council framework. Our position is also quite clear."

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Singapore suspends trade ties with North Korea over UN sanctions

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 03:13PM

Singapore has announced that it would suspend trade ties with North Korea as of November 8.

"Singapore will prohibit all commercially traded goods from, or to, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)," said a customs notice obtained on Thursday.

Fauziah A. Sani, head of trade strategy and security for the director general of customs, said in the notice that the measure would take effect from November 8.

The notice, which was issued on Tuesday, added that a breach of the restrictions would result in fines up to S$200,000 ($147,340.50) , or four times the value of goods traded, imprisonment of up to three years, or both punishments.

The measure comes amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula as the United States and its allies in the region have been piling pressure on North Korea to force it to give up its nuclear and missile program.

The North was slapped with new United Nations and US sanctions in July when it fired two intercontinental ballistic missiles. Pyongyang did not stop the missile activity and carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in August, prompting other international sanctions.

There has been a pause in the tests since September, but Pyongyang has vowed to continue to strengthen its defense capabilities against what it calls repeated provocations by the US and its allies.

Singapore, the seventh largest trading partner for North Korea, is the latest to heed UN sanctions on Pyongyang.

China, North Korea's main economic ally, has shut down offices of North Korean companies in the country.

The Philippines, Pyongyang's fifth biggest trading partner, also decided to cut trade ties in September. Kuwait, the only Persian Gulf Arab country that hosts a diplomatic mission of North Korea in the region, ordered Pyongyang's ambassador to leave the kingdom in the same month.

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Pentagon Chief Reveals US Condition for Launch of Talks With North Korea

Sputnik News

21:59 16.11.2017(updated 22:03 16.11.2017)

While tensions between North Korea and the US are far from over, there is still a glimmer of hope that the conflict might be resolved in a diplomatic way.

There could be a chance for negotiations between the US and North Korea when Pyongyang stops testing nuclear weapons and suspends the development of its nuclear and missile programs, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Thursday.

"So long as they stop testing, stop developing, they don't export their weapons, there would be opportunity for talks," Mattis told journalists.

Mattis' statement comes after US President Donald Trump delivered a speech in the South Korean Parliament, in which he called on all countries to ensure Pyongyang's international isolation and urged Russia and China to cut diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea, adding that Washington would not allow Pyongyang to possess nuclear weapons.

After Trump's return from his 12-day tour of Asia, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, issued a statement calling the American president "no more than an old slave of money" and sentenced him "to death."

While the rhetoric between the US and North Korean leaders has become increasingly harsh, Pentagon chief James Mattis and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson still believe that the conflict might be resolved by diplomatic means.

Earlier, Mattis said at a meeting with the US Army that it should stand ready for a military option, however, emphasized that Washington prefered to stick to diplomatic means to solve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

The statement was echoed by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said that the US would rely on negotiations "until the first bomb drops."

 Sputnik

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Margaret Reist Local government reporter Margaret Reist is a recovering education reporter now writing about local and county government and the people who live in the city where she was born and raised. Follow Margaret Reist 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

Thank you, to the secretary at a small, rural school in northern California, who heard gunshots Tuesday morning and acted.

Her split decision to rush nearly 100 students on the playground inside and lock the doors saved Rancho Tehama Elementary from becoming the sort of tragedy that seared Sandy Hook Elementary into our collective memories five years earlier.

Kevin Neal killed five people Tuesday  starting with his wife. Gunfire injured one student at the school, and others were wounded by glass shattered by bullets he sprayed at the school.

But he couldnt get in, and he got frustrated. And left.

Its monumental that that school went into lockdown, an assistant sheriff in Tehama County told the Washington Post. I really, truly believe that we would have had a horrific bloodbath in that school if that school hadnt taken the action when they did.

Lockdown. Lockout.

These are words most parents of school-age students in Lincoln know, descriptions that come into their email inboxes now and then.

So far, those words represent precautions and practice  information about drills, or precautions schools have taken to keep students safe. They also are part of broad-based security system honed by experience across the nation.

School security isnt new. At the height of the Cold War, students did duck and cover drills in case of a nuclear attack. For years, state law has required drills for fires and tornadoes.

Today  18 years after two students opened fire at their high school in Columbine, Colorado, and killed 13  schools also practice lockdowns and lockouts.

The words are part of an emergency protocol that Joe Wright began at LPS when he became the districts second director of security in 2013.

The procedures  which replaced the old "code red"  are based on a series of simple directions and a common language between school staff and police that everybody understands and can remember in a crisis.

Lockout means staff brings kids inside and locks all the doors to keep a potential threat out, and school continues uninterrupted.

Lockdown means the threat is inside. Students go into their classrooms  and out of sight. Staff locks classroom doors, turns off the lights, makes sure everyone is quiet and huddled in the blind spots in a classroom away from interior and exterior windows.

Each classroom door has a magnet shaped like a bookmark that sits over the door latch to keep it unlocked. In an emergency, teachers pull the magnet out and the doors automatically lock, Wright said, so people dont have to fumble with keys.

When he started, schools across the nation had begun to institute similar protocols, he said.

They're intended to protect students from any threat or crisis, not just gun violence. A school could go into a modified lockdown, for instance, to keep students from seeing a classmate suffering a medical crisis.

But the sort of threat that makes headlines is real.

Everytown For Gun Safety, a pro gun-control group created in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, records every incident in which a firearm is discharged inside a school building or on school grounds (including colleges), even when the discharge is accidental.

So far this year, it has recorded 46 incidents.

In a narrower definition, the FBI tracked 220 active shooter incidents from 2006-2016.

Of those, 48 occurred in schools, 32 of those at K-12 institutions, including Millard South High School in 2012, when a student fatally shot an assistant principal and wounded the principal.

Domestic violence is related to more than half the mass shootings, the group found, and domestic violence is Wright's biggest worry.

District security officials spend the most time on that issue, he said, working with moms who have safety plans in place against their abusers, and with those who have protection orders or custody issues.

LPS's focus on increased security wasn't marked by the prevalence of school shootings. In 2005, a man walked into Arnold Elementary and sexually assaulted a student in the bathroom, prompting the district to invest $1.2 million to hire entrance monitors to record and check in all visitors.

This year, the district budgeted $3.2 million for security, including entrance monitors; campus security officers and school resource officers at high schools; district security staff, security card access and radios.

Today, all school doors but one are locked, cameras are mounted in high schools, and large numbers above each door allow police to easily identify where a threat might be occurring.

Since 2006, LPS has spent well more than $3 million to create secured entrances at all schools that block visitors from going forward until they're checked in.

Wright also has a system in place to assess possible threats: identifying situations and behaviors, and intervening before they turn violent.

The idea is to get way in front of that day, he said. "Its like crime prevention, really.

The districts system of encouraging positive behavior in students also helps, he said.

In a broad sense, all the procedures and protocols create a school climate that discourages the idea of violence, Wright said.

You create a climate where its understood, if you come into a school youre welcome, but theres a system you have to follow.
Over Half of Bundeswehr's Leopard 2 Tanks Not Operational

Sputnik News

23:52 16.11.2017

More than half of the German Bundeswehr's Leopard 2 tanks are not ready for operation, local media reported Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  At the moment, the Bundeswehr has 244 tanks of this type in service, but only 95 of them are in full combat readiness, the Focus magazine has reported. Meanwhile, 53 tanks are reportedly being upgraded, seven are at test sites, and multiple others cannot be repaired due to lack of spare parts.

"The question of who is responsible for this catastrophe should be raised," Wolfgang Hellmich, chairman of the German Bundestag Committee on Defense and member of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), said, commenting on the news.

He noted that this is a matter for "the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, which is responsible for the security of the country."

In May 2016, German media reported that the Bundeswehr was temporarily forced to suspend purchase of additional Leopard 2 tanks due to a shortage of budgetary funds. The budget for defense is so tight that it does not allow even to keep the equipment in proper technical condition.

 Sputnik

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Indian Army Demands Early Completion of Tunnels Along Chinese-Indian Border

Sputnik News

13:06 16.11.2017(updated 13:15 16.11.2017)

Nine tunnels have been listed as priority projects by the Indian Army, as they would provide better connectivity to possible flashpoints along the border with China. Tunnels, unlike roads or high mountain passes, would enable swift all-weather transport of troops and reinforcements.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  India has expedited the process of constructing tunnels that connect the mainland with strategic locations along the border with China. The Indian Army has identified nine such underground passages to be completed on a priority basis.

The tunnels will not only provide all-weather connectivity to strategic locations along the disputed border but will also optimize logistics. The army's priority list includes possible flashpoints like Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and the Doklam Plateau in east Sikkim.

Earlier this month, Subhash Bhamre, India's Minister of State for Defense said that the construction of a road network in the upper Himalayan region poses severe challenges, and to ensure all-weather connectivity, underground structures like tunnels are the only viable solution.

"Tunnel construction shall form an important feature of the road and rail network to ensure all-weather, smooth and reliable communication, even if at the initial stage it works out to be a costly solution," Bhamre said.

Eastern Ladakh has been one of the most prominent theatres of conflict between the Indian and the Chinese militaries. There are two roads that connect this Himalayan region with the Indian mainland.

However, these roads remain inaccessible for at least eight months per year when there is heavy rainfall or snowfall in the higher reaches. To do away with such operational impediments, the Indian Army has demanded that tunnels under the high mountain passes of Baralacha La, Tanglang La and Lachung La on the Manali-Leh route should immediately be constructed.

Meanwhile, in Arunachal Pradesh, India's primary border infrastructure construction agency, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), has started construction work on two-lane tunnels bypassing a mountain pass at 13,700 feet. The tunnel will shorten the travel time by an hour and all-weather connectivity to the Indian Army's IV Corps that is headquartered in Tezpur of Assam to Tawang of Arunachal Pradesh. Tawang is 22 miles away from the Chinese-Indian border.

Last month, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had called for the speedy construction of four passes bordering China  the Niti Pass, Thangla Pass, Lipulekh Pass and Tsangchokla Pass  by the end of 2020. The decision was made at the Army Commanders' Conference.

 Sputnik

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Indian Navy Enrolls Domestic Firm to Locally Produce Sonar Systems

Sputnik News

12:58 16.11.2017(updated 13:06 16.11.2017)

The portable diver detection sonar will be manufactured by Tata Power SED in India with the transfer of technology from DSTI Israel.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  The Indian Navy has concluded a contract with domestic defense firm  Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division (SED) for the manufacture of 78 portable diver detection sonar (PDDS) systems. Tata Power SED bagged the contract after defeating rivals Elcome Integrated Systems and Larsen & Toubro by quoting the lowest price. This is the first time that an Indian defense firm is building PDDS systems for the country's Navy.

"In consonance with the government of India's Make in India policy, Indian Navy concludes a contract with Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division (TSED) for the supply of Portable Diver Detection Sonar (PDDS) under 'Buy & Make (Indian)' Category. (It) shall boost the Government of India's Defense indigenization effort," an Indian Navy official said in a statement.

The Indian company has teamed up with DSTI Israel to manufacture the PDDS. Nevertheless, the Indian government has asked the company to make sure that it should have more than 50 percent indigenous components. The PDDS systems will be capable of operating in shallow or littoral waters and can detect divers, underwater saboteurs and commando mini-submarines or midget subs.

"The introduction of portable diver detection sonar would further enhance the Indian Navy's underwater surveillance capability in the field of low-intensity maritime operations. Procurement of these sonars for utilization onboard ships is being undertaken by the Indian Navy to augment countermeasures against asymmetric threats," an Indian Navy official told Sputnik.

Earlier in February of this year, the Indian Navy signed a contract with Nova Integrated Systems (NISL), a subsidiary of Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) to build 31 surface surveillance radars (SSR). Nova will install and commission the radar systems on Indian Navy vessels.

The Navy will use this radar in all-around sector search, detection, and automatic tracking, as well as coordinate determination and motion parameters of surface targets. The SSR will also be used to detect and track small surface targets up to a distance of 12 km in all weather conditions.

The Project was the first procurement by India under the 'Buy and Make (Indian)' category of the new defense procurement procedure (DPP). The company will indigenously manufacture the radars in collaboration with Danish defense equipment manufacturer company Terma which has agreed to transfer technology to Nova.

 Sputnik

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UK Reportedly Ready to Pay 450 Mln Pound Debt to Iran

Sputnik News

14:54 16.11.2017

The UK is planning to give back to Iran the money it paid for military equipment in order to free a British mother, who is locked in jail in Tehran, the Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to reports, by paying the huge debt Britain is trying to improve bilateral relations with Iran seeking to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, who was sentenced to five years in Iran over alleged espionage and plotting to oust the clerical establishment.

However, later the UK government spokesperson denied any connection between the debt issue and fate of the incarcerated woman.

In the 1970s the Iranian Shah ordered and payed for 1,750 Cheiftan tanks from the UK, however, after he was overthrown during the Islamic revolution of 1979, the purchase was canceled. Only 185 tanks were delivered and as a result Britain owed 450 million pounds to the new government. Although in 2009 the Chamber of Commerce ruled to pay the money back, military equipment sanctions imposed on Iran prevented the payment.

On Tuesday, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband met with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and urged him to contribute to the release of his wife. Richard Ratcliffe expressed hope that his wife and daughter, whom he haven't seen for almost two years, would be home by Christmas.

 Sputnik

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Russia begins deliveries of advanced T-90 battle tanks to Iraqi army

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 01:18PM

Russia's main battle tank manufacturer, Uralvagonzavod, has started delivering advanced T-90 battle tanks to the Iraqi army under a major deal struck between Moscow and Baghdad earlier this year.

"The contract is being implemented in accordance with the schedule approved by the parties," the press office of Russia's Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation announced in a statement on Thursday.

The Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation, Vladimir Kozhin, told Izvestia daily newspaper on July 20 that "a significant contract for a large batch" of T-90 tanks has been signed between the Iraqi government and Russian manufacturer Uralvagonzavod.

Kozhin did not disclose any information about the price of the deal, but said "the number [of tanks] is substantial."

Uralvagonzavod had announced in mid-July that it was going to deliver 73 T-90S and T-90SK tanks to the Iraqi military this year.

The T-90 is a third-generation Russian battle tank built upon the time-proven Soviet T-72 design.

It is among the best-selling tanks in the world, known for its firepower, enhanced protection and mobility.

The T-90 features a smoothbore 2A46M 125mm main gun, which can fire both armor-piercing shells and anti-tank missiles.

The advanced tank also features sophisticated armor, ensuring all-round protection of the crew and critical systems, including explosive reactive armor and active infrared jammers, to defend it from inbound rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank missiles and other projectiles.

Indian, Algerian and Azerbaijani militaries have purchased hundreds of T-90 battle tanks in past years. Kuwait, Vietnam and Egypt have also expressed strong interest in buying the tank.

The Iraqi military plans to reinforce its fleet of M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks with T-90s. A large number of American M1A1 Abrams tanks have been damaged in the fight against Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

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HRW reveals: Myanmar soldiers gang-raping Rohingya

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 10:06AM

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) says security forces in Myanmar have been committing widespread gang rape against Rohingya Muslim women and girls during the past three months as part of a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" against the minority group in the country's Rakhine State.

According to a 37-page report, titled All of My Body Was Pain, 29 out of 52 women and girls who managed to flee to neighboring Bangladesh and who were interviewed by the HRW said that they had been raped by security forces back in Rakhine. Except for one, all the cases had been gang rapes, the New York-based rights group added in its damning report on Thursday.

"Rape has been a prominent and devastating feature of the Burmese (Myanmarese) military's campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya," said Skye Wheeler, a researcher at the Women's Rights Division of the rights group and author of the report. "The Burmese military's barbaric acts of violence have left countless women and girls brutally harmed and traumatized."

The HRW added that the government troops committed further acts of violence, cruelty, and humiliation against the persecuted Rohingya. It said many women had also been witnessing the murder of their young children, spouses, and parents.

A 15-year-old girl from Hathi Para Village in Rakhine's border town of Maungdaw told the HRW that about 10 Myanmarese soldiers had gang-raped her.

"When my brother and sister came to get me, I was lying there on the ground, they thought I was dead," she said, trembling with fear as she recalled the horrific scene.

The rights group documented six cases of mass rapes, five of which occurred after August 25, in which scores of soldiers raped many women in one locality simultaneously.

"The women were all over; everywhere there were women being raped," said one of the rape survivors, who reported days of agony walking in pain while fleeing to Bangladesh.

Earlier this week, Pramila Patten, the United Nations special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, also said that sexual violence in Rakhine was "being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Myanmar."

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have so far fled the predominantly-Buddhist Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since August 25, when the crackdown on the Rohingya intensified in Rakhine State.

During the past three months, government troops, apart from raping, have been committing killings, arbitrary arrests, and mass arson of houses in hundreds of predominantly-Rohingya villages in the restive state.

The United Nations (UN) has already described the Rohingya as the most persecuted community in the world, calling the situation in Rakhine similar to "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing." Estimates as to how many Muslims have been killed vary from 1,000 to 3,000.

Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, has so far done almost nothing to end the violence in Rakhine despite increasing pressure from the international community. She claims that the widespread reports of killings and rape against the Rohingya are fake news.

At the root of the crisis is the refusal by Myanmar to grant citizenship to the Muslim minority community. The government says the Rohingyas should go to Bangladesh, where they are originally from, while Bangladesh says that they are Myanmarese and that Dhaka has accepted Rohingya refugees only on humanitarian grounds.

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HRW Accuses Myanmar's Soldiers of Systematically Raping Rohingya Women

Sputnik News

14:38 16.11.2017(updated 14:43 16.11.2017)

The HRW has issued a report shedding light on sexual violence against Rohingya women.

"Since August 25, 2017, Burmese security forces have committed widespread rape against women and girls as part of a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims in Burma's Rakhine State," the report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) dubbed "'All of My Body Was Pain': Sexual Violence Against Rohingya Women and Girls in Burma" reads.

The report is based on 52 interviews with Rohingyas from 19 different villages, including 29 survivors of rape, who have fled to Bangladesh since August.

According to the rights group, almost all the rapes mentioned in the report were gang rapes conducted by people in military uniform.

Rohingya Crisis

The conflict between the Rohingya minority and Myanmar's military has escalated since August, when Rohingya militants had attacked government positions, prompting the government to launch a military campaign that has been widely condemned by the world community.

According to the International Organization for Migration, the ensuing violence drove more than 610,000 Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh.

READ MORE: Rohingya Women Living Without Basic Health Care, Sanitation in Refugee Camps

The conflict between the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar's Rakhine state, and the Bamar Buddhist majority dates back to the 20th century as the country's authorities have been considering the Rohingya to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

 Sputnik

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UN envoy urges greater support for Rohingya victims of sexual violence

16 November 2017  Following a visit to Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have settled in makeshift camps, a United Nations envoy has called for enhanced measures to protect and assist victims of sexual violence among the displaced population.

"My observations point to a pattern of widespread atrocities, including rape, gang-rape by multiple soldiers, forced public nudity and humiliation, and sexual slavery in military captivity directed against Rohingya women and girls," UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten said Thursday.

The humanitarian crisis caused by escalating violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state is causing catastrophic suffering. Over 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled across the border from Myanmar to Bangladesh since 25 August. The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), estimates Bangladesh now hosts more than 800,000 Rohingya refugees.

Ms. Pattan's visit, mainly to Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, and to Cox's Bazar, from 5 to 13 November, was to better understand the nature, patterns and trends of sexual violence related to the conflict in Myanmar and also to assess options for providing support to the Government of Bangladesh, the UN system and other partners to ensure that the rights of conflict-affected women and girls are respected and upheld in the settlements.

"A clear picture is also emerging of the alleged perpetrators of these atrocities and their modus operandi. Sexual violence is allegedly being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Myanmar, otherwise known as the Tatmadaw," she said.

Other actors allegedly involved include the Myanmar Border Guard Police and militias composed of Rakhine state Buddhists and other ethnic groups, she added.

The release said that her Office has agreed with the Government of Bangladesh to develop a framework of cooperation, focusing particularly on the documentation, training, capacity-building, and strengthening of sexual and gender-based violence services and programmes.

Bangladesh is also in the process of developing a national action plan on women, peace and security, which is an important entry-point for action to address conflict-related sexual violence and other human rights violations against Rohingya women and girls.

However, national institutions and communities in the settlement areas are stretched to the limits of their capacity, to provide the basics of shelter, food, water and primary health care.

In terms of sexual and gender-based violence programmes, there is an acute funding shortfall of more than $10 million for the next three months to deliver essential services, including clinical case management, community outreach, awareness-raising and the distribution of dignity kits, which contain clothing and sanitary items.

"The international community must come together to support the Government of Bangladesh to address this vast humanitarian and protection crisis," she urged.

All of the women she spoke with wanted the perpetrators to be brought to justice, and to ensure that these atrocities would never repeat, she said.

"Such words must serve as our moral compass as we chart the way towards a durable solution that respects the human rights and human dignity of a community that has been called 'the most persecuted people on earth,'" she said.

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Senior U.S. Diplomat Warns Of Russia's 'Clear, Real' Threat To The West

Mark Najarian November 16, 2017

WASHINGTON -- A senior U.S. State Department official says Russia's actions over the past decade have shown that Moscow's willingness to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other nations is "real" and not "simply rhetorical."

On November 16, Brian Hook, the State Department's director of policy planning, told the Center for Strategic & International Studies' Transatlantic Forum On Russia that Moscow's actions in the war with Georgia in 2008 and more recently in Ukraine are "violations of the UN Charter and of multiple articles of the Helsinki Final Act."

Hook's tough line on Moscow appears to be in contrast to stated attempts by the administration of President Donald Trump to improve relations with Russia as a means to solve global crises, although the official did suggest there were opportunities to cooperate in places such as Syria and North Korea.

Hook said the risks to Europe from Russia were similar to those faced by the West during the Cold War.

"As in the past, the threat runs from the Baltic to the Black Sea," he said. "Russia has shown off its capabilities in snap military exercises or planned large-scale ones, like the recent Zapad 2017 [in Belarus and Russia]."

He said the "conventional threat" from Russia is "real." He cited Moscow's drive for military modernization and said that the "military arrangement of forces in Europe favors Russia."

Hook, a senior policy adviser to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, warned that Russia is also modernizing its nuclear arsenal and its means of delivery. Moscow has developed a nuclear-capable cruise missile, "in clear violation" of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), he added.

"And like in the past, Russia plays a propaganda and disinformation game," he said, "disrupting societies, electorates, and institutions across the Euro-Atlantic community.

"The great difference between the Russia of today and its Soviet form is that it lacks an ideological coherence that informs its actions. But Russia is nonetheless a serious rival."

Hook cited Russia's war against Georgia in 2008, its "illegal annexation" of Ukraine's Crimea region, and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine as examples of Moscow's failure to honor its commitments since the end of the Cold War.

He reiterated U.S. demands that Russia restore the "sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Ukraine before sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe could be eased.

He also urged NATO allies "to do more to underwrite the security and stability of the region," repeating Trump's call for increased defense spending in Europe.

"The threat to [the West's] collective security posed by Russia is clear, and we on both sides of the Atlantic cannot ignore it," he said.

He also reminded forum attendees of Trump's stated commitment to Article 5 of the NATO charter, which requires all members to come to the aid of any other member under attack.

Nevertheless, he cited conflicts and disputes in Ukraine, North Korea, and Syria as opportunities for the United States and Russia to cooperate in efforts to ease violence and tensions.

He said the United States remains committed to countering the Russian threat, but at the same time "we recognize that it is in our mutual benefit to work together where it advances American interests."

He said cooperation with Moscow was possible, but added that the United States needs to see signs that Russia is ready to "return to a less confrontational posture" in Europe and the Middle East.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-diplomat-russia- real-threat-brian-hook/28858347.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 Lawmakers: 9 US-Funded News Outlets Could Be Forced to Register as 'Foreign Agents'

By VOA News November 16, 2017

Russia said Thursday it has warned nine United States government-funded news operations they will probably be designated "foreign agents" under new legislation in retaliation to a U.S. demand that Kremlin-supported television station RT register as such in the United States.

The Russian Justice Ministry said Thursday it had notified the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and seven separate regional outlets active in Russia they could be affected.

The ministry published a list of the outlets on its website, including a statement that said the changes were likely to become law "in the near future."

Expands 2012 law

Russia's lower house of parliament approved amendments Wednesday to expand a 2012 law that targets non-governmental organizations to include foreign media. A declaration as a foreign agent would require foreign media to regularly disclose their objectives, full details of finances, funding sources and staffing.

Media outlets also may be required to disclose on their social platforms and internet sites visible in Russia that they are "foreign agents." The amendments also would allow the extrajudicial blocking of websites the Kremlin considers undesirable.

"We can't say at this time what effect this will have on our news gathering operations within Russia," said VOA Director Amanda Bennett. "All we can say is that Voice of America is, by law, an independent, unbiased, fact-based newsorganization, and we remain committed to those principles."

RFE/RL President Tom Kent said until the legislation becomes law, "we do not know how the Ministry of Justice will use this law in the context of our work."

No access to cable in Russia

Kent said unlike Sputnik and other Russian media operating in the U.S., U.S. media outlets operating in Russia do not have access to cable television and radio frequencies.

"Russian media in the U.S. are distributing their programs on American cable television. Sputnik has its own radio frequency in Washington. This means that even at the moment there is no equality," he said.

The speaker of Russia's lower house, the Duma, said Tuesday that foreign-funded media outlets that refused to register as foreign agents under the proposed legislation would be prohibited from operating in the country.

However, since the law's language is so broad, it potentially could be used to target any foreign media group, especially if it is in conflict with the Kremlin. Comparatively, the U.S. law targets only state-funded groups. The privately owned American television channel CNN and the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle also have been mentioned as potential targets.

The amendments, which Amnesty International said would inflict a "serious blow" to media freedom in Russia if they become law, were approved in response to a U.S. accusation that RT executed a Russian-mandated influence campaign on U.S. citizens during the 2016 presidential election, a charge the television channel denies.

Putin has last word

The amendments must next be approved by the Russian Senate and then signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.

RT, which is funded by the Kremlin to provide Russia's perspective on global issues, confirmed Monday it met the Justice Department's deadline by registering as a foreign agent in the U.S.

The United States considers RT a propaganda arm of Russia, and told it to register its foreign operation under the Foreign Agents Registration Act aimed at attorneys and lobbyists representing political interests.

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Daesh has lost 95% of territory in Iraq, Syria: US-led coalition

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 05:39PM

The US-led military coalition, which is purportedly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Syria and Iraq, says the terror outfit has already lost 95 percent of the cross-border "caliphate" it declared three years ago in the two Middle Eastern countries.

"Since our coalition was formed in 2014", the Daesh terror group "has lost 95 percent of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and Syria," Washington's envoy to the coalition, Brett McGurk, said late Wednesday, following a meeting in Jordan.

He noted that so far more than "7.5 million people" had been liberated from the grips of Daesh during the past three years, adding that the terror group's finances were also "at their lowest levels to date."

Daesh started its campaign of terror in Iraq and Syria in 2014 and swiftly seized a territory roughly the size of Britain after declaring a cross-border "caliphate." It also managed to radicalize and recruit thousands of people, mostly youngsters, from a number of countries and turned them into ruthless militants.

However, the terror group's initial swift expansion gradually stopped a year later, and it began losing ground to government troops, backed by Russian airstrikes, in Syria and the armed forces, backed by the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known by its Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi, in Iraq.

Mosul, Iraq's second largest city and Syria's northern city of Raqqah, which were used to be Daesh's de facto capitals in the Middle Eastern countries, were fully liberated in July and October this year respectively. The liberating forces in both countries are now combating the terror outfit to free the last remaining localities from its grips.

The US-led coalition of 68 nations has been conducting airstrikes against what are said to be Daesh targets inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate. Such air raids began in Iraq in August of the same year.

The military alliance has repeatedly been accused of targeting and killing civilians. It has also been largely incapable of fulfilling its declared aim of destroying Daesh.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has recently said that a total of 42,234 documented airstrikes in the country resulted in a minimum estimate of some 7,000 civilian deaths by the US-led coalition between 2014 and 2017.

Syria has time and again expressed its strong opposition to the presence of unwelcome US-led coalition within its borders, calling on the United Nations to prevent the so-called military alliance from continuing its operations in the Arab country.

On October 4, the Syrian Foreign Ministry, in two separate letters sent to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and UN Security Council rotating President Francois Delattre, criticized the international community's silence vis-a-vis US atrocities in the Arab country.

Russia said recently that the US wiped the city of Raqqah "off the face of the earth" with carpet bombing in the same way the United States and Britain bombed Germany's Dresden in 1945.

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Russian foreign minister says US intervention in Syria illegal

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 05:04PM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has slammed a US claim that Washington is conducting military operations in Syria under a UN mandate, saying the American intervention is illegal.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis was asked on Monday about the legal standing of his country's presence in Syria compared to that of Russia and Iran, which are both fighting terrorists at the Damascus government's request.

"You know, the UN said that  -- basically we can go after ISIS (Daesh). And we're there to take them out," Mattis said.

Lavrov rejected the claims at a joint press conference with his Argentinian counterpart Jorge Marcelo Faurie in Moscow on Thursday.

"It is quite interesting how the US justifies its presence there, which is illegitimate because it does not rely either on the decision of the UN Security Council or on the invitation of the legitimate government," he said.

The top Russian diplomat also noted that there was no Security Council resolution that allowed US troops on the Syrian territory.

Lavrov further said the US State Department had answered "incoherently" when questioned by Moscow on what kind of Security Council solutions Washington was using to justify its operations in Syria.

"They answered something incoherently, and it seemed the respondent clearly understood the absurdity of statements about the existence of allegedly legitimate grounds for finding the US armed forces in Syria."

Reacting to Mattis' remarks, Syria on Tuesday condemned the US military presence in the country as "an act of aggression."

Russia and Iran have been assisting the Syrian government in its counter-terrorism battle.

On the contrary, the US and its allies back militants fighting to topple the Syrian government. American warplanes have been bombing Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate, which has seriously damaged the country's infrastructure.

The airstrikes have on many occasions resulted in civilian casualties and failed to fulfill their declared aim of countering terrorism.

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Syria sends reinforcements to Bukamal in last anti-Daesh push

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:47AM

Syrian government forces have dispatched reinforcements to the eastern town of Bukamal in Syria's Dayr al-Zawr province to fully purge the city of Daesh terrorists.

The official SANA news agency reported on Thursday that the Syria air force carried out multiple airstrikes against gatherings and supply routes of Daesh terrorists in surroundings of the city of Bukamal in Dayr al-Zawr Province.

Several terrorists were killed in the strikes, according to the report.

Last week, Syrian forces announced that they liberated the town, the last Daesh bastion in the country, but later reports said Daesh militants managed to retake Bukamal in their counter attacks.

Meanwhile, Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range bombers continue airstrikes against the positions of the Daesh in Bukamal, bombarding fortified areas, manpower, supply depots and armored vehicles of the terrorists.

According to Russia's Defense Ministry, satellite and drone surveillance confirmed that all of the designated targets had been destroyed.

Backed by their Russian and Iranian allies, Syrian government forces have managed to deal heavy blows to terrorist groups, which have been wreaking havoc on the Arab nation since early 2011.

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Kurdish militants aim to capture Syrian region, not fighting Daesh: Turkish FM

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:41AM

The Turkish foreign minister says a US-backed Kurdish militant group fighting in northern Syria aims to conquer the region under the cover of battling the Daesh Takfiri terror group.

In his speech on Thursday, Mevlut Cavusoglu said recent developments in Syria's Raqqah show that the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) is more concerned about capturing the territory than fighting the terrorist group.

The YPG is part of a larger coalition of fighters  the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)  which has been engaged in operations aimed at liberating Raqqah. The US considers the SDF, which also includes Arab militants, as its main proxy force fighting on the ground in Syria.

Turkey has been on a collision course with the US in Syria, with Ankara sharply criticizing Washington over its support for the YPG forces in the operation in Raqqah, which serves as the main Daesh bastion in the Arab country.

Earlier this month, Turkey condemned as "an extremely grave revelation" the potential escape of hundreds of terrorists from Raqqah, saying it underscored the perils of Washington's alliance with Kurdish militants.

The SDF said over 3,000 civilians had left Raqqah on 14 October as part of a deal negotiated between officials from the provisional Raqqah Civil Council and Syrian Kurdish militants.

The Kurdish group announced last month that it had defeated Daesh in Raqqah and three days later said that it had fully recaptured the city from the terror group, following a military operation, which was launched in July without Damascus' approval.

Cavusoglu's remarks come despite various reports that Ankara has been supporting the Takfiri militants in Syria.

Earlier in October, Qatar's former prime minister Hamad bin Jassim revealed how the United States coordinated support by Doha, Riyadh and Ankara for militants operating against the Syrian government over the past years.

Hamad said Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey sent their weapons for militant groups in Syria via the US military forces in the region.

Elsewhere in his Thursday's remarks, Cavusoglu said procurement of defense equipments from US is being delayed in the United States, saying that Turkey is developing alternative solutions.

"We are unfortunately facing important delays in the procurement of defense equipment we urgently need in the fight against terror from the United States due to US internal practices," according to the text of his speech seen by Reuters.

"Evidently, as these periods are prolonged, we are developing alternative means to acquire the equipment and systems we require, primarily through our own national resources," he said.

Ankara fears that the Kurdish militants would permanently hold parts of land in northern Syria after Daesh is routed.

Referring to that possibility, President Erdogan said recently, "I want the entire world to know that in northern Syria, on our border, we are never going to allow a terrorist state to be established."

Back in September, the political and media adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Syrian forces would fight any force, including the US-backed militia, to fully liberate the Arab country plagued with terrorism for over six years.

"Whether it's the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), or Daesh or any illegitimate foreign force in the country... we will fight and work against them so our land is freed completely from any aggressor," Bouthaina Shaaban said.

She added that the US-backed SDF forces had managed to capture areas in northeastern Syria from Daesh "without any fighting," implying that the Takfiri militants were working hand in glove with the SDF to take oil-rich areas.

Turkey and Kurds harbor historical hostilities toward one another. Ankara considers Kurdish populations, whether in Syria, Iraq, or Turkey itself, as "terrorist" groups bent on taking away territory from Turkish soil.

Ankara views the YPG as a terror organization linked to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has long been fighting for the establishment of an independent Kurdish state.

The US and its allies have been bombarding what they call Daesh positions inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate. They also support some groups, such as the SDF, claiming that they help them in their alleged fight against Daesh terrorists.

Different foreign-backed terrorist groups have been wreaking havoc in Syria since 2011. The government controls the main urban centers in the west of the country and has recaptured much of the eastern desert from Daesh in recent months.

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Russia Vetoes U.S.-Led Move To Extend UN Chemical-Weapons Probe In Syria

RFE/RL November 16, 2017

Russia has vetoed a U.S.-written resolution in the United Nation Security Council to extend the mandate of an investigation program to determine who is behind chemical-weapons attacks in Syria.

The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, immediately blasted Moscow's action on November 16, saying it indicated that Russia had no problem with the use of chemical weapons in the six-year civil war in Syria.

France also assailed Russia's move, saying there was now a real danger of the further use of chemical weapons in Syria. Sweden called the veto "highly regrettable."

Russia has now vetoed 10 resolutions on Syria at the United Nations since the conflict started in 2011.

The five permanent members of the Security Council -- the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom -- have veto rights.

The Security Council was voting on whether to extend the mandate for the UN-led Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM). The mandate will now expire at midnight.

U.S. President Donald Trump had urged the council to support the JIM's continued work. In a Twitter message shortly before the vote, Trump said this would "ensure" that President Bashar al-Assad's Syrian "regime does not commit mass murder with chemical weapons ever again."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had indicated Moscow would likely veto the resolution, telling reporters before the vote that "it has no chance of adoption."

Russia has criticized the investigative team, saying it was unfair in blaming Syria -- an ally of Moscow -- for a deadly sarin gas attack on a rebel-held village in Syria in April.

A rival resolution had been put forward by Russia. It also would have extended the JIM's mandate, but it requested that the panel reevaluate its earlier findings. Russia withdrew its resolution before the vote on the U.S. resolution.

Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013 under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States.

With reporting by dpa, AFP, and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/un-council-vote-rival -us-russia-proposals-syrian-chemical -weapons-attacks/28856893.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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U.S. congressional commission urges support for Taiwan's defense

ROC Central News Agency

2017/11/16 13:19:16

Washington, Nov. 15 (CNA) A U.S. congressional commission on Wednesday recommended that the administration of President Donald Trump give more support to Taiwan's efforts to enhance its defense capabilities by adopting such steps as inviting Taiwan to military exercises and increasing high-level exchanges with Taiwan's military.

In its 2017 annual report to the U.S. Congress, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) said Congress should urge the administration to invite Taiwan to participate, at least as an observer, in U.S-led bilateral and multilateral military and security-related exercises, including the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise, Red Flag air-to-air combat training exercises and the Cyber Storm cybersecurity exercise.

USCC also recommended that Congress urge the executive branch to reexamine its practice regarding reciprocal visits by senior U.S. and Taiwan military officers and civilian officials, including Cabinet-level officials and senior National Security Council officials, as part of an effort to enhance U.S.-Taiwan relations.

In addition, Congress should ensure relevant U.S. military personnel are sufficiently familiar with Taiwan's defense situation by allocating funds for U.S. military personnel to take courses at Taiwan's defense educational institutions and in an unofficial capacity through the American Institute in Taiwan, the commission said.

It noted that Taiwan is engaged in a robust program to enhance its defensive capabilities through domestic defense industrial production, the procurement of U.S. weapons systems and its transition to an all-volunteer force.

However, these efforts face a major challenge from the scope and speed of the modernization of the Chinese military, the commission added.

Politically, Beijing continues to increase pressure on Taipei in response to President Tsai Ing-wen's () refusal to endorse the "1992 consensus," the USCC said.

Over the past year, Beijing's pressure on Taipei over its participation in the international community has also become more pronounced, it added.

The USCC was created by the U.S. Congress in 2000 to monitor the impact of China on American economic and security interests.

(By Chiang Chin-yeh and Y.F. Low)

Enditem/AW

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Iranian-Turkish Relations Deepen with Shared Regional Goals

By Dorian Jones November 16, 2017

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to attend a summit with Iranian and Russian leaders to discuss Syria.

It will be Erdogan's second meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a month. Bilateral relations have warmed significantly in recent months between the regional rivals, since the Turkish president criticized Tehran in June, accusing it of Persian expansion in the region, a threat he said needed to be challenged.

"This is part of Ankara's vacillations; it seems to be moving to the requirements of the day," said political columnist Semih Idiz of Al Monitor website. "Of course Ankara appears that it's moving closer to Tehran, especially after the Iraqi Kurds held their independence referendum  which both Turkey and Iran are very forcefully against  and it united the two."

Iran and Turkey have large restive Kurdish minorities and share fears that any independence bid by neighboring Iraqi Kurds could provoke similar secessionist demands. In the run-up to the referendum vote, the Iranian and Turkish armed forces chiefs made rare visits to one another's countries in another sign of deepening relations.

At a summit next week in Sochi, Erdogan is expected to try to persuade Rouhani to support his calls to carry out a military operation against Syrian Kurds of the PYD. Ankara accuses the PYD of having secessionist aspirations and being linked to the PKK, which is waging an insurgency in Turkey.

Erdogan is also pressing Tehran to carry out a joint military operation against the PKK headquarters in northern Iraq, close to the Iranian border.

Cooperation and rivalry

Traditionally, Iranian and Turkish relations have been characterized by cooperation and rivalry. In the late 2000s, seeking greater influence in Iraq and Syria as part of then-Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's policy of "strategic depth," relations between the two countries soured as they competed for influence; however, Ankara's abandoning of its "strategic depth" policy has facilitated bilateral cooperation.

"My view is that Turkey has narrowed its focus on Syria; it's no longer regional hegemony," said international relations expert Soli Ozel of Istanbul's Kadir Has University. "It's basically the PKK in Iraq and the PYD in Syria; Turkey does not want to be encircled by the PKK on its southern border; because Russia and Iran have the upper hand, it goes along with them."

U.S. relations

Ankara's gravitating toward Tehran has been expedited by growing alienation with the United States, its NATO ally, over Washington's support of Syrian Kurdish fighters in their war against Islamic State.

Analysts warn Ankara's deepening cooperation with Tehran threatens to plunge Turkish-U.S. relations into a vicious circle with Tehran as the beneficiary. "The more Turkey is getting closer to Russia and Iran, the more the Americans will distance themselves from Turkey," said international relations Professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University and unofficial adviser to the Turkish presidency. "Turkish-American relations will continue with this turbulence and the Americans will continue increasing its pressure [on Turkey]."

U.S.-Turkish relations are likely to be strained further if Washington steps up its challenge of Iranian influence in the region and looks for Turkish support, especially in enforcing new trade sanctions against Tehran.

Ankara has already confronted another former ally, Saudi Arabia, in its embargo against Qatar for its cooperation with Iran. Turkey cooperated with Iran in airlifting and shipping supplies to the Gulf nation and even sent a symbolic military force to Qatar.

Analyst Bagci said there are limits to Turkish-Iranian cooperation.

"A new structure is emerging in the region, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel as one bloc, Iran, Iraq and Syria the other bloc," he said. "There is this battle for regional hegemony and Turkey is in the middle. So there is a natural balance of power and Turkey will not take a side in this conflict, neither on the side of Iran or Saudi Arabia."

Analysts point out that siding with Iran in any confrontation with Sunni Arab countries could have repercussions. "It would have a domestic cost because of the Sunni Islamist support base of this government and President Erdogan," noted columnist Idiz.

Erdogan is set to face re-election by 2019 in an expected close vote. Increasingly, Turkish foreign policy is being seen as dictated by election considerations. Analysts suggest Erdogan will have to carefully balance courting Tehran in his bid to confront Kurdish separatist groups, a vote winner for the president, but at the same time not allow Turkey to get sucked into the looming regional conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

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Queen to commission namesake aircraft carrier in just three weeks, Defence Secretary announces on flight-deck

16 November 2017

Her Majesty the Queen will formally commission her namesake aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, into the Royal Navy fleet in just three weeks' time.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced the news as he made his first landing onto the deck of the carrier today, while she was at sea sailing around the South Coast of England.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

"In a world of intensifying global threats, this magnificent ship will be a leading force fighting to protect the values of the UK and our allies. It's an honour to visit her at sea, and to meet such a passionate crew. I'm sure Her Majesty will be similarly impressed at next month's historic ceremony for the nation's new flagship, which proudly bears her name."

The carrier is currently making great progress through her sea trials and will return to her home port in Portsmouth in a few weeks' time. Her Majesty the Queen will then visit the ship in Portsmouth on 7 December for the formal commissioning ceremony.

Her Majesty will be joined by a host of dignitaries from the Royal Family, Government and the military, before saying a few words as Lady Sponsor. The commissioning warrant will then be read and the White Ensign raised, symbolising the acceptance of HMS Queen Elizabeth into Her Majesty's fleet.

It will be the first time Her Majesty the Queen has visited the UK's new flagship since she formally named her in Rosyth, Scotland in July 2014. Since then the ship has been completed, sailed into her home dock of Portsmouth for the first time and is now continuing her sea trials. Her identical sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, has also been formally named and is now structurally complete.

The Defence Secretary took a Merlin helicopter from RAF Northolt and landed on the flight-deck this morning, where he met the ship's company, from the Captain Jerry Kyd to the most junior ranks.

Captain Jerry Kyd said:

"I was delighted to be able to welcome the Defence Secretary on board HMS Queen Elizabeth at what is a very exciting time for the ship, for the Royal Navy, and for Defence as we move into the final phase of our sea trials."

"We spoke about the progress made on our trials so far and the exciting future ahead as the UK regenerates its strike carrier capability."

"We're glad the Defence Secretary took the time to visit us and really get under the skin of this aircraft carrier and see for himself the enormous potential of this ship that will be deployed across the globe for the next half century."

Both of the UK's aircraft carriers are being delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a unique partnering relationship between industry and the UK Ministry of Defence.

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UK extends support to peacekeeping in South Sudan

16 November 2017

The UK is extending the deployment of Royal Engineers to the UN Mission in South Sudan for an additional year, until April 2020.

Defence Minister Lord Howe made the announcement at the 2017 United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial in Vancouver.

At the event, co-hosted by the UK and partners, which comes one year on from the meeting held in London, Lord Howe announced that the UK is extending its deployment of some 300 British Army engineers to the UN Mission in South Sudan for an additional year, until April 2020.

Defence Minister, Lord Howe, said:

"We remain unwaveringly committed to international peace and security and this extension is a demonstration of that."

"It's all part of the UK's efforts to deliver stability worldwide, which will help tackle issues like terrorism and mass migration, keeping us safe at home as well as improving lives internationally."

The UK is also cooperating closely with Vietnam's first UN troop deployment, as they prepare to take over the running of a field hospital in South Sudan from the UK next year.

The announcements came at the ministerial where representatives from around 80 countries and five international organisations met with the aim of improving the conduct of peacekeeping, including training, equipment, leadership and rapid response capability.

The defence ministerial built on the momentum of the 2016 conference in London, where the '3Ps of peacekeeping reform' agenda was launched, focusing on planning, pledges and performance.

Reflecting this year's additional focus on partnerships, Lord Howe also signed a statement of intent with Bangladesh to sell two RAF C130J transport aircraft to the Bangladeshi Air Force, with the revenue being reinvested back into UK defence. The C130Js will help Bangladesh play a leading role in UN Peacekeeping Missions in the coming years.

The Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Gordon Messenger, also joined with representatives from Canada and Bangladesh to launch the Women, Peace and Security Chiefs of Defence Network, to promote the integration of gender perspectives into armed forces and peacekeeping.



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Kyiv Welcomes 'Any Steps' By Russia To Revive Exchanges With Separatists

RFE/RL November 16, 2017

Ukraine's main security agency says it welcomes "any steps" by Russia that would facilitate exchanges of people held by Kyiv and the Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) made the remark in a brief statement on November 16, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin told separatist leaders in Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk regions that he favored a plan for a prisoner swap with Kyiv.

The SBU "welcomes any steps taken by the Russian authorities to unblock the release of hostages," it said.

Russian state-run news agency TASS on November 15 quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Putin spoke by phone with separatist leaders Aleksandr Zakharchenko of the Donetsk region and Igor Plotnitsky of Luhansk.

The conversations came after Putin promised Viktor Medvedchuk, leader of the pro-Russian Ukrainian organization Choice, that he would speak to the separatists about a prisoner exchange with the authorities in Kyiv.

"Putin told them that he had supported Medvedchuk's proposal on large-scale exchanges of people held by both sides," Peskov said.

Peskov said that Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky supported a swap in principle but "pointed out that the issue will have to be worked out further on with representatives of Ukraine."

Speaking Directly

The Russian statements saying that Putin spoke directly to the Russia-backed separatist leaders represented a rare public acknowledgment of such direct contacts.

The separatists have controlled the capitals and some other districts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions since the spring of 2014, when Moscow fomented separatism amid unrest that led to the downfall of Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych that February.

Russia does not recognize the separatist-held areas as independent and says it supports Ukraine's territorial integrity. Moscow also denies providing the separatists with troops, weapons, and other support in a war that has killed 10,000 people in the two regions since April 2014, despite what Kyiv and NATO say is incontrovertible evidence of such support.

In the past, the only official platform for Putin to meet the separatist leaders was during negotiations in the Belarusian capital in September 2014 and February 2015, when successive agreements known as the Minsk protocols were signed.

The agreements eased fighting but failed to stop it, and progress on other aspects of the 2015 deal -- which called for the "release and exchange of all hostages and illegally held persons" -- has been limited.

Minsk Limitations

Medvedchuk, who has personal ties to Putin and has played a key role in previous prisoner swaps, told Putin that Ukrainian authorities had said they are ready to release 306 prisoners captured during the conflict in exchange for 76 Ukrainians held by the separatists.

Iryna Herashchenko, first deputy speaker of parliament in Ukraine, said that there had been no releases for 14 months and that Kyiv had long been ready "to hand over all of those who can be released under Ukrainian laws in order to take confirmed Ukrainians in exchange."

But she said that Ukraine would not bend to "blackmail" and suggested that Russia and the separatists were trying to get Ukraine to hand over former security-force officers accused of involvement in deadly crackdowns on demonstrators during the Euromaidan protests in Kyiv that pushed Yanukovych from power.

In a post on Facebook on November 15, Herashchenko said that Ukraine "cannot release those who...cannot be released in accordance with the Minsk agreements."

Medvedchuk said the pace of exchanges has been slow because of the "all-for-all" formula established by the sides and enshrined in the 2015 Minsk agreement.

With reporting by Christopher Miller in Kyiv, TASS, UNIAN, Ukrayinska Pravda, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia -sbu-welcomes-any-steps-prisoner-exchange -separatists/28857404.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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Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly has been nominated by President Donald Trump to be U.S. attorney for Nebraska.

Kelly, 61, was elected as county attorney in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. Before his election seven years ago, he served for a decade as chief deputy county attorney and counts more than 30 years of experience as a prosecutor in the county attorney's office.

"I'm honored by the nomination," Kelly said by phone Friday, deferring any further comment to the U.S. Justice Department.

The Republican's nomination will be submitted to the U.S. Senate for confirmation, though it wasn't immediately clear when a hearing would be held.

Robert Stuart has served as acting U.S. attorney for Nebraska since Deborah Gilg, President Barack Obama's appointment, retired last March.

Kelly was recommended to the White House by Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse.

"Joe Kelly is a highly respected prosecutor who will put the safety of Nebraska's families and communities first," Fischer said.

"It was my honor to recommend Joe to serve the people of our state in this capacity.

"His decades of experience, steady leadership and top-notch legal skills will make him an incredibly effective U.S. attorney for the District of Nebraska."

Sasse, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, Joe Kelly is a proven public servant with the humility and honesty that Nebraskans demand and respect. I look forward to working with Joe as he moves through the Judiciary Committee toward confirmation.

Gov. Pete Ricketts also praised the choice: Joe has served Lancaster County faithfully for more than 20 years, working to protect public safety and enforce the law. He is a tenacious and talented attorney and public servant.

If Kelly is confirmed, the Lancaster County Board would select someone to fill his position until the next election, in November 2018, said Kerry Eagan, the county's chief administrative officer. The board must name a temporary replacement within 45 days of the vacancy, according to state law.

Kelly's counterpart, Lancaster County Public Defender Joe Nigro, praised the nomination, calling Kelly an excellent prosecutor, skilled attorney and good guy.

Nigro met Kelly during their undergraduate studies at the University of Nebraska, and they attended law school there together, he said.

In court, Kelly was a well-prepared, detail-oriented adversary, Nigro said.

The two fostered a good working relationship in their time advising the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners on staff salaries for the two competing offices.

And Kelly has been supportive of problem-solving courts such as drug court and veterans court, which offer alternatives to incarceration, Nigro said.

Kelly will likely spend less time in the courtroom in his new role managing the U.S. Attorney's Office and carrying out Justice Department policy, Nigro said.

Often, U.S. Attorney nominees can be political appointments more than practitioners of the law, but Kelly is well-qualified, Nigro said.
OMAHA  A former Nebraska State Patrol investigator charged earlier this year with stealing ammunition from the patrol's facility in Omaha now faces federal charges, accused of stealing narcotics while on the job.

Christopher Kober, 44, of Bellevue, was fired in June following an internal investigation and after being charged by state prosecutors in May with theft for the missing ammunition.

Kober's attorney, Clarence Mock, had said at the time that it was the regular practice of troopers to take ammunition for shooting practice.

The recent federal indictment charges Kober with acquiring drugs by fraud or diversion in 2016 and 2017, and intending to distribute those drugs. The indictment lists the drugs as painkillers and opioids stolen during drug take-back operations, overdose investigations and other means.

Mock says Kober will plead not guilty to the federal charges.
The Nokia 2 became official at the end of October as HMD Global's entry-level Android smartphone model - its cheapest yet. The device has already landed in Russia and South Africa, and it looks like the US is among the next batch of countries to receive it.

Today the Nokia 2 has gone up for pre-order at online retailers such as Amazon, B&H, and Best Buy. Regardless of where you buy from, the phone will set you back a cool $99. Of course you're receiving an unlocked unit, but keep in mind that it's only compatible with GSM-based carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile (and the various MVNOs which use their networks). The device will not work on Sprint or Verizon, unfortunately.

Still, it makes a decent back-up smartphone, especially when you factor in battery life - the Nokia 2 comes with a huge 4,100 mAh cell. Otherwise it's understandably low-end given the price, sporting a 5-inch 720p display, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage, and the Snapdragon 212 chipset. The main camera is an 8 MP unit with LED flash, while for selfies you get a 5 MP sensor.

The release date for the Nokia 2 isn't yet mentioned by any of the retailers taking pre-orders, so we're left guessing on that front. Hopefully this will be made clear soon.

Via




Haiti - News : Zapping...





Review of the PetroCaribe report postponed...

On Tuesday, the senators met in plenary session to present the PetroCaribe inquiry report of the Anti-corruption Commission chaired by Evalieres Beauplan. After hours of debate and delay, the senators decided that the Assembly will meet on November 30 to discuss it.



Artibonite: Opening soon of 2 vocational schools

Soon 2 vocational schools in Artibonite will be opened by the Government for the training of 2,000 young people.



COP23, access to the green fund...

On Wednesday, Environment Minister Pierre Simon Georges met with the Fiji negotiator for COP23 alongside other Ministers of Small Island Developing States and Caricom. They discussed opportunities, access to the green fund and a methodology of teamwork.



The coordinator of the OMRH in Paris

Me Josue Pierre-Louis, the General Coordinator of the Office of Management and Human Resources Management (OMRH), accompanied by some representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID - Haiti) is on mission until 17 November 2017 at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris. This mission is part of a possible partnership between the Haitian government and the OECD on the ongoing administrative reform.



Martine Moise at the Hospital l'Espoir

Wednesday at the Hope Hospital "in Delmas 75, the First Lady of Haiti Martine Moise, assessed the conditions of implementation of the" Konte m mwen Kontew "Program. This program will be gradually introduced in all private and public hospitals in the country, with a view to enabling all pregnant women to register their children from birth.



The town hall of PAP in training in Spain

Until November 24, 2017, in Madrid (Spain) Wilgens Gustave and Mrs. Roxane Ledane represent Marie de Port-au-Prince at the 40th Edition of the Ibero American Program of Municipal Training of the Union of Ibero American Cities and Capitals (UCCI ).



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Academic achievement earns Clear Creek a Blue Bell ice cream party

Blue Bell Creameries is throwing a schoolwide ice cream party on Monday for Clear Creek Elementary School in honor of its being named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School.

A Blue Bell truck filled with ice cream will arrive at Clear Creek Elementary School at 1:20 p.m., to treat all the students, teachers, and staff members.

The U.S. Department of Educations Blue Ribbon Schools program has honored more than 8,500 of Americas most successful schools for the past 35 years. This year, 342 public and private schools across the country received this coveted award. Blue Ribbon Schools are selected on the basis of two primary criteria: 1) they are among the highest-performing schools in their state, and 2) they are schools with at least 40 percent of students from disadvantaged backgrounds that have improved student performance to high levels.

At Blue Bell, we recognize the importance of encouraging and honoring schools that have achieved educational excellence, says Ricky Dickson, president of Blue Bell Creameries. We are well aware that such high levels of achievement require tremendous effort from students, teachers, administrators and parents. This is Blue Bells way of showing how proud we are!

This years winning schools were honored at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C. on Nov. 6-7, 2017.
The brother of an innocent locksmith who was gunned down in a botched gangland shooting has told how he had to identify the body of the murdered man.

Antoinette Corbally (48), the sister of intended target Derek 'Bottler' Devoy, and Clinton Shannon (30) were shot dead outside a house in Ballymun last August 16.

Autopsy

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane opened the inquest into the two deaths at Dublin Coroner's Court yesterday.

Mr Shannon, of Lincoln Hall, Applewood, Swords, died of gunshot injuries to the neck and chest, according to an autopsy conducted by State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy.

His brother, Tom Shannon, attended the inquest to give evidence of the formal identification of the body following the fatal shooting. Mr Shannon said he attended the scene of the double shooting at Balbutcher Drive, Ballymun, on August 16.

"I formally identified the body of my brother to Det Gda Mick Harkin, of Ballymun Garda Station," Mr Shannon said in his deposition.

Det Gda Harkin formally identified Clinton Shannon and Ms Corbally at the city morgue in Whitehall before post-mortem examinations were performed.

Mother-of-six Ms Corbally, of Balbutcher Drive, Ballymun, died as a result of gunshot wounds to the head and trunk, according to Prof Cassidy's autopsy report.

It is believed that her brother, Derek Devoy, was the intended target of the hit at the house at around 4pm.

Mr Shannon was sitting in a car parked outside while Ms Corbally was shot in the hallway.

Mr Shannon was a locksmith and had no involvement in crime, according to gardai.

The investigation into the double murder is continuing, Supt Colm Fox told the court. He applied for a six-month adjournment of the inquest.

Adjourning proceedings for further mention until May 10, Dr Cullinane offered her condolences to family members.

"In this court we will hear no further evidence until the gardai advise us of any updates in the criminal investigation," she said.
Mark Kirby had a drug addiction but had got back on track

A reveller out celebrating his birthday was arrested after he began shouting obscenities at gardai outside a pub.

Mark Kirby (23) had been told to move on after he was found shouting threats at doormen, but he returned to verbally abuse the officers.

Judge Ann Ryan said he could avoid public order convictions if he takes part in a restorative justice programme.

Kirby, of Dunsink Drive, Finglas, pleaded guilty to public intoxication and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

Blanchardstown District Court heard the incident happened at the car park of The Full Shilling pub on Main Street, Finglas, last August 6.

Gardai were called to a disturbance and found Kirby outside the pub shouting at security staff in a threatening and abusive manner.

Apologetic

He was highly intoxicated, Gda Sgt Maria Callaghan said.

When gardai asked him to move on he began to walk away from the scene.

He turned a corner, but returned a short time later and began shouting obscenities at the officers.

He failed to stop and was arrested and taken to Finglas Garda Station, where he became fully co-operative.

Kirby had no previous convictions. He was embarrassed and deeply apologetic for his behaviour, defence solicitor Geraldine Wycherley said.

He had been out all day celebrating his birthday and "clearly had too much to drink".

Kirby had worked in Dublin Port but lost his job in 2015. He previously had a drug addiction, which he was "candid about" and for which he had sought help.

He had since got back on the "right track" and was working full-time again with his previous employer.
Fine Gael has been unable to contact a senior member of its national executive responsible for a raft of vile online posts about women.

Barry Walsh has not issued a statement since Dublin Bay South TD Kate O'Connell distributed a dossier of offensive statements he has made on social media.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also waded into the controversy, telling the Herald he believes the language used by Mr Walsh is "not acceptable", although he stopped short of publicly seeking his resignation.

Mr Walsh referred to Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald and the Social Democrats' Roisin Shortall as "b***hes".

He also called well-known actor and writer Tara Flynn a "killer" for having an abortion.

Well-placed sources say officials in the party were aware of the crude comments, which were publicly posted, but did not intervene.

Former general election candidate Stephanie Regan told the Herald: "Barry has worked hard for the party and has a history with the party. He was protected."

Mr Walsh is well-known to the Taoiseach, who is an avid user of social media. He backed Mr Varadkar in the Fine Gael leadership contest.

Derogatory

Prior to that, he was the director of elections in Dublin Bay North last year when Ms Regan and Education Minister Richard Bruton were on the ticket.

He also previously worked as parliamentary assistant to Lucinda Creighton and was based in Government Buildings.

Ms Regan said she called him out for describing women as "b***hes" on Twitter almost a year ago.

"I said to him at the time, 'Barry you need to rethink your derogatory language when it comes to women'," she said.

Fine Gael's national executive is to meet later this month to discuss the complaints. However, as far back as May 2016 Mr Walsh's tweets were garnering attention online.

Among the most notable of his Twitter posts was an attack on Ms Flynn, who is the voice of TV3's Blind Date. She has spoken publicly about her experience because it's "too easy to dismiss faceless stories".

Six weeks ago, Mr Walsh tweeted: "From what Tara Flynn says, she was pregnant and just couldn't be bothered having a baby. So she had it killed. Why is she a feminist hero?"

Speaking yesterday, Ms Flynn said: "It's genuinely frightening when it seems a senior member of a party in government is allowed to get away with misrepresenting you. I'm glad to see Fine Gael, and Kate O'Connell, taking it seriously."

Mr Walsh did not reply to queries and last night blocked his Twitter from public view.
A fireman has been charged with dangerous driving causing the death of a north Co Dublin man.

Derek Keane (38) appeared before Balbriggan District Court yesterday accused of dangerous driving causing the death of Callum Grimes on December 27, 2016, on the R128 at Loughshinny, Co Dublin.

Sergeant Sean Pender told Judge John Cheatle that Mr Keane, of The Cottage, Loughshinny, was arrested at 9.05am yesterday and charged with the offence.

Sgt Pender said the defendant replied "no" after caution.

Clarification

He said the Director of Public Prosecution had directed trial on indictment which means Mr Keane will be sent forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to face trial by judge and jury.

He also confirmed that the DPP had consented that the accused be sent forward to the Circuit Court on a signed plea, if that arises.

However, the defendant has not yet indicated how he will plead.

Dressed in a navy jumper, blue shirt and blue jeans, Mr Keane, who works as a retained firefighter in north Dublin, did not address the court.

Sgt Pender told the court that he was seeking clarification whether the defendant was to face further charges and requested a three-week adjournment.

He said there was no objection to the defendant being granted bail on condition he surrendered his passport and signed on at a garda station every Wednesday between 9am and 9pm.

Judge Cheatle released Mr Keane on his own bond of 200 to appear before the court on December 7 for Sgt Pender to clarify whether further charges are to be brought against him.

Mr Grimes (27), who was from the St Catherine's estate in Rush, Co Dublin, died in Beaumont Hospital in July - six months after he was knocked down on the Skerries to Loughshinny road.

He had been out socialising at a bar in Skerries about 5km away as part of the St Stephen's Day festivities.

It is thought he was unable to get a taxi and started walking home along the narrow road.

He was found unconscious with serious injuries on the side of the road by a breadman who was making deliveries, and a local nurse helped give him first aid before emergency services arrived.

Broken glass and plastic from a vehicle was scattered nearby.
Discovery of a 210,000-gallon oil leak from the Keystone pipeline would seem to be poor timing four days before regulators in Nebraska decide whether to allow a major expansion of the system, but state law does not allow pipeline safety to be a factor in their decision.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission was scheduled to rule Monday if a Keystone XL expansion pipeline proposed by TransCanada Corp. can cross the state. The commission's decision is the last major regulatory hurdle for a project that has faced numerous local, state and federal reviews and lawsuits since it was announced in 2008.

TransCanada shut down the existing Keystone pipeline early Thursday morning and workers were testing to determine the cause of the spill on agricultural land in Marshall County, South Dakota, near the North Dakota border, about 250 miles west of Minneapolis.

State and company officials said the spill was not a threat to waterways or drinking water, but critics were quick to use the leak as an example of what they see as the risks to the environment.

The Nebraska vote Monday will be on a proposed route for Keystone XL, a massive expansion. The new pipeline would carry an estimated 830,000 barrels of oil a day from the oil sands areas of Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it would connect with the existing Keystone pipeline.

The decision will hinge on testimony and documents generated from public hearings over the summer and from more than 500,000 public comments, Nebraska Public Service Commission spokeswoman Deb Collins said. A state law passed in 2011 prevents the commission from factoring pipeline safety or the possibility of leaks into its decisions.

"The commission's decision ... will be based on the evidence in the record," Collins said.

The Keystone XL proposal has faced intense opposition in Nebraska from a coalition of environmental groups, Native American tribes and some landowners who don't want the pipeline running through their property.

Nebraska lawmakers gave the five-member commission the power to regulate major oil pipelines in 2011 in response to a public outcry over the pipeline and its potential impact on the Sandhills, an ecologically fragile region of grass-covered sand dunes.

But when they passed the law, legislators argued that pipeline safety is a federal responsibility and should not factor in the state decision.

Opponents of Keystone XL are incensed that the leak won't be considered.

"There is a reason TransCanada and the big oil lobby did not want this information on the record," said Jane Kleeb, director of the Bold Alliance, a coalition of groups that have opposed the Keystone XL for nearly a decade.

President Donald Trump issued a federal permit for the expansion project in March even though it had been rejected by the Obama administration.

The existing Keystone pipeline, where the leak was discovered, transports crude from Canada to refineries in Illinois and a major storage hub in Oklahoma, passing through the eastern Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. It can handle nearly 600,000 barrels daily, or about 23 million gallons.

Since 2010, companies have reported 17 spills in the U.S. bigger than the leak announced Thursday, according to U.S. Department of Transportation records.

Officials in South Dakota said they weren't notified about the leak until roughly five hours after TransCanada discovered it. Brian Walsh, an environmental scientist manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said officials would likely inquire about the delay but were focusing immediately on the spill.

TransCanada said Friday the leak was controlled and posed no threat to public safety. The company has sent more than 75 workers to the spill site, including environmental, engineering and emergency response specialists.

TransCanada spokesman Matthew John said the company will need to do "extensive testing" along with federal regulators and independent testing facilities before they can pinpoint a cause.

An aerial photo released by TransCanada on Twitter that the company says is of the spill, shows a darkened area on flat agricultural land. There do not appear to be any waterways or towns nearby.

Residents near the site reported a surge of activity as cleanup crews arrived at the scene.

Suzie Easthouse, general manager at the Front Porch in Langford, a city southeast of the spill area, said the restaurant will be catering for TransCanada workers at the site. Easthouse said she's serving Friday supper and a middle-of-the-night shift meal for 80 people, with meals for 100 people on Saturday.

"I'm pretty much going to be working a 24-hour shift here now," Easthouse said.

Easthouse said she has mixed emotions about the pipeline, a tug between the business it has brought to the area and her environmental concerns. She said she thinks the spill will have lasting effects in the area.

"It's almost like everybody's fears have come true with it," Easthouse said. "It's not the notoriety we really want in small town South Dakota."
A witness in a double murder trial refused to give evidence in court yesterday, telling the judge: "It was all lies I told on him."

Richie Cullinan was called to give evidence for the State in the trial of a 34-year-old Dubliner charged with murdering two car thieves five-and-a-half years ago.

Jason O'Driscoll, of Richmond Avenue, Fairview, Dublin 3, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Anthony Burnett (31) and Joseph Redmond (25) in Co Louth on March 7, 2012.

The trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard that firefighters were called to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park shortly before 11pm.

The bodies of the two Dubliners were discovered inside the vehicle, with gunshot wounds to their heads.

Alexander Owens, prosecuting, called Mr Cullinan as his first witness yesterday morning.

However, when he was asked to stand to take the oath, he refused.

"It was all lies I told on him," he said.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy asked Mr Cullinan if he was refusing to take the oath or affirmation, and he said he was.

The judge told him that, if he refused to give evidence, it would be a contempt of court and that he could punish him.

"So, I'm ordering you to take the oath," he said.

"It was all lies," replied Mr Cullinan.

"So, you're refusing to do it for whatever reason?" asked the judge again.

"Yeah," he said.

The judge asked the jury to excuse them. When they returned, the State moved on to other technical evidence.

Imprisoned

Mr Cullinan is the second witness in the trial to refuse to take the oath and give evidence. On Wednesday, Crystal Jackson refused to swear.

"I don't stand by my statement, your honour," she said.

Mr Owens submitted that she was "in clear contempt of the court and should be imprisoned until she purges her contempt".

The judge asked the jurors to excuse them on that occasion too.

They heard evidence from other witnesses on their return.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women.
Professor Fergal Malone, who is Master of the Rotunda

The "strength and tenacity" of Ireland's premature babies is being celebrated today as part of World Prematurity Day.

Out of 70,000 births in Ireland every year, some 4,500 are born pre-term - that is one every two hours.

The Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, the second busiest maternity hospital in the country, is holding a party today for all premature babies born there in 2015 who weighed less than 1,500 grams.

Decades ago, many babies born at 28 weeks had a very slim chance of survival but now, thanks to modern medical care, babies born at just 26 weeks have an 80pc chance of surviving.

Master of the Rotunda, Professor Fergal Malone, said one of the main risk factors for pre-term birth is having delivered pre-term in a prior pregnancy.

Dedicated

"The Rotunda has recently launched a new specialist pre-term birth prevention clinic, in which a dedicated specialist in maternal-fetal medicine reviews all such high-risk mothers," said Prof Malone.

The clinic "provides the latest interventions" to prevent recurrent prematurity, he said.

"This includes weekly progesterone injections, cervical suturing, ultrasound assessment of the cervix, and vaginal swabs to predict pre-term birth."

World Prematurity Day helps raise awareness of the challenges that families face as result of a pre-term birth.

"In regards to advances in neonatal medicine, we have seen the rates of chronic lung disease halved in the hospital's neonatal unit, which is very promising and reassuring," Prof Malone added.

One of the biggest changes in helping babies with under-developed lungs is a process known as "volume guarantee".

Professor Naomi McCallion, based at the Rotunda, is one of the world's leading experts in this welcome innovation.

Since 2012, the percentage of premature delivery, defined as less than 36 weeks gestation, has increased nationally each year, from 5.1pc of all deliveries in 2012 to 5.5pc of all deliveries in 2015.

Survival rates for pre-term infants relate to the degree of prematurity. Most infants born later than 26 weeks would be expected to survive with lower rates of disability.

Dr Michael Boyle, consultant neonatologist at the Rotunda, said it was heartening that far more babies are surviving now with the latest care available.

Veteran staff recall that many babies would not have survived a generation ago, he said.

Delayed clamping of the umbilical cord for up to a minute after delivery is being found to be associated with significant neonatal benefits in pre-term infants, including improved circulation and a decreased need for blood transfusion.

The Rotunda Foundation has launched Tentacles for Tinies - a new project in which volunteers craft cuddly octopus toys to be placed in incubators with premature infants.

The tentacles can feel like the umbilical cord to babies, with significant calming effects.
A Scottsbluff man's newest endeavor is something he said hed never have seen himself doing  growing mushrooms right in the heart of downtown Scottsbluff.
How good are these two guys, Penn State fans? It may surprise you ...
With all the documentation of Russian collusion piling up, President Trump's best excuse may be that his people were too incompetent to organize a conspiracy. Luckily for him, an innocent-by-reason-of-stupidity defense has the virtue of being plausible.

For example, there is clear and compelling evidence that Donald Trump Jr. is dumb as a post.

This week brings word that the Trump campaign was in direct contact with WikiLeaks, described by Trump's own CIA director as "a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia." And who was the point of contact? D'oh! Donald Jr. -- asking privately for information from WikiLeaks, which at one point suggested an action that the candidate took, in part, just minutes later.

This follows the discovery in July that Junior met with Russians during the campaign. He first claimed the meeting concerned adoption, then admitted it was to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, then said nothing was untoward because the information provided by the Russians "wasn't helpful." This, as Jimmy Kimmel pointed out, was like saying "I tried to rob the bank, but I forgot they weren't open on Sundays."

A tweet pinned to the top of Junior's Twitter page says, "Life is hard; it's even harder when you're stupid." And Junior should know. Some of his colleagues on the Trump campaign mocked him as "Fredo," the weak son in "The Godfather." Trump surrogate Chris Christie euphemistically described Junior as "by no means a sophisticated political actor."

On Election Day in Virginia last week, Junior issued two tweets, hours apart, urging people to vote -- "tomorrow," the day after the election. The previous week, Junior tweeted that he would take away half his daughter's Halloween candy because "it's never to [sic] early to teach her about socialism." (He seemed not to grasp that trick-or-treating involves handouts.) This was Junior's second candy-related mishap; he previously shared a tweet likening Syrian refugees to a bowl of Skittles, asking if "I told you just three would kill you, would you take a handful?"

This week, as CNN's Andrew Kaczynski noticed, irony eluded Junior when he "liked" a tweet discrediting one of Roy Moore's accusers -- because she "has had three divorces" and "filed for bankruptcy three times."

The 39-year-old Trump once tried to make it on his own, but, after a couple of his ventures fizzled, he signed on with Dad, whom Junior has been "helping" ever since. Such as in September 2016, when he posted an image featuring Pepe the Frog, a white-supremacist emblem. Junior pleaded ignorance: "I thought it was a frog in a wig."

A number of Junior's tweets over the years call people "morons" and "idiots" for their "unintelligible grammar" and poor spelling. Unfortunately, he routinely makes the same errors himself, sometimes in the tweets labeling others morons. When called on this, he explains, "I just let spelling and grammar go" or "spelling has never been a strong point."

His Twitter feed skews Low Playground, with vulgar words, jokes about bestiality and sexual assault and a quip about pretending to be gay so he can put his hands up women's skirts.

When he ventures into big-boy topics, he gets in big trouble. On Twitter and in an interview at the time of former FBI director James B. Comey's testimony, he inadvertently confirmed one of Comey's main points. In a campaign interview, Junior spoke of reporters "warming up the gas chamber" for Republicans.

In 2011, he tweeted about Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.) wearing a cowboy hat but confused her for another black woman, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), which he spelled "Watters." He wrote: "Easier 2 take u seriously when u dont [sic] look like a stripper."

And sometimes the misfires are literal. After safari photos emerged of him in 2012 holding a knife and the tail of a dead elephant, Junior explained, "I HUNT & EAT game." This year, he observed Earth Day by shooting prairie dogs, which are not widely consumed.

In September, Junior raised a ruckus when he said he didn't want Secret Service protection. Security experts warned against this, and his protection has since been restored, but maybe Junior was safe all along. Those who want to harm America might conclude that they would do more damage leaving Junior right where he is.
Mitch McConnell probably thinks hes done all he can in recent years to keep Roy Moore and candidates like him from entering the United States Senate. Hes right -- and hes also dead wrong.

When it come to his relationship with the Republican Party, McConnell has a Jekyll-and-Hyde act going on. Its wearing awful thin right now.

Most recently, McConnell led the national party opposition to Moore in the special election primary against appointed Senator Luther Strange, including apparently recruiting President Donald Trump to Stranges side. Sure, he accepted Moore as the nominee when the results came in, but he was also quick to join the if true group (that is, condemning Moore if the accusations turned out to be accurate) and moved fairly rapidly to declaring I believe the women and calling on Moore to drop out.

Over the last several election cycles, McConnell has steadfastly labored to stop radicals and other poor candidates from winning primaries, including the 2016 Republican presidential nominee.

While he failed -- along with the rest of Republican party elites -- to settle on an alternative candidate, he deserves credit. His actions go farther than just mere lip service. Theres no question that he has spent years fighting against Tea Party excess and radicalism within his party

When Primary Election McConnells work is done, Senate Republican Leader McConnells begins. This side of the Kentucky senator is constantly grinding away at institutional norms and respect for standards of civility for the sake of partisan gain.

Who is most responsible for the 60-vote Senate, the condition in which absolutely everything gets filibustered? Republican Leader McConnell.

Who has resorted to secrecy in the legislative process far more than any leader of the modern Senate? Republican Leader McConnell.

Who has undermined norms of civility, most notably by claiming that defeating President Barack Obama (and not, say, improving the lives of Americans) was his highest priority? And also has generally been as eager to use harsh language as most of his Republican colleagues? Republican Leader McConnell.

Hes not the first extremely partisan Senate Majority Leader -- Dole, George Mitchell, Harry Reid and others all contributed to partisan polarization within the chamber. But hes taken it farther than anyone else. Reid at the very least was willing to go through the motions of soliciting Republican cooperation with Democratic bills (and his Democrats were willing to accept Republican contributions). McConnell doesnt even pretend.

The problem is that everything Leader McConnell has done for the last decade and more has thoroughly undermined what Primary Election McConnell tries to do.

This really is a case of not being able to have it both ways. Not in the facile sense, so often claimed but wrong, that a politician supposedly cant take opposite sides of the same issue or trumpet one principle only to betray it in the next action. Politicians do that all the time, with no apparent damage.

No, the problem for McConnell is that the way he leads Senate Republicans is making the problem hes fights in primaries much harder. Procedural extremism, for example, doesnt satisfy party activists; it just creates the expectation that any party majority, no matter how slim, will always bulldoze the minority -- and that the failure to do so must be a failure of nerves or preferences by that majority, especially their leader.

And so McConnell is helping to create the very backlash hes trying so hard to control. Its also made him a pariah -- certainly not popular among Democrats, but disliked by many Republicans as well, targeted by Moore, Steve Bannon and other radicals, and only occasionally on friendly terms with the Republican president.

Well never know whether Republican party actors who knew better could have pushed harder against the forces within their party which, as Jim VandeHei of Axios put it, drove politics crazy. But McConnell certainly has proved that fueling the fire while hoping not to get burned doesnt work.
WIND POINT  Local residents have a great number of questions about how the massive Foxconn manufacturing campus  set to be constructed in Mount Pleasant  is going to impact southeastern Wisconsin.

And Racines former mayor, John Dickert, believes officials owe the public answers as the company looks to benefit from $3 billion in tax incentives from the state.

During a public forum Wednesday evening at The Prairie School, audience members and those watching via Facebook Live posed questions to three panelists, including Dickert. Top concerns for Dickert, who is now the president and CEO of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, are transportation and environmental impact.

The proposed 32 million-square-foot Foxconn campus will manufacture liquid crystal display panels and finished products. The development could produce up to 13,000 jobs, but the currently unemployed dont have a shot at those jobs if they cant find transportation to the factory, Dickert contends.

Number one, you need a train system thats efficient and effective, Dickert said. We have that in Metra. We need a commuter rail system for people who cant afford Amtrak.

Dickert suggested the benefits of constructing a Metra line to Milwaukee, which he said would pull 1,600 cars off the road a day. The Metra line from Chicago currently ends in Kenosha, but Racine has a long idle train depot available at the Corinne Reid Owens Transit Center on State Street.

Pull those (commuters) off, you lighten traffic for the trucking industry, then the trucking industry saves money for the business, Dickert said.

Another panelist, Richard Longworth, a distinguished fellow on global cities at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, suggested the use of a government-subsidized bus service to get employees to and from the Foxconn campus. He said public transportation running all day and night would ultimately save taxpayers money because it would allow those who dont have vehicles and might otherwise receive unemployment benefits to go back to work.

Dickert and Longworth agreed that officials need to look at planning for transportation  as well as other issues  from a regional perspective. They believe this will save costs and benefit everyone who might have something to gain from Foxconns location in southeastern Wisconsin.

Environmental impact

Dickerts organization, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, penned a letter to the governor on Wednesday saying it would like to work with the state to ensure that Foxconn has the tools to help keep area waterways clean.

We just want to make sure those systems are in place because the technology is there, that you can actually send the water back cleaner than you got it, he said.

He urged officials to look at the long-term impact of water use, instead of looking at only today or tomorrow.

Take the long look, I will guarantee that itll save you money, Dickert said.

Dickerts organization is working to find out what environmental regulations will apply to the Foxconn land. The relaxing of some environmental regulations were a part of the state incentive package. Dickert said that officials owe the public answers about what protections are in place at the site.

Jobs

Audience members on Wednesday wanted to know if there was any way to guarantee that Foxconn jobs would go to minorities, some of the most disadvantaged members of many communities in southeastern Wisconsin. Panelist Deborah Davidson, vice president of workforce and economic development at Gateway Technical College, said the college will provide access to training, and pre-training skills, for any interested potential workers. Pre-training could include learning English as a second language or working toward a high school diploma equivalency.

Gateway has been in contact with the Taiwan-based Foxconn about what company officials are looking for in potential hires.

They want students to have associate degrees, Davidson said. They have hired some interns.

Foxconn is interested in interns in manufacturing, engineering and information technology programs, and who are on a degree path, she said.

Takeaways

Paul and Ruth Guenther, who were in the audience on Wednesday, said they were both worried about the possible environmental impact Foxconn will have on the area. The Guenthers, who live in Mount Pleasant, own farmland in the area as well. Ruth Guenther said she is also concerned about how many questions local residents have that have not been significantly answered.

WUWM, the public radio station in Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sponsored Wednesdays forum. Foxconn was invited to send a company representative to take part in the panel, but declined to do so.
Crow Holdings today announced that Michael Levy has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Levy succeeds Harlan Crow, whose nearly 30-year tenure culminates with the recognition of Crow Holdings as one of the nations foremost investment and real estate development firms. Mr. Levy joined the Companys senior leadership team in 2016 after serving as COO for Morgan Stanley Investment Management. He previously held positions at Morgan Stanley including Head of Traditional Asset Management, COO and CFO of Real Estate Investing and Co-Head of U.S. Real Estate Investment Banking. As part of this transition and Crow Holdings long-term strategic vision and succession planning, Mr. Crow will continue as Chairman of the Board. In addition, Anne Raymond has been appointed to the Companys Board, transitioning from her current roles as President of Crow Holdings Capital and Managing Director of Crow Family Holdings. Both Mr. Crow and Ms. Raymond will continue to provide overall leadership and strategic focus to the Company.
Waldorf Astoria Key West announces the appointment of David Ferrier as director of food and beverage for Casa Marina and The Reach Resorts. With more than 16 years of hospitality experience, Ferrier manages the culinary program for both resorts including 15,000 square feet of event and banquet space, Casa Marinas Sun Sun, RUMba rum bar, and Spencers by the Sea at The Reach. Most recently, Ferrier served as the director of restaurants overseeing the management, hiring, and training of four food and beverage outlets at ARRIVE Palm Springs in California. Previously, he spent six years as corporate director of new property openings and training as well as general manager of multiple restaurants with BR Guest Hospitality in New York City and Philadelphia. Ferrier began his career in hospitality as a server at New York Citys Blue Water Grill in 2004.
Germany largest source market and leading destination  Outside of Europe, USA most popular destination for health vacations and medical tourism  "Reducing stress" main motive  ITB Berlin and IPK International analyze travel behavior of health-oriented and medical tourist

Reducing everyday stress and taking time off is an important aspect in today's fast changing world. Hence, an increasing number of people is becoming more and more aware of the importance of staying healthy and energetic and therefore go in increasing numbers on health-oriented and medical trips.

In 2016, the world population undertook some 11.4 million international health-oriented and medical trips, resulting in a market share of 1.4 per cent on all outbound trips worldwide. According to findings of the World Travel Monitor, conducted by IPK International and commissioned by ITB Berlin, nearly 70 per cent of all international health & medical outbound trips have been made mainly for health-oriented reasons such as wellness and spa holidays. The share of trips for medical purposes (including cure, hospital rehab and stays in medical clinics) was around 30 per cent.

Germany biggest source market followed by USA

With more than 1 million foreign health & medical trips, Germany strengthened its position as the world's leading source market for health-oriented and medical tourism. In Europe, Russia follows second before third-placed France and Italy. The most important source market in this niche-segment outside of Europe are the USA. On second, third and fourth place follow Asian source markets, namely South Korea, China and Japan.

Destination ranking also led by Germany

Germany is not only the most important source market but also the number one destination in the overall segment of health-oriented and medical tourism, closely followed in Europe by Hungary, Austria and fourth-ranked Spain. Outside of Europe, the USA are the most popular destination for health & medical tourism, followed by Mexico and Japan. While Austria is the third most important European destination with respect to the whole segment, it is the leading destination in Europe with regard to wellness / spa holidays only.

Reducing stress and relaxing most important motives

When on a health-oriented trip, travelers especially want to "reduce stress" combined with "relaxing" and "switching off". These are the most important factors while being on a health-oriented trip, followed by spa / wellness treatments. The treatment of diseases, pains and other health problems is for about 40 per cent of all health-oriented and medical tourists of high relevance.

Every second health-oriented / medical tourism traveler between 35 and 54 years

When looking at socio-demographics there is nearly an equal distribution between male and female health-oriented and medical travelers. However, there are differences regarding age distribution. The percentage of travelers between 35 and 54 years is by far the biggest group with a share of around 50 per cent, followed by travelers up to 34 years and the age segment 55+.

For the second time ITB Berlin will be fully devoting a platform to medical tourism, which has become an important fast-growing market. Medical service providers, hotels and destinations will be able to exhibit their products and services In the Medical Tourism Pavilion in Hall 3.2. Presentations and workshops will be held so that visitors can find out more about the latest trends and developments in this growth market: www.itb-berlin.com/medicaltourism.

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention

ITB Berlin 2023 will take place for trade visitors only from Tuesday, 7 to Thursday, 9 March. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the World's Leading Travel Trade Show. As in previous years, the internationally renowned ITB Berlin Convention will take place live parallel with the exhibition on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, with selected sessions live-streamed on itb.com. In 2022 it took place as a virtual event on the brand's website itb.com and registered 60,700 attendees from 125 countries who took part in more than 100 sessions featuring 223 speakers. Taking place on one day, the Digital Business Day gave 2,500 attendees from 96 countries an opportunity to exchange views and do business virtually from anywhere in the world. International attendance was high, with 78 per cent of buyers and providers taking part from abroad. A total of 20,000 business contacts were made, resulting in 14,000 leads and 3,200 business meetings being arranged. As a virtual industry platform, the Digital Business Day augmented the ITB brand family and rounded off the trade show concept. In 2022, under the heading 'TRVLX by ITB', ITB Berlin is planning a series of B2B networking events in European markets  the kick-off event took place in May in Georgia. Before the pandemic at ITB 2019, around 10,000 exhibitors from 181 countries displayed their products and services to some 160,000 visitors, including 113,500 trade visitors.

Emanuel Hoger

Press Spokesman and Press and Public Relations Director, Corporate Communication - Messe Berlin Group

+49 30 3038-2270

Messe Berlin GmbH
TORONTO, Canada -- Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the world's leading luxury hospitality company, today unveils three unique Private Jet itineraries set to take flight in 2019. Newly added is Latin Escape, a 16-day adventure for those looking to explore the most exciting natural and cultural offerings of Central and South America. Just over two weeks in duration, this new journey is shorter than the 24-day around-the-world journeys, and takes travellers to Miami, Costa Rica, Buenos Aires, Bogota and even includes an escape to the Galapagos Islands, all in the care of Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons Private Jet allows travellers to fulfil their most extraordinary travel dreams aboard a custom designed aircraft, while enjoying personalised Four Seasons service every step of the way. Guests can opt into a wide range of experiences in each destination and tailor their trip to their interests, discovering authentic flavours and connecting with local cultures and communities without the added stress of planning. The dedicated team on each Private Jet journey takes care of everything, including all air travel, ground transportation, planned excursions, all meals and beverages and luxurious accommodations at Four Seasons hotels and resorts. While visiting the remote Galapagos Islands during the Latin Escape itinerary, guests will stay at accommodations carefully selected by Four Seasons.

"Each year, we expand our Private Jet offerings, pushing the boundaries of curated travel and bringing together like-minded adventurers with a desire to explore the world. Our new itinerary offering, "Latin Escape", was devised in response to increased interest in the Four Seasons Private Jet program by a wide range of travellers, some of whom are looking for a shorter travel experience while still in the comfort and care of Four Seasons. Our tailor-made itineraries highlight the unique character of each destination, creating truly personalised and exclusive experiences alongside the comforts of legendary Four Seasons service," says J. Allen Smith, President and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Back by popular demand, two of the most coveted Four Seasons itineraries are also featured on the 2019 roster. Timeless Encounters is a 24-day exploration of lively city centres and remote islands, including a day trip to the Taj Mahal. International Intrigue, a journey across nine diverse destinations, celebrates the magic of culturally-rich cities such as Kyoto and St. Petersburg set in dynamic contrast to the untamed paradise of the Serengeti. Both journeys provide insider access like never before in the most captivating destinations and are projected to sell out once again.

2019 Four Seasons Private Jet Itineraries

NEW: Latin Escape (February 9 - 24, 2019)

Miami  Costa Rica  Buenos Aires  Bogota  Galapagos Islands  Miami

Latin Escape kicks off in Miami, with dinner at the Versace Mansion, famed for its secret passages, celebrity guests and gold-plated mosaic tile pool. In Costa Rica, take in the southern sky like never before through a powerful GPS-guided telescope while savouring cocktails and culinary treats infused with real meteorite dust. Feeling brave? Harness up and slide along a series of zip lines suspended above the valleys and treetops of the dense jungle, enjoying breathtaking views while spotting wildlife.

Next, it's off to explore the irresistible blend of European and Latin American cultures that is Buenos Aires. Fly to Iguassu Falls for the dayto explore this astounding collection of 275 interlinking waterfalls. Later, enjoy a private behind-the-scenes tour of the Teatro Colon, one of the world's best concert venues, renowned for both its acoustics and architecture. Visit one of the oldest ranches in Argentina to experience the gaucho lifestyle. Witness a display of traditional horse-riding skills and indulge in an authentic barbeque on historic grounds.

Latin Escape continues to Bogota, Colombia's lively capital city. Explore the innovative arts scene with a local artist or take a private salsa lesson with a skilled instructor. Sipcocktails while taking in 50,000 pre-Hispanic indigenous gold artifacts housed at the Museo del Oro, before sitting down to a gala dinner surrounded by rare treasures.

Continue on to the remote archipelago of Galapagos for four nights of legendary Four Seasons service aboard a private ship. Snorkel, swim and paddle through crystal-clear waters abundant with local marine life. Wake up each day at a new site ready to explore landscapes and wildlife found nowhere else on earth. This journey through the Americas ends back where it started in Miami, with time to unwind and toast to the trip of a lifetime over an exquisite meal of Latin-inspired flavors.

Timeless Encounters (September 17 - October 10, 2019)

Kona  Bora Bora  Sydney  Bali  Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai  Taj Mahal  Dubai  Prague  London

Timeless Encounters takes guests on a journey across four continents, beginning in lush Kona, Hawaii, and concluding in London. Activities over the three-week adventure include a visit to Tirta Empul temple for a traditional water purification ritual in Bali; a snorkeling safari with blacktip lagoon sharks in Bora Bora; a day trip to admire the intricate architecture of the Taj Mahal; and a personal welcome from Prince William Lobkowicz into his family's 16th-century ancestral home for a memorable gala dinner in Prague.

International Intrigue (March 25 - April 17, 2019)

Seattle  Kyoto  Hoi An  Maldives  Serengeti  Marrakech  Budapest  St. Petersburg  London

International Intrigue departs from Seattle, taking travellers across Asia and Africa, before reaching Europe and concluding in London. In Kyoto, guests learn how to draw, pose and swing a samurai sword under the instruction of the choreographer of Kill Bill: Vol. 1. In Serengeti, travellers are welcomed aboard a hot air balloon to catch glimpses of the Big Five before enjoying a Champagne breakfast in the bush. In the Maldives, guests can unwind with an award-winning spa ritual underneath the night sky. St. Petersburg offers travellers private access to the world-renowned State Hermitage Museum before flying to London for a final farewell dinner.

Journey Aboard the Four Seasons Private Jet

Timeless Encounters and International Intrigue begin at USD 140,000 per person, based on double occupancy. Latin Escape begins at USD 98,000 per person, also based on double occupancy.

Visit fourseasons.com/privatejet and follow the #FSJet hashtag on Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and to continue exploring the Four Seasons Private Jet.

Travel the world in 90 seconds with the Four Seasons Private Jet on YouTube, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2awtfP0KXiE.

About Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts opened its first hotel in 1961, and since that time has been dedicated to perfecting the travel experience through continual innovation and the highest standards of hospitality. Currently operating 119 hotels and resorts, and 44 residential properties in major city centres and resort destinations in 47 countries, and with more than 50 projects under planning or development, Four Seasons consistently ranks among the world's best hotels and most prestigious brands in reader polls, traveller reviews and industry awards. For more information and reservations, visit fourseasons.com. For the latest news, visit press.fourseasons.com and follow @FourSeasonsPR on Twitter.
Odell Beckham Jr.s Nike Special Field Air Force 1 collab, inspired by the sea of yellow cabs in New York City, will be hitting retailers on Black Friday, November 24th. Yesterday, the New York Giants star wide receiver teased the release of his first Nike collab, and today we have official images of whats to come.

Not only do the kicks pay tribute to the first thing Beckham noticed upon arriving in NYC, but there are also subtle details that pay homage to his Baton Rouge, Louisiana roots. For instance, the strap on the SF AF1 includes the longitude and latitude of Baton Rouge as well as Metlife Stadium, his social media bio and his position and jersey number.

Per Nike,

When Beckham Jr. left his home state of Louisiana for New York in 2014, one of the first things that struck him was the omnipresence of the yellow cab. Fittingly, his debut signature lifestyle shoe, the Special Field Air Force-1 Mid OBJ, assumes that familiar color  like the cars, immediately standing out in a crowd. A woven label on the tongue of each SF AF-1 Mid carries an OBJ word mark. And further OBJ embellishment appears on the shoes straps. One shares the longitude and latitude of his birth city, Baton Rouge, while the other details those markers for his home field, Metlife Stadium. Nods to his social media bio, position and jersey number are also clear.

The Special Field Air Force-1 Mid OBJ releases November 24 exclusively through SNKRS, Nike stores, Sneakeasy and Foot Locker flagships.

Beckham Jr. re-upped his contract with The Swoosh back in May on a deal that is reportedly worth more than $29 million over the next five years. Furthermore, if certain achievements are reached, the value of the deal could reach as much as $48 million over 8 years.

Nike has been celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the iconic Nike Air Force 1 all year, most recently with collaborative efforts by Travis Scott, Don C, Kareem Biggs Burke, Errolson Hugh (Acronym), and Virgil Abloh.

OBJ x AF1
RACINE COUNTY  A rural Burlington man is facing charges after allegedly following and rear-ending two separate vehicles for no apparent reason, frightening the drivers in the process.

Dale C. Olson, 39, of the 32000 block of 45th Street, in Wheatland, is charged with two counts of felony second-degree recklessly endangering safety, two counts of misdemeanor criminal damage to property and two counts of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

According to the criminal complaint:

At 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, a driver on her way to Dyer Intermediate School, 201 S. Kendrick Ave., in Burlington, noticed a man, later identified as Olson, driving a Chevrolet pickup truck and reportedly following her vehicle. After making several lane changes to evade Olsons truck, the woman reported that Olson allegedly continued following her.

When she attempted to pull into a nearby gas station, Olson reportedly rammed into the back of her vehicle at least four times. As she made her way to the school, Olson reportedly followed her.

Police reportedly viewed a surveillance video of the incident, which allegedly showed Olson following the vehicle.

Later that morning, at about 8 a.m., another driver traveling along the Burlington Bypass on her way to the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 21731 Spring St. (Highway C), in Dover, noticed a truck following her, again allegedly driven by Olson.

The woman attempted to change lanes several times, but Olson reportedly continued to follow her vehicle. While traveling at approximately 45 mph, Olson reportedly rear-ended the womans vehicle and followed her to the cemetery.

At the cemetery, Olson allegedly tried to be pull away, but a witness approached him and said he had just hit the drivers car. Olson reportedly said he was on the phone, did not mean to crash into her vehicle and allegedly offered the driver $100.

The criminal complaint did not specify what made Olson allegedly crash into each vehicle.

Each second-degree recklessly endangering safety count alone carries a maximum penalty of $25,000 in fines and/or imprisonment for up to 10 years.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at the Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.
MOUNT PLEASANT  The village Planning Commission Thursday unanimously recommended approval for three road relocation orders related to the Foxconn project. The orders would pave the way for widening Braun Road, Highway H and International Drive.

The orders are being forwarded to the Village Board for consideration.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has been working with Mount Pleasant officials on designs for road construction related to the Foxconn facility. Both the village and Racine County have temporarily transferred jurisdiction of road construction within the area intended for the Foxconn project to the state.

Foxconn Technology Group plans to build a massive facility and campus on 1,198 acres between Interstate 94 and Highway H and between Highway KR and Braun Road.

Right of way widening

Jim Machnik, an acquisition consultant working with the village, presented the relocation orders to the commission and explained how designs for the roads have been evolving.

The first relocation order gives us the opportunity to start the appraisal process and those assignments will be based on parts of that cross section that we know wont change, Machnik said. Just in the last week the right of way on Braun Road expanded from 168 feet to 200 feet.

Machnik said the expansion was determined based on where the sewer and water mains are proposed to be located.

What we found was that there will be transmitter utilities, sewer and water, huge mains, that will be going through the Braun Road right of way, Machnik said. Those mains have to be on the outside of the pavement. We dont want anything bursting and then ripping up a brand new road. So everything is off to the side, thats why that roadway is so wide.

A similar widening is also planned to occur with Highway H, Machnik said, widening it from 144 feet to 168 feet.

Machnik said these areas also account for areas to place snow and to allow for wide turns for semitrailers.

We dont want semis making a turn and hopping the curb and knocking out a signal or signal box, Machnik said. So all of that is taken into account in the design. And the design has just started a week or so ago.
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.
Theresa May met with her Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven ahead of a summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Theresa May has been urged by European Union leaders to spell out how much the UK will pay Brussels in a so-called divorce bill in order to secure progress on trade talks.

The Prime Minister repeated her promise that the UK will "honour our commitments" to the European Union as it leaves the bloc but came under pressure to go further.

Mrs May wants EU leaders to agree to move on to the second phase of Brexit talks covering the future trade relationship and a possible transitional period at a summit in Brussels next month.

She used a gathering of EU counterparts in Gothenburg to push her case - but was told "clarity" was needed on the divorce settlement and there was no guarantee of a breakthrough in December.

On the margins of a summit in the Swedish city, Mrs May met European Council chief Donald Tusk, French president Emmanuel Macron, Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni and Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar as she attempted to build support.

On the eve of the summit she met Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven, who said Mrs May needs to clarify what the financial settlement would cover, and it was "very difficult to say" whether trade talks would be given the go-ahead in December.

She also had an impromptu meeting with Polish prime minister Beata Szydlo in a Gothenburg restaurant on Thursday night.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said "the clock is ticking" and "work has still to be done" before the December 14-15 summit.

Ireland and the UK clashed over the Northern Irish border, one of the three areas on which "sufficient progress" needs to be made before trade talks can be given the green light.

The other issues on which progress will be judged are the rights of EU citizens in the UK and Britons on the continent and the so-called divorce bill.

Reports - dismissed as speculation by Downing Street - suggested Mrs May could be prepared to offer a further 20 billion in payments, which would bring to around 38 billion the total sum Britain is prepared to pay to settle its liabilities - well short of the 60 billion euro (53 billion) sought by Brussels.

The Prime Minister said she hoped the European Union would respond positively to her Brexit approach.

But a Brussels source said Mr Tusk's message to the Prime Minister was that "such a positive scenario is not a given, it will require more work and that time is short".

Mrs May said as she arrived in Gothenburg: "We look forward to the December European Council. We are continuing to look through the issues.

"I was clear in my speech in Florence that we will honour our commitments.

"But of course we want to move forward together, talking about the trade issues and trade partnership for the future.

"I have set out a vision for that economic partnership, I look forward to the European Union responding positively to that so we can move forward together and ensure that we can get the best possible arrangements for the future that will be good for people in the United Kingdom and across the remaining EU27."

If leaders do not agree to move to the second phase at the summit in Brussels on December 14-15, then it could mean no progress until the next scheduled European Council in March.

That would add to business uncertainty and increase the potential for the UK to leave without a Brexit deal.

The meeting with French leader Mr Macron is significant because his country has been perceived as being a barrier to progressing to the next phase of Brexit negotiations.

Brexit Secretary David Davis said many EU nations were now keen to move on to trade talks, but notably omitted Germany and France from his list.

Speaking to the BBC in Berlin on Friday morning, Mr Davis said: "Many of them do want to move on. They see it as very important to them.

"Countries like Denmark, countries like Holland, countries like Italy and Spain, countries like Poland can see the big, big benefits in the future deal we are talking about."

Downing Street said Mrs May and Mr Tusk acknowledged that there is "more work to be done" after "positive discussions" in Gothenburg.

The two leaders spoke about the "progress which had been made so far" in the negotiations on citizens' rights, Northern Ireland and the financial settlement, a Downing Street spokesman said.

"Prime Minister May and President Tusk agreed that there is more work to be done and discussed how to take further steps forward together in advance of the European Council in December."

In her "constructive" talks with Mr Macron they "looked forward to further progress being made" before the December summit.

"President Macron and the Prime Minister also discussed the strong bilateral relationship which exists between France and the UK and looked forward to building upon it further in coming months and years," the spokesman said.
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson looks on during a meeting with Simon Coveney at Iveagh House in Dublin. Credit: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Boris Johnson has issued a new call for the EU to give the green light for the second phase of the Brexit negotiations to begin.

The Foreign Secretary, in Dublin for talks with his Irish counterpart, Simon Coveney, said that if they were to resolve the issue of the border with Northern Ireland, they had to be able to discuss Britain's future relationship with the EU.

"Everybody recognises the unique circumstances of the border with Northern Ireland. Everybody understands the difficulties that that border poses and nobody wants to see a return to a hard border," he said.

"In order to resolve those issues and get it right for our peoples, it is necessary now to move on to the second stage of the negotiations which really entail so many of the questions that are bound up with the border issue."

However, Mr Coveney said they still needed greater "clarity" of the UK's proposals for dealing with the border issue before the talks could move on to phase two.

"We all want to move on to phase two of the Brexit negotiations but we are not in a place right now that allows us to do that," he said.

"We also have very serious issues in phase one, particularly around the border and the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process that need more clarity than we currently have."

Separately Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is meeting British Prime Minister Theresa May in Gothenburg today.
The Health and Safety Authority and Teagasc, with FBD sponsorship and the support of the Farm Safety Partnership, hosted a National Conference on Farm Safety and Health today at the Auburn Lodge Hotel in Ennis, Co. Clare.

Farming continues to be the most hazardous occupation in Ireland, consistently reporting the highest number of fatalities in comparison to other sectors over the last number of years.

Making the opening address, Minister Breen said farming remains an important part of Irish life and an key part of our economy.

"Across the farming community there have been 21 people killed due to work activity so far in 2017. This is too high. Families are grieving. We must make every effort to ensure that workplace deaths in the farming industry are reduced.

"Throughout this year, I have engaged with stakeholders involved in farming on this issue to find solutions to this crisis. Progress is being made, information and training is out there but we need to change the mindset and culture and ensure that safety is a priority for farmers and their families.

"I again repeat my call for Farmers to stay safe, think about your actions, consider your work practices. The toll on the community and on farming families is simply too high.

Professor Jim Phelan, Chairman of the Farm Safety Partnership told the conference that there has been a shift in the last number of years towards fatalities amongst older people in agriculture and that is very concerning.

"I believe that the solution to reducing these deaths is a multi-agency or multi-stakeholder approach where we strongly target vulnerable groups, such as elderly farmers, with safety messages and supports. It will take significant investment in terms of time and money but we must address this issue with resources.

Dr. John McNamara, Farm Safety and Health Specialist with Teagasc said working in a hurry is a major factor in farm accidents, particularly in spring when the workload increases dramatically.

Farmers are under increased work pressure, as the dairy sector has expanded due to milk quota abolition, while dry-stock farmers are availing of off-farm employment with the upturn in the economy.

Teagasc Advisors are paying particular attention to the organisation of work and are assisting farmers to cut workload through farm modification and change in practices. We have to look at the contributing factors that cause farm accidents and come up with solutions that will get buy-in from farmers.

Clare dry-stock farmer, Michael Callinan told the conference how he operates his family farm. Michael has won three awards in the categories of Farmyard, Livestock and Safety. He spoke about the importance of keeping the yard tidy and understanding the importance of livestock safety. He also told attendees that safety just doesnt happen, it needs time and attention.

Because I work off farm, everything I do on the farm must be efficient, time managed and I always consider if I can do the job more efficiently and safer. Every farmer must put their safety, and their health, first every day.

Tom Coughlan, Chairman of the HSA Board said: The remit of the Authority covers all sectors and workers but it is clear that the number of deaths occurring on Irish farms is at crisis levels. The Board of the Authority met here in Ennis yesterday to show our support for this event and to hear the speakers today.This conference will help the Authority to develop new strategies on farm safety.
Young vets have rejected suggestions that graduates do not want to work with cattle or in farm animal practices generally.

Helena Madden of the Recent Graduate Working Group (RGWG) of Veterinary Ireland said there were a number of issues around hiring and retaining young vets to work with large animals and it wasnt simply an issue of graduates opting out of the sector.

The assertion that young vets dont want to work in mixed practices isnt true. I work in a mixed practice and Im happy, Ms Madden said.

However, she pointed out that some practices were not offering adequate working conditions and that this was the main reason that young vets were exiting farm animal practices.

Ms Madden identified working rotas, working conditions and salaries as the main issues of contention for young vets.

Conor Geraghty of Veterinary Ireland accepted that structural weaknesses

within the Irish veterinary landscape were adding to the difficulties in hiring and retaining vets.

Workload

Pointing out that one-third of Irish practices were single vet-operations, compared to UK where there were often 15 to 20 vets, Mr Geraghty said the workload, the lack of support and the absence of a proper work/life balance were all concerns that had to be addressed.

Helena Madden said employers needed to invest in the continued upskilling and development of their staff if they wanted to retain them. You have to be treated right to stay in a job, its as simple as that, Ms Madden insisted.

Ms Madden said the formation of the RGWG within Veterinary Ireland had been a positive development.

We educate young vets on their rights, we offer support, and work to improve conditions, she explained.

The RGWG also provide forums and CVE (continued veterinary education) days where newly qualified vets are encouraged to express their concerns with the profession and help come up with positive solutions to problems.

The next one of these is in the Lyrath Hotel, Kilkenny, on Saturday, November 25, and Id encourage people to attend, Ms Madden said.
Back in the 1960s the thoroughbred stallions Nordlys and Water Serpent featured in the back-breeding of countless Irish horses, Ambassador, Big Idea and Ideal Water to name but a few.

Irish breeders now have an opportunity to regain some of these precious bloodlines thanks to renowned Swedish-born breeder Ann Gustavii.

Norson (pictured below), a stallion son of Nordlys, was exported to Sweden in the late 1980s. In recent weeks it has emerged that a small amount of semen from the Irish show jumping sire which has remained in storage ever since is now to be made available to Irish breeders ahead of the 2018 breeding season.

"The semen has been stored in liquid nitrogen since 1989 and is in excellent condition," Ann said.

"This can be proven by the fact that in recent years he sired a foal out of one of our older mares, Lar's Imp. She was 20 at the time and I had great difficulty getting her in foal. That filly is now breeding for us."

Expand Close Norson pictured in 1990 with the late with the late Lars Gustavii. / Facebook

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Ann and her late husband Lars first discovered Norson in Co Wexford in 1989. He had been standing at stud with the late James Maguire. "When I found Norson I was not looking to buy a stallion," she remembered. "I was looking for mares with proven pedigree from some of the superb old thoroughbred stallions that Ireland has been so famous for.

"Eventually we came to this farmer who was said to have a mare related to Battleburn, but while there I took a liking to Norson. When I saw both Nordlys and Water Serpent on his passport I offered to buy him."

Norson himself had jumped as a young horse with Pat Phelan, son of Norson's breeder Maurice Phelan, but an early injury saw him retired before his prime. He had covered a limited amount of Irish mares, but these did include Roll Up, dam of Parkgate who jumped with success under Captain John Ledingham.

A considerable number of his offspring were purchased by the late Max Hauri. "He bought nearly all of Norson's progeny he could find, as all of them could jump," Ann said.

One also proved to be a successful dressage horse by the name of Wilson who represented Sweden.

At that time progeny by Nordlys were in great demand as he was producing such top show jumpers as Ambassador who had kick-started his career under the late Tommy Brennan before going on to claim individual gold at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972 with Graziano Mancinelli.

Nordlys was also the sire of Mullacrew, the dam of Cruising - without doubt Ireland's most famous sport horse in recent decades.

Other famous progeny by Nordlys include Gone Away, ridden by Raimondo d'Inzeo, and Abbeville, another who started out under Tommy Brennan and later competed for Brazil with Nelson Pessoa under the name Miss Moet.

"The dam Ferns Lass also competed herself as a show jumper, and was exported to Belgium after the birth of Norson," Ann said.

Ferns Lass is by Water Serpent, while her dam line boasts the Irish Draught Ballycotton who also features in the pedigree of such great RID sires as Pride of Shaunlara.

"All these years I have kept the semen for my own use, but as I wish to move back to the UK, I now need to sell it. It is expensive to store," Ann said.

"The semen is frozen in maxi straws, which are 1 straw for one dose, and each straw usually contain at least 800 million spermatozoa. They are still stored at the place where they were frozen, so are in prime condition.

"I have already enquired about shipping it to Ireland. As it is stored in liquid nitrogen it will not be accepted by any airlines and so will have to be moved by road. This will happen close to Christmas.The semen centre will do the paperwork, and the cost of the transport will be shared with everybody who purchases straws."

In recent weeks Ann has received numerous enquiries from across the globe, but has stressed that she would love to see some new progeny by Norson on the ground in Ireland.

"Ireland has some of the best broodmares around and I think it would be wonderful to use Norson to bring some of those old bloodlines back into pedigrees."

"Norson had the most amazing mentality, balance and soundness so it would be wonderful to see it passed on once again," she added.
Glenveagh has invested approximately 83m in cash on the acquisition of sites Stock photo

Glenveagh has announced its acquisition of eleven sites across Ireland which have the potential to support up to 1,319 units.

The newly listed Irish housebuilder said that nine of these sites were identified as part of a portfolio of twelve sites called "Project Kells".

This transaction was conditionally acquired at the time of Glenveaghs IPO, which was the second biggest flotation on the Irish Stock Exchange (ISE) this year.

After various legal formalities are fulfilled, the firm expects to acquire the remaining three sites in this portfolio.

The two additional sites included in the list announced on Friday - which are located at Naul Road - were identified as "Potential Sites".

The two sites were acquired at a cost of c.22m and should deliver just under 450 units in total. The addition of these sites increases the size of Glenveaghs landbank from 3,073 plots at IPO to over 3,500 plots.

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Eleven sites:

1) Proby Square, Off Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, County Dublin

2) 20 Shrewsbury Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin

3) Burkeen Road, Keatingstown, County Wicklow

4) Church Lane, Greystones, County Wicklow

5) Old Connaught Avenue, Rathmichael, County Dublin

6) Great Connell Abbey Stud, Newbridge, County Kildare

7) Quinns Cross, Mungret, County Limerick

8) Parson Street, Maynooth, County Kildare

9) Castleredmond, Midleton, County Cork

10 + 11) Two adjoining sites at Naul Road, Balbriggan, County Dublin

To date Glenveagh has invested approximately 83m in cash (net of costs and expenses) on the acquisition of sites.

"We have been very busy since our listing last month on the London and Irish Stock Exchanges developing our various plans, progressing discussions towards the acquisition of various sites and informing the local market about our ambitions to deliver houses and apartments for third parties through Glenveagh Living," Justin Bickle, Co-Founder and CEO of Glenveagh said.

"Alongside this, we have been busy building out the companys corporate infrastructure, hiring new staff, integrating Bridgedales operations and re-branding them as Glenveagh Homes. We are delighted with the positive reaction we have received in the market so far and look forward to reporting more progress in due course."
Ted Murphy, Evert Van Zwol and John Goss, of the Ryanair Pilots Group leaving the Four Courts. Photo: Collins Courts

A human resources boss at Ryanair says its system for negotiating pay and conditions with pilots is "certainly not a sham".

The "employee representative committee" (ERC) system within the airline involves two to five pilots at each of Ryanair's bases around Europe meeting with HR department representatives.

They negotiate five-year collective deals in the same way as is done in most negotiations, director of human resources strategy Darrell Hughes told the High Court.

"They are certainly not a sham," he told a jury on the fifth day of a Ryanair defamation action.

The action is against three founders of the Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG) - Evert Van Zwol, John Goss and Ted Murphy - who, the airline says, issued a statement in 2013 falsely saying the company misled investors. The three deny the claims.

On the fifth day of the action before Mr Justice Bernard Barton and a jury, Mr Hughes was replying to questions from Ryanair counsel Thomas Hogan.

Counsel asked him about claims made in RPG correspondence in 2013 to its members that Ryanair management continued to spread misleading information about these local ERC pay agreements.

The RPG claimed they were a sham, designed to circumvent pilots' bargaining rights.

Mr Hughes said they were like any negotiation where there are two sides seeking different things who usually meet in the middle.

Earlier, he said the RPG, from its inception in 2012, regularly made statements about industrial relations and there were many disparaging comments about Ryanair management.

However, after some 15 local ERC agreements had been voted through by pilots in April 2013, the RPG's "focus of attack" moved from industrial relations to issues of safety, he said.

It sought to get pilots to sign up to a safety incident reporting system. This then evolved into an attack on financial prudence, he said.

Mr Hughes said it was the case that only directly employed pilots could vote on the ERC agreements because the contracted pilots were sourced through agencies, which negotiate directly with Ryanair as to pay and conditions.

In 2013, the breakdown of directly employed to contractors was 70/30 and today it was nearer 50/50, he said.

Those on contracts were paid by flying hours and were generally younger people who preferred that because the difference in tax treatment between the two types meant contractors could help pay for the high cost of their pilot training. Contractors were more flexible and agreed to be posted at other airports for one in every four "flying blocks".

Directly employed were generally people more settled and Ryanair's family friendly rosters meant they could usually be home in their own beds each night, something not available in other airlines, he said.

The difference in pay between directly employed and contractors "varies from base to base" but in some cases contractors got more than direct employees and in others less.

When it came to negotiating terms and conditions, pilots were a "totally mobile" group of workers who did not have the same visa restrictions as the rest and could go and work in north-west China at more than 20,000 a month, he said.

If Ryanair wanted to attract them, it must provide good pay and conditions, he said.

The case continues.
Black Friday has a whiff of FOMO (fear of missing out) about it. You're bombarded with so-called special offers and if you're not quick enough to grab one, you'll never forgive yourself. But you're being asked to part with your cash online in a rush before you've had time to shop around.

In other words, you may get a bargain, but you have to be extra careful going about it. Black Friday is an American concept, dating back as far as 1952, promoting the beginning of the official Christmas retail season and it is always the day after Thanksgiving which, this year, falls next Thursday.

There are several explanations for the 'black', but the common one refers to the turning of retailers accounts from 'red' to 'black' as shoppers descend in a swarm.

In Europe, the day denotes an online shopping spree with the best bargains to be had in gadgets, computers and household appliances.

Stores which will offer genuine discounts include Amazon, Currys/PC World, Argos, Debenhams and Harvey Norman among others. Some of these will be promoting them in advance of next Friday (see panel), so keep an eye out.

Currys says last year it processed five orders per second in Ireland with 48pc of sales coming from mobile devices.

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Advantages

The best bit about shopping on Black Friday is doing it in your jammies with a coffee at your laptop. No crowds, buses, parking or ducking the rain with massive bags. Of course, you can still get bargains in-store if you want the excitement of it.

You also enjoy extra rights when you shop online thanks to EU consumer laws which recognise that buying at distance means you can get a refund if you simply change your mind about a purchase within 14 days.

It's also early enough that if you don't like what you've bought, you still have time to return or exchange it before Christmas.

Disadvantages

It's the internet, so the usual rules apply. Handing over your credit card details to dodgy websites is unfortunately common, so abide by simple rules. Only buy from known, verified sites. Ask questions about delivery and returns policies. Make sure the site has a street address and preferably a customer service department reachable by land-line.

Promoted: See the latest Amazon offers and deals on Independent Discounts

Where possible, pay by PayPal so your money isn't taken before the goods arrive. Otherwise, always pay by credit card so that you can apply under the 'chargeback' system to your bank for a refund if it turns out the items don't turn up.

Tips
Kiltyclogher in Co Leitrim  the birthplace of Sean Mac Diarmada, one of the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of Irish independence  recently started a campaign to attract new residents

Amid soaring property prices and rents that are once again skewing the cost of living in urban centres, there's always the option of moving to the country where things seem considerably cheaper.

So instead of despairing at not being able to find a three-bed home in Dublin city for less than 400,000, or one to rent for less than 1,500 a month, you could move to an area where such a property could be bought for less than 100,000 or rented for less than a 100 a week.

In other words, perhaps a place like Kiltyclogher, Co Leitrim, a picturesque rural village with a population of 233 that recently started a campaign to attract new residents. The central purpose behind the KiltyLive campaign is to help prevent the loss of one of the two teachers at the local school, which has just 14 pupils registered for the coming year.

But while it's too early to say how successful the campaign will be, it could well spark off some serious thinking among those who, for whatever reason, are finding the financial pressures of city life just a bit much.

However, it can be difficult to find reliable data comparing the cost of living in urban vs rural areas. The CSO used to release figures comparing the cost of grocery shopping in Dublin vs outside Dublin, but this was stopped in 2009.

Property

At least as far as property prices and rents are concerned, there's no argument. According to figures from the monthly rental report of property website Daft.ie, the average mortgage repayment on a three-bed property in Co Leitrim during the first three months of this year was 310 a month compared with 2,015 for South Co Dublin.

In Co Kerry, a mortgage on a three-bed is averaging 446 while they can expect an average rental yield of 638. In Waterford city and county, three-bed homeowners pay an average of 515, while they could rent it out for between 680 and 764 a month.

It's only when you survey Ireland's fifth-largest city - Galway - that average rents start to hit the 1,000 mark, while the monthly mortgage on a three-bed will be around 830. Even the rebel city can't compete with the average rental yields or property prices in any part of Dublin city and county.

However, transport costs may well eat into some of the savings made by buying or renting outside the Pale. Decent public transport will be lacking in many regional towns, meaning a greater reliance on cars to get around. Many rural dwellers with school-going kids may not be able to benefit from the State's School Bus scheme because they are not close to any of the pick-up points.

On the plus side, you can still find some of the cheapest petrol stations in places like Dundalk, Waterford and Tralee, according to Pumps.ie, which lists the cheapest stations around the country. And car insurance is likely to be cheaper if you live in a rural area in Co Donegal or Cork, according to a survey by this newspaper a few years back.

But it's no surprise to find that childcare is cheaper outside Dublin, according to the CSO, which released figures last month showing that the average weekly cost of pre-school childcare in July to September last year was 150 in Dublin compared with 83 in the south-east and the mid-west regions. The national average cost per week is 118. Dublin also figured as the most expensive for non-parental childcare for pre-schoolers at 4.90 per hour compared with 3.50 for the mid-west and south-east.

In terms of utilities, rural dwellers can expect to pay as much as 54 a year more in electricity standing charges than their urban counterparts. Energia, for instance, charges rural customers with nightsaver meters 251.88 in standing charges, compared with 197.99 for urban-based dwellers.

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Subjective

But, of course, what constitutes value depends on who you ask, so all this data may only provide part of the picture for those looking for the cheapest places to live in Ireland. One website that has been collecting ratings and comments since 2009 about the cost of living in different parts of the country is Likeplace.ie.

Run by brothers Shane and Ronan Difily, it has a ranking of the cheapest to the most expensive places to live based on submissions from its users. Number one on the list is Letterkenny, Co Donegal, with a score of 3.4 out of five. "The higher the score the happier people are," said Shane. In other words, low costs equates to higher happiness and a high score, he adds.

Also in the top 10 for cost of living are Tuam, Dundalk, Youghal, Longford town, Carlingford, Bray, Schull, and Tralee. Not surprisingly, the place with the highest cost of living is Dublin city at 2.9 out of five, but there are quite a few urban places that rank quite highly.

"There is a good mix of rural-vs-urban in-between. In general though, you'll see that the spread is now very wide. All these scores come in at between 2.9 to 3.4-out-of-five," said Shane.

While these user ratings are entirely subjective (there are other ratings for things like law and order, sense of community, local services, and schools), the widening chasm in the cost of housing between and Dublin and almost everywhere else remains undoubtedly the biggest single factor that is prompting many a worker to up sticks to the country.

Unaffordable

Tralee man Shaun O'Shea used to live and work in Dublin before returning to live in his home town a few years ago, where he now heads up the local office of Sigmar Recruitment. Part of his motivation for moving home was the extent to which house prices and rents in Dublin were becoming unaffordable.

"A friend of mine bought a one-bed apartment in Dublin for 400k, but that would buy you sea views, and five bedrooms on an acre of land in Tralee."

While smaller towns like Tralee won't attract the numbers of regional urban centres like Waterford and Galway, it is definitely seeing an influx. "Up until 12 months ago, you wouldn't have been working in areas like Tralee or Waterford unless you're from that area. They don't have a natural pull but in the last year that has changed."

He says at least part of this is down to the growth in numbers of workers - many of them IT contractors - who are choosing to telecommute or become remote workers. One indication of this is the recently opening of a new shared office space with both one-person offices and a series of hot desks called HQ Tralee.

Lots of people living in Dublin are looking to return to places where they grew up," said O'Shea.

"With salaries, definitely in areas like IT, engineering and sales and marketing, there's not that much of a drop."

According to Sigmar Recruitment's salary guide, a Java software developer with three-five years' experience can expect to earn between 40,000 and 60,000 in Dublin, compared with 35,000 to 50,000 in the rest of the country. There seems little difference per region in the grades for sought-after jobs like a building site engineer, while a sales manager might only expect to earn a 5-10,000 premium in earnings if he or she is based in Dublin.

But while swapping Kilmainham for Kiltyclogher might be a step too far for most of us, it is hoped that the new National Planning Framework will be more successful than the National Spatial Strategy in encouraging more Dublin-based families to consider migrating to other cities and regional towns.
Lender KBC Bank has been forced to put aside millions more euro to cover the cost of refunding customers for taking good-value trackers off them.

The revelation came as Fianna Fail accused banks of "dramatic inconsistencies" in the compensation packages being offered to tracker-scandal-hit customers.

Ratings agency Moody's said it was a worry for investors that Bank of Ireland has been forced to put aside up to 200m to refund customers after the bank admitted to an extra 6,000 tracker mortgage cases.

KBC Bank has reported a fall in profits after setting aside an extra 54.4m to cover refunds, compensation and other costs relating to overcharging of tracker mortgage customers.

The bank has identified up to 1,600 cases going back almost a decade.

Last year it said it would cost just 4.4m to deal with tracker overcharging.

Now the total tracker provisioning at the Belgium- headquartered bank is close to 60m.

This works out at a cost to the bank of around 50,000 per customer.

Last month, KBC Bank admitted, after its executives met with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, that up to 1,661 customers may have been affected by tracker overcharging.

In a statement the bank has now said: "KBC continues to engage with the Central Bank in relation to the identification of impacted customers and KBC expects to have concluded this identification process for the vast majority of customers impacted by the end of the year."

Meanwhile, Moody's has taken a dim view of extra provisioning made by Bank of Ireland to cover more tracker cases.

It said in a report: "The increased provisioning is credit negative for Bank of Ireland because we expect that it will negatively affect the bank's 2017 earnings, although the effect on the bank's capital will be more contained at around 30 basis points, offset by strong core profit generation."

Fianna Fail finance spokesperson Michael McGrath has expressed alarm at what he said was dramatic inconsistencies in compensation packages being offered to affected customers.

Banks have been allowed by the Central Bank to decide on what level of compensation they will pay.

Meanwhile, Central Bank chief Philip Lane said banks need to develop an "entirely new relationship" with customers to rebuild confidence in the financial sector.

Speaking after addressing Leaving Cert students in Longford, he said: "It's a question of going forward and behind all of that is to build a new culture in the banks."

Mr Lane also said the onus was now on bank chiefs to lead from the front on the tracker mortgage issue.

"The senior leaders in the banks need to show leadership and demonstrate that in the way they conduct themselves, run their businesses and in putting their customers first," he said.
Renters would need a salary of around 42,000 a year to afford a one-bed flat in Dublin - among the highest rates in Europe, according to a new survey.

The data, from a survey complied by global housing website Nestpick, bears out an earlier report from The Expat City Ranking 2017 which classed the capital as the second-worst major city in Europe in terms of quality of life - including high living costs.

The Expat City Ranking survey found nine out of 10 foreign workers in Dublin regard accommodation as unaffordable - double the global average.

In Dublin, the Nestpick survey found that the average monthly rent for a furnished apartment is 1,035, and that the monthly minimum salary required to rent a single-person furnished apartment was 3,568.

International comparisons are increasingly important to the city, where multinational firms now say they compete for talented recruits with rivals from across the EU, not just across Ireland.

The IDA has warned that quality-of-life concerns are becoming make or break issues in terms of winning and keeping foreign direct investment.

Top employers' groups including the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, whose members employ 150,000 people here, recently warned about the lack of available housing for workers in Ireland - a crisis that is most acute in Dublin.

Despite those high-level interventions, junior housing minister Damien English this week blamed what he described as "a negative narrative" around the housing situation for potentially damaging Ireland's reputation as a place to do business.

"Some of this narrative has seeped into international coverage of our housing system and is damaging to Ireland's international reputation, that our social response to this issue is being portrayed as dysfunctional," he said in the Dail on Tuesday.

While Ireland is expensive by European standards, US rents topped the ranking.

Nestpick found that four out of the five worst cities to rent a furnished apartment are in the US, with Hong Kong rounding out the group. High rents for workers are an issue for many businesses, but investors have been quick to cotton on to the trend.

The number of Irish Build-To-Rent (BRT) properties is growing rapidly. While BTR is a long-established sector of property markets internationally, it is a relatively new phenomenon here.

It is popular with institutional investors, such as pension funds targeting long-term rental incomes derived from letting residential units in large numbers. These provide steady returns over many years, and through the peaks and troughs of economic cycles.

A recent analysis by commercial property and real estate services adviser CBRE suggested that around 33.3bn of equity is targeting the UK's BTR sector currently.

In Dublin, developer Pat Crean's Marlet Property Group is seeking forward-funding for 1,170 apartments across four 'Dublin Living' schemes being marketed to investors at 425m, which promise to deliver annual rents of 20.5m.

US real estate giant Kennedy Wilson has 2,100 units either built or under construction here and plans to acquire more. In September, in a planning application, US real estate giant Hines signalled its intention to use BTR as a model to deliver homes in South Dublin, including plans for 1,269 apartments.
An new initiative has been launched by Vodafone Ireland which aims to teach teenage girls how to code.

A number of week-long coding student workshops, which are delivered by Vodafone employees, are taking place in schools all across Ireland.

The #CodeLikeaGirl scheme is being run in partnership with CodeFirst: Girls and supported by Technology and the Womens Network.

Female students will be given the opportunity to learn the basics of computer languages and development programmes, with the aim of building a website upon completion.

The first workshop took place last week with 20 girls from Cabinteely Community School ranging in age from 14 to 16.

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#CodeLikeaGirl aims to encourage more young girls to consider a career in STEM in the future, and further workshops with schools across the country are planned for early 2018.

Over 120,000 people in Ireland working directly in roles requiring STEM experience but just 25pc of those working in this area are women.

In 2015 only 5.3pc of Leaving Certificate engineering students were girls and boys outnumbered girls 3:1 in technology subjects.

"In recent years, there has been significant progress in closing the global gender gap in various aspects of society. However, in many countries, the gap is widening in STEM careers," James Magill, Human Resources Director at Vodafone said.

"#CodeLikeaGirl aims to help close that gap here in Ireland and show young girls that a future in STEM is an exciting prospect."
MADISON  Two Nigerian men living in Texas bamboozled their way into a couples purchase of a Deerfield home through a Madison real estate agent and a Stevens Point title company, making off with money loaned for the purchase by passing it through the bank account of an Iowa woman who thought she was being romanced by a man she met on a dating website, federal prosecutors said.

The scheme was among the identity theft, romance fraud and credit card fraud schemes that federal prosecutors in Madison said were carried out by Clement Onuama, 52, and Orefo Okeke, 41, both of Arlington, Texas. The two were each indicted Wednesday on charges of conspiracy to defraud, six counts of wire fraud and three counts of identity theft.

In all, according to an indictment issued in U.S. District Court, the pair netted $2.6 million of attempted grabs totaling $3.2 million.

Onuama and Okeke were originally charged in a sealed criminal complaint on Oct. 30, and were arrested in Texas on Nov. 1. They appeared in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 2 and will remain in custody until they are brought to Madison for arraignment. No date has been set for their court appearances.

Financial schemes

According to the indictment, Onuama and Okeke ran an auto dealership and repair business under several names in Grand Prairie, Texas. The indictment states they were involved in schemes in which they would meet people through dating websites, convince them that they were in romantic relationships with them and eventually ask for financial help, often in releasing money frozen by a foreign country.

Prosecutors also said they opened credit card accounts, without authorization, under the names of other people, then charged the cards with fake transactions for Destiny Auto Repair, one of the business names the two used.

According to court documents:

In early 2014, a Madison real estate agent was handling the sale of a Deerfield home to a couple which, because of the couples bad credit, was being financed by a company in Chicago. Closing was set at a title company in Stevens Point.

In February 2014, the agent received an email from a title company representative with instructions for wiring loan money to an account at BMO Harris Bank. The agent responded to confirm the instructions. About an hour later, the agent received another email, purportedly from the title company, updating the wire instructions, telling him that the money instead should be wired to an account at Wells Fargo Bank in Bettendorf, Iowa.

The finance company in Chicago wired $123,747 to the Wells Fargo account on Feb. 24, 2014. The next day, the agent called the title company and was told that BMO Harris had never received the money.

The real estate company had its computer specialists look into the emails from the title company and found that instead of coming from the title company, most of the messages had come from somewhere else, and the sender information was disguised to appear legitimate.

The money that was sent to the Wells Fargo account in Iowa was transferred out in increments on Feb. 24 and 25, 2014. The Wells Fargo account holder, interviewed by federal agents, said she didnt know where the $123,000 deposited into her account had come from but said she had done four transactions similar to this one with people she had met online.

The woman told the agents that she had become involved in an online relationship with a man named Brian Ward in late 2013. In January 2014, she said, Ward told her that he had money in bank accounts that he was unable to transfer because he was in Spain, and asked for her bank account number so she could help him.

After that, she received a $12,112 deposit from the Internal Revenue Service in the name of a couple, along with a larger deposit. She said that Ward gave her a routing number and account number and told her to wire the money to that account. She said she made two transfers of $80,000 to Clement Onuama and $50,000 to P.M. Voss, neither of whom she knew.

More allegations

Among the other fraudulent transactions alleged:

The controller of a development company on Saint Kitts told federal agents that she received urgent instructions by email from her supervisor to transfer $84,100 to D&D Service of Grand Prairie, Texas, which she did. Her supervisor later said he didnt send the email.

The owner of a food wholesaler in Santa Clara, California, said his investment adviser had received an email purportedly from the wholesaler asking to transfer $22,000 to a bank account belonging to Sysco Serve, a business registered in Texas to Okeke. Unable to reach the wholesaler, the adviser made the transfer.
Not long ago, the book world was seized by collective panic over the uncertain future of print. Readers switched to new digital devices. Print sales nosedived. Bookstores struggled to stay open, and publishers and authors worried that cheaper e-books would bankrupt their business. But while e-books are still popular, the digital apocalypse never quite happened. Sales levelled off, with people migrating back to their beloved print editions.

Throughout this turbulent period, the presence of both online and print literary journals proved to be constant stars in a fluctuating market. Ireland, with its rich history of independent literary magazines, finds itself in rude health today with many new and innovative titles appearing on the literary scene.

These journals have been central to the flourishing of Irish literature, publishing new writers who otherwise would not have access to a wider audience. They shine the spotlight on great writing, irrespective of the author's experience level.

Many well-known international writers got their start in literary magazines: Philip Roth and TC Boyle in The Paris Review; Flannery O'Connor, Anne Sexton and Cormac McCarthy in The Sewanee Review, with most significant Irish writers, from Swift to Heaney, cutting their literary teeth in Irish journals.

The Bell, founded in 1940 by Sean O Faolain, was a monthly magazine of literature and social comment with an outspoken liberal voice which had a seminal influence on a generation. Its first edition sparkled with the wit and style of Elizabeth Bowen, Flann O'Brien, Patrick Kavanagh, Frank O'Connor, and Jack B Yeats and it continued to foster many young Irish writers and artists from the 1940s and 1950s, when contributors included Anthony Cronin (who went on to edit the magazine), John Montague, Thomas Kinsella, Val Mulkerns, Brendan Behan, Patrick Swift and Conor Cruise O'Brien.

The Dublin Magazine, another noteworthy literary publication, featured fiction, poetry, drama by more or less every significant Irish writer of the period, including Samuel Beckett, Austin Clarke, Padraic Fallon, Padraic Colum etc with the cover for the beautiful 1923 first issue designed by world-renowned artist Harry Clarke. A rich history indeed.

And today, around the world, and most importantly, here at home in Ireland, literary magazines are helping readers to discover exciting new writers. But with so many to choose from, which ones should you seek out?

A new wave of journals is taking the Irish literary world by storm, reinvigorating the national writing scene. As well as established publications like Crannog, Cyphers and The Dublin Review, a slew of vibrant, exciting new publications have appeared.

As galleries of current work they offer insight into contemporary trends, where new ideas and new writers, many of whom exist far from the mainstream, are given their first audience. Literary journals are "essential to the world of writing", says literary agent and former Zoetrope head reader April Eberhardt.

"So many wonderful writers have begun their careers there, and for those of us who love the excitement of discovering a marvellous new voice, literary journals and magazines are the gift packages in which they arrive."

Every emerging writer wants their name to appear on the content page of The Stinging Fly, a pioneering print journal and forum for the very best new Irish and international writing, which has produced a new generation of Irish writers such as Paul Murray, Emma Donoghue and Kevin Barry.

The Penny Dreadful is another one such literary magazine. Founded in Cork by writers John Keating and Mark O'Connell, it started life as a photocopied DIY 'zine, slowly but steadily evolving into one of the most exciting literary journals in the country with its own publishing arm, The Dreadful Press, and contributors ranging from John Boyne to Paul Muldoon.

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Published quarterly and founded in 2010 The Moth, a beautifully produced journal, focuses equally on literature and art, and alongside this they publish an adorable children's magazine aptly titled The Caterpillar. Kudos for catering to the younger age group, ensuring the continuity of future talent.

Banshee Lit burst onto the scene in 2015, publishing contemporary writing with an emphasis, though not exclusively, on strong female writers. A great forum for new talented writers.

Across the border, the editor of A New Ulster states that their magazine "is ultimately a publication aimed at reaching as many people as possible, sharing poetry, fiction and art with everyone no matter their creed or culture". An honourable vision and commitment, proving that art and literature know no borders.

Gorse, a ground-breaking print journal edited by the visionary Susan Tomaselli, features thought-provoking long-form narrative essays, original fiction, poetry and interviews. Commenting on the contemporary literary scene, she finds "the idea of 'Irish Literature' restrictive, as it's a very narrow view of Irishness. The notion of championing a 'national' literature in these post-Brexit, Trump times is jingoistic, and more than a little worrying. It's limiting, divisive and exclusionary, gorse is keen to reflect a more nuanced crafting of Irish identity, and we encourage a broadness, and an openness to the world".

Tomaselli publishes her journal in a book format as she wants to lend permanence to it, but doesn't think print and online magazines are mutually exclusive. Rob Doyle, author of Here Are the Young Men and This Is the Ritual, has high praise for literary journals, saying: "gorse, in particular, has been exciting to me since its inception a couple of years ago because it has a more European, avant-garde sensibility, which I felt was lacking in Ireland previously."

In the US and UK there exists a long tradition of universities producing annual anthologies or literary journals.

Closer to home, the MA and MFA students of University College Dublin have launched a very slick, top-quality online literary journal, The HCE Review, the first of its kind in Ireland (hcereview.com).

Under the able stewardship of editor Curtis Harrison, it aims to showcase cutting-edge fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction and visual art from both established and emerging writers and artists from around the world.

With an innovative podcast section, an open submission policy and a strong social media presence, this journal is bound to go far. Watch this space.
Fireman Sam is celebrating 30 years on TV screens with a special royally themed one-off episode in a nod to their most famous fan.

A kind prince will visit the shows town of Pontypandy on official duties but will end up using his helicopter rescue skills to save the day with Fireman Sam.

The anniversary episode will air in the UK next year as part of Fireman Sams eleventh series and is a nod to Prince George, who is said to be a fan of the show.

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Last year the Duchess of Cambridge bought a Fireman Sam book during a trip to a charity store in Norfolk where she explained the character was Georges favourite.

Originally created by ex-firemen Dave Gingell and Dave Jones, the shows first ever episode aired on BBC Wales on November 17 1987 and has since been broadcast in more than 155 territories across the world in 36 different languages.

Since his launch onto childrens TV three decades ago, Sam has put out 91 fires and rescued 155 people from 246 incidents.

Of the special episode, producer Ian McCue said: Fireman Sam has been enjoyed by generations over the past 30 years and is a true icon of childrens television around the world.

The show and brand continues to go from strength to strength with stories of bravery and action all rooted in the small and caring community of Pontypandy based in Wales.

:: The Prince In Pontypandy is set to air in the UK on Cartoonito and Channel 5s Milkshake and released next year around the world as part of Fireman Sam Series 11.
Undated family handout file photo of Francis Rowntree, as the killing of the boy shot by an army rubber bullet in Belfast in 1972 was not justified, a coroner has ruled. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo.

The killing of a boy shot by an army rubber bullet in Belfast in 1972 was not justified, a coroner has ruled.

The soldier who fired the baton round that fatally wounded 11-year-old Francis Rowntree used excessive force, coroner Brian Sherrard said in his preliminary findings.

Mr Sherrard said the soldier was not given any training in the use of the bullets or made aware that they were potentially lethal.

"There was no justification for the use of lethal force at the time that Francis was shot," Mr Sherrard told Belfast Coroner's Court.

"The force used was in excess of what was needed to achieve Soldier B's objectives."

Francis was the first person in the Troubles to die after being wounded by a rubber bullet.

The incident occurred in the Divis Flats area of the city on April 20. The child, who was a pupil at St Finian's Primary School, was shot in the head and died two days later of his wounds which included skull fractures and lacerations of the brain.

The incident happened amid claims a group of people were rioting and throwing stones at the soldiers in a disturbance in the area.

Outlining the preliminary findings, Mr Sherrard said he was confident Francis was not involved in rioting.

It has been disputed whether the boy was struck directly or hit by a ricocheting rubber bullet.

Following an investigation by the Historical Enquiries Team in 2010, a fresh inquest into his death was ordered.

The soldier who fired the bullet has been granted anonymity during the inquest and was known only as Soldier B. He told the court he did not remember the exact day in question.

Eye witnesses, including a lieutenant instructing the soldiers, told the court that a crowd gathered around a vehicle carrying a number of soldiers which stopped in the area.

A disturbance followed in which some members of the crowd became hostile and threw objects including stones at the vehicle.

The court was told a number of youths were among the crowd, who had come to watch the disturbance out of curiosity.

The court was told that two rounds of rubber bullets were fired by a soldier into the crowd in a bid to disperse those present, and that one of the bullets hit the boy's head. No warning was given before the shots were fired.

He said the soldier was given the gun, which fired rubber bullets, without being made aware that the weapon could be lethal or given appropriate training in how it should be used.

Mr Sherrard said the Ministry of Defence should have been aware by the time of the incident that rubber bullets could cause serious harm, due to prior evidence emerging after tests were carried out using the guns on anaesthetised sheep which flagged up numerous concern about their potential impact.

A further test on skulls conducted four months prior to the 11-year-old's death showed three of five skulls were severely damaged by the bullets in one test exercise.

Mr Sherrard also said evidence suggested the guns which fired the rubber bullets were designed for use by soldiers to operate while standing up and holding them at waist height.

However, they were given to soldiers for use inside military vehicles in which they were in crouching positions due to the vehicles' height.

He said: "The state provided Soldier B with a lethal weapon without notifying him of its potential lethality or training him in its use.

"The absence of adequate training made it impossible for Soldier B to assess whether to use lethal force.

"I am satisfied that the established lethal risk was not adequately communicated to troops on the ground."

"He fired without warning into the crowd, which was not aimed at any individual."

The coroner also said he was confident that the boy had not been involved in any rioting on the death of the shooting.

He said: "I am entirely satisfied that Francis was not involved in any rioting nor did he intend to become involved in any. I am quite sure of that. It is clear he was there to observe the disturbance."

The coroner is due to consider further matters including the soldier's anonymity, before delivering his final findings in the inquest. He told the court he expects to give the full findings by the end of this year.

The Rowntree family welcomed the findings.

A statement, issued through their solicitor Padraig O Muirigh, said: "The Rowntree family welcome the findings of Coroner Sherrard today relating to the death of Francis Rowntree on the 22nd April 1971.

"The Coroner confirmed that Francis was not rioting at the time he was shot and that the lethal force used was 'not justified'.

"Significantly, the Coroner also found that the rubber bullet, which was classified as a 'non lethal weapon' was in fact a 'lethal weapon'.

"Further, the terrible wounding potential of these lethal weapons was known to the state before Francis' death.

"Many young children were killed and maimed by the rubber bullet and its successor the plastic bullet. Their use, free from regulation and training, amounted to a systemic abuse of human rights.

"These findings are not only a legal victory for the Rowntree family but for all those who campaigned for many years for these lethal weapons to be banned."
A Catholic priest who ministers in Co Fermanagh has called for the Church to accept that it has "lost Christmas" and abandon the word altogether.

Father Desmond O'Donnell, who has a congregation in Cleenish Parish near Enniskillen, has urged Christians, no matter the denomination, to accept that the term 'Christmas' had been shorn of any sacred meaning.

"We've lost Christmas, just like we lost Easter, and should abandon the word completely," he argued.

"We need to let it go, it's already been hijacked and we just need to recognise and accept that."

Fr O'Donnell, who worked in Australia for 28 years, insisted he was not a Scrooge, and did not wish to deny non-believers their festive celebrations.

"I am not seeking to take anything away from anyone, I am simply asking that space be preserved for believers for whom Christmas has nothing to do with Santa and Reindeer," he added.

"My religious experience of true Christmas, like so many others, is very deep and real - like the air I breathe.

"But non-believers deserve and need their celebration too, it's an essential human dynamic and we all need that in the toughness of life."

A biblical scholar and psychologist, he even quoted from the Psalms to argue that a little bit of wine makes the heart rejoice.

"I'm all for Christians choosing to celebrate Christmas by going out for meals and enjoying a glass of wine, but the commercialisation of anything is never good," he said.

"I'm just trying to rescue the reality of Christmas for believers by giving up 'Christmas' and replacing it with another word."

The clergyman, whose latest book To Love And To Be Loved was published in September, admitted that he wasn't hopeful about the sacred institution being willing to change, but warned that its refusal to do so will have consequences.

"It will mean that secularisation and modern life will continue to launder the Church," he said.

"It will start to institutionally break down, I've already seen it happening around the world in Malta, Poland and Uruguay, and it's starting to happen in Ireland.

"It's like watching the same movie over and over again - the Protestant Churches are battling too."

The Oblate priest, who is based in Dublin, added: "For many people God is just a word representing someone to blame in their calamity or a crutch to lean on in a time of distress, and the reality is that 'Christmas' no longer means Christmas."
A sex offender has been jailed for five years for the sexual assault and defilement of a 14-year-old boy he met following contact through a website.

Michael Galligan (40), who is on the sex offenders' register, has four previous convictions, including one for sexual assault and one for a breach of the sex offenders act.

Galligan, with an address at Springfield, Co Cavan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three counts of defilement of a child under the age of 15, and two counts of sexual assault of the boy on dates in 2015.

The court heard the child had gone on to a particular website and indicated he was 18-years-old.

The prosecuting garda told the prosecution that following online contact Galligan and the boy met on three dates during 2015 when the offences occurred.

She said that the boy had been wearing his school uniform on the second occasion he met Galligan.

She said that the boy's family became aware of mobile phone contact and gardai were alerted. Judge Martin Nolan said Galligan should have known the age of the boy after the first meeting.

He said part of the law was to "protect 14-year-olds from themselves" and said Galligan knew what he was doing was seriously wrong. Judge Nolan imposed a seven-year sentence and suspended the final two on strict conditions.

The garda said the investigation involving technical evidence and mobile contact had been quite complex. Galligan was interviewed and ultimately made admissions in relation to these charges.

The court heard the boy did not wish to make a victim impact statement and was endeavouring to move on with his life. The garda said during her evidence that the boy had been frightened, distressed and felt worthless during the offending.

The garda agreed with the defence that the boy had made first contact with Galligan.

The defence said this was not a case where Galligan had gone out looking for an under-age child, but accepted that once he met the child he knew he was under-age.

He handed in letters from Galligan to the injured party and the court.

He said Galligan accepted what he had done was wrong and that he should have walked away from the situation.
A solicitor who charged three times what he should have for the administration and dispersal of the estate of a late farmer has been found guilty of professional misconduct.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal made the findings after hearing Robert M Lee failed to comply with an order of the Taxing Master to refund excess fees he claimed from the estate.

When Mr Lee eventually did agree to refund the fees, he failed to give back the full amount, the tribunal heard.

The lawyer, a partner in Lees Solicitors in Kilmallock, Co Limerick, apologised to the beneficiaries of the farmer's will.

But he denied what had happened amounted to professional misconduct.

The case arose out of a complaint by retired publican Noel Leonard, of Bray, Co Wicklow.

Mr Lee was the solicitor who handled the estate of his late brother Richard, a farmer from Kilmallock, Co Limerick, who died in 2008.

Mr Leonard was unhappy with the fees charged by the solicitor, which amounted to 36,285, including Vat.

After examining the matter in 2014, Taxing Master Declan O'Neill reduced the bill to just 10,346 plus Vat.

However, Mr Lee failed to refund the difference to a client account for the estate.

Neasa Bird BL, for the Law Society, said Mr Lee was directed by the society to refund what was owed but did not do so.

The tribunal heard that in a letter to the society in February 2016, Mr Lee contended he was not prepared to comply with the Taxing Master's order.

The following month, the society's Complaints and Client Relations committee informed Mr Lee it would be referring the matter to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. It put a three-month stay on the referral to allow him reconsider his position, which he did.

That May, Mr Lee issued cheques to beneficiaries of the estate, but Mr Leonard did not cash his. Instead he queried the amount and how it was calculated.

Giving evidence to the tribunal, Mr Lee admitted he had made a mistake calculating how much was owed.

The tribunal heard Mr Lee believed the overall sum owed to the estate was around 19,900, when sum owed was actually 23,658.

"I was confident my calculations were correct. Unfortunately they weren't," he said.

The solicitor insisted he had not intended to mislead anyone or to withhold money due to beneficiaries of the estate.

Ms Bird told the tribunal that this error only became clear to Mr Lee "in the last few days".

"You are a solicitor. It ought to have been obvious to you that you were not refunding the full amount," she said.

The tribunal heard all monies owed have now been paid into the client account.

Tribunal chairman Michael Lanigan said it was satisfied Mr Lee was guilty of misconduct when he failed to abide by the Taxing Master's direction.

He said the tribunal was ordering that Mr Lee be censured, pay a sum of 3,000 to the Law Society's Compensation Fund and pay a contribution of 2,000 to the legal costs of the society.
Two men have appeared in court charged in connection with an investigation into the international supply of drugs following raids on a premises in Ashbourne Co Meath on Wednesday.

Michael Smullen (31) from Ashdale Close in Kinsealy Co Dublin, and Keith Donoghue (37) from Swift Grove in Clonshaugh in Dublin 17, were brought before Trim District Court this morning.

Both were charged with possession of drugs and possession with drugs for sale or supply.

Detective garda William Armstrong told judge Cormac Dunne that he arrested and charged Smullen last night at Ashbourne garda station and when charged Smullen had replied no to each charge.

Garda Donal Donoghue told the court he arrested and charged Keith Donoghue last night and that the accused had made no reply to the charges.

The court heard that it is alleged both men were working together at a lockup in Muckerstown, Ashbourne Co Meath on Wednesday November 15 when Gardai searched the premises.

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It is alleged Smullen was making cardboard boxes and that Donoghue, who came out of a back office with a tick list, was packing the boxes with cannabis.

Det Garda Armstrong said that cannabis weighing 311kg and valued at 6.2m was found on the premises.

Both men applied for bail but it was objected to on the grounds of the seriousness of the charges and the lengthy sentences that could result from those charges.

Bail was denied but both men were granted free legal aid.

They were remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill court on November 24.
A woman who claims the ground went from under her and she severely injured her back when she fell fifteen feet on to rocks below while strolling at Blessington Lakes has sued in the High Court.

Mother-of-three Alison McCurtin has taken the action against the ESB over the fall fourteen years ago on the Lacken side of the ESB reservoir at Blessington when she claims the ground disappeared underneath her and she fell backwards.

The 38-year old woman, her senior counsel Richard McDonnell told the High Court, was rescued from the rocks at Blessington reservoir and taken to hospital where it was found vertebrae on her lower back were fractured. Counsel said Ms McCurtain had to wear a back brace for about eight months afterwards and it is her case she won't ever be pain free.

Alison McCurtin,(38), Orwell Park Green, Tempelogue, Dublin has sued the ESB as a result of the fall while she walked along the banks of Blessington Reservoir on August 26, 2003.

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She has claimed that owing to alleged negligence she was caused to fall backwards to the shore below when the ground allegedly disappeared from under her.

She has claimed there was an alleged failure to have any adequate warning signs that the undercut shore banks were dangerous and an alleged failure to warn those present that walking close to the edges of the banks should be prohibited.

She has further claimed the ESB allowed her to use the lake shore as a recreational walk when the allegedly undermined banks were a trap because they looked solid.

There was, she has further claimed an alleged failure to monitor inspect or examine the lakeshore for such dangers and a dangerous hazard at a well known recreational location was allegedly created by an alleged failure to ensure the area was safe for recreational walking.

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The ESB has denied the claims and contends Ms McCurtain allegedly failed to have any or any adequate regard for her own safety and allegedly failed to take any or any adequate precautions for her own safety. The ESB also claims Ms McCurtain allegedly failed to heed the signs it says were close to the area of the accident.

In a second case Ms McCurtin has also sued in relation to an unrelated car accident on October 29, 2004 at Newline Road, Co Wexford. She has sued the driver of a car Bill Stafford, Wittyshill, Wellington Bridge, Co Wexford which ran in to the back of a car in which she was a passenger.

She has claimed that the road accident exacerbated the injuries from the Blessington accident. The court heard liability is admitted in car accident case which is before the court for assessment of damages only.

Opening the case Mr McDonnell SC said Ms McCurtin was walking along with friends enjoying the view at Blessington when all of a sudden the ground under her collapsed and she fell fifteen feet to the rocks below.

He said his side will claim that the accident was allegedly foreseeable. Ms McCurtain he said expected to return to the workforce when her third child was aorund seven years of age and as a result has submitted a claim for loss of earnings.

The case before Mr Justice Anthony Barr continues next Tuesday.
Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, such as ADHD, need more support in school to help them make friends, according to a new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute.

The recommendation follows research that children with special educational needs (Sen) have fewer friends in school and, when they do have friends the quality of their relationships is not as high as other children.

Among all children with an Sen, those with emotional and behavioural difficulties are most likely to feel isolated.

The findings are based on analysis of data collected from 8,578 nine-year-olds as part of the 'Growing Up in Ireland' study. Report authors Joanne Banks and Selina McCoy said they "suggest the need for specific programmes to encourage positive peer interactions for this group of students".

The authors also stated that as well as measuring academic progress, more subtle aspects of children's development and participation should be considered.
Health Minister Simon Harris, pictured with Clara Clark, from Cycling Without Age, gets a ride on a trishaw which takes nursing home residents on outings. It is powered by a cyclist on a push bike behind the chair, which can seat two residents. Nursing home owners were introduced to the transport, part of Cycling Without Age, at the annual meeting of Nursing Homes Ireland. Photo: Maxwells, Dublin

Nursing home residents are paying "top-up" charges of around 1,000 a month, it emerged.

The weekly 250 additional charge is being levied in Leeson Park Nursing Home, Dublin, on residents who are on the Fair Deal scheme.

The revelation followed investigations by the Irish Independent and 'Sunday Independent' into the scale of charging at nursing homes across the country.

However, the steep charge was strongly defended by the nursing home owner Joe Kenny, of Silver Stream Healthcare, who insisted it was transparent and essential to ensure the quality of life the residents expect in an expensive area of the city.

He insisted this additional charge in the nursing home, which has its own penthouse, covers a range of 17 extras, including activities and other supports, that the Fair Deal scheme fee does not pay for.

He claimed that the Fair Deal fee covers little more than for bed and board.

"Most residents now are high-dependency and they need additional carers. The charge is all very transparent and written down," he added.

He was among a large gathering of private nursing home owners at the annual meeting of Nursing Homes Ireland, in Dublin yesterday.

Mr Kenny told Department of Health secretary general Jim Breslin that he had not "walked in the shoes" of nursing home owners who are under stress.

It comes in the wake of the controversy over top-up charges, which many families insist are leaving residents financially stretched.

Albert Connaughton, who owns Belmont House, in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, and has a 50 additional charge a week, said: "We charge for the service we provide. I believe a nursing home should be like a hotel. For instance, we have an extensive social activities programme.

"Last night was 'happy hour' and residents had a glass of wine or soft drink. There are discussions and day trips.

"Three very nice priests take two buses from Glasnevin six days a week to say Mass for us for 50. They call to residents who cannot make it to Mass.

"The 50-a-week charge to residents is a legitimate charge."

He said he was competing with Leopardstown Park Hospital, a public nursing home with multi-bedded wards which was paid a much higher rate per resident under the Fair Deal scheme.

Private nursing homes are also facing demands for pay increases in line with public service increases. A review of the pricing for private nursing homes under the Fair Deal scheme was due to be completed in June. There is growing frustration that it will not now be ready until early 2018.

Tadhg Daly, chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland, said: "Five providers have already closed their doors in the past year. It is now incumbent to address the deficiencies in the Fair Deal pricing."

Health Minister Simon Harris said: "It is very important your work is valued and that it is reflected in a fair price for quality services."

Referring to top-up charges, he said: "Nobody wants to see a scenario where older citizens or families are worried about this matter."

Meanwhile, commenting on the proposed scheme to give older people a statutory right to home help, to remain at home, he said the aim was to provide a greater variety of choice.

The Irish Independent revealed that the scheme, which is due to be in place in two to three years, is likely to involve a means test and co-payment.
Some private nursing homes, which are pension agents for residents, are now putting the money in a central account, it emerged yesterday.

The practice is increasing the risk of fraud, warned Susan Cliffe, deputy chief inspector at the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

She said the finding, which has not shown any evidence of any wrongdoing, came to light in inspections this year. Nursing homes need to keep a resident's pension funds in a separate account as a safeguard.

Ms Cliffe, who was speaking at the annual meeting of Nursing Homes Ireland, said some inspections also found a number of nursing homes were not providing full staff training in fire safety evacuation plans.

She said this was an area that inspectors would be paying more attention to during visits to nursing homes next year.

The inspections highlighted the value of activities for residents, and social interaction is important.

Speaking at the conference, Assumpta Ryan, professor of Ageing and Health at Ulster University, urged nursing homes to recognise the stress a resident can face during their first weeks.

Prof Ryan, whose recent report looked at the role of nursing homes as a "home from home" for residents, said several of the people spoken to were grateful for the kindness shown by staff.

One wheelchair user said that a staff member knew when to come to her for a chat, and "saw beyond my crippled body".

Staff in some cases came in on their day off to do a resident's hairdressing.

Some of the people who were spoken to for the research were unaware of how lonely they were while living on their own, she added.
Friday has signalled a cold weekend ahead and the forecast for the coming days suggests this weekend maybe a weekend for staying indoors.

After a cold and icy start this morning the mercury will reach up to 11 degrees today as rain and drizzle move across parts of Connacht and Munster in the afternoon.

Met Eireann forecaster Gerry Murphy told RTE's Morning Ireland said the weather is due to be "mixed" over the weekend.

"Saturday will mostly cloudy with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, mainly in Connacht, Munster and south Leinster, but extending further north at times," he said.

There will be some brighter intervals in Ulster and north Leinster.

Most places will only reach nine degrees on Saturday but some parts of Munster will reach 12 or 13 degrees.

"On Sunday there will be a reasonable amount of dry weather, however more persistent rain will develop on Sunday evening and that will set the tone for unsettled weather between Monday and Wednesday," he added.

At the moment next week's weather looks to be "unsettled" with rain on the way for most days according to the national forecaster.
Tiny Emma Hughes weighed just 980 grammes when she was born at 27 weeks, almost three months premature.

Five weeks later, the care and dedication of the staff in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital in Dublin have ensured that Emma is growing and developing steadily.

"I'm so grateful for everything they are doing for Emma," said her mother Linda (34), who keeps daily watch over her daughter.

Dublin residents Linda and husband Gerard (35) were devastated when their first child Aobha did not survive when she was born at just 22 weeks, weighing 350 grammes, after Linda suffered a ruptured uterus. "We knew it was very high risk to try again to have a baby but we both wanted a child so much," she said.

We decided to rent in Drumcondra so that we could be near The Rotunda when the time came because of the very high risk of another rupture, said Linda, who is a nurse in the oncology department of Beaumont Hospital.

I had a lot of anxiety about the pregnancy. Doctor Maeve Eogan was so good and I had weekly scans and check-ups. I was admitted to the hospital at the 22 weeks stage for a week or two. Once we got past that stage, I was able to return to work for two days and felt more confident, said Linda.

Having been rushed to hospital at 5am on the day Emma was born, Linda was given a general anaesthetic and their daughter was born at 6.20am.

When Linda regained consciousness, it was Gerard who told her the news. He told me she was ok. We were delighted, she said.

Emma now weighs 1.5kg but she will have to reach 1.8kg before she is considered for release from the hospital.

I am here beside Emma most of the day. Gerard comes in every morning and afternoon and evening.

I am reassured and calm once I know she is fine. The midwives and doctors are wonderful. They are very conscious of the risk of infection and they mind the babies so well. The babies are just so precious, she said.

They arrange for me to give Emma what they call Kangaroo Care which means placing Emma on my chest skin-to-skin which is really good for her. She goes into a deep, deep sleep when she is on my chest, she said.

The care here in the hospital is unbelievably good. They give support and education and have so many procedures to counteract the risk of infection, she said.

Both Linda and her accountant husband Gerard come from an area near Clones, County Monaghan.

Consultant Neonatologist Michael Boyle said the introduction of extended statutory maternity leave benefits for mothers of premature infants from last month was hugely significant in helping in the care of preterm infants.

It cant be stressed enough how very important these payments are in helping families at this important stage, said Dr Boyle.

Of the 70,000 babies delivered in Ireland every year, 4,500 are born pre-term - one every two hours.

The Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, the second busiest maternity hospital in the country, is celebrating World Prematurity Day by holding a party today for all premature babies born there in 2015 who weighed less than 1.5kg.

Decades ago, babies born at 28 weeks had a slim chance of survival but now babies born at just 26 weeks have an 80pc chance of survival with modern medical care.

Professor Fergal Malone, Master of the Rotunda, said one of the main risk factors for pre-term birth is having delivered pre-term in a prior pregnancy.

"The Rotunda has recently launched a new specialist pre-term birth prevention clinic, in which a dedicated specialist in maternal-foetal medicine reviews all such high-risk mothers," said Prof Malone.

The clinic "provides the latest interventions" to prevent recurrent prematurity, he said.

"In regards to advances in neonatal medicine, we have seen the rates of chronic lung disease halved in the hospital's neonatal unit, which is very promising and reassuring," he said.

One of the biggest changes in helping babies with under- developed lungs to breathe is a process known as "volume guarantee". Professor Naomi McCallion, based at the Rotunda, is one of the world's leading experts in this innovation.

Survival rates nationally for pre-term infants relate to the degree of prematurity.

Dr Michael Boyle, consultant neonatologist at the Rotunda, said it was heartening that far more babies were surviving now with the latest advances in the care available.

Veteran staff recall that many babies surviving now would not have survived a generation ago, he said.

The Rotunda Foundation has launched a new project in which volunteers craft cuddly octopus toys to be placed in incubators with premature infants.

The tentacles can feel like the umbilical cord to babies, with significant calming effects.
Mark from Lancashire thanked the people of Dublin for looking after him and his partner after he fell ill on Leeson Street

A tourist has written a touching letter to express his gratitude to the people of Dublin for taking care of him when he fell ill during a September holiday.

In a letter sent to Lord Mayor Micheal Mac Donncha, Mark from Lancashire said he cannot explain how grateful he is to the people of Dublin.

They have been the most friendly and thoughtful people I have every met, and you must be so proud to be major of such a wonderful city.

I would like to thank everyone in Dublin who attended to me and helped my partner in the awful days after the accident, he wrote.

I received a lovely letter from Mark in Lancashire who asked me to thank people of Dublin, esp the Emergency Services, who helped him after he suffered a brain injury on 11th September. He is very grateful all in Dublin who were so friendly and thoughtful to him and his partner. pic.twitter.com/MAxoKf7Z88  Lord Mayor of Dublin (@LordMayorDublin) November 16, 2017

Mark also thanked the staff at Beaumont and St James' Hospital, Dublin Fire Brigade and the Central Hotel on Talbot Street for putting his partner up free of charge while he was staying overnight in hospital.

Visiting with his partner on September 11, Mark collapsed and suffered a brain injury while on a restaurant in Leeson Street.

"I had become disorientated and left my partner alone in the restaurant only to be treated in the hospital on Monday morning," he wrote.

Mark explained that a passer-by came to his rescue and called the emergency services.

He posted about the incident on Facebook in the hope that he could track the anonymous Good Samaritan but he has had "no joy".

Dublin Lord Mayor Micheal Mac Donncha shared Mark's letter on Twitter on Thursday.

It was also shared by Dublin Fire Brigade who explained that emergency services from Donnybrook and Rathfarnham attended Mark on the day he fell ill.

"Great to hear things are going well," they wrote.
A former Fine Gael senator has revealed she was inappropriately touched three times by TDs and councillors while canvassing for votes.

Niamh Cosgrave, who was a senator from 1993 to 1997, has recalled how her father insisted she be accompanied by a male driver for protection while travelling the country seeking support.

Traditionally Seanad candidates make home calls to potential voters in the run-up to the ballot.

"I remember when I was doing the tour to get elected to the Seanad, being warned by my father that some councillors to TDs might try to touch you. He arranged for a male driver to accompany me so that if I ever felt uncomfortable I could leave.

"It happened three times. It started with the knee and 'oh you're a lovely girl'. I'd cross my legs and then they'd touch my thigh," she told the Irish Independent.

Ms Cosgrave, who was a victim of rape later in life, said she regrets not speaking about her experience sooner but felt unable to do so.

She felt compelled to speak out about the treatment of women in politics following the controversy over Barry Walsh's tweets.

She said women needed more protection and called on Mr Walsh to take a sabbatical from Fine Gael's national executive while the party investigates his Twitter posts.

Referencing his attacks on women who favour repealing the Eighth Amendment, Ms Cosgrave said she always considered herself pro-life until she was raped in France in 2012. Her attacker is currently serving 18 years in prison.

"Just after I was raped I remember reading about a bishop in Ireland saying that women who seek an abortion after rape, it's to punish the rapist.

"I was 48, I was still fertile. With all the medication I was sick every morning and I panicked that I might be pregnant.

"I always considered myself pro-life but I thought I cannot carry a baby like this, I'll end up dead. I have absolutely, since my rape, become pro-choice," she said.

Ms Cosgrave said in such cases women should be allowed make a choice in consultation with their doctor. She praised Fine Gael TD Kate O'Connell for highlighting Mr Walsh's tweets, saying: "I have enormous respect for her. She has more courage than I have."
Barry Walsh with Enda Kenny, Simon Coveney, Leo Varadkar and Alison Meagher (then Young Fine Gael Dublin Organiser) in 2010. Photo: Maxpix

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael failed to act on concerns about a senior member of its national executive despite officials being aware of vile online posts about women.

The party has been unable to contact Barry Walsh since Dublin Bay South TD Kate O'Connell distributed a dossier of offensive statements he has made on social media.

And while Mr Varadkar has told the Irish Independent he believes the language used by Mr Walsh was "not acceptable", he stopped short of publicly seeking his resignation.

Mr Walsh referred to Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald and the Social Democrats' Roisin Shortall as "bitches". And he called well-known actor and writer Tara Flynn a "killer" for having an abortion.

Well-placed sources say officials in the party were aware of the crude comments, which were publicly posted, but didn't intervene. And former general election candidate Stephanie Regan told this newspaper: "Barry has worked hard for the party and has a history with the party. He was protected."

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Mr Walsh is well-known to the Taoiseach, who is an avid user of social media. He backed Mr Varadkar in the Fine Gael leadership contest.

Prior to that he was the director of elections in Dublin Bay North last year when Ms Regan and Education Minister Richard Bruton were on the ticket.

Before that he worked as parliamentary assistant to Lucinda Creighton and was based in Government Buildings.

The Cork native was president of Young Fine Gael from 2007 to 2010.

Ms Regan said she called him out for describing women as "bitches" on Twitter almost a year ago. "I said to him at the time, 'Barry you need to rethink your derogatory language when it comes to women'," she said.

Fine Gael's national executive is to meet later this month to discuss complaints from Ms O'Connell and Ms Flynn.

However, as far back as May 2016 Mr Walsh's tweets were garnering attention online. At the time, President Michael D Higgins' wife Sabina expressed an opinion on Ireland's abortion regime, leading him to write: "A really disturbing insight into this vile woman's worldview."

Among the most notable of his Twitter posts was an attack on Tara Flynn who is the voice of TV3's 'Blind Date'. She has spoken publicly about her experience because it's "too easy to dismiss faceless stories".

Six weeks ago, Mr Walsh tweeted: "From what Tara Flynn says, she was pregnant and just couldn't be bothered having a baby. So she had it killed. Why is she a feminist hero?"

Speaking to the Irish Independent, Ms Flynn said: "It's genuinely frightening when it seems a senior member of a party in government is allowed to get away with misrepresenting you. I'm glad to see Fine Gael, and Kate O'Connell in particular, taking it seriously."

At the weekend, Mr Walsh addressed Fine Gael's National Conference in Cavan, where he received a round of applause from some members.

He questioned Health Minister Simon Harris's commitment to an abortion referendum, saying it would create six months of distraction when members should "focus on the growth and development of the party".

Yesterday Mr Harris said he was proud of Ms O'Connell for bringing the issue to the wider attention of the parliamentary party.

"Honoured to call her a colleague and a friend. A hard-working, bright person who stands up for what she believes, demands high standards and calls out low ones," he tweeted.

Education Minister Richard Bruton declined to comment on the controversy.

It is understood Mr Varadkar has told colleagues that he would like to see Mr Walsh step down from the party.

However, he stopped short of such a call when questioned by this newspaper, instead stating: "Mr Walsh's use of language is not acceptable to me as party leader. A disciplinary process is now in train and will be completed swiftly in accordance with party rules."

He added: "All debate should be conducted in a respectful manner at party meetings, in the media and on social media.

"Party officers have a particular responsibility to set the standard in that regard."

Mr Walsh did not reply to queries and last night blocked his Twitter from public view.
SINN Fein's Ard Fheis has approved a proposal that will, for the first time, allow the party to enter government in the Republic even in circumstances where it is a junior coalition partner.

It came after a series of senior party figures spoke in support of the motion that any plan to participate in govenrment would be put to a vote at a special party meeting after an election.

Motions that would rule out participation if Sinn Fein was the junior coalition party - or not the largest party in the Dail - were rejected.

In her keynote address ahead of the vote deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party won't go into government to make up the numbers but deliver a "progressive, Republican programme for government".

She said the party is determined to implement its policies North and South.

Ms McDonald said Fine Gael and Fianna Fail "shout loudly" that they don't want Sinn Fein in govenment but said it is the "people who will decide when we enter government".

And she said Sinn Fein members would ultimately take the decision on if the party would participate in a government.

Ms McDonald criticised Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's Republic of Opportunity programme claiming it is "really a Republic of Opportunists".

She also hit out at Fianna Fail leader MIcheal Martin's record as a minister in governments prior to 2011 saying he supported austerity Budgets.

She added: "And he talks of an Ireland for all?  well pull the other one, Micheal."

Donegal TD Pearse Doherty said a Sinn Fein governnment would build houses, open hospital beds and "build popular support for Irish Unity".

He said he trusts Sinn Fein membership to "do the right thing" and judge any proposal to enter government on its principles.

MEP Matt Carthy that if anyone has any fear of entering government as a minority party "there's a way of stopping it".

"Let's make this the largest party in this State".
Alliance politics: Foes turn friends in West Rukum

CPN-UML leader Sher Bahadur KC and CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Janardan Sharma were pitted against each other during the first Constituent Assembly elections in 2008 in then Rukum Constituency-2.
The Taoiseach has called on senior Fine Gael member Barry Walsh to resign from the executive council of the party.

Mr Walsh is the subject of a disciplinary procedure for his alleged abusive and offensive online behaviour directed at female colleagues and others.

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Speaking from Gothenburg, where he is attending a meeting of all EU heads of state and government, Mr Leo Varadkar said; "it would be for the best if he resigned and stepped down as a member of the Fine Gael executive council pending a disciplinary procedure which is now underway."

Mr Walshs online abuse was documented by TD for Dublin Bay South Kate OConnell in a complaint she made to Fine Gael bosses on Wednesday evening.

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He also allegedly took aim at other women in the public eye such as Sabina Higgins, the wife of President Michael D. Higgins, Sinn Fein TD Mary Lou McDonald and actor and pro-choice activist Tara Flynn.

The Taoiseach said, "Mr Walsh is below the standard of what Id expect of a Fine Gael officer.

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"There are lots of trolls and nasty people on Twitter but I expect Fine Gael officers to set a higher standard," he added.

Over recent weeks Barry Walsh has posted a series of abusive tweets, targeting people who favour repealing the Eighth Amendment.

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On Wednesday night, Dublin Bay South TD Kate OConnell handed out screengrabs of his twitter activity and informed party colleagues she has written to Fine Gael secretary general Tom Curran to complain about the abuse.

Mr Walsh had also made particularly crude references to actor Tara Flynn, who is the voice of Blind Dates on TV3.

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Independent.ie initially censored an abusive tweet about Ms Flynn  but she has now said that the full extent of the post should be publicised.

Ms Flynn has spoken about her own experience of seeking an abortion in the past and vocally supports a change in Irelands restrictive laws.

On October 1 Mr Walsh tweeted: From what Tara Flynn says, she was pregnant and just couldn't be bothered having a baby. So she had it killed. Why is she a feminist hero?

Speaking to Independent.ie, Ms Flynn said: Its genuinely frightening when it seems a senior member of a party in government is allowed to get away with misrepresenting you.

Im glad to see Fine Gael, and Kate OConnell in particular, taking it seriously.

Ms Flynn also wrote a letter of complaint to Fine Gael bosses.

In other tweets Mr Walsh described Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald and Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall as b**ches.

In an unprecedented move Ms OConnell printed out the social media posts and passed them around at a private meeting of Fine Gael TDs and senators on Wednesday.

She also wrote a formal letter of complaint to the Fine Gaels General Secretary Tom Curran.

On Saturday Mr Walsh posted a Twitter message in which he claimed that after an even-tempered debate on abortion, Ms OConnell yodelled Look at all them men, discussing our uteruses!

He later accused her of using wrong statistics to back up her arguments, adding: Looks like someone following tactic of hard-left pols: hear a false statistic that sounds good, dont bother to check it, then repeat it as fast.

Mr Walsh has been unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, Social Democrats' Roisin Shortall described the tweets as "nasty".

He is like one of these many keyboard warriors who sits at home tweeting nasty things about people. Unfortunately there is lots of people like that. The difference with him is he has a fairly senior position within Fine Gael and I suppose its up to the Taoiseach to deal with that," she told Independent.ie.

It is matter for Fine Gael. I certainly wouldnt be happy with someone involved at a senior level in Social Democrats behaving like that and it would be dealt with it within the party.

Its not appropriate that someone senior within the party is expressing such unpleasant views.

It doesnt bother me that someone is calling me a b***ch, things like that happen all the time but he is actually wrong about me voting twice for budgets in the last government. I voted for one of them but he was inaccurate about that."
Troops have carried out military manoeuvres at shopping centres and a key transport hub to counter potential attacks by terrorists.

Members of the Defence Forces prepared and planned how to combat an attack through reconnaissance at the targeted buildings. The intelligence gathered was then used for a table-top exercise in countering the threat through low-tech and high-tech command and communications scenarios.

The results of the latest manoeuvres formed part of a training course in preparing commanders to counter marauding terrorist attacks (C-MTA) at the ordnance school in the Defence Forces' training centre at the Curragh.

The week-long course is being attended by representatives from 15 countries, including Ireland, and is the third organised by the Defence Forces. The first was held in November 2015, days after the terror attacks claimed by Isil in Paris.

The ordnance school has widespread experience in how to deal with improvised explosive devices as a result of fall-out from the Troubles in Northern Ireland and Ireland's involvement in peacekeeping operations with the United Nations overseas.

It has already held several prototype courses to share its expertise in this area with civilian and military personnel from the UN, EU and Nato member states.

This week's course is seen as a "natural progression" from earlier efforts and has been financed by Luxembourg through the Nato/Partnership for Peace voluntary national contribution fund. Apart from military and police agencies, participants also include emergency services, private sector security companies and potential commercial targets.

Lieut Col Ray Lane, from the ordnance school, said yesterday that the motto of the course was that co-operation and co-ordination saved lives. He said the aim was to make people more aware of their surroundings and, without creating an environment of fear, to help them observe tell-tale signs that could lead to preventative action.

The course involved a study of 17 terrorist strikes over the past decade and an examination of post-attack analyses, which concluded that all of them could have been prevented.

"We don't want to instil the fear of God into people, but if they become more aware of what they see around them, this could help the preservation of life," Col Lane said.

The commanders are being trained to respond to marauding terror attacks under complex conditions when they face a blizzard of information and need to control a wide range of personnel to end an incident with minimal casualties.

Course organisers teamed up with British company Airbox, whose Mosaic system was used for a high-tech exercise in which the students using cutting edge operational tools worked from an operational picture that pinpointed the locations of the main players, such as the terrorists, the security forces and members of staff and public, including possible hostages.

All information about the location of the incident is gleaned from maps and drones and fed into an app, which can be picked up by police and military at the scene on their mobile phones. The full "real time" picture is studied by the commander and key advisers before making a decision on how to operate on the ground. The participants also heard from academics and other experts on their analysis of recent events.

It was pointed out that the terrorists involved in attacks in Europe had minimal, if any, military training and were lightly armed or else used available resources such as vehicles and knifes.
A woman was struck by a train at Sydney Parade in Dublin this afternoon.

An Irish Rail spokesperson told Independent.ie that the woman was struck by the 15.00 DART service from Malahide to Greystones.

Emergency services attended the scene and DART and other rail services were suspended for a time.

The woman has been taken to St Vincent's Hospital but there was no information available regarding her condition.

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A garda spokesperson told Independent.ie that an incident took place at around 3.45pm and that they attended the scene.

Local diversions were put in place on Merrion Road for a time.

At 5.45pm AA Roadwatch confirmed that the level crossing at Sydney Parade Avenue has reopened to traffic.

Irish Rail have also confirmed that services have resumed, though there are delays of 30 minutes.
The luxury stand alone tub at one of Malakoff's four bathrooms

This is the Dublin 6 home that Kick-Ass actress Chloe Grace Moretz offered to rent earlier this year at 20,000 per month - but was turned down by the owners on the grounds that the 20-year-old was "too young".

Sources close to the property said that the owners had a preference for the corporate market and said their decision did not reflect on the actress, but rather on the owner's preferences for a more mature tenant type.

The Atlanta born star of the tongue-in-cheek super hero movie has been in Dublin filming for Neil Jordan's The Widow. She also hit headlines in recent months for her relationship with Brooklyn Beckham, the son of David and Victoria Beckham. The couple have captured city hearts by eschewing the red carpet and mingling freely on St Stephen's Green and openly in Dublin bars during their time here.

The 20k refusal reflects a tightening for demand for top lets in Dublin's competitive rental market where five properties are currently being advertised seeking 10,000 or more per month.

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Malakoff Villa is an 1860 built and recently restored home in upmarket Rathgar in Dublin 6. It is located close to the newly buzzing centre of Rathmines where the actress and her beau would have felt right at home.

Rathmines enjoys lively cocktail bars like the Madison and has seen the opening of a plush new gigs venue, The Bowery. In recent weeks the refurbished Stella cinema cocktail bar opened its doors and this is soon to be followed by a branch of Fallon & Byrne.

Malakoff Villa comes with five double bedrooms and four luxurious bathrooms - including designer suites with stand-alone baths and accompanying wet rooms. The lower floor has a huge open plan Miele fitted kitchen/dining room and family room area which opens out on to a private rear patio.

In their search for an older client, the Five Star agency has reduced the rent to 12,000. However, with rentals in relative short supply at the moment, top-end landlords can afford to be ultra choosey about who they pick to live in their abodes. Many prefer the more staid corporate executive market to the potential of vivacious Hollywood stars who might like to party.

With the number of film projects in Ireland on the increase, more long-stay visits from executives associated with Irish-based multinationals and hotel prices surging, the top end of the lettings market in Dublin has gone "through the roof", according to one agent, who says 80pc of the medium- to short-let business being done is "behind closed doors" on luxury homes which are not listed.

The Dalkey/Killiney based agent who did not want to be named said that 20,000 per week was the very top end of the scale and that 10,000 to 20,000 per month was no longer unusual in the top home bracket. Guinness family member Garech Browne's luxury home Luggala in north Wicklow has been offered at 80,000 per month.

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Currently there are five publicly advertised properties in Dublin advertised at 10,000 per month or more - the price of good second hand car.

Also in Dublin 6 is a double-fronted restored period home at Sandyford Road which is within easy reach of the city centre and close to the hotspots of Ranelagh such as McSorley's pub which is popular with international rugby stars.

The refurbished six-bedroom home is available through Sherry FitzGerald Lettings at 10,000 per month and at three times the size of an average family home it comes with five bathrooms, some arresting crystal chandeliers and the cornicing and period features associated with a home of its age.

One of its big attractions is a huge balcony of almost 700 sq ft at the rear for entertaining al fresco. At ground level there is the bespoke kitchen, with a feature island, marble counters and a full range of high end appliances to include a range oven; a further dining/living area complete this room.

Meantime on the embassy belt at Ailesbury Road in Dublin 4 Knight Frank is seeking a heftier 15,000 per month for a period home with six bedrooms and six bathrooms.

The period red brick is five times the size of an average family dwelling and in an area in which the neighbours comprise business leaders and ambassadors, it would be ideal for a multi national corporate executive and his or her family. Three main reception rooms make this house perfect also for entertaining. Further afield, a modern four bedroom apartment in Dalkey is seeking 10,000 per month as well as a down payment deposit of 15,000 for the unit which has eagle's nest views of the sea. The apartment is being let by Thom Burke Kennedy.

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Finally, a period house nearby in Dalkey is being offered by agent Nick Crawford at 15,000 per month. The property, which it is claimed dates from the mid 17th Century has eight bedrooms and three bathrooms.

As with the apartment, no roads or house numbers are listed to protect the privacy of both the owners and prospective tenants to be.
Memories of that day eight years ago remain vivid. News that there was something wrong with our first pregnancy came like a bolt from the blue. Like most first-time expectant parents, my wife Brid and I had been busy making plans - excited we would soon hopefully welcome a healthy bundle of joy into the world.

So when we discovered around the 30-week mark that something was amiss, we were taken aback. Scans revealed our baby appeared to have stopped growing. Brid also had symptoms of pre-eclampsia - a mysterious condition causing dangerously high blood pressure in the mother which can only be resolved by giving birth.

Brid was admitted and it soon became a matter of when, not whether, our baby was going to be delivered early. Every day was a bonus - time for his or her little lungs to mature a bit more, helped by a dose of steroids Brid was given.

We were both pretty terrified. Brid, a medical doctor by profession, better understood what was happening than I did, which was probably both helpful and unhelpful for her.

As someone who likes to be in control, I found myself uncomfortably helpless, lacking the knowledge or power to do anything to fix the problem. Repeated visits to Dr Google didn't help.

Although one in 10 births is premature, at that stage neither of us knew anyone else who had experienced one. Inevitably, amid the confusion and panic, bouts of self-pity also struck, prompting questions like "why us" and "did we do something to cause it?". We now know we didn't.

By the end of the 33rd week it was clear time was starting to run out. Baby wasn't getting any bigger and our consultant told us he or she would be safer out than in. As Brid rested in hospital, I did what I could to prepare us for the imminent arrival. Premature babygrows and vests as well as tiny doll-sized nappies had to be found.

We were taken to see Unit 8, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or NICU, in the National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street, where our baby would be brought following his or her delivery.

That served as our first reality check, as it dawned on us that we were actually lucky the pregnancy had reached the point it had. Many other parents hadn't been so fortunate and were now caring for the tiniest of infants, some clinging to life.

At the start of the 34th week, as warm morning spring sunshine lit up the roofs of Merrion Square, Brid was prepped for a caesarean section. I recall sitting gowned and masked in the theatre waiting area before being brought in to be with Brid, and saying a prayer that our newborn baby would have the strength to cry.

Minutes later, Sam Goodbody entered the world, starting life as he has continued it, making plenty of noise, much to our overwhelming relief.

Many tears of joy were shed that day that our little scrap of a thing, weighing just 1.5kg (3lbs 7oz), had overcome his first hurdle.

But many more challenges lay ahead. Sam spent the following week in an incubator in the NICU, where he slowly started to gain weight. One big fear, that his lungs would not be developed enough, was thankfully not realised. We received extraordinary care from the nurses and doctors, something we will always be grateful for.

In particular, the nurses showed such compassion and patience as they taught us how to care for our miniature baby - how to feed him through a nasogastric tube, change his tiny nappies, clean him with cotton wool and occasionally put him down our shirts for skin to skin contact known as 'kangaroo care'.

He was so small and vulnerable, handling him was nerve-wracking. Among the hardest aspects though was not being able to hold and cradle him whenever we wanted because of the incubator, tubes and monitoring equipment.

Equally difficult was leaving him each night, even though we knew he was in safe hands.

Day by day though, tests were successfully completed and milestones met, mini victories for our mini man that eventually enabled his move across to the Special Care Baby Unit seven days later. Brid was discharged around then and because we lived outside Dublin, we moved into a nearby hotel to be close to the hospital.

Another reason was that Brid really wanted to breastfeed Sam. Initially, though, he was too small to latch. So we began a challenging feeding routine that was to last several months, where Brid tried to breastfeed Sam and then expressed milk, while I fed him that milk, first through the nasogastric tube and later by bottle.

Because his mouth was tiny, Sam struggled with bottles for quite some time, often taking in too much air and then projectile vomiting the feed out again. His clothes had to be constantly changed as the milk would run out of his miniature mouth, soaking him. But gram by gram, Sam slowly grew and by the end of the third week he was ready to go home. We left with a deep sense of gratitude that we were taking home a very small, but apparently healthy baby when so many before and after us weren't so lucky.

But there was anxiety about going home too. The hospital staff did what they could to prepare us for the next stage. But there wasn't a huge amount of information available to guide us.

Once home though, our main priorities were to ensure Sam continued putting on weight and didn't catch any infections. Over the following couple of weeks, he continued to put on weight and quickly began filling his oversized premature baby clothes.

But as a return to work loomed for me, the feeding routine was becoming unsustainable. Sam was demanding milk every two to three hours and we were still bottle-feeding him breast milk - a process that would take two of us working together up to an hour and a half each time.

So Brid took a gamble and, over 24 hours, completely stopped the bottles, forcing Sam to learn to exclusively feed directly from her.

It worked. Sam rapidly got the hang of it and I've no doubt the following six months of breastfeeding played a huge role in his rapid growth and good health.

Weeks became months and then years and we gradually began to relax as Sam continued hitting each of his developmental milestones.

Eight years on, we count our blessings daily and remain hugely grateful for the support we received from nurses, doctors, lactation consultants, friends, family and other parents who had been through a premature birth.

Sam has grown into a handsome, lanky, healthy, curious, outgoing, happy, sports-mad boy, who never walks when running is an option. We are acutely aware that, in so many ways, our experience was easy compared to what many other parents of premature or sick babies have gone through.

But it is also important that those who are about to or have just given birth to a premature baby know that, for many, the outcome is positive and that there is help available. That's why I applaud the work of organisations like the Irish Neonatal Health Alliance, whose new patient brochure will be an incredibly useful resource for those about to leave hospital with a premature baby.

I also applaud the work of the many wonderful clinicians and scientists studying this area, whose work will in time spare people like Brid and I from having to go through what we did and, of course, give children like our beloved Sam a better start in life.

Beautiful babies who, through nobody's fault, are born too soon.
A remarkable video (see below) has emerged of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner spewing out a thick cloud of vapour as it flies over Russia.

It was captured by pilot Lou Boyer from the cockpit of a passing 747, RT reports.

The clip is bound to fan the flames of conspiracy on some of the more incredulous online forums. The seemingly random appearance of contrails, as these lines of condensation are commonly called, is considered by a small but vocal online minority to be evidence of a global conspiracy.

Why do some planes emit long, lingering clouds, they ask, while others pass overhead without leaving a trace?

The conspiracy theory

The clouds are, according to some, in fact chemtrails  chemical or biological agents sprayed at high altitude for any number of top secret reasons.

So persistent is the chemtrail theory that it has been discussed on radio talk shows, raised by politicians, while US government agencies report calls from irate citizens demanding an explanation.

The trails which arouse the most suspicion are those that remain visible for a long time, dispersing into cirrus-like cloud formations, or those from multiple aircraft which form a persistent noughts-and-crosses-style grid over a large area.

So what possible reason would the worlds governments have for jettisoning vast quantities of chemicals into the stratosphere?

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Proponents of the conspiracy theory offer a variety of explanations. It is an attempt to control global warming, according to some, while others cite far more sinister goals, such as human population control, psychological manipulation, and military weapons testing.

The trails, it is claimed, are to blame for health problems and respiratory illness.

It is an attempt to control global warming," according to some. Others cite human population control, psychological manipulation, and military weapons testing.

These claims took root in the Nineties, with the publication of a US Air Force research paper about weather modification.

But the ability to change the weather isnt all pie-in-the-sky. Cloud seeding  where particles such as silver oxide are sprayed onto clouds to increase precipitation  is commonly used by drought-prone countries, and was part of the Chinese governments efforts to reduce pollution ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The truth

Governments and scientific institutions have, of course, dismissed the theories, and insist those vapour trails which persist for longer than usual, or disperse to cover a wide area, are just normal contrails.

The variety of contrails seen in the sky is due to atmospheric conditions and altitude, they say, while grid-like contrails are merely a result of the large number of planes that travel along the same well-worn flight lanes.

The combination of high relative humidity and a nice sunrise gave this contrail a nice deep colour as the contrail created its own shadow, explained Lou Boyer, who captured the video above.

Patrick Smith, a US pilot, dismisses the conspiracy theory in his book about air travel, Cockpit Confidential.

Contrails are formed when humid jet exhaust condenses into ice crystals in the cold, dry, upper-level air  its not unlike the fog that results when you exhale on a cold day, he says.

Contrails are clouds, you could say. Water vapour, strange as it might sound, is a byproduct of the combustion within jet engines, which is where the humidity comes from. Whether a contrail forms is contingent on altitude and the ambient atmospheric makeup  mainly temperature and something known as vapour pressure.

I refuse to devote valuable page space to the so-called chemtrail conspiracy theory. If you know what Im talking about and wish to argue the matter, feel free to email. If you dont know what I'm talking about, dont worry about it.

In 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration, the US national aviation authority, teamed up with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to create a detailed report aimed at dispelling the rumours once and for all.

It clearly didn't work. The EPA reissued the document as recently as 2015.

The report reads: Aircraft engines emit water vapour, carbon dioxide, small amounts of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfur gases, and soot and metal particles, formed by the high-temperature combustion of jet fuel, during flight. Of these emittants, only water vapour is necessary for contrail formation.

If the humidity is high (greater than that needed for ice condensation to occur), the contrail will be persistent. Newly formed ice particles will continue to grow in size by taking water from the surrounding atmosphere. The resulting line-shaped contrail extends for large distances behind an aircraft. Persistent contrails can last for hours while growing to several kilometers in width and 200 to 400 meters in height. Contrails spread because of air turbulence created by the passage of aircraft, differences in wind speed along the flight track, and possibly through effects of solar heating.

So now you know.

It concluded that persistent contrails pose no direct threat to public health but added: Contrail cloudiness might contribute to human-induced climate change.

So, while chemtrails are widely considered a myth, contrails themselves may actually be harming us by contributing to global warming.

There are a couple of other interesting facts about contrails.

Military aircraft will sometimes fly at a particular altitude to avoid producing them, and therefore evade detection.

Also, when a plane is travelling towards an observer on the ground, it may emit a contrail that appears to be vertical.

In November 2010, The Pentagon was left baffled by what was reported to be a mystery missile launch off the coast of California, but eventually concluded that it was an probably an aircraft contrail.

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Blissed out: The view of Seattle from Kerry Park, taking in the Space Needle and Mount Rainier - the 21st highest mountain in the world

Aer Lingus cabin crew and sisters Laura and Melissa Stapleton at the announcement of its Seattle route. Picture Jason Clarke

Aer Lingus cabin crew and sisters Laura and Melissa Stapleton at the announcement of its Seattle route. Picture Jason Clarke

Transatlantic routes are like buses these days. You wait ages for one to come along, and then several arrive all at once.

This morning, Aer Lingus unveiled its latest North American destination - Ireland's first-ever direct scheduled service to Seattle, in Washington State.

The four-times weekly route will commence on May 18, 2018, using an Airbus A330 with lead-in fares from 259 each-way as part of a return trip.

The announcement comes just over a month after its last reveal, a four-times weekly service to Philadelphia, set to commence on March 25th.

Before that, a new Dublin to Miami service launched in September.

In total, the airline has introduced four new long-haul aircraft and six new transatlantic routes since its acquisition by IAG in 2015, including LA, Newark and Hartford, Connecticut.

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Dallas had been widely tipped as its next US airport, and Aer Lingus has also been examining a possible Las Vegas connection, but America's Emerald City beats both out of the blocks - not least due to its strong business links with Ireland.

Local tech giants Microsoft and Amazon both have massive bases there, and the Irish aircraft leasing sector can connect directly to the home of Boeing.

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From a visitor perspective, Seattle is the home of Grunge, Sub Pop, US coffee culture (yes, Starbucks included) and foodie Meccas like Pike Place Market.

The new route is also, of course, a boost to inbound tourism and Dublin Airport's efforts to grow itself as a hub for transatlantic traffic in Europe.

American expansion

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Aer Lingus's new routes mark "the most significant expansion in the airlines history," it now says, creating some 600 new jobs in the past three years.

Seattle alone adds 50,000 additional seats to its 2018 programme, with total transatlantic capacity now set to exceed 2.75 million seats for the year.

Nor is it stopping any time soon.

IAG plans to further boost the airline's fleet over the next five years, with several new Airbus A321Neo long-range (LR) aircraft due to arrive from 2019.

Similar to the Boeing 737-MAX aircraft used by Norwegian, the a narrow-body, single-aisle Airbus will open up all sorts of transatlantic options.

Additional North American expansion next year will include twice-daily flights to Chicago and a daily service to both San Francisco and Los Angeles.

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Laura Whitmore attends Royal Ascot Ladies Day 2017 at Ascot Racecourse on June 22, 2017 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Laura Whitmore attends Royal Ascot Ladies Day 2017 at Ascot Racecourse on June 22, 2017 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Laura Whitmore attends Royal Ascot Ladies Day 2017 at Ascot Racecourse on June 22, 2017 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Laura Whitmore attends Royal Ascot Ladies Day 2017 at Ascot Racecourse on June 22, 2017 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Angela Scanlon attends the Longines suite in the Royal Enclosure during Royal Ascot on June 22, 2017 in Ascot, England. (Photo by David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Longines)

Roy Horgan (L) and Angela Scanlon attend the Longines suite in the Royal Enclosure during Royal Ascot on June 22, 2017 in Ascot, England. (Photo by David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Longines)

Angela Scanlon and her husband of three years enjoyed a rare public date night at Ascot.

While the former stylist turned tv presenter might be a force to be reckoned with on the small screen and an in-demand guest at VIP bashes, her entrepreneur husband prefers life away from the spotlight.

But the couple stepped out in style on Thursday as they celebrated Ladies Day at Royal Ascot as guests of Longines - and certainly looked the part for the occasion.

Scanlon opted for an oversized magenta suit, accessorising with a straw hat; while Roy opted for more traditional garb in a three piece suit and top hat. Both would have been subject to Ascot's strict dress code which requires women wear formal daywear, which means no hemlines should be shorter than your knee or thin-strapped tops, trouser suits needs to be full length and all one colour; jumpsuits are also permitted, but must also fall to the knee or lower (so no rompers).

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"Strapless, off the shoulder, halter neck and spaghetti straps are not permitted, the website reads. "Midriffs must be covered. Fascinators are not permitted; neither are headpieces which do not have a solid base covering a sufficient area of the head."

Men are required to wear a waistcoat, tie, black shoes and a black or grey top hat within the Royal Enclosure, where the Longines area is located.

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Earlier this week, the loved-up couple celebrated their third wedding anniversary with a typically self-deprecating snap on Instagram.

"Happy Anniversary" the Meath native captioned the image by photographer David McClelland of her and her beau holding hands. "Still pinching each other (and hanging around derelict glasshouses) three years on," she joked.

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The couple were married in a low-key wedding in Wicklow after getting engaged on holiday in India.

Meanwhile, the Irish were out in force at Ascot as presenter Laura Whitmore stepped out in a floral Karen Millen dress and a headpiece by Molly Bunce. Milliners Martha Lynn and Suzanne Ryan were also representing their best designs on the day

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American man dies as bike hits pick-up van in Jyatha

An American man died after a motorbike he was riding on hit a parked pick-up van at Jyatha in Kathmandu on Thursday.
Zimbabwe's ruling party and military must not exclude the public from the "incredible change" taking place as Robert Mugabe relinquishes power, a pastor who led the largest anti-government protests in decades has warned.

Evan Mawarire, who was jailed by Mr Mugabe's government after his 'This Flag' movement led to widespread demonstrations last year, called on Zimbabweans to take to the streets to ensure the public are not cut out of any exit deal agreed between the country's president and the military.

"Should we just sit and wait or shall we at least be part of this transition process?" Mr Mawarire asked in a live-streamed address watched by more than 18,000 people yesterday.

Mr Mawarire said: "Are we there to sit and wait or there also to play a role? People are losing hope as they sit and watch. Who is going to represent the citizens? You think that the politicians are sitting there talking about you all the time? No, politicians are interested in power, that is what they do."

Mr Mawarire said that he would ask the military for permission to lead a march "for peace and a beautiful transition to the next phase".

He later retracted the call, saying it would "not be a good idea right now."

The call for public action came amid mounting frustration at the lack of transparency since soldiers arrested Mr Mugabe and his family late on Tuesday.

Neither Mr Mugabe nor the presumed mastermind of the coup, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the former vice president, have issued statements or been seen in public since. The military has not commented since Major General SB Moyo, chief of staff logistics, denied a coup was under way and appealed for calm in an address on national television in the early hours of Wednesday.

More than 100 civil society groups yesterday signed a statement calling on Mr Mugabe (93) to step aside peacefully and asking the military to respect the constitution. A group of churches issued a similar statement calling for calm.

Residents of Harare described the city as "calm", with the small number of soldiers deployed at strategic points apparently making a point of keeping a low and friendly profile.

The police have vanished from the streets along with the road blocks they usually man around the city where they sometimes 'shake down' drivers for bribes.

"It's very weird," said Doug Coultard, a Harare-based human rights lawyer.

"Things are very calm and in many ways things are going on as normal.

"People are going to work and going shopping and getting coffee and that kind of thing.

"But people are keeping their eyes glued to their WhatsApp and social media pages. They are definitely on edge and getting increasingly frustrated there is no direct line of communication about what is going on," he added.
A man who was being arrested in Texas stunned police officers by breaking into a dance.

The unidentified suspect performed the unorthodox routine after a near 20-mile police chase in Houston.

He came to a stop in front of the stinger strips police had laid across Interstate 45.

He eventually complied with police orders to step out of his car but rather than lay on the ground, he decided to dance with arms above his head.

The routine was brought to a conclusion by a police dog.

Police lieutenant Larry Crowson said officers were concerned the man might try to flee into traffic, so they unleashed the dog.

Crowson said investigators will determine whether the man was under the influence.

The suspect has been charged with evading arrest.
Investors have pumped another $98 million (74 million) into Deliveroo, bringing its fundraising total to $482 million (365 million).

The Series F funding round was led by the likes of T Rowe Price Associates and Fidelity Management & Research Company  who have backed tech giants including Facebook and Tesla.

Follow-on investments were made by existing investors including Accel Partners, Index Ventures, General Catalyst and DST Global, who upped their stake in the company, while additional funding was provided by private investors.

Deliveroo said that at $482 million, the company can lay claim to the largest investments for a European or UK tech firm to date, with the company now valued at $2 billion (1.5 billion).

The funds will be used in part to invest in a programme for delivery-only kitchens, that help restaurants expand without upfront costs in an effort to increase food selection and improve delivery times.

Investments will also be made into its tech team  further developing its logistics algorithm and artificial intelligence systems, as well as into further expansion into new markets.

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The announcement comes ahead of the launch of its 200th location, with plans to start serving customers in Cannes, France, as of Tuesday November 21.

Deliveroo said the investment will benefit the wider UK economy.

Deliveroo will provide more well-paid and flexible work for riders and will help to generate substantial extra revenues for its restaurant partners.

Through its expansion Deliveroo is helping to keep great local restaurants in business in high streets across the UK, the company said in its release.

The delivery firm earlier this month claimed a victory for its riders who want the flexibility of being self-employed rather than to be classed as workers, marking the latest case of employment rights in the so-called gig economy.

It came after a Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) rejected an application by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain to represent drivers in parts of north London, according to Deliveroo.
No-frills airline easyJet will confirm a boost from the demise of rivals and recent woes at Ryanair when it reports results on Tuesday, but a 100 million hit from the weak pound will still see profits tumble.

The carrier revealed last month it had enjoyed a record quarter in the three months to September 30 after it was helped in recent weeks by a shambolic showing from rival Ryanair, which has had to cancel hundreds of flights after miscalculating pilot leave.

It said full-year profits were therefore set to come in at the top end of its forecasts, having carried 24.1 million passengers in the quarter.

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But in her last set of results before taking on the top job at ITV, outgoing chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall will confirm the impact the Brexit-hit pound has had on its past year, with profits still set to be as much as 18% lower at between 405 million and 410 million.

All of the fall in profits is accounted for by the 100 million impact of the pound, but trading has also been hit by a turbulent past two years for the airline sector after a raft of terrorist attacks and a price war amid increased competition.

Ms McCall will at least bow out with an unusually strong update on its winter performance, though, as easyJet benefits from not just Ryanairs debacle, but also last months collapse of Luton-based carrier Monarch, the demise of Air Berlin and Alitalias administration.

The group has been able to pounce on up to 25 aircraft from Air Berlin as well as up to 1,000 staff from the group, which will see easyJet become the biggest airline operating out of Berlin and boost its overall size by 10%.

It may face pressure on its home turf though given the saga surrounding Monarch.

It will be an immediate challenge for incoming boss Johan Lundgren, a travel sector veteran, who joins on December 1 from tour operator TUI, with rival airlines circling Monarchs coveted runway slots.

Administrators for Monarch are taking their fight over the valuable slots to the Court of Appeal after the High Court ruled against them.

And despite a decent winter season so far for easyJet, it is expected to remain tough for the sector over the year ahead, while rival Ryanair is likely to bounce back as it puts its rota woes behind it.

Nicholas Hyett, an equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said easyJet will need to keep focusing on its all-important load factor  a measure of how well airlines fill their planes.

He said: With prices likely to remain under pressure from the intense competition thats racking the sector, fuller planes mean lower costs per passenger. Thats key to maintaining profitability.
Relatives of Andrew Apperley, 38, initially feared he had been murdered when he went missing

The family of a tourist who vanished after a full moon party in Thailand said his death remained a mystery after an inquest did not offer any conclusive findings.

Relatives of Andrew Apperley, 38, initially feared he had been murdered when he went missing after the notorious gathering on the island of Ko Pha Ngan on 12 February, after sending them a host of cryptic WhatsApp messages.

Shortly before the father-of-one died, he sent messages which said: "OMG had a mad night, all the guys wanting [to] kill me," followed by another which spoke about a "scary guy with the face mask", an inquest heard on Thursday.

His body was found a few days later in the sea after he was reported missing.

Mr Apperley, a property manager from Eastbourne, East Sussex, had planned to return to his hotel by boat the morning after the party and fly back to the UK on 21 February.

Mr Apperley's wife Magdalena said she felt she would never know what truly happened after a coroner recorded an open verdict at the inquest into his death.

She and his mother Linda criticised Thai authorities for the lack of information provided in the investigation after he was believed to have drowned.

Speaking after the hearing at Eastbourne Coroner's Court, Magdalena Apperley said: "We didn't get closure. We will probably never know what happened to Andrew.

"We can't rule out foul play, we can't rule out drugs, or anything else that could have happened.

"The damage is done. We really hope his death can be turned into something positive and serve as a warning to other tourists going to the parties to be careful."

Coroner Alan Craze said there was a lack of evidence from the Thai authorities, who had not carried out a toxicology report.

He said: "There's pretty much no control on the island. Police presence there will have been hit and miss.

"I'm not being rude about the Thai authorities, I have been there many times, I love the country.

"But in terms of my job as a coroner it's hit and miss as to whether I will get useful information or not.

"I'm not getting sufficient or sufficiently reliable information. I think it's down to resources."

Mr Apperley had a history of drug taking, liked to party and regularly visited Thailand, the inquest heard.

Mr Craze said the post-mortem found no signs of a struggle, bruising or trauma, adding: "He led a bohemian lifestyle, he took drugs.
Breaking records

Nepals tourism sector was hard hit by the double whammy the country was faced with in 2015-the devastating earthquake and the crippling trade embargo imposed by India.
Britain is so alarmed by the extent and scale of Russian political interference that lawmakers are getting ready to quiz Twitter, Google and Facebook executives.

A committee of UK politicians is set to travel to the US in February to take evidence in person from Silicon Valley bosses about Russian meddling, including in the Brexit referendum of last year.

The move comes after it was revealed that the Kremlin carried out cyber attacks on Britain's major energy, technology and media companies.

Damian Collins, the chairman of the UK parliamentary committee that oversees technology, said Russian interference is "one of the biggest threats to democracy".

He told Bloomberg: "People operating from a building in St Petersburg can target fake news and hyper-partisan commentary at millions of people at a very low cost and quickly."

If the committee takes evidence at the British embassy, then it is subject to the same legal status as testimony given to the House of Commons in London.

Britain's National Cyber Security Centre, part of the country's communications interception agency, has dealt with more than 600 cyber attacks since it was created last year. The organisation's head, Ciaran Martin, said in a speech that "Russia is seeking to undermine the international system".

Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Theresa May accused Russia of being behind "a sustained campaign" of cyber espionage and disruption.

"We know what you are doing," Mrs May said in a speech directed at Vladimir Putin, in which she warned the Russian leader that he would not succeed.

Reports of the meddling in the Brexit referendum led former Labour minister George Foulkes to question the legitimacy of the vote.

But Brexit minister Martin Callanan dismissed his claims, advising the peer not to believe everything he read in the media.

The exchange came after it was reported that more than 400 fake Twitter accounts believed to be run from Russia had published posts about Brexit.

Mr Foulkes asked the minister if he had seen "the disturbing reports in the media today that the Russian government has been using data transfer through social media to influence the outcome of the EU referendum in favour of the leave side".

"Doesn't this not now cast doubts about the legitimacy and credibility of that referendum?" he said.

"That referendum can no longer be considered to represent the will of the British people."

Mr Callanan told him: "Unsurprisingly, you will find that I don't agree with you.

"You shouldn't necessarily believe everything you read in the press and the media."
Troubled toymaker Hornby has confirmed plans to raise 12 million through a fresh equity placing meant to help shore up its balance sheet and fund the purchase of its new bosss business.

It is the third time in three years that the Scalextric-to-Airfix business has turned to investors for extra cash, having unveiled a 15 million equity fundraise in 2015 and a further 8 million in 2016.

The latest funds will be used to shore up the companys balance sheet, provide necessary funding to support the new strategy, and finance the purchase of a 49% stake in Oxford Diecast parent firm LCD Enterprises  a firm majority-owned by new chief executive Lyndon Davies.

Mr Davies said that a recent review of the business has helped reveal opportunities to improve performance.

The strategy we are announcing today to invest in Hornbys key brands, to instigate a clear pricing policy and to seek additional funds to further strengthen its balance sheet, I believe, will provide the platform for long-term sustainable profitability and cash generation.

By simplifying and improving basic business process, together with better selection and delivery of the highest quality products, we will re-establish the value of our brands in the eyes of consumers and collectors alike.

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The news was released as part of Hornbys half-year results, which showed a 22% drop in group revenue from 21.9 million to 17 million and a further widening of its statutory loss from 4.7 million to 5.7 million.

Net debt more than doubled over the period to 4.7 million from 2.1 million a year earlier.

Hornby  best known for its model railways  confirmed last month that its performance for the year to date had been below expectations, adding that, as part of a new strategy to maximise the value of its brands, Hornby would no longer sell large amounts of stock at a discount.

It comes amid a management shake-up, with the company announcing in October that interim chairman David Adams was stepping down to take up another appointment, having just been appointed to the role in June.

The announcement was made just weeks after the company said it was appointing Mr Davies and was exploring the opportunity to invest in LCD.

The new chief executive has been tasked with pushing through the remaining stages of an overhaul at the troubled firm, which has seen it reduce product ranges and cut back on investment.

The group is now majority owned by Phoenix Asset Management, which has said it intends to increase its understanding of Hornby and its longer-term strategy for delivering further earnings growth following the completion of its turnaround strategy, by entering into further discussions with its management and the board of Hornby.
The flag of the Islamic State group in central Rawah (AP)

Iraqi forces backed by the US-led coalition have retaken the last town in the country held by the Islamic State group, more than three years after the militants stormed nearly a third of Iraqi territory, officials said.

At dawn, Iraqi military units and local tribal fighters pushed into the western neighbourhoods of Rawah in western Anbar province, and after just five hours of fighting they retook the town, according to Brigadier General Yahya Rasool.

Rawah, 175 miles north west of Baghdad, lies along the Euphrates River Valley near the border town of Qaim that Iraqi forces retook from IS earlier this month.

US-led coalition forces supported the operations to retake Rawah and Qaim with intelligence, air strikes and advisers, coalition spokesman Ryan Dillon said.

IS blitzed across Iraq's north and west in the summer of 2014, capturing Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul and advancing to the edges of the capital, Baghdad.

Later that year the US began a campaign of air strikes against the militants that aided Iraqi territorial gains, allowing the military to retake Mosul in July this year.

All that remains of IS-held Iraq are patches of rural territory in the country's vast western desert along the border with Syria.

IS has been losing ground steadily across the border in Syria as well where its so-called "caliphate" has crumbled with the loss of the city of Raqqa, the group's one-time de facto capital, which fell to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in October.

AP
The Belgian government says it cannot intervene in Spain's extradition request against Carles Puigdemont (AP)

A court in Brussels has pushed back the extradition arguments of ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four allies until at least December 4, which is likely to keep them in Belgium until Catalonia's regional election campaign.

The court hearing in Brussels for the five secessionist rebels is the latest step in their flight from Spain to Brussels and their refusal to return to face rebellion and sedition charges that could land them in jail for 25 years.

Before the court session, the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium discussed their bilateral relations, which have been strained over the Catalan officials who are wanted on a Spanish arrest warrant.

Mr Puigdemont's lawyer Paul Bekaert said after the first court session: "We will argue the case on December 4."

Whatever decision is made at that stage, two appeals will be possible and a final ruling could well only come only after the December 21 election day in Catalonia.

Mr Bekaert said even though the prosecutor asked for the execution of the extradition request from Spain for the five, the defence lawyers could still give written arguments until early next month.

"So nothing has been decided today," he said.

The prosecutor added that, according to Belgian law, there was no corruption on the part of the Catalan five but a "conspiracy of civil servants". He said that for a refusal to fully commit to their jobs "there can be no extradition".

The Belgian government says it cannot intervene in Spain's extradition request as it is up to the country's independent judiciary to make a decision.

"It is a judicial case based on the separation of powers. It is up to the judicial authorities," prime minister Charles Michel said after meeting his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Mr Michel's spokesman, Barend Leyts, said the talks were "constructive" and did not centre on the Catalan issue, b ut the extradition issue continued to create unease.

Spain supplied the Belgian prosecutor with information detailing the jail conditions for the five Catalans if they are extradited.

Interior minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said all the information requested had been sent but pointed out that "Spain has been a state of law for many years", adding that "nobody in Europe is going to give us lessons".

The ministry said the ousted Catalan government members, who are being sought for alleged rebellion, sedition and embezzlement, would have access to their lawyers.

AP
Mafia "boss of bosses" Salvatore "Toto" Riina has died in hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra.

Riina died the day after his 87th birthday, hours after the Justice Ministry had agreed to allow family members at his bedside.

He had been in a medically induced coma following two operations in recent weeks in the prison wing of a hospital in Parma, northern Italy.

Riina, one of Sicily's most notorious Mafia bosses who ruthlessly directed the mob's criminal empire during 23 years in hiding, was serving the life sentences for multiple murder convictions, some dating back to the 1950s.

A farmer's son from Corleone, a rocky hill town and Mafia stronghold near Palermo, he carved out a particularly ruthless reputation in a crime syndicate notorious for its methods.

Rival bosses were mowed down in the 1970s and early 1980s in Palermo - murders blamed on mobsters happened at the rate of practically one a day in the Sicilian capital in those years - as Riina orchestrated his rise to power.

In his campaign for supremacy, he violated many of Cosa Nostra's rules of conduct, including no longer sparing innocent women and children from the hitmen's bullets.

He was captured in Palermo in 1993 and imprisoned under a law that requires strict security for top mobsters, including being detained in isolated sections of prisons with limited time outside their cells.

During the height of his power, prosecutors accused Riina of masterminding a strategy, carried out over several years, to assassinate Italian prosecutors, police officials and others who were going after the Cosa Nostra.

The bloody campaign ultimately backfired and led to his capture as the enraged state fought back after bombs killed Italy's two leading anti-Mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two months apart in 1992.

Top anti-Mafia prosecutor Franco Roberti said Riina had never repented for his crimes.

"He was still considered the 'boss of bosses', even in prison," he said.

Mr Roberti said his death will lead to a power struggle at the top of the Cosa Nostra, even if his decades in a Milan prison cell, with severe restrictions on his contacts, ensured he no longer had any operational influence.

The prosecutor said the Cosa Nostra had been marginalised in recent times in comparison with the Calabrian-based 'ndrangheta organised crime syndicate that has spread into Italy and northern Europe.

"But as always happens, these periods alternate and there are changes. We are now seeing an increase in activities on a financial level by Cosa Nostra subjects. We are monitoring this."

The name of Corleone was borrowed for the main character in the Godfather novels by Mario Puzo, written years before Riina rose in the Mafia ranks and later made into blockbuster films.

Riina married a local school teacher, Antonina Bagarella, who was 14 years his junior and the sister of two alleged Cosa Nostra bosses in Corleone.

Investigators believe Riina jockeyed his way to the top of the Mafia by pitting rivals against each other, and then standing out of the way of the bloodshed that felled one boss after the other in the 1970s.

He went into hiding in 1969 after being ordered by the state to leave Sicily after he had finished a five-year prison sentence for Mafia association.

Mafia defectors said he had come and gone as he pleased during the years as Italy's top fugitive, directing Mafia activities from Palermo. He was handed his first life sentence in 1987 after being tried in absentia on murder and drug trafficking charges.

For decades, he seemed to mock law enforcement as he reigned from underground over the mob's drug trafficking network and ordered the deaths of top anti-Mafia fighters.

Anti-Mafia investigators worked with turncoats to zero in on the "capo dei capi", locating Riina and blocking his car on a Palermo road on January 15 1993, within months of Mr Borsellino's murder.

Riina refused to collaborate with law enforcement after his capture. "Mute as a tomb" was how RAI state radio summed up his refusal to become a turncoat as ultimately scores of Mafiosi did.

The archbishop of Monreale, which includes Corleone, said Riina's death "ends the delusion of the Cosa Nostra boss of bosses' omnipotence".

"But the Mafia has not been defeated, and therefore we should not let down our guards," Archbishop Michele Pennisi said .

AP
People run for safety on the main Uhuru Highway as police fire tear gas (AP)

At least one person has been killed in confrontations between Kenyan police and supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga as tensions over the disputed presidential election continued.

Police fired live rounds and tear gas to prevent Mr Odinga's convoy from making its way from the airport to Nairobi's main park so he could address supporters after returning from a trip overseas.

Legislator Otiende Amollo said his car was shot at by officers.

Police warned earlier this week they would not allow a ceremony to welcome Mr Odinga back from speaking engagements abroad. Opposition legislators had urged supporters come out "more than one million strong".

Mr Odinga spoke in the US and the UK about Kenya's political turmoil following a court-nullified presidential election and a fresh vote last month.

Mr Odinga, whose claim of electoral fraud led the Supreme Court to nullify President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election in August, boycotted the new vote, saying reforms had not been made.

Mr Kenyatta's win last month is being challenged at the Supreme Court by activists and a politician amid claims of irregularities. The court will make a decision on Monday.

A police cordon ringed Uhuru Park where Mr Odinga had been expected to address supporters. Police used tear gas on people walking in groups towards the park.

Youths who accused police of stopping them on a main highway from going to the airport to greet Mr Odinga threw stones at officers, in confrontations aired on live television.

Rights activists condemned the police, accusing officers of taking sides in the political crisis and violating the constitution by preventing opposition supporters from assembling.

The nullification of Kenya's August election was the first time a court in Africa had overturned a presidential vote. At least 70 people have died in political unrest since then, the majority opposition demonstrators shot by police during protests.

"In the face of this shameful police brutality and serious violations of human rights to life and physical security, the Uhuru Kenyatta government has remained mute and at times cheered the police on and made alarming statements in support of horrifying police actions," rights activist Ndungu Wainaina said.

AP
British bankers could face a hefty pay cut if they relocate to the likes of Paris or Frankfurt after Brexit, but stand to gain better work-life balance outside of the UK, research has found.

Banking associates in the City could see their pay packages trimmed by more than 18% if they moved to Germanys financial centre, a number which widens to 25% for Paris, and 50% in Milan, according to salary benchmarking website Emolument.

Managing directors (MDs), meanwhile, stand to lose as much as 37% by moving to Frankfurt.

The study, which analysed 4,475 salaries for front office banking across the four cities, showed that on average, associates in London earned 109,000 including bonuses, while their counterparts in Frankfurt pocketed 89,000, those in Paris earned 81,000 and employees in Italys financial hub 52,000.

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If London banks were to move their workforce to other European cities, average compensation packages would decrease. From analyst to MD, London offers the highest salaries and bonuses in the market, the report explained.

But it highlighted that remuneration structures can differ across jurisdictions, with higher base salaries but lower bonuses in Germany, while up to 49% of total banker compensation in Paris is made up in bonuses.

When taking London out of the picture, Frankfurt comes out on top for total associate and analyst pay packages among its continental peers.

Dublin, another contender in the post-Brexit banking exodus, was not included in the study as there was a lower number of front office staff to survey, compared to back office operations, Emolument explained.

Frankfurt emerged as the winner when it came to work-life balance, with 70% of its local respondents saying they were happy with their working lifestyle, compared to 67% in Milan, 59% in Paris and 61% in London.

As regards moving away from London to other EU capitals, while pay may be lower, pain points such as schooling and generally higher quality of life should compensate bankers transferring to the continent, Alice Leguay, co-founder of Emolument, said.

But London comes out on top for its host of open-minded companies, with 49% giving the thumbs up to corporate culture, compared to 33% in both Paris and Milan and 31% in Frankfurt.

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The research comes as a raft of international banks, insurers and asset managers are preparing to shift portions of their UK operations to the continent in preparation for Britains divorce from the EU in the hope of safeguarding against the loss of passporting rights which currently give UK-based financial services cross-border access to the bloc.

Heavy-hitting US banks including JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs are planning to spread staff across a number of European cities including Frankfurt, while Mizuho will join a string of Japanese banks which have chosen the city as an EU hub, including Daiwa, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and Nomura.

HSBC is one of a handful of firms that are turning to Paris, having said that 1,000 jobs may move to the French capital over the next two years depending on the outcome of Brexit negotiations.

Barclays, Legal & General and Bank of America have recently revealed plans to base EU-focused operations in Dublin after Brexit, while Luxembourg has gained commitments from the likes of US giant AIG, Northern Trust and insurers RSA and Hiscox.
United Nations US ambassador Nikki Haley noted that this was the 10th veto by Russia to support Syria

Rival US and Russian resolutions to extend the mandate of experts trying to determine who was responsible for chemical attacks in Syria have been defeated at a heated Security Council meeting that reflected the deteriorating relations between Washington and Moscow.

The US, its allies and human rights groups called it a serious blow to efforts to hold accountable those responsible for carrying out chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

During a three-hour drama, Russia first vetoed the US draft resolution which was supported by 11 of the 15 Security Council members. Bolivia joined Russia in voting "no" and China and Egypt abstained.

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia withdrew the Russian resolution over Moscow's insistence that it be voted on second not first as required under council rules. But using another council rule, Bolivia then resubmitted and called for a vote on that resolution.

It failed to receive the minimum nine "yes" votes required for adoption. Only Russia, China, Bolivia and Kazakhstan voted in favour while seven council members voted against and four abstained.

Japan proposed a 30-day extension for the expert body - the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) - and the Security Council was expected to discuss it on Friday.

At the heart of the dispute was the demand by Russia, Syria's most important ally, for major changes in the way the JIM operates and the US insistence that the JIM's current mandate and independence be preserved.

After the votes, the United States and Russia blamed each other for ending JIM's operations, both insisting they wanted it to continue.

"To my Russian friends, the next chemical weapons attack is on your head," US ambassador Nikki Haley said. "By not having a JIM, you are basically telling the entire world that chemical weapons are OK to use. That's what we should be embarrassed about today."

Russia's Mr Nebenzia shot back saying: "Today it became absolutely clear we need a robust professional mechanism that will help to prevent the threat of chemical terrorism in the region, and you need a puppet-like structure to manipulate public opinion - which on the basis of false information will time after time accuse the Syrian government of violating international norms."

Those who voted against the Russian resolution put forward by Bolivia "bear the full brunt of responsibility for the cessation of the operations of the JIM," Mr Nebenzia said.

Russia has been highly critical of the JIM's findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015, and used sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others who survived the nerve agent.

Syria repeated its denial of using chemical weapons.

The JIM has also accused the Islamic State extremist group of using mustard gas in 2015 adsnd again in September 2016 in Um Hosh in Aleppo.

Mr Nebenzia accused the JIM of "fundamental flaws" in blaming President Bashar Assad's government for the attacks.

He cited its use of "remote working methods" and failure to visit Khan Sheikhoun, "focusing solely on dubious testimony from opposition and even terrorist groups, the disregard for the whole range of rules and methods provided for under the Chemical Weapons Convention".

Ms Haley countered that Russia and its allies "want a JIM that doesn't have independence."

"They want a JIM that doesn't have reporting," she said. "They want a JIM that they can micromanage, or that any member can micromanage."

Ms Haley noted that this was the 10th veto by Russia to support Syria.

"You have to realise when a country is playing games with people's lives," she said. "That's exactly what is happening here. And it's been happening for 10 times."

The vote took place against the backdrop of the military and political situation in Syria, where Assad's forces have gained the upper hand. A new round of UN-hosted Syrian peace talks is scheduled to start in Geneva on November 28.
Changing face of election campaign

As the poll campaign intensifies, social media platforms have become handy tools for political parties and their leaders to reach out to voters.
Song Tao, left, is briefing North Korean officials on the outcome of China's ruling Communist Party congress last month (AP)

The highest-level Chinese envoy to North Korea in two years has arrived in Pyongyang to try to improve soured relations between the two nations.

Tensions have risen over Beijing's tightening of sanctions and expressions of support for US President Donald Trump's calls for more pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

Song Tao's official mission is to brief North Korean officials on the outcome of China's ruling Communist Party congress held last month.

He is visiting as President Xi Jinping's special envoy, according to Chinese and North Korean state media, but no other details about his itinerary or whether he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been announced.

The visit is seen as an effort by Mr Xi to explore a new approach in relations and probably also reflects Mr Xi's desire to head off further pressure from Washington.

China's relations with North Korea have deteriorated under Kim, who has ignored Beijing's calls to end the North's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests and return to disarmament talks.

North Korea staged its sixth nuclear test on September 3, detonating what it said was a hydrogen bomb, and most recently launched a ballistic missile on September 15, firing it over the Japanese island of Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean.

China, North Korea's largest trading partner, says its influence with Kim's government is often exaggerated by the US.

Beijing is opposed to measures that could bring down Kim's regime and lead to a refugee crisis along its border, and while enforcing harsh new UN sanctions targeting North Korea's sources of foreign currency it has called for steps to renew dialogue.

The visit comes as Joseph Yun, the US envoy for North Korea, met his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon on the resort island of Jeju, South Korea.

"China, of course, has a big role to play on north-east Asia security issues," Mr Yun was quoted by South Korea's Yonhap news agency as saying, adding that he hopes China "regards the denuclearisation as a critical goal. We do hope that special envoy will forward that goal."

Mr Song's visit to North Korea also comes as China and South Korea repair their relations that soured over Seoul's deployment of a US anti-missile system.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is to visit China next month for talks with Mr Xi.

AP
The FTSE 100 edged into the red on Friday as a recovery in global equities lost steam amid subdued trading.

Londons blue chip index ended the day relatively flat, down just 0.08% or 6.26 points at 7,380.68 points.

Its European peers suffered larger losses, with the French Cac 40 and German Dax ending the day down 0.32% and 0.41% respectively.

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David Madden, a market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said stocks were subdued as traders failed to make up their minds.

Dealers are wondering if the sell-off that began last Thursday could continue in the short to medium term. The fact that yesterdays bullish sentiment wasnt replicated today could be a sign that markets may turn over next week.

Buying the dip has been a popular strategy in recent months, but on this occasion there isnt the same optimism.

Traders have been talking about a market top for a long time, and in light of the recent declines we may have seen the highs of the year.

Sterling also struggled to find direction, falling flat against the euro to trade at 1.120 and rising just shy of 0.2% versus the US dollar to 1.321.

Brent crude prices jumped 1.7% to $62.43 per barrel amid continued fears of oversupply that could extend a global energy glut.

In UK stocks, Sky shares topped the FTSE 100, rising 37p to 940p amid news that Comcast and Verizon had expressed interest in snapping up assets from 21st Century Fox  which owns a significant stake in Sky.

Carillion shares plunged 20p to 21.5p, and were temporarily suspended during the trading session, after the troubled construction group warned over profits and said it will breach its financial covenants.

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The group said annual profits looked set to be materially lower than current market expectations as it grapples with a string of delays and smaller-than-expected improvements to margins on certain contracts.

Despite efforts to drive down costs, haul in cash and push through disposals, the group said it would fail to hit its net debt to earnings ratio of 1 to 1.5 times by the end of 2018.

Shares in toymaker Hornby rose 1.06p to 30.56p as the company confirmed plans to raise 12 million through a fresh equity placing, marking the third time it has turned to investors for extra cash in three years.

The latest funds will be used to shore up the companys balance sheet, provide necessary funding to support the new strategy, and finance the purchase of a 49% stake in Oxford Diecast parent firm LCD Enterprises  a firm majority-owned by new chief executive Lyndon Davies.

The news was released as part of Hornbys half-year results, which showed a 22% drop in group revenue from 21.9 million to 17 million and a further widening of its statutory loss from 4.7 million to 5.7 million.

The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Sky up 37p at 940p, Convatec Group up 6.9p at 205.4p, Smurfit Kappa Group up 62p at 2,299p and Kingfisher up 7.2p at 307.3p.

The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were United Utilities down 36.5p at 798p, Mediclinic International down 23p at 555.5p, Severn Trent down 52p at 2,092p, and SSE down 33p at 1,346p.
US senator Al Franken is facing a storm of criticism and a likely ethics investigation after a radio anchor accused him of forcibly kissing and groping her during a visit to entertain US troops in Afghanistan.

He is the first member of Congress caught in a wave of allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate behaviour.

The Minnesota senator apologised on Thursday, but the criticism grew throughout the day. Fellow Democrats swiftly condemned his actions, mindful of the current climate as well as the prospect of political backlash.

Republicans, still wrestling with multiple allegations facing Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, joined in pressing for an investigation. Mr Franken said he would welcome it.

It came after Leeann Tweeden posted her allegations, including a photo of Franken and her, on the website of KABC in Los Angeles, where she works as a news anchor for a morning radio show.

The photo shows Mr Franken posing in a joking manner, smiling at the camera with his hands on her chest as she naps wearing a flak vest aboard a military plane.

They had been performing for military personnel in Afghanistan on a 2006 tour with the United Service Organisations, two years before the one-time Saturday Night Live comedian was elected to the Senate.

Ms Tweeden said that before an earlier show Mr Franken had persisted in rehearsing a kiss and "aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth".

Now, she said, "every time I hear his voice or see his face, I am angry". She said she is angry with herself as well for not speaking out at the time, "but I didn't want to rock the boat".

Mr Franken, 66, is the latest public figure caught in the deluge of revelations of sexual harassment and misconduct that have crushed careers, ruined reputations and prompted criminal investigations in Hollywood, business and beyond.

The swift rebukes from Republican and Democratic sides suggest that momentum from the online #Metoo movement has begun to spur a culture shift on Capitol Hill, where current and former staffers say misogynistic and predatory behaviour has long been an open secret.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr Franken apologised to Ms Tweeden and his constituents while maintaining that he remembered the rehearsal differently. Ms Tweeden said she accepted his apology.

"Coming from the world of comedy, I've told and written a lot of jokes that I once thought were funny but later came to realise were just plain offensive," he wrote.

"I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed."

Of the photo, he said: "I look at it now, and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn't funny. It's completely inappropriate. It's obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture."

President Donald Trump ridiculed Mr Franken in tweets: "The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? ..... And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?"

Mr Trump was referring to a New York magazine story from 1995 in which Mr Franken suggested a skit in which 60 Minutes commentator Andy Rooney would muse about drugging correspondent Leslie Stahl and taking pictures of her.

But the president has been publicly silent about the allegations against Mr Moore, the Republican nominee in Alabama's special Senate election. Through a spokeswoman, he called the allegations of sexual misconduct against the former judge "very troubling" but stopped short of calling on Mr Moore to drop out.

AP
Moscow, Nov 17 (IBNS): The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Global Coalition Against TB (GCAT), an Indian policymakers forum, co-hosted a meeting for high burden countries (HBCs), at the sidelines of the first WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB in Moscow on Friday.

The meeting titled Ending TB by 2035: Our Promise to Our People was attended by Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; health ministers from seven countries; Members of Parliament from India; the WHO Representative to India, Henk Bekedam; government officials from over 10 countries; and technical experts from various multi-lateral development agencies.



Nadda reiterated that eliminating TB is a top priority for the Government of India.

He mentioned that the government is undertaking an active case-finding exercise and is engaging the private sector to reach the unreached.

He further added that social protection schemes will be introduced under the new National Strategic Plan, which will help patients adhere to and complete treatment, while providing them access to nutrition.



The meeting served as a platform for elected representatives, Health Ministry officials and National TB Program managers of India and other HBCs, to share country experiences and foster inter-country cooperation on monitoring progress toward implementing the Moscow Declaration.

The meeting was attended by delegates from Indonesia, Vietnam, Maldives, Cambodia, Brazil, Iran, Israel, and Kenya among other countries. The meeting was held on the backdrop of the WHOs recently released Global TB Report 2017, according to which 1.3 million people died due to TB in 2016 (including those co-infected with HIV) which was lower than the previous year. India has been lauded globally for its efforts towards TB elimination. The recently released report shows a decline in TB incidence as well as mortality.



We at GCAT are glad that we could co-host this landmark meeting with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the sidelines of such an important event. I hope this will lead to the creation of a platform for all countries to share best practices and experiences that emerge from their endeavours to eliminate TB. Since its inception, the GCAT has been working with the ministry to ensure that recommendations of all important stakeholders are taken into account while formulating policies for TB control in India, said Dalbir Singh, President, GCAT.



The side-meeting was organized to discuss issues and challenges that HBCs face in controlling and eliminating TB such as ensuring universal access to TB care, research and development to develop new vaccines, better diagnostics and shorter drug regimens, mechanisms to improve domestic funding for TB elimination and importantly in the context of this meeting, the role of elected representatives across the world in ending TB.

The Indian delegation showcased the achievements of Indias TB program in providing universal access to care and the soon-to-be-released National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination.



It is heartening to see this united front to tackle TB and we must recognize that all countries are allies in this fight to end the disease. The recently released Global TB Report is in fact a reflection of the tremendous progress we have collectively made. The Government of India, through the National Strategic Plan aims to eliminate the disease by 2025 and we are confident of achieving our goals through a concerted effort by all stakeholders, said Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Member of Parliament, Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Global Coalition Against TB or GCAT as it is known, is a first of its kind policymakers interest group on TB was established in 2012 as an umbrella organization to bring together dedicated political leaders, policymakers, and technical experts to engender change, support the government in augmenting its strategy and work toward policies and initiatives that have a lasting impact on TB elimination efforts in the country.

The GCAT has held consultations on TB with the highest leadership of the country including the former President of India and has contributed to promoting much needed international cooperation and exchange of knowledge as well. The coalitions activities have helped unite diverse stakeholders on a common platform with a common goal- to end TB in India.


Image: Website grab from NDTV

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 17 (IBNS): At least one person was killed and three others injured in a car crash in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, reports said.

The accident took place on Thursday night at around 10:45 pm.

The deceased has been identified as a 20-year-old son of a rich businessman.

He died on the sport.

The injured have been rushed to a nearby facility and are said to be critical state.

The crashed car was a brand new Skoda and had temporary registration.

Police said that fire fighters had to cut open the vehicle to extricate the passengers.



Image: Website grab from NDTV
Chennai, Nov 17 (IBNS): Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan, in a column recently, has said that he will return all donations taken from public and fans to launch his own political party, media reports said.

Haasan, in a column in a Tamil magazine, said it is illegal to collect money before launching a party.

The superstar has already collected Rs. 30 crore for the cause.

Though he is yet to start a new party, Haasan has already launched a mobile app which he called the first step towards joining politics.

The superstar launched the mobile app on his 63rd birthday on Nov. 7.

Haasan's political ambition was speculated over the last few months as the actor had been critical of the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

He has also said that he is not a saffron person, distancing from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He was met Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal weeks ago.

Haasan was present at an event organised by the principal opposition party of Tamil Nadu, the DMK, sharing the stage with the DMK chief MK Stalin.

The veteran actor, who is eyeing to begin his political career, had once said that the right-wing group can no longer deny Hindu terrorism.

Haasan said this also in his column published in a Tamil magazine.

Speaking about the terrorism, Haasan said: "The right wing cannot challenge talk of Hindu terrorists because terror has spread into their camp as well."

"Hindus are losing faith in 'satyameva jayate' and instead subscribing to 'might is right" he said.

The actor's comments came as a reply to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan who asked Haasan about what he implied to say by recent communalism that is a threat to the peaceful co-existence of Tamil Drividan tradition.
Mumbai, Nov 17 (IBNS): Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone has been given a special security by the Mumbai police after the Padmavati lead actor received threats from Rajasthan's fringe group Karni Sena over its content row, media reports said.

Taking the controversy to a new low, a Karni Sena leader has threatened to chop off actor Deepika Padukone's nose as the latter reacted sharply to the ongoing controversy centred on the film recently.

In a video which had surfaced on Thursday, one of Karni Sena's leader said: "We will not hit Deepika but we will do what Laxman did to Surpanaka (chop off nose)."

"She is provoking us" the leader added.

A leader of another fringe group offered a bounty of Rs. 5 crore to people for Padukone's and Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's heads.

The controversy has erupted after several fringe groups alleged that Bhansali has distorted history in his upcoming film. The group has even said they will not allow the portrayal of Rani Padmini, to be played by Padukone in the film, in a wrong way.

Reacting sharply to the vandalisation of a Kota mall recently, Padukone said people have regressed as a nation. "It's appalling, it's absolutely appalling. What have we gotten ourselves into? And where have we reached as a nation? We have regressed."

The actress even said nothing can stop the release of the film, drawing comments form the leaders of Karni Sena.

The Karni Sena members even organised a massive protest in Bengaluru on the same issue on Wednesday.

Padukone had earlier urged Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani to take legal actions after few protesters who had vandalised artist Karan K's Rangoli, which was inspired by film Padmavati.

The Supreme Court has recently dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a stay on the release of Bhansalis film Padmavati.

The top court suggested that the Censor Board should take an independent view over the issue, saying it cant substitute role of CBFC.

The petition said that the film wrongly depicts Rajput queen Padmavati and its release could hurt the sentiments of the Rajput community.

The trailer of the film shows Rani Padmavati doing a Ghoomar dance. The depiction of Rani Padmavati in the said dance sequence is contrary to how the dance is performed traditionally. The queens never used to do Ghoomar and the thumkas (hip movement) themselves and the revelation of skin by actress Deepika Padukone, in her portrayal of Padmavati, has hurt the sentiments of the Rajput community, the petition said.

Apart from Padukone, the film starres Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles.

Bahansali released a video statement on the films official Twitter account on last Thursday calling the film his tribute to the sacrifice, valour and honour of Rani Padmavati.

The film has evoked a massive controversy with various Rajput groups, including the Karni Sena, threatening to disrupt its screening for what they alleged "distorting historical facts."

Bhansali once was slapped by some members of the Karni Sena, who vandalised the set early this year.

The set of the movie was again vandalised in Kolhapur, with the miscreants burning the costumes in March this year.
Ahmedabad, Nov 17 (IBNS) : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released its first list of 70 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections, to be held on December 9 and 14.

The state Assembly has 182 seats.

The Central Election Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party met under the Presidentship of Shri Amit Shah. The meeting was attended by Shri Narendra Modi, Honble Prime Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, Honble Minister of Home Affairs, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs and all other members of the Central Election Committee of the BJP, a BJP statement on Friday said.

Among the candidates are Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel. While Rupani will defend his Rajkot West seat, Patel will contest from Mehsana constituency. .

Rupani was elected from the same constituency last time.

Gujarat state unit President of the BJP Jitu Vaghani has also been fielded in his turf, Bhavnagar West.

Though the BJP has kept its stranglehold on Gujarat for long, the coming election has emerged as a prestige issue for the party with the Congress doggedly trying to make inroads and the powerful Patidar community sulking in anger and its leader Hardik Patel promising support to Rahul Gandhi's party.
Cross-party unions extend support to agitating students

Cross-party students unions have extended their support to education stream students from the Tribhuvan University in their ongoing protest,
Guwahati, Nov 17 (IBNS) : The draft publication of the updation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is likely to be deferred till the second half of the next year as the Register General of India (RGI) on Thursday submitted an interlocutory petition before the Supreme Court stating that the entire preparation and publication will be completed on or before July 31, 2018.

The apex court will hear the case on November 22..

Earlier, the Assam government had announced that the draft NRC would be released by December 31, 2017.

RGI Shailesh has submitted the petition to the top court seeking rescheduling of the timeline after NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela recently sent a letter to the Union Home Ministry and the RGI that it would not be possible to release the draft NRC by December 31, 2017 as over 1.21 crore documents are still to be verified.

The RGI has also appealed to the apex court for some modifications in the NRC.

Recently, the NRC coordinator submitted the status report before the Supreme Court and stated that out of 3.21 crore applications, around 2 crore have been verified so far.

Apart from this, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) also submitted a report to the Union Home Ministry that a law and order situation may be created in Assam in the wake of the draft NRC publication.

Meanwhile, All Assam Students Union (AASU) has accused both BJP-led centre and state governments that the government has derailed the entire process only because of Hindu Bangladeshi people.

"BJP wants to provide citizenship to the Hindu Bangladeshi people and the citizenship bill, 2016 is likely to be brought in the next parliament session. So they delayed the entire process for their own business," general secretary of the student body Lurinjyoti Gogoi said.

The top AASU leader said that Assam will no longer take the burden of huge number of foreigners.

Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) said the centre and the state governments have hatched a conspiracy against the indigenous people of Assam by delaying the NRC process.



(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Srinagar, Nov 17 (IBNS) : A police officer was killed and another injured after militants opened fire on a police party in Zakura area of Srinagar on Friday.

According to official sources, policemen were conducting a search operation in the area on inputs about the presence of militants.

As the search was going on, the militants on hiding opened fire, resulting in injuries to two cops-a sub-inspector and a special police officer, the report said.

The sub-inspector, identified as Imran Ahmad Tak, succumbed to his injuries.

A militant has been reportedly arrested by police.

More details are awaited.



(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
Guwahati, Nov 17 (IBNS): Assam would likely to grill president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Arshad Madani for his controversial remarks on the ongoing process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) updation in Assam.



Special Director General of Assam police Kula Saikia on Friday said that, a special team of Assam police led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Pranjal Bora has already left for Delhi to probe the entire matter.

On Nov 13, Madani, while attending a seminar organized by Delhi Action Committee for Assam (DACA) held in New Delhi, said that Assam will burn, there will be killings and retaliation, if 50 lakh Muslims are left from the updation process of NRC.

Madani's controversial remark triggered massive protests in Assam and several organisations have registered bitter protest against it and at least eight FIRs had also been lodged against him as well as other persons who attended the seminar, in various places in the state.

Among the eight cases two cases have been registered at Fatasil Ambari and Basistha police station in Guwahati against Arshad Madani, intellectuals of Assam Dr Hiren Gohain, Haidar Hussain, Manjit Mahanta, Apurba Baruah. On Friday two more cases have been registered at Golaghat Sadar and Dergaon police stations filed by two different persons, the top Assam cop said.

Special DG Kula Saikia further said that, the Assam police team, which left for Delhi, will interrogate the organizers of the seminar and is also likely to grill Madani and other persons regarding it.

Police will investigate all cases and law will take its own course, Kula Saikia said.

On the other hand, Guwahati city police on Friday grilled Manjit Mahanta for several hours in connection with the case registered at Fatasil Ambari police station

Massive protests are held across the state against the controversial remarks made by Madani and several organizations demanded his arrest under National Security Act (NSA).



(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, Nov 17 (IBNS): Closing ceremony for the 7th Indo-Bangladesh joint exercise SAMPRITI was held at Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte, Mizoram on Friday.

Exercise SAMPRITI is an important bilateral defence cooperation endeavour between India and Bangladesh.

Major General Md Moshfequr Rahman of Bangladesh Army and Major General MS Ghura of the Indian Army presided over the ceremony.

Kohima based Defence PRO Colonel Chiranjeet Konwer said that, the exercise aimed to strengthen and broaden the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between the Indian and Bangladesh Armies while working together in a Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism environment under the UN mandate.

Exercise was conducted under the aegis of the Red Horns Division of Gajraj Corps and had two distinct components which included Command Post Exercise (CPX) and Field Training Exercise (FTX). Troops from 38 East Bengal Regiment of Bangladesh Army and Mahar Regiment of Indian Army represented respective armies during the exercise," Colonel Konwer said.

The CPX was conducted at recently created Joint Training Node, Umroi, Meghalaya from November 6 to November 11 over six days whereas FTX was conducted at Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte, Mizoram from November 6, over a period of 13 days. CPX focused on planning of Counter Terrorist operations whereas during FTX focus was on company, platoon level tactical drills. A tactical exercise was also conducted during the FTX. Both contingents displayed great enthusiasm and professionalism while carrying out joint drills and skill displays during the conduct of exercise and it was a great learning experience for both the contingents, said he.

The troops have not only learnt about each others organization, but have also identified best practices.

Joint Exercises between Armies across the world are increasingly becoming an important aspect of the bilateral relations.

Exercise SAMPRITI between the armies of India & Bangladesh was not only symbolic of their maturing relationship but will also built trust and confidence between both Armies.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Jaipur, Nov 17 (IBNS): The agitation against the release of Deepika Padukone starrer 'Padmavati' intensified on Friday with protesters blocking the entrance to the Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthans Chittor.

The protest extended to several places across the country with many taking to the streets in Rajasthan, Haryana, and even southern Tamil Nadu.

The protesters are demanding a ban on the Bollywood film.

Taking the controversy to a new low, a Karni Sena leader has threatened to chop off actor Deepika Padukone's nose as the latter reacted sharply to the ongoing controversy centred on the film recently.

In a video which had surfaced on Thursday, one of Karni Sena's leader said: "We will not hit Deepika but we will do what Laxman did to Surpanaka (chop off nose)."

"She is provoking us" the leader added.

A leader of another fringe group offered a bounty of Rs. 5 crore to people for Padukone's and Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's heads.

The controversy has erupted after several fringe groups alleged that Bhansali has distorted history in his upcoming film. The group has even said they will not allow the portrayal of Rani Padmini, to be played by Padukone in the film, in a wrong way.

Reacting sharply to the vandalisation of a Kota mall recently, Padukone said people have regressed as a nation. "It's appalling, it's absolutely appalling. What have we gotten ourselves into? And where have we reached as a nation? We have regressed."

The actress even said nothing can stop the release of the film, drawing comments form the leaders of Karni Sena.

The Karni Sena members even organised a massive protest in Bengaluru on the same issue on Wednesday.

Padukone had earlier urged Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani to take legal actions after few protesters who had vandalised artist Karan K's Rangoli, which was inspired by film Padmavati.

The Supreme Court has recently dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a stay on the release of Bhansalis film Padmavati.

The top court suggested that the Censor Board should take an independent view over the issue, saying it cant substitute role of CBFC.

The petition said that the film wrongly depicts Rajput queen Padmavati and its release could hurt the sentiments of the Rajput community.

The trailer of the film shows Rani Padmavati doing a Ghoomar dance. The depiction of Rani Padmavati in the said dance sequence is contrary to how the dance is performed traditionally. The queens never used to do Ghoomar and the thumkas (hip movement) themselves and the revelation of skin by actress Deepika Padukone, in her portrayal of Padmavati, has hurt the sentiments of the Rajput community, the petition said.

Apart from Padukone, the film starres Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles.

Bahansali released a video statement on the films official Twitter account on last Thursday calling the film his tribute to the sacrifice, valour and honour of Rani Padmavati.

The film has evoked a massive controversy with various Rajput groups, including the Karni Sena, threatening to disrupt its screening for what they alleged "distorting historical facts."

Bhansali once was slapped by some members of the Karni Sena, who vandalised the set early this year.

The set of the movie was again vandalised in Kolhapur, with the miscreants burning the costumes in March this year.
Srinagar, Nov 17 (IBNS): In a brief encounter, security forces have shot dead top commander of Al-Qaida Gazwatul Hind outfit in Zakura outskirt area of Srinagar city, police said on Friday evening.

According to reports, special operation group of Jammu and Kashmir police shot dead militant in Zakura after they opened fire on police party earlier in a day which led to death of one cop and injury to one constable.

"When police retaliate one militant who was in a Santro receive serious bullet injured, but he managed to escape from the spot," a police officer told India Blooms.

The police officer identified the militant as Mugees Ahmad Mir from Parimpora of Srinagar and was active since many years.

Another security official told India Blooms that his body has reached home without informing police or any other agency.

"We are investigating the matter that how his body reached home and from where they receive him," official added.

Reports said Mugees was presently affiliated with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind led by Zakir Musa from South Kashmir.

Meanwhile authorities have decide to impose restrictions in areas under eight Police Stations of Srinagar city on saturday to stop any protest after the death of militant.

Schools, colleges will closed in Srinagar on Saturday.



(Reporting by Saleem Qadri)
New York, Nov 17 (Just Earth News): Climate engineering, or climate intervention, is risky but needs to be explored as a supplement  not as a 'Plan B'  to greenhouse gas emissions reduction, said experts at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23), in Bonn, Germany.

Climate engineering, also referred to as geoengineering, is the deliberate and large-scale intervention in the climate system with measures including carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere or solar radiation management.

We can do a lot, we have to do a lot, we have to try much harder at cutting our emissions, but there will remain certain emissions, especially in the land use sector, which are not going away. So we actually need to start talking about this removal of greenhouse gases inevitably, said Matthias Honegger, research scientist with the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, at a press conference.

Different approaches are being discussed. Some already exist, like planting trees. Other ideas include dispersing certain minerals in the oceans to enhance the growth of algae, which then as they sink to the ocean floor, would create a net flux of carbon from the atmosphere into the oceans.

Business as usual is a little worrying, said Dr. Hugh Hunt, from the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University. The concept of not doing anything is full of danger. Now the concept of cooling the planet is full of danger as well.

We need to have full-on public engagement, full-on societal involvement. The reason is that the risks of climate change are huge, the risks of doing nothing are huge; but the risks of geoengineering are huge as well. We've got to explore those risks, because who knows, we may end up entering a very risky world without understanding it, he added. Geoengineering risks are not well understood and need to be explored.

Stratospheric aerosol injection

Due to the great uncertainties over effectiveness and side effects of climate engineering  including the risk of disrupting natural systems  experts think that there is a need to discuss climate engineering governance, especially as it relates to stratospheric aerosol injection.

Stratospheric aerosol injection consists of injecting sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere with aircraft or balloons to create a global dimming effect.

This technology is absolutely terrifying. We may actually need it, but then, who do we want to decide. That's where this society-wide discussion has to take place, said Janos Pasztor, Executive Director of the Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative (C2G2), and former UN senior climate advisor. It would require a level of international cooperation that we have not yet seen.

Who will decide whether we should make use of stratospheric aerosol injection and when that decision should take place? [] Who will make that decision on behalf of the world? And then how far do we turn the thermostat of the global air conditioning system [] to cool the planet? he said.

There are issues: the more temperature you want to reduce the higher the chance there will be negative impact and the higher the chance that some of these impacts will not be the same across different geographical zones. You might end up in a situation where some people benefit from the reduced temperature but some people would have negative impacts. What do you do with those people? How do you compensate them? How do you take care of them? he added.

Pasztor concluded that the highest priority should remain the gas emission reduction. But we have to consider these other options, as supplements, not as a 'Plan B,' he warned.

Credit: World Bank/Boris Rumenov Balabanov (file)

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Nov 17(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is closely following developments in Zimbabwe, and has called for continued calm in the southern African country, the UN Spokesman said on Thursday.

He underlines the importance of resolving political differences through peaceful means, including through dialogue and in conformity with the country's Constitution, said Stephane Dujarric.

According to media reports, Zimbabwe's military has placed President Robert Mugabe, who has led the country since 1980, under house arrest.

The UN Spokesman said that Guterres welcomed the efforts initiated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to facilitate a peaceful solution to the situation, and remains in contact with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and regional leaders in support of such efforts.

The Secretary-General reiterates the United Nations' commitment to continuing to support Zimbabwe's national efforts to consolidate democratic governance, the Spokesman concluded.

UN Photo/Mark Garten (file)

Source: www.justearthnews.com




Terrorism has been unfortunately with us in various forms across ages and continents, Guterres said in a lecture on counter-terrorism and human rights at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London.



But modern terrorism is being waged on an entirely different scale, and notably its geographic span. No country can claim to be immune, he added.



Last year, more than 25,000 people died and 33,000 injured in at least 11,000 terrorist attacks in more than 100 countries.



In 2016, nearly three-quarters of all deaths caused by terrorism were in just five states: Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria and Somalia. The global economic impact of terrorism is estimated to have reached $90 billion in 2015. That year, terrorism costs amounted to 17.3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in Iraq and 16.8 per cent in Afghanistan.



Recalling how the Magna Carta 800 years ago established the principle of the rule of law, the Secretary-General said that at its core, human rights are a true recognition of common humanity.



When we protect human rights, we are tackling the root causes of terrorism. For the power of human rights to bond is stronger than the power of terrorism to devastate, he said.



Priority actions in counter-terrorism



He went on to underscore five key counter-terrorism priorities.



First, he stressed the need for much stronger international cooperation, announcing that he intends to convene the first-ever UN summit of heads of counter-terrorism agencies next year to forge new partnerships and build relationships of trust.



Second is a sustained focus on prevention, which includes addressing the factors that radicalize young people and make terrorism a fateful option for them.



Terrorists are losing physical ground in Syria and Iraq, but gaining virtual ground in cyberspace. Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube have launched an anti-terror partnership, the 'Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism,' aimed at thwarting the spread of extremist content online.



This is a start. We need to keep the momentum, he said.



Third is to uphold human rights and the rule of law.



Facing threats of an unprecedented nature, States are scrambling to enhance efficiency of their counter-terrorist legislation. Without a firm basis in human rights, counter-terrorism policies can be misused and abused, for instance, to suppress peaceful protests and legitimate opposition movements.



Fourth, the battle of ideas must be won. We should never shrink from pointing out the cynicism and errors of terrorism. At the heart of darkness, we should build a new age of enlightenment, Guterres said.



When terrorists portray violence as the best way of addressing inequality or grievances, we must answer with non-violence and inclusive decision-making, he added.



The Secretary-General's fifth priority is to lift up the voices of the victims of terrorism. Some of the best guides are the victims and survivors of terrorist attacks, who consistently call for accountability and results  not blanket measures or collective punishments.



He urged young people to become clear-thinking and enlightened citizens.



UN Photo/Violaine Martin (file)



Source: www.justearthnews.com








New York, Nov 17(Just Earth News): The political process for a successful post-conflict transition in Libya has made significant headway over the past two months, the United Nations envoy for the North African country said on Thursday.

The re-launch of the political process has created a new momentum, Ghassan Salame, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), told the Security Council.

I am pleased to see many constructive and peaceful debates on the future of the country, he added.

The Action Plan for Libya was launched two months ago. The Plan is made of various ingredients, including amending the Libyan Political Agreement, organizing a National Conference, preparing for elections and providing humanitarian assistance, he explained.

Libya is a nation without stark ethnic or sectarian divides, but with good education and a wealth of natural resources. Many challenges faced elsewhere are not there.

But what might be mistaken for a homogenous nation, is actually a country divided at an atomic level, Salame said, noting that in the wake of the 2011 conflict, the national polity has been replaced by competing individual agendas.

Reconstituting the Libyan national polity is a must, he said.

Based on the Action Plan, the UN convened two sessions of the Joint Drafting Committee, composed of members from both the House of Representatives and of the High Council of State, to agree on a set of amendments to the Libyan Political Agreement.

He welcomed the mutual recognition of the two assemblies, and their acknowledgment of the Libyan political agreement as the sole available framework to end the crisis in Libya.

Any mechanism to select a new Presidency Council and Government must be transparent and fair.

UNSMIL is currently exploring the possibility of hosting the National Conference inside Libya. The National Conference, slated for February 2018, will give Libyans from all across the country the opportunity to come together in one place, renew their common national narrative, and agree on the tangible steps required to end the transition.

As for elections, the High National Election Commission is working to initiate a voter registration update before the end of the year, which will be the first such exercise since 2014. The international community stands fully ready to support the process.

The Constitutional Drafting Assembly was elected and mandated to produce a new constitution and they have completed their draft. The constitutional process must now move forward, he said.

Serious challenges ahead

Beyond the Action Plan, there are three very serious challenges on UNSMILs agenda; impunity for grave crimes, the economy of predation and the erosion of frozen assets, he said.

First, impunity and lawlessness continue to prevail across the country in face of increasingly heinous crimes committed every day.

Second, politics in Libya is strongly shaped by economic predation. In an environment of protracted insecurity and lack of accountability, the shadow economy has been flourishing. Billions of dollars are lost every year in illicit money transfers.

Thirdly, beyond predation, hundreds of millions more are being silently lost due to poor management of Libyas frozen assets. Freezing the assets is one thing, however, their mismanagement is another. There is a need to revisit how Libyas external wealth and investments are taken care of, so that they are not silently and gradually lost for future generations.

Drawing attention to the dire humanitarian situation in Libya, he said: In the past, the country has been a donor to much of Africa, now 25 per cent of the population have humanitarian needs.

Photo: UN

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Explosion was an attempt to assassinate to me: Mahat

Former Finance Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) Nuwakot constituency-1 candidate Ram Sharan Mahat has claimed that the explosion carried out today in Dandagaun was a deliberate attempt to kill him.
New York, Nov 17(Just Earth News): Marking the International Day for Tolerance, the head of the United Nations cultural agency underscored how tolerance must be nurtured to celebrate the diversity that makes us strong and the values that bring us together.

Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our worlds cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human, said Audrey Azoulay, the newly-appointed Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in her message on the International Day.

Discrimination against one is discrimination against all, she continued.

Azoulay pointed out that as globalization is accelerating across the world, societies are undergoing deep transformations, which open vast opportunities for dialogue and exchange as well as raise new challenges  sharpened by inequality and poverty, enduring conflicts and movements of people.

We see on Thursday the rise of exclusive politics and discourses of division. We see diversity being rejected as a source of weakness, she said.

Azoulay maintained that fuelled by ignorance and sometimes hatred, myths of pure lore cultures are being gloried while scapegoating and repressing people.

Also citing barbaric terrorist attacks designed to weaken the fabric of living together, she spotlighted the need that tolerance be more than the indifferent, passive acceptance of others.

Tolerance must be seen as an act of liberation, whereby the differences of others are accepted as the same as our own, stressed Azoulay.

The UN official said that that meant respecting the diversity of humanity on the basis of human rights; reaching out to others with dialogue; and standing up to all forms of racism, hatred and discrimination.

Noting that all cultures are different, she emphasized that humanity is a single community, sharing values, a past and future.

There are seven billion ways of being human, but we stand together as members of the same family, all different, all equally seeking respect for rights and dignity, she underscored.

Azoulay termed tolerance a struggle for peace that calls for new policies that respect diversity and pluralism on the basis of human rights.

Most of all, she added, this calls on each of us, women and men across the world, to act for tolerance in our own lives, in seeking to understand others, in rejecting all racism and hatred, including anti-Semitism.

The UNESCO chief said its role is to deepen the binds of a single humanity, through understanding, dialogue and knowledge, which is why the UN agency defend humanitys cultural diversity and heritage from pillaging and attacks.

This is why we seek to prevent violent extremism through education, freedom of expression and media literacy, to empower young women and men. This is why we work to strengthen dialogue between cultures and religions, spearheading the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures, she said, adding that it was also why UNESCOs International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities works to fight racism, discrimination, xenophobia and exclusion.

UN Photo/Marcia Weistein

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Nov 17(Just Earth News): The United Nations human rights chief voiced grave concerns Friday about the conduct of credible, free and fair elections in Cambodia next year following the decision by the Supreme Court to dissolve the main opposition party.

An effective multi-party democracy requires an opposition that can operate freely without intimidation and threats  and the same goes for a credible, free and fair election, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in a news release.

The court dissolved the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), the main opposition party, on Thursday after the Ministry of Interior complained that the opposition was plotting a so-called colour revolution against the Government. A total of 118 CNRP members were banned from political activity for five years.

People need to be able to debate and discuss freely the political affairs of their country, and the decision to dissolve the CNRP has deprived over three million voters of their representation, Zeid said.

The party's dissolution follows the arrest on 3 September of CNRP president Kem Sokha on charges of 'treason' related to comments made in 2013 about his grassroots political strategy to challenge the current Government.

The use of law against the CNRP and its members is a smokescreen  it is the rule by law, and not the rule of law. The accusations against the CNRP and its members were vague, as were the legal provisions supporting the complaint to dissolve it, Zeid said, adding the dissolution of the CNRP was based on alleged criminal acts by Kem Sokha which had not been proved in a court of law.

Zeid said the party's dissolution and the ban on its members was all the more worrying, given other measures by the Government in recent months, including closure and suspension of civil society groups as well several media companies. It has also been targeting individual journalists and members of non-governmental organizations.

An essential component of all democracies is a vibrant civil society, including NGOs and press that may sometimes be critical of the Government, said Zeid. Imposing limits on civil society and shrinking their space serves only to stymie the creativity, innovation and ingenuity necessary for Cambodia to continue to develop, and to maintain peace.

Similarly, he stressed, a free press is essential to ensure that the public is properly informed of political and other issues so that people can be responsible and engaged actors.

Photo: UNESCO

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Phnom Penh, Nov 17 (IBNS): The Human Rights Watch has claimed death of democracy in Cambodia after the country's Supreme Court dissolved the main opposition party on Thursday.

The case was filed at the behest of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Hun Sen, a seasoned politician, has been the head of the nation for over three decades now.

Reacting to the verdict, Brad Adams, Asia director of HRW said, "Democracy died in Cambodia today and its hard to see it reviving so long as Hun Sen, in power for 32 years, remains as prime minister. This is a watershed moment, requiring a strong and concerted international response. Its time for action, not words."

The Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), main opposition party in Cambodia, was dissolved after the court found it guilty of trying to stage a color revolution.

The charges were first brought by the government, who failed to provide evidence of illegality in its court filings, HRW said.

The court dissolved the party and imposed political bans of five years on 118 of its members.

"Hun Sens actions to remove the main opposition party and its members is a naked power grab, canceling the votes of millions of Cambodians in previous elections and rendering next years national elections meaningless," Adams added.

The HRW has urged Cambodia's foreign partners to react quickly and stop aiding the nation.

The move will now render the 2018 national election a dead rubber as the incumbent government is unlikely to feel challenged by others.
Ottawa, Nov 17 (IBNS): While the U.S. pulled themselves out of the Paris Accord, Canada and the U.K. have signed a deal with an aim to curbing the usage of coal keeping the climate change in mind, media reports said.

The two countries have agreed to phase out coal usage.

Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna along with her British counterpart signed the deal during a meeting on the climate change at the United Nations on Thursday.

Eighteen countries, five provinces and two states have signed the deal.

Four provinces in Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are opting out from the deal as they are still dependent on coal for electricity. McKenna, however, assured she will try to phase out coal usage from the four provinces as well by 2030.

Saskatchewan Environment Minister said he is negotiating with McKenna over the deal.

McKenna, who was in Germany for the meeting, said: "We're seeing huge momentum for this move away from coal and towards clean power."

The alliance of the 18 countries will work on to get another 32 countries on board by the next climate meeting, scheduled to be held in November 2018.

The biggest emitting countries like India, the U.S. and China and even host Germany skipped the meet.

Germany's excessive dependence on coal for domestic needs is assumed to be the reason behind the skip.

The environment issue seems to be a major issue for the federal government of Canada as the country is even trying to include the climate issue in other deals as well.

Canada wants a new North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with a reference to the global climate issues and make necessary steps to tackle them.

In the negotiations, Canada is working for a better labour and environmental provisions.

Both Canada and the US are in favour of making an environment agreement in the new NAFTA instead of designing a separate deal.



(Reporting by Suman Das)

Image: facebook.com/McKenna.Ottawa
Toronto, Nov 17 (IBNS): The Wynne government in Ontario on Thursday announced legislation to ban all college strikes in the province, a decision which has been blocked by the New Democratic Party (NDP), media reports said.

Ontario premier Kathleen Wynee met the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and the College Employer Council (CEU) on Thursday after they voted against the contract offer.

Wynne was quoted by media: "I asked them to work together to find a path forward that would see students return to class by Monday."

"That's why we are immediately tabling legislation that would end the dispute and return Ontario college students to the classroom where they belong. Under the proposed legislation that we're introducing today, all outstanding issues would be referred to binding mediation-arbitration" she added.

However, the move by the Wynne government was not well accepted by opposition party, the NDP.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath told media: "It looks like Kathleen Wynne wanted to use anti-worker back-to-work legislation all along. She spent barely an hour at the table today, after doing nothing for five long weeks."

Horwath said he wants the students to get back to the classrooms again but the deal should be finalised first.

The union had voted against the contract offer. As per OPSEU, 86% of the members voted against the offer while 95% of the eligible voters cast their votes.

JP Hornick, chair of OPSEU's faculty bargaining team, was quoted by media: "No one is surprised that college faculty rejected the council's forced offer. It was full of concessions and failed to address our concerns around fairness for faculty or education quality."

(Reporting by Suman Das)

Image: Facebook page of Kathleen Wynne
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HAL stock price rises after it gets LOI for 9 helicopters from Indian Coast Guard In hefty trading volumes on Wednesday, Hindustan Aeronautics' shares surged 7% to an all-time high of Rs 2,697.70 on the BSE after the company obtained a letter of intent (LoI) from the Indian ... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 2:38 pm
Citizens of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians have rejected plans for a new casino although the results have yet to be finalized.

According to unofficial results, 65 percent of voters opposed the Red Water Casino. Every community on the reservation was against it, except for Red Water in Leake County, where the facility would be located.

But in order for the referendum to count as official, at least 40 percent of registered voters must have participated. The tally posted by Chahta for Better Government , a group that opposes the casino, shows the threshold barely being met, assuming nearly all of the ballots, including absentees, are legitimate.

"IT IS VERY, VERY CLOSE," the group wrote on Facebook. The final results are expected to be made available on Friday afternoon.

If the threshold isn't met, some citizens are concerned the tribe will go ahead and build the casino. But Chief Phyliss J. Anderson issued a statement to the Mississippi media indicating that she would respect the outcome.

"We will continue to explore other opportunities to build on our existing success for our tribe," Anderson said in the statement, WTOK reported.

The tribe's flagship gaming facility is the Pearl River Resort , which consists of two separate casinos. It's about 30 miles from the Red Water site.

The tribe also operates the Bok Homa Casino in a satellite community about 100 miles away. Plans call for Red Water to be similar in size to that facility.

Opponents of the new casino question whether it will draw revenues away from the existing facilities on the reservation and whether it will add more to the tribe's debt level. Supporters, including the chief, cited the potential for new jobs in Red Water.

Read More on the Story: MBCI votes 'no' on casino, TEC will determine official results (WTOK November 16, 2017) Choctaws vote not to build new casino (Mississippi News Now November 16, 2017) Choctaw voters say 'no' to Red Water casino; official results coming Friday (WTVA November 17, 2017) Choctaws reject possible new casino (The Jackson Clarion-Ledger November 17, 2017)

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It was 1999, when a chocolatey dimpled 19-year-old boy made a big Bollywood debut. Aftab Shivdasani was offered a lead role in director Ram Gopal Varma's Mast opposite Urmila Matondkar while he was still in College.

Mast/screengrab

Shivdasani made his debut in Mast and the film went onto become an instant hit. From winning the Zee Cine Award for Best Male Debut to Star Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer  Male for his performance, Affy had arrived in one go.

Twitter

Soon after in 2001, Shivdasani made his comeback to acting with his second film, Vikram Bhatts Kasoor opposite the debutant Lisa Ray. Shivdasani played a negative role and shot to instant fame with his portrayal of Shekhar Saxena, a well-known journalist, who murders his wife.

Kasoor/screengrab

His performance in the film earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Best Villain Award and a Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role.

Speaking to Team Indiatimes about his success at such a tender age, Aftab says,

"I remember in Kolkata, I had gone for the promotions of Mast. There were people who broke down the restaurant because I was standing in an enclosed area. It was a meet and greet with the star, like catch Aftab, the hero of Mast, at so and so cafe. And it was only me promoting, there was no Urmila. And I saw hundreds of people coming towards me, like wanting a piece of me. That's when I realised there's something magical happening."

Aftab also mentioned about how he came from a middle class family in Mumbai, and the new money after the success made him a spendthrift.

"From people who were celebrities, people who were common, people in my social circle, everyone started treating me differently.I felt like the king of the world. Being a 20-year-old and successful, it changed me. When income started flowing in, I bought a car and another car, then I bought a home and another home. I became a spendthrift. I lost value for money. When new money comes into your life, you try to overstep."

On his flops and the stardom phasing out.

For any actor, if he/she believes in what she/he does and it does not work and people reject it, that's when it hits you that your work is not being liked by people. I liked it, I looked good, movie looked good. You love your work like your baby.

A project is like a baby and when people reject your baby, that's when you start questioning yourself. Suddenly it was going all smooth all along, so is there something that's temporary. You start questioning yourself. In my case, I had a lot of defining moments. My films weren't working. Suddenly you don't start feeling important anymore. You aren't called to many parties or you aren't the most important person in the room."

Watch Aftab Shivdasani bare his soul in this heartfelt video.
Joseph Goebbels doctrine - If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it, has become a glaring and uncomfortable reality.

India is witnessing the same phenomenon for the last few years, where the nation has become a lab and its inhabitants, mere lab-rats. Politicians are nurturing an ecosystem of fake news that creates ingredients and then spreads it via its own channels.

A carefully and meticulously crafted piece of fake news is spread with the help of mobile technology, especially with the assistance of applications like Facebook and WhatsApp, that has made dissemination of information, which holds no truth, easier than ever.

With the fast-paced diffusion of news in the age of the internet, lines have blurred between fact and fiction. As many would agree, the biggest threat that the world is facing today is of fake news and propaganda, wherein people are lured in to believe lies that only serve the interests of few at the helm of power.

bccl

Propaganda has become a generally accepted fact in India by many, mostly the middle class, lower-middle class and the poor. Citizens are brainwashed to an extent that general lies and recently-formed opinions now constitute reality.

Fake news is a global issue and has rooted it strongly in India. From old stories being passed as new, doctored videos, maligning history and monuments, spreading facts that do not exist, targeting a community, etc., India has seen it all.

The nation is playing with the element of virality, which are extremely volatile in nature and spread like wildfire.

Lie 1  Theres nothing called Hindu terror

While the world is currently focussed on the violence of Islamic terrorism, there are also violent threads in Hindu extremism that largely goes unnoticed in the bigger scenario. In India, Hindu extremists and its allies have time and again resorted to violence spreading Saffron terror. Terror attacks such as Samjhauta Express bombings, Ajmer Dargah attack, Malegaon blast, Mecca Masjid bombings have been linked to involvement of Hindu Right-wing organisations including Bajrang Dal, RSS and Abhinav Bharat.

Even Mahatma Gandhis assassin, Nathuram Godse, was part of a Hindu Right-wing organisation  Hindu Mahasabha.

bccl

People following other religions like Islam, Christianity and even Sikhism have become others in the Hindu discourse and politics of Hindu nationalism. The rhetoric of there is nothing called Hindu terror runs so deep that is assumed that Muslims are responsible for all the attacks on their own community.

Lie 2  Rapes take place only in India (cities) and not in Bharat (villages)

On January 4, 2013, Mohan Bhagwat, while addressing a gathering of RSS workers in Assam, said, You go to villages and forests of the country and there will be no such incidents of rape or sex crimes.

Statistics show that 75% of rape cases that led to convictions between 1983 and 2009 were from rural India. Around 75% of gang rape cases in High Courts and 63% of gang rape cases in the Supreme Court came from rural areas.

According to NDRB, 98% of all rapes involve perpetrators familiar to victims. A study conducted by the Azim Premji University shows that there is no direct correlation between urbanisation and rapes.

Lie 2  The RSS stood for the Constitution of India and the Indian Tricolour

RSS chief MS Golwalkar vehemently spoke against the Constitution drafted under the leadership of Dr BR Ambedkar. Golwalkar said that the constitution has absolutely nothing that can be called our own. Golwalkar was a staunch supporter of Manusmriti and wanted it to be enacted as the law of land.

The RSS also opposed the national Tricolour flag. Instead, it wanted the Bhagwa (Saffron) flag to be the flag of India.

Lie 3  Eating beef is anti-national and anti-Hindu. Muslims brought beef eating to India

A Hindu right-wing website  hinduexistence.org, says that there is no mention of cow slaughter or beef eating in Vedas nor it is a Hindu custom at all. It also mentions that communal Muslims rulers tried to hurt and demean the Hindu sentiments through cow slaughter.

AP

In reality, the Rig Veda mentions that people used to eat the meat of cow, calf, horse and buffalo. The Mahabharata makes a laud reference to the King Rantideva in whose kitchen two thousand cows were butchered each day. Valmikis Ramayana makes frequent references to the killing of animals, including the cow for sacrifice and food.

Lie 5  Love Jihad

Leaders of the RSS and VHP have often made the claim that Muslim men are trying to convert Hindu women in to Islam by enticing or forcing the Hindu women to marry them and increase the Muslim population.

Most reports turned out to show that the marriages between the two faiths were consensual.

CID investigations found that of the 21, 890 missing girls from 2005-2009, only 229 girls had married mem of other faiths and out of these, conversion had occurred only in 63 cases. Of the 229 girls, 149 were Hindus who had married Muslim men.

Lie 6  JNU and Hyderabad Central University are anti-national

RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya has claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a home to huge anti-national block which has the aim of disintegrating India.

pti

Actually, JNUs alumni, to name a few, include Nirmala Sitharaman, Amitabh Kant, Sujata Mehta, Arvind Gupta to name a few. Many students of JNU and HCU have become IAS officers and many have joined democratic politics to serve the nation.

Lie 7  Thousands of illegal immigrants are coming from Bangladesh to Assam, creating an over-population in the State

The BJP in its electoral campaign in Assam made this claim numerous times. However, the numbers show a different picture. The population growth rate in Assam has declined from 35% in 1961-71 to 24.2% in 1981-91.

On July 12, 2005, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court noted that despite initiated in 3,10,759 cases under the Illegal Migrant Detention by Tribunal Act 1983, only 10,015 persons were declared illegal immigrants. Often the accused illegal immigrants turn out to be Bengali-speaking Muslim citizens of India.

Recently, BJP MLA Sangeet Som called the Taj Mahal a blot on Indian culture and said its creator wanted to wipe out Hindus. Following Soms footsteps, BJP MP Vinay Katiyar said that it is a well-established fact that there was a Hindu temple.

Politicians have come to the forefront to spread fake news. Supporters sometimes overstep their freedom to use the internet and share unsubstantiated news and photos and news without confirming the sources. Rampant talks about Hinduism, nationalism, patriotism make headlines each day. Not just this, the government has also been actively altering the history to glorify Hindu leaders against the Mughals. The government is beginning to on the word fake. At one time, the ground supporters or bots from troll factories were previously putting out false messages. However, now theres an active participation of partys own important functionaries engaging in such activities.

The old style in-house rumour mongering has received an extra edge by technology, making the authentication of such messages, news, comments completely redundant.

Mixing politics with religious ideology and dogma is a complicated business and always has catastrophic consequences.

The article contains excerpts and references from the book 'Bullshit Busters And Other Propaganda Demolished'
MoU signed in presence of CM @Dev_Fadnavis betwn PMRDA and @HyperloopOne to conduct pre-feasibility study of routes in Maharashtra State, particularly in Pune-Mumbai region, where Hyperloop based passenger transit system can be implemented. pic.twitter.com/Y7BGCaa6Q1

In the meeting that was held in Mantralaya, Mumbai, the Devendra Fadnavis, senior vice-president for global field operations Nick Earle discussed the possibilities of implementing this system.

The new transport system could also streamline airport connectivity, such as connecting Punes new Purandar Airport to the city center or Navi Mumbai International Airport to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

Hyperloop is a new mode of transportation which carries passenger freights in pods via electro-magnetic propulsion through low pressure tubes.@HyperloopOne  CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) November 16, 2017

Hyperloop is a new mode of transportation which carries passengers, freights in pods via electro-magnetic propulsion through low pressure tube. It is fast, having speed up to 670 mph (1,080 kmh)

Fadnavis said, "Hyperloop is the future of Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) developed for demands of the 21st century. It requires high density traffic for becoming viable means of rapid public transport, which is available between Pune and Mumbai."

Also Read: Woman With Agoraphobia Finds A Unique Way To Cope, Uses Google Street View To Travel The World
Gauchan murder case: Two more arrested with 2 pistols, 10 rounds of bullets

Police have arrested two more individuals from Kapan, Kathmandu in connection with the murder of the chairman of the Federation of Contractors Associations of Nepal (FCAN) Sharad Kumar Gauchan on Friday.
Pakistan has unveiled what is said to be the remains of a 1,700-year-old sleeping Buddha statue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Haripur.

The ancient Buddhist site in Bhamala province was first discovered in 1929. Eighty-eight years on, excavations resumed and the 14-metre-(48-foot)-high Kanjur stone Buddha image was unearthed.

Reuters

This is from the 3rd century AD, making it the worlds oldest sleeping Buddha remains, Abdul Samad, director of Bhamlas archaeology and museums department, told Reuters.

We have discovered over 500 Buddha objects and this 48-foot-long sleeping Buddha remains, he added.

The region was once the center of Buddhist civilization that took root under the Mauryan king Ashoka 2,300 years ago.

Reuters

The statue which otherwise is in sublime condition has its head missing, in what appears to be a beheading.

Even though it is not clear how and when the statue lost its head, this not the first time Buddhist and other ancient relics have been defaced by extremist groups in Pakistan.

In fact, a number of ancient statues from Buddhism's golden period in the region are in shambles now.

Most of them were attacked with explosives or weapons by radical groups who sees idols as anti-Islamic, while others were the victims of decades of neglect.

The Diplomat

One of the most famous cases is a 7th century Buddha statue in Jahan Abad, Swat, which was attacked in September 2007 by the Taliban, who blew up half the statue's face by drilling holes into the face and shoulders and inserting explosives.

The explosives in the face, when detonated, destroyed half its face, but the explosives in the statue's shoulders failed to detonate.

Dawn

It was restored in 2016 by the Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan, after an effort of four years beginning from 2012.
Shootin' the Bull about cattle Swift Trading Company - 1 hour ago The spreads between fats and feeders has narrowed to a point in which it is beginning to show some potential for profit out into the future. Unfortunately, today, and for the next two months, cattle...

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Crude Oil Falls as Geopolitical Risks Ease and China Covid Infections Rise Barchart - Wed Nov 16, 2:32PM CST Dec WTI crude oil (CLZ22 ) on Wednesday closed down by -1.33 (-1.53%), and Dec RBOB gasoline (RBZ22 ) closed down by -0.81 (-0.32%). Crude oil and gasoline prices Wednesday posted moderate losses, with... CLZ22 : 85.59s (-1.53%) RBF23 : 2.4597s (-0.59%)

Livestock Report Walsh Trading - Wed Nov 16, 2:08PM CST Hogs listless

Cocoa Prices Remain Underpinned by Supply Concerns Barchart - Wed Nov 16, 2:01PM CST December ICE NY cocoa (CCZ22 ) on Wednesday closed up +3 (+0.12%), and December ICE London cocoa #7 (CAZ22 ) closed up +10 (+0.50%). Cocoa prices Wednesday closed slightly higher. Cocoa has rallied sharply... CCH23 : 2,502s (+0.16%) CAH23 : 1,955s (+0.10%)
Assurance, a Top 50 U.S. insurance brokerage, has hired Eric Wolfrey to its Washington D.C. team to serve as a risk management consultant.

Wolfrey will provide business insurance and risk management solutions to a variety of industries with a concentration on the construction industry in his new role.

He will work closely with clients to identify and mitigate risks, as well as protect the companys assets and people. He will accomplish this through a combination of program design, loss control/safety, risk transfer and claims management. His goal is to drive down total cost of risk so clients can reach long-term success and effectively bid on projects.

Scott Lockman, senior vice president and sales leader at Assurance, said in a company press release that the hiring of Wolfrey will be instrumental in the growth of the brokerages client base, particularly in construction, in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Wolfrey was hired alongside Jack Groseclose who is a new employee benefits advisor at Assurance.

Source: Assurance

Topics Washington Risk Management
A guide to good practice for delegated authority arrangements in the London company market has been published by the International Underwriting Association, the group that represents non-Lloyds international and wholesale insurance and reinsurance companies in the London Market.

The guide urges firms to keep customer impacts uppermost in mind when outsourcing particular functions. It highlights the need for detailed risk assessments when selecting new coverholders and stresses the importance for comprehensive ongoing oversight of any partners.

The IUAs recent London Company Market Statistics Report identified nearly 3 billion (US$4 billion) of delegated authority premium written by London market companies in 2016.

Produced by the associations Delegated Authority Underwriting Group, the new good practice guide covers arrangements for outsourcing throughout the insurance process, from underwriting and distribution through to claims and complaint handling.

Delegated authorities are an increasingly popular business model for many companies, said IUA Chief Executive Dave Matcham.

They can offer significant benefits for both parties to a contract and help establish more competitive markets. Companies can provide services locally without expensive new infrastructures and clients are offered greater access to capital and expertise, he added.

In order for such set-ups to work successfully, however, it is important that firms carefully consider which functions are appropriate to be outsourced, choose the right partners with which to operate and exercise appropriate supervision, Matcham explained.

The IUAs new guide aims to help our members comply with relevant regulations and understand the responsibilities they continue to have to clients, he said.

Rules for delegated authorities have been issued under several pieces of regulation by both UK and European authorities. The IUAs good practice guide summarizes expectations of company behavior from regulators Financial Conduct Authority, Prudential Regulation Authority and The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA).

Source: International Underwriting Association (IUA)

Topics Legislation London
Even the workplace has to adapt to the warming world. As climate change creates more intense storms, companies have started preparing for work disruptions due to extreme weather.

In a sign of the times, Fog Creek, a software company based in New York City, recently announced it would provide up to five days of paid climate leave for employees who cant work because of extreme weather events. If theres a declared state of emergency, the company will give affected employees even more time.

During previous hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters, the company let employees take time off on a case-by-case basis. One Miami-based employee had to evacuate during hurricane Irma, and Sandy displaced most of the company back in 2012. Throughout the storms, Fog Creek continued to pay the staff.

But after seeing reports of people losing their jobs after missing work during this years particularly devastating hurricane season, Anil Dash, Fog Creeks chief executive officer, wanted to formalize paid time off for his workers. The company, which fights for talent with bigger tech firms, such as Google and Facebook, offers its 35 employees generous benefits. Fog Creek claims that it was one of the first to offer free lunch to its workers.

Theres no reason not to make your employees feel secure about this, Dash said. Putting the policy in writing, he said, takes it from a good intention to a promise. The company hopes its announcement encourages others to implement similar policies.

It appears to be working. Stack Overflow, another Manhattan-based tech company with more than 250 employees, will consider the policy, said Dash, who sits on the board. (The company says it hasnt formalized their policy yet, but it accommodates employees affected by climate-related occurrences.) Cylinder, a California design consulting firm, announced it will also offer the benefit. Adarsh Pandit, a managing partner at the firm, said the leave is planned but not yet implemented. Ryan Carson, the CEO of Treehouse, a coding school, said he sent the idea over to his HR department.

Like many voluntary benefits, climate leave will likely be reserved for the most elite workers. Am I seeing companies want to create a specific disaster leave? Were not, said Julie Norville, who heads up absence management at Aon Hewitt, an HR consulting firm. Organizations are, however, rethinking leave policies for a broader array of situations. People need more time away to care for themselves and their families, Norville said. This leave falls into that theme.

Employees have very few job protections from acts of nature. Employment laws werent written to anticipate a natural disaster, said Phillip Russell, a Tampa-based employment lawyer. Even Florida, which regularly gets pounded by storms, has no federal, state, or local laws to protect workers jobs if they dont report to work during natural disasters, according to several employment lawyers.

A close reading of other workplace regulations might provide some ad-hoc protections. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, for example, prohibits employers from sending their workers into imminent danger.

If youre requiring employees to work on a construction site in the middle of a storm, that would be an OSHA violation, explained Russell. Even though you cant find anything in OSHA standards that says, Thou shall not work in a storm.'

Reports from Florida during Irma found that despite an evacuation order from the governor, some employers pressured workers into showing up for work. In a survey of 134 people, more than half of respondents said their employers threatened to fire or discipline them for not showing up to work during Hurricane Irma, according to a study by workers rights organization Central Florida Jobs with Justice. A librarian said he was told to man the building as a shelter or risk losing his job; a janitor who worked in a nursing home said she was threatened with her job unless she came in the night before the hurricane.

While some companies might not fire employees for failing to appear during a disaster, many workers have to worry about their paychecks. Employers dont have to pay salaried employees after more than a week of closures. Hourly workers may not get paid at all. While companies like Fog Creek pay workers even if they cant work, other employers may require their staff to take vacation days or other accrued time off during an emergency.

I dont blame anyone for feeling like, I dont trust if my employer is going to do the right thing,' Dash said. If you dont put it in writing, they dont know.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Florida Hurricane Human Resources
Crop insurance was once a sector full of smaller players, but a mergers-and-acquisitions (M&A)-driven push for efficiency and scale has left it dominated by fewer and larger carriers, and analysts at Conning predict a continuation of the trend.

We expect continued M&A activity in the crop insurance sector due to primary companies need for expense efficiencies and reinsurers increasing difficulty accessing crop premium through the quota share market, Conning said in its report: Crop Insurance  New Markets, New Realities.

According to the Conning report, there were nine M&A transactions involving crop insurance over the last three years alone, and that level of activity has left corporate owners a dominating force. This activity has taken place as some players have retreated from the sector due to years of losses and others have moved to get out of the market entirely.

The high degree of M&A activity in the sector has shifted ownership toward large corporate customers, which accounted for 93 percent of premiums in 2016, Conning said. Among the bigger crop insurance M&A transactions over the last few years:

Deere & Co. sold its crop insurance segment to Farmers Mutual Hail in 2014.

In 2015, OneBeacon Insurance Group sold its exclusive managing general agency to AmTrust Financial Services. As part of that deal, it transferred its existing crop insurance business to AmTrust, including policyholder servicing.

Also in 2015, Cargill sold its crop insurance unit to Silveus Insurance Group, an Indiana company known for proprietary software that helps farmers manage risk and analyze insurance operations.

Aspen Insurance Holdings bought AgriLogic Insurance Services, a Kansas-based crop insurer and agriculture consultant.

Zurich Insurance Group bought Wells Fargos Rural Community Insurance Services, one of the largest U.S. crop insurers.

Hub International recently agreed to buy up the assets of Wells Fargo Insurances crop insurance broker business.

Conning said the line faces continued challenges including a low commodity price environment, which puts downward pressure on industry premium. Crop insurance challenges also include private products profitability (there is a federal program too, which Congress has revamped twice since 2008) and longer-term concerns from climate change.

Conning argued that the market remains quite competitive, a reality encouraging companies to employ multiyear strategies to increase rates and redesign products to improve profitability. The firm added that the sector remains highly sought after, due, in part, to large premium volumes, its low consumption of capital and low correlation to other perils.

M&A activity will help remaining crop insurers boost scale and become more efficient, and Conning added insurance-linked securities and other alternative capital could shape the market for the better. Consolidation that has drastically changed the way the crop insurance market looks and operates.

One of the factors driving M&A has been acquisitions of primary crop insurers by reinsurers of the risk to ensure continued access to the risk class, Conning said. As a result, the ownership profile of the crop insurers and the amount of premium flowing to the reinsurance markets have changed dramatically. The ownership base of the larger crop insurers appears quite stable, and these owners do not have a need for quota share support.

Source: Conning

Topics Carriers Trends Agribusiness
Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $247 million to half a dozen patients who claimed the company hid defects in its Pinnacle artificial hips, its third big-dollar loss over the products.

Officials of the companys DePuy unit, which makes the hips, knew the devices were defective but failed to properly warn doctors and patients about the risk they would prematurely fail, a Dallas jury ruled Thursday. The panel awarded a total of $79 million in actual damages and $168 million in punitive damages to a group of six New York residents whose hips had to be surgically removed.

The number of lawsuits accusing J&J and DePuy of mishandling the metal-on-metal hips has grown by more than 13 percent over the past year, to 9,900, according to a regulatory filing. J&J stopped selling the devices in 2013 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration toughened artificial-hip regulations.

These companies behaviors were so reprehensive that it demands repeated punishment, Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the hip recipients, said after the verdict. Lanier won the previous two verdicts against J&J and DePuy.

J&J officials said Thursday in an emailed statement they acted appropriately and responsibly in the development and marketing of the Pinnacle hips. We will immediately begin the appeal process and remain committed to the long-term defense of the allegations in these lawsuits, Stella Meirelles, a spokeswoman for DePuy, said in the release.

Metal Poisoning

Johnson & Johnson won the first Pinnacle hip case to go to trial in October 2014 after a federal court jury in Dallas rejected a Montana womans claims that the devices were defective and gave her metal poisoning.

Another Dallas jury ordered J&J last year to pay $502 million to a group of five patients who accused the company of hiding defects in the hips. A judge cut that verdict in July to about $150 million.

Earlier this year, a third Dallas jury ordered J&J and DePuy to pay more than $1 billion to six California residents whose hips had to be removed after failing. That award was later slashed by nearly half.

The Pinnacle devices werent covered by New Brunswick, New Jersey-based J&Js $2.5 billion settlement of claims over its ASR line of artificial hips. J&J recalled 93,000 of those implants worldwide in August 2010, saying 12 percent failed within five years.

The Pinnacle cases have been consolidated before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade in Dallas for pretrial information exchanges and test trials. Kinkeade agreed to combine the six cases in the most recent trial.

The six New York plaintiffs in the current case are Uriel Brazel, an 88-year-old physician; Karen Kirschner, a 67-year-old elementary school teacher; Ramon Alicea, 61, a chauffeur; Hazel Miura, 60, a housing official; Eugene Stevens, 53, a health-care aide; and Michael Stevens, 52, a financial analyst.

Grand Seduction

The hip recipients argued DePuy officials rushed the Pinnacle hips to market with little testing and misled doctors about the devices safety profile, assuring them there was little risk of metal poisoning and tissue damage from the metal-on-metal product.

They ran a grand seduction, Lanier, the groups lead lawyer, told jurors in closing arguments Nov. 14 Surgeons were seduced into using metal-on-metal by DePuy executives false assurances the company had solved the metal-on-metal problem, the plaintiffs lawyer added.

J&Js lawyers countered that the devices failed because of routine wear-and-tear rather than a flawed design and the company properly marketed the product.

Not a single surgeon said they picked the Pinnacle hip because of advertising or a brochure or any marketing, Steven Quattlebaum, J&Js lawyer, told jurors in his closing statement. They had good experience with it before they implanted it in any of these patients.

In their ruling, jurors found J&J DePuy relied on intentional misrepresentations about the hips safety profile to bolster sales and engaged in deceptive business practices in their marketing of the devices, according to a verdict form.

The consolidated case is In Re: DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. Pinnace Hip Implant Products Liability litigation, 11-md-2244, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Dallas).

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics USA Profit Loss
Texas has recorded $4.6 billion in surplus lines premium through the end of October 2017, a 6 percent increase over 2016, according to the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX).

Providing an update at the annual meeting of the Texas Surplus Lines Association (TSLA), SLTX CEO Norma Essary provided those figures in an update on the state of the surplus lines industry. Essary noted also that flood policies have grown 228 percent since 2008 and are expected to continue an upward climb.

TSLA held its annual meeting in Austin on Nov. 12  13.

In addition to networking opportunities, TSLA hosted several speaker presentations during the event. TSLA Attorney Keith Strama, with Beatty, Bangle & Strama, moderated a panel discussing hail litigation and House Bill 1774, which took effect days after Hurricane Harvey hit the coast of Texas. Steve Badger, with Zelle LLP, Richard Trabulsi Jr., co-founder and President of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, and State Representative Dade Phelan, whose district sits on the Texas coast and borders Louisiana, participated in the panel.

The TSLA Texans Under 40 also hosted a service project and assembled more than 90 care packages that will be sent to active military members around the world. SLTX CIO Tara Mitchell, CFO Kyle Bolls and board members Andrew Fieker and Kyle Streetman all participated in the event.

Source: SLTX

Topics Trends Texas Excess Surplus Pricing Trends
A major chicken processing plant that has been cited for polluting the Suwannee River settled a lawsuit on Wednesday that was brought by environmental groups in Florida.

Pilgrims Pride Corp. settled the suit with Environment Florida and the Sierra Club, agreeing to pay $1.4 million and to upgrade equipment to help reduce the plants waste.

The settlement still requires approval from a federal judge.

The plant, which cuts up and packages chickens for retail sale, is in the north Florida town of Live Oak.

Pilgrims Pride is the second largest chicken producer in the world, and supplies chicken to fast-food restaurants and supermarkets.

The company was cited multiple times by Floridas Department of Environmental Protection for violating limits on the amount of wastewater it was legally permitted to discharge into the river. The most recent violation was in June of this year, for failing to meet deadline required by a 2015 violations.

It was a pollution pattern that the environmental groups claimed was not being stopped by Floridas enforcement.

So the groups filed suit in federal court last year, claiming the plant was still illegally polluting the Suwannee.

Pilgrims Pride wasnt complying with their permits, and the (state) wasnt holding the company accountable, so Environment Florida and citizen members stepped in to get them to clean up their act said Jennifer Rubiello, state director of the group.

Under the settlement agreement, Pilgrims Pride will make equipment upgrades, including to its wastewater treatment plant, study how to eliminate wastewater discharges into the river and create a sustainable farming fund.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Topics Lawsuits Florida Pollution
A California jury on Thursday ruled in favor of Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit by a woman who said she developed the cancer mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in the companys talc-based products including J&Js Baby Powder.

The Los Angeles Superior Court jurys verdict came in the first trial centering on claims that J&Js talc products contained asbestos. J&J is separately battling thousands of cases claiming those products can also cause ovarian cancer.

The verdict came in a lawsuit by Tina Herford, who said she developed mesothelioma after using J&J talcum powder products that her lawyers claimed contained asbestos.

Reuters watched the verdict through an online broadcast by Courtroom View Network. The jury also found in favor of talc supplier Imerys Talc.

J&J in a statement welcomed the verdict. J&J said it believed that setbacks dealt to individuals pursuing ovarian cancer cases had forced plaintiff attorneys to pivot to yet another baseless theory.

Johnsons Baby Powder has been around since 1894 and it does not contain asbestos or cause mesothelioma or ovarian cancer, J&J said.

Chris Panatier, Herfords lawyer, in an email cautioned against reading too much into a single verdict.

It is a matter of time before juries begin holding them to account, he said.

The verdict came as a federal jury, separately, ordered J&J to pay $247 million to six patients who said they were injured by defective Pinnacle hip implants.

Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer closely associated with exposure to asbestos. It affects the delicate tissue that lines body cavities, most often around the lungs, but also in the abdomen and elsewhere.

Herfords lawyers contended that internal J&J documents showed the New Jersey-based company for decades was aware of the presence of asbestos in the talc that was used in its products but kept selling them anyway.

J&J faces lawsuits by around 5,500 plaintiffs nationally asserting talc-related claims, largely based on claims it failed to warn women about the risk of developing ovarian cancer from the products.

In five trials in Missouri involving ovarian cancer lawsuits, juries found J&J liable four times and awarded the plaintiffs $307 million. In California, a jury awarded a now-deceased woman $417 million.

But in October, J&J scored major victories when a Missouri appellate court threw out the first verdict there for $72 million and a California judge tossed the $417 million verdict.

The case is Herford et al v. AT&T Corp. et al, Los Angeles Superior Court, No. BC646315.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Tom Brown)

Topics California Claims